PSJC is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue community defined by our inclusive spirit and our range of opportunities for spiritual renewal, growth and participation. Come visit our beautiful, landmark synagogue at 1320 8th Avenue (the corner of 8th Avenue and 14th Street) in Brooklyn. Want to learn more? Contact us!

 

What's Doing?

Souls on Fire: An Oratorio by Charles Osborne

souls on fire

A special 13th year celebration

Come hear a one-night-only presentation of this passionate and poignant musical setting  for the words of the renowned Elie Wiesel performed by Shir Chadash, the Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus and special guests.

In his compiled lectures entitled Souls on Fire, Wiesel captured the history of Hasidism through tales, legends, parables, sayings and deeply personal reflections.  In setting these words to music, Osborne transcends spoken language to transmit essence and meaning through the beauty of song.

On Wednesday May 29th, Shir Chadash: The Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus, under the direction of Rachel Brook, will perform a celebration of this great work narrated by Arthur Strimling, performer, writer, and longtime director of Roots and Branches Intergenerational Theater.

Guests artists include:

·         Cantor Lauren Phillips, soprano

·         Cantor Ayelet Piatigorsky, mezzo-soprano

·         Cantor Josh Breitzer, tenor

·         Cantor Eric Contzius, bass

·         Brian Gelfand, accompanist

The concert, which will be held at the Union Temple of Brooklyn, 17 Eastern Parkway, begins at 8:00 p.m.  Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $10/15 for children under 18.  Following the performance there will be a reception to celebrate the chorus’s B’nai Mitzvah season.

Shir Chadash: The Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus, now in its 13th year, is a four-part inclusive, multi-denominational chorus with 35+ members.  The Chorus repertoire is inspired by the richness and diversity of Jewish music from around the globe, ranging from hauntingly rendered liturgical offerings and contemporary Jewish compositions, to updated arrangements of world folk music in many languages.

Shir Chadash’s mission is to challenge, enrich and delight its singing members and audiences through the excellence of its performances.  The group has participated in a wide range of concerts, from festivals to solo recitals and fundraising benefits.  They have made several appearances at the annual North American Jewish Choral Festival and were featured at LincolnCenter’s Alice Tully Hall.

For more information, or to reserve tickets, please contact Tori Rosen at shirchadashBJCC@gmail.com .

Technology and Halacha Saturday, June 1, 1:30 pm after Kiddush with Rabbi Carie Carter

technology

Between the internet, facebook, google chat, e-readers, skype and so much more, the ways in which we interact with one another has changed drastically in recent years.  What does this do to our definition of kehilah (community)? What does this mean for the Jewish community? Can we count a minyan via skype?  What about e-readers in shul on Shabbat?  These are some of the questions we will explore together when we meet after Kiddush.

Israel Committee Meets at PSJC Wednesday, June 5, 7 pm

israel flag

Members of PSJC’s Israel Committee will be discussing why we have a committee that focuses on Israel and what our goals are for next year. Time permitting, we will also each share what the idea of “aliyah” means to us and why we each chose to live in the places we have called home. From there, we will each share our thoughts about the idea of “aliyah” (literally “ascension,” it’s the word used for moving to Israel).  What does the term mean to you? Where have you chosen to live and why?

Consider taking a look at this article, which makes a simple point, directed at modern orthodox Jews. http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/aliyah-a-sacrifice-too-big/ We will also consider part of Rav (Avraham) Kook’s brief essay on belief and disbelief, “A Great Call,” (1908)  and the article in Conservative Judaism, and written by Rabbi Arnold J. Wolf, in “Israel as the False Messiah” (1988)

All are welcome. Being a willingness to listen and the ideas you have for programming that you are ready to help create.

SAVE THE DATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 7th at 7pm at PSJC – A conversation with two PSJC Authors: Ruth Franklin and Joseph Braude

books

Join two accomplished authors, who also happen to be life partners and PSJC members, for a discussion of their books and their life together as writers. Joseph Braude is a Middle East specialist whose weekly broadcast in Arabic airs on Moroccan national radio.  He is the author of The Honored Dead: A Story of Friendship, Murder, and the Search for Truth in the Arab World, a true crime story based on four months he spent embedded with the Moroccan police in Casablanca. Ruth Franklin is a book critic and contributing editor at The New Republic. Her first book, A Thousand Darknesses: Lies and Truth in Holocaust Fiction, which explores the tug-of-war between memory and imagination in works from Survival in Auschwitz to Schindler’s List, has just come out in paperback. Their conversation will move from Middle Eastern politics to Jewish identity and survival to the joys and challenges of sharing both a profession and a home.

New Members Barbecue

barbecue

All new members are welcome at the PSJC New Members Barbecue to be held at the beautiful home of PSJC members in Ditmas Park on June 9th at 4:30 p.m. Meet members of the board as well as fellow new members. Invitees please RSVP to Bella.Holzkenner@psjc.org or call 917-658-3223

PSJC Teens Fight Childhood Cancer- June 9th 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

alexs lemonade stand

On Sunday June 9th    between 11 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. the teens of PSJC will be setting up a lemonade stand in front of PSJC to raise money and awareness for Childhood Cancer research via Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Stop by to purchase a glass and help find a cure for cancer. If you can’t make it over to show your support then please consider donating through their fundraising page: http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/110975

 

Prospect Park Clean-up

park cleanup

Schmooze, play, nosh, and make the world a better place – all at once, right in Prospect Park! It’s PSJC’s annual Tikkun Olam Prospect Park Clean-Up, June 23, from 10 am to noon, at the Park Circle entrance. (That’s the entrance right near the Tennis Center where Coney Island Avenue, Ocean Parkway, and Fort Hamilton Parkway all meet – at the end of Prospect Park SW.) This is for all ages, family-friendly, no skills or tools required, and students can get school community service credit. We will work as always with the Prospect Park Alliance, probably cleaning litter and pulling weeds, and snacks will be provided. Please RSVP to the shul office or to Fran Hawthorne at  franhawthorne@yahoo.com  or 718  499 6389.

July Book Group: July 13th

unorthodox

Join us on July 13, 2013 when we will discuss Deborah Feldman’s memoir  Unorthodox.

“[Unorthodox] describes an oppressive community in which secular education is minimal, outsiders are feared and disdained, English-language books are forbidden, mental illness is left untreated, abuse and other crimes go unreported . . . a surprisingly moving, well-written and vivid coming-of-age tale.”– The Jewish Week

BPL has 142 print copies, of which 61 are currently available, as well as an ebook version. An audio book version is available on audible.com and downpour.com.

Blood Donations

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A young member of our synagogue, Caleb Sande has been in the hospital this month.  He has just come home from Memorial Sloan Kettering, and though he still has a ways to go on his road to recovery, there are some things we can do to help! Caleb’s treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center requires regular blood and platelet transfusions. To benefit Caleb Sande all designated donations must be made in the Blood Donor Room of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Please visit http://www.mskcc.org/giving/blood donations for complete information about donor eligibility and the donation process for blood or platelets. To ask questions and schedule an appointment that is convenient for you please contact: Joe Licata, Manager, Blood Donor Program at 212-639-8177 orlicataj@mskcc.org.

It’s best to stagger donations so they don’t all expire at once. Put the  following in the electronic version but not in paper” So here is a Google spreadsheet for donating blood and platelets for Caleb. You can sign up here:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0As4ukz2CN6LPdG41NFRaTmo5Y3pNODZ4X1NTV3FjRmc#gid=0

Please note that this sign up is IN ADDITION to making an appointment. You still must call Memorial Sloan-Kettering to schedule an appt.