Park Avenue Synagogue

Park Avenue Synagogue

The promise of a synagogue is that it is the only Jewish institution that sustains its mission over the course of a lifetime, generating the connections that bind one Jew to another and one generation to the next. At Park Avenue Synagogue we have programming for newborns and seniors and everyone in between. Here we see each other ourselves and our friends and our children and grandchildren go through life together. From Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove The strength of Park Avenue Synagogue is that it is a hub of communal and personal identity a place of prayer, learning and activism. I hope you will experience our vibrant community come to a service, take a class, attend a concert, volunteer for a mitzvah project. Please introduce yourself to me and to other members of our clergy and staff. We invite you to return again and again and to make our community your community. There is so much to attract you here. Regardless of what you seek, I hope you will soon feel that Park Avenue Synagogue is your home away from home.

PAS is an extension of our family. We pray here, celebrate here, we make lifelong friends here, and PAS supports us in times of need. Along with our children, we get educated here. PAS is our home away from home. Park Avenue Synagogue seeks to inspire, educate, and support our membership towards living passion-filled Jewish lives. Through spirited prayer, study, observance and acts of kindness we aspire to foster deep connections with each other, our Torah, our God, the people and State of Israel and our Our mission shared humanity. In practicing a Judaism filled with love, literacy, reverence, compassion, and joy, we strive to make our ancient tradition compelling and welcoming to contemporary Jewry and to serve as a light unto our fellow Jews and the nations. 4 Park Avenue Synagogue Kol Nidre Appeal 5774 5

F or over 130 years Park Avenue Synagogue has been a dynamic Jewish center on the Upper East Side, meeting the challenges of time with constant change and growth. The congregation traces its history to a synagogue founded by German-speaking immigrants in 1882. Over the next forty years, other synagogues merged with that one, and in 1923, the combined congregations took the name Park Avenue Synagogue Agudat Yesharim, The Association of the Righteous. Four years later, the congregation dedicated the magnificent Moorish-style sanctuary on 87th Street where we still worship today. New buildings were added in 1954 and 1980 to house the growing community and school. Today PAS is expanding programming for all ages and the congregation is once again outgrowing its space. Plans are now underway to develop additional space as we continue to reinvent the experience of meaningful learning and inspiring worship. Our heritage Park Avenue Synagogue has had renowned clergy, including Rabbi Milton Steinberg and Cantor David Putterman. Today the synagogue is led by Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove and Cantor Azi Schwartz at the head of a team of skilled clergy, inspiring educators, and dedicated administrators. Park Avenue Synagogue has approximately 1,500 member families from single householders to large families. It is considered one of the leading Conservative congregations in the country, not for its size, but for its moving worship services, challenging educational opportunities, pioneering Music Center, and above all, its warmth. 6 Park Avenue Synagogue 7

fridays 6:15 pm S h a b b a t 8 Kabbalat Park Avenue Synagogue Live the Jewish calendar joyously at every age and stage of life. Park Avenue Synagogue offers worship opportunities for congregants from toddlers to seniors. There are formal services with organ and choir, participatory prayer with guitar and clarinet, as well as opportunities to participate in small, lay-led services. All are meaningful, inspirational and musical. Park Avenue Synagogue holds a daily minyan every morning and evening (except Saturday night). On Shabbat and holidays there are frequently services for families with children as well as the service in the main sanctuary. Music at PAS Worship Park Avenue Synagogue has a long and illustrious history in the world of Jewish liturgical music and has benefitted from the leadership and musicianship of extraordinary cantors, choir masters and organists. The synagogue has not only preserved the musical legacy of the past, but has also been a leader in the creation of contemporary liturgical music. All adult congregants are welcome to join the Congregational Singers; children sing in the PAS Youth Choir and teens sing and play in the PAS Rock Band. 9

Park Avenue Synagogue is renowned for its educational programming. From one-time sessions to year-long courses, for toddlers to seniors, the synagogue offers opportunities to learn about every aspect of Judaism and to deepen connections to this community and to worldwide Jewry. Young Family Education The Young Family Education Department holds over fifty events per year for families with children newborn to six years old, offering families a regular Learning venue for Jewish music, dance, art, Shabbat dinners and tefilah (prayer). We also provide a robust toddler program as well as afterschool enrichment activities, with more than seventy children participating. Early Childhood Center The PAS Early Childhood Center has been providing our children with a rich experience since 1965. Our educational philosophy is that the learning process of young children is an active and creative one. Sharing and celebrating Jewish holidays and culture is an integral part of the program. Parents of ECC children are invited to join the ECC Parents Association, which helps organize school events. 10 Park Avenue Synagogue 11

Learning Congregational School The PAS Congregational School is a supplementary school dedicated to inspiring lifelong participation in the Jewish community for our K-12 learners and their families. In partnership with our families and with the synagogue community as a whole, the CS provides meaningful learning through both formal and experiential education. Parents of CS learners are invited to join the CS Parents Association which helps organize school events. Rabbi Judah Nadich High School Post Bar and Bat Mitzvah learners ages 13 through high school can attend the RJNHS. Their motto is Let s Learn! Let s Lead! Let s Do! Teens study with our rabbis, help teach the younger children in the Congregational School, and run a weekly food pantry serving the local community. Day School Community Children who attend Jewish day school are welcome to join all PAS educational opportunities. Summer Camp Both my children are challenged and engaged in the Shabbat curriculum. The discussions are thought-provoking, the music is catchy and the atmosphere is friendly and engaging. I continue to be impressed by how much my boys have learned this year in the PAS program. Camp Keshet, located in our Early Childhood Center, offers preschool children the ideal setting to learn social skills while making friends in a supportive and kind environment. The days are filled with swimming, art, music, and thematic Jewish programming. The staff are experienced early childhood educators who bring warmth, love and enthusiasm to every day. 12 Park Avenue Synagogue 13

Learning The retreat provided us, as newbies, with an opportunity to meet longtime members of the congregation in an informal environment that encouraged people to get to know one another... having friends will add to our enjoyment of (and increase the likelihood that we will attend) Shabbat services and other events. Adult Programming From the annual Shabbaton to the Park Avenue Synagogue Lecture Series to classes, concerts and tours, Park Avenue Synagogue s clergy, teachers and guest speakers invite members to deepen their connection to Judaism, no matter their prior Jewish educational background. Library The Edmond de Rothschild Library is a haven where congregants of all ages learn Torah, read novels, surf the web, chat in Yiddish, listen to cantorial gems, or play with Hebrew alphabet blocks. Join a classes that meets in the Library, borrow a DVD, read a board book to your toddler, or visit Torah study sites on the Internet. Our librarian can help you find your next leisure read, research a knotty question, or choose a Jewish book. 14 Park Avenue Synagogue 15

In addition to worship and learning opportunities, Park Avenue Synagogue has vibrant lay-led groups which offer daytime and evening programming and opportunities to do social justice projects and acts of kindness. The Arms Men s Club is for men of all ages. It benefits the community, the synagogue and Men s Club members through Avodah (service and prayer), Kehillah (community participation) and Tzedakah (righteous giving). Men s Club social activities include a film series, sports events and hosting Torah on Tap (Torah study over beer and spirits). Men s Club also Community sponsors and runs an annual Hanukkah party and a Passover food delivery to benefit needy Jews living on the Lower East Side. Women s Network builds community and camaraderie for women at all stages of life through social, intellectual and spiritual activities, including speakers, museum tours, book discussions, film screenings, social justice projects, parties, and more. Young Couples Group is a community-building social group comprised of synagogue members between the ages of 25 and 45. Providing a welcoming entry into the greater PAS community, the YCG hosts an annual Hanukkah Latke/Vodka party, Shabbat Mix & Mingle dinners, a Sukkot brunch, a speaker series, and other events. 16 Park Avenue Synagogue 17

Community Committees Tikkun Olam/Social Justice Committee This committee helps the most vulnerable members of the community, promotes social justice, and repairs the world. Projects include packing groceries at the New York Common Pantry, bringing children to make visits in assisted living facilities, and playing games with schoolchildren in a homeless center. The committee also organizes the annual Vicki K. Wimpfheimer Mitzvah Day, a fall Sunday when the entire community does volunteer projects together at the synagogue. UJA @ PAS This committee fosters our relationship with the UJA-Federation of New York. Members of the congregation do service for UJA beneficiary agencies, such as the Sunrise Day Camp for children with chronic illness. We also benefit from services such as the Give a Mitzvah-Do a Mitzvah project for Bnei Mitzvah students. JTS @ PAS This committee fosters the growing relationship between our synagogue and The Jewish Theological Seminary, the center of the Conservative movement, where many of our clergy and educators have been trained. 18 Park Avenue Synagogue 19

Community The PAS Caring Network Supporting congregants and their families during times of transition, the Caring Network offers solace during times of illness, suffering, loss and grief and also reaches out to families during times of joy. Caring Network initiatives include onsite social work support for all PAS members through the Jewish Board of Family & Children s Services, onsite social work for PAS seniors, families and their caregivers through DOROT, and occasional workshops on parenting, marriage, and other topics. The Caring Network has four initiatives: Kiddushin Clergy lead sessions with couples preparing for marriage. B rukhim Haba im We send welcoming packages to families with new babies. Bikur Cholim Members of the congregation, with clergy supervision, visit members who are homebound or ill. Nechama We reach out to the bereaved, helping not only during shiva but also in the weeks and months that follow. 20 A Synagogue in Action 21

Photo: Ira Lipkke Studios PAS is here to celebrate with you during joyous occasions and to comfort you during sad ones. Our clergy and educators can help you choose a Hebrew name for your new son, design a baby-naming ceremony for your daughter, or plan a wedding that suits your family. Almost every Shabbat during the school year we welcome young adults into the Jewish community celebrating their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Our Bnei Mitzvah Coordinator works with families beginning with the assignment of dates. Learners study Torah reading in class before beginning sessions with an individual tutor who helps each youngster understand the service and Lifecycle Events the Torah portion as well as learn to participate in the Shabbat service. Our inclusive community welcomes and accommodates learners with special needs. Whether you are welcoming a baby, hosting a wedding or rejoicing at a Bar Mitzvah, we encourage you to celebrate here. There are various rooms available for dinners and parties and a renowned in-house kosher caterer to accommodate every event need. At times of loss, our rabbis and cantors are present with families and help carry out funerals and memorial services. The synagogue has a reserved area at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. 22 Park Avenue Synagogue 23

We happily invite you to be part of the Park Avenue Synagogue family! To learn more and to help make your decision, join us for worship services, attend Membership a lecture or a concert, or come by for a tour. We will greet you with open arms. Our membership form and dues structure are available on our website at www.pasyn.org. Please also feel free to call and speak with our Director of Membership Services at 212-369-2600. 24 Park Avenue Synagogue 25

www.pasyn.org 50 East 87th Street, New York, NY 10128 Synagogue Office: 212-369-2600