History of the Center for Jewish Culture

The Center for Jewish Culture was initiated by Rabbi Bernard Glassman and Professor Robert Waxler in 1980 after several years operating under the name of the Jewish Student Service Center. For the last 25 years, the CJC had brought many speakers, films, musical programs, and exhibitions to the campus of SMU, now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. The following is a timeline of some of the excellent programs sponsored by the Center for Jewish Culture.

Rabbi Bernard Glassman

We are deeply saddened by the passing of our founding director Rabbi Bernard Glassman last Fall of 2004. May his legacy and inspiration continue for many years and provide the faculty and students at the University as well as the community with educational and enlightening programs on Jewish Culture and History.

Dr. Robert Waxler

2007

• March 27th 2007 - On Tuesday, March 27, men and women of all nationalities were invited to a Multi-Cultural Women's Seder at UMass Dartmouth They Enjoyed a sampling of traditional Passover food and a light vegetarian meal; music, dancing, readings, and audience participation. This event was co-sponsored by: Center for Jewish Culture & Hillel, Frederick Douglass Unity House, NCJW, New Bedford Section, Women's Resource Center at UMD.
• Tuesday, April 17th - To commemmorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Center for Jewish Culture/Hillel showed the film, "The Power of Good: The Story of Nicholas Winton"
• Inspiring documentary about Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker who saved 669 Czech children from Hitler and never told anyone -- including his wife -- until now.
  
• Thursday, April 26th - The Center for Jewish Culture/Hillel is sponsered a lunch and learn program. Participants will hear a talk by Professor Adam Cohen on "Shakespeare and the Jews".
  
• Sunday, April 29th -Yom HaShoah annual program Tifereth Israel Synagogue featuring speaker, Ingrid Kisliuk who spoke on the hidden chidren.

Spring 2006

• February 16th - lunch with Professor Robert Waxler - Dr. Waxler spoke about his new book, Finding aVoice, and the program he started 15 years ago, "Changing Lives Through Literature."
• March 6t - Dr. Patrick Henry was on campus to give a lecture about "Rescue in France during the Second World War."
• April 6th - co-sponsored by the Women's Resource, annual Women's Seder in the South Alcove of the Campus Center from 5 to 8 pm. This year, our speaker, Ruth Housman, certified therapist and writer from Newton, spoke about Passover through a Poet's Lens.
• May 8th - We were proud to bring the new documentary film, "Hineni" to UMD campus. This film, produced by the Keshet organization of Boston tells the story of a teenage who started a homosexual group at her Jewish high school in Boston. The film, co-sponsored by the Women's Resource Center and Gay Pride Alliance, was shown at 7 pm in the Visual and Performing Arts Building, Room 153. The producer of the film spoke following the documentary.
• May 10 - Presentation of Film, Paperclips"
  
• May 21st - in conjunction with the Center for Jewish Culture and the Holocaust Education Committee of the Greater New Bedford Jewish Federation, we commemorate Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a play, "Life in a Jar," the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who rescued Jewish children during the Second World War. Performances of this play, created by non-Jewish students from Kansas, Sunday afternoon at 2 pm and in the evening, following the Yom HaShoah memorial service at 6:30pm at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in New Bedford.
• May 8th- Film Hineini - Keshet seeks to create a fully welcoming and inclusive Jewish community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) Jews in Greater Boston. Keshet develops leadership for change among GLBT Jews and allies to effect concrete changes in Jewish institutions' policies and cultures. Keshet also creates opportunities for GLBT Jews to come together, celebrate, and explore our Jewish identities in an affirming environment.

Irena Favngold, director of Hineini film with producer Idith Klein, Executive Director of Keshet. The film was shown on April 27th.

• May 21- Annual Yom HaShoah Observance - Story of Irena Sendler, Christian Rescuer from Poland; play performed by Kansas students, "Life in a Jar", 2pm & 7:30 pm at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, Hawthorn St. New Bedford, sponsored by Holocaust Education Committee of Jewish Federation and Center for Jewish Culture
• May 22 -Life in a Jar

After the afternoon performance of Life in a Jar on May 21st, 2006. Left to Right: Jaime Walker as Mrs. Rosner, Melissa Query as orphan girl and narrator, Meghan Stewart as Irena Sendler, Jessica Shelton as Irena's friend, Dallas Ripper as the doctor and nazi, and Norm Conard, their teacher.

• September 14 - "Jewish Lifelines" -Program sponsored by the CJC and the Library Associates. This program featured the CJC Jewish Archives and the Interviews and Interviewees. A panel discussion coordinated by Cynthia Yoken who introduced speakers: Prof. Robert Waxler, Founder of the CJC in 1980, Judy Barry, community volunteer who initiated the work of the archives and who continues to volunteer to work on the collections; Interviewees : Bill Abesh from New Bedford; Rachel Levinson from Dartmouth, Child Survivor of the Holocaust; and Dr. Irving Fradkin of Fall River and Founder of Citizen Scholarship Program
• Nov. 16-19 UMass Dartmouth Theatre Company Opened 40th Gala Season with "The Diary of Anne Frank" Inspiring World War II coming-of-age drama UMass Center For Jewish Culture co-sponsered
• December 3 - Lecture and Opening Reception for Photography exhibit on "Remnants of the Crypto-Jews of the Southwest" - by Gloria Golden

Spring 2005

• March 23 - Cantor Richard Wolberg of Temple Beth El, Fall River, "Gematria Insights"
• March 30 - Hillel
• April 5th - Annual Women's Seder - co-sponsored by Women's Resource Center,Speaker: Sharon Leder, "Role Models of Contemporary Jewish Women"
• May 8th - Annual Yom HaShoah Program / Speakers: Mr. David Gewirtzman, Holocaust Survivor and Jacqueline Muredatete at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, Eugenie Mukeshimana 7:30 pm

• Eugenie Mukeshimana, a survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Now a student at the College of Saint Rose, she barely survived but her husband was killed when Hutu extremists murdered nearly one million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis. Mukeshimana, a Tutsi, was then a young wife and expectant mother. Today she willingly recounts the horrific experience of the genocide to speak for those who are not free to speak, so that they will have both a voice and a place in history.
• May 9th - Gewirtzman & Murekatete to speak to university students and local high school students,Visual and Performing Arts Building in Room 153,8 to 10 am. Co-sponsored by Frederick Douglass Unity House, Women's Resource Center, Holocaust Education Committee of the Greater New Bedford Jewish Federation, and local chapter of the NAACP
• May 18th - Glimpses in our Past, Final program and reception, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm in Library Browsing area, Judy Farrar, UMD archivist and Cynthia Yoken, co-director of the CJC to present a tour of Jewish New Bedford.
  

Fall 2004

• October 5, 2004 Shalom Sukkah/Daniel Pearl Music Day Ziskind School Choir, Kekeli African Drum & Dance Ensemble,"Sounds of Ashe"
  
• October 2004 UNDERSTANDING ISLAM & JUDAISM Dr. Khaleel Mohammed, professor of religion at San Diego State University, iman and one of the few Islamic scholars accepted by both the Sunni and Shia sects.
  
• November 2004 - A panel discussion led by Holocaust Scholar Robert Erickson, Ph.D. on the topic "Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism: An Ongoing Controversy. Dr Irving Fradkin, Jim Wilcox, Father Marc Bergeron, and Cantor Richard Wolberg.
• December 19, 2004 - YOM HADASH Concert to honor the memory of Jeremy Nelson
  

Spring 2004

• Feb. 19, 2004 Comedian Joel Chasnof
• March 2, 2004 Women's Seder -Anita Jacobs
  
• March 8, 2004 Interfaith Jewish Christian Dialogue, film "The Passion of the Christ.
• March 9, 2004 UMD Hillel students share pictures and stories of their Jan. Birthright Trip to Israel.
• March 28, 2004 Documentary Film "Adio Kerido" by Ruth Behar
• April 21, 2004 Speaker on Israel advocacy. Meir Shlomo Consul General
• April 26, 2004 Drawing Closer to Nature Dr, Peter London
• May 14, 2004 Joint Shabbat Dinner of conservative temples at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, Miriam Klein Kasseroff

Fall 2003

• September 14, 2003 "The History and Customs of the Romaniote Jews of Ioninna" in memory of Julia Gorban
• October 8, 2003 "We Remember New York Jews" author Leo Haber will read from his book The Red Heffer and writer Marc Widershien will recite his poems about Boston.
• November 6, 2003 Rabbi Bernard Glassman will discuss his book Benjamin Disraeli : The Fabricated Jew in Myth and Memory, in memory of Ed Rudnick.
• December 2003 Lawrence Langer spoke about "Interpreting Holocaust Survivors' Testimonies

Spring 2003

• March to June 2003 – Exhibit: "Portraits of Wise Women- Celebrating Local Jewish Women and Women's Organizations Through the Years"
• April 2, 2003 – lecture by Ilan Stavans, a Mexican Jewish writer, in memory of Prof. Joseph Vinci

Spring 2002

• February 6, 2002 – Ruth Gruber
• March 7, 2002 – Annual Women's Seder (co-sponsored by Women's Resource Center)
• April 25, 2002 – Play, "And Then They Came For Me", directed by Linda Monchik of Fall River
• May 10, 2002 – Aaron Lansky, "Outwitting Jewish History: Yiddish Culture Today

Fall 2001

• October 11, 2001 – Noah Gordon, author of "The Last Jew" and Judy Frankel singing Ladino songs.
• October 21, 2001 – Aristide de Sousa Mendes was honored at St. Anthony of Padua Church; son John Abranches accepted his award post-humously.
• October 2001 – Film, "Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium" by filmmaker Brent Scarpo
• November 15, 2001 – Lisa Gossels, filmmaker, presented her documentary "The Children of Chabannes"
• December 6, 2001 – Marjorie Agosin, poet and human rights activist, spoke on "Growing up Jewish in Chile and Jews in Latin America"(co-sponsored by Council on Cultural Diversity)

Fall 2000

• Helen Epstein "Where she came from"
• Marilyn Halter, talk on ethnicity and marketing.
• Hank Greenberg film co-sponsored with Jewish Federation of Greater New Bedford.
• Campus Seder with music by Joe & Lynn Goldwitz

1998-1999

• Professor Roger Sorkin, specialist in film history and cinema photography/classic silent film highlighting the immigrant experience.
• Donald Sosa, improvisational pianist accompanied the film.
• Joint sponsership with center for Portuguese Studies-Presentation and Reception for the Children of the "Righteous Diplomats"
• Novelist Leslie Epstein "Growing uo not so Jewish in Hollywood"
• Anita Diamant, talk on "The New Jewish Family"
• Fall -first Sukkah built on campus
• May 1999-"Blitz & Movie Night"

Fall 1997

• October 29-30 1997-Hard Choices: biomedical ethics from a Jewish Prospective. Dr Bruce Brown and Dr. David Greer

Spring 1997

• March 17,1997-Documentary Exodus 1947 and Second Watch, award winning short subject.
• April 13,1997-Rosalind Bresniek Perry Yiddish Storyteller
• May 1-2,1997-Shawn Israel Zewit Tikkus Nefesh; Refreshing the Soul
• June 8,1997-International Institute for the study of Jewish Women "Your Jewish Future/Our Jewish Future"

1990-1996

• June 10-14 1990 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 11th Annual Judaic Institute "The Joy of Being Jewish" Dr Peter London, Dr. Rabbi E.Kaufman, Dr. Moshe Waldoks, Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin and Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald.
• June 9-13 1991 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 12th Annual Judaic Institute "The Questions Jews Ask."  Dr. Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler, Dr. Peter London, and Aaron Lansky.
• June 14-18 1992 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 13th Annual Judaic Institute "Beyond the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Years-The Maturation and the Modern Jew." The Mary Wolfman Players, Dr.Mervin Verbit, Gloria Goldreich.
• November 1992 – Clara Sandler, Soprano, Musical Heritage of Spanish Jews.
• June 13-17 1993 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 14th Annual Judaic Institute Rabbi Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler, Dr. Peter London, Dr William Kaufman, Dr. Janet Freedman and Karen Katz., Mary Wolfman Players, Bishop Sean O'Malley
• June 12-16 1994 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 15th Annual Judaic Institute "The Secret of Jewish Vitality and Survival." Rabbi Harold Kushner, Rabbi Bernard Glassman, Dr. Robert Waxler, Dr. Peter London, Dr. William Kaufman, Rabbi Joshua Stampfer, Dr. Sylvia Barak Fishman and Viola Harris.
• June 12-16 1995 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 16th Annual Judaic Institute "New Directions" Leonard Fein, Dr. David Gordis, Rabbi Bernard Glassman, Dr. Robert Waxler, Dr. Peter London, Dr. William Kaufman,Dr.Yaffa Eliach and The Shirim Klezmer Orchestra

1980s

• 1980 - Jewish Student Service Center becomes the Center for Jewish Culture under the directorship of Rabbi Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler
• University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 2nd Annual Judaic Institute June 14-18 1981 "The Jewish People: Stereotype and Reality" Dr. Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler, Max Dimont, Anne Lerner, and Alfred Kazin.
• University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 3rd Annual Judaic Institute June 13-17 1982 "The Quest for Jewish Identity"  Dr. Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler, Rabi Balfour Brickner Stephen, Leonard Fein and Gloria Goldreich
• September 1982- Ann Russell spoke about "Conserving our Judaic Photos and Documents for Posterity"
• April 1983 - Avodah Dance Ensemble
• October 1983 – Eric Goldman, "Jewish Experience on Film"
• April 1984 – Klezmer Conservatory Band
• April 1984 – Film, "The Great Dictator" – Charlie Chaplin
• May 1984 – 3-part film series, "Gentleman's Agreement", "Marjorie Morningstar"
•  June 14,1984 - University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 5th Annual Judaic Institute  "The Contemporary Jews and Universal Questions"   Dr. Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler and Dr. Irving Greenberg
• June 1984 Dr. Peter London.
• September 1984 - Jewish Studies Minor Program was started with two courses, Jewish Literature taught by Professor Robert Waxler,Post-Biblical World taught by Rabbi Bernard Glassman
• November 26-27, 1984 – Arnold Wesker, Artist-in-Residence
• December 12, 1984 – Voice of the Turtle: Musical Heritage of Sephardic Jews
• June 23-27 1985 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 6th Annual Judaic Institute "Modern Guide to the Perplexed" Dr. Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler
• October 1985 – Kenneth Libo (co-authored book with Irving Howe)
• November 25, 1985 – "Yankee Doodle Dandy,", a one-man show of Yiddish, English, and Hebrew songs and stories, featuring Michael Bresler
• June 1986 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture7^th Annual Judaic Institute "Hebrew Calligraphy by Three Contemporary Artists" Peter London, Howard Glasser, Jonathan Kremer, and Lilly Wronker
• October 1986- Kenneth Libo, "In the Footsteps of Columbus"
• March 16, 1987 – Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, Scholar-in-Residence
•  June 14-18 1987 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 8th Annual Judaic Institute"Pursuing the American Dream" Dr. Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler
• June 12-16 1988 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 9th Annual Judaic Institute "What is a Jew?"  Dr. Bernard Glassman and Dr. Robert Waxler, and Dr. Peter London
• October 1988 – Bernard Wax, "Portuguese Jews in Colonial America"
• June 11-15 1989 University of Massachusetts Center for Jewish Culture 10th Annual Judaic Institute "Jewish Ethics Confront the Contemporary World"  Dr Peter London, Dr. Rabbi E.Kaufman, Dr.John Fitzgerald, Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, Dr. David Greer, Dr. Rela Geffen Monson, faculty of Gratz College, and Rabbi Abraham Halbfinger
• November 29, 1989 – Ruth Whitman