Hills & Gardens: October 11, 2012

October 11, 2012 By Trudy Whitman For Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Barbra Streisand and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus performing together at the Barclays Center—you can’t get more Brooklyn than that! After joining the legendary singer in Philadelphia, the chorus, based in Cobble Hill, will perform with Streisand Oct. 11 and 13 at the new arena. Tickets? Fugeddaboudit! They sold out in a New York minute.

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Just as the newly invigorated branch of the Carroll Gardens Library was gearing up in June for the children’s Summer Reading Program, it was announced that emergency roof repairs would necessitate closing the library for two months.

Friends of Carroll Gardens Library, the grassroots group that has been fundraising and initiating programming at the Clinton Street facility, took the news in stride. So for FCGL, autumn was the new spring, presenting opportunities for a fresh start. And the first event, an after-school show presented by Amore the Magician late last month, was full of hocus pocus and presto-chango and just the right number of cheesy asides to engage both children and adults.

Next, Insideschools visited the library for a command return engagement on October 4, offering an information session for parents on the middle and high school admissions process. (Insideschools, www.insideschools.org, is a nonprofit organization providing statistical portraits of the city’s public schools as well as a forum for parent views.)

In addition to the return of Saturday-morning storytime (10:30 a.m.) with Carol & Friends, a series geared for children 2-4 years old, the library is presenting French-language children’s films the first Friday of each month beginning at 3:45. Why French? Among other schools, the Carroll Gardens branch serves families of P.S. 58 on Carroll Street, which features a dual English/French curriculum, as well as the International School of Brooklyn on Court Street.

To be kept informed about the Friends of the Carroll Gardens Library’s events and to get involved, drop an email to [email protected].

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Free flu shots! Go get them at Assemblywoman Joan Millman’s office, 341 Smith St., on Monday, October 15, or Tuesday, October 16, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Injections will be administered by nurses from University Hospital of Brooklyn at LICH. Call (718) 246-4889 to make an appointment.

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The Jewish organizations of the Hills & Gardens are offering a rich array of programs beginning this fall. Beit Midrash is translated as “house of study.” The Kane Street Synagogue is planning to use a traditional Yeshiva house of study technique but, according to a program brochure, “in a progressive, inclusive, Brownstone Brooklyn way” for a wide selection of Beit Midrash programs, including “Jewish Environmentalism” on October 16, “Were Samuel Adams and JFK Jewish?” on October 23, and “Harlotry in Biblical Stories and Prophecy” on Nov. 20. A light repast and musical entertainment are included in the $10 cover charge for each session. The synagogue is at 236 Kane Street. For a brochure or more details, visit www.kanestreet.org or call 718 875-1550.

Hannah Senesh, the Jewish day school at 342 Smith St., has inaugurated Havayah, part of SmallCity@Senesh, an initiative that invites members of the greater Brownstone Brooklyn community to experience Jewish education in an innovative manner. A series of free parenting workshops include “Separation: Nurturing Healthy Attachment and Growth,” on October 24, and “Managing Stress in Your Kids” on Nov. 14. Jewish studies classes at Senesh cost $15, with no registration necessary. Intriguing-sounding sessions include “How Much Does Judaism Care about Our Friendships?” on October 17, “Pluralism and Integrity: Can We Truly Live our Values and Live in Community?” on Nov. 28, and “Approaching the Dark Cloud: Obstacles within Spiritual Practice,” on Dec. 12. At www.hannahsenesh.org or (718) 858-8663, you will find additional information.