Events
Where Community Comes Together
From joyful holiday celebrations to meaningful fundraisers and signature annual traditions, events at the Minnesota JCC bring our community together all year long. We host unforgettable experiences that inspire connection, celebrate culture, and support the programs that matter most. Whether you’re joining us for a longtime favorite or discovering something new, every event is designed to be welcoming, engaging, and impactful. There’s always something worth celebrating at the JCC.
Upcoming Events
Sat, May 16 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Ordway Concert Hall
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra: Violins of Hope
This powerful program features violins once played by Holocaust survivors, each instrument carrying a story of resilience, loss and hope. Through music inspired by Jewish traditions, the concert honors memory while lifting the spirit. The program includes stirring string solos and a performance of Shostakovich’s Quartet, featuring SPCO’s principal string players. It’s a deeply moving experience that brings together beauty, reverence, and the enduring fortitude of human expression — an unforgettable tribute to the past and a celebration of strength. The instruments of Violins of Hope will be on display for the program.
COST: $16 – $70
Sat, May 16 | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
DECC Symphony Hall
Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra: Masterworks 6 with a Special Violins of Hope Performance
As part of their existing Masterworks 6 program, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra will feature a special performance on instruments from the Violins of Hope collection.
COST: $15 – $65
Sun, May 17 | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Sabes JCC
Kids Day Out! (Sabes Center Minneapolis)
Drop the kids off for a fun-filled morning at the JCC while you enjoy some well-deserved you time! Take a break, meet a friend, go for a walk… we’ve got the kids covered. Register today! Ages 2.5-11.
Sun, May 17 | 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Capp
Kids Day Out! (Capp Center St. Paul)
Drop the kids off for a fun-filled morning at the JCC while you enjoy some well-deserved you time! Take a break, meet a friend, go for a walk… we’ve got the kids covered. Register today! Ages 2.5-11.
Sun, May 17 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Ordway Concert Hall
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra: Violins of Hope
This powerful program features violins once played by Holocaust survivors, each instrument carrying a story of resilience, loss and hope. Through music inspired by Jewish traditions, the concert honors memory while lifting the spirit. The program includes stirring string solos and a performance of Shostakovich’s Quartet, featuring SPCO’s principal string players. It’s a deeply moving experience that brings together beauty, reverence, and the enduring fortitude of human expression — an unforgettable tribute to the past and a celebration of strength. The instruments of Violins of Hope will be on display for the program.
COST: $16 – $70
Sun, May 17 | 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Capp
Music, Memory, and Resistance: A Book Talk with Dr. James A. Grymes
Internationally renowned musicologist James A. Grymes discusses his National Jewish Book Award–winning book Violins of Hope, a powerful account of violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. The book also tells the story of Israeli violinmakers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, who restore these instruments and the histories they carry. Grymes explores how the violin served as a lifeline in ghettos and camps—preserving dignity, sustaining resilience, and, in at least one case, helping avenge murdered family members—revealing why, wherever there were violins, there was hope. Q&A follows, with a reception and book signing to conclude. LEARN MORE.
COST: FREE
This event is presented as part of the Minnesota JCC’s People of the Book series.