Jr. Knicks Basketball Clinic (Grades 5–8)
2026-01-11 11:45 - 12:45 (America/New_York)
FREE for members & non-members
Have your kids ever dreamed of meeting a professional athlete? Now’s their chance! In partnership with The Robert Jacobson Sports Foundation, the J, and J Sports Academy are hosting a Jr. Knicks Basketball Clinic in collaboration with Madison Square Garden. Young athletes of all levels and interests will have the unique opportunity to learn from basketball legends while enjoying skills training, drills, giveaways, and photo opportunities with former NBA stars.

The Beatles: 60 Years Later
2026-01-12 10:00 - 11:30
FREE for members; $10 for non-members
A respected musicologist once referred to The Beatles as “One of the most transforming entities of 20th century music” and claimed that they changed the course of popular music forever. Can that possibly be true? And what made them such a strong force that their music is still popular now, more than 60 years later? Join us as we explore the phenomenon that was The Beatles—their growth, originality, musical innovations and lyric depth.
About the presenter: Barry Wiesenfeld is an internationally recognized award-winning musician, published author, and is on the music faculty of SUNY and Ramapo College. He has accompanied Grammy-, Tony- and RMI-winning artists, performed on three continents and has played on numerous recordings, radio and TV. Barry’s lecture series has been enjoyed both around the U.S. and abroad. Learn more about him: www.barrybassist.com

Community Service Drop-In: Help Prep for MLK Day of Service
2026-01-12 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-13 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-14 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-15 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-16 10:00 - 14:00
We need your help for as long as you can give us on any of these days.
To get ready for our MLK Day of Service on Jan 19, we need your help cutting fabric that will comprise no-sew blankets for neighbors at local food pantries. Please drop in to help for as long as you can on any of these days.

Third Act Circle: A Peer Support Group
2026-01-13 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-01-27 12:00 - 13:00
FREE for members and 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.

JCCU: Comparative African Modern Art—The Harlem Renaissance and Modernism
2026-01-13 13:00 - 14:30
Members: $15; non-members: $20 for the series (drop ins also welcome)
Art historian Serdar Arat is back with a two-part lecture series that looks at how African and African-diasporic artists helped shape modern art around the world. We’ll explore the Harlem Renaissance alongside European modernists to see how artists learned from one another and pushed new styles forward. We’ll also look at global traditions that inspired Western art in the 19th and 20th centuries. These talks offer an accessible, visually rich look at how cultures connect and influence each other through art.
This session:Referencing Metropolitan Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition, “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism,” we will explore the masterworks of major Harlem Renaissance artists including Jacob Lawrence, Agusta Savage, Archibald Motley, and others, in dialogue with their European counterparts such as Picasso, Braque, and Gaugin. We will compare and analyze American and European, realistic and abstract, and traditional and modern art.

Lunch Outing: Ganso Ramen and Sushi
2026-01-14 12:30 - 14:00
$25 cash per person (taxes and gratuity included)
3 Beekman Ave., Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
After years of waiting, Sleepy Hollow’s Ganso is finally open! Beat the cold with your choice of lunch special including a steaming bowl of ramen, sushi special, or bento box with main entrée, soup, salad, shumai, and rice. Please bring $25 cash which covers all food, tax, and tip (beverages are extra). Space is limited to 20—sign up soon!
NOTE ON TRANSPORTATION: This event will be taking place at Ganso where there’s an attached parking lot for 6 cars. A metered village parking lot is a few steps away. We will also be offering free roundtrip transportation from the JCC. If you need a ride to and from the restaurant from the JCC or your home, please email rdelevie@shamesjcc.org when you register.

Foreign Affairs Discussion Group: Greece, 15 Years After Financial Crisis
2026-01-15 19:00 - 20:15
FREE for members; $10 for non-members
Greece has staged a remarkable financial turnaround; its sovereign debt is now investment grade and its economy is growing by over 2%, thanks to budget discipline, reduced red tape, improved business climate, a tourism boom, and competent use of EU recovery funds. But the country has a way to go to boost its productivity, reduce income inequality, and employ its youth. How can leadership sustain the momentum of reform, build on success, and overcome remaining challenges?

Challah and Conversation: “Let Justice Roll Like Might Waters”—The Prophetic Foundations of the Civil Rights Movement
2026-01-16 09:30 - 10:30
FREE for members & non-members
Join Rabbi Ron Symons in an exploration of how the great civil rights leaders of the 20th century drew on the themes expressed over 2,5000 years ago by the prophets of ancient Israel. We will come to learn how these themes are both eternally contemporary and essential for our modern society.

A Taste of Camp: Make Apple Fritters with Kate Sonders Solomon
2026-01-18 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-01-31 14:00 - 15:00
Designed for aspiring young cooks (age 7 and up) and their families, this class offers a taste of the skills, creativity, and community that define the Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp experience. Children will work collaboratively with Kate to make delicious apple fritters, while parents will observe how BHEC fosters confidence, independence, and teamwork through cooking. There will also be time to ask questions and connect with camp staff.
This class is generously sponsored by Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp. $18 per parent/child duo.

MLK Day of Service—Blanket and Book Bundles (Session 1)
2026-01-19 10:00 - 11:30
FREE for members & non-members
In honor of the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and in partnership with The Church of St. Barnabas and Irvington Presbyterian Church, we will be making no-sew blankets and bundling them with books, hot chocolate mix, and a mug to bring joy to young children in need of literacy support. All ages welcome!
Important: The morning session is at capacity. Please join us in the afternoon! Register for the 1:00–2:30 pm session.

MLK Day of Service—Blanket and Book Bundles (Session 2)
2026-01-19 13:00 - 14:30
FREE for members & non-members
In honor of the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and in partnership with The Church of St. Barnabas and Irvington Presbyterian Church, we will be making no-sew blankets and bundling them with books, hot chocolate mix, and a mug to bring joy to young children in need of literacy support. All ages welcome!

Verve Book Club: “The Sing Sing Files” by Dan Slepian
2026-01-21 11:30 - 13:00
FREE for members & non-members
This acclaimed book pulls back the bars on one of America’s most notorious prisons to expose shocking cases of wrongful conviction. Through meticulous reporting and deeply human stories, Slepian examines how systemic failures—coerced confessions, unreliable witnesses, and prosecutorial misconduct—have sent innocent people to prison for decades. This gripping, unsettling book invites readers to question the justice system and consider what accountability, truth, and redemption really mean.

Challah and Conversation: In The Beginning, God Created… Darwin!
2026-01-23 09:30 - 10:30
FREE for members and non-members
Join Rabbi Ron Symons in exploring the differences and confluences between the biblical accounts of creation and scientific theories that we have come to accept as fact.

Comedy Night with Dave Hill
2026-01-23 19:00 - 21:30
Students: $18; members: $30; non-members: $36
Start your weekend cracking up with Dave Hill—comedian, writer, musician, actor, radio host, and man-about-town. Dave—who has appeared on numerous hit shows including The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Girls5Eva, Inside Amy Schumer, and The Jim Gaffigan Show—will entertain you with guitar stunts and jokes (teen approved).
*The content of this event is appropriate for ages 16+ but there is some explicit language.
Opening Act: Natasha Vaynblat! You may have seen her perform with UCB and we are thrilled to have her back!

Moth Community Workshop
2026-01-24 12:00 - 15:00
FREE for members & non-members
Unlock the power of storytelling in this engaging, hands-on workshop designed for all ages and backgrounds. Staff from the well-renowned storytelling organization The Moth will review core principles of storytelling while guiding you through practical exercises to hone your technique. You’ll learn how to bring your unique voice to any narrative, from personal anecdotes to professional pitches, with confidence and clarity.
This workshop is at capacity; please email thearkevents@shamesjcc.org to put your name on the waitlist.

Scenes of the Hudson Valley Reception
2026-01-24 14:00 - 16:00
FREE for members & non-members
The Shames JCC is proud to present Scenes of the Hudson Valley, an exhibition celebrating the beauty and spirit of our local environment. Come celebrate the artists, their work and our beautiful community. Light refreshments will be served.
We respectfully acknowledge that the Shames JCC sits on the ancestral and unceded land of the Munsee Lenape people. We honor their enduring connection to this land and recognize the deep history that continues to shape our region.

Tech Angels
2026-01-25 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!

POSTPONED—Stories and Songs of The ‘60s: Broadway’s Last Golden Decade
2026-01-25 15:00 - 17:00
Due to the impending storm, we have decided to postpone this concert at The Ark. It will now be held on Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 pm.

Documentary Screening: "Brighton Beach"
2026-01-28 11:30 - 13:30
FREE for members & non-members
running time 60 mins plus time for discussion

Set against the iconic Coney Island boardwalk, Brighton Beach is a neighborhood in constant re-formation. Now with a 4K restoration, this 1980 documentary offers a vérité portrait of the immigrant communities that changed the Brooklyn neighborhood—mostly Soviet Jews and Puerto Ricans—as they mingle on the boardwalk with long-time residents and coexist around a shared sense of uprootedness. From directors Susan Wittenberg and Carol Stein, Brighton Beach documents life’s simple pleasures and the creating of a community.

“Thoughts & Prayers” Screening and Talkback
2026-01-29 18:45 - 21:00
FREE for members & non-members
This HBO documentary film, directed by Emmy-award winners Jessica Dimmock and Zackary Canepari, examines the normalization of gun violence in America through the vast industry of preparedness that has arisen in response. From lockdown drills in elementary schools to bulletproof backpacks and “active shooter” conventions, the film describes how survival has become a product and safety a business model. It documents how this shift has quietly reshaped American life, turning safety into something we rehearse, perform, and purchase. After the screening, we’ll hear from the directors about the making of the film and the major lessons they learned.
Watch the trailer here.
This program is presented in partnership with Shames JCC on the Hudson and Moms Demand Action Westchester.
Doors open at 6:15 pm and the film will begin promptly at 6:45 pm.

Group Outing: Tour and Italian Lunch at the Culinary Institute of America
2026-01-30 08:30 - 14:30
1946 Campus Drive Hyde Park, NY 12538
Members: $85; non-members: $95 *incl r/t transportation from the J, tour, and 3-course lunch
Tour begins at 10:15 am and lunch is at 11:30 am (Bus departs JCC at 8:15 am and returns around 2 pm)

Looking for a warm escape in the heart of winter? Join us on a culinary adventure at the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America (CIA)!
Our visit begins with a guided tour about the history of the CIA, the science of taste, and an exclusive Q&A with current CIA students who bring the school’s vibrant culture to life.
Afterward, we’ll indulge in a seasonal three-course lunch at the CIA’s acclaimed Italian restaurant, Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici, where fresh ingredients and authentic flavors take center stage. Dietary restrictions (vegetarian, gluten free, allergies, etc.) can be accommodated with two weeks notice.
Roundtrip transportation from the JCC is included—all you have to do is relax, learn, and digest this delicious midwinter getaway!
Registration opens 11/30

Challah and Conversation: Can We March Together Again? Black-Jewish Relations Throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries
2026-01-30 09:30 - 10:30
FREE for members & non-members
Rabbi Ron Symons will guide us through a conversation uncovering the history of Black-Jewish relations in the civil rights movement, both the good and the bad, with hopes for even more cooperation in the years to come.

Cheers with Cheese, Hosted by Jill Santopietro & Kate Sonders Solomon
2026-02-01 17:30 - 19:30
Members: $43; non-members: $48
Join us for a deliciously cozy winter evening of cheese board crafting, sipping, and friendly competition!
Learn how to create a stunning, crowd-pleasing cheese board—perfect for your next dinner party, holiday gathering, or solo snack night. We’ll walk you through the art of cheese selection, pairing, and styling, plus all the little extras that turn a good board into a gorgeous one. Once you’ve built your masterpiece, it’s time for a little friendly showdown. Boards will be judged, winners will be crowned, and yes—there will be prizes.
Our cash bar will be open all night with a special menu of wines curated to pair beautifully with your bites. Come hungry, thirsty, and ready to get creative.
Spots are limited—book early, and bring a friend (or three)!

The Hidden History of Slavery in New York Film and Q&A
2026-02-02 10:00 - 11:30
FREE for members; $10 for non-members
Together we’ll watch and discuss The Hidden History of Slavery in New York, a 30-minute documentary that digs deeply into an infamous chapter in our country that largely hasn’t made its way into the history books. Featuring Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, we learn how the Transatlantic slave trade was centered in the north, not the south, in the 17th and 18th century —with New Amsterdam as its epicenter—and Wall Street as its largest slave market.
With a debate raging in the US about what should and shouldn’t be taught about slavery, this film is as important and timely as ever and a fitting beginning to Black History Month.
About the presenter: Larry Epstein is a two-time Emmy award-winning documentary and news producer, journalist, writer, anchor and corporate copywriter. Larry is a former executive producer at MSNBC, and former senior-level producer at the Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network.
