wJOA February Updates

February Shabbat
Our February Shabbat potluck will be on 2/13 hosted by Laura and Libbi. More details coming soon...

Hosted Shabbat Dinners in the 'Hood
In addition to our monthly community-wide potlucks, WJOA encourages anyone who wishes to, to host a smaller dinner in their home. Hosts decide whether to have a service, how many people they can accommodate, and whether or not it is potluck style. This is a great time to meet new and old friends in a more intimate setting. Please contact Ally if you are interested in hosting.

On 2/20, the Davening Dreamers will be having a Shabbat dinner and service. There will be a parve / dairy meal fully provided, so there's no need to bring anything. If you would like to bring grape juice or challah, please contact the host beforehand. Trichitza service will begin at 5:18 which will conclude at 6:45 when the meal will begin. Please RSVP with Eli for the address.

On 2/20, Young Israel of Sunnyside will be hosting a Shabbat dinner. Connect to the Western Queens Young Professional Jewish community at a local Shabbat meal. There will be great food, drinks, great people, and singing.  Spread the word and invite your friends! More info on the Facebook event page.
On 2/27, Zelig will welcome 9 guests in his home for a Shabbat dinner. A short service (with Chabad siddur) will by followed by a glatt kosher meat meal (with veggie options!). Please contact Zelig if you'd like to attend.

Book Club Voting
If you plan on attending our next book club meeting, please vote for our next read here ASAP! The choices are as follows:

"The Caine Mutiny" by Herman Wouk
"Tevye the Dairyman" by Shalom Aleichem
"Stones for the River" by Ursula Hegi
"The Nimrod Fliput" by Etgar Keret
"Book of Joe" by Jonathan Tropper

You can click on each choice for a more detailed description. For details re: the date, time, and place coming soon!
  
Social Action Volunteer Opportunity at the Met Council
SOAP (Save Our Adolescents From Prostitution)

Monday 2/9 7:00pm JCC Manhattan 334 Amsterdam Ave. 
Coordinated by the Met Council on Jewish Poverty, this volunteer project aims to increase the likelihood of reaching a missing child or sex trafficking victim. Sign up here right now to be part of the campaign to take action. You will have to register as a Met Council member when signing up.  Please feel free to contact Ali Shapiro with any questions. You can also check out the Facebook event page.

Vegetarian Cooking Class
Not sure what to make for the next potluck? Afraid to turn on your stove? Want to impress your friends and entertain? Want to learn how to prepare healthy tasty, Whole Foods quality dishes on a Trade Fair budget? Then this class is for you!  We will focus on how to use your kitchen tools and gadgets more efficiently, and how to prepare quick, easy, and delicious meals with items that you probably already have in your cabinets. This will be a hands-on demonstration, so come hungry and bring your Tupperware! $10 contribution will cover cost of food. Save the date; Sunday March 1 at 5pm!

Schmooze News Items
Congratulations to WJOA member Eli Steier, who recently published a collection of poems entitled There Was Once A Boy. The Kindle edition of this collection is available for purchase on www.amazon.com.

Attention people of Astoria: There is going to be a BOAST: Best of Astoria website launch party on Sunday February 8th 4:30 PM at Studio Square. This event is open to everyone, so please invite all your friends! More info on the event page here. Also, check out the new website www.boast.nyc if you haven't already, and find out the best places to eat and drink, and things to do and see in the area. Like the Facebook page for updates: www.facebook.com/boastnyc.

Torah Text Challenge 2; win a $50 Amazon gift card!

The challenge is on! To celebrate the light of Torah, our goal is to put 10 Torah texts in the hands of 10 different people who have not read them. Each person who signs up for the Torah Text Challenge 2 (TTC2) has to buy or loan someone else a Torah themed book related to Judaism. It could be about Jewish history, Tanackh, prayer, chassidus, Hebrew, Talmud, etc., on any level. After you do so, please write the title of the book you sent and whether you gave it to a friend, relative, co-worker. You don't have to write the name! If we have 10 books, by February 17th, there will be a celebration planned on the Shabbat following on the 10 for all of those who participated, including those who received the books even if they did not send one. Additionally, the person who sends the most Torah books will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card. On your mark, get set, Torah!  More details here.