Refusenik Film
Led by Mike Perlman
Tuesday, January 20, 6:30–9 pm, CBI Library (in person only)

Viewing and discussion of a film describing the 30-year international movement to free Soviet Jewry. Michael Perlman is a retired psychiatrist who was a former President and Board Member of CBI.

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Jews and Recent American Film
Led by Professor Jonathan Skolnik

Tuesdays, Feb 10, 17, 24, March 3, 6:30–8 pm, CBI Library (in person only)

This four-week class will analyze and discuss representations of Jewish themes in selected recent American films. What do these products say about the changing place of Jews and Judaism in American life? What complex messages might they be communicating to different kinds of audiences? Participants will watch the films on their own, and we will meet over four Tuesdays to analyze and discuss them.

• Feb 10: For Your Consideration (Dir. Christopher Guest, 2006, 86 min.)

• Feb 17: Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (Dir. Kelly Craig, 2023, 108 min)

• Feb 24: A Real Pain (Dir. Jesse Eisebberg, 2024, 89. min)

• March 3: Eleanor the Great (Dir. Scarlett Johansson, 2025, 98 min.)​

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Beginner Hebrew (registration closed)
Led by Judy Katz 
April 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26, CBI classroom 3 ( in person only)

This 6-session class will help you learn to decode and read Hebrew, even if you don’t understand it. Students must obtain the following book for this class: Learn Hebrew Today: Alef-Bet for Adults. Limited to 6 students. 
Judy Katz taught Hebrew reading in Delaware and Maryland for many years and is looking forward to teaching at CBI.

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Discover the Vibrant World of Mizrahi Heritage

Jews of Color and Mizrahi Jews represent a beautiful majority of the Jewish population in Israel and across the globe. We invite you to join us for a captivating and informative two-part series as we explore the rich tapestry of these diverse cultures. Each class will feature a cooking demo & tasting led by Veronica Darmon for the cooking demo and tasting

 

Co-sponsored by the Am Yisrael Chai Chavurah, this CBI Adult Education program offers a deep dive into the history, traditions, and resilience of Mizrahi communities.

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MAY 12 6-8 PM, REGISTER

Led by Shoshana Madmoni-Gerber

Can you be Yemenite and Israeli? Shoshana Madmoni-Gerber is an Associate Professor and chair of the Communication, Journalism, and Media at Suffolk University in Boston. She worked as a journalist in Israel during the 1990s for several newspapers, focusing on investigative journalism and social justice. Shoshana’s book, Israeli Media and the Framing of Internal Conflict: The Yemenite Babies Affair, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2009 and in paperback in 2014. Brief Cooking Demonstration and tasting will feature Jachnun (Yemenite overnight pastry rolls).

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JUNE 2 5-7 PM, REGISTER

Led by Jessica Marglin

Where did the Jews in Morocco come from, and when did they arrive? What languages did they speak? Were they Arab Jews? Or Berber Jews? Both or neither?And why did the vast majority of Moroccan Jews leave? This talk will feature Jessica Marglin, who is Professor of Religion, Law, and History, and the Ruth Ziegler Chair in Jewish Studies at the University of Southern California.  She earned her PhD from Princeton and her BA and MA from Harvard.Discussion followed by cooking demo & tasting. Brief Cooking Demonstration and tasting will feature Couscous Marocain Avec Legume (Moroccan Couscous with Roasted Vegetables)