WOODBRIDGE – The JCC of Greater New Haven is the recipient of a $24,000 grant awarded by CT Humanities in support of the JCC’s 2016-2017 arts and cultural events season.

The series, says Dr. Mara Balk, the JCC’s program director, adds a “unique component to the Greater New Haven community’s cultural learning opportunities by examining global themes such as politics, racism, history, media, culture and more with a Jewish lens.”

The series tackles issues related to history, politics, current events, race/racism, ethnicity, family structure, and parenting through artistic and cultural mediums. Events planned for the 2016-2017 season:

• Sept. 19 – A live podcast with Tablet Magazine called “Unorthodox,” exploring the “science” associated with elections and campaigning, the power of prediction, and the ethical implications of information distribution tactics.

• Dec. 3 – “Fried Chicken and Latkes,” performed by Rain Pryor. The one-woman show, accompanied by a live band, tackles race, religion, and spirituality in the 1960’s. Q & A with Pryor will follow.

• March 4-5 – “A Jewish Joke” performed by Phil Johnson. The story of Bernie Lutz, a Hollywood screenwriter navigating the Communist blacklist in the 1950’s.

• March 30 – Lewis Bernstein, former producer of Sesame Workshop who guided Sesame Street and Shalom Sesame for several decades, will speak.

• April 30 – A screening of the Israeli coming-of-age documentary “Beneath the Helmet.” Part of the 2017 Beckerman Jewish Film Series.