KOL HADASH . new voIce
asj kue The World of Piyut* at BJ
“
They bring us into the full range of emotions and to a universe of nuance, grace, refinement, and elegance, as well as a profound connection to the roots of Jewish culture and Jewish peoplehood.”
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON A few years ago, I spent half of a 40-day sabbatical in a cabin on a farm in Vermont in the middle of the freezing winter. I used some of the time to study holy books, some practicing my oud (Arabic lute), and a lot of time exploring on my laptop the Hazmanah LePiyut/Invitation to Piyut website (www.piyut.org.il). What I discovered amazed me and filled me with deep joy: a trove of thousands of liturgical poems and devotional prayers in musical renditions from all over the Jewish world. There are piyutim that follow the yearly cycle such as Shabbat songs and piyutim for holy days and festive occasions, and piyutim that follow the human lifecycle, from birth—piyutim for brit milah and for the birth of a daughter—through bar and bat mitzvah, to marriage. And there are psalms and songs of supplication. Some of the best-known and most widely used piyutim, such as Lekha Dodi or Adon Olam, appear in dozens of melodies from all over the world, both old and contemporary. Other piyutim are used only by specific communities and appear in just one or a couple of melodies.
The Glee-ful BJ Hanukkah Play
The poetic and musical creativity of the Jewish people during the past two millennia in various Diaspora communities, and at times also in the Land of Israel, has been enormous. Many of these textual and musical traditions have been lost, but since the founding of the State of Israel and the arrival of many of these ancient Diaspora communities to Israel there has been an effort to preserve, record, and restore as much as possible of the these traditions. There is currently a strong interest on the part of Israelis—both traditional and so-called “secular”—to rediscover and reconnect to this heritage as an essential part of Jewish identity and Jewish culture. For the past few years we at BJ have been exploring the world of piyutim, in special classes and at services, in collaboration with Hazmanah LePiyut, which was founded in 2005 and is one of the leading projects in making the world of piyut accessible and alive. This collaboration has expanded BJ’s musical horizons, and it has been a productive and enriching experience.
PHOTO: MAX ORENSTEIN
See pages 12-13 for more about kids and music at BJ.
In our wish to share our experience and to introduce the world of Piyut to synagogues, schools and communities throughout North America, we created a four-day experience in partnership with Hazmanah LePiyut and with the generous support and guidance of the Charles H. Revson (continued on page 5) * Piyut: from the Greek poietes, poet
Social Action/Social Justice . . . . . .2-3 Volunteering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Piyut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Our Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-8 Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Staff Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Youth & Family Education . . . . . .12-13 Hakhnasat Orhim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Yom HaShoah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
inside: Volunteering at BJ Goes Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Transformational Power of Piyutim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Growing Up at BJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Mekusharim: Our Routes and Roots in New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Who’s Cooking in the Development Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Moving With the Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
new voIce • KOL HADASH .
MARCH/APRIL 2011
SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL JUSTICE
Manhattan Together Hevra: Housing Team Neighborhood Walk-Through members of BJ are aware of the obstacles to living in or finding affordable housing in New York City, particularly on the Upper West Side. The Panim el Panim Housing Team aims to broaden our understanding of this problem and enable BJ members to participate in and contribute to the ongoing housing debates taking place in our city. The Housing Team would like to be a BJ voice in this conversation and reflect the housing stories we have heard in our congregation.
m
On November 7, 2010, the Housing Team organized a neighborhood walk-through, which consisted of several groups surveying UWS streets for buildings or sites where an opportunity for some form of affordable housing might be implemented. No small task! We first heard about this idea by participating in a similar event undertaking by East End Synagogue which, like BJ, is a member of Manhattan Together, an organization that unites religious congregations and nonprofit organizations on issues critical to the borough. The purpose of the event was
three-fold: 1) to identify buildings in the Upper West Side that might, in one form or another, have potential for affordable housing, 2) to engage our members in exploring the complex on-the-ground processes of community development, and 3) to explore what affordable housing means in connection with our personal stories. We walked in the West 50s/60s, from 9th to 11th Avenues, and what struck us most was how much new construction there has been in just the past five years or so and how much of it is advertised as "luxury." Most of these new buildings appear to be rental only, and the few comments we could get was that, 1), they are expensive, and 2), there are vacancies. We did not get the impression that the buildings were in dire straits for any reason. There don't seem to be any buildings in the immediate area my team walked with hope for anything close to affordability. — David Smiley
“
Over 65 percent of New York City housing is occupied by renters, and we want to raise awareness about the struggles they face around affordability and quality of housing.”
Four groups hit the streets of the West Side, spanning from as far south as 54th Street and northward to 142nd Street. They collected information on 20 buildings that appear to be stalled in construction or are experiencing a low demand in renters. Though we targeted some properties in construction or with scaffolding in April of last year, by the end of the afternoon groups were able to identify buildings that may be suffering delays or financial trouble with the longer-term goal of finding affordable units. The next steps in this project include researching the identified buildings, discussions with neighborhood nonprofits, and discussions with the City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). HPD works with owners of distressed sites and provides subsidies to projects in exchange for a percentage of affordable units. This program has great potential to broaden and enrich our neighborhood's housing base. The team also plans to pioneer a ”Faces of New York City Tenants” campaign, which would involve a collection of recorded stories that highlight the diverse experience of renters who build lives and raise families in New York City. Over 65 percent of New York City housing is occupied by renters, and we want to raise awareness about the struggles they face around affordability and quality of housing. The campaign would start with BJ members. Most important, the Housing Hevra group needs your help. If you are motivated to address the complexities of what makes a diverse neighborhood, please join us to make the affordable housing initiative a reality. Feel free to email Josh Weisstuch at jweisstuch@yahoo.com or attend one of our meetings. n — Josh Weisstuch Josh Weisstuch is a co-chair of the BJ Affordable Housing Exploratory Team and has been a BJ member since 2005. He is currently completing a two-year fellowship with the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and was recently engaged.
PHOTO: CHANNA CAMINS
Left to right: Josh Weisstuch, Sandy Krasnow and Rochelle Friedlich at the Walk-Through.
2
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
•
new voIce
asj kue VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering at BJ Goes Digital
w
hat makes a community a community? At BJ, the answer is always “the people.” The individuals who comprise our community are a reflection of the city at large—who we are, what we represent, the wealth of interests and diversity of backgrounds that our members embody. Volunteers are a particular source of pride for the BJ community. Numbering more than one thousand, their talents range from cooking meals to leading shiva minyanim, from strategic planning to visiting the sick. It is with great pleasure that we introduce the community to a brand-new online volunteering system. This user-friendly tool we call “Nadiv: BJ’s Volunteer Match” premiered on our website in January at www.bj.org/volunteer. It allows you to find volunteer opportunities based on your unique interests, skills and availability. For example, if you want to volunteer on a Tuesday evening with adults, it will display volunteering at the shelter. Users can simply browse or create an individual profile and receive email alerts about suitable upcoming opportunities. Or you can just visit when you
want and see what might be of interest. Among the opportunities you will find are skillsbased activities, office support, involvement with the young families community, music and art programs, social action/social justice projects, life cycle initiatives, and holidayrelated activities. Some opportunities are for ongoing activities like committee work. Others are for one-time needs, like the AIDS Walk or work on special projects in the BJ office. An exciting feature of this platform is the Volunteer Spotlight. Each week you will find a new article highlighting a particular volunteer. With this feature we have the chance to recognize some of the members of our amazing and dedicated BJ community. It will also help members of the community to get to know each other a little better.
You, as one of our thousand community volunteers, deserve to be recognized. Please join us at services on Shabbat, April 9, for a very special aliyah for BJ volunteers, followed by a kiddush in your honor. We will share stories about how meaningful it is to contribute volunteer time as a member of this community and how Nadiv: BJ’s Volunteer Match can serve as a tool to help you find the perfect volunteer opportunity whenever you want. n — Belinda Lasky
An Amazing Spirit of Philanthropy
p
apers are flying, phones are ringing off the hook. The pressures of deadlines are looming. A story just broke, and chaos ensues across the office. Coffee, coffee, coffee. It’s all anyone can think about. It’s all everybody wants and needs. This scene from the NY Post office was a familiar one to Arthur Rosenblatt, a printer, and the brother of long-time BJ member Marty Rosenblatt. Tucked away at the bottom corner of lower Manhattan, there was a severe lack of coffee shops within walking distance of the Post’s office. As a chef and general lover of good food and drink, Arthur knew a good cup of coffee was integral to a productive work day and decided to make some changes. Each day he procured delicious coffee from Balducci’s (a gourmet grocer) and distributed it and snacks at a concession
“
Coffee is symbolic of taking care of people and tending to their souls.” —Marty Rosenblatt
stand right in the middle of his office. His care and attention to detail extended to even the most seemingly insignificant of items, including signs to inform drinkers from where their coffee had come that day. For Arthur, Marty explains, providing food and drink was not just about providing sustenance. It was about taking care of people. This is why Marty decided to honor his brother’s memory with a generous donation to purchase coffee for the BJ/SPSA Homeless Shelter. This gift is especially well received by the shelter because they are not often able to purchase coffee due to rules set forth by state funding. n — Ariel Schneider
Arthur Rosenblatt at the offices of the the NY Post.
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
3
new voIce • KOL HADASH .
MARCH/APRIL 2011
“
PIYUT
The Transformational Power of Piyutim
o
n Friday nights, there is nowhere I would rather be than the 88th Street sanctuary. The room buzzes with excitement, and the service releases me from my week’s stress. The familiar words and music unite, and I feel uplifted—a part of something bigger than myself. During the week, I strive to be in control of life’s details. But then the Kabbalat Shabbat service moves me; it enables me to step aside and to make room for those important parts of my life over which I have far less control. We cannot manage our relationships with God and our community the same way we monitor our inboxes. Prayer is open-ended and unpredictable.
At the November Invitation to Piyut North America retreat,1 I was able to access this “Friday night” feeling during the week. I found myself asking: What about these spiritual practices opens me to a greater possibility of religious experience? I was already familiar with many of the texts of the piyutim, and I had only just met the other participants. I quickly identified the melodies as the thread of meaning woven through the text; these tunes string the texts together, yet they leave room for moments that can be articulated best in the absence of words. The words of the prayers provide the foundation—they are filled with a unique power that is framed and contextualized by their musical settings. The melodies we learned on the retreat create a rich space for spirituality. These tunes evoke emotion.
They serve as vehicles for complete presence, and they beg us to bring our complete selves to the music—to demand that we include our thoughts and feelings. These piyutim are not the next new, exciting musical phenomenon in prayer. Rather, they connect us with our creative liturgical past and help us revitalize that to which we are already deeply devoted. Piyutim can be a window to asking important questions about the meaning of prayer in our lives. Piyut is an adventurous undertaking for any community. The cacophony of voices, rhythmic variances, ornamentations, and accents placed on unexpected syllables can seem more complex and hectic than our typical Friday-night melodies. It was for this reason that we participants often found ourselves asking the question, “What is the
These piyutim are not the next new, exciting musical phenomenon in prayer. Rather, they connect us with our creative liturgical past and help us revitalize that to which we are already deeply devoted.”
the moment, for a specific goal. New tunes can seem intimidating or alienating at first, yet the piyut project can open us up to the kind of transformation that only transpires amidst the unfamiliar and unexpected. Through prayer and education, we seek to transform both ourselves and others; in this process, creativity is crucial. We ought to reflect on the creative elements of our own tradition to inform and inspire today’s innovations in Jewish education and tefilah. This creativity emerges from the blurring of boundaries between Jews and their communities—from Ashkenazi and Sefardi, to religious and secular, and to old and new. I believe that piyutim can empower us to reclaim and to transform the “hows” of prayer as well as the “whys”—in synagogue and in our classrooms.
Scenes from the Invitation to Piyut North America retreat. Right: Yair Harel, director of Hazmanah LePiyut Israel, leads the group. PHOTOS: ADAM COHEN PHOTO
I feel blessed to be a part of the community at BJ, and I am looking forward to many more prayer and learning experiences here, continuing to ask important questions about spiritual practice and exploring the ways in which we can continue this conversation in our community. n — Shoshi Rosenbaum best or most authentic way to sing and use this material?” Both Yair Harel and Ebn Leader2 reminded us that in prayer and piyut, the critical question is not about what is right—it is about deciding what is right in
Shoshi Rosenbaum is the cantorial intern at BJ, and she attended the Invitation to Piyut North America retreat in November. Shoshi is currently studying at Yeshivat Hadar in their year-long fellowship.
1. For more information about the retreat itself, read Rabbi Matalon’s article on page 1. 2. Yair Harel is the director of Hazmanah LePiyut in Israel and co-director, with Rabbi Matalon, of Invitation to Piyut NA. Rabbi Ebn Leader is director at Hebrew College’s Rabbinical School and its beit midrash, and an Instructor in Rabbinics.
4
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
•
new voIce
asj kue
COMMUNICATIONS
Streaming Piyut: Invitation to Two Sites
m
usic is integral to BJ. This issue features stories about the awesome Invitation to Piyut Retreat that took place in November, and most of the articles touch on the many roles that music “plays” here. It is a most appropriate time to feature the Invitation to Piyut website and to announce that BJ’s own music is now available again to stream on the BJ website.
The piyut is the chain of heritage of the culture of the people of Israel from its foundations and throughout its layers. The melody of the heart and the longing for all that is good in the people of Israel and its tribes. — Ephraim Hazan
The Invitation to Piyut site is a treasure trove for those who love music.
Piyut—a musical instrument, where the musician is the poet who strums on the words, and the listeners are drawn with bonds of love and grasp it as though it were a magic wand. — Aviad Akiva
Its goal is to give “the widest possible view into the world of piyut from the distant past until today.” It offers hundreds of piyutim and thousands of recordings from all the Jewish traditions, from East to West, in a searchable archive of piyutim and melodies as well as of texts and melodies not classically defined as piyutim—including selections from psalms or traditional Jewish prayers. Each piyut has two central pages: an in-depth look at the piyut (background, commentary, and explanation), and a range of melodies and performances of the piyut. For some a score is available.
The World of Piyut and Avi Chai foundations. Eighty rabbis, cantors, synagogue musicians, and educators gathered last November for a retreat at the Pearlstone Center near Baltimore. The group included the BJ rabbis, hazzan, musicians, rabbinic fellow, and cantorial intern, as well as seven leaders of our partner congregations in Israel and seven of our rabbinic fellowship alumni. It was a glorious experience of learning and reflection. We prayed, we learned about the characteristics of the main piyut traditions—particularly of the
You can find piyutim commemorating lifecycle events: wedding, birth of son and daughter, becoming bar or bat mitzvah, piyutim for holidays and festivals, and piyutim presented in contemporary performances and arrangements. There is a piyut of the week and the month, the top 12 piyutim, a “Send a Piyut” service, a website radio station that allows you to listen to the piyutim in uninterrupted succession, and more. The piyut decorates the prayers, the life cycle and the yearly cycle, every place where the sigh of the heart overpowers the mind. When words do not suffice and the melody is called for, and where that which is fixed yields its place to that which is renewed. — Avigdor Shinan
The downside is that only a limited selection of the content (which, in addition to the piyut texts, includes articles about traditions of the people of Israel, the music of the piyut world, personal commentary, and contemporary cultural criticism) is in English. Fortunately, the music speaks to the heart and does not require translation to move us. Fully translating the site is, I note, on their ambitious agenda. You’ll be especially interested to visit when you learn that all 18 piyutim and mizmorim that were taught in the Invitation to Piyut in North America retreat can be found on the site right now! Eventually they will all be on the BJ site too, but if you want a peek into the future head to www.piyut.org.il/english. n — Denise Waxman
RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON continued from page 1 Sephardic, North African, and Middle Eastern communities, which have been largely overlooked—we sang, we experimented. Most important, we discovered that the piyutim can open the door to new possibilities in the experience and expression of prayer: They bring us into the full range of emotions and to a universe of nuance, grace, refinement, and elegance, as well as a profound connection to the roots of Jewish culture and Jewish peoplehood.
There will be a lot more piyutim at BJ in the coming months and years. The piyutim will allow us to encounter and penetrate the subtleties of prayer: the inner spirit of the words, their rhythm and cadence, here their power, there their softness, the silences, the array of emotions they evoke in us. And they will bring our prayers, Shabbat, holy day, and life cycle celebrations to new levels of depth and meaning. n
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
5
new voIce • KOL HADASH .
MARCH/APRIL 2011
OUR STORIES
Returning Home t was 1985. She was excited, enthusiastic, and persuasive as she encouraged me to “come to services with this new rabbi at a synagogue on the Upper West Side.” “She” was Judith Stern Peck, a friend, a proven visionary, and a moving force behind convincing Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer to come to New York and revitalize the moribund Congregation B’nai Jeshurun (CBJ*). I went to services on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Walking into the sanctuary I felt the warm embrace of a familiar, though now shabby, environment and the silent greetings of old friends: Cantor Jacob Schwartz (Freddy Goldstein’s grandfather), Jacob Sincoff, the Oltarsh family (Mona was in my Hebrew School class), Harry F. Spier, the Silver family, all memorialized on the stained glass windows. It had been almost 40 years since I was last at B’nai Jeshurun, but the beauty and majesty of the sanctuary remained. I recalled the throne-like chairs positioned on the bimah on which sat the presiding religious figures of my youth: Rabbi Dr. Israel Goldstein, Associate Rabbi David H. Panitz, Jacob Sincoff, president of the synagogue and likely the president of the Men’s Club. (President of the Sisterhood was not a prominent figure in the 1940’s.) The formality of the services resonated in my memory, as well as the required black robes and tzilindair hats worn by clergy.
i
My first introduction to CBJ was in 1943, in the middle of World War II, following our family move from Brooklyn to the Upper West Side. My sister Wynne, 7 years of age, and I, age 9, were enrolled in the B’nai Jeshurun Religious School, attending two afternoons and every Sunday morning. We had our weekday ritual: take the Broadway trolley (at a cost of a nickel) down to 89th St., disembark, and head right to Murray’s Delicatessen to select a pickle from one of the barrels out front. We munched walking down 89th St. before classes in what was then known as the Community Center Building. Even as a young child I experienced and appreciated the beauty of the building and
“
We had our weekday ritual: take the Broadway trolley (at a cost of a nickel) down to 89th St., disembark, and head right to Murray’s Delicatessen to select a pickle from one of the barrels out front.”
the grandeur of what went on inside. I wonder if that perception was reinforced by the presence of our rabbi, Dr. Israel Goldstein, himself a towering and imposing figure, over 6 feet in height and speaking in a deep, formal British accent. The
know I never learned to read Hebrew script or Hebrew without vowels. We studied the history and people of Palestine; its 1948 configuration is indelibly etched in my mind. More important than that is the spirit of the environment, the energy of the building, and
Above: Confirmation Class of 1948, inclduing Nancy W. Greenblatt. Right: Confirmation Class of 1950, including Nancy’s sister, Wynne Wolkenberg Miller.
community room to the left on entry and the chapel remain as I remember them, the elevators then as now, cavernous. Memory has my teachers as primarily older women. My “baby” brother, Warren, z”l, recalled several years ago one “Miss Adler who always wore black, had her black hair pulled back into a bun.” I more vividly recall two young, handsome men who I now realize were rabbinic students at JTS! Seymour Siegel was one, and David Kogen, the other, went on to become ViceChancellor of the Seminary in the 1960’s. Memories of what I learned are vague. I do
PHOTOS: HARCOURT-HARRIS
the constant activity. There were oh, so many classrooms, and the gym, the ballroom, rabbis’ offices, the synagogue and religious school offices, the bridal room on the second floor, and that secret passage-way from the school building into the rabbis’ robing room in the sanctuary! (continued on page 7)
* Before “BJ” became shorthand for our community, “CBJ” was commonly used.
6
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
•
new voIce
asj kue
Growing Up at BJ
c
an you imagine a time when children’s services at BJ had only about seven children in attendance? When the teen trip was to Felicia’s parents’ house in Connecticut? When BJ went weeks without a bat mitzvah? When I tell people that I grew up at BJ, the natural assumption is that BJ then was just as it is now. While the soul and spirit of my childhood BJ remain, so many things have changed and improved as the community has grown.
“
Growing up at BJ taught me to be passionate about prayer and Jewish text, to commit in significant ways to trying to change the world, to engage in the community ...”
When I was a child at BJ, we had Junior Congregation each week. This was not Junior Congregation as it now exists, where children lead prayers and the room is full. Junior Congregation was those seven children, of various ages, praying together in one of the back rooms. We would discuss the prayers, play games, talk about the weekly Torah portion, and, since we were a small group, we learned to read Torah. I remember being about 8 or 9 and standing in the Parlor at SPSA with the Torah open to parashat Lekh Lekha and reading for my parents and my fellow Junior Congregation
students. This is still one of my proudest moments. A few years later, BJ brought Felicia on as the Director of Children’s Programming, and she began working with the BJ Council of Teens (a much earlier iteration of BJ’s current teen program). One of our first activities was to have a retreat, which Felicia allowed us to plan. PHOTO: IRV ROSENTHAL We journeyed to Felicia’s parents From left, Adam and Simon Arenson and Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal. house and had an intense weekend. Nothing went most importantly for me, to seek out undiscussed, unanalyzed, or unplanned. As rabbinic mentors to guide me. I draw on the a result, shaharit lasted into the afternoon. experiences that were meaningful for me as At the end of Shabbat, Roly and Marcelo I shape the educational experiences of the came over, and we all made pizzas together, children and families at IKAR in Los with the rabbis showing off their pizzaAngeles. BJ is never far from my mind and dough-throwing skills. It allowed me and my my heart. n fellow teens to see our rabbis as people, not — Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal just figures up on a bimah whom we only saw on Shabbat. Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal is the Director of Children and Family Programming at IKAR, the The experience of growing up at BJ spiritual community started by MTM Fellow profoundly shaped the kind of person and Rabbi Sharon Brous. She worked in the Youth the kind of Jew that I am today. Growing up and Family Department at BJ and has at BJ taught me to be passionate about celebrated most of her major life cycle events prayer and Jewish text, to commit in with the BJ community. She lives in Los significant ways to trying to change the Angeles with her husband Adam Arenson and world, to engage in the community, and, their son Simon.
Returning Home continued from page 6 1948 was a seminal year for me. I was one of 15 girls who were the Confirmation Class of 5708. Amazingly, I can identify more than half in the photograph. We decided to continue as the Confirmands League, meeting for regular study on Shabbat afternoons at the home of Rabbi Panitz. It was a wonderful and enlightening experience to see my rabbi as a family man in his home environment. (I remember his eldest son, Jonathan, who became a chaplain at the U.S. Naval Academy, as a baby in the crib!) I graduated from Religious School and was awarded the Israel Goldstein Leadership Award. As president of the Confirmands League I was invited to participate in the Leaders Training Fellowship, a new group sponsored by JTS, which I continued for a couple of years. Of greater importance was the establishment of the State of Israel and learning new words to “Hatikvah” … no longer “The
ancient hope, To return to the land of our fathers, To the city in which David camped,” but rather, “To be a free people in our land, The land of Zion and Jerusalem.” People and names from the past: My dear sister, Wynne Wolkenberg Miller, Confirmation Class of 1950; my beloved brother, Warren S. Wolkenberg, z”l, Bar Mitzvah Shabbat Bereshit 1956, Confirmation Class 1957; Bret (Skippy) Schlesinger (artist whose painting of the BJ bimah adorns our cards) was my sister’s classmate and remains a BJ member; Skippy’s older brother, Jimmy, and I spoke from the bimah on Homecoming Shabbat in December 1951: he about his experience at a secular college, and I about my experience at Brandeis University, the first Jewish-sponsored college in America. Jimmy has gone on to become a Jewish communal leader on Long Island. Clearly,
the teachings and spirit of B’nai Jeshurun of the 1940’s has had a lasting impact on many of its youth. My love of the traditions of Judaism and my childhood desire to become a more learned Jew began in my childhood home, at my first shul, the Young Israel of Flatbush. It was cultivated as a young teen at B’nai Jeshurun and has been nurtured since 1985 at BJ … inspired by Marshall, Roly, Marcelo, Ari, Felicia, and my fellow BJ community. I am blessed. n — Nancy Wolkenberg Greenblatt Nancy W. Greenblatt, mother of three, grandmother of four, has been a BJ member since 1985. She was a clinical social worker for 35 years and recently retired as the Executive Director of the Rita J. & Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation.
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
7
new voIce • KOL HADASH .
MARCH/APRIL 2011
OUR STORIES
Mekusharim: Our Routes and Roots in New York he BJ Membership Committee proudly announces the birth of a new community member: a new committee whose name is Mekusharim, meaning “connections.” The goal of Mekusharim is to connect older adults to each other and to the community through a schedule of activities throughout the year. Mekusharim evolved after a series of focus groups last year at which members of the community aged 55 through 85 enthusiastically shared their experiences, ideas, and concepts. The result is Mekusharim, which will provide social, Judaic, and learning experiences in a variety of formats for the entire BJ community, focusing on the 55+ crowd. Similar to Tze’irim (for 20s/30s) and Bekef (35+), we are coordinating programs that will be interesting, fun, and offer opportunities for you to socialize with old friends and make new connections as well.
t
Co-chaired by Sheila Bleckner and Nancy Greenblatt, the Mekusharim committee is
developing a range of exciting and innovative programs that will create meaningful opportunities for the 55+ers to gather for learning and fun. We will sponsor big events and smaller group events that will allow for more intimate get-togethers. The theme of our inaugural year is “Our Routes and Roots in New York.” Samplings
hen a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of it? Nothing more than a story. If stories weren't told or books weren't written, man would live like the beasts, only for the day. The whole world, all human life, is one long story.” —Isaac Bashevis Singer
From left: Sheila Bleckner, Nancy Greenblatt, Sarah Guthartz, and Arline Guinn.
B’nai Jeshurun is beginning an oral history project to capture our stories. Judaism is a story that has been discussed for thousands of years. As a people, we read the stories of our ancestors in the Torah every week. We teach via stories. We sing and dance stories. Stories inspire us.
Stories are important at BJ. We hear them during the High Holy Days, at shiva minyanim, through Panim el Panim, at committee meetings, welcoming new members, and at many other times, we listen to and share these stories. There are so many stories! But we haven’t recorded our stories—the stories of the people of BJ. Over the years, many have suggested that we PHOTO: JON WOOD preserve them. Like other The Capturing Our Stories team. From left, first row: Peninnah things in life, this was a worthy Schram, Harriet Abraham, Julie Lowy, Sarah Guthartz, Hillary Matlin. project that we said would begin Back row: Rochelle Friedlich, Larry Daniels, Myriam Abramowicz, Toni one day. That day has arrived. Siegel, Susan Landau.
8
We launched Mekusharim on January 11, 2011 with the film “Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg,” a documentary about pioneering (continued on page 14)
Capturing Our Stories
w
of some questions we plan to address in our first year are: How did each of us get here? From where did we come? What experiences do we share in common? How do we explain routes and roots?
PHOTO: JACOB SHEMKOVITZ
“
Ultimately we hope to hear about the dreams and realities of all who wish to record them.”
We chose the name “Capturing Our Stories” for our community-wide effort to listen to, record, and store narratives of the BJ community—memories of the past, activities and thoughts of the present, and hopes for the future. This ambitious venture needs many volunteers from our community to realize our goal of recording and preserving the lives of B’nai Jeshurun’s members, and we encourage you to participate. A multimedia archive will store the rich spectrum of our stories. It will include anecdotes, life histories, photos of people and artifacts; stories of BJ and its members young and old; people who have recently joined, and those who have been part of our community for a long time; tales of urban or suburban life; growing up religious or secular; supportive or dysfunctional families; immigrant life; holiday (continued on page 15)
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
•
new voIce
asj kue
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Helena Diamant Glass: Color Her Elegant know Jews aren’t supposed to talk about idols. Let’s face it, the last time Israelites got serious about an idol, Aaron wound up in pretty hot water, and it was only the intercession of his brother that saved him (and, incidentally, us).
i
This isn’t that kind of an idol. Nor do I mean American Idol. What I’m talking about is good, old-fashioned, “I wanna be like her some day” admiration. And I’m referring to Helena Diamant Glass. Even her name is elegant! (It sounds like a character in a Henry James novel, doesn’t it?) And I don’t think it would be too much to say that Helena is in a category of her own when it comes to couture at BJ. Do not get me wrong: BJ boasts quite a number of people who look wonderful when they come to shul, people who really know how to put themselves together. But Helena possesses a variety of style that hints at a classic European provenance. Small wonder, when you consider that her father was a skilled dressmaker and tailor in prewar Austria. This is a fashion sense that she came by honestly. Helena’s parents, both Holocaust survivors, moved to this country (their baby girl was a year old when they emigrated) and settled in New Jersey. Helena remembers how much her father liked to make clothes for not only his daughter but also his wife. She recalls with particular fondness a green wool dress and matching coat “with a Persian fur collar” that her father designed and produced for her when she was just 4. When she became a teenager, Helena, wanting to pursue a career in academia, moved to the City. “And I never left it,” she admits. She studied at NYU, getting her undergrad and graduate degrees in German literature and language. Helena eventually parlayed her love of the workings of academia, as well as her burgeoning fashion sensibility, into a faculty career position as a registrar at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, where she is responsible for 15 majors and 2,000+ students. Seems like a
perfect match, right? In fact, she says that being in this epicenter of fashion has affected even her own self-expression through clothes. “At FIT, I see color combinations that I would never have put together! I always try to dress nicely, but being here has given me an edge; it’s opened my mind.”
“
Do not get me wrong: BJ boasts quite a number of people who look wonderful when they come to shul, people who really know how to put themselves together. But Helena possesses a variety of style that hints at a classic European provenance.”
Helena has always attended shul regularly, from the time she was a little girl in New Jersey Hebrew school. “I’ve always been a shul go-er,” she says. She grew up to become very active in the life of the shuls she was a member of, including serving as president of a synagogue in the Village for a number of years in the early ‘90s. But in 1997 she found her spiritual home here at B’nai Jeshurun. She brought some visitors to the Friday night service she had heard about and remembers that the church (where Kabbalat Shabbat services were held at the time) was so crowded that she was stuck at the back and couldn’t see whoever was at the bimah. But she could hear what he was saying, and she was awestruck. Also the music amazed her. The rabbi turned out to be Roly Matalon, and she has gratefully benefited from his fond guidance and leadership ever since. She and her husband were soon regular attendees, and when her husband became ill, Roly’s counsel, as well as the support of the community, helped her during that difficult time. When I asked what it was that captivated her so about our synagogue, she says, “BJ just changed my entire life. Although I’d had a strong Jewish background, this was different.” Even with her busy work and travel schedules, she manages to take every opportunity for study at BJ she can squeeze
PHOTO: BRAD PARIS
in. She particularly values the spirituality our community thrives on and encourages, as well as the intellectual challenges it offers. “Also,” she adds, “the diversity. There are so many different kinds of people at BJ.” Like all true New Yorkers, in other words, Helena understands that beauty can be found most readily in the vibrant combination of intensity and variety. No surprise that her favorite place on earth is Italy: the undisputed center of art and style center of the universe. She has traveled there 17 times so far, focusing on the city called La Serenissima, Venice. However, she adds, “My new great love in Italy is Sicily, which I visited twice last year.” Helena stands out at BJ: for her footwear and hosiery, her jewelry, her haberdashery with its understated timelessness, and for her general savoir faire. (I am a hopeless fashion cause myself, but I nevertheless am delighted that she and I share a love of metallic shoes.) In Helena’s case, it’s evident that her outward elegance speaks eloquently to the fact of her general graciousness. If not an idol, then let’s call her … an aspiration. n — Sian Gibby
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
9
new voIce • KOL HADASH .
MARCH/APRIL 2011
STAFF PROFILES
Who’s Cooking in the Development Department
s
urely no one can argue with the fact that our development staff at B’nai Jeshurun is personable and uncommonly good at their jobs. They bring intelligence, caring, and resourcefulness to their work, and we are lucky to have them working to help us grow our congregation into the future. Interestingly they also share a passion for food, albeit from slightly different angles. Erzsébet Arora, who recently was married twice, first in Budapest, Hungary, on September 23 and then in India on December 18, is originally from Buffalo, NY, but she came to New York City from Geneva, Switzerland, where she received her Masters degree in Economics and History. She took a part-time job in the Development Department in 2007 and a few months later was asked to stay on full time as Senior Development Associate. After another year and a half, in March of 2009, she was promoted to the position of Assistant Director of Development. Her greatest love is travel. Erzsébet was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco and also has lived in Hungary, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey. She speaks French, Italian, Hungarian, limited Arabic, and a couple of words of Hindi and Yiddish (the Yiddish is thanks to BJ!). Cooking is a close second. When she shares the details of her latest culinary triumph, like homemade pasta made with roasted hazelnuts, ricotta,
and sage or rosewater saffron ice cream, she makes mouths water around the BJ office. Occasionally she takes pity and shares her delicacies with the staff. Ariel Schneider, Social Action Program Assistant and Development Associate, hails from Ventura, California. After graduating from U.C. Berkeley Ariel moved to New York City to participate in AVODAH: The Jewish Corps, through which she worked at an emergency food program in Brooklyn and uncovered a passion for working on food justice issues. “It’s like Americorps, but with a Jewish learning component,” she explains. She calls it the perfect way to learn about New York City. She quickly developed not only knowledge about the city and its workings, but also about community organizing. Fellow Californian and former Membership Associate Sarah Verity told her about BJ, which led to Ariel joining our staff in December of 2009 on a part-time basis to assist Channa Camins and lay staff with BJ’s direct service programs (the BJ/SPSA Homeless Shelter and the Judith Bernstein Lunch Program) and a variety of other Social Action/Social Justice activities. She was also the lead staff person in getting the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project off the ground. In May of 2010 she became a full-time employee in order to take on work in the Development Department, including processing donations
PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN
From left, Ariel Schneider and Erzsébet Arora.
and working on donor recognition events (where, as at most BJ events, food is present in abundance). Working on social justice issues and learning about the functioning of a non-profit from development and financial perspectives provide her a satisfying mix of responsibilities. On the weekend you can find Ariel biking around Brooklyn in search of the most exciting local eateries. The BJ office staff are strongly urging Erzsébet and Ariel to collaborate on an office feast with CSA food. n — Denise Waxman
Membership Outing to the Eldridge Street Museum In January, all of the Membership committees and subcommittees ventured to the Lower East Side to visit the Eldridge Street Museum, followed by a sumptuous authentic kosher vegetarian Chinese dinner at a local restaurant.
PHOTO: LILLI PLATT
10
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
•
new voIce
asj kue
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Condolences (through January 28)
Mazal Tov To the following members and their families on their b’nai mitzvah (January and February): Daniel Lerner
Robert Yassky
Maximilian Eckhart
Julia Tecotzky
Samuel Phillips
Maxine Stern
Amelie Ya Deau
Noah Butcher
Juliet Sloane
Maia Offitzer
Jordan Levi
Rachel Ladds
Adam Wagman
Eric Pretsfelder
To the following members and their families (through January 28):
The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member Andrew Benzaken and extends sincere condolences to his wife, Hannah Benzaken, his children Micole and Jason Benzaken and their entire family. The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member Jonathan Dolger and extends sincere condolences to his wife, Jane Isay, his stepsons Dave and Josh Isay and their entire family. The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member David Friedlander and extends sincere condolences to his wife, Edna Golandsky, his children, Amit and Galit Friedlander and their entire family. The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member Pearl Meyer, and extends sincere condolences to her entire family.
Helen Hanan on the arrival of her granddaughter, Ruby Skye Joseloff.
The community of B’nai Jeshurun extends sincere condolences to the following members and their families:
Rae-Carole Fischer and Joseph Saltiel on their recent wedding.
Alison Pepper on the death of her beloved father, Aimond Irwin Pepper.
Anne Ziff on the birth of her grandchildren, Zachary Greyson and Annika Hope.
Francine Collins on the death of her beloved aunt, Dubby Berlin.
Michael Simonson and Beth Lief on the engagement of their daughter, Jocelyn Simonson, to Mike Grinthal.
Jeffrey, Evan, and David Krasner, and Hilah Iaulus on the death of Jeffrey's beloved father, Dr. Bernard Krasner.
Jessica Hammerman and Isaac Peterson on the birth of their daughter, Ruby Anniq. Sarah and Nick Zagar on the birth of their son, Lane Aryeh. Carmen Keels and Michael Becker on the birth of their daughter, Ella Rose. Eric Schneiderman on his inauguration as the Attorney General of New York. Jonathan Green and Hilary Thomas on the birth of their son, Devon Adam.
Sandra (Sandy) and Rabbi Joel Soffin on the death of Sandy's beloved mother, Celia Stern. Bruce Racond and Rachel Balsam on the death of Bruce's beloved father, Eugene Racond. Naomi Goldberg Haas and Brian and Noah Kulick on the death of Naomi's beloved mother, Bernice Goldberg. Joyce Gottlieb on the death of her beloved cousin, Harvey Wolfgong. Ronald, Marcia, and Benjamin Lissak on the death of Ron's beloved stepfather, Joshua Katz. Marcia, Ronald, and Benjamin Lissak on the death of Marcia's beloved mother, Natalie Rosenfeld Kellner.
)
Judy Gitenstein on the death of her beloved uncle, Seymour Gitenstein. Duffie Cohen Baum, Simeon, Sabrina, and Gabrielle Baum on the death of Duffie's beloved mother, Ruth Sonn. Sarah Durham, Craig, Abigail and Kate Winer and their entire family on the death of Sarah's beloved mother, Magi Durham Ziff. Nilva, Steve, Isaiah, Alexander and Micah Dicker on the death of Nilva’s beloved brother, Luis Torres.
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
11
new voIce • KOL HADASH .
MARCH/APRIL 2011
YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION
Moving with the Music
i
n one week at the beginning of December 2010, I witnessed the following:
1. Two Hebrew school students stood in front of their peers and families and each led a challenging prayer at Junior Congregation. 2. The 3rd- and 4th-grade choir from the Hanukkah play charmed the community with their singing of Hanukkah songs. 3. My 2-year-old son, Brady, raced to the front of the room at Children’s Services for the first time to help Emily Walsh, along with many other children, lead the Shema.
In a community with diverse interests, music is one avenue through which children and teens are able to find their avodat kodesh, their holy work, and give back to the community. A group of teens have blossomed under the leadership of Jerry Korman by participating as musicians for Family Services during the High Holy Days at BJ. Student musicians like Daniel Lerner, Ben Korman, Aaron Priven, and Matan Friedgood can also be found providing musical accompaniment at Children’s Services and Junior Congregation on Shabbat. Did you see the Glee-ful Hanukkah production this year? Michael Kelberg, writer and director of the BJ Hanukkah and Purim plays, uses original music to draw
12
And as a Jewish parent, I’ve seen my son’s fascination with Andy Sherman’s guitar almost every Shabbat morning in Children’s Services. His music keeps my son engaged for a longer period of time than he is usually able to sit still for one activity, and it draws him into the prayer experience. Andy, who has been playing music in the BJ Children’s Shabbat services for about the past 11 years, describes what happens there so well:
kids into the world of Jewish theatre and acting. With more than 25 children who participate in each production, it’s a great opportunity to make Jewish education spring to life. A parent of a cast member writes, “My child loves acting and singing … he takes [the play] very seriously and loves working with Jerry, Mira Rivera, and Michael and the other kids.” In addition to the plays and Shabbat participation, music permeates the classrooms and halls of the Hebrew school as well. David Frankel, a BJHS music teacher who also leads the Bim Bam music
Music helps us learn, it helps us grow, and it helps us connect to ourselves, our community, and to Judaism. It is and will continue to be integral to who we are at BJ. n — Ivy Schreiber
PHOTO: MAX ORENSTEIN
All around us at BJ, music fills us, lifts us up, nurtures our souls, and helps us grow and experience our Judaism in new ways. As Hazzan Ari Priven notes: “Through music, BJ children of all ages are learning tefilah (prayer) and liturgy; the music is a vehicle that helps them be more familiar with the text and be more engaged in their prayer experience.”
program at BJ, believes music has a great educational impact on our children. “It has been tremendous pleasure singing with the children at BJ. In Hebrew School, they have huge enthusiasm for the songs I teach, and they share their voices freely. My hope is that they share the music with their family and that they learn even more about being Jewish from the songs we sing.”
Music is an integral part of the children’s worship at BJ. It engages their imaginations and sense of fun, and (and this is essential) it establishes ritual for them. Of course establishing ritual is part of the business of religion, but my experience as a parent is that children are creatures of ritual. They like doing things a particular way and don’t take kindly to change. And so we establish Jewish ritual in their lives through a set of songs and movements that we change and evolve very slowly. It works in part because our needs and the kids’ mesh so neatly. That’s what the children get out of what we do. What I get out of it is the sense of joy and wonder and freshness that the children bring to each time we are together, the connection with their parents, and the fellowship I feel with my fellow musicians and service leaders.
Above and opposite page: scenes from the December 2010 Hanukkah play.
That these moments took place at Youth and Family organized activities gave me a special sense of pride. I kvelled on more than one level.
“
Through music, BJ children of all ages are learning tefilah (prayer) and liturgy; the music is a vehicle that helps them be more familiar with the text and be more engaged in their prayer experience.”
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
•
new voIce
asj kue
Ten Years of Theater and Community bout three years ago popcorn was finally banned from the family carnival prior to the Purim show. It had become just too difficult for Roma and our beloved maintenance crew to keep digging out all those kernels embedded in carpet. I mean, seriously; after the stampede of 500+ members, non-members, kids, parents, families, relatives, the cast, the Rabbis and Ari, their families, the office staff, Roma’s guys Dmitry and Solomon (who love the show), celebrities, agents,
a
Whether it is a parody for Purim or now an original show for Hanukkah, you can be sure to see Mira Rivera handing out glue sticks to anyone willing to work on sets while she choreographs a dance, Jerry Korman orchestrating the high notes, and me usually being louder than necessary. Jonathan Dershowitz, our legendary former stage manager and now collegian, who still asks about the show regularly, has passed his responsibilities to former Purim cast member Felicia Kuhreich, whose pal Arielle Korman is always there to help set up lunch with her on Sundays. Sarah Sternklar can be heard asking if anyone needs anything on any given rehearsal morning; and Gary Langer shows up with some unique combination of cardboard, tape, and wood that somehow he created into a newsstand, just a week prior to the show. Roma can be expected to call me a half dozen times before a Sunday rehearsal, if only for clarification, and Aaron Priven can pretty much do anything with ease at anytime including the lights and the band. Oh, and there’s his dad now, Ari: yelling from the catwalks, asking if the lights are in focus on stage. And who can forget Emily and Ivy and the office tree, sending
emails, making copies, meeting, face painting, double checking things, etc., all in preparation for the big shows! So, whether it is the kids auditioning and rehearsing, the parents schlepping, Arlene needing 88th Street for a wedding, our members attending to cheer on the show, the office staff buzzing about, and of course our Rabbis addressing the masses on the big day, pretty much everyone you know has a hand involved. It’s quite difficult to calculate the friendships that have been made, the impact that the show has had on any number of people, or how many popcorn kernels have been dug out of the carpet. But every season we get the old crew back, some new crew, those that return to help on the production end, or some who move on to their next venture. Regardless, the Purim and now Hanukkah wheel spins round and round for anyone who’s willing to jump on it. All this under the umbrella of the shul and our Judaism. If “it takes a village to raise a child,” it takes a community to put on a show. BJ should be proud. n — Michael Kelberg Michael Kelberg, a BJ member since 1996, directed the Purim Play for ten years and the Hanukkah Play in 2010. He owns Blueye Productions, a multimedia company. Michael, his wife Becky, daughter Lila, and beloved dog, Lacey, live in South Jersey.
PHOTO: DAN CALIGOR
managers, you name, it was just too much! They couldn’t handle it anymore. So, now you can only enjoy cotton candy sticks or blended fruit smoothies from our friendly neighborhood parent, Carolyn Desch, as she twists and shakes for you alongside the hired staff. From its early days in 2000 when the cast tree was around 30 for Rabbi Anne’s “Harry Potter,” we’ve seen it grow to as many as 70 (now, that’s a lot of kids on stage) and level out at about 50+ regularly. If you have been fortunate enough to hang around on occasion you have seen some interesting sights.
PHOTO: MAX ORENSTEIN
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
13
new voIce • KOL HADASH .
MARCH/APRIL 2011
HAKHNASAT ORHIM
What Kind of Guest Are You?
a
t BJ we like to encourage people to host Shabbat dinners and other events. To do this, the person who is hosting goes to a lot of effort choosing a guest list, planning a menu, cooking (or ordering) the food, and preparing their home for company. As a guest there are things you can do to contribute to the success of the evening. Here’s a quiz to see if you are a good guest:
accommodate you if they know your needs well in advance. You can also offer to cook/bring something that you can eat and share with the rest of the guests. If you are allergic to pets you might inquire before you R.S.V.P.
6. Do you contact the host after the event to say thank you? A thank-you at the door is lovely, but a call, note (snail mail), email, or text in the next day or two lets the host know how much you really appreciated the evening. EXTREME GOOD GUESTING: 7. Do you offer to help with serving and/or cleanup? Offer to sit near the host and help serve the food, clear the table, or even wash the dishes.
1. Do you R.S.V.P. within three days of receiving the invitation? It’s important for the host to know how many people can attend. If you delay your response, it makes it awkward to issue a late invitation to someone else in your place. If you are not sure, let the host know that you received the invitation and ask them when is the latest you can get back to them.
8. Do you reciprocate? If you do not entertain, you can invite your host to meet you for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just coffee, and you can pick up the check. If you do entertain, don’t forget to include your host on your guest list sometime within the next six months. PHOTO: GILABRAND
2. Do you ask the host if they would like you to bring anything? Or if you want to bring something, do you tell the host what you are planning to bring and see if that works for them (“I would like to bring a bottle of wine; would you prefer red or white?”)? 3. Do you let your host know if you have special food needs or your level of kashrut? Most hosts are happy to
4. Do you arrive on time? Arrive within 5 to 10 minutes of the stated starting time; be sure to allow extra travel time for the possibility of delayed train/bus service when you leave your home. If you know you may be very late, call the host and tell them to start without you.
If you answered “no” to any of the questions, you might want to polish up your etiquette quotient. n — Carol Gelles Carol Gelles has been a member of BJ since 1992. She is an award-winning cookbook author and loves to entertain.
5. Do you turn off all of your electronic devices? Be present and be prepared to participate in the conversation.
Mekusharim continued from page 8 actress Gertrude Berg and the making of her successful radio and TV series depicting the life of a Jewish family in the Bronx in the 1930s-1950s. More than 100 people attended this first event. After the film, we broke out into small groups, representing each of the five boroughs and hometowns far and wide, to talk about our neighbors, our neighborhoods, and beyond. We hope to stimulate interest among participants to then make visits to “their old ‘hoods!” Our next event, on Sunday, March 13, is a brunch and book reading with Jane Ziegelman about her popular 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement. The event will be at
14
City Hall Restaurant in Tribeca, and we will enjoy tastings of some of the recipes described in this multicultural slice of life on the Lower East Side. Participants can expect lively conversation and interactive experiences about immigration in New York City.
with and involved with each other and the many activities and learning experiences offered. We look forward to all of you joining the journey as we explore our ROOTS and ROUTES. We may even find long-lost relatives! n — Sheila Bleckner and Nancy Greenblatt
The concluding program for the year will be in the spring. Keep your eyes peeled for additional information on the BJ website, www.bj.org, and in the Kol Jeshurun.
Sheila Bleckner and Nancy Greenblatt are longtime members of BJ and the co-chairs of Mekusharim. They’re excited about the direction of the new group and look forward to engaging new leaders in the process. For more information about Mekusharim programs, contact Sarah Guthartz at sguthartz@bj.org or Belinda Lasky at blasky@bj.org.
Mekusharim is a new addition to the multiple activities of the Membership Committee whose mission is inviting BJ community members to become familiar
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
ADAR I/ADAR II/NISAN 5771
•
new voIce
asj kue YOM HASHOAH
Yom HaShoah 2011 at BJ
o
n May 1 we will once again come together to commemorate Yom HaShoah, when the BJ community, and their family and friends, are invited to participate in The Reading and Hearing of the Names of those killed during the Shoah. This will take place following the evening service at 6:45PM and before the cultural part of the commemoration in the sanctuary of the synagogue at 88th Street. Since 1995, BJ began the all-night vigil by reading names from Bnai Brith’s ”Unto Every Person There Is a Name.” Three years later Roly had the idea to broaden the participation by creating a minyan of synagogues from the Upper West Side, and
the JCC took on the vigil with a different synagogue hosting the reading every year beginning at 10:00PM through 6:00PM the following day. During the reading at BJ, two Torah scrolls that survived the Shoah are removed from the aron and held by congregants throughout the reading. Even if you do not have your own names to read, we have names, gathered from the BJ community over the years, that need to be read, and everyone is invited to receive names to read. More than ever it is important that the names be read and heard as the Holocaust revisionists are waiting for the last
Yom HaShoah Commemoration May 1, 2011 88th Street Sanctuary Yom HaShoah service: 6:45PM The Reading and Hearing of the Names Cultural presentation
survivors to disappear in order to claim that the Shoah never happened. n — Myriam Abramowicz Myriam Abramowicz, a BJ member since 1988, is a documentary film maker. She has administered the BJ Archives, is one of the gabbais during the Yamim Nora'im, and has been involved in a host of other projects.
"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (Yad Vashem), an everlasting name that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah 56:5)
ADD PHOTO
Since 1955, Yad Vashem has worked to fulfill its mandate “to preserve the memory of the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust by collecting their names, the ultimate representation of a person’s identity.” In addition to the extensive resources it offers relating to Yom HaShoah and the collecting and reading of the names, the Yad Vashem website, www.yadvashem.org, makes available online a vast multimedia and multi-lingual collection of educational materials including video lectures, podcasts, slideshows, research publications, digital collections, a photo archive, library catalog, and online courses. PHOTO: KYLE SIMOURD
Capturing Our Stories continued from page 8 celebrations; experiences with Marshall Meyer; Holocaust survivors and their children; special new holiday dresses, the first Bar Mitzvah suit; the birth of a grandchild; the death of a parent—to suggest just a few. We welcome all the threads that weave together the history of our members. Capturing Our Stories involves many tasks that will need the contribution of our talented community. We invite volunteers to participate in this exciting endeavor by interviewing members, listening to the stories, creating an archive, and helping plan the organization and future development of this long-term project. The archive will be
available to current and future BJ members as a medium to preserve and access our life histories for now and future generations. The initiative will be launched to coincide with Pesah, a holiday when storytelling makes up the fabric of our celebration. We will begin by interviewing the eldest members of our community. Ultimately we hope to hear about the dreams and realities of all who wish to record them. It will take time and volunteers to reach everyone who would like to be interviewed. To become a part of this adventure, contact Sarah Guthartz at sguthartz@bj.org or Belinda Lasky at blasky@bj.org. n — Julie Lowy and Toni Siegel
Julie Lowy and Toni Siegel are longtime members of BJ and the co-chairs of Capturing Our Stories. They are are excited about the direction of the new group and look forward to engaging new leaders in the process. KOL HADASH new voIce March/April 2011 The Kol Hadash is published every other month. We would love to print your stories and articles about BJ! For submission guidelines, contact communications@bj.org. All material is the property of B’nai Jeshurun and cannot be reprinted without permission. The Kol Hadash is printed using soy-based inks on 50% recycled paper by an online, eco-friendly printer at a substantial cost saving compared to traditional printing methods. Designer: Harriet R. Goren
SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL : 212.787.7600 • FAX : 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE : www.bj.org
15
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 530 New York, NY
2109 Broadway (Ansonia) • Suite 203 • New York, NY 10023
KOL HADASH new voIce • . SYNAGOGUE: 257 West 88th Street OFFICES: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), #203 Main Telephone Number 212-787-7600 Fax Number (2109 Broadway) 212-496-7600 Website www.bj.org
Rabbis: J. Rolando Matalon Marcelo R. Bronstein Felicia L. Sol Hazzan and Music Director: Ari Priven Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow: Rabbi Michelle Dardashti Rabbinic Fellow: Jason Fruithandler Cantorial Intern: Shoshi Rosenbaum Executive Director: Harold Goldman, x248 Assistant Executive Director: Belinda Lasky, x224 Director of Education for Youth and Family: Ivy Schreiber, x225 Director of Social Action/ Social Justice: Channa Camins, x259
16
MARCH/APRIL 2011
Committees & Services: Accounts Payable.......................227 Accounts Receivable ..................237 Adult Education Information .....233 Bar/Bat Mitzvah .........................223 Bekef ..........................................255 Bikkur Holim..............................233 BJ Reads ....................................391 Communications........................275 Community Programs ...............255 Conversion .................................264 Daily Minyan...............................232 Development & Donation Information ........228
Program Director: Guy Felixbrodt, x255 Associate Director of Development: Erzsébet Arora, x228 Communications Manager: Denise Waxman, x275 Director of Administration & Finance: Ron Seitenbach, x226 Director of Facilities: Roma Serdtse, x258 Assistant to Rabbi Matalon and Communications Associate: Sarah Guthartz, x234 Assistant to Rabbi Bronstein and Hazzan Priven: Naomi Goodhart, x240 Assistant to Rabbi Sol: Elizabeth Rosenbaum, x233 Assistant to Executive Director Harold Goldman: Jacob Shemkovitz, x256
88th Street Rental......................223 Family Activities: Hotline ...........318 Hakhnasat Orhim.......................255 Havurot.......................................255 Hevra Kadisha ...........................233 Homeless Shelter .....212-339-4250 Interfaith Committee ............... 379 Kiddush Scheduling ...................255 Kol Jeshurun...............................275 Kol Hadash .................................275 Life Cycles..................................233 Lunch Program ..........................338
Membership Information...........224 Ralph Bunche School Partnership ...........................301 Social Action ..............................259 Teen Programming ....................253 Torah/Haftarah Reading ............232 Tze’irim ......................................264 Ushering ....................................305 Visiting Groups...........................234 Volunteer Information................255 Youth & Family Education ..........225
Board of Trustees: Jonathan Adelsbergº President
Richard Kalikow Beth Kern Debbie Lerner Henry Meer Samara Minkin Andrea Newman Bernie Plum Benjamin Ross Emily Weiss Michael Yoeli
Susan Kippurº* Chair Jeannie Blausteinº Vice President Joel Kazis Vice President Stephen Stulmanº Vice President Debra Fineº Treasurer Andrew Litt Secretary Robert Buxbaum Gene Carr Anne Ebersman Rochelle Friedlich Christina Gantcher Barbara Glassman Sally Gottesman Sofia Hubscher
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