Shames JCC

Post-Impressionist Escape: van Gogh and Gauguin
2026-06-15 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Impressionism and Post Impressionism: Modern Life and Escape with Morgan Ridler
Impressionism, post-impressionism, and the famous artists from these movements are some of the most well-known aspects of art history. But the well-worn themes of light, color, and personal expression are only part of the story.
In this series of three lectures Dr. Morgan Ridler explores the lesser-known elements of these movements, including their historical and social context. She’ll explore the ways in which the modernization and industrialization of France set the stage for the revolutionary art of the twentieth century.

Verve Book Club: "Horse" by Geraldine Brooks
2026-06-17 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members & non-members
Join us for a thoughtful discussion of a novel that weaves together history, art, and the enduring spirit of a remarkable 19th-century racehorse. Through the eyes of a contemporary art historian, the story explores the lives touched by this horse, uncovering secrets, struggles, and triumphs along the way. Winner of the Australian Book Industry Award for General Fiction and longlisted for the Booker Prize, it invites readers to reflect on the ways the past continues to shape the present.

Verve Potluck Picnic
2026-06-17 12:30 - 14:00
FREE for members and non-members
Bring a dish to share with friends at our annual potluck picnic! We’ll gather under the tent in the front lawn to celebrate spring. Drinks and dessert on us! NOTE: Please include a list of ingredients with your dish in case of allergies. Click here to tell us what you’re bringing! Need a ride from home? Call the welcome desk at 914-366-7898 for info.

Challah and Conversation: Why Does Kindness Matter?
2026-06-19 09:30 - 10:30
More than the quip “Everything I needed to learn I learned in kindergarten”, we will unpack why and how kindness is so essential to ways we interact with each other and treat ourselves. Living in a world of geopolitical strife, polarizing domestic political rhetoric, and general meanness, Jewish wisdom will help us recalibrate our kindness compasses.

Celebrate Juneteenth: African Storytelling with Subomi Macaulay
2026-06-19 10:00 - 11:00
Free
Gather on Juneteenth with Subomi Macaulay, The African Storyteller, a performer, author, and educator who brings the rich traditions of African oral storytelling to audiences of all ages. This interactive event follows the traditional African way of storytelling; beginning with affirmations, a libation to honor the ancestors, and sharing a story that teaches a life lesson. Throughout the performance, the audience is invited to participate, just as they would in a traditional village setting.
Subomi Macaulay’s work is rooted in the ancestral practices she learned from her maternal grandmother in West Africa, where storytelling was not just entertainment but a way of teaching values, preserving history, and strengthening community. As a performer, Subomi blends ritual, rhythm, movement, and audience participation to create immersive experiences that feel both ancient and alive. Her programs are celebrated for their ability to engage both children and adults, creating shared moments of learning and connection.

World Cup Viewing Party: USA v Australia
2026-06-19 15:00 - 17:00
Come watch the US take on Australia in the World Cup with us in The Ark! We’ll have the game on and the cash bar open. Bring the family, some friends, or just yourself and cheer on the home team!

Summer Solstice - Meditation & Sound Healing
2026-06-21 12:00 - 13:30
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. A gathering of new beginning, self care, and inner transformation tapping into the radiant energy of the sun at its peak.
What to bring:
Yoga Mat/Pillow and Blanket for support
Water
Eye blinder and journal (optional)

Challah and Conversation: Hope!
2026-06-26 09:30 - 10:30
Beyond a political slogan, a national anthem, or a far off wish for better times, we will use Jewish wisdom to help us define HOPE and how we can access it even now.

Tech Angels
2026-06-28 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-12 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-26 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-09 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-23 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-06 10:00 - 12:00
Every other Sunday
Drop in—no registration required.
Having trouble with your iPhone, Android, tablet, or laptop? Struggle with email, texting, apps, Zoom, or technology in general? Bring your device and your questions to the J and savvy volunteers from Irvington High School will help you at no cost!

An Evening with Mo Rocca
2026-07-08 19:00 - 21:00
$40 for members; $45 for non-members
History buff. Humorist. Journalist. National treasure. Join Mo Rocca for an entertaining evening of stories and adventures. With his trademark blend of intelligence, warmth, and humor, Mo will take audiences on a journey through the people, places, and peculiar moments that has made him one of America’s most beloved broadcasters. Come prepared to laugh, learn, and leave with a few great stories of your own to tell.
Mo will be in conversation with TV Producer and Podcaster (Bad Elizabeth), Gideon Evans.
About Mo Rocca:
Mo Rocca is an Emmy-winning correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, host of the Mobituaries podcast, and the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks and Triumphs. On radio, he’s a frequent panelist on NPR’s hit weekly quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! Rocca created and hosted Cooking Channel’s My Grandmother’s Ravioli, in which he traveled the country learning to cook from America’s grandparents. He got his start on television as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Rocca is coauthor of 2019’s Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving and author of 2004’s All the Presidents’ Pets: The Story of One Reporter who Refused to Roll Over.

Verve Book Club: We Will Be Jaguars, by Nemonte Nenquimo
2026-07-15 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Full lineup here
This memoir follows an Indigenous environmental leader who recounts her childhood in the Amazon and her fight to protect her people’s land, culture, and future. Blending personal history with activism, it offers a vivid perspective on resilience, identity, and conservation.

Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival
2026-07-18 13:00 - 17:00 | Kingsland Point Park, 299 Palmer Avenue, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Join Us at the Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival!
On Saturday, July 18, Kingsland Point Park transforms into a waterfront wonderland filled with mermaids, pirates, music, art, food trucks, family activities, and a one-of-a-kind parade on both land and water. This beloved community festival celebrates the beauty, history, and future of the Hudson River while bringing together thousands of residents and visitors for a day of creativity, fun, and river stewardship. We are proud to partner with the Hudson River Mermaids by providing aquatic staff and certified lifeguards for this unforgettable event as well as fun acitivities provided by J Sports Academy.

Kingsland Point Park
299 Palmer Avenue
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591

Lunch Outing: Tsuru Sushi
2026-07-22 12:30 - 14:00
259 N. Central Ave. Hartsdale, NY 10530
$25 cash per person (taxes and gratuity included)
Let’s do lunch! Tsuru Sushi Asian Cuisine is a friendly restaurant known for a variety of fresh-made Japanese cuisine, including sushi, sashimi, grilled teriyaki, hibachi, noodles, and curry. Your meal includes soup, salad, your choice of lunch special, beverage, tax, and tip, all for $25. Space is limited to 20, so sign up soon!
NOTE ON TRANSPORTATION: This event will be taking place at Tsuru where there is a large attached parking lot. If you need a ride to and from the restaurant from the JCC or your home, please email rdelevie@shamesjcc.org when you register.

Verve Book Club: The Zorg, by Kara Siddarth
2026-08-19 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Full lineup here
This speculative novel explores technology, power, and what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. Combining imaginative world-building with sharp social commentary, it raises questions that linger long after the final page.

Verve High Holiday Retreat to the Berkshires
2026-09-15 12:00 - 2026-09-17 13:00
$625 for shared double room; $725 for private room **$25 discount if you register by July 1 with promo code HOLIDAY26
(includes r/t transportation, housing, delicious kosher meals, snacks, activities, souvenir, and more!)
Come celebrate the High Holiday season in a unique and meaningful way! Our 3rd annual Verve retreat brings active adults ages 55+ from JCCs* together for three days of fun (and truly excellent meals!) at Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp in Copake, NY. Offerings include fitness and yoga classes, meditation, pickleball, art workshops, boating, dance, and more; we’ll also have programming relevant to the High Holidays and its themes of reflection and renewal, including lectures, book club, guided discussions, and holiday-themed food. As always, you’ll have free time to connect with others and enjoy nature. And that’s just during the day! Nighttime brings community-building activities, entertainment and s’mores around the campfire.
Sample Schedule (subject to change)
FAQs
*This retreat is co-hosted by Shames JCC, JCC Mid-Westchester, Suffolk Y JCC, and Sid Jacobson JCC, and is made possible by a generous grant from Verve/UJA-Fed NY. All participants will be required to sign a waiver.
**Cancellation policy:

Until August 15: Refunds/cancellations will be honored for any reason.
Aug. 16- Sept. 1: If you need to cancel during this time period and we find someone to take your place, you will be refunded the full amount. If not, you will receive a partial refund (50%).
After Sept. 1: No refunds will be given unless someone else takes your spot.

Verve Book Club: Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, by Suleika Jaouad
2026-09-16 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Full lineup here
This memoir chronicles a young woman’s experience surviving a life-altering illness and navigating the emotional terrain between sickness and health. With honesty and grace, it examines identity, recovery, love, and the challenge of rebuilding a life.

Walking with Ghosts: Real Life Hauntings with Amy Bruni
2026-09-25 19:00 - 21:00
Kick off Spooky Season with real life ghost stories from paranormal expert Amy Bruni!
Pass the popcorn and join renowned paranormal researcher, TV host and author, Amy Bruni, as she guides audiences behind the screams and into chilling real-life hauntings that inspired the world’s most terrifying horror films. In this spooky season live show, Amy breaks down every case historically, from firsthand eyewitness accounts to actual paranormal evidence collected in these locations.
How did the events inThe Conjuring compare to a real family terrorized by a demonic entity? Did famed paranormal investigative duo Ed and Lorraine Warren truly own a demonic doll as depicted in Annabelle? Are the ghosts inThe Shining inspired by author Stephen King’s real-life stay at the notoriously haunted Stanley Hotel? Did the Lutz family inThe Amityville Horror experience levitating beds and witness a demonic pig creature with glowing red eyes?
Amy invites you to look past the jump scares and special effects into the very real history, people, and paranormal encounters at the heart of these famous movies. In many cases, the truth is more frightening than fiction. In addition to the evening’s lecture, Amy also travels with her mini museum of haunted artifacts and spiritualist memorabilia, which will be displayed for you to visit and interact with before and after the show.
*Limited tickets for a post show meet & greet and photo op!

Cracking the Serial Killer Code: A Chilling Evening with Dr. Katherine Ramsland
2026-10-08 19:30 - 21:30
Members: $38, Non-Members $42
For over three decades, Katherine Ramsland has studied and communicated directly with serial killers. She has heard them recount their methods and motives, reveal their disturbing fantasies, and explain how they evade detection.
In this gripping live experience, Dr. Ramsland take audiences deep inside the mids of some of the most notorious killers, drawing on her extensive work with the “BTK” killer, Dennis Rader, and Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., accomplice to the “Candy Man.”
Each night of this limited engagement offers a unique perspective; your ticket becomes a gateway into the minds of dangerous predators. The live show features compelling visuals, chilling insights and an interactive audience Q&A.
About Katherine Ramsland
Dr. Katherine Ramsland is an author and a professor of forensic psychology. She has been a featured expert on more than 300 crime documentaries, talk shows and podcasts. She’s written more than 2,000 articles and 74 books. Over the past decade she has worked closely with FBI profilers, detectives, coroners, criminologists and attorneys. Ramsland has more recently been recognized as the former instructor of Bryan Kohberger, the convicted mass murderer responsible for the 2022 University of Idaho murders. Ramsland has also interviewed notable serial killers, such as Dennis Rader, aka the BTK Killer, and served as a co-executive producer on a four-part documentary surrounding his crimes.

Verve Book Club: West with Giraffes: A Novel by Lynda Rutledge
2026-10-21 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Full lineup here
Inspired by a true story, this novel follows the cross-country journey of two giraffes during the Great Depression. Rich in adventure, humor, and heart, it celebrates unlikely connections between people and animals.

Verve Book Club: The Correspondent, Virginia Evans
2026-11-18 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Full lineup here
Through letters, reflections, and everyday observations, this novel traces one woman’s reflections on a life shaped by relationships, choices, and changing times. Warm, witty, and deeply human, it explores the ways we stay connected to one another.

Verve Book Club: Careless People, by Sarah Wynn-Williams
2026-12-16 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members and non-members
Full lineup here
This memoir reveals an insider’s perspective on ambition, power, and corporate culture at one of the world’s most influential technology companies. Both personal and investigative, it examines the human consequences of decisions made behind closed doors.
