A Guide to the BJ Community 5770 • 2009-2010
A Guide to the BJ Community 5770 • 2009-2010
Shimon Ha-Tzaddik was one of the last members of the Great Assembly. This was a favorite teaching of his: “The world rests on three things: on Torah (study); on avodah (prayer); and on gemilut hasadim (acts of lovingkindness).” — Avot, 1:2
B’nai Jeshurun is a passionate Jewish community that inspires spiritual searching, lifts the soul, challenges the mind, and requires social responsibility and action. We strive to experience and express God’s presence as we study, pray, and serve together. We are unified yet diverse and explore the living tension between tradition and progress. We carry out deeds of loving-kindness, foster a meaningful relationship with Israel, and participate in serious dialogue and collaboration with Jewish people and people of other faiths to heal the world. We welcome you to study, pray, and serve with us.
Table of Contents 2
The Vision/Our Story
4
Rabbis, Hazzan, and Fellows
6
Leadership and Administration
7
Holy Community
8
Youth and Family
9
Prayer
10
Study of Torah
11
Justice and Peace
12
Development and Finance
13
Schedule of Services and Programs
INSIDE BACK COVER
Rabbinic Office, Board of Trustees, and Staff Directory
PHOTOS, FRONT AND BACK COVERS AND LEFT: TOM ZUBACK
The Vision Our Story
THE VISION
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החזון תולדות בי ג'יי
החזון
OUR STORY
When there is no vision, there is chaos.
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תולדות בי ג'יי
Know whence you come and whither you are going. —Proverbs 29:18
In our day, when our world is drifting in the direction of violence, hopelessness, and fear, making us uncomfortable, angry or despairing, we reach within the wellsprings of Jewish wisdom to present a compelling vision. We strive to meet the challenges of the present and to remain relevant in the search for justice, understanding, and peace. We draw inspiration from the great teachers of our tradition who embodied and articulated some of Judaism’s deepest and most cherished values: the kinship of humanity, love, responsibility, justice, and peace. We believe in the power of each person to change his or her individual reality. We believe in the power of community to change the world in which we live. We know that our lives are of consequence and that what we say and what we do matter. B’nai Jeshurun is our spiritual home and a source of strength that has helped us to deepen our relationship to God and our tradition though prayer, learning, and the commitment to each other and our world.
—Avot 3:1 Since its founding in 1825, during the presidency of John Quincy Adams, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun has been a leading force in New York Jewry and has been closely involved in the civic and national communities. The 32 synagogue founders were a group of mostly Ashkenazic members of the Spanish-Portuguese Congregation Shearith Israel in Lower Manhattan. They wished to “promote the strict keeping of their faith,” to introduce “less formal worship with time set aside for explanations and instruction, without a permanent leader, and with no distinctions made among the members,” and to conduct services “according to German and Polish minhag [custom].” The spirit that moved these founders was the spirit of the American Revolution: democracy, freedom, diversity, informality, and non-elitism.1 The new congregation—the second in New York City and the ninth in the nation—began holding services in temporary facilities at 533 Pearl Street and then moved northward, with the general trend of the city’s Jewish population, to Elm Street, Greene Street, 34th Street, Madison Avenue and 64th Street, and then, in 1918, to its present home at 88th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue. The congregation flourished in its beautiful new space for more than 50 years under the leadership of Rabbi Israel Goldstein. This was a period when the B’nai Jeshurun continued its outreach to the less fortunate in the city and supported the establishment of the State of Israel. The synagogue was a spiritual and social center for congregants. Dr. Chaim Weizmann spoke at BJ, as did Eleanor Roosevelt,
1. Sarna, Jonathan D, American Judaism: A History; Yale University Press, 2004. The first quote in this paragraph is from the founding charter of BJ.
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PHOTO: DAVID KATZENSTEIN
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. In the 1970s B’nai Jeshurun’s membership began to dwindle. That trend was reversed with the arrival of Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer from Buenos Aires in 1985. Setting up his “office” with a card table, a pay phone, and a roll of quarters, Rabbi Meyer began attracting many people with his impassioned Judaism, blending social activism, spirited musical worship, and a vision of an open and inclusive community. The vision he articulated then remains the same: Congregation B’nai Jeshurun believes that a community synagogue which responds to the authentic questions of life, death, love, anxiety, longing and the search for meaning can, once again, attract Jews—families and individuals—if it is willing to grapple with the great issues of life. The following year, Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon (Roly), who had been a student of Marshall’s in Argentina, joined him in
leading the congregation. Soon there were swelling crowds at Friday night services, alive with meaningful prayer, joy, and dancing. Ari Priven, another student of Marshall’s from Argentina, came to BJ in 1989 as hazzan. In 1995, following Rabbi Meyer’s untimely death in 1993, Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, yet another of his students, joined Roly in leading the congregation. In 2001, Rabbi Felicia Sol, who had been the Family and Youth Director and a Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow, joined her teachers in their rabbinic partnership, becoming the congregation’s first woman rabbi. Under the leadership of the Rabbis, Hazzan, and numerous community leaders, a small, dying congregation with a proud history was transformed into a vibrant, inclusive, participatory community of almost 2,000 households. The congregation's vital history continues to be tied to its sacred space and to the visionary leadership of its rabbis, with many new chapters to be written.
“BJ is a place that makes my heart sing.” —BJ Member
PHOTO: TOM ZUBACK
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Rabbis, Hazzan and Fellows
BJ’s Rabbis J. Rolando Matalon, Marcelo R. Bronstein, and Felicia L. Sol, provide vision and leadership and model a spiritual and committed Jewish life for our community. They lead by conducting services, teaching, counseling and supporting members, officiating at life cycle events, representing BJ to the public, and in their relations with volunteer leaders, members, and staff. They teach that a committed Jewish life requires each person to engage in serious learning, disciplined spiritual practice, and service to others. They envision a BJ community that will be faithful to the Jewish tradition and constantly respond to the challenges of the 21st century.
Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon received his BS in chemistry from the Université de Montréal. He went on to pursue his rabbinical studies at the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires, founded by his mentor, Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer. During the course of his studies, he spent a year at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in 1986. Since then, he has been a rabbi at B’nai Jeshurun. Rabbi Matalon serves on several boards including American Friends of Parents Circle, Rabbis for Human Rights—North America, Union Theological Seminary, and the Doha Center for Interfaith dialogue (Qatar). He is the recipient of awards from the New York Board of Rabbis, the Jewish Peace Fellowship, and the New Israel Fund. Rabbi Matalon plays the 'ud (Arabic lute) and is a member of the New York Arabic Orchestra.
והעמיתים, החזן,הרבנים Rabbi Marcelo R. Bronstein Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein received his BA in 1976 and his MA in 1978 in clinical psychology from Belgrano University in Buenos Aires. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Hebrew Letters in 1987 from the University of Judaism and his Masters of Hebrew Letters and his Rabbinical Ordination from the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1989. Before coming to BJ, Rabbi Bronstein held a variety of positions, both in the Jewish and secular worlds, including the Youth Director position at Comunidad Bet El in Buenos Aires, where he worked closely with his teacher and mentor, Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer, for ten years. In 1989, Rabbi Bronstein became rabbi of Estadio Israelita in Santiago, Chile and then became founding rabbi at Congregacion Or Shalom, also in Santiago. In 1995, he joined Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon as a BJ rabbi. Rabbi Bronstein serves on several boards, including the advisory committees of Human Rights Watch/Americas, the advisory boards of the Chaplaincy Program at Roosevelt St. Luke’s Hospital, New York Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Soaring Words, and South Wing to Zion (Ethiopian Jews).
Rabbi Felicia L. Sol Rabbi Felicia Sol was raised in Connecticut and received a BA in Developmental Psychology and Education from Tufts University. In 1996, she received a Masters in Jewish Education from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. During the course of her studies she spent a year at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem. She received her Masters of Hebrew Letters in 1997 and rabbinic ordination in 1999 from HUC-JIR in New York City. While engaged in studies in New York, Rabbi Sol joined the staff of BJ as the Family and Youth Director, a position in which she served for three years. Following ordination, she became a Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow. In 2001, Rabbi Sol joined her teachers, Rabbis Bronstein and Matalon, in their rabbinic partnership. Rabbi Sol serves on the Board of Jewish Funds for Justice and New Israel Fund New Generations Steering Committee.
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PHOTOS: LEFT, TOP RIGHT, CYNDI SHATTUCK PHOTOGRAPHY. BOTTOM RIGHT: DENISE WAXMAN.
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
Hazzan Ari Priven works in partnership with the Rabbis, and an ensemble of musicians in residence to enrich the liturgical experience of prayer and celebration and to reach the souls of our congregants. Drawing on a wide range of traditional and contemporary musical traditions and genres from different Jewish communities around the world, he helps to make BJ’s services fresh and compelling. Hazzan Priven teaches children and adults, officiates at life cycle events and shares in the spiritual leadership of BJ.
Hazzan & Music Director Ari Priven Ari Priven was born in 1962 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was trained as a Hazzan by the late Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer and studied at the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, founded by Rabbi Meyer. He received a Masters degree from the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Shortly after Rabbi Meyer arrived in New York to revitalize B’nai Jeshurun, he called on Hazzan Priven to become cantor and music director, a position he has held since 1989. The music of BJ is admired and has influenced many congregations around the country and around the globe. Hazzan Priven has produced and performed in several recordings of BJ music, including With Every Breath (The Music of Shabbat), HaLailah Hazeh: The Music of Pesah at BJ, and TekiYah: Echoes of the High Holy Days at BJ, and is the composer of a number of liturgical pieces. He was a professional advisor and teacher at Synagogue 2000, and he is a member of the Synagogue 3000.
Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellowship The objective of the MTM Fellowship is to train newly ordained rabbis in the “BJ model” with the goal of contributing to the revitalization of Jewish life beyond BJ. The MTM Fellowship is a two-year apprenticeship. Under the mentorship of BJ’s Rabbis, fellows lead services, assist congregants with life cycle questions and events, organize social action programs, lead missions to Israel, supervise conversions, and teach courses at BJ. To prepare them for a full spectrum of rabbinic duties, first-year fellows undergo a comprehensive rotation through BJ’s departments, including the BJ Hebrew School, Development, Membership, Social Action and Social Justice, as well as general administration. For the second year of the fellowship, the full– time fellow serves as part of the BJ Rabbinate. For breadth and intensity, the MTM Fellowship is unparalleled. The Fellows' experience at BJ equips them to be agents of change in their professional lives after BJ.
Rabbi Ezra Weinberg Ezra is the 2008-2010 Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow. He was ordained in June 2009 at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Before coming to BJ he spent two and a half years studying in Jerusalem at several learning institutions, served as the Rabbinic Intern at B’nai Keshet in Montclair, New Jersey, and was active in creating musical Shabbaton experiences at Congregation Kol Tzedek in Philadelphia. Many of his emerging leadership skills and Zionist inspiration developed as a result of growing up within the Habonim Dror Youth movement.
Michelle Dardashti Michelle is the 2009–2011 Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow. She is a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Prior to the fellowship she volunteered as a group facilitator for dialogue between Palestinians and (predominantly North American) Jews in and around Bethlehem through the Encounter Programs. In 2007, through Jewish Funds for Justice she led a cross-seminary course in congregation-based community organizing held at HUC and JTS. She also participated that year in PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and created and implemented "Esther in Africa," a Purim-themed musical event, which raised awareness and upwards of $6,000 for the American Jewish World Service Sudan Relief Fund.
“BJ: spiritually evocative; based in tradition, but extremely progressive; socially conscious and actively dedicated to making this a better world. ” —BJ Member PHOTOS: TOP, CYNDI SHATTUCK PHOTOGRAPHY. BOTTOM: TOM ZUBACK.
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Leadership and Administration
B’nai Jeshurun is a community led by the vision of its Rabbis and governed by a dynamic partnership among the Rabbis, Trustees, and staff. The Trustees, headed by the President, participate in shaping and implementing the vision of the Rabbis. They also engage in strategic planning and recruit and mentor new leadership for the congregation. The staff, led by BJ’s Executive Director, contributes to the development of BJ’s mission and supports and collaborates with committees to implement BJ’s many programs and activities efficiently and effectively. BJ encourages the participation of its members in every aspect of the life of the community, including governance. The BJ leadership identifies and recruits people to participate through membership on the Board, the Executive Committee, eight Steering Committees, and approximately 30 community committees. BJ is a large and complex organization, and it is at the committee level that the energy and creativity of the individual members are transformed into deeds. The work of the committees is integrated with the Board in two ways: a Board member chairs or co-chairs each steering committee; and committees are encouraged to provide regular reports to the Board. • The 30-member Board of Trustees is an extraordinary group of dedicated members who bring a wealth of experience in law, finance, education, social services, real estate, management, strategic planning, fundraising, and Jewish life to their work. The Board meets five times a year and has an efficient and thoughtful system of nomination and election of members and officers as well as a clearly defined chair-selection process.
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PHOTOS: TOM ZUBACK
מנהיגות ומנהלה • The 10-member Executive Committee meets four times a year between board meetings, and the Steering Committees meet periodically as needed. • The community committees, in coordination with staff, organize and implement the full range of community activities. • The Executive Director manages the staff and daily operations and works with the Rabbis, the President, and the Board in developing the vision and strategies of the community. • The BJ office has a varied and collaborative 26-person staff divided into six departments. • The Hebrew School faculty includes 20 teachers, 20 aides, three learning specialists, and one staff musician. • There are seven spiritual leaders; three senior Rabbis, one Hazzan, two Rabbinic Fellows, and one Cantorial Intern.
“At BJ, spiritual worship and meaningful rituals are combined with an increased sense of social and communal responsibility.” —BJ Member
Holy Community
קהילה קדושה
BJ’s community of over 1,800 households is made up of families with and without children, singles, young and old, men and women, gay and straight, longtime members, and new people who join us each year, coming from many different places geographically, socially, economically, and Jewishly. We encourage all who attend our services to become members and to participate fully in the life of the community. BJ strives to be a holy community, a place where each of us can address authentic questions of life in partnership with God and our fellow members. Our tradition teaches us that this quest for meaning does not and cannot take place alone—it must be undertaken within a community. To have the power to change our lives, and through our lives the world, that community must be more than just a group of like-minded individuals. To be truly transformative, it must be a kehillah kedoshah, a sacred community. At BJ, we balance members’ experience of the vitality and strength of the whole community with a feeling of intimacy and connection with each other. To accomplish this, we define B’nai Jeshurun as a “community of communities” and encourage each member to find his or her place. Groups often form naturally around life cycle events, life stages, age groups, Jewish interests, learning, social action and justice concerns, and other community initiatives. BJ encourages and expects members to play an active role in the life of the community, volunteering their time to lead and participate in activities. Dedicated staff members partner with volunteers to ensure that all BJ initiatives receive the support and infrastructure they require.
At BJ, the inspiration drawn from Shabbat and holy days will continue to reverberate during the week, calling us to embrace our responsibilities as Jews. More than a third of our members are involved in a range of groups and activities that serve to strengthen our community. This participatory spirit is one of BJ’s greatest attributes. • Affinity groups such as Tze’irim (20s & 30s), Bekef (35+), Ledor Vador (intergenerational), Interfaith, and Employment Help. • Support for those in need through Bikkur Holim (visiting the ill) and Hevra Kadisha (comforting mourners). • Jewish cultural experiences through Haknasat Orhim (welcoming guests), Havurot (small fellowship groups), Kiddushim, and Oneg Shabbatot. • Social and educational programming such as New Member Orientation Programs, Retreats, and Social Action/Social Justice work. • Youth and Family Life programs including a vibrant Hebrew School. As part of the larger Jewish community our connection and responsibilities extend to other parts of the Jewish Diaspora and to the State of Israel. BJ organizes yearly visits to Israel and nurtures active partnership with emerging spiritual communities and with institutions working for social change and for peace in Israel.
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Youth and Family
משפחות ונוער
"To educate a child without educating and involving the parents and the entire family can be compared to heating a house while leaving the window open.” —Mordecai Kaplan We believe that Judaism is an ongoing search for meaning and that this search begins in childhood. We believe that the family and the synagogue can work together to nourish developing Jewish identities and that the best way to convey the joy and beauty of being Jewish is to provide new and creative ways for children to explore Judaism at each stage of their development. In keeping with a synagogue that is inclusive, diverse, and egalitarian, we invite the families of children with special needs and disabilities to participate in any of our programs, thereby providing access to a meaningful Jewish education for all our congregants. Our programs reflect these beliefs and aim to create experiences that will enrich both the "at-home" and "insynagogue" Jewish experiences of children and families. Through study, retreats, prayer, and a commitment to social action and social justice, we offer our children the same kind of rich learning experiences that BJ’s adult education programs offer their parents. • Shabbat services for families and children address their particular developmental and spiritual needs. We build on the traditional liturgy with song, dance, games, storytelling, and study to bring to life the prayers, Torah, and a love of Israel for our community’s youngest members. • Activities for Young Families include Bim Bam (a preShabbat music class for babies and toddlers), Tot Shabbat services and dinners, and celebrating Shabbat and holidays together.
• The Hebrew School creates a rich, vibrant learning environment where we nourish our children’s Jewish identities, create a community of peers that is part of the larger community at BJ, and build the skills children will need to be participatory members of their community. • The B’nai Mitzvah experience is marked by 4th, 5th and 6th grade family learning programs, a 6th grade communitywide retreat for kids, and an intense period of study with a tutor in preparation for becoming engaged members of the community. • BJ Teens engage in domestic and international service learning trips, serve as Ozrim (teachers’ aides) in the Hebrew School and at Junior Congregation services, participate in a teen leadership track, and study and learn together on a teen retreat and throughout the year.
“BJ is a sanctuary where we are proud to be Jews and where we feel good about the values our children learn.” —BJ Member
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PHOTOS, TOP: DAVEY ROSEN. BOTTOM: REBECCA ROSENTHAL.
Prayer
תפילה
Prayer at B’nai Jeshurun is an expression of our need to praise, to thank, to question, and to wrestle with God. We work to balance the traditional liturgy with new and creative means of deepening our spiritual experience.
accessible to all members regardless of physical limitations by assuring access to the physically handicapped, by making special seating arrangements as needed, and by providing assistive listening devices at all services.
Music at B’nai Jeshurun, which reflects the rich kaleidoscope of Jewish diversity, is integral to our meaningful experience of prayer. It serves as a bridge between different cultures and traditions and exemplifies BJ’s desire to welcome and embrace all Jews in our community.
The central role of prayer at BJ is exemplified by: • Daily minyan, Shabbat, and Holiday Services. • Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat morning services weekly. • A wide array of children’s and family services.
While we respect each person’s struggle to find his and her own level of observance, we are committed as a community to a core of halakhic behavior as the expression of our spiritual and moral values. Hebrew is the language of congregational celebration and prayer at BJ, and we challenge all members to study prayerbook Hebrew. Our siddurim include transliterations to facilitate singing along. BJ has produced CDs of music for Shabbat, Pesah, and High Holy Days to help people become familiar with the liturgy and rituals. We strive to make services
• A bimonthly Junior Congregation service led by teens. • Weekly Tefillah in the Hebrew School. • High Holy Day Services for adults and families. • Adult classes for learning liturgy.
PHOTOS: BOTTOM LEFT, CENTER: CYNDI SHATTUCK PHOTOGRAPHY. TOP, BOTTOM RIGHT: TOM ZUBACK
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Study of Torah
תלמוד תורה
youngest to the oldest, and from the beginner to the most learned, in order to allow students to progress in their pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
What is more important, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon said that action is greater. Rabbi Akiva said that study is greater. Everyone present agreed that study is greater because it leads to action. —Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 40b Study at BJ is a personal and spiritual engagement with the texts of our tradition that serves to connect the mind with the heart. It moves each of us to more fully encounter ourselves, each other, and God. Study inspires us, individually and collectively, to deepen our observance and do our part to repair the world. Members are encouraged to set aside time regularly for Torah study and to acquire at least a basic level of Jewish literacy including basic prayerbook Hebrew. Formal and informal opportunities for study are provided for all members of the community from the
Participants explore Jewish history and thought, classical texts, and spiritual practice via stimulating and creative classes, lectures, workshops, film screenings, retreats, and other learning activities. We hope members will use these opportunities to struggle with questions pertinent to modern Jewry: “What does it mean to live a worthy Jewish life?” “What is expected of us personally and communally?” Each year our Rabbis teach more than 15, mostly multi-session, classes attended by more than 400 people. A teacher-in-residence program, Shabbat morning teachings by the Rabbis and visiting scholars, havurot and Havdalah groups, study programs at retreats, and pre-holiday workshops provide additional opportunities to engage and learn. Periodic study trips to Israel strengthen our commitment to the land and our relationships with our Israeli partners. Other opportunities for members to share and to participate in a learning community online are currently being explored. A sampling of the specific subjects addressed in recent years provides a glimpse of the richness of talmud Torah at BJ: • Introduction to Judaism • Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Heavenly Torah • The Rabbinic Mind on Sinai • Davening Workshop: Growing From Participant to Leader • The Book of Exodus • Myth or Reality: Finding Truth in Religious Life • Interfaith Family Workshop • Piyyutim of Shabbat • Creating Space for Quiet, a meditation class
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PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN
Justice and Peace
צדקה ושלום
A commitment to justice and peace is a defining characteristic of B’nai Jeshurun, woven through the fabric of our community. This commitment is rooted in the prophetic vision of Judaism, which demands that we dedicate ourselves to social action and social justice. Our task is to hear the message of the prophets and to make that message meaningful in these days and in this place. Both as individuals and as a community we must continually ask ourselves (as God did to Adam), “Ayekah—where are you?” Our challenge is to be able to answer with honesty, “Hineni, here I am.” In communal service, we serve God by our commitment to gemilut hasadim (acts of loving kindness) and to justice and peace. The Social Action/Social Justice Department is headed by a full-time community organizer who works in partnership with member volunteer leaders. Together they create opportunities for members to respond effectively to injustices in our local, national, and global communities and to develop meaningful relationships with our neighbors. We are proud that our members, of all ages, volunteer in large numbers. This work falls into two categories: social action through direct service; and transforming our community and pursuing justice through advocacy. Our direct-service programs offer concrete ways to address immediate needs and improve the lives of others. These include the Congregation B’nai Jeshurun/Church of St.Paul & St. Andrew Homeless Shelter, an interfaith project; and the Judith Bernstein Lunch Program, an intergenerational effort that serves lunch to our neighbors in need every week. Lastly, our tutoring programs in partnership with neighboring public schools offer the exciting opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child.
marriage equality to access to affordable health care. Throughout the year, we seek additional opportunities to “pray with our feet” through one-time events and by responding to global and national crises like genocide in Darfur and the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A small sample of what we accomplish: • Panim el Panim has developed strong relationships with local public officials. These relationships allow us to have a voice on issues from marriage equality to mandating electronics recycling by manufacturers doing business in New York City. • BJ Social Action hevras collaborate with diverse advocacy groups around the city such as Domestic Workers United, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, and Empire State Pride Agenda. • Through our membership in Manhattan Together, an interfaith citizens’ power organization, we have fought for affordable housing, quality public education, and immigrant rights in New York City. • Panim el Panim has engaged hundreds of members in “community conversations” in members’ homes to build relationships and explore issues of common concern.
Through Panim el Panim, BJ’s Community Organizing and Advocacy Initiative, we utilize community organizing strategies to transform our congregation by facilitating deeper relationships among our members and between our BJ community and our citywide neighbors. Panim el Panim seeks to address the root causes of injustice by changing power structures, laws, policies, relationships, and practice— complementing the direct service programs that BJ has operated for many years. Our power to make change is developed through a congregational community-organizing model based on one-to-one relationships, community conversations, leadership development, and participatory decision-making. Through action hevras (friendship groups) we have worked on specific advocacy campaigns from
PHOTO: CHANNA CAMINS
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Development and Finance
כספים ופתוח
Judaism has a tradition of ethical concern for the financial resources that support religious and educational projects. Stewardship of these resources requires care in how contributions are handled and in how funds are allocated and spent. BJ strives to achieve the highest standards in these areas.
DEVELOPMENT
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כספים
BJ makes it possible for over 2,000 people to pray together each Shabbat, provides for our children's Jewish education, supports adult classes and programs, runs a homeless shelter and a lunch program, provides volunteer opportunities, and allows our Rabbis and staff to support our members. It costs more than $5.5 million annually to sustain BJ. The BJ Development Department works closely with the Development Steering Committee, a group of BJ Board members and members dedicated to helping the synagogue raise these critical funds. Membership dues, Hebrew School tuition, and program fees cover 60% of BJ's budget. The remaining 40% is raised through the Kol Nidre Annual Partnership Appeal, individual donations, and foundation support. We are committed to treating our donors as valued partners. The Development Department strives to ensure that all donations are handled, acknowledged, and recognized in a timely and appropriate manner. Donor requests for anonymity will be honored.
FINANCE
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פתוח
The day-to-day administration of BJ’s infrastructure and its human and financial resources resides with the Department of Finance and Administration and with the Director of Facilities. They work diligently to manage BJ’s requirements and resources, guided by a central concern for BJ’s long-term stability and health, but also with a profound sensitivity to its employees and all those with whom it transacts business.
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PHOTOS: TOP, HARRIET R. GOREN; RIGHT, DENISE WAXMAN.
BJ’s income and expenses are carefully budgeted, tracked, and adjusted as necessary during the course of the year and are audited in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and reviewed by the Board of Trustees. BJ’s staff and volunteers are cognizant that the budget consists entirely of membership dues, donations, fees, and grants, and we take seriously the responsibility to use this money wisely. The facilities staff, who maintain the physical plant, supervise the work of contractors, manage supplies, and prepare rooms for services and activities, exercise similar care in their work. As a private religious organization, BJ does not have the legal obligation to share its financial information in the same way corporations do. Nevertheless BJ endeavors to provide timely information to its members, donors, and stakeholders and is responsive in an expeditious manner to reasonable requests for information.
“BJ is a unique hybrid of the best of all Jewish traditions.” —BJ Member
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
Schedule of Services and Programs 5770 • 2009-2010 In the following pages you will find the schedule for services for 5770, information about the many events, classes, and programs that BJ has planned, an overview of the BJ Hebrew School, as well as everything you need to know in order to become actively involved in the BJ community as a volunteer. As a community ever concerned with economy and ecology, BJ has chosen to save costs and preserve the environment by creating a digital version of the BJ Guide, and limiting the number of printed copies to those members who need it. BJ is proud of this leap forward in communication. May 5770 be a year in which the connections between BJ members multiply and deepen.
Table of Contents 14
Shabbat and Holy Day Schedule of Services
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Services for Families, Children, and Teens
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Study of Torah
22
Youth and Family Education
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Volunteer Committees and Programs
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Membership Information 2009/5770
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Giving to BJ
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Finding Your Way at BJ
INSIDE BACK COVER
Board of Trustees, Rabbinic Office, and Staff Directory
“BJ combines a unique adherence to tradition with its ability to take Torah to the streets. BJ is a combination of ecstatic prayer, meditative spirituality, and an authentic desire for social justice.” —BJ Member
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Shabbat and Holy Day Schedule of Services BJ conducts services at two locations: 88th Street denotes the B’nai Jeshurun Synagogue (BJ) at 257 West 88th Street, between West End Avenue and Broadway. 86th Street denotes The Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew (SPSA) on West End Avenue at 86th Street. Dates, times, and locations should be confirmed by checking the weekly Kol Jeshurun (available at Shabbat services and at www.bj.org) or by calling the BJ office at 212-787-7600. Assistive Listening Devices are available during services at both the 86th and 88th Street locations from the ushers. Sign DAILY MINYAN Monday through Friday 7:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Sundays and National Holidays 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary KABBALAT SHABBAT From October 16, 2009 (Shabbat Bereshit) – May, 2010 (except December 25, 2009 and January 1, 2010) Early Service 5:45PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Late Service 7:30PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Extended Summer Schedule From June 19, 2009 to October 9, 2009 and from May, 2010 – October, 2010 (this schedule will also be followed on December 25, 2009 and January 1, 2010) 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Tot Shabbat First and Third Friday of each month from October – June 5:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES September 12, 2009 - June 12, 2010 9:30AM, 86th Street Children’s Service 10:45AM, 86th Street Chapel Junior Congregation First and Third Saturday of every month from October 3, 2009 - June 5, 2010 10:30AM, 86th Street Social Hall
language interpreters are present at services by special arrangement. For more information, contact Sarah Guthartz, Assistant to Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon, sguthartz@bj.org, x234. Guidelines for Shabbat and Holy Day Services All are welcome at BJ services. There are a few expectations that apply to all members and guests at our services in any of our locations. Men must wear kippot. Photography, audio or video recording, smoking, and cell-phone use are not permitted. Commercial deliveries are not accepted on Shabbat and festivals.
Summer Service (June 19, 2010 through Labor Day Weekend, 2010) 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Summer Children’s Service 10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall SHABBAT MINHA Community Minha Service Second Saturday of every month from November to June Times TBA (check the Kol Jeshurun for updated information), 88th Street Sanctuary There will be several other Shabbat minha services during the year when some of our b’nai mitzvah will be called to the Torah. SELIHOT Kabbalat Selihot September 12, 9:45PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Coffee Hour: 11:15PM Service: Midnight ROSH HASHANAH First Evening Service Friday, September 18, 6:30PM, 96th CCCE* First Day Service Saturday, September 19, 9:00AM 86th SPSA, 96th CCCE* Children’s Service (Ages 0-6) 10:30AM 86th SPSA Social Hall, 88th Street Frankel Hall, 96th CCCE Basement (Ages 0-3), 96th CCCE 4th Floor (Ages 4-6) Family Service (Ages 7-12) 10:30AM, 88th Street Second Evening Service 7:15PM, 88th Street
* Please refer to your High Holy Day entrance cards for your assigned locations.
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Second Day Service Sunday, Sept. 20, 9:00AM, 86th SPSA, 88th
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
Shabbat and Holy Day Schedule of Services Children’s Service (Ages 0-6) 10:30AM, 86th SPSA Chapel Junior Congregation (Ages 7-12) 10:30AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Study 5:00PM, 88th Street Tashlikh followed by Havdalah 6:00PM, Riverside Park FAST OF GEDALIAH September 21, 2009 SHABBAT SHUVAH Kabbalat Shabbat Friday, Sept. 25, 7:00 PM, 88th Street Morning Service Saturday, Sept. 26, 9:30AM, 86th Street Children’s Service (Ages 0-6) 10:45AM, 86th Street Chapel YOM KIPPUR Kol Nidre Sunday, Sept. 27, 6:00PM, 86th SPSA, 96th CCCE* Yom Kippur Morning Services Monday, Sept. 28, 9:00AM, 86th SPSA, 96th CCCE* Children’s Service (Ages 0-6) 10:30AM 86th SPSA Social Hall, 88th Street Frankel Hall, 96th CCCE Basement (Ages 0-3), 96th CCCE 4th Floor (Ages 4-6) Family Service (Ages 7-12) 10:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Minhah and Ne’ilah 4:45PM, 86th SPSA, 96th CCCE Children’s Procession 7:10PM, 86th SPSA, 96th CCCE
Junior Congregation 10:30AM, 86th Street Social Hall Children’s Service 10:45AM, 86th Street Chapel Second Evening Service October 3, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Second Day Service October 4, 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Children’s Service 10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Hoshanah Rabbah October 9, 7:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary SHABBBAT / SHEMINI ATZERET Shemini Atzeret Evening Service October 9, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Morning Service (Yizkor) October 10, 9:30AM, 86th Street Children’s Service 10:45AM, 86th Street Chapel SIMHAT TORAH Family Evening Service October 10, 6:15PM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Adult Evening Service October 10, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Morning Service October 11, 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary HANUKKAH Sunset of December 11 through December 19 ASARA BETEVET December 27 TU BISHVAT January 30, 2010
Teki’at Shofar and Havdalah 7:25PM, 86th SPSA, 96th CCCE
TA’ANIT ESTHER February 25
SUKKOT Shabbat and First Evening Service October 2, 7:00PM, 88th Street
PURIM Tot Program February 27, 6:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary
First Day Service October 3, 9:30AM, 86th Street
Family Megillah Reading/Evening Service February 27, 6:30PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Adult Evening Service with Megillah Reading February 27, 7:45PM, 88th Street Sanctuary
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Shabbat and Holy Day Schedule of Services Morning Minyan with Megillah Reading February 28, 9:30AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Purim Carnival and Play February 28, 12:30PM, 88th Street Sanctuary PESAH Note: There will be no services on the first two nights. First Day Service March 30, 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Children’s Service 10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Second Day Service March 31, 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Children’s Service 10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Shabbat Hol Hamo’ed Pesah Evening Service April 2, 5:45 and 7:30PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Shabbat Hol Hamo’ed Pesah Day Service April 3, 9:30AM, 86th Street Junior Congregation 10:30AM, 86th Street Social Hall Children’s Service 10:45AM, 86th Street Chapel Seventh Evening Service April 4, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary HAVUROT: Many members have formed havurot (fellowship groups) that gather monthly in members’ homes to pray and share Shabbat together. Times for meetings vary depending upon the group. For more information, see page 27. SHABBAT SUITCASES: Would you like to host a large group for Shabbat but don’t have enough supplies? Through a generous member donation BJ has been able to create “Shabbat Suitcases.” Each suitcase has everything you need to host a Shabbat gathering: 12 Zimrat Yah books (featuring songs and blessings), 12 kippot, candle sticks, a kiddush cup, and a havdalah set. Members may borrow a suitcase for the weekend. Contact Yaffa Garber, Assistant to Rabbi Felicia L. Sol, at ygarber@bj.org, x256. VISITING BJ: If your synagogue, school, youth, or camp group would like to visit BJ, please notify us by email. Let us know at least three weeks in advance and we can announce your visit in the weekly Kol Jeshurun. Contact sguthartz@bj.org with the name of your group, the number of visitors, and the date of your visit. No group is too small or too large. We’d love to share Shabbat with you.
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Seventh Day Service April 5, 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Children’s Service 10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Eighth Evening Service April 5, 8:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Eighth Day Service (Yizkor) April 6, 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Children’s Service 10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall YOM HASHO’AH Reading of Names and Program April 11, time TBA, 88th Street YOM HAZIKARON / YOM HA’ATZMA’UT Picnic and Celebration April 19, 6:00PM, Riverside Park LAG BA-OMER May 2 SHAVUOT First Evening Service and Tikkun Leil Shavuot May 18, 8:30PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Sunrise Service May 19, 5:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary First Day Service May 19, 10:00AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Children’s Service 11:15AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Second Evening Service May 19, 8:15PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Second Day Service (Yizkor) May 20, 9:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Children’s Service 10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall 17th OF TAMMUZ June 29 TISHA BE-AV Evening Service July 19, 8:15PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Morning Service July 20, 7:30AM, 88th Street Sanctuary Minhah Service July 20, 6:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
Services for Families, Children, and Teens PLEASE NOTE: Dates, times, and locations should be confirmed by checking the weekly Kol Jeshurun (available at Shabbat services and at www.bj.org) or by calling the BJ office at 212-787-7600. SHABBAT SERVICES Our services for families and children address their particular developmental and spiritual needs. We build on the traditional liturgy with song, dance, games, storytelling, and study to bring to life the prayers, Torah and a love of Israel for our community’s younger members. Kabbalat Shabbat Service Beginning October 16, 2009, join us each week at 5:45PM for the Early Service. This interactive service in the 88th Street Sanctuary is great for families and appropriate for children age 6 and older. It is led by our Rabbis, who rotate leading each week. Tot Shabbat Before the Early Kabbalat Shabbat Service, join us for a Tot Shabbat service at 5:00PM on the first and third Friday of each month. This interactive service in the 88th Street Sanctuary is especially for families and includes singing and storytelling appropriate for children under 6. It is led by all our Rabbis and the Rabbinic Interns. Check the website to confirm the time of this service throughout the year. Shabbat Morning Join us every Saturday morning at 10:45AM in the Chapel at 86th Street. This service creates the kavannah (intention) for Shabbat in a warm, interactive setting that includes singing, dancing, and storytelling within the framework of the Shabbat morning service. Parents are welcome and encouraged to participate and are required to accompany children under the age of 7.
Following the Torah reading, the children form three separate minyanim by age: Minyan Alef: For children 3 and younger. Children explore the meaning of Shabbat through song, movement, and storytelling. Minyan Bet: For children in pre-k, kindergarten, and 1st grade. Children deepen their understanding of Shabbat and the Jewish year through storytelling, games, discussion, and Shabbat-appropriate art projects. Minyan Gimel: For children in 2nd grade and older. On the first and third Saturday of each month, children and their families are invited to attend Junior Congregation. On remaining Saturday mornings, children engage in meaningful discussion and activities about Shabbat, the weekly Torah portion, prayer, Israel, and Jewish values. Junior Congregation Held on the first and third Saturday of every month at 10:30AM in the 86th Street Social Hall, this service is student-led and is geared particularly toward families with children in 2nd through 7th grades. HOLY DAY SERVICES Children’s Services begin at 10:45AM on days when adult services are held. To enrich families’ experience of the Jewish year, we are dedicated to providing educational and social programs to deepen both understanding and joy. Please see the Kol Jeshurun for more information on family services. TEEN SHABBAT Saturday, February 13, 9:30AM, 86th Street For one Shabbat, and one Shabbat only, you can find our teens all in the same place—at Shabbat morning services, as they take on all the responsibilities of the service, from davening to Torah reading and divrei Torah. We look forward to all our teenagers participating in this incredible opportunity to shape our community’s Shabbat experience. Contact Ira Dounn, Teen Educator, idounn@bj.org, x253 for more information.
“In prayer, BJ is intense, enthusiastic and lyrical. The music is awesome, and the silences are eloquent.” —BJ Member PHOTO: DAVEY ROSEN
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Study of Torah The Kabbalistic tradition (teachings of the Jewish mystics) tells us that the Torah turns a unique face to every Jew, meant for and accessible by only that individual. It is therefore incumbent on each one of us to study so we can discover the face of Torah that is ours alone and incorporate it into the tradition. Only then will we have fulfilled our true purpose. REGISTRATION INFORMATION Registration and prepayment of fees (if any) are required for all courses. Payment will not be accepted at the door. Late registrants will be accepted if there is room in the class, but we cannot prorate fees. Note: Although there is no charge for certain classes, registration is required. The first price listed for class tuition is for BJ members, the second for nonmembers. Registration and payment services are available online at www.bj.org or by calling Yaffa Garber, Assistant to Rabbi Felicia L. Sol, ygarber@bj.org, x256. Please register at least two weeks before the class begins so we can notify you of any
ADULT CLASSES AND EVENTS •
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CANCELLATION POLICY We reserve the right to cancel any class that does not have sufficient registration. If BJ cancels a class, full tuition will be refunded. If you would like to withdraw from a class, please send a written refund request to the BJ office before the second class session. A $15 administrative charge will be deducted from withdrawal refunds. We encourage you to direct refunds to be credited to your account for future activities or contributions in lieu of a refund. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and helps B’nai Jeshurun better serve the community. BOOKS Texts mentioned in the course descriptions are available at West Side Judaica (Broadway between 88th and 89th Streets). If you mention that you are affiliated with BJ, 10% of the proceeds of your purchase will be donated to the synagogue.
FALL/SPRING (September 2009-January 2010)
PREPARATION FOR YAMIM NORA’IM Rabbi Ezra Weinberg, Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow During the month of Elul, we reflect on the year now past. Traditionally called a Heshbon Nefesh—literally an “accounting of the soul”—we ask whether we were our best selves and what is the atonement we are in search of. Often, we find ourselves in a similar place to where we were a year before struggling to make the change we seek real, frustrated that we missed the mark yet again. Using stories and texts, we will learn about the difficulty of change and how we can move together toward repentance and at-one-ment. Time: Three Wednesdays: September 2, 9, 16 6:30PM-8:00PM Location: 88th Street Frankel Hall Cost: Free; registration required Code: 1000
changes. If you need tuition assistance, please contact Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director , blasky@bj.org, x224.
ROSH HODESH WOMEN’S GROUP Facilitated by Rabbi Felicia L. Sol Each new month on the Hebrew calendar, we will have an opportunity to study, discuss, celebrate, and pray together on this holiday traditionally associated with women. Registration is not required. Please bring a dairy/vegetarian kosher snack to share with the group as part of the celebration of Rosh Hodesh. Heshvan: Sunday, October 18, 7:00PM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Kislev: Monday, November 16, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Tevet: Thursday, December 17, 7:00PM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Shevat: Saturday, January 16, 12:00PM, Shabbat lunch, 88th Street Frankel Hall Adar: Saturday, February 13, 7:00PM, Havdalah, 88th Street Frankel Hall Nisan: Monday, March 15, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Iyar: Wednesday, April 14, 7:00PM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Sivan: Thursday, May 13, 7:00PM, 88th Street Frankel Hall Tammuz: Saturday, June 12, 12:00PM, Shabbat lunch, 88th Street Frankel Hall Av: Monday, July 12, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary Elul: Tuesday, August 10, 7:00PM, 88th Street Sanctuary
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM Rabbi Ezra D. Weinberg, Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow This course offers an overview of the core beliefs, practices, and history of Judaism and the Jewish people. We hope to deepen the understanding of those just beginning to explore Jewish life as well as of those who would like to participate more fully in the life of the Jewish community. No prior knowledge or experience necessary. Time: Mondays (October 12 through May 31), 7:00PM-9:00PM Location: BJ Office, Conference Room 1 Cost: Individuals $420/$630, couples $630/$945 (Although you must enroll for the entire year, you may pay tuition in two installments. If you wish to do so, please make arrangements with Ezra at eweinberg@bj.org, x251.) Code: 1001
BJ SALONS: ENGAGING MEMBERS IN AN INTIMATE SETTING Rabbi Marcelo R. Bronstein Through our Community Building Initiative efforts, BJ learned that members are looking for small group opportunities to create community and meet other members who share demographics and interests. Building on the importance of reaching members where they live and creating small, intimate groups, Marcelo is offering the extraordinary opportunity to share engaging discussions with your fellow congregants. In lieu of teaching traditional Limud classes, Marcelo will facilitate eight beit midrash themed salons (two meetings each). These gatherings will take place in members’ homes to share thoughts and concepts through conversation and text
study. There will be group discussion about social action and our Jewish world for some of these gatherings; for others we will discuss issues related to the education of our children. Salons will be offered to clusters of members that may include: East Side members; Brooklyn members; downtown members; parents of young children; Hebrew School parents; members who joined one to three years ago; members who joined prior to 1990; members who attended the Family Trip to Israel. The goal of the salons is to foster strong community among smaller groups. Limited space is available; sessions are first come, first served. Time: Tuesdays (October-May), 7:00-9:00PM Location: Varied locations, provided upon registration Cost: Free; registration required Code: 1002
CREATING A MEANINGFUL JEWISH PRACTICE: TRY THIS AT HOME AND BEYOND For Tze’irim (20’s and 30’s, singles and couples) Rabbi Felicia L. Sol The impetus for living a good Jewish life is no longer the domain of our parents’ generation. As adults, we try to build meaningful lives of our own, modern lives informed and made richer by our spiritual practice—lives that focus on the search for goodness, holiness, peace, and justice. This class will be devoted to developing a clearer vision of what our Jewish lives could look like, through the study of traditional texts and contemporary thought, as well as the texts of our own lives. The intention is that we create a more deliberate bond between our Jewish knowledge and our deeds and practice. Each session will be focused on a single topic; participants
PHOTO: SAUL ROBBINS
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Study of Torah can choose to attend one session or to experience a cumulative discussion over the course of all the classes.
paperback); no photocopies will be distributed. New participants are welcome.
Time: Four Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00PM October 21: Shabbat October 28: Kashrut November 4: Tefillah (Prayer) November 11: Tzedakah Location: 88th Street, Frankel Hall Cost: Free; registration required Code: 1003
Time: Seven Tuesdays (October 27 through December 8) 6:30-8:00PM Location: 88th Street Sanctuary Cost: Free; registration required Code: 1005
ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL’S HEAVENLY TORAH Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon We resume our study of Rabbi Heschel’s monumental work on rabbinic thought. Heavenly Torah, recently translated into English, explores the polarities in Judaism between transcendence and immanence and between mysticism and rationalism. In the chapters we will address this year, Heschel invites us to look at some fundamental religious questions (such as “What does it mean to love God?” “Do we have free will, or is everything divinely foreseen?” “Is the Torah meant to be read literally?”) through the lens of classical rabbinic discussions. Please bring the book to class (available in
PERVERSION AND HOLINESS: STORIES OF THE TALMUDIC RABBIS (Bava Metzi’a Chapter 7) Lunch and Learn (Please bring your own lunch) Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon We will continue our study of a chain of stories that appears in the seventh chapter of Tractate Bava Metzi’a, one of the pearls of Talmudic literary creativity. These stories reflect the concerns and struggles, fears and fantasies, even the dark side of our Talmudic sages. We will attempt to see ourselves in the mirror of the Talmud in order to understand and confront our own nature. No knowledge of Hebrew is required. New participants are welcome. Time: Six Thursdays (October 29 through December 10) (no meeting on November 26) 12:30PM - 1:30PM Location: TBD Cost: Free; registration required. Space is limited. Code: 1006
PARASHAT HASHAVU’A: STUDY OF THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION Michelle Dardashti, Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow A Hassidic story teaches that Moses wanted to reveal more Torah to the people but God refused, wanting to give the people a sense that there is something hidden among the words for them to discover. This story’s implicit message is that we have the power to reveal the hidden parts of the Torah. By adding our own understanding of the text, we too become a part of its unfolding story. In this class, as we study the weekly Torah portion with the aid of both ancient and modern interpretations, we will reveal its many layers and find ourselves reflected in its stories and teachings. Time: Thursdays (October 1 through May 27) 7:00-8:30PM Location: BJ Office, Conference Room Cost: Members: Free/Non-members: $150 for the year Code: 1007
PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN
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A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
KNOW BEFORE WHOM YOU STAND: AN EXPLORATION OF PRAYER AND THEOLOGY Rabbi Felicia L. Sol Whether we pray on a daily or weekly basis, the notions of whom we are praying to and for what purpose can be a stumbling block to having a meaningful and authentic prayer experience. Over this three-session course, we will explore traditional and contemporary texts on prayer so as to more clearly understand our purpose in prayer and how that influences our experience of it. Time: Three Wednesdays, December 2, 9, 16 7:00-8:30PM Location: 88th Street, Frankel Hall Cost: Free; registration required Code: 1004
SHABBAT LEARNING SHABBAT ONEGS Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 “And call the Sabbath a delight” —Isaiah 58:13 Extend your Shabbat experience beyond services. Gather with old and new friends. The BJ Shabbat Onegs are designed to create a welcoming community for all, taking us on a journey through the powerful beauty of Shabbat with traditional rituals, live music, joyous dancing, singing, and food. As the room fills with the sounds of passionate Shabbat melodies played by BJ Musicians-in-Residence, an intimate and sacred time and space come into being. Please help BJ provide the necessary elements that go into making the onegs a magical part of Friday evenings. Time: November 20, December 18, following the late service $18 members / $23 non-members
COMMUNITY SHABBAT DINNERS Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 Date: December 11, following the early service Frankel Hall $36 members/ $46 non-members
BJ RETREATS: SAVE THE DATES! WOMEN’S RETREAT Rabbi Felicia L. Sol Join us for BJ’s ninth Women’s Retreat. Be part of a Shabbat weekend devoted to encountering the tradition and ourselves through kol nashim (the voice of women). Time: May 14-16 Location: Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center Cost: TBD Code: 1009
COMMUNITY RETREAT Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon Spend a Shabbat studying with the rabbis and enjoying the opportunity to meet and spend time with other members of the BJ community. Time: June 4-6 Location: Block and Hexter Vacation Center Cost: TBD CODE: 1010
TEACHER IN RESIDENCE FALL PROGRAM Join the BJ community for Shabbat dinner and a Shabbat afternoon teaching with Rabbi Chaim Seidler Feller. Now in his 34th year as director of the UCLA Hillel, Rabbi SeidlerFeller previously served as Hillel Director at Ohio State and as rabbi of Congregation Ahavat Achim in New Bedford, Mass. He was ordained in 1971 at Yeshiva University where he also earned a Masters Degree in Rabbinic Literature. He has taught Kabbalah and Talmud at the University of Judaism, is a Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, and is a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Wilstein Institute for Social Policy. He is also a member of the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Foundation and is a Lehman Faculty Fellow at the BrandeisBardin Institute. Time: November 13 and 14 Location: Dinner – Frankel Hall. Lecture – 88th Street Sanctuary Cost: TBD Code: 1008
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Youth and Family Education We believe Judaism is an ongoing search for meaning and that this search starts in childhood. Jewish identity begins to develop early, and the family and the synagogue must work together to nourish it. The best way to convey the joy and beauty of being Jewish is by providing new and creative means for children to explore Judaism at each stage of their development. We offer our children the same kind of rich learning experiences that BJ’s adult education programs offer their parents.
BIM BAM: A MUSIC PROGRAM FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS Contact: Emily Walsh at ewalsh@bj.org, x243 Join families with kids ages 0-3 for a pre-Shabbat program with music and singing. This program meets on Thursday or Friday mornings.
B’NAI JESHURUN HEBREW SCHOOL Gan (Kindergarten) through Zayin (7th Grade) Contacts: Ivy Schreiber, Director of Education Youth and Family, ischreiber@bj.org, x 225; Elana Ayalon, Program Administrator, eayalon@bj.org, x260. During School Hours: 212-873-4548; Monday and Thursday afternoons September 14, 2009 through May 20, 2010 The Hebrew School offers a rich, vibrant learning environment in which we nourish our children’s growing Jewish identities, create a network of peers that is part of the larger community at BJ and the global Jewish community, and develop the tools children will need to be participatory members. Our children learn new skills and ideas, struggle with questions of theology, meaning, and connection at an age-appropriate level, and test what they have learned through prayer, discussion, and interaction with BJ’s clergy and staff. Family participation in services, Hebrew School events, and social action projects will further enrich children’s Jewish education.
REACH FOR SHABBAT RETREAT October 16-18, 2009 This annual retreat enables our Gimmel, Dalet, Hey, and Mem classes and their families to forge profound and lasting connections with one another by experiencing and practicing Shabbat in “real time” in a beautiful natural setting at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS The Hebrew School is pleased to continue our partnership with MATAN: The Gift of Jewish Learning for Every Child (www.matankids.org) to provide accessible Jewish education for all our learners. This includes consultation between teachers and parents as well as direct service to students and a class for students with audio and visual processing disabilities.
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Youth and Family Staff: Ivy Schreiber, Director of Education, Youth and Family, ischreiber@bj.org. x225 Emily Walsh, Assistant Director of Education, Youth and Family, ewalsh@bj.org, x243 Elana Ayalon, Program Administrator, Youth and Family. eayalon@bj.org, x260 Leora Frankel, Rabbinic Intern, lfrankel@bj.org, x271 Ira Dounn, Teen Educator, idounn@bj.org, x253
Shabbat Dinners, Mishpaha Family Learning Programs During School, Weekly Student-Led Tefillah, and more!
B’NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM Contact: Emily Walsh, Assistant Director of Education Youth and Family, ewalsh@bj.org, x243 When your child received his or her Hebrew name, the community expressed the hope that he or she would be led to Torah, huppah (the marriage canopy), and ma’asim tovim (great deeds). The journey to and through the bar/bat mitzvah includes the initial steps your child will take toward the first hope, Torah. May this be a fulfilling step on your child’s and your family’s Jewish journey, and may your ties to the Jewish community and tradition be strengthened by it. Becoming a bar/bat mitzvah gives your child the opportunity to mark his/her transition to maturity and responsibility under Jewish law before the community, including peers with whom he/she has been studying and preparing for this moment. Educational Requirement: We require that children receive their Jewish education in a communal setting—either at the BJ Hebrew School or a Jewish day school, beginning no later than 3rd grade, including participation in the communal aspects of bar/bat mitzvah preparation at B’nai Jeshurun. Membership Requirement: Since the bar/bat mitzvah is a sacred moment for the entire family, we require that the family maintain their B’nai Jeshurun membership continuously from the bar/bat mitzvah child’s 4th grade year in school. Children With Special Needs or Learning Disabilities: All children are welcome to become b’nai mitzvah at BJ. If your child has a learning challenge, contact us so that we can discuss educational alternatives. Our Rabbis, Hazzan, and educators are committed to helping you find the best way to prepare for the bar/bat mitzvah.
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
OTHER YOUTH AND FAMILY EDUCATION PROGRAMS • Holiday Programs (Sukkot, Simhat Torah, Hanukkah, and Tu BiShevat) • PJs and Havdalah for young families • K-2 Family Shabbat programs • Monthly Cooking for the Shelter • Havdalah and Movie Nights • B’nai Mitzvah Family Learning programs • Purim Play and Carnival, Sunday February 28, 2010 • Mitzvah Fair, December 9, 2009 • 5th grade overnight at BJ, January 23, 2010 • 6th Grade Retreat at Camp Ramah Nyack, April 30-May 2, 2010 • “It’s a Girl Thing!” Rosh Hodesh Group for 6th Grade
THE BJ TEEN PROGRAM Contact: Ira Dounn, Teen Educator, idounn@bj.org, x253 Please contact Ira to be added to the Teen Email List or for more information about or applications for any of the teen programs. We are committed to strengthening our connection to our teenagers at BJ by providing them with a community of intention and a place that not only addresses their particular needs as teens, but that also challenges them as they grow and provides clear pathways for them to transition to meaningful members in our larger adult community.
TEEN RETREAT September 11-12, 2009 Join us at our kick-off event of the year and meet other BJ teens on a fun-filled retreat to Camp Ramah Nyack.
TEEN LEADERSHIP TRACK The Teen Leadership Track is an opportunity for one or two students from each grade (8th-12th) to serve as
representatives of our teen population. The Teen Leadership Track comes together from various parts of the BJ community to help envision, create, and implement the future of our program. In addition to serving as representatives for their peers, they will also receive leadership training including meetings with the Rabbis, seminars on public speaking, and community building workshops. We are looking for students who are committed to working in partnership to help the teen program thrive and grow.
SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAMS Participate in an incredible year’s worth of learning about the role that you can play in repairing our world through an immersion experience. The direct-service learning program leads to a group trip in the United States in January 2010. The International Service Learning Program focuses on our Jewish responsibility to be global citizens of the world and leads to a venture overseas in February 2010. • Domestic Service Learning Program (8th and 9th grade) The first Sunday of the Month, 4:30– 6:30PM • International Service Learning Program (10th through 12th grade) The first Sunday of the Month, 6:00– 8:00PM
OZRIM AND OZRIM TEFILLAH BJ Teens are becoming emerging leaders in BJ’s community. For many teens the best and most natural point of connection is sharing their love and knowledge with children. Teens in 8th through l2th grades may apply to be teachers’ aides in the B’nai Jeshurun Hebrew School (Ozrim) and/or service leaders’ aides at weekly Children’s Shabbat morning services and Junior Congregation (Ozrim Tefilllah). The Ozrim (literally “helpers”) program provides teens with task supervision to develop their teaching and leading skills through multiple meetings with other teens in the program and the Teen staff.
PHOTOS: TOM ZUBACK
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Volunteer Committees and Programs Being a member of BJ means continuously striving to create a kehillah kedoshah (sacred community) within our congregation as well as in our global community. SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL JUSTICE Volunteerism through direct service and Panim el Panim, BJ’s Community Organizing and Advocacy Initiative provides members with a great variety of opportunities to help make this vision a reality.
Social Action/Social Justice Staff: Channa Camins, Director of Social Action/Social Justice, x259, ccamins@bj.org
SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL JUSTICE STEERING COMMITTEE Chair: Rochelle Friedlich Contact: Channa Camins, Director of Social Action/Social Justice, ccamins@bj.org, x259 The Social Action/Social Justice Steering Committee brings together the chairs of every SA/SJ program, from direct service to community organizing to one-time events and crisis response. The Committee seeks to integrate our work into a comprehensive whole and to maximize our impact by fostering relationships among our volunteer leadership and deepening the Jewish spiritual foundations of our work together.
Contact: Liz Weiss and Robert Daley, BJGreenHevra@yahoo.com
PANIM EL PANIM TASK FORCE Chairs: Robert Buxbaum, Jenny Eisenberg Contact: Channa Camins, Director of Social Action/Social Justice, x259, ccamins@bj.org The Panim el Panim Task Force is the leadership and coordination body for the Hevras (working teams). It aims to transform our congregation by facilitating deeper relationships among our members and between the BJ community and our citywide neighbors. Panim el Panim seeks to address the root causes of injustice by changing power structures, laws, policies, relationships, and practice— complementing the direct-service programs that BJ has operated for many years. Our power to make change is developed through a congregational community-organizing model based on one-to-one relationships, community conversations, leadership development, and participatory decision-making. In 2009 Panim el Panim supports action Hevras leading three campaigns. Needed: Enthusiastic people committed to social justice and the BJ community, with an interest in community organizing and a willingness to work with a dynamic, diverse team of leaders. The Environmental Action Hevra (EAH) is using relational meetings to explore the possibility of a campaign to green the 200 block of West 88th Street, working in partnership with the Upper West Side Street Renaissance Campaign and Transportation Alternatives. The Hevra continues to work to be a voice of the faith community for environmental justice in our city.
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The Marriage Equality Hevra (MEH) is working to pass legislation in New York State for equal access to the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage for same-sex couples. Contact: Dale Bernstein, dalebbernstein@gmail.com and Marlene Halpern, jacobhw@msn.com Manhattan Together Hevra (MTH) is the focal point for BJ congregants working with an interfaith citizen’s power organization, Manhattan Together. The two groups are working cooperatively on the development of two campaign areas—affordable housing and immigrants/domestic workers’ rights. Contact: Judith Trachtenberg, jtrachte@aol.com, or Robert Buxbaum, RBuxbaum@tdxconstruction.com
THE B’NAI JESHURUN/CHURCH OF ST. PAUL AND ST. ANDREW HOMELESS SHELTER Contact: Anne Millman, x340, anniemill@aol.com, or Jim Melchiorre, x340, jmelchi567@aol.com The Homeless Shelter has been in existence since 1985 and reflects B’nai Jeshurun’s strong commitment to the mitzvah of caring for the most vulnerable stranger in our midst. Sunday through Thursday, we receive homeless guests from two drop-in centers operated by Urban Pathways, contracted by the New York City Department of Homeless Services. Over 150 volunteers from three congregations (BJ, SPSA, and West Park Presbyterian Church) provide a dignified, welcoming atmosphere for our guests, making this endeavor one of our strongest and most sensitive programs. Needed: Two to three people per night from 7:00–9:00PM to set up beds, serve a small meal, maintain the storage closets, and interact with the guests. Two additional people each night from 9:00PM to 7:00AM to sleep over, supervise, help with a light breakfast, collect linens, and put away beds. Volunteers are also needed to cook or order in dinner for our shelter guests. A minimum commitment of one evening per month is requested.
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
BJ READS ... AT P.S. 166 Contact: Ellen Schecter and Sandy Davidson, x391, sandyd001@rcn.com BJ Reads offers volunteers the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of elementary school children who are not yet reading at grade level. Our volunteers meet with one child at P.S. 166 for one hour a week on Mondays or Wednesdays for the entire school year. With the steady presence and enthusiasm of our volunteers, the children’s reading and comprehension skills flourish over the course of the year. Needed: Warm, caring individuals of all ages to work with children. Minimum commitment is one one-hour session, one morning per week (Mondays or Wednesdays, 9:00-11:00AM) from October through May. Reading takes place at P.S. 166, 132 West 89th Street. No experience necessary. Training provided.
BJ/RALPH BUNCHE SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP Contact: Rory Butler and Ilene Richman, x301, rbspartnership@bj.org The partnership is dedicated to helping children attain literacy, to love and value books and reading, and to enhance basic math skills. Volunteers meet one-on-one with 1st through 4th grade children to support classroom instruction in reading and writing, and with children from 3rd and 4th grades to reinforce math lessons. We have also launched a Math through Music Program. This partnership between BJ and the Ralph Bunche School is an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children, one at a time. Needed: Individuals to work with an eager elementary school student in math or literacy, for a two-hour commitment, during school hours (generally on Tuesdays or Thursdays, details TBA in the fall), from October through May. If you cannot make a regular commitment, please sign up as a sub.
BJ RESPONDS Contact: Channa Camins, Director of Social Action/Social Justice, x259, ccamins@bj.org As always, we seek opportunities to “pray with our feet” by participating in public demonstrations and annual one-day events and by responding to ongoing crises such as the AIDS and breast cancer epidemics or sudden emergencies such as the South Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Needed: People who are passionate about making a difference in our world! For more information, contact the BJ members below. Darfur Response Committee: Josie Shapiro and Jerry Siegel, darfur@bj.org AIDS Walk (every May): Channa Camins, ccamins@bj.org Blood Drives (twice a year): Sharon Messitte, shasiem@aol.com, and Trudi Levine, trudil531@aol.com Hazon Jewish Environmental Bike Ride (every Labor Day weekend): Mark Lipsy, remark1@gmail.com, and Carol Silberfeld, cberfeld@gmail.com Komen for the Cure (Breast Cancer Run/Walkathon) (every September): Andrea Bigelisen, andmugs@aol.com and Ruth Jarmul, rjarmul@gmail.com
PHOTO: CHANNA CAMINS
JUDITH BERNSTEIN LUNCH PROGRAM Contact: Ruth Lazarus, Carole Lurie, Robin Tunick, and Susan Samuels, x338, sssamuels@aol.com Join this wonderful, friendly, intergenerational effort by serving lunch to our West Side guests at 88th Street on Thursdays. We care for both body and soul by providing our guests with a meal in a comfortable atmosphere as well as the services of a volunteer social worker. Needed: Caring individuals to prepare food, set tables, serve lunch, and clean up on Thursdays from 9:30AM–1:30PM. On Wednesday nights, we need individuals to cook from 5:00– 8:00PM. Help is always needed. Sign up for an hour each week or each month.
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Volunteer Committees and Programs CREATING KEHILLAH We create kehillah not only by performing acts of tikkun olam (repairing the world) but also through our commitment to providing a caring and welcoming atmosphere. Because members belong to a large congregation, they create intimacy and build friendships by playing an active role in the community. This participatory spirit is one of BJ’s greatest strengths, and it requires the contributions of all of our members to make this vision a reality. There are many opportunities for involvement at BJ, and we invite each member to carve out his or her own path. Supporting members in times of illness and mourning,
R
If you are interested in working on any of the committees or programs that follow, please contact the staff or volunteers listed. If you have the ability to help BJ financially support any of these programs, please be aware that you can make designated donations. See page 31 for more information.
BEKEF 35+ Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 Bekef is B’nai Jeshurun’s group for active 35+ singles and couples who are interested in social activities and in celebrating Jewish life together. Bekef welcomes BJ members and non-members from New York City and beyond. Bekef is planning intimate Friday night dinners and special activities for the holidays.
COMMUNITY KIDDUSHIM Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 Kiddush is a wonderful opportunity for people to meet and schmooze together. By sponsoring a Kiddush you can do all that and receive the benefit of a tax deductible charitable donation when you coordinate in advance with the BJ office. Needed: People needed to assist in preparations and to welcome new guests.
BIKKUR HOLIM (VISITING THE ILL) Chair: Jeannie Blaustein Contact: Yaffa Garber, Life Cycle Coordinator, ygarber@bj.org, x256 Bikkur Holim is the mitzvah of providing comfort to those who are ill, whether they suffer pains of the body or spirit. Visiting, making phone calls, and providing food and transportation are but a few examples of how we offer comfort. In addition to this support, we provide outreach to the frail elderly, to people with chronic, long-term illness, and to those with special needs. Information and support are also available for caregivers. Education and training are offered to all participants, and special events take place throughout the year. Needed: People to visit and support those requesting comfort, either in person or by phone. Members with good organizational skills are also needed.
COMMUNITY SHABBAT DINNERS Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 Dates: December 11, January 29, following the early service Frankel Hall $36 members/ $46 Non-Members Needed: People needed to assist in preparations and to welcome new guests.
BJ EMPLOYMENT HELP Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 In these hard economic times, BJ has formed an Employment Help task force to try and address the needs of many members who are either unemployed or underemployed. Needed: Volunteers who are willing to donate their time to help mentor, support, and guide those members in need.
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opening our homes to welcome guests on Shabbat, taking part in small fellowship groups, attending our many community events, and volunteering to support the BJ Hebrew School are some of the many ways members can participate in building community at BJ.
HAKHNASAT ORHIM (WELCOMING GUESTS) Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 Hakhnasat Orhim is a mitzvah designed to help the community extend hospitality and create a welcoming atmosphere to all members, as well as to visitors and guests. This initiative also provides members with ways to get to know each other in smaller, more intimate settings on Shabbat and the holidays. Needed: People who are committed to embracing others in our community through hospitality; people who enjoy opening their homes to guests on Shabbat and holidays.
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
HAVUROT (SMALL FELLOWSHIP GROUPS) Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 Havurah groups provide a critical means for members to create community, intimacy, and friendships at B’nai Jeshurun. BJ members have formed these groups that meet in members’ homes to study, celebrate Shabbat, and perform gemilut hasadim (acts of loving-kindness). Groups range from 10-20 people and are a wonderful way to overcome the anonymity that often pervades our lives. Needed: Members interested in becoming part of an existing in starting a specific kind of havurah or in starting a havurah with a new theme.
HEALING RESOURCES: A BIKKUR HOLIM PROJECT Contact: Susan Kaplow, susankaplow@earthlink.net, 518-281-4133 The Bikkur Holim Committee is undertaking a project: to collect short descriptions from our congregants about what Jewish traditions and practices they found helpful when facing serious physical or emotional illness. Many of us yearn for spiritual support but feel too overwhelmed or too afraid to seek it out. Our project is designed to fill this gap. Confidentiality will be strictly maintained. Needed: Both those who have been ill and those who have been caregivers are invited to contribute.
HEVRA KADISHA (COMFORTING MOURNERS) Co-Chairs: Penny Dannenberg, Bob Gruenspecht, Daniel Kestin, and Elissa Meth Kestin Contact: Yaffa Garber, Life Cycle Coordinator, ygarber@bj.org, x256 The death of a loved one brings about feelings of loss, sadness, confusion, and loneliness. The Hevra Kadisha is there to comfort and support the bereaved from the time of death through the periods of shiva and shloshim. Our committee attends shiva minyanim, escorts mourners to Friday night services, performs the mitzvah of tahara (the ritual cleansing and dressing of the deceased), and sits sh’mira (guarding the deceased before burial). Needed: People to serve as shiva minyan volunteers and escorts, people to perform tahara and sh’mira, and people to make shloshim phone calls. Members with good organizational skills are also needed to help with outreach and event planning. Orientation and training are provided.
INTERFAITH COMMITTEE Co-Chairs: Joe Antenson and Linda Kates Contact: Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director, blasky@bj.org, x224 The Interfaith Committee is committed to interfaith understanding, collaboration, and action. Working within BJ, the Committee aims to engage members with theological, cultural, and political interfaith issues; reach and serve the need of BJ’s interfaith families; and encourage an interfaith agenda among other committees. Beyond BJ, the Committee aims to strengthen collaboration with other religious institutions and traditions for the purposes of study, prayer, and social action. Needed: People with a strong interest in interfaith matters and the skills and motivation to take on new and complex projects. In particular, members who are involved in other BJ committees who will provide a liaison around interfaith issues and activities and who have the skills and interest to organize interfaith study or build on our relationships with SPSA and other churches and religious traditions.
LEDOR VADOR Chair: Asya Berger Contact: Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director, blasky@bj.org, x224 As a function of the Membership Steering Committee, Ledor Vador is dedicated to continuing the connections among the many generations represented at BJ. We aim to keep our elders integrated in the BJ community, hoping other generations continue to benefit from their wisdom and their living histories. Through Shabbat luncheons and study sessions, programs offer opportunities to learn, socialize, and share our stories. Of growing importance in an aging population is the need for educational events for our elders as well as their adult children. Needed: Volunteers of all ages to create and organize innovative new programming for our diverse population.
PHOTO, TOP: TOM ZUBACK
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Volunteer Committees and Programs SHABBAT ONEGS Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 “And call the Sabbath a delight” —Isaiah 58:13 The BJ Shabbat Onegs are designed to create a welcoming community for all, taking us on a journey through the powerful beauty of Shabbat with traditional rituals, live music, joyous dancing, singing, and food. As the room fills with the sounds of passionate Shabbat melodies played by BJ Musicians-inResidence, an intimate and sacred time and space is created. Details about scheduled BJ Shabbat Onegs are available on page 21. Needed: People needed to assist in preparations and to welcome new guests.
TZE’IRIM 20s and 30s Chair: Susan Fishman Contact: Rabbi Ezra Weinberg, Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow, eweinberg@bj.org, x264, or Yaffa Garber, ygarber@bj.org, x256 Tze’irim, B’nai Jeshurun’s 20s/30s group, is a diverse community of Jewish professionals and students, singles and couples, from in and around New York City. We are committed to creating a Jewish life that is meaningful, relevant, and dynamic and to fostering a Jewish community that supports and celebrates our efforts. We offer interesting programs, social events and involvement in social action. For more information, please visit www.bj.org and click on “Tze’irim 20s and 30s.” Needed: Tze’irim is in search of new leadership to help us coordinate, facilitate, and energize our most popular events. We are also looking for innovative new programs for the coming year.
USHERING Co-Chairs: Glenda Frank, Matthew Pasher, and Jeff Yablonka Contact: Sarah Guthartz, Assistant to Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon, sguthartz@bj.org, x234 Our ushers at BJ help create a place of welcome and comfort at services so everyone can worship in peace. By taking on this mitzvah, you participate in creating a kehillah kedoshah, a holy community, and help to ensure that all who enter our sanctuary will be able to share an extraordinary Shabbat experience. Needed: People to usher once a month at Shabbat services on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings, as well as on hagim (festivals). Responsibilities are primarily to greet and guide congregants and visitors. Additional responsibilities include providing security, safety, and comfort to the community, orienting newcomers to BJ, and assisting latercomers in finding seats. Orientation and training are provided.
TEFILLAH (PRAYER) DAILY MINYAN Co-Chairs: Irv Rosenthal and Shira Nadich Levin Contact: Hazzan Ari Priven, apriven@bj.org, x232, or minyan@bj.org Join with fellow members by making sure there is a quorum of 10 adults so those who need to say kaddish daily can do so. Needed: People who can participate once a week, once a month, or even more often; people to chant Torah on Monday and Thursday mornings.
TORAH/HAFTARAH READING Contact: Hazzan Ari Priven, apriven@bj.org, x232 While BJ is blessed with many who know how to read Torah and Haftarah, we always welcome new readers. This is a wonderful way to commemorate a bar/bat mitzvah or any other simha. Needed: Torah and Haftarah readers, especially for the Monday and Thursday daily minyan, and during the summer.
TORAH (EDUCATION AND LEARNING) FAMILY LIFE ACTIVITIES Contact: Elana Ayalon, Program Administrator, Youth and Family, eayalon@bj.org, x260 Our focus is to build a community for families through involvement in holiday, social action, and parenting programs. Programs include Shabbat services, holiday celebrations, cooking for the Homeless Shelter, Tot Shabbatot, retreats, and Shabbat Se’udot (meals). Needed: Volunteers with good organizational skills to help develop programming; people with a variety of talents and abilities to help infuse our activities with ruah (spirit).
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A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
Volunteer Committees and Programs TEENS Contact: Ira Dounn, Teen Educator, idounn@bj.org, x253 Created and run by BJ’s teens, our activities include informal learning, Shabbat dinners, leading Shabbat morning services, and participating in tikkun olam programs. Participants are given opportunities to work in the Hebrew school and to serve as staff for programming geared toward younger children. Needed: Teens interested in planning, organizing, and participating in social and tikkun olam projects sponsored by the group; working in the Hebrew school; and planning programs for the younger members of our community.
MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP STEERING COMMITTEE Co-Chairs: Sofia Hubscher and Samara Minkin Contact: Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director, blasky@bj.org, x224 or Sarah Verity, Senior Membership Associate, sverity@bj.org, x250 The Membership Steering Committee and its four teams serve as a web of connections that supports all aspects of the community. The goals of the Membership Steering Committee are to attract actively attending non-members to join the congregation; orient and segue new members into the community; and enhance the experiences and deepen the connections of current members. • The Potential Members Team connects with regularly attending individuals and encourages them to join by reaching out to new people at services and events and creating opportunities for prospective members to learn about BJ. • In addition to hosting a series of New Member Orientation programs, the New Members Team finds creative ways to welcome and integrate new members into the community by building relationships among new members and providing more entry points for them to become further engaged in community. • The Current Members Team explores ways to enhance membership for BJ members and facilitates connections and engagement among members by providing opportunities to further develop their relationships with BJ and with each other.
Through these programs, the Membership Steering Committee aims to give each member a broader understanding of the vision of BJ and help them to participate more fully in building community.
DEVELOPMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE Contact: Denise Waxman, Communications Manager, dwaxman@bj.org, x275 The Communications Committee provides guidance to the BJ Board and the BJ administration on the development and implementation of an overall communications strategy designed to inform and expand membership, to generate donations and other funding, and to increase BJ’s visibility as a model and inspiration for others.
DEVELOPMENT COMMITEE Chair: Gene Carr Contact: Erzsébet Ragyina, Associate Director of Development, x228 BJ has great dreams, but realizing them costs money. The Development Committee helps to solicit gifts within and beyond the community and to strategize about how to raise the necessary funds to make our dreams realities.
• The Former Members Team tracks people who choose not to renew their membership and evaluates their reasons for leaving so as to better address the needs of BJ members.
PHOTO, OPPOSITE PAGE: HARRIET R. GOREN. ABOVE: LEORA FRANKEL.
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Membership Information 2009/5770
We invite you to join our living, thriving community by becoming a member. The simple act of joining BJ is transformative. It is an acknowledgement that BJ is your community, its rabbis are your rabbis, and its sanctuary is your space.
Membership Department Staff: Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director, blasky@bj.org, x224 Sarah Verity, Senior Membership Associate, sverity@bj.org, x250
MEMBERSHIP AT BJ INCLUDES: • Admission to High Holy Day services • Special rates for classes, dinners, and events • Support for life cycle events and in times of difficulty • Opportunities to volunteer and serve on committees
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN MEMBERSHIP DUES 2009-2010
TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP Membership is open to any person of the Jewish faith and his/her spouse/partner. Membership is for a one-year period, beginning July 1, 2009 and ending on June 30, 2010. Members choose one of the following membership categories: Individual: Single member without children. Family: Married couple or two individuals living together in a partnered relationship, with or without children; single parents with children who wish to be informed of or included in children or family events. Full-Time Student: Individual pursuing an undergraduate or post-graduate degree. BJ Friend: For those living outside of the tri-state area or beyond commuting distance from the synagogue. New Family/Individual 20-29: For first-time members ages 20-29 and renewing members who joined at this rate last year. BJ FAIR SHARE DUES PLAN As part of our obligation to create a kehillah kedoshah—a holy community—we each must assume the responsibility of meeting the financial requirements of our synagogue. The Fair Share Dues System allows members to pay their dues based on their household income. You are not asked to disclose your income but only to accept those dues that are justly applicable to you. No financial documents are required. Rather, we ask that each member pledge honestly and as accurately as possible. All financial information is treated confidentially. No adjustments will be made due to membership in other synagogues. Please do not hesitate to contact the Membership Department to discuss dues or payment plans. As our policy has always stated, no one will be turned away because of financial considerations.
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Annual Income/ Membership Category
Individual
Full-time student
$150
BJ Friend
$350
$0 - 30,000
$460
$575
$31,000 - 40,000
$660
$760
$41,000 - 50,000
$815
$980
Family
$51,000 - 60,000
$980
$1,185
$61,000 - 70,000
$1,145
$1,390
$71,000 - 85,000
$1,390
$1,650
$86,000 - 100,000
$1,600
$1,960
$101,000 - 125,000
$2,010
$2,420
$126,000 - 150,000
$2,420
$2,910
$151,000 - 200,000
$3,100
$3,600
$201,000 +
$3,980
$4,770
Special Introductory Rate for first-time BJ members ages 20-29 with an annual income of less than $75,000. If you are in a comfortable financial position, we recommend that you pay the Fair Share Dues. Annual Income/ Membership Type
Individual 20-29
Family 20-29
Year 1 (New members only)
$180
$360
Year 2 (Renewing members who joined last year)
$180
$360
begin paying Fair Share Dues
begin paying Fair Share Dues
Year 3
Giving to BJ Development Staff: Erzsébet Ragyina, Associate Director of Development, eragyina@bj.org, x228 TYPES OF GIVING TRIBUTE GIVING Make a donation to honor or memorialize a loved one or to commemorate a life cycle event or special occasion. BJ will send notification to the designated individual or family informing them that you have made a gift to BJ. DESIGNATED DONATIONS You can designate your donation for a specific program, event, or fund. Specific giving opportunities are listed below, and you can find further information about the purpose of each on the BJ website, www.bj.org.
A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITY 5770 • 2009–2010
Elizabeth Stone, Senior Development Associate, estone@bj.org, x233. GIVING OPPORTUNITIES THE KOL NIDRE ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP APPEAL The Kol Nidre Annual Partnership Appeal is a critical part of funding for BJ and provides 30% of our annual operating budget. This year, in the midst of the most serious financial environment of our time, we are facing the challenge of continuing BJ’s core programs with reduced resources. In light of this, we have been hard at work aligning reduced resources with the goal of sustaining programs and services and minimizing the impact on BJ’s day-to-day operations. We need to raise $1.6 million this year. Please make BJ a philanthropic priority.
ESTATE AND PLANNED GIVING By naming BJ as a beneficiary, you will leave a legacy and set an example for your children and your community. You will also help ensure that BJ has the resources to meet the future needs of the Jewish community. Make a statement about what you stand for and: • Endow a specific program/project (e.g., scholarships, programs, or capital purposes). • Establish a permanent fund (e.g., memorial scholarship). • Provide a charitable bequest in your will, naming BJ as the beneficiary of all or part of your estate. • Include BJ as a contingent beneficiary in your will, ensuring that BJ flourishes well into the future.
General Fund Contributions offset ongoing operational costs and help support vital activities such as services, adult and youth education, and special events programming.
DONATE GIFTS OF SECURITIES Gifts of appreciated securities provide an excellent way for you to support BJ and to receive tax benefits as well. We can provide specific instructions and assistance in handling a transfer. It is important that you notify us ahead of time that securities are being transferred to BJ so that we know the identity of the donor.
Bikkur Holim
Operating Endowment Fund Contributions ensure BJ’s future vitality. Additional Funds and Programs: Arthur P. Morgan Fund
Kiddush Fund
Adult Education
Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer Memorial Fund
Beba Bronstein Jewish Camp Scholarship Fund
Children’s Services Elliot Levinson Memorial Fund
Miriam L. Siroky Fund for Family Education Rabbis’ and Hazzan’s Discretionary Funds
Etz Hayim Fund
Renee Kaufman Memorial Fund
Godnick and Gross Scholarship Fund
Richard M. Kaplan Memorial Fund
WAYS TO GIVE GIVE BY PHONE Contributions can be made by contacting Erzsébet Ragyina, Associate Director of Development, x228; or Elizabeth Stone, Senior Development Associate, x233.
Greening BJ
Sarah Segal Memorial Fund
Hebrew School
Shabbat B’Yahad
Helen Radin Memorial Zayin Adar Teaching
Shabbat Oneg
Holiday Programming
Shira Palmer-Sherman Memorial Fund
GIVE ONLINE You can donate easily and securely online through our website, www.bj.org. A simple interface allows you to designate your donation for a specific purpose and to make a tribute gift.
Homeless Shelter Fund
Social Action Fund
Israel Trip Scholarships
Teen Programming and Scholarships
Judith Bernstein Lunch Program Fund
Yizkor Fund
GIVE BY MAIL Contributions can be mailed to: BJ Development Department 2109 Broadway, Suite 203 New York, NY 10023
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Finding Your Way at BJ PASTORAL AND SPIRITUAL COUNSELING For Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon Contact: Sarah Guthartz, sguthartz@bj.org, x234 For Rabbi Marcelo R. Bronstein Contact: Naomi Goodhart, ngoodhart@bj.org, x240 For Rabbi Felicia L. Sol Contact: Yaffa Garber, ygarber@bj.org, x256 CONVERSION INQUIRIES Contact: Rabbi Ezra D. Weinberg, Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow, eweinberg@bj.org, x264. IN CASE OF ILLNESS BJ members offer a wide range of support through the Bikkur Holim (visiting the sick) Committee. Contact: Yaffa Garber, Life Cycle Coordinator, ygarber@bj.org, x256. IN CASE OF A DEATH Please contact BJ immediately. We are here to assist with arrangements and answer your questions about death and dying rituals in Judaism. BJ’s Hevra Kadisha (comforting mourners) Committee performs tahara (preparation of the body for burial) and provides siddurim and leaders for shiva minyanim. Contact: Yaffa Garber, Life Cycle Coordinator, x256 during office hours. After office hours call 212-787-7600, and follow the prompt to obtain a rabbi’s contact number. For funeral services, BJ recommends Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, the only non-profit and communally owned chapel serving the New York Jewish community. www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org, 212-769-4400. BJ owns cemetery plots in King Solomon Memorial Park in the West Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton, NJ, and can make burial arrangements. Contact: Ron Seitenbach, Director of Finance, rseitenbach@bj.org, x 226. CELEBRATE S’MAHOT Make arrangements for weddings, aliyot hatan ve’kallah (aufrufs), and baby namings. Let us know about your new baby, and we will send you Shabbat dinner and a BJ onesie! Contact: Yaffa Garber, Life Cycle Coordinator, ygarber@bj.org x256. SPONSOR A KIDDUSH We encourage members to share their s’mahot by sponsoring a Kiddush. BJ offers a range of options for Kiddushim we arrange for you, or make your own arrangements. In either case we will help coordinate. Contact: Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator, gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255.
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BECOME A BAR OR BAT MITZVAH It is essential to plan ahead for your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Contact: Emily Walsh, Assistant Director of Education, Youth & Family, ewalsh@bj.org, x243. SHARE NEWS OF YOUR FAMILY EVENTS Tell us about the births and deaths, weddings, b'nai mitzvot, graduations, publications, and honors in your family for inclusion in the KJ and the BJ website, www.bj.org. Contact: Sarah Guthartz, sguthartz@bj.org, x234. OBTAIN REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES BJ can help locate the social services you may need. Contact: Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director, blasky@bj.org, x224. MEET YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS Children with special needs find the services they need and a warm welcome in the Hebrew School. For adult members with disabilities, BJ provides a variety of accommodations to help them participate fully in synagogue life. Contact: Ivy Schreiber, Director of Education, Youth and Family, ischreiber@bj.org, x225 Naomi Goodhart, Assistant to Rabbi Marcelo R. Bronstein, ngoodhart@bj.org, x240. MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THE BJ COMMUNITY Participate in activities for Teens, Tze’irim (20’s and 30’s), Bekef (35+) or Ledor Vador. Volunteer at the shelter. Take a class. Join a committee. Usher at services. Have Shabbat dinner with members. We can help you find your way. Contact: Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director, blasky@bj.org, x224 or Sarah Verity, Senior Membership Associate, sverity@bj.org, x250 RENT THE SANCTUARY AND/OR FRANKEL HALL For any s’mahot you may rent BJ's facilities. BJ offers assistance for all aspects of the arrangements. Please note that kashrut governs the serving of food at 88th Street. Only kosher food or food prepared by approved kosher caterers may be brought into the synagogue. Contact: Arlene Brandon, B’nai Mitzvah Program and Private Events Coordinator, abrandon@bj.org, x223. CONNECT TO BJ • Pick up the weekly Kol Jeshurun (KJ) for this week’s services, events, and news. • Read the bi-monthly Kol Hadash (KH) for articles from the Rabbis, staff, and members. • Open the weekly Community Email for highlights and links to everything. • Consult the BJ website, www.bj.org, for the most up-todate information about everything. • Join BJ’s members-only LinkedIn group and BJ’s public Facebook group. • Follow BJ’s tweets at @bjnyc.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
RABBINIC OFFICE Rabbis Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon Rabbi Marcelo R. Bronstein Rabbi Felicia L. Sol rabbis@bj.org Hazzan and Music Director Ari Priven, apriven@bj.org, x232
Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellows Rabbi Ezra D. Weinberg eweinberg@bj.org, x264
Sarah Guthartz, Assistant to Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon sguthartz@bj.org, x234 Naomi Goodhart, Assistant to Rabbi Marcelo R. Bronstein and Hazzan Ari Priven ngoodhart@bj.org, x240 Yaffa Garber, Assistant to Rabbi Felicia L. Sol ygarber@bj.org, x256
Jonathan Adelsbergº President Susan Kippurº* Chair Jeannie Blausteinº Vice President Robin Fleischnerº Vice President Stephen Stulmanº Vice President Debra Fineº Treasurer
Michelle Dardashti mdardarshti@bj.org, x251
Joel Kazisº Secretary
Cantorial Intern Shira Wallach swallach@bj.org, x274
Robert Buxbaum Gene Carr Jeffrey Feig Rochelle Friedlich Christina Gantcher Barbara Glassman Sally Gottesman Sofia Hubscher Richard Kalikow
David Karnovsky Beth Kern Susan Kippur* Debbie Lerner Andrew Litt Russell Makowsky Henry Meer Andrea Newman Bernie Plum Benjamin Ross Emily Weiss Honorary Trustees Virginia Bayer* Ted Becker* Frederic Goldstein Marcy Grau* David Hirsch* Richard Janvey* Robert Kanter Joan Kaplan Sara Moore Litt* Naomi Meyer Judith Stern Peck* General Counsel Richard Kalikow º Executive Committee Member * Past President
STAFF DIRECTORY Office The Ansonia 2109 Broadway, Suite 203 New York, NY 10023 Cross streets: W. 73rd St. and Broadway Main Telephone: 212-787-7600 Fax (257 West 88th Street): 212-496-7600 Fax (86th Street): 212-873-7622 Executive Director’s Office Harold Goldman, Executive Director hgoldman@bj.org, 248 Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director blasky@bj.org, x224 Elizabeth Stone Assistant to Executive Director Harold Goldman estone@bj.org, x233 Administration and Finance Ron Seitenbach, Director of Finance and Administration rseitenbach@bj.org, x226
Marilyn Perez, Accounting Analyst mperez@bj.org, x227 Ebenezer Aryee, Accounts Receivable Analyst earyee@bj.org, x237 Shakeara Hatchett, Receptionist shatchett@bj.org, x221 Arlene Brandon, B'nai Mitzvah Program and Private Events Coordinator abrandon@bj.org, x223 Communications Denise Waxman, Communications Manager dwaxman@bj.org, x275 Harriet R. Goren, Art Director Development Erzsébet Ragyina, Associate Director of Development eragyina@bj.org, x228 Elizabeth Stone, Senior Development Associate estone@bj.org, x233
Membership Belinda Lasky, Assistant Executive Director blasky@bj.org, x224
Leora Frankel Rabbinic Intern, Youth and Family lfrankel@bj.org, x271
Sarah Verity, Senior Membership Associate sverity@bj.org, x250
Ira Dounn, Teen Educator idounn@bj.org, x253
Yaffa Garber, Life Cycle Coordinator ygarber@bj.org, x256
Jason Fruithandler, Graduate School Intern, Youth and Family jfruithandler@bj.org, x242
Guy Felixbrodt, Community Initiatives Coordinator gfelixbrodt@bj.org, x255 Youth and Family Education Ivy Schreiber, Director of Education, Youth and Family ischreiber@bj.org, x244 Emily Walsh, Assistant Director of Education, Youth and Family ewalsh@bj.org, x243 Elana Ayalon, Program Administrator eayalon@bj.org, x260
Programming Channa Camins, Director of Social Action/ Social Justice ccamins@bj.org, x259 Facilities Management Roma Serdtse, Director of Facilities rserdtse@bj.org, x258 Roman Khakhlou Mikhail Kremerov Damian Mazuchowski Mariusz Mazuchowski Lyubomir Mulyava Boris Serheyev Leonid Tayts Vladimir Tayts Solomon Tsveitel Dmitry Ziskin
“B’nai Jeshurun changes your perception of what Judaism can be. It revitalizes and reenergizes it, like a living, breathing thing. It’s not antiquated and in the books—it’s about how does this thing relate to my life today?” —BJ Member
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN 2109 BROADWAY, SUITE 203 NEW YORK, NY 10023
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