VCJC News & Notes 8/21/2026

 

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!

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 8/21/26 @ 7:27 pm

Shabbos Ends Saturday 8/22/26 @ 8:30 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.

Our enhanced kiddush has been a popular hit.  Join us for services and stay to enjoy the kiddush and the company.

Shabbos parsha

Parashat Ki Teitzei

This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Ki Teitzei (read on 22 August 2026).

Ki Teitzei (“When You Go Out”) contains numerous laws, more than appear in any other Torah portion. These include laws about the treatment of a captive woman, returning lost objects, forbidden mixtures, the erection of a rooftop fence, rape, collateral, and workers’ wages. [1]

• Torah reading: Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

• Commentary and Divrei Torah

Reminders and Announcements

• Garage Sale and Ice Cream Social, August 30
  On Sunday, August 30, we will be having a combined Garage Sale and Ice Cream Social.  
  Garage Sale: 10 AM to 4 PM. No admission charge. A wide variety of items from furniture to sports equipment to toys to collectibles and more!
  
  
  Ice Cream Social: 2 PM to 5 PM. No admission charge. Come enjoy some ice cream, on us, and socialize with your friends and neighbors.
  
  
  50/50 Raffle: Participate throughout the day.  Winning tickets will be drawn at 4:30 PM.
  
  
  Vote for your flavor! Five of the favorites will be served. Vote by:

  • phone (718) 884-6105

  • email: info@vcjewishcenter.org

  • mail: Van Cortlandt Jewish Center, 3880 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, NY 10463

  • in person: Drop off a note at the synagogue office.

    Deadline to vote: 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

• Can you help?

  • We need volunteers to: help sell items, help set up for the event, help put prices on items, and serve ice cream.  If you can do any of that, please let us know - call the office, email, or come in person to the office.
    

• Neil Harrow’s unveiling, Sunday 8/23, 10 AM
  Beth El - Cedar Park Cemetery

  735 Forest Avenue

  Paramus, NJ

  Grave Site

  Block 18, Sec. 2, Grave 12

  Meet at the parking lot of the Cemetery before 10 AM.
  
  

• Save the date: Kristallnacht observance and lecture, Sunday Nov. 8

  
  

  The Van Cortlandt Jewish Center will be holding its annual Kristallnacht Commemoration Program with speaker Larry Hartstein.  More info to follow. 
  

• Thank you! 
  

  The Van Cortlandt Jewish Center wants to thank all the people who generously donated towards the purchase of our new siddurim and chumashim.  We have begun using them and look forward to using them for many years to come.
  

• 10 minutes of learning a day

  
  

  
  

  Free Online Video Classes on the Talmud: 10 Minutes a day brought to you by the Orthodox Union. Get a background lesson on the entire Talmud in 40 weeks. No Hebrew knowledge required. Click on the Link Below for more information

  https://talmuddaily.org/?utm_source=ou&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=launch26&utm_content=full-list

  
  

• What works for you?
  Please Help Us Plan for Events
  We have created a survey, Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Community Event Planning Survey, to help us set the direction for our activities.  We’d really appreciate your taking a few minutes to fill it in. Here’s the link: SURVEY
  
  

• The VCJC Chavurah
  The VCJC Chavurah meets every Tuesday Night at 7:30 PM.  All are welcome to join us as we continue to learn together.

  No cost to attend and no prior experience is needed.

  If you are interested in learning torah with a group of fellow members of your community, but want more details, contact the VCJC office at 718-884-6105 or info@vcjewishcenter.org, or speak to Stuart Harris or Matthew Hartstein after davening on Shabbat morning.
  
  

• VCJC Merch!

  We now have merchandise available with the VCJC logo and, in some cases, sayings.  We have shirts, hats, mugs, refrigerator magnets, and tote bags. These are provided through a Print On Demand (POD) model - so you pick what you like and order it.  It is then made to order and shipped directly to you.
  You can see an overview and some additional information on our VCJC Shop page.  You can go directly to the store itself to see all the things available, select sizes and colors, and get ready to flaunt your association with VCJC.

  
  

• VCJC is now active on social media - follow us!
  We have launched both a Facebook page and an Instagram page.  Both have a nice amount of content already and we are planning both regular posts and a greater variety going forward.  Please take a look and follow us! Links are below.

  
  

• You can do it! Give VCJC a boost!  Leave a (positive) review for us on Google
  -->You can do this!  We know you can! YES, YOU!

  The VCJC is working to build and grow for its next century in Van Cortlandt Village.  If you have had a good experience with us or recognize our value to the community, please consider telling the world about it.  Go to our Google Business Profile and leave a review.  Thanks!  

Please help with information about buildings

As part of rebuilding the membership and congregation, the Board of Trustees would like your help. There are a lot of either new or renovated buildings being put up in our catchment area. We would like to seek the cooperation of the owners / developers of those properties in publicizing these opportunities to live near an orthodox synagogue.  If you are aware of any of these buildings, please provide what information you can about them.  This could include the address, any contact information that might be posted, and any information about the building itself (size, type, etc.). Additionally, if you are aware of vacancies in existing buildings or of houses for sale, please let us know about that as well.

Our mailing address is:
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
3880 Sedgwick Ave
Bronx, NY 10463