First Semester 2022-2023 Program Guide
VBS Hazak welcomes our community back for our First Semester 2022-2023 Programming
Hold the Dates: 10/24, 11/7, 11/21, 12/5, 12/19, 1/9/2023, 1/23/2023
"Hazak Monday" Programs resume on 10/24/2022
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10am-12:15pm Presentations and Activities (listed below) available in person AND via Zoom
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12:15-1pm Lunch of bagels and cream cheese will be available for a small fee or bring your own bag lunch and schmooze with fellow Hazak members
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1-2pm Hazak Torah Study with Clergy
All Programs will also be available on Zoom:
Click here to join on Zoom
Meeting ID: 834 2202 4820
Passcode: 501103
Discuss and learn with VBS Clergy and each other in a small and interactive group session. These small group sessions are like none you have experienced before. Anything can come up for discussion in these sessions, and you will always leave the wiser.
October 24, 2022
10:00am
2022 November Election – State, County, and City Ballot Measures, Yes or No?
Carryl Carter
Vice Chair, Board of Directors, League of Women Voters
Confused by the competing ads for and against measures on the November 8 ballot? Come to hear League of Women Voters member Carryl Carter give a non-partisan explanation and the pros and cons of the issues. Since 1920, the League has had the reputation for objective information on election issues. If time allows, members will have a chance to ask questions.
11:15am
The State of the News: A Discussion about Journalism, Newspapers and the Los Angeles Times
Nicholas Goldberg
Associate Editor and Op Ed Columnist, Los Angeles Times
Nicholas Goldberg has been a political reporter, foreign correspondent, editorial page editor and columnist at the L.A. Times and other papers for 40 years. He is looking forward to a wide-ranging Q & A session about his career, his job, the paper, and his hopes and fears for journalism in the 21st century.
November 7, 2022
10:00am-12:15pm IN PERSON RECOMMENDED
Introduction to Memoir Writing: Stories from Your Life
Helen Dosik, PhD
Professor of Sociology (Retired), California State University Northridge
We all have life stories. Sharing them with family and friends is a great mitzvah that benefits you and others. In this introduction to memoir writing, we will discuss how to begin telling your story, how to keep a journal, and how to establish a writing practice. Bring paper and pen/pencil, laptop, or tablet for writing.
November 21, 2022
10:00am
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Ted Carmely
Retired Systems Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and other organizations
The Dead Sea scrolls constitute one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of all time. It’s almost miraculous that manuscripts and fragments made of parchment, papyrus, and copper survived for two millennia in caves near the Dead Sea. Many of them match exactly the text of the Old Testament (The Tanakh), thus authenticating the scriptures to be more than 2000 years old. In addition to known and previously unknown biblical manuscripts, some scrolls contain sectarian documents that provide a window on social and religious aspects at the onset of the Common Era. While the first scrolls were discovered in 1947, new caves and artifacts have been found as recently as 2021 and continue to provide material for historical research.
11:15am
Jewish Gay Rights Activism
Steve Krantz, PhD
Vice President of PFLAG Los Angeles and founder of Jews for Marriage Equality
Dr. Steve Krantz will tell his family's story of ignorance to activism in the cause of LGBTQ+ equality, where the LGBTQ+ rights movement stands today, and what we should do to protect the rights of minorities in our country in the future.
December 5, 2022
10:00am
What Happened to that Wall of Separation Between Church and State?
Mark Levick, JD
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Los Angeles Pierce College
It has been 220 years since President Thomas Jefferson wrote about the "wall of separation between the church and state." In recent years, nearly every Supreme Court decision involving religion has seemingly chipped away at the wall of separation. I will discuss several of these decisions and what, if anything can be done to restore that wall.
11:15am
The LA Jewish Community: a Post COVID Perspective
Steven Windmueller, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Jewish communal studies and Interim Director of the Zelikow School at Hebrew Union College’s Jack H. Skirball Campus, Los Angeles
This presentation will focus on two key questions:
- How has COVID impacted the Jewish community, its institutional practice and our personal behaviors?
- With the new LA Jewish Population Study before us, what new date do we have about our community, and what it may mean for our future?
December 19, 2022
10:00am
ART; An eye-opening workshop by JACKIE NACH
Jackie Nach
Painter, Printmaker, Instructor
Surprise! Surprise!
Discover the unique artist hiding inside. Enjoy a hands-on workshop encouraging release of creative expression. We’ll discuss and debate, including Early Man’s ticket to survival.
Our ancestors will be so proud!
Drawing tools provided.
January 9, 2023
10:00am
The New New Hebrew: Contemporary Trends in Israeli Culture
Melissa Weininger, PhD
Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at California State University, Northridge
Israeli culture was built on the Zionist image of the “New Hebrew”: a new type of Jew untainted by diaspora Jewish life and committed to Hebrew as the national language. But in the 21st century, with the rise of globalization and transnational cultural influences, contemporary Israeli culture reflects not only the specific history of Hebrew and of Israel but also many influences that challenge the image of the “New Hebrew.” This talk will focus on some of the trends in contemporary Israeli literature, art, and music that reflect these challenges.
11:15am
You Want to Join a Book Club?
Jill Adams
Creative Director of Oprah's Book Club
Have you ever considered being in a book club? Why not start your own! This discussion will focus on the ins and outs of starting your own club, like where and how to meet, what to read, and how to create your own reading community. Get all the tips from someone who helped to launch one of the biggest book clubs in the world. Hear from Jill about her experiences with the Oprah Book Club.
January 23, 2023
10:00am
What Next in American Politics? On to 2024
Raphael Sonenschein, PhD
Executive Director Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, CSULA
With the 2022 midterm elections in the rear view mirror, what’s next in this contentious political era? And what does this mean for the Jewish community?
11:15am
The Forgotten Master of Jewish Music: David Nowakowsky
Noreen Green, PhD
Founding Artistic Director and Conductor, LA Jewish Symphony
From her doctoral treatise, Dr. Green will relate the story of her journey exploring the life and music of David Nowakowsky, who is considered the "Bach" of Jewish Music.
Stay Tuned for More Hazak Programming, including:
- Hazak Shabbat Dinners, with programs
- Field Trips
- Small Discussion Groups
- Special Series
- And more…..
QUESTIONS?
Email vbshazak@vbs.org
Thu, April 25 2024
17 Nisan 5784
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