Call For New Ushers
Fridays and Saturdays | 6:30-8:00PM & 9:30-12:00PM | Sanctuary
BJ members, are you excited about making BJ a warmer and more welcoming place? Join our amazing group of ushers! Greet new members and guests, help prepare the sanctuary for services, and spread the love.
Sponsor a Light Summer Kiddush
Saturdays | Following Shabbat Morning Services | Community House 3rd Floor
A kiddush, the communal gathering that follows Shabbat morning service, is a traditional opportunity to mark joyous events and lifecycle occasions within the community. Sponsoring a light summer kiddush is a wonderful way to show your support, and is considered a tax-deductible donation if coordinated through the BJ office. If you’re interested in contributing to a kiddush in honor of a milestone or in memory of a loved one, please email Julie or call her at x258.
Summer Food Donors for Shelter
Mondays-Thursdays and Sundays | Various Times | Frankel Hall (Monday-Tuesday), SPSA Social Hall (Wednesday-Sunday)
Signing up for just one meal can be a huge help, and getting involved is easy. Families, individuals, or groups can get together to prepare a light meal for eight people at BJ, SPSA, at home, or even order in. Email Larissa to learn more.
BJ/SPSA Racial Justice Task Force Open Meeting
Monday, July 22 | 5:00PM | Community House
At this meeting, we’ll report on the presentation by the Alliance of Families for Justice (held at SPSA on May 30) about closing the jail on Rikers Island. We’ll then discuss how we might follow up and get more involved. This event is open to all, no registration necessary.
"Happy Hour" with Rabbi Dini Lewittes
Tuesday, July 23 | 6:00-8:00PM | Middle Room
Join Rabbi Dini Lewittes for a summer “happy hour,” while learning about the complicated story of wine and Judaism.
Summer Concert Series: Nakshatra Quartet
Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, August 29 | 7:00PM | Rabbi Rachel Cowan Chapel
Spend your summer with the BJ musicians in our first-ever summer concert series. Join us for one or more of these intimate gatherings, exploring the beautiful and diverse music of our very own musicians.
Jewish-Muslim Solidarity Fridays
Friday, July 26 | 1:00-2:30PM | Islamic Cultural Center Riverside Drive
Every Friday, Jewish Upper West Siders greet worshipers before and after their Friday prayers to show our support and solidarity. This effort began as a response to the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, but has grown to a regular practice of “loving our neighbor as ourselves.”
Socialize, Write, and Share with the BJ Writing Havurah
Monthly, Upcoming Date TBD | 11:00AM-1:30PM | Location given upon registration
From our “to do” lists to our next great novel, there is a writer in all of us! Connect with other BJ members and let your creativity flow.
Occupy the Roof: Summer Social Justice Film Series
Tuesday, August 6 | 6:00-9:00PM | Community House
Sponsored by Panim: Social Action and Social Justice at BJ, this film series will celebrate stories of people that shine a light on justice in a changing world.
Up next: Artifishal
Children of the Inquisition—Film Screening and Q&A
Thursday, August 8 | 7:00PM | Sanctuary
Join us for a screening of the film Children of the Inquisition, followed by a discussion and Q&A with filmmaker Joseph Lovett.
Eikha and the Refugee
Sunday, August 11 | 5:00-6:00PM | Rabbi Rachel Cowan Chapel
Join Cantor David Mintz for an exploration of Eikha (the book of Lamentations) through the lens of the refugee experience—from the history of the Jewish people to the current climate of our world.
Young Couple Tu Be'Av Shabbat Dinner
Friday, August 16 | 8:00PM | Middle Room
Following the Kabbalat Shabbat service, join other young couples for a special Tu Be’Av Shabbat dinner from the Jewish Home Project.
20s & 30s Cookout Shabbat
Friday, August 23 | 8:00PM | Reception Room
Following the Kabbalat Shabbat service, join the Aviv community for an end-of-summer, camp-inspired Shabbat! Meet fellow 20s and 30s for a Shabbat dinner with your favorite cookout foods.
Doing Teshuvah
Tuesday, September 10 | 7:00-8:30PM | Middle Room
We often think about teshuvah’s common translation, repentance. It is, however, more aptly translated as a spiritual and existential homecoming, as an inner experience of transformation, with the “doing” taking the form of reflecting on, and renewing, personal commitments. But to “do” teshuvah also means to engage in certain concrete actions. What are we meant to do, in an active sense, in the pursuit of teshuvah? What are the outward deeds that the Season of Awe impels us to undertake? Join Rabbi Adina Lewittes for an exploration of how we are meant to conduct ourselves during the month of Elul and the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe), and to create a behavioral roadmap toward teshuvah. This event is open to all, no registration necessary.
Bim Bam Fall 2019
Fridays, Beginning September 20 | 10:15-11:00AM, 11:15AM-12:00PM | Rabbi Rachel Cowan Chapel
Bim Bam gives children under three a fun space to explore Shabbat through interactive songs, movement, and stories while learning traditions such as lighting candles, saying Kiddush, and giving tzedakah. The 10:15AM session features both English and Hebrew songs, while the 11:15AM session is full Hebrew immersion. The program is led by our Artist in Residence, Shira Averbuch.
Save the Date: Reach for Shabbat Retreat
Friday, November 8-Sunday, November 10 | Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Mark your calendars for our annual Reach for Shabbat Retreat! This retreat is an incredible opportunity to get to know other families in the community. Throughout the weekend, we will experience the power of a community coming together on Shabbat to create a home away from home. Read more »
Southeast Civil Rights Journey
Sunday, November 17-Tuesday, November 19 | Georgia and Alabama
Join Rabbi Felicia Sol and SPSA’s Reverend Lea Matthews on a civil rights journey through Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham. Together, we will work to deepen our understanding of the Civil Rights movement and how systemic racism is both historical and present today by immersing ourselves in experiences from church services at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and crossing the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma to visiting the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum and Lynching Memorial and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This trip is open to BJ and SPSA members only.
Notary Services for BJ Members
Business hours | BJ Community House
Our Human Resources and Administrative Associate, Shakeara Hatchett, is now authorized to provide notary services (for personal or business purposes) to all BJ members. Email Shakeara to set up a notary appointment.
Summer Food Donors for Shelter
Mondays-Thursdays and Sundays | Various Times | Frankel Hall (Monday-Tuesday), SPSA Social Hall (Wednesday-Sunday)
Signing up for just one meal can be a huge help, and getting involved is easy. Families, individuals, or groups can get together to prepare a light meal for eight people at BJ, SPSA, at home, or even order in. Email Larissa to learn more.
Call For New Ushers
Fridays and Saturdays | 6:30-8:00PM & 9:30-12:00PM | Sanctuary
BJ members, are you excited about making BJ a warmer and more welcoming place? Join our amazing group of ushers! Greet new members and guests, help prepare the sanctuary for services, and spread the love.