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Want to learn more about Islam? Take advantage of the opportunity to deepen your knowledge on the subject with the Peninsula JCC’s scholar-in-residence Reuven Firestone, starting with “The Pillars of Islam” on Jan. 19. The professor and author from Hebrew Union College in L.A. will give 12 lectures around the North Peninsula through Jan. 29. Firestone is an acclaimed expert on all things Muslim, and topics will run the gamut from past to present.
Interactive Passover experience for children and their families. Build pyramids, cross the Red Sea, taste varieties of haroset. Free with RSVP.
Yom HaAtzmaut family celebration. Israeli food and two performances of puppet show “Mitz Petel,” one in English and one in Hebrew. Free.
Kosher barbecue, s’mores, archery and live music by Israel singer Ninet Tayeb. $12+, under 2 free.
Opening reception of exhibit chronicling the stories of five Jewish families from the German community of Roth between 1933 and 1942. On display through June 28. Free.
Local author presents his novella “Odyssey of Chaos,” about the Holocaust in Athens. Free.
Sing-along, vegetarian dinner in the PJCC sukkah, crafts, stories, new baby blessings. For families with babies, toddlers and young children. Sponsored by PJCC, Peninsula Temple Beth El and Jewish Baby Network. Dinner $5.
Historian Benny Morris explores recent research on the first Arab-Israeli war and its lasting effects. $20.
Family Hanukkah party. Arts and crafts, dancing, latkes, candlelighting, music. Wine and vodka tasting for adults. Free.
Shalom Hartman Institute of North America president is the scholar-in-residence for the North Peninsula Jewish Community Jan. 18-24. Lecture entitled "American Jews at Home: How the Jewish American Experience Challenges and Informs Zionism." Free with RSVP.
Screen-free family Shabbat event includes music by Karina Zilberman, arts and crafts, animal experience with Tree Frog Treks, storytelling and drum circle. Kosher wine tasting for adults; Havdalah at 5:15 p.m. Free.
Duke University’s chief representative of Muslim affairs, and previously the school’s first Muslim chaplain, talks about his experience studying Jewish and Zionist history. $15-$20.
Malka Kopell, founder of Civity, leads a workshop on fostering conversation and ”putting differences on the table.” $15.
French drama, with English subtitles, about an Israeli and Palestinian who discover they were switched at birth. Discussion with Center for Jewish Peoplehood director Shlomi Ravid. Free.
Reception for 40-year retrospective of photos by Nino Herman, a former government press photographer and former photo editor of Israeli newspaper Maariv. Herman will speak at 7 p.m. Exhibit through May 23. Free.
Israeli food, music, dancing and panels on Israeli farming and tech. Concludes with 3:30 p.m. puppet show in Hebrew and English. Free.
Comedy-drama about an Egyptian band that mistakenly travels to Israel. Followed by discussion. Free.
Dr. Jessica Zitter, ICU and palliative care specialist, presents her book. $15-$20.
Do you have an ancestor who lost German citizenship under the Nazis? Find out how you can reclaim it. Free; RSVP required. Contact Miriam Zimmerman at [email protected]
Opening of exhibit showcasing work from members of the Peninsula Jewish community. Through August 26. Free.
Hosted by Peninsula JCC. Pizza available; otherwise, bring your own family picnic. Games available. Pre-registration required. Free.
Senior rabbis from the community discuss how we can apply the teachings of the High Holidays to our daily lives. Free, but RSVP required.
Tracey and Scott Green lead nature hike that combines yoga with Jewish wisdom. Free.
Sukkot social for PJCC members and a guest, with live music by Joe Stinson and beer from Fieldwork Brewing Company. 21-and-over. Free.
150 minutes of Shabbat activities free of personal electronic devices. Includes food, drinks, Scotch tasting, a babka booth, live music, arts and crafts. Free.
Latin Grammy-winning performer of children’s music performs at PJ Library family event. $8; kids under 2 free.
Talk by the politician, author and one-time interim president of Israel. Free; RSVP required.
Hanukkah party with silent disco, shadow puppets and community lighting.
Award-winning journalist on the importance of the free press in PJCC “Food for Thought” lecture series. Free.
Sikh educator Amrik Singh Pannu and Jewish educator Ken Blady discusses the similarities and difference between two ancient monotheistic faiths. $8-$10.
Screening of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” documentary about the life of TV host Fred Rogers, followed by conversation with Pittsburgh JCC’s Melissa Hiller on being a “good neighbor” amid a spike in anti-Semitism. Open to all, geared toward adults and teens. Free.
Jewish community town hall with Bay Area member of Congress, who will discuss domestic and foreign policy and take questions. Co-sponsored by JCRC. Free, RSVP required by March 27.
Jewish Baby Network hosts Passover-themed event for kids, with crafts, storytelling, puppets and more. Free.
Panel discussion on Philip Roth’s alternate history and how its vision echoes today. One Bay One Book event. Free.
Live reggae by Lior Ben-Hur, kosher BBQ dinner, archery and other activities. $10-$15.
Hear from professional volunteers at the humanitarian aid agency. Free.
Opening of photo exhibit by Maya Gelfman and Roie Avidan, creators of the ongoing photography project "Mind the Heart!" Through Aug. 25.
Participatory art experience with Maya Gelfman and Roie Avidan, the Israeli artists behind the global art project "Mind the Heart!" Meet in PJCC lobby. Free.
The percussionist plays a mixture of Latin-inspired jazz with his quintet.
Reception, tour and panel about Robin Atlas and Nancy Current’s exhibit about hate speech and its consequences. Exhibit through Nov. 24.
Rosh Hashanah edition features a shofar showdown, Riveropolis, PJ Library story time and hard cider for 21 and over.
Discussion with multiple local rabbis about meanings and teachings for the High Holidays. Led by Rabbi Lavey Derby, the Peninsula JCC director for Jewish life. RSVP required.
A discussion about the Bay Area muralist-activist, unity and racial justice in conjunction with “Words Hurt, Words Heal.” Free for members.
One event on October 31, 2019 at 1:30 pm
Rabbi Lavey Derby leads a session with four individuals in mind: ourselves, someone who loves us, a neutral person and someone we’re having difficulties with.
Gather in and around the sukkah for food, crafts and a family concert.
Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace) members Samah Salaime and Lihi Joffee will discuss their commitment to raise their families in a shared community and prospects for peace in Israel today.
Socialize and learn about volunteer opportunities in and out of the Jewish community.
Five-part course about the Torah texts and how it has shaped Jewish life.
Youth-led discussion about some of the most pressing topics facing Jewish teens today. Peninsula Jewish Youth for Community Action event.
Poet, essayist, activist and educator Julayne Lee shares her collection of poems that explore what it means to be a transracial and inter-country adoptee. Free for members.
For new/expectant parents, a Jewish Baby Network workshop on labor/delivery rituals, Hebrew names, circumcision, ceremonies and perspectives on parenting.
A look at IsraAid’s community-based approach to psychosocial programs. Light snacks provided. $18 suggested donation.
2016 documentary about a Catholic man in Poland who launched a campaign to memorialize Jews killed in the 1946 Kielce pogrom. Partly in Polish with English subtitles. Q&A with co-directors and the film’s subject, Bogdan Bialek.
Decorate a rock with a word of chesed (lovingkindness) and spread a little love. Part of Words Hurt, Words Heal initiative.
A Shabbat afternoon gathering with stories, singing, snacks and spirits. 21 and over.
Opening day of Daniel Levin photo exhibit that looks into an eclectic shop that takes a forensic-like approach to restoring Holocaust-era violins. Through Feb. 24, 2020.
Family-oriented event.
Violin technicians Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein of Israel in conversation with PJCC scholar-in-residence Michael Berenbaum. Violinist Hannah Tarpley to perform on Holocaust-era restored violins. Registration requested.
Peninsula JCC’s day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Volunteers sign up for projects such as making sandwiches for hungry people, habitat restoration, etc.
Peninsula JCC fundraiser. For intermediate and advanced players in American style.
Israeli string group performs as part of the Violins of Hope Musical Conversation.
Drive up to the Peninsula JCC Hanukkah display, pick up a free Hanukkah party kit and take in the music and lights. Registration required.
Peninsula JCC outdoor program for families with kids 3 and under helps prepare for Shabbat with music, creative prayer, movement, puppetry and more. Limited capacity; masks required for 2 and up. Also on Aug. 26.
Master drummer Craig Bravo Miller of Shamati Music leads a drum circle and instrument march for families, plus instrument making, art, a shofar blast and ruach (spirit). Limited capacity and rotating groups to ensure social distancing; masks required for 2 and older.
Discussion of High Holiday prayer Unetaneh Tokef by rabbis and cantors from four Peninsula synagogues. Moderated by Rabbi Joshua Ladon of Shalom Hartman Institute. Event is indoors and also online; attendees must be vaccinated and masked.
Wear Hawaiian or floral clothes for this event from Jewish Baby Network, Peninsula JCC, PJ Library Bay Area and local synagogues. For families with kids up to 5. Make decorations for your sukkah, join a parade led by musician Alison Faith Levy. Masks required for 2 and up. Donation suggested.
PJCC, PJ Library and San Mateo Parents Club present outdoor event on PJCC’s Koret turf field. With crafts, games, Jeremy the Juggler, magician David Martinez, waffles and french fries food truck, canned-food drive and menorah lighting. Proof of vaccination, masks required. Advance registration encouraged.
Music, dancing, singing and Passover-themed activities including storytelling, kid-friendly arts and crafts, matzah, with treats. Co-sponsored by PJ Library Bay Area and Tkiya Music. Proof of vaccination and masks required. Registration required.
Opportunity for soon-to-be parents to learn about rituals during pregnancy, labor and delivery, choosing a Hebrew/Jewish name, circumcision, naming/welcoming ceremonies, Jewish perspectives on parenting and more. Led by Jewish Baby Network, local rabbis and lay leaders. Registration required.
Outdoor concert by a group of classically trained musicians who put a fresh spin on klezmer by blending jazz, blues, folk and hip-hop. Proof of vaccination required.
Peninsula JCC joins the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition for a lineup of service activities, including preparing lunch for a homeless shelter, making blankets and creating cards. Masks required. Volunteers under 13 must be accompanied by adult. Breakfast 8 a.m., activities 9 a.m. Register by Jan. 8.