Join us in mourning AC member Barbara Colton z'l.

Help Fund the AC Shelter: Every Donation Matched!

For decades, we at Ansche Chesed earned our name – the “Community of Kindness” – by opening our doors every night to men needing a safe place to sleep. As we gear up for our shelter to finally reopen this June, a generous donor from our community has stepped forward with an extraordinary commitment: a promise to match up to $20,000 in shelter contributions. Every gift you make will have twice the impact—helping us restore a program that offered safety, warmth, and compassion for decades. If you have already contributed, thank you! If you haven’t yet, please support this effort by contributing to the shelter fund before April 10, so we can unlock the full matching donation and restore the shelter as a defining pillar of the Ansche Chesed community.

Join Our Synagogue Board and Help Shape Our Community

The Nominating Committee is seeking dedicated members to serve a three-year term on the Board of Trustees, including active involvement in committee work. Board members play a vital role in guiding our synagogue, including:

• Attending meetings and contributing to strategic decisions

• Serving on one or more committees

• Engaging in outreach and welcoming community members

• Helping to fulfill our shared mission

We are especially looking for individuals with experience in development. If you are interested — or would like to nominate someone — we would love to hear from you.

For consideration, please contact Laurie Izes, chair of the Nominating Committee, at nominate@anschechesed.org by Thursday, April 16.

Book of Remembrance

The Book of Remembrance lists those close to us who have passed away, but who have not been forgotten. This year we have created a virtual version of our Book of Remembrance that you can add names to throughout the year. Submit names and make a donation

UWS Mimouna Celebration with the JCC

Sunday, April 12 from 6:30 - 8:45pm at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave.)

Celebrate the vibrant conclusion of Passover at the Upper West Side Moroccan Mimouna! Enjoy an unforgettable evening of music, food, and tradition, featuring the enchanting sounds of Layali El Andalus. Indulge in a rich and colorful Mimouna table, overflowing with handmade sweets, traditional mufletas, and refreshing Moroccan mint tea. Purchase discounted tickets

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire: Film Screening & Discussion with Elisha Wiesel and Oren Rudavsky

Tuesday, April 14 at 7pm in the Sanctuary

In honor of Yom Hashoah, please join us for a special screening of Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, directed by member Oren Rudavsky: Eighty years after his liberation from Buchenwald, we seek to understand the man behind Elie Wiesel's searing and widely read memoir Night. Told largely through his own words and eloquent voice, Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire seeks to penetrate to the heart of the known and unknown Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) - his passions, his conflicts and his legacy as one of the most public survivors of the trauma of the Holocaust. With unique access to personal archives, original interviews and employing hand painted animation, the film illuminates Wiesel's biography as a survivor, writer, teacher and public figure. 

Following the screening, please stay for a conversation between Elisha Wiesel, son of Elie Wiesel, director Oren Rudavsky, and Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Register here

Reading of the Names

Monday, April 13, 10pm - Tuesday, April 14, 5pm at Kehilat Hadar Shaare Zedek and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

Each year, AC joins the JCC and other Upper West Side synagogues in the annual commemoration of Yom HaShoah, by reading from the book of names of those who perished in the Shoah. AC has a designated 30-minute slot from 12 - 12:30am for members to read the names. Participants are also welcome to read their own family names.

If you would like to read names, please contact AC member David Israel to participate. 

If you are unable to participate with AC overnight, the reading will continue at the JCC throughout the day on Tuesday. There is also a livestream available. Please RSVP to attend or receive the livestream link

Reflections Through Painting and Collage: Workshop Series with Amy Tenenouser

Next on Sunday, April 12 from 10:30am - 12:30pm in 5 North

In this painting and collage workshop series, led by artist Amy Tenenouser, participants will be introduced to a range of artists and art historical periods while exploring painting and collage through memory, reflection, and Jewish spiritual ideas and culture. Drawing inspiration from still life set-ups and themes that spark imagination and personal life stories, participants will begin to build the foundation for their own unique form of creative expression. Learn more and register

AC Book Group

Wednesday, April 15 from 6 - 7pm at AC

Join our in-person book group for literary conversation rooted in Jewish themes and storytelling. From bestselling memoirist Dani Shapiro comes a luminous, time-bending novel, Signal Fires, about two families linked by a tragic accident—and how their lives converge in unexpected, redemptive ways. A meditation on fate, connection, and the invisible threads that bind us. As you read, consider: Is the tree at the center of the story the Tree of Knowledge — or the Tree of Life? RSVP here

Lunch & Learn: "There's a Midrash About That!" with Rabbi Yael Hammerman

Next on Thursday, April 16 from 12:30 - 1:30pm in 5 North 

Working remotely? Retired? Stay-at-home parent? Taking a day off? Bring your lunch and join Rabbi Yael Hammerman for a monthly lunch-and-learn gathering where we will read midrashim from across the centuries. Midrashim help us fill in the blanks in the Torah, they add color to our black and white laws, and they help us develop our own voice and approach to Jewish text. Come - it will be fun! (No Hebrew background necessary). RSVP here, walk-ins welcome!

Reflections Class Artist Talk and Potluck Reception

Sunday, April 19 at 7pm in 5 North 

In this year's painting and collage workshop series, led by artist Amy Tenenouser, participants drew inspiration from Judaic themes that spark the imagination and personal life stories. The resulting artworks reflect this process and inspiration. This evening will showcase these pieces. Join us to hear from the artists, followed by a potluck reception. We invite all guests and participants to bring a Kosher dessert for the potluck. RSVP here

Faith Into Action: Jewish Leadership in the Fight for Reproductive Freedom - Past, Present, and Future, with Jews for Repro NY

Thursday, April 30 from 9am - 4pm at NCJW NY Council House (241 W. 72nd St.) 

Faith into Action is the first daylong gathering hosted by Jews for Repro NY for advocates and leaders in the movement. It will focus on examining reproductive justice through a Jewish lens and will explore the importance of Jewish involvement in this fight. This gathering is meant for anyone who is looking to explore fighting for reproductive rights from a Jewish lens, including:

• Clergy
• Longtime activists in the reproductive rights space 
• Advocates and allies who are new to the movement and excited to learn more

Learn more and register

Book Drive for PS 145

Sunday, May 3 from 11am - 1pm in the AC Lobby

Does your family have children’s books that you no longer use? We warmly invite you to help fill the PS 145 Bookshelf by donating new and gently used children’s books. PS 145 students “shop” (at no cost) at the Bookshelf for books to take home, keep, and enjoy. Please refer to the following guidelines; donors will be asked to take any books back home that do not meet these criteria. Due to storage limitations, please do not drop off books on other days or times. Can't make it to donate on this date? Not to worry, there will be future book drives!

Interested in getting involved? Please sign up as a volunteer to help collect and sort books.

Reading Biblical and Prayerbook Hebrew Class

Mondays, 5:45 - 6:45pm at AC (dates TBD)

In this course with experienced and skilled teacher Nadav Wiesel, we will build our knowledge of foundational Biblical and prayer book Hebrew vocabulary and grammar, deepening our ability to read and understand the language. We will combine workbook exercises with guided reading of authentic biblical texts, allowing us to engage directly with the tradition.

This class is intended for people with a basic foundation in Hebrew 

If you would be interested in joining, please contact Josh to learn more.