Spring 2021 @ OASIS Abq

Great Courses of Jewish Interest

Abq Jew is pleased to inform you that
OASIS Albuquerque has just announced
their Spring 2021 line-up of classes!
Registration opens on
Wednesday January 6
but you can Wish List your selections now.

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

Because of the uncertainty of our current circumstances, please note that class dates, 
locations, and other details are subject to change. Please visit the Oasis website
or call the Oasis office (505) 884-4529 for up-to-date information.

This spring, OASIS Albuquerque will offer classes three ways - livestream (via Zoom) only; in-person only (when safe); and their hybrid model - livestream & in-person (when safe) at the same time. 

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

On Being Human:
Understandings

Tue 2 Feb 2021 @ 2:30 - #87zm

Instructor: Paul Citrin

What It Is: During a time of social and political unrest, we need a mooring and a compass point to help us navigate the challenges of living with others of different views and needs. Examine a variety of texts from Jewish tradition which guide us toward our better selves for the betterment of human society.

The Book of Job:
Lessons for a Time of Pandemic
Tue 9 Feb 2021 @ 12:30 - #89zm

Instructor: Harry Rosenfeld

What It Is: How many of us would like to reboot 2020? We can't, so we need to find ways of coping with the hardships of the pandemic. When the pandemic is over (some day), how will we go back to living life to its fullest? In the Book of Job, we find some answers. Faith. Doubt. Questioning ourselves, the world, and God. We use these for inspiration on how to find our own answers.

Jews in New Mexico Ranching

Wed 10 Feb 2021 @ 10:00 - #111zm

Instructor: Noel Pugach

What It Is: Jews are usually associated with trade and finance. But they played a significant role in sheep raising and cattle ranching in New Mexico. That was true in the 19th and 20th centuries. And they still have a presence today. In this class, Noel Pugach details their activities and explains how and why they were involved in the ranching industries.

Kings & Prophets
in the Old Testament

Wed 17 Feb 2021 @ 10:00 - #90zm

Instructor: Shlomo Karni

What It Is: Explore the unique relationship that evolved between kings of Israel-Judea and their contemporary prophets. Fiercely independent and uncompromising, these prophets were the living conscience of their times. They preached for social justice and denounced society and kings for moral, political and religious corruption -- often at the risk of their own safety. Their writings include some of the finest prose and poetry in the Bible.

The Perplexingly
Radical Book of Jonah

Wed 17 Feb 2021 @ 12:30 - #91zm

Instructor: Dov Gartenberg

What It Is: The Book of Jonah reveals a flawed prophet with all sorts of personality problems. The prophet has a complicated relationship with God which leads to some revealing confrontations between them. This is the only Biblical book that ends with an unanswered question. We pose some deep questions and sort out the answers in this close reading of a classic biblical text.

Thinking About Evil: 
Approaches Past & Present

Mon 22 Feb 2021 @ 10:00 - #92zm

Instructor: Michael Nutkiewicz

What It Is: Before the Age of Enlightenment (18th century), thinkers did not distinguish between moral evil (e.g., war) and natural evil (e.g., a devastating earthquake), and all evil was ultimately explained as originating with God. Philosophers after the Enlightenment thought of evil in a completely different manner. Their approach, however, may not satisfy everyone's opinions about this difficult topic. We explore the history of thinking about evil from the 18th century to the present.

Memoir Writing Workshop:
How to Tell Your Story

Wed 21 Apri 2021 @ 10:00 - #84zm

Instructor:  Norma Libman

What It Is: Everyone has a story to tell, and now is the time to tell yours. In this memoir writing workshop, Norma Libman shows you how to retrieve memories you thought were forgotten, how to get them written down, and how to organize them into your own life story. Bring paper and pen for writing exercises and you will have written a start to your memoir when the workshop is over. Please bring a hard surface to write on (notebook or clipboard). Limited enrollment.

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:

Richard Rodgers
The Sweetest Sounds

Thue 21 Jan 2021 @ 2:30 - #64zm

What It Is: With a career spanning more than 60 years, Richard Rodgers (1902-79) was, at one time, the most popular composer of American musical theater. But how did some of the most beautiful melodies of the 20th century come from a man often described as depressive and remote? Rodgers considered himself a composer and not a songwriter, yet his collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II live on through generations of popular entertainers.

George Gershwin's
Got Rhythm

Wed 3 Mar 2021 @ 2:30 - #72zm

What It Is: George Gershwin (1898-1937) stands alongside Aaron Copland as one of the first great voices of American music in the 20th century. At the time of his death at the age of 38, he was destined to be the recipient of the first Pulitzer Prize for musical comedy (awarded posthumously), had written an opera, had composed for stage and screen, and had created symphonic works which defied description in their day and which continue to be popular today.

Truly American:
Aaron Copland

Thu 1 8 Mar2021 @ 12:30 - #73zm

What It Is: Hailed as the “dean of American composers” by his peers and critics, Aaron Copland (1900-90) was one of the driving forces in creating a definitive American sound in concert music. As an author, Copland wrote books which presented aspects of classical music in a way which appealed to musicians and non-musicians alike; as an educator, he was devoted to helping develop young talent. Igor Stravinsky once famously remarked, "Why call Copland a great American composer? He's a great composer!"

Folksinger, Activist, & American Icon
Pete Seeger

Mon 22 Mar 2021 @ 12:30 - #74zm

What It Is: Pete Seeger (1919-2014) is commonly considered a national treasure, and rightfully so. More than just a beloved folksinger, he worked tirelessly for the labor movement, civil rights, peace, and the environment. He is the only folksinger to have not only received the Kennedy Center Honors award (1994) but he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1996). Pete Seeger was named one of America's Living Legends by the Library of Congress in 2000.

Barbra Streisand

A Legend In Her Time

Fri 9 Apr 2021 @ 10:00 - #77zm

What It Is: Singer, songwriter, filmmaker, actress, and activist, Barbra Streisand (1942- ) is one of the most commercially and critically successful entertainers in history. From her earliest beginnings as a teenager dressed in thrift shop clothes, few could have imagined that she would become one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. Come revisit the songs and films that have propelled Streisand into the annals of entertainment history, making her a legend in her own time.

Jane Ellen

Celebrate!

Fri 23 Apr 2021 @ 2:00 - #81/81zm

What It Is: Jane Ellen is the consummate storyteller with eclectic interests, specializing in music and entertainment history. She is an award-winning composer and recording artist who shares her passion for music, history, and spirituality with Albuquerque audiences. With a catalogue of more than 60 published works and numerous choral and chamber commissions, her music has been performed internationally.

Join us virtually (or in-person as allowed) to celebrate
Jane Ellen and her tenure at Oasis.
Stay tuned for details to be provided
closer to our celebration date!