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Research proves the lifelong importance of exercising body and mind. For adults 60+, the JCC offers resources to keep you engaged. Drawing on decades of experience, the JCC offers activities that address the social, cultural and physical needs of these members. Hope to see you at the J!
All programming takes place at the Uptown JCC unless otherwise stated.
For information, email aclanton@nojcc.org or call 504-897-0143
Download a copy of our monthly newsletter for June 2026.
Download a copy of our monthly newsletter for July 2026.
The Future of Aging Is Changing; Know Your Options. Protect Your Choice.
As we grow older, one of life’s most important questions becomes: Where - and how - do I want to live? Join Beverly Gianna, Community Gerontologist and Long-Term Care Ombudsman, for a conversation exploring the housing and care options available today - and the new trends creating more choices than ever before for older adults. Why planning ahead helps preserve your most important right: CHOICE. The question is no longer simply Where will I live? It is: How do I preserve independence, dignity, and choice as I grow older?
Thursday, July 16
12:30 - 1:30 pm
June Book Club
We’re inviting all book lovers to join us for the June Book Club meeting, where we’ll discuss the books to be read during the 2026-2027 year. This meeting will be an open and collaborative space to share thoughts, suggest titles, and build excitement for the year ahead. We’ll also talk about potential reviewers to invite each month, so bring your ideas and opinions! Whether you have favorite books to recommend or just want to be part of the conversation, we’d love to hear your voice.
Tuesday, June 23 | 1:30 - 3:00 pm | Uptown JCC
Call (504) 897-0143 with any questions. All programs take place at the Uptown JCC.
BETTER BALANCE
Balance exercises, along with certain strength exercises, can help prevent falls by improving one's ability to control and maintain body position, whether one is moving or still. Join us for this invigorating, low-impact class.
Wednesdays | 10:45 - 11:30 am
No charge members | $2 non-members
DANCE FOR PARKINSON'S
This FUN, free creative movement classes are specially designed for people living with Parkinson’s. Caregivers and supporting family and friends are welcome, as are individuals with other movement or neurological challenges. Participants report benefits such as improved mood, balance, flexibility, and strength. No experience necessary.
Please join us and dance to LIVE MUSIC by accompanist Jeffrey Pounds!
Sponsored by the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, classes are modeled after the Dance for PD® program developed by the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, whose network of affiliates now spans over 300 communities in 25 countries around the world!
Wednesdays | 10:30 - 11:45 am
Pre-register onsite during class times, or in advance here. Visit NOBA for more information.
CHAIR YOGA & GUIDED MEDITATION
This class is geared towards seniors and will take place on chairs. It begins with soft stretching and yoga, then moves into guided meditation. Led by Kelly Bond in the Mind/Body Studio.
Fridays | 11:00 am - 11:45 pm
No charge members | $2 non-members
SENIOR CHAIR EXERCISE
Designed for seniors at all levels and abilities, this class involves stretching and strength training. Either exercise from a chair or standing, according to your comfort level. Wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays | 10:45 - 11:45 am
Join us for mah jongg, Rummikub or bridge. Challenge your brain, meet new people and spend the afternoon with friends. Bring your lunch; dessert and coffee will be provided.
JCC - Uptown
Tuesdays | 12:00 - 3:00 pm
Free and open to the community
Call (504) 897-0143 with any questions.
Fourth of July Party
Celebrate the Fourth of July with your friends at the J. Enjoy your favorite summer treats along with some musical entertainment.
Thursday, July 2 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
$3 members | $5 non-members
RSVP by Monday, June 29
Lunch & Sculpt with the Ness Kent
Join Artist-in-Residence, Ness Kent, in a clay-based sculpture-making project. During the artist residency at the JCC in July, Ness will lead the community in crafting two or three golems out of clay - drawing from our imaginations and using Jewish folklore as inspiration. The golem is a creature formed out of earth or clay, and then magically brought to life to be a protector and helper for the Jewish community. No art experience is necessary; just an open mind and heart. Lunch will be served.
Thursday, July 9 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
$3 members | $5 non-members
RSVP by Monday, July 6
Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi - August
Join us for our monthly Lunch & Learn as we discuss interesting topics with a local Jewish leader. This month, Rabbi Cohen-Henriquez from Shir Chadash will be joining us after we have a light lunch.
Thursday, August 6 | 12:00 - 1:30 pm
$3 members | $5 non-members
RSVP by Monday, August 3
Morris Bart Sr., Lecture Series
Civic AI: Partnering Academia with Local Communities
In this talk, Tulane Professor Alon Cullota will give an overview of the latest advances in artificial intelligence, including large language models and agents, which are rapidly being used to automate routine tasks in nearly every domain. He will discuss some of the ongoing research projects through Tulane's Center for Community-Engaged Artificial Intelligence, with applications in health, criminal justice, and civic engagement. Dr. Cullota will conclude with some speculation about future impacts of AI on society. Catered lunch will be served.
Monday, July 13 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Free for members | $10 non-members
RSVP by Thursday, July 9
Morris Bart Sr., Lecture Series: Dr. Joel Dinerstein
The Benefits of a Diasporic Identity for Jewish-Americans
We are living through a moment of disruption and discord in Jewish identity. There is a deepening political and cultural chasm between the perspectives of Israeli and American Jews, with some writers arguing for the renewal of diasporic identity. I grew up with a diasporic identity in Flatbush, Brooklyn, one of the most urban Jewish neighborhoods in America in the mid-20th Century – Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond both went to my high school. Combining autobiography and scholarship, I will make a case for a diasporic identity for American Jews, as illuminated by reading excerpts from my new family memoir, The Last of the Ellis Island Jews.
I am the Sizeler Family Professor of Judaic Studies at Tulane University and two of my courses have these tensions as key thematics: (1) Jewish-American Literature, based on the diasporic identity of immigrant Jews; (2) Jews and Race, which focuses on how and why Jews were the racial Other of Europe long before the Holocaust.
Monday, August 10 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Free for members | $10 non-members
RSVP by Thursday, August 6
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
When a man learns that an old friend is seriously ill, he resolves to walk the length of England to see her, and inspires the nation along the way.
Thursday, June 25 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
No charge for members and non-members
RSVP by Monday, June 22
Operation Mincemeat
A global hit with viewers, this "cracking espionage caper" about a stranger-than-fiction scheme to trick Hitler is "funny and grand" says Time Magazine. Starring Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen.
Thursday, July 30 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
No charge for members and non-members
RSVP by July 27
Train Dreams
Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier ( Joel Edgerton), whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th-century America.
Thursday, August 27 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
No charge for members and non-members
RSVP by August 25
NOMA: Robert Gordy: Outside the Mainstream
Although best known today for his prints and late monotypes, Gordy worked in a range of media throughout his career. This exhibition, the first in-depth presentation of the artist’s work at NOMA in over four decades, shares selections from Gordy’s career from the 1950s until his death in 1986. Meet your friends for lunch at Café NOMA at noon and then a docent will lead us through the exhibition.
Wednesday, July 22 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Free admission for Louisiana residents courtesy of The Helis Foundation.
RSVP by Monday, July 20
NOMA: Sèvres Magnifique: French Porcelain from the Collection of Thomas B. Lemann
France’s royal porcelain factory at Sèvres, on the outskirts of Paris, has for nearly 300 years produced both decorative and useful ceramic objects of exemplary craft. Creating vases, tea sets, plates, and bowls that signified wealth, power and opulence to the eighteenth-century French court at Versailles, Sèvres factory artists worked alongside chemists and the best sculptors of the Rococo era to produce fine porcelain with luscious glazes in a range of colors. This exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art celebrates the bequest of a superb group of Sèvres porcelain from New Orleans collector Thomas B. Lemann.
Wednesday, August 19 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Free admission for Louisiana residents courtesy of The Helis Foundation.
RSVP by Monday, August 17.
Special thank you to our peer facilitators: Dov Glazer, Jillian Richman, and Carol Tully
Call 504-897-0143 if you have questions. All groups take place Uptown.
Current Events Group (ON HOLD FOR JUNE & JULY)
Meet others to discuss current news and events. No particular viewpoint is required, just an interest in what's going on in the world. Bring an open mind. This group will meet on the second Tuesday of each month.
Tuesdays
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Free and open to the community
Men's Group (ON HOLD FOR JUNE & JULY)
The JCC Men's Group is a monthly discussion group for retired gentlemen to create community and conversations. Meeting on the first Friday of each month, this group provides an opportunity for men to come together to connect, reminisce, and explore a range of topics with their peers.
Fridays
12:45 - 2:00 pm
Free and open to the community
Knit One, Crochet Too (ON HOLD FOR JUNE & JULY)
Come and knit and crochet along with us. Beginners are welcome; we will get you started. Already an expert? Share your expertise with the group. Bring your works in progress and some show and tell items. Other handcrafts are also welcome.
Every Monday
10:00 - 11:00 am
Free and open to the community
RSVP with this form
Stressed? If you're feeling it, chances are your child is feeling it too. You know the signs; when your mind starts racing and your heartbeat starts racing, your tendency is to get louder and faster. But what you and your body and your child need is for things to slow down and start making sense.
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Members can now access Online Member Services on mobile devices by downloading the New Orleans JCC app in the App Store or Google Play.
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