Mercer Island’s Stroum Jewish Community Center (SJCC) kicked off its 2016-17 cultural arts season with an Emmy Award-winning comedian and the U.S. premiere of “Women of the Book,” an art exhibit from Israel.
The season continues with a robust year of film screenings, award-winning chefs, cookbook authors, speakers, global music shows and more.
The Global Sound music series brings international artists to the J stage, including spellbinding Argentine vocalist Sofia Rei and Seattle-native JosSEh Deutsch on Oct. 30 (a co-presentation with the Earshot Jazz Festival), the renowned Grammy-winning Klezmatics on Dec. 18, Israeli troubadour superstar David Broza on March 1 and Seattle recording legends Sue Ennis and Hummie Mann on May 13.
Its “Fable to Table” culinary arts series goes around the world, offering classes and tastes of Persian, Sephardic and Israeli cuisines.
As Mercer Island’s only movie theater, in addition to running the Seattle Jewish Film Festival (March 25-April 2, 2017), the J screens a variety of international, eye-opening films throughout the year. On Wednesday, Oct. 19, it premieres the documentary “Song of Lahore,” a film about Pakistan’s vibrant music revival directed by Mercer Island-native Andy Schocken, who will attend the screening, followed by a public reception.
Called “elegant and moving” by the New York Times, the film is co-directed by Oscar-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and is co-presented with TASVEER: Seattle’s South Asian Film Festival, which runs Oct. 14-23 (tasveer.org). The J is proud to announce a new 3rd Thursday Film Series and a Parenting Film Series that includes “Beyond Measure,” a look at America’s education system, co-sponsored by ParentMap (Nov. 10). The J also partners with STG to present “Mr. Gaga” (Jan. 19), a film about the Batsheva Dance Company performing in Seattle in February.
The SJCC’s “Words to the Wise” series brings intriguing conversations ranging from topical issues such as ObamaCare by one of its creators (Jan. 8) to the science of love by Seattle’s “sexpert” Dr. Pepper Schwartz in time for Valentine’s Day (Feb. 2). The J will premiere a number of local, original and international touring theater productions, including a live version of the radio show “Israel Story” — an NPR, PRX, and Tablet Magazine podcast dubbed Israel’s “This American Life”—comes to the J on May 3.
On March 19, the new staged reading-style theater company Tales of the Alchemysts Theatre adapts Isaac Bashevis Singer to the stage for their inaugural show. And on April 6, actor/playwright Jon Adam Ross’ InHEIRitance Project brings an original multi-media play about biblical matriarchs Rachel and Leah interwoven with filmed interviews with Seattle sisters in the Jewish community. This play is made possible by a prestigious grant from the Covenant Foundation.
Get a laugh at the J comedy club when Last Comic Standing finalist and TV funny man Gary Gulman takes the stage on Dec. 1 and with veteran club comic and Jerry Seinfeld-opener Mark Schiff on Feb. 19.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.sjcc.org/cultural-arts.
October
Talk: Leo Frank – Murder in Marietta
Sunday, Oct. 9 | 2 p.m.
Film: “Song of Lahore”
Wednesday, Oct. 19 | 7 p.m.
3rd Thursday Film and Cooking Class: In Search of Israeli Cuisine
Thursday, Oct. 20 | 7 p.m. (film only 7:45 p.m.)
Free Film and Sukkot Celebration in Ballard: “Sukkah City”
Sunday, Oct.23 | 10 a.m.
At Majestic Bay Theatres
Concert: Sofia Rei Trio/Josh Deutsch’s Pannonia
Part of the Earshot Jazz Festival
Sunday, Oct. 30 | 8 p.m.
November
November Talk/Comedy: Take My Spouse, Please!
Wednesday, Nov. 2 | 7 p.m.
Film: “Munich ’72 and Beyond”
Wednesday, Nov. 9 | 7:30 p.m.
3rd Thursday Film: “Beyond Measure”
In partnership with ParentMap
Thursday, Nov. 10 | 7 p.m.
Film: Israeli TV Dinners – FAUDA
Thursday, Nov. 17 | 7:30 p.m.
Cooking Class: Babka and Rugelach
Tuesday, Nov. 22 | 6:30 p.m.
December
Comedian Gary Gulman
Thursday, Dec. 1 | 8 p.m.
Cooking Class: Sephardic Cheesy Potato Fritters Sunday, Dec. 11 | 2 p.m.
Concert: The Klezmatics
Sunday, Dec. 18 | 7:30 p.m.
Kung Pao Christmas: “The Search for General Tso”
Chinese Food and a Movie
Sunday, Dec. 25 | 4 p.m.
January
January Talk: 150 Years of ObamaCare
Sunday, Jan. 8 | 4 p.m.
3rd Thursday Film: MR. GAGA
Thursday, Jan. 19 | 7:30 p.m.
Cooking Class: Canning, Pickling, and Preserving
Tuesday, Jan. 31 | 7 p.m.
Talk: Dr. Pepper Schwartz on the Science of Love
Thursday, Feb. 2 | 7:30 p.m.
Comedian Mark Schiff
Sunday, Feb. 19 | 8 p.m.
Culinary: Wine Tasting – Israeli Sommelier
Saturday, Feb. 25 | 7:30 p.m.
Cooking Class: Persian Cooking
Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 6:30 p.m.
March
Concert: David Broza Unplugged
Wednesday, March 1 | 8 p.m.
Theater: “Lost and Found in Love” by Issac Bashevis Singer
Sunday, March 19 | 4:30 p.m.
22nd annual Seattle Jewish Film Festival Saturday, March 25 – Sunday, April 2
Various locations in downtown Seattle; closing weekend at the J
Theater: InHEIRitance Project – The Rachel/Leah Play
Thursday, April 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Theater: Seattle Jewish Theater Company presents Tony Kushner’s “The Dybbuk”
Sunday, April 23 | 2 p.m.
May
Radio Theater: Israel Story – “Herzl 48”
Wednesday, May 3 | 7:30 p.m.
Talk: Kertzer Brothers in Conversation
Thursday, May 11 | 7:30 p.m.
Concert: Sue Ennis & Hummie Mann
Saturday, May 13 | 7:30 p.m.
3rd Thursday Film: GOLD BALLS
Thursday, May 18 | 7:30 p.m.
Author Talk: “Daughters of Iraq”
Sunday, May 2 | 2 p.m.
June Cooking Class: Parfait Ice Cream Making Class
Sunday, June 4 | 2 p.m.
Concert: Noam Vazana Sephardic Jazz Trio
Sunday, June 11 | 7 p.m.
