Dan Granek, Past President (2017-2019) of the New York Metro Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, passed away on Sunday, September 24, 2023.

Dan was Past President of the North Shore Jewish Center Men's Club and member of the International Executive Committee of FJMC.

Dan is survived by wife, Vicki and daughter, Amanda.

"Dan always wanted to contribute; often behind the scenes. He will be sorely missed by all who were privileged to know him, both within FJMC and by his family, friends, with those he shared his career..."

- Alan Budman, FJMC International President

Read Dan's bio and learn more about this incredible man!

"May his memory be for a blessing."

“Each time we exhale, the world ends; when we inhale, there can be, if we allow it, rebirth and spiritual renewal. It all transpires inside of us. In our consciousness, in our hearts. All the time.”

― Tom Robbins, American Novelist

5K Walk for Suicide Prevention

On Sunday October 22nd, Jonathan Brody, 2nd VP of Operations of the FJMC New York Metro 2023-25 Executive Committee, a member of Midway Jewish Center, and an FJMC Inclusion Committee member will be walking in support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Jonathan Brody, along with family and friends will be walking in the Out of the Darkness Community Walks on Sunday October 22nd to prevent suicide and support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP’) mission.

They will be joining hundreds of thousands of people across the country who are hoping to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

Brody has personal experience, a family member lost her battle with depression and she committed suicide.

Brody turned to Judaism, family and his community when this unexpected tragedy occurred. I am grateful there is an inclusion initiative and committee, I am hoping that by being involved, I can make an impact.

Established in 1987, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death.

AFSP is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss.

Click here for further information.

Upcoming Events to the Editor

If you have an article of interest, a special event happening at your Men's Club or other news for the New York Metro Region newsletter, please forward them to Lisa Pollack at assistant@fjmc.org

Facing declining enrollment, Schechter Manhattan to shutter at end of school year

(New York Jewish Week) — Schechter Manhattan, a Conservative Jewish elementary and middle school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, will close at the end of the school year. Schechter Manhattan will be planning and working towards joining forces with Rodeph Sholom School as of July 1, 2024, thereby ceasing operations as an independent entity on June 30, 2024...

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Displaced by ethnic violence, India’s Bnei Menashe Jews construct sukkahs nonetheless

(JTA) —The temporary shelters that Jews erect during the holiday of Sukkot are meant in part to recall a time when Jews had nowhere permanent to live. In Northeast India, that symbolism is heavy with additional meaning this year...

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

25 years after opening, Yiddish Book Center overhauls its core exhibit for a wider audience

AMHERST, Massachusetts (JTA) — Since its opening in 1997, the Yiddish Book Center has wowed visitors with its architecture. A Jewish village resurrected on a college campus in sylvan Amherst, Massachusetts, the building conveys the Center’s mission: to rescue and revive a language spoken for over 1,000 years by Ashkenazi Jews in German-speaking lands, Eastern Europe and wherever they migrated... 

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

The radical Jewish photographers who fought injustice with their cameras

(New York Jewish Week) — A multi-generational group of people congregate on a building stoop on Hester Street; an African-American man leans on a lamppost; a gaggle of teenagers pile on top of each other at the beach in Coney Island; a horde of children — in various states of undress — play with a broken mirror in the street. These are only a few examples of the 150 black-and-white snapshots of New York City street life in the 1930s and ’40s that appear in the new book “Walkers in the City: Jewish Street Photographers of Midcentury New York” by historian and scholar Deborah Dash Moore... 

Click here to read the article in its entirety!

25 Jewish dishes to eat in NYC right now

(New York Jewish Week) — In a metropolis like ours — with both an incredibly rich Jewish heritage and a dynamic, ever-changing dining scene — it is almost impossible to choose just 25 dishes that define what Jewish food in New York City is like today. And yet, that’s exactly what we tried to do with this list, created in partnership with our colleagues at The Nosher.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

A Jewish-owned hot dog empire began on this Coney Island street corner

(New York Jewish Week) — For many generations of New Yorkers, eating a Nathan’s Famous hot dog from their Coney Island flagship location is a staple of summer. The iconic hot dog stand just celebrated its 107th season at the city’s iconic beachside destination. 

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Fun Facts about Long Island

1. According to 2013 US Census data, LI is the most populus island in the United States.
2. If geographical Long Island were its own state, it would be the 13th biggest in the union with the highest population density.
3. Montauk Point Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New York State.
4. Both Queens and Brooklyn, boroughs of New York City, are physically located on the west end of LI, but the term “Long Island” is colloquially used to refer Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
5. Long Island’s Gold Coast served as the backdrop to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby.

Click here to read more fun facts on beautiful Long Island!

[Source: US Census, Encyclopedia Britannica, State University of New York, State of Rhode Island, Newsday]

Do you have any trivia or interesting facts that you would like to share for the newsletter? Please contact Lisa at assistant@fjmc.org

Join us for Yiddish Lite!

Beginner's Yiddish Group

Alternate Tuesday Evenings

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

at 8pm ET

Hosted by Al Davis

Click here to register!

Join us for Yiddish Alive!

Advanced Yiddish Group

Monday, October 16, 2023

at 8pm ET

Hosted by Jeffrey Newton, Joe Rotstein,

Esther Scheer and Barry Wagner

Click here to register!

Join us for Torah Talks!

Next sessions will be:

October 5, 2023 & November 2, 2023

7:30pm ET | 6:30pm CT | 4:30pm PT

With Norm Kurtz and Benny Sommerfeld

Click here to register!

Join us for Sports Affinity!

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

9pm ET

Affinity Group Leaders:

David Kravitz and Danny Mandeau

Special Guest Speaker: Ross Greenburg Former President of HBO Sports

Click here to register!