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Alicia Jo Rabins

Poet, composer, performer, Torah teacher / makes multi-genre feminist works of experimental beauty

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A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff: The Film

From an abandoned office on Wall Street, an artist watches the greatest fraud in financial history unfold....help us make "A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff: The Film!!"

 Portland, OR, US
  • $12,315 raised of $20,000 goal
  • 122 donations
  • -3475449 minutes left
This is a Fiscally-Sponsored Project

Fiscally Sponsored by Fractured Atlas

At once personal and communal, accessible and experimental, A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff is inspired by the year Alicia Jo Rabins spent as an artist-in-residence in a dilapidated office on Wall Street during 2008's Great Recession. 

The piece combines storytelling, animation and original music with Rabins' unique vantage point as a Jewish-American artist working with ancient texts and traditions. Originally premiered as a critically acclaimed chamber-rock opera at Joe’s Pub in NYC,  the live show has since toured to theaters, universities and festivals, where it was enthusiastically received by audiences and press alike - including being named one of the Portland, Oregon's ten best theater performances of 2014 by the Willamette Week.

Ten years later, questions of power, wealth and deception in American society have only grown more urgent.  

In A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff: The Film, director Alicia J. Rose will bring Rabins’ songs and story from stage to screen, from past to present — maintaining the original narrative while also drawing a thread between the massively destabilizing global financial crash of 2008, and our current era of profound ethical and moral uncertainty.

Like the live show, A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff: The Film explores the story of Bernie Madoff and the system that allowed him to function for decades. Documentary research, ancient spiritual texts, and music combine to reflect Rabins' unique perspective as a Jewish-American woman who watched the events unfold up close. In feature film form, show will replace tell as we witness Rabins in an actual abandoned office floor of a high-rise, captured in Wall Street surrounded by the actual pulsing heart of inspiration for the project. Stunning animations by Zak Margolis will complete the immersive visual treatment.

**Exciting news: we have a generous donor who has offered to match donations up to $20,000!  So every dollar you donate will be doubled!**


Meeting our goal will allow us to carry out production (filming) in Portland, Oregon this fall. For those of you interested in the big picture, we will still need to raise an additional $30,000 to complete the project, and any additional funds raised will go directly to post-production expenses. 

Please contact us if you are interested in other perks or rewards not listed here - we are happy to dream up something with you!

Rewards

Your name in the credits!

Donate $10.00 or more

Amount is fully tax-deductible.

We are so grateful to you for supporting our film! Unless you request to be anonymous, every single donor will be thanked by name at the end of the film.


Preview link to film upon release!

Donate $25.00 or more

Amount over $5.00 is tax-deductible.

Be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! We will send you a direct link; you make the popcorn.
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!

Be our guest at a private preview screening of the film (NYC/Portland)!

Donate $50.00 or more

Amount over $5.00 is tax-deductible.

We will hold two private celebratory screenings of the film for our closest friends - one in New York City, one in Portland, OR. Please be our guest! 
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!

Digital downloads of all Alicia's albums + lyrics, sources & study guides!

Donate $100.00 or more

Amount over $55.00 is tax-deductible.

Digital downloads of 

*All three Girls in Trouble albums 
*Alicia's solo fiddle album, "Sugar Shack"
*A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff soundtrack
*PLUS study guides (self-study version), lyrics and sources to all Girls in Trouble songs!
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! 

Original poem just for you (or gift to a friend)!

Donate $200.00 or more

Amount over $10.00 is tax-deductible.

Give Alicia your name and theme (or give her free reign if you prefer) and she'll immortalize you in an acrostic* poem! (*You know, where your name runs down the left hand side of the poem).  
Makes a great gift for the loved one who has everything. Poem will be e-mailed to you and you can write it out, have it calligraphed, etc. If you prefer, Alicia can write out by hand and mail to you.
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! 

One on One Creative Consultation with Alicia Jo Rabins

Donate $350.00 or more

Amount over $125.00 is tax-deductible.

Are you an artist with a new creative project brewing, or stuck on a current project? Or do you identify as a non-artist, but feel a desire to get in touch with your own creativity? Alicia's twenty years of experience as a professional artist and compassionate yet no-nonsense approach blends a realistic view of artistic career path with a heartfelt dedication to the magic and power of creativity that lies within each one of us. Good for a one-hour phone session, which can be given as a gift to someone else, if you desire (and if they want!) 
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! 

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Consultation

Donate $360.00 or more

Amount over $150.00 is tax-deductible.

Is your child or grandchild approaching bar/bat mitzvah age? Or are you thinking about having your own adult bar/bat mitzvah? Alicia has been teaching Jewish studies and leading rituals (both traditional and improvised) for almost twenty years. She specializes in designing and officiating indie coming-of-age ceremonies, from totally traditional to wildly innovative and everything in between, working with students and families to help them master the Torah chanting skills and prepare emotionally and spiritually. She also loves working with non-Jewish families to help them design their own coming-of-age ceremonies, as traditional or far-out as you wish! This reward is good for a one-hour Skype or phone session (with an individual, or a family). You may gift this to another person if desired. 
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! 






Supporting Producer Credit in Film (can be in honor/memory of someone)

Donate $500.00 or more

Amount over $10.00 is tax-deductible.

Unless you wish to remain anonymous, we would be thrilled to thank our larger donors with a supporting producer credit - this will be either at the beginning or end of the film depending on which works better artistically! Please feel welcome to dedicate your supporting producer credit in honor of or in memory of a loved one, friend, or teacher. (We just ask that you make sure they are OK with it first!) Of course, if you wish to remain anonymous we will respect that as well.
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! 

An Original Waltz, Written and Recorded for You (or a loved one!)

Donate $750.00 or more

Amount over $50.00 is tax-deductible.

Alicia will compose and record an original waltz on violin and guitar. It will belong to you and you alone! 
Makes a great anniversary, birthday, or Chanukah gift. Press play and hold your loved one close while dancing with them, or send it electronically to a far-away friend! 
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! 

Poetry, Songwriting, Nonfiction Writing or Album Critique

Donate $1,000.00 or more

Amount over $100.00 is tax-deductible.

Alicia will lovingly read your poetry or nonfiction manuscript (up to 80,000 words) OR listen to a recording of your songs, at any stage from a demo recorded into your phone, to a nearly complete album. Then she will lovingly offer her thoughts on your work with a sensitivity and passion honed from years and years of writing workshops and collaborative music-making, balancing a devotion to craft with her focus on what matters most of all - your personal creative vision. 
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live! 


Evening Performance by Alicia Jo Rabins anywhere in NYC or Portland!

Donate $2,000.00 or more

Amount over $1,000.00 is tax-deductible.

For the true fan (or anniversary gift!) (or community program!) (or that big birthday surprise!)
At this level, Alicia will come to your living room (or school, community, concert series) for a 90-minute performance and discussion. Can be a private event or open to the public!   
*PLUS your name in the credits (if desired)!
*PLUS a ticket to private preview screening in PDX or NYC!
*PLUS direct link to film upon release - be among the first to see the completed film, wherever you live!  

Fine print: 
-Travel from PDX to NYC not included **unless we can find a time when Alicia will already be in NYC, which is quite possible**
-Scheduling is complicated so we'll need to work together to find the right time for everyone; please feel free to inquire directly if you have a specific date in mind.
-If open to the public, must be a free event
-If you live elsewhere and are interested in this option, please inquire.