Continuing Education Lecture Series and Special Events
Upcoming Presentations
Donation requested: $10-18 unless otherwise noted.
All events on Zoom
Tuesday, December 8, 7 pm
Jewish Agricultural Communities of
the Nineteenth Century
One typically thinks of Eastern European Jewish immigrants arriving in the US to live in crowded urban centers. Yet, Jews were settled in isolated farming communities throughout the US in the 19th century, largely funded and organized by well-meaning Jewish charitable organizations. This presentation will illustrate the many varieties of Jewish agricultural settlements and how the pioneers adapted to their newfound prairie and rural existence in the US.
Naomi Sandweiss is a native of Albuquerque who writes and shares information about Jewish history. She authored Jewish Albuquerque 1860-1960 and frequently contributes articles to Tablet Magazine. Naomi is a past president and currently serves on the board of the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society. She is employed as Executive Director of Parents Reaching Out, a statewide non-profit organization, and is a parent to two young adults.
Upcoming Presentations
January 12, 2021—The Tales of Rabbi Nachman-Healing our Lives through Jewish Story, presenter Rabbi Judith Halevy
February 9, 2021—The Death of Moses Midrash: How Judaism is Different, presenter Rabbi Rob Lennick
March 9, 2021—Passover and the Tradition of Resistance, presenter Rabbi Deborah Brin
April 13, 2021— Let My People Sing! The Torah of Music, presenter Hazzan Cindy Freedman
May 11, 2021—Topic TBD, presenter Rabbi Jack Shlachter
June 8, 2021—My Yiddishe Mama, Jewish Women in Film, presenter Marcia Torobin
Previous Presentations (Partial List)
Martin Buber—A Thinker for All Times, Michael Nutkiewicz, presenter
What We Eat and Why It Matters, Karen Milstein, Ph.D. and Susan Keller, presenters
Medical Ethics in The Time of COVID-19, Dr. Audrey Stein Goldings and Rabbi Jack Schlachter, presenters
The History of Hasidism and the Current Hasid Community, Dr. Nurit Patt, presenter
The Power of Words—The Power of Silence, Rabbi Harry L. Rosenfeld, presenter
The Tanakh in Classical Music, Parts 1 and 2: Music Inspired by the Torah and Prophets, Steven Ovitsky, presenter
The Cello as a Jewish Voice, Pecos Singer (cello) and Natasha Stojanovska (piano), presenters
Perceiving, Thinking, Acting as a Prophet: An Exploration with Rabbi Nahum Ward-Lev
The Jewish Experience Through Song, Dr. Andre Garcia-Nuthmann and El Coro de la Tierra Alta, Presenters
Growing Up Jewish in Other Countries—Panel Discussion, Deborah Avren, Gloria Abella Ballen, Joalie Davie, Miguel Grunstein, Karen Milstein, and Marcel Wallace, presenters, Rabbi Jack Shlachter, moderator
From Adam to Atom: How Science and Religion Interact in the Mind of a Physicist/Rabbi, Rabbi Jack Shlachter, Presenter
Jews and Navajos: Listening to Each Other, Gordon Bronitsky, Presenter
The Santa Fe Faith Network for Immigrant Justice and the Work They are Doing, Sarah Grace, Presenter
Widows and Wiles—Holiday Heroines,Rabbi Judith HaLevy, Presenter
The History of Antisemitism: a mini-course, Ron Duncan Hart, Presenter
The Hearts of Fathers, The Hearts of Sons: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai and His Three Sons, Joseph Skibell, Presenter
Jewish Immigrant Composers Who Created The Sound of American Movies, Steven Ovitsky, Presenter
Jews are no Strangers to the Strangers in our Midst: A Jewish Perspective on Immigration, Rabbi Jack Shlachter, Presenter
Saving Myself: A Los Angeles Childhood, Jeanne Simonoff, Presenter.
A Journey of Sacred Chanting, Hazzan Cindy Freedman, Site, and Henry Marshall, Presenters
Sex, Death, and Tachrichim (Shrouds), Rick Light, Presenter
Development Without Displacement in Santa FeTomás Rivera, Presenter
Six Memos From The Last Millennium:A Novelist Reads The Talmud, Joseph Skibell, Presenter
Creating and Breaking the Gender Boundary, Rabbi Neil Amswych, Presenter
Contemporary Judaic Metalsmithing, Jim Cohen, Presenter
Death, Stories, and Transformation, Rick Light, Presenter
Through the Eye of the Needle, Bernice Steinhardt, Presenter.
Mishlei (Proverbs), Rabbi Ron Wittenstein, Presenter.
The Book of Psalms and Healing the Soul. Rabbi Martin Levy, Presenter.
Ahead of Their Time: Else Lasker-Schuler, Dvora Baron, and Esther Kreitman. Rabbi Jack Shlachter, Presenter.
Sing A New Song. Hazzan Cindy Freedman, Presenter.
America Needs Artists: Ten Reasons Why. Arlene Goldbard, Presenter.
Our Selves, our Souls and our World. Rabbi Yoel Glick, Presenter. Opening chant by Rabbi Shefa Gold.
Unconventional Traditionalists: The Correspondence between Reb Zalman and Thomas Merton, by Professor Victoria Erhart
The Writings of Ruth F. Brin, by Rabbi Deborah Brin
The Fifth Question, by Rabbi Jack Shlachter
Songs for the Joy of Gratitude, by Cantor Cindy Freedman
Syria’s Jewish Community, Then and Now, Here and There, by Claudette Sutton
Jewish Composers and Their Music, by Frederick Schreiner
The Adaptation of Immigrant Religions to American Life, by Dr. Bette Evans
The World of Yiddish, by Harvey Buchalter
Jewish Connection in Las Vegas, by Marcus Gottschalk
Jews and Baseball: How We Became True Americans, By Rabbi Malka Drucker
Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Righteous Gentile? By Professor Victoria Erhart
The Vanishing Bookstore, By Edward Borins
Gershwin in Hollywood, by Steven Ovitsky
Special HaMakom Fundraiser: Hi Ho at the Houhai – A Rabbi and His Wife Visit Beijing and its Jewish Community, with Rabbi Jack Shlachter
Art in Judaism – A Profound Look, by Rabbi Ashkenazi
A Healing Journey – from a Jewish Mythological Perspective, By Dr. Karen Kaufman Milstein
Ethiopian Jews in Israel: A Photographer’s Portfolio and History, by Irene Fertik
The French Revolution, Napoleon, and the Jews, by Dr. Michael Nutkiewicz
The Healing Power of Forgiveness, by Dr. Joalie Davie
Ignatius of Loyola and the Musar Tradition, by Professor Victoria Erhart
The People of the (Cook) Book, by Rabbi Jack Shlachter
Not Your Fiddler on the Roof: The Religious Thought of Hasidism, by Michael Nutkiewicz, PhD
Soulful Melodies to Open the Heart: Contemplative Niggunim, by Hazzan Cindy Freedman
The Prophetic Stream at the Heart of Judaism – From Creation to the Present Moment, By Rabbi Nahum Ward-Lev
In Search of a Homeland, By Dr. Joalie Davie
About Us:
Your support for the HaMakom Arts and Education Program will assure the continuance of the programming we offer in service to the New Mexico Jewish community. Visit for weekly updates.
HaMakom services and events are fragrance free in support of chemically sensitive members. Please refrain from using scented body products.
If you have a recommendation for a topic or speaker, please contact us.
All events are at HaMakom at Beit Tikva, 2230 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, unless otherwise noted.