Donations

If you'd like to make a donation to AJ, you can make a donation online, on our website. Or, you can click here to download a donation form.

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New on the AJ Community Bulletin Board:

• Nashira, the Jewish Chorale of Greater Philadelphia, will be performing with the Bucks County Choral Society on May 19.
• Cradles to Crayons is asking for donations to support their Gear Up for Baby program and the purchase of diapers for needy families.

Click here to find out more about these items and others.

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Calling All Teens and Parents of Teens! There’s an exciting, new national research opportunity on Jewish teen mental health that just went live that we want you to take part in. It's the first-ever national study of Jewish teen well-being and it's being conducted by Stanford University. It asks about the biggest stressors teens face and the support you find most helpful. We know the Jewish community is diverse and want to be sure the data captures this. Your voice and experience are so important! The survey is brief, mobile-friendly and anonymous. You can click here to take the survey when you have a few minutes. The survey is open through May 17, 2024. ***Please share the link with teens you know.***

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Are you looking for a Mothers Day gift? The students at the AJ Early Learning Center prepared "seed bombs" with the help of parent Lauren O’Hara. Each “bomb” can be planted in the ground or into a pot with soil. Time and love will result in a wildflower mini garden. Each seed bomb is $3, and you can purchase one with a small plastic bucket for $7. You can purchase them with cash or check made payable to Adath Jeshurun to the ELC office.

Grandparents Group

Thursday, May 9 at 7:30 PM via Zoom

In many of our sessions over the years we have talked about our grandchildren’s emotional growth and ability to handle challenges. This session will not only discuss that aspect of our grandchildren’s emotional healthy growth but give us practical ways to engage with them and help them explore their world as we learn more about them. Dr. Robert Vogel will be our guest. Learn more and register here.

***Registration will close at 5:30 this afternoon!***

Kabbalat Shabbat with Strings Attached + Ice Cream Truck!

Friday, May 10 at 6:15 PM at AJ

Unplug from a busy week with an acoustic Shabbat service led by Hazzan Howard Glantz with familiar tunes that will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. For all ages, from babies to bubbies. Bring your friends for this relaxed, casual, and enjoyable service! Then stay for Oneg Shabbat (lite dinner bites and gathering with friends). 6:15 PM. ***Since it's almost Mothers Day, we're planning a special night for mothers. In addition to an upscaled oneg and ice cream truck, every family that registers AND attends will be entered into a raffle to win a photo portrait sitting with Skip Atkins. There will be three winners.*** Click here to register.

Film Screening: Ben-Gurion, Epilogue

Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 PM at AJ

In honor of Israel Independence Day, Americans for Ben-Gurion University and AJ will be screening Ben-Gurion, Epilogue, winner of the Israeli Ophir Award (the Israeli Oscars) for Best Documentary Film. The event will feature a special guest: Sam Katz, award-winning documentary film producer and Mid-Atlantic Co-Chair, Americans for Ben-Gurion University. 7:30 PM: Dessert Reception, sponsored by Violet Zeitlin and Claire Winick; 8:00 PM: Program and Screening. Learn more and register here.

Through Her Words: Mizrahi Judaism 

Featuring Israeli Poet Adi Keissar

Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 PM at Beth Sholom

Join Congregations Kol Ami, Beth Sholom, and Adath Jeshurun for an evening with Adi Keissar, Israeli poet, artistic director, journalist, and lecturer based in Tel Aviv. She will discuss her experiences growing up in Israel, her family's Yemenite background, becoming a poet, and how personal identity impacts culture in Israel. Learn more here and register here.

Adult Ed Series on Awe: Last Session

Awe and the Written Word, with Rav Shai

Saturday, May 18 at 12:00 PM (during lunch following services)

In our fourth and final installment of our series on Awe, Rav Shai will bring together an eclectic array of texts meant to inspire awe. Poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, and religious and secular writings will each feature in this exploration. Unlike the previous three sessions which relied on our senses to stimulate awe (visual and aural), awe in the written word relies on your imagination. Register using the May online service registration form.

AJWA Sisterhood Torah Fund Brunch

Sunday, May 19 at 10:30 AM at AJ

The AJWA Sisterhood will honor Meryl Sussman with the 5784 Torah Fund Woman of Achievement Award on behalf of Torah Fund Campaign of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism. Admission by Contribution to Torah Fund: Couvert $40 plus minimum contribution $18. Checks must be made out to Torah Fund for all contributions in Meryl’s honor. Couvert checks must be made out to AJWA Sisterhood. Please RSVP by May 10 using the response card that came with your invitation or call the synagogue office at 215.635.6611.

AJ Bereavement Support Group, with Rav Hazzan Glantz

Wednesday, May 29 at 7:30 PM at AJ (no RSVP necessary)

Rav Hazzan Glantz leads this monthly gathering specifically designed to foster a secure, confidential, and non-judgmental environment that encourages individuals to freely express their emotions. A warm invitation is extended to everyone interested in attending these meetings. Feel free to contact Rav Hazzan Glantz in advance with any questions (hglantz@gmail.com or 215.635.6611, ext. 122). Following evening minyan at 7:30 PM at AJ.

Sundaes for Sara's Castle

Sunday, June 2 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Buy an ice cream sundae to benefit the upkeep of Sara’s Castle on the AJ Playground! Sara’s Castle honors Sara Burke, a very special AJ Preschool student who lost her life to brain cancer in 2008. Stop by or click here to donate now.

AJ 2024 Annual Fundraiser

Sunday, June 2 at 7:00 PM

Please join us at AJ on Sunday evening, June 2, 2024 to honor and celebrate David and Shari Seltzer! Evening minyan will be at 6:15 PM. Doors open at 6:45 PM. The program starts promptly at 7:00 PM. A dessert reception will follow. Click here for details, purchase of tickets, and placement of ads!

166th Annual Meeting

Tuesday, June 4: 

Dinner at 5:30 PM; Minyan and meeting at 7:00 PM

Please join us on Tuesday, June 4, to celebrate this past synagogue year and to inaugurate the new one! We will be installing a new president of the congregation and a dinner will precede evening minyan and the meeting. Dinner (by reservation): 5:30 PM; Minyan and Annual Meeting: 7:00 PM, followed by a Dessert Reception. Click here to register. Please reply for the dinner by Friday, May 24. The cost of the dinner is $25 per person.

Rise Against Hunger Program

Thursday, June 13 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Join us in the Orleans Auditorium from 5:00 to 7:00 PM to help pack food for the food-insecure! Rise Against Hunger (RAH) is a non-profit organization based in New York that sends food to areas of our world that are significantly impacted by hunger and malnutrition. Please note: we have raised all of the funds necessary to support this event but when you register, feel free to contribute to the RAH packaging event we are planning for next spring. To register, click here. 

Israeli Dancing



Israeli dancing is here! Tuesdays, from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM. If interested contact Susan Novack at Susan@novack.net.

An Adult Education Resource for AJ Congregants

Congregation Adath Jeshurun, dedicated to the Jewish value of learning for its own sake (Torah lishmah), has partnered with the Orange County Community Scholar Program (CSP). You can download a list of May courses here, or go to www.occsp.net. If you register and can’t attend, a link will be sent after the event to a recording. There is also an archive of classes that you can view here.

***On Tuesday, May 28, Rav Shai will be interviewing Gila Fine, author of The Madwoman in the Rabbi’s Attic: Rereading the Women of the Talmud, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Get the link in the May PDF or at the CSP website.***

COVID Guidelines

If you are planning to attend services or an event at AJ, you can find our current COVID-19 guidelines as of March, 2024 here.

Lifecycle Notices

We are saddened to share that Joseph Slavet, father of our congregant, Julie Slavet, entered olam haba, the coming world, on Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Pamela Maman, proud parent of Adam Gabriel Maman, says to her son, "Mazel tov on graduating from Penn State with an Industrial Engineering degree. We are so proud of you! Keep making good choices!"

Aaron Yonatan Itkin, son of Miriam Novack and Alex Itkin and grandson of Susan and Mark Novack, was born on May 6!

Mazal Tov to Rabbi Gabe Miner, son of Debbie and David Miner, on his Ordination from Hebrew Union College. 

We offer this list as a courtesy. If there is a lifecycle event you would like included, please contact the office at 215.635.6611.

Earn Money for AJ by Shopping at House of Kosher!

For any amount that an AJ member spends, House of Kosher will give 2% of the sale to AJ! All you need to do is mention AJ's unique Shopper Code 6611 and the discount is immediately applied as a credit to your organization.

Any first-time customer that is a member of AJ will receive a 10% discount on your in-store shopping of over $100! House of Kosher is located at 9806 Bustleton Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19115.

KleinLife: Montgomery County Update

Programs for Seniors at AJ 

Our Montgomery County location is OPEN for one in-person exercise class 10:30 to 11:30 AM, Tuesday through Thursday, with some virtual classes still available, as well as other special programs. Reservations are appreciated one week in advance to partake in the in-person classes. You can also sign up for lunch after Tuesday class. For more information and/or to reserve your spot, please call 215.635.5244 or email gkorostoff@kleinlife.org. You can download a May/June KleinLife Newsletter here.

KleinLife: Montgomery County has resumed a regular schedule of Tuesday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. They have also resumed in-person lunch with a boxed lunch on Tuesdays, and hot lunches on Wednesday and Thursday.

Grab & Go Meals! Kleinlife is now offering Grab & Go frozen meals once a week from AJ. You MUST RESERVE at least a week ahead of time for 5 frozen kosher meals. Thursday is the regular pick-up day, between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Call 215.635.5244 for more details.