Experiences

BBQ and Beats at the JCC

Thursday, September 17 • 7:00 p.m. • JCC parking lot (if weather doesn't cooperate, event will move indoors) 

Summer is officially about to end, and fall fun is kicking off at the JCC with this special outdoor music event! Join us for an evening of community, great music, and delicious BBQ from JBones. Featuring Part Time Baby (aka CEO Mike Goldstein) and Higher Ground.

Bring your lawn chairs.  We look forward to a chill evening together!

Price with JBones BBQ: $32, Member Price with BBQ: $25.60
Price for Concert only: $5

Registration required by 9/10. 

Register  Register - Concert Only

The Kid Officer

Wednesday, September 23 • 7:00 p.m. • The Cranford Theater, 25 N Ave W

Haunted by recurring nightmares and the trauma of displacement, Friedrich arrives in Mandate Palestine to the vastness of the desert and an intoxicating sense of freedom – quickly shadowed by new injustice. There, he watches British soldiers turn away ship after ship of Holocaust refugees, sparking a profound fury and awakening within him. In this powerful story of loss, resilience, and moral courage, young Friedrich makes a daring, life-changing choice that will shape his future and the future of the world, standing as a testament to the human will to resist oppression.

The Kid Officer is a powerful coming-of-age documentary about resilience, survival, and the extraordinary choices one young refugee made in the face of history's darkest hour. 

Director John Rokosny is an award-winning producer and director and Westfield, NJ native, with over 30 years of experience in film, television, and music, whose work includes the NY Emmy-winning PBS documentary They Survived Together and extensive projects for Hallmark, ESPN, Bravo, and the Shoah Foundation.

JCC members receive a 15% discount. 

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In partnership with

Lunch and Learn Series
The Sukkah Guest List with Rabbi Howard Tilman of Congregation Beth Israel

Wednesday, September 30 • 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. 

Who gets invited into the sukkah? Join Rabbi Tilman of Congregation Beth Israel to explore the tradition of the Ushpizin – the biblical figures mystically welcomed as guests each night of Sukkot – and discover what this unusual custom can teach us about hospitality, memory, and the people we choose to bring into our sacred spaces.

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Critical Issues in Jewish Life: Leadership, Philanthropy & Defining a New Zionism

Monday, October 5 • 7:30 p.m.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Jeffrey R. Solomon to the JCC for an inspiring evening of conversation and reflection on Leadership, Philanthropy & the defining of a new Zionism. The conversation will be moderated by Joanne Palmer, Editor of The Jewish Standard. Dr. Solomon will share stories, insights and lessons from a lifetime of service and impact. 

Dr. Jeffrey R. Solomon is a preeminent Jewish communal leader, former President of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP), and a key architect of Birthright Israel, Dr. Solomon has helped shape the landscape of modern Jewish philanthropy and leadership.

Joanne Palmer is the Editor of The Jewish Standard and the New Jersey Jewish News. A graduate of Vassar College, she has spent decades as a writer and editor covering regional Jewish communities and the Newark diaspora.

Free and open to the community
Suggested donation $18.00

Registration required by September 28 

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A Beat of Our Own – a Bhangin' New Musical – at the McCarter Theater in Princeton

Thursday, October 22 • Bus departs JCC at 10:45 a.m. • Matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. • Arrive back at the JCC at 5:00 p.m.

A Beat of Our Own is a new musical comedy about rivalry, friendship, and the power of dance. After winning a college bhangra championship, teammates Mary and Preeti clash
over the future of their team, leading Mary to form a new squad made up of inexperienced but enthusiastic dancers. With help from a former Bollywood star, she sets out to turn a group of loveable misfits into national contenders. Filled with humor, heart, and high-energy choreography, the show celebrates community, creativity, and finding common ground.

Price: $145, Member Price: $135 (luxury coach bus and hot buffet lunch included) 

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Lunch and Learn Series
Being Jewish Today with Rabbi Paul Kerbel of Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim

Wednesday, October 28 • 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Let's explore the role religion, culture, race and nationality play in the Jewish experience.  Rabbi Paul Kerbel is active in the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest and the Anti-Defamation League New Jersey Region. 

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Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner with Author Marc Shaiman 

Thursday, November 12 • 7:30 p.m.

We are delighted to welcome legendary composer, lyricist, and music producer Marc Shaiman for an unforgettable evening celebrating his New York Times best-selling memoir, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner. From Hairspray to Sister Act, Smash to South Park, Shaiman has shaped the sound of Broadway and Hollywood for decades – and now he's telling all.

Expect an evening of candid conversation, surprising stories, and live music as Shaiman takes us behind the curtain on a life lived entirely in the spotlight. Whether you're a movie fan, a lifelong theater devotee or simply love a great story well told, this is a night you won't want to miss.

This event is part of the Irving and Anne Nevard Sherr Annual Arts & Culture Series – The Stories That Connect Us – unique opportunities to share and celebrate traditions that connect us.

Price: $24, Member Price: $19.20

Registration required by November 5

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JCC Mah Jongg Tournament

Sunday, November 15 • 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Co-Chairs: Erica Needle and Rhonda Riesenberg
Tournament Director: Linda Rosenson, moderator of Mah Jongg, That’s it! Facebook group

Four hours of tournament time; NMJL rules and prizes

Schedule of the Day
Check-in and Continental Breakfast – 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Morning Play – 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (two rounds of play - each round is 55 minutes)
Lunch – 12:30 - 1:15 p.m.
Morning Prizes Awarded – 1:15 p.m.
Afternoon Play – 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (two rounds of play - each round is 55 minutes)
Afternoon Prizes Awarded – 3:45 p.m.

NOTE: Players must be able to confidently and comfortably complete four games of play in 55 minutes. All of our rules support the belief that Mah Jongg should always be played with decorum, respect for the game, appropriate table etiquette and still be fun, welcoming, and pleasant!

Price: $80, Member Price: $65

Registration opens for members on August 2; registration opens to the community on August 28
Register by November 1 (no refunds!)

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Lunch and Learn Series
Questions And Disagreements: Why Asking and Arguing are Sacred Jewish Traditions with Rabbi Steven Stern of Temple Beth O'r/Beth Torah

Wednesday, November 18 • 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Together, we’ll look at some of the most famous questions and disagreements in Jewish texts and sources.

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Lunch and Learn Series
How Did the Hebrew Bible Become the Hebrew Bible? with Rabbi Victor Appell of Temple Emanu-El, Westfield 

Wednesday, December 16: 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Who decided the Torah would be divided into 54 portions? Why are there double portions? Where did the Book of Maccabees go?  We will answer these questions and many more as we learn how the Hebrew Bible became the text we have today.

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