CU’s Week of Jewish Culture continues through January 25

The Program in Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder presents the Third Annual Week of Jewish Culture, which began January 11. This year’s series is presented in conjunction with two community series: Movers: Do You Speak Jewish? and Czech Point Denver. CU’s Annual Week of Jewish Culture is an exciting series of events that is dedicated to the exploration of more than 3500 years of Jewish culture including its current, most cutting-edge manifestations.

This year’s series incorporates the theme of the community-wide series Movers: Do You Speak Jewish? with authors, scholars and artists from around the globe examining Jewish culture through language and literature.

The week began January 11 with a celebration of the Reb Zalman Archives, which will be housed in CU’s Library Archives. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi is considered the father of the Jewish Renewal movement, a recent movement in Judaism that works to reinvigorate modern Judaism with mystical teachings and contemplative practices influenced by Hasidism. Until recently, these materials were in the care of Naropa University which was working closely with the Reb Zalman Legacy Project of the Yesod Foundation, whose mission is to preserve, develop and disseminate the teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

The Week of Jewish Culture concludes with two events in Denver that are also part of Czech Point Denver, a festival celebrating Czech cultural arts with programs hosted by Denver and Boulder non-profit arts and cultural organizations, and educational institutions throughout January and February. This cooperative project, led by Opera Colorado, will include classical music, theatre, visual arts, film and multimedia experiences.

CU’s Week of Jewish Culture is an annual series produced and presented by the Program in Jewish Studies at CU-Boulder and generously supported by the Program’s donors. “As we have every year, CU’s Program in Jewish Studies is proud to be highlighting the most cutting edge forms of Jewish culture – from Renewal Judaism’s archives and soccer in interwar Czechoslovakia to a series of programs on Yiddish culture in East Germany, including a concert with the world renowned performer Jalda Rebling,” said David Shneer, director of the Program in Jewish Studies at CU-Boulder.

Events will take place in venues on the CU-Boulder campus and in Denver. Complete details can be found at the Program in Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder website. All events are free and open to the public but RSVP’s are suggested as space is limited. For additional questions, contact the Program in Jewish Studies at 303.492.7143 or via email at mailto: Jamie.Polliard@colorado.edu.

The 2011 calendar of events includes:

In Front of the Iron Curtain: Yiddish in East Germany
with David Shneer
Tuesday, January 18 @ 7 PM
Atlas 100 on the CU Campus

Over the course of her 35 years as the Yiddish diva of the Communist world, Lin Jaldati sang for large official Stalin-era concerts and inspired Yiddish folk music collectives in East German factories. Professor David Shneer will present the life story of Jaldati and her daughter, Jalda Rebling, who picked up where her mother left off, and suggest what it says about Jewish life in Europe, in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust and today.

Kafka, Sports, and Czechoslovakian Jewish Identity
with Professor Robert Adler-Peckerar
Wednesday, January 19 @ 7:30 PM
SOBO 151
151 S. Broadway, Denver

"...snad teď footbal vůbec přestane... [perhaps now, soccer is really over]"

With these enigmatic words, famed soccer fan Franz Kafka ended a 1923 postcard to his brother-in-law after reading a series of articles railing against the fastest growing sport in the world. Join Robert Adler Peckerar, assistant professor of Jewish Literature and Culture at CU-Boulder, for an interactive evening that examines the phenomenon of Jewish soccer in central and eastern Europe at the start of the last century – its controversies, politics, and importance in understanding the birth of a new European Jewish culture. And do it while enjoying a refreshing Czechoslovakian beverage in Denver’s favorite Czech sports bar. (21 ID required). This event is part of a community-wide series celebrating Czech culture, Czech Point Denver.

Czech Insights from Music and Literature Opera Colorado with Betsy Schwarm and Davide Stimilli
Tuesday, January 25 @ 7 PM
Tattered Cover LoDo
1628 16th Street, Denver

From Dvořák to Kafka, Czech cultural figures have had a lasting impact on the arts. In this program with live music, we’ll consider the world-view of three generations of Czech artists and how they have affected the arts even beyond their own borders. Includes presentations by Metro State College music historian, Betsy Schwarm, and associate professor of German and Comparative Literature, Humanities and Jewish Studies, Davide Stimilli. Young Artists from Opera Colorado will also perform. This event is part of a community-wide series celebrating Czech culture, Czech Point Denver.

Many of the artists and scholars participating in this series are available for interviews. Please contact Jamie Polliard at 303.492.7143 or via cell phone at 303.961.0894 for information.

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The Program in Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder provides an interdisciplinary curriculum for students who wish to learn more about Jewish culture, history, society, and religion. Under the guidance of a distinguished faculty, the program offers a wide range of courses on the Jewish experience in the global arena. For more information, visit the website.