Tonight only! The TimeKeepers An International Hit! A story about friendship in impossible times. When Hans, an outrageous camp German homosexual, and Benjamin, a conservative elderly Jewish man are thrown into the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, they seem to have little in common, but humor is an exceptional weapon... Suspicion and prejudice will give way to a touching friendship. The production has toured Israel, England, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Greece and Canada to great acclaim and rave reviews for over eight years.

"Very strong performances. ..Not only a good night's entertainment, but a great one" (Irish Theatre Magazine)

For more information: royho@netvision. net.il ; www.royhorovitz. com
Thursday, Apr. 22 - 8:00pm @ The Studio Theatre, Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street (between 9th and 10th Aves.) in Manhattan.

Film Discussion Series @ Brooklyn Heights Synagogue: Israel Talking at the Movies

How are the Jewish challenges of identity, diversity, and responsibility reflected in Israeli films? Israeli cinema is receiving international recognition. Join us to watch entertaining and challenging films. Grapple with issues of Jewish identity and diversity brought to the surface by these films through a dynamic discussion following each screening, facilitated by Dasee Berkowitz of Jlife Consulting. The series continues on Thursdays, April 22nd with Pleading directed by Idan Hubel, and April 29th with Dead End directed by Imri Matalon. Cost for non-members, $10 per film, and $30 for series. Co-sponsored by Makom, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Avram Family Fund. Brooklyn Heights Synagogue (131 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights)

Woman Lost and Found – A Shabbaton of Biblical Explorations with Tanakh scholar Dr. Avivah Zornberg at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Sharon, CT (about 2-3 hours northeast of NYC depending on traffic).
April 29 – May 2, 2010
The women of the Bible appear and disappear in the lives of male heroes. We will study texts that unfold complex issues of affinity and otherness in four narratives: Abraham and Sarah; Jacob, Rebecca and Rachel; Mordecai and Esther; Boaz and Ruth. In their relation to their men and to themselves, these women lead a double life: each is both known and unknown to herself and to others. Intimate stranger, each resists the desire of the other to reduce her otherness. What futures will be born of these women? And where is God in their stories of connection and disconnection? Program fee $300 plus room and board ($230-$430).

Dr Zornberg will also speak in Manhattan on May 5th 8:00 PM when her topic will be She Was What He Had Missed: On the Loss of Women at THE WILLIAM ALANSON WHITE INSTITUTE CENTER FOR APPLIED PSYCHOANALYSIS, 20 West 74th Street, $25/ $30 at the door, Students: $15/ $20 at the door.

Tribeca Film Festival 2010 - Thieves By Law, directed by Alexander Gentelev Co-presented by The Consulate General of Israel in NY in association with The Israeli Film Center

The Russian Mafia: what can't they do? After this insider's look into the world of, ahem, "hypothetical" crimes, it's pretty clear that the answer is nyet. Following the stories of three mafiosi-cum- businessmen, Thieves By Law paints a fascinating tableau of men that would make Tony Soprano cringe. Most intriguing, though, are their personal histories interwoven with the evolution of the Russian Mafia itself. Beginning in Stalin's gulags and slowly transforming into an international organization, the mafia and Code of Thieves have always directly correlated to the political struggles of the Soviet Union-reflecting society back to the government like a funhouse mirror.

These men have been through bad times as well as good, persevering with the ammunition of street smarts, savvy, and loyalty to their code, and eventually transforming themselves from cunning crooks to shrewd businessmen. Through unprecedented access and a knack for asking all the right questions, director Alexander Gentelev shows us exactly what happens when a dark underbelly is flipped on its back: It slaps on some sunscreen, orders a Molotov cocktail, and soaks up those French Riviera rays....

8:30PM Thursday April 22, 9:45PM Saturday April 24, 1:30PM Monday April  26, 10:30PM Wednesday April 28, Village East Cinema 2nd Ave at 12th St in Manhattan. Information/tickets: www.tribecafilm. com/

Sunday April 25 2pm Love & Courtship Walking Tour
The Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street in Manhattan 
$15 per person RSVP+

Love is in the air. Before eHarmony and JDate, there were love letters and elaborate courtship rituals. Discover romance turn-of-the-century style as we visit the sites of former dance halls, cafés, synagogues and other places where sparks once

Limmud Across NY: A Day of Learning to Benefit Limmud NY will take place on Sunday, April 25th. It’s a full day (and evening) of simultaneous, intimate learning events that are being hosted in people's homes throughout the New York metropolitan area – from Uptown to Downtown, Brooklyn to Long Island, Riverdale to Teaneck, and more. Sign up to participate in one of the more than 20 programs that are being held on that date (including an Introduction to Artisanal Kosher Cheeses). Even if you won’t be in New York, or have other plans, you can participate virtually (at your convenience) though our special iLimmud NY webcast option featuring three world-class presenters. This is a fund-raiser and prices reflect that, but each event is being fully underwritten by its hosts, so your entire ticket price counts as a 100% tax-deductible contribution to Limmud NY. In addition, every donation above and beyond the ticket price will be matched dollar for dollar through a generous challenge grant. 

Empowered Judaism Workshops, 4/25
Empowered Judaism: How to Build Vibrant Jewish Communities
Practical skills workshops with leaders from independent minyanim,
synagogues and Jewish organizations.
Join us this Sunday, April 25 for this unique event which will bring
together the shared wisdom of independent minyan leaders, clergy,
volunteers, and Jewish communal professionals who are dedicated to
building vibrant Jewish communities.
When: Sunday April 25, 2010, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Central Synagogue, 123 East 55th Street, New York, NY 10022
Cost: $18
Register here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFBQZmd4cHBMTlpPLWNLR0U1cWxUbVE6MA

Radical Judaism: Rethinking God and Tradition, A Book Event with Dr. Arthur Green

Path breaking Jewish Scholar, Dr. Arthur Green, neither theist nor atheist, draws on the Jewish mystical traditions of Kabbalah and Hasidism to re-think what we mean by God, the origins and meaning of existence, and the nature of Torah and the Jewish people.

Sun, Apr 25, 10 am – noon | The JCC in Manhattan | Samuel Priest Rose Building | 334 Amsterdam Ave - $10

Spring Education Conference, presented by ILJB and Hadassah Brooklyn region. The state of Jews in the Jewish state: Religious Pluralism in Israel featuring:

· Gershom Gorenberg, noted Israeli author, journalist and blogger (southjerusalem.com)

· Rabbi Uri Regev, CEO, Hiddush (hiddush.org)

· Rabbi Avi Shafran, Dir. of Public Relations, Agudath Israel

Sunday, April 25 | 4 pm | East Midwood Jewish Center, 1625 Ocean Ave. (betw. K&L) | admission $5 | info@ilJB.org. / 718.339.0230

New York Premier of In the Shadow of the Acropolis a film by Laura Zelle & Maxine Davis,
April 25, 2010 | 2:00 pm
Marc Wintrop & Laura Zelle’s grandfather, and many other members of their family were lost in the holocaust. A Romaniote, Greek-speaking family, then living in Athens in the shadow of the Acropolis, they were rounded up by the Germans on March 25, 1944 along with the Jews of Athens. They would meet their end at Auchwitz-Birkenau. Laura & marc’s grandmother, Rosa Ackos, and Rosa’s young children would survive due to the moral courage of a Greek-Orthodox Christian woman, one of the many Greeks now honored at Yad Vashem as a righteous among nations.

This well-made, moving documentary chronicles the Holocaust losses in Greece and the role of Greek Christians who tried to save their Jewish neighbors. The film maker, Laura Zelle, and members of the Ackos family (including Marc Wintrop, a member of the board of directors of Kehila Kedosha Janina), will be present at the premier.

Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum, 280 Broome Street, Manhattan Entrance: $5

"Pocket Peace": a book event with Allan Lokos
Come celebrate his new book, Pocket Peace: Effective Practices for Enlightened Living, and hear Allan share some of the practices he has put into this beautiful compilation.
Mon, Apr 26, 7:30 - 9 pm | The JCC in Manhattan | Samuel Priest Rose Building | 334 Amsterdam Ave Free

Sustaining Our Spirits, presented by The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services’ New York Jewish Healing Center. This twice-monthly support group is for Jews living with a serious illness. Upcoming dates are April 26, May 10 and 24, June 7 and 21. Registration is required. Meetings will be held at JBFCS on 120 W. 57th Street in Manhattan between 3:30 and 5 p.m. To register or receive more information, please contact Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub at sweintraub@jbfcs. org or 212-399-2320 ext. 215. This program is co-sponsored with the JCC in Manhattan. 
 

Evelina Meghnagi in a Rare Appearance at the Italian Cultural Institute
In the intimate salon setting of the Italian Cultural Institute Ms. Meghnagi will present a fascinating mix of languages and music, melodies and rhythms from archaic and contemporary worlds.

Evelina Meghnagi and Ashira Ensemble sings “Di Voce in Voce” (From Voice to Voice--see video below). An extraordinary concert featuring a fascinating mix of languages and music, of melodies and rhythms, of the archaic and the contemporary. From songs in Judeo-Spanish to the melodies of North Africa and those of the Italian tradition, the warm and captivating voice of Evelina Meghnagi gives a fresh color to ancient melodies.

Admission: $10 ($5 for members and personnel of the Italian Consulate)
Please call: 212 879 4242 ext. 366 | www.iicnewyork. esteri.it
Monday, April 26– 7 pm | Italian Cultural Institute, 686 Park Avenue

Noa with Special Guest Mira Awad
Israel's international pop star, Noa, offers a beautifully orchestrated concert of her most beloved songs reflecting her American/Yemenite/ Israeli heritage. The concert, developed and originally performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, has been presented throughout Europe and most recently with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary. Tuesday, April 27th @ 92 Street Y Lexington Ave at 92nd Street, $50.00 / $35.00 / $25.00

Americordo: Italy, Exile, and the New World, April 27, 28, 29 | various venues
Program series launches Americordo, a research and publishing project on the Italian Jews in the Americas.
Centro Primo Levi and The European Institute at Columbia University, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy and in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute.

Two evening programs (JCC of Manhattan and Italian Cultural Institute) and a day of study at the Italian Academy at Columbia University will launch a research, archival and publishing project dedicated to discussing the Italian Jewish experience in the Americas and the challenges it poses to the 20th century narrative of exile.

April 27th at 7:00 pm
JCC of Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue at 76th Street
AN UPPER WEST SIDE STORY: JEWISH AND ITALIAN
Journalist Gianna Pontecorboli speaks about her upcoming book on the Italian Jewish exiles in America. Through interviews and archival research, Ms. Pontecorboli has reconstructed the arrival and early years in the United States of an heterogeneous group of Italian Jews who fled Mussolini’s persecution in 1938. Screening of excerpts of documentary films.

April 28th at 7:00 pm
Italian Cultural Institute, Park Avenue at 68th Street
Reservation is necessary: rsvp@primolevicenter.org
REVISITING ITALY WITH FRANCO MODIGLIANI
Renato Camurri presents the anthology L’Italia Vista dall’America (Boringhieri, 2010)
Nobel Laureate Franco Modigliani fled Italy with his family in 1939. In the US he became a world renowned economist and taught at MIT during most of his life.
Responsible for designing a large scale model of the U.S. economy, the MPS, sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank, Modigliani participated actively in the debate over economic policies both in Italy and the U.S., concentrating on the effects of public deficits. This collection of articles examines the post W.W.II Italian economic history through a frank critical assessment of political and cultural factors.

April 29th 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Italian Academy at Columbia University
Reservation is necessary: rsvp@primolevicenter.org
PERSPECTIVES ON EXILE, HOMELAND, AND THE NEW WORLD
This day of study is open to the public. Seating is limited. When making your reservation pleas specify the session you would like to attend.

Program
Opening Remarks: Ira Jolles (President, Cahnman Foundation)
Ambassador Richard Gardner (Columbia University)
Introduction: Victoria De Grazia (European Institute at Columbia University)

9:30 am-1:00 pm
Session I: Methodological perspective, Sources, State
of Research. Download abstracts

Chair: John Davis (University of Connecticut)

Renato Camurri (University of Verona)
The Question of the Exile

Annalisa Capristo (Centro Studi Americani, Roma)
Departure: The Flight of Jewish Intellectuals from Italy

Fraser Ottanelli (University of South Florida)
Arrival: “Mussolini in America” Fascism, Antifascism Transnational Politics and the definition of Italian American identity, 1922-1938.

Lunch break 1:00 pm-1:30 pm

2:00 pm
SESSION II: Journeys and Reflections
Chair and moderator: Paola Mieli (Après Coup)

Proposed roundtable: Andrew Viterbi (USC, San Diego), George Sacerdoti, Manuela Yona Paul, Eva Yona Deykin, Guido Calabresi (Yale University), Vivian Treves (film maker).

3:30 pm
Session III: Collecting and Interpreting Memories in the Study the Exile | Download abstracts

Chair: Renato Camurri

Sandro Gerbi (journalist, curator of the Antonello Gerbi Archive)
The Italian Desk at the Voice of America

John Tedeschi (University of Wisconsin)

Alexander Stille (Columbia University)

Gianna Pontecorboli (journalist)
Italian Jews in the American Army

BORISLAV STRULEV & FRIENDS: From Classical to Jazz, An Evening of Live Jazz

Generation R at the JCC in Manhattan is proud to continue its ongoing live music series presented by world-renowned cellist and concert visionary Borislav Strulev. Just off from a five night run performing at the Iridium Jazz Club with jazz pianist David Grusin, join Borislav and friends for an intimate evening of classic Russian jazz featuring some of the best undiscovered local talent.

Borislav Strulev & Friends proudly presents a special evening featuring jazz saxophonist Yaacov Mayman, the New York-based saxophone player who has been contributing his unique voice to the vibrant New York, Russian and Israeli jazz scenes for years, earning praise from both peers and music critics. Jazz pianist Vadim Neselovskyi, bassist Essiet Essiet and Alexandra Mogilevich on drums, one of the few critically acclaimed female Jewish percussinists on the international scene, round out the ensemble for the evening.

Borislav Strulev puts together a delightful evening of music that ranges from classical and klezmer to jazz and new age. Byron Janis calls Borislav a "miracle cellist" and the New York Times has praised him for his "rich, singing tone" . Whether in a small ensemble at the JCC or as a cello soloist at Carnegie Hall, Borislav gives a full-body performance that showcases his rich, tonal sounds which showcase the cello's possibilities in music forms like jazz. A treat to experience from start to finish.

BORISLAV STRULEV AND FRIENDS PRESENTS:
Yaacov Mayman SAXOPHONE
Vadim Neselovsky PIANO
Borislav Strulev CELLO
Essiet Essiet BASS
Alexandra Mogilevich, DRUMS

Watch video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVaTpHmbPxA

Wed, Apr 28 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM, $15.00 ManhattanJCC, Amsterdam Ave at 76 Street in Manhattan, Member, $20.00 Non-Member

German Jewish Allied Soldier to Reflect on World War II
Wednesday, April 28 | 10-11am

At the School of Arts & Sciences at New York City College of Technology in the College's Atrium Amphitheater, 300 Jay Street (at Tillary) in Downtown Brooklyn.
Special guest lecture, 'From Omaha Beach to Nuremberg: A German Jewish Allied Soldier's Reflections on World War II and Its Aftermath,' by Fritz Weinschenk. The event is a part of a City Tech series of Veterans Appreciation Week, is free and open to the general public.

German Jewish Allied soldier Fritz Weinschenk, who attended City College of New York and NYU School of Law, will discuss the combat and other experiences he encountered after barely escaping from Germany with his family following the Nazi regime's rise to power. During World War II, Mr. Weinschenk served both in Europe and in the Pacific Theater. After the war, he was involved in the Nuremberg Trials.

Their ranks are thinning with the passage of time. Recent figures indicate that the number of Holocaust survivors residing in Brooklyn and Queens totals only about 25,000 men and women. Of the 16 million-plus Americans who fought to defend our way of life in World War II, only about 2 million were still living in late 2009. Mr. Weinschenk will vividly recount that terrible time. 

Killing Kasztner: The Jew Who Dealt With Nazis
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 | 7 PM
Film Screening with Remarks by Director Gaylen Ross
Join us for a screening of director Gaylen Ross’s award-winning film on the life of Rudolf Kasztner. Known as the Jewish Schindler, Kasztner negotiated face to face with Adolph Eichmann, rescuing 1,700 Jews on a train to Switzerland. Yet he was accused as a collaborator in a trial and verdict that divided a nation and forever stamped him as the “man who sold his soul to the devil.” He was assassinated in Tel Aviv in 1957. Post screening, director Gaylen Ross talks about her interviews with survivors, historians and Kasztner’s assassin. Visit www.killingkasztner .com for more information. $8 per person
Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street between Canal and Division Streets, Manhattan. RSVP: hgriff@eldridgestre et.org or 212.219.0888 x 205

Lectures at Hadar (4/28, 5/5, 5/12)
Join us Wednesday, April 28, for the first lecture of a NEW three-part series given by Rabbi Shai Held entitled: The Abrams Lectures: God, Faith, and the Path of Lovingkindness:  Exploring Core Issues inTheology Rabbi Shai Held
This three part series will explore central themes in Jewish theology and their relevance to our lives
Dates: Wednesdays, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm (April 28, May 5, May, 12)
Location: Yeshivat Hadar, 190 Amsterdam Avenue (@69th Street)

Be Film - The Underground Film Festival (April 27 - May 1) presents Pinhas and Lost Paradise, two short films shown on programs with several other films.

Pinhas - Directed by Pini Tavger (30 minutes)| April 28, 7:00pm @ The Disney Screening Room

Lost Paradise - Directed by Oded Binun and Michal Brezi (10 minutes) | April 30, 7:00pm @ The Dolby Screening Room

For full schedule and tickets visit - http://www.befilm. net

Brooklyn Independents: Ugly Duckling Poets
Three poets with new and forthcoming books on Ugly Duckling Presse will read from their new collections. Rachel Levitsky reads from Neighbor, Rick Snyder reads from Escape from Combray and Karen Weiser reads from To Light Out.
Thursday, April 29, 7:00PM Brooklyn Public Library Central Library, Dweck Center Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn

Holocaust Remembrance Poetry Reading
Where: Brighton Beach Library, 16 Brighton First Road, Brooklyn
When: Thursday, Apr 29 6 PM
Audience: For Adults
Hear a reading by poets Janet Kirchheimer, author How to Spot One of Us, and Liana Alaverdova author of Rifmy (Rhymes) and Emigrantskaya Tetrad (Immigrant's Notebook), in remembrance of the Holocaust.
In Russian and English.

Flux Theatre Presents JACOB'S HOUSE
Flux is staging the world premiere of August Schulenburg's JACOB'S HOUSE, a play inspired by the loss of J.B. Playwright August Schulenburg has taken the themes, style, design elements, staging concept, and cast from Flux's planned production of J.B., and used them as inspiration to write his own unique riff on the story of Jacob wrestling the Angel.

When three siblings argue over a strange provision in their father Jacob's will, allegiances shift, as secrets of his past are uncovered. As the full danger of his power is revealed, Jacob's son and daughters must decide what to do with their enigmatic inheritance. This darkly comic riff on the Biblical story of Jacob explores the legacies of violence and power, and the cost of wrestling with the divine. Director Kelly O'Donnell and Playwright August Schulenburg team up again for the first time since their Award-winning collaboration on Riding the Bull.

Preview April 29 ($15), Opening April 30 ($18) - May 22 at the Access Theater Gallery Space, 380 Broadway at White St. Visit www.fluxtheatre. org for more information or call 866-811-4111. 

Jewish Meditation Center Brooklyn presents Guest Teaching: Rabbi Jonathan Slater
Thu, April 29, 8pm – 9pm
Brooklyn Zen Center, 505 Carroll Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues (map)
Description
Using Jewish texts, particularly Hasidic teachings, we will learn how to practice mindfulness in a Jewish context, focusing on how to deepen our spiritual lives.

For other NY Jewish Culture events see my recent articles and the links in the right margin of this page under New York Jewish Culture Events Listings.

For more info: David Cooper