Five Towns area synagogues invite you to Parsha and Pizza

Parsha and Pizza, a four-synagogue program concluded its first round of sessions and is planning for more.

Rabbi Claudio Kupchik of Temple Beth El in Cedarhurst, Rabbi Michel Schlesinger of Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Centre in East Rockaway, Rabbi Steven Graber of Temple Hillel in Valley Stream and Rabbi Steven Saks of Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere came together with to integrate congregants of each synagogue to read Parhsa, or a passage in the Torah while eating pizza.

The host synagogue and speaking rabbi rotated week by week.

“Everyone gets to learn from one another,” Saks said.
The last Parsha and Pizza event was held on Jan. 25 at HERJC, concluding the hosting cycle, once at each synagogue. About 30 people were in attendance, in line with the average audience, Saks said.

Graber led the discussion, as other rabbis had led the conversation at synagogues that were not their own, in order to expose congregants to the leadership of more than one person, Saks added. He was pleased to see intermingling of various groups of people.

The spring section has a tentative March start, Saks said. Rabbi Steve Golden of Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst will be joining the four others.

“I attended one of the sessions in the fall, it was very nice, they had a sizeable group of people they were very participatory,” Golden said.

The group will continue their cycle of rabbis speaking at synagogues that are not their own, inviting congregants from all to join.

“I thought it’s a great thing to bring different members from different congregations together for fellowship and study,” Golden said.