Multiracial & Families of Color Havdalah Celebration

Join us for a joyful and inclusive evening for families with Havdalah rituals, crafts, songs, and delicious snacks and desserts. 

Hosted by The Senesh School, Fig Tree, The Neighborhood, and other wonderful community partners, this family-friendly gathering will be a special opportunity for parents and children to join and participate together, share traditions, and uplift the diverse tapestry of Jewish identity.

What to Expect

✨ Havdalah Rituals & Blessings – Experience the beauty of Havdalah as we mark the end of Shabbat in a welcoming, joyful setting with blessings, songs, and the shared light of the candle, led by multiracial, local Jewish spiritual leaders.
🎨 Hands-On Crafts, Cooking & Activities – From interactive arts to cooking demonstrations, there will be plenty of creative stations to explore and enjoy.
🎶 Music, Stories, and Songs – Enjoy music and storytelling from Jewish cultures around the world, celebrating the rich diversity of our Jewish heritage.
🥟Delicious Dumplings & Desserts – Treat yourself to a variety of (kosher) dumplings and tasty treats, specially selected to bring joy to the whole family.

A Celebration of Multicultural Jewish Identity

Inspired by both the Lunar New Year and the beginning of Black History Month, we will gather in a welcoming and joyful space for diverse Jewish families to mark the end of the week, explore their unique cultural histories while also creating space for learning, conversation, and celebration of Jewish experiences. Together, we will explore traditions, share stories, enjoy tasty treats and celebrate the fullness of our identities.

This event is open to all multiracial and Jewish families of color, however your family chooses to define or identify.  Activities are designed for parents and children to participate together.

Come celebrate and connect in a space where all are seen, valued, and celebrated.

We can’t wait to share this beautiful evening with you! 🌙🕯️

Event Basics

What: Multiracial & Families of Color Havdalah Celebration

When: Saturday, February 1, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

Where: The Senesh School, 342 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Cost*: $18 for adults; $10 for children (through Sat Jan 25th); prices increase starting January

Questions? Email Jamie Maxner, Strategic Partnerships & Community Engagement Director, at jmaxner@hannahsenesh.org

Travel Tip: The Senesh School is easily accessible via public transit, located directly above the Carroll Street F/G subway station.

*If cost is an obstacle to your participation in this event, please email jmaxner@hannahsenesh.org.

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

Be'chol Lashon (Hebrew for “in every language”) celebrates and prioritizes diversity as a Jewish value by uplifting the historic and contemporary racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the Jewish people and in doing so, strengthens the entire Jewish community. We offer a variety of opportunities for individuals, families, and organizations to learn about and celebrate Jewish diversity.

Congregation Beth Elohim, fondly known as CBE, offers authentic, meaningful and outside the box Jewish experiences for those in our Brooklyn community and beyond. We are deeply committed to education for all ages, community-building, spiritual life, and social justice. We are inspired to learn about our tradition while we engage with the present and positively impact our future. Our Reform congregation welcomes seekers from all Jewish movements, from other faiths, and at all levels of Jewish experience, including those who are new to our traditions and those who are questioning.

Fig Tree is an independent Jewish education program for children ages 3 – 13. Our mission is to inspire a lifelong love of Judaism in every learner and our diverse and inclusive community warmly welcomes all families.  We believe that accessible Jewish education empowers Jewish families, strengthens Jewish community, and leads to joyful Jewish practice. Our learners explore Jewish culture, values, ritual, holidays, and Hebrew language in a fun, relatable way. In small weekly classes led by experienced teachers, we incorporate elements of art, music, drama, and movement to foster a meaningful learning experience and deepened sense of Jewish identity for each student.  

Flatbush Jewish Center is a warm, welcoming & inclusive Conservative Egalitarian community in Kensington, Brooklyn.

The Greenpoint Shul (Congregation Ahavas Israel) is a welcoming, warm, traditional congregation in waterfront Brooklyn. 

Jewtina y co is a vibrant global community dedicated to celebrating and uplifting the unique histories, identities, and cultures of Latin-Jews.

The LUNAR Collective cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional community programming and authentic digital storytelling.

The Multitudes is founded and led by Rabbi Heather Miller, a professional educator who is passionate about creating embracing and supportive spaces for all of the intersected identities in both the religious and secular parts of her life.  

The Neighborhood: An Urban Center for Jewish Life is an inclusive and welcoming community and cultural hub in Brooklyn. We produce programs to fill gaps, raise up underrepresented perspectives, and welcome the thousands of Brooklynites that have not yet found their Jewish connection point. We have created a welcoming space that reflects the spirit of Brooklyn–future-thinking and deeply historical, iconoclastic and sacred.

The Senesh School is an open and inclusive Jewish day school, where K-8 students from all different backgrounds grow into ever more curious, kind, and confident people. Senesh cultivates intellectual curiosity in a rigorous academic environment that teaches the whole child, guiding our students with Jewish values and challenging them to be agents of change toward a more just world. Together, students, parents, and staff create a welcoming and vibrant home, offering a place of belonging for diverse Jewish families.