Category: Events

Listen Here Short Story Reading Series

The Institute Library, 847 Chapel St., is proud to host the Listen Here Short Story reading series. Join us every 3rd Tuesday of the month for a night of classic short stories selected by the staff of the New Haven Review and read by cast members of the NH Theater Company. Reading starts at 7 p.m., with a talk back at 8 p.m. Also freshly baked cookies and tea are available. Free! Our next reading will be Tuesday, March 21. Our theme: “Shock and Awe.” Our stories: “What I Saw from Where I Stood” by Marisa Silver and “Today Will Be a Quiet Day” by Amy Hempel. Please note: the Institute Library is one flight up and not wheel-chair accessible. For more information, visit us at www.institutelibrary.org.

Bethesda Dance: Free Ballroom Dance Classes for the Community

Bethesda Lutheran Church offers free ballroom dance classes for the greater New Haven community in the spring semester. Classes take place at 450 Whitney Ave., where free parking is available. Bethesda member Christina Castaneda is passionate about using dance to build comm-unity and promote well being. She has taught professionally for over twenty years and is excited to offer her gifts to Bethesda’s neighbors and friends. Singles and couples of all levels of experience are invited to join hour-long sessions on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. Attendance is flexible and there is no commitment. Freewill donations of $5 per week to the church are always appreciated, but not necessary. The first weeks of the semester are dedicated to tango, followed by fox trot and rumba. The atmosphere is fun and casual. Find details and monthly schedule at www.BethesdaNewHaven.org/dance. For information and to sign up, email [email protected].

Christina Castaneda has studied dance since the age of 3 and has trained in various styles including Lyrical, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary and American Style Ballroom. She received intense Ballroom coaching from Wanda Deagen, under whose direction she competed professionally in Las Vegas at the World Promotions Ballroom Competition. Christina then attended New York’s Summer Dance Fest
Teacher Workshop hosted by the Broadway Dance Center earning a Certificate of Recognition from Dance Teacher Magazine. Christina brings over 20 years of teaching experience to New Haven and is enthusiastic to be part of the local arts education community. Info: Lars Gjerde, Music Director, [email protected], (585) 200-8903.

21st Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy of Environmental and Social Justice Jan. 15 & 16

by Josue Irizarry, Peabody Events Coordinator

The Yale Peabody Museum at 170 Whitney Ave. will open its doors for a free, 2-day festival in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday, Jan. 15, noon to 4 p.m., and Monday, Jan. 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In his tireless efforts to work toward equality for, and harmony between, all people, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. strove to raise awareness about public health concerns and urban environmental issues that disproportionately affect communities. In recognition of the progress that has been achieved in these areas, and with optimism for the future, we will celebrate with music, dance, a teen summit, a community poetry open mic, a poetry slam and educational activities.

Join us on Sunday, Jan. 15 from 12 to 4 p.m. for our 8th annual Teen Summit event celebrating the legacy of Dr. King. In this interactive workshop, teens from all over Connecticut will come together to participate with dynamic youth leaders in an effort to promote social and environmental justice. The Teen Summit program will focus on the power of youth social activism and their role as advocates of social justice in their communities.

An important component of this celebration is our Zannette Lewis Environmental and Social Justice Community Poetry Open Mic and Poetry Slam. The Community Poetry Open Mic is on Sunday, Jan. 15 from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 16, from 11 a.m. to noon. The open mic is an exciting aspect of our festival that gives people an opportunity to honor the spoken word legacy of Dr. King by sharing original poetry or song. Pre-registration is required for the open mic. The Poetry Slam includes well-known poets from around Connecticut and the United States.

The New Haven Museum will open its doors for free on Monday, Jan. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Storytelling takes place at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

For more information, visit http://www.peabody.yale.edu.

‘Syria: We Want Action’ public meeting 2 p.m. Jan. 7, Old Lyme

by Stanley Heller, Administrator, Promoting Enduring Peace

A group of Syrian-American women in CT are spearheading efforts for Syria. They are not giving up despite horrendous casualties and war crimes. They met with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s staff in an effort to get airdrops to the million under siege in Aleppo. In mid-December some 60 Syrians and Egyptians and others marched in Hartford from CT’s Capitol building to the Federal building demanding justice for Syria.

On Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. there will be a public meeting about Syria called “Syria: We Want Action” at the Sheffield Auditoium in the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Rd., Old Lyme.
The main speakers are Yasser Munif, a Syrian professor of sociology who teaches at Emerson college in Boston, and Dr. Ammar Traboulsi, a Syrian-American psychiatrist who is working on projects to help Syrian refugees in Jordan. The sponsors are also hoping for some music.

The main emphasis of the event will be to determine concrete proposals to help the Syrians in Syria and the Syrian refugees. There’s a big campaign in the UK to get airdrops of food to those under siege. Some 138,000 have signed a petition in favor of it and reportedly a majority of the Parliament is for it, but not the leadership of the parties at this time. We in the U.S. are far behind. The Left campaigned against U.S. bombing of the regime in 2013, but has generally dropped the ball since then. Under a misguided idea that only the U.S. and its clients can be imperialist, most of the Left has turned a blind eye to terrible human rights abuses by Russia and Iran. As Trump and Israel again stir up the pot of war against Iran, a just settlement in Syria would help pull the rug from under their plans. For more information, see http://www.pepeace.org and http://www.thestruggle.org.

Jewish Voice for Peace Gathering on Chanukah to Challenge Islamophobia and Fight Against Racism

by Shelly Altman, JVP New Haven

In this time of rising Islamophobia and racism, Jewish community members will gather at 5:30 p.m. on the Green at the corner of College and Chapel streets to publicly rekindle their commitment to justice during the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, Dec 21. Activists of all faiths will gather holding nine signs listing commitments to fighting injustice in the shape of a Chanukah menorah.

This action is organized by the Network Against Islamophobia, a project of Jewish Voice for Peace, inspired by the Jewish tradition to work for the freedom, equality, and dignity of all the people. JVP chapters across the country will be participating on Dec. 21.

The election of Donald Trump has contributed to the already rising Islamophobia and racism in the United States, both on interpersonal and systemic levels. Hate crimes against Muslims were already on the rise and have been accelerating in the wake of the election. Existing policies of heightened surveillance and policing of Muslims and other communities of color as well as U.S. state violence against communities of color both domestically and internationally, will soon be augmented by the even more blatantly racist policies proposed by President-elect Donald Trump.These include banning Muslim immigrants and limiting immigration from largely Muslim and/or Arab countries.

The members of Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven believe that challenging Islamophobia and fighting against racism are part of our obligation within our communities and as partners in the broader struggle for justice and dignity for all peoples.

  • We refuse to be silent about anti-Muslim and racist hate speech and hate crimes
  • We condemn state surveillance of the Muslim community
  • We protest the use of Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism to justify Israel’s repressive policies against Palestinians
  • We fully stand with the Vision for Black Lives Platform
  • We welcome Syrian refugees and stand strong for immigrants’ rights and refugees’ rights
  • We honor indigenous rights and support the courageous resistance led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to protect their land and water.

Email: [email protected] Online: http://www.jvpnh.org.

Paul Robeson: Call Mr. Robeson: A Life with Songs

On Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, 7:30 p.m. at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, Southern CT State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven, The Amistad Committee Inc. presents Call Mr. Robeson: A Life, With Songs. Writer and performer Tayo Aluko direct from England is featured with live piano accompaniment, directed by Olusola Oyeleye and designed by Phil Newman.

Paul Robeson was a world famous actor, singer, and civil rights activist. Over the years he grew too radical and out-spoken for the establishment’s liking, was branded a traitor to his country, harassed, and denied opportunities to perform or travel. This roller-coaster journey through Robeson’s remarkable and eventful life highlights pioneering and heroic, but largely forgotten, political activism. Many now describe him as the forerunner of the civil rights movement.

Tayo Aluko revives one of the 20th Century’s most impressive but overlooked figures in this powerful, compelling tour-de-force performance, which was seen at New York’s Carnegie Hall in February 2012 and in London’s West End in October 2013. Fiery oratory, and some of his famous songs, including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River are featured. 
Tickets are $30 for the general public, $15 for senior citizens and SCSU students (Limit 1 with vaild ID required). FREE for high school students (at the door only — Limit 1 with valid school ID required).
 For $40 admission, a post show reception is available from the Amistad Committee. For more info call (203) 387-0370.

Family Holiday Show in New Haven to Support Refugees

The Bethesda Music Series presents a performance of the family-friendly holiday opera Amahl and the Night Visitors at Bethesda Lutheran Church, 450 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, on Sunday, December 11, at 7:00 p.m. The one-act opera by Gian Carlo Menotti was first performed on Christmas Eve, 1951, by the NBC Television Theater.

Amahl features a child in the lead role. Catchy music, colorful costumes, and captivating dance scenes make up the hour-long performance. Front rows are reserved for children. The event is free and open to the public.

A free-will offering will be collected with all proceeds going to IRIS, a refugee resettlement agency in New Haven featured in the media for their welcome extended to Syrian refugees. The Bethesda Music Series is proud to help people in need in our city and around the world. We appreciate any gifts to the important work of helping refugees, which is so appropriate during the Christmas season.

Amahl and the Night Visitors is a story of a poor shepherd boy’s encounter with three kings and the miraculous healing of his crippled leg when he offers his crutch as a gift to the holy child. Performed by opera students from Western Connecticut State University, directed by Margaret Astrup, Amahl has become an annual tradition for the Bethesda Music Series.

About the Bethesda Music Series

For over twenty years, the Bethesda Music Series has presented concerts to raise funds for social outreach in Greater New Haven, supporting agencies such as Life Haven, Immanuel Baptist Shelter, Christian Community Action, Habitat for Humanity, area summer camps, and after-school tutoring. Concerts are free. Handicap accessible, free parking. Go online to http://www.bethesdanewhaven.org for information or to join our electronic mailing list.

Contact Information: Dr. Lars Gjerde, Artistic Director, [email protected], (585) 200-8903.
Dr. Margaret Astrup, Music Series Chair, [email protected], (860) 796-3444

Important Upcoming Events to Know About

Rekindling Kwanzaa’s Principles
Saturday, December 17, 2 p.m.
Join us for the 50th year of the creation of KWANZAA in
the U.S., the biggest and best of The Community Kwanzaa
Association’s presentations to date. At Bregamos
Community Theater, 491 Blatchley Avenue, New Haven.

New Haven Library Events
A listing of events at the New Haven Library and the branches. All of the libraries are wheelchair accessible.
Ives Main Library, 133 Elm Street
Fair Haven Branch, 182 Grand Avenue
Mitchell Branch, 37 Harrison Street
Stetson Branch, 200 Dixwell Avenue
Wilson Branch, 303 Washington Avenue

Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit Workshop
Saturday, December 3, 10:30 am-12:30 pm | Ives
Sponsored by the New Haven Preservation Trust. Learn one of the nation’s most generous rehabilitation incentive programs for individual home owners with architectural historian Julie Carmelich, State Historic Preservation Office. Made possible through the generous support of the State Department of Economic and Community Development and Petra Construction Corp. Please register by Thursday, Dec. 1 at [email protected] or (203) 562-5919.

Urban Life Experience Book Discussion Series
Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters, Saturday, December 3, 12 p.m. | Wilson
Join the Book Discussion Series at Wilson Library for their next read. Underground Airlines is an alternate history, set in a present-day United States where the Civil War never happened. In this reality, there are still “Slave” and “Free” states, and of course, there are still runaways – and fugitive slave catchers. Unsurprisingly, there are also still abolitionists, and secret networks devoted to helping escapees make it to freedom.

Friday Movie Matinees, 2-4 pm | Ives
December 2 | Iron Man 3
December 9 | When Harry Met Sally
December 16 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
December 23 | Love Actually
December 30 | Trading Places
Five fun movies that take place around Christmas!

Social Security Strategies Workshop
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 6-8 p.m. | Ives
Geoffrey I. Kanner of Kanner Financial Services will conduct this free workshop on topics which include collecting SS early vs. collecting late, individual benefits, spousal benefits and government pension offset. To register, please contact Maria Tonelli at (203) 946-8696 or [email protected].

One-on-One Computer Help
Tuesdays, 4-5 pm & 5:10-6:10 pm | Ives 50+ years of age and just starting or have a computer dilemma?  Sign up for one-on-one free computer help at your own pace. To register call (203) 946-7001.
Announcing New Haven Free Public Library Academy (For All Your Database Questions)!
A set of ready-to-use tutorials for common electronic services like OverDrive, Zinio, and Mango Languages. NHFPL Academy is available on all pages of the NHFPL website by clicking the green “Tutorials” tab on the right hand side of the screen. Watch the video instruction or view the printable text with images as you learn how to use Lynda.com, Twitter and more!

Create New Haven: Works by NH Public School Students
Dec. 1, 2016 – Jan. 6, 2017, Ives Gallery.
Reception: Monday, Dec. 5, 5-7 p.m.
Students display their current work at the NH Free Public Library Ives Gallery.
Untitled, work in mixed media. Paola Gutierrez, 10th grade, Riverside Educational Academy
Rachel Mathieu, Art teacher

Naturalization Legal Clinic with New Haven Legal Assistance Association
Thursdays, 4-5 pm | Ives
Receive assistance with the U.S. citizenship application and test and other related immigration questions regarding becoming a U.S. citizen.

Immigrant Job Club
Thursdays, 4-5 pm | Ives
For those who are new to the United States and would like to learn to search for jobs, build a resume, prepare for a job interview and understand the workplace.

Listen Here Short Stories Reading Series

The Institute Library is proud to host the Listen Here Short Story reading series is a night of classic short stories selected by the staff of the New Haven Review and read by cast members of the New Haven Theater Company. Reading starts at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at the Institute Library, 847 Chapel St, New Haven, CT, with talk back at 8 p.m. that explores the background, meaning, and dramatic interpretation of that night’s stories.

Also, freshly baked cookies–a different batch at each reading–and tea are available.

Admission free! The next reading will be December 20. Our theme: “Short Shorts.” Our stories:  “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood, “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes, “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway, and “The Afterlife” by Amy Hempel. Please note that the Institute Library is one flight up and, most unfortunately, not wheel-chair accessible. For more information, visit us at http://www.institutelibrary.org.

Ben Ehrenreich to Speak in New Haven Nov. 11

by Shelly Altman, Jewish Voice for Peace

Ehrenreich

Ehrenreich

Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven (JVPNH) is partnering with Shalom UCC to present a book talk by Ben Ehrenreich on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 at the First Presbyterian Church in New Haven, 704 Whitney Ave. Ben is the author of the recently published book, The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine. His book was reviewed in the New York Times this past July. The review is available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/books/review/ben-ehrenreich-the-way-to-the-spring-palestine.html.

Over the past three years, Ben Ehrenreich has been traveling to and living in the West Bank, staying with Palestinian families in its largest cities and its smallest villages, including Nabi Saleh, Hebron, and Umm al-Kheir. Along the way he has written major stories for American outlets, including a remarkable New York Times Magazine cover story, “Is This Where the Third Intifada Will Start?”.

The book offers a first person view of life in the West Bank: the daily challenges, pain and triumphs of resistance while living under oppressive military occupation. Reviewer Andy Shatz wrote: “As heart-breaking as it is, The Way to the Spring is also a strangely joyful book, because Ehrenreich grasps the essence of the Palestinian struggle. It’s not Islam, nor even nationalism, but the stubborn refusal of injustice, the restless search for ‘how it would feel to be free.’”

Reach JVP New Haven on the web: http://www.jvpnh.org, by email: [email protected], or facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jvpnewhaven, or twitter: @jvpnewhaven.

PACE to Honor Judi Friedman at Annual Meeting Nov. 12

by Mark Scully, chairperson, PACE

People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) will honor the legacy of long-time chairperson Judi Friedman and her husband Lou at the organization’s annual meeting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Unitarian Society of Hartford, 50 Bloomfield Ave. in Hartford.

friedman-judi-louJudi Friedman led PACE for forty-three years and was a strong, impassioned voice in support of clean energy and against nuclear power and weapons. Judi, her supportive husband Lou and the PACE team whom they gathered and inspired have been tireless promoters of clean energy through house tours, public testimony and local radio and television programs. PACE looks forward to honoring Judi at the annual meeting with a film tribute on her legacy.

PACE will continue to live out its mission by presenting awards on Nov. 12 to the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) as well as to Lynn Stoddard, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University. The evening’s keynote address will be given by Ms. Stoddard about the GC3 and its strategies to meet the state’s aggressive targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Mark Scully, PACE’s new chairman and leader in municipal efforts to achieve 100% renewable energy, will present on the future direction of the organization. The evening will close with a musical tribute by the acclaimed musician Paul Winter.

PACE is a public health and environmental organization formed in 1973 by a group of concerned Connecticut citizens to:

  • Promote the development of alternative, renewable sources of energy,
  • Encourage the efficient use of energy,
  • Develop a spirit of conservation among Connecticut residents, and
  • Challenge Connecticut’s commitment to nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

Through its house tours, publications, radiation monitoring and recognition of environmental leaders, PACE has educated countless members of the public on energy issues. PACE is the largest all-volunteer organization in the state to be engaged with these issues, and its members are active at public events, legislative hearings and environmental forums, both in person and on state and local television and radio. PACE is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For further information on PACE and to reserve a free ticket to the annual meeting, go to http://www.pace-cleanenergy.org.

People’s World Amistad Awards 2016, Dec. 4: “If There Is No Struggle, There Can Be No Progress”

by Joelle Fishman, People’s World

This year’s People’s World Amistad Awards are dedicated to carrying on the torch of Arthur L. Perry, a great friend, union leader, and warrior for justice who received the People’s World Amistad Award in 2009.

The event is Sunday, December 4, 2016 at 4 p.m. at Wexler Grant Community School, 55 Foote St., New Haven, on the theme “If there is no struggle, there can be no progress — We march united for Racial Justice, Jobs & Peace.”

Awardees Alder Jeanette Morrison, Dan Livingston and Juan Brito are outstanding leaders who have devoted their lives to the fight for economic and social justice for all.

A cultural program will highlight the event.

Alder Jeanette Morrison was elected to represent Ward 22 in New Haven as part of a labor-community coalition. She led the successful movement to rebuild the Dixwell Q House, a youth center in the heart of the African-American community next to Wexler Grant school.  As a social worker she fights to bring families together and for opportunities for children. She is a member of AFSCME.

Dan Livingston is a groundbreaking labor attorney and life-long union and progressive activist. As a member of a firm of “trouble making lawyers” (Livingston, Adler, Pulda, Meiklejohn and Kelly), he represents many public and private sector unions. He represents, works with, and serves on the boards of many coalitions, community and progressive organizations fighting for social justice in our state.

Juan Brito is a School Social Worker at Burns Latino Academy in Hartford and a member of the Hartford Feder-ation of Teachers. He is a writer for La Voz Hispana de Connecticut and a musician who has been performing with his wife Rebecca Delgado since 1977. He has published two books of poetry about his country and his experiences before, during and after the coup d’etat that affected Chile in 1973.

The awards are presented to allies by the People’s World on the occasion of the 97th anniversary of the Communist Party USA.

Tickets are $10. Adbook deadline is Nov. 18, 2016.  Information: [email protected].

Social Justice Week and Native American Issues at SCSU Nov. 15

by Isabel L Skarzynski, Grad. Asst., Women’s Studies Program

Southern Connecticut State University’s Women’s Studies Program will be hosting a Social Justice Week event, “NDN Country and Indigenous Issues Today: Why They Matter to You,” about issues facing NDN (Native American) and Indigenous peoples today in the United States and the world.

Modeled after a mini Powwow, the event includes speaking, singing, dancing, drumming and informational exhibition booths. Topics include #NoDAPL (No Dakota Access Pipeline), cultural appropriation, native language preservation, Two-Spirit traditions and Indigenous earth mysticism.
Please join us on Nov. 15, from 5-7:30 p.m., on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University in the Adanti Student Center, Room 301, for an evening of learning and celebration for social justice.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from NDN and indigenous presenters and their allies from Connecticut.

For more information, please contact the Women’s Studies program at SCSU (203) 392-6133 or email [email protected]. 501 Crescent St., New Haven, CT 06515.

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