PUBLIC EVENTS CALENDAR WINTER/SPRING 2016
2/18
1/21
2/21
5/9 3/18 4/6
Calendar of Public Events Spring 2016
BUYING AND RESERVING TICKETS Please visit hebrewcollege.edu/upcoming-events to register for events and/or purchase tickets. Registration is requested for free events to assist us with planning. For more information, email mstern@hebrewcollege.edu. GETTING TO HEBREW COLLEGE Hebrew College is located in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, adjacent to Andover Newton Theological School. Campus is a short walk from the Newton Centre trolley stop on the Green Line (D branch—Riverside). For more information, visit hebrewcollege.edu/directions. ABOUT HEBREW COLLEGE Founded in 1921, Hebrew College promotes excellence in Jewish learning and leadership within a pluralistic environment of open inquiry, intellectual rigor, personal engagement, and spiritual creativity. Its programs include graduate degrees and courses in Jewish studies, Jewish education, and leadership; community education for adult learners; and a supplemental Hebrew high school and middle school. For more information, visit www.hebrewcollege.edu. ACCESSIBILITY
ALL EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. HEBREW COLLEGE IS ACCESSIBLE BY WHEELCHAIR.
For event listings and registration, please visit hebrewcollege.edu/tickets.
@hebrewcollege
Hebrew College 160 Herrick Road Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-559-8600 www.hebrewcollege.edu info@hebrewcollege.edu
JANUARY
“The 613”
with Artist Archie Rand
Thursday, January 21, 7:30pm
Archie Rand will discuss “The 613,” his five-year project to transform all 613 commandments into individual paintings. He will share projected images of the panels and reflect on his process. Rand currently works as a painter and muralist and made his foray into Jewish subjects in the 1970s when he made a series of now-famous murals in the B’nai Yosef Synagogue in Brooklyn, NY. His collections have been shown in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Shirah Rubin, artist, art educator and Jewish arts consultant, will be facilitating the conversation. $10.
Visions in
Rabbinic Leadership
A Conversation with Rabbi David Ellenson Tuesday, January 26, 4:00pm
Join the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College for a conversation with Rabbi David Ellenson on the challenges and opportunities facing the rabbinate. The Jewish landscape has changed markedly over the last few decades, and this has led to a significant rethinking of how rabbis and the institutions that train them envision the profession. As a foremost scholar of modern Jewish history, and past-president of the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Dr. Ellenson is uniquely situated to reflect on the past, present and future of rabbinic leadership. Free. Dr. David Ellenson is Chancellor Emeritus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and is internationally recognized for his scholarship in the areas of Jewish religious thought, ethics, and modern Jewish history. Rabbi Ellenson is currently the acting director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University. This program is part of the Hebrew College Rabbinical School’s Winter Seminar “Visions in Rabbinic Leadership.”
THE CROSS CULTURAL HUMOR EXPERIMENT
How A Nice Jewish Boy Ended Up on the Chinese Comedy Circuit Thursday, February 18 - 7:30pm
Jesse Appell went to China participate in a unique cultural exchange: studying Chinese humor on a Fulbright fellowship. Because comedy is often a polemic on culture, it is potentially an opening to intercultural understanding. In learning the art, Appell experienced ‘prosemitism’, learned the ancient art of traditional Chinese Cross-Talk and become one of a few stand-up comedians in a country of 1.35 billion people. Appell will entertain with bits from his Chinese stand-up act, share some of his videos (many have gone viral) and reflect on being a millennial crossing the cultural divide with humor and insight. Newton native and Brandeis University graduate ’12, Appell lives in Beijing where he regularly performs traditional Chinese Cross-Talk, bilingual improv comedy, and Chinese-language standup, both live and on TV. Appell’s performances and commentary on Chinese comedy have appeared on PBS, NPR, BBC and Chinese media. $10.
FEBRUARY/MARCH
The Queen’s Dilemma Sunday, February 21, 2:00pm
Join us for a workshop production of Samuel J. Bernstein’s exciting new musical that explores the Book of Esther from an original perspective. The Queen’s Dilemma blends anguish with humor and tragedy with triumph, resulting in an exploration of the complexity of Jewish identity. The play is set in the historical period of the Book of Esther as well as in a modern Purim party. The revelers are drawn into the personalities as Esther begins to question the moral ambiguity on which the narrative is based. $15.
Post-show discussion will take place with artistic staff.
The Female Ruse
Women’s Deception and Divine Sanction in the Hebrew Bible
A Conversation with Rachel Adelman and Professors David Stern and Judith Kates
Tuesday, March 1, 7:30pm From Eve to Esther, the Hebrew Bible is replete with gendered tales of trickery. Hebrew College Assistant Professor of Bible and author Rachel Adelman draws on classic rabbinic sources and modern literary interpretation to demonstrate that women are at the crux of conflict over lineage versus family alliances. In many case, the female ruse has divine sanction: God colludes with the feminine agents to advance the providential plan. Adelman will discuss the role of these biblical women and their ruses, based on selected readings from the book. Free.
Book signing following event.
MARCH/APRIL
School of
Jewish Music
Spring Cantorial Recitals
The public is invited to attend free one-hour recitals of a variety of Jewish musical styles, including classical hazzanut (liturgical music), Jewish art songs, contemporary synagogue repertoire and Israeli music. A light reception will follow each recital. Sunday, March 6, 3:00pm Cantorial Student Sarah Bolts Sarah Bolts has served as cantorial intern at Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, MD and at Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Havurah in Newton, MA. Sarah has been a cantorial soloist and professional Torah reader at the Vilna Shul in Boston, MIT Hillel, and Temple Emeth in Chestnut Hill. Sarah grew up in Miami Beach, FL, and received Friday, March 18, 7:00pm her undergraduate degree from Smith College. Congregation Or Atid, Wayland, MA.
Kol Arev
Spring Performances
Sunday, March 20, 3:00pm Cantorial Student Dayna Bailen Dayna Bailen received her undergraduate degree in Judaic Studies and Vocal Performance at the University at Albany. She has worked in a variety of communities including Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform, and currently serves as the Director of Education for the Rabbi Gerson South Area Religious School at Ahavath Torah Congregation in Stoughton, MA. Sunday, May 8, 7:00pm Cantorial Student Julie Newman Julie Newman has served as music director and cantorial soloist in Pittsburgh for more than 15 years at Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist congregations. She has served as cantorial intern at Congregation Beth El of Sudbury and received her undergraduate degree from UCLA. Julie received her MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.
Congregation Or Atid’s Cantor Jeri Robins and the Kol Arev Chamber Choir will lead a Klezmer Kabbalat Shabbat Service composed by alumna Cantor Becky Wexler Khitrik and Kol Arev Music Director Amy Lieberman. A klezmer ensemble will accompany the choir, featuring Cantor Becky Khitrik on clarinet, Janet Penn on cello, Aaron Blacksberg on accordion and Yaeko Miranda Elmaleh on violin. Tuesday, April 12, 7:30pm Saint John’s Seminary, Brighton, MA. Kol Arev and the choirs of St. John’s Seminary and the Boston College School of Theology present a concert of sacred music for choir and organ. As members of the Boston Theological Institute (BTI), the three choirs will celebrate their shared tradition of singing the psalms, with chant and choral compositions from the Middle Ages to modern time. Free. No Registration Required.
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Martin Kace Lecture
An Israeli Vision for Fighting Climate Change
An Evening with Solar Revolutionary Yosef Abramowitz Wednesday, April 6, 7:30pm In this upcoming Martin Kace lecture, Yosef Abramowitz will share his unconventional journey from Boston Jewish educator to Israeli solar impact investor. Abramowitz has been from the Negev to the heart of East Africa and attended 2015 Paris Climate Conference as a member of the Israeli Delegation. He will discuss how being an observant Jew and human rights activist were central to broadening his vision and expertise as an Israeli solar investor. 2015 Nobel Prize nominee Yosef Abramowitz is President of Gigawatt Global and its Israeli affiliate Energiya Global. He was nominated for Gigawatt Global’s work with the Rwandan solar field project, which now provides 6% of the country’s power. He co-founded the first Israeli solar company, Arava Power, in 2006. CNN named Abramowitz one the top six Green Pioneers Worldwide. $10. This series honors the late Martin Kace, a sucessful businessman, teacher, and social entrepreneur who engaged in various innovative social, cultural and economic projects in Israel and the United States.
APRIL/MAY Wednesday, April 13, 7:30pm
A Jewish Response to Today’s Refugees: Syria and Beyond with Rabbi Jennie Rosenn
Vice President of Community Engagement for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), Rabbi Jennie Rosenn will share up-to-date news on the current refugee crisis and will analyze and discuss its evolution in the United States and the American Jewish community’s response. As we approach Passover and remember the plight of our ancestors in Egypt, we are called to focus on the status of modern day refugees. Our world today has more refugees and displaced persons than at any time since World War II. Conflict and persecution are driving millions from their homes, leaving them stateless and vulnerable. In the United States, recent backlash is threatening America’s legacy as a country that welcomes refugees. Free.
Guided by Jewish values and history, HIAS works around the world to protect refugees, including ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are.
co-sponsored by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
REVISITING POLAND Uncovering the Past and Revealing the Future Monday, May 9, 7:30pm
In 2009, writer Glenn Kurtz found a short, 1938 ‘home movie’ that his grandfather, an immigrant to the US, took when visiting his former home in Nasielsk, Poland. The discovery led Kurtz on a four-year journey to identify the people in the film and recapture life in the small, predominantly Jewish town before the Holocaust. Kurtz will discuss how his grandfather’s three minutes of film led him to a riveting exploration of memory, loss, and improbable survival. Kurtz will be joined by Leora Tec, Director of Bridge to Poland, an organization she founded to share the memorialization of Jewish life being carried out by non-Jewish Poles. Tec first felt the connection to her Polish identity when she joined her mother, Nechama Tec, a survivor and Holocaust scholar, on a trip to Poland in 2005. Tec will share her passion for showing people the power of reconciliation and hope even in the shadow of the darkest history. $18. To purchase tickets, please visit http://tinyurl.com/hcpoland Glenn Kurtz has taught at Stanford University, California College of the Arts, and New York University, and has been published in The New York Times, Salon and Southwest Review. Leora Tec speaks publicly about her own experiences with Polish and Jewish identity. Leora is a narrator of audiobooks at the Perkins School for the Blind and is an alumna of Wellesley College and Duke University School of Law.
co-sponsored by
Looking Ahead...
A Conversation with Constant Contact CEO Gail Goodman Tuesday, May 10, 7:30am
CEO of Constant Contact, Gail Goodman will share her professional philosophy that is sure to inspire executives in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. A smallbusiness expert and visionary, Gail has revolutionized the way that small organizations find and grow customer relationships. Since taking leadership of Constant Contact in 1999, she has been the architect of the company’s growth to more than 1,400 employees. Today, more than 650,000 small businesses and nonprofits use Constant Contact’s online marketing tools to engage their customers and grow their businesses. $18.
School of Jewish Music
An Evening of Klezmer Music with Sruli & Lisa
featuring Sruli Dresdner, Lisa Mayer and Zachary Mayer Tuesday, June 28, 7:30pm
Multi-instrumentalists and vocalists Sruli and Lisa play the clarinet, violin, accordion, bass recorder, cello and drum, and perform and teach Klezmer and Hasidic music and dance all over the country. They have been called “Superb musicians!” by the Los Angeles Times. This concert is part of the School of Jewish Music Prayer Leader Summer Institute, June 6-July 29, 2016. The institute is open to the public and classes are available individually and in 2- to 3-week sessions. For more information contact sjm@hebrewcollege.edu.
Programs of Hebrew College G R A D UAT E S T U D I E S
Hebrew Language and Ulpan hebrewcollege.edu/hebrew-language Jewish Studies Program hebrewcollege.edu/jewish-studies Rabbinical School hebrewcollege.edu/rabbinical School of Jewish Music hebrewcollege.edu/jewish-music Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education hebrewcollege.edu/shoolman
A D U LT L E A R N I N G Eser hebrewcollege.edu/eser Leaders in Adult Learning hebrewcollege.edu/lal Me’ah hebrewcollege.edu/meah Parenting Through a Jewish Lens hebrewcollege.edu/parenting
YO U N G A D U LT L E A D E R S H I P A N D L E A R N I N G Hevruta Gap-Year Program
hevrutagapyear.org
YO U T H E D U C AT I O N Makor Hebrew Middle School Prozdor Hebrew High School
hebrewcollege.edu/makor hebrewcollege.edu/prozdor
I N T E R R E L I G I O U S A N D CO N T E M P O R A RY L E A D E R S H I P Center for Global Judaism Center for Inter-Religious Communal and Leadership Education (CIRCLE)
hebrewcollege.edu/global-judaism hebrewcollege.edu/circle
Celebrate2016
Honoring Women’s Leadership and Philanthropy
During this special evening, we will honor four women for their exemplary Jewish communal leadership and commitment to Jewish education in Boston and beyond: Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine Winnie Sandler Grinspoon Sari Anne Rapkin Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller z”l whose life and legacy exemplified leadership and compassion, and was a founding member of the Center for Interreligious and Communal Leadership Education (CIRCLE) at Hebrew College. Featuring Pulitzer Prize Winner Ellen Goodman “Women’s Leadership: Leaning In, and Up” Tuesday, March 22, 2016, 5:30pm, Gann Academy
Co-Chairs, Celebrate 2016 Tribute Committee Susan & Aron Ain, Diane & Chester Black, Myra Musicant & Howard Cohen, Marsha Cohen, Renee & Steven Finn, Jamie & Harold Kotler, Lydia & Bernie Kukoff, Sara Lee, Dorie Alexander Mufson & Michael Mufson, Rabbi Suzanne & Andy Offit, Nancy Buck & James Sebenius Celebrate 2016 is Hebrew College’s singular fundraising event, providing vital support for its innovative educational programs, young adult outreach, and interfaith and community initiatives. For invitations, tributes and corporate sponsorships, Please contact Jan Moidel Schwartz at 617-559-8766 or celebratewomen@hebrewcollege.edu.