Jewish Life
The J is dedicated to offering programming that reflects Jewish values and is designed to educate the greater community on Jewish culture and traditions – creating a pathway for joyful, meaningful living. As an organization that is open and accepting of all, we create classes and events that appeal to every age and religious background.
See our upcoming Jewish Life events and classes at the bottom of this page.
Family Programs
Building community is important to families of all sizes. Our engaging and hands-on programs for children from birth through school age are offered year-round. Families connect, celebrate and explore together while listening to a Jewish author reading a children’s book, learning to make Israeli dishes, dancing to music at tot Shabbat or making dreidels and matzah houses.
Intergenerational Learning
The J brings people of all ages together with activities that bridge the generation gap. From holiday celebrations to challah-making workshops we encourage the community to share experiences that unite the young and the young at heart. Our engaging adult programs include art classes, news and current events discussions, lectures, book club gatherings and classes on Judaism that explore Jewish history, life cycle events and Torah study.
Israeli Connections
Israel has a rich history and culture that is important to Jewish life. To support educational programming and strengthen connections with Israel, The J has a shlicha (messenger or emissary from Israel) on staff. Adi Naor is from Haderah, a city on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, north of Tel Aviv, after completing her service in the Israeli Defense Forces as a commander in the Education Corps. Adi enriches our community through activities, events and displays about Israeli culture, history and the Hebrew language.
Jewish Holidays
Judaism is rich with customs, rituals and holiday celebrations based on the Torah. We have created a series of guides to share the history, symbols and customs associated with each major holiday and provide ideas for activities for families.
Cleveland Jewish Book Festival
Indulge in a celebration of books written by nationally, internationally and locally acclaimed authors who share the stories behind their books. We highlight a variety of genres and topics including Jewish life, historical fiction, Israeli literature, cooking, memoirs and more.
Cleveland Jewish FilmFest
Watch a diverse, international selection of dramas, documentaries, shorts and TV series that explore, educate, entertain and provoke discussion on the Jewish and Israeli experiences. From dramatic to humorous, we screen powerful and award-winning films for all movie lovers.
Featured Classes
Jewish Life
11/07/2024 - 04/10/2025
A multi-section course exploring Jewish holidays, history and values.
Explore Jewish observance of holidays and life-cycle events, major periods in Jewish history and significant Jewish concepts through lectures, engaging text study and meaningful dialogue. The class is taught in four sections with a different rabbinic instructor for each section. - Section 1: The Story of the Calendar • Thursdays, Nov 7 – Dec 12, 2024 - Section 2: The Story of Belief & Sacred Text • Thursdays, Dec 19 – Jan 23, 2025 - Section 3: Our Story in the World • Thursdays, Jan 30 – Mar 6, 2025 - Section 4: The Story of Celebration • Tuesdays, Mar 11 – Apr 10, 2025
Early Childhood, Jewish Life, K-12, Adult
12/25/2024 - 12/25/2024
A family-friendly day of community service projects and learning.
Spend the morning at The J engaging in family-friendly community service projects and service learning. Learn what is Jewish about community service and participate in projects that will benefit local organizations and those in need. After the program, stay at The J to enjoy the facilities for the day. Free and open to the community.
Jewish Life
12/06/2024 - 12/06/2024
A renewal and spiritual growth session with Torah study.
Join Cantor Sarah Sager for a meaningful monthly Rosh Chodesh Gathering at The J. Rosh Chodesh is the start of a new Jewish month and a time for renewal, goal setting and spiritual growth. Cantor Sager will lead engaging sessions of Torah study accompanied by guided reflections.
Jewish Life
01/03/2025 - 01/03/2025
A renewal and spiritual growth session with Torah study.
Join Cantor Sarah Sager for a meaningful monthly Rosh Chodesh Gathering at The J. Rosh Chodesh is the start of a new Jewish month and a time for renewal, goal setting and spiritual growth. Cantor Sager will lead engaging sessions of Torah study accompanied by guided reflections.
Jewish Life
12/15/2024 - 12/15/2024
A day of Jewish learning with sessions for all ages.
Join us for an engaging Yom Limmud (Day of Jewish Learning) for all ages and Jewish backgrounds. The theme of the Yom Limmud is "Finding Light in the Darkness," one that will be tied to both Chanukah and our times. In the sessions, we will explore hope, healing, mental health, light and repair in Judaism and Chanukah. Some sessions will be lectures, text studies, or more traditional learning opportunities, while others will include hands-on workshops, crafts and more.
Jewish Life Leadership
Sarah Jaffe Kasdan
Director of Jewish Life and Culture
216-593-6288
