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Jewish Life
We are proud to be a hub of Jewish life in Harlem. We recognize that there isn’t one way to do or be Jewish, and are committed to fostering an open, inclusive, diverse Jewish community.

SHABBAT

Beloved Community Services: Join us for joyful, musical, come-as-you-are Beloved Community Shabbat services with JCC Harlem rabbi-in-residence Mira Rivera. The first Filipina-American woman to be ordained at The Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbi Mira is dedicated to generating leadership opportunities for Jews of Color and allies, and to partnering with JCC Harlem to build inclusive, joyful Jewish life representing the vibrancy and complexity of Harlem.

Toddler Shabbat with Tkiya: Join Morgan from Tkiya for an interactive monthly Kabbalat Shabbat service designed for kids ages 0-5 and their grownups. Together, we will bring in Shabbat with singing, movement, stories, puppets, bubbles, and more. All are welcome.
 

Wine Down Shabbat with Embrace Harlem: Join Embrace Harlem for Shabbat gatherings for children and families full of music, in-person connection, and wine (for the adults, naturally). Wine Down incorporates Shabbat-inspired music, dancing and singalongs, children's crafts, blessings, and a casual family-style dinner. It is a playful experience that incorporates the themes of Shabbat, weaving Jewish tradition with contemporary perspectives, and interlacing Hebrew and English in a way that is accessible to all.

 

CHILDREN'S JEWISH LEARNING

Fig Tree: We are thrilled to team up with Fig Tree, an independent Jewish education program for children ages 3 – 13, which provides rich and accessible Jewish education to families seeking a Hebrew School alternative. Learners explore Jewish culture, values, ritual, holidays, and Hebrew language in a fun, relatable way. In small weekly classes led by experienced teachers, Fig Tree incorporates elements of art, music, drama, and movement to foster a meaningful learning experience and deepened sense of Jewish identity for each student.
 

Hebrew Language: We are proud to offer Hebrew language instruction for children. Through everyday conversations, stories, songs, and games, our interactive Hebrew language classes introduce children to conversational Hebrew and help them identify Hebrew letter names and sounds and decode syllables and words.
 

Shabbat Show with Embrace Harlem: The Shabbat Show is a Jewish musical theater experience where children ages 5-12 meet weekly to learn together and co-create musical, sketch-comedy performances based on Jewish stories. With guidance from professional artists and educators, the troupe explores Jewish traditions and experiments with theatrical improv to create an original telling, along with songs whose original lyrics are set to pop songs and Broadway show tunes. Each learning cycle culminates in a 'World Premiere' celebration, where the troupe performs with family and community.

 

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

We are a home for the Jewish holidays.
 

Every year, we are proud to offer financially and religiously accessible, family-friendly High Holiday services. Regardless of your level of observance, denominational knowledge, or religious background, we hope that you will find our services to be a meaningful and engaging experience.

Support JCC Harlem
This is your place and we would love to have your voice at the table.
Contact Naomi Sage at naomi@jccharlem.org.