Winter 2012 CJLL Brochure

l i terature

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W I N T E R 20 1 2

Statue of Liberty Menorah by Manfred Anson 1986Permanent collection of the Skirball Museum in Los Angeles

Beginner Conversational HebrewInstructor: Naomi Barancik10 Tuesdays Beginning Jan. 17 9:30 – 10:30 AM $125 Member / $160 Public

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 HebrewInstructor: Naomi Barancik10 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 AmericaInstructor: Naomi Barancik5 Mondays Beginning Jan. 16 2:30 – 3:30 PM FREE

Via the National Jewish Outreach Pro-gram, 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 Begin-ning Hebrew -Level 1.

Beginning Hebrew - Level 1Instructor: Karen Greenspan10 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 2Instructor: Karen Greenspan10 Mondays beginning Jan. 9 7:00 – 8:30 PM$185 Member / $235 Public

This class builds on the reading skills es-tablished in the level one class. The focus will be on building reading fluency and a basic vocabulary to increase understand-ing. The course uses the Hebrew textbook Aleph isn’t Enough.

The President and the Jews

Instructor: Jonathan Fass

Mondays, Jan. 16, 23 and 307:00 – 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. Administra-tions 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.

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 GourmetFour Wednesdays, Jan. 11, 18, 25, and Feb. 1 • 7:00 – 8:30 PM$60 Series / $20 per Session Member$80 Series / $25 per Session PublicClasses 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.

To register for this class please call Naomi Barancik at 713.729.3200 ext. 3288.

Quick in the KitchenIn this session Laykie will show us how to make quick, delicious and nutritious meals that are right for the whole family.

Salads, Etc…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.

I Can’t Believe it’s Kosher!Learn how to transform some great dishes into kosher recipes that are sure to make you go back for seconds.

The Blessing of BreadWatch Laykie transform a simple dough recipe into fantastic garlic knots, pizza, calzones and even empanadas.

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DR. STEPHEN BERK

LECTURES

THE LAST

CENTURY THAT

SHATTERED THE

WORLD AND

TRANSFORMED

THE JEWISH

PEOPLE

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, anti-Semitism, 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 PopesThursday, Jan. 19 • 7:30 PMThe 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.

Roosevelt and the JewsThursday, March 29 • 7:30 PMThis 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.

Three Who Made Israel: Weizmann, Ben Gurion and BeginThursday, Apr. 26 • 7:30 PMThis 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 HistoryThursday, 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.

Center for Jewish Living and Learning Scholar Series

THESE LECTURES ARE MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A GRANT FROM HUMANITIES TEXAS, A STATE PARTNER OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES.

Earth Worm Disco – We’re Rockin’ Out Green! Sunday, Jan. 22Tu B’Shevat Arts and Crafts Programming Begins at 3:30 PMConcert 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.

ShirLaLa Returns to Houston!

24 TH ANNUAL

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.

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.

OPENING LECTURETradition, Modernity and Beyond: The Evolution of American Judaism:

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 LECTUREBeyond Denominationalism: Post-Modern Directions in Contemporary American Judaism

Wednesday, Feb. 22 • 7:30 PM

Throughout most of its history American Judaism has been organized through denomi-national 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.

MID-RESIDENCY LECTUREFrom Al Jolson to Chelsea Clinton: Continuity and Change in the American Jewish Quest for Acceptance

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.

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.

8th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival March 6 - 18

My Best Enemy, playing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston at the 8th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival

FREE

COURSE #1 Religious Movements in Transition

Pittsburgh to Pittsburgh: The Metamorphosis of Reform Judaism in America


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


Conservative Judaism arose as a more tradi-tional 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.

COURSE #2Original Thinkers and Religious Ideologues in American Judaism

Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Search for a Viable and Meaningful American Judaism

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.

COURSE #3New Patterns in Religious Conciliation

From Catholic Israel to K’rov Yisrael: The Non-Jew in the American Synagogue


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 Conserva-tive Judaism, have developed for address-ing 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


For most of the past two centuries Orthodox-Reform relations have been dominated by animosity and even polemical efforts at de-legitimization and demonization. Due in particular to the Reform sanction of patrilin-eal 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 fric-tion and identifies a new, less hostile dynamic of interaction that has begun to emerge.

Houston Rabbinic Association Lunch and LearnWednesday, Feb. 15 • 12:00 PM

The Rabbi as C.E.O. and the Making of American Rabbinical Dynasties By invitation for Rabbis only.

Yom Limmud LectureSunday, 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 [email protected].

Hebrew Speakers Professional OrganizationSunday, Feb. 19 • 7:30 PM

Liberal Judaism and Israeli ReligionThe lecture and discussion will be entirely in Hebrew.

Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Lunch and LearnThursday, Feb. 9 • 12:30 PM

Ashes to Outcasts and Beyond: Cremation and the Modern Jew

Pre-lecture lunch ($10) at 12:00 PMReservations required. Please call 713.729.3200, ext. 3288

Rice UniversityTuesday, Feb. 14 • 12:00 PM

From Catholic Israel to K’rov Yisrael: The Non-Jew in the American Synagogue

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 [email protected] to make a reservation or for more information.

Bureau of Jewish EducationWednesday, Feb. 8 • 12:00 PM

My Best Friend the Rambam” Study and Experi-ence in the Eyes of Rabbi Joseph B. SoloveitchikOpen to all School Educators.

Jan. 18 – Feb. 24

Americans have always responded to the optimism, the wit and sophistica-tion, and the passion and verve of the standards that make up the “American Songbook.” The best songwriters asso-ciated with this era combined a genius for melody, memorable lyrics, and the ability to connect with a wide audi-ence. A remarkably high percentage of these songwriters were Jewish by birth and heritage. In this exhibit, curated by 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:

Regina by Tracy Cianflone

Poster from Oklahoma! Courtesy of Photofest

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 leg-endary 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. Hav-ing devoted much of his life to studying and preserving his family’s heritage and legacy, Hammerstein’s expertise is unparalleled.

NURTURE: Stories of New Midlife MothersPhotographs by Cyma ShapiroDeutser 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 cel-ebrates the lives of women who became new older mothers through IVF, natural childbirth, adoption, fostering, guardian-ship, 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.

Poster for the film version of Porgy and Bess. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures/Photofest © Columbia Pictures.

Discovering the Jewish Roots of the American SongbookMonday, Jan. 23 • 8:00 PM • FREE

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. Accom-panied 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.

A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965 was developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedi-

cated 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.

Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg sing with the cast of The Wizard of Oz. Courtesy of Photofest

COMING UP!

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

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.

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 award-winning ensemble of dancers hailed for their quick wit, morphing physical quality, and technical virtuosity. Gallim will perform I Can See Myself In Your Pupil.

Symposium: Lifelong Learning Institute

The Magic of Midrash and Tales from Tradition

Instructor: Rabbi Dan GordonTuesdays, 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 text-based stories that enhance our under-standing of biblical narrative, as well as the larger world of Jewish stories that sprouted from those roots.

The ERJCC’s Symposium: Lifelong Learn-

ing Institute classes provide a stimulating

intellectual and social environment for

active adults. Peer-led courses consist of

four consecutive weekly, one-hour ses-

sions. Symposium sessions are scheduled

in the fall and spring. To register contact

Jennifer Handy at 713.729.3200 ext. 3244

or [email protected]. To view all

Symposium courses being offered in the

spring visit erjcchouston.org/symposium.

Brother Moses Smote the Water

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

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.

Presented in Collaboration with Congregation Beth IsraelSaturday, Feb. 18 • 8:00 PM$20 tickets: www.erjcchouston.org/music

Location: Congregation Beth Israel 5600 North Braeswood Blvd

with Special Guest Joshua Nelson

The Klezmatics

Photo by Franziska Stauss

—Time Out New York

Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre20

12

Nonprofit Org.

U.S. Postage

P A I DHouston, Texas

Permit No. 6217

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

EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096erjcchouston.org

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24 TH ANNUAL

Winter 2012 CJLL Brochure

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Transcript of Winter 2012 CJLL Brochure