Monday, March 2 – MC Susan Taplin

Join us for our annual SAJE Purim Parade of Hats with Master of Ceremonies Susan Taplin. Learn a bit about Purim, this one-of-a-kind Jewish holiday while you don a personally meaningful hat or many hats. Everyone is welcome, whether you wish to observe or search your home and find a hat (or hats) and share a short snippet about your findings. If you can’t join in person, please join via Zoom.

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Thursday, March 5 – Jewish Jeopardy with Carly Hecht

Teaming up for chances to compete in the Jewish Jeopardy Challenge. Join a team and answer questions like the  favorite quiz show, this time on topics that will test your Jewish knowledge. It's a fun time for all. Celebrity Host of CSR Jewish Jeopardy is our own Carly Hecht

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Monday, March 9 – Vedat Gashi

Please welcome Vedat Gashi - Westchester County Legislator and current Chairman of the Board of Legislators, representing District 4 (Yorktown, Somers, New Castle, and part of Ossining). Re-elected in 2025, he focuses on Infrastructure improvements, environmental initiatives, and gun violence prevention. Chairman Gashi has been involved in significant county issues, including reviewing the 2026 operating budget and promoting environmental sustainability.

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Thursday, March 12 – Barbara B. Stern

Facing Fear with Confidence: Overcoming Common Worries is the subject of a presentation by Barbara B. Stern from Family Services of Westchester. Worry is a natural part of life, but it doesn’t have to hold you back. This encouraging and informative session offers practical tools for overcoming common fears in older adulthood. Whether it’s concerns about health, independence, or finances, you’ll learn ways to feel more in control, supported, and confident in daily life.

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Monday, March 16 – Josh Nathan

Mayor of Rye, Josh Nathan, will bring us updates and insights about the City of Rye and the broader Rye community. Elected Mayor of the City of Rye on November 4, 2025, Josh has served on the Rye City Council since December 2021. He was an appointee to the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery NYRCR Program Planning Committee for Rye, which operated from 2012 to 2014. From 2003 to 2012, Josh served on the Rye City Board of Education, including three terms as president. Josh has coached Rye Little League and Rye Youth Soccer and served as a practice interviewer for Rye High School students and as a career panelist for the Rye Youth Council’s Career GPS. He is a graduate of Vassar College and Cornell Law School. As an attorney, he represents, nonprofits, small businesses, and professionals in media and the arts. Previously, he worked in “big law” and served as general counsel to WNET New York Public Media. He’s also worked as an executive producer, winning two Emmy Awards. Josh has lived in Rye with his wife and son since 2000.

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Thursday, March 19 – Rye Historical Society

Historians from the Rye Historical Society will deliver a captivating program on the history of our community dating back to 1730.Their aim is to spark curiosity, explore diverse historical narratives, and honor those who have shaped our community and nation.

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Monday, March 23 – Neil Fredman

Join Neil, a CSR member and musician in the CSR tefillah band, as he shares personal tales of a music history.

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Thursday, March 26 – Book Club with Barb Tankel

Book Club: The Boy from North Country by Sam Sussman

A son returns home to his dying mother and discovers not only the shocking identity of the absent father he’d always wondered about, but a woman whose life he never truly understood. When 26-year-old Evan Klausner is suddenly called home to the secluded farmhouse where he was raised alone by his mother June, there is so much he does not yet know; the fact that his mother is dying, whether his biological father might really be Bob Dylan, the secrets of his mother’s life before he was born and what really drove her to this remote place where he was brought up to believe in the healing, cathartic power of stories and, above all, of love.

Sam Sussman writes one of the most tender and devastating mother-son relationships of our era. Directly inspired by the author’s own uncertain celebrity paternity, Boy from the North Country is a bildungsroman of stellar proportions.

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Monday March 30 – Andi Hessekiel

Sharing more of our stories with Andi Hessekiel. A freelance writer, writing coach, and CSR member, Andi has led sessions for SAJE each year for over a decade, by using simple prompts that jog your memory and guide you to write about your life. Andi’s warm feedback helps us get in touch with the writer that lives inside of us, and stories shared stimulate great conversation among us. This session is open to anyone who cares to join us–as a listener or as a storyteller.

 

This month’s prompt: This song always reminds me of.... ....…..

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COMING SOON

Stroke Prevention: Simple steps to protect your brain
"Stroke remains a leading cause of disability and death, but many strokes are preventable. Learn how strokes happen, who is at risk, and what you can do to prevent one. This talk is designed to empower yourself with knowledge and give you everyday tools to stay healthy."

 

Dr. Rory Siegel is a brain injury physician at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and Burke Rehabilitation Outpatient Physician Practice. He is also an assistant professor at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His expertise includes brain injury medicine, concussion management, stroke medicine, and spasticity management, in addition to general physical medicine and rehabilitation services. Dr. Siegel is passionate about treating his patients that have suffered a life-altering brain injury. He values patient care and individualizing his treatment plans to best optimize his patients’ rehabilitation journey.

 

Dr. Maldonado is a physician who completed residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and is currently pursuing advanced subspecialty training as a Brain Injury Medicine Fellow at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital. Her clinical and academic interests include neurorehabilitation and specifically optimizing functional recovery in patients with brain injuries. Dr. Maldonado is passionate about partnering with patients and caregivers, providing education, and supporting them throughout the rehabilitation process.