Virtual Cultural Arts & Jewish Heritage Classes
Overview
FROM OUR LIVING ROOM TO YOURS
Now you can use your lunchtime to learn something new and stay connected to your community. All classes begin at noon.
Taste of Israel: May Series
Commonpoint Queens is excited to introduce their Taste of Israel program to the community!
Taste of Israel is a program that aims to educate participants about the history, politics, and culture of Israel. The program is led by Amit, our community Shaliach (emissary), a native Israeli who has firsthand knowledge and experience of the country and its people. It is an interactive and dynamic program that encourages participants to ask questions and share their opinions. It also fosters connections and dialogue among participants who have a common interest and curiosity in Israel and its people.
- May 9: Yom HaShoah Panel
Join Amit as he hosts a panel featuring Holocaust survivors from the Commonpoint Queens community. - May 16 (virtual): Yom HaZikaron Cook-A-Long
Through the Taste of Memories initiative, we will join together to learn about a fallen IDF soldier from Amit’s battalion while baking his favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. - May 23: Regular Taste of Israel Programming
- May 30: Regular Taste of Israel Programming
Click here to learn more and register
For more information, please contact Sivan Ben-Aderet at sbenaderet@commonpointqueens.org or 718-423-6111.
2024 Classes:
FILM DISCUSSION GROUP with FILMMAKER MATTHEW L. WEISS
Join us in exploring how great movies use the power of cinema to rewire our consciousness and defy our expectations.
10 Tues. beg. January 30
12:00-2:00 p.m.
$100 member / $120 non-member
Matthew L. Weiss has done everything in the world of film from craft service to editing, acting, producing, and directing. As an editor, his films have played in festivals such as Sundance, South By Southwest and Tribeca, and he is the regular “Film Guy” movie correspondent on Sam Seder’s The Majority Report podcast.
ART HISTORY WITH HARRY WEIL – ART IN OUR TIME
10 Wednesdays beg. February 7
12:00-1:00 p.m.
$100 member / $120 non-member
How do artists respond to what’s happening in the world around them? Can something beautiful also be political? This class explores how modern contemporary art (made after 1860 – today) processes, critiques and questions what is making news in the headlines, including hot button topics: military conflict, feminism, LGBTQ rights, mass shootings, acts of terrorism, and much more! Our focus won’t be on choosing who is right, or who is wrong, but rather exploring art’s role in helping us to make up our own minds. We will be looking at painting, sculpture, photography, and performance.
Harry Weil is the Director of Public Programs at the Green-Wood Cemetery where he curates tours, concerts, performances, and art installations. His projects have been features in The New York Times and New Yorker, among other publications. Harry has a PhD in art history from Stony Brook University.
EXPLORING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
Thursdays
12:00-1:00 p.m.
$80 member / $96 non-member
Can the Book of Psalms, written thousands of years ago, be meaningful to the modern reader? Both Edward Feld and Martin S Cohen seek to prove that these poems can speak to us today. For one, we share with the book moments of joy, despair and of hope. For the other, the intent is to enable the readers to “use these poems to deepen their spirituality and religious sensitivity.” Through our exploration of these poems, and with the help of these authors, I hope that we may find intellectual stimulation and spiritual inspiration as Jews and Christians have done for centuries.
Rabbi Irwin Goldenberg is a retired Reform Rabbi who has served congregations in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico and has taught at Gettysburg College and York College of Pennsylvania.
Book Discussion Group
Come find out why this book group has such a devoted following! Thoughtful, lively, provocative discussions focus on the best new and classic literature and non-fiction. Moderated discussions dig into the books to get the most from them, yet we also have a lot of fun. New participants are always welcome.
George Eliot
Middlemarch
Thursday, September 5, 2024 – 12:00pm
George Eliot’s beloved classic novel is the story of a beautiful, gifted young woman who marries an older man. Trapped in a lonely marriage, she finds companionship with his cousin. Virginia Woolf called it “one of the few novels in English written for grownups”. Zadie Smith wrote of the great humanistic spirit of the book, “that people are holy, even in their flaws, even in their sinfulness.” Leave yourself time so that you can read it slowly and enjoy the reading!
Please register through our online system here:
Cultural Arts & Jewish Heritage Speakers & Authors
Holocaust Survivor Initiative
Sam Field Older Adult Center
Bay Terrace Older Adult Center
Did you know?
Our wide variety of programs are available throughout the New York City Metropolitan Area! Browse our list of facilities to learn more about our core locations and program sites.