Celebrate the Life of Hank Greenberg Through Film and Literature at the DCJCC

Washingtonians will soon be immersed in the life of Jewish baseball hero Hank Greenberg as the Washington DCJCC’S Chaim Kempner Author Series proudly presents Our Hank: The 80th Anniversary of Baseball’s Hebrew Hammer. The evening will feature John Rosengren, author of Hank Greenberg: Hero of Heroes, and Aviva Kempner, director of The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg on Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 pm at the DCJCC, 1529 16th Street NW.

“Many baseball fans think of Hank Greenberg as a legendary baseball player,” said Lili Kalish Gersch, director of literary, music and dance programs at the DCJCC, “but during a time when Jews struggled to make it in mainstream America, he was a true hero. The DCJCC is thrilled to offer an exploration of his life through film and literature.”

Hank Greenberg was a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star, a two-time American League MVP, and a Hall of Famer. He was also Jewish. In the 1930s and 40s, when a generation of Jews was struggling to find their place in the New World, Hank Greenberg transformed the way non-Jews viewed Jews and the way Jews saw themselves.

Author John Rosengren will discuss his new book and director Aviva Kempner will screen exciting new extras from the new DVD of her Peabody award-winning documentary, which includes a phone interview with Ted Williams, more fun fan stories from Senator Carl Levin, Alan Dershowitz, and Walter Matthau, new interviews with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and much more.

“John Rosengren’s Hank Greenberg is the best and most important biography ever written about Hank Greenberg.” –Glenn Stout, series editor, The Best American Sports Writing, and author of Fenway 1912.

John Rosengren is the author of several sports books, including Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win, and Hammerin’ Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever.

Aviva Kempner's career goal is to make films about lesser-known Jewish heroes. In addition to the Emmy-nominated and Peabody award-winning The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, she also wrote, directed and produced the critically-acclaimed Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg. Kempner founded the Washington Jewish Film Festival and writes about film.

This program is part of the ongoing Authors Out Loud series at the Washington DCJCC. Enjoy an evening of entertainment and stimulating conversation with great authors and fellow readers. Authors Out Loud is funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also supported by the Chaim Kempner Library Fund, which brings authors of recently published books to the DCJCC for the learning and enjoyment of the entire community.

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON DCJCC

The Washington DCJCC works to preserve and strengthen Jewish identity, heritage, tradition and values through a wide variety of social, cultural, recreational and educational programs and services. The DCJCC is committed to welcoming everyone in the community; membership and all activities are open to all. The DCJCC is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and a designated agency of the United Way.

TICKETS/INFO

Venue: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16th Street NW

Tickets: $10; $8 Discounted Member/Senior/Student Price

To order: washingtondcjcc.org/authorsoutloud

Information: (202) 777-3254; lilikg@washingtondcjcc.org