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What’s Going On In NYC This Week

Your guide to Jewish-y events in New York City.

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GAIL CARSON LEVINE: ‘A CEILING MADE OF EGGSHELLS’
Jew­ish Book Coun­cil sits down with acclaimed YA author Gail Carson Levine (“Ella Enchanted”) for a quick 30-minute chat on Zoom. In her latest novel, “A Ceiling Made of Eggshells,” Carson travels way back in family history to the late 15th century, when her father’s ancestors and half of hers were tossed out of Spain. The book is about a young Jewish girl full of heart who must play her own role in her people’s epic history — no matter the sacrifice. — Wednesday, May 27, 12:30-1 p.m., Jewish Book Council, jewishbookcouncil.org/events/jbc-authors-at-the-table.
L.C ROSEN: ‘CAMP’ WITH ADAM SASS
The unintentionally timely new YA novel “Camp” reminds us what kids are missing when they miss summer camp. Author L.C. Rosen told The Nerd Daily he wrote the novel about a camp for queer teens, in reaction to the conservative Jewish summer camp he attended, which is still very much on his mind. Lead character Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland. It’s where he met his best friends. It’s where he takes to the stage in the big musical. It’s where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim. It’s where he reinvents himself. And it’s where he asks himself: How much is he willing to change for love? Join Rosen for a live discussion on Zoom. — Wednesday, May 27, 7 p.m., Books Are Magic, facebook.com/events/1140933632938023/. Free.
KASHRUT, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND ITS DISCONTENTS WITH RABBI MENACHUM CREDITOR
The biblical command to “not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” has, over the centuries, expanded into a complex system of kashrut policies. But what, in the end, is the purpose of kashrut? Is it about Jews staying separate from the rest of the world? Is it about mindful food practice? Might the new realities of social distancing help us re-translate an ancient and complicated historical tradition into modern spiritual-social terms? — Wednesday, May 27, 1:30-2:30 p.m., The Great Big Jewish Food Fest, greatbig.jewishfoodfest.org/events/ef2e891e-47ed-4413-a2fa-93935b11aa5f. Free

THE GREAT BIG JEWISH FOOD FEST

A 10-day festival with a variety of events — workshops and conversations, happy hours, Shabbat dinners and more — that will take place over Zoom, Instagram and Facebook. Highlights include events with Jewish food world leaders such as Michael Twitty, Joan Nathan, Michael Solomonov, Adeena Sussman, Einat Admony, Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern of Gefelteria, Lior Lev Sercarz, Ruth Reichl, Gail Simmons, Jewish Food Society, Hazon, Mazon and more. — May 19-28, The Great Big Jewish Food Fest, jewishfoodfest.org.

KLEZMER FIDDLE PROJECT — ‘A NIGN A DAY’

A stellar line-up of 35 klezmer string players from 12 countries — including New York City’s own Jake Shulman-Ment and Alicia Svigals — resuscitates the ancient Jewish nigun tradition with melodies from Vol. 4 of Moshe Beregovski’s “Old Jewish Folk Music” collection. Every day during the lockdown a fiddler (or cellist) from the project will do a live broadcast featuring nigunim, chat and sometimes even a guest. — Through May 27, 4-4:45 p.m., facebook.com/events/536517630631547/. See the line-up at ilanacravitz.com/strings.htm. Free, but you can make a donation.

‘VIRAL: ANTISEMITISM IN FOUR MUTATIONS’
Mass murders, vandalism, social media abuse, propaganda, assault — by virtually every yardstick, anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Europe is rising and worsening in ways not seen since the 1930s. Emmy-winning filmmaker Andrew Goldberg explores contemporary anti-Semitism by looking at the far-right in the U.S., the far-left in the United Kingdom, Islamic radicalism in France and a massive government anti-Semitic propaganda campaign in Hungary. The new film, which received a brief theatrical run before the pandemic shut it down, will receive its television premiere. — May 31, 10 p.m. and June 1, 10 a.m., PBS, thirteen.org/schedule/?program=43110&all=1

‘THE DAIRY RESTAURANT’

In his new graphic novel “The Dairy Restaurant,” the first cartoonist to receive the MacArthur Fellowship recollects his own experiences in many of these iconic restaurants just before they disappeared. Ben Katchor also examines the biblical milk-and-meat taboo, the first vegetarian practices and the invention of the restaurant. Katchor, the author of “Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer,” “The Cardboard Valise” and “The Jew of New York” appears in a live conversation online. — Wednesday, May 27, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., The Great Big Jewish Food Fest and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, greatbig.jewishfoodfest.org/events/d93565ba-4f49-46f4-9c72-8f2f78e36d59. Free.
ROADBLOCKS TO PEACE? EINAT WILF AND ADI SCHWARTZ WITH RABBI PETER RUBENSTEIN

In “The War of Return,” Adi Schwartz and Einat Wilf — both liberal Israelis supportive of a two-state solution — reveal the origins of the idea of a right of return, and explain how UNRWA — the very agency charged with finding a solution for the refugees — gave in to Palestinian, Arab and international political pressure to create a permanent “refugee” problem. A bestseller in Israel, the English translation of “The War of Return” is certain to spark lively debate throughout America and abroad. Send questions before and during the Zoom webinar. — Wednesday, May 27, 12 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 92y.org/event/roadblocks-to-peace. $10.

LISA FISHMAN IN CONCERT

Jewish standards and some unknown gems sung in Yiddish and English with a modern twist and influences in klezmer, jazz, music theater, cabaret, folk rock, Latin, blues … and a touch of comedy. — Wednesday, May 27, 7:30 p.m., Folksbiene!LIVE, nytf.org/live/.

STAY THE NIGHT

Join the 16th Annual Paul Feig Z”L Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a special night of text study, food and culture, all Torah-related. You bring the cheesecake! Guests participating from home include, among others, the acclaimed Israeli singer Idan Raichel; Anna Winger, the creator and writer of the “Unorthodox” hit series on Netflix; and Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann on biblical metaphors to carry us through Covid-19. — Thursday, May 28, 9 p.m.-Friday, May 29, 5 a.m., Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, http://tikkun.jccmanhattan.org/. Free.

TIKKUN: INTO THE NIGHT
Celebrate Shavuot with a virtual re-interpretation of a Tikkun. Join a flow of inspirational encounters filled with intrigue, music, magic, performances, artistic engagement and ancient and contemporary text study in Hebrew, English and Aramaic. Events include everything from a panel discussions with “Unorthodox” cast members to Mincha and Maariv services to advice from Iris Bahr of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” to a tutorial on how to make a fantastic cheesecake. — Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m.-midnight, 14th Street Y and Downtown Jewish Life, 14streety.org/jewish-life/tikkun/. Free.
DAWN 2020
DAWN is Reboot’s all-night interpretation of Shavuot that was previously held in San Francisco; it’s the Jewish calendar’s best-kept secret. Gathering digitally this year, participants can spend the night immersed in music, comedy, food, learning and conversation — all presented by some of the greatest artists, rabbis and thinkers of our generation, from Jill Soloway and Tiffany Shlain to Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and Gabi Moskowitz of BrokeAss Gourmet to NYC’s own Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove in a “Drunk (and possibly stoned) History of Shavuot.” Also be on the lookout for Carl Reiner and Norman Lear. — Thursday, May 28, 10 p.m.-Friday, May 29, 9 a.m., Reboot, rebooters.net/dawn. Free.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA: A TALK WITH AYELET GUNDAR-GOSHEN

Literature loves catastrophes — they reveal a person’s true nature. And for 2000 years, from Noah’s Ark through Amos Oz’s Jerusalem under siege, Jewish text and mythology have depicted isolation as both a curse — and an opportunity. Join award-winning writer Ayelet Gundar-Goshen for an online talk about Jewish mythology and contemporary Israeli literature in times of catastrophe. — Thursday, May 28, 8-9 a.m. EDT, UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies and The Jewish Book Council,https://www.facebook.com/events/2343899455916363/.

NOA: A CLOSING CONCERT FOR SHAVUOT

Join Israel’s leading international singer-songwriter for a live performance from her home. — Friday, May 29, 4-5 a.m., Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, http://jccmanhattan.org/programs/noa-closing-concert-shavuot. Free.

ISRAEL FILM CENTER FESTIVAL

The 8th annual Israel Film Center festival is coming to you virtually, with brand new Israeli narrative and documentary films and live Q&As and conversations. Last year, George Robinson wrote in The Jewish Week that the festival is “a cheering reminder that, whatever one may think of the Netanyahu-Regev agenda, the spirited fight-back from filmmakers has resulted in some exemplary cinema.” Until the festival begins in June, check out Israel Film Center STREAM, the most comprehensive site for Israeli films now available for streaming in the U.S., at israelfilmcenterstream.org. — The festival runs June 7-14, Israeli Film Center, israelfilmcenterstream.org/festival/.

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