Jan 13, 2021 - 29 Tevet 5781 |
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FROM CIVIL RIGHTS TO ANTI-RACISM
A free Zoom Webinar presented by The Forward in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Thursday, Jan. 14th | 4:00 PM EST

In advance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, join us as we reflect on the relationships between Blacks and Jews as well as the complexities across our interwoven communities.
Join Professor Anthea Butler, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania; Professor Marc Dollinger, author of “Black Power, Jewish Politics;” Ginna Green, Fellow of the Kogod Research Center, Shalom Hartman Institute of North America; and Professor Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College as we explore our past, present and future together. The talk will be moderated by Forward editor in chief, Jodi Rudoren.
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40th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance
Presented by the Maine NAACP and Statewide Partners
January 18, 2021 @ 9:00AM — 7:00PM
Join the Maine NAACP and statewide partners in celebration of the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This observance, traditionally featuring a gospel concert, interfaith community dialogue, youth program, and dinner celebration, has been the largest celebration held in Maine in Dr. King's honor.
This year's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance will not disappoint, and while we cannot come together in a ballroom, we invite you to spend the Holiday with us for a Virtual Teach-In and Call To Action. Offered through a full day of programs, we hope you will question, learn, share, discuss, and take action! Tickets this year will be sold on a sliding scale, ranging from free to $100.
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JUDAISM AND JUSTICE: A Morning of Meaningful Learning in Honor of MLK Day
From the Shalom Hartman Institute and UJA Federation
Monday, Jan. 18th | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Join us for a morning of meaningful online learning with leading scholars about Judaism, justice, and our role in pursuing a more equitable world:
- Sara Labaton – Caring For The Sick: Human and Divine Presence in the Face of Illness
- Yonah Hain – MLK’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail and the Jewish Tradition: Injustice and Communal Responsibility
- Lila Kagedan – Racial and Social Disparities in Health: What Can the Prophets Teach Us?
- Justus Baird – Learn. Do. Pursue Justice: A Panel Discussion (moderator)
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IMPACT INVESTING with Michael O’Leary and Warren Valdmanis
Presented by the Portland Museum of Art and the JCA
Tuesday, January 26th | 5:00 - 6:00 PM | FREE
Art for All and DEAI work (diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion) are at the heart of the PMA’s mission. But how can you, as an investor, invest strategically to support this type of work in our community?
The PMA, in partnership with JCA, welcomes investors and authors Michael O’Leary and Warren Valdmanis to share their experiences in social impact investing and corporate responsibility and sustainability. Together, they helped launch Bain Capital's social impact fund. Valdmanis is now a partner at Two Sigma Impact, and O'Leary is an investor with the impact investing firm Engine No. 1. O’Leary and Valdmanis will discuss impact investing, its critiques—fair and unfair—and its potential to create change for non-profit organizations and their endowments. Their book Accountable: The Rise of Citizen Capitalism, is available locally at Print: A Bookstore or Longfellow Books.
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COOK-ALONGS WITH MARGARET HATHAWAY of Ten Apple Farm
Author of the Maine Bicentennial Community Cookbook
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SAMBUSAS & KNISHES
Sunday, January 31st | 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Savory fillings in a pastry crust make a delicious snack and a portable lunch. In this cook along, we’ll make sambusas and meat knishes, both variations on this tasty theme. Gamana Yarow’s stuffed Somali beef dumplings are spiced with curry powder and flecked with vegetables and herbs. Sadye Schatz’s beef knishes are sweet with onions and enriched with schmaltz—flavors she leaned heavily on as one of Portland’s two kosher caterers in the 1940s and 50s. In this 90 minute zoom, we’ll make the dough and fillings for both, and discuss ways to make these recipes our own.
Free! Register by Tues. Jan. 26 - Registered participants will receive the Zoom link, recipes and ingredient list on Tues. 1/26.
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ITALIAN-AMERICAN “MAC & CHEESE” AND NOODLE KUGEL
Sunday, February 21st | 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Noodles with cheese are a classic comfort food that can take many forms. In this cook along, we’ll make variations from the last century’s Jewish and Italian immigrant communities of Maine. In the 1930s and 40s, Steven Quattrucci’s family owned the popular Balboa Cafe on Portland’s India Street, and his grandmother Nana Q's “Mac & Cheese” mixed leftover provolone from the cafe with other cheeses, noodles, and red sauce. Further north, the first Jewish cookbook of Maine was compiled by the Levine Chapter B’nai Brith/Waterville Chapter Hadassah in 1951. In this 90 minute Zoom, we’ll make Nana Q’s “Mac & Cheese” and classic Luchen Kugel from 100 Selected Recipes, plus a slightly embellished version of kugel that our family makes at home.
Free! Register by Tues. Feb. 16 - Registered participants will receive the Zoom link, recipes and ingredient list on Tues. 2/16.
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BOOK FESTIVAL IN YOUR LIVING ROOM |
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The JCA presents Book Festival in Your Living Room
In partnership with the JCC Literary Consortium and the Atlanta JCC
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ERICA KATZ - The Boys’ Club: A Novel
Thursday, January 14th | 8 PM ET
Sweetbitter meets The Firm in this buzzy, page-turning debut novel—already optioned to Netflix—about sex and power in the halls of corporate America.
Tickets: $6 – virtual ticket, or $35 – one virtual ticket and one copy of the book (including shipping)
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SCOTT TUROW - The Last Trial
Wednesday, January 27th | 8 PM ET
Two formidable men collide in this "first-class legal thriller" and New York Times bestseller about a celebrated criminal defense lawyer and the prosecution of his lifelong friend -- a doctor accused of murder (-David Baldacci).
Tickets: $11 – virtual ticket, or $25 – one virtual ticket and one paperback copy of the book (including shipping)
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Digital Resources from the USM Judaica Collection
A free online Lunch & Learn program with USM & the JCA
Co-sponsored by Congregation Bet Ha'am, Temple Beth El, Shaarey Tphiloh and the Maine Jewish Museum
Weds. January 27th | 12 PM*
*Please note change of date
Explore the rich archive of historical photographs, documents and materials available digitally through USM’s Judaica collection. Presented by Susie Bock - USM Library Coordinator of Special Collections.
Advanced registration required by Tuesday, Jan. 26
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STATEWIDE HAVDALAH, TOGETHER
A Zoom event organized by the Center for Small Town Jewish Life
Saturday, Jan. 16th | 6 PM

Winter is here, which means Statewide Havdalah. This month we will be led by Rabbi Sruli Dresdner and Rebbetzin Lisa Mayer of Temple Shalom, Auburn and Rabbi Carolyn Braun of Temple Beth El, Portland. Join Jews from all around Maine as we say goodbye to Shabbat and welcome a new week. This gathering is sure to be spirited and musical! And, mark your calendars for Havdalah on Saturday, February 13th at 6 PM.
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MJFF WEEKEND EDITION - January 22-24
Free online films and discussions presented by the Maine Jewish Film Festival
Til Kingdom Come
In this provocative look at strange political bedfellows, Emmy award winning Israeli filmmaker Maya Zinshtein investigates the alliance between American evangelicals, politicians and Israel’s right wing. Director Maya Zinshtein and Producer Abraham (Abie) Troen join MJFF for a Zoom discussion on Sunday, Jan 24 at 7:00 PM.
Thou Shalt Not Hate
A surgeon who is the son of a Holocaust survivor faces an ethical dilemma when he stops at the scene of an auto accident to help the victim, and discovers the victim has a Nazi tattoo. The ramifications of his decision about whether or not to help, make for a riveting drama about the legacy of Nazi ideology in contemporary Italy.
Films will again be available on the Eventive Platform. Both films are available from 9:00 AM on Friday, Jan. 22 to midnight on Sunday, Jan. 24. Both films are free, but you must reserve your ticket for access.
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WHITE SUPREMACY AND ANTI-SEMITISM: Lessons from the Capitol Attack
With Historian Jonathan Sarna
A Zoom webinar presented by Boston College’s Center for Christian-Jewish Learning
Wednesday, Jan. 13th | 8 PM
Jonathan D. Sarna is University Professor and Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University, where he directs the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies. He also chairs the Academic Advisory and Editorial Board of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, and serves as Chief Historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
Please email discussion questions to cjlearning@bc.edu before the event. Attendees will also be able to submit questions during the event using the chat feature.
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BRINGING ISRAEL HOME - A new 16 episode digital series
Hosted by Chef Michael Solomonov
Premieres Wednesday, January 13th | 8:00 PM EST
Chef Michael Solomonov typically visits Israel twice a year, but with travel to Israel curtailed in 2020 and into 2021, Solomonov is bridging the gap with “Bringing Israel Home”. At the start of each episode, Solomonov visits with his friends and prominent Israelis, who share their awe-inspiring take on Israeli food culture. Then, live in his home kitchen, Solomonov cooks a mix of new and signature dishes that are centered on the gastronomic subject of the episode. The cooking component in each episode includes a live Q&A with viewers. Recipes will be available to viewers in collaboration with Jewish Food Society, here.
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SCULPTURE TOUR OF TEL AVIV
A free online program presented by the Consulate General of Israel to New England
Sunday, Jan. 17th | 3:00 PM
Join us for an awe-inspiring tour of the sculptures around Tel Aviv with Israeli tour guide Gadi Ben-Dov!
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HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION
4-part series from JCC Chicago Arts + Ideas University
Wednesdays, Jan. 20, 27, Feb. 3, 10 at 3PM
A portion of the proceeds benefits the JCA
Join Fordham University Professor Emeritus Brian Rose for a 4-part series that will take an in-depth look at the History of the Movie Musical, the Golden Age of Hollywood, the Golden Age of Television, and the Grandmasters of Comedy (Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks).
Minimum of 20 participants required to run the program. Tickets: $40 for the series.
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1342 Congress St. Portland, ME 04102 | 207-772-1959
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