Upcoming Events

Check out these virtual events to help you stay connected!

Community Sukkah Building - Sept. 19

Pizza in the Sukkah - Sept. 26

Hebrew for Lunch - weekly on Tuesdays

Lectures + Literature

Chris Wallace, Countdown bin Laden - Sept. 23

Chris Wallace, Countdown bin Laden - Sept. 23

MJCCA Book Fest In Your Living Room and the National JCC Literary Consortium Present

Chris Wallace, Countdown bin Laden: The Untold Story of the 24/7-Day Hunt to Bring the Mastermind of 9/11 to Justice
In conversation with Holly Firfer, Director of Programming, Reach-TV

VIRTUAL ON ZOOM - AUTHOR TALK + Q & A
Thursday, September 23, 2021
5:00 pm
Virtual ticket: $11
Virtual ticket + book: $26
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

Published on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Countdown bin Laden is a historical thriller filled with intrigue, cinematic action, and fresh reporting about the race to apprehend and bring to justice the mastermind of the most consequential terrorist attack in American history.

In Countdown bin Laden, celebrated journalist and anchor of Fox News Sunday Chris Wallace delivers a thrilling new account of the final eight months of intelligence gathering, national security strategizing, and meticulous military planning that leads to the climactic mission when SEAL Team Six closes in on its target. The book delivers new information collected from Wallace’s in-depth interviews with more than a dozen central figures and two members of SEAL Team Six who participate in the raid, including the special operator who kills Osama bin Laden.

October

Classes + Workshops

Mah Jongg - October 5 - November 9
Autobiography Writing Class - Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26

Mah Jongg - October 5 - November 9

Autobiography Writing Class - Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26

Tuesday Mornings, October 5, 12, 19, 26
10:00 - 11:45 am, In-person at the MJCC
Cost: $80 for the session. CG103
Click here to register

Have you ever wanted to write about your life?
This introductory course, led in a supportive environment,
will help you get started.

Naomi Harwin, LCSW has taught the Autobiography Class and Wise Aging classes through the MJCC. Naomi provides guidance and structure to help participants put words on paper. There will be no critique or editing. Rather, the
class is designed to help people get started to write
their life stories-- and be inspired by others in the class!

Questions?
Email Naomi at: nwharwinlcsw@gmail.com

Community Events

Cooking

Jewish Cooking with Michael Solomonov - Oct. 21

Jewish Cooking with Michael Solomonov - Oct. 21

Education

From Antiquity to Today: Are we our mothers’ daughters? - Oct. 6 - Dec. 8

From Antiquity to Today: Are we our mothers’ daughters? - Oct. 6 - Dec. 8

Over ten virtual sessions, the course will explore the role of women in Jewish history from heroines of the Bible to modern Jewish women born in the Russian and Soviet empires.

Wednesdays, Oct. 6 - Dec. 8
11:00 am on Zoom
Sponsored by the JFGP Women's Giving Circle
Click here to register

The program will bring participants closer to their Jewish roots by exploring the connections between biblical and ancient Israeli heroines such as Miriam, Shiphrah and Puah, the daughters of Tzelofchad, Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Bruriah and Shlomzion ha Malka, and their modern counterparts like Nehama Leibowitz, Ida Nudel, Golda Meir, Rachel Bluwstein, Miriam Ben-Porat, Ida Kaminska, Lina Stern and Doris Katz Kaplan. Each session will focus on two different Jewish women throughout history, while one session will introduce a couple (male/female). The class will be taught by Yuliya Mauzer

Jewish Life

Hebrew for Lunch - Oct. 12 + 26

Hebrew for Lunch - Oct. 12 + 26

Lectures + Literature

David Rubenstein, The American Experiment - Oct. 3

MJCCA Book Fest in Your Living Room and the National JCC Literary Consortium Present

David Rubenstein, The American Experiment: Dialogues on a Dream. In Conversation with Holly Firfer, Atlanta Media Personality

Author Talk and Q & A
Sunday, October 3
5:00 pm
Virtual ticket: $11
Hardcover book + virtual ticket: $40
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

American icons and historians explore the grand American experiment in democracy, culture, innovation, and ideas, featuring essays by Ken Burns on war, Madeleine Albright on the American immigrant, Paul Simon on music, Billie Jean King on sports, Walter Isaacson on innovation., and many more—the capstone book in a trilogy from David Rubenstein, New York Times bestselling author of How to Lead and The American Story.

In this lively collection of conversations—the third in a series from David Rubenstein—some of our nations’ greatest minds explore the inspiring story of America as a grand experiment in democracy, culture, innovation, and ideas.

Joe Posnanski: The Baseball 100 - Oct. 5

MJCCA Book Fest In Your Living Room Presents

Joe Posnanski: The Baseball 100
Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium and A Cappella Books, Atlanta

Zoom Author Talk & Q & A
Tuesday, October 5
5:00 pm
Virtual ticket: $6.
Hardcover book + virtual ticket: $46
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

A magnum opus from acclaimed baseball writer Joe Posnanski, The Baseball 100 is an audacious, singular, and masterly book that took a lifetime to write. The entire story of baseball rings through a countdown of 100 greatest players in history. Baseball’s legends come alive in these pages, which are not merely rankings but vibrant profiles of the game’s all-time greats. Posnanski dives into the biographies of iconic Hall of Famers, stars of the Negro Leagues, forgotten heroes, talents of today, and more. Engrossing, surprising, and heartfelt, The Baseball 100 is a magisterial tribute to the game of baseball and the stars who played it.

Tracy Walder, The Unexpected Spy - Oct. 7

MJCCA Book Fest In Your Living Room and the National JCC Literary Consortium Present

Tracy Walder, The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists. In Conversation with Holly Firfer, Atlanta Media Personality

Zoom Author Talk & Q & A
Thursday, October 7
4:30 pm
Virtual ticket: $11
Hardcover book + virtual ticket: $36
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.

The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder's tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for Weapons of Mass Destruction. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists―men who swore they’d never speak to a woman―until they gave her leads. Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate―and thus change the world.

Jewish Women's Fund of Atlanta: 2020 Hindsight - Oct. 10

MJCCA Book Festival In Your Living Room, in partnership with The Breman Museum, presents

2020 Hindsight with the Jewish Women's Fund of Atlanta
Hosted by Holly Firfer, Program Director, Reach-TV

Zoom Event
Sunday, October 10
4:00 pm
Virtual ticket: Free
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

FEATURING:

Rabbi Loren Lapidus, Senior Associate Rabbi, The Temple (and Education Chair of Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta)

Terri Bonoff, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta

Dina Fuchs-Beresin, Program Manager, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta

Debbie Sonenshine, Trustee, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta (and grandmother of Hazel Halitsky and agent with Coldwell Banker)

Hazel Halitsky, anthology contributor and third grade student at Davis Academy (and granddaughter of Debbie Sonenshine)

Join us for a very special evening with an esteemed panel of local women and girls who will be discussing essays they wrote for this beautiful anthology.

2020 Hindsight: A pivotal moment in history, through the eyes of Atlanta’s Jewish women and girls is the first publication of its kind to capture the experiences of Jewish women and girls during this historic moment in time. This poignant collection of stories and poetry exudes a profound sense of personal discovery, depth and hope, recalling candid reflections of the struggles endured by women and girls in Atlanta’s Jewish community during a most challenging year. Writers ranging in age from 7-90, pulled back the curtain on their innermost thoughts to illuminate what’s really going on in their lives and offer powerful and provocative testimony.

MJCC Book Club - Oct. 12

Mindy Weisel, After: The Obligation of Beauty - Oct. 13

MJCCA Book Fest In Your Living Room and the National JCC Literary Consortium Present

Mindy Weisel, After: The Obligation of Beauty
In conversation with Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat

ZOOM AUTHOR TALK AND Q & A
Wednesday, October 13
5:00 pm
Virtual ticket: $11.
Hardcover book + virtual ticket: $31
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

In Partnership with The Breman Museum

This compelling and candid memoir by Mindy Weisel, an internationally acclaimed artist and author and cousin to famed author and Holocaust Survivor Elie Wiesel, traces her search for beauty in her life, which began as a child born in the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Person’s Camp to parents who had survived the Auschwitz concentration camp. Hers is a courageous and honest portrait of her struggle to understand the legacy she was born into. Her successful journey in becoming an artist with her own voice, and an unshakable will to live with beauty, is most inspiring. After: The Obligation of Beauty immerses the reader in Mindy’s astonishing body of paintings that explore the subtleties of color as a means in expressing emotion. The process of creating art not only became an antidote to the pain and suffering she witnessed and felt, but it also became an “obligation” for finding joy and love in the face of pain.

David Grossman, More Than I Love My Life: A Novel - Oct. 22

Book Fest In Your Living Room Presents

David Grossman, More Than I Love My Life: A Novel
In Conversation with Jessica Handler, Award-Winning Author

Zoom Author Talk and Q & A
Friday, October 22
10:00 am
Virtual ticket: Free
Hardcover book + virtual ticket: $36
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium and A Cappella Books, Atlanta

More Than I Love My Life is the story of three strong women: Vera, age ninety; her daughter, Nina; and her granddaughter, Gili, who at thirty-nine is a filmmaker and a wary consumer of affection. A bitter secret divides each mother and daughter pair, though Gili—abandoned by Nina when she was just three—has always been close to her grandmother.

With Gili making the arrangements, they travel together to Goli Otok, a barren island off the coast of Croatia, where Vera was imprisoned and tortured for three years as a young wife after she refused to betray her husband and denounce him as an enemy of the people. This unlikely journey—filtered through the lens of Gili’s camera, as she seeks to make a film that might help explain her life—lays bare the intertwining of fear, love, and mercy, and the complex overlapping demands of romantic and parental passion.

More Than I Love My Life was inspired by the true story of one of David Grossman’s longtime confidantes, a woman who, in the early 1950s, was held on the notorious Goli Otok (“the Adriatic Alcatraz”). Grossman’s fearless examination of the human heart, this swift novel is a thrilling addition to the oeuvre of one of our greatest living novelists, whose revered moral voice continues to resonate around the world.

Sparking the Jewish Story: The Objects That Define Us - Oct. 24

Sparking the Jewish Story: The Objects That Define Us

In partnership with the Jewish Book Council and Reboot, this JFest event brings Laura Arnold Leibman, author of the National Jewish Book Award-winning “The Art of the Jewish Family,” into conversation with Reboot’s “What Would You Bring” initiative, for a broad exploration of Jewish storytelling and resilience.

Sunday, October 24 at 5:00 pm
Virtual J
More info to come

Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray - Oct. 25

Book Fest In Your Living Room Presents

Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray, The Personal Librarian. In Conversation with Alison Law, Writer and Literary Influencer. Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium and A Cappella Books, Atlanta

Zoom Author Talk and Q & A
Monday, October 25
5:00 pm
Virtual ticket: $6
Hardcover book + virtual ticket: $36
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

The Instant New York Times Bestseller! A Good Morning America* Book Club Pick!

A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict, and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

Jasmine Roth, House Story - Oct. 27

MJCCA Book Fest In Your Living Room Presents

Jasmine Roth (HGTV), House Story: Insider Secrets to the Perfect Home Renovation

Zoom Event
Wednesday, October 27
4:30 pm
Virtual ticket: $11
Book + virtual ticket: $42
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO + TO REGISTER

Imagine if you could pause those home renovation shows for just a second and ask the host to explain how they really made that kitchen transformation happen. Jasmine Roth, the host of HGTV's hit shows Hidden Potential and Help! I Wrecked My House shows you what really goes on behind the scenes of a home renovation, with tips, tricks, and step-by-step instructions on how to achieve the look you want for your home. Roth demystifies the home reno (and the home reno show). She offers a rare glimpse behind the HGTV curtain, inviting readers into her world with instructions on how to make television magic a reality in their own homes. With super-simple advice that takes all the guesswork and stress out of any home project, House Story is an irresistible guide for any homeowner, whether you're undergoing a ground-up renovation or simply sprucing up decor on a rental.

Travel

Breathtaking Barcelona - Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25

Breathtaking Barcelona - Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25

Still Traveling: Breathtaking Barcelona
Four Mondays, October 4, 11, 18, 25
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
on Zoom

Let virtual trip leader James Sokol zoom you to this beautiful, vibrant, colorful city to meet and "tour" with our fantastic, professional, local guide Marta, who will share her passion for and knowledge of different aspects of this exciting city. “Trips” include:

Introduction: The Country, the Region, the City (Oct 4)
Gaudi: A Modernist Master (Oct 11)
La Sagrada Familia (Oct 18)
The Jewish Quarter (Oct 25)

For details + tickets, click here.

Visual + Performing Arts

Madrid’s Prado - Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26

Art & Artists: Masters of Madrid’s Prado
Four Tuesdays, October 5, 12, 19 + 26
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
on Zoom

Welcome to our virtual tours about the Spanish masters of painting with works hanging in one of the most important museums in the world: Madrid's Prado! Let virtual trip leader James Sokol zoom you to Spain for a guided visit of important paintings from the 16th to the 19th centuries. With Marta - our professional guide in Spain! - see and explore the main works of five masters that hang in the Prado museum. Learn to "read" a painting, see the brushstrokes in detail, and hear curious anecdotes and interesting stories of some of Spain's favorite artists.

El Greco (Oct 5)
Zurbarán and Murillo (Oct 12)
Velázquez (Oct 19)
Goya (Oct 26)

For details + tickets, click here.

Spanish Dances + Other Folk Music - Oct. 6

Music + Morsels: Spanish Dances + Other Folk Music
Wednesday, October 6
1:00 - 2:00 pm
on Zoom

In this unique program with a focus on Spain, pianist Ian Scarfe introduces classical composers who embraced the spirit of the dance. The live program includes "Andaluzas" and more dances by Enrique Granados, Manuel De Falla, and other Spanish composers. Hear how non-Spanish, European "classical" composers also turned to folk music for their own dance rhythms! After the concert, Scarfe welcomes and replies to Q&A from guests.

Order by Oct 3rd for "Early Bird" pricing!

For details & tickets, click here.

“I Want” Songs - Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28

Exploring Broadway: “I Want” Songs
Thursdays, October 7, 14, 21 + 28
1:00 - 2:30 pm
on Zoom

Dancer, choreographer, director, Bob Fosse (think “jazz hands!”), said that most songs fall into two categories: 1) “I Want” songs and 2) “I Am” songs. Usually the 2nd or 3rd number in a musical, the “I Want” song is a way to engage the audience with the main character’s hopes, dreams, goals, or desires, which often propels him/her through the rest of the show. Explore “I Want” songs in our October series and “I Am” songs in our December series. Join James Sokol for a journey with audio & video performance clips of these compelling and propelling songs. From soaring ballads to charming ditties, songs will come from the “Golden Age” to recent shows. Come for the songs; stay for the fun!

For details & tickets, click here.

Songs + Stories: Spanish Classics! - Oct. 20

Songs & Stories: Spanish Classics!
Wednesday, October 20
1:00 - 2:00 pm
on Zoom

Many Spanish-language songs have become standard jazz classics in their own right! Come hear the thrill of the Latin beat as jazz & cabaret singer Gilda Solve performs and discusses this passionate music, live from her home near Paris. Revisit beloved tunes such as “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” (“Quizás, Quizás, Quizás"), “Sway” (“Quién Será?”) and more of this glorious genre.

Guests are welcome to ask questions via the chat throughout the program.

Save! Order before 10/18 for “Early Bird” pricing!

For details & tickets, click here.

Exploring Opera: Set in Spain - Oct. 13

Exploring Opera: Set in Spain
Wednesday, October 13
1:00 - 2:30 pm
on Zoom

Spain’s rich history, its constant struggle for power, clashes between church & state, lively dance rhythms, and colorful characters have offered endless inspiration for opera composers to write splendid music and librettists to write riveting dramas. Since Sevilla-set operas were the topic of a recent class, this time, join James Sokol for a discussion & journey through video performance clips of operas set in other regions of Spain. Come for the arias; stay for the fun!

Save! Order before 10/11 for “Early Bird” prices!

For details & tickets, click here.

Exploring Opera: Witches, Ghosts, Demons + Devils - Oct. 27

Exploring Opera: Witches, Ghosts, Demons + Devils
Wednesday, October 27
1:00 - 2:30 pm
on Zoom

18th and – with the rise of the Romantic Period – especially 19th century opera are filled with characters & references to the supernatural. With Halloween around the corner, join James Sokol for an eerie, magical and soaring musical journey through highlights of operas that include otherworldly figures.

Save! Order before 10/25 for “Early Bird” prices!

For details & tickets, click here.

November

Lectures + Literature

Lectures + Literature

Jewish Life

Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights - Dec. 1
Hanukkah Concert with Mister G & Friends - Dec. 6

Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights - Dec. 1

Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights

Join JCC Association with our partners at JArts and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as we come together to celebrate Hanukkah. Eight female international Jewish artists, including singer Tair Haim of A-Wa, Italian chef Sylvia Nacamulli, and dancer Rachel Linsky, will share pieces that are inspired by Hanukkiot from the MFA Judaica collection, one of the largest Judaica collections in a major American museum. It will be an unforgettable evening of performance, learning, and artistic engagement for all ages.

Wednesday, December 1 at 3:00 pm
Virtual J
More info to come

Hanukkah Concert with Mister G & Friends - Dec. 6

Lectures + Literature

Banner photo by Rob Pro Photo.