5 Parts, Starting Wednesday, April 14, 7 pm
With Rabbi Barry Cytron & Professor Earl Schwartz
Register and more info at Beth-Jacob.org/NewOld

Chaim Grade and Philip Roth were among the American Jewish community’s most illustrious 20th century authors. Two of their more famous works, Grade’s My Quarrel with Hersch Rasseyner (1948) and Roth’s Eli The Fanatic (1959) intersect each other in intriguing and informative ways. Join Professor Earl Schwartz and Rabbi Barry Cytron for a five-part exploration of these stories and their meanings for 21st century Jewish American life. (Material and log-in info will be emailed to all registrants).

Sunday, April 18 at 7 pm
Register at Beth-Jacob.org/Argentina

Learn about the immigration and history of Jews in Argentina between the 16th century and WWII. From the Inquisition to Jewish sites in Buenos Aires, you will learn about Jewish colonies and the Jewish Gauchos, Jewish women in Argentina, and anti-Semitism.

Claudia Hercman is an Argentinian tour guide and translator. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, in the Argentinian Jewish community. Twenty years ago, she decided to study tourism and history. She has been conducting city, art and Jewish tours ever since.

There is no charge for this program; register for the Zoom link.

“This, You Call Chosen?”: Jewish Humor in an Incongruous World
Tuesday, April 27, at 7 pm (note correct day)
Register at Beth-Jacob.org/humor.

Where does Jewish humor come from? Join Natan Paradise, Associate Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Minnesota, for an exploration of Jewish Humor from its roots in the Torah and Talmud to its modern manifestations in the United States and Israel. If, as has been claimed, 80% of American comedians have been Jewish, and the 2013 PEW Research Poll showed that for American Jews a sense of humor is essential to their Jewish identity–more important than ritual and the observance of traditional religious commandments–it behooves us to understand the wellsprings of this humor and what we can learn about the Jewish experience from it. Come prepared to learn, and to laugh!

There is no charge for this class.

Register at Beth-Jacob.org/Fancy

This year’s Fundraiser will pay tribute to our outgoing Executive Director Sean Murphy, as well as featuring comedian Marty Fidelman. Ticket and meal options available; info on registration page. Registration is open; sign up today!

You can also help by Donating Auction Items

If you have any questions regarding ads, donations or anything fundraiser-related, please contact BJCFundraiser@gmail.com.

Sunday, May 2 at 9:30 am
Register and more information at Beth-Jacob.org/AGlecture

“Israel and Palestine—Independent and Interdependent”
With Bernard Avishai & Sam Bahour; Moderated by Sharon Press

Beth Jacob Congregation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Allen-Gorin Annual Lecture. The Allen-Gorin Lecture will present an annual opportunity for Beth Jacob Congregation and the broader Twin Cities Jewish Community to address serious and pressing issues that connect us to the collective past, present, and future of our people. These lectures will present divergent views and are intended both to encourage and to challenge assumptions we may individually hold.

This year, we’ll hear from Bernard Avishai and Sam Bahour about a different approach to peace. Click here to learn more and register to join us on Zoom from Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Mendota Heights on May 2!