WE ARE LATVIAN Touring Exhibit
"We Are Latvian" exhibit launch event and Latvian independence day celebration stream — https://www.youtube.com/@LatvianSociety/live
Presented by the Latvian Museum, Rockville, MD in affiliation with the American Latvian Association
The Philadelphia Latvian Society is pleased to announce the installation of a touring exhibit, We Are Latvian, that addresses 1,000 years of the history of Latvia and the historical Latvian territories in Europe’s Baltic region.
Opening on Saturday, November 16 at 2:00 PM, with a celebration of Latvian Independence Day, the exhibit will run through Saturday, November 30.
FEATURED EVENTS
“Bearing Witness: Firsthand Accounts of Latvia’s Fight For Freedom” - November 16th 2:00pm
Lecture by Kaija Straumanis, Editorial Director at Open Letter Books, on: “Dictionaries and Heritage: Tools of a Second-Generation Translator.” Folk dance ensemble Filadelfijas Dzirkstele (Philadelphia Spark) will perform traditional Latvian folk dances - November 23rd 2:00pm
The exhibit will be open:
Saturday, November 16: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, November 17: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Friday, November 22: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday, November 23: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, November 24: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Saturday, November 30: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Winter Holiday Market
Spreading holiday cheer since the 1960s! Come one, come all!
Amazing vendors, delicious food, silent auction, raffles, door prize, children’s corner, live music, social evening, and so much more!
TILTS’ 55th Anniversary Tour
*Event takes place at:
Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church of St John
301 N Newtown Street Rd
Newtown Square, PA 19073
TILTS' 55th anniversary tour will feature the performances of two outstanding Latvian personalities in the field of music and theater — pianist Andrejs Osokins and actor Gundars Āboliņš with their jointly created literary-musical composition "Sajūtu spēles" (Feelings' Play) in its American premier.
Latvian Cultural Society TILTS has organized these tour concerts in cooperation with: Latvian organizations in Washington (LOV), the Embassy of Latvia to the USA, the Philadelphia Society of Free Letts, the Philadelphia Latvian Ev. Luth. St. John's congregation, Cleveland Latvian Concert Association and Estonian House.
The Baltic Way - Commemorating 35 years together
Join us at the Lithuanian Music Hall in Philadelphia as we commemorate the 35th anniversary of The Baltic Way
Latvian Legion Talk
Foreign Uniforms, Latvian Spirits: National Culture in the Latvian Legion and Latvian Rifle Corps
Guest Speaker: Harry C. Merritt
Many Latvians fought in World War II, yet they were not able to do so in the Latvian Army. Instead, they served in the militaries of the foreign powers that occupied Latvia: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Yet most were assigned to specially designated national units for Latvians—the Latvian Legion and the Latvian Rifle Corps respectively—where soldiers in each took the special privileges offered and sought to expand them further. By drawing on a wide range of first-person primary sources, this talk explores how Latvians on both sides articulated and celebrated being Latvian while in foreign uniform, providing them a national haven and motivating them to fight under harsh conditions.
Harry C. Merritt is a Postdoctoral Associate in History and Holocaust Studies at the University of Vermont. He is in the process of publishing a book on the creation, wartime experience, and legacies of Latvian national military units that fought on opposite sides of World War II. Harry’s most recent publication is a chapter in Defining Latvia: Recent Explorations in History, Culture, and Politics (Central European University Press, 2022).
TILTS 55
TILTS celebrates 55!
Ģirts Zeidenbergs and TILTS’ activities narrative by Sandra Zeidenbergs Jansons
Concert by guitarist and composer Matīss Čudars
Group Sing - remembering Ģirts Zeidenbergs
Amber Table snacks and coffee
ASTRA - Film
ASTRA film and Q+A with the film’s creative team
Showing of the movie Astra about Gunārs Astra who was a Latvian human rights activist and an anti-Soviet dissident, arrested by the Soviet Union in 1961, then sentenced to prison for 15 years. He was released in 1976. In 1983, he was arrested again, but released several weeks before his death. - "I believe that these times will be over like a bad dream."
Lett's Dance
An evening of polka and singing! Fun for all ages!
Philadelphia’s Latvian Folk Dance Group Dzirkstele will perform
ALMA Art Exhibit
ALMA art exhibit featuring Latvian artists - pieces from paintings to glassware
Exhibit will be open:
Saturday 4/6 2 - 8 pm
Sunday 4/7 12 - 4 pm
Friday 4/12 5 - 8 pm
Saturday 4/13 2 - 8 pm
Sunday 4/14 12 - 4 pm
Sustainability in our Closet
Sustainability in our Closet / Ilgstpēja mūsu skapī
Presentation and workshop led by Karīna Plotņikova
Bring an old t-shirt or two that can be cut up and used in the workshop!
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainability-in-our-closet-tickets-875593562917
Film Screening: My Love Affair With Marriage
Join us for an exclusive screening of an animated masterpiece directed by the visionary Signe Baumane!
Monthly Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting at 3pm on Sunday, March 24th before the screening of Signe Baumane’s My Love Affair With Marriage.
The Relevance of Latvia's Museum of the Occupation for Today: Dignity, Memory and Security
A presentation by Māra Lazda and Pēteris Dajevskis
Annual Meeting + Social Evening
The Philadelphia Society of Free Letts invites you to the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 10th at 4 pm. Social evening will follow!
Meeting + Social Evening
We’ll raise our glasses to the bright future of the Latvian Society!
Holiday Social Evening
Join us for a Holiday Social Evening featuring The Alverson Brothers! They’ll put you in a festive mood!
Winter Holiday Market!
Come one, come all to our famous Winter Holiday Market! December 2nd, 2023.
Social evening to follow.
Latvia’s Independence Day Celebration
Latvijas Neatkarības Atcere
Latvia’s Independence Day Celebration
Jānis Žaklis and the Latvians who battled British police and military after the 1905 Revolution
Jānis Čakars interviews Philip Ruff, author of A Towering Flame: The Life and Times of the Elusive Latvian Anarchist Peter the Painter in depth on the radio program Items of Interest.
Thanks to Laila Čakare for her production assistance.
7:00-8:00 p.m., G-Town Radio
Listen at gtownradio.com
Film Night "Dream Team 1935”
To honor the Latvian national basketball team’s historic run in this year’s World Cup, The Latvian Society will premiere the film “Dream Team 1935”
Fundraiser/August Monthly /Novuss Night
Our August monthly meeting will be held in person and via Zoom. Please RSVP to blbphilly@gmail.com for a link. There will be a happy hour after the meeting. See you there!
Jāņu svinības + Mēnešsapulce / Summer solstice celebration + Monthly meeting
June Member Meeting & Summer solstice celebration. Saturday, June 24. Come one come all!
May Monthly Meeting (Via Zoom)
Our May monthly meeting will be held via Zoom. Please RSVP to blbphilly@gmail.com for a link. See you there!
The Spirit of Latvian Song and Dance in America: 1953-2023
An afternoon of song, dance, history, and memories. The event begins at 2 PM.
April Baltic Happy Hour
Join us for Baltic Happy Hour! An occasional series of get-togethers aiming to foster merriment and community amongst the Baltic Community of Philadelphia. Friday, April 28, 2023 at 6 PM
Monthly Member Meeting - April
Join us for our monthly meeting at 2pm on Sunday April 16th.
2023 Annual Meeting / Gada Sapulce
You are invited to The Philadelphia Society of Free Letts Annual Meeting, held on March 26th, 2023 at 2 PM • 531 N. 7th St Philadelphia, PA 19123
TALK & DISCUSSION w/ DAGNIJA BALTIŅA
Talk and discussion with Dagnija Baltiņa, Director of Special Collections at the National Library of Latvia & 22-23 & Ford Foundation Mason Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. March 18th, 2023 at 1:30 PM.
Krogu Gājienā/Bar Crawl
Join us for a tour of local breweries near The Latvian Society.
