Monday, April 6, 7:30 pm
Congregation Beth El
Congregation Beth El recently launched a partnership with the 92nd Street Y (92NY) in New York City, one of the world’s most respected cultural and intellectual institutions. Through this collaboration, Beth El will host monthly livestream events featuring nationally renowned speakers, thinkers, authors, and musicians, bringing world-class programming to Tidewater’s Jewish community.
The partnership allows Congregation Beth El to offer access to high-caliber conversations and musical performances that would otherwise require travel to major metropolitan areas. Each month, Beth El opens its doors for a communal viewing experience, complete with light refreshments, creating opportunities for participants to gather, connect, and engage with ideas shaping contemporary life.
Programs in the series explore topics such as democracy, literature, history, culture, and current affairs. Speakers come from leading roles in journalism, academia, public policy, and the arts. The series reflects Beth El’s ongoing commitment to lifelong learning, Jewish values, and thoughtful engagement with the wider world.
In April, Beth El will livestream a 92NY conversation between The New Yorker correspondent Nicholas Lemann and New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor. Lemann will discuss his memoir, Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries, which reflects on his experience growing up Jewish in New Orleans.
Lemann, a son of German Jews who grew up in a world of privilege, had an unconventional Jewish upbringing. Aware of the contradictions of being Jewish in the South, Lemann chafed at its strict racial hierarchy and his relatives’ eagerness to be accepted in a subtle but distinctly antisemitic environment. The memoir follows Lemann’s path as he rejects assimilated society, embraces Judaism, and chooses to raise his children in a Jewish world.
“We are thrilled to bring the energy and excellence of 92NY programming to Norfolk,” says Beth Berman, Beth El’s coordinator for the series. “This partnership creates a wonderful opportunity for our congregation and the wider community to come together around meaningful ideas, music, and shared conversation.”
Congregation Beth El is located at 422 Shirley Avenue in Norfolk. Admission is $5. RSVPs are encouraged. Details are available at www.bethelnorfolk.com.