Jewish Museum Hosts TRAVEL U: THE JEWS OF EGYPT THEN AND NOW 4/28

The Jewish Museum will present Travel U; The Jews of Egypt Then and Now, a full-day travel seminar on Wednesday, April 28. The event explores the little-known history of the Jewish communities of Egypt from Pharonic times to the present day. Speakers include noted columnist Daniel Pipes, who will address the current situation in Egypt; Egyptian born author Andre Aciman; photographer David Cowles; scholars Raymond Scheindlin and Diane M. Sharon; and Jewish Museum curator Susan L. Braunstein. In addition, there will be a musical performance by Samuel R. Thomas.

Tickets for the seminar are $150 for the general public. Jewish Museum members can purchase tickets prior to April 18 for $125. The public may call 845.256.0194 or e-mail JMtravelinfo@aol.com to register.

TRAVEL U: THE JEWS OF EGYPT NOW AND THEN
SEMINAR SCHEDULE
10:00 - 10:25 am
Registration

10:25 am
Welcoming Remarks
Marcia Miller, Director of Membership, The Jewish Museum.

10:30 - 11:30 am
The Myths of Jews in Pharonic Egypt
Dr. Diane M. Sharon, Academy for Jewish Religion.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Jews, Greeks, and Arabs: The Jews in Egypt in Hellenistic and Medieval Times
Dr. Raymond Scheindlin, Professor of Medieval Hebrew Literature at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and director of JTS's Shalom Spiegel Institute of Medieval Hebrew Poetry.

12:30 - 1:00 pm
Mitzrayim and Maqam: Foundations of Egyptian Music
Musical Performance by Samuel L. Thomas
This concert features Egyptian music and demonstrates how the Jews incorporated that music into their liturgies, celebrations and other aspects of their culture.
Bandleader of the music ensemble Asefa, Thomas is an adjunct professor in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at CUNY, John Jay College and in the Music Department at CUNY, Hunter College.

1:05 - 2:15 pm
Lunch Break

2:15 - 3:00 pm
Synagogue Architecture and Ritual Objects from 19th and 20th Century Egypt
Dr. Susan Braunstein, Curator of Archaeology and Judaica at The Jewish Museum.

3:00 - 3:30 pm
Growing Up Jewish in Egypt
Dr. Andre Aciman
Aciman's 1995 book, Out of Egypt: A Memoir, an account of his Jewish-Turkish-Italian family's life in Alexandria, was called "a classic memoir of modern Jewish life" by The New York Times.

3:30 - 3:45 pm
Break

3:45 - 4:15 pm
Photographing in Egypt: Notes from My Journal
David Cowles
In 1993, photographer David Cowles made the first of numerous trips to North Africa to document remaining Jewish sites in Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia. His work is in numerous collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, Tel Aviv Museum and Canadian Centre for Architecture.

4:15 - 5:15 pm
Egypt's Chance
Dr. Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum and Taube distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University.
A former official in the U.S. Department of State, Pipes has taught at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, the U.S. Naval War College, and Pepperdine University, and is author of twelve books. He writes a bi-weekly column for the Jerusalem Post, National Review, and other publications. His is currently focusing on lawful Islamism (or soft jihad), the forwarding of radical Islam through legitimate means.

Light refreshments will be served throughout the day, lunch not included.

An infrared assistive listening system for the hearing impaired is available for programs in the Museum's S. H. and Helen R. Scheuer Auditorium. The stage lighting has been funded by the Office of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer. The audio-visual system has been funded by New York State Assembly Member Jonathan Bing.

About Travel U
Renowned scholars and artists offer their knowledge and areas of expertise on the Jewish experience in Travel U seminars. Each program features a different country with ample time for questions and collegial interactions. Future Travel U seminars are scheduled for November 15, 2011 (Jews of the Danube) and April 25, 2012 (Jews of Scandinavia).
The Jewish Museum Travel Program offers members unique opportunities to learn about art and Jewish culture in communities around the world. A Scholar-in-Residence accompanies each trip along with other special guests. Tours are planned to Ireland (May 2010); Krakow, Prague and Berlin (September 2011); Italy (October 2011); Morocco (November 2011); Cuba (November 2011 and February 2012); India (March 2012); Amsterdam and Bruges (May 2012); and Greece (May 2012).

About The Jewish Museum
Widely admired for its exhibitions and educational programs that inspire people of all backgrounds, The Jewish Museum is the preeminent United States institution exploring the intersection of 4,000 years of art and Jewish culture. The Jewish Museum was established in 1904, when Judge Mayer Sulzberger donated 26 ceremonial art objects to The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as the core of a museum collection. Today, the Museum maintains an important collection of 26,000 objects-paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, archaeological artifacts, ceremonial objects, and broadcast media.

General Information
The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, Manhattan. Museum hours are Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 11am to 5:45pm; Thursday, 11am to 8pm; and Friday, 11am to 4pm. Museum admission is $12.00 for adults, $10.00 for senior citizens, $7.50 for students, free for children under 12 and Jewish Museum members. Admission is free on Saturdays. For general information on The Jewish Museum, the public may visit the Museum's website at http://www.thejewishmuseum.org or call 212.423.3200.