Events

Adult Bingo at the J! Join us for an afternoon of prizes and fun. Everyone is welcome to attend. We hope to see you there! Pay in person via check or credit card. Questions? Contact Irit at iritv@minnesotajcc.org.

Amy Levy: Songs of Love and Loss, a new musical composition for mezzo-soprano (Victoria Vargas) and mountain dulcimer (Alex Lubet) by University of Minnesota Center for Jewish Studies faculty member Alex Lubet, receives its worldwide premiere performance at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center on May 19, 7:30 pm. The premiere performance also features internationally acclaimed University of Minnesota pianist Timothy Lovelace. Amy Levy was a 19th century Anglo-Jewish lesbian poet, novelist, and essayist, much admired in her lifetime by Oscar Wilde and many others. The second Jewish woman at Cambridge University and the first at Newnham College, Cambridge—where she experienced considerable sexism and antisemitism– Levy’s literary output explored the early feminist ideal of the “New Woman,” insisting on greater independence for women and the removal of behavioral constraints. While there has been a resurgence of interest in her work since the 1990s, owing largely to feminist scholars, Lubet’s composition is the first professional musical setting of her poetry.

The Minnesota JCC Symphony Orchestra presents a powerful evening in partnership with Violins of Hope, featuring historic instruments once owned by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust, now restored and returned to the concert stage. Violinist Marc Levine is featured in Baal Shem by Ernest Bloch, a deeply expressive work rooted in Jewish spiritual tradition that moves from meditation to ecstatic joy. The program concludes with the radiant Rustic Wedding Symphony by Karl Goldmark, a vibrant celebration filled with lyric warmth, rustic dances, and festive spirit. Together, these works create an evening that honors memory while celebrating the enduring power of music to unite and inspire. COST: FREE

Join us for an afternoon of photography and memory with photographer Daniel Levin, featuring an exhibit reception, artist talk, and book signing for Violins and Hope: From the Holocaust to Symphony Hall—winner of the 2022 Independent Publisher National Book of the Year. Levin is the first photographer to document, in extraordinary depth, the Tel Aviv workshop of Amnon Weinstein and the hauntingly intimate process behind the Violins of Hope—a mission to restore instruments that survived ghettos and camps even when their owners often did not. Through luminous photographs and compelling stories, Levin invites us into a world of craft and devotion, tracing how these violins were brought back to life and carried onto stages around the globe. Today, the work continues through Amnon’s son, Avshalom Weinstein, ensuring these instruments remain living witnesses—sounding with resilience, remembrance, and human dignity. Reception and book-signing with Daniel to follow in the Tychman Shapiro Gallery. COST: FREE

Visiting artist Daniel Levin will speak about his photography, Violins and Hope: From the Holocaust to Symphony Hall as part of Beth El Synagogue’s Shavuot program. Levin’s work will be on view in the Minnesota JCC Galleries in May and June as part of the community-wide Violins of Hope residency, presented by the Minnesota JCC in partnership with local organizations. COST: FREE No registration required.

No experience in yoga or meditation is needed to enjoy and benefit from this deeply restorative practice featuring accessible movement on the yoga mat woven together with breathwork, meditation, aromatherapy, and tea to support your deepest relaxation and renewal to restore your mind and energy in preparation for the new season.