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Rabbi Joshua Rabin Cantor Emeritus George Lindenblatt
Judaism With Open Arms |
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Friday Flyer |
December 20, 2024 • 19 Kislev, 5785 |
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PJ Library Tot Shabbat Tomorrow |
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Don't miss a special Tot Shabbat tomorrow from 10:30-11:30am, with snacks and a book reading sponsored by PJ Library! RSVP's are appreciated to [email protected]. |
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More Hanukkah Happenings |
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Community Menorah Lighting
Monday, Dec 30th
Katch Astoria Kourtyard
31-19 Newtown Ave
6:30 Menorah lighting
7pm Klezmer Music with Alex Parke Klezmer Duo
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Athens Square Menorah Lighting Tuesday, Dec 31st 30th Street & 30th Avenue 5:00pm Menorah lighting, sufganiyot, and musical performance |
Shabbat Services |
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Saturday, December 21 at 10am
Tot Shabbat From 10:30-11:30am Doors open at 9:45; come early to schmooze. Join us after services for a light Kiddush! |
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Upcoming Children’s Programs |
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Tot Shabbat 10:30-11:30am For preschool children
Upcoming dates:
Junior Congregation 10:30-11:30am For school-aged children
Upcoming dates:
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Candle Lighting |
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Shabbat Tonight's candle lighting time is 4:13 pm. Havdalah will be Saturday at 5:17 pm. The weekly Torah portion is Vayeshev. |
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Thank you for making our annual Hanukkah Party such a success! |
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ACI was lit up with Hanukkah spirit this past Sunday as we welcomed more than 150 people to our lively celebration! The kitchen was busy turning out delicious latkes, thanks to the culinary talents of Mitch Blas, Amy Bosk, and Adam Cohen (with a little help from his son). Guests enjoyed a delightful mix of activities, including face painting from The Cheeky Chipmunk, cookie decorating, craft stations, and a Hanukkah-themed puppet show from Wonderspark Puppets.
A huge shout-out to Joanna for organizing the entire event—your hard work brought the holiday spirit to life for everyone! We’d also like to thank Ben Boylan for filling the room with music, Shana and the Hebrew School for their wonderful songs, and all our amazing volunteers—Allie, Irene, Ari, Joanna and her parents, Ariel, Eric, Litza, and so many others—who made the day such a success. Special thanks as well to Mitch and Sue Ann for their "doughnation" of sufganiyot for the celebration.
Finally, special thanks to those who purchased items from our Amazon wish list: Marsha Jacobs, Shira Danan, and Susan L. Rabin. If you also contributed through the wish list, please let us know—we don’t always see the names of the generous donors!
Thank you all for making this celebration one to remember. Hanukkah Sameach! |
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Open Door Shabbat Calendar |
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Our Open Door Shabbat services are back once a month, starting in November! Upcoming dates are:
What is Open Door Shabbat?
Shabbat morning is the best time for Jews to come together, and the WORST time to feel out of place in synagogue.
Join the ACI once a month for a no-experience-necessary Shabbat service, where we will explore the:
At 10:00, there will be a brief meditation service, and at 10:30 we will start the learning service.
If you have any questions, contact Rabbi Josh at [email protected]. |
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Pathways to Judaism |
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This November, ACI launched an intro to Judaism course called Pathways to Judaism. This is perfect for the person in your life who wants to learn about Judaism from the ground up, as well as significant people in your life who are of a religion other than Judaism (regardless of whether or not they are interested in conversion). If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Rabbi Josh.
Classes will take place on Monday evenings at 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET on Zoom and once a month on Shabbat morning at ACI at 9:00-10:00 a.m. |
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Six Week Course: A History of Hatred: Antisemitism from the Past to the Present |
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ACI is proud to bring the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning to Astoria and Western Queens. Rabbi Josh will begin our first six-week course in January 2025.
Antisemitism has been described as a virus that mutates. In each historical period, hatred of Jews takes on a different form or focus, often as a reaction to the prevailing ideology of the time – be it religious, racist, or political.
Use coupon code ISRAEL50 at checkout for a deeply discounted registration fee of just $50. At the link below, choose "New York: Astoria / Astoria Center of Israel" from the "All Communities" filter to see our event. |
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This Week in Hebrew School |
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Get Involved Planning ACI's Events! |
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We have a great roster of activities planned, but we can always use more help and more ideas. If you're interested in helping to plan and run our community events, please join our standing Events Committee meetings, the second Tuesday of every month at 8pm (over Zoom).
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 14. Reach out to [email protected] for the meeting link. |
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Messages |
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Thank you to Janet Piechota for your leadership as President of ACI, from Lou Epstein |
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Thank you to Ari Gershon for your leadership as the head of the ACI Hebrew school, from Lou Epstein |
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In memory of Lotte Behagen Finocchiaro (Leah bat Schlomo v'Yehudit), from Lou Epstein |
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Thank you to ACI Board members and Committee Chairpersons for all that they do, from Lou Epstein |
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Special thanks to Susan Mickel as Ritual Chair, from Lou Epstein |
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Thank you to Allie, from Lou Epstein |
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Wishing Elaine Brichta a speedy recovery, from Lou Epstein |
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Pastoral Requests |
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ACI is committed to serving our community’s needs. If you would like to add a name to our Mi Sheberach list, inform the synagogue about a hospital visit or death, or request pastoral care for yourself or someone you know, please fill out this simple form. All submissions are confidential. |
Mi Sheberachs |
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Please keep the following people in your hearts and prayers for the blessing of r'fua sh'leima:
Mindy Zimmerman
To add (or remove) a name, please contact Lizanne Fluxmon. |
Yahrzeits |
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This week (20 - 26 Kislev), we observe the yahrzeits of the following ACI members, family and friends. May their memories always be a blessing.
Joseph Heller |
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