Mira Z. Amiras: A Mystical Journey into the Aleph-Bet

New Lehrhaus is proud to present the first Seymour Fromer Memorial Program* with Mira Z. Amiras, Seymour's daughter.

In partnership with Jewish Community Library, San Francisco

Malkah is an inquisitive girl, and her father’s attempts to teach her to read Torah result in more questions than answers. Those questions only grow in depth and complexity as Malkah herself matures, embracing a lifelong inquiry that begins with the aleph-bet and ventures into Jewish mystical texts, archaeological digs, ancient deities, and the very nature of existence.

That’s the premise of Mira Z Amiras’s book Malkah’s Notebook: A Journey into the Mystical Aleph-Bet, a riveting, meditative volume enriched with beautiful artwork on every page by artist and scribe Josh Baum. At this immersive event, attendees will accompany Malkah on her profound journey, as Amiras introduces Malkah’s story through a conversation about her book as well as a screening of her award-winning short film, The Day Before Creation, a companion to the book.

Sunday, September 22 @ 2–3:15pm

*A true maverick and visionary, Seymour Fromer (1922–2009), in partnership with his wife Rebecca Camhi Fromer, founded the Judah L. Magnes Museum (today a part of UC Berkeley), retrieving and preserving art and artifacts of Jewish daily life, culture, and religion from around the world, including the Western Jewish History Archive.

He helped and mentored Fred Rosenbaum in launching Lehrhaus Judaica in 1974, as well as many other entrepreneurial cultural projects including the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival; the world's first Jewish film festival (1980); and The Klezmorim, the world's first Klezmer revival band (1975). He also inspired and mentored David Moss, the pioneer of contemporary Ketubah design; and Victor Ries, a Jewish metalsmith and silversmith whose work includes the entrance gate to the original Magnes Museum on Russell Street in Berkeley.