The Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island is thrilled to announce the naming of the Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. We honor the late Dr. Grushkin with the commitment to ensure her legacy will live on in a most meaningful way for generations to come.
Dr. Esther Grushkin was a brilliant woman, a Jewish educator extraordinaire who dedicated much of her career helping to bring adult Jewish learning and culture to the Jewish community of Staten Island and beyond. With a passion and depth of knowledge only matched by her ability to engage her students through enthusiasm and humor, Dr. Grushkin generated a loyal following among youth and adults alike as she shared her love for philosophy, the Bible, archaeology, history, literature, art, music, drama, politics, and journalism.
“It was a mutual love affair between me as a teacher and my students,” she said.
Dr. Esther Grushkin’s dedication inspires us to keep moving forward with our mission to enrich the lives of the entire
community. We aspire to the pursuit of excellence as Esther did!
Dr. Esther Grushkin was a brilliant woman, a Jewish educator extraordinaire who dedicated much of her career helping to bring adult Jewish learning and culture to the Jewish community of Staten Island and beyond. With a passion and depth of knowledge only matched by her ability to engage her students through enthusiasm and humor, Dr. Grushkin generated a loyal following among youth and adults alike as she shared her love for philosophy, the Bible, archaeology, history, literature, art, music, drama, politics, and journalism.
“It was a mutual love affair between me as a teacher and my students,” she said.
Dr. Esther Grushkin’s dedication inspires us to keep moving forward with our mission to enrich the lives of the entire
community. We aspire to the pursuit of excellence as Esther did!
Thank you to our generous sponsors
The Grushkin Family
Runit Systems
The Grushkin Family
Runit Systems
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.
Learn more about our upcoming programs below!
HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR PROGRAM – CAFÉ EUROPA
The JCC is looking for all Holocaust survivors on Staten Island to join its Café Europa program, which is an ongoing way to empower survivors to socialize, and share their experiences. Please, if you are a first or second generation Holocaust survivor, and are not yet participating in the Café Europa program, contact Sarah Cohen.
Contact person: Sarah Cohen
Email: Sacohen@SIJCC.com
Phone: (718) 475-524
If you missed any of the lectures or programs, you can also purchase access to a recording on demand by buying a ticket! Learn more here.
The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Opera for Music Lovers with Lou Barrella
Mondays, 12:45-2pm
President's Room, Bernikow JCC
Powerful Women and Women in Power with Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky
Thursday, February 10, 7pm
Whether as wives, mothers, queens or prophets, women are powerful figures in the Bible. Join Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky of the Jewish Theological Seminary for a virtual lecture that considers the limits and extent of women’s power in the Bible, and addresses how the different roles women have within their lives and stories may determine the power they wield.
Tickets $12 Register here.
Virtual Museum Tour with Nachliel Selavan
February 28th & March 22nd, 3pm - 4pm
Sponsored by Susan and Jack Bender and Marcia Kulick
Join Nachliel Selavan for a two-part virtual museum tour! Together, we will uncover the mysteries of Jewish history and bring the stories of Purim and Passover to life!
February 28: In the Days of Achashverosh... This virtual tour will follow some of mysteries of Jewish history, and bring to life the story of the Megillah through visiting the domain of the Achaemenid Persian Kings of Kings—in Susa, Persepolis, Pasargadae—and some famous museums around the world. The aim of this virtual tour is to enhance your appreciation of the story of Purim, and to see aspects of the story come to life through seeing the artifacts and locations from the Persian Empire.
March 22: Leaving Egypt in the 21st Century... Journey back in time to Ancient Egypt with a fresh and new take on Passover, and a closer look at the details in the weekly Torah readings surrounding the Exodus. Visiting the land of Egypt virtually—seeing its ancient monuments and archaeology—opens our eyes to relevant lessons about our national identity.
Tickets $15 per program / $25 for both
Register here.
Cultural Passport: Virtual Tour of Jewish Vilna—Jerusalem of Lithuania—with Daniel Gurevich
Tuesday, March 8th, 3pm
Sponsored by Susan and Jack Bender and Marcia Kulick
Join Daniel Gurevich as he guides us through Jewish Lithuania's past and present! We'll discover Lithuania's 700-year-old Litvak community and the city of Vilna, known as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania"
Tickets $15 Register here.
The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Jews on Screen: Jewish Actors for Jewish Roles?
March 15 & March 17, 3:30pm - 4:30pm EST
We are excited to host Dr. Julia Wagner again for a two-part virtual lecture series, which delves into the arguments about who should play Jewish roles on screen. Through looking at examples in film and television, Dr. Wagner will explore the question from several angles, considering productions in which there is no Jewish representation in the cast, as well as questioning what happens when Jewish actors are typecast.
Tickets $15 per lecture / $25 for the series Register here.
Book Club:
All Book Club meetings take place at 12:30pm.
January 20: Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle
The JCC is looking for all Holocaust survivors on Staten Island to join its Café Europa program, which is an ongoing way to empower survivors to socialize, and share their experiences. Please, if you are a first or second generation Holocaust survivor, and are not yet participating in the Café Europa program, contact Sarah Cohen.
Contact person: Sarah Cohen
Email: Sacohen@SIJCC.com
Phone: (718) 475-524
If you missed any of the lectures or programs, you can also purchase access to a recording on demand by buying a ticket! Learn more here.
The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Opera for Music Lovers with Lou Barrella
Mondays, 12:45-2pm
President's Room, Bernikow JCC
- January 24: Singing Without Words: The sound of a singing human voice can bring much pleasure; and when one is expressing words that have special or dramatic meaning, one’s experience can be greatly enhanced. There are times, however, when a specific text ends and the singer continues on with “la, la, las” or other non-verbal sounds. This presentation will explore those operatic moments when words stop and non-words continue vocalizing that’s pleasurable!
- March 14: Operatic Women of Character, Determination & Independence: This DVD presentation will focus on strong and spirited women, who can also be spontaneous, stubborn or even silly; however, in the realm of opera, one must suspend reality at times for the greater purpose of strong musical interpretations. Great composers cause us to believe in and support their heroines, the causes they endorse and the actions they take. Ultimately (and usually because of great music) we understand them, sympathize with them and deeply admire them! Today we’ll glimpse into the lives of Azucena, Carmen, Liú, Tatiana and Marie, the Daughter of the Regiment; and listen to the great music of Bizet, Donizetti, Puccini, Tchaikovsky and Verdi. “You’ve gotta love these gals”!
- April 25: Exploring Similar Dramatic Scenes in Film & Opera: This program will allow participants to experience the operatic enhancement of dramatic scenes that tell a similar, if not same story. In the process, one will gain an appreciation of the opera composer’s genius, as he adds the wonderful dimension of very appropriate music to the drama at hand. Comparative scenes will be presented from:
- Zefferilli’s Film, Bernstein’s West Side Story & Gounod’s “Romeo& Juliet”
- Camille with Greta Garbo & Verdi’s “La Traviata”
- A Tale of Two Cities & Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier”
- The Odd Couple & Verdi’s “Rigoletto”
Powerful Women and Women in Power with Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky
Thursday, February 10, 7pm
Whether as wives, mothers, queens or prophets, women are powerful figures in the Bible. Join Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky of the Jewish Theological Seminary for a virtual lecture that considers the limits and extent of women’s power in the Bible, and addresses how the different roles women have within their lives and stories may determine the power they wield.
Tickets $12 Register here.
Virtual Museum Tour with Nachliel Selavan
February 28th & March 22nd, 3pm - 4pm
Sponsored by Susan and Jack Bender and Marcia Kulick
Join Nachliel Selavan for a two-part virtual museum tour! Together, we will uncover the mysteries of Jewish history and bring the stories of Purim and Passover to life!
February 28: In the Days of Achashverosh... This virtual tour will follow some of mysteries of Jewish history, and bring to life the story of the Megillah through visiting the domain of the Achaemenid Persian Kings of Kings—in Susa, Persepolis, Pasargadae—and some famous museums around the world. The aim of this virtual tour is to enhance your appreciation of the story of Purim, and to see aspects of the story come to life through seeing the artifacts and locations from the Persian Empire.
March 22: Leaving Egypt in the 21st Century... Journey back in time to Ancient Egypt with a fresh and new take on Passover, and a closer look at the details in the weekly Torah readings surrounding the Exodus. Visiting the land of Egypt virtually—seeing its ancient monuments and archaeology—opens our eyes to relevant lessons about our national identity.
Tickets $15 per program / $25 for both
Register here.
Cultural Passport: Virtual Tour of Jewish Vilna—Jerusalem of Lithuania—with Daniel Gurevich
Tuesday, March 8th, 3pm
Sponsored by Susan and Jack Bender and Marcia Kulick
Join Daniel Gurevich as he guides us through Jewish Lithuania's past and present! We'll discover Lithuania's 700-year-old Litvak community and the city of Vilna, known as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania"
Tickets $15 Register here.
The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Jews on Screen: Jewish Actors for Jewish Roles?
March 15 & March 17, 3:30pm - 4:30pm EST
We are excited to host Dr. Julia Wagner again for a two-part virtual lecture series, which delves into the arguments about who should play Jewish roles on screen. Through looking at examples in film and television, Dr. Wagner will explore the question from several angles, considering productions in which there is no Jewish representation in the cast, as well as questioning what happens when Jewish actors are typecast.
Tickets $15 per lecture / $25 for the series Register here.
Book Club:
All Book Club meetings take place at 12:30pm.
January 20: Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle
