Hot Topics: New Years Hopes
2026-01-07 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
FREE for members & non-members
Discuss the month’s social and political issues with your fellow news 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!

“Sesame Street” Sing-A-Long Show with Alan
2026-01-10 10:00 - 12:00
Children under 2: Free; children under 6: $10
Members: $15; non-members: $20
Join Alan Muraoka—who has played “Alan,” the proprietor of Hooper’s Store on “Sesame Street” for the past 27 years—for a special sing-a-long for children of all ages. He, along with “Sesame Street” puppeteers Jennifer Barnhart and Jake Bazel, will dazzle kids with interactive content, storytelling, and well-known “Sesame Street” songs. The show will end with a meet and greet and photo opp session with Alan and the puppeteers!

Let’s Go Trivia!
2026-01-10 19:00 - 22:00
FREE for members & non-members
Grab some friends to create the fiercest trivia team of all time for the inaugural Trivia Night at The Ark! The bar will be open to keep you extra sharp—or your opponents fuzzy!—for this fact-packed night of fun with host Garry Leavy of Let’s Go Trivia! Win prizes, have fun and make memories!

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.

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 St. Barnabas Church 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 English language learners in our community. All ages welcome!

MLK Day of Service—Blanket and Book Bundles (Session 2)
2026-01-19 13:00 - 14:30

An Evening with Comedian & Musician 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).

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.Drawing inspiration from the art of Moth-style storytelling, this workshop breaks down the 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.

Stories and Songs of The ‘60s: Broadway’s Last Golden Decade
2026-01-25 15:00 - 17:00
Members: $55; non-members: $75
Hear the iconic musical hits of the 60s performed by a group of professional singers accompanied by a life orchestra. This decade saw the rise of extraordinarily memorable Broadway shows, including Bye Bye Birdie, Cabaret, Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof, and many more., These musicals kept the lights bright on Broadway through a decade that included a tumultuous phase of American history and the post-Eisenhower years, in which the Broadway showtune gave way to rock and roll.

State of the Financial Markets in 2026
2026-01-26 10:00 - 11:30
FREE for members; $20 for non-members
From concerns about tariffs, fiscal deficits, geopolitics, potential overinvestment in AI, and lofty valuation multiples, investors may be a bit skittish at the moment. But is it all doom and gloom? We also have an accommodative Fed, an administration focused on deregulation, an impending M&A cycle, and a generational shift in technological capabilities. This session will discuss how to think about these cross-currents to ultimately construct robust portfolios without overreacting to ever-evolving bearish narratives.
About the presenter: Harry Mamaysky is a partner at QuantStreet Capital, which offers clients model and market analytics, wealth management, and investing services. Harry is also a professor at Columbia Business School, where he serves as the Faculty Director of the Program for Financial Studies. Harry earned his PhD in finance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds BS and MS degrees in computer science from Brown University.
Please note: This presentation is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or endorsement of any particular investment strategy. All investments carry risks, including the possibility of losing principal value, and historical performance is not a guarantee of future results. Please consult with your own financial advisor before making any decisions about your portfolio allocation.

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

Hot Topics
2026-02-04 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-03-04 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-04-08 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-05-06 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-06-03 11:30 - 13:00
