<b>Sunday, August 1 at 1 pm ET</b> <b>Free on Zoom only, Registration Required - <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sefarad-the-untold-story-that-changed-the-world-tickets-163389535499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a></b> <b>See "Ways to Watch" below</b> <em><strong>In the Beginning: From King Solomon to the Ends of the Earth</strong></em> The history of the Jews in Spain evokes both great achievements and the depths of despair. In this presentation, <strong>Dr. Isaac Amon</strong> will take us from the early arrival of the Jews to the Iberian Peninsula, through the “Golden Age”, a time of intellectual, social, and financial achievements to the dark periods of riots, massacres, and forced conversions, concluding with the creation of the Inquisition and the expulsion of Spanish Jewry which led to the Sephardic diaspora and forever changed the course of history. The program will also feature,<strong>Dr. Michelle G Willmer</strong>, a dramatic and evocative award-winning composer, conductor and educator who will share with us a part of her moving musical arrangement “A Letter Fell Out of the Sky”, a two-movement piece commemorating the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. <strong>About the three part Series:</strong> Jewish history and communal life on the Iberian Peninsula originated in the time of the Roman Empire. Under Moslem rule, prosperous, flourishing, and well-integrated Jewish communities achieved financial, social, and intellectual success and during the Golden Age, Spain became the center of the Jewish world in Europe. However, due to political and social developments in the Late Middle Ages, life markedly changed as persecution, discrimination, and forced conversions ensued, culminating with the royal decree to expel Spanish Jewry in 1492. This infamous edict, which followed a long trend in European history, led to the Sefardic Diaspora as Iberian Jewry sought new places of refuge, creating new worlds for themselves and their descendants. Yet, more than five centuries later, the ancestral call of Sefarad remains. Parts 2 and 3 of this series will take place at 1pm on August 22 and September 19 respectively. Stay tuned for more information. <strong>Ways to Watch</strong> <b>Zoom: <span style="font-weight: 400;">The museum can welcome 500 people to attend this program on Zoom. Guarantee your spot by <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sefarad-the-untold-story-that-changed-the-world-tickets-163389535499" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>registering here</strong></a></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">today.</span></b> _________________________________________________________________________________________ <em>This program is being presented by the Jewish Heritage Alliance in partnership with The National Museum of American Jewish History, ANU Museum of the Jewish People, Museum of Jewish Heritage, The American Sephardi Federation's Institute of Jewish Experience, JewishGen, Fundación HispanoJudía, EJCC European Jewish Community Center, University of Miami (Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies and the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies), and the Dahan Center at Bar Ilan University. </em>

<h6 style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://nmajh.org/nei" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here</a> to visit the NEI website for details and to register.</strong></h6> <h6 style="text-align: center;"><strong>This year's Institute will be held online from August 16-18.</strong></h6> This online seminar and workshop, now in its fifth year, will 1) expand how you understand and teach<b> </b>the American Jewish experience: past, present, and future; 2) introduce new ways to stimulate your students’ curiosity and critical thinking through inquiry-based learning; and 3) provide a space to engage with top scholars and practitioners in the field and develop professional connections with fellow teachers...<a href="https://nmajh.org/nei" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE</a>. &nbsp;

<b>Wednesday, August 18 at 8 pm ET</b> <b>Free with suggested <a href="https://www.classy.org/give/334605/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=SusanaBehar&amp;c_src2=EventPageButton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$10 donation</a></b> <b>See "Ways to Watch" below</b> Celebrate and explore the music of the Havana-born Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) singer, <strong>Susana Behar</strong>, who recently finished an artist residency at the History Miami Museum. In the eighth episode of <em>Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors</em>, Behar will chat with NMAJH Public Programs Manager and musician, Dan Samuels, about how she came to Sephardic music, her family's history from Spain to Miami, and her love of teaching and sustaining Sephardic culture. <strong>About Susana Behar</strong> Inspired by her distinct heritage, vocalist Susana Behar shares her passion fo Latin American popular song, couple with the evocative music of her Sephardic ancestors. Born in Havana to a Cuban/Turkish Sephardic family, she grew up listening to the Ladino music brought with her grandparents when they came to Cuba as well as the myriad other musical styles which filled the streets, cafes and clubs in Havana. In 1965 Behar emigrated to Venezuela where she explored and performed the music of her newly adopted country, its neighbors, all while continuing to study and perform the music of Sephardic Jews as well as earning a master’s degree in Biology from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. In 1983, she emigrated once again, this time to the United States where she has lived ever since. Behar has performed across the United States as well as in Mexico, Canada, Japan and Israel. <strong>About the Songs of Our People Songs of Our Neighbors series: </strong> Launched online in June 2020, this series explores music from varied Jewish traditions and diverse cultures, from the historic and traditional, to the contemporary and reimagined. Through conversations, live and prerecorded performances, and audience Q&amp;A, this series uses music to better understand the complex, culturally diverse communities which make up the Jewish People, and our nation. <strong>Ways to Watch</strong> <b>Facebook: </b>Look for the LIVE post on the<strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nmajh" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Museum’s Facebook page</a></strong> at 8pm ET. You do not need a Facebook account to view the program. <b>NMAJH website: </b>A little before the program start time, the livestream will also be <strong>available at the top of this page</strong>. You will be prompted to enter your email address. Please note that you may need to refresh your screen and press “play” on the video—the static image will be replaced with the live feed before the program starts. <b>Zoom: </b>The museum can welcome 500 people to attend this program on Zoom. Guarantee your spot by registering today–<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z7G32AWTQXil1abfBtZfew" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>click here</strong></a>. <b></b>_______________________________________________________________________________________ <strong>You may also be interested in...</strong> <a href="https://www.nmajh.org/events/songs-of-our-people-songs-of-our-neighbors-sarah-aroeste-monastir/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors: Sarah Aroeste </a> <a href="https://www.nmajh.org/events/songs-of-our-people-songs-of-our-neighbors-susan-gaeta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors: Susan Gaeta</a> <a href="https://www.nmajh.org/events/songs-of-our-people-songs-of-our-neighbors-pedrito-martinez/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors: Pedrito Martinez</a> &nbsp;

<b>Wednesday, September 1 at 1 pm ET</b> <b>Free with suggested <a href="https://www.classy.org/give/334605/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=PetritoMartinez&amp;c_src2=EventPageButton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$10 donation</a></b> <b>See "Ways to Watch" below</b> In this program we will be joined by <strong>Howard Mortman</strong>, author of the new book <em>When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill</em>. After sharing an overview of this little studied 247-year history, Mortman will also commemorate the upcoming 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks by giving us an inside look at the prayers Rabbis offered in congress in the days, weeks, and months after 9/11. The program will include photos, videos, and audience Q&amp;A. <strong>About Howard Mortman</strong> Howard Mortman has been C-SPAN’s Communications Director since early 2009.  He directs media outreach, corporate communications, and public relations efforts for the nation’s only public affairs cable television network.  The <em>Washington Post</em> has recognized C-SPAN for its “importance as a means of mass civic education … without any taxpayer money.” The <em>Washington Post</em> has also called C-SPAN "the channel that has achieved cult status among policy geeks." Mortman is responsible for planning and executing the strategic vision for extending the C-SPAN brand and content among traditional and social media.  Critical to this effort is working with the next generation of journalists and new media outlets and platforms. Mortman's first book, <em>When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill" </em>was published in October 2020. It is the first-ever academic and historical examination of a little-known tradition in Congress: opening each session of the House and Senate in prayer. Reporting on the research into rabbis who have prayed in Congress, the <em><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/amen-congress-moves-to-keep-god-in-daily-prayer-thwart-atheist-movement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Examiner calls his project</a></em> "a remarkable history researched by Howard Mortman." <strong>Ways to Watch</strong> <b>Facebook: </b>Look for the LIVE post on the<strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nmajh" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Museum’s Facebook page</a></strong> at 1pm ET. You do not need a Facebook account to view the program. <b>NMAJH website: </b>A little before the program start time, the livestream will also be <strong>available at the top of this page</strong>. You will be prompted to enter your email address. Please note that you may need to refresh your screen and press “play” on the video—the static image will be replaced with the live feed before the program starts. <b>Zoom:<span style="font-weight: 400;"> The museum can welcome 500 people to attend this program on Zoom. Guarantee your spot by registering today–<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Dxx4DB41Rq-4gyhsFNt9Dw" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>click here</strong></a>.</span></b>

<b>Thursday, September 2 at 8 pm ET</b> <b>Free with suggested <a href="https://www.classy.org/give/334605/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=PetritoMartinez&amp;c_src2=EventPageButton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$10 donation</a></b> <b>See "Ways to Watch" below</b> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>"Pedrito is a genius... working with him has been a revelation to me.”</strong> <b>Wynton Marsalis</b></p> Celebrate and explore the music of the Grammy-nominated vocalist and Afro-Cuban percussion master, <strong>Pedrito Martinez</strong>, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative Latin percussionists on the planet. In the ninth episode of <em>Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors</em>, Martinez will chat with NMAJH Public Programs Manager and musician, Dan Samuels, about his childhood in Cuba, the history of Afro-Cuban music, his musical collaborations with the Greats like Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, and Wynton Marsalis, and the intertwined nature of his life as both a master musician and Santero (Santeria Priest). <strong>About Pedrito Martinez</strong> Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba, Sept 12, 1973 and began his musical career at the age of 11. Since settling in New York City in the fall of 1998, Pedrito has recorded or performed with Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, and Sting, and has contributed to well over 100 albums. A master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the batá drum he has played and sung with dozens of Cuban rumba groups and contributed to several important films, including Calle 54 (2000) and Chico and Rita (2010). Pedrito was a founding member of the Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band, Yerba Buena, with which he recorded two albums and toured the world in the mid-to late-90’s. As leader, Pedrito has released two albums, the first one of which was nominated for a Grammy, in 2013. Habana Dreams, their second, was recorded in Cuba, and released in June 10, 2016 featuring, Ruben Blades, Isaac Delgado, Wynton Marsalis, and Angelique Kidjo. In February of 2019, Pedrito and Cuban pianist, Alfredo Rodriguez, a duo album with Quincy Jones as Executive Producer. In July 2019, Pedrito and Eric Clapton recorded a newly arranged version of Clapton’s song, My Father’s Eyes, and on September 22, Pedrito and Clapton performed together at Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas, Texas. <em>Above photo by Richard Termine</em> <strong>About the Songs of Our People Songs of Our Neighbors series: </strong> Launched online in June 2020, this series explores music from varied Jewish traditions and diverse cultures, from the historic and traditional, to the contemporary and reimagined. Through conversations, live and prerecorded performances, and audience Q&amp;A, this series uses music to better understand the complex, culturally diverse communities which make up the Jewish People, and our nation. <strong>Ways to Watch</strong> <b>Facebook: </b>Look for the LIVE post on the<strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nmajh" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Museum’s Facebook page</a></strong> at 8pm ET. You do not need a Facebook account to view the program. <b>NMAJH website: </b>A little before the program start time, the livestream will also be <strong>available at the top of this page</strong>. You will be prompted to enter your email address. Please note that you may need to refresh your screen and press “play” on the video—the static image will be replaced with the live feed before the program starts. <b>Zoom: </b>Registration is required to receive the link–<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gK-u_dAVS9-TJKvuGjzyuw"><strong>click here</strong></a>. The Museum’s Zoom can accommodate 1000 guests. Should we reach that number, please use one of the other methods listed above—they are all free and have unlimited capacity. _____________________________________________________________________________ <strong>You may also be interested in...</strong> <a href="https://www.nmajh.org/events/songs-of-our-people-songs-of-our-neighbors-sarah-aroeste-monastir/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors: Sarah Aroeste </a> <a href="https://www.nmajh.org/events/songs-of-our-people-songs-of-our-neighbors-susan-gaeta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors: Susan Gaeta</a> <a href="https://www.nmajh.org/events/songs-of-our-people-songs-of-our-neighbors-susana-behar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors: Susana Behar</a> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;