ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON–Bard College will inaugurate the Jacob Neusner Memorial Lectures in Jewish and Religious Studies with lectures by scholar of Jewish studies Moshe Halbertal Oct. 24 and 27 on the Bard campus in Annandale-on-Hudson and in New York City. “The Biblical Book of Samuel and the Birth of Politics: Two Faces of Political Violence” takes place Thursday, Oct, 24, at 4:45 p.m, in room 102 […]

BY BEATA ABRAHAM (JTA via Kveller) – I can’t help but wonder why Hallmark and the retail world at large haven’t co-opted the Jewish New Year. True, while there may “only” be some 5 million to 7 million Jews in the U.S. (depending on who’s counting), Rosh Hashanah is a particularly important holiday on the Jewish calendar. Many Jews spend […]

ALBANY– The Capital Region Jewish Genealogical Society (CRJGS) will meet on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 1 p.m. for a program on “Jewish Immigrant Farmers in the towns of Schodack and Nassau, 1900-1940.” pre Nassau historian Kurt Vincent will make the presentation. The study was jointly authored with Schodack historian Diane Hutchinson. Introductory remarks by CRJG member Susan Kugler will include the […]

Join the editor of JNS in guessing what will happen in the New Year … By JONATHAN S. TOBIN (JNS) – The year 5779 brought tragedy and great sorrow to the Jewish community as the Pittsburgh and Poway synagogue shootings by white supremacists represented the worst instances of violent anti-Semitism in American history. The month of January also brought two […]

SCHENECTADY–Rabbi Rafi Spitzer, spiritual leader of Congregation Agudat Achim, is inviting all 10th, 11th, and 12th graders to attend a confirmation class from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Sundays. The rabbi indicated that the class will cover  a variety of topics including, but not limited to: What does it mean to be Jewish in the modern world? Relating to other […]

ALBANY–“The Archaeology of the Religion of Ancient Israel” will be taught over seven Wednesdays beginning Sept. 11, 10-11:45 a.m. at the B’nai Sholom synagogue, 420 Whitehall Rd., Albany. The class will begin with a history of the search for ancient Israel’s religion. Previous approaches to this subject have paid insufficient attention to the archaeological data, which is substantial according to […]

SCHENECTADY– The Schenectady JCC has begun a $200,000 fund-raising campaign to build a new playground for school-age children in the early childhood education program, after school care and other youth programs. The new playground will replace the existing playground that is over 30-years-old. The Schenectady Center will hold various fund-raising events to support the construction of the playground. Currently, $70,000 […]

The annual Safety and Security Preparedness Program for Jewish community synagogues, agencies, and institutions is set for Thursday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. and will be held at the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY’s  Golub Center, 184 Washington Avenue Ext., Albany. The security program will include FBI Albany Division Special Agents and New York State Police Counter Terrorism Investigators, as […]

TROY–The Sunday, Sept. 8, Chill And Schmooze Lodge held at Beth Tephilah Synagogue, 82 River St., Troy will feature discussions about relating to God, and the upcoming High Holidays. A shofar demonstration and a vegan buffet are also on the agenda. Plants used on Sukkot will be reviewed. A recent  lodge meeting highlighted the incense offering at the Temple in […]

SCHENECTADY–The 2019/’20 season of the Congregation Gates of Heaven (COGH) Brotherhood Breakfast-And-A-Speaker Program will begin on Sunday, Sept. 8. It will feature Angelicia A. Morris, executive director of the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission, in a program that was rescheduled from March. Her topic will be “Unheard No More:  Power Through Action.” Morris will discuss the New York State Human Rights Law, and the state of […]