Temple B’nai Israel hosts adult education series

LACONIA — The community is invited to attend a series of adult education seminars that address ethical responsibility to value all persons, regardless of skin color, ability, or sexual orientation, and to take care of the environment. For more information and to register, visit the temple website: Upcoming Adult Education Programs | Temple B'nai Israel (tbinh.org).

• Jan.14, 7 p.m. on Zoom

In conjunction with the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Rabbi Alan Katz, rabbi emeritus of Temple Sinai, Rochester, New York, will share his personal experience and memories from two powerful journeys through the South with “Lessons from a Civil Rights Journey.” In 2015 when the Union for Reform Judaism partnered with the NAACP in “America’s Journey for Justice” march from Selma, Alabama, to Washington, D.C., Rabbi Katz was one of many rabbis who took turns carrying a sacred Torah as they walked the 800 plus mile journey. Then in January 2019, Rabbi Katz was joined by his wife, Rabbi Jan Katz, on a nine-day, 3000-mile car trip to all the civil rights museums and memorials in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Rabbi Katz will enhance the presentation with his photos from these experiences.

• Saturday, Feb. 4 at Temple B’nai Israel and on Zoom

The Jewish holiday to honor the environment, Tu B’Shevat, will be the topic at an adult education “Lunch & Learn.” Rabbi Jan Katz will host a tasting of the foods that are traditional of Tu B’Shevat and indigenous to Israel. TBI member and volunteer from the Speaking for Wildlife Program, Judy Crosley, will present “The Nature of New Hampshire: Natural Communities of the Granite State.” The presentation will include a visual tour of New Hampshire’s natural beauty through the lens of Natural Heritage Bureau ecologists and photographers Ben Kimball and Dan Sperduto. BYO-lunch.

• Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. on Zoom

Temple B’nai Israel will present a program to highlight the month of February as Jewish Disability Advocacy Month, “a month of education, solidarity-building, and empowerment in support of people with disabilities” as defined by the Jewish Federations of North America. Guest presenter Lauren Lieberman, PhD will inspire all with her achievements on behalf of those who rely on her voice and actions in advocating for disability awareness. Dr. Lieberman will share the mission, successes, and challenges of Camp Abilities, a one-week educational sports camp for children and teens who are blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind. Lauren Lieberman is a distinguished service professor of physical education and sport studies at the State University New York Brockport.

• Saturday, March 4  

The community is invited to attend a “Lunch & Learn” session featuring the music and mission of folk-pop artist Kimayo (Kimayo Music). Enjoy a special presentation, concert and open discussion through storytelling and live music to inspire hope, restoration, and unity between LGBTQIA+ folks and faith communities. Lunch will be provided by Annie’s Catering of Laconia. Suggested donation $18 per person.