Temple B’nai Israel—the Satell Center for Jewish life on the Eastern Shore—is proud to present a conversation with internationally produced playwright Andrea Stolowitz, discussing her play, The Berlin Diaries, and news of an opportunity to see it in Washington later in June.

 Andrea Stolowitz is a three-time winner of the Oregon Book Award in drama. The L.A. Times calls her work “heartbreaking” and the Orange County Register characterizes Andrea’s approach as a “brave refusal to sugarcoat issues and tough decisions.”  She is a member of New Dramatists class of 2026 and a Lacroute Playwright in Residence at the Oregon Jewish Museum Center for Holocaust Education. 

Andrea’s great-grandfather kept a diary after escaping to New York City in 1939 as a German Jew. Stolowitz goes back to Berlin to bring the story of her previously unknown ancestors to light. The record keeps as many secrets as it shares: How do people become verschollen, lost, like library books leaving only the dusty outline? How do you find a home when a family history is scattered like the torn pages of a journal entry released to the wind? How do you remember the past without transmitting the trauma to the next generations? It’s a story that resonates with all who yearn to find out about their origins, ancestors and their history.

Find out what inspired her to write the play, her actual playwriting process and all about “The Berlin Diaries” at the Temple’s June 3rd program, and then please join us when we head down to Washington, D.C. on June 18th to enjoy the Theater J matinee production of The Berlin Diaries.

Andrea’s play The Berlin Diaries was a recipient of the NYFA/NYC Mayor’s Office Award for Women in Theater, Film and TV. The Berlin Diaries was produced in five cities during 2024-25 season, with a final production in Washington, D.C. at Theater J in June, 2025

The program takes place Tuesday, June 3 at 7:00 pm, at the Temple, 7199 Tristan Drive, Easton, with a reception to follow. Admission is free. Please register at: BnaiIsraelEaston.org/event/Stolowitz

Tickets for the June 18 excursion and Theater J performance are limited. For details, registration, and more information go to: BnaiIsraelEaston.org/event/berlin_diaries_field_trip  

 Or call the Temple at 410-822-0553

Coming to Temple B’nai Israel, the Satell Center for Jewish Life on the Eastern Shore, on Thursday, February 20, at 7 PM, Dr. Rachel Franklin will present a program celebrating George Gershwin’s greatest achievements during this centenary decade She will focus on his Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, and An American in Paris, as well as performing highlights from several of his piano works.

George Gershwin’s groundbreaking fusion of classical music and jazz, Rhapsody in Blue, is one of America’s most beloved cultural icons, an exuberant symbol of the nation’s melting pot self-image, its vigor, optimism, and constant reinvention. However, the Rhapsody is just one of several masterworks that Gershwin’s boundless imagination produced during the 1920s.

Dr. Franklin’s passion is provoking connections and sparking imaginative pathways for her listeners and students, so their own creativity can be inspired by extraordinary musical art. As a Jewish artist, she has a particular interest in music of Jewish heritage and has given many lectures on the Golden Age of Jewish Film Music.

This program, part of the Susan and Barry Koh Music Series, is free and everyone is welcome. Register at  bnaiisraeleaston.org/event/Gershwin Or call 410-822-0553. Temple B’nai Israel is located on  7199 Tristan Drive in Easton.

 

Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat will speak at Easton’s Temple B’nai Israel—The Satell Center for Jewish Life on the Eastern Shore–on September 8 to discuss his book, “The Art of Diplomacy:  How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that Changed the World,” recalling America’s most significant and consequential negotiations over the past fifty years. These include efforts to resolve conflicts from the Middle East peace process to “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, and lingering issues of World War II, from the reunification of Germany to justice for Holocaust survivors. Eizenstat addresses the use of American military force as an instrument of diplomacy, from Vietnam to the Balkan Wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, drawing lessons that are applicable to today’s conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. 

Eizenstat, a former top White House aide, U.S. ambassador, Undersecretary of State, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury who has served in six presidential administrations, played a leading role himself in several of these negotiations, and he has also personally interviewed more than 125 U.S. and international leaders, including some of the greatest practitioners of the art of diplomacy. In this way he provides a 360-degree view of international negotiations at the highest level, seen through the eyes of those officials most directly involved. Eizenstat brings to life the personalities, issues, obstacles, and dramatic breakthroughs that have created the world we live in today. He shows how the United States has been the indispensable leader: sometimes as a direct negotiator seeking a desired outcome; sometimes as a mediator between contesting parties; sometimes wielding military force to achieve a political goal; and sometimes as an advocate for global cooperation on issues like international trade and climate change.

According to Eizenstat, “At a time of global turmoil and conflict, when America’s influence is being challenged by a number of emerging powers, I believe it is important to impart what I have learned in my government experience, in order to help the United States use diplomacy to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.“ He will further expand upon his belief of the importance of wisely strengthening America’s military capabilities to achieve diplomatic agreements. 

Everyone is welcome to this free program. It begins at 1 PM this Sunday, September 8, at Temple B’nai Israel in Easton, 7199 Tristan Drive. Registration is required by September 7 at:   bnaiisraeleaston.org/event/ambassador

Do you know what a knish is? Dr. Brown’s Sodas? Those cute little black and white cookies? Are you hungry yet? We promise you won’t be when you leave Temple B’nai Israel, the Satell Center for Jewish Life on the Eastern Shore, Sunday, November 12th.

Ted Merwin: author of “Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Deli” and Marilyn Kushner, Curator and Head of the Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections at the New York Historical Society, will present a fascinating story of the immigrant journey and the traditions they established to make a home in their new country.  It traces the culture and history of the working immigrants and their connection to the delicatessen — a unique American restaurant and take-out store.

The pre-dinner program includes slides from the New York Historical Society’s collection of artifacts, memorabilia and photography. Ted Merwin’s “Pastrami on Rye” is the first full-length history of the New York Jewish Deli.  He will elaborate on the rich history and surprising story of a quintessential New York institution. 

Immediately following the program, attendees will enjoy a mouth-watering deli dinner with all the fixings provided by The Essen Room from Pikesville, Maryland. Picture this: a mountain of sliced corned beef or pastrami, on fresh rye bread slathered in spicy brown mustard, and of course a kosher dill pickle or two. Or, perhaps you prefer a turkey or tuna sandwich?  Side dishes and desserts will include many traditional favorites to enjoy.

For More Information call Temple B’nai Israel at 410-822-0553.