Dear RTFH Family,


On this coming Independence Day, I can think of no better words than those of Emma Lazarus, and her words written for the Statue of Liberty back in 1883.


The New Colossus


Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles.


From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips.


“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”


L’shalom,

Rabbi Mark

Shabbat Services

Friday, July 4th at 6:15pm


Find strength, spirituality, and community at Shabbat Services at RTFH. This week, services will be at 6:15pm and are for everyone.


Services are live-streamed at rtfh.org/live and youtube.com/reformtempleofforesthills

Were you born in July? Come celebrate your July birthday at Shabbat services.


We’ll invite anyone with a July birthday to join us up on the bimah. No RSVP is necessary. Join your Temple family to celebrate your special birthday month!


Celebrating July 4th at 6:15pm and July 18th at 7:00pm


Yom Huledet Sameach!

 !יום הולדת שמח

Happy Birthday!


Friday 7/4 - Shabbat Services - 6:15pm


Friday 7/11 - Shabbat Services - 7pm


Friday 7/18- Shabbat Services - 7pm


Sunday 7/20 - Mini Mitzvah Day - 10am-2:30pm

Mini Mitzvah Day 2025

Sunday, July 20

10am - 2:30pm

Spread Sunshine Through Mitzvot

 

This summer, let's embrace the warmth of tradition and the closeness of our community, as we celebrate the joy of doing mitzvot together.

 

Join us in performing these mitzvot:


  • Birthday in a Bag—Help children in need celebrate their special day (You can support the project with items from our Amazon Wish List.)
  • Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church Food Bank —Donate non-perishable food
  • GotSneakers—Recycle athletic footwear for our planet
  • LaGuardia CARES—Assemble sanitary supplies for financially insecure, female college students
  • Local hospitals—Stuff bears, hearts, and seatbelt covers for patients. Crochet or knit baby hats for newborns.
  • Jem Life Church in Jamaica—Bead bracelets and necklaces as gifts for girls
  • StandWithUs—Make cards for soldiers in the IDF
  • Eagles Up!—Make cards to send to our troops domestically and around the world
  • SDA Church Food BankMake sandwiches and pack nutritious lunches
  • Tzedakah— Donate to the Red Tent Fund and the American Friends of Sheba Medical Center


Please register to volunteer for this heartwarming day and for our community lunch by Wednesday, July 16.


To support Mini Mitzvah Day, please donate funds. Your contributions, large or small, are greatly appreciated.



 Co-sponsored by the Social Action Team and Women's Connection

Help Us Stock The Shelves

Food Drive Ongoing
Donate non-perishable food to support the Corona Seventh Day Adventist Church Food Bank and help make a real difference for those in need.
Please drop off your items on the table in the upper lobby during the week, when you come for Shabbat services, or on Mini Mitzvah Day, Sunday, July 20.
With food insecurity on the rise, let’s come together in the spirit of chesed (kindness) to help ensure no one goes hungry. 
Every can, box, or bag helps!
Thank you for your generosity —
The Social Action Team & Women's Connection
Donate your old, gently worn, or new sneakers to help the earth...and RTFH!
Bring your pre-loved sneakers of ALL SIZES to the Temple's upper lobby through Mini Mitzvah Day, Sunday, July 20th.
*Soccer, baseball, and golf cleats with rubber or plastic bottoms (not metal) are accepted too!
Any questions, please see these FAQ's.

King David Comes!


Torah Study has arrived at the fascinating stories for King David. This is the perfect time to join in! Join Torah Study on Zoom each Saturday from 9-10 am as we begin the Book of I Samuel.


Friendship. Romance. Lust for power. Infidelity. Betrayal. God.

The Book of Samuel beats any contemporary soap opera in its intrigue and emotion.  Explore the richness of these tales that shaped the Jewish people in one of the most memorable parts of the Tanakh.


No previous reading or knowledge needed. Join any time.


 Study with us on Zoom:

https://zoom.us/j/703706086?pwd=empYdzZNVWU3cGtuQTRkVTU3d1huZz09

 Phone Dial-in: 1-646-558-8656

Member ID: 703-706-086

Password: Numbers36

Meditation Sit with Cantor Pincus

Fridays at 1:30 pm


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.


 Meditate with Cantor Emily on Zoom: 

https://zoom.us/j/929864997?pwd=N2c2WCtyM2UzRVJQQzltelpWNk9lZz09

Birthday Connection


Acknowledge someone's special day by sponsoring a birthday greeting! 


Each month, a list of Temple members celebrating birthdays is posted to the RTFH Birthday Connection. Simply click on the link, create or login to your Member's Account, and fill out the online form.

Women's Connection will send that person a personalized Happy Birthday greeting to everyone who donated in their honor. At only $1 per greeting, Birthday Connection is an easy way to manage a monthly mitzvah for everyone on your list! 


Lists of upcoming Birthdays with instructions are available in plastic hanging bins in the lobby of the temple near the coat room or use the links below.


Send Birthday Wishes

Birthday Connection-July

Birthday Connection-August

Birthday Connection-September

Spearheaded by the Israel Support and Action Committee (ISAAC), our congregation supports Israel by giving to The Shiloni Project, a grassroots organization formed to meet the needs of displaced families and soldiers.


Please give generously by clicking here. See the Israel page of our website for more details.

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 be in our RTFH home with our beloved

Music Together®️program! for Babies through 8 yr olds

 

Enroll Today!

MusicTogetherwithMusicandMe.com

718-229-0033


We're thrilled to have RTFH as our newest school base offering full time childcare education for children aged 2-5 years old


For more information

please call 718-569-5902,

E-mail melvillemontessori@gmail.com

or click here www.melvillemontessori.com

Thank you for your support of The Reform Temple of Forest Hills

 

We welcome you to learn more about our Temple at our new website www.rtfh.org

 

To donate, 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!
  •  The Temple Office will provide tax benefit letters after the end of the year fully detailing your donations.