JCRC

Conversation with Jack El-Hai, author of The Nazi and The Psychiatrist
2026-03-01 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
NEW DATE & CAMPUS VENUE:
Sunday, March 1, 2:00-3:30 PM at the University of St. Thomas, Anderson Student Center
2115 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105 USA
Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, and the University of St. Thomas: College of Arts and Sciences, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies.
Free and open to the public, registration required.
REGISTER
Registration link will become available when event is rescheduled
Questions? Contact JCRC at info@minndakjcrc.org or 612.338.7816

Webinar: The Persian-Jewish Story – Past, Present, and Future
2026-03-13 13:00 - 14:00 | MN
To help us make sense of this pivotal moment—what brought us here, and where we might go—we turn to Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, a Los Angeles-based Persian Jewish leader, and Ali Alizadeh, a local Iranian American entrepreneur and advocate for a free Iran.
Moderated by JCRC’s Sami Rahamim, whose grandparents left Iran for Israel in 1949, this conversation will take us beyond the headlines to the deeper stories of our peoples as we hope and pray for a new chapter in this remarkable story.
VIEW RECORDING

Yom Hashoah Film Screening: For the Living
2026-04-12 15:00 - 17:00 | Capp Center St. Paul, 1375 St. Paul Ave, St. Paul, 55116
In January 1945, ten-year-old Holocaust survivor Marcel Zielinski made a treacherous 60-mile journey on foot from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Kraków, Poland, in search of his family. Decades later, 250 cyclists from 12 countries retraced his path in an empathetic mission called Ride for the Living, created and run by JCC Krakow. This powerful documentary draws parallels between Marcel’s harrowing experience and the cyclists’ journey, sparking an urgent conversation about our ongoing struggle between dehumanization and empathy.
This special screening will include the attendance of Co-Director Tim Roper and Producer Lisa Effress who will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A after the screening.
COST: $14 GENERAL ADMISSION • $12 STUDENTS/SENIORS
TICKETS
Presented in partnership by the Minnesota JCC and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC).

Minnesota and the Dakotas Yom HaShoah Commemoration
2026-04-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55105, United States
Minnesota and the Dakotas Yom HaShoah Commemoration
Monday, April 13, 2026 | 26 Nisan 5786 | 7:00 PM
Minnesota and the Dakotas Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration at Mount Zion Temple, St. Paul, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105.
Immigration and the American refugee experience are deeply intertwined with the Jewish values of freedom and welcoming the stranger. This theme is particularly poignant during Yom HaShoah, as it reflects on the historical context of welcoming refugees and the ongoing challenges faced by immigrants today.

The impact of these experiences and the challenges faced by Holocaust survivors who immigrated only a generation or two ago are part of the fabric of the local survivor and descendant community. This year’s keynote speakers, Adela Peskorz and Ben Cohen will reflect on their family members’ memories of survival and immigration.

The community commemoration will include the presentation of the Leo Weiss Courage to Teach Award to Monica David, English teacher at Breck Middle School.
All are welcome to this free and public service. Registration is required. Please leave bags at home and arrive early for entry and check-in.
REGISTER TO ATTEND
The Yom HaShoah Commemoration is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Children of Holocaust Survivors Association in Minnesota (CHAIM), Mount Zion Temple, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, Generations After MNDAK, and the Micki and Mort Naiman Holocaust Education Fund.

Holocaust Testimony in the Age of AI: History, Memory, and Ethics
2026-04-16 12:00 - 13:15 | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
What happens to Holocaust memory when the last survivors are gone? As the generation of firsthand witnesses passes, new technologies, including AI-powered interactive testimony, are transforming how we preserve, access, and engage with survivor stories. In this lecture, Dr. Todd Presner will trace the history of preserving survivor testimony from earlier technologies to today’s AI-driven platforms, exploring both the possibilities and ethical challenges of Holocaust memory in the digital age, including what it means to use technology to “speak” for the dead.
Owens Science Hall, 3M Auditorium (room 150) – click here for campus map
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul campus
Free and open to the public – click here for registration (optional)
click here for visitor parking information
Todd Presner, Ph.D., is Chair and Professor of European Languages and Transcultural Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he holds the Michael and Irene Ross Chair in the Humanities. A scholar of European intellectual history, Holocaust studies, and digital humanities, he explores how computational tools can expand how we see, read, and listen to Holocaust testimonies. He is the author of Ethics of the Algorithm: Digital Humanities and Holocaust Memory (Princeton University Press, 2024) and HyperCities: Thick Mapping in the Digital Humanities (Harvard University Press, 2014), among other books. He co-edited Probing the Ethics of Holocaust Culture (Harvard University Press, 2016) and received one of the first digital media prizes from the MacArthur Foundation. His current work investigates the ethical challenges and possibilities of preserving Holocaust memory in the age of AI.

Organized and sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies, Museum Studies, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the College of Arts and Sciences, in coordination with the Faculty and Staff Innovations Fellows program.

Twin Cities Erev Yom HaZikaron Commemoration: If You Are Reading This...
2026-04-20 19:00 - 21:00 | MN
The community is invited to a meaningful Yom HaZikaron Commemoration centered on the messages left behind—letters, texts, voice notes, thoughts, and unsent words from those we have lost to war and terror. Through these personal voices, we honor their memory and presence, reflecting on the enduring impact of their words and the lives they continue to shape.

Twin Cities Yom Ha'atzmaut Family Celebration
2026-04-26 14:00 - 17:00 | MN
Join us for this family-friendly community event celebrating Israel Independence Day. Featuring: a shuk (market) with food (for purchase), Heritage Judaica, Kona Ice Truck, crafts, music, bounce house, and more! Location details will be shared prior to event!
Registration is required for entry.
CLICK HERE to register!
Interested in volunteering? CLICK HERE to sign up.
Proudly presented in partnership with the Minnesota JCC, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, and the St. Paul Jewish Federation
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Russian–American Jews in Minnesota (RAJMN), and Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota & the Dakotas (JCRC).

Twin Cities Yom Ha'atzmaut Adult Night with Joel Chasnoff
2026-04-26 19:00 - 22:00 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center (Minneapolis), 4330 Cedar Lake Rd S Minneapolis, MN 55416 United States, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
Get Ready for a night of laughs and good vibes. Enjoy Stand-up comedian Joel Chasnoff, a DJ just for adults with music and games, drinks, light snacks, and plenty of ways to celebrate Israel with your 21+ friends!
COST:
$25 / PERSON • $180 / TABLE FOR 10 (after 3/27/26)
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets!

One Day Trip to the Washington D.C. US Holocaust Memorial Museum
2026-04-28 | MN
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
REGISTER
Since 1996, the JCRC’s annual trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. has educated participants about the atrocities of the Holocaust.
College and High School students, teachers, police and law enforcement personnel, National Guard members, as well as unaffiliated community members, join us each year to visit the museum, spending an immersive day learning about the Holocaust and the dangers of unchecked hatred.
Participants must be 12 years and older. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost includes airline ticket, transportation in Washington, DC, and admission to the museum.
Please contact Susie Greenberg for more info.

Shanghailanders presented by Shen Pei Arts Alliance
2026-05-30 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-31 18:30 - 20:30 | Fridley High School Performance Center, 6000 West Moore Lake Drive, Fridley, MN, 55432, United States
One year ago, the Twin Cities Chinese and Jewish communities came together for a historic milestone: the world premiere performance of the first act of Shanghailanders by Master Shen Pei, Artistic Director of Shen Pei Arts Alliance, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Center for Jewish Studies. Now the wait is over. The complete two-act dance drama is coming to the stage, and the two communities are again invited to come together as music and dance evoke a shared history.
During World War II, Shanghai stood as a global sanctuary—it was the only city to keep its doors open to those with nowhere else to go, ultimately saving over 20,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. This dance drama, inspired by real historical figures, breathes life into a narrative of cooperation and resilience across very different communities, an example of coexistence and harmony in the darkest of times.

JCRC Annual Event: Reclaiming Our Story
2026-06-07 17:30 - 21:00 | MN
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Become a Sponsor
We encourage you to purchase your tickets early as space is limited. All tickets include a light dairy dinner, open bar, a seat for the program, and complimentary parking. A kosher meal is available upon request. $500.00 tickets include premium seating and breakfast with keynote speaker Sarah Hurwitz on Monday, June 8, 2026. If you are unable to join us this year, please consider making a contribution.

2026 JCRC Annual Event | Sunday, June 7, 5:30-9:00 PM | Downtown Minneapolis

Featuring Sarah Hurwitz, author of As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Shame, Blame, and Try To Erase Us, an urgent exploration of how antisemitism has shaped Jewish identity and how Jews can reclaim their tradition; celebrated White House speechwriter; and author of the widely acclaimed Here All Along.
“Beautifully written and brilliantly argued, As a Jew is that rare book that defines an historical moment. The American Jewish awakening is upon us, and Sarah Hurwitz is its prophet.” – Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author of New York Times bestseller Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, and 2018 JCRC Annual Event keynote speaker
PURCHASE TICKETS
Become a Sponsor

We thank our current sponsors
Platinum ($10,000+): Bob & Bobbi Aronson; Bryan & Nina Badzin; Amy & Stan Baratz; Holly & Jon Brod Farber; Elmar Family Foundation; Mark & Debbie Glotter; Jacy & Jason Grais; Jim Jacobson & Andrea Kaufman; Stan & Jeanne Kagin; Mort & Merle Kane; Barbara & Gary Krupp; Hart & Susan Kuller; Steve Lear; Lerner Publishing Group; Gail & Steve Machov; Danny Mann & Emily Silber; Minnesota Vikings Football; Kevin & Nancy Rhein; Sheraton Minneapolis Downtown Convention Center; Wendy Lovell-Smith & Colin Smith

Gold ($5,000+): Allianz; Judy & Richard Cook; Cozen O’Connor; Linda & Mike Fiterman; Fredrikson & Byron PA; Lynn Golberstein; Bonnie & Steve Heller; Hunegs, LeNeave & Kvas, P.A.; Wendy & Nissim Khabie; Madeira Partners; Don & Rhoda Mains; Gil & Debbie Mann; Maslon LLP; Jon & Robin Parritz; Mark & Beth Robbins; Steve & Wendy Rubin; Allen & Linda Saeks; Sharron Steinfeldt; Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

Silver ($3,000+): Marilyn Levi-Baumgarten & Allan Baumgarten; CBIZ; Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Bruce Fink & Caren Page and Nancy & Neil Fink; Raleigh & Rich Fromstein; Alan Gilbert & Laura Thorne; Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota; Mall of America; Milavetz Law; Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation; Jeff Oberman & Kathy Conner; Sholom & Sholom Foundation; Stinson LLP

Also proudly supported by

Contact us at events@minndakjcrc.org or 612.338.7816 to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
