Shames JCC

Hot Topics
2024-06-05 11:30 - 13:00, 2024-07-03 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
FREE for members and non-members
Come 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!

Two Years Since Dobbs: Where Are We Now?
2024-06-06 19:00 - 20:30
$15 suggested donation
Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago this June. Since then, a number of states have enacted restrictive abortion laws, and women’s access to healthcare is being obstructed in new and dangerous ways every day. How did this all come to pass? What has the landscape looked like these past two years in terms of policy and provision–and where might be heading in this significant election year? We’ll explore the past, present, and potential future of abortion access with Meera Shah, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Andrea Flynn, thought leader, scholar, and lecturer on reproductive and economic justice.
This event is co-sponsored with Rivertown for Reproductive Rights.

Spring Graze Board Making
2024-06-06 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for an interactive culinary experience led by talented cooking instructor, Kate Sonders Solomon. Learn the art of crafting a delicious spring graze board, socialize, and celebrate Shavuot as you indulge in the joy of food and community!
Kate is a cooking instructor living in Hastings-on-Hudson. She provides a relaxed, hands-on cooking experience for adults and children. Kate aims to foster creativity and connection in the kitchen and empower children, home cooks, and corporate teams.
Address is in the Somers area, and will be disclosed upon registration

Shavuot Pizza Party (in Northern Westchester)
2024-06-09 15:00 - 16:30
Calling all little chefs and curious minds! Get ready to make your own personalized pizza and learn about Shavuot with Shames JCC and PJ Library!
Location: Jefferson Valley area and the address was given upon registration

Children’s Summer Clothing Donation Drive Begins
2024-06-10 08:00 - 17:00
Give your children’s outgrown clothing new life by donating them to families in need. The NY Common Pantry is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting dignity, health, and self-sufficiency for low-income families in New York City. Help them support these individuals by donating the following to the J between 6/10-6/21 (sizes newborn-4T):

Summer/early fall clothing (shorts, dresses, t-shirts, onesies, swimsuits, light sweaters, etc):
Accessories (hats, shoes, socks, etc)
Small gear (carriers, wraps, etc)
New diapers/pull-ups, formula, baby wipes

Riverkeeper's Fight for Free Flowing Waterways
2024-06-10 10:00 - 11:30
Join Tracy Brown, CEO of Riverkeeper—one of the most important environmental organizations in the Hudson Valley– for a screening and discussion of two short documentaries about Riverkeeper’s work with dam removal. The first film, “One Dam At A Time,” centers on the Hudson River watershed, while the second film, “Sister River,” documents Riverkeeper’s work helping to block planned dams on the last free flowing major river in Nepal.

Death of a Bully: A Dramatic Courtroom Transcript Reading
2024-06-10 13:00 - 14:00
If you’re a fan of Perry Mason, Law and Order or just good old fashioned suspense, join Aytan Adler for our next courtroom transcript roundtable reading, Death of a Bully. Much like a table reading for a play, participants will be assigned parts (judge, attorney, plaintiff, etc.) from an edited transcript of a fascinating trial. You won’t know the outcome of the case until the end. Bring your curiosity and playful spirit!

Israeli Culture Connection with Noy
2024-06-11 11:00 - 12:00
Join us in bidding farewell to our Shishin, Noy Laufer! As she embarks on her journey to serve in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) this fall, let’s gather to celebrate her contributions to the J, indulge in delicious Israeli snacks, and wish her the very best.

Out to Lunch with the JCC: Racanelli’s Pizza and Brew
2024-06-12 12:30 - 14:30
Bring your appetite (and maybe some to-go boxes) for our next lunch at Racanellis Pizza and Brew! Your meal includes your choice of salad, pasta, main entree, and dessert for $33 cash. There’s plenty for vegetarians and omnivores alike! These events are always lots of fun and are open to all.
NOTE: We will be meeting at Racanellis, 185 Knollwood Rd., White Plains, NY 10607 where there is parking in their lot. If you need a ride from the JCC or have room in your car for others, please email cjacobs@shamesjcc.org when you register.
Price includes food, tax and tip

Father’s Day Pop-Up Shop: Homemade Ceramics by Maggie Chow
2024-06-13 09:00 - 13:00
Get a special gift for the father in your life at the J! Artist Maggie Chow will be selling handmade functional ceramics with special designs, all created with love and passion locally in Westchester. All works are created without any toxic materials.

Parenting your Transgender, Nonbinary, or Questioning Child
2024-06-13 19:00 - 20:15
Traditionally, Americans were taught about binary genders, but Gen Z challenges this. They explore gender freely and need parental support. This workshop guides parents in navigating disruptions related to gender, names, pronouns, and lifestyles, offering insights, mindsets, and tools for creating a supportive home.

Songs from The Holocaust: The Music and Life of Viktor Ullmann
2024-06-17 10:00 - 11:30
Soprano Dominique Hellsten and pianist Craig Ketter will perform music by Austrian composer and Holocaust victim Viktor Ullmann, whose substantial body of work was lost for decades after his death at Auschwitz. Weaving together songs and stories, Dominique will tell the haunting and fascinating story of Ullmann’s short life and how his music survived the war.
About the presenter: Dominique Hellsten, Soprano has an MA in voice and music education from School of Music, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. A celebrated international performer , Dominique is also the founder of The Ullmann Project, whose mission is to promote the music by Holocaust victim Viktor Ullmann as well the chamber music repertoire of the first half of the 20th century. In 2023, The Ullmann Project presented Viktor Ullmann’s opera “The Emperor of Atlantis,” which was composed in the Terezin/Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943.

PJ Library Birthday at the J!
2024-06-18 17:00 - 19:00
To celebrate 18 years of PJ Library–the organization that sends free Jewish storybooks to children every month– the Shames JCC is hosting a festive birthday bash. Our celebration will include a book festival in our new theater, The Ark, featuring some of PJ Library’s favorite storybooks, and a lively family concert with Rebecca Schoffer of 92NY Shababa! Children can kick off the celebration on our beautiful playground and enjoy a variety of art, movement, and tikkun olam activities.

Free Juneteenth Soul Line Dancing Party (in The Ark)
2024-06-19 11:00 - 12:00
Join us for a special, free line dance event as we celebrate Juneteenth with Steven “Fun Bunch” Dillard!
Using an upbeat and fun soundtrack as a backdrop, Steven will break down easy line dances that allow everyone to learn at a comfortable pace. You’ll learn basic steps, rhythms and routines choreographed to music.

Juneteenth at the J for Kids
2024-06-19 11:00 - 12:15
Grades K and up
While school is out, kids can learn about and celebrate this holiday of freedom at the J. Children will rotate between activity stations where they will make percussion instruments, use them to play traditional African music, engage in a lesson on Juneteenth’s history, and participate in an interactive trivia game with prizes. All are welcome to bring a packed lunch and blanket and join us after for a community picnic!

Last Day to Donate: Children’s Summer Clothing Donation Drive
2024-06-21 08:00 - 17:00

Laughter Yoga
2024-06-21 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!

Friday Night Sensory Friendly Swim
2024-06-21 18:00 - 19:30, 2024-07-19 18:00 - 19:30
Join us for our monthly Friday night free-swim to families who have an immediate member with a disability. 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!

Verve Book Club: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
2024-06-26 11:30 - 13:00
When Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, this Pulitzer prize-winning novel showcases Colson Whitehead at his best.

JCC Book Club: The Light Between Oceans
2024-07-11 19:00 - 20:15
The miraculous arrival of a child in the life of a barren couple delivers profound love but enormous risk and pain. M. L. Stedman’s debut novel presents a story about compelling characters navigating a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one is another’s tragic loss.

Death of a Bully: A Dramatic Courtroom Transcript Reading Pt. 2
2024-07-16 13:00 - 14:00
Join Aytan Adler for the second part of the courtroom transcript roundtable reading, Death of a Bully. You’ll be assigned parts (judge, attorney, plaintiff, etc.) from an edited transcript of a fascinating trial. The outcome will unfold as if you are witnessing the case in real time!. Bring your curiosity, acting skills, and playful spirit!

Film Screening: “Trezoros: The Lost Greek Jews of Kastoria” (Dir. Larry Russo)
2024-07-17 11:30 - 13:30
Using never-before-seen pre-war archival footage and first-person testimonies, Trezoros: The Greek Jews of Kastoria chronicles the Jewish life and culture of Kastoria, a picturesque lakeside village in the mountains of Northwestern Greece. Here, Jews and Orthodox Christians lived together in harmony for more than two millennia until World War II. Trezoros (the Ladino/Judeo-Spanish term of endearment meaning “Treasures”) takes us from the joyful innocence of the pre-war years through the heartbreaking struggles of the Holocaust, to a unique place in time and history of a Greek Jewish culture lost forever. Running time: 90 mins
This event is FREE for all.

Foreign Affairs Discussion Group: The Risks and Costs of Deglobalization
2024-07-17 19:00 - 20:15
The world is in the midst of a sustained and strong backlash against globalization. While it delivered great prosperity and lifted millions out of poverty, it left many working class people jobless and angry and led to a wave of nationalism, protectionism, and authoritarianism that is changing all of our lives. Join us to learn about the causes, nature, and scope of the backlash and its implications for worldwide economic growth and political stability.

“Beautiful Night”: A New Musical (in The Ark)
2024-07-20 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-07-21 14:00 - 15:00
A Musical by Anywhere Theatre Company
When the power goes out on a wild, stormy night, a mother makes up songs with humor, imagination, and even a little science to calm her two frightened kids—and get them back to bed. In this new musical for young children and families by James Balestrieri and Maria Jacobi, the night-time world is full of life, heart, and beauty.
Featuring Caturah Brown as Mom and two local young actors playing her kids, Beautiful Night is a gentle and full-of-wonder summer musical, perfect for young children and families!

Sewing Workshop: Make a Tote Bag
2024-07-22 18:00 - 20:00
Looking for a new hobby, or just want to expand your crafting skills? Come learn how to make a beautiful and useful quilted tote bag! You’ll complete the course with a 15×15 tote bag and the quilting skills to repeat this project. Class size is limited to 6 to allow for individual attention. NOTE: All levels welcome but prior experience using a sewing machine is a plus.
About the instructor: Sharon Gross grew up watching her mom at the sewing machine and began sewing on her own at age ten. About 15 years ago, she started using her sewing skills to make quilts. She teaches quilting and sewing and is excited to share her passion. A member of the JCC, Sharon lives in Dobbs Ferry with her family.

Out to Lunch with the JCC: Liebman’s Deli
2024-07-24 12:30 - 14:00
Eager to sink your teeth into the scrumptious, skyscraper-high sandwiches from Liebman’s? You’re in luck! We’ve got a deal for you! The new Ardsley outpost of Liebman’s, the legendary kosher deli from the Bronx, is offering a special to JCC Lunch Clubbers. Your lunch includes soup and half sandwich, pickles, cole slaw, and an assortment of appetizers, tax, and tip, all for $25! This is real Jewish deli, you won’t be sorry. Everyone is welcome.

Afternoon Tea and Tour at Caramoor Center for the Arts
2024-07-28 12:00 - 14:30
Join us for a Sunday of sensory delights as we visit Caramoor Center for the Arts for a historical house tour and afternoon tea. Caramoor founders, Lucie and Walter Rosen, were prominent Jewish arts philanthropists and created a home “built for music.” Our visit begins with a private, docent-led tour of the Rosen House, where you’ll see fine examples of decorative arts from Europe and China including jade, porcelain, and textiles. Afterward, we’ll have afternoon tea in the Music Room and enjoy tea sandwiches, scones with créme fraiche and preserves, delicious desserts, and a selection of fragrant teas. All dietary needs can be accommodated.
Your ticket includes the tour, tea service, and round-trip transportation from the JCC. Space is limited to 28.
149 Girdle Ridge Rd, Katonah, NY 10536
Sunday, July 28; 12 pm-2:30 pm (bus departs the JCC at 11:15 am, returns approx. 3 pm)
$70 for members; $85 for non-members *r/t transportation from the JCC included!
