|
|
|
|
Rabbi Joshua Rabin Cantor Emeritus George Lindenblatt
Judaism With Open Arms |
|
|
Friday Flyer |
January 30, 2026 • 12 Shevat, 5786 |
|
|
TONIGHT! ACI Kabbalat Shabbat / Kabba-Tot Shabbat |
|
Join ACI at 6:00 pm (with kids programming starting at 5:45) on Friday, January 30th for our first Kabbalat Shabbat of the year! Services for all will be held in the sanctuary, with Tot Shabbat offered simultaneously in the children’s playroom. The service is appropriate for community members of all ages, and attendance is strongly encouraged (including Young Professionals, Hebrew School families, and Tot Shabbat regulars!) After services, stay for an Oneg with snacks and refreshments, a L’Chaim, and time to schmooze with fellow ACI community members. No RSVP necessary. Please direct any questions to [email protected]. |
|
|
Tu B'Shevat Sameach! |
|
Tu B'Shevat takes place from sundown this Monday, February 1 until sundown Tuesday, February 2. NYC is still decidedly in the grip of winter, but the Jewish calendar reminds us that we've made it halfway to Spring - no matter what the groundhog tells us on Tuesday! |
|
|
|
More dates to remember: |
|
March 1: Purim Party March 8: Blood Drive March 13: Centennial Shabbat Across America |
Shabbat Services |
|
Saturday, January 31 10:00 am Doors open at 9:45; come early to schmooze. Join us after services for a light Kiddush! |
|
|
Upcoming Shabbat Children's Programs |
|
Tot Shabbat 10:30-11:30am For preschool children
Junior Congregation 10:30-11:30am For school-aged children
|
|
|
Candle Lighting |
|
Shabbat candle lighting time is tonight at 4:53 pm.
Havdalah will be Saturday at 5:55 pm.
This week's Torah reading is Beshalach. |
|
|
|
|
Looking for Your ACI Story
|
|
As the Astoria Center of Israel celebrates 100 years of serving the Jewish community in Western Queens in 2026, we are inviting members of our community past and present to share their favorite moments and memories at the Center. Over the course of the year, we will share your reflections — in emails to our community, on social media, on our website, and with the press — to tell the story of the many lives ACI has touched. What’s your ACI story? |
Israeli Chamber Project at Merkin Hall |
|
Please let us know your interest in participating in this ACI group event: What - Israeli Chamber Project Concert The Israeli Chamber Project, an ensemble of extraordinary musicians will be performing the following: The Program:
More details about the selections and the musicians (some of whom are also members of the Israel Philharmonic) can be found here: Israeli Chamber Project | Homage | Feb 9 in NYC If you have an interest in attending this delightful concert, please contact Mitch Blas by early next week at: Cell - 347-343-0577 Email - [email protected] Ticket prices are $44.00 for all seats |
Our Stories, Our Choices: Jewish Experiences of Abortion |
|
Join us for this special program in conjunction with the National Council of Jewish Women's Repro Shabbat. While religion is often portrayed as anti-abortion, the majority of religious people support abortion access, and 62% of abortion patients identify with a religious tradition. Professor Michal Raucher will join us for a Zoom discussion to share narratives from her research on Jews who have terminated pregnancies in the US. Together we'll explore what these experiences reveal about Jewish perspectives on abortion. When: Monday, February 9, 2026, 8:00 PM |
|
Join the ACI Book Club! |
|
The Astoria Center of Israel Book Club will be launching in the next month or so, and we'd love your feedback as to when we might meet. The club will meet approximately every other month. Please complete the form here. The first book will be A Rich Brew by Shachar Pinsker. |
|
A Rich Brew explores the surprising and central role that cafés played in shaping modern Jewish culture from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Literary scholar Shachar M. Pinsker argues that cafés across six major cities — Odessa, Warsaw, Vienna, Berlin, New York, and Tel Aviv — became vital “thirdspaces” where Jewish writers, thinkers, artists, and political activists met, debated, created, and exchanged ideas. More than just places to drink coffee, these social hubs helped foster creativity and community during a time of rapid urbanization and migration. Drawing on memoirs, archival documents, literature, and visual culture, Pinsker shows how café life influenced literature, politics, art, and theater and helped define what modern Jewish culture would become. |
|
|
Pathways to Judaism: Find Your Jewish Compass |
|
ACI is proud to offer Pathways to Judaism, an opportunity for individuals to learn about Judaism from the ground up. The class is designed both for individuals seeking an introduction to Judaism and those considering conversion to Judaism. Classes are taught by Rabbi Josh Rabin, and meet on Zoom Thursday nights from 8-9:30pm through June, beginning on February 5. |
ONGOING PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES |
Open Door Shabbat |
|
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:
|
Pathways to Judaism |
|
ACI is offering an introduction to Judaism course via Zoom for those exploring Judaism or considering conversion. The Spring session will be held Thursday nights from February to June. Learn more and register here. |
|
|
Rikers Island Services |
|
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. |
|
This Week in Hebrew School |
|
This week, our students learned about אַחְרָיוּת (Achrayut – responsibility) through thoughtful discussion and real-life scenarios. They explored Hebrew values connected to achrayut—such as kavod (respect), ometz lev (courage), and ezrah (help)—and discussed how these values guide our everyday choices. This learning built naturally on our recent lessons about Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh LaZeh (We are all responsible for one another as a Jewish nation), reinforcing the idea that we are all responsible for caring for one another and our world. Students also worked on reading those words in Hebrew and learned Hebrew through interactive games . |
|
|
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.
|
|
Support ACI's Mission |
|
Help us continue to serve our community with meaningful programs, welcoming services, and a well-maintained sacred space. Donate Here. |
|
Messages |
|
|
|
In memory of Bea Blas (Z"L), with love from Sue Ann and Mitch |
|
|
|
In memory of Sylvia Steinberg, with love from Sue Ann and Mitch |
|
|
|
A Refuah Shelema to cousin Eric David Laxman, with love from Sue Ann & Mitch
|
|
|
Mi Sheberachs |
|
Please keep the following people in your hearts and prayers for the blessing of r'fua sh'leima: If you don't see a name here that you would like to be included, please submit it using the form here.
Aaron Vajda Eric David Laxman Esther bat Chana |
Yahrzeits |
|
This week (13 - 19 Shevat), we observe the yahrzeits of the following ACI members, family and friends. May their memories always be a blessing.
Anna Pack Benjamin Pack Frances Zelickson Milton Richman Sarah Liebowitz Susan Stern Dora Bear Karl Herrscher Max Schreiber Abraham A. Turoff Frances Bard Thomas Shaw Sarah Dubrofsky Beatrice Lipseth Louis Felkin Morris Badian Oscar Golden Miss Clara Klein Moritz Kline Tamara Leah Ratner Samuel Lehrman Rose Zipes Gussie Kadetz Rebecca Groopman Rose Kosecoff Tifford Samuel Levine Cantor Richard Cohn Ben Halpern Isadore Seiden Karoline Von Hall Lester Rosenthal Joseph J. Leinwol Dora Sklarofsky Margaret Gerrt Carl Sachs Herman Gershon |
|
|
|
|