2022BagelU

A Story of Jewish Immigration to Australia: Author Dr. Margaret Taft  tells the story of Leo & Mina Fink in her book "For the Greater Good". During the Holocaust, the Finks rallied to rescue survivors. Marshaling the might of local and international agencies, they spearheaded the urgent relief and settlement of thousands of displaced Holocaust survivors. They initiated expansive welfare programs while personally helping countless individuals. Mina's devotion to a group of war orphans known as the ‘Buchenwald boys' was testament to her and Leo’s relentless efforts to improve the lives of others.

Biblical Poetry: Beyond the Psalms:  Rabbinic Intern Josh Nelson leads us into a deeper look at the Psalms found throughout the Tanakh. Developing a deeper appreciation for the literary artistry and structural elements of biblical poetry can reveal clever rhetorical flourishes that can be easily overlooked. Please join this class of discovery.

Was the FIrst Alphabet an early form of Hebrew? Class led by Abraham Leibson. Learn about the interesting findings of language research, and Hebrew’s place in it as a likely mother of alphabets. The beginnings of the first alphabet’s family tree are shrouded in mystery. All modern alphabets are believed to have developed from a single parent script, which originated sometime in the second millennium BCE. Now, a controversial new theory has proposed that the original alphabet was actually an early form of Hebrew.

Why Meditation? With Susan Sklaroff-Van Hook. During our interactive session, “Why Meditation,” we will explore different types of meditation and the ways in which this ancient practice can improve our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and can beneficially affect the world. Perhaps most importantly, we will practice together.

Fermented Veggies With Miriam Gitterman: This single in-person class  covered the steps for making fermented vegetable popular with Israelis. An in-person class for those interested in taking home the end product, also broadcast on Zoom.

Martin Buber Explained: KHN Member Abraham Leibson will use texts, slides and diagrams to make graphic the essence of the I-Thou, I-It concept. The presentation is followed by a discussion.

Jews in the Forefront of American Modern Art Part 4: Helen Frankenthaler, at 24 years of age, stunned the art world with her painting “Mountain and Sea”, and introduced a new style that was to be called color field painting.

Genesis & the "Big Bang" Theory: KHN Member and Delaware Valley College Physics Professor Michael Tabachnick explains his startling resolution: There is a remarkable similarity between Creation as described in Genesis and the origins of the universe according to the “Big Bang Theory.”  He uses deep space photographs taken by the Hubble telescope and compares them to the biblical verse that seem to describe these very same vistas.

Jews in the Forefront of American Modern Art Part 3: David Stoller's series continues with Louise Nevelson, (born Leah Berliawsky),  who is famous for her monumental wall
pieces and outdoor sculptures (leading generations of women into provinces previously reserved for men.)

Between Bitterness and Hope

Although we were not allowed to record a video of this event, Rabbi Pam Wax sent us the following poetry packet we can share. You can view it by clicking HERE

Right to Be Safe

We were not allowed to record this program for sharing.

Reproductive Rights, A Status Report: Merrill Mezzacappa, Reproductive Justice Tasks Force Chair for NOW-NJ and Phoebe Pollinger , on the Board of the National Council of Jewish Women in Essex County (NJ), joined us to discuss where reproductive rights are locally and nationally and where the Jewish Community stands on it based on Jewish Law.

A Better Life for their Children: Author Andrew Feiler spoke about the collaboration between Julius Rosenwald and Booker T Washington where they launched an ambitious program in 1912 with black communities that created 4,978 public schools for African-American children in 15 Southern and border states. Due to a technical glitch the program starts 13 seconds into the video.

Jews in the Forefront of Modern Art Part 2: A three-part series with David Stoller. This program will look at the outsized influence of Jewish artists in the rise of modernism in America, which occurred across all areas of the arts and design. Part 2, Mark Rothko (born Marcus Rothkowitz), a leader in post-war “Abstract Expressionism.” (Part 3 coming in April 2022)

Jews in the Forefront of Modern Art Part 1: A three-part series with David Stoller. In this program we will look at the outsized influence of Jewish artists in the rise of modernism in America, which occurred across all areas of the arts and design. Part 1 covered Ben Shahn, a leader of the “Social Realism” School that emerged between the wars.

Making Art: A Jewish History: Abraham Leibson, a KHN member, used video to show the Bezalel history & photographs to show examples of the creative output of Israeli artists. Like Israel itself, born out of determination, the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem has recaptured the creative forces seemingly repressed.

Mid-East Peace: For so long Mid-East Peace has eluded us. This may be the time for deep scholarship and creative minds that could shape a better outcome, a special concern in the Jewish community. Join Dr. Christopher Mott, a research fellow at the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy for a discussion.

Pre-Zionist Migrations from Russia to Palestine:  How were these migrations possible? Who were these migrants, how did their arrival stir up new political visions and opportunities for belonging? PhD Eileen Kane, who is working on a book on the migrations, answers these questions and more. There's a slight glitch at the beginning of the recording but the rest of the video is fine.