MONTREAL – Winter may have gotten off to a slow start in Montreal this year, but it has comfortably settled in to remind us all of why we longingly wait for the budding trees and fresh start of spring. There are so many new and exciting offerings at the Jewish Public Library this spring, in addition to the many beloved programs and courses that are offered yearly, that we couldn’t wait for our spring/summer 2016 program book to come out to tell you about them. Here is a little sneak peak of what’s in store at the JPL this spring:
Reading Between the Wines is a new twist on the typical book review. Young local notables will look at unusual, yet relevant reads in interesting locations related to the books being reviewed. Also, wine will be involved. What could go wrong? The first Reading Between the Wines will be held on Feb. 28 at Drawn & Quarterly as Jimmy Gutman will give his take on the graphic novel Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography by Chester Brown. The second RBW will take place on Tuesday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Librairie Olivieri & Bistro. Andrea Borod (a.k.a. The Book Dumpling) will review The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.
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Did you know that in 1938, Fania Lewando, proprietor of a popular vegetarian restaurant in Vilna, Lithuania, published a Yiddish vegetarian cookbook unlike any that had come before? Eve Jochnowitz has beautifully translated it for a new generation of devotees of delicious and healthy eating and she will be at the JPL on March 17 to discuss and sample some of the book’s recipes with guests.
Spring 2016 will also mark the start of new collaborations for the JPL. On March 29, the JPL and the YM-YWHA will welcome sports journalist, author, former Montrealer and Expos lover Jonah Keri. He and beloved sportscaster Paul Graif will discuss Montreal’s love affair with baseball, cherished memories of the Expos and if there is a future for Major League Baseball in Montreal. Baseball fare and interactive activities will also be served up.
On May 18 the JPL, in collaboration with the JGH Foundation’s Gloria’s Girls – a group that raises awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research and care, will welcome mentalist Oz Pearlman to the Rialto Theatre. As a finalist on America’s got Talent, Pearlman impressed the judges and audience with his unbelievable ability to read minds and perform magic tricks not seen anywhere else. Proceeds raised by each organization will go directly back to that cause. A dazzling night, two great causes to support and something to make you go hmmmm… a winning combination for all.
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Also being offered at the JPL for the first time this spring are courses on how to use Facebook for beginners, and a computer course that will be taught in Russian.
Look out for the JPL spring/summer program book to arrive in your mailbox in the next couple of weeks or pick one up at the JPL or view online at www.Jewishpubliclibrary.com. The program book will include the complete lineup of courses, lectures, film screenings, book reviews, French and Russian programming, Hebrew plays, art exhibits and children’s programming and activities coming up this season.
For more information or to reserve your seats for some of these events now – even before tickets go on sale – please call the JPL ticket line at 514-345-6416.