Purim at the JCC
2025-03-09 14:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Visit the NCJW GRS booth the Purim carnival at the JCC! We will be making a cup of BOBA Advoca-tea as we teach kids how to Be Our Best Advocates like Queen Esther and Vashti!

Be Prepared: Allergy Awareness & Epi-Pen Training Workshop
2025-03-16 13:00 - 14:30
Allergies are on the rise—food, environmental, seasonal, and insect allergies affect more people than ever. In fact, studies show that food allergies in children have increased by 50% since the 1990s.

How can we keep those around us safe? Join us for a 90-minute hands-on workshop where you’ll learn about allergy awareness, what causes anaphylaxis, and the do’s and don’ts in an allergy-related emergency. Most importantly, you’ll gain the confidence to recognize an allergic reaction and properly use an Epi-Pen when it matters most.

Join us on Sunday, March 16th at 1 pm at the JCC in Auditorium A!

You never know when you might need to help—be prepared! REGISTER BELOW so we can have enough epi-pen trainers for everyone to practice.

We hope to see you there!

Learn to Play Mah Jongg
2025-04-06 13:00 - 16:00 | Spiegel Pittsford Community Center, 35 Lincoln Avenue, Pittsford, New York, 14534, United States
Please join us for this fun member event! Instruction available. If you already know how to play, join us too! All are welcome! There will be drinks, snacks, and prizes. Registration is below. If you are not a member of NCJW GRS, please join us and learn to play! Membership opportunities are available here.

An NCJW GRS Evening at JCC CenterStage: An American in Paris
2025-05-07 18:00 - 21:00 | Louis S. Wolk JCC of Greater Rochester, 1200 Edgewood Ave, Rochester, NY, 14618, United States
Join NCJW GRS for an evening of theater at the JCC Centerstage! An American in Paris is an epic song and dance extravaganza about an American soldier at the end of WWII. NCJW GRS will hold a pre-show meet & greet with the Artistic Director at 6 pm in the Lipson Lounge. The show will begin at 7. Tickets are $35 for JCC members, $40 for non-members, and $25 for students. Please purchase tickets through the JCC CenterStage website. Enter code NCJW5 before seat selection to receive $5 off on May 7th only!

2025 NCJW GRS Hannah G. Solomon and Woman of the Year Recognition Brunch
2025-06-01 11:00 - 13:30 | Irondequoit Country Club, 4045 East Avenue, Rochester, New York, 14618, United States
This year’s Hannah G. Solomon and Woman of the Year Recognition Brunch will take place on Sunday, June 1st at 11:00 am at Irondequoit Country Club. Doors open at 10:30 am. Please join us as we honor our 2025 Hannah G. Solomon Award Recipient, Joy Getnick, and our 2025 Woman of the Year, Lisa Waltzer.

Individual tickets cost $72. We are offering an option to donate an extra Pay-it-Forward ticket to ensure everyone has a seat at the table. Please consider sponsorship opportunities as well.

In honor of this year’s Hannah G. Solomon recipient, please bring an item for donation to the Brighton Food Cupboard. Needed items include pasta, sauce, rice, peanut butter, and personal hygiene items, such as soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.

Learn To Play Mah Jong!
2025-06-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Spiegel Pittsford Community Center, 35 Lincoln Avenue, Pittsford, New York, 14534, United States
Spiegel Pittsford Community Center, Room 113

Have you always wanted to learn to Play Mah Jong? Play Mah Jong with NCJW GRS! Drinks, snacks, and prizes! No experience necessary. Learn to play with an instructor? Already know how but want to sharpen your skills or play with another group? Join us! OPEN TO EVERYONE, whether you came to our first session, know nothing about Mah Jong, or you’re an experienced player. There is no charge for this event. Donations welcome!

NCJW GRS Officer and Board of Directors Installation
2025-06-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Kings Bend Park North Lodge, 170 West Jefferson Road, Pittsford, New York, 14618
Come and celebrate this very special day with NCJW GRS! Mix and mingle with NCJW friends as we install the new President, Officers, and Board of Directors. Refreshments will be served.

Registration fee is $10.00.

Advocacy 101 With Assemblymember Jen Lunsford - Understanding the New York State Legislative Process
2025-06-24 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for an empowering and informative session with Jen Lunsford, New York State Assemblymember and seasoned advocate, as she breaks down the fundamentals of effective advocacy and how laws are made in New York State. In this session, you will learn: how a bill becomes a law in NYS; how to effectively advocate for the issues you care about; how to engage with your legislators; tips for building lasting relationships with policymaker. Whether you’re new to advocacy or looking to sharpen your skills, this is a must-attend event for anyone who wants to make a difference! Pittsford location with available parking. Address will be shared with registrants closer to event.

There is no charge to attend this event. Donations welcome!

Iron Ladies
2025-07-16 18:00 | Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum, 900 East Avenue, Rochester, New York, 14607
Join NCJW GRS, community partners with the Ames Amzalak Rochester Jewish Film Festival, for Iron Ladies on Wednesday, July 16th at 6 pm at the Dryden Theater. At the height of the Cold War, a gutsy group of British and Irish women defied the Soviet Union to champion the rights of persecuted Refusenik Jews seeking liberty in Israel. These extraordinary women organized daring protests, smuggled aid behind the Iron Curtain, and partnered with a covert Israeli agency supporting Soviet Jewry. Through interviews with key women from the movement and other prominent figures like Natan Sharansky, archival footage, and vivid storytelling, this inspirational campaign spotlights the transformative power of grassroots activism.

Purchase tickets and see additional information on the JCC website.

School Supply and Backpack Drive
2025-07-20 12:00
To assist RCSD students of all ages, we are partnering with the Maplewood Community Library to gather a variety of new supplies and backpacks for the 2025-2026 school year. Let’s help school kids be prepared for the next school year! We will be collecting items from Sunday, July 20th until Sunday, July 27th. Items should be dropped off at the homes of these members:

Jane Amstey: 20 Fireside Drive, Rochester (contact Jane at janera1@yahoo.com or 585-747-8795)

Donna Cohen: 28 Chatham Woods, Pittsford (raquet19@aol.com or 585-385-3081)

Rina Schnaufer: 251 Barclay Square Drive, Rochester (rwschnauf@icloud.com or 585-749-1838)

Please contact them first so they will know that you are coming!

Items Needed: NEW backpacks for kids ages 4-17; pens and pencils; markers, colored pencils, crayons, highlighters, dry erase markers; spiral bound notebooks, composition notebooks, wide-ruled loose-leaf paper; folders and 3-ring binders; pencil sharpeners, erasers, and pencil cases; glue and glue sticks; rulers and scissors (safety and regular)

Backpacks and supplies for teens are especially requested.

Screening of Heather Booth: Changing the World
2025-08-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Louis S. Wolk JCC of Greater Rochester, 1200 Edgewood Ave, Rochester, NY, 14618, United States
We are honored to be welcoming Heather Booth, renowned organizer, strategist, and activist to speak at the NCJW Greater Rochester Section’s Opening Event in September! Heather has been described as “The most influential person you have never heard of.” We want Rochester to know who she is!

Join us for a one night screening of Heather Booth – Changing the World on Tuesday, August 5th at 7:00 pm at the Louis S. Wolk JCC of Greater Rochester.

NCJW GRS 2025-2026 Opening Event With Heather Booth
2025-09-09 19:00 - 21:00
Tuesday, September 9th at 7 pm at Temple B’rith Kodesh

If We Organize With Love at the Center, We Can Change the World

Please join us for our 2025-2026 Opening Event with Heather Booth! Heather Booth is a lifelong activist, civil rights champion, and feminist icon whose work has shaped some of the most pivotal social justice movements of our time. From her early days organizing for civil rights in the 1960’s to her leadership in the women’s movement and progressive politics, Booth has dedicated her life to advancing equality, justice, and democracy.

A passionate advocate for reproductive rights, Booth founded the Jane Collective, an underground abortion service that provided safe procedures before Roe v. Wade. Her work in political organizing has influenced presidential campaigns, labor rights, and grassroots movements, making her one of the most respected strategists in progressive activism. With decades of experience training and mentoring organizers, Booth continues to inspire new generations of activists, proving that lasting change is built through collective action, moral courage, and unwavering commitment to justice. See More Information About Heather Booth

Heather will speak on the evening of September 9th on the topic If We Organize With Love, We Can Change the World. On the morning of September 10th, she’ll lead a Strategic Planning Workshop on the topic of Combating Voter Disinformation and Safeguarding the Vote. Locations for both events will be shared to you via email within 24 prior to the event.

Tickets for the evening event are available below. Tickets for the strategic planning workshop are available here.

Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $180. For more information, please see Information on Sponsorship Opportunities.

Strategic Planning Workshop With Heather Booth: Combating Voter Disinformation and Safeguarding the Vote
2025-09-10 08:30 - 12:00
“When I asked how to get organized, I was told two words. Heather Booth.” – Senator Elizabeth Warren when she was looking to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and didn’t know where to start

Join us for a very special opportunity to participate in a workshop led by Heather Booth! Heather will walk us through the process of using her Midwest Academy Strategy Chart to organize a campaign supporting legislation that protects voting. Bring a group of co-workers or come on your own, and leave with a plan!

A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 am. The program will begin at 9 am.

Tickets are $54 for individuals and $27 for non profits. A limited number of tickets are available, so please purchase now! Location will be sent to registrants close to the date of the event.

Please reach out to ncjwgrspresident@gmail.com if cost is a concern.

Community Planning Meeting
2025-10-27 19:00 - 20:00
Join us at 890 Westfall Road, Suite C to plan our campaign for NY State Voting Reforms. This will be an organizing meeting where we will form committees to start doing the work we brainstormed about with Heather Booth. All are welcome, whether you attended the Strategic Planning Workshop or not! Please invite interested friends and colleagues.

Lobby and Latkes
2025-12-17 18:00 - 20:00
Please join us at 6 pm on December 17th at the home of Cindy Finestone to celebrate and advocate! We’ll light the menorah, eat latkes, and enjoy time together while writing letters to protect election integrity.

RSVP below. Cindy’s address will be sent before the event. If you are having difficulty registering, please email NCJWGRS@gmail.com to let us know you’re planning to attend.

Understanding Jewish Experiences in Today's Changing World
2026-01-15 19:00 - 20:00
Led by Joy Getnick, Ph.D. Executive Director, University of Rochester Hillel

In today’s challenging world it can be hard to navigatequestions – at work, from friends – about Jewish identity,antisemitism, and Israel. This program, based on anUnderstanding Jewish Peoplehood training conducted byHillel at the University of Rochester, is designed to helpparticipants better understand evolving Jewish identityand experiences, and gain new skills for effective

communication. All are welcome! Register for the Zoom link!

Shabbat Dinner
2026-01-23 19:30 - 21:00
Join NCJW for a lovely Shabbat Dinner at the Irondequoit Country Club. RSVP Required.

Allergy Awareness & Epi Pen Training
2026-03-15 11:00
At the Louis S. Wolk JCC

Learn the signs of anaphylaxis and how to treat it

Foods, insects, and environmental factors can cause allergic reactions anytime and anywhere. Learn how you can be prepared.

Discuss who is at risk of anaphylaxis. Recognize early signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis. Learn how to implement the correct use of epinephrine for the treatment of anaphylaxis, including when epinephrine should & shouldn’t be used.
