Fall 2017 @ OASIS Abq

Great Courses @ OASIS:  Abq Jew is pleased to inform you that

OASIS Albuquerque has just announced

their Fall 2017 line-up of classes!

Registration opens on
Wednesday September 6

but you can Wish List your selections now.

OASIS Albuquerque Executive Director Kathleen Raskob continues (as always) to bring you new and interesting class offerings, and continues to make sure there are plenty of courses of Jewish interest.

This session's courses and instructors include but are by no means limited to:

An Exploration of Gratefulness
Thu 12 Oct 2017 @ 10:30 am - #99
Instructor: Rabbi Shefa Gold
What It Is: Gratefulness is the foundation of spiritual practice. A morning prayer of gratefulness is designed to open our hearts and energize us. Yet so often we get caught in the habits of complaint. In this workshop, learn practices that cultivate, nurture, and refine our ability to feel and express gratefulness. Use the practices of text study, chant, meditation and holy conversation to uncover the obstacles to gratefulness.

A Tale of Three Towns: Yavneh, Sephoris & Tiberias
Wed 25 Oct 2017 @ 10:30 am - #105
Instructor: Rabbi Paul Citrin
What It Is: When the Jewish revolt against Rome was crushed by Titus in 70 CE, the Temple fell and Jerusalem was destroyed. Yet, three towns became centers for Jewish survival and for the expansion of Jewish culture. The Mishna, a core document of the Talmud, was created in these locations. Examine this period, study selected texts, and consider how ancient strategies for survival can apply today.

Tales From an Israeli Immigrant Career Woman
Wed 25 Oct 2017 @ 1:00 pm - #18
Instructor: Sharon Nir
What It Is: Follow Sharon Nir's journey through the baffling and grueling legal immigration process in the United States. In this class, Nir describes the difficulties she faced coming to the United States as the spouse of a doctor. Unable to work because of her immigration status, she had two options: to grieve over everything she had lost or to pursue new directions. Struggling through difficult and rapidly changing circumstances, she eventually found fulfillment and happiness in the most unexpected way.

A King & an Illicit Relationship: Studying the Biblical Book of Ruth
Wed 29 Nov 2017 @ 10:30 am - #109
Instructor: Michael Nutkiewicz
What It Is: The heroine of the biblical Book of Ruth is a Moabite whose Jewish mother-in-law hatches a plan that involves an illicit relationship. Why is this strange story read on the Jewish holiday of Shavuos, which commemorates the revelation at Mount Sinai? And how is King David, the prototype of the Jewish sovereign, linked to the Moabite woman Ruth? Engage in a close reading of this short and intriguing biblical story.

A Mobster in the Family: Jewish Outlaws, Gangsters, & Bandits
Thu 30 Nov 2017 @ 1:00 pm - #64
Instructor: Naomi Sandweiss
What It Is: Naomi Sandweiss presents an illustrated talk about infamous Jewish mobsters including Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Meyer (Mickey) Cohen, and Sandweiss' very own relative by marriage, Sammy the Mustache. Learn about the short-lived season of Jewish involvement in organized crime, the social forces that led to participation, and why the movement lasted for only one generation.

The UN Palestine Partition Resolution & the Creation of the State of Israel
Thu 7 Dec & 14 Dec 2017 @ 10:30 pm - #65
Instructor: Dr Noel Pugach
What It Is: On November 29, 1947 - 70 years ago - the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181 partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. The Jews reluctantly accepted the partition plan; the Arabs rejected it absolutely. A few weeks later the Arabs attacked the Jewish settlements, resulting in a dirty civil war. Several months later Israel declared its independence and won its struggle. Why did the UN get involved? Why did partition fail? What were the consequences and results?

Regular OASIS Albuquerque instructor (and award-winning composer and recording artist) Jane Ellen also continues (as always) to bring you new and interesting class offerings, and continues to make sure there are plenty of courses of musical and Jewish interest.

Jane's courses this session include but are by no means limited to:

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man: The Music of Bob Dylan
Thu 21 Sep 2017 [Rosh HaShanah] @ 1:00 pm - #74
What It Is: Bob Dylan (1941- ) began as a songwriter, became a major player in the folk and electric folk scene as a performer, filled his spare moments with writing and art, and now includes Nobel Prize Laureate on his resume. The A&E series Biography refers to him as "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century," citing Dylan songs that chronicled both social and political issues. Now 76, he continues to write, record, and perform.

How Jewish-Americans Changed Popular American Music
Part 1: Broadway to the Big Bands & Beyond
Thu 5 Oct 2017 [Sukkot] @ 1:00 pm - #77
What It Is: This three-part series will focus on the invaluable contribution of Jewish-American composers, musicians, and entertainers to the tapestry of popular music in the United States since the late 19th century.
Part 1 will trace the earliest roots from Tin Pan Alley to the Yiddish Theatre and finally on to the Great White Way, where Jewish-Americans almost single-handedly invented America's most valuable artistic export: the Broadway musical. Future installments will include jazz, pop, and rock.

Louis Moreau Gottschalk: The American Liszt
Thu 12 Oct 2017 [Shemini Atzeret] @ 1:00 pm - #79
What It Is: Born in New Orleans, educated in Paris, and dead at the age of 40 in Rio de Janeiro, concert pianist and composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-69) was the first American composer to take traditional native songs and turn them into something worthy of the concert stage. Many of his compositions were lost or destroyed after his death, but what remains display brilliant virtuosity and a remarkable genius for elevating the simplest tune into a breathtakingly beautiful melody.

Music on Screen: The Who, What, & Why of Film Soundtracks
Thu 9 Nov & 16 Nov 2017 @ 1:00 pm - #82
What It Is: Film soundtracks: Why do we need them? What's the point? Would movies be just as good without them? Aren't they just about making hit songs? These questions (and more) will be explored by Jane Ellen as we revisit legendary soundtrack composers including Ennio Morricone, Bernard Herrmann, Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Miklós Rózsa. Note: each class is 2 hours with a 10 minute break.

Sedaka is Back: Singer-Songwriter Neil Sedaka
Thu 29 Nov 2017 @ 1:00 pm - #83
What It Is: When singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka (1939- ) won a piano scholarship to the Juilliard School at the age of 12, his mother hoped he was destined to become another Van Cliburn. Happily for pop music fans, Sedaka went on to forge a career spanning nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs, including "Bad Blood" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do."