Books That Changed My Life Festival

Join us on Sun, Feb 8 from 9 am-2 pm for a free day of fitness and bring a friend! Sample classes and workshops to shake things up and reimagine your routine for the new year.

Schedule:
Click the classes below to register. For help registering, email boxoffice@mmjccm.org or call 646.505.5708.

9-9:25 am
Doors Open, Mix and Mingle Coffee + Conversation

9:30-9:55 am
Strength Made Simple

10-10:25 am
Balance and Bones

10:30-10:55 am
Fall Stop…Move Strong

11-11:25 am
Nia Dance Jam

11:30-11:55 am
Salsa Dance Half Time Jam

Noon-12:25 pm
Cardio Made Simple

11:30-12:55 pm
Tai Chi for Leg Strength

1-1:25 pm
Pilates

1:30-1:55 pm
Yoga for Back Health

Come take a tour and learn about membership. Don’t want to wait? Check out our current membership promotions now!

Step into the 2026 Books That Changed My Life Festival and let the magic of stories take you on a journey. Join inspiring conversations with authors, artists, and thinkers as they share the books that have guided, challenged, and transformed their paths.

Festival Highlights

Jan 8 | Opening Party
Jan 15 | Mean Moms: Emma Rosenblum in Conversation with Stephanie Butnick
Jan 22 | Secrets of Heroines: Ya’ara Keydar
Jan 26 | Go Fact Yourself (Live Podcast)
Feb 5 | Behind the Aisles: The Stories of Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Beyond
Feb 9 | Creating Worlds: How a Story Comes to Life
Feb 23 | Culpability: Bruce Holsinger in Conversation

Other highlights include a book drive, films, children’s storytimes, panel discussions, and a week-long author-in-residence.

Your next great journey begins with a single page.

She died more than four decades ago, but even today, Leah Goldberg remains an enigmatic figure—Israel’s most beloved poet, a powerful woman who reinvented herself from the ashes of World War I through her magical poetry. This documentary is a cinematic fantasy in five acts, celebrating the fascinating story of Leah Goldberg.

In partnership with the Books That Changed My Life Festival 2026.

Screening followed by Q+A with director Yair Qedar.

Dir. Yair Qedar

(Israel, 2011, 50 min)

Henrietta Szold is among the most influential American Jewish women who ever lived. After founding Hadassah in 1912, she became a major force in early twentieth-century Palestine, establishing its healthcare system and shaping its education system. In a crowning achievement, Szold helped organize Youth Aliyah, which successfully rescued thousands of Jewish children from Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe during the 1930s and transported them to Palestine.

Screening followed by Q+A with director Abby Ginzberg.

Dir. Abby Ginzberg

(US, 2025, 79 min)

Azar Nafisi, a former professor at Tehran University, secretly gathers seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. As fundamentalists seize control, the women remove their veils and speak about their intimate hopes, loves, disappointments, femininity, and search for a place in an increasingly oppressive society. By reading Lolita in Tehran, they celebrate the liberating power of literature in revolutionary Iran and form their own future.

In partnership with the Books That Changed My Life Festival 2026.

Screening followed by Q+A with director Eran Riklis.

Dir. Eran Riklis

(Italy/Israel, 2024, 108 min)

Children’s Book Drive | Jan 19–23 | JCC Lobby

Give the gift of imagination! Donate new and gently used children’s books (ages 0–13) to be shared at our free Community Book Fair. In partnership with the Office of NYC Council Member Gale A. Brewer. Part of the Books That Changed My Life Festival.

We especially need:

• Children’s books in Spanish, French, and Russian
• Picture books, early readers, and chapter books in good condition

We cannot accept:

• Books for adults, encyclopedias, textbooks, or magazines
• Damaged books (ripped, written in, moldy, etc.)

Free Children’s Book Fair | Sun, Jan 25, 1–4 pm | JCC Lobby

Join us for a free book fair where every child gets to build their own home library. Browse tables of gently used books—available at no cost to families. Just bring an empty bag and leave with stories to last all year.

Volunteer shifts are available for both the drive and the fair. 

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with us! Join us for celebrations for all ages, musical moments, daily community candlelighting in our lobby, and more.

Lobby Candle-lighting Schedule
Dec 14-18: 5 pm
Dec 19: 2 pm
Dec 20 + 21: 5 pm

Glow: A Candlelight Pool Concert
Sun, Dec 14, 8:30-9:30 pm

It’s Time for Chanukah: The Music of Saturday Night Live
Wed, Dec 17, 7-8:15 pm

Women’s Dance Class in Hebrew for Chanukah
Wed, Dec 17, 7:30-8:45 pm

20s + 30s Annual Chanukah Party
Thu, Dec 18, 7-10 pm

Infant + Toddler Chanukah Celebration
Fri, Dec 19, 11 am-noon

Registration is now open for adult winter swim classes. Save your spot in the pool and choose from beginner through advanced swim clinics. For more information, contact us at jccswimschool@mmjccm.org.

Adult Beginner 1
Come learn the fundamentals of swimming and water safety in a supportive and relaxed group setting in our Adult Beginner 1 Swim Clinic. In this weekly clinic we will introduce safe swimming foundations such as breath control and learning to float, as well as rudimentary freestyle and backstroke technique. This class has no prerequisites and is suitable for all beginner swimmers.
LEARN MORE

Adult Beginner 2
Continue your progress from our Beginner 1 Swim Clinic or join us if you meet the prerequisites below. In this weekly clinic we will continue to build on our rudimentary knowledge of freestyle and backstroke as we are well on our way toward mastering those skills. This class will focus on precision and efficiency in each stroke as well as breath control, while continuing to emphasize important water safety skills. Prerequisites: Swimmers must be comfortable fully submerging, and have learned the foundations for flutter kicks and pulling.
LEARN MORE

Adult Intermediate
Join us in our Intermediate swim clinic! Whether you’ve graduated from our beginner clinics or already meet our prerequisites we’ll help you become a confident, capable, and courteous lap swimmer. Our excellent instructors will give you tips and tricks to sharpen your technique while building endurance and speed in the water. Prerequisites: Swimmers must be able to swim 50 meters of freestyle and backstroke continuously.
LEARN MORE

Adult Advanced
Our advanced swim clinic is for swimmers looking to build their endurance while following a 45 minute swim workout. Work with our expert coaches on drills to develop your core strength, stroke timing, and stamina. Classes will include a mix of drills, instruction, and continuous swimming. Prerequisite: Swimmers must be able to swim 50 meters of freestyle and backstroke continuously and follow a 45 minute swim workout without pause.
LEARN MORE

Don’t wait to register, spots are limited!

Private Swim Lessons

The JCC offers private swim lessons for adults and children ages 6 months and up. Book now with one of our expert instructors!

Join the JCC Health Club by December 31 + Save $300! Or Join the Pool + Save $150 Off! $0 Enrollment Fee.*

This December experience the JCC’s holistic approach to fitness and the warmest place to work out. Enjoy the use of two pools, a spacious fitness center, gymnasium with two basketball courts, unlimited group exercise classes, pickleball games, discounts on other JCC programs, friendly staff, and warm community!

Learn more about this limited time offer. Have questions? Email joinjcc@mmjccm.org or call 646.505.4414.

*Restrictions apply.

In the darkest days of WWII, Yulia and Hugo, a Jewish mother and son, escape from a Ukrainian ghetto. Fearing for his safety, Yulia entrusts her boy to the care of her friend Mariana, a sex worker living in a brothel. Hugo spends over a year hidden in Mariana’s closet as they form an intimate yet complex bond of love, loyalty and devotion—one that will change their lives forever. Based on Aharon Appelfeld’s masterpiece novel, “Blooms of Darkness.”

Presented in partnership with the Books That Changed My Life Festival.

Dir. Emmanuel Finkiel

(Israel/France/Hungary/Belgium, 2025, 131 mins)

Every day, Sarah cares for other people’s babies at the Children’s Health Center in Haifa, but she also yearns for a child of her own. After years of failed fertility treatments, her desperate desire for motherhood collides with the struggles of a young mother, culminating in a risky decision with potentially devastating consequences.

Screening followed by Q+A with director Sophie Artus.

Dir. Sophie Artus

(Israel, 2025, 102 min)

In New York, home to nearly half of the world’s Jewish population, tens of thousands of Jewish children are not receiving a basic education. Children in many of the most orthodox yeshivas often finish school without being able to read or write in English. Because of the extraordinary political power of ultra-Orthodox communities, their schools have never been required to comply with state law. The film exposes the tragedy of forced ignorance hiding in plain sight in the biggest city in the United States.

Screening followed by Q+A with director Joe Kolman, YAFFED executive director Adina Konikoff, and educational consultant Elana Sigall.

Dir. Joe Kolman

(US, 2025, 40 min)

Ownership, history, and morality collide in this powerful exploration of the ongoing crisis surrounding the restitution of Nazi-looted art. At the center of the film is the case of Max Stern, a German Jewish art dealer who escaped to Canada in 1937 after he was forced by the Nazis to liquidate his gallery. The Spoils offers a gripping, poignant insight into the complex moral and legal dilemmas that continue to shape the art world today.

Screening followed by Q+A with director Jamie Kastner and cultural property lawyer/ art restitution expert Ray Dowd. Moderated by Richard Salomon, one of the co-founders of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.

Dir. Jamie Kastner

(Canada, 2024, 104 min)

An unsung hero of the Holocaust, Erno “Zvi” Spiegel risked everything to save dozens of young twins from almost certain death at Auschwitz. Under the shadow of Dr. Josef Mengele’s horrific experiments, Spiegel used his courage, compassion, and ingenuity to shield the most vulnerable—the sets of twins targeted for brutal medical experimentation. The Last Twins brings to life the voices of those who survived because of Spiegel’s defiance. Narrated by Liev Schreiber.

Screening followed by Q+A with film subject Dr. Judith Richter.

Opening remarks provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Dir. Perri Peltz, Matthew O’Neill

(2025, 80 min)

Learn more about our incredible summer program for children ages 3–10 at Day Camp @ The JCC!
Join one of our virtual information sessions this fall and winter to discover our camp divisions, daily activities, dates, rates, and what makes our community-focused summer experience so special.

Day Camp Information Sessions by Division:

Lower Division (ages 3–5)
• December 2 at 7 pm
• January 6 at 7 pm
• January 21 at 9:45 am

Middle Division (ages 6–7)
• November 20 at 9 am
• December 3 at 7 pm
• January 7 at 9:45 am

Upper Division (ages 8–10)
• November 20 at 9:45 am
• December 3 at 7:45 pm
• January 7 at 10:30 am

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to join the session.

Explore More About Day Camp @ The JCC
Visit our Day Camp page for full program details, dates, rates, and FAQs.

For additional questions, contact:
Day Camp @ The JCC Director, Alyssa Blackman, at ablackman@mmjccm.org.

Keep your child active, curious, and connected this season with Winter/Spring classes at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. From art, dance, and sports to swim lessons, STEM programs, and Jewish life classes, our children’s classes nurture growth, confidence, and creativity in every age group, from infants to teens. Led by caring, expert instructors, each class provides hands-on learning in a warm and welcoming community setting.

Click below to explore classes by age and category:

• Pre-Nursery Classes
• Infant + Toddler Classes
• School Age Classes
• Afterschool Clubhouse Classes
• Havurah Classes
• Sports Classes
• Swim Classes

View All Winter Classes in Our Program Grid Today!

Registration is now open—save your spot today and make this season one to remember!

Join Team The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan for the JCC Maccabi Games 2026 in Toronto!

The JCC Maccabi Games 2026 bring together more than 3,000 Jewish teen athletes from around the world for an unforgettable week of sports, community, and connection. This global event will take place from August 2 to 7, 2026, in Toronto, and we’re thrilled to relaunch our The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan delegation.

Athletes will compete in Olympic-style tournaments across a wide range of sports while celebrating Jewish identity and spirit. Each day features sports competitions, community service projects, and social and cultural events designed to foster teamwork, friendship, and leadership.

The Maccabi Games experience goes beyond athletics. Teens enjoy opening and closing ceremonies, exciting travel experiences, and opportunities to meet Jewish peers from around the world. The event celebrates sportsmanship, pride, and the shared values that unite Jewish communities globally.

Representing is an opportunity to make lifelong friends, experience personal growth, and create memories that last a lifetime.

Due to overwhelming success, Sunset Circus is BACK! Experience an immersive circus for audiences of all ages, presented by the physical theater company Parallel Exit.

The extremely popular, New York Times-celebrated Sunset Circus features a company of 5-7 circus artists, including aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, and comedians. The sensational cast will entertain everyone, from kids to parents to grandparents, so bring the whole family!

Sunday, March 22
Morning Show (11 am-noon) | Afternoon Show (2-3 pm)

Sunday, May 3
Morning Show (11 am-noon) | Afternoon Show (2-3 pm)

Give your child a fun, enriching holiday school break this season!

Winter Minicamp offers age-appropriate activities, crafts, games, social time, and more — the perfect way for children in NYC to stay active, make friends, and explore new creative outlets over school break.

Whether your family is looking for a full-week or single-day options, our winter minicamp is designed to delight kids in a safe, structured, and stimulating environment.

Explore Minicamps:
December 22-January 2, 2026

Nursery 3s-5s
Grades K-2
Grades 3-5
Specialty Theater Minicamp Ages 5-10
Specialty Film Minicamp Ages 11-13

Children’s Birthday Parties at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

Celebrate your child’s big day with a party to remember on the Upper West Side! At the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, we make kids’ birthday parties easy, fun, and stress-free. Choose from exciting options like Sports, Art, or Cooking birthday parties, with flexible packages to fit your needs.

Every party includes 90 minutes of celebration—45 minutes in an activity space led by our experienced staff, and 45 minutes in a private party room—plus setup and cleanup time. Select the Essential Party Package to bring your own food and décor, or upgrade to the Ultimate Party Package, which includes pizza or bagels, snacks, and festive paper goods.

Request your birthday package today!

Security That Feels Like Belonging
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan is more than a building. It is a home — a place where people gather, belong, and feel safe.

At the heart of this commitment is our role as Shomer — the Hebrew word for guardian and protector. Security here is not just about cameras or walls, but about safeguarding lives and creating a true sense of welcome.

Since 2023, our costs have risen by $700,000 as we adapt to evolving threats and best practices.

That’s why we’ve launched the Shomer Fund — to ensure safety is never static but always advancing.

Your support makes possible:

• Highly trained guards who know our members by name
• Fortified entrances and exits
• Emergency readiness through evolving protocols
• Continuous upgrades to technology, infrastructure, and training

Protect the traditions, programs, and people that make our community strong.

Every Safeguard Starts with You. Be a Shomer.

Looking for something else? Learn more about other ways to donate, or contact a member of our team at development@mmjccm.org.

Give your child the ultimate sports experience right here on the Upper West Side. Our youth sports programs in NYC combine expert coaching, exciting games, and a supportive community where kids build skills, confidence, and a lifelong love of sports. From basketball and soccer to volleyball, tennis, pickleball, and training classes, there’s a place for every child to shine—whether they’re just starting out or ready to level up.

Don’t wait—spots fill fast. Register today and get your child in the game!

• Infants + Toddlers Sports Classes

• School Age Sports Classes

• Tweens + Teens Sports Classes

Give your child confidence, safety skills, and a love of the water this fall at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. Our expert instructors make learning to swim fun while helping children build coordination, strength, and independence.

Infant + Toddler Swim Classes (6 months–5 years)

Playful, age-appropriate lessons introduce little ones to the water and set the foundation for safe swimming:

• Bubbling Babies (6–12 months)

• Starfish (12–18 months)

• Seahorses (18–30 months)

• Little Fish (30–36 months)

• Dolphins 1 – Beginner (2.5–3.5 years, drop-off)

• Dolphins 2 – Intermediate (3–5 years, drop-off)

• Dolphins 3 – Advanced (3–5 years, drop-off)

School-Age Swim Classes (5–14 years)

Progressive levels that grow with your child, from first strokes to advanced technique:

• Blue – Beginner 1 (5–8 years)

• Yellow – Beginner 2 (5–8 years)

• Green – Intermediate 1 (5–14 years)

• Purple – Intermediate 2 (5–14 years)

• Red – Advanced (5–14 years)

• JCC Swim Club (by instructor placement)

Register today and watch your child build lifelong skills in a safe, supportive environment.

Private Swim Lessons

The JCC offers private and semi-private swim lessons to children ages 6 months and up. Book now with one of our expert instructors!

Fall Teen Fitness Classes at The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

Help your tween or teen build strength, confidence, and lifelong healthy habits in our youth fitness programs on the Upper West Side. Our classes offer a variety of options, including small-group training, personal training, Pilates for focus and core strength, private swim lessons, and more. Teens can also join basketball membership + classes and competitive leagues, all led by certified youth coaches in a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment.

Encourage your teen to stay active, develop skills, and make friends while enjoying expert-led programs designed for their growth and wellness.

Explore Our Teen Fitness Classes

• Basketball Leagues
  Competitive and recreational leagues for teens to develop skills and teamwork.

• Pilates 4 Attention + Mindfulness
  Pilates-based classes focusing on improving focus and mindfulness.

• Teen Pilates
  Pilates sessions designed to enhance core strength and flexibility.

• Tween Fit Lab
  A dynamic program combining fitness training with fun activities.

• Personal Training
  One-on-one sessions tailored to individual fitness goals.

• Private Swim Lessons
  Personalized swim instruction focusing on technique and confidence.

• Curators: Tamar Lamdan & Carmit Shine
• Dates: September–December, 2025
• Opening Reception: Thu, Sep 4, 6:30 pm | Learn More
• Communal Picnic: Join us for a cozy indoor picnic experience in our gallery!
  • Sun, Nov 23, 11 am-1 pm | Learn More

Explore joyful, meaningful, and age-appropriate ways for children to connect with Jewish life, language, and values. Whether your child is just beginning their Jewish journey or preparing for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, our programs are built to inspire curiosity, creativity, and connection at every stage.

Havurah (Grades Pre-K-2)
Our signature experiential program for Pre-K–Grade 3 brings Jewish holidays, values, and stories to life through art, music, and hands-on activities. Fridays have never felt so joyful!

Hebrew Homepage (Grades K-7)
Learn Hebrew your way. This online, private one-on-one tutoring program for Grades K–7 offers flexible scheduling and four personalized tracks—from Aleph Bet basics to full B-Mitzvah prep.

Off the Bimah – Bar/Bat/B Mitzvah Prep Program (Grades 6-7)
This is a fresh take on B-Mitzvah learning. With small groups and big conversations, this experience empowers tweens to explore what becoming B-Mitzvah really means to them, beyond the ceremony.

Explore winter semester classes today!

Turning 2s at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan is a joyful, registration-based drop-off program for children turning two between September and December. Offered two mornings per week (Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday) with an optional Friday Shabbat Together class, the program nurtures curiosity, confidence, and early independence. Rooted in a child-centered curriculum that celebrates each child’s competence and potential, our warm, welcoming classrooms inspire exploration and creativity through hands-on, developmentally appropriate experiences guided by caring teachers who help every child discover, grow, and thrive.

Toddler Playgroup
A gentle introduction to separation and classroom routines through play, song, and connection.
Available on Tuesdays + Thursdays at:

• 9 AM
• 9:30 AM
• 10:30 AM

*Winter* Shabbat Together
A Friday morning class celebrating Shabbat through stories, music, movement, and community.
Learn More + Register

*Winter* Turning 2s
A drop-off program that nurtures independence and creativity through hands-on exploration.

• Mon/Wed
• Tue/Thu

Havurah’s semester long programs are designed to embrace Jewish culture and traditions through interactive, project-based learning. Studying Jewish holidays, Hebrew language, Torah stories, community service opportunities, and exploration of Jewish identity are significant parts of every child’s Havurah experience. Each semester culminates in an immersive Jewish family experience to showcase their projects.

For more information, please contact Rachel Kaye rkaye@mmjccm.org.