JCC Austin is excited to
present a new season full
of Arts & Ideas and a
fresh approach to your
annual favorites.
WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?
Spotlight on
Arts & Ideas
2015-2016/5776
The 2015 Austin Jewish Book Fair goes
Beyond the Book with an extraordinary
lineup of authors, legendary musicians
and journalists, wine tasting, Mahjong
playtime and more. Patrons will have
special opportunities to attend Book Fair
author receptions. AJRT welcomes two
new offerings, Conversations with the
Creatives and 3 Days, 3 Plays. A new musical
performance features a 5-piece ensemble
and vocalists, and we are also delighted to
announce a new Patron benefit this season,
offering a 10% discount on art purchased at
Gallery at the J.
PATRON PACKAGES
Become a Patron today! Contact Amy Hyman
at [email protected] or 512-7358078 for more information. For information
about specific events throughout the year
please contact Crystal Connally at cystal.
[email protected]
or
512-7358098.
Discover the spotlight.
Thank you to our Sponsors for their Generous Support
2015-2016/5776
All events take place at the
JCC unless otherwise noted.
7300 Hart Lane, Austin, T X 78731
As of 8/24/15
B2 September 2015 Spotlight on Arts & Ideas
32nd Annual
November 1-17
All of these event details can be found at
www.shalomaustin.org/bookfair.
Beyond the Book
All events are held at the JCC unless noted.
7300 Hart Ln.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 11 AM
PR E VIE W
E V EN T
Joseph Skibell
MY FATHER’S GUITAR AND
OTHER IMAGINARY THINGS
In partnership with Texas Book Festival.
Held at the State Capitol, 1300 N. Congress Ave.
Joseph Skibell is the critically acclaimed author of A Blessing on the Moonand A
Curable Romantic, choice award of the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. As
director of the Ellmann Lectures at Emory University, he played guitar and sang
onstage with Margaret Atwood and Paul Simon. A professor at Emory, he is a
Senior Fellow at the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 6 PM
The Jewish Federation of
Greater Austin Women’s Division
Presents
BOOK
LOVERS
LUNCHEON
Steve Katz
BLOOD, SWEAT AND MY ROCK ’N’ ROLL YEARS:
IS STEVE KATZ A ROCK STAR?
The founder of Blood, Sweat and Tears talks about
being a Jewish rock star and dishes on the 60s and
70s!
Steve Katz was a founding member of The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat & Tears. He
became a record producer, working with rock renegade Lou Reed, among others. These
days, Katz and his wife, Alison Palmer, run a ceramics shop in South Kent, CT.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 7 PM
Dion Nissenbaum
Hear from two authors in a Panel Discussion about
their positive books centered around Arab-Israeli
relations.
A STREET DIVIDED
Dion Nissenbaum is a national security reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Previously,
Nissenbaum was based in Afghanistan, where he traveled around the country both as an
independent journalist and with the United States military. He has won several awards,
including a National Press Club award for diplomatic correspondence.
Anthony David
AN IMPROBABLE FRIENDSHIP
Anthony David has written eight books, including the
award-winning Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life,
the biography of the Palestinian leader Sari Nusseibeh.
An American currently living in Jerusalem, he holds a PhD in European History from the
University of Chicago.
Featuring
DAFNA MICHAELSON JENET
It Takes a Little Crazy to Make a Difference
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
11:30 AM
*Patrons receive tickets
with lunch included.
One woman’s effort to
experience grass roots
tikkun olam.
Dafna Michaelson Jenet, President of the
Journey Institute, holds a BA from Stern
College and an MBA University of Denver and
is a StorahTelling Maven. She held directorship
posts at the Holocaust Awareness Institute
and The March of the Living, BJENY. She
currently sits on Hadassah’s National Board.
www.shalomaustin.org/spotlight September 2015 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 7 PM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 7 PM
David Gregory
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
HOW’S YOUR FAITH?
SINGLE JEWISH MALE SEEKING SOUL MATE
The internationally renowned journalist and
television host discusses a memoir of how his Jewish
faith impacted his life career as NBC reporter.
The son of Holocaust survivors struggles to find
love while keeping a promise to his parents to
marry within the faith. Set against the backdrop
of Black Jewish relations in the 80s. Includes panel
discussion.
David Gregory was formerly a White House correspondent and moderator of NBC’s Meet
the Press.
Patrons will be invited to a private Reception with Gregory.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 7 PM
Jami Attenberg
SAINT MAZIE
Letty Cottin Pogrebin is a nationally acclaimed American author, journalist, lecturer, and
social activist. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University in English and
American literature, and worked for the publishing company Bernard Geis Associates as
their director of publicity and later their vice president. She also wrote a column for Ladies
Home Journal called “The Working Woman,” and was an editorial consultant for the TV
special Free to Be... You and Me (as well as for the album and book associated with it) for
which she earned an Emmy.She was a founding editor of Ms. Magazine, and a cofounder
of Ms. Foundation for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus.
Explore a novel based on the life of an independent
Jewish flapper and her efforts to help the
downtrodden on the Lower East Side.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 7 PM
Jami Attenberg has written about sex, technology,
design, books, television, and urban life for The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, Salon, Print, The Hairpin, Vogue, New York, Elle, Real Simple, The Rumpus, and
others. She has contributed to numerous anthologies and also wrote Wicked: The Musical:
A Pop-up Compendium.
MY GRANDFATHER WOULD HAVE SHOT ME
Laura Dave
EIGHT HUNDRED GRAPES
Hear about a family saga in the Sonoma Wine
Country and enjoy wine tasting and Jazz music.
Laura Dave is the author of the critically acclaimed novels
The First Husband, The Divorce Party, and London Is the Best City in America. Her work
has been published in fifteen countries, and three of her novels—including Eight Hundred
Grapes—have been optioned as major motion pictures. She resides in Santa Monica, CA.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2 PM
Karen Gooen
SEARCHING FOR BUBBE FISCHER
Go beyond the memoir and instructional mah jongg
book! The evening includes mah jongg play time and
new group formation opportunities. In partnership
with JCC Senior Programs. In partnership with JCC
Senior Adults and Temple Beth Shalom Sisterhood.
Karen Gooen lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters. She has degrees
from Brown and Columbia Universities and has served as a budget analyst, medical writer,
and summer camp administrator, but found her true passion in mah jongg. She has spent
years analyzing a ten-minute activity that is fortified by popcorn and M&Ms.
B3
Jennifer Teege
Hear from the author whose shocking memoir is
about discovering that her maternal grandfather
was the notorious Nazi Amon Goeth portrayed in
the movie Schindler’s List. Author talk to be held
at B’nai Abraham Brenham Historic Synagogue on the Dell Jewish Community
Campus.
Jennifer Teege is a German-Nigerian author who has discovered she is the granddaughter
of Nazi Amon Goeth – also known as the “Butcher of Plaszow” concentration camp. Teege,
who was adopted shortly after birth, stumbled on her shocking family secret after coming
across a book about the brutal Nazi commander written by her birth mother Monika Goeth.
FEBRUARY 9, 2015, 7 PM
B E YO N D
K
TH E BOO
S
U
BON
Leah Lax
UNCOVERED, HOW I LEFT
HASIDIC LIFE AND FINALLY
CAME HOME
In Partnership with Keshet Austin.
Leah Lax’s work has been published in Dame, Lilith, Moment,
and Salon. Lax’s work for stage has been reviewed with acclaim
in The New York Times and broadcast on NPR. She holds an MFA
in Creative Writing from the University of Houston.
The Austin Jewish Film Festival celebrates its
13th (Bar Mitzvah) Year, October 24-30, 2015
at the Arbor Theater.
The Austin Jewish community loves going to the movies, and the coming
season will provide opportunities to enjoy films about Jewish life and
culture. The films will explore universal themes, including human rights,
global peace, religious freedom and tolerance. Arts & Ideas Patrons and
Underwriters receive flex passes which entitles each patron to 10 movie
punches! (See back page for details.)
B4 September 2015 Spotlight on Arts & Ideas
R
NEW THIS YEA
ons
tr
for Spotlight Pa
e
iv
Only, Rece
10% Discount
on Any Art
ing a
Purchased Dur
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bi
hi
Ex
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Galle
Gallery At the J
www.shalomaustin.org/gallery
For more information contact [email protected]
*All event receptions held in the JCC Community Hall, unless otherwise noted.
The 2015-2016 season’s exhibitions include:
Artistic Reflections by Richard Ewen:
Le Marais, Paris & El Call, Barcelona
AUGUST 31 - OCTOBER 4, 2015
Art from the Streets
FEBRUARY 29 - APRIL 3, 2016
Opening reception:
Thursday, March 3, 7-8:30 PM
Opening reception:
Wednesday, September 2, 7-8:30 PM
An exhibition of art work by Austin’s homeless
community. All proceeds from sales support
Art from the Streets’ safe and encouraging
environment of artistic expression.
Richard Ewen illustrates and contrasts, through
watercolors, photographs and historical text,
Jewish presence in the lively Le Marais area of
Paris with the minimal evidence of Jewish life in
the narrow, medieval streets of El Call, Barcelona.
Street Stories - An Artist’s Journey
OCTOBER 6 - OCTOBER 11, 2015
Opening reception:
Thursday, October 8, 7-8:30 PM
Sonja A. Kever’s unique portraits of Austin’s
homeless provides a connection with their
dignity and humanity bringing awareness of
their plight to the community.
We Have Faith
APRIL 11 - MAY 22, 2016 In Partnership with Keshet Austin.
Opening reception: Thursday, April 14, 7-8:30 PM
An inspiring Family Diversity Projects photo-text exhibit
featuring well-known LGBT
and allied clergy and people of
many faiths and denominations,
including Jews, Christians and
Muslims.
Traditions and Visions:
Around the World in Art
Israel: Land of Contrasts
OCTOBER 12 - NOVEMBER 22, 2015
APRIL 11 - MAY 22, 2016
Opening reception: Wednesday, October 21, 7-8:30 PM
Opening reception:
Thursday, April 14, 7-8:30 PM
Multiple artists present a visually rich selection of mediums
and images representing artistic vocabularies from Israel,
Mexico, Japan, India, Africa and Uzbekistan.
Cast of Characters: The Figure in Art
DECEMBER 7, 2015 - JANUARY 17, 2016
Opening reception: Thursday, December 10, 7-8:30 PM
A group exhibition of artists explores a variety of techniques
and interpretive, individualistic approaches to the human
figure through portraits and figure-based representations.
Highlighting Israel as a land of beauty and
diversity, Martha Kull and Jake Lorfing share
their individual perspectives of Israel’s striking
contrasts through a combination of photographs
and colored pencil paintings.
J Create-ivity: Art by the Shalom Austin Staff
JUNE 6 -JULY 18, 2016 Opening reception: Thursday, June 9, 7-8:30 PM
The multi talented Shalom Austin staff presents a variety of
artwork showcasing their creative spirits.
Albanian Muslim Rescuers during the
Holocaust: Photographs by Norman Gershman
JANUARY 25 - FEBRUARY 21, 2016
Opening reception: Sunday, January 31, 4-5 PM
Through subtle portraiture and historical documentation,
Norman Gershman communicates the honor, faith, and
altruism of the Albanian rescuers of between two to three
thousand Jews during the Holocaust.
Photo credit: Wendy Corn
www.shalomaustin.org/spotlight September 2015 N E W FO R
A J RT
www.shalomaustin.org/ajrt
For more information please
contact [email protected].
CONVERSATIONS
WITH
THE
creatives
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CREATIVES takes you
deeper into the creative process with the people behind
the scenes, with time for the audience to ask questions.
3 DAYS, 3 PLAYS series presents readings of three new, dramatic
works on Jewish themes followed by extended talk backs with the
playwrights. Join us in a conversation surrounding the themes,
storytelling, and structure of the work that’s just been read.
AJRT Presents:
NOVEMBER 2015
Austin Jewish Repertory Theater and Trinity Street Players Present
INTO THE WOODS
The Magical Musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine
Trinity Street Players Theatre
901 Trinity Street
MAY 2016
Austin Jewish Repertory Theater, Ground Floor Theater and TILT Performance Group Present
AS BUTTERFLIES A New Musical by Hal Hudson and Jim Crew
Ground Floor Theatre
979 Springdale Road
JULY 2016
Austin Jewish Repertory Theater Presents Summer Youth Musical 2016
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
The Classic Musical by Richards Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
JCC Community Hall Stage
7300 Hart Lane
B5
B6 September 2015 Spotlight on Arts & Ideas
Celebrating
Tapestry’s
14th Year
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016
10 AM-5:30 PM
The Highlights
Friday, October 23, 2015 | 2 PM
Performing jazz and pop standards, swing, Latin, R&B and more.
The 5 piece ensemble features vocalists Barbara Calderaro and
David Cummings with musicians Howard T. Levine.
Patrons receive free registration for Tapestry
Classes as well as Lunch & Learn Keynote.
www.shalomaustin.org/tapestry
Night of Comedy
For more information please contact
[email protected].
Saturday, March 26, 2016 | 8:30 PM
Refreshments included.
This year’s Keynote Lecturer is
BETH S. WENGER, Professor
of History at the University of
Pennsylvania’s Jewish Studies
Program and a distinguished
author. The past, present and future unfold at
this annual adult Jewish education experience,
bringing together a dynamic and accomplished
group of presenters offering expertise in
a wide-range of intriguing and meaningful
topics. Participants will delve into the deeper
complexities of Jewish music, art, politics,
literature, culinary experiences, Israel, history,
Jewish living, The Bible, and religious texts.
Y
B AC K B
R
A
L
U
POP
D
N
A
M
DE
MODI
MODI was voted one of the “Top 10 Comedians” in New York City, and is
one of the comedy circuit’s hottest comedians. BackStage raves, “Modi
has a young Sid Caesar-esque talent for creating accents and characters,
making him appeal to a diverse market.” Modi is versatile and quick on
his feet. He can read an audience in a beat and improvise so nimbly
that he keeps an audience, regardless of age, race or gender, laughing. He is a regular at New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs. He
headlines around the country and has toured the United
Kingdom, Holland and Israel. Modi regularly performs at
comedy festivals and special venues, including Montreal’s
Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and The John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C.
www.shalomaustin.org/spotlight September 2015 B7
spotlight on austin cultural partners
Select levels of Arts & Ideas Patrons and Underwriters will receive tickets to one highlighted
event at each Cultural Arts Partner Organization. (See back page for details.) A limited number
of seats are available to each event. Upon your commitment of support, a JCC representative
will contact you to confirm your selection. For questions, contact Crystal Connally at
512-735-8098 or [email protected].
ballet austin
www.balletaustin.org
Vouchers for any production during the season.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15
This event provides an
opportunity for Jews across the
world to come together to study
Jewish texts and teachings. The
guiding values of the Global Day
of Jewish Learning are: fostering
Jewish unity, empowering
individuals through increased
Jewish knowledge, and creating
meaningful shared experiences.
Our interest is to spark and
nourish a love for Jewish learning
– and to celebrate the unity that
Jewish learning can achieve.
The theme for this year’s
Global Day of Jewish Learning
is Love: Devotion, Desire, and
Deception. The Global Day is for
all Jews regardless of educational
background or religious affiliation.
The classes have been created for
all audiences; no prior knowledge
of Hebrew or Jewish text is
necessary in order to participate.
paramount theater
www.austintheatre.org
Olympia Dukakis in Rose, January 7, 2016.
zachary scott theatre
www.zachtheatre.org
Voucher for selected productions during the season.
texas performing arts
www.utpac.org
Tickets to selected production.
Choices include: Anne Frank, Twyla Tharp, and The Seldoms
B8 September 2015 Spotlight on Arts & Ideas
Spotlight Patron Levels & Benefits
Arts & Ideas Patrons
Arts & Ideas Underwriters
will receive the specified number of tickets to all
events in the Spotlight season and the specified
number of tickets to each Cultural Partner.
will receive the same benefits as Arts & Ideas Patrons,
plus the opportunity to sponsor one program, lecture
or performance on the 2015-16 Spotlight season.
Spotlight 2015-16 Response Form
I would like to become a Patron or Underwriter of Spotlight 2015-16 at the following level:
Arts & Ideas
# of Tickets
# of Cultural Partner Tickets
# of AJFF flex passes
$1000, Underwriter
4
4
4
$540, Patron
4
2
4
$360, Patron
2
$180, Patron1
2
1
Tax-deductible amount: The fair market value of each package is 50% of the listed price.
In order to guarantee your listing as a Patron at all events, please sign up at
www.shalomaustin.org/spotlight or return this form by October 15, 2015 to:
Spotlight on Arts & Ideas, Jenifer Thompson, 7300 Hart Lane, Austin, TX 78731
or by fax: 512-735-8043
Arts & Ideas Patrons & Underwriters: Upon receipt of your commitment, a JCC representative will contact you
for your choice of Cultural Arts Partner tickets.
Friends of Spotlight on Arts & Ideas: Every gift is significant and contributions of any size are always welcome.
Payment Information: Please write your name(s) as you wish to be recognized.
Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone:
Mobile
Home
Business_______________________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City:___________________________________________________ State:__________________________________________ ZIP:___________________
Credit Card:
VISA
MasterCard
American Express_ Card number:__________________________________ Exp. Date:_____________
Name on Card:_________________________________________ Signature:______________________________________ Date:_______________
Check #: ____________________ (full amount made payable to JCAA)
For questions call 512-735-8078. All events are subject to change and when appropriate substitutions may be made.