Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
"A Decade at Bernie's": The Ethical Crisis in Contemporary Jewish Life
Blu Greenberg,
Yitz Greenberg,
Chaim Seidler-Feller,
Doreen Seidler-Feller
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Catalina Ballroom 1
Identity and Responsibility
From Agriprocessors to Madoff to Tropper, ethical misconduct appears to be rampant in contemporary Jewish life. Is there an ethical crisis? What are its causes? Join panelists Blu and Yitz Greenberg and Doreen and Chaim Seidler-Feller for a discussion about what can be done to reassert the centrality of ethics in our lives.
1200 Defiant Jews: The Bielski Partisans
Sharon Rennert
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Huntington Beach 1 & 2
Arts and Performance,
Global History and Culture,
Teen Approved
The Bielski Partisans created a thriving shtetl hidden deep within the forests of Western Belarus, resisted the Nazis, and emerged 1200 strong at the end of the Holocaust. Their story is the inspiration for the film "Defiance" starring Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski, the group’s leader. Sharon Rennert, the granddaughter of Tuvia Bielski, will discuss her family history and screen excerpts from her work-in-progress documentary, "In Our Hands: A Personal Portrait of the Bielski Brothers." The excerpts include exclusive family movies, photos, and oral histories, and provide a unique and personal glimpse into the real characters behind the film "Defiance."
The Arch of Titus, the Menorah, and the State of Israel
Kalman Topp
Canceled, sorry
Additional schedule
- Sunday 4:00 PM–5:15 PM
Newport Beach 3
Global History and Culture,
Israel
Through a blend of archaeological sources, Talmudic passages and historical evidence, this class will trace the remarkable odyssey of the Menorah and other temple artifacts from the time they were looted by the Roman general Titus until today. Among the questions explored will be where were the Temple artifacts taken? Is the Menorah depicted on the Arch of Titus the real menorah and if not, why? What will emerge is a message of hope regarding exile, redemption and the modern State of Israel.
Descendants of a Wrestler
Alyson Solomon
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Emerald Bay 3
Text and Thought
Unpack the character of Jacob our ancestor. From lentils to ladders to limping, what can we discover? We'll look at Torah, poetry, do a little improv, and see what we find in being descendants of a wrestler.
Holy Hands and Holy Eyes: The Hebrew Midwives
Yoni Gordis
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Balboa Bay 2
Text and Thought,
Teen Approved
Explore the characters of the midwives who birthed Moshe and the Jewish people. How did they see things differently than everyone else? What radicalism allowed them to be so different? How do we assimilate their lessons and continue birthing a visionary nation?
Jewish Homeschooling Landscape
Martine Porter Zasada,
Shari Rosenman
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Newport Beach 2
Identity and Responsibility
In response to increasing economic pressure and dissatisfaction with the choices Jewish Angelenos have among our schools, a growing community has opted to homeschool their kids. Join us as we discuss the benefits and some of the challenges of homeschooling.
No Shvitz
Elissa Barrett
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Laguna Beach 3
Arts and Performance,
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
From rags to righteousness, the Jewish people have journeyed from the sweatshops of Lower East Side New York to the forefront of a vibrant, West Coast-based anti-sweatshop movement. Come to this interactive workshop and learn about Jews across California who are fighting to restore dignity and build a brighter future for garment industry workers here and abroad. Appropriate for teens and adults.
Our Heritage and Our Health: Facts About Genetic Conditions Among the Ashkenazim
Gary Frohlich
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Newport Beach 1
Health and Healing
It is well documented that Ashkenazi Jews have a significantly higher incidence for many genetic disorders. This session is a basic biology lesson, a tour of Jewish migration over the past 2000 years, and a genetics primer. We will learn about the “Founder Effect” among the Ashkenazim, gain knowledge about the 11 genetic conditions among the Ashkenazim, and become empowered to make informed decisions in safeguarding our families’ health.
Rhythm and Jews: Jewish Influences on Jazz
Yoni Arbel
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Newport Beach 3
Arts and Performance,
Global History and Culture,
Teen Approved
Jazz and Judaism explores the Jewish people's invaluable contribution to American Jazz music. Spanning from the late 19th century until the present, this session will examine how Jewish composers and musicians such as Al Jolson, George and Ira Gershwin, Benny Goodman, and others influenced jazz to this very day. This is an interactive session that will include listening to music and watching live performance.
Standing on One Foot: A Storytelling Workshop in Process
Peninnah Schram
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Laguna Beach 2
Global History and Culture,
Identity and Responsibility
Peninnah Schram will explore the power of storytelling, illustrate effective storytelling and share the techniques for telling through non-threatening participatory creative dramatic exercises. We will also work through the process of learning a story and integrating stories within the classroom, at home and in your life.
The Romantic Triangle: The Scholar, His Wife and the Torah
Renana Ravitsky Pilzer
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Balboa Bay 1
Text and Thought
The tension between family and career is an ancient tension, and the Talmud allows us a glance in the deeply personal and fascinating stories of ambivalence of the sages. What should a student who is torn between desire and duty give preference to: the desire for learning in the Beit Midrash or the duty to be at home with their family? Is it preferable to chose between self-fulfillment at work or in family life? Or is it preferable to choose both and thus not fulfill either? Is any model, if agreed upon between a husband and wife, appropriate and moral? How do we combine and integrate our different desires?
When Zohar Argov and Franz Kafka Finally Met: Reconsidering Jewish Identity and Diversity in Contemporary Jewish Culture
Yehuda Sharim
Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM
Laguna Beach 1
Identity and Responsibility
In this session, I will explore the multi-vocality, pun intended, and complex ethnic narratives of contemporary Jewish identities mainly from literary texts by the East European author Franz Kafka and the music of the Yemenite singer Zohar Argov. In placing these two men, their texts, their histories, their bodies, and what they represent in conversation, we will get attuned to Jewish cultural and ethnic multiplicity. Beyond an examination of terms such as “Ashkenazi,” “Sephardi,” “Mizrahi,” we will question how these ambiguous and complex.
