Laughter Yoga
2023-08-21 18:00 - 19:00, 2023-09-08 10:30 - 11:30, 2023-09-19 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Laughter Yoga is a unique exercise routine that combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing. Laughter reaps many scientific benefits including reduction of stress, anxiety, and depression; lower blood pressure; a strengthened immune system; and much more. Laughter is initially stimulated as a physical exercise and soon leads to real and contagious laughter. Bring your playful spirit!

Verve Book Club: “People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present” by Dara Horn
2023-08-23 11:30 - 13:00
Reflecting on subjects including the international veneration of Anne Frank, the blockbuster traveling exhibition called ​“Auschwitz,” the Jewish history of the Chinese city of Harbin, and the ​“righteous Gentile” Varian Fry, Dara Horn’s collection of essays challenges us to confront the reasons why there might be so much fascination with Jewish deaths..
Horn draws on her own and her family’s life and experiences to assert the vitality, complexity, and depth of this life against an anti-Semitism that, far from being disarmed by the mantra of ​“Never forget,” is on the rise.
“Readers will be enthralled throughout by the fierce logic of Horn’s arguments, novelty of research, black humor, and sharp phrasing… A riveting, radical, essential revision of the stories we all know — and some we don’t.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

R&B Line Dance Summer Jam
2023-08-27 12:00 - 14:00
Beat the heat with Steven “Fun Bunch” Dillard as he leads a special 2-hour line R&B/soul dance class to uplifting and fantastic music. Whether you’re new to line dancing or can do the Wobble in your sleep, all levels are welcome!
Line dancing is not only tons of fun, it’s a great workout, community experience, and lift for your spirits. Come for great music and a great time!
$10 for members; $15 for non-members

Lunch Outing: Buon Amici Italian Restaurant
2023-08-29 08:00 - 17:00 | Buon Amici Italian Restaurant, 238 Central Avenue, White Plains, NY, 10606, United States
$25 cash per person (taxes and gratuity included)
Join us for a hearty lunch outing to Buon Amici! Your meal includes a mixed salad, your choice from a variety of lunch entrees, and coffee or tea. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike! Please bring $25 cash to pay at the restaurant; this covers all food costs, tax, and tip. Please register for an accurate headcount.
NOTE ON TRANSPORTATION: This event will be taking place at Buon Amici, 238 Central Ave, White Plains, NY 10606. There is a small attached parking lot as well as metered spots nearby. If you need a ride to the restaurant from the JCC or have room in your car for others, please email Joanne Reed at joreed578@gmail.com when you register.

Current Events Discussion
2023-09-06 11:30 - 12:30 | Shames JCC
Current Events Discussion
Wednesday, Sept. 6; 11:30 am
FREE for members and non-members
Are you a news junkie? Come discuss the week’s events with your fellow JCC enthusiasts. With timely and changing international, national, and local issues from the news arenas of government, arts, sports, science, and religion, we welcome all participants to voice their ideas. All points of view are welcome in this lively, thought-provoking, and civil discussion. Feel free to bring your lunch and/or a friend!

Shames JCC Lot Party 2023 Fundraiser
2023-09-09 19:30 - 22:30
Enjoy an amazing night out, all while raising money for our community.
Ticket price includes food from Dough Nation, Kimchi Taco Truck, and Bill’s Good Humor Ice Cream truck; beer, wine, and canned spirits from Captain Lawrence; and music from Hastings band “Push for Heat“. We will also have beer pong, raffles, and more!
This fundraiser will raise money to help the Shames JCC thrive across our programs, such as:

Completing our new theater/event space and community lounge and cafe
Supporting our littlest learners in our early childhood program
Building more opportunities for social action and community service
Expanding support services for community members with special needs

***You must be age 21+ to attend this event. This event will be held outdoors.***
BID TO SING WITH THE BAND!
Live out your pop star dreams and sing “One” by U2 on stage with Push for Heat all while supporting the JCC! Bidding is open here and will continue the night of the event.
PLEASE CONSIDER THESE ADD-ONS TO YOUR TICKET PURCHASE:

Beer Pong: $20 per person to play.
Raffle Tickets: $10 for 1 ticket, $20 for 3 tickets. Prizes include wine basket,
personal training sessions, LOOK movie passes, massage from Bronxville Wellness, and more!
Help us plant seeds for the future of the J with our inaugural Giving Tree. Pick an item to help support various needs at the J which will be represented as a leaf on our Giving Tree at the Lot Party.

THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS:
ENT and Allergy Associates
Levitt-Fuirst Insurance and Bonding
Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office
Fitzgerald & Sadove PLLC
Olafe
ProClinix Sports Physical Therapy & Chiropractic
Zarin & Steinmetz, LLP
Allan Block Insurance
Birdie’s Batch
Sunnyside Federal Savings and Loan Association
WhizKidz Tutoring
Evolution Tennis Academy
THANK YOU TO OUR HOST COMMITTEE:
Leslie Alkalay, Carlie Finkle, Brandi Kligman, Kelly Politzer, Courtney Rappaport, Jori Robbins, Arielle Rosenblum, Stacy Sadove Zbeda, Natalie Schreter, Lisa Sherman Weltman, Emily Sobol, Liza Wang, Sarah Weiss, and David Weyburn.

Come Walk with Me: A High Holiday Meditative Hike
2023-09-10 12:00 - 14:00 | Rockefeller State Park Preserve 125 Phelps Way Pleasantville, NY, 125 Phelps Way, Pleasantville, NY, United States
Rosh Hashanah is the time to take stock of our spiritual lives. Join us with Adamah as we take a meditative walk with stops along the way.

Welcome Back Bagels and Schmooze with CEO Adam Weiss
2023-09-11 10:00 - 11:30
Stop by for bagels, coffee, and a schmooze to learn about our upcoming Renard lectures this fall. Have an idea for a speaker? Bend our ear….we’re open to all suggestions!

Fly Honey Farms Rosh Hashanah Pop-Up
2023-09-12 15:00 - 17:00
Stop by the J to get some local honey for your sweet new year! Fly Honey Farms creates honey in a sustainable way that helps increase the honey bee population and support local communities. Enjoy it on your apples, challah, or anything at all! Preorder at https://www.flyhoneyfarms.com/swagger and select “pick-up at the JCC”

Honey: $12
Honeycomb: $20 – $25
Honey Sticks: 2 for $1

Happy Birthday World
2023-09-13 15:45 - 16:45
Jewish people worldwide will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, on the evening of September 15. At this family event, children will learn about some customs and traditions of the Jewish New Year and create a family intention for the new year.

Bashar al-Assad’s Undeserved Rehabilitation
2023-09-13 18:30 - 20:00
Over the course of Syria’s 13-year old civil conflict, President Bashar al-Assad has resorted to torture, mass slaughter, and chemical attacks on his own people. Some 500,000 Syrians have been killed and 18 million are homeless out of a prewar population of 21 million. Even so, Assad was recently welcomed back into the Arab League, per the national interests of his Arab neighbors. What will this development mean for Syrians and for the region–and how should the US respond?

Birdie's Batch Rosh Hashanah Pop-up
2023-09-14 15:00 - 17:00
Just in time for Rosh Hashanah, we are bringing back local favorite Birdie’s Batch for some sweet new year goodies. Stock up on honey cake, apple cake, apple butter rugelach, apple butter and more! Preorders will be available on the site or just stop by the J!

CAMP ROSH HASHANAH A New Way to Celebrate
2023-09-15 - 2023-09-17
Looking for a new way to celebrate an ancient holiday? Like being outdoors on 640 acres surrounded by natural beauty? Want to contemplate the New Year while you swim, boat, bike, bake, craft, pickleball or try cardio drumming? Pack a bag, hop in the car, and come spend the weekend with us at Camp Rosh Hashanah at Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp! We guarantee a sweet start to your New Year.
Camp Rosh Hashanah, just 90 minutes north of the JCC, has something fun for everyone. The lake will be open for swimming as will our heated pool. Great meals and evenings by the campfire will keep everyone energized and happy.
Activities for all ages include:
The Lake
Canoe
Kayak
Paddleboard
Row
Fishing
Other Activities
Yoga
Cardio Drumming
Art Classes
Cooking Classes
Board Games
Cider Tasting
Sports
Pickleball
Basketball
Soccer
Kickball
Biking
Volleyball
Tetherball
Gaga

Saying Sorry Isn't Easy: A Tashlich Program
2023-09-17 12:00 - 13:00
Join Shames JCC and PJ library to learn about the ceremony of tashlich, a Jewish tradition of saying sorry on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Families will hear a Pj Library story, learn about the ritual and meaning of tashlich, and participate in an age-appropriate tashlich ceremony. Please feel free to bring your picnic blankets and lunch with you. Light snacks will be served.
Location to be disclosed upon registration.

Life Transitions on your Own Terms: Navigating Downsizing, Proactively
2023-09-18 10:00 - 23:30
It is said that we are most alive when we are in transition. It’s also a lot easier to go through a life transition when it’s on your terms. Join us for our first lecture in a series about concrete steps you can take to help you feel in control and at ease during the process. The first workshop focuses on your physical space and will provide older adults (or Third Agers) with essential information and strategies to tackle the challenges of downsizing from a long-time family home that no longer supports their needs (and may have become unsafe) while also addressing some of the fears and barriers of moving. Jenifer Ross will provide practical steps, examples, resources, and an action plan for each step of the way. Whether you’re in the midst of downsizing or want to get the lay of the land before embarking on that next chapter, come be part of this casual and illuminating conversation.
“Not in his goals but in his transitions man is great.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
About the Presenter: Jenifer Ross is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist and Certified Senior Real Estate Specialist. In addition to having Masters degrees in Architectural Preservation and Gerontology, she has owned numerous businesses and held many roles locally, including being a board member of the Greater Sleepy Hollow & Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce and the Historical Society Serving Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. Jenifer has a 25-year track record of influencing positive change and bringing upbeat events and gatherings to our area. Her business Third Age Home inspires and assists people to downsize their home, and upsize their life.

Friday Night Sensory Friendly Swim
2023-09-22 18:00 - 19:30 | Shames JCC
Friday Night Sensory Friendly Swim
Join us for our monthly Friday night free-swim to families who have an immediate member with a special need. The pool will be exclusively reserved for this event, so that we can ensure a sensory-friendly pool environment for a fun family night out!
Please note:
-We ask that at least one person over the age of 18 accompany the individual with a supportive need to ensure safety.
-Swim levels will be determined upon arrival. For those who wish to swim in the deep end, a swim test will be conducted.
-If your family member needs 1:1 assistance, we ask that you please come prepared to get in the pool with them or ensure they are accompanied by someone in the pool over 18 who can support their needs.

Sukkot Decorating Party
2023-09-26 15:30 - 17:00
Come drop by our community sukkah and help decorate our community sukkah.

Women’s Circle: Fall Into Focus Vision Board Workshop
2023-09-26 19:00 - 20:30
Women’s Circle: Fall Into Focus Vision Board Workshop
Imagine and clarify your future in this hands-on and inspiring evening!
Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey this fall? Join us for “Fall into Focus,” an empowering vision board workshop designed to help you imagine and navigate your path ahead with clarity and purpose. Facilitated by coach Laurie Hirsch Schulz, this workshop will help shift vague thoughts to tangible, actionable goals and intentions to start building your roadmap forward.
What to Expect:

“Future Forward” visioning exercise and icebreaker
Hands-on activity involving visuals and phrases that capture your ideas for the future
Collaborative support and guidance as we harness the power of intention-setting and come together to infuse positivity into our vision boards
A relaxing, creative evening that includes snacks, beverages and the company of other women

Creating a vision board helps you gain clarity on your intentions, set goals, and stay motivated to achieve them, whether it’s for professional, personal, or family reasons. All are welcome in this warm and supportive space!
About the facilitator:
Laurie Hirsch Schulz is the founder of Broad River and the president of the board of the Westchester Youth Alliance. Through her business LHS Coaching, Laurie partners with career explorers, solopreneurs and non-profit founders to navigate through change to clarify, embrace and activate new opportunities.

Verve Book Club
2023-09-27 11:30 - 13:00
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
FREE for members and non-members
William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy. When he meets the spirited and ambitious Julia Padavano, it’s as if the world has lit up around him. With Julia comes her family, as she and her three sisters are inseparable. William experiences a newfound familial contentment; every moment is filled with loving chaos.
But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable devotion to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations.
A NYT Bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club pick, Hello Beautiful echoes Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic Little Women in its moving portrait of what is possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it. Need a book? Call Transom in Tarrytown and they’ll hold a copy for you!

Sukkot Celebration at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
2023-09-30 10:00 - 16:00
Join us at the Chappaqua Book Festival on the first day of Sukkot. Shames JCC will have a pop-up Sukkah reading hut and bookmark-making station.

Sephardic Sukkot Celebration
2023-10-01 16:00 - 18:00
Come celebrate the joyful festival of Sukkot with a performance by A Palo Seco Flamenco! This production features live dance and music in a vibrant and entertaining evening full of color, rhythm, and energy. Explanations about Sukkot traditions in Spain will be mixed with high-energy performance pieces, as well as plenty of audience participation.
Audience members will learn about the history and geography of Southern Spain, Jewish traditions in that region, and Flamenco’s prototypical “zapateo”(footwork). Those who are interested can join the artists on stage to do a short dance number at the end. After the show, join us for seasonal tapas and a special Sukkot cocktail!
This project is made possible by ArtsWestchester.

JCC Book Club: "A Likely Story"
2023-10-05 18:30 - 20:00
Join us to discuss a book called “a literary page-turner” and “compulsively readable” with the author herself! In A Likely Story, the only child of a famous American novelist discovers a shocking family secret that upends everything she thought she knew about her parents, her gilded childhood, and her own stalled writing career. Debut novelist Leigh McMullan Abramson will join the J and take part in our stimulating conversation.

Tragedy in the East River: The Passenger Steamboat the General Slocum
2023-10-09 10:00 - 11:30
The General Slocum was a side-wheel passenger boat taking over 1,300 people, mainly from the Lower East Side, on a day’s outing to Oyster Bay on June 15, 1904. Soon after departing from Lower Manhattan, tragedy struck the ship and over 1,000 people perished. It was the greatest loss of life from a single event in New York’s history until 9/11. Archaeologist Eugene Beosch will discuss the horrible incident which is less well known than the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire or the sinking of the Titanic, other disasters occurring less than a decade later as well as ongoing archaeological/ historic research related to the event conducted along the Bronx shoreline.

PJ Library Day on The Shames JCC’s New Playground
2023-10-09 13:00 - 16:00
The JCC’s new eco-friendly playground is a great place to celebrate PJ Library Day. PJ Library leaders, along with Shames JCC staff, will be on hand to share books and JCC guest passes while your children make new friends, move their bodies, engage in imaginary play, and more! Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on our quad!

Westchester County-wide Solidarity Rally in Support of Israel
2023-10-10 20:00 - 21:15
at Temple Israel Center of White Plains, 280 Old Mamaroneck Rd., White Plains NY.

to register for the live stream, click here

Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy
2023-10-11 11:30 - 13:00
Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, narrated by Joel Grey, explores the unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical. Featuring interviews and conversations with some of the greatest composers and writers of the Broadway stage, the documentary showcases the work of some of the nation’s preeminent creators of musical theater including Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and many others.
Though these remarkable songwriters were purveyors of what we think of today as the Broadway sound, the documentary demonstrates how there were echoes of Jewish strains in many of the works. From “Yiddishkeit” (all things Jewish) on the stages of the Lower East Side at the turn of the century to a wide range of shows including Porgy and Bess, West Side Story, and Cabaret, the film explores how Jewish music and ethos informs many of America’s favorite musicals.
The running time is 90 minutes plus time for discussion.

Interfaith Communal Space: Supporting Each Other in the Wake of Violent Conflict
2023-10-15 16:00 - 17:30
Rabbi Jay Stein, Greenburgh Hebrew Center, and Reverend Gareth Evans, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, will lead and facilitate a discussion about our shared anguish over the war in Israel, and our shared commitments to humanity and peace. They will create a safe space to share feelings in a supportive community. Together we will discover strength and comfort during difficult times.
This event is for adults and is free of charge; registration is strictly required.
We will also be collecting cards at the J to send to children in Israel with messages of support and hope; please feel free to bring one to this event!

Out to Lunch with the JCC
2023-10-18 12:30
Raasa Indian Restaurant
145 Central Ave, Elmsford, NY 10523
$25 cash per person (taxes and gratuity included)
Join your fellow foodies for a family-style Indian lunch! Fine dining restaurant Raasa is a Westchester gem that attracts customers from all over the tri-state area for its “memorably vivid flavors,” according to the New York Times. Your lunch will include a selection of appetizers, entrees, rice, naan, chutneys and other accompaniments, and dessert. The meal will be served family style and can be spiced to your taste.
Please bring your appetite and $25 cash to pay at the restaurant; this covers all food costs, tax, and tip. Register for accurate headcount.
NOTE ON TRANSPORTATION: This event will be taking place at Raasa Indian Restaurant, 145 Central Ave, Elmsford, NY 10523 where there is an attached parking lot. If you need a ride to the restaurant from the JCC or have room in your car for others, please email cjacobs@shamesjcc.org when you register.
