Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel

Shabbat Scholar & Dinner
2023-10-20 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
“Jewish Responses to Catastrophes“
It is hard to imagine that as we celebrate the 150 milestone of the URJ, our community is facing a major catastrophe. Join Rabbi Joe Skloot as he explores how Jewish communities respond to catastrophes.
Scholar: Rabbi Joseph A. Skloot, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Modern Jewish Intellectual History at HUC-JIR/New York and the Associate Director of the Tisch/Star Fellowship program
Friday, October 20th
6:00pm – Shabbat Service, open to all
6:45pm – Continue learning at the Shabbat dinner
Registration and fee required for dinner:
Dinner fee: $30 member/$38 non-member
Registration for dinner is required by 10/13 here

Shabbat Scholar & Dinner: Dr. Rachel Fish
2024-12-06 18:00 - 21:15 | TSTI
How Worried Should American Jewry Be About Its Future?
Co-sponsored with Temple B’nai Jeshurun
Join Dr. Rachel Fish as she examines the complex and evolving landscape the American Jewish community is navigating, facing both external challenges—such as the rise of Jew-hatred and the politicization of Israel—and internal challenges, including generational shifts in attitudes toward Zionism, the concept of Jewish peoplehood, and perceptions of Israel’s conflicts with its neighbors.
Rachel Fish is the co-founder of Boundless, a think-action tank partnering with community leaders across North America to revitalize Israel education.
Register at the button below to join the speakers for Shabbat dinner following services. $36 for TSTI/TBJ members, $45 for Non-members
Register Here for Friday evening dinner

Shabbat Scholar & Dinner at TBJ: Rabbi Michal Ken Tor and Yael Saslove
2024-12-13 17:30 - 18:30
A Torah of Healing: Weaving Wisdom Between Jewish Scripture and Chinese Medicine

Co-sponsored with Temple B’nai Jeshurun
Join us at Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills for this unique lecture that bridges Jewish thinking and texts with the wisdom of Chinese medicine. Through a cross-cultural exploration, Rabbi Michal Ken Tor and Chinese medicine practitioner Yael Saslove will delve into the interconnected physical and spiritual health of individuals and nations. By blending perspectives from Jewish thought and Eastern philosophy, this series uncovers profound relationships between body, tradition, and well-being, creating a unique world of wonder and healing.
Friday, Dec 13
*Please note: there is NO Shabbat service at TSTI on this night.
at Temple B’nai Jeshurun
5:30pm – Shabbat Service, open to all
6:30pm – Continue learning at the Shabbat dinner
Dinner: $36 for TSTI/TBJ members; $45 for non-members (registration required by Dec. 6)
Register Here for Friday evening dinner

Shabbat Scholar: Cantor Barbara Ostfeld
2025-02-28 18:00 - 20:30
Female Cantors: From Suppression to Esteem in 3,000 Years
In the beginning, God created…Jewish men. For millennia, women were excluded from leadership, and sometimes from participation, in Jewish community life. For many Jewish women alive today, things were not so different as they grew up and entered adulthood. But today, things have changed in many ways, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of Jewish women in the cantorate.
The first 40 people/family to register receive a copy of Cantor Ostfeld’s book, Catbird.
Friday, Feb. 28
6pm Service, followed by dinner
$36 members/$45 nonmembers
Please RSVP by Monday, Feb. 24. Link in your eblast.

Shabbat Speaker: Playwright Joshua Harmon
2025-10-24 19:00 - 21:00
“Why Does Everyone Hate Us?” A Conversation with Joshua Harmon on Prayer for the French Republic
Why does everyone hate us? Where can we go that’s safe? These open-ended questions pop up repeatedly in Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic.
Join Tony Award-nominated playwright Joshua Harmon for an unforgettable evening diving into the heart of his searing Broadway hit, Prayer for the French Republic — a bold, multi-generational epic that explores Jewish identity, survival, and what it means to call a place “home.”
The play follows five generations of a French-Jewish family grappling with the echoing threat of anti-Semitism—from Nazi-occupied France to the streets of modern-day Paris. In this special conversation, Harmon will share the personal family history, historical research, and urgent questions that brought this powerful story to life.
Even if you haven’t seen the production, you’ll be drawn into the deeply human stakes behind the headlines—through stories of resilience, moral reckoning, and the intimate bonds that hold us together even in times of fear.
If you care about where history meets the present moment—or if you’ve ever asked yourself where you truly belong—don’t miss this chance to hear directly from one of the most vital voices in American theater today.
Friday, October 24
6:00pm – Shabbat Service, open to all6:45pm – Continue learning at the Shabbat dinnerDinner: $36 for TSTI members; $45 for non-members (registration required)

Shabbat Speaker: Rabbi Joe Black
2025-11-21 18:00 - 20:30
Shabbat Speaker: Rabbi Joe Black
“The Spirituality of Creativity”
November 21, 2025
6:00 pm Service
Dinner will Follow
Dinner: $36 for TSTI members; $45 for non-members
Where does the spark of creativity begin?
How does the act of creating connect us to the One who created us?
Through the lens of Jewish wisdom and personal reflection, Rabbi Black invites us on a journey into the sacred heart of creativity. Blending teaching, story, original music, and poetry, he will explore how inspiration becomes a bridge between the human and the divine — a reminder that every act of creation echoes the voice of the Creator.
You must register here.

Shabbat Speaker: Barak Ravid on the U.S., Israel, and the Middle East in the Modern Era
2026-04-10 18:00 - 20:00
Barak Ravid is an award-winning journalist based in Washington, D.C. with nearly two decades of experience covering foreign policy and national security with a focus on the Middle East. He currently works as Global Affairs Correspondent for Axios. Ravid also reports for Channel 12 News, Israel’s biggest television network, and is a foreign policy analyst for CNN. Before joining Axios and Channel 12, Ravid worked for more than a decade for Haaretz. He later worked for Channel 13 News and Walls news in Israel. He has reported from dozens of countries around the world, covered five Israeli prime ministers and four U.S. presidents.
In 2024 Ravid won the White House correspondents association’s Aldo Beckman award for excellence in White House coverage for his work on President Biden’s policy and the U.S.-Israel relationship during the Gaza war. Ravid’s reporting has regularly influenced U.S. and Israeli foreign policy, as well as public understanding of those policies and the conversation in Washington and abroad.
Friday, April 10 at TSTI
6 p.m. Service; 7 p.m. Dinner and Discussion
Dinner Fees:
Before April 3: $36 – TBJ and TSTI members; $45 – non-members
After April 3: $45 – TBJ and TSTI members; $55 – non-members
Co-sponsored with Temple B’nai Jeshurun.

Shabbat Speaker and Dinner: Barak Morag
2026-10-09 19:00 - 21:00
Shabbat Speaker: Barak MoragChoosing Life: From Survival to Resilience: Our Journey from the Ruins of Nir Oz to Growth
Friday, October 9th, 2026Service at 6pmDinner to FollowDinner Fee: $40 TSTI Memers $50 Non-MembersRegistration Link I thought we did a form but I can’t find one. I will get one ASAP
On October 7th, at Kibbutz Nir Oz, the community’s lives changed in an instant. Join Barak Morag as we commemorate the Anniversary of October 7th on Shabbat for a powerful, personal testimony of that day. Barak’s story serves as a painful window into the wider tragedy of the Nir Oz community, which lost more than a quarter of its members that morning.
Beyond the testimony, Barak’s story is of a journey from that day to this very moment: about the choice to rebuild from the ruins, the power of solidarity, and the goodness the community encountered along the way that became an engine for healing and growth.

Shabbat Speaker and Dinner
2026-10-30 19:00 - 21:00
