About Town: March 17

Thursday, March 17


CONFRONTING GENOCIDE

A four-day Concordia University symposium on “Confronting Genocide, 1915-2011,” concludes with Holocaust survivors Yehudi Lindeman’s and Sydney Zoltak’s thoughts on sharing their memories through the arts, 6:30-9 p.m. in Room H1220.

WORLDLY WOMEN’S MUSIC
A three-part Festival Séfarad Women of the World music series at the Segal Centre Studio starts with Chilean-American singer-songwriter Anastasia Friedman, 7:30 p.m. Call 514-739-7944 or 514-733-4998.

Purim, Purim

The community has lots to choose from over the March 19-20 Purim festival as it celebrates deliverance from evil Haman, shakes its graggers at his name, goes to a Megillah reading or simply parties.
Saturday, March 19, events include:
At 3 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, parents and children up to 11 can attend a Purim party that includes inflatables, carnival games, a puppet show with Rabbi Leigh Lerner, followed by a 5 p.m. Megillah reading and 6 p.m. Purim dinner. Call 514-937-3575.
Starting at 5:30 p.m., Congregation Dorshei Emet holds a Purim celebration that includes the magician the Amazing Todsky, a kids’ carnival, palm reading by Madame Matzah Ball, and a costume ball. All are welcome. RSVP with Alisa, 514-486-9400, ext. 101.
At 8:10 p.m., Chabad of Westmount holds a Megillah reading. Call 514-937-4772.
At 9 p.m., Congregation Shaar Hashomayim hosts a “Black and Bling Purim: an Elegant Purim Maquerade Soirée,” with black tie apparel or a costume, live music by the Fundamentals, a dinatoire, and a special Shushan scotch bar, with proceeds to Mazon Canada. Call 514-937-9471, ext. 135.
From 9-11 p.m., there’s a Martini Masquerade, a young adults Purim cocktail party, at Shaare Zion Congregation, with dress-up, dance, desserts, raffles, and mini-martinis. 514-481-7727.
On Sunday, March 20, events include:
From 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Free Hebrew for Juniors holds a Purim in Israel event at Federation CJA West Island, 96 Roger Pilon Blvd. in DDO, with crafts, games, costume contest, photos “at the Kotel,” edible Sandart, sit-down meal, and Megillah reading. Call 514-735-2259.
At noon, a Megillah reading by women, for women, will be held at the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue. Women and children, and costumes. welcome. Preceded at 11:45 by a Vigil for Agunot. Call Shelley, at 514-489-9094.
From 2-4 p.m., Free Hebrew for Juniors holds another Purim in Israel event, this time at its headquarters at 4585 Bourret St., with a “journey through the Holy Land,” Megillah at the Kotel and more. Call 514-735-2259.
Also from 2-4 p.m., Shaare Zion Congregation holds a Purim party for the whole family, with storytelling, carnival booths and prizes. Call 514-481-7727, ext. 226.
At 5 p.m., Chabad of Westmount holds a Purim dinner, with a “game show Megillah reading,” prizes, and masquerade. Call 514-937-4772.
Also at 5 p.m, Rabbi Tuvia Hoffman and family preside over a festive Purim seudah, at Beth Zion Congregation. Reserve at 514-489-8411, ext. 24.
At 5:30 p.m., the Dorval Jewish Centre stages a Grand Purim Party at 440 Roy Ave, with a Megillah reading, Purim Jeopardy, light buffet, and children’s activities. Call 514-691-3770.
Also at 5:30 p.m., Chabad Queen Mary holds a Megillah reading followed by a 6 p.m. Purim Fiesta with a Mexican buffet, Schmelvis and his mariachi band, and more. Reserve, 514-738-3434, ext. 21.
At 6:30 p.m., the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors holds a Purim at Esther’s Ball, with costumes, music, prizes, dinner, and wine. Call 514-342-1234, ext. 7325.
On Shushan Purim, Monday, March 21, Congregation Chevra Kadisha B’nai Jacob’s Creative Social Centre celebrates Purim with a Purim shpiel, 1:30 p.m. Call 514-488-0907.

Monday, March 21


FOUR FILMS, FOR MEMORY I

As part of Action Week Against Racism, the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre screens The Armenian Genocide, the first of four films, 6:30 P.M., Segal Centre CinemaSpace. Reserve, 514-739-7944.

Tuesday, March 22


‘PRISONER OF ZION’ BEGUN

Famous Soviet-Jewish ‘Prisoner of Zion” Yosef Begun attends the screening of his documentary, Like Yesterday, Like Long Ago: Soviet Jews & the Struggle for National Revival, 7:30 p.m., the Jewish Public Library, co-presented by the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research. Reserve, 514-345-6416 or 514-486-5544.

RABBIS, MUSIC, HOLOCAUST
At 7:30 p.m., Rabbi Reuben Poupko speaks on the rabbinate and the Holocaust, and at 8:25 p.m. Prof. Joshua Jacobson addresses music and the Shoah, at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim’s Tuesday Night Learning Series. Call 514-937-9571.

ALAIN DUBUC
La Presse columnist Alain Dubuc is guest speaker at the Learning and Understanding Quebec series, 7 p.m., Gelber Centre, hosted by Ghila Sroka’s L’Institut Québécois du Judaïsme Laïque and Generation J. Call 514-737-2666.

FOUR FILMS, FOR MEMORY II
Cambodge, 80 Projections is the second of four films screened 6:30 p.m. by the Montreal Holocaust memorial Centre at the Segal Centre CinemaSpace as part of the Action Week Against Racism. Reserve at 514-739-7944.

ENGLISH & EBAY
The YM-YWHA starts a course in English today through May 26, and another on learning how to use eBay, 6-7:30 p.m. Call 514-737-6551, ext. 240.

Wed., March 23


CLOT BUSTERS!

As part of the Jewish General Hospital’s DVT (deep vein thrombosis) Awareness Month, JGH’s Dr. Susan Kahn, Eva Cohen, and Carla Strulovitch, talk “Lots about Clots, 6:30-8 p.m., Block Amphitheatre (B-106). Call 514-340-7587.

ORTHODOX GAY ACTIVIST
Orthodox gay activist David Brody speaks at 12:15 p.m. to the Golda Meir Chapter of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, 715 du Sablon in Chomedey. Call 450-681-9342.

4 FILMS, FOR MEMORY III
My Neighbour, My Killer, is the third Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre film being screened 6:30 p.m. at the Segal Centre CinemaSpace as part of the Action Week Against Racism. Call 514-739-7944.

IMPROVE YOUR HEBREW
Beth Zion’s Rabbi Tuvia Hoffman uses the Passover Haggadah to help improve Hebrew reading skills for the holiday, 7:30 p.m. Call 514-489-8411, ext. 35.

…Et Cetera…


PURIM BASKETS

In what’s become a tradition, Grade 4 students from several Jewish day schools spent two days recently at Agence Ometz’s JEM Workshop helping disabled employees pack Purim baskets as a fundraiser for the workshop and schools. The $10 baskets can be picked up at 8400 Mountain Sights. Call 514-342-0000.

CARMEL FOREST VISIT
A group of Solomon Schechter Academy Grade 6 students, along with principal Shimshon Hamerman, visited the Jewish National Fund’s Carmel Forest in Israel last month after raising $10,000 to restore trees destroyed by fire. The Jerusalem Post reported on the trip.

ACRYLIC ART
For the third time, Shirley Moscovitch has two dozen acrylic artworks on display at the Jam Rock Café, 5390 Queen Mary Rd., until May 2.