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The 2026 Fall Cultural Arts Series brings together film, music, literature, history, and culinary arts to celebrate the richness of Jewish culture and the power of shared experiences. From heartfelt stories of identity and belonging to conversations about our community’s legacy, this year’s programs invite audiences to connect, reflect, and be inspired.
Join us throughout the fall for engaging conversations with acclaimed authors, unforgettable performances by extraordinary musicians, good-feel films, and a culinary experience celebrating the traditions and flavors that bring people together.
All events are open to the community, but advance registration is required to reserve your spot. Registration for the Cultural Arts Series will take place through Amilia. If you need help registering, please contact amilia@nojcc.org.
This series is made possible through the generous support of Cathy and Morris Bart and our valued community partners.
Summer may be ending—but camp memories last forever! Relive the magic, laughter, friendships, and unforgettable moments of Jewish summer sleepaway camp with The Floaters, a quirky and heartfelt comedy directed by Rachel Israel. Featuring Seth Green, Jackie Tohn, Steve Guttenberg, Jill Kargman, and more, this warm and funny film celebrates friendship, identity, and the lifelong connections that make camp unforgettable.
Dress Code: Wear your camp shirt if you have one!
Stay after the screening for a special meet-and-greet with Mark Rubin, Executive Director of JCRS, and representatives from local Jewish sleepaway camps. Learn about Jewish summer camp opportunities throughout our region and discover scholarship programs that help make camp possible for every family.
Tuesday, September 1 | 6:30 PM
Film | 1 hour 41 minutes
Suggested TV-14
Jeremie Henan Trio: A Tribute to Jewish Broadway Composers
The Jérémie Hénan Trio celebrates the enduring legacy of Jewish composers whose music helped shape the Great American Songbook. Joined by acclaimed New Orleans musicians Herlin Riley and Mark Brooks, pianist Jérémie Hénan presents imaginative jazz interpretations of timeless classics. Through expressive improvisation and engaging insights into the music and its composers, the trio explores how these iconic Broadway melodies became an essential part of the jazz tradition.
Featuring Jérémie Hénan, Mark Brooks, and Herlin Riley
Sunday, October 11 | 6:00 PM
Member Fee: $10 | Non-Member Fee: $18
Stories Carry: We All Carry Them. Some Even Carry Us
Join author Dena Schusterman and New Orleans author and editor of Stories Carry, Liza Nelson Brown, for a conversation about Stories Carry: We All Carry Them. Some Even Carry Us, Schusterman’s memoir exploring faith, family legacy, belonging, and inherited identity.
The daughter of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in 1970s Berkeley and now a Chabad emissary and community leader in Atlanta with her husband, Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, Schusterman reflects on the intersection of tradition and contemporary life. Through stories spanning four generations, she explores how storytelling shapes identity, strengthens communities, and carries forward the legacies we choose to preserve.
About the Author
Dena Schusterman co-founded Chabad Intown in Atlanta with her husband, Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, where she has built a thriving community as an educator, preschool director, and teacher. She writes about parenting and applies Torah for publications including Kveller, Chabad.org, GrokNation, Ami Magazine, and the Atlanta Jewish Times. A native Californian, Dena is the mother of eight. She and her husband have called Atlanta home for more than twenty-five years. Stories Carry is her debut memoir.
Author Dena Schusterman in conversation with author and editor Liza Nelson Brown
Tuesday, October 27 | 4:00 PM
Celebrating 60 Years in Our Home: A Legacy of Jewish Life in New Orleans
In Dialogue with Marlene Trestman and Roberta Brandes Gratz
As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our home on St. Charles Avenue, we invite the community to reflect not only on the building itself, but on the remarkable stories it holds. While this milestone marks six decades of the JCC’s presence in this historic building, the site’s legacy reaches back much further—as the former Jewish Orphans’ Home, a place that has long stood at the heart of Jewish life in New Orleans.
Join acclaimed authors and historians Marlene Trestman and Roberta Brandes Gratz for a compelling conversation exploring the building’s evolution, its architectural and cultural significance, and the enduring impact of the Jewish community on the city of New Orleans.
Drawing from her acclaimed works The Most Fortunate Unfortunates and Fair Labor Lawyer: The Remarkable Life of New Deal Attorney and Supreme Court Advocate Bessie Margolin, Trestman will illuminate the history of the Jewish Orphans’ Home and the lives shaped within its walls.
Roberta Brandes Gratz, an internationally recognized urbanist, journalist, and preservation advocate, will bring her expertise on historic preservation, cities, and community, placing the building within the broader story of New Orleans and its Jewish heritage. She is the author of We’re Still Here Ya Bastards: How the People of New Orleans Rebuilt Their City and her newest book, Fearless Philanthropy: Edith Rosenwald Stern’s Campaigns to Transform Lives in New Orleans. Gratz is also the author of six other books on urbanism, including The Battle for Gotham: New York in the Shadow of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs, which is now also available as an audiobook.
Together, Marlene Trestman and Roberta Brandes Gratz will explore how one extraordinary building reflects generations of resilience, philanthropy, community, and continuity—serving as a cornerstone of Jewish life in New Orleans while offering a lens for understanding the city’s evolving history.
Following the conversation, both authors’ books will be available for purchase through Octavia Books, with a book signing to follow.
Wednesday, November 11 | 6:30 PM
Adeena Sussman: A Culinary Journey Through Stories & Flavor
Celebrate the flavors, stories, and traditions of Jewish and Mediterranean cuisine with New York Times best-selling author, food writer, and culinary storyteller Adeena Sussman.
Featuring her newest cookbook, Zariz, this special pre-Thanksgiving experience explores the vibrant culinary culture of Tel Aviv, where Adeena lives and finds inspiration. Through conversation, storytelling, and a live cooking demonstration, she will share the journey behind her recipes and the traditions that shape her work. Dishes from Zariz will be prepared by local chef Jaryd Kase of Bodega.
The evening includes an exclusive VIP meet-and-greet reception from 5–6 PM featuring additional tastes from Zariz, followed by the main program at 6 PM. Adeena’s books will be available for purchase through Octavia Books, with a book signing to follow.
Sunday, November 22
5:00–6:00 p.m. | VIP Meet & Greet Reception & Program: $36
6:00 p.m. | Program Only: Free for Members | $10 for Non-Members
The Jewish Cultural Arts Series celebrates Jewish creators and is made possible through the generous support of Cathy and Morris Bart. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to bringing free Jewish cultural events to our community.
Questions? Please contact Natalie Cohen at natalie@nojcc.org or (504) 897-0143 ext. 139.
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