What Jewish Atheists Taught Me About God
By rabbi chaim steinmetz
I led an interfaith clergy mission to Israel a year and a half ago, along with two rabbinic colleagues. At one point in the trip, the term “Jewish atheists” was mentioned. Kevin, who is a prominent priest in Manhattan, pulled me over afterward and said: “Chaim, I don’t understand. What is a Jewish atheist? In Catholicism, if you don’t believe, you ’ re not a Catholic. So how can you be a Jew and atheist at the same time?
I looked at Kevin and said: “Well, it' s a long story.”
Last year, I planned to give my sermon for Rosh Hashanah on the topic of faith in God But during my preparations, I realized that Jews who were atheists and non-believers have always shaped my understanding of faith. Growing up, a relative who was a highly accomplished academic always had some interesting things to say about God and the basic beliefs of Judaism at the dinner table. In every synagogue I have led, congregants have approached me to declare their own non-belief. Even colleagues have shared with me their own struggles with faith and doubts about God.
Unlike churches, which usually comprise a self-selecting group of believers, synagogues draw from a varied population of Jews. Outside of very Orthodox Jewish communities, God is no longer a given in the pews.
This reality is true throughout the so-called “WEIRD societies,” which stands for “Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic Societies.” The very culture of the West fosters a bias against religious belief. Peter Berger and Charles Taylor have pointed out that societies that emphasize individualism and materialism end up buffering people from experiencing the transcendent. People in WEIRD societies no longer search for awe, and are often not open to the possibility of radical amazement.
In this cultural climate, a religious person can often feel like a barely tolerated eccentric. Professor Daniel Rynhold, who teaches philosophy at Yeshiva University, tells the following anecdote:
"Sometime in the 1990s, a philosophy department with which I was involved held a meeting at which candidates for admission were being reviewed A colleague noted that a young woman who had been admitted believed in God, prompting another member of the department to retort:"Well, we 'll soon knock that out of her."
Rynhold quotes Bob Dylan in his assessment of that meeting: “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."
While I have another point to make in this article, I want to mention an excellent book by Sam Lebens, a professor of Philosophy at Haifa University and an Orthodox rabbi, which does a very good job of summarizing some contemporary thinking among religious philosophers regarding God. It is entitled: “A Guide for the Jewish Undecided.”
One significant point Lebens makes is that one doesn’t need a decisive proof in order to believe in God; even arguments that belief is more plausible than atheism are significant. To make faith a worthy option, it merely has to be better than the alternative.
Lebens then offers several thoughtful points. The first is that the laws of physics seem to be geared for the universe to support life; the odds that the cosmological constant would be finely tuned to the single point that allows life to arise is one in a trillion trillion trillion trillion. Yes, one in a trillion trillion trillion trillion.
In addition, the very notion of an orderly universe is far from a given, considering the other possibilities; Einstein called it “the eternal mystery of the world in its comprehensibility.” And, we can expect the laws of nature to continue, without change. We know the sun will come up tomorrow, even if we have absolutely no proof that it will do so
Another point Lebens makes relates to morality and love; this is an argument that Rabbi Jonathan Sacks articulates in his book The Great Partnership as well. First, without God, all is permitted; there is no firm anchor for morality without a higher power. This argument also goes in the other direction; there is something about the experience of morality and love that is so transcendent and inspiring that gives us a glimpse of the otherworldly.
Religious philosophers mention multiple other points, from the mystery of human consciousness, to the riddle of why humans evolved into a philosophical species instead of simply becoming animals who were very clever predators. When we consider all it took for us to get where we are right now, the question is obvious: What are the odds of all this happening on its own?
But I want to put this aside for another perspective on belief: a personal encounter with transcendence.
Indeed, some have argued we should ignore philosophy and look for God in our hearts. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov said that philosophy is actually the opposite of true faith because it is filled with questions, and looks at things from a rational perspective; one can only feel God through love, not arguments.
For so many, this is the foundation of faith; a divine experience that shapes their perspective on life. Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein wrote an essay “The Source of Faith is Faith Itself,” about the foundations of his own belief. In it, he describes when he felt connected to the divine during moments of Torah study and prayer. But Rabbi Lichtenstein admits that his essay “will…provide little guidance for those to whom attaining encounter is precisely the problem.” To someone who has not had similar experiences, Rav Aharon’ s insights are not at all compelling.
Most of us feel cut off from the experience of awe.
Dacher Keltner, a Professor at UC Berkeley who has studied awe, defines awe “ as the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” This is a readily observable emotion in most places around the world; but as Keltner explains in his book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, he had to modify his studies to avoid the WEIRD countries I mentioned earlier; people from our own culture were too buffered, too cut off, to experience awe.
But we can change. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel talks about the importance of wonder, of being able to see the poetry behind the mundane. He writes that “Mankind will not perish for want of information; but only for want of appreciation… What we lack is not a will to believe but a will to wonder.”
This search for wonder starts at the beginning of the day; the custom is, after waking up each morning, to recite the short modeh ani prayer, which gives thanks to God for granting us another day of life. We are meant to start the day with a sense of wonder, amazed by the blessing of our very existence This short prayer opens the door for us to experience awe throughout the day.
I know it sounds strange, but it is precisely at this point that I come back to the Jewish atheist. Let me explain.
Keltner notes there are many sources of awe: nature, love, beauty, intellectual epiphanies. But the most powerful is one he calls “moral beauty,” where we see the courage and kindness of another And I have seen much moral beauty among many of the survivors I knew.
After the Holocaust, survivors had every reason to turn their backs on God. The problem of evil is one thing when discussed in a classroom or a sermon; but to experience extreme violence, pain, and injustice personally deeply wounds one ’ s soul. To maintain one ’ s faith afterwards should have been impossible.
Even so, many people refused to give up their faith. And that is awe-inspiring.
Yaffa Eliach, in her book Hassidic Tales of the Holocaust, quotes the Klausenberger Rebbe, Rabbi Yekutiel Halberstam, who tragically lost his wife and eleven children in the war; years later he would say “The biggest miracle of all is that we, the survivors of the Holocaust, after all that we witnessed and lived through, still believe and have faith in the Almighty God, may His name be blessed. This, my friends, is the miracle of miracles, the greatest miracle ever to have taken place.”
I saw this firsthand. I grew up with a mother who was a survivor of Auschwitz, yet always was a beacon of faith. I never fully understood, and still can 't understand, the suffering she endured as a 15 and 16-yearold. She faced many other significant challenges later in life, yet she continued to believe. Yes, that was a miracle of miracles
But let turn again to Jewish atheists; I knew quite a few survivors who were avowed atheists
Yet these same people were profoundly devoted to the Jewish community, and loved the Jewish people more than their own lives. It should be said, it should always be said, that they were holy people. And one of these holy atheists was my friend Majer.
Majer had a powerful soul. His heart had been broken six million times by the tragedy of the Holocaust, and he had endured too much pain and suffering of his own
After the Holocaust, he was left with an impossible quandary. He didn’t believe in God, and was ready to walk away from Judaism. But he couldn’t. As he would put it to me: “What choice did I have? I was not going to be like the Nazis.”
This was Majer’ s way of saying that had he chosen to walk away and leave the Jewish people behind, he would have violated the 614th commandment: one should not give Hitler a posthumous victory And even if Majer no longer cared for the other 613 commandments, he wasn ’t going to ignore the 614th.
I have no doubt that for Majer, this was a painful inner debate for a very long time. But by the time I met him, what was obvious was that he had a passionate love for Jews and Judaism.
Majer was a brilliant man, who could still ask questions about a passage of Talmud he had studied 70 years earlier. He was extremely successful, and built friendships around the world. He had no problem sharing his opinions; he had an active fax machine, and never tired of writing letters to Presidents, Prime Ministers, and editors, among others
He would question and debate with me what I said in my sermons; and I was lucky to have him in the audience, a constant reminder not to offer a few mediocre comments.
Above all, Majer loved Israel. He finally achieved his dream of moving to Israel very late in life. He had lived his whole life with intense determination, and a little thing like old age wasn ’t going to get in the way of making aliyah.
In coming to Israel, Majer added a final chapter to a remarkable life He had done his best to rebuild the Jewish people after the war; and some seventy years after surviving the Holocaust, Majer was in Israel, photographed proudly holding an Israeli teudat zehut, ID Card, in his hands At that point, his life work was complete.
Today, Majer and his wife are buried in Tel Aviv.
Survivors like Majer, who were holy atheists, had every reason not to believe. Yet, despite everything, they continued to declare Am Yisrael Chai.
What I saw in them was a moral beauty that was absolutely awe-inspiring. Majer would undoubtedly appreciate the irony that his devotion to the Jewish people actually strengthened my own belief in God
I feel honored as a rabbi to have had holy atheists as my teachers. And, I hope up in heaven, they are arguing with God, and telling Him that after the worst year in history since the Holocaust, the Jewish people deserve to be treated better.
And that God should grant all of us a sweet and good year in 5785.
Shanah Tovah!
finding light
By Ruthie hollander
This year has been dark.
Our hostages have lived hidden for almost a year in Gaza’ s dark tunnels. Holidays and celebrations are darkened with the anticipation of bad news. While other nations sleep peacefully, Israeli families run toward miklatim (bomb shelters) in the dark night. In the Diaspora, this period has illuminated dark truths about the Western societies we hoped might protect us
But as we reach the month of Elul, we read about light. We introduce Psalm 27, L’David Hashem Ori, to our daily prayers. “The Lord is my light and my help; whom should I fear?” King David asks in this ancient text. It expresses a central theme of the New Year and a way we can prepare for a year ahead, even when darkness threatens to overpower us.
Rav Malkiel Tzvi HaLevi Tennenbaum, late-nineteenth-century author of Divrei Malkiel, explained that the Jewish people recite this psalm because it has protective qualities. He wrote that reading L’David Hashem Ori would shield the Jewish people when world leaders made terrible allegations about them on a future day of judgment. In today’ s moment of judgment, this ancient text proves prescient: “Do not subject me to the will of my foes, for false witnesses and unjust accusers have appeared against me. ”
L’David Hashem Ori negotiates with many of the realities we do today. Accusations and allegations overwhelm us; we know how many mistruths and untruths are being perpetuated And it also reminds us of the Jewish response to this darkness — to look for light.
“Look to the Lord; be strong and of good courage! Oh, look to the Lord,” the psalm concludes. This progression captures something profound: we must see God’ s light, find our own strength to continue, and then once more to look toward God’ s light.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks poignantly summarized a moment the sages describe of the Garden of Eden, as the first Shabbat ended and the sun began to set Adam told God that he was afraid of the dark, and God taught him how to rub two stones against each other and create light.
“The light of the first day was created by God,” expressed Rabbi Sacks. “The light of the eighth day is what God taught us to create.”
A Midrash shares the opinion that the first verse of L’Dovid Hashem Ori is a reference to the Egyptians pursuing the Israelites to the Red Sea. In this charged moment, the text of Shemot describes clouds and darkness surrounding them — and a light, even by night. The Israelites’ reaction to the light was this verse: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
In this Midrash, God responds to Israel' s words. “If you light lamps before Me,” God promises, “I will illuminate the world on your behalf with a great light.”
When we need it most, God shines a light and encourages us to shine our own Especially in these dark times, it may be hard to believe we have any light within us — any hope, any moral clarity, any strength — but we each have some within us. When we are afraid our light has disappeared, we must look for God’ s light to remind us that we have our own.
L’Dovid Hashem Ori prescribes a valuable tool for us to find that light, and an affirmation that it is worthwhile to pursue.
Look to the Lord—
Look toward the clouds and the darkness, but be sure to keep your eyes open to God’ s light in your surroundings. Assure yourself of that light
Be strong and of good courage— Find your own light and nourish its strength.
And then, once more, Look to the Lord— Once we find and express our light, God will illuminate the entire world.
Keter Torah
awardee presentations
Robyn Barsky and Ariel Stern received this year ’ s Annual Judith Kaufman Keter Torah Awards on Shavuot. Here are their inspiring words.
Walking Through Open Doors
presented
by robyn barsky
Thank you, Rachel and esteemed Rabbis.
First, I’d like to congratulate Ariel Stern who is certainly an Aishet Chayil and I’ m confident is just getting started in terms of the long-term impact she’ll make on the KJ community.
A fun fact is that in 2019, Ariel’ s husband Johnny, and my husband, Ira, were honored together as Chatanim, so I suppose we might be soul sisters in some way.
I’ m accepting this award in honor of, in memory of, and in gratitude to my mother, Corrine Barsky, a ’h, who unexpectedly passed away just 6 months ago This would have been one of her greatest nachas moments to be here and then hold court at kiddush, as she did exactly 20 years ago right next door just before Ira and I were married in this Sanctuary.
Some of you had the privilege to know my mother – yes, it was indeed a privilege because she was such a force of nature – she was intellectually curious, she was elegant and sophisticated, and she was battle tested in life.
She also shared many characteristics of Ruth, about whom we just read. First and foremost, she was a risk taker and had amazing instincts to seize moments of opportunity. As Ruth chose to leave a life of royalty behind to follow Naomi into uncharted territory and an unknown life ahead, after my father suddenly died 30 years ago, my mother came to Manhattan to start a new chapter in her life.
That wasn ’t easy. She was a widow. Basically, my age. And alone in the city, as I was living far away working and traveling crazy hours
So alone she went to fundraisers, took graduate classes, became an art history maven, and a patron of the arts. She went to unfamiliar places and walked through unknown doors. That’ s how she made friends of fellow travelers.
Actually, two people whom she met early on were Janie & Bob Schwalbe. They graciously took her under their wing and became a source of credibility when I later returned to New York, started becoming observant, and going to “that Orthodox temple” - as she called it
Another characteristic she shared with Ruth was Chesed. She had a natural giving gene which manifested itself in providing an empathetic listening ear, sharing her life’ s wisdom, bringing people together, and supporting numerous causes, particularly education for underserved populations. Almost all of my friends, no matter what stage of life they were in, were beneficiaries of this kindness.
These two qualities, really values, shaped my journey to KJ and within KJ. The first risk certainly was stepping into an observant lifestyle in my early 30s I grew up in a pretty Zionistic, yet reform home, went to Hebrew school and synagogue twice a year. Jewish was my identity but not my lifestyle. My goal was to play Division 1 tennis, pursue a career in sports marketing and one day become General Manager of the NY Knicks I was on my way when I transferred from Tulane to St John’ s, got on the tennis team and became fully engaged in the sports management program.
But Hashem had a bit of a different plan. Looking back, it was of course a series of seemingly disparate events. There are two in particular to highlight. First, since I was at a Jesuit University I had to take Judaism classes to graduate, and those classes ignited a tiny spark Then, several years later I was living in Atlanta working on the Olympics when I got involved with bringing American athletes to participate in The Maccabiah Games in Israel.
Why? Because I saw many of my close friends marrying “out” and I wanted to do something to buck the trend in the next generation. My only problem was that other than being a cardiac Jew, I really didn’t have much practical knowledge to convince these kids to feel pride in their Jewish identity and marry Jewish.
So, I went to Israel to learn for a few weeks before the Games one summer, and Hashem sent me to just the right place in the Old City. Truthfully, I sat in the back of the room for three weeks with my arms folded because I was upset that all the meaning and purpose I’d been searching for my whole life was under my nose the entire time! The spark was once again ignited.
I moved back to New York, took some random Torah classes, and again Hashem sent me to the right place – the Beginner’ s service at KJ led by Rabbi Yitz Motechin & George Rohr. It was there that I found an open, engaging environment – a place to explore and find meaning in my life. A place where members of the shul showed us the ropes and invited us into their homes. A place where I met fellow travelers – many of whom I call my dearest friends to this day. Shabbat and holidays started to interfere with the work I was doing in sports, so I changed careers, became COO of the Jewish Funders Network, and thought I’d “ save ” the Jews.
About 10 years ago I wanted the long Shabbat afternoons brought together a few women to learn and shmooze. Th formal Jewish educations, and I certainly had no facility w tackled, among others, the Chofetz Chaim, Iggeret HaRam HaBitachon, Megillat Ruth, Mishlei, and currently, Tom community within the KJB community – ages 20s t conversions, marriages, and unfortunately, deaths.
Kol HaKavod to all of you here who have shared this journe
The opportunity to do chesed in KJ started back durin Lookstein asked for volunteers to help those in the commu and needed a career pivot. Ira and I immediately joined th tzaddikim!
We’ ve helped lead workshops, write resumes and LinkedI interviews. I had no idea that many people were quietl continue to pop up. This is really saving people and I’ m gra help alleviate stress and get folks back on their feet
A final thought about Ruth. Although Ruth was Moabite very selfish – they lacked civility, and simple menschlic Moabite nation had its roots all the way back to Lot and his was very clear, Ruth made a decision to change her predis selfishness, self-absorption, and lack of humanity, she c foundation for the Davidic monarchy and the messianic lin
Ruth taught us that it’ s possible to overcome seemingl might be holding us back. It could be any number of li p upbringing, a dead-end career, toxic relationships, etc This power of choice gives us the opportunity to transform our destiny, our relationships, our communities and ultimately actualize our potential.
Being involved with KJB, the Career Committee, the Board, the Officers and working on different initiatives with the clergy, enabled me to develop many special friendships, cement my commitment to Torah, and have a venue to help others in a meaningful way
Since I didn’t have kids to go through Ramaz, and came to KJ as a single, I never thought I’d integrate and find a place in the community But again, Hashem had a plan, and created the environment where KJ became my spiritual home and ground zero for essentially everything I do socially.
As my mother often said to me, and many of the people she mentored, you have to take the risk, walk through the door, and you ’ll be pleasantly surprised with the beautiful horizons that await you.
Chag Sameach.
My KJ Family
Thank you, Rachel, for the introduction and congratulations to my fellow honoree, Robyn Barsky. Thank you, KJ, for this great honor. My son gave a dvar torah yesterday, my husband sat up here a few moments ago as an officer, and now you get to hear a few words from me. That’ s a whole lot of Stern this holiday.
The content of my speech weighed heavy on my shoulders because I know of the many deserving people who are sitting here today
The Young People’ s Minyan is called Kesher which is Hebrew for connection - that was exactly my goal when I served as president. I wanted everyone who stepped off those 8th floor elevators on Shabbat morning to feel welcomed and connected. We were able to foster a culture of warmth and inclusivity—a place where every member is valued and welcomed with open arms. It is this spirit of closeness and acceptance that defines us and makes us stronger
Welcoming new families into our community has been one of my most cherished responsibilities The Torah teaches us the value of hospitality and inclusivity. By opening our doors and hearts, we reflect the values of chesed and achdut that are central to Judaism.
At Kesher, my co-presidents and I planned many events to bring people closer. We planned the Men’ s Night Out which I hosted in my home twice. One of those times the flue to my fireplace closed at the most imperfect time, but thankfully the 80 people that attended did not care about the very smoky air. I planned a Chanukah party with celebrity guest Uncle Moishe as well as a Purim party with JNF where the kids could plant their own flowers. Every moment of it filled me with purpose and joy. Kesher and KJ are my family
Just as KJ is my family, so too is Ramaz. Three of our children, Maurice, Celine, and Paula are in Ramaz, and Louis will be in Nursery next year. I attended the Ramaz pre-K graduation this week. I could not have been prouder watching my daughter, Paula, singing Hatikvah along with her classmates. It is a pleasure knowing Ramaz is not just about academic excellence, but also about nurturing their identity, heritage, and values.
I am profoundly grateful to my parents, Eva and Louis Galpern, who are here today. They raised me with an emphasis on the importance of community, chesed, and love for Israel Their guidance has shaped me into the person I am today, and I aspire to pass these invaluable lessons to my own children. To my wonderful mother and father-in-law, Diane and Alan Stern, I am deeply grateful to both of you for raising such an incredible person who chose me as his life partner.
MaxHollanderisbeginninghisfourthyearatYU-RIETS,whereheispursuing SemikhaandaMastersinJewishStudies.HeisanalumnusofNYU,wherehe received undergraduate degrees in Jewish Studies and Digital Media & Communications.
MaxservesastheDirectorofJewishEducation&MarketingfortheBlueDove Foundation,andheisafellowoftheUJAGraduatestudentfellowshipandonthe boardoftheNAMIFaithNetAdvisoryBoardastheJewishfaithrepresentativeHe isexcitedtoconnectwiththeKJcommunityandexploreNYCwithhisfamily
We thank Roni Tessler for his years of dedicated service as our KJYD Assistant Youth Director We are thrilled to welcome our new Assistant Youth Director for Early Childhood, Sophia Klass.
o have been part of the KJ community and to have worked r for over 10 years A proud Ramaz alumna, she enjoys to new places. Sophia pursued a career in education and Early Childhood and Special Education from New York s in Speech-Language Pathology from Yeshiva University. supporting and empowering young people Her approach ngaging activities that foster growth, continuously build rage positive child development
Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun warmly welcomes the following new members who joined the Congregation between the printing of the last ulletin on June 5, and this Bulletin, which went to press on August 30:
Rebecca and Jordan Anhalt
Daniela and Zachary Cooper
Bernice Edelstein and Donald Fingeret
Drs Michal and Joshua Garren
amara Jasper
Dr. Hannah and Avi Jerushalmy
Drs. Noa and Ariel Koschitzky
Amy Bravman and Andrew Levine
ara and Rami Levi
Ruth and Benjamin Lubick
Mary Zitwer Millman and Gerald Millman
isa Slavin and Steven Perelman
Drs. Danielle Dennis and Joshua Weinreb
Room 802 will be transformed each week into a sensory room for kids who need a moment of lower stimulation. We’ll be including a modular couch, seating, sensory and fidget toys, noise canceling headphones, and more. We are grateful to make KJYD an even more welcoming, happy, safe place!
WHAT’SNEW ATKJYD?WHAT’SNEW ATKJYD? WHAT’SNEW
KJ ANNUAL DINNER & COMMUNITY CONCERT
dec 14 • Saturday Night • 8:00 PM • Ramaz Upper School
Celebrate KJ Community Inclusiveness and the Bar Mitzvah Anniversary of our Sephardic Minyan KJ synagogue is a unique and wonderful example of Jewish groups of different backgrounds and traditions joining together to create one large and dynamic community 5785 marks KJ Sephardic’ s Bar Mitzvah Year as part of the KJ Community. To commemorate this special milestone and celebrate 13 years of inclusiveness, the synagogue is honoring KJ Sephardic in this most meaningful way, signifying our deep appreciation for the strength and unity that KJ Sephardic has brought to the broader KJ Community Within KJ’ s uniquely nurturing community, its Sephardic Minyan has blossomed and cultivated a warm and engaging environment for over one hundred and fifty new KJ families, and THAT is worth celebrating!
KJSYNAGOGUEMEMBERSHIP
GreatsynagogueslikeKJaregreatinpartbecauseofthesupportthatthey receivefromthecommunitiestheyserve,andwehopeyouwilljoinother dedicatedpeopleinourcommunitybyconsideringKJMembership.Visit ckj.org/membershiporscantheQRcodeontheleftformoreinformation.
IMPORTANT SECURITY
UPDATE FOR PRIVATE EVENTS
All private events held in Ramaz / KJ venues on 85th Streetor78thStreetrequire an armed security detail if the event takes place when there is no KJ or Ramaz programming happening simultaneously in the building. This can be arranged with Richard Mack at 917-676-8829 or at richmack@macsecurity.net. ContactRivaatriva@ckjorg withquestionsandconcerns.
academic achievements
MayTheyGoHigherandHigher!
We extend a warm Mazal Tov to the following young members of the Congregation whocompletedtheRamazMiddleSchoolandotheryeshivadayschools.
EMANUEL BENGIO
son of Liat and David Bengio
THEODORE BERMAN
son of Sara and Mark Bloom and David Berman
grandson of Judy and Michael Steinhardt
ASHER BOURKOFF
son of Elana and Aryeh Bourkoff
BENJAMIN CHUBAK
son of Jamie and David Chubak
JAMES DAYAN
son of Grace and Jack Dayan
RAMI PERETZ FISHMAN
son of Dr. Sarah and Rocky Fishman
grandson of Liz and Rami Nahmias
HAILEY FRIEDMAN
daughter of Lauren and Jeremy Friedman
CHLOE GLASBERG
daughter of Alisa and Dr. Scot Glasberg
ARI HADEL
son of Anne and Don Hadel
LILA HOFF
daughter of Rachel and Eliot Hoff
JACK KAUFTHAL
son of Abby and Josh Kaufthal
ALANA KOBLENZER
daughter of Marian Gross and Jonathan Koblenzer
LYON LEVIN
son of Dr Laura Levin and Daniel Levin
grandson of Caryl Englander and Israel Englander
ALEXANDER MAJZNER
son of Jennifer Bernell Majzner and Marc Majzner
MAX MAJZNER
son of Jennifer Bernell Majzner and Marc Majzner
ELLA MANN
daughter of Talia and Eric Mann
MICHAEL MASSEL
son of Caroline and Morris Massel
grandson of Heni and Harvey Arfa
RAE MEYER
daughter of Nicole and Joseph Meyer
granddaughter of Seryl and Charles Kushner
TALIA MOCHE
daughter of Margalit and Jason Moche
HENRY MONTAGUE
son of Julie and Steven Montague
MAX OBSTFELD
son of Adina and Joshua Obstfeld
ARIE PARADIS
son of Jaclyn and Gonen Paradis
JONAH PIKE
son of Janelle and Dr. Sheldon Pike
DANIEL PROPP
son of Dina and Douglas Propp
grandson of Eve Propp
OLIVIA RECHTSCHAFFEN
daughter of Monique and And
JACOB RUBENSTEIN
son of Samantha and Jonatha
NATALIE SAFDIEH
daughter of Gabriella and Sau
ROBERT SALAME
son of Ann and James Salame
LEO SCHUBIN
son of Dr. Ilana Brownstein an
TZIPORAH SLONIM
daughter of Rifki Zable and Y
RAQUEL SROUR
daughter of Gila and Marco S
Congratulations to our Upper School and other
Rachel Abelson, daughter of Joshua Abelson and Susie Leigh, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Avram J Hellerman Bikur Cholim Award She will attend Brandeis University in the fall.
Ashley Behm, daughter of Stacy and Thomas Behm, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School She will attend Barnard College in the fall.
Romi Chaovat, daughter of Debbi and Erez Chaovat, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School She will attend Harvard College in the fall.
Grace Cohen, daughter of Suri and Kenny Cohen, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Meyer Appleman Memorial Award for excellence and commitment to religious studies. She will attend Midreshet Amit in the fall and University of Maryland upon her return from Israel.
GAVIN SRULOWITZ
son of Stephanie and Mark Srulowitz
DANIEL SULTAN
son of Randi and David Sultan
ALEXANDRA TANTLEFF
daughter of Tali and Adam Tantleff
LEAH VOLKOV
daughter of Cheyna Rivka Volkov
JUDAH WEISS
son of Dr. Jessica and Marcus Weiss
EZRA WERTHENSCHLAG
son of Maeira and Michel Werthenschlag
grandson of Cheryl and Fred Halpern
LIVYA ZWILLINGER
daughter of Rebecca and David Zwillinger
Mervin Dayan, son of Grace and Jack Dayan, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School He will attend Indiana University in the fall.
Philip Efron, son of Elyse and David Efron, upon his graduation from the Abraham Joshua Heschel School Philip was a National Merit Scholarship finalist. He will attend Kivunim in the fall and The University of Chicago upon his return from Israel. Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents, Janet and Mark Mittler.
Isaac Rafi Fishman, son of Dr. Sarah and Rocky Fishman, upon his graduation from SAR High School. He will attend Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in the fall and Drexel University upon his return from Israel Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents Liz and Rami Nahmias.
Evan Glasberg, son of Alisa and Dr. Scot Glasberg, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the David Kagan Memorial Award presented to the student athletes who best exemplify the values of sportsmanship and menschlichkeit both on and off the playing field, and the Spanish Award. He will attend Duke University in the fall
Elijah Goldstein, son of Audrey and Mark Goldstein, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School. He will attend Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in the fall and University of Pennsylvania upon his return from Israel
Liam Gomberg, son of Yonina and Eric Gomberg, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Jesse Deutsch Tefillah Award given to seniors who have shown a demonstrable commitment to tefillah through high school; the Aron, Leah, and Leon Swergold Memorial Award for excellence in the study of Talmud; and the History Award. He will attend Yeshivat Gush Etzion in the fall and University of Chicago upon his return from Israel. Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents Gail Propp and Cheryl & Fred Halpern
Maximillian Grant, son of Ilana Vinar-Grant and Henry Grant upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School. He will attend Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in the fall and Binghamton University upon his return from Israel.
Molly Hiltzik, daughter of Dana and Matthew Hiltzik, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the David Kagan Memorial Award presented to the student athletes who best exemplify the values of sportsmanship and menschlichkeit both on and off the playing field. She will attend Vanderbilt University in the fall.
Ethan Justin, son of Sandra and Jeffrey Justin, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School He will attend Bar Ilan Israel XP in the fall and University of Connecticut upon his return from Israel.
Hannah Kanbar, daughter of Stacey and David Kanbar, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School. She will attend Syracuse University in the fall.
Rae Kaplan, daughter of Jessica and Adam Kaplan, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the David Kagan Memorial Award presented to the student athletes who best exemplify the values of sportsmanship and menschlichkeit both on and off the playing field. She will attend Washington University in St Louis in the fall
Charlotte Kleeger, daughter of Joy and Judd Kleeger, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the English Award for excellence in literature; the History Award; and the Daniele Gorlin Lassner French Award. She will attend Kivunim in the fall and Duke University upon her return from Israel
Hallie Kopel, daughter of Julie and Reuben Kopel, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Beatrice and Murray Kirschblat Holocaust Award given to the student who has demonstrated a commitment to Holocaust Awareness and care for Holocaust survivors through their participation in Witness Theater. She will attend Washington University in St. Louis in the fall.
Milan Kushner, son of Kim and Jonathan Kushner, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the David Kagan Memorial Award presented to the student athletes who best exemplify the values of sportsmanship and menschlichkeit both on and off the playing field. He will attend University of Miami in the fall. Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents Lee and Murray Kushner.
Claire Landy, daughter of Amy and Darren Landy, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Yearbook Award and a Photography Award. She will attend Washington University in St. Louis in the fall.
Amiel Low, son of Lisa and Nathan Low, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School, as a recipient of the Renee Margareten Berger Award, presented to the students who have achieved the highest academic averages, and the Leonard Friedland Hebrew Language Memorial Award for outstanding work in the study of the Hebrew language and excellence in its literature. He will attend Torah Tech in the fall and University of Pennsylvania upon his return from Israel.
Alexander Ottensoser, son of Judith and Daniel Ottensoser, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Rochelle Miller Sherut Award presented to the graduating seniors who, through leadership and dedication, has generated school spirit, contributed to the community, and enhanced the quality of student life. He will attend Torah Tech in the fall and Washington University in St. Louis upon his return from Israel. Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents Marion and Billy Weiss.
Gabriel Piafsky, son of Lauren and Barry Piafsky, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School. He will attend Tulane University in the fall.
Jeremy Propp, son of Dina and Douglas Propp, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Award for Personal Growth, the Jesse Deutsch Tefillah Award given to seniors who have shown a demonstrable commitment to tefillah through high school, and the Aron, Leah, and Leon Swergold Memorial Award for excellence in the study of Talmud He will attend Yeshivat Migdal Hatorah in the fall and MIT upon his return from Israel Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandmother Eve Propp.
Emily Schwartz, daughter of Suzanne and Robert Schwartz, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School. She will attend Kivunim in the fall and Emory University upon her return from Israel Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents Marina and Sam Schwartz.
Ezra Sholes, son of Esther and Marc Sholes, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Award for Personal Growth, and the Instrumental Award in memory of Martin Sanders. He will attend Yeshivat Torat Shraga in the fall and University of Pennsylvania upon his return from Israel.
Jordana Stonehill, daughter of Robyn and David Stonehill, upon her graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Sue Moskowitz Chesed Award She will attend Midreshet Amit in the fall and University of Maryland upon her return from Israel.
Caleb Tambor, son of Abigail and Shai Tambor, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School He will attend Kivunim in the fall and Emory University upon his return from Israel
Julius Zimbler, son of Deborah and Dr. Marc Zimbler, upon his graduation from the Ramaz Upper School as a recipient of the Harvey Blech Memorial award for excellence in the study of physics and the Beatrice and Murray Kirschblat Holocaust Award given to the student who has demonstrated a commitment to Holocaust Awareness and care for Holocaust survivors through their participation in Witness Theater. He will attend Kivunim in the fall and New York University upon his return from Israel.
Congratulations to the following KJ members celebrating their graduations and the graduations of their loved ones.
Rachel and Elliot Hoff upon the graduation of their daughter, Maya, from Binghamton University with a BA in Psychology.
Lisa and Nathan Low upon the graduation of their daughter, Anna, from NYU with a BS in Nutrition. She will continue her studies at NYU for an MA in Dietetics while also doing a dietetics internship at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
Judy Tanz upon the graduation of her granddaughter, Kate Rich, daughter of Sarah Tanz Rich (Ramaz ‘86), from Emory University’ s Goizueta Business School She will be working for Wells Fargo and will reside in NYC.
Barbara and Dr. Howard Weiner upon their daughter, Hannah Jerushalmy, receiving her PsyD doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University Hannah and her husband, Avi, are one of KJ’ s newest member households
Within Our Family
MAZALTOVTO–
BIRTHS
Dr. Ellen and Mitchel Agoos upon the birth of a granddaughter, Kenzie Jane, born to their childrenRobynandJakeAgoos.
SarahandMichaelApfelbaumuponthebirthofa son, Ari Chase (Chaim Raphael). Mazal Tov as well to KJ grandparents Paula and Barry Apfelbaum.
Dr. Adi Karsch-Bluman and Koby Bluman upon the birth of twin boys, Jack and Joe (Ivri Moshe andAmitTalYehuda).
JaquelineandZacharyCharlesuponthebirthofa daughter,EleanorRoseCharles.MazalTovtoKJ grandparentsFaithandAndyCharles.
Leandra and Abe Cohen upon the birth of a daughter,Joelle(ChannahRivka).
Camille and Adam Dunst upon the birth of a daughter,NiliChaya.
Sarah Belfer and Elliot Eisenberg upon the birth ofason,JacobMeir(YisraelMeir)
Judith and Robert Hara upon the birth of a granddaughter, Ariella, born to their children, LyatandJacobHaraofWinterPark,FL
Alexandra & Sol Hedaya upon the birth of a son, DavidHaim.
Sue and Dr. Norman Javitt upon the birth of a great-grandson, Roi Yagel, born to their grandchildren, Sarah Esther and Elior Bliah of Jerusalem.
Judy and Dr. Hirshel Kahn upon the birth of a granddaughter, Charlotte Maya (Miriam Chava), a first child born to their children Stephanie and AdamKahn.
Dorothy and Daniel Katz upon the birth of their daughter, Isabelle Brooke (Ashira Daniella). Mazal Tov to KJ grandmother Paula Etra.
Brenda and Zev Lindenbaum upon the birth of twins, Josie Bayla (Bayla Aliza) and Marcel Laurence (Yosef Mordechai).
Sue and Dr. Norman Javitt upon the birth of a great-grandson, Iddo Lavi, born to their grandchildren, Gabriel and Leah Javitt of Rechovot.
Nicole and Adam Parish upon the birth of their first child and son, Elliot (Shmuel Eliyahu).
Alex and David Seidenberg upon the birth of a daughter, Hailey Freida (Chulda Chaya).
Britt and Judah Siegal upon the birth of a son, Jack Isadore (Yisrael).
Donna and Arthur Silverman upon the birth of a great grandson, Yitzchak Yaakov (Jack), born to their grandchildren Jennifer & Ezra Teichman of Riverdale, NY Mazal Tov as well to Jennifer’ s parents, Nomi & Daniel Silverman of Los Angeles
Adele and Ron Tauber upon the birth of a grandson, Lev Shalom, born to their children Lisa Tauber and Zack Dinerstein.
Roselyn Weitzner upon the birth of a great granddaughter, Nechama Sara, born to her grandchildren, Avital and Zak Comet.
Jessica and Michael Zimmerman upon the birth of a daughter, Miriam Tikvah (Rose Elizabeth). Mazal Tov, as well, to the grandparents, Gail Suchman & Dr. Jerald Zimmerman
May these children grow up in the finest tradition of Torah, chupah, & maasim tovim.
Ana Theil
Mazal Tov to Flavia and Chaim Theil upon the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Ana (Chana Rivka), on 24 Tammuz at the Kotel, where Ana read Tehillim with her family. Ana is a seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School
Ben Brachot
Mazal Tov to Lenore and Ben Brachot upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Nadav, at the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach on August 22, at which time he will read Parashat Eikev. Nadav is a rising eighth-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School.
Eliana Schwartz
Mazal Tov to Erica and Rob Schwartz, upon the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Eliana, on Shabbat, August 24, in Atlantic Beach. In a separate service, she read the Torah and Haftara portion of Eikev and then delivered a D’ var Torah Eliana is a seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School. Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents Sheira and Steven Schacter.
Henry Sylvan Schubin
Mazal Tov to Dr. Ilana (Brownstein) and William A. Schubin upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Henry Sylvan, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on June 1st Henry read Parashat Bechukotai and delivered a D’ var Torah. Henry is a rising eighth-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School.
Mae Kasell
Mazal Tov to Elise and Daniel Kasell upon the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Mae, on June 6, at the Ramaz Middle School. She is a seventh-grade student at the Shefa School.
Meir Kleinhaus
Mazal Tov to Joanna and Emil Kleinhaus upon the upcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Meir, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, September 7 Meir will lead Shacharit and read Parashat Shoftim. Meir is an eighth-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School. Mazal Tov as well to KJ grandparents Rosalie and Harry Kleinhaus.
Murray Benjamin Kopel
Mazal Tov to Julie and Reuben Kopel upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Murray, at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on Shabbat morning, September 28, at which time he will read Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech and deliver a D’ var Torah. Murray will be an eighth-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School
Ruby Behm
Mazal Tov to Stacy and Thomas Behm upon the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Ruby, at the Bohemian National Hall on June 6th. She spoke about the connection between Megilat Rut and Shavuot. Ruby is a rising seventh-grade student at the Ramaz Middle School.
engagements
Nicole and Jeff Fisher upon the engagement of their son, Gabe, to Paola Mattout, daughter of Nadine Mattout of Brooklyn and Sonny Mattout of Deal, NJ. Mazal Tov to proud KJ grandmother ShirleyBoyarsky.
Andrea Fastenberg and Marcel Kahan upon the engagement of their daughter, Andrea, to Shelly Tsirulik,sonofLeahShulmanandMishaTsirulik
Robin Muss upon the engagement of her son, Zachary Abada, to Michelle Aboodi, daughter of Karen Silvera of Tenafly. Mazal Tov as well to delighted KJ grandparents Harriet and Joshua Muss.
Janie and Dr. Robert Schwalbe upon the engagementoftheirgrandson,SamSchwalbe,son of Dasi and Jeremy Schwalbe, to Talia Gutkin, daughter of Leanne and Kevin Gutkin of Miami BeachviaSouthAfrica.
Erica and Rob Schwartz upon the engagement of their daughter, Caroline, to Benji Orbach. Mazal Tov as well to proud KJ grandparents Sheira and SteveSchacter.
Sara and Simon Shemia upon the engagement of their son, Tom (Ramaz ’19), to Rebecca Douer (Ramaz ’19), daughter of Claudia and Marcos Douer of New Rochelle. Mazal Tov as well to KJ grandmotherMarilynMeltzer.
Dr. Elizabeth Wallach Mintz & Victor Mintz upon the engagement of their daughter, Kyla, to Eitan Karsch, son of Liat Karsch of Stamford, CT and BenjaminKarschofBrooklyn,NY
May their weddings take place in happiness and blessing
marriages
MarilynandGregAdleruponthemarriageoftheir son, Mark, to Allison Lax, daughter of Orly & RobertLaxofNewYorkCity.
Nava and Dan Bettinger upon the marriage of their son, Yoni, to Illeana Cohen, daughter of MB and Dr. Larry Cohen of Englewood.
Stephanie and Jonathan Freilich upon the marriage of their son, Sam, to Eliana Elikan, daughter of Sara and Jeff Elikan of Silver Spring, Maryland
Hadassah and Dr Samuel Goldring upon the marriage of their son, Ori, to Britney Hakimian, daughter of Sharzad & Anthony Hakimian, of Great Neck, NY.
Dr. Andrea Thau and John Lieberman upon the marriage of their son Dr. Evan Lieberman, to Dr. Miriam Klar, daughter of Dr. Yaffa and Naftali Klar of Bergenfield, NJ.
Aliza and Aaron Menche upon the marriage of their daughter, Adi (Ramaz ’16) to Itay Cohen of Tel-Aviv. Adi, who made Aliyah after Ramaz graduation, met Itay during her service in the IDF.
Lauren and Mitchell Presser upon the marriage of the marriage of their son, DJ, to Danya Gewurz, daughter of Risa and Zev Gewurz of Boston.
Janie and Dr. Robert Schwalbe upon the marriage of their son, James, to Michelle Plotkin, daughter of Anita Plotkin and the late Stuart Plotkin
Susie and Jay Spievack upon the marriage of their son, Tani, to Hannah Laifer, daughter of Yael and Alan Laifer of New Rochelle, NY Mazal Tov as well to KJ grandmother Gabriella Major.
Shera Aranoff Tuchman and Alan Tuchman upon the marriage of their son, Andy (Ramaz 2005), to Jamie Kitzes, daughter of Anna and Ethan Kitzes of Plainview, NY.
May the newlywed couples be blessed to build homes faithful to the traditions of the Jewish people.
Milestones
communal news & Honors
Alan and Marylène Friedman upon the Aliyah of their son, Rabbi Moshe Friedman, his wife, Shalvie, and their children upon their aliyah to Israel
Rosie and Dr. Mark Friedman upon the Aliyah of their children, Malkie and Aryeh Leib Binyamin Friedman (Ramaz ‘09) and their family.
Adrian Iosifescu upon the publication of his podcast ‘History of the Romanian Jews’ on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, and PodcastAddict platforms. The podcast is a brief history of Jews arrival in Romania, the rise of Romanian antisemitism, Romania' s participation in the Holocaust, Romanian Jewish emigration and their contributions in Romania, United States, and Israel.
Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz upon receiving the 2024 Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism for "Excellence in Writing about the War in Israel: News and Feature Writing"(2nd place) for his article in The Jewish Journal "A Letter from Israel; It' s Okay to Start Dreaming."
Dr. David Landerer upon being one of the eight finalists participating in the Chidon HaTanach National Finals Preparing for the Chidon requires the study of over 450 chapters of Tanach.
Sandra E. Rapoport upon presenting her 17th talk at the Great Neck Synagogue' s Summer Torah Learning, entitled "Remembering Amalek: A Thousand-year Story of Biblical Revenge."
in memoriam
Ruth Davenport
Ruth Davenport came to our congregation years ago when she married Marvin Davenport She was a woman of exceptional competence and initiative. She was a wonderful wife to Marvin and sister-in-law to Steven Davenport. She and Marvin divided their time between the Brotherhood Synagogue in whose neighborhood they resided and KJ where the Davenport family has a very long and distinguished history. Her passing leaves a void in the Davenport family and in the KJ congregational family.
Linda Hanania
Linda joined our congregation about 20 years ago, after moving to the Upper East Side to be near her children, including our members, Vivianne and Bob Kurzweil. She had been born and raised in Aleppo, Syria. She was the devoted mother of three children and five grandchildren, two of whom, Danielle and Phillipe Kurzweil, are members of KJ. Linda was very proud of her association with KJ and enjoyed our religious and social activities. She was a lady of great wisdom and elegance who died at a ripe old age.
Sheila Kamerman
Sheila was the daughter of Larry and Helen Brody who were pillars of KJ many decades ago. Her grandmother was the celebrated Dora Golding who was renowned as a great Jewish philanthropist.
Sheila and her late husband, Morton Kamerman, joined our congregation over 75 years ago. They were loyal and generous members throughout that period, and they sent their three children to Ramaz. Sheila was a celebrated academician in the field of education and social work. She published an astonishing number of articles and books in her chosen field. She was the matriarch of her family and the center of traditional life for her children and grandchildren as they gathered around her table on holidays and festivals. She proudly occupied her place in the family pew on the High Holy Days, continuing a tradition at KJ that spanned close to a century. Her passing represents the end of an era at KJ.
Rochelle Ring
ELUL EDITION
Sep 6-7
Sep 13-14
Sep 20-21
Sep 27-28
Oct 4-5
Oct 18-19 Shoftim Ki Teitzei Ki Tavo
Nitzavim-Vayeilech
Shabbat Shuva — Ha’azinu
Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot
DAtes to remember
Monday, September 2 Labor Day 8:30 AM Morning Services
Tuesday and Wednesday, September 3-4 Rosh Chodesh Elul 7:00 AM Morning Services
Saturday, September 28 Selichot Services 10:00 PM daily evening
Sep 1-5
Sep 8-12
Sep 15-19
Sep 22-24
Sep 25-26 Sep 29-Oct 1 Oct 6 (Fast of Gedalia) Oct 7-10 Oct 13-15
Oct 20-22 (Chol Hamoed Sukkot) Oct 27-31
Nov 3-7
Nov 10-14
Nov 17-21 Nov 24-28
Graphic Design by Ruthie Hollander