Festival | Summer Thursday: Games, Exhibitions, Music, Food

Grab a drink and experience live music, mah jongg lessons, exhibition tours, and more while enjoying incredible views of New York Harbor.

Full Schedule:

5:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 7:00 PM Mah Jongg Lessons with Linda Feinstein
Learn how to play mah jongg with Manhattan Mah Jongg teacher Linda Feinstein. You will learn the basics of the game in a small group.

5:30 PM and 6:15 PM Object Tour with Grace Rosenberg, the Museum's Curatorial Research Assistant
This tour will focus on two stones the donor Norbert Strauss recovered from two synagogues in Frankfurt, burned on Kristallnacht. Stored in a film can, these stones reflect the transformation of the synagogues from physical structures, to structures of memory. Contextualize these stones by reviewing the history of Kristallnacht and that of the Strauss family, including Norbert's father's attempted escape via the St. Louis. While you will focus on these stones, visitors will be referred to related objects that may be of interest, and that share very different experiences of the Holocaust.

6:00 PM and 7:00 PM Women from Nowhere: Rediscovering Lost Citizenship in 20th Century America with Caitlin Hollander Waas
In this lecture, Caitlin Hollander Waas, a professional genealogist from the Kalikow Genealogy Center at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, explores a little-known chapter of American history. Focusing on cases of American women who lost their citizenship upon marriage to non-citizens, Hollander Waas delves into these little-known discriminatory laws of the early 20th century. The lecture examines the eventual legal reforms that allowed these women to regain their nationality, offering insights into genealogical research and broader implications of gender and immigration policies.

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Musical Performance by Chi Westfelt Trio
Chi Westfelt Trio is a jazz group which were formed while studying together at the prestigious jazz program at The New School. The group consists of Chi Westfelt on vocals, Noam Avnon on piano, and Michael Gilbert on bass. The band explores the roots of the black American music, different kinds of world music and presents a more contemporary style within jazz. They are taking inspiration from the Great American Songbook, Brazilian songs, and bebop music. The trio is influenced by their heroes such as Carmen Mcrae, Ahmad Jamal, and Wayne Shorter among others.

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Craft Making
Come make friendship bracelets and color in a Hamsa!

Jewish and Russian fare will be served throughout the night.