Remix Judaism
Wednesday August 4, 11, 18, 25
7 PM
Join the Jewish Collaborative for its Remix Judaism ALI Evening Series with Professor Roberta Kwall, author of Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World. Kwall, the Raymond P. Niro Professor at DePaul University College of Law, articulates a distinct vision for Judaism that illustrates how people can deepen their connection to authentic Jewish tradition by performing selected rituals consistently and attaching a personal meaning to them. The book offers an eloquent and thoughtful new vision for all Jews seeking a sense of belonging in a changing world, regardless of their current level of observance. Kwall sets out a process of selection, rejection and modification of rituals that allow for a focus on Jewish tradition rather than on the technicalities of Jewish law.
Professor Kwall’s goal is not to sell her own religious practices to readers but, rather, to encourage them to find their own personal meaning in Judaism outside the dictates of Commandments by broadening their understanding of how law, culture and tradition fit together. She inspires her audience to be intentional and mindful about the space they allocate for these elements in defining their individual Jewish journeys and identities.
To sign up, visit https://www.jewishcollaborativeoc.org/remix-judaism-ali-class.html.
Tolkien Event
Tuesday, August 3
12:30 PM
The Orange County Community Scholar Program presents Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum, live from the U.K., speaking on “The Torah of The Lord of the Rings.” John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Tolkien was a philologist who borrowed from Biblical Hebrew for many of the characters’ names in his famous trilogy. Learn the Hebrew basis of Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Sauron, Saruman, Tom Bombadil and even Tolkien’s own name. There is no better place than Hobbit-country itself to understand how Jewish ideas lie embedded in this epic novel.
Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum is Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS). He has a doctorate in Theoretical Physics, a Masters’ in Education, and is a graduate of the Mandel Leadership School in Jerusalem. Raphael is a sought-after lecturer with wildly innovative and meaningful readings of Torah, Midrash, Talmud and the Jewish festivals that reference modern literature, cinema and culture.
To register, go to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEldOysqDgiEtTahPVazom1E7T5ka5jdeFr.
Youth Aliyah Event
Sunday, August 15
10 AM
Hadassah Southern California will present “Awakening Potential: The Youth Aliyah Experience” via Zoom. The presentation will feature Marcie Natan, chair of Youth Aliyah and former national president of Hadassah, and Lauren Stern Kedem, longtime teacher at the Hadassah-Meir Shfeyah youth village in Israel. Nearly a third of Israel’s children live in poverty, according to a 2020 report by the National Council for the Child in Israel. In addition, more than 450,000 children suffer from high-risk situations such as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, learning disability without access to proper resources, or a lack of basic rights.
Youth Aliyah sets at-risk children in Israel on the path to a successful future, and since 1934, over 300,000 young people from 80 lands have graduated from Youth Aliyah. The Hadassah-supported Meir Shfeyah, Ramat Hadassah Szold, and Hadassah Neurim Youth Aliyah Villages serve students who have been unsuccessful in other educational frameworks and are at risk of being abandoned to the streets.
Open to all annual givers, the cost is $180 donation, plus $18 for the event. For registration, go to http://wzoa.convio.net/site/Calendar?id=105167&view=Detail.
Jewish History Program
Wednesday August 18
12:30 PM
The Orange County Community Scholar Program will present “900 Years of Thrills and Spills: The Jewish Dreamers and Schemers Who Built Amusement Parks” featuring Stephen M. Silverman, live from New York. So, who didn’t grow up loving amusement parks? And, except for Walt Disney and Walter Knott, who are the people behind them? That question is how this book came about. After all, we already know who created the movie industry and Murder Inc.—but who were the shapers of this other, unexplored facet of American culture? The Jews, that’s who. If not for the Jews, America would be a lot less fun.
As described by The Wall Street Journal, Stephen M. Silverman “is a veteran journalist and historian of popular culture [who] writes with verve and mischief.” His 13 books include vibrant histories of the Catskill Mountains and amusement parks, as well as the internationally acclaimed biographies of legendary film directors David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia) and Stanley Donen (Singin’ in the Rain). Silverman was the founding editor of People Magazine’s website; taught for nine years at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City; has written for numerous publications and has appeared on many television shows. His first job, when he was an undergraduate at UC Irvine, was selling ice cream in Disneyland.
