10th
annual Neustadt
JAAMM FESTIVAL 2o17
october 26 — november 12 35o South Dahlia Street, Denver, CO 8o246
3o3.316.636o | maccjcc.org/jaamm
Welcome to the 1oth Annual DEN VER NE USTA D T J AAM M FEST Welcome to Denver’s most comprehensive celebration of Jewish arts, better known as JAAMM Fest – Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music. This year, we celebrate a very special milestone in the history of our signature Jewish cultural extravaganza that is JAAMM Fest – our 10th anniversary! This special edition of our festival will feature all of the series that our audiences have come to know and love – literature, movies, music, dance, theatre, and collaborations with other local organizations – but amplified and inspired by contemporary cultural events, with themes that weave throughout our programming. Given our current political climate, we feel that it is essential for us to express our belief that social justice is a Jewish value. As such, we welcome Morris Dees, esteemed civil rights lawyer and takerdown of white supremacist groups, and Ron Suskind, Pulitzer-winning journalist and author whose memoir Life, Animated celebrates inclusion of the autistic community. We are proud that Life, Animated is this year’s Denver Jewish Community Read and that the book’s Academy Award-nominated documentary film adaptation kicks off this year’s festival. Our voices come together to bring our personal narratives to the ideal of social justice in our interactive storytelling experience which culminates in a performed reading, One Community, Many Stories. And our screening of the inspirational documentary about community organizer Heather Booth: Changing the World between the aforementioned storytelling event and performance will ensure a full afternoon of social action. We look to our Jewish roots to celebrate the millennia of Yiddish culture through a myriad of events. Both the exuberant, neo-traditional tunes of big-band Metropolitan Klezmer and the unique combination of Ashkenazi and African-American spirituals in Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell’s Convergence bring our historically emotive melodies into the 21st century. And as we bring our roots into the present-day, we are excited to announce our official partnership with the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Sloan’s Lake with an encore screening of the tender family drama Menashe, a Yiddish film released this year in 2017. Our Jews in Hollywood series is robustly entertaining – from iconic Hollywood film critic Leonard Maltin to original Saturday Night Live writer Alan Zweibel (with his hilarious parody Haggadah For This We Left Egypt?) to the fabulous Joan Rivers biographer Leslie Bennetts (with her deliciously readable Last Girl Before Freeway) alongside the documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. Other author notables include Mark Sullivan’s bestselling Holocaust novel
Beneath a Scarlet Sky, the inspirational Naomi Levy’s Einstein and the Rabbi, Alexandra Zapruder’s personal history of the Zapruder footage as outlined in Twenty-Six Seconds, and Bruce Henderson’s history of the Ritchie Boys in Sons and Soldiers. Appreciators of dance won’t want to miss our headlining Israeli event, Stomp — style percussion troupe Tararam, our annual partnership with Denver’s own Wonderbound Dance Company, or a special screening of Mr. Gaga, the documentary about Israel’s illustrious Batsheva Dance Company, featuring a Q&A with an incredibly special guest, the film’s producer Barak Heymann. Fans of international jazz – run, don’t walk, to the Tamir Hendelman Trio as inspired by jazz standards and the namesake’s Israeli roots. We are also pleased to screen the documentary Steal a Pencil For Me ahead of Opera Colorado’s original world premiere opera of the same name which will be performed here at our own Elaine Wolf Theatre in January 2018. Our many community partnerships are not to be missed – special events include the annual Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado Seminar, the 15th Annual Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture presented by the University of Denver’s Center for Judaic Studies, Jewish folk-rock singer Eric Komar in a concert for young families brought to us by Judaism Your Way, Theatre Or and Spotlight Theater’s hilarious one-man show Buyer & Cellar, and Beau Jest presented by Cherry Creek Theatre, our resident theatre company, in the final show of their season in our own Pluss Theatre. Finally, we are incredibly excited to announce a new sponsor to our JAAMM family - the prestigious Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. They, alongside our ongoing relationship with Rose Community Foundation and our endowment sponsor Piñon Trail Foundation, make the broad array of JAAMM arts and literary programs possible. We are also deeply appreciative for the ongoing operational support from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Our gratitude to them and all our many individual, foundation and corporate sponsors. Please join us in celebrating 10 years of bringing top-notch Jewish cultural entertainment to the regional Denver community!
Amy Weiner Director of Festivals, MACC
The Neustadt Prizes The Neustadt JAAMM Festival was endowed by Kathy Neustadt in 2014. A longtime JCC Board member, Chairperson of the Board and current Chair of the MACC Board of Directors, Kathy wanted to continue the legacy of literature and culture that her family has cultivated with two very prestigious international literature prizes.
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is a biennial award for literature and is considered one of the most prestigious international literary prizes, often compared with the Nobel Prize in Literature and referred to as the “American Nobel” because of its record of 30 laureates, candidates or jurors, who in 42 years have been awarded Nobel Prizes following their involvement with the Neustadt Prize. Like the Nobel, it is awarded not for any one work, but for an entire body of work. Since 2003, the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature has been awarded every other year to a living writer or author-illustrator with significant achievement in children’s or young-adult literature.
Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell
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Don’t forget to stop by our JAAMM FESTIVAL BOOKSTORE The spirit of the Leah Cohen Jewish Book Fair lives on in our JAAMM Fest Bookstore: a curated selection of new and buzzworthy Jewish fiction and non-fiction titles as curated by our smart and dedicated volunteer readers. Whether you’re looking for a Hanukkah gift for your children or grandchildren, or want to treat yourself to some of the latest award-winning Jewish literature, we know you’ll find something that you’ll love! Come visit us one hour before each JAAMM event and every Sunday throughout the festival. And, look for our free community event programming alongside Jewish Life and Learning in celebration of some of our favorite titles of this year!
Saturday, October 14 – Sunday, November 12
Times vary
Buyer & Cellar presented by Theatre Or and Spotlight Theatre Company
34
Sunday, October 15
8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Annual Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado Seminar
7
Sunday, October 15
10:00 am
Eric Komar (Jewish Folk-Rock for Kids)
23
Sunday, October 15
4:00 pm
Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture
7
Saturday, October 21
7:00 pm
Menashe at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake Cinema
15
Thursday, October 26
7:00 pm
OPENING NIGHT, Life, Animated
16
Friday, October 27
11:00 am
Mark T. Sullivan, “Beneath a Scarlet Sky”
10
Saturday, October 28
7:30 pm
Metropolitan Klezmer (Yiddish)
24
Sunday, October 29
1:00 – 4:30 pm
theatre dybbuk presents One Community, Many Stories
33
Sunday, October 29
2:00 pm
Heather Booth: Changing the World
19
Monday, October 30
7:00 pm
Steal a Pencil For Me
20
Thursday, November 2
2:00 pm
Naomi Levy, “Einstein and the Rabbi”
10
Thursday, November 2
7:00 pm
Morris Dees
8
Saturday, November 4
7:30 pm
Tararam
29
Sunday, November 5
1:30 pm
Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell accompanied by Dr. Alan Mason (Yiddish)
25
Sunday, November 5
4:00 pm
Leslie Bennetts, “Last Girl Before Freeway”
11
Sunday, November 5
7:00 pm
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
21
Monday, November 6
6:00 pm
Alexandra Zapruder, “Twenty-Six Seconds”
11
Tuesday, November 7
11:00 am
Bruce Henderson, “Sons and Soldiers”
12
Tuesday, November 7
7:00 pm
Leonard Maltin
8
Wednesday, November 8
6:00 pm
Alan Zweibel, “For This We Left Egypt?”
12
Thursday, November 9
7:30 pm
Wonderbound Dance Company
30
Thursday, November 9 – Sunday, December 10
Times vary
Beau Jest presented by Cherry Creek Theatre
34
Saturday, November 11
7:30 pm
Tamir Hendelman Trio (International Jazz)
26
Sunday, November 12
11:00 am
Mr. Gaga featuring Q&A with film producer Barak Heymann
21
Sunday, November 12
1:30 pm
Ron Suskind
9
Sunday, December 3 – Tuesday, December 5
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
MACC Pottery Exhibition and Sale
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AUTHORS
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Catagory
Schedule and Index
JAA MM FE ST I VAL
DANCE
MOVIES
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
MUSIC
THEATRE
PRE-JAAMM EVENT COLLABORATION
2o17 JAAMM Fest Ticket Information Tickets and Box Office Information
Authors |
Movies |
Music |
Dance |
p. 6 – 12
p. 14 – 21
p. 22 – 26
For tickets and more information, call the MaCC Box office at 303.316.6360, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, or visit the box office, Monday through Friday, 1:00 – 5:00 pm or one hour before all events at 350 S. Dahlia St., Denver, Co 80246. tickets are also available online at maccjcc.org/jaamm. Note that for Menashe, Buyer & Cellar, and Beau Jest, tickets must be purchased through their respective box offices. AUTHORS • Jewish Book Council Authors: $10 Adult, $8 Student/Senior • Centerpiece Lectures: $20 Adult, $18 Student/Senior VIP Lecture Ticket: $75 (includes meet and greet at private reception) • Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado (JGSCO) Seminar: $20 for JGSCO Members; $35 Non-Members • 15th Annual Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture: $18 Adult; Free to Holocaust survivors, students, educators, and event sponsors DANCE • $36 Adult, $30 Student/Senior
p. 28 – 29
Theatre |
p. 32 – 34
TICKETS ON SALE
SEPTEMBER 22
MOVIES • At the MACC: $13 Adult, $11 Student/Senior • Menashe at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Sloan’s Lake (Tickets Through Alamo Drafthouse Box Office): $13 Adult, $11 Student/Senior To purchase: maccjcc.org/menashe MUSIC • MACC Concerts: $20 Adult, $18 Student/Senior • Eric Komar Family Concert: $5 Adult, $10 Max. Per Family; Children 10 and Under Free THEATRE • One Community, Many Stories $15 Adult, $12 Student/Senior • Buyer & Cellar (tickets through Theatre Or and Lowry’s Spotlight Theater) $25 Adult; $23 Student/Senior; $20 Group Rate (for groups of 6 or more, reserved seating for 10+) To purchase by phone or online: 720.530.4596 • thisisspotlight.com For group sales: email theatreor@mindspring.com or call 919.306.1670 • Beau Jest (tickets through Cherry Creek Theatre) $30-$35 To purchase by phone or online: 303.800.6578 • cherrycreektheater.org
JAAMM Festival, Volume 10, 2017 • This program is published annually by the MACC at the J, 350 South Dahlia Street, Denver, CO 80246.
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Authors Lectures, Seminars, Book Signings
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pre-jaamm Collaborations Authors
Sunday, october 15 8:00 am – 3:30 pm Phillips Social Hall $20 for JgSCo Members, $35 Non-Members
Please register online at JGSCO.org Kosher dairy breakfast and lunch are included for each attendee. Venue directions and information at JGSCO.org or info@JGSCO.org
Annual Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado Seminar Jewish Family History
“Reinvigorate Your Research” with Lisa Louise Cooke – Genealogist, Author, and Producer of Videos and Podcasts Hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado and co-sponsored by Mizel Arts and Cultural Center at the JCC, Ellen Beller Glass, Feldman Mortuary, Mount Nebo Memorial Park, and NAI Shames Makovsky SEMINAR SESSIONS How to Organize All this Genealogy Stuff! Google Search and Google Books: Tools for Every Day Time Travel with Google Earth Future Technology and Genealogy: 5 Strategies You Need Lisa Louise Cooke is the owner of Genealogy Gems, a genealogy and family history multi-media company. She is Producer and Host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, the popular online genealogy audio show available at GenealogyGems.com, in iTunes, and through the Genealogy Gems app. Her podcast brings genealogy news, research strategies, expert interviews and inspiration to genealogists in 75 countries around the world, and recently celebrated 2 million downloads! Lisa is the author of a variety of multi-media materials including the Genealogy Gems Premium website subscription, and four books: The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox (Second Edition), Mobile Genealogy, How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers, and Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies, and the video series Google Earth for Genealogy. In addition to Genealogy Gems, Lisa works closely with Family Tree Magazine as producer and host of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast, a regular article author for the magazine, and curriculum developer and instructor for Family Tree University.
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Sunday, october 15 4:00 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $18 adult; Free to Holocaust survivors, students, educators and event sponsors Light kosher dessert reception to follow
15th Annual
Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture Holocaust, Art Chasing Portraits: A Holocaust Survivor’s Daughter Searches for Her Family’s Lost Art Legacy Join us to learn more about the Holocaust from the perspective of looted art as Elizabeth Rynecki shares her compelling story (soon to be released as a documentary film) about hunting for lost pieces of her great-grandfather’s legacy for over two decades, setting upon a journey to seek out what had been lost but never forgotten. Elizabeth is the author of the acclaimed book Chasing Portraits (2016), the memoir of one woman’s emotional quest to find the art of her Polish-Jewish great-grandfather lost during World War II. Moshe Rynecki’s body of work reached close to eight hundred paintings and sculptures before he was moved into the Warsaw Ghetto, deported and murdered in the Majdanek concentration camp. “In recent years, there has been an increase in the awareness of the problem of looted and stolen art, and Chasing Portraits makes an important contribution to the field. But it’s much more than just a tale of detective work. Elizabeth Rynecki’s story is transcendent, presenting the reader with an elevated level of passion and duty. For this reason, it sets itself apart from the rest of the field.” — Anthony M. Amore, Author of Stealing Rembrandts and The Art of the Con Learn more at: chasingportraits.org For more information on programs and events sponsored by the Holocaust Awareness Institute at the University of Denver’s Center for Judaic Studies, please visit du.edu/ahss/cjs or call 303.871.3013. BRING YOUR GENTLY WORN SHOES TO THE LECTURE We are again collecting gently worn shoes at the lecture as a reminder of the shoes left behind in concentration camps by victims of the Holocaust. This year, shoes will be donated to the Holocaust Shoe Project (holocaustshoeproject.org), which uses shoes to educate students about the horrors of the Holocaust, then donates shoes to needy families throughout the Front Range. Please help in this very worthwhile effort.
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
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Authors Centerpiece Lectures
Morris Dees
thursday, November 2 7:00 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $20 adult, $18 Student/Senior VIP access: $75 (includes private meet and greet: 5:30 – 6:30 pm)
Social Justice Centerpiece Lecture
tuesday, November 7 7:00 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $20 adult, $18 Student/Senior VIP access: $75 (includes private meet and greet: 8:30 – 9:30 pm)
Leonard Maltin
Jews in Hollywood Centerpiece Lecture
Sponsored by The Curtiss-Lusher Family, The Quiat Family, Lee and Barbara Mellman Davis, Elisa Moran and Gary Kleiman Community Partner: Anti-Defamation League
The man, the myth, the legend Leonard Maltin himself helms our Jews in Hollywood programming.
When it comes to civil rights and social justice, Morris Dees has walked the walk. The renowned activist and lawyer talks the talk at this year’s JAAMM Fest!
How the Jews Invented Hollywood – and Shaped the American Dream
With Justice for All in a Changing America Activist and civil rights speaker Morris Dees discusses how our commitment to justice for all will chart our nation's future as America becomes more diverse, and economic disparity widens. Dees shares his experiences and insights, explaining how and why he became an attorney and founded the Southern Poverty Law Center. Finally, Dees discusses hate crimes across the country and the need for the teaching of tolerance, love, and respect for one another. Civil rights and diversity speaker Morris Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit group specializing in lawsuits involving civil rights violations, domestic terrorism, and hate-motivated crimes. Dees and his associates have successfully battled and dismantled a series of hate groups, including the Aryan Nation and Ku Klux Klan, and have secured huge criminal, civil, and financial judgments against them. Dees is a strong proponent of education about civil rights and the civil rights movement, and was instrumental in the creation of the Civil Rights Memorial in Mobile, Alabama. For his efforts as an attorney and activist, Dees was named the Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1987 by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice and received the National Education Association's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award in 1990. Most recently in 2012, Dees received the highest award from the American Bar Association, the ABA Medal, which recognizes exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer to the cause of American jurisprudence.
In this fascinating keynote speech, Leonard Maltin draws on his vast knowledge of movie history to share the story of how immigrant Jews became movie moguls who sold WASP America an idealized, non-ethnic image of itself. Leonard Maltin is one of the world’s most respected film critics and historians. He is best known for his widely-used reference work Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide and its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide, as well as his thirty-year run on television’s Entertainment Tonight. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, is a voting member of the National Film Registry, and was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to sit on the Board of Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, appears regularly on Reelz Channel and Turner Classic Movies, and hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies with Baron Vaughn on the Earwolf network. His books include The 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, The Great Movie Comedians, The Disney Films, The Art of the Cinematographer, Movie Comedy Teams, The Great American Broadcast, and Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia.
We have the honor of featuring local social justice organizations for a special Q&A panel led by the Anti-Defamation League immediately following Morris Dees’s keynote speech. info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Denver jewish community Read Authors shares stories of Owen's unique journey from quiet solitude to animated communication, showcases an adventure of the human heart — culminating in a memorable father/son appearance on Comedy Central’s annual autism fundraiser, Night of Too Many Stars. The Suskind motto–your passion is your pathway–now guides educators, therapists and parents in tapping the deep potential in all of us.
Sunday, November 12 1:30 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $20 adult, $18 Student/Senior VIP access: $75 (includes private meet and greet: 3:00 – 4:00 pm)
DENVER JEWISH COMMUNITY READ AUTHOR - Ron Suskind Authors
This year’s Denver Jewish Community Read book is Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism by Pulitzer-winning journalist and author Ron Suskind. Life, Animated: A Tale of Autism & Hidden Potential Community Partner: Firefly Autism Ron's sixth book, Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes and Autism, examines his family's twenty-year journey with youngest son, Owen. Having lost his speech at the age of three, Owen used animated Disney movies to make sense of himself and the world. By memorizing these iconic movies and parroting their dialogue, he learned how to communicate and express himself, prompting his family members to create elaborate stage sets to re-enact these films and “speak Disney” along with him. Owen emerged into adulthood with a unique skillset; along the way, he created a method to help other parents and medical experts reach kids with autism. This deeply personal but universally resonant presentation, in which Ron
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One of America’s most treasured journalists, best-selling author Ron Suskind brings a Renaissance man’s breadth of knowledge and experiences to the speaking stage. His keynotes and mainstage conversations with notable leaders in the financial world draw upon a career as a Pulitzer-Prize-winning Wall Street Journal reporter. As an author and journalist, Ron Suskind has chronicled the financial world for more than 25 years, covering the last three presidencies, the inner workings of Wall Street, and the ways in which financial decisions and government actions drive economies and shape everyday lives. Combining a remarkable ability to simplify complex and high-level subject matter with a gift for engaging, entertaining and genuine rapport with audiences, Suskind’s presentations are a showcase for one of the most talented storytellers of our time. Currently, he serves as the co-host of Freak Out and Carry On, a WBUR podcast that addresses the urgent political issues of our time through a historical lens. When not writing and speaking, Ron Suskind is a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, where he serves as a lecturer on narrative and justice. He is also the Founder and CEO of Sidekicks for Autism, which provides a free education app that helps parents deeply connect and communicate with their autistic children. Suskind holds an MA from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Firefly Autism First created in 2003, Firefly Autism has grown to become one of the nation’s most respected autism treatment centers, and Colorado’s leader in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. Over the past 15 years, Firefly has transformed the lives of thousands of children and families living with autism, helping kids discover the world around them, a world they often find difficult to understand. Through a variety of insightful, innovative, and proven programs and services, Firefly provides kids with opportunities and open doors they would otherwise likely never find, offering them a much better chance at a brighter future with a fulfilling, contributing, and even independent life as an adult. As a non-profit organization, Firefly could never fulfill its mission without the support of a caring community. But WITH that support, the sky is the limit and they are able to help children strive for their highest potential as well as reach milestones they never thought possible. Firefly Autism…helping them discover the world, and helping the world discover them. For more information or to make a donation, call 303.759.1192 or visit their website at fireflyautism.org.
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
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Authors Jewish Book Council
Friday, october 27 11:00 am Phillips Social Hall $10 adult, $8 Student/Senior
tuesday, November 2 2:00 pm Phillips Social Hall $10 adult, $8 Student/Senior
Mark T. Sullivan
Naomi Levy
Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel
Einstein and the Rabbi: Searching for the Soul
Sponsored by Dottie & Steve Resnick
Sponsored by Harold Cohen in memory of Leah Cohen, founder of the Book Festival
Holocaust Fiction
-
Inspirational Jewish Non Fiction
An Amazon Charts Most Read and Most Sold book, and a USA Today bestseller. Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.
“A human being is part of the whole called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.” –Albert Einstein
Pino Lella, a normal Italian teenager, wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. But when his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. After enlisting as a German soldier—and subsequent injury—he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for General Hans Leyers, Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy and one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders. Now with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret – his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.
When Rabbi Naomi Levy read this poignant letter by Einstein, it shook her to her core. His words captured what she believed about the human condition: that we are intimately connected but blind to this truth. Levy wondered what had elicited spiritual wisdom from a man of science, and thus began a search into the mystery of Einstein’s letter and into the workings of the human soul. What emerges is a work filled with Jewish wisdom to help us reclaim our souls and glimpse the unity that’s been evading us. We all long to see more expansively, to live up to our gifts, to understand why we are here. Levy leads us on a breathtaking journey full of insight, empathy and humor, challenging us to wake up and heed the voice beckoning us to become who were born to be.
Mark T. Sullivan is the acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Private series, which he writes with James Patterson. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. An avid skier and adventurer, he lives with his wife in Bozeman, Montana, where he remains grateful for the miracle of every moment.
Naomi Levy is the author of the national bestseller To Begin Again, as well as Talking to God and Hope Will Find You. She is the founder and leader of NASHUVA, a groundbreaking Jewish spiritual outreach movement based in L.A. Levy was named one of the top 50 rabbis in America by Newsweek and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, and on NPR. She lives in Venice, California, with her husband, Rob Eshman, and their children, Adi and Noa.
REVIEWS “An incredible story, beautifully written, and a fine and noble book.” — James Patterson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
REVIEWS “Throughout, Levy comes off as a trustworthy guide, with just the right leavening (or perhaps unleavening) of humor and endless compassion.” — Kirkus Reviews
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Jewish Book Council Authors
Sunday, November 5 4:00 pm Phillips Social Hall $10 adult, $8 Student/Senior
Monday, November 6 6:00 PM Phillips Social Hall $10 adult, $8 Student/Senior
Leslie Bennetts
Alexandra Zapruder
Last Girl Before Freeway: The Life, Loves, Losses, and Liberation of Joan Rivers
Twenty-Six Seconds: A Personal History of the Zapruder Film
Sponsored by Terry & Art Heller
A family memoir about the twenty-six second video shot by Abraham Zapruder that captured the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Pop Culture, Humor, Biography
A juicy, intimate biography of one of the greatest comedians ever: Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers was more than a legendary comedian. She was an icon and a role model to millions, a fearless pioneer who left a legacy of expanded opportunity when she died in 2014. Her life was a dramatic roller-coaster of triumphant highs and devastating lows: the suicide of her husband, her feud with Johnny Carson, her estrangement from her daughter, her many plastic surgeries, her ferocious ambition, and her massive insecurities. But Rivers' career was also hugely significant in American cultural history, breaking down barriers for her gender and pushing the boundaries of truth-telling for women in public life. Last Girl Before Freeway delves into the inner workings of a woman who both reflected and redefined the world around her, a performer whose sixty year career was borne, simply, out of a desire to make people laugh so she could feel loved. Leslie Bennetts is a veteran journalist who started covering so-called “women’s issues” in the 1970s and has continued to write about women's lives, marriage, and families ever since. She spent 24 years as a contributing editor for Vanity Fair, writing on subjects that have ranged from movie stars to U.S. antiterrorism policy and was the first woman ever to cover a presidential campaign for The New York Times. She is the author of the national bestseller The Feminine Mistake. REVIEWS “One hell of a book. A terrific read from start to finish…five stars.” – Larry King, television and radio host
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Memoir, Politics, Non-Fiction
On November 22, 1963, Russian-Jewish immigrant Abraham Zapruder left his office hoping for a glimpse of President John F. Kennedy's motorcade as it passed by Dealey Plaza. The first major instance of citizen journalism, the now-iconic footage he captured forced Zapruder to face unprecedented dilemmas: How to handle his unexpected ownership of a vitally important yet unspeakably terrible piece of American history? How to aid the U.S. government and, at the same time, fend off the swarm of reporters grasping to purchase the film? How to make the best decisions to ensure the film was safeguarded—but never exploited? Alexandra Zapruder is the author of Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust, which won the National Jewish Book Award. She wrote and co-produced I'm Still Here, a documentary for young audiences based on Salvaged Pages, which was awarded the Jewish Image Award for Best Television Special by the National Foundation for Jewish Culture and was nominated for two Emmy awards. Currently, she is curating an exhibition for Holocaust Museum Houston about the diaries of young people living through international conflicts over the past 75 years and works as an educational consultant for The Defiant Requiem Foundation. REVIEWS “Alexandra…has written the entwined story of the Zapruder film and the Zapruders themselves with scrupulous care and attention to all the civic and familial sensitivities involved. It turns out to be a fascinating and cautionary tale.” —The Wall Street Journal
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
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Authors Jewish Book Council
tuesday, November 7 11:00 aM Phillips Social Hall $10 adult, $8 Student/Senior Free for veterans
Wednesday, November 8 6:00 PM Phillips Social Hall $10 adult, $8 Student/Senior
Bruce Henderson
Alan Zweibel
Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned with the U.S. Army to Fight Hitler
For This We Left Egypt?: A Passover Haggadah for Jews and Those Who Love Them
World War II Non-Fiction
Humor, Judaism, Passover, Non-Fiction
The little-known story of nearly 2,000 German-born American Jews who enlisted in the Army and were sent overseas as a special unit interrogating German POWs - a group of soldiers known as the "Ritchie Boys.” Henderson tells how these recently-arrived immigrants, once Hitler declared war on the United States, enlisted in the Army and were selected to train in special interrogation techniques. Because of their knowledge of German, the expectation was that they would be sent overseas where they were to become part of a special unit (IPW) that interrogated German prisoners of war. The training took place at Fort Ritchie in Maryland and subsequently the unit came to be known as the” Ritchie Boys”. Their contributions to the war were invaluable as they gleaned from the prisoners vital information of Nazi strategy and troop movements. But there were also special dangers! To be captured meant that they would be separated from their units and sent to a concentration camp, or worse. Henderson tells their story from their initial training in Maryland to their experience overseas where, at the war’s end, the Ritchie Boys served as interrogators of captured Nazi war criminals. Bruce Henderson is the author or coauthor of more than twenty nonfiction books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller And the Sea Will Tell. He lives in Menlo Park, California. REVIEWS “Riveting. ... Richly detailed. ... Puts readers alongside the Ritchie Boys in some of the darkest moments of history. ... A spellbinding account of extraordinary men at war.” — USA Today
A parody of the Passover Haggadah - humorous explanations of the rituals, satirical stories of slavery and the exodus, funny anecdotes, and ridiculous questions for discussions. An original Saturday Night Live writer whom the New York Times says has “earned a place in the pantheon of American pop culture,” Alan Zweibel has won numerous Emmy and Writers Guild of America awards for his work in television, which also includes It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (which he co-created), Late Show with David Letterman, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He collaborated with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award–winning play 700 Sundays, and he won the Thurber Prize for his novel The Other Shulman. REVIEWS “A must-have for those who collect haggadot or for anyone who loves a laugh. If you’re looking to lighten up your seder, you might read a page or two from it. Just be careful, though: people might refuse to turn back to the traditional text.” — The Reporter “A full-fledged comic assault on Passover… Finally, someone has created a full Haggadah that is not only fun to read, but isn’t covered in wine stains… For This We Left Egypt? runs riot with the Haggadah and takes readers from the sophomoric to the sublimely funny.” — The Forward “[For This We Left Egypt?] brings a fair measure of levity to a holiday when leavening is banned. The book is both reverential and irreverent.” — New York Jewish Week
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Get Fit with the j
303.316.6308 | @jccdenver
Movies Contemporary Yiddish Drama, Pop Culture, Social Action, and Holocaust Documentaries
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PRE-jaamm event collaboration Movies
Saturday, october 21 7:00 PM alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Sloan’s Lake 4255 W Colfax ave, Denver, Co 80204 720.577.4720 $13 adult, $11 Student/Senior tickets available for purchase on maccjcc.org/menashe
Menashe Contemporary Yiddish Family Drama Directed by Joshua Z Weinstein 2017/USA /Yiddish with English subtitles/82 minutes MPAA Rating: PG Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake Cinema as we kick off our new partnership with this fabulous local theater! Note: All patrons must be 18 years or older or be accompanied by a parent. No talking, texting, cell phone policy strictly enforced. All seats are reserved via a “pick your seat” model. No late seating. Full multi-course food and drink menu available – not a kosher kitchen. Set and secretly filmed within the New York Hasidic community in Borough Park, Brooklyn, Menashe follows a kind but hapless grocery store clerk trying to maintain custody of his son Rieven after his wife, Lea, passes away. Since they live in a tradition-bound culture that requires a mother present in every home, Rieven is
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Pre-JAAMM Event Collaboration supposed to be adopted by the boy’s strict, married uncle, but Menashe’s Rabbi decides to grant him one week to spend with Rieven prior to Lea’s memorial. One of the only movies to be performed in Yiddish in nearly 70 years, Menashe is a warm, life-affirming look at the universal bonds between father and son that also sheds unusual light on a notoriously private community. Based largely on the real life of its Hasidic star Menashe Lustig, the film is a strikingly authentic and deeply moving portrait of family, love, connection, and community. REVIEWS “A gentle human comedy.” –The New York Times “A fascinating glimpse into a sequestered society within New York City.” – The Wrap “Genius. A new way of looking at humanity.” –The Huffington Post
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
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Movies Opening Night Event!
thursday, october 26 7:00 PM Elaine Wolf theatre $13 adult, $11 Student/Senior
Official JAAMM Fest Opening Night!�
Life, Animated,
Documentary, Disability, Disney Directed & Produced by Roger Ross Williams Produced by Julie Goldman 2016/USA/English/92 minutes MPAA Rating: PG Life, Animated evocatively interweaves classic Disney sequences with verite scenes from Owen’s life in order to explore how his identification and empathy for Disney sidekicks gave him a means to understand his feelings and allowed him to interpret reality. The subject of his father Ron Suskind’s New York Times bestseller, Owen was a thriving three year old who suddenly and inexplicably went silent – and for years after remained unable to connect with other people or to convey his thoughts, feelings or desires. Over time, through repeated viewings of Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and The Lion King, Owen found useful tools to help him to understand complex social cues and to re-connect with the world around him. From Academy Award® winning director Roger Ross Williams, Life, Animated is the inspirational story of Owen Suskind, a young man whose family discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of
classic Disney animated films. This emotional coming-of-age story follows Owen as he graduates to adulthood and takes his first steps toward independence. Winner of 4 Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations/Honors, and 3 Cinema Eye Nominations/Honors. Winner, U.S. Documentary Directing Award, Sundance Film Festival. Audience Award Winner: Full Frame, San Francisco International Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, Berkshires Film Festival, Telluride Mountainfilm. Nominated for 2016 Academy Award for Best Documentary. REVIEWS “A celebration! Tender, rich and wonderfully told.” – Andrew Crump, The Playlist “An inspiring story. Life, Animated makes fascinating points about the power of cinema, and about who gets to decide what constitutes a meaningful life.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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P RE - JAAM M E VEN T C OLL A BO R A T I ON 14
21
15
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Annual Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado Seminar
7:30 PM Buyer & Cellar presented by Theatre Or and Spotlight Theatre Company (October 14 – Sunday, November 12)
10:00 AM
7:00 PM
Eric Komar (Jewish Folk-Rock for Kids)
Menashe at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake Cinema
4:00 PM Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture
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30
One Community, Many Stories
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Dance
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1:00 – 4:30 PM theatre dybbuk presents One Community, Many Stories
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
2017 JCC Annual D Honoring Norman
Steal a Pencil For Me
2:00 PM Heather Booth: Changing the World
1:30 PM Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell accompanied by Dr. Alan Mason (Yiddish)
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11:00 AM
4:00 PM
6:00 PM
Leslie Bennetts, “Last Girl Before Freeway”
Alexandra Zapruder, “Twenty-Six Seconds”
Bruce Henderson, “Sons and Soldiers”
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AUTHORS
DANCE
11:00 AM Mr. Gaga featuring Q&A with film producer Barak Heymann
1oth annual
Ron Suskind
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Alan Zweibel, “For This We Left
Leonard Maltin
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
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6:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
1:30 PM
7
6
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
MOVIES
MUSIC
THEATRE
PRE-JAAMM EVENT COLLA
CALENDAR 2017
October 26 – November 12 27
26 7:00 PM
11:00 AM
OPENING NIGHT, Life, Animated
Mark T. Sullivan, “Beneath a Scarlet Sky”
1
28 7:30 PM Metropolitan Klezmer (Yiddish)
3
2
4
2:00 PM Naomi Levy, “Einstein and the Rabbi”
Dinner n Brownstein
7:30 PM
Movie
Morris Dees
8 Beau Jest presented by Cherry Creek Theatre (November 9 – Sunday, December 10)
Egypt?”
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9 7:00 PM
7:30 PM
Tararam
Menashe
7:00 PM
Life, Animated Movie
11
10
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7:30 PM Tamir Hendelman Trio (International Jazz)
Wonderbound Dance Company
BORATION
MACC POTTERY Exhibition and Sale
DECEMBER 3 - 5 info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Social Action Documentary Movies
Sunday, october 29 2:00 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $13 adult, $11 Student/Senior Free for One Community, Many Stories participants
Heather Booth: Changing the World
Documentary, Social Action 2016/USA/English/61 minutes Sponsored by the Morse Family Foundation Chronicling the life of Heather Booth, a lifelong progressive organizer, the film follows her journey from civil rights activist in the 60s to her founding of the Midwest Academy, a training institute for progressive community organizers. From a politically conscious college student who began her career in 1964 registering voters in Mississippi at the height of the Civil Rights movement, Heather became the go-to strategist for causes ranging from child care to women’s rights to immigration reform and advisor to leaders including Julian Bond and Senator Elizabeth Warren. The film blends archival and contemporary footage with interviews with close friends, clients, political colleagues, students and others to understand this one person's legacy in progressive politics. This is a timely film that arms viewers with methods they can
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employ to preserve our democratic principles. The goal is for Heather Booth: Changing the World to serve as a tool for community organizing, through education and awareness, and as a guide for mobilizing that inspires activism and ignites change. Director Lilly Rivlin is an award winning American-Israeli journalist, writer, and independent filmmaker based in New York. She has produced and directed many documentaries about women who are political activists. She has been an activist for peace between Israelis and Palestinians for many decades and is a former president of Meretz USA, now Partners for a Progressive Israel. Lilly was the 2013-14 recipient of the Miller Distinguished Jewish Woman Filmmaker Award. REVIEWS “She’s the best answer to Donald Trump you’ve never heard of.” — Huffington Post “Change. It’s vital to our growth as a nation. Over the course of the last 50 years, one woman has been an integral part of momentous historical changes, addressing injustices pertaining to women and minority groups. Her name is Heather Booth.“ – FF2 Media
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
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Movies Holocaust DocumentarY
Monday, october 30 7:00 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $13 adult, $11 Student/Senior; Free for Holocaust survivors and educators
Steal a Pencil For Me Documentary, Romance, Holocaust Directed by Michèle Ohayon 2007/USA /English, Dutch with English subtitles/94 minutes No MPAA Rating In-Kind Sponsor: Opera Colorado Steal a Pencil For Me is a compelling documentary feature film by Academy Award nominee Michèle Ohayon about the power of love and the ability of humankind to rise above unimaginable suffering. 1943: Holland is under Nazi occupation. In Amsterdam, Jack, an unassuming accountant, first meets Ina at a birthday party - a 20year-old beauty from a wealthy family who instantly steals his heart. But Jack's pursuit of love will be complicated; he is poor and married to Manja, a flirtatious and mercurial spouse. When the Jews are being deported, the husband, the wife and the lover find themselves at the same concentration camp, living in the same barracks. When Jack's wife objects to the "girlfriend" in spite of their unhappy marriage, Jack and Ina resort to writing secret love letters, which sustain them throughout the horrible circumstances of the war.
REVIEWS “The love letters between Mr. Polak and Ino Soep, who became the second Mrs. Polak, are testimonials to the power of the human spirit.” — The New York Times “Ohayon composes a sweet film that is more than anything else a glorification of love and its beneficial qualities.” — The San Francisco Bay Guardian “Steal a Pencil is the kind of story that makes one believe in soulmates; if Jack and Ina can find and keep each other in the middle of genocide, there is hope for lovers everywhere.” — The Austin Chronicle
Don’t miss the WORLD PREMIERE of the original opera Steal a Pencil for Me based on this story produced by Opera Colorado and performed in our own Elaine Wolf Theatre in January. See page 27 for more info.
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Pop Culture Documentaries Movies
Sunday, November 5 7:00 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $13 adult, $11 Student/Senior
Sunday, November 12 11:00 am Elaine Wolf theatre $13 adult, $11 Student/Senior
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Documentary, Biography, Pop Culture, Humor
Mr. Gaga
A Film by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg 2010/USA /English/84 minutes MPAA Rating: R
Directed by Tomer Heymann; Produced by Barak Heymann 2015/Israel, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands/Hebrew, English with English subtitles/100 minutes No MPAA Rating
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work exposes the private dramas of irreverent, legendary comedian and pop icon Joan Rivers as she fights tooth and nail to keep her American dream alive. A unique look inside America’s obsession with fame and celebrity, Joan’s story is both an outrageously funny journey and a brutally honest look at the ruthless entertainment industry, the trappings of success, and the ultimate vulnerability of the first queen of comedy. With unprecedented, unguarded access, the film captures intimate scenes shot in Joan’s 76th year — Joan at home, during holidays, performing stand up and acting in a play she wrote, gossiping with her QVC fans, writing jokes, and managing her career — interweaving them with home movies, stand-up routines, book recordings, personal photographs, and archival footage to create a lush visual landscape and cinematic backdrop for the narrative as it unfolds. Filmed as a cinema verite documentary, the film reveals a rare glimpse of the comedic process and the toxic mixture of self-doubt and anger that often fuels it. REVIEWS “One of the most truthful documentaries about show business I’ve seen. Also maybe the funniest.” – Roger Ebert “Joan Rivers is a comic force of nature, and this no-bull documentary offers a profanely hilarious peek into the 75th year of her life, on the road and off. Fasten your seat belts.” – Rolling Stone
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,
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Documentary Biography Israel Contemporary Dance
In-Kind Sponsor: Wonderbound Dance Company Ohad Naharin, artistic director of the internationally renowned Batsheva Dance Company from Israel, is regarded as one of the most important choreographers in the world. Meeting him at a critical turning point in his personal life, this spirited and insightful documentary will introduce you to a man with great artistic integrity and an extraordinary vision. Filmed over a period of eight years, director Tomer Heymann mixes intimate rehearsal footage with an extensive unseen archive and breathtaking dance sequences. This story of an artistic genius who redefined the language of modern dance is guaranteed to leave you skipping. Official Selection of dozens of film festivals worldwide. Stay for a Q&A after the screening led by the film’s producer, Barak Heymann, who joins us all the way from Israel! REVIEWS "Electric... riveting... choreographic brilliance... striking performance footage... Excellent. A complex, compelling lead character... Handsome and charismatic, Naharin... arguably is a genius. The most exciting documentary for fans of edgier modern dance since ‘Pina’." – Variety "A genre-spanning cultural event.” – Haaretz "An intimate portrait of a character that has never been revealed like that." — Cinemascope
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OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
Music Jewish Folk-Rock, Klezmer, Yiddish Spirituals, International Jazz
Jewish Folk-Rock: Music Sunday, october 15 10:00 a.m. Elaine Wolf theatre $5 adult, $10 Max. Per Family; Children 10 and Under Free
Eric Komar Jewish Folk-Rock for Young Children and Families
Co-Presented by Judaism Your Way and Temple Micah Join musical artist Eric Komar on a fun and educational "Torah-tastic" adventure. Kids and their families will love celebrating Judaism with Eric's unique brand of Jewish folk-rock. Highlights will include selections from his most recent of four CD's, Todah Torah, a kids album featuring the talents of his own children and students. For two decades congregations, JCC's, camps, and conventions across North America have enjoyed Eric Komar's unique brand of Jewish folk-rock. He has shared the stage with the most prominent musicians in the field and has been “instrumental” in nurturing a new generation of song leaders. You can find Eric’s compositions in products from Transcontinental Music and Craig Taubman's Craig n' Co, as well as on Jewish Rock Radio. His most recent of four professional CD's, Todah Torah, is a fun and educational kids album enjoyed by fans of all ages! Judaism Your Way is pleased to offer this young families concert as a way to welcome all—newcomers and natives — to our diverse Jewish community. If you would like to learn more or get involved, please contact askus@judaismyourway.org or call 303.320.6185.
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OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
Music: Klezmer
Saturday, october 28 7:30 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $20 adult, $18 Student/Senior
Metropolitan Klezmer Klezmer, Yiddish
REVIEWS “Excellent klezmer…impeccable yet electrifying arrangements … Delightfully rambunctious.” – Richard Gehr, Village Voice
In-Kind Sponsor: Mizel Museum Metropolitan Klezmer, established in 1994, brings eclectic exuberance to Yiddish musical genres from all over the map. This collaborative adventure of seven exceptional New York musicians combines the best of downtown, classical and World Music scenes to create inspired neo-traditional interpretations and compositions around a panoply of eclectic Yiddish repertoire: ethereal trance, rollicking dance, imaginatively-arranged Yiddish swing and tango, plus genre-expanding originals such as klezmer cumbia. The ensemble also explores such lesser-known gems as Soviet Yiddish theater melodies and drinking songs, gorgeous overlooked soundtrack tunes from vintage films set in Eastern Europe and the Lower East Side, and unexpected musical angles which transform familiar favorites from the inside out. They re-invent tradition with both irreverence and respect… an exhilarating journey! Debra Kreisberg, clarinet & sax
Pam Fleming, trumpet
Shoko Takeishi, accordion & piano
Karen Waltuch, viola
Dave Hofstra, upright bass & tuba
Melissa Fogarty, vocals
“You want a sultry vocal? Check out Melissa Fogarty’s multilingual delivery on Metropolitan Klezmer‘s Mazel Means Good Luck, based on a 1954 arrangement of a 1947 big band hit. The [octet is an] irrepressible cross-genre Jewish jamband…” – New York Music Daily “4 Stars! Metropolitan Klezmer, one of the finest American klezmer bands, deliver a varied, highly enjoyable set of both traditional klezmer and swinging Jewish jazz, as befits Klezmer’s roots as Jewish diaspora music.” – Mike Gerber, Songlines Magazine (UK) “Led by drummer Eve Sicular, of Isle of Klezbos fame, Metropolitan Klezmer takes a scholarly approach to the genre’s history, yet never skimps on the exuberance at its core.” – TIME OUT New York “Jewish ‘soul’ music of Eastern Europe with a New York twist.” – Newsday (Highlights)
Eve Sicular, drums | bandleader
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Yiddish Spirituals: Music
Photo Credit to Clara Rice Photography
Sunday, November 5 1:30 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $20 adult, $18 Student/Senior
Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell Ashkenazi and African-American Spirituals Accompanied by Dr. Alan Mason, piano Sponsored by TriCuzz Productions The sold-out hit of the 29th annual Berkeley Jewish Music Festival, Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell's Convergence combines one hundred years of traditional Ashkenazi Jewish and African American music directly at historic, melodic and textual crossroads, creating a new repertoire of works exploring exile, spirituality, hope and redemption. Ten years after making his professional operatic debut, Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell is now a vocalist, composer and arranger specializing in Yiddish song, chazones and Chasidic nigunim. His work in Jewish music has brought him to stages in Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, New York and Tel Aviv, JCCs in Manhattan and San Francisco, Symphony Space in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and Limmud Fests across the United States and Europe. His album combining a century of African-American and Ashkenazi Jewish music, Convergence, is set to be released later this year.
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Dr. Alan Mason is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, and the University of Miami, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He is noted across the country as an accompanist to cantors and Jewish singers, and plays regularly for the Zamir Choral Foundation, American Conference of Cantors, Cantors Assembly, Jewish Theological Seminary, and the Union for Reform Judaism. Alan is the President of the Guild of Temple Musicians, and the conductor of HaZamir Miami, a Chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish High School Choir. REVIEWS “If you think you know what a Yiddish singing star looks like, think again. The new, hot name in the world of Yiddish musical performance is Anthony Russell, and he’s a 6’1” African-American hipster from Oakland, California.” — The Times of Israel "Russell’s voice – to my ears – was perhaps the most beautiful I have heard in person." — Sam Hall, DC Metro Arts "Listening to [Anthony] sing these tender and complex Yiddish songs was a transformative experience." — Actor, Playwright and Monologuist Josh Kornbluth "The pianist for all the songs was Dr. Alan Mason, listed in the program as one of the country’s leading accompanists for singers of Jewish music. It easy to see why – his playing was warm, soft, lyrical, perfect for the music; its expressive virtues mirrored and complemented those of the singers." — DC Metro Arts, Kennedy Center concert with Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
Music: International Jazz
Saturday, November 11 7:30 pm two 45-Minute Sets with Intermission Elaine Wolf theatre $20 adult, $18 Student/Senior
Tamir Hendelman Trio International Jazz
Sponsored by Gabriela & Peter Gottlieb Yamaha CFX Concert Grand graciously provided by Yamaha Artist Services, New York, in association with Classic Pianos of Denver Award-winning jazz pianist Tamir Hendelman plays alongside upright bassist Alex Frank and jazz drummer Dean Koba. Together, the trio explores jazz standards, Brazilian music, blues, and Tamir's Israeli roots. Tamir Hendelman is a phenomenon – blistering technique, quick wit as an improviser, and profoundly refined pianism. Born in Tel Aviv, Tamir began studying piano at age 6. Almost four decades later, Tamir commands the high ground as composer, arranger, educator and performer. Tamir famously drives the piano seats of the Jeff Hamilton Trio and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. He serves on UCLA’s jazz faculty. He has burnished his career as the go-to arranger and accompanist for singers – Natalie Cole, Roberta Gambarini, Jackie Ryan, and Barbra Streisand among them. Tamir has been in steady demand as pianist and arranger, touring the US, Europe and Asia, and has received awards from ASCAP and National Foundation For Advancement in the Arts. Tamir’s debut CD Playground (2008) was released in Japan on the Swing Bros. label and was released in the U.S. in December 2008 on CDBaby.com. Tamir is a Yamaha Artist. Alex Frank recently graduated from Oberlin Conservatory, where he studied with Peter Dominguez and jazz giant Eddie Gomez from the Bill Evans Trio. The Los Angeles native has also studied with legendary
bassist John Clayton as well as David Allen Moore of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Alex has recently recorded with trumpeter Marcus Belgrave (Ray Charles Band), songwriter Robb Strandlund (The Eagles’ Already Gone), Tyler Robinson (NBC’s The Voice), and is featured on the film soundtracks What’s My Diagnosis and Sherman’s Way. Alex often performs with James Tormé, Bill Holman, Nick Mancini, John Daversa, and Barbara Morrison, and has played with the likes of Benny Golson, Gary Bartz, Josh Nelson, Tom Luer, Melissa Morgan, Sam Barsh, Mike Lang, Graham Dechter, Andy Langham, and Stevie Wonder. Dean Koba is native of Honolulu, Hawaii. He has performed with numerous jazz greats some of which include Benny Bailey, Bud Shank, Jeff Clayton, John Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Dee Daniels, Walter Norris, Bob Sheppard, Gary Foster, Fareed Haque, Makoto Ozone, Roberta Gamborini, Jackie Ryan, and Tamir Hendelman. He is featured on several recordings with bassist Christoph Luty, the Acoustic Jazz Quartet, The Bayou Brass Band, Brent Jenson, and the Greg Reitan trio. Dean studied music at Northwestern University (BA) and USC School of Music (MM). He also studied privately with Jeff Hamilton (Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, Diana Krall), Joe Labarbera (Bill Evans, Tony Bennett), and Greg Field (Count Basie Orchestra, Frank Sinatra). REVIEWS "His playing... was so sensitive, introspective and captivating, that you could literally hear a pin drop in an audience of some 500 people." — Fred Eckstein, LA Jazz Scene "Hendelman played with a fullness of content and intensity, bringing new presentations of tunes. Not a fixed position player, Hendelman wears off the ivory over the entire keyboard. The trio yielded a magnificent product, well worthy of repeated listening." — Harvey Barkan, LA Jazz Scene
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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TO SAY “THEY BEAT THE ODDS”IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. WORLD PREMIERE
An intimate opera based on the true story of Jaap Polak and Ina Soep, whose sustaining love blossomed during their imprisonment at Bergen-Belsen and continued to grow over their lifetime together. MUSIC BY GERALD COHEN | LIBRETTO BY DEBORAH BREVOORT
JANUARY 25 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 2018 MIZEL ARTS AND CULTURE CENTER AT THE J (JCC DENVER) TICKETS: OPERACOLORADO.ORG | 303.468.2030
Dance Headlining Israeli Percussion Contemporary Community Collaboration
Israeli Headlining Performance: Dance
Saturday, November 4 7:30 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $36 adult, $30 Student/Senior
Tararam
Percussion, Dance, Israel Israeli Stomp-style drum and dance sensation! Tararam is a creative ensemble of performing artists who produce extraordinary sounds from ordinary objects. A blend of rhythm, music, movement, and wit; interwoven with choreographed body drumming, amusing sounds, and theatrical antics. Tararam uses industrial tools, suspended drums, percussion, and the most basic instrument of all: their bodies. The group more than lives up to its name, which in Hebrew means “hubbub” or “commotion,” as it assaults your senses and awakens your natural impulse to tap your feet, clap your hands, and basically beat on anything and everything you find on the way out of the theater. Since the group's premiere performance at the 1997 Israel Festival of Stage Arts, Tararam has pursued an international touring schedule and performed at every major Israeli cultural event, including the Annual “International Birthright” Gala Events in Jerusalem, the Former Israeli Prime Minister Peres’ Birthday Event with Bill Clinton and numerous other world leaders, and the opening and closing
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ceremonies of Israel’s 2001 Maccabia Games. Other international performances include the World Exposition (Germany), the Performing Arts Festival in Costa Rica (summer 2004), the 2004 Annual General Assembly in Cleveland, Ohio, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and festivals such as the International Music Fest in Ankara, Turkey, Performing Arts Festival in Costa Rica, Summer Festival in Bogota, Colombia, Sibiu Theater Festival in Romania, Kulturfest NYC, Techfest in Mumbai, India, and other numerous International performances in Canada, Finland, Korea, Germany, and USA. In 2012, Tararam opened a successful performing arts school in Hod Hasharon, training youth in music, body drumming, theatre, and movement with prominent teachers in these genres. Recently, the group participated in high profile "TEDxTelAviv" Events. REVIEWS “Witty, original energetic and extraordinary!” –Cosmopolitan Magazine “Difficult to sit still in your seat - a powerful show!” –Barry Davis, Jerusalem Post
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
Dance: Community Collaboration
thursday, November 9 7:30 pm Elaine Wolf theatre $36 adult, $30 Student/Senior
Photo credit to Amanda Tipton
WONderbOuNd dANce cOMpANy
WITH HAL AQUA AND THE LOST TRIBE PRESENTS:
TIES THAT BIND ,
Contemporary Dance Community Collaboration Sponsored by Lisa & Lynn Taussig The evening will feature excerpts from Unbound Baroque, and the celebrated work, "Memories and Well-Grounded Hopes", performed live by the fabulous Hal Aqua and The Lost Tribe. A high octane, humorous and poetically athletic extravaganza. The philosophy of Wonderbound centers around three fundamental values - community, collaboration, and creation. Under the artistic direction of Garrett Ammon and Dawn Fay, a radiant energy has grown around the exemplary dancers that make up Wonderbound. Free to “unzip their souls,” these artists are continually evolving as they explore their humanity through movement. From creating new works with Ammon to utilizing the talents of various musicians, poets and visual artists, Wonderbound’s dancers bring their considerable classical prowess to the table while simultaneously tapping into a vulnerability that strips away pretense.
Garrett Ammon began his tenure as artistic director of Wonderbound in 2007. He has been recognized for his work as both an artist and leader through a Denver Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture and a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Livingston Fellowship. Having choreographed nearly 60 works over the past sixteen years, Ammon’s trademark aesthetic seamlessly blends tradition with adventurous new ideas. His deep belief in the value of live music as an integral part of the dance experience keeps Wonderbound actively creating with a wide range of independent musicians and composers. Always pushing the boundaries of dance and the performance experience, Ammon brings an eclectic range of artistic organizations and artists into Wonderbound projects as well. More information can be found at garrettammon.com. Hal Aqua and the Lost Tribe play nouveau klezmer music — an exuberant musical experience, rooted firmly in traditional Jewish modes and melodies and driven by contemporary rhythms and danceable grooves. The Lost Tribe is dedicated to bringing Jewish music to a wider audience.
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Theatre Community Storytelling Experience, Community Collaborations
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Interactive Story Experience Theat re
Sunday, october 29 Interactive Story Experience: 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Performed reading: 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Phillips Social Hall and Elaine Wolf theatre a free film ticket will be offered to workshop participants to Heather Booth: Changing the World $15 adult, $12 Student/Senior
One Community, Many Stories
Social Action, Innovative Arts Experience Presented by theatre dybbuk In-Kind Sponsor: Lighthouse Writers Workshop In our fractured political climate, all we can do is try to put the shattered pieces back together to repair our world (“tikkun olam”). This communal event brings our personal narratives together to unite our community as one!
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Whatever side of the aisle you’re on – these challenging times call for us to participate in making the world a better place. In this interactive story experience with theatre dybbuk, we encourage you to share your own stories of hope and justice as we craft a community narrative around social action. Participants then become the audience members as local professional actors, such as the award winning Deborah Persoff and Jim Hunt, perform our unique story back to us through a staged reading with musical accompaniment provided by Hal and Annie Aqua. theatre dybbuk, Southern California’s premiere Jewish theatrical arts and education company, offers exciting, utterly singular, live experiences through the creation of provocative new works that blend physical theatre with dance, poetry, and music. theatre dybbuk explores the rich world of Jewish folklore, rituals, and history, building lyrical plays that speak to contemporary audiences. With an in-depth development process that can range from months to two years, Artistic Director Aaron Henne (who has designed and facilitated creative seminars for the likes of Lucasfilm, Pixar and Dreamworks) crafts each piece with a cast of dedicated professional actors, designers, musicians, and scholars. theatre dybbuk was recently named one of America’s Top 50 Innovative Jewish Organizations by the twelfth annual Slingshot Guide.
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
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Theat re Community Collaborations
Saturday, october 14 – Saturday, November 11 Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. thursday evenings (November 2 and 9) at 7:30 pm John Hand theater in Lowry, 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, Co 80230 $25 adult; $23 Student/Senior; $20 group rate (for groups of 6 or more, reserved seating for 10+)
Buyer & Cellar
thursday, November 9 – Sunday, December 10 thursday and Saturday evenings at 7:00 pm Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm Sunday evenings (December only) at 7:00 pm Pluss theatre, Mizel arts and Culture Center $30 – $35; Purchase by phone at 303.800.6578 or online at cherrycreektheater.org
Beau Jest
Jewish Romantic Comedy
Hollywood, Pop Culture Comedy
By James Sherman Directed by Michael Grittner Presented by Cherry Creek Theatre
By Jonathan Tolins Directed by Linda Suttle The outrageously funny comedy presented by Theatre Or and Lowry’s Spotlight Theater A Denver Premiere! Perennial favorite Theatre Or* teams up with the always inventive Lowry’s Spotlight Theater to present this off-Broadway smash. When a struggling L.A. actor takes a job working in the basement of beloved megastar Barbra Streisand, the result is a hilarious comedy about the perils of fame, the price of friendship, and the oddest of odd jobs! Don’t miss the show that the New York Times called a “seriously funny slice of absurdist whimsy!” Theatre Or is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit theatre producing professional theatre with Jewish interest and universal appeal. Some previous JAAMM favorites include the critically acclaimed Kindertransport, The Chosen, Apples from the Desert, and My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding. Spotlight Theater has been thrilling audiences with comedies, mysteries, dramas, and musicals for the past twenty years. Spotlight has called the John Hand Theatre in Lowry home for the past nine years.
After disapproving of her last relationship, Sarah Goldman’s conservative Jewish parents are anxious to meet her new beau, Dr. David Steinberg. The only problem is that Dr. Steinberg is completely fictitious, and Sarah never actually broke up with her WASP boyfriend Chris Cringle. Before the Goldmans come for dinner, Sarah hides Chris and hires male escort and aspiring actor Bob Schroeder to play the part of the charming Jewish doctor. In this hilarious romantic comedy, just how far will Sarah go to please her parents? The Cherry Creek Theatre, resident theatre company of the MACC, is a non-profit Colorado corporation created from the vision of a group of Cherry Creek North residents. After six very successful seasons at the Shaver-Ramsey Gallery in Cherry Creek North, Cherry Creek Theatre is thrilled to begin our second season at the MACC Pluss Theatre, starting in February 2018. We are proud to bring quality, thought-provoking, professional theatre to the Denver metro area.
*“Or” is the Hebrew word for light. info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Sponsors, Committees, and Staff MACC Sponsors
Festival Presenting Sponsors
Centerpiece Lecture Sponsor The Curtiss-Lusher Family, The Quiat Family, Lee and Barbara Mellman Davis, Elisa Moran and Gary Kleiman
Music & Performance event Sponsor
Author/Movie Sponsor
Gabriela & Peter Gottlieb Lisa & Lynn Taussig TriCuzz Productions
Terry & Art Heller Dottie & Steve Resnick Morse Family Foundation Harold Cohen in memory of Leah Cohen, founder of the Book Festival
Friend of JAAMM
Special Thanks to
Geri & Meyer Saltzman Ken Guerentz
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Kathy Neustadt Nancy Alterman Debbie Goodman
OctOber 26 – NOvember 12, 2017
Debbie MacKillop Barry Curtiss-Lusher Michael Rudnick
Special Thanks to
JAAMM Fest 2o17 COMMITTEES & STAFF LITERARY COMMITTEE & VOLUNTEERS Alan Wernz Alexis Robbins Ali Hill Allegra Reynolds Amy Weiner Andi Rosenthal, Children’s Literary Committee Barbara Hamilton Barbara Kadin Ben Streltzer Berdine Clumpus Beth Radetsky Bonnie Merenstein Carol Kozak Ward Cathy W. Cohen Cheri Cohen Christine Cordova David Feinman David Payne Deanna Simon Debbie Goodman Debbie MacKillop Dorothy Lee Dottie Resnick Dorothy Resnick, Children’s Literary Committee Elaine Fein Elaine Tinter Emily MacIntyre Eric Sherman Evie Heimbach
Hank Rosen Janet & Sheldon Fisher Janice Rosen Jeri Elsberg Judi Marcus Kathy Neustadt Kellie Lambert Linda Weiss Lynn Kutner Marci Waldman Marlene Rezvani Michele and Bob Perchonok Myrna Lipton Nancy Fein Rita Dahlke Robbie Marks Ron Sherman Rosalie Richter Sarah Levy Selma & Osi Sladek Sherrie Davidson, Children’s Literary Committee Sue Aaronson Susan Fein Sue Parker Gerson Suzan Markman Suzi Malman Terry Heller, Children’s Literary Committee Todd Watson And to all of our magnificent volunteers who have come to our side past the publication deadline, we are so grateful for your support!
MACC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kathy Neustadt, Chair Joanne Singer, Treasurer Sue Aaronson Nancy Alterman Terry Heller Steve Replin Geri Bader Saltzman Lisa Taussig Julie Turken Betsy Mordecai Heyman MACC STAFF Steve Wilson, Executive Artistic Director Amy Weiner, Director of Festivals Kellie Lambert, Director of Administration Dan Rib, Production Manager David Payne, Technical Director Emily MacIntyre, Director of Education Alexis Robbins, Administrative Coordinator Adam Zandman, Marketing Director Jeffrey Hoffman, Creative Director Jackee Woodman, Marketing Manager Becky Toma, PR, Promotions/Marketing, House Manager/Volunteer Coordinator Kenneth Jensen, Box Office Support Staff Christina Roberts, Box Office Support Staff
info & tickets: maccjcc.org/jaamm | box office: 303.316.6360
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Save the Date maccjcc.org | 303.316.6360
February February 7 - 19, 119 2018 MIZEL ARTS AND CULTURE CENTER AT THE J 350 SOUTH DAHLIA STREET DENVER, CO 80246-8102
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Denver, CO Permit No. 2027