On April 22, 2018 we lost our younger son, Zachary, then 26, in a car/pedestrian
accident. Grief riven, my wife Diane and I, along with my older brother and his wife,
decided to go ahead with a long-planned visit to my grandfather's shtetl in eastern Poland.
We would be the first descendants to return. This sad trip became the subject of an essay
that was co-published in the Delacorte Review of the Columbia School of Journalism and
Moment Magazine this past January. This talk revolves around that trip and my current
related book project.
Lunch: Nakoma Salad, dinner rolls & mini muffins, choice of entrée: Baked Atlantic
salmon with caper dill sauce or Vegetable phyllo (sautéed squash, peppers, onions,
tomatoes, spinach & herbed cream cheese wrapped in phyllo dough, topped with
marinara and crème fraiche), wild mushroom risotto cake, vegetable medley. Dessert:
Dark chocolate ganache three-layer cake
The twenty-three year old Bento (Baruch) Spinoza was
“excommunicated” from the Amsterdam Portuguese-Jewish
community over 350 years ago, for his “abominable heresies”
and “monstrous deeds”. He would go on to become one of
the most important philosophers in history. Though best
known for his radical (and probably atheistic) views on God and nature, his main project
was moral: providing an account of how best to live. In this presentation, we will
consider some of Spinoza’s ethical views on living well and how to flourish as a human
being, as well as on how to face our mortality. In this way, we can see why a philosopher
from the seventeenth century is still relevant for us today.
Lunch: Seasonal fruit plate, dinner rolls & mini muffins, choice of entrée: Pan-fried
Walleye with panko breadcumb or Sun-dried tomato and asparagus quiche in puff pastry,
parsley red potatoes, baby carrots. Dessert: Door County cherry pie
Who defines the values that characterize a nation? To Fritz Oppenheimer, a scion
of a Jewish banking family, soldier for the Kaiser and international lawyer in Berlin,
Germany represented culture, opportunity and the rule of law. After the Nazis seized
power, he fled his homeland, entered basic training in the U.S. and rose in the ranks to
become Gen. Eisenhower’s legal advisor. In that capacity, he led post-war efforts to
denazify the U.S. Zone, and in a rare reversal of fortune, rewrote the laws to set his native
country back on a path to democracy.
Drawing on his contemporaneous WWI diary, hundreds of letters, original WWII
documents taken from Hitler’s bunker and interviews with experts, the Handlers are
writing a book about Oppenheimer, who was Harry’s grandfather.
Lunch: Minestrone soup, dinner rolls & mini muffins, choice of entree: Grilled Tilapia
with cucumber-red pepper relish or Roasted Vegetable Napoleon (Layers of grilled
portabella caps, roasted red peppers, asparagus, summer squash, & provolone cheese,
served with a roasted garlic & basil vinaigrette), whipped potatoes, steamed asparagus.
Dessert: Tiramisu
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86953666271?pwd=ekNFRjVoVDBZMHB3MW1zRkxnNjVIUT09
Meeting ID: 869 5366 6271
Passcode: 325888
One tap mobile
312-626-6799
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86953666271?pwd=ekNFRjVoVDBZMHB3MW1zRkxnNjVIUT09
Meeting ID: 869 5366 6271
Passcode: 325888
One tap mobile
312-626-6799
PLEASE READ BEFORE ATTENDING:
Beth Israel Center is now requiring proof of vaccination to enter the building. Please bring your vaccination card to show at the office. If you do not have proof of vaccination, you can order your meal to-go. Please buzz at the Randall St. parking lot entry door.
Join us for great food, friends, fun, and interesting programs at Lechayim Lunchtime Plus.
Meeting at Beth Israel Center, 1406 Mound Street, located on the corner of Mound Street and Randall Avenue.
If you would like a meal, contact Jewish Social Services at (608) 442-4083 or email:
paul@jssmadison.org by Wednesday preceding the meal. If you are 60 years or older, a minimum donation of $4.00 is suggested, but please only pay what is comfortable for you. The cost of the meal is $9.07 for those younger than 60 years old.
Many thanks to UW Hillel Adamah Catering for providing our delicious kosher meals!
Monday, March 7
11:00 am -11:30 am: Yoga from a chair with Estelle Katz
11:30 am -12:30 pm: Saffron chicken (Veg option: eggplant & tomato stew), crispy rice, roasted Persian vegetable, fruit, dessert
