WEEKLY NEWS
Shabbat Rosh Hashanah
September 19, 2020 / 1 Cheshvan 5781
ROSH HASHANAH
Not Shabbat Morning Study: Friday, 9:30am Via Zoom No session this week.
Virtual Community Gathering: Friday, 6pm Via Zoom
Erev Rosh Hashanah Services: Friday, 6:30pm Via LiveStream
WSM Erev Rosh Hashanah Services Friday, 6:30pm Via Zoom
1st Day Rosh Hashanah Services: Saturday, 9:30am Via LiveStream
WSM 1st Day Rosh Hashanah Services: Saturday, 9:30am Via Zoom
Mishpacha Service: Saturday, 10am Via Zoom
Yigdal Service: Saturday, 11am Via Zoom
Big Kids Service: Saturday, 12pm Via Zoom
🌳 Mincha/Ma'ariv: Saturday, 6:40pm Register to Join us LIVE
2nd Day Rosh Hashanah Services: Sunday, 9:30am Via LiveStream
Minyan M'at 2nd Day Rosh Hashanah Services: Sunday, 9:30am Via Zoom
Mishpacha Service: Sunday, 10am Via Zoom
Yigdal Service: Sunday, 11am Via Zoom
Big Kids Service: Sunday, 12pm Via Zoom
🌳 Tashlich: Sunday, beginning at 1:30pm
🌳 Shofarot On Broadway: Sunday, 4pm Up and Down Broadway
🌳 Mincha/Ma'ariv: Sunday, 6:40pm Register to Join us LIVE
THIS WEEK
To Schmooze or not to Schmooze Thursday, 5:30pm Via Zoom
Elul Meditation for Teens Thursday, 8pm Register here
Meditation Monday: Preparing for the High Holidays Monday, 3pm Via Zoom
Meet the Mahzor, Yom Kippur Edition Wednesday, 9:30am Via Zoom
CONDOLENCES
We wish condolences to Bonnie Zaben, on the death of her father Jerry Zaben. Bonnie will be sitting Shiva on Zoom on Thursday, September 17 beginning at 7pm with Maariv at 8:30 via Zoom.
PRAYER
Weekday Morning Minyan
Monday-Friday at 7:30am 
Sunday at 8:30am
or call: 929 205 6099
meeting ID: 933 006 171
HIGH HOLIDAYS
Ansche Chesed has shared two emails pertaining to the High Holiday Schedule and things to help you prepare for the High Holidays in the past week2.

Instead of reposting all of that content, we have included links to them as well as to the High Holiday Hub on our website.
Erev Rosh Hashanah: Friday, September 18
Please prepare apples & honey, and join us in the Zoom at the conclusion of evening services, to bring in the sweetness of the New Year together with our community.  
Rosh Hashanah First Day: Saturday, September 19
9:30am Services
9:30am Shacharit
10:30am Torah Service
11:45am Rabbi Kalmanofsky will speak
12pm Musaf
🌳 6:40pm Mincha and Ma'ariv
Join us for Mincha and Maariv services outdoors on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Spaces will be limited for these masked and distanced services. Please register HERE. If demand exceeds supply, the spaces will be distributed by lottery. 

WEST SIDE MINYAN
9:30am Services

CHILDREN’S SERVICES
10am Mishpacha
(babies through Pre-K, with parents)
11am Yigdal
(grades K-2, with parents)
(grades 3-6, kids only)
Rosh Hashanah Second Day: Sunday, September 20
9:30am Services
9:30am Shacharit
10:30am Torah Service
11:45am Rabbi Hammerman will speak
12pm Musaf, including Shofar
🌳 6:40pm Mincha and Ma'ariv
Join us for Mincha and Maariv services outdoors on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Spaces will be limited for these masked and distanced services. Please register HERE. If demand exceeds supply, the spaces will be distributed by lottery.

MINYAN M'AT
10:30am Services

CHILDREN’S SERVICES
10am Mishpacha
(babies through Pre-K, with parents)
11am Yigdal
(grades K-2, with parents)
(grades 3-6, kids only)

🌳 OUTDOOR SHOFAR BLASTS @ 1:15pm
Please join us outside the building on West End Avenue to hear the Shofar live. Please come masked and maintain social distancing.

🌳 TASHLICH
(Meet at Ansche Chesed and we will walk together
to Riverside Park, unless otherwise noted)

Please join groups of up to 20 people at Ansche Chesed to walk to the Hudson River for the ritual casting off of our sins.

Our Second Day Rosh Hashanah Tashlich opportunities are fully enrolled. Please consider joining us at a Tashlich experience during the week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. If you would like to perform the mitzvah yourself, click here for a copy of the instructions and brachot.
  • 1:30pm, join Hazzan Hirschhorn and Adina Beiner, youth director
  • 2:30pm, join Rabbi Hammerman and Emily Cobert, family program director
  • 5:30pm, join Rabbi Kalmanofsky

There will be additional tashlich sessions during the week after Rosh HaShanah:


🌳 SHOFAROT ON BROADWAY @ 4pm
  • Please join members of many Upper West Side communities, who will blow Shofar along Broadway, from Lincoln Center to Columbia. Please come masked and maintain social distancing.
ELUL PROGRAMMING
Meditation Monday: Preparing for the High Holidays
Monday, 3pm Via Zoom
As we prepare ourselves for the Awesome Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, just how do we learn from our mistakes, transform worry, and cultivate compassion as we greet the New Year? Contemplative meditation offers a mindful vehicle for Teshuvah (repentance--literally, return). By turning within, we can reflect on the past, let go, and move forward. Join us for Mondays in Elul to practice meditation with kavannot (focused intentions) to ready ourselves for the year to come.

We invite newcomers, meditators at all levels, and our stalwart regulars to join us.

Led on alternate weeks by AC members Sheila Lewis, Sheldon Lewis, and Peter Silverman.

Meet the Mahzor with Rabbi Hammerman: (Yom Kippur)
Wednesday, September 23, 9:30am Via Zoom
It can be hard to appreciate our High Holiday services – to find the prayers spiritually elevating or comforting – when you don’t understand the flow of the Mahzor (the High Holiday Prayerbook) and the arc of our holiday services. Join Rabbi Hammerman for a Preview of the Mahzor of our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, to help everyone find their place in our Mahzor, and in our prayer community.

PROGRAMS
To Schmooze or not to Schmooze: The Un-Distancing Hour
Thursdays, 5:30pm Via Zoom
We'd like to announce the rebranding and re-imagining of the Thursday afternoon Kiddush cocktail hour, which has been a lovely way for people to connect during this crazy time. But we thought it needed a transformation into something a bit more specific.

Before the pandemic, Kiddush has traditionally been a way for people at Ansche Chesed to connect with one another, to share milestones, to kvetch and moan a bit, to express support to friends who are going through one of life's many struggles, or even to share a joke. It's informal, unstructured, and enables people to check in and out as they please. The Pre-Shabbat Un-Distancing Hour is a way to enable people to get together and continue doing that with one another, for one another.

So join us with your paper cup of seltzer or beverage of your choice. Looking forward to schmoozing.

Not Shabbat Morning Study Will Not Take Place This Week
Fridays, 9:30am Via Zoom
While we will not be together on Shabbat morning, that doesn't mean that we can not study together. Join Rabbi Kalmanofsky on Friday mornings at 9:30 (just a day before we usually meet) to delve into the weekly portion through the eyes of favorite commentators-ancient, medieval, and modern; midrashic, mystical, and academic.

Meeting ID: 973 753 187
Password: NotShabbat
YOUTH AND FAMILY
Elul Meditation For Teens
Thursday, September 17 8-8:45pm
The Hebrew month of Elul, which leads up to the High Holidays, is a time of self-reflection. To prepare for the High Holidays, let's ground ourselves in Jewish mindfulness and meditation. By recalling our actions of the past year - those we are proud of and those which we seek teshuva for - we can better set our intentions for the year to come. Join us as we connect with ourselves and other AC teens! This session will be led by Youth Director, Adina Beiner and AC Teen Becca Reibstein. Zoom link will be given upon registration.

Registration is now open for the ACHS 2020 - 2021 year!
We will begin the year with "ACHS@Home" for the Fall Semester, from October 13th to December 17th.

We encourage ACHS families to join AC Holiday Family Services and Programs (both virtual and in-person, if possible) for FREE in September and early October.

Register by September 10th for an Early Bird Discount of $75 per child!

Please check out the ACHS web page, linked here, for this year's Class Schedule.

If we are able to transition to in-person classes at any point in the Winter/Spring Semesters 2021, we intend to adjust some of the beginning and end times of classes, to more fully line up with previous years' Hebrew School schedules. We have intentionally shortened class times for our Virtual learning model, in order to reduce screen time at the end of our students' school days.

Please be in touch with Rabbi Yael at rabbiyael@anschechesed.org with any questions or concerns. 

We will do our best to accommodate all students virtually this Fall, and throughout this year. 
Sign Up for AC Moving Traditions Groups!
Middle school and high school can be a challenging time. It's when teens ask big questions, figuring out who they want to become. It's a time when friendship and mentorship are needed most, and when the values and support of Jewish community can be a positive, guiding force. Ansche Chesed is excited to offer multiple boys and girls groups this coming year, in partnership with Moving Traditions. Together we're creating small, safe group experiences that encourage self-discovery, promote self-confidence and strengthen connections with other teens and the broader Jewish community.

Rosh Hodesh for Girls
8th-9th grades led by Adina Beiner, and 10th-11th grades led by Avital Moss
Rosh Hodesh groups focus on what it means to be a young Jewish woman in our world today. Through discussion, arts & crafts, creative ritual, games, and drama, the girls and their leaders draw on Jewish values and a gender lens to explore issues the girls care about - such as body image, friendship, relationships, family, competition, and stress.

Shevet for Guys
8th grade led by Ari Satok and 9th-11th grades led by Josh Ull
Shevet groups build a supportive community for boys to decompress, and balance having fun with deep discussion. Groups use games, media, conversation and other curricular tools, while developing friendships with each other as well as their group leader.

Groups will meet on Sunday evenings. We will begin our sessions in the Fall on Zoom, with the goal of moving towards in-person meetings when it is prudent to do so. All AC groups will have their first meeting on Sunday September 13 via Zoom and the group leader will communicate the rest of the meeting dates for the year. The cost of the program $360 for the year (10 meetings total). Scholarships available. 

If your teen does not identify as male or female, but would like to join a group, please let us know. We are happy to connect!

Click here to register! You can pay through the Ansche Chesed website here, please scroll down to Moving Traditions 2020 – 2021.
SOCIAL ACTION/COMMUNITY SERVICE
Your Response Matters

Parts of NYC have less than 60% of households filling out the questionnaire. 

Health clinics. Fire departments. Schools. Even roads and highways. The census can shape many different aspects of your community.

Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into the states and communities each year.

The results determine how many seats in Congress each state gets.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Prayers for Good Health
As Rabbi Kalmanofsky shared recently, long-time Ansche Chesed security guard Erick DeJesus is now facing colon cancer. While he is optimistic about his prognosis, much will remain uncertain until his surgery in two weeks.

If you would like to send Erick a note or get well card, they can be mailed to the Ansche Chesed offices, and we will make sure they are forwarded to him.

With our prayers for Erick's well-being, let's remember that we should all care for our own health. As our member Dr. Matthew Weissman reminds us, colon cancer risk can be reduced by eating more fruits and veggies and consuming less red meat and alcohol. New York City recently released updated screening guidelines that recommend either a colonoscopy or a stool-based test, beginning at age 45. 
Renew your Membership
We hope you will renew your membership with Congregation Ansche Chesed.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, we will not be mailing out membership renewal forms this year and prefer that you renew your membership online. Please click HERE to renew your membership and security fees.
 
If you wish to pay by check, please email Martin and request a paper application be emailed to you. On the paper application, please remember to mark your membership dues pledge and security fee and mail the application and check to Congregation Ansche Chesed.

We are so grateful that close to 500 members have already rejoined, and affirmed their commitment to our community.

Congregation Ansche Chesed
Join The Sanctuary Service Committee
Our Sanctuary Steering Committee is composed of lay leaders who help recruit our members to take on various roles in the services along with our clergy. The roles within the SSC may be different in the time of online services, but its members' contributions are as important and appreciated as ever. We want to thank Naomi Marcus for completing her two year service as the Leyning Coordinator. If you would like to be considered for a position on the SSC, please let us know at SSCNominate@Anschechesed.org
AC Professional Skills Directory
Our members possess a multitude of different skills and areas of expertise. With that in mind, we have compiled a directory of congregants who are willing and able to help each other with issues that have arisen because of the pandemic. It is available here

Our directory is being update on a rolling basis, so if you have a useful service you would like to offer (such as landlord/tenant law, financial advice, IT support, etc) , please contact AC member Nicole Grunfeld at nicole.grunfeld@gmail.com with your name, contact info, a short description of the service you can provide, and a note about your fees (including whether you can offer any complimentary support and/or an AC discount). 

Payments to Ansche Chesed
As our offices are closed during the Covid19 epidemic please make all payments and donate via our website rather than write checks.  

If you must write a check, please wait until you hear from us that the offices are open again.

Thanks,

Ansche Chesed
REACH OUT
AC Kavod 2020
During this difficult time, there may be members of our community who could use some extra support -- someone to help buy groceries, or even just someone to talk to. If you need anything, please send an email to ackavod2020@gmail.com and one of our Ansche Chesed volunteers will get in touch with you. If you are interested in joining our volunteer force, please email ackavod2020@gmail.com
Bikkur Cholim
As we are all concerned over the coronavirus, the Ansche Chesed community is here for you. If you feel you might be getting sick -- especially if you are older or alone, or you know people who are -- please let Rabbi Kalmanofsky and Rabbi Hammerman know. They, and other members of the bikkur cholim committee will be in touch, and make sure you are not alone.
What Matters
Ansche Chesed is pleased to announce it has joined with other New York synagogues and communal organizations in an initiative called What Matters: Caring Conversations About End of Life. This effort aims to heighten awareness around the importance of completing advance care directives, and enable individuals to thoughtfully consider and document their end of life preferences, with opportunities to engage Jewish values as part of the process. Confidential conversations are conducted by trained and certified Ansche Chesed facilitators, who are available to answer important questions and help walk you through the process, clarifying your goals and wishes for future healthcare and related choices in case you are unable to speak for yourself.
 
We look forward to working with you on this important initiative. Should you wish to schedule a conversation, please eMail, whatmatters@anschechesed.org, or leave a message at (212)865.0600 x201, and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Do you know someone who is ill or in need of temporary support? The Bikkur Cholim Committee is here to help.
If you know someone who is ill and in need of a visit or a meal, or other assistance, please contact the Bikkur Cholim committee. The Bikkur Cholim committee helps care for Ansche Chesed members who are ill or have been hospitalized. We visit them; telephone and send cards; provide meals, especially for Shabbat; shop for them; and escort them to doctors' appointments.

Please contact Maron Waxman or Bettyrose Nelson at BikkurCholim@AnscheChesed.org if you need help or to join the Bikkur Cholim volunteer corps.

Click here for more information on life cycle support at Ansche Chesed.
AC is Collecting Eyeglasses
More than two billion people globally need glasses but lack access due to income, distance, or disaster. Seeing clearly provides the opportunity for adults and children to succeed at school or work, and care for their families. Eye Make A Difference, a VSP Global Eyes of Hope program, is a no-cost way for companies, individuals, and organizations to donate glasses to help those in need. Please drop off your eyeglasses to the office! 
ICE Know Your Rights
If you or anyone you know may be at risk of deportation, please review these Know Your Rights flyers provided by Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights and Immigrant Defense Project.

Click here to view, download, and share all the information you need.
COMMUNITY
Get Your Lulav and Etrog at West Side Judaica
While we are all thinking about Rosh Hashana, it is not too early to start thinking about Sukkot (which begins on Friday, October 2.) Our local Judaica store is selling four types of sets of Lulav and Etrog. They have the Standard kosher set for $40, the premium set for $55, the deluxe set for $70, and the Mehudar set for $85. 

Contact West Side Judaica at 212.362.7846, or visit their shop on Broadway and 89th Street.
Absentee Ballots and the 2020 Election
Governor Cuomo has signed a bill giving all New York voters the option to vote by mail this fall due to the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
 
You must request an absentee ballot to vote by mail. We recommend requesting your ballot and mailing it back as soon as possible. We expect the Board of Elections to have an online request form available soon. In the meantime, you can find print-at-home application forms here

At present, there are 3 ways to request an absentee ballot:
  1. Mail application to your local borough office
  2. Call 1-866-VOTE-NYC (1-866-868-3692)
  3. Fax application to 212-487-5349

Vote by mail FAQs
What reason should I select on my ballot request form?
You can choose “Temporary illness or disability,” which includes the risk of contracting the coronavirus. 
Am I still eligible to vote in person if I request a ballot?
Yes! You can still vote early in person (October 24th-November 1st) or on Election Day if you request a ballot. Your early voting site may be different from your normal poll site, so make sure to check before you go. The Board of Elections will announce early voting locations in the coming weeks. You can check your poll sites here: nyc.pollsitelocator.com
If I voted by mail during the June primaries, do I still need to request a ballot?
Yes, unless you are already on the permanent absentee voter list due to a long-term disability or illness.
When will absentee ballots be mailed?
The Board of Elections will mail ballots to voters who request them on a rolling basis beginning on September 18, 2020. 
I’m worried about the mail. Can I drop off my ballot after I receive it?
I am currently living abroad. Can I vote by mail?
Yes! You can find more information from the Federal Voting Assistance Program at www.fvap.gov.

We encourage all New Yorkers to vote safely this fall. To learn more about your options, visit www.nyccfb.info/coronavirus.
Weekly Pandemic Support Group
Mondays at 7pm
COVID19 has led to a significant amount of stress, and many people need a space of connection and support. The Jewish Board of Family and Children Services (JBFCS) is sponsoring a special support group to help those who are struggling, to get through the current pandemic. These Zoom sessions will be facilitated by Jessica Cohen, LMSW.

Please contact Jessica with any additional questions, concerns or to receive information about joining by email or at 347-735-0583.

JOIN VIA ZOOM
Mighty Milk: Support For New Moms
Know any new or expectant moms who might welcome expert info on breast feeding? Kate Miller, daughter of Susan Cohen and Peter Hellman, has just launched Mighty Milk, offering "confidence boosting, myth busting," coaching sessions led on-line by a certified lactation consultant. Info at https://milkismighty.com/expectant-parents/
Ansche Chesed CSA
The Ansche Chesed CSA WILL be continuing this year, with socially distanced weekly pick-ups on Wednesdays from 12-1pm on the sidewalk outside of Ansche Chesed.

Please visit their website for information on how to register to get farm fresh fruits and veggies.

Visit the AnscheChesed CSA website for more information or email them at anschechesedcsa@gmail.com
DOROT Onsite at Home (previously On-site programs)
Dorot has made changes and moved all of our on-site programs onto a digital platform - these are now Zoom-based classes. 

To register and receive a weekly email of the upcoming classes, please send an email that includes your name and phone number to dorotprograms@dorotusa.org. For those seniors who don't have computers or technology (smartphone/tablet/cell) with cameras, you are welcome to participate in the Zoom programming by dialing in over the phone.

If someone would like to participate in DOROT programs but doesn't know how to use Zoom, please email technologyhelp@dorotusa.org. They will be happy to connect them to one of DOROT's volunteer Tech Coaches by phone, who will be able to assist.
Chef's Table Kosher Catering has prepared gourmet foods, delivered to customers in New York City. These are be pre-cooked, delicious kosher meals delivered right to your door.

Visit their website to view their High Holidays menu.

Contact Bruce at (917)-868-7964 or his website for more information.
SHUK
WE Walk Streets For Connection: A Park(ing) Day Event
Thursday, September 17th 2-6pm (Rain Date September 19)
West End Avenue from 88th to 91st Streets
Public spaces like streets serve as our common ground - Take a walk on West End Avenue’s Open Street to make connections and celebrate togetherness.
Physically distant, connected activities include:
  • Open-Streets Envisioning
  • Dance Performances (Including Time Lapse Dance Company)
  • Music Performances
  • Mask Making
  • Pop-Up Park
*Masks and physical distancing required.
A Place to Work and Live
Ansche Chesed member, Vicki Brower's apartment building is having work done, which is making it a difficult place to work and live because of noise and dirt. Do you have a home to sublet, rent, house sit, for a few weeks to months, in-town or out?

If you have a place that might work for her, or know of someone who does, please email Vicki and let her know.
If you are a member, you may send "shuk" postings to shuk@anschechesed.org. All postings must have a member's contact info, and received by Tuesday at 3pm.
Postings run for only two weeks.
STAFF DIRECTORY
212.865.0600
Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky
ext. 21


Rabbi Yael Hammerman
Associate Rabbi
ext. 208

Mark Paul
President

Martin Sivorinovsky
Administrative Director
ext. 216
Hazzan Natasha Hirschhorn
Music Director
ext. 242

Joshua Hanft
Executive Director
ext. 209

Darone Ruskay
Programming Director
ext. 201
Despite our best efforts and extensive proof-reading, we apologize for any errors or omissions. Please note: If you wish to be included in the Community or Shuk sections of the Weekly Newsletter (which is sent out on Thursday), please email druskay@anschechesed.org with a Word or plain text version of your title, date/time, brief blurb, and relevant link/contact info by end of business on Tuesday.