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December 5-6, 2025
Friedberg JCC

After years of distance and pain, Yaakov prepares to meet his brother Esav. He is terrified. The night before their reunion, he wrestles with a mysterious being until dawn, refusing to let go until he receives a blessing. By morning, Yaakov is limping, but he is also transformed. He receives a new name, Yisrael, one who has struggled and prevailed.

When the brothers finally meet, the tension breaks not in violence, but in tears. Esav runs to Yaakov, embraces him, and they weep together. This is one of Torah’s most tender moments, proof that healing is possible, even after deep hurt.

Vayishlach reminds us that transformation often comes through struggle, and that reconciliation, whether with others, ourselves, or the Divine, is sacred work. It’s not about forgetting the past, but facing it with courage and compassion. Sometimes, we limp forward, but still move toward blessing.

This parasha speaks to the heart of recovery and repair. We know what it means to wrestle with habits, with shame, with old stories, and to emerge changed, not broken. We know that reunion begins with willingness: to show up, to forgive, to be seen.

This Shabbat, we gather in the spirit of Vayishlach: ready to wrestle with what’s hard, to soften toward what’s human, and to celebrate the courage it takes to keep coming back, to each other, and to ourselves.

Join us for a night of song, nourishment, and connection as we welcome Shabbat and honor the sacred work of reunion and return.

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December 19-20, 2025
Mid-Island JCC

Parashat Miketz finds Yosef rising from the darkness of prison to become second-in-command of Egypt. He interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, preparing the nation for years of abundance followed by years of famine. When hunger comes, Yosef’s foresight becomes the light that sustains countless lives, including the very brothers who once sold him into slavery.

Chanukkah meets us with its own story of light in the darkness. A small jar of oil, enough for one day, burns for eight. A people outnumbered rededicate their Temple and rekindle hope. Both Yosef’s story and Chanukkah remind us that even when the world feels uncertain, there is always a way forward, a flicker that can grow into something sustaining.

We know that light doesn’t just happen, we tend it together. We prepare for each other’s hard seasons, we celebrate one another’s abundance, and we hold onto the sparks of faith, resilience, and love that can carry us through.

This Shabbat, we gather in the glow of candles, Shabbat and Hanukkah side by side, to remember that light and hope are most powerful when shared. Just as Yosef’s wisdom and the Maccabees’ courage changed the course of history, our small acts of care and kindness can change the course of a life.

Join us for an evening of warmth, song, and connection as we honor the miracle of survival, the courage to hope, and the joy of bringing light into each other’s lives.

Details:
January 9-10, 2026
RiverDale Y

Shemot opens with a shift, from the safety of Joseph’s Egypt to a world where the Israelites are enslaved, their names recorded as the story begins anew. In the midst of oppression, small acts of courage spark the beginning of liberation: midwives who refuse unjust orders, a mother who hides her child, a sister who watches from the riverbank, a princess who chooses compassion over comfort.

In this web of quiet bravery, a baby floats down the Nile, Moshe, who will one day lead his people to freedom. Before he becomes a leader or prophet, he begins as someone who sees: he sees suffering, he sees injustice, and he cannot look away.

Shemot reminds us that transformation often begins in the smallest acts of noticing, of seeing what’s hidden, what’s hurting, and what’s holy. It’s a story about naming what has been silenced and finding our own voices in the process.

This parasha speaks to the heart of recovery and awakening. Healing begins when we allow ourselves to be seen, when we speak what’s been unspoken, and when we stand with those still in the shadows. Like the midwives and Moshe, we, too, can be part of a story that turns pain into possibility.

This Shabbat, we gather to honor the courage it takes to begin again, to be seen, to see each other, and to believe that liberation begins right where we are. Join us for a night of song, nourishment, and connection as we enter the book of Exodus and open our hearts to what is waiting to be revealed.

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January 30, 2026
JCC Mid-Westchester

In Parashat Beshalach, the Israelites stand trapped between the sea and the army of Egypt. Fear and faith collide. Then, in a moment of impossible courage, they step forward, and the waters part. What had seemed like the end becomes the beginning.

When they reach the other side, they sing. אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַיהוָה “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to God” (Shemot 15:1). It’s the first collective song in the Torah, a melody of survival, gratitude, and awe.

Beshalach is about what happens when we trust the unknown, when we step into the sea before we know how it will open. It’s about the moments between despair and deliverance, fear and faith, silence and song. It’s about the kind of courage that comes from community, the strength to walk through deep waters together.

This parasha reminds us that freedom isn’t just about leaving what was behind; it’s about learning how to live in what comes next. Every recovery, every renewal, every new beginning asks us to take a step before the path is clear. And when we do, we make space for the miraculous.

This Shabbat, we gather between the waters, to sing, to reflect, to remember the times we’ve stepped into the unknown and found each other there. Join us for an evening of nourishment, song, and spirit as we celebrate the crossings that continue to shape us.

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February 20, 2026
Shames JCC

In Parashat Terumah, the Israelites are called to build something sacred together, a home for the Divine in their midst. God says,

וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ, וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם
“V’asu li mikdash v’shachanti b’tocham”
“Let them make Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.”
(Shemot / Exodus 25:8)

This verse holds a subtle but powerful truth: God does not say “I will dwell in it,” but “among them.” Holiness is not confined to a structure; it lives in the relationships, the offerings, and the shared spirit that make the space come alive.

In Terumah, each person brings a gift from the heart: gold and silver, fabric and wood, skill and song. The Mishkan becomes a collective creation of love and generosity, a reminder that every contribution, no matter how small, is part of something holy.

We see this as a vision of sacred community. Each of us brings our own terumah, our own offering of self. Together, we build a Mishkan made not of beams and curtains, but of care, honesty, and connection. Holiness happens when we show up for one another and make space for presence to dwell between us.

This Shabbat, we gather to build that space anew, with song, with food, with open hearts. Join us as we welcome Shabbat and remember: when we bring our whole selves, we create a sanctuary big enough for the Divine to dwell among us.