SCHENECTADY– Congregation Gates of Heaven (CGOH) recently held its 22nd annual mitzvah day. Two hundred members of the congregation volunteered at agencies throughout the area and helped out at the temple.  The day began with a blessing from Rabbi Matt Cutler, followed by a lunch at the temple. After lunch, the volunteer teams headed off to their assigned agencies. Congregants […]

ALBANY– Congregation Ohav Shalom will honor Dorothy and Rob Ganz and Sheila and Ira Lobel at its annual Shomrei Habayit Gala Brunch on Sunday, Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the synagogue, 113 New Krumkill Rd., Albany. “We are fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers at Ohav Shalom,” said Judy Avner, president of the Ohav Shalom Board […]

Kristallnacht’s 81st anniversary will be noted in this area with an interfaith commemoration, which will include a showing of the film “The Light of Hope” on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. in Page Hall on University at Albany downtown campus, 135 Western Ave., Albany. The commemoration is free and open to the public. “This is the 27th   anniversary […]

Steven Stark-Riemer and Audrey Seidman to be featured guest lecturers ALBANY– Congregation Ohav Shalom is again offering classes, open to members and non-members, as part of its Lifelong Learning Series. This fall, Ohav will feature The Diversity of Ancient Israel: A Retrospective of Archaeology, History, and Religion, which will be taught by Steven Stark-Riemer. Diversity — of community, of thought, […]

Marlene Honig of Boynton Beach, a longtime member of Agudat Achim and member of Sisterhood, passed away on October 21st after a long battle with heart disease.  Marlene was part of the first adult Bat Mitzvah class at the synagogue. In addition, she served as a member of the catering committee for many years. She was active in Hadassah, B’nai […]

By Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel initiative” Based on ancient Jewish sages, October 10, 2019, https://bit.ly/2OBJ3Nw More on Sukkot and other Jewish holidays: http://bit.ly/137Er6J 1. US-Israel special ties are highlighted by Columbus Day (October 14, 2019), which is always celebrated around Sukkot (October 13-20, 2019). According to “Columbus Then and Now” (Miles Davidson, 1997, p. 268), Columbus […]

BY SHANNON SARNA (The Nosher via JTA)  – Yom Kippur is one of the most important days on the Jewish calendar. For many Jews, fasting and being in synagogue is the focus of the day. Fasting is not easy, nor is it for everyone — some people cannot fast because they are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a medical condition. Or […]

By SHIRA ZEMEL (Kveller via JTA) – Like so many of you, I’m a working person trying to juggle it all — my kid, my job and, you know, my life. For the High Holidays, I was inspired to write a working parents’ version of the Ashamnu, an alphabetic acrostic of our collective transgressions, which is part of the public […]

By Mayim Bialik LOS ANGELES (JTA) — In the Reform synagogue I was raised in, they taught us a song around the Jewish New Year: Let’s be friends. Make amends. Now’s the time to say I’m sorry. Let’s be friends. Make amends. Please say you’ll forgive me. For the 10 days of teshuvah, it’s time to make up; time to […]

By JULIE MATLIN MONTREAL (JTA) – Picking through gefilte fish in the kosher department, searching for the freshest packages, I think of my Grandma Fanny. She made her gefilte fish from scratch, lovingly combining the cod, whitefish, pike and whatever other secret ingredients she threw in that made it so good. “This is delicious,” my brother’s roommate remarked one year. […]