Belong. Connect. Grow.
The Sisterhood of East End Temple brings together women in all stages of life in friendship, leadership, and intellectual and spiritual growth. We listen to women’s voices and promote their interests, passions, ideas, and concerns. Together we engage in tikkun olam by producing timely and relevant programming, fundraising, and advocating for social justice, while nurturing the life of the congregation, its leaders, and the community at large.
Click here to join Sisterhood today!
2023-2024 Programs
We offer a number of programs in different formats — in person, on Zoom and hybrid. Unless otherwise stated, the entire community, friends and family, is welcome to join us! Please send any questions and RSVPs to sisterhood@eastendtemple.org, except where noted.
Ongoing Programs
Food For Families
Sundays at 12:00pm: Will return in Fall 2024
For over 30 years, multiple generations of our community have made meals to feed hungry New Yorkers. Advance sign-up will be required (look for the link in an upcoming eblast). All participants must be age 12 or older (ages 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult). Each participant should bring five loaves of whole wheat bread and 16 pieces of fruit (preferably apples and oranges) and wear a hat to comply with Department of Health regulations.
Getting to Know You — Monthly Wednesdays Lunchtime Speaker Series (Zoom)
Will return in Fall 2024
Bring your lunch and join us as we introduce a fascinating member of our community.
Rosh Chodesh Study and Discussion: “Rebekah, Our Second Matriarch” (in person and via Zoom)
Sundays at 10:30am: Will return in Winter 2025
We continue our celebration of Rosh Chodesh, a holiday traditionally connected to women, with our fourth session, “Beyond the Blessing.” Join us for lively sessions led by Fern Stampleman, Elissa Macklin and Laurie Treuhaft. We’ll spend time together in conversation, share a potluck brunch and participate in evaluating Rebekah’s impact on the covenantal promise.
No prior knowledge necessary! Registration required. All reading materials emailed to registrants in advance of each date.
Stitch-A-Thon
Will return in Winter 2025
Gather for a while with other stitchers. Show off your latest projects; get help from our experts; make a hat or scarf for our Cold Weather Project for donating to New York’s needy.
Mah Jongg
Play/Learn in Person
First and third Thursdays from 11:30am to 1:30pm (in person)
Interested in learning to play mah jongg or finding players? Cash donation of $5 to play, $10 for a lesson. Coffee, tea and snacks available. Please register or let us know your interest by completing this form
Upcoming dates: May 2, May 16
A Day Of Mah Jongg – Play, Lunch, and Prizes
Sunday, May 5 from 10:30am-3:30pm
Play, shmooze, and eat to raise money for Sisterhood causes! During the day, we will play Mah Jongg for two 90-minute periods with a break for lunch between. There will be raffle prizes throughout the day and a special prize for the game winner at days end. All levels of play and all genders are welcome! Your cost of $36 will cover lunch and prizes and provide funds for all the many projects led by The Sisterhood of East End Temple. Some of these projects include feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, and gifts for our students that connect them to the EET community.
Sisterhood Board Meetings (Sisterhood members only)
Thursdays at 6:30pm: May 23, June 27 (in person and via Zoom)
All Sisterhood members are invited to join our bi-monthly board meetings when we share thoughts about our upcoming and past events, social action initiatives and what we can do to support each other and the EET community. RSVP requested to sisterhood@eastendtemple.org.
Scheduled Programs
Sisterhood Shabbat (in person and Livestream)
Will return in Spring 2025
Helene Spring Library Event
Will return in Spring 2025
Our annual celebration of our beautiful library includes a featured author speaking about their book, followed by a book sale and signing, and our always-popular homemade dessert buffet.
Lilith Seder
Thursday, April 25 at 6:00pm (in person and Zoom)
Sisterhood members using she/her pronouns, plus one guest, are welcome (ages 13 and up)
Join us for our annual potluck seder! Led by Cantor Brodsky, everyone participates in reading from a Haggadah written especially for the Sisterhood of East End Temple, focused on the women’s role in the Passover story, including prayers using feminized Hebrew. We sing songs written by Debbie Friedman, dance with tambourines, honor women of valor, use a Miriam’s Cup for water and place a symbolic orange on the seder plate.
- CLICK HERE TO REGISTER, indicating whether you will join in person or on Zoom, and if in person, including your guest’s name and contribution to the potluck dinner or seder items. In-person space fills up quickly so you are advised to respond as soon as possible. If you are not a current Sisterhood member, we welcome you to JOIN OR RENEW for a minimum contribution of $36 for the 2023-2024 membership year. For further information, please email SISTERHOOD@EASTENDTEMPLE.ORG.
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Engaging in tikkun olam – our fundraising and advocacy programs
Sisterhood supports a number of worthy causes for those in need as well as temple staff, clergy and building projects. If you are interested in donating to any of our funds and/or honoring a loved one, please refer to the Contribute page.
Birthday Fund
In its 12th year, Jodi Malcom chairs this outreach fund supported by donations honoring Sisterhood member birthdays, the birthdays of their loved ones, and other life events. Monies are directed to local organizations selected annually that support the lives of women and girls. Recently, donations were given to the Women’s Prison Association, which empowers women to redefine their lives in the face of injustice and incarceration, and New Women New Yorkers, which empowers immigrant women to obtain meaningful employment or pursue higher education in NYC.
Food For Families Funds
Led by a team of Sisterhood women for almost 30 years, we gather to make meals to feed hungry New Yorkers, which are picked up and distributed by City Harvest. Donations to these funds are used to buy the meal-making ingredients and materials.
Helene Spring Library Fund
A jewel of the temple, our library houses an extensive collection from which temple members may browse and borrow. Named for one of EET’s founding members, who is both a past temple president and Sisterhood president, we raise funds to keep our library beautiful and well-stocked.
Sisterhood Leadership Development Fund
We are dedicated to creating leaders who can develop programs to enhance our EET community and to raise funds to support meaningful projects. Women of Reform Judaism, along with other leadership organizations, provides us with access to many development tools, from conferences to training presentations. Monies in this fund will be used to take advantage of those tools in order to support the enhancement of leadership skills of current Sisterhood members and to develop future Sisterhood leaders.