Thursday, March 26, 2026
7:00 pm
What happens when African American musical traditions and Jewish musical traditions meet — not as a fusion experiment, but as a shared language of history, resilience, and joy?
The Afro-Semitic Experience answers that question with music that is soulful, searching, celebratory, and deeply human. Rooted in jazz, blues, gospel, swing, klezmer, and improvisation, the Afro-Semitic Experience creates a powerful musical conversation that honors the distinct histories of Black and Jewish communities while illuminating the profound connections between them.
Sponsored by:
The Leir Foundation
Congregation Bet Ha’Am.
Sunday, March 29, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Join Dawn LaRochelle, Hedva Rokach, and Melissa Yaverbaum for an intimate conversation about The Ampersand Project — the photography exhibition There Is Always an & and the companion book Faces & Facets of Jewish Life in Maine.
Sunday, April 12 2026
1:30 – 3:30 PM
Hosted by Anna Wrobel & Jim Donnelly
Join us for an afternoon of poetry, community, and music in the Maine Jewish Museum’s historic sanctuary.
In celebration of National Poetry Month, the beloved Lowry’s Lodge Reading Series returns with a featured reading by Maine poet Alice Persons, followed by an Open Poetry Hour welcoming voices from the community. Whether you’re a lifelong poetry lover, a curious newcomer, or a writer ready to share your work, this gathering promises inspiration, connection, and creativity.
Sunday, April 19, 2026
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Food tells stories. So do hands, tables, light, and what’s left behind after a meal.
In this intimate, hands-on workshop, There Is Always an & photographer Hedva Rokach invites participants to explore food photography as a doorway into deeper observation — not just what’s on the plate, but what surrounds it. Using only your smartphone, Hedva will guide you through the essentials of light, framing, perspective, and intention, showing how everyday moments can become powerful visual narratives.
Sunday, May 3, 2026
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The Maine Jewish Museum invites you to a thoughtful and participatory afternoon exploring how numbers and narratives together help us understand Jewish life in Maine.
3rd Tuesday of Every Month at 2:00 pm
Join Ted Fleischaker, the Maine Jewish Museum’s “building specialist,” for a tour of the museum with a focus on our historic synagogue’s fascinating history. Ted is a journalist who has written for and owned newspapers in over half a dozen states, hosted a program on National Public Radio for over a decade, was a professor at University of Louisville, and served as PR Director at the United Jewish Campaign in Louisville.
All images copyright of the artist, unless otherwise noted; reproduction not allowed without express permission
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