Get Out Those 2009 Calendars...Again

A couple days ago, I gave everyone something to look forward to in the year to come. Did you think that was it? Oh no--the Museum of Jewish Heritage has even more programs to keep you busy in 2009...

January

On the 7th, we will hold a tribute to poet and Holocaust survivor Paul Celan in a multimedia presentation called Barbez: Force of Light. Spoken word poetry, video, and music (recently released by Tzadik) come together for a truly unique performance.

The following Sunday, the 11th, the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company and actress/vocalist Bente Kahan will perform The Legacy Project: Echoes. Dorfman and Kahan, both children of survivors, honor their Eastern European Jewish heritage in this dance/live music/theater piece. This also marks the Museum's first dance performance--as a total ballet nerd, I'm pretty excited.

The last program in January (the 28th) is also musical: a newly discovered piece by renowned composer Felix Mendelssohn. In a very Bill and Ted way to look at history, Mendelssohn is probably best known for being "that guy who wrote the wedding march." Unfortunately, after his death at the age of 38, Mendelssohn's reputation was maligned by the notoriously anti-Semitic composer Richard Wagner and his work was later banned by the Nazis. We're so happy to revive this talented composer's music and legacy.

February

On the 11th, New York Times columnist Randy Cohen will be at the Museum to discuss his unique job: answering questions on ethical dilemmas. This could be your chance to pose your own ethical issue!

Throughout history, images of nature have been infused in Jewish choral music. On the 22nd, join choirs from around the country as they perform songs in Hebrew, Ladino, Yiddish, and English for Images of Nature in Jewish Choral Music.

The January/February programs end on the 25th, when a prestigious panel of writers, academics, and artists will come together to discuss photography as a means of provoking compassion or horror with Regarding the Pain of Others. Can images of artocities engender compassion or disent? Or does their ubiquity merely elicit a shudder before they are forgotten?

Tickets are not yet available for these programs, but I will certainly keep you up to date as to when they are. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.