Programs

In his riveting account of social injustice in New Haven, Connecticut, bestselling author Nicholas Dawidoff chronicles the failings of the criminal justice system and their aftermath throughout America in his new book, The Other Side of Prospect. This landmark work of intimate reporting on inequality, race, class, and violence is told through a murder and intersecting lives in an iconic American neighborhood.

Dawidoff will give a Zoom talk, titled “Violence, Injustice, and the American City,” about his new book on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. The event is coordinated by our Programming Committee, under the leadership of Debbie Schwartz.

Sima and Javid Hakakian, both natives of Iran, crossed paths with history, and they’ll explain how in a fascinating Zoom talk, titled “Iranian Odyssey.” The talk, coordinated by our Programming Committee, headed by Debbie Schwartz, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.

Linda Kass, author of A Ritchie Boy, a moving and memorable novel in stories—inspired by her own father’s life—will give a fascinating presentation for our Section about her book on Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m., via Zoom. In her talk, titled “A Ritchie Boy: One Young (Jewish) Immigrant’s Journey to America . . . and Back to Europe to Help Us Win World War II,” Linda will share the little-known story of the Ritchie Boys, many of them Jewish German-speaking immigrants, who worked in US Army Intelligence and helped the Allies win the Second World War.