“Spiritual awareness is one of the key components of healthy lifestyle that impacts the whole body and rejuvenates the spirit. Physical fitness and healthy nutrition allows that spirit to flourish to new dimensions and many people experience a closer relationship to God.”

— Samir Becic

Health and Fitness Advocate and Author

World Wide Wrap

in Solidarity with Israel!

Sunday, February 11, 2024, The New York Metro Region Men's Clubs gathered together with their synagogue community, religious school students, family and friends, Wrapping Tefillin in solidarity with the IDF soldiers and hostages who were unable to wrap themselves.

The Jerusalem Talmud ( Peah 1:1) "Deeds of loving-kindness are equal in weight to all the commandments" May each of you be inspired to give.

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart."

- Elizabeth Andrews

In late January, Les Agisim and Dr. Steven Mandel of the New York Metro Region volunteered for DOROT by delivering food packages to the Jewish elderly of NYC.

• You drop off a food package, call and/or visit a Jewish elderly person.

• It makes you feel good, and they feel good that they are not forgotten.

• When we went in to pick up the packages, the women at the desk asked me if I was Phil Agisim's son.

• When I explained he had just passed on, she started raving about what a great person he was.

As I say, "you give a little and get a lot more back."

MY RECENT TRIP TO ISRAEL

By Jay Steinmetz

New York Metro Region President

2019-2021

As some of you may know, our daughter, son-in-law and three beautiful grandchildren live in Efrat, Israel. My wife Michele and I have made numerous visits to them over the past 10 years. Most of our past trips in addition to seeing our kids and grandchildren always incorporated a sightseeing type excursion to see the history and wonderful places that Israel has to offer.

But this trip was different…October 7th changed our mindset and reason to visit Israel.

Michele and I spent almost three weeks there, returning back in the states on Feb. 9th, and we needed to do something to support the many Israelis who were forced out of their homes and were in desperate need of assistance. We couldn’t just make this trip a “visit”. We wanted to do something more meaningful and we were on a mission.

After scouring the internet for places to volunteer in Israel, I came upon an organization called Pantry Packers. This is a division of and supported by Colel Chabad. This is a relatively small but very active warehouse tucked away in a nondescript area of Jerusalem called Ramat Rachel. Pantry Packers invites volunteers from all over the world to help package food to be delivered to the families in need throughout Israel.

Please read Jay's article in its entirety!

Join us in June 2024

The New York Metropolitan Region Honors 

Les Agisim

New York Metro Regional Man

of the Year 2024

Insights from Israel: Israel at War

Thursday, February 15, 2024

at 12:30pm ET online

With Yair Rosenberg

Take a closer look at the world’s oldest hatred, and examine the origins, development, and modern manifestations of antisemitism with Yair Rosenberg, a writer and scholar of antisemitism and the intersection of politics, culture, and religion.

Rosenberg is a staff writer at The Atlantic and writes the Deep Shtetl newsletter. Previously a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, he has also written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, and his work has received awards from the Religion News Writers Association and the Harvard Center for Jewish Studies. He has testified in the U.S. Congress about antisemitism, and has covered everything from national elections in America and Israel, to observant Jews in baseball, to the translation of Harry Potter into Yiddish. In his spare time, he composes original Jewish music and creates bots that troll anti-Semites on Twitter. His latest projects include, "Antisemitism, Explained," a video series about anti-Jewish prejudice, and Az Yashir, an album of new Shabbat music.

REGISTER

Temple Israel’s Solidarity Trip to Israel for Adults 2024

Sunday, March 24 to

Sunday, March 31, 2024

This trip replaces the adult tour of Israel originally planned. As the name implies, we will be going to volunteer, connect and bear witness to Israel and Israelis in this ‘year of need.’

Click here to sign up. Keshet will contact you for the deposit and payment.

Click here for the price package information. Everyone is responsible for their air travel.

Click here for the trip itinerary.

Please contact Rabbi Schweber (rabbischweber@tign.org) with any questions and/or to express interest in joining the trip.

SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 4:00PM

JURASSIC PORK: What Could a Jewish Time Traveler Eat?

Dr. Roy Plotnick, presenter

Discussions about the Bible and science almost always focus on the relatively small segments of the text dealing with Creation and how it conflicts, when read literally, with scientific views of the age and history of the Earth.

Dr. Plotnick will discuss a novel approach: that knowledge of the biblical texts other than Bereishit (Genesis) can be used to spark an interest in evolution and paleontology. He will do so by explaining how paleontologists would answer a hypothetical question: Would a fossil animal have been kosher?

Thank you to Sisterhood, Men's Club, Membership, and our Early Education and Religious schools for sponsoring this event.

Click here for the Zoom link.

Navigating the Mental Health Impacts of Infectious Diseases

(newyorkrequirements.com) In the realm of healthcare, the battle against infectious diseases extends far beyond the physical ailments they inflict. As we navigate through the complexities of diseases that can spread with alarming rapidity, we confront not only the tangible impact on the body but also the profound psychological toll on both those diagnosed and the dedicated professionals who care for them. The psychological ramifications—ranging from heightened stress and anxiety to severe burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—cast long shadows over the well-being of patients and healthcare workers alike.

Click here to read the article in its entirety!

Jewish Americans in 2020

(Pew Research) — U.S. Jews are culturally engaged, increasingly diverse, politically polarized and worried about anti-Semitism.

Overall, about a quarter of U.S. Jewish adults (27%) do not identify with the Jewish religion: They consider themselves to be Jewish ethnically, culturally or by family background and have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish, but they answer a question about their current religion by describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” rather than as Jewish. Among Jewish adults under 30, four-in-ten describe themselves this way.

Click here to read the article!

Jewish teens are looking at a new factor in their college search: antisemitism

(JTA) — A new survey of nearly 2,000 Jewish teens found that 64% said antisemitism on campus was an important factor in their decision about where to attend college.

Click here to read the article!

Theater charity Broadway Cares funds Gaza aid. After fielding complaints, it will support relief for Israelis, too.

(New York Jewish Week) — The philanthropic organization Broadway Cares said it would allocate funds to Israeli civilians in need after complaints from a rabbi and pro-Israel group about the theater charity’s contributions to Gaza relief efforts. In a statement to the New York Jewish Week, the nonprofit also acknowledged that it had “created confusion among our valued supporters.” The group vowed to provide more information about where it was allocating the money it raised.

Click here to read the article!

Since Oct. 7, medical clowns have brought humor to survivors, evacuees; a new study says it’s helping

(eJewishPhilanthropy) — Members of the Dream Doctors nonprofit recall the initial difficulties of clowning for people who have been through unimaginable trauma; ‘If I can make someone who has just lost her husband laugh, that is my job’

Click here to read the article!

Discussing the Israel-Hamas War with Young People

ADL Education — As educators, parents and caregivers, you may be eagerly searching for ways that you can help students or family members understand the current Israeli-Hamas war and antisemitism, while offering tools to encourage them to act as advocates and allies.

We have resources to help guide these challenging conversations with the young people in your life. This Sutori will be updated as new information and resources are available.

Join us March 4-7 in New York City for ADL’s Never Is Now, the world’s largest annual summit on antisemitism and hate. This important and inspiring event will include the National Leadership Summit (NLS) March 4-5 by invitation only.

During this unprecedented moment with surging antisemitism, your voice is critical. It is more important than ever to come together and send the message that hate cannot win.

Register here.

Assaf Lowengart makes history as first Israeli-born position player to sign pro baseball contract in the US

(JTA) — Assaf Lowengart’s introduction to American baseball didn’t go well: A fan accidentally doused him in beer when his family, having relocated from Israel to Milwaukee for a year, attended a Brewers game. Then in first grade, he cried. Yet Lowengart soon caught the baseball bug, rising in the ranks of Israel’s nascent baseball scene. And despite setbacks and injuries along the way, he’s now making history as the first Israeli-born position player to sign a professional baseball contract in the United States.

Click here to read the article!

This designer closed his New York Fashion Week runway show with Israel’s national anthem

(New York Jewish Week) — For his very first runway show under his own label for New York Fashion Week, Israeli-American designer Kobi Halperin knew exactly the message he wanted to send: hope.

Click here to read the article!

Judy Chicago’s ‘Rainbow Shabbat,’ an iconic depiction of interfaith solidarity, is on display at New York’s New Museum

(New York Jewish Week) — There is a scene currently playing out on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that might seem unimaginable in these fractured times. It’s a huge stained glass panel by the feminist Jewish artist Judy Chicago, and it is one of the centerpieces of “Judy Chicago: Herstory” at the New Museum, the first comprehensive New York museum survey of the work of an artist active since the 1960s.

Click here to read the article!

Jewish NYers are turning out to support a Druze restaurant that experienced anti-Israel vandalism

(New York Jewish Week) — When Gazala Halabi arrived at her restaurant, Gazalas’s, last Sunday morning, she wasn’t prepared for what would happen later in the day: Hundreds of Jewish and Israeli New Yorkers lined up to dine at her establishment. 

Click here to read the article!

Tsion Cafe, a unique Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant in Harlem, is now kosher and vegan

(New York Jewish Week) — Beejhy Barhany proudly showcases her Ethiopian-Israeli Jewish identity at her Harlem restaurant, Tsion Cafe.



Click here to read the article!

The Jewish Community of New York is Born

(Tamid/The Downtown Synagogue) — The first group of Spanish and Portuguese Jews arrived in New Amsterdam in September 1654. After being initially rebuffed by anti-Semitic Governor Peter Stuyvesant, Jews were given official permission to settle in the colony in 1655. This marks the founding of the Congregation Shearith Israel. Despite their permission to stay in New Amsterdam they continued to face discrimination and were not given permission to worship in a public synagogue for some time (throughout the Dutch period and even into the British). It was not until 1730 that the Congregation was able to build a synagogue of its own; it was built on Mill Street in lower Manhattan.

Click here to read the article!

Join us for Financial Insights Forum

Monday, February 26, 2024 at 7pm ET

In-person Event at Sutton Place Synagogue, NYC.

RSVP: mensclub@spsnyc.org

You can also Tune in to our livestream and join the conversation from anywhere in the world.

Join us for Yiddish Lite!

Beginner's Yiddish Group

Alternate Tuesday Evenings

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

at 8pm ET

Hosted by Al Davis

Click here to register!

Join us for Yiddish Alive!

Advanced Yiddish Group

Monday, March 4, 2024

at 8pm ET

Hosted by Jeffrey Newton, Joe Rotstein,

Esther Scheer and Barry Wagner

Click here to register!

Join us for Torah Talks

Thursday, March 7, 2024

at 7:30pm ET

With Norm Kurtz and Benny Sommerfeld

Click here to register!