CRS 2020 Roundup—Together, Even While Apart
“Our synagogue is so much more than bricks and mortar, it’s a lot of love.”
Peter Ehrenberg, President of the CRS Board
Was 2020 the worst year ever? It was one strange and extraordinary year! But living through a pandemic did not diminish our faith in ourselves nor our beloved shul.
Although 2020 may have been a dumpster fire of a year, our attempts to extinguish this calamity include these moments listed here in our First-Annual CRS Roundup.
THESE MOMENTS WE SHARED TOGETHER:
January
No Hate. No Fear.
January 5, 2020
CRS and RSS joined the Solidarity March against anti-Semitism going across the Brooklyn Bridge.
January 7, 2020
Jonathan Aaron Weitzman was born.
January 21–March 11, 2020
We voted in the World Zionist Congress Elections for a large Reform Jewish presence in Israel and the US.
February
February 1, 2020
Inspiring Women of the Congregation Luncheon honored Women in Science.
February 22, 2020
Our 10th graders returned from a phenomenal confirmation trip to Berlin, Germany led by Rabbi Greg Weitzman! VIEW PAGE >
February 28–29, 2020
Winter Shabbaton with Cantor Evan Kent who presented his entertaining one-man show, Shards.
Shireinu’s 10th Anniversary
February 7, 2020
10th Anniversary Shireinu Erev Shabbat Service Celebration, a model of accessible worship services.
March
A Virtual Congregation Begins!
March 12, 2020
- Beginning with Friday’s Erev Shabbat service, all services would be live streamed on our website and Facebook page.
- Religious School went into distance learning.
- RSS shifted to distance learning.
March 14, 2020
Havdalah at Home debuted with Rabbi Karol and family at 7:00 PM (later changed to 7:05 PM to accommodate the daily cheer for essential workers).
30 with the Clergy debuts with 30-minute offerings daily with our CRS clergy.
March 19, 2020
Washing Your Hands: A Jewish Thing! First COVID blog post.
April
April 3, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service celebrates 50 Years of Rodeph Sholom School.
April 7, 2020
Coffee with the Caring Community: Congregants found companionship and comfort over coffee and conversation in this new weekly program.
April 15, 2020
Passover Yizkor Service with Rabbis Levine and Karol and Cantor Garfein. Congregants shared their reflections on mourning.
April 23, 2020
For Yom HaShoah, Evie Blaikie recounts her survival during the Holocaust as a hidden child. Presented by our Religious School.
April 28, 2020
Commemorating Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. RSS parents, Avi Shalem and Daniel Aminetzah, and former CRS Shinshinit, Shirly Kaplansky shared their moving stories. WATCH >
Passover
April 8–15, 2020
Our first virtual Seder with Rabbi Spratt and Cantor De Lowe. With the Haggadah on our screens, we experienced the Seder together.
April 29, 2020
Religious School Youth: Yom Ha’atzmaut Escape Room Challenge: For their first virtual endeavor, students mastered their mission to help David Ben Gurion and his time-traveling friend create the state of Israel!
May
May 6, 2020
Chazzanut and Healing: Cantor Don Gurney of Wilshire Blvd. Temple in LA and past CRS cantor spoke with Cantor Rebecca Garfein.
May 8, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service celebrated our High School Seniors.
May 11, 2020
Farewell to Cantor Toby Glaser after 3 years at CRS as our Cantorial Intern. WATCH >
May 29, 2020
MAY 29: Shavuot Family Yizkor Service featured congregant reflections. Sharing memories of love and loss were Danny Karpf, Lisa Timmel, and Gia Machlin.
June
June 12, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service celebrated our High School Seniors. RSS’s 2020 Graduation Class ceremony WATCH >
June 12, 2020
Erev Shabbat Pride Shabbat Service: We honored our LGBTQIA+ community with Eliana Shira Rubin who shared her personal story and reflections with Rabbi Ben Spratt.
June 23, 2020
CRS Game Night: Rodeph Sholom Jeopardy was a special CRS edition of our favorite quiz show.
Elevating Gratitude
June 19, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service: Elevating Gratitude. We celebrated the conclusion of our L’Dor V’Dor Capital Campaign together as a community with our clergy. Everyone joined in the blessings over the candles, wine, and challah. We brought an object that symbolizes something we are grateful for. And we all wore white to welcome Shabbat and infuse our service with a little camp spirit! WATCH >
June 25, 2020
The 178th Annual Meeting of the Congregation went virtual with the election of Trustees and approval of the 2020–21 budget. WATCH >
September
September 8, 2020
New Wines for a New Year: Rabbi Weitzman hosted a conversation between the Kishor Winery’s winemaker (sitting in his backyard in Israel!) and CRS member Arie Hochberg of Israeli Wine Direct. A great way to start the New Year! Presented by CRS Brotherhood. WATCH >
September 15, 2020
Sept 15: Religious School 3rd–6th Grade: Students created biography posters to highlight their goals and ways that they hope to grow this year.
High Holy Days 5781
September 18–20 & 27–28, 2020
October
October 2, 2020
Religious School: Culinary Arts Sukkot Workshop
October 4, 2020
Sholom Sprouts Virtual Sukkot Scavenger Hunt! The Sprouts explored the themes of gratitude and welcoming guests while hunting for everything they needed to build a tabletop sukkah.
October 6, 2020
Rabbi Weitzman hosted Knishes, Kugel, and Conversation featuring Noshes By Sherri. Sherri and Michael made their special noodle kugel. More drooling ensued.
October 9, 2020
Erev Shabbat/Simchat Torah Service. We welcomed Aliza Rivka, a Kohenet Hebrew Priestess and Dance/Movement therapist from Costa Rica, who showed us her own Torah of movement and prayer. Then after the service, she led us in lively movement and dance. WATCH >
October 20, 2020
Rodeph Sholom Teens: Gotham BBYO Est. 2020! Our BBYO Chapter really took off this year, leading the Manhattan region in membership growth! Due to an incredible teen board, we are officially chartered! WATCH >
October 20, 2020
Oct 20: Exploiting Your Family History for Fun and Profit with Alina Adams. This was one fun conversation with a fun and enlightening author!
WSCAH Harvest Benefit Dinner
October 20, 2020
Rabbi Levine was the Special Main Event Speaker for West Side Campaign Against Hunger’s virtual Harvest Benefit Dinner.
October 23, 2020
The debut of our new short pre-service and post-service Schmoozes in our virtual community room, the Schmooze Space hosted by fellow congregants.
October 23, 2020
Erev Shabbat Service: Five B’nai Mitzvah lit the candles and chanted Kiddush.
October 28, 2020
Jews and American Politics: Implications for This Crucial Election: A thoughtful pre-Election teaching with Rabbi Levine.
November
November 6, 2020
Together in Feelings: A much needed post-Election processing with our clergy.
Forward, Together
November 19, 2020
Forward Together: Rabbi Levine led an educational and eye-opening post-Election analysis with Michael S. Schmidt, Washington Correspondent and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Congressional Editor for The New York Times.
November 20, 2020
Meyer Nathans Service Award honored Jane Dystel.
November 11, 2020
At 11:11 am, Cantor Garfein was wed to Alexander Hatzidiakos.
November 17, 2020
Family B’nai Mitzvah Program: B’nai Mitzvah families joined together on Zoom to choose dates in 2024 as clergy offered them the priestly blessing.
November 21, 2020
With a Grateful Heart: Honoring our Freedom Through Music: Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom presented a special concert of classical and modern chamber music celebrating our freedom. With Artistic Director Eliot Bailen (cello), Cantor Garfein, Susan Rotholz (flute), J. David Williams (piano), and folk-rock trio BAILEN. WATCH >
November 24, 2020
Rodeph Sholom Teens: The Mitzvah Team Leaders: Perspectives for Change! Our Social Action Teen Community kicked off their first major initiative on Instagram— education for underprivileged youth. Go to @perspectivesforchange
December
Chanukah 2020/5781
December 10, 2020
Night 1: “Raise Up The Menorah” with Cantor Garfein. Zoom candle lighting and the premier of Children’s Choir Eliot Bailen song.
December 11, 2020
Night 2: Erev Shabbat Service with Consecration
December 11, 2020
Night 2: Zoom candle-lighting together and Comedy Night!
December 12, 2020
Sprouts Singin’ Swingin’ Shabbat celebrates Chanukah!
December 14, 2020
Night 5: Rabbi Levine The “Miracle” of Chanukah
December 16, 2020
Night 7: Chanukah Jeopardy: CRS Special Edition
December 17, 2020
Night 8: Chopped with Rabbis Spratt and Weitzman
December 3, 2020
Religious School 3rd-6th Gr: Learning about gratitude (hakarat hatov) and how blessings offer us a way to express gratitude daily, students used different media to express their gratitude.
December 8, 2020
Sholom Sprouts: Learning Together completes its fall semester with a total of 57 families enrolled throughout 2020.
Phone: (212) 362-8800, Fax: (212) 877-6526, Email: info@crsnyc.org
Emergency Call Number: (917) 902-6103 V2