Maltz Museum Hosting Series of Events on Injustice

BEACHWOOD, OH - The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is inviting visitors to see This Light of Ours, which uses video, 3D structures and 157 black-and-white photographs, to bring injustices past and present into bold relief. In addition to the exhibit, the museum is hosting a series of events to call attention to injustice and the vulnerable members of our society. The events run through early 2017.

The events run the gamut, from a concert of protest music by the Voices of Imani choir to celebrity chef Michael Twitty’s exploration of culinary justice, the Museum’s fall programs focus on identifying cultural divides and celebrating those who stood up to change America.

“It’s important for us to focus on where we’ve been in order to see clearly where we are and where we’re going as a nation,” says Education and Public Programs Director Jeffery Allen.

Space is limited and advance reservations are always recommended. Programs with an asterisk (*) include admission to This Light of Ours. Unless otherwise noted, events take place at the Maltz Museum (2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH 44122). For more information on these and other Maltz Museum events and exhibitions, call 216.593.0575 or visit maltzmuseum.org.

WED OCT 19 | 7PM

Film Screening: Freedom Summer

Free with registration

A look back at the summer of 1964, when more than 700 student activists, civil rights organizers and everyday citizens took Mississippi by storm, registering voters and creating freedom schools that challenged the foundations of white supremacy and segregation.

THURS NOV 3, DEC 1 & JAN 5 | 1 - 3PM

Interplay Jewish Theatre Play Reading Series*

3-part series: $36 general, $30 Maltz Museum Members

Join local playwright Faye Sholiton and special guests for a “book” club like no other. Read these rich plays at home and then share your questions and insights in a discussion with peers and experts.

· “Miss Julie: Freedom Summer” by Stephen Sachs - A re-imagination of August Strindberg’s famous play, set in Mississippi on July 4, 1964, two days after the signing of the Civil Rights Act.

· “To Kill a King” by Joshua Ford - Set during the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike of 1968, historic figures explore the events leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

· “All Things Being Equal” by Faye Sholiton - Two tenured social studies teachers—one black, one white-find themselves on opposing sides in a reverse discrimination case.

THURS NOV 3 | 6PM

Our Immigrant Communities Today - Refugees Welcome?

Hosted by The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Ave #200, Cleveland, OH 44114

Free with registration

Refugees and immigration reform are at the forefront of the 2016 election. From the undocumented immigrant population of 11 million in the U.S., to the Syrian refugee crisis, to uses of the H-1B visa system for high-skilled workers, the immigration debate puts our economy, our borders and our communities under the microscope. Join us as Isam Zaiem (Council on American-Islamic Relations), Leen Midani (senior at CSU, Syrian refugee), Veronica Dahlberg (executive Director, Hola) and Global Cleveland’s Joe Cimperman shed light on major immigration issues of our day by discussing sensible immigration reform and explaining why they believe changes to immigration policy are needed. Presented by Global Cleveland and Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage with support from The City Club of Cleveland and Margaret W. Wong & Associates.

SUN NOV 6 | 2PM

No Money, No Beer, No Pennants: An Author Talk & Booksigning with Scott Longert

Free with registration

The Great Depression had a profound effect on Major League Baseball. Several teams were near bankruptcy while others sold their star players in an effort to meet payroll. No Money, No Beer, No Pennants: The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Great Depression documents the fortunes of the Cleveland Indians during one of the worst economic times in American history. Author Scott Longert explains the measures Cleveland management took to survive and discusses Jonah Goldman, one of the first Jewish ballplayers signed by the Indians.

WED NOV 9 | 7PM

Faces of Faith: The Role of the Catholic Church in Civil Rights Then & Now*

$12 general, $6 Maltz Museum Members

Like many faith groups, the Catholic Church has been involved in civil rights issues. Join moderator Len Calabrese; Sr. Carol Ziegler, SND., Chief Mission Officer and Executive Director of the Abrahamic Center at Notre Dame College; Sr. Juanita Shealey, CSJ; Sr. Joan Gallagher, CSA; and Sr. Rita Mary Harwood, SND; in examining the role the church has played and continues to play in the pursuit of social justice. Presented in partnership with Notre Dame College.

SUN NOV 13 | 3PM

Music of the March

Imani Temple, 2463 N. Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

$6 general

Led by the incomparable Tina Farmer, Voices of Imani gospel choir and the Anti-Defamation League of Cleveland explore songs of peace and protest.

SUN NOV 20 | 3PM

Interplay Jewish Theatre Staged Reading: Bourbon at the Border*

by Pearl Cleage, directed by Terrence Spivey

Included with Museum admission - $12 general; suggested $6 Maltz Museum Member donation

Howard University students May and Charlie search for a way back from the damage done to them during that Freedom Summer long ago. Bourbon at the Border puts a human face on the unknown activists of the Civil Rights Movement without romanticizing the effort or reducing the contribution.

THURS DEC 1 | 7PM

A Place at the Table: An Evening with Chef Michael Twitty

Cleveland Museum of Natural History (1 Wade Oval Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106)

Call 216.231.4600 to register.

$12 general, $10 Maltz Museum Members

Renowned chef, food writer and scholar, culinary activist and Judaic studies teacher Michael Twitty examines the emerging topic of culinary justice – the idea that historically oppressed peoples have a right to authority, prosperity and acknowledgment of their contributions to national and global foodways. Join in a lively discussion about how the preparation of food unites and divides narratives and how food can be used for good. Presented through a collaboration of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, MaltzMuseum of Jewish Heritage and Case Western Reserve University’s Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities.

SUN DEC 4 | 12PM – 5PM

Holiday CircleFest

Cleveland History Center, 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Free

During Holiday CircleFest, more than a dozen of University Circle’s renowned museums, gardens, galleries, churches and schools open their doors free of charge. The Maltz Museum will be in the Cleveland History Center lobby with hands-on holiday activities. Stop by and make edible marshmallow dreidels, create a Hanukkah craft, dance to klezmer music and learn about Jewish culture, tradition and celebrations on your tour of Wade Oval.

WED DEC 7 | 7PM

Redlining, Neighborhoods & Health: 80 Years of Divided Communities*

Presented by Adam Perzynski, PhD, Assistant Professor, Center for Health Care Research and Policy, MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University, Director, Patient-Centered Media Lab

$12 general, $6 Maltz Museum Members

Dr. Perzynski shares mounting local, national and historical evidence of a connection between neighborhood characteristics and individual health outcomes. Discover how segregation, lending decisions, internet access and decades-old housing policies are tied to present-day health disparities.

SUN DEC 25 | 11AM – 5PM

Give What You Can, Pay What You Can*

Bring a canned good donation and/or pay what you can toward Museum admission

Make a donation and explore the inspiring stories in This Light of Ours. Docents are available in the exhibition throughout the day. The afternoon also includes a chance to create cards welcoming new immigrants to Northeast Ohio as well as a special 2pm screening of the acclaimed Freedom Riders documentary (separate registration required). All canned goods will be donated to the Semach SedekR.I.A.S. Kosher Food Bank & Pantry and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

SUN DEC 25 | 2PM

Film Screening: Freedom Riders*

Free, part of “Give What You Can, Pay What You Can” day

The powerful, harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Jim Crow South, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism. Freedom Riders features testimony from influential figures on all sides of the story.

WED DEC 28 | 5 – 6pm

Friends of the Maltz Museum Hanukkah Candlelighting

Free

Children of all ages and backgrounds are invited to celebrate the Jewish festival of lights! Sing songs, play the dreidel game, learn the story of Hanukkah and indulge in a sweet cookie reception.

WED JAN 4 | 6PM

Stop the Hate® Volunteer Reader Kickoff*

Free for registered volunteer readers

An anticipated 4,000 6 – 12th graders from across Northeast Ohio students enter Stop the Hate® for a chance to win significant scholarships and awards. We need readers to review and score approximately 25 of these entries online. After hearing a brief presentation on scoring essays, volunteers are invited to explore the Museum.

FRI JAN 6 | 11:59PM (Grades 6-10)

FRI JAN 20 | 11:59PM (Grades 11-12)

Stop the Hate® Youth Speak Out Essays Due

Free for Northeast Ohio 6-12th graders in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull & Wayne counties

Youth Speak Out celebrates students committed to creating a more accepting, inclusive society. By reflecting on real-life situations and detailing ways to make a positive difference in the world in 500 words or less, young leaders win BIG. $100,000 in scholarships, prizes and anti-bias education grants are awarded each year.

Image via the Maltz Museum