Happening
Sculpting the Harvest
At the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City, sculpture artist Judy Fox has a series on view that sits at the crux of fall harvest and feminism. Each piece in Fox’s exhibition takes the form of a fruit or vegetable… with a twist. The evocative imagery of Fox’s terra cotta produce invites viewers to think of the food we grow, alongside our own bodies, and their capability for “fertility, growth, overgrowth, malformation, violence, disease, and the persistence of beauty.” Catch “Harvest” until the end of October. More details at nancyhoffmangallery.com.
A New Feminist Monument
This November, Jewish interdisciplinary artist Tiffany Schlain unveils her latest work, “Dendrofemonology: The Feminist History Tree Ring,” Schlain has carved into a large slice of tree trunk “a 50,000 year history of humanity through an intersectional feminist lens.” From Mesopotamian law to present day feminist achievements, this tree ring bears all. But this artwork is not just educational in purpose—it is meant to mobilize voters. And from November 1st– 4th it will be on view on the National Mall for all to see, just in time to cast our votes in thousands of races across the country. Learn more at letitripple.org.
Paleontology, Mysticism, and More
The Hub is a virtual and physical space based in New York City, hosted by My Jewish Learning. Find a jampacked calendar of educational events, such as cooking and craft workshops for Jewish holidays and guided virtual tours of various Jewish spaces. Plus they have a well-balanced list of pre-recorded “on-demand” lectures, from “The Jewish Side of Paleontology” to “Jewish Mysticism in Islamic Persia” to “What’s so Jewish about Barbie?” Sign up for their newsletter at myjewishlearning.com.
From Bible to Boardroom
On October 29th, The North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois, will present “A Tribute to Jewish Women— From the Bible to the Boardroom.” This showcase will include selected music from “Stars of David,” a musical by Daryl Roth, plus performances by Midwest Region Women Cantors, along with the Don Cagen Orchestra. There will also be a conversation with Abigail Pogrebin, author of the book Stars of David. Learn more at northshorecenter.org.
Judy Heumann Newsletter
To honor the legacy of disability activist Judith Heumann, the Judith Heumann Newsletter has been re-started! The newsletter’s purpose is to share new projects, achievements, and struggles within the disability community that involve and result from Heumann’s influential work. A recent edition included access to the final five episodes of Heumann’s podcast, which were published posthumously. Sign up to receive the newsletter at bit.ly/HeumannNews.
The Jerusalem Biennale
This November–December, the sixth edition of The Jerusalem Biennale presents: Iron Flock, an extravaganza of Jewish art exhibitions and programming to celebrate Jewish culture and creativity. Iron Flock seeks to center work by women from around the world, and anticipates participation from approximately 300 artists! Exhibitions will be on display at dozens of locations across Jerusalem. Learn more at jerusalembiennale.org.
Jewish Genetic Testing
JScreen is making it easier than ever to get tested for Tay-Sachs and over 200 other genetic conditions commonly found in the Jewish community. Their ReproGEN test kit is a simple saliva test that can be done at home to help determine the risk of having a child with a genetic illness. They also offer CancerGEN, which can help folks over 21 better understand their genetic risk for various types of cancer. Both kits start at $199 and can be requested at jscreen.org.
Jewish Feminism in the National Portrait Gallery
Sally Priesand, the first ordained woman rabbi, was recently celebrated on the 50th anniversary of her unprecedented achievement. This fall, her photo will be included in at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.! The photograph, taken by Lilith photographer Joan Roth, is part of “Recent Acquisitions,” a collection of portraits of or by women, including influential figures from Beyoncé to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The exhibit will be on view until November 2024. Learn more at si.edu.
Anti-Harassment Training
Ta’amod: Stand Up strives to transform Jewish workplaces through anti-harassment and anti-discrimination trainings guided by “compassion, safety, equity and accountability.” In several U.S. states, such training is mandatory in many workplaces. Ta’amod’s offerings are intended to pinpoint potential cultural indicators of problematic behaviors to effectively create safer and more respectful work experiences. Learn more about how Ta’amod can help your workplace at bit.ly/Taamod- Training and learn about anti-harassment training requirements in your state at clearlawinstitute.com.
The Fearless Woman Who Hid the Frank Family
A Small Light is a new series that shares the story of Anne Frank and her family from the perspective of Miep Gies, the woman who heroically provided protection, supplies, and hope to the Franks, as well as the van Pels family and Dr. Fritz Pfeffer, who hid together during the Holocaust. Created by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, starring Bel Powley as Gies, this eight-episode limited series captures the fear, bravery, and persistent hope of Jewish families in hiding, and honors Miep Gies and the many other individuals who sacrificed their own safety to care for them and stand up for their humanity. A Small Light is available to stream on Hulu.
Jewish and Lakota
The Cost of Free Land by Rebecca Clarren is a timely new investigation of “the entangled history of the author’s Jewish ancestors’ land in South Dakota and the Lakota, who were forced off that land by the United States government.” The book was recently spotlighted by the Jewish Book Council, and is inspiring important conversations across Jewish and indigenous communities about space, identity, and family history. Find it at your local bookstore or library.
Judy-ism
A new short film from Emily Nash and Emily Lerer celebrates the “ish” in “Jewish.” The story follows the self-proclaimed “Jew-ish” Judy as she plans her interfaith wedding. In a playful twist, a bite of apple cake launches her back in time to her bat mitzvah, a plotline that may ring familiar to fans of early 2000s rom-coms. Judy-ism recently premiered at the LA Shorts International Film Festival. The trailer is available at bit.ly/JudyIsm.
The City Without Jews
From musicians Alicia Svigals (of the Klezmatics) and Donald Sosin comes a “resurrection and restoration” of The City Without Jews, a 1924 silent film based on a novel of the same title by Hugo Bettauer. The film gives viewers a tour of “Utopia,” a fictional Austrian city that casts out its Jewish citizens and soon becomes a dystopia. Although the premise rings all-too- familiarly horrific, the darkly comedic tone of the musical score and cinematography dubs this film a tragi-comic. Listen to the soundtrack and learn more about this film at bit.ly/WithoutJews.
Compiled by Arielle Silver-Willner
