Since the Bernikow JCC opened, it has been our ambition to provide art and culture as a comprehensive part of our programming. Programs include lectures, musical performances, a book club, film club, theater trips, and more! 

If you love our cultural arts programs, please consider making a donation here. 
Your support helps us continue to present world-class entertainment and educational seminars.

Upcoming Programs:

October Book Club Meeting
Thursday, October 8, 12:30pm
"Night Boat to Tangier is remarkable, a novel that's both grim and compassionate, and it features gorgeous writing on every page." – Michael Schaub, NPR
We hope you'll join our Book Club on October 8 for a discussion of Kevin Barry's Night Boat to Tangier! 
Join Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 810 0671 5032

SAJE Presents: Book Talk with Paul Alster
Thursday, October 22 at 2pm 
Join us as Paul Alster discusses his book, Kin or Country. About the book: Civil war is drawing closer. A fierce political battle engulfs a once-in-a-lifetime referendum. Is a new era about to begin? Israel, 2048. The Ultra-Orthodox now form the majority among Israeli Jews. The country has changed rapidly in recent years to reflect their religious values and the new status quo. On the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the state a referendum is called to decide whether to separate into two independent nations: one religious, the other secular. The fate of Israel will be determined by its own people, but foreign powers have their own reasons for seeking to influence the outcome of the vote. Against the backdrop of a no-holds-barred political campaign and with the clock ticking fast towards the day of reckoning, a man’s body found in the Jerusalem hills seems initially of little consequence—until his identity is revealed. Could this discovery impact the fate of the entire country?
Sponsored by Eileen and Alan Bernstein. In memory of Eli and Miriam Cohen. 
Tickets to the lecture are $10. Zoom information will be provided upon registration. Following the lectures, participants will also receive a link to a recording of the program, which can be accessed on demand. Purchase tickets here.

SAJE Presents: American Jewish Women in Politics with Amy Posner
Tuesday, October 27th 12:30PM
The cost of this lecture is $5. Zoom information will be provided upon registration. Following the lectures, participants will also receive a link to a recording of the program, which can be accessed on demand. Purchase tickets here.

SAJE Presents: How Sandy Koufax made every American Jew feel 10 feet tall
Thursday, November 5 at 7 PM
Lecture with Steve Lerner about Sandy Koufax, who famously chose not to start Game 1 of the 1965 World Series for the Dodgers because it fell on Yom Kippur, but his whereabouts that day remain a mystery.
The cost is $5. Zoom information will be provided upon registration. Following the lectures, participants will also receive a link to a recording of the program, which can be accessed on demand. 
Purchase tickets here.

SAJE Presents... Memories of a Child Holocaust Survivor in Terezin
Wednesday, November 18th at 7pm
The Dr. Esther Grushkin Seminars for Adult Jewish Education (SAJE) is proud to partner with the Wagner College Holocaust Center to present a conversation with Holocaust survivor, Dr. Inge Auerbacher. Inge grew up in Kippenheim Germany. In August 1942, she was deported to Terezin with her parents and beloved doll Marlene. Of the 15,000 children sent there, only 100 survived. A chemist by profession, Inge has spoken in countries around the world. She has a special relationship with Staten Island's own P.S. 22 choir, which has sung two of her poems, including at the U.N. She is the author of 6 books, including I am a Star: Child of the Holocaust. She was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Inge will be introduced by Professor Lori Weintrob, Wagner College Holocaust Center, who will moderate the Q&A.
Join us on Zoom here

Book Club:
All Book Club meetings take place at 12:30pm. 
Check back for Zoom information soon for these upcoming dates:
Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry on October 8th
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong on November 12th
The Body in Question by Jill Ciment on December 17th.

Past Classes:

Watch our Rosh Hashanah Baking Demo with Sherry Sabbagh of C&J Bakehouse. Watch parts 1 & 2 to learn how to make apple cobbler and apple puff pastry braid (recipes below the videos):

Apple Cobbler:
3 apples (peeled,sliced thinly)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter (cut into pieces)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
Dash of cinnamon
Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and apples to coat evenly and pour mixture into baking dish.
For the topping: mix the butter, flour, brown sugar and mix it up with your hands until crumbles start to form.
Pour all the crumble over the apples and bake at 350 for 40 min or until you see golden brown top.
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Apple Puff Pastry Braid:
Puff pastry sheet (rolled out)
2 apples (peeled, thinly sliced)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts
Mix apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts together until coated. Leave aside.
Roll out puff pastry sheet to fit dimensions of baking tray or a bit smaller.
Put apple mixture along the middle of the pastry sheet leaving enough room along the edges to cut slits for the braid.
Starting from the top edge, cut quarter inch thick slits on the diagonal. Do same on other side of pastry dough cutting slits the opposite way.
From the top, fold the extra piece of dough over the apples to cover it from leaking out. Start to fold the strips over the apples alternating sides (like a braid!). Do all the way till the end and fold the bottom piece of dough over the apples (same as top).
Brush the braid with egg wash. Sprinkle sugar and walnuts over the egg wash and bake at 350 for 35 mins.

Watch our Tisha B'av series, featuring various rabbis and speakers. Below is Rabbi Katzman's lecture:

Watch our Tisha B'av series, featuring various rabbis and speakers. Below is part 1 & 2 of Rabbi Sussman:

Watch our Tisha B'av series, featuring various rabbis and speakers. Below is part 1 & 2 of Rabbi Kastel:

Watch our Tisha B'av series, featuring various rabbis and speakers. Below is part 1 & 2 of Rabbi Howald:

Watch our July Rabbi/Rebbetzin Series with Rebbetzin Chaya Segal. Rebbetzin Segal spoke about "The Three Weeks of Mourning," to learn how to apply the lessons of the Jewish calendar to your own day-to-day perspectives (parts 1 & 2):

Watch our June Rabbi/Rebbetzin Series with Rebbetzin Katzman on the topic of Women & Empowerment in Judaism (parts 1 & 2):

Check out our virtual gallery tour with Jill Krutick here: https://www.jillkrutickfineart.com/blog
Jill is offering signed limited edition prints as a thank you for your attendance. If you would like one, please email her your mailing address at JSK@jillkrutickfineart.com and she will forward a print to you. You can pick which print you would like from the options below. 

Watch our Yom Yerushalayim Virtual Celebration:

Our Rabbi/Rebbetzin Series featuring Rebbetzin Ivry on "The Soul and the Afterlife":

Watch our Music for Healing class with Joelle Cohen (parts 1 & 2):

Check out this lecture on "How to Stop Emotional Eating" — A Lecture by Laura Shammah, MS, RDN, which took place on Monday, May 11th:

Check out our Virtual Art Tour, which took place on April 6th:

The Many Eishet Chayil of Art History - An Examination of the Most Famous Paintings of Women with Ronnit Vasserman
Given our current reality of staying at home and social distancing the lecture will take us on an exploration around the world where we will virtually visit masterpieces of women in leading museums around the globe. 
The lecture will focus on famous female portraits throughout art history.  A thorough analysis of each work including  dimensions, material, year(s) created and an introduction to the artists  will be explained. We will discuss the significance of the work at the time it was created and how the artwork continues to inspire and be part of popular culture. Some examples of these museum treasures include Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli  at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Mona Lisa by  Leonardo Da Vinci at the Louvre in Paris and Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer at  Mauritshuis  in the Netherlands.

​Watch our Virtual Pesach Tour of the Met and Ancient Egypt here:

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Programs & Trips

Art @ the J

 The JCC hosts bi-monthly exhibits at our Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery. The gallery has an eclectic mix of art from local artists rotating through the beautiful setting. We also have permanent art on display throughout the building. 

Our next exhibit features the artwork of Victor Zucconi.

SAJE

Dr. Esther Grushkin Seminars for Adult Jewish Education (SAJE)
This series is named for the late Dr. Esther Grushkin, an accomplished educator and Hebrew scholar who devoted her life to sharing her passion for Jewish learning. Events include lectures, musical performances, and our Rabbis lunch & learn series. We also partner with the College of Staten Island's Hillel to present several events.

The ‘Jewish American Princess’  in Hollywood Movies: From Stereotype to Role-Model
August 19th and 26th at 12:30 pm
This 2-part lecture series presented by Dr Julia Wagner will examine the evolution of the Jewish American Princess (JAP) character-type in Hollywood movies, from its misogynistic origins to unlikely heroines. Part 1 on 19 August will discuss the cultural environment which gave rise to the negative stereotype of the Jewish American Princess and look at some early representations in popular culture. Part 2 on 26 August focuses on the development of the JAP in post-1980s movies including Private Benjamin, Dirty Dancing and Clueless, exploring the ways in which female filmmakers have embraced the character with nuance, affection and respect.*Zoom link will follow your registration

SAJE Presents: Leading Israeli Contemporary Artists with Ronnit Vasserman
Monday, September 14, 6:30pm
You will learn all about prominent Israeli artists that are highly regarded amongst art communities across the globe.  We will discuss reoccurring  themes such as the land of Israel, Tanakh (Bible), war and memory.  We will look at art spanning all media; paintings, sculpture, photography, video and performance. Some of the artists that you will learn about are Adi Nes, Ori Gersht, Nir Hod, Sigalit Landau, Michal Rovner and more. These artists have received prestigious prizes, are represented by blue chip galleries.  and their works have been featured  in the most prestigious fairs, Biennales, auctions and publications. Some of the artists have even had solo exhibitions at prestigious museums such as the MOMA, Whitney, PEREZ and Louvre.

The cost of this lecture is $10. Zoom information will be provided upon registration. Following the lectures, participants will also receive a link to a recording of the program, which can be accessed on demand. Purchase tickets here.

Author Event
September 3 at 8:30 PM
Bettina Siegel, author of Kid Food: The Challenge of Feeding Children in a Highly Processed World, will be in conversation with Zibby Owens, host of the acclaimed podcast Mom's Don't Have Time to Read Books. This Author Event is in partnership with Evelyn Rubenstein JCC of Houston. 

About the book: Most parents start out wanting to raise healthy eaters. Then the world intervenes. In Kid Food, nationally recognized writer and food advocate Bettina Elias Siegel explores one of the fundamental challenges of modern parenting: trying to raise healthy eaters in a society intent on pushing children in the opposite direction. Siegel dives deep into the many influences that make feeding children healthfully today so difficult—from the prevailing belief that kids will only eat highly processed “kid food” to the near-constant barrage of “special treats.” With expert advice, time-tested advocacy tips, and a trove of useful resources, Kid Food gives parents both the knowledge and the tools to navigate their children’s unhealthy food landscape—and change it for the better.
​*$5 per person, zoom information will be provided after signup

SAJE presents: The beginnings of Christianity through Judaism With Peter Whitehouse
Wednesdays, September 9, 16, 23 at 7pm
Part I: A Hundred Years Can Change a Man... (Into a God) — September 9, 7pm
Part II: The Romans Meet Their Enemy... (And It's Their Own Shadow) — September 16, 7pm
Part III: The Christians Cast a Canon... (A Double Entendre) — September 23, 7pm
*$5 per lecture or $12 for all 3.  Zoom information to be provided upon registration.

How Sandy Koufax made every American Jew feel 10 feet tall
Thursday, November 5 at 7:00 PM
Lecture with Steve Lerner about Sandy Koufax, who famously chose not to start Game 1 of the 1965 World Series for the Dodgers because it fell on Yom Kippur, but his whereabouts that day remain a mystery.
*$5 per person, zoom information will be provided after signup


​For more information, contact Sigalit Grego at 718.475.5276 or sgrego@sijcc.com ​

​Rabbi Series 

Stay tuned for upcoming events!
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For more information, contact Sigalit Grego at 718.475.5276 or sgrego@sijcc.com 

TRIPS

As a precautionary measure, all Cultural Arts trips are postponed until further notice. 
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For more information, please contact Sigalit Grego at 718.475.5276 or sgrego@sijcc.com ​​

family programs

Stay tuned for future programs!

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