Yellow and Purple Illustrated Voice Tale

A Global Tapestry of Culture, Arts and Community Building

A series of 7 virtual sessions, each 1.5 hours long.

Culture represents a person’s world view and gives our lives meaning and pleasure. Within our culture, we shape our identity and the identity of the community in which we live. Art is one of the most significant expressions of cultural creation (along with history, sociology, psychology, politics, and more). It is a conduit for ideas and an anchor for creation. Jewish Community Centers are, thus, the natural laboratory for utilizing culture and arts as a tool for community building.

In this Hub, we will explore the role of culture and arts in turning a crowd (קהל) into a community (קהילה). We will explore different aspects of arts and culture and allow free thinking and experimentation. We will provide a forum to discuss debate and create the global tapestry of Jewish communities.

Mentor and Facilitator: Adi Nachshon, Zayit Emek Hefer, Israel
JCC Global Fellow

Target Audience: JCC Executive Directors, Cultural Arts Directors and Coordinators, Lay leaders involved in Cultural Arts, Educators, Artists

JCCs are welcome to send several participants from the same JCC.

Dates: Bi-weekly, on Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. NY time/ 6:00 p.m. Israel time

Starting date: Tuesday, May 4th, 2021

Cost:
100 USD per person for the entire hub sessions.
Or - 200 USD for up to 3 people from the same JCC.

Goals:

Articulate a vision for the role of Culture and Arts in building a sustained Jewish community

Inspire cultural creations that grow from within the community and for the community

Develop a global network of culture influencers via peer learning and exposure to the plethora of arts and culture programs and initiatives in all corners of the world.

Program Description:

The sessions will be in a workshop style, and will combine concepts and theory with practice. Intertwined in the sessions will be best practices from around the world in the areas of music, dance, theater, creative writing, food and more. Some tasks will be given in between sessions.

1. Tuesday, May 4th, 2021 - Starting point – The DNA of our Culture - Getting to know each other’s community culture, sources of inspiration and the driving forces behind it. Who are our partners? What are the influences, within and without?

2. Tuesday, May 18th, 2021 - Palace in time - The Hebrew calendar as an anchor for cultural creativity and shared cultural memory. How to utilize the Hebrew calendar for year-round community building?

3. Tuesday, June 1st, 2021 - The People of the Book- How do we make Jewish sources (Ancient and modern) accessible and relevant to various populations? What is the connection and tension between identity and language?

4. Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 - Between the margins and the center - Who gets to tell the story? The ways to include all members of the community including those who feel marginalized because of race, gender, poverty etc. Can art be a source of healing?

5. Tuesday, June 29th, 2021 - Spaces and places- Discovering new avenues for physical space, virtual space, in and out and everything in between. About Cultural geography - the power of space in cultural creation, how did the pandemic change our perception of space and what are the implications for programming?

6. Tuesday, July 13th, 2021 - The global tapestry- ways in which collaborating with other Jewish communities enriches and develops the culture and identity of the local community.

7. Tuesday, July 27t, 2021 - Concluding session: Articulating the vision and role of arts and culture in our JCCs. What have we learned thus far and what are the next steps?