The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County presents the “Spring 2020 Yiddish Culture Series,” a four-part series of public programs that focus on the life and culture of the Yiddish-speaking world of pre-Holocaust Eastern and Central Europe.
This series comes in the wake of a recent surge in interest about Yiddish culture and the Yiddish Language. All programs will take place at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County, Welwyn Preserve, 100 Crescent Beach Road in Glen Cove.
The programs in this series will begin with, “Immigrant Foods, Memory and Assimilation: How Ethnic Cuisine Becomes Mainstream,” on Sunday, April 5, at 1 p.m. Learn how bagels, samosas, and Chinese dumplings broke through ethic divisions to become mainstream favorites. Presenters include Cindy Matte from Bagel Boss of Roslyn, Shirley Shing from the Chinese Center on Long Island, and Rahat Hossain from the Long Island Muslim Society. The program includes food samples and encourages discussion.
“The Art of Marc Chagall: War and Peace through Yiddish Eyes,” will be held on Wednesday, April 29, at 11 a.m. The center’s Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Linda Burghardt will present a slide show and lecture about the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall. Burghardt will connect Chagall’s work to the world he lived in, including Tsarist Russia, Nazi-controlled Europe, and post-war America.
“The Success and Abiding Power of Fiddler on the Roof,” on Sunday, May 3, at 1 p.m. Alisa Solomon, a professor at Columbia University’s School of Journalism and the author of “World of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof” (2013), will use a multi-media presentation to share information about the “Fiddler on the Roof” story and what accounts for the play’s continued appeal.
“Shalom/Sholom: The Yiddish Mark Twain,” on Sunday, June 14, at 1 p.m. Sholom Aleichem, a.k.a. the Yiddish Mark Twain, left his literary mark on the world, weaving tales that once would have been told in the market square or around a fire. With a gift for narrative and voices, Bob Spiotto brings Aleichem to life and offers a unique smorgasbord of his stories, recreating them much as they might once have been heard.
These programs were funded in part by Humanities New York with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. For more information or to RSVP for these programs visit www.hmtcli.org/event/yiddish-series or contact (516)571-8040 or programs@hmtcli.org.
Submitted by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
