| January 4, 2012
All events at Arbeter Ring Los Angeles unless otherwise stated.
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Share your Opinions with us
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We are currently conducting a survey to better understand what events, classes, and social action is of interest. You do not need to be a member to take this simple, 10 question survey. We want to hear from you! Click here to take the survey
Help us meet your needs! The survey will close January 10
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The Underground Yeshiva
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The "Secular Yeshiva", starting in February 2012, is a course in Advanced Jewish Studies that will take place two Sunday evenings per month at the Arbeter Ring, taught by noted LA secular Jewish scholars including Hershl Hartman, a member of the Workmen's Circle District Committee, and the Education Director of the Sholem Community.
Who is eligible?
* Members, staff and friends of The Sholem Community, SoCal Arbeter Ring
(Workmen's Circle), as well as others, including graduates of the Jeremiah
Fellowship, willing to commit to an intensive two-year course of study.
* Apply no later than Jan. 21, 2012 by emailing hershl@sholem.org with a brief description of past education and/or activities in Jewish and general cultural/educational/social movements.
What is the commitment?
* Two Sunday evening sessions per month, each 2-1/2 hours (60 class hours total)
* Significant advance reading/research
* Readiness to participate in seminar-style discussions, led by participants as
well as instructors
* Purchase of books and publications recommended by instructors
* Nominal fees, dependent upon offsetting grants from outside sources
Approximately six sessions (15 hrs.) will be devoted to each topic:
* History and Basic Ideas of Secular Jewishness
* Critical examination of Tanakh (Hebrew bible); post-biblical literature
* Jewish calendar and holidays
* World Jewish history
* Eastern European Jewish history
* American Jewish history (incl. Rediscovering Our Radical Roots)
* Yiddish literature in translation
* Jewish American literature
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| Healthcare Rally January 9th |
 Health Care for the 99%
March from Pershing Square with the New Orleans Style Funeral Band
Assemble at 11:00 am at Pershing Square, 532 S Olive St, (Pershing Sq. Metro)
Or
Join us at the rally site from noon until 1:00 pm
801 S. Figueroa Street (8th & Figueroa)
New Orleans Style Funeral March & Speak Out to
Mourn Those Killed By Health Insurance Corporate Greed
Join the Campaign for a Healthy California, Single Payer Now, CA Nurses Association, CARA, and many others to rally in solidarity with CA-Health Professional Student Alliance Lobby Day in support of SB 810 - The California Universal Health Care Act and Occupy LA
Monday January 9th, 11 am March, 12 pm Rally
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| Join us at Hairspray in the Valley |
 Join us for Workmen's Circle Branch 1089 trip to see Hairspray, featuring musical direction by Gary Poirot, District Committee leader Eli Dugan's partner.
What gives a girl power and punch? Is it charm, is it poise? No it's HAIRSPRAY! You Can't Stop The Beat when the hit Broadway Musical HAIRSPRAY takes center stage at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.
3050 Los Angeles Avenue.
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Sunday February 5, 2 pm, $16 special group rate
RSVP by January 29th to director@circlesocal.org
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| We mourn the loss of Simms Taback |
 Simms Taback, an award-winning children's book author and illustrator best known for his version of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat," his Caldecott Medal-winning adaptation of a Yiddish folk song, has died. He was 79.
District Committee leader Hershl Hartman adds: The obituaries in today's LA Times and yesterday's NY Times properly concentrate on Simms' tremendous achievements as illustrator/author of some 50 books for children, his drawing upon his secular Yiddish cultural heritage, and his union activism as founder and president of the guilds for illustrators and graphic artists.
As a childhood friend, let me add some lesser-known facts about this extraordinary mentsh:
Simms was, as the old phrase had it, "a kind fun undzere shuln" - a child of our progressive Secular Jewish schools. It was in shule No. 1 of the International Workers' Order (IWO) in the Bronx Workers' Cooperative Colony ("the coops") that he learned to read and write Yiddish, to absorb the lessons of Yiddish literature and culture, and to sing Yiddish labor and folk songs, one of which was the inspiration for the book that twice won the Caldecott medal, "I Had A Little Overcoat."
His unusual name was given to him by his Communist parents since he was born (Feb. 13, 1932) two days after the martyr death of the Jewish labor organizer and member of the Young Communist League, Harry (Hersh) Simms. Read more about him here.
In a winking tribute to his heritage, Simms included in his Caldecott medal book the masthead of the Communist Yiddish newspaper his parents read (and for which I was a cub reporter), the morgn frayhayt - Morning Freedom.
Simms' last book, "Postcards From Camp," published last June, jokingly "promotes" Camp Woodlands, an actual summer camp that was a spiritual descendant of the Jewish and multicultural camps founded by the IWO.
kovid zayn likhtik-kolirtn ondenk - honor to his brightly-colored memory!
Hershl Hartman, Secular Jewish vegvayzer/Leader
"a kind fun undzere shuln"
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Jewish Theatre Conference in LA February 5-8
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The Association for Jewish Theatre comes to Los Angeles, California from February
5-8, 2012. The conference theme: "Jewish Theatre - Reflecting and Shaping in a Shifting World", will offer outstanding workshops, panels, speakers and events that appeal to anyone involved or with an interest in Jewish theatre. The conference will be based at the Dortort Arts Center at UCLA Hillel and will present events throughout the Los Angeles area.
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Save the Date: Voices of Conscience Performance
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Join us for Strange Bedfellows, a performance by Voices of Conscience Chorus
February 12, 2012, 2 pm
Details TBA
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Save the Date: Yale Strom in concert
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Join us for a memorable concert with Yale Strom at the Workmen's Circle.
March 25, 2012, Details TBA
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Contact Us
Kalil Cohen, Director
Ruth Judkowitz, Chairmentsh
Phone: 310.552.2007
E-mail: circle@circlesocal.org & director@circlesocal.org
Web: www.circlesocal.org
1525 S. Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 |
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1525 S. Robertson Blvd.
310.552.2007
We're closed until Monday January 2nd. Have a happy New Year!
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Join us for Yiddish Classes every Monday night
Beginning Yiddish:
5-6 pm
($160 for 18 wks for AR members, $225 for non-members)
Intermediate Yiddish:
6-7:30pm
($225 for 18 wks for AR members, $300 for non-members)
Advanced Yiddish:
7:30-9 pm
($225 for 18 wks for AR members, $300 for non-members)
Late enrollees will be charged pro rata, classes started September 19.
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Yiddish Conversation
with Hadasa
Every Monday
2-3:15 pm
(by donation)
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Voices of Conscience Chorus
Next rehearsals:
January 2 & 16, 2012
We perform in English, Yiddish, and more!
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AR Office Wish List
Want to support the AR but don't know how? Here are a few things we need: 1. A Stool for performers 2. A couch 3. A mac computer (2005 or newer) 4. Gift certificate to an office supply store 5. Office chairs 6. USB drive ------------------------------- Keep up with our events on Facebook! 
-------------------------------  Speak Yiddish! Why not? Far vos nisht? Every Monday at 2 pm Thanks to your attendance, her Conversational Yiddish group is thriving with world-recognized Yiddish teacher, scholar, translator and raconteuse Hadasa Cytrynowicz. Originally from Lodz, and later a long-time resident of Brazil, Hadasa brings a wealth of experience and stories, songs, proverbs and sayings, poetry and interesting topics for discussion to her group. Each session is an hour and 15 minutes. Admission is by voluntary donation.
Keep your Yiddish kite flying by attending this group! All levels of Yiddish are welcome. Kumt arayn!
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