The September public programming schedule at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will feature provocative discussions, intriguing authors, and talented performing artists.
Public Programs
The Believers: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 7 pm
Author Zoë Heller (What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal) interviewed by Gabriel Sanders, deputy editor, Tablet Magazine.
Set in New York in 2002, Heller’s latest novel is a satire about an idealistic secular Jewish family that implodes after the patriarch, a famous civil rights lawyer, falls ill. These deeply flawed yet compelling characters’ examinations of their own beliefs are heartbreaking and humorous. $5, free for members.
American Girl: Meet Rebecca Rubin
Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 pm
With author Jacqueline Dembar Greene. Get to know the newest American Girl, Rebecca Rubin, a 9-year-old Russian-Jewish immigrant living on the Lower East Side in 1914. The author of the Rebecca series will talk about her new character at this family-friendly program.
In the first in a series of six historical books filled with inspiring lessons of compassion, courage, and friendship, Rebecca dreams of becoming an actress, but her parents and grandparents have traditional ideas and don’t think young ladies should perform. When Rebecca learns that her cousins in Russia are in great danger and must escape to America, she puts on a show to raise money—until her disapproving grandmother steps in. Unexpectedly, Rebecca finds another way to earn money.
$15 for a family of 4, $5 for each additional person. Free for Museum members.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl A Radio Play by Meyer Levin
Monday, Sept. 14, 7 pm
Post-performance discussion with authors Cynthia Ozick, Neil Baldwin, and others
Not heard since the eve of Rosh Hashanah in 1952 when it aired nationally on CBS Radio, Levin’s play was the first adaptation of the Diary. Following the performance, a distinguished panel will examine the play’s historical context and its controversial fall into obscurity. $15, $12 students/seniors, $10 members.
All Other Nights
Wednesday, Sept.16, 7 pm
Author Dara Horn interviewed by Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief, Tablet Magazine. Horn will discuss her latest novel, which was hailed as “vibrant and compelling.”
All Other Nights follows the escapades of Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish merchant’s son turned soldier then spy in the Union army. On Passover, 1862, he is ordered to murder his own uncle in New Orleans, who is plotting to assassinate President Lincoln. After this mission, Jacob is recruited to pursue another enemy agent, the daughter of a Virginia family friend. But this time, his assignment isn’t to murder the spy, but to marry her. Their marriage, with its riveting and horrifying consequences, reveals the deep divisions that still haunt American life today. $5, free for members.
Exhibitions
Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges
On view through Jan. 4, 2009
Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow tells the story of Jewish professors who fled the Nazis and came to America in the 1930s and 1940s, finding teaching positions at historically black colleges and universities. The exhibition explores the encounter between these scholars and their students, and their impact on each other, the Civil Rights Movement, and American society.
Garden of Stones On permanent display
Andy Goldsworthy’s only permanent installation in New York City, Garden of Stones is a contemplative space dedicated to the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust and honoring those who survived. There is no charge to visit the garden, which is open during regular museum hours.
Each of the 18 boulders in the Garden of Stones holds a growing sapling evoking not only the adversity and struggle endured by those who experienced the Holocaust, but also the tenacity and fragility of life. Survivors and their families helped the artist plant the garden in September 2003. Six years later, the living memorial garden continues to inspire in new ways.
General Information
To purchase tickets to public programs call (646) 437-4202, or visit www.mjhnyc.org.
Note: tickets to public programs do not include museum admission. Public programs may require a separate fee.
