The Edlavitch DCJCC has launched its new program, Capital J, which brings prominent Jewish voices to the JCC for conversations exploring what it means to be Jewish in America today.
“The American Jewish experience feels particularly fraught at this moment,” said Adam Cooper, program director of Capital J. “Can we be a place where people can reflect and slow down and think deeply with one another? Think deeply with one another about how they’re orienting themselves in the world as a Jew?”
“We wanted to basically explore how Jewish artists, intellectuals, journalists are navigating this current turbulent moment through their respective lenses,” he added.
The program premiered at the Edlavitch DCJCC’s Aaron and Cecil Goldman Theater on Oct. 19 with what Cooper described as “an intergenerational” full house.
The event featured Richard Kind, an actor best known for his roles on “Spin City” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and David Litt, a speechwriter for former President Barack Obama and an author. The mainstage event was a Q&A style back and forth between Litt and Kind, including questions submitted by the audience, asked by a moderator.
“[Litt’s] most recent book is about finding neutral ground with his Joe Rogan-listening cousin, and — he’s like a Democrat — [Litt] talks about how neutral ground is really important in bridging divides in America today,” Cooper explained. “So, [Litt] brought an interesting angle to probe Rich [Kind] with some of these deep questions about his own identity and what we might learn from it.”
During the event, the moderator asked the audience members to think about a question and talk with their neighbors because, Cooper said, “We want it to be more than just a traditional lecture series.”
Cooper added that one of their goals was to become a place where everyone could listen and learn, but also engage in dialogue with their community.
“For a lot of people, their Jewish identity is salient right now. They feel proud to be Jewish but also worried and concerned about their Judaism,” Cooper said. “We want to create a space where we can actively talk about it in a way that is not grounded in consensus but grounded in shared inquiry. We don’t want to get to the same answer. We just want to be there for each other, listening to each other.”
According to Cooper, the program is divided into semester-based “seasons,” with multiple discussions within each season. This first season is titled “Uneasy.”
“I love that we have this overarching theme of ‘uneasy.’ It’s not easy,” said Cooper. “It’s unsettling.”
“I think it’s fair to say, in this moment of unease and tension, we were hoping to grapple with questions about, for this first event, how does the role of humor function in this moment of adversity?” added Cooper. “How do we navigate our Jewish identity, and what might humor tell us?”
By choosing “Uneasy” as the first theme, the program acknowledges the discomfort of the current social-political climate, and in the first event, the Edlavitch DCJCC explored that topic through a comedic lens.
Cooper explained that the semester-based model gives a well-rounded picture of what Capital J is working on while still having each event include different modes of conversation under the same topic.
“I think my colleagues feel an obligation to be a place of dialogue in the city,” said Cooper. “Real talk dialogue. Put your phones away, let’s talk and let’s dive into what’s making you feel uncomfortable and what you’re disagreeing about, so that we can hopefully get a better understanding of one another.”
Future sessions will explore the same topic of unease, but from different angles, such as political and grief-driven unease. The program has three upcoming sessions, one of which is a salon-style conversation with Rep. Greg Landsman, a Democratic U.S. representative from Ohio’s 1st Congressional District.
“I want people to share intensely what they’re thinking about their Jewish identity. I don’t want the ‘light stuff,’” Cooper said. “I’m not searching for consensus here. I’m really, really not. I’m searching for real, hard, honest discussions.”
“In starting this program, we’re putting a little bit of faith in the community — that they want this and that they’ll show up and share that same goal of being grounded in sharing,” Cooper added. “That inspires me and keeps me motivated to do this work every day.”
