Chai Lights: Confronting Antisemitism in Schools

September 22 @ 9:15 am - 10:45 am

Register Now!

This Sunday morning discussion will be led by OZ’s Kulanu workgroup, who will provide details of some recent school incidents and advice for talking to kids about antisemitism.

Led by Scott Silverstein and others in OZ Kulanu group.

Meet informally for bagels and coffee at 9:15 am, with the program starting at 9:30 am

Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Noor A'wad are leaders of the West Bank-based Roots/Shorashim/Judur, a local Palestinian-Israeli grassroots initiative for understanding, non-violence, and transformation. Roots' work is aimed at challenging the assumptions the two communities hold about each other. They represent a unique network of Israelis and Palestinians who have come to see each other as partners in the work to make changes to reduce tension, prevent escalation, and end the conflict.

Rabbi Hanan and Noor will discuss their personal experiences having spent most of their lives living in the heart of the conflict, both before October 7, 2023, and since. They will also share how their perspectives, their work, and their societies have and have not been changed in recent months, how Israeli and Palestinian communities view Roots, and what they see for the future.

To Register, please go to www.shalomalliancevt.org and click on events.

Hadassah Vermont Brunch & Conversation

with Barbara Vinick, author ‹ f 100 Jewish Brides

Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, Burlington, Vermont Please join Hadassah Vermont for a sumptuous brunch and conversation with Barbara Vinick, co-editor with Shulamit Reinharz, of 100 Jewish Brides: Stories from Around the World which features stories of Jewish brides from six continents, highlighting diverse customs and rituals related to weddings now and in the past. Please bring Jewish wedding pictures or mementos that you would like to share. Honoring the Hostages from October 7th. Remarks by Rabbi David Edleson. We invite you to paint your ring finger nails yellow to raise awareness of the hostages still in captivity.

REGISTER BY AUGUST 23 AT

https://events.hadassah.org/vermontlunch24

Registration fee: $36

Guest speakers and Israeli citizens Gabe Axler and Ravit Greenberg examine the multifaceted crises in Israel prior to and following October 7th. They outline the political instability marked by frequent elections and a deep mistrust in government under Netanyahu's leadership.

They will also discuss the failure of high-tech military solutions and the right-wing government's "tough on terror" stance, which did not prevent the devastating October 7th attacks. They also explore the shattered hopes of the left for a peaceful two-state solution, exacerbated by the widespread support among Palestinians for the attacks. Finally, Gabe and Ravit will highlight the significant civil society mobilization in Israel and the state's commitment to rescuing hostages.

Living Tree Alliance, Ohavi Zedek & JCVT are please to present this Covenant Grant Funded Program.

Hear how a Bedouin philanthropist and Israeli Shared Society activist have collaborated to contribute to the next phase above and beyond ‘coexistence’ in Israel: a Shared Society of mutual understanding, respect and opportunity. They will explore philanthropy’s role in safeguarding Arab and Shared Society in Israel post-October 7.

About our speakers:

Ibrahim Nsasra will be attending on Zoom.  He is an entrepreneur, business man, founder and board member of Qudra Arab Funders Network. Nsasra is a co-founder of Qudra – Arab Philanthropists Network, an organization that unites Arab philanthropists and ensures strategic development of philanthropy in Arab society. Ibrahim additionally founded a number of other companies and ventures including:

• Nazid, a food production factory

• The Tamar Center, which promotes education in Bedouin society, and

• The Tamam Group, a business group established with the aim of bringing about economic and social change in Bedouin society

A native of the Negev, Ibrahim holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Kaye College and a master’s degree in public policy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Ravit Greenberg will be in person.  She is a Grant Manager, Social Venture Fund and Executive Director of Nisaba Foundation

Ravit sees her work – and personal goal – as helping visionary people and organizations ground their dreams through effective planning, financial management, operational implementation, and evaluation. From 2010-2020, Greenberg’s work focused on the advancement of mission-driven non-profits in Israel’s Negev. In 2020, she transitioned to work with the Nisaba Foundation, and in 2023 she joined the Social Venture Fund. To nourish herself and her family, Ravit seeks out earth-based Jewish spaces to engage in intentional ecologically minded community building, which is how her and her family have become summer residents over the last five years at Living Tree Alliance.

 Rabbi Barbara Penzner will lead Friday evening services followed​ by a community Shabbat dinner catered by the popular​ Yalla's Mideastern restaurant in Brattleboro.  After dinner,  Rabbi Barbara will lead a discussion, Prophetic Wisdom for Thriving in Turbulent Times

Rabbi Barbara Penzner has been the spiritual leader of Temple Hillel B'nai Torah, a Reconstructionist synagogue in Boston, for 28 years. While Rabbi Penzner continues to serve HBT as rabbi emerita, she has just been appointed the Interim CEO of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. 
She loves leading services and teaching all ages. Rabbi Penzner creates a joyful service of singing and poetry to engage people of every level of Jewish knowledge. She and her husband Brian Rosman are looking forward to welcoming Shabbat with Congregation Beth El.
This event is made available by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation

Susannah Heschel 
Dartmouth College Professor
and Renowned Scholar  

“Antisemitism as a cultural code:
what’s new in the scholarship?”

Antisemitism is not new, but the scholarship analyzing its varied manifestations is young and underdeveloped. Professor Heschel will discuss debates among scholars about the nature and purpose of antisemitism and suggest new approaches, drawing from theories of emotions, gender, sexuality, and temporality to better understand antisemitic motivations and impact.

Brown Bag
Lunch & Learn
Saturday, June 29 at 11:30 am
Join us in-person or via Zoom

From Nazi Germany to Main Street: 
Finding Refuge in Hanover

Dena Rueb Romero will discuss her book All for You: A World War II Family Memoir of Love, Separation, and Loss. This memoir tells how her father came to Hanover from a small German village in 1939. A penniless refugee, he struggled to find footing in a new culture and language while seeking to reunite with his fiancée in England and save his family. The story reminds us what it means to leave your homeland and the impact that experience has on the next generation

Join us Tuesday June 11th 6:30-9pm for brief Mincha (afternoon) and Festival Maariv (evening) services, followed by a workshop with Kulanu where we will study classic definitions of antisemitism. In chevrutah pairs and through group discussion we will explore the Torah’s perspective on this oldest form of hatred and consider how we might build alliances with non-Jews. After that we will take a break for some cheesecake and then conclude the evening with some chanting of niggunim (wordless melodies) and learning with Rabbi Aaron about the mystical origins of Shavuot rituals.

Lunch and Learn: The Two Lives of Henrietta Szold

Wednesday, June 5, 12:00pm-2:00pm at JCOGS

Let's get together for lunch and learn something new! Linda Kopper, president of VT Hadassah, presents a fascinating look at Henrietta Szold's historic early years as a Jewish scholar and trailblazer in the United States. Learn about her life-changing decision to start Hadassah and the profound effect this has had on generations of Jews. Learn more and Register

Join us for a third installment of the Listening Project practice session hosted by Andy Robinson. We'll warm up with a few listening exercises. Then we'll set up small groups to discuss whatever subjects you want to talk about: Israel and Palestine, antisemitism, how you're thinking about Judaism, etc. Come prepared to listen with curiosity and without judgment.

https://www.bethjacobvt.org/event/the-listening-project-continues-in-person.html

HOW DO YOU DEFINE ANTISEMITISM? HOW ARE WE IMPACTED? WHAT’S NEXT?

An Event Sponsored by OZ’s Kulanu Committee

Kulanu is Hebrew for “all of us”. OZ is one of more than 250 synagogues participating in Kulanu, a program sponsored by ADL.

BAGELS AND COFFEE AT 9:15

WORKSHOP 9:30 TO 11:30 AM

With deep ties to Burlington and Montpelier, Barre’s Jewish families nevertheless forged their own singular identity in a diverse environment of Yankees, Italians, French Canadians, Scots, Spanish, Syrians and other vibrant ethnic groups.

Dr. (and Rabbi) Carol Harris-Shapiro (who is also a part-time resident of Barre) will share some of the unique stories of Barre’s Jewish residents and the life of their community, based on information she has gathered from interviews, books and articles, and genealogical research.

View and Print our Lunch & Learn Brochure

Register for Lunch & Learn Talks

My Friend Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar

In 1933, Hannah Pick-Goslar and her family fled Nazi Germany to live in Amsterdam, where she struck up a close friendship with her next-door neighbor, an outspoken and fun-loving young girl named Anne Frank. For several years, the inseparable pair enjoyed a carefree childhood of games, sleepovers, and treats with the other children in their neighborhood of Rivierenbuurt. But in 1942, Hannah and Anne’s lives abruptly changed forever. As the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam progressed, Anne and the Frank family seemingly vanished, leaving behind unmade beds and dishes in the sink—but no trace of Anne’s precious diary. Torn from her dear friend without warning, Hannah spent the next two years tormented by questions about Anne’s fate, wondering if she had, by some miracle, managed to escape danger.

In this long‑awaited memoir, Hannah shares the story of her childhood during the Holocaust, from the introduction of anti-Jewish laws in Amsterdam to the gradual disappearance of classmates and, eventually, the Frank family, to Hannah and her family’s imprisonment in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. As Hannah chronicles the experiences of her own life during and after the war, she provides a searing look at what countless children endured at the hands of the Nazi regime, as well as an intimate, never‑before‑seen portrait of the most recognizable victim of the Holocaust. Culminating in an astonishing fateful reunion, My Friend Anne Frank is the profoundly moving story of childhood and friendship during one of the darkest periods in the world’s history.

A Service of Remembrance 
Sunday, May 5 at 5 pm
 Join us in-person or via Zoom

As part of our service, the names of Jewish victims from Breclav, the Czech Republic, where our Holocaust Memorial Scroll is from will be read. If you’d like to add any names of family members who perished in the Holocaust, please send them to Chris at office@uvjc.org.

Please click HERE for more information from Rabbi Mark.

VERMONT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL (VTHM), JEWISH COMMUNITY OF GREATER STOWE (JCOGS) TO PRESENT 

A VERMONT STAGE THEATER PERFORMANCE ON HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

“AND THEN THEY CAME FOR ME—Remembering the World of Anne Frank”

Calendar Note: This free educational event is suitable for Vermonters in grade 6 and up.  Advance registration is required--space is limited.

WHAT: The Vermont Holocaust Memorial, a nonprofit working to advance Holocaust education in Vermont, in partnership with JCOGS, is pleased to present a multimedia reading performance that is part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance. “And Then They Came for Me” is like an historic newsreel brought to life. The presentation is sponsored in part by Vermont Humanities, the Greater Stowe Interfaith Coalition, and is part of Temple Sinai’s “HALT (((H8)))” initiative.

WHEN: Sunday, May 5th, 4:00 to 6:30 pm. The play will last for 90 minutes with no intermission. The event will also include traditional memorial prayers and a candle lighting ceremony. An interactive, optional “talk back” about the rise of antisemitism will follow the performance.

LOCATION: Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (JCOGS), 1189 Cape Cod Road, Stowe, VT 

COST: Free to the public. Advance registration required at: https://www.jcogs.org/event/yom-hashoah1.html

Meet Michelle Weinfeld, Author of From Generation to Generation

Six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, but Michelle Weinfeld's grandfather survived. From Generation to Generation explores the intersection of values, history, and identity. It answers

questions such as:

How are we influenced by the generations that came before us?

How do we embrace religion and culture in a secular society?

What is necessary for self acceptance?

Come hear Michelle tell her family story!

The Listening Project Continues! (in person)

Sunday, April 21, 2024 • 13 Nisan 5784

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Just in time for those potentially challenging Passover seder conversations, join us for a Listening Project practice session hosted by Andy Robinson. We'll warm up with a few listening exercises. Then we'll set up small groups to discuss whatever subjects you want to talk about: Israel and Palestine, antisemitism, how you're thinking about Judaism, etc. Come prepared to listen with curiosity and without judgment.

Registration is encouraged

Lunch and Learn: The Two Lives of Henrietta Szold

Thursday, April 18, 12:00 PM

Henrietta Szold was one of the most important Jewish leaders of the 20th century. Her long life, from 1860 to 1945, spanned some of the most turbulent years in modern history. The events of that time shaped the lives of millions of people and are woven into the fabric of Szold’s life story.

Long-time OZ member Linda Kopper, who serves as President of Hadassah Vermont, will explore the “two lives” of Henrietta Szold, and discuss how her legacy lives on today.

RSVP

The Annual Rabbi Max B Wall Lecture Series

Navigating the complexities of the conflict in the Middle East

Saint Micheals College McCarthy Arts Center

The Book of Israela

Monday, April 8, 2024 • 29 Adar II 5784

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Join Rabbi Rena Blumenthal, who has led BJ High Holiday services for the past two years, read from her novel, “The Book of Israela.” No prior familiarity with the book is necessary to enjoy the reading and participate in the discussion that follows. For those who would like to read the book ahead of time, a small number of copies will be available for purchase at Bear Pond bookstore. (The book is also available on Amazon in paperback and kindle editions). Light refreshment will be served at the reading. Limited copies can be purchased ahead of time at Bear Pond Books or on Amazon. Registration is encouraged!

Register

Exploring the Politics of Contemporary

Education How can it be that many of our institutions of higher learning are grappling with outbreaks of antisemitism, even as they espouse the values of social justice and diversity? In pursuit of this question, we must delve into the prevailing ideas and ideologies that have gained prominence in the

educational arena. We will also consider what might be gained and what might still be missing from current approaches and implementations of critical theory as we strive for greater tolerance, understanding,

and healing across all communities.

The Unimaginable Journey of Peter Ertel

A Documentary Screening and Discussion

This film combines archive footage -much of which has never before been shown - with Ertel's

own brave telling of his extraordinary odyssey. A true story so bold, brave, and beautiful, it will restore your faith that humanity can survive even the darkest days.

Filmmaker Joseph Cahn will join us live on screen for Q & A following the screening.

Suggested donation - $10.00

Reservations recommended.

Email cbevtoffice@gmail.com to reserve a seat.

Join the Greater Burlington Jewish Community to bear witness to the massacres of October 7th and show your support for a survivor as they bravely share their story and experience.

The Listening Project: 60 Conversations with Jews about Israel and Palestine (in person)

Sunday, March 3, 2024 • 23 Adar I 5784

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

In response to the attacks of October 7 and subsequent events, Andy Robinson took his cue from Erica Heilman of the Rumblestrip podcast, who says, "You can be curious. You can be judgmental. But you can't be both at the same time."

He reached out to fellow Jews, asked a lot of questions, and tried to listen more deeply. Join us as he shares what he learned from 60 conversations: how people are feeling, how they connect with Judaism, their experiences (or not) with antisemitism, their thoughts about Israel and Palestine, and possible paths to peace and reconciliation.

After sharing his experiences and taking questions, Andy will facilitate a few listening exercises.

What questions would you like to ask each other? Are you prepared to listen without judgment?

Registration requested. To better facilitate these conversations, we are limiting this event to 20 people. If there's enough interest, we will schedule a second date. If you have questions about the content, reach out to Andy: andy@andyrobinsononline.com.

Register

Tough & Tender Landscapes (in person)

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Beth Jacob welcomes Wendy Hoffman and Judith Janoo, two friends and published authors in their own right.

Sharing some of their recently published poetry, Jewish and non-Jewish perspectives overlap in their experiences. Just Thisis a lyrical journey of growing up in a Maine fishing village, marrying into the Malaysian culture, and living in the Northeast Kingdom. Eloquently detailed, Judith Janoo’s poems speak to the earth and its creatures, love and connection, loss and beauty, and wonder.

In Belonging, Wendy Hoffman’s poems describe recipes and cooked-from-scratch Jewish food carried in the grandmother’s memory from the Old Country to this New Land. Strudels keep a clashing family holding on. The poems encompass the truths of the daily lives of three generations of women and hint at contradictory hidden ones.