History Readers’ Book Club: Thursday, May 28th at 8:00 PM
Shylock’s Venice: The remarkable history of Venice’s Jews and the Ghetto
Millions of visitors flood to Venice every year. Yet many are unaware of its history – one of dramatic expansion but also of rapid decline. And essential to any history of Venice during its glory days is the story of its Jewish population. Venice gave the world the word ghetto. Astonishingly, the ghetto prison turned out to be as remarkable a place as the city of Venice itself.
With sound scholarship and a narrator’s skill, Harry Freedman tells the story of Venice’s Jews.
From the founding of the ghetto in 1516, to the capture of Venice by Napoleon in 1797, he describes the remarkable cultural renaissance that took place in the Venice ghetto. Gates and walls notwithstanding, for the first time in European history Jews and Christians mingled intellectually, learned from each other, shared ideas and entered modernity together. When it came to culture, the ghetto walls were porous. – Amazon
Harry Freedman is Britain’s leading author of popular works of Jewish culture and history. His books include Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius, Shylock’s Venice: The Remarkable History of Venice’s Jews and the Ghetto, The Talmud: A Biography, Britain’s Jews: Confidence, Maturity, Anxiety and Kabbalah: Secrecy, Scandal and the Soul. He has a PhD on an Aramaic translation of the Bible from the University of London. He lives in London with his wife Karen.
No reservations are required. To participate, click on the Zoom link at 8:00 PM to join the discussion. Or click on it at 7:30PM to join Limud first. There is no charge for this Adult Ed event but donations are always welcome!
Shabbaton from Home and Shul: Saturday, May 30th, after kiddush
Tikun Olam: Everything Old is New Again with David Zipkowitz
Tikkun Olam is a term that dates back to the time of the Rabbi’s. David will talk about Tikkun Olam, what it meant in the past and how it came to its current meaning.
Dr. David Zipkowitz was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Douglaston. With the exception of the time he was in college and dental school he has lived in Queens his entire life. He practiced general dentistry in his private practice in Manhattan for over thirty years. He has been a member of FHJC since 1990.
This presentation will be after kiddush for people who attended services whether in person or on Zoom. If you are Zooming, keep your link open after services.
Shabbaton from Home and Shul: Wednesday, June 3rd at 8:00 PM
Artistry in Megillah Writing: A Case Study with Yael Beer
Sifrei Stam (Jewish calligraphers) are known to us for their meticulous work scribing Torahs and other scrolls we use throughout the Jewish calendar. We probably have a similar idea of what a “standard” Megillah looks like. But they do not have to conform to one aesthetic template. In this presentation, we will be looking at a Megillah dated to mid-18th century Brody (now in Ukraine) to see where it is familiar to us, and where it departs from our expectations of a Megillat Esther.
Yael Beer is a recent graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music’s Master of the Arts program with a major in Musicology. Nurtured by a lifetime of immersion in FHJC’s Shabbat services, their primary research interest is Ashkenazi synagogue music. They hope to continue delving further into the topic at the Jewish Theological Seminary’s H. L. Miller Cantorial School this coming fall.
No reservations are required. Use the FHJC Zoom link (Zoom) at 7:30 for Limud and stay on the link at 8:00PM to hear Yael’s presentation.
Men’s Club Breakfast: Sunday, June 7th at 10:30 AM
Join us for a delicious breakfast and a conversation with Rabbi Waxman, Executive Director of the Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC).
Rabbi Waxman will share insights into the Queens Jewish Community and the vital work of the QJCC, the united voice of Queens Jewry. The QJCC represents synagogues and Jewish institutions in their interactions with government, advocates for Israel and Jewish causes, presents cultural programming, and provides essential assistance to those in need
throughout the borough.
Join us as we learn more about the important work happening right here in Queens.
All are welcome!
Cost: $15.00/pp
Breakfast catered by the Men’s Club Breakfast Squad.
Click here to RSVP by Wednesday June 3rd.
Questions? Email Stephen Markowitz.
Daytime Readers: Thursday, June 18th at 1:00 PM
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger named Theo arrives in the small Southern city of Golden. He doesn’t explain much about where he came from or why he’s there—but when he visits the local coffeehouse, where pencil portraits of the people of Golden hang on the walls, he begins purchasing them, one at a time, and giving each portrait to the person depicted. In exchange, he asks only for the person’s story. And so portrait by portrait, person by person, secrets are revealed, regrets are shared, and ordinary lives are profoundly altered.
A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is an unforgettable novel about the power of generosity, the importance of connection, and the quiet miracles that happen when we choose kindness and wonder. – Amazon
Click here to register and join the discussion. And if you haven’t read the book, join us anyway. It might inspire you!
