Mr. Nulman Goes to Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Every year around mid-February (President’s Day weekend in the U.S.), I take a six-day sojourn to a different city south of the border to participate as one of the many adult staff people at the annual International Convention of the B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO). This year, over 1,600 teenagers from 18 countries converged upon the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Centre in the Washington, DC suburb of National Harbor, Maryland (located across the Potomac River from the heart of DC and pictured below) to take part in the largest International Convention in the organization’s nearly 90-year history. Needless to say, the convention was enormous success, thanks to the hard work of everyone involved with its planning and implementation, especially coordinators Ryan Ladd and Hilit Jacobson and their amazing steering committee, plus Ian Kandel, Anita Blustein, Matt Grossman and their large army of dedicated professional and volunteer staff (of which I was a part of).

It was an amazing experience, and like any trip I take outside the boundaries of my hometown, I observed and noted many interesting things and happenings. Here is a selection of what I saw during my six days in Washington.

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BBYO’s International Convention had a great deal of special guests and guest appearances from the Beltway throughout its four days at the Gaylord. There was U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice; the U.S. Marine Corps Band; the legendary satirical improv comedy troupe Capitol Steps; comedian, actor and commentator Ben Stein (remember him from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Win Ben Stein’s Money”?), who accepted the Sam Beber Alumnus of the Year Award; Judy Feld Carr, the Toronto housewife who bravely rescued Syria’s 3000 Jews from the oppressive regime of president Hafez el-Assad over a period of 28 years (and all under a veil of total secrecy); and Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents, in which many of the teens clamoured to have their pictures taken with the very tall likenesses of former presidents Washington (pictured below left), Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

But perhaps the special guest that got the loudest, most enthusiastic reception was President Barack Obama, who addressed the convention body via pre-recorded message from the Oval Office (pictured below). President Obama praised the BBYO members for their kindness and their devoted service to the community that inspired others to make a difference.

“I am very proud of the work that you’re doing to encourage young people all around the world which honours their faith and serve their communities,” he said. “The future of this country depends on compassionate and encouraging kids like you, so keep up the great work.”

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Budget battle notwithstanding, President Obama is still quite a much loved and respected figure with the public in the DC area. Souvenir stores that I visited around the area still had plenty of memorabilia in which the 44^th president and the First Family’s images are quite prevalent. And there was plenty of official Inauguration merchandise available (at half-price) for visitors to snatch up. I bought my share of Inauguration mugs, t-shirts, program books and yes, even a limited edition Presidential Inauguration chocolate bar.

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BBYO wasn’t the only group to hold a convention at the Gaylord that weekend. Katsucon, a three-day convention that celebrates the art and culture of the Japanese anime cartoon genre, held its 19^th edition at the Gaylord as well (the fourth time it was taking place at that hotel). Besides the full schedule of music video screenings, art shows, panel discussions, seminars, dealer kiosks, video game demonstrations and plenty of impromptu photo sessions, the main attraction of Katsucon was the costumes. Practically every attendee was dressed up as their favorite character from the world of anime. It was amazing to see the incredible effort each one committed to the accuracy of their respective costumes. One costume that stood out was the person who dressed up as one of the Transformers. The mechanically inclined metal costume that took about six months to build, when raised to its fully transformed glory, measured nine feet in length (check it out on the right).

 

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The two Washington, DC landmarks that dominate the skyline no matter from what vantage point you see it are the Washington Monument (pictured on the left, which is also referred to as “the pencil”, for obvious reasons) and the U.S. Capitol. My friend Seth, who serves as BBYO’s city director in the Washington area, told me an interesting fact about why there are no high-rise skyscrapers in Washington, DC. He said that according to a federal government ordinance, it decreed that no building in Washington be taller than the Capitol. That way, it is seen symbolically as the building that represents the importance of a democratic government in the United States.

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On the final full day of the convention, the teens who were not voting delegates had the option of participating in three different outings within the Washington area. One of them was to go to the National Mall in the heart of DC and visit two of the Smithsonian’s most popular museums (American history and natural history), followed by a walking tour of some of the monuments that are part of the National Mall. Because it was a blustery, chilly day, many of the teens (and accompanying adult staff) opted for the indoor warmth of one or both of the museums.

I chose the National Museum of American History, which I first visited in 1989. It is currently undergoing a major renovation that is to be completed in 2015, yet its many exhibits and artifacts that were on display never fails to fascinate me. One permanent exhibit that caught my attention was called “The Price of Freedom: Americans At War”. Opened in 2004, the 18,200 square foot exhibition pays tribute to the men and women who fought and sacrificed for the United States in every war in the nation’s history from the American Revolution to Operation Iraqi Freedom. There are plenty of artifacts (including the George Washington’s military uniform  -- pictured on the right -- and a World War II jeep that’s suspended from the ceiling), video and film screenings and displays that effectively tell the story of how this country was shaped through the wars and battles it fought on home ground and foreign soil. You could easily make a whole day out of visiting this exhibition alone; it’s well worth it.

And best of all, admission to the National Museum of American History and all the Smithsonian museums is free of charge. For more information, go to www.smithsonian.org.

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Also, if you're a fan of British secret agent James Bond 007, the International Spy Museum, located on F Street (not far from the FBI Building), is paying tribute the colorful, maniacal villains, arch enemies

and nemeses that Bond has faced (and defeated) in 50 years' worth of movie adventures with an exhibition called "Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villains".

Featuring over 100 movie artifacts from the archives of EON Productions, "Exquisitely Evil" looks into  the lairs, weapons and overly conquer-the-world schemes that those villains have plotted before James Bond faced them and quashed those diabolical plans. Galleries include a look at the life and career of Bond's creator Ian Fleming, villains who used the Cold War as a backdrop to their schemes, villains who wanted to take over the world in their own evil ways, villains who dealt in the drug trade and even a tribute to 007's longtime and most famous rival: Ernest Stavro Blofeld. For more information about the Spy Museum and its "Exquisitely Evil" exhibition, go to www.spymuseum.org.

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And one of the most unlikely places you will find a museum-style exhibition is at an airport ... in particular, the Baltimore International Airport (BWI). In the departures level, there is an impressive permanent exhibition set up in honor of the airport's namesake: the late Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American to serve as a justice in the U.S. Supreme Court (he was appointed to the court by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967).

In words, pictures and artifacts, the mini exhibition at the airport tells of Marshall's brilliant legal career, from his championing of desegregation (which resulted in the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education in 1954) to his years in the Supreme Court (there is even a reproduction of one of the judicial robes he wore during his time as a Supreme Court justice, which is pictured above).

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Finally, I want to recommend a CD that I purchased during BBYO International Convention that you should give a listen to. For over three years, Eric Hunker has been serving BBYO as its main song leader. He travels around the U.S. to different BBYO regions to entertain and inspire through his musical talent during their own regional conventions, not to mention the organization’s summer leadership programs.

At this convention, Eric and his four fellow song leaders (pictured above, with Eric on the far left) certainly knew how to get over 1,600 teens into the spirit of the occasion through their music (which is quite an accomplishment), whether it be keeping them entertained before a major event, or to set the proper Sabbath (Shabbat) atmosphere on Friday night. Also, Eric was selling copies of his newly-released CD “All These Little Loves”, which I purchased at the kiosk he set up on the convention’s final night. After listening to it, I found “All These Little Loves” to be a very enjoyable album. Eric’s musical style is very buoyant and lively, and reminds me of Paul Simon during his early solo years (circa early and mid-1970s). And to gauge Eric’s popularity as a singer, the CD debuted on the iTunes Top 10 list for singer/songwriters. Give a listen and see why Eric Hunker is one musical talent who should get all the attention from fans and critics that he deserves. For more information, check out his website at www.erichunker.com.