WJOA Happy Hour, Book Club and Shabbat at ACI

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

See below for the WJOA mid-February announcements! Featured in today's newsletter: Happy Hour: 2/17 Book Club: 2/22 Dinner and Cardmaking for Foster Children: 2/24 Shabbat with ACI Young Professionals: 3/6 Hot Chocolate Social/Community Meeting: 3/29 Schmooze News Happy Hour–Bring a Friend February Tuesday, February 17, 6:30pm Jack Jones Gastropub (38-01 Ditmars Blvd) Join us for this month, as we return to Ditmars Ave for Happy Hour at Jack Jones Gastropub...and bring a friend too! It's "Bring a Friend February." We want to meet more people. If you know someone who has never been to a WJOA event or someone looking for a community, please bring them along. Meet-up time is 6:30pm. Happy Hour is 4–7pm, with $6–$9 drafts, wine and cocktails. Mocktails and food available as well! You can view the menu here. Please send an RSVP for you (and your friend) to Jennifer, so she can save you a seat. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jennifer Book Club Sunday, February 22, noon–2pm Location TBD The next WJOA Book Club book will be Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman (352 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 here. RSVP to Jonah by Thursday, February 12 if you can make it, and he'll send you the address and potluck signup form. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jonah Dinner and Cardmarking for Foster Children Tuesday, February 24, 6:30pm–8:30pm Central Synagogue Community House, Room 902 (123 E 55th St) Calling all 20s, 30s and 40s to attend a Purim dinner and cardmaking event at Central Synagogue. Ticket cost $18 for Central members, $36 for everyone else, and it includes an Italian buffet dinner and crafting. Two of the main components of the Purim holiday are mishloach manot, or the commandment to give gifts to friends and family, and matanot l'evyonim, giving gifts to the less fortunate. Central Synagogue has created this Cardmaking event with Light the Candle, and invited WJOA board member Jennifer Verbit to teach pop-up cardmaking. This Purim, we'll bring joy and empower foster children by making them personalized birthday and greeting cards. WJOA will be attending an already scheduled event at Central Synagogue. Anyone interested in attending must purchase a ticket through Central here. Please also RSVP to Jennifer, so that she can look out for you at the event to say hello and to introduce people coming from WJOA to each other. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jennifer Shabbat with ACI Young Professionals Friday, March 6, 6:30pm–9:30pm Astoria Center of Israel (27-35 Crescent St, Astoria) Join us for Shabbat services and potluck dinner being hosted at the Astoria Center of Israel synagogue with their Young Professionals group. Mark your calendar for Friday, March 6, as we gather for a special dairy/pareve potluck dinner. RSVP to Brian at to get the sign-up sheet. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Brian Hot Chocolate Social/Community Meeting Sunday, March 29, 3:30pm–5:30pm LIC  Come drink hot chocolate and discuss the past, present and future of WJOA! We'd like to hear from you and get your feedback about the group. RSVP to Jonah for the address. (Space is limited.) Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jonah Schmooze News BOAST Winter 2026 Party The BOAST: Best of Astoria & LIC Winter 2026 Party is happening on Sunday, March 1, 3pm–5pm at Tootles & French! Light bites will be provided, there will be a raffle and a cash bar. Tickets are $25 and you can register at boast.nyc/party.   Central 30s/40s  Friday, Feb. 20, 6pm, main sanctuary 30s/40s Shabbat is usually the third Friday of the month, where they go to services at Central at 6pm, and then they have a small area reserved at Draught 55 at 7:30pm. You're always welcome to meet them directly there. Real-time updates will be shared in WhatsApp You can sign up here to get on the email list, and the WhatsApp group is linked here.   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.    Donate to Aid in the Bondi Beach shooting We are devastated by the shooting on Bondi Beach in Australia on December 14. Donate through this GoFundMe to help the people and families affected by this tragedy.    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