Upcoming Events

Saturday, February 4, 3:00pm-5:00pm, Bat Mitzvah of Nina Bernstein. All members and friends from MH are invited to celebrate with the Bernstein family the joyous occasion of Nina Bernstein becoming a bat mitzvah at Shabbat Minchah services this afternoon. The service will be held at the River View at 1 Warburton Ave. in Hastings-on-Hudson. Mazel Tov to Nina and her family! Directions to the site are as follows: At the traffic light at the bottom of Main Street in Hastings, make a left onto Warburton Ave. Follow Warburton Ave. south for 1 mile. The River View is on the right. Parking is directly across the street.
 
Sunday, February 5, 11:00am-2:00pm, Pre-Super Bowl Brunch. Join us and Reb Ezra for a morning of good company, good food and lively conversation. Ezra will lead the discussion on "why social justice must be at the center of Jewish life.” We tail gate at the home of Marian and Lenny Meyerson at 11am. Mishkan Ha'am will provide bagels and lox. Other potluck contributions would be appreciated. We end at 2pm  and there is no overtime...but you can hang around longer if you wish. For more information, email Lenny at m4601@aol.com.
 
Monday, February 6, 7:45pm-9:30pm, Steering Committee Meeting.Everyone is welcome, whether you come regularly, or would like to come once to see what it is. We discuss upcoming programs and any current issues or inspirations at MH. Location: Rosa's house, in Yonkers. If you need directions, email her at rleadersmi@aol.com.
 
Saturday, February 11, 9:30am-Noon, Tu B'Shvat Seder/She'arim Shabbat. This year, we will be celebrating Tu B'Shvat, the celebration of Spring, which comes earlier in Israel, as part of a She'arim Shabbat on February 11th.  Join us starting at 9:30 for our traditional shmoozing breakfast, then continue with Tu B'Shvat teachings in separate classes and a service.  We will all join at 10:45 for a Community Tu B'Shvat Seder.  Please join us as we explore the meaning a the holiday and the fruits of Spring.
 
Saturday, February 11, 12:30pm-2:00pm, Teen Tikkun Olam Project: Cooking for The Sharing Community. This is a chance for the teens of Mishkan Ha'am to come together with Reb Ezra and cook 200 meals that will be served the next day at the soup kitchen at The Sharing Community in Yonkers. Cooking will take place in the downstairs kitchen at the church. Please contact Jodi at purplejod@aol.com to let her know you're going to join us, so she can let you know what each person should bring. All teens and their parents are encouraged to participate.
 
Sunday, February 12, 11:30am-2pm, Serving at the Sharing Community. Four people are needed to serve the food the teens cooked yesterday in Yonkers, on Sunday. Please contact Joyce Bluestone atjoyceblue@optonline.net if you'd like to serve the lunch that you helped cook!
 
Host your rabbi for a meal. Sign up below to host Reb Ezra, Olivia and Baby Benjamin for a meal at your home. You don't have to serve Kosher food, just vegetarian or fish dishes (no shellfish, please!). You also do not need to serve Kosher wine with dinner. (During winter, Reb Ezra and family need to be within walking distance of the church.) We'll remind you a few days prior to your hosting date and provide you with Reb Ezra's contact information to set up exact times. Here's the link to our Rabbi Host-a-Matic: http://www.doodle.com/gpdrvdmg2nt4hcq3



Looking Ahead:

Saturday, March 3rd, 10am-noon. Bat Mitzvah of Eva Ury. All members and friends from MH are invited to celebrate with the Schmeidler-Ury family the joyous occasion of Eva becoming a bat mitzvah. The service will be held at the Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El at 2 Ogden Road in Scarsdale. Kiddish will follow. For directions, click: http://sstte.org/our-temple/directions.html

Israel Reading Group, Sunday, March 4th, 10:30 a.m.  The first meeting of our Israel Reading Group was a great success. More than 20 people joined in a serious and thoughtful conversation. All are welcome to the next meeting which will be held on Sunday, March 4th at 10:30 am at the Heitner's.  (Please e-mail Lois at loyoga49@gmail.comfor directions.) We will be discussing Amos Oz's memoir "A Tale of Love and Darkness."  Hope to see you there.

Other Cultural Events:

Yale Scholar to Present Talk on East European Context of the Holocaust
"Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin" a talk by Professor Timothy Snyder, author of a 2010 best-selling, award-winning book by the same name about the mass killings that took place on the lands between Moscow and Berlin between 1930 and 1945, will be held on February 15 at 5:15 p.m. in the Donnelly Lecture Hall, Heimbold Visual Arts Center at Sarah Lawrence College. A reception will follow. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.
Westchester Jewish Council 36th Anniversary Gala.  Saturday, February 11th, 7:15 Cocktails and buffet.  8:30 program and entertainment.  Join over 400 people for the Westchester Jewish Council annual fundraiser.  Friends, food, drink and the music of "The New Relics" and the comedy of "Chicago City Limits" await!  Dessert reception following the performance. Raffles and silent auction.  175 Rockland Avenue, Mamaroneck. For more information call (914) 328-7001.

J Street Conference  Making History, March 24-27 in Washington, D.C. for promoting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Acclaimed Israeli writer, novelist, and journalist Amos Oz will be headlining the opening night. 
Also of Interest:

HIWP Backdoor Thrift Shop
The Hebrew Institute of White Plains seeks donations of gently used clothing, bedding, coats, hats, shoes, handbags, housewares, and costume jewelry for its thrift shop, which serves lower income patrons from White Plains and the surrounding areas.  Donations, which are tax-deductible, may be dropped off during store hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays.  Access to the shop is from the back parking lot at 20 Greenridge Avenue in White Plains.  The shop phone number is (914) 358-5575.
Do You Have a Laptop That is No Longer Used?  Hebrew School Needs It!
Mishkan Ha'am's She'arim/Gateways Hebrew School is looking for donations of laptops with working wifi capabilities.  Our classrooms now have wireless access and we would like to develop 
21st century lessons and activities.  Mishkan Ha'am will provide a thank-you letter for your donation 
for tax purposes.Please note the following requirements:
~ laptop (mac or pc)
~ wirelesscapability
~ power cord
~ all documents removed/erased from hard-drive
Please email mishkanhaam.shearim@gmail.com if you think you have a potential laptop to donate.
Leslie Lieman or Reb Ezra will contact you about the specifications and when/where to drop-off.
Thanks in advance for your generous contribution to Hebrew School.
Other Upcoming Event
Serve at the Sharing Community (map) Sundays, 11:30-2pm.  This is part of our congregation's monthly commitment to serve lunch at the Yonkers Sharing Community, a homeless shelter and soup kitchen.  On the second Sunday of each month, 4 MH volunteers (any combination of teens and adults as long as one adult is present) serve lunch to up to 200 hungry people.  This is a gratifying opportunity for all.  If you are an individual, or group of 2, 3, or 4 and are interested in participating, contact Joyce Bluestone at joyceblue@optonline.net

EXTENDED COMMUNITY EVENTS

Tuesdays 7:30-9pm, Israeli Folk Dancing.  Israeli Dancing Lessons with Gabi Gabay, featuring the Manhattan Ballroom Dancers at the Riverdale Temple.  No experience required.  $10 per session, pay at the door.  All are welcome. Riverdale Temple, 4545 Independence Avenue, Riverdale, NY 10471.  718-548-3800 ext. 1 or call Gabi Gabay 917-559-7779

She'arim/ Gateways is MH's innovative approach to Jewish education and community.  
Supporting our families' desires to raise children with a deep appreciation,
 understanding and excitement for Jewish life and culture, we believe each person
 approaches Judaism from his or her own she'arim or gateway.  
For more information, contact Education Director, Reb Ezra at rebezramh@gmail.com.

 
CALLING ALL TECHNOCRATS:
 
Start saving your used printer cartridges and cell phones for a Mishkan recycling program that will give us a few extra dollars for programming!  Collect from your friends and relatives too!  There will be a box set up at the church, or you can contact Lois Heitner at loyoga49@gmail.com