Episode #54: Audio Replay of Jewish Women – An Archive of Our Own

In case you missed it…Who are the shoulders we stand on and where can we find their stories? Meet JUDITH ROSENBAUM – feminist, educator, historian, writer, activist—and CEO of the Jewish Women’s Archive, the pioneering national organization that documents Jewish women’s stories, elevates their voices, and inspires them to be agents of change!

Visit their website: https://jwa.org

Moderated by author and JWT writer Lisa Rosenbaum. With a dramatic performance by one of JWT’s wonderful actors along with a Q & A.

Click Here for a Video Replay

Judith Rosenbaum, CEO of the Jewish Women’s Archive, served for nearly a decade as JWA’s Director of Public History and Director of Education, developing its major programs and educational initiatives. A graduate of Yale University, with a PhD in American Studies from Brown University, she has taught and lectured widely on Jewish studies and women’s studies. She writes for academic, popular journals and blogs including Tablet, The Forward, Huffpost, The Jewish Week. Tikkun Magazine, Sh’ma Magazine, PresenTense, Reform Jewish magazine, My Jewish Learning, Kveller, Role/Reboot, and in anthologies.

Click Here to join us September 6 @ 11am PDT for our next Sunday Morning at The Braid virtual event, THE COMEDY OF COPING with celebrated writers Cindy Chupack and Annabelle Gurwitch

Episode #54: Audio Replay of Jewish Women – An Archive of Our Own2020-08-24T15:55:16-07:00

Episode #50: Audio Replay of Double Lives, with Esther Amini and Jacqueline Saper

In case you missed it, a conversation with the writers of new autobiographies that reveal the struggles and triumphs of growing up Jewish and Persian—both in Iran and America.

Esther Amini is a writer, painter and psychotherapist.  Her stories have appeared in Elle, Lilith, and The Jewish Week, among others.  Her funny, poignant and uplifting debut memoir Concealed, Memoir of a Jewish-Iranian Daughter Caught Between the Chador and America tells of being a first-generation American with Jewish-Iranian parents still mired in Mashhad.

The multitalented Jacqueline Saper was born and raised by an Iranian father and British mother, and has always been a bridge between East and West. Her deeply intimate and personal story From Miniskirt to Hijab: A Girl in Revolutionary Iran, takes us from her privileged childhood, through Iran’s social revolution and women’s changing roles.

Order Esther’s book Concealed by clicking here – Follow Esther on Instagram and Facebook.

Order Jacqueline’s book From Miniskirt to Hijab by clicking here – Follow Jacqueline on Instagram and Facebook.

Join us for our next Sunday Morning at The Braid virtual event, July 12, 11am PDT – FIERCE, FUNNY AND FABULOUSLY ALIVE: JEWISH THEATER IN AMERICA with Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director of Theatre J, America’s premiere Jewish Theatre in Washington, DC and award-winning playwright Alix Sobler. CLICK HERE to register.

Episode #50: Audio Replay of Double Lives, with Esther Amini and Jacqueline Saper2020-06-30T14:28:01-07:00

Episode #44: Audio Replay of Jewish Nonprofits Event

In case you missed it, this is your chance to learn about three remarkable Jewish nonprofit organizations from across the county that you might not be familiar with, but definitely should be! Join us for an informative and inspiring discussion, plus a live performance from one of JWT’s most popular shows, “The Accidental Activist.” And it’s coming to you live from New York, Atlanta and Mississippi. Panelists are:

* Naomi Firestone-Teeter – Executive Director, Jewish Book Council
* David Raphael – Co-Founder and CEO, Jewish Grandparents Network
* Michele Schipper – CEO, Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life

Click Here to Register for our next Sunday Morning at the Braid Virtual Event, Rabinnic Soul Sisters! May 31st at 11:00 am PST

Episode #44: Audio Replay of Jewish Nonprofits Event2020-05-19T15:07:44-07:00

Episode #40: Mapping of the Mind Part 1

“A window into his soul.”

On this episode, Andrew sits down with Laura Ornest, Co-Producer of Mapping of the Mind, to discuss her late brother Maury Ornest. His story is one of several featured in our latest Salon which has been received with such incredible support as we shed light on humorous, heartfelt and hopeful stories from those touched by mental illness.

Maury was a promising young baseball talent in the 80’s, drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, and working his way through the minor leagues until injuries got in the way. Suddenly, his life took a sharp turn when he was struck by severe mental illness. At one point on his journey, a doctor suggested painting as part of his treatment and he fell in love with art, colors, even snails, and sharing his feelings on a canvas. When Maury passed away at 58 from heart disease, his family discovered an unknown storage unit filled with 1400 paintings and countless journal entries detailing his experiences in art and life.

Also in this episode, you will hear excerpts from the performance including some of Maury’s writings and as an added piece, a piece written by multi-talented artist Julie Chafets Grass, who also has artwork featured in our art show!

CLICK HERE for info on viewing our art on display at The Braid

PIECES FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:

MO’s Journal #2 and #3*
Written by Maury Ornest.  Adapted by Ronda Spinak from journals.  Performed by Josh T. Ryan.

*Music: “Maury’s Theme” by Mike Himelstein & Michael Turner.  

The Queen of MORE
Written by Julie Chafets Grass [adapted from The Queen of MORE, Poems by her Sidekick, ©2018 Julie Chafets Grass.  All rights reserved.]  Performed by Nadège August.

CLICK HERE to purchase Julie’s book on Amazon

Interested in booking a performance of Mapping in the Mind in your community? CLICK HERE to email Andrew

*Mapping of the Mind is underwritten in loving memory of Jack Spinak by his beloved brother Sydney Spinak and his niece Ronda*

MAPPING OF THE MIND CREDITS
Material Adapted, Curated and Produced by Ronda Spinak
Directed by Susan Morgenstern
Co-Produced by Laura Ornest
Dramaturg Lisa Rosenbaum
Literary Manager Suzanna Kaplan
South Bay Producer Liz Altman
San Francisco Bay Area Producer Carol Kirsh
Assistant Director Aysha Wax
JWT Assistant Artistic Director Andrew Fromer
Associate Producers Rose Ziff, Susie Yuré
Artistic Associate Daphna Shull
Stage Manager Amanda Horowitz

Performed by Nadége August*, Nicole Lipp, Josh T. Ryan and Kate Zentall*
*Actor is an Abby Freeman Artist in Residence at JWT

CLICK HERE for tickets to JWT’s upcoming events including Sex, Addiction & Love in the 21st Century and Creative Couples with Angella Nazarian!

Episode #40: Mapping of the Mind Part 12020-02-25T18:29:06-08:00

Episode #39: Getting Good at Getting Older with Rabbi Laura Geller

Happy Hannukah! On today’s episode, we welcome Rabbi Emerita Laura Geller to discuss her incredible book, Getting Good at Getting Older – she was the third member of our panel from a recent Sunday Morning at the Braid event and her insights were not to be missed! So Lisa and Maureen sat down with Rabbi Geller to hear her gems of wisdom and share them with you, our podcast audience.

Click Here to purchase a copy of her book on Amazon

ABOUT RABBI GELLER
Rabbi Emerita Laura Geller of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, was one of the first women rabbis ordained in the U.S. and the first to lead a major metropolitan synagogue. Twice named one of Newsweek’s “50 Most Influential Rabbis in America,” she was featured in the PBS documentary Jewish Americans. Rabbi Geller is the author of numerous articles and books and was on the editorial board of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. She is a Fellow of the Corporation of Brown University,
from which she graduated in 1971. One of her recent initiatives is, “Next Stage: Boomers and Beyond” and she is a founder of the first synagogue based ChaiVillageLA, which is part of the national Village Movement (chaivillagela.org). With her late husband Richard Siegel, author of The Jewish Catalog, Rabbi Geller authored the just-published book, Getting Good at Getting Older: A Practical Catalog Grounded in Jewish Wisdom.

For more info on Rabbi Geller and her book, head to rabbilaurageller.com

Episode #39: Getting Good at Getting Older with Rabbi Laura Geller2019-12-22T19:52:13-08:00

Episode #36: Getting Older without Getting Old with Ruth Weisberg and Rosaline Zukerman

Two amazing guests from Sunday’s sold-out event! USC Professor Ruth Weisberg and family law attorney Rosaline Zukerman have a lot of wisdom to offer on the subject of living deep, meaningful lives, well into their elderhood.

Our November 3rd Sunday Morning at The Braid event, “Getting Older without Getting Old: Jewish Women Gracefully Ageing and Still Doing it All” will also feature Rabbi Emerita Laura Geller who will join Ruth and Rosaline for an incredible morning of laughter and wisdom. The event is sold out so have a listen to today’s episode for a little preview of the incredible insights these women have to offer.

ABOUT RUTH WEISBERG
An Artist, Professor of Fine Arts and former Dean at the USC Roski School, Ruth is currently the Director of the USC Initiative for Israeli Arts and Humanities, and the founder and President of the Jewish Artists Initiative of Southern California. She has had over 80 solo and 190 group exhibitions, including a major exhibition at the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena and a retrospective, at the Skirball Museum, Los Angeles as well as a solo exhibition at the Huntington in San Marino. Her work is in sixty major Museum collections including The Art Institute of Chicago; The Biblioteque Nationale of France; Paris; Istituto Nationale per la Grafica, Rome; The Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and lives with New York; The National Gallery, Washington, D.C. and the Whitney Museum. Weisberg has two children and lives with her husband in Santa Monica, California.

ABOUT ROSALINE ZUKERMAN
Rosaline “Roz” Zukerman enrolled in law school in her late 40s, when most women decide to take a breather from the heavy lifting of bringing up a family with four kids. At the age of 50, Zukerman launched her own family law firm. Over the next 39 years, she built a successful Century City law firm of five attorneys, of which she is still the titular head. In a family law practice which incorporates her background in psychology, education and counseling, Zukerman has adapted to the shifts of an ever-changing culture, including her LGBT clients. An exemplary 95% settlement record has won Roz the admiration and respect of clients and peers. Devoted to her husband, children, and twelve grandchildren, she is active in civic and cultural affairs in Los Angeles and in mentoring young women.

Episode #36: Getting Older without Getting Old with Ruth Weisberg and Rosaline Zukerman2019-10-31T10:41:26-07:00

Episode #35: Living After with Jenna Fields of Sharsheret and Cynthia Freeman

We are standing up to cancer during National Breast Cancer Awareness month with two very special performances of a brand new show, Living After! It is a moving, funny, and poignant collection of stories and songs that will uplift and create a conversation around this challenging subject.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR LIVING AFTER

In part one of today’s episode, Lisa and Maureen are joined by Jenna Fields, California Regional Director of SHARSHERET, a national non-profit organization, working to improve the lives of Jewish women and families living with or at increased genetic risk for breast or ovarian cancer – JWT and Sharsheret have partnered together to present Living After and a portion of the ticketing proceeds will be donated to Sharsheret. Jenna joins us to talk about the amazing work they are doing, as well as the services available to the Jewish community through Sharsheret.

More info at sharsheret.org

In part two, Ronda and special guest Cynthia Freeman join in to talk about JWT’s Abby Freeman Artists in Residence program. Cynthia is the sister of Abby, JWT’s very first employee who passed away from breast cancer at the age of 37. Abby’s legacy lives on through our program, a way to honor hard-working artists who share the mission and ideals of our organization. There will be a reception in honor of the Abby Freeman Artists-in-Residence program following the 2:00 p.m. performance of Living After, on Sunday, October 27.  And now, we would like to welcome Cynthia Freeman, Abby’s sister. 

BUY TICKETS
Saturday Oct. 26 @ 8pm
Sunday Oct. 27 @ 2pm (reception to follow)
@ The Braid in Santa Monica
2912 Colorado Ave. #102,
Santa Monica, CA, 90404

ABOUT JENNA
Jenna Fields, MA, MSW, California Regional Director, is a graduate of the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management at Hebrew Union College and the School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Jenna oversees Sharsheret’s office in the Greater Los Angeles community, and all local programmatic efforts including outreach, education, partnership development and fundraising.

ABOUT CYNTHIA
Senior program director Cynthia Freeman oversees an $8 million-plus portfolio of fiscal sponsorship projects; manages capacity-building initiatives and regranting programs for foundation, government, and corporate clients; and supervises staff and consultants. Prior to joining Community Partners in 2006, Freeman worked as a policy director for the Association of Community Human Service Agencies, a trade association of community-based human service agencies that contract with Los Angeles County to provide child welfare and mental health services. Previously, she spent seven years in the field of philanthropy, most recently at the New York Foundation, making grants to community organizing, advocacy, and start-up projects in New York City’s low-income neighborhoods. She also planned new grantmaking and technical assistance initiatives and ran a summer internship in philanthropy. Freeman has served as a consultant to numerous nonprofit organizations and worked on initiatives with government entities including the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, Burbank Police Department, and New York City Department of Homeless Services. She began her career as a community organizer and fundraiser for ACORN, a grassroots community organization of low-income people. She has served on the steering committees of Interfaith Funders and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy and is prior board chair of Jumpstart and co-leader of the Southern California Fiscal Sponsors Network. Freeman is a graduate of Brown University and has an MPA in nonprofit management from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

Episode #35: Living After with Jenna Fields of Sharsheret and Cynthia Freeman2019-10-17T17:04:54-07:00

Episode #26: Family Secrets by the Bay with Michael Naishtut and Niloo

In this episode, Andrew chats with the other half of our cast who are sharing the tantalizing stories of Family Secrets all the way up in the Bay Area. Listen in and meet Michael Naishtut and Niloo, both with globe-spanning-multilingual performance careers!

Have a listen to hear about the tantalizing revelations that await in our first salon of the year, Family Secrets! Hear another preview piece from the show and dive into the experience of what its like to act in JWT’s signature style Salon Theatre on the road!

Performance in this episode:

An excerpt from
Ham and Cheese Croissants and a Letter to God
Written by Alexander Nemser
Performed by Michael Naishtut

Family Secrets credits:
Material Adapted, Curated, and Produced by Ronda Spinak
Directed by Susan Morgenstern and Lisa Cirincione
Dramaturg Lisa Rosenbaum
Literary Manager Suzanna Kaplan
South Bay Producer Liz Altman
San Francisco/Bay Area Producer Carol Kirsh
Assistant Producer Barbara Koletsky
Associate Producers Rose Ziff and Susie Yuré
Artistic Associate Daphna Shull
Assistant Artistic Director Andrew Fromer

Episode #26: Family Secrets by the Bay with Michael Naishtut and Niloo2019-02-19T19:13:50-08:00

VIDEO: Meet the Council!

Check out how our first meeting went! Get to know our council members and where they come from.

VIDEO: Meet the Council!2017-02-24T17:23:18-08:00

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