LESSANS FAMILY Literary Series 2023-2024
Love to read? Enjoy meaningful discussions? Join us for one, or all, of the upcoming Lessans Family Literary Series discussions.
| Days of Remembrance | Sunday, May 5th - |
| We Must Not Think of Ourselves | Thursday, May 16th - 7:00 - 8:30 PM |
Days of Remembrance
Sunday, May 5th
The Bender JCC will remember the victims, honor the survivors, and embrace the lessons of the Holocaust as we look towards a hopeful future free from hate. Antisemitism ─ the hatred of or prejudice against Jews ─ was at the foundation of the Holocaust and a basic tenet of Nazi ideology. During the Days of Remembrance, we also remember the non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust who suffered grievous oppression and death for ideological, political, and racial reasons. Through a series of commemorative events ─ including art, film, literature, music, and survivor testimonies ─ our community will reflect on the dangers of bigotry. Days of Remembrance is a call to conscience to ensure that we don’t stand silently in the face of hate in all its forms.
Schedule of Commemorative Events
Monday, May 6 | 7:00 PM | $15 | Bender JCC
&
Thursday, May 9 | 2:00 PM | $15 | Leisure World
Yom Ha’Shoah Concert: We Remember
Join the Iris Piano Trio and Yiddish vocalist Frieda Enoch for an afternoon of music in commemoration of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). The musicians present beautiful music that showcases the power of the human spirit despite the darkest of days. Against all odds, faith, hope and music have always strengthened and uplifted us!
Tuesday, May 7 | 7:00 PM | $12 | Bender JCC
Cinema J presents: One Life
Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, the true story of Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, a young London broker who rescued 669 predominantly Jewish children from the Nazis.
Wednesday, May 8 | 7:00 PM | FREE | Bender JCC
Zikaron BaSalon with Joshua Schonfeld
As part of our Days of Remembrance events, we are pleased to welcome local community member Josh Schonfeld to the Bender JCC. Josh will talk about his father and grandparents, who were survivors of the Holocaust.
Thursday, May 16 | 7:00 PM | $18 | Bender JCC
We Must Not Think of Ourselves
We welcome Lauren Grodstein for her presentation of her new book, We Must Not Think of Ourselves. On the heels of Yom Hashoah comes this heart-wrenching story of love and defiance set in the Warsaw Ghetto, based on the actual archives kept by those determined to have their stories survive World War II.
Thursday, May 16 | 7:00 – 8:30 PM | $18
The Lessans Family Literary Series Presents:
Lauren Grodstein: We Must Not Think of Ourselves
The Lessans Family Literary Series is thrilled to welcome Lauren for her presentation of her new book, We Must Not Think of Ourselves. Laura will be in conversation with author and Bender JCC community member, Deborah Kalb.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Adam Paskow is a schoolteacher forced to share a cramped one-bedroom apartment with two other families as their Jewish community is herded into the Ghetto and cut off from the rest of Warsaw in 1940. Adam uses literature to try to help his students endure their unbearable situation, but it’s nearly impossible to focus on poetry when they are bartering daily for food and the war is intensifying just beyond the Ghetto’s walls. As part of a project to keep the stories of the Ghetto’s residents alive, Adam begins to take testimonies from the children and others to help preserve their histories. These testimonies teach him how to survive – even how to find joy – in a place where young boys set up their own black markets, where young girls try to pass as Aryan, and where, in a desperate upside-down world, no choices are good ones.
On the heels of Yom Hashoah comes this heart-wrenching story of love and defiance set in the Warsaw Ghetto, based on the actual archives kept by those determined to have their stories survive World War II. Inspired by the testimony-gathering project with the code name Oneg Shabbat, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Grodstein draws readers into the lives of people living on the edge. Told with immediacy and heart, We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a piercing story of love, determination, and sacrifice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren Grodstein is the author of five novels, including the Read with Jenna selection We Must Not Think of Ourselves, New York Times bestseller A Friend of the Family and the Washington Post Book of the Year The Explanation for Everything.
Lauren’s work has been translated into French, Turkish, German, Hebrew, and other languages, and her essays and reviews have been widely published. She teaches in the MFA Program at Rutgers University-Camden and lives in New Jersey with her husband and children.
Questions? Contact Marcie Blackman at 301.348.3808, or email mblackman@benderjccgw.org.
All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.
