Yeshiva University Museum at the Center for Jewish History

15 West 16^th Street (between 5^th and 6^th Avenues)

Thursday, June 3, 2010

7:00 - 9:00 pm

 

Participate in a uniquely creative Taste of Limmud NY.  Experience Jewish history through the arts.  The minimum required donation for this event is $10, which can be paid at the door. 

Click HERE to register in advance.

 

Check out these exciting sessions and click on the links for more information about the presenters and their topics:

 

·       Outside the Box  View a teaser from filmmaker Lacey's Schwartz's documentary in progress about dual identity and family secrets. Followed by Q & A and a discussion on diversity in the Jewish community with the filmmaker.  Lacey is Director of Outreach for Be'chol Lashon.

 

·       Museum Tour  Tour the Braginsky and Drawing on Tradition exhibits with Zachary Paul Levine.   Consider:  Why does 19^th century French Haggadah look like it's from Turkey?  Why are there cherubs and zodiac signs on so many ketubot? How might we visualize Shushan, the grand capital of the Persian Empire, as the center of intrigue in the Purim story?  Zachary is Assistant Curator at the Yeshiva University Museum.

 

·       A One-Pot Seminar  Join Gabe Goldstein for a close-up, hands-on look at a rare 18^th century cholent pot. Cholent is literally more than the sum of its ingredients - see how this pot suggests the interconnectedness of Jewish law and lore, how cholent pots created bonds between individuals and communities, how evolving technology shaped the structure of the Jewish life and how a pot can suggest recipes, social status, diversity, economics and gender relations - much more than just "meat and potatoes."  Gabe is YU Museum Associate Director for Exhibitions and Programs.

 

·       Illuminated Midrash Mash-ups  Explore Jewish visual history through a whirlwind tour of the YU Museum followed by a 50-minute hands-on creative workshop facilitated by JT Waldman.  Drawing from historical images in the exhibits and their own illustrations, participants will use the modern language of comix to dissect, remix and collage images from Jewish visual history into modern fables of personal or biblical proportions.  No artistic talent required.  Just bring an active imagination and good questions.  JT is the Teaching Artist in Residence at the YU Museum.

 

·       Jewish Identity through Music  David Freeman will consider how contemporary musicians incorporate and reinterpret traditional Jewish texts.  Come prepared to engage with original and provocative music through video and audio recording and live performance.  David is a percussionist and composer.

 

On April 27^th I had the pleasure of leading an after-school program with students from the Progressive Dominican Alliance After-school Program in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Also in attendance were volunteer students from the Yeshiva University student body that had helped set up the program. The title of the workshop was Tell Your Own Megillah.

 

Thirteen 4^th and 5^th graders made their own 'megillah' comix. Each student created a story that reflected their interests and some of the problems their community face. I introduced the kids to the story of Esther using images from my graphic novel in a Powerpoint presentation and told the story of Purim in very simple and straightforward terms. I then asked the students to identify the key elements of a good story so that they could craft their own megillah.

 

One boy drew robots another fought battles under the sea, while one girl used images from Megillat Esther to tell the story of a shopaholic girl. For 90 minutes the ten year-olds were focused and excited about their work. None of the students were stumped about what to write, they instantly began working and drew, colored, and pasted epically small vignettes in the form of mini comix.

 

The story of Esther wasn't too foreign for the young Dominican students.

Her problems, and exotic setting blended right into the exaggerated far off worlds of comix. The students seemed at ease using panels and other comix conventions. But I have to admit the best part of the workshop was seeing the smiles on the kids' faces as they were so satisfied with their completed comix.

 

Check out some of the photos from the afternoon, including examples of student art.

 

 

The annual Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival is almost here (April 10 & 11). Kick off the coolest comic book convention in NYC a bit earlier with this evening full of Jews and comix!!

Join host Jeff Newelt (Pekar Project, Heeb) and comic book creators Miss Lasko-Gross (A Mess of Everything), Chari Pere (ChariPere.com), Eli Valley (EV Comics), and JT Waldman (Megillat Esther) as they dissect comic book images related to themes of oppression, authenticity, and depictions of the OTHER. Marvel at their witty banter and self-deprecating analysis. Laugh at the awkward comments. Gather with other Jewish geeks!

This is a FREE event!
Thursday April 8th 2010
7-9 PM
15 W. 16th Street

For more Info about the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art

For more info about the Yeshiva University Museum

This year's Yeshiva University Arts Festival is entitled, Think Outside the Box. A comic book artist could not have asked for a more serendipitous tag line. I have been drawing inside and outside of boxes (or panels, as we comix geeks like to call them) for years. I'm elated to have the opportunity to share this creative process with YU students in my inaugural session as the 2010 YUM Teaching Artist in Residence.

On Sunday March 21st I led a group of YU students through the museum to explore the themes that flow through Jewish visual history. Participants then had the opportunity to make their own comix using images taken from current YUM exhibitions.  Blending drawing with snippets of illuminated manuscripts and word balloons, we dissected, remixed, and collaged together stories of personal or biblical proportions.

Check out images from the workshop!

I serve as tour guide and instigator during this journey through Jewish worlds. I hope that you'll come back to this site to discover how illuminated manuscripts, graphic novels, and the Jewish art of questioning come together. Stay tuned to this blog to discover what this artistic expedition has uncovered.

Click here for more information about the YU Arts Festival.
Click here for more information about the 2010 YUM Teaching Artist in Residence.