Something new is coming this March…
Instead of a single scholar in residence, the Jewish Education and Enlightenment Program will feature three stimulating speakers exploring the worlds of modern Israel; medieval Spain, Egypt and Palestine; and twentieth century Italy.
SIGN UP FOR SHABBAT DINNER AND/OR LUNCH ON SATURDAY HERE.
Friday night, March 11 begins with Shabbat dinner at 6:00 pm, followed by a Shabbat service with presentation by Olga Markus. “My Israel: A Land of Miracles, Inspiration and Complexity”.
Ms. Markus holds a M.A. in Russian Language and Literature, from Kiev State Pedagogical University, an advanced diploma in Jewish Education and an M.A. in Religious Education from the University of London,and currently works at the Council of Jewish Emigre Community Organizations (COJECO) the central hub for the Russian-speaking Jewish community of New York.
Saturday morning, March 12, 2016, a presentation by Liran Yadgar at 10:30, followed by a dairy luncheon at noon.
“The Jewish Game of Hearts” Judah HaLevi’s Voyage from Spain to the Holy Land
Liran Yadgar received his BA and MA from Tel Aviv University, and is a post graduate teaching fellow in the Judaic Studies Program at Yale University, and a Ph.D. Candidate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. He will discuss, through a study of the poet’s letters and verse, the decision of the great poet and philosopher, Judah HaLevi to leave the Islamic west and emigrate to Palestine during the twelfth century. Following the route of Judah HaLevi’s travels in the Mediterranean will allow us to learn of Jewish life between the Islamic rule in Spain and Egypt and the Crusader holdings in Palestine.
Sunday morning, March 13, 2016, bagel brunch at 10:00, followed by Dr. Philip Balma’s presentation at 10:30.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Italian Jews in Mussolini’s Film Industry (and Beyond)
Dr. Balma received his MA and Ph.D. at Indiana University, Bloomington, and serves as Chair of Italian Studies and Associate Professor of Italian Literary and Cultural Studies, Co-chair of Film Studies and is an affiliated member of the Judaic Studies faculty at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He is the author of Edith Bruck in the Mirror: Fictional Transitions and Cinematic Narratives (Purdue University Press, 2014), a study of the novelist and director considered to be the most important Jewish writer addressing the Holocaust in contemporary Italy. Dr. Balma will address the complex, troubled, and seldom studied history of Jewish artists in the Italian film industry, from the Fascist period and the Anti-Semitic Race Laws up to and including current day Italy.
Join us for what is always an enjoyable and educational weekend of learning, food and fellowship at TE