THIS MONT H HaHodesh AT CHIZUK AMUNO CONGREGATION AND SCHOOLS
OCTOBER 2016 | Elul-Tishri 5776 Engaging Jewish Life & Learning
RABBI’S COLUMN The Moral Me A teacher giving a lecture noticed one of his students in the back row with a lowered head, as though deeply engrossed in a book. Frustrated at the student’s RABBI RON SHULMAN lack of attention, the teacher said, “I don’t want to accuse you unjustly, but it seems to me you’re reading a book. Are you trying to improve your mind? “Sir, I wasn’t reading,” replied the guilty student not wanting to admit he wasn’t paying attention. “How can I be improving my mind when I was just listening to you?” Improvement is certainly a noble goal – and, if we’re honest with ourselves, not one we pursue often, or often enough. If you can describe the last time you improved at something, the most recent new skill or ability you acquired, count yourself among a distinguished minority in our society. We greet Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur right as October begins. For yet another year, we will promise to improve, or at least think about self-improvement. We’ll take a few moments out of our all too busy routines to reflect. We’ll think about the course of our lives, the disappointments of our hearts, and the gift of more time. What more do we aspire to achieve? How deeper do we hope to live? How much better can we try to be? We live in concentric cycles of time. Our personal, professional, family, national, religious, academic, sports, and family calendars overlap. Each season and every time frame begs me to divide my attention, to choose my priorities. Even my iPhone shows it. My work dates appear as blue. My personal dates are colored green. The holidays I mark show as red. I color special occasion reminders in purple. Looking at my calendar for each day a veritable rainbow of colors and overlapping calendar Continued on Page 2
Simhat ToraH - OCTOBER 24 & OCTOBER 25 On Simhat Torah we conclude the cycle of Torah reading for the past year and begin reading it anew for this new one. The honor of being called to the Torah for the concluding Aliyah of the year and honor of being called to the Torah for the first Aliyah of the new reading cycle are considered very precious as we celebrate Simhat Torah. This year we honor multiple friends for the generosity of their time, talents, and spirits which so enrich our synagogue and schools community. Come celebrate with our honorees and our entire synagogue and schools community. Playground Builders: (Hatanei v’Kallat Torah - Grooms and Bride of Torah) Adam Baumwald, Liz Minkin Friedman, Stephen Pomerantz whose leadership and dedication raised the funds, the enthusiasm, and the volunteers to create the wonderful new play spaces, the Wagner Brill Yad B’Yad Playground, the Goldsmith Family Imaginative Play space, and the Rosenbloom Amphitheater. Devoted Educators: (Kallot Bereishit - Brides of Bereishit) Alison Feldstein, Shuli Raffel, and Yael Lowenberg whose care and educational creativity inspire our students in the Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center, Read more about our honorees on Page 4 Krieger Schechter Day School, and Rosenbloom Religious School/ Netivon High School.
Sukkot Symposium Tuesday, October 18, 7:30 p.m. “Are We Using Technology or is Technology Using Us?” Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman Founder and Director: Sinai and Synapses How is technology changing the way we interact with others and our world? What does “privacy” mean when everything leaves a digital footprint? What are the limits and opportunities that technology creates for our relationships? Come explore how technology is influencing halakhah, prayer, Shabbat and even Jewish values themselves. One aspect of the Sukkot festival is to gather together in Jewish community and consider shared concerns and needs. Historically, Sukkot was a time of great community meetings. During our Sukkot Symposium, we honor the holiday we celebrate by thinking about matters of concern for our lives and community.