WINTER / SPRING 2017

two JCCs. one community.

JEWISH ARTS & CULTURE

Visual ArtsA true partnership, the Sabes JCC and St. Paul JCC are dedicated to engaging the community in the exploration of Jewish identity and culture through film, performance, theater, visual arts, literature and Jewish learning. Working together, our JCCs strive to promote and enrich Jewish life and values for the entire Twin Cities community.

WANT TO VOLUNTEER?Whether you have two hours to spare or want to be engaged in an ongoing way, there are lots of ways to get involved. Please send your contact info to JCCtwincities@gmail.com.

BECOME A FRIEND OF THE ARTSYour donation of $36 or more supports the Sabes JCC and St. Paul JCCs collaborative programming and helps us make exceptional art, film, speakers and performance accessible to the whole community. Please give at stpauljcc.org or sabesjcc.org and designate Friends of the Arts.

All St. Paul JCC arts programs are presented by the Marvin J. Pertzik Jewish Cultural Arts Department which is generously supported, in part , by St. Paul JCC Endowment Funds. For a complete list of funds and their designated purpose, visit stpauljcc.org/our-endowment-funds/.

The ideas and opinions of our guests do not represent the St. Paul JCC, Sabes JCC, its sponsors or its community partners; all events held at the St. Paul JCC or Sabes JCC unless otherwise noted; a photo ID is required to enter both JCCs.

THE PROFOUND AND THE ABSURD by Paul PalnikJanuary 4 – 25Location: Sabes JCC Tychman Shapiro Gallery and Shared Walls

Palnik Studios opened in 1968, and to this day, still markets and publishes Paul’s cartoon art. Paul Palnik exhibits in art shows throughout the United States and his work is represented in thousands of collections in the U.S. and abroad. The artist is always adding new works to his ever increasing collection.

Palnik has worked as an artist and writer for American Greetings, The Jerusalem Post, The Columbus Dispatch, Muse Magazine, and Smithsonian Science Magazine for teens. Palnik was artist in residence at Camp Ramah in Conover, Wisconsin for fifteen years where he created over twenty large murals that are currently hanging on numerous buildings throughout the campus.

In conjunction with the Twin Cities Jewish Humor Festival.

LIVING MUSEUMJanuary 30 – February 2Location: Sabes JCC Tychman Shapiro Gallery

An exhibit produced by the Talmud Torah featuring ritual objects where students learn about Jewish history and the history of their families through the study of artifacts. Each student provides an artifact that becomes part of the exhibition. Talmud Torah faculty: Mary Baumgarten and Rabbi Daniel Ettedgui.

In conjunction with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.

CINEMA JUDAICA: THE EPIC CYCLE (1947 – 1971)February 3 – March 31Location: St. Paul JCC Gallery Walk and Sabes JCC Shared Walls

Hollywood films in the three decades after World War II transformed the image of the Jew from embattled to triumphant. This exhibit features bold posters and advertising materials for films ranging from Samson and Delilah and Ben-Hur to The Ten Commandments and Fiddler on the Roof.

This exhibit was created by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion Museum.

In conjunction with the Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival.

FOREVER FUNNYJanuary 4 – 30Location: St. Paul JCC Gallery Walk

Laughter is ageless! Keep laughing through all stages of life with cartoons on retirement, memory loss, medicine, the afterlife, and more, in this exhibit featuring cartoons from William Novak’s newest book, Die Laughing: Killer Jokes for Newly Old Folks.

In conjunction with the Twin Cities Jewish Humor Festival.

KEREN OR: A CREATIVE ARTS FORUM FOR TEENSApril 19 – May 26Location: Sabes JCC Lobby

Submission Deadline: February 17Keren Or (Ray of Light) is a creative arts contest for Minnesota’s Jewish teens. The contest, now in its 13th year, was founded in 2004 by Gerald (z’’l) and Eileen (z’’l) Siegel to honor the memory of their daughter, Karen Siegel-Jacobs. The deadline for submissions in four categories (poetry, creative prose, photography, and short-form video) is Feb. 17, 2017. Cash prizes are awarded in each category, and winning submissions will be published in a special insert in the American Jewish World. Awards Ceremony will take place in May.

This contest is managed by Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council and has become a much-anticipated community celebration of artistic achievement. For more information and winning entries from previous years, visit kerenorcontest.org.

Rimon: The MN Jewish

Arts Council

Nourishing Jewish life through the arts

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TAKE WORDS WITH YOU: IN OUR HOMES AND ON OUR WAYS February 9 – March 26Location: Sabes JCC Tychman Shapiro GalleryReception: February 16, 6 – 8:00 PM

An exhibition featuring calligraphy, papercutting and scribe work by three local text centered artists.

NOAM SIENNAA Hebrew calligrapher and manuscript artist, Noam investigates the relationship between letters, image, color and light, inspired by the tradition of Jewish books throughout the centuries. His graduate work in Jewish History and Museum Studies provides his art with deep roots and a commitment to seeing the past come alive again in the present.

AARON GREENBERG SILVERWhile most of Aaron’s artwork is created by cutting paper, he has also worked in watercolor, steel, and clay. He invites the viewer to see objects and ideas in new ways, extracting the essence of a scene or object to portray it unencumbered by extraneous material.

DEMETRIOS VITALVital’s artmaking begins in awe and curiosity of natural history and Jewish community. In search of a connection between letters and life, he creates and restores sacred manuscripts with careful attention to their history and place within their community. His calligraphic art combines Hebrew scribal traditions and text, with modern sources of inspiration.

Part of the Sabes JCC’s Words@Work Series; for a list of literary related events and workshops, visit sabesjcc.org.

Immediately following, this exhibit will be on display at the Cowles Literary Commons, Open Book Building. Planned in association with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.

LOSS AND BEAUTY: CREATING SOLACE IN A LAND OF INFINITE SORROW April 7 – June 1Location: St. Paul JCC Gallery WalkPhotographer Keron Psillas layers her original photos to illustrate a conversation between fear, searching, and sadness, showing the power of beauty and love to overcome darkness and evil. While photographing historic Holocaust sites, Psillas found beauty among the loss and devastation. This beauty can offer a light to dispel the darkness, if only for a brief time.

THOUGHTFUL VIEWING: BEAUTY & SADNESS A STUDIO J EVENT Thursday, April 20, 7 – 8:30 PMLocation: St. Paul JCC; FreeThrough a guided viewing of the Gallery Walk exhibit Loss And Beauty, we will discuss the ways that our knowledge of tragic events informs how we look at photos, followed by an opportunity for our own creative reflections. Register by April 10 at stpauljcc.org.

Thoughtful Viewing community partner: The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, University of Minnesota

HOLOCAUST ART, NARRATIVES AND CONTEMPORARY RESPONSE: A Series of Exhibitions & Events Sabes JCC and St. Paul JCCApril 7 – June 1

WORDS @ WORK

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[RE]TELLINGApril 7 – June 1Location: Sabes JCC Tychman Shapiro Gallery

Featuring select works from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CHGS) permanent collection of survivor Fritz Hirschberger’s Sur-Rational series. Hirschberger paintings are paired with newly commissioned works by local artists who deal closely with related matters.

“Finally, I confronted my long-suppressed feelings about the Holocaust… I concluded, that to try to explain the unexplainable, I had to translate each deed of horror from the general to the personal by isolating the incidents – by reducing the astronomical numbers to ‘One.’ ” In this series, Hirschberger invokes the religious art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and draws from texts, historical narratives, and testimony in developing the content of the paintings. His work is brought in dialogue with that of contemporary artists, who, like Hirschberger, are translating history, experience, and art into expression that communicates across generations.

Made possible with support by the Howard B. & Ruth F. Brin Jewish Arts Endowment Fund, a Fund of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation.

SIX CHAIRSApril 7 – June 1Location: Sabes JCC Shared Walls

In 2014 St. Paul artist Rowan Pope, a visual artist and instructor, received a Rimon Project Support Grant to collaborate with Breck School in Golden Valley to create an illustrated teen’s book, Six Chairs: A Holocaust Survivor’s Story. Through 17 stories written by Pope and evocative art created by middle school students at Breck, Six Chairs conveys 93-year-old Holocaust survivor Joe Grosnacht’s harrowing experience in numerous work camps and concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Buchenwald, and his survival through the war.

CALL & RESPONSEApril 7 – June 1Location: The Eiger Zaidenweber Holocaust Resource Center, (Sabes JCC upper level)Student artwork by teens, including an exhibition of David Feinberg’s Voice to Vision project, and a space for visitor response through writing and drawing.

YAD VASHEM:BEYOND THE MUSEUMTalk by Yehudit Shendar Wednesday, April 26 Location: University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus For details visit www.chgs.umn.edu.

THE WITNESS THEATRE PROJECT Sunday, April 30 at 2 PM Wednesday, May 3 and Thursday, May 4 at 7 PM Location: Sabes JCC Theater$10 Advance; $15 Same Day; Group discounts availableBox Office: 952-381-3499 / sabesjcc.orgThis fall, Jewish teens came together with Holocaust survivors to tell their stories and preserve the memories and lessons of the Holocaust. Come witness the incredible show they’ve created together, derived from the stories shared during their sessions.

This program is a partnership between Yachad, the Legacy Heritage Fund, Tolerance Minnesota of the Jewish Community Relations Council, The Joint Distribution Committee and the Sabes JCC.

RELATED PROGRAMS

Works by Fritz Hirschberger Six Chairs illustration

Holocaust Art, Narratives and Contemporary Response community partner: JCRC

HOLOCAUST ART, NARRATIVES AND CONTEMPORARY RESPONSE: A Series of Exhibitions & Events Sabes JCC and St. Paul JCCApril 7 – June 1

EXHIBITION SERIES RECEPTION

April 19, 6 – 8 PMLocaton: Sabes JCC

Free

Remarks by visiting scholar Yehudit Shendar.

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CAROL LEIFER AND SPECIAL GUEST ADAM GRABOWSKI Saturday, January 14 at 7:30 PMLocation: Sabes JCC$15 Advance; $18 Same DayCarol Liefer is a sought-after comedy writer and producer who has written for such shows as Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show and Modern Family. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, Late Night with David Letter-man, Larry King Live and The Howard Stern Show. Carol draws on her natural gifts as a storyteller to weave an interconnected tale that touches on her Jewish upbring-ing, her experiences as a woman in the male-dominated entertainment industry, and her coming out as a lesbian at the age of 40. Recommended for 16+.

Ticket includes pre-show celebration with food and drink.

JANUARY 14 - 22, 2017TICKETS:(952) 381- 3499 or sabesjcc.org

MN

PREMIERE

THEATRE OF FOOLS PRESENTS SERIOUS NONSENSE Sunday, January 22 at 2:00 PMLocation: Sabes JCC$10 Advance; $12 Same Day; Free for children 12 and underFor 25 years Theatre of Fools’ founders Lloyd Brant and Rosie Cole have toured their unique brand of absurd theatrics to festivals and theaters across the USA. They have performed at many diverse venues from the Guthrie Theatre to Disneyland. Serious Nonsense weaves theater, circus, and magic into a unique fun filled show perfect for the entire family. All ages welcome!

OPENING

NIGHT!

FILM: JERRY LEWIS: THE MAN BEHIND THE CLOWNSunday, January 15 at 2 PMLocation: Sabes JCC$10 Advance; $12 Same DaySince the early days, Jerry Lewis – in the line of Chaplin, Keaton and Laurel – had the masses laughing with his visual gags, pantomime sketches and signature slapstick humor. Yet Lewis was far more than just a clown. He was also a groundbreaking filmmaker whose unquenchable curiosity led him to write, produce, stage and direct many of the films. Who is the man behind the clown?

Directed by Gregory Monro.

France/USA, 2016 | English & French with English subtitles | 61 Minutes | Documentary/Biography/Comedy

DIE LAUGHING WITH WILLIAM NOVAK Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30 PMLocation: St. Paul JCC$12 Advance; $14 Same Day From the co-creator of the celebrated Big Book of Jewish Humor comes a laugh-out-loud collection of jokes about growing older that makes fun of memory loss, marriages, medicine, sex, the afterlife, and much more. Book sale and signing to follow. Recommended for 18+.

This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council.

ANXIETY TONIGHT (PIGTAILS ARE KOSHER) WITH MIRIAM PLOTKINThursday, January 19 at 7:30 PMLocation: Sabes JCC $12 Advance; $14 Same DayEverybody knows you can’t get through the winter season without “Schlepping” and “Kvetching” and “Fressing”! No problem, we’ll fix it. Really. It’s no trouble. Get ready to laugh your “OY” off with Miriam Plotkin’s Jewish-themed, one-woman cabaret show filled with humorous parody songs in true Allan Sherman fashion. Recommended for 16+.

SATURDAY NIGHT COMEDY WITH RABBI BOB ALPER Saturday, January 21 at 7:30 PMLocation: Sabes JCC$12 Advance; $14 Same DayRabbi Bob Alper, the rabbi-comedian with a 30-year comedy career, draws tremendous media attention, and among others, has been seen on The Early Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Showtime, BBC, and CNN. He is the author of Life Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This, The Rabbi Confesses, and Thanks. I Needed That. Recommended for 18+.

Ticket includes pre-show reception with food and drink.

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NOT SO KOSHER WITH @CRAZYJEWISHMOMSunday, January 15 at 7:30 PM Location: St. Paul JCC$12 Advance; $14 Same Day Host Becca Kvasnik (aka Bexy) welcomes Kim Friedman and Kate Siegel, the mother-daughter duo behind the hit Instagram account @CrazyJewishMom and the new memoir Mother, Can You Not? Enjoy the embarrassing moments, hilarious celebrations, and outrageous stories that make up their unique mother-daughter dynamic. Recommended for 18+

This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council and Back Room Stewdios.

MARCH 18 – 25, 2017

Twin Cities Theatre Company presentsHEATHERS THE MUSICALFebruary 2 – 12, 2017Location: Sabes JCC Theatrewww.tcctheatre.com

Northern Starz presentsI NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLYFebruary 16 – 19, 2017Location: Sabes JCC Theatrewww.northernstarz.org

HMJDS presentsINTO THE WOODS, JR.March 8 – 9, 2017Location: Sabes JCC Theatrewww.hmjds.org

A poignant reminder of vanishing childhood, this documentary follows Israeli filmmaker Dvorit Shargal as she searches from Finland to Japan and Holland to Israel, for the subjects of the popular 1950’s children’s book series, Children of the World. Created by the Jewish-Swedish photographer Anna Riwkin-Brick, many of the books in the series were written by Astrid Lingren, author of Pippi Longstocking, and are still in print in Israel today.

Tickets available at tcjfilmfest.org or by calling (952) 381-3499. Community Partners: American Swedish Institute

WHERE IS ELLE KARI AND WHAT HAPPENED TO NORIKO-SAN?Sunday, February 12 at 2 PM Location: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave, Mpls$5 Advance; $10 At The Door

PRE-FEST

EVENT

Film line-up coming soon!

For more info and to purchase tickets, visit our website

tcjfilmfest.orgLike us on Facebook

A season of

Jewish films

from around the world

including the best

comedies,

dramas,

documentaries

and shorts.

EARLY BIRD ALL-PASS: $45Good for at least eight films including the pre-fest events.

Quantities limited. Offer good until Jan. 15, 2017.

Music Theater

SPRING CONCERTWednesday, March 8 at 7:30 PMLocation: St. Paul JCC; FreeThe celebration of the St. Paul JCC Symphony’s 90th season continues in 2017 as our musicians perform works by renowned Russian composers Alexander Manevich and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

FAMILY CONCERTSunday, April 9, 3 – 4 PM Location: St. Paul JCC; FreeAn afternoon for the whole family to enjoy! Share the beauty and joy of classical music with children of all ages through abbreviated versions of some of the Symphony’s favorite works from their 90th season’s repertoire. Up-close instrument demonstrations and light refreshments complete the afternoon.

This concert is sponsored by JCC Association’s Making Music Happen Centennial Grant Initiative, funded by a grant from Marvin J. Pertzik and the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Jewish LearningENGAGE! AN EVENING OF JEWISH LEARNINGSaturday, February 4 at 7 PMLocation: Talmud Torah of St. Paul 768 Hamline Ave., St. Paul$20, Free for ages 30 & underEngage with Jewish learning through text study, literature, cooking, dance, and more! Register by January 23 at stpauljcc.org or by calling (651) 698 – 0751.

Community partners: Talmud Torah of St. Paul, Hineni

ST. PAUL JCC SYMPHONYThe St Paul JCC Symphony, one of the oldest community ensembles in the country dedicated to classical repertoire, is proud to celebrate 90 years this season. The Symphony performs four free concerts each season. Guests are encouraged to meet Music Director and Conductor Amir Kats and get the inside scoop on the program at the Conductor’s Chat in the JCC Library prior to each evening performance at 7 PM. Reserve your seat at stpauljcc.org.

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MARCH 18 – 25, 2017

Twin Cities Theatre Company presentsHEATHERS THE MUSICALFebruary 2 – 12, 2017Location: Sabes JCC Theatrewww.tcctheatre.com

Northern Starz presentsI NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLYFebruary 16 – 19, 2017Location: Sabes JCC Theatrewww.northernstarz.org

HMJDS presentsINTO THE WOODS, JR.March 8 – 9, 2017Location: Sabes JCC Theatrewww.hmjds.org

A poignant reminder of vanishing childhood, this documentary follows Israeli filmmaker Dvorit Shargal as she searches from Finland to Japan and Holland to Israel, for the subjects of the popular 1950’s children’s book series, Children of the World. Created by the Jewish-Swedish photographer Anna Riwkin-Brick, many of the books in the series were written by Astrid Lingren, author of Pippi Longstocking, and are still in print in Israel today.

Tickets available at tcjfilmfest.org or by calling (952) 381-3499. Community partners: American Swedish Institute

WHERE IS ELLE KARI AND WHAT HAPPENED TO NORIKO-SAN?Sunday, February 12 at 2 PM Location: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave, Mpls$5 Advance; $10 at the door

PRE-FEST

EVENT

Film line-up coming soon!

For more info and to purchase tickets, visit our website

tcjfilmfest.orgLike us on Facebook

A season of

Jewish films

from around the world

including the best

comedies,

dramas,

documentaries

and shorts.

EARLY BIRD ALL-PASS: $45Good for at least eight films including the pre-fest events.

Quantities limited. Offer good until Jan. 15, 2017.

Music Theater

SPRING CONCERTWednesday, March 8 at 7:30 PMLocation: St. Paul JCC; FreeThe celebration of the St. Paul JCC Symphony’s 90th season continues in 2017 as our musicians perform works by renowned Russian composers Alexander Manevich and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

FAMILY CONCERTSunday, April 9, 3 – 4 PM Location: St. Paul JCC; FreeAn afternoon for the whole family to enjoy! Share the beauty and joy of classical music with children of all ages through abbreviated versions of some of the Symphony’s favorite works from their 90th season’s repertoire. Up-close instrument demonstrations and light refreshments complete the afternoon.

This concert is sponsored by JCC Association’s Making Music Happen Centennial Grant Initiative, funded by a grant from Marvin J. Pertzik and the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Jewish LearningENGAGE! AN EVENING OF JEWISH LEARNINGSaturday, February 4 at 7 PMLocation: Talmud Torah of St. Paul 768 Hamline Ave., St. Paul$20, Free for ages 30 & underEngage with Jewish learning through text study, literature, cooking, dance, and more! Register by January 23 at stpauljcc.org or by calling (651) 698 – 0751.

Community partners: Talmud Torah of St. Paul, Hineni

ST. PAUL JCC SYMPHONYThe St Paul JCC Symphony, one of the oldest community ensembles in the country dedicated to classical repertoire, is proud to celebrate 90 years this season. The Symphony performs four free concerts each season. Guests are encouraged to meet Music Director and Conductor Amir Kats and get the inside scoop on the program at the Conductor’s Chat in the JCC Library prior to each evening performance at 7 PM. Reserve your seat at stpauljcc.org.

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St. Paul JCC All Children’s Theater presentsBEAUTY AND THE BEAST Thursday, January 12 & Saturday, January 14 at 7 PM Sunday, January 15 at 2 PM Location: St. Paul JCC $9 Adults; $6 Children/Seniors Join the St. Paul JCC’s 8 – 12 graders as they step into the enchanted world of the classic story of Belle, a young beauty in a small town, and the Beast, a young prince disguised, trapped under the spell of the evil enchantress. Time is running out for the Beast to love and be loved, to break the curse and live happily ever after. WILLY WONKA Thursday, March 2 & Saturday, March 4 at 7 PM Sunday, March 5 at 2 PM Location: St. Paul JCC $9 Adults; $6 Children/Seniors Charlie Bucket’s delicious adventures on his visit to Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl’s fantastical tale, performed by the St. Paul JCC’s 5 – 7 graders. Sabes JCC Youth Performance Program presentsHAMLET GOES HOLLYWOOD By Dwayne Yancey Directed by Anthony Neuman & Haley Sisler Wednesday, May 17 & Thursday, May 18 at 7 PM Sunday, May 21 at 2 PM Location: Sabes JCC $7 General; $5 JCC members, students and seniorsDetermined to make Hamlet a Hollywood blockbuster, a director elicits the help of Shakespeare to make a few “minor” changes to the script. He orders the cast to perform Hamlet as a zombie movie, a spy thriller, a puppet show, a science fiction movie, a home improve-ment show, a feminist movie, a western, a police drama, a vaudevillian/juggling show, a Broadway musical, an opera, and even a kung fu action flick! Fun for all ages.

TO BEOR NOTTO BE,

that is the question.

Sunday, May 7, 2017 3 – 5 PM

St. Paul JCCFREE FOR ALL AGES

Proudly presented by the St. Paul JCC, Sabes JCC, Minneapolis Jewish Federation and the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul.

ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVITIES

SAVE THE DATE

Happy 69th Birthday, Israel!

YOM HAZIKARONIsraeli Memorial Day

Sunday, April 30 at 7 PM

St. Paul @ Mt. ZionMinneapolis @ Sabes JCC

1514

4330 S. Cedar Lake RoadMinneapolis, MN 55416952 + 381 3400 • sabesjcc.org

1375 St. Paul AvenueSt. Paul, MN 55116-2828651 + 698 0751 • stpauljcc.org

Non-Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MNPermit # 90125

For more information, contact:Robyn Awend, Sabes JCC – 4330 S. Cedar Lake Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55416 (952)381-3416 or rawend@sabesjcc.orgMarley Richman, St. Paul JCC – 1375 St. Paul Ave., St. Paul, MN 55116 (651)255-4757 or marleyr@stpauljcc.org

Art exhibitions, inspiring authors, visiting scholars, studio events, comedy shows, films, concerts, theatrical performances,

and one ginormous community celebration!

two JCCs. one community.