What’s Going On In NYC This Week

GERMANS & JEWS
Tal Recanati, an American Jewish filmmaker, visited Germany and took a tour entitled “Jewish Berlin.” She was astonished to find that the Germans had dug so deeply and thoughtfully into their past, and that in the 70 years since the Holocaust, there was a growing vibrant Jewish community. Through personal stories from Germans, German-Jews, American-Jews and Israelis, Germans & Jews explores Germany’s transformation as a society. – Saturday, April 8, 6 p.m., Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th St., (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org. $25.

NOVA: HOLOCAUST ESCAPE TUNNEL
In the heart of Lithuania, what is now a peaceful forest called Ponar was once Ground Zero for Hitler’s Final Solution. Here, before death camps and gas chambers, the Nazis systematically executed up to 100,000 people, mostly Jews, and then hid the evidence. In June 2016, the PBS science series NOVA—produced by WGBH Boston—joined an international team of archeologists on an expedition to locate the last traces of a vanished people: the Jews of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, known in colloquial Yiddish as Vilna. In the process, they made an extraordinary find—a hidden escape tunnel dug by Jewish prisoners at the Ponar death pits. In a powerful new film, Holocaust Escape Tunnel, Nova reveals the dramatic discovery and shares stories from the descendants of this unique group of Holocaust survivors. The commercial release is on April 19; attend this special pre-screening, followed by a discussion with the team behind the Nova film, archeologist and author Dr. Richard Freund and senior executive producer Paula S. Apsell.  – Sunday, April 2, 2 p.m., Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, (646) 437-4202, mjhnyc.org.

ANDY STATMAN

Andy Statman, a true force in the revival of klezmer and one of his generation’spremier mandolinists and clarinetists, plays his trademark blend of American roots music, prayerful chasidic music, klezmer and avant-garde jazz. A disciple of the great klezmer clarinetist Dave Tarras, Statman has reordered pioneering explorations of both Hasidic music and bluegrass. He draws equally from Chasidic melodies, folk tunes and Albert Ayler-influenced free improve; the result reads like a very personal search for the sacred, based on tradition and introspection. —Wednesday, April 5, 8 p.m., Barbès, 376 9th St., Brooklyn, (347) 422-0248, barbesbrooklyn.com $10.

Event Listings For March 31-April 9

To see more events visit jwcalendar.com

Theater

OSLO

One of 2016’s best-reviewed plays, J. T. Rogers’ “Oslo” moves to Broadway. A complex tale of political intrigue and back-door negotiations, this darkly funny play centers on the months of talks between Israel and Palestine that led to the historic 1993 Oslo Peace Accords. Directed by Tony-award winning Barlett Sher (“Fiddler On The Roof”). — Through June 18, Lincoln Center Theatre, 150 W. 65th St, (212) 375-3708. For the schedule and tickets visit lct.org

BENGHAZI BERGEN-BELSEN

It 1941. Two young Jewish women — one Libyan, one Dutch — meet in a German concentration camp, and develop a romantic relationship laden with cultural and sexual tensions. After being caught stealing water, they are locked together in a shack and tasked with deciding which one of them shall be executed. This theatrical adaptation of a prize-winning novel by Yossi Sucary sheds lights the lost story of the Holocaust of Libyan Jews. – Through April 9, La MaMa Theatre, 66 East 4th St., (646) 430-5374, lamama.org. $25/$20 seniors & students.

HELLO, DOLLY!

The Broadway hit that became an even more famous Barbra Streisand movie is now returning to its Broadway roots. The widowed, brassy matchmaker Dolly Levi travels to Yonkers to find a match for the miserly “well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder. She convinces his niece, his niece’s intended and Horace’s two clerks to travel with them to New York City to find the match, and … (we won’t spoil the ending for you). Played on film by the legendary Barbra Streisand, this Broadway revival features the no-less-legendary Bette Midler as Dolly. Directed by four-time Tony Award-winner Jerry Zaks. – Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th St., (212) 239-6200, hellodollyonbroadway.com. $59-$189.

IF I FORGET

In the final months before 9/11, liberal (to say the least; he’s publishing a book about forgetting the Holocaust) Jewish studies Professor Michael Fischer has reunited with his two sisters to celebrate their father’s 75th birthday. Each deeply invested in their own version of family history, destructive secrets and long-held resentments bubble to the surface — with biting humor and razor-sharp insight — in this powerful tale of a family, and culture, at odds with itself. — Through April 30, The Laura Pels Theatre, 111 W. 46th St., (212) 719-1300, roundabouttheatre.org. $79.

LAVENDER SONGS: A QUEER WEIMAR BERLIN CABARET

In a bold reminder that our times bear a striking resemblance to Weimar Germany, restaurant-theater hybrid Pangea used Inauguration Day to debut “Lavender Songs,” an award-winning, risqué and gender-bending show starring Jeremy Lawrence — or, more aptly, his cabaret alter ego “Tante Fritzy” — and incorporating music by queer composers from the Berlin underground during Nazi Germany. — Through April 8, 7 p.m., Pangea, 178 Second Ave. (bet. 11th & 12th), (212) 995-0900, pangeanyc.com. $20, plus $20 food/beverage minimum.

NOT THAT JEWISH

Written by and starring the Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe nominated writer, actress and comedian Monica Piper, this has been lauded as a hilarious and heartfelt autobiographical tale of a Jew-“ish” woman’s life. — Through April 30, New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., (212) 239-6200, notthatjewish.com. From $49.

Music

SAMUEL R. THOMAS

Bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Samuel R. Thomas, artistic director of the New York Andalus and the ASEFA ensembles, presents a mixture of Middle Eastern, Jazz and Jewish music. R. Thomas plays the saxophone, clarinet, nay, oud, bendir and sings. — Sunday, April 2, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., City Winery, 155 Varick St., (212) 608-0555, citywinery.com. $10

KOBI ARAD

Israeli-born pianist-composer Kobi Arad, a Stevie Wonder collaborator, performs a pre-seder concert steeped in Moroccan, Russian, Farsi, African and original flavors. — Sunday, April 2, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., City Winery, 155 Varick St., (212) 608-0555, citywinery.com. $10

DAVID AMRAM & Co.

Composer, conductor, multi-instrumentalist and author David Amram composed more than 100 orchestral and chamber music works. He also countless jazz compositions, spoken-word poems, scores for Broadway film and a Holocaust opera. Hear a selection of his works. — Monday, April 8:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St., (212) 989-corneliastreetcafe.com. $20, drinks included.

YOTAM SILBERSTEIN & LA FAMILIA

Since his 2005 move to New York, guitarist and Tel Aviv native Yotam has released three albums and collaborated with the likes of bassist Avishai James Moody and Roy Hargrove. About Jazz summed up Silberstein’s 2009 “Next Page,” as an “unadorned hollow-body guitar work [that] freely comparison to releases from the heyday of Blue Note Records.” Vitor Gonćalves, piano;  Rick Rosato, bass;  Daniel Dor , drums. – Saturday, April 8, 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St., (212) 989-corneliastreetcafe.com. $20, drinks included.

ISRAELI CHAMBER PROJECT

The award-winning Israeli Chamber Project joins forces with renowned violist Paul Neubauer for a program of classics, including Mozart’s lyrical “Piano Quartet No. 2” and Richard Strauss’ impassioned and rarely played “Piano Quartet in C minor.”— Saturday, April 8, 7:30 p.m., Baruch Performing Arts Center, Engelman Recital Hall, 55 Lexington Ave, (212) 352-3101. $35/$15 Student.

YAHALOM TRIO

This Israeli-born, NY-based trio performs whimsical original compositions, drawing from jazz, rock, classical and Israeli music. With Tal Yahalom on guitar, Almog Sharvit on bass and Ben Silashi on drums. — Tuesday, April 4, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m., La Lanterna Bar Next Door, 129 Macdougal St., (212) 529-5945, lalanternacaffe.com.

NATHAN MELTZER, VIOLIN

At sixteen, violinist Nathan Meltzer has played solo violin with the Berliner Symphoniker, the Bloomington Symphony, the Charlotte Civic Orchestra and many, many more. Meltzer

studies with Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin at Juilliard Pre-College, where he is a Starling scholar. He will be accompanied by John Root, the collaborative pianist for the studio of Itzhak Perlman at The Juilliard School. – Friday, March 31, 5 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 92y.org. Free.

Film

NY SEPHARDIC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

From films about the making of the modern Middle East to Sephardic-flavored romantic comedies, the weeklong annual Sephardic Jewish Film Festival celebrates the rich culture and history of the Sephardic diaspora. For its 20th anniversary, the festival features a different themed program each day. The untold stories of how Sephardic Jews from Algeria, Tunisia and Greece suffered during the Holocaust are shared during a full day of films, “Sephardim in the Shoah” (Sunday, April 2).  “An Evening of Empowering Sephardi Women” (Monday, April 3) highlights differences in gender relations and expectations between Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities, and “Love, Sephardi Style” (Tuesday, April 4) is an evening of short films that explore modern romance in Sephardi communities. “From Ethiopia to Israel” (also Tuesday, April 4) explores the challenges of emigration. — Thursday, March 30-Thursday, April 6, American Sephardi Federation at the Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., (212) 294-8350, nysephardifilmfestival.org.

FINDING OSCAR

In a forgotten massacre during Guatemala’s decades-long civil war, a young boy was spared, only to be raised by one of the very soldiers who killed his family. Nearly 30 years after the tragedy, it will take a dedicated team – from a forensic scientist to a young Guatemalan prosecutor – to uncover the truth and bring justice to those responsible, by finding the missing boy, Oscar.  The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Ryan Suffern, human rights activists, NSA officials and more. – Wednesday, April 5, 6:30 p.m., Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, (646) 437-4202, mjhnyc.org. Free but RSVP required.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynP2e1-Gl7s

GERMANS & JEWS

Tal Recanati, an American Jewish filmmaker, visited Germany and took a tour entitled “Jewish Berlin.” She was astonished to find that the Germans had dug so deeply and thoughtfully into their past, and that in the 70 years since the Holocaust, there was a growing vibrant Jewish community. Through personal stories from Germans, German-Jews, American-Jews and Israelis, Germans & Jews explores Germany’s transformation as a society. – Saturday, April 8, 6 p.m., Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th St., (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org. $25.

13 MINUTES

During Hitler’s anniversary speech on November 8, 1939, Georg Elser (Christian Friedel) is arrested on the Swiss border for possession of suspicious objects. Just minutes later, a bomb explodes in the Munich Bürgerbräukeller, immediately behind the Führer’s lectern, killing eight people. Elser is held and cruelly questioned by the gestappo, and from them he learns that his attempt has failed – the man he wanted to kill in order to stop the bloodshed of World War II had 13 minutes before the explosion. – Lincoln Plaza Cinema, 1886 Broadway ,(212) 757-0359. For tickets and show times visit lincolnplazacinema.com.

THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE

The Zookeeper’s Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the German invasion. – In wide release.

Talk

THE SIX DAY WAR: A FIFTY-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE

The Six Day War was a watershed event with lasting implications for the Middle East, the Jewish community and the world at large. This symposium will examine the tensions which led to the outbreak of the conflict in June 1967, the American response by President Lyndon Johnson and the impact still being felt today. Panelists include Ambassador Dennis Ross, Ambassador Itamar Rabinovich, Israel’s former Ambassador to the United States, Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute and many more. – Sunday, April 2, 2 p.m., the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 92y.org. $36.

SUNDAY SEMINAR: THE HAGGADAH

The Seder is one of Judaism’s most observed rituals, but the Haggadah, to the untrained eye, is at best fascinatingly oblique—and at worst, an endless slog standing between us and dinner. Rabbi Daniel Goldfarb helps unpack this ancient compendium to reveal an agenda (yes, there really is one), a series of history lessons and all manner of beauty. – Sunday, April 2, 10 a.m., Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center, One E. 65th St., NY 10065, (212) 507-9580, emanuelskirballnyc.org

GROUND ZERO

Join Lynne Sagalyn, America’s most eminent scholar of urban reconstruction projects, for an inside look at the decade-long, complex deliberations that ensued between victims’ families, politicians, architectural superstars and many others after the towers came down.  – Tuesday, April 4, 12 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 92y.org. $25.

HELL’S TRACES – BOOK LAUNCH

Author Victor Ripp recounts the histories of two sides of his family – one who emigrated and survived; the other who stayed in Europe and perished. – Tuesday, April 4, 7 p.m., Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, (646) 437-4202, mjhnyc.org. Free, RSVP recommended.

THE “OLD COUNTRY”

Exploring the work of Jewish photographers in Poland and Lithuania during the pre-war decades reveals extraordinarily skilled and avant-garde professionals, whose output and subjects can subvert what we think we know about the “old country.” Historian Michael Berkowitz, Professor of modern Jewish history at University College London, explores the work and world of these photographers, giving an understanding of their self-presentation and photographic practices. – Wednesday, April 5, 7 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 92y.org. $29.

Exhibitions

LOST SYNAGOGUES OF EUROPE

The Museum at Eldridge Street presents an exhibition of vintage postcards of Central and Eastern European synagogues from Prague-based collector Frantisek Bányai. The postcards depict a range of Jewish architecture, culture and community that were all but destroyed during WWII. — Through June 8, Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St., (212) 219-0302, eldridgestreet.org.

HEROES OF THE KNISH

The lowly staple gets the high-brow treatment with a month-long museum show at The City Reliquary. The chronicler-queen of the knish, Laura Silver, author of 2014’s “Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food” (Brandeis), curates the exhibition, whose aptly stuffed title is “Heroes of the Knish: Making a Living and Making a Life.” It features a history of the potato pie, from the Old Country to the sidewalk carts of the Lower East Side to the pricey delis of Midtown, and documents the lives of the men and women who made the crusty-chewy delicacy. — Through May 7, City Reliquary Museum, 370 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, cityreliquary.org. $5.

SHABBAT: INSIDE AND OUT

With the cessation of the workday routine on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, relationships and the spirit are revitalized as families share precious time at festive meals. The objects on display highlight two aspects of this holy day: the private/domestic and the communal/ceremonial. — Through May 11, Yeshiva University Museum, 15 W. 16th St., (212) 294-8330, info@yum.cjh.org. Members and children under 5 free/$6 seniors and students/$8 adults.

UNCOMMON THREADS

Our ancestors used clothing and textiles to beautify their synagogues, their tables and themselves on Shabbat and holidays as well as important lifecycle events. Many of these were preserved, with highlights including a sumptuous 18th-century lectern cover that belonged to a former chief rabbi of Izmir, a 19th-century dress and a 1950 custom-made lace wedding gown. — Through April 29, Yeshiva University Museum, 15 W. 16th St., (212) 294-8330, info@yum.cjh.org. For hours and admission rates: yumuseum.org/visit.

To publish events, submit them to jewishweekcalendar@gmail.com two weeks or more in advance, or post them online at JWCalendar.com. In the print edition, we cannot guarantee inclusion due to space limitations. Since scheduling changes may occur, we recommend contacting the venue before heading out to an event.