WJOA Trivia, Shabbat, and Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner

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

Happy Jewish New Year! See below for the WJOA mid-September announcements! Featured in today's newsletter: Trivia Night: 9/17 Shabbat in the Park: 9/19 Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner: 9/22 Shabbat in the Sukkah: 10/10 Book Club Brunch and Discussion: 11/9 Schmooze News Erev Rosh Hashanah is Monday evening, September 22. Kol Nidre is Wednesday evening, October 1. Here is a list of places to celebrate those holidays compiled by Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Trivia Night Wednesday, September 17, 6:30pm–9:00pm The Trestle (34-02 Broadway, Astoria) Join WJOA this month for Trivia at The Trestle. Trivia starts at 7pm, but let's meet at 6:30pm to get seats, food and say hello. Trestle has Happy Hour until 7pm. Check out their menu here. Please RSVP to Ali so she can save you a seat. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Ali Shabbat in the Park Friday, September 19, 6:30pm–8:30pm Athens Square Park (30th Ave by 30th St, Astoria) Join us for Kabbalat Shabbat in Athens Square Park (bring something comfortable to sit on). RSVP by Wednesday, September 17, by emailing Brian so he can send you the sign-up sheet for the vegetarian potluck. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Brian Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner Monday, September 22, 5:30pm Rivercrest (33-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria) Join the Wandering Jews of Astoria for our annual Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner. We are huge fans of Rivercrest, so we hope we'll see you there. It will be a chance to connect with others and be with community. Happy Hour goes until 7pm. You can view the menu here. Please RSVP to Jonah by Thursday, September 18. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jonah Save the Date: Shabbat in the Sukkah Friday, October 10 Rebecca and Andrew's backyard Book Club Brunch and Discussion Sunday, November 9, noon to 2pm Location TBD The next Book Club book will be Rabbis of the Garden State by Daniel Meltz (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, November 6 if you can make it, and he'll send you the address and potluck signup form. Here is the Facebook event. RSVP to Jonah Schmooze News Rooted: A day of service for the Earth Join Adamah for ROOTED, a one-day Jewish volunteer event on Sunday, September 21, 2025, mobilizing 1,000+ participants for hands-on projects across NYC, Westchester, and Long Island—from parks and beaches to gardens and farms. Join a shift between 9am–4pm and be part of something bigger than yourself. There are events in Forest Park and Socrates Sculpture Park. You can register here.   Shabbat Sandwich Making at Central Fridays, September 26, October 10 and 24 5:00–5:30pm | Lese Lobby Make sandwiches for the Upper East Side Community Fridge before Shabbat services on the second and fourth Friday of every month. Separate registration is required for each volunteer session. Register   Central 20s & 30s Shabbat Dinner and Service (open to those 21–39) Friday, September 19 6:30 pm | Pavilion We'll start with Happy Half-Hour, then move to services, followed by dinner and dessert. It will be a great chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones! We'll reflect on this month leading up to the High Holy Days as a community, sharing the highlights of our summer and what we're looking forward to this fall. Register   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 30s & 40s 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