Wagner College's Jewish Culture Series Schedule

(Presented by Wagner’s Chai Society)

            February 2, 2006, Staten Island, NY…Wagner College’s Jewish Culture Series will have four more lectures this academic year, all hosted by Rabbi Abraham Unger of Congregation Ahavath Israel in Tottenville. Rabbi Unger is Scholar in Residence at Wagner College where he teaches in the Department of Government and Politics.

            The schedule is as follows:

            Monday, February 13, 8pm, Spiro 4: Natalie Profis on the Current Israeli Political Scene. Wagner Executive MBA student from Israel, Natalie Profis will be speaking on her own personal story and the current Israeli political situation. Ms. Profis, originally from the former Soviet Union, is a graduate of Tel Aviv University in nursing. She treated Yitzchak Rabin in the hospital emergency room where he was brought upon his assassination.

            Sunday, March 12, 7pm, Spiro 2: Panel on Birthright Israel. First-ever group of Wagner undergraduates and graduate students who traveled to Israel in January on a Birthright trip will have a discussion about their Israel experience and the Birthright program.

            Monday, April 10, 8pm, Spiro 4: Dr. Ben Morss on the Jewish Influence in American Popular Music. Dr. Morss, Assistant Professor of Music at Concordia College, played piano and arranged for Cake's album "Prolonging the Magic" and the new album by the platinum-selling band, Wheatus. A beat he helped make was sold to Mary J. Blige. Dr. Morss' former rock band the Pilgrims was on the charts of college radio stations nationwide and received tens of thousands of downloads online. His playing was used in the films "Sidewalks of New York" and "L.I.E." He played with the California acid-jazz group 11:11 at festivals such as NXNW and SXSW. Ben is a member of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. He wrote the music for "Pop Star," a musical for teenagers published by Samuel French. He is writing a children's piece for the Vital Theater's 2006 season. Recently, Ben has musical-directed "Songs for a New World" in Delaware, "Anna Bella Eema" at New Georges in NYC, the original reading of "LOST", "Master Class" at the New York State Theatre Institute, "I Love My Wife" at the Helen Hayes Theatre in Nyack, the Queens Theatre in the Park, and the Emelin Theater in Mamaroneck, and "The Most Happy Fella" at the Asbury Summer Theatre. Last year, he arranged the music for the stage adaptation of Trey Parker's "Cannibal! The Musical."  Ben has a doctorate in composition.  His new crossover group, the Infinite Orchestra, has been playing around Manhattan at venues such as the Knitting Factory, Sin-E, and the Cutting Room.

            Monday, May 8, 8pm, Spiro 4: Closing lecture of the academic year: Rabbi Abraham Unger on Outreach in American Jewish Life. "Outreach" has become a buzzword of American Jewish religious life across denomination. How and why did this movement develop so strongly in American Jewish life? What forms has it historically taken prior to the American Jewish experience, and what shape is it currently taking?

            All lectures are free of charge and will be held at Wagner College, One Campus Road, in specified rooms.  To reserve a seat, please respond to RSVP@Wagner.edu.            

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