Join PJ Bear for a special drop-in PJ Library playtime and Shabbat celebration every Friday beginning at 10:45 a.m. in the Mandell JCC Family Room. Through hands-on activities, we'll have fun learning about Israel, Shabbat, holidays and the seasons. Free and open to all little ones and their grown-up. Bring a friend! Click here for details. The Mandell JCC is located at 335 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford.

Mark R. Silk, Ph.D.

B'nai Tikvoh-Sholom, the Neshama Center and the Farmington Valley League of Light invite you to a discussion on the role of faith communities in combating climate change with Mark R. Silk, Ph.D., Director of the Leonard Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College, and local interfaith leaders. Our faiths teach us that human beings are called upon to be responsible stewards of creation. What does that mean to us, and how can we respond? Come and learn with us on Saturday, April 6 at 11:30 a.m. at BTS, 180 Still Road, Bloomfield. The program is free; donations before or after the day of the event are welcome. Please reserve your spot by calling 860.243.3576.

	Erez Zadok

Celebrate Rosh Chodesh Nisan (the new month of Nisan) with the Mitzvah Mamas, friendly Jewish women ages 13 and up from around the Greater Hartford area. Our next gathering is on Saturday, April 6, from 6:45 to 8 p.m. at Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford, 26 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford. Our shomeret (lay leader) this month is Yeshiva Cohen; she'll present a program on "Being Your Child's Best Teacher." No matter what age your children are, or if they are someone else's, this is good stuff! The gathering starts promptly, so please plan to arrive at 6:45 p.m. if you'd like to schmooze before we get started. Bring a friend! No RSVP necessary, but do give a call if you have questions. To engage with Mitzvah Mamas, join the Mitzvah Mamas Facebook group, check out MitzvahMamas.com or simply come to a monthly gathering or event. For information on Rosh Chodesh gatherings, pop-up road trips or the next free trip to Israel for moms, please email [email protected] or call 917.698.7952.

Join Congregation Kol Haverim for Comedy Night 2019 on Saturday, April 6 from 7 to 10:30 p.m.! This 21+ event will feature three New York comedians, appetizers, beer/wine and desserts, and over 30 raffle and silent auction items! Advance tickets are $65 each ($75 at the door). Click here for tickets, or call 860.633.3966 to learn more. Congregation Kol Haverim is located at 1079 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury.

Good Deeds Day is an international day of service started in Israel in 2007, and it has since spread around the world! This Sunday, April 7, people from 100 countries will unite to do good deeds for the benefit of others and the planet. The Mandell JCC and a variety of local partners invite you do good together with us all over our community! There are PJ Library activities for young children and their families, activities for teens and college students, and activities for the special needs community and for seniors and their friends. Everyone is also invited to drop off disposable diapers and baby wipes, books for toddlers and preschoolers, toys and games, and clothes for teen boys at the Mandell JCC at 335 Bloomfield Avenue in West Hartford. Donations will be given to The Village for Families & Children. Check out this flyer for a complete guide to Good Deeds Day in Greater Hartford!

All teens in grades 6 through 12 are invited to join JTConnect and Temple Sinai as we make dog treats to help our furry friends at the Simon Foundation on Good Deeds Day, April 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 41 West Hartford Road, Newington. You can register online here, or email [email protected]. There is a suggested $10 donation to help cover costs.

Daniel Horowitz

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut will present a program with Daniel Horowitz, resident genealogy expert at MyHeritage.com, on Sunday, April 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Temple Sinai, 41 West Hartford Road, Newington. Learn how to access Israeli genealogical resources and burial data without leaving the couch, how to translate efficiently into English, and also how to make the most of a cemetery visit. All are welcome; you do not need to be an experienced genealogist or fluent in Hebrew! To learn more, visit JGSCT online.

Incidents of anti-Semitism are on the rise. Have you personally experienced anti-Semitic comments? Did you know how to respond effectively? Please join us for this special program presented by ADL Connecticut exploring responses to anti-Semitism. You'll have the opportunity to share your thoughts and concerns. The free program takes place on Sunday, April 7 at 10 a.m. at Temple Beth Hillel, 20 Baker Lane, South Windsor. All are welcome. To learn more, contact the temple office at 860.282.8466 or [email protected].

The Emanuel Synagogue Brotherhood and the Connecticut Valley Region Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs will recognize a group of exceptional men from across our area at a tribute brunch program on Sunday, April 7 at 11 a.m. at The Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford. Martin Lazarus is the recipient of the Keeper of the Flame 5779 award from The Emanuel. Other honorees are Tom Falik of Beth El Temple, West Hartford; Gordon Fain of Temple Beth Sholom in Hamden; Dr. Carl Mandell of Beth Sholom B'nai Israel in Manchester; and Allen Cohen, awarded posthumously from Congregation Or Shalom in Orange. The cost to attend the brunch is $25 per person and $10 per child. For reservations, contact Kevin O'Connell at [email protected].

On Sunday, April 7 at 7 p.m., Beth El Temple will present an evening of dramatic music with a Russian twist. Join Beth El's orchestra led by Conductor/Cantor Joseph Ness for a program that includes works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff plus Beethoven and Broadway selections. Our guests include Tamila Azadaliyeva, piano; Gennady Vysotsky, bass; Zhanna Alkhazova, soprano; and Max Weinstein, actor/singer - plus a special guest performance by vocalist June Bisantz and pianist Alex Nakhimovsky. General admission is $25; $20 for seniors (62+) and students; free for children 12 and under. Tickets are on sale online or in the Beth El Temple office. Beth El Temple is located at 2626 Albany Avenue, West Hartford.

Deborah Levison

The Avon Public Library, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford and Voices of Hope will present an afternoon with Deborah Levison, author of The Crate: A Story of War, a Murder, and Justice, on Wednesday, April 10 at 2 p.m. at the Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon. Levison's multi-award-winning debut is the true story of a gruesome present-day crime that rocked her family of Holocaust survivors and dredged up terrible memories of the past. All are welcome to attend. To learn more about the book, click here.

	Photo credit: Todd Combs

On Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m., the Jewish Plays Project will present three 20-minute readings from finalists in the 2019 Jewish Playwriting Contest at Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford. The excerpts are directed by Hartford Stage Artistic Associate Will Steinberger and produced by JPP Artistic Director David Winitsky; each play explores 21st century Jewish identity. This program is free and all are welcome; a $5 donation is suggested. Click here for details.

How did a small Chassidic group become an international Jewish powerhouse? Why are young Chabad couples willing to move to Katmandu and Bahia Blanca for a lifetime of Jewish community service? How has Chabad created a new entrepreneurial business model, and what is the outreach philosophy that animates its growth? Chabad of Greater Hartford invites you to explore all this and more with author Rabbi David Eliezrie on Thursday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Chabad House, 2352 Albany Avenue, West Hartford. Click here for more information and registration.

At Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford, now part of New England Jewish Academy (NEJA), students learn about the vital importance of showing appreciation to veterans and being grateful to live in this blessed country. Our students recognize that "freedom isn't free" and that veterans' sacrifices are what enable us to live as we do. We arrange for our students to personally recognize and thank veterans as often as possible. To learn more about NEJA and its new tuition subsidy program, click here. The Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy campus of NEJA is located at 53 Gabb Road, Bloomfield.

	Children on the Kindertransport.

Come explore Camp Laurelwood's newly renovated campus, meet our friendly staff, and enjoy s'mores by the campfire on Sunday, April 14 or Sunday, May 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. Camp Laurelwood offers day camp for grades K and up, and overnight camp for grades 2 through 10. New camper discounts and financial assistance are available. To RSVP or to schedule a tour on another day, contact Jennifer Gelband at [email protected]. You can also learn all about our exciting 2019 specialty camps in robotics, basketball, the circus and acrobatic gymnastics here! Camp Laurelwood is located at 463 Summer Hill Road in Madison.

	Arlene D. Schiff

Jewish Family Services invites you to an hors d'oeuvres reception to honor our exceptional volunteers and cut the ribbon on the new JFS Tara's Closet on Monday, April 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the lobby of the Community Services Building, 333 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. RSVP as soon as possible to Sherry Waitsman at [email protected]. JFS Tara's Closet will also hold its spring/summer collection drop-off event on Wednesday, May 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. at our Pop-Up Shop in Bishops Corner, 345 North Main Street, West Hartford. Please donate your new and like-new spring and summer clothing for men, women and children in all sizes. Hangers are preferred! We are unable to accept men's suits, undergarments, swimsuits or pajamas. The Pop-Up Shop will be open to distribute free clothes to those in need on Sunday, June 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from Monday to Wednesday, June 3 through 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Shopping appointments are encouraged; please call 860.236.1927 to book your appointment.

	Eduardo Halfon

Greater Hartford's BBYO chapters, Achva BBG (girls) and Nadav AZA (boys), have joined forces with The Crown Market and the Connecticut Jewish Ledger for a Lox Box Fundraiser that benefits local BBYO programming and the Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry at Jewish Family Services. Only $36 buys you a half-dozen bagels, plain cream cheese, a package of lox, a bottle of orange juice and a copy of the Jewish Ledger. Not a lox fan? Donate $36 and your gift will be split directly between BBYO and the JFS Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry. Place your order online here by April 16 and a Lox Box will be delivered to your door on April 28! For more information, email [email protected].

	Irene Levin Berman

Irene Levin Berman will launch her latest book, The Price of Survival, at a free community program on Tuesday, April 16 at 4 p.m. at Duncaster, 40 Loeffler Road, Bloomfield. Berman's book is the final installment in a trilogy about the Jewish experience in Norway. In it, she shares the story of her father's heroic attempts to save the Jews of Norway and hundreds of stateless refugees from deportation to Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Marcus Levin worked tirelessly to help Jews before, during, and after the Nazi invasion of Norway. In 1962 he was awarded a Medal of Honor by King Olav of Norway for his efforts. Copies of all three books in the trilogy will be available for purchase at the program. To register, please call 860.380.5006.

The Beth Sholom B'nai Israel Sisterhood will hold its annual Torah Fund program on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:45 p.m. This year's theme is "A Passover Taste and Talk." We'll enjoy delicious Passover desserts (really!); share our favorite seder stories, family traditions and recipes; and be entertained by Passover parody songs. Bring your favorite haggadah for show-and-tell! The cost of admission is a donation to the BSBI Torah Fund in any amount from $18 to $180 or more; the fund supports Conservative/Masorti seminaries in New York, LA, Jerusalem, Buenos Aires and Potsdam, Germany. Mail your check by April 15th and please submit your recipes ahead of time! Click here for details. BSBI is located at 400 Middle Turnpike East, Manchester.

	Ed Asner and Tovah Feldshuh

Get ready to feel groovy at CBI's fourth annual Boomer Shabbat Service, as we set our Friday evening liturgy to the popular and folk music of the '60s and '70s on Friday, April 26 beginning at 6:30 p.m. True Boomers will undoubtedly want to sing along, but people of all ages will enjoy this groovy Shabbat experience. The live band is comprised of Laura and Bob Deutsch, Chet Zaslow and Bruce Badner. CBI is located at 701 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford.

Join the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford and the Mandell JCC for a nostalgic community tour of Hartford's old Jewish neighborhood, travelling along the route of the popular JHS bus tours with stops at three former synagogues and more. The slow roll takes place on Sunday, April 28; it begins and ends at the Community Services Building, 333 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. Check-in and orientation is at 9 a.m. sharp; the tour leaves at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 12:30 p.m. Space is extremely limited, so register soon by clicking here! The cost is $28 for JHS or JCC members and $30 for nonmembers. Helmets are required and hybrid bikes are encouraged. You should be prepared to ride on city streets and be comfortable with vehicular traffic. To learn more, call 860.727.6170 or email [email protected].

	Rabbi Stephen Karol

Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation - Emek Shalom invites you to a free program, "Parenting and Grandparenting through a Jewish Lens," with Rabbi Stephen Karol on Sunday, April 28 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the FVJC social hall. Rabbi Karol is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook, New York; he'll explain how adults can set an example of Jewish commitment and involvement for their children and/or grandchildren by how they live, what they do, and what they say. A light nosh will be served. Kindly RSVP to [email protected]. FVJC is located at 55 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury.

Join Voices of Hope, the Mandell JCC and our entire community as we commemorate Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) and honor the memory of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust. On Sunday, April 28, we will read the names of victims and deceased survivors beginning at 6 p.m. at Beth El Temple, 2626 Albany Avenue, West Hartford. A program will follow at 7 p.m. On Monday, April 29, all are invited to join us in lighting a candle in memory of the six million between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the Chase Family Gallery of the Mandell JCC, 335 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. Details are available here; if you would like to sign up to read from the names, please click here.

	David N. Myers, Ph.D.

Please join the UConn Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life for our annual Academic Convocation on the Holocaust on Thursday, May 2 at 5 p.m. David N. Myers, Ph.D., the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at UCLA, will present "Mass Displacement in the Mid-Twentieth Century: A Comparative Look at Europe and the Middle East." The convocation will take place in the Doris and Simon Konover Auditorium in the Dodd Research Center at 405 Babbidge Road on the UConn Storrs campus. It is made possible by the I. Martin and Janet M. Fierberg Fund, which supports lectures at the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life. A reception will immediately follow. Click here for more information.

Gisela Adamski

Voices of Hope, the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut (JFACT) and the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford invite you to the 41st Annual State of Connecticut Holocaust Commemoration on Friday, May 3 beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Senate Chambers of the State Capitol at 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. Holocaust survivor Gisela Adamski will give the keynote address. A kosher lunch will follow at 12:30 p.m. for survivors, program participants and elected officials. RSVP is required for buses and lunch; please contact Ayelet Weber at [email protected] or 860.727.5771 by Monday, April 29. Click here for details.

	Flory Altarac Jagoda. Photo by Tom Pich.

On Saturday, May 4 at 8 p.m., the national premiere of "La Nona Kanta: The Remarkable Life of Flory Jagoda" will take place at Temple Beth Hillel, 20 Baker Lane, South Windsor. The live concert and multi-media presentation celebrate the life and work of Flory Altarac Jagoda, the National Heritage Award-winning, Bosnian-born Sephardic singer and composer who is known worldwide as the "keeper of the flame" of Sephardic and Ladino music. The concert will be performed by Trio Sefardi, a Northern Virginia-based ensemble of musicians who each played with Flory, now age 95, for many years. "La Nona Kanta," which means "The Grandmother Sings," is presented by the temple's Congregation Beth Ahm Legacy Fund in collaboration with the National Institute for Holocaust Documentation at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Tickets are $20 and include refreshments after the event; they may be purchased in advance by phone (credit card) through the temple office at 860.282.8466 or at the door.

Jessica Abo

All women are invited to save the date for Living with Intention 2019: "Living Your Best Life" with author and journalist Jessica Abo on Monday, May 20 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor Street, Hartford. This annual Federation program celebrates the power of Jewish women and inspires us to live our most meaningful and fulfilling lives. Guest speaker Jessica Abo will inspire us to get out of our rut, live life unfiltered and create our best lives. A kosher community dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by dessert and coffee at 7 and the program at 7:30. Invitations are coming soon... watch your email inbox and Federation's Facebook page! To learn more, click here.