Kol Hadash September/October 2010

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 • ELUL 5770/TISHREI 5771

The Paradox of Rosh Hashanah

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The Slonimer asks us to believe that there is a purpose and a goal for the totality of creation and each of us individually that is renewed at this time of year. ”

BJ at the Salute to Israel Parade

RABBI FELICIA L. SOL

The ministering angels asked the question before the Holy Blessed One, “Why doesn’t Israel sing Hallel before You on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?” God said to them, “The King sits on His throne of judgment, with the books of life and the books of death open before Him, and Israel should sing praise?” (Rosh Hashanah 32b) The Rambam rules that “Hallel is not said on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because they are days of repentance, fear and awe; not of extra happiness.” (Hilkhot Hanukah 3:6) This vignette opens a section of teaching by Rabbi Soloveitchik titled “The Paradox of Rosh Hashanah.” How is it that Rosh Hashanah is both Yom HaDin, “The Day of Judgment”, and Yom Harat Ha’Olam, “The Birthday of the World”? Since when does a person want to spend his/her birthday in court? The Slonimer Rebbe also notes this tension in recognizing that Rosh Hashanah is called a “Hag,” a holiday, and again, who makes a holiday (which is by definition joyous) a day of judgment?

The Slonimer goes on to teach that there is a goal and purpose for all of creation, which is renewed on Rosh Hashanah, and every person within the grand scheme of creation also has a goal and a purpose by which God wants him/her to live his/her life. The question of judgment rests on this day of renewal of creation with whether we will live up to who we need to be, the very light of our purpose in this world. He teaches that Rosh Hashanah is called Yom HaDin not because of the judgment of punishment but rather to honor the choice we have in living out our individual and collective purpose.

PHOTO: BELINDA LASKY

BJ members marching in the Salute to Israel Day Parade, May 2010

These Yamim Nora’im will have a unique power for me this year as I not only search out the renewal of my own purpose but also marvel in awe at the birth of my son, Aiden. As I also am birthed in motherhood, I have contemplated how when a new human being is born, the enormous outpouring of love seems to be boundless. A new human being not only seems to carry the imprint of the image of God so transparently, but it’s as if new human beings beckon to the world, “Love me, hold me, respond to me, notice every detail about me,” and we do just that.

And this community has done just that for Aiden and me, and I will be forever grateful. (continued on page 7)

Social Action/Social Justice . . . . . . . .2 Reading of the Names . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Cantorial Internship . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Tze’irim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Hevra Kadisha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Youth & Family Education . . . . . .12-13 Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

inside: Manhattan Together’s Interfaith Gathering on Usury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 These I Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 BJ’s Partners in Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Ancient Need in a Modern City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Be Strong, Be Trusting: Reading Psalm 27 in Elul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Reach for Shabbat with US! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

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new voIce • KOL HADASH .

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL JUSTICE

Manhattan Together’s Interfaith Gathering on Usury ath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?

— The Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene i, William Shakespeare

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Many years ago, when I was studying the Bard in my high-school English class, I was distraught to hear my father dismiss all of Shakespeare’s writings with one stroke.

“Shakespeare was an anti-Semite,” he declared. The vengeful Jewish moneylender Shylock who is quoted above was sufficient evidence for my father to write off completely the work of an author who some would call the greatest of all time.

Recently, on June 13, I had a more thoughtful encounter with the stereotype of Jew as damnable money-lender.

Fortunately, the context was quite a bit more reasoned: I attended an Interfaith Gathering on Usury, which was organized by Manhattan Together. Manhattan Together is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic community organizing network that is part of a larger organization know as Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). As a partner, BJ is currently supporting one of the campaigns

“Of Usury,” from Sebastian Brant’s Stultifera Navis (the Ship of Fools), 1494, attributed to Albrecht Dürer

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called “10% is Enough.” The aim is to push for a cap on interest rates on all types of lending at 10% and to provoke conversation around the real burden of high-interest debt.

The interfaith gathering intended to explore key faiths’ understanding of usury and to expose stereotypes about people and money in the hopes of empowering the group to engage with these stereotypes publicly and form a united front as the campaign moves forward.

When the anti-usury campaign first got off the ground almost a year ago, organizers began to uncover some sensitivity in the Jewish community around the issue. People of other faiths did not know why Jewish participants might react this way because they had not encountered the myth of Jew as predatory money-lender or had simply never considered it.

Sunday’s gathering was held at East End Temple and was moderated by our own Judith Trachtenberg, co-chair of Panim el Panim: BJ’s Community Organizing and Advocacy Initiative. More than 40 Manhattan Together members from various religious congregations across New York City also participated.

The afternoon’s program began with brief presentations from each member of a clergy panel on the history of lending and usury within their faith, with insights into the textual sources of their faith’s perception of Jews as money-lenders. Rev. David Haberer set a provocative tone when he spoke about Catholicism’s historical position on “usury as both mother and whore.” It was long forbidden to charge interest on money loaned; this law was eventually reversed so long as it was Jews who were the moneylenders. Next, Shuli Passow of Jewish Funds for Justice referenced the contradictory statements in Jewish biblical sources, which authorized interest on loans but prohibited interest when lending to a Jew. She explained the teachings of rabbis who opined that interest was permitted in business transactions so long as the parties had entered into a “heter iska” a lending

partnership between borrower and lender.

Rev. Chloe Breyer, director of the Interfaith Center of New York, emphasized that, in examining usury and its inextricable connection to anti-Semitism, it is important to recognize the differences between the religions, and not to minimize those differences while debunking long-held beliefs.

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The only way to heal the broken system will be to put relationships back into the lending process and to create a forum for people to express their pain and vulnerability as a result of the current system.”

The lay participants then broke up into small, religiously diverse groups to discuss our personal and religious experiences of usury and anti-Semitism. What came up was sometimes painful, but revealing. Rev. Haberer summarized the conclusions reached by the clergy discussion group: The financial system began breaking down when personal relationships were excised from the lending process. Money is now so far removed from the individual lender that it is no longer possible for a borrower to communicate directly with the original lender on a note. The only way to heal the broken system will be to put relationships back into the lending process and to create a forum for people to express their pain and vulnerability as a result of the current system.

In this larger discussion in the context of the recent near-collapse of our financial industry and the disastrous impact predatory lending has had on our economy, I’m glad to be part of the beginning of a faith-based movement to cap interest rates.

Moreover, I’m glad to see the movement start by sweeping away the myths that divide us. It is clear to me now that this is the only way to begin. n — Marcy Einhorn Marcy Einhorn is an attorney, author, and motivational speaker in the area of consumer law. Marcy and her two adult children have been BJ members since 2009.

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

ELUL 5770 /TISHREI 5771

For the Love of Reading Sandy Davidson and Ellen Schecter, BJ Reads co-chairs, often begin their orientation for volunteers at the start of the school year the same way: with reading. But not reading in English.

Volunteers instead read international newspapers. “When I first ask the volunteers to read from a newspaper printed in a completely foreign language and alphabet,” Ellen recalls, “laughter fills the room. After a moment it dies down and then they get it. This is what it feels like to learn to read for the first time and why our work is so important for children who feel this way with English.”

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ow in its 14th year, the BJ Reads program serves 45 children, thanks to the dedication of 38 regular volunteers and additional substitutes. The success of this program is in no small part due to the dedication of its two co-chairs.

Both life-long educators, Sandy and Ellen bring a wealth of experience and a genuine concern for the success of their students.

read became much less daunting when I received help from my daughter. From this experience I was able to truly understand how difficult learning to read can be and have a greater respect for the process.

Reading is an extremely vital part of becoming an educated person. The reality of how our education system works is that in 1st through 3rd grade you learn to read and from 3rd grade on you read to learn. If a child falls behind, their learning will be severely curtailed. I have repeatedly seen children’s eyes light up when they realize that the squiggles on the page are telling them a story and the joy of witnesses a child read a whole book for the first time is an incredible experience.

Sandy: [Laughs] It’s funny because after a long career as an educator, when I retired I said I would never work with kids again.

However I was quickly reminded that working with children, especially one-onone, is incredibly fulfilling. One can really observe the growth in a child: socially, emotionally and educationally. I often ask my volunteers at the end of the school year, “Who do you think got more out of this

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I often ask my volunteers at the end of the school year, ‘Who do you think got more out of this experience? Us or the children?’

The truth is that every individual involved is touched and changed for the better. ”

experience? Us or the children?” The truth is that every individual involved is touched and changed for the better.

What is your favorite children’s book?

Ellen: One of my favorites is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Not only for its great illustrations, but also because it acknowledges the real aggression that children have. A child can come home, feel upset, be wild and still have a warm dinner waiting for them.

Sandy: Anything by William Steig or Patricia Polacco. One of my favorite things to do is read aloud to children, and both of these authors offer sophisticated and readable stories. Polacco often writes about Jewish themes that are incredibly touching.

If you are interested in learning more about the BJ Literacy Programs, please contact Ellen at ellen.schecter@gmail.com for BJ Reads or Ellen at photo_es@thron.net for the Ralph Bunche School Partnership. n — Ariel Schneider

Sandy’s teaching career spans from public school in the Bronx to the all-girls Hewitt School to the pre-school at the 14th Street Y Educational Alliance. After retiring, Sandy saw an advertisement for tutors at the BJ Reads program and volunteered. The next year she was asked to be a co-chair and has offered numerous improvements to the program.

Ellen has been co-chairing BJ Reads for the last 13 years. Her work has always been focused on exciting children to read by designing curriculum and programming for teachers and students. She believes in a child-centered approach to learning, which builds on a child’s love of stories and interests to bring them to reading.

What motivates you?

Ellen: Many years ago, I decided to learn Hebrew so I could become a Bat Torah.

When I first began, the Siddur was like a locked gate to the meaning of all the prayers. The hard process of learning to

From left, Ellen Schecter and Sandy Davidson

PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN

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

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new voIce • KOL HADASH .

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

READING OF THE NAMES

These I Recall “These I recall and pour my heart out.

How the arrogant have devoured us!” hese words are the chorus of the “Eileh Ezkerah (These I Recall),” that takes place during the musaf service on Yom Kippur. It recalls the martyrdom of the 10 sages of Israel by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd Century.

Since the Shoah, the “Eileh Ezkerah” also recalls the tragedy of the Holocaust.

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Thoughts of those who perished in the Shoah are on the minds of many whenever Kaddish is recited. But only twice a year are they explicitly evoked, in the “Eileh Ezkerah” and on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The “Eileh Ezkerah” will, for some, echo the visceral feelings that the Reading of the Names on Yom HaShoah creates.

The first Reading of the Names at BJ took place in 1995. It was, we believe, the first such form of remembrance on the Upper West Side. Behind this event, there was a single driving force, Myriam Abramowicz, a child of survivors from Belgium from a family with many victims, a woman from an Orthodox background who came home to BJ where she was able to hold the Torah herself, a filmmaker with a passion for justice, and a Jew with a lot of good ideas.

While waiting for a screening of one of her films on a college campus, she heard people reading names on Yom HaShoah and learned it was a B’nai Brith International sponsored event “Unto Every Person There is a Name”. 1 It touched her in a profound way and became something she cares passionately about. She explains: What’s important is that the names be read; it doesn’t matter who reads them.

There’s a midrash that says that when the name is pronounced the person gets an aliyah on high. So … we want our folks to get aliyahs.

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As for how the idea became a reality, that was simple: “I went to Roly and said I think we can do this.”

With legwork, KJ notices, word of mouth, and phone calls, the tradition began.

Myriam and others actively solicited the names and stories of victims and added those names to the list of names to be read.

Over the years other synagogues were invited to join BJ on Yom HaShoah. They were also asked to leave a copy of their names. Each year the growing list of names was carefully preserved by Myriam for use the following year. Since 1995 Yom HaShoah has also grown to include a cultural event— typically a speaker or film.

Roly provided the spark for the Reading of the Names at the JCC by a crossdenominational group of synagogues and other Jewish organizations. Myriam recalled, “We were walking out of one of all these all-night readings and Roly said, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a minyan of synagogues to do this?’ ” Myriam and Roly went to work and, with many others, they helped organize this remarkable joint effort. Roly recalls, “I remember that at one of these gatherings of Upper West Side synagogues, Rabbi Schwartz of Ohab Zedek recounted that his father had been marched out of the ghetto in a long line together with his fellow Jews of different backgrounds and persuasions.

He vowed that day that he would never make a negative distinction between Jew and Jew. Among other things, our joint commemoration of Yom HaShoah must remind us of that again and again.”

For the Reading of the Names members, non-members, Jews, and non-Jews line up on the left side of the sanctuary and wait quietly for their opportunity to read.

Roly and Myriam

PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN

Everyone is welcome. Sometimes there are recruits: “Moments before the service I open that folder and hand out the names to people. So, even if they may have come for the program or service, they become involved in the reading of the names.”

Names are read without any other identifying information, with a brief silence after each, and this continues uninterrupted until all names have been read. It is both soul-shattering and salving every year.

Alice Freilich, Henri Bierman, David Cohen, Josef Josipovic, Helena Handler… Each name conjures the image of a face, a life, lost dreams, and a whole world. The silence is complete as those worlds are briefly glimpsed.

In 2011 Yom HaShoah will take place on May 1. Before then you can add the name of your loved one(s) to the list, you can reach out to survivors to help them add the names of those they knew, and you can help in other ways. Contact ngoodhart@bj.org to become involved. n — Denise Waxman

This is a project begun in 1989 and coordinated by the Center for Jewish Identity in cooperation with Yad Vashem.

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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

ELUL 5770 /TISHREI 5771

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BJ’s Partners in Israel: Beit Tefilah Israeli, Hamidrasha, and Nigun Halev

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e all know that BJ has been a catalyst for vibrant Judaism in the United States. That it has also helped inspire a liberal Jewish renewal movement in Israel, where most Israelis are secular as a result of the founding Zionists’ rejection of religious Jewish observance, is not as well known. BJ calls the institutions that it works with on these goals in Israel its “partners,” in the sense of close friends and working partners, not in the legal sense.

This is a quick profile of our three major partners in Israel’s indigenous spiritual revolution.

Beit Tefilah Israeli Walking on Broadway after a BJ Kabbalat Shabbat service in 2004, a group of Israelis realized the absurdity of having to cross the ocean to experience meaningful, relevant Jewish prayer. They decided to do something about it and a few months later founded Beit Tefilah Israeli. BTI’s liberal Israeli indigenous approach to Jewish practice is offered to Tel Avivians, not only in its regular services and activities, but also to the general public in the most visible centers of secular life in the big city. BTI’s Kabbalat Shabbat service on the boardwalk of Tel Aviv’s renovated old port facing the sunset over the Mediterranean in July 2007 (attended by a BJ contingent) was so successful that it is now a regular summertime event.

Hamidrasha Our oldest Israeli partner is the Hamidrasha Educational Center for Renewal of Jewish Life, which was founded in 1991 “to make the cultural and spiritual landscape of Israeli society a pluralistic, modern Jewish one by cultivating an alternative, knowledgeable educational leadership and public.” Its Elga Stulman Women's Institute for Jewish Study aspires to make women influential partners in the renewal of Jewish-Israeli culture through study, ritual, and community activism. Hamidrasha has helped 15,000 Israelis to reclaim their Jewish heritage through study, celebration of life cycle events and holidays, and social action.

The unique element in the BJ-Hamidrasha friendship is the authentic encounter between people—one-on-one, in small groups, and through home hospitality (in New York and in Israel). Members do not have abstract discussions on "IsraelDiaspora relations." They have genuine interactions that involve sharing one another's joys and struggles.

Nigun Halev Nigun Halev was founded in 2000 by a dedicated group of visionaries, Jewish educators and residents of the Jezreel Valley, many from Hamidrasha, who sought to create a framework for a meaningful expression of Jewish spirituality, aimed at addressing the needs of unaffiliated Jewish Israelis. Drawing on Jewish sources throughout the ages—from traditional prayers to songs of the Zionist pioneers, the

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Our rabbis have charged us: ‘Our fate as a congregation is linked to our engagement with the State of Israel.’”

community crafted its own siddur and meets for regular Kabbalat Shabbat services.

From 2006 to 2009, one of the spiritual leaders of Nigun Halev, Chen Ben Or Tsfoni, served as an Israeli Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow at BJ. During her fellowship, BJ commissioned a Torah for Nigun Halev, and in 2007, a delegation of 60 of us brought the Torah to Israel during an unforgettable trip. This past November, Chen was ordained as a rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. A delegation of 20 BJ members, led by Felicia, traveled to Israel for her ordination, culminating in a magnificent Shabbat with Nigun Halev. Our close encounters with Israelis made us feel a deep personal connection to Israel in a way no theoretical discussion could accomplish.

Our Fate Is Linked to Engagement With Israel Our rabbis have charged us: “Our fate as a congregation is linked to our engagement with the State of Israel. Join us … as we shape a congregation-wide encounter with Israel—based on love, personal experience, and probing with the spiritual and moral values we treasure.” Connecting with members of Beit Tefilah Israeli, Hamidrasha, and Nigun Halev, both when they visit us in New York and by visiting them in Israel, is one of the best ways to encounter Israelis who share our spiritual and moral values and to support the liberal Jewish renewal movement in Israel.

For more information on our Israeli partners, visit the Israel page of the BJ website. n — Robin Fleischner Robin Fleischner is the Chair of BJ’s Israel Steering Committee.

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

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new voIce • KOL HADASH .

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

CANTORIAL INTERNSHIP

Shoshi Takes Up The Baton cherish the verse from Psalms: “Ivdu et Hashem b’simha; bo’u lefanav birnana, Serve Hashem with gladness; come before him in joyful song” (Psalm 100:2). My Tampa, Florida, community chose to inscribe this inspirational charge over the ark because of our commitment to infusing prayer with music. Early in life, I learned from observing my passionate, musical rabbi and other leaders at my synagogue that singing elevates the tefillah experience to the next level. As I traveled up the East Coast and over the Atlantic—davening all the way—this teaching remained with me. When serving as prayer leader, I always think about how to bring the community closer to the text at hand through a meaningful melody or rousing niggun.

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Leading davening at BJ with Ari and the rabbis on Shabbat and with Ezra on Thursday mornings pushed me further on this mission. In this community, I learned to

apply different dimensions of music to prayer, including instruments and percussion. Feeling the response of the kahal was overwhelming; BJ fosters an incredibly powerful prayer community and experience. I thank you for allowing me to take part in this experience, trusting me as your shelihat tzibur.

I also wish to extend thanks to my b’nai mitzvah and yamim nora’im students—I enjoyed our educational journeys together and learned so much from all of you.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce the next Cantorial Intern: Shoshi Rosenbaum!

Originally from Minneapolis, Shoshi studied in the Double Degree Program at Barnard College and List College and graduated in 2009. She majored in music and Talmud, respectively. Shoshi and I sang in the same a cappella group in college—S’madar— which Shoshi co-founded and led. Shoshi just returned from a year in Israel at Tel Aviv

University and the Hartman Institute and studies now at Yeshivat Hadar on the UWS. She Shoshi Rosenbaum has spent many summers at Ramah Nyack, acting as Rosh Tefillah for three years, and will be Rosh Eidah for second grade this year. While at Nyack, she leads the learners’ minyan and directs Ramahcappella. In her free time, Shoshi enjoys composing music and dancing, especially Israeli and zumba.

It is so exciting to pass the baton to Shoshi: I am thankful for the opportunity to serve you this past year, and I know that Shoshi will continue to do incredible work. As for me, I will begin my second year of rabbinical school in Israel this fall. Let me know if you’ll be in Jerusalem! Stay in touch!

With love and song, Shira. n — Shira Wallach

COMMUNITY

BJ’s Three New Board Members

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hree new Board members were nominated and unanimously elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting in June. Please congratulate them on this honor and thank them for their dedication to the BJ community.

Anne Ebersman Rabbi Anne Ebersman is the Director of Judaic Programming at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School. A BJ member for over 20 years, Anne was BJ’s Director of Family Education from 1999-2002 and for the past 10 years has led BJ’s Family Services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Anne has written for The Jewish Week, Jewish Living Magazine, and The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. She is also on the board of the Sylvia Center, which teaches children about nutrition, farm education, and wellness. Anne is married to Dan Caligor, and they have two daughters,

Emma and Lara, who are both proud participants in the BJ Purimspiel.

Samara Minkin Samara Minkin, a member of BJ for seven years, currently sits on the Israel Steering Committee and the BJ B’Yahad Task Force.

She was a co-chair of the Membership Committee, sat on the Steering Committee for the 180th Anniversary Torah Project, and has been involved in many other committees, retreats, trips, and initiatives.

Samara is the president of Minkin Levine Fine Art Advisors. Prior to that, she worked at the Smithsonian Institution Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Samara and her husband, Trent Gegax, used to be Friday night regulars— they now attend Tot Shabbat services with their twin daughters, Stella and Harriet— whose nickname, Hattie, was inspired by one of the names on the stained glass windows in the BJ sanctuary.

Michael Yoeli Michael has been a member of BJ for 16 years. He belongs to the Men's Havurah and the Israel Steering Committee. He is partner in the law firm of Yoeli & Gottlieb and specializes in representing policyholders in insurance disputes, particularly in the areas of disability, life, and health. Michael is married to Susan Etra, and their three children became Bar/Bat Mitzvah at BJ and are now members: Matthew, 26, Dahlia, 23, and Belle, 18. Michael once had a great jump shot, but he could never dunk.

Many thanks to the retiring board members, Jeff Feig, Robin Fleischner, David Karnovsky and Russell Makowsky for their dedicated and creative service to the BJ community! n — Denise Waxman

PHOTOS OF SHOSHI ROSENBAUM AND SAMUEL BRUCE: DENISE WAXMAN

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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

ELUL 5770 /TISHREI 5771

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Ancient Need in a Modern City efore moving to New York it never occurred to me that one could be alone in a place with 8 million people. After arriving, however, the concept became all too real. From youth group and NFTY to Hillel and Alpha Epsilon Pi, I have always sought out the Jewish community to make connections. Finding a shul with other young adults was the next logical step.

Thanks to Tze’irim, B’nai Jeshurun’s 20s/30s group, I quickly became a regular at BJ and a member not long after.

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What sets Tze’irim apart is that we are not merely a presence within the BJ community but also a force. I found other synagogues at which 20- and 30somethings might occupy a Samuel Bruce table for a kiddush, but Tze’irim goes far beyond that. Most shuls say, “Welcome,” but BJ and Tze’irim ask, “How can we be more welcoming?” There is a recognition here that every individual has a different set of interests, so an effort is made to accommodate them. We have done everything from Shabbat meals to bar outings and Torah lessons to hikes. Another great thing about the events is that they are a communal effort. Anyone in the

community is welcome to contribute an idea, collaborate in planning, or take the lead in an effort. Just recently Tze’irim held a meeting in which dozens of people contributed to the planning for coming months. There is an executive board to help provide some direction, but Tze’irim is, to its credit, very much a bottom-up organization.

I have been occasionally asked if Tze’irim is a singles group or, on a couple of occasions, why it is not a singles group. There are murmurs within the zeitgeist that progressive Judaism is facing a crisis of a declining birthrate and an increasing intermarriage rate. The extent to which this is true is a topic for another time and place, but I can definitively say that Tze’irim is doing more for the Jewish community than an offline version of JDate ever could.

Young Jews do not only need spouses, and Judaism does not only require that we have Jewish babies. Judaism depends not only on the relationship between the individual and G-d but also on that between the individual and the community. This can be a struggle for my age cohort in any place, let alone New York. Most of us are in the midst of establishing ourselves in the world—moving more from place to place and job to job than

The Paradox of Rosh Hashanah As these Yamim Nora’im are upon us, and I contemplated this paradox of Rosh Hashanah, I wondered if it would be possible to imagine on this day, which marks the creation of humanity, the sixth day of creation, what it would mean to try to find a depth of purity and responsiveness in each other that is so apparent when a new baby is born. This does not mean that we wipe away the complexity of our relationships or naively turn the other cheek. However, it does mean that each of us was born with this divine image stamped in us, that at the beginning of our lives the purity and simplicity of our being is contagious, and there is much anticipation to understand the purpose of this being whose story has just begun to unfold. What

On the Tze’irim Photo Scavenger Hunt, May, 2010

previous generations. Here, many if not most of us have uprooted ourselves from the communities we knew in order to come to the city. Regardless of whether we moved from a different neighborhood or a different continent, the entry into careers and independent adulthood has left us in unfamiliar territory, and we all need a community for support.

I found just that at BJ and within Tze’irim. I constantly meet new people with a fascinating variety of backgrounds, interests, and styles of observance. I have made friends here with whom I feel a closeness that belies the relatively short time we have known each other. Like BJ, Tze’irim is a warm and accepting community serving an ancient need in a modern city. n — Samuel Bruce

RABBI FELICIA L. SOL continued from page 1

would it be like to allow ourselves to see that part of each other? To allow the judgment on this Yom HaDin to force us to ask what is a person’s purpose rather than be the judge and the jury?

There is much to be cynical about in our world. There is hate and evil and tragedy and senselessness. There are problems that feel insurmountable, relationships between people and nations that seem beyond repair. This world of ours creates a lot of fear and hopelessness in us, understandably. The Slonimer asks us to believe that there is a purpose and a goal for the totality of creation and for each of us individually that is renewed at this time of year. He asks us to make a choice to be a

part of making change possible for ourselves and the world even with evidence that would make us believe otherwise.

We as a community have that choice too. It has been 25 years since the “new BJ” was founded by Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer z”l.

Much has changed—some things remain the same. We must not rest on our laurels and be static with the creation of BJ from 25 years ago. This year, as every year, we must ask the question, Who do we want to be as a community today and for the future? I hope and pray that we are all blessed with renewal and sweetness in this coming year and that together as a community we can move to new heights, and that peace and justice will be more present in the world in 5771. Shana Tova U’Metukah. n

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

REFLECTIONS THE MONTH OF ELUL

Be Strong, Be Trusting: Reading Psalm 27 in Elul

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here is a ritual this time of year that takes a bit more than 50 days.

We have been reading a particular psalm that is not otherwise part of the siddur—Psalm 27—every morning and every night through the month of Elul, and we will continue this until Simhat Torah.

Through our daily reading of Psalm 27—so like the daily counting of the Omer—we make this autumnal period, with its linear narrative of atonement, redemption, and the renewal of Torah, into a second version of the vernal Pesah-Shavuot narrative and give each year not one, but two special, sacred Sevenths.

There is no right or wrong way, only more or less interesting ways of understanding Psalm 27 or any other deep text. For example, in the eyes of the Anchor Bible, a work of serious scholarship from another tradition, this psalm’s roots lie in earlier texts in other Semitic languages, and they show that it is entirely about the Afterlife, but that’s not what I see. In sharing my interpretations here I intend only to share my way of experiencing these Holy Days.

How then do I read Psalm 27? Let’s take a look.

It is—first but not foremost—beautiful poetry. Having even a little Hebrew helps a lot, because the poetry that lies in the sounds, their resonance and dissonances, gets lost in translation. I’ll transliterate the Hebrew where necessary; otherwise I’ll refer to this translation from the Jewish Publication Society’s 1999 Tanakh.

David was a King of many voices and moods. I read this entire psalm as a stream of thought in David’s head, not as a spoken or written text, until the last line, 14, where I see and hear a vocal outburst that summarizes the whole psalm. To my eye the psalm breaks into five silent stanzas before then, each with its own emotional tone: lines 1-3, 4-6, 7-10, 11-12, and 13. The stanzas get shorter as the poet’s introspective mood gets at once more agitated and elevated, so that when the last line comes, an astonishing optimism breaks

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through the dark cloud of David’s self-doubt.

In the silent, inner cycle that oscillates between the intensity of personal prayer and the relief of communal worship, Psalm 27 falls completely on the side of the personal; it is profoundly moving, even disturbing, in its ability to convey an inner voice in intimate communication with Adonai.

Certainly it is the right time for us to be given this chance to hear David as he struggles.

It is a daily reminder of this obligation we are all under, this time of year, to get past our cleverness and confess our hidden thoughts and secret actions to Adonai. As Moshe says in Parashat Ki Tavo [Devarim 29:28], “Ha’nistarot La’Adonai Eloheikhem / Concealed acts concern the Lord our God.” Like confession at any other time of year, fully feeling the meaning of this psalm, while theoretically possible at another time, might just be too painful outside of this special seventh of the year.

1-3: Here David is someone trying to convince himself of something he wishes he could believe. The very first words, the beginning of line 1, set a high standard for density and depth, even for a psalm of David: “Adonai ori veyish’i, mimi eera? / Adonai is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear?”

Ori/eera; light/fear: it is a great example of the distinctions we are supposed to seek, and the words look and sound enough alike to make each illuminate the other. But then, in line 2, the fear breaks through: “When evil men assail me to devour my flesh / ’l’ekhol et-b’sarai’ ” … they will stumble and fall.” Devour my flesh? Maybe a hyperbole, maybe not; in any event, line 3 concludes

PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN

that even so, “B’zot ani boteah / In this I would still trust,” that is, that David would trust in Adonai’s salvation, no matter what.

4-6 Here David daydreams: He will live in the house of the Lord, Adonai will shelter him, raise him high. All will be well, better than well: “V’ata yarum roshi al oi’vai s’vivotai/now my head is held high over my enemies surrounding me.” How then will David rejoice? With “sacrifice in Adonai’s tent with shouts of joy / V’ezbakha b’ahalo ziv’khai t’ruah,” and with singing and chanting a hymn to Adonai. Three possessive words now snap into sharp focus: “B’sarai; S’vivotai; Ziv’khai / my flesh; surrounding me; my sacrifice.” S’vivotai is the critical link: In Vayikra 1:11, intended to be read every morning at prayer even today, we repeat that the Kohanim were to take the blood of the animal sacrificed at the

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ELUL 5770 /TISHREI 5771

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Through our daily reading of Psalm 27—so like the daily counting of the Omer—we make this autumnal period, with its linear narrative of atonement, redemption, and the renewal of Torah, into a second version of the vernal Pesah-Shavuot narrative and give each year not one, but two special, sacred Sevenths.“

Temple in Jerusalem and dash it “upon the Altar, all around / Damo al ha’mizbeah saviv.� The daydream teeters on the edge of a nightmare: Is David dreaming of being the sacrificer, or the sacrifice?

7-10 Another jump in the narrative. Away with the daydream, back to the reality: David calls to Adonai and cries that he is not sure his call is heard. And who of us does not know that feeling? Here the words in English and in Hebrew convey panic and fright with blunt force: “Do not forsake me, do not abandon me, do not hide your face from me;� nothing subtle here, nor particularly poetical. The worst fear breaks through in line 10: “Ki avi v’imi azvuni, va’Adonai ya’asfeni / though my father and mother abandon me, Adonai will take me in.� Given the previous two lines, do we really think David is certain of this? I am told by good friends that the root of ya’asfeni is to receive in order to guide or teach, and that the line should be read as saying that even if I am so rotten that my parents give up on me, Adonai will find a way for me to become a good person. I wish I could feel the force of that interpretation, but that is not the effect this line has on me.

As I am an orphan, the simpler meaning overwhelms me.

11-12 David pulls himself together and tries to focus on difficulties at hand. False accusers surround him, and his head is not at all held high above them; he needs a way out and asks Adonai to show him that path, past his watchful foes. These two lines are reasonable, practical, and altogether different from anything that has come before. It is as if David has snapped to attention, seen that time is short, and gotten to the point. But, there is no answer!

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1 The Lord is my light and my help; whom should I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom should I dread?

2 When evil men assail me to devour my flesh— it is they, my foes and my enemies, who stumble and fall.

3 Should an army besiege me, my heart would have no fear; should war beset me, still would I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the Lord, only that do I seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, to frequent His temple.

5 He will shelter me in His pavilion on an evil day; grant me the protection of His tent; raise me high upon a rock.

6 Now is my head high over my enemies roundabout; I sacrifice in His tent with shouts of joy; singing and chanting a hymn to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, have mercy on me, answer me.

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O look to the Lord!

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(continued on page 10) SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. â&#x20AC;˘ OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 â&#x20AC;˘ TEL : 212.787.7600 â&#x20AC;˘ FAX : 212.496.7600 â&#x20AC;˘ WEBSITE : www.bj.org

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

HEVRA KADISHA

Departures

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n Thursday evening, May 27, 2010, as we headed toward Memorial Day weekend, the Hevra Kadisha held an event that was a departure from the meetings we ordinarily convene. Instead of the usual training sessions, educational classes, or recruitment efforts, we met on this stormy evening in the sanctuary to view a film. But not just any film. About 50 members gathered for a screening of an award-winning Japanese film called “Departures,” the 2009 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film.

Chosen for its appropriate themes, the film portrays the reverence, dignity, empathy, and compassion of “encoffinment”—a Japanese ritual remarkably similar to our tahara. The story tells of a young musician, Daigo, whose career as a cellist ends when his struggling orchestra is forced to dissolve. In his search for new work upon leaving Tokyo and returning to his village, he unwittingly answers an ad for a job assisting in the ceremony of preparing the deceased (in front of the mourners) for

placement in the coffin.

Facing his own personal struggles as well as the disapproving reactions of his wife and friends, Daigo travels a journey of selfrevelation as he sees the physical transformation of the deceased and the emotional transformations of the mourners—and eventually himself— through this dignified ritual. In the process, Daigo comes to terms with his own unresolved conflicts surrounding loss and emerges with a new perception of the meanings of living and passing.

Experiencing this beautiful, sensitive film, we were all overcome with floods of deep, multilayered emotions. We identified with

Be Strong, Be Trusting 13: The strain of Adonai’s silence is too much; back to the daydream: “had I not the assurance that I would enjoy the goodness of Adonai in the land of the living … / Lulei he’emanutai lir-ot b’tuv-Adonai b’eretz Kha’yim… .” In the Hebrew, Lulei is surrounded by the sort of dots that mark of a word troublesome to the keepers of this text a thousand years ago, and rightly so; this is a wholly ambiguous line. The Anchor Bible translates Lulei as “The Victor,” based on linguistic overlaps with other cultures, but to me this line is simply David in a voice of great anxiety. What, for instance, are we to make of “b’eretz Kha’yim / the land of the living?” Is that this world, the world to come, or—as the Artscroll commentary concludes—the land of Israel? David is as broken as this line is broken; he is not sure that he is going to survive this moment.

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Through the beauty of the mountainous, wintry scenery, the gentle humor, the haunting score, and the powerful emotions, we processed the issues surrounding death and mourning that are at the very essence of our work at the Hevra Kadisha.“

the universal themes of our common traditions while we noted some of the distinctions. Through the beauty of the mountainous, wintry scenery, the gentle humor, the haunting score, and the powerful emotions, we processed the issues surrounding death and mourning that are at the very essence of our work with the Hevra Kadisha. After a group discussion of the meanings the film had for each of us, we left with a new, energized appreciation for the blessed opportunity we are given to do our work.

If you are interested in learning more about the Hevra Kadisha, please contact Liz Stone at 212-787-7600 x233 or estone@bj.org. n — Liz Stone

continued from page 9

14: The mood shifts again, dramatically: David will not give up and die. He remembers the b’rit between Adonai and his—and our— ancestors and knows he will prevail. Here comes the most powerful line in the psalm and perhaps the most dense line I have ever come across, anywhere. “Kavey el-Adonai, Khazak v’ya’ameitz libeha, v’kavey elAdonai. / hope in Adonai, make yourself strong and give your heart courage, and hope in Adonai.” This line is all by itself a cycle, the tightest of the cycles I have come across in our ritual, the cycle that is the b’rit. From the very beginning of the Book of Joshua, Adonai tells Joshua “Khazak v’ematz / be strong and resolute” many times, and of course Joshua is, and so we are alive today as Jews. But do we really think that this strength is what won the day for Joshua, or for us?

Psalm 27 teaches us, instead, what the entire narrative of these days—from Selihot through Simhat Torah—teaches us: that as Jews we are to hope in Adonai; and then we are to do everything we can to strengthen ourselves as if we were wholly left to our own fates; and then we are to continue to hope in Adonai despite having acted as if we were wholly on our own. That’s all we can do for our side of the b’rit; Adonai will respond to us in ways neither David, nor I, nor you, can know, nor need to know. n — Robert Pollack Professor Robert Pollack and his wife Amy have been members of BJ since 1994.

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ELUL 5770 /TISHREI 5771

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Condolences (through August 6)

Mazal Tov To the following members and their families on their b’nai mitzvah (June, July, and August): Joshua Nodiff Emma Kahn Lev Akabas Babe Howard Gabriel Fields Leon Kraiem

Ean Steinberger Ethan Lochner Clarey Pass Harry Spitzer Evan Liberman Dylan Liberman

To the following members and their families (through August 6): Sara Kippur and Josh Lambert, Susan and Stephen Kippur and Sabrina Kippur on the birth of their son, grandson and nephew, Asher Zachary Lambert.

Kitah Zayin students and their families on their graduation from the B’nai Jeshurun Hebrew School Tovah Feldshuh and her husband, Andrew Levy, for being the honoree at the 2010 Gala Dinner of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum on May 24.

Steven Koppel for being honored by AVODAH as a Partner in Justice on May 25.

Sherry Kohn for receiving her Masters of Science in Nursing from the Nurse Practitioner program at Columbia University.

Rabbi Michelle Dardashti on her ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Rabbi Karen Perolman, Rabbi Neil Hirsch, and Rabbi Marion Lev Cohen on their ordination from Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member Eva Frank, and we extend our sincere condolences to her family and all her loved ones.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member Robert Broner, and we extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Esther, his daughter, Nahama, his granddaughter, Alexandra, his son-in-law, Stacy Lamon, and their entire family.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member Beverly Jablons, and we extend our sincere condolences to her daughter, Elissa Bernstein, son-in-law, Matthew Bernstein, grandchildren, Anna and Isabel Bernstein, and their entire family.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved member Marion Glickman, 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: Jessie Reagen Mann, BJ musician, and Timothy Mann on the death of Jessie’s beloved grandfather, Eric Reagen.

Susan Dess on the death of her beloved father, Howard Dess.

Gary Wartels and Carolyn Meyer-Wartels, their children Rebecca and Noah, and their entire family on the death of Gary's beloved father, Jacob Wartels.

Achsah Guibbory and Tony Kaufman on the death of Achsah's beloved sister, Zaaphia Bader.

Rutie Havazelet, Monica Fuchs, and Rochelle Friedlich on becoming B’not Torah.

Joyce Gottlieb on the death of her beloved cousin, Steven Bove.

David Slifka and Michele Michaelis, Riva and Alan B. Slikfa on the recent wedding of David and Michele.

Gilbert, Janet and Harry Spitzer on the death of their beloved mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, Raisa Spitzer.

Marcy Einhorn on the release of her e-book What to Do When Creditors Sue! The Completely Unofficial New York State Debtor's Litigation Handbook.

Joan and Israel Brenner on the death of Joan's beloved mother, Elfriede Baum.

Alan and Mimi Frank on the birth of their granddaughter, Ella Logan.

Judy Gitenstein on the death of her beloved sister, Deborah Brudno.

Daniel Kestin for being honored at the Annual Dinner for the Bergen County High School of Jewish Studies.

Jeff, Andrea, Erica, and Hillary Spiritos on the death of Jeff’s beloved mother, Doris Spiritos.

Linda Golding, who has completed her nine-month ACPE-accredited Chaplain Residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Sandee Brawarsky and Barry Lichtenberg on the death of Sandee's beloved father, Jack Brawarsky.

Gustavo Bruckner and Bena, Ayelet and Noam Medjuck-Bruckner on the birth of their daughter and sister.

BJ staff member Erzsébet Ragyina and Sanjay Arora on their recent engagement.

Jeff, Alison and Alexandra Horowitz on the birth of their son and brother, Jonathan Mark.

Yosef Goldman and Annie Lewis on their recent wedding.

David Dreyfuss, Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss and Leah Dreyfuss on the birth of their son and brother, Noah Luca.

Ruth Jarmul, Irv, Rebecca, Rachel and Sarah Rosenthal, Adam and Simon Arenson, on the death of their beloved mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother, Lore Jarmul.

Rae, Richard, Adam, and Dan Janvey on the death of their beloved mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, Zillah Goldstein.

Marcia, Ronald, and Benjamin Lissak on the death of their beloved father, father-in-law and grandfather, Emil Kellner.

Marion Maienthau-Barak and Tzvi Barak on the death of their beloved mother and mother-in-law, Ruth Frank.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION

Reach for Shabbat With US! ecause the Reach for Shabbat Hebrew School Family Retreat is coming up again in October, I am remembering how much my daughter, Eve, and I enjoyed last year’s trip in the fall. Before last year, it had been over 18 years since my last BJ retreat!

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We arrived at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center before Shabbat and checked out our cabin and the grounds around the beautiful lake. The retreat began with Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat services led

by Felicia and Ari. We sat in a circle and prayed, danced, and welcomed in Shabbat.

It was so peaceful to pray with other BJHS families—returning classmates of Eve’s along with new families—in such a relaxing and natural environment.

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The casual time ‘in the country’ allowed us to get to know each other much better and build a stronger community in a way that we probably couldn’t have if we had not attended.“

After services we had the first of several delicious meals, which included food grown on Isabella Freedman’s own organic farm. I enjoyed spending the time with my daughter, as well as having the opportunity to talk with other adults, while the kids sang and played games, until it was time to head to our cabins and go to sleep.

Saturday morning brought tefillah (which was led by the students), learning, and playing together with new and old friends. It was fun to hang out with Felicia and the BJ educators, including Ivy and Emily and all the kids’ teachers. We got to know Eve’s Hebrew School teachers even better by spending the weekend together, too. We learned alongside our children and also split off from the kids while they played outside and the adults studied a text with Felicia. A parent favorite: On Shabbat afternoon, when the kids ate their dinner

separately, the parents enjoyed schmoozing over local wines and cheeses.

I still feel a connection with the families I met for the first time at this retreat in addition to those people I had seen or briefly met at Hebrew school drop-off or at Junior Congregation. The casual time “in the country” allowed us to get to know each other much better and build a stronger community in a way that we probably couldn’t have if we had not attended.

Saturday evening was a treat—a delicious meal, celebrating Havdalah together, and then the Talent Show, which everyone enjoys! It was eyeopening to see and hear the wonderful (and in some cases, rather interesting) talents of the kids and their parents.

On Sunday morning, I experienced something new and different for me. Before Shaharit (morning service) Felicia patiently helped me put on an old pair of family tefillin that I had not worn in many years. This retreat really provided an opportunity to try new things, to stretch my Jewish experiences, and to be a Jewish role model for my daughter.

After many hugs and a last walk around the lake, it was time to head back to the city. I still feel a special connection with those BJ friends, old and new, who shared this special time in the country with us.

We are looking forward to attending this year’s retreat! We hope to meet new 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders and their families, see our old friends, experience Shabbat in the beautiful outdoors, engage in Jewish living and learning, and strengthen our ties to the BJ community. The Reach for Shabbat Family Retreat was an incredible experience for Eve and me, and we’re sure it will be for you, too! n — Ralph Brunswick Ralph Brunswick, father of Eve Brunswick, has been a BJHS parent for the last nine years.

PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE: DARA SCHAEFER

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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

ELUL 5770 /TISHREI 5771

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A Fine Addition ho’s the new guy at Junior Congregation? It’s Mick Fine, the new Rabbinic Intern for the Youth and Family Education Department! Mick grew up in Beachwood, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio State University with a major in Hebrew Language and Literature. He attended Brandeis University for graduate school, where he focused on education and Hebrew-language acquisition. All of this makes him great at Hebrew! In addition to teaching, Mick has developed curricula for congregational and day-school settings.

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After teaching for a few years at Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan, Mick is now in his second year as a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. When Mick’s not working, he enjoys playing the guitar and Israeli music and poetry.

This year, Mick will be leading Junior Congregation, and you’ll also see him at Hebrew School—he’s one of our Kitah Zayin teachers! n — Ivy Schreiber PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN

BJ and PJ (Library) to Partner

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e are delighted to announce that the Youth and Family Education Department is launching the PJ Library in our community! The PJ Library is the award-winning Jewish children’s books and music program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that sends free quality books, noted for their beautiful illustrations and compelling stories, and music monthly, to your home.

environment, holiday practices, questions about God, and more. Parents thrive on the opportunities that jump off the pages and into their homes.

“Each month my son unwraps the book with excitement! We are building our very own Jewish library, and our family loves sitting down together to read about Shabbat, holidays, and Jewish tales.”

“I never had the opportunity to read Jewish books when I was a child, and I feel so

fortunate that I can give this to my children.

I’m able to share my love for Judaism and reading with them all at once.”

Look for an introductory book and subscription offer in your mailbox soon. If you have a child or children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years, send in the registration postcard or sign up online at www.pjlibrary.org/signup.php. To find out more information about the program, contact Emily Walsh at ewalsh@bj.org. n — Emily Walsh

BJ is proud to be partnering with PJ Library in order to bring this wonderful opportunity to our families. The Young Families community has grown tremendously at B’nai Jeshurun, offering many Shabbat and holiday programs that educate families and foster young Jewish identity. Now we’re offering to bring this love for Jewish learning into your home by sending your family books and music from the PJ Library.

PJ Library books inspire meaningful conversations about topics such as caring for the needy, Jewish views on the

PHOTO: THE PJ LIBRARY

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

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new voIce • KOL HADASH .

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

COMMUNICATIONS

A Report on Reporters the achievements of the Masoretes, including the codification of the Hebrew vowel signs and the cantillation marks; recounts the vicissitudes of the Aleppo Codex during its long history; and details its current status under the care of an official commission at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. It also contains many links and references to articles and books for further research.

ntrepid reporters from the BJ community have filled the KH with some wonderful stories and news this last year. Moderate murmurs of enjoyment have reached me. More feedback, especially with constructive thoughts about what you would like to read, would be welcome.

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Meanwhile, I know that talented writers of both the professional and aspiring type fill the BJ community. Don’t just kvetch or wish there was more interesting content in the KH. Write something. Please. Did you go to “The Merchant of Venice” in Central Park?

Participate in the Israel Day Parade? Read a book, see a movie, visit a museum that relates to your Jewish life? Have a grandchild, do a mitzvah, wonder? Share your experience and thoughts with people who care. Give something personal back.

We could also use some regular reporters to call on from time to time. Let me know if you are interested!

DONATIONS

Beba Bronstein Jewish Camp Scholarship Fund Martha Ginsberg in memory of her father, Harold Ginsberg Wendy and Arnold Yudell in honor of Rabbi Felicia Sol Beba Bronstein Jewish Camp Scholarship Fund in honor of the birth of Felicia Sol's son William and Vicki Abrams Tamar Baumgold Ellen and Samuel Bender Meredith Berkman and Daniel Mintz Isabel Berkowitz Abraham and Estelle Bernstein John Bonavita and Harold Goldman Gabriel and Katherine Boyar Richard Chused and Elizabeth Langer

Don and Rochelle Cohen Alan Cohen and Robert Bank Helena Diamant Glass Carol Dikman Sylvia Dresner and Bronia Dresner Anne Eidelman and Eric Slaim Alan and Mimi Frank Paul and Nancy Freireich Jane Fuchsberg Melissa Goldman and Aubrey Clayton David Gottesfeld and Jamie Emhoff Sally Gottesman and Rachel Tiven Mark Grumet Leon and Judith Jacobson Richard and Rosemary Kalikow Barbara Kane and Tony Gabriele Judith Kazis Rachel and Mark Klein Rachel Laiserin and Tobin Kovacs Gail Landis Ellen Landsberger Belinda Lasky Judith and Allan Lasky Harold and Helen Lehrman Eric and Debra Lerner Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater Ricki Lieberman Wendy Linderman Gertrude Litowitz Dorothy and Harvey Luft Marc and Linda Luxemburg Alan Mantel and Jessica Feder Glenn Marlowe and Judy GellerMarlowe Audrey Melkin Michael and Nancy Mostow Elaine Nevins

Color Us Eco-Friendly!

The new colorful style of the Kol Hadash came at no cost to the environment or BJ's bottom line. It was printed using soy-based inks on paper made with 50% recycled fiber and bleached without the use of chlorine compounds. We are proud that our online printer, PS Print, is committed to ecofriendly practices of production and shipping. Enjoy the new look guilt-free, and stretch the value further by sharing this KH with a friend. n — Denise Waxman

Irma and Robert Radus in memory of Mary Plager and Laura Radus Amy and Albert Schindler in honor of Zaaphia Bader

(received as of July 16, 2010)

Adult Education Fund David Fitterman in memory of Joan Brenner’s mother, Elfriede Baum Helena Diamant Glass in memory of Jerome Kaleko Harriet Goren in honor of Rochelle Friedlich, Monica Fuchs, and Rutie Havazelet Ellen Landau in honor of Michael Fishbane Mortimer and Bernice Levine in memory of Bob Broner Ellen Turk in memory of Dr. Leonard Rosenblatt Susan Viuker Landau in celebration of Anne Ziff's birthday

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The Aleppo Codex Occasionally I just have to share a special and not easily found website. At www.aleppocodex.org you can leaf through or look for certain verses of a partially preserved manuscript of the entire Bible that was written in about 930 and preserved in its entirety in important Jewish communities in the Near East for 1,000 years. This website shows the pages in amazing high-resolution images. The site compares the status of the Aleppo Codex to other manuscripts and printed editions of the Bible from various periods; describes

Arthur and June Nislick Robert Owens and Eve Klein Lilli Platt David and Vivian Port James Posner and Jill Prosky Andrea Bigelisen Riskin Irvin Rosenthal and Ruth Jarmul Jerry and Sheila Rothman Scott and Ilana Ruskay-Kidd Paul Sacks Suzanne Schecter and Todd Ruback Peninnah Schram Ronald and Lori Seitenbach Barbara Simon Michael and Lori Beth Singer Eric and Jennifer Solomon Howard and Judith Spivak Rabbi Brent Spodek and Alison Spodek Carl and Miriam Stern Leonard and Barbara Sugin Michael Teitelman and Sharon Kozberg Bernice Todres Judith Trachtenberg and Renie Rutchick Cynthia Wachenheim and Hal Bacharach Amy Wachtel Mim Warden Scott Weiner and Beth Siegel Brett and Dale Yacker Vivian Yale Alan and Lori Zimmerman Bikkur Holim Fund George Kaplan and Miriam Harris-Kaplan in honor of Amy Wachtel

BJ/SPSA Homeless Shelter Fund Yael Hammerman in celebration of the birth of Felicia Sol's son Howard Jacobson and Kathryn Wolfson in celebration of Joshua Jacobson becoming a Bar Mitzvah Barbara Kanter Wendy Linderman in memory of her father, Morris Linderman Glenn Marlowe and Judy GellerMarlowe in celebration of Talia and Boaz Dolny-Lipsy becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah Barbara Simon in honor of her granddaughter's high school graduation United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Children Services Fund Debra Nodiff in celebration of Ben Davis' Bar Mitzvah Ellen Wilfong-Grush in memory of Sandy Relis Daily Minyan Fund Susan Charney in honor of Rabbi Ezra Weinberg and Shira Wallach Richard and Rosemary Kalikow in honor of Rabbi Ezra Weinberg and Shira Wallach Mortimer and Bernice Levine in memory of Harriet Tansman Palansky Howard Perlman and Phyllis Cosley Hirsch Len Wasserman

General Fund Peter Arnold in memory of Phyllis Schatsky Dasee Berkowitz in celebration of the birth of Felicia Sol's son Dasee Berkowitz in honor of Michelle Dardashti's ordination Norman and Sheila Bleckner in honor of Sofia Hubscher's amazing promotion Ruth Brizel in honor of Jeanette Brizel Helen Chiang in memory of her husband, Alexander Wincberg Alan and Nita Corre Laurie Dien in memory of Jack Wartels Eileen Elkin Robin Felberbaum in honor of Rabbis Marcelo and Ezra Mark Feldman Andrew Goffe and Jeffrey Levin Katja Goldman and Michael Sonnenfeldt Barry and Rachelle Goldsmith Joan Hochman and Christopher Reid in memory of Madeleine Reid Martha Kransdorf in honor of Ari Priven's 20 years at BJ Rhoda Medvene in honor of Carl Stern Wendy Nacht and John Motulsky Howard Perlman and Phyllis Cosley Hirsch Jonathan and Micki Reiss in memory of Tevis Kaplan and in appreciation of the aliyot they received Susan Sanders in honor of Ari Priven Adina Schecter in honor of the spiritual leaders of the community Philip Schoenberg

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

ELUL 5770 /TISHREI 5771

Harriet Seiler in memory of her friend, Fran Schechter and her husband, Jerry Seiler Richard and Roberta Sol in appreciation of the love and affection bestowed upon their daughter by the rabbis, hazzan, staff and community of BJ Ellen Turk in celebration of Audrey D. Melkin's birthday Eileen Weiss in memory of Robert Broner Vivian Yale in honor of her son David's 66th birthday and Ted Berger's 70th birthday Beit Rabban University Of Michigan Hillel in honor of Ezra Weinberg Temple Beth Emeth in gratitude for a wonderful Shabbat visit Greening BJ Aileen Grossman in celebration of Melissa Tapper Goldman and Aubrey Clayton's engagement Hevra Kadisha Susan Viuker Landau in memory of Norbert Steinmetz Joyce Gottlieb Katherine Kurs in appreciation of Hevra Kadisha and the BJ community Israel Scholarship Elizabeth Langer and Richard Chused in memory of her father, Sydney Langer, MD Judith Bernstein Lunch Program Barbara Schwimmer in celebration of Dr. Gwen Schwimmer earning a PHD in Clinical Social Work Martha Faibisoff Ella Lidsky Miriam Lox in honor of Madeline Cohen's graduation Mahzorim Fund Helena Diamant Glass in honor of Ted Berger's 70th birthday Elaine Nevins in honor of Michelle Dardashti's ordination as a Rabbi at JTS Susan Viuker Landau in memory of Eva Frank Marshall T. Meyer Memorial Fund Sharon Brous and David Light in celebration of the birth of Felicia Sol's son Howard Perlman and Phyllis Cosley Hirsch Sarah Segal Memorial Fund Richard and Elaine Heffner in memory of her mother, Sarah Segal Social Action/Social Justice Fund Cappy Goldberg in celebration of Melissa Tapper Goldman and Aubrey Clayton's engagement

BJ Sings Havurah In honor of Joe Antenson, Donna and Tom Divine, and Jules Frankel, and their dedication and vision for the BJ Sings Havurah, the following members created a special fund to help BJ musicians during summer services.

This musical gift is an appropriate way for us to honor the amazing people who have brought such joy through song into our lives on the third Shabbat of each month.

David Gottesfeld and Jamie Emhoff in honor of Channa Camins Harold and Helen Lehrman in appreciation of John Bonavita David Fitterman in memory of Deborah Brudno, sister of Judy Gitenstein Scott Weiner and Beth Siegel in honor of Ted Berger's 70th birthday Women's Retreat Mark Batlle and Nora Littman Yizkor Fund Anita Altman and Gil Kulick in memory of Jack Altman, Anna and Zodick Coffino and Gordon Zaloom Tzvi Barak and Marion Maienthau-Barak in memory of Hinda Borushak Elam and Melissa Birnbaum in memory of Jerold Rothberg Ann Birstein and Cathrael Kazin in memory of Ann’s father, Rabbi Bernard Birstein Howard and Shirley Bisgeier in memory of Howard's father and Shirley's mother Barbara Blum in memory of her mother, Ruth Adler Charles Borrok in memory of his uncle, Maurice Borrok and father, Alfred D. Borrok Jacqueline Braverman in memory of her mother, Dara Berker Edward Brill and Michele Levin in memory of Beulah Brill and Seymour Brill Emily Campbell Abraham Carson in memory of his aunt, Barbara Levita Susanne Catinella in memory of her father and husband, Nicholas Catinella David Eisikovits in memory of his mother, Sylvia Abby and Arthur Eshaghpour in memory of their fathers, Robert Sinker and Mehdi Eshaghpour Samuel and Phyllis Feder in memory of Lenore Bucholtz Michael Feldberg and Ruth Lazarus in memory of Udyss Lazarus David Fineman in memory of his parents, Harry and Annette Fineman and Betty Sardinsky Rae-Carole Fischer in memory of her parents, Rose and Abner Fischer Ted Fisher in memory of Selma Ellis Fishman Arthur and Lisa Fleisher in memory of her grandmother, Irna Horwitz Simone Franco in memory of her parents, Isaac and Karin Franco Richard Frank and Kathleen Peratis in memory of Rose Frank and Jim Peratis

Ted and Asya Berger Joan and Israel Brenner Lauren Friedland Jenny Golub Harriet Goren George Kaplan and Miriam Harris-Kaplan Cindy Levy Rachel Lieberman Anne Millman and Allen Rokach Lilli Platt Eva Sax-Bolder and Larry Bolder Barry and Mira Schlein Peninnah Schram Judith Trachtenberg and Renie Rutchick Mim Warden Mimi Weinberg

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new voIce

DONATIONS

Alan and Mimi Frank in memory of Edith Frank Stephen and Helen Freidus in memory of Felix and Ethel Laine Robin Fried and Judith Greenwald in memory of Robin’s father, Erwin Fried and Judith’s mother, Pearl Greenwald Stuart Friedman and Laurie Schwartz-Friedman in memory of Rose Javer Friedman Bonita and Harvey Ganot in memory of Bonita’s sister, Elizabeth Chaney and father, Murray Estrin Judy Geller-Marlowe and Glenn Marlowe in memory of Judy's mother, Mildred Geller Helena Diamant Glass in memory of her husband, George Glass Jeffrey and Laurie Goldberger in memory of Judith Goldman Harold Goldman and John Bonavita in memory of Edith Friedman Gail Goodman in memory of her Zadeh, Abraham Geffer and her grandmother, Sara Geffner Laurie Graff in memory of Harold Meizer Sylvia Grau in memory of Sybil Sheenberg's brother, Michael Case Jonathan Green in memory of his beloved grandmother, Anne Mayer John Guffey and Barbara Somerfield in memory of John Guffey Sr. Lisa Halprin Fleisher and Arthur Fleisher in memory of her grandfather, Al Halprin Helen Hanan in memory of her husband, Julian Meltzer Eileen Heitzler Seth Hochman and Cindy Horowitz Nina Horak in memory of her stepfather, Fred Wyszlcowski William and Dena Horn Martin and Halina Igel in memory of his mother, Tonia Igel Howard Jacobson and Kathryn Wolfson in memory of his beloved father, Paul Jacobson Jeffrey Johnson and Ellen Bloch in memory of Sylvia Bloch Nancy Kahn and Emanuel Friedman in memory of their parents, Helen Salter Kahn and Abbott Norman Kahn Sandra Katz in memory of her father, Louis Katz Robert Katz in memory of Eva Frank Stephen Kaufman and Marina Pinto Kaufman in memory of Elias and Nina Pinto, and Abraham Cohen Hassan Stephen Kaufman and Marina Pinto Kaufman in memory of Alan Beuasuli Alexander and Hindy Kisch in memory of Prof. Guido and Hilde Kisch Barbara Klein in memory of Bernard and Irving Klein Stefan and Mary Krieger in memory of Norman and Vivien Krieger and James and Betsy Kelliher Elizabeth Szancer Kujawski in memory of her mother, Irena Szancer Terry and Sarai Levene in memory of her mother, Frieda Berenstein

Bernard Levin and Ronnie DuBrow Levin in memory of Minnie Levin Albert and Naomi Levine in memory of his mother Evelyn Levine in memory of her father, Isaac Levine Alvin Lewis in memory of Victor Lewis Batya Lewton in memory of her mother, Tzipa Bat Yaacov, her father, Asher ben haRav Mordechai Ha Lev, her bubba, Esther Bat Choonen, her Zaide, Yaacov ben Yitzchak, her uncles, Choonen ben Yaacov and Chiel ben Yaacov, her aunt, Leah bat Yaacov and her friends, Pnina bat Louis and Emanuel ben Chaim, Basha bat Beryl, Essah bat Gitel, and Florence Greco Robert Liff and Lisa Wager in memory of Rubin Liff and Sylvia Wager Jules and Judith Love in memory of his brother, Alan Love Enrique and Lucia Malamud in memory of Amalia Malamud Gerald and Shirley Margolis Arthur and Hannah Margulies in memory of their mothers, Betty Margulies and Ruth Feuer Glenn Marlowe and Judy GellerMarlowe in memory of Mildred Geller, Daniel Marlowe and Mel Marlowe Rabbi Rolando Matalon and Talia Hatzor Bruce and Lorrie Millman in memory of their father, A. David Liss Michael and Nancy Mostow in memory of his mother, Diane Mostow Alexander Nacht and Laurie Basch in memory of their fathers, Arnold Nacht and Charles Basch Arthur and June Nislick in memory of their parents, Miriam and Henry Levitt and Rabbi Jacob and Clara Niklick Sara Pasternak Levine and Mathew Levine in memory of her mother, Laura Shulman Pasternak Ellen Perlstein and David Dosamantes in memory of her father, Irving Garfield Sharri Posen Judy and Bernard Rachelle in memory of their parents Penelope Raphaely in memory of her mother, Miriam Raphaely Lois Rappaport and Raymond Shanfeld in memory of their father, Philip Rappaport and their uncle, Abe Rappaport Charlotte Rashti and Richard Cooper in memory of Estelle Daly Bella Rector in memory of her parents, Efroim and Ester Stivetz Jonathan and Micki Reiss in memory of Tevis Kaplan Fretta Reitzes in memory of Jack Reitzes and Hilda Fields Cecile and Susan Rodau in memory of Cecile's husband, Lenny Sonia Rosenbaum in memory of Rosita Rosenbaum Cindy Rosenthal in memory of Murry Rosenthal Charles and Amy Rudnick in memory of Amy's father Len Teicher and Charles' mother, Luba Rudnick

asj kue continued from page 14

Linda Safron and Larry Magarik in memory of their parents, Jack Magarik and Leo and Sylvia Safron David and Barbara Salz in memory of Herman Salz, Sylvia Salz, Molly Shapiro, Selma Leavitt, Sandy Leavitt Suzanne Schecter and Todd Ruback in memory of her grandfather, Jules Gerson Ellen Schecter and James Altman in memory of her mother, Pearl Grossman Schecter Eric Schlagman and Miriam Rothstein in memory of his mother, Phyllis Schlagman Alfred and Renee Schwartz in memory of her parents, Samuel and Lillian Gerstler Jerome Siegel and Phyllis Harlem in memory of Ronnie Gardner and Fannie Siegel Allan Silberglait in memory of his father, Harry Silberglait Mervin and Gittel Silverberg in memory of Shmuel Silverberg Felicia Sol in memory of her grandmother, Helen Sol Leonard and Barbara Sugin in memory of her mother Janet Sullivan and Armand Pierro in memory of her mother, Amely Sullivan Adele Troedl Joel and Anne Vaturi Mark and Diane Weisstuch in memory of their father, Irving Frimet JoAnn and Robert Werbel in memory of her mother, Lillian Yaffee Perelman Holly Zabitz in memory of her uncle, Nathan Chesler, her cousin, Ellery Kalina, her grandmother, Julia Zabitz, and her mother, Leila Zabitz

KOL HADASH new voIce September/October 2010 The Kol Hadash is published every other month except August.

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 eco-friendly printer.

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

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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

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

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 Major Gifts Officer: Nancy Gad-Harf, x262 Associate Director of Development: Erzsébet Ragyina, 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 and Executive Director Harold Goldman: Elizabeth Stone, x233

Shanah Tovah!

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 Ledor Vador................................224 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

Debbie Lerner Andrew Litt 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 Richard Kalikow Beth Kern

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