On Wednesday evening, December 17, 2014, the Jewish Museum will host its 20th annual Family Hanukkah Party fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. This special event, which benefits the Jewish Museum, will feature celebratory holiday activities for adults, and children ages 2 through tweens.  The Jewish Museum is located at Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street, Manhattan.

The Jewish Museum’s expanded slate of lectures, discussions, and events continues in December with popular novelists Anita Diamant and Dara Horn discussing their work and the importance of fiction; a performance by acclaimed pianist Daniel Gortler; and a screening of The Powder and the Glory, focusing on the rivalry between cosmetics magnates Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden.

The Jewish Museum’s exhibition series Sights and Sounds: Global Film and Video continues with a diverse lineup of month-long presentations featuring recent film and video works from around the world.  Upcoming programs include Australia (December 2014), Turkey (January 2015), Vietnam (February 2015), Mexico (March 2015), and Hungary (April 2015).

The Jewish Museum will present acclaimed Israeli pianist Daniel Gortler in concert on Thursday, December 18 at 7:30pm. Mr. Gortler, who has delighted audiences and critics with his performances around the world and received praise for his technical mastery and musical ingenuity, will perform works by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896), and Robert Schumann (1810-1856). The program selections by Clara Schumann include seldom-performed compositions highlighting her relationships with the two other composers. A highly regarded Schumann interpreter, Daniel Gortler’s latest recording of Robert Schumann piano solo works was released as a double CD album on Romeo Records and has received enthusiastic critical reviews

In conjunction with the exhibition, Helena Rubinstein: Beauty Is Power, on view from October 31,  2014 through March 22, 2015, the Jewish Museum is presenting a series of programs from December to March. Highlights include a concert with acclaimed cellist Maya Beiser; an author talk by Helena Rubinstein biographer Michèle Fitoussi; a discussion between MacArthur Fellow Deborah Willis and image activist Michaela Angela Davis; screenings of the films, The Powder & the Glory and Advanced Style, and behind-the-scenes gallery talks with the exhibition’s curators.

Families can shake to the multicultural music and contagious rhythms of the five-member band Hot Peas ‘N Butter at the Jewish Museum on Sunday, December 21 at 11:30 am. Seen on Nickelodeon and Noggin and led by Danny Lapidus and Francisco Cotto, the band’s mix of everything from Puerto Rican folk and American blues to klezmer and world beats will get everyone dancing. 

The Jewish Museum will present its annual Hanukkah Family Day, a fun-filled day of activities, on Sunday, December 14 from 12 noon to 4 pm.  Kids can construct a sculptural Hanukkah menorah with funky found objects, dance to the music of Shirlala, see the Hanukkah story brought to life through a drawing performance with Jeff Hopkins, and explore the Museum’s world-famous collection of Hanukkah lamps.

The kids indie rock band Josh & The Jamtones will perform at the Jewish Museum on Sunday, December 7 at 11:30 am. Fronted by singer/songwriter Josh Shriber and drummer/producer Patrick Hanlin, their interactive concerts get crowds of any age moving their bodies and singing along. Josh seamlessly blends roots/reggae/ska stylings, feel-good pop, folk punk, country ballads, New Orleans-style street music and kid-friendly improv comedy.  The concert will feature songs from The Jamtones’ two critically-acclaimed family records, Jump Up and Bear Hunt!

The Jewish Museum’s Fall 2014 slate of lectures, discussions, and events continues in November with Wish You Were Here, a discussion between Jens Hoffmann, The Jewish Museum's Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Public Programs, and Gertrude Stein, as presented by scholar Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev.  Other highlights include a performance by composer, bandleader, and recent MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship recipient Steve Coleman & Friends in partnership with Bang on a Can, inspired by the exhibition, From the Margins: Lee Krasner | Norman Lewis, 1945-1952; and the next event in the popular after-hours series, The Wind Up.

Bang on a Can: From the Margins, a concert featuring recent MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship recipient Steve Coleman & Friends, will take place at the Jewish Museum on Thursday, November 6 at 7:30pm. Tied to the Museum exhibition From the Margins: Lee Krasner I Norman Lewis, 1945-1952, which features innovative works by two powerful abstract painters, the performance will highlight the relationship between Abstract Expressionism and jazz in mid-century New York City. This program is the second concert of the Jewish Museum and Bang on a Can’s partnership to produce a series of dynamic musical performances at the Museum from June 2014 to May 2015, inspired by the Jewish Museum’s diverse slate of exhibitions.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s WeBop! Family Jazz Party: Painted Beats, presented by the Jewish Museum, will take place at the Museum on Sunday, November 23 at 2:30 pm.   Parents can spark creativity and musicality with Jazz at Lincoln Center's sellout WeBop! program for families with children ages 3 to 8 years.

The FunkeyMonkeys return to the Jewish Museum with two concerts for families on Sunday, November 16 at 11:30 am and 2:00 pm.   Described as “Seinfeld meets the Wiggles,” this uniquely hip eight-member band incorporates funny sketches and improvised bits, along with their special brand of funky kid's music, ranging from driving afrobeat to ethereal ballads.  The performance will feature tunes from their albums Mustache, Tastes Like Chicken, Sing Dance Underpants, and Jewish FunkeyMonkeys.