The Center for Jewish History Announces March and April 2017 Programs

Highlights of the new season include new courses on Holocaust education and Spinoza's Ethics, a Passover workshop for all ages inspired by historical garments, a day of programs for and about Jewish children and the 20th New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival.

See the full schedule below:

MARCH

Wednesday, March 1

7:30 p.m.

Mostly Schubert

Presented by the Center for Jewish History

Concert

Phoenix Chamber Ensemble and friends present Schubert Violin Sonata in A minor, Prokofiev Flute Sonata Op.94, and the beloved Schubert E-flat Piano Trio.

Cyrus Beroukhim - violin, Tanya Witek - flute, Arash Armani - cello, Vassa Shevel and Inessa Zaretsky - piano.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

Tickets: $15 general; $10 CJH/partner members, seniors, students

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/mostly-schubert-2017-03-01

Sunday, March 5

10:00 a.m.

Festival of Contemporary Russian Jewish American Culture

Presented by the American Jewish Historical Society

One-Day Conference

This all-day festival to launch the special issue of the journal East European Jewish Affairs will feature opening remarks by guest editor Anna Katsnelson (Columbia University), and include panels on current issues in the field of Russian Jewish American cultural production, writers and visual arts.

Tickets: Free; reservation required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/festival-of-contemporary-2017-03-05

Sunday, March 5

8:00 p.m.

Svetlana and the Delancey Five in Concert

Presented by the American Jewish Historical Society

Concert

Svetlana is a vocalist, songwriter, and arranger based in NYC. With sold-out shows at legendary venues, she has earned accolades from jazz musicians, audiences and press alike with her poised and charming stage presence, enchanting vocals and strong musicianship.

Tickets: $25 general; $15 AJHS members, seniors, students; $36 at the door

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/svetlana-2017-03-05

Monday, March 6

6:00 p.m.

Oedipus in Brooklyn and Other Stories by Blume Lempel

Presented by YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

Book Talk

Blume Lempel (1907 - 1999) was a courageous storyteller whose narrative imagination moved fluidly between past and present, Old World and New, dream and reality. Ellen Cassedy and Yermiyahu Ahron Taub will discuss Lempel's life and work, her legacy and their newly translated collection of her stories.

Tickets: Free; reservations required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/oedipus-in-brooklyn-2017-03-06

Monday, March 6

6:30 p.m.

"Out of the Whirlwind:" Hugh Mesibov and the legacy of the Book of Job

Presented by Yeshiva University Museum with the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University

Gallery Talk

In 1972, the American artist Hugh Mesibov painted an ambitious 45-foot-wide mural based on the biblical Book of Job for Temple Beth El in Spring Valley, New York. The painting was recently donated to Yeshiva University Museum, where it is installed in a special exhibition. In this gallery talk, Mordechai Cohen (Yeshiva University) explores the character of the Book of Job and its legacy within the Jewish imagination.

Tickets: Free; reservation required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/out-of-the-whirlwind-2017-03-06

Sunday, March 12

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

"Echoes and Reflections:" Leaders in Holocaust Education

Presented by Center for Jewish History, Anti-Defamation League, USC Shoah Foundation & Yad Vashem

Program: 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Primary Source Pop-Up Exhibit: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Course

"Echoes and Re?ections" is a comprehensive Holocaust education program that delivers professional development and a rich array of resources for middle and high school teachers. The program prepares educators to teach about the Holocaust in a way that stimulates engagement and critical thinking, providing opportunities for students to see the relevance of this complex history, and to utilize the rich primary sources of the partner collections. Of special interest to middle and high school teachers, but also to librarians, archivists, and scholars who teach with primary sources. The unique primary source materials in our partners' collections (American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and Yeshiva University Museum) make the Center for Jewish History a natural fit for this program.

Tickets: Free; resource guide/curriculum included with attendance; reservation required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/echoes-and-reflections-2017-03-12

Tuesday, March 14

6:00 p.m.

No Shushing Allowed: A Library Social Hour

Presented by Center for Jewish History

Meet and Greet

The library social hour is an opportunity to speak with the librarians and archivists who make the materials housed at CJH accessible. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know fellow researchers and staff, learn about how others use the collections and talk about books, archives and research. Light refreshments will be served.

Tickets: Free; reservation required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/no-shushing-allowed-2017-03-14

Wednesday, March 15

6:30 p.m.

Artist's Talk and Curator's Tour with Fabric Artist Ita Aber

Curator's Tour

Presented by Yeshiva University Museum

Join fabric artist Ita Aber and curator Bonni-Dara Michaels on a tour of Yeshiva University Museum's "Uncommon Threads" exhibition, featuring garments, textiles and jewelry from the Museum's collection, including Aber's 1970s customized Israeli flag. The tour will be followed by a talk by the artist that will explore her fascinating life as a feminist, political activist, artist, textile conservator, and teacher.

Tickets: $8 general; $5 seniors, students; free YUM members

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/ita-aber-2017-03-15

Monday, March 20

6:30 p.m.

The Evolution of the Joseph Traditions and the Emergence of Ancient Israel

Presented by Center for Jewish History and Jewish Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University

Lecture

Cornell Professor Lauren Monroe offers new perspective on the evolution of the seminal biblical narrative of Joseph by asking how the story of Joseph's family relates to the emergence of Ancient Israel in Canaan in the wake of the Late Bronze Age.

Tickets: $10 general; $5 CJH/partner members, Cornell alumni, seniors, students

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/evolution-of-the-joseph-traditions-2017-03-20

Thursday, March 23

6:30 p.m.

Stranger in a Strange Land - Searching for Gershom Scholem and Jerusalem

Presented by Leo Baeck Institute

Book Talk

Acclaimed author George Prochnik presents his Bildungsroman on Gershom Scholem, one of the 20th century's most important humanist thinkers. Prochnik traces the lifeline of Scholem, and weaves it with an intimate story of his own youth, marriage, and spiritual quest in Jerusalem.

Tickets: $10 general, $5 LBI members

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/stranger-in-a-strange-land-2017-03-23

Thursday, March 23

7:00 p.m.

Your New House: Wedding Songs, Gender, and Memory in an Indian Jewish Community

Presented by American Society for Jewish Music

Concert

Jewish Music Forum Lecture

Bene Israel Indian Jewish weddings are enlivened through song. Women sing in Marathi to prepare for the wedding and men sing in Hebrew during the ceremony. This talk will focus on gender and emotion in the memories of Indian Jewish wedding songs.

Tickets: Free; reservation required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/your-new-house-2017-03-23

Monday, March 27

7:30 p.m.

120 Proof and the Diener Ensemble

Presented by Yeshiva University Museum

Concert

120 Proof and the Bernice Diener Ensemble-in-Residence at Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University perform the work of Jewish composers with music by Martin Boykan, Edward Jacobs and the world premiere of Concertino No. 1 for Guitar and Chamber Ensemble by YU faculty composer David Glaser.
Tickets: $10 general; $5 seniors, students; free YUM members, YU faculty, staff, students

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/cxx-proof-2017-03-27

Tuesday, March 28

6:30 p.m.

Max Liebermann: Modern Art and Modern Germany

Presented by Leo Baeck Institute

Book Talk

Through a close reading of key paintings and by a discussion of his many cultural networks across Germany and throughout Europe, this new study by Marion Deshmukh illuminates the painter Max Liebermann's importance as a pioneer of German modernism.

Tickets: Free; reservation required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/max-liebermann-2017-03-28

Wednesday, March 29

7:00 p.m.

Jewish Culture and the Legacy of the Classical World

Presented by Yeshiva University Museum together with American Friends of the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem and Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU

Symposium

Join Dan Bahat, Steven Fine and Lawrence Schiffman for presentations and a lively discussion about Jewish culture and the legacy of the classical world.

Tickets: $15 general; $8 seniors; free with university ID and for YUM members

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/jewish-culture-2017-03-29

Thursday, March 30 - Thursday, April 6

The 20th Annual New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival

Presented by American Sephardi Federation

The history, traditions, and rich mosaic culture of Greater Sephardic communities are celebrated as an integral part of the Jewish experience throughout this week-long series of events. The NYSJFF features première screenings, intriguing stories, poignant documentaries, filmmaker Q&As, and the Pomegranate Awards ceremony. Join us for a very special anniversary year.

Tickets: Details to be distributed in a separate release

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/sephardic-film-festival-2017-03-30

APRIL

Sunday, April 2

2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Passover Workshop for All Ages

Presented by Yeshiva University Museum

Workshop

Inspired by the historical garments - in particular, the 19th-century "show" towel - on display in YUM's "Uncommon Threads" exhibition, this family-friendly workshop invites people of all ages to create a personalized hand towel to beautify the experience of washing at the Passover seder. Using various design tools, participants will create objects for the holiday that are both functional and decorative.

Tickets (includes Museum Admission): $5 per person or $20 per family up to six people; free for YUM members, YU staff, alumni

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/passover-workshop-2017-04-02

Thursdays, April 6, 20 & 27, May 4

6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

God or Nature: Spinoza's Ethics

Presented by Center for Jewish History and Brooklyn Institute for Social Research

Course

This four-week course explores Spinoza's controversial and groundbreaking Ethics, closely examining Spinoza's thought in historical context, his influence on subsequent thinkers and the significance of his Sephardic background.

Tuition: $315; 10% discount for CJH members; use code cjhmember;

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/god-or-nature-2017-04-06

Thursday, April 13

"Uncommon Threads:" Clothing & Textiles from the Yeshiva University Museum Collection

Presented by Yeshiva University Museum

Curator's Tour

Join curator Bonni-Dara Michaels for a tour of YUM's Uncommon Threads exhibition featuring garments, textiles and jewelry spanning three centuries. Highlights include a gold bracelet that belonged to the wife of the Hatam Sofer, a 19th-century Ottoman velvet bridal dress, an Adele Simpson evening dress trimmed with fox fur, a 1753 Ashkenazic wimpel, and an early 19th century Alsatian Passover Seder show towel.

Tickets: Free; reservation required

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/uncommon-threads-2017-04-13

Thursday, April 13

7:00 p.m.

Streit's "Matzo and the American Dream"

Presented by American Jewish Historical Society and Eldridge Street Museum

Film Screening and Q&A featuring Director Neil A. Friedman
In the heart of New York's rapidly gentrifying Lower East Side stand four tenement buildings that housed the Streit's matzo factory since 1925. Streit's "Matzo and the American Dream" is a story of tradition, of resistance and resilience, and a celebration of a family whose commitment to their heritage and to their employees is inspiring proof that the family that bakes together, stays together.

Tickets: $10 general, $5 AJHS members, seniors, students, $12 at the door

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/streits-matzo-2017-04-13

Monday, April 24

Lecture: 6:30 p.m.

Concert: 7:00 p.m.

When We Remembered Zion: The New Budapest Orpheum Society Commemorates Yom HaShoah

Presented by American Society for Jewish Music and Leo Baeck Institute

The Grammy-nominated New Budapest Orpheum Society bears witness to those murdered, those who resisted, and those who must not be forgotten. Under the direction of Philip V. Bohlman and Ilya Levinson, the ensemble consists of singers, violin, piano, accordion, bass and percussion. This concert features repertories of Jewish songs from the Holocaust, gathered from the cabarets, camps, ghettos, theater and films.

Tickets: $15 general; $10 seniors, students

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/when-we-remembered-zion-2017-04-24

Sunday, April 30

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Children's Day

Presented by YIVO Institute for Jewish Research & Center for Jewish History

A morning of activity and cultural immersion for children of all ages; join us for sing-alongs, storytelling, and a Yiddish puppet show! Activities will take place throughout the Center for Jewish History.

Tickets: $10 general, $5 YIVO members

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/childrens-day-2017-04-30

Sunday, April 30

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Growing up Jewish

Presented by YIVO Institute for Jewish Research & Center for Jewish History

Panel Discussion

Scholars Sam Kassow, Miriam Udel, Naomi Seidman, and Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett will discuss the lives of Jewish children before WWII. Talks will include general overviews as well as discussions of Socialist Literature for Jewish Children in the US and USSR, and Max Weinreich's work on psychology and Jewish adolescence.

Tickets: $15 general, $10 YIVO members, students

Link: http://programs.cjh.org/event/growing-up-jewish-2017-04-30

About the Center for Jewish History

The Center for Jewish History in New York City illuminates history, culture, and heritage. The Center provides a collaborative home for five partner organizations: American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. The partners' archives comprise the world's largest and most comprehensive archive of the modern Jewish experience outside of Israel. The collections span a thousand years, with more than 5 miles of archival documents (in dozens of languages and alphabet systems), more than 500,000 volumes, as well as thousands of artworks, textiles, ritual objects, recordings, films, and photographs. The Center's experts are leaders in unlocking archival material for a wide audience through the latest practices in digitization, library science, and public education. As one of the world's foremost research institutions, the Center offers fellowships, a wide array of exhibitions, symposia, conferences and lectures. The Center is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and is a partner of the Google Cultural Institute. The Center for Jewish History is home to the Lillian Goldman Reading Room, Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute, The David Berg Rare Book Room and The Collection Management & Conservation Wing. Public programs create opportunities for diverse audiences to explore the rich historical and cultural material that lives within the Center's walls.

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