VCJC News & Notes 9/12/25

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Reminders

1. Shabbos schedule
   
   
   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 9/12/25 @ 6:51 pm
   Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely. 
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 9/13/25@ 7:54 pm

   If you require an aliyah or would like to lead services, read from the torah or haftorah please speak to one of the gabbaim.
   

2. Shabbos parsha
   Here’s a short summary of this week’s parsha.

   Parashat Ki Tavo 5785 / פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תָבוֹא

   13 September 2025 / 20 Elul 5785

   Parashat Ki Tavo is the 50th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

   Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8

   Ki Tavo (“When You Come”) opens by describing the ceremony of the first fruit offering (bikkurim) and the declaration made upon the completion of tithing. It concludes with a detailed description of blessings that follow obedience to God's laws and curses that come with their desecration. [1]

   
   

3. From the Derfner Judaica Museum
   Join Us for Fantastical Realities and Related Programs this Fall

   
   

   Reception and Artists' Talk

   Sunday, September 14, 1:30 p.m. in person

   R.S.V.P. art@riverspring.org or 718-581-1596

   
   

   AND

   
   

   OPEN HOUSE NEW YORK: Guided Exhibition Tour

   Sunday, October 19, 1:30 p.m. in person

   Reserve a spot art@riverspring.org or 718-581-1596
   

   
   

   To learn more about Open House New York, click here.

   
   
   AND

   Creating Fantastical Spaces

   Join the Museum's Senior Curator for a Free Virtual Talk

   Tuesday, October 28, 2 p.m. on Zoom

   Click here to register
    

   5901 Palisade Avenue

   Riverdale, New York 10471

   718-581-1596

   www.derfner.org
   

4. Impressions of the Bronx Concert
   Sunday, Sept. 14, 3PM
   Riverdale Presbyterian Church

   4765 Henry Hudson Parkway West

   Suggested donation $20 ($15 students and seniors)
   Clarinetist and composer, Jeff Adlerhas written an exciting piece for clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano titled “Spuyten Duyvil”. Also on the program is Beethoven’s clarinet trio Op. 11, Haydn piano trio Hob. XV:27, a premiere of Raphael Crystal’s “If It Ain’t Baroque: Prelude and Fugue” for solo piano, and a second work by Adler: “Four Sculptures” for clarinet and bass clarinet.

   https://division-artsandeducation.org
   

5. Buy a shirt, support VCJC
   JpodPlus, operated by Jack Kleinfeld, will donate all profits made from the sale of its Bring them home, NOW!, T-shirt to VCJC.  The shirt is available in adult, youth long sleeve, and youth short sleeve tees. The shirts are available in several colors and will be shipped directly to the buyer from the Print On Demand manufacturer.  The adult version in black is shown below, along with a few of the available colors.
   Other shirts and Print on Demand products can be seen at the store site.

Our mailing address is:

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

3880 Sedgwick Ave

Bronx, NY 10463