If the Jewish Museum's permanent exhibit and The Derfner Judaica Museum have whetted your appetite for Jewish ritual art you'll want to see Tobi Kahn: Sacred Spaces for the 21st Century an exhibition of 30 recent paintings, sculptures and objects by the noted New York artist at The Museum of Biblical Art that opens today October 16, 2009 and continues to January 24, 2010. 
Kahn's Shalom Bat Chairs, designed for baby naming ceremonies, is an example of his ritual art objects. Kahn himself is named for a relative who perished in the Shoah and as an observant Jew designs objects he intends to use in his own observance and that of the community. The title Sacred Space refers to a Milwaukee synagogue interior Kahn designed that is part of this exhibition. The Museum of Biblical Art is located at 1865 Broadway at 61st Street in Manhattan and is open every day except Mondays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and stays open to 8:00 PM on Thursdays.
After the Kahn opening this afternoon and early evening head downtown to Honey bar and restaurant at 243 West 14th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues for The New Shul's Shabbat on Tap at 7:00 PM. 
From the New Shul's website: It's Friday night and the weekend has begun. So has Shabbat, the original way to "kiss the week goodbye!" If discussing the big questions over a cold one sounds like your kind of spiritual experience (pun intended), bring your friends and join us and The New Shul's Rabbi Dan Ain as we search for the Sabbath at Honey Bar in the West Village. And the beer is on us!
On Wednesday October 21, 2009 there will be a fundraising benefit screening of Lacey Schwartz's autobiographical documentary film Outside The Box at the home of Michael and Lisa Cleff Kurz's penthouse apartment at 10 east 14th Street, buzzer #7, in Manhattan. Tickets start at $100 (it's a fundraiser!). 
From the website: Lacey Schwartz thought she knew who she was. Then she learned differently. At 18 she discovered that her biological father was not the White man who raised her but a Black man her mother had an affair with. Suddenly Lacey’s White Jewish upbringing didn’t tell the whole story. Ten years after finding out that she is half-Black, filmmaker Lacey Schwartz sets out to connect the seemingly disparate pieces of her identity - even if not everyone is ready to acknowledge that diversity. “Outside the Box” is a documentary about one woman's quest to face the truth, and to see if she can get others to face it with her. At its core, it is a journey of self-discovery about how to uncover family secrets, what it means to be Black and Jewish in America, and how to reconcile those two separate identities. Click to view a trailer.
nextbook press presents Jewish Body Week, a series of events for all ages that will include dance, art, food, and conversation at a variety of cultural institutions in New York, Washington and San Francisco from Sunday October 18 to Sunday October 25. I will highlight some of the New York events.
EveryBody Extravaganza – Jewish Body Week Kickoff Event
You will not want to miss this free daylong event celebrating the body. Enliven your soul with dance performances by LeeSaar The Company and others, energize your body with participatory fitness events like Yoga and Nia, and expand your mind with great talks by Melvin Konner, author of The Jewish Body as well as artists and body practitioners. The morning will begin with two hours of kids programming, while the afternoon will be geared for adults.
Location: JCC in Manhattan: 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St., www.jccmanhattan.org
Time: 11AM-4PM
Price: Free
Awesome is Over: A Sukkes Midrash in Mad Motion!!
Experience blow-your-mind-beauty and pageantry as Jenny Romaine, the Sukkes Mob, the Wollesonic Laboratories and an army of chandeliers, lead an ethnographically surreal tour of the senses, featuring Jessica Lurie and Great Small Works. Expand your dynamic possibilities for the new year.
Location: Workmen’s Circle Building: 45 East 33rd St. at Park Ave., www.circle.org
Time: 3PM
Price: $8 suggested donation
Body and Soul Walking Tour of the Lower East Side
Before online dating, there were love letters, matchmakers, and elaborate courtship rituals. Trace the footsteps of Jewish immigrants to the Lower East Side as they met, mingled, and sometimes married. Visit the department stores and lingerie shops where they shopped and primped for dates; dance halls and cafes where romance bloomed; and political halls where ideological friends and foes found their soul mates. The tour includes a trip to a historic mikvah. (Photo: Kate Milford)
Location: Eldridge Street Synagogue: 12 Eldridge St., www.eldridgestreet.org
Time: 2PM
Price: $15
What the Body Needs: Interactive Exhibits and Art Workshop
Take a guided tour of the interactive exhibition From Tent to Temple: Life in the Ancient Near East and participate in a discussion about human needs and survival along with hands-on experiences: grind wheat, hunt and fish for food, and explore bartering, ancient farming, and food preparation. Create bodysize drawings and collages and attend an interactive panel about healthy foods. Open to children 5 -12 and accompanying adults.
Location: Children’s Galleries for Jewish Culture: 515 West 20th St., www.cgjc.org
Time: Session A: 11AM – 1PM; Session B: 2 – 4PM
Price: $8; Free for CGJC members
The Body Symposium:
Melvin Konner, Gabriel Sanders, LABALMA faculty, and the LABALMA Body exhibition
Join us for a conversation between Gabriel Sanders, Deputy Editor of Nextbook’s Tablet Magazine, and Melvin Konner, author of The Jewish Body, part of Nextbook’s Jewish Encounters book series. Konner covers everything from sex and nose jobs to circumcision and menstruation, and even Jewish genes, with a grand historical and philosophical sweep. The Body Symposium also includes a lively round table discussion addressing aspects of the Jewish Body and the Israeli Body as seen by contemporary artists through Jewish text and contemporary art. Panelists include: Stephen Hazan Arnoff, Executive Director of the 14th Street Y and Founder of LABA: The National Laboratory for New Jewish Culture; Dr. Ruth Calderon, Founder and Chair of Alma Home for Hebrew Culture; Ruby Namdar, Writer, Jewish Text Teacher. Followed by a gallery reception and Jewish Body book and LABALMA Body Catalog signing.
The LABALMA Body project is an artistic exploration of the Body in relation to Jewish Text and Contemporary Culture and is a collaboration of artists from LABA and Alma. The LABALMA Body exhibition features new work in various mediums including photography, video, painting, and drawing. It asks to capture how the body can be interpreted on an axis that combines contemporary and ancient perspectives, everyday experience and the spiritual/ritual realm. It seeks to trace the role place plays in the expression (or equation) of the Body. The exhibit is open October 17 – November 17, 2009 from 9AM-6PM at the 14th Street Y. The LABALMA collaboration is supported by a generous grant by the UJA Federation-New York. We extend special thanks to Shma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility for permission to reprint portions of the LABA faculty and artist contributions from its April 2009 issue on the Body. (Photo: Jesse Zaritt)
Location: 14th Street Y: 344 East 14th St. at 1st Ave., www.labalma.org
Time: 4-7PM
Price: Free
Mind-Body Problems: A Conversation About Science, Fiction, and God
What happens when an award-winning novelist and philosopher talks to a Harvard University professor and cognitive neuroscientist about faith, reason, fiction, and God? Find out as Rebecca Goldstein and her husband, Steven Pinker, explore topics at the interface of literature, science, religion, and philosophy. With commentary by Melvin Konner, author of The Jewish Body.
Location: 92nd Street Y: 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd St., www.92y.org
Time: 8:15PM
Price: $27
Mapping: Women, Jewish Mysticism, and the Body
Inspired by the idea of mapping the body within Jewish spirituality, this in-depth workshop integrates creative process, storytelling, ritual and discussion in order to explore the female body and guide you in connecting to your inner wisdom. In this unique art-making experience, you will have the opportunity to create your own “Body Map” using fabric, paint, and a variety of materials in order to visually represent your personal discoveries. For more info visit, bodymapworkshop.org.
Location: Sixth Street Synagogue: 325 East 6th St. at 2nd Ave., eastvillageshul.com
Time: 7:30PM
Price: $15; $12 for synagogue members
Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company in Tribe
A world-premiere performance finds inspiration from Judaism and explores the human body as a source of reflection, strength, humor, and celebration. With original music by Shawn Baltazor and Roxy Coss played live by a jazz quintet and violinist Sarah Geller. Following the performance is a Q&A and workshop with Gwirtzman and dance critic Elizabeth Zimmer. (Photo: Kristen Stilwell)
Location: Museum of Jewish Heritage: 36 Battery Place, www.mjhnyc.org
Time: 7PM
Price: $10, $7 students/seniors, $5 MJH members
Contemporary Israeli Dance and the Reinvention of the Jewish Body
Contemporary dance is one of Israel’s most respected and innovative exports. Under the influence of Ohad Naharin’s signature movement language gaga and the worldwide success of the Batsheva Dance Company, a new generation of Israeli choreographers has been making a name for themselves in the contemporary dance world. Join renowned young companies Deganit Shemy + Company, LeeSaar The Company, and Gallim Dance they share excerpts of their work, discuss their methods and explore the meaning of contemporary movement in relation to historical conceptions of the Jewish Body. Moderated by Elizabeth Zimmer. Presented by the Foundation for Jewish Culture, www.jewishculture.org.
Location: JCC in Manhattan: 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St., www.jccmanhattan.org
Time: 8PM
Price: $10
What Girls Want Their Parents to Understand
Parents of teenage girls will be engaged in a vibrant dialogue during a workshop facilitated by Dr. Beth Cooper Benjamin, Dr. Shira Epstein, Melissa Orshan Spann, and Naomi Less. This singular engagement of parents will give voice to the complex body image issues that their/our daughters face daily, and equip these adults to participate in creating healthy journeys toward strong womanhood. Presented in partnership with the Jewish Theological Seminary, Ma’yan, and Moving Traditions.
Location: JCC in Manhattan: 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St., www.jccmanhattan.org
Time: 7:30-9:30PM
Price: $10
The New Shul’s Spa Shabbat: An Oasis for the Body, Mind, and Spirit
Shabbat, Judaism’s original no-stress zone, is a time for rest and renewal. Join The New Shul for a weekend dedicated to slowing down and appreciating the many blessings that fill our lives. Friday will be a Shabbat Shal-OM meditation experience interwoven with mystical readings for adults and Torah yoga for kids. Followed by challah, wine, and nosh.
www.newshul.org
Location: Yamuna: 132 Perry St.
Time: 6:30PM
Price: Free
The New Shul’s Spa Shabbat: An Oasis for the Body, Mind, and Spirit
The New Shul’s Spa Shabbat continues with workshops all day that include Movement as Prayer, Chinese/Jewish Medicine and Jewromatherapy culminating in a celebratory Aromatherapy Havdalah.
Village Community School (272 West 10th Street), www.newshul.org
Time: 11:30AM-7PM (workshops throughout the day)
Price: $20 New Shul members, $25 non members $25 (“Spa Pass” includes all workshops, snacks, and lunch); $10 New Shul members, $15 non members for individual workshops
The New Shul Presents: The Rebbe’s Table at City Winery’s Klezmer Brunch
Pull up a chair at the most spirited table in town and join us as we tackle the hard questions in an easygoing setting. Discussion led by the New Shul’s Rabbi Dan Ain. www.newshul.org
Location: City Winery: 155 Varick at Vandam, www.citywinery.com
Time: 10AM
Price: $12 New Shul members, $15 non-members (includes a seat at The Rebbe’s Table, music cover charge, coffee/tea and juice; brunch is a la carte)
What the Body Needs: Interactive Exhibits and Art Workshop
Take a guided tour of the interactive exhibition, From Tent to Temple: Life in the Ancient Near East and participate in a discussion about human needs and survival along with hands-on experiences: grind wheat, hunt and fish for food, and explore bartering, ancient farming and food preparation. Create body size drawings and collages and attend an interactive panel about healthy foods. Open to children 5 -12 and accompanying adults.
Location: Children’s Galleries for Jewish Culture: 515 West 20th St., www.cgjc.org
Time: Session A: 11AM–1PM; Session B: 2–4PM
Price: $8 per person; CGJC Members Free
For additional New York Jewish culture events listings scroll part way up or down this page and click on the links in the right margin.
Comments