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!

With gratitude to her husband, JCC Board Member Jerome L. Grushkin, and to you, our program participants, and donors,
we will hold a celebration on November 18, 2021. Stay tuned for more information!

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.
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The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…An Inter-Traditional Dialogue Between the Chinese and Jewish Traditions: How Is It Possible and What Is It About?
Thursday, October 7, 2pm

• Join scholar Ping Zhang 张平 as he builds a dialogue between the Chinese and Jewish traditions! Ping Zhang is the first Chinese scholar to become a tenured professor in Israel and the first scholar to introduce Rabbinic classics into the Chinese world. 

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.
​​
The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Yiddish Theatre Series featuring Motl Didner, Associate Artistic Director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Tuesdays, October 12 & October 19, 7pm

• On October 12, Motl Didner, Associate Artistic Director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, will present a virtual lecture on the history of Yiddish theatre.
• On October 19, Motl joins us again to moderate a virtual panel discussion featuring three actors from a variety of National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene productions who will share their experiences with us.​

Tickets are $12 per program or $20 for both programs. Register here.

​The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Dialogues on Diversity: The Black-Jew Dialogues
Thursday, October 14, 7:30pm
Teen Lounge, Bernikow JCC

• Join us for The Black-Jew Dialogues, presented by Dialogues on Diversity! This provocative two-actor comedy explores the absurdity of prejudice and racism to teach audience members how to engage in cross-generational and cross-cultural dialogue. The performance combines fast-paced sketches, improvisations, puppets, and a game show, followed by a conversation moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at CSI. The goal of the Black-Jew Dialogues is to promote open and respectful conversation among our audience members about their differences. This program is presented in collaboration with Hillel at CSI.

Donations are suggested. Register here.​

The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Jews of Color Count with Ginna Green
Wednesday, October 27, 6pm

• Join Ginna Green, a Fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute of America, as she shares her vision of a vibrant, equitable, multiracial Jewish community. 

​​Donations are suggested. Register here.
Join us on Zoom.
Meeting ID: 830 1347 1824
Passcode: 8tKzjW​

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

• October 25: A Trip to Operatic Italy: During the summer of 2009, Lou Barrella made a long awaited trip to Italy.  In addition to visiting some main cities, he went to the places important in the lives of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. This presentation is a pictorial souvenir of that trip accompanied by appropriate operatic music by these two great composers celebrating these beautiful locations.  It is not, however, just a typical “travelogue” but a marriage of pictures and appropriate music for each location.   Sharing this experience should bring back wonderful memories for those who already have been to these places and a yearning to visit them for all those who desire to travel there………Buon viaggio a tutti!
• November 22: Serenades in Opera, Ballet, Film & Song: A Serenade is a piece of music performed at night to a lady from below her balcony by a lover.  Sometimes these presumed tranquil moments can create a conflict: the essence of operatic situations. This presentation will survey some of these wonderful pieces that convey lyric beauty, dramatic encounter and humorous entanglement.   
• 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!
• February 21: 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”
• 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”!

$15 per lecture / $55 for the series. Coffee and pastries included. Register here.

The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Building Peace and Dialogue between Jews and Muslims with Dr. Mehnaz Afridi
Thursday, November 4, 7pm
Bernikow JCC Social Hall

• Join us for a lecture by Dr. Mehnaz Afridi focusing on building peace between Jews and Muslims. Dr. Afridi will discuss the need for empathy in the Muslim community on the topic of the Holocaust, and the “racialization” of Jews and Muslims. She will also talk about the implications of colonialism and how it has fostered animosity between these groups. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, raised in Europe and the Middle East, Dr. Afridi brings with her a multicultural perspective. 

Sponsored by the Wagner College Holocaust Center. Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Register here.

The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…From Crisis to Opportunity: A Conversation with Roei Ben-Tolila
Sunday, November 7, 12pm

• Join us as former IDF officer Roei Ben-Tolila shares his incredible life story. Paralyzed in combat, Roei inspires others to turn crises into opportunities, and represents the secret of Israeli resistance: "One for all, all for one."

Donations are suggested. Register here.
Join us on Zoom here
Meeting ID: 974 2869 8948
Passcode:  JCC

The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Virtual Tour: From the Days of the Temple to the Talmud
Beginning Tuesday, November 9; See dates below
11am-12pm EST
Explore Israel without leaving home! Join us for a 5-day virtual tour with tour guide Dani Margolis.

• Day 1, Tuesday, November 9: We’ll start off with Caesarea, the wonderful sea port built by King Herod the Great, the man who rebuilt the last Temple 2000 years ago.
• Day 2, Wednesday, November 10: Next, we'll visit Beit She'arim, or “the house of gates,” a Jewish catacomb and the second most important burial site outside of Jerusalem in ancient days. This is a fascinating Mishnaic site.
• Day 3, Thursday, November 11: On our third tour, we'll visit Tzipori, once the capital of Galilee. An important city in a wonderful location, Tzipori was also the seat of the Sanhedrin and mentioned many times in Talmudic texts. Here, you will find amazing mosaics including a fantastic synagogue.
• Day 4, Monday, November 15: Our tour picks up again on Monday with a trip to the mountain of Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the city of Tiberias. This will afford us some great views of the area and, while not an ancient city, we can get a real feel of the area which was so important in ancient times. The tour includes the hot springs of Tiberias around which one of the 4 holy cities later developed.
• Day 5, Tuesday, November 16: To end our week of touring, we move to the Golan to the city of Gamla, which featured in the writings of Josephus Flavius. A powerful battle took place here and the break in the walls is still visible. This tour includes another great ancient synagogue.

Fee: $15 per day or $60 for the entire week. Register here. ​

​​​The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…The Roots of Bluegrass (And the Routes to Bluegrass): A Concert of Traditional Bluegrass Music
Sunday, November 14, 2pm
Bernikow JCC Social Hall

• Join the Grassland Band for a FREE performance of traditional bluegrass music! Bluegrass music, which developed in the Appalachian region, is inspired by the music settlers brough with them from England, Scotland, and Ireland. It is infused with the nuances of the music of their African American neighbors. 

This project is made possible (in part) by a DCA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Register here.

The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…The Middle Ages: Mining for New Stories From the Old with Peter Whitehouse
Tuesdays, November 23 - December 28, 10am
Bernikow JCC Media Room 

• Join Peter Whitehouse for a 6-part lecture series that surveys the Middle Ages, prospecting this rich period of history for overlooked bits of gold! Topics will include:
  • The Inquisition and Mystics
  • The Burgos Cathedral Ambulatory
  • The Virgin’s Assumption
  •  Peculiar German Art
  •  The Children’s Crusade
  •  The Cathedral of St. Apollinare

Tickets are $12 per lecture or $60 for the series. Register here.

The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Cultural Passport: Jewish St. Petersburg with Tanya Lvova
Wednesday, December 1, 2pm

• How did the Jewish community in St. Petersburg become one of the world's richest and most vibrant communities in the 19th and 20th centuries, in spite of obstacles and restrictions faced by Jews in the Russian Empire? Join us for a virtual tour of Jewish St. Petersburg to learn about this outstanding community, including magnificent architectural examples like the St. Petersburg Synagogue. Led by St. Petersburg native Tanya Lvova, you'll enjoy breathtaking views of the city without leaving home!

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here.

​​​The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…The Pope, the Jews, and the Relations Between the Church and the Jewish People
Mondays, December 6 and December 13, 7pm

• Join Joe Delaney for a two-part virtual lecture series on the history of the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people. The first part will cover the sad history of this relationship from the Early Middle Ages through the Holocaust and postwar period. The second lecture discusses efforts by modern day popes to improve and maintain constructive and positive relationships

Tickets are $10 per lecture or $18 for both lectures. Register here.

​The Dr. Esther Grushkin CENTER for ARTS + CULTURE Presents…Jews of Africa: Focus on Nigeria with Bonita Sussman
Tuesday, November 16, 7pm
Social Hall, Bernikow JCC​

• Please join us for a free community program and photographic exhibit on the Jews of Abuja with video footage of the community. Light refreshments will be served. ​​

Donations are suggested. Register here.
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Book Club:
All Book Club meetings take place at 12:30pm. 
September 23: Treasure Seekers by Roberta Seret

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