WECA Meeting Set for Nov. 9 at Amy Lowell Apartments
The West End Civic Association (WECA) will hold its next meeting in person on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at Amy Lowell Apartments at 65 Martha Road.
Planned guests are from Mass General Brigham, who will give updates about the West End Neighborhood Center at 75 Blossom Court, about the MGB construction project, as well as about MGB Security.
Masks are encouraged.
Coffee Hours for City’s Beacon Hill-Back Bay Neighborhood Liaison
Maggie Van Scoy, the city’s neighborhood liaison for Beacon Hill and Back Bay, will hold Coffee Hours on Friday, Nov. 10, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Newsfeed Café at the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library at 700 Boylston St.; and on Friday, Dec. 29, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the West End Branch Library.
Upcoming Events at the Boston Athenaeum
The Boston Athenaeum at 10½ Beacon St. presents a Special Collections and talk called “A Celebration of Veterans: My Grandfather’s War with N.E.H. Chief Technical Services Librarian Will Evans,” followed by a reception, on Friday, Nov. 10, at noon.
In 1917, Alfred Everett Evans enlisted in the United States Army, answering President Wilson’s call to make the world safe for democracy. His act of patriotism precipitated a perilous journey from his small hometown in Western Massachusetts to the battlefields of Northern France and the grim realities of trench warfare. In honor of Veterans Day, please join Will Evans, the Athenaeum’s N.E.H. Chief Technical Service Librarian, as he discusses his grandfather’s war-time journal and the broader issues it raises relative to the Great War. After the discussion, Athenaeum staff members will present a variety of special collection materials related to war, veterans, and lives impacted by conflict.
Tickets are free for all, but registration is required. Visit https://events.bostonathenaeum.org/en/4W52KhR7/a-celebration-of-veterans-5a2K8a77k4L/overview to register and for more information.
Additionally, the Athenaeum offers a children’s event, “Information Gathering for Young Spies,” on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m.
Where can we find information? How do we know if we can trust it? Young spies can learn to find and evaluate information sources: a short overview will be followed by hands-on spy-themed activities at the Athenaeum. This event is recommended for children ages 6 to 12.
Registration is encouraged but not required. Tickets are free for Athenaeum members and $10 for guests. Visit https://events.bostonathenaeum.org/en/4W52KhR7/information-gathering-for-young-spies-5a2K8a744ij/overview to register and for more information.
Also, the Athenaeum presents an exhibition lecture called “Archiving Legacies: Julia Van Haaften in conversation with Lauren Graves,” followed by a lecture, on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m.
The Athenaeum welcomes Julia Van Haaften, the author of “Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography,” a 2018 finalist for biography by both Pen America and Lambda Literary. In conversation with curator Lauren Graves, Van Haaften will discuss Abbott’s life and work, and how Irene Shwachman’s archive helped her piece together Abbott’s fascinating life.
Tickets are free for Athenaeum members and $10 for guests. Visit ttps://community.bostonathenaeum.org/s/events?event=a2K8a0000077jCl to register and for more information.
Moreover, the Athenaeum presents an author talk, “Becoming the Ex-Wife: The Unconventional Life and Forgotten Writings of Ursula Parrott” with Dr. Marsha Gordon, on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. The event will feature a book signing and reception to follow.
Credited with popularizing the label “ex-wife” in 1929, Parrott wrote provocatively about a host of challenges facing modern women. Her best sellers, Hollywood film deals, marriages and divorces, and run-ins with the law made her a household name. Becoming the Ex-Wife establishes Parrott as a philosopher of modernity, as Marsha Gordon tells a story about the life of a woman on the front lines of a culture war that is still raging today.
In-person tickets are free for Athenaeum members and $10 for guests; virtual tickets are free for members and $5 for guests.
Visit https://events.bostonathenaeum.org/en/4W52KhR7/becoming-the-ex-wife-with-dr-marsha-gordon-in-person-5a2K8a77oh0/overview to register for the in-person and for more information, or visit https://community.bostonathenaeum.org/s/events?event=a2K8a0000077ohK for virtual tickets.
Upcoming Events at The Vilna Shul
The Vilna Shul at 18 Phillips St. will offer “How Do We Give Thanks? Art Workshop in Felt and Feeling” on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Explore felting techniques and expand your knowledge of what is possible to make with just wool and warm, soapy water. Harness your imagination and create a work of art that reflects gratitude, a value central to the Jewish tradition. Admission is $10 per person; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
The Vilna will also offer “Exploring Sephardi Culture” on Wednesdays, Nov. 29, and Dec. 6, 13 and 20, and Jan. 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Explore the history of Sephardic Jews through music, film, and literature. Experiment with the ancient Jewish language of Ladino, spoken by Jews in Spain and throughout the Ottoman Empire beginning in the 15th century. No background experience is required.
Additionally, The Vilna will offer “American Jewish Women in Television” on Wednesdays, Nov. 29, and Dec. 13 and 20, and Jan. 10 and 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
During this course, which costs $120 per participant, attendees will analyze the ways in which contemporary American television is establishing a new take on Jewish female identity that challenges the stereotypes of Jewish femininity proliferated on television since its inception. Register online at www.vilnashul.org.
The Vilna will also offer “A Meeting of The Arts: Live Guitar and Contemporary Dance for 20s/30s” on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of music, dance, and art celebrating the mysterious Catalan Mahzor, a 14th century Jewish illuminated manuscript from Spain. This program is offered in partnership with Boston Festival of New Jewish Music and features guitarist Ira Klein, dancer Rachel Linsky, and instrumentalist Beth Bahia Cohen. Admiison is $18 per person; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
Additionally, The Vilna will offer its sixth annual Hanukkah A Cappella Concert on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
This special community event features a wide range of exceptional university groups from across the city and is truly a multigenerational concert experience. All are welcome. Admission is $10 per person or $25 per family; register at www.vilnashul.org.
Moreover, The Vilna will offer Happy Hour on the Hill on Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is $18 per person; register at www.vilnashul.org.
In addition, The Vilna will offer its Hanukkah Celebration for Families with Young Children on Sunday, Dec. 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Admission is $25 per family; egister at www.vilnashul.org.
For more information on The Vilna Shul, visit www.vilnashul.org or call 617 -523-2324.
King’s Chapel to Sponsor ‘Advent Crafts’ on Dec. 3
King’s Chapel invites neighbors to participate in its annual “Advent Crafts,” where participants decorate cookies, make wreaths, and create ornaments, on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon at 64 Beacon St.. This will be a great opportunity for all-age craft fun. Email questions to [email protected].
Free Lessons in American Mahjong Offered at West End Branch Library
The Friends of the West End Library will be offering lessons in American Mahjong to new and experienced players at no cost.
The group meets on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month in the Community Room of the West End Branch Library, 151 Cambridge St.
To sign up or for more information, email Audrey Tedeman ([email protected]) or Julia Forbes ([email protected]).