“When War Becomes Content”
Lecture by Zohar Orbach
Location | BHS Sanctuary
The October 7th War changed everything. Typically, when conflict erupts, Israelis sideline culture and entertainment: "When cannons roar, the muses fall silent" is the common saying. But this time was different: Israeli culture responded instantly, from high art to pop. Stars stepped up, organizing impromptu shows for refugees and soldiers, creating a new phenomenon.
As Israelis grappled with catastrophe as the new normal, their pop culture mirrored this confusion, often with bizarre and fascinating results.
In The lecture "When War Becomes Content," we will investigate all these themes through memes, music, and even trashy TV signifying resilience. It's an aspect of endurance rarely celebrated, but perhaps it should be. Through this pursuit of normalcy, we might better understand our experiences of the past year.
Co-sponsored by JAFI - Jewish Agency for Israel
This event is for everyone.
Zohar Orbach is an Israeli movie critic (working for leading news websites and other publications), a lecturer and a podcaster for KAN - Israeli Broadcasting Public Corporation. Graduated summa cum laude from the Steve Tisch School for Film and Television in Tel Aviv University, Zohar is a longtime advocate for cinephiles in Israel. And he has been leading for the past couple of years dozens of live screenings of cult classics in front of large audiences.
Sukkot Dinner & Discussion: Exploring Uncertainty, Transience and Divine Providence a year after October 7
With Professor Dalia Marx of HUC-JIR Jerusalem
Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 6:00pm-7:30pm
(outdoors in the BHS Sukkah weather permitting)
A text and dialogue program with one of Israel’s leading progressive Jewish scholars of the liturgy. We will utilize several traditional Jewish texts drawn from the Bible, Talmuds and Midrash as launchpads into a discussion of our themes.
NYC MARCH TO BRING THEM HOME
Sundays at 11:00am
Location | Central Park West & 90th Street
October 7 - The Bigger Picture
Featuring Guest Speaker Michael Bauer
June 25, 2024
Michael Bauer is a professional educator, and the author of “Israel Journey – Eight Days in One Of The World’s Most Complex Countries”. Bauer specializes in Geopolitical Tours in Israel and has developed workshops on various topics: Israeli-Arab relations, Israel’s minority populations, Israel’s borders and neighbors, Middle East politics and History. As a field educator with over 25 years of experience. Michael currently teaches Middle Eastern History in several Israeli institutions and within the IDF and provides security briefs, lectures and seminars to a variety of groups and international institutions. Michael has had the privilege of guiding and teaching: Senators and Parliament members from different countries, Military Intelligence Units, Celebrities from the entertainment industry, University students, Faculty members and presidents of ivy league universities and more. Michael has also been invited on several speaking tours across North America including the Harvard Kennedy School and the Canadian Parliament. Michael served as a commander in the paratroop forces as his mandatory IDF service and for many years on reserves. Michael is married and has five children. He lives with his family on Kibbutz Bet Guvrin.
This event is co-sponsored by BHS and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOL REFLECTIONS ON RECENT SOLIDARITY MISSION TO ISRAEL
I saw Heaven and Hell in one day and in multiple ways. The slumped shoulders of Israelis, the exhaustion on the faces of adults, how Israelis in the south have normalized the booms from artillery and the quiet streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem all shook me. It is important to paint a picture of the reality that I’ve been seeing and experiencing and acknowledge that Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Muslims will continue to live together on the land here. It’s unclear the way forward, but gratitude always helps me, so I’ve chosen to start there and share that perspective of my trip with you via some of the people we were gifted to meet and be in dialogue.
CANTOR PORZECANSKI RECOUNTS HER SOLIDARITY VISIT TO ISRAEL
U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK DELIVERS REMARKS ON ANTISEMITISM & ISRAEL
MESSAGES FROM RABBI LIPPE
I am writing to you with the recognition that it is a difficult time to be a Jewish student on America’s college campuses as well as with the understanding that each of you no doubt sits someplace unique on the political spectrum of opinion and belief.
Nevertheless, I want to share with you my own personal perspective on the current crisis in Israel and Gaza as a progressive Zionist and someone who has lived in Israel for two years (however long ago) and who has visited more or less annually for over three decades, and who counts Israelis as both family and friends.
A Journey to and back from Israel
A little personal background for those of you who may not have heard this from me previously. I took my first year after graduating high school on a Reform Movement leadership institute in Jerusalem in the Fall of 1982. I was 17 years old, and living and studying in Israel profoundly influenced and impacted my life. Three years later in the Fall of 1986, I returned for another year of living and study as a first-year rabbinic student at the Jerusalem campus of HUC-JIR. Since that time, I have returned to vacation, convention, recruit or just breathe the air almost every year until covid.
SERMONS AND INTERVIEWS
Rabbi Lippe’s interview begins at 33:12
NEW YORK SUPPORT
Governor Hochul’s Address New Yorkers on Hate Crimes and Hate Speech
Community Support
New York State Division Of Human Rights has instituted a new bias incident reporting system: The community can find out about the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit and report bias incidents by following https://dhr.ny.gov/nohate or 1-844-NO2-HATE (1-844-662-4283). Please note for emergencies dial 911
BHS SHOWS THEIR SUPPORT
Religious School Students Show Support
A recap of what the RS students have done to show support for Israel.
K/1/2nd Grades songs and prayers for peace with Songleader Ben (oseh shalom, I’ve Got Peace Like a River)
3rd Grade Songs and prayers for peace during T’filah and conversations with Rabbi Bailey (that’s you!)
4/5/6th Grades Checking in during class and allowing space to discuss their feelings and things they are seeing
5th grade Teacher Yoav Made cards for the #amyisraelchai project to go to students in Modiin with Student-Rabbi Smadar Bilik at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem because our sister school in Rishon Lezion has yet to open
5th Grade Teacher Jacob Made cards for Israeli soldiers that are on display in the BHS lobby as well as sent in a care package put together by one of our preschool families.
7th Grade They have talked about the events going on Israel and how they are processing. They take time in tefilla to pray for peace and asked questions about what was happening in the country. We ended with learning a new Hebrew phrase, Gam Zeh Ya’avor, that means “this too shall pass”.
