Past Events

Join Rabbi Yael for a "Schmooze Club" about some of our favorite Israeli and Jewish TV shows Unorthodox, Shtisel, and Srugim - all of which portray Orthodox Judaism in complex, nuanced ways. What can we learn from these portrayals about Jewish and/or Israeli culture, diverse religious practice, and our own relationship to religious tradition and community? Watching the TV shows ahead of time is suggested, though not required. I will share select clips during "Schmooze Club." Unorthodox and Shtisel are available on Netflix. Srugim…

The Covid crisis is intensifying the normal stress many people feel, in ways both practical and emotional, we at AC would like to provide a weekly virtual forum to discuss mental health issues related to the Covid-19 crises. AC member Dr. Ken Gorfinkle will lead a weekly, one-hour Zoom-based conversation answering your questions and addressing topics including: dealing with the isolation; responding to the demands of young children and elderly parents; and the challenges of sustaining loving relationships under isolation. If you would like to submit a…

Rabbi Yohanan (d. 279 C.E.) had strong feelings about using the proper musical chant in reading the Torah, asserting: "Whosoever reads without melody and studies without song, to him may be applied the verse: 'Moreover I gave them laws that were not good, and rules by which they could not live." (Talmud Bavli Megillah 32A).  In this class we will begin unlocking the musical system of symbols that guides our Shabbat Torah reading, as we journey through the last four…

It can be hard to appreciate our services - to find the prayers spiritually elevating or comforting - when you're unsure where we are in the Siddur, what comes next, when to sit or stand, what to say or sing, or just skip. Join Rabbi Yael for a weekly morning "Learners' Service" to help everyone find his or her place in our Siddur, and in our prayer community. If you need a copy of the weekday Siddur, a PDF copy can be downloaded…

Shabbat is filled with sounds and smells that make it special. While we are not able to gather in the sanctuary to hear the familiar tunes of Shabbat, we can still enjoy the fragrance of fresh challah that reminds you that Shabbat is about to begin. Join Anshe Chesed member and expert break baker Nicole Duval, as she shares her recipe and tips for how to make delicious challah. Nicole is a South African born, Australian raised, Israeli American. Having…

Few artists have had as much of an impact on American popular culture as Stan Lee. The characters he created—Spider-Man and Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four—occupy Hollywood’s imagination and production schedules, generate billions at the box office, and come as close as anything we have to a shared American mythology. In the new biography by Liel Leibovitz, Stan Lee A Life In Comics, Liel focuses as much on Lee’s ideas as it does on his unlikely rise…