The Chatham Synagogue

05/13/2024

Join us this Saturday, May 18th at 7pm at the Synagogue for Plays in Progress!

Plays in Progress (PIP), a collective of professional playwrights, actors, directors and and designers, in conjunction with the Chatham Synagogue, will present a staged reading of 5 short one-act plays written by long-time TCS/NT member, Sheldon Lichtblau and directed by Bernie Kukoff. This is the first in the Jesse Waldinger Play Reading Series, dedicated in memory of the late co-leader of PIP and featuring plays that the organization has developed.

Lichtblau writes of love, life, and relationships in a voice that comes to him from his 98 years of living and loving. Please join us for this very special event.

Admission $10 - all proceeds benefit The Chatham Synagogue and there will be Prosecco and desserts 🧁🥂

01/06/2024

Unfortunately for our Challah baking class, a major snowstorm is expected this weekend with predicted accumulations between 6-10 inches and the heaviest snow falling between early Sunday morning and late afternoon. We hope to reschedule it for later this winter.

Stay warm and safe!

01/03/2024

Tu B'Shavat, or New Year of the Trees, has been called the Jewish Arbor Day and is an example of Judaism's sensitivity to the environment. To celebrate this special holiday, we have planned a "nature" scavenger hunt in our back yard, exploring the different trees and their winter characteristics and hunting for other items in our naturescape.
Back inside, the kids will use photos to compare the difference between our Upstate naturescape, and what is found in Israel at this time of the year. The kids will also decorate small planters and plant parsley seeds which will be ready to use as karpas on Pesach, and they will also taste fruits, nuts, and grains that are traditional for Tu B'shvat.
Musician/singer Bracha Louz will lead the kids in festive Jewish songs and dance.

12/30/2023

We are delighted to announce that children's musician Bracha Louz (aka Lisha DeFino) will be joining us for our Tu B'Shvat kids program on Jan. 21st, as well as for Yom Haatzmaut on May 19th, and our Pre-Purim program on March 2nd.

Bracha specializes in Jewish music and has worked and taught in Jewish congregations throughout NYC and the Capital District. Her music, singing, and movement programs have been enjoyed by children of all ages!

11/13/2023

We are pleased to announce a wonderful addition to our TCS/NT program offerings - Arielle Derby has joined us as a Family Educator resource. Arielle has 20 years of experience as a Jewish day school director, Judaic studies director, and a Jewish Day School principal.

Arielle has created an exciting schedule of programming for 2023/24. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming programs: including a children's Chanukah program, a Tu B’Shvat Seder celebrating the coming springtime and planting seeds for parsely that will be ready for dipping at Passover, The Great Hamantaschen Bake Show, and much more. Programs are recommended for ages 3 and up but, in case younger kids want to come, we're not checking ID at the door.

08/10/2023

It's hard to believe, but summer is nearly over and in 5 weeks we'll be celebrating Rosh Hashanah. We're pleased and excited to announce that, after a 3-year hiatus, our HH services will once again be held in our Synagogue.

Our hard-working Ritual Committee along with Rabbi Or Rose have put together a HH program that includes a Rosh Hashanah Children's Holiday Program, as well as a special Zoom lecture with Rabbi Avi Rose, who will be speaking to us from Jerusalem.

Click here to download a pdf of the full schedule with service times and details: https://files.constantcontact.com/2df42add001/98741c60-2181-4b7f-860d-7b03c6b268da.pdf?rdr=true

As always, our services are free, no tickets required, and all are welcome.

Erev Rosh Hashanah - Friday, 9/15
Rosh Hashanah Day 1 - Saturday, 9/16
Rosh Hashanah Day 2 - Sunday, 9/17
Kol Nidre - Sunday, 9/24

Yom Kippur - Monday, 9/25

More detailed info to follow.

07/10/2023

06/05/2023

The Social Action Committee is excited to share our summer fundraising campaign: Help send Ukrainian Jewish Refugee Children to Sleep Away Camp!
An joint program of the Joint Distribution Committee in Hungary and the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, Camp Szarvas, located in Hungary, has become so much more than a summer camp. Today, it is the global home for reinvigorated Jewish identity that is fueling communities across Central and Eastern Europe and beyond. Camp Szarvas now hosts 1,600 Jewish campers aged 6–18, every summer. Its richly diverse community is more than just campers, counselors, and staff — they are the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Now, Camp Szarvas will also be a refuge for Ukrainian children refugees where, for two weeks, they will be able to ‘just be kids’….away from violence, away from food insecurity, away from fear and instability. Camp Szarvas is projected to accept 230 kids from Ukraine and the cost for each child is approximately $1,140

It is our goal to fundraise enough money to send at least 5 children to camp ($7,000).

As summer approaches, think of your own special camp experiences, and those of the young people in your life. It is truly a time of need for the children of Ukraine, and Camp Szarvas is there to serve them. Let the TCS community do our part to give these children a transformative Jewish Summer experience.

Help Send Jewish Ukrainian Children to sleep-away camp Szarvas!