bnc spring bulletin 2018 - dec 8 - brandeis...

Brandeis National Committee – Gotham chapter February 2018 – June 2018

Bulletin Gotham Chapter

2018, Issue 1 February 2018 – June 2018

Calendar of Events

February (See pages 6 – 7 for details) Tuesday 6 Wednesday 7 Tuesday 13 Tuesday 20 Tuesday 27

Ladies Who Lunch – BNC members only General Meeting/Study Group - Sora Vernikoff - How to Lose Weight Without Dieting His & Hers: – Movie and discussion – The People vs. Fritz Bauer Chinese New Year’s Banquet Special Study Group: Magazine Articles Discussion Group (1st of 4 sessions)

March (See pages 8 – 9 for details) Tuesday 6 Wednesday 7 Thursday 8 Friday 9 Monday 12 Thursday 15 Thursday 15 Thursday 22 Tuesday 27

His & Hers: – Book Discussion – Red Notice General Meeting/Study Group – Robert and Vincent Gardino: What you can learn from visiting cemeteries! Tour of Alexander Hamilton US Custom House and lunch Ladies Who Lunch – BNC members only Special Study Group: Brandeis Book Club (3rd of 4 sessions) His & Hers: – Movie and discussion: Carvalho’s Journey Current Movie Discussions (1st monthly event) His & Hers: - Tour of the NY Museum of Jewish Heritage Special Study Group: Magazine Articles Discussion Group (2nd of 4 sessions)

April (See pages 13 - 14 for details) Wednesday 4 Tuesday 10 Friday 13 Tuesday 17 Thursday 19 Tuesday 24 Thursday 26

General Meeting/Study Group – Speaker to be announced Ladies Who Lunch – BNC members only Good Housekeeping Institute Tour Chelsea Gallery Tour His & Hers: – Movie and discussion: Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem Special Study Group: Magazine Articles Discussion Group (3rd of 4 sessions) Tour of Yeshiva University Museum (YUM) and lunch

May (See pages 15 - 16 for details) Wednesday 2 Thursday 3 Monday 7 Friday 11 Monday 14 Tuesday 29 Tuesday 30

General Meeting/Study Group – Norma Davidoff – Saving Many and Risking Ones Own Life His & Hers: - Tour of the New Cornell Tech Center on Roosevelt Island

A ACT II Theater Tour L Ladies Who Lunch – BNC members only

Special Study Group: Brandeis Book Club (4th of 4 sessions) Special Study Group: Magazine Articles Discussion Group (4th of 4 sessions) His & Hers: - Book Discussion – Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

June (See page 16 – 17 for details) Thursday 7 Monday 11 Thursday 14

Spring luncheon at the Etcetera Etcetera Walking Tour “Inspired Insanity” Nikola Tesla His & Hers: 3-Hour AIA guided boat trip around Manhattan


INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS, EMAIL, AND EVENT NAME WITH

CHECKS TO ENSURE YOU CAN BE NOTIFIED IF THERE ARE EVENT CHANGES

BNC MISSION STATEMENT

Brandeis National Committee is dedicated to providing philanthropic support to Brandeis University, a distinguished liberal arts and research university founded by the American Jewish community. Its membership is connected to the university through fundraising and through activities that reflect the values on which the university was founded: academic excellence, social justice, non-sectarianism, and service to the community.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Gotham members, As the Winter/Spring season approaches, we welcome our members to a smorgasbord of intellectual and stimulating events and meeting new friends. We want to include everyone in our events and hope you will participate in our programs. While we enjoy our many social and educational events, we always remember our goal is supporting Brandeis University’s renowned academic program and neurological research labs. We are giving gifted students the opportunity to pursue their educational dreams. Join with me and other vibrant men and women and enjoy another season of greatness with Brandeis Gotham. Lee Liss President

ARE YOU GETTING OUR EMAILS?

Reminders of future events are sent by email.

The Gotham Chapter sends out frequent emails updating its members on upcoming events. These updates come to your computer from Brandeis Gotham and are not junk mail.

Please set your computers to accept all emails from [email protected].


GOTHAM CHAPTER Annual Dues – $60 – basic membership, $100 for couples residing in the same household Send checks payable to BNC to Pat Glickman, 301 East 48th Street, #15F, New York 10017. Dues can also be paid by credit card by calling (888) 862-8692. Brandeis accepts MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. You can renew your membership online at http://giving.brandeis.edu/bncrenew You can also join BNC by going online to http://www.brandeis.edu/bnc/get-involved/how-to-join.html.

➢ If you join online, please advise Pat Glickman, [email protected], 212 486-3976, to ensure that your name is added to the Gotham chapter mailing list.

Umbrella Fee – A voluntary annual $15 contribution offsets chapter expenses and helps us meet our financial goals. Send checks payable to BNC to Gloria Lazarus, 36 Sutton Place South, #6D, New York 10022. General Meetings are held at 10:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, October through May, in the Barbizon, 140 East 63rd Street and are open to all BNC members. We meet in the Club Salon on the third floor. All members are welcome to attend. Study groups are open to Brandeis members only. Payment of a single $40 fee will allow you to attend the eight regular study groups in the afternoon following our General Meetings, October to May. These will be held on the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Barbizon, located at 140 East 63rd Street. We meet in the Club Salon on the third floor. When you arrive, tell the doorman you are going to the Brandeis meeting, and he will key you in. Please note that refreshments will not be provided at our study groups because no food is allowed in the Club Salon. We are very fortunate to be able to use this beautiful room, thanks to our members Irwin and Helen Winter. Send checks for $40 payable to BNC to Shelley Greene, 165 East 72nd Street, #2k, New York 10021.

Once you are a study group member, there are separate and additional special study groups. In the current calendar, we offer: Brandeis Book Club – Registration for this group takes place in the fall. Magazine articles discussion study group – $25 for 4 sessions, in addition to study group fee. Send checks payable to Tammy Weintraub, 445 East 80th Street, #10B, New York 10075.

Refunds If you sign up for an event and find you cannot attend, please let us know in advance and as soon as possible and consider your check a donation. As there is always a waiting list, do not ask a friend to attend in your place. We will use the first available person on waiting list to fill the event to capacity. Bulletins and Calendar

** Our bulletin and calendar are available online at http://blogs.brandeis.edu/bncgotham/ ** Members of other chapters can request to be sent our Bulletin. Deis Flix The movies selected for the His and Hers movie viewings and discussions are from Deis Flix, a lending library of DVD’s assembled by the Brandeis National Committee in collaboration with the National Center for Jewish Film (NCJF) on the Brandeis campus. The collection includes both the work of modern independent filmmakers and archival materials. Together they represent a visual record of the Jewish people in all of their vibrancy and diversity. NCJF is a nonprofit motion-picture archive, distributor and resource center, housing the largest collection of Jewish-theme film and video in the world outside of Israel. The mission of NCJF is to collect, preserve and exhibit films with artistic and educational value relevant to the Jewish experience.


OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES

PRESIDENT

Lee Liss EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Phyllis Gates, Pat Glickman, Rhoda Greif, Cora-Sue Kaufman, Francoise Marcus, Lydia Rentel, Tammy Weintraub

Recording Secretary Maxine Schweitzer (and rotating members) Good and Welfare Sondra Stamen Membership Pat Glickman Francoise Marcus New Vistas Lee Liss His and Hers Steven Hill Master Calendar Phyllis Gates

Chapter Information Officer (CIO) Tammy Weintraub Community Service Marilyn Bond Phyllis Chasin Fundraising Phyllis Gates Cora-Sue Kaufman Publications Vicki Sipkin Wendy Montgomery Marian Jordan Shari Lessing

Treasurer Lydia Rentel Gloria Lazarus, Assistant Nominating Committee Rhoda Barkin Marina Pasloff Linda Schain Debbie Sklar Book & Author Luncheon Eleanor Lubin Gloria Pilot Book Club Phyllis Chasin Shari Lessing

Gotham Web Site Steve Hill Francoise Marcus Book Fund Mae Miller Study Groups Rhoda Greif Tammy Weintraub Roundabout Theatre Eleanor Schick Gloria Lazarus

DIRECTORS (remaining terms) HONORARY DIRECTORS*

Leslie Appelbaum (1) Donna Besterman (1)

Marilyn Bond (3) Barbara Glassman (2)

Shelley Greene (1) Rita Lavitt (3)

Sheila Pass (2) Gloria Pilot (3) Eleanor Schick (1) Maxine Schweitzer (2) Helen Seligman (2) Judie Volin (3)

Jeanne Jacobson Betsy Levinsky Barbara Klein Ariel Mandel Ronnie Lachterman *Past presidents who currently do not have positions on the Board


CONTACT INFORMATION

PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE BOARD, AND EVENT SPONSORS

Doris Bahar 330 East 75th St. #11B, NY 10021 212-772-6071 [email protected]

Rhoda Barkin 1725 York Ave, #10C, NY 10128 212-289-6234 [email protected]

Marilyn Bond 390 1st Avenue, #12B, NY 10010 212-673-5404 [email protected]

Phyllis Chasin 345 East 56th St. #12G, NY 10022 212-421-3962 [email protected]

Janet Fried 185 West End Ave, #5F, NY 10023 212-204-2220 [email protected]

Phyllis Gates 101 West 81st St. #208, NY 10024 212-787-3137 [email protected]

Pat Glickman 301 East 48th St. #15F, NY 10017 212-486-3976 [email protected]

Rhoda Greif 150 East 69th St. #22, NY 10021 212-517-9150 [email protected]

Steve Hill 2 Columbus Ave. #40A, NY 10023 516-984-5522 [email protected]

Marian Jordan 215 East 80th St. #9G, NY, 10075 212-879-5909 [email protected]

Cora-Sue Kaufman 315 8th Avenue #13B, NY 10001 646-414-7828 [email protected]

Rita Lavitt 440 East 79th St. #16E, NY 10075 212-439-1518 [email protected]

Gloria Lazarus 36 Sutton Place So. #6D, NY 10022 212-888-0537 [email protected]

Shari Lessing 401 East 89th St, #1N, NY 10128 212-410-0054 [email protected]

Lee Liss 425 East 79th St. #3B, NY 10075 212-772-7556 [email protected]

Elinor Lubin 176 East 77th St. #8K, NY 10075 212-879-6312 [email protected]

Francoise Marcus 6 West 77th St. #7A, NY 10024 212-787-0811 [email protected]

Wendy Montgomery 240 Central Park S, #19J, NY 10019 908-510-6343 [email protected]

Gloria Pilot 400 East 57th St. #8B NY 10022 646-351-6407 [email protected]

Lydia Rentel 1725 York Ave, #4A, NY 10128 917-348-4777 [email protected]

Linda Schain 124 West 60th St. #20E, NY 10023 914-263-2515 [email protected]

Eleanor Schick 215 East 68th St. #15Y, NY 10065 212-988-4573 [email protected]

Maxine Schweitzer 141 East 88th St. #8H NY, NY 10128 212-369-9641 [email protected]

Kathy Segall 55 Central Pk West #11F, NY 10023 212-721-0104 [email protected]

Vicki Sipkin 16-14 215th St, Bayside, NY 11360 718-755-2658 [email protected]

Lela Somma 45 Sutton Place So. #2G, NY 10022 646-329-6325 [email protected]

Sondra Stamen 192 East 75th St #7A, NY, NY 10021 772-403-3240 [email protected]

Tammy Weintraub 445 East 80th St. #10B, NY 10075 212-794-1588 [email protected]

Helen Winter 140 East 63rd St. #8D, NY 10065 212-323-6448 [email protected]

Our General Meetings, held on the first Wednesday of each month from October through May, are a wonderful way to meet people and become more familiar with our chapter. Please come! We also need volunteers to help the Board plan and run our study groups and fundraising events and to host our Living Room Learning events.

To volunteer, call our president or any member of the executive committee.

See pages 4-5 for contact information.


FEBRUARY

Tuesday, February 6 – Ladies Who Lunch - $15 (BNC members only) And March 9, April 10 and May 11.

Current members must re-register for the spring sessions. Willingness to volunteer to be “Hostess of the Month” is a prerequisite for joining this group.

Leader: Lee Liss Ladies Who Lunch is a program organized by its members. Lunches take place once a month on a Tuesday or Friday that doesn’t conflict with other Gotham chapter events. At the end of each lunch, the next date will be announced by the member who has volunteered to be hostess for the next month.

Lunch is at your own expense. Seating will be randomly assigned by drawing a table number. This is your chance to make new friends and get to know different neighborhoods in Manhattan. Group members will be contacted by email/phone as to the date and location of each month’s restaurant. It is imperative that you rsvp. For further details Lee at [email protected], 212-772-7556. Send checks payable to BNC to Lee Liss, 425 East 79th Street, #3B, New York 10075.

Wednesday, February 7 - General Meeting/Study Group – Sora Vernikoff – How to lose weight without dieting

10:30 a.m. General Meeting (Open to all BNC members) 1:00 p.m. Study Group (Open to Study Group Members only) Sora Vernikoff will talk to us about her best-selling book Eat What You Want! Stop When You Want! A No Diet Weight Loss Program. How is this possible? Sora was a successful inner-city school teacher and compulsive eater who one day said to herself 'Why do these kids listen to me, but I won't listen to myself?'. She developed a no diet, lose weight plan, lost weight, and kept it off.

Come and find out from this lively lady how she did it and how you or a friend might do that.

Tuesday, February 13 – His & Hers: – Movie and Discussion: $20 (limited to 30 members) The People vs. Fritz Bauer

12:00 p.m. – Optional Dutch treat lunch, Barbaresco Restaurant, Lexington Avenue (between 64th and 65th). 1:30 p.m. – Movie – Barbizon Condominium, 140 East 63rd Street The People vs. Fritz Bauer (German: Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer) is a 2015 German drama film directed by Lars Kraume. In Germany in 1957, Attorney General Fritz Bauer receives crucial evidence on the whereabouts of SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann. The lieutenant colonel, responsible for the mass deportation of the Jews, is allegedly hiding in Buenos Aires. Bauer, himself Jewish, has been trying to take crimes from the Third Reich to court ever since his return from Danish exile. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film won the awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and three more at Deutscher ilmpreis (″Lola″) 2016. Although not chosen, it was nominated as one of eight films to be the German submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards. Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin 176 East 77 St #8K, New York 10075.


FEBRUARY Tuesday, February 20 - Chinese New Year’s Banquet - $40 (limited to 25 people) 12:30 p.m. Come celebrate the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Dog with a sumptuous banquet. Join us at Congee Village 100 Allen Street on the lower eastside for a festive lunch. The Year of the Dog, also referred to as the Yang Earth Dog is predicted to be a year of social change. Although Chinese New Year is in February, it is often called “Spring Festival” so we will think happy, warm thoughts. Come hungry because we have planned a sumptuous 10-course

luncheon. According to the Michelin Guide, the restaurant is coveted for it’s fantastic cooking with Cantonese focus. We may be on the second floor (one flight of stairs - no elevator). Directions: subway: F train to Delancey St, B or D train to Grand St, or take the M15+ bus to Allen & Delancey

For further information contact Maxine Schweitzer, [email protected] or 212-369-9641. (Day of event only 917-841-9171). Send checks payable to BNC to Maxine Schweitzer, 141 East 88th Street #8H, New York 10128.

Gung Hei Fat Choi Tuesday, February 27 – Special Study Group: Magazine Articles Discussion - $25 (4 sessions) Also, Tuesdays March 27, April 24 and May 29. Current members must re-register for the spring sessions. (Open to people signed for Study Groups who pay this additional fee – see page 3 for more details)

Willingness to volunteer to be a facilitator (involving choosing an article and leading the discussion) is a prerequisite for joining the group.

Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. - Tammy Weintraub's home, 445 East 80th Street, #10B. Each session of the Magazine Articles group will have a volunteer facilitator from the group who will select an interesting article to discuss. About two weeks before the session, we will email each participant the link to the article so that they can read the article on the computer and come ready to discuss it.

Our past discussions have been very stimulating; we look forward to this continuing. Please call Tammy at 212-794-1588 for more information. Send checks payable to BNC to Tammy Weintraub, 445 East 80th Street #10B, New York 10075.

INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS, EMAIL, AND EVENT NAME WITH CHECKS

TO ENSURE YOU CAN BE OU CAN BE NOTIFIED IF THERE ARE EVENT CHANGES


MARCH Monday, March 6 - His & Hers: – Book Discussion – Red Notice By Bill Browder $15 (limited to 20 members) 10:30 a.m. Home of Elinor Lubin, 176 East 77th Street, #8 12:00 p.m. Dutch treat lunch at Caffe Buon Gusto. Discussion Leader: Steven Hill A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice “Part John Grisham-like thriller, part business and political memoir.” —The New York Times “ Red Notice does for investing in Russia and the former Soviet Union what Liar’s Poker did for our understanding of Salomon Brothers, Wall Street, and the mortgage-backed securities business in the 1980s. Browder’s business saga meshes well with the story of corruption and murder in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, making Red Notice an early candidate for any list of the year’s best books” (Fortune). This is a story about an accidental activist. Bill Browder started out his adult life as the Wall Street maverick whose instincts led him to Russia just after the breakup of the Soviet Union, where he made his fortune. Along the way he exposed corruption, and when he did, he barely escaped with his life. His Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky wasn’t so lucky: he ended up in jail, where he was tortured to death. That changed Browder forever. He saw the murderous heart of the Putin regime and has spent the last half decade on a campaign to expose it. Because of that, he became Putin’s number one enemy, especially after Browder succeeded in having a law passed in the United States—The Magnitsky Act—that punishes a list of Russians implicated in the lawyer’s murder. Putin famously retaliated with a law that bans Americans from adopting Russian orphans. A financial caper, a crime thriller, and a political crusade, Red Notice is the story of one man taking on overpowering odds to change the world, and also the story of how, without intending to, he found meaning in his life. Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin 176 East 77th Street, #8K New York 10075. Wednesday, March 7 - General Meeting/Study Group - Robert and Vincent Gardino What you can learn from visiting cemeteries! 10:30 a.m. General Meeting (Open to all BNC members) 1:00 p.m. Study Group (Open to Study Group Members only)

Brothers Robert and Vincent Gardino, who were written up in the NY Times this past year, will talk to us about their visits to gravesites around the country to find the graves of special people whom we have lost track of. Their talk is described as part biography and part like the famous NPR show Car Talk. In their other lives, Robert was a banker and Vincent was in media sales for radio.

Thursday, March 8 - Tour of Alexander Hamilton US Custom House and lunch – $45 (non-members $55) (Limited to 25 people) 11:15 a.m. - One Bowling Green, enter on lower level to avoid the front steps. This is now the current home of National Museum of the American Indian and is a National Historic Landmark completed in 1907. The building's interior includes an elliptical rotunda with dome skylight and hand painted murals by NY painter Reginald Marsh with numerous monumental marble arches and columns. Also includes visit to Collectors Office with woodwork by Tiffany Studios as seen on Broadway Empire and Spike Lee's Inside Man. Lunch will follow at a local restaurant. Directions: Subway – Take the 4 or 5 Bowling Green Station, the 1 to Rector St or South Ferry, or the 2 or 3 to Wall Street or the Bus - M5, M15, M20. For additional information contact Rita Lavitt, 212-439-1518, [email protected] (Day of event 202-210-4145). Send checks payable to BNC, to Rita Lavitt, 440 East 79th Street, Apt 16E, New York 10075


MARCH Monday, March 12 - Brandeis Book Club – (3rd of 4 sessions) Also, Monday, May 14 - fourth and last session.

(closed to new members until next season). 11:00 a.m. – Home of Phyllis Chasin, 345 East 56 Street - Apt. 12-G. Books to be announced. Contact Shari Lessing, 212-410-0054 or Phyllis Chasin, 212-421-3962. Thursday, March 15 – His & Hers: – Movie and Discussion: Carvalho's Journey - $20 (Limited to 30 members.) 12:00 p.m. – Optional Dutch treat lunch, Barbaresco Restaurant, Lexington Avenue (between 64th and 65th) 1:30 p.m. – Movie – Barbizon Condominium, 140 East 63rd Street.

A real life 19th-century American western adventure story, Carvalho's Journey tells the extraordinary story of Solomon Nunes Carvalho (1815-1897), an observant Sephardic Jew born in Charleston, South Carolina, and his life as a groundbreaking explorer and artist. The film interweaves stunning HD digital and 16mm film landscape cinematography, rare 19th century photographs and artwork, Carvalho’s own surviving paintings and daguerreotypes, and interviews with scholars and artists, including modern day daguerreotypist Robert Shlaer who recreates Carvalho’s original daguerreotypes on location. Narrated by Award winning actor Michael Stuhlbarg (Boardwalk Empire, Hugo, and A Serious Man).

Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin. 176 East 77th Street, #8K, New York 10075 Thursday, March 15 - Current Movie Discussions - $15 (BNC members only)

Current members must re-register. Willingness to volunteer your home or to be a facilitator is prerequisite to joining group. 4:00 p.m. - Home of Harriet Machlis, 185 West End Avenue, #26M Meetings will take place once a month on a Thursday at 4 p.m. and will be followed by dinner at your own expense. See the selected movie on your own and then join the group on the chosen date for discussion of the movie led by a group member. Group members will be contacted by email or phone with the name of each month's movie and the location and hostess for the discussion. OUT OF COURTESY FOR THE HOSTESS… group members must call the hostess each time to their attendance. For further details, contact Harriet Machlis, 212 549-4354 (If you suddenly cannot attend, you must also call the hostess before or on the day of the meeting.) Send checks payable to BNC to Harriet Machlis,185 West End Avenue, #26M, New York 10023 Thursday, March 22 - His & Hers: Tour of the NY Museum of Jewish Heritage - $30 Time: 10:15 a.m. We will meet in the lobby (36 Battery Place) at 10:00 a.m. Take a guided tour of the Core Exhibition. All three floors of the Core Exhibition are covered: Jewish Life a Century Ago; The War Against the Jews; and Jewish Renewal. Our tour will be led by a docent and followed by an optional Dutch treat lunch at the museum’s dining facility. Taking visitors from the 1880s to present day, the Museum’s Core Exhibition features more than 800 artifacts and 2,000 photographs that illustrate Jewish history and highlight personal experience of global significance. The exhibition is organized as a chronological and thematic journey through three main sections: Jewish Life a Century Ago, War Against the Jews, and Jewish Renewal. By including portions of the exhibition that focus on the periods before and after the Holocaust, the Museum proclaims that Jewish lives and the Jewish people will not be defined solely by atrocity. Directions: Subway: 4/5 to Bowling Green, walk west along Battery Place; 1 to Rector Street, walk south down Greenwich Street toward Battery Park; make a right on Battery Place and continue walking west. R to Whitehall Street or Rector Street from Whitehall, walk west along Battery Place. From Rector Street, walk south down Greenwich Street toward Battery Park; turn right and walk west on Battery Place Send checks payable to BNC to Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 40A, New York 10023.


Spring Luncheon

BNC Gotham Chapter Thursday, June 7, 2018

12:00 Noon $75 ETCETERA ETCETERA 352 West 44TH Street (between 8TH and 9Th Avenues) Just a heartbeat away from the buzz of Broadway, Etcetera Etcetera is a modern cozy oasis of culinary delights. Please join us for a very special day and the installation of officers for 2018-2019

Leslie Appelbaum, Chairperson Reservations will be accepted until May 15, 2018 Please send checks payable to BNC to: Ellen Kessler 250 Gorge Road. Apt 27J, Cliffside Park NJ 07010 All proceeds go towards the Brandeis Scholarship Campaign. Please tear off the following response form and return it with you check.

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(PLEASE PRINT) Enclosed is a check for reservations for ________ people ($75 per person) Name and Address: ________________________________________________________ Phone number _____________________ Email: _________________________________ List with whom you’d like to be seated:


YOUR GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

There are now several opportunities for giving: Your personal donations can support any and all of these BNC funds.

For more information, contact Marian Rosenwasser-Jordan, [email protected] Send your checks for any amount to Marian R. Jordan, 215 E. 80th St., #9G, New York, N.Y. 10075. Credit card payments may be made by calling M'Lissa Brennan at the National office: 781-736-7588. Also, checks sent to Brandeis National Committee, P.O. Box 549110, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, will be accepted for any amount. If giving to these funds directly, please mention the Gotham chapter when making a credit card payment or indicate on your check that you are a member of the Gotham chapter.

BNC SCHOLARSHIP FUND BNC SUSTAINING THE MIND FUND

BNC LIBRARY FUNDS

Contributions can continue to be made any or all of these funds.

BOOK FUND BNC TRIBUTE CARDS FOR EVERY OCCASION

Brandeis National Committee tribute cards are the perfect way to mark a special occasion or to simply remember someone. Your donations go directly to education opportunities, scientific advancements, and supporting the Brandeis Libraries and are 100% tax-deductible.

It’s easy as A, B, C to send a tribute card!

A. Indicate which tribute card you want to send (see list below) B. Include your complete name, address and phone number C. Include the complete name and address of the recipient and why you are sending the tribute

card. Send your checks payable to BNC, with all the above information to:

Mae Miller, 215 East 80th Street, Apt. 11F, New York, New York 10075

The most popular tribute cards are: $10 – Goldfarb Library at Night Card $18 – Louis Brandeis Portrait Card (Chai)

$25 or more – Contributions to BNC Scholarship Fund or BNC Sustaining the Mind Fund $35, $55, $100, or $500 – Learned research journal folios

For Credit Card payments or Scientific Research and Scholarship Endowment tribute cards please contact M'Lissa Brennan at the National office on 1-781-736-7588.

Checks for any amount can be sent to: Brandeis National Committee, P.O. Box 549110, Waltham, MA 02454-9110.

Please mention you are a member of the Gotham chapter.


GOTHAM CHAPTER KEEPS EXPANDING

We extend a warm welcome to our newest annual members:

Mark Baker

Gina Berman Rita Cohen

Dale Feinblatt Karen Fierstein Ruthann Grey

Lois Grossman Linda Handler Jane Radnay

Susan Tree

Sora Vernikoff

NOT A MEMBER? JOIN NOW!

NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Annual dues apply through June 30, 2018 and payments are tax

deductible. Annual Membership Levels:

$60.00 – Regular $100.00 – Couple membership (if residing in one household)

Name: ____________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________ Apt#:_______ City: __________________________State: _______ ZIP____________ Home Phone: ____________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________ Send checks payable to BNC along with the above information to:

Pat Glickman, 301 East 48th Street, #15F, New York 10017

Dues can also be paid by credit card by calling (888) 862-8692. Brandeis accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Please also inform Pat Glickman, [email protected] or 212 486-3976, so we can add you to our Gotham chapter mailing list. Privacy Policy: The University’s policy, and therefore our policy, is to respect the privacy of our members and their contact information. Our members’ contact information is solely for official Brandeis use and is not to be shared with any third party.

REASONS TO JOIN BNC members: 1) Enjoy social gatherings, make new friends and meet individuals with shared interests. 2) Attend intellectually stimulating lectures. 3) Immerse themselves in lifelong learning with study groups, Brandeis faculty-authored guides and deis flicks films. 4) Meet our chapter’s student liaisons and learn about campus life. 5) Receive Brandeis Magazine, a publication especially for the Brandeis community. 6) Join a network of 25,000 individuals who value Brandeis University, founded on the principle of social justice.


APRIL

Wednesday, April 4 - General Meeting/Study Group – Sahar Hussain and Ann Strohmeier - "Help in Understanding the Customs Of Our Muslim Neighbors" 10:30 a.m. General Meeting (open to all BNC members) 1:00 p.m. Study Group (open to Study Group Members only) We will have the pleasure of meeting Sahar Hussain, one of six amazing women who were the founding members of the Muslim Volunteers for New York. She will tell us a little about Muslim family traditions and about the work of her organization. Sahar will be introduced to us by Ann Strohmeier, a friend of Tammy's and a teacher at the Trinity School here in New York City. Ann met Sahar when she taught Sahar's daughter Farah in Trinity's first grade. Ann admired Sahar's devotion to her religion and her heritage and asked her to speak to the class and do some activities with them to acquaint them with Muslim culture and traditions. Ann and Sahar became good friends, and Ann continues to be very impressed with the wonderful work done by The Muslim Volunteers for New York. And now, today, we have the opportunity to learn more about this important culture and organization too."

Friday, April 13 - Good Housekeeping Institute Tour and lunch – $47 (limited to 20 members) Time to meet, 11:15 a.m. promptly, Hearst Tower Lobby, 300 West 57th Street (at 8th Avenue). How does the Good Housekeeping test products? Come visit their labs, meet their experts, and find out. You'll learn how their engineers, chemists, textile professionals, and other scientists evaluate thousands of products each year, from vacuums to cosmetics to swimwear and more. Tour their test kitchens where every Good Housekeeping recipe is triple tested; meet with their nutrition department to learn how they assess if a food lives up to its claims; and visit the famous Good Housekeeping dining room, which has been host to dozens of presidents, first ladies, celebrities, and other famous figures. After the tour, we will lunch at the Organic Bare Burger Restaurant, 313 West 57th Street across from tower. For more information, contact Linda M Schain, [email protected] or 646-964-4786. (914-263-2515 day of event only) Send checks payable to BNC to Linda M Schain 124 W 60th Street, Apt 20E, New York 10023. Tuesday, April 17 - Chelsea Gallery tour - $40 ($50 non-members) 10:30 a.m. Meeting Place: The lobby of 526 West 26th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues] Guide: Rafael Risemberg Once again, our tour will be led by Rafael Risemberg, founder and director of NY Gallery Tours.

Members who were on any of our previous tours left knowing they were with a true authority on the Chelsea art scene. The exhibits on this tour will be new exhibits, completely different from those seen on previous tours. Lunch at your own expense will follow at the Half King

restaurant, 505 West 23rd Street. Note: To facilitate our lunch payments, Daga, the manager, has guaranteed separate checks and suggests payment in cash. For further information contact [email protected] (day of event only, 646-599-7130.) Send your checks payable to BNC to Phyllis Gates 101 West 81st St. #208, New York 10024.


APRIL Thursday, April 19 – His & Hers: – Movie and Discussion: Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem $20 (Limited to 30 members.) 12:00 p.m. – Optional Dutch treat lunch, Barbaresco Restaurant, Lexington Avenue between 64th and 65th 1:30 p.m. – Movie – Barbizon Condominium, 140 East 63rd Street The stories of two beloved Jewish icons are woven together in this enchanting documentary: Sholom Aleichem, the great Jewish storyteller and Theodore Bikel- troubadour, actor and the most popular interpreter of Aleichem’s work. Based on Bikel’s acclaimed stage play “Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears." The two men have much in common-- wisdom, Theodore Bikel, the unstoppable performer whose career spanned more than 150 screen roles (including an Oscar-nominated turn in The Defiant Ones) and countless stage and musical productions, was also the foremost interpreter of Sholom Aleichem's work. Bikel, who passed away in 2015, played Tevye the Milkman on stage more than 2,000 times. Bikel animated Aleichem's work through his creation of two celebrated musical plays about the great Russian author. A pioneer of modern Jewish literature who championed and luxuriated in the Yiddish language, Sholom Aleichem created dozens of indelible characters. His Tevye the Milkman, Motl the Cantor's Son, and Menachem Mendl--"shtetl Jews" for whom humor and pathos were two sides of the same Yiddish coin--remain invaluable windows into pre-war Eastern European Jewish life, real and imagined. Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin 176 East 77th Street, #8K, New York 10075. Thursday, April 26 - Tour of Yeshiva University Museum (YUM) and lunch - $46 (limited to 25 members) 10:45 a.m. - 15 West 16th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues) The American Jewish Community and it's continued thriving is more important than ever before. YUM offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with your heritage and to understanding the significant contributions and accomplishments of Jews around the world and throughout history. Its mission is to celebrate and examine the culturally diverse, intellectual and artistic achievements of 5,000 years of the tapestry of Jewish life from biblical times to present and the world of emerging and established artists who treat Jewish themes. Collections feature fine art, folk arts, clothing, textiles ceremonial and ritual objects, and much more. Following our tour, we will have Lunch at Serenata, 111 West 17th Street. Train: 4, 5, or 6 to 14th St. (Union Square) Bus: Fifth Ave. bus M1, M2 or M3 For more information contact Rhoda Barkin, 212-289-6234, [email protected] (Day of event 646-465-1417). Send checks payable to BNC to Rhoda Barkin, 1725 York Ave. #10C, New York 10128.

INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS, EMAIL, AND EVENT NAME WITH CHECKS TO ENSURE YOU CAN BE NOTIFIED IF THERE ARE EVENT CHANGES


MAY

Wednesday, May 2 - General Meeting/Study Group - Norma Davidoff – Saving Many and Risking One’s Own Life 10:30 a.m. General Meeting (Open to all BNC members) 1:00 p.m. Study Group (Open to Study Group Members only) Norma Davidoff will talk to us about Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat working in Lithuania during WW2. He recognized the plight of the Jews trapped there as the Nazis were rounding Jews up. At great risk to his family and career, he signed transit visas allowing Jews to leave Lithuania and travel to Japanese territory. It is estimated that he may have saved as many as 40,000 Jews. Thursday May 3 - His & Hers: Visit the spectacular new Cornell Tech Center on Roosevelt Island – $30 (limited to 30 members) 10:45 a.m. – Tramway Plaza, Second Avenue and 60th Street (use your metro card) The tram runs every 10 minutes and is a four-minute ride. Once you arrive on Roosevelt Island we will gather on the Roosevelt Island terminus of the tram for a one hour guided tour beginning at 11:00 a.m. Our docent-led tour will include three new buildings consisting of the Bloomberg Center, The Bridge and the House. Cornell Tech’s focus on innovation is seen in its design. It is a new type of urban campus that allows room to think, but is also integrated with the city. With expansive views, a series of green, public spaces, and a seamless integration of indoor and outdoor areas, the twelve-acre campus is one of the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient campuses in the world. Our tour will be followed by an optional Dutch treat lunch at the student cafeteria in the Bloomberg Center. After lunch, and for those who wish, we will continue to walk to the South End of the island to take in the vistas and see the Roosevelt Memorial Statue. Send checks payable to BNC to Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 40A, New York 10023.

Monday, May 7 - Act ll Theater Tour - $35 members ($45 Non-members) 10:45 a.m. Meet at the Lyceum Theater, 149 West 45th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues) Our tour starts promptly at 11 a.m. and lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes. Those of you who went on the Act l tour last year know how enjoyable it was and those who missed it can count on a wonderful experience. This tour is a further exploration of the history of the theater district. We will hear about how Times Square was transformed from stables and manure to one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world. We will travel from West 44th Street to West 47th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. We will learn about the Shubert brothers who monopolized Broadway with the help of an architect named Herbert J. Krapp. Highlights include tales of David Merrick's antics and information about the audition process of a musical and the origins of the Tony Awards. The tour will end on 46th Street. and we will have lunch (at your own expense) at a restaurant to be determined. For more information, call Cora Sue, 646-414-7828 (day of trip only - 646-645-7828). Send checks payable to BNC to Cora Sue Kaufman, 315 8th Avenue, Apt. 13B, New York 10001.


MAY

Wednesday, May 30 - His & Hers: – Book Discussion – Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan – $15 (Limited to 15 members.) 12:00 p.m. - Dutch treat lunch (optional), Barbaresco Restaurant, 843 Lexington Avenue 1:30 p.m. - Home of Helen and Irwin Winter. 140 East 63rd Street, #8D Discussion Leader: Irv Winter Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman's struggle to recapture her identity. An award- winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller, the book goes far beyond being a riveting medical mystery. Susannah Cahalan, a New York-based journalist, tells the astonishing true story of her decent into madness, her family's inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn't happen. The book is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance. Send checks payable to BNC to Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue #40A, New York 10023.

JUNE

Thursday, June 7 – Spring Luncheon - $75 - (Responses due by May 15)

See details on page 10. Send checks payable to BNC to Ellen Kessler 250 Gorge Road. Apt 27J, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010. Monday, June 11 - Walking tour: "Inspired Insanity” Nikola Tesla in New York - $32 (non-members $42) Limited to 30 people. 10:30 a.m. - Meet at "Tesla Corner” (corner of 6th Avenue and 40th Street, northeast side) Our tour begins at 10:30 promptly. We will explore the local haunts of Nikola Tesla, the mad genius who brought us a deluge of inventions and pioneering work in electric light, electric motors, radio, x-ray, remote control, radar, wireless communication and robotics. He demonstrated radio communication before Marconi,

and in 1901 he developed the idea for smart phone technology. Tesla was a fascinating and enigmatic figure who attributed his inspirations to his visions". He's been called the greatest geek who ever lived, but was also a good-looking "ladies man". A rival of Thomas Edison and George

Westinghouse, he unfortunately did not achieve their business success during his life. Tesla's contributions to science went underappreciated for years; his work is now finally being recognized. Our guide, Deborah Zelcer, is terrific and well-known to members who have taken her previous tours. After the tour we will have lunch (at your own expense) at a nearby restaurant to be announced. Send checks payable to BNC to Marian Jordan at 215 East. 80th Street, Apt.9G, New York, 10075. For more information, contact Marian at 212-879-5909 or [email protected] (day of tour only, 917-923-5711.)



JUNE Thursday June 14 - His & Hers: 3-Hour AIA Guided Boat Trip Around Manhattan - $100 (Limited to 30 members.) Rain or Shine. 1:30 p.m. - Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers (Pier 62 is west of the West Side highway between 22nd and 23rd streets) Our tour leaves at 1:45 p.m. sharp from Dock 62 at Chelsea Pier and returns at 4:30 p.m. Join the American Institute of Architects (AIA), in collaboration with the Classic Harbor Line, for a boat tour on a vintage yacht around Manhattan. The tour will be led by an AIA Guide and will offer insightful narration covering New York city icons, landmarks, modern architecture and engineering masterpieces. Views will include buildings by Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano and Richard Mei and others. Our meticulously designed 1920’s-style yacht offers comfortable, teak detailed, climate controlled cabins with excellent sight lines. Guests are free to wander the decks for even greater views while Classic Harbor Line’s crew serves a complimentary beer, wine or Champagne and light snacks. Please feel free to bring your own box lunch as well. The cost includes gratuities. For more information, contact Helen Winter at 917-842-2810 or Steve Hill 516-984-5522. Send checks payable to BNC to: Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 40A, New York 10023.

ROUNDABOUT THEATER SUBSCRIPTIONS Join us for another Roundabout Wednesday matinee season. Our subscribers enjoy preferred seating and a liberal ticket exchange policy. Your ticket includes a donation to Brandeis which is tax deductible. All profits will be donated to the Work Scholar Program. The monies help offset increasing school costs. Here is your great opportunity to enjoy theater and help financially support students.

You will be notified of subscription information when it becomes available.

Eleanor Schick [email protected] Gloria Lazarus [email protected]



Meet a BNC SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Dear BNC Members,

My name is Jacob Abrams and I would like to give you my utmost thanks and appreciation for the financial support that this scholarship provides me with. I am well aware of all the work that our BNC members have done for Brandeis students over the past six decades, and I can honestly say that you have made a lasting impact not just on myself, but on every student who attends this institution.

I would like to tell you a little about what I do here at Brandeis. I am a double major in Biology and Classical Studies, with a minor in Italian Studies, and I am pre - med. I am the Director of the Student Ambassador Organization and a student member the Brandeis National Executive Committee, and I have been involved in B NC since I came to Brandeis as a first - year. I am a Eunice M. Lebowitz - Cohen intern for our Department of Classical Studies’ Artifact Research Collection, which means I am one of four undergraduate interns who curate our department’s collection of over 800 ancient artifacts. I am the Junior Representative to the Alumni Association Board of Directors, a member of the Brandeis Beacons Society, and I race for Brandeis on the Ski and Snowboard Team during the winter.

Okay, maybe I do more than just a little bit here. But this is one of the most amazing aspects about this university – undergraduate students like me actually have multiple opportunities to be incredibly involved. These opportunities would not be possible without the generous support of people like you who have a vested interest in seeing the next generation succeed. Brandeis is a place where I can develop skills for success in life, and this Scholarship makes it that much easier for me to get ahead.

On behalf of Brandeis and BNC, thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for our institution. I hope to have the chance to meet more of our BNC members very soon.

Sincerely,

Jacob Abrams ‘17 MB 3128, Brandeis University 415 South Street Waltham, MA 02453

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GOTHAM CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Tuesday, February 6 – Ladies Who Lunch - $15 Also, March 9, April 10, and May 11. Current members must re-register for Spring calendar sessions. Send checks payable to BNC to Lee Liss, 425 East 79th Street #3B, New York 10075. Wednesday, February 7 – General Meeting/Study Group – Sora Vernikoff –

How to Lose Weight Without Dieting Tuesday, February 13 – His & Hers: Movie and discussion - The People vs. Fritz Bauer - $20

Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin 176 East 77 St #8K New York 10075. Tuesday, February 20 – Chinese New Year’s Banquet - $40 Send checks payable to BNC to Maxine Schweitzer, 141 East 88th Street #8H, New York 10128. Tuesday, February 27 – Special Study Group: Magazine Articles Discussion Group - $25 (4 sessions) Also, March 27, April 24, and May 29. Current members must re-register for Spring calendar sessions. Send checks payable to BNC to Tammy Weintraub, 445 East 80th Street, #10B, New York 10075.

Monday, March 6 - His & Hers: – Book Discussion – Red Notice by Bill Browder – $15 Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin 176 East 77th Street, #8K New York 10075.

Wednesday, March 7 - General Meeting/Study Group – Robert and Vincent Gardino: What you can learn from visiting cemeteries!

Thursday, March 8 – Tour of Alexander Hamilton US Custom House and lunch $45 (non-members $55) Send checks payable to BNC, to Rita Lavitt, 440 East 79 St, Apt 16E, New York 10075.

Monday, March 12 - Special Study Group: Brandeis Book Club (3rd of 4 sessions)

Thursday, March 15 – His & Hers: – Movie and Discussion: Carvalho's Journey - $20

Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin 176 East 77 St #8K New York 10075.

Thursday, March 15 – Current Movie Discussions (1st monthly event) - $15 (BNC members only) Current members must reregister for the fall calendar events. Send checks payable to BNC to Harriet Machlis,185 West End Avenue, #26M, New York 10023 Thursday, March 22 – His & Hers: Tour of the NY Museum of Jewish Heritage - $30

Send checks payable to BNC to Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 40A, New York 10023.


GOTHAM CALENDAR AT A GLANCE, CONTINUED

Wednesday, April 4 – General Meeting/Study Group – Sahar Hussain and Ann Strohmeier – "Help in Understanding the Customs Of Our Muslim Neighbors" Friday, April 13 - Good Housekeeping Institute Tour & Lunch $47 Send checks payable to BNC, to Linda M Schain 124 W 60St. Apt 20E New York 10023. Tuesday, April 17 - Chelsea Gallery tour - $40 ($50 non members) Send your checks payable to BNC to: Phyllis Gates 101 West 81st St. #208, New York 10024. Thursday, April 19 – His & Hers: – Movie and Discussion: Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem $20 Send checks payable to BNC to Elinor Lubin 176 East 77 St #8K New York 10075. Thursday, April 26 - Tour of Yeshiva University Museum (YUM) and lunch - $46.00 Send checks payable to BNC to Rhoda Barkin, 1725 York Ave. #10C, New York 10128 Wednesday, May 2 - General Meeting/Study Group - Norma Davidoff – Saving Many and Risking Ones Own Life Thursday May 3 - His & Hers: Visit the spectacular new Cornell Tech Center on Roosevelt Island $30 Send checks payable to BNC to Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 40A, New York 10023. Monday, May 7 - Act ll Theater Tour - $35 members $45 Non-members Send checks payable to BNC to Cora Sue Kaufman 315 8th Ave. Apt. 13 B New York 10001. Monday, May 14 - Special Study Group: Brandeis Book Club (4th of 4 sessions) Wednesday, May 30 - His & Hers: – Book Discussion – Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan $15 Send checks payable to BNC to Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue #40A, New York 10023. Thursday, June 7 – Spring Luncheon - $75 - (Responses due by May 15) See page 10. Send checks payable to BNC to Ellen Kessler 250 Gorge Road. Apt 27J, Cliffside Park. NJ 07010.

Monday, June 11 - Walking tour: "Inspired Insanity” Nikola Tesla in New York - $32 (non-members $42) Send checks payable to BNC, to Marian Jordan at 215 E. 80th St., apt.9G, New York 10075. Thursday June 14 - His & Hers: 3-Hour AIA Guided Boat Trip Around Manhattan - $100 Send checks payable to BNC to: Steven Hill, 2 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 40A, New York 10023.


bnc spring bulletin 2018 - dec 8 - brandeis...

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