December 2015 - Kislev/Tevet 5776

Shofar Kislev/ Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation www.jewishfamilycongregation.org

December 2015

December Service Schedule Shabbat Vayeshev, Genesis 37:1 – 40:23 December 4

6 pm

Shabbat Service in Ridgefield, CT

December 5

10:30 am

Shabbat Service including Bat Mitzvah of Eve Chipman in Ridgefield, CT

5 pm

Shabbat Service including Bar Mitzvah of Jeffrey Alper in Ridgefield, CT

Religious School sending Get Well Wishes to Rabbi Burstein

Shabbat Miketz, Genesis 41:1 – 44:17 December 11

December 12

Parents and Children enjoying Young Community Shabbat

5:30 pm

Tot Shabbat in Ridgefield

6 pm

Shabbat Dinner and Chanukah Celebration in Ridgefield, CT-RSVP to the office by noon, December 7

7:30 pm

Ruach Shabbat in Ridgefield with Adrianne Greenbaum,

10:30 am

Shabbat Service including Bat Mitzvah of Zoe Ozols in Ridgefield, CT

Shabbat Vayigash, Genesis 44:18 – 47:27 December 18

7:30 pm

Shabbat Service in Ridgefield, CT

December 19

9 am

Torah 101-Shabbat Morning Study

Shabbat Veyechi, Genesis 47:28 – 50:26 December 25

Grade 6 making sandwiches for the Dorothy Day House From the Rabbi’s Desk President’s Message Religious School Early Childhood Center Ritual Committee Cantor’s Corner

page page page page page page

2 3 4 5 6 7

Social Action Ask the Rabbi Yahrzeit/Birthday/Anniversary Sisterhood Yom Kippur Appeal Donations

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6 pm

Shabbat Service and Chinese Food Dinner in Ridgefield, CT— RSVP to office by noon, Monday, December 21

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2015

From the Rabbi’s Desk Reclaiming Chanukah for Adults The holiday of Chanukah looms large in the eyes of children. Potato latkes, chocolate gelt, dreidels, parties, and simply the anticipation of the possibility of several nights of presents can make Chanukah even more important than one’s birthday for some Jewish children. In a culture that begins celebrating Christmas even before Thanksgiving, the eight nights of Chanukah can sometimes rival the one or two days of Christmas our non-Jewish family members and friends celebrate. Finally, the inspiration of the Maccabee’s victory over the Syrian Greeks gives a sense of pride to Jews of every age and has done so for generations. We light candles for each of the eight nights of the holiday, bringing light into our homes at the darkest time of the year. Despite the fact that Chanukah does not even appear in the Jewish Bible (Hebrew Scriptures or TaNaKH), it has become a “major” Jewish holiday, especially in the United States.

The true story of Chanukah is much more complicated than what many of us learned as children. I will not go into all the details here, but feel free to check out the Reform Movement’s website to learn a little more about the history of the holiday here: http://www.reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah (Even that article does not go into the details of the Maccabees and the internecine warfare that took place.)

We celebrate Chanukah for eight days because our ancestors could not celebrate the festival of Sukkot earlier that year (165 BCE) when the Greeks had desecrated The Temple in Jerusalem. When Judah Maccabee and his army successfully wrested control of The Temple from the ancient Greeks, they “(re-)dedicated” The Temple for Jewish use. Chanukah means “dedication.” In a sense, Chanukah is a second chance of celebrating Sukkot, and Sukkot is the only holiday we are commanded to be happy.

I have found that many families do not celebrate Chanukah when their children grow older and leave the home. Although Chanukah is a minor Jewish holiday, I want to encourage adults to celebrate this Festival of Lights even when there are no children present.

Here are a eight non-traditional ways to celebrate Chanukah this year. Some parallel Sukkot, and some fit with the theme of trying to increase holiness in our lives.

1. Have a festive meal with family and friends as many nights as possible, just like we are commanded to do for each night of Sukkot.

2. Reconnect each night with family and friends -- especially those you have not seen or spoken with in a while -- by telephone, video chatting, or an actual visit.

3. Try to do one activity each day of Chanukah that makes you happy.

4. Try to share light with one stranger each day of Chanukah. This can be as simple as paying attention to someone or smiling at them or as complicated as donating time, money and/or energy to bringing light into someone’s life.

5. Dedicate yourself to a task for eight days -- anything from reading to exercising, cleaning up an area of your home to trying to break a bad habit.

6. Cook your own food (or at least part of a meal) for each night of Chanukah.

7. Use the dreidel to make a decision you’ve been putting off for a while. Make up the possibilities in advance and stick to what the dreidel’s outcome is.

8. Help promote religious freedom in the world. You can donate time, money, or your voice politically to a cause that encourages freedom.

I would love to hear how you celebrated Chanukah differently this year after thinking about the holiday in a different way. Please be in touch to share your activities with me afterward.

I wish you a Happy Chanukah -- one filled with light and joy, Rabbi Marcus L. Burstein

Kislev/Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation 111 Smith Ridge Road P.O. Box 249 South Salem, NY 10590 Phone: (914) 763-3028 Fax: (914) 763-3069

office@jewishfamilycongregation.org

www.jewishfamilycongregation.org —————

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Page 3

From The Co-Presidents

By Glenn Kurlander and Hal Wolkin By voting decisively in favor of the Union of Jewish Family Congregation and Temple Shearith Israel back in May, congregants averted the existential crisis both synagogues were facing. By the time you read this, members of both legacy synagogues will have voted—as members of one, new synagogue—whether to adopt new By-Laws creating a new governance structure; to elect new officers and board members; and whether to approve the following name for our new synagogue.

Rabbi Marcus L. Burstein, D. Min. rabbi@jewishfamilycongregation.org

————— Director of Education Leslie Gottlieb

lgottlieb@jewishfamilycongregation.org

Early Childhood Center Director Jane Weil Emmer jemmer@jewishfamilycongregation.org

Administrator Kathleen Sakowicz

ksakowicz@jewishfamilycongregation.org

—————

Indeed, we are today on a much better and stronger path; one that leads to a potentially bright and exciting future.

But this is not the time for complacency. It is human nature to relax after successfully averting crisis, and the biological mechanisms that are responsible for that response are the product of millions of years of evolution. But we say again—respectfully—that this is not the time for complacency. Your continued involvement in the life of our new synagogue is more important now than ever before. Having come so far, we cannot allow ourselves to go back to the days of challenged finances and an uncertain, tenuous future. As we experience the sadness caused by Rabbi Burstein’s illness, comfort each other over the loss of cherished members, and reel from the unspeakable atrocities caused by fanatics motivated only by intense hatred of all we most cherish, we are reminded—if any reminder is needed—of how fragile it all is. And reminded as well that it is community—the only bulwark against that fragility—that brings us strength and solace at times of challenge and loss. If we value that community, if we wish to see it flourish for the sake of ourselves and our children, it is our responsibility to keep it strong. No one else will do it for us. We must do it ourselves.

In that connection, we are asking for your support of our Yom Kippur Appeal. If you have made a pledge, we thank you for your support. If you have not made a pledge, we are asking that you join those who have done so as we gain strength when all members of the community join together.

Glenn Kurlander, Co-President Hal Wolkin, Co-President

We’re heartened by the fact that about the same number of members who supported last year’s appeal have supported the appeal again this year. But not to be impolite, we president@jewishfamilycongregation.org have to tell you that isn’t enough, and we’ve fallen short of our fund-raising goal. Too many members gave less this year than they did last year. And while we are deeply grateful for every single dollar each member contributes, we have to ask you to look into Josh Blum, First Vice-President Suzanne Sunday, Second Vice-President your hearts and ask yourself whether it is possible to do more.

Robyn Cohen, Treasurer Richard Mishkin, Secretary

executive@jewishfamilycongregation.org

Karen Conti, Trustee Jon Glass, Trustee Mindy Hoffman, Trustee Robi Margolis, Trustee Paul Storfer, Trustee Bonnie Wattles, Trustee

board@jewishfamilycongregation.org

Shofar Editor Kathleen Sakowicz Shofar Printer Copy Stop Royal Press

For some, doing more will not be possible and if this is the case, we’re immensely grateful for all you’ve done. We recognize and appreciate your sacrifice and understand that you can’t do more.

But some will have the financial ability to do more. And if you are fortunate enough to count yourself among that group, we ask that you consider doing more by increasing the amount of your pledge.

We are also very excited to share with you at this time that a member of our New Synagogue has made a very generous offer of a matching grant. Each additional dollar that is pledged will be matched up to a total value of $25,000, potentially doubling the value of any additional donations. This grant was offered with the hope that it will inspire others in our community and we encourage each of you to take advantage of this generosity.

There are many worthwhile and needy causes in this world, and no one can support all of them. In deciding which ones to support, and how generously, we are driven by our priorities, and those priorities are rooted in our values. If you value our community, we ask that you prioritize it in your year-end charitable giving plan as, with your support, anything is possible.

Glenn Kurlander and Hal Wolkin

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2015

From the Religious School

By Leslie Gottlieb

Recently I finished reading, What is the What by Dave Eggers that he wrote-- more or less as a dictation turned into narrative form after listening to the story of a Sudanese man who suffered through decades of war and desperation in his homeland. For much of the account, the main character walked and walked, from neighboring country to country across the harsh African terrain. That was not a walk of choice but one of survival. Now, reading Bill Bryson’s, A Walk in the Woods, an account of traveling, by choice, on the Appalachian Trail, I am thinking of how choice makes all the difference in life.

Our students in all grades are adopting tzedakah projects that they will dedicate themselves to over the course of this school year. Each grade-level learning community picks this project together. Some students are helping animals, the elderly, the hungry, and so on. It seems that when we lose the ability to choose—or to control the circumstances of our lives, we are often faced with unfortunate outcomes.

We can help; we can teach our children this at an early age hoping they will lead lives that support others.

It seems that over the past few months at Religious School, students have focused largely on the mitzvah to feel the hungry. We are commanded to take on this effort. After the Food Drive in the early part of the year, students helped-- twice already-- making sandwiches for The Dorothy Day House in Danbury. They have been helping those working on the Breakfast Run by decorating lunch bags, writing special notecards and bringing in holiday candy and clothing for this Social Action synagogue project. It has been a real pleasure working with Debbie Landzberg and Debbie Lavin seeing the school interface with synagogue life.

Watching all of this over the past few months of our new school has been wonderful in many ways.

Seeing our students make new friends and adjust to the staff and our program has been very rewarding to witness.

There has been a special feeling of community being formed through all of these efforts being made to help others. We hope these photographs help show some of the happiness we are experiencing each week—doing all the things we do-- thanks to everyone’s involvement and support.

Ruth Ossher working with 6th graders as they review the haftarah blessings in a small group setting on a sunny fall morning.

David and Max Monson after leading a grade 6 mitzvah project Max helped organize and run; students collectively made 150 sandwiches on this day to be delivered and served at the Dorothy Day House in Danbury.

Continued on page 11

Kislev/Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

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From the Early Childhood Center

By Jane Emmer Every Friday morning … on our way to our Young Community Shabbat, we stop at the Tzedakah box. This special and beautiful Tzedakah box was a gift to JFC given at the time of Bobbie Cohlan’s retirement. Bobbie was the the founder of the Early Childhood Center twenty years ago. Since then, many congregants have been involved in the Early Childhood Center, some as children, some as adults. How appropriate and special that this practice is included in our weekly celebration of Shabbat.

Each week we sing:

“Give a penny Give a penny Give a penny one or two To help out other children Who don't have as much as you…”

Teaching kids how to share is one of the first values that many parents convey to their children. The Jewish ethic of giving tzedakah is deeply rooted in this idea; it is about making sure that all of the world’s resources (food, water, clothing, education, shelter) are shared justly. We, at the Early Childhood Center, know that educating kids about tzedakah can also help them understand that what they do matters and that, in small ways, they can make a difference in this world.

This year, during the month of December, we ask our families to bring in donations for the food pantry as well as a toy for our toy drive. Teaching children about charitable giving can be quite challenging. But a little extra effort on our part can go a long way in raising individuals with genuine concern for others.

Many families already give to charities that are important to them. In addition to this personal giving, families can create regular opportunities to give both time and money, together with their kids. While children might not have much money of their own to give, even donating a little bit of money will get them in the habit of financial giving.

Here are a few ideas:

●

Whenever you go to the grocery store, buy a couple extra cans of food. Deliver them to the local food pantry with your kids.

●

Sit down with your kids once a month and ask them to pick a cause they would like to support. Help them think of things they can relate to, like toys or warm clothes for kids that don’t have them, or food for people in the community who are hungry.

●

Because giving money is only a symbolic gesture for young kids, it’s helpful to link the act of giving money with volunteering. Consider making your monthly donation to organizations where you can also volunteer for a few hours together. Food pantries often have repetitive, simple work that is easy for kids. Making sandwiches at a soup kitchen is also an easy way to get young kids involved.

Continued on page 11

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2015

From the Ritual Committee

By Michael Salpeter

Each time we attend a graduation ceremony we are reminded by the keynote speaker that this event is actually a commencement, which, rather than an ending, is a beginning of a new phase for the graduates. We are informed that the boundaries are limitless, the constraints being only those put in place by the individual. The address is always concluded with the speaker indicating what a positive outlook there is on the future.

As this secular year comes to a close, in many respects the members of Jewish Family Congregation are experiencing their own commencement. Although it is true that the individual identities that Jewish Family Congregation and Temple Shearith Israel have developed over the past several decades may no longer be in place, we are about to embark on a new future for the Jewish community in Westchester and Fairfield counties.

The rabbis, cantor and members of the ritual committee are striving to make Congregation Shir Shalom a center for a meaningful, welcoming and spiritual experience for us all. Throughout the High Holy Day services and our Friday evening and Saturday morning Shabbat services we have incorporated many of the elements that congregants of the individual synagogues were accustomed to.

There have been minor changes in the V’Ahavta, Mi Chamocha and Amidah prayers to include elements of both congregations’ minhag. Music has been the element most common to both congregations and will continue to be so.

Many times in writing this column I look for interesting quotes to add. In his commencement address at Monmouth University in 2001, Jon Bon Jovi said, “Nothing is as important as passion”. Help us as we create passion for our new congregation with limitless boundaries.

As the year 2016 approaches, I also think of these words Bob Dylan wrote in Forever Young

May God bless and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you

Double your Donation Impact!

TSI and JFC leadership are excited to announce a special matching gift opportunity just in time for year-end tax planning. We have been offered a dollar-for-dollar match opportunity for up to $25,000 to help our new synagogue. The matching gift applies to all new contributions made to our synagogue after December 10, 2015. Qualifying donations need to be incremental to the Yom Kippur appeal and unrestricted. Anyone donating a minimum of $1800 will additionally be qualified to have an engraved paver placed on the terrace at the temple (limit one per family). Please include the new synagogue as you consider your charitable giving and help us attain the full $25,000 match! To simplify record keeping, please make checks payable to TSI. Both TSI and JFC are 501(c)(3) organizations.

If you have any questions, please contact Gale Berman, Joan Isman, or Hal Wolkin.

Kislev/Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

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Cantor Debbie’s Corner

By Cantor Debbie Katchko-Gray Join us for Ruach Shabbat on December 11, 2016.

Ruach Shabbat is a service with even more music, guest musicians, temple musicians, choirs and you! A booklet has been prepared for Ruach Shabbat to introduce new melodies we will use for these creative workshop services.

Our last Ruach Shabbat featured Adrianne Greenbaum on flute, Gabe Zuckerberg on cello, Dean Baron, bass, and Jay Heffler on guitar. Members of both adult and teen choir participated and a very full congregation sang and prayed with feeling.

Please join us on December 11, 7:30 pm for our next Ruach Shabbat. Adrianne Greenbaum will return on flute and you just never know who else will be there! We will do beautiful music for Chanukkah, including a gorgeous Yiddish choral masterpiece, Boruch Ateh. The translation is so beautiful, I’d like to share it here: Borch Ate (Blessed are You), sings the father as he lights the lights And the rays, mild ones, fall on his pale face.

A fire, a holy one, lights up in his eyes And the weary one, with his limbs straightens himself up.

Old sounds, long gone, No! There is something here to preserve Sing, father, the blessings and I remain your child.

Save the Date: Music Shabbat Serendipity Chorale, January 15, 2016 7 pm. Black/Jewish Spiritualswith Gigi Van Dyke in memory of Reverend Martin Luther King

The Cantors Assembly recently released a new cd, The Spirit of Simcha and Celebrations. It is from the Spirit Series, Voices of the Conservative Movement.

Cantor Katchko-Gray is included on this cd with her rendition of " May You Live to See Your World Fulfilled". This is the eighth cd Cantor Debbie has been included in of this series. The cd is sent to over 50,000 households across the world. This joint effort between the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Cantors Assembly preserves and enhances our cherished traditions through music.

Cantor Katchko-Gray is a member of the Cantors Assembly and the American Conference of Cantors ( Reform). She is also the founder of the Women Cantors' Network, whose conference will be held here in Ridgefield June 20-23, 2016.

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2015

Social Action

By Debbie Landzberg and Debbie Lavin

Our 6th Breakfast Run to Help the Homeless: Thank you for making this event a success!

After months of planning, our Breakfast Run went off without a hitch. We were able to help more than 70 homeless and desperately needy individuals – offering them hot breakfasts, bagged lunches, snacks and treats, cold weather clothing and much-needed toiletries along with heart-felt notes from religious school students . These folks were clearly grateful for our help and we felt fortunate to have the opportunity to reach out to them.

Many volunteers helped prior to and during our busy “run” weekend. Congregants of all ages spent several hours on Saturday, November 7th organizing and assembling all of our donations. Then on Sunday, morning November 8 th, almost a dozen volunteers met at the temple at 6:00 a.m. to brew coffee, prepare hot chocolate and cook 90 egg sandwiches. The Run team arrived by 6:30 a.m., expertly packing dozens of large boxes, bags, coolers and tables into our vehicles. Finally, seventeen of us arrived by 8:30 a.m. at our destination, 33 rd Street and 11th Avenue. Midnight Run representative Malcolm helped us set up as clients waited in line. Happily, we had more than enough for all. Malcolm spoke to our volunteers before we headed home. Homeless for many years himself, he highlighted the importance of reaching out and inspired us to do more.

Again, an enormous thank you to everyone who was involved with this important project. This was truly a team effort orchestrated by the Social Action Committee and b’nai mitzvah students Ellie Carter, Luke Hisiger and Zoe Ozols and their families. Our wonderful volunteers included: Joe and Susannah Altman, Ally, Frank and Max Andrade, Lori Bean, Gale Berman, Emily Brand, Lynn Broder, Abigail, Jessica and Larry Brooks, Zoe Butchen, Andrew, Ellie, Jen and Rich Carter, Bobbie and Rick Cohlan, Sarah DeLange, Laurie Dubin, marlee Dubin, Sue Dufner, Hailey Eichner, Donna Finkelstein and Zoe Ozols, Howard Gale, Rachel Garner, Gail Henner, Linda Hirschfeld, Luke and Nina Hisiger, Lisa Ipp-Voellmicke, Jodi Kass-Tracten and Mark Tracten, Leslie Kramer, Jennifer Kruzansky, Debbie Landzberg, Debbie Lavin, Matt and Ricky MacGregor, Wendy Meyer, Wendy and Menashe Murad, Hannah Nossan, Anita Quasha, Dawn Roberts, Amanda Saperstein, Amy and Lynne Stark, and Eliza and Michael Wein.

We are so grateful to religious school students and parents, Sisterhood, Brotherhood, BBYO and members of the congregation. The following vendors and individuals supported this important effort as well: Dunkin’ Donuts/Cross River and Goldens Bridge, Marcus Dairy, Prime Burger, Stop and Shop/Ridgefield, Caraluzzi’s, Walgreens/Ridgefield, BJ’s, Sue Dufner and Western Connecticut Medical Group and Dr. Marshall Kurtz..

Please let us know if you would like to be a part of our early spring Midnight Run to help the homeless!

Blood Drive: We had a successful Blood Drive on November 11. 24 units of blood were donated, which is about the same as we collected last year. Thank you to all who came to donate blood. Our goal next year will be to increase our total, so we hope more people will consider giving the gift of life next year! Thank you to all volunteers who came to help, including Jeanette Sanders, Tammi and Sammantha Shulman, Tara Sleight, Lauren Sugar and Debbie Landzberg.

Thanksgiving Food Baskets A great team of volunteers helped the Daily Bread Food Pantry sign-up clients and then pack and distribute Thanksgiving food “baskets” to hundreds of needy families from the Greater Danbury area. Thank you to Kate and Bella Alvarez, Debbie Landzberg, Bonnie Pazer and Bruce Winters!

Dorothy Day Hospitality House Thank you to Linda Hirschfeld and Scott Trachtenberg for serving dinner at Dorothy Day Hospitality House on November 1. We are always looking for new congregants to join us each month – consider joining us!

Sandwiches for Service Our 6th grade religious school students and Max Monson carefully prepared several dozen sandwiches for Dorothy Day Hospitality House guests this past month. Your efforts helped many people in need!

Help us reach out to others: To participate (even once!), get more information, or become a member of the Social Action Committee, contact Deb Landzberg, at dlandzberg@gmail.com or Debbie Lavin debbielav@aol.com

Kislev/Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

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Ask the Rabbi What is the principle of Bikkur Cholim?

Bikkur Cholim is the Jewish principle of “Visiting the Sick.” This mitzvah is considered so important, we include it in our daily morning prayers when we read a section of the Talmud in Peah 1:1. The Talmud states that there are certain actions we perform and we enjoy their fruit both in this world and in the world to come -- among those actions are honoring our parents, engaging in deeds of compassion, and visiting the sick, as well as several others. (You can find this prayer in our siddur Mishkan T’filah on page 44.)

As with many mitzvot, one reason we perform these rituals and actions is to emulate God. Our tradition teaches that God visited the sick in the case of Abraham. Immediately after Abraham circumcises himself at the age of 99, we read, “God appeared to Abraham by the terebinths of Mamre” (Gen. 18:1). (A terebinth is a type of tree.) God checks up on Abraham while he recovers, and we should do the same with those who are suffering in some way as well.

A famous story from the Talmud relates the importance of caring for the sick…

“Where [our sages asked] shall we look for the Messiah? Shall the Messiah come to us on clouds of glory, robed in majesty, and crowned with light?” The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) reports that Rabbi Joshua ben Levi put this question to no less an authority than the prophet Elijah himself.

“Where,” Rabbi Joshua asked, “shall I find the Messiah?”

“At the gate of the city,” Elijah replied.

“How shall I recognize him?”

“He sits among the lepers.”

“Among the lepers?” cried Rabbi Joshua. “What is he doing there?”

“He changes their bandages,” Elijah answered. “He changes them one by one.”

Although this story does not specifically mention sick people in our daily life, we realize that visiting those in pain is worthy of the Messiah.

Finally, in Nedarim 39b, we learn that Rabbi Abba son of Rabbi Hanina said, “The person who visits a sick individual takes away a sixtieth of their pain.” In various Jewish texts, 1/60 represents enough of something to make a difference. In Berachot 57b, we read that a dream is 1/60 of death and that Shabbat is 1/60 of the World to Come, in addition to other comparisons. The fact that someone visiting the sick takes away 1/60 of their pain, means that their presence makes a difference.

I have been so thankful for all the members of JFC and TSI who have literally or figuratively performed the mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim for me in the last few months. Your words of encouragement and support have helped me immensely in my healing. I hope to be able to return to synagogue life very soon, even in the midst of my treatment which could last for several more months. I know that many of you have offered to literally fulfill the mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim with me, and I am so grateful for your care and concern. At this point, your words of comfort, hope, and support take the place of an actual physical visit, but the result is the same. Each day I feel stronger and I am one day closer to returning to life at our congregation.

I look forward to being able to perform the mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim with you for other members of our congregation as soon as I can.

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2015

Please call the JFC Office when any relevant information arises or changes so all Birthday, Anniversary and Yahrzeit listings are accurate and up to date.

ANNIVERSARIES Richard & Sandi Auerbach Jonathan & Iris Glass Mark & Debra Lavin

YAHRZEITS Leonard Benson Aaron Blumenthal Seymour Eslofsky Ethel Feinleib David Sol Friedman William Goldman Jack Himoff Arthur F. Karsch Frances Kempler Jeff Lederman Isadore Lichtbach Belle Marcus Stern Michael Mishkin

Marvin Olarsch Jacob Puteska Arlene Richner Grayce Romeo Ruth Rosenthal Al Rubin Yale Rubin Lauren Rousseau 26 Sandy Hook School Victims Jack Sher Alfred Strauss

BIRTHDAYS Danielle Bender

Zoe Ozols

Karen Blum

Richard Perlman

Neal Blum

Emily Sanders

Dr. Cheryl Chess

Lisa Sheptin

Jo Drawec

Jacob Silva

Jonathan Gabor

Richard Sklarin

Tammi Jacobs Shulman

Peri Stevelman

Erica Levens

Ellen Strauss

Kenneth Levinsohn

Bryan Wolkin

Danielle Mazlish

Ella Zaslow

Arel Meister-Aldama

Dr. David Zuckerberg

Zachery Ozols

Elisa Zuckerberg

Have you considered celebrating significant birthdays and anniversaries with a leaf on our Simcha Tree of Life?

Call the JFC Office for details.

Please Support Our Advertisers

Kislev/Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Page 11

From The Sisterhood

By Susan Bard and Tesa Baum We are off to an energized start for Sisterhood in the New Year. Our Annual Kickoff Dinner surpassed all expectations in both attendance and positive feedback. Thank you to all of our volunteers for this event including Michelle Blum for the gorgeous, welcoming decor and fun ice-breaker, Kate Alvarez, Laurence Furic, Barbara Bangser, Lisa Kurtz, Lynn Broder and Dawn Kessler (and for all of the wine donations). We could not have been as successful without your help! Please mark your calendar for the Sisterhood Chanukkah Dinner on Monday, December 14, 2016.

Please contact us to get involved in the plans. Together we are creating the NEW Sisterhood. Whether you are a long-time member or new to our community and regardless of your stage of life, we are revamping and hope to offer something for all the women of our Congregation.

We are already planning many of our past programs like our Sip-n-shop and Adam Broderick along with creating new events like a local movie night, "Sisters Giving Back" (with Social Action), a book club, painting and wine tasting events, and stitch-n-kitch (with Cantor Debbie). But none of this can happen if you don't show up! For a final year, we are opening Sisterhood membership up without requiring synagogue membership as a way to "sample" many of our terrific programs. So please tell you friends and please get involved because more smart women joining together means more fun, more interesting programs and more positive energy. Keep a lookout on Facebook and in your email for event dates and other Sisterhood news.

Thank you! Susan Bard and Tesa Baum

Continued from page 4—Religious School

Religious School dad, Scott Trachtenberg, and Max Monson help bag up sandwiches for delivery.

Our youngest students are challenged to use knowledge and creativity to expand their thinking-- and become truly engaged

How many Jewish words can these happy students create using Banana-Gram pieces?

Thanks to creative multi-layered lesson planning on the part of our Religious School teachers, project-based learning makes a real impact on developing minds.

Continued from page 5—Early Childhood Center A few ideas, continued Being intentional about developing a regular tzedakah practice in your family that includes talking openly about your decisions and research will help your kids incorporate this important ethic into their own lives. This will firmly establish the practice for them to build on in the future.

We hope that by introducing the school projects and weekly giving practice, we will support your efforts at home (or visa versa :)).

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2015

Yom Kippur Appeal Pledges and Donations Neil & Holly Alexander David & Phyllis Amerling Paul & Elizabeth Amerling Ellen Barth Jeffrey Berg & Debra Paget Joshua & Michelle Blum Robert Bolgar & Andrea Snyder Peter & Liza Breslin Richard & Jennifer Carter Cheryl Chess Adam & Robyn Cohen Rick & Bobbie Cohlan John & Karen Conti Roger & Jo Drawec Jane Emmer David & Sally Firestein Laurence Furic Michael Gitlitz & Rita Landman Lawrence & Jacquelyn Goldman Allan & Ellen Goldstein Lawrence & Leslie Gottlieb Drew & Mindy Hoffman Dayna Kaplan Lisa Katz

Dawn Kessler Glenn & Deborah Kurlander Kenneth Kurzweil & Suzanne Sunday Graeme & Catherine Lipper Warren and Karen Lustig Robi Margolis Richard & Catherine Mishkin Matt Polinsky and Tina August Andrew & Allyson Rappaport Andrew & Nicole Rose Harry & Sandra Rosenhouse Michael & Rona Salpeter Alan & Jeanette Sanders Gordon & Polly Schnell Greg & Ginger Schwartz Alan & Lisa Sheptin Paul & Peri Stevelman Jeremy Tubbs & Daniela Goldman Bonnie Wattles Michael & Emily Wein Susan Westlake Hal & Laurie Wolkin David & Elisa Zuckerberg

Our Breakfast Run was a big success!

Many weeks of planning culminated in a busy and meaningful weekend. We were able to help many dozens of homeless and desperately needy individuals – offering them hot breakfasts, bagged lunches, snacks and treats, cold weather clothing and much-needed toiletries. These folks were clearly grateful for our help and we felt fortunate to have the opportunity to reach out to them.

Kislev/Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

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Donations General Fund Roberta Margolis David and Phyllis Amerling

In memory of Freda Shuler In memory of Jack Bergson

Music and Choir Fund Allison and Leo Junquera

In honor of Cantor Debbie Katchko-Gray on the occasion of Alex's Bar Mitzvah

Rabbi Discretionary Fund Allison and Leo Junquera

In honor of Rabbi Reiner on the occasion of Alex's Bar Mitzvah

Allison and Leo Junquera

In honor of Rabbbi Burstein on the occasion of Alex's Bar Mitzvah

Donations received after the tenth of the month will be listed in the next issue.

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2015

Kislev/Tevet 5776

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Return form to Leslie Gottlieb, Religious School Director

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Non Profit Organization Postage PAID White Plains, NY Permit No. 9022

Children and Parents enjoying Young Community Shabbat.

CURRENT RESIDENT OR

Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, December 6, 10 am 46 Peaceable Street, Ridgefield, CT (Snow date– Sunday, December 10, 10 am)

Make sure to check out our calendar for up to date events at www.jewishfamilycongregation.org