Local and international jazz greats will form a fantastic lineup at the Sixth Annual Manchester CT Jazz Festival on Saturday, December 4 at Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a 7 p.m. start time, and livestreaming is also available. Ticket costs are as follows: $72 for VIP seating; $36 for general seating; $20 for student tickets; $36 for livestream tickets. Click here for the complete festival lineup and to purchase tickets. 

Beth El Music & Arts (BEMA) is excited to bring music, and a live audience, back to the synagogue! Join us for a celebration of Mozart, Vivaldi, and Hanukkah on Sunday, December 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Beth El Temple sanctuary at 2626 Albany Avenue, West Hartford — with a livestream option available. Performing musicians will include Tamila Azadaliyeva on piano, Scott Hill on guitar, Cantor Stephanie Kupfer, and conductor/artistic director Cantor Joseph Ness. Click here for details and registration, or visit our website to learn more about BEMA. 

The Jewish festival of lights celebrates the freedom to live and worship as we choose. But increasingly, that freedom is threatened by bigotry and hate. Please join all of Connecticut's Federations and JCRCs, ADL Connecticut, JFACT, and our interfaith allies online on Monday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. as we learn how to have meaningful conversations about antisemitism and its impact on all of us. The program will include a song by Cantor Julia Cadrain of Temple Israel in Westport; a presentation by Oren Jacobson, Co-Founder of Project Shema; and a personal story from recent college graduate and ADL volunteer Ellie Cooper of Middlefield. This webinar is free and open to everyone; registration is required. Click here to register by December 5.

Above, from left: Cantor Julia Cadrain, Oren Jacobson, and Ellie Cooper.

What do Israeli Jews really think of the current state of the country? Find out on Sunday, December 12 at 1 p.m. when Congregation Beth Israel hosts a virtual presentation by Rabbi Uri Regev, president and CEO of Hiddush, an organization dedicated to religious freedom and equality. Rabbi Regev will present the results of Hiddush's “2021 Israel Religion and State Index," including discussion of the public's view of the new government’s religion-state agenda. Rabbi Regev is an advocate for religious liberty and the liberal movements of Judaism in his native Israel and around the world. This online event is free and open to the public. Click here to register. 

ADL invites you to an online night of music, community, and celebration on Sunday, December 12 at 8 p.m. This year's Concert Against Hate will be packed with spectacular, can’t-miss performances from acclaimed stars. You'll also be introduced to real-life heroes, including Holocaust survivors Rabbi Philip and Ruth Lazowski, as we celebrate their extraordinary acts of courage and compassion in the face of bigotry and hate. Be part of the powerful chorus fighting hate for good and honoring those leading the way. Click here to register and receive your free virtual ticket. For event sponsorship, contact Lisa at lratcliff@adl.org.

Hazon is pleased to release the latest edition of "The Shmita Sourcebook," a guided exploration of the history, concepts, and practices of Shmita. This resource considers debt forgiveness, agricultural rest, economic adjustments, and charitable giving as related to the sabbatical year. It also explores texts and commentaries that build the framework of Shmita within biblical and rabbinic tradition, as well as voices from the 20th and 21st centuries that speak to Shmita as it relates to our modern world. Click here to pre-order your copy.

Voices of Hope invites you to the final installment of our Power of Words virtual speaker series. On Tuesday, December 14 from 7 to 8:30 p.m, New York Times bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton will discuss her novels "The Last Train to London" and "The Postmistress of Paris." This free program is co-sponsored by Meriden Public Library, Adath Israel, Bloomfield Public Library, and Voices of Hope. Click here to register and receive a Zoom link. To learn more about the event or Voices of Hope, visit our website or email us at info@ctvoicesofhope.org. 

The Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford, located at 26 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford, invites you to an in-person open house on Tuesday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m. You'll tour our classrooms, meet our faculty, and learn about our hands-on early childhood program and our active and personalized K through 8 curriculum. Put your child on a path of Jewish discovery and growth! Click here to RSVP. Or, for more information, visit our website or call Karen Shakun at 860.561.0700.

Born Jewish and want to learn more? In love with someone who's Jewish? Thinking about embracing Judaism yourself? Join the "Embracing Judaism" introduction to Judaism class for an online open house on Thursday, December 16. New and prospective students will meet our faculty and each other, and you'll have a chance to see whether the course is right for you. Our 2022 season begins on Thursday, January 6, 2022, via Zoom; you can participate from anywhere. The instructors are Greater Hartford rabbis affiliated with the Conservative movement, and the program is conducted in partnership with the Miller Introduction to Judaism program at the American Jewish University. We provide a recommended reading list so you can begin learning even before classes start. For details on the open house — including start time — contact Rabbi Richard Plavin at 860.573.4503 or riplavin@gmail.com. To sign up for our 2022 season, click here and select the "Registration" tab. 

Rabbi Alana Wasserman and Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation invite you to join us for a Shabbat service on Friday, December 17 at 7 p.m. Our cozy Reform congregation meets in the small sanctuary of the First Congregational Church, at 37 Main Street in Southington. An oneg, or social gathering, will follow the service; everyone is welcome. For details, email membership@gsjc.org or call 860.276.9113. You can also learn more about Gishrei Shalom by visiting our website.

Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford is looking for volunteers to assist Afghan refugee families coming to Hartford. Many refugees will have arrived in the U.S. with nothing, and JFS will be on hand to support their resettlement. We need a variety of volunteer help, from locating housing to stocking refrigerators with food prior to families' arrival. No experience is necessary! If you are willing to help, please contact Miriam Brander at mbrander@jfshartford.org.

Stories of out-of-control youth crime have dominated the headlines recently — and with them a resurgence of "tough-on-crime" rhetoric and policy proposals. The Neshama Center for Lifelong Learning will present a virtual lunch-and-learn, "What's the Matter with Kids Today: Responding to the Juvenile Crime Panic as a Faith Community," on Saturday, December 18 from noon to 1:15 p.m. In this interactive online discussion, we'll examine what's happening in Connecticut, explore the causes, and consider how we can marshal our faith traditions to do something about it. Our guest will be Dwayne David Paul, director of the Collaborative Center for Justice, a Catholic organization that advocates for systemic change and educates on social justice to make a difference in the lives of those who are poor and alienated. Click here to register.

If you love books, you'll love Chai Mitzvah! Designed to enhance Jewish engagement, our groups meet for text-based conversations guided by books on Jewish topics. We offer virtual and in-person programs and classes for adults, teens, and families. Our programs are fun, inexpensive, and easy to use. Start a group in your synagogue or with friends. Click here to learn more and register for one of our programs.