Have you hit a wall in your playing?  Trapped in the first 3 frets of the guitar?  This class will break you out of that, and have you playing lead and rhythm guitar all over the neck.  Class will be blues heavy, with it being understood that jazz, rock and country can be approached in much the same way.  Movable chords, pentatonic scales and the ability to use them are still some of the most important tools in a guitar player’s tool case.

Instructor:  George Rowe

Join us for a new free EVJCC workshop for adults that explores ways to enhance your Jewish cultural connection through music, food and hands-on activities that boost your understanding of each month’s topic. Taught by Andre Ivory, EVJCC program director.

The Oct. 3 topic is “Shabbat: The Difference Between Holiness and Everything Else.”

Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s breakout musical comes to life onstage at Phoenix Theatre. When Tony falls for Maria, it seems like love could conquer all…until their rival gangs go to war. They’ll risk everything to be together, and they may have to.

Learn the Mishnah every morning with Rabbi Israel Becker, Monday-Friday 6:15 AM, Shabbos 8:15 AM and Sundays and Major Secular Holidays 7:15 AM.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to create your art for the big stage?  Would you like to come together with other creative spirits and produce a work of Jewish Art?

Just imagine collaborating to create a theme where you contribute both your art: musician, writer, visual artist or dancer, etc., as a ‘solo’ journey, and as a fusion of all the arts combined, culminating in a momentous, performance.

If you want to bring your art to the next level, this is the class for you!  Note:  Some of you may not want to perform, but may choose to create work, performed by others, in your group.  This is perfectly acceptable!

Instructor:  Debra Levasseur-Lottman/Presenter, Choreographer-Performer/Dance Educator B.A., Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago &  MFA, In Studio, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s October Memory Café will feature the musical talents of Shana Rebilas Bousard, musical theatre actress and music therapist, at Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Avenue in Phoenix on Thursday, October 4, 2018 from 10 to 11:30 am.

The Memory Café is for those with memory loss and their care partners.  The challenges of living with memory loss can strain or even sever social connection at a time when it is needed most. Memory Cafés are one way individuals with memory loss and their care companions are coming together to make new friendships and support one another.

Shana has a long career as an accomplished vocalist and musical theatre performer, and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. Shana was a featured singer/dancer for Holland America and Regency Cruise lines, and has performed cabaret acts in New York City, Wisconsin, and Arizona, as well as her solo vocal recital at Carnegie Hall.  A fun note is that she met her husband Dominik Rebilas when they were both cast in “Fiddler on the Roof” for Arizona Jewish Theatre Company.  With her guitar and banjo, she’ll share a variety of tunes and of course, singing along is always encouraged.

The Café is a meeting place for those with changes in their thinking or memory, mild cognitive impairment or dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder, along with their care partners.  Offered on the first Thursday of the month, each Café has a new theme and includes meaningful, fun activities to engage the participants and stimulate their minds and bodies. Socialization is a key component to the cafés, as they are meant to be a place to relax, meet others and have fun in a nurturing and accepting environment. Coffee and snacks are provided.

There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. To register or for further information, please e-mail Kathy.rood@jfcsaz.org or call Kathy at 602-452-4627.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian social service and behavioral health organization with over 80 years of service in the greater Phoenix area.

On Thursdays, Oct. 4-Nov. 29, the EVJCC’s Open Beit Midrash hosts a speaker series featuring community leaders speaking on a variety of topics. The presentation starts at 11 a.m. and is followed by a kosher lunch.

Speakers and topics

Oct. 4: Karolyn Benger, “Justice in Judaism”
Oct. 11: Andrew Gibbs from Hillel at ASU: “How Campuses Do Advocate for Israel”
Oct. 18: Jake Bennett: “Ingathering of the Exiles: The Many Faces of Israel”
Oct. 25: Rabbi Michael Beyo of the EVJCC: “Was Christopher Columbus Jewish?”
Nov. 1: Rabbi Irwin Wiener: “Mystical Nature of Humans”
Nov. 8: Andrea Cohen of the Jewish Community Foundation: “It’s Not the Amount, It’s the Process”
Nov. 15: No Open Beit Midrash
Nov. 29: Andre Ivory of the EVJCC: “The Battle Over the Book of Isaiah”

Ladies! Enjoy an evening sipping wine and noshing while learning to use everyday kitchen ingredients to create your own facial as well as fabulous skincare tips. Members: $20; Guests: $25. Registration required at vosjcc.org/nightout.

An absolutely hilarious new comedy that’s anything but neighborly! High-powered lawyer Pablo and wife Tania, a doctoral candidate, are working toward the American dream. They move into a well-to-do, mostly white neighborhood in our nation’s capital. A delicate disagreement over a long-standing fence line soon spirals into an all-out, laugh-out-loud comic border dispute, exploring what is an otherwise hot-button issue through a refreshing comedic lens.