As part of Manchester Jewish Museum’s Trailblazers season, a group of up-and-coming young artists aged 16 to 18 are creatively responding to the theme of this years’ Holocaust Memorial Day: being a light in the darkness. Explore how the group have uncovered Mancunian legacies of the Holocaust and been inspired by activists past and present in a powerful piece of collaborative action that considers how we learn from history while looking to the future.
Book Club | Monthly | Online | Free
Prestwich Hebrew Congregation is hosting a new monthly Zoom reading group welcoming the whole community. Book Chat is open to anyone who enjoys reading fiction and discussing topics from classics to contemporary Jewish themes, and would like to share their recommendations, or just listen in. Each meeting looks for a small number of participants to give a brief synopsis of why a particular book made an impact on them.
Virtual Choral Extravaganza | 30th January | Online | £5
Menorah Synagogue presents its Virtual Choral Extravaganza featuring The Menorah Synagogue Choir, The Nightingale Singers, The Mriya Choir, Bat Kol Choir, The Siddique Group, Martin Kaye and The Intercontinental Family Cello Quartet. Showcasing solo and group performances, videos from previous concerts and the choir’s visit to Israel, along with some surprises too, with all proceeds shared between Menorah and Wythenshawe Food Bank.
The Holocaust at Eye Level | 10th/ 11th February (TBC) | Online | Free
The Centre for Jewish Studies welcomes László Nemes, director of Oscar-winning director of Son of Saul for a virtual conversation as part of the annual Bogdanow Lecture in Holocaust Studies. The Hungarian filmmaker will discuss the research that went into the dramatic reimagining of a prisoner at Auschwitz forced to work in the gas chambers, in an exploration of one of humanity’s darkest moments.
In Conversation with Dani Limor | 8th February | Online | Free
Thousands of Ethiopian Jews fled the Eritrean conflict to neighbouring Sudan, only to find themselves stranded. The resulting mission led by Mossad agent Daniel Limor to spirit them to the safety of Israel became Zionist legend. As part of a virtual UJIA event, BBC Middle East editor Raffi Berg – among the first to scratch the surface of the story – will be in conversation with Daniel to explore the rescue which became the subject of Netflix blockbuster, Red Sea Diving Resort.
Genius and Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World | 10th January | Online | Free
In 1971 Sir Naim Dangoor established The Scribe magazine to celebrate Sephardi culture and give insight into the Iraqi Jewish community. To mark its jubilee year, the London School of Jewish Studies is hosting a conversation between cultural commentator and award-winning novelist Norman Lebrecht and S&P Sephardi Senior Rabbi Joseph Dweck, exploring how Jewish origins and experiences of exile drove the ambition of so many of the 20th century’s key figures.
Little Music Stars | Sha’arei Shalom | Weekly from 11th January | £6
North Manchester Reform Congregation plays host to Little Music Stars, a pre-school class in music and movement for kids aged three months to three years. Founded by TV and stage star Andrea Lynette-Young (Coronation Streets’ Melanie Hesketh), the sessions get your little ones grooving to a variety of musical genres using colourful props, instruments and story boards to stimulate and encourage their individuality.