Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 26, 2012 Page: 13 of 24
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Upcoming
Page 13
Jewish Herald-Voice
January 26, 2012
Its happening at the T
Residency looks at the evolution of American Judaism
Since its founding in 1989, the Bunny
and Leo Horvitz Scholar in Residence
program has brought outstanding
scholars to Houston to discuss all
aspects of Jewish life, including history,
literature, art and music. Perhaps be-
cause the guest scholars most often are
Israeli academics, the program never
has considered American Judaism.
American Judaism represents a unique
chapter in the larger history of modern
Jewry, and it will be the focus of this
year’s program.
Dr. Adam S. Ferziger returns to the
Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community
Center for the program’s 24th year.
Ferziger is a senior lecturer and vice chairman of the
Graduate Program in Contemporary Jewry at Bar-
Ilan University. He also is a senior research fellow
at Bar-Ilan’s Rappaport Center for Assimilation
Research. He has published extensively on Jewish
religious denominations and their ideologies, modern
Jewish identity formation, religion in the State of
Israel, and 20th-century American Jewry. In addition
to his scholarly publications, Ferziger is the author
of a graduate curriculum of the Melton program,
titled “Jewish Denominations: Addressing the Chal-
lenge of Modernity.”
The program willbegin on Monday, Feb. 6, at
7:30 p.m., with “Tradition, Modernity, and Beyond:
The Evolution of American Judaism.” This lecture
will highlight traits that distinguished American
Judaism during its early formation and how they
have evolved over subsequent centuries. It will set
the stage for the other presentations throughout
the residency.
The program will continue with mini-courses that
explore America’s Jewish denominations,
leading figures of American Judaism, includ-
ing Abraham Joshua Heschel, Mordecai M.
Kaplan and Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and
the challenges and opportunities of Jewish
peoplehood in modernity.
Dr. Ferziger’s mid-residency lecture,
“From A1 Jolson to Chelsea Clinton:
Continuity and Change in the American
Jewish Quest for Acceptance,” will
consider how American Jews have strived
to be considered part of the larger fabric of
American society. The program’s closing
lecture, “Beyond Denominationalism:
Post-Modern Directions in Contemporary
American Judaism,” will consider how the
decline in denominational affiliation, but the birth of
alternative affiliations, presents a new direction for
the future of American Judaism.
In addition to the public lectures and mini-
courses, which are held at the ERJCC, the residency
also offers a series of lectures for special-interest
groups. Ferziger will offer a presentation to the
Houston Rabbinic Association, to the Jewish
Federation’s Bureau of Jewish Education, to the
Hebrew Speakers Professional Organization (in
Hebrew), and to participants in the Florence Melton
Adult Mini-School.
The entire series is made possible, in part, by a
grant from Humanities Texas, a state partner of the
National Endowment for the Humanities.
For information about the residency, contact
Nomi Barancik at nbarancik@erjcchouston.org, or
call 713-729-3200, ext. 3288. The opening lecture is
free to the community. Participation in additional
lectures and mini-courses requires a pass, available
throughout the program. □
Dr. Adam S. Ferziger
2012 JCC Maccabi
ArtsFest auditions
Gabrielle Ross, eighth-grader at The
Emery/Weiner School, has auditioned
for the Visual Arts specialty for the 2012
JCC Maccabi ArtsFest happening in
Houston Aug. 5-10. More auditions will
take place at the ERJCC through Feb.
29. Acceptance to the JCC ArtsFest
occurs on a rolling basis, so teens are
encouraged to audition early.
Contact Brittany Horwitt, JCC
ArtsFest Director, at bhorwitt@erjcc
houston.org to sign up. For information
about becoming part of Team Houston,
the home team delegation, visit jccmac
cabihouston.org. □
Meditate on silence
Experience the practical approach
to the core principles of silence and
meditation, and engage the intellect by
studying the metaphysics and universal
truths through the journey within.
Join Jean-Marie “John” Schweizer,
who has been meditating for three
decades. Classes start Wednesday, Feb.
15, 7:40-9 p.m., at the Evelyn Rubenstein
Jewish Community Center, 5601 S.
Braeswood Blvd.
Fee is based on a sliding scale: no
one will be turned away. The class is well
suited for all: beginners, intermediate
and advanced. Contact msilberstein@
erjcchouston.org for information or call
713-729-3200, ext. 3223. □
Exercise your brain and your body
Active Adult Program incorporates fun and fitness
The ERJCC Fitness Center focuses
on wellness for the whole body. Not
only targeting weight loss or muscle
building, an entire series of “Active
Adult” classes target memory, blood
sugar regulation, anxiety reduction
and sleep improvement.
The National Institute on Aging
and the National Institute of Health
recommends that adults in the
50-plus population get 2.5 hours
of moderate-intensity endurance
exercise each week.
“A large percentage of our mem-
bership is 50 and older. We have
developed a wide variety of classes
that can help everyone reach this
goal,” said Blair Bushong, ERJCC
lead fitness trainer.
Water-based classes and swim-
ming are a great option for those
with arthritis, joint pain or MS. The
Aqua-Tech adult class is a flexible
one-on-one private lesson that
focuses on improving cardiovascular
fitness. Also new to the Aquatics
Center is the H20 Post Rehab class,
designed for individuals who have
limited mobility, arthritis, diabetes,
fibromyalgia, orthopedic problems,
recovering from a stroke or other
disabling conditions.
It is never too late to do balance
and stability training. The National
Safety Council says that falls account
for about 50 percent of deaths in
adults 65 years of age and older.
While aging does have an effect
on muscle mass, vision and other
factors that effect balance and
stability, studies clearly suggest
that people can develop muscle and
improve balance and coordination
at any age. Classes include yoga, Tai
Chi and Pilates.
The Alzheimer’s Association
recommends that people stimulate
their minds and bodies as part of an
overall effort to combat dementia.
Activities that challenge people
intellectually and engage them
socially are crucial to overall brain
health. A new series of classes
designed to stimulate the mind
include painting, jewelry making,
guitar, drawing, ceramics, ring
making, Mah Jongg, Memories to
Memoirs and Today’s News. □
Visit erjcchouston.org for information about all programs and services.
Find the ‘J’ on Facebook.
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Houston
The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston
in collaboration with Congregation Beth Israel presents
THE KLEZMATI S
WITH
SPECIAL
GUEST
Joshua Nelson
ililTOSira
Underwritten by-
The Maurice Amado Foundation
The ERJCC is proud to partner with Anti-Defamation League, Brentwood Baptist Church, Houston Arts Alliance,
the Houston Museum of African American Culture and Interfaith Ministries. as of print deadline.
.Marriott.
UN I T E D A HOUSTON WESTCHASE
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Samuels, Jeanne F. Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 26, 2012, newspaper, January 26, 2012; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth544192/m1/13/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .