ABSTRACT
When one listens to Newark's Jews wax nostalgic as they reminisce about the Newark that was, the word that comes to mind most often is "community." It is a word that encompasses all of the many-layered aspects of a cohesive society—family, friends, synagogue, school, neighborhood—the stuff that social and cultural life is made of. If the true benchmark of a city's culture is to be measured by its main library and major museum, Newark would be in the first rank. A look at what lectures were given and when, is an excellent way to assess what was troubling the Jewish community at various points in its history, or simply capturing its attention. Thus, lectures in the 1960s spoke of culture clashes between the generations, civil rights, and the Vietnam War, while the 1970s featured the Middle East and a rising awareness of issues related to Holocaust survivors.
