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In-Person Services at AJ
All services will be conducted in person at AJ. At this time, all services will be available via Zoom. Please continue to register for Friday evening and Saturday morning services by using the link(s) below, or by using the service sign-up form link in the weekly email. Your registration will help us keep the building secure.
Service Sign-up Form for October 2024
Please familiarize yourself with our March 2024 COVID-19/respiratory illness policies. We ask that attendees of services and events at AJ review the policies and agree to them.
Orange County Community Scholar Program (CSP)
Congregation Adath Jeshurun, dedicated to the Jewish value of learning for its own sake (Torah lishmah), is excited to announce a partnership with the Orange County Community Scholar Program (CSP). As a partner with CSP, we’ll join a small group of synagogues enjoying the best Jewish learning available. AJ has the distinction of being the first Pennsylvania synagogue to partner with CSP. You can see the CSP offerings for the current month here. Please note that times on CSP web pages are Pacific Time unless noted otherwise. If you register and can’t attend, a link will be sent to you after the event to a recording. There is also an archive of classes that you can view here.
There are some CSP programs in October that Rav Shai would like to alert you to. Rabbi Avi Strausberg teaches at Hadar Institute and will be presenting “Midrash in the Wake of Crisis: Marking a Year Since October 7th.” Rabbi Sally Priesand was the first woman Rabbi and will be teaching “Breaking Barriers: Reflections on a Trailblazing Journey.” Dr. David Kaufman will be teaching a multi-part series on “History and Memory: Key Themes in the Jewish Experience.” Finally, Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash teaches contemporary halakhah and Talmud and taught with Rav Shai in South Africa. Her topic will be “Talmudic Perspectives on Women: Historical Insights and Their Lasting Impact Today.” We hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to learn from these speakers and others from the comfort of your own home!
JUST ANNOUNCED! As we celebrate the High Holidays, CSP invites you to join them for an insightful online session exploring our Jewish tradition's unique capacity for facing adversity with creativity and resilience. Can we find that capacity even now? Known for his engaging lectures and deep insights, Rabbi Ed Feinstein will help us harness our historical strengths to navigate contemporary challenges. Click here to learn more and to register.
Midweek Mindfulness!
Thursday Mornings: Moment of Mindfulness
Sit and engage in a mindful meditation, deep, healing breathing or gentle movement on Thursday mornings from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM. Meet us in the Strauss Chapel immediately after minyan breakfast. Come as you are, come from home or work or from minyan. Join your friends or bring a friend for a moment of mindfulness, calm and community! No registration is needed.
Dinners in the Sukkah
Wednesday, October 16 through Tuesday, October 22
Throughout the week of Sukkot, we’ll be celebrating the holiday by gathering inside AJ’s sukkah and having dinner! See the offerings for each night below. All dinners will begin at 6:00 PM, followed by the evening service at 7:00 PM, except where noted. You can learn more about the dinners on our High Holiday 5785 landing page, or click here to register. Please RSVP no later than October 11.
Please note that on Sunday, October 20, our special guest will be Zoe Marks, a Captain in the IDF in the Etzion Region. She is currently an active reservist, 24 years old, and born and raised in Israel. Zoe will be sharing about herself, her own personal experience from this past year, and of course, the war efforts from YATAR’s perspective and more. It will be a "Bring-Your-Own-Dairy-Dinner" dinner and the program will be followed by dessert provided by AJ.
Havdalah Rocks!
Saturday, October 26 at 5:50 PM
Yes, Havdalah really can Rock! Every Saturday at AJ, as the sun is getting lower in the sky, we gather for a Mincha/Ma’ariv/Havdalah service blooming forward already to the next Shabbat. On Saturday night, October 26, at 5:50 PM, we are adding an event for all ages with the Dave Zipse Band. Many of you recall dancing for hours to their top-notch party music after the Purim Shpiel, and the atmosphere they brought with them. Rav Shai and Rav Hazzan Glantz will lead the Havdalah Rocks service right there on the dance floor between sets. Refreshments and crafts for the kids will make this an early evening to remember. Donations are welcome! Please register here.
Fall Blood Drive
Monday, October 28 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Perform a potentially life-saving mitzvah by donating blood at AJ between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Open slots are still available. Please consider being a donor; the supplies are low while the need remains high. To schedule an appointment, click here.
Know Your Medicare Options — Refresh
Two Sessions on Tuesday, October 29: 10:30 AM at AJ and 7:30 PM via Zoom
During this seminar, you will learn:
- How Medicare works and what it covers
- Timelines to enroll to avoid a late enrollment penalty
- How Part D prescription cards work and how to pick the right one for you, and how plans and coverages are changing for 2025. Big changes are occurring for 2025.
- The difference between Medicare supplements and Medicare Advantage plans
This seminar is suitable whether you have decisions to make during the upcoming Open Enrollment period (Oct. 15 through Dec. 7), turning 65, or retiring in next 6-12 months.
Presented by AJ’s own Terry Smerling, Medicare planning specialist with Delval Senior Advisors. Please register by calling the AJ Main Office at 215.635.6611. Feel free to submit any questions ahead of time to tsmerling@delvalseniors.com.
AJ Bereavement Group
Wednesday, November 6 at 7:30 PM
Rav Hazzan Glantz leads this monthly gathering specifically designed to foster a secure, confidential, and non-judgmental environment that encourages individuals to freely express their emotions. Irrespective of the time elapsed since one's loss, everyone is welcome to participate, as there are no qualifying or disqualifying criteria. A warm invitation is extended to everyone interested in attending these meetings. Feel free to contact Rav Hazzan Glantz in advance with any questions. Following evening minyan at 7:30 PM at AJ.
SAVE THE DATE! Mid-Atlantic Region's Torah Fund Founder's Day
Sunday, November 17 at 10:30 AM at Temple Sinai in Dresher, PA
The annual Torah Fund-Founder’s Day event of the Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism will highlight the Schechter Institutes for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem. That is one of the five global institutions of higher learning supported by your Torah Fund contributions. Our speaker, Rabbi Aviva Fellman, who grew up on our local Main Line, earned a master’s degree in Talmud and Jewish Law from the Schechter Institutes and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She will speak about Israel (the people, the land, the state), bring in Talmud as relevant, and maybe even sing! For contributions to Torah Fund, please confer with AJWA Sisterhood’s Torah Fund Chair, Merril Stup (215.782.3735 or tantemem@aol.com) For questions about the TF-Founder’s Day event, please email MAR Torah Fund VP, Ariana Burrows (ariana_b@verizon.net).
Have You Visited AJ's Community Bulletin Board?
We have launched a new page on our website called "AJ Community Bulletin Board." In blog format, we'll be letting you know about things we think may be of interest to you. You'll find non-AJ events that are happening in the Philadelphia community and beyond, thoughts from Rav Shai, content concerning Israel, etc. Check it out here!
