JCC East Bay

From Ukraine to the Bay: The Jewish Community Response to Refugee Crises
2022-05-11 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Join the conversation about the Jewish community’s response to refugee crises at a joint event with JCC East Bay, HIAS, & JFCS East Bay!
Hear from refugee crisis advocates, Joe Goldman of HIAS and Robin Mencher of JFCS East Bay, about their organizations’ efforts to support refugees with resettlement programs, legal assistance, and humanitarian crisis campaigns. This event will feature a moderated panel discussion between Goldman, Mencher, and Melissa Chapman, CEO of the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay.
Click here for registration information.
HIAS is a Jewish humanitarian organization that offers assistance to refugees of all backgrounds.
JFCS East Bay is a social services agency that supports individuals, families, older adults, and refugees/immigrants in the East Bay region.
Featured Panelists:
Joe Goldman is the Community Engagement Director for the Western Region at HIAS, the world’s oldest – and only Jewish – international humanitarian agency serving refugees and asylum seekers of all backgrounds. He mobilizes activists, organizations, and lawmakers across California to ensure that displaced people are treated with the dignity they deserve. Before joining HIAS, Joe worked at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Relations Council, and began his career working on several political campaigns and progressive advocacy efforts. Joe holds both a BA in Political Communication and Master’s of Political Management from The George Washington University in Washington, DC and lives in his native Los Angeles with his husband, Adam.
Robin Mencher is the CEO of JFCS East Bay, and has served in this role since December 2020. Prior to JFCS East Bay, Robin served as executive director of KQED Education where she led the public media organization’s service to the education community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. She has also worked as a program director at the San Francisco Education Fund, where she focused on media and digital literacies, youth voice, technology integration, teaching English learners, and educational equity. As an active member of the Jewish community, she has served on the New Generations and SF Bay Area regional board of directors of the New Israel Fund. Mencher earned her M.A. in Education at Mills College and her B.A. in American Studies at U.C. Santa Cruz. She also studied at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies year program and attended Hebrew University for a year as an undergrad.
Additional Information:
Doors open at 6:30pm and the event starts promptly at 6:45pm. Light refreshments will be provided.
Vaccination and booster required, masks encouraged. Event will be held outdoors.

[Re-scheduled from 5/3] Virtual Tour of Anu Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv
2022-05-10 10:00
Join together with members of all the Bay Area JCCs and the Taube Center for Jewish Peoplehood for a virtual tour of the brand new Anu Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv! Together, we’ll explore highlights of the brand new museum (formerly Beit Hatfutsot) to learn about the unique and ongoing story of the Jewish People.
We will make (virtual) stops on each of the three expansive floors of the new building, where the diversity of the Jewish world is revealed through extraordinary artifacts, state-of-the-art displays, immersive video, and world-class art. Topics will include modern Jewish identity and culture, the historical journey of the Jewish people from Biblical times to the present, and the foundations of Jewish life.
Click here for free registration.

Still Traveling: Picturesque Paris
2022-05-09 11:00 - 12:15
Let us whisk you away for an “armchair adventure” on an interesting, educational, fun, and live guided group tour to a destination beyond your front door. Join trip leader James Sokol to zoom away and spend time with our terrific, professional guide – Brad – returns with a new set of interesting trips with four different themes in the gorgeous and romantic “the City of Light!”
NOTE: This is a 4-part event and all tickets must be purchased together.
Click here for tickets and info.

Movie, Nosh, Discuss: The Last Days
2022-05-06 16:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Our final film series of the year! Join us as we dive into true stories from around the world, covering the past, present, and future. After the film, teens are welcome to join in group discussions over snacks*.
Please note that registration is required and all teens must provide proof of vaccine prior to entering and remain masked. Light refreshments will be provided and consumed outside. We recommend warm layers and reusable thermos to fill up on hot beverages post-film.
5/6: The Last Days
In commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust & Heroism Remembrance Day, join us as we go back to late 1944. Even as they faced imminent defeat, the Nazis expended enormous resources to kill or deport over 425,000 Jews during the “cleansing” of Hungary. We will dive into this Oscar-winning documentary, as we focus on the plight of five Hungarian Jews who survived imprisonment in Auschwitz. Though these survivors recount the horrors they witnessed and endured as a result of the Nazis’ “Final Solution,” their individual triumphs are a testament to hope and humanity.
Questions? Please reach out to Brianna Sommer, Director of Youth & Teen Programs at briannas@jcceastbay.org.
*All food provided will be vegetarian. Please email Brianna with any food allergies or dietary restrictions.
Click here for tickets and information.

Still Traveling: Picturesque Paris
2022-05-02 11:00 - 12:15
Let us whisk you away for an “armchair adventure” on an interesting, educational, fun, and live guided group tour to a destination beyond your front door. Join trip leader James Sokol to zoom away and spend time with our terrific, professional guide – Brad – returns with a new set of interesting trips with four different themes in the gorgeous and romantic “the City of Light!”
NOTE: This is a 4-part event and all tickets must be purchased together. Only the May 2 ticket can be purchased as a single “Give-Us-A-Try” ticket.
Click here for tickets and info.

Holocaust Remembrance Day
2022-04-28 14:00 - 15:00
The JCC East Bay is proud to be a co-sponsor, with Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay, of the City of Berkeley’s 19th Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day program.
The program brings the community together to remember those who perished, to honor those who survived, and to recommit to vigilance against hatred, persecution, prejudice, and tyranny.
A candle lighting in memory of lost family and friends frames the hour-long program.
This year, the community will honor Adela Mayer, a distinguished Survivor of the Holocaust. Adela will share her experiences as a young child in Czechoslovakia, who with her family, evaded the Nazis by concealing their Jewish identity and fleeing into the forest many times, to avoid capture.
The program also will feature musicians Heather Klein, Soprano and Jason Manlapaz, Pianist; poet Peter Dale Scott; and Tessa Rudnick, granddaughter of Holocaust Survivor, Jean Greenstein.
Click here to reserve your free ticket to the virtual program.

Exploring Broadway: Fabulous “Fiddler”
2022-04-26 13:00 - 15:00
Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock’s beloved Fiddler on the Roof is widely considered the last of Broadway’s “Golden Age” musicals. Before its premiere, some producers were concerned that it was “too Jewish” to attract mainstream audiences. However, the touching story and beautiful score proved to capture “the essential human longings for love, community, success, freedom, and family.” Join instructor James Sokol for a one-time exploration – filled with interesting facts, delightful tidbits & nostalgic video clips – of this perennial favorite!
Ticket & Notes:

“Early Bird” Ticket: $12.50, available until 48-hours prior to the class.
“Regular” Ticket: $15, available until 15-minutes prior to the class.
Tickets: All tickets are 1) are per device, not per person, on Zoom, and 2) are non-refundable & non-exchangeable.

Click here for tickets and information.

Still Traveling | Venerable Venice: Art, Architecture & Islands
2022-04-25 11:00 - 12:15, 2022-04-11 11:00 - 12:15, 2022-04-04 11:00 - 12:15
Let us whisk you away for an “armchair adventure” on an interesting, educational, fun, and live guided group tour to a destination beyond your front door. In this special mini-series, join James Sokol to zoom to Venice for three virtual “trips” with our beloved, professional guide Laura. A native Venetian, Laura provides interesting insights into three unique aspects of her city and her region.
NOTE: This is a 3-part event and all tickets must be purchased together.
Click here for tickets and information.

Ukrainian Refugee Resettlement Collection Drive
2022-04-25 08:30 - 2022-05-25 18:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
The JCC East Bay is partnering with the Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay to host a collection drive for Bay Area-based Ukrainian refugees and their families in need of household supplies during the process of settling into homes. We invite you to support these refugees by donating approved household items at the JCC East Bay in Berkeley.

From April 25 to May 25, there will be donation bins located at the front of the building during our normal operation hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30am-6pm) where you can drop off the items. (We will only be accepting newly purchased items listed below). Together, we can provide relief and support to Ukrainian refugees in the Bay Area!

Acceptable Donation Items:

Toiletries: newly purchased FULL SIZE shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, lotion, and shaving items. These can be bagged together into individual complete sets (welcome kits), or provided in bulk (preferred).
Small household items: newly purchased sets of dishes, utensils, mixing bowls, pots, pans, microwave, toaster, blender, rice cooker, electric teapot, or vacuum. Please no plastic or anything alcohol-related. We are not currently accepting donations of gently used items.
Cleaning supplies: newly purchased brooms, mops, vacuums, scrubbers, dustpans, buckets, cleaning products including dish soap and sponges, laundry detergent, and Clorox/Windex.
Baby items: new packs of diapers and wipes, baby soap/shampoo/wash, plush toys.
School supplies: backpacks, lunch boxes, pencils, pens, binders, lined paper, notebooks, markers, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, tape, staplers.
Gift cards: Best stores are Target, Safeway, Amazon, and VISA cards. We put these directly into the hands of those who need them.

Family Fundays!
2022-04-24 10:30 - 12:30 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Grab your blanket and join us in the JCC courtyard as Risa Lenore of Jelly Jam Time, our new Family Fundays! teacher leads us children’s songs, interactive stories, dancing, crafts and more! For children 2-7 years old and their families. (younger and older siblings are always welcome!) Each Family Fundays! we will explore a Jewish Value. This Sunday we will explore: Caring and being guardians of the Earth / Shomrei Adamah
Risa Lenore Anderson Dye is known for her creative energy in teaching and for her engaging puppet shows. Her business, Jelly Jam Time congeals her passions into a practice of teaching story-dancing and performing puppet shows for young audiences. She plans to bring many more stories to life.
Click here for tickets and information.

Passover Film Festival
2022-04-14 10:00 - 2022-04-24 14:45
The Virtual Passover Film Festival is an exciting way to engage with the themes of Passover through great films. For ten nights, indulge in exciting and diverse Israeli movies that will add a new dimension to your Passover celebration. And check out conversations with the filmmakers plus companion essays and activities to deepen your experience of the festival!

Head to www.passoverfilmfestival.com for streaming tickets. Make sure to use our code jcceb2022 during checkout for a discount.

Presented by the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan with support from Maimonides Fund.

Family Passover Exploration
2022-04-10 15:30 - 17:00
Explore the meaning of Passover with JCC East Bay and PJ Library Bay Area at this FREE and fun holiday event!
Bring your family to the JCC East Bay to learn about charoset around the world while making your own charoset, make your own matzah, make a matzah cover, sing and hear stories from Tkiya Music and more
Everyone in your family will have a great time! Invite your friends, see old friends and make new ones!
Click here for tickets.
***
The JCC East Bay invites you to join us for this program. We welcome and support our diverse Jewish community, people of all religions, nationalities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, communities of color, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community. For both in-person and virtual events, please let us know if you have any accessibility needs we can address. We will do our best to accommodate you, within reason. We look forward to hearing from you to make your experience at the JCC East Bay a positive one!

Until Love Pleases: A Night of Poetry, Music, Dance, and Art
2022-04-07 19:00 - 21:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
The Kitchen and JCC East Bay present a night of poetry, music, dance, & art from the Song of Songs.

“I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem!
If you meet my beloved, tell him this:
That I am sick with love.”
Join us for an evening of experiential delight featuring The Qadim Ensemble, visual artist Naomie Kremer, dancer Miriam Peretz, and LABA East Bay alumna Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer in collaboration The Kitchen and the JCC East Bay.
With its sensuous imagery of love and spring’s rebirth, the Song of Songs (Shir Hashirim) is traditionally chanted on Pesach. We invite you to get into the mood for love and Pesach. Learn more about the Song of Songs here.
The concert will be held safely outdoors at the JCC East Bay. Space is limited, get your tickets early!

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS ***SOLD OUT!***

COVID-19 Policy: For all Kitchen and JCC East Bay events, we require proof of vaccination and booster for all those eligible and masks are optional in outdoor settings. Masks are required indoors. In cases where food is served indoors, masks will be required unless actively eating or drinking. Our policy is guided by local governing bodies and health agencies and is subject to change. If you have questions, please email hello@thekitchensf.org.
Image by Naomie Kremer.

JCRC Freedom Seder
2022-04-04 18:00
Join JCRC for their 26th annual seder, this year proudly co-sponsored by the JCC East Bay. The seder is a participatory, cross-cultural, interfaith Passover seder experience.
The event will be in-person, with a Zoom option offered.
Click here to register.

RBG's Brave and Brilliant Women
2022-03-24 19:00 - 20:00
All seven Bay Area JCCs join together to present Nadine Epstein, Moment editor-in-chief and author of RBG’s Brave & Brilliant Women: 33 Jewish Women to Inspire Everyone in conversation with longtime FORUM host and author, Michael Krasny. The evening filled with stories of strong female Jewish role models is sure to inspire.
This program is co-sponsored by Moment Magazine, Taube Philanthropies, JCC East Bay, JCC SF, JCC Sonoma County, Jewish Silicon Valley, Osher Marin JCC, Oshman Family JCC and the Peninsula Jewish Community Center.
Click here for Zoom registration.

Still Traveling: Venerable Venice - The Heart and the Hidden
2022-03-21 11:00 - 12:15, 2022-03-14 11:00 - 12:15, 2022-03-07 11:00 - 12:15
Would you like to still travel? Now you can without leaving your home–just stay still!
Let us whisk you away for an “armchair adventure” on an interesting, educational, fun & live, guided group tour in a destination beyond your front door…even beyond the grocery store!
Forget the long, masked airplane ride, we take you across the time zones by Zoom where a local professional guide from a distant destination will take us to explore sites or topics. Live Q&A, photos, graphics & video clips (when available) will transport us to the destination!
NOTE: This is a 3-part event and all tickets must be purchased together.
Click here for tickets and information.

TIPSY: Wine-Tasting and Performance Mash-Up
2022-03-20 16:00 - 18:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
It’s Adar, the Jewish month of joy, and LABA East Bay, a laboratory for Jewish culture, would very much like to bring you some joy. “When Adar enters, joy increases.” -Talmud, Ta’anit 29a
Join LABA East Bay fellows and faculty for TIPSY, an afternoon of wine-tasting, mini Jewish text teachings, art, music, dance, film, and readings. You’ve had wine paired with food? Now try wine paired with art and text. We will explore the states of merriment, spontaneity, and disorientation – and hopefully achieve those states together.
Featuring:
FILM from Ken Paul Rosenthal & Sari Gilman
THEATER from Jeff Raz
ART from Leah Koransky and Lauren Ari
MUSIC from David Katz and Jennifer Ellis
DANCE from Risa Jaroslow
FICTION from Michael David Lukas
TEACHINGS from Rachel Brodie, Deena Aranoff, and Sam Shonkoff
WINE from Zoe Morgan of Covenant Wines
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Dare to Be: 3 Part Series on Mental Health for Middle Schoolers
2022-03-13 10:30 - 2022-03-27 13:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Calling all middle schoolers! 6th-8th graders are invited to join our three-part mental health workshop. Each of the 3 sessions will dive into different topics relating to mental health including: understanding and destigmatizing mental health, debunking myths, supporting our friends and ourselves through challenging times, and how to set boundaries for our well-being. Sessions will be hosted by trained professionals from the JCC East Bay, JFCS SF, Peninsula, Marin, & Sonoma counties, JFCS East Bay, as well as local teen mentors. Attendees are welcome to attend one or all three events.
Note: Registration includes a vegetarian lunch.
Click here for tickets and more information.

Purim Extravaganza!
2022-03-13 10:30 - 12:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Get ready for the family costume party of the year! Celebrate Purim with the JCC East Bay and PJ Library Bay Area at this FREE and fun holiday event!
Bring your family to the JCC East Bay for fun activities including Purim songs and dancing with Tkiya Music, grogger making, scavenger hunt, costume parade, balloon art, mishloach manot, hamantaschen, and more!
Everyone in your family will have a great time! Invite your friends, see old friends and make new ones. Register here!
COVID Protocols:

Registration required (no drop-ins)
All JCC staff are fully vaccinated (including boosters)
All attendees will have to show proof of vaccination (including boosters, if eligible) prior to entering and remain masked throughout the event.
Please be mindful of social distancing

Click here for tickets and more information!

Movie, Nosh, Discuss: Schmatta: Rags to Riches
2022-03-11 16:00
We’re kicking off our teen program taster with a monthly free Friday film series! Join us as we dive into true stories from around the world, covering the past, present, and future. After the film, teens are welcome to join in group discussions over snacks*.
Please note that registration is required and all teens must provide proof of vaccine prior to entering and remain masked. Light refreshments will be provided and consumed outside. We recommend warm layers and a reusable thermos to fill up on hot beverages post-film.
3/11: Schmatta: Rags to Riches

Together, we will take a closer look at the vibrant, unexpected history of the Garment District, which for many years was the heart and soul of Midtown Manhattan, but is now in danger of disappearing. For thousands of immigrants the garment industry was a path to their American Dream, but today most of those jobs are gone. A microcosm of the economic and social forces transforming our nation over the past one hundred years, “Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags” tells the story of this vanishing industry through the voices of the people who have experienced its highs and lows

Click here for tickets and information.

JFI Teen Social Justice Film Fellows Present: Her Dance
2022-03-06 13:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Join the JFI Teen Social Justice Film Fellows for an afternoon of film and conversation prompted by a screening of the short film Her Dance at JCC East Bay.
Screening includes a live Q&A on Zoom with director Bar Cohen and a panel conversation with Bay Area teen activists about LGBTQ+ issues.
This program is curated by the Jewish Film Institute’s Teen Social Justice Film Fellows, a cohort of fourteen teens from around the Bay Area of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds, working with JFI staff to present programs for Bay Area teens and the wider community reflecting the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam: repairing the world with our actions.
Click here for free registration and more information.

Still Traveling: Superb St. Petersburg
2022-02-28 11:00 - 12:15, 2022-02-21 11:00 - 12:15, 2022-02-14 11:00 - 12:15
Would you like to still travel? Now you can without leaving your home–just stay still!
Let us whisk you away for an “armchair adventure” on an interesting, educational, fun & live, guided group tour in a destination beyond your front door…even beyond the grocery store!
Forget the long, masked airplane ride, we take you across the time zones by Zoom where a local professional guide from a distant destination will take us to explore sites or topics. Live Q&A, photos, graphics & video clips (when available) will transport us to the destination!
NOTE: “Give-Us-a-Try” tickets are available for February 7 only. All others must be purchased together.
Click here for tickets and information.

Truffle Making with 52 Shabbats Author Faith Kramer
2022-02-27 14:00 - 15:30 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Grab a blanket and bring your family to the JCC to join Faith Kramer, author of 52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen, in a truffle-making demonstration!
In 52 Shabbats, Faith Kramer outlines recipe pairings in a mix-and-match friendly format, incorporating easy substitutes throughout the cookbook to make Shabbat accessible for all lifestyles. From gefilte fish to challah, berbere lentils to cardamom cheesecakes, these seasonally organized recipes will never fail to inspire your weekly dinner menu.
At this event, discover how to make chocolate truffles and take home your own batch. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase. This is a fun event for the whole family—no cooking experience required! In partnership with PJ Library Bay Area, Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, Mrs. Dalloway’s, and the Collective Book Studio.
Recommended for ages 7 years or older (younger siblings welcome).
COVID Protocols:

Registration required (no drop-ins)
All JCC staff are fully vaccinated (including boosters)
All attendees will have to show proof of vaccination (including boosters, if eligible) prior to entering and remain masked throughout the event. (no eating at the event)
Please be mindful of social distancing

Click here for tickets.

Movie, Nosh, Discuss: Forever Pure
2022-02-11 16:00
We’re kicking off our teen program taster with a monthly free Friday film series! Join us as we dive into true stories from around the world, covering the past, present, and future. After the film, teens are welcome to join in group discussions over snacks*.
Please note that registration is required and all teens must provide proof of vaccine prior to entering and remain masked. Light refreshments will be provided and consumed outside. We recommend warm layers and a reusable thermos to fill up on hot beverages post-film.
2/11: Forever Pure

Beitar Jerusalem Football Club is the most popular and controversial soccer team in Israel. Forever Pure documents the 2012-13 season, when a secretive transfer deal by the club’s owner brought two Muslim players from Chechnya. The deal inspired the most racist campaign in Israeli sport and sent the club spiraling out of control. Through one season we witness a team in crisis as power, money and politics provide a window into how racism is destroying the team and society from within.

Click here for tickets and information.
