Heritage & Health Series Program

January 2026 JHM Events

Our theme is A Taste of Tradition

Join us for a month of education, celebration, and community for Jewish Heritage Month!

Wednesday,  Jan. 7

Jewish Heritage Month Opening Ceremony

Noon–1 p.m. in Dining Hall

Join us for our first College Hour of the Winter quarter to celebrate the opening ceremony for Jewish Heritage Month. Enjoy music, culture, and food with your Foothill community! 

Friday,  Jan. 9

Shabbat Dinner — with the Hillel of Silicon Valley Community

6–8 p.m. in Dining Hall

Join us for a special Shabbat dinner to celebrate the start of Winter Quarter and Jewish Heritage Month! 
This is a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community, honor the rich traditions of Jewish culture, and embrace the exciting possibilities that the new semester has to offer.
Don’t miss out on an evening of celebration, connection, and cultural appreciation!

Wednesday,  Jan. 14

Sephardic Program 

Noon–1 p.m. in Dining Hall

Come make Israeli chocolate balls and explore Sephardic Jewish culture! This is the place to chill with friends, listen to music, eat tasty desserts, and learn about Jewish History!

Wednesday,  Jan. 21

Winter Club Day with a Jewish Flare

Noon–2 p.m. in Library Quad (Dining Hall if rain)

Clubs are the heartbeat of campus life at Foothill. Explore Mizrahi Jewish Culture through traditional jewelry making while snacking on traditional pastries. Please join us on campus to learn about joining or starting a club, and enjoy Jewish & varied music, food, fun, while making new friends!

Wednesday, Jan. 21

Artist Talk/Reception with Jonah Markowitz

10–11a.m. |  Join via ZOOM

Join us for an insightful virtual artist talk with photographer Jonah Markowitz.

Jonah is a documentary photographer and filmmaker as well as a New York City born and raised Jew, who loves all things pork. Jonah focuses on the power of character-driven narratives that highlight the overlapping nature of race, gender, and class disparities. In his work he emphasizes dignity and humanity, avoiding tropes of victimhood that plague much of American media. As a native New Yorker Jonah works extensively in his hometown, investigating how intersectional inequality has shaped New York City in the 21st century.

His work has been published in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera America, Newsday, The Chronicle of Higher Education, among others and is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of the City of New York.  Although work has brought Jonah around the world, he still lives in Brooklyn, and still loves his pork. 

For more information about Jonah's work, visit jonahmarkowitz.com

Follow him on Instagram at instagram.com/jonahmarkowitz

Thursday,  Jan. 29

Closing Ceremony

Noon–1 p.m. in Dining Hall
Food and refreshments will be served. Entertainment and activities to be announced. Bring a friend and join in on the fun!

 

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Questions? Please contact Student Activities Coordinator, Victoria Strelnikova, at strelnikovavictoria@fhda.edu.

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JHM Planning Committee Members

Thank you to all our students, faculty and staff who helped plan our JHM events this month.

• Dana Manor, Committee Co-Chair
• David Efrati, Committee Co-Chair
• Ridhi Thapar
• Judith Walgren
• Christopher Yang 
• Josh Pelletier
• Victoria Strelnikova
• Special Thank You to Hillel of Silicon Valley for their support and collaboration