The College of Jewish Studies fall 2023 series will highlight “Jewish Encounters with Jazz: International Perspectives.” The series will feature three events. On Thursday, October 12, at 7:30 pm, in Binghamton University’s Casadesus Hall, jazz musicians and scholars Allen Lowe and Lewis Porter will perform compositions by Jewish composers and reflect upon the Jewish elements in jazz history. On Thursday, October 26, at the Jewish Community Center, the documentary film “The Jews and the Blues” will be shown. The film highlights the multiethnic jazz scene in Israel and will be followed by a discussion with Binghamton University Professor Jonathan Karp. The event is co-sponsored by the Binghamton Jewish Film Fest. The series will conclude on Thursday, November 2, with a Zoom lecture by University of North Carolina Professor Jarrod Tanny on the history of Jews and jazz in Soviet Russia. For more detailed information, see the next issue of The Reporter.

The College of Jewish Studies provides opportunities for adult Jewish education for the Broome County community by offering fall and spring programs. Drawing on local resources, and inviting scholars and experts from a range of universities and cultural and religious institutions, CJS sponsors a wide array of programs dealing with Jewish history, culture, religion and politics.

The College of Jewish Studies, founded in 1986, is an informal coalition between the Judaic Studies Department of Binghamton University and several area Jewish sponsoring institutions: the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton, Beth David Synagogue, Temple Concord and Temple Israel. Programming for CJS would not be possible without the additional financial support of grants from The Community Foundation for South Central New York – David and Virginia Eisenberg Donor Advised Fund, the Jacob and Rose Olum Foundation, the B’nai B’rith Lectureship Fund, the Victor and Esther Rozen Foundation, an endowment fund from the former Temple Beth El of Endicott, a grant from the JoyVel Charitable Fund and the donations of individual sponsors. 

Anyone interested in becoming an individual sponsor so that the CJS can continue bringing programs to the community, or who wants to make a donation, should contact CJS at bingcjs@gmail.com. The College of Jewish Studies is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.