Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Jewish Museum To Focus On Freedom And Food

The National Museum of American Jewish History is excited to announce a full schedule of programming this March.  

As the centerpiece of our season, held in conjunction with the continuing special exhibition Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges, the Museum will be presenting Freedom Seder Revisited – a multi-cultural celebration of freedom. Presented with Operation Understanding, Freedom Seder will feature speakers from the local community and leader of the original 1969 Freedom Seder, Rabbi Arthur Waskow.

■ Freedom Seder Revisited

Thursday, March 28 – 6:30 p.m.
$15/$10 Members
At the Museum

April 4, 1969, was the first anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was also the third night of Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the story of the Exodus in which the ancient
Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. At the intersection of these two events in 1969, hundreds of
people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds gathered in a church in the heart of Washington, D.C. to
celebrate freedom.
For the first time, the ancient Jewish story of liberation was intertwined with a current struggle for liberation: Black America’s fight for equal rights. This monumental event is now known as the original Freedom Seder. Jews around the world are told they must teach the Passover story to their children, to the next generation. In 1969, leaders interpreted that message in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. They brought together a group of people from all backgrounds to celebrate a common desire and right: freedom. How do current generations relate to the freedom experiences of their predecessors? What does freedom mean to them? What stories would they share? Join us for an evening of commemoration, stories, and a multi-cultural celebration of freedom.

Confirmed speakers to date include:
  • Rev. Alfred T. Day, III, Pastor, Historic St. Georges United Methodist Church
  • Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, Ph.D., 52nd Pastor, Mother Bethel AME Church
  • Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Founder and Director, The Shalom Center; Leader and author of the original 1969 Freedom Seder 
Presented with Operation Understanding. This program has been supported in part by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, the Federal-State Partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In partnership with the 
Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts and in conjunction with the special exhibition Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges.


NMAJH In The Community

What Is Your Food Worth? Programming

What is Your Food Worth? is a two-year long conversation about food, ethics, sustainability, and eating Jewish presented by Temple University's Feinstein Center for American Jewish History in partnership with The Gershman Y, NMAJH, and Congregation Rodeph Shalom. 

■ Art, Jews, and Food with Daniel Belasco

Sunday, March 10 – 11:00 a.m.
$15 in advance/$20 at the door

A new generation of foodies and artists is recovering the essence of Jewish food and reinventing it as tasty, ethical, and even chic. In the hands of young artists, a knish becomes an aesthetic form and conceptual symbol of Jewish identity. Independent curator and art historian Daniel Belasco presents cutting edge art and visual culture that considers food as central to Jewish life in the 21st century, ranging
from farms to deli design to performance.

At The Gershman Y, 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia

■ The Future of Food with Mark Bittman

Wednesday, March 13 – 7:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public. RSVP is required.
New York Times' award-winning food writer Mark Bittman brings his searing insights to Philadelphia to address the question What is Your Food Worth? With equal attention to food production and consumption, he explains how eating a healthier and more socially conscience diet is better for the planet, whether you're concerned with your own body, public health, animal welfare, or the environment.
To register and for more information click here.


At Congregation Rodeph Shalom, 615 North Broad Street, Philadelphia

■ Roundtable on A Consumer’s Republic

Thursday, March 28 – 4:00 p.m.
No registration required.

Ten years ago, Lizabeth Cohen (Dean of Radcliffe College and Professor of History, Harvard University) published her landmark book, A Consumer's Republic. This important study put consumption at the center of the history of post-war America and its ideas about citizenship and the nation. Cohen will discuss the book and its impact and extend its analysis to the question What Is Your Food Worth?

At Feinstein Center, Temple University Main Campus, Weigley Room, 9th floor, Gladfelter Hall


Other Exciting Public Programs Coming Up:

■ An Evening with Mandy Patinkin and Intercultural Journeys

Sunday, March 17 – 3:00 p.m.
$45

A current star in the Showtime series Homeland, Mandy Patinkin is a world-renowned actor and singer on stage, television, and in films. Patinkin will be joining Intercultural Journeys this month for a special performance at the William Penn Charter School’s Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts. Though currently known for his role as CIA agent Saul Berenson in Homeland, Patinkin – an Emmy and Tony-award winning star of television and Broadway for over 30 years – is known for his solo concert tours, performing both Broadway and traditional Yiddish music. This groundbreaking collaboration with Philadelphia-based International Journeys, an organization whose mission is to promote dialogue among diverse cultures through the arts, provides a perfect complement to Patinkin’s personal philosophy of nonviolence.

This performance will feature Patinkin’s selections of Broadway, Yiddish, and Arabic music, accompanied by Broadway pianist Paul Ford, as well as Intercultural Journeys’ Middle Eastern ensemble consisting of Intercultural Journeys’ Founding Artistic Director and Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Udi Bar-David; Arab-Israeli violinist and IJ Board member Hanna Khoury; and Syrian-Venezuelan percussionist Hafez El Ali Kotain.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/305545.

Press Contact: Kristen Golia, golia.kristen@gmail.com, C: 215-732-2550

At William Penn Charter’s David L. Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts, 3000 W. School House Lane, Philadelphia


■ Do You Dream in Color?: Insights From a Girl Without Sight
                                                                                     
Tuesday, March 19 – 7:30 p.m.
FREE – no tickets required
In partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia

Blind since birth, mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin has been praised for her “compelling artistry” and “communicative power” (The New York Times), and her “especially acute intuition about the power and subtleties of sound” (Los Angeles Times). In her memoir Do You Dream in Color?, Rubin shows how her resolve to continually redefine expectations has enabled her to achieve international success, live independently, ski, design jewelry, and fulfill her ambition to sing on stages around the world.

Laurie is co-founder and co-artistic director of Musique a la Mode Chamber Music Ensemble, which has a concert series in Manhattan’s East Village, and Ohana Arts, a performing arts festival and school in Honolulu, Hawaii.

At the Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street (between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway), Philadelphia

■ jkidphilly@NMAJH

Friday, March 15 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Museum admission not required.

Join jkidphilly for a casual playdate at the Museum where kids and families can socialize and enjoy stories, songs, and snacks.Most appropriate for children ages 5 and under. Museum Admission not required to participate. Admission and Café discounts available for playdate participants. Kids are always free.


Current Exhibitions:

Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugees at Black Colleges
Through June 9, 2013
This exhibition shows how Jewish refugees and African-American students navigated the challenges of life in the segregated south and supported one another as they searched for freedom and opportunity, efforts that informed and inspired the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.

Jewish Artists in America 1925-1945: Selections from the Collection of Steven and Stephanie Wasser         
            Through June 30, 2013
Featuring 21 paintings and prints, the exhibition includes works by American Jewish artists who participated in the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and 1940s. 


***
The Museum will be closed on the first day of Passover – Tuesday, March 26.


The National Museum of American Jewish History, located on historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia, brings to life the 350-year history of Jews in America.  Tracing the stories of how Jewish immigrants became Jewish Americans, the Museum invites visitors of all heritages to share their own stories and reflect on how their histories and identities shape and are shaped by the American experience. An open door for all, NMAJH honors the past and contributes to a better future by sharing the power of imagination and ideas, culture and community, leadership and service, in ways that turn inspiration into action.

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