Programs

Programs

Sisterhood

If the beautiful Menorah window that brings light into our Sanctuary is the symbol of our Congregation, then the mosaic Silver Gala Star of David has become the symbol of Sisterhood.

The Star Project began as a simple art program at a regular Sisterhood meeting in 2016. But put a dozen or so motivated Jewish women together with a talented instructor and piles of glass shards and you end up with more than trivets or picture frames. A dozen women created stained glass mosaic triangles that were joined together by our talented instructor Susan Krane Ruscitto to form the Star of David, which was donated to the congregation in commemoration of Shaara Tfille’s Silver Anniversary in our building on Weibel Avenue.

Sisterhood maintains a Gift Shop in the lobby of the synagogue where a large variety of gifts and necessities are available for purchase.

Message from the Sisterhood President

The original concept of “sisterhood” was originated by Mathilde Roth Schechter, wife of Solomon Schechter, president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In 1918, one hundred women, many who were the wives of prominent rabbis and scholars affiliated with the Seminary, joined together, establishing as their mission the perpetuation of “traditional Judaism in their homes, synagogues and communities, a task for American Jewish women.”

Fast forward to today…Sisterhood of Congregation Shaara Tfille plays a vital role in the synagogue. Women of all ages, interests and talents, volunteer in planning, promoting and executing various activities throughout the year.

Even though one of our primary objectives is fundraising, we do more than that. Sisterhood participates in Tikkun Olam – repairing the world – by supporting local charities.

We meet every month for a general meeting, where projects and events are discussed and planned. Every other month, after the general meeting, we gather together for Sisterhood’s Book Club, where we discuss books written by Jewish authors or books with a Jewish theme.

For annual dues of $36, I invite you to join and become an active member of the dynamic Sisterhood of Congregation Shaara Tfille. For more information about Sisterhood, please use our website contact form to send us an email.

Shalom.

Judith Ehrenshaft
Sisterhood President
Congregation Shaara Tfille
Saratoga Springs, NY

Culture Connection

Congregation Shaara Tfille membership comes with some wonderful perks – one of them is the chance to explore exhibitions at museums around the country and across the world, virtually.

Last Spring, “the Jewish Museum in NYC presented a major exhibition examining how the heroic story of Queen Esther served as a popular source of inspiration for Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1609) and his contemporaries in 17th-century Netherlands. Featuring over 120 works, including paintings, prints, and drawings by Rembrandt, Aert de Gelder, and Jan Steen, among others, as well as Jewish ceremonial art and decorative objects, The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt illustrated how the story of the biblical queen influenced Dutch art and culture and represented an enduring symbol of triumph over adversity at a time of vibrant cultural exchange.

The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt part of the cultural and intellectual environment in Amsterdam and in the Netherlands more broadly as immigrant Jewish communities established their presence there throughout the 1600s along with an expanding Christian population. This story recounts how Queen Esther risked her life to prevent the near annihilation of the Jewish people of Susa in ancient Persia (present-day Shush, Iran) after the Babylonian exile in 587 BCE and is celebrated annually on the Jewish holiday of Purim. For the country’s Jewish immigrants—the Book of Esther became a symbol of freedom in their new lives. For the Dutch generally, Queen Esther’s heroism against oppression represented their own emerging nation’s identity in their fight for freedom from Spanish rule.

The exhibition was accompanied by a richly illustrated 160-page, hardcover catalogue by Abigail Rapoport with Michele L. Frederick and with contributions by Larry Silver, Antwaun Sargent, and a postscript interview with contemporary artist Fred Wilson. Co-published by the Jewish Museum and Yale University Press, the book is be available worldwide and in the Jewish Museum Shop. The publication is made possible in part by The Dorot Foundation.”