The JCC Mid-Westchester Celebrates 70 Years of Community, Culture
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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lise Dowell, JCCMW CEO, and honorees.On Sunday, March 8 the JCC Mid-Westchester in Scarsdale celebrated 70 years of community, culture, and connection at its Annual Benefit. The milestone evening honored the generations who built the organization’s foundation and the young leaders shaping its future.
In 1955, twenty-two families met to establish what was originally known as the Y, now the JCC Mid-Westchester. In 1967, with the support of dozens of founding families, the organization broke ground on its current Wilmot Road location.
For seven decades, the JCCMW has remained true to its core mission: enriching the lives of families in the community through programs that inspire, support, and bring people together. The evening honored The Arnow Family, David Raizen, Jill and Robert Serling, and Elaine and Alan Weiler, who represented the original founding families of the JCCMW for their lasting impact on the organization. Teen volunteers Eli Friedlander, Kate Glick, Micah Grandwetter, and Alexis Levine were recognized for their dedication, commitment, and service, representing the bright future of the JCCMW community.
Elise Dowell, Rachel Moseley (Board President) and elected officials (including Mayor of Scarsdale Justin Arest, Mayor of New Rochelle Yadira Ramos-Herbert, NYS Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, White Plains Common Council President Victoria Presser, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, Westchester County Legislator Judah Holstein, and Congressman George Latimar
“The JCC Mid-Westchester is a place where people feel safe, people feel proud, and people feel welcome,” shared Elise Dowell, JCCMW CEO. “I am so excited to see what the next 70 years hold for the JCCMW.”
JCCMW at 70 was a joyful evening of celebration, gratitude, and connection, attended by friends, partners, government representatives, and organizations who support the JCCMW’s vital mission. If you were unable to attend but would like to contribute, simply visit jccmw.org/donate. If you would like to learn more about the JCCMW, visit jccmw.org.
JCCMW Benefit Attendees celebratin.
The JCC Mid-Westchester is a nonprofit organization that supports the community by offering outstanding recreational, cultural, educational, and human services programming to all people regardless of age, background, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Programs are grounded in Jewish values and are open to all! The JCCMW enriches families, connects friends, strengthens community, and helps people lead joyful lives.
. JCCMW Benefit - Youngest attendees
Photo Exhibit Celebrates Scarsdale
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- Written by: Claudia Wang
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A new photography exhibition celebrating the people, places, and everyday beauty of Scarsdale is now on display at the Scarsdale Public Library, featuring 144 images captured by local residents.
The exhibit grew from an initiative called Scarsdale Photo Day when the community was invited to submit photos of Scarsdale taken between November 30th through to December 7th 2025. Scarsdale residents were encouraged to use their phones or cameras to capture moments that reflect the spirit of our wonderful community. Participants submitted photographs of favorite streets, Scarsdale landmarks, children having fun, and the peaceful but joyful scenes that remind us all why we love to call Scarsdale our home.
All photographs are now being showcased in a special exhibition running from March 4th to March 27th at the library and are available for purchase, with proceeds supporting Pleasantville Cottage School.
The exhibit opened with a lively reception on the evening of March 4th, where guests gathered from 6 to 8PM to view the photographs and celebrate the local talent and joy of photography within the Scarsdale community. Soft drinks, wine, and light bites including sushi and snacks were served as residents mingled, explored, and discussed the delightful display.
The event was organized by cousins and co-chairs Jack Harrison and Max Harrison, students at Scarsdale High School. The boys took on the project for the first time this year and helped bring together this amazing and community-driven exhibition. Their family also contributed greatly to the evening’s hospitality, providing food and drinks and warmly welcoming guests throughout the reception and exhibit.
Friends, family members, and Scarsdale residents all stopped by during the opening night, creating a relaxed and upbeat atmosphere as visitors moved through the exhibit and talked with the organizers and friends about their work.
In addition to viewing the photos at the library, visitors can purchase images through an online gallery. QR codes posted alongside the displays allow guests to easily access the website and buy their favorite photographs with all proceeds supporting Pleasantville.
This exhibit is a powerful reminder that the most meaningful portraits of a community often come from the people who live there, capturing the everyday moments that make Scarsdale such a special place to call home. Stop by and see it from now through March 27, 2026.
Indian Fare with a Modern Twist
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Running down Mamaroneck Avenue to the movies on another frigid night in January we noticed the warm glow of lanterns through a window. Was there a new restaurant on the block? More sushi?
We looked closer to find that no, there was not more sushi on the menu ….. happily it was an Indian restaurant promising the dishes of a Michelin starred chef.
We returned a week later and were greeted by a familiar face. Unable to place the host, he introduced himself as Ashu Wheeler and quickly explained that we knew each other from his former post at Marigold in Eastchester, another Indian restaurant we frequent.
The restaurant and adjoining bar area have been thoughtfully decorated using natural materials including bamboo lights and wood paneled walls, creating an atmosphere that is warm and welcoming. A long banquette lines the wall and provides comfortable seating for group large and small. The full bar provides mixed drinks, wine and your choice of Indian beer and non alchohol mango, salted and sweet lassis will complement any meal.
Wheeler has joined forces with two experienced Indian chefs, Hemant Mathur and Chandramohan Krishnasamy who crafted a menu with specialties from all over India, emphasizing fresh ingredients, vegetarian options, grilled meats and fish, baked naan and a long list of delectable dishes.
On two visits, we sampled appetizers, main courses, selections from their grilled menu, tandoori and biryani – and everything was sumptuous.
For our first visit we were a bit cautious and ordered familiar Indian specialties including a plate of meat and vegetarian samosas, to please everyone at the table. The saag paneer, included fresh Indian cheese, spinach and ground spices, the chicken tikka masala was a hit along with the garlic naan and raita. As we sipped our drinks we munched on the colorful, crisp and salty. papadam.
On the second visit we ordered a shrimp biryani – which was basmati rice slow cooked in herbs and spices in a ceramic (bowl) and baked under a pastry top. This was accompanied by minted yogurt. From the grill menu, we tried the lamb skewers, which arrived sizzling in their own cast iron pan.
Despite the fact that there was a full house, the food arrived swiftly and service was gracious. We will be back soon and often to order many of the more exotic dishes on the menu.
A note about reservations. When we attempted to secure a table on RESY, the app said nothing was available. But in fact, the app was broken and we were able to get a table by calling the restaurant at 914-315-1972.
So if you’re in the mood for some new flavors, make a visit to Kutir. You’re sure to be won over by the ambiance and your meal.
Kutir
441 Mamaroneck Avenue
Mamaroneck NY
914-315-1972 (Take out is available)
KutirNY.com
Open Sunday to Thursday
11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Friday and Saturday
11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Scarsdale Schoolmates Save Each Other’s Lives Through Writing
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The authors were Co-Captains of the Scarsdale High School JV Field Hockey team in 1979.Two friends, who grew up in Scarsdale, found themselves confronting live-shattering circumstances: the death of a child by suicide and the diagnosis of a glioblastoma brain tumor. Engulfed by pain, they asked each other: “What if? What if we just write to each other? Anything. Just write.”
Over the course of the next year, these two women—one in New York City, the other in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado—embarked on a deliberate correspondence to rescue themselves and each other from overwhelming grief. Their words would become a lifeline and the inspiration for this new memoir: Antiphon: A Call and Response in a Year of Grief and Renewal.
As the months passed, the act of writing and bearing witness to one another transforms each woman’s journey through terrible loss into a courageous affirmation of resilience and of lives well lived.
“We’ve been friends for over forty-five years, since high school,” Chris and Jane explain, remembering with humor their experiences as the awkward and unlikely co-captains of the Scarsdale High School JV Field Hockey team. Both women went on to attend Wellesley College outside of Boston. “But our adult lives took very different trajectories, and part of what this epistolary project allowed us to explore, as we reckoned with grief and mortality, were those experiences that we all share, that make us who we are as human beings: the desire for love, the challenge of navigating close personal relationships, the reality of grief and loss, the longing for a life of meaning.
“We have loved these months of corresponding with each other for the simple yet life affirming feeling of having someone to walk with in the deep woods. We have come to believe that the conversation between us could resonate with others. And if this is so, then that is grace.”
Flynn and Holbrook will host an author Q and A and book signing on Sunday March 1, 2026, from 2 -3:30 pm at the Church of St. James the Less, 10 Church Lane, Scarsdale. The event will be hosted by the authors' Scarsdale High School classmate Dorothy Kindred and organized through Diane’s Books in Greenwich CT.
About the Authors:
Jane Flynn. Jane received her BA from Wellesley College, and her JD from Harvard Law School. She left family, friends and 
Jane Flynnprofession behind to follow her future husband to Athens, Greece, in 1990. She learned Greek and, over the next thirty years, raised two sons while navigating the services to support her younger son with autism, cofounding an autism advocacy nonprofit and serving on the board of the Mediterranean Garden Society. Jane returned to New York in late 2020 following the death of her younger son by suicide. Antiphon is her first published work.
Christina Holbrook. Christina graduated with a BA from Wellesley College and spent most of her career in New York City involved in the printing and publishing of art and photography books. She now lives in Breckenridge, Colorado, with her husband Alan. Christina has worked as a columnist for the Summit Daily newspaper in Colorado, and her short stories have appeared in a number of literary journals. All the Flowers of the Mountain, her first novel, was published by Sunroom Studios 
Christina Holbrookin 2022 and has received the 2023 Colorado Book Award for Romance, the 2023 IPPY Bronze Medal for Romance, and the 2025 IPPY Silver Medal for Fiction
Audiobook.
Antiphon: A Call and Response in a Year of Grief and Renewal
Book Publisher: Ikaros Books
Available through bookstores and from Amazon.com.
Attend a Q and A and book signing with the authors on Sunday March 1, 2026, from 2-3:30 pm at the Church of St. James the Less, 10 Church Lane, Scarsdale.
Raider Recap: Big Post Season Wins for Scarsdale Athletes
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- Written by: Jack Capobianco
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It was a big week for the Scarsdale Raiders winter sports team. A few teams like the basketball teams and hockey team closed out the regular season while the swim, ski and wrestling teams had their sectional competitions and finished with some great results; including a few athletes booking their trip to states.
We have all the highlights in this edition of the Raiders Recap.
Boys’ Basketball:
The Boys’ Basketball team had a huge win over White Plains to close out the regular season. Scarsdale beat them 59-57 on the road after losing to them 49-47 in December. The Raiders finished with a 10-10 record after starting the season 1-7. The Raiders will rest up and prepare for their quest to get back to the County Center. Playoff action will open up on Monday, February 23rd when the boys will host Port Chester at SHS in the first round.
Girls’ Basketball:
The Girls Basketball team finished the regular season with a 2-1 week. After falling to Ursuline on Monday February 9th, the ladies responded with wins over Mount Vernon and Suffern. The two wins were big for the Raiders because they beat Mount Vernon 77-29 and then Suffern 49-35. The team's next game will be during the quarterfinal round on Friday, February 27th on the road against Ketcham, as they earned a first round bye. Finishing the season with a 14-6 record, the girls will now look to carry this victory into the postseason.
Hockey:
The Hockey Team had a busy week, playing four games in five days. On Monday February 9th the team traveled up to Bear Mountain State Park to take on North Rockland, only to lose to them 4-1. Then, the Raiders played a back-to-back-to-back on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with all games played at Murrays; the Raiders home rink. On Wednesday, the Raiders beat the Mount Pleasant Ice Cats 4-2 and then the ETBE/New Ro Eagles* 2-1 on Thursday, in two very competitive league games. Then on Friday, with Scarsdale honoring their 11 seniors on senior night, the Raiders had a dominating 3-0 win over Clarkstown to close up the week and the regular season. The hockey team has a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs as they finished the regular season winning three games in a row and finishing strong with a 12-8 record. On Thursday, they will take on White Plains at Murrays in Yonker in the first round of the playoffs.
*ETBE/New Ro is a combined team with athletes on the team from Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville, Edgemont and New Rochelle high schools.
Mens’ Swim:
The Raiders competed at the section championships last week and sent two swimmers to states in different events. Seniors Avi Stahl and Kieran Lee won the section in their respective events. Stahl won the 200 meter swim and the 500 meter freestyle. Lee finished first in the 100 meter backstroke and the 200 meter individual medley. Both of these swimmers will represent Scarsdale at the state meet up in Ithaca, New York in March.
Skiing:
The ski team had their section meet last week at Hunter Mountain. It was a historic meet, as the Raiders had a record 17 skiers qualify for the section meet. Within their performance, Senior and Captain Stella Van Arsdale was Scarsdale's lone skier to qualify for states as she finished first in the girls giant slalom. Outside of Van Arsdale’s qualification for the states, the team had other very strong performances and overall it was a great season for the ski team.
Wrestling:
Wrestling had their sectional meet for both the boys and the girls at the County Center. While the boys did not have anyone qualify for states, they had a few athletes earn all section honors and even multiple wrestlers who earned their 100th win as a Scarsdale Raider. The girls had two athletes win the section in their respective weight class.
For the girls, Iman Maroff earned first in the section for the 120 pound weight class. Freshman Celeste Minardi got first place for the 152 pound weight group. Junior Daisy Bennett and Senior Jackie Goldberg got second in their respective weight classes. It was a spectacular day for our girls wrestling team as they were able to send a few wrestlers onto states.
For the boys, Junior Luke Iasielo earned his 100th win and in what was one of his final wrestling matches ever, senior Jack Harrison broke triple digits in wins. Three other wrestlers earned all section honors. Despite a few of the Raiders not exactly getting the results they wanted, it was a great year for the team and the seniors on the team had nothing to hang their heads about.
Track and Field:
The track team had their sectional meet this past weekend at the Armory and ran to some fast and decent results. Sophomore Ana Pettinelli finished first in the girls 1000 meter run, running to a time of 2:51. Right behind Pettinelli finishing in second in the 1000 was senior Rachel Rakower. Leia Patel earned a respectable third place in the girls 300 meter race. For the boys, senior Jake Saxon finished second in the 55 meter hurdle race finishing only 0.04 seconds behind first place. Rounding out Scarsdale’s best performers at sectionals, distance runners Charlie Rich and Nate Lynch finished second and third overall in the boys 1000.
Squash:
The squash team lost their last match on Wednesday February 11th 6-1 to a competitive Darien team with Junior Harsh Kakkar who is Scarsdale's number two ranked player earning the Raiders only win.
Cheerleading:
Cheerleading had a very successful annual nationals competition down in Orlando, Florida. It was a fun weekend for the cheerleading squad against teams from all over the United States.
Fencing:
The fencing team had a great outing at the section championship. Scarsdale’s Men’s Epee fenced to second place and men's foil finished fourth overall. Individually, Senior Captain Jack Levin and Freshman Adam Roth scored really high in Men's foil and junior Arthur Luk-Solarz finished with a really good result in Men’s epee. The fencing team will now shift their focus toward the offseason after having a great season.
It was another week of winning for Scarsdales teams and athletes. On an individual basis, some athletes brought hardware back to the ‘Dale by winning section championships and representing the Maroon and White in huge ways. For our teams that are still competing, they will look to add to those athletes who won section titles and are now in playoff time and in winner-take-all mode. For teams whose seasons were completed in the past few weeks, it was a great season and there were so many accomplishments up and down.
Scarsdale10583 and the Raider Recap will have coverage of Scarsdale sports as they compete in playoff time.
