Jackson Heights Life

A new progressive Jewish congregation is forming in Jackson Heights.... see below.  This is a separate initiative from the Jackson Heights Chavurah that started up earlier this year.

---

Shalom to All:
 
We of "J-Hope" are delighted to introduce ourselves officially as Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope!  We look forward to bringing our cooperative energies and voices to Jewish life in Jackson Heights, Queens and beyond.
 
Attached (and below) is a partial schedule of our programs leading into the High Holy Days, along with our KT Mission Statement.  (The formatting is likely to be more coherent in the attachment, if you can open it.)
 
We have also tentatively scheduled our first monthly Kehillat Tikvah Shabbat for September 12-13 (Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat service, Saturday morning Tot Shabbat and late morning / early afternoon Torah service and study).
 
Our wheel is in spin!  As I write, Kehillat Tikvah is in the process of incorporating for tax-exempt status, as well as arranging rental space for our programs and services.  We hope to share information on membership dues and benefits, High Holy Day tickets and schedules, and other vital information VERY SOON.
 
Meanwhile, please SAVE THE DATES on the schedule below (and attached), take a moment to read our Mission Statement for a better understanding of our emerging congregation, watch for updates on locations and times, and share this information with anyone else who may be interested.
 
We look forward to meeting you in Jackson Heights!
 
With many blessings for the seasons ahead,
 
Rabbi Regina L. Sandler-Phillips, MSW, MPH
** Please reply to kehillat.tikvah@gmail.com **
 

---

As we approach the fall holiday season, many Jews struggle with questions about ritual, belief, personal change and the possibility of community. YOU’RE NOT ALONE! Join Kehillat Tikvah for any or all of the following programs as we move through ELUL, the Jewish month of reflection and preparation, into the Jewish New Year 5769.
 
Thursday, September 4th:    "RENEW OUR DAYS AS BEFORE"
Entering Jewish Time, Turning Toward the Possibilities
 
Thursday, September 11th:    "WHO SHALL LIVE AND WHO SHALL DIE?"
Heshbon Nefesh ("Soul Accounting") and the 7th Anniversary of 9/11
 
Saturday, September 20th:    SELIHOT ("Forgivenesses") SERVICE
Following a Family-Friendly Potluck Dinner and Havdallah (End of Shabbat) Ceremony
 
Thursday, September 25th:    TURNING, REACHING OUT, AND GIVING
Three Time-Honored Resources for Finding Our Way Through the "Days of Awe"
 
Thursday, October 2nd:    TASHLIKH ("Casting Away") CEREMONY
Letting Go of What Holds Us Back from a More Fulfilling Life
 
We will also be offering High Holy Day Services on September 29-30 and October 8-9 *
LOCATIONS AND TIMES TO BE ANNOUNCED — SAVE THE DATES!
 
* For more information, write to kehillat.tikvah@gmail.com
 

---

Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope is a congregation of individuals and families who seek to learn, explore, and sustain the teachings and practices of egalitarian Judaism from a shared local neighborhood base in Queens.
 
We are engaged in an active and respectful dialogue with each other from our various personal backgrounds and perspectives, as well as with Jewish traditions across the denominational spectrum.  We accept the challenges of Brit / Covenant in developing our individual and collective commitments to Jewish life, thought and action.
 
Our vision of Judaism is inclusive of diverse personal orientations, lifestyles and family structures.  We are committed to the full and equal participation of women and men in Jewish life; and we affirm the Jewishness of children who are raised as Jews by at least one Jewish parent, whether father or mother.  We welcome and honor the involvement of the non-Jewish parents and other relatives in raising Jewish children, even as we understand that these individuals may or may not be oriented toward a Jewish spiritual path themselves.
 
In keeping with the traditional Jewish view of the world as supported by three foundations, Kehillat Tikvah seeks to serve as:
 

• Beit Midrash / A House of Study for lifelong, intergenerational education; for learning and applying skills, values, and ethics; for participation in cultural programs and activities

• Beit Tefilah / A House of Prayer for celebration and commemoration of life cycle events; for observance of Shabbat and holy days; for spiritual seeking and connection

• Beit K'nesset / A House of Assembly for welcoming like-minded individuals and families of all ages; for caring community support throughout the life cycle; for involvement and cooperation with other Jewish and general community groups in tikkun olam (repair of the world)

Posted by request...

---

Shalom and Shavua Tov (A Good Week) to All:
 
We have a lot going on this week in our special series "A Season for Turning: Toward the High Holy Days--and Beyond"!  All programs and services will be held on the premises of Community Methodist Church, 81-10 35th Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets in Jackson Heights.
 
(All meeting spaces are wheelchair-accessible, but please call 718-569-1887 in advance to let us know if you have particular mobility concerns.)
 

"On Rosh HaShanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed...."  Many of us struggle with the words we find in our prayerbooks during the Days of Awe.  Especially since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 fell exactly one week before Rosh HaShanah, that date will long be bound up with our personal and collective "soul accounting" (Hebrew for soul searching) during this season.
 
On the 7th anniversary of the World Trade Center and related tragedies, we will gather to honor all of the victims and survivors as we address some of the key questions raised by our High Holy Day liturgy: Do our actions really affect "who shall live and who shall die" during the year ahead?  Then why do good, innocent people die?  And what--if anything--is our responsibility in all of this?  Join us for study, reflection and dialogue in a supportive environment.  All are welcome, regardless of background or experience.
 
 

Our first KT monthly Shabbat!  The musical and user-friendly Friday night service will last for about an hour and be followed by an Oneg Shabbat (literally, "Sabbath Delight") of blessings, food and fellowship.  All are welcome!
 

This service for young families will include singing, dancing, storytelling, blessings, bread and grape juice.  Designed for families of children aged 2-6, but all are welcome in the spirit of celebration and fun!  (NOTE: This first Tot Shabbat is free to the public; subsequent monthly Tot Shabbat services will be subject to a program fee.  If you are interested in participating but can't join us on the 13th, please contact us for details going forward.)
 

Our Shabbat late-morning service will include reading from the Torah scroll and a spirited discussion of the Torah portion of the week.  Appropriate for older children as well as adults; followed by Kiddush ("Sanctification"--with more food!)  All are welcome, regardless of background or experience.
 
 
Watch for an imminent update about the High Holy Days!
 
With thanks and many blessings for the Season of Turning and beyond,
 
 
Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips
for Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope
P.O. Box 720649
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
718-569-1887

Introduce your kids (and yourself) to Judaism at Kehillat Tikvah’s monthly Tot Shabbat!

Led by our dynamic Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips, this joyful hour-long celebration includes singing, dancing, storytelling and snacks, and is appropriate for 2-6 year-olds and their caregivers. (Younger siblings are welcome as well!) No prior knowledge of Judaism is required.

Our next session is Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. at Community Methodist Church (35th Ave, btw 81st and 82nd).

If you have not experienced our Tot Shabbat yet, come check it out for free — but please RSVP so we will know to expect you. Yearly enrollment is $200 per family (free for Kehillat Tikvah members). As with everything at Kehillat Tikvah, scholarships and payment plans can be arranged in confidence for those who need them.

Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope is an exciting new inclusive, egalitarian congregation with services and classes for people of all ages and backgrounds. Find out more at http://jhtikvah.wordpress.com. Questions? Want to get on our e-mail list? Contact kehillat.tikvah@gmail.com or call (718) 569-1887.

SHABBAT TORAH SERVICE AND STUDY
Saturday, October 25th at 11:45 a.m.
 
Can creation and evolution be reconciled?  Were men and women created equal, or was one derived from the other?  Are we here on earth to conquer nature or protect it?  Our Shabbat late-morning service will include reading from the Torah scroll, study of intriguing rabbinic teachings, and a spirited discussion of these questions and more!  Appropriate for older children as well as adults; followed by Kiddush ("Sanctification"--with more food!)  All are welcome, regardless of background or experience. 
 
NOTE: If you have a copy of our High Holy Day prayerbook Gates of Repentance, please bring it with you to our Saturday Torah service.  (For those who don't have a copy of this prayerbook, loan copies will be available.)  The beginning text of Genesis is included in it--and it will help us to save paper and trees as we work to make our Jewish community of hope environmentally sustainable. 

SHABBAT TORAH SERVICE AND STUDY
Saturday, November 15th at 11:45 a.m.
at Community Methodist Church, 81-10 35th
Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets

Our Shabbat late-morning service includes reading from the Torah
scroll, study of intriguing rabbinic teachings, and spirited
discussion!  Appropriate for older children as well as adults;
followed by Kiddush ("Sanctification"--with more food!)  All are
welcome, regardless of background or experience.

NOTE: If you have a copy of our High Holy Day prayerbook Gates of
Repentance, please bring it with you to our Saturday Torah service.
(For those who don't have a copy of this prayerbook, loan copies will
be available.)  Our Torah text for this month is included in it
(again)--and it will help us to save paper and trees as we work to
make our Jewish community of hope environmentally sustainable.

Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope welcomes the entire community (Jewish and non-Jewish alike) to our first-ever first-night Chanukah celebration/fundraiser. Featuring music, dancing, potato pancakes, candle-lighting (bring a menorah and candles if you have one!) and more...

Sunday, Dec. 21 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Suggested minimum donation is $18 for Kehillat Tikvah members, $36 for non-members and $5 for children over 3.
At Community United Methodist Church (35th Ave, btw 81st and 82nd)
 
Please note, KT is a fledgling start-up congregation with very limited financial resources. If you are able, and would like to see a welcoming and inclusive Jewish presence in Jackson Heights, please contribute generously.

For more information about us, go to http://jhtikvah.wordpress.com

Kehillat Tikvah's user-friendly and musical Kabbalat Shabbat (”Welcoming Shabbat”) service will be Friday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Community Methodist Church (35th Ave, btw 81st and 82nd). This month, our service will be somewhat abbreviated to allow time for a Tu b’Shvat Seder, celebrating the Jewish Birthday of the Trees – a sort of Jewish Earth Day.

Kehillat Tikvah is an exciting and inclusive new congregation in Jackson Heights. To learn more about us go to http://jhtikvah.wordpress.com or e-mail: kehillat.tikvah@gmail.com.

Posted by request....

---

OPEN HOUSE FOR THE JEWISH NEW YEAR 5770 — AND BEYOND
with Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2009

5:30 p.m. Family Friendly Shabbat Potluck

8:00 p.m. Havdallah (“ Separation”) Ceremony for the End of Shabbat

8:45 p.m. Selihot (“ Forgiveness” ) Service of Spiritual Preparation for the New Year

Kehillat Tikvah: A Jewish Community of Hope is now entering its second High Holy Day season,
and we HOPE you'll join us! Our new KT year will kick off with an OPEN HOUSE at 8110
35th Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets, Room 7 (Community Methodist Church).

Bring a dairy / vegetarian dish to share and join us for a Shabbat potluck, followed by the
beautiful ceremony of Havdallah. Between Havdallah and Selihot, there will be an onsite
opportunity to sign up for High Holy Days participation: Rosh HaShanah services on
September 18th-19th, and Kol Nidre /Yom Kippur services on September 27th-28th.

Our Selihot service will share teachings on Jewish ways of forgiveness, along with the rhythms,
words and melodies of the High Holy Days to come. ALL ARE WELCOME!

We look forward to welcoming you— or welcoming you back— to Kehillat Tikvah!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE VISIT http://jhtikvah.wordpress.com
WRITE TO kehillat.tikvah@gmail.com
OR CALL 718-569-1887