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2nd Annual Global Jewish Day of Learning Happenings

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on November 11, 2011

Sunday the 13^th marks the second annual Global Day of Jewish Learning. This year’s Day of Learning is focusing on the Sh’ma. Over on the day’s official website, there are tabs for basic “about” information, big questions, and of course, events around the globe. I want to take this space to point out a few particularly interesting events happening in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York.

hazon.org

- Looking for a place to take your kids for the day? Check out the Mandell Education Campus in Elkins Park for a really great art project!

- Jewish Federation of Philadelphia’s calendar has their event’s location listed as TBA, but it provides a contact number for those interested.

- Jewish Federation of Central Jersey is sponsoring an event with PJ Library author and poet Jacqueline Jules that is also geared towards young readers.

- New York City is hosting a bunch of classes at Mechon Hadar lead by rabbis and educators representing almost 30 different institutions from around the city.

Happy learning!

Education, Events, Jewish Culture

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Sukkot in Philly

Posted by Rachel Broder in Link Roundup on October 12, 2011

jewishiphonecommunity.org

So you’re looking for Sukkot festivities in the Philadelphia area? Here are a few goings on about town:

- Philly.com announced on Wednesday that Occupy Philadelphia would soon have a sukkah.

- If you’re looking for a less politically charged sukkah, check out http://www.localsukkah.org/ to find one near you.

- Take a look at the event page for a special sustainability Shabbat at the Moishe House in Philly this Friday.

- Indulge in some really unique etrog beer, brewed by David Cohen of Tel Aviv’s Dancing Camel Brewing Company.

- Enjoy fruits and vegetables harvested in the Philadelphia area! The Philadelphia Jewish Voice’s blog has some really tasty sounding suggestions.

- If nothing suggested strikes you as interesting or worthy, look through Jewish Philly’s master calendar to find more Sukkot festivities in your area.

Wishing everyone a chag sameach!

Events, Food, Holidays

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`90s Nickelodeon Returns!

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on July 22, 2011

Next Monday, July 25^th, TeenNick will start broadcasting classic (yes, classic) television series from the 1990s. Even if you weren’t a kid in the `90s, you were probably a television viewer, so we can all revel in the joy which `90s Nickelodeon will inevitably bring next week. A contributor on Tumblr writes that the idea to re-air the glorious programs of the `90s was presented by interns at Nickelodeon (two cheers for interns!), and I want to extend an enormous thank you to those terrific people who are about to make my dreams come true. The same contributor on Tumblr lists the following shows as those which will air:

- Clarissa Explains it All - All That

- Rocko’s Modern Life – Doug

- Hey Arnold – Are You Afraid of the Dark

- Kenan and Kel – AHHH!!! Real Monsters

- The Adventures of Pete and Pete – CatDog

- Double Dare – Rugrats

- Salute Your Shorts - GUTS

- Ren and Stimpy - Rocket Power

- Legends of the Hidden Temple - The Amanda Show

The shows will air from 12am-4am under programming titled “The `90s Are All That”- inconvenient for some, but great for those of us with a weird sleep schedule and/or DVR. The New York Times explains that the network will rotate shows based on public reception communicated via Facebook, meaning prepare yourself (mainly your fingers for typing) to push for your favorite Nick shows.

Whether you watch for Jewess Amanda Bynes, or the likely Jewish neighborhood in Pete and Pete (the show was filmed entirely in North Jersey, so I have high hopes), there is no doubt in my mind that you will come across Jewish characters, holidays, and values. Think: Rugrats Passover and Hannukah episodes. In a May post, Jewcy writes that, “Rugrats was probably the only mainstream cartoon to even mention Judaism, let alone dedicate a few episodes to it,” which is not surprising because the former president of Nickelodeon, Albie Hecht, is Jewish.

Tune into TeenNick and take a trip down (short-term) memory lane starting next week!

Classics, Events, Television

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Ways to Remember the Terrible Things

Posted by Rachel Broder in Link Roundup on April 28, 2011

www.tbieugene.org

This Sunday, May 1^st (the 27^th of Nisan), marks the observance of Yom HaShoah. In 1953 the Knesset decided on the 27^th of Nisan- a compromise between traditional Jews who wanted the date to be in Iyar, and Zionists who wanted the date closer to the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (the 15^th of Nisan).

Depending on where you live, and what you’re interested in, there are a bunch of options across the country to observe Yom HaShoah:

- The Museum of Tolerance in LA has a slew of events over the next week including a family event on Sunday with speakers, The Butterfly Project, and more. On Monday they are opening a brand new exhibit called, “Besa: Albanian Muslims Who Saved Jews During World War II.” Throughout the week the museum will have film screenings and presentations. Check out their site for upcoming events, some family-friendly and others for a bit more mature of an audience.

- Speaking of The Butterfly Project (which you should really check out if you haven’t already clicked on the link above!), the Holocaust Museum Houston has a bunch of really wonderful exhibits, but also a relatively new one called, “Whoever Saves a Life … Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust,” which focuses on those who chose to help.

- If you’re in the New York area, stop by the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Sunday for an observance and a chance to talk with survivors. On Wednesday the museum is hosting “Voices of the Holocaust,” a commemorative concert featuring Paul Schoenfield’s Ghetto Songs, which sets to music the poetry of Mordechai Gebertig.

- The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC is running an exhibit called, “The Holocaust” through June. It spans three floors, with over 900 artifacts, and is divided into three parts: “Nazi Assault,” “Final Solution,” and “Last Chapter.” The museum is also hosting a bunch of really great traveling exhibits, including: “Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings,” “Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933 – 1945,” and “Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race.”

If you’re planning to spend the day in your house, consider reading a book on the Holocaust. Or, even better, think about sharing a book on the Holocaust with your child (or someone else’s child). Not to toot our own horn, but JPS publishes Eve Bunting’s Terrible Things, a really excellent allegorical book for kids and adults.

Events, Holidays, Holocaust

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Mahler Mania!

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on February 17, 2011

The first time I really heard a Mahler symphony was in the tenth grade. A friend of mine was giving a presentation on Holocaust survivors and needed a piece of music to play during a portion of it. She asked my dad for a suggestion, and he told her to play Mahler’s First Symphony.

This February marks the 100^th anniversary of Mahler’s illness, and this May is the 100^th anniversary of his death. He fell ill in December of 1910, but then insisted on keeping a date at Carnegie Hall in February 1911. Following the concert, he came down with extreme fever and was diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis. He died on May 18^th, and was buried in Vienna.

What amazes me about Mahler’s music, beyond the beauty, is its incredible presence in modern society. Though older generations make up most of the audience at the orchestra concerts I attend, I can proudly say that I am among other young persons who will carry classical music into the future- and Gustav Mahler is coming with me. Growing up I knew nothing of Mahler’s ten symphonies or song-cycles his career as a conductor and composer, or his struggle to become appreciated as a composer. I was unfamiliar with Mahler’s Jewish roots, his battle with anti-Semitism, and his (probably) politically forced conversion to Christianity. But now I know. Mahler famously considered himself to be, “thrice homeless, as a native of Bohemia in Austria, as an Austrian among Germans, as a Jew throughout the world—always an intruder, never welcomed.” It is quite stunning and satisfying that a man who thought himself so alien is now so loved.

Mahler’s success grew during his own lifetime, but faded following his death. Though appreciation began to again grow steadily years after Mahler’s death, many attribute the real revitalization of his work to the grand composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein. During the 1960s, Bernstein created the first complete cycle of recordings of all nine of Mahler’s completed symphonies. Today Mahler’s music is celebrated throughout the world. For longtime Mahler lovers and neophytes alike, here is a list of upcoming concerts celebrating the work of the one and only Gustav Mahler:

- February 22^nd: 7th Symphony performed by The London Symphony Orchestra at the Kimmel Center

- February 24^th- March 1^st: 9th Symphony performed by The Boston Symphony Orchestra

- March 3^rd-5^th: 4th Symphony performed by The New York Philharmonic

- April 14^th- 16^th: 4th Symphony performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra

- April 28^th- 30^th: 5th Symphony performed by The New York Philharmonic

- May 7^th- 8^th: 2nd Symphony performed by The San Francisco Symphony

- May 12^th- 14^th: 6th Symphony performed by The San Francisco Symphony

- June 1^st- 2^nd: 3rd Symphony performed by The Colorado Symphony

- June 2^nd- 5^th: 9th Symphony performed by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Events, Jewish Culture, Jewish History, Music

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A Treasured Museum Opens Its Lovely New Doors

Posted by Rachel Feltman in Jewish Innovation, Jewish Knowledge on November 17, 2010

The day after Thanksgiving is usually spent either shopping or lolling about the house in a food coma (or both, if you’re extremely industrious), but if you’re in the Philadelphia area, this year you can do something a lot more worthwhile.

The Majestic New Building

The National Museum of American Jewish History opens its new building to the public on Friday, November 26^th. The museum, which first opened in 1976 under Congregation Mikveh Israel (which, FYI, has been around since 1740 and is known as the “Synagogue of the American Revolution”) has been moved to a spectacular new building down the block at Fifth and Market Street. I’ve only seen it in person from the outside, but it’s an amazing piece of architecture. Best of all, it sits proud and visible, adding to the excitement of Independence Mall instead of hiding just around the corner. Jonathan D. Sarna, chief historian at the museum, explains what the new facility hopes to convey:

Some have expressed surprise that Jews took to Independence Mall to educate visitors about the meaning of freedom rather than about more traditional subjects, like the distinctiveness of Judaism, the horrors of the Holocaust and the perils of prejudice. But that is entirely the point: The NMAJH represents a sharp break from decades of focus on Jews as victims and outsiders. It argues, instead, that Jews have arrived in America and feel confident enough to take pride in what they have accomplished under freedom, and to share those lessons with others. Gone are the days when Jews leave Main Street to the gentiles and hide themselves on hard-to-find side streets. Today, taking full advantage of the freedom that the museum itself celebrates, they can look down onto Independence Mall and America’s most hallowed ground.

The opening gala was, by all accounts, a huge success. Jerry Seinfeld hosted the event, Bette Midler performed a stunning concert, and Barbara Streisand attended to check out her section of the “Only In America” hall, which honors 18 Jewish Americans from different fields as chosen by online voters. That’s the most exciting thing about the museum: It’s modern, it’s fun, and it’s extremely interactive. I started my experience with the museum almost a year ago when I voted for my favorite American Jews (Babs was among my picks, of course, along with Henrietta Szold, a founding member of JPS), and I can’t wait to continue the fun when I visit in person.

Tickets are available starting this Friday. Order ahead if you want to visit on the opening weekend! Hope to see you there.

For more info, check out this collection of articles from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

American Jewish History, Education, Events, Jewish Culture, Jewish History

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The 59th Annual Jewish Book Awards

Posted by Carol in Jewish Books on March 11, 2010

My goodness, what a week: first, the Oscars on Sunday night, and then the Jewish Oscars on Tuesday! The Jewish book Oscars, that is: the 2009 National Jewish Book Awards.

Jewish Book Council

Dozens of Jewish literary notables were there: Joseph Telushkin, James Kugel, Lawrence Schiffman, Ari Goldman, Alana Newhouse, Yitz and Blu Greenberg, just for starters. Lots of other familiar faces, too, including two former JPS interns Naomi Firestone and Miri Pomerantz Dauber, now with the Jewish Book Council, which hosted the event.

It was quite a night for JPS, with more award winners than any other publisher: Editor Emerita Ellen Frankel and Avi Katz took a prize for the best Illustrated Children’s Book, for their JPS Illustrated Children’s Bible; Paul Steinberg and Janet Greenstein Potter’s Celebrating the Jewish Year: The Spring and Summer Holidays won for best Jewish Family Literature, Judy Klitsner’s Subversive Sequel in the Bible took the award for Scholarship. Frauke von Rohden’s Meneket Rivkah: A Manual of Wisdom and Piety for Jewish Women was a finalist for in the Scholarship category, and Frankel and Katz also were finalists in Jewish Family Literature. Below you can view a slideshow of our winners at the event!

I’m a big fiction fan, so I’ve added Joseph Kertes’ Gratitude: A Novel, the fiction award winner, to my (50+ book!) reading list. If you want to add winners to your reading list, check out wwww.jewishbookcouncil.org and add your comments and suggested book list titles below in response to this posting.

-Carol Hupping, Interim Director

Awards, Book Recommendations, Children's Books, Events, Jewish Authors, Jewish Books, Jewish Publication Society, Publishing Industry

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Jewish Rappers and Professional Basketball?

Posted by Emily in Jewish Books on January 7, 2010

Is this one for the books?

Jewish Hasidic rapper Matisyahu is scheduled to give a free performance after the Philadelphia 76ers play the New York Knicks in NBA play on January 13th, 2010. The free concert is a part of “Jewish Heritage Night,” an event that includes kosher catering in the concourse of the arena from a local Jewish kosher restaurant.

www.pagesonline.it/groupieblog

Well, the event is apparently not history in the making.

In my search to see if this was an original idea, I found that Jewish Heritage nights and Jewish themed sporting events are actually far from a new and novel concept. Who knew?

These events have been held in cities across the country, and in all types of different venues and sports. The Oakland Raiders, for example, held a Sukkot tailgate before a game last year, and just last month, the Miami Heat held a similar Jewish Heritage event with a free concert from 8^th Day, a Jewish rock band from California.

Are these types of Jewish-themed events becoming trend worthy in the world of professional sports? It seems as if they’re certainly on their way.

To all you sports fans out there, I hope you enjoy getting your Jewish entertainment fix for free!

-Emily

Events, Jewish Publication Society, Sports

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Yeehaw! A Jewish Literary Roundup

Posted by Naomi in Jewish Knowledge, Link Roundup on August 10, 2009

Source: http://mortgagemeltdown.typepad.com

Only a few hours into the day, I’ve decided that it’s high time for another link roundup. As I mentioned last time, part of my job here at JPS is to surf the internet and keep abreast of what’s happening the Jewish book world. As a result, I regularly stumble across tons of interesting blog posts, websites, and articles. (Want my job? Well, it turns out that since I’ll soon be leaving JPS to start grad school, the Online Sales and Marketing Associate position will be open, and JPS is looking to hire someone great!) Anyways, today has just been so chock-full of goodies that I can’t really contain myself! So here’s the catch of the day:

● Rachel Barenblat (alias: the Velveteen Rabbi) has been interview about her Jewish poetry, and what it means to her, at Read Write Poem.

● eJewish Philanthropy gives us a heads-up about a new Limmud Conference. This time, it’s a one-day event at the Hampton Synagogue in WestHampton, New York – and it’s being organized under the umbrella of Limmud FSU. So all you Jews from Russian-speaking families, here’s your chance to participate in an exciting day of informal learning sessions, discussions, and performances!

● Tablet Magazine presents a selection of Israeli pop music that draws freely from Jewish liturgy. Liel Leibovitz presents not only a fun playlist, but podcasts a discussion about how Israeli pop artists explore their faith through music. Have a listen, and see if you can spot the liturgical references.

● Charles London, author of Far From Zion: The Search for a Global Community, guest blogs at My Jewish Learning and the Jewish Book Council about Diaspora Jewry and the overhaul of the Museum of the Jewish People in Israel.

- Naomi

Education, Events, Israel, Music

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