BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Baltimore Jewish Council - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.baltjc.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Baltimore Jewish Council REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T041457 CREATED:20260209T170814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T160029Z UID:20461-1776006000-1776013200@www.baltjc.org SUMMARY:Yom HaShoah 2026 DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, April 12\, 2026 \n3:00 p.m. \nChizuk Amuno Congregation | 8100 Stevenson Road\, Baltimore\, MD \nPlease save the date for this year’s community wide Yom HaShoah Commemoration. We will be joined by Director and Curator of the Ritchie History Museum\, Katy Self\, to learn about Maryland’s own Fort Ritchie\, home of the renowned Ritchie Boys\, and many others who were dedicated to serving their country throughout World War II. \nClick here to register for the program.\nLearn more about the Ritchie History Museum URL:https://www.baltjc.org/event/yom-hashoah-2026/ LOCATION:Chizuk Amuno Congregation\, 8100 Stevenson Rd\, Baltimore\, MD\, Baltimore\, MD\, 21208\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Emily Goodman":MAILTO:egoodman@baltjc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T183000 DTSTAMP:20260404T041457 CREATED:20260313T143813Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T175447Z UID:20525-1776792600-1776796200@www.baltjc.org SUMMARY:Yom HaZikaron 2026: Remembering Those We Lost DESCRIPTION:Join BJC for Yom HaZikaron 2026: Remembering Those We Lost with Baltimore’s Shinshinim and Shlichim \nTuesday\, April 21\, 2026 | 5:30-6:30PM \nLocation shared upon registration. \nREGISTER HERE \nJoin The Associated\, Jewish Educational Services\, Pearlstone\, and The Baltimore Jewish Council for an evening of commemoration and storytelling for Yom HaZikaron. Honor the memory of Israelis who were killed in acts of terror or who fell in battle through hearing their stories from the perspective of those who knew them. Then mark with us the transition from Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut\, as we remember that our celebration of Israel’s independence is inseparable from the sacrifices that made it possible. \nQuestions? Contact Kate McDonald (kmcdonald@baltjc.org). \n  URL:https://www.baltjc.org/event/yom-hazikaron-2026-remembering-those-we-lost/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T180000 DTSTAMP:20260404T041457 CREATED:20260217T011959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T153206Z UID:20476-1777219200-1777226400@www.baltjc.org SUMMARY:Generations of Courage DESCRIPTION:Generations of Courage:\nFrom Refuseniks to Today’s Campus Struggle\n  \nRAFFLE for great door prizes! Apple Earbuds\, JBL mini speaker\, etc!\n—\nGREAT TREATS! (Dietary laws observed.) \nLimited number of free books for attendees*!\n—\n\n \nWhat does it mean to refuse antizionist erasure — to remain Jewish\, Zionist\, visible\, and connected to our story — when the pressure to conform keeps rising? \nJoin us for an inspiring conversation about Jewish courage\, defiance\, and resilience. \nAuthor Izabella Tabarovsky brings the insights of her acclaimed book Be a Refusenik to Baltimore. Drawing on the moral clarity of the refusenik movement\, the book offers a powerful\, practical framework for navigating today’s climate of anti-Jewish ideological coercion. \nJoined by former refusenik Aleksander Smukler and one of this generation’s leading Jewish voices\, Eyal Yakoby\, the conversation explores what it takes to stand firm\, refuse to bend under pressure\, and affirm the full spectrum of Jewish identity in our time. Rabbi Moshe Schwartz will moderate the program. \n\nSunday\, April 26\, 2026\n4 p.m. to 6 p.m.\,\nThe Associated Headquarters on the Goldsmith Campus\, 5700 Park Heights Avenue\, Baltimore\n\nClick here to register for the program.\n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERS\nIzabella Tabarovsky is a scholar of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism\, a sought-after speaker and lecturer\, and the author of the forthcoming book Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide (Wicked Son). She is a fellow with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington\, DC; a senior fellow with the Z3 Institute for Jewish Priorities in Palo Alto; and a fellow with the Comper Center for the Study of Antisemitism and Racism at the University of Haifa\, the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism\, and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. \nA contributing writer at Tablet Magazine\, she has also published in Newsweek\, Sapir\, Quillette\, The National Interest\, Fathom\, The Forward\, and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Her essays have appeared in several edited volumes\, including October 7: The Wars over Words and Deeds (Academic Studies Press); The Rebirth of Antisemitism in the 21st Century: From the Academic Boycott Campaign into the Mainstream (Routledge); Mapping the New Left Antisemitism: The Fathom Essays (Routledge); Sionismo y antisionismo: Un debate necesario (RiL editores); and Jewish Priorities: Sixty-Five Proposals for the Future of Our People (Wicked Son). Her work has been translated into Spanish\, French\, Portuguese\, German\, Polish\, Russian\, Czech\, and other languages. \nBorn and raised in the Soviet Union\, Izabella moved to the United States in 1989 at the age of 19. She holds an MA in History from Harvard University. She speaks Russian\, English\, and Hebrew\, and has studied Spanish\, French\, and German. She lives in Jerusalem\, Israel. \nAlexander “Sasha” Smukler is a former refusenik who advocated for the rights of Jews in the former Soviet Union. He left the Soviet Union in 1991 and moved to the United States\, where\, as a successful businessman he became a prominent member of the American Jewish community and continued his activism on behalf of Jews from the former Soviet Union. Smukler was elected as the first Russian/American president of National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry (formerly the National Conference on Soviet Jewry\, NCSJ) in 2008. He was a protege and friend of Baltimore’s own Shoshana Cardin who was the first chairwoman of the board of the NCSJ (now NCSEJ)\, and chairwoman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. \nEyal Yakoby is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Political Science and Modern Middle East Studies and an incoming student at MIT. Eyal was a student at UPenn last year during the campus protests that ended in violence and intimidation of Jewish students. He spoke at a House Congressional leadership press conference in 2023 and testified before the House Judiciary Committee in 2024 as a witness to the violence and harassment of Jewish students. Eyal appears in October H8te\, a new documentary on rising antisemitism on college campuses\, social media\, and the streets of America. He has appeared on TV networks\, including CNN\, ABC\, and Fox\, and has contributed to publications such as The Washington Post and The New York Post. \nRabbi Moshe Schwartz (moderator) has served as head of school of Krieger Schechter Day School since 2015. \nABOUT THE BOOK\nBe a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide\nWhat does it mean to refuse antizionist erasure — to remain Jewish\, Zionist\, visible\, and morally grounded — when the cost of doing so keeps rising? Jewish students on campuses today face mounting pressure to stay silent\, conform\, or disavow central parts of who they are: their Zionism\, their bond with Israel\, and their place in the Jewish people’s larger story. \nIn her bestselling book Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide\, Izabella Tabarovsky draws a powerful parallel between this moment and the struggle of young Soviet Jews half a century ago. Known as refuseniks\, they stood up to an oppressive regime intent on erasing Jewish identity—and by refusing to comply\, they changed history. \nDrawing on the lessons of the refusenik movement\, Be a Refusenik offers a bold\, practical\, and inspiring guide for a new generation of Jews confronting antizionist intimidation\, ideological litmus tests\, and antisemitism on today’s campuses. Blending history\, moral clarity\, and real-world strategy\, the book speaks directly to students—and to the communities that support them. \n*Books sponsor: Jewish Alumni Strong \nClick here to register for the program. URL:https://www.baltjc.org/event/generations-of-courage/ LOCATION:Associated\, Goldsmith Campus\, 5700 Park Heights Avenue\, Baltimore\, MD\, 21215\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260503T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260503T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T041457 CREATED:20260320T164356Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T152555Z UID:20549-1777820400-1777827600@www.baltjc.org SUMMARY:A Jewish Girl in Shanghai: Film Screening and Panel Discussion DESCRIPTION:Interested in the diversity of the Jewish experience? Like niche history? \nJoin the Baltimore Jewish Council for a screening of the animated film ‘A Jewish Girl in Shanghai.’ \nSunday\, May 3\, 2026\n3-5 p.m.\nThe Associated’s Goldsmith Campus\, 5700 Park Heights Avenue\, Baltimore \nREGISTER HERE\nAfter the film screening\, participants will hear from a speaker panel featuring current Holocaust Remembrance Committee member\, Lisa Sparks\, whose mother\, Yvonne Daniel\, was born in the Shanghai Ghetto to parents who had fled Nazi-occupied Europe. Yvonne’s story was a part of the Jewish Museum of Maryland’s prior exhibit on the Jews of Shanghai. Lisa will join in facilitated conversation with Beth Israel Congregation’s Rabbi Rachel Safman. \nSpeakers:\nRabbi Rachel Safman joined Beth Israel Congregation as its senior rabbi in July 2023\, returning to her home state to lead a community that shared her people-centered approach to Jewish life. \nA native of Gaithersburg\, Maryland\, where she attended and taught in the congregation now known as Kehillat Shalom\, Rabbi Safman first trained for a career in academia\, studying at Harvard\, Johns Hopkins and Cornell.  She wrote her dissertation on the AIDS epidemic in Northern Thailand and after graduation joined the faculty of the National University of Singapore. \nDuring her years in Singapore\, Rabbi Safman served as the president of the city-state’s progressive Jewish community\, the United Hebrew Congregation; was an active participant in the ritual life of Singapore’s Baghdadi Orthodox community; and co-founded Gesher\, a Jewish community forum that hosted eminent guest speakers\, including Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong. \n  \n \nLisa Daniel Sparks moved to Baltimore at age 7 (after being born in NYC and then\, living in NJ)\, so she considers Maryland home (to the dismay of her native New Yorker parents!). After graduating with a BA in Mass Communications from University of Delaware and a master’s in professional writing from Towson University\, Lisa has worked in writing and editing for her entire career. Lisa is currently the Communications & Marketing Manager for the Johns Hopkins Information Technology team and has been with Johns Hopkins since 1997. She’s served on The Soul Center of Baltimore’s Launch Team for the past few years and serves as a mikvah guide at Beth El congregation. She joined the Holocaust Remembrance Committee as a way to honor and share her mother’s unusual Holocaust story. Lisa and her husband\, Erik\, have been married since 1993. They are the proud parents of Maddie (27)\, Max (25)\, and their adorable yet slightly crazy dogs\, Monty and Minnie. Lisa loves working out (she’s a Peloton addict)\, yoga\, reading\, and traveling. \n  \n  \n  \nLight kosher fare will be provided. Registration is highly encouraged. \n  \n“A Jewish Girl in Shanghai” is set primarily in the Shanghai Ghetto during the Japanese occupation in World War II. The film follows Rina\, a young Jewish girl\, and her younger brother Mishalli\, who have fled Europe in search of safety but are separated from their parents. They encounter A-Gen\, a Chinese orphan boy who helps them navigate the challenges of their new life in Shanghai. Together\, they form a strong bond and face the dangers posed by the occupying forces\, including the Japanese army and their Nazi allies. \nThis film is notable for being the first animated Chinese film to address the Holocaust\, marking an important step in fostering Jewish-Chinese relations. It has been well-received both in China and internationally\, praised for its sensitive portrayal of the experiences of Jewish refugees in Shanghai\, a city that served as a haven for many during the war.  \n  \n  URL:https://www.baltjc.org/event/a-jewish-girl-in-shanghai-film-screening-and-panel-discussion/ LOCATION:Associated\, Goldsmith Campus\, 5700 Park Heights Avenue\, Baltimore\, MD\, 21215\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Megan Brantley":MAILTO:mbrantley@baltjc.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T190000 DTSTAMP:20260404T041457 CREATED:20260325T181001Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T165507Z UID:20573-1778693400-1778698800@www.baltjc.org SUMMARY:The Voter Hub: No Speeches\, Just Conversations (Candidate Carnival 2026) DESCRIPTION:Join the Baltimore Jewish Council for an informal candidate carnival\, where voters and candidates can connect to discuss policy positions ahead of the 2026 election season.\n\nMay 13 – 5:30-7 p.m. – The Associated\, Goldsmith Campus\nInvitees: \n\nState Districts – 10\, 11 & 41\nBaltimore County Council Districts – 2\, 3 & 4\nBaltimore City Sheriff\nBaltimore County Sheriff\n\nRegister Here\n  URL:https://www.baltjc.org/event/voter-hub-2026/ LOCATION:The Associated\, 5700 Park Heights Avenue\, Baltimore\, MD\, 21215\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Abigail Snyder ":MAILTO:asnyder@baltjc.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR