Sisterhood

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Community

Belong. Connect. Grow.

The Sisterhood of East End Temple welcomes anyone who identifies as female, nonbinary or gender-fluid. Consistent with our longstanding legacy of women’s empowerment, whenever the words “woman” or “women” appear, we understand them to include all of these individuals. We listen to the voices of our membership, promoting their interests, passions, ideas, and concerns, and develop communities, friendships, and leaders.

Together we engage in tikkun olam by producing timely and relevant programming, fundraising, and advocating for social justice, while nurturing our spiritual and intellectual growth and the life of the congregation, leaders, and the community at large.

This philosophy aligns with our affiliate, Women of Reform Judaism.

Click here to join Sisterhood today!

Click here for a gallery and a review of our 2024-2025 programs

~ To read the latest columns and messages from Sisterhood, please see the Sisterhood Columns page ~

2025-2026 Programs

We offer a number of programs in different formats — in person, on Zoom and hybrid.  Unless otherwise stated, the entire community, friends and family, is welcome to join us! Please send any questions and RSVPs to sisterhood@eastendtemple.org, except where noted.

Ongoing Programs

Sisterhood Board Meetings
Wednesdays at 5:30pm (via Zoom except where noted): Apr. 22, June 10 (end of year meeting, in person)
All Sisterhood members are invited to learn about, and participate in, our plans for the year.  

Food For Families
Sundays at 11:30am: April 12
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 six loaves of whole wheat bread and 20 pieces of fruit (preferably apples and oranges) and wear a hat to comply with Department of Health regulations.

Mah Jongg — Play, Learn and Make Friends!
Thursday mornings from 11:00am-1:00pm: April 16, 30; May 7, 14
Wednesday evenings from 7:00-9:00pm: Apr. 29
Cash donation of $10 to play, $15 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register by completing this form.

Shake Your Soul — The Yoga of Dance (in person)
Tuesdays from 10:30-11:30am — Apr. 21
Relax your nervous system, energize your body, and awaken the soul through a powerful, fluid dance repertoire set to world music. Participants are encouraged to listen to, feel and move to the music, either by following the moves offered, or tuning into themselves. It incorporates yoga breathing, mindfulness, qi gong, dance movements, partner exercises using mirroring/reflecting, movement dialogue, and group circle movements as well. It’s a fun way to exercise and form authentic connections. Led by Ronni Aronow, Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator (RSMT/E), and a certified Shake Your Soul: The Yoga of Dance Facilitator. 

  • Bring water and a yoga mat, and wear sneakers and comfortable clothing.
  • $10 suggested donation per class

Getting to Know Our Community — Monthly Wednesdays Lunchtime Speaker Series (Zoom)
Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00pm: April 15
Bring your lunch and join us as we introduce a fascinating member of our community. See weekly eblast or email sisterhood@eastendtemple.org for Zoom link.

April 15 — Dr. Anne Lifflander, Primary Care Physician & Doctorate in Ministry
Dr. Anne Lifflander has worked as a physician in Primary Care-Internal Medicine, practicing in New York City and in Nicaragua for 40 years. She recently completed her Doctorate in Ministry from Hebrew Union College, which supports her interests in exploring the role of spirituality in health in communities. Join us to learn about her work in medicine and spirituality, her interests when she is not at work, and her love of family. She is a life-long Lower East Sider!

Claim Your Hebrew Name
January through April
Do you have a Hebrew name? Have your children been named yet? Have a Hebrew Name you want to change? Now in its third year, the Sisterhood of East End Temple, under the leadership of Fran Kolin, can help guide you through the process, whether looking at Hebrew names that may start with the same letter as your family member’s name, researching your family history, visiting the graves of your loved ones, or choosing the name of a figure in the Torah that you admire. And, on Friday, April 17 at a special Simchat Shabbat service, you will be invited, with other newly named members, to stand on the bimah and receive a blessing from the clergy, the congratulations of your fellow congregants, and your certificate signed by the clergy.

Rosh Chodesh Potluck Brunch, Study and Discussion — The Book of Esther (in person and via Zoom)
Sundays at 10:30am in person or 11:00am on Zoom: April 12
Rosh Chodesh, “the head of the month,” has been marked as a time for women to gather, study and pray (click here for more information). Renew your interest in biblical women!  Join us as we take a deep dive into a story of intrigue, reversals and heroism in The Book of Esther. ” ‘And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis?’ said Mordechai to the Queen” (Esther 4:14).

Stitch-A-Thon
Sundays at 1:00pm: April 12
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.

Scheduled Programs

Hamantaschen For Purim
Mid-February
We continue to sell boxes of yummy hamantaschen in time for Purim.  These sales help us supply hamantaschen for the Religious School, Oneg Shabbats and Shalach Manot (“And they should make them days of feasting and joy, and sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor” (Esther 9:22).) 

Macaroons For Pesach
Mid-March
Watch for reminders of sales of delicious chocolate covered macaroons in time for Passover.

Sisterhood Shabbat and Enhanced Oneg
Will return in Spring 2027 (in person and online)
Following a long-standing tradition of honoring the accomplishments of the women of EET, members of our community will lead specially selected prayers relevant to how we address our strengths as a community and support each other with kindness and listening to our voices. The service will be followed by a celebratory dinner.

Lilith Seder
Will return in Spring 2027
Sisterhood members, plus one guest,  are welcome (ages 13 and up)
Join us for our annual potluck seder! Everyone participates in reading from a Haggadah written especially for the Sisterhood of East End Temple, focused on the women’s role in the Passover story, including prayers using feminized Hebrew. We sing songs written by Debbie Friedman, dance with tambourines, honor women of valor, use a Miriam’s Cup for water and place a symbolic orange on the seder plate. 

  • Pre-registration required

Books By EET Authors — Claire Berger
Tuesday, April 14 at 6:00pm (Zoom)
Bring your dinner or sip on an aperitif, and join us for a fascinating discussion with author and acclaimed stand-up comedian Claire Berger who will discuss her latest book “How Much Is Enough?“ an interactive thought-provoking memoir. Pre-reading is not required, but suggested. Click here to register.

Celebration of New Hebrew Names
Friday, April 17 at 6:15pm
Join us for a special Simchat Shabbat service where we will honor those who worked with Fran Kolin over the year to obtain a new Hebrew name. Join in special prayers and songs, led by our clergy, as these honorees are called up to the bimah for special blessings and a certificate.

Helene Spring Library Event 
Sunday, April 26 at 2:00pm
Join us for our 22nd annual Helene Spring Library Event with our guest speaker, noted author and journalist Jane Eisner, who will discuss her latest book, “Carole King: She Made the Earth Move,” an interpretive biography of the singer/songwriter. A Q&A, book signing/sale and homemade dessert buffet will follow.

Purple Bag Packing for Post-Abortion Comfort (Nechama)
Saturday, May 2 from 2:00-4:00pm (in person)
Participate in the mitzvah of tikkun olam (repairing the world) as we provide care and comfort, in the form of post abortion supplies, to those who come to a local, public women’s health care clinic. Prior to packing, we will view “The Devil Is Busy,” the award-winning documentary short about a day in an abortion clinic in Georgia, followed by a Q&A with one of the film’s producers, Rose Arce. 

There are two ways in which you can participate in this meaningful project, open to all members of the community: 
1. Donate – In the tradition of Jewish giving, we encourage donations in multiples of 18, with $18 providing approximately one bag per person. However, all donations are greatly appreciated. 
2. Join us as we pack these bags together. The products included were suggested by current health care providers. They maximize healthy choices, minimize allergic reactions, and provide what is needed most.

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Engaging in tikkun olam – our fundraising and advocacy programs
Sisterhood supports a number of worthy causes for those in need as well as temple staff, clergy and building projects.  If you are interested in donating to any of our funds and/or honoring a loved one, please refer to the Contribute page.

Birthday Fund
With generous donations from community members in honor of their birthdays and the birthdays of loved ones, Sisterhood’s Birthday Fund gives annual grants to NYC organizations dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. We envision tikkun olam as an essential element of sisterhood and feel a deep responsibility to the vulnerable and young. With less than 2 percent of charitable giving nationwide going to women and girls, despite inequities and discrimination, our outreach is focused on helping our sisters in need.

Food For Families Funds
Led by a team of Sisterhood women for over 30 years, we gather to make meals to feed hungry New Yorkers, which are picked up and distributed by City Harvest. Donations to these funds are used to buy the meal-making ingredients and materials.

Helene Spring Library Fund
A jewel of the temple, our library houses an extensive collection from which temple members may browse and borrow. Named for one of EET’s founding members, who is both a past temple president and Sisterhood president, we raise funds to keep our library beautiful and well-stocked.

Sisterhood Leadership Development Fund
We are dedicated to creating leaders who can develop programs to enhance our EET community and to raise funds to support meaningful projects.  Women of Reform Judaism, along with other leadership organizations, provides us with access to many development tools, from conferences to training presentations.  Monies in this fund will be used to take advantage of those tools in order to support the enhancement of leadership skills of current Sisterhood members and to develop future Sisterhood leaders.