See what's happening this month. Find details on our website calendar. Most listings are on zoom -- in-person events are marked with an asterisk* & hybrid events are marked with two asterisks**.
Inthis four-part course, facilitatorSarah Plotkinwillguide participants in exploring Jewish belonging, what it means to us, and how we can create a greater sense of belonging through various theatrical modalities. Classes will meet on Zoom on Mondays, 7:00-8:30 pm ET on October 5, 12, 19, & 26. All sessions will be recorded and made available to registrants.
The work of longtime BWC-member, Mae Rockland Tupa will be featured in a free, intimate gallery showing at Kolbo Fine Judaica Gallery in Brookline on Sunday, October 11 from 3:00-5:00pm. Mae's daughter, Keren McGinity, will give a brief history of her mother's work at 3:30pm. Learn more here.
BWC community-member, Jenna Schlags is the writer and producer of Someone Will Remember Us, a new queer, Jewish, historical play running at The Footlight Club in Jamaica Plain, MA October 16-18 and 23-24. Tickets and more information here.
Synopsis: It's the fall of 1911 when Jo Levitt dies, throwing strained family relationships into chaos: an estranged sister outraged, a lover grieving alone, a quiet brother trying to keep the peace. A nephew thrust into a journey of self-discovery he isn't ready for. With both humor and sincerity, Someone Will Remember Us is a play about love, grief, and family that resonates across the decades.
BWC and A Besere Velt Yiddish Chorus were recently featured in the Yale Institute of Sacred Music Review. Check out the article here.
Congratulations to our Executive Director, Rebecca Zimmerman Hornstein and her husband Jonathon Feinberg on the birth of their daughter, Lena, last week!
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BWC PROGRAMMING & EVENTS
FALL YIDDISH LANGUAGE COURSES
Come learn Yiddish at BWC! Our instructors are passionate about Yiddish and are experienced educators. Whether you are a beginner, have been studying on your own on Duolingo, are a continuing student, or grew up speaking the language, we have a class that will accommodate you. Students cover a wide age range, from young adults to seniors. We offer semester-long classes across a range of levels, with both in-person and virtual options.
Classes will begin the week of October 12 and run for 8 sessions. Don't miss out! Sign up today!
Do you want to learn the foundations of klezmer music? Do you love to play klezmer music and want to help grow the local community of klezmorim? Join the Boston Workers Circle’s monthly drop-in klezmer jam! We will develop and play a shared repertoire.
We will be meeting the second Tuesday of the month: Oct. 13th, Nov. 10th, Dec. 8th and Jan. 12th from 6:30 - 8:30pm at the BWC Buidling. We'll start with a 45-minute workshop, take a 15-minute schmooze break, and end with a one-hour jam session. Come for all parts or join just the jam! Drop-ins are welcome, but help us plan by registering ahead.
New and prospective BWC members are invited to join BWC’s Membership Committee on Sunday, October 4th from 11:00am - 1:00pm for a welcome event. Come join us to learn more about BWC, how you can get involved, the benefits of membership, and meet other new and prospective members! Afterwards, folks will have the opportunity to peruse the Committee Fair, meet committee leaders, and learn about involvement opportunities at BWC.
Calling all Yiddish music lovers! Have you ever watched A Besere Velt Yiddish Chorus perform and thought, “That looks like fun—I’d love to try it”? Now is your chance! ABV will hold open rehearsals (no auditions!) from September through November. No need to wonder what it’s like—come experience the joy for yourself. All are welcome, regardless of singing ability or knowledge of Yiddish.
Open rehearsals will take place on Sundays from 3:00 - 5:30pm the following dates and locations: October 4 at the BWC Building in Brookline, and October 18, 25, November 8, 15, 22 at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline. Email abv@circleboston.org for details. There’s nothing quite like raising your voice with a large group of people. Come sing with us and be part of something truly uplifting!
Join the Israel/Palestine Committee study group on October 7, 2026 from 6:00 - 7:30pm on Zoom for a community-wide discussion of Israel: What Went Wrong by Omer Bartov. All BWC members welcome. You needn’t have read the book to participate. Email mgolden57@gmail.com to confirm and get Zoom link.
Join BWC’s Israel/Palestine Committee on Tuesday, October 13 from 6:30 - 8:30pm on Zoom for Iyad Burnat’s presentation on Non-Violent Resistance in the West Bank. and insights from leading community-based nonviolent resistance in the occupied West Bank. All are welcome to attend, even if you’re not a part of IPC or a member of BWC!
This event features Burnat combining visual media, personal testimony, and strategic insights on grassroots action to examine the realities of life under occupation, the intensified settler assaults, and the enduring strength of nonviolent popular resistance. After Burnat’s presentation, we will have time for Q&A with him and a time to take action, including support for Iyad’s village. During the last 30 minutes we will discuss IPC’s 2026-27 plans, goals, and priorities.
Join members of the Stitch & Resist crew and the Mutual Aid Committee on Saturday, October 17 from 1:30 - 3:00pm at the BWC building to craft custom cards using stamps, collage, drawing, painting, and more. The Mutual Aid Committee will send the cards throughout the year to members who are grieving, healing, celebrating, or just need to know that someone is thinking of them. No drawing skills required. No registration necessary.
JOINT BWC & KAHAL B’RAIRA SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE HAVDALAH
Please join us as we spend an evening with Kahal B’reira at the BWC building in Brookline on Saturday, October 17 from 6:00 – 8:30pm. We will have a creative, secular Havdalah ritual, followed by a potluck dinner. We will finish the evening by creating “Bring Out the Vote” posters in preparation for the Midterm elections. Bring your creativity, ideas, and passion!
Boston Workers Circle provides incredible youth education programming, and registration is open for the 2026-27 academic year. From toddlers to teens, we have something for everyone. Circle Playtime is our free program for toddlers and their caregivers. Shule is our secular Jewish Sunday school for Grades PreK-7, and TASC is the Teens Acting for Social Change program for Grades 8-12.
Join the Young Adult community for a weekend away with like-minded people in their 20s and 30s October 24-25 in Stoughton! Come connect, relax, share meals, and spend time together in the woods! You don't need to be a member of BWC to join, but please register by October 6.
As we head into (further) political uncertainty, we come together to use our creativity and raise our voices. This workshop, led by Adah Hetko, will take place on Sunday, November 1 fro 3:00 - 4:30pm at the BWC Building in Brookline. We'll explore types and uses of protest songs, and characteristics that make protest songs useful, powerful, and memorable. Then, we'll brainstorm song topics and phrases together, take time to work on songs (individually or in small groups) in a supportive environment, and regroup for an optional share-back. No songwriting experience necessary and all languages welcome.
The BWC Immigration Committee will be joining the De-ICE Hanscom Coalition for their weekly afternoon standout on Friday, October 2nd, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM at Hanscom Rotary in Lincoln, MA. The De-ICE Hanscom Coalition organizes peaceful standouts aimed at eliminating ICE transport flights from Hanscom Field. These flights are reportedly used to expedite the removal of immigrants from New England, which undermines their ability to seek effective legal representation.
On the third Saturday of every month an intergenerational group of makers come together to create, share, learn, and be. As part of the Mutual Aidorganizing at BWC, Stitch and Resist is a member-led skill share and community-building space. This gathering is open to all makers of all skill levels. These sessions are informal drop ins, so we welcome you for however long you want to stay. If you're new to the community or looking to get plugged back in, this welcoming group is the perfect entrance point, with dedicated BWC members from across the organization. We hope to see you October 17, at the BWC building from 11:00am - 1:00pm!
Join BWC’s Mutual Aid Team to help organize support for our fellow members, share about our work with the community, recruit volunteers to assist with our efforts, and continue to learn together how we can build a more caring community!
Circle Book Group discusses fiction and non-fiction books by Jewish authors and/or on topics of interest to Jews. We welcome all readers interested in the wide variety of Jewish experiences throughout history and across the world. This month's book selection is Vienna: How the City of Ideas Created the Modern World by Richard Cockett, and the discussion will take place on Zoom on Sunday, October 18 from 10:15am - 12:00pm. No RSVP required. To attend via Zoom, to be added to the Book Group listserv, and / or if you have questions, email BookGroup@circleboston.org.
Join the BWC Immigrant Justice Committee to protest at the Burlington ICE office on Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00am, for a peaceful protest bearing witness to the horror of the conditions of detainees at the office, and to stand against ICE and the Trump Administration’s treatment of immigrants.
Boston Workers Circle is excited to partner with Jewish Currents on Jewish Currents Live: A Day of Politics and Culture. Join us on October 11th in Brooklyn, NY, for a day of performance, learning, and discussion featuring Arielle Angel, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Wallace Shawn, Fadi Quran, Molly Crabapple, M. Gessen, and many more guests.
Rad Yiddish is excited to bring together community members from these three historically-Yiddish Left legacy organizations to share about their organization’s radical roots and ongoing cultural activism on Zoom Thursday, October 15 from 7:30 - 9:00pm.
Founded between 80-125+ years ago, Boston Workers Circle, Peretz Centre (Vancouver), and United Jewish People’s Order (Toronto & Winnipeg) are still thriving today while retaining their explicitly Leftist politics including Palestine solidarity and other social justice commitments. Sarah Biskowtiz will moderate a panel discussion with three fascinating speakers, each with decades-long involvement in their respective organization: Faith Jones (Peretz), Shayle Kilroy (UJPO), and Linda Gritz (BWC).
Join us for a joyful afternoon of Yiddish folk dance and live Klezmer music at The Foundry in Cambridge on Sunday, October 18 from 1:00 - 2:30pm! RUACH teacher Rachel Linsky will lead an all-levels Yiddish dance workshop accompanied by live Klezmer music by Glenn Dickson and Michael McLaughlin.
Join the New England Jewish Labor Committee on Tuesday, October 27 from 7:00 - 8:30pm at the BWC Building to learn from historian Hasia Diner, union leader Harris Gruman, and activist April Baskin about the rich Jewish labor past, innovative organizing today, and the resonances between them. We will also introduce NEJLC’s Rose Project, a new young labor organizer training cohort. Learn more about the Rose Project here.
Has your committee just hosted a fabulous discussion or fun event you want to share a report back on with the whole community? Reach outabout getting it featured on the blog and in the Enews!
