On-going Events

Bleach Kits Work Parties

Led by congregant Kim Kelly, this group meets every other week in order to assemble bleach kits that are then dispensed by the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center. Bleach kits are used to disinfect injection equipment and are essential to helping stem the transmission of HIV among IV drug users. This is a great way for newcomers to meet some of Judson's grooviest "oldtimers" and be involved in social justice work that has a tangible beginning, middle, and end: we make the kits, the LESHRC dispenses them, and lives are saved. Oh, and did we mention there are snacks? Because there are. Dates for individial work parties are listed below.

Events by Month

February 2010

Tuesday, February 9 - Bleach Kit Work Party - 6:00 p.m.
At the church office - 239 Thompson St.
Harm reduction programs save lives! If you would like to help assemble the bleach kits that are dispensed by the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center, please join us.

Monday, February 22 - Bleach Kit Work Party - 6:00 p.m.
At the church office - 239 Thompson St.
Harm reduction programs save lives! If you would like to help assemble the bleach kits that are dispensed by the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center, please join us.

Some Past Events (Fall/Winter 2009/10)

Friday, November 6 - Bathroom Benefit - 6:00 p.m.

In addition to being a diverse and lively house of worship, Judson Church has a long history of supporting the arts in New York City.  Since the early 1960s, Judson has been a site for New York’s vibrant and exciting dance and theater scene, providing space for dancers, actors, and visual artists to rehearse, perform, and collaborate with one another and the larger community.  In order for Judson to continue to be able to provide space and support for the arts in New York City, it needs to renovate its aging bathrooms.  

For purchase of a $20 ticket,  you can be part of the effort to improve the space that has been the home of New York City's downtown dance, art, and performance community for over 50 years.  The bathroom benefit will feature live performances, food, drink, and auction items, including photography and art work from Judson's archives.  For more information, call the Judson Church office at (212) 477-0351 or contact benefit coordinator Heidi Dorow at heidersloveseverybody@gmail.com.

Tuesday, November 10 - Tree of Life Concert - 7:30 p.m.
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South

Israeli Pianist, Palestinian Soprano to Perform in Concert at Judson Memorial Church
As a new U.S. administration attempts to re-start the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, two remarkable young musicians could be valuable advisors.  That’s bound to be the conclusion of the audience at a November 10 concert at Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South featuring Yael Kareth, an Israeli classical pianist, and Palestinian operatic soprano Enas Massalha.   The concert will conclude the annual Tree of Life Conference in Old Lyme, CT.   

                
Enas Massahla                                             Yael Kareth

An unlikely friendship
Kareth and Massalha are great, if unlikely,  friends brought together in their work and study with the legendary Israeli pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim.  Convinced that music “can break down barriers previously considered insurmountable,”  he and the late Palestinian-born intellectual, Edward Said, founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999.  The orchestra today comprises some 100 young Israeli and Arab musicians, and is highly acclaimed around the world. 
Both Kareth and Massalha have been honored with scholarships by prominent foundations,  and each has performed in important venues in Israel, Europe, and the U.S.  They both live in Berlin, where they continue to work with Barenboim. 
At Judson Church, they will perform classical works and compositions reflecting their Israeli and Palestinian traditions.  In announcing this year’s Conference in Connecticut, The Reverend David W. Good, senior minister of the First Congregation Church of Old Lyme, commented that  “The Tree of Life is a sacred symbol for many cultures.  It reminds us that all of creation is deeply interrelated.”  In that spirit, The Reverend Donna Schaper,  Judson ‘s senior minister, will welcome the musicians and several visitors from Israel and Palestine’s Bridges of Hope participants.
The concert will be followed by a reception at which all are welcome. 
Admission: Free will offering, $20 suggested.  No charge for students or those under age 20.  

Conference organizers and supporters
The Tree of Life Conference is organized by the Holy Land Peace Building Project of the Tree of Life Educational Fund, and sponsored by The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Islamic Center of New London, We Refuse To Be Enemies, as well as other organizations and individuals committed to peace and justice.

For more information or sponsorship opportunities call
The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 860-434-8686, www.fccol.org
Holy Land Education and Peacebuilding Project,  (301) 320-0049,  www.holylandpeace.org

Tuesday, November 17 - Picture the Homeless' 10th Anniversay Gala - 7:00 p.m.
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South
Click here for more info.

Friday, November 20 - The Deportee's Wife - 7:00 p.m.
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South
Join us for a special showing of The Deportee's Wife, a one-woman show written and performed by Giselle Stern Hernández. In The Deportee's Wife, Hernández takes the audience through her journey to face hard truths about how race, class, white U.S. privilege, and gender intersect within the structures of a badly broken immigration system. Through her words and images, Giselle reveals a complicated love story. Tickets are $10; proceeds go to the New Sanctuary Movement.

Saturday, December 5 - Annual Fair Trade Holiday Fair - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
In the Assembly Hall - 239 Thompson Street
Please stop by the Fair Trade Holiday Fair, co-sponsored by Judson and the New York City Fair Trade Coalition. An array of Fair Trade products, ranging from coffee and chocolate to jewelry, clothing, and toys, will be available for purchase. Some of our Judson Kids will be staffing the Annual Judson Sunday School Fair Trade Bake Sale, featuring goodies made with Fair Trade products. Proceeds from the bake sale will be designated by the Sunday School to a social welfare/justice project of their choosing.

Sunday, December 6 - Teddy Cares - 7:00 p.m.
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South
Join Ruby Rims and friends in raising money to support the Actors Fund AIDS Program and Judson Memorial Church. This evening's performer roster includes Aaron Lee Battle, Rick Crom, Natalie Douglas, Paul Greenwood, David Gurland, Nina Hennessey, Maureen McNamara, Randa McNamara, Carolyn Montgomery, Georga Osborne, and Julie Shepard.

Cover charge: $20 plus one teddy bear (which will be donated to children in local hospitals).

Reservations: 212.477.0351, ext. 26

Sunday, December 13 - Teddy Cares - 7:00 p.m.
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South
Join Ruby Rims and friends in raising money to support the Actors Fund AIDS Program and Judson Memorial Church. This evening's performer roster includes Bobby Belfry, Mary Foster Conklin, Scott Coulter, Bill Daugherty, Flotilla de Barge, Steve Hayes, Lorinda Lisitza, Sidney Myer, Connie Pachl, Phyllis Pastore, Teri Lynn Paul, Shirley Ritenour, and Maureen Kelley Stewart.

Cover charge: $20 plus one teddy bear (which will be donated to children in local hospitals).

Reservations: 212.477.0351, ext. 26

Sunday, December 20 - Teddy Cares - 7:00 p.m.
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South
Join Ruby Rims and friends in raising money to support the Actors Fund AIDS Program and Judson Memorial Church. This evening's performer roster includes Fred Barton, Kelly Briggs, Gentry Leland Claussen, Lina Koutrakos, Jeanne MacDonald, Joseph "Go" Mahan, Jay Rogers, Marta Sanders, Rochelle Seldin, Luis Villabon, Terri White, and Margaret White.

Cover charge: $20 plus one teddy bear (which will be donated to children in local hospitals).

Reservations: 212.477.0351, ext. 26

January 2010

Thursday, January 7 - Fixing Health Care Reform: a Progressive Guide to Key Issues - 6:30 p.m.
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South
What can progressive advocates do to fix the problems in pending health reform legislation as the process moves into a House-Senate conference committee this month? Join us to find out and get involved!

A call to action for health justice—Rev. Donna Schaper, Judson Memorial Church
Understanding the conference committee process—Tim Foley, NYC for Change
Fighting the abortion restrictions—Lois Uttley, Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need
Improving affordability of health coverage for low and moderate-income families—Elisabeth Benjamin, Community Service Society
Fighting for the public option and possible alternatives—Mark Hannay, Metro NY Health Care for All
Action steps and opportunities to get involved—Nina Agrawal, NYC for Change, and Eesha Pandit, Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need

Please rsvp to info@raisingwomensvoices.net.

Co-sponsored by NYC for Change, Metro NY Health Care for All, National Physicians Alliance, Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need, Public Health Association of NYC, and Brooklyn for Barack.

Wednesday, January 13 - Immigration Reform Rally - 12:00 noon
In the Meeting Room - 55 Washington Square South
Our New Year's resolution? Immigration Reform in 2010! Join immigrant communities, labor unions, faith leaders, local elected officials, and many allies as we affirm our call to President Obama and congressional leaders, as well as our own commitment, to achieving just and humane immigration reform in 2010. For more information, contact Frances Liu at The New York Immigration Coalition: 212.627.2227, ext 246.