**Please note that most services and events require registration for Zoom information.**
Project Aliyah, Habonim's building reopening and health & safety team, wants to hear from you!
Throughout the pandemic, we have tried to take a thoughtful approach, taking into account public health advice, community conditions, and core Jewish values around taking care of others.
Feel free to reach out with questions or comments at project.aliyah@habonim.net .
Upcoming B'nai Mitzvah
Henry Winokur - Saturday, May 14, 9:30 am (Ethical Culture)
Adam Rivera - Saturday, May 21, 9:30 am (Redeemer)
Adam Mehl - Saturday, June 4, 9:30 am (Redeemer)
Lucy Meer - Saturday, June 11, 9:30 am (Redeemer)
Israel Indepence Day Film Festival, May 4-9
** Ticket sales will remain open for another week and everyone purchasing a ticket will have a full 14 days to watch all the films, starting when you begin watching your first film. For example, if you begin watching at 10 am on May 10, you will have access to the festival until 10 am on May 24.**
Celebrate Israel with a ticket to the Israel Independence Day Film Festival. One ticket provides access to 11 films on six nights!
Purchase tickets here and use Habonim's promo code BRACHA1 to receive 20 percent off. Congregation Habonim receives funds back for every ticket purchase.
Special Joint Book Group Event: Wednesday, May 18, 7-8:30 pm
RSVP here for event Zoom link (deadline May 11th): professeur38@me.com
Book Donation Community Service Project
Thursday, May 26, 4:45-5:45 pm
Families with children of all ages are welcome to join us for this important project. Habonim is once again partnering with Repair the World to do our part to help others. We will collect books for underprivileged children who are learning to read through Reading Partners. Sign-up and donation information will be available soon.
Habonim Hangout: Shavuot Edition
Save the date: Monday, June 6, late afternoon/evening
Ice Cream for All! More details available soon.
**Please note that Monday, June 6 (not Sunday, June 5 as originally announced) is the correct date.**
Shlissel Challah Baking
Another fun and delicious evening of baking from the Membership Committee. Led by our own Rina Cohen Schwarz, we shaped and baked Shlissel Challah for the first Shabbat after Pesach. Big thanks to Rina for her leadership and for our enthusiastic bakers who joined us for this fabulous event.
Our hearts are with our Jewish communal family in Ukraine and all those in harm's way in the region.
The Joint Distribution Committee is working non-stop to provide food, medicine, and diapers. To support the JDC in the Ukraine donate here .
We can also support Masorti Olami, our Conservative Movement international partner, in their emergency campaign for the Masorti communities in Ukraine and the Schechter Institute , also a Movement Partner, in Israel, and Project Kesher. Here at home, we can support UJA Federation.
Passover Food Donations from the Bender Fund
The Bender Fund assets again allowed Habonim to help provide elderly Holocaust survivors, clients of Self Help Community Services, with Pesach food packages. We understand that recipients are most grateful to be able to celebrate the holiday with good food!
The Bender Fund, created almost 50 years ago in conjunction with our Brotherhood, is dedicated to helping elderly, blind, and needy members of the Jewish community. Each year we have helped fund packages for the High Holidays, Hanukkah, and Pesach.
Hamentashen Baking
"We had so much fun baking Hamentashen online together last week. Many thanks to everyone who joined to make our evening so entertaining. Rina so deftly guided our efforts and everyone chimed in with their baking memories and best tips for perfecting their treats." -- The Membership Committee
Photos Left: Beth Lawrence and our youngest baker; below left: From Nita Gottesman; below center: From Miriam and Nathan Gal; below right: From Maddie Witman
Habonim Volunteers Helped Make Community Clean Up Day a Success
Alison Fried writes: Last Sunday more than 40 members of our Habonim community came together to participate in our first OneBlock service project. Volunteers of all ages (from toddlers to grandparents) cleaned up our streets from the 50's to the 70's on the West Side.
A highlight for many was the outpouring of appreciation from our neighbors who walked by and lovingly thanked us. We plan on scheduling another service day in the Spring. In the meantime, you can read more about the wonderful work being done by OneBlock here and if you are so moved, support their continued success with a donation.
Another Happy Hour Hangout: Update from the Membership Committee
Habonim Hang Out was a fun, casual outdoor gathering. Thanks to those who came and mingled. We look forward to more community gatherings in person as circumstances permit.
Thanks,
Rachel and Danielle
The Membership Committee extends a huge yasher koach to our talented baker, Ellie Merdinger, for a fantastic Zoom event last Thursday. And thank you to all those who participated. Ellie led us in making delicious and beautiful apple pies. It was another fun-filled, interactive evening - including a wonderful opportunity to welcome some of our new members.
Blessing of the Animals
What a great time we had blessing the animals (live and stuffed!)! Animals received rainbow ribbons in honor of Parashat Noah and their uniqueness and diversity. Some even received Hebrew names! We look forward to making this an annual event.
Apple Picking and Sukkot Celebration with Congregation Habonim at Dr. Davies Farm on Sunday, September 26
Habonim Education Director Rina Cohen Schwarz writes:
Our Habonim community members enjoyed celebrating Sukkot together on Sunday, Sept 26. Our first stop was at Dr Davies Farm to pick many 1/2 pecks of apples. We harvested several different apple varieties and just loved being outside on a picture-perfect autumn day.
After our successful harvest, we headed to the Orangetown Jewish Center to have a picnic lunch out in their sizable sukkah. We’re so grateful to our Camp Ramah Nyack friends, all from the OJC: Rabbi Ami Hersh, Rabbi Craig Scheff, Rabbi Paula Mack-Drill and Alyssa Schlossberg for hosting our Habonim group. Truly fabulous hosts who made it possible for us to fulfill some key mitzvot of Sukkot.
We all got to make the brachot (blessings) for sitting in the sukkah and over the lulav & etrog. Sweet treats were enjoyed by all and we all look forward to celebrating more holidays together with the Habonim community!
Learn more about using your Shulcloud account. Topics include: Updating your information, making payments and donations, and accessing the Habonim member directory.
Rabbi Gelber is honored to have her words included in the rapid-response book Remember and Do Not Forget, Rabbinic Testimonies of January 6, 2021: A Horrific Day in American History, edited by Rabbi Menachem Creditor and Rabbi Jessie Olitzky, with Foreword by Ruth Messinger.
When We Turned Within, Volume 2 features writing by 107 contributors from around the world - Rabbi Lisa Gelber and Malkie Grozalsky among them. Co-edited by Rabbi Menachem Creditor and Sarah Tuttle-Singer, the paperback is available here and the Kindle version is available here.
Proceeds from book sales go to UJA-Federation of NY for COVID relief efforts.
Some of Rabbi Gelber's weekly writings to the Habonim community are included in the first volume of When We Turned Within: Reflections of COVID-19.
Seeking volunteers (of all ages) to help Habonim community members connect online and organize dial-in information for weekly prayer services and programs, as well as with other needs. Contact Susan Grant at susanigrant@aol.com .
