Jewish Learning April/May 2012
Beginning April 30th we are offering four weeks of engaging Jewish learning on a variety of Jewish topics. Come for the 6 pm class and stay for the 7:40 pm class! Learners of all ages and experiences are welcome to attend one class, or all of them! Click here to register.

Contemporary Jewish Argentinean Representations in the Arts
Daniela Goldfine – The University of Minnesota

• Monday, April 30 at 6:30 pm
  The (mis)portrayal of Jewish Argentina in Losers and Keepers in Argentina by Nina Barragan.
  Combining her Argentine past with her American present, Nina Barragan writes from the US summoning the voices of her ancestors who left czarist Russia to establish themselves in the (supposed) paradise of the Argentine pampas.
• Monday, May 7 at 6:30 pm
  Unraveling Issues of Memory and Postmemory in Mirta Kupferminc’s Visual Art.
  Explore the work of theJewish Argentinean contemporary artist Mirta Kupfermin, who has worked on several projects that aim at connecting the experiences of her parents—both Auschwitz survivors—with the freedom of adorning our bodies with ornamental tattoos.
• Monday, May 14 at 6:30 pm
  Jewish Representations in Contemporary Argentinean Films.
  Study a few recently filmed motion pictures that can be categorized as Argentinean films featuring Jewish characters problematizing the identity of the Jew in Argentina.
• Monday, May 21 at 6:30 pm
  Interplays of Agency and Nostalgia: The Argentinean Jewish Woman Writer.
  The interactions given when we talk about the Argentinean Jewish Woman writer allows us to analyze the field of her work while peeling the layers of her identity. To be Jewish, to be Argentinean, to be a woman, and to be a writer.

A Meeting with Shavuot : Monday, April 30 at 7:40 pm
Rabbi Ben Shlimovitz – Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School
Prepare for Shavuot, the holiday celebrating the receiving of the Torah, by digging into deep philosophical and kabbalistic text on the significance of the day.

Jews in Modern France: Monday, May7 at 7:40 pm
Professor Bruno Chaouat – The University of Minnesota
Touched by the recent tragedy surrounding the murder of a Rabbi, three Jewish children and three soldiers, Professor Chaouat will put this event in context highlighting trends in modern France as well as in the current political climate and election season.

Judaism and the Afterlife: Monday, May 14 and 21 at 7:40 pm
Rabbi Berel Simpser – Keshet MN
What happens after we die? Why should we care? Many faiths have definitive teachings about the afterlife, but the Torah is surprisingly silent. Tackle these big questions with Rabbi Berel Simpser.

Click here to register.

The Mothers Circle
Presented in partnership with the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis (JFCS)

Are you a mother raising Jewish children… but you’re not Jewish? Don’t do it alone! The Mothers Circle is a free educational and welcoming program empowering non-Jewish mothers to create Jewish homes. Mothers in all family constellations are welcome and participants do not have to be affiliated with a Jewish institution or have any prior knowledge. The interactive curriculum for the sessions explores Jewish holidays, practices, rituals, and ethics while providing resources and tools for enriching Jewish family life at home. The Mother’s Circle is a program of the Jewish Outreach Institute. This program will be facilitated by Barbara Rudnick, Program Manager for Family Life Education at JFCS.

This program will meet the first Monday of each month beginning October 3, 2011 from 7–8:30 pm.
Mother’s Circle will be held at the Sabes JCC and is free of charge. For more information or to register, please contact Barbara Rudnick at brudnick@jfcsmpls.org or 952.542.4825.