The Westchester Jewish Council's Community Connection
5781 Hanukkah Edition
December 10, 2020 24 Kislev 5781
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Hello!
Welcome to our 5781 Special Hanukkah Edition of the Council newsletter. With the Festival of Lights upon us, we are pleased to showcase the many events happening around the community. We thank everyone who shared their programs and stories to be included this week.
In other news, the Gala invitations have been sent and we are getting ready to celebrate! Visit www.wjcouncil.org/gala to learn more and to register. Thank you to those who have already made their gifts!!!
On Wednesday evening, the Honorable Tony Scarpino, outgoing Westchester District Attorney, was honored at the Council's board meeting for his years of service in helping to fight bias crime and more. We wish him the best in his next endeavor.
Next Tuesday the 15th is the UJA Westchester and Westchester Jewish Council Hanukkah Celebration & Tribute to
Representatives Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey.
Looking ahead, make sure to read below for information about a series of winter Zoom discussion groups coordinated by UJA for adults ages 60+ facilitated by a group of talented community leaders and organizations.
Wishing you a very Happy Hanukkah and as Council Board Member Mitchell Ostrove recently said, "Think Positive, Test Negative."
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"For the Longest Time" - A Social Distance-Sing Project presented by the Phoenix Chamber Choir of
Vancouver, BC
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Lisa Roberts, President
Lori Kurlander, Communications Manager
Elliot Forchheimer, CEO
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL
"HERE WHEN YOU NEED US
YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW"
(The Council is financially supported by donations from individuals,
dues from 136 member organizations and generous grant support from UJA-Federation)
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Please support the work of the Westchester Jewish Council. Your donation makes a difference each and every day. Click here to donate.
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WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Tuesday, December 15, 2020 • 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm
UJA Westchester and Westchester Jewish Council
Hanukkah Celebration & Tribute to
Representatives Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey
Join us to celebrate Hanukkah and recognize our friends and devoted elected officials, Reps. Eliot Engel and Rep. Nita Lowey for their decades of public service.
Enjoy a special musical performance by Tizmoret, Queens College Hillel's a cappella group, and join as Rabbi Howard Goldsmith of Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester and President of the Westchester Board of Rabbis lights the Hanukkah candles.
(All elected officials in attendance will be acknowledged
at the end of the program)
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-It's All About the Gala-
"GALAlujah, We Are Grateful"
Gala prep is underway and the Journal is live and available for your viewing and contribution.
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Visit the Gala webpage at www.wjcouncil.org/gala to sign up and support the Council's only fundraising and to honor our amazing friends and honorees:
Lisa Roberts (Council President), Harriet Kaplan Suvall, Marc Suvall
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Our monthly "Israel Connection" program was held on Wednesday. Zehava Tesfay of JAFI discussed her family's journey from Ethiopia to Israel, along with sharing some of Ethiopia's history and culture.
Thank you to Zehava for enlightening us with your wonderful story!
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WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL'S
SECURITY AND SAFETY UPDATE
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" B. Franklin
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As we are approaching Chanukah, as in past years, please make sure to review your security protocols for both indoor and outdoor gatherings if you will be having programming and coordinate with local police regarding building/event security.
Please keep in mind there is an increased risk of vandalism during the holiday season. If your building is currently unoccupied, it's advisable to have a team of people to occasionally walk the grounds looking for signs of vandalism or damage both before and after the holiday. Regular walk-thrus may also act as a deterrent to potential vandals.
If you are planning any outdoor Chanukah candle lightings please review your security protocols for outdoor gatherings regarding securing the perimeter of the area as well as car and pedestrian access.
For your safety, please adhere to all Covid protocols including social distancing and be mindful of fire safety measures when lighting your respective Hanukah menorahs
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We are proud to share that our partners/colleagues at the CSI Initiative of JCRC of NY and UJA (and in Westchester with the the Council) are having a training session:
Applying For Security Grants In NY: The Basics
Tuesday, December 15, 2020 | 11 AM-12:30 PM
Congress may be nearing a vote on the federal budget before the end of this session. This webinar is for organizations that have never successfully applied for a grant. It will cover NYS prequalification through Grants Gateway, getting an assessment, the NY E-Grants system and more. See our dedicated security grants webpage at: www.jcrcny.org/securitygrants. Click here to make a reservation.
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WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL'S
ISRAEL CONNECTION
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Westchester Jewish Council's
"Israel Connection"
"Building a Democratic and Inclusive Israel in the Time of Covid-19"
Tuesday, January 12th at 12pm
Next up in our monthly series, please join the Westchester Jewish Council and The New Israel Fund (Council member) for a conversation with Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg, NIF's Associate Director in Israel.
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"Israel Connection", a monthly virtual series of the Westchester Jewish Council, offers presentations and discussions on diverse topics of interest regarding the culture, politics and society of Israel. All welcome.
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A HANUKAH MESSAGE FROM
RABBI LESTER BRONSTEIN
OF BET AM SHALOM SYNAGOGUE/
former President of the Westchester Board of Rabbis
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December 2020/Kislev 5781
“Fatigue”
I am mentally exhausted from maneuvering among the restrictions and requirements of the Coronavirus pandemic.
There are moments (not days, but brief moments) when I start thinking about skirting the rules and doing whatever I feel like. That’s especially true when it comes to our synagogue. “Let’s pretend it doesn’t exist, even for one Shabbat,” I say to myself. “Let’s fill the sanctuary with joyous folk – even for an hour – and let everyone let loose in song!”
I know you’ve thought the same thing. “Hey, wouldn’t it do wonders for our souls? For our sense of isolation? For our spiritual malaise? For our hunger to have human contact? For our Zoom indigestion? Hey, how bad it could it be?” The reason I don’t follow up on my instincts is simple: It would be both murderous and suicidal to do so.
To read this message in its entirety, please click here.
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SOME COMMUNITY-WIDE
HANUKAH EVENTS
complete guide to Hanukkah programming
from our member organizations)
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Drive-In Community Menorah Lighting & Havdalah Ceremony (outdoors)
Saturday, December 12; 4:30 PM
Shames JCC, 371 S Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591
Join us along with the Rivertowns Jewish Consortium for a unique way to kick off Hanukkah at our Drive-In Hanukkah Menorah Lighting & Havdalah Celebration. Each family who wishes to attend will reserve a spot in the Shames JCC’s parking lot and celebrate tailgate-style, in or around their cars. In addition to the menorah lighting, the Shames JCC will also mark the end of Shabbat with a Havdalah candle-lighting ceremony. Click here for more details and ticket information.
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Hebrew Congregation of Somers shared this event -
Kesher Congregations Presents Hanukkapalooza!
Tuesday, December 15th
6:00 – 8:30 pm
This virtual event, organized by seven northern congregations, including Hebrew Congregation of Somers, has something for everyone! Games, songs, and candle lighting for kids. Following some family fun, adult learners can study together. Lastly, be a contestant in a game show “Hanukkah: True or False?” You won’t want to miss it! For more information and to register for the Zoom link, please email Rabbi Laurie Gold here.
For more Hanukkah events with Hebrew Congregation of Somers, please click here.
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The festival of lights is almost upon us. This is a time when programming coordinators in the WJCS Jewish Programs division would normally be in the throes of planning numerous in-person events. Instead, as we have done since the Covid pandemic began, we have pivoted to offering virtual events.
Our annual Chanukah celebration for members of our Holocaust Survivor Groups and their families is typically a time to come together to eat, dance, sing, and celebrate This year, we will be celebrating on Zoom (day and time to be announced). In addition, the Holocaust Survivors in our program will be receiving a gift bag filled with Kosher holiday refreshments. While the gifts cannot replace the joy of coming together, they do diminish the sense of isolation and aloneness. As one Survivor said after receiving the holiday food packages for Passover and Rosh Hashanah, “The food is nice and delicious. But it’s more than just the food. It’s knowing that I am not forgotten.” As Halina Rosenkranz, WJCS Holocaust Program Facilitator, says, "may another Chanukah miracle come forth as we leave this year behind and enter 2021.
For more WJCS Hanukkah programs, please click here or visit our calendar.
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Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center
Sandra Mehl, Speaker Memory Keepers Cocktail Hour
December 10th from 7-8pm
What would you do if you owned an heirloom that endured a two year odyssey leaving Nazi occupied Europe without family survivors to answer your questions? A year ago on the eve of Chanukah Sandra took her legacy to the Antique Judaica Roadshow and had a menorah appraised. Learn what Sandra discovered as she shares a story of the lengths some of us will go to in order to put family first and foremost.
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An Israeli-Ethiopian Hanukkah Story presented by JAFI on Sunday, December 13th at 1pm.
To register, please click here -
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How to Have a Zoom Candle-Lighting This Hanukkah
Some creative ways to light the menorah together while apart.
Please click here to read the article.
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Check out the latest Hanukkah video from the Maccabeats. |
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PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS YOU CAN ENJOY FROM HOME
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Temple Beth Abraham presents
An Afternoon with Chuck Freilich on Sunday December 13th
from 12-2pm.
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Join Temple Beth Abraham for a virtual conversation on December 20th at 12pm.
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Schlemiels, Schlubs, and Schmendricks: How Yiddish Captured the Popular Imagination, as Seen through Comic Strips
Thursday, December 17, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Mainstream comic strips, in print or online, are a part of American popular culture. As in all media, Yiddish expressions – from “bupkes” to “tushie,” from “goniff” to “schlub” -- show up in the words of people (and on occasion, animals) who are not identifiably Jewish, in contexts meant to be enjoyed and appreciated by audiences from many different backgrounds. Join us as we look at several dozen comic strips with an eye and ear toward assessing a phenomenon that might otherwise escape notice and analysis. Led by Leonard Greenspoon, PhD., author and Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization, Creighton University
Lasting Impressions: DOROT’s Legacy Project is generously supported by a grant from the Keller-Shatanoff Foundation.
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A Virtual Jewish spirituality retreat with Pardes and Or HaLev
December 27, 2000 to January 1, 2021
Please click here for more information.
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We are grateful and excited to applaud
AJR's 65th Anniversary and Accreditation!
Please join us for our online celebration
January 10, 2021 at 7pm
For more information, please click
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WJCS is pleased that, with a generous grant from UJA, we have launched the Upward-New York Initiative to offer support to school and synagogue communities. We are providing individual and family mental health counseling, employment services, kosher meals delivered to homebound seniors, and support groups on issues relating to stress management, management of anxiety, depression and loss, parenting challenges, and other topics that surface in response to community needs. These services are free of charge to those who qualify.
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Hebrew Free Loan Society
For more information or to apply:
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UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK IN WESTCHESTER |
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If you find yourself spending the majority of your time at home, especially now during Covid, and wishing you could find new and interesting ways to meet people -- you're not alone.
UJA invites you to learn about Westchester Circles, a 60+ online community.* Beginning this winter, we’re offering a variety of small virtual groups created especially for people who may feel isolated and are looking for conversations and connections with their neighbors around common interests.
So please join us. And tell friends or family members. It's a wonderful new way to meet your Westchester neighbors from the comfort and safety of your own home.
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Parenting Through a Jewish Lens: Navigating Your New Normal
Parenting during this time presents special challenges. Join with other parents from our community to support each other and explore parenting topics that address the new normal through a Jewish lens. Our monthly discussions, led by expert instructors Deborah Goldman and Adrian Kalikow, will be rooted in Jewish teachings.
These sessions are intended for informational purposes only. Some information may not be relevant for all situations and individuals. We urge each individual to consult an independent professional to review and advise regarding his or her specific needs and requirements. Sessions will be held at 8:00 pm on Wednesdays on January 6; February 17; and March 24, 2021.
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WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL ROUNDTABLES (ConnecTables) |
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Westchester Jewish Council
Upcoming Community Roundtables
(The Council thanks the hundreds of people that dedicate time to attend our Roundtables -
a signature initiative of the Council often sponsored with wonderful partners from among our member organizations)
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Some Upcoming Virtual Council Roundtables:
Greening Roundtable - January 12th
Security Roundtable - January 13th
Combating Racism Roundtable with AJC Westchester/Fairfield - January 19
Synagogue Executive Directors - Weekly
Marketing Roundtable - coming sooner or later
Contact the Council office at (914) 328-7001 or info@wjcouncil.org for information on these and other Roundtables--a key offering of the Westchester Jewish Council.
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WESTCHESTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES |
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The Ambassador Scarsdale Assisted Living Center is in search of a Cantor, Rabbi, or Lay Person willing to run a weekly Shabbat Service on Friday’s.
There will be a financial compensation for your services.
Participant must agree to weekly Covid19 testing.
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Refuah shlema to:
Rabbi Shmuel Greenberg, rabbi of the Young Israel of White Plains. To include Rabbi Greenberg in your tefilot and for a misheberach, please note that his Hebrew name is now Alter Shmuel ben Chava Leah.
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We invite teens in the community to represent their agencies and synagogues at our WJC Youth Volunteer Roundtable. We ask our Youth Professionals to recommend a teen(s) to join us at the table. Please send the name and contact and any questions to Donna Bartell - Donna@WJCouncil.org
Westchester Jewish Council Teen Organizations include:
Thank you to the Jewish Education Project for working so closely with our Teen professionals and volunteers! The Youth Volunteer Roundtable created a facebook page for an exchange of information which can be accessed here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/452197755385003/
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JBS can be seen live 24/7 on Cablevision (channel 138), Verizon FIOS (channel 798), ROKU and on https://jbstv.org/
The Hudson Valley 211 Helpline is Here
This is a service of United Way of Westchester and Putnam.
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Westchester Jewish Council
925 Westchester Avenue, Suite 200, White Plains, NY 10604
914-328-7001 | info@wjcouncil.org | www.wjcouncil.org
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The next Community Connection will be published on or about December 17, 2020
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