Shames JCC

Birdie's Batch Rosh Hashanah Pop-up
2023-09-14 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
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.

Laughter Yoga
2023-09-19 18:30 - 19:30, 2023-10-31 10:30 - 11:30
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!

Friday Night Sensory Friendly Swim
2023-09-22 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-10-20 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.

Pink Challah Bake for Women's Health
2023-10-19 11:15 - 12:30
Join our second annual Pink Challah Bake in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We will be making pink challah to raise awareness, start conversations, and receive critical information on recognizing signs of breast and ovarian cancer. We’ll hear from survivors of breast and ovarian cancer within our community and share educational materials, promoting steps to stay well, and supporting those who have and are going through it. Join us in wearing pink all day at the J!

River Friends Fall Fest
2023-10-21 10:30 - 12:30
River Friends Day Camp’s Fall Fest & Family Concert with Jill Geddes
Kick off our camp countdown with your camp friends and counselors for some fall family fun! Featuring: Music, Pumpkin Decorating, Bounce House, Fall Family Photos, And More! Music with Jill begins at 11:30 am. This event is geared towards families with children 2–6 years old.
This event is free and open to the public
Please get a ticket for each family member attending
Registration is required
The suggested donation of $20 is per family

RiverArts Preview Show
2023-10-22 15:00 - 17:00
In advance of the RiverArts Studio Tour this November, RiverArts will host a preview exhibition of works by select participating artists at the J. Stop by for a reception and celebration of local art and artists. This is a FREE event.

Pete Seeger’s Legacy in Song with Robert Cohen
2023-10-23 10:00 - 11:30
Folk singer Pete Seeger impacted the world with traditional folk songs, songs of activism and protest, songs from around the world and his own anthems of affirmation. Robert Cohen, an accomplished speaker, has been lecturing on American folk and popular music for over a quarter of a century and will share his vast knowledge and experiences working with Pete Seeger in this fascinating presentation filled with songs and stories.
About the Presenter: Robert Cohen has spoken at the Fifth Avenue New York Public Library, the New England Conservatory of Music, New School University, Boston College’s Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia, and the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. For many years he was one of the most sought-after speakers in the New York Council for the Humanities Speakers in the Humanities and Speakers in the Schools programs.

Terrarium Making Workshop
2023-10-24 13:00 - 15:00
Make connections while learning a new craft in our terrarium-making workshop! Sponsored by Regeneron as part of their Day for Doing Good, you’ll be paired with a volunteer to work together on making a tropical plant micro-garden with mini-houseplants, stones, and preserved mosses to re-create a natural landscape in a glass container. The class is taught by horticulturist, terrarium designer, author, and NYBG instructor Maria Colletti. Terrariums are not only beautiful, they’re incredibly easy to care for—and you get to take yours home for months of enjoyment. Advance registration required.

Verve Book Club: “The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America” by Christopher Gorham
2023-10-25 11:30 - 13:00
Come discuss the first-ever biography of Anna Marie Rosenberg, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant with only a high school education who went on to be dubbed by Life Magazine “the most important woman in the American government.” As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s special envoy to Europe in World War II, Rosenberg went where the president couldn’t go. She was among the first Allied women to enter a liberated concentration camp, and stood in the Eagle’s Nest– Hitler’s mountain retreat– days after its capture. She guided the direction of the G.I. Bill of Rights and the Manhattan Project, among many other projects. This book sheds insight into a truly extraordinary life.

Order in the Court! A Dramatic Courtroom Transcript Reading
2023-10-25 13:00 - 14:00
FREE for members; $5 for non-members
If you’re a fan of Perry Mason, Law and Order or just good old-fashioned suspense, join us for our first courtroom transcript roundtable reading! Much like a table reading for a play, participants will be assigned parts (judge, attorney, plaintiff, etc.) from an edited transcript of a famous trial. You won’t know the outcome of the case until the group finishes! The program is facilitated by health professional Aytan Adler and no experience is necessary!

Mindful Grief Workshop with Dr. Amy Gross
2023-10-25 18:15 - 19:15
In partnership with COPE, the Shames JCC presents:
Mindful Grief Workshop with Dr. Amy Gross.
Grief and loss are deeply felt and part of our human experience. What can bring us greater ease and peace in the midst of pain is letting go of our resistance to it. In this workshop, participants will engage in learning, meditation and discussion in order to support each other and come to terms with accepting the truth of the human experience–that life is constantly changing and that with life comes death.
ABOUT AMY: Amy L. Gross, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified meditation teacher with more than 20 years of experience in the mental health and wellness disciplines. She is currently in private practice in Westchester, NY where she works with adolescents and adults with a wide range of concerns and spends summers in PA at a sleepaway camp where she provides campers and staff with social and emotional support as well as mindfulness programming. Amy also teaches weekly meditation classes for Pause to be Present, an in-person and virtual studio in Scarsdale, NY. Amy’s clinical and meditation experience creates a special synergy that she is eager to share with the COPE and Shames JCC communities. You can learn more about Amy here: https://dr.amylgross.com/. Find Pause to be Present on Instagram and Facebook @pausetobepresent.
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COPE is a nonprofit grief and healing organization dedicated to helping parents and families living with the loss of a child. COPE offers community support – if you need support, please reach out: 516-832-2673 info@copefoundation.org. For more information, visit www.copefoundation.org.

CANCELED: PJ Library and Shames JCC go Apple Picking
2023-10-29 10:00 - 11:30
At Stuarts Fruit Farm, 62 Granit Springs Rd, Granit Springs
Join us for a day of apple picking with your grandchildren and friends with from the Shames JCC
RSVP: Marcie Colon, PJ Library Grandparent Connector at marcie76208@verizon.net
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER

Raptors for Rookies with Saw Mill River Audubon
2023-10-30 10:00 - 11:30
Over twenty species of raptors may be spotted in our area, including various kinds of eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls. Saw Mill River Audubon Executive Director Anne Swaim will present a multimedia program with some of the best raptor images from local photographers, video clips, and more. Find out when and where raptors may be seen and how they are doing in the mixed rural and suburban landscapes of the Lower Hudson Valley.
About the presenter: Anne Swaim is Executive Director of Saw Mill River Audubon, a local chapter of National Audubon based in Chappaqua, where she has worked since 1989. Along with a small staff and dozens of volunteers, she maintains eight wildlife sanctuaries, offers over 200 free public programs & field trips annually and helps connect people with nature. Anne has a B.S. in Environmental Biology from Clarion University and M.Div. from Eastern University. She previously worked for Pennsylvania State Parks and the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Program.
