Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy
2023-10-11 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
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!

Friday Night Sensory Friendly Swim
2023-10-20 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-11-17 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.

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.

Laughter Yoga
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!

Hot Topics
2023-11-01 11:30 - 13:00
Are you a news junkie? Come discuss the week’s social and political issues 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!

Hearing the Other Side: Partisan Politics through a Jewish Framework
2023-11-03 10:00 - 11:30
With Rabbi Mara Young, Woodlands Community Temple
We know that Judaism values “arguments for the sake of heaven,” but why is having different opinions such an important part of Jewish learning and living? How can we apply this acceptance of conflict to our (highly charged) modern political discussions?

Family Art-Making Workshop: Upcycle with Block Printing
2023-11-04 15:00 - 16:30
Turn something old into something new at our clothing upcycling workshop. Artist Erwin Ong will guide you through block printing and pattern-making basics with used clothes. You will leave with your own creation and the skills to upcycle at home! Come with an article or two of clothing. Cotton or linen fabrics are best: shirts, sweatshirts, bandanas/scarves, tote bags, etc. This workshop is meant for caregivers with children and is best for ages 4+.
$8 per person for members, $12 per person non-members.

New York’s Street Music: From Doo Wop to Hip Hop with Michael Shamosh
2023-11-06 10:00 - 23:30
The streets of New York have always been the source of new musical ideas. In this high energy lecture, music historian Michael Shamosh will examine two vocal music revolutions- doo wop and hip hop and their journey from the streets of the great city to the rest of the world.
About the presenter: Michael Shamosh is a musician and historian of American music. He was known as “Sunnyside Slim,” the harmonica player for the local band Sunnyside Slim and The Hudsons. Michael has been a chief investment strategist for brokerage firms, and a manager of mutual funds and a hedge fund. He is a JCC member and lives in Irvington, New York where he raised two sons with his wife Renee

Israel Connection: Welcome Noy!
2023-11-07 11:00 - 11:45
Come welcome our new Shishin (Junior Israeli ambassador) Noy Laufer, born in Haifa. Her family currently lives in Moshav Avigdor, a small village 40 minutes south of Tel Aviv. Noy is spending her gap year after graduating high school working with different institutions. Noy will to share her experiences and perspectives as an Israeli. Light refreshments will be served.

Documentary Screening: We Feed People (Dir. Ron Howard)
2023-11-08 11:30 - 13:30
FREE for members and non-members
Register Here
We Feed People, from Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, spotlights renowned chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s mission and evolution, from being a scrappy group of grassroots volunteers to becoming one of the most highly regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector. Since 2010 WCK has served 300 million meals and is currently on the ground in several countries. Running time is 89 mins plus time for discussion.

Holiday Pop-Up: Hanukkah candles from Irvington’s Boy Scout Troop 55
2023-11-11 09:00 - 12:00
Stop by the J to get your Hanukkah candles and support the local Boy Scouts!

That's How The Light Gets In: A Musical Tribute to Leonard Cohen
2023-11-12 15:00 - 16:30
Join us for an afternoon of music and connection in honor of Leonard Cohen’s 7th yahrzeit.
Nobel laureate and modern-day prophet Leonard Cohen’s timeless body of work as a songwriter, performer, and poet spans more than 50 years and explores religion, politics, isolation, love, and mortality. His creations delved fearlessly into the essence of human existence, often doing so through the lens of Jewish history, texts, and tradition.
As we commemorate his 7th yahrzeit, join guitarist Dan Nadel, vocalist Shira Averbuch, and drummer Satoshi Takeishi for a tribute celebrating Cohen’s life and music. After the concert, we’ll gather for wine and light snacks.
Where: The concert will take place in the Experiential Theater at The Masters School 49 Clinton Ave. Dobbs Ferry NY. The theater is inside the Fonseca Center and is handicap accessible. Plenty of parking is on site.
When: The show runs from 3-4:15 and will be immediately followed by a casual reception in the Sharon Room.
Who: This event is organized by a consortium of Rivertowns synagogues including Temple Beth Abraham, Temple Beth Shalom, Pleasantville Community Synagogue, Woodlands Community Temple, and Greenburgh Hebrew Center, and generously sponsored by UJA-Federation of NY. It is geared towards adults 55+ but all are welcome!
About the Performers:
Shira Averbuch
Named “the golden-voiced singer” by The New York Times, Shira Averbuch, is a NYC based Israeli-American singer-songwriter and actor. She serves as the Artist in Residence at B’nai Jeshurun Synagogue in NYC.
Born in upstate NY to Israeli parents, Shira split her time growing up between Israel and the States. After finishing her service in the Israeli Army Band, Shira moved to NYC and graduated from The New School with a BFA in Musical Theater with a minor in Music Therapy. Shira has recorded two albums and found her place sharing her healing song in both the Jewish world and the world at large. She is set to release new music in 2024.
Dan Nadel
Dan Nadel is an Israeli-born guitarist and composer, whose personal style combines flamenco, jazz, and Middle Eastern influences. His debut album, Brooklyn Prayer, was released in 2005 to critical acclaim, and was followed by recordings and performances as a bandleader, a solo performing artist, and an in-demand collaborator.
Nadel is the music director for Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Manhattan and director of the 92NY’s new program Bridges in Sound. He attended the jazz program at the prestigious “Thelma Yellin” High School of the Arts in Tel Aviv, before completing his three-year army duty as the guitarist for the IDF’s Air Force Band. He is a graduate of the BFA jazz program at The New School in NYC and has studied with jazz masters Billy Harper, Hal Galper, Cecil McBee in NY, and flamenco guitarist Antonio Moya in Seville, Spain.

Beyond Google: Genealogical Methods to Finding People Online with Ron Arons
2023-11-13 10:00 - 11:30
Want to reconnect with an old friend? Want to find a good doctor or attorney? Learn the methods genealogists such as Ron Arons use to track down or simply discover living relatives. Beyond Google, we’ll discuss how to use professional websites, people directories, court and other government records, ‘aggregation’ websites, and of course, social networking platforms. You’ll learn that by using these websites together, their synergies can provide even more fantastic search results.
About the Presenter: Ron is currently the Secretary for the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. He has given more than five hundred presentations internationally on topics of Jewish criminality, Jewish genealogy, research methodology, technology, and data visualization. Ron is the author of three books and has a B.S. in Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

New Babies: Bris, Baby Namings, and Baptisms
2023-11-14 10:00 - 11:00
With Rev Garth Evans, St. Barnabas, and Rabbi Jay Stein, Greenburgh Hebrew Center
This discussion is part of the Baptism to B’ Mitzvah: exploring Rituals in Judaism and Christianity lecture series. Across diverse religions and cultures, there are ceremonies and traditions acknowledging a child’s maturation and entrance into adulthood. We will examine how Jews and Christians mark these transitions and how the communal responsibilities of young adults in each faith develop and evolve.

Friendsgiving Potluck Lunch
2023-11-15 12:00 - 14:00
Bring your lunch and a dessert to share with friends new and not-new for a friendsgiving potluck at the JCC! We’ll gather to celebrate all we’re grateful for in our JCC community. Beverages and extra dessert on us!
NOTE: Please include a list of ingredients with your dish in case of allergies.

Will the Hamas Attack Halt the Transition to a New Middle East?
2023-11-15 19:00 - 20:15
In recent years, following the tumult of the Arab Spring and turmoil in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, some key Middle Eastern countries showed signs of moving toward peace and economic stability. The October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel threatens to undermine these prospects, delaying or even destroying the progress under the Abraham Accords. What are the potential outcomes for the region–and how can Israel and the US minimize the damage done by Hamas and keep the region focused on stability and economic advancement?
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.

Women’s Circle: Building Body Confidence and Trust
2023-11-16 18:30 - 20:00
Whether we realize it or not, feelings about our body underscore many of our most important relationships including with food, health, and our deeper selves. Join body image coach, nutritionist, and author Amelia Sherry MPH, RD for new insights into the concept of body confidence. You’ll learn practical tools and strategies to build a positive body image for yourself, your children, and your grandchildren that lasts throughout life.
$10 members/$15 non-members

An Israeli Teen Perspective: What’s Happening in Israel?
2023-11-16 19:00 - 20:30
Across Westchester County, several local families host “Shinshinim” who are Israeli high school graduates serving as emissaries to Jewish communities and engaging in meaningful service work prior to their mandatory engagement in the Israeli army. Teens ages 14 and up are invited to come to hear from these Shinshinim about their personal ties to current events in a moderated discussion and question-and-answer session. Registration is strictly required.
