BALTIMORE JEWISH CULTURAL CHAVURAH
CURRENT PROGRAMS
Judy Jacobson will coordinate an informal panel discussion about “Jews and Buddhism”. Several BJCC members will talk about their involvement in the American Buddhist path: what was the attraction, why Buddhist thought and practice has helped in everyday life, the relationship of Buddhism to the Judaism of their upbringing. Participants include: Judy Jacobson, Natalie Sokoloff, Arlene Ogurick, and Art Starr. Former BJCC member Estelle Apelberg will participate in writing. We'll also have quotes from Sylvia Boorstein's book "That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist."
Attendees should bring a dessert dish to share.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and any additional questions.
Friday, January 5, 7:30PM – American Jews and Buddhism
BJCC Events 2024
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the BJCC is partnering with the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Justice Committee and with other congregations and organizations in the Baltimore area for the 7th annual movie screening, panel, and discussion.
This year’s event, held at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (7401 Park Heights Av., Baltimore 21218) will feature the film “Birthing Justice,” an award-winning documentary that features the lived experiences of Black women and their advocates. This film explains and explores the racial disparities that exist in the United States in maternal health care: Black women in the United States are 4 times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. The documentary examines the inequitable structures and systems that have resulted in this racial disparity, as well as the movement to fix this broken system.
The panel will feature speakers from MOMCares, a postpartum doula program, designed to support Black mothers in the NICU who self-identify as under-supported and facing financial stressors.
Babysitting is available and light refreshments will be served.
Please use this link to pre-register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdv4R2k-0av8mUfQmPTDJdBncCwhAoFxnnN1mwMx6dFBTUpfw/viewform. Direct all questions to Jacob Mishook, jacobmishook@gmail.com
Sunday, January 14, 1 - 4 PM - Martin Luther King Weekend Celebration
The BJCC will participate in a virtual tour of the Jewish Museum of Baltimore exhibit “My Odessa: Paintings by Yefim Ladyzhensky.” Yefim Ladyzhensky’s Odessa was a dynamic city rich with humor, arts, and Jewish life. It was a city of stark juxtapositions: wealth and poverty, comedic irony and tragedy, high art and folk culture.
This exhibit presents 36 tempera paintings alongside excerpts from Ladyzhensky’s unpublished memoirs. These paintings are recognizably drawn from life in early 20th-century Odessa, yet are highly specific and personal. Some paintings depict Ladyzhenksy’s memories and impressions from life in the city, while others are completely imagined. Many of the figures are recalled from Ladyzhensky’s youth: tradesmen and shop clerks, family and neighbors, all composed within flattened perspectives and densely textured surfaces.
Maximum capacity of 25 people.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the zoom link and any additional questions.
Sunday, January 21, 10:30 AM - “My Odessa: Paintings by Yefim Ladyzhensky.”
The Baltimore Jewish Cultural Chavurah will present a talk on how the American mass media's coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian war has influenced American attitudes toward Jews, Arabs and Muslims. The speaker will be Dr. Fred L Pincus, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He has taught and written about race and ethnic relations in the United States for more than 50 years and is a founding member of the BJCC.
Bring a dessert dish to share with others.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and any additional questions.
Steve Kuehne, the manager of Serenity Ridge cemetery in Baltimore, will give a Zoom presentation about green burial. Steve will describe the green burial process and how Serenity Ridge works with area families to help people through their grief by fulfilling the final wishes of their loved ones. Serenity Ridge has recently established a Jewish section. Many of the green burial criteria are already met in many Jewish burial traditions and fall in line with the personal beliefs of the deceased or their family.
Steve is currently training for his Master Green Cemeterian Certification. He holds a few state licenses including Cemetery Counselor, Manager, and Crematory Operator. He entered mortuary school for a time but decided not to become a dedicated Mortician. The past few years he has managed cemeteries with the Archdiocese of Washington, until joining the team at Serenity Ridge.” This article discusses green burial in Maryland and can be read before the talk: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/28/green-burial-funeral-maryland-dc/
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the zoom link and with any additional questions.
Friday, February 2, 7:30PM – Mass Media Coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian War & Its Influence on Americans
Sunday, February 11, 10:30AM – “Green Burial”
Tuesday, January 30, 7 pm - Pursuing Justice for the Next Generation, a Panel Discussion on Juvenile Justice in Maryland
As part of Jews United for Justice's Youth Justice Shabbat and Solidarity Week, Beth Am will host a panel discussion on key issues around juvenile justice in Maryland, including media narratives and the realities of public safety and youth crime in Maryland, the current state of Maryland's juvenile justice system, and efforts to prevent children from being automatically charged as adults in Maryland, among other legislative efforts.
The discussion will include:
Vinny Schiraldi, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services
Jenny Egan, former Baltimore City Youth Public Defender
Gordon Park, returning citizen and Parole Advocate, Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network
Willie Hamilton, member, Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network
Nate Balis, Director of the Juvenile Justice Strategy Group, Annie E. Casey Foundation (moderator)
Beth Am's Rabbi Daniel Burg and Rabbi Tyler Dratch will offer opening and closing remarks.
Co-Sponsors:
Jews United for Justice
Beth Am Synagogue
Repair the World
Baltimore Jewish Cultural Chavurah
Har Sinai Oheb Shalom Congregation
Chevrei Tzedek
Kol HaLev
Beth Am Synagogue
2501 Eutaw Place (use Chauncey Avenue entrance)
Register here: https://forms.gle/eF2H5kzLZcyqyBLK7
Email Evan Serpick, serpick@gmail.com, with any questions.
Sunday, March 17, 10:30AM
The Israel-Hamas War After Five Months: Causes, Dynamics and Possible Solutions
Sunday March 24, 5:00PM
Purim Celebration and Potluck Dinner
Professor Robert Freedman will speak on "The Israel-Hamas War After Five Months: Causes, Dynamics and Possible Solutions". This talk, co-sponsored with the Baltimore Ethical Society, will help us to understand the complex reality of the conflict in Israel/Palestine today.
Robert Freedman is a political scientist who taught at Baltimore Hebrew University and currently teaches at the Johns Hopkins University. Freedman received his BA in Diplomatic History from the University of Pennsylvania and his MA and PhD degrees in International Relations from Columbia University.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the zoom link and with any additional questions.
The BJCC will celebrate Purim with a potluck dinner. Please bring an entrée or side dish to share. We will provide Hamentashen, lasagna, and drinks. Costumes are encouraged.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Friday, April 12, 7:00 PM
Conversos of the Southwest
David Saltzberg will present a talk entitled "Conversos of the Southwest". He will discuss how Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 eventually came to New Mexico and were rediscovered in the 20th century. He will explore their current traditions and connections to Judaism.
The novel Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris is a wonderful introduction to this topic and is available from the public library.
David is a retired GI physician who also has a Masters Degree in Jewish History with a specialization in Jewish American History.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Sunday, April 28, 5:00 PM
BJCC Passover Seder
The BJCC will be holding a secular humanistic seder on Sunday, April 28, 5:00 PM at Prologue. Admission is free (donations accepted). Everyone attending is asked to bring a Passover side dish or Passover dessert to share.
We will provide beverages and the entrée of Peruvian chicken.
If your dish needs heating, please bring a warming device.
Please RSVP by April 21 to baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com to obtain the location and with any additional questions.
Sunday, May 19, 10:30 AM
Jewish Art: A Window into Jewish Life Across Time and Place
Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld will speak (via Zoom video) on Jewish Art. Jewish art can be a window into the cultures of Jews over time, space and geography. As such it can be not only decorative or utilitarian, but subversive or polemical. It can provide insight into the interaction between varying Jewish communities and the wider cultures in which they existed.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the zoom link and with any additional questions.
Friday, June 7, 7:30 PM
“Secular Humanistic Judaism in Canada”
The Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ) is one of two national organizations of secular humanist groups based mostly in the United States. Rabbi Eva Goldfinger has been the Life Cycle and Adult Educator of Oraynu, the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism in Toronto, Canada. She will speak to us about how humanistic Judaism is practiced in her Canadian city.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the zoom link and with any additional questions.
Sunday, June 23, 11:00 AM
Jews for a Secular Democracy:
A Jewish Perspective on Church-State Separation
Paul Golin will speak on “Jews for a Secular Democracy: A Jewish Perspective on Church-State Separation.”
Jews are among the many religious minorities whose American experiences have benefited immeasurably from the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The notion of freedom of and freedom from religion was among our Founders’ great innovations, yet it has been battled over politically ever since. In recent years, reactionary religious fundamentalists have achieved unprecedented access to governmental and judicial power, seeking to turn the clock back to a time of supremacy of one religion over all others.
Paul Golin is executive director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. The Jews for a Secular Democracy initiative (www.JFASD.org) galvanizes the Jewish community to defend church-state separation on issues such as abortion rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and secular education in schools.
Sunday, July 21, 1:00 PM
How Jewish Values Have Informed My Legislative Career
Delegate Sandy Rosenberg will speak on “How Jewish Values Have Informed My Legislative Career”.
Samuel I. "Sandy" Rosenberg has been a member of the House for Delegates since 1983 and currently serves as House chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review. Sandy is a graduate of City College, Amherst College, and the Columbia University Law School. He co-teaches Legislation at the University of Baltimore Law School and the University of Maryland Law School.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Sunday, August 18, 5:00 PM
BJCC Picnic/Barbeque
BJCC invites members, non-members and prospective members to our annual picnic. Hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, and beverages will be provided. Attendees should bring side-dishes or desserts to share. This event is free.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Sunday, November 10, 10:30 AM
Book Brunch: Discussion of 4 Books of Jewish Interest
The BJCC will have a discussion on four books of Jewish interest:
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I, Maya Plisetskaya by Maya Plisetskaya, a Russian Jewish Bolshoi Ballet Company Prima Ballerina during the Cold War, and Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina by American Jewish Boston Ballet Company Dancer Michaela DePrince.
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The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties That Helped Create Modern China by Jonathan Kaufman.
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The Wedding Jester, a 1999 collection of nine short stories by American fiction writer Steve Stern.
A brunch item should be brought to share.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Friday, September 27, 6:30 PM
Movie night: “Remembering Gene Wilder”
The BJCC will show the film “Remembering Gene Wilder”. Born Jerome Silberman, he wanted to be wilder…follow the story of an iconic actor, comedian and writer in this special tribute honoring Gene Wilder's life and career. Wilder was the 2017-2018 Jewish Role Model of the Society for Humanistic Judaism.
We will meet at 6:30 PM for the rituals. The film will be shown at 7:00 PM.
A dessert item shoudl be brought to share.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Sunday, October 20, 10:30 AM
Potluck Brunch in the Sukka
The BJCC will have a potluck brunch in a sukkah. Bring a dish to share. There will be a short presentation about the holiday.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Sunday, November 24, 10:30 AM
BJCC 2025 Tzedakah Recipient: New Israel Fund
BJCC is hosting a discussion with a reprensative from the New Israel Fund, our 2025 Tzedakah recipient.
The New Israel Fund was founded more than 30 years ago to actualize the vision of Israel’s Founders, that of a Jewish and democratic state that, in the words of the Declaration of Independence, “ensures complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.” Through our founding, funding and advocacy of more than 800 organizations that comprise Israel’s progressive civil society, we have become the leading organization advancing democracy and equality in Israel.Widely credited with building Israel’s progressive civil society from scratch, we have provided more than $300 million to more than 900 cutting-edge organizations since our inception. And we are more than a funder; NIF is at philanthropy’s cutting edge thanks in large part to Shatil, the New Israel Fund Initiative for Social Change, and to our own projects, programs and coalitions.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Friday, December 13, 7:30 PM
“The 2000-Year-Old Man: The Complete History”
The BJCC will show the video “The 2000 Year-Old Man: the Complete History”. This video features performances of Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks as well as interviews with Reiner, Brooks, and other well-known Jewish comedians.
Please bring a dessert dish to share.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Thursday, December 12, 7 PM,
Baltimore Hebrew Congretation
Mobilizing Israelis for Change: Fostering Hope Amid Adversity,
an evening with the co-directors of Standing Together
Sunday, December 29, 6 PM
BJCC Chanukah Celebration
Potato latkes. Zucchini latkes. All you can eat. That’s the way the BJCC will be celebrating Chanukah this year. We will provide the latkes, sour cream, and applesauce. Along with your appetites, please bring other food to share, including side dishes, desserts, and drinks. DO NOT BRING SOUR CREAM OR APPLESAUCE. Please bring ONLY dairy or vegetarian dishes.
In addition, remember to bring your menorahs and candles for a group candle-lighting on the fifth night.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Join us for a powerful conversation with the leaders of Israel’s largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement. Learn about their unwavering commitment to justice and peace and their reflections on hope and resilience during times of war.
Click here for more information and to register
The inspiring work of Standing Together has been covered by the New York Times and Washington Post and earned their co-directors a spot on the Time100 Next list.
Please join us for a celebration of HumanLight with the Baltimore Coalition of Reason! HumanLight is a celebration of the winter season conceived by the New Jersey Humanist Network as a humanist or secular alternative to traditional religious celebrations. Learn more at HumanLight.org. We'll have live music, candle lighting, and a potluck dinner & desserts.
When: 6:00-9:00 pm, Monday, December 23, 2024
Where: First Unitarian Church, 10 W. Franklin St., 21201
RSVP and sign up for Potluck: https://tinyurl.com/humanlight-baltimore-2024
We hope to see you there!
Monday, December 23, 6 PM
Celebration of HumanLight
BJCC Events 2025
Sunday, January 19, 1 PM
MLK Day Movie Screening & Panel Discussion on Economic Justice
The BJCC will be one of the co-sponsors of the film “At the River I Stand” (1993) about the 1968 sanitation workers' strike that brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Poor Peoples' Campaign to Memphis, Tennessee. The film explores the intersections between economic justice and civil rights during the massive mobilization effort, which gained national support.
Following the movie, therewill be a panel discussion featuring Linnell Fall, Tri-Chair of the Maryland Poor People's Campaign; Dr. Kevin Slayton, Campaign Manager with the Maryland Center for Economy Policy; and Courtney Jenkins, President of the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO. This event will take place at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, 7401 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore. It is free but you must pre-register at https://jufj.org/event/mlk119/
Sunday, January 26, 10:30 AM
“Jewish Critics of Zionism”
Although most Jews today consider themselves Zionists, there has been a long history of Jewish critics of Zionism in the United States. Fred Pincus, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at UMBC, will discuss this history including present-day Jewish anti-Zionists. Although it is impossible to be totally objective when speaking about Zionism or anti-Zionism, he will try to be evenhanded. There will be ample time for discussion.
Fred is a past president and one of the founding members of the BJCC.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
***Due to impending weather, this event is now virtual. Anyone who has already registered will receive a zoom link.***
“𝗝𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗭𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺” 𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝟮𝟲 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝟮
BJCC member Arlene Ogurick will speak on “How the Catskills Became the Borscht Belt”. The Catskills are a mountainous region of southeastern New York State. From the 1920s through the 1970s ,this area was known as the Borscht Belt. Learn more about the evolution of this rural area into the summer place to be if you were Jewish!
Arlene Ogurick is a retired librarian.
This event will take place at the Atrium Village, 4730 Atrium Ct, Owings Mills, MD 21117. Parking is open but please pay attention to any signs.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com with any questions.
Sunday, February 9, 2 PM
How the Catskills Became the Borscht Belt
Friday, February 21, 7:30 PM
Jewish Women in the Labor Movement
The BJCC will screen “Jewish Women in the Labor Movement,” a talk by Judith Rosenbaum, a feminist educator, historian, writer, and activist and the CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive. A regular contributor to academic and popular publications, including Tablet Magazine, The Jewish Daily Forward, and The Huffington Post, Rosenbaum is currently co-editing an anthology about the modern Jewish mother. She's inspired by anarchist Emma Goldman, political activist Bella Abzug, writer and activist Grace Paley, and other loud Jewish women including those in her own family.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the zoom link and with any additional questions.
Sunday, March 16, 10:30 AM
BJCC Purim Celebration
The BJCC will celebrate Purim at a member's home. There will be a special clown performance by our own Arlene Ogurick. Bring a dessert to share and wear costumes.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the location and with any additional questions.
Sunday, April 27, 10:30 AM
Book Discussion: Contemporary Humanistic Judaism: Beliefs, Values, Practices, edited by Adam Chalom and Jodi Kornfeld
We will have a discussion on the recently released book Contemporary Humanistic Judaism: Beliefs, Values, Practices, edited by Adam Chalom and Jodi Kornfeld. Specific chapters to be discussed will be forthcoming. The book can be purchased for $40 from the University of Nebraska Press, either as a paperback or e-book: https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/jps/9780827615649/contemporary-humanistic-judaism. It is not necessary to have read the book to attend this discussion.
Please contact us at baltimoresecularjews@gmail.com for the zoom link and with any additional questions.