Art and Ideology in Paris
2025-06-02 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Back by popular demand, art historian Serdar Arat will take us on a visual tour of the 1937 World Fair in Paris. At this influential exposition, Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin display their political and cultural ambitions alongside Picasso’s Guernica, arguably the most famous and influential war painting of all time. In this colorful exploration and comparative experience at the crossroads of art, history, and political ideologies, we’ll discuss how fascism, socialism, anarchism and liberalism impacted modern and contemporary art.
About the Presenter: Serdar Arat is an artist working in NY since 1980. He has nearly forty individual exhibitions, mostly in NYC and Istanbul, and more than sixty group exhibitions. His work has been reviewed in half a dozen New York Times articles, a monograph, catalogs, and a documentary. Serdar is a retired Prof. Emeritus of Art and Gallery Director-Curator, and frequently lectures on the intersection of art and other issues, including a TEDx-talk.

Kids' Clothing Swap
2025-06-02 14:00 - 18:00
Give Outgrown Clothes a Second Life!
Declutter your house, replenish your kids’ closets, and help reduce the 11 million tons of textile waste that end up in landfills each year in the US! Join our kids’ clothing swap—donate (optional) and pick up gently used summer clothes, sizes 0–12. We’ll have our playground open and an upcycling station to embellish your finds! See details for drop-off and shopping here.
Tuesday, May 27–Sunday, June 1: Donation Drop off at JCC during regular hours
Sunday, June 1; 11:00 am–3:00 pm: Drop-off & Shopping: 11:00 am–3:00 pm
Monday, June 2: Shopping Only: 2:00–6:00 pm
What to Bring: Clean, gently used clothing in sizes 0–12

Accepted Items:

T-shirts, shorts, dresses, swimwear
Hats, sunglasses, light jackets, floaties, goggles
Shoes and sandals

Bring/Take up to two bags per family
No items with major stains or holes, underwear or socks.
All leftover items will be donated to the Community Wardrobe in Sleepy Hollow.

Hot Topics
2025-06-04 11:30 - 13:00, 2025-07-02 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members & non-members
Discuss the month’s social and political issues with your fellow news 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!

Challah and Conversation: "Adam & Eve and Adam & Steve: Exploring Religious Perspectives on Gay Marriage"
2025-06-06 09:30 - 10:30
During this Pride Month, Rabbi Ron Symons will guide us through the sensitive matters related to how different religious denominations across the religions understand the role of 21st century marriage considering long held religious beliefs.
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.

Goat Yoga (Adults Only)
2025-06-08 10:00 - 10:30
Members: $35; non-members: $42
Experience relaxation and joy as gentle yoga meets playful goats! Ridge Ranch, a small family farm located in Patterson, NY, will be bringing their herd of goats that will roam, cuddle, and climb, adding laughter and spontaneity to your practice. Perfect for all skill levels and all abilities, this unique session promotes mindfulness, stress relief, and a connection with nature. Whether you’re here for the yoga, the goats, or both, you’ll leave feeling refreshed and uplifted.
Class will be located in our back field. Please bring a mat and towel or blanket to put underneath it.

Goat Yoga (All Ages)
2025-06-08 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-06-08 11:00 - 11:30

Understanding the Sexuality Spectrum
2025-06-09 10:00 - 11:30
This thoughtful workshop offers an informative look at the broad spectrum of human sexuality, with a focus on understanding contemporary terms and evolving perspectives. Through guided discussion and respectful conversation, participants will explore how concepts of sexual orientation and identity have expanded over time. Rena DeLevie aims to foster awareness, empathy, and open dialogue in a welcoming, judgment-free environment.

A Cup of Tea? with Rabbi Ron Symons
2025-06-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-06-13 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-06-16 11:00 - 12:00
Discuss with Rabbi Ron Symons what you want the next year of Jewish Life programming to look like at the J. Topics include, but are not limited to:

What would you like to learn?
How would you like to help our Rivertowns community through tikkun olam, repairing the world?
With whom would you like to connect across differences?
What day of the week and time is best for you to do any of the above?

Member Mingle
2025-06-10 12:30 - 13:30
FREE for members and non-members
We want to give you the opportunity to meet and make meaningful connections with others who have also recently joined the J. This dedicated time will also give you the chance to ask questions or get more information that you may need to get the full experience of your membership. Stop by the Community Room to have some small bites and refreshments.

92NY Live presents "Falling Up: Leslie Odom, Jr. in Conversation with Kara Young"
2025-06-11 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members & non-members
Join us for a new monthly virtual program that brings the esteemed 92NY to The Ark! In this first conversation, Tony Award-winners Leslie Odom, Jr. and Kara Young discuss life under the Broadway lights, achieving your dreams, and Odom’s remarkable career, including his recent book, Failing Up.
Breaking out in the original role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway hit musical Hamilton, Leslie Odom, Jr. has since become a household name — performing for sold-out audiences, singing for the Obamas at the White House, and winning a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. But getting there wasn’t easy. In Failing Up, Odom tells his story and inspires his fans to reach their own highest potential and achieve their goals — even when they seem impossible. Don’t miss him and Young in a special conversation about life in the theater, seeking the work it takes to succeed, and more.

Medicare Demystified: What’s True, What’s Not, and What Matters
2025-06-11 18:30 - 20:00
FREE for members & non-members
Avoid costly mistakes and navigate Medicare decisions with clarity and confidence. This presentation will debunk myths and misconceptions, address the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on plans, and provide the facts you need to make informed choices.
Topics include:

Types of Medicare Plans—and what they really mean for you
Balancing cost vs. risk when choosing coverage
How NY State law is different and why it matters
Rules for changing plans
What to know if you’re turning 65 soon
Whether to stay on your employer plan or switch to Medicare
What to consider during Annual Enrollment (Oct 15–Dec 7)
How to avoid lifetime penalties

Challah and Conversation: "Hatikvah and the Star-Spangled Banner—Among Other National Anthems"
2025-06-13 09:30 - 10:30
As the American Calendar marks Flag Day (June 14), Rabbi Ron Symons invites you to engage in a conversation about the content of national anthems and the values they represent of the national founders even in these changing times.
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.

Jazz in Claire de Lune
2025-06-16 10:00 - 11:30
Back by popular demand, jazz pianist Rocco Dapice will take us on a deep dive into one of the world’s most famous compositions, “Claire de Lune” by Claude Debussy. Much of what we call “jazz” can actually be discovered in the first two pages of this extraordinary French impressionist piano composition. Though the piece doesn’t rhythmically “swing,” when Rocco demonstrates at the piano, you will be astonished to see and hear the forward-thinking melodic and harmonic jazzy elements Debussy used in 1905.

Caregiver Conversation Circle
2025-06-17 12:30 - 13:30
Do you care for a family member with chronic illness or special needs? Join our conversation circle to connect with others in a similar situation. Whether you are responsible for a child with special needs, a spouse with cognitive or physical decline, or any other situation that fits, we welcome your participation. The group will be facilitated by longtime social worker, Joanne Reed. Coffee and tea will be served.

Voyages with Verve: Banff, Canada—The Heart of the Canadian Rockies
2025-06-17 14:00 - 15:00
FREE for members and non-members, incl. light snack from the region
Join us on a live, virtual tour to Canada’s majestic Rocky Mountains! We’re visiting Banff, in Alberta, Canada–a town embedded into Banff National Park, and surrounded by spectacular mountains, glacier-fed lakes, and rivers. Banff National Park gets 4 million visitors a year, and the town of Banff is a picturesque tourist attraction; now you can see it without leaving home!
This tour comes with a regional snack and “trip kit” that contains cultural, culinary, and other resources about the destination—great for both armchair travelers and those who may go in real life.

Group Outing: Tacos and Table Tennis
2025-06-17 17:00 - 21:00
Members: $50; non-members: $60
*includes table tennis, unlimited tacos, drink, and r/t transportation from the JCC
Let us be your chauffeur for a fun night out with games and great food in Pleasantville! Our first stop is Westchester Table Tennis Center, where you can challenge your JCC friends to an hour of casual table tennis. After working up an appetite, we’ll head to Southern Table for their unlimited Taco Tuesday offerings (choose from meat and veg options).
Your ticket includes table tennis, unlimited tacos, one drink per person, tax, tip, and round-trip transportation from the JCC.
Please register by June 13!

Verve Book Club: "Show Me a Hero" by Lisa Belkin
2025-06-18 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Show Me a Hero tells the true story of a legal battle over affordable housing in Yonkers, New York, in the 1980s. It focuses on Mayor Nick Wasicsko, who must navigate racial, political, and community tensions. This thought-provoking book focuses on themes of social justice, race, and the challenges of creating change.

Medicare Demystified: How to Compare Medicare Plans and Costs
2025-06-18 18:30 - 20:00
FREE for members & non-members
Understanding how Medicare works is confusing enough; determining what type of plan is in your financial best interest can seem like a daunting task. This workshop will help you put numbers to paper to compare Medigap vs. Advantage Plans. We will map out representative costs for premiums and healthcare services based on sample scenarios. You will walk away more confident in your ability to evaluate your own personal situation and select the approach and plan that is right for you.

Clergy Talk: "Juneteenth in the Jewish Community: How Can the Day Speak to Us All?"
2025-06-20 09:30 - 10:30
Join Rabbi Barbara Symons in a highly interactive conversation about the relationship between and overlap of the Jewish and Black communities through Jewish texts and poetry, some of which are printed in her book Prophetic Voices: Renewing and Reimagining Haftarah.
Join Rabbi Barbara Symons of Temple Beth-El of City Island for this month’s Clergy Talk. 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.

Sensory Swim (All ages)
2025-06-20 18:00 - 19:30
Pirate theme!
Come spend your Friday night with us at our special Sensory-Friendly Swim Night, exclusively for families with an immediate member with a disability. The pool will be reserved just for you, providing a sensory-friendly environment where you can enjoy a relaxing swim without the usual distractions. This event is designed to accommodate sensory sensitivities and ensure a comfortable, enjoyable experience for all participants.

Summer Solstice Meditation & Sound Healing Event
2025-06-20 18:30 - 19:30
Members: $15; non-members: $20
Join us on the summer solstice—the longest and most light-filled day of the year—for a powerful evening of meditation and sound healing, guided by certified meditation and sound healer Stephany Olivieri. This gathering honors the solstice as a time of new beginnings, self-care, and inner transformation, tapping into the radiant energy of the sun at its peak.
Through guided meditation and the soothing resonance of sound healing instruments, you’ll be invited to release what no longer serves you and align with your highest intentions. The solstice is a potent symbol of light, growth, and renewal, and this event offers a unique opportunity to absorb that energy, reconnect with yourself, and step forward into the second half of the year with clarity and purpose.

Did Democracy Survive 2024’s “Super Election Year?"
2025-06-23 10:00 - 11:30
In 2024, half the world’s population voted. At the same time, growing challenges around the world — including declining trust in political institutions, foreign information manipulation, and new forms of technology — created what some considered “a perfect storm” to test elections and democratic institutions globally. What have been the results and trends from these elections? What can we learn from taking a global perspective on the future of democracy?
About the presenter: John K. Glenn is senior director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, where he oversees and develops the Forum’s cross-cutting analytic and research activity in areas including transnational kleptocracy, the integrity of the information space, emerging technology, and modern authoritarian influence. Glenn has over 20 years of international experience in the nonprofit, foundation, and academic sectors, having previously served as policy director at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, director of foreign policy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and executive director of the Council for European Studies. Glenn holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and Ph.D. and A.M. from Harvard University and was a postdoctoral fellow at the European University Institute in Florence and Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He is the author of numerous articles, reports, and books on international affairs and democratic development.

Lunch Outing: Haiku Asian Bistro
2025-06-25 12:30 - 14:00
$20 cash includes soup or salad, choice of lunch entree, tax, and tip
Join us at Haiku Asian Bistro, a 2021 Best of Westchester winner that serves classic yet modern dishes from China, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, and elsewhere in East and South Asia. Your meal includes soup or salad and your choice of lunch entree. Vegetarians welcome! Space is limited to 20 – sign up early!
NOTE: We will be meeting at Haiku, 149 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains, NY 10601. Street and metered parking is available; the closest municipal lot is the Waller-Maple Lot behind the Haiku, and you can enter the restaurant from the back. If you need a ride to and from Haiku from the JCC or have room in your car for others, please email cjacobs@shamesjcc.org when you register.

Challah and Conversation: "The Golden Medinah: Jewish Life in America over 249 Years"
2025-06-27 09:30 - 10:30
As we anticipate July 4, Rabbi Ron Symons will guide us in exploring Jewish life in America across the centuries, how it has evolved, and what it looks like today.
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.

Meet and Greet our Community Connector, Rena DeLevie
2025-06-30 10:00 - 11:00
FREE for members & non-members
Have a bagel and come meet our new Community Connector, Rena DeLevie, who can support you with transportation and other services. Can’t make it in person? Feel free to email her at rdelevie@shamesjcc.org to make an appointment!
About Rena: Rena DeLevie, who calls Dobbs Ferry home, is a dedicated community builder with a passion for fostering deep connections. As an artist, writer, and lifelong learner, she believes that communication, laughter, and genuine human connection are at the heart of a fulfilling life. Currently working toward a Master’s in Couples and Family Therapy, Rena is eager to combine her therapeutic skills with her extensive experience in helping individuals access the resources they need to thrive. She has worked as a coach helping companies and individuals use compassion in their management and other professional skills for Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and leaders of meditation and mindfulness.

Cooking with Amy: Fresh and Fun for the Fourth!
2025-07-01 13:00 - 14:30
Members: $10; non-members: $15
Independence Day is around the corner, and that means it’s time for fireworks, backyard BBQs and holiday celebrations! Come join culinary specialist Amy Pane as we learn how to make some unique appetizers for holiday parties that are both good for you and good-tasting. We will be making blueberry salsa, stuffed zucchini skins and strawberry bruschetta. You can wow guests and friends with dishes both healthy and delicious!
