Gather is Emanu-El’s small groups initiative, bringing together congregants from across our community to learn, connect, and grow. These lay-led groups are based upon a range of topics, igniting marvelous conversations and dialogue. In these small groups, meaningful friendships are formed and congregants truly get to know one another. Gather is one of the ways we make our larger congregation feel small.
Curious about Gather? Please reach out to us with any questions at .
Gather members can be expected to…
Develop real and honest relationships.
Help foster an inclusive space where all can share comfortably.
Create a place where members are present for each other.
Support group members in times of need and celebrate in times of joy.
We will discuss our individual and collective spiritual practices of prayer, ritual, and study. Together we will chart where we’ve grown and discern where we hope to deepen in community. We seek greater self-awareness in our connection to Judaism and to ourselves.
Gather Guide:Dr. Frederick Roden
Dr. Frederick Roden is a longtime temple member who volunteers for the Sunset Service among other activities. He is a college professor who teaches courses on memory, life-writing, and spirituality.
What compels us to lead and to act? Which leaders inspire us and why? Debate these questions while studying characters in Torah and inspirational leaders in history.
Gather Guides:Brendan Dillon and Carol Zack
Brendan Dillon enjoys working in highly effective teams and seeks inspiration and motivation from others.
Carol Zack is a lifelong New Yorker who loves to swim laps, play the piano, do calligraphy and hang out with her grandson. She is curious about everything.
Temple Emanu-El is passionate about creating a space for our LGBTQ+ Jews and families to be their authentic selves, find and provide support, share resources, and build community. Open to all LGBTQ+ folks & allies, the Temple Emanu-El LGBTQ+ Gather Group works to provide a space in which LGBTQ+ Jews can feel seen and valued. This Gather Group will meet on the first Wednesday evening of the month over Zoom for one hour. Some months, we may meet in-person at the temple or elsewhere.
Gather Guides: Jason Lautenbacher and Leon Geoxavier
Jason Lautenbacher joined this Gather Group to help create a space where LGBTQ+ people and their allies can share ideas and build relationships. He lives a few blocks from Temple Emanu-El, with his husband Lee and their two dogs Charlotte and George, where he also works virtually to lead a federal sector information technology group.
Leon Geoxavier joined Temple Emanu-El last year with his partner and two adopted sons Eric (9) and Reaves (8). He lives in Queens and works as an Architect in Manhattan.
So many of us are yearning for spaces to talk about life’s “big questions”– questions about meaning, love, responsibility, purpose, community, and God. We want deep conversations, we want meaningful exchanges, and we want to strengthen our connections to Judaism and to the Divine. In this Gather group, we will use resources from Ask Big Questions to scaffold our discussions, spark conversation, and ground our learning in Jewish texts and teachings.
Gather Guide:Barry Friedfertig
Barry is a retired elementary school teacher. He is now an artist painting abstracts as well as works with English and/or Hebrew text. He is presently on the Union for Reform Judaism North American Board.
This group is currently full, but we can add your name to a waitlist. Please email for more information.
Meets via Zoom every Sunday at 11:00 AM, Eastern.
Schmoozers discuss whatever is of interest to the group at the time.
Gather Guide:Suzanne Gronemeyer
Suzanne Gronemeyer is in the Academic Programs Office at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. She is a born schmoozer who works with undergraduate and health professions students.
Together we will explore and practice lettering and many fun techniques to enhance our calligraphy. Also, bring everything you have stashed in the back of your desk drawers.
We will meet in October, November, February, March, April and May.
Materials fee: $32
Gather Guide: Carol Zack
Carol Zack is a lifelong New Yorker who loves to swim laps, play the piano, and hang out with her grandson. She is curious about everything.
Practice your poker skills with a friendly, no-stakes poker game. No experience necessary! Even if you are among the world’s worst poker players, you are welcome. The cost is FREE.
We will meet in-person at the temple, once a month, time slot TBD.
Gather Guides: Jon Krivine and Ben Weintraub
Jon Krivine has been a member of the congregation for almost 20 years. A retired real estate executive, he regularly attends the programming offered by the Men’s Club and Streicker Center.
Ben Weintraub is an Emanu-El congregant for several years, a Men’s Club Board Member, and a beginning poker player interested in fine-tuning personal risk-management skills.
Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM, Eastern.
New York is the greatest sports city in the world, graced by memories of Ruth, Gehrig, Stengel, Munson, Lombardi, and a kid named Robinson who proved anyone who believed in himself could go incredible places.
Who are the next legends? Whose name will be etched on the Lombardi Trophy? Who will make the pilgrimage to Cooperstown? If you’ve got an opinion on sports, (and we know you do!) join us the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM Eastern. It’s your pitch!
Gather Guide: Steven Eisenpreis
Steven graduated LIU Brooklyn in 1983 (Go Blackbirds!) and has had the pleasure to follow the Rangers all over North America, even on a cruise to Bermuda in honor of their regular-season championship in 1982. Steven also worked with MSG Sports Group and will be happy if ANY New York team wins a championship before 2030!
We will gather every Tuesday night from 6:30 pm at Temple Emanu-El.
There will be tables for advanced, intermediate, beginners and everyone in-between.
We have a fabulous instructor that will be with us each week.
To play with us is FREE.
However, if you do need instruction there will be a $40.00 per person charge (paid directly to the instructor) for beginners or $30.00 for those looking for less instruction but more advanced level strategy help.
If you don’t need any help, there is no charge at all.
Our first gather will be on Tuesday October 11th.
Looking forward to playing with you!
Gather Guide: Rebecca Weisberg
Rebecca Weisberg in a nutshell. Lifelong lover of New York. Lifelong lover of travel. Lifelong lover of food. Newfound lover of mahjongg.
State of the World: Multi-Generational Current Events Group
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* This group is currently full, but we can add your name to a waitlist. Please email for more information.
This group will gather to discuss current events/politics. We are doing this because we want to find a diverse group of people from around our community to discuss current events. We want the chance to listen and learn from different perspectives and engage with them about the problems of our time. Hopefully, through this, we have a better understanding of current events and see things in a new light. Just as importantly, we hope to be able to meet people from the Temple we never would’ve otherwise met and shared a bond and community over our concern with the current state of politics. Members will be able to suggest certain topics they are passionate about covering in that month’s meeting. As a group, we’ll probably have a few articles to read in advance of each meeting so everyone has background on the topics.
Gather Guides:Cameron Koffman and Greg Rasin
Cameron Koffman is a recent graduate of Yale and a young member of Emanu-El. He has spent his entire life in this community and even attended pre-school and became a bar mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El. He ran a political talk radio show for 3 years on WYBC Yale radio and led political groups on campus in college and high school.
Greg is a Temple Emanu-El member for over six years and a partner in the law firm of Proskauer Rose. He is currently on senior status and is past Co-Chair of Proskauer’s Labor and Employment Law Department. Greg has two daughters and three grandchildren.
This group will discuss a variety of shows, both on Broadway and off. Participants in this group will also have the chance to attend shows at a discounted fee and review them with the group. Group members will not only talk about and attend shows, but also create friendships, and feel a sense of community.
This group will meet once a month on the first Wednesday of the month, alternating between Zoom and in-person gatherings.
Gather Guide: Jessica Hasicka
Jessica Hasicka is a native New Yorker who grew up on theatrical productions with a keen appreciation for the arts.
Mentorship & Networking (Investment Banking, Finance and Law)
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This group is currently full, but we can add your name to a waitlist. Please email for more information.
This Gather is for young and new professionals in fields like investment banking, finance, and law, who are looking to build professional and personal relationships.
Gather Guide:Brendan Dillon
Brendan Dillon enjoys working in highly effective teams and seeks inspiration and motivation from others.
This group is currently full, but we can add your name to a waitlist. Please email for more information.
In this Gather, we will talk about the Court, how federal judges function, cases that the Court has granted petitions to hear, and, ultimately, opinions that the Court issues. Think of it as Torah study, but the Supreme Court version.
Gather Guide: Kyle Satterfield
Kyle Satterfield is an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Kyle previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. L. Felipe Restrepo on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as well as the Hon. Brian A. Jackson, then-Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Kyle received his J.D. from Tulane University Law School, where he served as Editor in Chief of the Tulane Law Review. Kyle also received his B.A. from Tulane University, double majoring in Political Science and Philosophy and minoring in Sociology. Kyle has published scholarship on a variety of legal issues, and his work has been cited in several prestigious journals, including the Vanderbilt Law Review, the Washington University Law Review, and the Oregon Law Review, as well as a recent opinion of the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal.
This group is currently full, but we can add your name to a waitlist. Please email for more information.
For those who like Shakespeare and for those who would like to get reacquainted with his plays, this group would pick a play and read it out loud in one or two sessions. Each participant would be assigned a role or two in advance, depending on the number of characters in the play. The session would consist of reading the play and stopping along the way for comments and observations, perhaps even finding connections between the plays and Jewish tradition. No theatrical experience required, just a vivid imagination, a willingness to experience the plays more directly and a whole lot of enthusiasm.
Gather Guide:Mark Weisstuch
Mark W. Weisstuch: Husband. Father. Grandfather. Teacher. Administrator. Theatregoer. Reader. Traveler. Photographer. Museum-goer. Searches for understanding and truth. Cherishes relationships. Esteems wisdom. Admires Shakespeare.
This group is currently full, but we can add your name to a waitlist. Please email for more information.
Meets the first Tuesday of the month, starting Dec. 7 at 7:00 PM, over Zoom.
Imagine experiencing the greatest performing artists in the comfort of your home! Each month we will explore different aspects of the arts including famous classical pianists, string players, dance artists, and film. Short video and audio recordings will be offered with commentary. Interesting conversation and discussion will follow the presentations.
Gather Guide:Edith Kraft
Edith Kraft is a concert pianist and Juilliard graduate who has won prizes in numerous competitions including the Naumburg Competition and the Atlanta Symphony Competition and has taught at The Juilliard School for over 30 years. Recently she performed on 2 pianos with Maestro Joao Carlos Martins live in concert on Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook in NYC and Brazil. She will be performing the Beethoven Triple Concerto at the Bellingham, WA Festival in July, 2022 as well as in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Recommendations for making a meaningful Gather group.
Q & A
Why Gather?
For ages our ancestors gathered in groups of 10. It was the gathering that empowered them to raise children in a changing world. It was the gathering that gave them the strength to take risks. It was the gathering that sustained them and gave them purpose. It was the gathering that revealed their gifts and their potential.
Why Lead a Group?
For ages our ancestors gathered in groups of 10. It was the gathering that empowered them to raise children in a changing world. It was the gathering that gave them the strength to take risks. It was the gathering that sustained them and gave them purpose. It was the gathering that revealed their gifts and their potential.
What Will We Do?
Have Shabbat dinner or Havdalah, explore NYC, try out different coffee shops, volunteer. How you design your Gathering is up to you. Most importantly, talk. Maybe you want to connect with other parents of teens. Interfaith families, or people interested in documentaries, or Netflix comedy specials.
Or just people who want to talk about something other than the weather and the subway’s daily delays. Instead, you want to talk about big questions, small joys, and grow in the process.
When Will We Meet?
As the group leader, you pick the day and time, and parameters of the group and congregants will sign up to meet on a regular basis (at least monthly). We recommend you meet once a month February-May. Here’s the timeline for the pilot:
January: Gather Leaders Launch to build skills, connect with other leaders, learn Jewish wisdom of relationships
February: Kick it off with your group’s monthly meeting at your chosen day and time.
March: monthly meetings
April: monthly meetings
May: Your group’s final monthly meeting!
End of May: Celebrate! All groups will Gather for a roof-top celebration @ Emanu El. Reflect, Connect and get excited for summer!
How Many People Make Up a Group?
Groups are usually no more than 15 people, no fewer than 5. It is YOUR group, so you can decide to limit or expand the size.
Where Do We Meet?
Anywhere you want except the synagogue. Your home, a bar, a coffee shop, restaurants, offices, parks. As long as your gathering is focused on meaningful interaction, that’s what matters.
How Do I Start A Gather Group?
People You Already Know but don’t really Know…
Know people’s names or see them regularly at temple but want to interact more meaningfully? Start here.
Invite 4 or more acquaintances to get together monthly, semi-monthly or weekly. You can meet in person at a coffee shop, your home or on facetime, whatever will keep you regularly connected and committed to the group.
Choose the makeup of your test group (interest, geography, or profession)
Decide what to do. Have Shabbat dinner or Havdalah, explore NYC, try out different coffee shops, volunteer. How you design your Gathering is up to you.
In your Gather group, dive into deep discussion and create a space to share beyond the surface. Coaching, resources, and discussion guides are available from Rabbi Gross-Prinz.
As a Group-leader, Will I Get Training?
Emanu El is excited to offer a group-leader training to kick-off this pilot, in addition to resources and coaching throughout the experience. Staff will be available to offer Jewish wisdom, and tips on group dynamics. Leaders are participants too, so you should have a meaningful, transformational experience too!
Will Help Be Available Once We Start?
We are here to help! Emanu El is happy to offer training, materials and ongoing coaching to Gather group leaders. If you want to start a new Gather group in the future, all you need are 1-2 people to spark a group, and Rabbi Rachel Gross-Prinz will help you Gather the rest. Get in touch . You won’t be alone at any point in the process!
Need an Idea?
How about these…
Justice and Jewish Thought Discussion Group
LGBTQ Torah Study + Culture Club
Ask Big Questions: 8 gatherings, 8 different coffee shops, 8 different BIG questions
Life: A Walk in the Park (walking group)
NYC Adventures: New experiences, new connections
Humility, Patience and Truth: A Gather group to reflect on Jewish values & Contemporary Life
Men Who Talk: Judaism and Medical Ethics
Emanu El Runs: Raise your heartrate and big issues
