Arts + Ideas

At the center of Jewish life in greater Seattle, the SJCC offers a rich mix of engaging Arts + Ideas programs.

The SJCC is thrilled to bring you another amazing season of Arts + Ideas—live in the theater and online—with the Seattle Jewish Film Festival, and our Chew on This! speaker series featuring authors, chefs, and thought leaders to feed your mind, soul, and palate.

This year, Chew on This! also includes Roots + Resilience, a special series of programs created to “meet the moment.” Through conversations and interactive workshops, this series explores how Jewish family, faith, spirit, cultural practices, and traditions can ground and sustain us in today’s fraught and divisive times.

Our season’s artists and speakers will make you laugh, cry, see things from new perspectives, spark thought provoking conversations, and connect with your community.

You can download the Art + Ideas brochure here>>

Roots + Resilience

SJCC programs connecting Jewish culture and traditions to build resilience, strength + hope. More >>

Chew on This Series

Hear from thought leaders and speakers from around the world. Authors share their latest books, film directors go behind the scenes of their movies, experts sound off on engaging panel discussions, and more. More>>

Seattle Jewish Film Festival

The Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF) is one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the Pacific Northwest and one of the largest Jewish film festivals in the country. More>>

For ticket sales help and questions about the lineup, contact BoxOffice@sjcc.org. For artist and sponsorship inquiries, contact Director of SJCC Arts+Ideas and Festivals Pamela Lavitt at PamelaL@sjcc.org.

Arts + Ideas Featured Events

Jan
6
Exhibit: Karen Treiger “Standing on the Crack”
Seattle native, Karen Treiger's second book "Standing on the Crack" and companion exhibit dive into the rich history of five Jewish families (including her own) who shaped Seattle's early years and retail culture.
More Info
Jan
11
Local Author + Exhibit: Karen Treiger “Standing on the Crack”
2:00 pm
Seattle native, Karen Treiger's second book "Standing on the Crack" and companion exhibit dive into the rich history of five Jewish families (including her own) who shaped Seattle's early years and retail culture.
More Info
Jan
24
MUSIC | Tamar Ilana & Ventanas in Concert
7:00 pm
The enchanting, powerhouse vocalist and flamenco dancer Tamar Ilana reimagines and fuses Sephardic songs, Mediterranean melodies + flamenco ballads with her Toronto-based Ventanas band. Join us for a lively evening of global pop fusion, song and flamenco dance for their Seattle debut!
More Info
Feb
7
CHEF| Rachel Simons, “Sesame” Cookbook + Tasting
7:00 pm
Seed & Mill founder and co-owner Rachel Simons discusses her debut cookbook "Sesame: Global Recipes + Stories of An Ancient Seed" that showcases 80 unique creations including those from friends Yotam Ottolenghi and Molly Yeh.
More Info
Mar
8
Chef Beejhy Barhany “Gursha” Cookbook + Tasting
4:00 pm
"Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond” is the debut cookbook of Ethiopian Israeli chef and restaurateur Beejhy Barhany.
More Info
May
14
Shane Burley + Ben Lorber, Building “Safety Through Solidarity”
7:00 pm
How can we stand in solidarity to fight for justice, forge coalitions, and build true safety for all? Two activist journalists discuss their progressive guide for combatting antisemitism beyond polarization.
More Info
May
17
Shaily Lipa, “Yassou” Cookbook
4:00 pm
One of Israel's bestselling cookbook authors + TV food personalities. . Shaily Lipa's new cookbook "Yassou: The Simple, Seasonal Mediterranean Cooking of Greece" offers a gateway to her Greek Sephardic heritage.
More Info
Jun
6
Comedian Jon Fisch
8:00 pm
Comedian Jon Fisch is a regular at Gotham Comedy Club and The Comedy Cellar in NYC and is one of a handful of comedians who have appeared on both The Late Show with David Letterman and Stephen Colbert.
More Info

Get the full list of Arts + Ideas events >>

For a list of all arts + culture events, including our new J Culture Club events, family movie matinees, and more, take a look at our arts + culture events calendar >>