CLIFTON PARK — Saratoga Jewish Community Arts presents When Klezmer Meets Chanukah, led by Rabbi Zoe B. Zak and accompanied by Margot Leverett and Studio Stu.  The program is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Congregation Beth Shalom, 688 Clifton Park Center Road, Clifton Park.

The program will also be available on Zoom.

Zoe B. Zak is the Rabbi at Temple Israel of Catskill.  She recently co-authored The Cook and The Rabbi (published by Norton Books) with author Susan Simon.  As a performer, composer and producer, she has more than 30 CDs to her credit.  

Margot Leverett is one of the foremost clarinetists of the klezmer revival.  She was a founding member in 1985 of The Klezmatics, a Grammy-award winning musical group, before moving on to a solo career.  

Studio Stu, with his state-of-the-art “Studivarious,” a single string bass, is a one string wonder, combining a traditional folk instrument and a classic jazz form.  

Advance registration for When Klezmer Meets Chanukah is required for both in person attendance and for streaming on Zoom.  To register, go to https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/ycV06dV/KlezmerChanukah. 

A $10 donation is requested at the door.  Zoom participants may make a donation to Temple Sinai, 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. Registrants will receive a playbill and Zoom link a few days before the program, and a reminder shortly before the program.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College’s Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Arthur Zankel Music Center, and Skidmore Jazz Institute are the recipients of 2025 grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, reflecting Skidmore’s important contributions to creativity, arts, and culture in New York state.  

The NYSCA funding will support a wide variety of programming offered by the Tang Teaching Museum, Arthur Zankel Music Center, and Skidmore Jazz Institute in 2025. 

The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, which has been awarded $40,000, has distinguished itself as an internationally recognized art museum and a vital part of Skidmore’s liberal arts mission. Since opening in 2000, the Tang has welcomed nearly 900,000 visitors, including K-12 students and teachers; community groups, including from under-resourced rural and urban areas; residents from throughout the region; and artists, scholars, and tourists from across the country and the world. To help remove barriers to participation, the Museum offers free admission to its galleries and all public programs. 

Arthur Zankel Music Center, the recipient of $20,000, is home to Skidmore’s Music Department and the state-of-the-art Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall. It offers a robust schedule of public programming that includes faculty and student recitals; performances by world-renowned guest artists who engage with Skidmore’s curriculum, often accompanied by master classes and talks; and a culturally diverse series of curated artistic events prioritizing BIPOC performers.  

The Office of Special Programs’ Skidmore Jazz Institute, also awarded $20,000, is a celebrated two-week summer program designed to educate young musicians from around the country in the technique and history of jazz through master classes, rehearsals, private lessons, recording and music production seminars, and concerts with a faculty of top jazz practitioners and guest artists.  

In addition to the three Support for Organization grants, NYSCA has awarded Distinguished Writer-in-Residence Greg Hrbek, in Skidmore’s English Department, a $10,000 Support for Artist literature grant to support a novel he’ll be working on next year.  

Through the state’s continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded grants to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state, totaling $84 million for fiscal year 2025 so far.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Psychology of a Murderer – hosted by renowned forensic psychologist and criminal expert Dr. Rachel Toles, will visit more than 40 U.S. cities in 2025 including Saratoga Springs’ Universal Preservation Hall for one show only on Saturday, May 3.

Toles, who has has cultivated nearly 250,000 social media followers with her true crime content, will take audiences on an illuminating and disturbing journey into the darkest corners of a killer’s psyche including the twisted minds and motives of infamous killers Jeffrey Dahmer, Aaron Hernandez, Chris Watts, Aileen Wuornos, the Menendez Brothers, and more. 

Toles will examine what lies behind the decision to commit murder. What are the escalation points? Do some people snap, while others make a clear and conscious decision? “This show is unique in that we’ll be exploring the root causes, uncovering the childhood experiences, the family dynamics, and the critical breaking points that can lead to these later tragedies,” says Toles. During intermission, audience members will have the chance to submit questions to Dr. Toles for a highly anticipated live Q&A session. 

Tickets are on sale to the public through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or online by visiting atuph.org. Groups of 10 or more can get tickets by calling (518) 382-3884 x 139. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Chicago based blues rock quartet The Empty Pockets perform at Caffe Lena Friday, Dec. 13 as part of their “Mistletunes” holiday concert tour.

The Empty Pockets released their newest full-length studio album, Gotta Find The Moon in 2023, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart. The record was tracked live at Abbey Road Studios, using the same vintage gear Paul McCartney and The Beatles played on many songs. 

“Singing into the same microphone Paul McCartney once used to track vocals melted my brain a little bit, and that same feeling also brought out the absolute best performances from the whole band,” says keyboard/vocalist Erika Brett, who fronts the band alongside guitarist-vocalist husband, Josh Solomon. 

The Empty Pockets bring fresh energy to classic Christmas titles like “Let It Snow” and “Run Run Rudolph,” while featuring their original creative and fun holiday songs like “Snow Day” and “Party at the North Pole” alongside their Billboard chart-topping songs. Go to: caffelena.org.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS  — Nacre Dance Group presents the holiday production, The Christmas Oratorio, at noon and at 4 p.m. on Dec. 15, at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. 

The modern dance classic, originally choreographed in 1961 and set to the music of Bach, will be brought to life by a cast of local dance students, professional dancers, and visiting guest artists, accompanied by opera singers and live musicians for select pieces.

Audiences are invited to start the celebration with a Holiday Tea, provided by Chocolate is Self-Care, featuring a variety of treats to enjoy before the performance. 

Audience members will also have the chance to decorate a festive dance tree with their own holiday messages and meet the costumed cast members for photos.

 For tickets and more information, go to: www.nacredance.org.