Weekly Newsletter

Stanton Street Shul Weekly Newsletter Week of November 15, 2019 / Cheshvan 17, 5780

Parashat Vayera

This Week's Schedule: Erev Shabbat, November 15 (Cheshvan 17) 4:20p Candle Lighting 5:15p Kabbalat Shabbat / Ma'ariv with d'var Torah from Mordecai Silver Shabbat, November 16: Vayera (Cheshvan 18) 9:30a Shacharit with drasha by Mordecai Silver   10:30a StantonKids Shabbat (Ends at 12:00p)   12:00p Kiddush is sponsored by David & Aliza Deutsch in post-commemoration of Veteran's Day Followed by Mincha   5:21p Havdalah   Save the dates: 12/18 - Yiddish NY Concert at Stanton (7:30-9:00 pm) 12/27 - Chanukah Community Dinner with Rabbinic Intern Jason Goldstein 12/28 - Motzei Shabbat Chanukah Party at Stanton

StantonKIDS This Shabbat Morning Our youngest shul members and friends are invited to a fun and educational StantonKIDS program this Shabbat, November 16.   Join us at 10:30am for lively play, prayers, songs and snack. And save the date for the next StantonKIDS on December 9.   Click here for the complete StantonKIDS schedule for 2019-2020. Questions? Want to get involved? Email kids@stantonstshul.com

Guest Scholar and Women's Tefillah for Chayei Sarah, November 23rd We look forward to welcoming a special guest speaker next Shabbat for a sit-down kiddush following our Women's Tefillah and Torah Reading (downstairs) and regular minyan (upstairs).    On Shabbat Chayei Sarah, November 23, the entire congregation is invited to a sit-down kiddush lunch where our guest Rachel Frazer will deliver a talk called “Don't Change, Change: An Exploration of Tanach Leaders Facing New Challenges.”   Before the talk, all women are encouraged to join our next Women's Tefillah Group in the beit midrash, beginning at 9:30am.   Rachel Frazer lives in Teaneck, NJ where she is a member of the Judaic Studies faculty at Yavneh Academy. Rachel is also a presenter of adult courses including currently  "Exploring Reflections of Tanach in Secular Literature". Rachel is known for her intelligent, thoughtful and provocative insights.   Please email women@stantonstshul.com to become a sponsor of this event or to get more involved in the Stanton Women's Tefillah Group.

Last Week to See The Pen and the Knife: Jewish Papercuts Exhibit at Stanton Gallery Closes November 23 Our current art exhibit, The Pen and The Knife: Jewish Papercuts, closes next week! It features seven renowned artists, including several shul members. Check it out next time you are in shul or make an appointment for a private viewing before November 23.    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 Asarnow, Dory Bergman, David Friedman, Dena Levie, Diane Reich, Deborah Ugoretz, and David Wander.    For more information, contact Jill Slater at slater.jslater@gmail.com.

Call for Submissions: Next Art Exhibit at Stanton Our next art exhibit will be Utopia: Visions and Traditions, curated by Deborah Ugoretz and Tine Kinderman. Call for Artist Submissions is open through November 25. Visit www.yiddishnewyork.com/visual-arts-exhibition for more information.   The exhibition runs from December 12 to January 21, and is organized in conjunction with Yiddish New York, an annual celebration of Yiddish language, music, and culture.    Watch for details about a Wednesday, December 18, Klezmer Concert in celebration of Yiddish New York and the Stanton Street Shul.

Sponsor a Kiddush! Kiddushes are a joyous means of celebrating Shabbat and bringing our members and friends together in a supportive and convivial arena -- with good food and drink. Kiddush sponsorship is an opportunity to celebrate one's birthday, anniversary or other event, commemorate a yahrzeit, or to show appreciation for the extraordinary work being done in this Shul.    Available Upcoming Kiddushes  Shabbat Toldot, Nov 30 Shabbat Vayishlach Dec 14 Shabbat Veyeshev Dec 21 Shabbat Miketz, Rosh Chodesh Tevet, Shabbat Hanukah Dec 28

Get to Know Our New Rabbinic Intern Jason Goldstein: Next Visit on November 29-30 We were delighted to welcome Rabbi Jason Goldstein to the Stanton Street last week and look forward to his monthly visits. Rabbi Goldstein taught well throughout Shabbat and gave us a great deal to think about. Our rabbinic intern will return on Shabbat Toldot, November 29-30. If you can offer hospitality - either a comfortable place to sleep and/or share Shabbat meals with him - please speak to Jeff Katz.   We thank Margie Segal for making her apartment available last Shabbat.

New Security System Being Installed Due to the insecure environment we live in and the rise in anti-Semitic incidents, it is in our best interest to secure the safety of our members, friends and guests when they attend Shul.   We are a modest Shul without the means to station an armed guard every time we have a religious or social function. But in response to the requests of many of our members, and with your help, we are currently installing an effective and user-friendly security system. The anticipated total cost is $10,000.00. We hope the system will be up and running by next week.   The code for the front door lock will be given to all our members for easy Shabbat access. Please contribute generously to this necessary security initiative.

Please Excuse Our Appearance The Stanton Street Shul facade is in the middle of being renovated. , When we power washed the facade we discovered that the stone work was painted decades ago, and the old paint had chipped away. We are now putting a fresh coat on the stone and highlighting the Hebrew incised in the pediment above the 2nd floor stained glass window.    Next week all the window frames will be scraped, primed and painted anew.  The chicken wire protecting the stained glass window will be replaced with shatterproof tempered glass.  The two decorative metal ornaments that were damaged over the years are being repaired and painted.    Soon we will have an improved facade, pleasing to the eye and ready to greet another century of Jewish worshipers.

Please Give Generously in 5780 Our High Holiday services this year were superb. With melodious davening, inspiring speeches and an overflow crowd, we reached a new high in providing free holiday services to all who entered our doors.   The costs of running the Shul and maintaining free services is high. Please help us continue to provide an open and welcoming traditional Shul by generously donating to our High Holiday Appeal. If you have not already made a contribution, now is the time to do so.    Monies collected in our High Holiday Appeal will be used to make improvements to our Stanton Street facade. Considering the security precautions that synagogues need to take in the current environment, we have a proposal to install cameras, monitors and taping equipment to make our Shul more secure.   Donations may be made at our website www.stantonstshul.com. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Help Stanton Go Green 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.

Upcoming Sponsorship Opportunities: Friday Night Kiddush: Nov. 22, 29, Dec. 6 Shabbat Kiddush: Nov. 30, Dec. 14, 21   To sponsor a kiddush email us at kiddush@stantonstshul.com To sponsor a class, click here.   Support Us! We rely on your generosity to keep us going with weekly prayer services, kiddushim, classes, kids programming, women's tefilah, cultural programs and other events. Click here to make a donation to the Stanton Street Shul! (We need your moral support, too: Click here to "Like" us on Facebook!)

Get in Touch! The Stanton Street Shul is located at 180 Stanton St., New York, NY 10002   Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 1008, New York, NY 10002   Visit our website: www.stantonstshul.com Send us an email: info@stantonstshul.com   To submit an announcement for our newsletter email announcements@stantonstshul.com