Bull feb17 web by Beth El Synagogue Center

FEBRUARY 2017 • Vol. 99, No. 7 SHEVAT ~ ADAR 5777 WWW.BETHELNR.ORG

DONNA AND ABE BARTELL TO RECEIVE PRESIDENT’S NE’EMANIM SERVICE AWARD AT 63rd ANNUAL GALA – SUNDAY, MARCH 19th – 5:00 pm After being introduced on a blind date in 1993, Donna and Abe Bartell married in 1995. Having lived in Rhode Island and Bayside, Queens, Donna and Abe settled in New Rochelle in 2001 with their two-yearold daughter Hannah. That same year, their Donna and Abe Bartell twin sons Stephen and Jesse were born. When choosing a synagogue, Donna gave Abe no choices. They would join a Conservative shul, and since they lived in New Rochelle, they were zoned to attend a New Rochelle synagogue. The obvious and only choice was Beth El Synagogue Center. Beth El quickly became the family’s second home, a home which shared and celebrated Jesse’s and Stephen’s bris and the children’s B’nei mitzvah. Hannah, Stephen, and Jesse all attended the Beth El Nursery School, the amazing Day Camp, and, after spending Kindergarten

through fifth grade at Schechter Westchester, they moved on to the Beth El Religious School and became active in Beth El’s USY chapter. Donna grew up on Long Island, where she attended Commack Jewish Center. She graduated from SUNY Binghamton and received her Law Degree at Emory University. After spending time working as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, Donna happily retired from the practice of law and moved to Rhode Island, where Abe was completing his medical training. Donna currently works for the Westchester Jewish Council, a job she considers an extension of both her life at Beth El and her connection to the Jewish community. Abe is a Brooklyn native and graduate of the Yeshivah of Flatbush elementary and high schools. He completed his undergraduate degree at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and his medical degree at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. After completing a combined residency in general pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry at Brown University, he and Donna returned to New York and Abe began his career in academic medicine, spending several years at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Abe spent twelve years as a child and adolescent psychiatrist and head of the pediatric psychosocial care program at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; and as an associate continued, page 23 professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics at

63 rd

Gala

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Beth El Synagogue Center

Sunday, March 19, 2017 at 5:00 pm

Honoring

Tris & Sam Berger For Distinguished Leadership and Devoted Service and Donna & Abe Bartell President’s Ne’emanim Service Award Recipients 5 - 7 pm Smörgåsbord

7 - 8 pm Meaningful Program

8 - 10 pm Dessert and Dancing

“We Make a Living by What We Get, but We Make a Life by What We Give.” — Winston Churchill Purim Carnival................................. page 2. Mishpacha Mid-Winter Shabbat....... page 7 Kulanu Shabbat................................. page 3 Israel Trip......................................... page 8

Bagels & Books/Hadassah............... page 11 Gala Ad Packages............................ page 24

Join us for

Kulanu Shabbat Tu BiShevat Experience

MENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLUB SHABBAT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4th

Friday, February 10th 6:00 pm-6:40 pm Welcome Shabbat with an informal, family-friendly program designed to be accessible for children with special needs, including ASD and/or intellectual impairments.

At Beth El Synagogue Center For more information, contact Rabbi Josh Dorsch at jdorsch@bethelnr.org or Elise Richman at elisekrichman@gmail.com

Rabbi Sirner to Lead Shabbat Services at Beth El February 11th, Tu BiShevat

Join us for an exciting

SCHOLAR-INRESIDENCE SHABBAT

RABBI WERNICK to deliver the sermon and hold an open forum for questions after Kiddush lunch. He will also attend Mincha and Seudah Shlishit. About Rabbi Steven Wernick

Saturday, February 25th with Rabbi Benjamin Segal

Rabbi Wernick is the Chief Executive Officer of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. He has spearheaded a topto-bottom transformation to allow JTS to meet the dramatically changing needs of 21st century congregations. He has shepherded the launch of several new initiatives, including Sulam Leadership, an integrated set of leadership development resources that includes programs for presidents, emerging leaders, current leaders, and officers. Through partnerships with and grants from outside organizations, he has expanded funding for USY, and has launched major new efforts to help kehillot reach out to young families and to people with disabilities. Rabbi Wernick was instrumental in the 2016 agreement to create a permanent space for pluralistic and egalitarian prayer at the Kotel.The son of a rabbi and a Jewish educator, Rabbi Wernick was involved in USY and Camp Ramah while growing up in a variety of cities across North America. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, University of Judaism, he was ordained at JTS and is married with three daughters.

Rabbi Segal will deliver the Sermon on Shabbat morning. His topic is Faith and Doubt in Ecclesiastes. On Saturday afternoon, he will discuss his new book, Koheletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pursuit of Truth: A New Reading of Ecclesiastes. Visit page 23 to learn about our scholar. 3

RABBI’S MESSAGE

This is a copy of the sermon Rabbi Schuck delivered on the Shabbat after the Presidential Inauguration, January 21st, Parashat Shemot/ ,una ,arp Last week we finished reading our origin story, the book of Genesis, which focuses our attention on the dramatic life Rabbi David Schuck of the family that was the precursor of the Jewish people. God made promises to this family, the most central of which was to make them into a vast nation whose eternal homeland was the Land of Israel. It is curious, then, that the book of Genesis ends with this very same family choosing to leave Israel in search of a better life—a life in which hunger would not ravage them; a life that would be more stable than the one they had in Israel; a life in which they would have protection through Joseph’s political power. Jacob and his sons are nothing more than refugees, a family seeking refuge in Egypt, people hoping for a better life. Nothing captures this better than Jacob’s anxiety as his sons leave Israel in search of food. Jacob is terrified for the safety of his precious son Binyamin. He doesn’t want him to make the journey “lest something tragic happens.” Put simply, he is

afraid that his son might die on the journey. Think about the heartbreaking image of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose body washed up face down on the shore as his family tried to reach Europe in safety. After all, the life of a refugee is dangerous, and nobody knows this better than our people. From the time Jacob and his sons left Israel and entered Egypt, we have been a people of refugees, always leaving one home to enter a new one, hoping that the mercy of the local political structure and communal systems would offer us opportunities for a better life. My grandfather, pop-pop Joe as we called him, fled Poland by hiding away on a ship bound for New York. Without speaking a word of English and through his grit and determination, he made his way to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, where the community welcomed him, employed him in blue collar manual labor (which he did for his entire life), and helped him settle and start a new life for himself. After Theresienstadt was liberated, the camp that stole my mother-in-law Sarah’s childhood and innocence, she and her brother, still just children themselves, were sent to a refugee camp in Florence, Italy, where they lived

for two years before emigrating to Israel. Everyone in this room can trace their arrival to this country to a refugee story. In a beautiful drasha that I heard this week from Rabbi Jason Rubenstein, a scholar at Yeshivat Hadar, he suggested that we are really “a people of refugees.” Starting with Jacob and his sons to every Jewish community transcending time and geography—from ancient Israel to Babylonia to Spain to Europe to Yemen, and so on and so on, our people have always been refugees. Rabbi Rubenstein reflected on the word “ger” that is found in the Torah. God says to Avraham, “Know well that your offspring shall be gerim (the plural of ger), or strangers, in a land not theirs.” The Jewish Publication Society translates ger as a “stranger,” but something profoundly important is lost in that translation in our cultural context, a stranger to us is simply someone whom we do not know, the person we teach our children to stay away from and not speak to. In our society, a stranger could simply be the person who was born and raised two houses down from us. But in the Bible, gerim were foreigners, people who [continued, page 16]

NOTES FROM THE HAZZAN Our tradition tells us, “MiShenichnas Adar Marbim B’Simcha!,” “When Adar comes, joy is increased!” It is Hazzan Jamie Gloth considered to be the happiest of all the Hebrew months, a month-long celebration. Although Adar does not begin until the end of February, we are already gearing up for a fantastic month of joy and fun at Beth El Synagogue Center. Purim, a holiday which commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from a genocidal plot by the wicked Haman, is the primary reason for increasing our joy during Adar. This year, we will begin the festivities with the Annual Purim Carnival on Sunday,

March 5th. Each year it seems to get bigger and better, so make sure not to miss it. We will continue our Purim celebration with the traditional reading of Megillat Esther on Saturday night, March 11th, beginning at 7:00 pm. As always, the Megillah will be read by our teens. During the Megillah reading, as we have done for the past few years, we will have fun Purim entertainment. This year, we are having a special Sing-along, with familiar tunes rewritten with Purim lyrics. If you would like to help out, contact me at jgloth@bethelnr.org. Finally, this year Beth El is hosting its first Purim Seudah on Sunday, March 12th, a morning of eating, learning, and celebrating. We will cap it off with a Purim Variety Show and we want to showcase you! We are looking for fun (and funny) variety 4

acts from members of our congregation. If you have an act and are interested in being a part of the show, please contact me (jgloth@ bethelnr.org). Each act will be approximately two minutes long, and can be almost anything . . .as long as it helps us increase our joy. Of course, we conclude the month of Adar with our Annual Beth El Gala on Sunday, March 19th.Our honorees are Sam and Tris Berger and our President’s Ne’emanim Service Award recipients are Abe and Donna Bartell. Make sure you make your reservations soon, as it is always an evening not to miss. Adar is supposed to be our month of joy and hope for the coming of Spring and freedom. I hope you will join us as we celebrate our joy together. Hazzan Jamie Gloth

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

First Expenditure from The Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner Fund for Jewish Inspiration Approved by Board, and Beth El Receives Significant Donation in Memory of Sylvia and Harry Halpern, z”l We will also begin to offer: • A weekly Jewish mindfulness meditation group; • A group that will engage in singing as a spiritual practice; • A chasidut class; • A mindful parenting group. and • A wise aging group.

Dear Friends: This month I would like to tell you about two exciting developments involving fund-raising activities. First is the approval by the Board of Trustees of the first expenditure from the The Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner Fund for Jewish Inspiration, and second, the establishment of the Sylvia and Harry Halpern Lecture Fund. As you know, during the last year of Rabbi Sirner’s service to Beth El, we had a significant fundraising event to honor Rabbi Melvin’s and Lenore Sirner’s devotion to our shul. The money raised established The Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner Fund for Jewish Inspiration to preserve Rabbi Sirner’s legacy at Beth El. The Fund’s purpose is to ensure that our synagogue center remains a warm and nurturing place for future generations, where Jewish values are learned and lived. It will also reinforce our tradition of high-quality programming, while providing the opportunity to develop new and experimental formats for prayer, study, and other experiences to enhance what Beth El has to offer its members and the community. The Board of Trustees required that a team comprised of Rabbi Schuck, the synagogue president, two trustees, and one member-atlarge be tasked with researching and investigating ideas that can be sponsored by the Fund and then presented to the Board of Trustees for approval. The team is taking its task very seriously and is thoughtfully considering how the Fund can best meet its mission and the needs of our community. The following proposal was presented to the Board of Trustees and approved. The team continues to meet and investigate and discuss other future proposals. The Board of Trustees approved the team’s proposal for a twoyear initiative that will create opportunities for people to integrate Jewish spirituality into their current Jewish observance, as well as offer new ways to cultivate spiritual experiences outside of the existing traditional framework currently offered by Beth El. Through this initiative, we will create a cohort of people who will work to begin or deepen their own spiritual practices through: • Prayer • Mindfulness meditation • Singing, and/or • Contemplative study.

Samuel E. Berger

These groups will create opportunities for people to integrate the values of Jewish spiritual practice into their current life stage. We will eventually open all of these activities to the larger Westchester Jewish community as well. Please be on the lookout for information on these exciting new programs. I am also pleased to announce that the Halpern Family has established the Sylvia and Harry Halpern Lecture Fund. Harry and Sylvia moved to New Rochelle in the 1950s and immediately began to leave an indelible mark on Beth El Synagogue Center. Sylvia was best known as a driving force in Sisterhood, and Harry was always there whenever Beth El needed him. When the synagogue was built, Harry and Sylvia contributed a panel that is part of our sanctuary. Beth El’s Religious School is also named for them and they donated a Torah to Beth El. Many generations of Halperns have been educated in Beth El’s schools. Joel, of blessed memory, was Cantor Avery’s, z”l, first bar mitzvah. Linda was confirmed here; she and her husband Warren were married here, and their daughter Beth married Larry Lipman at Beth El. Both Beth and her brother Mark celebrated their bat and bar mitzvah at Beth El, as did Jon, Julie, and Jason. The Halpern family told me that nothing would please their parents more than to honor their memory with a gift to their beloved synagogue. Sylvia and Harry had a strong commitment to family, Judaism, and Israel, and this passion was passed to the next generations of the Halpern family. This Fund will sponsor outside lecturers to be brought to Beth El to enhance our Limmud and programming efforts. I want to thank The Sirner Fund team for its continued hard work, and the Halpern family for its generous donation. See you in shul. To this end, we will continue to offer a Shabbat morning Sam Contemplative Service.

BETH EL’S PURIM MITZVAH CAMPAIGN

PURIM VARIETY SHOW ON SUNDAY, MARCH 12th

Purim has four main mitzvot—Misloach Manot, hearing the Megillah twice, partaking in a feast, and Matanot L’evoynim (gifts to the poor). We invite you to fulfill this fourth mitzvah by participating in our Purim Mitzvah Campaign. Contributions will be accepted through Sunday, February 26. Reciprocity available. Visit www.PurimProject.com to participate.

Do you have an act you want to perform at Beth El’s Purim Seudah? If so, contact Hazzan Jamie Gloth at JGloth@bethelnr.org. 5

Contemplative Service, with Rabbi Schuck Saturday, February 18th • 10:00 am -11:15 am

Service

How can we pay better attention to living our lives with intention? You are invited to make time for yourself at our Contemplative Service, which is designed to slow the pace of our lives down in order to listen to what emerges from the silence. In this service, we will set aside time for mindfulness meditation, contemplative study, singing, and prayer. We will focus our attention on opening our hearts and minds. Everyone is welcome; dress as you would like. Just be sure to bring an open mind. We will begin promptly at 10:00 am; please arrive a few minutes early to minimize interruptions. The service will conclude by 11:15 am. After the service, those who would like to remain in the synagogue are welcome to continue to sit quietly in the Wiener Lounge, join the rest of the congregation for the sermon and the remainder of the Shabbat morning service (until 12:00 noon), and/or join us for the kiddush luncheon at 12:00 noon.

Limmud Classes in February Wednesday, February 1 10:00 am Thursday, February 2 Thursday, February 2

10:00 am 1:30 pm

Thursday, February 2 Thursday, February 2 Saturday, February 4 Sunday, February 5 Wednesday, February 8 Thursday, February 9 Thursday, February 9

6:30 pm 8:00 pm 12:30 pm 10:00 am 10:00 am 10:00 am 1:30 pm

Thursday, February 9 6:30 pm Thursday, February 9 8:00 pm Saturday, February 11 10:15 am Saturday, February 11 12:30 pm Sunday, February 12 10:00 am Wednesday, February 15 10:00 am Wednesday, February 15 7:30 pm Thursday, February16 10:00 am Thursday, February 16 1:30 pm Thursday, February 16 6:30 pm Thursday, February 16 8:00 pm Saturday, February 18 12:30 pm Sunday, February 19 10:00 am Tuesday, February 21 8:00 pm Wednesday, February 22 10:00 am Wednesday, February 22 7:30 pm Thursday, February 23 10:00 am Thursday, February 23 1:30 pm Saturday , February 25 12:30 pm Sunday, February 26 10:00 am Monday, February 27 1:30 pm

The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Molly Karp Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi Hojda Parashat HaShavuah, with Rabbi Josh Dorsch and Jack Gruenberg Beginners Ulpan, with Miri Ben-Avi Advanced Ulpan, with Miri Ben-Avi Daf Shevui Israeli Dancing, with Cantor Uri Aqua The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Karp Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi Hojda Parashat HaShavuah, with Rabbi Josh Dorsch and Jack Gruenberg Beginners Ulpan, with Miri Ben-Avi Advanced Ulpan, with Miri Ben-Avi Shabbat Discussion Group, with Jack Gruenberg Daf Shevui Israeli Dancing, with Cantor Uri Aqua The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Karp Introduction to Judaism (Off-Site) Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi Hojda Parashat HaShavuah, with Rabbi Josh Dorsch and Jack Gruenberg Beginners Ulpan, with Miri Ben-Avi Advanced Ulpan, with Miri Ben-Avi Daf Shevui Israeli Dancing, with Cantor Uri Aqua Torah on Tap (Off-Site) The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Karp Introduction to Judaism (Off-Site) Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi Hojda Parashat HaShavuah, with Rabbi Josh Dorsch and Jack Gruenberg Daf Shevui Israeli Dancing, with Cantor Uri Aqua Memories to Go, with Lynn Lowin

Questions? For Ulpan classes, contact Miri Ben Avi at miriulpan@gmail.com, or 914-602-1503. For all other classes, contact Rabbi Dorsch at jdorsch@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 260. 6

LEARNERS SERVICE Shabbat, February 25th 10:00 am - 11:00 am with Rabbi Sitkin Our community is diverse; people have varying degrees of knowledge about Jewish text, tradition, worship, and access to Hebrew vocabulary. Since Jewish prayer assumes a certain amount of background exposure and knowledge, we hope this service will create an access point into prayer for those who may feel lost and/or alienated from our typical prayer services. The Learners’ Service is an introductory exploration of the prayer service. Each prayer wil be studied in depth and read in English to gain a basic understanding of its meaning and intent. We will discuss the basic physical mechanics of each prayer when necessary. It is our hope that over time, everyone in our community will be able to enter the sanctuary with confidence and feel at home.

Please mark your calendar for the

Annual Minyan Breakfast SUNDAY, MARCH 19 Wiener Lounge

8:00AM - 9:45 AM

Tween Discussion

Mishpacha Mid-Winter Shabbat

Saturday, February 1 1th

Saturday, February 4th 1:00

- 4:00

This is a place for tweens to discuss and study a topic that is relevant to tweens and/ or to the Jewish calendar. It is informal and there are snacks at the beginning. After the discussion, we enter the sanctuary together for the sermon and musaf.

Families with children in grades one through six (and their siblings) are invited to join us for a Family Shabbat afternoon, following Shabbat morning services. $5 per family.

1 0: 30 AM - 1 1:15 AM ADDITIONAL DATES: March 11, April 29, May 27, June 3

Please send your payment to the office, and write Mishpacha Shabbat on the memo line.

Have fun with Yiddish! FRIDAYS, 1:00 pm

Shabbat Afternoon Get Together

at beth el

Questions? Contact Bea Freedman,

SEUDAH SHLISHIT

914-337-8645.

(Third Meal)

TORAH ON TAP

Saturday, February 25 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Tuesday, February 21 • 8:00 pm at Rockwells, in Pelham

PLEASE COME IN CASUAL ATTIRE.

Torah means different things to different people in different places. Why not seek its meaning in a bar? Come join us, offsite, for an opportunity to discuss whatever it is that Torah means to you. There will be an opportunity to ask Rabbi Dorsch, in a very informal setting, any questions that you may have about Judaism, God, Torah, or Israel. Participate in a guided conversation on these topics while socializing with a drink or two. Ages 21+. R.S.V.P. to jdorsch@bethelnr.org.

Shabbat, Judaism’s most sacred day, is meant to be a time for people to breath easy and find respite from the chaos and bustle that dominates their lives during the rest of the week. Once a month on a Saturday afternoon, we offer an opportunity to break bread, share a glass of wine, and learn.

OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY

the college-age committee will be packing for our college students on Thursday, March 2nd for Purim

5:00 pm

SCHMOOZE, WINE, HORS D’OEUVRES

5:45 pm

MINDFULLNESS SESSION, WITH RABBI DAVID SCHUCK

6:30 pm MINDFUL MA’ARIV & HAVDALAH

and Tuesday, April 4th for Passover.

BABYSITTING AVAILABLE IN THE KASAKOVE FROM 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. DINNER AND GAMES FOR CHILDREN.

PLEASE JOIN US! 7

AIPAC

is pleased to present

ANN LEWIS

Ann Lewis

Former White House Director of Communications for President Bill Clinton and Senior Advisor to Hillary Clinton

Thursday, February 16th 7:30 pm “Israel’s Relationship with America: Reflections on Future Opportunities and Challenges.” Ms. Lewis will discuss the real challenges Israel faces vis-a-vis the settlements and the two-state solution. To register, visit bethelnr.org/annlewis.

ISRAEL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE UPDATE The Israel Affairs Committee is off to a great start for 2017! We have already held several meetings and we are planning events for the rest of the year—unique panels and speakers at Beth El, as well as participating in Westchester-wide community events for Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzma’ut (Israel Memorial Day and Independence Day), and a celebration of Jerusalem for Yom Yerushalyim. And, of course, the AIPAC Conference is coming up on March 26-28, in Washington, D.C., and we are expecting to have a solid delegation going from Beth El, including a group of teens who are participating in a unique series of sessions on Israel-American affairs culminating in attendance at the AIPAC conference, with a post-conference review when they get back home. Marvin and Shari Chinitz will host a pre-conference parlor meeting, open to all members, at their home so that people can learn more about AIPAC and the conference. If you’re interested in attending the AIPAC Conference, contact Rabbi Josh Dorsch at jdorsch@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 260.

In addition, Beth El is hosting an AIPAC event on Thursday, February 16th, at 7:30 pm. Ann Lewis, former White House Director of Communications for President Bill Clinton, will speak on “Israel’s Relationship with America: Reflections on Future Opportunities and Challenges.” Beth El has a proud history of supporting Israel and offering a wide variety of opportunities to learn about and support Israel. In recent years, under the leadership of David Horowitz, the IAC has offered some great programs and we hope to both continue and build upon that legacy to keep Beth El engaged in an open dialogue about Israel and to offer our community a variety of opportunities to support and learn about our beloved homeland. We meet on the second Tuesday of every month (our next meeting is February 14th at 7:30 pm), and no matter what your perspective or prior knowledge is about Israel, we’d love to have you join us. L’hitraot, Michael Schiffres and Mark Seidenfeld Co-Chairs

ISRAELI DANCING Learn old and new dances

with Cantor Uri Aqua

Every Sunday, 10:00 am – 11:00 am $10 per class

Beth El Synagogue Center Interested? E-mail uaqua@bethelnr.org.

Our trip information is available now! Visit http://www.daattravel.com/Flipbook/Beth_el_synagogue_center/#8 Learn about our fabulous itinerary at http://www.daattravel.com/Beth-El-Synagogue-Center-ThePeople-of-Israel.aspx

Wednesday, July 26 – Sunday, August 6, 2017

Wear comfy clothes and sneakers. 8

Judika Lieberman Exhibit in Museum until Sunday, February 26th

There are only two seasons—winter and …

CAMP!

Judika Lieberman’s earliest and happiest memories growing up were when she was creating. Her family was in the arts, so creativity was a way of life. Her mother studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and then worked in millinery and designed hats for a fashion house on Madison Avenue. Both of her sisters are designers, and good family friend Frank Reichenthal was a painter. Creating good food and good art was part of the fabric of her childhood. Judika received a bachelor’s of science degree in Fine Arts from Pace University and a master’s of science degree in Studio Art from the College of New Rochelle. Her art and graphic design career has spanned government, publishing, advertising, and teaching. In this exhibit, she will include contemporary interpretations of abstracts and floras, as well as pen and ink work. Her energetic abstracts in acrylic contain an echo of natural, organic, and biomorphic forms. Her figurative work is impressionistic. The texture is impasto, with a vibrant color palette and encompasses the broad scale of the color spectrum. Influenced by Kandinsky, she believes that the interrelationship between art and music drives her creative inspiration. Judika enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge of art when teaching her private students, who share her enthusiasm. Visit her website at www.judika.com, or e-mail judelowinger@gmail.com. You can visit the museum any day Beth El is open.

enjoy a SOUPER summer at beth el day camp 2017

welcoming children 2 – 8 years of age • Learn about the souper summer that awaits you • View camp schedules • Take home free chicken soup, prepared by New Roc Glatt

OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, February 2 Friday, February 3 9:15am – 10:15am

drop by, no appointment necessary ENROLL NOW at www.betheldaycamp.org early bird rate through february 10, 2017 Questions? Contact Julie Rockowitz 914-235-2700, ext. 256, or jrockowitz@bethelnr.org.

JOIN THE SMART* PEOPLE

* SMART = Senior, Mature Adult, Retired Together Programs

SMART* Programs

Tuesday, February 14th, 9:30 am. Coffee and the newspaper. At 10:00 am, Sarah Drill, executive director of The Wings for Lone Soldiers, will speak on providing lone soldiers with the tools they need to make Aliyah, join the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and enter Israeli society as confident and active citizens. At 10:30 am, Beth El member Michael Malina, a retired attorney, will speak on “The Jewish Roots of Early Christian Theology.” Join us at 11:30 am for a light, Kosher, dairy lunch. $4/per person. Cash only. R.S.V.P. a must.

Wednesdays, 10:30

- 11:30

At Beth El. Same class schedule each month, however our schedule is subject to change. Beth El members free; $60 for 10 classes for community members; $8 for a drop in class. No R.S.V.P.

First Wednesdays of the month

FEBRUARY 1: CHAIR YOGA, with Nan. Improve your health through adaptive, breathing exercises.

Wednesday, February 15th, 11:30 am, Current Events with Shari Baum,following exercise. No charge.

Second Wednesday of the month

FEBRUARY 8: GOLDEN ZUMBA, with Laura, offering Latin rhythms for a low intensity dance workout.

Tuesday, February 28th, 10:00 am , Coffee and the newspaper. 10:30 am, Actor, singer, storyteller presents, “Abraham Lincoln: From Rail Splitter to President.” Abraham Lincoln’s favorite foods will be servied—corn cakes and apple butter. No charge.

Third Wednesday of the month

FEBRUARY 15: GOLDEN ZUMBA, with Laura, offering Latin rhythms for a low intensity dance workout.

Fourth Wednesday of the month

For questions or to R.S.V.P. on any SMART activity, contact Julie Rockowitz at jrockowitz@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 256.

FEBRUARY 22: BALANCE EXERCISE AND FITNESS using resistance bands, with Tim from North End Fitness. 9

Men’s Club After serving our community by cooking pancakes and eggs for all the volunteers on Beth El’s Volunteer Day in January, the Men’s Club hits the ground running in February with two events to further our spiritual growth. Please plan on joining us for the Dr. Ed Scharfman Men’s Club Shabbat on February 4th, as our members lead services. Afterwards, join us for the Kiddush lunch that we are sponsoring (see box on page 3).

The very next day, Sunday, February 5th, join us at the Daily Minyan at 8:00 am for the World-Wide Wrap, which is the signature program of the Federation of Jewish Men Clubs (FJMC). Jews around the world are literally “bound together” by focusing on this unique ritual that spans ages and generations. Whether you put on tefillin every morning, or have not done it since your bar/bat mitzvah, please consider joining us and thousands of Jews around the world. We will have pairs to share and people willing to teach or provide

a refresher, so don’t worry if you cannot remember the prayers and the procedures. Afterwards, the Men’s Club will be providing breakfast, so it will give you a chance to sit around and schmooze before the Big Game that evening in Houston. Please mark your calendars for April 30, 2017 for the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs Hudson Valley Region yearly luncheon. This year it will be held at Shaarei Tikvah, in Scarsdale. Steven Young, President

MEMORIES TO GO A FEW MORE MEMORIES . . . My Aunt Yetta and Uncle Harry had a candy store on Washington Avenue and 178th Street in the Bronx. It was about ten very long blocks from where we lived, and we would walk there to visit. Everyone walked, that was our mode of transportation. My Aunt would take me to the back of the counter and quietly give me several pieces of double bubble gum. It was a very special treat for all the kids. I never told anyone that I did not like bubble gum. It was so difficult to come by that after you finished chewing it, you placed the gum in a small glass of water for the next time. The bubble gum wrapper had comics. My cousin Bernie was very handsome and before he graduated from high school, he enlisted in the air force. Being a pilot was always his dream. After the war he became a commercial pilot. This left an extra bed so I would sleep in the apartment above the candy store and sell candy behind the penny candy counter. Remember wax lips, long strips of colored candy that we called buttons, malt balls, and wax bottles filled

with colored syrup? It took a very long time to make up your mind what to purchase. I also had to watch the newspaper sales on Saturday night. This was a big event. There must have been about ten newspapers available. I can remember The Bronx Home News, Daily News, Daily Mirror, Herald Tribune, and The New York Times. This was quite a responsibility! There were also Yiddish, Spanish, Italian, and Irish newspapers. I recently realized that the war was over when I was ten years old. Imagine a child doing all this now! I also learned how to make malteds, sodas, and egg creams. An egg cream was a chocolate soda with a dash of milk and fountain seltzer. The egg cream was usually accompanied by a long salted pretzel. Those were simpler days. During World War II an A&P opened, the first supermarket to open in our neighborhood. Before this we shopped in small specialty stores. Every shopkeeper had his own specialty. I remember going to a store that only sold oil. My mother would give me a jar and I would purchase 10

by Blanche Fried

the oil. With the opening of the A&P, my grandmother would go and wait outside on a line to see what goodies were available and to see if she had enough ration stamps to buy some of those goodies if they were available. I believe families were given ration books with stamps to make these purchases. Items like sugar, P&G soap, Crisco, and coffee were very scarce. P&G soap was used for washing clothing. We had no washing machine so we filled the bathtub with water and scrubbed the clothes with the soap on a washboard. One day my class gave a play. We needed a mailbox for this very patriotic epic. My father brought home an orange crate and some wood and proceeded to build this mailbox in our bathroom. He then painted it mailbox green. I can still remember my lines, “I’m mailing this letter to my Uncle Al who is in the Army.” I cannot remember a person’s name, but this I remember vividly. I was in camp when World War II was finally over and I remember my counselors crying. Why did we not learn to live in peace?

SISTERHOOD Sisterhood Scene It is February and it’s cold, but the Beth El building is always warm and inviting! And despite the weather, Sisterhood members remain active and involved. Our regular events continue throughout the winter months, including the Walking Club! But, of course, all scheduled events are subject to cancellation or postponement due to weather conditions. In those cases, Beth El e-mails will notify congregants if the building is closed due to inclement weather, so while we urge you to mark your calendars for upcoming events, it is also important to check synagogue communications for updated information. By this time, you have hopefully received our tea bag fund-raising letter. It has become an annual tradition for Sisterhood to invite congregants to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea, while sending in a donation to our Shiva

Fund. We are proud that this fund has enabled us to reach out to synagogue members to send families a meal that, we hope, will help ease their pain and sorrow at a time of loss. Having recently suffered two losses in my family within a short period of time, I can attest to the fact that this expression of kindness and sympathy means a lot and we are grateful to the support that Sisterhood gives to mourners. Your donations to the Shiva Fund enable us to continue to reach out to community members with compassion. Please help us in this effort. You can be sure your generosity will be appreciated. On February 28th we invite you to join us for a fun evening of pizza and games. Details are noted at right, and can also be found on the Beth El website. It is an informal evening, open to all, male and female, so please join us! Stay warm! Barbara Horowitz

MITZVAH CARD PRICE NOW $10

Reminder . . . Support our tea bag fundraiser. Send your check, payable to Beth El Sisterhood, to the office, and write Shiva Fund Donation on the memo line.

Sisterhood has set a new minimum contribution price for a Mitzvah Fund card—$10 per card.

SISTERHOOD’S “BAGELS & BOOKS” BOOK CLUB

Monday, February 27th, 9:30

Beth El Sisterhood and Hadassah will gather to discuss The Family, by David Laskin. “Tracing the three strands of his fascinating ancestry, Laskin takes us on an epic journey deep into the heart and soul of the twentieth century. The story is haunting, heartfelt, and deeply moving. In the end, as Laskin eloquently points out in an almost mystical epilogue, his telling of it weaves another bright silver thread into the fabric that binds all of us together.”—Daniel James Brown, The New York Times bestselling author

The New Rochelle Library has copies on reserve—just mention Beth El. Start reading today! Then, join the conversation!

Want to read ahead? Our next gathering is on Monday, March 27th. We will discuss Russian Dance, by Andree Aelion Brooks. 11

Save the date . . . Tuesday Evening, April 25th Sisterhood presents MICHELLE BRAFMAN, author of Washing The Dead Ms. Brafman is coming to Beth El and will give a presentation about the Jewish tradition of Tahara, whereby we honor the deceased by washing them before the funeral and burial.

Her book is a novel, but it has the Tahara theme.

Sisterhood Programs CARD ROOM, 12:45 pm weekly: Canasta,Mondays; Mah Jongg, Tuesdays. WALKING CLUB meets every Monday at 9:30 am for a nice easy walk—not a jog. All are welcome! BAGELS & BOOKS BOOK CLUB, 9:30 am, Monday, February 27th, for The Family, by David Laskin. EVENING BOOK CLUB, 7:30pm9:00pm, Thursday, May 4th. We will discuss The Marriage of Opposites, by Alice Hoffman. Free. No R.S.V.P. MITZVAH KNITTING: Free lessons and supplies. Knit at home and donate your work. Children’s hats, scarves, and 7” squares for afghans needed. E-mail Phyllis at pjf920@verizon.net. QUESTIONS? Contact Arlene Salman at aesalman@aol.com, or 914-2352485.

Keruv* Korner *“Keruv” = to bring close, to draw near February Is Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month Ashrei yoshvei veitekha… Happy are those who dwell in Your House… Recent academics have confirmed what King David implied thousands of years ago in Psalms: the key to happiness is finding meaning and purpose in one’s life. Meaning can be found in religious or spiritual pursuits, in work, in relationships, in serving others— all of which are essential components of Beth El—our “House of God.” It is critical that the 20% of individuals here with disabilities have access to Beth El as a source of meaning and happiness. Access can be hampered in any number of ways, but we are enjoined to remove the stumbling block regardless. Beth El has been actively striving to do so. This past fall our main entrance was reconfigured and constructed to provide greater access to those with physical disabilities. There is now a large curb cut immediately in front, non-slip paving stones underfoot, and better lighting overhead. Security at the front entrance should be able to assist someone having difficulty opening the glass doors for any reason, but please, if you see someone apparently stuck outside, open the door and let security take it from there.

There are families for whom emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disabilities may be an obstacle to spiritual engagement. With that in mind, we offer the Kulanu Shabbat/ Tu BiShevat Experience on Friday evening, February 10th, at 6:00 pm. This joyous forty-minute experiential program of song, movement, and story is intended for families with a child who has an Autistic Spectrum or intellectual disorder. Please spread the word. (see box, page 3) Work and social life is a source of meaning for so many of us, and yet it is often difficult for adults with disabilities to find either. There are a few programs in the community designed to assist young adults with disabilities to find social and vocational outlets. POINT, Shelanu, Compass Project, and YesSheCan are some of the programs here in Westchester. We have put promotional materials from these programs with their contact information in a folder on the Keruv shelf in our library. Westchester Jewish Community Services is another good source for more information and resources. Shari Baum, M.S.W., is Beth El’s representative from WJCS and can help direct you as well.

Finally, we can connect with our brethren in Israel and easily assist individuals there with disabilities through a new startup described below by its founder. “My name is Yuval and I am from Tel Aviv and I am entrepreneur. I participated in an entrepreneurs accelerator sponsored by The Ruderman Foundation called A3I and developed a new innovative Start Up that promotes employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Israel called BuyforGood.biz. I worked together with a few Israeli nonprofits organizations and we created a platform, an online store, for social impact gifts that are made in Israel. All our product are made by people with disabilities, special needs and by people from underprivileged communities in Israel and you can buy them online from any place in the world, easily as if it was sold on Amazon or eBay, with delivery to your door.” Happy “Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month” from the Keruv Committee! Elise Richman and Nina Luban Co-Chairs

Beth El Celebrates February Birthdays Beth El Synagogue Center would like to extend a “Happy Birthday!” to its members with a birthday in the month of February. If you have a February birthday, we hope that you will join

us for Kiddush lunch on Shabbat, February 11th. If you have a February birthday, but your name does not appear on the list, we are sorry for the omission and ask that you e-mail the synagogue at info@bethelnr.org so that

Rhonda Afran Aaron Afran Salo Aizenberg Graham Arad Gladys Barish Donna Bartell Kenny Berger Barbara Bradbury Lorraine Branson Emily Bromberg Robert Brown Lynn Buckvar-Keltz Jody Burton Isaac Claar Isabele Cohen Raymond Coll Janney Collens Adam Cooper

Steven Gruenstein Barbara Haber Jonathan Hecht Lucy Hecht Sara Herlands Michael Herman Stephen Herzberg Ronald Herzog Elliot Hollander Gwendolyn Horn Dov Hyman Benjamin Jacobson Arthur Jakoby Eilene Kahn Deborah Kaplan Jack Katz Bernard Katz Rosalind Kaufman

Carol Diament Rebecca Dubin Barbara Engelson Aden Erlikh Dalia Fenster Paul Freedman Elaine Friedman Cookie Fuchs Paul Ganeles Cynthia Glickman Joseph Goldberg Michael Goldberg Jared Goldfarb Shayna Goldfarb Steven Goldman Malcolm Graff Leon Greenspan Sophie Gross

Julia Keltz Ruth Kon Michael Kremins Alexander LaTorraca Alan Legatt Shireen Lewis Laura Lewis Howard Loewentheil Lawrence Mandelker Chaya Manning Matthew Matcovsky Linda Mazursky Lois Morgenstern George Morris Debra Morris Marc Morse Steven Newman Julius Oestreicher 12

we can update our records. Please contact us if you do not wish to have your name appear on our birthday list. (The list reflects our adult members and post-bar/bat mitzvah children up to the age of 21.) Henry Olstein Amy O’Malley Stephen O’Malley Barbara Orans Mindell Patchen Herbert Pearlman Samuel Platek Eva Platzner Jordan Reid Brad Roth George Rozansky Barbara SaundersAdams Judy Schwartz David Schwartz Judith Shapiro David Shechter Beth Siegel

Danielle Silverman Hava Simkhay Ruth Sininsky Alan Sokoloff Charlie Solomon Howard Steinman Alan Stern Rena Strauch Uri Tamir Grace Turkewitz Marley Vogel Lori Weber Jeff Weckstein Ronnie Weinberger Ion Weiss Ruth Weiss Cara Wulfsohn Marc Zoldessy

Nursery School News There is nothing as special, from a weather point of view, than the first snow of the season. Despite the need to bundle up in snow pants, gloves, scarves, hats, and boots, our children loved going outside to engage with the elements. They shoveled, made snow angels, created snowballs, experimented with

ice (freezing, melting), and packing snow. What do we, as educators, learn from this? Forget the expensive toys adults tend to purchase. Just give a child some water and sand at the beach or water and snow in the winter and they are content for hours! Enjoy some highlights below. Ronnie Becher, Director

PHOTOGRAPHS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEB VIEWING

YOUTH & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT A Note from Bekkah . . . February Youth Community Highlights As an experienced Jewish educator, I search for ways to help my learners develop a deep, meaningful connection to Israel. I have grown to understand that this is easier said than done, and that the path of Israel education is fraught with challenges. However, these challenges can be overcome if we focus on the learner, the curriculum, and diverse narratives of Israel – three of the iCenter’s 12 principles of the Aleph Bet of Israel Education (http://www.theicenter. org/aleph-bet). These techniques have helped me professionally and, in fact, make teaching methodology relatable and achievable in a range of educational environments. The principles referenced in the Aleph Bet of Israel Education describe both a framework for experiential learning as well as emphasize the value of meaningful education. I have experimented with these techniques in our Religious School, and I look forward to expanding this type of work with new Israel education program for teens. Beginning February 28th, and for three additional Tuesdays leading up to AIPAC, Rabbi Josh Dorsch and I will facilitate this month-long initiative, guiding teens who are interested in learning more deeply about Israel. The topics of these sessions will cross over diverse narratives and multiple landscapes of Israel, culminating in some of our teens attending the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. this March. We are thrilled to share this experience with them! Those teens will also participate in a teen program at the AIPAC Policy Conference. After the conference, we will come back together for our final session to reflect on the entire experience. Any of our teens who have an interest in learning more about Israel and how the narratives are integrated into our lives as Jewish Americans are welcome to join us for the sessions leading up to AIPAC. If you are interested in being a part of the sessions, in attending the AIPAC Policy Conference with the Beth El delegation, or if you have any questions or comments, please be in touch! We look forward to continuing to explore Israel education as a community and hope that this initiative brings new light to what Israel education can look like for our teens and youth as we move forward. Pieces of this Bulletin article have been taken from eJewishPhilanthropy’s article entitled A Personal Approach to Israel Education, by Bekkah Gold. To read more, visit: www./ejewishphilanthropy. com/a-personal-approach-to-israel-education/.

Thursday, February 2

Rosh Hodesh Girls, 6:00 pm

Friday, February 3

Scout Shabbat, 6:30 pm

Friday, Feb. 3-Sunday, Feb. 5 Emek USY Kinnus (8th-12th Grade) Saturday, February 4

Mishpacha Shabbat (1:00 pm-4:00 pm)

Sunday, February 5

Girlology/Guyology, 2:00 pm

Thursday, February 9

USY Cooking Program, 6:30 pm

Saturday, February 11

Tween Service, 10:30 am

Sunday, February 12

Ruach (K-2nd grade), 11:00 am-12:15 pm Chaverim (3rd-5th grade), 12:00 pm-1:15 pm USY & Kadima Carnival Prep (6th-12th grade), 1:00 pm-3:00 pm

Friday, February 17

Cub Scout Shabbaton

Thursday, February 23

USY Movie Night, Offsite

Watch your e-mail for information about other upcoming Youth Events!

Youth Community Updates This year’s Annual Youth Shabbat was really something special. With an interactive P’sukei D’Zimra, youth-led Hallel, more engagement in our Parasha Players, and more opportunities for our younger children to be a part of the service, it was a truly wonderful morning. Thank you to all of our staff, parents, teens, and children who helped make it a success! As we enter the month of February, we want to remind you about the Annual Purim Campaign. Each year, Beth El helps our members fulfill an important mitzvah of Purim—Matanot Leevyonim, helping those whose needs are greater than our own, by contributing to major tzedakah organizations and building our Youth Community. You should have received an e-mail with your username and password. Simply log onto www.purimproject.com to participate. If you

have any questions, contact Jen at jvegh@ bethelnr.org or 914-235-2700, ext. 221. All orders must be placed by February 27th. Also, mark your calendar—the Purim Carnival is BACK and better than ever because it’s Beth El Comic-Con (see page 2)! Get your comic-themed gear ready (superheroes and beyond!) because you won’t want to miss this year’s Purim Carnival on March 5th. To volunteer to help revamp a booth or work on the day of the carnival, please contact the Office of Youth and Family Engagement, 914-235-2700, ext. 221. Also, new this year—Don’t miss Purim Day (March 12th) at Beth El. With special programming for all ages, an interactive Megillah reading, a brunch seudah (festive meal), and a variety show. Watch your e-mail for details!

iCAN Answer Now Teen Conference, Sunday, March 5th The iCAN Answer Now Teen Conference will prepare Jewish high school students to discuss Israel and Jewish issues when they reach college. Participants will leave with an elevated awareness of what they may encounter on campus including the impact of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and rising anti-Semitism. They will gain factual knowledge of Israel’s history, acquire new skills, and learn of resources they can access now or on campus. Presented by Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey.Registration is open and required. For information on the conference and to register, visit https://www.jfnnj.org/calendar/icananswernow. 14

YOUTH & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Religious School Update February Religious School Highlights

We were excited to reunite in January. Our learners are using art, music, movement, games, writing, reading, and a variety of other methods to explore Jewish life and practice their Hebrew reading and comprehension. Our teens spent the end of January learning about Israel with StandWithUs. Our educators combined with the Religious School Board to explore best practices and what we can learn from them. We look forward to exploring Tu BiShevat in February. If you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the video we created with the Beth El Nursery School, check it out on the Beth El website, or contact the Office of Youth & Family Engagement!

Saturday, February 4

Parent Organization Cooking Night

Sunday, February 5

Moadon, Art for Hey & Vav

Thursday, February 9 Shivat Haminim (7 species) program for Alef-Vav Sunday, February 12

Art for Bet & Gimel

Thursday, February 16

Art for Alef & Dalet

Monday, February 27

Religious School Board Meeting Pictured at left, Kitah Gimel students illustrating the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, reaching the other side, and Miriam dancing with the women.

Follow the Religious School on Twitter! @bethelrelschool

PHOTOGRAPHS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEB VIEWING

Kitah Alef reviewing Hebrew letters together!

Beth El USY (8th-12th grade) board bonding at Escape the Room - they escaped!

Chaverim (3rd-5th grade) baking chocolate chip cookies to donate to Hope Kitchen - lunch packages were made during our Volunteer Day!

Kitah Vav sharing different names they use to describe God. 15

RABBI’S MESSAGE, cont. from pg. 4 who are protected by society’s systems and visitors from seven Muslim countries— settled in a geographic location different from the one in which they had lived. They were a minority group, and as such, they required the protection of those with power because, by definition, they were the most vulnerable in society. Genesis concludes by describing our refugee migration: when Jacob and his sons enter Egypt, they enter as gerim, as refugees, as people escaping famine in search of a better life, and they are protected by their proximity to power, by Joseph. But Exodus opens with the chilling words: A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph Eventually, the protection afforded by Joseph is erased, his offspring were perceived as a threat, and they were brutally enslaved. Just like that. All it took for the change in status from protected minority to persecuted minority was a change in the king. The new king, rather than seeing the world through the prism of promise and opportunity, saw perceived threats. About the Israelite minority he said, “Let us deal shrewdly with them…otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us.” His fear of this minority group, the refugees who would become our nation, gave birth to horrific oppression, as we were enslaved for hundreds of years. It is for this reason that the Torah orders us to protect the ger, the refugee, if we are ever to find ourselves in positions of power. The Torah unambiguously commands us,

“Do not oppress a ger/refugee; you yourselves know how it feels to be a ger/ refugee [literally, “you know the soul of a ger/ refugee”], because you were gerim/ refugees in Egypt.” This is not simply a nice thing to do if we have the opportunity. It is a mitzvah, it is a commandment. And it is a commandment that is repeated and reinforced more than any other in the entire Torah. According to Rabbi Eliezer in the Talmud (Bava Metzia 59b), the Torah “warns against the wronging of a ger in thirty-six places; others say in fortysix places.” To the student of the Torah text, the constant reiteration of this mitzvah cultivates a moral sensitivity to those who are oppressed, and is meant to shatter the indifference to their suffering by those

institutions. It is meant to lead to action, not to an abstract and conceptual morality. As such, we at Beth El have created an opportunity for people in our community to fulfill this mitzvah, to help resettle gerim who are fleeing persecution, who, like my grandfather and mother-in-law and like so many people in our families, are in search of a safer, better life. We mobilize to help these gerim not only because our distant ancestors were refugees in Egypt, but because we ourselves, our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were refugees right here in the United States of America. We are working through HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which brings “130 years of expertise in resettling refugees, and is the only Jewish organization designated by the federal government to do this work.” It was established in 1881 and has literally “touched the life of nearly every Jewish family in America.” We are partnering with Temple Israel of New Rochelle, Temple Israel of White Plains, and a number of local churches. We do not yet know the details of the family that we will resettle: we do not know their country of origin, if they are Muslim or Christian or another ethno-religious group, and we do not yet know the number of children that they have. Here is what we do know: this family has been vetted for two years by the State Department (according to HIAS, “if the refugee(s) so much as served tea to an undesirable individual(s) they were excluded); this family has been living in a refugee camp for the past 2-3 years; the father is likely to come from the professional class of his country of origin; this family is fleeing persecution and harassment for political, religious, or other reasons connected to its minority status; and we know that there is no organization in America with more experience in coordinating refugee resettlement with an eye toward safety, ethical treatment, and success at integration. We have an opportunity to change the life of a family, much in the same way that our families were changed. As I write this piece (almost one week after I delivered a version of this article as a sermon), the Washington Post is reporting that President Trump is signing an executive order that “calls for the immediate cessation of ongoing resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States...among those immediately affected would be potential immigrants and 16

Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Iran, Libya, and Sudan—that are considered by the Trump administration as nations whose citizens ‘would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.’” Regardless of what I may think of this executive order, it reflects a rethinking of United Sstates resettlement policy. This likely changes the nature of our project with HIAS in that families from these countries who had been vetted for resettlement will not currently be permitted to enter our country. We will nevertheless continue with this project; we will resettle the family that is assigned to us from wherever they originate, and we will work to influence their acculturation to our society. We have an opportunity to help this family fall in love with a country that has welcomed them in and thus, like the overwhelming majority of our immigrants, contribute to our efforts to build a free and just society. I have been asked some questions about the ethnicity and religion of this family. Some have questioned whether we should be doing this for a family that is not Jewish and could originate from a country hostile to Israel. Though this question may now be superfluous because of this executive order, I will still address it. In my own thinking, I work hard not to map geopolitical analysis onto humanitarian efforts. I do not believe that they are one in the same, and our ethical obligations in assessing such scenarios are different. A family that has escaped warfare or oppression in search of basic human rights must be treated differently than their government. This has been modeled most beautifully by Israelis, and not just liberal Israelis, but by the IDF, and by the government of the State of Israel. Since the beginning of the war in Syria, Israeli hospitals on the northern border have taken in over 2,500 Syrians for medical treatment, and 70-80% of the Syrians treated at the Ziv hospital are combatants. All of this has been done with the knowledge, coordination, and support of the IDF. If Israelis can take injured enemy combatants in and treat their wounds and save their lives, we can resettle a family here in New Rochelle regardless of their religion or country of origin. There is a small minority in our synagogue who do not support these efforts, and I want to state unequivocally that I understand and accept their opposition to this project as a legitimate position to take on this question. As [continued, page 23]

CAFÉ SHABBAT: A Friday Night Happening for Young Families Join us for an exciting Friday night family experience for Nursery School-aged children.

Friday, March 24th 5:30 pm-6:30 pm

Save the date . . .

Sunday, April 30th for the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs Hudson Valley Region Annual Luncheon

Start your February Break off with some fun . . .

CHIP BRYANT SHOW! Monday, February 20th 10:00 am-11:00 am at Beth El Synagogue Center A fresh fruit snack will be served. $5 per child, $10 cap per family Children 2 and younger, no charge. Cash only, no checks please. Questions, contact Julie Rockowitz at jrockowitz@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 256 • www.betheldaycamp.org 17

Chip Bryant’s comedic show makes the usual unusual. A blend of mime, clowning, juggling, magic, puppetry, and music.

FEBRUARY 2017 MONDAY

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

1324 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY 10804-2190 914-235-2700 • www.bethelnr.org

A Conservative synagogue affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi .................................... David A. Schuck Hazzan ........................................ Jamie Gloth Associate Rabbi...................... Joshua Dorsch Associate Cantor ...............................Uri Aqua Assistant Rabbi.........................Zachary Sitkin Rabbi Emeritus ......................Melvin N. Sirner Hazzan Emeritus ....................Farid Dardashti Executive Director ..................Erica Leventhal Controller .................................... Olivier Vogel Day Camp Director .................Julie Rockowitz Nursery School Director ......... Ronnie Becher Dir. of Youth & Family Engagement ...Jen Vegh Special Projects Director ........ Linda Newman Maintenance Director ............... Milton Sinclair OFFICERS President ............................ Samuel E. Berger Executive Vice President....... Mark Seidenfeld Vice President ...........................Daniel Burton Vice President ...................Sandra Gruenberg Vice President .................Geralynn C. Reifer Treasurer ...............................Joseph Wygoda Financial Secretary ................. Barbara Cohen Recording Secretary ..................Jayne Peister AFFILIATES Sisterhood President ...........Barbara Horowitz Men’s Club President ........... Steven L. Young Religious Sch. Parent Org. ........... Ellen Barlis, Sharon Brown, Rachel Casanova, Marci Marcus Nursery Sch. Parent Org. ...Rachel Messinger

9 SHEVAT

World-Wide Wrap 8:00 am

10 SHEVAT

Canasta 12:45 pm

Mah Jongg 12:45 pm

Girlology /Guyology 2:00 pm Parent Talk “How to Stay Calm when Your Kids Push Your Buttons” 7:30 pm

16 SHEVAT

Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am Ruach 11:00 am Chaverim 12:00 pm Rosh Hodesh Group 1:00 pm Kadima and USY Purim Prep 1:00 pm

17 SHEVAT

Beth El maintains morning and evening services every day of the year. Contact Associate Cantor Uri Aqua, 914-235-2700, ext. 222.

Evening Minyan Times Mincha and Maariv February

1 – 3 5:00 pm

Nursery School Board Mtg 7:30 pm

18 SHEVAT

Canasta 12:45 pm

Mah Jongg 12:45 pm

Board of Trustees 8:00 pm Israel Affairs Committee Meeting 7:30 pm

23 SHEVAT

Religious School Closed Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am

24 SHEVAT

Nursery School Closed Synagogue Offices Closed

25 SHEVAT Nursery School Closed Religious School Closed

Walking Club 9:30 am Program for young children: The Chip Bryant Show 10:00 am

Mah Jongg 12:45 pm Torah on Tap 8:00 pm (off-site)

PRESIDENTS’ DAY

30 SHEVAT Religious School Closed

Bat Mitzvah Jenna Siegel-Myron Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am

4 – 17 5:15 pm 18 – 28 5:30 pm

Sisterhood General Board Meeting 7:30 pm

S.M.A.R.T. Speaker Program 9:30 am

Shacharit*

Saturdays – 9:00 am Sundays – 8:00 am Mondays & Thursdays, 6:55 am Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 7:00 am

Sisterhood Executive Board Mtg. 6:30 pm

Walking Club 9:30 am

BULLETIN EDITOR ............... Linda Newman

Daily Minyan

11 SHEVAT

Walking Club 9:30 am

Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am

1 ADAR

Sisterhood Bagels & Books with New Rochelle Hadassah 9:30 am

S.M.A.R.T. Program 10:00 am

Walking Club 11:30 am

Mah Jongg 12:45 pm

Canasta 12:45 pm Memories to Go 1:30 pm

Sisterhood Game Night 7:00 pm

Religious School Board Meeting 8:00 pm ROSH HODESH

ROSH HODESH

Ritual Committee Meeting 7:30 pm

2 ADAR

SHEVAT ~ ADAR 5777 WEDNESDAY 1

5 SHEVAT

Limmud: The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Molly Karp 10:00 am Get SMART* Get Fit 10:30 am (*Senior, Mature Adult, Retired Together) Officers Meeting 7:15 pm (off-site)

12 SHEVAT

6 SHEVAT

Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi David Hojda 10:00 pm Parashat Hashavua 1:30 pm Rosh Hodesh Girls 6:00 pm

Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm

Cub Scouts 6:00 pm Hebrew Ulpan, Beginners 6:30 pm Nominating Committee 7:30 pm Hebrew Ulpan, Advanced 8:00 pm

Cub Scout Shabbat 6:30 pm

13 SHEVAT

Get SMART* Get Fit 10:30 am (*Senior, Mature Adult, Retired Together)

Parashat Hashavua 1:30 pm

Limmud: The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Molly Karp 10:00 am Get SMART* Get Fit 10:30 am (*Senior, Mature Adult, Retired Together) SMART* Current Events Discussion, with Shari Baum 11:30 am (*Senior, Mature Adult, Retired Together)

5:05 pm

20 SHEVAT

Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi David Hojda 10:00 pm Parashat Hashavua 1:30 pm

Kadima Shabbat Dinner 8:30 pm

21 SHEVAT

Hebrew Ulpan, Beginners 6:30 pm

27 SHEVAT Nursery School Closed Religious School Closed

Limmud: The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Molly Karp 10:00 am

Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi David Hojda 10:00 pm

Get SMART* Get Fit 10:30 am (*Senior, Mature Adult, Retired Together)

Parashat Hashavua 1:30 pm USY Movie Night (off-site)

8 SHEVAT

Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm

5:14 pm

Cub Scout Shabbaton

28 SHEVAT Nursery School Closed

15 SHEVAT

Shabbat ends 6:07 pm

BESHALACH Welcoming Chai House Welcoming Rabbi Wernick Environmental Awareness Shabbat Birthday Shabbat Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 am Shabbat Discussion Group 10:15 am Tween Shabbat Experience 10:30 am Youth Services 10:45 am Daf Shevui 12:30 pm TU BI-SHEVAT

22 SHEVAT

Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm

Shabbat ends 6:15 pm

Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Contemplative Service 10:00 am Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 am Youth Services 10:45 am Daf Shevui 12:30 pm

25 MISHPATIM

5:22 pm

Shabbat ends 5:58 pm

Men’s Club Shabbat Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Pre-Service Oneg 10:15 am Youth Services 10:45 am Daf Shevui 12:30 pm Mishpacha Mid-Winter Fam Shab 1:00 pm WJC Annual Gala 7:15 pm (at kol ami) RS Parent Org.Cookg. Night 6:30 pm (off-site)

YITRO

Cub Scouts 6:00 pm

Intro to Judaism 7:30 pm (off-site)

14 SHEVAT

Keruv Kulanu Shabbat 6:00 pm

Intro to Judaism 7:30 pm (off-site)

Nursery School Closed Religious School Closed

Religious School Teens Erev Shabbat Service 6:00 pm

Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm

4 BO

4:57 pm

USY Cooking Event 6:30 pm Hebrew Ulpan, Beginners 6:30 pm Hebrew Ulpan, Advanced 8:00 pm

Israel Affairs Committee Speaker Ann Lewis 7:30 pm Hebrew Ulpan, Advanced 8:00 pm

26 SHEVAT

7 SHEVAT

Day Camp Open House 9:15 am

Talmud’s Twists & Turns, with Rabbi David Hojda 10:00 pm

19 SHEVAT

SHABBAT

Day Camp Open House 9:15 am

Limmud: The Birth of the Jewish State, with Rabbi Molly Karp 10:00 am

FRIDAY

THURSDAY

29 SHEVAT Shabbat end 6:23 pm

Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Benjamin Segal Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Learners Service 10:00 am Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 am Youth Services 10:45 am Daf Shevui 12:30 pm Community Seudah Shlishit 5:00 pm

Please visit the Beth El Synagogue Center website, WWW.BETHELNR.ORG for the most current information on meetings and events. To send us a message, e-mail info@bethelnr.org. Visit us on facebook at facebook.com/BethElSynagogueCenter

NEWSMAKERS

YAHRZEIT OBSERVANCES

Mazal tov to: Sandy and Sam Klein on the marriage of their daughter Heather Gail to Michael Nolan Kalan, son of Haviv Kalan and the late Esther Kalan; Marsha and Tom Lustig on the engagement of their daughter Lindsay to Guy Levy, son of Maris Levy and Eli Levy; Helene and Gary Liebstein on the engagement of their daughter Lauren to Jason Singer, son of Chet Singer and the late Fran Singer; Judy and Ed Schwartz on the engagement of their daughter Lisa to Brett Rothstein, son of Sheri and Alan Rothstein; Meryl and David Mendelson on the engagement of their son Andrew Craig Mendelson to Ashley Lauren Shain, daughter of Joseph Shain and Jane Shain; Sandra and David Langsam on the birth of granddaughter Ruby Elizabeth Braunstein, and to parents Melissa and Todd Braunstein; Carole and Jeff Graham on the birth of their grandson Zachary Kanaan Graham, son of Russell and Tanya Graham; Ronnie and Michael Becher on the birth of a grandson, and to parents Ari and Beth Becher.

A Warm Beth El Mazal Tov to One and All!!

Share your milestone events with us! If you experience a milestone or a loss in your family, contact Linda at LNewman@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 246.

Kiddush The kiddush of February 4th will be sponsored by the Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club in honor of the celebration of the Dr. Ed Scharfman Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Shabbat.

Want to sponsor a Kiddush? Contact Alise Liquorie at aliquorie@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 223.

CONDOLENCES We record with sorrow the losses suffered by our members and friends and extend to them our deepest sympathies. Condolences to: Harriet Abrahami and Kenneth Abrahami on the loss of their daughter Naomi Abrahami, and to Maya on the loss of her mother; The family of Theresa J. Adler on her passing; Carole Curtis on the loss of her brother Dr. Elias Rosenblatt. Greg Mines on the loss of his mother, Delores Mines; Gabrielle Sirner Cohen and Morris Cohen on the loss of their daughter Maya Hazel Cohen, and to grandparents Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner; The family of Sydney Mitchell on his passing, and to his children Susan Greenstein, Arthur Mitchell, and Andrea Mitchell; Jacob Esses on the loss of his brother Isaac Esses. 20

The yahrzeit of the following deceased persons permanently inscribed on our Memorial Walls are observed on these dates: FEBRUARY Joseph Magenheim Norma Singer Brandes 1 Ruth Faye Markel Max Goldman 1 Jack Schiff Sidney Shalat 1 Harold Tarloff Sigi Engler 2 Charles Thier Eunice Fishman 2 Betty Werblow George Y. Winter 2 Joseph Hirsch Tola Messing 4 Chana Kaplan Dinah Ross 4 Harry Gingold Maurice Isaac Cohen 5 Nathan Dreizen Gertrude Schwartz 6 Al Fried Nathan Behr 7 Lillian May Goldstein Joseph Brandes 7 Walter Werbelosky Robert Brenner 7 Marvin Frankel Rabbi Abraham Nowak 7 Bernard Striar Abraham Botwinick 8 Joan Wexler Dr. David L. Jasper 8 Sam Bernstein Joseph G. Kalish 8 Joseph Gross William Schepp 8 Bertrand Lesser Henry Bernstein 9 Sadie Lowenkopf Ida B. Desnick 9 Rose Lesser Becky Glatman 9 Nathan Schulman Michael Mayorowitz 9 Beatrice Snyder Benjamin Seidenstein 9 Anna Cohen Dr. Judah Somerstein 9 Philip Newman Louis M. Braunstein 10 Rosalind Wechsler Ettie Epstein 10 Yona Aqua Edythe Fayer 10 Miriam Belsky Jay Robinson 10 Sylvia Ptak Anna Frankel 11 Louis M. Shimm Murray Glago 11 Erwin Newman Harold Morganstern 11 Alice Schwartz Sarah Honey Galler 12 Wolf Lebenberg Irving Levy 13 Abraham Streger Josie Schaffer 13 Samuel Sussman Lewis Arkin 14 William Wygoda Myra Karson 14 Isidor Cohen Abraham Rosenberg 14 John Joseph Garfein Miriam Werbelosky 14 David Levine Grace Wile 14 Esther Bub Strum Sigmund Gruberger 15

16 16 16 17 17 17 18 18 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 25 25 25 25 26 26 27 27 27 27 28 28 28 28

KIDDUSH KORNER We are proud of our weekly sit-down kiddush luncheons and know that they are enjoyed by Beth El members and guests. Our all-volunteer committee is comprised of members who work hard to have everything set up and cleaned up, and are happy to contribute their time and energy for the benefit of Beth El. We are seeking a few new members to help us provide this wonderful community service. Please contact Barbara Horowitz at kiddushbethel@gmail.com.

CONTRIBUTIONS RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND Stanley and Mindy Patchen in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Susan and Jeff Mittleman in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Elissa and Jonathan Glickman in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Dana and Avi Stein; Richard Simon in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Louise and Jason Silverman in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Phyllis Cole in memory of Jay Miller; Jacqui and Avi Einzig in memory of Miriam Einzig on her yahrzeit; Anita and Mark Zoldessy in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Carol and Paul Diament in memory of Sally Horowitz, beloved mother of David Horowitz; Linda and Sol Haber in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Janet Yoskowitz in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Dan and Jody Burton in memory of Ruth Leventhal, beloved grandmother of Josh Leventhal; Shelley and Alfred Klein in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Susan and George Morris in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Lloyd Sherman wishing a speedy recovery to Randa Pechota; Helene Pollack in honor of Noam Schuck’s Bar Mitzvah; Barbara and Leon Protass in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Avrun Rivel in memory of his father, mother and sister on their yahrzeits; Fran Blumenfeld in honor of Rabbi Schuck’s Thursday class; Goldie and Gregory Newman in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Marvin and Shari Chinitz in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Marvin and Shari Chinitz in memory of Phyllis Arad, beloved mother of Graham Arad; Barbara Simon in honor of the bar mitzvah of Noam Schuck; Richard and Charlotte Watt in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Linda and Warren Lesser in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Rita and David Kaufman in memory of Etta Rosenfeld on her yahrzeit; Caryl Fuchs in memory of Sadie Fuchs on her yahrzeit; Laurie and Eric Roth in memory of Sally Horowitz, beloved mother of David Horowitz; Laurie and Eric Roth in honor of Noam Schuck’s bar mitzvah; Harriet and Lenny Schwartz wishing Gil Perry a complete and speedy recovery, in memory of Tess Meyrowitz, mother of Harriet Schwartz on her yahrzeit, in honor of the Schuck family on the bar mitzvah of Noam Schuck, in honor of Cantor Uri Aqua for his help and prayers; Ruth and Marvin Price in thanks to Beth El’s clergy for their caring, love and support.

GENERAL FUND A donation was received from Diane and Eugene Linett. IN HONOR OF: Tali Aldouby-Schuck and Rabbi David Schuck on the bar mitzvah of their son Noam Schuck, from Barbara Engelson and Marc Klee, Mila and Michael Greenberg, and Bettina Graf. Sheryl and Aaron Fleishker on the marriage of their daughter Kara Fleishaker to Max Kalman, from Shari and Marvin Chinitz, Mila and Michael Greenberg, and Barbara Engelson and Marc Klee.

IN MEMORY OF: Phyllis Arad, beloved mother of Graham Arad, from Mila and Michael Greenberg. Sherman Gross, beloved father of Marc Gross, from Shari and Marvin Chinitz. Ruth Leventhal, beloved grandmother of Josh Leventhal, from Shari and Marvin Chinitz. Sally Horowitz. beloved mother of David Horowitz, from Shari and Marvin Chinitz. and from Mila and Michael Greenberg.

Lenore and Rabbi Melvin Sirner on the birth of granddaughter Maya Hazel Cohen, daughter of Gabrielle Sirner Cohen and Morris Cohen, from Mila and Michael Greenberg.

Ruth Slater, my beloved mother, from Matthew Slater and family.

The marriage of Rachel Jay, daughter of Phyllis and Harvey Jay, from Shari and Marvin Chinitz, and Mila and Michael Greenberg.

Reba Zuckerman; The Lewis Family; Jill and Danny Efron; Ray and Wendy Shemer; Ruth Esses; Cindy and Ken Klein; Gladys Barish and family; Michael Hirsch; Pam Friedman and Robert Preminger; Pearl and Thomas Sullivan; Bruce and Douglas Rosen; Alan Legatt and Elizabeth (nee Marlin) Legatt; Michael and Susan Lurie; Sanford Batkin; Susan Goldstein and family; Ruth and Marc Sininsky; Norma Wasserman; Annette Ferstenberg; Leon J. Greenspan; Michelle and Howard Cohen; Lawrence and Barbara Orans; Marcia Kahn; Beth and Sheldon Weinberg; Beatrice Freedman; Phyllis K. Brown; Tova Friedler Usdan; Lawrence Silverman; Richard and Judy Aronow.

The thirtieth wedding anniversary of Hazzan Ellen and Graham Arad, from Shari and Marvin Chinitz. Sam Berger, from Shari and Marvin Chinitz. Ed and Judy Schwartz on the engagement of their daughter Lisa Schwartz to Brett Rothstein, from Elise and Bob Schepp. Marsha and Tom Lustig on the engagement of their daughter Lindsay Lustig to Guy Levy, from Elise and Bob Schepp. Helene and Gary Liebstein on the engagement of their daughter Lauren Liebstein to Jason Singer, from Elise and Bob Schepp.

SPECIAL NEEDS FUND

YAHRZEIT/YIZKOR DONATIONS

HAZZAN’S DISCRETIONARY FUND Jonathan and Elissa Glickman in memory of Sally Horowitz, mother of David Horowitz.

SYLVIA AND ROBERT SCHER CHESED COMMUNITY FUND

IN HONOR OF: IN HONOR OF: Tali Aldouby-Schuck and Rabbi David Schuck on the bar mitzvah of their son Noam Schuck, from Lenore and Rabbi Melvin Sirner on the birth of granddaughter Maya Hazel Cohen, daughter of Dalia Fenster, and Ruth and Jacob Esses. Gabrielle Sirner Cohen and Morris Cohen, from IN MEMORY OF: Ellen and Moshe Gelboim. Sally Horowitz, beloved mother of David Noam Schuck, dear son of Tali Aldouby-Schuck Horowitz, from Kathy Kafer and Jeff Swarz. and Rabbi David Schuck, on his bar mitzvah, from Phyllis Arad, beloved mother of Graham Arad, Ellen and Moshe Gelboim. from Lori and Steve Schwartz. ANDREW SHAPIRO IN MEMORY OF: Frances Cutler, our beloved mother, on her MEMORIAL FUND Sally Horowitz, beloved mother of David yahrzeit, from Wendy and Alan Rosenberg. Horowitz, from Ellen and Moshe Gelboim. IN HONOR OF: Stanley Cohen, beloved husband of Rosalie Tali Aldouby-Schuck and Rabbi David Schuck on Sherman Gross, beloved father of Marc Gross, Cohen, from Wendy and Alan Rosenberg. the bar mitzvah of son Noam, from Judy Shapiro. from Tamar and Joe Tait. Naomi Abrahami, beloved daughter of Harriet IN MEMORY OF: Abrahami, from Wendy and Alan Rosenberg. YOUTH ACTIVITIES FUND Walter Prince, my beloved father, on his yahrzeit, A donation was received from Joshua Rehr. from Judy Shapiro. Edward Shapiro, my beloved husband, on his second yahrzeit, from Judy Shapiro.

ELEANOR G. BAUMWALD PRAYERBOOK FUND

IN MEMORY OF: My dear cousin Andrew Shapiro, from Richard Eva Teitlebaum, from Jack R. Schwartz. A. Brown. 21

IN HONOR OF: Tali Aldouby-Schuck and Rabbi David Schuck on the bar mitzvah of their son Noam Schuck, from Dina and David Brot.

SISTERHOOD MITZVAH FUND IN HONOR OF: Dr. Harvey and Phyllis Jay upon the birth of Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner upon the birth granddaughter Sabrina Jay Rosenbloom, from of their granddaughter Maya Hazel, from Naomi Joyce and Michael Wechsler. Raber, Sandy and Jack Gruenberg, and Vicki and Donald Fleishaker upon the marriage of his Nathan Fisher. granddaughter Kara Fleishaker to Max Kalman, Sheldon and Beth Weinberg upon the birth of their from Joyce and Michael Wechsler. granddaughter, from Sandy and Jack Gruenberg. Cynthia Glickman on being named Kallat Bereshit Elliot and Susan Lesser upon their grandson for Simchat Torah, from Gaby and George becoming a bar mitzvah, from Sandy and Jack Newfield, and Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Gruenberg. Marci Marcus on being named Kallat Kol Drs. David Marcus and Joyce Newman upon HaNeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;arim for Simchat Torah, from Vicki and the birth of their grandson, from Sandy and Jack Nathan Fisher. Gruenberg. Marc Lazarus on being name Hatan Torah for Aaron and Sheryl Fleishaker upon the marriage of Simchat Torah, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. their daughter Kara to Max Kalman, from Sandy Robyn Yairi on being named Kallat Maftir for and Jack Gruenberg, and Joyce and Michael Simchat Torah, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Wechsler. Barbara Finder and Jack Renick upon the Arlene Salman on receiving the Woman of engagement of Alexandra Renick to Daniel Excellence Award, from Gaby and George Sockett, and the engagement of Zachary Hirschtritt Newfield, and Vicki and Nathan Fisher. to Sarah Perkins, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Judge Barry and Arlene Salman upon their Naomi Raber upon the marriage of her granddaughter becoming a bat mitzvah, from granddaughter, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Susan and George Morris, and Marcia and Hy Mitchell and Annette Fogelman upon the marriage Pryluck. of their son Daniel to Cantor Lauren Philips from Rabbi David Schuck and Tali Aldouby-Schuck Vicki and Nathan Fisher. upon their son Noam becoming a bar mitzvah, from Sharon Spenser, and Marcia and Hy Pryluck. Dr. Avi and Jacqui Einzig upon the marriage of their daughter Shanah to Amotz Segal, from Vicki Dr. Harvey and Phyllis Jay upon the marriage of and Nathan Fisher. their daughter Rachel Jay to Sam Shikiar, from Judith Harary upon the birth of her great-grandson Joyce and Michael Wechsler. Henry, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND IN MEMORY OF: Sherman Gross, beloved father of Marc Gross, from Dina and David Brot.

PTA LIBRARY FUND

Steve and Maria Kessler upon their daughter Alison becoming a bat mitzvah, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Jonathan and Elissa Glickman upon their son Ethan becoming a bar mitzvah, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Ron and Jocelyn Burton upon their son Zachary becoming a bar mitzvah, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. IN MEMORY OF: Sally Horowitz, beloved mother of David Horowitz, from Erica and Larry Epstein, Harriet and David Rudnick, Rita and David Kaufman, Joyce Goldklang and Jay Diamond, Eunice Kaplan, Sandy and Jack Gruenberg, Gaby and George Newfield, Linda and Sol Haber, Linda and Joseph Resnick, Susan and George Morris, Lori and Steve Schwartz, and Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Phyllis Arad, beloved mother of Graham Arad, from Sandy and Jack Gruenberg, and Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Jonas Kessler, beloved husband of Claire Kessler, from Sandy and Jack Gruenberg, and Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Jonas Kessler, beloved father of Debra Goldfarb, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Tyler Rosenberg, beloved grandson of Ruth and Marvin Price, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Sheldon Gross, beloved father of Mark Gross, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Martin Ross, beloved husband of Harriet Ross, from Vicki and Nathan Fisher. Stanley Cohen, beloved husband of Rosalie Cohen, from Harriet and David Rudnick, Joyce and Michael Wechsler, Joan and Jonah Atlas, Phyllis and Harvey Jay, Marjorie Schlosberg, Blanche Fried, Vicki and Nathan Fisher, and Laura Penn.

IN HONOR OF: Elizabeth and Alan Legatt, from Myra Oltsik.

We are forever grateful to the Beth El community for the outpouring of friendship, kindness, and support we received as we honored the memory of our beloved mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great-grandmother

SALLY HOROWITZ David and Barbara Horowitz and Family

JEREMY SCHEINFELD MEMORIAL FUND IN HONOR OF:

DOROTHY FLEISHAKER RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND IN HONOR OF:

Tali Aldouby-Schuck and Rabbi David Schuck on the bar mitzvah of their son Noam Schuck, from Robin and Mitchell Kaphan, and Judy and Ed Schwartz.

Sheryl and Aaron Fleishaker on the marriage of Lenore and Rabbi Melvin Sirner on the birth of their daughter Kara Fleishaker to Max Kalman, granddaughter Maya Hazel Cohen, from Barbara from Jody and Dan Burton, Janet Yoskowitz, Ed Finder and Jack Renick. and Debbie Ackerman, Judy and Ed Schwartz, IN MEMORY OF: and Geralynn and David Reifer. Sally Horowitz beloved mother of David Lenore and Rabbi Melvin Sirner on the birth of Horowitz, from Robin and Mitchell Kaphan, and granddaughter Maya Hazel Cohen, daughter of Barbara Finder and Jack Renick. Gabrielle Sirner Cohen and Morris Cohen, from Louise and Jason Silverman, Laurie and Eric Stanley Cohen, beloved husband of Rosalie Cohen, from Robin and Mitchell Kaphan. Roth, and Deborah and Morris Stampfer. 22

BARTELL, continued from cover the Weill Cornell College of Medicine. He is currently Associate Director of the Department of Psychiatry and the Division Chief for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for the Westchester Medical Health System and the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, and an associate professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics at the New York Medical College. Donna has served on numerous committees at Beth El. She has enjoyed working on youth activities and organizing meals when Beth El hosts the USY Kinnus. Donna has served as co-chair of the Membership Committee and Couples Club. She has been on the Nursery School Board and was a part of the Executive Director Search Committee that recommended the amazing Erica Leventhal to Beth El. Abe has served as a member of the Nursery School Board, Day Camp Board, Religious School Board, and Board of Trustees. He has been a member of numerous committees and chaired several, including the Nominating Committee, Catering

and Kiddush Committee, and the Youth Services Committee. He has co-led many High Holiday Junior Congregation Services and Havurah Services as half of the now famous Dan & Abe Show. He is extremely proud to have been a member of the Search Committee that recommended Rabbi Schuck to our congregation. Donna and Abe are blessed to be a part of this wonderful community. They feel very fortunate to be surrounded by people who they love and show the love right back, friends who have surrounded them in good times and bad, friends who have watched their children grow up and helped turn them into the young adults they are today. They both feel lucky to have such an amazing community filled with amazing friends. Donna and Abe feel extremely honored and humbled to be recipients of the President’s Ne’emanim Service Award and are blessed to share this evening with their friends Tris and Sam Berger, two people who embody all that is so incredibly special and unique about the Beth El community.

RABBI’S MESSAGE, continued from page 16 such, we are not dedicating any of Beth El’s budgeted money to this cause. Instead, we are asking those who want to participate to give of their time and money, and for those who think that this is the wrong decision, we accept your critique and will not impose these efforts on you. It will not be the first or last time that some in our community disagree with me or with the officers or the board, and it is our ability to remain connected and committed to one another despite these differences that makes our community healthy and whole. I will conclude with the former Chief Rabbi of England, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ reflections about the ger, but I will substitute his translation of ger as stranger with Rabbi Rubenstein’s translation as refugee: “Why should you not hate the refugee? – asks the Torah. Because you once stood where he stands now. You know the heart of the refugee because you were once a refugee in the land of Egypt. If you are human, so is he. If he is less than human, so are you. You must fight the hatred in your heart as I once fought the greatest ruler and the strongest empire in the ancient world

on your behalf. I made you into the world’s archetypal refugees so that you would fight for the rights of refugees— for your own and those of others, wherever they are, whoever they are, whatever the colour of their skin or the nature of their culture, because though they are not in your image—says G-d— they are nonetheless in Mine. There is only one reply strong enough to answer the question: Why should I not hate the refugee? Because the refugee is me.” (“Loving the Stranger,” from Covenant and Conversation 5768)

Rabbi David Schuck

Travel to Israel with Rabbi Schuck Informational Meeting Tuesday, February 21st • 7:30 pm Our trip itinerary can be found at www.daattravel.com/Beth-El-SynagogueCenter-The-People-of-Israel.aspx 23

ABOUT OUR SCHOLAR Rabbi Benjamin Segal

Saturday, February 25th

Rabbi Dr. Benjamin Segal is an author and lecturer living in Jerusalem. His biblical commentaries include The Song of Songs: A Woman in Love, A New Psalm: the Psalms as Literature,, and Kohelet’s Search for Truth: A New Reading of Ecclesiastes. He is a past president of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies; the academic, rabbinic, and educational center of Masorti Judaism in Israel; and of Melitz, the Centers for Jewish and Zionist Education. Previously, he served for nineteen years as the director of the Ramah Programs in Israel. Among his volunteer roles, he is a former chairman of the Masorti Movement in Israel; served on the Expanded Executive of the World Zionist Organization; and was active in the Board of Governors’ Committee for Youth Aliyah. He is presently on the boards of various educationallybased, non-profit organizations. Rabbi Segal has also authored many works. Rabbi Dr. Segal was ordained at JTS in 1969, and served as a pulpit rabbi in California for four years, and has spent many years in High Holiday pulpits. In 1973, he made aliyah and lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Judy, their five children, and nineteen grandchildren.

Sunday, March 19, 2017 | 21 Adar 5777 Honoring Tris & Sam Berger

Donna & Abe Bartell

President’s Ne’emanim Service Award Recipients

Special Recognition Packages Rabbi’s Circle

$100,000

Builder’s Circle

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Founder’s Circle

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Guardian’s Circle

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Supporter

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Benefactor

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Pillar’s Circle

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I/We wish to purchase tickets at $250 each for the March 19th Gala Celebration at 5:00 pm.

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Attach your ad text, business card, or visit bethelnr.org/Gala2017. Beth El’s staff is available to help with your online submission or to take your sponsorship over the phone or by e-mail. Contact Linda Newman at LNewman@bethelnr.org, or 914.235.2700, ext. 246. 1324 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10804-2190 Tel 914.235.2700 Fax 914.235.2718 www.bethelnr.org 24

Give a lasting gift! Purchase a brick on Beth El’s Brick Path of Honor (Derech HaKavod)

SISTERHOOD’S BAUM JUDAICA

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Check out our new Judaica Designer, METALACE!

This is the perfect way to celebrate a life-cycle event, commemorate the past, honor the future, permanently engrave a tribute, and make a lasting impression.

Browse our display cases for all your Judaica, gifts, and more!

Bricks are available in two sizes: 4” x 8” and 8” x 8”, and with the option of one to six lines of text, depending upon the size chosen. Text is available in Hebrew and English.

Open by appointment. E-mail GiftShop@bethelnr.org or call

To find out more, contact Linda at the synagogue, LNewman@bethelnr.org, call 914-235-2700, ext. 246, or visit our website, www.bethelnr.org.

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R E S I D E N T O F T H E B R I S TA L

After 87 years, here’s what I know for sure…

We all have something to teach. The purpose of having years of wisdom is being able to impart it. Like the lesson of staying fit. Life, at times, can get tough. It takes good health to enjoy it. That’s what I tell my great-grandson when he comes to see me at The Bristal. We invent fitness games here in the gym. We go for long walks and talk. He chases my shots on the putting green. Maybe he’d rather play video games, I know, but something’s sinking in. You should see us doing tai chi. Exceptional lives. Extraordinary living.

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One Family

Four Generations

Est. 1929

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Ever y ction e l e s thing e g lar ! you n a s d e v o a o f eed! h d e e r W a p e r of p Specializing in a complete line of Kosher Meats, Provisions, Cooked Foods & Specialty Groceries. We have a full-service catering department for all your party needs. Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center Scarsdale, NY 10583

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Tel: 914-472–2240 Fax: 914-472–2215

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#1 Agent in New Rochelle Brokerage

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Mobile 917.693.3557 JBurton@houlihanlawrence.com

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Ray Catena Lexus of Larchmont and NOEL GREENSTEIN invite you to see our

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Law Office of

David Lacher

RIVERSIDE MEMORIAL CHAPEL WESTCHESTER: 21 West Broad Street Mount Vernon, NY 10552

Providing creative solutions to individuals and the business community

914-664-6800

• Real Estate: Commercial and Residential • Wills, Trusts, and Estate Administration • Business Services, including Contracts, New Business Formations, and Sales/Purchases • Land Use: Zoning Board, Planning Board

Just off Exit 7 of the Cross County Parkway East

The Source of Support for the Jewish Community since 1897 www.riversidememorialmountvernon.com Charles S. Salomon • Joel E. Simon

chase bank building

Continuing to maintain the high service standards of the Rosenthal, Grossberg, and Alpert families

270 north avenue, 8th floor new rochelle, ny 10801 34

914-355-5900

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Give Your Child the Gift of Time A Transitional Kindergarten Where Young Minds Take Root

Carmel Academy’s Transitional Kindergarten Shorashim Program is designed to bridge the year between preschool and kindergarten, providing students with a strong foundation for success in elementary school and beyond. • • • • • • •

Reggio Emilia inspired classroom Child-centered, play-based curriculum Experienced early childhood educators Kindergarten preparedness Low student-teacher ratios Experiential, integrated Judaic learning Access to all specialists and afterschool programs

To learn more, please contact Ella Shteingart, Director of Admissions, at 203-983-3503 or ella.shteingart@carmelacademy.com

A private school for children of all Jewish afﬁliations serving students from Transitional Kindergarten through 8th Grade. 270 Lake Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830 • (203) 863-9663 • www.carmelacademy.com 35

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BETH EL SYNAGOGUE CENTER 1324 NORTH AVENUE NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10804-2190

Non Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID White Plains, N.Y. Permit No. 925

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

SHERY ROSENSTEIN Sales Associate

Personalized attention to you and your needs. B: (914) 723-8228 C: (914) 420-8556 E: s.rosenstein@yahoo.com W: www.clairedleone.com

29 Wilmot Road Scarsdale, NY

“A GENUINELY HAPPY PERSON IS ONE WHO HAS RENDERED OTHERS HAPPY.” DAISAKU IKEDA

WISHING THAT YOUR HOME IS FILLED WITH BLESSING WITH LIGHT WITH HAPPINESS AND WITH JOY

#1 Ranked Agent New Rochelle Brokerage JOCELYN BURTON

GAY ROSEN

As Real As Real Estate Gets

Licensed R.E. Associate Broker ABR, CBR, CDPE, CRS, GREEN, GRI, SRES c: 914.907.2645 • gay.rosen@juliabfee.com gayrosen.com Larchmont Brokerage • 1946 Palmer Avenue Each office is independently owned and operated

Real Estate Salesperson

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NEW ROCHELLE BROKERAGE | 15 QUAKER RIDGE ROAD HGMLS, 1/1/16–12/15/16, All Property Types, Total Listed Dollar Volume by Agent, by Office, New Rochelle School District.