Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations is an acclaimed discussion series of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston - brings together distinguished scholars, artists and activists to engage in unique exchanges around the current moral and social issues of our time. Nationally, and often internationally, renowned panelists are led by expert moderators through respectful and thought-provoking discussions. Through this series the JCC serves as a community living room; that is, a place where people who hold divergent opinions and perspectives come together, share ideas and gain understanding. Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations is ground-breaking in that it creates an opportunity for intellectual and emotional exchange, and makes a space for passion, insight and creativity to take root. The Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations Discussion Series is underwritten by generous donor support. All JCC arts and humanities offerings are programs of the Ryna Greenbaum JCC Center for the Arts.
As we approach six months since the horrendous massacre on October 7, there is no end in sight for the conflict in Gaza. With an incalculable human cost, our Hot Buttons Cool Conversations panel examines if there is another way forward. We look ahead to the time when Israelis, Palestinians and the rest of the world must wrestle with the future Gaza and its relationship with Israel. We examine Israel’s alternative paths and what role the U.S. has to play in managing the crisis.
It's been more than a year since Russia launched its devastating invasion of Ukraine. The conflict has challenged the world order and fueled geopolitical and economic uncertainty around the world. We examine the U.S. role in the War in Ukraine, providing more than $30 billion in military aid since the conflict began, but stopping short of deploying American forces. Panel of experts discusses how to continue to support Ukraine without inching closer to a direct U.S.-Russian confrontation and if we are at risk of World War III.
Photo credit : Envato
For decades, parents have been bombarded by messages imploring them to do more for their children. There has been a cultural shift expecting parents to do everything from playing to problem solving. In this effort to protect their children, many parents have actually stripped them of their coping capabilities. In our latest Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations discussion series we ask, how can those who mean only the best for their kids end up hampering their development? We will look at cultural differences and varying parenting styles to examine if doing less is actually helping more.
The Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations Discussion Series gets off to an exciting start. Michael Twitty is the James Beard award-winning author and culinary historian of The Cooking Gene and the recently released Koshersoul: The Faith & Food Identity of an African American Jew. He has baked challah with Jewish cooking maestro Joan Nathan and guided Padma Lakshmi of "Top Chef" fame on southern cooking. As a Black, Jewish, gay man, Twitty embodies many identities. Food is where he brings his whole self.
Michael Twitty is in conversation with Robin Washington, an acclaimed veteran journalist and The Forward's Editor-at-Large.
We examine the nation’s top court and its power to determine the direction of a host of hot button issues.
With the court's actions to leave an abortion law in place last fall, we look to what the public should expect in laws on privacy and reproductive rights this spring. As the court signals its willingness to reconsider precedents, we will look at what other laws may be up for grabs.
Our expert panel will examine how the current court see issues like gay marriage, gun rights, and religion from various perspectives.
Panelists:
Gary Lawson, Boston University Law Professor
Melissa Murray, New York University Law Professor
Jed Handelsman Shugerman, Fordham Law School Professor
Moderator:
Michael J. Gerhardt, Burton Craige Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence
IMAGE CREDITS:
[The U.S. Supreme Court” by Geoff Livingston. Image cropped and blurred. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.](https://www.flickr.com/photos/9397412@N06/32889246102)
[“A protester against the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside the Warren E. Burger Federal Building in St. Paul, Minnesota” by Lorie Shaull. Image cropped. CC BY-SA 2.0.](https://www.flickr.com/photos/11020019@N04/29600407857)
"A protester against the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside the Warren E. Burger Federal Building in St. Paul, Minnesota" by Lorie Shaull. CC BY-SA 2.0.
From book banning to teaching of critical race theory, educators and parents across the county are clashing over what can and can’t be taught in the classroom. Teachers are caught in the middle of some of the biggest flash points in this country’s culture wars. We examine the role of school boards and some state laws that are fueling the latest culture wars.
Tom Edsall, Professor of Political Journalism at Columbia University and New York Times Opinion Writer, moderates a discussion with Adam Harris, Staff Writer at the Atlantic, Nicholas Tampio, Professor of Political Science at Fordham University, and Rebecca Jacobsen, Professor of Education Policy at Michigan State University.
Whether it’s Dr. Seuss, J.K. Rowling, or Mr. Potato Head, allegations of cancel culture seem to dominate the recent headlines. Fueled by social media, cancel culture has earned a consistent spot in the news cycle this past year. Yet the exact meaning of this phenomenon and movement is still up for debate as society weighs the balance of free speech and accountability.
Rachel Fish, Executive Director of the Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, moderates a discussion with Rabbi Irwin Kula, Co-President of Clal, The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; Andrew Rehfeld, President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; and Cathy Young, Journalist and Author of "Growing up in Moscow: Memories of a Soviet Girlhood."
_This event is part of the JCC Greater Boston's Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations acclaimed discussion series bringing together distinguished scholars, thought leaders and expert moderators for thought-provoking dialogue on issues of concern to the Jewish community and beyond. Produced in partnership with GBH Forum Network._
In 2020, people across the United States took to the streets to protest racism and police brutality. In this Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations event, we examine how structural racism has fueled inequity and reflect on our nation’s long legacy of racial injustice. We explore how America's current engagement in fighting racial oppression differs from movements in the past, and look ahead to the future, and the hope for meaningful change.
Associated Press investigative reporter Kat Stafford moderates a conversation with Dr. Keisha N. Blain, Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and the president of the African American Intellectual History Society and Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the Suzanne Young Murray Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies.
This event is part of the JCC Greater Boston's Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations acclaimed discussion series bringing together distinguished scholars, thought leaders and expert moderators for thought-provoking dialogue on issues of concern to the Jewish community and beyond. Produced in partnership with GBH Forum Network.
Image: Life Matters, Pexels
Communities across America are divided over politics, culture, identity, and the direction of the country. Are religious congregations any different? How do religious leaders today navigate deeply divisive issues — like the Middle East, gay marriage, abortion, the immigration crisis — in their own communities? We'll look at the intersection of faith and politics and discuss religious leaders views on engaging in social activism. We’ll examine the role religious leaders play in such partisan times.
The Opioid Epidemic is devastating communities across the country. Overdoses have become the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 55, killing more people than HIV/AIDS, car crashes or gun violence ever did at their peaks. But what makes this crisis especially unique is how we got here. We’ll examine the origins of the worst public health crisis of the twenty-first century and expose the role pharmaceutical companies played in pushing addictive opioids into the American market. We will explore how we got here, the science of addiction, and how to stem the crisis.
