Play/Learn in Person First and third Thursdays from 11:30am to 1:30pm (in person) Interested in learning to play mah jongg or finding players? Cash donation of $5 to play, $10 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register or let us know your interest by completing this form.
Play/Learn Online Mondays at 7:50pm and Fridays at 10:20am Make friends on Zoom and play using RealMahJongg.com (a monthly subscription of $6.99 a month, following a free 2-week trial). For questions or to learn to play virtually, contact our Mah Jongg chair, Marcia Muskat (marciany@me.com)
No sign up is required; however, you may need to wait a few minutes to see how many people show up to play and whether we need to break up into multiple games.
A Day Of Mah Jongg – Play, Lunch, and Prizes Save the date — Sunday, January 21 More information coming soon!
Being a member of Sisterhood helps to create a community and a sense of belonging, connecting and growth, for the benefit of us all. By listening to you and your interests and passions, we create meaningful programs and initiatives which connect us to each other and the greater community. Your annual dues contribution is used to fund our programs, support our religious school, sponsor social justice initiatives, and so much more. If you are a member of East End Temple, your annual contribution to Sisterhood was included on your bill. Thank you for checking the box!
Otherwise, we welcome your contribution or your gift of membership for a friend or family (starting at $36) through our online form.
Checks are also welcome, made out to The Sisterhood of East End Temple, mailed to our temple office at: East End Temple 245 East 17th Street New York, NY 10003
Please include this form with your payment and write “Membership Dues” in the memo field.
Contact your state and local representatives and let them know you support the strongest measures possible to constrain Ukraine’s aggressors. Find your congressional representatives with this link.
How can I help?
The Afya Foundation (our partner organization for whom we have collected medical supplies for many years) has an Amazon wish list of urgently needed items. The items will be sent directly to Afya, and they are packing pallets of supplies to send to Ukraine.
The World Union for Progressive Judaism has launched the Ukraine Crisis Fund to support the Ukrainian Jewish community. To learn more and/or to make a donation: https://wupj.org/give/ukraine/
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is working on the ground to deliver social services to the Ukrainian Jewish community and their neighbors. You can give directly through the JDC website, or through a contribution to your local Jewish Federation, many of which have created local crisis funds.
We have ordered a variety of recently published books that are on display in our Helene Spring Library. The titles and prices of the books that are available to be sponsored are listed below, and we hope members will continue their tradition of donating book/s of their choice. All books will have member’s name and in honor of/memory of inscribed on the bookplate. For online payment, click here (make a donation to the Sisterhood Library Fund and add a note with the title of the book you would like to sponsor). If paying by check, click here for a printable form and complete the coupon at the bottom. Thank you for your generosity.
[Books that are crossed out have already been sponsored.]
Abomination – Ashley Goldberg $25.00 Amos Oz: Writer, Activist, Icon – Robert Alter $22.00 As Figs in Autumn: One Year in a Forever War – Ben Bastomski $18.00 Being Henry: The Fonz and Beyond – Henry Winkler $21.00 Biblical Women Speak – Rabbi Marla Feldman $23.00 Daughter of History: Traces of an Immigrant Girlhood – Susan Suleiman $26.00 Gateway to the Moon – Mary Morris $15.00 Golda Meir: Israel’s Matriarch – Deborah Lipstadt $23.00 Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism – Sarah Hurwitz $20.00 Inside Information: A Novel – Eshkol Nevo $19.00 ***Israel: A Simple. Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country in the World – Noa Tishby $14.00 Jerusalem Beach: Stories – Iddo Gefen $17.00 Jews in the Garden – Judy Rakowsky $11.00 The Little Liar – Mitch Albom $19.00 Praying with Jane Eyre: Reflections on Reading as a Sacred Practice – Vanessa Zoltan $15.00 *Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution – Yehudah Mirsky $16.00 Shayna: A Novel – Miriam Block $19.00 The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World – Rabbi Sharon Brous $26.00 The Enemy Beside Me – Naomi Ragen $17.00 The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store – James McBride $17.00 The Jews of Summer – Sandra Fox $23.00 The Postcard – Ann Berest $24.00 The State of Desire: Religion and Reproductive Politics in the Promised Land – Lea Taragin Zeller $28.00 The Wolf Hunt: A Novel – Ayelet Gundar-Goshen $23.00 ** The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow Bible as Literally as Possible – A.J. Jacobs $17.00
We have some programs and worship in person and some online, connecting via Livestream and Zoom. Here are a list of upcoming programs, which we will update often. We look forward to staying connected and would welcome you to invite family, friends, and colleagues to join us, as well.
In order to stay connected online, you may need to use new technology. To join a Zoom event, simply click the “Zoom Meeting Link” for that event and follow the prompts to start video and audio (and if you need help, here’s a handy PDF).
December
Friday, December 8-Monday, December 11: District 74 Winter Coat/Clothing Drive (see drop-off locations/times below — please note that we are NOT collecting at EET) It’s getting colder outside and there are many adults and children in our neighborhood in need of new or your gently used winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves, earmuffs, and socks. Please take a look in your closets to see what you might be able to donate and bring to one of three convenient locations in our area: 1. Assembly Member Harvey Epstein’s office: 107 Ave. B 12/8 and 12/11 — 10am-5pm 2. National Arts Club: 15 Gramercy Park South 12/8-12/11 — 9:30am-2:30pm 3. Church of the Epiphany: 375 2nd Ave. 12/9 — 1-6pm 12/10 — 9am-1pm & 6:30-9pm 12/11 — 9:30am-1pm East End Temple is one of many faith-based organizations supporting this important NY Assembly District 74 Coat Drive.
Friday, December 8 at 5:30pm: Tot Shabbat (in person) Celebrate Shabbat with Tkiya! We’ll sing, dance, and tell stories during this lively and engaging service designed for families with children ages 0-5.
Friday, December 8 at 6:15pm: Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us as we welcome Shabbat.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, December 9 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Sunday, December 10 at 3:00pm: Family Chanukah Program (in person) More details coming soon!
~ PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE ~ Sunday, December 10 at 5:00pm: Community Menorah Lighting (in person in the EET sanctuary) Celebrate the holiday with friends and neighbors! This will take place indoors at EET, due to expected inclement weather.
Monday, December 11 at 10:00am: Monday Morning Minyan (Zoom) Join for this soulful and brief service
Tuesday, December 12 at 6:15pm: Chanukah candle lighting (in person) Join us as we light the menorah on the EET stoop.
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:15pm: Chanukah candle lighting (in person) Join us as we light the menorah on the EET stoop.
Wednesday, December 13 at 8:00pm: “Histories of Israel: A Multifaceted Exploration” (Zoom) This special adult education class will affirm and learn from the different ways in which we tell the story of Israel’s rebirth and continued growth. Dec. 6 and 13: Daniel Gordis’ Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn
Friday, December 15 at 5:30pm: Tot Shabbat (in person) Celebrate Shabbat with Tkiya! We’ll sing, dance, and tell stories during this lively and engaging service designed for families with children ages 0-5.
Friday, December 15 at 6:15pm: Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us as we welcome Shabbat.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, December 16 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Sunday, December 17 at 10:00am: Apartment set-up with Ruth’s Refuge (in person) Join the East Side Schleppers to help set up an apartment for the newest New Yorkers. For more information, please contact Mark Levy or email info@eastendtemple.org.
Monday, December 18 at 10:00am: Monday Morning Minyan (Zoom) Join for this soulful and brief service
Monday, December 18 at 7:30pm: “Beyond the Headines: Israel at War” Taking a nuanced approach to issues surrounding Israel and the conflict, Israel Policy Forum CEO David Halperin will draw on his expertise to take us beyond the headlines to better understand what’s happening in Israel and Gaza, specifically looking at the hostage exchange and the humanitarian aid needs in Gaza. He will explain what lies ahead for Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish, and democratic state.
Thursday, December 21 from 11:30am-1:30pm: Mah Jongg (in person) Interested in learning to play mah jongg or finding players? Cash donation of $5 to play, $10 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register or let us know your interest by completing this form.
Friday, December 22 at 6:15pm: Shabbat service (Zoom) Join us as we welcome Shabbat and each other.
Thursday, January 4 from 11:30am-1:30pm: Mah Jongg (in person) Interested in learning to play mah jongg or finding players? Cash donation of $5 to play, $10 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register or let us know your interest by completing this form.
Thursday, January 4 at 12:00pm: BELL (Business Ethics Lunch and Learn) (in person) Join us for a lunch time conversation with Rabbi Josh about ethical dilemmas in business and life and the ways in which Jewish tradition and ethics guide our choices. RSVP to jstanton@eastendtemple.org for location.
Thursday, January 4 at 6:30pm: The Current Situation on College Campuses (in person) Please join us in conversation with ADL NY/NJ Associate Regional Director David White, who manages ADL’s campus portfolio in the New York and New Jersey. David will discuss what ADL is seeing on college campuses, the ways the organization is connecting with schools and administrations to support students and what communities can also be doing to help.
Friday, January 5 at 6:15pm: Shabbat B’Yachad: Intergenerational Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us the first Friday of each month as we welcome Shabbat with music and stories for all ages! We will start with a pre-neg snack before services at 5:45pm, and begin singing together to welcome Shabbat at 6:15pm. This service is designed for all ages to worship together, and will include songs, stories, and birthday blessings.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, January 6 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Sunday, January 7 at 10:30am: Rosh Chodesh Study and Discussion: “Rebekah, Our Second Matriarch” (in person and via Zoom) We continue our celebration of Rosh Chodesh, a holiday traditionally connected to women. When Rebekah, second matriarch of the Jewish people, sends Jacob to Mesopotamia to find a wife and escape his brother Esau’s wrath, he introduces himself to his cousin (and future wife) Rachel not as the son of Isaac, but as the son of Rebekah (Gen 29:12). What might this suggest? Join us for lively sessions led by Fern Stampleman, Elissa Macklin and Laurie Treuhaft. We’ll spend time together in conversation, share a potluck brunch and participate in evaluating Rebekah’s impact on the covenantal promise. No prior knowledge necessary! Registration required (coming soon). All reading materials emailed to registrants in advance of each date.
Sunday, January 7 at 12:00pm: Food For Families For over 30 years, multiple generations of our community have made meals to feed hungry New Yorkers. Advance sign-up will be required (look for the link in an upcoming eblast). All participants must be age 12 or older (ages 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult). Each participant should bring five loaves of whole wheat bread and 16 pieces of fruit (preferably apples and oranges) and wear a hat to comply with Department of Health regulations.
Sunday, January 7 at 1:00pm: Stitch-A-Thon (in person) Gather for a while with other stitchers. Show off your latest projects; get help from our experts; make a hat or scarf for our Cold Weather Project for donating to New York’s needy.
Monday, January 8 at 10:00am: Monday Morning Minyan (Zoom) Join for this soulful and brief service
Friday, January 12 at 5:30pm: Tot Shabbat (in person) Celebrate Shabbat with Tkiya! We’ll sing, dance, and tell stories during this lively and engaging service designed for families with children ages 0-5.
Friday, January 12 at 6:15pm: Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us as we welcome Shabbat.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, January 13 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Thursday, January 18 from 11:30am-1:30pm: Mah Jongg (in person) Interested in learning to play mah jongg or finding players? Cash donation of $5 to play, $10 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register or let us know your interest by completing this form.
Wednesday, January 17 at 12:00pm: “Getting to Know You” — Lunchtime Speaker Series (Zoom) Bring your lunch and join us as we introduce a fascinating member of our community. Hosted by the Sisterhood of East End Temple. This month: Lily Thrope – Helping Navigate Eating Disorders Lily Thrope is a member of the Board of Trustees of East End Temple and has a therapy practice specializing in eating disorders. Find out about her life and education, and how she decided on her commitment to her career, and her dedication to East End Temple.
Thursday, January 18 at 7:00pm: Men’s Club Boggle and Beverages (in person) An evening of word games (Boggle, Scrabble, BananaGrams, etc.) along with light drinks and snacks. This is a family event, open to all families and friends of the EET community.
Friday, January 19 at 5:30pm: Tot Shabbat (in person) Celebrate Shabbat with Tkiya! We’ll sing, dance, and tell stories during this lively and engaging service designed for families with children ages 0-5.
Friday, January 19 at 6:15pm: Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us as we welcome Shabbat.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, January 20 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Friday, January 26 at 5:30pm: Tot Shabbat (in person) Celebrate Shabbat with Tkiya! We’ll sing, dance, and tell stories during this lively and engaging service designed for families with children ages 0-5.
Friday, January 26 at 6:15pm: Simchat Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us for a special musical Shabbat with the East 17th Street Band! The service will be followed by dinner.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, January 27 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Thursday, February 1 from 11:30am-1:30pm: Mah Jongg (in person) Interested in learning to play mah jongg or finding players? Cash donation of $5 to play, $10 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register or let us know your interest by completing this form.
Thursday, February 1 at 12:00pm: BELL (Business Ethics Lunch and Learn) (in person) Join us for a lunch time conversation with Rabbi Josh about ethical dilemmas in business and life and the ways in which Jewish tradition and ethics guide our choices. RSVP to jstanton@eastendtemple.org for location.
Friday, February 2 at 6:15pm: Shabbat B’Yachad: Intergenerational Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us the first Friday of each month as we welcome Shabbat with music and stories for all ages! We will start with a pre-neg snack before services at 5:45pm, and begin singing together to welcome Shabbat at 6:15pm. This service is designed for all ages to worship together, and will include songs, stories, and birthday blessings.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, February 3 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Sunday, February 4 at 10:30am: Rosh Chodesh Study and Discussion: “Rebekah, Our Second Matriarch” (in person and via Zoom) We continue our celebration of Rosh Chodesh, a holiday traditionally connected to women. When Rebekah, second matriarch of the Jewish people, sends Jacob to Mesopotamia to find a wife and escape his brother Esau’s wrath, he introduces himself to his cousin (and future wife) Rachel not as the son of Isaac, but as the son of Rebekah (Gen 29:12). What might this suggest? Join us for lively sessions led by Fern Stampleman, Elissa Macklin and Laurie Treuhaft. We’ll spend time together in conversation, share a potluck brunch and participate in evaluating Rebekah’s impact on the covenantal promise. No prior knowledge necessary! Registration required (coming soon). All reading materials emailed to registrants in advance of each date.
Sunday, February 4 at 12:00pm: Food For Families For over 30 years, multiple generations of our community have made meals to feed hungry New Yorkers. Advance sign-up will be required (look for the link in an upcoming eblast). All participants must be age 12 or older (ages 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult). Each participant should bring five loaves of whole wheat bread and 16 pieces of fruit (preferably apples and oranges) and wear a hat to comply with Department of Health regulations.
Sunday, February 4 at 1:00pm: Stitch-A-Thon (in person) Gather for a while with other stitchers. Show off your latest projects; get help from our experts; make a hat or scarf for our Cold Weather Project for donating to New York’s needy.
Monday, February 5 at 10:00am: Monday Morning Minyan (Zoom) Join for this soulful and brief service
Wednesday, February 7 at 12:00pm: “Getting to Know You” — Lunchtime Speaker Series (Zoom) Bring your lunch and join us as we introduce a fascinating member of our community. Hosted by the Sisterhood of East End Temple. This month: Beth Gerson – Author, Docent, Educator Beth Gerson is an author, a college teacher, a museum docent, and a writing educator. She has been leading a weekly Writer’s Workshop which began at East End Temple in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, and still continues. Find out about her achievements and activities, and how she likes to spend her time.
Friday, February 9 at 5:30pm: Tot Shabbat (in person) Celebrate Shabbat with Tkiya! We’ll sing, dance, and tell stories during this lively and engaging service designed for families with children ages 0-5.
Friday, February 9 at 6:15pm: Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us as we welcome Shabbat.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, February 10 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Thursday, February 15 from 11:30am-1:30pm: Mah Jongg (in person) Interested in learning to play mah jongg or finding players? Cash donation of $5 to play, $10 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register or let us know your interest by completing
Thursday, February 15 at 7:00pm: Men’s Club meeting (in person and Zoom) All are welcome!
Friday, February 16 at 5:30pm: Tot Shabbat (in person) Celebrate Shabbat with Tkiya! We’ll sing, dance, and tell stories during this lively and engaging service designed for families with children ages 0-5.
Friday, February 16 at 6:15pm: Shabbat service (in person and Livestream) Join us as we welcome Shabbat.
If attending in person, photo ID is required for all adults.
Watch via Livestream (chat is available on Livestream, so feel free to greet each other!)
Saturday, February 17 at 1:00pm: Shabbat Schmooze (Zoom). Come catch up, eat lunch together, and discuss a different topic each week on Shabbat!
Will return in April 2024 We look forward to praying, singing and dining together in person as we all participate in the telling of Passover story, with a focus on the women’s role in that story. We will sing songs written by Debbie Friedman, pray with personalized prayers and feminized language from our own Haggadah and honor four women of valor.
Dues start at $36 and help to support the many programs we offer and funding for gifts and projects which benefit the EET community. Note that due to limited space, guests will be put on a waiting list until April 1.
This is a potluck dinner. You may bring a main dish, side dish, or dessert, or a contribution to the ceremonial seder. We are “Passover Kosher Style” and will welcome meat, chicken and fish, but no pork, shellfish or dairy. Noodles and grains should be kosher for Passover. We will confirm your contribution and ensure we have a good mix of dishes.
This is a moment in which we need to fully live out our values, in this case to protect each other and society more broadly from the spread of COVID-19. We acknowledge that some other institutions will remain open, but we feel a social duty to engage in “social distancing” in order to slow the spread of the virus. Following the advice of public health officials, we closed our building for all programs, including Religious School and Shabbat services on Friday March 13th. The office remains operational, but staff will work from home, and hourly staff will receive paid time off. We also conducted a thorough, proactive cleaning of our building on Monday, March 16.
At the same time, we need to be even more present for each other. Each
household can expect to hear from our clergy in the coming week. We also invite
you to call and email your friends from the community, so that they can feel
the warmth of relationship.
Tot Shabbat will take
place via Facebook
Live at 5:45 pm on Friday.
Shabbat services will take place via Facebook Live at 6:15 pm on Friday. We suggest that you use Facebook Live, so that you can share kind comments during the service itself and have an even more interactive prayer experience. You can even use a digital version of our siddur, Mishkan T’filah, by clicking here to download a Flipbook version, or purchase one for your e-reader or Kindle. You can click here for our East End Temple Songbook. We will all need the warmth of prayer and Torah.
We will be hosting programs nearly every single day, so that you can feel a sense of community, even from home. Please click here to see the latest offerings on our “East End Temple Everywhere” page.
If there are additional ways that we can be present for you during this difficult time, please reach outto us. We will try to remain particularly available during regular business hours.
You can expect to hear from us often, as we receive updates from civic
leaders and public health officials. We pray for health, healing, and hope. We
will do our very best to meet the needs of our beloved community, understanding
that developments are ongoing. Thank you for your kindness, patience, and love.
It is thanks to the foresight and generosity of those who came before us that EET has entered its eighth decade with strength and vibrancy. We are grateful to them for establishing a spiritual home that cultivates relevant Jewish life through connected community. Now it is our turn to make certain our tradition continues for generations and that EET continues to be a beacon for downtown Jewish life.
The EET Legacy Circle will bring together members like you and us, who are eager to help ensure our Jewish community’s future for generations to come by naming East End Temple as a beneficiary in their estate plans. Planned gifts of all sizes can play a significant role in sustaining our Temple. If you have already included EET in your estate plans, as we each have, please email Judith or simply send this form back to the Temple office.
And if you are thinking about including EET in your estate plans, we would love to talk further with you. Please feel free to contact either of us or Rabbi Josh Stanton (jstanton@eastendtemple.org) for a confidential discussion. We are truly grateful for your consideration.
Act today to help ensure a strong foundation for our community’s tomorrow.
L’Dor V’Dor, From Generation to Generation
L’shalom,
Rebecca Shore and Brian Lifsec, Co-Presidents Judith Sussman, Chair, The EET Legacy Circle
Ongoing in the Social Hall: “Merchavia: Portrait of a Kibbutz”
This exhibit is a glimpse of kibbutz life. The photos reflect early kibbutz philosophy: creating community through devotion to land, work, and to each other. Stop by and see the exhibit!
DUE TO ONGOING HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19, WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING DONATIONS AT THIS TIME.
Have gently used or new medical supplies to donate? EET is a drop off location for the AFYA Foundation! Monday-Friday 10:00am-2:00 pm.
AFYA collects and delivers critically needed medical supplies, hospital equipment, and humanitarian provisions for acute and ongoing health crisis worldwide. Click Here to learn more about the AFYA foundation and to view the supplies that they accept.
Brit Olam translates to ‘covenant with our world.’ The Brit Olam reminds us of the words from Pirkei Avot: “Study alone is not enough, our tradition demands action.” Click here to learn more.
