JGrads, the Jewish Graduate Student Association of St. Louis, has received a DIY grant from TENT: Encounters With Jewish Culture to host a new series of events showcasing the art, research and work of local Jewish 20- and 30-somethings.

Katie McGinnis, an MFA candidate at Washington University, partnered with JGrads to apply for the grant to start “Jewish Nerd Nights.” This event series will be held monthly in informal settings such as at bars or coffeehouses and feature three speakers giving short presentations followed by a Q&A. 

The series begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Three Kings Public House, 6307 Delmar Boulevard in the University City Loop. 

The event will feature: 

• Danielle Dutton, author of “Sprawl” (2010) and owner of Dorothy, a publishing project,  who will discuss her experiences in the publishing industry and as a novelist and the leader of an independent press.

• Amy Daitch, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering and neuroscience at Washington University, who will speak about pushing the frontiers of understanding the brain dynamics underlying “tuning in.”

• Jacob Labendz, who will speak about his doctoral research – “Jewish Power” in communist Europe – conducted at Washington University and in Prague.

TENT offers immersive, free, weeklong workshops for anyone age 21 to 30 and curious about the connections between “Jewishness” and modern culture. The DIY grants allow Tent participants to create programs in their home communities that will continue the conversations they started during their weeks together.

JGrads is a project of Chabad on Campus, with funding from Jewish Federation of St.  Louis. Find more information at JGrads.org or by contacting [email protected].