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 + Ideasโlive in the theater and onlineโwith 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.
Our seasonโs 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>>
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 BoxOffice@sjcc.org.
Arts + Ideas Featured Events
Oct
1
CHEF TALK + TASTING | “Honey & Co. Daily” Cookbook
7:00 pm
UK-based Israeli chefs and married restaurateurs Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich of Honey & Co. are known for serving up delicious Middle Eastern food from the friendliest team in town at their ever-evolving family of restaurants in Central Lon...
Oct
11
Humans of October 7th: Israeli Photojournalist Exhibit + Presentation
4:30 pm
Join us for an evening with acclaimed Israeli artist and photojournalist Erez Kaganovitz, creator of the powerful exhibition Humans of October 7th. SJCC will exhibit select photos in the J Cafรฉ before the event: on display Sept 1- Oct 11. Israeli ar...
Oct
12
EXHIBIT | HYPHEN: Graphic Novels of Jewish Diversity
Explore Jewish diversity through "HYPHEN: Jewish Stories in Our Own Words," a graphic novel exhibit featuring stories of identity, immigration and belonging. Join graphic novelist and co-creator Julian Voloj on Nov. 1 for a special reception and conv...
Oct
18
FILM | Cinema Song Circle: A JOURNEY OF SPIRIT
4:00 pm
Join the Cinema Song Circle, a special event of participatory singing celebrating Debbie Friedmanโs music led by Chava Mirel followed by a screening of Ann Coppel's documentary, A JOURNEY OF SPIRIT. A JOURNEY OF SPIRIT (2004) is a wonderfully vibra...
Nov
1
EXHIBIT+SPEAKER | HYPHEN: Graphic Novels of Jewish Diversity
1:00 pm
Explore Jewish diversity through HYPHEN: Jewish Stories in Our Own Words, a graphic novel exhibit featuring stories of identity, immigration and belonging. Join co-creator Julian Voloj on Nov. 1 for a special reception and conversation. The vibrant n...
Nov
7
COMEDY | Moms Unhinged Standup Comedy Show + Cocktails
7:00 pm
Moms Unhinged has been selling out shows all over the country and is coming to the J for a special performance This "hysterical" lineup of (unhinged a.k.a. meshuggeneh) mom comedians explore everything from motherhood to midlife crises, marriage, div...
Nov
21
MUSIC | Jewish Country Music Artist: Joe Buchanan + The Family Band
7:00 pm
Jewish country music artist Joe Buchanan and his band deliver a boot-stomping, backyard boogying joyous evening of country ballads, connection, healing and celebration. Featuring line dancing with Seattleโs Boot Boogie Babes. Jewish Country Music: ...
Dec
5
EXHIBIT | Author/Photographer Lloyd Wolf, “A Joyful Noise: Klezmer in Motion”
โLloyd Wolf is a warrior. For justice, for memory, for a better world, for tikkun olam. His weapon is a camera." - Frank London, The Klezmatics "Lloydโโฆ photographs sing with as lively a tune as any clarinetist or violinist, digging deep into t...
Dec
5
MUSIC | The Klezmatics: Hanukkah & 40th Anniversary Celebration
7:00 pm
"The Klezmatics arenโt just the best band in the klezmer vanguard; on a good night, they can rank among the greatest bands on the planet." - Time Out New York Join us for a Hanukkah concert celebrating the Grammy-winning Yiddish band and klezmer su...
Dec
6
HANUKKAH FAMILY SHOW | Mark Nizer 4D Juggling + Laser Show
1:30 pm
On Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, we light menorah candles with a helper candle (called the shamash) and commemorate the brave Maccabees and how a single flask of oil miraculously kept the Temple lamp burning for eight days. Laser light also does ...
Dec
13
EXHIBIT+SPEAKER | Author/Photographer Lloyd Wolf, “A Joyful Noise: Klezmer in Motion”
2:00 pm
โLloyd Wolf is a warrior. For justice, for memory, for a better world, for tikkun olam. His weapon is a camera." - Frank London, The Klezmatics "Lloydโโฆ photographs sing with as lively a tune as any clarinetist or violinist, digging deep into t...
Dec
15
SJCC Book Club: โEnormous Wingsโ + Author Laurie Frankel
6:30 pm
Our December Book Club pick is โEnormous Wings,โ the latest book by New York Times bestselling Seattle author Laurie Frankel. At seventy-seven, Pepper Mills is starting over in a retirement community in Austin when she receives astonishing news: ...
Jan
21
CHEF TALK + TASTING | PBS star Pati Jinich, “Foods of La Frontera” Cookbook Event
7:00 pm
Fresh off โฏwinning โฏtwo 2026 James Beard Media Awards forโฏher longtime PBS TV shows "Patiโs Mexican Table" and "La Frontera with Pati Jinich," her induction into the Broadcast Media Hall of Fame and two Daytime Emmy nominations, chef, TV host...
Jan
31
MUSIC | “Different Ships, Same Boat,” a Jazz/Slam Poet Musical Journey
2:00 pm
โDifferent Ships, Same Boat is the epitome of a musical experienceโone where the beauty of the music envelopes you, and welcomes you into the narrative. Itโs a unique and beautiful approach to understanding perspectives beyond your own, somethi...
Feb
7
FILM TRIVIA | MovieCat Trivia: Presented by Seattle Jewish Film Festival
4:00 pm
Welcome to MovieCat Trivia, a multimedia movie explosion. Celebrate your cinephile knowledge of movies and pop culture! Hosted by the cheeky, playful pairing of board-game designer Jessica Aceti and her bestie, Rachel Belle, host of Cascade PBSโs โ...
Mar
27
AUTHOR + CONCERT | Indie Musician Alicia Jo Rabinsโ Spiritual Memoir
7:30 pm
โWhat does it mean to receive an ancient tradition and make it our own?"โAlicia Jo Rabins Alicia Jo Rabinsโwriter, indie-folk musician, performer, filmmaker and Torah teacherโcombines words, music, ritual and performance to create works of ex...
Apr
1
EXHIBIT | Michael Shapiro, “Ketubah Renaissance”
"'Ketubah Renaissance is a gorgeous testament to the creative, aesthetic, and spiritual health of Jewish life in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century" - Anita Diamont Illuminating the contemporary revival and novel designs of the Jewish ...
Apr
1
AUTHOR | Roberta Kwall, “Polarized: Why American Jews are Divided and What to Do About It”
7:00 pm
Law professor and "Jewish Journal" columnist Roberta Kwall's "Polarized" (named a top ten read by โPublisherโs Weeklyโ) offers a multidisciplinary examination of major divides within the American Jewish community prior to, and in the wake of, t...
Apr
11
FILM | CineBeliefs: SPIRITED AWAY + Interfaith Discussion
3:00 pm
Screen Hayao Miyazakiโs classic SPIRITED AWAY and explore the film's Shinto-Buddhist foundation, with Jewish, Christian and Shinto faith leaders responding to the film's themes. Why CineBeliefs? CineBeliefs is a new year-round film program that wel...
May
5
AUTHOR BOOK CLUB | Elaine Culbertson, “Mamaleh” Memoir
6:30 pm
For Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance), join author Elaine Culbertson for a virtual presentation and intimate book-club-style conversation about her gorgeous memoir, "Mamaleh." Reading in advance recommended but not necessary. In "Mamaleh: A Legaยญc...
May
13
EXHIBIT+SPEAKER | Michael Shapiro, “Ketubah Renaissance”
6:30 pm
"'Ketubah Renaissance is a gorgeous testament to the creative, aesthetic, and spiritual health of Jewish life in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century" - Anita Diamont Illuminating the contemporary revival and novel designs of the Jewish ...
May
23
AUTHOR | Judy Batalion, “The Last Woman of Warsaw”
4:00 pm
โThis captivating novel is exactly what has been missing from so much 'Holocaust fiction.' Batalion gives these extraordinary women...full and profound and contradictory and vibrant worlds.... I loved these brilliant women.โ โDara Horn, author ...
Get the full list of Arts + Ideas events >>
For a list of all arts + culture events, including family movie matinees, and more, take a look at our arts + culture events calendar >>
