Kol Hadash 2.0: Fall 2018 by B'nai Jeshurun

‫ קולחדש‬KOL HADASH 2.0

FALL 2018

Family Life and Learning Find Out What’s in Store in the New Year

BJ theater company, a teen lounge, and more. Family Life and Learning Director Mike Witman and team have been busy planning exciting new programs and projects they’ll unveil this fall. “The new initiatives come after a year of restructuring the Department of Family Life and Learning,” says Mike. “We recognize the need to provide new offerings for young families, to create accessible learning opportunities through new modalities, and to support our educators in order to provide the best programming possible.” continued on page 4

CONTENTS

Remembering Rabbi Rachel Cowan z”l

he community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our member Rabbi Rachel Cowan. We extend our sincere condolences to her children, Lisa Cowan and Jonathan Spear, and Matt Cowan and Diane Alvarez; her grandchildren, Jacob Cowan, Tessa Spear, Dante Cowan, and Miles Cowan; and her entire family and all her loved ones.

FLAL New Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 4, 5 Shabbat Practice at BJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1, 2 Rabbi Rachel Cowan z”l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Journey of Teshuvah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Click here to watch the livestream of the public memorial service that took place on September 4 in the BJ Sanctuary.

Mindfulness Practice at BJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Meet Amanda Greenawalt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Introducing Aviv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Simhat Torah Honorees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Meet Our New Rabbinic Fellows. . . . . . . . . . 8

COURTESY OF RACHEL COWAN

Read BJ member Sandee Brawarsky’s piece in the The New York Jewish Week, where she remembers Rachel as “a powerhouse of Jewish activism” who sought out goodness and “lived her word.”

Register for Kadima@BJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Free Our Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 12 Bridging the Gap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Signing for Social Justice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 BJ Mindfulness Retreat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Construction Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 BJ Board of Trustees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Riverside Language Program. . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Join Us at the Morning Minyan. . . . . . . . . . . 14 Refugee Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Save the Date: Centennial Gala. . . . . . . . . . 16

Broadening and Deepening Shabbat Practice at BJ

here has been great excitement around BJ as we prepare to begin a new year by reinvesting in a broad and expansive Shabbat experience at BJ and in the homes of our members.

Shabbat

Make it real. Make it deep. Make it yours.

We will be growing our already robust offering of regular Shabbat programming with a monthly Shabbat morning learner’s service, led by continued on page 2

‫ קולחדש‬KOL HADASH 2.0

FALL 2018

Broadening and Deepening Shabbat Practice at BJ continued from page 1 Abi Weber, one of our newest Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellows. This will be the perfect opportunity for newcomers and regulars alike, looking for a deeper understanding of the meaning of the prayers, liturgical arc of the service, and a more intimate prayer experience and discussion. Beginning in November, we will also be introducing Yedid Nefesh, a new pre-Kabbalat Shabbat gathering with Hazzan Ari Priven on the first Friday of each month. At Yedid Nefesh, we’ll have the opportunity to go deeper into the melodies that are heard throughout Shabbat at BJ. Guided by Ari, we will discover exciting new melodies, let the old favorites into our hearts, and prepare for Shabbat in a truly beautiful way. We also know that in our lives outside the synagogue walls, Shabbat looks like different thing to different people: a casual potluck dinner over board

games; a fancy meal served on china; an afternoon in the park; an intimate evening of singing with friends. No matter how you want to celebrate, we want to help you make it meaningful and special. One of the ways we’ll be doing this is by taking a community organizing approach to Shabbat gatherings with Shabbat Havurot. Shabbat Havurot are cohorts of BJ members who will meet periodically throughout the year to build relationships and celebrate Shabbat together. Whether it’s a gathering with wine lovers, afternoons of board games and snacks, lively sessions for studying Jewish texts, or families that go the park together on Shabbat afternoons while their kids let off steam in the playground, we’re so excited for all that’s possible with Shabbat Havurot. Taking this even further, the coming months will see opportunities for a deeper Shabbat meal practice throughout many areas of communal life at BJ. We’ll be hosting Community Shabbat Dinners every month right

Returning Home: The Journey of Teshuvah

uring the weeks from Rosh Hodesh Elul through Yom Kippur, our community wrestled with deeper understandings of teshuvah, as reflected through various rabbinic, Hassidic and contemporary texts. How do we recognize the spark of holiness, or point of goodness in ourselves and others, and return home to our purest essence? With a different text highlighted each week, we saw

daily responses and reflections from BJ community members. Through their voices, experiences, insights into teshuvah, and explorations of the many types of ideas, beliefs, and personal relationships with God, we hope that you too might feel a spark of inspiration in the spiritual preparation for the Yamim Nora’im. Click here to see the texts, responses, and reflections.

here at BJ—some will feature speakers and programs, but others will simply be opportunities to have Shabbat dinner together. You will also see opportunities to sign up for Pay It Forward-style Shabbat dinners geared towards specific groups within the community. Sign up for a dinner in a BJ member’s home—geared specifically for empty nesters, 20s and 30s, alumni of the BJ Israel trip, and more—with others who commit to hosting a meal themselves in the coming weeks and months. Not sure to host a Shabbat meal yourself? No problem. We’ll be rolling out a series of workshops to teach, explore and deepen a variety of Shabbat rituals for the home—from challah baking and kiddush to zemirot and Birkat Hamazon. Supplemented with online guides, recordings and resources, we are thrilled to support and empower each of our members in making the beauty of Shabbat real and in their lives at BJ and in their homes. Find out how to get involved. Email Kristen at kkersey@bj.org.

Continued Deepening of Mindfulness Practice at BJ

s the impact of the Center for Prayer and Spirituality at BJ continues to grow, so does our community’s commitment to a deep meditation and mindfulness practice. For the first time, this year’s Yamim Nora’im at BJ feature a track for Mindfulness services on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, building off the success, beauty and power of our monthly Mindfulness Kabbalat Shabbat services. Using BJ’s own newly-edited mahzorim (High Holy Day prayer

Center for Prayer and Spirituality

Meditation... offers a small space of time to return to who we really are; to connect to a source much larger than ourselves...

mindfulness practice in New York City and beyond. “I have known Yael for a number of years,” noted Cantor David Mintz, Director of the Center for Prayer and Spirituality at BJ. “She’s incredibly gifted and I’m thrilled for her to be joining us and helping to bring our communal meditation practice to the next level.” Yael began meditating in Jewish contexts in 2001 with teachers such as Rabbi Alan Lew (z”l), Rabbi Jeff Roth, Rabbi David Cooper, and Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg. In 2008, Yael cofounded the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn, and in 2009, founded MindfulNYU. In 2010, Yael was named one of the “36 Under 36 ChangeMakers Transforming the Jewish World” by the Jewish Week, and in 2011, completed the Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Her book, What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond won the Mind Body Spirit Award for Best Meditation Book of 2017, as well as the 2017 Nautilus Silver Award for Personal Growth.

books), these services will offer new types of High Holy Days experiences for BJ members. Filled with the stillness of meditation and the exuberance of spirited communal singing, these services feature truncated liturgy, enabling us to dwell longer in moments “My approach to meditation is grounded in what is real for each of us,” Yael of prayer and allow their themes to reflects. “We don’t have to sit in truly enter our souls. contorted positions, or be perfectly blissful all the time. Our task is to This coming year also begins our simply show up, bringing our whole second season of maintaining a weekly selves and find the stillness, space and meditation practice at BJ. In doing spiritual connection.” so, we will be joined by Yael Shy, BJ’s new facilitator and teacher of Monday Meditation Minyan. Yael currently serves as the Senior Director of NYU Global Spiritual Life and is becoming one of the leading figures in Jewish

“So many of us are feeling the stress, strain and even depression of the news cycle and state of our world. In that context,” she says, “meditation 3

Yael Shy

practice can make such a powerful difference. It offers a small space of time to return to who we really are; to connect to a source much larger than ourselves, and to pick up some wisdom to help us as we go our journey. It takes some work and commitment, but once we are there, practicing can truly sustain us as we re-enter our busy lives and work towards building a more just world.” Coming to BJ is also a bit of a homecoming for Yael. “I was actually a BJ member when I was a college student, living in Manhattan,” she notes. “BJ was very much my source of refuge during that tumultuous time. I am so excited to embark on this new journey with the wonderful people of BJ, practicing with those who make up that community and all others who want to join!” The coming year’s season of Monday Meditation Minyan will begin on October 15 in the BJ Chapel.

‫ קולחדש‬KOL HADASH 2.0

FALL 2018

Family Life and Learning continued from page 1 The BJ Theater Company Jewish educator, theater director, and producer Emma Miller, a Kadima teacher, will head up our new kids’ theater company, an excellent opportunity for youth to build confidence, connect with their Jewish identity and express themselves artistically. Emma is co-artistic director and resident director of The Hearth, a feminist theater company. Its most recent production, Athena, was a New York Times Critics Pick.

Jewish Camp Experience: Chaya Stern Judaism is a big part of my life. My family is actively a part of BJ. During the year when I’m fully immersed in Judaism and summer comes around, I want to continue my Jewish journey. That’s when I found Eden Village camp. It’s now my fourth year at EVC and it’s my second Jewish home away from BJ. Eden Village teaches me values like, to have an open heart, be kind to everyone, no lashon hara, and so many other important values I can bring home to teach my family and friends. If everyone learns these important values and everyone teaches them to their family and friends, we will be on our way to a better world. Jewish camp also teaches me how to be a good Jew! From waking up in the morning to go to Modeh Ani (something we do for ourselves or for others to start the day great, such as meditation, yoga, Shaharit services, or helping harvest on the farm for the kitchen.) On Fridays for Shabbat, the whole camp wears white and we have a Shabbat parade where we sing and dance, then go to the woods where we have a service set up and we pray. My favorite part about Shabbat is Oneg, which is a bunch of singing after Shabbat dinner. We all sing with our hearts open. It’s a pretty magical time. Eden Village allows me to have the best summer ever and bring my camp traditions home to BJ, friends, and family to share.

This year’s pilot program will include a Kadima@ BJ Elective, during which students will audition for, rehearse, and put on a workshop production of The Diary of Anne Frank; a full-scale, musical production Purim Shpiel; and Seder plays—10-minute plays on Passover themes students will write and act in.

The program will include “cast parties” to build a sense of community, and postperformance talk-backs, where students actors will answer audience questions.

Additional programming may include Midnight Madness—a 24-hour playmaking festival—and a Hanukkah Musical Revue performed by kindergarten, first, and second graders. The program will include “cast parties” to build a sense of community, and post-performance talk-backs, where students actors will answer audience questions. Interested? Adults will also be able to help out! Contact Emma Miller at theaterco@bj.org for more information. continued on page 5

Chaya Stern is in 8th grade, and is the daughter of BJ member Samara Stern.

BJ children attending Crane Lake camp meet with Rabbi Felicia Sol and Michael Witman, sporting their new BJ shades. 4

Family Life and Learning continued from page 4 Professional Development Institute

Plans are underway to set up a teen lounge in memory of members Katie Sanders and Lawrence Gardner

BJ has helped organize a one-day learning retreat for congregational educators from synagogues across the city. It’s the first time that Manhattan congregations have linked up to collaborate on professional development.

ceremony for the space will be held later this year.

Anyone interested in making a donation to go towards creating the space, and supporting BJ teen programming, can do so on the BJ website at www.bj.org/support. Choose “Special Purpose Funds,” then “the Katie Sanders and Lawrence Gardner Memorial Fund.”

Sixty educators from five congregations will come together on September 16 at Camp Ramah in Nyack to learn more about child development from experts including Hebrew Union College Professor Dr. Betsy Stone, who speaks often on adolescent development.

Kadima@BJ

The Katie Sanders and Lawrence Gardener Teen Lounge

Registration for Kadima@BJ, our elective-based Hebrew School model, for 2018-19 is now open.

Plans are underway to set up a teen lounge in memory of members Katie Sanders and Lawrence Gardner, who passed away earlier this year. They were actively involved in Kadima@BJ, which their daughter Evie participated in.

We offer programs for youth from kindergarten to ninth grade, and place an emphasis on music, spirituality, and tefillah (prayer). Programming makes Judaism relevant, creates socially aware and empowered individuals, and fosters a deep sense of Jewish identity. We offer flexible scheduling and a variety of elective options.

The lounge, its walls, and furniture, will be filled with Hebrew writing—Katie had a deep passion for Hebrew—and a quote from Bob Dylan’s song “Forever Young” will be written across one wall. Lawrence loved Dylan. A dedication

Learn more at www.bj.org/kadima.

Kadima@BJ 7th Grade Trip to Washington, DC. 5

‫ קולחדש‬KOL HADASH 2.0

FALL 2018

Meet Amanda Greenawalt

e’re thrilled to welcome to BJ our first ever Director of Advancement, Amanda Greenawalt. Amanda joined BJ this summer, and will be responsible for all aspects of advancement, including membership, development, and marketing and communications. She firmly believes in the phrase “no money, no mission.” Amanda comes to us from Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, where she served as Director of Congregational Engagement for the last seven years. In her time there, she coordinated their annual appeal and the launch of a $15 million capital campaign. From June 2012 to June 2016, Amanda also served as the synagogue’s Director of Youth Engagement. She created and launched two junior youth groups and designed a curriculum incorporating text study, theatrical improvisation, theology, and biblical law. Prior to that, Amanda worked as Marketing Coordinator at Nassau Coliseum, which was then home to the New York Islanders. Earlier in her career, she served as Director of Youth Engagement at Temple Beth El of Huntington. Amanda has a long history of working in synagogues. She started out when she was 13 as a B’nai Mitzvah tutor, then became a Hebrew School teacher. Amanda lives in Glen Cove, on Long She’s excited to make Island, with her husband, Patrick, her 2-year-old son Ari, and their dog, advancement a priority at BJ, she says. “People want to give,” says Olive. Her parents separated when she was a toddler, and Amanda grew Amanda. “You just have to ask.” up moving many times into modest homes on Long Island. “That’s where my love of development comes from,” Amanda says. “I love being able to manifest something for someone who couldn’t have it on their own.” She was born in North Carolina, the daughter of Corpsman in the Navy and has lived in Virginia while her sister served in the Navy, but “I’m a New Yorker 100%,” she says. Amanda is passionate about social action, and with her husband, often volunteers with homeless service projects in the community. She and her husband own their own catering business, Daily Bread and Butter. Her husband is a chef and works in the restaurant industry in food sales. In her spare time, Amanda loves putting together Ikea furniture, enjoying live music, hosting dinner parties and rooting for the Mets. She’s excited to make advancement a priority at BJ, she says. “People want to give,” says Amanda. “You just have to ask.” Amanda will also serve as a mentor for a member of BJ’s Teen Executive Board. 6

Introducing Aviv: A new name for our 20s and 30s group Over a decade ago, this group was lovingly named T’zeirim, meaning young people. As our community has changed in recent years, many of us joined together this summer to brainstorm a new name—one that conveys the potential and passion of the 20s and 30s group at BJ.

Aviv

‫אביב‬

20s and 30s at BJ

In Hebrew, Aviv means spring—the time of renewal, blossoming, and growth. Renewal of the youth, energy, and passion that makes BJ a sacred center for Jews from all streams. Blossoming of new friendships, community, social action projects, and religious identity. Growth of our spiritual life through prayer, music, learning, and ritual. Mark your calendars because this group is blossoming at BJ! Find out about upcoming programs at www.bj.org/aviv.

Honoring this Year’s Hatan Torah and Kallat Bereshit

s we approach Simhat Torah, we eagerly anticipate a celebration with hundreds pouring into our sanctuary to dance the night away, along with the opportunity to read the last and first chapters of the Torah, honoring the cyclical power of our tradition. Each Simhat Torah, BJ selects a Hatan (groom) Torah and Kallat (bride) Bereshit to read these two Torah readings. This year, we are thrilled to honor Freddy Goldstein and Ayala Wasser by naming them the Hatan Torah and Kallat Bereshit. You may have seen Freddy serving as gabbai on Shabbat morning or caught Ayala in her capacity as Associate Director of Family Life and Learning, but they each do so much more to help and shape and sustain communal life at BJ. We are truly thrilled to celebrate them and all that they give to our community. Mazal Tov! Freddy Goldstein—Hatan Torah Freddy Goldstein’s family has been a part of BJ since the early 1900s. His grandfather, Reverend Jacob Schwartz, officiated at the opening ceremony of the Sanctuary at 88th Street back in 1918. Reverend Schwartz was BJ’s cantor from 1914 to 1953, and his wife, Lottie G. Schwartz (Freddy’s grandmother), was sisterhood president from 1914 until she died in the 1970s. His grandfather officiated at the opening ceremony of the Sanctuary at 88th Street back in 1918. Freddy’s late mother, Bobbye S. Goldstein, and her two sisters were all confirmed at BJ. His late father, Gabriel F. Goldstein, served as a professional and religious role model for him. Freddy became a Bar Mitzvah at BJ, and now, his wife, Phyllis Lefton, and their grown children, Jeffrey and Emily—who became Bar and Bat Mitzvah at BJ—are also part of the BJ family. Freddy, himself, has fond memories of attending BJ as a little boy dressed, by his mother, in a suit and tie. From the balcony, Freddy would

watch his grandfather—who rubbed his Ayala Wasser—Kallat Bereshit necktie—on the bimah. In turn, Freddy Ayala Wasser, originally from Tampa, rubbed his own tie. It was their way of Florida, made her way to New York City greeting each other in a packed shul. to attend List College, a joint Program Judaism was ever-present in Freddy’s between Columbia University and The early life. His other grandfather, Rabbi Jewish Theological Seminary. Growing Herbert S. Goldstein, was the founding up, Ayala rabbi of the West Side Institutional attended day Synagogue. Freddy attended the school, was Ramaz School, and then earned his active in her Bachelor’s in Public Accounting and synagogue’s Master’s in Computer Methodology youth group, from Baruch College, where he later participated began teaching courses on computers. in many Israel Freddy, a CPA, is an adjunct lecturer programs, and is known as an “Excel Guru.” He and spent also does consulting. Over the years, her summers at Camp Ramah Darom, he has developed his own affinity for where she discovered her love for BJ and its members. Freddy assumed Jewish Education. It was through her the role of Gabbai in the 80s, during a work at camp that she was inspired to challenging time when membership begin teaching at BJ’s Hebrew School had dwindled, and before the impact (now Kadima@BJ!). After graduating of Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer’s arrival. In with Bachelors Degrees in Midrash and that role, he has forged connections History, Ayala received her Masters between members and prompted many Degree in Jewish Education from the to become more involved. In his spare William Davidson School of Jewish time, Freddy can be found cheering Education at the Jewish Theological for the Mets or adding to his everSeminary, where she focused on growing necktie collection and Coca experiential education and day school Cola memorabilia. He’s fondly known teaching. Since receiving her degree, for matching his colorful, creative ties— Ayala has worked at BJ full time, and he has several hundred now—to the now serves as the Associate Director of parashah. Family Life and Learning. Ayala enjoys traveling, being outdoors, playing basketball, and being with friends and family. 7

‫ קולחדש‬KOL HADASH 2.0

FALL 2018

Meet our New Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellows Abi Weber is a third-year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated from Pomona College in 2011, where she studied the intersection of anthropology and religion. Before starting rabbinical school, Abi worked as an Employment Preparation Trainer for people experiencing homelessness and poverty, and also served as a Rabbinic Intern/ Leadership Fellow at Mishkan Chicago, an emerging Jewish spiritual community. She recently completed a chaplaincy internship at PennMedicine Princeton

Health in Princeton, NJ, where she worked on the Critical Care Unit in addition to leading outpatient recovery groups focused on spirituality. Abi is a long-time devotee of Camp Ramah in the Poconos, where she has spent sixteen summers as a camper and staff member, and is an alum of Avodah and Moishe House. She also has a deep love for dogs and is available for your next Bark Mitzvah. Margo Hughes-Robinson is a thirdyear student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. A New Yorker by birth, she grew up in communities all over the United States before attending Clark University, where she graduated in 2015 with a degree in Theatre and in Jewish Studies. Margo is also a proud

alumna of the Conservative Yeshiva Lishma Fellowship and the Hartman Rabbinic Student Seminar. During her time in rabbinical school, she has enjoyed professional endeavors with T’ruah, Kulanu, Inc., Fort Tryon Jewish Center in New York City, Adat Israel in Guatemala City, and as an Interfaith Educator at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. When she is not learning and teaching, Margo still occasionally appears onstage— most recently in Providence, RI, and in Jerusalem.

Register now for Hebrew School at BJ. Learn more at www.bj.org/kadima. Our elective-based Hebrew School model for 2018-19: • Places an emphasis on music, spirituality, and tefillah (prayer) • Emphasizes student and family cohorts, and the creation of meaningful human connection • Provides individualized prayer-based Hebrew learning • Makes Judaism relevant, connecting our values and traditions to being good human beings • Offers scheduling flexibility and a variety of elective options, ensuring that our students feel ownership of and passion for their Jewish learning and identity formation Grades K-2 meet on Tuesday afternoons Grades 3-6 meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (plus weekend options) Grade 7 meets on Wednesday evenings

Free Our Future By Leah Silver

boarded the plane to San Diego knowing very little about my upcoming trip: I would be protesting with an immigrant-run Latinx organization called Mijente; I would be marching with a Jewish contingent organized by JFREJ, Bend the Arc, and Truah; and I would be walking about two miles. I would be walking alongside my (almost) lifelong rabbi, Felicia, who was also flying across the country to take a public stand against family separation. Growing up in New York City and attending BJ, I’ve walked and I’ve rallied many times—how different could this possibly be?

The timing of this action coincided with the implementation of Operation Streamline in California. Operation Streamline is a zerotolerance approach to bordercrossing. People are prosecuted en masse, up to 70 people at a time, often resulting in mass deportations. This is one more inhumane policy—how can we sit back as our fellow human beings are being treated as less than human?

When I landed in San Diego, I received messages to meet at the Centro As an educator who works Even if it meant Cultural where with young children, and Leah Silver and Rabbi Felicia Sol at the San Diego rally. flying across the people were as the granddaughter of country, I felt it was creating posters, a Holocaust survivor, I We were also given more logistical my obligation to show up practicing chants, felt obligated to take instructions about how to respond for the people who are and getting to know action against family if ICE approached us. There were experiencing this reality each other before separation—which is undocumented protestors among us, firsthand. the next day’s actions. happening both at our and we could not take our own status My role became a little southern borders and, as for granted. Answer questions simply, clearer: I am an ally, and I recently learned through provide minimal information, ask for a I am a guest. As the sun set, we connecting with a separated family lawyer. listened to the leaders explain what the in New Jersey, very close to home. I This all felt different. Unlike the next day would be like. The leaders of can’t begin to imagine the permanent Women’s March or other immigration Mijente instructed us not to bring our impact this kind of trauma has on rallies I’ve attended in New York, this own posters and not to start our own families. It’s overwhelming to think was about lifting up and amplifying the about, but in the last few months I have chants. Rather, we were here together voices that are so rarely heard—the to protest with Mijente’s strong and found myself repeating words from voices of our Latinx brothers and deliberately crafted message: “Abolish Ruth Messinger that I first learned as sisters who are most impacted by these ICE, Shut Down Sessions, Free Our a high schooler, while traveling on an recent policies. Further, Mijente’s Future.” Abolishing ICE is at the center AJWS service learning program with message wasn’t only in response to of Mijente’s immigration platform; BJ teens to El Salvador in 2006, “We recent policies; throughout the day, there is no structure for accountability cannot retreat to the convenience of we heard many times how separation and they take orders directly from the being overwhelmed.” Even if it meant of families is an age-old tactic used president. ICE seeks mainly to detain flying across the country, I felt it was throughout US history to take dignity my obligation to show up for the people and deport immigrants, often under cruel conditions. who are experiencing this reality firsthand. continued on page 12 9

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FALL 2018

Bridging the Gap: Reflections on Our Exchange with the Michigan Corrections Organization By Irv Rosenthal

“W

e hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We’re all familiar with this soaring expression of rights in the Declaration of Independence, but what about the responsibilities found in the Declaration’s last sentence: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge

late April in Lansing, Michigan with a like number from the Michigan Corrections Organization, the union of corrections officers in the Michigan prison system; we then hosted them in New York in June. Our MCO friends provided wonderful home hospitality, and we reciprocated when they came We share a lot of values. Our views are more nuanced than one might expect. It’s possible to speak— and listen—respectfully even when we disagree.

Our group after enjoying local ice cream in Lansing.

to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Today, could we honestly write this sentence about Americans with whom we profoundly disagree on important subjects, and if not, what are the implications for our democracy? That is one of the key questions BJ sought to address as part of our Faith & Public Life initiative. To begin to answer it, 11 BJ members spent three days in

here. We spent time in a prison (now a museum), hearing what it’s like to be a corrections officer; at a shooting range (pistols and archery—some of us were surprisingly good shots); confronting tough issues like immigration and guns and Trump; and mostly just talking about life and family and values and hopes and fears. In New York, we had a moving visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum; 10

Faith

& Public Life

American Democracy. Jewish Responsibility.

learned about the immigrant experience through the Tenement Museum; shared Shabbat together, including a powerful presentation by four members of the MCO group to nearly a hundred BJ members; met with Debora Barrios and her threeyear-old daughter, who are being provided sanctuary by SPSA as Debora fights deportation; and continued confronting those tough issues and just talking about life and family and values and hopes and fears. So what did these Upper West Side liberal Jews—including doctors, rabbis, professors and social workers—and (largely) conservative, Midwestern, Christian corrections officers learn from and about one-another? We share a lot of values. Our views are more nuanced than one might expect. It’s possible to speak—and listen— respectfully even when we disagree. We can find at least some common ground on many contentious topics. It’s dangerous to caricature the “other” (as Jews, we should already know that). There are important issues that we can work on together, like prison reform. And I’m happy to report that all of us, I think, now could sign a modernday version of that mutual pledge that concludes the Declaration of Independence.

Signing for Social Justice

s part of our social justice work, BJ has signed a handful of Amicus briefs over the past year in an effort to help immigrants. Amicus briefs are legal documents a nonlitigant interested in an issue submits to a court in an effort to influence the court’s decision. Alongside dozens of other local and national religious institutions and nonprofits, BJ has signed briefs to help protect the hundreds of thousands of people enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and to address President Trump’s travel ban. We’ve worked with two global law firms, Covington and Burling LLC and Patterson Belknap, on the briefs. In December 2017, we signed a brief, along with 86 other American religious organizations, that argued that, on the basis of faith and morality, the children and young adults eligible for and currently receiving the benefits of DACA status must be protected.

The brief was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and co-authored with Muslim Advocates and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. The group was led by the Muslim Bar Association of New York. ... BJ has signed Amicus briefs to help protect the hundreds of thousands of people enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and to address President Trump’s travel ban. This past March, we signed another brief alongside 118 other religious organizations that was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The brief requested the Appeals Court uphold a lower court’s decision to keep the DACA program active. BJ also signed a brief filed in the Southern District of Texas to defend DACA from state attorneys general seeking to end the program, and a brief (filed in the Southern District of New York) supporting nationally-recognized

immigrant rights leader Ravi Ragbir’s lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security. Ragbir’s lawsuit argues that the unlawful targeting of immigrant rights activists nationwide is in violation of the First Amendment. In February, BJ began talking with Covington and Burling LLP about briefs to challenge the travel ban. Covington said BJ’s early involvement in the Amicus briefs spurred other religious organizations to sign on. The first brief targeted the initial version of the travel ban, noting that special preferences for non-Muslims made the ban unconstitutional. The following brief addressed the second version of the travel ban, arguing that the government’s own rules and evidence didn’t support a Muslim-only country list. Efforts paid off. After receiving the second Amicus brief, the Fourth Circuit affirmed the preliminary injunction blocking the Muslim Ban.

BJ Mindfulness Retreat in Nature Is multitasking in your daily life taking a toll? Spend a week of simple living in the rich ecology of the Costa Rican rain forest and the rustic elegance and organic fine cuisine of La Montaña Azul Center. Led by Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, we will explore Jewish mindfulness practices as a way to connect more deeply with our souls, our truest values, and with God’s creation, of which we are an integral part. Each day we will pray, meditate, set a kavanah (intention), follow integrative body movement practices, bear witness to local social initiatives and experience nature.

Find out more at www.bj.org/costarica19.

‫ קולחדש‬KOL HADASH 2.0

FALL 2018

BJ Under One Roof: Construction Update By Colin A. Weil As of this writing, the first phase of interior work for BJ Under One Roof is nearly complete. Some final touches include the lounge furniture in the reception room (along with a beautiful carpet donated by Brad and Carolyn Abelow), carpeting in the Middle Room, and a lovely refresh of the third floor event space, making it truly worthy of prayer, kiddush, and celebrations.

The Community House exterior work is wrapping up for the season, and will resume next summer. A recent project included the hand-painting of coping stones, which sit atop the parapet on

the north facade. In order to match iron-spotted glaze of the original terracotta stones, the new cast stone was hand-painted, Jackson Pollock style (see photo). It took this artisan more than a week to complete the batch of stones required for our roof repairs. The next phase of work to optimize the Community House and BJ Under One Roof are being developed by the the Board. They recently approved a plan to replace the Community House elevators. Besides meeting new Department of Building standards which are forthcoming, we will be installing state-of-the-art brakeregenerative solid-state motors (the Prius of the elevator world) saving energy and energy costs, and well as long-term maintenance expenses. The first car will be replaced in late spring/ summer of 2019, and the second car

will be replaced in late spring/summer of 2020. And we are in the final stages of planning the new Sanders-Gardner Teen Lounge on the mezzanine, in memory of beloved BJ members Katie Sanders and Lawrence Gardner. We hope to open the lounge by early spring. Finally, we will be reviewing three additional building condition reports, for Campus Mechanicals, 88th St. masonry and windows, and 89th St windows. With this thorough information at hand, the BJ Board and I will be working to develop a proactive long-term capital needs and funding plan as one of our first priorities of the year. As always, I am happy to share more details in person. Please contact Lyndsey at lhunter@bj.org or 212-7877600 x239 to make a date!

Free Our Future continued from page 9 and power away from communities of color and other vulnerable populations. And unlike any other action I’ve participated in, the details were slim. That was intentional. There were no permits or “planned arrests”. The police did not know beforehand where we would be marching or what the direct actions would look like. We marched into downtown San Diego, led by children. We watched as brave protestors unfurled an enormous sign from the top floor of a hotel. The sign read “Free Our Future.” As we

continued marching into downtown, other protestors sat linking arms in front of the courthouse and the state department. Standing with Felicia, alongside our brothers and sisters who are experiencing the violence and injustice firsthand, the rally on July 2 gave us the opportunity to say, “We hear you. We’re with you.” As we continue to take action in the months ahead, both individually and

as the BJ community, we need to ensure that the stories and struggles of the most vulnerable are at the center. When I came back from San Diego, I joined a team of incredible clergy and lay leaders at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church (SPSA) helping to support Debora Barrios-Vasquez, an immigrant from Guatemala, who has been living in New York City for 13 years and is seeking shelter from deportation. We need to listen directly to those most impacted, and respond as best as we can to their needs.

BJ Board of Trustees: Welcome, and Thank You At the Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 14, we welcomed five new members to our Board of Trustees.

Welcome ‫ברוכים הבאים‬

Julie Margolies

Paula Kramer Weiss

Marjorie Vandow

Lisa Zucker

Gideon Taylor

B’rukhim Haba’im

We extend our deepest gratitude to the following six members, who ended their trusteeships after 33 years of combined leadership and devoted service.

Nancy Freireich

Moshe Horn

Evie Klein

Thank you ‫תודה רבה‬ Todah Rabbah

Debbie Lerner

Judith Trachtenberg

Anna Winderbaum

‫ קולחדש‬KOL HADASH 2.0

FALL 2018

Riverside Language Program: Helping Refugees Thrive By Berta Colon, Interim Executive Director, RLP

t has been three years since the Riverside Language Program (RLP) was welcomed into the BJ community. For almost forty years, RLP has helped NYC’s newly arrived immigrants learn English quickly so that they can move from underemployment and poverty to prosperity. It is the only language school in New York City that offers free, full-time, intensive English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction to newly-arrived, adult, documented immigrants, asylees, and refugees. RLP has found tremendous support and strong alignment with BJ and its social justice values. Through the leadership and passion of BJ members like Bob Kline, Pamela Judd, and Debra Kalmuss, among others, the two have developed a resume workshop that is offered to RLP students throughout

the year. The workshops, which have been a tremendous success, provide advanced RLP students with highly professional resume-writing and jobsearch preparation skills. These skills are invaluable to RLP students with the goal of securing sustainable jobs. But now, cuts in federal funding are challenging RLP’s ability to continue providing quality ESOL classes and support services— just when they are needed most. We hope that the BJ community can help RLP continue its long history of providing immigrants with quality English language instruction. Please consider making a contribution that will help ensure our shared goal of helping immigrants and refugees to thrive and succeed in their new home.

Help sustain our community and join us at BJ’s Morning Minyan The coffee is fresh and the davening is spirited. Coming soon: BJ’s own transliteration supplement, enabling everyone to participate— no matter your background or experience! BJ Chapel Monday-Friday at 7:30AM Sunday and national holidays at 9:30AM

Refugee Stories By Shoshanah Akabas

in Queens to help the mother take her children outside and navigate the neighborhood. Having an extra set of hands a few times a week over the summer allowed her to take the children to free library programs where they could all practice English and borrow books, so the kids will be better prepared for school in the fall. Mrs. Akhtar is excited to put her degree to use but must improve her English, and getting to the library and practicing with the BJ teens has been the first step.

mall things can open up a person’s life. One newly-arrived refugee mother grew up under Talibanoccupied territory in Afghanistan, where she wasn’t allowed to take her baby outside alone. The Family Support Team of the BJ Refugee & Immigration Committee (which is currently providing ongoing support to ten newlyarrived refugee families) gifted her a Baby Bjorn carrier when she arrived in New York, which allowed her to easily take her baby outside. Now the behavior is so normalized, she takes her kids to the playground every day; as a result, she has met people in the neighborhood, practiced her English, and formed a community. Mrs. Akhtar was in a similar situation. She arrived here several months ago from Afghanistan with her husband and five children (including baby triplets!). While she has a business degree and was successful in her home country, they were forced to flee when they began receiving death threats from the Taliban. When she first arrived, she spent days stuck at home alone while her husband worked long hours, unable to leave with the five young children. BJ teens stepped up to the plate, making trips out to the family’s house

Want to get involved? All of the committees’ teams need volunteers! Help refugees practice English, write a resume, or settle into their new home. Email Elain Klein (elainekleinteacher@gmail. com) or Susan Thal (sthalesq1@ gmail.com). The Family Support Team—with dozens of committed volunteers spanning multiple generations—provides English tutoring support, assistance navigating bureaucratic systems, teen mentorship, and in-kind donations (such as cooked food; hand-knitted items; and a teapot so Mrs. Akhtar can host new friends at her house—offering tea is essential to hosting in Afghan culture).

Volunteers from BJ and Rutgers Presbyterian Church preparing an apartment for a Syrian refugee family.

We often think of newly-arrived refugee families as being very needy—and many of them are—but so often, seemingly small contributions have a life-changing impact, allowing families to feel welcome and cared for in their new home. And BJ teens are proving you’re never too young to make a difference. You can purchase items for our families directly from our Amazon Wish List and contact shoshanaakabas@gmail.com to join the Family Support Team email list and hear about other ways you can help welcome refugees in New York.

B’nai Jeshurun SANCTUARY: 257 West 88th Street

RABBIS: J. Rolando Matalon • Felicia L. Sol • Erin R. Glazer • Marcelo R. Bronstein

OFFICE: 270 West 89th Street, New York, NY 10024-1705

HAZZAN: Ari Priven

TEL: 212-787-7600 | www.bj.org

MARSHALL T. MEYER RABBINIC FELLOWS:

facebook.com/bnai.jeshurun | twitter.com/bjnyc |

instagram.com/bj_nyc

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Colin A. Weil

Tobias Divack Moss • Margo Hughes-Robinson • Abi Weber

SAVE

THE

DATE! Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai Jeshurun Sanctuary Centennial

GALA

Monday, December 3, 2018

A spectacular evening to honor the leadership of Jeannie Blaustein and Peter Bokor and to celebrate the life and work of Rabbi Rachel Cowan zâ&#x20AC;?l.