Washington DCJCC 16th Street Journal // Winter 2014/15

C R E AT I V I T Y

COMMUNITY

CONNECTION

WASHINGTON WINTER 2014/15 DCJCC

WASHINGTONDCJCC.ORG

CALENDAR DECEMBER 2014 - FEBRUARY 2015 3

Film • The Syrian Bride, p. 6 Theater • The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures (Through March 1st), p. 3 Literary • Liel Leibovitz, A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen , p. 4

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Film • A Place in Heaven, p. 7

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Parenting • Classes for Infants and their Caregivers (Registration Opens), p. 12

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EntryPointDC • Movie Midrash: Exodus: Gods and Kings, p. 8

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Literary • Brilliant Minds, Great Thinkers, Anita Shapira, Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel, p. 4

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Theater • Life Sucks (Or the Present Ridiculous) (Through February 15), p. 3

Volunteer • Hunger Action, p. 10 Volunteer • Handmade for the Homeless, p. 10 Family • Make Room for Latkes!, p. 11

Volunteer • Books to Prisons, p. 10

Parenting • The Bradley Method® Pregnancy and Childbirth Education (Through March 1st), p. 12 9

Classes • Introduction to Judaism (Through February 25), p. 14

Parenting • Beyond the Bump (Through April 13), p. 13

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GLOE • Mischief: Purim Carnival for Adults, p. 9

EntryPointDC • Hanukkah Happy Hour, p. 8

EntryPointDC • HeadFirst, p. 8

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Volunteer • December 25th Day of Service, p. 10

Volunteer • Books to Prisons, p. 10

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EntryPointDC • HeadFirst, p. 8

Film • Comedy Warriors, p. 6

Film• It Happened in St. Tropez, p. 6

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Film • Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent, p. 7

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Parenting • Sibling Strategies: Navigating the Challenges of Multiple Children, p. 13

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Literary • Roz Chast, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir, p. 4

Music • World Music for Chanukah with Avram Pengas, p. 5

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Film • 25th Annual Washington Jewish Film Festival (Through March 1st), p. 7

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Music • Tradition and Rebellion in Jewish Music, p. 5

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Family • Annual Chanukah Party, p. 11

EntryPointDC • HeadFirst, p. 8

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EntryPointDC • HeadFirst, p. 8

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Parenting • Managing Your Household Spending, p. 13

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Family • Shabbat Together, p. 11

GLOE • Oh, Gaydel, Gaydel, Gaydel!, p. 9

Volunteer • Hunger Action, p. 10

Volunteer • MLK Day of Service, p. 10

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Literary • Boris Fishman, A Replacement Life: A Novel, p. 4

Family • Family Tu B’shevat Celebration, p. 11

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Volunteer • Books to Prisons, p. 10

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Music • Klezmer Brunch, Featuring the Alexandria Kleztet, p. 5

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GLOE • Schmoovie!, p. 9

Parenting • Safety Day (and Babysitter Meet & Greet) at the DCJCC: Infant/Child CPR and Pediatric First Aid, p. 9

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Classes • Relating to God…Or Not, p. 14

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Classes • Hebrew Classes: Beginner to Advanced (Through February 25), p. 14

Film • Zero Motivation, p. 6 Parenting • Defiance, Tantrums, Aggression, Oh My! Effectively Coping with Challenging Behavior, p. 12

FEBRUARY 2015

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JANUARY 2015

DECEMBER 2014

These are just a few of the many things happening at the DCJCC. For more up-to-the-minute information, go to washingtondcjcc.org

THEATER J DC Premiere The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures THROUGH DECEMBER 21, 2014

By Tony Kushner, Directed by John Vreeke When retired longshoreman and lifelong Communist, Gus, summons his three adult children to their Brooklyn home to explain why he’s selling the family brownstone and ending his life, things don’t go exactly as planned.

The children bring their own dramas; Pill and his husband are stumbling as an old flame resurfaces; Empty and her wife are squabbling as they await the birth of their child; and Vic is confronting long-buried truths. A deeply emotional battle over what makes life worth living from Tony, Obie, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner in a newly updated epic.

“So much passion and eloquence” - The New York Times John Vreeke is the 2014 Fisher Family Foundation Visiting Artist

Life Sucks (Or the Present Ridiculous)

A World Premiere Life Sucks (Or the Present Ridiculous) JANUARY 14 – FEBRUARY 15 Written and Directed by Aaron Posner Loosely based on Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov It’s tough being the gorgeous woman desired by all but understood by none.

Or the homely girl with a heart of gold. Or the middle-aged man insightful enough to see the depth of his own failings. In fact, life sucks for everyone in Aaron Posner’s poignant, hilarious new play about love and longing. A world premiere production from the Helen Hayes Award-winning playwright of Stupid Fucking Bird and the adapter/director of Chaim Potok’s The Chosen.

theaterj.org

CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures

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CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

LITERARY

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Boris Fishman

Liel Leibovitz

A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 7:30 PM In his graceful examination of the life work of Leonard Cohen, Liel Leibovitz brings us a portrait of the artist— songwriter, poet, and novelist— whose work has endured through the decades. A Flavorwire Most Anticipated Book of 2014, this is not a biography, but a meditation on how Cohen’s unique and timeless voice was formed, and how it continues to affect us year after year.

Boris Fishman

A Replacement Life: A Novel THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 7:30 PM In his exuberant debut novel, Fishman gives us an original look at the immigrant experience and a deeply personal exploration of his Soviet legacy. This is the story of Slava Gelman, a failed journalist who becomes the “Forger of South Brooklyn,” faking Holocaust restitution claims for aging Russian Jews in New York. In the tragicomic literary tradition of Malamud, Bellow, and Roth, Fishman’s hero wrestles with the question of how he can honor his elders if their new country has upended their very definition of honor.

washingtondcjcc.org/literary

Anita Shapira

Brilliant Minds, Great Thinkers: Anita Shapira Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 7:30 PM Eminent Israeli historian Anita Shapira’s biography strives to get to the core of the complex man who would become the face of the new Jewish nation. Shapira tells the Ben-Gurion story anew, and as a result of her extensive research and singular access to Ben-Gurion’s personal archives, Shapira provides fascinating and original insights into his personal qualities and those that defined his political leadership.

Roz Chast

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 7:30 PM Famed New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast does such a comical, fluent job of conveying the things that keep her up at night that many readers are convinced she is somehow mapping their own inner lives. Her latest book, which tackles the subject of growing up in Brooklyn as an only child and her efforts, decades later, to help her parents navigate the jagged shoals of old age, is by turns grim and absurd, deeply poignant and laugh-out-loud funny.

MUSIC

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 7:00 PM Greek-born guitarist and bouzouki virtuoso Avram Pengas creates a rich musical palette rooted in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Pengas draws upon both Eastern and Western rhythms in a dynamic, improvisational style that recalls American jazz. Since opening his nightclub, Noga, in the heart of Greenwich Village in 1979, he has performed in the off-Broadway production of Hot Klezmer, and has become a staple of New York’s downtown music scene.

Avram Pengas

Klezmer Brunch

Featuring the Alexandria Kleztet SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 11:00 AM Our Klezmer brunch pairs fantastic music with a delicious kosher buffet. The Alexandria Kleztet has been combining traditional Eastern European/Jewish music with diverse influences for more than a decade. New arrangements of traditional melodies and original songs by members of the band draw upon jazz, classical, world beat, rock and other musical genres to create a unique and entertaining sound.

Alexandria Kleztet

Tradition and Rebellion in Jewish Music SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 4:00 PM Join us for an exploration of the many ways in which Judaic influences have helped to shape musical innovations of the last hundred years. The revolutionary work of composers such as Mahler and Schoenberg, and the cantorially-inspired instrumentals of Mach Bruch and Ernest Bloch, brought about changes that can be seen throughout the world of classical music.

Levine Music cellist Vasily Popov and pianist Ralitza Patcheva team up with the duo known as marcolivia, made up of violinist Marc Ramirez and violist Olivia Hajioff. The result is a virtuoso performance that mingles tradition and rebellion for an exciting new sound.

CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

World Music for Chanukah with Avram Pengas

Presented with Levine Music marcolivia

washingtondcjcc.org/music

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CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

FILM

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Zero Motivation

It Happened in St. Tropez

The Syrian Bride

Comedy Warriors

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 7:30 PM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 7:30 PM

Director Eran Riklis presents his film in person

Followed by a Q&A and short live comedy performance with Comedy Warrior Joe Kashnow

Mona’s wedding day may be the saddest of her life. Once she crosses the border into Syria, she will never be allowed back to her beloved family in the Druze village of Majdal Shams. Shot on location in the Golan Heights, The Syrian Bride is a powerful, compassionate and surprisingly humorous film about physical, mental and emotional borders and the courage it takes to cross them.

Five severely injured American veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars explore their wartime experiences and confront their disabilities through the healing power of comedy.

Each is paired with a celebrated comedian—such as Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black, B.J. Novak and Bob Saget—who mentor the budding stand-ups on how to write and perform a solid routine.

Zero Motivation

It Happened in St. Tropez

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 7:30 PM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 7:30 PM

Best Narrative Feature, Tribeca Film Festival

Join us Erev Christmas for Chinese Food and a Movie!

Filmmaker Talya Lavie steps into the spotlight with this zany, darkly comedic portrait of everyday life for a unit of young, female Israeli soldiers. The human resources office at a remote desert base is the setting for this cast of characters who bide their time pushing papers and battling in the virtual worlds of computer games, as they count down the minutes until they can return to civilian life. Amidst their boredom, clashing personalities, and commitment issues—to friendship, love, and country— are moments of humor and sharp-edged wit.

Unashamedly romantic, this comedy of manners begins with a family wedding and funeral. Roni, a gauche, successful, irreligious diamond dealer who lives in the present is the polar opposite to brother Zef, a classical musician, the height of cultured and observant. Bound by their decrepit, elderly father and beautiful daughters, the family experiences fall-outs, fall-ins and fall-overs. With a beautiful cast and playful performances, Danièle Thompson’s film set in Paris, Saint-Tropez and New York is a veritable chocolate box of familial complications.

washingtondcjcc.org/film

A Place in Heaven

Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent

A Place in Heaven

Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 7:30 PM

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 7:30 PM

This quasi-Biblical, epic drama spans the history of Israel through 40 years and three wars. Like Yossi Madmony’s previous Sundance award- winner Restoration, (WJFF 2011), at its heart, this film too is about father and son relationships.

Featuring Director Rachel Pasternak in person

25TH ANNUAL WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 1

We’re 25 and have never looked better! The festival you know and love will be a bigger-than-ever celebration of this historic milestone.

Be sure to mark the dates, as this is one cinematic extravaganza you can’t afford to miss. With over 80 films from around the world unspooling across 14 screens, international stars, incisive talkbacks, panel discussion and much more, there’s something for every taste, whether you prefer comedy, romance, classic cinema or hard-hitting documentary. Look for the full festival announcement on January 8th at WJFF.ORG.

A compelling new documentary about the Newark rabbi who became one of the country’s leading civil rights activists and orators. The film traces Prinz’s remarkable life, including his expulsion from Nazi Germany and his speech right before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took the stage at the 1963 March on Washington.

WJFF Youth Critics Forum & WJFF Youth Film Competition Amplifying youth voices through film Do you have a budding Steven Spielberg or Roger Ebert in your family? The Critics Forum provides a short film criticism curriculum, which will lead to published reviews of Festival films in local and national media outlets as well as publishing on the festival-run blog. The Youth Film Competition, targeted at new film work under 10 minutes in length will be judged by a jury of teens, college students and film professionals. Winning entries from both college and high school students will be selected to play in front of major festival evenings such as the WJFF Opening and Closing night!

washingtondcjcc.org/film

CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

FILM

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ENTRYPOINTDC

Exodus:

d Kings

Gods an

Celebrate Hanukkah with all your friends! Our annual Hanukkah Happy Hour brings young professionals from throughout the DC-area together for dreidel spinning, gelt munching and happy hour drink specials to enjoy late into the night!

Movie Midrash: Exodus: Gods and Kings SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, REGAL CINEMAS – CHINATOWN

Firs ad

Hanukkah Happy Hour

When the Hollywood blockbuster, Exodus: Gods and Kings, opens this winter it won’t be the first time a storyteller has embellished on the traditional tale told around Passover tables worldwide. The epic, star-studded film follows a long tradition of telling and retelling of the story of Moses and the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. Join us for the movie followed by a discussion of the midrash, the rabbinical tall tales, surrounding one of the best-known stories in Jewish tradition.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 5:00 PM

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CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Hanukkah Happy Hour

HeadFirst SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21 TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Kick start every Jewish month this year with a special EPDC fitness class! DCJCC Trainer, yogi, and all-around awesome person Lisa Glassman will be leading a different, fun class every rosh chodesh.

washingtondcjcc.org/epdc

EntryPointDC is sponsored by a multi-year grant from the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation.

Programs intended for those in their 20s and 30s

GLOE THE KURLANDER PROGRAM

FOR GLBT OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT

GLOE Youth & Family

!

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Schm

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 5:30 PM Join other LGBT families for a Chanukah schmooze and a movie! After candle-lighting in the DCJCC lobby, cozy up with the kids, a movie, pizza and Chanukah treats.

Oh, Gaydel, Gaydel, Gaydel!

QUEER CHANUKAH HAPPY HOUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 6:00 PM Find out how flaming the Festival of Lights can be when you celebrate Chanukah with other LGBT Jews (and our friends).

Join GLOE, Bet Mishpachah, Gayyim, Nice Jewish Boys, and Nice Jewish Girls at a neighborhood establishment for all the festivities!

Oh,

Gay del

, Ga

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, Ga

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!

Co-sponsored by Bet Mishpachah, Gayyim, Nice Jewish Boys, and Nice Jewish Girls

Mischief: Purim Carnival for Adults SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 8:30 PM Do you love the drag-tastic fun of Purim, but think it’s no fair that only the kids get to play all the carnival games, win all the prizes, and run around in costumes? Party with hundreds of queer Jews (and our fab friends), let out your inner Queen (Esther) on the dance floor, and other naughty fun! Plus plenty of Purim treats to eat and an open bar for those in costume!

Mischief: Purim C

lts du A r al fo arniv

washingtondcjcc.org/gloe

CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Schmoovie!

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CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

MORRIS CAFRITZ CENTER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

D25: December 25th Day of Service THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 Be one of 1,000 people making a difference in the lives of 10,000 in our community! Projects range from 2-4 hours in length and include serving meals, preparing food for the homeless, visiting seniors, painting and throwing Christmas parties at shelters. Family friendly projects available.

Books to Prisons

Hunger Action

WEDNESDAYS, DECEMBER 10, JANUARY 14 & FEBRUARY 11

THURSDAYS, DECEMBER 4 & FEBRUARY 5

Share your love of reading by sending donated reading materials to prisoners. Books to Prisons provide a critical link between citizens who are incarcerated and those outside prison walls. Volunteers respond to requests from prisoners (received via mail) for books relating to their specific interests.

In the District, one in every eight households struggles with hunger. Join the DCJCC to combat hunger within our community by mixing, chopping and preparing meals for local shelters. Be a part of this valuable undertaking by preparing food for individuals and local shelters in need. Either at the DCJCC or DC Central Kitchen

MLK Day of Service MONDAY, JANUARY 19 Commemorate MLK on this National Day of Service through volunteer projects focused on shelter repairs and home beautification in low-income neighborhoods.

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washingtondcjcc.org/volunteer

Handmade for the Homeless SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 Connect with fellow knitters and crocheters to craft warm winter items for the homeless; all skill levels are welcome. Whether you’re a pro or just learning, Handmade for the Homeless allows volunteers to warm those living on the streets with handmade hats, gloves, and scarves.

Joshua Bousel via flickr

Annual Chanukah Party SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 10 AM - NOON

Ages: 0-8 Grab your socks and your yarmulke. It’s time to bounce for Chanukah. This year’s rockin’ Chanukah party will feature a moon bounce, games, crafts, treats and plenty of fun for the whole family.

Make Room for Latkes!

Family Tu B’shevat Celebration

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Ages: 3 and up

Ages: 3-8

Chanukah is coming and with it, eight nights of family fun! Join us for hands-on Chanukah activities including crafts, cooking, singing, candle lighting, latkes, a mitzvah project and take-home goodies. Of course, there will be latkes to eat, plus lots of takehome information and recipes to make your Chanukah even happier.

Join us for a festive Tu B’Shevat Family Celebration and celebrate the “birthday of the trees.” Children and adults will be introduced to many fun and interesting rituals which take place during this holiday.

Co-Sponsored by PJ Library, the Jewish Food Experience, the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) and Love and Religion

Shabbat Together

CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

FAMILY PROGRAMS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Ages: 0-8 Come together to celebrate Shabbat through songs, stories, and blessings!

washingtondcjcc.org/families

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CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

PARENTING CENTER

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Defiance, Tantrums, Aggression, Oh My! Effectively Coping with Challenging Behavior TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 7:30 PM

Facilitator: Claire Lerner, L.C.S.W.-C and Director of Strategic Initiatives at ZERO TO THREE Defiance, opposition, tantrums, and other challenging behaviors are a natural part of the development process as children learn to cope with difficult feelings and learn to accept limits. This workshop will focus on how to tune in to the underlying meaning of your child’s behavior and how to respond in ways that help your child learn to cope in positive, pro-social ways.

The Bradley Method® Pregnancy and Childbirth Education SUNDAYS, DECEMBER 7 - MARCH 1, 5:00 PM The Bradley Method® teaches mothers and coaches to use natural breathing, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, and education throughout their pregnancy, labor, and delivery. This Bradley class runs twelve weeks long and covers a specific topic each week, including pregnancy nutrition, birth plans, labor, and basic newborn care, in addition to ongoing instruction on nutrition, exercise, positive communication, and coaching. Students will also learn a different relaxation technique each week and be assigned weekly physical and relaxation exercises.

Classes for Infants and their Caregivers WINTER SESSION BEGINS ON JANUARY 11

Ages: 0 – 4 Looking for something engaging to do with your child this winter?

Check out our popular Parenting Center classes in music, yoga, Spanish, gymnastics and more!

washingtondcjcc.org/parentingcenter

Safety Day (and Babysitter Meet & Greet): Infant/Child CPR and Pediatric First Aid SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2015: INFANT AND CHILD CPR: 9:30AM TO 12PM PEDIATRIC FIRST AID: 1:00 TO 3:30 PM

Instructor: Jay Gruber, American Heart Association Make your family safer, and meet potential babysitters at the same time! Learn the basics of Infant and Child CPR and/or First Aid (with a pediatric focus). In between sessions, enjoy a meet and greet with refreshments and the chance to meet some of UrbanSitter’s CPR-certified local sitters. Co-sponsored by UrbanSitter

Managing Your Household Spending THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 7:30 PM

Facilitator: Lori Atwood, Registered Financial Consultant Get your household spending under control! We will discuss where and how to cut back without changing your lifestyle drastically. Lori will also talk about how to save for things that come up every year, like camp, vacations and school fees, and give you specific tools to help you stay on track even if you’re not a budget or spreadsheet whiz.

Sibling Strategies: Navigating the Challenges of Multiple Children TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 7:30 PM

Facilitator: Claire Lerner, L.C.S.W.-C and Director of Strategic Initiatives at ZERO TO THREE This workshop will help parents understand the roots of sibling conflict and offer approaches to help siblings work through the inevitable challenges they encounter in forging their lifelong relationship.

Beyond the Bump MONDAYS, FEBRUARY 23-APRIL 13, 7:30 PM

Facilitator: Heather Diamond, Psy.D Pregnant for the first time? Looking to create a community with other expecting moms to exchange ideas and find support? This group will meet weekly for eight weeks to provide a safe and facilitated space for moms to discuss their experiences and learn from one another. We will explore several topics, including: concerns about childbirth and parenting; balancing family with work outside the home; navigating new relationships with your partner, parents, and in-laws; and recognizing post (and pre)partum depression.

washingtondcjcc.org/parentingcenter

CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

PARENTING CENTER

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CLASSES

CREATIVITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION

RELATING TO GOD… OR NOT

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 7:00 PM

Facilitator: JoHanna Potts In a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 23% of respondents who identified as Jewish reported that they don’t believe in God. Can you be Jewish without having a relationship with God? What does Judaism say about God? Does it matter? Explore these and other questions about how Jewish tradition and culture relates to a belief (or not) in God.

Introduction to Judaism WEDNESDAYS, JANUARY 14 FEBRUARY 25, 7:30 PM

Facilitator: Miriam Szubin Bring your questions to the table as we explore the rich fabric of Judaism and Jewish life. Using traditional texts and modern examples, we will cover fundamentals such as Shabbat and holidays, prayer, lifecycle rituals, ethics and beliefs.

Hebrew Classes: Beginner to Advanced WEDNESDAYS, JANUARY 14 - FEBRUARY 25 Whether you are just learning the aleph-bet or are interested in talking about current events and culture in Hebrew, we have the class for you. Choose from five different levels for the one that suits you best. Ask about our discounts for Birthright Alumni!

washingtondcjcc.org/classes

JOIN US!

Precor cardio and strength equipment, FREE group classes including Zumba, yoga, and Les Mills Body Pump, indoor lap pool, steam room, towel service, discounts on personal training, squash, racquetball, and basketball courts ...and much more!

16th & Q Sts NW

202.777.3218

washingtondcjcc.org/join

/dcjccfitness

@16thstj

Irwin P. Edlavitch Building 1529 16th Street NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 518-9400 washingtondcjcc.org

Washington jewish film festival

february 19 to march 1

WJFF.org