Calendar

Nov
5
Sun
From the Shtetl to the Lower East Side – HUNGRY HEARTS: A Scored and Restored Silent film @ Portland State University - Lincoln Recital Hall
Nov 5 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Event page     |   Download Full Event Flyer

What: A screening of the restored silent film “Hungry Hearts” (1922) preceded by a reception with a choice of three parallel 20-min lectures. Q&A with the composer, David Spear, to follow.
When: Sunday, November 5, 2017 | 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Where: Lincoln Recital Hall (LH 75) | Pocket Lectures in LH 75, LH 21, and LH 37
Cost: Free and open to the public. RSVP requested, but not required.
Contact: Stacey Johnston | judaicst@pdx.edu | 503-725-8449

Join the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies for the Portland premiere of the recently restored and rescored silent film “Hungry Hearts” (1922), filmed on location on New York’s Lower East Side. Based on the short stories of Anzia Yezierska, one of the first immigrant authors to write about American Jewish women for a mainstream audience, the film focuses on the members of the Levin family who emigrate from Eastern Europe to New York City and captures the hopes and hardships of Jewish immigrants in the New World.

The National Center for Jewish Film at Brandeis restored Goldwyn’s original print, and with generous support from the Casden Institute, a new score was composed and produced by David Spear in collaboration with his students from the USC Thornton School of Music. The new score for “Hungry Hearts” premiered at the 2007 New York Jewish Film Festival in Lincoln Center.

The event will begin at 5:30pm with a “Feast for the Senses and the Mind.” You are invited to sample hors d’oeuvres alongside three “pocket lectures” (20 minutes each) on various aspects of the film’s cultural and historical context. The film will begin at 7:00pm and will be followed by a conversation and Q&A with the lead composer, David Spear, about the process of scoring a historic silent film and breathing new life into “old art”. (Full Schedule Below)

  • 5:30 pm      Welcome Reception with Food
  • 6:00 pm      Choose your own mini-lecture!
    • LH 75 – Marat Grinberg, Reed College
      • “At the Intersection of Screen and Text: American Jewish Culture Before the War”
    • LH 37 – Joseph Butwin, University of Washington
      • “Exile and Return: Anzia Yezierska Finds her Vocation”
    • LH 21 – Amy Borden, PSU School of Film

      • “Immigration and Nativism in New York’s Nickelodeon’s”
  • 7:00 pm      Hungry Hearts Film Screening
  • 8:45 pm      Q&A with David Spear
    • Soundtrack Producer & 2017 Artist-in-Residence

This is the first half of the 2017 Levy Event, which focuses on the nexus between East European Jewish immigrants to the U.S. and twentieth-century American film and music. For information about the second half of the 2017 Levy Event, visit the event page.

This event is sponsored by the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies thanks to the generous support of Larry Levy and Pamela Lindholm-Levy. Cosponsored by the PSU School of Music + Theater and the Northwest Film Center.

Apr
15
Sun
History of Antisemitism: Two-day mini-course @ Portland State University - Karl Miller Center 350
Apr 15 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
History of Antisemitism: Two-day mini-course @ Portland State University - Karl Miller Center 350 | Portland | Oregon | United States

What: “History of Antisemitism” 2 Credit Mini-Course featuring guest professor John Efron (UC Berkeley).
When: Sunday 4/15/18 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday 4/22/18 9:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Karl Miller Center Room 350 (KMC 350)
Cost: Tuition for 2 credits or suggested donation of $100.
Contact: Stacey M. Johnston | judaicst@pdx.edu | 503-725-8449

The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies invites John Efron to PSU to offer a mini-course on the History of Antisemitism for class credit. This course will take place over two Sundays – April 15 and 22. Tuition costs to receive course credit. Students are also required to attend this year’s Cogan Lecture featuring Timothy Snyder.

Course Description:

This intensive mini-course, held over two Sundays, will chart the development of hostility towards Jews from antiquity to our day. In lectures and discussion, students will gain an understanding of how anti-Jewish hostility has persisted over millennia even as it has adapted to individual historical and geographic contexts. Topics include: anti-Jewish bias in the ancient world and foundational Christian sources; social and economic marginalization and expulsions in medieval Europe; the emergence of political and racial antisemitism in the nineteenth century; Nazi antisemitism; and contemporary expressions of anti-Jewish sentiment, including left- and right-wing antisemitism.

Instructor: Prof. John Efron, Koret Professor of Jewish History, University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Efron is the author of Medicine and the German Jews: A History and Defenders of the Race: Jewish Doctors and Race Science in Fin-de-Siècle Europe.

This program is made possible thanks to a grant by the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation.

Registration Information for Senior Auditors and Community Members

Registration priority is determined by the university. Our goal is to admit everyone interested in participating. If you are a senior auditor or community member interested in participating in the course, please email your name and phone number to judaicst@pdx.edu to be added to the waitlist. You will be notified of your waitlist status on April 1.

Undergraduate students will be paying $329 in tuition for this course. The suggested donation for non-students is $100 ($50/day). Please consider making a donation to the Judaic Studies Program so we can continue to open these courses to the public.

Registration Dates
2/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Graduates and Newly Admitted Students
2/21/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Seniors
2/26/18 – Priority Registration begins for New & Continuing Postbacs
2/28/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Juniors
3/05/18 – Priority Registration begins for Sophomores
3/07/18 – Priority Registration begins for Freshmen
3/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Non-Degree Students*
4/01/18 – All interested auditors notified of their registration status

*For more information about registering for credit as a non-degree student, visit https://www.pdx.edu/undergraduate-admissions/other-applicants

For more information about the Senior Adult Learning Center, visit https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/salc

Apr
22
Sun
History of Antisemitism: Two-day mini-course @ Portland State University - Karl Miller Center 350
Apr 22 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
History of Antisemitism: Two-day mini-course @ Portland State University - Karl Miller Center 350 | Portland | Oregon | United States

What: “History of Antisemitism” 2 Credit Mini-Course featuring guest professor John Efron (UC Berkeley).
When: Sunday 4/15/18 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday 4/22/18 9:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Karl Miller Center Room 350 (KMC 350)
Cost: Tuition for 2 credits or suggested donation of $100.
Contact: Stacey M. Johnston | judaicst@pdx.edu | 503-725-8449

The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies invites John Efron to PSU to offer a mini-course on the History of Antisemitism for class credit. This course will take place over two Sundays – April 15 and 22. Tuition costs to receive course credit. Students are also required to attend this year’s Cogan Lecture featuring Timothy Snyder.

Course Description:

This intensive mini-course, held over two Sundays, will chart the development of hostility towards Jews from antiquity to our day. In lectures and discussion, students will gain an understanding of how anti-Jewish hostility has persisted over millennia even as it has adapted to individual historical and geographic contexts. Topics include: anti-Jewish bias in the ancient world and foundational Christian sources; social and economic marginalization and expulsions in medieval Europe; the emergence of political and racial antisemitism in the nineteenth century; Nazi antisemitism; and contemporary expressions of anti-Jewish sentiment, including left- and right-wing antisemitism.

Instructor: Prof. John Efron, Koret Professor of Jewish History, University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Efron is the author of Medicine and the German Jews: A History and Defenders of the Race: Jewish Doctors and Race Science in Fin-de-Siècle Europe.

This program is made possible thanks to a grant by the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation.

Registration Information for Senior Auditors and Community Members

Registration priority is determined by the university. Our goal is to admit everyone interested in participating. If you are a senior auditor or community member interested in participating in the course, please email your name and phone number to judaicst@pdx.edu to be added to the waitlist. You will be notified of your waitlist status on April 1.

Undergraduate students will be paying $329 in tuition for this course. The suggested donation for non-students is $100 ($50/day). Please consider making a donation to the Judaic Studies Program so we can continue to open these courses to the public.

Registration Dates
2/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Graduates and Newly Admitted Students
2/21/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Seniors
2/26/18 – Priority Registration begins for New & Continuing Postbacs
2/28/18 – Priority Registration begins for Continuing Juniors
3/05/18 – Priority Registration begins for Sophomores
3/07/18 – Priority Registration begins for Freshmen
3/19/18 – Priority Registration begins for Non-Degree Students*
4/01/18 – All interested auditors notified of their registration status

*For more information about registering for credit as a non-degree student, visit https://www.pdx.edu/undergraduate-admissions/other-applicants

For more information about the Senior Adult Learning Center, visit https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/salc

Mar
13
Wed
MJCC Author Series – Special Event with Mary Morris @ OSU Foundation
Mar 13 @ 4:00 pm
Author Mary Morris will read from her latest book, Gateway to the Moon, on Wednesday, March 13 at the OSU Foundation in Corvallis.

Her novel alternates between late medieval Spain and Portugal during the traumatic time of the Inquisition, and a very small town in New Mexico in 1992. The modern New Mexican characters are Catholics with peculiar habits. Nobody in town eats pork but they don’t know why. It is likely they are the descendants of conversos, Jews who converted during the Spanish Inquisition. The story weaves a connecting thread from the Iberian Peninsula to Mexico City and then on to the original settlers who moved into what is now the American Southwest. Five hundred years later, a young amateur astronomer wonders about the secret of the town he grew up in: Entrada de la Luna, or Gateway to the Moon.

Morris’ previous work, The Jazz Palace, won the Anisfeld-Wolf Book Award for important contributions to the understanding of racism in 2016. She also writes short stories and travel memoirs. Her many novels and story collections have been translated into six languages. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and teaches writing at Sarah Lawrence College.

Doors open at 4:00 PM to meet and greet the author. A one-hour author reading and discussion will follow beginning at 4:30 PM. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free.

Co-sponsored by the Beit Am Jewish Community and the MJCC. Grassroots Bookstore will be there with copies of the paperback edition of Gateway to the Moon for sale and author signing.

Apr
19
Fri
Art Gallery Exhibit: The Passover Series @ Mittleman Jewish Community Center
Apr 19 – Apr 28 all-day

Art Gallery Exhibit: The Passover Series

Shlomo Katz, Polish/Israeli, 1937 – 1992
Born in Lodz, Poland, Shlomo Katz immigrated to Palestine when he was eight years old in 1945. Katz developed an original technique of oil painting on a gilded metal surface. The result recalls medieval icons on the one hand, and oriental miniatures on the other. These ancient resources combine to form a totally modern image with a light humorous touch and a noble character. It took a lot of experimentation to translate these images to the graphic art form. The metallic inks of the golden tones and the importance of absolute registration presented just a part of the challenge, but the Katz serigraphs became the ultimate in modern printmaking.
Exhibit on display April 19 – 28, MJCC Lobby

May
2
Thu
Memoir Writing Workshop @ Mittleman Jewish Community Center
May 2 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Mark Twain said it best when he said, “no one has an uninteresting life!” This workshop is an opportunity to explore your life and write your stories. Dorothy Dworkin, an experienced author, columnist and writing coach, will offer prompts and suggestions to get you started on writing your stories. She will help you organize your memoir with noncritical feedback from your fellow writers and from her years of experience facilitating the writing process. No experience necessary, only a desire to share your experiences with family, friends and fellow “memoirists.” Class size is limited to 12.
Thursdays
May 2 – 30
11:00 am – 12:30 pm, CG306
Cost: $50.

Register at oregonjcc.org/registration

May
9
Thu
Memoir Writing Workshop @ Mittleman Jewish Community Center
May 9 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Mark Twain said it best when he said, “no one has an uninteresting life!” This workshop is an opportunity to explore your life and write your stories. Dorothy Dworkin, an experienced author, columnist and writing coach, will offer prompts and suggestions to get you started on writing your stories. She will help you organize your memoir with noncritical feedback from your fellow writers and from her years of experience facilitating the writing process. No experience necessary, only a desire to share your experiences with family, friends and fellow “memoirists.” Class size is limited to 12.
Thursdays
May 2 – 30
11:00 am – 12:30 pm, CG306
Cost: $50.

Register at oregonjcc.org/registration

May
16
Thu
Memoir Writing Workshop @ Mittleman Jewish Community Center
May 16 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Mark Twain said it best when he said, “no one has an uninteresting life!” This workshop is an opportunity to explore your life and write your stories. Dorothy Dworkin, an experienced author, columnist and writing coach, will offer prompts and suggestions to get you started on writing your stories. She will help you organize your memoir with noncritical feedback from your fellow writers and from her years of experience facilitating the writing process. No experience necessary, only a desire to share your experiences with family, friends and fellow “memoirists.” Class size is limited to 12.
Thursdays
May 2 – 30
11:00 am – 12:30 pm, CG306
Cost: $50.

Register at oregonjcc.org/registration

May
23
Thu
Memoir Writing Workshop @ Mittleman Jewish Community Center
May 23 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Mark Twain said it best when he said, “no one has an uninteresting life!” This workshop is an opportunity to explore your life and write your stories. Dorothy Dworkin, an experienced author, columnist and writing coach, will offer prompts and suggestions to get you started on writing your stories. She will help you organize your memoir with noncritical feedback from your fellow writers and from her years of experience facilitating the writing process. No experience necessary, only a desire to share your experiences with family, friends and fellow “memoirists.” Class size is limited to 12.
Thursdays
May 2 – 30
11:00 am – 12:30 pm, CG306
Cost: $50.

Register at oregonjcc.org/registration

May
30
Thu
Memoir Writing Workshop @ Mittleman Jewish Community Center
May 30 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Mark Twain said it best when he said, “no one has an uninteresting life!” This workshop is an opportunity to explore your life and write your stories. Dorothy Dworkin, an experienced author, columnist and writing coach, will offer prompts and suggestions to get you started on writing your stories. She will help you organize your memoir with noncritical feedback from your fellow writers and from her years of experience facilitating the writing process. No experience necessary, only a desire to share your experiences with family, friends and fellow “memoirists.” Class size is limited to 12.
Thursdays
May 2 – 30
11:00 am – 12:30 pm, CG306
Cost: $50.

Register at oregonjcc.org/registration