Shabbat and Holiday Services

Celebrate the Shabbat of Song

with guest singer-songwriter Chava Mirel

Friday, February 3 and Saturday, February 4

This weekend! Celebrate the Shabbat of Song, named for the joyous song the Israelites sang as they crossed the sea from slavery into freedom. This musical Shabbat experience will feature guest artist, singer-songwriter, Chava Mirel. With influences ranging from jazz to Brazilian music and beyond, Chava's soulful voice and melodies (a number of which have been featured at WRT) will lift our spirits, just as Miriam with her timbrel. 

Friday, February 3

6:15 pm: You won't want to miss this special, extra-musical Shabbat Shira service with Torah reading, featuring Chava Mirel alongside WRT clergy. 

Saturday, February 4 

Torah Study and Sharing Shabbat will be joining this program on Saturday.

9:00 am: Join us for an intimate Shabbat morning congregational service in the round, featuring Chava Mirel 

10:00 am: Congregational Oneg

10:30 am: Workshop/Study program led by Chava Mirel

Torah Study & Sharing Shabbat

Saturday, February 4

We will be participating in our special congregation-wide program with visiting artist-in-residence, Chava Mirel. Please see above for additional information. Hope you'll join us!

The Opportunity to Connect with Other Congregants Begins with a Mitzvah

With a new year comes renewed opportunity to participate in the life of our community. WRT is a source of meaning and connection for our congregants.

Would you consider one of the following mitzvot which requires nothing more than your caring presence and a little bit of your time:

• Signing up to serve as a Greeter for a Shabbat service in 2023? 
• Offering to deliver a yahrzeit candle package on the first yahrzeit to a bereaved family?
• Volunteering for the Caring Community to write notes, connect with other congregants, or assist with programming.

Please contact Amy.Rossberg@wrtemple.org to let us know of your interest.

Programs and Special Events

Adult Learning: Introduction to Talmud

Thursday, February 2 at 10:15 am (Zoom)

Join Rabbi Blake and fellow learners for a weekly deep dive into the spiritually nourishing and intellectually challenging world of the Babylonian Talmud. For this midwinter learning series, we will explore signature Talmudic passages that shed light on Jewish philosophy, ethics, observance, and law, with a focus on the content and form of rabbinic thought and debate. No prior text/Hebrew experience is required. All are welcome.

Jewish American History Series

Thursday, February 2 at 7:30 pm (Zoom)

When and where does American Jewish history begin? In this 3-part series, Dr. Joellyn Zollman will discuss the settlement and development of American Jewish life. The topic for the third class is American Jews and the Civil War. This program is sponsored by the Men of Reform Judaism. You must register to receive the Zoom link.

The Last Flight Home

Sunday, February 5 at 4:30 pm

(Congregation Kol Ami Main Sanctuary)

Winner of many film festival awards for best documentary and hailed by critics as a "Must See" and "one of the most enlightening and beautiful meditations on mortality in the history of cinema", please join us for this "fascinating, inspirational and profoundly emotive" film. Rabbi Rachel Timoner, Eli's daughter and Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn will lead a Q&A session afterwards, followed by a coffee and dessert reception.

Sponsored by Kol Ami and Westchester Reform Temple, this event is free of charge and open to all.

Spousal Bereavement Group

Wednesday, February 8 at 11:30 am

(onsite in the Sifryah)

This Support Group meets to create community for those in mourning over the loss of a spouse, and to help find comfort and process feelings of loss through caring discussion and in sacred Jewish context.

Led by Jane Slevin, LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from Westchester Jewish Community Services), and Cantor Laura Stein, LMSW, a social worker who specializes in spiritual care. 

The Quest for Meaning: A Serious Man

Sunday, February 12 at 2:00 pm

Come join Rabbi Blake and warm up the chilly days of winter with a good movie, a little wine and snacks, some laughs and interesting discussion. Together, we will watch and discuss another landmark film that comments on the American Jewish experience with wisdom and wit. This series is sponsored by the FreeBirds. Everyone is welcome. 

Informational Meeting about our 2 Amazing WRT Trips to Israel

Sunday, February 12 at 12:00 noon (in-person in the CJL Large Room, live streamed and recorded)

We are thrilled to announce an incredible opportunity for our WRT congregants ages 6+ to embark on a special journey to Israel. From Tel Aviv, to the wilderness, to exploring the many layers of Jerusalem and celebrating Shabbat in the holy city, this 12-day trip (including travel days) will provide memories for a lifetime. The trip will take place December 20 - 31st 2023.

Run by J²Adventures, we will offer an adult-only trip led by Rabbi Blake, and a family trip led by Cantor Kleinman, with special moments of gathering all together as a WRT community in Israel.

Registration is now open! Please note that Adults and Families will register separately, even though both groups are traveling at the same time.

SAVE THE DATE! Monday, March 6 2023 at 7:00 pm

Tikkun Olam (Repair of the World)

Diaper Drive

January 30 – February 10, at Westchester Reform Temple

The ECC is hosting a Diaper Drive to benefit the 914 Cares Diaper Bank! Please help by donating new and unopened box of diapers and/or wipes. All donations are appreciated, but the most needed sizes are: 3, 4, 5 and 6. Donations can be dropped off at the designated bins or donate via this amazon link. The collection will culminate at Tot Shabbat on February 10th, at which the WRT Clergy will welcome and bless the new babies born within the last year. As we offer blessings to the newest members of our WRT family, we hope you will help us extend those blessings by supporting those in need in our Westchester community.

WRT is committed to pursuing tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedek (social justice) for impact locally, statewide, nationally, and globally through direct service, tzedakah, advocacy, and community organizing.  

WRT's music series for the 2022-2023 calendar year.

We know that music has immense power to connect us, lift us up, and inspire us, and what better way to be in community than to experience the beauty of music with fellow congregants and leading Jewish artists, cantors, and composers! To discover our wonderful artists in this series, please visit the website, https://bit.ly/3MSTYfV

Visit the Jewish Learning Lab (JLL)

For WRT members: If you would like to receive notifications of birth announcements and deaths within the WRT community, please email receptionist@wrtemple.org with your full name and email address. Please specify if you would like to be added to one or both of these notification lists.  

For more information about Inclusion at WRT, click here.

For more information about Our Jewish World, click here.