IN PERSON MEDITATION @ PCS

Thursday, December 4, 7:00pm

Pleasantville Community Synagogue continues its community-led in person meditation group. The group will focus on developing our meditation practice, learning about the teachings of the Dharma, and how these teachings can help calm our minds, increase joy, decrease suffering, and facilitate sacred community during these difficult times.

Instruction will be offered in meditation, followed by a reading and discussion offered by teachers and experienced practitioners from the community. All are welcome, and PCS membership is not required to attend. These meetings are freely offered, although donations to support PCS are welcome.

Contact organizers Rabbi Ben Newman at rabbibennewman@gmail.com or Daniel Blake at dblake2881@gmail.com with any questions, and feel free to spread the word!

Join us for a warm Shabbat dinner! This is a dairy/vegetarian-friendly potluck. Please bring a dish to share. All dishes should be meat-free (dairy, eggs, and plant-based proteins are welcome).

We’re excited to celebrate Shabbat together!

Join us for a fun musically enhanced event for children 0-8 as we celebrate Shabbat!

Join us for a community potluck dinner before Rabbi Ben and the Band welcome our monthly Friday Night Shabbat Celebration Service.

Got My Wings Album Release

“Dan Blake, PCS member, is pleased to announce the release of the new album Got My Wings on Adhyaropa Records. Got My Wings is a ballet score based on the life and writings of Jarvis Jay Masters. Jarvis' spiritual journey as a renowned author and Buddhist practitioner has unfolded over decades of unjust incarceration, and his life is a testament to the human capacity for finding freedom without losing our dignity and deep love for one another. 

The recording is available digitally on all streaming platforms and as an LP starting (visit https://www.adhyaroparecords.com/danblake for more details).

Dan will be holding a community event at Mount Kisco Public Library on December 7, 2025 from 12:30-3:30 that will feature live performance and discussion of the project. Save the date!

PCS Book Club

Monday, December 8, 7:00pm @ PCS

My Broken Language 

by Quiara Alegria Huds

All are welcome to join PCS's Book Group Meeting. It's not just about the books!

Come and discuss or sit back and enjoy the conversation, have a nosh, and take pleasure in getting to know your fellow congregants.

Any questions? Contact April Lasher-Sanders; avivalasher@gmail.com

ADULT EDUCATION:

HANUKKAH CLASS

Wednesday, December 10

7 - 8:15pm

We are pleased to announce a new series of classes scheduled before an upcoming

holiday to facilitate learning and new insights. Critical discussion and participation are welcomed.

Please join Rabbis Ben and Shosh on Wednesday Dec 10, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:15PM in person or on zoom to start our series off with Hanukkah. Readings and discussions will center on the following:

(Rabbi Ben): Rededication After Burnout

Hanukkah begins in a ruined sanctuary. We’ll explore how the story becomes a guide for our own moments of overwhelm: how to clear space, relight what feels dim, and rebuild a practice or inner life that’s taken some hits. Using mystical texts, we’ll look at what it means to choose renewal even when the oil feels low.

(Rabbi Shosh): Light, Dark, and the Wisdom of Both Beyond the simple light-versus-dark story, the tradition teaches a non-binary, paradox-friendly view of reality: creation needs both clarity and mystery, presence and rest. Through Hasidic and mystical teachings, we’ll explore how to welcome the gifts of darkness while honoring the power of light, and how holding both can deepen our lives.

Registration is required. Please use this link to register.

Hope to see you there.

Pat Gaston

Adult Education Committee