Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership | spertus.edu
January–June 2020
News & Events
Responses to Climate Change This year’s Critical Conversation explores solutions, moderated by David Wallace-Wells (The Uninhabitable Earth) | P6
Eboo Patel on Interfaith Leadership | P8
Hear Michelle Obama’s speechwriter on her Jewish journey in the White House | P15
The unexpected Jewish roots of Tango | P27
Who represents us? Andy Warhol’s Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century | P25
In the Ground Level Arts Lab | Spertus showcases Andy Warhol’s Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century and other collection highlights | P25
Los Tangueros del Oeste performs music and dance developed by Jewish immigrants of Argentina | P27
Eboo Patel, the boundary-breaking founder of Interfaith Youth Core, discusses why religion should be a bridge, not a barrier | P8 New York Magazine’s David Wallace-Wells, author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Uninhabitable Earth, moderates this year’s Critical Conversations | P6 Speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz discusses her Jewish journey in the White House | P15
Learning
Contents News Study Cites Spertus CEO Transition as Best Practice | P4 Letter from Spertus President and CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell | P5 Community Across Borders: Global Jewish Leadership | P18
Leadership
Spertus Collections On the Move | P23 Introducing Director of Development Rebecca Garrett | P32
Center for Jewish Leadership Leadership Forum | Eboo Patel on Interfaith Leadership | P8 Learning to Lead: Degree and Certificate Programs | P10 Resource Conference for Educators | P12
Arts & Culture
MentorWorks | P13 Israeli Women & Leadership | P15 Ideas Forum | Speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz | P15
Center for Jewish Studies Graduate Offerings and Upcoming Seminar | P17
Programs and Events Critical Conversations: Responses to Climate Change | P6 Exhibition | From Here to There | P23
News
Exhibition | Who Represents Us? | P25 Concert | Los Tangueros del Oeste | P27 Spertus in the Suburbs | The Arts in Odessa | P28 ViewPoints | Interreligious Dialogue | P29
Sponsorship, Support, and Membership Resources
Leave a Legacy of Learning | P30 Membership | P33
Calendar
| P35
For ticket and reservation questions, call 312.322.1773
Events
Connect with Spertus for updates, invites, and discounts
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A partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community
Photo by Sam Schultz/Dogs & Not Dogs Photography.
Dr. Dean P. Bell at the Kaplan Leadership Initiative’s Global Jewish Leadership Seminar, presented by Spertus in partnership with the JDC. At left is program manager Shai Kidishman, at right, program coordinator and interpreter Marina Gatskan. For more, see page 20.
Spertus Institute’s recent leadership transition cited as example of best practice Spertus Institute was one of six major Jewish organizations showcased in case studies about leadership transitions. Released by New York-based Leading Edge and prepared by Eben Harrell, a senior editor at Harvard Business Review (HBR), the series addresses issues that are key for all nonprofit organizations. The Spertus case study documents the transition from Dr. Hal M. Lewis, now Spertus Chancellor and principal consultant for Leadership for Impact LLC, to current President and CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell. It is one of three cases highlighting candidates promoted from within. About the selection of Spertus as an organization to profile, the report says: “If one of the indications of a high-performing organization is its ability to identify, develop, and promote talent from within, then Spertus certainly did something right.” Read the case study or listen to it in audio form at spertus.edu/news
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Learning
How would you describe Spertus? Letter from Dr. Dean P. Bell Dear Friends:
Leadership
At a recent meeting, a trustee mentioned “Spertus” and “exciting” in the same sentence. As is my wont, I quipped “How could one imagine one without the other?” While it was good for a laugh, I meant it seriously. I can’t imagine Spertus without thinking about the excitement of our degree, certificate, and public programs. My vision is that anytime someone uses the term “exciting” in the context of Jewish learning or leadership, the next thing they say is “Spertus.” And we are on our way.
Arts & Culture
As you page through this issue of Spertus News & Events, keep in mind how our programs engage and embrace community, a guiding theme for us this year. Community, of course, has many dimensions. In my estimation, two of the most important are relationships and responsibility.
News
In January, we welcome boundary-breaking interfaith leader Eboo Patel to a forum for our graduate students and the public (see page 8). In his book Out of Many Faiths, Patel quotes thinker Alasdair MacIntyre, who said “I can only answer the question, ‘What am I to do?’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?’” Relationships, responsibility, community. In a similar vein, in April, I am delighted to lead a ViewPoints program on interreligious dialogue with my colleague Professor Mike Hogue from Meadville Lombard Theological School (see page 29).
Resources
Critical Conversations is an annual event endowed by dear Spertus friend and former trustee, the late Eric Joss. This year, the keenly relevant topic is climate change. The experts on the program’s panel will explore why it is so difficult to mobilize people around the urgency of the issue (see page 6). One panelist, the trailblazing Bill McKibben, addressed this point in his new bestseller, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?. He wrote, “If ‘Let anyone do what they want’ is a flawed argument, then ‘No one can stop them anyway’ is an infuriating one. Insisting that some horror is inevitable no matter what you do is the response of people who don’t want to be bothered trying to stop it.” Responsibility, relationships, community.
Events
We have many challenges in the world today. In response, we have the opportunity to form community around positive values and actions, to develop strong relationships and take responsibility. Please join us at Spertus, where we believe that learning communities are vibrant communities. I look forward to seeing you. Best wishes,
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Dr. Dean P. Bell President and CEO Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
Activists and experts debate what needs to be done and why we are too immobilized to act
Responses to Real. Relevant. Urgent.
Critical Conversations is an annual Spertus Institute program inspired by Judaism’s embrace of civil discourse. A key event in Spertus’ schedule, it brings together high-profile speakers, often with considerably different points of view, to address the most critical issues of the day. Tickets $36 | $20 for students, Spertus alumni, and members VIP tickets—$100 for pre-program event, VIP seating, and post-program reception with the speakers Space is limited. Purchase tickets at spertus.edu/conversation Valet parking $20 (cash only).
The most important driver of climate change is human action. We have our hands on those levers. — David Wallace-Wells Moderator David Wallace-Wells is deputy editor and climate columnist for New York magazine and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Uninhabitable Earth. Formerly the deputy editor of The Paris Review and a national fellow at the New America foundation, he was host of the podcast 2038, which explores visions of the future.
Panelists The same peculiar, emotional, even illogical human mind that got us into this mess is the best instrument we have for getting us out — Kevin Green Kevin Green is Vice President at Rare and head of the Center for Behavior & the Environment. His team designs solutions to environmental challenges.
If we rise to the occasion…we can contribute to a future that is safe [and] full of love, compassion, and justice — Mirele B. Goldsmith Mirele B. Goldsmith is an environmental psychologist and activist. She is a founder of Jewish Earth Alliance, a coalition mobilizing Jews to advocate for action on climate change. 6
Learning
February 25 at 6:30 pm Ticket price includes pre-event drinks and appetizers 5 pm to 6:15 pm
Leadership
Climate Change Critical Conversations is generously funded by the late Eric Joss Thank you to our sponsors and community partners
Arts & Culture
The Gilchrist Group
News Resources
Right now we have a value system reflected in economics... we need morality in our political decision-making — Karenna Gore Karenna Gore is director and founder of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary.
The one thing that needs to be bigger than climate change is our movement to stop it — Bill McKibben Events
Bill McKibben is the founder of international environmental organization 350.org. His 1989 book The End of Nature is often cited as the first book on global warming. His new book is Falter.
Katherine Milkman is a behavioral economist from the Wharton School, where she works on getting humans to make better decisions. She hosts the podcast Choiceology. 7
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Behavior change has an important role to play in solving many of the world’s most pressing challenges, including global warming — Katherine Milkman
Hear Eboo Patel, the boundary-breaking founder of Interfaith Youth Core, on how religion can be a bridge, not a barrier.
Interfaith Leadership in Today’s Time of Tribalism Monday, January 13 at 6 pm $25 | $18 for Spertus members $10 for students, Spertus alumni, clergy, and employees of Jewish organizations Price includes dinner. Kosher and halal dietary laws observed. Books will be for sale. A book signing will follow the program. Advance reservations required. Purchase tickets online at spertus.edu For Spertus Institute’s 2020 Leadership Forum, join Eboo Patel—along with Spertus students, alumni, and faculty—for dinner and discussion about religious diversity and the role of leadership. Patel will draw on inspiring examples to underscore how we can build a country where all people thrive. Eboo Patel is a leading figure on issues of religion and democracy. For 15 years he has worked with governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to make interfaith cooperation a social norm. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council and was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of Acts of Faith, Interfaith Leadership: A Primer, and Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise. He holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
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Learning Leadership
To see the other side, to defend another people, not despite your tradition, but because of it, is the heart of pluralism. —Eboo Patel
Arts & Culture News Resources Support Spertus
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Events
Photo courtesy of Interfaith Youth Core
Supported by a generous grant from the Crown Family
Acquire real world skills and be ready to take the lead Fellowships cover up to 60% of costs for qualified applicants. Contact Director of Enrollment Anita Silvert at asilvert@spertus.edu or 312.322.1707
Find out more at spertus.edu/center
Learning
MA in Jewish Professional Studies For Jewish communal professionals with 5+ years of post-college work experience. More than 75% of students report a promotion or higher-level job change within one year of graduation.
Leadership
Chicago-Area Cohort | Begins August 17, 2020 North American Cohort | Begins January 10, 2021
Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies North American Cohort
Arts & Culture
For Jewish communal executives with 12+ years of professional experience. Can be completed in just one year because your experience can count toward graduate credit. | Begins June 7, 2020
News
Certificate in Jewish Leadership For the staff and lay leaders of Jewish organizations, presented by Spertus Institute in partnership with Northwestern University.
North American Cohort Begins August 30, 2020
Resources
Certificate in Jewish Leadership for Educators
Events
For senior-level Jewish educators, presented by Spertus Institute in partnership with Northwestern University with funding from The Perlmans. The 2020 cohort has been filled.
North American Cohort Begins January 10, 2021.
Chicago cohorts meet at Spertus one evening/week. No summer instruction. 11
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Instruction for North American cohorts takes place during seminars (2x/year) at Spertus Institute’s Chicago campus.
Are you a program planner or educator who designs, implements, or presents Jewish educational programs for adults? This conference is for you. 2020 Adult Jewish Learning Resource Conference
Creating Programs That Click Wednesday, January 22 from 9:30 am to 2 pm $25 | $18 for Spertus members | $10 for students, Spertus alumni, and employees of Jewish organizations. Price includes lunch. Kosher dietary laws observed. Advance reservations required. Purchase tickets online at spertus.edu Learn to design programs that truly connect with your participants. Network with colleagues from across the region. Walk away with inspirational new tools to advance lifelong Jewish learning.
Keynote | Rethinking Jewish Literacy Hear Dr. Jon A. Levisohn on what Jewish literacy means for adult learners. Dr. Levisohn is a philosopher of education who directs the Mandel Center for Studies Jewish in Education at Brandeis University.
Breakout Sessions Program Evaluation led by Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, Spertus Institute Dean and Chief Academic Officer. Marketing and Audience Development led by Cayenne Harris, Vice President of Lyric Opera’s Lyric Unlimited.
Supported by a generous grant from the Crown Family
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Learning
MentorWorks A forum for mentors, coaches, managers, and supervisors to connect with new ideas, recent research, and an expanded network of their peers.
Leadership
Tickets $18 per session | $10 for Spertus members $8 for students and Spertus alumni. Reserve for one or both sessions a at spertus.edu
Session 1 Award-winning journalist Frank Sesno Arts & Culture
Ask More The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change Wednesday, February 19 9 am to 11 am
News
Frank Sesno is an internationally recognized journalist with more than 30 years of experience. Known as an anchor and White House correspondent with CNN, he is also a nationally renowned moderator who has engaged some of the world’s leading personalities. Sesno serves as Director of The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, where he teaches journalism ethics, sustainability reporting, and the art of the interview.
Resources
Session 2 Executive Coach Sharon Krohn
Listen Better Events
Thursday, March 26 9 am to 11 am Learn to harness the power of effective listening as a key leadership asset.
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Sharon Krohn is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) and Facilitator who partners with top performing leaders and teams to help them achieve clarity, chart a path to an envisioned future, and find joy in work. She received her training at the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership and serves as a member of the ITL Network Board of Directors.
Andy Warhol’s Golda Meir, from Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20th Century, on view in Spertus Institute’s Ground Level Arts Lab, opening March 23, 2020. See page 24
What can we learn from Israeli women about leadership?
Sarah Hurwitz was Michelle Obama’s head speechwriter… with this book she becomes Judaism’s speechwriter — Adam Grant
Hear Sarah Hurwitz on why Judaism matters
Learning
Golda’s Legacy and Beyond
Israeli Women & Leadership Monday, April 27 at 7 pm Since Israel’s founding, women leaders have made their mark, from Golda Meir’s election as prime minister, right up to today’s rising voices.
Leadership
To uncover lessons from these women’s experiences, Spertus presents Dr. Mira Sucharov, Associate Professor of Political Science at Carleton University, in conversation with Spertus Institute’s Dr. Keren E. Fraiman. Dr. Sucharov will train a lens on the leadership of Israeli women in politics, education, and the arts. Audience members will learn about dynamic initiatives and get a glimpse of the challenges and opportunities Israeli women face.
Arts & Culture
Dr. Mira Sucharov is a widely published author whose op-eds have appeared in Haaretz, The Forward, The Huffington Post, and The Daily Beast. She is a five-time teaching award winner and recipient of her Faculty’s Excellence in Public Commentary Award. She is founding cochair of the Jewish Politics Division at the Association for Jewish Studies and co-editor of the organizations’ magazine, AJS Perspectives. Tickets $18 | $10 for Spertus members | $8 for students and Spertus alumni. Includes dessert reception. Purchase tickets online at spertus.edu
News
This program is part of the Solomon Goldman Lecture Series, generously endowed by the late Rose and Sidney Shure.
Ideas Forum Resources
Here All Along A Jewish Journey in the White House Monday, June 8 at 6 pm $25 | $18 for Spertus members $10 for students, Spertus alumni, and employees of Jewish organizations. Price includes dinner. Kosher dietary laws observed.
Events
Advance reservations required. Purchase tickets online at spertus.edu Books will be for sale. A book signing will follow the program.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Hurwitz also worked on policy issues as a senior advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls. This is the 2020 Alex and Klara Tulsky Presentation on the Jewish Future. 15
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Sarah Hurwitz was a White House speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, first for President Barack Obama and then as chief speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. She worked with Mrs. Obama to craft widely-acclaimed addresses—including her 2016 Democratic National Convention speech —and traveled with the First Lady around the world.
Baghdadi Torah Case (Tik), Unknown Artist, 1897, Maurice Spertus Collection.
Learning
Jewish Studies We believe passionately that the wisdom of Jewish thought and the richness of Jewish history are critical to Judaism and Jewish society today
Leadership
Jewish Studies is an interdisciplinary academic specialty centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Combining history, religious studies, sociology, and political science, it explores Jewish texts, cultures, languages, and experiences over three millennia. Today, Jewish Studies departments exist at many colleges and universities, but this wasn’t always the case.
Arts & Culture
At Spertus, we have offered Jewish Studies programs for close to nine decades, with distinguished Spertus faculty and alumni influencing the field around the world. Our Jewish Studies courses take place at twice-yearly seminars and through a variety of online formats. Our students grapple with Jewish ideas in the service of their personal and professional advancement.
Degree Types News
Master of Arts in Jewish Studies (MAJS) Doctor of Science in Jewish Studies (DSJS) Doctor of Hebrew Letters (DHL)
Info at spertus.edu/learn Contact Director of Enrollment Anita Silvert at asilvert@spertus.edu or 312.322.1707.
Resources
Considering a Jewish studies graduate degree? Apply by April 17 to participate in June 7–11 seminar.
Events
Jewish Studies seminars at Spertus offer courses in Jewish history, thought, and culture, along with study of classical Jewish texts. At seminars, you meet and learn together with acclaimed faculty and fellow students, providing an ideal opportunity to begin your learning experience.
Visit collection.spertus.edu to learn more.
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This Torah case, or tik in Hebrew, originated in Iraq, home to one of the world’s most ancient and historically significant Jewish communities. This case’s onion-domed top, miniature finials, and scrolling foliate silverwork are typical of the Jewish community of Baghdad, which dated back to the Babylonian exile and thrived as a center of Jewish learning.
Kaplan Leadership Fellows Global Jewish Leadership Seminar Spertus Institute, Chicago
Photo by Dogs + Not Dogs Photography.
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Learning Leadership
Together with our colleagues from the JDC, Spertus Institute was thrilled to welcome this year’s participants in the Kaplan Leadership Initiative, a training program for overseas Jewish community professionals. Participants came from 31 cities in 19 countries, representing communities with combined Jewish populations of 2 million. Turn the page to learn more about them >
Arts & Culture News Resources Events Support Spertus
This JDC global program is run in coordination with Jewish United Fund of Chicago and made possible by a generous grant from Edward and Carol Kaplan. Leadership training is provided by the Spertus Institute alongside JDC staff and professional experts.
Spertus CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell on a site visit with Fellows, Photo by Dogs + Not Dogs Photography.
Boat Ride. Photo by Barry Kafka.
Donor and JDC Trustee Carol Kaplan speaking to the Fellows at a dinner in their honor. Photo by Dan Rest.
JUF President Lonnie Nasatir with Dr. Dean P. Bell. Photo by Joe Underbakke.
Fellows Julia Oisboit from Kaliningrad and Dalia Felming from London. Photo by Joe Underbakke.
Photo by Joe Underbakke.
JDC Program Coordinator and Interpreter Marina Gatskan, Spertus Institute Coordinator of Mentoring & Executive Coaching Brooke Herszage, and JDC Kaplan Program Manager Shai Kidishman.
Learning
Community Across Borders Eight Days of International Jewish Learning in Chicago by Jessica Leving
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Jessica Leving is Spertus Institute’s Manager of Communications & Community Relations. Read a fuller report and see additional photos at spertus.edu/Kaplan
Events
On their final evening, the Fellows received Spertus Institute Certificates in Global Jewish Leadership, recognizing their new expertise and celebrating their new connections. What a special experience to be a part of—I can’t wait to find a reason to visit them in their own countries soon!
Resources
In a presentation to the group, Lonnie Nasatir, President of the Jewish United Fund of Chicago, posed the question: “How can we make our relationships more sticky? How can we make them stronger?” One way is to spend eight solid days together, digging into important topics with esteemed Spertus professors, sharing successes and challenges, and eating every kind of kosher food the city has to offer.
The Fellows visited with local organizations doing important work: One group followed a community and social services track, with visits to The ARK, JUF’s Uptown Cafe, and SketchPad. A second focused on inclusive Judaism, with visits to Chicago Jewish Day School, Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation, and Mishkan. A third focused on inclusivity and equality, visiting with Keshet LGBTQ, JCFS’ Abe and Ida Cooper Center, and Libenu. As the Fellows learned about these organizations, they engaged in important discussions on core community issues and made connections that will serve as resources for their work back home.
News
From orthodox rabbis to progressive Jewish LGBTQ advocates, it might seem we had little in common besides our shared Jewish heritage. But as we huddled below deck on that blustery morning, taking selfies through the windows and answering questions about each other’s lives, it became clear that we are all part of one global Jewish community. We all wonder how to engage our constituents. We all worry about antisemitism. And we all wished we had worn warmer coats!
“People ask me why I don’t move, or make aliyah. But I don’t want to be a Jew just anywhere. I am Polish. I want to be a Jew in Poland. It’s my home,” said Aleksandra Sajdak, for instance, during one of the facilitated discussions.
Arts & Culture
But there I was, with Fellows from the Kaplan Leadership Initiative, in Chicago for the Global Jewish Leadership Seminar, a JDC program presented in partnership with Spertus Institute and the Jewish United Fund of Chicago. The program brings together Jewish community professionals from YESOD Europe, LE’ATID Latin America, and the former Soviet Union for hands-on learning and community building. The initiative was envisioned and is sponsored by Chicagoans Edward and Carol Kaplan.
I was touched by my new international hevre’s stories of Jewish life in Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
Leadership
It’s not every day I find myself on a boat on the Chicago River with new friends from 19 different countries—let alone new Jewish friends who hail from as far south as Buenos Aires and as far north as the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.
Extended through March 1, 2020
Lilach Schrag, video still (detail) from The Hope, 5:40 minutes.
Linda Robinson Gordon | Ellen Holtzblatt Lilach Schrag | Michelle Stone
FROM HERE TO THERE
Four contemporary artists explore the relationship between the physical and spiritual Ground Level Arts Lab Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
Learning Leadership
Left to right: Michelle Stone, Hybrid 2 from Grew Some Hybrids series, (detail) mixed materials including acrylic gel and paint. Linda Robinson Gordon, Loci III, (detail) ink on paper. Ellen Holtzblatt, There Is Nothing So Whole As a Broken Heart, (detail) oil on linen.
Ground Level Arts Lab Exhibition Arts & Culture
Exhibitions at Spertus Institute are made possible through the generous support of the Harry and Sadie Lasky and Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundations. Exhibition programs are part of the Solomon Goldman Lecture Series, generously endowed by the late Rose and Sidney Shure.
From Here to There | Inspired by the cycles of the natural world, the artists explore their fascination with human experience, community, memory, time, and narrative.
News
Evoking the concept of Lech Lecha, a Hebrew phrase that translates as “go for you,” the artists experiment and take risks, stretching the boundaries of their artistic practices toward a place of personal authenticity. Works on view include drawings, paintings, sculptures, and videos. Exhibition curated by Sarah Krepp.
Free Artist Talk | Stories That Move Us Resources
Thursday, January 9 at 6:30 pm Join the artists as they discuss how their life experiences, memories, and ideas inform their work. Visit spertus.edu to reserve your spot.
Events
Spertus Objects Travel to Berlin
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Pieces from Spertus Institute’s world-class collection of art and artifacts often travel to prominent museums in Europe, Israel, and across North America. We are honored to have loaned two objects to the newly renovated Jewish Museum in Berlin—a museum renowned for its exhibitions and cutting-edge architecture. The objects will be part of a new exhibition on the history and culture of Jews in Germany. The pieces are an Elijah Cup (1914) produced by Art Deco designer Friedrich Adler and a Bronze Hanukkah Lamp by Benno Elkan (produced between 1903 and 1920).
Learning
Ground Level Arts Lab Exhibition
Who Represents Us? Andy Warhol’s Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20th Century and other highlights from the Spertus collection March 23–September 21, 2020
Leadership Arts & Culture
In this once-controversial series, Andy Warhol memorialized luminaries of modern Jewish culture: Sarah Bernhardt, Louis Brandeis, Martin Buber, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, George Gershwin, Franz Kafka, the Marx Brothers, Golda Meir, and Gertrude Stein. Warhol referred to these great thinkers, politicians, performers, and writers as his “Jewish geniuses.” He depicted them in his signature pop-art fashion, splashed with color and shapes, blurring of boundaries between art and commerce. The idea came from art dealer Ronald Feldman, who together with Susan Morgenstein of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, came up with the list of names.
News
The series was warmly received by Jewish audiences despite negative reviews from art critics who considered the works exploitative. Hilton Kramer of The New York Times wrote, “The way it exploits its Jewish subjects without showing the slightest grasp of their significance is offensive—or would be, anyway, if the artist had not already treated so many non-Jewish subjects in the same tawdry manner.” Today, as we think about Jewish identity through a multi-cultural, twenty-first-century lens, do these Jews represent us? Who does? See this series and other highlights from the Spertus collection as we explore Jews in art.
Resources
Free Opening Reception Monday, March 23 from 5:30 to 8 pm Online reservations appreciated by March 16 at spertus.edu
Golda’s Legacy & Beyond | Israeli Women & Leadership Monday, April 27 at 7 pm
Events
Explore Golda Meir’s legacy and the new voices representing women in Israel today. See Golda Meir portrait from this series on P14. See page 15 for program details.
Admission is free for all exhibitions. At left: Andy Warhol’s Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20th Century, Spertus Institute Collection. ©The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / Courtesy Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York.
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Ground Level Arts Lab Hours Sunday 10 am – 5 pm | Monday – Wednesday 9 am – 5 pm Thursday 9 am – 6 pm | Friday 9 am–3 pm Closed Saturdays and Jewish and secular holidays.
Learning Leadership Arts & Culture News
Spring Concert
Resources
Sunday, April 26 at 2 pm
Events
Los Tangueros del Oeste $18 | $10 for Spertus members | $8 for students and Spertus alumni Purchase tickets online at spertus.edu Sascha Jacobsen, bass
Carlos Caminos, guitar
Charles Gorczynski, bandoneon
Ishtar Hernandez, violin
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Featuring
Learning Leadership
Los Tangueros del Oeste. Painting by Jeremy Sutton.
Arts & Culture News Resources
Los Tangueros’ singular nuevo tango sound is cool and impassioned, sensuous, seductive, and utterly dance-inducing.
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Want more about Jews and tango? Turn the page for a mini-course on tango, film, and music >
Events
Spertus welcomes San Franciscobased Los Tangueros for a concert of Argentine tango by Jewish composers —with music and dance performed on stage in a style developed by Jewish immigrants to Argentina.
The performance will also include original music by Los Tangueros’ bassist and composer Sascha Jacobsen, heir to a musical legacy that goes back four generations, to Jacobsen’s great, great, great, greatgrandfather, a bassist for the Moscow Opera. Jacobsen’s compositions blend Argentine tango and folk rhythms into something completely new.
Program Partner
Mini-Course
The Arts in Odessa A Jewish Jewel on the Black Sea Tuesday Evenings May 5–19 7:45 to 9:30 pm Session 1 | May 5 How Jewish is Tango? Session 2 | May 12 The Original Musical Films and Their Jewish Stars Session 3 | May 19 Tale of Two Violinists
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Takes place at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El 1175 Sheridan Road in Highland Park $25 per session | $20 for members of Spertus and North Suburban Synagogue Beth El | $15 for students and Spertus alumni. Register online at spertus.edu Uncover stories of Odessa’s once-thriving center of Jewish artistic and intellectual life. Led by Dr. Inna Naroditskaya, Professor of musicology and ethnomusicology at Northwestern University’s’ Bienen School of Music.
Learning Leadership Arts & Culture
ViewPoints is a Spertus Institute program series in which you are invited to join topic experts and passionate fellow participants to discuss issues that make a difference in today’s world.
News
Interreligious Dialogue Today
Vulnerability & Resilience Tuesday, April 21 at 7 pm $18 | $10 for Spertus members | $8 for students and Spertus alumni Purchase tickets online at spertus.edu
Resources
Interreligious dialogue has never been more important. We live in an age rife with conflict, in which many find it difficult to understand or engage in constructive conversations with people who hold different beliefs and viewpoints. Utilizing research on the theories of vulnerability and resilience, Dr. Dean P. Bell and Dr. Mike Hogue suggest new ways to approach interreligious dialogue. Dr. Dean P. Bell is Spertus Institute’s President and CEO. He also holds a Spertus Institute faculty appointment as Professor of History and is a widely published author and editor.
Events
Dr. Mike Hogue is Professor of Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion at Meadville Lombard Theological School. He is the author of several books, most recently, American Immanence: Democracy for an Uncertain World.
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For the past few years, Bell and Hogue have collaborated on the Religion, Vulnerability, and Resilience Project, initially with a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion and recently with funding from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation. Additional support for this program was received from the Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation.
Strong Jewish organizations ensure that the next generation of Jews will not just survive, but thrive. Spertus Trustee Stephen Wolff and his wife, Dr. Marla Mendelson, understand that strong Jewish nonprofits are built by strong Jewish leaders. They are excited to have a hand in helping the community grow by leaving their legacy with Spertus.
“As a first-generation American, I am well aware of the role that Jewish organizations played in helping my parents emigrate from Germany in the late 1930s,” says Stephen “Without strong Jewish nonprofits, the next generation of Jews in need might not be as lucky. We give to Spertus to ensure a strong Jewish community driven by skilled, well-trained Jewish leaders for many years to come.” This sensibility motivated Stephen and Marla to join Spertus Institute’s Second Century Circle by including a gift to the Spertus endowment in their estate plan. Their legacy gift will fuel the continued growth of Spertus programs, now and into the future. Like Stephen and Marla, you can help secure a strong Jewish future with a gift to the Spertus endowment in your estate plan. It’s easier than you think. If you have already included Spertus in your plans, we hope that you will let us know so that we can thank you for your generosity and invite you to upcoming Second Century Circle gatherings. We look forward to welcoming you to our Second Century Circle!
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In 2024 (just four years from now) Spertus Institute will reach an impressive milestone. 100 years. The start of our second century.
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earning and L hL e
Through gifts to the Spertus Institute endowment, members of our new Second Century Circle ensure a future of Jewish learners and leaders!
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Harold & Holly Israel
Donna E. Barrows Dr. Dean & Juli Bell
Sheryl & Michael Markman Mark & Barbara Mehlman
Peter B. Bensinger, Jr.
Dr. Victor & Rose-Miriam Mirelman
Dr. Sharon Silverman
Sherman Corwin
Michael Spertus
Bruce Crane & Laura Cooper
Sylvia & Philip Spertus
Deanna Drucker
In loving memory of David J. Spira
Rebecca & Zach Garrett
Luis & Fortuna Spitz
Ethel & William Gofen
Caryn & Laurence Straus
Norma & Phillip Gordon
Sara Vegh & Ken Ziejewski
Joyce & Avrum Gray and Family
Bruce D. Werner Family
Ellen & Jon Hattenbach Family
Brenda & Marc Wilkow
Ambassador Bruce Heyman
Stephen Wolff &
& Vicki Heyman Gene & Adele Hoffman
Resources
Reaha Corwin
News
Roger O. Brown
Odette G. Olson Tal M. Rosen & Anna Levin Rosen
& Heidi Wagman
Arts & Culture
Anonymous
Dr. Marla Mendelson
There’s room for your name on this list! Leave a legacy of learning through a gift in your will, trust, retirement account, or life insurance policy. Contact Ellen Spira Hattenbach, Vice President for External Relations, at ehattenbach@spertus.edu or 312.322.1262.
Events
Spertus Institute is proud to be a part of the Jewish Federation’s Create a Jewish Legacy program, designed to train and support Chicago’s Jewish schools, agencies, and synagogues in the area of legacy giving.
Support Spertus
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Photo by Barry Kafka.
Spertus Institute welcomes Rebecca Garrett as Director of Development Rebecca Garrett recently joined the Spertus Institute team and has hit the ground running. An experienced development professional with a passion for donor-centric fundraising, she is already helping Spertus donors, members, and alumni accomplish their philanthropic goals through meaningful engagement with Spertus and the communities it serves locally and around the world. As Spertus continues to broaden its scope and geographic reach, Garrett will focus on expanding the dollars raised through the Institute’s annual campaign, major gifts program, and foundation and grants portfolio. “As a young Jewish professional, I am especially inspired by Spertus Institute’s commitment to training the next generation of Jewish leaders,” she said. “I am thrilled to be working with a phenomenal staff and board in an environment that is built around the values of lifelong learning and continual growth.” Prior to joining Spertus, Garrett served as Lincoln Park Zoo’s Director of Foundation and Special Gifts, where she raised more than $2 million in annual support. She holds a BA in international relations from Tufts University and is a current participant in Spertus Institute’s Certificate in Jewish Leadership program, presented in partnership with Northwestern University. A Wilmette native, Garrett now lives in the West Loop with her husband Zach. Outside the office, she volunteers her time with the Anti-Cruelty Society’s adoption team and is a member of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs Young Professionals Network. Want to connect with Rebecca Garrett to discuss how you can make your mark at Spertus? Contact her at rgarrett@spertus.edu or 312.322.1759.
Learning
Your membership fees directly support extraordinary programs, resources, and opportunities that foster a dynamic and enduring Jewish future.
Select discounts from Spertus partners including SIX10 To Go
Household $75 and Senior $50 (age 65+) All benefits of Individual Membership, but for two people (Includes a second member card) Associate $100 All benefits of Household Membership plus online recognition
News
Individual $60 Discounts on performances, films, lectures, author events, master classes and workshops Asher Library borrowing privileges and access to online resources Discount subscription to Moment, North America’s premier Jewish magazine 10% discount at JUDAICA.COM
Arts & Culture
Benefits
Leadership
Become a Member
SpertusNet $50 Library borrowing privileges and online access to the Feinberg eCollection (Included with all levels)
Resources
Join or Renew Today | Memberships are for one year and are 100% tax deductible. To join or renew online, click the Join link at spertus.edu or contact Regina Rivers at membership@spertus.edu or 312.322.1777 SIX10 To Go
Open Monday–Friday 8 am–3 pm and for select public programs.
Events
SIX10 To Go is the coffee kiosk located right inside our front doors! Enjoy kosher snacks, teas, and coffee (including delicious cold brew).
Asher Library Spertus students, faculty, and members receive borrowing privileges and online access to a treasure trove of Jewish resources through the Asher Library. For info, visit spertus.edu/online-resources 33
Support Spertus
Public Hours | Sunday 12–4 pm | Monday 10 am–6 pm | Wednesday 10 am–4 pm
HAVE YOUR EVENT IN AN ARCHITECTURAL GEM! ARE YOU CELEBRATING THIS YEAR?
Named one of Chicago’s best by Crain’s Chicago Business, events at Spertus are managed by VenueSIX10. Choice of select caterers, including kosher options.
VENUESIX10.COM | 312.322.1725 610 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE | CHICAGO
Discount Parking Discount parking is available at Grant Park South Garage, 325 South Michigan Avenue, with Spertus validation. Check spertus.edu for details.
Accessibility Spertus welcomes all visitors and is committed to making its facilities and programs accessible. Elevator access is available to all areas of the building. Please let us know of any special needs or requests when you purchase program tickets, or call 312.322.1773.
January 2020
1 | Wednesday Spertus closed for New Year’s Day Artist Talk | From Here to There P23
13 | Monday 6 pm Eboo Patel on Interfaith Leadership P8
22 | Wednesday 9:30 am
February 2020
9 | Sunday Certificate in Jewish Leadership for Educators begins P11
19 | Wednesday 9 am 25 | Tuesday 6:30 pm Critical Conversations Responses to Climate Change P6
March 2020
23 | Monday 5:30–8 pm Exhibition Opening Reception Who Represents Us? P25
26 | Thursday 9 am MentorWorks with Sharon Krohn P13
April 2020
9– 10 | Thursday–Friday Spertus closed for first days of Passover
15– 16 |
Israeli Women & Leadership P15
May 2020
5 | Tuesday 7:45 pm Spertus in the Suburbs Mini-Course The Arts in Odessa P28
12 | Tuesday 7:45 pm Spertus in the Suburbs Mini-Course The Arts in Odessa P28
19 | Tuesday 7:45 pm Spertus in the Suburbs Mini-Course The Arts in Odessa P28
25 | Monday Spertus closed for Memorial Day
29 | Friday Spertus closed for Shavuot
June 2020
7 | Sunday Integrated Jewish Studies Professional Studies Graduate Seminar MA in Jewish Professional Studies Executive Cohort 5 begins P11
8 | Monday Ideas Forum | White House Speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz P15
Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper.
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Support Spertus
Wednesday–Thursday Spertus closed for final days of Passover
2 7 | Monday 7 pm
Events
Photo courtesy of Dave Wittig Photography
MA in Jewish Professional Studies Cohort Y begins P11
Concert Los Tangueros del Oeste P27
Resources
22 | Sunday
26 | Sunday 2 pm
News
MentorWorks with Frank Sesno P13
ViewPoints Interreligious Dialogue P29
Arts & Culture
Adult Jewish Learning Resource Conference Creating Programs That Click P12
April 2020 (continued) 21 | Tuesday 7 pm Leadership
9 | Thursday 6:30 pm
Learning
Calendar
See page 8
Reserve your spot for Eboo Patel, the boundary-breaking founder of Interfaith Youth Core, coming January 13!
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