Events

(Class 18) Adult Program: Regulation and Politics--How Government Regulation Gets Written: Everything you wanted to know but didn't think to ask. A presentation by Stuart Shapiro, Peretz member and Director of the Public Policy Program at Rutgers University. Author of a book coming out this fall, The Politics of Regulatory Reform, Stuart will talk about[...]

Adult Program: “What Makes A Jewish Woman Poet”   A presentation by Alicia Ostriker. Alicia Ostriker is a major American poet and critic, and Professor Emerita of English, Rutgers University. Twice nominated for a National Book Award, she authored thirteen volumes of poetry, most recently The Book of Seventy (2009), which won the Jewish Book[...]

(Class 19) Adult Program: "Is Peace Still Possible?" A presentation by Deborah Schlossberg Deborarh Schlossberg is the Co-Chair of J Street Central Jersey and is a dual American-Israeli citizen. She is a resident of East Brunswick who made Aliyah and lived in Israel for more than a decade. She will show a short video clip[...]

(Class 20) Postponed due to snow removal! Rescheduled for March 9 Adult Program: Evolution, Creationism, and the State of Science Education in America A presentation by Peretz School Principal Jeremy Freedman Evolution has been a grand unifying theory in science for 100 years and yet there are groups that are still challenging this idea. These[...]

(Class 21) Adult Program: "Our Jewish Past in Postcards" A presentation by Peretz member Judy Rosenthal. Long before cell phones, email, text messages, Face Book, and Skype, picture postcards were all the rage. First issued around 1870 in Europe and the United States, they were not only a popular means of inexpensive communication but also[...]

(Class 22) Adult Program:       "The Role of the Righteous Gentiles during the Holocaust" A presentation by Peretz member Deborah Silberstein Who are the heroes of the Holocaust? What inner strength and sense of ethics did they possess to have aided and/or saved not only individual lives, but also the preservation of conscience[...]

Adult Program: Avrom Sutzkever: Legendary Poet and Hero of the Vilna Ghetto Avrom Sutzkever (July 15, 1913 - January 20, 2010) was an acclaimed Yiddish poet. This multimedia presentation by Nikolai Borodulin will give an account of his astounding life with samples of his breath-taking poetry. The New York Times wrote that Sutzkever was "the[...]

(Class 23) Adult Program: Evolution, Creationism, and the State of Science Education in America A presentation by Peretz School Principal Jeremy Freedman Evolution has been a grand unifying theory in science for 100 years and yet there are groups that are still challenging this idea. These groups have a great influence on the text books[...]

(Class 24) Purim Celebration (Highland Park Food Pantry Drive) (Family Event)

(Class 25) Adult Program: "Biblical Laws from a Secular Jewish Social Justice Perspective” A presentation by Peretz member Ron Herrmann Ron will use a secular social justice perspective to examine a few original biblical laws from the Torah. To do that, he will review the original biblical terms for law, justice, judgment and the later[...]

(Class 26) Adult Program: A Tikkun Olam Book Discussion Group: “The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty by Peter Singer” A presentation by Peretz members Nancy Glazer and Nancy Bernheimer Peretz parents and community members are invited to read “The Life You Can Save,” a book by Peter Singer, Princeton philosopher[...]

Sunday School Class Sunday School Class AM; Passover Seder at 3:00 PM (Family Event)

(Class 28) Adult Program:       " Hava Nagilah: The Movie" A documentary on the history, mystery, and meaning of the ubiquitous Jewish standard that follows the areound-the-world journey of the song Hava Nagila from Ukraine to YouTube. Presentation and discussion of this movie will be moderated by Susan London. We will follow the[...]

No School - Spring Break

(Class 29) Yom HaShoah Ceremony (Family Event)

Open House, 11:00 AM — 12:30 PM, Rutgers Prep (Call 732-545-9691 for directions and further information.)

No School

(Class 1) 9:30AM School Opening Ceremony/Parent Orientation (Family Event)

Rosh Hashanah Ceremony - 11:00 AM - Rutgers Prep. (Family Event)

(Class 2) Adult Program: Sunday Morning Program Group Discussion: Brainstorming to gather ideas for the year’s Sunday morning programs. Everyone is welcome.  10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

Yom Kippur Ceremony - 11:00 AM - Rutgers Prep. (Family Event)

(Class 3) Adult Program: "Bar and Bat Mitzvah in a Secular-Humanistic Community" - a presentation by Peretz President Ira Mintz. This annual program will address the many options one has in celebrating this rite of passage into young adulthood. A Bar or Bat Mitzvah can be a very special opportunity to explore how to make[...]

(Class 4) Sukkot Celebration -11:00 AM - Rutgers Prep. (Family Event)

(Class 5) Adult Program: "You Know More Yiddish Than You Think": A presentation by Bennett Muraskin Bennett Muraskin is the author of three books on Jewish subjects and co-author of Celebrating Jewish Holidays: A Guide for Secular Jewish Families and their Communities. Come join us for an interactive program that reveals the hundreds of Yiddish[...]

(Class 6) Adult Program: "The Peretz School Curriculum 2014-15" IL Peretz Principal Jeremy Freedman will lead a discussion of this year's curriculum showing the wide range of topics that we offer the students.  The highlight of the program will be a sample lesson(s).  If you want to see and experience what we offer at Peretz, come join us[...]

(Class 7) Adult Program: The Rabbi's Cat       - An award winning animated film       (French with English Subtitles), presented by Peretz member Susan London Based on a novel by Joann Sfar, The Rabbi’s Cat, a movie set in Algeria in the 1930s, tells the story of a rabbi and his talking[...]

(Class 8) Adult Program: "Obamacare update: How much closer are we to a just healthcare system in the US?" – a presentation by Joel Cantor, Sc.D. Joel Cantor is the Director of the Center for State Health Policy and Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at Rutgers University where he leads research on healthcare financing and[...]

(Class 9) Classroom Visitation

(Class 10) Adult Program: Is anyone interested in playing Mah Jong? We have only one Mah Jong set so if at all possible it would be great if someone else could bring one. Germaine Wyetzner will bring her set, along with photocopies of a 2014 card. If we end up having 4 people who know how[...]

No School - Thanksgiving break

(Class 11) Adult Program: " Substantial and Sincerely: The Religious Freedom Clause, RIFRA and the Impact of Hobby Lobby” by Giles Davis. While most people are quite familiar with the term "Separation of Church and State," to truly understand this principle, we need to first understand the two Religion Clauses of the First Amendment. This[...]

(Class 12) Latke Making & Coat Drive(Family Event)

(Class 13) Chanukah Celebration (Family Event)

No School - Winter Break

(Class 14) Two Adults Programs   1) “Talking to Our Children About God” - A discussion led by Peretz Principal Jeremy Freedman What will you say when your children ask you about god? How about when they ask if YOU believe in god? Or, if they don’t ask, will you raise the subject? For secular[...]

(Class 15) Adult Program:"The Great Latke-Hamentaschen Debate" by Peretz members Rob Pestka and Keith Wailoo Latkes and Hamentaschen are foods that have all enjoyed for centuries. Only since 1946, however, have the sundry merits and drawbacks of both foods been hotly debated in a formal setting.       In the 2012 annual debate sponsored[...]

(Class 16) Adult Program: Honoring the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “From Selma to Ferguson” – A video presentation and discussion led by IL Peretz President Ira Mintz 10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep 12PM Martin Luther King Day Observance (Family Event)

(Class 17) Adult Program: "The Mystery of Easter Island: a Lesson on Sustainability" by Jeremy Freedman IL Peretz principal, Jeremy Freedman, will present a wonderful short documentary and discussion on the environmental issue of sustainability, one week prior to our Tu B'Shvat (New Year of Trees) Seder. When Europeans first set foot on Easter Island,[...]

(Class 18) Tu B’Shevat Celebration (Family Event)

(Class 19) Adult Program: “Imagination and Judaism" – a presentation by Rabbi Melinda Zalma Why do Jews ask so many questions? Because our central text, the Torah, often leaves its reader wondering and asking questions. Since ancient times, the sages have used their imagination, grounded in tradition, to answer the questions and uncover meaning within[...]

Adult Program:"1934: A Year in the Life of a Jewish Community in Palestine", a presentation by Professor Aviva Halamish The talk will portray the social and cultural history of this community by focusing on the year 1934, which best reflects its main characteristics: an immigrant society and a minority group living under foreign rule and[...]

(Class 20) Adult Program: "Camp Shomria: A Summer Camp that Builds Progressive Jewish Values" Lee Oz, a director at Hashomer Hatzair USA, will give a presentation about Camp Shomria, a youth-led summer camp, and about the Hashomer Hatzair organization. Camp Shomria is a unique sleepway camp for kids in grades 4 – 10. The campers[...]

(Class 21) School Cancelled (Snow)

Adult Program: “A Town Known As Auschwitz: The Life and Death of a Jewish Community” – an exhibition at the Museum of Jewish Heritage Shiri Sandler from the Museum will discuss the current exhibit that she curated. 8 PM at The Reformed Church of Highland Park, 19-21 South 2nd Avenue

(Class 22) Adult Program: “Then and Now: A Trip Through Eastern Europe’s Jewish Heritage Sites“ by Judy Rosenthal By means of a presentation of recent photos and vintage postcards, experience and learn about the most important Jewish sites in Prague, Budapest, Krakow, and Warsaw, including synagogues, tributes to righteous gentiles, memorials to those who perished[...]

(Class 23) Purim Celebration (Highland Park Food Pantry Drive) (Family Event)

(Class 24) Classroom Visitation

Adult Program: "On the Biblical King David", a presentation by Professor Barry Qualls of Rutgers University Professor Qualls is the author of “The Secular Pilgrims of Victorian Fiction: The Novel as Book of Life” (1982), and of articles and reviews on 19th-century English literature and on the Bible and its literary impact. Currently, he is[...]

(Class 25) Adult Program: Israeli Folk Dancing with Becky Peretz Come learn some classic and some new Israeli Folk Dances with Becky Peretz. Becky has taught Israeli folk dancing in Israel and for 20 years she taught at Pennsylvania State University and in Pittsburgh. A resident of Israel, she will have you dancing in no[...]

Sunday School Class Sunday School Class AM; Passover Seder at 3:00 PM (Food Drive) (Family Event)

No School - Spring Break

(Class 27) Adult Program: “Humanist Readings in Jewish Folklore": A presentation by Bennett Muraskin Join Bennett as he shares stories from the Talmud, Midrash, Hasidic and other sources that reflect values of mutual respect, equality, social justice and questioning authority - with plenty of humor too! Based on Bennett's book by the same name, this[...]

(Class 28) Yom HaShoah Ceremony (Family Event)

Adult Program: “Emma Lazarus”, a presentation by Professor Esther Schor of Princeton University Professor Schor is the founding Chair of the Committee on American Jewish Studies.   For this Princeton program she teaches American Jewish Literature, Introduction to Judaism, and Yiddish Literature in Translation. Dr. Schor will talk to us about her recent biography, Emma Lazurus,[...]

(Class 29) Adult Program: Yiddish Children’s Stories: Reader Discretion Advised!—a program presented by Danielle Winter Are Yiddish children’s stories political? In this lively and informative program, Danielle Winter, a former bibliography fellow at the Yiddish Book Center, will share with us a wide range of Yiddish children’s stories from the 1880s through the post-WWII period[...]

(Class 30) Membership Meeting - A look back at the year at Peretz. 10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

Adult Program: A Musical Entertainment by Peretz members David & Karen Cantor, and their accompanist David and Karen have been starring on and off Broadway and at several venues in NJ, an evening not to be missed! 8 PM at The Reformed Church of Highland Park, 19-21 South 2nd Avenue

(Class 31) Board Elections - We need your votes!

Weekend Retreat to Circle Lodge: Our weekend retreats have traditionally been one of our community’s most popular events. They are purely social family outings and help us build a real community. This year we are fortunate to have at our disposal Circle Lodge, the Workmen’s Circle-owned and operated camp located near Poughkeepsie, NY (known as[...]

Open House, 11:00 AM — 12:30 PM, Rutgers Prep (Call 732-545-9691 for directions and further information.)

Rosh Hashanah Ceremony - 11:00 AM - Rutgers Prep. (Family Event)

(Class 1) 9:30AM School Opening Ceremony/Parent Orientation (Family Event)

Yom Kippur Ceremony - 11:00 AM - Rutgers Prep. (Family Event)

(Class 2) Adult Program: Sunday Morning Program Group Discussion: Brainstorming to gather ideas for the year’s Sunday morning programs. Everyone is welcome. 10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

(Class 3) Sukkot Celebration - 11:00 AM - Rutgers Prep. (Family Event)

(Class 4) Adult Program: "Bar and Bat Mitzvah in a Secular-Humanistic Community" - a presentation by IL Peretz President Ira Mintz This annual program will address the many options one has in celebrating this rite of passage into young adulthood. A Bar or Bat Mitzvah can be a very special opportunity to explore how to[...]

Adult Program: “We are Living in a Golden Age of Jewish-American Art but We Don’t Know It” - a presentation by Matthew Baigell Dr. Baigell, Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University, Dept. of Art History, is the author of numerous books and articles on American art, including many on Jewish artists and themes. His illustrated talk, at[...]

(Class 5) Adult Program: "Traveling to Cuba with the Jewish Forward” - a presentation by IL Peretz member Judy Rosenthal In February of 2015, IL Peretz member Judy Rosenthal traveled to Cuba with the Jewish Forward. See and learn about some of the most interesting sights in Cuba. They include the Sephardic and Ashkenazi Synagogues[...]

(Class 6) IL Peretz Board Meeting – all members are welcome to attend   10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

Sunday School Class

Sunday (NJEA weekend) (Class 8)

(Class 9) Classroom Visitation

(Class 10) IL Peretz Board Meeting – all members are welcome to attend   10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

No School - Thanksgiving break

(Class 11) Latke Making & Coat Drive(Family Event)

(Class 12) Chanukah Celebration(Family Event)

(Class 13) IL Peretz Board Meeting– all members are welcome to attend 10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

No School - Winter Break

Sunday School Class

Sunday School Class

Sunday School Class

(Class 17) Tu B’Shevat Celebration(Family Event)

(Class 18) IL Peretz Board Meeting– all members are welcome to attend 10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

Sunday School Class

Sunday School Class

Sunday School Class

(Class 22) IL Peretz Board Meeting– all members are welcome to attend 10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.

Sunday School Class

(Class 24) Classroom visitation

(Class 25) Purim Celebration(Highland Park Food Pantry Drive) (Family Event)

No School - Spring Break

Sunday School Class

IL Peretz Board Meeting – all members are welcome to attend 10:30 AM at Rutgers Prep.