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Youth Programs
Leisure Thursday
Women To Women (Isha L’Isha)
Social Events and Celebrations
YOUTH PROGRAMS
The most important members of our community are our youth. What our children become is a direct result of what we invest in them. It takes a village indeed, and we try to provide it.
Let’s start with Shabbat mornings, which feature a robust program for our children. Beginning at 10:15 am there is a junior congregation, run in large part by our teen leaders. Following the service, the children have groups which mix some educational games and other fun activities. Many of the kids make their way up to participate in leading ein k’Elokeinu at the conclusion of the main services.
Our youth rabbi coordinates the special events for our youth. The goal in all of these programs is to develop a community of HIWP kids, built around meaningful experiences and activities. These include anything from Shabbat onegs at his home to Project Embrace when we deliver clothes and food to the homeless, to various study events. Often it’s just plain fun, perhaps a family flag football event or a little kids pajama night. There’s always something going on for your kids.
We bring our children in the cycle of the holiday seasons. This includes activities such as our Sukkah hops and a Chanukah party, the best Purim carnival in all of Westchester, a pre-Pesach car wash, Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations and Shavuot night kids learning.
A final note, perhaps the most important: Our children attend schools of all sorts, yeshivot and day schools and private schools and public too. What’s so nice is that kids have figured out how to build our shul youth community across school and even age lines. Adults have a lot to learn from their model!
LEISURE THURSDAYS
Leisure Thursday is the shul’s highly successful program for Jewish seniors. Come spend a day schmoozing with us in English, Yiddish, or both. Socialize over a delicious kosher lunch. Sit back and enjoy programs on subjects ranging from Jazz to Joshua, Music to Maimonides to Medicare. Come early to play Mah Jong, Canasta, Bridge or whatever. Open to all, so come and enjoy.
The Leisure Thursday Line-Up:
10:30 am – Play Mah Jong or other games
11:00 am – Bible Study with Rabbi Marder
12:00 pm – Hot Lunch for $7.
1:00 pm – Free program. Click here for schedule.
2:00 pm – End of formal program; stay for games play with your friends—old and new.
To view monthly schedule, click here
Through a grant made possible by UJA Federation of New York, Westchester Jewish Community Services is working with local synagogues to provided a network of resources for seniors including social groups, access to social workers and a variety of senior programming in White Plains.
To view monthly schedule, click here (pdf)
For other UJA Federation/Westchester Jewish Community Services programs for seniors click here
WOMEN TO WOMEN (ISHA L’ISHA)
This group works as an umbrella group to organize and coordinate the many facets of synagogue life available for women. We expand upon programming, while serving the broader community through fundraising and chesed. Isha L’Isha, functions as an outreach organization to provide opportunities to meet friends while doing something fun and educational. Examples of programs have included a pre-Chanukah event with guided discussion, a gift boutique, and a monthly book group and Meet the Author evenings.
Other important ongoing fundraising efforts include the Thrift Shop and an annual Calendar.
Isha L’Isha Book Group For more details, click here (pdf).
Women’s Prayer and Learning – click here
SOCIAL EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS
A beit knesset is about chevrah (circles of friends) and mishpachah (family). It’s a place where people hopefully develop close relationships and actually enjoy spending time together.
That’s certainly what our beit knesset is about. This happens informally all the time. Invitations for shabbos meals are plentiful, and our members enjoy sharing time with one another.
Beyond that, the congregation provides wonderful opportunities for us to get together socially in many different ways.
These include (in a far-from-exhaustive list):
- Shabbat and holiday dinners and celebrations
- Café nights: Jewish musical talent performs in a space that suddenly feels like a café.
- A layl shira
- Regular Shabbat afternoon onegs at our members’ homes
- Our annual tribute dinner celebrating our shul community
- And much more…
