EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
The Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Fair 42 Years of Authors, Music & Films
NOVEMBER 1-16, 2014
Underwritten by The Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation
erjcchouston.org Purchase a Save on programs and receive Series Pass guaranteed seating for selected programs.
Buy a Book & Arts Fair Series Pass and receive guaranteed reserved seating for Opening Night with Alan Zweibel, Closing Night with Ari Shavit, and assigned seating at Miller Outdoor Theatre for Yemen Blues, PLUS admission to all Book & Arts Fair programs. Kaddish performances and Book Lovers Lunch excluded.
$60 Member | $80 Public | FREE for Students with Student ID $10 Series Pass Discount for Seniors 60+ Discounts for Individual Tickets Available at Time of Purchase
ONLINE: erjcchouston.org | BY PHONE: 713.551.7255 IN PERSON: Visit the Information Desk or the Box Office 30 minutes prior to the start of a program. Advance ticket purchase recommended. See page 20 for individual ticket prices.
Unless otherwise specified, programs take place at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC, Milton Levit Family Campus, Joe Weingarten Building, 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX 77096
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE J Membership can save you even more money. Join and get member rates on programs for an entire year, plus access to exclusive member classes. Learn more at erjcchouston.org/join. PATRONS OF THE ARTS Become a Patron! Help the J present a diverse season of dynamic programs to stimulate the mind, strengthen the community and showcase Jewish culture. Benefits include VIP seating, discounts, advance notice of special events and invitations to exclusive meet-and-greets with some of the world’s most memorable people, plus Program Membership. Learn more at erjcchouston.org/patrons.
BOOKSTORE HOURS
Sunday–Thursday 10:00 AM–10:00 PM JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Friday Follow the J on Twitter at @erjcchouston. 10:00 AM–2:00 PM Use #JBAF for Book Fair highlights and updates Saturday or to Tweet about your experience! 7:30 PM–10:00 PM Closed on November 15
FREE Live Streaming provided for Joel Hoffman, Stephen Smith and Everett Fox events.
Auditory Equipment Available for Hearing Impaired If you need assistance in hearing clearly, equipment is available to enhance your ability to hear the program. Just ask at the Box Office when you arrive and it will be provided for you with courtesy and sensitivity. Closed Captioning provided for Alan Zweibel, Rebecca Alexander, and Ari Shavit events. 2 SATURDAY, November 1 Save on programs and receive guaranteed seating for selected programs.
OPENING NIGHT 8:00 PM | Alan Zweibel Laughing at Me: Rebounding from the “Misses” Sandwiched Between the Hits
For decades, Alan Zweibel’s comedy writing and signature offbeat humor have delighted millions. An original Saturday Night Live writer, Zweibel is famous for writing most of the Samurai sketches for John Belushi and the complaining Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadana for Gilda Radner. Zweibel has won multiple Emmy, Writers Guild of America, and TV Critics awards for his brilliant work, including Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Tony Award-Winning 700 Sundays with Billy Crystal. Zweibel won the Thurber Prize for American Humor for his novel, The Other Shulman. He has made numerous guest appearances on David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon and NPR—to name a few. A prolific author, playwright, screen writer and essayist, he is executive producer of Showtime’s hit series Inside Comedy starring David Steinberg. A trilogy of his one-act plays, The Boca Collection, is in the works for stage production. The movie rights to Lunatics, his most recent novel co-authored with Dave Barry, have been purchased by Universal Studios with Steve Carell slated to play one of the leading roles. His proudest production, however, is the family he’s co-produced with his wife Robin. “I’m a specialist. I only do me.” – From Alan Zweibel, the Bottom Drawer, Volume II
IN HONOR OF MARILYN HASSID Underwritten by Janet and Elton Lipnick
FREE EVENT Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patrons of the Arts: Guaranteed Premier Reserved Seats Series Pass Holders: Guaranteed Reserved Seats FREE: Limited Seating | First Come, First Served
3 SUNDAY, November 2
11:00 AM | Roberta Newman 4:00 PM | FILM Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl: Yiddish Letter Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story Manuals from Russia and America Directed by Barry Avrich At the turn of the 20th Canada, 2013, 75 min century, Jewish families English, Documentary dispersed by migration, At the height of his stayed in touch only popularity, David through letters. For Steinberg was one of many, communicating in the world’s best known writing was a challenge. stand-up comics. Leaving How could they make behind his Yeshiva sure their spelling was correct, their thoughts properly Photo Credit: Seventh Art Releasing studies to join Chicago’s organized? The solution? Brivnshtelers—Yiddish-language legendary Second City, he never looked back. He appeared books of model letters. Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl is a magic on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson dozens of times; window into the daily lives of a scattered people sharing yet, his irreverent take on religion caused CBS to cancel The a common language and culture. Roberta Newman Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Priceless performance is the Director of Digital Initiatives, YIVO Institute for clips and TV directing credits (i.e. Seinfeld, Curb Your Jewish Research, and co-authored the book with Alice Enthusiasm) are paired with backstage stories from Alan Nakhimovsky, Professor of Russian and Jewish studies at Zweibel, Larry David and others, illuminating Steinberg’s Colgate University. “Rich detail and variety…” – ChaeRan Y. place in the pantheon of comedy. “Overdue biography of a Freeze, author of Everyday Jewish Life in Imperial Russia satirist and provocateur who influenced and entertained generations.” – Atlanta Jewish Film Festival 2:00 PM | Gary Rosenblatt Underwritten by the Barbara and Mark Paull Families Between the Lines: Reflections on the American Jewish Experience 7:30 PM | Ofir Touché Gafla Gary Rosenblatt has The World of the End been the editor and publisher of The New As an epilogist, York Jewish Week for over Ben Mendelssohn 20 years. Here, for the appreciates an first time, is a curated unexpected ending. But collection of his most when that denouement thoughtful columns, is the untimely demise selected from the more than 1,000 he has written since of his beloved wife, Ben 1993. The book features 80 columns ranging from prescient is incapable of coping. analyses of the Mideast situation to warm remembrances More than his life partner, Miriam was the fiber that held of his childhood as the rabbi’s son in Annapolis, Maryland. together all that he is. And, Ben is willing to do anything, “A discerning observer, a serious reporter and an elegant even enter the unknown beyond, if it means a chance to essayist. Oh, and a mensch. Read him.” be with her again. Award winning Israeli author Ofir Touché – Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles Gafla teaches creative writing in the Sam Spiegel School of TV and Cinema in Jerusalem. He was recently named by Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation The Forward one of the “8 New Israeli Writers you need to Patron Sponsors: Mitzi Shure and Jerry Wische Read Right Now.” “Astonishingly inventive, funny and totally fascinating.” – Kirkus Review
4 MONDAY, November 3
6:15 PM | Sheana Ochoa Stella! Mother of Modern Acting Stella Adler began her career in Yiddish theatre on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and from there went on to revolutionize modern day acting. She devoted her life to the craft of acting, igniting the talents of Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro and beyond. An imperialistic grande dame who was a member of the democratic depression- era Group Theatre, Stella covertly secured passage for 700 displaced Jews during and after WWII. The FBI and Photo Credit: Dina Douglass the Department of Army kept records of her every move during the 1940s and 1950s. Stella! Mother of Modern Acting chronicles the life and times of a luminary described as a force of nature. “After reading Sheana Ochoa’s biography, I understand why her legacy as an actor and teacher burns so brightly...” —Michael Phillips, Film Producer
Interviewing Ms. Ochoa on-stage will be
Susan Weidman Schneider, Editor in Chief of Lilith Magazine.
Patron Sponsors: Maxine and Steven Goodman & Elaine Kellner
8:00 PM | Joel M. Hoffman The Bible's Cutting Room Floor: The Holy Scriptures Missing from Your Bible Acclaimed author and translator Joel Hoffman gives us the stories that didn't make it into the Bible despite their penetrating insights. Deftly bringing these ancient scriptural texts to life, Hoffman reveals what's missing, who left it out and why it is so important. A Ph.D. linguist, and returning JBAF author, Hoffman has served on the faculties of Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College. He is known for his "fresh insights and interpretations about religious life in the 21st century." “Hoffman ably demonstrates why these ‘second tier’ works…should not be ignored.” –Publisher’s Weekly
Patron Sponsors: Karol and Daniel Musher Sheila and Gordon Sack
FREE Live Streaming available for this program at houstonjewishlive.com
5 TUESDAY, November 4
10:00 AM | Ruchama King Feuerman In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist IN COLLABORATION WITH CONGREGATION BETH YESHURUN SISTERHOOD
ALTERNATE LOCATION Congregation Beth Yeshurun | 4525 Beechnut
The unlikely friendship of an intellectual New York Jew and a working class Jerusalem Arab drives Ruchama King Feuerman's evocative second novel. Jerusalem emerges as a character, depicted with a lyricism that contrasts with the area's political tension. The characters—immigrants and natives; Muslim and Jewish; prophets and lost souls—move through their worlds, uncertain if they will fall prey to the cruel tricks of luck or be sheltered by a higher power. Feuerman lived in Israel for ten years. Her stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times and numerous publications. “Vivid tale of personal dignity, ownership, love." – Dara Horn
Lunch offered after program. For reservations call 713.461.9172 by Oct. 24. 6:15 PM | Rebecca Alexander Not Fade Away: A Memoir of Senses Lost and Found By turns harrowing, funny, and inspiring, the author meditates on what she’s lost—the sound of a whisper, seeing a sky full of stars. And she explores what she has found—an exquisite intimacy with those she is closest to, a love of silence, a profound gratitude for everything she still has, and a joy in simple pleasures that most of us forget to notice. Rebecca Alexander, 34, almost completely blind and deaf, is a Ph.D. psychotherapist, spin instructor, volunteer, and an extreme athlete. She lives in New York City. “Even a darkening world can be brilliantly lit from within.” – Author
Patron Sponsors: Susan and David Morris Jane and Larry Wagner 8:00 PM | Samantha Baskind Jewish Artists and the Bible in Twentieth-Century America In our secular age, the idea that the Bible could shape a modern Jewish and American artist, seems odd. Samantha Baskind brilliantly shows how the Bible—both the Jewish Bible (Tanach) and the American Bible of the Puritans—echoes in Jewish American art. Looking at Jack Levine, George Segal, Audrey Flack, Larry Rivers, and R. B. Kitaj, Baskind provides a sophisticated and critical reading of how religious imagery survives and flourishes in our secular world. Baskind is an author, editor and Professor of Art History at Cleveland State University. “Fascinating and beautifully written….” – Gary Shteyngart
Patron Sponsors: Gloria and Buzzy Bluestone Joyce Z. Greenberg
6 WEDNESDAY, November 5
12:00 PM | Book Lovers Lunch Jessica Soffer Nomi Eve Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots Henna House MARILYN HASSID EMERGING AUTHOR Henna House is an What makes a family? evocative and stirring Where do we find coming of age story our sustenance? about a young woman These often-debated living in the fascinating questions are and rarely portrayed Photo Credit: examined with artful Patrick Snook community of Yemenite Photo Credit: storytelling. All of our Jews in the mid- Beowulf Sheehan senses are called upon twentieth century. From the far-ranging devastation of the to consider the age-old issue of nature vs. nurture. Food, Holocaust, to the birth of Israel, this richly textured chronicle the legendary path to the heart, laden with history and of love, loss, betrayal, forgiveness, and the dyes that adorn culture, is the medium. With a very needy cast of characters, the skin and pierce the heart, is as captivating as it is the recipe for a good tale is perfected. Jessica Soffer’s unforgettable. Nomi Eve is the author of The Family Orchard. writings have appeared in many prestigious publications She has an MFA in fiction writing from Brown University and and on NPR’s Selected Shorts®. She teaches fiction at is a freelance writer. “Engrossing, surprising, compelling …” Connecticut College. “This first novel…is a work of beauty in – Indira Ganesan, author of As Sweet as Honey words.” – New York Journal of Books
Supported by the Rosita and Albert Gaon Sephardic Heritage Program Endowment Fund
$25 Lunch and a Book | Advance Purchase Required by Oct. 31 6:15 PM | Oliver Horovitz 8:00 PM | Liel Leibovitz An American Caddie in St. Andrews: A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Growing Up, Girls, and Looping on the Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen Old Course More than just an Hilarious, irresistible, account of Leonard behind-the-scenes Cohen’s life, peek at the world’s A Broken Hallelujah most celebrated golf is an intimate course—and its equally look at the artist— Photo Credit: famous caddie shack. It Len Small emotionally astute as Photo Credit: is certain to entertain it is philosophically Greg Savidge golfers and fans of St. observant. Delving into the sources and meaning of Cohen’s Andrews, and anyone who dares to remember stumbling work, Liel Leibovitz beautifully illuminates what Cohen is into adulthood and finding one’s place in the world. Oliver telling us and why we listen so intensely. Returning JBAF Horovitz is a writer, filmmaker and caddie on the Old Course author Leibovitz, Ph.D., son of a rabbi, a husband and father in St. Andrews, Scotland who wrote and produced the of two, teaches media at NYU and is a senior writer at Tablet documentary, The Caddies of St. Andrews. His feature articles Magazine. “My books are about our attempts—sometimes appear in Sports Illustrated, Golf World, Golf Digest and New desperate, always touching—to make sense of the divine England Golfer. "A writer to watch...” – Michael Douglas particles floating all around us.” – Author
Patron Sponsors: Betsy and Ed Schreiber Patron Sponsors: Marilyn Hassid and Marc Gessner 7 THURSDAY, November 6
Rabbi Edward Feinstein The Chutzpah Imperative: Empowering Today’s Jews for a Life That Matters In this clarion call for a new way to “do Judaism,” award-winning spiritual leader Rabbi Edward Feinstein urges us to recover the message of chutzpah—Jewish self- empowerment—to repair the world. From its beginnings in Genesis to medieval mysticism to Kabbalah, the author explores empowerment as the centerpiece for today’s modern Judaism. Rabbi Feinstein is senior rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California and teaches at American Jewish University. He is the author of one of the most widely gifted books for Jewish teens—Tough Questions Jews Ask—that was chosen for the American Library Association’s Top Ten Books on Religion for Young Readers. 12:00 PM | Melton Lunch & Learn 7:30 PM
ALTERNATE LOCATION ALTERNATE LOCATION Merfish Teen Center | 9000 S. Rice Blvd. Congregation Or Ami | 3443 Wilcrest Dr. $10 for Optional Lunch at 11:45 AM Regular Ticket Pricing Available Reservations required by Nov. 4 to Nomi Barancik Special Offer: $36 | Includes Book and Reserved Seating 713.729.3200 ext. 3288. Advance Purchase Only 6:15 PM | Nora Gold Fields of Exile For the ten years Judith lived in Israel, she defined herself as a "left-wing, peace activist." In graduate school back in Canada, she discovers that vilification of Israel is the expected norm. Fields of Exile is a timely, moving novel about love, betrayal and the courage to stand up for what one believes; it is a searing indictment of the hypocrisy and intellectual sloth threatening the integrity of our society. Nora Gold is a prize- winning author, editor, activist and scholar. Her first book, Marrow and Other Stories, won a Canadian Jewish Book Award. “Engrossing…seen through a cross-cultural looking- glass.” – Irwin Cotler, Emeritus Professor of Law, McGill University
GET CULTURED: THE J’S ARTS & CULTURE EVENTS FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s AND 30s 8:00 PM | Inside the Author’s Studio David Sax: The Tastemakers: Why We’re Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up with Fondue EXCLUSIVE EVENT FOR AGES 21 TO THIRTY-SOMETHING
7:00 PM | Reception in the Bookstore
In this eye-opening, witty work of reportage, David Sax, author of Save the Deli, uncovers the world of food trends: where they come from, how they grow and where they end up. From fondue in Florida to food trucks in D.C., Sax goes in search of the farmers, chefs and even data analysts who help decide what you’re having for dinner. Sax is a freelance writer specializing in business and food whose writing appears regularly in The New York Times.
Photo Credit: “With forensic specificity, and…a terrific sense of fun, David Sax explains precisely how Christopher Farber foods du jour such as cupcakes, Greek yogurt, and Korean tacos ‘happened’.” – David Kamp
Reservations required by Nov. 3 | tastemakers.brownpapertickets.com | GetCulturedHTown on Facebook FRIDAY, November 7
12:30 PM | Joan Alexander Writing Your Own History A Wise Woman with a Dancing Girl Inside
In the collage of her life, Joan Alexander wanted to create a written legacy for her children, grandchildren and future generations. The process itself was hard, healing and ultimately empowering, leading to new discoveries about her life’s purpose. Moreover, she came to understand just what is lost if we leave our stories unwritten. Joan may just inspire you to wonder what writing your story will mean for your life and those you love. Joan is a lifelong writer, advocate and humanitarian. Her passions range from fighting the stigma associated with mental illness and disabilities to serving and safeguarding the Jewish community.
RSVP required by Nov. 3
Patron Sponsor:
SATURDAY, November 8
6:00 PM & 9:00 PM | Theatre Kaddish Starring: Jake Goodman Produced and Directed by: Barbara Lanciers
Kaddish, from the Jewish prayer of mourning, is the stage adaptation of Hungarian-born writer Imre Kertész’s novel, Kaddish for an Unborn Child. In it, the central character recites Kaddish for the child he refuses to bring into a world that has permitted the existence of the Holocaust. He presents a deeply personal stream of consciousness of the unseen casualties of war, political corruption, Jewish identity and the humor of living. A survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Kertész received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2002 “for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history.” Jake Goodman is a New York based performer, Jewish educator and community organizer. “I am very happy these young people understood my text and did such a wonderful selection and interpretation for the stage.” – Imre Kertész
Photo Credit: Dudás Erno Kaddish is the first production in the new 2014–15 Theatre Season at the J.
Patron Sponsors: Elena and Joel Dinkin
Bobbi and Vic Samuels 9 SUNDAY, November 9 Oliver Lapin Family Day 9:00 AM–12:00 PM 9:00 AM–9:25 AM 9:30 AM–10:00 AM Sheri Kiss and Bill Megenhardt 11:15 AM–11:45 AM | Cary Fagan Dream Write Mr. Zinger’s Hat AGES 3-6 AGES 5-8
Cary Fagan is a Canadian award- winning author of several young adult novels and picture books. His charming book is about stories, Known for her animated puppet shows based on Dream storytelling and sharing the power of imagination. When Write, Sheri Kiss brings her puppets along for this interactive old Mr. Zinger’s windblown hat lands atop young Leo’s, the program with illustrator Bill Megenhardt. Dream Write elder’s suggestion that there must be a story inside it trying offers children the opportunity to use the power of their to get out leads them to make up a tale. Dušan Petričić’s imagination and writing to face their emotional and physical expressive illustrations vividly depict Mr. Zinger’s wry challenges. “If you change the way you look at things, the humor, Leo’s wide-eyed innocence and the warmth between things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer them. “A wonderful tale.” — Winnipeg Free Press 9:30 AM–10:30 AM 9:30 AM–10:00 AM PJ Library Event 11:15 AM–11:45 AM Featuring Josh and the Jamtones and Jake Goodman the PJ library book Sunrise Sunset Bible Story Detectives AGES 2–6 (or What Really Happened?) This vibrantly illustrated adaptation AGES 5-8 of the beloved song "Sunrise, Sunset" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof, It's story time! New York-based storyteller Jake Goodman is a joyful tribute to the Jewish life brings some of Judaism's wildest and wettest whale tales cycle. A delight for young and old to life. Your little ones will put themselves in the shoes of alike. “Seedlings turn overnight to such watery heroes as Jonah and Choni the Circlemaker, sunflowers.” Children will explore becoming bible detective storytellers themselves. Jake is the their own Jewish life cycle after rocking out with Josh and the former Associate Director of Storahtelling and is the founding Jamtones. LABA preschool storyteller at the 14th Street Y in NYC. He is also the co-creator and performer in Kaddish, the stage Dream Write and PJ Library Event underwritten by adaptation of Imre Kertész’s book, Kaddish for an Unborn Marian and Gaby Braun & Taryn and Dan Braun Child. See page 9. In honor of Jacob, Ryan, and Asher Braun
10 10:15 AM–11:00 AM Josh and the Jamtones Concert AGES 5-8
Josh and the Jamtones is an exciting new (and sometimes hilarious) Boston-based rock-and- roll dance party band for kids and parents of all ages. Their sound is a musical mash-up of artists/bands like Bob Marley, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Paul Simon and Jack Johnson, all seamlessly blended into a Muppet-friendly musical cocktail. Their new critically acclaimed record, Bear Hunt, can be heard Kids Nite Out on Sirius XM's Kids Place Live! Expect loads of fun, rock and roll with a ska Saturday, November 8 | 7:00 PM beat, and the energy level of a runaway locomotive! AGES 5–10 Family Havdallah followed by music, books and Individual Tickets: $8 Member | $12 Public activities for the kids featuring Hershel and the Family of 5 or More: $6 Member | $9 Public Hanukkah Goblins and Rifka Takes a Bow. Register online for Kids Nite Out 10:45 AM – 11:15 AM | Nate Hausmann at erjcchouston.org/kidsniteout. Animals אבג ABC AGES 2-6
Nate Hausmann is an author, illustrator, and entrepreneur with autism. He shares his passion for the alphabet, animals and art in his enchanting English and Hebrew animal alphabet book . After illustrating dozens of one-of-a-kind personalized animal alphabet books for baby gifts, he has produced this beautifully illustrated ABC Animals. Each whimsical and endearing color pencil animal drawing is set in its own charming watercolor habitat. Young book lovers will discover their favorite animals from A to Z in one Reading is a tradition direction and from Aleph to Taf in the other. “Clear, direct, joyful, and poignant.” – From the foreword by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. at the J 11:15 AM–11:45 AM Hebrew Book Corner פינת הספרים AGES 2-5
Oliver Lapin Family Day is endowed in loving memory of Oliver Lapin by his family. Josh and the Jamtones Concert is supported by the Goldye M. and Samuel W. Spain Children’s Performing Arts Fund and PJ Library of Houston. All events take place at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC. Family events are FREE and open to the public with the exception of the Josh and the Jamtones concert. For concert tickets visit erjcchouston.org/bookfair or call 713.551.7255. 11 SUNDAY, November 9
2:00 PM | Film Fiddler on the Roof Directed by Norman Jewison USA, 1971, 180 min English, Musical
Fifty years ago, Fiddler on the Roof hit the Broadway stage and to celebrate, we are presenting a special sing-along edition of the film! Special guests in the audience will be JCCS—the J’s Children’s Performing Arts Group—who will present Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. in December. Dress up as your favorite Fiddler character and come ready to sing and maybe even dance!
Norman Jewison’s film adaptation of this epic Broadway musical, both based on the Tevye the Dairyman stories by Sholem Aleichem, is a boisterous look at rural life in a Ukrainian village, as well as a serious portrait of the sweeping, tragic changes the 1905 Russian Revolution forced upon Russian Jews. At the film’s center is the milkman Tevye, desperately grasping onto his traditions while grappling with both his daughters’ unconventional marriage choices and the increasing intimidation of Czarist officials. The heart of Fiddler, though, is the precariousness of life which the villagers endure through…tradition!
Patron Sponsors: Joyce Cramer Suzan and Jeremy Samuels
7:30 PM | Joseph Telushkin Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History IN COOPERATION WITH CHABAD LUBAVITCH CENTERS OF HOUSTON
This enlightening biography offers a captivating portrait of the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a towering figure who saw beyond conventional boundaries to turn the movement, Chabad-Lubavitch, into one of the most dynamic organizations in the Jewish world. An incisive work of history and a compendium of Rabbi Schneerson's teachings, Rebbe is the definitive guide to understanding Photo Credit: one of the most vital, intriguing figures of the last Stephen Friedgood centuries. A Houston favorite, Joseph Telushkin is a rabbi, scholar and best-selling author of eighteen books. “Whether you are a believer, an admirer or a respectful skeptic, you will learn much from this deep and accessible account of a truly great man by a great writer.” – Alan M. Dershowitz Supported in memory of Jean and Bernard Kaplan by their children and grandchildren Patron Sponsors: Esther and Gary Polland Barbara Winthrop and Jay Steinfeld 12 MONDAY, November 10
7:30 PM | Carla Naumburg Parenting in the Present Moment: How to Stay Focused on What Really Matters DONNA FRANKOFF MEMORIAL LECTURE IN COOPERATION WITH ESCAPE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
Parenting is a constantly challenging, ongoing journey. Mindful parenting is about paying attention—to your children and yourself—without judgment. What truly matters is connecting in meaningful ways, staying grounded and present amid the craziness of parenting. With compassion and assurance, Carla Naumburg reminds us we have everything we need to raise healthy, happy children. Naumburg, MSW, Ph.D. is, most importantly, a mother. She is the mindful parenting blogger for PsychCentral.com. Her writings appear in numerous academic and lay publications and online magazines. “Just call me the Dalai Mama.” – Author
8:00 PM | Stephen D. Smith Testimony: The Legacy of Schindler’s List and the USC Shoah Foundation SHIRLEY AND BILL MORGAN FAMILY HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL PROGRAM
Steven Spielberg and Universal Pictures opened their archives to create this fascinating volume commemorating the 20th anniversary of Schindler’s List and the creation of the USC Shoah Foundation. Part I shares riveting insights into the making of the film. Part II tells of the building of the world-wide organization whose mission is education in the ongoing battle to prevent genocides. Stephen D. Smith, Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation, is a theologian by training and the inaugural holder of the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education. “One person can change the world…that person is you.” – Steven Spielberg
Patron Sponsors: Lisa Seymour and Joe Epstein
Free Live Streaming available for this program at houstonjewishlive.com
13 TUESDAY, November 11
6:15 PM | Local Literati
Continuing our tradition of meeting our recently published hometown authors, come hear first-hand about their new works at a reception and book signing in the Bookstore. Join us to celebrate Houston authors Gerald Blumenthal, Christy Esmahan, David Gottlieb, Marie-Theresa Hernandez, Daniel Musher, Saralyn Richard, Cary Robinson, Gordon Sack, Annette Schwartz, Dylan Siegman, David Silberman, Cantor Vadim Tunitsky, and Gay Yellen.
Local Author Workshop Sunday, October 26 | 3:00 PM | FREE
Jewish Book Council Author, Pam Jenoff will join us by Skype to speak on promoting your book and will provide insight into the publishing world. Pam is the author of The Ambassador’s Daughter (JBAF 2013), The Kommandant's Girl, and The Diplomat's Wife. Photo Credit: Dominic Episcopo
8:00 PM | Community Read: Tova Mirvis Visible City Visible City is an intimate and provocative novel about three couples whose paths intersect in their New York City neighborhood, forcing them all to weigh the comfort of stability against the costs of change. Their lives are masterfully woven together through random encounters and circumstances: twenty-somethings unsure about commitments they haven’t yet made; thirty-somethings
Photo Credit: unsure about the ones they have; and sixty-somethings Nina Subin whose empty nest causes much doubt. Tova Mirvis’ novel, The Ladies Auxiliary, was a national bestseller (JBAF 1999). She is Scholar in Residence at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and Visiting Scholar at The Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center. Her work has been heard on NPR and published in numerous journals. “Written with passion and unflinching honesty...” – Joshua Henkin, author of The World Without You
Whether you are in a book club, part of an organization or a fellow book lover, make this year’s Community Read your choice this fall! Books on sale now! Purchase your book at the J and receive FREE entry to Tova Mirvis’ program. Join the discussion online at facebook.com/groups/notthelastword/.
14 WEDNESDAY, November 12
6:00 PM | Lori Rotskoff When We Were Free to Be: Looking Back at a Children’s Classic and the Difference it Made IN COLLABORATION WITH RICE UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY
ALTERNATE LOCATION Rice University | 6100 Main St. | McMurtry Auditorium, Duncan Hall
Debuting in 1972, Free To Be…You and Me was a groundbreaking children's record, book and television special that captured the spirit of the growing women's movement, inspiring girls and boys to challenge stereotypes, value cooperation and respect diversity. Featuring a prologue by Marlo Thomas, When We Were Free to Be gives an unprecedented insiders' account by the creators, activists and educators who changed the landscape of childhood, while addressing how Free to Be still speaks to families today. Lori Rotskoff teaches at the Barnard Center for Research on Women and is the author of Love on the Rocks: Men, Women, and Alcohol in Post-World War Two America.
Patron Sponsors: Sherry and Gerald Merfish Leah Stolar 6:15 PM | Gidi Grinstein Flexigidity: The Secret of Jewish Adaptability Emphasizing the last 130 years of transformations—the result of the repetitive disasters in Europe, and the dramatic successes of Zionism and Americanism— the author demonstrates the existing and necessary interconnectedness of all factions of the Jewish people. He explains that "adaptability is as much about flexibility as it is about rigidity," and that flexigidity is the "hybrid that communities create in order to ensure their survival, security, prosperity and leadership." Gidi Grinstein is the Founder and President of The Reut Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit policy-group based in Tel Aviv. “Innovative…wonderful, mind-expanding work…” – Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Patron Sponsors: Wendy and Steven Lerman 8:00 PM | Everett Fox The Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings The stories of the early prophets are deeply etched into Western culture because of their ability to beautifully encapsulate the human experience. They encompass tribal rivalries, dramatic changes in leadership and the intrusions of empires through the prism of a Divine-human relationship. This landmark translation re-creates the allusions, alliterations and wordplays of the Hebrew original text meant to be studied and read aloud. Everett Fox is a professor in the Department of Language, Literature, and Culture at Clark University and holds the Allen M. Glick Chair in Judaic
Photo credit: and Biblical Studies. He is the translator of many biblical and scholarly essays. Zvi Jalfin Photography
Free Live Streaming available for this program at houstonjewishlive.com
15 THURSDAY, November 13
11:00 AM | Laura Silver Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food ALTERNATE LOCATION Kenny & Ziggy’s | 2327 Post Oak Blvd.
After her favorite knish shop went out of business in Brooklyn, Laura Silver embarked on a round-the-world quest for the origins and modern-day manifestations of the knish. In a series of funny, moving and touching episodes, Silver takes us on a knish-eye tour of worlds past and present, laying the foundation for a global knish renaissance. Silver teaches in the Department of Food
Photo Credit: Joan Roth Studies at the New School. An award-winning journalist, her writings appear in journals and on NPR. She is the world’s leading expert on the knish. “Knishes haven’t met anything this good for them since the invention of mustard.” – David Sax, author of Save the Deli
Advance Purchase required by Nov. 10 | Knish and coffee included
5:00 PM | FILM Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent Directed by Rachel Fisher USA, 2014, 57 min | English, Documentary
In 1930s Berlin, as the civil rights of Jews were systematically stripped away, a young rabbi continued to preach the values of Judaism. Expelled from Germany in 1937, Joachim Prinz arrived in America, where he soon realized bigotry was the reality. As a rabbi in New Jersey and President of the American Jewish Congress, Prinz was a prominent organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. He famously declared “the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.” Throughout his career, Prinz spoke out for justice. “For the sake of Zion, I shall not be silent.” – Joachim Prinz
16 FRIDAY, November 14
1:00 PM | FILM The Outrageous Sophie Tucker Directed by William Gazecki | USA, 2014, 96 min | English, Documentary
Before Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Midler, Madonna and Lady Gaga, Sophie Tucker was the first woman to infatuate her audiences with a bold, bawdy, and brassy style unlike any other previous performer. Using "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas” re-discovered personal scrapbooks, producers Susan and Lloyd Ecker take you on their seven year journey retracing Tucker's 60-year show business career, focusing on the tumultuous early days of this iconic vaudeville superstar who ruled the 1920s Flapper Era in the United States. “Must see for anybody looking for the secret to getting ahead in life.” – Toronto Film Scene Lunch and a Movie for Adults 60+ | Shabbat Lunch at Noon $8 Member | $12 Public | Prices include film and lunch RSVP to Esther Bethke by Nov. 12 | 713.595.8186.
Patron Sponsors: Vicky and Michael Richker
SATURDAY, November 15
7:30 PM | CONCERT Yemen Blues MAURICE AMADO FOUNDATION MUSIC RESIDENCY AND CONCERT IN COOPERATION WITH MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE
ALTERNATE LOCATION Miller Outdoor Theatre | 6000 Hermann Park Dr.
Passionate and magnetic Yemeni-born Israeli singer Ravid Kahalani leads a roaring group of improvising brass, string and percussion musicians, creating intoxicating music that merges West African rhythms and ancient Jewish Yemenite melodies, mambo and funk. The group has been making huge waves, appearing in Paste Magazine’s list of 10 International Acts to Watch and performing a captivating, star-making set at globalFEST, America’s most prestigious world music festival. With musicians hailing from Israel, Finland, Uruguay and the U.S., Yemen Blues captures a myriad of global influences, blending them into a highly danceable, soulful and raucous stew. "Quite simply, it’s one of the most exciting bands in world music right now.” – Time Out Chicago
Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation
For each $20 tax-deductible donation to the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC, we will set aside one assigned seat under the covered pavilion so you can enjoy the show and experience firsthand how your generosity makes the music happen. No tickets? Bring a cozy blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the show from the Miller Outdoor Theatre lawn, the perfect place for a picnic and a show! 17 SUNDAY, November 16
Culinary Double Header 11:00 AM | Alice Medrich 12:15 PM | David Tanis Flavor Flours One Good Dish: In this groundbreaking The Pleasures of a Simple Meal new work, beloved Whether it’s pasta at dessert queen Alice midnight or beans Medrich applies her for breakfast, here baking precision and are 100 simple and impeccable palate to delicious recipes, Photo Credit: Deborah Jones flavor flours, a term she epitomizing David coined for flours that Photo Credit: Tanis’s sophisticated Andrea Gentl don’t simply add starch and structure to baked goods (as is but reassuringly the case with wheat flour), but also add an extra dimension of manageable approach to everyday eating. Tanis has flavor. The 125 (gluten-free!) recipes elevate classic desserts presided over kitchens in Santa Fe and Paris and is perhaps to new heights. Winner of multiple James Beard Foundation best known for his 25 years as chef at Chez Panisse in and IACP cookbook awards, Medrich is known as the “queen Berkeley, California. He writes the weekly City Kitchen of chocolate” in part for introducing chocolate truffles to column for The New York Times and has authored three America. “Each page tempts with a delicious, new discovery.” cookbooks: A Platter of Figs, Heart of the Artichoke and One —David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen Good Dish. “Trust David Tanis to keep it real…The oeuvre [of One Good Dish] is modern and American, unfussy and charming.” —Washington Post
Patron Sponsors: Elli and Tom Samuels
2:00 PM | Zeruya Shalev 4:00 PM | Film The Remains of Love Glickman AUDIENCE CHOICE WINNER, Nearing the end 2014 HOUSTON JEWISH FILM of her life, Hemda FESTIVAL Horovitz’s memories flood her thoughts: Directed by James L. Freedman her childhood in the USA, 2012, 83 min kibbutz spent under English, Documentary the gaze of her stern, Marty Glickman (JBAF 1996) spent his career calling games pioneer father; the for the New York Knicks, Giants, Jets and other teams. In lake which was her only solace; her two children—one she a Hall of Fame career that spanned over fifty years, Marty could never love enough, the other whom she loved too became a broadcasting institution. Prior to his sports- much. The Remains of Love is an electrifying meditation casting career, however, Marty was a record-setting sprinter, on modern Israel and a profound exploration of family, dropped from the American relay team at the 1936 Berlin yearning, compromise and the pull of the past. Lauded Olympics to appease Hitler. This fascinating documentary Israeli author Zeruya Shalev, now living in Jerusalem, was tells the story of the travesty of the 1936 Olympics and born at Kibbutz Kinneret. Her books have been translated the remarkable career which followed. The film includes into twenty-five languages. “Acute and profound…powerful appearances by fellow Olympian runner and WWII P.O.W., novel…” – Amos Oz Louis Zamperini; Larry King; Jerry Stiller; Bob Costas and Patron Sponsors: Iris and Uriel Mushin Marv Albert. 18 SUNDAY, November 16
Photo credit: Sharon Bareket
CLOSING NIGHT 7:30 PM | Ari Shavit My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel Ari Shavit, one of the most influential journalists writing about the Middle East today, discusses his authoritative and deeply personal history of Israel. Facing unprecedented internal and external pressures, Israel is at a moment of existential crisis. In My Promised Land, the author captures this essence with feeling, foreboding and ratiocination. Drawing on interviews, historical documents, private diaries, and letters, as well as his family’s story, Shavit illuminates the pivotal moments of the Zionist century in a riveting narrative, both personal and national. Following his military service as a paratrooper in the IDF, Shavit studied philosophy at the Hebrew University. He currently serves on the editorial board of Haaretz and is a leading commentator on Israeli public television. “The book…has the capacity to reinvent…the…conversation about how Israel’s complex past ought to shape its still-uncertain future.” –Daniel Gordis
Supported by: World Affairs Council of Houston Micki and Uzi Halevy & Louise and Sherwin Kershman z"l
Patron Sponsors: Maida and Paul Asofsky Lorraine and Sid Brown Eve and Bobby Lapin Bunny and Perry Radoff 19 SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE
Member | Public Date Time Program Price OPENING NIGHT Saturday, Nov. 1 8:00 PM Alan Zweibel: Laughing at Me: Rebounding from the FREE “Misses” Sandwiched Between the Hits
Roberta Newman: Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl: Yiddish 11:00 AM $10 | $15 Letter Manuals from Russia and America
Gary Rosenblatt: Between the Lines: Reflections on 2:00 PM $10 | $15 Sunday, Nov. 2 the American Jewish Experience
4:00 PM FILM: Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story $8 | $10
7:30 PM Ofir Touché Gafla: The World of the End $10 | $15
6:15 PM Sheana Ochoa: Stella! Mother of Modern Acting $10 | $15
Monday, Nov. 3 Joel M. Hoffman: The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor: 8:00 PM $10 | $15 The Holy Scriptures Missing from Your Bible ◊
Ruchama King Feuerman: In the Courtyard of the 10:00 AM $10 | $15 Kabbalist *
Rebecca Alexander: Not Fade Away: A Memoir of Tuesday, Nov. 4 6:15 PM $10 | $15 Senses Lost and Found
Samantha Baskind: Jewish Artists and the Bible in 8:00 PM $10 | $15 Twentieth-Century America
BOOK LOVERS LUNCH 12:00 PM Jessica Soffer: Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots $25 Lunch and a Book + ° Nomi Eve: Henna House
Wednesday, Nov. 5 Oliver Horovitz: An American Caddie in St. Andrews: 6:15 PM $10 | $15 Growing Up, Girls, and Looping on the Old Course
Liel Leibovitz: A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, 8:00 PM $10 | $15 Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen
MELTON LUNCH & LEARN $10 | $15 12:00 PM Rabbi Edward Feinstein: The Chutzpah Imperative: (Lunch $10) Empowering Today’s Jews for a Life That Matters *
6:15 PM Nora Gold: Fields of Exile $10 | $15
$10 | $15 Rabbi Edward Feinstein: The Chutzpah Imperative: Thursday, Nov. 6 7:30 PM ($36 For Book and Empowering Today’s Jews for a Life That Matters * Reserved Seating) +
GET CULTURED Exclusively for Ages 21–Thirty-Something 8:00 PM FREE (Includes book) David Sax: The Tastemakers: Why We’re Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up with Fondue
Joan Alexander: Writing Your Own History Friday, Nov. 7 12:30 PM FREE A Wise Woman with a Dancing Girl Inside
6:00 PM & Saturday, Nov. 8 THEATRE: Kaddish $15 | $20 ° 9:00 PM 20 SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE
9:00 AM– Oliver Lapin Family Day FREE (excluding concert) 12:00 PM
Individual: $8 | $12 10:15 AM CONCERT: Josh and the Jamtones Families 5+: $6 | $9 Sunday, Nov. 9 2:00 PM FILM: Fiddler on the Roof Sing-along FREE
Joseph Telushkin: Rebbe: The Life and Teachings 7:30 PM of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential $10 | $15 Rabbi in Modern History
Carla Naumburg: Parenting in the Present Moment: 7:30 PM $10 | $15 How to Stay Focused on What Really Matters Monday, Nov. 10 Stephen D. Smith: Testimony: The Legacy of 8:00 PM $10 | $15 Schindler’s List and the USC Shoah Foundation ◊
6:15 PM LOCAL LITERATI FREE
Tuesday, Nov. 11 COMMUNITY READ 8:00 PM $10 | $15 Tova Mirvis: Visible City
Lori Rotskoff: When We Were Free to Be: 6:00 PM Looking Back at a Children’s Classic and the FREE Difference it Made *
Gidi Grinstein: Flexigidity: Wednesday, Nov. 12 6:15 PM $10 | $15 The Secret of Jewish Adaptability
Everett Fox: The Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, 8:00 PM $10 | $15 Samuel, and Kings ◊
Laura Silver: Knish: 11:00 AM $10 | $15 + Thursday, Nov. 13 In Search of the Jewish Soul Food * 5:00 PM FILM: Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not be Silent $5
$8 | $10; Friday, Nov. 14 1:00 PM FILM: The Outrageous Sophie Tucker Lunch and Film: $8 | $12
$20 Donation for Saturday, Nov. 15 7:30 PM CONCERT: Yemen Blues * Assigned Seat or FREE on the Lawn
CULINARY DOUBLE HEADER 11:00 AM Alice Medrich: Flavor Flours $10 | $15 12:15 PM David Tanis: One Good Dish: The Pleasures of a Simple Meal
Sunday, Nov. 16 2:00 PM Zeruya Shalev: The Remains of Love $10 | $15 4:00 PM FILM: Glickman $8 | $10
CLOSING NIGHT 7:30 PM Ari Shavit: My Promised Land: The Triumph and $10 | $15 Tragedy of Israel
Due to circumstances beyond our control, programs are subject to change. * ALTERNATE LOCATION ° Not included in Series Pass Event takes place at an alternate location. + Advanced Purchase required Please see full listing for address ◊ Live Streaming Available 21 THANKS & RECOGNITION
2014 ANN AND STEPHEN KAUFMAN JEWISH BOOK & ARTS FAIR STEERING COMMITTEE
CHAIR CO-CHAIR Maxine Goodman Elli Samuels
BOOKSTORE SET UP/STRIKE BOOKSTORE VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY READ MUSIC Ed Chaika MANAGERS Leah Gross Adrianne Lavis Ray Eagle Linda Chess Nada Chandler Bonnie Edelstein Carol Emery Rachel Gutow-Ellis OLIVER LAPIN FAMILY DAY George Engelhart Ellen Gaber Barbara Marcus Sallye Wolf Fred Floersheimer Ann Glazier Robyn Shkolnick Peter Gingiss Sandy Gomel PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIRS Mac Katzin Robin Greenspan FILM Janice Berg Jennifer Kushner Louise Kershman Helen Wils Samantha Melman Lila Lerner Beulah Maltz John Dreyfus Ira Levine Claire Noll THEATRE Marge Mayer Sheila Sack INSIDE THE AUTHOR’S STUDIO Maida Asofsky Debi Mishael Carol Sternberg Lindsey Fox Blanche Roubein Beverly Sufian Lauren Fox Sancton VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Eden Wenig Ronda Feinberg BROCHURE LOCAL LITERATI Dorothy Slotnick Swann Gerald Blumenthal WEST HOUSTON PROGRAM Aaron Howard Diane Statham
Bookstore design by Shayna Finn
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC
ARTS & CULTURE PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT JEWISH LIVING & LEARNING STEERING COMMITTEE Bobbi Samuels Joel Dinkin COMMITTEE Deborah Kaplan Wendy Lerman
ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE PROGRAM COORDINATOR ARTS & CULTURE ASSISTANT BOOKSTORE MANAGER DIRECTOR Amy Rahmani Judy Weil Barbara Lindenberg Marilyn Hassid
CJLL DIRECTOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PROGRAM DANCE DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT Rabbi Jill Levy CJLL COORDINATOR Maxine Silberstein ASSOCIATE/ARTS & Rabbi Samantha Safran Nomi Barancik CULTURE Lena Lieb
CHIEF MARKETING DIRECTOR OF ONLINE MARKETING GRAPHIC DESIGNERS PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER MARKETING MANAGER Natalie Ferguson COORDINATOR Jason Dobrolecki Renee Harris Daryl Freedman Lorraine Okun Nogee Michelle Groogan
EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE THEATRE TECHNICIANS ASSISTANT Jerry Lynch Melanie Beltram Lee Snyder
22 THANKS & RECOGNITION
FUNDERS AND SUPPORTERS Underwritten by the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation Supported by the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patrons of the Arts
Solid version for use on colored backgrounds Official Hotel of the ERJCC
MEDIA SPONSORS
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
AIPAC – American Israel Public Affairs Committee ESCAPE Family Resource Center Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Hebrew Speakers Professional Organization Bureau of Jewish Education/ Holocaust Museum Houston Jewish Federation of Greater Houston Houston Chapter of Hadassah Business and Professional Women’s Breakfast Club Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism B&P Breakfast Club Connections Jewish Family Service Chabad Lubavitch Centers of Houston Jewish Feminist Reading Group Congregation Beth Israel National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood Sisterhood of Congregation Brith Shalom Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood Temple Sinai Congregation Emanu El-Houston Sisterhood United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston Congregation Or Ami West Houston Lodge of B’nai B’rith Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest
HOURS DURING BOOK & ARTS FAIR Mon-Thurs: 9:00 AM–8:00 PM Friday: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
23 ARTS & CULTURE
Dance Music
An Evening of Dance and Photography Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel Featuring Koresh Dance Company and $25 Each | $60 for the Series of Three The Jews of Yemen Photography Exhibit Primarily a concert with each work performed in its Saturday, October 25 | 8:00 PM entirety, Keyboard Conversations® are concerts with $18 Member | $25 Public commentary. Jeffrey Siegel speaks briefly and informally $13 Students and Senior Adults before performing each composition, making the music Philadelphia’s Koresh Dance Company more accessible and the listening experience more returns to the Kaplan Theatre for a focused and meaningful. The programs were selected to special one night performance. The pair with the Houston Symphony 2014–2015 Season. curtain raises to the full 10-member Presented by the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC in cooperation with the Koresh Dance Company clad in white Houston Symphony. for the celebratory work, “Come Together,” that channels Roni Koresh’s The Power and Passion of Beethoven Photo Credit: Sunday, October 12 | 4:00 PM Frank Bicking Yemenite roots to the music of the Idan Raichel Project. Following The Romanticism of the Russian Soul: the performance, join us in the Deutser Art Gallery for Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich the opening of Naftali Hilger’s The Jews of Yemen. In Sunday, December 14 | 4:00 PM highlighting Roni Koresh’s Yemenite roots through dance and Naftali Hilger’s The Jews of Yemen photographs, we Great Jewish Composers bring together a dynamic evening of these two art forms. Sunday, March 1 | 4:00 PM For tickets and information, visit erjcchouston.org or call 713.551.7255. Deutser Art Gallery
Scriptures in Pictures: The D’rash Design Project by Christina Mattison August 15–October 21 The D’rash Design Project is an ongoing visual study and exploration of Jewish scriptures that uses art as a means of interpretation, expression and learning. Christina Mattison set out to create an original piece of artwork each week based on the corresponding Torah portion, haftarah portion or Jewish holiday, with a brief written description accompanying each piece.
The Jews of Yemen: Photographs by Naftali Hilger October 23–December 1 Israeli photojournalist Naftali Hilger’s breathtaking photos of Yemen reveal a nation and a landscape lost in time. His intimate portraits of the isolated Jewish communities of Yemen, taken over a period of 20 years will be on display during the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Fair. The exhibit opens with a performance by Koresh Dance Company on October 25 as the Artistic Director, Roni Koresh, channels his Yemenite roots.
Supported by the Rosita and Albert Gaon Sephardic Heritage Program Endowment Fund
Modern Ketubah Art: A Contemporary Twist on a Timeless Tradition By Anna Abramzon December 5–January 19 This is an exhibit by local artist, Anna Abramzon, who combines her classical training, love of figurative art and Jewish traditions to create modern, whimsical ketubahs with an urban twist. The artwork captures the spirit and beauty of traditional Judaica, while combining it with a fresh, contemporary perspective. Each ketubah aims to illustrate the 24 love, passion, and magic of two people choosing to spend their life together. L’Chaim! CENTER FOR JEWISH LIVING AND LEARNING
Jewish Learning
Iraq N’ Roll Lecturer: Rice University Postdoctoral Fellow Yehuda Sharim Wednesday, October 29 | 7:00 PM–8:30 PM $7 Member | $10 Public This program features the English-subtitled documentary film Iraq N’ Roll (by Gili Gaon) with pre and post-film discussion. The movie follows popular contemporary Israeli rock musician Dudu Tassa as he embarks on a deeply personal journey to reconnect with the musical legacy of his grandfather, Daud al-Kuwaity. This class Iraq N’ Roll is in conjunction with our opening week of events for The Jews of Yemen exhibit.
Melton School Classes Jewish Learning For The Head And The Heart A PROJECT OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM Houston’s Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning invites you to explore the texts of Jewish tradition—ancient and contemporary—and gain a profound understanding of your Jewish heritage. New Melton learners may enroll in our Core program at one of three locations: the Weingarten Building, the J in West Houston, or Robert M. Beren Academy. Seasoned Melton learners may enroll in our Scholars program—which offers in-depth semester long courses on particular Jewish subjects. Registration is now open for spring classes. We look forward to learning with you!
Scholar in Residence Josh Lambert January 10–13 CJLL Welcomes Scholar Josh Lambert for four days of living and learning about Jewish comedy. The event will kick off on Saturday night with a special program, Cocktails & Comedy. Other program highlights will include lectures on the evolution of Jewish comedy from the Bible to America. Lambert is a Tablet Magazine contributing editor and comedy columnist, director of the Yiddish Book Center, Visiting Assistant Professor of English at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and author most recently of Unclean Lips: Obscenity, Judaism, and American Culture.
Saturday, January 10 | 7:00–9:00 PM Tuesday, January 13 | 6:00–6:45 PM Cocktails & Comedy Dinner with Melton School Text Discussion: “Jews Encounter Modernity, Laughing” Sunday, January 11 | 4:00 PM-5:30 PM Lecture/Discussion: “The Roots of Jewish Humor” Tuesday, January 13 | 7:30 PM Young Adult Comedy Show Monday, January 12 | 7:30 PM-9:00 PM Lecture/Discussion: “Laughing at Jews in America”
From Torah to Table: The Ethics of Jewish Eating | Spring 2015
Jewish culture and tradition are inextricably linked to food. Whether we are reciting a blessing, preparing a holiday meal or debating the ethics of organic versus conventional produce, the Jewish people are constantly engaging with what we eat. But what does it really mean to eat Jewishly? How can Jewish values inform and enhance our dietary choices and practices, our health and our contemporary ideas around the social and economic justice of the food industry? This series will explore the historic and modern trends of a food-centric people with deep agricultural roots.
For more information, contact Nomi Barancik at [email protected] or call 713.729.3200, ext. 3288.
25 LIFELONG LEARNING
Symposium
Bayou City Blues Learn with the Consulate Tuesdays | October 7, 14, 21, 28 Wednesdays | October 8, 15, 22, 29 10:00 AM–11:00 AM 10:00 AM–11:00 AM In the clubs, ballrooms, Four local consulate and barbecue joints of offices have been neighborhoods such as invited to speak about Third Ward, Frenchtown, their country. Learn Sunnyside, and Double about each country’s Bayou, Houston’s economic, scientific and African American cultural achievements, community birthed a the foreign and trade vibrant and unique slice of the blues. Ranging from the policies and challenges facing the country. down-home sounds of Lightnin’ Hopkins to the more Facilitators: refined orchestrations of the Duke-Peacock recording • Andrew Millar, Consul General of the British Consulate General of empire and beyond, Houston blues was and is the voice Houston of a working-class community. Enjoy the opportunity to • Surijo Seam, Consul General of the French Consulate in Houston learn about the Houston blues history and about the • Ferhat Alkan, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Houston connections between the cultural phenomenon and local Jewish history. “Burning” Political Issues Facilitator: Roger Wood, author of Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues and Wednesdays | October 8, 15, 22, 29 retired professor of English 11:30 AM–12:30 PM Jewish Television Regardless of whether it Tuesdays | October 7, 14, 21, 28 is an election year there 11:30 AM–12:30 PM are always “burning” political issues that are In this “series” we will impacting our city and watch and discuss state. There won’t be episodes from a wide a boring moment over variety of popular this four week course. television shows that address the Topics and Facilitators: • Reorganization of the HPD Crime Lab with Scott Hochberg, retired Friends, “The One with the Holiday Armadillo” contemporary Jewish experience. We will talk State Representative about which elements are grounded in reality and which • Local Politics with Aaron Wische, Executive Producer, Special Projects at KPRC-TV are blatant (and somewhat disturbing) stereotypes and then consider how these shows may add to our own • Conditions Along the Border with Terri Burke, Executive Director of ACLU of Texas religious journeys. • Political Affairs and Public Policy with David Jones and Gary Polland, the Facilitator: Rabbi Jill Levy, Director of the Center for Jewish Living and hosts of the HoustonPBS political affairs program, Red, White and Blue Learning at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center
If you register for more than one Symposium course, you will receive a $10 discount on each additional course. To receive a multiple course discount contact Esther Bethke at 713.595.8186. 1 Course: $28 Member / $40 Public | 2 Courses: $46 Member / $70 Public 3 Courses: $64 Member / $100 Public | 4 Courses: $82 Member / $130 Public
26 FAMILY
Righteous Holidays Sundays | October 12th, February 1st, and May 17th 1:00 - 3:00 PM Join other families with children ages 6-10 for community service projects around Houston connected to the Jewish holidays. Learn how these holidays can teach us to become socially responsible citizens, and have fun in the process! All programs are FREE but pre-registration is required.
Winter Break Bash Making Magic at the J with Benjamin Corey Thursday, December 25 | 10:00 AM Member: $8 Individual | $30 Family | Public: $10 Individual Benjamin Corey $35 Family Instead of being bored at home on December 25 head on out to the J with your kids for an amazing magical performance. Benjamin Corey will awe the crowd and enthrall every member of the audience, both young and old. He is an interactive, funny and extremely skilled professional you won’t want to miss! Join us for crafts and games after the show.
Patron Sponsors: Mady and Ken Kades
For more information, please contact Nomi Barancik at 713.729.3200 ext. 3288 or [email protected].
Mishpacha & Me Celebrate Judaism through creative and fun family activities all over town! This program is specifically designed for Jewish families with children ages 0-5.
Sukkah Hop Monday, October 13 | 4:00 PM–6:00 PM RSVP for the address Join other young families for a Sukkah Festival with crafts, pizza, storytime and music in three different sukkahs in short walking distance of one another.
Thanksgiving Tzedakah with Meals on Wheels Sunday, November 16 | 10:00 AM–11:00 AM Weingarten Building Teach your children the importance of tzedakah by preparing and delivering a special meal and gift basket for a senior.
How to Build a Hanukkiah Sunday, November 30 | 10:30 AM–12:00 PM Weingarten Building Using supplies from the hardware and craft store, build your own hanukkiah to use this year and forever.
For more information, please contact Anna Abramzon at [email protected] or call 713.729.3200.
27 Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston 5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096-3907 Nonprofit Org . 713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org U.S. Postage PAID Houston, Texas Permit No. 6217
The Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Fair 42 Years of Authors, Music & Films | NOVEMBER 1-16, 2014
Underwritten by the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation
OPENING NIGHT Saturday, November 1 | 8:00 PM Alan Zweibel Laughing at Me: Rebounding from the “Misses” Sandwiched Between the Hits FREE EVENT Award-winning Alan Zweibel’s comedy writing and signature offbeat humor have delighted millions.
CLOSING NIGHT Sunday, November 16 | 7:30 PM Ari Shavit My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel Ari Shavit, one of the most influential journalists writing about the Middle East today, discusses his authoritative and deeply personal history of Israel. erjcchouston.org/bookfair