WJOA Passover Movie Night, Mimouna at Milkflower and Shabbat at ACI

Read about upcoming events and news from the Wandering Jews of Astoria.

See below for the WJOA mid-April announcements! Featured in today's newsletter: Passover Movie Night: 4/17 Mimouna at Milkflower: 4/20 Shabbat with ACI Young Professionals: 4/25 Trivia Night: 5/1 Author Event with Reuven Fenton: 5/4 Club Room Shabbat: 5/9 Schmooze News Passover Movie Night Thursday, April 17, 6:30pm Ali's apartment in Astoria Join the Wandering Jews of Astoria on Thursday, April 17 as we resume our tradition of Passover movie night! 6:30pm arrival time, 7pm showtime! We have the vast array of Mel Brooks movies to choose from and we will vote that night. Please bring a snack to share and we ask that it is kosher for Passover. Please RSVP to Ali for her address. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Ali Mimouna at Milkflower Sunday, April 20, 7pm Milkflower (34-12 31st Ave, Astoria) Join WJOA as we break Passover with delicious pizza at Milkflower, a BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC 2024 Winner for Best Pizza in Astoria. RSVP to Jonah by Tuesday, April 15 so we can make a reservation. Here is the Facebook event. (Mimouna is a Jewish celebration marking the end of Passover and a return to chametz.) RSVP to Jonah Shabbat with ACI Young Professionals Friday, April 25, 6:30pm–10pm Astoria Center of Israel (27-35 Crescent St, Astoria) Join us for post-Passover Shabbat services and potluck dinner being hosted at the Astoria Center of Israel synagogue with their Young Professionals group. Mark your calendar for Friday, April 25, as we gather for a special dairy/pareve potluck dinner. RSVP to Brian to get the sign-up sheet. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Brian Trivia Night Thursday, May 1, 6:30pm–9pm Halsey's (30-95 33rd St, Astoria) Please RSVP to Laura so she can save seats. The WJOA Trivia team will return to celebrate our previous victory at Halsey's. Join us on Thursday, May 1 at 6:30pm to help reserve a table and grab happy hour drinks before trivia begins at 7pm. Halsey's trivia has become extremely popular, so we are hoping to take advantage of expanded outdoor seating now that the weather is getting warmer. In the event of rain on May 1, we may have to transition to an indoor happy hour nearby if there is not enough space for us (they do not take reservations). We hope to see you there! Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Laura Author Event with Reuven Fenton Sunday, May 4, 3pm–5pm LIC Reuven Fenton, who is a longtime writer for the New York Post, published a novel in 2024 called Goyhood. The book is about a devoutly Orthodox Jewish man who discovers in middle age that he's not, in fact, Jewish, and embarks on a remarkable road trip through America's Deep South with his estranged ne'er-do-well twin brother to come to grips with his fate. We'll be sitting down with Reuven to have a discussion about his book. We hope you'll join us! Please RSVP by Thursday, May 1 to Jonah, and he will provide the address. Space is limited. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jonah Club Room Shabat Friday, May 9, 6:30pm–9:30pm Jonah's apartment building in LIC Join us for the next Wandering Jews Shabbat, as Jonah hosts us at his building's Club Room in LIC. This special Shabbat will be led with musical accompaniment, and the vegetarian potluck dinner has pizza included. It is $10 to attend, and that will help offset the cost of reserving the room. Please RSVP to Jonah by Tuesday, May 6. This will be a larger capacity Shabbat, but space is still limited so RSVP early. After he receives your payment, he will provide the OneTable registration link, address, and potluck sign-up for sides, beverages and desserts. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jonah Schmooze News 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 Passover Wine Tasting Thursday, April 17 6:30–8:30pm | Central Synagogue Pavilion Wine is a major part of the Passover seder, but are we taking the time to truly appreciate the fruit of the vine? Enjoy delicious Israeli wine at a special tasting led by "Israel Wine Girl” Jody Nestel and Central member Michelle Aspis. Chocolate and cheese pairings will be provided. Register   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 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