Blog Archives

WJOA Trivia, Happy Hour and Purim Spiel

2/20/2025

See below for the WJOA mid-February announcements!

Featured in today's newsletter:
Trivia: 2/19
Happy Hour: 2/27
Happy Hour and Cardmaking for Dorot: 3/4
Purim Spiel: 3/9
Book Club Brunch and Discussion: 3/30
Schmooze News

Trivia Night

Wednesday, February 19, 7:15pm–10:00pm
Finback Brewery LIC (29-37 41st Ave, Long Island City)

Please RSVP to Laura so she can save seats. The WJOA Trivia team will be showing off our skills at Finback Brewery LIC on Wednesday, February 19. Arrive by 7:15pm to snag a seat and grab a drink before trivia begins at 7:30pm. We hope to see you there! Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Laura

Happy Hour

Thursday, February 27, 6pm
Queen's Room (36-02 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria)

We thought it would be fun to hang out again on Ditmars Blvd, this time at Queen's Room. Plus it was the BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2024 Winner for Best American Restaurant. Come see what everyone is talking about! Queen's Room Happy Hour is 4–7pm. We will meet there at 6pm. Check out their menu here. Check out other BOAST winners here. Please send an RSVP to Jennifer, so she can save you a seat. Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Jennifer

Happy Hour and Cardmaking for Dorot

Tuesday, March 4, 6:30pm
Oliver's Astoria (37-19 Broadway at 38th St, Astoria)

Join Jennifer as she leads a handmade cardmaking workshop where the cards are made by YOU! The cards will then be given to Dorot, a non-profit organization that provides many different services mainly for older adults living on the Upper West Side. One way to volunteer is by making cards that Dorot will distribute to older adults for birthdays and holidays. Here is more info about Dorot and their cardmaking program. All materials will be provided. We will meet at Oliver's in Astoria and enjoy Happy Hour while creating our cards. Here is Oliver's menu. To attend, RSVP to Jennifer. Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Jennifer

Purim Spiel

Sunday, March 9, 3pm
Location TBD

Save the date for the WJOA Purim Spiel! RSVP to Brian to get the details.

RSVP to Brian

Book Club Brunch and Discussion

Sunday, March 30, noon
Location TBD

The next Book Club book will be Jerusalem Beach by Iddo Gefen (304 pages). We'll meet for a discussion and brunch potluck at location TBD. Come with a question or two if you'd like. Here is the link to the book at Astoria Bookshop. RSVP to Jonah by Thursday, March 27 if you can make it. Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Jonah

Schmooze News

BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC Winter 2025 Party
- Come to Rivercrest (33-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria) on Sunday, March 2 at 3pm, where we’ll celebrate the current BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winners! (BOAST is the organization that Jonah, current WJOA board member, started.) Get your tickets at boast.nyc/party. We’ll provide some snacks, there will be a cash bar, and we’ll have a raffle for great prizes from local businesses, including Ayy Chihuahua, The Bonnie, The Brass Owl, Il Nonno R istorante, Milkflower, Queen’s Room, Rivercrest and Sanfords. Early bird pricing by Sunday, February 16 is $20, and includes one raffle ticket. (You can buy more raffle tickets there, but there is a maximum of one prize per person.) After February 16, the price goes up to $25. Please RSVP no later than Monday, February 24 so we can keep the venue posted on attendance. In 2024 Rivercrest was a BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winner for Best Bar for Sports, Best Bar for Trivia Night, and Best Bar Food. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!
WJOA member Eli Steier has a YouTube series of two-minute videos called Whole Heart Torah Fundamentals. You can check it out here.
- These short clips are designed to introduce and deepen key Torah concepts such as the significance of the unity of Hashem, Hashem's love for us, and the importance of being wholehearted.
Central 20s & 30s
- The NYC Shabbat Collective
  Friday, February 21
  6:30 pm | Hebrew Union College (1 West 4th Street)
  Join for an evening full of inspiring music, delicious food and drinks, and a passionate community of young Jewish professionals from across the city. Register here
Central 30s & 40s
- New group alert!
  Central Synagogue now has a group for those in their 30s and 40s. The group goes to Shabbat services at Central on the third Friday of the month, followed by a bar nearby to schmooze. (They also have other events.) You can sign up here to get on the email list, and the WhatsApp group is linked here.
Donate to Aid in the LA Fires
- The fires in LA, which are still ongoing, have been devastating. GlobalGiving has a fundraiser, California Wildfire Relief Fund, where all donations to this fund will support wildfire relief and recovery efforts in California. Your donation will directly help people in need by providing food, water, and shelter through vetted nonprofits.
Donate to Aid in the Israel-Gaza Crisis
- We are heartbroken and devastated by the Israel/Gaza war. You can contribute to GlobalGiving's Israel-Palestine Crisis Relief Fund, which provides emergency relief and long-term support to people in need.
Donate to Aid in the Ukraine Crisis
- In February 2023, WJOA board member Jonah Schrogin volunteered at JCC Krakow, where he packed and sorted food for Ukrainian refugees. If you'd like to contribute to JCC Krakow's Ukraine relief program, here is their Ukraine Appeal. JCC Krakow is a 501(c)(3) organization, so any donations made are tax-deductible. Please write “Ukraine donation via Jonah Schrogin, int vol” in the comment box.
- Jonah has another fundraiser, this one benefitting GlobalGiving's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. This supports more than 80 non-profit organizations on the ground in Ukraine and in the surrounding areas providing humanitarian aid, such as shelter, medical care, food, and clean water. Contribute here, and you can get more information by emailing Jonah, including seeing a recorded presentation.

Have an event you'd like to organize or share? As always, please don't hesitate to send them our way!

—The WJOA Team

WJOA Book Club Voting, Trivia and Happy Hour

2/20/2025

See below for the WJOA early February announcements!

Featured in today's newsletter:
Book Club Voting: 2/13
Trivia: 2/19
Happy Hour: 2/27
Schmooze News

Book Club Voting

Between now and Thursday, February 13, 7pm

Please vote (only once) using the link below for the next Book Club book. We are doing ranked-choice voting again, so rank your choices first to fifth. Vote below by Thursday, February 13 at 7pm. Here is the form to vote. Here is the Facebook event.

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong (480 pages)
The Way Back by Gavriel Savit (368 pages)
Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman (352 pages)
Empire Falls by Richard Russo (496 pages)
Jerusalem Beach: Stories by Iddo Gefen (304 pages)

Vote by 2/13

Trivia Night

Wednesday, February 19, 7:15pm–10:00pm
Finback Brewery LIC (29-37 41st Ave, Long Island City)

RSVP to Laura

Happy Hour

Thursday, February 27, 6pm
Queen's Room (36-02 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria)

RSVP to Jennifer

Schmooze News

BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC Winter 2025 Party
- Come to Rivercrest (33-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria) on Sunday, March 2 at 3pm, where we’ll celebrate the current BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winners! Get your tickets at boast.nyc/party. We’ll provide some snacks, there will be a cash bar, and we’ll have a raffle for great prizes from local businesses, including Ayy Chihuahua, The Bonnie, The Brass Owl, Il Nonno R istorante, Milkflower, Queen’s Room, Rivercrest and Sanfords. Early bird pricing by Sunday, February 16 is $20, and includes one raffle ticket. (You can buy more raffle tickets there, but there is a maximum of one prize per person.) After February 16, the price goes up to $25. Please RSVP no later than Monday, February 24 so we can keep the venue posted on attendance. In 2024 Rivercrest was a BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winner for Best Bar for Sports, Best Bar for Trivia Night, and Best Bar Food. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!
WJOA member Eli Steier has a YouTube series of two-minute videos called Whole Heart Torah Fundamentals. You can check it out here.
- These short clips are designed to introduce and deepen key Torah concepts such as the significance of the unity of Hashem, Hashem's love for us, and the importance of being wholehearted.
Central 20s & 30s
- The NYC Shabbat Collective
  Friday, February 21
  6:30 pm | Hebrew Union College (1 West 4th Street)
  Join for an evening full of inspiring music, delicious food and drinks, and a passionate community of young Jewish professionals from across the city. Register here
Central 30s & 40s
- New group alert!
  Central Synagogue now has a group for those in their 30s and 40s. The group goes to Shabbat services at Central on the third Friday of the month, followed by a bar nearby to schmooze. (They also have other events.) You can sign up here to get on the email list, and the WhatsApp group is linked here.
Donate to Aid in the LA Fires
- The fires in LA, which are still ongoing, have been devastating. GlobalGiving has a fundraiser, California Wildfire Relief Fund, where all donations to this fund will support wildfire relief and recovery efforts in California. Your donation will directly help people in need by providing food, water, and shelter through vetted nonprofits.
Donate to Aid in the Israel-Gaza Crisis
- We are heartbroken and devastated by the Israel/Gaza war. You can contribute to GlobalGiving's Israel-Palestine Crisis Relief Fund, which provides emergency relief and long-term support to people in need.
Donate to Aid in the Ukraine Crisis
- In February 2023, WJOA board member Jonah Schrogin volunteered at JCC Krakow, where he packed and sorted food for Ukrainian refugees. If you'd like to contribute to JCC Krakow's Ukraine relief program, here is their Ukraine Appeal. JCC Krakow is a 501(c)(3) organization, so any donations made are tax-deductible. Please write “Ukraine donation via Jonah Schrogin, int vol” in the comment box.
- Jonah has another fundraiser, this one benefitting GlobalGiving's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. This supports more than 80 non-profit organizations on the ground in Ukraine and in the surrounding areas providing humanitarian aid, such as shelter, medical care, food, and clean water. Contribute here, and you can get more information by emailing Jonah, including seeing a recorded presentation.

Have an event you'd like to organize or share? As always, please don't hesitate to send them our way!

—The WJOA Team

WJOA Shabbat, Board Games, Happy Hour and Author Event

2/20/2025

See below for the WJOA mid-January announcements!

Featured in today's newsletter:
Shabbat Services and Potluck: 1/24
Board Games: 1/25
Happy Hour: 1/29
Author Event with Iddo Gefen: 2/2
Schmooze News

Shabbat Services and Potluck

Friday, January 24, 7pm
Eric W's apartment in Astoria

Join us for the next Wandering Jews Shabbat, as Eric W. hosts us at his place. We'll have a Shabbat service followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Jan. 22 to Eric. (Note that space is limited, so RSVP early to reserve a spot.) He'll send you the address and a spreadsheet so you can tell us what vegetarian dishes you will bring for dinner. Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Eric W

Board Games

Saturday, January 25, 2pm–5pm
Laura’s apartment in Astoria

What better way to spend a cold winter’s Shabbat afternoon than playing board games with the Wandering Jews of Astoria? Bring a game to play and a snack or beverage to share. We'll start at 2pm, and wrap up around 5pm. Swing by at any point for a quick “hello” or stay the whole time! RSVP to Laura by this Thursday evening for more information about location and snack sign-up sheet. This event will have limited capacity and is first come, first served, so please RSVP as early as possible if you are planning to come! Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Laura

Happy Hour

Wednesday, January 29, 6pm
Jack Jones Gastropub (38-01 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria)

Join us for our first Happy Hour of the new year, and what better way to celebrate than by going to Jack Jones Gastropub. Winner for 2024 Best Bar for Happy Hour on BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC. See the other BOAST 2024 winners here. Meet-up time is 6pm. Happy Hour is 4–7pm, $6–$9 Drafts, Wine and Cocktails. The food menu sounds delicious too! Check it out here. Please RSVP to Jennifer by Monday, Jan. 27, so she can save you a seat. Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Jennifer

Author Event with Iddo Gefen

Sunday, February 2, 3pm
LIC

Iddo Gefen is an Israeli author currently living in New York City, where he's a Ph.D. candidate in cognitive neuroscience at Columbia University. His collection of short stories Jerusalem Beach won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for the year 2023, and his new novel, Mrs. Lilienblum's Cloud Factory, is coming out April 2025.

We'll be sitting down with Iddo to hear him talk about his career, his collection of short stories (one of which was acquired by Ryan Gosling and a movie is set to be filmed next year) and his book soon to be released. We hope you'll join us! Please RSVP by Thursday, Jan. 30, to Jonah, and he will provide the address. Space is limited. Here is the Facebook event.

RSVP to Jonah

Schmooze News

BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC Winter 2025 Party
- Come to Rivercrest (33-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria) on Sunday, March 2 at 3pm, where we’ll celebrate the current BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winners! Get your tickets at boast.nyc/party. We’ll provide some snacks, there will be a cash bar, and we’ll have a raffle for great prizes from local businesses, including Ayy Chihuahua, The Bonnie, Milkflower, Queen’s Room, Rivercrest and Sanfords. Early bird pricing by Sunday, February 16 is $20, and includes one raffle ticket. (You can buy more raffle tickets there, but there is a maximum of one prize per person.) After February 16, the price goes up to $25. Please RSVP no later than Monday, February 24 so we can keep the venue posted on attendance. In 2024 Rivercrest was a BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC winner for Best Bar for Sports, Best Bar for Trivia Night, and Best Bar Food. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!
WJOA member Eli Steier has a YouTube series of two-minute videos called Whole Heart Torah Fundamentals. You can check it out here.
- These short clips are designed to introduce and deepen key Torah concepts such as the significance of the unity of Hashem, Hashem's love for us, and the importance of being wholehearted.
Central 20s & 30s
- The NYC Shabbat Collective
  Friday, February 21
  6:30 pm | Hebrew Union College (1 West 4th Street)
  Join for an evening full of inspiring music, delicious food and drinks, and a passionate community of young Jewish professionals from across the city. Early Bird Registration until January 23
Central 30s & 40s
- New group alert!
  Central Synagogue now has a group for those in their 30s and 40s. The group goes to Shabbat services at Central on the third Friday of the month, followed by a bar nearby to schmooze. (They also have other events.) You can sign up here to get on the email list, and the WhatsApp group is linked here.
Donate to Aid in the LA Fires
- The fires in LA, which are still ongoing, have been devastating. GlobalGiving has a fundraiser, California Wildfire Relief Fund, where all donations to this fund will support wildfire relief and recovery efforts in California. Your donation will directly help people in need by providing food, water, and shelter through vetted nonprofits.
Donate to Aid in the Israel-Gaza Crisis
- We are heartbroken and devastated by the Israel/Gaza war. You can contribute to GlobalGiving's Israel-Palestine Crisis Relief Fund, which provides emergency relief and long-term support to people in need.
Donate to Aid in the Ukraine Crisis
- In February 2023, WJOA board member Jonah Schrogin volunteered at JCC Krakow, where he packed and sorted food for Ukrainian refugees. If you'd like to contribute to JCC Krakow's Ukraine relief program, here is their Ukraine Appeal. JCC Krakow is a 501(c)(3) organization, so any donations made are tax-deductible. Please write “Ukraine donation via Jonah Schrogin, int vol” in the comment box.
- Jonah has another fundraiser, this one benefitting GlobalGiving's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. This supports more than 80 non-profit organizations on the ground in Ukraine and in the surrounding areas providing humanitarian aid, such as shelter, medical care, food, and clean water. Contribute here, and you can get more information by emailing Jonah, including seeing a recorded presentation.

Have an event you'd like to organize or share? As always, please don't hesitate to send them our way!

—The WJOA Team

WJOA Trivia, Happy Hour and Purim Spiel

Trivia Night

Happy Hour

Happy Hour and Cardmaking for Dorot

Purim Spiel

Book Club Brunch and Discussion

Schmooze News

WJOA Book Club Voting, Trivia and Happy Hour

Book Club Voting

Trivia Night

Happy Hour

Schmooze News

WJOA Shabbat, Board Games, Happy Hour and Author Event

Shabbat Services and Potluck

Board Games

Happy Hour

Author Event with Iddo Gefen

Schmooze News

Archives

Categories