Shofar - December 2013 - Kislev/Tevet 5774

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Kislev/ Tevet 5774

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Jewish Family Congregation www.jewishfamilycongregation.org

December 2013

December 2013

December Service Schedule: Parshat Vayigash

December, 6 7:30 pm Shabbat Service Free Babysitting

December 7, 9:45 - 10:30 am Shabbat Morning ECC science with Jane.

Service

Parshat Vayechi

December 13, 5:30 pm JFC’s Installation of

Videograghers, Sam and Jeremy Fischer, for JFC History project.

December 14,

Parshat Shemot December 20,

Parshat Va’era December 27, Rabbi Burstein enjoying the fall season.

Rabbi Marcus Burstein,

D. Min. Family Service

8:00 pm JFC’s Installation of Rabbi Marcus Burstein, D. Min.

9:45 – 10:30 am Shabbat Morning Service

7:30 pm Shabbat Service Free Babysitting

7:30 pm Shabbat Service

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

From the Rabbi’s Desk Mishkan HaNefesh – A Machzor for the Days of Awe

As many of you already know, this past second day of Rosh HaShanah, JFC was privileged to use a pilot version of the Reform Movement’s new machzor, or High Holiday prayerbook. Many JFC members shared how much they enjoyed the format, translations, and meaningful poetic additions, and Cantor Ben-David agrees wholeheartedly. With transliterated Hebrew prayers, it made our worship accessible to all, even to those who do not read Hebrew.

The new machzor by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) represents many years of writing, planning, and editing, and will be used by a majority of congregations throughout the Reform Movement. It will be available to congregations for Rosh HaShanah 5776, or 2015. You can read about the Vision Statement for a New Reform Machzor written by the CCAR here: http://ccarnet.org/media/filer_public/2011/12/01/vision_statement_for_new_ccar_machzor.pdf

In order to help congregations budget for these two-volume sets (one each for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur), the CCAR is offering congregations a significant pre-publication discount for orders placed by April 1, 2014. I personally hope that JFC can find the means to acquire this new machzor for our congregation’s future use as it provides options for more creative use while maintaining all the traditional liturgy of the holidays. The translations and poetry add significantly to observance of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, and I know that you will enjoy these variations and additions.

Our Board will be addressing the feasibility of acquiring Mishkan HaNefesh and I am sure they will

Religious School------------------Page 3 President’s Message--------------Page 5 Early Childhood Center----------Page 6

be open to any ideas you may have and wish to share.

I encourage you to speak with me; Michael Salpeter, chair of the Ritual Committee; and/or our co-presidents Hal Wolkin and Glenn Kurlander.

A new machzor will give us new ways to continue to enrich our Jewish souls and inspire our sprits when we gather to celebrate our traditions together and, as I stated above, will provide the opportunity for a more creative and more enjoyable observance which should result in a more meaningful experience Looking forward to hearing from you, Rabbi Marcus Burstein

JFC Adult Education Survey Those of you receiving the JFC weekly e-blasts on Wednesdays know that recently we asked our members to take an on-line adult education survey. Information received will enable us to make better decisions on what types of adult education opportunities we can offer at JFC in the future. If you did not answer the survey already, please take a few moments to go to the following link as soon as possible: https:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/P8QNVS3 If you would like a paper survey sent to you, please contact Kathleen Sakowicz in the temple office.

Thank you very much.

Ritual Committee---------------Page 10 Youth Group---------------------Page 10 December Calendar-------------Page 15

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email: office@jewishfamilycongregation.org website: www.jewishfamilycongregation.org ----------------Rabbi Marcus L. Burstein, D.Min. rabbi@jewishfamilycongregation.org Cantor Kerry Ben-David cantor@jewishfamilycongregation.org ---------------Director of Education Leslie Gottlieb lgottlieb@jewishfamilycongregation.org Administrator Kathleen Sakowicz ksakowicz@jewishfamilycongregation.org Early Childhood Center Director Jane Weil Emmer jemmer@jewishfamilycongregation.org -------------------Glenn Kurlander Co-President Hal Wolkin Co-President president@jewishfamilycongregation.org Richard Mishkin, Vice-President Polly Schnell, Vice-President Robyn Cohen, Treasurer Suzanne Sunday, Secretary executive@jewishfamilycongregation.org Josh Blum, Trustee Karen Conti, Trustee Michael Gitlitz, Trustee Ken Levinsohn, Trustee Robi Margolis, Trustee Paul Storfer, Trustee Bonnie Wattles, Trustee Richard Weiser, Trustee Elisa Zuckerberg, Trustee board@jewishfamilycongregation.org -------------Shofar Editor Bryan Wolkin Shofar Printer Copy Stop Royal Press

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

From the Religious School

By Leslie Gottlieb,

Teaching Our Children History: Shaping the Truth Back in the day when I was a high school teacher in New Jersey, the focus then was Teaching Across the Curriculum. It was a great idea like so many other initiatives. Then came the No Child Left Behind legislation with the catchy name and questionable benefits to children and society. Now all we hear is The Common Core Curriculum; open any newspaper or politically-minded magazine and you can read about teachers and parents ready to bolt to another country with so many complaints coming from all directions. Also out there in the land of educational theories being tested, with excellent early results, is the idea of Flipping—a concept that has students watching lectures online at home then doing guided homework projects in class with all the supervision and support needed to understand the material.

At the Religious School at JFC, we have recently updated the curriculum guide, but not the true essence of the program by any means. Last year we did a subtle testing of sorts as many middle schools do with single sex sections for math and language instruction. We divided students into two single sex groups… at first in response to friend requests being made, but then with an eye toward seeing whether or not girls would excel without the intimidation of boys’ aptitude to contend with during Hebrew lessons. We found no discernible difference in the grouping experiment, and so we moved on without so much as mentioning it. If there were noticeable differences, we would have considered another trial with another grade… probably grade 7, since the Hebrew gets much more intense then at JFC. Part of the curriculum includes weekly services, as you know. At these services, we always try to end with a prayer for peace for all people of the world. We like to say that we can each do something to bring peace to the world. That’s just what we do, and we all seem to collectively feel a sense of purpose at these special moments—teachers and students alike. But what about a learning environment that intentionally tries to influence its subjects to less hospitable motives?

This is especially prevalent when discussing lessons of history for almost any culture. Open any U.S. history textbook and read about the Trail of Tears and the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the attempt to relocate Native Americans from their homelands and you will, depending on the writer, be given a subjective perspective on this history. We know how that story ended for the Native Americans, sadly, but perhaps we cannot ever have an impartial view of history if we are personally involved in any way.

History can rarely be reported without the writer of it or teacher somehow making suggestions or implications as to the meritocracy of the event or initiative.

Everything becomes politicized and there seems to be no way around that. The facts become charged—for those not half asleep at their desks! Our son is a Ph.D. student in the history department of a well-respected university in, New Jersey.

He studies modern urban history, and we have lively, heated debates about what really happens to cities using a historical lens verses and general perceptions held.

What are we really teaching our children—whether it is at home, the Religious School or their secular school? What is our responsibility in teaching social and cultural history of an event without prejudice? Is it even possible? This affects us at the Religious School in many ways.

Continued on next page

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

From the Religious School

By Leslie Gottlieb

Continued from previous page...

In the Gaza Strip, 465,000 students are schooled. There are 400 schools governed by Hamas-- and in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority’s curriculum is used. Hamas has now added its own programs and modified texts. This is most interesting. According to an article written by Fares Akram and Jodi Rudoren last month entitled, “To Shape Young Palestinians, Hamas Creates Its Own Textbooks,” we learn that these new books written by a Hamas committee features sites in Israel as Muslim sites only and disregards the fact that Israel exists entirely. No surprise, really.

The idea is being taught that all of the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River including Haifa, Beersheba and Acre are Muslim lands. The 1948 borders created—and the newer borders that followed -- have not changed the perception of many Palestinians that this land is truly occupied by a people who feel exiled --- and the textbooks and reality these children are being taught are viewed through this filter. The maps in these books show Israel’s name in no place at all and back up all the textbook facts. So doesn’t this now become the truth for these children? When they are asked to pray for Israel’s destruction as a Jewish state, aren’t they just following the truth as it is being presented to them? The use of different textbooks even among the two Palestinian factions is an enormous challenge and now this people’s vision is no longer unified. Jews can’t agree on many things either, of course. Israel is very divided right now more than ever. Not only do different groups of people seek to destroy each other… those within a single group cannot get along. This historical truth cannot be argued.

Can we blame young children for praying for war and destruction if that is what they are being taught? I am sure it is not so different if we go to certain Orthodox neighborhoods in this country and overhear parents talking to their children about the Palestinian people’s plight. If we are too far to any extreme no matter who we are, we cannot find the middle and—the divisions among all the world’s people starts to widen – and the center cannot hold.

An Israeli senior official expressed his feelings this way. “Palestinians have developed a system of deception—to English-speaking people they sell one story, and to themselves they have a different story. Textbooks are one of the tools with which they tell their children what is the truth. If you want peace, it has to be based on a real change in the culture of hatred.” Again, this point of view that seems to espouse peace, if taught to children, can engender more hate because of the way it is expressed.

So how do we teach who is the hateful and who is the hated? Remember to ask-- who is the teacher? Sadly for the world, Hitler was once a teacher of evil. A teacher can be a very powerful instrument for good or bad. And who will say what is good and what is bad? So at the Religious School, we will continue to look carefully at our obligation to teach what is fair and true—but according to whose rules? If we pray for peace for all people and work to help all humans no matter what separates us, perhaps then we can come together and truly know peace. We’ll try our best to continue to teach our students that they can be agents of change to bring about peace. Being good listeners is a start.

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

President’s Message They don’t call us the People of the Book for nothing. But one book that has long frustrated many of us is the Conservative Machzor we use in our services every Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Lacking transliteration, containing versions of prayers inconsistent with the ones we actually use and reflecting gender and other language choices inconsistent with our culture and practices, the Conservative Machzor we have used for years strikes many of us as clumsy and others of us as an impediment to worship. We don’t know anyone who is a fan.

This year, on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we used for the first time the draft version of the Reform movement’s new Machzor—“Mishkan HaNefesh: A Machzor for the Days of Awe.” The guiding vision for the new Machzor is to create a 21st century prayerbook that, while rooted in tradition and continuity, incorporates the outlook of today’s Reform Jewish community—one that provides accessible guidance and entry to a meaningful liturgical experience, irrespective of whether one prays regularly, is completely new to the expression of Jewish spirituality or, like most of us, falls somewhere in between. The draft Machzor cures the features in our current Machzor that strike many of us as impediments, while providing thoughtful commentaries and poetic reflections that inspire, challenge and move us to reflect.

The feedback we’ve received from congregants who had the chance to pilot the new draft has been overwhelmingly positive. Rabbi Burstein and Cantor Kerry have urged us to retire our old Machzorim and acquire the new ones.

For a short time, we have the opportunity to acquire the new Machzorim on a very favorable basis. In order to buy a sufficient number of copies of the new Machzorim, the purchase price is approximately $12,500, but we can secure a 40% discount if we order the books and fund a portion of the purchase price by April 1, 2014. The new prayerbooks will be ready for use for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, 2015.

The Board is considering whether to acquire the new Machzorim and, if so, how best to fund the acquisition. We welcome your thoughts on this matter as we consider how to proceed. We’re confident, however, that the new Machzorim would make a substantial enhancement to our High Holy Day services and would make our worship ceremony much more accessible to all.

Glenn Kurlander and Hal Wolkin

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

From The Early Childhood Center

by Jane Weil Emmer TOT SHABBAT It was great to see old and new friends for our first Pizza Shabbat of the year on November 8. Rabbi Burstein and Cantor Kerry led us in song with great ruach. We learned many new songs and sang some old favorites. We joined together after the service to enjoy a pizza dinner.

Our next early Friday night service will be a very special one. On December 13, we will officially welcome our new rabbi, Rabbi Marcus Burstein. During the service, the children and I will gather upstairs to prepare a special welcome for Rabbi Burstein. Please join us at 6:30 pm for this special service.

SCIENCE: Every Monday is science day at JFC ECC. During November we focused on change. We predicted and observed.

We created pretend snow. We watched how a light sensitive bead changes in the sunlight. We mixed colors to create new colors and of course we watched a volcano erupt.

MYSTERY READERS: Each Tuesday morning a mystery reader arrives to surprise our ECC students with special storytime.

Usually the mystery reader is a parent or grandparent. In November we had our first sibling mystery reader of the year. Jake and Jordan Kauftheil surprised their little sister and read to our Blue room students.

If you would like to be a mystery reader please call Jane Emmer at 914-763-3028 ext. 15, and we will find a time for you to share your favorite children’s books with our ECC kids.

THANKSGIVING: We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with our families. Our talented kids prepared the invitations food and decorations. We had fun, sang songs and enjoyed our all school celebration.

“Growers Program:”Farmer Dale continued our “Growers Program” by getting our garden ready for the winter. The kids enjoyed covering the garden with straw and tucked it in for the cold winter ahead. We planted bulbs inside first and then transplanted them outside. We can’t wait to see them bloom. We cut back our beautiful Indian Sunflowers and saved the seeds for the spring.

JFC HISTORY EVENT: Many of our JFC Alumni (and future alumni) left their handprints on our ECC Banner – 18 years of Early Childhood at JFC. The banner will be displayed in the Yellow Room for all to see.

A special thank you to Jodi Waxman - Jodi volunteered her time as a substitute teacher in the Blue Room …. She also left her handprint as “Alumni Staff” Jodi was one of our first teachers. Jodi brings a beautiful warmth and energy to our classroom as a frequent guest reader. We really apreciate her generosity!

DECEMBER EVENTS THROUGH December 5 TOY DRIVE: Please drop your new unwrapped toys in our “Toy Drive” box in the Oneg room. Toys will be donated to Neighbor’s Link.

December 5 – 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm CHANUKAH CELEBRATION WITH THE RELIGIOUS SCHOOL December 10 - 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm CLOTHING SWAP AND RAFFLE December 13 - 6:30 pm RABBI BURSTEIN INSTALLATION

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

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From the SAC

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

The Blood Drive on November 11 was a success. We had approximately 30 people who donated blood.

Thank you to Andrea Shulman, Bat Mitzvah student, who helped as part of her mitzvah project, together with her sister, Sammantha and mom, Tammi. Also thanks to Polly and Rayn Schnell who also helped. All these folks also used our time at the drive well by helping to sort and label clothes for the Midnight Run-- two mitzvahs in one! And of course, thank you to Ted Bloch and Debbie Lavin for coordinating the Blood Drive.

The date of the next Midnight Run is Saturday, February 22, 2014. We will need volunteers to go on the run, sort and label clothing, make bag dinners and a big pot of hearty soup! We ask for the following donations, in MEN'S large sizes only: Pants/jeans, hoodie, and belts, shoes/sneakers. We are also looking for toothpaste, disposable razors, washcloths, and deodorants Volunteers send email to DebbieLav@aol.com

New Members Please join us in welcoming new members: Heath and Danielle Bender along with children Evan (9) and Lily (2) of Ridgefield.

Melina Nan Hinton of Goldens Bridge.

Shaun and Marnie Levine along with children Spencer (7) and Jonah (4) of North Salem.

Warren and Karen Lustig along with children Rebecca (22), Alison (8) and Marlee (8) of Cross River.

Michael Rogen and Marcy Silverman along with child, Zeke (15) of South Salem.

Michael and Traci Silva, along with children Molly (12) and Jacob (10) of South Salem.

From the Mens Group

by David Fischer

An Evening of “Manly” Knowledge Want to learn more about what other men know?

Enjoy an evening at Restaurant 123 (with a special menu) and in addition to good food and great company, you’ll have the opportunity to learn something new from members of JFC’s Men’s Group! Some in the group will present for 10-15 minutes each about a hobby, part of their profession (no sales pitch), a review of sports, a book or current events. A way to share information and learn about each other.

Of course, we are also seeking speakers. If you would like to share something you’re an expert or deeply passionate about, please let us know; simply email mensgroup@jewishfamilycongregation.com with a few details. We are planning 3 presentations of no more than 10-15 minutes each – designed to educate and share knowledge. Let us know if you’d like to speak (we are open to any subjects). Nothing formal, just a way to share your knowledge with the group.

Dinner at Restaurant 123 on December 17, 6:30 pm - $29 for a 3 course meal, drinks extra. Please RSVP to mensgroup@jewishfamilycongregation.com by December 11 (earlier reply is preferred) to let us know if you’re coming and what you’d like to talk about.

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

Vsiting JFC? Please stop by the office to say hello!

Use the Shofar to say…

Happy Birthday, Get Well, Thanks, or I Remember Sanctuary Chair Plaque $150 Leaf on Simcha Tree $180 Memorial Board Plaque $450 Long-time JFC member and teacher

Rona Salpeter

is available to help with: babysitting, before-and-after school driving responsibilities, animal care— & all jobs requiring a loving caring individual!

References are available upon request.

Contact Rona at # 914-643-8176.

General Fund Caring Committee Fund Social Action Fund Ground Beautification Fund

JFC—URJ Camp Fund Molly and Gregory RS Scholarship Fund

Rabbi Discretionary Fund Music and Choir Fund Religious School Director Fund Early Childhood Center Fund

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

Don’t Miss the Purim Carnival This Year!

Save the Date: Sunday, March 16, 12-2 PM

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

From the Ritual Committee

December 2013

By Michael Salpeter, Chairman

About two years ago, the rabbi and the Ritual Committee began the practice of the congregants’ drash (explanation of the torah portion), whereby a member of the congregation presents a drash during Shabbat evening services in place of the rabbi’s sermon. We have had an interesting array of topics presented – we learned about the difference between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews, about the pitfall of lashon hara (the evil tongue), about the origin of Jewish surnames, about the negative aspects of technology on our lives, and lastly that it is okay to be wrong. In addition, one of our presenters gave us a detailed d’var torah of his bar mitzvah torah portion nearly 40 years later.

Last week the rabbi and I spoke about encouraging more congregants to step forward to present a drash. I thought that in this article I would present a d’var torah on my bar mitzvah portion, Vayechi, which occurs this year in December as an example of what my next drash might sound like…

Since Simchat Torah, we have been reading from the book of Genesis. Perhaps the stories contained in this first book are some of those with which we are most familiar – creation, Noah and the flood, being introduced to Abraham and Sarah, and the continuation of their family line.

Vayechi is the final portion of Genesis. In these verses we read about Jacob blessing his sons and Joseph’s two sons.

This is the beginning of the formation of the tribes of Israel.

Jacob also asks Joseph to take his remains after his death and bury them in Hebron. At the very end of the parsha, Joseph also directs his family to take his bones from Egypt, although this does not occur until many years after his death.

As with all stories from the torah, there are many ways in which to interpret them. In thinking about our community at JFC, there is a parallel between the events of Vayechi and our congregation. As Rabbi Burstein stated in his Rosh Hashanah sermon, there is a period of transition that we as a congregation have been experiencing. This is not altogether too different from the transition that we are presented with in Vayechi. In Genesis we are exposed to a family lineage from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to his sons and their children. Starting with the Book of Exodus, we see the transition to the Israelites as a true community, rather than a collection of family members. As the Book of Exodus begins, we meet Moses, who then goes on to become the first great leader of the Israelites. In this book, the Jewish people are about to depart from Egypt to take their place in the land that God has given them.

When we complete reading one of the books of the torah, we say out loud the words, “chazak chazak vinitzchazek” – be strong, be strong and may we be strengthened. These words should serve as a theme for JFC as well.

I think about my torah portion much differently than I did 46 years ago when I wrote my bar mitzvah d’var torah. I encourage you to volunteer to deliver a drash during one of our Shabbat services, either on a Friday evening or a Saturday morning. Perhaps you may want to revisit your bar or bat mitzvah portion or maybe present a short talk on some contemporary topic that interests you. In any event, if you feel the urge to step forward, please feel free to contact me at ritual@jewishfamilycongregation.org or Rabbi Burstein at rabbi@jewishfamilycongregation.org .

Thank you for considering this opportunity.

From theYouth Group

by Isaiah Blum

This past month the JFC Youth Group had the opportunity to hear from two speakers from the Westchester Jewish Council about special Israel programs. They have also helped out with the JFC History Project. In addition to helping with set up and clean up, they manned some of the activity stations and helped our students engage in the various activities. Jeremy and Sam Fischer, along with some assistance from Youth Group members, have been hard at work interviewing JFC members-- kids and adults, teachers and families, new and veteran members-- and preparing what promises to be an amazing movie.

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Cantor Ben-David is available to our congregants for all life-cycle needs Call/Text: 917-400-4068 Email: cantorbd@aol.com

December 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

Jewish Family Congregation Babysitting 1st and 3rd Friday of the Month Babysitting will now be available for children 8 and under on the first and third Friday of the month from 7:30 - 8:30 pm Please contact the office with any questions or to sign up

office@jewishfamilycongregation.org 914-763-3028

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Oneg Schedule 12/6/2013 Edward and Martha Gordon Allan and Alice Gottlieb Board Host - Elisa Zuckerberg

914-669-9662 914-763-3872 914-763-9616

12/13/2013 Jeffrey and Elizabeth Klotz Dayna Kaplan Board Host - Elisa Zuckerberg

914-764-9115 914-533-1132 914-763-9616

12/20/2013 Lowell and Nicole Haims Richard and Lydia Hellinger Board Host - Bonnie Wattles

914-764-1434 914-232-0187 914-763-6585

12/27/2013 Doris Hettmansberger Graeme and Catherine Lipper Board Host - Suzanne Sunday

914-763-8911 203-563-9799 914-234-6810

December 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

December Calendar Sunday

1

Monday

2

-28 Kislev 5774 -Chanukah

-29 Kislev 5774 -Chanukah

8

9

-5 Tevet 5774 -NFTY-JiFTY Social Justice Day

15 -12 Tevet 5774

22 -19 Tevet 5774 -NO RS

29 -26 Tevet 5774 -NO RS

-6 Tevet 5774

Tuesday

3

-30 Kislev 5774 -Chanukah

-13 Tevet 5774

17 -14 Tevet 5774 -6:30 PM Men’s Group Dinner at Restaurant 123

23 -20 Tevet 5774 -NO RS -NO ECC -OFFICE CLOSED

24 -21 Tevet 5774 -NO RS -NO ECC -OFFICE CLOSED

30 -27 Tevet 5774 -NO RS -OFFICE CLOSED

-1 Tevet 5774 -Chanukah

-28 Tevet 5774 -NO RS -OFFICE CLOSED

-8 Tevet 5774

Thursday

5

-2 Tevet 5774 -Chanukah

12

18 -15 Tevet 5774

19 -16 Tevet 5774

25

26 -23 Tevet 5774

-NO RS -NO ECC -OFFICE CLOSED

Friday

6

-3 Tevet 5774 -7:30pm Shabbat Service

Saturday -4 Tevet 5774 -9:45 AM Service -10:45 AM Searching for Hashkiveinu

13 -10 Tevet 5774 -Installation: 6:30 PM Family Service 8:00 PM Evening Service

-9 Tevet 5774

-22 Tevet 5774 -NO RS -NO ECC -OFFICE CLOSED

31

4

11

10 -7 Tevet 5774 -7:30 PM Clothing Swap -7:45 PM Ritual Committee Meeting

16

Wednesday

14 -11 Tevet 5774 -9:45 AM Service -10:45 AM Jewish BLT

20 -17 Tevet 5774 -7:30pm Shabbat Service

21 -18 Tevet 5774 -NO RS

27 -24 Tevet 5774 -7:30pm Shabbat Service -NO RS -NO ECC -OFFICE CLOSED

7

28 -25 Tevet 5774 -NO RS

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Jewish Family Congregation Invites you to join us in celebrating the installation of

Rabbi Marcus L. Burstein, D. Min. to Be Led By Rabbi Amy Schwartzman Senior Rabbi, temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, Virginia

Presentations by Co-Presidents Glenn Kurlander and Hal Wolkin

Friday, December 13, 2013 6:30 pm Family Shabbat Service For Families with Children 10 and Under

8:00 pm Shabbat Evening Service Celebratory Oneg Shabbat to Follow

Jewish Family Congregation 111 Smith Ridge Road, South Salem, NY 10590 914-763-3028 www.jewishfamilycongregation.org

December 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Don't forget: Each time you shop at DeCicicco's, tell the cashier you are a JFC member before ringing up your order.

JFC gets a rebate from your purchase.

December 2013

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Donations

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

General Fund Larry and Sandy Wein in honor of Michael and Emily Wein Mrs. Wendy S. Blum in honor of Josh, Michelle, Sam, Isaiah, and Ella Blum Michael Gitlitz and Rita Landman in honor of Sheila Ravitch Gitlitz Religious School Director’s Fund Harold and Ruth Ossher

December 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Anniversaries

Richard & Sandi Auerbach Kenneth & Cindy Carson Jonathan & Iris Glass Steve & Shari Goldberg Mark & Debra Lavin Michael Rogen & Marcy Silverman

December 2013

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Birthdays

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Danielle Bender

December 2013

Ari Rackear-Sturm

Karen Blum

Emily Sanders

Neal Blum

Lisa Sheptin

Cheryl Chess

Jacob Silva

Jo Drawec

Richard Sklarin

Jonathan Gabor

Peri Stevelman

Ariel Goodstein

Ellen Strauss

Tammi Jacobs Shulman

Margot Weisberg

Erica Levens

Bryan Wolkin

Kenneth Levinsohn

Ella Zaslow

Arel Meister-Aldama

David Zuckerberg

Zachary Ozols

Elisa Zuckerberg

Zoe Ozols Richard Perlman

Yahrzeits Morton Bedrick

Jeff Lederman

Ruth Rosenthal

Aaron Blumenthal

Isadore Lichtbach

Yale Rubin

Ethel Feinleib

Belle Marcus Stern

Jack Sher

David Sol Friedman

Michael Mishkin

Melvin Waxman

Theodore Garfiel

Marvin Olarsch

Miriam Goldberg

Jacob Puteska

Jack Himoff

Bernard Raider

Arthur F. Karsch

Arlene Richner

Frances Kempler

Grayce Romeo

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

One Year Later...

The Newtown & South Salem Communities Join to Share, Remember and Heal

Monday, January 13 from 7-8:30 pm (snow date: Monday, January 27) Please join us on this special evening at Jewish Family Congregation, 111 Smith Ridge Road, South Salem, NY Program Hosts: Leslie Gottlieb, JFC Religious School & Carol Wakeman, JFC staff and Newtown resident In light of the two year anniversary of our own tragic experience in the JFC/South Salem community and the one year anniversary of the Newtown tragedy, we are coming together to listen and learn from each other about healing. The program is designed for those in grade 7-adults. Event details to follow.

There is limited seating and all attendees must have a ticket to enter. There is no fee.

To reserve seats and print tickets visit: southsalemnewtown.eventbrite.com

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

Do you have 1-2 hours to spare each month? JFC could use your help!

On a regular basis, we would love to have your input and help with several projects. We can arrange some activities to fit your schedule, depending on when you are available. Please see below for ways that you might be able to contribute to making our congregation flourish: Editing – An extra pair of eyes are always appreciated when looking at our weekly e-blast and monthly Shofar. You can use your editing skills to help make these publications better and error-free.

Location: At JFC or at home.

Expected time commitment needed: 30-90 minutes.

Back Up Oneg Shabbat Hosts – Unexpected events come up in everyone’s life, and sometimes that includes our Oneg Shabbat hosts. If you sign up, we may call you from time to time to see about filling in for a family who cannot host the Oneg Shabbat.

Location: At JFC on a Friday night.

Expected time commitment needed: 60 minutes on a Friday during the day, 90 minutes Friday night.

Graphic Designing – In order to reach our members and the greater community, we like to create informative and attractive flyers. Help us design publicity for recurring and one-time events.

Location: At JFC or at home.

Expected time commitment needed: 60 minutes.

Back Up Babysitting for Friday Shabbat Services – We intend to provide babysitting for children up to 7 years old on Friday evening during Shabbat services twice each month. Although we have childcare ready, you might be needed to help in a pinch.

Location: At JFC. Expected time commitment needed: 60 minutes on Friday evening, 7:30-8:30 pm

Don't forget to stop in and check out the JFC Gift Shop!

If you are interested in purchasing anything, please let the JFC office now.

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Torah Chanters Wanted

December 2013

Would you like to chant torah on a Friday night or Saturday morning? Maybe it is the anniversary of your bar or bat mitzvah ceremony, or maybe you would like to learn from a new section of the torah. Either way, we will help provide you with the tools to succeed! You can chant as few as three verses – maybe you will get together with a family member or friend to make it a special Shabbat for all of you? We look forward to celebrating with you…

To volunteer and/or to see which dates are available, please be in touch with Rabbi Burstein: rabbi@jewishfamilycongregation.org

Todah Rabah Iris Glass for organizing the JFC Book Fair and for helpers Robyn Bellinson, Linda Lederman and Emily Rauch and their children for set up/pack up and working the desk. Iris has offered to run the fair going forward, and for this we are very grateful. Thanks also to all others (JFC Staff) who pitched in to make this event a success.

Thanks to Sebastian Wallach, Allie Glass and Juliette Bellinson for volunteering during Thursday Religious School. Your efforts have helped a lot of teachers and students.

Thanks to Ellen Elias for coming twice to the Religious School to bake challah with our 4th and K/1 Graders. Thanks to Karen Blum for organizing this effort.

Thank you to Michelle Blum, Mindy Hoffman and the wonderful JFC History Project Committee for bringing such a special program to our synagogue.

Thanks to Cantor Ben David, Ruth Ossher and Rona Salpeter who helped with programs and classes while the Rabbi was unavailable. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to all the Class & and Kids Knesset Parents who helped to organize items/donations for the Religious School Chanu-giving event. Thanks to Cantor Ben David for leading services for these programs.

Thanks to the Rabbi for working with each age group (last month, Grade 6) to prepare songs and blessings with students for our newly-styled Grade Service Presentations.

Thanks to Laurence Furic for always being here to help with all of our many web, broadcast, calendar and technology needs.

Thank you to Debbie Lavin and Ted Bloch for chairing the Blood Drive.

Thank you to Michelle Blum for the donation to the Religious School library.

December 13, 2013

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

Installation family Shabbat Help us welcome our new Rabbi: Rabbi Marcus Burstein D. Min.

Family Service & Oneg Shabbat 6:30 pm—7:30 pm For families with children 10 and under

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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

December 2013

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

Current Resident Or