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.
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
Early Childhood, Jewish Life, K-12
03/27/2025 - 03/27/2025
A program for children and their caregivers to make challah and do a community service project.
Come to The J after school to make your own challah and participate in a hands-on community service (chessed) project. Give back to the community and help prepare for shabbat. For children ages 2-10 and their caregivers.
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
03/09/2025 - 03/09/2025
A family day celebrating Purim with fun crafts and activities.
Celebrate Purim by making your own mishloach manot, hearing a Purim story, playing goofy games and more.
Jewish Life, Adult
03/08/2025 - 03/08/2025
A festive Purim celebration for adults with music, dancing and costume contest.
Join us for a festive Purim celebration for adults, complete with music, dancing, appetizers and a costume contest. Together we will enjoy a musical set from Israeli DJ Isaac DaBom.
Jewish Life, Adult
02/28/2025 - 02/28/2025
A meaningful gathering to start the new Jewish month with Torah study and guided reflections.
Join Cantor Sarah Sager for a meaningful monthly Rosh Chodesh Gathering at the Mandel JCC. 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, Adult
03/28/2025 - 03/28/2025
A meaningful gathering to start the new Jewish month with Torah study and guided reflections.
Join Cantor Sarah Sager for a meaningful monthly Rosh Chodesh Gathering at the Mandel JCC. 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, Adult
01/31/2025 - 01/31/2025
A meaningful gathering to start the new Jewish month with Torah study and guided reflections.
Join Cantor Sarah Sager for a meaningful monthly Rosh Chodesh Gathering at The Mandel JCC. 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, K-12, Adult
02/11/2025 - 02/11/2025
A Tu Bishvat Seder with vegetarian dinner.
Celebrate Tu Bishvat, the Jewish Earth Day, at The J over a vegetarian dinner and thoughtful conversation. This Tu Bishvat Seder will allow us to taste fruits native to the land of Israel and think about our relationship with the planet.
Jewish Life Leadership
Sarah Jaffe Kasdan
Director of Jewish Life and Culture
216-593-6288
