A screening of the landmark documentary Outsider. Freud followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker Yair Qedar; distinguished expert Dr. Harriet Wolfe, immediate past president of the International Psychoanalytical Association; and New Lehrhaus' executive director, Robby Adler Peckerar, Ph.D.

Through an intimate l... Read more

This course tracks the historical development of antisemitism in Western civilization from the Greco-Roman period to its present resurgence throughout the West. We will discuss the nature of antisemitic prejudice, constructions, and concepts of race, the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and the ongoing reality of Jew-hatred as a recurring phenomenon. Together, we will work to understand the sources of antisemitism’s post-Holocaust resurgence, paying close attention to cur... Read more

Why have Jewish writers and performers had such an outsized influence on American comedy and musical satire? Screenwriter David Misch (Saturday Night Live, Mork and Mindy, The Muppets Take Manhattan) explores this question through an entertaining multimedia presentation that examines both the cultural roots and contemporary expressions of Jewish humor.

Drawing on his extensive experience in comedy writing, Misch looks at how a particular worldview—shaped by history, tr... Read more

Jews in the ancient world were everywhere a subordinate people, a footnote or afterthought in the grand sweep of history featured by the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. How did Jews conceive of their own place in this larger world? And how were they perceived by the greater powers? Did Jews see themselves as a distinctive people apart or as somehow participants in a broader society and culture? This class consists of four lectures tha... Read more

Part 1 of our new series, Language Keepers: Documenting Endangered Jewish Languages

Co-sponsored by the HUC Jewish Language Project

Learn the essential skills of language preservation while documenting a critically endangered Jewish language.

In her book, Jane Eisner traces the professional accomplishments and personal challenges of pop icon Carole King, exploring her unique contributions to American culture. In this talk, she will offer a behind-the-scenes look at King's fascinating life story and why her music still resonates today.

A Jew raised in a predominantly Protestant section of mostly Catholic Montreal, Leonard Cohen understood "outsiderness" as well as community. From a family of Torah scholars and synagogue founders, he even used the synagogue's choir on his last album. Yet, Leonard was a maven of world religions, especially as they pointed to the majesty and wonder of human life and provided rich imagery for his songs. In this class, we will focus on Leonard's Jewish identity and themes with a nod toward his... Read more

Imagining Early American Jews looks at how early Jewish American history (from the colonial period to the Civil War) has been popularized and mythologized. As attitudes toward the more troubling and fraught aspects of that history have changed, the stories that we used to tell about the Jews who fought in the American Revolution, settled the West, and owned slaves have al... Read more