VCJC News & Notes for the New Year 10/2/24

 

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
   
   

   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 10/4/24 @ 6:14 pm
   Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely. 
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 10/5/24 @ 7:17 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. Holiday Services and times

   Erev Rosh Hashanah – Wednesday, October 2  
   Candle Lighting 6:17 pm  
   Mincha/Maariv 6:25 pm    
   Rosh Hashanah – Day 1 – Thursday, October 3
   Shacharit 8:15 am    

   Shofar Blowing approx. 10:45 am      
   Tashlich 4:15 pm  
   Mincha/Mariv 6:25 pm  
   Candle Lighting after 7:18 pm  
   Rosh Hashanah – Day 2 – Friday, October 4
   Shacharit 8:15 am      
   Shofar Blowing approx. 10:45 am      
   Mincha/Maariv 6:20 pm  
   Yom Tov ends 7:46 pm  
   Fast of Gedaliah – Sunday, October 6
   Fast begins 5:46 am  Fast ends 7:13 pm

Our mailing address is:

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

3880 Sedgwick Ave

Bronx, NY 10463

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Community Resources & Updates

 

Dear Neighbor,

 

Thank you for joining us for another week in review.

The 30th Annual Tour de Bronx bike ride is in just under one week! We want to thank all of the sponsors and media partners who stopped by our press conference yesterday. It was a great way to kick off the festivities! Go to ilovethebronx.com so you register to ride with us on Sunday, October 6th.

We also want to take this time to recognize the passing of Ozzie Virgil Sr. Ozzie was a pioneer in the world of baseball, a 2024 Bronx Walk of Fame inductee, and a symbol of resilience and hope for our community. Ozzie made history as the first Dominican player in Major League Baseball, breaking barriers during a challenging time in our nation’s history. His courage to step onto that field inspired generations of athletes, and he has left an indelible mark on our city. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Virgil family and all those who were touched by his remarkable life and career. May his legacy continue to inspire and remind us of the impact that one person can have in bringing communities together and creating a more inclusive world.

Lastly, a reminder to join us on Thursday, October 3rd at 5:30 PM for our Annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Bronx Borough Hall. We hope to see you there!

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

IN THE COMMUNITY

The 30th Annual Tour de Bronx is just days away, and I want to personally thank all of our generous sponsors and media partners who joined us at yesterday's press conference. Your support is crucial in making this iconic event a success and celebrating the Bronx in all its vibrancy.

Last week, we had joined with NYC H+H Jacobi and North Central Bronx for Healthy Conversations where we held a powerful discussion focused on women's health and fibroids. We're grateful to the experts who shared invaluable insights and resources to empower women to take control of their health.

We also celebrated the vibrant and beautiful Asian Mid-Autumn Festival at Borough Hall. It was a joyful gathering filled with culture, tradition, and community. Thank you to everyone who joined us in honoring this special occasion, and a big shoutout to the performers and organizers who made the event so memorable.

We are one family. We are honored to have joined elected officials and the Riverdale community to celebrate the incredible legacies of Betty Campbell-Adams and Lloyd Adams, founders of Lloyd's Carrot Cake, at their official Street Co-Naming Ceremony. Thank you to Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, The Female Fight Club, Community Board 8, the Van Cortlandt Alliance, and friends for honoring their memories.

UPCOMING EVENTS

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Bronx Newsblast October 2024

 

HIGHLIGHTS

Vital Parks For All This summer, NYC Parks released a plan called Vital Parks for All: Investing in NYC's Living Infrastructure. Learn more about the plan and the agency's tools to improve the ability of dedicated New Yorkers to advocate for our parks.

Public forums are currently scheduled with the borough presidents of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Attend an upcoming Vital Parks forum and find out how we can equitably strengthen our city’s health, environment, and communities through our parks system. Click here to register now

City of Forest Day 2024 Join NYC Parks, Forest for All NYC, and Parks and Open Space Partners - NYC Coalition as we learn about, care for, and celebrate NYC's seven million trees.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Crotona Park Birding on World Migratory Bird Day Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) bird guide and Bronxite, Rich Aracil, and explore the beautiful Crotona Park on World Migratory Bird Day! Its meadows, flowering trees, and sizable pool provide excellent habitat for a variety of birds including woodpeckers, warblers, and wading birds. Date/Time: Saturday, October 12, 9:00am - 10:30am Location: Meet at the Nature Center located within the park on 1702 Crotona Ave, on the eastern shoreline of Indian Pond More info:  https://nycbirdalliance.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/nycbirdalliance/eventRegistration.jsp?event=13933 Contact: Email info@nycbirdalliance.org or call 212-691-7483 for more information Work Together Wednesday Join our gardeners to help remove weeds, clear leaves and debris from around Indian Lake and upkeep our gardens Date/Time: Wednesday, October 23, 10:00am - 12:00pm Location: Meet at the Crotona Park Tennis House @ 1700 Crotona Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457 More info: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/crotona-park/events/2024/10/23/work-together-wednesday Contact: RSVP to Ismael.Guzman@parks.nyc.gov Stewardship Saturday Join staff to clear leaves and debris from around Indian Lake, remove trash from our large park zones and help to keep Crotona Park looking great! Date/Time: Saturday, October 26, 10:00am - 1:00pm Location: Meet at the Crotona Park Nature Center, enter @ Charlotte Street More info: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/crotona-park/events/2024/10/26/crotona-park-stewardship-saturday Contact: RSVP to Ismael.Guzman@parks.nyc.gov

TRAININGS

Is Starting a Nonprofit Right for You? Candid Starting a nonprofit can seem terrifically complicated--is it worth it?  This class can help you decide. In this session you’ll learn the legal and logistical elements necessary to start a successful nonprofit.  You’ll also learn about possible alternatives to starting your own nonprofit that you may not have considered.  Finally, you’ll be introduced to a tool that will help you assess your own readiness to move forward. Upon completion of this course you should be able to: Outline the steps required to start a nonprofit Assess the alternatives to starting a nonprofit Complete the nonprofit startup assessment tool to determine where you are in the startup process and identify the next steps you should take Access additional resources to help you in your journey Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024 @ 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here!   Introduction to Fundraising Planning Candid Does your organization need help directing its fundraising efforts? Planning focuses your organization by setting fundraising priorities and helps give staff and board members a roadmap to success. This introductory class will provide you the basic steps for developing a fundraising plan, including tips on: Making your case for support Diversifying your organization's fundraising base Creating a plan of action Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Thursday, October 17, 2024 @ 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here!   Strategies for Equitable Grantmaking in Philanthropy featuring the Race and Equity in Philanthropy Group (REPG) Candid In this webinar, we will explore the Race and Equity in Philanthropy Group (REPG), a network of foundations committed to advancing racial equity in the philanthropic sector. We’ll discuss how REPG helps members strengthen partnerships and share power with nonprofits that serve the needs of historically marginalized communities. You’ll gain insights on how funders can learn from each other to advance their commitment to racial equity and inclusion even in the current political climate. You will also learn about the evolution of REPG since its founding in 2006 and how its members are working together to confront the racial equity backlash.   Outcomes Understand the history and evolution of REPG Recognize how some foundations think about racial equity in their policy and practices Learn about strategies that a group of foundations are pursuing together on racial equity Intended Audience All levels of experience Board members CEOs, executive directors, upper management Grantmaker/funder Marketing, communications, external affairs Program directors and staff Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 @ 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here!   Introduction to Proposal Writing Candid Are you new to proposal writing or want a quick refresher? If so, you don't want to miss one of our most popular classes! This class will provide you with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation. It will include: The basic elements of a proposal The "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal How to follow up whether the answer is yes or no 30-minute hands-on exercise to develop a proposal outline (in-person classes only) Upon completion of this course you should be able to: Understand how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation. Know how and when to follow up with funders after submitting a proposal. Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2024 @ 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here!

GRANTS AND RESOURCES

Daily Grants  The Pollination Project The Pollination Project offers seed funding of up to US$1 thousand to compassion-driven individuals, informally organized groups and organizations, and formally registered or incorporated non-profit organizations based anywhere in the world. Topics for projects include education, clean water, afforestation, animal advocacy, and many others.  Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Link: Learn more The Resiliency and Recovery Fund The Pollination Project The Resilience & Recovery Fund (RRF) will provide fast, small one-time grants of $1,000 to support grassroots volunteer responses to natural disasters, pandemic, humanitarian crises, or similar emergent events. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and existing TPP grantees in good standing who have not previously received RRF funding are eligible to apply. Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Link: Learn more Gardens for the City Program New York Restoration Project Is there a community space in your neighborhood you’d like to see transformed? If so, apply for NYRP’s help. NYRP provides support for projects of various scales — from building a few vegetable beds to large-scale restoration work. NYRP helps provide materials, horticultural knowledge, environmental education, and construction expertise in order to help create community gardens and accessible landscapes in under-resourced neighborhoods.  Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. (Due to the high volume of applications, all future GFTC inquiries will be considered for 2025.) Link: Learn more The Awesome Foundation  The Awesome Foundation The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly.  Deadline: Reviewed monthly Link: Learn more Additional Opportunities NYC DOT’s Open Streets Application NYC DOT NYC's Open Streets program allows communities to embrace new public space and support small businesses. Open Streets prioritize pedestrians and cyclists by transforming streets into public space. New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) works with community-based organizations, educational institutions, and groups of businesses to execute Open Streets citywide. Link: Learn more

For questions or concerns, contact Community Engagement Director Vlad Cruz at vcruz@cityparksfoundation.org Partnerships for Parks A joint program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks Facebook | Instagram | Twitter www.partnershipsforparks.org