“Celebration of Jewish Life” to feature music, theater and comedy

First-of-its-kind program for the Naples Jewish community has something for everyone!

By Rabbi Fishel Zaklos, Chabad Naples

The “Celebration of Jewish Life” (CJL) program, hosted by Chabad of Naples, brings a showcase of Jewish presenters to Naples to entertain and engage community members. It provides opportunities to come together for cultural and social experiences, and to explore the richness of Jewish life. There is something for everyone: stand-up comedy, theater and music, plus presentations about food, sports, Israel ... and Jewish matchmaking!

The 11 CJL events take place from November through March at several Naples venues. If you can’t decide which events to attend, there are patron levels that cover the entire program. For instance, the Bronze level gives you general admission tickets to all events for $180. That’s a $75 discount compared to buying tickets individually.

Here’s the lineup:

Monday evening, Nov. 6 – Six13: This New York City-based six-man vocal band is an international phenomenon. Six13 videos have been viewed 20 million times. Enjoy Jewish favorites you grew up with intermingled with clever parodies of today’s hits and catchy Six13 originals.

Tuesday evening, Nov. 14 – Rabbi Joseph Telushkin: Rabbi Telushkin’s presentation will be a timely one as he discusses the concepts in his revised book, “Words that Hurt, Words that Heal: How the Words You Choose Shape Your Destiny.”

Tuesday evening, Dec. 12 – Comedy Night with Joel Chasnoff: This is not your zayde’s Jewish comedian. Chasnoff’s comedy is clean, hip, hilarious and based on real Jewish experiences. From his nine years in Jewish day school to his service in the IDF and the challenge of raising kids, Chasnoff’s stories are those that make us who we are.

Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 13 –Israel 201: Joel Chasnoff will talk about his new book, “Israel 201.” From shomer Shabbos car insurance policies and ancient marriage laws to Arab Israeli stand-up comedy, “Israel 201” goes beyond the typical introductory “101” course to show readers the real Israel.

Monday evening, Jan. 8 – Chanie Apfelbaum: The founder of the popular blog “Busy in Brooklyn” and cookbook author will be in conversation with Ettie Zaklos of Chabad of Naples. Apfelbaum makes cooking fun, fresh and practical. She will share many of her secrets. The evening concludes with a reception where attendees will enjoy desserts from her book, “Totally Kosher.”

Monday evening, Feb. 5 – Jews in Sports: The event begins with Ted Epstein’s presentation, “Stars of the Mic.” Epstein will include clips of famous calls by Jewish sportscasters who will be featured in his upcoming book covering 70 men and women who have lent their voices to the world of sports. Then, meet Art Shamsky of the 1969 World Series Champion New York Mets! Shamsky will discuss being Jewish in the major leagues, his two books and baseball in Israel. His books and memorabilia will be available for purchase.

Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 20 – Finding Hope After the Holocaust: Photojournalist B.A. Van Sise spent four years working with Holocaust museums and organizations to compile captivating images and textual vignettes for his book, “Invited to Life.” It’s a moving and joyful celebration of survival, resilience and joy, expressed through 90 black-and-white portraits of Holocaust survivors and personal stories of their postwar lives.

Monday evening, Feb. 26 – Tevye in New York! – Tom Dugan’s one-man show, Tevye in New York!, is based on Sholem Aleichem’s beloved characters, immortalized in “Fiddler on the Roof.” This show takes up where the original stories left off. It’s a tale filled with laughter, heartbreak and joy, as Tevye tries to balance tradition with what it means to be an American Jew.

Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 27 –"Wiesenthal:" This book is the culmination of Tom Dugan’s journey as a playwright and actor during the 10-year national tour of his off-Broadway play of the same title. The book reveals how this charming man solved his most sensational cases and includes the playscript and photographs from the production.

Sunday morning, March 3 – Children’s event: Micah Siva will share her children’s book, “1, 2, 3 Nosh with Me,” with your preschoolers, followed by a hamantaschen decorating workshop! This free event is for preschoolers and their parents. Each family will receive a copy of Micah’s book.

Monday evening, March 4 – Jewish Matchmaking: Join relationship expert and host of Netflix’s “Jewish Matchmaking,” Aleeza Ben Shalom, for a presentation about her dating show and behind-thescenes secrets. You can expect live matchmaking on stage, your questions answered and special surprises.

As you can see, “Celebration of Jewish Life” has something for everyone. Plus, several events offer the opportunity for a pre-event social gathering with the presenter. For full details, event descriptions, patron benefits, tickets, and more, visit CJLnaples.com.