LEXINGTON’S HELPPRO ENCOURAGES INDIVIDUALS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS TO USE TELEHEALTH SERVICES DURING CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY

 

“Therapist Finder” Service Waives Listing Fee for Therapists

 to Help Meet Client Needs During the Crisis

 

HelpPRO®, an online therapist finder service based in Lexington, is encouraging individuals already in mental health treatment, and those newly in need, to use telehealth and online therapy support options available from many therapists and other mental health providers during the coronavirus emergency.

 

“HelpPRO has been connecting patients with therapists who offer online counseling sessions for several years now, but never has this service been as critical as it is today. Those already in counseling need an alternative to in-person visits in order to continue their treatment. And the coronavirus epidemic is likely to trigger a new wave of people requiring and seeking mental health support, whether that’s due to the loss of a loved one, fear of contagion, despair about our world today, or even cabin fever. Mental health providers must be available in greater numbers than ever before, and accessible via a variety of ‘virtual’ means,” said HelpPRO President William Blout, LICSW.

 

Many of the mental health professionals listed in HelpPRO’s therapist finder offer counseling services via phone, videoconference, email and text, as a replacement or supplement to traditional in-office appointments.

 

“It is tempting for people in need of therapy to resign themselves to making do, given the shelter-in-place directives in place in many states now. I encourage those people to reach out and find the support they need now, rather than suspending or foregoing treatment. As a therapist myself, I know that virtual sessions can be extremely effective. Videoconferencing in particular offers a useful face-to-face connection that many clients find comforting and effective,” said Blout.

 

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which enforces Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations, has temporarily suspended the rules requiring healthcare providers to use HIPAA-compliant technologies when providing remote telehealth services. This means mental health providers can use non-HIPAA-compliant “secure” video platforms including Zoom and Skype to conduct videoconferencing sessions with patients.

 

To increase the number of therapists available to the public in this time of extreme stress, HelpPRO is waiving its normal $150 annual premium listing fee. Mental health professionals can register at www.HelpPRO.com/COVID19.aspx and use promotion code COVID19 (not case-sensitive) to receive the free service for 12 months.

 

HelpPRO is a “therapist finder” that provides patients with free access to a searchable database of social workers and other mental health professionals, countrywide. Through the HelpPRO.com website, individuals can connect with therapists for traditional, in-office counseling as well as telehealth and online options including phone, videoconference, email and text. The service is free for those seeking a mental health professional. Users can search for therapists based on many factors including location, specialties, payment options (e.g. health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare), accessibility/availability, languages spoken, and specific populations served, e.g. transgender or entertainment industry employees.

 

Providers pay a nominal annual fee to be registered, at a rate considerably lower than most other online therapist finders. Providers include clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, neuropsychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, and substance abuse and addiction counselors.

 

HelpPRO partners with 25 organizations including the Autism Society, National Association of Social Workers, Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the MS Society, which regularly refer clients. HelpPRO is based in Lexington, Mass., and is the original online therapist finder, having been founded by William Blout in March 1995.

Shopping 

The Town of Lexington has compiled this list of shops that have offered to provide free delivery, private shopping, and curb side pick up to anyone who needs their services. Give them a call to find out how they can help you!

Establishment	Phone Number
Artinian Jewelers	781-863-9818
Crafty Yankee	781-863-1219
Eye Look Optical	781-862-4510
Firefly Moon Gifts	781-861-1122
Gordon Optical	781-861-8814
Jewels from the Crown	781-862-2003
Michelson’s Shoes	781-862-1034
Omar’s World of Comics	781-457-6986
Revolve Boutiques	781-861-3900
Robin Gannon Interiors	781-862-0466
Signature Stationaries	781-863-2777
Theatre Pharmacy	781-862-4480
Walden Framers	978-831-3351
Wales Copy Shop	781-861-8368
Wilson Farm	781-862-3900
Catch a Falling Star	781-674-2432

In Lexington all restaurants have been restricted from offering on-site dining. The following regulations will guide them for the foreseeable future:

“Any restaurant, bar or establishment that offers food or drink shall not permit on-premises consumption of food or drink; provided, that such establishments may continue to offer food for takeout and by delivery provided that they follow social distancing protocols that allow individual to stay 6 feet apart.”

Please support your local restaurants in this time of economic uncertainty. The following list has been compiled by the town of restaurants that are offering takeout and delivery.

Establishment	Delivery	Takeout	Phone Number
Domino’s	Yes	Yes	781-521-6879
Ma France	No	Yes	781-862-1047
Bollywood Cafe	Yes	Yes	781-274-8222
Wicked Bagel	Yes	Yes	781-676-3568
Nick’s Place	Yes	Yes	781-819-5444
Great Harvest	Yes	Yes	781-861-9990
Panera Bread	Yes	Yes	781-372-3246
Beijing Chinese Dining	No	Yes	781-862-2100
Tres Petite Creperie	No	Yes	781-538-5538
Bertucci’s	Yes	Yes	781-860-9000
Love at First Bite	Yes	Yes	781-862-5888
Clay Oven	Third Party	Yes	781-674-2990
Upper Crust Pizzaeria	Yes	No	781-274-0089
Daikanyama	Yes	Yes	781-860-9388
Avenue Deli	No	Yes	781-862-1806
Dabin	No	Yes	781-860-0171
Via Lago (Breakfast and lunch only)	No	Yes	781-861-6174
Sanyo	No	Yes	781-861-6030
Royal Indian Bistro	No	Yes	781-861-7350
Neilio’s	Yes	Yes	781-861-8466
QDOBA	Third Party Delivery	Yes	781-862-0920
Alexander’s	Yes	Yes	781-859-0225
Wagon Wheel	No	Yes	781-862-2112
Little India Express	No	Yes
Lexington House of Pizza	Yes	Yes	781-862-3666
Rice Cube	Yes	Yes	781-860-9088
Mario’s	Third Party Delivery	Yes	781-861-1182
Brugger’s Bagels	No	Yes	781-674-2040
Dunkin Donuts (various locations)	No	Yes
Starbucks (Mass Ave and Bedford Street)	No	Yes
Peet’s Coffee	No	Yes	781-357-209

 

Please visit LexingtonMA.gov/COVID19 for Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates.

 

Latest Information and Recommendations

• • NEW: Public tennis courts are now closed to the public, in additon to basketball courts, playgrounds, and the skate park.
  • NEW: Massachusetts extends income tax deadline to July 15, same as federal income tax.
  • NEW: Board of Health suspends all non-essential functions of the Office of Public Health.
  • NEW: 新冠病毒信息-中文版 (COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information in Chinese)
  • GOOD NEWS:  Takeda Pharmaceuticals donates $250,000 to aid Lexington residents in need.
  • All schools, public and private, and day care facilities will be shut down until Monday, May 4.
  • Stay-at-Home Advisory for Individuals over 70 or with underlying health conditions
  • Safe Practices for the General Public
  • Text COVIDMA to 888777 to sign up for text updates from the State
  • See Town Government page for the latest information on our services and how to contact staff.
  • COVID-19 scams occuring – don’t become a victim! See tips from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
  • All non-essential businesses cease in-person operation. Press release. List of essential businesses.
  • No gatherings of more than 10 people, including sports. Press release. Assemblage guidance.
  • Lexpress Bus switches to on-demand scheduling.
  • No on-site service in bars and restaurants. See our list of restaurants with takeout, delivery and curbside service

A LIFETIME OF GIVING BACK

By E. Ashley Rooney

When Christina Gamota lights up with an idea, she is unstoppable. What new project is she describing? What significant event is she helping to orchestrate? Christina sees a world filled with possibility and potential and is always willing to lend a helping hand. “We are immigrants; we were refugees. Now we are Americans, and we like to give back,” she says.

Her story began in 1944 when her parents emigrated to Obdach, Austria, from their home in Ukraine to escape the Soviet invasion. When the Soviets then invaded Austria, her family became homeless and was sent to live in barracks in Innsbruck. Because there was no safe playground, Christina played in a nearby cemetery, using natural objects to make houses, dolls, and other toys. Years later, she is still creating with style and panache, turning the ordinary into something beautiful.

Growing up, she lived in Austria, France, Switzerland, and Argentina. Her family arrived in Minnesota in 1959, where she met her husband George, who was also born in Ukraine. George has a doctorate in physics from the University of Michigan, and his professional career has spanned more than 50 years. He has worked in government for the Department of Defense, in academia at the University of Michigan and in the private sector. He has always been focused on science and technology. In 1986, when George became the president of Thermo Electron Technologies Corporation, they moved to busy, bustling Lexington, where their home and gardens became an ongoing project and a beautiful family oasis. Once a modernist, Christina, now believes life is too short to live amid just one period, and the eclectic result is a joyful interplay of styles at their home. They are avid art collectors and their collection is displayed beautifully throughout the spaces of their home with often dramatic results. It’s this environment that she shares with the many organizations she supports through the sophisticated and beautiful fundraisers that she is known for.

“I had seven fundraisers last year,” she laughs, “for five different organizations. That’s my life! And I love it because it has given me opportunities to meet so many interesting people and learn about so many things that I would never have thought of!”

Christina has a long history of volunteering. As a young mother with three children, she always found time to volunteer at the children’s school and their church. “When I was no longer working for money—when we moved to Lexington—I was so lonely. No children, no one that I knew, so I signed up for everything! First, it was the garden club!”

Christina is a long-time member of the Lexington Field & Garden Club (1988-present), the Lexington Historical Society (1988-present), the Lexington Symphony (2006-present), and the Antony Working Group (2010-present). She doesn’t just attend meetings; she is one of those hard-working members who make things happen. When Christina hosts fundraisers, she prefers to prepare the food with other volunteers to maximize the profit! Christina is nothing if not practical, and though her events are elegant and her tables are showstoppers, her first priority is making as much money as possible for the causes she serves.

Christina is the founding chair of the Emery Park Maintenance committee for the Lexington Field & Garden Club. She and other club members can be seen there throughout the year, weeding, cleaning, pruning, and watering. She has worked on the Hancock-Clarke Herb Garden and the Minuteman Statue since 1988.

For the Lexington Historical Society, she has chaired many unique fundraisers, often marrying her love of art and artists with raising money. No one will ever forget the grand event for the Lexington Symphony, where art was available for purchase and displayed casually throughout her gardens, or the painted chair auction, which featured local artists and also engaged the local business community. Christina likes to reach out and bring everyone in.

Lexington is a sister city to Antony, France. It is a relationship that allows the two communities to exchange governmental ideas, facilitate tourism, and promote student exchange programs. Attached to Tower Park on Massachusetts Avenue, is a unique monument dedicated to Antony. It is designed as an outdoor event space with full electricity, in which concerts and other community gatherings can take place. Christina has been actively involved in the aesthetics and fundraising for this project which is finally taking shape.

She has also extended her talents to fundraising for SNAP (Special Needs Arts Programs), which is beloved in the community. SNAP started with a sing-a-long chorus and has branched out to encompass a visual art program. As with many of the organizations that Christina aligns with, SNAP resonates with her onA a personal level. Through her work with SNAP, she is honoring the memory of her brother-in-law who was a quadriplegic and faced many challenges but was intelligent and lots of fun. She loves the way SNAP allows participants to express themselves through art and through music.

In 2007, after a Rachmaninoff concert by the Lexington Symphony, Christina wondered how Lexington could continue to support ambitious musical programs. She approached Maestro Jonathan McPhee about developing a partnership to sponsor a Concert Fund for the Lexington Symphony. She saw the fund as an opportunity to honor someone exceptional and at the same time to share music with others. During her eight-year tenure, it had 45 members. Maestro Jonathan said about Christina’s involvement, “Every successful organization has someone who is an important guiding light. You have been that person for nearly a decade.”

 

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Since retiring, George has volunteered alongside Christina. He brings a rich background to bear on everything he does. George spent five years working for the U.S. Department of Defense. He has spent time in countries around the world consulting for the U.S. government on science and technology. “Once you work for the government, it keeps its hand on you,” he says. George spent time in Ukraine at the request of the State Department, bringing technology to the deaf community. He has taught entrepreneurship in Ukraine, Central Asia, and the Caucuses and still goes back to work in Ukraine twice a year. Christina explains that George’s volunteerism runs deep. “He was a volunteer for many years with the Ukrainians.”

George has really hit his stride chairing the 100th-anniversary committee to commemorate the end of WW I last year and has this year stepped up to lead the remembrance for the 75th anniversary of WW II (learn more on page 18). He has a keen interest in history and an understanding of conflict, having fled his own birth country Ukraine, and he finds great satisfaction gathering the stories of Lexington soldiers and honoring their memories. “World War I affected my grandfathers and father. World War II dramatically affected my family and me. On the ship to America, we met a GI returning home who offered us a place to live free of charge in Minnesota. Today, I am returning that favor, giving back to Ukraine and America.”

The couple agrees that their working styles are very different. “George does the general stuff, the rough stuff, and I do the details,” says Christina. George comments, “We used to work together on restoring homes. I would worry about whether the end product worked, and she would worry about how it looked.” Today they work just as well together, supporting each other’s work and showing mutual appreciation.

The difference in their styles benefits Lexington; George organized the World War I committee with its lectures, exhibits, and parades. With her focus on people, Christina saw the need to do something for veterans. She created 373 poppies in honor of the Lexington WWI veterans and organized the auction of the wooden painted wreaths for the Fallen 8. The proceeds were donated to the Matthew Allen VFW Post 3007 in Lexington.

Christina says, “As we mature and go through challenges in our personal lives, we understand how lucky we are and how grateful we should be for what we have.  Those of us who are refugees have many opportunities once here. For us to give back is a thank you for letting us live in this wonderful country.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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By Janice Litwin

“We are in the midst of a climate crisis. The impacts of global warming are already widely apparent, and the window of time available to limit future damage is closing rapidly. The next ten years will be critical to the future of our planet.” These are the words of Ricki Pappo, Chair of the Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition (GWAC).

GWAC was founded 15 years ago, inspired by a Lexington Reads book, The Future of Life, by E.O. Wilson. The mission of this all-volunteer group is to raise awareness of the climate crisis and to give citizens the tools to address it meaningfully in their own lives. Now, in the face of increasingly urgent calls for action, GWAC is intensifying its efforts. In the words of Bill McKibben, a Lexington native who in 1989 was the first to alert the general public to global warming, “Lexington takes great pride in having been in on the start of one revolution; now it’s wonderful to see it taking an active role in this planet-wide transformation that we must make in the next few years.”

At this pivotal moment, the Community Endowment of Lexington (CEL) has stepped forward with an innovative grant to help strengthen GWAC organizationally and enhance its impact. CEL’s Capacity Building Grant Program was launched in 2019 with support from the Ciccolo Family Foundation. The program funds efforts that strengthen a nonprofit’s ability to achieve its mission, such as infrastructure building, strategic planning, and leadership development. GWAC is the program’s first grantee. It will use its $10,000 grant to strengthen its leadership and membership structures, fine-tune its programmatic strategic planning, build community partnerships, and create and implement a comprehensive communications plan that will raise awareness and reach diverse constituents more effectively. This is GWAC’s second CEL grant; in 2016, GWAC received funding to hold its first Lexington Sustainability Fair.

“It is inspiring for us to see how much CEL respects and cares about the work GWAC is doing to address climate change,” says Pappo, “and that the Endowment also recognizes how important organizational capacity building is to groups that are working to meet big needs with modest resources. To really make a difference in addressing an issue like climate change, organizations like ours need to maintain and build our strength over time, so our impact can extend beyond the life of a grant. This grant helps us further develop our capacity to handle the increased focus needed for this issue.”

CEL was created in 2013 by Lexington residents who saw the need for a permanent endowment to strengthen the community by supporting organizations and agencies that address issues important to those who live and work in Lexington. In the last six years, CEL has raised more than $1 million from residents for its endowment, providing a way for donors to give back to their town and leave a legacy. As an endowed fund of the Foundation for Metrowest, CEL is a permanent, steady source of funds for the town.

Since its inception, CEL has provided funding of more than $170,000 in 36 grants to 28 nonprofit organizations and town agencies in Lexington in four areas: health and human services, arts and culture, the environment, and community building. CEL particularly encourages innovative and collaborative solutions to issues facing Lexington.

Of the grant just awarded to GWAC, Kimberly Hensle Lowrance, CEL’s Co-Chair, says, “CEL was excited to establish a new grant program focused on capacity building as we have seen how these grants can transform organizations and accelerate their ability to impact the community. Putting money into the community in this manner has an exponential effect. CEL was thrilled with the Ciccolo Foundation’s support for this year’s funding and is hoping to find another partner for next year’s grant.”

GWAC has become known for the dozens of events – film discussions, nationally recognized speakers, energy fairs, and more – that it has sponsored on topics ranging from healthy soils to recycling to carbon pricing to building for net-zero emissions. In all of these activities, GWAC ties education about the facts and impacts of climate change to specific, practical actions citizens can take to reverse, mitigate, or adapt to the effects of global warming in their own lives. This approach reflects GWAC’s conviction that while the challenges posed by climate change seem overwhelming and require commitment on a global scale, every time an individual makes a choice, there is usually the option to make a choice that has the least effect on carbon emissions.

For GWAC, CEL’s grant comes at an important time in light of not only global but also local developments. In 2018, to ensure the town’s resilience to the effects of climate change, Lexington adopted a comprehensive Sustainable Action Plan. Lexington’s goal is to drastically reduce all greenhouse gas emissions. The plan calls for aggressive action in every sector – from buildings to transportation to land use to public health. GWAC is poised to play a catalytic role in this broad-based community endeavor by providing outreach and education.

Given the broad and varied impacts of climate change, GWAC emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnerships among local groups whose work intersects with environmental concerns. In 2017, with seed money from The New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, GWAC launched the Lexington Green Network, which connects all groups in Lexington that are concerned with climate change and the environment. GWAC has supported Lexington students’ Climate Strike and its newly created Sunrise hub, and has strengthened its partnerships with Mothers Out Front and the Sustainable Lexington Committee, among others. GWAC also works with town committees and boards that influence decisions related to climate change, and is ramping up efforts to work with coalitions of towns to lobby for enabling local and state legislation.

As Ricki Pappo says, “We want to rise to the challenge facing us by enlarging our tent — by welcoming and encouraging all groups and individuals to work together on the issue of our lifetime. Everyone can learn and act on things they can do to contribute to a more livable future. Every one of us can make a difference.”

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To learn more about GWAC, go to lexgwac.org or attend a monthly meeting. To learn more about CEL, go to www.lexingtonendowment.org. 

By Heather Beasley Doyle

As a volunteer with Eco-Bridge, the Bridge Elementary School Green Team, Natalie Cohen helps students to compost and recycle their lunch remnants. Asking kids to open plastic containers and dump uneaten food in the trash so they can recycle the containers, “I was just so upset,” she says. Since January 2nd, one Lexington school, Diamond Middle School, has reduced food waste while helping the hungry, thanks to the launch of a two-month Food Rescue Program pilot. Through the pilot, uneaten purchased or unserved prepared cafeteria food bypasses compost and garbage bins and is redirected to local food insecure populations by Arlington-based Food Link.

Lexington Public Schools (LPS) Green Teams, described on its website as “a grassroots alliance of parents, staff, and students representing all Lexington public schools” dedicated to waste prevention and reduction, initiated the pilot program.

The alliance brought the nascent program to fruition in collaboration with the town’s Department of Public Health, the Board of Health and Whitsons Culinary Group, which provides Lexington Public Schools’ dining services.

Lexington Green Teams’ path to food rescue officially began in October 2018, when Lexington parents Cohen and Tina McBride began exploring the idea for the group. Cohen serves as Eco-Bridge co-coordinator, while McBride is part of the Diamond Middle School and Lexington High School Green Teams. Just as Cohen and McBride joined forces, Alison Cross of Wellesley Food Rescue Initiatives invited them to a workshop on rescuing food from schools.

“Alison Cross had told us at the beginning of this process, ‘you want to get the health department on board, because ultimately they’re the last stop for this to be okay,’” McBride says. Crucial to that buy-in was developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) detailing the process for storing recovered food before kitchen staff hand it over to Food Link for donation to homeless shelters and food pantries. Food safety is paramount.

“We wanted to make sure at every stage in that process that we knew who was handling the food, what temperature it was at, and when it was picked up, so we could keep track of that,” says Kari Sasportas, Health Director at the town of Lexington. McBride and Cohen based their first-draft SOP on Wellesley Public Schools’. By the time Sasportas arrived in March, it was ready for review.

The program covers what is known, in the food industry, as pre-consumer and post-consumer food. In this case, pre-consumer food has been cooked by Whitsons staff and is still in the original serving container, unserved to any student, after the day’s lunch periods. Post-consumer food includes items sold in the cafeteria such as string cheese, fruit and yogurt that remain unopened and uneaten. Food brought from home cannot be rescued for donation.

Sasportas, whose background is in environmental health, was eager to talk with McBride and Cohen. “I was actually really happy to hear this, and ready to engage,” she says. The three worked more on the SOP, which included a training manual for Whitsons staff and logs for tracking food ahead of donation. In August, Sasportas recommended that Cohen and McBride take it to the Board of Health for review. The board approved the pilot contingent on Sasportas’s final approval. While LPS Green Teams had hoped for a broader pilot and still hopes, ultimately, to expand the program to all Lexington public schools, the Board of Health approved one pilot location.

“There are a lot of moving parts here, a lot of stakeholders,” explains Sasportas; Whitsons oversees kitchen procedures, while the Department of Public Health checks the logs, and Food Link picks up the food. “Given that this was something new, we wanted to start with one school, revisit it and see how that went; see if there are any logistical changes we need to make in training or procedures.”

Sasportas, Health Agent Kammy Demello, Cohen, McBride and Whitsons manager Kevin Silvia will do that revisiting in late February when they will also discuss possible program expansion.

The SOP “is all precautionary,” Sasportas says, adding that she has no concerns about a well designed and managed food rescue program. “Food-born illness is pretty rare, but you’re dealing with food donations that might be going to families with young children, it might be going to people who are immunocompromised, so we want to make sure that the food is of good quality and safe.”

For their part, McBride and Cohen have learned the ins and outs of food safety. They’re now familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency’s food recovery hierarchy, which explains how best to keep food out of landfills (feeding the hungry ranks second, after source reduction). They learned, through Cohen’s careful surveying, that Bridge Elementary School throws out 23 pounds, on average, of uneaten food each day. While the food rescue program will reduce that figure, McBride encourages parents to talk with their children about home lunch waste. “If you send food with your children to school, you can encourage them, ‘Look, if you don’t eat this, bring it home, so I know what you don’t want, or what’s mushy by the time it gets to school, or what’s unappetizing by the time you get there.’ Whatever it is.”

And they’re excited about rolling out a new LPS Green Teams initiative, one that broadens the group’s focus beyond climate change to food insecurity. “It’s not just about the planet; it’s about helping those who are hungry,” notes Cohen.

 

LEXINGTON-BASED SHADAJ AND WORLD ON STAGE OFFER AN ARRAY OF INTERNATIONAL TALENT

By Heather Beasley Doyle

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Shadaj

“People know [Lexington] has become sort of a cultural hub for Indian classical music. The artists know us as a prominent organization now.” 
-Rajesh Godbole

When Rajesh Godbole moved from Pune, India to Boston in 1996, he couldn’t take much with him on the plane. Allowed to check two bags and carry one aboard, he knew exactly how he wanted to use his limited space. “Half of one of my checked bags was filled with audio cassettes of classical Indian music that I knew I was unable to get here,” Godbole recalled recently. “I certainly had developed an ear for music, because the city that I come from, Pune, is the cultural epicenter of classical Indian music,” he explained. “Every night there would be at least five, six, seven chamber music concerts happening in one corner of the city or the other…. It’s in the conversation, and it’s in dinner table conversations with friends.”

In Boston, Godbole listened to his tapes and got tastes of live Indian classical music by attending concerts at Harvard University. Then, the organizer called it quits. For a while Godbole attended a hodgepodge of concerts before he and some friends (mostly from Lexington) decided they would bring high-quality classical music to the Boston area. “It started out of personal passion and hobby,” he said.

Godbole, who serves as Shadaj’s president, began writing to the artists he describes as “the Yo-Yo Mas” and “the Pavarottis” of the Indian classical music world. Bit by bit, he got to know them, and before long, someone asked this tiny bud of an organization to pull together a concert. With that, Shadaj was born in earnest. Godbole, a Lexington resident since 2011, and his growing community of volunteers began pulling together chamber music concerts and music appreciation sessions—flying artists in from India, footing the bill out of their own pockets when necessary.

Four years ago, the group became an official 501c3 organization, to better partner with other organizations including the Lexington Cultural Council and the Lexington Symphony, and apply for grants. According to its website, Shadaj (which means tonic, or base, note in Sanskrit) is “…a nonprofit to cultivate, nurture and promote Indian classical music in its most authentic form through intimate concerts, music appreciation sessions, as a platform for cultural integration and community outreach.”

Each year, Shadaj organizes about a dozen concerts, six of which include music appreciation sessions. The sessions give audience members a chance to hear the featured singers and instrumentalists talk about their craft. The organization’s next event, co-sponsored with Lexington Community Education, takes place the week of September 23 at Cary Memorial Library. Known as “East Meets West,” it includes free daily Indian classical music appreciation sessions Monday through Thursday at the library—and culminates Friday, September 27 at the Scottish Rite Museum with a concert featuring Shubhendra Rao on sitar, Saskia De Haas on cello and Aditya Kalyanpur on tabla. Dutch-born De Haas now lives in India with Rao, to whom she is married. Indian-born Kalyanpur divides his time between Los Angeles and India. All three, Godbole said, have studied with revered Indian musicians. “East Meets West” is the latest iteration of Shadaj’s yearly community outreach event, organized around a different theme each time.

“People know [Lexington] has become sort of a cultural hub for Indian classical music. The artists know us as a prominent organization now,” explained Godbole, but he and fellow organizers embraced the notion that Indian classical music isn’t just for those of Indian descent. “The broader community should also be able to benefit from this. So it was this idea that manifested in the community event that we started 3 years ago.”

In addition to offering free music appreciation sessions for anyone, the concert is free to students and seniors. “We’re trying to get through the cost barrier, because if something is new and you haven’t tried it before, there is a little bit of hesitation: ‘I don’t want to invest that much time and money to go out and attend a concert that I don’t even know what it is about,’” said Godbole, who noted that any music genre can be an acquired taste. “My first five years here, and all of my life in India, I did not like jazz or pop music. I hated it; I thought it was weird. And in the last ten, fifteen years, I find myself listening to jazz and pop all the time. With interest,” he said.

U P C O M I N G  P E R F O R M A N C E S

For more information about Shadaj,
and to buy tickets visit:
shadaj.org

INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC APPRECIATION WORKSHOPS 
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, September 23, 24, 26 at 7:30 pm at Cary Library
Three nights for an informal and informational workshop on Indian classical music.
Monday, 09/23: Similarities and differences between Indian Classical Music and Jazz, with Phil Scarff
Tuesday, 09/24: Indian Classical Violin, with Tara Anand
Thursday, 09/26: Percussion in Indian Classical Music, with Amit Kavthekar
CONCERT Friday, September 27,  8.00 PM
Scottish Rite Masonic Museum, 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington, MA 02420

Tickets:   www.shadaj.org  

(Premium: $100,  Regular: $30)
FREE for Shadaj Members and Students (Only upon RSVP)
Upgrade available for Shadaj members to Premium seating ​

Become a SHADAJ Member :  http://shadaj.org/membership.html

Note: Admission will be handled on a first come first serve basis.  Members must RSVP to secure a seat.
For more information about Shadaj,
and to buy tickets visit:
shadaj.org

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World On Stage

“You know, people talk about discrimination. I’ve been in this country now since 1967. I’ve never felt discrimination,” he explained. “We as a country are full of communities, and if you do this, you learn that.”
Subhash “Mal” Malhotra, World On Stage

Appealing to the masses was the idea from the get-go for Subhash “Mal” Malhotra. A conversation with his children in 1990 prompted the longtime Lexington resident and father of three (who are now adults with families of their own) to create an experience that would bring a variety of cultures and their arts to American school children. “So one day we’re talking and I realized these kids, they didn’t know too much about the world. They really didn’t. They’d traveled to India with us, but not otherwise,” recalled Malhotra. “So that’s what prompted me initially to start something with school children and field trips to learn something about world cultures and world music, and where the countries are.”

A year later, in 1991, he put down a deposit to hold an event at the World Trade Center in Boston, then began to plan the event. He quickly realized “God, I can’t handle this; this is too much,” he said, and successfully asked for his deposit back. He planned for the next year, reaching out to cultural organizations, consulates and artists. In 1992, Boston International Festival made its debut, featuring a hall of countries as well as dancers and musicians. Students attended on field trips with their teachers, and could go from booth to booth—country to country—with a mock passport, learning and answering questions at each stop. It succeeded beyond his expectations. “The first year I did that event, there were 25,000 children,” Malhotra said; the World Trade Center was bursting at the seams. The following year, he moved to a bigger venue, Bayside Expo Center, only to see attendance grow significantly.

From there, he decided to take his show on the road to Chicago, Philadelphia, and five other cities. “It was like a caravan,” he recalled. It’s like a circus going there; I would have these performers, they would follow me.” The shows went strong until early September, 2001.

“When 9/11 happened, I got scared. We were opening our mail with gloves on, because anthrax might be there, and people were suddenly very concerned about safety,” he said. “If somebody wanted to perform, they wanted the kids to go through security there before coming inside the venue.”

So he quit, but not for long; by 2002 he had founded World on Stage and also re-imagined the international festivals as Learning on Stage, a selection of shows by artists from a range of countries. The shows took place at smaller venues and complemented school curricula. Once again, Malhotra’s efforts quickly gained traction, then momentum. “So we used to go to about 20—25 states each year. And one year I was putting together as many as 250 shows,” he said. After that peak, Learning on Stage ebbed back to 100 shows per year by 2015. That year, facing a family health issue, he again hit the pause button.

Earlier this year, though, a local friend, an Indian singer, asked if he might pull together a show for her. True to form, he agreed, and booked two dates at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum theater. Then, his friend’s circumstances changed, and she could no longer perform. Undeterred, Malhotra decided this would be an opportunity to get back into musical event planning.

Under the banner of World on Stage, he will present six acts over two days: Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, November 2. The October event features Liu Liu the Acrobat, Sounds of Korea and Ultimate Tango. A theme links the three November 2 acts. “I wanted this day to have some connection to India, because I’ve never done a show like that before,” Malhotra explained. They include “Dances of the World,” which showcases a local group, MIT Bhangra, and dancers from Greece, the Philippines and other countries; Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers from Pakistan; and Flamenco y Sol, a flamenco dance troupe from Spain. Hamza Akram Qawwal “is a descendent of a family dynasty, musicians, they started in Delhi in India,” Malhotra explained. Flamenco dance, he added, has “a little soul of India in it.”

Malhotra described each artist enthusiastically, peppering in details, explaining here and there how far back his connection to someone goes. Clearly, he loves this. “It’s because it’s international. You know, people talk about discrimination. I’ve been in this country now since 1967. I’ve never felt discrimination,” he explained. “We as a country are full of communities, and if you do this, you learn that.”

In fact, with this latestest World on Stage effort, he decided to revive Learning on Stage. “Because, you know, I thought this was too small a project. I didn’t think it was big enough to keep me satisfied,” he said, chuckling.

It’s been harder than he thought, though—Malhotra feels his age catching up with him. And when describing his initial success with Boston International Festival, he credited the public relations professional he hired with much of its initial success. Now, he said, it’s different. “Before, it was much easier to market these things. It was, you put an ad in the papers, you do some radio talk shows, and get some TV shows to happen, get some interviews there, and you do just fine. But now, marketing is all digital,” he said, largely via social media. This shift challenges him; although the project has been fun, he worries about the success of his renewed endeavors, and by extension, the artists he’s booked.

Godbole, too, noted the importance and challenge of marketing. “I’m not a marketing expert. It’s just there aren’t enough hours in the day,” he said; he spends about 20 hours of his free time each week on the nonprofit—and emphasizes that a cadre of fellow volunteers also put in time to ensure the organization’s success. “But I think this is not our strength,” he said of marketing. “We have fallen short on reaching out to the community, I think.”

He invites community members to become involved in Shadaj, whether to help market to Lexington’s broader community, to serve on the organization’s board, or to record its concerts and events. The concerts, he notes, are small, cozy, intimate—the musicians gauge audience members’ enjoyment just by looking at them. At the same time, they improvise within Indian classical music’s specific constraints, reacting to applause in conversation with the audience, Godbole said.

Like Malhotra, Godbole never runs out of descriptions and imagery as he talks about Shadaj’s 23-year journey. It’s maintaining a culture, it’s passing it down to the next generation, it’s sharing it with a community. But for Godbole, at the center of it all, one perk stands out: “You become friends with some of the artists, so that’s the best part.”

As Godbole and Malhotra shared their stories of bringing their cultural passions to audiences, it became clear how much time, work and energy they’ve put into their respective endeavors. They have networked, figured out logistics and put up their own money. Neither wants to give it up, though—Malhotra has already booked the Scottish Rite Museum theater for next year’s performances.

“It’s like telling me ‘don’t breathe in oxygen,’” Malhotra said. “You don’t get oxygen, you die. This is oxygen for me.”

 

For more information about World on Stage, and to buy tickets:
worldonstage.com

U P C O M I N G  P E R F O R M A N C E S

SATURDAY, October 12, 2019
2 PM    |   CHINA Li Lui
The Acrobat Originally from Shanghai. Has performed and won prestigious competitions all over the world. Been on David Letterman Show and performed at major events around the world.
5 PM KOREA    |    Sounds of Korea
A star cast of Korean performers, educated and trained in Korea. They have performed extensively in Korea and USA and have won prestigious individual awards in Korea.
8 PM ARGENTINA The Tango – Raul Jaurena & Friends
Raul Jauena is one of the most recognized Tango musicians of our time. He has performed with other illustrious musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Paquita O’Riviera and has travelled all over the world and invited to perform at the White House.

SATURDAY, November 2, 2019
1 PM INT’L    |   Dances of the world
The Six dance troupes representing 6 countries showcase their youth, talent, training, and exotic traditional clothing to light up any stage.
4:30PM    |   INDIA/PAKISTAN HATA Qawwal from Lahore
This award-winning Qawwali group are descendants of the First Qawwal of the subcontinent, some seven centuries ago. They represent the 26th generation of Qawwali in the Sufi tradition.
8 PM SPAIN Flamenco y Sol
One of the finest group of professional flamenco musicians, singers, and dancers. They have performed in USA and Spain

“We become friends with the people that come in here, we know who they are,

we understand what goes on, and we care about them.”

–  Joel Berman

 

By Devin Shaw

After at least 6 months of planning, on September 7th, Berman’s Wine & Spirits held their 10th Annual Block Party in East Lexington. Joel Berman was also celebrating an even bigger anniversary—the 110th anniversary of his family’s business. The event was supremely curated: food from local artisanal vendors and Lexington restaurants, beers and wine tastings inside the store, (spectacular) music from LHS students, and a booth selling raffle tickets and knick-knacks—the proceeds of which are going to the people in the Bahamas.

It was a real family affair. The staff and their families were tasked with individual jobs. You see, Berman’s is a real family business—even if you aren’t a Berman.

The celebration wasn’t just for Berman’s individually; it was for Lexington. Joel has been running the store for 56 years, and his relationship with Lexing-ton is of the utmost importance to him.  He told me, “We’re a part of the community, we’ve been here for a long period of time. We care about this place; we care about Lexington; we care about the community. We care about the people in the community, the people who come here; we want to give them the best service that they can possibly get. We want them to come here and have a wonderful experience.”

When anything is 110 years old, there is bound to be a long history. The Bermans story started with a cattle boat leaving Russia, Joel told me, “Legend has it that the business was incorporated in 1909 by my grandfather Max. He came over here on a cattle boat from Russia. He ran a dry goods and meat store right here at 12 and 14 Mass Avenue. It’s a two-family house. They actually reared cattle back there. My uncle Eddie used to run a meat market up and down the street.”

Joel’s grandfather was known for his generosity—often giving food to the poor without expectation of compensation (specifically during The Great Depression), he just wanted to help out his fellow community members in need. Joel explained to me, “So in 1933 when the repeal [of Prohibition] happened the chairman of Lexington’s Board of Selectmen came and said ‘Max we have a liquor license here, we’d like you to have it.’ and he said, ‘I don’t know what to do with it.’ They said, ‘Well, you’re an honorable man, and we’d like you to have it.’ And he said ‘Fine, okay, so I’ll take it.’”

Joel’s father, Mike, ran a very successful driving school (Grove Hill Driving School) but his wife (Joel’s mother) insisted that he help his father with the new liquor store. So Mike and his brother joined the business. Joel explained, “they started with less than six bottles! But, it just grew. When my grandfather passed away in 1949, the two brothers essentially inherited the business, and they worked together off-and-on.”

At the same time, there was a restaurant across the street that was having problems.  Joel said, “They had hanky-panky in the kitchen, and Hell’s Angels in the parking lot and they were having all these problems. And, my mother insisted—she was very prescient and smart—that my uncle and father buy the property. They did, and we’ve been here ever since.”

A few years later Joel was studying psychology at B.U. but took a sabbatical to enlist in the Army. When he returned home from the military, he went back to BU to finish up school and took a part-time job at his family’s store. That was in 1962.

His father took ill, that’s when Joel stepped up. He said, “At 56 years of age, my father contracted diabetes―he had never been sick a day in his life. So I ran the store at age 24, and I bought my uncle out when I was just 30. So I was essentially equal partners with my dad, but he was completely retired, so I was completely autonomous.”

This is when his education began. Joel said, “I knew nothing about anything…including wine.”

Joel continued, “People didn’t really buy much wine, there was almost none. There were none of these periodicals: The Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate, and Decanter Magazine. It was all word of mouth. However, there became a point where I was going to do a little bit of renovation here, and I was going to push a wall back, it was going to cost me $5,000 to do it.”

The contractor never showed, and Joel had an extra $5,000. He exclaimed, “I said ‘you know what? I’m going to buy a Bordeaux!’ So I bought a Bordeaux. I bought three cases of this, five cases of that, and some other products. And, to me, it was like selling penny candy. I flipped them out at really great prices. I said, ‘Okay,’ and went away on vacation. When I came back, half the stuff was gone. I said, ‘Whoa!’

“So, I had bought – and I remember this – five cases of 1964 Chateau Beychevelle―which is a Saint-Julien―and I went to go and re-buy it, and I called my then sales manager, Leo Sulkinat at Brandon Liquors, and said ‘I want five more.’ He says, ‘Well, it’s 60 dollars.’ And I said, ‘What are you talking about? I paid 40 dollars two weeks ago.’ He says, ‘That was then, this is now.’ That’s when I learned I had to get into the wine business!”

Joel began taking classes, tasting different varieties of wines―becoming an expert. He started his own import company where he would travel overseas. He said, “I speak French, I speak Italian, and I go over there and deal with the growers directly, and pick my wines and bring it back.” He has since sold his import business to his son, but he is still the business’ “best customer, even though I don’t own it anymore. That’s why we offer different wines that a lot of people don’t have, and we still have more exotic brands than some-one else, more interesting things, because I’m not interested in having the national brands.”

Over 35 years ago, Joel began mailing a very descriptive monthly newsletter to customers with all of the wines he liked—which has now transitioned to a subscription email (you can subscribe on the website). Joel has most definitely become an expert in the field; he has even published a book on the subject, So you Want to be a Wine Merchant. I personally would encourage you to go in for a free tasting/lesson between 2:30-5:30 on Saturdays.

The most important part of shopping at a store like Berman’s is knowledge. Joel’s palate has memories. If presented with a bottle of Chardonnay that is 25 dollars, he will know one that tastes the same at a lesser cost. Or, he could find you a vintage that tastes even better!

Or as Joel says, “I’m faithful to my wife, but I’m not faithful to these bottles. Try different things, have a little fun with it!”

While you can shop at the big conglomerates, they’re not going to be able to help get you the right bottles. Berman’s is agenda-free; why else would they have loyal customers of 40 years? My best advice is: present a dinner party and offer up the menu and let any employee help pick out your wine for the evening—you will be beyond pleased!

Considering how knowledgeable Berman’s staff is, there is another reason Joel still goes in at 8 am everyday; he told me, “I’ve often said that I really like people. If I didn’t like people, I wouldn’t be here all this time. I enjoy people. I meet all kinds of people; it’s fun. I love to see them, all the diverse people. We become friends with the people that come in here, we know who they are, we understand what goes on, and we care about them. We want them to have the best time, the best experience, and get the best products that they can from us!”

Joel continues, “I can’t tell you how many people come in here and commend us, they sing our praises, and they tell us how much they love coming in here and how much they love the store. I mean it can bring tears to your eyes! And, it’s because of the personality of all the people who are here. But this is the way we’ve hired these people. A lot of my people have been here for years. They know their stuff. They are fixtures.”

You can get almost anything at Berman’s: curated local food, all of the craft beer you can imagine, an awe-inspiring spirits section. And, of course, wine. You can pick your own bottle, but as Joel told me, “You want this bottle? Yeah I got it, no worries, here it is, it has a good price. But if you want to really ask me, ‘what do you think is good?’ I’ll pick you something good.”

Berman’s Wine and Spirits is located at 55 Massachusetts Avenue in East Lexington.  You can learn more by visiting www.BermansFineWines.com.