‘Nichols After Dark: Halloween Tour’ Coming Oct. 26
The Nichols House Museum at 55 Mt. Vernon St. will offer “Nichols After Dark: Halloween Tour” on Thursday, Oct. 26, with tours at 5:30 and 7 p.m.
Get in the spooky spirit with a twilight tour of the Nichols House led by a costumed guide at dusk. Explore the Nichols family connection to the Salem Witch Trials, how Halloween was celebrated when the Nichols sisters were children, and eerie happenings on Beacon Hill. Guests are invited to attend in costume. Light refreshments will be served.
Admission is $15 per member, or $25 per nonmember. Space is limited.
Visit www.nicholshousemuseum.org for more information.
Rep. Livingstone’s Virtual Office Hours
Rep. Jay Livingstone will hold virtual office hours via Zoom on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 3 to 4 p.m.; email [email protected] to receive the link for virtual office hours.
Hill House’s Halloween Party and Parade Set for Oct. 31
Hill House will hold its annual Halloween Party on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. at the Firehouse at 127 Mt. Vernon St., followed by a Halloween parade to the Myrtle Street Playground.
Looking ahead, Hill House will hold its annual Holiday Tree and Wreath Sale on Saturday, Dec. 2, from around 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Firehouse.
Visit hillhouseboston.org for more information.
Upcoming Events at The Vilna Shul
The Vilna Shul at 18 Phillips St. will offer Havurah on the Hill Friday Night Shabbat for 20s/30s on Friday, Oct. 27, from6 to 9 p.m.
Join The Vilna for a special Friday night Shabbat experience for young professionals. This evening includes spirited services, inspired food and drink, and a fireside chat with a one of the artists whose work was featured at the Be The Change art and activism public exhibit at The Fenway. Admission is $18 per person; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
Additionally, The Vilna Book will offer a Book Brunch with Author Dan Dain on Sunday, Oct. 29, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
At this time, Vilna Shul board member Dain speaks about the West End and Boston’s Jewish community in his new book, “A History of Boston.” Complimentary bagels and coffee will be served at the event. Admission is free; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
The Vilna will also offer Friday Night Dinner and Service for Urban Adults on Friday, Nov. 3, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Join the city dwellers of Wayland’s Temple Shir Tikva for a Friday night service and dinner at The Vilna. Meet other adults from Beacon Hill and nearby neighborhoods for a warm, welcoming, and social Friday night experience. Admission is $36 per person; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
Additionally, The Vilna offers Sephardi Music with Songs from Turkey and the Balkans on Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m.
While most of the communities where Spanish Jews flourished in exile have disappeared, many of their songs remain. Trio Sefardi will perform traditional Sephardic songs primarily in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish). Admission is $18 per person; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
Also, The Vilna will offer “How Do We Give Thanks? Art Workshop in Felt and Feeling” on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Explore felting techniques and expand your knowledge of what is possible to make with just wool and warm, soapy water. Harness your imagination and create a work of art that reflects gratitude, a value central to the Jewish tradition. Admission is $10 per person; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
The Vilna will also offer “Exploring Sephardi Culture” on Wednesdays, Nov. 29, and Dec. 6, 13 and 20, and Jan. 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Explore the history of Sephardic Jews through music, film, and literature. Experiment with the ancient Jewish language of Ladino, spoken by Jews in Spain and throughout the Ottoman Empire beginning in the 15th century. No background experience is required.
Moreover, The Vilna will offer “American Jewish Women in Television” on Wednesdays, Nov. 29, and Dec. 13 and 20, and Jan. 10 and 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
During this course, which costs $120 per participant, attendees will analyze the ways in which contemporary American television is establishing a new take on Jewish female identity that challenges the stereotypes of Jewish femininity proliferated on television since its inception. Register online at www.vilnashul.org.
The Vilna will also offer “A Meeting of The Arts: Live Guitar and Contemporary Dance for 20s/30s” on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of music, dance, and art celebrating the mysterious Catalan Mahzor, a 14th century Jewish illuminated manuscript from Spain. This program is offered in partnership with Boston Festival of New Jewish Music and features guitarist Ira Klein, dancer Rachel Linsky, and instrumentalist Beth Bahia Cohen. Admiison is $18 per person; register online at www.vilnashul.org.
For more information on The Vilna Shul, visit www.vilnashul.org or call 617 -523-2324.
Free Lessons in American Mahjong Offered at West End Branch Library
The Friends of the West End Library will be offering lessons in American Mahjong to new and experienced players at no cost.
The group meets on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month in the Community Room of the West End Branch Library, 151 Cambridge St.
To sign up or for more information, email Audrey Tedeman ([email protected]) or Julia Forbes ([email protected]).