SHANDA: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy

Join us for an unforgettable evening with feminist icon Letty Cottin Pogrebin to discuss her recent book, Shanda: a Memoir of Shame and Secrecy. Ms. Pogrebin co-founded Ms. Magazine with Gloria Steinem and has remained a major voice for women in America. She will be interviewed by Restorative Justice advocate Erika Sasson, whose work in New York City’s courts, schools, and community centers focuses on the themes addressed in Ms. Pogrebin’s potent memoir.

On May 2nd Ms. Sasson will lead an informal discussion with interested participants in order to explore the range of ideas and responses to the book. This event is free of charge. Please go to https://www.newshul.org/ to sign up for this “pre” event.

This event is a part of The New Shul’s Kumah Festival 2023 (learn more on our website), a series of events that celebrate art and ideas, and the artists, activists, and thinkers behind them.

“It’s 1932 and a 9-year old Jewish boy in Connecticut is dialing an old crystal radio. He lands on the voice of a priest named Father Coughlin spewing anti-Jewish hate. The boy is captivated and horrified. This boy will eventually become the leading TV writer and producer in America, a man who will create trailblazing shows that deal with problems of race, homophobia, and sexism. Norman Lear shares this origin story with Rabbi Misha in an interview to be featured at this year’s kick-off Kumah event. Mr. Lear speaks about the central place anti-Semitism holds in his political consciousness, as he shares stories of early encounters with Jew-haters that helped encourage him to become a loud voice for equality and love.

This year’s Kumah Festival will focus on the place anti-Semitism holds in our political consciousness. What role does it play in our relationship with hate in general, with shame, and with joy?

-Rabbi Misha Shulman