Wednesday, November 10, 2021 | 2–3:30pm
ADMISSION: This online program is free with advanced registration.
Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen were huge fans of each other—and the influence cut both ways. In this conversation we shine a light on two prophets of song, one agonized by every line, another whose best work was written in a frenzy; each in their own ways radical tellers of truth in the Jewish tradition. Panelists include Larry “Ratso” Sloman, PJ Grisar, Denise Sullivan, with music by Ezra Furman.
This program is presented by The Forward in partnership with The Contemporary Jewish Museum.
This online Zoom event is free. Please note that a Zoom account is required to register for the program. If you do not have a Zoom account, please create one by clicking "Sign up free" at the top of the registration page.
The CJM strives to provide a welcoming and accessible environment to all who attend our digital programming and online content. To request live captioning or American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for Zoom programs, please email access@thecjm.org at least two weeks in advance of the program.
PJ Grisar is a culture reporter at The Forward, where he writes about Jewish entertainment and the Jewish resonances of non-Jewish art. He has recently appeared on the Emmy-nominated documentary "Allen v. Farrow" and (more bizarrely) on a Swedish podcast about cancel culture and Mel Gibson.
Larry 'Ratso' Sloman is an actor and writer, known for Uncut Gems (2019), Sid and Nancy (1986) and The Secret Life of Houdini.
Denise Sullivan is a cultural worker, author of several music biographies, including Keep on Pushing: Black Power Music From Blues to Hip Hop, and editor of Your Golden Sun Still Shines: San Francisco Personal Histories & Small Fictions. As a music journalist she has interviewed a long list of rulebreaking artists, from Yoko Ono and Branford Marsalis to Buffy Sainte-Marie, Richie Havens, and The Talking Heads. A contributor to the jazz magazine DownBeat, Sullivan is the SFLives columnist at The San Francisco Examiner. Learn more at denisesullivan.com.
Through his poetry, novels, songs, and lyrics, Leonard Cohen expressed the complexities and desires of body and soul—a compelling metaphor for the twenty-first century Jewish experience. An observant Jew, Cohen also deeply explored Buddhism and various other worldviews. His commitment to questions of spirituality and existence shines through in songs such as “Suzanne,” “Bird on a Wire,” and “Hallelujah,” which masterfully combine mystery and universality with sacred and profane, and are now imprinted on our collective memory. Experience Cohen’s legacy like never before—through the eyes of contemporary artists George Fok, Judy Chicago, Candice Breitz, and Marshall Trammell.
Courtesy Old Ideas, LLC
Lead Sponsorship of Experience Leonard Cohen is generously provided by Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) thanks Maribelle and Stephen Leavitt, The Bernard Osher Foundation, Suzanne and Elliott Felson, the Irving and Eleanor Jaffe Foundation, the John Pritzker Family Fund, Taube Philanthropies, Kendra and Tom Kasten, Jessica Silverman, and Meyer Sound for generously supporting the exhibition.
Media Sponsorship is provided by the San Francisco Chronicle. In-kind support is provided by Where the Buffalo Roam.
Public Programs at The CJM are made possible thanks to generous support from Grants for the Arts and the Walter & Elise Haas Fund.