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April 2019
All-of-a-Kind Family Walking Tour
What was it like to be a kid on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century? Find out as we follow in the footsteps of Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie, the beloved sisters depicted in Sydney Taylor’s children’s classic All-of-a-Kind Family. We’ll stroll through the story and into the streets to visit the spots where the children played, prayed, and purchased their pickles and candy. This tour is presented in partnership with PJ Library.
The Second Migration: From Lower East Side to Greater New York
At the turn of the 20th century, more than half a million Jewish immigrants, from countries in Eastern Europe, lived on the Lower East Side. But just 20 years later, less than half that number still called the neighborhood home. What came after the Lower East Side for America’s Jewish immigrants? This five-part class begins with a focus on the iconic Jewish Lower East Side before following the migration of New York’s Jews – uptown and across the rivers. Most…
Jews and Muslims: Beyond the Early Years II
From the 8th to the 12th centuries, the vast majority of world Jewry lived under Muslim rule. The relationship changed Judaism forever – giving rise to new forms of Jewish practice, new genres of Jewish literature, and revolutionary ways of considering age-old philosophical and theological questions. In these ten sessions, explore the religious and cultural connections between Jews and Muslims of that period. This course is a continuation of our exploration of Jews and Muslims in history, but new participants…
Exhibition Opening for Harbin, China|PAST/PRESENT
Like the Eldridge Street Synagogue, a grand synagogue stands in Harbin, China that serves as a museum and a relic of a time when it was the center of a flourishing Jewish community. And much like the Lower East Side, many of Harbin’s Jews eventually left the home they had created there. In this exhibition, Harbin’s Jewish past is presented in historic photographs and personal stories. In the 1890s, the Trans-Siberian Railway turned the small fishing village in northeastern China…
May 2019
Joseph: From Spoiled Brat to Savior II
The story of Joseph is the longest and most sophisticated in the Book of Genesis. It’s also been interpreted in myriad ways. But by reading it closely and examining Joseph’s interactions with others, we can come to understand him more fully. We will also explore the range of interpretations of the Joseph story – by the rabbis and the Apocrypha, as well as by Christians and Muslims. This course is a continuation of our exploration of the Joseph story, but…
The Second Migration: From Lower East Side to Greater New York
At the turn of the 20th century, more than half a million Jewish immigrants, from countries in Eastern Europe, lived on the Lower East Side. But just 20 years later, less than half that number still called the neighborhood home. What came after the Lower East Side for America’s Jewish immigrants? This five-part class begins with a focus on the iconic Jewish Lower East Side before following the migration of New York’s Jews – uptown and across the rivers. Most…
Jews and Muslims: Beyond the Early Years II
From the 8th to the 12th centuries, the vast majority of world Jewry lived under Muslim rule. The relationship changed Judaism forever – giving rise to new forms of Jewish practice, new genres of Jewish literature, and revolutionary ways of considering age-old philosophical and theological questions. In these ten sessions, explore the religious and cultural connections between Jews and Muslims of that period. This course is a continuation of our exploration of Jews and Muslims in history, but new participants…
Tough Guys
Take a walk on the wild side with this two-part course! Classic Hollywood films were full of fictional “tough guys” – brooding, tough-as-nails, and just a little bit dangerous. But art imitated life, and those movies sparked public interest in stories of organized crime, mobsters and other dabblers of dark deeds. Expert teacher Maxine Simson will lead these fun and informative sessions on some of our most famous tough guys and the characters that they inspired
Joseph: From Spoiled Brat to Savior II
The story of Joseph is the longest and most sophisticated in the Book of Genesis. It’s also been interpreted in myriad ways. But by reading it closely and examining Joseph’s interactions with others, we can come to understand him more fully. We will also explore the range of interpretations of the Joseph story – by the rabbis and the Apocrypha, as well as by Christians and Muslims. This course is a continuation of our exploration of the Joseph story, but…
Yiddishe Mamas
Celebrate the women who made the world go ‘round on this special brunch and tour! The morning starts with a nosh and mimosa spread in the women’s balcony of our historic sanctuary – the perfect vantage point to marvel at the 2010 stained glass window designed by artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans. Then, we’ll hit the streets of the Lower East Side to follow in the footsteps of pious women and prostitutes, activists and artists, freethinking feminists and…
