Community Events
Please note that the events listed here are hosted by our community partners and are not sponsored by Temple Israel unless noted.
We encourage you to reach out directly to the event organizers with any questions.
Lisa Gutkin Klezmer Band with Ahmed Yusuf & Araa Ensemble
Saturday, May 31, 7:30 - 10:00 p.m.; Doors 7:00 p.m., Music 7:30 p.m.
The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge, 3010 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis
Tickets presale, $19.51
Lisa Gutkin has crafted a courageously varied artistic career by bringing an instantly relatable style to audiences through her theater, music, and storytelling. A masterful Grammy Award-winning violinist, singer/songwriter, actor, and composer, Lisa has an uncanny way of taking those audiences with her wherever she goes.
Recognized for her work as violinist and vocalist for the ground breaking Jewish Roots band The Klezmatics and as fiddler for the “Downtown” Celtic band Whirligig, Lisa is also known for her scoring, performance, and music direction in the two time Tony award-winning play, Indecent. She had an on-screen cameo and compositions featured in Sex and the City; has performed in Sting’s Broadway musical The Last Ship; and her song Gonna Get Through This World – with words by Woody Guthrie – was hailed by Pete Seeger as “a piece of genius”. Lisa’s playing and stories are fun and poignant, and her voice has been praised by the LA Times as “hauntingly emotional.”
Eventbrite (Buy Tickets): https://LisaGutkinKlezmer-AhmedYusuf.eventbrite.com
Hook Website Event: https://thehookmpls.com/event/lisagutkinklezmer-ahmedyusuf/
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/4092736487627366
Powerful Tools for Caregivers: Adults with Chronic Illness
Wednesdays, July 9 - August 13, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Lenox Community Center, 6715 Minnetonka Boulevard, Saint Louis Park
Click here for more information and to register
There is a $15 charge to participate. No one will be turned away due to inability to pay. Limited to 10 participants.
JFCS, in partnership with Lenox Community Center’s Senior Program, hosts this six-week class.
If you have picked up a prescription, brought over dinner, given a ride to the doctor, taken care of an errand or made decisions big or small on behalf of a senior, you are a caregiver. The class is designed to provide you with a wealth of self-care tools that will help you take care of yourself while taking care of others. You will learn to reduce stress, improve your self-confidence, bring more balance to your life, better communicate your feelings, and increase your ability to make tough decisions. The class is open to people from the Jewish and broader community.
Minneapolis Jewish Federation: Traveling Exhibit on Kfar Aza
September 2025
Barry Family Campus, 4330 Cedar Lake Road South, Minneapolis
MJF will be hosting a traveling exhibit about Kfar Aza at the Barry Family Campus for approximately two to three weeks. The exhibit will be at MJF on October 7th and aims to provide a poignant reflection on the community and its experiences.
MJF provides this advance notice to avoid any scheduling conflicts and to invite interested parties to collaborate if and where there is an interest.
If you have any questions or would like more information about these programs, please do not hesitate to reach out to Eilat Harel at eharel@jewishminneapolis.org.
Minneapolis Jewish Federation: Visit from Kibbutz Holit Members
October 5-12, 2025
Barry Family Campus, 4330 Cedar Lake Road South, Minneapolis
MJF will be welcoming and hosting two members from Kibbutz Holit, who will be visiting us from October 5th to October 12th. Their presence offers a unique opportunity for dialogue and connection.
MJF provides this advance notice to avoid any scheduling conflicts and to invite interested parties to collaborate if and where there is an interest.
If you have any questions or would like more information about these programs, please do not hesitate to reach out to Eilat Harel at eharel@jewishminneapolis.org.
Temple Israel's Social Justice Projects and Partner Organizations
Second Sundays, 4:15-6:15 p.m.
Temple Israel Housing Group is looking for volunteers to help our community partner Align Minneapolis. Welcome guests and serve a community meal for our low-income and unhoused neighbors.
This takes place the second Sunday of each month from 4:15-6:15 p.m. Find more information here and contact Rabbi Ricky Kamil to sign up.
Jewish Youth Mentoring Program
Jewish Family and Children's Service (JFCS)
Ongoing
The Jewish Youth Mentoring Program (formerly the Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister Program), is a community-based mentoring program for Jewish-identified youth that is designed to promote positive social-emotional-spiritual development and increase engagement in the Jewish community. Since the program’s inception in 1975, it has matched over 400 Jewish youth with mentors.
The program is open to all families! Anyone can benefit from a personal, one-on-one connection with someone who is giving their undivided attention to them.
Participants are matched with carefully screened and selected volunteer mentors based on family preferences, age, gender identity, common interests, geographic proximity and more. Common match activities include visiting libraries or bookstores; arts and crafts; baking; exploring local parks; playing sports; going to museums; playing board games; and attending community events. Mentees are aged 6-12 and mentors are 16 and up, with a valid driver’s license
For questions, contact Dori Gelfman, Jewish Youth Mentoring Program Coordinator, at dgelfman@jfcsmpls.org or 952-542-4835.
The Chai – light Chorus
Ongoing
The chorale is actively recruiting new members! We’ve been in existence since 2000, having produced over 35 productions. We celebrate the joy of vocal performance without taking it too seriously. Anyone age 60 and above is eligible, and there’s absolutely no program fee — a musical “free for all!” Our weekly rehearsals are during the day. For more information, contact Mark Bloom via email at mark.bloomtru2life@gmail.com or by phone at 612-270–1705.
Free Modern Hebrew Language Courses for High School Students and Senior Citizens
University of Minnesota
Ongoing, Virtual
Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Modern Hebrew Language courses are available for free at the University of Minnesota to high school students enrolled at the university through the PSEO program, and to senior citizens ages 62+ auditing courses through the university's Senior Citizen Education Program.
Taught over Zoom by Israeli-born professor, Dr. Renana Schneller, the courses focus on reading, writing, understanding and speaking Hebrew. Contact Dr. Schneller for more information and placement at schne068@umn.edu. For more information, contact Temple member Jeri Glick-Anderson at jerianders@gmail.com.