March 2020 • Vol. 102, No.8 ADAR ~ NISAN 5780 WWW.BETHELNR.ORG
66th Annual Gala Is Almost Here! Sunday, March 22nd • 5:00 pm Make sure you are on “the list”! Come, fellow congregants, and you shall read Of the 66th Annual Gala – approaching with speed. All the honorees are busy preparing for the day So that everyone can participate in their own special way. Support the silent auction, buy raffles, buy ads Put on your dancing shoes, the evening will be rad. Beginning at 5: 00 PM with food galore Then a meaningful program – it will not be a bore. Our honorees are so talented, so humble, so grand Celebrating this day with them is the goal – and – Dessert and dancing will close out the night We need you to make the evening glowing and bright.
Darren and Jayne Peister
Mark your calendars, wear black tie, suit or dress And be among those making the Gala a huge success. “Who is wise, the one who learns from every person” To learn from our teachers– an important lesson. Jack and Sandra Gruenberg
Visit www.bethelnr.org/gala2020 to participate! Show your appreciation for all that our honorees have done.
Zach Seiden and Julia Keltz
Beth El Synagogue Center Cemetery and Funeral Policies as of June 2019 Cemetery plots are only for sale to members in good standing. To purchase cemetery plots, please contact Alise Liquorie in the front office, 914-235-2700, ext. 223, or aliquorie@bethelnr.org. Funerals may take place at Beth El Synagogue Center if the deceased is a member of Beth El and in good standing. There is a fee of $1,000. The following three funeral homes are the only approved funeral homes that can operate a funeral service at Beth El—Plaza Jewish Community Chapel (NYC), Riverside Memorial Chapel (Mt. Vernon), Weinstein Memorial Chapel (Yonkers). If you have questions about end-of-life planning, our clergy are available to speak with you. If you have questions about the logistics of having a funeral at Beth El, please contact our Executive Director, Erica Leventhal, ext. 225, eleventhal@ bethelnr.org. Looking to Volunteer? We likely have something to match your interest! Contact Abby Wise at awise@bethelnr.org.
Purim................................................. page 2 Special Needs Seder.......................... page 4 Reflections on Encounter................... page 3 Keruv Events..................................... page 6
Women’s Seder................................ page 10 Spring Film Series........................... page 12
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE CENTER PRESENTS:
Purim Edition Join us for a pre-Purim party and enjoy drinks and desserts! Adults only.
Register early to help with planning! www.bethelnr.org/denafterdark Questions? Contact Lisa Patchen - patchenlisa@gmail.com
A BETH EL EXTRAVAGANZA...
PURIM MEGILLAH READING
SAVE SAVE THE THE DATE DATE -- FRIDAY, FRIDAY, MAY MAY 1, 1, 2020 2020
MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2020 | 7:00 PM
COME IN COSTUME - Prizes and costume parade
Beth El will provide kosher catered meals for easy hosting.
MUSIC & DANCING - Rock out with the EmoJews House Band - Special Guest Performances FOOD & DRINKS - Beth El Brewery - Sample exotic & delicious beers - Food and Hamentashen
This will be a chance to make new connections over shared interests.
TEEN MEGILLAH READING
Register at www.bethelnr.org/HomeHostedShabbat Choose from suggested themes or design one of your own.
BRING A BOX OF PASTA TO USE AS A NOISEMAKER
You will not be committed to hosting until you have confirmed all the details directly with one of our team members. Filling out the form only expresses an interest in hosting.
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this further, please contact Jack Klebanow: jklebanow@bethelnr.org, 914-235-2700 x 252 or Nina Luban: nina.luban@gmail.com, 914-830-8833
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The Mental Health and Wellness Initiative – Join Us! We are now into our second year of the Mental Health Initiative and we are moving forward! If you were at Beth El on Sunday, November 24, you would have seen the many young faces that were glued to the movie, Screenagers, Next Chapter. This was a documentary about adolescents struggling with anxiety and depression against the pressured backdrop of social media. After the movie, parents and teens separated to digest the film with professionals through age-appropriate, open and honest dialogue. Teens and parents alike were very enthusiastic participants! Watch the Beth El website for our next program, which will be targeted more for the mature adults in our community. If you’d like to assist, contact Elise Schepp, lcmoocow@aol.com. Another aspect of our initiative is the peer support we’d love to offer to members who are going through crises. Have you had a child drop out of school because of anxiety or depression? Have you cared for an elderly parent who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder? Have you been through the repetitive calls from your child’s school because of their ADD? If you’d be willing to lend a supportive ear to someone going through what you have been
through, please contact Rebecca Wertheimer at rtaymil@aol.com. We are hoping to plan a training for all volunteers later this spring. We are also in the process of developing a webpage for our initiative, with the help of Jade Goodman. For an extensive list of local psychological and psychiatric resources, developed by our mental health and medical professional sub-committee, led by Liz Alderman, please contact Liz. We are looking to further develop a guide to accessing care. To that end, we are seeking more mental health professionals—we know you’re out there!—to help put that together. Please contact Liz at ealder6665@aol.com to volunteer to help create this very important guide for others. We are so excited to be working on this. If you have any questions, if you have any other ideas for this initiative and/or would like to help in any way, please contact any of the co-chairs, as follows: Marjorie Seidenfeld at marjorieseidenfeld@gmail.com Naomi Adler at naomiadler2@gmail.com Abe Bartell at abebartell@verizon.net “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” – Fred Rogers
Bridges: Resetting the Table by Fred Wiener
The Bridges to Civility workshop on January 12th provided participants with skills to foster dialogue and understanding in our community.
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RABBI’S MESSAGE the first and second aliyot. • Kohanim will duchen (bless the congregation with the Priestly Blessing) on our festival holidays (Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Shemini Atzeret). • Women whose fathers are Kohanim are included among the Kohanim who duchen. • The service leader will have the option of including the Imahot in the repetition of the Amidah in all of our services. As one must do with all halachic deliberations (questions about Jewish Law), we examined the legal, religious, ideological, and sociological elements of the question in order to arrive at the right answer for our community in this moment. Please continue reading to learn a bit about each one of these questions.
Dear Friends, During the past four years, I have explored different questions with the Ritual Committee regarding egalitarianism in our community. In particular, we examined whether a Bat Kohen (a woman whose father is a kohen, priests) may recite the Rabbi David Schuck first aliyah (which is always reserved for a kohen) and duchen (bless the congregation with the priestly blessing) on the holidays? We also examined the question of whether it is permissible to add the Imahot (Matriarchs) to the Amidah and if so, should our prayer leaders do so during Beth El services? This letter explains in detail the analysis that went into answering these questions as well as the process. To begin, I will share the answers to each of these questions, and please note that there are opportunities for the community to study each one of these issues (see the schedule at the end of this letter). Starting on Passover, we will incorporate the following changes into our communal practice: • Women whose fathers are Kohanim or Leviim will be entitled to
Egalitarianism and Beth El Synagogue Center The rabbinic process is one in which each generation of rabbis strives to codify their understanding of God’s will as expressed at Sinai into halacha (Jewish law). From the beginning of rabbinic Judaism, the halachic process reflected this ongoing process of interpretation, bringing each successive generation closer and closer to actualizing what they understood to be God’s Will. Egalitarianism is a religious expression of this evolution, not merely a political or ideological concept. The development of Halacha (Jewish Law) forbade or frowned upon women performing certain mitzvot (time-bound, positive commandments) and surely excluded women from having central roles to the communal fulfillment of religious obligations. Conservative Judaism continued, page 22
Misheberach List Any name added to the Misheberach list will be automatically removed after one month. If a name needs to remain for another month, please reach out again to a member of the clergy.
Special Needs Seder Wednesday, March 25th 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
ANNUAL MINYAN BREAKFAST
Join the special needs residents of local group homes, who will be guests of the synagogue at a very unique Lower Westchester Special Needs Seder. It is sponsored by Westchester Jewish Community Services and our Sylvia and Robert Scher Chesed Community. T o v o l u n t e e r, v i s i t w w w . b e t h e l n r. o r g / specialneedsseder. We need people to prepare prior to the Seder, as well as during the event and at the conclusion. If you are unable to participate physically, financial donations are always needed. Checks should be made payable to the Sylvia and Robert Scher Chesed Community and mailed to Sandy Gruenberg at Beth El Synagogue Center. Note, we are collecting Passover foods to go to the group homes. When you shop for your Passover foods, please buy something extra for those in need! Participate in this very special event that has become a cherished Beth El tradition. Thank you. Ellen Gelboim and Sandy Gruenberg, Co-Chairs
Sunda y, Ma rch 15 th
RECONNECT WITH OLD FRIENDS, ENJOY BAGELS AND SPREADS, AND HEAR RABBI SCHUCK AND CANTOR AQUA TALK ABOUT THE MINYAN AND GIVE OUT SIDDURIM TO MEMBERS WHO FINISHED RECITING KADDISH FOR THEIR LOVED ONE. uaqua@bethelnr.org (914) 235-2700 x222
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE In his inspiring Yom Kippur sermon, Rabbi Sitkin focused on how meaningful Jewish learning can be and, through telling his own story and sharing his own experiences, encouraged us to engage in it. A few weeks later, Beth El was proud to host Westchester’s Sixth Night of Jewish Learning and Celebration sponsored by the Westchester Jewish Council. Thirty-one local rabbis taught sessions as hundreds of adults converged on Beth El for a very meaningful evening that once again filled our building with study. And, as I am sure you know, Beth El itself offers a rich set of learning opportunities each week, including our popular Open Beit Midrash (which alternates between Tuesday and Thursday evenings). What you may not know—and I think it is noteworthy—is that we begin every meeting of the Beth El Officers with a D’var Torah by one of our rabbis. And we begin every meeting of the Board of Trustees with a D’var Torah by one of the members of the Board. What’s more, every year our Gala has a theme that draws on a Jewish textual source. This year’s theme (taken from Pirkei Avot) is especially meaningful in this context: “Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.” We are privileged at Beth El to be able to enrich our lives by learning from our clergy, our guest scholars and teachers, and one another.
Our Gala is just around the corner. This year it will be held on Sunday evening, March 22nd, at 5:00 pm. Our honorees are Sandy and Jack Gruenberg, Jayne and Darren Peister, and Julia Keltz and Zach Seiden. The Gala serves at least three purposes. It is an opportunity to honor and celebrate with three wonderful couples Mark Silver who do so much for our community. It is also—and we sometimes lose sight of this—an opportunity for us to celebrate our community itself. At Beth El, we are very much an interwoven community of communities, and this is an important annual opportunity for us all to come together in a social setting. And, last but not least, the Gala is one of our two major fundraising events for the year. As I have noted before, these are challenging financial times and we encourage you to purchase a package or a journal ad and to attend the Gala. You can do so from the link near the top of our webpage, or type www.bethelnr.org/gala2020 into your browser. See you at the Gala and in shul!
Mark
ISRAELI CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Presented by Beth El’s Israel Affairs Committee
Beth El’s Israel Affairs Committee (IAC) is pleased to share cultural items of interest concerning Israel each month. IAC always welcomes new members. For more information about meetings and events, please contact either Tamar Tait at Tamartait@optonline.net or Bruce Gold at Bruces.gold@gmail.com. This month’s Israeli Cultural Connections column is presented by IAC member Richard Aronow.
ISRAEL HITS A HOME RUN: QUALIFIES FOR 2020 OLYMPICS
What is it that you think of when the topic of Israel is mentioned? The IDF? Nobel prizes? Medical innovation? Start-up Nation? Sports? Never Sports! But Israel has qualified to play baseball in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics! Israel shocked the world with its performance during the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC). The WBC is the baseball equivalent to World Cup in soccer. It is sponsored by the World Baseball Softball Confederation and Major League Baseball. In 2017, after being seeded 41 in Round 1 of the games, Israel finished 6th out of 16 teams as was depicted in the 2019 film “Heading Home: The Story of Team Israel”. In September 2019, Israel became the first team to qualify for the 2020 Olympics after winning Gold in the Europe-Africa competition. Team Israel is comprised of a handful of Sabras and a large number of American-Jewish baseball players who are either past their prime major leaguers, minor-leaguers, or college players. Many of the players had no knowledge of their Jewish heritage prior to research of the team’s organizers. However, Olympic rules require players to be citizens of the country they are representing. Under one category of Israeli citizenship law, in order to become a citizen, either a parent or grandparent must be Jewish, or, one must have a Jewish spouse. Twenty members of Team Israel have already become dual IsraeliAmerican citizens. This method of team formation is not uncommon for the Olympics and is practiced by many nations. What may be as interesting and important as the Wins and Losses
however, is the creation and performance of the team and the way in which the players were affected by participation. Ty Kelly, former NY Met, attributes much of the team’s success to its cohesiveness, a result of the emotional experience that the core group of players had together in Israel. “To see the Star of David as something negative [in the Holocaust] and then to be able to wear it on our hats and jerseys as a positive symbol and something to be proud of, came to mean a lot to me.”* Josh Zeid, former Houston Astros pitcher said, “Having been to Israel, and seeing the daily life … gave me a country, nation and purpose to play for. I hope we made Israel proud.”* Ryan Lavarnway, Oakland Athletics minor leaguer said, ”…if we don’t win even one game, it doesn’t matter. The fact is that people have to recognize that not only do we exist, but we earned our way here and we can be equals on the playing field.” “…it started as a baseball thing, and it’s turned into a spiritual thing.”* Israel is expected to do very well in Olympic play, at least partly because of the support from its life size mascot, of course, the Mench on a Bench. Supporters are looking forward to the repeat of a scene from the “Heading Home” movie: Team Israel standing at attention during the playing of Hatikvah, the players removing their baseball caps to reveal blue kippot with Jewish stars, accepting a medal for their winning performance. Most Olympic baseball teams are scheduled to play on August 8, 2020. For more information, and to donate to support the team, go to Jewcer.org. * Jerusalem Post 5
KERUV* KORNER
*“Keruv” = to bring close, to draw near
appropriate. We can include additional designated spaces if the office is alerted in advance. If you or someone you know is coming in a wheelchair or any type of assistive device, feel free to contact an usher for help finding the locations with extra space. Large print prayer books and large print copies of the relevant bible portion can be found each Shabbat on a table inside the outer sanctuary doors in the rear right corner. The table is clearly marked; ask an usher if you don’t see it. On the same table, you will find new hearing amplification devices designed to fit the state-of-the-art acoustic system installed in the sanctuary. Please remember to return the books and devices to this table before you exit services to ensure they will remain available each week. Seating configurations vary with the needs of each Shabbat in our renovated sanctuary and inclusion remains a dynamic process. Please give us feedback on how it is (or is not) working out. Keruv is working closely with the Sanctuary Committee to accommodate everyone’s needs as best we can. Your input will help! Happy Purim! Elise Richman and Nina Luban, Keruv Co-Chairs
March will be humming at Beth El. Not only do we have two Keruv events (see boxes below) and the Annual Beth El Gala, our whole congregation will be coming together to celebrate Purim! The Talmud sees Purim as a time when the Jewish people renewed their covenant with God voluntarily, unlike at Mount Sinai, when some sages suggest the Children of Israel were coerced. The rabbis were therefore inclusive in describing who is obligated to hear the Purim story read from the megillah (scroll). This, then, is an appropriate time to update you on how Beth El is making our beautiful new sanctuary more inclusive. You may have noticed that the center bimah (stage) has a ramp to allow wheelchair access. The front bimah is also wheelchair accessible via a lift on the left side. Aisles leading to each bimah are intentionally wide enough to allow anyone in a wheelchair to navigate there from the spaces designated as “handicapped.” These “handicapped” spots accommodate a wheelchair and have at least one seat (the seat with the wheelchair sign) reserved for a companion. Shabbat ushers receive this information in their weekly instructions and are also instructed to direct people to the designated locations as
“LET’S TALK ABOUT IT”
Wednesday, March 11th • 7:30 pm • How does your child’s interfaith relationship affect your extended family and community? • Share your experiences and what you have learned? • What can we do better to encourage Jewish engagement?
RSVP at bethelnr.org/march15. RSVP encouraged but walk-ins welcome.
Facilitated by Shari Baum, L.M.S.W. WJCS Coordinator of Partners in Caring
At the home of Elise and Bob Schepp 25 Mildred Parkway, New Rochelle
R.S.V.P. to Elise Schepp at LCmoocow@aol.com. Questions? Contact Nina Luban at nina.luban@gmail.com or Elise K. Richman at elisekrichman@gmail.com Generously funded by UJA-Federation of NY • Sponsored by the Keruv Committee
LIBEINU: HEART & SOUL SHABBAT | Friday, March 20, 6:30 p.m.
Join us to greet the Sabbath with uplifting song, quiet meditative prayer, and inspiring words of Torah.
KAVANNAH | Saturday, March 21, 11:00 a.m.
Join one of our rabbis for an hour of mindfulness, meditation, intentional study, silence, singing, and prayer. This time is a gift for yourself.
NIGGUN HALEV | Saturday, March 28, 9:00 a.m.
Our melody-filled service is a beautiful balance of traditional liturgy with accessible and moving song and harmonies.
For more information on all of our spiritual practices, visit bethelnr.org/spiritualpractices. 6
Each week (on alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays), Open Beit Midrash attendees will study Jewish texts—ranging from Chassidic thought to Jewish law. Each week, learn from two Rabbis and you can choose the topic you would like to study for the evening. Instructors include Beth El’s Rabbi David Schuck and Rabbi Zach Sitkin as well as Rabbi Ethan Linden, the executive director of Ramah Berkshires, and Beth El’s rabbinic fellows. In addition to the weekly classes, scholars from around the NY area will teach once a month on topics related to their respective fields—from prayer and ethics to contemporary Jewish issues. We are fortunate to also learn from our rabbinic fellows, Jessica Fisher and Rebecca Weintraub, who will teach in the Open Beit Midrash this year.
As rational, twenty-first-century Jews, we often tend to think of God as unknowable and therefore best to avoid trying to describe. Ancient rabbinic texts present an alternate model, one which recognizes the distance post-Biblical humans feel from God, but also taps into the closeness that can come from both the performance of ritual acts and the creation of midrash. We will explore some of these texts and discuss what it might look like to translate this model into a theology for today. Dr. Sarah Wolf’s research focuses on legal textual cultures in rabbinic Judaism. Her dissertation, The Rabbinic Legal Imagination: Narrativity and Scholasticism in the Babylonian Talmud, traced the development of literary elements in the Talmud’s legal passages in the context of the rise of the rabbinic academy. Her current book project examines the construction of emotions as legal categories in rabbinic literature. Dr. Wolf received her PhD from Northwestern University and her BA in Literature from Yale University. She is also a faculty member at Shalom Hartman Institute of North America.
An Evening of Music, Song & Spirit MELAVEH MALKAH
April 4 | 8:15PM | Location TBA Join us for this special Pre-Passover Edition Melaveh Malkah as we fill our voices and our souls with wonderful melodies and share an evening of music together. You may even choose to use some of these songs during your Passover Seder! 7
Beth El’s Framework for Action
VISION ACTION TEAM Pillar 1: Strenthening a Community of Connected Communities • Beth El Facebook Members’ Page: A place for discussion and for sharing information in real time with other members of the Beth El community.
Six strategies emerged from Beth El’s 20182019 Journey visioning exercise. From these strategies, six “Pillars” were created, each Pillar consisting of a group of Beth El members and staff working together to help guide our congregation towards its next chapter. While each of the other five Pillars will have an opportunity to describe its work in future issues of The Bulletin, this month, Pillar 1 is in the spotlight. Our Pillar, “A Community of Connected Communities,” is tasked with innovating around the notion of community. Our goals are to bring members together in smaller groups focused around shared interests, as well as to strengthen our single, overarching Beth El community. Since Summer 2019, several major Pillar 1 initiatives have been put into place, or are deep into the planning stage, including:
Pillar 1 created a Beth El Members’ Facebook page, which already has over one hundred members. In our group, you can ask a question about Beth El, the neighborhood, or the world. You can advertise for an upcoming Beth El event. You can post a photo from an event that just occurred. Signing up is simple: search Facebook for “Beth El Synagogue Center Members” and click to join (https://www. facebook.com/groups/768469450216371/). • Collecting members’ skills and interests on ShulCloud: When Beth El needs your strengths.
Beth El occasionally reminds members to complete an online survey that identifies members’ interests and skills. It is all voluntary. • Beth El Interest Groups: Helping congregants with shared However, completing this survey allows us to better know your interests and skills, connect you to like-minded others, and facilitate interests and passions find each other. your involvement with Beth El. Beth El members already share their many interests in groups, such as Mah Jongg, Israel Affairs, and chesed groups, to name just a • Shabbat Dinners at Home…with a Theme. few. Parents of youngsters, teens, or college-aged children gather A joint effort of Pillar 1, Music Director Jack Klebanow and Beth periodically. Religious and Nursery School Boards share ideas and El staff to plan a single spring evening of Friday night dinners at concerns. Each of the many Beth El committees is, effectively, different homes, each home focusing on a different theme (arts, an interest group. But what about our members with interests or sports, Judaica, toddlers, young children, teens, inter-generational passions that are not yet supported at Beth El? Who might those exploration about life and history, a book, a prayer, Sephardi cooking, people be? What are those interests and passions? And what can vegan cooking, Israel, inclusion, travel, YOU NAME IT!). We are Beth El do to nurture them? planning now and would love your ideas, input, and assistance. To clarify these unknowns, Pillar 1 developed the Beth El Interest Interested? Email Jack at jklebanow@bethelnr.org or Nina at nina. Group initiative. Congregants are challenged to find four other luban@gmail.com. (See page 2, Home-Hosted Shabbat Dinners). Beth El members who share an interest, be it sports, art, Jewish or The Pillar 1 team includes Marcia Assor, Lauren Freemanother study, identity, age or stage in life, or really anything at all, Bosworth, Elissa Glickman, Bekkah Gold, Nina Luban, and and the members of Pillar 1 will then facilitate the development of Lori Schwartz. a group centered around that interest. We will help with scheduling The more we do, the more help we’ll need. Join us! meetings, publicizing the group, and will provide reimbursement of Thank you! up to $50 for the first meeting refreshments. More details can be Allison Kellman, allison@twoals.com found on the event table outside the main office and on the Beth El website home page (https://www.bethelnr.org).
Meet Our Volunteer of the Month: Dan Feldman In 2011, I moved from Manhattan to New Rochelle with my wife, Emily, and our children Jed and Ilan (a newborn at the time), as it became apparent that a one bedroom, rentstabilized apartment was not a great option for housing two adults, two children, and a dog. Both of our children attended Beth El’s Day Camp, presently attend Religious School, and regularly attend Dan Feldman Shabbat services. I am a litigation attorney and have a solo practice in Queens. Emily is a matrimonial attorney with Garr, Silpe, P.C. in Manhattan.
I have tried to follow the “you can’t complain if you don’t volunteer” approach. I have served on the Youth Services Committee for a number of years and have headed it for the last two. I am presently on the Board of Trustees. Most importantly, together with Michael Novoseller, I coach the boys 5th/6th grade basketball team. We are currently working with the boys on the art of boxing out (rebounding) and have suggested that the boys practice during the Kiddush, when the line is long, people are not waiting their turn and the tuna fish is running out. Here are a few facts you might not know about me—I have hiked/camped all over the world and had close encounters with bears, elephants, and snakes, among other wildlife. I appreciate being selected as “Volunteer of the Month” and strongly encourage others to give of their time. 8
Go get your friends and come on over!
Wednesday Mornings — 10:30
am
- 11:30
am
Wear comfortable clothes and lace up your sneakers! Join us for a great workout (exercise class)! Come for coffee and stay for the fun! This program is free of charge. Newcomers are welcome. First Wednesday of the month...... March 4: BALANCE, with Tim, North End Fitness Second Wednesday of the month.. March 11: CHAIR YOGA, with Nan Third Wednesday of the month..... March 18: GOLDEN ZUMBA, with Laura at 11:30 am
Fourth Wednesday of the month... MARCH 25:
CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION, with Shari Baum, L.M.S.W.
CHAIR YOGA, with Nan
Exercise instructors are subject to change without notice. For information or to R.S.V.P. for any SMART (Senior Mature Adults Retired Together) activity, contact Julie Rockowitz at jrockowitz@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 256.
WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Presents:
SMART Senior Mature Adults Retired Together:
History of Americana Music 1324 North Avenue, New Rochelle No Charge
Courses are held on Tuesdays: February 4, February 11, March 17, March 24 10:00am - 12:15pm 10:00am: Coffee and Cake 10:30am: Program Begins American fare lunch will be served at our final program, March 24 - $8 per person
This course covers music that reflects the nation’s history. Focus will be from 1800 to the present and includes Stephen Foster, gospel music, ragtime, the blues, jazz, country, bluegrass, rockabilly and more.
Course Instructor: Marc Ferris For more information & to RSVP, contact Julie at jrockowitz@bethelnr.org
THE COLLEGE-AGE COMMITTEE will be packing for our students on Wednesday, March 4th at 7:00 pm
FUNDED THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ON AGING (AoA), NEW YORK STATE OFFICE FOR THE AGING, WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SENIOR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
This package is for Purim and Passover. 9
Sisterhood Challah Baking with Morah Eden
SAVE THE DATE!
Sunday, April 26th sponsored by Sisterhood & Youth and Family Engagement
For Our Annual Torah Fund Brunch Join us as we honor JUDY SCHMEIDLER
11:00 am Watch for further details!
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Sisterhood Scene People often say, “Well why should I join Sisterhood? Here are some answers for that question. Did you know that Sisterhood . . . * Is a major fundraising arm of the synagogue * Donated the large rug in the Beth El Den * Cooks for the Hope Soup Kitchen once a month * Gives gifts to Bar and Bat Mitzvah students * Provides Shiva dinners for all Beth El mourners * Is sponsoring a Women’s Seder for teens and adults (see page 10) * Is sponsoring the Green Project for the synagogue * Has morning and evening Book Clubs * Bought new furniture for the Nursery School Office * Will provide computers and TVs for the Religious School All of this while providing wonderful educational and social programs for our women. Why not think about joining us! Sandy Gruenberg, Sisterhood President
Sisterhood Annual Cinema Brunch
Join us for a stimulating discussion, coffee, and bagels! Ravelstein by Saul Bellow Monday, March 23 • 9:30 am All Who Go Do Not Return by Shulem Deen Monday, April 20 • 9:30 am QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT ARLENE SALMAN 914-235-2485 AESALMAN@AOL.COM.
NEW ROCHELLE
HADASSAH MEETING Monday, March 30th Dessert at 12:30 pm
Sisterhood’s Ongoing Programs
View the movie, Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird” (78 minutes)
CARD ROOM: 12:45 pm weekly: Canasta, Mondays; Mah Jongg, Tuesdays WALKING CLUB: every Monday at 9:30 am for a nice easy walk—not a jog. All are welcome! MITZVAH KNITTING: Free lessons and supplies. Knit at home and donate your work. E-mail Phyllis at pjf920@verizon.net.
“Hey, Boo” explores the To Kill a Mockingbird phenomenon and unravels some of the mysteries surrounding Harper Lee, including why she never published again. at the Eastchester Public Library Questions? Contact Carol Freedman at 914-235-1527.
QUESTIONS? Contact Arlene: aesalman@aol.com, or 914-235-2485. 11
#BETHELGOESGREENER Zero-Waste Kiddush Wins High Marks, A Model for the Rest of Beth El In just two short months, Beth El’s ZeroWaste Kiddush has caught on with our membership as an important contribution to sustainability. While many Beth El members are still becoming accustomed to bringing their lunch plates to bins in several areas of the room and separating them into compostables, recyclables and unusable trash, the response to the zero-waste initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve become used to seeing the helpful green-aproned Green Team members stationed at the bins, and to their table-hopping to explain the simple procedure and answer questions. “So far, the Zero-Waste Kiddush has been an outstanding success,” said Alan Greenberg, co-chair of the Beth El Green Team. “The congregation and its leadership are 100% behind this initiative to contribute to our environmental goals.” The Green Team is thrilled and grateful for such a welcoming reception! In his sermon on Shabbat, February 1st, Rabbi Schuck gave enthusiastic support to the Green Team’s efforts. He connected sustainability to Torah teachings that command us to preserve our world and its natural resources for future generations. His sermon concluded with the words of Kohelet Rabbah 7:13: “Consider God’s work. Who can set right that which he has degraded. When the Holy One created the first human, He took him around to all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: See how beautiful and wonderful My works are. Everything I have created, I have created for you. Be mindful that you do not ruin and devastate My world, for if you ruin it there is no one to repair it after you.” In analyzing our January kiddushim, approximately 80% of
the lunch leftovers went to composting, 1% to recycling, and the remaining 19% to trash. The compostable portion consists of food scraps, compostable plates, utensils (made of corn), cups (even the shot cups - also made from corn!), and napkins. The recyclables include plastics such as yogurt containers as well as metal and glass. The compostables are carted to a commercial composting facility where they decompose and turn into soil for resale/reuse in approximately two months. The recyclables are sometimes taken to a recycling facility to be re-purposed through a sterilization, shredding and melting process, and then reformed into new plastic —or unfortunately as is the case in Westchester, they are burned. The leftover trash (inclusive of the plastic-lined table cloths) is taken to a municipal facility and placed in landfill, where it remains “as is” for centuries. We hope soon to replace the current table cloths with reusable vinyl that require a simple wipe down. The Zero-Waste Kiddush is the first stage in the transformation of Beth El into a fully zero-waste building, something that other Westchester institutions have already implemented. The process is going well. The congregation’s board and officers want to gradually move to zero-waste bins throughout the remaining areas of our shul, our goal being facility-wide zero-waste. The Zero-Waste Kiddush is a model for how the rest of the synagogue can implement this process most efficiently. The other areas and events at the synagogue will gradually be incorporated into the zero-waste paradigm. Please continue to participate in our green initiative and let us know if you feel that further improvements should be made. If you would like to join the Green Team, let us know that, too. We welcome all the help available as we implement full-scale. Thank you for your encouragement and support of the Green Team’s efforts! by Lew Koflowitz, lewkof@hotmail.com Green Team Contacts: Alan Greenberg, asgreenberg2@gmail.com Jayne Peister, peisterjs@gmail.com
THIS IS THE ARMY, MISTER COHEN: JEWISH CHARACTERS IN THE MILITARY DURING WW II THEME OF THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL SPRING FILM FESTIVAL DINNER-THEATRE OPENING SESSION APRIL 23rd WITH RABBI AZRIEL FELLNER RETURNING AS GUEST LECTURER
We will hit the dusty trail as we commemorate the seventyfifth anniversary of Allied victory in World War II and pay tribute to the Jewish heroes who served our nation. Beginning at the end of April, we will explore four probing war-era films featuring pivotal Jewish characters and directed by such giants as Steven Spielberg and Mike Nichols. Our protagonists will experience basic training in the Deep South, espionage assignments in Japan and Europe, and combat in the European theater of war. Presented as a delightful Dinner-Theatre, each self-contained session begins with a tasty delicatessen buffet supper (even tastier than K-rations), followed by a formal introduction to the film, a complete screening, and high-level (sometimes contentious, but never bellicose) group discussion. Although many devoted participants wait eagerly for the series to begin, newcomers are immediately welcomed and made to feel equally at home. Our first salvo will take place on Thursday, April 23rd, and will feature THE CATCHER WAS A SPY, based on the riveting espionage
tale of Moe Berg. This taut film follows Berg’s journey from Major League catcher to spy and potential assassin behind enemy lines. BILOXI BLUES, starring Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken, directed by the legendary Mike Nichols, and based on the play by Neil Simon, will screen on April 30th. Irwin Shaw’s unforgettably broad canvas of the war, THE YOUNG LIONS, starring Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, and Dean Martin, will be shown on May 6th. Our final session on May 20th, after a one-week hiatus, will present Steven Spielberg’s masterful portrayal of war, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon. Rabbi Azriel Fellner, guest lecturer for our opening and closing sessions, is a former member of our own congregation and the person who put the Fellner in our original Fellner-on-Film. For the past several years he has been a distinguished lecturer and scholar-in-residence throughout the country and has recorded fifty books for Audible. His erudite insights into both Jewish texts and Jewish life in American society have continued, page 22 12
NURSERY SCHOOL NEWS: LET THE LIGHT SHINE THROUGH! Our Anaf Bet classroom is full of light! Inspired by the beautiful stainedglass windows over the main entrance to Beth El illuminated by sunshine, this 4s class undertook a study of Louis Tiffany. It began with a hunt around the shul to search for additional stained-glass windows. Each child then had an opportunity to create his or her own stained-glass using sheets of clear plastic, thin black pieces of tape to create a design and permanent markers to color in each frame. These were turned into a class Hanukkiyyah mobile! As an introduction to Louis Tiffany, teachers then shared his photograph and biographical information, as well as examples of some of his work. The children have had many additional opportunities to create their own stained glass. They colored pieces of oak tag and then used black craypas to cover the colors beneath. Sharp wooden sticks were employed to “scratch off” the black covering and let the colors “shine through.” The children also created stained glass panels by cutting openings in black construction paper over which they glued colored tissue paper. The final products set the back windows in Anaf Bet’s room alight! The children were thrilled when a Tiffany style lamp was added to the classroom. It now lights the morning mifgash, or meeting, as the children say Tefillah, and the Writing Center, where the children write daily by its glow. The children were inspired to create their own stained-glass lamps using clear plastic bowls for shades, re-
purposed orange juice containers for bases and black and translucent tape. A tea light that turns on and off was the finishing touch. The class proudly gave a lamp to Morah Ronnie and Morah Shery for their office. When the children asked to make individual Tiffany lamps to take home, miniature versions were constructed from materials found in our Possibilities Place, including spice containers and plastic cherry tomato baskets. The children were also excited by another addition to the classroom—a three-sided Lucite easel! A lamp was positioned in the center of the clear panels and the children taped colored tissue paper swatches onto the plastic. When the lamp was lit, the colored squares gave the same effect as the stained glass panels the children had created. The children also used finger paints and shaving cream to paint directly on this special surface. When the overhead lights were turned off and the interior lamp was turned on, the light shone through and allowed the children to appreciate their work illuminated by its glow! As a special activity, the children worked with Sasha Kopp from the Jewish Education Project to create a stained-glass class mezuzah and individual glass charms. Sasha worked with each child as they chose and then precisely cut and placed the glass. The children loved making their own glass pieces and can’t wait to see where their study of Louis Tiffany, stained glass, and light takes them next! What is certain is that a love of learning and wonderful spirit of camaraderie and collaboration light Anaf Bet every day. Ronnie Becher, Director
TUESDAY TODDLER TIME!
FOR CHILDREN WITH BIRTHDAYS: Jan. 1, 2018–Dec. 31, 2018
2020-2021 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
9:15–10:30 a.m.
Begins TUESDAY February 25 $420 for 12 Sessions WINTER/SPRING SESSION: FEBRUARY: 25 MARCH: 3, 10, 24, 31 APRIL: 21, 28
MAY: 5, 12, 19, 26 JUNE: 2
• Play, Art & Music • Make new friends and learn together! • Classes begin with sensory and art experiences meant to develop decision-making skills, followed by gross-motor play, snack and music. • Classes are facilitated by Morah Tine, a licensed teacher, with parent/caregiver
LONGER SCHOOL
HOURS
STATE-OF-
participation.
STEM
Register now at bethelnr.org/tuesdaytoddlertime2020
THE-ART
Registration is required.
STUDIO
13
A Note from the Director of Youth and Family Engagement…
March Teen Highlights
We are SO excited to bring back our Purim Carnival on Sunday, March 8th, 11:00 am-2:00 pm. We’ll open at 10:30 am for those with special needs to get in on all the fun first! Sign up today to beat the lines and grab the discounts—bethelnr.org/purimcarnival2020. Want to volunteer? Parents and children 6th grade and up are invited to volunteer to run booths at the Carnival! Community service hours provided. Register at bethelnr.org/purimvolunteer2020. There are plenty of events for parents to get in on the fun this month too—Den After Dark, Happy Hour, the Gala and more! Mazal tov to our Gala honorees: Jack and Sandy Gruenberg, Jayne and Darren Peister, and our very own Julia Keltz and Zach Seiden. Support them and join us at the Gala this year. You can purchase an ad and buy tickets at bethelnr.org/gala2020. Have any questions? Want to grab coffee? Email me at rgold@ bethelnr.org and I’d love to chat. Hope to see you soon, Bekkah Gold, Director of Youth & Family Engagement
Teens had a great time at Lounge Night this month! Stay tuned for upcoming teen programming in March! 14
1-3 5 8 9 12 13 19 26 28-29
AIPAC Policy Conference Teen Learning Purim Carnival Volunteering (bethelnr.org/purimvolunteer2020) Teen-Led Megillah Reading Teen Learning Teen Shabbat Dinner, 6:30 pm (bethelnr.org/marchshabbat) Teen Learning Teen Learning Teen Shul-In (bethelnr.org/shulin2020)
March Parent Highlights 1 7 15 17 22 29
Zumba, 9:30 am The Den After Dark, 8:00 pm (bethelnr.org/denafterdark) Zumba, 9:30 am Young Parent Happy Hour, 7:30 pm Beth El Gala! (bethelnr.org/gala2020) Zumba, 9:30 am
March Religious School Highlights
Religious School Dismissal Procedures
Dismissal occurs in the front parking lot these Thursdays between 5:40 pm and 6:10 pm.
Beginning in September and ending in June, we have a dismissal procedure in place for Thursday evenings after Religious School, happening between 5:40 and 6:10 pm every Thursday that Religious School is in session. Cars will enter the parking lot through the entrance closer to North Avenue (in the exit lane) on Northfield Road, looping through the parking lot and snaking up to the front entrance, picking up children at the red doors by the Office of Youth and Family Engagement. Families are given color-coded cards for each of their children with their name and class listed. Parents or caregivers will hand one card to a professional who will send someone to go get your child and your child will hand you back your card when they enter the car. For those who would like to park, please use the second entrance on Northfield Road, further from North Avenue. Bekkah Gold will be stationed outside so that the path to the second and third parking are accessible to anyone trying to enter or exit the building. If you plan on entering or exiting the property during this window, please park in the second and third parking lots. Please remember to put on your signal so that security can direct you as to where to turn. All March Religious School dates are listed for your convenience. We look forward to a smoother process and maintain that the safety of our children is our top priority. Thank you for your patience as we get used to this dismissal procedure!
1 Religious School Kehillah + Schmooze, 9:00 am Gesher Bake Sale, 10:45 am-12:15 pm Chess/Moadon, 11:00 am 3 RS Cooking Chug 5 Religious School 8 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CLOSED FOR PURIM CARNIVAL 10 NO RS COOKING CHUG – CLOSED FOR PURIM 12 Religious School 15 Religious School Chess/Moadon, 11:00 am 17 RS Cooking Chug 19 Religious School RS Educator Meeting 22 Religious School (No Kehillah) Chess/Moadon, 11:00 am 24 RS Cooking Chug 25 RS Board Meeting 26 Religious School 29 Religious School Kehillah & Schmooze, 9:00 am Chess/Moadon, 11:00 am 31 RS Cooking Chug
March Youth & Family Highlights 5 8 9 14 19 27 29
Cub Scouts, 6:00 pm Purim Carnival, 11:00 am-2:00 pm Volunteering, 8:30 am-2:30 pm Visit www.bethelnr.org/purimcarnival2020 Mini Megillah, 6:15 pm Teen-Led Megillah Reading, 7:00 pm Petra Wulfsohn Bat Mitzvah Celebration Cub Scouts, 6:00 pm BE Mitzvah Shabbat Dinner Ruach/Chaverim & Families Community Service Event, TBD Kadima Event, Details TBD
Our Religious School Gan (Kindergarten) Class had a great time celebrating Tu BiShevat and planting their own seeds! 15
MARCH 2020 MONDAY
SUNDAY 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 Associate Cantor ...............................Uri Aqua Assistant Rabbi.........................Zachary Sitkin Rabbi Emeritus ......................Melvin N. Sirner Hazzan Emeritus ....................Farid Dardashti Executive Director ..................Erica Leventhal Asst. Executive Director ................ Abby Wise Controller .................................... Olivier Vogel Camp Dir./Seniors Coord........Julie Rockowitz Music Director......................... Jack Klebanow Nursery School Director ......... Ronnie Becher Dir. of Youth Engagement ...........Bekkah Gold Sp. Projects Dir. /Asst. to Clergy......L. Newman
1
Shacharit 8:00am
5 ADAR
Sisterhood President .......... Sandy Gruenberg Men’s Club President ........... Steven L. Young Religious Sch. Parent Org. ........Sharon Brown, Julia Keltz, Lisa Mandelker Marci Marcus Nursery Sch. Parent Org. ......... Gayle Salama Joanna Esterow BULLETIN EDITOR
Linda Newman
Daily Minyan Beth El maintains morning and evening services every day of the year. Contact Associate Cantor Uri Aqua, 914-235-2700, ext. 222.
* Minyan times listed on this
calendar page and elsewhere in The Bulletin are accurate as of the date of printing. Please visit the Beth El website www.bethelnr.org/calendar for the most up-to-date information. NOTE: Friday evening services are held at 7:00 pm throughout the spring and summer months.
Shacharit 6:55am
3
7 ADAR
Shacharit 7:00am
AIPAC
Religious School 9:00 am Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am Chess Club 11:00 am
Walking Club 9:30 am Jewish Short Stories 10:00 am Canasta 12:45 pm Dance Class 6:00 pm
Toddler Time 9:15 am Mah Jongg 12:45 pm
Mincha/Maariv 5:40pm
Mincha/Maariv 5:40pm
Mincha/Maariv 5:40pm
8
Shacharit 8:00am
12 ADAR
Religious School Closed METNY USY Purim Bash Israeli Dancing 10:00 am
OFFICERS
AFFILIATES
6 ADAR
AIPAC
AIPAC
Purim Carnival 11:00 am President .......................................Mark Silver Executive Vice President.........Robert Patchen Vice President ......Lauren Freeman-Bosworth Vice President ........................ David Shechter Vice President ........................ Debbie Young Treasurer ................................ Barbara Cohen Financial Secretary ........................Ellen Barlis Recording Secretary ............Nancy Mayerfield
2
TUESDAY
Mincha/Maariv 6:50pm Daylight Savings Time Starts— Move clock forward 1 hour at 2:00 am
15
Shacharit 8:00am
19 ADAR
Annual Minyan Breakfast 8:00 am Religious School 9:00 am Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am Chess Club 11:00 am
9
Shacharit 6:55am
17
20 ADAR
23
Shacharit 6:55am
Chug Ivri 7:30 pm Young Parents Happy Hour 7:30 pm (off-site) WJC Julian Y. Bernstein Distinguished Service Awards 7:30 pm (off-site) Mincha/Maariv 6:50 pm
27 ADAR
Sisterhood Bagels and Books 9:30 am Jewish Short Stories 10:00 am Walking Club 11:30 am Canasta 12:45 pm Dance Class 6:00 pm
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
4 NISAN
Teen Shul-In METNY Thinking Strategically, Taking the Long View 8:30 am Religious School 9:00 am Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am Encounter Sharing Experience 10:00 am Chess Club 11:00 am Memory Minyan 1:30 pm YC Ninja Day 2:30 pm Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
30
Shacharit 6:55am
21 ADAR
Shacharit 7:00am
Nursery School Closed SMART: Coffee 10:00 am; History of Americana Music 10:30 am Mah Jongg 12:45 pm Religious School Chug 4:00 pm
Walking Club 9:30 am Jewish Short Stories 10:00 am Canasta 12:45 pm
Minyan Remembering Loved Ones 9:00 am Religious School 9:00 am Religious School Kehillah & Schmooze 9:00 am Zumba 9:30 am Israeli Dancing 10:00 am Chess Club 11:00 am Annual Gala 5:00 pm
Shacharit 8:00am
Open Beit Midrash: Nosh 7:30 pm; Disc. 8pm
16
Mincha/Maariv 6:50 pm
29
Toddler Time 9:15 am Mah Jongg 12:45 pm
Mincha/Maariv 6:50pm
Shacharit 6:55am
14 ADAR
Shacharit 6:30am
Mincha 6:50pm TAANIT ESTHER/ EREV PURIM
Mincha/Maariv 6:50 pm
26 ADAR
10
Religious School Closed
Mini-Megillah with Bounce House 6:15 pm Dance Class 6:00 pm Maariv and Teen Megillah Reading 7:00 pm Beth El Brewery 8:00 pm
Dance Class 6:00 pm
Shacharit 8:00am
13 ADAR
Walking Club 9:30 am Jewish Short Stories 10:00 am Canasta 12:45 pm
Keruv: There Are Many Ways to Get There, with Judy Schmeidler 12:00 pm
22
Religious School Chug 4:00 pm Sisterhood Board Meetings 6:30 pm Chug Ivri 7:30 pm
24
Shacharit 7:00am
28 ADAR
Toddler Time 9:15 am SMART: Coffee 10:00 am; History of Americana Music 10:30 am Mah Jongg 12:45 pm Religious School Chug 4:00 pm Re-Introduction to Judaism 7:30 pm Open Beit Midrash: Nosh 7:30 pm; Discussions 8:00 pm Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
5 NISAN
31
Shacharit 7:00am
Walking Club 9:30 am Jewish Short Stories 10:00 am New Rochelle Hadassah 12:30 pm Canasta 12:45 pm Dance Class 6:00 pm
Toddler Time 9:15 am
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
Mah Jongg 12:45 pm Religious School Chug 4:00 pm
6 NISAN
ADAR ~ NISAN 5780 WEDNESDAY 4
8 ADAR
FRIDAY
THURSDAY 5
9 ADAR
Shacharit 7:00am
Shacharit 6:55am
Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 am
Rabbi Hojda Wisdom of Rab. Texts 10:00 am Parasha Hashavua, with Jack 1:30 pm Religious School 4:00 pm Cub Scouts 6:00 pm Teen Learning 6:30 pm Open Beit Midrash: Nosh 7:30 pm; Disc. 8pm
Hebrew Ulpan 6:30 pm College-Age Committee Packing 7:00 pm Green Team Meeting 7:30 pm Officers Meeting 7:30 pm Nursery School Board Mtg 7:30 pm Cantillation Class 8:00 pm (off-site)
11
Shacharit 7:00am
15 ADAR
Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 am Hebrew Ulpan 6:30 pm Keruv Let’s Talk About It 7:30 pm (off-site) Board of Trustees 8:00 pm Cantillation Class 8:00 pm (off-site) Mincha/Maariv 6:50pm SHUSHAN PURIM
18
Shacharit 7:00am
12
Shacharit 6:55am
16 ADAR
Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 am
Rabbi Hojda Wisdom of Rab. Texts 10:00 am Parasha Hashavua, with Jack 1:30 pm Religious School 4:00 pm Teen Learning 6:30 pm Re-Introduction to Judaism 7:30 pm
Shacharit 7:00am
19
Shacharit 6:55am
Teen Shabbat Dinner 6:30 pm
20
Shacharit 7:00am
Dance Class 3:30 pm Cafe Shabbat 5:15 pm Libeinu Service 6:30 pm
Mincha/Maariv 6:50 pm
Mincha/Maariv 6:50 pm
Mincha/Maariv 6:50 pm
29 ADAR
Nursery School Half Day—Conferences Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 am Current Events with Shari Baum 11:30 am Special Needs Seder 5:30 pm Hebrew Ulpan 6:30 pm Religious School Board Meeting 7:45 pm Cantillation Class 8:00 pm (off-site) Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
6:43pm
Mincha/Maariv 6:50pm
23 ADAR
26
Shacharit 6:55am
1 NISAN
Rabbi Hojda Wisdom of Rab. Texts 10:00 am Parasha Hashavua, with Jack 1:30 pm Religious School 4:00 pm Teen Learning 6:30 pm Singing as a Spiritual Practice 7:30 pm
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm ROSH HODESH
24 ADAR
Shacharit 7:00am
6:50 pm
2 NISAN
Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm Dance Class 3:30 pm BE Mitzvah Shabbat Dinner 6:00 pm
Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
14
18 ADAR
Shabbat ends 7:44 pm
Chai House Visits Birthday Shabbat
Bat Mitzvah Petra Wulfsohn Shabbat Service 9:00 am Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Pre-Service Oneg 10:15 am Tot Shabbat 10:45 am Kiddush 12:00 pm Daf Shevui 12:30 pm Mincha/Maariv 6:50 pm
21
25 ADAR
Shabbat ends 7:51pm
Shabbat Service 9:00am Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 am Youth Services 10:45 am Kavannah Service 11:00 am Kiddush 12:00 pm Daf Shevui 12:30 pm Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
28 VAYIKRA
6:58pm
Shabbat ends 6:36 pm
Sisterhood Shabbat Shabbat Service 9:00 am Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Pre-Service Oneg 10:15 am Youth Services 10:45 am Kiddush 12:00 pm Daf Shevui 12:30 pm Purim in the Den 8:00 pm Mincha/Maariv 5:40pm
VAYAKHEI PEKUDEI
Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm
27
11 ADAR
PARAH KI TISA
Evening Book Club 7:30 pm
Hebrew Ulpan 6:30 pm Bikkur Cholim Group Meeting 7:00 pm Teen Board Meeting 7:00 pm Jewish Parenting Learning Circle 7:30 pm Cantillation Class 8:00 pm (off-site) Youth Services Comm. Meeting 8:00 pm
Shacharit 7:00am
17 ADAR
Shabbat Shaboom 12:00 pm Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm Dance Class 3:30 pm
Rabbi Hojda Wisdom of Rab. Texts 10:00 am Parasha Hashavua, with Jack 1:30 pm Religious School 4:00 pm Cub Scouts 6:00 pm Teen Learning 6:30 pm Rel. Sch. Educator Meeting 6:30 pm Women’s Seder 7:00 pm
25
5:35 pm
Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 pm Dance Class 3:30 pm
13
7 ZACHOR TETZAVEH
Mincha/Maariv 5:40pm
Mincha/Maariv 6:50pm
22 ADAR
10 ADAR
Shacharit 7:00am
Mincha/Maariv 5:40pm
Mincha/Maariv 5:40pm
6
SHABBAT
3 NISAN
Shabbat ends 7:59 pm
Chai House Visits Shabbat Service 9:00 am Niggun Halev 9:00 am Shabbat SPACE 9:30 am Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 am Youth Services 10:45 am Kiddush 12:00 pm Daf Shevui 12:30 pm Teen Shul-In 8:00 pm Mincha/Maariv 7:00 pm
Daf Shevui 12:30 pm every Shabbat Beth El offers Hebrew Ulpan classes every Wednesday. Beginner: 6:30 pm; Intermediate 7:30 pm; Advanced 8:30 pm. Try a class!
PASSOVER SEDER Beth El Synagogue Center and Seivah: Life Beyond Memory, are pleased to offer a nourishing and rich, dementia-friendly Passover experience.
MEMORY MINYAN PASSOVER SEDER
Join us with friends, family and caregivers
Counting the Omer Begins The evening of Thursday, April 9th
at Beth El Synagogue Center for this special Memory Seder, which will
be a special opportunity to celebrate Beth El Synagogue Center and Seivah: Passover with an emphasis on connection Life Beyond Memory, are pleased to offer & community for those with dementia and a nourishing and rich, dementia-friendly their loved ones. Passover experience.
“You shall count off seven weeks, beginning to count when the sickle is first put to the standing grain.” Deuteronomy 16:9 The counting of the Omer, the period in between Passover and Shavuot has had various meanings throughout the millennia. One that is particularly resonant for our lives today is the idea of spiritual preparation. Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt is followed by Shavuot, the day the Israelites received the gift of Torah, fifty days later. When we carve out time to count these days one by one, we elicit the same anticipation the Israelites felt as they made their way from Egypt to Mt. Sinai. For a daily reminder email for the Omer, please subscribe at www.bethelnr.org/form/omer. If you signed up last year you are on our list already.
Food will be served, including matzah, Join us with friends, family and caregivers charoset, better herbs, greens, eggs, salads, for this special Memory Seder, which will and wine, grape juice and soft drinks. be a special opportunity to celebrate Passover with an emphasis on connection & community for those with dementia and their loved ones. Food will be served, including matzah, charoset, better herbs, greens, eggs, salads, and wine, grape juice and soft drinks. RSVPs are required: bethelnr.org/MemorySeder Contact Rabbi Michael Goldman: 914.419.7219
PASSOVER IMPORTANT DATES Wednesday, April 8th Siyyum Bechorim 6:30 am Finish Eating Chametz before 10:45 am Sell and Burn Chametz before 11:51 am
Mincha/ Maariv 6:30 pm Candlelighting 7:10 pm Nightfall/First Seder begins 7:57
pm
Sale of Hametz The ritual sale of hametz must be completed by 7:00 pm on Tuesday, April 7th. Many prefer to perform this ritual in person. Rabbi David Schuck or Cantor Uri Aqua will be available for this purpose before and after the Minyan for at least one week prior to Passover. Cantor Aqua will have additional hours during the week before Passover. Please call or email for an appointment. Those who cannot tend to this matter in person may complete the form and return it to the main office.
FORM FOR SALE OF HAMETZ I, __________________________________________, do hereby authorize Rabbi David A. Schuck of New Rochelle, New York, to act as my agent to sell the hametz that may be in my possession, whether it may be at home, place of business, or elsewhere, in accord with the requirements and provisions of Jewish law. NAME _____________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________________________________________________ PHONE __________________________________
E-MAIL ______________________________________
I enclose a contribution for Maot Hittim (Passover tzedakah) to help others, less fortunate, celebrate the holiday. Make your check payable to Beth El Synagogue Center, and write Maot Hittim on the memo line. 18
NEWSMAKERS
MARCH YAHRZEIT OBSERVANCES
Mazal tov to: Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner on the birth of their grandson Rafi Max, and to parents Ari Sirner and Rachel Hollander; Morton (z�l) and Elissa Baum on the marriage of their granddaughter Kyra Baum, daughter of Drs. Seth and Lauren Baum, to Matthew Luciani; Barbara and David Horowitz on the birth of a grandson, and to parents Andrea Weiner and Josh Horowitz; Debbie and Steven Young on the birth of a grandson, and to parents Rabbi Jason Fenster and Gavi Young, and also to big brother Benjamin; Avi Einzig and Jacqueline Stern-Einzig on the birth of a grandson, and to parents Shanah and Amotz Segal, and to big brother Hayden; Lois Kohn-Claar for being honored by The Jewish Education Project for her exemplary commitment and vision to empower the youth of today and tomorrow.
A Warm Beth El Mazal Tov to One and All!!
Kiddush The Kiddush of March 21st will be sponsored by Beth El Synagogue Center in honor of the Gala honorees—Sandra and Jack Gruenberg, Jayne and Darren Peister, and Julia Keltz and Zach Seiden.
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: Rhona Aronstein on the loss of her mother, Syd Renov; Rita Krasik on the loss of her mother, Anne Getlan; Matthew Matcovsky on the loss of his mother, Michelle Matcovsky.
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.
March Yahrzeits, continued from right Nathan Theeman Sidney Druskin Eva Goldfarb Gertrude Teichman Benjamin Kalen Frances Klein Julia Lefkowitz Morris Rosenblatt Julius Shulman Saleh Masri Dr. Arthur D. Sobey Morris Ferstenberg Moshe Ferstenberg Tessie Katz
23 24 24 24 25 25 25 25 25 26 26 27 27 27
Dorothy Klingsberg Burton L. Merdinger Irving S. Rapaport Beckie Krumholtz Evalin Lesser Ida Liebman Samuel Singer Joseph Tecklin Abraham Wissoker Sonia Nova Jacob S. Stillman Theresa V. Joseph Herman Karpel
27 27 27 28 28 29 29 29 29 30 30 31 31
The yahrzeit of the following deceased persons permanently inscribed on our Memorial Walls are observed on these dates: Annie Golub 1 Bess Jacobs 1 Betty M. Press 1 Libbie Tecklin 1 Bessie Dreizen 2 Estelle F. Harrison 2 Solomon Kolins 2 Benjamin Morris 2 Faye Koslow 3 Lola Resnick 3 Rabbi Isaac Shanok 3 Herbert Taub 3 Selma Berry 4 Benjamin Fishman 4 Max Fried 4 Mitchell David Katz 4 Dorothy Messite 4 Annette Chabrow 5 Frieda Haimoff 5 Edgar Moses 5 Icek Alexander 6 Sadie Einhorn 6 Albert C. Gross 6 Elliot Kahn 6 Henry Katowitz 6 Esther Thier 6 Jo Ann Berrol 7 Inge Fischler 7 Mae S. Lieberman 7 Harry Rosenblum 7 Esther Shanok 7 Dorothy Sobel 7 Judith Sunshine 7 Henry Walke 7 Stanley Galler 8 Minnie Herrman 8 Leah Hirschtritt 8 Herman B. Liebman 8 Martin Zuckerman 8 Moshe Eliyahu Ben Yehuda 9 Arlene Chabin 9 Sol Gerstein 9 Irving Sobel 10 Rose Wolfson 10 Dr. Henry Agnuss 11 Sarah Patchen 11 Gussie Raber 11 Max Wiener 11 Max Wygod 11 Beatrice L. Braunstein 12 Philip Kasakove 12 Ross Gottlieb 13 Mae Lowenbraun 13 Jennie Somerstein 13 19
Martin W. Teichman 13 Barry Berger 14 Mollie Diesenhof 14 Marc Fried 14 Edward Goodman 14 Abraham Burstein 15 David Fusfeld 15 Bessie Glick 15 Henry B. Glick 15 Rabbi David I. Golovensky 15 Miriam Katowitz 15 Gail Goldstein Kenvin 15 Stanley Root 15 Joseph G. Teichman 15 Benjamin Greenstein 16 Charles Kurzon 16 Reuben Miller 16 Philipp G. Nussbaum 16 Miriam Rimsky 16 William L. Strauss II 16 Rose Wagner 16 Charles Epstein 17 Dora Gerber 17 Charles Librett 17 Harry Lowenbraun 17 Sam Stieglitz 17 Isaac Werbelosky 17 Fritzi Abrams 18 Joel Halpern 18 Rose Kramer 18 Solomon Wofsy 18 Nathan Florowitz 19 Jules Guggenheim 19 Joseph Hoffer 19 Walter Klee 19 Beverly Robinson Mansfield 19 Dr. Matthew Statsinger 19 Gilbert Kahn 20 Helen Scheer 20 Philip Weintraub 20 Vivian R. Fink 21 Anna B. Levene 21 Norma Schneiderman 21 Celia Newman Sushner 21 Jerome Louis Ginsberg 22 Eugene Kellner 22 Samuel V. Price 22 Isidore Rubenfeld 22 Bunny Schaffer 22 Harry Halpern 23 Sarah Kaufman 23 Nathan Landin 23 Esther Liebe 23 Gertrude Ratner 23
GENERAL FUND
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF: Donations were made by Scott and Jessica Harry Taubenfeld, beloved father of Anne Grossman and Barry and Sarah Josephs. Weisbrod, from Harvey and Marianne Gold, and A donation was made with thanks for the Steven and Shirin Stein. misheberach for Lisa, from Perry and Lisa Jacobs. Samuel Tieger, from Sylvia Kahn.
Leslie and Stephen Jaffe in memory of Marvin Schuck, beloved father of Rabbi David Schuck; Jeffrey and Dina Stahl in memory of Marvin Schuck, beloved father of Rabbi David Schuck; Rabbi David Schuck in honor of Aaron and Sheryl Fleishaker; Caryl Fuchs in honor of the birth of a grandson to Cantor Uri and Judy Aqua; Doreen and Douglas Simon in honor of Rabbi Zach Sitkin for his incredible compassion and words at the graveside of Doreen’s mother; Norbert and Claudia Wolloch in honor of Helene Wolloch’s 94th birthday; Jeffrey and Dina Stahl in memory of Harry Taubenfeld; Nora KlionWolloch in honor of the birth of a grandson to Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner; Sylvia Rogers in honor of her parents’ yahrzeits and with thanks to Beth El for the warm and welcoming minyan; Jay and Barbara Lerman in honor of the birth of a grandson to Cantor Uri and Judy Aqua; Jay and Barbara Lerman in honor of the birth of Noam to Rabbi Zach Sitkin and Lisa Mendler-Sitkin; Elizabeth and Lester Stiel in memory of their parents, Miriam and Abraham Belsky; Shayna Klopott and Mike Frankel in honor of the birth of Noam to Rabbi Zach Sitkin and Lisa MendlerSitkin; Rhona Renov-Aronstein in honor of Rabbi Zach Sitkin for his kindness and words at the funeral of her beloved mother, Syd Renov; Janet and Isaiah Seligman in honor of Jacob Tolle’s bar mitzvah and his kind support of the shiva minyan for Janet’s beloved brother; Randi and Richard Klee in memory of Anne Getlan, beloved mother of Rita Krasik; Merill and Ellen Resnick for the recovery of Eric Roth; Shelley Klein in memory of her beloved mother, Esther Taub; Ellen Wirchin in honor of Julia Keltz and Zach Seiden receiving the Lapid Award.
IN HONOR OF:
Seymour Gavens, from Tara Slone-Goldstein. Sandy and Jack Gruenberg for their dedication to Anne Getlan, beloved mother of Rita Krasik, from Beth El, from Steven and Jill Katz. Dina and David Brot. Larry Epstein, from Jeffrey and Lynn Lowin.
YIZKOR/ YAHRZEIT DONATIONS
Barbara and David Horowitz on the birth of their Cindy Aaronson and Stan Arkow, Marian grandson, from Shayna Klopott and Mike Frankel. Berkowitz, Howard Berman, Bilik Family, Rita Jack Wolk and his family on his bar mitzvah, from Cohen, Joyce and Martin Cornick, Leah and Noel Dina and David Brot. Edelson, Nathan Eisler, Deborah and Edward Nina Luban on being a recipient of a Julian Y. Frankel, Eugenie Gingold, Linda and William Grabel, Peter Gross, Sheila Grossman, Richard Bernstein Award, from the Olstein Family. Hellman, Cynthia Hershkowitz, Von Herz, Janet Jakoby, Barbara Kotler, Carol Lapides, Susan THE ANDREW SHAPIRO and Michael Lurie, Dianne Newman, Deborah MEMORIAL FUND Olstein, Richard Robbins, Rise Ryger and Peter Wasserman, Howard Schwartz, Lloyd Sherman, IN HONOR OF: Eitan Gotian on receiving the Andrew Shapiro Marsha and Warren Sherman, Gitta Silberstein, Barbara Simon, Marjorie Sunshine, Andrew Award on Youth Shabbat, from Judy Shapiro. Tanner, Norma Wasserman, Michael Wechsler. Jack and Sandy Gruenberg, Gala honorees, from Judy Shapiro. YAHRZEIT DONATION IN MEMORY OF: IN MEMORY OF: My dear mother, Beatrice Prince, on her twenty- Sol Walfish, beloved father of Mark Walfish, from Mark and Eleanor Walfish. second yahrzeit, from Judy Shapiro.
ZARO SENIOR PROGRAMMING FUND
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND
IN HONOR OF:
Barbara and David Horowitz on the birth of their grandchildren, from Margo Lampert.
S.M.A.R.T. (Senior Mature Adults Retired Together) Programs, from Eve Engelstein.
THE ELEANOR G. BAUMWALD PRAYERBOOK FUND IN MEMORY OF: Eva Teitelbaum, from Jack R. Schwartz
SPECIAL NEEDS FUND IN MEMORY OF:
IN HONOR OF:
SISTERHOOD MITZVAH FUND IN HONOR OF: Donald Fleishaker on the births of his two greatgrandchildren, from Joyce and Michael Wechsler.
BETH EL MENS CLUB
IN MEMORY OF: Brenda and Ivan Corwin on the birth of their Mitchell Kaphan, beloved husband and father, on daughter Ava, from Blanche Fried. his first yahrzeit, from Robin, Kimberly and Mark, Rabbi Melvin and Lenore Sirner on the birth of Frances and Adam, and Alison and Tim. their grandson Rafi Max, from Sheila Cohen.
SYLVIA AND ROBERT SCHER Ari Sirner and Rachel Hollander on the birth of Bertha Mandel, my beloved mother, on her their son Rafi Max, from Sheila Cohen. CHESED COMMUNITY FUND yahrzeit, from Dalia Fenster. IN MEMORY OF: IN HONOR OF: Syd Renov, beloved mother of Rhona Aronstein, Herb Pearlman, beloved father of Randy Pearlman, Sheryl and Aaron Fleishaker on the birth of their from Abbe Fleishaker. from Nora Klion-Wolloch. grandsons, and Donald Fleishaker on the birth Gloria Weiss, beloved mother of Doreen Simon, of his great-grandsons, from Ellen and Moshe TO MAKE A DONATION Gelboim. from Nora Klion-Wolloch. Contact ZOE RAYNES at zraynes@ bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 228. Min. $18. Mail your payment to Beth El Synagogue Center, attn: Zoe, 1324 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10804.
TO D O N AT E TO S I S T E R H O O D ’ S MITZVAH FUND, contact Marcia Pryluck at marciapryluck@gmail.com, or mail your donation(s) to 1255 North Avenue, B2O, New Rochelle, NY 10804. Donation minimum is $10. Make checks payable to Beth El Sisterhood. 20
Rabbi Zach Sitkin and Lisa Mendler on the birth of their son, from Ellen and Moshe Gelboim. Cantor Uri and Judy Aqua on the birth of their granddaughter, from Ellen and Moshe Gelboim. Ellen Gelboim being honored by Westchester Jewish Community Services, by Geralynn and David Reifer.
Beth El Celebrates March Birthdays Beth El would like to extend a “Happy Birthday!” to its members with a birthday in the month of March. If you have a March birthday, we hope that you will join Lauren Afran Noel Edelson Monica Afran Erica Epstein Stan Arkow Jordan Esrig Jesse Bartell Michael Felberg Stephen Bartell Richard Feuerstein Hannah Bases Russell Geller Paul Bernstein Bruce Gold Andrew Bosworth David Gordon Joan Brown Lita Gottesman Enrique Casanova Florence Graff Jill Charrabe Rebecca Griffith Sherri Cohen Daniel Groner Yehuda Cohen Peter Gross Janis Demartini Ellen Gross Sari Dweck Beth Halperin
us for a Kiddush lunch on Shabbat, March 14th. If you have a March 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 we Dani Heifetz Gilbert Levine Mark Hirsh Lance Levine Barbara Horowitz Shireen Lewis Robert Jacobson Michael Malina Alan Kellman Serge Malka Shlomo Kessel Etel Malka Nora Klion-Wolloch Lisa Mandelker Jennifer Klonsky Leonard Mark Joshua Kurlander Miriam Morris Rubin Kuszel George Newfield Ian Leaderman Dianne Newman Seth Leibowitz Jason Newman Jay Lerman Lillian Newman Elliot Lesser Selma Parker Susan Lesser David Pfeffer
BIKKUR BIKKURCHOLIM CHOLIMSESSIONS SESSIONS
2019-2020 2020 DATESDATES 2019-2020 DATES
All sessions 7:000-8:00 p.m. Allthe sessions willwill occur from 7:00–8:00 p.m. in Conference Room. All sessions occur from 7:00–8:00 p.m.
in the Conference Room, with thethe exception of of in the Conference Room, with exception
Please contact Sitkin at zsitkin@bethelnr.org if thethe October 16Rabbi session, which willwill be be from October 16 session, which from you are interested in participating in this important work. 6:30–7:30 p.m. in the Sukkah. 6:30–7:30 p.m. in the Sukkah.
JOIN USUS ONON JOIN SEPTEMBER 18, NOVEMBER 20, 20, JANUARY 15, &15,MARCH 18 18 SEPTEMBER JANUARY & MARCH MARCH 1818, NOVEMBER Bikkur Cholim Session (Learning) Bikkur Cholim Session (Learning) We will Jewish textstexts to enrich our understanding of illness, We study will study Jewish to enrich our understanding of illness, aging, and and death. aging, death.
OCTOBER 16, DECEMBER 18, FEBRUARY 19, MAY 20 20 OCTOBER 16, DECEMBER 18, FEBRUARY 19, MAY MAY 20 Bikkur Cholim Session (Processing) Bikkur Cholim Session (Processing) We will open-group processing for anyone whowho regularly interacts We have will have open-group processing for anyone regularly interacts withwith friends or family members living withwith illness, is homebound, or are friends or family members living illness, is homebound, or are struggling to navigate old age and and would like to on how to bring struggling to navigate old age would likereflect to reflect on how to bring more intention and and awareness to those interactions. more intention awareness to those interactions.
APRIL - NONE APRIL - NONE
Please contact Rabbi Sitkin at at Please contact Rabbi Sitkin zsitkin@bethelnr.org if you are are interested in in zsitkin@bethelnr.org if you interested participating in this important work. participating in this important work.
DONATION POLICY
We will mail out acknowledgement letters for donations of $36 or greater made to our various funds. ALL donations of any value will continue to be posted in the monthly Bulletin. To donate, visit www.bethelnr.org/ donation. 21
can update our records. 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.) Greg Portnoy Marianne Sussman Ilene Poses Harriet Suvall Margery Reisfeld Andrew Tannen Jonathan Rieber Barnett Troodler Evelyn Rothenberg Mitchell Troyetsky Jamie Rothenberg Charlotte Watt Samuel Schiller Zwi Weinberg Melanie Selber Leni Wiener Joel Siegel Jennifer Wirt Ira Solomon Arthur Wolk Deborah Solymar Ivor Wolk Jeffrey Stahl Sophia Wolk Rachelle Stern Allan Wolkoff Steven Stern Steven Young Pearl Sullivan Lester Zimmerman
RABBI’S ARTICLE, continued from page 4
has remedied this through finding ways to reinterpret these gender limitations within the halachic system. The halachic responsa that brought women from the margins of Jewish communal religious life and into the center are among the greatest contributions of the Conservative Movement to the development of Judaism. Beth El has applied many of these egalitarian responsa to our shared communal experience, and this should be celebrated. And, we still have a great deal of work to do. I want to create a communal space in which women feel wholly integrated into our communal religious ritual practices. But simply adjusting policy will not commence further culture change. I would like to see the religious and spiritual needs of women better integrated into our communal life. We need more women in leadership roles, from the clergy team to lay davenners. As we better align some of the halachic practices of our community with egalitarianism, we must also design processes in which we support women to feel more comfortable taking aliyot, leading services in our daily minyan, and taking on mitzvot that have felt foreign to them. To do this successfully, we need women’s voices to help craft these processes, and I am committed to methodically working on this cultural change. Below is an explanation of the policy changes that I referenced above, all of which have been endorsed and supported by our Ritual Committee. Daughters of Kohanim Traditionally, only Kohanim and Leviim are called up for the first and second aliyot during the Torah reading. The status of Kohen or Levi is determined by the tribal lineage of one’s father. Since women were not traditionally permitted to have aliyot, the question of whether a Bat Kohen (daughter of a Kohen) may have the first aliyah was not explored among poskim (decisors of Jewish Law) of the Orthodox world. One of the responsum of the Conservative Movement posits that just as a woman whose father was a Kohen had enough lineal sanctity to enjoy specific ritual privileges unavailable to non-Kohanim (during Temple times), she is permitted today to be given the honor of the Kohen aliyah. Starting on Passover, April 9th, the following will be our communal policy regarding B’not Kohen: • A man or a woman whose father is a Kohen or Levi will be given the first or second aliyah. Just as a male Kohen or Levi may only receive the first or second aliyah, a Bat Kohen or Bat Levi may only have the first or second aliyah (or hosafot, the additional aliyot
added to the required seven on Shabbat). • If a woman whose father is a Kohen chooses to get married, her lineage as a Bat Kohen is not impacted by her spouse’s lineage. If you are interested in a detailed study of this halachic issue and the legal sources and precedents that led me to make this change, please join me in study on March 22nd or 28th (see below for dates). If you are a woman whose father is a Kohen or Levi, please send an email to my assistant Zoe Raynes, zraynes@bethelnr.org, so that we can include you as we honor the Kohanim and Leviim of our synagogue with the first and second aliyot. Remember, moving forward, just like men, if a woman’s father is a Kohen or Levi she may only have the first or second aliyah. Adding the Matriarchs in the Amidah The Ritual Committee and I spent the good part of a year studying the question of whether it is permissible to add the matriarchs to the amidah. It is surely permissible to add to our liturgy, even our set liturgy, so long as the additions fit specific requirements. The addition must be in keeping with the existing theme of the blessing, ideally expanding that theme and not disrupting it, and the addition must maintain the structure of the liturgy. In my opinion, it is clear that adding the imahot to the amidah fits within these parameters and is thus a halachically permissible liturgical addition. Of course, our siddur has two versions of the amidah, one with the matriarchs and one without. This allows for people to choose whichever version they prefer during the silent Amidah and does not change with a new religious policy. As far as the repetition of the amidah, our core value of halachic pluralism guides us to set a policy that allows for multiple ways of reciting this prayer. The leader of the service will determine whether to add the matriarchs, and if so, how. The following are halachically acceptable ways to lead the repetition of the amidah (whether in our daily minyan or Shabbat and holidays services): 1. One may lead the repetition without adding the matriarchs. 2. One may lead the repetition and include the matriarchs in the first part of the amidah with the words (the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Sarah, the God of Rebecca, the God of Rachel, the God of Leah) and finish the hatimah (blessing) with the words:
(Praised are You, Hashem, Shield of Avraham.) This method does not include the matriarchs in the hatimah of the blessing but does in the earlier section of the amidah. continued from page 12 3. One may lead the repetition and include the matriarchs in earned him wide respect. Returning to the pulpit three years ago, the first part of the amidah with the words: he now officiates in Patchogue. Long Island, writes weekly columns of rabbinical scholarship, and continues to analyze the complexities (the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of film and contemporary Jewish culture. of Sarah, the God of Rebecca, the God of Rachel, the God of Leah) Elaine Katz, founding chairwoman of our film festival, will and finish the hatimah (blessing) with the matriarchs as well, saying preside at our second and third sessions. Although she hopes to impart revealing insights into our films, despite having been jarringly (Praised are You, Hashem, Shield of Avraham Guardian of Sarah.) This awakened many times by reveille, she has never been in the Army, method does include the matriarchs in the hatimah of the blessing. Navy, or Marines. (Not even the Coast Guard.) The Beth El clergy team will use the matriarchs when leading This year’s theme could not be more timely as we honor the services by using the liturgy of #2 or #3 above. If you are interested heroes of World War II on the 75th anniversary of Allied victory. Be in studying the halachic issues with regard to this change please join sure to enlist early to avoid being drafted. Contact the front office me on March 10th or April 5th for a shiur (see schedule below). at 914-235-2700, ext. 223/226 or sign up online at www.bethelnr. To finish reading this letter and for more on the dates for further study, please go to www.bethelnr.org/ritual-news. org/filmfestival. Join us as we come in on a wing and a prayer!
SPRING FILM SERIES,
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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 Licensed Real Estate Sales Person
Helping the Beth El community with their home buying and selling needs for over 10 years.
914.420.8556 s.rosenstein@yahoo.com
Wishing that your home is filled with blessings, light, happiness and joy.
מאחלת לכם שביתכם יהיה מלא , באור,בברכה ! ובשמחה,באושר
JOCELYN BURTON Real Estate Salesperson
M 917.693.3557 JBurton@houlihanlawrence.com Proud Beth El member
Ranked in the Top 1% of All Agents in Westchester MLS 1 Agent in the 1 Brokerage in New Rochelle #
#
N E W RO C H E L L E B RO K E R AG E | 1 5 Q UA K E R R I D G E ROA D Source: HGMLS, 2019, total dollar volume of single family homes sold by Houlihan Lawrence agent, New Rochelle school district; 2019, total dollar volume of single family homes sold by company, New Rochelle school district. Top 1%: According to the HGAR, there are approximately 6500 members located in Westchester County on an annual basis. Jocelyn ranks #53 and in the Top 1% in Westchester County by all properties sold, total dollar volume, 2019.