Calendar for the week of Dec. 9, 2011

Dec. 9-10
Pittsburgher Rebbe shabbaton
YOUNG ISRAEL OF LONG BEACH, located at 120 Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach, is hosting Pittsburgher Rebbe Mordechai Yissachar Ber Leifer, on behalf of Long Beach Friends of Mosdos Pittsburgh. The Rebbe will be holding a Friday night tish at 8 p.m. and meeting the public at the home of Rabbi Chaim Wakslak after 8 p.m. on Motzei Shabbat. Rabbi Wakslak’s home is at 15 West Beech Street in Long Beach. For appointments and information, contact 516-889-2427.

Dec. 10
BACH Explanatory Shabbat
BACH JEWISH CENTER is holding its monthly explanatory Shabbat program, modeled on its successful High Holiday program at Allegria Hotel, located at 80 West Broadway in Long Beach. The services begin at 10 a.m. followed by a gala reception and a children’s workshop. For more information, contact Azi Cutter at 516-897-2473 or cutter@bachyouth.com.

Sisterhood shiur
YOUNG ISRAEL OF LAWRENCE-CEDARHURST, located at 8 Spruce Street in Cedarhurst, is holding a shiur for women by Esther Wein on the topic “Stories in Bereshit as a guide to self-awareness,” at 3 p.m. in the Annette Adler Young Adult Beit Medrash. The event is sponsored by Fredi & Jeffrey Adler in memory of Fredi’s father Isaac Landau. For more information, contact 516-569-3324.

Sh’or Yoshuv Dinner
SH’OR YOSHUV INSTITUTE, a leading Torah learning institution in Far Rockaway, is holding its 45th Annual Dinner at The Sands, located at 1395 Beech Street in Atlantic Beach. The event honors Lawrence couple Ephraim & Rena Kutner as the guests of honor. Award recipients include Dr. Robert & Thea Block, whose late son Ari attended this yeshiva and has a sefer Torah named in his memory. Alum Rabbi Yechiel Weberman, who teaches at the DRS High School is the Harbotzas Torah honoree this year. The event begins at 7:45 p.m. For reservations and information, contact 516-239-9002.

Dec. 11
Mir Yeshiva benefit

YESHIVAS MIR YERUSHALAYIM, the renowned Jerusalem-based Torah learning institution, is holding a benefit breakfast reception at the home of Moshe & Arielle Wolfson, located at 501 Cedar hill Road in Far Rockaway. The speakers will be Mir Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliezer Yehudah Finkel and Rabbi Binyomin Carlebach. For more information, contact 718-972-0500.

CFR Dinner
CENTER FOR RETURN, the kiruv organization that leads lunch & learn sessions in dozens of Manhattan office buildings, is holding its 30th Annual Dinner at the White Shul, located at 728 Empire Avenue in Far Rockaway. The event honors the couple Marat & Yelena Likhtenstein, Reuvain Stein, and Shmuel Schechter, among others. CFR was founded by Rabbi Avrohom Dov Kahn of Kew Gardens. Among the senior lecturers at CFR is Rabbi Akiva Schutz of Far Rockaway, who speaks at 13 current locations around Manhattan. For reservations and information, contact 718-849-6787.

Chabad Five Towns Dinner
CHABAD CENTER OF THE FIVE TOWNS is holding its annual dinner celebration honoring Aryeh & Brocha Blumenthal, Dovi & Tzipi Faivish, Mitchell & Stacey Teller, Mendel & Faigie Warshawsky, and Leibel & Myrna Zisman. The event takes place at 6 p.m. at Sephardic Temple, located at 775 Branch Boulevard in Cedarhurst. For more information, contact 516-295-2478.

Dec. 12
Great Neck toy drive
GREAT NECK SYNAGOGUE is holding its pre-Chanukah toy drive, collecting menorahs, candles, games and toys, for Chai Lifeline and families in need. Items may be dropped off at the Lichter residence, 76 Berkshire Road in Great Neck. For more information, contact Katie Lichter at 516-829-0048.

Dec. 17
Shulamith Annual Dinner
BNOT SHULAMITH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS is holding its annual dinner at the Caesars Club at Citi Field, located at 12301 Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing. The event honors parents David & Jane Seidemann, and Nechemia & Chanie Ginsburg. His year’s educator of the year is Mindy Futersak. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. and costs $600 per couple. For information and sponsorships, contact Mrs. Zimmerman at 516-569-1713.

Dec. 18
Kulanu Scholarship Dinner
KULANU, the local nonprofit serving special-needs children, is holding its annual scholarship dinner honoring the Glaubach family, Jonathan Cooper and Rachel Schreiber. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at The Sands, located at 1395 Beech Street in Atlantic Beach. For reservations and sponsorships, contact 516-569-3083 ext. 106.

Chanukah Telethon
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR FURTHERANCE OF JEWISH EDUCATION, together with Chabad of Mineola, is holding its annual Chanukah Telethon on WLNY TV10/55, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. This year’s performers include the Yitzie Bald Children’s Choir, the DRS High School Boys Choir, Yehuda Green, and Dovid Gabay, among others. For sponsorships and more information, contact 516-739-3636.

Bikur Cholim brunch
BIKUR CHOLIM OF FAR ROCKAWAY AND THE FIVE TOWNS, is holdiing itsannual brunch at the White Shul, located at 728 Empire Avenue in Far Rocakway. Rebbetzin Yael Kaisman will be the guest speaker at this women-only event. The event begins at 10 a.m. Babysitting will be provided on location by the ”compassionate clowns” of Lev Leytzan. For more information, contact 718-327-5989.

Dec. 21
Concert for women
EZER MIZION, the nonprofit that coordinates bone marrow donations in the Jewish community is holding Light The Night to Save A Life: A Chanukah Concert Extravaganza for women starring Bracha Jaffe with Shira Charles and Danielle Jacobs. This event benefits Ezer Mizion’s International Jewish Bone Marrow Registry for Cancer Patients. The event will begin at 8 p.m. at Lawrence High School, located at 2 Reilly Road in Cedarhurst. Tickets can be purchased at Judaica Plus in Cedarhurst or by calling 718 853 8400. For more information and sponsorships, visit, www.ezermizion.org

Dec. 25
Founders of the Church
CONGREGATION BETH SHOLOM, located at 390 Broadway in Lawrence, is hosting Shuli Taubes, who teaches bible and Jewish philosophy & comparative religion at SAR. Taubes will be speaking on the topic “The Founders of the Church: Rabbinic Double Agents?” Taubes holds an MA from Harvard School of Divinity and she received her BA in history and religion from Barnard College. The event begins at 9:15 a.m. for more information, contact 516-569-3600 ext. 21

Ongoing
Bat Mitzvah classes
DRISHA INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH EDUCATION is offering a Bat Mitzvah program at Congregation Beth Sholom, located at 390 Broadway in Lawrence. Titled “Our Mothers, Ourselves,” this five-week class for mothers and daughters ages 11-13 will explore different personalities of women in the Tanakh from both pshat and drash perspectives. The class will also discuss the significance of becoming a Bat Mitzvah and how it relates to these prominent women. The classes take place on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact inquiry@drisha.org

Thursday night learning
KEHILLAS BAIS YEHUDAH TZVI, located at 391 Oakland Avenue in Cedarhurst has a Thursday night learning program with video lectures by noted lecturers Rabbi Eli Mansour at 9 p.m. and Rabbi Yissocher Frand at 10:30 p.m. Hot chulent will be served, concluding with maariv services at 11:15 p.m. For more information, call 516-374-9293.

Traditions Lunch & Learn
YOUNG ISRAEL OF WOODMERE holds weekly Lunch & Learn lectures at Traditions Restaurant, located at 302 Central Avenue in Lawrence. Rabbi Shalom Axelrod delivers the weekly lectures. The cost per person for the meal is $12. For reservations, contact Alan Stern at 516-295-1672.