There are so many wonderful cultural learning opportunities within our thriving Greater Buffalo Jewish Community. We've posted links here to the happenings in our community to keep you informed. If you have an announcement that you would like to see included, please email it to us!
Buffalo Corner Reading Series at Shir Shalom
JCC Presents Israeli Politics--All You Need to Know

January 19, 2023
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
The Maxine and Robert Seller Theater
2640 N FOREST RD
GETZVILLE, NY 14068-1573
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/xKAlHTh8fIg
Join Gon Erez, Chief Program Officer of JCC Buffalo and IDF Reserve Officer, for an insightful discussion on the recent Israel election and its impacts on Israel’s future.
What can we expect when Israelis go to the polls? What are the key issues? What makes this election different from the other recent elections? And what should we look for as the results come in and a new coalition government attempts to form?
For more information contact: Gon Erez Gerez@jccbuffalo.org (716) 204-2259
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
The Maxine and Robert Seller Theater
2640 N FOREST RD
GETZVILLE, NY 14068-1573
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/xKAlHTh8fIg
Join Gon Erez, Chief Program Officer of JCC Buffalo and IDF Reserve Officer, for an insightful discussion on the recent Israel election and its impacts on Israel’s future.
What can we expect when Israelis go to the polls? What are the key issues? What makes this election different from the other recent elections? And what should we look for as the results come in and a new coalition government attempts to form?
For more information contact: Gon Erez Gerez@jccbuffalo.org (716) 204-2259
Thai Shabbat Dinner at the CJL
Friday, January 20th at 6:30pm
Center for Jewish Life 757 Hopkins Rd. in Williamsville Williamsville, NY 14221 Experience a Shabbat dinner in an atmosphere of song, story & discussion, complete with Tahi Cuisine. Learn about Jewish life in Thailand, while you partake in delicious Thai food. Adults $15 Children $7 |
HRC Holocaust Remembrance Day Book Lecture and Q&A
JCC Presents From Israel Airforce to Private Rescue Missions

January 30, 2023
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
The Maxine and Robert Seller Theater
2640 N FOREST RD
GETZVILLE, NY 14068-1573
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/ZEoDWpcuTKI
Hear a dramatic lecture from Nadav Palmach, starting with the loss of his younger sister, Hagar, while she was hiking in the Negev mountains. In his story, Nadav will reveal his path and evolution from a pilot in the Israeli Airforce to becoming a unique rescuer.
The lecture is embedded with astonishing photos and videos from his journeys, including icebergs in Antarctica, flying over erupting volcanoes in Hawaii, jumping over a massive waterfall in Iceland, flying over the Maldives while hundreds of dolphins swim below, and traveling 2000 km across Africa alone with no support, and encountering tribes that have never seen Western civilization.
Free and open to the community!
Watch the trailer: Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo - From Israel Airforce to Private Rescue Missions (jccbuffalo.org)
For more information contact: Gon Erez Gerez@jccbuffalo.org (716) 204-2259
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
The Maxine and Robert Seller Theater
2640 N FOREST RD
GETZVILLE, NY 14068-1573
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/ZEoDWpcuTKI
Hear a dramatic lecture from Nadav Palmach, starting with the loss of his younger sister, Hagar, while she was hiking in the Negev mountains. In his story, Nadav will reveal his path and evolution from a pilot in the Israeli Airforce to becoming a unique rescuer.
The lecture is embedded with astonishing photos and videos from his journeys, including icebergs in Antarctica, flying over erupting volcanoes in Hawaii, jumping over a massive waterfall in Iceland, flying over the Maldives while hundreds of dolphins swim below, and traveling 2000 km across Africa alone with no support, and encountering tribes that have never seen Western civilization.
Free and open to the community!
Watch the trailer: Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo - From Israel Airforce to Private Rescue Missions (jccbuffalo.org)
For more information contact: Gon Erez Gerez@jccbuffalo.org (716) 204-2259

Tuesday, January 24th, 2:00 pm–3:30 pm
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyces’ Ulysses with a guided tour of “Special Collections” at UB
The curators of the Special Collections at the University of Buffalo have invited us to take advantage of a unique local opportunity. This exhibit will take us inside the fascinating story behind the publication of Ulysses.
(https://library.buffalo.edu/news/2022/03/03/sylvia-beachs-ulysses/).
Learn about UB’s extraordinary James Joyce collection, and plans for the UB James Joyce Museum. The 90-minute tour will begin in Capen Hall on UB’s North Campus. Seating areas are available within the exhibit space, and metered parking is near to Capen Hall. A $5.00 donation to the “Special Collections” is requested, and will be collected on site, at the end of the tour.
Please RSVP to Katie Wzontek, kwzontek@jccbuffalo.org by January 17th. Details regarding parking and meeting location will be emailed to attendees. UB will provide directions and passes for parking that day.
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyces’ Ulysses with a guided tour of “Special Collections” at UB
The curators of the Special Collections at the University of Buffalo have invited us to take advantage of a unique local opportunity. This exhibit will take us inside the fascinating story behind the publication of Ulysses.
(https://library.buffalo.edu/news/2022/03/03/sylvia-beachs-ulysses/).
Learn about UB’s extraordinary James Joyce collection, and plans for the UB James Joyce Museum. The 90-minute tour will begin in Capen Hall on UB’s North Campus. Seating areas are available within the exhibit space, and metered parking is near to Capen Hall. A $5.00 donation to the “Special Collections” is requested, and will be collected on site, at the end of the tour.
Please RSVP to Katie Wzontek, kwzontek@jccbuffalo.org by January 17th. Details regarding parking and meeting location will be emailed to attendees. UB will provide directions and passes for parking that day.
Chabad Learning Series for Mental Health

Introducing an all-new series from Chabad.org:
UNDERSTANDING WHY MENTAL HEALTH IS SPIRITUAL HEALTH TOO.
Begins January 24 at 7:30PM ET
Can my humanity help me find meaning?
Have you ever considered why our most important relationships are so difficult to maintain?
Ever wondered whether it is really possible to find joy in the ordinary humdrum of life?
Listen in on the insightful conversations of a rabbi and a psychiatrist to find these answers and more.
UNDERSTANDING WHY MENTAL HEALTH IS SPIRITUAL HEALTH TOO.
Begins January 24 at 7:30PM ET
Can my humanity help me find meaning?
Have you ever considered why our most important relationships are so difficult to maintain?
Ever wondered whether it is really possible to find joy in the ordinary humdrum of life?
Listen in on the insightful conversations of a rabbi and a psychiatrist to find these answers and more.
Pirkei Avot Class with Professor Joseph Rosenstein

Professor Rosenstein's course on Reflections on Pirkei Avot: Not Just What My Rebbe Taught Me, begins Thursday, January 26 from 7:00 to 9:00pm EST and will continue for six consecutive Thursday evenings.
The course is limited to 15 participants -- there is a fee of $75 per participant. Enroll now!
Note that copies of the book are currently available at a reduced price of $32 (20% off).
The course is limited to 15 participants -- there is a fee of $75 per participant. Enroll now!
Note that copies of the book are currently available at a reduced price of $32 (20% off).

By Jeffery Hatcher and Mitch Albom
Running February 2-26, 2023
Based on the 2006 best-selling memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie’s appearance on a television news program and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life.
For Tickets contact:
Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
The Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre
Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo
2640 North Forest Rd, Getzville, NY 14068
JRT Box Office 716-650-7626
Adam Yellen, Director of Performing Arts: 716-688-4114x309
Running February 2-26, 2023
Based on the 2006 best-selling memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie’s appearance on a television news program and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life.
For Tickets contact:
Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
The Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre
Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo
2640 North Forest Rd, Getzville, NY 14068
JRT Box Office 716-650-7626
Adam Yellen, Director of Performing Arts: 716-688-4114x309
Day Trip to Kleinhans Music Hall with the JCC
Winter 2023 Adult Learning Series at the JCC

Grief Support Group- Fridays 10-11 am (1/6, 2/3, 3/3)
Participants will learn to identify the five stages of grief, explore healthy coping mechanisms and more.
Adult Beginner Watercolor – Wednesday 10:30-noon (1/11-2/15)
This class will introduce students to the various techniques used in watercolor painting and how they relate to subjects found in our surroundings. Each technique will be demonstrated, step-by-step by the instructor Deb Meier, followed by student participation. No experience necessary, supplies included.
Learn Mah jongg – Fridays 10-11:30 (1/13-3/10)
Mah jongg is a game of matching one’s playing pieces, called tiles, to a set of possible hands. It is a very social game played around a table with four players. Classes include basic rules of play, strategies, tips, switching hands, and more. This class is geared toward beginners.
Happiness and Humor Fridays 10-11 am (1/20, 2/17, 3/17)
Learn positive ways to deal with difficult people and situations, steps to increase happiness in your own life, and the secret to living an overall happier life.
Health and Wellness Speakers Series – Fridays 10-11 (1/31, 2/28, 3/28)
Monthly presentations on Health and Wellness related topics. Presented by the Alzheimer's Association, Western New York Chapter. Light refreshments will be served.
Jan 31- Healthy Living for your Brain
Feb 28 - Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors
March 28 - Tips for Tough Conversations: Doctor Visits, Driving, Legal & Financial Concerns
Participants will learn to identify the five stages of grief, explore healthy coping mechanisms and more.
Adult Beginner Watercolor – Wednesday 10:30-noon (1/11-2/15)
This class will introduce students to the various techniques used in watercolor painting and how they relate to subjects found in our surroundings. Each technique will be demonstrated, step-by-step by the instructor Deb Meier, followed by student participation. No experience necessary, supplies included.
Learn Mah jongg – Fridays 10-11:30 (1/13-3/10)
Mah jongg is a game of matching one’s playing pieces, called tiles, to a set of possible hands. It is a very social game played around a table with four players. Classes include basic rules of play, strategies, tips, switching hands, and more. This class is geared toward beginners.
Happiness and Humor Fridays 10-11 am (1/20, 2/17, 3/17)
Learn positive ways to deal with difficult people and situations, steps to increase happiness in your own life, and the secret to living an overall happier life.
Health and Wellness Speakers Series – Fridays 10-11 (1/31, 2/28, 3/28)
Monthly presentations on Health and Wellness related topics. Presented by the Alzheimer's Association, Western New York Chapter. Light refreshments will be served.
Jan 31- Healthy Living for your Brain
Feb 28 - Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors
March 28 - Tips for Tough Conversations: Doctor Visits, Driving, Legal & Financial Concerns
Torah Studies at the CJL
Every Wednesday 7:00 - 8:00pm | Center For Jewish Life | 757 Hopkins Road
Moment Magazine January Zoominars
THE GREAT JEWISH SHORT STORIES OF SINGER, MALAMUD, OZICK & ROTH
THU, JAN 5, 12:00 PM EST--THU, JAN 26, 1:00 PM EST A four-week course exploring 4 classic Jewish short stories with Dr. Michael Krasny. Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19, 26 at 9am, PT / 12pm, ET
|
THE EDUCATIONAL LEGACY OF JULIUS ROSENWALD AND BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Tuesday, January 17 at 4:30pm, ET/1:30pm, PT with Dorothy Canter, Marian and Valerie Coleman, Stephanie Deutsch, Andrew Feiler and Aviva Kempner Working with African American intellectual Booker T. Washington, Jewish businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald established challenge grants that lead to the creation between 1912 and 1937 of almost 5,000 schools, known as Rosenwald Schools, for African American children throughout the segregated south. Come learn from our distinguished guests who have dedicated their time to documenting, preserving, and sharing the historical and educational legacy of Washington and Rosenwald. |
ESCAPING AUSCHWITZ WITH JONATHAN FREEDLAND AND DAN RAVIV
Tuesday, January 24 at 4:30pm, ET/1:30pm PT In 1944, Rudolf Vrba,19, was the first of only four people to successfully break out of Auschwitz to warn the world about the atrocities taking place at the death camp. Although the report he cowrote was ignored by many, Vrba is credited with having saved 200,000 Jewish lives. Guardian journalist Jonathan Freedland, author of The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World joins former CBS News correspondent and Moment contributor Dan Raviv for a conversation about the heroic efforts of Vrba and why his report did not have a bigger impact. In commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. |
BACK IN TIME TO 1909: THE BLACK JEWISH RELATIONSHIP AND THE FOUNDING OF THE NAACP WITH LILLIE J. EDWARDS AND NADINE EPSTEIN
Tuesday, January 31 at 4:30pm, ET/1:30pm, PT After a deadly race riot in Springfield, Illinois, Jewish leaders joined with African American leaders to address racial injustice. W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Henry Moskowitz, Rabbi Emil Hirsch, Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise, Lillian Wald and others came together to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), launching a historic chapter in the fight for civil rights. Dr. Lillie J. Edwards, Professor Emerita of History and African American studies at Drew University will discuss what was going on in 1909, the importance of this Black-Jewish coalition, and how the Black and Jewish communities can continue to work together to counter racism. |
The Musical Legacy of Leonard Cohen with David Broza and Amy E. Schwartz
Poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen had a profound influence on the music world. His work inspired renowned Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza, who grew up in a house filled with music. Broza's mother, Sharona Aron, was one of Israel’s first folk singers and performed with Cohen on the Greek island of Hydra. Broza recently released a three-song collection titled David Broza Sings Leonard Cohen, commissioned by the Jewish Arts Collaborative in Boston. Join Broza and Moment Book & Opinion editor Amy E. Schwartz, for a conversation about Cohen, his legacy, why he was so beloved and what it was like to reimagine his songs.
Poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen had a profound influence on the music world. His work inspired renowned Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza, who grew up in a house filled with music. Broza's mother, Sharona Aron, was one of Israel’s first folk singers and performed with Cohen on the Greek island of Hydra. Broza recently released a three-song collection titled David Broza Sings Leonard Cohen, commissioned by the Jewish Arts Collaborative in Boston. Join Broza and Moment Book & Opinion editor Amy E. Schwartz, for a conversation about Cohen, his legacy, why he was so beloved and what it was like to reimagine his songs.
Liberation 75 Virtual Holocaust Library
Available Now on Amazon: The Daughter of Auschwitz
The Kol-Yehudim Show: New Buffalo Jewish Music Radio

On January 9, 2022 at 6am EST, radio history will be made as the first Buffalo based, strictly Jewish music radio program will begin broadcasting on 91.3 WBNY Buffalo.
To listen go to: https://wbny.buffalostate.edu/ and click Listen Live or download the Radio FX app and search for wbny.
The innovative "Cool Jewish Radio - The Kol Yehudim Show" has been a fixture every Sunday morning since 2016 from 6-10am on 1640 WJPR based out of Highland Park, New Jersey and broadcasting throughout the world on several streaming sites including 1640wjpr.com and the TuneInRadio App.
Mike Greenberg (Buffalo State '94) will take you on a 4 hour journey throughout the world of Jewish Music - weaving together different styles, genres and musicians of different backgrounds. This program is NOT Kol Isha as we feature both male and female artists.
You will get to hear both the classics of yesteryear and the new stars of Jewish music. Plus features such as "English songs recorded in Hebrew," "The Tantz Around the Breakfast Table," "Manginot Yisrael," and "A Bisl Chazzones."
For more information, please Contact: Mike Greenberg "The Kol Yehudim Show" Producer/Host, send an email to kolyehudimradio@gmail.com
To listen go to: https://wbny.buffalostate.edu/ and click Listen Live or download the Radio FX app and search for wbny.
The innovative "Cool Jewish Radio - The Kol Yehudim Show" has been a fixture every Sunday morning since 2016 from 6-10am on 1640 WJPR based out of Highland Park, New Jersey and broadcasting throughout the world on several streaming sites including 1640wjpr.com and the TuneInRadio App.
Mike Greenberg (Buffalo State '94) will take you on a 4 hour journey throughout the world of Jewish Music - weaving together different styles, genres and musicians of different backgrounds. This program is NOT Kol Isha as we feature both male and female artists.
You will get to hear both the classics of yesteryear and the new stars of Jewish music. Plus features such as "English songs recorded in Hebrew," "The Tantz Around the Breakfast Table," "Manginot Yisrael," and "A Bisl Chazzones."
For more information, please Contact: Mike Greenberg "The Kol Yehudim Show" Producer/Host, send an email to kolyehudimradio@gmail.com