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, Arts and Ideas, Adult
10/29/2024 - 10/29/2024
A challah cover indigo dyeing class for adults.
Learn to hand-dye a challah cover you will take home to use on your Shabbat table. Praxis Fiber Workshop presents this indigo-dyeing project.
Jewish Life, K-12, Adult
11/13/2024 - 11/13/2024
A challah making class infused with spiritual knowledge.
Learn what challah means to the community, different tasty ingredients to incorporate and the various ways to braid this bread. We will mix our own spiritual knowledge and connect that to the meaning of challot, coming together to raise our understanding and taste buds. The class repeats on October 9, Oct. 30 and Nov. 13. Register for one class or all three.
Jewish Life, K-12, Adult
10/30/2024 - 10/30/2024
A challah making class infused with spiritual knowledge.
Learn what challah means to the community, different tasty ingredients to incorporate and the various ways to braid this bread. We will mix our own spiritual knowledge and connect that to the meaning of challot, coming together to raise our understanding and taste buds. The class repeats on October 9, Oct. 30 and Nov. 13. Register for one class or all three.
Jewish Life, Adult
11/03/2024 - 11/03/2024
Cleveland legal warriors share how they fight for peace, security and against antisemitism.
Two of Cleveland's legal warriors, Anat Alon Beck and Rachel May Weiser, will speak about their legal work and deep personal connections to Israel. They will share how they go to battle 24/7 for Israel and Jewish people worldwide by fighting terrorism and antisemitism using the law.
Jewish Life, Adult
11/23/2024 - 11/23/2024
A Havdalah program for parents with appetizers and an art project.
Enjoy gathering with other parents for a fun Saturday night out. Join us for Havdalah and appetizers, while we get to know other young parents in the community, talk about the role ritual plays in your family and craft your own custom Havdalah kits.
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
10/21/2024 - 10/21/2024
A fun family Sukkot celebration with pizza and activities.
Celebrate Sukkot in The J’s sukkah during this family event. Enjoy kosher pizza, crafts and some Sukkot stories. For families with children ages birth to 8 years old.
Jewish Life
11/01/2024 - 11/01/2024
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
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
10/27/2024 - 10/27/2024
A community celebration with Israeli food, DJ, crafts and more.
This Simchat Torah celebration will feature Israeli food, crafts, children's dancing and entertainment, traditional dancing and a performance by Israeli DJ Isaac DaBom. Last year, the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah became a day of heartbreak and mourning for Jewish people across the world. Our hakafot shniyot (post Simchat Torah dancing) will honor the memory of those lost while affirming the resilience of Israel and the Jewish people through dance, community and unity.
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
