JW3

Great to meet the team for rehearsals last week for "Rainbows on Rye" – an evening of Jewish joy, featuring new short comedic plays and original musical theatre songs exploring the joys (and oys) of being LGBTQ+ and Jewish.

In partnership with Echoes Theatre co. and THE JEWish CABARET, Rainbows on Rye comes to our stage on 21 June.

Tickets: https://ow.ly/IjQ050Zb1xu

If your summer calendar is already filling up, grab a permanent marker and write "JW3 Beach" in massive letters on 28 June.

For nine weeks, our Piazza transforms into a free weatherproof beach with a paddling pool, deckchairs, children's activities and plenty of space to spend time together.

Whether you're looking for an easy weekday (or weekend) outing, somewhere to meet friends during the holidays, or a reliable family favourite to return to throughout the summer, we've got you covered.

More info at https://www.jw3.org.uk/beach

First, there were moving images. Then sound. Then colour. As cinema technology has evolved over the past century, so has its ability to inspire audiences with new ways of storytelling.

Julia Wagner's latest course will look at the pivotal moments that transformed cinema history, the cultural impact of cinema through iconic movies and filmmakers, and the impact cinema has had on audiences.

Whether you’re interested in film and the arts or just want to find out how cinema became what it is today, join us for this 3-week mini course on the big screen, starting 25 June.

Tickets:

Celebrating Cinema's Defining Moments — Dr Julia Wagner This course celebrates the breakthroughs that have transformed cinema and how we experience it.

The School's Out! Comedy Club (for ages 4+) is Philip Simon's hilariously bonkers, award-winning show where children (and maybe even a few brave parents) take to the stage to share their favourite jokes.

Created during lockdown to entertain children (and give parents a well-deserved homeschooling break), this is the silly joke show where your kids are the stars.

Philip holds everything together compering the start of the show, but it’s not long before the children are given free reign to wreak havoc with their best jokes whilst their grown ups cower in their seats. What could be more entertaining than that?

This Sunday, 2pm. Tickets:

School's Out! Comedy Club Philip Simon's hilariously bonkers, award-winning show where children (and maybe even a few parents) take to the stage to share their favourite jokes.

Only one day until the World Cup kickoff and we're feeling more than a little football fever...

Not only will be be screening selected World Cup matches when our Beach opens on 28 June onwards, we're also celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film Sixty Six tomorrow eve with a special screening in our cinema – a comic tale of a young boy whose Bar Mitzvah falls on the day England reach the World Cup Final at Wembley.

Join us for an introduction from star Eddie Marsan, followed by Jason Solomons in conversation with director Paul Weiland and an audience Q&A.

Tickets: https://ow.ly/PsrW50Z7Z8c

Where other than JW3 can you find century-old Yiddish recordings fused with the pulse of a nightclub?

Join us in our cinema for a live performance and conversation with Chaia, an artist raised in the Klezmer tradition who blends archival Jewish recordings, accordion, vocals and electronic sampling into something entirely her own.

An evening for anyone curious about where Jewish culture has come from, and where it might be heading next.

Sun 28 June, 7.30pm. Tickets:

Chaia: Yiddish Electronic (Live & In Conversation) Join us in the JW3 Cinema for a special evening with electronic composer and Klezmer-raised artist Chaia, as she bridges the past and the dancefloor.

We're marking Refugee Week with a walking tour about Fred Uhlman, a Jewish refugee lawyer turned artist, who settled with his English wife, Diana, in Downshire Hill in 1938.

Led by museum curator and educator Marilyn Greene, discover how they together formed the artist refugee committee to rescue Jewish artists trapped in Czechoslovakia and about how their Hampstead house became a refuge during WWII.

Hear about the organisations that he was involved in; visit sites he was known to frequent; discuss the role of his artistic friends and neighbours and find out about other Jewish refugee artists and designers who also settled in Hampstead.

Sun 21 June, 2pm. Tickets:

Art & Refugees in Hampstead — Marilyn Greene To mark Refugee Week 2026, learn about the story of Fred Uhlman, a Jewish refugee lawyer turned artist, who settled with his English wife, Diana, in Downshire Hill in 1938.

Our next Comedy Club is headlined by Alice Fraser, who The Telegraph listed as one of the top 50 funniest comedians of the 21st century (no pressure, Alice). She's a regular writer and performer on BBC Radio's The News Quiz, meaning she’s professionally funny *and* well-informed – a dangerous combination.

You can also catch:

Eli James – an experienced American stand-up who moved to London from NYC a few years ago for a relationship that (like many things imported from America) didn’t quite last as long as expected.

Henry Ginsburg – as a performer of comedy since 2005, he’s had plenty of time to perfect the art of overthinking everything. His topics cover everything from childhood and self-image to religion, existential dread, social anxiety, and the many creative ways humans manage to get things wrong.

Compered by Rachel Creeger (who's just caught her breath from her appearance on last week's 101 Rules), don't miss the best Jewish and Jew-ish comedy in town.

Tickets: https://ow.ly/pf1x50Z7bAJ

What do you think it was like to give The Fab Four a haircut?

Join Leslie Cavendish, The Beatles’ hairdresser from 1967 to 1975, and Zuleika Rodgers, Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies, for an evening celebrating 20th century Jewish hairdressers.

Leslie worked with Vidal Sassoon and counted many of the era’s biggest stars among his clients. Zuleika's father was the first Vidal Sassoon stylist to come to Dublin, and her new book looks at the influence Jewish hairdressers had on fashion throughout the 20th century.

So come along for a truly hair-raising experience.

Thu 25 June, 7.30pm. Tickets:

Jews in Hairdressing — Zuleika Rodgers and Leslie Cavendish Join us for an enlightening evening exploring the remarkable world of 20th-century Jewish hairdressers with Zuleika Rodgers and Leslie Cavendish.

For those of you coming to our (almost sold out) Jewish punk event tonight, we want to see you dressed in your finest punk attire.

Leather. Denim. Boots. Studs. Safety pins. Attitude.

Last remaining tickets here: https://ow.ly/Ait150Z84gR

'So quickly did JW3 become part of the community architecture that it is hard to think we could have gone without it for so long.'

Recently our CEO, Raymond Simonson sat down with Simon Rocker at The Jewish Chronicle to talk through the highs and lows of running JW3, since we opened nearly 13 years ago.

From dancing the hora with King Charles, opening a foodbank mid-pandemic to the hundreds of other activities taking place each week. As Raymond puts it 'We’re going to wear our Judaism out, loud and proud' for many more years to come.

Read the full interview here: https://ow.ly/gwjK50Z7U6h

Film, TV, music, fashion, LGBTQ+ icon...Cher has been reinventing herself constantly over the six decades of her career.

And to celebrate the star's 80th birthday this year, we're welcoming back Dr Julie Lobalzo Wright (whose previous JW3 talks have included Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton).

Julie will focus on Cher’s extensive multimedia career, considering how she rose from being part of the Sonny and Cher duo in her twenties to becoming a film and solo music star in her thirties and forties to her greatest ‘comeback’ in her fifties (with the single, ‘Believe’) to her contemporary icon status.

Join us on Thu 18 June, 2pm.

Tickets: https://ow.ly/2Xw850Z68vk

📸Raphael Pour-Hashemi

Cher: Multimedia star, Cultural Icon, Living Legend — Dr Julie Lobalzo Wright Cher is one of a kind: a singer, actress, fashionista, gossip magnet, and LGBTQ+ icon who has been a star since the mid-1960s.

This week is Volunteers' Week where we show appreciation to our wonderful volunteers, whether it's cooking, packing or delivering for our Foodbank, or helping with cinema ushering.

The week culminates this Sunday 7 June at 1pm with the Big (Bagel) Lunch, in partnership with JVN - Jewish Volunteering Network. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet others and celebrate the spirit of giving back.

Tickets: https://ow.ly/E2AP50Z74PR

A night of new writing celebrating both Jewish & LGBTQ+ identity and experience. Get ready to enjoy plays full of humour, pathos and a little bit of guilt for not calling your mother enough! Alongside some wonderful new musical songs.

Joyfully Jewish: Rainbows on Rye comes to our stage on Sun 21 June, 7pm.

Tickets:

Joyfully Jewish: Rainbows on Rye A night of new Jewish writing about coming out, being proud and feeling guilty for missing Friday night dinner.