Tuesday – November 14 2023 – 10 am -11:30 am
For the second year in a row, Hadassah and MJM are combining forces in our joint Book Group. This month, we will be discussing The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi. Now a streaming Netflix series, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is a dazzling story about mothers and daughters, secrets and betrayals, and a binding curse. The book was selected to complement a contemporaneous MJM photographic exhibition, PerSlovak 2.0, which we encourage you to explore after we finish our discussion.
Thursday, November 9, 2023
7 – 8:30 PM
Panelists discuss the late Maine gallerist June Fitzpatrick’s significant contributions to the Maine art scene and to artists.
Trio Sefardi
Thursday – November 9 2023 -7 – 8:30 pm
Mayo Street Arts
“La Nona Kanta” with Trio Sefardi
Saturday – November 11 2023 -7 – 8:15 pm
Maine Jewish Museum
Trio Sefardi, a Northern Virginia-based ensemble, performs traditional songs of the Sephardim, the descendants of Jews exiled from Spain in 1492. Their repertoire draws on the song traditions of Sephardic communities from the former Yugoslavia, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, and North Africa, with a special emphasis on traditional and original songs they learned from their mentor, Bosnian-born singer/composer and 2002 National Heritage awardee Flory Jagoda.
And now, for the first time, Trio Sefardi will be performing in Portland in partnership with Mayo Street Arts and MJM!
Sunday, November 5, 2023 1:30 PM
The Gem, 48 Cross St., Bethel, ME
The Gem is partnering with the Maine Jewish Museum to bring the Maine Jewish Film Festival to Bethel! Sunday, November 5. Doors at 1pm, Film at 1:30, remarks by Marcel Polak and Leland Faulkner to follow. $10; free for 18 and under.
This masterfully crafted documentary film brings together archival footage, family conversations, and performance excerpts to tell the story of legendary mime Marcel Marceau, including his lesser known role as a Holocaust hero who helped hundreds of French Jewish children escape to safety
Thursday, November 2 , 2023 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Mingle with artists and art lovers, enjoy wine and cheese with museum mavens and curious minds, and celebrate with us as we unveil our newest exhibitions!
Sunday, October 22, 2023
3 – 4:00 PM (reception to follow)
In honor of our NEW cantorial exhibit, we invite you to join us for a live concert of cantorial music at the Maine Jewish Museum.
Here in Maine, we are fortunate to have ordained cantors, lay leaders who serve as cantors, choirs who have performed cantorial music, and even a composer who continues to write this music today. A Song and a Prayer: Maine Cantors and Musicians in Concert brings them all together for a singular musical and spiritual encounter in a magnifcent, century-old historical synagogue building.
This concert is generously supported by a grant from the Messerschmidt Fund and the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine.
Tuesday, October 10 2023 – 10 am -11:30 am
For the second year in a row, Hadassah and MJM are combining forces in our joint Book Group. This month, we will be discussing Memento Park by Mark Sarvas. In this book — winner of the 2019 Associaton of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award and finalist for the 2019 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature — a son learns more about his father than he ever could have imagined when a mysterious piece of art he believes was looted from his family in Hungary during the Holocaust is unexpectedly restored to him.
Saturday, October 7 2023 3 PM
PRESENTED BY:
The Jerusalem Quartet is renowned for their remarkable individual versatility in addition to their exceptional musical teamwork. Their seamless blend and richly characterized performances make them an audience favorite worldwide. The ensemble revels in a warm, full, human, sound that spans high and low voices, giving the quartet a balanced relationship between individual expression and a transparent and respectful presentation of the composers’ work.
Tuesday, October 3 – 7 PM
MJM Photography Curator and photographer Nanci Kahn and photographer Meredith Kennedy will share details about their process of creating cyanotypes using seaweed and plants from the water’s edge. The two will also give a demonstration of their work.
Thursday, September 28 – 7 – 8:00 PM
Join us as author Joshua Harnik discusses his new historical novel, One More Miracle, about a teenage boy who escapes the Nazis and takes a harrowing journey across the continent toward a new life on an Israeli kibbutz. Joshua is the husband of artist Magi Leland, whose current MJM exhibition, Lifeline – Family Trees, honors Harnik’s family. Autogra
Tuesday, September 12 2023, 10 – 11:30 AM
IT’S BAAAAACK! After a three-month summer hiatus, the Hadassah X MJM Book Group will reconvene this month at the lakefront home of member Lesli Weiner to discuss The Deadly Scrolls: A Novel (Part 1 of the Jerusalem Mysteries trilogy) by author and fellow Mainer Ellen Frankel… who will also be our guest that day! All attendees are invited to stay for lunch. Additionally, we will use our time together to select books for the remainder of the year. Join fellow bibliophiles for lively discourse and warm camaraderie… and if you have not yet had time to read the book, you are still welcome to join us!
Saturday, September 9 2023
Havdalah Ceremony and Happy Hour: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Concert: 7 – 8:00 PM
Join us at the Maine Jewish Museum for a collaborative community Havdalah Happy Hour and Xylophone Concert in celebration of our shared immigrant roots! Special guest and concert performer Roman Lankios, who immigrated to the USA from Ukraine in 1994, is a virtuoso xylophonist who is internationally renowned for his mastery of classical, pop, country, and folk music on the unique four-row xylophone. Toast to the new week with a glass of wine, a craft beer, or a Kyiv Mule, enjoy pierogies from Bogushas Polish Restaurant and Deli and knishes from BenReuben’s Knishery, and treat yourself to a singular musical experience by one of the greats! Co-Sponsored by Etz Chaim Synagogue, the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, the Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, and Mayo Street Arts.
Sunday, September 10 2023, 2 pm
Beloved Maine and Vermont-based artist Henry Isaac will greet MJM visitors and talk about his current exhibition, “Watering Holes.”
August 31, 2023, 5 – 7 pm
Mingle with artists and art lovers, enjoy wine and cheese with museum mavens and curious minds, and celebrate with us as we unveil our newest exhibitions!
June – August 2023
There is nothing quite like summer in Maine, from picture-perfect sunny days to beach walks to ocean breezes to dining al fresco. The summer is also when the Maine Jewish Museum Garden — one of only two public gardens in the East End — bursts into glorious bloom. And this year, for the first time, we are excited to offer a come-to-one-or-come-to-all “In the Garden” program series, with (weather permitting) outdoor events for all ages and interests. We look forward to taking time to smell the roses with you!
Thursday, August 17 2023, 10 – 11:00 AM
Join MJM Curator Nancy Davidson and Executive Director Dawn LaRochelle for a pre-opening drop-in and social hour at the Museum! This month, Portland City Councilor Pious Ali will be our special guest.
Pious was the first African-born Muslim American to be elected to a public office in Maine when he became a member of the city’s elected Board of Public Education in 2013 and has been a dedicated public servant ever since. He is also the founding Director of Portland Empowered, a program that works with students and families to increase school engagement and create equitable learning environments through a racial equity lens. Pious received the Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Holocaust and Human Rights Education & Leadership (2017) and the Watering Can Award from Maine Initiatives (2019). He has served and continues to serve on manyy advisory grous and boards of directors, including Rippleffect, the YMCA of Southern Maine, and the Greater Portland Council of Governments.
Thursday, August 10 2023 7 – 9:30 PM
A fabulous evening awaits! In alignment with our mission to “celebrate and honor Maine’s Jewish immigrants in the context of the American experience” and to “build bridges of appreciation and understanding with people of all backgrounds,” we invite you to join us for a night of fashion, food, and fun to celebrate Our diverse community.
Thursday, July 27, 7 – 8:00 PM
The Maine Jewish Museum is proud to be collaborating with Hole in the Head Review to host quarterly poetry readings at the Museum.
Two acclaimed Maine poets, Claire Millikin and Mihku Paul, will be the featured readers.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 4 – 5:00 PM
Melissa Martens Yaverbaum, Executive Director of the Council of American Jewish Museums and curator of the 2010 exhibit “Project Mah Jongg” at Museum of Jewish Heritage in NYC, joins us for a presentation about Mah Jongg – a game more widely known than understood! She’ll explain how Mah Jongg made a surprisingly lasting impression on American audiences – including Jewish women – as early as the 1920s, and has endured as a cultural touchstone ever since. Whether you’re a Mah Jongg fan, a history buff, or both, you don’t want to miss this one!
Wednesday, July 12, 10 – 11:00 AM
Join MJM Curator in Residence Nancy Davidson and Executive Director Dawn LaRochelle for an informal pre-opening drop-in and social hour at the Museum. This month, Melissa Martens Yaverbaum, Executive Director of the Council of American Jewish Museums (CAJM), will be our special guest. Melissa has over three decades of experience in the museum field, including as Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (NY), Curator of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, and Curator of the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. She continues to curate exhibitions on Jewish life and history and has authored related publications. She is also one of the world’s leading authorities on the history of Mah Jongg. Melissa currently makes her home just outside of Westbrook in Maine. The coffee (from Coffee By Design!) will be hot, the crullers (from Eighty 8 Donuts!) will be sweet, and the conversation will be stimulating!
Thursday, June 29, 5-7 p.m.
Mingle with artists, meet old and new friends, and celebrate with us as we debut our new exhibitions!
Thursday, June 22 2023, 7:30 – 9 PM
Back by popular demand, the Bach Virtuosi Festival will be bringing Bach and Sons to the Maine Jewish Museum! The exciting program includes Trio Sonata in G Major for flute, violin, and continuo BWV 525; Excerpt from Cantata BWV 97; Quintet in D Major for flute, two violins, viola, cello, and continuo, Johann Christian Bach; Sonata in G minor for violin and obbligato harpsichord, Phillip Emanuel Bach; Excerpt from Cantata BWV 151, J.S. Bach; and Sonata in C Major for flute, violin, and obbligato harpshichord. There will be a brief intermission.
“Can’t-miss classical event of the summer”
-Boston Globe, Classical Music Critlos
Wednesday, June 21, 10 – 11:00 AM
Join MJM Curator in Residence Nancy Davidson and Executive Director Dawn LaRochelle for an informal pre-opening drop-in and social hour at the Museum. This month, Portland’s inaugural Director of Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Umaru Balde, will be joining us as our special guest. Originally from Guinea-Bissau, Umaru moved to Egypt for school but fled to Israel after refusing to participate in discrimination against non-Muslims. He attended Hebrew University and speaks fluent Hebrew, as well as 12 other languages! In addition to his ground-breaking work for the City of Portland, Umaru is a doctoral candidate at the University of Northern Iowa. The coffee (from Coffee By Design!) will be strong, the crullers (from Eighty 8 Donuts!) will be sweet, and the conversation will be stimulating!
Tuesday, June 20, 5 – 7 PM
Artist Robert Katz returns to the Maine Jewish Museum for a moving talk about his art, his evolving sense of his Jewish identity, and how that informs his work.
Thursday, June 15, 7 – 8:30 PM
Jim Donnelly and Anna Wrobel are co-curators and hosts of Lowry’s Lodge, one of the longest-running poetry feature series in Maine. And now, after a long hiatus, they are bringing Lowry’s Lodge back with readings at the Maine Jewish Museum. Jim will treat us to some of his new prose, followed by an open poetry hour. Reading time will be determined by the number of sign-ups. A spirited and lively event is promised.
Thursday, June 8, 7 – 8 PM
Meet Maine artist Rush Brown for a discussion on his current exhibit at the Maine Jewish Museum. Q&A to follow.
Monday, June 5, 2023 6:30-8 PM
Music can speak in ways that words alone do not.
Just think of the first concert you ever went to. Or that angsty band you discovered in tenth grade that blew your mind and changed your life . . . or at least it gave you a soundtrack that, when you hear it today, brings you back to those exact experiences.This is true even of music with lyrics: a song will take you to places an essay seldom could.
That’s why The Maine Jewish Museum and Chabad of Maine are delighted to present JUDAISM: THE SOUNDTRACK, a musical experience exploring the “nigun,” or Chasidic melody, beyond its soulful sound. As Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidic philosophy, taught: “Music is the pen of the soul.” Come and listen to the story of your soul in its own words, to the feelings—of love or longing, of devotion or despair—that express the complicated relationship between a spiritual soul and a material world.
This will be ninety minutes of pure delight, featuring:
· Rousing music
· Inspiring visual accompaniment
· Meditative commentary
· High-caliber production
· Light refreshments
· A commemorative playbill
Meet Maine artist Bob Katz for a discussion on his current exhibit at the Maine Jewish Museum. Q&A to follow.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 – 5:45 – 7:00 PM
Hatred of Jews and hatred of Muslims have been intertwined in Christian thought since the rise of Islam. In his new book, Jewish Muslims, Rabbi Dr. David Freidenreich explores the history of this complex, perplexing, and emotionally fraught phenomenon. Analyzing anti-Muslim sentiment in texts and images produced across Europe and the Middle East over a thousand years, Freidenreich shows how Christians intentionally distorted reality by alleging that Muslims were just like Jews. They did so not only to justify assaults against Muslims on theological grounds but also to motivate fellow believers to live as “good” Christians. The disdain premodern polemicists expressed for Islam and Judaism was never really about these religions. Rather, they sought to promote their own visions of Christianity—a dynamic that similarly animates portrayals of Muslims and Jews today. Then and now, hate-mongers target “them” in an effort to define “us.”
Sunday, May 21 2023 – 3 pm -5:30 am
The Maine Jewish Hall of Fame was created in 2018 to bestow recognition on outstanding Jewish leaders from throughout the state who have brought distinction and honor to the State of Maine or beyond.
Tusday, May 9 2023 – 10 am -11:30 am
Bookworms take note: the Portland Hadassah Book Group has combined forces with the Maine Jewish Museum! This month — our final meeting before our summer hiatus — we will be discussing Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel
by Alon Shaya. Interested members are encouraged to create one of the recipes from the book to share in a Book Group potluck (this is optional, not required). Join fellow bibliophiles for lively discourse and warm camaraderie!
Please email us at if you plan to attend, and let us know which dish you will be preparing for the potluck.
Thursday, May 4 2023 – 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Mingle with artists and art lovers, enjoy wine and cheese with museum mavens and curious minds, and celebrate with us as we unveil our newest exhibitions!
Thursday, April 20 2023 7:00 – 8:00 PM
The Maine Jewish Museum is proud to be collaborating with Hole in the Head Review to host quarterly poetry readings at the Museum.
Two acclaimed Maine poets, Betsy Sholl and Mimi White, will be the featured April readers.
Tuesday, April 18 2023 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Bookworms take note: the Portland Hadassah Book Group has combined forces with the Maine Jewish Museum! This month, we will be discussing The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht (fyi: a film adaption of the book was created in 2019, and the DVD is available at the Portland Public Library or via live streaming; there are also several excerpts available for viewing on YouTube). Join fellow bibliophiles for lively discourse and warm camaraderie!
Monday, April 17th, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Webinar
Event is open to all
Lecture: “Will Our Children Say ‘Never Again’ and Mean It? Lessons from the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the Struggle to End Humanity‘s Worst Crime”
Moderator: Professor Abraham J. Peck
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Jean-Damascene Gasanabo , former Director General of the Research and Documentation Center on Genocide at the Rwanda National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) and former member of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCR), Geneva, Switzerland]
Followed by a panel discussion by members of those communities who commemorate their genocides in April: “What does the genocide against my community mean to me?”
Paul Proudian: Armenian genocide
Abraham J. Peck: Holocaust
Yvette Gisele Unezase: Rwandan genocide of the Tutsi El-Fadel Arbab: Darfurian genocide
Marpheen Chann: Cambodian genocide
“April is the Cruelest Month, breeding Lillies out of the dead land, stirring Dull rocks with spring rain” – T.S. Eliot, “The Waste Land” (1922)
Sponsors: USM Office of the Provost, Osher Map Library, History Department USM, Jewish Community Alliance, Maine Jewish Museum, Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine
Thursday, March 30, 2023 – 7:00 pm – 8:30 PM
They’re baaaaaack! The Maine Jewish Museum is thrilled to once again host the inimitable DaPonte String Quartet after a two-year pandemic hiatus. The March “Concert Series 2” (with guest artist Byron Wallis, violin) features the Mozart Quartet in D Major, the K575, the Webern Fünf Sätze [Five Movements], and the Brahms String Quartet Opys 51, No.1 in C Minor.
Sunday, March 26, 2023 – 1:00 – 3:00 PM
At a time of increasing antisemitism, heightened racial tensions, and growing xenophobia, art (and food!) has the transformative power to break down barriers. In this spirit, we encourage you to join us for an interactive workshop and potluck vegetarian lunch, where local artist and award-winning community builder Paula Gerstenblatt will help you turn your photos and mementos into a beautiful collage!
Thursday, March 16, 2023 – 7:00pm – 9:00 PM
Do you find yourself humming to the tune of “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” at random moments of the day? Were your summers defined by Cat’s Cradle and color war and mandatory swim? Then you’ll want to be sure to join us in person or online for this educational and entertaining discussion about Maine Jewish Summer Camps, featuring voices from Camps Lown, Naomi, Micah, Center Day, and Kennebec!
Brandeis professor and author Jonathan Krasner will open the event with a panoramic historical perspective. Our very own veteran ABC, CBS, and CNN producer, writer, director, and media consultant Jo Dondis will then moderate a panel of cross-generational campers who will share their multi-faceted camp experiences. A camp-themed reception, complete with historical photos, elevated “campy” comfort foods (adult Rice Krispie Treats and Bug Juice Cocktail, anyone?), and mingling will conclude a fun-filled and nostalgic evening. Camp attire encouraged!
Co-sponsored by Documenting Maine Jewry, the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, and the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine.
Tuesday, March 14 2023 – 10 am -11:30 AM
Bookworms take note: the Portland Hadassah Book Group has combined forces witht he Maine Jewish Museum! The NEW Portland Hadassah X MJM Book Group will meet at the Museum from 10 – 11;30 AM on the second Tuesday of the month (except April, when we will meet on a Wednesday) through May, For our next meeting on March 14, we will be discussing Objects of Love and Regret by Richard Rabinowitz, Join fellow bibliophiles for lively discourse and warm camaraderie!
Thursday, March 9 2023 – 6:00 – 8:30 PM
In conjunction with our Exhibition, “A Father’s Kaddish: The Celebration of (a) Life in the Aftermath of Death,” we are proud to be partnering with the Maine Jewish Film Festival and the Parsonage Gallery on this screening of the documentary film, A Father’s Kaddish. The film is approximately 30 minutes long, after which there will be an interactive discussion on grieving and Jewish grief rituals. Personal input welcome; q&a encouraged; compassion, empathy, and understanding guaranteed.
A panoramic overview of 3000 years of Jewish learning, this course — brought to the Maine Jewish Museum by Chabad of Maine — introduces you to the works that earned us the title “The People of The Book.”
You will experience the different genres that shape Jewish life, including Tanach, Midrash, Talmud, Halachah, Philosophy, Kabbalah, Musar, and Chasidism, and meet the influential personalities who drove thirty centuries of Jewish scholarship.
Whether you’re encountering these texts for the first time or are a seasoned scholar, this course will inform and enrich all your Jewish learning.
Starting January 29, 2023
6 Sundays (1/29. 2/5, 2/12, 2/19. 2/26, 3/5)
11:00 A.M – 12:30 PM
Thursday, March 2 2023 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 PM
Mingle with artists and art lovers, enjoy wine and cheese with museum mavens and curious minds, and celebrate with us as we unveil our newest exhibitions!
Thursday, February 16, 2023 – 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
They’re baaaaaack! “The Maine Jewish Museum is thrilled to once again host the inimitable DaPonte String Quartet after a two-year pandemic hiatus. The February “Winter Lights Concert” features the Bach Goldberg Variations.
Please join us for this exciting and enjoyable program. For tickets, go to www.dapontequartet.org.
Thursday January 26, 2023 at 4pm
Thursday, January 26 2023 7:00 – 8:00 PM
The Maine Jewish Museum is proud to be collaborating with Hole in the Head Review to host quarterly poetry readings at the Museum.
With Rabbi Dr. Laibl Wolf LL.B M.ED.PSYCH.D.DIV.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 – 3:30pm-4:45pm
Location: Italian Heritage Center – 40 Westland Ave, Portland, ME 04102
Jewish meditation focuses on training a strong psycho-spirtual framework that allows for ‘changing the mind’, ‘taming the heart’ and ‘swimming gracefully in a world of change.’
Three meditative exercises, based on inspiration, contemplation, and introspection, will be explained and practiced.
Presented in Partnership with Chabad of Maine
Thursday, January 12 2023 – 5 -7 PM
Mingle with artists and art lovers, enjoy wine and cheese with museum mavens and curious minds, and celebrate with us as we unveil our newest exhibitions!
Steve Marcus will be giving an Artists Talk immediately before the opening, at 4:00 pm
Saturday, January 7 2023 – 6:30pm -9:00pm
Show off your mad trivia skills on your own or in team of up to eight while enjoying pizza, craft beer (generously donated by mast Landing), and fun with friends — all while supporting MJM’s mission-driven exhibitions and programming.
And to add to the excitement, there will be awesome prizes for the top three trivia winners, as well as a 50/50 raffle!
Sunday, December 25, 2022 – 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Online Event
Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine
If your tradition on December 25th includes Chinese food and a movie – or if you would like it to – come join us at the JCA for the afternoon!
We’ll have a delicious Chinese buffet lunch catered by Maine Jewish Museum Director Dawn LaRochelle (who was a restaurateur and caterer in Western Massachusetts for over a decade), snacks, games, activities, Hanukkah-themed gifts for everyone, and movies. Come for a meal or to hang out and enjoy the afternoon together!
Monday, November 27, Monday, December 4, Monday, December 11, and Monday, December 18, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Have your holiday shopping “wrapped up” and support MJM’s mission-driven exhibitions and programming. Bring your gifts to the Museum or buy your gifts at the Museum — we’ll take care of the rest!
Tuesday, December 13 2022 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Bookworms take note: the Portland Hadassah Book Group has combined forces with the Maine Jewish Museum! The NEW Portland Hadassah X MJM Book Group will meet at the Museum from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM on the second Tuesday of the month through May. For our next meeting on December 13, we will be discussing Danielle Shiva’s The Cellist.
Thursday, December 1, 2022 7:00PM-8:30PM
(No Intermission)
MJM is thrilled to be bringing back the DaPonte String Quartet for the first time since the pandemic! In this first of four planned concerts at the Museum, they will be presenting a new program, “Duo and Trio,” featuring the Beethoven C minor Trio, the Ernö Dohnányi Serenade, and the Mozart Duo in B flat.
Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 7pm
Thursday, November 10 2022 2-4pm
Join local artist and scientific illustrator Gretchen Halpert of the Scientific Illustration Distance Program (SIDP) for this FREE two-part program! From 2 – 2:30 PM, Halpert will discuss her MJM exhibit against the backdrop of her career at the juxtaposition of art, science, and teaching. Then, from 2:30 – 4 PM, , Halpert will provide instruction to artists and budding artists ages 12+ on traditional drawing exercises, helping them hone their observation skills as they capture elements of the natural world on paper. Specimens and drawing materials will be provided; you are also welcome to bring your own.
Tuesday, November 8 2022 – 10 am -11:30 am
Bookworms take note: the Portland Hadassah Book Group is combining forces with the Maine Jewish Museum! The NEW Portland Hadassah X MJM Book Group will meet on the second Tuesday of the month from September – May,10 – 11:30 AM, at the Museum.
Thursday, October 27 2022 7-9pm
The Maine Jewish Museum is proud to be collaborating with Hole in the Head Review to the first of quarterly poetry readings at the Museum.
Two acclaimed Maine poets, Linda Aldrich and Richard Forester, will be the featured readers.
COFFEE, CAKE, AND CONVERSATION
Thursday, October 6 2022 4-5:30 PM
COLLAGE ACROSS CULTURES
Thursday, October 13 2022 – 4 – 5:30 PM
POTLUCK AND PARTING THOUGHTS
Thursday, October 20th 2022 4-5:30 PM
At a time of heightened racial tensions and deep socio-political divisions, American Blacks and Jews are being threatened, harassed, and even murdered in alarming numbers. It is more important than ever for the Black and Jewish communities to build mutual support networks and form a united front to fight the perils around us. Unfortunately, however, Black-Jewish ties have not been tended to in recent decades, leading to an undeniable and undeniably worrisome erosion of relations.
Monday, October 17 2022 7-8:15 PM
Violins of Hope is a concert project featuring a private collection of violins, violas, and cellos housed in Israel. All of the instruments were owned by Jewish people during the Holocaust and were collected following World War II. The PSO-MJM Violins of Hope Maine will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the resistance of the Terezin prisoners. PSO string players will perform on these special instruments, a 60-piece collection, during Verdi’s Requiem concert. Tickets required,Tickets required.
Thursday, September 22, 2022 2-4pm
Paula Gerstenblatt will be at the Maine Jewish Museum to visit with guests and and answer questions about her exhibit
Tuesday, September 13 2022 – 7-8:30pm
Internationally-renowned photographer Judy Glickman will discuss her exhibit on display at MJM, including her decision to depart from black-and-white film and explore digital color photography.
Sunday, September 11 2022 1-3 PM
Local artist Joan Busing, whose work expands on the legacy of the Abstract Expressionists of the 1980s, will discuss her exhibit on display at MJM. She will also give a live demonstration of her monoprint technique, in which she paints an image on Plexiglass using layers of thin color applied in gestural strokes and playful geometric patterns and transfers it to paper using a press, creating a unique, irreproducible print. Free admission. Q&A to follow discussion and demo.
Thursday, September 1 2022 5-7 PM
Mingle with artists and art lovers, enjoy wine and cheese with museum mavens and curious minds, and celebrate with us as we unveil our newest exhibitions!
Sunday, August 21 2022 4-5pm
In conjunction with the current MJM pop-up exhibit, “Witness to War: Ukrainian Photographers React,” we will hear about Ukraine from the vantage point of Ukrainians directly impacted by the Russian invasion.
Watch the WMTW/Channel 8 News Portland interview of Oleg Opalnyk at the Maine Jewish Museum
Thursday, August 4 2022 at 7:30pm
(Etz Chaim Synagogue)
Wednesday, August 3 2022 (rain date August 10) 1-3 PM
In conjucunction with the current MJM exhibit “a flower expected everywhere […] (Emily Dickinson),” artist Juliet Karelsen will lead a workshop inviting you to experiment with creating cynanotypes — the centuries-old process of placing objects on paper or fabric treated with chemicals that are sensitive to sunlight, turning the prints a deep cyan blue. The workshop will focus on using local flora and fauna and offer the option of making prints with Jewish-themed objects, as well. Bringing objects from home to create your prints is encouraged, but not required. Artists of all ages and abilities are welcome, and admission is free!
Thursday, June 30 2022 – 4pm
New York Maine New York
Robert Solotaire
Spiegel Gallery
“Our father spent his life dedicated to the art and the practice of painting. It’s hard to think of dad without a paint brush in his hand, or standing in front of his easel, or without his camera walking down the street looking for new subject matter. But he was also a loving father, a beloved man about town, an avid reader, and clipper of the news (with strong opinions about what he was reading), a veteran gardener, a music lover, and a voracious traveler. He truly lived a full life, enjoying the world around him and the people he met, and his art reflected that.
Friday, June 17th 2022, 1pm – 4pm
and Friday, June 24th 2022 1pm – 4pm
Smith Galtney
Jody Sataloff History and Art Pavillion
Dream Sequence considers the way pictures speak to each other and tell infinite stories through association and suggestion. Galtney’s images are rooted in narratively direct traditions such as autobiography and documentary, but through variation and juxtaposition – random and otherwise – the pictures become cryptic, dreamlike fragments. Whatever story they tell is ultimately up to the viewer.
Sunday, June 26th 2022 – 3pm
Dr. Michael Cohen
Tulane University
We are planning a gala event on Sunday, June 26th 2022 at 3:00 pm to celebrate with a free Garden Reception followed by a short program inside the sanctuary. We will have a video tribute to the first 100 years and a few remarks will be presented by two or three members with long standing connections to Etz Chaim Synagogue.
A keynote address will be delivered by Professor Dr. Michael Cohen of Tulane University. Dr. Cohen is a Professor in the Department of Jewish Studies, is an author of several books about the Jewish experience and has personal connections to Etz Chaim and the Portland Jewish community.
Sunday, June 12th 2022, 11am – 4pm
Chat with Missy Asen about her vibrant and joyful botanical paintings!
Missy Asen is a native Mainer who grew up in Cape Elizabeth. Since she picked up her first crayon, she has found joy in her craft. Missy graduated with a BFA from Ohio Wesleyan University. She maintains studios in Falmouth, Maine, and Sarasota, Florida.
Missy has exhibited at Cygnet Gallery, Thos. Moser Gallery, the Clown Gallery in Stonington, Terrazzo Studio and Gallery, Art and Soul in Kennebunkport, Jameson Gallery, and the Island Gallery at Diamond Cove. She has also exhibited in many galleries in Florida. Her work is included in numerous corporate and private collections. And now, you can see her work and meet her in person at the Maine Jewish Museum!
Missy and the MJM staff look forward to greeting you at the Museum this Sunday!
Thursday, May 19 2022- 7:00 pm
Join us in welcoming photographer, Smith Galtney. His photography has been shown at the University of Southern Maine, SPEEDWELL projects, Cove Street Arts, the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, and Engine. In this talk he will be discussing his process, inspirations and relationship to photography.
Thursday, May 5 2022 – 7pm
and May 7 – 7pm
Opera in the Pines presents the Maine premiere of The Diary of Anne Frank, by Grigory Frid. Based on the original text of the famous diary Anne kept as she hid with her family between 1942 and 1944, this monodramatic opera in 21 scenes will proudly feature an all-female creative team, including Rachel Policar (National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene) in the title role of Anne Frank, and pianist Tina Davis (Artist Faculty in Piano at the University of Southern Maine). Join us May 5th 2022 and 7th 2022 at 7 PM, at Maine Jewish Museum, 267 Congress Street, Portland, Maine.
Wednesday, May 4 2022 – 4pm
In this artist talk at 4pm on May 3rd 2022, M. Annenberg will trace the decline of news coverage in the American mainstream press from the 1990’s to the present. Are our oceans acidifying? Are the glaciers melting? Will we breach 1.5 degrees of warming this decade? Is there a climate emergency? If so, why don’t we all know it, beyond a reasonable doubt. M. Annenberg is a Conceptual artist. Her paintings, sculptures, installations and videos focus on under reported stories in American media, concentrating on scientific studies and global warming.
Sunday, March 27 2022 – 2 pm
Shalom House is a non-profit mental health agency that provides housing and services to adults from all backgrounds who are living with severe mental illness. This year we celebrate our 50th Anniversary of providing Home, Health & Hope with a special exhibition in honor of Nancy Davidson, Curator of the Maine Jewish Museum. Nancy was one of the founding members of Shalom House. She, along with Rabbi Sky, represented the Jewish community in a group of ecumenical leaders looking to create the first halfway house in Maine for those leaving psychiatric institutions during the early 1970s.
For over 28 years the Art Program at Shalom has been an important part of the mental health services we provide. This exhibition features works by Heidi Stubbs and Jack Sullivan, two of the many talented artists in our studio.
Image: Scarborough Marsh, Acrylic on Canvas, Heidi Stubbs
Sunday, March 20 2022 – 4 pm
Stories we tell each other are all we have. There would be no past without stories of kings and wars and love and ancestors. There would be no future without stories of hope and aspiration and lessons learned.
Image: Lilith the Astronomer,Rebecca Goodale, 2022, Ink on handmade Japanese paper, Circle book with cotton braids
Wednesday, November 17 2021 – 7 pm
Jews have been living in Maine for 200 years, practicing in up to 30 active synagogues built to anchor Jewish communities across the state. Half of those synagogues no longer exist. Veteran ABC, CBS and CNN producer, writer, director, and media consultant Jo Dondis will bring together voices of these lost synagogues who will help tell the story of the impressive span of Maine’s Jewish community life throughout the state.
Monday, July 19, 2021 – Saturday, August 21, 2021
We are pleased to announce our collaborative exhibition with the Portland Public Library, Critters: Mythical Real & Imagined. This exhibit was curated in part by our very own Curator in Residence, Nancy Davidson, and partially sponsored by the Maine Jewish Museum.
Wednesday, June 16 2021 – 7 pm
Tonee Harbert’s work considers human intervention on the landscape. This developing series from Tonee’s year-long residency at the Roswell Art Center in New Mexico invokes history and interpretation by looking at what remains from scenarios that once held meaning or utility. Harbert grew up in Oregon, and has lived most of his life in Maine. His photography has been exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery, Portland Museum of Art, Farnsworth Art Museum, Danforth Museum of Art, ICA at Maine College of Art, and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. He’s been awarded a New England Emmy award, and his work has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, and in books and motion pictures. He is currently based in Roswell, NM.
Wednesday, May 26 2021 – 7 pm
Presented by the JCA’s Community Relations Council
From the Charlottesville violence to the Capitol insurrection to the shootings in Atlanta targeting the Asian American community, hate crimes and domestic extremism are at record levels — and we’re facing a dangerous and dire threat of white supremacy.
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