Kol Hadash Fall 2013 by B'nai Jeshurun

KOL HADASH . new voIce

asj kue

FALL 2013 • TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

An Ambitious Agenda for our BJ Community: An Invitation RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON

‘‘

We invite every member of the community to engage, to participate, and to elevate our BJ community to greater holiness together.”

At the 2013 Celebrate Israel Parade

PHOTO: Galit Lopatin Bordereau

See more highlights from recent Israel programming at BJ on pages 6-7.

This new year, 5774, will be a year of several new and exciting initiatives at BJ, as well as renewed and increased attention invested in current areas of our work together as a community. Marcelo, Felicia and I have identified six areas to which the spiritual leaders, the board of trustees and other volunteer leaders, and the staff will devote special attention and efforts. We invite every member of the community to engage, to participate, and to elevate our BJ community to greater holiness together. Shabbat: Our vision is that the 25 hours of Shabbat will open multiple opportunities for the entire arc of the community — from young children to older adults — to experience the beauty, joy and soulfulness of Shabbat. We would like for Shabbat to become the center of meaningful relationships in a context that feels intimate, in spite of our large numbers. We would like everyone to feel the hiddur mitzvah (the beauty and the additional touch of grace) of Shabbat, at services and in all our communal spaces and programs, as well as in our homes. We would like to invite everyone to seriously consider engaging with and adopting the guidelines of the Jewish spiritual practice of Shabbat, in a way that is appropriate and fitting for everyone, in a non-judgmental atmosphere, in order to enhance our experience of Shabbat. We would like for Shabbat to be the time when we come together to find a deeper wisdom and a vision that will elevate us, both as a community and in our personal lives. Community: We are more determined than ever to work on making our community more welcoming, supportive, inclusive, and generous. In order for our community to be true to its purpose it must feel like a home to all of us, a place that fosters the formation of real and deep relationships, a place where everyone is invited to come closer and to become more engaged. We aim at generating more avenues for members to give of their wisdom, time, efforts, and financial resources, recognizing and honoring those generous commitments that enrich us all. In order for us to share our vision and exchange ideas with the community, Marcelo, Felicia, and I would like more opportunities for conversation with all of you. Engaging with Ideas: Wrestling with ideas is a fundamental aspect of the way we understand ourselves as Jews. We want to engage in a bigger way with prominent moral, intellectual, and legal issues of our day. We would like to examine these issues in the light of Jewish tradition, history, and values, as well as in creative tension with our tradition, asking questions that (continued on page14)

Social Action/Social Justice. . . . . . 2-3 BJ Rabbinic Fellows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Mekusharim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Israel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Simhat Torah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

inside: Being Mindful About Food and Waste: Composting at the BJ CSA.............................. 2 Meet Alex and Sarit: B’nai Jeshurun’s New Rabbinic Fellows ................................... 4

Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

From One Rosh Hashanah to Another: A Year of Firsts.............................................. 6

Youth & Family Education. . . . . . 11-13

Dance a Little Longer: Simhat Torah at BJ................................................................. 8

Announcements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Planning for Planned Giving..................................................................................... 10

Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Follow the Leader on Shabbat Morning.................................................................... 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 .

FALL 2013

Social Action/Social Justice

Being Mindful About Food and Waste: Composting at the B’nai Jeshurun Hazorim CSA — and Beyond By Larissa Wohl t’s not every day that a B’nai Mitzvah student takes on a project involving food scraps; however, BJ teen Samantha Ratner did just that. Seeking a unique project rooted in Social Action and one with which she personally connected, Samantha came to me during this season’s sign up for the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with an idea for a composting project.

New York City sends 1.2 million tons of garbage to landfills each year, of which 35 percent is food scraps. The disposal costs for

food scraps alone amount to $300 million, which we all pay in taxes. But there is an alternative. For those unfamiliar with it, compost is decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer. Generally created in one of three ways (with worms, tumble bins, or a compost pile), compost is a great way to infuse the soil with nutrients from our own food scraps. By composting, the cost of shipping to landfills decreases dramatically, and the food scraps are put to good use. CSA leaders had batted around the idea of composting last year, but it wasn’t until Samantha stepped up that the idea came to fruition. The BJ Hazorim CSA is currently in its fourth season, in partnership

“

Samantha delivered a comprehensive composting project presentation, sharing background information and asking CSA members to compost at home and bring the scraps to the weekly CSA pickup for return to Free Bird Farm.”

with farmers Maryellen Driscoll and Ken Fruehstorfer at Free Bird Farm in the Upper Mohawk Valley. For years, Free Bird Farm has managed two large compost piles that they use as fertilizer and send to other local farms. But the BJ Hazorim CSA simply threw food scraps from distribution into the trash. At the community gathering and orientation for 50 CSA members in May, Samantha delivered a comprehensive composting project presentation, sharing background information and asking CSA members to compost at home and bring the scraps to the weekly CSA pickup for return to Free Bird Farm. She and her family provided buckets and signs to collect scraps at distribution each week. Samantha also came to distribution for the first two weeks to educate CSA members about the project and how they could store their scraps from week to week. I’m thrilled to report that the project is now going strong. In fact, Samantha’s composting initiative proved to be very timely. Just a week after the first CSA pickup in June, Mayor Michael Bloomberg released an outline for a citywide composting program. The first year of the program calls for voluntary participation by 150,000 single-family homes, 100 apartment buildings, and 600 schools,

with the hope that it will lead to required separation of food waste by all New York City residents for collection and composting by 2015 or 2016. For this to happen, individual apartment buildings, renters, homeowners, and waste management employees must do their part. Collecting food scraps on a large scale should be done carefully to avoid problems with rodents and bugs — but it can be done successfully if New Yorkers are given the right tools and are willing to simply separate out food scraps during meal preparation and put them in a container to be collected. The city’s composting program, along with the recent policy of recycling all hard plastics, is another step towards reducing our waste, reducing our tax burden, and creating a more mindful culture. Despite the challenges of composting in NYC, this new program and smaller scale programs like Samantha’s can have an impact if we give them a chance and approach them in an effective and efficient way.

The BJ Hazorim CSA is proud to continue practicing mindfulness around

PHOTOS, PAGE 2: LARISSA WOHL

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

TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

•

new voIce

asj kue

Scraps in a Bucket: An Environmental Bat Mitzvah Project Interview with Samantha Ratner Samantha and her parents have been BJ Hazorim CSA members for three years, and have been composting through their local farmers market and GrowNYC. I interviewed her about the project in June, a few weeks into the CSA season, after BJ’s composting project had gotten off to a great start. Larissa Wohl: What is your project? Samantha Ratner: My project is where I set up composting at BJ. You bring in food scraps from your farm share [and from home] every week and put it in a bucket which can be used to fertilize the soil back at the farm. LW: What’s the process? SR: [Participants] put [scraps] in their compost pile, which eventually breaks down the food over time and creates a soil filled with nutrients. LW: What motivated you to choose this as your B’nai Mitzvah project?

PHOTOS, ABOVE: LARISSA WOHL

environmental sustainability in our community. Samantha’s B’nai Mitzvah project is one great example why we do what we do. Small steps can lead to great things. n To read Larissa’s full article on the Citywide Composting Initiative, visit the CSA Blog (www.bj.org/csa-blog) and view under the Composting section.

SR: I always try to be conscious of the environment, and I feel like this is another step I can take to be more environmentally friendly because it helps so many people. At our local farmers market, there is a stand called GrowNYC and it has compost buckets there every week. We started adding to the compost and we realized how helpful it was, so I felt like doing it at the CSA would be helpful to the community. LW: What do you hope it accomplishes? SR: I really hope it raises awareness of how much food we waste and how there are so many ways we can help put the waste back into use and make the world a much greener place than it is now. I hope people start looking for more places where they can be more environmentally

friendly, like recycling their paper instead of throwing it away, or sending their food waste to places that compost (like our CSA). LW: Since your family has started composting, do you think you have been more conscious of how much food you waste? SR: Yes. Since we have started this, at school I take only as much as I believe I can eat. Every day at school, I see garbage cans filled with food. I feel like that is wasteful and people should be more mindful of what they take. Sometimes I see people taking full plates of food and then throwing them out. At home, we try to have one night a week where we eat leftovers, or if we have leftovers after dinner my parents will often take that for lunch the next day so we don’t waste as much. LW: Why do you think composting is important for our community? SR: There is so much waste everywhere. Oftentimes we are not mindful of what we do, whether that’s not trying to find the time to throw something in the garbage can or the recycling bin and [instead] throwing it in the river or on the street. Or it could even be as small as throwing something in a garbage bin when it could go in a recycling bin, like paper or cans. I feel like this is another way people can take to try to make the world that much better. I’m very happy I’m not doing something just like fundraising, even though that’s also important. I feel like I’m doing something directly to help, and I think it’s going to last a long time — even without me. With fundraising I always feel like once you’re done, that’s it for your project. With this, this is probably going to keep going for a long time at the CSA. n Samantha Ratner, the daughter of Shari Gelber and Adam Ratner, is an 8th grader at Fieldston. She and her family have been BJ members since 2010 and CSA members for three years.

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 .

FALL 2013

BJ RABBINIC FELLOWS

Meet Alex and Sarit: B’nai Jeshurun’s New Rabbinic Fellows By Rabbi Adam Roffman lex Braver grew up outside of Los Angeles. Though he went to a small Jewish day school and eventually followed his brother to Brandeis University, he didn’t learn to love Jewish learning until he found himself confronting his identity as a gay man and as a Jew.

“I tried to learn everything I could about what Judaism says about homosexuality,” Alex remembers. “And the more I wrestled with that huge issue, the more I wanted to engage with what Judaism says about everything.”

“

Each text has its own worldview. And then comes our point of view. It’s learning to hear both voices that I find really compelling.”

The Jewish books Alex received for his Bar Mitzvah, like Abraham Heschel’s The Sabbath, sat on his bookshelf for seven or eight years before he picked them up. Then, at Brandeis, he studied with renowned American Jewish history professor Dr. Jonathan Sarna, who helped him link his personal journey with the story of Jewish peoplehood. After college, he worked at a charter public high school in Boston teaching remedial English and math. When the year was over, a mentor, Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman,

suggested he study at Yeshivat Hadar in Manhattan, where both his observance and love of Jewish text grew. Combining both experiences a teacher, Alex instills the value of understanding text on its own terms: “Each text has its own worldview. And then comes our point of view. It’s learning to hear both voices that I find really compelling.” Alex has a long list of things he loves about BJ: “Taking prayer seriously, standing for marriage equality, inspiring Torah. I am really excited about making personal connections with people, either at a shiva call or at morning minyan.” Alex is entering his third year at JTS and recently returned from a year of study at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem. At JTS, he has explored the relationship between pastoral care and Jewish tradition with Rabbi Mychal Springer. “Serving as a chaplain is all heart PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN and ears,” said Alex. “As someone who comes from the textual tradition, the question is: How do you put all those things together?” During his upcoming fellowship at BJ, Alex hopes to answer that question — with his heart open and his ears listening intently. ••• Sarit Horwitz has been learning, mentoring and teaching in Jewish settings for as long as she can remember. She grew up in Kansas City, where she attended Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, a pluralist Jewish day school. After spending the year in Israel with the Nativ College Leadership Program, Sarit moved to New York City to acquire a double degree in the JTS Joint Program between Columbia University and List College.

“

Something different happens at BJ,” reflects Sarit. “They do something right. I want to learn what that is.”

But it wasn’t until she moved to Chicago, serving as assistant to the head of the Chicago Jewish Day School, that she realized her ambition to become a rabbi: “I needed to be in a place where I wasn’t surrounded by rabbinical students anymore to see myself at the Rabbinical School at JTS.” Sarit, a Wexner Graduate Fellow, is entering her fourth year as a rabbinical student. She has served as a chaplain at Bellevue Hospital, worked with Rabbi Jim Ponet as a rabbinic intern at the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale, and has served as a rabbinic intern at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago and Congregation Shir Chadash in New Orleans. One of the reasons BJ appeals to Sarit is because its spiritual leaders aren’t afraid to provoke deep and even difficult questions about what Judaism asks of us. “I am tremendously influenced by Emmanuel Levinas,” Sarit explains. “He asks us how we can experience God in other people, and to learn what it means to see something that is divine in our humanity. How can we carry that divinity within ourselves and offer it to other people?” At BJ, Sarit will be working with conversion students and teaching the Introduction to Judaism class. As much as she is looking forward to teaching, she is even more interested in finding out how BJ has grown into the community that has moved her so deeply over the past few years. “Something different happens at BJ,” reflects Sarit. “They do something right. I want to learn what that is.” n Adam Roffman was a BJ Rabbinic Fellow for the last two years. He was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2013 and is now serving as Associate Rabbi at Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, Texas.

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

TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

•

new voIce

asj kue MEKUSHARIM

Mekusharim Programs to Focus on Legacy By the Mekusharim Committee

hat values do you want to bequeath to your children or loved ones? How do we clarify and define our values? These are questions worthy of consideration whether you’re 30, 50 or 70 years old. To help us tackle these very issues, the Mekusharim Committee is planning a series of events for the entire community in 2013 and 2014 focused on the theme “Legacy: Tradition and Transformation.”

“

and bake with one from the next? Cooking together in members’ homes will create the warm, delicious environment we associate with Jewish foods. Also on the drawing board is a program on the artistic output and legacy of the halutzim (the pioneers who settled Israel), and how they transplanted and transformed their artistic traditions in their new/old homeland.

Street. Join us for a special treat beyond challah, wine and conversation. And that’s not all! In the planning stages is a book fair featuring BJ authors and a film screening followed by a Q&A with the director. Although Mekusharim, whose members are 55-plus, sponsors these events, they are

The keynote event for the Legacy theme will be a workshop called ‘Picture Your Legacy,’ led by Sharna Goldseker, an authority on how values and identity are transmitted from one generation to the next.”

The season kicked off in September with “L’Chaim: To Life and Legacy,” a spirited wine tasting and tribute to 5774, led by BJ’s own Avi Ashman, owner of IsraGourmet. Held during Sukkot, this social gathering was a delightful way to celebrate the holidays. The keynote event for the Legacy theme will be a workshop called “Picture Your Legacy,” led by Sharna Goldseker, an authority on how values and identity are transmitted from one generation to the next. Through the use of photo cards and discussion, Sharna will help us articulate the answers to such questions as: • What life experiences most informed who you are? • What life wisdom do you want your children or grandchildren to remember? This event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, 6:30-8:30PM in the 88th Street Sanctuary and is open to the whole community. A longing for a taste of the past inspires our next program, in which children of all ages will learn how to make those treasured recipes from bubbe that call for “a fistful of flour” (“whose fist, hers or mine?” we wondered as a child!). What better way to bond than by having a balabusta (or storied homemaker) from one generation cook

PHOTO: MONTY MILLER

The Mekusharim Committee. Front row: Nancy W. Greenblatt (co-chair), Judith Lipton, Susan Viuker Landau, Elaine Heffner. Back row: Barbara Schwimmer, Nancy Freireich (co-chair), Daniela Sciaky, Elizabeth Cohen (co-chair), Miriam Stern, Belinda Lasky (staff). Missing: Sheila Bleckner, Shirley Feder.

“

We have great fun thinking about and planning innovative and entertaining programs that create the opportunity for us to socialize with younger members of the community who have come to know us and our creative synergy.”

How has Mekusharim developed its own traditions? We will again feature two of our favorite annual events. The intergenerational Hanukkah cabaret will be Wednesday, December 4, in the 88th Street Sanctuary. Following on the heels of previous successes, you can expect music, adults, children, candle lighting, and lots of spinning dreidels. This year’s Mekusharim Shabbat dinner is on Friday, March 7 in Frankel Hall at 88th

by no means limited to that age group. We have great fun thinking about and planning innovative and entertaining programs that create the opportunity for us to socialize with younger members of the community who have come to know us and our creative synergy. Our programs are open to the entire community, and we hope you will join us! Some dates have not been finalized, so please check www.bj.org for details. Or add your name to the Mekusharim e-mail list by contacting one of our Mekusharim ambassadors: Miriam Stern at carlmiriam@aol.com, or Shirley Feder at bubbesgf@gmail.com. If you have any questions or suggestions about our programs, Miriam and Shirley would love to hear from you. 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

new voIce • KOL HADASH .

FALL 2013

ISRAEL

From One Rosh Hashanah to the Next: A Year of Firsts By Orli Moss, Director of Israel Engagement s I write this, it has been almost a year since my family and I packed up our home in Kfar Saba and arrived in New York for my new position as Director of Israel Engagement at B’nai Jeshurun. Our move brought about so many firsts. First time living in New York. First time for BJ to have this position. First time for the Jewish Agency to place a shlihah (emissary) in a synagogue. First time for the New York Federation to have a community shlihah in Manhattan.

Our introduction to BJ was celebrating the High Holy Days — a truly unique experience. I have been going to synagogue for as long as I can remember, and I have yet to feel as moved as I did at prayers at BJ. Jonathan, Nomi (8), Tomer (6), Ella-Poppy (2) and I attended the family, children’s and adult services, and the level of thought and kavannah (intention) was so palpable that we were swept in.

“

n The Israeli Book Group A group of approximately 35 participants met six times between December and May for engaging and thought-provoking conversations about books, all but one Israeli and translated from the Hebrew. The books were chosen by BJ members Carol Balin and Jennifer Sylvor, who masterfully facilitated each session. When discussing Homesick by Eshkol Nevo, we asked ourselves what the characters were longing for; in Nava Semel’s novel The Rat Laughed, we looked at how the Holocaust is remembered and how stories are told from generation to generation.

This coming year, I hope to find ways of connecting the BJ community with grassroots movements and activists who are working hard to bring about the realization of these different visions.”

Since then we have celebrated birthdays, become members of the American Museum of Natural History, learned where to do our grocery shopping, and the difference between the local and the express lines on the subway. We have learned to sing about the dinosaur on Shabbat, that we have to get to 88th Street early for a seat downstairs on Friday night, and that havdalah with BJ gives you energy for the week to come. There is still plenty to explore and learn, and we are still trying to find our own rhythm within a city that truly does not stop. When we first arrived, my charge was to find ways to help bring BJ’s vision for Israel engagement to life, particularly in the areas of Israel education, Israel trips, and by developing and nurturing BJ’s relationship with its partner communities in Israel. It has been a challenging, exciting, rewarding

year. As I plan for the year to come during the approach to the High Holy Days of 5774, it is also time to reflect on this year’s highlights, which are BJ “Firsts”:

n The Elections in Israel — Analyzing the Results with Real Time Commentary On January 23, one day after the general elections in Israel, the temperature in New York was around 12 degrees with wind gusts of 15-20 mph. Those who were brave enough to step into the cold, joined us at 89th Street to hear fascinating commentary from Hila Elroy, Advisor to the Consul General of Israel; J.J. Goldberg, Editor-at-Large of The Forward; and Haviv Gur of The Times of Israel. Moderated by political analyst Jonathan Cummings, the group discussed the results and implications of the Israeli elections. Despite the cold outside, the conversation was heated and informative.

PHOTO, ABOVE: MAX ORENSTEIN

n The Shalom Hartman’s Institute iEngage Course This nine-session course is “designed to elevate the discourse about Israel from a crisis-based focus to one rooted in Jewish values and ideas.” Guided by Roly, 30 BJ members and I read traditional Jewish sources and current articles, then engaged in gripping discussions about timely issues including peoplehood, power and powerlessness, and sovereignty. Sharing my personal experiences as an Israeli and the Israeli yearning to better society was a profoundly enriching experience.

n Israelfest The sun was shining on April 14th as the Upper West Side came together for the first time to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmautIsrael’s 65th birthday. The BJ Sanctuary and Community House on 89th Street were particularly festive as volunteers welcomed members and Upper West Siders who joined us in celebrations, singing, dancing, drumming and eating. n Israel Trips People who have visited Israel speak of their visit as a critical moment in developing a connection with it. These journeys allow people to explore core issues of Jewish identity and Zionism, peoplehood, and lifestyle choices. Including the upcoming Study Trip with Roly this November and the Family Trip with Felicia in December, over 100 BJ members will have travelled to Israel on BJ community trips since my arrival. Traveling as a group is extremely powerful because the experiences are shared and live on in

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

TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

the narrative of the wider community. I have met teens who recall their scavenger hunt in the Old City from the BJ family trip in 2006, and people who talk about the Shabbat with BJ’s partner communities on the 180th trip as an event etched into their memory for good.

asj kue

n Project Zug (“pair” in Hebrew) This initiative of BJ member Benjamin Ross, one of the first Israel engagement projects launched this year, brought together Israelis and American Jews in online hevruta to learn about Jewish topics. Six BJ members and their Israeli partners discussed texts and interactive materials provided by Project Zug in 30-minute weekly sessions. This successful program will continue into next year, with the enhancement that BJ members will now be paired with Israelis from our partner communities.

PHOTOs: ABOVE, VERY TOP, Alex Chemodanov. BELOW THAT, HARRIET R. GOREN.

Above, very top: The BJ teens at the Community Garden in Gedera, Israel; below that, Roly’s study trip to Israel, November 2012

PHOTO, ABOVE: MAX ORENSTEIN; RIGHT: Galit Lopatin Bordereau

Page 6, far right: Hila Elroy, Jonathan Cummings, J.J. Goldberg, Haviv Gur discussing results of the Israeli Elections. Above: BJ teens performing at the Israelfest, Yom Ha’atzmaut event. Right: BJ members participating at the Celebrate Israel parade.

• Teen Service Learning Trip to Israel February 2013 The Teen Service Learning Trip this February was another first: it took place in Israel. Five amazing days were spent working on a community garden in the Ethiopian community in Gedera. The

new voIce

English is amazing and they’re just like us! They wear the same clothes, have the same sense of humor, and know all the same music… can’t wait for our home stays tonight!”

• Roly’s Israel Study Trip in November 2012 The trip Roly led focused on prayer and spirituality. BJ member Harriet Goren captured a bit the joy and richness of this experience: “We were reminded this morning that Shaharit, the morning prayer service, takes us across the four worlds — body, spirit, intellect, and the deeper, mystical world of the Amidah. But as we turned to face the Old City to pray, rather than simply east, I remained happily stuck

in the first: I’m really here! Maybe I’ll believe it by the time I have to leave.”

•

Over the past year, I have met many BJ members and had interesting conversations about Israel, the role it played for them growing up, and how they feel about Israel today. I’ve also heard where members want deeper knowledge and experience. Recurring questions from members include: “What can I do?” and “How can I help?” My response is to learn about the complexities that exist, accept that there are many different visions of what Israel is, and to embrace this vibrant spectrum. This coming year, I hope to find ways of connecting the BJ community with grassroots movements and activists who are working hard to bring about the realization of these different visions. I am also committed to increasing the number of BJ members who have a personal connection with members of BJ’s partner communities: Beit Tefilah Israeli, Nigun Halev, and the staff of Hamidrasha.

cherry on top was the last weekend where the teens spent the weekend with the teens of the Nigun Halev community in Nahalal. The teens found that BJ members truly have a home away from home with our partners in Israel. “The last few hours have been amazing. We walked off the bus [in Nahalal] to open arms,” reported Sammi Lubliner and Amelia Geser. “The Israeli teens welcomed us into their building where we all introduced ourselves and played ice breakers. Their

The office is buzzing in anticipation of the High Holy Days. When Rosh Hashanah comes around, going to BJ’s services will feel familiar, the faces will look familiar, the tunes will sound familiar, and my family and I will have completed one cycle with the BJ community. The “Firsts” are over, and the journey together continues. I look forward to the coming year, to seeing you at various activities, and welcoming your thoughts and suggestions. 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

new voIce • KOL HADASH .

FALL 2013

SIMHAT TORAH

Dance a Little Longer: Simhat Torah at BJ By Joanne Palmer tay all night, stay a little longer Dance all night, dance a little longer Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner Don’t see why you can’t stay a little longer. —Willie Nelson

According to many rabbis, including ours, that is at least one reason for Simhat Torah. The Israelites made a pilgrimage to the Temple during Sukkot and stayed until it ended, on Shemini Atzeret. That was a long time, but God wasn’t quite ready for the party to end. “Stay a little longer,” God said. “Dance a little longer.” By the medieval period, that stretched out one day more, into Simhat Torah. Then, at the very end of the cycle that was ushered in with Selihot in late summer, we combine the threads that make up the rich tapestry of Jewish autumn. Deep reverence and pure physicality combine as we dance around the Torah scroll. We turn and turn and turn around it until finally we turn it around and start it again, from the beginning. The physicality starts with the building, whose interior was created by a theatrical designer in the 1920s. Its walls are all arabesqued swirls, dark blues and yellows and reds, veined with thick curls of subdued gilt that glitter discreetly. They are broken by Tiffany-style stained glass windows, and a huge rose window shines at the back whenever there is daylight for it to catch. On Simhat Torah, there are few chairs, and those line the walls. Most of us sit on the red-carpeted floor at first, but then we stand, the ark is opened, and the rabbis beckon us forward. “Come very close,” they

say. “Come even closer.” We do. They read the lines that lead into the hakafot, and we repeat them. It is intense and reverent. The pace quickens. Finally, the scrolls are removed from the ark. One of the themes that characterize the entire holy days season is time; how it passes, how it circles back, how it moves forward. At Simhat Torah, we mark time’s passing by honoring people according to their ages, with the oldest first. The first hakafah is for people 70 and older. There are many of them, some in wheelchairs or motorized carts. The rest of us form two huge circles around the room, stand across from partners, and reach our arms up

“

Most of us sit on the red-carpeted floor at first, but then we stand, the ark is opened, and the rabbis beckon us forward. ‘Come very close,’ they say. ‘Come even closer.’ We do.”

through, circles of dancers form, each with a scroll at its heart. When hakafot are arranged by age, it’s emotionally complicated. It’s a wrench to

Roly and members of the community raise the Torah in 2005 at the celebration of BJ’s 180th anniversary. It’s not Simhat Torah, when photography is not permitted, but the high and holy spirit is the same.

to form an arch. Our elders move between our circles, we part our hands to let them through and to touch the Torah scrolls they hold and then kiss them, and the music plays, first solemn, then fast and faster and even faster. Once all the scrolls are

PHOTO, ABOVE: MAX ORENSTEIN

move from one group to another; the oldest group seems pleased to have reached that distinction, but many of the rest of us have not yet reached that proud equilibrium. It’s a huge dislocation to cross from one group into the next; you have a decade to get used to the one that seemed at first absurdly old,

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

TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

and then, whoops, like it or not you’re kicked up again. You know you’ll keep going until the day when you finally disappear. And you get to see your children advance, too, from small children to glowing young adults. Each hakafah lasts from 20 to 25 minutes. The music to each one is just one song, and it increases in speed and intensity. “Yerushalayim,” we shout, or “Ki va mo-eid,” or a niggun’s ya-di-dai-dais. The circles sometimes break into conga lines. In a way, as my husband points out, B’nai Jeshurun is like Rick’s Café Américain in Casablanca. Everybody goes to BJ. We are joined by people from across a strikingly wide swath of the Jewish world. BJ is non-affiliated Conservative, yet we attract secular Jews trying to figure this stuff out. Our community also includes Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative Jews from across the city, as well as many mostly Modern Orthodox Jews. I don’t know why mixed dancing to musical instruments doesn’t bother them, but apparently it does not.

As the music gets wilder, young men dance those Russian folk dances that involve getting very low to the ground and kicking as they hold Torah scrolls (I don’t believe that Russians did that with Torah scrolls; with actual Jews, maybe…). Others hold a scroll high over their heads as they dance. No one ever drops one, or lets it touch the ground. Sometimes, when the crush inside becomes too great, someone takes a conga line out into the street, where we are revived by the cool night air after the overheated sweatbox of the usually frigidly over-air conditioned sanctuary. Eventually, the dancing ends, the scrolls are returned to the ark, and Ma’ariv concludes. Although at times it is difficult, the rabbis restore quiet, and the service ends with the same hush that marked its beginning. The next day, we start again. After Shaharit we take the scrolls out again, and again we form arches. It’s different in the morning, still crowded but not as impossibly, and the light through the stained glass picks out

“ As the evening goes on, the crowd gets younger. There aren’t many children at Simhat Torah services in the evening; the people in their mid-30s and up who seem to make up most of the crowd at the beginning eventually are joined and then largely replaced by people in their 20s. At the evening’s peak, it is so crowded that we don’t dance as much as shuffle; it can feel like Times Square at rush hour. Often the line to get in goes all the way to Broadway and sometimes it turns the corner. But then, somehow, the music takes over. The crowds thin a bit — people head downstairs for water, or outside for breath. We often bang into each other and just keep going.

Deep reverence and pure physicality combine as we dance around the Torah scroll. We turn and turn and turn around it until finally we turn it around and start it again, from the beginning.”

different colors than the artificial light did at night. This time, the room is full of children. Again, the music, again mostly Carlebach, again unmistakably Jewish, calls and swells and insists that we move to it. This time, after the hakafot end and the scrolls are returned to the ark, we sit on the floor and then rise as they are taken out again, this time to be read. We honor the Hatan or Kallat Torah and then the Hatan or Kallat Bereshit, who are called to the Torah under a huppah, because after all this is a wedding of the Torah to Israel. After each honor, yet again we dance.

•

new voIce

asj kue

In between these two honors, when the scroll is lifted, we go from the end to the beginning. We have come full circle. The person who is honored with hagbah picks up the Torah with crossed arms, then twirls it so it whirls from its end to its beginning. Moshe is no longer looking longingly across the mountains to the land for which he yearned but year after year he will not be allowed to enter. Instead, the world is being created anew. It is with the haftarah, as the celebration is close to its end, that the theme of time as being at once circular and forward-moving reappears. The Torah cycle takes us back to its beginning, but the haftarah comes from the first verses of the book of Joshua, so if you were to read the Tanakh straight through, you’d find it immediately after the last reading in D’varim. The trop the reader uses sounds very like the Torah trop we’ve just heard. So, as we sit there, poised to start another year, still remembering vividly the year just ended, we sit too at the junction of two different kinds of time. The Torah will take us back to where we started. The haftarah will move us into the future, in a line that eventually will come to us, and then move past us. Both kinds of time are true, and both are Jewish. The mood is reverent, perhaps even elegiac, as we think about endings. We are tired and sweaty. It’s mid-afternoon and we’re ready to eat. Like the Israelites in and around the Temple in Jerusalem, we know that finally we have to leave. The month of observances truly is ended. The dancing is done. The light has changed. But we know that next year, once again, we will be asked to stay all night — stay a little longer. Joanne Palmer is Editor of the Jewish Standard in Teaneck, where this story first appeared. As always, this is in loving memory of Shira Palmer-Sherman, z’l. 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

new voIce • KOL HADASH .

FALL 2013

DEVELOPMENT

“

Planning For Planned Giving By Andrea Newman, Development Chair

e’re blessed at B’nai Jeshurun with an abundance of dedicated members who offer us their enthusiasm, time and professional expertise. One of those members, Donna Nadler, has graciously stepped up to serve as chairperson for our Planned Giving Initiative.

Donna Nadler

PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN

Andrea Newman

Donna, a BJ member since 2001, was first attracted and remains committed to BJ for its vision and significance in the advancement of the Jewish community in New York, across the country, and around the world. A financial advisor since 1985, Donna entered the field after she completed her M.B.A. at Rutgers University with a concentration in finance and investments. Donna and her colleagues at Capital Management Group of New York

work with individuals and non-profits to maximize planned giving strategies. We are fortunate to have her lead BJ as we take on this important initiative.

Anyone can make a planned gift! Though it may seem daunting, making a planned gift is actually quite simple.”

a financial advisor, she or he will also be able to assist you in determining the best way to contribute to BJ. Throughout this coming year, you will see more information on planned giving, as well as other philanthropic opportunities to support BJ. Our new Planned Giving Initiative will create opportunities for us to educate the next generation and allow us to communicate our values through action, with a mission to secure our community’s future.

Planned giving provides a myriad of ways for our community to build a permanent fund, providing a legacy for our synagogue that outlasts all other forms of giving, and perpetuating BJ as a center for progressive Jewish life and education. Gifts are prudently invested to provide income for the many needs of the congregation, including Jewish enrichment experiences for our children, recognition of life cycle events, adult Jewish learning, and enhancement of our varied social service programs such as the the BJ/SPSA Homeless Shelter and the Judith Bernstein Lunch Program and other advocacy work.

Please join Donna and me to ensure that BJ prospers for future generations as a welcoming community that inspires spiritual searching, lifts the soul, challenges the mind, and calls for social responsibility and action. n

Anyone can make a planned gift! Though it may seem daunting, making a planned gift is actually quite simple. Contributions may be made in many forms: cash, bequests, securities, real estate, life insurance, or in trust. Lisa Steinberg, Director of Development, or Donna Nadler will be happy to help you determine how you might support BJ in this way. Of course, if you have

Andrea Newman, a BJ member since 1997, has served on many committees and on the BJ Board from 2006-2011. She now chairs the Development Committee, supporting Kol Nidre appeal efforts, special events and grant writing. When not on the Upper West Side or at BJ, Andrea can be found lakeside in her Columbia County cottage with friends, family and her terrier, Isabel.

Linking the Past to the Future BJ members are invited to make a special contribution in memory of a loved one and have their name permanently inscribed on the black granite plaques at the rear of the sanctuary. This traditional way of expressing love and respect for our forebearers and preserving their memory is also a way to support and sustain the BJ community. Names are inscribed on the plaques during the winter and a beautiful dedication and memorial ceremony takes place in the early spring. Donations begin at $1,800 for a single name and $2,400 to memorialize a couple. The total cost depends upon the number of characters to be inscribed. If you would like to honor the memory of a loved one in this way, please submit the inquiry form you will find at www.bj.org/memorial, or call Lisa Steinberg at 212-787-7600 x228. We will contact you to answer any questions you may have and to finalize the arrangements. Please note: In order for inscriptions to be completed in time for the memorial ceremony, donations must be completed by December 15th. n

PHOTO: JACOB SHEMKOVITZ

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

TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

•

new voIce

asj kue

YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION

The Priestly Puppet, Or How Children Daven and Learn Torah By Ivy Schreiber, Director of Education for Youth and Family

“

ust as each child gently gave the Torah a kiss, a large orange puppet appeared. The children sat quietly, eagerly waiting to hear the puppet speak. The puppet, a “visiting artist-inresidence” on loan from Storahtelling, was a priest from the old Temple in Jerusalem, and he was being prepared to be consecrated and give offerings to God. One by one, as they sang a part of each Shabbat morning prayer, the children acted as Moses and helped dress and prepare the priestly puppet. First, they pretended to wash him and sang Modeh Ani. Next, they put on his “tunic” (actually a sheet) while singing Ma Tovu. By the time they placed the breast plate around his neck, they were singing the V’ahavta, and continued to connect the Shabbat morning service to the priestly puppet’s preparation. They were transfixed and wholly present. By the end of the story, the children had experienced, hands on, the preparation for prayer. This scene took place at children’s services on the Shabbat when we read Parashat

The puppet, a ‘visiting artistin-residence’ on loan from Storahtelling, was a priest from the old Temple in Jerusalem, and he was being prepared to be consecrated and give offerings to God. ”

tradition to bring the Torah text and its meaning alive to our young learners.

PHOTO: JOHN KRAUS

the powerful interactive tools we are using to teach Torah at BJ, and is a product of outreach and professional learning. Emily paired what she had learned when she was trained as a Storahtelling Maven with newly acquired skills from Bill Gordh, a gifted storyteller, songleader, and educator extraordinaire.

A little over a year ago, I sat with BJ member Evelyn Gruss Lipper and Rabbi Roly Matalon on the floor with three- and four-year-olds and their parents to observe the chapel experience at The Episcopal School on the Upper East Side. At the front of the room Bill, a man with a gentle voice and a banjo captivated the room of children and their parents PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN in the way he paired Bible Tzav, which describes the intricate stories with music. It was instantly clear preparations for prayer and sacrifice made how much we could learn from Bill. by the priests of the Temple in Jerusalem. Emily Walsh, B’nai Jeshurun’s Assistant Bill worked with BJ service leaders several Director of Education, animated the priestly times during the last year developing new puppet and, in his voice, told his story of skills and honing old ones of pairing music preparation using the outline of the Shabbat and short songs with the stories of our morning service. This is but one example of

Minyan Bet leader, Brooke Linden, loved the learning opportunity. “Bill Gordh was instrumental in helping me plan how to engage the kids at BJ, through stories and discussions,” she said. “I was able to incorporate his strategies into my teaching to present material in a creative and engaging way.” Children’s services leader Leah Silver agrees: “Bill Gordh, with his calm and humble manner, showed us how, every child, no matter the age, can take something away from the weekly parasha. I feel lucky to get the opportunity, week after week, to contribute to the development of children’s Jewish identities. Indeed, I owe much of the development of my own Jewish identity to my upbringing in the BJ community.” Not surprisingly, all of our service leaders get a great deal of personal satisfaction from their roles. Sarah Rosenthal remarked: “As someone who has been leading Minyan Aleph for ten years, it’s been such a pleasure to watch the kids I once sang the “Aleph Bet” with to grow up, become b’nai mitzvah, and begin to take on leadership roles of their own in the community.” We are most grateful to Evelyn Gruss Lipper for introducing us to Bill Gordh, and appreciate the support of the EGL Charitable Foundation in continuing to enhance how young children and their families engage at BJ on Shabbat morning. 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

new voIce • KOL HADASH .

FALL 2013

YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION

Follow the Leader on Shabbat Morning By Ivy Schreiber, Director of Education for Youth and Family

hildren in strollers, in arms, in baby carriers, sitting on the floor. Children singing, bouncing, dancing, laughing, listening, thinking and participating. Children taking their first steps in prayer and community, seeing their B’nai Jeshurun friends, and meeting new ones. Children experiencing Torah and our tradition, opening up to the world beyond themselves and their families, connecting to God and to Jewish living. “Vishinantam livanekha…” The V’ahavta prayer says: “…and teach them [God’s commandments] to your children.” Children’s services is one way we fulfill this mitzvah of passing our Jewish tradition to the next generation. Creating the setting, the music, and the words for a children’s service is an art. There has to be inspiration, feeling, story and heart. We are blessed at BJ to have talented and warm service leaders and musicians who create such a setting on Shabbat morning and for Bim Bam, our Friday morning music class for children ages 0-3. You may already know some of these faces, but we want everyone to know a little bit more about our leaders, how they came to BJ, and what they do during the rest of the week: Emily Walsh is the Assistant Director of Education for Youth and Family at BJ, where she oversees the B’nai Mitzvah and Young Families programs. She holds two MA degrees in Jewish Education and Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship. In addition to a childhood of performing in plays and musicals, Emily is a trained Storahtelling

Maven, and has been thrilled to strengthen her storytelling skills with both Bill Gordh and Godly Play. Josh Adland has led Jewish music with children for over 15 years. He was a NFTY songleader, head songleader at the URJ’s Goldman Union Camp, t’filah coordinator at Brandeis University’s Reform Chavurah, and music director at synagogues in both Boston and New York City. After graduating from Brandeis, Josh joined Teach for America and taught World History to high school students in the South Bronx. He is currently the marketing manager for Kaplan K12 Learning Services. Rachel Brook leads Bim Bam and children’s services at BJ and has taught and led services at several congregations in the New York area and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. A passionate supporter of Jewish music and education, Rachel is the conductor of Shir Chadash: The Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus, and of the Westchester chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish High School Choir. She also performs with Zamir Chorale and Kirtan Rabbi. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, and a Master of Music in Voice Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College. She is now in her third year of cantorial studies.

Ivy Schreiber

David Frankel has been a musician and educator in private and supplemental schools, as well as in camps for over a decade. As an experienced musician and educator, David has created meaningful experiences for congregations, camps and communities all over the East Coast. He plays guitar, drums, and sings the songs you know and love. Shira Kobren Wasserman is a New York City-based performer and educator whose body of work spans stage, film, television, commercials, recorded albums and, of course, classrooms. She is both an actress and a singer, and is the front woman and songwriter for her kid-friendly rock band, Shira & Friends. Shira’s favorite day of the week is Shabbat, and she is always happy to get to spend it making music with the young families and other musicians at BJ!

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

TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

Daniel Laor is an IsraeliAmerican pianist who made his solo debut with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra at age 16, and since then has performed on international stages in Israel, Europe and the United States. Daniel serves as music teacher and musical director at The Brandeis School, where he also has a piano studio. A graduate of the Israeli Conservatory, Daniel received his Bachelor of Music degree (with honors) from the Mannes College of Music in New York.

“

Sarah Rosenthal is a lifelong BJ member and grew up going to children’s services. She started working as a leader for Minyan Aleph and High Holy Days in 2002. She graduated from Brown University in 2011, where she double majored in History and Africana Studies. She currently lives on the Upper West Side and works as an assistant editor at Oxford University Press. Her favorite Jewish holidays are Simhat Torah and Shavuot — and if you see her on Purim, she will happily teach you the Hamentaschen Song.

Creating the setting, the music, and the words for a children’s service is an art. There has to be inspiration, feeling, story and heart.”

Max Meyers is a sophomore at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, studying acting at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. A former songleader at URJ Goldman Union Camp, he is thrilled to be making music at BJ with the service leading team. While originally from Cincinnati, OH, where he led services and taught music as a part of the Valley Temple Religious School Faculty, he plans to make New York City his home and the center of his career as an actor and musician. He looks forward to seeing all of you at services, singing your hearts out.

Andy Sherman has been a volunteer guitar player in BJ’s children’s services for about 14 years. During the week, he is a selfdescribed “security geek” with a doctorate in Physics, trying to keep his clients and their data safe online. Andy grew up in Chicago, and went to Vassar College, where he met his wife, Joanne Palmer. Andy learned a lot about children and worship from watching his own daughters — and now son-in-law, Dave (aka the Dinosaur) — lead services. He says “children are ritualistic by nature, and resist abrupt changes, but somehow we manage to honor their nature and still keep services fresh every week.”

•

new voIce

“

asj kue

‘Vishinantam livanekha…’ The V’ahavta prayer says: ‘…and teach them [God’s commandments] to your children.’ Children’s services is one way we fulfill this mitzvah of passing our Jewish tradition to the next generation.”

Leah Silver has been a part of the BJ community since childhood. She was a student, an ozeret (teaching assistant) and, in her final year of high school, a teacher at BJHS. She went on to study Education and Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, focusing her learning on the role of free play in schooling. She currently teaches fourth grade at Grace Church School, and is pursuing a Master’s degree at Bank Street College of Education. She loves leading children’s services, and strives to give families a fraction of the love, warmth, and Jewish learning that the BJ community has given her. I invite you to join us on Shabbat morning at one of our service options for children. As added incentive for new BJ families, we’re happy to create nametags so you get to know other members. May your days be filled with the lingering music and spirit of Shabbat. n

PHOTOS: WALSH, DENISE WAXMAN. ADLAND, Jeremy Sissman. BROOK, STARBOARD HEADSHOTS. SCHREIBER, DENISE WAXMAN. WASSERMAN, SABRINA REEVES. LAOR: JASON BERGER. MEYERS, Gina Weathersby. ROSENTHAL, ANJALI SALVADOR. SILVER, ERIC SCHNEIDER.

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 .

An Ambitious Agenda

RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON

lead us to deeper meaning and truth. To that end, we will be inviting more scholars and speakers to BJ, and we are forging partnerships with institutions that will help us address these critical issues and ideas. Social Justice: As Jews, the pursuit of social justice is at the core of our identity. At BJ, we want to continue to lead the NYC Jewish community with a commitment to engaging in issues that affect us all. To have a meaningful impact, we will go deeper to build community connections and relationships within BJ and with diverse partners throughout the city. We want to provide inspiration and opportunities for more BJ members to learn about and practice our Jewish values by listening, sharing, serving, and advocating for justice.

“

We believe that a true religious life is one of constant struggle towards improvement; however, we will not be able to achieve these goals unless our community embraces this vision and commits time, effort and resources to fulfill it.“

Israel: We have often said that there is nothing like a trip to Israel in order to develop the true love, the possibility of engagement, and a meaningful relationship with the land and with our brothers and sisters there. Trips also deepen our understanding of the complexities in Israeli society — that which is truly wonderful as well as that which requires tikkun. There are three planned BJ trips this year for different age and interest groups within the community. Additionally, we are creating a five-year plan of BJ trips.

KOL HADASH

continued from page 1

Our Shlihah and Director of Israel Engagement, Orli Moss, will continue to bring us great educational and programmatic opportunities and enhanced work with the spiritual communities that are our partners in Israel. As part of this effort we aim at fostering an increased number of one-to-one personal relationships between BJ members and members of our partner communities in Israel. Interfaith: We have been guests at the Church of St. Paul and St Andrew for 22 years now, recipients of the church’s kind hospitality. This relationship has been incredibly meaningful to us, and together we have reached out and forged bonds with other faith communities in our city. However, any relationship can fall into complacency and be taken for granted over time. This year, we would like to re-energize and pursue more vigorously our connection and collaborative work with SPSA and other NYC faith communities. We believe that this will not only enrich us spiritually, but also serve as a model as we search out new paths of understanding and cooperation in a world that is increasingly filled with religious and ethnic hatred and violence.

PHOTO: MAX ORENSTEIN

All of these aspirations will be given expression in concrete programs and initiatives in the year to come. This is an ambitious agenda, but the BJ community deserves no less. We believe that a true religious life is one of constant struggle towards improvement; however, we will not be able to achieve these goals unless our community embraces this vision and commits time, effort and resources to fulfill it. I also know, though, that each of us longs for all these things from a very deep place, and I pray that God will unlock our determination to be all that we can be so that we may call ourselves a truly holy community. n

new voIce • FALL 2013

The Kol Hadash is published four times a year. 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.

FALL 2013

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

TISHREI / HESHVAN / KISLEV / TEVET 5774

•

new voIce

asj kue

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Condolences (through August 9)

Mazal Tov To the following members and their families on their B’nai Mitzvah (July, August, and September): Daniel Lambert

Sophia Goldman Sonnenfeldt

Sadie Schwartz

Isaac Goldman Sonnenfeldt

Elie Vaturi

Oliver Chonoles

Augusta Klein Owens

To the following members and their families (through August 9): • Shira Nadich Levin and Jim Levin on the wedding of their son, Benjamin Morris Levin, to Sara Gail Jonisch. • Donna Robinson Divine on receiving the 2013 Honored Professor Award at Smith College. Donna is the Morningstar Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Government at Smith. • Rabbi Jonah Geffen and Rabbi Adam Roffman and their families on their ordination on May 23rd at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our members: • Eleanor Hoffman, and we extend our sincere condolences to her husband William Hoffman, their children, grandchildren, and all their loved ones. • Arthur Elefant, and we extend our sincere condolences to his wife Susan Elefant, their children and grandchildren, and their entire family. • Jeanette Winter, and we extend our sincere condolences to her sister, Dorothy Winter, and all her loved ones. • Bobbye S. Goldstein, and we extend our sincere condolences to her son Freddy Goldstein, Phyllis Lefton, Jeffrey Goldstein and Emily Goldstein, and their entire family. • Jacqueline Mintz, and we extend our sincere condolences to her entire family. The community of B’nai Jeshurun extends sincere condolences to the following members and their families: • Marjory Paganelli on the death of her mother, Ruth Shliefstein Goldberger.

• Jerry Goldfeder on receiving the Tzedek Award from the Met Council on Jewish Poverty.

• Jeremy and Sara Sokolic, their children Isaiah, Coby, and Arianna Sokolic, and their entire family on the death of Jeremy’s brother, Scott Sokolic.

• Achsah Guibbory and Tony Kaufman, Gabe and Susie Kaufman on the birth of their granddaughter and daughter, Alyssa Hannah Kaufman.

• Riva Ritvo Slifka on the death of her father, Moshe Golan.

• Joe Antenson and Larry Gifford on their marriage. • Israel and Joni Brenner on the birth of their grandson, Dylan Benjamin Brenner.

• Amy Jo Greenberg on the death of her father, Jack Greenberg. • Larry and Malcom Fox on the death of Larry’s father, Alan Jack Fox.

• Estee Konor on her engagement to Amit Duvshani.

• Barbara Manocherian, Ian Callender, Robert, Mireille, Daniel, Steven, and Natalie Manocherian on the death of Barbara and Robert’s father, Amir Manocherian.

• Marcia Riklis on the marriage of her daughter, Daniella Hirschfeld, to William Edward Weddig.

• Bruce, Lorrie, Noemi, and Avi Millman on the death of Bruce’s mother, Garie Millman.

• BJ’s newest Board members: Alan Mantel, Suzanne Schecter, and Scott Weiner. • Jerry Goldfeder and Alice Yaker, Carly and David Bisceglie, and Peter Meyer on the birth of their granddaughter, daughter, and niece, Violet June Bisceglie. • Norman, Sheila, Andrew, Guin, David, Melissa Bachner, Zach, Jonah, and Isabelle Bleckner on the birth of their granddaughter, daughter, niece, and cousin, Amelia Lee Bleckner. • Eve Bates and Serge Appel on their wedding. • Wendy Leiser and Robbie Dykon on their wedding. • Alicia Samuels and Eric Rosenstock on the birth of their son, Eli Chaim Rosenstock. We also extend a mazal tov to Susan and Stephen Samuels, Rabbi Joanna Samuels, and Jeremy, Orli, and Natan Hockenstein. • David and Maria Molton, on the marriage of David’s daughter, Janel Molton, to Nicholas Hertz. • Matthew Aborn and Monica Judge on their wedding. • Marvin Israelow and Dorian Goldman on the birth of their granddaughter, Iyla Ruth Israelow to Tanu Kumar and Jacob Israelow. We also extend a mazal tov to great-aunt Katja Goldman and great-uncle Michael Sonnenfeldt. • Eliana Stern, her parents Emanuel and Liz Stern, and her sisters Josephine and Maxine on Eliana becoming a Bat Mitzvah in Israel. • Bonnie Schwartz and Gray Nolan on their engagement. • Jack David Marcus on the birth of his granddaughter, Zoe Rose Gallagher. • Rebekah Bennett on the birth of her son, Max Cornelius Bennett. • Jeremy Hamburgh and Lisa Markman on their wedding. • BJ Children’s Shabbat morning service leader Shira Kobren on the birth of her daughter, Gavriella Chana Wasserman.

• Kim Leslie Shafer, and Isaac, Nathan, and Abigail Finkle on the death of Kim’s mother, Phyllis Gottlieb Shafer. • Gail Schattner and Marshall, Laura, and Nina Glesby on the death of Gail’s father, Joseph David Schattner. • Linda Gunsberg on the death of her mother, Sylvia Gloria Gunsberg. • Aaron and Aly Viny on the death of Aaron’s grandfather, Joseph Polonski. • Dena and Sofia Hubscher, and Adam, Margalit, and Rina Wallach on the death of Dena’s husband and Sofia’s father, Stephen Hubscher.

• Danielle Sitnick-Raja, Kamran Raja, Liana and David Goldman on the birth of their son and grandson, Noah Thomas Raja. • Shelley Simpson and Gayle Boesky on their marriage. • Adam Skolnick and Karen Mendelson on the birth of their daughter, Hannah Aliza Skolnick. •Jonah Geffen, Julia Mannes, and Bina Mannes Geffen on the birth of their daughter and sister, Shula Oriyah Mannes Geffen. We also extend a mazal tov to the grandparents, Peter Geffen and Susie Kessler.

Yasher Koah • Sara Klein Eisenberg, daughter of Merryl and Ralph Klein, and her fellow attorneys at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office on their successful Supreme Court litigation to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage in California. • Jonathan Adelsberg on his admission to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

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

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 530 New York, NY

2109 Broadway (Ansonia) • Suite 203 • New York, NY 10023

new voIce • KOL HADASH . YNAGOGUE: S 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

Committees & Services: Accounts Payable........................227 Accounts Receivable...................237 Adult Education Information..... 233 Bar/Bat Mitzvah..........................223 Bikkur Holim...............................264 BJ Reads.....................................272 Communications.........................275 Community Programs................255 Conversion..................................261 Daily Minyan................................232 Development & Donation Information.........228

88th Street Rental.......................255 Family Activities: Hotline............318 Hakhnasat Orhim........................255 Havurot.......................................255 Hevra Kadisha . ......................... 264 Homeless Shelter...................... 272 Interfaith Committee ................ 379 Kiddush Scheduling....................255 Kol Jeshurun................................275 Kol Hadash...................................275 Life Cycles...................................264 Lunch Program...........................272 Mekusharim................................224

Director of Events: Guy Felixbrodt, x255

Board of Trustees: Jeannie Blausteinº President

Director of Israel Engagement: Orli Moss, x229 Director of Development: Lisa Steinberg, x228

BJ Rabbinic Fellows: Alex Braver, x262 Sarit Horwitz, x261

Director of Communications: Denise Waxman, x275

BJ Student Hazzan: Shoshi Rosenbaum, x242

Chief Financial Officer: Alyce Gunn, x226

Executive Director: Steve Goldberg, x266

Director of Facilities: Roma Serdtse, x258

Assistant Executive Director: Belinda Lasky, x224

Assistant to Rabbi Matalon and Executive Director Steve Goldberg: x234

Director of Education for Youth and Family: Ivy Schreiber, x225 Director of Social Action/ Social Justice: Channa Camins, x259

FALL 2013

Assistant to Rabbi Bronstein and Hazzan Priven: x240 Assistant to Rabbi Sol: Beth Tarson, x233

Jonathan Adelsbergº Chair Robert Buxbaumº Vice President

Membership Information............224 Panim el Panim..........................259 Ralph Bunche School Partnership........................... 272 Social Action...............................259 Teen Programming.....................242 Torah/Haftarah Reading.............232 Tze’irim ..................................... 250 Ushering.....................................264 Visiting Groups............................250 Volunteer Information................255 Youth & Family Education..........225

Jack Stern Judith Trachtenberg Scott Weiner Anna Winderbaum Michael Yoeli General Counsel Richard Kalikow

Sally Gottesmanº Vice President

Hebrew School Advisory Members Katie Boyar, BJHS Representative Melanie Sherman, BJHS Representative

Debra Lernerº Vice President

Tze’irim Representative Jason Herman

Emily Weissº Vice President

Honorary Trustees Virginia Bayer* Ted Becker* Frederic Goldstein Marcy Grau* David Hirsch* Richard Janvey* Robert Kanter Joan Kaplan Susan Kippur* Sara Moore Litt* Naomi Meyer Judith Stern Peck* Stephen Stulman, Trustee Emeritus

Andrew Littº Secretary Irvin Rosenthalº Treasurer Board Members: Anne Ebersman Nancy Freireich Moshe Horn Franklin Kern Alan Mantel Bernard Plum Suzanne Schecter

º Executive Committee Member * Past President