We Are Not Strangers, Josh Tuininga with guest Flora Ninomiya

by | Apr 23, 2025 | Classes & Events, Other News

 

We Are Not Strangers book talk

with Josh Tuininga and guest speaker Flora Ninomiya

Sunday, May 4, 2025, 11 am

 

Jewish Arts & Bookfest

UC Berkeley Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life

2121 Allston Way, Berkeley

 

Author Josh Tuininga traces his family’s Sephardic roots as they flee their home in Turkey, discover opportunities in America, and forge a new community in the multicultural neighborhood of the Seattle Central District. Through a visually rich presentation, Tuininga will share his creative process and research, weaving together narratives of Jewish and Japanese communities united by resilience and allyship during the turbulence of wartime.

Tuininga will be joined by special guest speaker Flora Ninomiya, who will share her powerful family history—from the hardships they faced during World War II and their incarceration, to the extraordinary support they received from a neighbor, who maintained their greenhouse in their absence which allowed the family to rebuild their floral business after the war.

This program is presented in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.For more information, visit the Jewish Arts & BookFest page on the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life website.

Kintsukuroi Screening and Restoring Our Brokenness

by | Mar 19, 2025 | Classes & Events, Other News

 KINTSUKUROI

FILM SCREENING
followed by Q&A with cast and crew

Thursday March 13, 6:00 pm
Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, 10700 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA

Tickets: $20

For tickets: https://rialtocinemas.com/coming-soon-cer/

Back by popular demand, join us for a theatrical screening of KINTSUKUROI. The film, with its cleverly written script, interwoven stories and depth, this movie is a must see and must see again favorite.  Get your tickets now! 
About the Film
The philosophy of KINTSUKUROI shows us that something shattered can be restored and made stronger and more beautiful. The term is an apt metaphor for the Japanese American experience of WWII.

Forced from their homes, farms and businesses, more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly imprisoned simply because of their race. Our new feature-length film KINTSUKUROI follows the Ito family from pre-war San Francisco to the concentration camps of the American West to the battlefields of Europe as it endures one of the most shameful periods in American History.

RESTORING OUR BROKENNESS

Join us for an intergenerational conversation inspired by the film KINTSUKUROI by director Kerwin Berk.

Saturday, March 22
12pm to 3pm
J-Sei, 1285 66th St., Emeryville, CA

Free registration: https://bit.ly/3WE7cVV

Please note that the film will not be shown at the event but all are welcome, whether or not you have seen the film.

Kintsukuroi is the Japanese art practice of piecing together shards of pottery to repair, then using gold leaf to restore beauty and make it whole again. The film touches on the legacy of the Japanese American incarceration, a range of experiences, from loyalty to resistance, despair and loss, and rebuilding of lives. What is your connecting point and how does it impact you today?  Connecting Across Generations is an evolving collaboration of individuals and Japanese American community groups interested in broadening cross generational relations.

Connecting Across Generations including J-Sei, Japanese American Women Alumni of UC Berkeley, Japanese American Youth Alliance, Nikkei Student Union of UC Berkeley, Berkeley JACL, Berkeley Buddhist Temple, Okaeri Northern Cal, and Friends of Topaz Museum.

Letters to Home, an anthology of LGBTQ+ Nikkei experiences

by | Mar 18, 2025 | Classes & Events, Other News

Okaeri Northern California presents

Letters to Home: Art & Writing by LGBTQ+ Nikkei and Allies

Saturday, April 5, 2025, 1:30 pm

Join Okaeri for the Northern California launch of Okaeri’s book Letters to Home: Art & Writing by LGBTQ+ Nikkei and Allies. Hear from contributors eri oura, Ellen Tanouye, and Tomo Hirai for a live reading and engaging dialogue with moderator Stan Yogi. Book sales and signing, and light refreshments will follow. 

Live stream will be available. To access the live stream, please register and we will send out a link in advance. J-Sei is ADA-accessible, and there is a free parking lot and street parking available.  This event is co-presented by J-Sei & Omusubi. 

RSVP: https://bit.ly/Okaeri Nor Cal-booklaunch

Letters to Home

Edited by: Cody Uyeda, Michael Matsuno, and Rino Kodama

Letters to Home is among the first anthologies to spotlight LGBTQ+ Nikkei experiences and allyship through an intergenerational lens. Bringing together art, poetry, and story-telling from nearly 50 contributors across the US and Japan, it offers a nuanced exploration of the trials and triumphs of finding community, and the process of co-constructing a sense of belonging for queer and trans Nikkei.

 

Okaeri Community’s mission is to create visibility, compassionate spaces, and transformation for LGBTQ+ Nikkei and their families by sharing our stories and providing culturally-rooted support, education, community-building, and advocacy.  Okaeri is fiscally sposored by LTSC.

Botanical Printing on Paper 2025

Botanical Printing on Paper 2025

by | Mar 10, 2025 | Classes & Events, Other News

 BOTANICAL PRINTING ON PAPER

Saturday, May 31 or Sunday, June 1, 10 am to 4 pm – CLASS IS FULL, waitlist only

Learn to make prints on paper with natures own special botanicals. We will look at how to make papers print what nature can give. You can use the results for cards, origami, books and more.  Delve into the world of botanical printing, using natural leaves, flowers, roots or fruits of naure.  All materials will be provided for the workshop. Instructor Dorothy Yuki, an innovative designer.

Dorothy Yuki began as a fashion designer immediately after college but soon she became a partner of a manufacturing company, In Good Company, and designed kitchen soft goods and linens. She served as a production and design consultant for music production companies and start-ups, She returned to designing linens for Macy’s in the 80’s and lived internationally.in Barcelona Spain, Lisbon, Portugal, Montevideo Uruguay and Tequisquiapan Queretaro Mexico.  Now in her 70’s and living in San Francisco, she is engaged in many volunteer activities, Ruth’s Table, Artseed, SCRAP-sf, and FabMo. She also mentored at Bay High School. She was past President of Friends of Calligraphy and presently a Master Educator for the Macy’s Fashion Incubator San Francisco. She still has the time to do ‘art’ and has worked on projects for MMOCA, Flax Art and Design and Kalligraphia.

This workshop has been generously sponsored by Steve Ichinaga.  Discounted Workshop Fee: $50  Space is limited.  RSVP by May 15th and select your preferred date.  A list of dried and fresh plants that you can bring with you will be provided after you sign up.  The class is full.  We are starting a waitlist for advance notice of a future Botanical Printing workshop.

     

Flavors of Spring 2025

by | Jan 24, 2025 | Classes & Events, Other News

Flavors of Spring

Friday, March 28

5:30 to 8:30 pm

BLOC 15, Jack London Square

Join us for a festive evening of food, wine, brew and live music

by Bay Area’s favorite R&B band: PRIVATE PRACTICE.

Don’t miss the Early Bird Special

Tickets for $125 until Feb 21st

Regular ticket price is $150, from February 22nd.

Purchase tickets online or send checks payable to:

J-Sei, 1285 66th Street, Emeryville, CA 94608.

Must be postmarked by March 24, 2025.

For more info, contact Tiffany Nguyen, tiffany@j-sei.org

 

 

34th Annual Crab Feed

by | Jan 15, 2025 | Classes & Events, Other News

J-Sei’s 34th Annual Crab Feed

We received such a warm welcome at The Fratellanza Club that we decided to host J-Sei’s Annual Crab Feed there again!  They are located one block east of J-Sei and have on-site parking.

Feast on fresh Dungeness crab, Asian salad, garlic noodles, rolls, desserts, and beverages with your family and friends at J-Sei’s in-person, sit-down, family-style crab feed!  (Menu subject to change depending on availability of crab.)

Enjoy music, no host bar, and time to greet friends, socialize and mingle from 5 pm. Dinner begins at 6 pm  There will be one seating time for this family-style event.

Live band, no host bar, and raffle drawing: 5:00 to 6:00 pm

Doors to dining room and seating open: 6:00 pm

Dinner : 6:00 to 7:30 pm

Dinner tickets: adults $75, children 12 & under $30

Sorry, no To-Go meals available. 

RSVP by Sunday, January 26, 2025. – SALES NOW CLOSED!

Two Options for RESERVATIONS

Sign up Online

(1) To pay online use the donorbox (in next column). For custom amount, calculate your total amount and type the amount. Check box to add the number of tickets in the comment box.

– OR –

Send by Mail

(1) Download and complete the form on the Crab Feed flyer. (2) Send the form with a check and mail to: J-Sei, 1285 66th Street, Emeryville, CA 94608

TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED!

Thank you for your support!