An event celebrating cooking, culture, and the power of food to connect us across generations.

Join us for the inaugural occasion of this annual LJCC speakers’ series that examines food and cooking traditions as important sites of identity-formation, community-building, and intergenerational connectivity. This catered event will feature Kansas Poet Laureate Emeritus, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg. Caryn will discuss how food and cooking became central to her book, Miriam's Well, and lead a writing workshop on generational food stories. 

Generously funded by Hagith Sivan in commemoration of the friendship of two remarkable women, Anita Herzfeld of Lawrence, known for her humanity and scholarship and for her sweet and discerning palate, and Deborah Sivan of Tel aviv, an avid reader whom Anita introduced to LJCC and, nearly on the same order of magnitude, to André's Confiserie of Kansas City.

For those of you unable to be here in person, but who wish to hear Caryn's presentation from 11:15am - 12pm, please contact lgiordanoljcc@gmail.com for zoom information.

Schedule of Events

11am           Doors Open

11:15am      From Miriam’s Well To Our Lives: A Reading on Food, Judaism, and Callings

In the story of Exodus, Miriam kept the Jewish people alive by virtue of her well. A source of life and sustenance, the well accompanied the wandering Israelites during their 40 years in the desert. Indeed, gathering together to eat, drink, and visit has been a mainstay of our survival: as goes the old joke, “They tried to kill us. We lived. Let’s eat.” In this reading, Caryn will share excerpts from her novel, Miriam’s Well, and other writing about how we nourish each other and our own callings at and beyond the kitchen table.

12pm           Catered lunch featuring recipes from Miriam’s Well

1pm             Kitchen Table Judaism: Writing Food Stories Across Our Lives and Generations

Join this writing workshop in which we will examine how intergenerational food stories offer a sense of belonging, healing, and a unique opportunity for autobiographical exploration. Using short, innovative and open-ended writing prompts, we’ll explore the role food and the kitchen table has had across the span of our lives and the generations before us. We’ll also look at what we’ve learned from making meals and breaking bread together, and what we wish to pass onto future generations. All who write or want to write from ages ten to 100 are welcome. Please bring something to write with and on.

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Ph.D., the 2009-13 Kansas Poet Laureate, is the author of 24 books, including How Time Moves: New & Selected Poems; Miriam's Well, a novel; and The Sky Begins At Your Feet: A Memoir on Cancer, Community, and Coming Home to the Body. Founder of Transformative Language Arts, she offers writing workshops, coaching, and collaborative projects YourRightLivelihood.com with Kathryn Lorenzen, Bravevoice.com with Kelley Hunt, and TheArtofFacilitation.net with Joy Roulier Sawyer.  CarynMirriamGoldberg.com.