Events

Performances, Screenings, Readings and Lectures

April 18, 2023, online: How Grandparents Can Navigate Family Relationships with the Help of Jewish Tools
A free hour-long webinar hosted by Jewish Grandparents Network, led by Alicia, drawing on concepts from her most recent book, Even God Had Bad Parenting Days.
7 pm ET/4 pm PT, free and open to the public on Zoom, register here.

Portland OR, June 17 and 18, 2023: Girls in Trouble Theatrical Show – Partially Staged Performances!
Can a modern woman find herself in an ancient story?
An 80 minute music-theater adaptation of Alicia’s Girls in Trouble song cycle about Biblical women,
in its second year of development, directed by Nessa Norich and performed by Alicia with actors and a live band!
Two full-length, partially staged performances will take place in Portland on the evening of Sat June 17 and Sun June 18.
Details coming soon. 

Past Performances

March 8-11, 2023: Alicia in Seattle!
The annual writers conference, AWP, is in Seattle this year. The panel on Friday is only open to attendees, but the other off-site events are free and open to the public!

Contemporary Jewish Poets: A Reading Sponsored by Ayin Press & Yetzirah
Thursday, March 9, 7-8:30 @ Temple De Hirsch Sinai (or virtually!)
A reading with Dan Alter, Lauren Camp, Chanda Feldman, Erika Meitner, Alicia Ostriker, Eden Pearlstein, and Alicia Jo Rabins.
Register here to attend in person and/or watch online!

PANEL: Stand (or Sit) and Deliver: Inviting Audiences into Poetry through Performance
Friday March 10, 12:10-1:25 pm, Room 335-336, Summit Building
Convention Center Level 3 (conference badge required to attend)

A Very Important Karaoke Party
Friday, March 10, 9-11 pm @ Hugo House
“Don’t miss A Very Important Karaoke Party, the living musical lit mag, a collaboration between songwriters and audience singers for a night of belting parody songs about being a writer. We’ll commiserate, celebrate, and sing to works by an incredible list of writers”…including Alicia’s collaboration with Vanessa Hua, a parody of Meghan Trainor’s “I Made You Look.”
Sliding scale $0-25, register here, seating is limited

Portland: A Special Poetry reading with Alicia, Gerald Fleming, Joanna Fuhrman & Rodney Koeneke
Sunday, March 12 @ The Stacks, 1831 N Killingsworth
7 pm doors, 7:30 reading, free and open to all!

Thursday, March 9, 7-8:30 @ Temple De Hirsch Sinai (or virtually!)
A reading with Dan Alter, Lauren Camp, Chanda Feldman, Erika Meitner, Alicia Ostriker, Eden Pearlstein, and Alicia Jo Rabins.
Register here to attend in person and/or watch online!

February 2, 2023:  Los Angeles Theatrical Premiere of A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff @ Laemmle Royal
11523 Santa Monica Blvd, 7 pm
tickets here, only $15!  ($10/student!)
also featuring the Los Angeles premiere of Nessa Norich’s short film Jelly Bean!
Alicia & creative team will be in attendance for a live Q&A.

January 25, 2023:  Seattle theatrical premiere of A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff @ NW Film Forum
7:30 pm
Tickets and more info here!
Alicia & creative team will be in attendance for a live Q&A, moderated by Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum.

December 8, 2022:  Portland book launch reading: celebrating Alicia’s new book Even God Had Bad Parenting Days  & poet Liz Harlan-Ferlo’s new book “Incarnation, Again”
@ The Stacks Coffeehouse, 1831 N Killingsworth, 7 pm
discounted books will be available for sale!
free and open to the public – come have some coffee or tea and support local writers & this local book-themed cafe!

November 3, 2022:  A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff Canadian Premiere @ Victoria International Jewish Film Festival
@ Vic Theatre, Victoria BC
with a solo set by Alicia/Girls in Trouble before the film and a live Q&A with Alicia & director Alicia J. Rose after
free, open to all, pre-registration required

November 5, 2022:  Portland Book Festival (Alicia moderates a panel featuring novelist Emiko Jean & poet Matthew Dickman)
@ Portland Book Festival, presented by Literary Arts, all-day tickets $15

November 10, 2022:  A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff screens @ Portland’s MJCC
6 pm “heavy hors d’oeuvres” & songs by Alicia Jo Rabins/Girls in Trouble
6:45 film screening followed by Q&A with Alicia Jo Rabins, director Alicia J. Rose & producer Lara Cuddy
free; suggested donation $18 members, $25 non-members; more info here

November 12, 2022:  Psalms In Search of Home: Three Poets (Dan Alter, Daniela Molnar, Alicia Jo Rabins)
7 pm @ Soma Space, 4050 NE Broadway, PDX
free!  presented by Co/Lab, more info and (free) registration here

April 21, 2022:  Four poets (including Alicia) @ Mother Foucault’s Bookstore
Supporting Julia Guez, NY-based touring poet 

December 22, 2021:  An evening with Alicia Jo Rabins & friends
@ MJCC, Portland OR, 6:30 pm
Alicia will perform songs from her Girls in Trouble song cycle; screen a concept trailer for a Girls in Trouble indie TV adaptation currently in development; and screen excerpts from A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff. Film director Alicia J. Rose and producer Lara Cuddy, collaborators on the TV and film projects, will be present for a Q&A alongside Alicia.
Tickets $5

November 21, 2021:  A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff EUROPEAN PREMIERE!!!!
@ Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn, Estonia
Along with director Alicia J. Rose, Alicia will travel to Estonia for the European premiere of their film
A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff at this prestigious festival!
Tickets and more information here

November 18, 2021:  Solo Girls in Trouble concert @ JW3, live in London! (Also viewable online) 
A rare in-person appearance in London! Tickets are £15 in the building, free online.
Tickets and more information here

October 13-16, 2021:  Alicia performs and teaches @ Faith in Arts Institute, hosted by UNC-Asheville and Black Mountain College
Alicia will perform music & poetry and teach a midrash workshop in-person in Asheville, as well as screening A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff.
A limited number of tickets are available to attend the conference, either in person or (if you prefer) virtually. 
More information here

October 7, 2021:  Solo Girls in Trouble show, streaming – hosted by Fairfield University
open to all, hosted by Fairfield University for Daniel Pearl World Music Day
7:30-9 pm ET/4:30-5 pm PT, free tickets

Sept 23-Oct 3, 2021:  A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff @ Port Townsend Film Festival
Streaming available to anyone living in Oregon or Washington state
Includes a virtual Q&A with the filmmaking team
Tickets here

Sept 16:  Returning to Nourishment: Preparing for Yom Kippur through Song, Poetry and Ritual
an hour-long free virtual session co-led by Alicia Jo Rabins and Sonya Sanford 
Hosted by the Oshman Family JCC in San Francisco, open to all
Free; register in advance here to receive the link

July 24, 2021, 5 pm:  A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff @ San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
In-person Premiere Screening @ the historic Castro Theatre!
Includes a live Q&A with the filmmaking team
Purchase in-person tickets here

July 22-August 1, stream A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff on demand from anywhere in the US thru SFJFF
Free Q&A included (plays after the film)
Purchase $15 streaming tickets here

May 23-30, 2021:  JxJ (Washington DC Jewish Film Festival)
Stream A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff on demand from anywhere in the US!
Only $11 per household, free Q&A included (plays after the film)

Sunday May 16, the Jewish holiday of Shavuot: THREE free, online appearances, open to all!  
4-5:30 Pacific/7-8:30 ET: Ritual/teaching session w/Sonya Sanford via Moishe House PDX (free)
7-8 Pacific/10-11 ET: Mystical Late-Night Poems of Revelation w/Jake Marmer via JewishLive (free)
Time tbd: Labne Cheesecake & Looping Pedals w/Sonya Sanford via Reboot (free, register here)

April 30-May 9, 2021:  SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL
Virtual and in-person festival screenings of A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff!!!
Only $15/8, stream from anywhere in the US during these dates,
with live showings in Sarasota @ CMX CineBistro Siesta Key 5/2 and 5/6.
Tickets here!!!

April 24-25, 2021:  ASHLAND INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
Virtual festival screening of A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff!!!
Only $10, streamable from anywhere in the US during these dates, at your convenience.
Tickets here!!!

March 5-14, 2021:  PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
US Festival Premiere of A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff!!!
Only $9, streamable from anywhere in the US during these dates, at your convenience.
Tickets here!!!
Ticket purchase includes participation in two Q&A’s:
Saturday March 6, 8:30 pm PT: Jewish community Q&A (all are welcome!) hosted by Havurah Shalom of Portland OR / register here
Saturday March 13, 7:30 pm PT:  General public Q&A moderated by Tim Williams of Oregon Film / register here

POSTPONED March 13:  Portland OR
Poetry reading @ Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
with beloved fellow poets Jesse Lichtenstein, David Naimon, Ed Skoog, Chrys Tobey, Van Wheeler
7 pm doors, 7:30 pm reading, free!

POSTPONED March 31:  Portland OR
UN/ROOTED hybrid literary event @ The Chapel Theater, Milwaukie
Tickets: $10, buy in advance here 
Alicia reads and plays music
with Trevino Brings Plenty, Jeff Alessandrelli + Derek Hunter Wilson + Location Services, Jasmine Pettit + Chitra, Barry Brusseau + Dao Strom
7 pm doors, 7:30 pm reading 

CANCELLEDApril 4 – Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland, OR
Alicia reads at Lan Su Chinese Garden’s Peach Blossom Poetry Series
@ the Scholar’s Study inside the Lan Su Garden
4-5 pm, free with membership or museum admission

POSTPONED April 5 – Portland, OR
Jane Mead Tribute reading @ Powell’s Bookstore
with many wonderful local poets, each reading one Jane Mead poem in memoriam
2 pm, free

POSTPONED April 24-25 – Columbia MO
Alicia reads poetry at Unbound Book Festival
more info here

POSTPONED May 13-17: UNC Asheville + Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center
Faith in Arts Institute
Four days of workshops, performances, exhibitions, contemplative practice and conversation.
To join, pre-register here! 

POSTPONEDMay 18-27: Readings and performances in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere
@ Bar Ilan University: Shaindy Rudoff Memorial Conference in Creative Writing
please get in touch if you’d like to book Alicia for an appearance in the region!

March 5:  Portland OR
A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff: The Film, work in progress feedback screening!
@ The Stacks Coffeehouse, 1831 N Killingsworth
come see our very-much-still-in-progress film (70 mins) and give us feedback to help us finish it!
6:30 doors, 6:45 SHARP screening, 8-9 feedback
free and open to the public
supported by a grant from Regional Arts and Culture Council (thank you RACC!)

January 27 + 28 –  Denver
1/27 house concert
1/28 conference presentation @ Association for Reform Jewish Educators 2020 conference December 13,

December 11-13 – Chicago 

• Alicia performs and teaches about Biblical women w/Girls in Trouble  & leads a session on film-in-progress A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff  @ URJ Biennial (open to conference attendees only)
  
  
• evening poetry reading/performance with writer Aviya Kushner
  @ Gallery 1070, 1070 W Granville Ave, Chicago, IL 60660
  7:30 pm, free and open to the public
  http://www.edgewaterartists.com/gallery-1070.html

Thursday November 21, Portland
Poetry reading @ Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
Alicia reads with Seattle poet, Martha Silano
@ Mother Foucault’s, 523 SE Morrison St
7 pm, free

October 25, Portland
Alicia reads poetry @ Filament Poetry Series
@ Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC), 318 SE Main Street
7-9 pm, free

November 3, NYC
Post-production kickoff party/informal fundraiser for A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff!
Including an exclusive screening of rough cuts from our August production!
Free & open to the public, all ages, kids welcome, bring a friend!
123 Cambridge Place, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, 5-7 pm (ends at 7 sharp)
[if you’d like to support but can’t attend, you can donate here – tax deductible!]

November 4, NYC
Alicia reads from Fruit Geode (finalist for the Jewish Book Award in Poetry)
@ Jewish Book Awards ceremony, Harvard Club, NYC (by invitation only)

July 21-24, Portland OR
Girls in Trouble concert and teaching session, + screening of Chavruta: A Drummer’s Bat Mitzvah
@ NewCAJE, Reed College

June 8, Portland OR
Alicia reads from Fruit Geode (w/music!) with Becca Clarren
@ Havurah Shalom (Shavuot celebration – open to all, details coming soon)

May 30, Greenville, SC
Alicia teaches and performs poetry & music at the Peace Center

6:30pm, poetry masterclass + reading FREE and open to the public
details and registration here

April 16, Portland
PDX premiere of Chavruta: A Drummer’s Bat Mitzvah + Q&A
@ MJCC, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy
7 pm

April 16, online
WEBINAR – Girls in Trouble Curriculum, Passover Edition: A Sex-Positive Midrash on the Exodus
1-2 pm ET
hosted by Union for Reform Judaism, open to all!

March 27-30, Portland
Alicia reads as part of AWP (the big writing conference is in Portland this year!):

**Wednesday 3/27:
Off-site kickoff reading @ The Stacks, 1831 N Killingsworth
w/Keetje Kuipers, Erika Meitner, Tess Taylor, & Rachel Zucker
6 pm sharp, free & open to public!

**Thursday 3/28:
Off-site reading for Augury Books, Belladonna* & Noemi @ Studio Faro, 420 SW Washington St. # 302
7-9 pm, free & open to public

**Friday 3/29:
Official panel on Jewish American Literature, Convention Center A103-104, 3 pm (w/conference badge only)
Off-site reading @ No Fair Fair @ Bakery Building, 2222 NE Oregon, readings all night – free & open to public, Alicia reads at 10:10 pm

**Saturday 3/20:
Fruit Geode book signing @ Augury Books table, #9055, 1-2 pm, open to public (bring hotel toiletries to donate to Portland Rescue Mission!)
Official reading with Mark Conway, Nick Flynn, Nicole Sealey, Jenny Xie, Convention Center B110-112, 4:30 pm (w/conference badge only);
Off-site reading for Awst/Future Tense/SEMO Press @ Dig-A-Pony, (6 pm-ish, open to public)
Off-site reading, Bookseller’s Ball @ Star Theater (9 pm-ish, open to public)

March 24, Miami Beach
Alicia reads poetry @ The Betsy Hotel
1440 Ocean Drive, 4:30-5:30 pm,
with Irish poet, Julie Morrissy

February 17, 2019, Portland
Alicia reads as part of Why There are Words reading series
4-6 pm @ Leach Botanical Garden, 6704 SE 122nd Ave

February 23, 2019, NYC
NYC premiere of Chavruta: A Drummer’s Bat Mitzvah + performance + Q&A!
@ Town and Village Synagogue, 334 E 14th St
7 pm Havdala ceremony led by Jewish Priestess Kohenet Shamirah (aka Sarah Chandler)
7:30 pm Film screening + Q&A with Alicia and Lisa
followed by short performances by Alicia & Lisa + celebration!
$5-20 Sliding scale, open to all

January 28, 2019, Palo Alto, CA
Solo Girls in Trouble show + open mic
@ “Culture Grinds”, Kehillah Jewish High School
7 pm, free & open to the public, details here

January 27, Berkeley, CA
Alicia reads & performs at “Mothers in Art” @ JCC East Bay
afternoon appearance!  3 pm, details coming shortly 
w/Thea Hillman and Kelly Shimoda

December 23-27, Birmingham UK
Alicia reads & performs at Limmud Festival UK!
Open to festival attendees only

January 11, 2019, Olympia, WA
Alicia reads and performs at Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE
7:45 pm, free and open to the public
(if you’re interested in the full Friday night shebang – Shabbat services at 6 pm, Shabbat dinner at 7, open to all, $10 for dinner)

January 17, 2019, Portland, OR
Alicia reads at Powell’s Books
w/Allison Cobb, Ashley Toliver & Hajara Quinn

January 19, 2019, Seattle, WA
Alicia reads & performs at Limmud Seattle (open to festival attendees only)

January 20, Seattle, WA
Alicia reads at Open Books, 2414 N 45th St
5 pm, free and open to the public, w/Jay Aquinas Thompson

Saturday, November 10 – Portland, OR
Alicia reads @ the Portland Book Festival! 

Thursday, November 15 –  San Francisco
Fruit Geode launch reading/performance 
at Adobe Books & Arts Cooperative
3130 24th St, SF (in the Mission)
a double book-launch with the wonderful Jake Marmer!!!
7 pm, free! 

Sunday, November 25 – Baltimore
Fruit Geode book launch reading and performance!!!!
at The Ivy Bookshop 
6080 Falls Road
Baltimore, MD 21209
5 pm, free and open to the public ** note this is an afternoon reading**

Monday, November 26 – NYC
Alicia reads & performs at The Poetry Project
131 E 10th Street @ 2nd Ave
w/Vi Khi Nao
8 pm, $8/$5 members, tickets here

Tuesday, November 27 – Amherst, MA
student workshop, Hampshire College

Wednesday, November 28 – Hadley, MA
class visit, Mt Holyoke college

Thursday, November 29 – Exeter, NH
@ the Word Barn
66 Newfields Rd, Exeter, NH 03833
open to the public!

Saturday October 6 – Portland, OR
Fruit Geode book launch/performance!
@ Mother Foucault’s Bookshop with Mat Johnson
523 SE Morrison St.
7 pm, free

October 20-21 –  Seaview, WA
Airstream Poetry Festival @ Sou’wester!
Alicia reads, performs & teaches @ this festival at the inimitable Sou’wester Lodge
$15, call (360) 642-2542 for lodging or more info!

Thursday, October 25 –  Northampton, MA
Fruit Geode launch reading/performance w/Mimi Farb
@ Iconica Social Club, 7 pm door, 7:30 show
BYOB, snacks & drinks available for purchase 

Sunday, October 28 –  Fruit Geode NYC launch reading/performance!!!
14th St Y Theatre, 344 E 14th St
An evening of Jewish Women Writers from the West
with novelist Rebecca Clarren & poet Lynn Melnick
Q&A to follow
free and open to public, RSVP requested
doors 6:30, reading starts at 7 pm

Wednesday June 27 – Portland, OR
Alicia reads poetry at Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
with Kai Carlson-Wee and Brandon Jordan Brown
523 SE Morrison St.
7 pm, free

Wednesday July 18 – Portland, OR
Alicia reads poetry at Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
with Norman Fischer and Alicia Cohen
523 SE Morrison St.
7 pm, free

Thursday May 17 – Los Angeles
Alicia performs music as part of an event at
Emerson College/LA, 7-9 pm

Wednesday April 25 – Online: webinar on Girls in Trouble Curriculum
Through Jewish Women’s Archive, free and open to all!
“Women’s Agency and Power in the Torah”
(explored through Sotah and the Daughters of Tzelofchad)
10am PST/1pm EST
Sign up here!

Tuesday April 24 – Vancouver, WA: Poetry reading by Alicia
@ Barnes & Noble, 7700 NE 4th Plain Blvd, Vancouver Plaza
Free and open to all! Starts at 7 pm with open mic.

March 6 – Girls in Trouble performance at UNC Asheville, NC

Hosted by the Center for Jewish Studies

Location: Humanities Lecture Hall at UNC Asheville
Free and open to the public

More info here.

February 17, 2018, LimmudNY @ Princeton, NJ
Alicia performs (Girls in Trouble solo)
& teaches (The Torah of Leonard Cohen+Spiritual Autobiography)
details here

February 8, Portland OR
Preview screening of Chavruta: A Drummer’s Bat Mitzvah
a 15-minute documentary by Jodi Darby
about Alicia Jo Rabins and Lisa Schonberg’s year
of Torah study, drum lessons, & feminist ecology!
@ the Oregon Jewish Museum, 724 NW Davis Street
noon-1 pm, BYO lunch, Q&A with Alicia and Lisa to follow the screening
details here

January 27, 2018, Portland OR
Girls in Trouble duo (Alicia + Aaron)
@ the Laurelthirst Public House, 2958 NE Glisan St
Girls in Trouble @ 9 pm, with two excellent bands to follow

Nov-Dec 2017, Western Mass
Alicia’s music & sound design in the installation Showing
Mazmanian Gallery @ Framingham State University, MA

November 8: Portland OR
Alicia reads new poems for Literary Arts
925 SW Washington, 7 pm, free

Through November 2017, Venice Italy
Alicia’s music in Hadassa Goldvicht’s video installation
The House of Life
Querini Stampalia, Venice, Italy

November 16: AJR solo in Western Massachusetts

Red Barn at Hampshire College, Amherst, MA. 8pm

FREE. Donations to the artist accepted by cash or check at the door. RSVP to ebSA@hampshire.edu; 5 college students free.

November 11: AJR performs at Wordstock, 
Portland’s awesome literary festival!
a 30-minute acoustic fiddle/folksong set in the Portland Art Museum

Modern & Contemporary Art galleries

11:15-11:45 am, included with $15-18 Wordstock admission

More info here

Oct 3, 17, 31: The Torah of Leonard Cohen
at Mittleman JCC, Portland
Tuesdays, 11-12:30 pm, $15/class or $40 for series
more at www.judaicstudies.org

Oct 14: Chavruta: A Drummer’s Bat Mitzvah
A Ritual Performance about Faith, (Eco)-Feminism, Drumming, & Ancient Sumerian Goddesses
by AJR and Lisa Schonberg
co-presented by Interfaith Muse
at Leavenspace, 5431 NE 20th Avenue, Portland, 7:30 pm, followed by a Q&A
$5 donation invited (not required) – all proceeds go to UniteOregon and BARK
thanks to RACC (Regional Arts and Culture Council) for supporting this project!
*keep an eye out for the documentary short about the project by Jodi Darby, coming 2018

September 11: Poetry as Spiritual Autobiography: A Generative Workshop

Through Mountain Writers
Multnomah Friends Meeting House, 4312 SE Stark, Portland
6-9 pm, $95, open to all levels
info & sign up here

August 16: Poetry Reading with Alicia Jo Rabins & Allison Tobey

Through Mountain Writers
@ Ford Food and Drink, 2505 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR
7:30 pm, free!