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October 2019
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…
Designing Tenements and Temples: The Herter Brothers
Tenements are commonplace but poorly understood. Zachary Violette’s new research and fieldwork uses ornament as a way to reconsider the role of tenement architects (many of whom had deep roots in immigrant communities) in improving housing for the poor. The work for Violette’s book The Decorated Tenement: How Immigrant Builders and Architects Transformed the Slum in the Gilded Age has uncovered surprising stories of architects like the Herter Brothers, who were responsible for everyday tenements buildings as well as much grander sites…
November 2019
All-of-a-Kind Family Walking Tour
School’s out for Election Day, and we’ve got your day-off plan: a Lower East Side walking tour for families inspired by the children’s classic All-of- a-Kind Family. Join us as we follow in the footsteps of Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie, the beloved sisters depicted in Sydney Taylor’s book. We’ll stroll through the streets and into the story to visit the spots where the children played, prayed and purchased pickles. Recommended for children five and up and their adult…
Metropolitan Klezmer concert
Now celebrating their 25th year together, Metropolitan Klezmer brings eclectic exuberance to Yiddish musical genres from all over the map. Performing vibrant versions of gems from wedding dance, trance, folk, swing and tango styles, as well as soundtrack material from vintage Yiddish films, this octet re-invents tradition with irreverence, respect, and joy. This special performance will also feature a rarely heard repertoire including balladry of the Triangle Fire, a Yiddish-rooted Soviet animation score, and a gorgeous range of imaginative original…
Girl Power: How Clara Lemlich Changed the World
In November 1909, a young garment worker named Clara Lemlich stopped showing up at her job. Like many girls on the Lower East Side, Clara was a recent immigrant from Eastern Europe and she not only went to school, she also worked 11-hour days making dresses. Angered by harsh working conditions, Clara’s fiery speech to a crowd of thousands at a union meeting sparking what newspapers called the “Revolt of the Girls” – 20,000 garment workers organized a walk-out at…
