Events

(Adult Education) "Not Normal, A Progressive's Diary of the Year Following Trump's Election" (A presentation by Peretz member and Rutgers Professor, Stuart Shapiro) Donald Trump's election to the presidency shocked observers across the political spectrum. But the shock was nothing compared to the tumult and chaos of the year that followed. Stuart, who has given[...]

(Adult Education) “Values, Conflict, and Communication” (a discussion led by Jeremy Freedman, school principal, and Peretz member Jenny Psaki) In today’s climate of extreme opinions, how do we navigate the currents and stay afloat? How can we understand how our privilege and experiences affect our values and cause unintended conflict? How can we communicate with[...]

(Adult Education) The Dead Sea Scrolls (A presentation by Professor Azzin Yadin-Israel) Our speaker Azzin Yadin-Israel is Director of Undergraduate Studies and Professor in the Department of Jewish Studies and Classics at Rutgers University. He teaches an undergraduate course on the Dead Sea Scrolls, which have profoundly enhanced our understanding of Jewish sects of the[...]

(Presidents' Day Weekend)

(Adult Education) “Do we want our Grandchildren to grow up Jewish?” (a discussion moderated by Alex Jodido, Peretz President) Back in 1998 Alan Dershowitz published a book "The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identify For the Next Century". Not much has changed since he expressed his concerns or has it? For better or[...]

(Board Meeting, 10:30 am)

(Teen Group Event) Chocolate Babka Workshop For our first offsite Teen Group event of 2018, we’ll be getting together for—yes—you heard it here first—a Chocolate Babka Workshop! Pans, pre-risen dough, and all ingredients will be provided by the hosts. The kids will come and prepare the distinctively rolled and rich bread. As the bread is[...]

(Family Event, 10:30 am)

(Teen Group Event) The Bizzare Tales of Yiddishland: What the Yiddish Press Reveals about the Jews Author Eddy Portnoy will be visiting The Douglass Campus Center and talking about his book Bad Rabbi: And Other Strange but True Stories from the Yiddish Press at 7:30 pm on March 19th. The book is a collection of strange[...]

(Family Event) Dear parents, Per Peretz tradition, we ask all parents to help out in the morning during school ours with Seder preparation. Even if you're not planning to attend, please help because there will be a lot of community members attending who do not come in the morning. As you may know, our community[...]

(Family Event)

(Board Meeting, 10:00 am)

(Family Education) “On the Yiddish Language” (a presentation led by Kolya Borodulin) A renowned Yiddish teacher from Workmen’s Circle, Kolya Borodulin, will be back this Sunday, April 8, with an hour-long family program dealing with the Yiddish language. Kolya has already given Sunday morning talks at our school many times in the past and it[...]

(Family Event, 11:30 am)

(Adult Education) A History of Affinity: Jews, Blacks and the Exodus Story, as Exemplified in Negro Spirituals (A presentation by Peretz Member Don Stern) Artist Don Stern will talk about the importance of the Exodus and other biblical stories in the development of Negro spirituals during the time of slavery. The impact that slaves’ religious[...]

(Adult Education) Jewish Heretics (a presentaton by Bennett Muraskin) Bennett has been presenting terrific talks at our Sunday morning programs for many years. Jewish Heretics from Elisha Ben Abuyah to Sherwin Wine— Jews who challenged the authority of the rabbis and the sanctity of scriptures while insisting on their right to remain Jewish. From Abraham[...]

I.L. Peretz Community Jewish School Board Elections Board Elections will take place at 10:00 am.  We need your votes! Voting will take place on our slate of board nominations. Additional nominations can be made at the time of the vote or via email to the current president, Alex Jodidio. The current officer position nominations are:[...]

(Family Education) “On the Rising Economic Inequality” (a presentation by "Forward, Not Back") This program will be presented by member(s) of the Highland Park group "Forward, Not Back" for Central NJ. The topics to be addressed are: the degree of socio-economic inequality (income and wealth) in the US and how it compares to other societies;[...]

(Board Meeting, 10:30 am)

Come Learn about Our School! During Roman times, rabbis would study the Torah in secret. Their students would stand guard and fool the Romans by having sporting competitions. The holiday of Lag B’Omer commemorates this time. Today, Lag B’Omer is celebrated with picnics, sporting events, hikes, and bon fires. Please join us for our Lag[...]

(Mother's Day)

(Family Education) Mothers and Rescue (a presentation by guest speaker Emily Bengels) In honor of Mothers Day, we will take a look at the various ways mothers went to extreme measures to protect and save their children during the Holocaust.  In so doing, we will celebrate the power of family and the strength of these[...]

(Adult Education) Jerusalem: Holy - and Wholly Complex (A presentation by history professor Chris Bellito of Kean University) Dr. Bellitto is a historian, frequent public lecturer, and author of 10 books (e. g., "Ageless Wisdom: Lifetime Lessons from the Bible," 2016). He will explore why Jerusalem can be thought of as a city of both[...]

Closing Ceremony & Graduation Graduation is a significant milestone in the lives of IL Peretz school students. If you've never been to a graduation, you will be shocked at how much you learn from the graduates as they present their research projects. Please come to support our graduates. The ceremony starts at 11:00 AM at[...]

(Adult Education) The Moravian Synagogues Project (Benjamin T. Berman, Tenor, and Paul Conrad, Piano) Ben Berman and a piano accompanist gave a musical presentation on this project on one of our Peretz Friday evenings this year. They are giving a concert to solicit funding for the project this Friday. For more information please click here.

(Family Event) Dinosaur Fossil & Shark Tooth Hunt Join us for this one-of-a-kind adventure! Big Brook Preserve, where we will be searching for fossils and shark teeth, once was deep under water (hence the shark teeth)...and then it was above water, at which time it was home to DINOSAURS (hence the dinosaur fossils). This very[...]

(Family Event) Open House: Klezmer & Knishes!!! This year we're repeating our popular event which began last year, only in combination with our school's Open House. Come listen to live Klezmer music by the Kvellers trio, create some art, learn more about our school and community and just have a good time! Guests are welcome![...]

(Family Event) Join us for our beautifully situated High Holiday Ceremonies under the trees at Rutgers Preparatory School 1345 Easton Avenue Somerset, NJ Rosh Hashanah: Monday, September 10, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm Yom Kippur: Wednesday, September 19, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm Bring Lawn Chairs and/or Picnic Blankets for Seating (We will move indoors[...]

Opening Ceremony & Parent Orientation (Family Event, All Students & Parents, 9:30 am)

(Family Event) Join us for our beautifully situated High Holiday Ceremonies under the trees at Rutgers Preparatory School 1345 Easton Avenue Somerset, NJ Rosh Hashanah: Monday, September 10, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm Yom Kippur: Wednesday, September 19, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm Bring Lawn Chairs and/or Picnic Blankets for Seating (We will move indoors[...]

All parents and community members are invited to attend to learn more about our school and community.

(Family Event, 11:00 am)

(Teen Group Event) Sukkot and Harvest Brunch Each fall the Teen Group assists the younger kids with the construction of our sukkah. Afterwards, as a reward for getting up early on a Sunday, Teen Group volunteers will be treated to lunch afterwards at Fritz’s a wonderful homestyle bakery & restaurant in New Brunswick, where they'll[...]

(Adult Education) Wrestling with Zionism (A presentation by "Jewish Voice of Peace" from NYC It’s complicated! Or so we’ve been told. A storytelling project of the New York City chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, Wrestling with Zionism, explores our individual relationships to Palestine, Israel, and to the idea of Zionism. Come one, come all[...]

(Family Education) IL Peretz School Curriculum (a presentation by our school principal, Jeremy Freedman) Jeremy will discuss the program for all 3 current levels of the IL Peretz school, its goals, objectives, books, homework, expectations from parents, etc. New parents are especially encouraged to attend. Please bring your questions, concerns, and suggestions.

(Teen Group Event) The War Refugee Board and America's Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe (A presentation by Historian Dr. Rebecca Erbelding from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) America has long been criticized for refusing to give harbor to the Jews of Europe as Hitler and the Nazis closed in. Now a lauded[...]

(Family Education) IL Peretz Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations (a presentation by board members Rob Pestka, Alex Jodidio, former parent and community musician Danny Alderman) For the past 20+ years, Bar/Bat Mitzvah's at IL Peretz have been organized and led by parents. They can be big at a venue with 100+ people, or at a much smaller[...]

(Family Education) History of US Immigration Laws And How We Got To Where We Are Today (a presentation by immigration lawyer Ana Yngelmo) Ms. Yngelmo will give a brief overview of the history of our immigration laws, and how we got to where we are today. The major differences between the immigration policies of previous[...]

(Parents of Graduating Students, 9:30 - 10:30) There will be a mandatory meeting with the school principal, Jeremy, for all parents of graduating students. Please ensure that at least one parent of each graduating student will be able to attend.

All parents and community members are invited to attend to learn more about our school and community.

Daylight SavingsTime!  Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour!

(Family Education) 2018 Midterm Elections (a presentation by/discussion with Professor Stuart Shapiro, IL Peretz parent, Associate Dean at Rutgers' School of Public Policy) It is hard to remember a midterm election that has been anticipated this much. The presidency of Donald Trump has been deeply polarizing and the fate of both his policies and the[...]

(Teen Group Event) Snacks at Starbucks followed by Jewish Film Festival Movie: Three Identical Strangers There will be a screening of Three Identical Strangers at the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are on Peretz (and we have to secure them in advance), so PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY TUESDAY IF YOU OR YOUR CHILD WISH[...]

(NJEA Weekend)

(Family Education) Book Discussion - "Nomadland" by Jessica Bruder From the beet fields of North Dakota to the National Forest campgrounds of California to Amazon’s CamperForce program in Texas, employers have discovered a new, low-cost labor pool, made up largely of transient older Americans. Finding that social security comes up short, often underwater on mortgages,[...]

(Adult Education) Jewish Film Festival Movie: Who Will Write Our History followed by Dinner at the Bridge Meet at the AMC Loews Theater on Route 1 in New Brunswick for the 3:30pm showing of Who Will Write Our History. Soon after the Nazis sealed the Warsaw Ghetto, a brave group of resistance fighters compiled and[...]

All parents and community members are invited to attend to learn more about our school and community.

(Family Event, 10:00 am)

(Community Event) 19th Annual Adult Chanukah Party! for the adult members of the entire I. L. Peretz Secular Jewish Community (please renew your membership before the party if you haven't already done so) at the home of Tina Weishaus and Ira Mintz Please bring: a dessert, side, main dish, salad, or latkes; and one drink[...]

(Family Event, 11:00 am)

Urgent Community Meeting Discussing the Future of the Peretz Community and School We have existed as a school and as a thriving community for about 100 years -- yes, we rounded up to make a grander point. We have existed in various forms and in different buildings throughout the years. As of this moment, we[...]

(Family Education) Why Didn’t She Leave - Domestic Violence Overview (a presentation by/discussion with Peretz member Michele Lefkowitz, an attorney who specializes in domestic violence issues) Domestic violence can be found all around us and yet much is never reported. Michele will share her insights into the topic and lead a discussion.

(Family Event, 11:00 am families, regular start students) Tu B'Shevat Sustainable Seder Next Sunday, 1/27, we will celebrate the first holiday of 2019 with our annual Tu B’Shevat Seder. This is a family event and all are invited and encouraged to attend! Tu B’Shevat is known as The New Year for Trees. What a wonderful[...]

(Family Education) Family Yiddish Program  (run by the Workmen's Circle) Please join us for our annual Family Yiddish Program run by Eleonore Weill of the Workman’s Circle. The program will combine learning Yiddish with music. A lot of fun for everyone.

(Family Education) Growing Up Different  (program led by school principal, Jeremy Friedman) Most of us have stories of feeling alienated, of being bullied, of feeling different. Some of us have children who do not fit the definitions that society and history has taught us. Please join our principal, Jeremy Freedman, as he leads a discussion[...]

(Adult Education) A Specter Haunting Europe: The Myth of Judeo-Bolshevism (a presentation by Paul Hanebrink, Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies at Rutgers University) For much of the twentieth century, Europe was haunted by a threat of its own imagining: Judeo-Bolshevism. This myth—that Communism was a Jewish plot to destroy the nations of Europe—was[...]

(Presidents' Day Weekend)

All parents and community members are invited to attend to learn more about our school and community.

(Family Education) Ancestry: Roads to America  (program led by Helene Bird, an IL Peretz parent) Have you taken a DNA Test? Have you worked out your Family Tree? Do you have family stories of coming to America? Helene Bird will lead a discussion on our “Ancestry: Roads To America”. Please come and share your stories.

(Family Education) Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire  (program led by our school principal, Jeremy Freedman) The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911 changed our Labor laws and how society treated workers. Join us in watching a short documentary on this tragic event followed by a discussion on the life of immigrants and Labor at[...]

(Family Event, 10:30 am)

(Adult Education) The Green New Deal -What is it and what does it mean for the US and NJ? (a public forum) The Green New Deal is an exciting concept addressing both the urgent need to address climate change and the need to create a new economy built around green jobs and infrastructure investment. But[...]

All parents and community members are invited to attend to learn more about our school and community.

(Teen Group Event) My Jewish Plans for College and Beyond Discussion over brunch at Lox, Stock & Deli.  Teens will discuss what (if any) elements of Jewishness they plan to continue/explore as they move on into college and beyond.  The discussion will be moderated (but not directed) by Teen Group chaperones Deb Lancaster and Rob Pestka.  Please[...]

(Adult Education) Women, Feminism, and Islam (a presentation by Dr. Sylvia Chan-Malik, an Associate Professor in the Depts. of American and Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University) Our speaker's research focuses on the history of Islam in the United States, and more broadly, on the intersections of race, gender, and religion in American public[...]

(Family Education) Folk U - Jews & Music  (a presentation by IL Peretz member and supporter Danny Adlerman) Danny Adlerman is an award winning children’s book author and musician.  He's also a parent of three former Peretz graduates and has been an integral part of our students' Peretz experience and our holiday celebrations for two[...]

(Family Event) Dear parents, Per Peretz tradition, we ask all parents to help out in the morning during school ours with Seder preparation. Even if you're not planning to attend, please help because there will be a lot of community members attending who do not come in the morning. As you may know, our community[...]

(Family Event)