Statue of Liberty Menorah by Manfred Anson 1986 Permanent collection of the Skirball Museum in Los Angeles
litera tu re film art music dance learni ng
WINTER 2012
This course will teach the foundations of everyday spoken Hebrew. You will learn to build simple sentences and have a basic conversation. Acquaintance with Hebrew alphabet required.
Advanced Conversational Hebrew Instructor: Naomi Barancik 10 Tuesdays Beginning Jan. 17 10:45 – 11:45 AM $125 Member / $160 Public This course is suitable for those who read and comprehend Hebrew at a more advanced level but wish to expand their vocabulary and develop their fluency.
Read Hebrew America Instructor: Naomi Barancik 5 Mondays Beginning Jan. 16 2:30 – 3:30 PM FREE Via the National Jewish Outreach Program, thousands of Jewish Adults gather in hundreds of locations across North America to learn to read Hebrew. You can be one of them! This is a good course to take in preparation for the course Beginning Hebrew -Level 1.
The President and the Jews Instructor: Jonathan Fass Mondays, Jan. 16, 23 and 30 7:00 – 8:00 PM $36 Member / $45 Public Since George Washington wrote to the Jews of Rhode Island, American Jews have had an ongoing relationship with our nation’s highest office. This course will discuss the relationship that American presidents have had both to the Jewish community and to Jews within their administration. Administrations to be discussed include those of George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Warren Harding.
Should Women Study Torah? Instructor: Ariela Davis Ten Mondays, Beginning Jan. 16 7:30 – 8:30 PM $60 Member / $75 Public Now in its third year, join a group of women for the study of Bible and Rabbinic texts each Monday night at the Women’s Beit Midrash. In these sessions we will explore the Talmud’s discussion on a woman’s role in Jewish law and practice. Texts may be studied in English or the original.
Beginning Hebrew - Level 1 Instructor: Karen Greenspan 10 Thursdays Beginning Jan. 19 7:00 – 8:30 PM $185 Member / $235 Public This introductory course is a program of letter recognition, reading proficiency, building vocabulary and learning basic phrases using the Hebrew textbook series Aleph Isn’t Tough.
Beginning Hebrew - Level 2 Instructor: Karen Greenspan 10 Mondays beginning Jan. 9 7:00 – 8:30 PM $185 Member / $235 Public This class builds on the reading skills established in the level one class. The focus will be on building reading fluency and a basic vocabulary to increase understanding. The course uses the Hebrew textbook Aleph isn’t Enough.
The Jewish Ethicist: A Five Part Series on Everyday Ethics for Life Instructor: Rabbi Yossi Grossman Five Thursdays, Jan. 12, 19, 26, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 7:30 – 8:30 PM $39 Series / $10 per Session JEI or ERJCC Member $48 Series / $13 per Session Public Explore practical, contemporary ethical dilemmas spanning medicine, business and legal topics, discussed through the prism of Jewish ethics and philosophy. Session 1: Negotiating with Terrorists and Prisoner Exchanges in Light of Gilad Shalit Session 2: Cosmetic Surgery Session 3: Email Ethics Session 4: Contending With Catastrophe: Jewish Perspectives on 9/11 Session 5: Gender Reassignment
In the Kitchen with Laykie Donin of Laykie’s Gourmet Four Wednesdays, Jan. 11, 18, 25, and Feb. 1 • 7:00 – 8:30 PM $60 Series / $20 per Session Member $80 Series / $25 per Session Public Classes are held at a private, kosher home
Join us for four sessions with Laykie Donin of Laykie’s Gourmet, one of Houston’s exceptional kosher caterers. Laykie, a former math and Jewish Studies teacher with a passion for gourmet food in a beautiful setting, opened her catering business three years ago to rave reviews. Here is your opportunity to learn a few of her secrets and sample some delicious food.
Quick in the Kitchen
I Can’t Believe it’s Kosher!
In this session Laykie will show us how to make quick, delicious and nutritious meals that are right for the whole family.
Learn how to transform some great dishes into kosher recipes that are sure to make you go back for seconds.
Salads, Etc…
The Blessing of Bread
If you don’t want to make the same salad week after week, join us for some simple, quick tips to make your salads super.
Watch Laykie transform a simple dough recipe into fantastic garlic knots, pizza, calzones and even empanadas.
To register for this class please call Naomi Barancik at 713.729.3200 ext. 3288.
To register or for more information visit j-ethics.org or erjcchouston.org
Beginner Conversational Hebrew Instructor: Naomi Barancik 10 Tuesdays Beginning Jan. 17 9:30 – 10:30 AM $125 Member / $160 Public
Center for Jewish Living and Learning Scholar Series DR. STEPHEN BERK
LECTURES
The Last Century that Shattered the World and Transformed the Jewish People Dr. Stephen Berk is the Henry and Sally Schaffer Chair in Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Union College in Schenectady, NY. Dr. Berk has published and lectured extensively on the intersection of Judaism and modernity, particularly in the fields of Holocaust Studies, antiSemitism, the American Jewish experience, Soviet and Eastern European Jewry and Jewish/ African-American relations. He has been a visiting professor at Williams College, Bennington College, and the State University of New York. $10 Member / $15 Public (per lecture) $36 Member / $48 Public (series pass)
A Tale of Two Popes Thursday, Jan. 19 • 7:30 PM The relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people is a very difficult one. The role played by Pope Pious XII and John Paul II illustrates this in a very dramatic way. One Pope remained silent and the other was proactive. The fate of millions rested on their action and inaction.
THE LAST
Roosevelt and the Jews Thursday, March 29 • 7:30 PM This lecture will explore the motivations behind Roosevelt’s policies during the Second World War and how his action or inaction affected the Jewish community during this dark time in human history.
CENTURY THAT SHATTERED THE WORLD AND TRANSFORMED THE JEWISH PEOPLE
Three Who Made Israel: Weizmann, Ben Gurion and Begin Thursday, Apr. 26 • 7:30 PM This lecture will consider how these early statesmen both created the first modern, Jewish state and changed the socio-political reality of the Middle East and the world post the Second World War. Steven Spielberg in History Thursday, May 24 • 7:30 PM This lecture will explore how three of Spielberg’s films: Schindler’s List, Amistad and Saving Private Ryan can be used as a valuable window into modern history and how these films changed the world’s perception of the modern Jewish experience.
THESE LECTURES ARE MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A GRANT FROM HUMANITIES TEXAS, A STATE PARTNER OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES.
ShirLaLa Returns to Houston! Earth Worm Disco – We’re Rockin’ Out Green! Sunday, Jan. 22 Tu B’Shevat Arts and Crafts Programming Begins at 3:30 PM Concert Begins at 4:30 PM $8 Member & Patron / Family Max $30 $10 Public / Family Max $35 Join us at 3:30 PM for FREE Tu B’Shevat crafts and fun. At 4:30 PM we will gather for a concert with Shira Kline and her band, ShirLaLa. Her newest project Earth Worm Disco celebrates eco-music for kids and is a colorful playground that honors the bounty of earth, sea and sky, and the wonders of growing up green. Earth Worm Disco is for all the rock n’ rollers out there who love to sing and dance and who love our planet too! Co-sponsored by the PJ Library. Supported by the Radoff Family Foundation.
FREE
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The Opening Lecture of the Horvitz Program is free to the entire community. Participation in all other lectures and mini-courses, including the Mid-Residency and Closing Lecture, requires a $36 series pass.
Dr. Adam S. Ferziger is the Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Fellow in Jewish Studies at Bar-Ilan University, where he teaches and serves as associate director in the Graduate Program in Contemporary Jewry. He has lectured and published extensively on Jewish religious denominations and their ideologies, modern Jewish identity formation, the history of the modern rabbinate, American Orthodoxy and the encounter between Jewish law and contemporary social realities. OPENING LECTURE Tradition, Modernity and Beyond: The Evolution of American Judaism:
MID-RESIDENCY LECTURE From Al Jolson to Chelsea Clinton: Continuity and Change in the American Jewish Quest for Acceptance
Monday, Feb. 6 • 7:30 PM This lecture will highlight those traits that distinguished American Judaism during its early formation and how they have evolved over subsequent centuries. These central themes will play out in a multitude of ways throughout the various presentations during the residency.
CLOSING LECTURE Beyond Denominationalism: Post-Modern Directions in Contemporary American Judaism Wednesday, Feb. 22 • 7:30 PM
Sunday, Feb. 12 • 7:30 PM Ever since their arrival in America, Jews have striven for acceptance by broader society. Often this desire created tensions with their religious commitments. This theme sits at the foundation of the first Hollywood movie to be produced with actual vocal dialogue, the 1927 classic starring Al Jolson, “The Jazz Singer.” The event will begin with a screening of the film and will be followed by a discussion that focuses on changes over the course of some eighty years in the perceptions among American Jews of the conflicts portrayed.
Throughout most of its history American Judaism has been organized through denominational movements. Simultaneous with the decline in recent decades in denominational allegiance, new initiatives have sprouted that suggest broader changes in the nature of American Jewish life. This lecture will examine some of these new directions and what they portend for the future.
8th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival March 6 - 18 The 2012 Official Selection will be announced soon! As a joint presentation of the ERJCC and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the 8th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival is proud to continue its tradition of presenting an entertaining, thought-provoking and high-quality line-up. Comprised of the best Jewish and Israeli films from across the world, this year’s festival will provide you with your pick of documentaries, dramas, comedies, musicals, and television series.
My Best Enemy, playing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston at the 8th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival
COURSE #1 Religious Movements in Transition
COURSE #2 Original Thinkers and Religious Ideologues in American Judaism
COURSE #3 New Patterns in Religious Conciliation
Pittsburgh to Pittsburgh: The Metamorphosis of Reform Judaism in America
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Search for a Viable and Meaningful American Judaism
From Catholic Israel to K’rov Yisrael: The Non-Jew in the American Synagogue
Wednesday, Feb. 8 • 7:30 PM Using the original 1885 “Pittsburgh Platform” of Reform Judaism and the 1999 “Statement of Principles” adopted in Pittsburgh as both chronological and symbolical outer boundaries, this lecture explores the central ways in which American Reform Judaism has evolved during the course of the 20th century and beyond. Among others it will address the concept of “Classical Reform” and the numerous alternatives that subsequently gained currency.
Between Preservation and Modification: The Struggle to Define Conservative Judaism Wednesday, Feb. 15 • 7:30 PM Conservative Judaism arose as a more traditional alternative to Reform. Simultaneously it offered an Americanized approach that deviated from the predominant outlook among Eastern European immigrant rabbis. This lecture will analyze the Conservative movement’s ongoing efforts to remain allegiant to Jewish law and simultaneously meet the needs of a broad range of American Jews.
Monday, Feb. 13 • 7:30 PM Thursday, Feb. 9 • 7:30 PM Kaplan and Heschel were both highly innovative religious thinkers and scholars who addressed the religious realities of American Jewry in diverse and original ways. This lecture will examine their core ideas and the profound ways they continue to resonate within American Judaism.
The Enclavist and the Messenger: Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and their Alternative Visions for Jewish Continuity Thursday, Feb. 16 • 7:30 PM The year 1941 witnessed the arrival in America of two refugee rabbinical figures destined to reshape the landscape of American Judaism, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and Rabbi Aharon Kotler. Within a decade Schneerson was formally chosen as the Rebbe of the Lubavitcher hasidic sect, while Kotler was widely acknowledged as the driving force in the renaissance of Lithuanian Orthodoxy on American soil. This lecture will highlight one of their sharpest divides – their polar visions of how to mold the future of American Judaism.
Marriage between Jews and non-Jews has been part and parcel of the American Jewish experience from the outset. Nonetheless the late 20th century witnessed a sharp rise in the numbers of mixed couples. This lecture explores the strategies that synagogues, particularly those affiliated with Conservative Judaism, have developed for addressing the rising number of non-Jewish family members within their congregations.
From Demonic Deviant to Brother Astray: The Transformation in American Orthodox Approaches to Reform Judaism Monday, Feb. 20 • 7:30 PM For most of the past two centuries OrthodoxReform relations have been dominated by animosity and even polemical efforts at de-legitimization and demonization. Due in particular to the Reform sanction of patrilineal descent as a basis for Jewish identity, the early 1980s was a period of acute tensions with various Orthodox parties giving the impression that they were on the verge of completely cutting themselves off from their Reform contemporaries. This lecture traces the history of this interdenominational friction and identifies a new, less hostile dynamic of interaction that has begun to emerge.
Houston Rabbinic Association Lunch and Learn Wednesday, Feb. 15 • 12:00 PM Lecture for Young Professionals Tuesday, Feb. 7 • 12:00 PM American Judaism and the State of Israel This program is co-sponsored with the Jewish Federation and is open to Jewish professionals between the ages of 25 and 35. Please contact Rene Cartagena Kariel at rkariel@houstonjewish.org to make a reservation or for more information.
Bureau of Jewish Education Wednesday, Feb. 8 • 12:00 PM My Best Friend the Rambam” Study and Experience in the Eyes of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Open to all School Educators.
Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Lunch and Learn Thursday, Feb. 9 • 12:30 PM Ashes to Outcasts and Beyond: Cremation and the Modern Jew Pre-lecture lunch ($10) at 12:00 PM Reservations required. Please call 713.729.3200, ext. 3288
Rice University Tuesday, Feb. 14 • 12:00 PM From Catholic Israel to K’rov Yisrael: The Non-Jew in the American Synagogue
The Rabbi as C.E.O. and the Making of American Rabbinical Dynasties By invitation for Rabbis only.
Yom Limmud Lecture Sunday, Feb. 19 My Best Friend the Rambam – Study and Experience in the Eyes of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. This program is in cooperation with the Bureau of Jewish Education’s Yom Limmud. For more information contact Barbara Loeser at Bloeser@houstonjewish.org.
Hebrew Speakers Professional Organization Sunday, Feb. 19 • 7:30 PM Liberal Judaism and Israeli Religion The lecture and discussion will be entirely in Hebrew.
Coming UP!
Regina by Tracy Cianflone
NURTURE: Stories of New Midlife Mothers Photographs by Cyma Shapiro Deutser Gallery • Feb 28 – Apr 18 Cyma Shapiro has traveled across the country collecting stories of women who chose motherhood after 40. Comprised of dramatic black and white photographs and transcribed words, Nurture celebrates the lives of women who became new older mothers through IVF, natural childbirth, adoption, fostering, guardianship, surrogacy and blending stepfamilies. Shapiro’s website, MidlifeMothers.org, is dedicated to promoting the advancement of new midlife mothers through voice, face and forum. This exhibit is the first of its kind in the country.
Jan. 18 – Feb. 24 Americans have always responded to the optimism, the wit and sophistication, and the passion and verve of the standards that make up the “American Songbook.” The best songwriters associated with this era combined a genius for melody, memorable lyrics, and the ability to connect with a wide audience. A remarkably high percentage of Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg sing Poster from Oklahoma! these songwriters were Jewish by birth with the cast of The Wizard of Oz. Courtesy of Photofest and heritage. In this exhibit, curated by Courtesy of Photofest essayist and poet David Lehman, and illustrated with colorful posters from Broadway shows and photographs of composers, singers, and the casts of hit musicals and films, we learn about the lives and works of Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and a host of other Jewish songwriters who wove the American songbook deep into the fabric of American culture. On condition of serving as a host site for this travelling exhibit, we are pleased to present two corresponding programs that are free and open to the public:
Poster for the film version of Porgy and Bess. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures/Photofest © Columbia Pictures.
Discovering the Jewish Roots of the American Songbook Monday, Jan. 23 • 8:00 PM • FREE JCC Maccabi games & Artfest auditions & tryouts begin in January. See www.jcchoustonmaccabi.org
Seeking Culture Seekers Tell us at the box office if it’s your first time coming to a CJLL event, and a special surprise awaits you
Join Howard Pollack, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music at the University of Houston, as he sheds light on the Jewish liturgical roots of American music. Accompanied by pianist and singer Henry Darragh, Cantor Lance Rhodes of Congregation Brith Shalom, and cabaret performer Bethany Daniels Shapiro, this quartet will perform classic favorites you never knew started out in the Jewish prayer book. From Irving Berlin to Stephen Sondheim, deepen your love for music by learning about its cultural influences.
Getting to Know You: An Enchanted Evening with Oscar Andrew Hammerstein Thursday, Feb. 2 8:00 PM • FREE Get an up-close and personal look at the legendary Hammerstein family through the lens of Oscar Andrew Hammerstein, painter, writer, lecturer, and grandson of Oscar Hammerstein II. His book, The Hammersteins, unveils an unprecedented view of the sights and sounds, smoke and mirrors, trials and tribulations, and seductive family business that opened the world’s eyes and ears to musical theatre. Having devoted much of his life to studying and preserving his family’s heritage and legacy, Hammerstein’s expertise is unparalleled.
A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965 was developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture, and ideas and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The national tour of the exhibit has been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, and an anonymous donor, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life.
Symposium: Lifelong Learning Institute
2012
Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre
The Magic of Midrash and Tales from Tradition Instructor: Rabbi Dan Gordon Tuesdays, Feb. 14, 21, 28, March 6 • 10:00 – 11:00 AM $28 Member / $39 Public Legend teaches us that the Torah is written with black fire on white fire. The black fire is the text of what we are taught happened. When looking for deeper meaning, we “read between the lines” and that is where we find Midrash. These four sessions will give an introduction to Midrash, the textbased stories that enhance our understanding of biblical narrative, as well as the larger world of Jewish stories that sprouted from those roots. The ERJCC’s Symposium: Lifelong Learning Institute classes provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for active adults. Peer-led courses consist of four consecutive weekly, one-hour sessions. Symposium sessions are scheduled in the fall and spring. To register contact Jennifer Handy at 713.729.3200 ext. 3244 or jhandy@erjcchouston.org. To view all Symposium courses being offered in the spring visit erjcchouston.org/symposium.
Tirkedu Houston! Workshop Friday, Jan. 13 – Sunday, Jan. 15 $70 Member / $100 Public $50 Student with valid ID Dance Month 2012 kicks off with Tirkedu Houston! a fun-filled weekend of enthusiastic Israeli dancing with the young and energetic choreographer and instructor Elad Shtamer, from Haifa, Israel. Elad’s circle dance Ilan by singer Yakov Shwekey has become a huge hit around the world. In addition, Elad took first place for his couple dance Yesh be Mashu at the Karmiel Festival in 2011. The weekend will include an Erev-Shabbat get-together, two teaching sessions for intermediate to advanced dancers, a Saturday night dance party, and a review session of all dances on Sunday for those who attended one or both morning sessions.
The Klezmatics with Special Guest Joshua Nelson
Presented in Collaboration with Congregation Beth Israel Saturday, Feb. 18 • 8:00 PM $20 tickets: www.erjcchouston.org/music
Brother Moses Smote the Water
Location: Congregation Beth Israel 5600 North Braeswood Blvd
The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center in collaboration with Congregation Beth Israel back welcomes back Grammy Award-winning international superstars, The Klezmatics, this time joined by another Houston favorite, Joshua Nelson, an African American Jew known as the “Prince of Kosher Gospel.” Brother Moses Smote the Water, their collaborative performance, breathes new life into songs from both Jewish and African-American heritage. It tells a magnificent story of inspiration and social action, while weaving a revelatory dialogue between cultures and musical styles. This vibrant and rousing live show alternates between age-old Hebrew-Passover songs, Nelson’s own brand of kosher gospel and traditional Yiddish anthems. Underwritten by the Maurice Amado Foundation
Photo by Franziska Stauss
Gallim Dance Saturday, Feb. 11 • 8:00 PM $16 Member / $22 Public $12 Senior Adult and Student Gallim Dance burst onto the New York dance scene with its debut performance in 2007 and immediately caught the attention of the New York dance community. Founded by choreographer Andrea Miller, who danced with Israel’s renowned Batsheva Dance Company, Gallim Dance includes an awardwinning ensemble of dancers hailed for their quick wit, morphing physical quality, and technical virtuosity. Gallim will perform I Can See Myself In Your Pupil.
The Klezmatics aren’t just the best band in the klezmer vanguard; on a good night, they can rank among the greatest bands on the planet. —Time Out New York
Lectures by Dr. Adam S. Ferziger
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EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096 erjcchouston.org
Tradition, Modernity and Beyond: The Evolution of American Judaism From Al Jolson to Chelsea Clinton: Continuity and Change in the American Jewish Quest for Acceptance Beyond Denominationalism: Post-Modern Directions in Contemporary American Judaism
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Houston, Texas Permit No. 6217