Celebrate Jewish Awareness Month at Virginia Tech through April 15

19 Mar 2012

Celebrate Jewish culture with Virginia Tech at the university’s sixth annual Jewish Awareness Month through April 15.

This year’s theme is “Laughter: The Universal Language,” and there are several events scheduled throughout the month that highlight the impact of Jewish lives and contributions on American and global history and culture. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.

A highlight of the month-long series is “The Simpsons Take on VT with Mike Reiss” on Monday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. in Colonial Hall in Squires Student Center. Reiss, a writer and producer for the television show “The Simpsons,” will discuss his experiences as a Jewish comedy writer. Contact Sydney Sarfan for more information.

One of the final events of the series will be a Reading of the Names on Thursday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the Drillfield. Throughout the day, volunteers will read the names of all the victims of the Holocaust. Contact Laura Shoemaker for more information.

Other events include the following:

The Hillel Runway fashion show on Tuesday, March 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Old Dominion Ballroom in Squires Student Center. Participants will create and model Jewish-themed fashionable and wearable items out of recyclable materials. The event is free, but materials must be provided by participants. Contact Anna Isserow for more information.
The annual Poetry at the Grove poetry reading and reception on Tuesday, April 3, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the home of university President Charles W. Steger. Those wishing to attend must RSVP to Michael Goodwin by Friday, March 23.
The Chocolate Passover Seder on Wednesday, April 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Squires’ Old Dominion Ballroom. This event offers a twist on the traditional Passover Seder by serving only dishes made from chocolate. Contact Elizabeth Wisgerhof for more information.
“The Black-Jew Dialogues” on Saturday, April 14, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in Squires. In this live performance, Emmy-award winner Ron Jones and veteran performer Larry Jay Tish take the audience on a comedic yet poignant ride through three days they spent together in a cheap hotel room discussing their own experiences, the history of their respective cultures, and why there has been a growing rift between the two groups since the early 1970s. Contact Juan Espinoza for more information.

For a full schedule of events, visit the Multicultural Programs and Services website.

For Squires Student Center, free parking is available after 5 p.m. in the Squires Lot, located at the corner of College Avenue and Otey Street or the Architecture Annex Lot also on Otey Street.

Find more parking information online or call 540-231-3200.

Jewish Awareness Month is sponsored by Hillel at Virginia Tech, Multicultural Programs and Services, the Office of the President, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Friends of Israel, the Malcolm and Diane Rosenberg Program in Judaic Studies, the Jewish Student Union, Women and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series, Women in Leadership and Philanthropy, Queer Grads and Allies, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance of Virginia Tech.