CUNY TV To Celebrate 350 Years of Jewish Life in America With New Series and Specials Plus Encore Favorites
Premieres on Sunday, September 12
and Monday, September 13, 2004
to be followed by weekly Monday-night block
through January 2005
Schedule for May 2005 - NEW!
Jewish Women in America
Jewish Women in American Educational Outreach Initiative
Documentary and Feature Films
Beginning Sunday, September 12 and Monday, September 13, 2004, CUNY TV (Ch. 75) will inaugurate “CUNY Celebrates 350,” television's most comprehensive presentation of the history of Jews in America. In honor of 350 years of Jewish life in America, the station will present a variety of new series and specials as well as encore presentations of acclaimed programming reflecting the Jewish-American experience.
The contributions of such diverse talents as Isaac Bashevis Singer, Gloria Steinem, Irving Howe, Kurt Weill, Yiddish theatre legends Mina Bern, Seymour Rexsite and Grace Paley are among those that will be celebrated by this significant television event.
CUNY TV will premiere this celebration from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday, and from 6 p.m. till 11 p.m. on Monday. Thereafter, CUNY TV will devote Monday evenings to special “CUNY Celebrates 350” programming.
Marking the establishment of the first Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam (today's New York City), the 350th anniversary is being celebrated nationally, coordinated by Celebrate 350: Jewish Life in America 1654-2004 (www.Celebrate350.org), and in New York City by the Jewish Community Relations Council through Jewish Heritage-NY2004 (www.jhny.org). Congress has declared September to be Jewish History Month.
“The City University of New York has had long and rewarding ties to the history of Jews in America,” said Robert Isaacson, Executive Director of CUNY TV. “CUNY TV is proud to be part of this national and city-wide celebration. We dedicate our programming to past, present and future generations of Jewish Americans, and to all New Yorkers, at this special time.”
“The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York is honored to partner with CUNY TV in presenting the special “CUNY Celebrates 350” programming,” said JCRC's Executive Vice President and CEO Michael S. Miller. “The breadth of the subject matter is a deserving tribute to the many Jewish Americans who have made a significant contribution to the vibrancy of our cultural life in New York and across the country. The JCRC will make certain that our more than 60 member organizations throughout the metropolitan area are well informed about this exciting series.”
As part of its ambitious schedule, CUNY TV will premiere a new series, Jewish Women in America, a series of half-hour interviews with notable Jewish women, hosted by CUNY Professor Blanche Wiesen Cook, author of the award-winning multi-volume biography of Eleanor Roosevelt (click here for schedule information). Guests will include Gloria Steinem, Grace Paley, Ruth Gruber, Ruth Messinger, and Erica Jong, among others. This program is made possible by a grant from the Jewish Women's Foundation of New York (http://jwfny.org).
In addition to the airing of Jewish Women in America in New York City, the series will be distributed to Jewish community and educational centers across the country.
The full “CUNY Celebrates 350” schedule on CUNY TV has now been announced. Programming highlights will include the following:
Documentary and Feature Films
Approximately thirty documentary and feature films will reflect the Jewish-American experience, including immigration, politics, and culture.
Yiddish Theatre in America
Two different programs will celebrate Yiddish theatre in America, in partnership with the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre.
Jewish American Music
Renowned Metropolitan Opera star Regina Resnik presents music celebrating Kurt Weill and classical music by Jewish composers.
The full schedule is now available on CUNY TV's Web site, www.cuny.tv, where CUNY TV's original programs are accessible for online viewing via streaming video.
Credits
“CUNY Celebrates 350” series producers are Leonard Fleischer and Lauren Mucciolo. Executive Director of CUNY TV is Robert Isaacson. |
