Jewish Grandparents Network

Simchat Torah (Traditional)
2024-10-25
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated together on one day (October 24) by Reform Jews and over two days (October 24–25) by traditional Jews.
We celebrate the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah.
The holiday begins the evening of October 24.
Read more about Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah here.
Photographer Stephanie Fink

Sh’mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (Liberal)
2024-10-24
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated together on one day by Reform Jews and over two days by traditional Jews.
We celebrate the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah.
The holiday begins the evening of October 23.
Read more about Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah here.
Photograph courtesy of the Union for Reform Judaism

Sukkot
2024-10-17
The festive holiday of Sukkot is named for the booths or huts (sukkot in Hebrew) in which, according to Jewish tradition, the Israelites dwelt during their forty years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt.
Sukkot starts the evening of October 16 and concludes on October 23.
Read more about Sukkot here.
Photograph courtesy of Union for Reform Judaism

Talkback for Professionals: Let There Be Play — Bringing the Torah to Life with Grandchildren
2024-10-15 20:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join JGN and Jonathan Shmidt Chapman, award-winning Jewish educator, artist, and author, who will draw from his new book Let There Be Play: Bringing the Bible to Life with Young Children (Behrman House).
Jonathan will provide accessible and kid-friendly adaptations of Torah stories and activities that bring the stories and values to life through play with grandchildren
Following the main event, stay on for a half-hour talkbalk for Jewish professionals about how to take these activities back to your community.
REGISTER HERE

Let There Be Play: Bringing the Torah to Life with Grandchildren
2024-10-15 19:00 - 20:00
Often, grandparents are a primary source of Jewish traditions and values in their families.
Now grandparents can learn from the extraordinary Jonathan Shmidt Chapman — JGN’s new Jewish Family Life Education Consultant — how to use play, creativity, and hands-on exploration to connect with grandchildren through Torah stories.
Registration for the workshop will enter you into a raffle to win a free copy of Jonathan’s new book Let There Be Play: Bringing the Bible to Life with Young Children (published by Behrman House).
Please note: This webinar is for adults (to later share the ideas with grandchildren).
REGISTER HERE

Yom Kippur
2024-10-12
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar. We devote the day to introspection and repentance. Many people fast on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur ends with the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn).

Erev Yom Kippur (Kol Nidrei)
2024-10-11

Rosh Hashanah
2024-10-03 - 2024-10-04
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a joyful and introspective occasion. It is the start of the High Holiday period — also known as the Days of Awe — ending with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.Among Rosh Hashanah traditions, we hear the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn) and traditionally dip apples in honey to symbolize a sweet new year.
Enjoy JGN’s High Holidays Discovery Kit.
Read more about Rosh Hashanah here.
Art by Deborah Zemke

One Year Since October 7: How to Talk with Your Teen Grandchildren
2024-09-25 13:00 - 13:45
Join the Jewish Grandparents Network and The Jewish Education Project for a conversation about best practices for talking to your teen and tween grandchildren as we approach the one-year anniversary of October 7. Explore questions of Israel, antisemitism, Zionism, differing opinions, generational shifts, and more. This event will be interactive and will equip you with new ideas for when and how to start these critical conversations. We will also provide you with a written guide with key takeaways and conversation prompts.
REGISTER HERE

Talkback for Professionals: How Play with Grandchildren Can Bring Out the Sweetness of the High Holidays
2024-09-17 20:00 - 20:30
Join JGN and Sari Kopitnikoff, experiential educator and game creator, to get inspired by the many ways grandparents and grandchildren can bring the High Holidays to life and connect through play.
Following the main webinar, join us for a half-hour talkback with Jewish professionals like you. JGN’s Director of Community Engagement Avery Markel will facilitate a deeper conversation with Sari and you about how to take the activities back to your community:
Learn how to:

Adapt the ideas to strengthen intergenerational families’ home High Holidays celebrations.

Reimagine your early childhood in-class Rosh Hashanah celebration — and ways to involve grandparents in your pre-school program.

REGISTER HERE

How Play with Grandchildren Can Bring Out the Sweetness of the High Holidays
2024-09-17 19:00 - 20:00
This year, bring Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to life through play.
Join Sari Kopitnikoff, an experiential educator and Jewish game designer, as she shares a variety of creative, playful (and virtual-friendly!) activities appropriate for children of all ages. Make the holidays come alive and connect with your grandchildren — whether you are together in person or at a distance.
Please note: This webinar is for adults (to later share the ideas with grandchildren).
REGISTER HERE

Coffee Talk with the Chief Zayde Officer
2024-09-04 13:00 - 14:00
Join David Raphael and the JGN team for an informal meet and greet before Grandparents’ Day! Bring your favorite beverage for a virtual coffee talk. Following a brief update on JGN developments and initiatives, we welcome your thoughts on the kinds of resources and activities you would find most valuable. Bring your questions and suggestions — we want to hear from you!
REGISTER HERE

July 4
2024-07-04
Independence Day (also called July 4) is a federal holiday commemorating the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the United States.

Juneteenth National Independence Day
2024-06-19
Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday commemorating the official ending of slavery in the United States in 1865.

Shavuot
2024-06-12 - 2024-06-13
Shavuot commemorates the Israelites receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after leaving Egypt.
An ancient pilgrimage holiday, Shavuot is also a celebration of the spring harvest.
Traditional communities celebrate Shavuot for two days; liberal communities for one day.

The Power of Grandparent-Grandchild Interactions: Learning from and Teaching Each Other
2024-06-05 19:00 - 20:00
As grandparents, we all want to build deep relationships with our grandchildren. Master educators Dr. Orit Kent and Allison Cook will show us how the traditional model of “havruta” study (learning one-on-one in pairs) can help us achieve exactly that. (Havruta means “friendship” or “companionship” in Aramaic.)
Together we will explore a model for havruta conversations that help uncover the unique potential for grandparents and grandchildren to teach and learn from one another.
Techniques in this workshop will apply to grandchildren ages 4 through teen. They will also be useful for both in-person meet ups and for grandparents who connect with their grandchildren from a distance.
REGISTER HERE

How Grandparents Can Play with Infants and Young Grandchildren
2024-05-15 19:00 - 20:00
It is never too early to start interacting with a baby — in fact, the earlier the better! Research shows us that the earliest years are the most important for brain development and that children learn best through play. Our presenter Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen’s expertise is in creating programs for children from birth to age three that combine play with learning, literacy, and bonding activities.
Join us to learn ways to interact joyfully with your infant and toddler grandchildren in-person and online.
REGISTER HERE

Passover, first day
2024-04-23
Passover (Pesach in Hebrew), one of the most significant and widely celebrated holidays in the Jewish calendar, commemorates the story of the Israelites’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt to freedom.
Traditionally, Passover is celebrated for eight days; liberal Jews celebrate for seven.

Passover, first seder
2024-04-22
Passover, the Festival of Freedom, begins tonight with the first seder.
Grandparents and families can enjoy a fun-filled and easy-to-follow Passover Discovery Kit available to download from the Jewish Grandparents Network website. This interactive guide is designed especially for grandparents and grandchildren (ages 3–8) to use together — either in person or at a distance.
The kit offers ideas and activities to bring Passover to life through play, imagination, and hands-on discovery.
Download the free Passover Discovery Kit (Just enter your email.)

Welcome to the Seder: Grandparents' Role in Embracing ALL Family Members at Passover
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:15
For many families, the Passover seder is the ultimate annual Jewish family ritual. Grandparents are often the hosts and leaders of the family seder. How can grandparents welcome all participants, in all their diversity, at the seder so that all feel comfortable and enriched?
Join JGN and 18Doors to discover how you can take the lead in welcoming and embracing family members and other guests of different faiths and cultures to create a joyful, engaging experience for all participants. Rabbi Jessica Lowenthal will share practical ideas so that this year’s seder celebrates the Exodus and freedom in a way that resonates for all.
Note: This session assumes families already know how to run a seder. It is not a Passover how-to. The purpose is to enhance families’ existing seder traditions.
You will leave with ideas to validate, support, and respect all the ways families can make personal meaning of Passover. We invite your participation in the session and encourage you to send your questions in advance to Terry Kaye: te***@***********************rk.org
REGISTER HERE

Why the Jews? Understanding Antisemitism
2024-03-27 19:00 - 20:00
Wednesday, March 27 AND Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 7:00–8:00 pm ET
Recently, grandparents have asked JGN how to understand and address antisemitism with their grandchildren. In this two-part series, grandparents will experience a multimedia introduction to the roots of antisemitism from the development of Christian anti-Judaism to modern antisemitism. We invite you to include your own children and grandchildren ages 15+.
The workshop, led by educator and historian Brendan Murphy, will take place on Zoom over two meetings, each session for one hour. There is no fee to attend. After you register, you are welcome to share the Zoom link with your own family.
Learning the history of antisemitism is crucial for promoting tolerance, preventing discrimination, and fostering a society that values diversity and human rights. It allows us to learn from the mistakes of the past and work towards building a more inclusive and equitable future.
REGISTER HERE

Purim
2024-03-24
Purim is a joyous one-day holiday (begins the evening of Saturday, March 23, 2024) that celebrates Jewish survival.
Customs include reading Megillat Esther, dressing up in costume, giving gifts of food, and giving to those in need.

How to Communicate in Writing with Grandchildren
2024-03-05 19:00 - 20:00
Every time grandparents communicate with grandchildren — especially in writing — they teach something about themselves, their values, and their view of the world. Words to grandchildren have the power to soothe and stroke, influence and inspire, and move to action.
Aviva Black, founder of Family Love Letters, will share ways to capture our feelings for our grandchildren on paper, preserve memories for future generations, and connect with grandchildren through easy-access writing — postcards, birthday cards, e-greetings, even notes in school lunch boxes.
This session is ideal if you:

Think you are not a good writer yet want to send a deeper message to your grandchild than printed greeting cards.
Wish you could write heartfelt messages that your grandkids will relate to and cherish.
Want to chronicle how you feel about your grandchildren and the time you spend with them.
Together we will practice a few short writing exercises.

REGISTER HERE

Finding Ways to Reconnect with Estranged Children and Grandchildren
2024-02-06 19:00 - 20:00
It is never easy to reopen a connection with estranged children and grandchildren. Grandparents struggle daily to know what to say or write in an email or a text to their children and grandchildren to repair the relationship.
Conscious Communication is the key technique Dr. Sue Cornbluth teaches her clients to help them reconnect with their loved ones. Conscious communication means choosing to listen with understanding and not defensiveness. In this webinar, Dr. Sue will share with us her breakthrough communication techniques for beginning the process of reconnecting with your estranged children and grandchildren.
This presentation is for anyone who has grandchildren ranging in age from toddler to adulthood.
REGISTER HERE
We invite you to send your questions in advance to Terry Kaye, te***@***********************rk.org
This event is presented by the Jewish Grandparents Academy in partnership with Grandparents Academy. Learn more about Grandparents Academy: https://www.grandparentsacademy.com/

How to Bring Shabbat to Life with Grandchildren
2024-01-16 19:00 - 20:00
Join us for a fun hands-on workshop with master Jewish educator and theater artist Jonathan Shmidt Chapman who will present a range of activities that use creativity, drama, and play to activate the weekly celebration of Shabbat with children ages 3–8.
Grandparents and families will enjoy Jonathan’s brand-new and easy-to-follow Shabbat Discovery Kit, available to download for free from the Jewish Grandparents Network website. We will send participants the link to download the kit by January 5, 2024.
We will include resources on how to use the provided activities through FaceTime or Zoom for grandparents who live at a distance.
FOR PROFESSIONALS:
Following this main event, we invite Jewish professionals to stay on for a half-hour talkback.
JGN’s Director of Community Engagement Avery Markel will facilitate a deeper conversation about how to take these activities back to your community, such as:

Adapting the experiences to strengthen intergenerational families’ home Shabbat celebration.
Reimagining your early childhood in-class Shabbat celebration.
Creating a more inclusive and well-attended Tot Shabbat.

REGISTER HERE

New Year’s Day
2024-01-01

Christmas
2023-12-25
Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik.

Hanukkah Celebration with Grandparents and Grandchildren in the US and Israel
2023-12-10 11:00 - 12:00
Featuring Israeli artist Hanoch Piven
Hosted by: The Jewish Agency for Israel, Global Partnership2Gether Network and the Jewish Grandparents Network
Join grandparents, grandchildren, and family members in Israel and across North America for a joyful Hanukkah gathering.

Welcome by Doron Almog, Chairman, the Jewish Agency.
Lighting the 4th Hanukkah candle, joining together in a prayer for peace, and singing Hanukkah songs with US musician Naomi Less.
A creative art activity with acclaimed Israeli artist Hanoch Piven focusing on heroes in our lives.

REGISTER HERE

Hanukkah (light first candle evening Dec 7)
2023-12-08 - 2023-12-15
Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights, is celebrated for eight days.
We light hanukkiyot (Hanukkah menorahs), spin dreidels, eat latkes, and often celebrate with family and friends.
Explore more about Hanukkah here.
Enjoy JGN’s Hanukkah Discovery Kit.
Art by Deborah Zemke

Hanukkah 1st candle
2023-12-07
