Join us for an invigorating afternoon of learning and socializing. Each participant will be able to choose one class from the first set and one class from the second set. Between these sets we’ll take a break for coffee and refreshments, socialize and enjoy live musical entertainment.
1:30 p.m. Registration and Check-In
Note: Registration and check-in are essential due to limited class sizes.
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. First Cup
Choose one of the following:
The Pew’s Jews: A Portrait of Jewish Americans with Joellyn Zollman
The recent Pew survey on American Jewish life generated conversation and controversy in the
American Jewish community. Our speaker will summarize the major findings and criticisms of
the survey and then lead a discussion about what those findings mean to us as individuals and as a congregation. Joellyn Wallen Zollman holds a Ph.D. in Jewish history from Brandeis University. She is a popular speaker and has taught classes on Jewish history, American religion, and religious art and architecture at SDSU, UCSD, and the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture.
Or
Jewish Ritual and Spirituality as Mindfulness Practice with Steven A. Alper, L.C.S.W.
“Shabbat, b’rachot (blessings), and t’filah (prayer) can be understood — and I believe are most correctly understood — as mindfulness practices,” says Steve Alper. “Through these practices we connect with Shechinah, the Divine Presence, in daily life.” Steve will enlighten us about mindfulness in Jewish spirituality and lead us in experiential exercises to deepen our understanding. Steve Alper, LCSW, provides psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation training for individuals, couples and groups. He also offers a range of mindfulness-based wellness, work-
life balance, leadership and organizational development trainings for businesses, nonprofits and professional organizations.
3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – Café Chaser (Price Family Courtyard)
Relax and enjoy coffee, pastries and live musical entertainment.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. – Refill/Second Cup
Choose one of the following:
Jewish Music and the Creative Process with Andy Mayer
How does an idea for a piece of music become a composition? Andy Mayer, pianist with Beth Israel’s Shabbat Chai Band, will lead us through the creative process. He’ll begin with the germ of an idea or a request, discuss how he conducts background research, and demonstrate how the composition evolves through different styles and revisions to a final arrangement. Andy will also talk about surprises and disappointments along the way. Andy Mayer has been composing and arranging music for many years, but he started focusing specifically on Jewish liturgical music about eight years ago. During the day, he works as a mathematician at the Center for Communications Research in San Diego.
Or
Chosen Food: Cuisine, Culture and American Jewish Identity with Joellyn Zollman, Ph.D.
Do you eat Chinese food on Christmas? Bagels when you visit New York? Deli platters at a Jewish funeral? Do you ever think about the cultural messages in your meals? This session explores the intersection between Jewish food and Jewish identity. We will examine Jewish foods as symbolic markers of identity, unpack historical and invented American Jewish food traditions and discuss the ethics of eating. Joellyn Wallen Zollman holds a Ph.D. in Jewish history from Brandeis University. She is a popular speaker and has taught classes on Jewish history, American religion, and religious art and architecture at SDSU, UCSD, and the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture.
Sponsor: Adult Learners Network and DayTimers