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As part of the Hamilton Jewish Federation’s eighth annual Holocaust Education Week, its  Kristallnacht Commemoration features a keynote address by journalist David Halton, “The Holocaust and the Press:  A Tragic Failure.”  Halton argues that the press in the 1930s was partly to blame for the appeasement policies that led to the Holocaust.  His father, Matthew Halton, was a correspondent for the CBC and the Toronto Star before and during World War II and wrote extensive reports warning about the growing threat of Hitler’s Nazi Party.  He documents how some major Canadian newspapers were hoodwinked by Hitler’s propaganda machine.  Open to all, no charge.

McMaster University Library and the Department of Religious Studies present “Lessons from the Past:  What Ancient Jewish Manuscripts Teach Us about Inter-faith Relations” with Professor Stefan Reif.  Reception to follow.

The Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art presents “The Visibility of Absence:  Up Close and Personal with Vermeer” by Bryan Wylie.
Making full use of the many “seeing” inventions of his time, such as the lens, telescope, and microscope, Johannes Vermeer filled his paintings with meticulous details from daily life.  However, deeper, more profound details in many of his works were rendered all the more “visible” by their very absence.  This is a richly illustrated lecture, featuring the major works and techniques of Vermeer of Delft (1632-75).
Bryan Wylie is a retired English, Latin, and drama teacher from Hillfield Strathallan College and well-known local arts lecturer who seeks out connections among the arts, culture, and politics wthin and across eras.
Free, but voluntary memberships or donations are gratefully accepted, and tax receipts will be provided.  Contacts:  www.haalsa.org,secretary@haalsa.org , 905-521-9438.

The Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art presents “Insects of a Honduran Cloud Forest” with Marvin Gunderman.
About 70 per cent of the described species on earth fall into one category or phyllum, Arthropoda–invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and crustaceans, which have tough exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed limbs.  Insects alone account for more than one million different species.  Most of these fascinating creatures are found in tropical ecosystems all over the world.
This illustrated talk focuses on the cloud forests of Central America, where our speaker, the recognized Bug-Man of McMaster, has conducted research with students–and cameras–during a two-week ecology course in Cusuco National Park in Honduras.  The diversity of arthropods they encountered and the challenges of the extreme cloud forest environment provide fodder fo the Bug-Man’s tales, descriptions, and personal anecdotes.
Marvin Gunderman, instructor and curator of entomology in McMaster’s biology deparmtne for 24 years, teaches an insect field course and insect modules in ecology, biodiverstiy, and evolution.
Free, but voluntary memberships and donations are gratefully accepted, and tax receipts will be provided.  Contacts:  www.haalsa.org,secretary@haalsa.org , 905-521-9438.

Social Scrabble–players of all skill levels are welcome.  Game boards and Scrabble dictionary will be provided.  Free.

Comprising four highly accomplished musicians, bound by their shared passion for the tango and driven by a desire to make a close connection with their audience, Quartango offers a performance filled with subtle nuances and a blend of colours that reflect both the classics and modernity as well as the effervescence of the milonga.  Quartango’s vast repertoire is characterized by refined musical arrangements ,full of energy, the majority of which are the creations of pianist Richard Hunt, who has also composed some 20 original works for the group.  While these arrangements explore Astor Piazzolla’s tango nuevo, they also include hints of the classics, jazz, and Celtic music that are as subtle as they are unexpected.  Quartango sheds new light on the music of the tango, elevating it to an international level. Tickets $20, $15 senior, $5 student.; call 905-525-9140, ext. 24246 or 27671.

Free lunchtime concert with Hamilton Scola Cantorum (Gregorian chant).  The Hamilton Schola Cantorum specializes in liturgical music of the Middle Ages.  Under the direction of William Renwick, this choir has performed throughout the region and has been featured at the Medieval Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the Crammer Conference in Ontario.  This program features selections from the English (Sarum) repertoire, which is being edited and published for the first time by Dr. Renwick on the website sarumcant.ca.  Many of the pieces that you will hear will be performed for the first time in almost 500 years.

Social Scrabble–players of all skill levels are welcome.  Game boards and Scrabble dictionary will be provided.

Hamilton during the War of 1812 with Hamilton Public Library archivist Margaret Houghton.  Register at 905-546-3456.

Words of War:  Poetry of World War I, the first in a three-part series with Dr. Alan Bishop.  To be continued Nov. 5 and 12.