Shames JCC

Chamber Music Performance -- Woodwind Quintet
2022-06-20 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
The Hudson Valley Chamber Musicians will be playing music written for chamber ensembles such as our woodwind quintet. They will also be performing music that has been arranged from larger works such as operas and hopefully the audience will recognize these familiar melodies. They will present to the audience a mix of styles and musical periods that they hope the audience enjoys.

Welcome Party with Coffee and Bagels
2022-09-12 10:00
FREE – Welcome Back Bagels and Schmooze with CEO Adam Weiss and Carly Jacobs, Director of Adult Programs

Stop by for bagels and coffee and learn about upcoming Renard lectures as well as new and expanded programs for active older adults this fall. Have an idea for a workshop, class, or outing? Let us know….we’re open to all suggestions!

Exploring DNA and Judaism: Poetry Discussion with Robin Dellabough
2022-09-19 10:00 - 23:30
At age 67, Robin Dellabough was surprised to learn through 23andMe that her biological father was not the man who raised her and that she’s 50% Ashkenazi Jewish. Her new book of poetry, Double Helix, explores the fallout from that discovery and the process of reconciliation with her mother and both fathers, all of whom are deceased. Books available for purchase or pre-order by emailing cjacobs@shamesjcc.org.
Robin Dellabough is an Irvington-based poet, editor, and writer with a master’s degree from UC Berkeley School of Journalism. Her poems have appeared in Stoneboat, Fifth Estate, Lines + Stars, Halfway Down the Stairs, The Gentian Journal, Tiny Spoon, Maryland Poetry Review, Blue Unicorn, Westchester Review, and other publications and anthologies. A founding partner at Lark Productions: A Book Company, she has written, edited and contributed to more than sixty books. Her current position is Projects Director, Publishers Marketplace/Publishers Lunch.

Baseball in the American Culture with Evan Weiner
2022-10-03 10:00 - 11:30
Baseball has been embedded in the American culture since the end of the Civil War. There have been poems, songs, comedy routines, movies, TV shows, books with baseball themes. Baseball cards also were a big part of the culture. Casey At the Bat was required reading for elementary school students at one point. Abbott and Costello’s Who’s On First routine debuted on radio and led them to the Hall of Fame. The name Cooperstown means something special. And even Broadway got into the act with a play. Nobody ever wanted to be “Wally Pipped”. Even today business analytics may have evolved from Money Ball. Baseball was once the king of American sports, that may have ended but baseball in the culture has never gone away.

Registration to come later

Introduction to Plant-Powered Nutrition
2022-10-24 10:00 - 11:30
If you’ve ever struggled with chronic illness — or supported someone else who has — join Plant Powered Metro New York for this empowering introduction to the evidence behind whole food, plant-based nutrition for lifelong health.
You’ll learn how a diet comprised largely of unprocessed plant foods can clear arteries, improve gut health, put diabetes into remission, and prevent cognitive decline, among many other feats!
Learn the basics with Lianna Levine Reisner, PPMNY’s Network Director, and get inspired with simple meal ideas from Karina Pearse, a certified health coach and certified Food for Life instructor.
Take away tips, tools, and resources to take charge of your health now, in the comfort of your own home and kitchen. Enjoy a cooking demo during the class as well!
Plant Powered Metro New York empowers people to find better health and overcome chronic disease through whole food, plant-based nutrition. Learn more here

Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire with Eugene Boesch
2022-10-31 10:00 - 11:30
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory at Washington Square in New York City burned, killing 145 workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history as the deaths were largely preventable – most of the victims, young immigrant women, died as a result of neglected safety features and locked doors within the factory building. The tragedy brought widespread attention to the dangerous workshop conditions of factories of the day and lead to the development of laws and regulations that better protected the safety of workers.

Improving Balance & Reducing Fall Risks with Glenn Eisen
2022-11-07 10:00 - 23:30
Explore balance improvement techniques to reduce falls with Tai Chi instructor Glenn Eisen. The likelihood of falling increases as we get older, and the fear of falling can actually increase the probability that a fall will occur. Glenn Eisen will provide helpful information and movement exercises that focus on balance improvement in accordance with The National Institute of Aging’s recommended balance program.

Famous African American Artists with Sue Altman
2022-11-14 10:00 - 23:30
From colonial times to the present day, African American artists have had an impact on the art world. This course covers the artists of the Harlem Renaissance including famous names like Jacob Lawrence, Augusta Savage, Faith Ringold, and Romare Bearden, and several self-taught or outsider artists. Also included are some contemporary standouts like Kehinde Wiley, Kara Walker, and Mark Bradford.
Suzanne Altman is an artist, art educator, and art historian who teaches and lectures throughout the Hudson Valley, New Jersey, and Connecticut. She also paints out of her studio in Ossining and exhibits her paintings frequently.

World Folklore and Folktales
2022-11-21 10:00 - 11:30
World Folklore and Folktales
Join us for a presentation about all the different folklore and folktales from around the world!

About the presenter:
Actor/entertainer and acclaimed storyteller Richard Mann has performed at the New Jersey Storytelling Festival and was featured at the Morris World Storytelling Festival. His programs embrace many cultures and languages. He also has performed his Irish Balladeers show at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston. Today he will present “World Folktales” and will regale you with stories and folklore from around the world and enchant your imagination!

Live Performance and Lecture from Yiddish Musical Theater
2022-11-28 10:00 - 11:30
Join us for a live performance that takes you on a journey through the music and history of a bygone era but one whose effects are still felt today. Native Yiddish speaker, Dr. Diane Cypkin, will sing and discuss the wonderful songs made famous by legends like Molly Picon and Menasha Skulnik, while discussing the great Yiddish songwriters and anecdotes from the Yiddish stage.

Music of The Great Migration
2022-12-05 10:00 - 11:30
In one of the greatest mass migrations in history, between 1910 and 1970 an estimated six million American blacks left the rural South for the industrial cities of the North . Their music came with them and was transformed and vitalized by the sounds and energy of the big cities. In this lecture we will listen to and discuss some of the songs that reflected the dreams, romance, and homesickness felt by those who boarded the trains for new places and new lives that would change them and music forever.

Film Screening followed by Q&A with Director Jeremy Newberger: Heading Home
2022-12-12 10:00 - 12:00
Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel.

Join us to watch this riveting David-and-Goliath story of Israel’s national baseball team as it competes for the first time in the World Baseball Classic.
After years of crushing defeats, Israel finally ranks among the world’s best in 2017. Its roster includes many Jewish-American major leaguers, most with a tenuous relationship to Judaism, barely any ever having set foot in Israel. Their odyssey takes them from the Holy Land where they are hailed as modern-day Maccabees to the tournament in South Korea where they must debunk their reputations as has-beens and wannabes. The connection to Israel that the players forge pushes them to unexpected heights as they represent the country on the world stage.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A discussion with the director. Watch the trailer here.

Protect Yourself Online with Roberta Goodman
2022-12-19 10:00 - 11:30
Even the savviest of consumers can still be compromised by online scams. Attorneys from the Pace Women’s Justice Center will highlight current tech scams to help you protect yourself online, especially during the busy holiday season. You’ll come away with helpful tools to safely use the internet while protecting your online identity.

Ukraine and the Power of Music with Irena Portenko
2023-01-09 10:00 - 11:00
Ukraine and the Power of Music with Irena Portenko
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine nearly one year ago, internationally renowned Ukranian concert pianist and music teacher Irena Portenka has raised more than $70,000 by organizing and performing in concerts to assist displaced Ukrainian musicians and to support displaced families. She will draw from research and her own personal experience, to speak on how the transformative power of music affects people inside and outside Ukraine. This presentation includes a lecture and music listening experience.
About the Presenter:
Named to a “select circle” of pianists by The New York Times, Irena Portenko, DMA is a sought-after concert pianist, music educator and mentor. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Dr. Portenko first displayed a talent for the piano at age three, making her debut performing Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto in D Major with the Ukrainian National Orchestra at the age of eight.
Dr. Portenko has served as piano faculty at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and at The Music Conservatory of Westchester in New York, teaching music history and theory classes and piano instruction. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Kyiv National Academy of Music, followed by her postgraduate degree from the Ukrainian National Academy of Music. She received her master’s and doctoral degrees in music and piano performance from the University of Michigan School of Music. She currently resides in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

"The Diversity of Westchester Birds: From Eagles to Warblers."
2023-01-23 10:00 - 11:30
Join the Executive Director of the Saw Mill RIver Audubon as she shares beautiful images, sounds, videos of Westchester birds across the seasons and in various county birding hotspots. Tips on how to start birding and how to have bird-friendly, bird-safe properties whether residential, business or community-owned will also be covered.

America Calling: How our universities attract the world's talent and why it matters with Dr. Rajika Bhandari
2023-01-30 10:00 - 11:00
America Calling: How our universities attract the world’s talent and why it matters with Dr. Rajika Bhandari
For over 200 years, American colleges and universities have attracted students from around the world, with this type of educational exchange being a critical form of soft diplomacy for the U.S. Drawing upon her research and her award-winning memoir, America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility, Dr. Rajika Bhandari, an international higher education expert and local Irvington resident, will discuss the value of international students and skilled immigrants to the U.S., and how continuing to keep the doors open to global talent is critical to the economic, social, and cultural future of the country. Books will be available for sale and signing.

Challenging Times, Ageless Insights
2023-02-03 10:00 - 11:30
Challenging Times, Ageless Insights
Student Rabbi Solomon Hoffman from Mishkan Ha’am will draw from ancient Jewish stories from the Torah and Talmud to explore multiple perspectives on how we face the universal human challenges of sickness and death. The discussion will explore how these stories resonate today, and how they intersect with our recent experience of living through a pandemic. We will focus on how community and resilience show up in these narratives, and how these texts can support our individual and collective healing.

“Challenging Times, Ageless Insights” offers participants the opportunity to engage with clergy in exploring contemporary issues through a Jewish lens. These discussions will provide insights, debate, and if we are successful, even more questions.

Can the UN be made more effective?
2023-02-06 10:00 - 11:00
The UN recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. But the nature of conflict and crisis has shifted, and the UNd needs to be adapted and strengthened to meet today’s global challenges and maintain credibility. This is worth the effort as the UN remains the key global institution with the all-important goal of securing world peace and security and controlling political violence. David Cheney will discuss the reforms needed, and what it will take to get there.
David M. Cheney is a consultant to international economic institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and UN. He spent 24 years as Division Chief at the IMF. Previously. David was an economist at Chase Bank and at the US Export-Import Bank. He currently teaches courses on international economics and writing at the Global Affairs Center of NYU’s School of Professional Studies and runs a weekly discussion group on foreign affairs at the Manhattan JCC.

The Climate Crisis and Emerging Climate Technologies
2023-02-27 10:00 - 11:00
In the last few years, it’s been clear to most Americans that climate change is with us already and its destructive impacts are growing. Scientists are researching ways to pull C02 out of the atmosphere and develop other new technologies to decrease climate risks. Join us to learn about these and explore the potential benefits and risks–, and how do they compare to the risks of not intervening.
About the presenter: Cynthia Scharf was the head of strategic communications and speechwriter on climate change for former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon from 2009-2016. She previously worked for the UN and numerous NGOs on emergency humanitarian relief. She and her family live in Sleepy Hollow.

New York State Constitution with Juliet Gobler, Esq.
2023-03-13 10:00 - 11:30
On January 24, 2023, the New York legislature passed the Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”);New Yorkers will vote on its ratification on the November 2024 ballot. The NYS ERA would prohibit discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex — including their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes. We will discuss the current equal rights protections under our state constitution, the gaps that a NYS ERA will fill –including preserving reproductive rights for New Yorkers– and the hundred-year history of the fight for a federal ERA.
About the Presenter:
Juliet Gobler is an attorney and social activist with a demonstrated passion to end gender discrimination. She proudly served as the President of the National Organization for Women’s Suffolk County Chapter for three terms. Juliet is the principal of The Law Office of Juliet Gobler in White Plains, New York. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Stony Brook University in Women’s and Gender Studies, with a focus on Gender and Social Change, and her Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law.

Local Justice and Injustice with Judge Walter Schwartz
2023-03-20 10:00 - 11:30
Walter Schwartz, a longtime Village Justice in Westchester, will speak and answer questions candidly about his own experiences and observations inside the local judicial system. If you’ve ever, or even if you’ve never, gotten a parking ticket or served as a juror, you’ll want to tell it to this retired judge and hear what he has to say about how “justice” is dispensed and judges are chosen.

Censorship in America with Evan Weiner
2023-03-24 08:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-10 10:00 - 11:00
Censorship in America with Evan Weiner
Censorship in American media has been going on for decades. Historically, books have been banned, content for television deeply restricted, and movies edited for obscenity. Journalist and media expert Evan Weiner will discuss the why and how of censorship in America that has persisted despite the freedom of speech amendment.

Women's History Month with Dana Rubin
2023-03-27 10:00 - 11:30
To celebrate Women’s History Month, Dana will be telling us about what inspired her to rescue women’s speeches from obscurity. She’ll share a few stories about historic women speakers you may not have heard of — from right in our backyard. And she’ll explain why it’s so important that we shift our understanding of who spoke out in history to include women. She makes a powerful case that unless you know the history of women’s speech, you don’t really know American history — and that all our public voices are needed to create the world we want to live in.
Dana Rubin is a consultant, speechwriter, and speaker who’s on a mission to encourage more women to put their views into the public square. She created the Speaking While Female Speech Bank to broaden our understanding of the role of women orators in history. It’s the world’s largest online archive of women’s speeches from around the world and across time, free for anyone to use. She’s also about to publish a women’s speech anthology, “Speaking While Female: 75 Extraordinary Speeches by American Women,” which tells the story of America through the voices of women, from 1637-2021. Dana is a speaker and a public speaking coach, and she leads workshops that support women to be thought leaders, subject matter experts, brand ambassadors, and role models for future generations of women and girls.

Getting your Legal Documents in Order with Roberta Goodman and Nicole Fields
2023-04-03 10:00 - 11:00
Getting your Legal Documents in Order with Roberta Goodman and Nicole Fields
When was the last time you updated your health proxy information? Do you have a Power of Attorney? Lots of things change as we age and it’s important to make sure your decisions keep pace with your changing needs and relationships. At this hybrid lecture/workshop led by attorneys from the Pace Women’s Justice Center, you will learn which legal documents you need at this point in your life and what has changed in NY law in the last few years. You’ll also have the opportunity to fill out a health proxy form onsite and ask questions along the way. At the end of the program, an attorney will serve as a notary for any outstanding needs (remember to bring a photo ID if using the notary service).
About the Presenters:
Roberta S. Goodman, Esq. is a senior staff attorney in the Elder Justice unit with the Pace Women’s Justice Center in White Plains. She represents, educates and advocates in a broad range of matters, including financial exploitation, securing family court orders of protection for incidents of domestic disputes, voluntary guardianships, advance planning and negotiating legal resolutions involving abusive living situations.
Nicole H. Fields is a staff attorney in the Training, Outreach & Education Department of Pace Women’s Justice Center. Through outreach and training programs, Fields raises awareness and trains law enforcement, social service providers, law students, and communities on domestic violence, sexual abuse and elder abuse issues.

Yom Ha Shoah Reflections: A Jewish Childhood in WWII Britain
2023-04-17 10:00 - 11:30
Cynthia Ehrenkrantz was six in 1939 when Britain entered World War II. Seeking Shelter is her vivid child’s-eye account of life in wartime England as she lived it: an adored only child in a large Jewish clan whose comfortable existence became one of food shortages, gas masks, air-raid sirens, and – worst of all – being sent away for months and years at a stretch to escape German bombs. Cynthia will reflect on the mixed realities of wartime and read passages from her book.
About the Presenter: Originally from London, Cynthia’s work has appeared in Gourmet News Magazine, Simple Cooking, Jewish Post & News, riverSedge: a Journal of Art and Literature, and How Not to Greet Famous People: The Best Stories from Ducts.org. A resident of White Plains, NY, she also performs her work at regional storytelling events and sings with the Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus.

Screening and Q&A of Dear Babe
2023-04-24 10:00 - 11:30
Dear Babe follows the journey of a young Jewish American soldier who fought in World War II and was among the first to liberate a concentration camp. Rosanne Ehrlich, the film’s director and former VP of Paramount Pictures, will talk about the process of turning letters sent home and archival footage into an award-winning documentary that was shown on PBS and in film festivals.
About the Presenter: Roseann Ehrlich has worked in the movie and TV industry for twenty-five years, including as a writer-producer on shows such as The Great Ships series for the History Channel, and as a V.P. for Paramount Pictures.

Before There Was Elvis with Michael Shamosh
2023-05-08 10:00 - 11:30
Before There Was Elvis with Michael Shamosh
Elvis Presley, a cultural icon of the mid-20th century, borrowed from several musical styles during his career. In this lecture, we’ll discuss, and listen to, the music that influenced Elvis and learn how he brought these musical forms into the mainstream. We’ll hear the music of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Hank Snow, Arthur Crudup, and others as we examine the environment that was instrumental in the creation of a legend.

The Rise of Anti-Semitism in the American Media with Noah Berger
2023-05-15 10:00 - 11:00
The Rise of Anti-Semitism in the American Media with Noah Berger
In the last 10 years, we’ve seen an alarming rise in antisemitism, both abroad and at home, and the American media has remained mostly silent. Noah Berger will look at how antisemitism in America is being portrayed–or not–and how the media typically responds.
About the presenter: Noah Berger has a MA in Global Conflict and Security from the University of Kent. He has worked with the World Jewish Congress and has served as campaign manager for various political figures. Having lived abroad in a number of countries including China, Belgium, and Israel, Noah has seen firsthand the pros and cons of the global political structure in diverse contexts.

The Kosher Nostra, Jewish Mobsters with Ron Arons
2023-05-22 10:00 - 11:00
The Kosher Nostra, Jewish Mobsters with Ron Arons
Join genealogist Ron Arons for a fascinating presentation about the history of Jewish organized crime in Westchester and beyond. In addition to discussing notorious Jewish criminals like Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky, Ron will talk about his book The Jews of Sing Sing, which describes the famous prison in Ossining where many Jewish criminals served time. Ron’s unique perspective includes not only primary research but his own family’s history with crime (spoiler alert: his grandfather served time in Sing Sing).
About the Presenter:
Ron is currently the Secretary for the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. He has given more than five hundred presentations internationally on topics of Jewish criminality, Jewish genealogy, research methodology, technology, and data visualization. Ron is the author of three books and has a B.S. in Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
