A series of Events Mark Jewish Community Center’s Half Century of Arts and Culture

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo is celebrating its 50th year with a series of events that take place May – June, 2016.

May’s events include:

Buffalo-born and raised photographer Milton Ehrenberg will be exhibiting his retrospective titled, Views from my Camera, May  1 – June 30, in the Bunis Family Art Gallery, located on the second floor of Jewish Community Center, 2640 North Forest Road.  A free opening night reception, sponsored by Ulysses John and Melinda Kontos, Shelley Newman and Irv Schreiber will take place Thursday, May 5, 7-9 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular JCC business hours.

In the JCC’s Holland Family Building Art Gallery, located at 787 Delaware Avenue, an exhibit of mixed media artwork by JCC artists are on display in the first floor art gallery until June 30. The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular JCC business hours.

On Thursday, May 19, 7 p.m., Dan Kester will present an audio/visual: Visit to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, based on his travels to Jewish and Holocaust sites in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Before WWII Lithuania, and especially its capital, Vilnius, was a center of Jewish culture and learning in Europe. Most Jews in these countries were murdered by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen. Kester’s presentation is of particular interest since he visited several of the largest killing sites, saw both active Jewish Synagogues including sites of former Jewish Ghettos, and what remains of Jewish life today.

Kester’s presentation will be held in the Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre in the JCC at 2640 North Forest Road and includes an audience Q & A, a reception. The event is free of charge.

On Sunday, May 22, 10:30 a.m., an event for families with young children will be hosted by PJ Library, at Talking Leaves Books, 951 Elmwood Ave. This free 1-hour program, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, features a PJ Library story time about tzedakah (helping others), an art project and a hands-on tzedakah project.

For more information contact Mandy Weiss at mweiss@jfedbflo.com or 716-241-4221.