Jewish Life & Learning
Our mission is to offer diverse pathways and opportunities for our members to connect to Jewish knowledge, tradition, values, and community in a personally meaningful way.
Reflect & Renew
The Place of All Possibility with Rabbi Adina Allen
Tuesday, September 1 | 7 PM
Gather with community at the JCC for a live Zoom conversation with Rabbi Adina Allen, followed by an in-person creative workshop inspired by Torah as we prepare for the High Holidays.
Free. Includes a copy of Rabbi Allen’s book.
Registration required.
Bringing the High Holidays to Life: Practical Ways to Make the Holidays Meaningful for Your Family
Wednesday, September 2 | 5:30 PM
Featuring Jacqui Lipschitz.
Gather with parents and grandparents for an evening of practical ideas, creative activities, and meaningful traditions that bring the High Holidays to life for the children you love.
Free.
Includes a light kosher dinner and babysitting. Registration required.
Malchut and Teshuvah: Sovereignty and Repentance
Tuesday, September 8 | 12 PM
A Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Alan Katz
Explore King David’s story of leadership, humility, and renewal as Rabbi Alan Katz examines the timeless themes of sovereignty and repentance in preparation for the High Holidays.
Free. Bring your lunch or purchase one from Fox’s Deli. Registration required.
Honey Talk & Tasting with Flower City
Friday, September 18 | 11:30 AM
Sample local and international honeys while discovering how flowers, bees, and neighborhoods create the unique flavors of every harvest.
JCC Members: Free | Non-members: $10. Registration required.
Bagels and Babies: High Holiday Edition
Sunday, September 20 | 1:30 PM
Join us for a morning of bagels and play. Open to families with children ages 2-5 years old. Come explore our small gross motor room and have fun with friends, old and new.
Gather & Celebrate
Maker's Space: Enhancing Jewish Life Through Craft
Wednesday, September 22 | 1:30 PM
Celebrate Sukkot through creativity as we make festive holiday crafts together.
Designed for adults 55+. $18 per person; includes all supplies. Registration required.
Rainbow Sukkah: Community Sukkah Decorating
Thursday, September 24 | 5 PM
Join LGBTQ+ community members and allies as we decorate the JCC’s community sukkah and celebrate Sukkot through creativity, connection, and community.
Everyone is welcome. Free. Drop in—no registration required.
KulanuRoc Sukkot Dinner
Tuesday, September 29 | 6 PM
KulanuRoc is the JCC’s inclusive Jewish community for individuals with diverse abilities and their families. Registration required.
Snacks in the Sukkah
Thursday, October 1 | 5 PM
Stop by after school for an afternoon of snacks, games, music, and community as we celebrate Sukkot together.
Perfect for families. Free. Drop in—no registration or JCC membership required.
Simchat Torah Parade at Shabbat Sing
Friday, October 2 | 10 AM
Bagels in the Sukkah
Friday, October 2 | 10:30 AM
Start your morning with bagels, coffee, and good company as we celebrate Sukkot together in the sukkah.
Designed for our 55+ community. Free. Drop in—no registration required.
It's All Lulav: LGBTQ+ Dinner in the Sukkah
Friday, October 2 | 6 PM
A Place at Our Table
Geulah Von Perlstein’s Tzimmes
Many in our community remember Geulah’s café at the JCC, where her homemade challah, veggie burgers, brownies, and warm hospitality made everyone feel at home.
This holiday season, she’s sharing one of her favorite family recipes with our community.
Ingredients
- 8–10 large carrots, peeled
- 8 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and halved or 3 large cans of sweet potatoes, drained
- 1–1½ cups brown sugar
- ¼ cup margarine
- ¾ cup pitted prunes (about 15–18), quartered
To Prepare
- Boil whole peeled carrots in a stock pot for 20 minutes, drain and allow to cool.
- If using fresh sweet potatoes, boil for 25 minutes, drain and allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your casserole pan.
- In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes well and then spread evenly into your prepared pan. Sprinkle about ½ of the brown sugar on top and then dot with ½ of the prunes.
- Grind or grate the cooled carrots and spread evenly on top of the sweet potatoes. Distribute the remainder of the brown sugar over the carrots and dot with the remainder of the prunes.
- Take small pieces of the margarine and dot the top of the tzimmes.
Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, then cover with foil and bake for another 45 minutes.
Enjoy ~ B’tavon!
Highlights
JReads
Each month a different member of our community will choose a book to share that they are passionate about. There will be time for discussion and Q&A — and snacks!
Torah and Tea – A Weekly
Meet-Up for Women
Wednesdays • 10:30am
This weekly informal get-together is meant to be all of these. Come to one or all classes or whenever you have a chance! The only requirement is a desire to learn, and meet friendly Jewish women.
Introduction to Hebrew
with Geulah Von Perlstein
Tuesdays • 8/14 – 9/8 • 1pm
Learn Hebrew from the beginning in an interactive and engaging manner with legendary Hebrew teacher, Geulah Von Perlstein.
Jewish Life Programs & Events Calendar
Events for July
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Events for July
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Events for August
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Events for August
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Events for August
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Events for August
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Events for September
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Events for September
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Opportunities to Connect
Torah & Tea with Rishi
Wednesdays, 10:30am–12pm
A weekly meetup for women
Looking for inspiration? Camaraderie? Spiritual insights into life? Stimulating conversations? This weekly informal get-together, facilitated by Rishi Hein, is designed to do this. Drop in for this informal weekly meetup with friendly Jewish women. Free
Weekly Torah Wanderings with Rabbi Michael Silbert
Wednesdays, 10–11am
Join us for an exploration into the week’s Torah reading as we examine this ancient text together, connecting with its enduring meaning and drawing on its contemporary relevance. Free
Singing with Rabbi Silvana
Sundays, 9:30-10:30am; Before/After Care Rm 6
- September 14
- October 12
- November 23
- December 14
Silvana Bacman will lead a 30-minute Jewish-focused, engaging, and interactive session for the under-five crowd, which will include music, singing, and dance—no registration necessary – open to all.
Bagels and coffee provided.
FREE and open to all (non-members are welcome).
Shabbat Sing
Kick-off each Shabbat at the Louis. S. Wolk JCC with Shabbat Sing! Join the Wolk Children’s Center to welcome Shabbat every Friday with singing, prayers, and ruach (spirit). All are welcome!
Sha-Baby: Shabbat Sing, Storytime, and Sensory Play
Starts September 5
Fridays, 10-11am Cafe Lobby/Family Room
Enjoy a morning filled with music to start your Shabbat! We will join the Wolk Center’s Shabbat Sing in the café and, afterward, spend time in the family room playing, reading stories, and having fun.
Songs and Play with the Shinhinim
Begins September 29
Mondays, 10-10:30am
Ages 0-5 with a caretaker.
Singing Hebrew songs, learning a Hebrew word of the week, and playing games led by the ShinShinim (Israeli Teen Ambassadors).
FREE and open to all (non-members are welcome).
Jewish Arts + Culture
Authors + Innovators Festival
For 30 years, you’ve connected with your favorite authors and to other readers who care about books as much as you do fostering important community conversations. The new Lane Dworkin JCC Rochester Authors + Innovators Festival expands the core of a Book Festival beyond a traditional lineup by welcoming creative innovators to share their world-changing ideas and adding interactive workshops and events. Learn More
Rochester Jewish Film Festival
The JCC established the Ames Amzalak Rochester Jewish Film Festival to present the best contemporary Jewish-themed films from around the world to the Rochester community.
RJFF exists to promote awareness and pride in the diversity of all people; to strengthen community consciousness of Jewish identity, history, and culture; to provide a forum for community gatherings that allows valuable dialogue; and to create an international showcase for filmmakers who are Jewish or whose work explores Jewish themes. Learn More