Raven DiSalvo-Hess

  Join us at the JCC as we show the sensational Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra's – led by bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton – first performance in NYC for the first time in more than a decade. The big band of choice for artists including Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli, Samara Joy, and others, the 20-piece ensemble of top LA jazz greats reflects influences from Ellington to Gil Evans to Quincy Jones, with a sound all their own. Don’t miss the chance to hear this exuberant, hard-swinging band as they kick off Jazz in July 2025!

Join us at the JCC as we travel from Eastern Europe to the Lower East Side through a songs performed by Ken Frieden (clarinet) and Sabine Krantz (piano). Frieden and Krantz will begin their concert with Joseph Achron?s ?Hebrew Melody? (1911), followed by several of Béla Bartók?s folksongs (1915-). This JCC event will include the American premier of Frieden's 20-minute piece titled "Ten Tone Poems." In three cycles (Eclipse, Departing, Resistance), the piece tells an evolving story of the 18 months following the attack on Israel in October 2023. The concert will conclude with a selection of Klezmer tunes from the repertoire of Naftule Brandwein and other Eastern European Jewish musicians. https://operations.daxko.com/online/5217/ProgramsV2/Events.mvc/offering?guid=3ffcd011-4242-11f0-99d1-00505692171b

A Heartfelt Account of Survival and Resilience Join us at the JCC as we welcome second-generation Holocaust survivor, Einya Aaron, to share the harrowing experiences of her parents during one of history's darkest periods. Their stories, filled with unimaginable hardships and remarkable resilience, provide a poignant reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust and the enduring strength of the human spirit. She begins by introducing herself and explaining her motivation for sharing her parents' stories. As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, she feels a profound sense of responsibility to keep their memories alive and to educate future generations about the horrors they endured. Her parents' experiences, she emphasizes, were not just historical accounts, but deeply personal narratives that shaped their lives and those of their descendants. In summary, her parents were born in Poland. Her father was initially moved to a ghetto and then worked in 11 forced-labor camps, eventually escaping on the way to a concentration camp. Her mother spent the war in a ghetto and later in a work camp. Their families, except for her father’s sister, all perished in the Holocaust. Her parents met after the war in a displaced persons camp and eventually moved to Israel, […]

Love a mystery? Then we have the book club for you! Delve into classic who-dun-its, new thrillers and everything in between. This group meets the First Wednesday of the month, 12:45-1:45 pm. Visit jccsyr.org/book-clubs to see the monthly book selection.