Upcoming in April 2024:
(click each item for details)
Wed April 3 at 7pm - How I Fight Antisemitism in CUNY and SUNY - Ilya Bratman (ZOOM ONLY)
TWO PERSPECTIVES ON ANTISEMITISM
In the first week of April, The Task Force on Antisemitism will present two different, but important perspectives on Antisemitism.
The first on April 3rd features Ilya Bratman, Executive Director of eight branches of Hillel at CUNY and SUNY. His experience at a variety of schools gives him a broad on how Antisemitism is manifested and how the students are coping. He also serves on Chancellor Rodriguez's Advisory Council on Jewish Life at CUNY. and can give us some perspective on how that group is handling the problem.
Ilya and his family fled Russia and moved to Pittsburgh when he was fifteen to escape Antisemitism, only to face it again. Our tax dollars support CUNY and SUNY making it all the more important that we learn what is happening there. This event is zoom only.
We hope that some of our college students will attend so that they can comment
*Zoom only. (For Zoom link, admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (please contact us).)
Thurs Apr 4 and Thurs Apr 18 at 7:30pm - The Evolving & Expanding God in Our Day (ZOOM ONLY)
How did Jews in the 20th century understand God? Or, to put it another way, how have our understandings of God continued to evolve and expand? Join WES member Susan Schorr for an exploration of multiplied and multi-layered modern Jewish ideas about God. We will hear from philosophers and theologians, rabbis and teachers.
Please check your newsletter or contact admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (Joan) for Zoom link access.
This month - Two Thursdays at 7:30pm - you are welcome to attend all, or any individual sessions.
Sat Apr 6 during services - Perspective on Antisemitism - Britt Tevis
In the first week of April, The Task Force on Antisemitism will present two different, but important, perspectives on Antisemitism. The second speaker, Britt Tevis, will address us as part of the Shabbat Service on April 6th. In person and Zoom at the usual WES services link. (For the Zoom link, please check your weekly e-newsletter or call or email admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (Joan).)
Britt Tevis teaches at Columbia University School of Law. She has published and spoken widely on the Myth of American Exceptionlism and Antisemitism. Many Americans believe that America is different and that Antisemitism has not been sanctioned.here and is therefore rare. Professor Tevis will argue that historically laws and custom have supported Antisemitism. As we are experiencing a dramatic rise in Antisemitism, it is all the more important to put the contemporary world into historical context. Few are as well equipped to do this as Professor Britt Tevis.
Britt P. Tevis is the Rene Plessner Postdoctoral Fellow in Holocaust and Antisemitism Studies at Columbia University and Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her J.D. at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Her research examines the intersections between Jews and American law and her work has appeared in American Jewish History, American Journal of Legal History, and the Journal of American History. She has held fellowships at the Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism at Yale University, the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University.
Tues Apr 9 at 7:30pm - Torah on Tuesdays with Susan Schorr (ZOOM ONLY)
All are welcome to join our ongoing study of the Torah. We read the text in English and consider it from the perspectives of literature, sacred text, religious mythology, family lore, psychology, drama, history, pop culture, and more. Drop in and join the conversation, or just listen and enjoy! No prior background or knowledge required. Usually the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
For Zoom access, please contact admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (Joan).
Thu Apr 11 at 7:00pm - Have you ever thought of starting a Museum?
WES member Dr. Arthur Flug, Director of the Holocaust Museum at Queens Community College, will describe how he used his connections and experience in New York City to turn a basement library of Judaica at the college into a thriving and important learning laboratory for tolerance.
Coffee and Refreshments will follow.
This event will be in person at WES, with light refreshments to follow, as well as on Zoom.
(For the Zoom link, please see your e-newsletter or contact admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (Joan).)
Mon Apr 15 7:30pm - Middah on Monday (ZOOM ONLY)
All WES members are invited to join our study of West End’s Middah (ethical value/character trait) of the month. Monthly, third Monday of each month.
Discussions are text-based using materials from both ours and other spiritual traditions, as well as insights from modern authors, pop culture and more. Led by Susan Schorr.
For the link, please check the weekly newsletter or contact admin [at] westendsynagogue.org (Joan).
View our 2023-2024 Adult Education brochure for all upcoming programming. Be sure to check our website calendar for updates.
West End Synagogue is committed to adult study of Jewish sources, history, and cultural expression in its many forms. Adult education programs and activities focus on the vital areas of education, community, and outreach:
- Education: Working to deepen the congregation’s Jewish knowledge at all levels.
- Community: Involving members, enhancing interaction among WES populations, and enriching the communal life of the congregation.
- Outreach: Providing opportunities for the community at large to enhance Jewish life and promote the values of Reconstructionism.
Activities sponsored by Adult Education include:
- Single-session lectures and courses, as well as longer series on selected topics by our rabbi, cantor, and invited speakers.
- A variety of musical, theatrical, and literary programs.
- Scholar-in-Residence and Artist-in-Residence programs that bring prominent figures in Jewish thought and culture to West End Synagogue.
Most of these events are in person in our synagogue, starting at 7:00 pm. In a few cases the programs on Zoom may start at 7:30. Please check before setting out. For more information contact the office [at] westendsynagogue.org (WES Office).
