Featured Events
Tot Shabbat Together in Central Park 🙋
Second-Night Community Seder 🙋
‘Safer in Silence’ Screening + Talkback 🙋
UWS Yom HaShoah Observance: Reading of the Names 🙋🖥
Judaism 101: Everything You Want To Know But Are Afraid To Ask 🙋
Tot Shabbat Together in Central Park 🙋
Judaism 101: Everything You Want To Know But Are Afraid To Ask 🙋
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service + Special Reception
Judaism 101: Everything You Want To Know But Are Afraid To Ask 🙋
End of Year Siyyum Ceremony 🙋
Judaism 101: Everything You Want To Know But Are Afraid To Ask 🙋
Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism
Save The Date: SWFS Spring Benefit
Calendar of Events
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3 events,
Lunch and Learn: Judaism and Slavery 🙋
Lunch and Learn: Judaism and Slavery 🙋
“I am Adonai your God who brought you out from the land of the Egyptians to be their slaves no more.” But Judaism’s history with slavery is complicated: Abraham was a slave owner before we were enslaved in Egypt for generations. And some American rabbis supported slavery here while others vehemently opposed the practice. Ahead […]
Daughters of the Bible with Rabbi Rena Rifkin 🙋
Daughters of the Bible with Rabbi Rena Rifkin 🙋
In the Bible, women are often silent, victimized or absent — and daughters seem to be the most deprived. Yet with a careful textual study, we can rethink our understanding of power and powerlessness and begin to understand the true influence these lesser-known characters had on their worlds. Join Rabbi Rena Rifkin as we discover […]
3 events,
Ernest Bloch’s ‘Avodath HaKodesh’ 🙋🖥
Ernest Bloch’s ‘Avodath HaKodesh’ 🙋🖥
Performed by the Manhattan School of Music Choral Ensemble and conducted by Elliot Roman Swiss-American Jewish composer Ernest Bloch's "Avodath HaKodesh" (sacred service) sets the bar for composers aspiring to elevate the language and flow of a synagogue service to the realm of the concert stage. The hourlong Hebrew oratorio — the first and virtually […]
Community Mahjong 🙋
Community Mahjong 🙋
Spend the afternoon playing maj with friends old and new! All levels welcome — whether you're a pro, need to sharpen your skills, or are just learning to play, there's a table waiting for you! Co-sponsored by Community Connections and the Women's Organization of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. PLEASE REGISTER HERE
2 events,
In These Times With Rabbi Ammi Hirsch: Eric Fingerhut
As the head of The Jewish Federations of North America, former U.S. Congressman Eric Fingerhut bears the responsibility of working with partners who often don't see eye to eye. He views that cooperation as key to the success of the Jewish community in America. LISTEN + SUBSCRIBE Every other week, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch hosts intellectually […]
Jewish Life in Poland: From Holocaust To Haven 🙋
Jewish Life in Poland: From Holocaust To Haven 🙋
One of Poland’s most visible signs of Jewish revival, the JCC Krakow is committed to taking care of Holocaust survivors and rebuilding the Polish Jewish community. And since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, JCC Krakow has taken on an additional mission of supporting Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Join JCC Krakow CEO Jonathan Ornstein and photographer […]
3 events,
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service + Special Reception
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service + Special Reception
Welcome and celebrate Shabbat at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue! Join us for services followed by a special reception featuring light bites, refreshments, great company and conversation! RSVP FOR RECEPTION We're also proud to livestream our services. Tune in on our website, Facebook or YouTube.
What’s Next for Your Child at SWFS? (For 3s, 4s and 5s Families) 🙋
What’s Next for Your Child at SWFS? (For 3s, 4s and 5s Families) 🙋
As your children prepare to move on from the ECC, you might already be wondering how they’ll continue their Jewish journeys and stay connected with their Stephen Wise friends. Join Rabbi Rena Rifkin, our director of youth education (and Micah’s mom), for a great conversation about how you can keep your children engaged with Jewish […]
Family Shabbat Experience: Grades K–2 🙋
Family Shabbat Experience: Grades K–2 🙋
Welcome and celebrate Shabbat with Rabbi Dalia Samansky and your whole family! This service and program is designed for children in kindergarten through second grade and their grown-ups. RSVP
5 events,
Tot Shabbat Together in Central Park 🙋
Tot Shabbat Together in Central Park 🙋
Hop, jump, dance and sing at our outdoor Tot Shabbat! Join Rabbi Sam Natov at Mineral Springs in Central Park for this fun and interactive Shabbat morning service designed for children four and under and their grown-ups! Tot Shabbat may be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather. RSVP
Emergency Food Program
Emergency Food Program
In the spirit of tikkun olam, volunteer to prepare and distribute food packages to individuals in need. Sign up to volunteer by yourself, with a friend, or with your family; every person makes a difference. To volunteer, contact efp@swfs.org.
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Read and discuss the Torah, Tanakh and Talmud. No Hebrew knowledge or prior study is necessary. For any questions, contact David Richter at dhenryrichter@gmail.com. RSVP Zoom meeting information will be automatically provided upon RSVP.
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
Join us every Shabbat morning for warm, welcoming services and joyous b'ani mitzvah celebrations! All worshippers must be fully vaccinated. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. See our COVID-19 Safety Policy here.
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Join Cantor Dan Singer to bid farewell to Shabbat with a musical Havdalah service and Melaveh Malkah. Watch live here on our website or on Facebook or YouTube.
2 events,
(In-Person) Grades K–5 Religious School Open House and Info Session 🙋
(In-Person) Grades K–5 Religious School Open House and Info Session 🙋
Get a taste of our Religious School program! While children attend our Religious School program, parents will meet with our Director of Youth Education Rabbi Rifkin to hear about our Religious School programs and curriculum, and learn about how enriching it is to become part of our Religious School and the Stephen Wise community. REGISTER […]
0 events,
2 events,
Lunch and Learn: Finding God in the Haggadah 🙋
Lunch and Learn: Finding God in the Haggadah 🙋
The rabbis created the rituals of Passover with a focus on the Divine, crediting God for the miracles of the Exodus. Ahead of Passover, join Rabbi Rena Rifkin as we examine some of the creative ways we encounter God in our Haggadah.
3 events,
4 events,
Second-Night Community Seder 🙋
Second-Night Community Seder 🙋
Join the Stephen Wise community as our clergy lead a musical and engaging second-night community Passover Seder. Come share this cherished night as we recall the Exodus of our ancestors and our own liberation — and enjoy good food and wine, engaging conversation and activities for children! GET TICKETS Registration closes March 17. We sell […]
Passover Yom Tov Morning Service 🙋
Passover Yom Tov Morning Service 🙋
Join our clergy for this joyous Yom Tov morning service marking the first day of Passover!
3 events,
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Welcome and celebrate Shabbat at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue! Our easy-to-follow services, accompanied by a full band, are inspiring and uplifting. We're also proud to livestream our services. Tune in on our website, Facebook or YouTube.
5 events,
Emergency Food Program
Emergency Food Program
In the spirit of tikkun olam, volunteer to prepare and distribute food packages to individuals in need. Sign up to volunteer by yourself, with a friend, or with your family; every person makes a difference. To volunteer, contact efp@swfs.org.
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Read and discuss the Torah, Tanakh and Talmud. No Hebrew knowledge or prior study is necessary. For any questions, contact David Richter at dhenryrichter@gmail.com. RSVP Zoom meeting information will be automatically provided upon RSVP.
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
Join us every Shabbat morning for warm, welcoming services and joyous b'ani mitzvah celebrations! All worshippers must be fully vaccinated. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. See our COVID-19 Safety Policy here.
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Join Cantor Dan Singer to bid farewell to Shabbat with a musical Havdalah service and Melaveh Malkah. Watch live here on our website or on Facebook or YouTube.
3 events,
4 events,
Virtual Lunch and Learn: ‘The Diary Keepers’ 🖥️
Virtual Lunch and Learn: ‘The Diary Keepers’ 🖥️
Out of a 160,000-strong Dutch-Jewish population, 102,000 died in concentration camps. Why did so many Dutch Jews perish, while there were disproportionately more survivors in other Western European countries? And how did that square with famous narratives of Dutch resistance and tolerance? To answer those questions, journalist Nina Siegal mined the diaries of ordinary Dutch […]
4 events,
Passover Yom Tov and Yizkor Morning Service 🙋
Passover Yom Tov and Yizkor Morning Service 🙋
Join our clergy for a festive, intimate, musical and meditative Yom Tov morning service, including Yizkor for our departed loved ones.
2 events,
In These Times With Rabbi Ammi Hirsch
Every other week, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch hosts intellectually honest conversations unpacking current events through the lens of Jewish wisdom. Unbound by politics and untethered by party lines, Ammi and his expert guests discuss everything from race and antisemitism to all the other issues that keep you up at night. Recorded from New York’s Stephen […]
2 events,
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Welcome and celebrate Shabbat at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue! Our easy-to-follow services, accompanied by a full band, are inspiring and uplifting. We're also proud to livestream our services. Tune in on our website, Facebook or YouTube.
6 events,
Emergency Food Program
Emergency Food Program
In the spirit of tikkun olam, volunteer to prepare and distribute food packages to individuals in need. Sign up to volunteer by yourself, with a friend, or with your family; every person makes a difference. To volunteer, contact efp@swfs.org.
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Read and discuss the Torah, Tanakh and Talmud. No Hebrew knowledge or prior study is necessary. For any questions, contact David Richter at dhenryrichter@gmail.com. RSVP Zoom meeting information will be automatically provided upon RSVP.
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
Join us every Shabbat morning for warm, welcoming services and joyous b'ani mitzvah celebrations! All worshippers must be fully vaccinated. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. See our COVID-19 Safety Policy here.
Shabbat Minyan 🙋🖥
Shabbat Minyan 🙋🖥
Share the Shabbat morning service in person or on Zoom in a meditative style with friends and fellow congregants. Cantor Dan Singer will lead this service, which includes music and responsive readings in both Hebrew and English. RSVP TO JOIN VIRTUALLY
Stephen Wise Book Group 🙋
Stephen Wise Book Group 🙋
Explore classic and contemporary Jewish literature at this monthly group meeting. This month, we're reading "The Vixen" by Francine Prose. RSVP
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Join Cantor Dan Singer to bid farewell to Shabbat with a musical Havdalah service and Melaveh Malkah. Watch live here on our website or on Facebook or YouTube.
4 events,
UWS Yom HaShoah Observance: Reading of the Names 🙋🖥
For more than 20 years, Upper West Side synagogues and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan have honored the victims of the Holocaust with an annual overnight Yom HaShoah Reading of the Names. The reading of names will begin at Anshe Chesed on Monday, April 17, at 10 p.m. and continue overnight until 7 a.m. on […]
‘Safer in Silence’ Screening + Talkback 🙋
‘Safer in Silence’ Screening + Talkback 🙋
In the new documentary "Safer in Silence," the daughter of a World War II refugee searches for the truth of her family’s Polish past. Uncovering her Jewish roots, she is pulled into a complex journey revealing startling revelations that force her to face the patterns of hiding and secrecy that have profoundly affected her life. […]
Being Jewish On Campus (For High School Seniors and Their Families) 🙋
Being Jewish On Campus (For High School Seniors and Their Families) 🙋
Julia Jassey didn’t set out to lead the charge against antisemitism on college campuses, but a brush with casual Jew-hatred her freshman year changed the course of her life. Hear from the University of Chicago senior and Jewish On Campus CEO about the challenges Jews face at colleges around the country followed by a discussion […]
3 events,
Lunch and Learn: Changing Narratives of the Shoah in Israeli Society 🙋
Lunch and Learn: Changing Narratives of the Shoah in Israeli Society 🙋
From the establishment of the state of Israel, through the trial of Adolph Eichmann, to this last generation of survivors, the lens through which Israeli society views the Holocaust has shifted. This Yom HaShoah, join Upper West Side Shlicha Gali Rabin Choresh as we explore these changing perspectives and try to better understand Israelis through […]
2 events,
Community Mahjong 🙋
Community Mahjong 🙋
Spend the afternoon playing maj with friends old and new! All levels welcome — whether you're a pro, need to sharpen your skills, or are just learning to play, there's a table waiting for you! Co-sponsored by Community Connections and the Women's Organization of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. PLEASE REGISTER HERE
Virtual Religious School Info Session đź–Ą
Virtual Religious School Info Session đź–Ą
Join us to find out more about our Religious School programs and curriculum, meet our director of youth education, and learn about how enriching it is to become part of our Religious School. REGISTER
2 events,
Virtual Short Story Group đź–Ą
Virtual Short Story Group đź–Ą
Join our monthly Short Story Group on Zoom, where we discuss Jewish-themed material. This month, we're reading “I Am Asleep But My Heart Is Awake” by Nicole Krauss, “Fitzgerald and the Jews” by Arthur Krystal, “To My Friends” by Primo Levi, and “The Stranger” by J. D. Salinger. Sponsored by Community Connections. For more information […]
Amplify Israel Book Club: Dinner and a Book 🙋
Amplify Israel Book Club: Dinner and a Book 🙋
Join us to read about the most pressing issues facing the Jewish people today. For this meeting, we will be reading "Second Person Singular" by Sayed Kashua. The book can be purchased online here or from your local bookstore. Dinner is available for order or you may bring your own! RSVP This program is free […]
1 event,
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Welcome and celebrate Shabbat at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue! Our easy-to-follow services, accompanied by a full band, are inspiring and uplifting. We're also proud to livestream our services. Tune in on our website, Facebook or YouTube.
5 events,
Emergency Food Program
Emergency Food Program
In the spirit of tikkun olam, volunteer to prepare and distribute food packages to individuals in need. Sign up to volunteer by yourself, with a friend, or with your family; every person makes a difference. To volunteer, contact efp@swfs.org.
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Read and discuss the Torah, Tanakh and Talmud. No Hebrew knowledge or prior study is necessary. For any questions, contact David Richter at dhenryrichter@gmail.com. RSVP Zoom meeting information will be automatically provided upon RSVP.
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
Join us every Shabbat morning for warm, welcoming services and joyous b'ani mitzvah celebrations! All worshippers must be fully vaccinated. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. See our COVID-19 Safety Policy here.
Saturday Morning Family Shabbat: Grades 3–5 🙋
Saturday Morning Family Shabbat: Grades 3–5 🙋
Celebrate Shabbat with Rabbi Dalia Samansky and your whole family! This morning service and program, which includes lunch, is designed for children in grades 3–5 and their grown-ups. RSVP
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Join Cantor Dan Singer to bid farewell to Shabbat with a musical Havdalah service and Melaveh Malkah. Watch live here on our website or on Facebook or YouTube.
0 events,
0 events,
3 events,
Lunch and Learn: How Israel Commemorates the Fallen 🙋
Lunch and Learn: How Israel Commemorates the Fallen 🙋
For Americans, Memorial Day likely conjures images of parades, fireworks, sales and barbecues. But when the sirens sound for Israel’s Yom Hazikaron, the entire country literally stands still. It’s a metaphorical yahrzeit that every single person commemorates together, all at once. And then in a beautiful transition, the solemn day of grieving flows right into Yom […]
4 events,
Judaism 101: Everything You Want To Know But Are Afraid To Ask 🙋
Judaism 101: Everything You Want To Know But Are Afraid To Ask 🙋
Did you miss out on the gift of a Jewish education? Or maybe you’re curious about Judaism, but too embarrassed to ask… Luckily, Judaism encourages us to be bold and ask questions! “A shy person can never learn,” our tradition tells us. Join our Rabbi Dalia Samansky to expand your Jewish knowledge and explore Judaism’s […]
Community Mahjong 🙋
Community Mahjong 🙋
Spend the afternoon playing maj with friends old and new! All levels welcome — whether you're a pro, need to sharpen your skills, or are just learning to play, there's a table waiting for you! Co-sponsored by Community Connections and the Women's Organization of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. PLEASE REGISTER HERE
3 events,
In These Times With Rabbi Ammi Hirsch
Every other week, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch hosts intellectually honest conversations unpacking current events through the lens of Jewish wisdom. Unbound by politics and untethered by party lines, Ammi and his expert guests discuss everything from race and antisemitism to all the other issues that keep you up at night. Recorded from New York’s Stephen […]
Docent-Led Tour of The Heller Museum 🙋
Docent-Led Tour of The Heller Museum 🙋
Join the Women's Organization of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue for a docent-led tour of "One Nation" and "Tzedek Boxes," two new exhibitions at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion's Dr. Bernard Heller Museum! REGISTER Admission is free! Please register by April 25. The venue requires all visitors to furnish photo ID and proof of vaccination […]
Yom Ha’atzmaut Comedy Night: Israel 75 Live with Joel Chasnoff and Benji Lovitt
Yom Ha’atzmaut Comedy Night: Israel 75 Live with Joel Chasnoff and Benji Lovitt
Why are there so many stray cats in Tel Aviv? Do citizens of the Jewish state go to the polls every Tuesday, or what? And how did Israelis get to be so darn Israeli? Join us for a night of comedy celebrating Israel's 75th birthday as American-Israeli comedians Joel Chasnoff and Benji Lovitt answer these […]
1 event,
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Welcome and celebrate Shabbat at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue! Our easy-to-follow services, accompanied by a full band, are inspiring and uplifting. We're also proud to livestream our services. Tune in on our website, Facebook or YouTube.
5 events,
Emergency Food Program
Emergency Food Program
In the spirit of tikkun olam, volunteer to prepare and distribute food packages to individuals in need. Sign up to volunteer by yourself, with a friend, or with your family; every person makes a difference. To volunteer, contact efp@swfs.org.
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Read and discuss the Torah, Tanakh and Talmud. No Hebrew knowledge or prior study is necessary. For any questions, contact David Richter at dhenryrichter@gmail.com. RSVP Zoom meeting information will be automatically provided upon RSVP.
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
Join us every Shabbat morning for warm, welcoming services and joyous b'ani mitzvah celebrations! All worshippers must be fully vaccinated. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. See our COVID-19 Safety Policy here.
Deep Dive into the Shabbat Morning Service 🙋
Deep Dive into the Shabbat Morning Service 🙋
Join Rabbi Samantha Natov for an in-person deep dive into the Shabbat morning service. Investigate the meanings of prayers, where they fall in the morning service and how different musical settings affect the way we understand them. A great intro to Shabbat liturgy and enriching for more experienced worshippers! RSVP
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Join Cantor Dan Singer to bid farewell to Shabbat with a musical Havdalah service and Melaveh Malkah. Watch live here on our website or on Facebook or YouTube.
0 events,
3 events,
Community Mahjong 🙋
Community Mahjong 🙋
Spend the afternoon playing maj with friends old and new! All levels welcome — whether you're a pro, need to sharpen your skills, or are just learning to play, there's a table waiting for you! Co-sponsored by Community Connections and the Women's Organization of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. PLEASE REGISTER HERE
In-Person Religious School Info Session 🙋
In-Person Religious School Info Session 🙋
Join us to find out more about our Religious School programs and curriculum, meet our director of youth education, and learn about how enriching it is to become part of our Religious School. REGISTER
2 events,
Family Dinner and Learning 🙋
Family Dinner and Learning 🙋
Families with children of all ages are invited to this exuberant celebration of Shabbat, featuring a catered dinner with wine, activities, and much more! RSVP
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service
Welcome and celebrate Shabbat at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue! Our easy-to-follow services, accompanied by a full band, are inspiring and uplifting. We're also proud to livestream our services. Tune in on our website, Facebook or YouTube.
5 events,
Tot Shabbat Together in Central Park 🙋
Tot Shabbat Together in Central Park 🙋
Hop, jump, dance and sing at our outdoor Tot Shabbat! Join Rabbi Sam Natov at Mineral Springs in Central Park for this fun and interactive Shabbat morning service designed for children four and under and their grown-ups! Tot Shabbat may be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather. RSVP
Emergency Food Program
Emergency Food Program
In the spirit of tikkun olam, volunteer to prepare and distribute food packages to individuals in need. Sign up to volunteer by yourself, with a friend, or with your family; every person makes a difference. To volunteer, contact efp@swfs.org.
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study đź–Ą
Read and discuss the Torah, Tanakh and Talmud. No Hebrew knowledge or prior study is necessary. For any questions, contact David Richter at dhenryrichter@gmail.com. RSVP Zoom meeting information will be automatically provided upon RSVP.
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
Join us every Shabbat morning for warm, welcoming services and joyous b'ani mitzvah celebrations! All worshippers must be fully vaccinated. Masks are required for everyone ages 2+. See our COVID-19 Safety Policy here.
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah đź–Ą
Join Cantor Dan Singer to bid farewell to Shabbat with a musical Havdalah service and Melaveh Malkah. Watch live here on our website or on Facebook or YouTube.