Israeli Culture Connection with Noy
2024-05-14 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Come connect with our Shishin (Junior Israeli ambassador) Noy Laufer, born in Haifa. Noy is spending her gap year after graduating high school working with different institutions. In a roundtable conversation, she will share her experiences and perspectives as an Israeli. Light refreshments will be served.

Israeli Culture Connection with Noy
2024-06-11 11:00 - 12:00
Join us in bidding farewell to our Shishin, Noy Laufer! As she embarks on her journey to serve in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) this fall, let’s gather to celebrate her contributions to the J, indulge in delicious Israeli snacks, and wish her the very best.

Hot Topics: Jews, The Election, and The Media
2024-09-04 11:30 - 13:00
At this pivotal moment in a U.S. election year, join Rabbi Ron Symons, our Senior Director of Jewish Engagement, for a facilitated conversation that will touch on some of these questions:

What is the history of how Jews have served in public office?
How has the media portrayed this?
How does this moment in history, given the increased Jew-hatred (i.e. anti-Semitism), compare to previous moments?

Our conversation will be all the richer because of your presence and/or participation. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome.
Ron joins the Shames JCC as a facilitator of neighbors learning and living in community with one another across real and perceived differences amplifying our shared humanity. He is a weaver of spirituality with a realistic and optimistic vision of community, and welcomes you to weave with him.

Clergy Talk: Messiah or Martyrdom: Religion and Violence in the Name of God
2024-09-06 10:00 - 11:00
Join Rabbi Jay Stein of Greenburgh Hebrew Center for this month’s Clergy Talk (formerly Challenging Times, Ageless Insights).
Each month, we feature meaningful conversations with Rivertowns clergy. Your voice matters and makes these conversations all the more valuable. These are on the first Friday of every month.

Interfaith Dialogue: People of Faith and The Election: Gun Control, Abortion, Economy, Immigration, Character
2024-09-12 10:00 - 11:00
We may not all agree with the correct solutions to every problem in our country, but can we agree on what the problems are? In this session, Reverend Evans and Rabbi Stein will explore what our sacred traditions believe are the important issues that should guide our decisions when we enter the voting booth.
This is part of the Common Ground: Interfaith Dialogue series. Rabbi Jay Stein, Greenburgh Hebrew Center, and Rev. Gareth Evans, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church of Irvington, come together for an enlightening conversation to build bridges across real and perceived differences. Your participation as a “fly on the wall” and/or an engaged conversationalist is welcome. These are on the 2nd Thursday of every month.

Challah and Conversation: Can I Have a Do Over? Please?
2024-09-13 10:00 - 11:00
Join with Rabbi Ron Symons in uncovering the importance of mulligans or do overs not just in sports and games but also in the most important moments of life. This conversation is inspired by the Jewish New Year and will expand into our everyday lives no matter your faith tradition.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, will lead an interactive guided conversation about life that weaves general spirituality with a Jewish lens. We end our time together with a little grape juice and challah. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.
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Challah and Conversation: Apologies are So 20th Century!
2024-09-20 10:00 - 11:00
Join with Rabbi Ron Symons in exploring the power of authentic apologies and the damage of inauthentic apologies. Think about the last time you received a really good apology… How long ago was it? This conversation is inspired by the Jewish practice of apologizing on Yom Kippur and will expand into our everyday lives no matter your faith tradition.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, will lead an interactive guided conversation about life that weaves general spirituality with a Jewish lens. We end our time together with a little grape juice and challah. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: Happy Birthday to You!
2024-09-27 10:00 - 11:00
Join with Rabbi Ron Symons in discussing the history of birthdays and their celebration rituals. With Rosh Hashanah, often called the “birthday of the world,” just days away, this conversation will help us appreciate why marking time is valuable, no matter how old in body or young in heart you are. While this conversation is inspired by Rosh Hashanah, it will expand into our everyday lives no matter your faith tradition.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, will lead an interactive guided conversation about life that weaves general spirituality with a Jewish lens. We end our time together with a little grape juice and challah. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

A Communal Remembrance: October 7 and a Year of War
2024-10-07 19:00 - 20:00
We will come together to acknowledge all of our losses since October 7, 2023, including the loss of innocent lives across faiths, ethnicities, and nationalities; the loss of physical and emotional security felt in the Middle East, the U.S., and around the world; the loss of relationships across differences; and more. Our time together will be a-political and filled with music, readings, and private reflection time.

Common Ground: Has Politics Replaced Religion in America?
2024-10-10 10:00 - 11:00
Given the divisiveness throughout our country, is it possible that some people think political affiliation is more important than religious affiliation? Join us to discuss with Rabbi Jay Stein from the Greenburgh Hebrew Center and Rev. Gareth Evans from the St. Barnabas Episcopal Church of Irvington.
This is part of the Common Ground: Interfaith Dialogue series. Rabbi Jay Stein, Greenburgh Hebrew Center, and Rev. Gareth Evans, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church of Irvington, come together for an enlightening conversation to build bridges across real and perceived differences. Your participation as a “fly on the wall” and/or an engaged conversationalist is welcome. These are on the 2nd Thursday of every month.

Challah and Conversation: The Power of My Word
2024-10-11 09:30 - 10:30
With all the words that easily fly around us on the news, social media, and in conversation, it seems that the weight of our words is less than it used to be. We’ll discuss the importance of sticking to what you say. While this conversation is inspired by the themes of Yom Kippur, its application can touch our everyday lives, no matter your background or faith.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Inside the Middle East: Navigating the Storm One Year After October 7
2024-10-15 19:00 - 20:30
As the Middle East navigates a storm of unprecedented challenges, we stand at a pivotal juncture that will define the future of Israel, the Palestinians, and the entire region. Avi Melamed, former Israeli intelligence official and senior advisor on Arab affairs, will lead a special briefing on the issues underscoring the escalating conflict. We’ll delve deep into the forces driving these turbulent times, unravel the intricate complexities beneath the surface, look at “the day after,” and assess the far-reaching implications for both the region, and the world.
Avi Melamed is a Middle East geopolitical expert and intelligence analyst. He is the founder of Inside the Middle East, an apolitical non-partisan educational nonprofit providing analysis on current affairs. Avi is the author of Inside the Middle East: Entering a New Era, and has been a featured expert in the media including CNN, Newsweek, and USA Today.

Challah and Conversation: Shelter Us!
2024-10-18 09:30 - 10:30
On this second day of the fall holiday of Sukkot, which celebrates the power of shelter in our lives, we will explore both the contemporary challenges of affordable housing in our region and the spiritual power of being sheltered in all kinds of ways. While this conversation is inspired by the themes of Sukkot, its application can touch our everyday lives, no matter your background or faith. (Weather permitting, we might hold this session in our Sukkah (Harvest Hut) on the quad of the JCC.)
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: Voting is Good for Your Health
2024-10-25 09:30 - 10:30
We all know that voting is a good thing to do so that your voice is heard, but what if there was more to it? Join us for a values-based conversation about the way the election process impacts our neighbors: not the political impact, the moral impact on us as neighbors.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Clergy Talk: Racism: What’s Judaism got to do with it?
2024-11-01 09:30 - 10:30
Can an oppressed people like the Jews ever be considered racist? Why should Jews—and white Jews in particular—take racism personally? Cantor Robin Joseph ponders these questions, among others, and explores what are some of our Jewish tradition’s responses to racism and how they might inform our individual perspectives.
Join Cantor Robin Joseph of Temple Beth Shalom for this month’s Clergy Talk (formerly Challenging Times, Ageless Insights). Each month, we feature meaningful conversations with Rivertowns clergy. Your voice matters and makes these conversations all the more valuable. These are on the first Friday of every month.

Challah and Conversation: Patience
2024-11-08 09:30 - 10:30
As we wait for the election results to be finalized, let’s all take a deep breath and find that place inside where we can wait for resolution. The soul trait of patience is a useful tool when it comes to election results and so much more in our lives. We will dust off the cobwebs that prevent us from accessing patience in hopes that we can use it well now and into the future. As always, your presence makes our conversation all the richer.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: Patriotism, Nationalism, Partisan Politics, and Jewish Wisdom
2024-11-15 09:30 - 10:30
In this hypersensitive partisan time in American life, we will benefit from a discussion that draws from the wisdom of Dan Rather from his book What Unites Us, along with 3,000 years of Jewish wisdom to help us make our way through these challenging weeks. As always, your presence makes our conversation all the richer.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: How Every Day Might be Thanksgiving
2024-11-22 09:30 - 10:30
If only we could be thankful the other 364 days of the year. We will gather around in preparation for Thanksgiving to feast on an array of morsels of wisdom and insight to help us strengthen our gratitude muscles. As always, your presence makes our conversation all the richer.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Clergy Talk: The Maccabees in Their Own Words
2024-12-06 09:30 - 10:30
The Books of the Maccabees were written too late to be included in the Hebrew Bible, and too early to make it into the New Testament. They tell the story of Hanukhah from the perspective of those who experienced it, and that retelling is as fascinating for what it leaves out as for what it includes. We’ll look at selected passages and get the eyewitness account of the origin of the Festival of Lights.
Join Rabbi David Holtz of Temple Beth Abraham for this month’s Clergy Talk (formerly Challenging Times, Ageless Insights). Each month, we feature meaningful conversations with Rivertowns clergy. Your voice matters and makes these conversations all the more valuable. These are on the first Friday of every month.

Mohammad Darawshe: Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs Building Shared Society
2024-12-11 19:00 - 20:15
The October 7 Hamas attack and its aftermath deeply impacted all of Israel’s ethnic groups. The Jewish majority experienced indescribable fear, while many citizens comprising the Arab minority–which makes up one-fifth of Israel’s citizenry—faced its own fear of being seen as Hamas terrorists.
Mohammad Darawshe, a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute and director of strategy for the Givat Haviva Center for Shared Society, will discuss his work with Givat Haviva and its impact on Jewish-Arab relations to foster dialogue and mutual respect in Israel and beyond. Q&A will follow.
About the Speaker
Mohammad Darawshe is considered a leading expert on Jewish-Arab relations. He has presented lectures and papers at the European parliament, NATO Defense College, World Economic Forum, and Club de Madrid, US Congress, Herzliya Conference and Israel’s Presidential Conference. Mohammad was the recipient of the Peacemakers Award from the Catholic Theological Union, and the Peace and Security Award of the World Association of NGO’s, and was Leadership Fellow at the New Israel Fund. In 2008, Mohammad Darawshe was elected as a city council member in his hometown Iksal. In 2009, he served as a member of The National Committee which drafted Israel’s Coexistence Education policy. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Hartford University. He lives in Iksal with his wife and four children.

Challah and Conversation: ‘Tis The Season to Be… Interfaith
2024-12-13 09:30 - 10:30
Join Rabbi Ron Symons in a conversation about the power of and challenges with confronting interfaith dialogue, especially now in a world filled with divisions.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: Don’t Let The Light Go Out
2024-12-20 09:30 - 10:30
Join Rabbi Ron Symons in uncovering the deeper meanings of Hanukkah beyond candles, dreidels, latkes, and gelt. Our conversation will help us return to the core light that might spark something new or old deep down inside.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Clergy Talk: Mental Health and Melody: The Power of Music for Wellness
2025-01-03 09:30 - 10:30
Our sacred texts are rife with stories about the mental health of our ancestors. So too do the teachings of our sages grapple with our mental and emotional well-being. We’ll explore how mental health has played a role in Jewish texts, thought, and practice, as well as how Jewish composers have written–and continue to write– music to illustrate and soothe personal turmoil.
Join Cantor Jenna Mark of Woodlands Community Temple for this month’s Clergy Talk (formerly Challenging Times, Ageless Insights). Each month, we feature meaningful conversations with Rivertowns clergy. Your voice matters and makes these conversations all the more valuable. These are on the first Friday of every month.

Challah and Conversation: Endings and Beginnings
2025-01-10 09:30 - 10:30
Join a conversation about the power of turning the page on the past and starting a new chapter. At this season of new year along with a new administration, we’ll discuss how we can use our past experiences to help us nurture future experiences for ourselves and the generations yet to be.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."
2025-01-17 09:30 - 10:30
Join a conversation about the impact of the life, work and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., its roots deep in biblical themes and its branches reaching towards tomorrow.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: The Power of Work
2025-01-31 09:30 - 10:30
Join a conversation about the impact good work has played on our lives and how those who have organized workers have advanced the common good. We can reflect on how meaningful work is an essential part of our individual and collective identities. Our conversation will reach back to the days of the Torah, to the good work of labor organizers of the 20th century, and to our own experiences of work.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Clergy Talk: "Godshopping" with Rabbi Mara Young
2025-02-07 09:30 - 10:30
We know God is one, but Judaism is anything but monolithic in how we understand this principle. Our written and oral traditions present a plethora of authentic “God concepts.” What is yours? In this interactive session, we’ll investigate different ways of thinking about God and then “go shopping” for our own articulation of our relationship to the Divine.
Join Rabbi Mara Young of Woodlands Community Temple for this month’s Clergy Talk (formerly Challenging Times, Ageless Insights). Each month, we feature meaningful conversations with Rivertowns clergy. Your voice matters and makes these conversations all the more valuable. These are on the first Friday of every month.

Challah and Conversation: You Shall Guard and Work The Garden
2025-02-14 09:30 - 10:30
Our earliest stories remind us that we have a responsibility to care for the earth so that we can preserve it for generations to come. In a time when global warming and environmentalism are in the news, join us for a values-based conversation about the balance between using our natural resources with abandon and caring for them.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: Love the Stranger as Yourself
2025-02-28 09:30 - 10:30
For thousands of years we have been instructed to love the stranger because of the way the ancient Israelites were once strangers in Egypt and how powers throughout history have poorly treated the Jewish community. With a new emphasis on immigration in America, join us for a relevant values-based conversation about our obligation to and treatment of those deemed “strangers.”
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.

Challah and Conversation: Purim: Looking for Joy, Especially Now
2025-03-07 09:30 - 10:30
Who couldn’t use just a little more joy? Jewish tradition teaches us that joy increases in the month of Adar (beginning on March 1) as we anticipate the festival of Purim (March 14). Let’s use this tradition to learn how we can infuse simchah (joy) into our daily lives given some of the challenges we face.
In the Challah and Conversation series, Rabbi Ron Symons, Shames JCC Sr. Director of Jewish Engagement, leads interactive guided conversations about life that weave the world around us with general spirituality through Jewish and other lenses. We begin our time together by lighting candles and end with a little grape juice and challah… all in a very inclusive way. Neighbors of all backgrounds are welcome. These are on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Fridays of each month.
