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November 2019
Joseph: Interpretations through the Ages
In this series with expert teacher Regina Stein, you will examine the variety of ways in which the story of Joseph, presented in Genesis 37-50, has been interpreted in post-Biblical Jewish literature (such as the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls), by the classical rabbis, as well as by Christians and Muslims. In what ways do their interpretations promote their own agendas? How can a single Biblical character come to be understood in so many different ways? You’ll gain a…
Outsiders Book Club
In honor of the Year of the Woman – celebrating the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage – this book club celebrates stories of women as outsiders. The protagonists of these novels, short stories and memoirs find themselves on the margins of society – as activists encountering political, sexual or social opposition, or minorities struggling to understand a new culture. Through reading benchmarks, thoughtful questions and group discussions, you’ll unpack women-centric narratives and themes. Each month, you skilled group leader Lucy…
Girl Power: How Clara Lemlich Changed the World
Learn what life was like for young garment workers on the Lower East Side in 1909 through the eyes of Clara Lemlich, who worked 11-hour days making dresses. A costumed actor portraying Clara will provide a first-person perspective about working in sweatshops and why, in November 1909, she gave a fiery speech at a union meeting, sparking a strike of young garment workers that newspapers called the “Revolt of the Girls.” Clara couldn’t have known that she would inspire more…
From Beame to Bloomberg: Jews in City Government
Jews have been living in New York City since 1653. Since then, they have contributed to the growth of the city’s vibrancy and culture in myriad arenas. This course will profile Jewish politicians and their time in office, from New York’s first Jewish mayor, Abraham Became, and the fiscal crisis of the 1970’s to the economic recovery of the Koch era and the boom-times of Michael Bloomberg. You’ll explore other prominent personalities and their careers including House of Representative members…
Medieval Jewish Thinkers in their Historical Contexts
Jews, Muslims, and Christians asked many of the same questions in the Middle Ages: What is God? What are religious truths and what are our best sources for knowing them? What does God want from us? What is evil and where does it come from? How should we live a good life? This course will explore three of the major medieval Jewish thinkers—Saadia Gaon, Judah Halevi, and Maimonides—as we compare their answers to some of these questions in the context…
December 2019
Family Folk: Papercutting
Family Program Join us for our very first installment of our new Family Folk series that explores some of the rich folk traditions of the Jewish immigrants who created new lives on the Lower East Side in the early 1900s. On tap for our inaugural program? An introduction to the intricately beautiful folk art of Jewish papercutting. At this interactive family program, papercutting artist Rachel Asarnow will lead a workshop on this centuries-old craft that draws on her intricate pieces…
Klez for Kids
Gather at Eldridge Street for this joyous holiday celebration! Clarinetist Greg Wall’s band Klezmerfest! gets the whole family singing, dancing and dabbling in Yiddish at this annual favorite concert. The band will play their award-winning Klez For Kidz program for two shows – 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM – melding old-country sounds with contemporary Lower East Side energy. Following each show, we’ll celebrate the fourth night of Hanukkah with special holiday songs and a menorah lighting, featuring historic menorahs our…
January 2020
Women in Power and Powerful Women in the Bible
The Bible is full of stories involving women – in battle, in peril, in moral quandaries. Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky has dedicated her scholarship to powerful woman of the Bible, their legacies in our culture and their impact on our lives today. Deeply committed to fostering learning, Dr. Kalmanofsky helps people understand and appreciate the Bible’s complex beauty and meaning so that you, too, can become a careful and creative interpreter of its text. Dr. Kalmanofsky, who has written numerous books…
Dig Your Roots
Genealogy Workshop Join us – off site – at the Center for Jewish History’s Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute. The CJH team is opening the doors to its research library after-hours, just for us! It’s a special opportunity to have some of the world’s most experienced family history researchers and genealogists introduce you to the best ways to trace your roots. Add the Center for Jewish History’s world-renowned partner collections, containing a wealth of historical records and newspapers from…
Evening Open House: the Forward Archives
With a drink in hand, unwind after work in our beautiful landmark building. This rare evening open house gives you a special chance to enjoy the Museum’s latest exhibition Pressed: Images from the Jewish Daily Forward. The exhibition features artifacts from a century of Yiddish newspaper history as well as newly created prints made using vintage equipment. The Forward’s archivist Chana Pollack, instrumental in the Pressed exhibition, will give a short talk detailing her work preserving and exploring the Forward’s…
