Sprin
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music
dance
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9thAnnual
A F R E S H S P I NON DOCUMENTARY AND FEATURE FILMS WITH
MEANINGFUL JEWISH / ISRAELI CONTENT
MARCH 6 –17
The Day I Saw Your Heart
The Flat
The Other Son
Remembrance
Prisoners of War
Life in Stills
The Cantor’s Son
AKA Doc Pomus
Hava Nagila (The Movie)
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
Besa: The Promise
All In
Disobedience: The Sousa Mendes Story
Seymour Schwartz: Home Movie
The Last Flight of Petr Ginz
Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League’s New York
Hitler’s Children
Numbered
ON THE COVER:AKA DOC POMUS
An unlikely blues singer.You know his songs…
Now hear his story.
elcome to the 9th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival,
a collaboration between the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish
Community Center of Houston and the Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston, with Holocaust Museum Houston as a longstanding venue.
A big thanks to our dedicated film committee volunteers, who spend dozens
of hours screening films to select the best ones from around the world that
tell stories of Jewish significance, with poignancy and creativity, and reflect
the values that shape Jewish life. This year we are pleased to have two
filmmakers and one actor to introduce their films and lead post-screening
discussions.
We are grateful to our underwriters, sponsors, community partners, and
patrons for their generous support. Enjoy the Festival and spread the word!
Barbara Bronstein, Chair
Diane Lee, Co-Chair
Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan, Honorary Chairs
W
9thAnnual
2012-2013 Film Committee:
Supporters:
Media Sponsor:
Neil Aussenberg
Margie Beegle
Nada Chandler
Joyce Cramer
John Dreyfus
Shelby Goodman
Sue Goott
Ellen Hamburg
Marisa Katz
Eve Lapin
David Mendel
Miriam Pacht
Paula Siegel
Stefani Twyford
Helen Wils
Official Hotel of the ERJCC
Tango & MalbecRestaurant
Fleischer Wines:A division of Mexcor
The Jewish Herald Voice
Jenny Tavor Custom Catering
Community Partners:
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee
Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood
Congregation Or Ami
Holocaust Museum Houston
National Council of Jewish Women
– Greater Houston Section
United Orthodox Synagogues
Yiddish Vinkel
HJFF Staff:
Amy Rahmani, ERJCC
Marian Luntz, MFAH
Tamara Savage, HMH
A BOTTLE IN THE GAZA SEA
(UNE BOUTEILLE À LA MER)
Wednesday, March 6 • 7:30 PM • ERJCC
Saturday, March 16 • 6:00 PM • MFAH
Directed by Thierry Binisti
France, Israel, 2011, 99 min
French, Hebrew, Arabic with English
subtitles
Drama
“A gripping, unsentimental drama with
a lot of action and a pacifist message of
hope and reconciliation. A Bottle in the
Gaza Sea is must-viewing.’’
—Montreal Gazette.
Tal is a 17-year-old French woman who
has settled in Jerusalem with her family.
She writes a letter expressing her refusal
to accept that only hatred can reign be-
tween Israelis and Palestinians. She slips
the letter into a bottle, and her brother
throws it into the sea near Gaza where
he is carrying out his military service. A
few weeks later, Tal receives an e-mail
response from a mysterious “Gazaman,”
a young Palestinian named Naïm. And
thus begins a turbulent but tender long-
distance friendship between two young
people who are separated by a history
they are trying both to understand and
change. Hiam Abbass (Lemon Tree) and
Mahmoud Shalaby (Free Men; The Other
Son) star in this internet-age Romeo-
and-Juliet drama set in a troubled re-
gion. Based on the award-winning novel
by Valerie Zenatti.
Suitable for ages 15 and above.
Sponsored by June and Leonard Goldberg
ALL IN
(LA SUERTE EN TUS MANOS)
Thursday, March 7 • 7:30 PM • ERJCC
Directed by Daniel Burman
Argentina, 2012, 107 min
Spanish, French with English subtitles
Drama
In this witty, romantic comedy, Uriel,
a Jewish divorced father of two and
a professional gambler is in the habit
of finessing his way through life. He
decides to get a vasectomy and enter
into a new life of freedom and romance.
On the very day he decides to have the
operation, his ex-girlfriend Gloria shows
up, having returned to Buenos Aires
after years of living in France. Uriel
learns that a poker face may not be the
most effective way to pursue romance.
Based on events in 1940 Bordeaux, this film tells the story of Portuguese Consul
Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who defied Dictator Antonio Salazar’s directive to forbid
the entry of “undesirables,” particularly Jews, into Portugal. Against Salazar’s orders,
Sousa Mendes issues approximately 30,000 Portuguese visas allowing people to
escape to Portugal. This film is a portrait in courage, relaying the story of a man
who chose to live by his convictions despite danger and hardship. After his death,
Sousa Mendes was declared to be among the righteous of nations and posthumously
promoted to the rank of Ambassador.
Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation
9 t h A N N U A L H O U S T O N J E W I S H F I L M F E S T I V A L | | | M A R C H 6 – 1 7
OPENINGNIGHT
BESA: THE PROMISE
Thursday, March 7 • 5:00 PM • ERJCC
Directed by Rachel GoslinsUSA, 2012, 86 minEnglish with subtitlesDocumentary
“Besa,” a code of honor, requires that all Albanians, most of whom are Muslim, protect refugees. Rexhap Hoxho is the son of an Albanian Muslim who protected a Jewish family during the Holocaust and retained their prayer books after the family’s departure, as it was too dangerous for a Jewish family to travel with prayer books. Until the fall of communism in 1991, Hoxho had no way of searching for the family, but yet, he felt that “besa” demanded he find and return the books to their rightful owners. His journey eventually leads him and his son to Jerusalem, documented by Jewish-American photographer Norman Gershman.
DISOBEDIENCE:
THE SOUSA MENDES STORY
Friday, March 8 • 1:00 PM • ERJCC
Wednesday, March 13 • 7:30 PM • ERJCC
Guest Speaker: Sousa Mendes Visa
Recipient Sarah Tanne Tillis
Directed by Joël Santoni
France, 2008, 104 min
French with English subtitles
Drama
erjcchouston.org/filmfestmfah.org/film
9 t h A N N U A L H O U S T O N J E W I S H F I L M F E S T I V A L | | | M A R C H 6 – 1 7
THE LAST FLIGHT OF PETR GINZ
Sunday, March 10 • 1:00 PM • MFAH
Tuesday, March 12 • 2:00 PM • MFAH
Directed by Sandy Dickson
and Churchill Roberts
USA, 2012, 66 min
English
Documentary
A story of celebration and tragedy, The
Last Flight of Petr Ginz is a whimsical
and fantastical journey through one
boy’s imagination. Combining animation,
art, and live action, the documentary
is a testament to how a boy’s creative
expression represents the best of what
makes us human. By fourteen Petr Ginz
had written five novels and penned
a diary about the Nazi occupation of
Prague. By sixteen he had produced
more than 170 drawings and paintings,
edited an underground magazine in
the Theresienstadt Ghetto, written
numerous short stories, and had walked
to the gas chamber at Auschwitz.
ORDINARY MIRACLES: THE PHOTO
LEAGUE’S NEW YORK
Sunday, March 10 • 3:00 PM • MFAH
Introduced by Anne Tucker
Directed by Daniel Allentuck
and Nina Rosenblum
USA, 2012, 74 min
English
Documentary
The story of the rise and politically
motivated fall of the Photo League,
(1936–1951) which for fifteen
years served as the center of the
documentary movement in American
photography at a time when the camera
was held to be, in James Agee’s words,
“the central instrument of our time.”
The Photo League’s membership roster
included Sid Grossman, Aaron Siskind,
Jerome Liebling, Dan Weiner, Morris
Engel, Walter Rosenblum, Weegee,
Lisette Model, and W. Eugene Smith.
Ordinary Miracles is built around a
handpicked selection culled from
hundreds of images, fashioned into
sequences designed around various
subjects of League focus (Harlem, the
Lower East Side, children at play, Coney
Island, WWII). The rich and evocative
soundtrack is a blend of contemporary
and vintage music: The Mills Brothers,
The Ink Spots, Django Reinhardt, The
Andrews Sisters, Fats Waller, Coleman
Hawkins, and Philip Glass.
March 12 screening is free with Museum admission
Eat at Café at the J during HJFF! The Café is open until 7:30 PM every night
of an ERJCC screening.
SEYMOUR SCHWARTZ:
HOME MOVIE
Saturday, March 9 • 7:00 PM • MFAH
Guest Speakers: Filmmaker Jon
Schwartz and Newton Schwartz Sr.
Directed by Jon Schwartz
USA, 2012, 89 min
English
Film essay
A Houston story with universal appeal,
this film essay is a character study
of the filmmaker’s father, as well as a
chronicle of a Houston Jewish family
spanning the 20th century. Interviews
with the outspoken Seymour (1919-
2008) frame a family history richly
illustrated by photographs, letters
and historical materials. The story is
rounded out by poignant recollections of
Seymour’s marriage and unlikely role as
a community activist late in his life. 25
years after his first film, the acclaimed
documentary This Is Our Home: It Is
Not For Sale about Houston’s Riverside
neighborhood, Jon Schwartz delivers a
riveting family portrait.
A reception in the Museum galleries follows the screening.
COMING THIS
THE YELLOW TICKET
NOVEMBER
Presented by the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, the Houston Cinema Arts Society, and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
THE YELLOW TICKET: A live
multimedia concert event featuring a
new score by violinist Alicia Svigals that
reanimates a silent cinema classic. Set
in Poland and Tsarist Russia, the 1918
film – starring legendary actress Pola
Negri – portrays a woman’s struggle to
overcome adversity in a story of secret
identities, heroic measures, and trium-
phant love. Svigals has crafted a lush
composition, which she performs with
live jazz piano virtuoso
Marilyn Lerner.
Post-film discussion with Jon Schwartz
Bring your ticket or pass to the café for 10% off.
Pre-order your meal and it will be ready for you!
713.729.3200 ext. 3232.
9 t h A N N U A L H O U S T O N J E W I S H F I L M F E S T I V A L | | | M A R C H 6 – 1 7
HITLER’S CHILDREN
Sunday, March 10 • 6:00 PM • HMH
Directed by Chanoch Ze’evi
Germany, Israel, 2011, 80 min
English, German, Hebrew with English
subtitles
Documentary
Hitler’s Children is a unique documen-
tary film about the descendants of some
of the most powerful figures in the Nazi
regime: Himmler, Frank, Goering, Hoess,
men and women who inherited a legacy
that permanently associates them with
one of the greatest crimes in history.
Director and producer, Chanoch Ze’evi,
himself a third generation descendant
of Holocaust survivors, used detailed
and intensive research to create this in-
depth documentary. His interviews with
the descendants are mesmerizing as he
explores the effects of the Holocaust
from a different view point.
NUMBERED
Monday, March 11 • 5:00 PM • ERJCC
Talkback follows screening
Directed by Uriel Sinai, Dana Doron
Israel, 2012, 60 min
Hebrew with English subtitles
Documentary
Auschwitz prisoners were denied their
names and tattooed with numbers. In
this engrossing film, survivors discuss
what the numbers mean to them: a tat-
too is a sign of shame, a badge of honor,
or something else entirely? “Today, it
is a sign of prestige; I have a number. It
gives me a kind of superiority,” says one
survivor. Another will not wear short
sleeves. A daughter has her father’s
number tattooed to her ankle as a sign
of remembrance and solidarity with her
deceased father; a grandson takes his
grandfather’s number as a sign of sur-
vival and continuity. Am Yisroel Chai.
THE DAY I SAW YOUR HEART
(ET SOUDAIN TOUT LE MONDE
ME MANQUE)
Monday, March 11 • 7:30 PM • ERJCC
Directed by Jennifer Devolère
France, 2011, 98 min
French with English subtitles
Drama
In this French comedy, Eli, celebrating
his 60th birthday, announces that his
42-year-old wife is pregnant. Justine, a
daughter from a prior marriage thinks
this is a mistake considering Eli’s previ-
ous experience as a father. Eli is an
unusual father; he keeps in touch with all
of Justine’s many former boyfriends and
makes outrageous suggestions regard-
ing the pending birth. But what can you
expect from a father who promised his
daughter a toy store, and when one
doesn’t materialize, explains that as “a
good Jewish father” he wanted to pre-
pare her for disappointment.
When Israeli director Arnon Goldfinger’s grandmother Gerda Tuchler died at 98, she
left behind a flat filled with books, works of art, photographs, and memorabilia. His
findings lead him to explore his grandparents’ history, including a long-term friendship
with a Nazi officer that survives the war. Zionists traveling with Nazis to Palestine?
Unbelievable, and yet, it happened. The relationship was unknown to the family, nor
were many other aspects of the Tuchlers’ history until Goldfinger contacted people
who knew his grandparents, reviewed archives, and traveled to Germany in an attempt
to understand their story.
LUNCH
MOVIEAND A
For Adults 60+
THE FLAT$8 Member/$10 Public
Friday, March 15 • 1:00 PM
RSVP REQUIREDwith 24hr advance notice.
Call Esther Bethke forreservations 713.595.8186.
THE FLAT
Tuesday, March 12 • 5:00 PM • ERJCC
Friday, March 15 • 1:00 PM • ERJCC
Directed by Arnon Goldfinger
Israel, 2011, 97 min
Hebrew, German, English with English
subtitles
Documentary
erjcchouston.org/filmfestmfah.org/film
9 t h A N N U A L H O U S T O N J E W I S H F I L M F E S T I V A L | | | M A R C H 6 – 1 7
REMEMBRANCE
(DIE VERLORENE ZEIT)
Wednesday, March 13 • 5:00 PM • ERJCC
Directed by Anna Justice
Germany, 2011, 105 min
German, Polish, English
with English subtitles
Drama, Thriller
In 1944, Anna, a Jewish prisoner in a
concentration camp, and Tomasz, her
Polish prisoner-of-war lover, manage a
harrowing escape from the camp. She
takes refuge with Tomasz’s sister-in-law,
a Polish partisan, while he goes in search
of his brother. In the ensuing chaos at
the end of the war, the two are sepa-
rated, each believing that the other is
dead until 30 years later when Hannah,
happily married and a mother in New
York, believes she has seen Tomasz be-
ing interviewed on television about his
war experiences and renews her search
for him.
PRISONERS OF WAR
(HATUFIM)
Thursday, March 14 • 8:00 PM • ERJCC
Created by Gideon Raff
Israel, Pilot episode 60 min (2010)
Hebrew with English subtitles
TV Series, Drama
Addicted to Homeland? Wait until you
see the original Israeli series upon which
Homeland is based, even more engross-
ing and powerful than its U.S. offspring.
Prisoners of War begins with the return
of three soldiers who had been in captiv-
ity for 17 years. Two of them - Nimrod
and Uri - come back alive; one - Amiel
- returns in a coffin. The series follows
Nimrod and Uri and the people closest to
them as they attempt to go back to the
lives they were yanked out of 17 years
ago. Hatufim, Hebrew for “kidnapped,”
has been rated Israel’s all-time highest-
rated drama. LIFE IN STILLS
Saturday, March 16 • 8:00 PM • MFAH
Guest Speaker: Film Subject Ben Peter
Directed by Tamar Tal
Israel, Germany, 2011, 58 min
Hebrew, German with English subtitles
Documentary
7:00 PM Happy Hour Reception
Exclusively for ages 20s and 30s
$5 for Happy Hour and Screening
THE OTHER SON(LE FILS DE L’AUTRE)
Tuesday, March 12 • 7:30 PM • ERJCCThursday, March 14 • 5:00 PM • ERJCCDirected by Lorraine LevyFrance, 2011, 105 minHebrew, Arabic, French with English subtitlesDrama
When Joseph, the 18-year-old son of a
high ranking Israeli officer in Tel Aviv,
reports for his physical prior to na-
tional service, his blood test shockingly
indicates he is not his parents’ biological
son. Further investigation reveals he was
accidentally switched at birth with Yas-
sin, a Palestinian raised in Gaza. Follow
this dramatic, compelling story of two
loving families, whose lives are turned
upside-down, forcing them to confront
each other and examine their own iden-
tities, values, and attitudes.
Underwritten by
The Maurice Amado Foundation
At the age of 96, photo shop owner Miriam Weissenstein never imagined that she
would be facing a new chapter in her life. But when the shop – her late husband Rudi’s
life’s work – was destined for demolition, even this opinionated and uncompromising
woman knew she needed help. Under the cloud of a family tragedy, a special relation-
ship is forged between Miriam and her grandson, Ben, as they join forces to save the
shop and its nearly one million negatives that document Israel’s defining moments.
Despite the generation gap and many conflicts, Ben and Miriam embark on a heart-
wrenching journey, comprising many humorous and touching moments – a journey
that requires a lot of love, courage, and compassion.
Presented in collaboration with the Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest.
did you know?EVERY MOVIE TICKET AT THE
MFAH GETS YOU 10% OFF AT
CAFE EXPRESS IN THE MUSEUM
MAKE IT A “DINNER AND A
MOVIE” KIND OF NIGHT!
erjcchouston.org/filmfestmfah.org/filmTO PURCHASE TICKETS VISIT:
9 t h A N N U A L H O U S T O N J E W I S H F I L M F E S T I V A L | | | M A R C H 6 – 1 7
AKA DOC POMUS
Sunday, March 17 • 4:00 PM • ERJCC
Directed by Peter Miller and Will Hechter
Canada, USA, 2012, 99 min
English
Documentary
Paralyzed by polio as a child, and confined
to crutches and a wheelchair, Doc Pomus,
a white Jewish Brooklynite born Jerome
Felder, becomes an unlikely blues singer
performing in various musical venues in
NYC, having obtained his first gig as a re-
sult of sheer chutzpah. Subsequently, Doc
Pomus traded his singing career for that
of a song writer, composing “Save the Last
Dance for Me,” “A Teenager in Love,” and
“This Magic Moment.” The film includes
interviews with his many friends and those
songwriters and singers he taught and
influenced as dean of the live music scene
in NYC. In 1992, he was posthumously in-
ducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
HAVA NAGILA (THE MOVIE)
Sunday, March 17 • 7:30 PM • ERJCC
Guest Speaker: Filmmaker
Roberta Grossman
Directed by Roberta Grossman
USA, 2012, 73 min
English
Documentary
Ever wonder about the origins and
history of the tune that is played at
almost every Bar Mitzvah party and
Jewish wedding? Then don’t miss Hava
Nagila, The Movie. Black, Italian, and
Irish Americans all connect to and per-
form “Hava Nagila,” a tune recognizable
all over the world, having traveled from
the Ukraine to YouTube. But then, who
would not like a song whose title means
“Let us rejoice?”
Patron Sponsors: Bunny and Perry Radoff
THE CANTOR’S SON
Sunday, March 17 • 1:00 PM • ERJCC
Introduced by Hazzan David Propis
Directed by Ilya Motyleff
USA, 1937, 90 min
Yiddish with English Subtitles
Drama
Moishe Oysher (1907-1958), a can-
tor and singing star whose repertoire
ranged from the cantorial to the oper-
atic stars in this restored 1937 Yiddish
language film as Shloimele, a young
man who leaves his family and Polish
shtetl and endures a life of poverty until
he is finally discovered washing floors
in a nightclub. After he attains stardom,
Shloimele is torn between his desire for
his shtetl and family and the attractions
of the New World. The film is based in
part on Moishe Oysher’s life.
This exhibition is organized by Venetian Heritage Inc., and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in collaboration with the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation. The objects were restored with the support of Maison Vhernier.
Generous funding is provided by Joan and Stanford Alexander; Julie and Drew Alexander; Joyce Z. Greenberg; Barbara and Gerry Hines; Shirley Toomim; Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff; Helaine and David Lane; Jeri and Marc Shapiro; Nancy and Scott Atlas; Nancy Beren and Larry Jefferson; Paula and Irving Pozmantier; Regina Rogers in honor of Holocaust survivor Stefi Altman; Glen Rosenbaum; and Shirley and Marvin Rich.
Chanu (one of a pair), Venetian, 19th century, bronze, Jewish Community of Venice 1001 Bissonnet at Main • 713.639.7300 • mfah.org
Lost Treasure of the Jewish Ghetto of Venice Restored by Venetian Heritage Inc.
THROUGH APRIL 28
Pho
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The film has been provided and restored with
new English subtitles by The National Center
for Jewish Film, www.jewishfilm.org
Patron Sponsor:
KENNY KENNY ZIGGY S ZIGGY S & N E W Y O R K D E L I C A T E S S E N R E S TA U R A N T
/ Ziggy Gruber
Ph
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Cre
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: J
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Jim
enez
$5 @ 5:00!ALL FIVE O’CLOCK MOVIES AT THE
ERJCC ARE ONLY FIVE DOLLARS!
HJFF RESTORATION HIGHLIGHT
“Save the Last Dance…” for our music-themed closing day!
Closing Night reception follows screening.
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Dr. Robert Zaretsky is a professor of modern French history at the Honors College of the
University of Houston. Dr. Zaretsky is a frequent contributor to The New York Times,
International Herald Tribune, The Forward, Los Angeles Times and Le Monde Diplomatique.
His lectures will address the history of the Jews of France from the French Revolution to the
modern period, focusing on the Dreyfus Affair, the Jews in Occupied France, and the relationship
between the French, the Jews, and the State of Israel after 1967.
From the Second World War to the Second Intifada: France and the Jews TodayThursday, May 2 7:30 PM
In 1967, the great political theorist (and secular Jew) Raymond Aron, upon hearing President Charles De Gaulle’s remark that the Jews were an “elite people, sure of themselves and domineering,” wondered if this opened “a new chapter in Jewish his-tory and perhaps anti-Semitism.” With the surge of violence in North African quarters against Jews, climaxing in the horrific mas-sacre at Toulouse, French Jews now ask themselves if they can remain both fully French and fully Jewish.
Vichy Then and Now: The Jews of France in the Second World War Thursday, April 18 7:30 PM
France’s military defeat in 1940 heralded the birth of the Vichy regime, which sought to turn the clock back to pre-revolutionary France. Central to this reactionary agenda was the regime’s battery of anti-Semitic laws—initiated without the slightest of nudges from the Nazis. Beginning in 1942, these laws enabled Nazi Germany’s application of the Final Solution to France, leading to the murder of nearly 75,000 Jews, both foreign and native-born. We shall discuss the motivations of the bureaucracy that created and applied these laws and reflect on those institutions and individuals that resisted them.
The Dreyfus Affair: How An “Affaire Française” Became Our Affair Thursday, March 217:30 PM
In 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an officer in the French Army’s High Command, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island for acts of treason. As disturbing details emerged concerning the case—it happened that Dreyfus was Jewish—the nation was sundered in half between those who reminded France of its revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity and those who insisted that Jews could never be fully French.
F R E N C H J E W R Y T H E N A N D N O W
Center for Jewish L iv ing and Learn ing Scho lar Ser ies
From Enlightenment to Intifada:
Register online at erjcchouston.org/frenchjewry$10 Member / $15 Public (per lecture)$27 Member / $36 Public (series pass)
These lectures are made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Thanks to our community partner:
ARTS, CULTURE, EDUCATION | ADULTS | SENIORS | KIDS & FAMILY | HEALTH & WELLNESS
Level 1 - Beginning Hebrew Instructor: Karen Greenspan10 Wednesdays April 3 – June 12 No class May 157:00 – 8:30 PM$190 Member/$240 Public
This introductory course is a program of letter recognition, reading proficien-cy, building vocabulary, and learning ba-sic phrases using the Hebrew textbook series Aleph Isn’t Tough.
Reading The Book of RuthInstructor: Karen Greenspan10 Mondays April 8 – June 107:00 – 8:30 PM$190 Member/$240 Public
This class will develop Hebrew comprehension and grammar skills through a close reading of the Book of Ruth. Participants should be able to read Hebrew fluently and have a basic biblical Hebrew vocabulary. Please call before registering to determine if this class is suitable for you.
Advanced Conversational HebrewInstructor: Nomi Barancik9 Tuesdays April 9 - June 1110:45 – 11:45 AM$117 Member/$150 Public
This course is suitable for those who read and comprehend Hebrew at a more advanced level but wish to expand their vocabulary and develop their fluency.
language
The ERJCC is delighted to announce that Saranne and Livingston Kosberg have generously underwritten a new program to create richer Jewish experiences for Houston parents. En-titled Foundations of Jewish Family Living, this new course from the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning provides parents with the skills and knowledge to practice the core values of Judaism at home with their families. Topics will include Essential Judaism, Words that Hurt and Honor Between Generations.
The Foundations program runs throughout the year. 20 sessions will be offered in 4-5 week blocks. The book for the course is $54. After paying the initial fee of $54, parents may partici-pate in as many sessions as they choose during the year at no additional charge. Facilitated
by local rabbis and Jewish educators.
UPCOMING SESSIONS: March 3, 10, 17, 24, April 14, 21, 28 and May 5
CLASSES TAKE PLACE AT THE ERJCC · CHILDCARE WILL BE PROVIDED
*This program is particularly appropriate for parents of children ages 2 through 8, but all parents are welcome.
For more information about Foundations, please contact Rabbi Samantha Safran Bodner at [email protected] or 713.729.3200 ext. 3322.
A N E W P R O G R A M F O R P A R E N T S O F Y O U N G C H I L D R E N
F O U N D A T I O N So f J e w i s h F a m i l y L i v i n g
What are the Jewish values you want to teach your child?
living
film
FRESH, LOCAL AND ORGANIC
PRODUCEAT THE ERJCC
Be good to your farmer, your family, and your environment, and join the Hazon Community Supported Agriculture program! Enjoy a weekly bounty of fresh, local, and organic vegetables delivered directly to the ERJCC from Home Sweet Farm in Brenham, Texas. Choose a full share (weekly), a half share (bi-weekly), or split a share with a friend!
A Fresh Take on Passover:
Tired of eating the same old matzoh crackers and kugel for eight days in a row? Join registered and licensed dietician Wendy Lusky Rosenfeld as she shows us how to make healthy, creative and delicious chametz-free food. Kosher-for-Passover never tasted so good!
HEALTHY NEW RECIPES FOR THE HOLIDAY!
Thursday, March 77:00 – 9:00 PM$15 Member / $20 Public Wednesdays, March 6 - July 24
$576 for 18 weeks / $288 for 9 weeks (bi-weekly)(NEW!)
PLUS $34 Member / $46 Public (one-time site fee)
Pick up at ERJCC Main Lobby or Bertha Alyce Center (NEW!)
To register or for more information contact Rabbi Samantha Safran Bodner
at [email protected] or 713.729.3200 ext.3322.
Jewish Film Club
$2 Member / $4 PublicAll screenings take place at 12:45 PM
The Jewish Film Club will feature monthly screenings of classic and contemporary films that highlight Jewish characters or themes. A discussion of each film, facilitated by Jonathan Fass or Rabbi Samantha Safran Bodner, will follow. Coffee and snacks will be provided for the discussion.
February 22 - For Your Consideration (2006)
March 29 - Partisans of Vilna (1986)
April 12 - Avalon (1990)
May 17 - Praying with Lior (2007)
To register for the lectures and classes included in this catalog please call Nomi Barancik at 713.729.3200, ext. 3288 or visit erjcchouston.org
Center for JewishLiving and Learning
An In-Depth InvestigationJudaism And Ethics:
M E C H O N H A D A R H O U S T O N S C H O L A R - I N - R E S I D E N C E P R O G R A M
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN PARTICULARISTIC
JEWISH VALUES AND MORE
GENERAL UNIVERSAL ETHICS?
ARE “BEING A GOOD
JEW” AND “BEING A GOOD
PERSON” SYNONYMOUS
TERMS?
THESE CHALLENGES WILL BE
EXPLORED IN OUR IN-DEPTH
INVESTIGATION OF JEWISH ETHICS
WITH DR. RABBI ETHAN TUCKER OF
MECHON HADAR HOUSTON
Dr. Rabbi Ethan Tucker, Co-Founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Mechon Hadar, the only egalitarian yeshiva
in the United States, returns to Houston for a four-day scholar-in-residence program from February
24 through February 27, 2013. Rabbi Tucker was ordained by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and earned
a Ph.D. in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He was named one of News-
week’s Top Fifty Rabbis in America in 2011 and 2012.
Between Wisdom and Honor: When Divine Commands Threaten Human DignitySunday, February 24 • 7:30 PM
Human beings are created in the divine image and the Torah is built on a foundation of basic human decency. How do we deal with situations where the observance of a commandment gets in the way of this larger vision? We will begin this series by exploring a Talmudic passage that addresses this tension and attempts to lay out a framework for integrating these sometimes competing impulses.
Ethical Norms as the Foundation of the TorahMonday, February 25 • 7:30 PM
This lecture will delve into a bold essay by R. Moshe Shmuel Glasner (19th-20th c., Hungary), who spells out a theory of how Judaism ought to relate to modern values. We will explore his text as a basis for rethinking the interrelationship of traditionally Jewish obligations with contemporary crusades for environmental and economic justice. Can we affirm the power of universal ethics without harming our commitment to Judaism?
Was Abraham asked to Sacrifice His Ethics?Tuesday, February 26 • 7:30 PM
This lecture will explore anew the classic conflict between ethical commitments and religious duty: the Binding of Isaac. This biblical narrative plays a central role in Jewish prayer, has inspired countless Jews throughout the generations, and continues to haunt us on Rosh Hashanah. In the modern period, the Binding of Isaac has been used for more dramatic effect: making true devotion to God dependent on transcending one’s own ethical instincts. We will reevaluate this reading in an effort to reclaim the Binding of Isaac without sacrificing our own ethics in the process.
Can Jewish Texts Be Unethical: Grappling with Difficult Sources Wednesday, February 27 • 7:30 PM
Sometimes we encounter a Jewish text that seems to say something offensive and contrary to our ethical sense. How do we respond as heirs to this tradition while being true to our ethical instincts? In this lecture, we will explore one 19th century rabbi’s attempt to deal with Talmudic statements that appear to speak disparagingly about Gentiles. Through his approach, we will investigate what it means to take ownership of a tradition that does not, at least at first glance, intuitively match our ethical instincts.
THIS PROGRAM IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CONGREGATION BRITH SHALOM,
CONGREGATION BETH YESHURUN, AND CONGREGATION OR AMI.
$15 per lecture. To register go to erjcchouston.org/hadar
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Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
P A I DHouston, Texas
Permit No. 6217
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096erjcchouston.org
Mann Makht und Gott Lakht’: Man Makes, God LaughsAn exhibit of paintings by Uzi SilberFebruary 25 – April 5
Uzi seeks out the relics, images, symbols, scripts and patterns which have made us who we are, resuscitates and integrates them in a new yet timeless context as whimsical as it is seri-ous. Works available for purchase to benefit ERJCC.
Gallery HoursMonday-Thursday 10:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday & Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
J Teen Art SceneIsrael: Hope through TimeSunday, April 144th Annual Teen Visual Art ExhibitionApril 14 – May 24
For the 4th year, the ERJCC Deutser Art Gallery will exhibit original works by local Jewish teenagers. This exhibit will open with a Showcase, on all-day arts festival showcasing teenage artistic talents across many platforms.
Now accepting submissions in several arts categories until Monday, March 18. For information visit jtas.weebly.com.
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