Newton Cultural Alliance

Steinway Alive at The Allen Center
2025-09-09 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Steinway Alive: Sunday October 5th, 3pm
To complete our opening weekend celebration, Steinway artists Max Levinson and Karen Walwyn will present works for piano to celebrate the new partnership between The Allen Center and M. Steinert & Sons, followed by a champagne reception.

New TV presents Future Forward Gala
2025-09-30 18:00 - 21:00 | Boston Marriott Newton, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA, 02466, United States
NewTV is pleased to announce their inaugural Future Forward Gala on September 30, 2025 beginning at 6:00PM. The Gala will take place at the Boston Marriott Newton, located at 2345 Commonwealth Avenue.
Like most community media centers, NewTV is funded primarily by a surcharge on the cable bill of local cable subscribers. With more and more people “cutting the cord” in favor of streaming services and apps, NewTV is rapidly losing a major source of funding needed to serve the Newton community. Supporting the Future Forward Gala helps to finance NewTV’s annual fundraising campaign, ensuring that NewTV remains the best community media center in the nation.
The gala features an immersive journey through NewTV’s history: Learn what NewTV has accomplished and discover some of the most meaningful content they have created over the past three decades. NewTV will also define their vision for the future – how they will continue to protect your First Amendment right to free speech, and how they will continue to provide you with transparent local government coverage and journalistic integrity.
The evening also includes cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down dinner, a live performance by Boston music legend Livingston Taylor, and a tribute to outgoing Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller.

Film Screening of An Uncommon Education: The Allen School
2025-10-14 18:30 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Historic Newton, West Newton Cinema, and Newton Cultural Alliance are excited to present a showing and panel discussion of the film “An Uncommon Education: The Allen School”! Join us on Tuesday, October 14 to view the original film (released in 2023) followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers. Tickets are $20 and equally benefit all three non-profit organizations.

West Newton Cinema Reads: The Bostonians
2025-10-16 18:30 - 20:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
In Boston, in the aftermath of the Civil War, Verena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter), a gifted young orator, has attracted the attention of Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave), who wishes to nurture Verena as an inspirational force for the Women’s Movement. Ranged against her is Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve), a handsome male chauvinist, who wants Verena as his wife. Against a backdrop of luminous New England landscapes, battle is joined, and for Olive, the struggle will prove an odyssey that forces her to acknowledge her true nature. Merchant Ivory Productions’ acclaimed screen adaptation of Henry James’s The Bostonians (1886), set in Cambridge and Boston, charts the struggle between two charismatic forces to gain control over the destiny of a spirited young woman.
Join us for a special screening of The Bostonians, now in stunning 4K restoration, with an opening discussion of both the film and the novel led by Sierra Eckert and David Kurnick and moderated by John Plotz. This screening opens the Brandeis Novel Symposium set for Friday, October 17, a free event drawing scholars from across the country that audience members are encouraged to attend.
THE BRANDEIS NOVEL SYMPOSIUM is a one-day conference that chooses a single novel as a point of focus for salient theoretical, historical, political, and narratological questions about the novel as a genre. This year’s symposium on Henry James’s The Bostonians will be held on Friday, October 17, in Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center, and speakers will include Louis Menand (Harvard University) and Holly Jackson (University of Massachusetts, Boston).
SIERRA ECKERT is Assistant Professor of English at Wesleyan University. She specializes in nineteenth-century British and Anglophone literature, disciplinary history, critical and social theory, and the digital humanities. Her work has appeared in Victorian Studies and Studies in the Novel.
DAVID KURNICK is Professor of English at Rutgers University at New Brunswick. He is the author of The Savage Detectives Reread and Empty Houses: Theatrical Failure and the Novel, and his writing has appeared in Bookforum, Public Books, and Chronicle of Higher Education.
JOHN PLOTZ is Mandel Professor of Humanities at Brandeis University. He co-hosts two podcasts: Novel Dialogue and Recall This Book, and oversees the annual Brandeis Novel Symposium.
Registered attendees of the Brandeis Novel Symposium are entitled to a ticket discount. To receive the discount, tickets must be purchased ONLINE with code. To receive your code, register for the Brandeis Novel Symposium for free at the following link:
www.brandeis.edu/english/events/brandeis-novel-symposium/

Parisian Colors: Between Line and Light
2025-10-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Newton Presbyterian Church, 75 Vernon St., Newton, MA, United States
Join the award-winning Poiema Trio for an evening of French chamber music where elegance meets daring. From Ravel’s shimmering Trio to Boulanger’s radiant D’un matin de printemps and Fauré’s lyrical late Trio, discover the vibrant palette of sound that defined Paris in the early 20th century.
Poiema Trio, dedicated to sharing the joy of chamber music with audiences of all demographics, infuses their performances with spontaneity, imagination, and storytelling. Poiema formed in the summer of 2023 at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival after bonding over a shared affinity for folk traditions and improvisation and falling in love with making music together over many late night reading sessions. In their time together, they have performed and taught workshops across the eastern half of the US and are recipients of the 2024 Gold Medal Prize from the Ninth International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition. The vibrant members have backgrounds in historical performance, folk, jazz, and production, hold degrees from the Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and are currently working on arranging folk tunes for piano trio. Their name, “Poiema,” means poetry at the intersection of beauty and brokenness, a poignant reminder of an artist’s true calling.

Jack Lemmon: A Centennial Tribute!
2025-10-24 08:00 - 2025-10-26 17:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Our hottest event of the season, West Newton Cinema will present the Jack Lemmon 100th Anniversary Celebration from October 24–26, 2025, marking the centenary of the birth of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors and Newton’s own native son.
One of the most beloved actors in movie history, Jack Lemmon (1925–2001) was born John Uhler Lemmon III, in Newton, Massachusetts. He grew up in Newton Center and attended Ward Elementary, the Rivers School, and Andover. After Harvard University, where he was president of the Hasty Pudding Club, and a brief stint in the Navy, Lemmon moved to New York City and made his start in radio and early television before transitioning to film roles. Over five decades and more than sixty films, Lemmon built a career as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors, known for his witty, relatable “everyman” persona.
The three-day program will feature screenings of Jack Lemmon’s most acclaimed films, a commemorative reception, and a special conversation with members of the Lemmon family. Courtney Lemmon, Chris Lemmon, and Sydney Lemmon will take part in the event, celebrating their father and grandfather’s enduring legacy.

West Newton Cinema presents There Was, There Was Not
2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
In THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT, myth and reality intertwine to reveal the lives of four
Armenian women facing the loss of their homeland. What began as a quiet observation
of their daily lives became, after the war in Artsakh, an urgent chronicle of survival — a
cinematic act of memory and resistance.
The film has been hailed by critics as:
“A bold act of narrative resistance”-The Moveable Fest
“A fiery, feminist wartime fable”- Hammer to Nail
“A powerful tribute to a former country” – RogerEbert.com
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan praised it as “a deeply felt and beautifully made film.”
The documentary has toured festivals worldwide following its world premiere at True/False
Film Festival, winning multiple awards, including the Audience Award and First Honorable Mention Jury Award at Argentina’s Mar del Plata International Film Festival and the FIPRESCI International Film Critics Award at the Golden Apricot Film Festival.
Q&A:
Following the screening, filmmaker Emily Mkrtichian will join a Q&A discussion moderated by Paul Boghosian, President of Harbor Side Films, producer of documentaries (PBS), public affairs programming as well as major television and cable
and streaming projects for networks and private clients.

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: Nouvelle Vague
2025-11-09 13:00 - 15:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
NOUVELLE VAGUE is Richard Linklater’s love letter to the magic of French New Wave cinema, as he reimagines the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960), the film that established Godard’s signature place in the history of cinema. The film is about a young and impulsive criminal in Paris and his American girlfriend. In Nouvelle Vague we are transported back to the streets of 1959 Paris for a delightful and vibrant recreation of one of cinema’s most groundbreaking productions. It is an ode to the transformative power of cinema.
POST SCREENING PANEL DISCUSSION
Our distinguished panel will delve into how this film pays tribute to one of the world’s most beloved and influential example of French New Wave cinema. We will go deeper into why this film brought international attention to new ways of French film-making and the impact of French New Wave on how movies are made.
PANELISTS:
TY BURR
Ty Burr, nationally renowned film critic, who reviews films for The Washington Post and writes the film and popular culture newsletter, “Ty Burr’s Watchlist”. Burr worked as a film critic at The Boston Globe from 2002 until 2021.
JULIE LEVINSON, Ph.D.
William R. Dill Governance Professor, Film Studies, Babson College. Levinson’s scholarship has focused on a wide range of topics including genre and gender, documentary film, narrative theory, and metafiction.
MALCOLM TURVEY, Ph.D.
Sol Gittleman Professor, Film and Media Studies, Tufts University. Turvey’s research is in the areas of film theory, the philosophy and aesthetics of film, avant-garde film, and film and modernism.
MODERATOR:
ERICKA KNUDSON, Ph.D.
Visiting Professor, French Studies, Northeastern University.

Sy Montgomery & E.B. Bartels: A Turtle Celebration
2025-11-15 11:00 - 13:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
West Newton Cinema Reads and Newtonville Books present:
Famed naturalist Sy Montgomery, author of THE TRUE AND LUCKY LIFE OF A TURTLE, and E. B. Bartels, author of GOOD GRIEF, together for a talk and book signing to benefit the Turtle Survival Alliance!
Our day begins with a turtle meet and greet. Sy and E.B. will then share big-screen stories and more from their animal adventures, followed by a Q&A. Guests are invited to stay for a screening of THE SLOWEST STAMPEDE ON EARTH and join Sy and E.B. for a book signing in our lobby.
And don’t forget to bid on items—like turtle quilts—in the silent auction!
The day’s events:
11am-11:30:
Turtle meet & greet; mingle in the lobby to browse books & turtle merch & bid on the silent auction items
11:30-12:30:
Authors talk books & turtles, followed by a Q&A, in the theater
12:30-1:30:
Join us for a screening of THE SLOWEST STAMPEDE ON EARTH (20 mins, in the theater) & a book signing (in the lobby)
National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller SY MONTGOMERY is the author of thirty-nine books for both adults and children, including Soul of an Octopus and Of Time and Turtles, and has been honored with a Sibert Medal, three Sibert Honors, two Science Book and Film Prizes from the National Association for the Advancement of Science, four honorary degrees, and many other awards. She lives in Hancock, New Hampshire, with her husband, Howard Mansfield, and their border collie, Thurber.
E.B. BARTELS is a nonfiction writer, a teacher, an editor, and a former bookseller with an MFA from Columbia. She is the author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter (out in paperback from Mariner Books/HarperCollins on 11/11/25), a narrative nonfiction book about loving and losing animals, which has received positive press from many media outlets including The Associated Press, NPR, The Boston Globe, WBUR, Kinship, Psychology Today, and the American Kennel Club, and which has been translated into Korean. Her essays and interviews have appeared in Salon, Slate, WBUR, Literary Hub, Catapult, Electric Literature, The Believer, and The Rumpus, among others. E.B. lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with her husband (Richie), her son (Luca), and a pair of red-footed tortoises (Terrence and Twyla).

Behind the Screen: It Was Just an Accident
2025-11-16 14:00 - 16:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT marks another remarkable act of defiance by Jafar Panahi, one of the most courageous filmmakers of our time. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the film is a tense, darkly humorous thriller about Vahid, a mechanic who believes he has reencountered Eghbal, the intelligence officer who once tortured him. As Vahid gathers others whose lives were also scarred by Eghbal, a dangerous plan for revenge takes shape. Panahi crafts a powerful meditation on justice, morality, and resistance under repression. A NEON release and a NYFF63 Main Slate selection.
POST SCREENING PANEL DISCUSSION
Our distinguished panel will discuss IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT in the context of Iranian cinema, political expression, and the role of art as resistance under authoritarian rule.
ALI BANUAZIZI, Ph.D.
Research Professor of Political Science at Boston College and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for International Studies at M.I.T.
Ali Banuazizi’s research focuses on the political cultures of the Middle East and the comparative study of religion, civil society, and politics. His work includes Iran’s social history and its contemporary domestic and foreign relations. A past president of both the Middle East Studies Association and the International Society for Iranian Studies, he has held visiting appointments at Princeton, Harvard, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, MIT, and Oxford University.
RASHIN FAHANDEJ
Multimedia Artist and Filmmaker; Research Fellow, MIT Open Documentary Lab
Rashin Fahandej’s multimedia projects center on marginalized voices and the use of media and technology for social change. Her multi-platform project A Father’s Lullaby explores the role of men in raising children and the impact of racial disparities in the criminal justice system. A 2019 James and Audrey Foster Prize recipient, she has been a Boston Artist-in-Residence and a visiting faculty member at MassArt. She is also a recipient of the Mass Cultural Council Artist Fellowship Grant.
KAMRAN RASTEGAR, Ph.D.
Professor of Comparative Literature, Tufts University
Kamran Rastegar’s scholarship focuses on modern Middle Eastern literature and film, with attention to representation, cultural memory, and transnational identity. He is a founding faculty member of the Department for Studies in Race, Colonialism and Diaspora and an affiliate of the Film and Media Studies Program. He served as Director of the Center for the Humanities at Tufts from 2018 to 2022. His work bridges cultural studies and the political dimensions of art in the Middle East.

West Newton Cinema presents Producers Circle: Nine
2025-12-04 18:30 - 20:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Join us for a special evening with filmmakers Jeremy S. Levine and Rachael DeCruz as they share a rough cut and discuss the making of their documentary, “Nine”.
In this contemplative, immersive documentary, we see two men’s parallel lives unfold, separated by generations and bound together by experience. In Act I, Nine interweaves the lives of Gerald and Henry. They are both stuck. Henry’s life in prison is on loop; he works as a janitor, calls his wife Juanita—who stayed with him during his decades of incarceration—and mentors the younger men while playing dominos before starting it all over again the next day. Gerald frantically juggles his day job, his activism, and at night, he digs into the archives of Henry’s case, looking for something—anything—that will help bring his Pops home. Act II centers on Gerald’s campaign to free Henry. Gerald and his team of formerly incarcerated activists strategize on ways to bring Henry home. They work to pass a bill Gerald wrote while still in prison that would radically transform the clemency board. Gerald records emotional video testimonies from men whose lives Henry transformed. He’s worried it’s not enough and that he’s failing Henry. Things come to a head in Act III, leading to Henry’s clemency hearing and his unexpected freedom after 45 years of incarceration.
With quiet attention to details, Nine feels like a cinematic poem. In moments small and large, the film builds a beautiful, lyrical world that explores the resilience and joy that can be found in our most cherished relationships.
Jeremy S. Levine, Director/Producer
Levine’s work explores race, class, and the power of parental bonds through cinematic, formally rigorous films.
Rachael DeCruz, Director/Producer
DeCruz’s work centers on how familial and community bonds fortify people to push back against racist systems.
Producer’s Circle is an opportunity to:
Experience excerpts of a filmmaker’s past work to understand their vision and craftsmanship.
-Engage directly with in-progress productions that need your support.
-Participate in shaping the final stages of a film’s journey, through discussion and financial contributions.
-Foster a Vibrant Film Community. Beyond supporting a single documentary, your participation helps strengthen Boston’s larger documentary scene. By investing in these works-in-progress, you become part of a community pushing the boundaries of independent storytelling, inspiring future filmmakers, and expanding the city’s creative horizons.

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: Hamnet
2025-12-07 14:00 - 17:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
HAMNET is a historical drama directed by the Academy Award winning writer/director Chloé Zhao and based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell. The film follows the arc in the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes in the wake of the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet. It tells a powerful story of love and loss, and one that is believed to have inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet.
POST SCREENING DISCUSSION
Our distinguished panelists will explore the film’s cultural and historical context and discuss more broadly the influence of Shakespeare on the arts, having inspired countless works across different mediums and periods. Artists have continually drawn on Shakespeare’s work for inspiration, an enduring legacy that has shaped modern art and culture.
FEATURING:
STEPHEN GREENBLATT, Ph.D.
John Cogan University Professor of Humanities, Harvard University
Greenblatt is the author of fifteen books, including Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics; The Swerve: How the World Became Modern; Shakespeare’s Freedom; Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare; Hamlet in Purgatory; and most recently Dark Renaissance. He is General Editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature and of The Norton Shakespeare. His honors include the 2016 Holberg Prize from the Norwegian Parliament, the 2012 Pulitzer Prize and the 2011 National Book Award for The Swerve, and two Guggenheim Fellowships. He has been elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Philosophical Society, the Italian literary academy Accademia degli Arcadi, and is a fellow of the British Academy.
IN CONVERSATION WITH:
MICHELLE EPHRAIM, Ph.D.
Professor of English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ephraim, a Shakespeare scholar, is the author of Green World: A Tragicomic Memoir of Love & Shakespeare, which was awarded the 2023 Juniper Prize for Creative Nonfiction; Reading the Jewish Woman on the Elizabethan Stage; and the co-author of the literary humor book Shakespeare, Not Stirred: Cocktails for Your Everyday Dramas. Her latest venture is the award-winning podcast, Everyday Shakespeare, which explores ways that Shakespeare sheds light on our modern problems.

West Newton Cinema presents Keaton and Chaplin: Live Music Accompaniment
2026-01-25 14:00 - 16:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Join us for screenings of Buster Keaton’s, THE GENERAL (1926), and Charlie Chaplin’s, THE IMMIGRANT (1917) with live musical accompaniment.
ABOUT THE FILMS:
THE GENERAL, Buster Keaton-
After being rejected by the Confederate military, not realizing it was due to his crucial civilian role, an engineer must single-handedly recapture his beloved locomotive after it is seized by Union spies and return it through enemy lines.
THE IMMIGRANT, Charlie Chaplin-
Charlie is an immigrant who endures a challenging voyage and gets into trouble as soon as he arrives in America.
LIVE MUSIC
BRUCE VOGT
Bruce Vogt is a Canadian pianist who has devoted a distinguished career to performing and teaching. He has toured cities and towns of all sizes throughout North America, Europe, and Asia as a soloist and chamber musician. He has mentored generations of young artists in his role as professor of piano at the University of Victoria, and has lectured widely, leading master classes, workshops, and adjudicating for festivals.
Bruce has sustained an interest in exploring the many conversations to be found between music and film, literature and painting. This has evolved into an unusual side hustle: improvising accompaniments for the great films of the silent era. He has developed a robust career in this multimedia sphere bringing sound to many masterpieces — by Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Griffith, Sjöström, Von Sternberg and many others. In movie theaters across Europe, Asia, and North America, he has provided for audiences a greater intimacy with these films, transforming the silence of the medium into another sphere.

West Newton Cinema presents Among Neighbors
2026-01-27 19:00 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
AMONG NEIGHBORS
2026 Special Event DCP with Filmmaker Q&A intended for screenings on or around International Holocaust Remembrance Day | January 27, 2026
ABOUT THE SPECIAL EVENT
The Special Event Q&A includes a brief pre-recorded introduction by filmmaker Yoav Potash, and an in-depth post-film Q&A compilation that reveals the fascinating making-of stories –– as well as the ongoing controversy –– behind this critically-acclaimed film. The Q&A compilation was filmed live at sold-out screenings in New York, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, lending a special event feel to the content.
FILM SYNOPSIS
Using beautiful hand-drawn animation to bring the past to life, “Among Neighbors” investigates the story of a small, rural town where the longstanding peace between Jewish and Polish neighbors was shattered by World War II. Now, in an era where difficult truths about the past are being silenced for political gain, the film focuses on the only living Holocaust survivor from the town, and an aging eyewitness who saw Jews murdered there – six months after the Nazis were defeated. Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Yoav Potash (“Crime After Crime,” Sundance Film Festival), “Among Neighbors” is an evocative and heart-pounding murder mystery with urgent political relevance.

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: The Testament of Ann Lee
2026-02-01 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
ABOUT THE FILM:
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
A post-screening conversation will explore the film’s portrayal of Ann Lee and Shaker spirituality, with particular attention to women’s religious leadership, utopian community-building, and the historical contexts of dissenting Protestant movements in the Atlantic world.
CHRISTOPHER H. EVANS, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of History of Christianity & Methodist Studies, Boston University School of Theology
Christopher Evans teaches and writes on the history of Christianity, American religion, and Methodist history, with additional interests in religion and popular culture. His books include The Social Gospel in American Religion and Histories of American Christianity: An Introduction.
ANN D. BRAUDE, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer on American Religious History; Director, Women’s Studies in Religion Program, Harvard Divinity School
Ann Braude’s scholarship focuses on American religious history with an emphasis on women and minority religious movements. She is the author of Radical Spirits: Spiritualism and Women’s Rights in Nineteenth-century America and is widely known for her work on the centrality of women to American religious history.
MARGARET LAMBERTS BENDROTH, Ph.D.
Historian of American Protestantism; former Executive Director, Congregational Library & Archives (Boston)
Margaret Lamberts Bendroth is a historian of American religion and the author of FUNDAMENTALISM AND GENDER, 1875 TO THE PRESENT and other works on Protestant history. She served for many years as Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives.

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: All God's Children
2026-02-22 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
In an unprecedented attempt to heal centuries of racism and antisemitism, and combat the rising racial and ethnic tension in their Brooklyn communities, the largest reform synagogue and the oldest black Baptist Church attempt to unite their congregations and bring about peace, by becoming family. Shot over five years by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner, ALL GOD’S CHILDREN follows her sister, activist Rabbi Rachel Timoner, and her Congregation Beth Elohim’s partnership with Reverend Dr. Robert Waterman of Antioch Baptist Church as their faith is put to the test, and both congregations struggle not to let their differences drive them apart. Though it’s a fraught partnership, they refuse to walk away, no matter how hard it gets, and ultimately emerge with an inspiring model for how other communities might build bridges across religious, economic and class divides to foster enduring, powerful partnerships.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
REVEREND ELIJAH GIPSON-DAVIS
The Rev. Elijah Gipson-Davis, a native of Riverdale, Georgia, was ordained into the Gospel ministry at the New Macedonia Baptist Church. An anointed preacher, talented scholar, and skilled administrator, he currently serves as the Minister of Administration and Assistant to the Pastor at the Myrtle Baptist Church of West Newton, Massachusetts. Rev. Elijah shares academic interests in religion, specifically African American and North American religious history, gender and sexuality, congregational studies, Christian education, and liturgics.
RABBI TIFERET BERENBAUM
Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum received Rabbinic Ordination and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in 2013, after spending a year in Israel as part of her studies. Rav Tiferet served congregations in Milwaukee, WI and Mt. Holly, New Jersey, then returned home to Boston and TBZ in 2019. Always desiring to continue to learn, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.
MODERATED BY: JAYMIE SAKS
Jaymie is the Director of Development at 2LifeCommunities and served for more than a decade as executive director of Boston Jewish Film (BJF) and was chief operating officer of the Jewish Women’s Archive.

West Newton Cinema presents Ty Burr's Movie Club: The Holdovers
2026-03-12 18:30 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
TY BURR’S MOVIE CLUB is hosted by the nationally recognized film critic Ty Burr.
Each month Ty presents and discusses one of his favorite films with the audience. His selections span the spectrum from classics that have stood the test of time to contemporary films that merit a second viewing.

Cappella Clausura presents Blood and Honey; Modern Visions of Hildegard
2026-03-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Grace Episcopal Church, 76 Eldredge Street, Newton, MA, 02458, United States
Cappella Clausura, an a cappella ensemble of eight to sixteen singers who perform music by Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary composers, present Hildegard’s music for Saint Ursula at Grace Church in Newton. Hildegard von Bingen – the “patron saint” of Cappella – wrote an abundance of vivid music and poetry about Saint Ursula. These chants celebrate womanhood and independence. In this program, Cappella Clausura presents Hildegard’s music for Saint Ursula interspersed with micro-commissions from five emerging composers from the Boston area.

Newton Art Association and New Art Center present Demo: Monotype Printmaking with Lynda Goldberg
2026-03-24 18:00 - 20:00 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Hosted by Newton Art Association at New Art Center, Lynda Goldberg will demonstrate her process, from initial idea to pulling the first original print, and the second “ghost” print. She’ll share what she loves most about monotype printing and walk through the inks, papers, and materials she uses. She has exhibited widely throughout New England, with work held in corporate, private, and nonprofit collections in the U.S. and abroad. She currently teaches at the New Art Center in Newtonville, MA and the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain. Visit her website here: Lyndagoldberg.com.

West Newton Cinema presents Cosmic Coda
2026-03-25 19:00 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Join West Newton Cinema for the Local Spotlight screening of Cosmic Coda with a post-film discussion with the Filmmaker MJ Doherty and Senior Research Scientist Peter Fritschel. COSMIC CODA is about the in-between moments of scientific discovery – how it feels going to work each day on a machine that tests both the limits of our universe and our ability to comprehend this mind boggling goal.

Historic Newton presents Revolutionary Newton
2026-03-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Ave,, Newton, MA, 02458
Historic Newton celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution! Join us in exploring what life was like in 18th-century New England. Reenactors will scatter the museum exhibits and grounds to create an immersive experience of revolutionary life. Guests can participate in hands-on period-specific activities and listen to reenactors debate politics, describe daily life, reminisce on military service, and much more. A scavenger hunt will guide visitors through interactive spaces where they can ask questions and engage with the exhibits and the people who once occupied them. View special 18th-century artifacts from the collection on display for the first time this decade. Shop new and exclusive merchandise and see what your local museum can do for you! This event is free and open to the public.

All Newton Music School presents Alex Thomas Faculty Recital- Discovering Grieg
2026-04-04 16:00 - 18:00 | All Newton Music School, 321 Chestnut St, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
All Newton Music School Piano faculty Alex Thomas invites you to an inspiring concert of Edvard Grieg’s most captivating piano works. From tender lyricism to fiery Nordic passion, each performance captures the essence of Grieg’s genius. Immerse yourself in a concert where artistry and imagery blend in perfect harmony.

Suzuki School of Newton Presents 40th Anniversary Gala
2026-04-11 18:00 - 21:00 | American Legion Hall, Nonatum, MA
Join the Suzuki School of Newton as they celebrate 40 years of inspiring young musicians, nurturing talent, and sharing the joy of music. An elegant evening of music, fine dining, and celebration awaits commemorating four decades of artistic excellence and dedication. All proceeds benefit SSN’s need-based James Thornblade Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Historic Newton presents Naughty Newton at Night: Hamilton's World
2026-04-11 19:00 - 22:00 | Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Ave,, Newton, MA, 02458
Join the historic cocktail party of the year on Saturday, April 11 from 7-10pm at the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds. The theme for this year will be the smash musical Hamilton.
Enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres while exploring the more scandalous topics of the 18th-century through the life of Alexander Hamilton.
What were the favorite drinks of the day? What did people do for fun? How were topics like sex and pregnancy out of wedlock handled? Were there really rules to dueling?
This event is 21+ only. Wear your favorite cocktail party outfit or a historically-inspired outfit.

The Allen Center Presents An Uncommon Education
2026-04-16 19:00 - 21:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
The Allen Center and Historic Newton present a special screening of An Uncommon Education, a documentary exploring the legacy of Nathaniel T. Allen—right here where his groundbreaking work took place. Learn about Allen’s English and Classical School, a forward-looking program of study at a time when slavery was still the law of the land and women’s suffrage yet a distant goal.

Artist Talk: Hands to Earth with Patty Rosenblatt
2026-04-25 14:00 - 16:00 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Join artist Patty Rosenblatt and her co-presenter and video collaborator Kathryn Brodie for a special artist talk that explores the evolution of Hands to Earth and the environmental concerns that shape it.
Rosenblatt noted that green space is disappearing so rapidly that it might soon be possible for people to live their lives without ever touching the earth under their feet. Hands to Earth is her proposal to encourage others to engage with the Earth.
This program provides an opportunity to look back at Rosenblatt’s project through conversation, artwork, and film. Her series, First Violin, An Octave of Prints, which will be on display, offers a powerful visual example of her process and material exploration.
We invite you to join us for an engaging afternoon of art, reflection, and dialogue about touch, transformation, and our shared responsibility to the natural world.
www.newartcenter.org

Andromeda of Boston and Spark Newton present Spring Hafla 2026
2026-04-25 18:30 - 20:30 | Grace Episcopal Church, 76 Eldredge Street, Newton, MA, 02458, United States
Andromeda of Boston and Spark Newton present a vibrant showcase of world dance at Grace Episcopal Church featuring local students and professional performers. Styles include MENAHT (Middle Eastern, North African, Hellenic, Turkish), as well as Asian, Balkan, and Eastern European–inspired traditions. Light refreshments provided; Free for Newton residents with reservations.

Hyde Community Center presents Newton Taiwan Day
2026-05-02 11:30 - 15:00 | Hyde Community Center, 90 Lincoln St, Newton Highlands, MA, 02461, United States
Mark your calendar for the largest outdoor Taiwan festival in Massachusetts. Each year the community comes together at the Hyde Community Center to enjoy vibrant cultural performances, delicious food, refreshing drinks, and a joyful celebration of Taiwanese culture. Free admission. Everyone is welcome!

West Newton Cinema presents Join or Die
2026-05-02 15:00 - 17:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Directed by Rebecca Davis, Pete Davis
Starring Robert Putnam, Vivek Murthy, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Raj Chetty, Priya Parker, Jane McAlevey, Glenn Loury, Hahrie Han
THE POWER OF BELONGING: JOIN OR DIE
Stronger communities start with showing up.
3:00 – 4:30 PM – “Join or Die” screening
4:30 – 5:30 PM – Club Fair in the Cinema Lobby
The West Newton Cinema, together with The Boston Club, is hosting a special screening of “Join or Die” and a post screening “joining fair” with 15 area clubs and organizations.
“Join or Die” is a film about why you should join a club—and why the fate of America may depend on it. Follow the story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose viral “Bowling Alone” research into the decline in American community lights a path out of our democracy’s present crisis. The film shows that the solution is within reach: getting involved.
After the film, connect with local clubs and organizations, including Green Newton, Newton Free Library, The Boston Club, Ty Burr’s Movie Club, The Highland Glee Club, Newton Camera Club, LGBTQ Newton, Newton Rotary, Newton Lions Club, Newton Women’s Forum, Rock Voices, and more. Discover how you can turn inspiration into action by becoming part of a community.

Newton Cemetery & Arboretum presents Pond Fish Tour
2026-05-08 10:00 - 11:30 | Newton Cemetery and Arboretum, 791 Walnut St, Newton, Massachusetts, 02459, United States
Take a walk through Historic Newton Cemetery & Arboretum and learn about Cold Spring Brook, the four ponds and two lagoons on the property, and the fish and other aquatic life that call them home. Join former Newton resident and Executive Director for Native Fish Coalition Bob Mallard as he explains the history of the property’s waterways and how everything ties together today. Suggested donation: $15. Registration is required.
Click here to register.
