Paul and Judie Ross: Performance Testimonials

Judith Fein gave a talk entitled "Finding Your Bliss While Making A Living" at our September luncheon meeting of the Association of Women in Communication-Albuquerque Professional Chapter. I had attended several of her talks/performances, read her book, articles, seen her and husband Paul Ross' films and very enthusiastically invited her to be a guest speaker. The results surpassed my expectations which were already quite high.

First of all, as I had hoped, Ms. Fein was a drawing card, attracting guests from the community as well as many members who don't regularly attend. She really connects to the audience and develops instantaneous rapport. The audience was captivated, mezmerized, and when her alotted time was up, half the audience lined up to talk to her personally afterward. She is warm, funny, honest, insightful, interesting, entertaining, intelligent, and surprising.

The evaluations came back with 98% rating the speaker as "excellent"-unprecedented unanimous big 'thumbs up'. We are hoping to bring Ms. Fein back next year and do a bigger program with her as a featured speaker. She is absolutely one of, if not, the best speaker we've had. In short, Judith Fein is everything you could possibly want from a guest speaker and then some.

I highly recommend Judith Fein for any organization looking to pump up its members, bringing them together for a memorable event which they will refer to as a benchmark for future guests.

Sincerely,
Phyllis Wolf
AWC/Albuquerque Program Chair, "Finding Your Bliss While Making a Living"
Personnelity Performance Solutions, Inc.

On behalf of Travel Learning Connections and the attendees of the Educational Travel Conference, we appreciate your participation as an integral part of the presentation team. We have received great feedback on your inspirational plenary presentation, and on your follow up writing workshop. The audience comments below summarize well your outstanding presentations.

Keynote - Thinking Outside The Bus: Making group travel a personal adventure!

"Funny, fabulous, inspirational! Best session yet in this conference." Can't get enough! Give Judie more time!" "One of the best sessions ever seen at ETC!" "Outstanding speaker - very informative, very entertaining." "Dynamic, engaging, well presented session - very informative - great public speaker." "Fantastic! Energy and enthusiasm is just what I needed by this time of day. Judie is inspiring!" "The best speaker we had so far! Judie should have been our opening speaker!"

Workshop - Getting Travelers Excited About Travel: Starting with your own Experiences

"Need a higher rating than 5. It doesn't cover the quality of what was offered in this session. Over the top - way more than expected." "Amazing - unbelievable! And I am not the only one who has said this. Judie had the entire audience bonded by the end." "Judie provides excellent value and specific ideas for a diverse audience like ETC. She should be invited to future sessions."

It was a real pleasure to meet you and Paul and work with you this year; we look forward to working with you in the future!

J. Mara DelliPriscoli
Founder, ETC
President, Travel Learning Connections, Inc.

Thank you so much for your recent presentations to Beth Shir Sholom! I am still hearing the positive responses: "She was really fascinating, wasn¹t she?" "It was soooo interesting!" "When are we going to New Mexico for a program with Judith?!"

The Texas and New Mexico Hospice Organization was privileged to have Judith Fein as one of our Plenary speakers for our annual meeting. Her presentation, "Native Healing: A Global Perspective," included stories from around the world including sessions she and her husband Paul Ross experienced with healers ranging from a Zulu sangoma to an Inca yachak. Included in Judith's presentation was her training with a curandera in central Mexico, and a film the duo made inside that world.

Judith shares her incredible curiosity most effectively with her audience and fit her presentation into the world of Hospice and acceptable treatment of the terminally ill, world wide. The response was overwhelmingly favorable. We thank Judith for the wonderful presentation and can fully recommend her to any organization who is looking for a lively, thought-provoking and most timely presentation about Health Care around the world.

Sarah Rochester RN, Committee Chair, 26th Annual Conference, Texas and New Mexico Hospice Organization

Judith Fein was the keynote speaker at our annual "A Taste of Honey." The audience was filled, and people listened with rapt attention as she spoke about Unknown Jewish Communities Around the World. She was informative, entertaining, and very well received. One of the attendees summed it up on an evaluation form: "She was informative and enjoyable--it's not just a taste of honey--it's a feast!" Another commented, "What a treat--great information and knowledge, and we need a week with her!" Many in our audience suggested that she come back to do a full-day workshop, or at least a two-hour presentation to allow time for her deeply moving commentary as well as her husband's film clips from all the places she spoke about.

Later that afternoon, Judith gave a workshop on Jewish Healing Traditions, which was an experiential and deeply moving event. Again, the comments were overwhelmingly positive. "Bring her back and give her more time!" sums up the reaction of the participants.

Paula Amar Schwartz, Ph.D, Co-Chair A Taste of Honey
JCC of Greater Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Having greatly enjoyed her syndicated articles, me and my event chairs were delighted to have the opportunity to invite Judie to speak on the topic, "Unknown Jewish Communities around the World." Although we certainly expected an informative evening based on our familiarity with Judie¹s writing, we were delighted by the unexpected depth and drama of her outstanding presentation.

Judie had the attendees absolutely fascinated with her tales of travels to obscure communities, and made her talk not only vastly educational, but deeply personal as well. Moreover, I found Judie to be a delight to work with: wonderfully personable, and highly sensitive to the goals of our fundraising event.

I would highly recommend Judie for audiences either intimate or large, and for any organizer hoping for an event both unique and meaningful.

I cannot begin to tell you how much joy, inspiration, humor and teaching you bring to Temple Beth Shalom. Your evening about mystical, spiritual Israel was a revelation to me and to everyone in the audience. Even people who thought they knew everything about Israel were agog at all the healers, holy spots and ecstatic ceremonies you spoke about. The sanctuary was packed, and the audience was riveted with attention on every word you said, and on the rare video footage. You have a real gift as a storyteller, Judie. People laugh and learn at the same time; this is quite unusual. And of course Paul is a born performer.

This was the first time we have had a program in our sanctuary where Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians sat side-by-side, all mesmerized by what you were saying. Your performance was so inclusive‹it covered everything from Jewish mysticism to a Bedouin healer to an Arab sleeping prophet. Besides being performers, you are also peacemakers.

Judith Fein is one of the liveliest and most engaging speakers I have ever had at my congregations--both of them--in Kansas City and, before that, in Sharon, Pennsylvania. She travels the world and brings back stories about little-known and exotic Jewish communities and even parts of Israel few people know about. She has a gift for presenting important information in a very entertaining way, and when she finishes, people are excited and satisfied. She is humorous, a humanist, and a magnet for interesting stories. What more could I ask for?

Her partner, Paul Ross, is also a very entertaining speaker,and he presents videos that are vibrant, interesting and highly unusual. He has filmed many intriguing groups--including the crypto Jews of New Mexico, the black Lemba in South Africa, the Jews who live on the island of Djerba, and the Samaritans praying in their synagogue and speaking ancient Hebrew. People are moved and fascinated by the people he films and the way he presents them--with sensitivity, intimacy and drama.

I would recommend Judith Fein as a speaker to any group, and I would also recommend Paul Ross as a speaker and videographer.

Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn
The New Reform Temple
7100 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64114

On behalf of The Men's Club of Congregation B'nai Israel, members and non-members who attended the August 3rd. breakfast, I want to thank you for your passionate, well informed and inspiring presentation on the Lost Tribes of Israel. For most of us, we were not aware of these tribes and their locations that date back to Aaron and Moses. You took us on a fascinating journey that was enhanced by your husband Paul's video footage of some of these groups who trace back to our ancestral origins. You have a rare gift for story telling as well as being able to access remote places and people and gain their trust so they open up their worlds to you. We look forward to future accounts of your travels. Thank you so much once again for bringing these stories and experiences to our synagogue and sharing them with us. You have widened our consciousness.

Sincerely,
Robert Lewis,
Program Developer, CBI Men's Club

Thanks so much for your wonderful presentation today to Northern New Mexico Press Women. Many of our members mentioned afterwards that they were very appreciative for the cutting-edge information you both shared and were inspired to start pitching articles with what they learned from you. We all enjoyed the passionate and enthusiastic way you presented your information and experiences. We also appreciate all the time you gave us. You were most memorable speakers!

Jean Kepler Ross
President
Northern New Mexico Press Women

Judith Fein and Paul Ross have been involved with "The Savvy Traveler" since its inception. They have a great nose for stories -- they can land anywhere in the world and within hours come up with an intriguing, riveting tale. I've seen it happen numerous times.

They consistently delve beneath the surface to find the heart and soul of a story. They find content and connection that others miss and they tell their stories with a voice that engages and connects -- makes the audience feel a part of the action. They are natural performers, easy to work with, very collaborative, and highly dependable. I recommend them without reservation.

Benjamin Adair, Producer, "The Savvy Traveler"

As director of the Koret Gallery of the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center, I recently had the pleasure of inviting and hosting Judith Fein and Paul Ross as presenters at the opening reception of our exhibit and program about Djerba and the Tunisian mainland. Judith presentation was more than just a talk; her dynamic, witty and dramatic way of conveying a great deal of fascinating information totally engaged our audience. Paul's high-quality and colorful video and talk added an important visual component. People surrounded them for a long time afterwards. Judith Fein and Paul Ross are among the best speakers/presenters I have had the opportunity to work with in my 15 years of being director here."

Nancy Gordon, director/curator 505-955-0712 nancykoret@hotmail.com

"As senior editor of Hadassah Magazine, I have had a long association with Ms. Fein and I know her to be an indefatigable and thorough researcher, who has literally traveled far and wide to learn about and record stories of some of the most fascinating communities, including the Crypto Jews of Brazil and the oldest extant Jewish community in the world on the island of Djerba.."