New Beginnings Program Descriptions & Schedule

 

 Note: Manicures are on hiatus. There will be no Meditation Group from Nov 11th through Jan 24th.

 

 

Monday, November 4th, at 10:00 AM

Workshop: Funeral Planning

Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask!  A simple guide to funeral planning, this workshop provides practical and emotional support, helping people feel more prepared and informed about this essential life event. Presenters: Stephanie Garry, Executive Vice President of Communal Partnerships at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, and Anthony Caratozzolo, LFD, Certified Pre-Plan Director.

 

Tuesdays, November 5th and 19th, at 9:00 AM

Chair Aerobics with Stuart

 

 

Thursday, November 7th, at 10:00 AM

Returning Program:  Watercolor Painting with Dmitriy Moshkovich

THIS CLASS IS FULL. This Y-sponsored Class for older adults will run for twelve weeks, starting Thursday, November 7th, and ending on Thursday, January 30th, 2025. Unlike NYC Aging-sponsored programs there is a fee for this class ($120), but the full cost has been offset by a generous New Beginnings member donation.    

 

 

Friday, November 8th, at 10:00 AM 

Nutrition Lecture: Exploring Vegan Nutrition 

This workshop provides a well-rounded understanding of vegan nutrition, focusing on evidenced-based benefits, easy food swaps, and strategies to ensure balanced, nutritious meals. Participants will leave with practical knowledge they can apply to improve their health through a plant-based diet. Facilitated by Samantha Podob MS, RD, CDN.

 

 

Friday, November 8th, at 10:00 AM 

Shopping Trip to Walmart

The van leaves the Y at 10:00 am and returns at 2:00 pm. $15 includes round-trip transportation and a bagged lunch. Sign up with Grethel by Tuesday, November 5th, 2024. Please arrive at the Center 15 minutes prior to departure.

 

Monday, November 11th, at 1:00pm

Veterans Day

Today we will honor our veterans and American Flags will be respectfully retired at a special Veterans Day Ceremony.

 

 

Wednesday, November 13th, at 10:00 AM 

Shopping Trip to Walmart

The van leaves the Y at 10:00 am and returns at 2:00 pm. $15 includes round-trip transportation and a bagged lunch. Sign up with Grethel by Monday, November 11th, 2024. Please arrive at the Center 15 minutes prior to departure. 

 

 

Thursday, November 14th, at 9:30 AM 

Volunteer Appreciation Brunch

Current volunteers are invited to join us for bagels and fresh fruit while celebrating you—the incredible volunteers who are the heart and hands of our community. Please contact Alexandra Nyashina at anyashina@riverdaley.org or 347-913-4396  to confirm your attendance by Monday, November 11th, 2024.

 

 

Friday, November 15th, at 10:00 AM 

Nutrition Lecture: Blood Sugar Management

Join Registered Dietitian, Tamar Elkin, MS, RDN, CDN, as we learn about blood sugar management through food and lifestyle and how it relates to our overall health. Important for preventing and managing Type2 Diabetes and Pre-diabetes. 

 

 

Friday, November 15th, at 10:00 AM

Shopping Trip: Trader Joe’s, H-Mart and Marshalls in Hartsdale

Join us for a shopping trip to Trader Joe’s, H-Mart and/or Marshalls in Hartsdale. Browse and shop where you want. Purchases can be stored in the van as you shop. The van leaves the Y at 10:00 am and returns at 2:00 pm. $12.00 includes a bagged lunch and round-trip transportation.  Sign up with Grethel by Monday, November 11th. Please arrive at the Center 15 minutes prior to departure. 

 

 

Monday, November 18th, at 10:00 AM 

Lecture: Frankenstein & Mary Shelley – The Book, The Myth, The Movie

“It was a dreary night in November” is the actual first sentence of the famous novel of Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley in 1816. Ron Mack covers all cinematic and historical aspects of the movie Frankenstein, the actor Boris Karloff and the book Frankenstein in his lecture/presentation. Ron is also the largest collector of Frankenstein memorabilia on the East Coast and will bring in some of his collection to discuss and show the audience.

 

 

Tuesday, November 19th, at 11:30 AM 

Happy November Birthday!  Entertainment at 1:15 PM

Enjoy a special lunch and stay for entertainment and dancing with Juan Ortega, on Keyboards. Tickets are a suggested contribution of $3.50 in advance or $4.50 the day of the event.  Please be sure to purchase yours early to secure a seat. 

 

Wednesday, November 20th, at 1:30 PM

Mobile Food Pantry 

Pick up food from The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty’s Mobile Food Pantry.  To register, please contact Shira Silverman at (718) 548-8200 ext 250 or via email at ssilverman@riverdaley.org You will be asked to sign an attestation for income eligibility each time you pick up food from the pantry. If you’re already registered, you can simply show up.

 

 

Thursday, November 21st, from 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Jewelry Sale 

Have jewelry that you no longer use and don’t know what to do with? Donate it to New Beginnings and it will be transformed into new programming!  A team of volunteers, led by Advisory Council President Loyda Camacho, are collecting jewelry from members which they will sell at our upcoming fundraising event. The proceeds from this sale will support classes, events and trips that are not covered by NYC Aging. Please bring your donations to the Meal Desk before Monday, November 11th, 2024.

 

 

Thursday, November 21st, at 10:00 AM

The New York Botanical Gardens Train Show

Join us as we visit the New York Botanical Gardens Train Show. The fee is $40.00, which includes entrance tickets, lunch and round-trip transportation. Registration is first come, first served, and space is limited. Registration with Grethel opens on Friday, November 1st. Please arrive at the Y 15 minutes prior to departure.

 

 

Thursday, November 21st, at 10:00 AM

Workshop: The Basics of Medicare

This informative workshop will provide you with information on important Medicare basics, including terminology, enrollment periods, plan types, and cost assistance. Sponsored by Senior Services of North America (SSNA).

 

 

Monday, November 25th, at 10:00 AM

Nutrition Lecture: Healthy Holiday Habits

Join Registered Dietitian, Tamar Elkin, MS, RDN, CDN, as she teaches us how to maintain healthy habits during the holidays and how to update holiday favorites with healthier ingredients. Learn tips and tricks for portion size control.  

 

 

Tuesday, November 26th, at 11:30 am

Thanksgiving Luncheon and Entertainment

Join us to celebrate Thanksgiving with a wonderful meal prepared by our talented Kitchen Manager, Nekiya Edwards, and her staff. After lunch we’ll enjoy entertainment sponsored by Justin Fischer, the Director of the  Rhoda Grundman School of Music at the Riverdale Y.  The suggested donation is $5.00 in advance and $7.00 dollars the day of the event. 

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OPEN SUNDAY: Sunday, November 24th, 2024

 

9:00 AM- 10:00 AM: Welcome Brunch for New Members

New Members are invited to join us for a bagel buffet to learn more about our programming and introduce our new members to our staff. You’re invited if you became a member of New Beginnings after April 30, 2024. Register for this event with Grethel or Sabrina.   

 

10:00 AM-11:30 AM: Intergenerational Event

Join our intergenerational conversation where we invite high school students to chat about food sustainability and food justice. We will explore Jewish texts that highlight the responsibility to share our resources with those in need, emphasizing that everyone deserves access to healthy food. Together, we will discuss local challenges related to food access and consider ways we can support a healthier food system in our community. To register, please contact Alexandra Nyashina at anyashina@riverdaley.org or 347-913-4396. 

 

11:30 AM -12:30 PM: Lunch 

 

1:00 PM: Bardekova Ensemble

Ellen Bardekoff on oboe; Adam Ray on flute; Akari Yamamoto on clarinet; Yuki Higashi on bassoon and Sigrun Kahl on French Horn. This popular and versatile woodwind non-profit ensemble’s mission is to make all kinds of music accessible to as many of us as possible. Music will include selections from Bach, Beethoven, Miles Davis, John Williams and Celia Cruz. 

 

1:00 PM Movie: The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)

The true story about the zookeepers of the Warsaw Zoo who helped save hundreds of people from Nazi hands during World War II. 2h 7m

 

 

TECH CLASS 

 

Wednesdays at 9:00 AM

Bring your mobile device and hone your tech skills. This month’s topics are:  

 

October 30 | Google Maps

 

November 6th | Amazon

How to shop effectively on Amazon.

 

November 13th | Zoom Basics

Learn how to use zoom to participate in video classes and to stay connected with friends and family. Learn how to join a meeting, mute, unmute and turn on and off your video. Learn how to use the chat feature.

 

November 20th | Zoom Basics Pt. 2

How to create and share a zoom meeting. How to add a name and pictures to your zoom profile. 

 

November 27th | Declutter your Email

How to declutter your email inbox efficiently. How to unsubscribe from unwanted emails. How to block emails and report spam.

 

 

THIS MONTH’S MOVIE PICKS  

 

November 1st | Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. 2 h 3m

 

November 8th | Mona Lisa Smile (2003) Katherine Watson teaches art history in 1953 at the respectable all-female Wellesley College. She encourages her conservative students to question and disregard the outdated societal mores for women. 1h 57m

 

November 15th | Call Jane (2022) Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, and Wunmi Mosaku lead this poignant film about a 1968 Chicago woman whose illegal abortion compels her to join an underground women’s collective. 2h 1 min 

 

November 22nd | Instant Family (2018) Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) must learn the ropes of instant parenthood when they bring in three foster children. Inspired by a true story, discover this must see family comedy from the creators of Daddy’s Home. 1 h 58 min

 

 

Group Chat with Karl Custer

Mental Health Discussion Topics

 

Monday, November 4th, at 10:45 am | Open Group Chat: “National Family Week” 

Is “family” strictly biological? Can’t a person serve conflicting roles in different groups? Can a “found family” be better for our mental health and personal development than a biological family? Join Karl Custer in an open discussion about what it takes to build and maintain a family.

 

 

Monday, November 18th, at 10:45 am | Open Group Chat: “Restorative Justice” 

Join JASA’s Clinical Social Worker, Karl Custer, for an open discussion on the organizations and social movements toward restorative justice. Not just practiced in our criminal justice system, this holistic approach of accountability and healing can be used in repairing individual relationships.

 

 

Weekly Group Chat 

Join Social Work Interns Melissa Moukas and Nava Yastrab for a weekly conversation. Topics can be suggested by members or our interns will provide them. Mondays at 12:45 PM

 

 

Social Work Announcement

 

Medicare Open Enrollment Period

Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period takes place this year from October 15, 2024 through December 7, 2024. This is your once-a-year opportunity to review your current Medicare health plan and prescription drug coverage and compare it to other alternatives. If you want to change your coverage to better meet your health care needs in 2025, you only have through December 7th to do so. Our staff is available to help.  Contact Carmen Lopez at  clopez@riverdaley.org or 347-913-4391 for more information.

 

 

SAVE THE DATE 

 

Oil Painting with Daniel Hauben 

This Y-sponsored Class for older adults will run for ten weeks, starting Monday, December 9th, 2024 and ending on Monday, February 10th, 2025 (10 AM – 12 PM). If you have ever wanted to paint in oils, or seek a greater control of the medium, this is the course for you! In a direct and systematic way, we will cover the mixing of paints, the blending of colors, the application of different types of brush strokes and how to work with the unique slow-drying time of oils. This class is for beginners or intermediate-level painters. There are 12 spots available on a first come, first served basis. Registration opens on Friday, November 1st, and will close on Monday, December 2nd.

 

Unlike NYC Aging-sponsored programs there is a fee for this class, but the full cost has been offset by a generous New Beginnings member donation.  The cost for New Beginnings members is $156.00 for the ten-week session and includes all supplies.  Please sign up and pay the full amount at the Y’s reception desk on the first floor.  Scholarships are available to those in financial need.  See Director Sharon Asherman for scholarship information. 

 

 

 

CLASS ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Singing Through the Seasons: Do you love children and love to sing? This is an opportunity to sing, dance and play instruments with four-year-olds from the Y’s Early Childhood Center.  You will learn new songs, celebrate the holidays together, and enjoy each other’s company.  Smiles and laughter are guaranteed. Please contact Renee Bock, the Early Childhood Director at 347-913-4445 or rbock@riverdaley.org. Spots are limited to 10 and are on a first come, first served basis. This will be held the first and third Thursday of the month. 

2. Jacob’s Schmooze will now be twice a month. The dates in November are as follows: Monday, November 4th and Monday, November 18th. 

3. Book Club: Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, the Book Club will be held on Thursday, December 5th, 2024 for the month of November.