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Rabbi Joshua Rabin Cantor Emeritus George Lindenblatt
Judaism With Open Arms |
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Friday Flyer |
December 19, 2025 • 29 Kislev, 5786 |
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Happy Hanukkah from ACI! |
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12/20, 5:00 PM— Craft Brews & Candle Lighting at SingleCut Beersmiths Relax, sip, and celebrate! Join us for a casual menorah lighting followed by craft brews, great bites, and nostalgic holiday cartoons—including the classic Rugrats Hanukkah. RSVP and snag a free drink ticket! Come solo or bring your crew—everyone’s welcome. *Event begins at 5pm. Lighting of Menorah will take place around 5:30, after Shabbat ends. |
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12/21, 2:00–5:00 PM — ACI Hanukkah Pajamakah Party It’s ACI’s annual Hanukkah party… pajama style! Wear your coziest Hanukkah or everyday jammies and enjoy an afternoon packed with music, face painting, an upcycled craft table with Adamah NY, cookie decorating, a photo booth, music and movement by Tkiya, Hanukkah glow room, and more. Spin dreidels, meet friends, and even watch a laser customize dreidels! |
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Reminder: Membership Meeting on Sunday |
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Join us for ACI's Annual Membership Meeting on Sunday, December 21 at 10:00 AM. This is an important opportunity to hear about the past year's accomplishments, our financial health, and plans for the future as we continue our centennial celebration. If you are a member but unable to attend, please reach out to [email protected] to designate a proxy for voting. (All are encouraged to stick around afterwards to help us get ready for the Hanukkah party!) |
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Shabbat Services |
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Saturday, December 20 10:00am
Tot Shabbat 10:30am Doors open at 9:45; come early to schmooze. Join us after services for a light Kiddush!
Reminder: We will not be holding services on 12/27 |
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Upcoming Shabbat Children's Programs |
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Tot Shabbat 10:30-11:30am For preschool children
Junior Congregation 10:30-11:30am For school-aged children
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Candle Lighting |
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Shabbat candle lighting time is tonight at 4:13 pm.
Havdalah will be Saturday at 5:17 pm.
This week's Torah reading is Mikeitz. |
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Thanks to all who have joined us for our Hanukkah events! |
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Thank you to all the families who filled Bohemian Hall last night for Puppets and Potato Pancakes! This program was made possible with the support of a generous grant from UJA. Over 100 people attended and delighted in the whimsy of Wonderspark Puppets’ performance of The Lost Latkes. |
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Coming in January: PJ Library's Jewish Children's Book Festival |
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ACI is thrilled to partner with PJ Library and 92NY for the first-ever Jewish Children’s Book Festival, taking place on Sunday, January 11 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at 92NY in Manhattan. This free, family-friendly event celebrates Jewish stories, imagination, and creativity through author storytimes, live music, crafts, and workshops for all ages. Families can also “shop” for free PJ Library books to take home. |
Out of the Ruins: Jewish Wisdom on Resilience |
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This new Jewish year we are thrilled to partner with Hadar’s Project Zug to offer ACI members a wonderful opportunity to deepen your Jewish learning with curated, text-based courses designed to spark rich discussion. In this course, titled Out of the Ruins: Jewish Wisdom on Resilience, we’ll look to our own tradition, focusing on narratives from the Torah as well as the events of Jewish history to mine our texts for wisdom on resilience. We’ll ask: what are the different shapes resilience takes and how might we cultivate our own capacity for resilience based on the wisdom of Jewish tradition? This is a chance not only to engage in Jewish text study, but also to connect on a deeper level with fellow community members. The class will meet four times (virtually) on Thursdays in January (January 8, 15, 22, and 29) from 8-9:30 pm. The class is free for ACI members, with a suggested donation of $36 for non-members. |
ONGOING PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES |
Open Door Shabbat |
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Join the ACI community once a month for a no-experience-necessary Shabbat service, where we will explore the structure and meaning behind the prayer service. Learn more here. The next dates:
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Rikers Island Services |
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ACI is partnering with the NY Jewish Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform to organize volunteer groups for worship services at Rikers Island - contact Litza Stark to participate or find out more. |
Sunday Meditation |
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Join Rabbi Josh each Sunday night from 9:00-9:15 pm ET on Zoom for a brief meditation to close out the weekend and start the new week with calmness, focus, and purpose. Our meditation is open to anyone who wants a few minutes of quiet to center themselves. Learn more, or join the meditation here. |
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Pathways to Judaism |
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ACI is offering an introduction to Judaism course via Zoom for those exploring Judaism or considering conversion. The Fall course, held Monday nights, is already underway, and the Spring session will be held Thursday nights from February to June. Learn more and register here. |
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This Week in Hebrew School |
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This week, students across all classes celebrated Hanukkah by reviewing blessings, learning Hebrew letters and vocabulary, exploring the Hanukkah story, playing Hanukkah games, and creating art and cards. A highlight of the week was a live klezmer music lesson with Alex Parke and accordionist Elia, where students learned a Hanukkah medley and special tambourine parts—some even performed at Athens Square Park! Our classrooms were filled with joy, learning, and Hanukkah spirit. |
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Pastoral Requests ACI is committed to serving our community’s needs. If you would like to 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.
Do You Want to Pray for Someone Who Is Sick?
Each Shabbat at ACI, we recite a מי שברך לחולים, a prayer for those in our community who are sick and in need of healing. You are welcome to add anyone to the list, regardless of whether the person is Jewish or not. If you would like to add a name, please complete this form.
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Support ACI's Mission |
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Help us continue to serve our community with meaningful programs, welcoming services, and a well-maintained sacred space. Donate Here. |
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Messages |
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In memory of Maurice Myers, from Paul Myers
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In memory of my beloved grandmother, Minnie Ginsburger, from Carol Tweedy
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In memory of beloved friend, Shirley Wigler, from Judith Markowitz
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In memory of my beloved grandfather, Morris Heller, from Steven Markowitz
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In memory of Roberta Saltzman, from Janice Spencer
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Mi Sheberachs |
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Please keep the following people in your hearts and prayers for the blessing of r'fua sh'leima:
Starting this week, we have refreshed our Mi Sheberach list to include only those names submitted through our online form. These names will remain on the list for six weeks unless resubmitted or requested for long-term recognition.
If you don't see a name here that you would like to be included, please submit it using the form here.
Aaron Vajda |
Yahrzeits |
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This week (30 Kislev=6 Tevet), we observe the yahrzeits of the following ACI members, family and friends. May their memories always be a blessing.
Naftali Freund
William Schumacher Louis Fondiller Harriet Levene Joseph Baer Rachel Smith Dr. I. Morton Braunschweig Arthur WM Younf Azriel Eisenberg Samuel Rosenzweig Regina Wachtel-Nussbaum Chaye Gresky Rebecca Jacovsky Anna Catherine Price (Chana bat Malka) Dr. Harold Fruchter Jonah Pritz Sarah Reich Anne Sager Eugene Wigod Ruth Nathan Anderson Bernard Krum Lena Frank Dr. Arnold Noyek |
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