Shames JCC

Cooking with Amy: Great Grain Bowls
2025-07-21 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Members: $10; non-members: $15
Join resident culinary specialist Amy Pane as we uncover the mystery of grains! Together we’ll learn about the history, health benefits, and culinary uses of different delicious and versatile grains (both with and without gluten). Amy will demo how to prepare three grain salads to enjoy in class and everyone will go home with recipes.

92NY Live Presents: "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America"
2025-07-21 10:00 - 11:30
FREE for members & non-members
Join Wall Street Journal’s Josh Dawsey, The New York Times’ Tyler Pager and The Washington Post’s Isaac Arnsdorf with Pulitzer Prize-winner Maggie Haberman for a conversation about their riveting book on Donald Trump’s stunning political comeback and what it means for America.
Nearly four years after Trump’s first turbulent presidency concluded in a violent attempt to overturn the election, he made a political comeback on a scale that stunned the nation. Drawing on extraordinary access to the Trump, Biden, and Harris teams, Dawsey, Pager, and Arnsdorf’s investigative reporting brings us the definitive account of how he did it.
In a special conversation, hear these award-winning journalists talk to Maggie Haberman about how the 2024 election is influencing Trump’s policy—and what it means for US democracy.

Challah and Conversation: "Bastille Day and Jewish Identity"
2025-07-18 09:30 - 10:30
July 14, 1789 marked a pivotal moment in the journey of the French people towards independence. While the theme is often celebrated through the music of Les Miserables), I am curious about how the Jews of France fit into that journey. Just wait until you see what the Jews of that era had to say about being a Frenchman and a Jew at the same time! Trust me, their conversations are relevant for us today in 2025 America.
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.

JCC Book Club: "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman
2025-07-16 19:00 - 20:15
FREE for members & non-members
This New York Times bestseller follows Eleanor Oliphant, a socially isolated woman who believes she’s perfectly fine living a rigid, lonely life. After befriending a kind coworker and helping an elderly man, she begins to confront her traumatic past and discovers she’s capable of more than just surviving—she can truly live.

Hot Topics: "What Did You Say?” with Audiologist Dr. Marisa Boyle
2025-07-16 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members & non-members
Join us for a presentation that addresses the social, emotional, and mental effects of hearing loss and new developments in hearing aid technology. This presentation is for anyone who needs to learn about hearing, hearing aids, and how the lack of caring for your hearing can be harmful to your health.
About the presenter: Dr. Marisa Boyle has been practicing as a Doctor of Audiology, NYS hearing aid dispenser and adjunct clinical supervisor for over 25 years. In the past 22 years she has been practicing at Westchester Hearing Instruments, where she specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and aural rehabilitation of hearing loss for adults. Her advanced training includes the fitting of high-definition digital hearing aids and assistive listening devices, as she focuses on aural rehabilitation for the patient, and their families.
Dr. Boyle understands the challenges of living with hearing loss as she was diagnosed with a bilateral hearing loss at age four. Her objective is to improve the quality of life for her patients through better hearing.

Third Act Circle: A Peer Support Group
2025-07-15 12:00 - 13:00
FREE for members & non-members
Those experiencing the stage of life referred to as “the third act” are invited to come together to talk, laugh, share stories, and support one another through life’s ups and downs. Whether you’re navigating retirement, dealing with health changes, coping with loss, or just looking to connect with others in a similar life stage, this group offers a place where you can feel heard and understood. Facilitated by Rena, the focus is on encouragement and community. Bring your lunch!

Challah and Conversation: "Adam & Eve and Adam & Steve: Exploring Religious Perspectives on Gay Marriage"
2025-07-11 09:30 - 10:30
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.

Cool at Camp: A New Musical Comedy
2025-07-09 19:00 - 21:00
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Members: $42; non-members: $46
Age 16+ recommended
Gather your camp BFFs, put on your favorite camp swag, and come revisit your summers at sleep away camp as we present a reading of a real and raunchy meshuga musical about kids, camp, and coming of age.

Documentary Screening: “Caregiving” (Dir: Bradley Cooper)
2025-07-09 11:30 - 13:30
FREE for members and non-members
(running time 1 hour, 53 mins)

New from Executive Producer Bradley Cooper comes the story of paid and unpaid caregivers navigating the challenges and joys of this deeply meaningful work. Intertwining intimate personal stories with the untold history of caregiving, the PBS documentary reveals America’s caregiving crisis through intimate stories and expert insight.

Tech Topics: Navigating the JCC Online
2025-07-07 10:00 - 11:00
FREE for members and non-members
Would you like to make sure you’re getting JCC emails? Want to clarify how to register for a lecture or sign up for a group exercise class? Still struggling with how to find the pickleball and aquatics schedule online? Mel Hoodlet from the Welcome Desk will help you learn how to confidently navigate the JCC website. You’re welcome to watch as we go through details on the big screen, or bring your devices (laptop, tablet, cell phone) and walk through the steps with us.

Hot Topics
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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

A Cup of Tea? with Rabbi Ron Symons
2025-06-16 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-06-13 12:00 - 13:00
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?

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.

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.

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

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.
