Music of the 50s Part III with David Cheney
2021-12-20 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Music of the 50s was in some ways more revolutionary than 60s music in that it blew away centuries of accumulated racial and social proprieties in America and around the world. US pop charts in the early 50s were dominated by remnants of 40s big band era, with simple and melodic ballads by such vocalists as Patti Page and Frank Sinatra. But everything changed in 1955 with the release of Rock Around the Clock. The new R&R, the birthright of the baby boomers, united black and white teens in a common culture and softened their prejudices–while dividing teens from their parents, the mass media, and even the govt. Join us as trace the evolution of 50s music in three sessions (early, mid, and late 50s) and share memories of a seemingly simpler and happier time.

Escaping Nazis and the Taliban: We Are All Refugees
2022-01-03 10:00 - 11:00
Join us for a special program on the Afghan refugee crisis, featuring Holly Rosen Fink, President and Co-Founder of Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration (WJCI), Manny Lindenbaum, Holocaust survivor and former refugee; and Sameem and Fari Samyousuf, two Afghan refugees who served for the American military and came to America on Special Immigrant Visas.
Find out more about their lives and their work and learn how you can help improve the lives of refugees within our own borders.
Holly Rosen Fink is President and co-founder of the Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration. She is a psychotherapist and lives in Larchmont with her family.
Fariha Taaj is from Afghanistan and came to the United States through SIV program in 2020. Currently working at the White Plains Hospital.
Sameem Yousufzada is from Afghanistan and came to the United States through SIV program in 2020. Currently working at the White Plains Hospital.
Manny Lindenbaum survived the Holocaust and was on the Kindertranport. HiIAS resettled him in America.
This event costs $5 to attend in-person and free on Zoom.

Special MLK Renard: The Book of Esther in Art: Race, Religion and Resistance
2022-01-10 10:00 - 11:00
In anticipation of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, this slide lecture exams the various images inspired by the Book of Esther in terms of racial difference, religious doctrine, and activism in Jewish and Christian art, from Dura Europos Synagogue (c. 244 C.E.) to contemporary works. Beth S. Gersh-Nešić, Ph.D. is an art historian and the director of the New York Arts Exchange, an arts education service. She specializes in 19th century, modern and contemporary art. Currently, she teaches art history at Mercy College. Her most recent publication is Pablo Picasso and André Salmon: The Painter, the Poet and the Portraits (Za Mir Press, 2019¬). Beth is a staff writer for Bonjour Paris, an online magazine.

Nature As a Sanctuary: Seeking Refuge in the Pandemic
2022-01-24 10:00 - 11:00
Pamela-Kolber Zicca will share the pathway of healing through her stories and photography displayed in her book, Nature As a Sanctuary: Seeking Refuge in the Pandemic. Her little gem of a book is a reminder that life is all around us if we only know how to look. Pam is a passionate lover of nature, a photographer, and a swim and aqua aerobics instructor. In addition to her job as a swim instructor, the pandemic allowed Pam to explore her love of both nature and photography. For her, nature was a true sanctuary during the pandemic giving her peace, inspiration and hope when she was furloughed from work in March of 2020. Her experience of nature as a sanctuary further inspired her to create a facebook group Nature Through the Senses on April 23, 2020.
People from all over the area post their beautiful nature images and have become part of a community that stays connected through love of nature and photography. Pamela Kolber-Zicca is a proud sister, aunt, wife and mother living minutes away from the Hudson River where she can be found very early in the morning , camera in hand, photographing nature.

Meet the Town of Greenburgh Clerk Judith Beville and Get Involved in Your Community!
2022-01-31 10:00 - 11:00
Civic Engagement – Greenburgh Town Clerk Judith Beville will discuss the various boards and committees through which residents may become engaged in local government and the Greenburgh Town Hall Summer Internship Program.

Millionaire’s Row on the Palisades: A Glimpse of the Gilded Edge
2022-02-07 10:00 - 11:00
Artists, captains of industry, showmen — all were among the men and women who, from the time of the Civil War through the Great Depression, had unique and often lavish homes built upon the precipices of the New Jersey Palisades. Using newly discovered letters and diaries they have transcribed from the Miles family, historical interpreter Eric Nelsen will bring the story of the grand estates — and the families and servants who lived at them — into vibrant focus. Eric Nelsen was hired as a seasonal employee at the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey in 1992. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Montclair State University in 1997, and the next year became a full-time historical interpreter at the park. He oversees the park’s historic Kearney House, where he’s helped to develop a unique “living history” program based on the house’s role as a nineteenth-century Hudson River tavern and homestead. In the office, he supervises park publications, including the njpalisades.org website, brochures, and interpretive signs. On days off, Eric enjoys being outdoors, getting into or onto the water, cycling, and time travel.

I Love Lucy: How Lucille Ball Became The Most Powerful Businesswoman in Hollywood with Evan Weiner
2022-02-14 10:00 - 11:00
Lucille Ball should never have been a Hollywood studio mogul. She was told she didn’t have it to be an actress, she ended up proving herself in a Three Stooges short. She was a B movie star who married Desi Arnaz and nearly divorced. Her movie career was done by she was 35. She went into radio, had some success and was offered a chance at TV. There were more obstacles and the Lucy show nearly never got on the air. There was a communist scare, the divorce all of which led her to a starring role. The most powerful businesswoman in Hollywood.
Evan is a speaker, author, with a radio and TV background. He has about 25 topics and has spoken globally. In 2007, the Department of State sent him to talk to foreign nationals at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas to speak about the politics of sports business in America. Evan Weiner started his journalism career at the age of 15 by hosting a Spring Valley High School talk show on WRKL Radio, Mount Ivy, N.Y. in 1971. Read more about Evan.

Telling A Different Story: How An Attorney Found Her Voice As A Novelist
2022-02-28 10:00 - 11:30
Telling A Different Story: How An Attorney Found Her Voice As A Novelist. For over twenty-five years, Reyna Marder Gentin practiced law, representing children and domestic violence victims in the Family Court and, for most of her career, representing indigent defendants appealing their criminal convictions. In this presentation, Reyna will discuss how she found her passion as a novelist, transforming her knowledge of the law into writing fiction with a legal bent. Reyna will discuss the inspiration for her three published books and their themes, as well as the writing process, creating a community. and what she’s learned about the publishing and promoting of books along the way.
Reyna has studied at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, and her work has been published widely online and in print. Her debut novel, UNREASONABLE DOUBTS, was named a finalist for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award in 2019. Her first middle grade novel, MY NAME IS LAYLA, came out in January, 2021, and School Library Journal noted that “Layla’s struggles at school and home are authentically depicted, and readers who face their own challenges will relate.” Layla won the 2021 gold medal in the Moonbeam Children’s Awards in pre-teen fiction. Reyna’s latest novel, BOTH ARE TRUE, was published in October, 2021. Nicola Krauss, co-author of THE NANNY DIARIES, called BOTH ARE TRUE a “moving novel that examines what it means to start over–with surprising consequences.” Reyna lives with her family in Scarsdale, New York.

French Kickboxing
2022-03-06 10:30
S’il vous plaît join us for an hour of French Kickboxing! French Kickboxing, also known as Savate, is a style of martial arts that has evolved from French street fighting. This aeroboxing demo will incorporate aerobic training and introduce students to some moves and techniques—without special equipment or physical contact.

Leading Women of Westchester, of Stage, Film, and Television with Barbara Davis
2022-03-07 10:00 - 11:30
Beginning with the silent movie stars of the Thanhouser Films Company in New Rochelle (1909 – 1918) and D. W, Griffith’s studios in Mamaroneck (1919- 1924), Westchester has been home to some of America’s finest actresses in film, stage and television. In this digital slide presentation, the lives and careers of many of these women and the allure of our Westchester communities, will be covered. You will be amazed at the number of stars who have made Westchester their home. (60 -90 minutes)

Archaeology and the American Revolution in the Mid and Lower Hudson Valley with Eugene Boesch
2022-03-14 10:00 - 11:30
Well-known and little-known Revolutionary War sites Historic sites in the Lower and Mid Hudson Valley and their importance to our Revolutionary heritage will be discussed including the Battle of White Plains and the Battle of Pelham, fights that saved the Revolution.

Gym and Fitness Hours Extended for Fridays
2022-03-18
Fridays will now include extended hours- gym and fitness center will remained opened until 7:45

Reflections on the Refugee Experience: Past, Present and Future
2022-03-20 15:00 - 16:30
Join us for a special opportunity to hear the voices of refugees in our community, and learn what you can do to support them.
About this event
More people than ever before are displaced from their homes due to crises, and displacement lasts longer than ever. Welcoming the stranger has long been a core legacy of our country, and a central Jewish value–one repeated more times than any other commandment in the Torah.
Refugee Shabbat, a project by HIAS and sponsored by the Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration (WJCI), brings congregations, organizations and individuals in the United States and around the world together during the month of March to dedicate an experience to refugees and asylum seekers. This year, the Shames JCC on the Hudson, the JCC of Mid-Westchester and WJCI invite you to hear the stories of three refugees and learn about some of the actions we can take right here in our Westchester community to support recently arrived refugees.
Please bring a packet of diapers to donate to a local newly arrived refugee family, an effort coordinated by WJCI.
Childcare is available free of charge for a limited number of participants!
Must show proof of vaccination; masks are optional.

Kids Flourless Chocolate Cake Online Workshop
2022-03-20 16:30 - 17:30
Free Event. For ages 10-17
Learn to make flourless chocolate cake with Berkshire Hills Culinary Camp directory Adam SaNogueira in this free online workshop. Adam SaNogueira is a masterful chef who loves summer camp. He trained at Michelin star restaurants in Italy and has been an internationally sought after private chef, run commercial kitchens, led a jam and pickle production business and of course spent many years at camp. Adam is excited to share his passion for food and all the ways that food builds community and connects us to the environment.

Gross National Happiness: A New Measure for Countries with David Cheney
2022-03-21 10:00 - 11:30
Bhutan is known for using an unconventional measure of development since 1972: Gross National Happiness (GNH). Rather than using traditionally narrow economic criteria, Bhutan assesses its well-being on the basis of sustainable and equitable socio-economic development, environmental protection, promotion of culture, and good governance. Bhutan’s use of the GNH principles helped mobilize its whole population to avoid even a single COVID-19 death in 2020. Its positive experience offers lessons for other countries and spawned the World Population Review’s Happiness Report in 2002, which assesses the level of happiness in 149 countries.

Community Wardrobe Drop Off
2022-03-26 11:00 - 14:30
The J is thrilled to announce our new partnership with the Community Wardrobe, a joint initiative between the PTA of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow and the Village of Sleepy Hollow. The Community Wardrobe provides local families in need with good clothes free of charge through a dignified shopping experience.
The Community Wardrobe clothed 340 families in its first year (2021). We are delighted to be the Community Wardrobe’s new home!
Looking to support this initiative? The Community Wardrobe is currently seeking donations for spring-weather clothes (good condition only) from 3/26- 3/29
If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please write communitywardrobe@horsemenpta.com.

Prenatal Yoga (FREE Workshop)
2022-03-27 16:30 - 17:30
This workshop is designed to support the journey to birth. Students will be guided through a yoga practice specifically tailored to support the pregnant body and alleviate the discomforts of pregnancy. Students will also be offered breathing and meditation practices. The combination of these practices is intended to support the mind, the body, and the heart as one prepares for both the physical and emotional aspects of birth and new motherhood. Class begins with a voluntary brief check-in where students are invited to connect with one another in this shared experience. This vital part of the practice helps to build community. This class is suitable for all levels.
About Tori Cronk
Tori has been teaching group and private yoga sessions and facilitating women’s circles in the Rivertowns for the past 7 years. Since becoming a yoga teacher, Tori has been able to combine her background in mental health with her knowledge of the sacred practices of yoga and meditation, a unique combination that allows her to facilitate an experience for folks where they feel seen and heard.
In addition to teaching Hatha-based yoga classes, Tori is passionate about building community through the practices of pre and post-natal yoga. These specific classes support students in their journey to parenthood and beyond. Tori believes that when a safe and brave space is created in the community a transformative experience is possible.
Tori is also the founder and facilitator of The Yoga Gathering for Mothers, an intimate group for hopeful, new, and experienced mothers that gather to move, breathe, connect, support, and nourish each other through community.
Tori holds certifications in vinyasa yoga (Riverstone Yoga), pre and post-natal yoga (Yoga Haven), and trauma-informed yoga (Exhale to Inhale and Crossover Yoga Project). Tori also holds a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University.
Contact Jillian Greenberg: jgreenberg@shamesjcc.org.

Art Lecture with Suzanne Altman
2022-03-28 10:00 - 11:30
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is showing an exhibit of American Artist Winslow Homer’s iconic work in oil and watercolors. Renowned for his powerful paintings of American life and scenery, Winslow Homer (1836-1910) remains a beloved and consequential figure whose art continues to appeal to broad audiences. The centerpiece of the exhibition is Homer’s iconic The Gulf Stream, a painting that reveals his lifelong engagement with charged subjects of race, politics, nature, and the environment. Featuring approximately 90 oils and watercolors, Crosscurrents represents the largest critical overview of Homer’s art and life in more than a quarter of a century. Suzanne will give us a lecture on the life and work of Homer that pairs with this exhibit.
Suzanne Altman is an art educator and art historian who has presented art and art history programs throughout Rockland, Bergen and Westchester counties, for both adult and teenage audiences. She is also a painter who works out of her studio and art school in Ossining, NY and exhibits frequently.

Music Together Second Session
2022-03-31 16:00 - 16:45
Music Together is an early childhood music and movement program for children 0 to 5 and the grownups who love them. Music Together has decades of research behind it, in both music education and child development. Because we know children learn through play, we make everything in our class engaging and fun for the whole family.
https://www.shamesjcc.org/programs/music-together/#overview

Passover Pour
2022-03-31 16:00 - 19:00
Come enjoy Kosher-for-Passover wines and order in time for your seder! Orders will be picked up at the JCC. Light refreshments will be served.
Sponsored by Aries Wines & Spirits. No registration is necessary.

Community Closet Shopping Days
2022-04-01
The J is thrilled to announce our new partnership with the Community Wardrobe, a joint initiative between the PTA of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow and the Village of Sleepy Hollow. The Community Wardrobe provides local families in need with good clothes free of charge through a dignified shopping experience. The Community Wardrobe clothed 340 families in its first year (2021).
We are delighted to be the Community Wardrobe’s new home! Come shop for a lightly and gently used spring wardrobe!

The Jewish Roots of Flamenco with Anna de la Paz
2022-04-04 10:00 - 11:30
Flamenco is an art form that arose in Spain, influenced by various populations passing through or living in the southern region of Andalusia. Beginning in the third century BC, Gypsies, Sephardic Jews, Christians, and Moors all contributed to Andalusian culture. This presentation will discuss flamenco and its Jewish connection. Anna de la Paz is a Spanish dance artist specializing in classical and folkloric Spanish dances. After living in Spain and studying with such great master teachers as Mariemma and Pedro Azorín, she moved to New York City in 1999 and began working with Gabriela Granados and American Bolero Dance Company. As a freelance artist, she has performed throughout the New York area at various venues including Carnegie Hall. Anna de la Paz works in collaboration with mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna on many productions including, “Music and Dance in the times of the Duchess of Alba (1762-1802)”, created for the Hispanic Society of America in New York City.

She is the creator and producer of her own shows, which include Alegría Española, Migración and Memorias, and was on the creative team for Making Music Dance, a cross-fusion of flamenco, tap and world music. She was co-director of Walk to the Beat, an annual improvisational music and dance festival in Nyack, NY. In 2017, Ms. de la Paz was invited to perform in the Canary Islands, Spain at the Festival Atlántico in Gran Canaria. Anna de la Paz has been invited as a lecturer on Spanish dance at area colleges, universities and symposia, including the Foundation for Iberian Music’s international conferences on Enrique Granados in New York City and the “Transatlantic Malagueñas and Zapateados in Music Song and Dance” at University of California, Riverside. In 2018, Anna de la Paz co-founded with Anna Tonna, Hispanic Culture Arts, an arts education organization that brings the classical Spanish arts to the New York City schools. Current clients include PS 8 in Upper Manhattan, the New York School for the Deaf and the Hispanic Society Museum and Library. Ms. de la Paz currently lives in Nyack, NY with her husband and three children, where she continues to teach, produce and perform.

Senior Social Club: Book Discussion
2022-04-06 11:30 - 13:30
Come and tell the group about a book you have recently read and its author. Tell us why you think others should also read the book. We will have a short discussion after your presentation. Note that the others in the group do not read the book in advance.

End of Life Details Presentation and Discussion: The Discussion Everyone Needs But Often Avoids Until Too Late with Glenn Eisen
2022-04-11 10:00 - 11:30
Unnecessary grief and expenses are not unusual when some of life’s most important decisions are overlooked or past decisions are not reviewed, updated and addressed. This presentation discusses the full range of issues about end of life issues. It is about living wills/advanced directives, estate plans, last wills and testaments and most of the other issues that might be important to consider. Changes in laws, investments and family situations, along with designated decision makers, funeral venues and disposal of personal assets, are all issues that need to be at least reviewed, discussed and possibly resolved to avoid unnecessary stress and disputes between family members, business associates, healthcare providers and government agencies.
