Shames JCC

Documentary Screening in The Ark: Rosenwald
2025-02-19 11:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Running time 96 mins
FREE for members and non-members
Rosenwald is the story of how businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald joined with African-American communities in the South to build schools for them during the early part of the 20th century. This historical partnership as well as the modern-day attempts to maintain or reconfigure the schools is a little-known but great dramatic story. Join us for this riveting documentary and discussion afterward.

What Happens After I Die?—Jewish Possibilities with Rabbi Ron Symons (Part 2)
2025-02-18 16:30 - 17:30
On Zoom only; link will be sent via email the day before the class starts
From ancient days until today, we wonder what, if anything awaits us after the grave. Join us in open conversations about the development and variety of Jewish answers to this question. Our conversations will begin with the Bible, continue with the Rabbis, be joined by contemporary thinkers, and conclude with room for our own opinions. People of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome.

Voyages with Verve: Quito, Ecuador
2025-02-18 14:00 - 15:00
Join our group livestream tour of Quito, Ecuador! We’ll explore the Plaza de la Independencia, stroll along Garcia Moreno Street—home to many famous churches—and conclude at San Francisco Square to delve deeper into the history and culture of Quito and its people. Each tour comes with a “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.
Can’t make this program? This tour is available to view live at home as well – the link will be sent after registration.

Deconstructing Abbey Road
2025-02-15 16:00 - 17:30
Members: $25; non-members: $36
In this multimedia lecture, Beatleologist Scott Freiman will transport you to Abbey Road Studio with tales of the Fab Four’s recording sessions for one of the best albums ever created. As Scott explains the inspiration for and evolution of the songs, you’ll experience this iconic album as never before.
Watch trailer here
About Scott:
Scott is the creator of Deconstructing The Music, a series of multimedia lectures on songwriting and production techniques. He has presented to sold-out audiences nationwide and spoken at institutions like Pixar, Google, and Yale University, where he taught “The Beatles In The Studio.” He is featured in 11 Deconstructing the Beatles films and his six-part TV series will air on PBS stations nationwide in 2025.

Pasta with Friends: A Pasta Making Class for Widows
2025-02-15 13:00 - 14:30
Widows are invited to a special warm, welcoming pasta-making class. You’ll learn how to make homemade pasta, and enjoy a delicious lunch while connecting with others who share similar experiences.

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.

Bitchin’ Babkas Pop-Up Shop
2025-02-14 09:00 - 11:00
Buy a sweet treat for someone you love from Bitchin’ Babkas! They’ll be selling double chocolate chip cookies, raspberry Kit Kat rad rugelach, blueberry linzer tart bars, and more!
Interested in preordering? Email babkasboss@gmail.com by Tuesday, February 11. Full menu available on Etsy.

Lunch Outing: Akebono All You Can Eat Sushi
2025-02-13 12:30 - 14:00
$35 cash includes all you can eat appetizers, sushi, and dessert; tax and tip
Bring your appetite (seriously!). Our next lunch outing is to Akebono in Tarrytown where you’ll enjoy an all-you-can eat menu that includes a variety of sushi, sashimi, cold and hot appetizers, and dessert. The menu is suitable for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike and costs $35 per person (to be brought in cash). Bring a friend, or come make new ones! Space is limited to 20 – sign up early!
NOTE: We will be meeting at Akebono, 53 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591. Free parking is available in the parking lot just behind (enter next to CVS) and there is paid parking in the village lot across the street. We always encourage carpooling! If you need a ride to and from the restaurant from the JCC or have room in your car for others, please email cjacobs@shamesjcc.org when you register.

Common Ground: Artificial Intelligence–Or as Ecclecsiates Calls It, Nothing New Under the Sun
2025-02-13 10:00 - 11:00
How do we negotiate a world that is changing faster than we can control? How can religion help us make sense of the new technologies and ground us when life feels like it is slipping out of our control? We’ll discuss these questions and more from an interfaith perspective.
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.

Diversity within the Jewish Community: Through the Lens of a Graphic Novel
2025-02-12 15:00 - 16:00
What do a Laotian born refugee, an Ethiopian-Israeli woman, and an American Midwestern transperson have in common? They are all Jewish, and their multicultural, diverse, unique journeys are part of “Hyphen,” a slice-of-life comics anthology showcasing extraordinary Jewish stories of everyday people. Hear Souks Soukhaseum, Haftam Yitzhak-Heathwood, and Dubbs Weinblatt in conversation with Be’chol Lashon‘s executive director Julian Voloj and FairSquare’s Fabrice Sapolksy as they discuss their personal journeys and what being part of this anthology means to them.
This program is generously sponsored by a microgrant from The Jewish Education Project.

Winter Watercolors Workshop
2025-02-12 10:45 - 12:45
Members: $20; non-members: $30
Beat the winter blues in this one-day watercolor workshop led by artist Renee Shamosh. Learn to combine watercolors and other materials to create beautiful winter landscape paintings in a casual and supportive environment. All levels of experience are welcome and all materials are included.

NEW! "Taste Buds" Toddler Group
2025-02-12 10:30 - 11:15
Embark on a fun and delicious journey of language development and food exploration with our special offering Taste Buds toddler group, led by experienced speech and feeding therapist Rachel Bashkoff. Designed for children aged 18-36 months, this small-group program (8 children maximum) combines tailored, stage-appropriate activities with playful investigation of colors, flavors, and textures of foods. Your child will build language and communication skills while interacting with peers in a supportive setting. All food is provided, please email us with any allergies.
Rachel Bashkoff is a pediatric speech-language pathologist specializing in motor speech and feeding skills. She is trained in PROMPT (Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) and orofacial myofunctional therapy.
Class currently full, register for waitlist

What Happens After I Die?—Jewish Possibilities with Rabbi Ron Symons (Part 1)
2025-02-11 16:30 - 17:30

Leonard Bernstein On (and Off) Broadway
2025-02-10 10:00 - 11:30
Leonard Bernstein, the subject of the recent film Maestro, was a living paradox: a composer of hit musicals, a world-famous conductor, and a television star who, in the opinion of many musicians (including Bernstein himself), never lived up to his early promise. This informative and entertaining lecture-recital uses audio and video examples to survey the life and career of the most famous American classical musician in history.
About the Presenter: Allen Cohen is Professor of Music at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His compositions have been played in Carnegie Hall and across the United States and Europe. He has also written dance arrangements for Broadway musicals, scores for off-Broadway musicals and plays, and music for several films and many radio and television commercials. Allen has conducted three musicals on Broadway and many elsewhere. He is the author of Howard Hanson in Theory and Practice (Praeger/Greenwood) and the popular children’s book That’s So Funny I Forgot to Laugh! (Scholastic), and co-author of Writing Musical Theater (Palgrave Macmillan). He has served as a judge for the American Prize in music for many years, and he has presented papers about music and musical theater at conferences in New York City, Hawaii, Greece, and Germany.

Party for Our Planet: A Bilingual Concert with Flor Bromley
2025-02-09 10:30 - 12:00
Join 2023 Latin Grammy-nominated singer Flor Bromley for an interactive concert that celebrates our planet and all the plants and animals that make it thrive in honor of the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat (birthday of the trees). Through her original music, Flor will share how we can take care of nature and how nature takes care of us. We’ll enjoy a bagel brunch as we listen, sing, and dance along to her inspiring songs!
Party for Our Planet: A Bilingual Concert with Flor Bromley at the Shames JCC is made possible by PJ Library and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

River Readings
2025-02-08 19:00 - 21:00
$30 members with code SHAMES; $35 non-members
Doors open at 6:30
Enjoy a special, unique night out! Join RiverArts for an evening of new play readings in The Ark by accomplished playwrights read by talented actors, followed by a talk-back with the playwrights where you can learn about the creative process. Cash bar available. Learn about the featured plays and playwrights here.

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.

Janitorial Training Program: Information Session (on Zoom)
2025-02-06 11:00 - 12:00
Age requirement: Applicants must be of working age
The Shames JCC on the Hudson, in partnership with AHRC NYC and Goodwill NYNJ, is pleased to announce the launch of OPWDD Funded Career Specific Vocational Training in the field of Janitorial-Environmental Services. We invite you to join us for an information session to learn more and determine if this is the right fit for you, your clients, or someone you know!
This information session has been moved to Zoom. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Planning for Retirement: Defining Your Vision
2025-02-05 18:00 - 20:00
FREE for members; $10 for non-members
Whether you’re just beginning to think about retiring and don’t know where to start, or you’re already retired but are feeling stuck in a rut and want to re-energize your retirement, this workshop is for you. You’ll come away with clarity for immediate action steps you can take that align with your values and purpose, as well as ideas for ongoing practices and resources to support you through your retirement.
Elizabeth Knell, Professional Certified Coach, will guide you through several activities, exercises, and small-group discussions to help you define your retirement chapter and navigate the feelings that may arise around it.
**Note: this workshop will not cover financial planning for retirement – see our talk on Jan. 29 for financial planning.

Hot Topics
2025-02-05 11:30 - 13:00
Come 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!

Archaeological and the American Revolution in the Mid and Lower Hudson Valley
2025-02-03 10:00 - 11:30
Did you know that events in what is now Westchester County played a big part in our nation’s founding? The extent to which our fledgling nation teetered on collapse after the Declaration of Independence is often forgotten– and Westchester was the site of some of the period’s most significant events that allowed the new nation to endure. This lecture will discuss the history and archaeology of the achievements that occurred during that fateful period, including local historic landscapes of events that have been lost to development.
About the Presenter: Eugene Boesch is a professional archaeologist and cultural resources and historic preservation specialist who has undertaken compliance and research oriented investigations and related work for over 45 years in rural and urban settings documenting Pre-Contact, Historic, and Industrial sites and resources. He received a Ph.D. and other graduate degrees from New York University. Dr. Boesch’s work has primarily focused on Pre-Contact period cultures and adaptations in the Eastern Woodlands of North America and on early Euro-American settlement in the Hudson Valley region.

Chill Out With River Friends: A “Frozen” Sleep Under
2025-02-02 14:00 - 16:00
Wear your coziest pjs and come enjoy a special “sleep under”, sponsored by River Friends Day Camp! Watch “Frozen” with old friends and new friends while drinking frozen hot chocolate and enjoying snacks!

Janitorial Training Program: Information Session (via Zoom)
2025-02-02 10:00 - 11:00
Age requirement: Applicants must be of working age
The Shames JCC on the Hudson, in partnership with AHRC NYC and Goodwill NYNJ, is pleased to announce the launch of OPWDD Funded Career Specific Vocational Training in the field of Janitorial-Environmental Services. We invite you to join us for an information session to learn more and determine if this is the right fit for you, your clients, or someone you know!

An Evening with Judy Gold
2025-02-01 19:00 - 20:30
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Enjoy a special evening with acclaimed stand-up comedian, actor, author, and producer, Judy Gold! Judy’s stand-up specials have aired on Comedy Central and HBO and she has been featured in multiple documentaries including Trevor Noah’s XCLD: The Story of Cancel Culture. Judy has written and starred in three critically acclaimed Off-Broadway hit shows, including Yes I Can Say That!. An Emmy award-winner, she has appeared on The View, The Today Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, and on MSNBC, CNN and NewsNation.

J Sports Basketball Clinic and Open House
2025-02-01 10:00 - 11:00
The Masters School (park and meet at the Fonseca Center)
49 Clinton Ave, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
Join the camp for kids who love sports for a taste of what’s to come this summer! J Sports Academy’s new basketball partner, Rising Sport Stars, will be hosting a FREE basketball clinic for children in grades 2nd-8th. You’ll get to see the beautiful facilities where camp is happening, meet camp leadership and coaching staff, and learn more about the incredible summer we have in store. Snacks and refreshments will be served.

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.

Foreign Affairs Discussion: The Iran-Saudi Arabia Struggle
2025-01-30 19:00 - 20:15
Saudi Arabia and Iran have two sharply contrasting plans for the future. The Saudis’ forward-looking strategy seeks to build a modern economy and society and join the world while Iran’s backward-looking vision wants to consolidate its theocracy, spread its influence in the region, and sustain its war on Israel. Iran’s military has had greater success in building its power in the region, but ultimately, it’s the Saudi vision that will redeem the Middle East. Join us to discuss the best outcome for the region and whether or how it can be achieved.
About the facilitator: David Cheney is an international economics writer, instructor, and trainer for international and educational institutions. He has held a variety of positions at the International Monetary Fund and has provided communications and writing support for a number of multilateral institutions including the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. David has served as an adjunct professor of Global Economics and Writing at NYU and currently runs two foreign affairs discussion groups at the Manhattan JCC and Scarsdale Adult School.

Planning for Retirement: Financial Planning
2025-01-29 18:00 - 20:00
FREE for members; $10 for non-members
Learn how to plan for a financially secure retirement from a top professional in the field. Dr. Harry Mamaysky will explain that two steps of retirement planning: (1) figuring out how much you need to have saved and (2) figuring out how to get there. Harry will also discuss market uncertainty and risk management, share historical data on stock and bond market performance, and provide suggestions for future self study. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions! Current retirees and those planning to retire any time in the next 40 years will benefit from this conversation!
Join our lecture, Defining Your Vision, on Wednesday, February 5!

Verve Book Club: “Just Kids” by Patti Smith
2025-01-29 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Patti Smith’s autobiography, “Just Kids,” is a salute to 60s and 70s New York City,its rich and poor, its hustlers and hellions. A true fable, it is a portrait of two young artists’ ascent, a prelude to fame. What begins as a love story ends as an elegy in this National Book Award winner.

Voyages with Verve: Mexico City
2025-01-28 14:00 - 15:00
FREE for members and non-members, light snack from the country included
Journey through Mexico City’s pulsating core, where centuries of history blend with modern urban energy. Experience the grandeur of the Zócalo, one of the world’s largest city squares, flanked by the majestic Metropolitan Cathedral and National Palace with its famous Diego Rivera murals. Immerse yourself in the capital’s vibrant street life, where the aroma of local cuisine mingles with the sounds of mariachi music. From colonial landmarks to bustling markets, discover why this megalopolis remains Latin America’s cultural powerhouse and a city of endless fascination.
Can’t make this program? This tour is available to view live at home as well – the link will be sent after registration.
