Something for everyone in our online community calendar

We have so much going on in our Jewish community. The programming is robust and innovative.

Health and fitness. Wellness. Learning. Jewish-focused themes. Arts. Books. Children and teens. Seniors.

From community organizations and universities to synagogues and day schools, there really is something for everyone in the Rhode Island Jewish community.

For example, on Tuesday, Oct. 10, I can hear author Julie Gerstenblatt speak about her new book, “Daughters of Nantucket,” at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence. Earlier that day, I might be found rocking with my granddaughters at Rock-a-Baby, a music class for babies in toddlers held at the JCC and in other places around Rhode Island. On Wednesday, Dr. Benny Bar-Levi is giving a lecture at Providence College. Did you know that he’s the school’s inaugural scholar-in-residence in Jewish Studies and Jewish-Christian Relations?

On Thursday, there’s a teen night at Temple Beth-El, in Providence. And, on Friday, there are a number of Shabbat services to choose from.

You don’t even have to show up in person anymore. One of the very few benefits of the COVID-19 pandemic is the wide variety of online programming that remains available for those who cannot attend or do not want to be out in crowds.

I admit to taking advantage of some of these online options. But honestly, after the initial panic at being in a crowded room, isn’t it nice to interact with others? Isn’t it nice to attend a program with speakers and maybe get a chance to see a few people you haven’t seen in a while? It’s also nice to know that if you aren’t feeling well or you have a cough or sniffles, you can still take advantage of many programs online.

Lifelong learning is an integral part of Judaism. You have to be ready to learn. And we offer you some of the tools to find your next opportunity to learn.

Did you know that Jewish Rhode Island has an online community calendar? The events I listed above are all in the community calendar. We encourage everyone in the community to list events, classes and programs in the calendar that would be of interest to other members of the Jewish community.

It’s a simple process that you can find at JewishRhody.org: just go to the calendar button at the top and follow the instructions. If you have a problem, let us know and we’ll help. And if you are looking for something to do, take a look at the calendar, also at JewishRhody.org.

We hope more and more community listings will appear in the calendar and it can be an even greater resource for the greater Rhode Island Jewish community.

Each month, we list a few of the events in our print newspaper. But we can’t list them all, so the online calendar is a real resource. Please encourage the organizations you are involved in to post their events in this calendar. And let me know if you have any suggestions to make it a better resource for all.

As always, I’m available at editor@jewishallianceri.org, and I welcome your suggestions and ideas.

Fran Ostendorf

Editor