This spring, Israel will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day. In the months leading up to the milestone occasion, Jewish communities around the world will celebrate with special events and programs.

The Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture, housed at the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, has planned a months-long celebration with fun and enriching activities for folks of all ages.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We’re so excited to highlight Israeli culture and honor this important milestone for the global Jewish community! From art, music, and dance, to film, sports, and family activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy during this special celebration!”

The center kicked off the festivities on March 11th at the Bernikow JCC with a Comedy Night. Over 200 people attended the night of laughs with a Jewish flair, which featured up-and-coming NYC comedians.

The second event, “Language of the Soul,” took place on March 12th and featured Yonatan Grinberg performing classical violin works by Bach, Ysaye, and original works based on Jewish tunes.

On March 26, the JCC will present a free children’s music show, Timbalooloo, at the Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center. The show features internationally renowned composer and musician Oren Etkin, who guides children to express themselves musically across cultures.

The JCC will also host the Richmond County Orchestra on March 26 at the Bernikow JCC. The orchestra will perform its “Musical Miracles” symphony.

On April 23 at the Bernikow JCC, sports fans will enjoy an afternoon with Jewish baseball legend Art “The Smasher” Shamsky. Shamsky, who helped bring the Miracle Mets to the World Series Championship in 1969, will share stories and sign copies of his New York Times bestselling memoir, After the Miracle.

The Bernikow JCC will bring a taste of Israel to Staten Island on April 27 with a free festival for families with children of all ages. Guests will enjoy music and dance performances, interactive Krav Maga and Hebrew calligraphy workshops, arts and crafts, giveaways, and more. The JCC’s social hall will be transformed into a shuk, or food market, where families can sample Israeli cuisine.

Broadway and film fans can look forward to a documentary screening of Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen on April 30 at the Bernikow JCC. Following the screening, audience members can participate in a Q&A by actress Neva Small, best known for her portrayal of Chava in the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof.

Photography can immerse us in the lives and cultures unfamiliar to our own. The Bernikow JCC is excited to host an exhibition, Humans of Tel Aviv, by street photographer Erez Kaganovitz, whose work highlights the diversity and rich complexity of Israeli stories.

On May 1, guests are invited to a gallery viewing and Israeli wine tasting. On May 2, the JCC will also host a meet and greet with the photographer. The exhibit runs from April 26 to May 9.

On May 9, the Bernikow JCC will present “Am Israel Chai”: A Celebration of Israel in Song. The special performance by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will feature Israeli-American singer Magda Fishman, Greek-born legend Avram Pengas, led by Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotkek.​

To buy tickets and learn about additional events celebrating Israel at 75, visit https://www.sijcc.org/israel75.

The Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture, housed at the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, will host a special program, Dance Like No One Is Watching: An Afternoon with Alison Cook Beatty Dance, on Sunday, August 14.
 
Alison Cook Beatty Dance is a non-profit, classically-based modern dance company, whose mission is “to create and share accessible, emotionally engaging dance for all.” The company’s performances are grounded in emotional honesty and vulnerability, and highlight the transformational power of art.
 
In addition to creating dances, Alison Cook Beatty Dance prides itself on community outreach. The company visits community centers, schools, and other venues to share its unique vision and artistic approach through special programs that combine performances and lectures.
 
This Sunday, the Bernikow JCC will host Alison Cook Beatty Dance for a program featuring performances of works such as “Central Park Field #4,” “Lifeline,” and more. Throughout the program, Artistic Director Alison Cook-Beatty will discuss the concepts and inspiration behind each piece. Following the performance, audience members will have the opportunity to learn more during a question-and-answer session with the full company.
 
Sunday’s performance is just one of the many world-class programs offered by the JCC’s Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. Since the Grushkin Center’s launch last fall, the JCC has hosted a wide array of performances, lectures, and seminars—both in-person and virtual—to bring enriching cultural experiences to the Staten Island community and beyond. Live performances like this one are a particular favorite of audiences.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We’ve been so happy to bring community members back into our building over the past year for live productions by talented artists and performers. Art connects us all, and it’s really special to be able to experience it together.”
 
Dance Like No One Is Watching will take place at 4pm in the Bernikow JCC’s Lewis Stolzenberg Social Hall, located at 1466 Manor Road. Tickets are available online here.

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host an exhibition of paintings by Ann Marie McDonnell. The works will be on display in the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery, located on the second floor of the Bernikow JCC at 1466 Manor Road, throughout August and September.

McDonnell is a sculptor, printmaker, and photographer. She has maintained her studio at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center where she has worked for over 25 years. Her artwork is often project-based as a response to an invitational exhibition, competition, or personal project.

The exhibition will include printmaking work such as solar prints and monotypes, along with pigment print photography. Among the works in the exhibition will be pieces from The Jazz Series as well as In the Garden. The still life photography combines her interest in abstract painting and photography. The colorful pigment prints are inspired by her garden and her interest in flowers.

McDonnell said, “I treat the flowers as abstract elements, but I also acknowledge the symbolism of flowers in art history as a symbol of the transience of life.”

Ann Marie’s work has been widely exhibited in NYC as she has been an active member of the Staten Island arts community. Anne Marie is known for her public art bronze sculpture in Clove Lakes Park, The Bird Named Goldilocks, which won the 1994 Public Art Fund.

Her work is currently on view at the Historic Richmond Town Museum in her solo exhibition, Art Inspired by the Collection, which will be on view until November of 2022. She is also a participating artist in the exhibition, Art on the Terrace, in October of 2022.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “It is wonderful to be able to feature different local artists like Ann Marie throughout the year. I encourage everyone in our community to come visit the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery over the next few months to see the latest exhibit.”
 
The exhibition is free and open to the public from August 1st through September 30th. For more information about the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery, please contact Ela Seeley at [email protected].

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host “To Life!” a concert celebrating intercultural connections, on Thursday, May 12th at 7pm. The concert, which is presented in collaboration with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, will take place at the Bernikow JCC, 1466 Manor Road.
 
“To Life!” represents a celebration of life and friendship among three people brought together from different worlds by a passion for music. Zalmen Mlotek is an internationally recognized authority on Yiddish folk and theater music as well as a leading figure in the Jewish theater and concert worlds. He will be joined by Tony Perry and Elmore James, two prominent African American singers.
 
Orit Lender, JCC CEO, noted, “We are so proud to showcase diverse performances through our Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. We look forward to a wonderful evening celebrating the shared experiences of Jewish and African American communities.”
 
Tickets to the concert are $18 per person. For those who want to mingle with the stars afterwards, a VIP Dessert Reception costs $54, which includes a show ticket.
“As soon as we started rehearsing this show,” Tony Perry said, “We felt that love, that feeling of this being so much bigger than each of us can be separately. There’s so much power in us coming together!”
 
The group has performed across the globe to enthusiastic audiences. “To Life!” which celebrates life, love, and hope, was born out of the stress of the pandemic.
 
“Making music with Tony and Elmore has always been exciting for me,” Zalmen Mlotek said. “I can't believe, after all of our various concerts together, it has taken us this long to finally come together and put this particular program together—full of passion, gorgeous singing, and a genuine love for each other and the material.”
 
“We must never be afraid of going into each other’s ‘cultural neighborhoods’ and singing each other’s ‘songs!’” Elmore James said. “When we do, we sing with a common humanity. This is why I do these concerts. Through the power of music, we come together in the celebration of love, life and our hopes for a better world.”
 
Tickets can be purchased here.

​The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host an exhibition of paintings by award-winning artist Anita Cimino. The works will be on display in the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery, located on the second floor of the Bernikow JCC at 1466 Manor Road, throughout April and May.
 
A retired educator, Anita Cimino is active in the Staten Island arts community. She is a member of the South Shore Artists Group, which meets to create and share their art across the island.
 
Cimino’s work has been featured in many solo, juried, and collective exhibitions in Staten Island and beyond. Besides the JCC, her paintings have also been displayed at other local cultural institutions including the Staten Island Museum and the Noble Maritime Museum.
 
Cimino is known for her vibrant, abstract paintings that reflect on themes such as aspiration, nature, and relationships. She has received several honors, including an award for her painting, Can You Imagine!, in a St. John’s University juried exhibition, as well as grants for art development from the Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island.
 
Twenty-five of Cimino’s pieces will be displayed at the JCC’s Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery during April and May.
 
As many of the JCC’s in-person programs have resumed, the exhibition signifies another step towards a return to normalcy for the agency. Public art displays at the gallery were put on hold at the height of the pandemic.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “Our members, participants, and staff truly look forward to seeing new exhibitions by local artists at the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery each season. We are so happy to bring this program back with an array of beautiful, thought-provoking pieces by Anita Cimino.”
 
The exhibition is free and open to the public from April 1 through May 30. For more information about the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery, please contact Ela Seeley at [email protected]. 

​On Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host An Evening of Celebration + Inspiration to dedicate its new Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. This virtual event will celebrate the future of cultural arts at the JCC, while raising funds to enable the center to continue offering exceptional adult education programs.
 
During the program, the JCC will honor two community leaders for their contributions to Staten Island’s cultural landscape. The inaugural event’s honorees are Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at CSI, and Henry A. Salmon, President of Equity Valuation Associates Inc., Real Estate Appraisers and Consultants.
 
The JCC is pleased to feature special guest speaker Jodi Rudoren, Editor-in-Chief of The Forward. Rudoren spent more than two decades as a reporter and editor at The New York Times, where she also served as Jerusalem bureau chief. She will present a lecture, “Zero-Sum Empathy,” which discusses how polarization threatens both Jewish communities and our democracy.
 
Rudoren’s lecture offers attendees a taste of the program quality they can continue to expect from the Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. Inspired by its namesake’s dedication and lifelong love of learning, the center will present lectures, performances, and seminars led by world-class speakers and entertainers across a variety of subject areas.
 
JCC board member and cultural arts committee member Jerome Grushkin is chairing this event in honor of his late wife. He said, “Esther dedicated her adult life to education and was an extraordinary teacher and scholar. The Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture is dedicated to Esther’s memory to continue and expand access to exceptional quality programming in adult Jewish learning, performing arts, and global connections as well as connect with our participants in all ways possible.”
 
Since its launch in September, the center has already begun producing engaging cultural programs for participants in Staten Island and beyond. Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We are proud to honor Dr. Grushkin’s legacy with this new center that will enrich so many people’s lives for generations to come. We hope you will join us virtually on November 18 as we look ahead to the exciting future of cultural arts at the JCC!”
 
Registration is required for this virtual event. To register or place a message in the digital event journal, please visit https://www.sijcc.org/grushkin.

The Joan and Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island will host a virtual lecture with international journalist Paul Alster, who will discuss his debut novel Kin or Country. The event will take place on Thursday, October 22nd at 2pm. The lecture is presented by the Dr. Esther Grushkin Seminars for Adult Jewish Education.
 
Paul Alster is an Israel-based journalist who has covered both sports and political news for a variety of international outlets. His work has been featured in The Jerusalem Report, The Investigative Project on Terrorism, Forbes, DailyMail Online, The Hill, The New York Post, and others. Alster previously served as the regional correspondent covering current affairs, intelligence, and terrorism in the Middle East for FoxNews.com, where he continues to be a featured commentator.
 
Most recently, Alster penned his debut novel, Kin or Country, published this summer. A thriller set in 2048 Israel, the novel weaves together political intrigue and a murder mystery. Drawn from the author’s experiences living and working in Israel, the story highlights tensions between secular and religious groups and raises questions about the nation’s future.
 
The JCC will host Alster on Zoom for a presentation and Q&A on Kin or Country. The event is sponsored by Eileen and Alan Bernstein in memory of Miriam and Eli Cohen. The fee for the program is $10 per household.
 
“When I wrote Kin or Country last year, I genuinely believed it might take until the end of the 2040s for the massive demographic challenge presented by the growth of the ultra-Orthodox communities to reach a head. However, recent events prompted by the Coronavirus-driven financial crisis and its fallout have already seen many of the issues I envisioned rush to the fore much faster than expected. Seismic changes in the way Israel is governed and in the attitude of the many peoples living within its borders need to take place very soon to avoid a scenario similar to the premise of my book,” Alster said about his book.
 
This upcoming program joins several lecture series and standalone events hosted by the Dr. Esther Grushkin Seminars for Adult Jewish Education at the JCC. Also known as SAJE, this endowment created by Jerry Grushkin in honor of his late wife allows the JCC to host various events that promote intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge.
 
When the pandemic began, the JCC quickly adapted its programming to an online setting and continues to add new virtual programs on a variety of subjects. Recently, the JCC hosted SAJE lectures on the evolving “Jewish American Princess” stereotype in Hollywood films, the roots of Christianity in Judaism, and leading contemporary Israeli artists. All lectures were led by experts in their respective fields.
 
Given the online nature of these events, the JCC has been able to reach beyond the Staten Island community to welcome virtual guests from across the country and around the world to enjoy its programming.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We feel so fortunate to be able to host these interesting, thought-provoking events on a diverse range of topics. Our Cultural Arts team has truly made the most of these challenging times, not only by keeping our members connected with each other, but also by connecting them with amazing speakers worldwide and showing people from around the world all that our community has to offer.”
 
Upcoming SAJE lectures include:

• American Jewish Women in Politics with Amy Posner: Tuesday, October 27 at 12:30pm
• How Sandy Koufax Made Every American Jew Feel 10 Feet Tall: Thursday, November 5 at 7pm
• Memories of a Child Holocaust Survivor in Terezin: Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm (free event)
  
  

To learn more about these programs and purchase tickets, click here.

Each month, our Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery is proud to showcase the work of a local artist. The newest exhibition, which will open in March, features oil paintings of Staten Island scenes done by Victor Zucconi.

Zucconi’s love for art and color began when he received a set of colored pencils from his parents as a child. This gift sparked a lifelong study of art and a passion for another medium—oil paint. A Lifetime Member of the Art Students League, Zucconi began studying part-time at the league in 1968. After retiring from his position as a NYC Board of Education teacher in 1999, he transitioned to full-time study. Over the years, he received several merit scholarships to both the Art Students League and the National Academy School of Fine Arts in NYC.

Zucconi’s talent for capturing scenes both past and present in impressionistic oil paintings has been recognized and lauded at several local art shows. He has participated in juried shows, in which a panel of judges evaluates applicants’ work and chooses to display the best—at the Broome Street Gallery, the Salmagundi Club, the Staten Island Museum, and the Snug Harbor Art Lab. He also received an Honorable Mention for a portrait that appeared in a “Best of NY Artists” feature in 2006. The Staten Island Museum has commissioned and archived 35 prints of his oils of Staten Island scenes as well as an oil painting of the building which houses the museum.

Join us at an Artist’s Reception unveiling our new display of Victor Zucconi’s work on Thursday, March 19 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery. The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on display through April, so if you’re in the Bernikow Building, stop by and take a look! 

Throughout the year, the JCC is proud to offer family-oriented programs that bring children and their families together to create special memories. The most recent in our great lineup of events was a Hanukkah party on December 15.

The Cultural Arts department put together a fabulous party with activities for everyone to enjoy together. Partygoers were entertained by a clown and a magician, who performed an act with a live rabbit. The entertainers also painted the children’s faces and made balloon animals! Everyone got into the Hanukkah spirit with the help of a costumed dreidel character. Families decorated Hanukkah-themed gingerbread houses with candy and gelt. No party would be complete without food, so guests were treated to delicious latkes and soufganiyot.
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Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate the Festival of Lights with us! We wish you and your families a very happy Hanukkah!