WJOA Ice Cream Happy Hour, Trivia and Shabbat in the Park

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

See below for the WJOA mid-June announcements! Featured in today's newsletter: Shabbat Hosting Interest Survey Ice Cream Happy Hour: 6/18 Trivia: 6/24 Fireworks in Astoria Park: 6/25 Shabbat in the Park (LIC): 6/26 Central Queens Against Hate Walking Tour: 6/28 Book Club: 7/12 Sukkot (the play): 8/2 Brunch: 8/9 Schmooze News WJOA Shabbat Hosting Interest Survey Please fill out the form below to let us know if you're interested in hosting Shabbat dinners in the future. You can let us know which neighborhood you live in, how many people you can host, and if you want to do a full kabbalat Shabbat services before the meal, or just kiddush and motzi. Thank you in advance!   Fill out the survey Ice Cream Happy Hour Thursday, June 18, 7pm – 8:30pm Ample Hills Creamery Astoria (34-02 30th Ave, Astoria) Join WJOA for an almost-summer Ice Cream Happy Hour. We will gather at the Ample Hills Creamery in Astoria. All of Ample Hills is officially kosher certified for its ice cream. Check out their flavors here. To attend or to ask any event questions, please RSVP by Wednesday, June 17 through Partiful here, so that we can expect you there. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP on Partiful Trivia Night Wednesday, June 24, 7pm – 9:30pm Finback LIC (29-37 41st Ave, LIC) Please RSVP on Partiful here by Tuesday, June 23 so that we have an accurate count for teams. The WJOA Trivia team will compete at Finback LIC on Wednesday, June 24. Come at 7pm to grab a drink, catch up with the group, and help hold seats until trivia begins at 7:30pm. All are welcome, whether you are a trivia star or an enthusiastic cheerleader. We hope to see you there! Here is the Facebook event. RSVP on Partiful Fireworks in Astoria Park Thursday, June 25, 7pm – 9:30pm Great Lawn at Astoria Park Join WJOA in viewing fireworks in Astoria Park for a pre-4th of July celebration. We will meet on the Great Lawn, with specific location to be determined. (Keep an eye on the Partiful event page.) Bring your own chair or blanket to sit on and your own dinner, or a snack to share. Feel free to arrive throughout the evening. Starting at 7:30pm there will be a special musical performance featuring Allyson Briggs, Dan Gabel, and their 18 piece big band! Enjoy the music as you wait for the grand display itself. Expect the fireworks to take place at/or beyond sunset, around 9pm or 9:15pm. Here is more info about the event from Astoria Park. RSVP by Wednesday, June 24, through Partiful here, so we can plan how much lawn area to save. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP on Partiful Shabbat in the Park (LIC) Friday, June 26, 7pm – 9pm Gantry Plaza State Park (47-40 Center Blvd, LIC) We're heading to the waterfront park in LIC! We'll be in the area directly behind the Queens Public Library at Hunters Point (47-40 Center Blvd). Bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on. Before the meal we will only be doing kiddush and motzi, not a full service. Please RSVP by Wednesday, June 24 through Partiful here, then we'll send you the spreadsheet to sign up for the vegetarian potluck. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP on Partiful WJOA and Central Queens Against Hate Walking Tour Sunday, June 28, 2pm – 5pm Jamaica, Queens (RSVP for exact location) WJOA will partner with Central Queens Against Hate for a walking tour of Queens religious institutions. This walking tour is sponsored by the New York City Office of Prevention of Hate Crimes. We will start at a mosque* in Jamaica, followed by a synagogue and church in Forest Hills. You can come for all, or part, of the tour, but participants who join the entire tour from start to finish are eligible for a raffle for a $25 Amazon gift card! Snacks will be provided at each stop. More information about the route and RSVP here. Here is the Facebook event. *Please note that women will be asked to wear a scarf or wrap to cover their heads at the mosque, so please plan accordingly.  RSVP on the Google Form Book Club Brunch and Discussion Sunday, July 12, 12pm – 2pm Location TBD (Astoria or LIC) The next Book Club book will be Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman by Abby Stein (272 pages). We'll meet for a discussion and brunch potluck at location TBD in Astoria or LIC. Come with a question or two if you'd like. Here is the link to the book at Astoria Bookshop. RSVP on Partiful here by Thursday, July 9 if you can make it, and we'll send you the address and potluck signup form. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP on Partiful Sukkot (the play) Sunday, August 2, 2pm – 5:30pm 59e59 Theaters Join WJOA to see the play Sukkot. It starts at 2:15pm and we can meet in front of the theater at 2pm. The show is 1 hour 35 minutes long. RSVP and pay Jonah $54 via Venmo (@Jonah-Schrogin) by Sunday, June 21 to ensure you get tickets with the group. (You can also buy your own ticket separately.) We can go out for drinks and appetizers after the show. Find out more information here. RSVP on the Partiful here. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP on Partiful Brunch Sunday, August 9, 12pm – 2pm Astoria Provisions (12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria) Join WJOA for a summertime brunch! This place has great food. Check out the menu here. RSVP soon on Partiful here as space is limited. Hope to see you there! Here is the Facebook event. RSVP on Partiful Schmooze News Central 30s/40s  Central Synagogue has a vibrant, lay-led group for people in their 30s & 40s. The group regularly sits together at Shabbat services, goes out for Shabbat drinks, and organizes additional events for holidays and general gatherings. To learn more, email Marina at [email protected].   WJOA member Eli Steier has a website called Whole Heart Torah, for resources on Jewish meditation and spiritual direction.   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! strong>—The WJOA Team