Sukkot'enanny at the J with The Klezmericana Square Dance Band
2024-10-19 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Members: $50; non-members: $65
What happens when you mix the harvest holiday of Sukkot with an old fashioned hootenanny? A Sukkot’enanny, of course! Join us in The Ark for live music, Yiddish and American-style square dancing, and a delicious buffet dinner from Liebman’s Deli. This joyful event will feature special guests Cantor (and dance caller) Sarah Myerson and the award-winning Lisa Gutkin and her Klezmericana Square Dance Band.
Don’t like to dance? No problem! You can still enjoy this unique musical evening with great food and company. JCC members and non-members are welcome, so tell your friends!
This Verve event is generously sponsored by UJA-Federation of NY.
About the Performers:
Lisa Gutkin
Lisa is the renowned violinist and vocalist for the groundbreaking Jewish Roots band, The Klezmatics, and fiddler for the Downtown Celtic band, Whirligig. She is also known for her scoring, performance, and music direction in the two time Tony Award winning play, Indecent. Lisa has performed in Sting’s Broadway musical, The Last Ship, and her song “Gonna Get Through This World” – with words by Woody Guthrie – was hailed by Pete Seeger, as “a piece of genius.”
Cantor Sarah Myerson
Cantor Sarah Myerson proudly serves the community of Kane Street Synagogue in Brooklyn, New York and actively works to bridge the worlds of Jewish religion and Yiddish culture. Since 2008, she has led Yiddish social dancing and taught workshops and private lessons in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Israel, and Australia. She continues to write and perform new Yiddish and sacred Jewish music, often accompanying herself on banjolele, piano, accordion, or percussion. Sarah received her cantorial investiture and Master of Sacred Music degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (NY), and her cantorial commission from the Cantors Assembly.
Also featuring:
Wayne Fugate on mandolin, Mike Kobetitsch on guitar, Christina Crowder on accordion and banjo, and Brian Glassman on bass.

How Electric Guitar Changed the World with Michael Shamosh
2024-10-21 10:00 - 11:30
The dominance of the electric guitar in modern popular culture can, in large measure, be traced to the influence of the three Kings (Albert, B. B., and Freddie) as well as the lesser known Earl Hooker. Join us to discuss and hear their contributions to American culture, and learn how and why the instrument took center stage in popular music.
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.

Tasty Tuesday: Empanadas with Cantuña
2024-10-22 11:30 - 13:30
Join us for delicious empanadas handmade by Cantuña! Gluten free will be available too.

Community Information Table: It Takes a Village (ITAV) 10591
2024-10-23 10:00 - 12:00
ITAV provides support and service that help seniors in our community remain independent in their homes. Learn from ITAV representatives what it takes to volunteer or utilize their services.

FREE! Cooking and Connection: Exploring Family Recipes
2024-10-23 12:30 - 14:30
Make social connections while learning new recipes in this collaborative cooking workshop! As part of their Day for Doing Good, Regeneron employees will join Shames JCC members in a hands-on workshop that explores cooking, food memories, and family recipes led by teaching chef Amy Pane. Participants will pair up to make (and eat!) one of Amy’s family favorites, spaghetti and meatballs (both meat and vegetarian), while discussing their own meaningful family recipes. At the end of class, participants will go home with recipes from the day’s meal and receive copies of each other’s family recipes. Advance registration required.

Challah and Conversation: Voting is Good for Your Health
2024-10-25 09:30 - 10:30
We all know that voting is a good thing to do so that your voice is heard, but what if there was more to it? Join us for a values-based conversation about the way the election process impacts our neighbors: not the political impact, the moral impact on us as neighbors.
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.

Laughter Yoga with Dr. Vinodray Shah
2024-10-25 13:30 - 14:30
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!
FREE for members and non-members

Fall Fest with River Friends
2024-10-27 10:00 - 12:00
Join your River Friends Family for a morning filled with fun and games for the whole family. Enjoy live music, bounce house, sand art, pumpkin decorating, Gaga with J Sports and much more!

Verve Book Club: "Night Watch" by Jayne Anne Phillips
2024-10-30 11:30 - 13:00
Night Watch follows the intertwined lives of a group of characters in a small, tumultuous town as they navigate love, loss, and the haunting shadows of the past. Phillips explores themes of memory, trauma, and the delicate connections that shape our lives, inviting readers into a world where every moment holds significance.
Verve Book club is FREE for members and non-members. Whether you’ve read the book or just want to hear about it, all are welcome!

JCC Book Club: The Ninth Hour
2024-10-30 19:00 - 20:15
The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott explores the lives of a widowed Irish immigrant and her daughter as they navigate grief, faith, and resilience in early 20th-century Brooklyn. The novel weaves together the stories of various characters, revealing how love and community shape their lives in the face of hardship.

Clergy Talk: Racism: What’s Judaism got to do with it?
2024-11-01 09:30 - 10:30
Can an oppressed people like the Jews ever be considered racist? Why should Jews—and white Jews in particular—take racism personally? Cantor Robin Joseph ponders these questions, among others, and explores what are some of our Jewish tradition’s responses to racism and how they might inform our individual perspectives.
Join Cantor Robin Joseph of Temple Beth Shalom 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.

Flu Shot Clinic
2024-11-02 10:00 - 11:00
Get your flu shot at the J and stay healthy this winter! We are hosting a flu shot clinic with Sleepy Hollow Pharmacy for anyone 6 months and up. Please make sure to bring your insurance card and pharmacy card.

A Day of Renewal For Widows at D.I.G Farm
2024-11-02 10:00 - 13:00
Join us for a rejuvenating day at D.I.G Farm, created especially for widows to connect through a shared experience of nature, reflection, and renewal. The day will include: a hands-on farm and garden activity a peaceful walk along serene trails, a relaxing picnic lunch.

Thirteen Drivers’ Licenses Exhibit
2024-11-04 07:00 - 2024-11-08 20:00
Thirteen Drivers’ Licenses is a portable exhibit that tells the individual stories of Jewish citizens of Lichtenfels, Germany, persecuted by the Nazis, whose licenses were discovered in 2017. Come explore this powerful exhibit at the Cohen Family Atrium and learn about the lives behind the photos, and the story of their discovery.

Thirteen Drivers' Licenses
2024-11-04 10:00 - 11:30
In November 2018, Lisa Salko, along with her sisters and cousins, traveled to Lichtenfels, Germany to recover their grandfather’s and two great uncles’ drivers’ licenses, which had been confiscated by the Nazis 80 years earlier and rediscovered in 2017. What started as a trip about reclaiming a part of their family turned into something so much bigger. Lisa will share her story about this fateful trip as she encountered a small town coming to terms with its darkest past–and charting a path forward. After the talk, all participants are welcome to explore the “13 Drivers’ Licenses” exhibit on display in The Atrium.
Lisa Salko is a member of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center’s Generations Forward group of second and third generation of Holocaust survivors. A former resident of Armonk, Lisa and her husband Larry live in Elmsford. They are proud parents to their three children and loving “Mima” and “Poppy” to their three grandchildren.

Hot Topics: Election Edition
2024-11-06 11:30 - 13:00
Up all night waiting for the election results? Have some coffee on us as we discuss the 2024 election with your fellow news enthusiasts. As always, all points of view are welcome in this lively, thought-provoking, and civil discussion. Feel free to bring your lunch and/or a friend!

Reel to Real Film Series: The Miracle Worker (Dir. Arthur Penn)
2024-11-07 18:00 - 20:30
Members: $10; non-members: $18; includes light refreshments
Join us for our next Reel to Real in which we have some snacks, watch a movie together, then explore the cinematic themes and how they play out in real life. This month’s selection is The Miracle Worker (1962).
In this film we witness the Keller family centered around the blind and deaf daughter, Helen, played by Oscar-winner, Patty Duke. Her father offers her every kind of help that he can afford, while her mother allows her everything she wants, expecting nothing of Helen. Then Annie (Anne Bancroft) arrives, who understands that unless Helen really learns what language is, and how to use it to relate to others, she will be doomed to isolation.
This Reel to Real presentation will explore the human condition through the lens of the parent-child relationship (our first relationship) and examine ideas of containment, trust, unconditional love and the struggle we all face, like Helen, to break through walls of silence and darkness towards connection.
About the presenter: Scott Bloom has spent his 33-year career at the intersection of mental health, schools, and communities. He was the founding director of School Mental Health Services for the New York City Department of Education, where he built a city-wide system of mental health services and resources in over 1800 city schools to better serve the needs of 1.2 million students and families. Mr. Bloom has certification as a psychotherapist and a private practice and supervision in New York City.

Challah and Conversation: Patience
2024-11-08 09:30 - 10:30
As we wait for the election results to be finalized, let’s all take a deep breath and find that place inside where we can wait for resolution. The soul trait of patience is a useful tool when it comes to election results and so much more in our lives. We will dust off the cobwebs that prevent us from accessing patience in hopes that we can use it well now and into the future. As always, your presence makes our conversation all the richer.
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.

The Especially Everyone Experience
2024-11-10 13:30 - 16:00
While live music holds the potential to bring great happiness to many individuals, those with sensory challenges may find it too overstimulating. In this inclusive concert, the Especially Everyone Ensemble leads a sensory friendly show featuring upbeat, positive tunes that ensures those with sensitivities can actively participate. Special accommodations including noise-canceling headphones, modified lights, and a sensory break area ensure a positive and fulfilling concert experience.
For support staff tickets, use promo code EESUPPORT24 for $10 off your ticket. We will contact you for your individual’s information.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Breakthrough Fit Co, New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA), Relationspot, Fit 4 All, Brick It Again, Future Centered Care, Westchester Institute for Human Development, Fitzgerald & Sadove, The Nicholas Center, and Swim Angelfish
Especially Everyone at the Shames JCC is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
By entering this event at the Shames JCC, you are entering an area where photography, audio and video recording may occur. View the Shames JCC’s public event photo policy here.

Thriving in Menopause and Perimenopause with Fempower Health
2024-11-10 16:00 - 17:30
Members: $10; non-members: $15
Menopause is a natural phase that every woman will experience, yet it’s a topic we don’t discuss–and understand– nearly enough. Georgie Kovacs– the founder of Fempower Health, a podcast dedicated to providing trustworthy, research-backed information on women’s health– will lead a comprehensive discussion that will answer many of your questions. Having completed over 150 interviews with top women’s health experts, Georgie brings a wealth of knowledge and insights to ensure you have the information you need to feel empowered as you navigate this journey.

Devotion, Luck, and Fortitude: A Holocaust Survival Story
2024-11-11 10:00 - 11:30
Shelley Greenspan always knew that her parents survived the Holocaust and took her job as a “Memory Keeper” seriously. But it wasn’t until she traveled to Eastern Europe this past summer that she truly understood her parents’ experiences during the war and their struggles to rebuild a life afterwards. Join us for an intimate talk about their lives and the effect on Shelley’s own life.
About the presenter: Since retiring from a career in international banking, Shelley became a speaker with the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center presenting her parents’ stories to local high and middle school students. She lives in Irvington with her husband and is a member of the Shames JCC.

Friendsgiving Potluck Lunch
2024-11-13 12:00 - 14:00
FREE for members and non-members
Bring a dish 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. We’ll provide the turkey, you bring a side or dessert. Click here to tell us what you’re bringing!
NOTE: Please keep foods kosher style (no shellfish, pork, or dairy mixed with meat in the same dish) and bring a list of ingredients in case of allergies.

Common Ground: God Bless America! Praying in Public for our Elected Leaders— Patriotic Duty or Divisive Practice?
2024-11-14 10:00 - 11:00
In post-election America, we will explore the pros and cons of Jewish and Christian prayers, both formally conceived and spontaneously offered for our elected leaders. Join the Rabbi and Rector for an opportunity to share your thoughts about praying for our elected officials regardless of their— or your— party political affiliation.
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.

Challah and Conversation: Patriotism, Nationalism, Partisan Politics, and Jewish Wisdom
2024-11-15 09:30 - 10:30
In this hypersensitive partisan time in American life, we will benefit from a discussion that draws from the wisdom of Dan Rather from his book What Unites Us, along with 3,000 years of Jewish wisdom to help us make our way through these challenging weeks. As always, your presence makes our conversation all the richer.
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.

Sensory Swim (All ages)
2024-11-15 18:00 - 19:30
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.

J Sports Academy: Open House
2024-11-17 11:00 - 12:00
Join J Sports Academy at The Masters School (park and meet at the Fonseca Center) for a taste of what’s to come this summer! You’ll get to see the beautiful facilities where camp is happening, meet camp leadership, and learn more about our program. Snacks and refreshments will be served.

Stephen Sondheim: An Afternoon of Song and Story
2024-11-17 15:00 - 16:30
We are bringing Broadway to The Ark in an unforgettable afternoon combining history with a musical production! In this special event from the Golden Ticket Series, Broadway legend Jack Viertel provides insight into the life and mind of Stephen Sondheim, one of the modern masters of the American musical. While exploring the background of his iconic songs, you’ll be treated to a performance of his famous works by a quartet of professional singers, accompanied by a live orchestra. A selection of books by Jack Viertel (that he is available to sign!) and about Sondheim will be available for sale by Transom Bookshop at the show, or preorder here.
“The shows produced by Rebecca Cooper are nothing short of fabulous! The vocalists and musicians are extremely talented, and the shows are productions worthy of Broadway or the West End!”- Rabbi Joui Hessel, former Director of Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at 92NY.

Should You Care About Language Diversity?
2024-11-18 10:00 - 11:30
Do you speak a foreign language? Unfortunately, most American speak only English and our education system gives language facilities a low priority, unlike most other countries. Americans miss out on a lot by being monolingual: the broadened perspective that knowing a foreign language offers; the added intellectual and creative stimulation; the enjoyment of traveling to countries whose language you speak; and the enhanced job prospects in an international labor marketplace. Join us as we discuss the many aspects of foreign languages and what knowing–or not knowing– another language has meant for your life.
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.

Verve Book Club: "City of Thieves" by David Benioff
2024-11-20 11:30 - 13:00
Set during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II, City of Thieves follows the story of a young Jewish man who finds himself imprisoned for looting. In a twist of fate, he is paired with a charismatic, roguish soldier named Kolya, and together they embark on a dangerous quest. Their journey through a war-torn city filled with danger, humor, and unexpected camaraderie is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Verve Book club is FREE for members and non-members. Whether you’ve read the book or just want to hear about it, all are welcome!

Challah and Conversation: Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: How Every Day Might be Thanksgiving
2024-11-22 09:30 - 10:30
If only we could be thankful the other 364 days of the year. We will gather around in preparation for Thanksgiving to feast on an array of morsels of wisdom and insight to help us strengthen our gratitude muscles. As always, your presence makes our conversation all the richer.
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.
