Abq Jewish Events Calendar

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Abq Jew's
Complete Calendar of Jewish Events
in Albuquerque and beyond

What It Is: The New Mexico Jewish Historical Society invites you to join psychiatrist Dr Nurit Patt as she explores Herzl and the Jewish Homeland.

This talk about Theodore Herzl will cover his personal, political and cultural background. How his transformation from a product of an assimilated Hungarian Jewish family to the visionary of a homeland for the Jews happened. The lecture will also cover some of the other attempts to save the Jews of Europe which occurred at about the same time.  The talk will also look at the history of Zionism of that period and how this process eventually resulted in the establishment of the state of Israel.

What It Is: The fifth and final film in the new Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival. 

The Forgotten Refugees tells the rich history of the ancient Jewish communities of the Middle East and North Africa and their rapid demise in the face of persecution in the decades following the creation of the modern State of Israel in 1948. Using rare archival footage, the film follows the exodus of the 900,000 Jews from Arab lands, the lives they left behind and the new challenges they faced.

Employing extensive testimony of refugees from Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Iraq and Iran, the film recounts the stories of joy and of suffering which nearly a million individuals have carried with them for decades. Segments on the contributions of Middle Eastern Jews to politics, business and music testify to the enormously rich cultures which fleeing Jews left behind. 

 Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA)   1050 Old Pecos Trail  Santa Fe, NM 87505

 Tickets:  Available from the Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival.

What It Is: Join a community-wide Yom Ha'atzmaut event!

Celebrate Israel Independence Day featuring a dance performance titled "Gesher II" by Keshet Dance Company with choreography by Tamir Ginz, Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer of Israel's Kamea Dance Company.

Hebrew for “Bridge,” Gesher is an annual event celebrating Israeli Independence Day by utilizing the common language of the arts to engage the community. 

The performance will also include "Reflections" by Vladimir Conde Reche, choreographed as a commentary on his time in Israel and his experience of the determined, focused, inspiring, and welcoming culture and community he encountered.

What It Is: Since their emergence more than 25 years ago, the Klezmatics have raised the bar for Eastern European Jewish music, made aesthetically, politically and musically interesting recordings, inspired future generations, created a large body of work that is enduring, and helped to change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture. 

Often called a “Jewish roots band,” the Klezmatics have led a popular revival of this ages-old, nearly forgotten art form.

"The Klezmatics aren’t just the best band in the klezmer vanguard; on a good night, they can rank among the greatest bands on the planet." (Time Out New York)

Tickets:  $25 / $30 / $35. Available at the KiMo Ticket Office and from Hold My Ticket. 

What It Is: Jane Ellen, a well-known composer, performer, recording artist and teacher shares a detailed presentation dedicated to the contributions of Jewish composers, lyricists and vocalists to the Broadway scene.

L’Chaim! 
The Genesis of the Broadway Musical 
Sunday April 21
Congregation B’nai Israel
Cost: $28. Registration 10:00 am. Morning Session 10:30 am. 

A delicious catered dairy lunch will be served after Jane Ellen’s presentation.  The Afternoon Session will follow.

Plan to shop The Silent Auction and bid on many beautiful and useful items. Funds will benefit both Hadassah and Sisterhood.

What It Is: The New Mexico Jewish Historical Society invites you to join psychologist Dr Karen Milstein as she explores What’s in a Name: the Baal Shem from the Shtetl to New Mexico.

The Baal Shem was a name given to healers in the shtetl, and the Baal Shem Tov became the most famous, as well as being the founder of Hasidism. She will talk about the name/title and how it was used in the Jewish community. 

Dr Milstein’s grandfather’s family name was Baal Shem before migrating to the Americas and settling in Montreal. Dr Milstein eventually settled in New Mexico and has continued that tradition of healing. 

We have access to a recent documentary on the life of the Baal Shem Tov that could be scheduled in relation to this talk if appropriate.

 What It Is:  A yearly spring cleanup sponsored by the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society and the Montefiore Cemetery Association brings participants from Jewish communities around the state to this historic cemetery. The annual cleanup serves not only to keep the cemetery in good condition, but to foster awareness of Jewish history in northern New Mexico and ensure the continuity of the Jewish presence in Las Vegas.  

Liszt's Dance with the Devil is a work-in-progress that comes on the heels of Ms Yerushalmi's film Chopin's Afterlife, which was selected for distribution by Filmaker's Library and screened on TV. 

What It Is: Camino Real Productions, LLC and Albuquerque's National Hispanic Cultural Center are honored to present the world premiere of Secret Things by award-winning playwright Elaine Romero. 

The play is about a Time Magazine writer on assignment in her native New Mexico to do a story that will quash these rumors her skeptical editor has been hearing about Crypto-Jews. 

While visiting Albuquerque, Santa Fe and a mythical land named Sephardia, she comes to learn about her own family’s secret past.

Camino Real Productions is delighted to announce the cast of our upcoming production of Secret Things by Elaine Romero. The role of Delia/Delilah will be played by Michelle Otero; Abel, by Mario Moreno; Ben/Boy, by Benjamin Lieberman; Mother/Aunt, by Salome Martinez-Lutz; and Father/Rabbi, by Harry Zimmerman. Our Director, Valli Marie Rivera, is thrilled to have such an outstanding group of talented NM actors to bring to life this world premiere production. 

Session 1 - Jews Roots in Spain

   The language, culture and foods that Spanish Jews carried with them in the Diaspora

Session 2 - Major Figures in the Sephardic Thought

   Rationality and Mysticism in the Sephardic Tradition; Great Sephardic Men & Women

Saturday Night Dinner

   Keynote Talk and Music:  Steve Ovitsky (Director, Santa Fe
                                                            Chamber Music Festival)

   Sephardic Music in the Diaspora

Session 3 - New Mexico and the Sephardic Diaspora

   People of Sephardic backgrounds from Egypt to Syria, Turkey, Morocco and
                   Latin America who are part of the Jewish communities in New Mexico

Session 4 - Jewish Roots in Taos and northern New Mexico