Weekly Newsletter

Continuing our tradition of inclusive and participatory Simchat Torah services, this year we will once again have opportunities for women to do hakafot [dancing with the Torah] and get aliyot. 

On Simchat Torah night, October 21, and in the morning on October 22, our Hakafot services will feature separate circles for men and women so all can have the chance to dance and sing with the Torah.  

At Shacharit services on Simchat Torah morning, we will hold our annual Women's Torah Reading where all women who want to get an aliyah will be called up to the Torah.  

See the for the complete schedule for Simchat Torah, and save the date for our next regular Women's Tefillah on Shabbat morning, November 23.

If you have questions or want to get involved in the Stanton Women's Tefillah Group, email women@stantonstshul.com.

Our youngest shul members and friends are invited to the StantonKIDS Shabbat on October 26, 10:30am to 12pm.

Our kids programs always feature lively play, prayers, songs and a snack. Spread the word!

Click here for the complete StantonKIDS schedule for 2019-2020.

Questions? Want to get involved? Email kids@stantonstshul.com

On the first day of Chol haMoed Sukkot, Lower East Side Conservancy tour guide Svetlana Kershtein brought four Amish gentlemen from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to the Stanton Street Shul. 

They had visited a number of LES shuls that afternoon, but spent a good deal of time with Jeff Katz understanding the uniqueness of our Shul and the practices of orthodox Judaism. The three brothers and their nephew were fascinated to learn about traditional Shabbat practices; the making and reading of Torah scrolls; the separation of the sexes during prayer; and the study of Biblical texts. 

They strongly related to many of these practices, although their religious observance is obviously different. When Yiddish was spoken, the four gentlemen were able to understand most of the words as they were somewhat fluent in Pennsylvanian German.

They invited the Shul to visit and offered to arrange an authentic Amish tour of their community.

Our newest art exhibit is The Pen and The Knife: Jewish Papercuts, featuring seven renowned artists, including several shul members. Check it out next time you are in shul or make an appointment for a private viewing. 

Papercutting has been a common Jewish art form since the Middle Ages, connected with various customs and ceremonies, and associated with holidays and family life.  Our artists practice traditional papercutting as well as more modern interpretations of this longstanding art form. 

Featured artists include Rachel Arsanow, Dory Bergman, David Friedman, Dena Levie, Diane Reich, Deborah Ugoretz, and David Wander. 

For more information, contact Jill Slater at slater.jslater@gmail.com.

We are delighted to announce that, in cooperation with Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, the Stanton Street Shul will soon welcome a rabbinic intern for the 2019-2020 year. 

Rabbi Jason Goldstein is a fourth year student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. He has interned at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal and has served as a scholar in residence at various congregations throughout the country. He was a Leffell AIPAC Fellow and a Shalom Hartman Institute of North America Rabbinic Student Fellow. A graduate of Brandeis University, Rabbi Goldstein has previously learned at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and Yeshivat Hamivtar. He lives on the Upper West Side, and enjoys hosting Shabbat meals and discovering new recipes.

Rabbi Goldstein will be with us once every month beginning on November 8-9, Parashat Lech Lecha. He will join us for community Shabbat dinners, deliver drashot, and will be teaching classes at various times throughout the year.

We all look forward to extending a warm Stanton welcome to our rabbinic intern.

As a community we are beginning to be more mindful of ecological concerns. For a long time we have been attentive to recycling our waste materials.  Now we are beginning the battle of removing plastic utensils from our kitchen and kiddushim.

A set of stainless steel silverware has been purchased, toyveled, [ritually prepared], and is ready for use.  In the coming weeks we will replace plastic cups with dish washable alternatives.  Please see Jeff Katz or Jill Slater to discuss these improvements. 

Sponsoring a kiddush is a great way to celebrate milestones, commemorate a yahrzeit, or show your appreciation for someone in your life. It's about coming together with your community. And with kugel. 

We have sponsorships available through the summer. Please email kiddush@stantonstshul.com for more information.