Dear RTFH Family,

To many, Pride month seems to be about rainbows. We face challenging times. Our country is filled with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and hate is everywhere. When we stand for Pride, we are saying as a community that inclusion and love are the only ways forward.

This coming Friday at 7pm, we’ll share in a Pride Shabbat with special guest speaker Councilwoman Lynn Schulman. Before she was elected to the city council, Lynn was a LGBTQ+ activist.

At RTFH, we declare that our synagogue is a safe space, and that Judaism is a religion for everyone in the queer community. Here at Temple and everywhere in your life, stand up for pride and for justice.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Mark

Explore the Members Section of the New Website

The Members section of the new website www.rtfh.org features:



• Birthday Connection
• Temple Documents (financial and governing documents, including our newly adopted Code of Ethics)
• B'nai Mitzvah Schedule
• Book of Remembrance
• Link to the Temple Directory in ShulCloud

To access these members-only pages, you'll need to create a new Members account. (The old login RTFHmember and Password Mitzvah6778 will no longer work.) 

Here's a user guide--with visuals--to help you:

How to Create a Members Account

If you need further assistance, please reach out to our Temple administrator Sheryl Hausman at 718-261-2900.

Friday 6/14/24 Shabbat Evening Services-Pride Shabbat

Saturday 6/15/24 Forest Hills Chamber Music Series Concert

Friday 6/21/24 Shabbat Evening Services-Juneteenth & Board Installation

Friday 6/28/24 Shabbat Evening Services-Farewell to Joe Davidian

Friday 7/5/24 Shabbat Evening Services at 6:15pm (BBQ Dinner After Shabbat Services)

Friday 7/12/24 Shabbat Evening Services at 7pm

Friday 7/19/24 Shabbat Evening Services at 7pm

Friday 7/26/24 Shabbat Evening Services at 7pm

Pride Shabbat

Friday, June 14 at 7:00 pm

With Special Guest Councilwoman Lynn Schulman

Our 8th annual Pride Shabbat is a gathering of the LGBTQ+ community, family, friends, allies, and everyone! RTFH members will share reflections and readings at a service full of joy and love.

This year, our guest speaker is city councilwoman Lynn Schulman. Representing District 29 (where RTFH is located), Councilwoman Schulman grew up in Forest Hills and is a long-time community and LGBTQ+ activist. She’ll reflect on past struggles and the journey ahead.

The RTFH congregation is invited to join Friday evening services in-person or via livestream at www.rtfh.org/live

Services will also be streaming live at:

youtube.com/reformtempleofforesthills

Juneteenth and Board of Trustee Installation Shabbat Services

Friday, June 21^st at 7:00 pm

Celebrate Shabbat with your RTFH Community. We’ll recognize Juneteenth, commemorating a moment in history when American slaves were finally free. We’ll also officially install our Board of Trustees and recognize the hard work and commitment they bring to our synagogue. Bring Shabbat into your life.

Help Make the Jewish New Year Sweet for Everyone!

Please help to make 2024 the sweetest year ever by purchasing a Rosh Hashanah gift of honey for you, your family, or friends.

This distinctive 8-ounce jar of kosher honey arrives in time for Rosh Hashanah, decorated with a festive label, and includes a personalized card reading “Shana Tova—Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year.” This card also lets the recipients know that a donation has been made in their honor to THE REFORM TEMPLE OF FOREST HILLS. The cost is $14.00 per jar.

All purchases will help our Women's Connection to fund and support vital temple programs throughout the year. You can purchase online via credit card or PayPal.

**If you are paying by check**

ORT is no longer accepting checks directly so we will place the orders internally. If paying by check, you MUST send your order form and a check for the full amount of your order payable to RTFH Women's Connection to Temple. Put Attention WoCo on the envelope. Please be prompt. We MUST have all order forms and checks in the WoCo mailbox by Thursday August 1, 2024.This will allow ample time for us to place your order.

To order online, go to https://orthoney.com/RTF.

*If you are paying online*

**Please note: TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2024 DEADLINE FOR FREE SHIPPING OF ONLINE ORDERS.

**ALL ORDERS placed AFTER that date will incur a $8.00 shipping charge**

September 12 is the last day to order for delivery by Rosh Hashanah 

If you are having trouble accessing your previous orders follow the instructions below:

Do not log into your account. Just click on "I ordered in a previous year" and select option 3: By Phone, Zip and Last Name

Put in the last 4 digits of your phone number, your zip code and the first letter of your last name.

It will ask "is this you?". You should click on Yes which will bring up your old order and it will then ask if you accept the free shipping terms.

You must click on every teal bar and either EDIT, DELETE or ADD TO CART. Once that is done, the bar turns purple. When the last teal bar is edited, deleted, or added to the cart, the system will assign the order a new number and you can then add more recipients and/or checkout. We are only accepting credit cards and PayPal as payments this year.

For more information, please email Chairperson Shelley Radbel at anniesarmada@gmail.com

With Sweetest Regards,

The Honey Team

ORDER POSTCARDS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Every Voice, Every Vote 2024 Campaign

Join with members of our Social Action Team to participate in the Reform movement's nonpartisan postcarding campaign to encourage voting by those who might not otherwise exercise their right to vote.  

See the Social Action Team's Current Initiatives page on RTFH's new website for details.

Postcard Kit Request Form

NEW STATES, NEW DATES

Arizona: order kits between 6/13 and 7/1

Georgia: order kits between 7/2 and 7/17

Texas: order kits between 7/18 and 7/31

Mailing dates for the general election will be specified in kits. 

Please contact Social Action Team member Rabbi Irwin Goldenberg at irwingoldenberg2@gmail.com to let him know how many postcards you will be mailing and for any questions.

Torah Study on the Book of Judges -

Saturdays at 9am

Enrich your Jewish self with our Jewish story and text as we continue our fascinating, fun, and unpredictable study together online. Join any time. We are currently exploring the book of Judges. No previous reading or knowledge needed. Join any time.

For the Zoom link, please see your most recent eblast or contact our Office Administrator Sheryl Hausman at sheryl@rtfh.org. 

Birthday Connection

Birthday Connection is a really wonderful and easy fundraiser sponsored by Women’s Connection. At the beginning of each month, a list of Temple members who are celebrating birthdays is posted on the Temple website member page RTFH Birthday Connection.

All you need to do is fill out the online form (paper copies are available for via email, or regular mail if requested) and indicate to whom you would like to send birthday greetings. Each greeting is $1 – the total is payable to Women’s Connection via credit card or check. Women's Connection will send that person a personalized Happy Birthday greeting listing everyone who donated in their honor.

Hard copies of birthday connection lists with instructions are available in plastic hanging bins in the lobby of the temple near the coat room. Please take one on your way home after services, a meeting, or Religious School.

Send Birthday Wishes

If you need help logging in to the Temple website member page, please contact our Office Administrator Sheryl Hausman at sheryl@rtfh.org.

Meditation Sit with Cantor Pincus

Fridays at 1:30pm

Get ready for Shabbat with some quiet relaxation time! This 30 minute Meditation Sit with Cantor Emily will incorporate Jewish text, music, and of course, silence.

For our Temple member website page login and password, please contact our Office Administrator Sheryl Hausman at sheryl@rtfh.org.

See the Social Action Team's Worldwide Efforts page of our new website for ways you can help support Ukraine. 

Music Together at RTFH!

We are so thrilled to return to our RTFH home with our beloved

Music Together®️program! for Babies through 8 yr olds

Enroll Today!

MusicTogetherwithMusicandMe.com

718-229-0033

Thank you for your support of 

The Reform Temple of Forest Hills

Learn more at www.rtfh.org and click “Donate" at the top of the page or go directly to rtfh.org/donate

·Choose to make a donation in honor or in memory of a friend or family member and the recipient will immediately receive a warm email notifying them of your donation.

·Yahrzeit Fund: send a donation in memory of loved ones and a private note is instantly sent to the recipient!

·Tax benefit letters will be provided by the Temple Office after the end-of-the-year fully detailing your donations.