Shofar AdarI/Adar II 5771
Jewish Family Congregation www.jewishfamilycongregation.org
March 2011
From the Rabbi’s Desk The unrest that has been felt across the Muslim world recently invites great sympathy, because it seems to be expressing the desire to be rid of tyrants and dictators. And that led me to wonder what the temperament of the Israelites was, as Pharaoh imposed more and more difficult expectations upon them. I wonder what the Jews of Persia were feeling, as Haman (may his name be blotted out) prepared his drastic manoeuvres against them. The desire to live in freedom seems to be a universal urge. But throwing off the tyrant does not always result in liberty, as the revolution in Iran in 1979 clearly demonstrated. Commentators well informed on today’s events point out that in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Bahrain, Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen there is no figure comparable to Ayatollah Khomeini, who essentially hijacked the Iranian revolution in 1979, stepping into a leadership void to turn the popular uprising into an Islamic Revolution. Of course, in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, long outlawed and basically underground these many years, looms offstage, and though they remained in the background during the three weeks of demonstrations, there is little reason to be confident that they will remain there. I have heard Egyptian observers say that they do not fear the Muslim Brotherhood, but I am not so sanguine. The Brotherhood, which was founded in Egypt back in the 1920s, is the intellectual progenitor of Al Qaeda and Hamas. It espouses a strict version of Islamic law, (sharia). Osama bin Ladin’s second in command, Ayman al Zawahiri, is a product of the Muslim BrotherFrom the Rabbi’s Desk Service Schedule Next Month’s Oneg Hosts President’s Message JiFTY Early Childhood Center The Religious School JFC Announcements JFCAdults ECC pictures
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hood. Because the Brotherhood was banned by the Mubarak government, it has had no visible leaders in Egypt, but that should not mean to us that they have no leaders. The uprising of the ancient Israelites against their own tyrant, the cruel Pharaoh of the Book of Exodus, was motivated by a desire for freedom too. But the concept of democracy, which is Greek in origin, did not exist at that time (approx 1250 BCE). Rather, as the Torah tells us, the Israelites chafed under the Pharaoh’s dominion, eager to be free to worship (and live) as their God required them to do. Until Moses was conscripted by God to lead the Israelites away from slavery, they had no leader, and they had no hope of exiting their difficult situation. Imagine starting a revolution without Twitter, without Facebook,, without email! (Actually, that is what caused the recent Egyptian uprising to mushroom so fast: the authorities turned off the Internet, which drove millions of people into the streets just to find out what was happening! Had the government left the Internet alone, would all those folks have stayed in front of their computers, thereby reducing the physical presence of people on the streets?). Were the Jews of Persia grumbling about Haman’s murderous intentions? Did the Israelites in Egypt meet in small groups to discuss solutions to their problems? (For that matter, did the Jews of Spain do that as the Inquisition closed in on them? Did the Jews of Russia commiserate over the czarist oppression they experienced?)
Religious School pictures Kids Ask the Rabbi Donations to JFC Second Seder Information Social Action Committee Yahrzeit/Annivs/Birthdays Ask the Rabbi Donations Form JFC Calendar
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
SERVICE SCHEDULE
Jewish Family Congregation 111 Smith Ridge Road P.O. Box 249 South Salem, NY 10590 Phone: (914) 763-3028 Fax: (914) 763-3069 e-mail: jfc@bestweb.net
jewishfamilycongregation.org
Rabbi Carla Freedman jfc@bestweb.net Cantor Kerry Ben-David cantorbd@aol.com
School Director Leslie Gottlieb lesliejo0312@gmail.com Early Childhood Center Director Fern Tannenbaum jfceccenter@gmail.com Temple Administrator Jolie Levy jfcoffc@gmail.com Board Of Trustees Richard Mishkin, Co-President 914-764-8305; Jeanette Sanders, Co-President 914-763-0311; Mark Lavin, Vice President; Polly Schnell, Vice President; Bill Pink, Secretary; Andrew Serby, Treasurer; Carrie Kane David Marceau Beth Tessler Debra Verbeke Elisa Zuckerberg and Johanna Perlman, Past President
Shofar Editor Jolie Levy Shofar Printer EnterMarket
March 2011
MARCH 2nd Grade service Parshat P’kudey Shabbat Sh’kalim***
Friday, Mar 4/ 1 Adar 28
7:30 pm
Saturday, Mar 5
10:00 am
Friday, Mar 11/ 2 Adar 6
7:30 pm
Saturday, Mar 12
10:00 am
Friday, Mar 18/ 2 Adar 13
6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:30 pm
Saturday, Mar 19 Sunday, Mar 20/ 2 Adar 14
10:00 am 9:00 am
Friday, Mar 25/ 2 Adar 20
7:30 pm
Parshat Sh’mini Shabbat Parah***
Saturday, Mar 26
10:00 am
Bar Mitzvah of Michael Portnoy
Shabbat Morning service
4th Grade service Parshat VaYikra
Shabbat Morning Service
Shabbat for Me Wee Ones Pizza Dinner^^^ Parshat Tzav Shabbat Zakhor*** Bat Mitzvah of Kayla Fisher Purim service”””
*** one of the special Shabbatot that precede Passover ^^^ by pre-registration ONLY “”” services will take place upstairs in the blue room SANS CHAIRS
MARCH ONEG HOSTS BOARD HOST: David Marceau (203) 438-2177 March 4 GRADE 2 SERVICE March 11 GRADE 4 SERVICE
Please find a substitute if you cannot host your assigned Oneg.
March 18 Raymond & Hillary Raimondi David & Elisa Zuckerberg
Please contact the JFC Office with the names of the new hosts.
March 25 Lisa Katz Alex & Bonnie Wattles
Please contact your Board Host if you have any questions.
JFC CONGREGATIONAL PASSOVER SECOND SEDER Pot Luck Dinner Tuesday, April 19 - 6:30 P.M. ADVANCE REGISTRATION ONLY (see page 26 for details)
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The President’s Message Social media exposes us to the words of many “wise men and women.” Just about everywhere I happen to be; on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, at an office meeting I’m conducting or at a meeting I’m attending, people are quoting the great sages (specially that most famous, Lord Annon). If I want to know the secret to living a healthy, happy, successful, wealthy, long, thin and beautiful life, all I have to do is open my eyes and my ears to the inspirational sayings that seem to be enveloping my world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to taking good advice. Inspirational quotes can get your day started and can lift your spirits. Most of the sound bites we read include these basic messages: appreciate what you have, don’t judge your success by the success of others, results come from hard work, be charitable, forgiving and treat people with genuine respect (I picked some random quotes from Facebook posts, Tweets from Twitter and even my own meeting agendas that you can read, without citations, on the addendum to this column). So where is this going? I suffered a minor injury last Monday. I fell and fractured my wrist. No big deal; it hurts but not too badly and will heal within six weeks. The big deal is how suddenly, pow, all the advice on don’t sweat the small stuff, appreciate what you have because someone surely has less, you can’t do it all alone, to go forward even a little requires work and on and on, takes on real significance. A 12- inch cast has allowed me to refocus and examine my life a little. What keeps running through my mind when I’m struggling to drive a stick car with one hand, pull up my pants, type with only 6 fingers, take a shower, cut food (I could go on with TMI but…) is that I have two choices: complain, be angry and slow way down, or figure out the best way to get around this inconvenience and use the time as an opportunity to understand that my glass isn’t half full, it’s running over. To know first-hand that no matter how bad I think I have it, I’m still in the top of what? 2% of the world’s population who have everything they need? (I didn’t say want.) So I guess I will continue to read all the great advice from the gurus using social media as their pulpit, but I will also remember that adversity comes with a silver lining. Adversity offers us the opportunity to realign our priorities and become a more giving, appreciative, thankful and satisfied human being. Shalom,
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by Richard Mishkin
Addendum: Don’t expect different results when you continue to do the same thing; that’s the definition of insanity. You gotta swim out of your comfort zone to catch the wave that is going to change your life. The only thing standing in the way of your success is you – you will never get what you don’t ask for. However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. The difference between try and triumph is a little umph. The person who is waiting for something to turn up might start with their shirt sleeves. When ending a day you should never say “I could have,” “I should have,” or “I would have.” At the end of the day, you should always say “I did.” Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it. You are everything that is, your thoughts, your life, your dreams come true. You are everything you choose to be. You are as unlimited as the endless universe. No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit. I want to be back on my beach in Naples. Never take even the simple things in life for granted... appreciate what you have...you never know what tomorrow brings...
ShopWithScrip! And help support JFC at no cost to you while shopping at the stores you already visit! If you have not yet created an account with ShopWithScrip, please contact the JFC Office and we’ll get you started! It’s easy! It’s free! And there are many exciting offers!
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Y T F i J Zia y B
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an m d al
March 2011
JiFTY ELECTIONS ARE 3/24/11
JiFTY's having elections this month!! They will be on March 24 at 7:15. If you are interested in running for a board position, please talk to the current board member of that position by March 10th:
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Renna Gottlieb - President, Dan Bloch - Programing Vice-President, Matt Emmer - Religious and Cultural Vice-President, Daniella Acker - Social Action Vice-President, Zia Waldman- Communications Vice-President, Andrew Blum- Membership Vice-President.
On March 10th there will be an election meeting for those interested in a board position for 2011-12! Hope to see you there!!
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Jewish Family Congregation Early Childhood Center Where Family is our middle name
WE ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERING FOR 2011-12! Please visit our website at www.jewishfamilycongregation.org OR call Fern Tannenbaum at (914) 763-3028 ext. 15
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March 2011
Early Childhood Center By Fern Tannenbaum
I am going to use a word that normally sends shivers down the spines of our parents, but today I use it with pride. The Early Childhood Center is going viral! I do not mean that we are harboring a disease; only that our name and good work are spreading. This process began when I started working at JFC almost three years ago. Today we are seen in more places and through more methods than ever before. There are four ways that information about the ECC is spread: through face-to-face contact, through word of mouth, through the internet and through outreach via invitation and advertising. We ought to be famous for our superb interpersonal contact here at JFC. Whether you have been a member for years or are brand new to the community, you immediately feel welcomed by our Administrator, Jolie Levy and Office Assistant, Kathleen Sakowicz. Our Rabbi, Carla Freedman, can often be seen chatting with the little ones and their parents and always supports the ECC at our services and holiday celebrations. Leslie Gottlieb, our Religious School director, is welcoming and loves to reminisce about when she taught at the ECC some years ago. Of course, we have our loving and friendly teachers who dedicate themselves to the education and well-being of their students and are available to talk to parents whenever needed. Finally, we have our parents. They are not just good moms and dads; they are also role models to their children as our parents reach out to welcome new faces, work together to support the school and to help each other. The personal interactions found in our building provide the most meaningful demonstration of a welcoming Jewish preschool. These Early Childhood representatives are not only the faces of the ECC, they are the best means of communication we have as they often attest to the quality of education that our school provides. Twenty years ago, many of us were getting our first home computers, never imagining what that would mean to our communication with other people. We can now send messages to each other in seconds, whether a person lives next door to us or half way around the world. Letters, invitations, and even photographs can instantly appear before our eyes without any interference from the US Post Office. This, of course, has changed how the ECC has handled communication as well. Yes, we still use more paper than we would like. We send home letters, fliers, “Ask Me About” daily information sheets on what happens in each class, our “Little Shofar” and, of course, the “Shofar” publication which you are reading now. However, we are using the internet more frequently. We regularly send information home to our parents via e-
mail. You can also find the “Shofar” and the “Little Shofar” on the JFC website along with fliers for upcoming “Shabbat for Me” children’s services and other programs like our “Wise Parenting for the Preschooler” series given by Dr. Alexis Johnson. I would particularly like to thank Laurence Furic, a web tutor from “Angel Wings Web,” for her dedicated upkeep of the JFC website. Laurence has also made a Facebook page just for the ECC. Are you on Facebook? Why not join our group at “ECC at the JFC” and let all your Facebook friends know you “Like” us? In addition, you can also find us on the Bedford Patch. In fact, if you google Jewish Family Congregation Early Childhood Center you may be surprised where you find us! The final but very important means of communication we use is advertising. This is never as effective as word of mouth, but it will often reach people our insiders do not know. We run several ads over the year and offer press releases to local publications about upcoming events. Our newest event is the ECC “Open House,” which will take place on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. You may see this event advertised on fliers, in the local newspaper and, of course, online. It is obvious that the word is getting out, but why is it viral? It is viral when our school’s information is spread from person to person. Our e-mails and information only can be viral when you, our members, become the messengers. Why not invite your friends to view our website? Forward our emails to people you know. In fact, tell your Facebook friends why JFC and the ECC are really great. Yes, you may be spreading a virus, but I believe this virus is really good for our health. It is also good for our Jewish children, their parents and for the Jewish Family Congregation. So let me thank you in advance for your help and wish you all “l’chayim” for a healthy and “viral-full” life.
CHOIR If you would like to join the choir, or for more information, please contact Kathy Storfer at kstorfer@aol.com We welcome all adults -- 13 or older!
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Rescheduled for Tuesday, January 26
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Par are ents a nd we c l c o JFC me ongre ’s P urim at 9 a gants Ser .m. fo vice r .
Have you checked out the JFC Blog recently? Go to www.jfc.rjblogs.org
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Mother/Daughter Day at Camp Eisner February 13, 2011
Back row (l-r): Claire Lichtman, Cheryl Chess, Nicole Rose, Polly Schnell Front row (l-r): Lauren Rose, Quoya Schnell
Exciting News From URJ Camps! Dear Friends of URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps, URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps are proud to announce our newest camp program, Camp Chazak , a special needs program, in partnership with Top Bunk Camping Consultants. This one week camp aims to provide a recreational and therapeutic Jewish camping experience for its campers. Camp Chazak offers an opportunity to campers whose social delays impair their ability to function in a “typical” camp environment. Chazak campers will have a URJ summer camp experience, enjoying a program that is embedded with Reform Jewish traditions, values, prayer, Jewish education, songs, language, sports, arts, programming, food, and more. Campers will range in age from 9-13 years old. Camp Chazak will run, from Sunday, August 21 through Sunday, August 28, 2011, concurrently with NFTY Northeast’s Summer Institute. Campers will feel the full spirit and vibrancy that only NFTY youth can provide, as well as having some joint programming. Think of people in your community who may have a child that would thrive in this camp setting. This is an exciting opportunity and we encourage everyone to explore our web page, http:// eisnercranelake.urjcamps.org/chazak/ for further information. If you have any questions please contact, URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps Assistant Director, Camp Chazak Liaison, Marissa Frankel, mfrankel@urj.org. L’Shalom, Louis Bordman Executive Director
Debby Shriber Director
Stephen Weitzman, Chair URJ Special Needs Camping Committee
Andrea Golub, Chair URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps Board
Staff Opportunities Apply to Work at Camp Chazak Camp Chazak is looking to hire paid and volunteer passionate, professional, and self-motivated counselors who have previous training/experience working with individuals with social developmental delays. Counselors will be supervised by Dr. Daniel Sorkin, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist. We are specifically looking for individuals who have training/experience in fields including: Psychology, Social Work, Special Education, General Education (given significant experience with target population), Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Medical Professionals. Previous experience working in Jewish camping and the URJ is a big plus. Please keep in mind that working at camp is not a traditional 8 hour work day, you will be living in a cabin with the campers and working with them throughout the day.
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The Religious School by Leslie Gottlieb
Trip Gabriel is a neighbor of ours in Pound Ridge and he writes for The New York Times. Several months ago in the supplemental section, Education, Trip wrote a piece called, The Almighty Essay. The college search has been on the minds of many JFC members -- and as we have many high school students on the staff here, I have been witness to this process not only as a parent, but as a supervisor of our mentor/teaching staff. The Gabriels have two sons in college and, from reading the article there is no doubt that parents & educators have some shared thoughts on the college search/application process. Your children may be years from this today, but the day rolls around pretty fast when you will find yourself lost in Upstate New York or in rural Pennsylvania looking for signs that point to a college your son/daughter has vetted from a list of thousands. Trip begins his article saying, “On a freezing Saturday in February, my wife and I sat through a full-day introduction to college admissions for the parents of 11th graders. This was our first little step on the high-anxiety journey thousands of families trod each year. As parents of twins, we were double-booked. There wasn’t a vacation day in the next eight months that one of us didn’t spend on a college campus, somewhere.” He continues to write about the first person narrative seniors are asked to create for the Common Application and for supplemental pieces required by most schools. He writes about an admissions counselor who “recalled one student who had used her essay to compare herself to tofu because she was imbued with the personalities and flavors of the many people she had mixed with in life. The dean seemed to glow with the recollection. There was no need to add that the young lady had been accepted.” Gabriel continues, “But what if it can’t? What if, like most 17-year-olds, a high school senior sounds wooden or pretentious or thunderously trite when trying to express himself in the first person? Prose in which an author’s voice emerges through layers of perfectly correct sentences is the hardest kind of writing there is. Plenty of professional authors can’t manage it. How reasonable is it to expect of teenagers? Nevertheless, college gatekeepers have made a fetish of the personal essay. Twenty-six percent of admissions offices deemed it of “considerable importance” in deciding who gets in, according to a 2009 survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Admissions experts say the personal essay has gained this mighty weight because elite colleges are flooded with qualified applicants. When so many of them have A averages and test scores in the 98th percentile, colleges tend to throw up their hands.” But the college essay is only part of the puzzle of getting into a competitive school. Next is all of the talk about volunteer experience. At JFC, our students participate in our tzedakah program throughout their years here—and especially during the 7th grade experience wherein all of the
students help to perform 4 mitzvah projects—two with their classmates and two completely on their own. This value of helping others is helpful when it is established early in a child’s life—making the obligation feel more like part of the overall experience of being human. Some of our students take their participation to a higher level and develop long lasting relationships with the charities or organizations they support. Some of them use the experience to create a unique new organization of their own that better fits the idea they originally had in mind—the real idea that spurred their participation in the first place.
Jason Shah started a Web site offering free SAT prep This kind of seed was planted in the mind of Jason Shah. According to an article written about him and some other Do-Gooders, “A few weeks after he took the SAT, Jason Shah realized something more vexing to him than algebraic formulas or word usage problems: that many students can’t afford or access programs to prepare them for the test, and college. The epiphany came in a West Philadelphia middle-school classroom that his sister ran as part of her Teach for America commitment. Many students had trouble with reading and spelling, and Mr. Shah, then 16, wondered how they would be able to study for the SAT in a few years. He returned home to New Smyrna Beach, Fla., raised $10,000 from family and friends, found Web developers and began INeedaPencil.com, a Web site that offers free SAT prep, including lessons that use conversational language and sports analogies and full practice exams. ‘Certain students either don’t do well on the SAT because they don’t have the resources or don’t take the SAT because they think only rich kids take the test,’ Mr. Shah says. ‘It just bothers me deeply that it’s such a simple problem that doesn’t have to exist.’ Now a senior at Harvard, Mr. Shah still runs the site. The project led him to major in sociology and minor in computer science, which gave him skills to run and change the site on his own.” Not too long ago, a JFC parent sent me an email about a (Continued on page 31)
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JFC Adults
March 2011
By Jeanne Shanin, Adult Program Coordinator
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JFC*Adults
“I would like to express my hope that JFC*Adults will continue. I go to every activity that I am able to. I enjoy the sense of community and making new friends. The activities are fun too. For those of us with grown children, it is valuable to have other activities that tie us further to the JFC.” That is the note I received from Alice Gottlieb, with the subject line “I Love JFC*Adults.” In talking to Rabbi Freedman, she found out that our adult interest program is only funded through June of this year. As part of our capital campaign in 2007, JFC received a generous contribution to finance this program for three years. It was the Board’s intention to have enough income from the endowment fund to continue its funding thereafter. Alas, the economy has not cooperated and I understand that the program is coming to an end. JFC*Adults was formed in response to our members whose children are older or have "left the nest” and for parents who want to get away for a few hours of adult time. Each month, a group of couples and singles participate in a variety of activities and enjoy each other’s company. Last month we had lots of fun at game night. Thirteen of us enjoyed a variety of homemade soups and breads, played a variety of games, and generally had a great time together. This month, on March 19, it is again Movie Night at the home of Cheryl Chess. We’ll be watching a British comedy, “The Infidel,” costarring Richard Schiff. It premiered last year at the Tribeca Film Festival. See flyer for details. A good time will be had by all!
JFC ANNOUNCEMENTS Laurence Furic (a/k/a JFC’s Webmaster) donated 20 inches of hair to Locks of Love! For more information, go to locksoflove.org If you would like to “announce” a Simcha in your family, please send the text (pictures are welcome too!) to Jolie Levy at jfcoffc@gmail.com. Announcements must be received by the 15th of the month to appear in the next month’s Shofar.
BEFORE
AFTER
Please feel free to acknowledge your Simcha with an $18 donation to any JFC Fund or with a leaf on our Simcha Tree. Donation forms appear in every Shofar.
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The Early Childhood Center
March 2011
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The Religious School
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If you know any woman currently undergoing treatment for cancer, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - once per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service in coordination with their regular schedule. http://www.cleaningforareason.org/
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From the Rabbi’s Desk (cont’d) (Continued from page 1)
In the Book of Esther, as in the Book of Exodus, there was a leader who opened up the possibility of change. Mordechai did not sit idly by while Haman schemed; Moses challenged the Israelites to take advantage of God’s intervention to leave oppression behind them. But in Spain, in czarist Russia, in the Muslim Middle East in the last 100 years, even during the Holocaust, there was no leader who galvanized the Jewish people into active resistance to oppression. The results of that should leave us in great awe of what the young people of Egypt did, in overthrowing the Mubarak regime without a leader to spur them on. As spring begins to stir the air around us, leading us to Purim and Pesakh, two festivals that celebrate the overthrowing of tyrants, we should watch very carefully what is afoot in the Muslim world, and we should consider this modern phenomenon of a leaderless revolution. At least that what it seems to be at this moment. How would Jewish history be different if such a thing had been possible in the past? Something to think about, this spring. Evan Dodes (with sister Abigail’s help) is running a Bake Sale as a mitzvah project. Proceeds will go to the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Orthopaedic Research Dept.
Still haven’t checked out the JFC Gift Shop? Stop in and take a look! The items really do change frequently! If you are interested in purchasing anything, please let the JFC Office know.
Last date: Mar. 13 during Religious School. Thanks to all those who helped make the bake sale such a wonderful success!
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OPEN HOUSE MARCH 23 (10:00-12:00) Now Registering for 2011-2012
Jewish Family Congregation Early Childhood Center ...where Family is our middle name
Our nurturing environment is a great way to start your child’s school experience.
Classes are available for 2, 3, & 4 Year Olds and Mommy & Me Your Child will:
￭ ￭ ￭ ￭
Achieve a love of learning through play Build lasting friendships Be part of a warm community Learn to love Jewish culture Experienced, Professional Staff Language & literacy building activities Stimulating hands–on play Beautiful, large playground Enrichment, Music and Jewish Culture Lunch Bunch and Summer Programs Also Offered. For Registration Information and Tours of our Center call
Fern Tannenbaum Director 914-763-3028 Jewish Family Congregation 111 Smith Ridge Road (Rte. 123) ￭ 1 mile S of Rt. 35 ￭ South Salem, New York 10590
jfceccenter@gmail.com
￭
jewishfamilycongregation.org
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Kids Ask the Rabbi Question: Why do we make noise at the Purim So the descendants of Amalek keep causing us service, every time we hear Haman’s name?
trouble. And yet we are supposed to blot out the remembrance of them all. So at Purim, Answer: Our sages from long ago figured when the name of the bad guy is read, we use out (based on Esther 3:1) that Haman was a noise-makers (Yiddish: graggers; Hebrew: ra-a descendant of the tribe of Amalek, which lived -shanim) to keep his name from reaching our in the wilderness that the Israelites passed ears. That way, we blot out the memory of through on their way out of Egypt. In the Tothe cowardice and evil of Amalek. rah (Deut. 25:17-19) we are reminded that, as the Israelites were in the wilderness, the When there is someone very evil in the world, tribe of Amalek attacked them. Jewish tradition teaches us that, each time we say his name, we add the phrase yimakh But Amalek was not brave or confident, so sh’moh…may his name be blotted out. That they attacked the people at the very end of makes a striking contrast to what we say when the line of the Israelites, those who were too we mention God: barukh hu, blessed be. young or too old or too weak to keep up the pace of the others. That’s a cowardly way of So when you get your hands on a gragger, it is fighting with someone. important that you keep it very quiet until the name of Haman is mentioned, and then you The very end of that story in Deuteronomy whirl it to make noise (and you can shout and tells us that, when we are safe and at ease, we stamp your feet), and help us erase this memare supposed to “blot out the memory of ory of evil. Amalek.” Go to it! Later, King Saul was given a chance to do exactly that, but he didn’t do a complete job of it. Jewish tradition says that all our enemies from then on are in fact descendants of the wicked Amalek, who attacked the weak and the weary leaving Egypt. This Pesach, help others in need of your kindness... During the entire month of March & until April 10, the Religious School is collecting nonperishable Passover items to donate to developmentally disabled adults who will be attending the annual Passover Seder at Temple Shaaray Tefilla in Bedford on the evening of April 12th. Volunteers are needed for this event, too (it is a great opportunity for our 7th graders looking for a mitzvah project or for anyone 13 or older to participate). Youth Group members are encouraged to participate, as well. Please let Leslie Gottlieb know asap if you are interested. Please try to donate as many items as you can. Delivery of donations we collect will be on April 11th and 12th. Please leave all items in the Youth Lounge in the designated box. Thanks very much.
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Donations to JFC Last Month Memorial Board Plaque The Emmer Family
In Memory Of David Emmer
Prayer Book Dedications Heidi Auerbacher and Ilene Benjamin Heidi Auerbacher and Ilene Benjamin Michael Gitlitz and Rita Landman Michael Gitlitz and Rita Landman
In Honor Of Max Auerbacher's 9th Birthday In Honor Of Sam Auerbacher’s 7th Birthday In Memory Of Sheila R. Gitlitz In Memory Of Morris Gitlitz
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Milton and Pearl Feldman Milton and Pearl Feldman Susan Eydenberg Westlake
In Memory Of Diana Bell In Memory Of Nathan Bell In Memory Of Judith Eydenberg
IF ANY DONATIONS MADE LAST MONTH ARE NOT LISTED, KINDLY CONTACT THE JFC OFFICE AND LET US KNOW.
Why is this night different from all other nights? Join us for our traditional
Second Seder
Our potluck seder is a kid-friendly event with lots of singing. The kids will be part of the telling of the Pesakh story. JFC’s seder is a potluck event. During the Purim Carnival on March 20 (and thereafter), there will be a signup poster in the JFC Lobby. Please indicate what you will bring. You will be contacted to confirm details. All foods MUST adhere to Kosher for Passover restrictions. If you are unsure, please ask us. JFC Supplies the “ritual” foods, wine and matzoh, as well as all paper goods. Cost:
$18/person $36/family $10/guests over 2 yrs.
PLEASE JOIN US!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
JFC Social Action Committee
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by Lee Goldstein
First, our next Midnight Run will be held Saturday, March 5th. The good news: we have enough volunteers to participate in the Run itself. The better news: there are still opportunities to help. We could use some volunteers to make bag dinners or donate men’s clothing (see list below). Let us know if you’d like to go on the next run, which will be in May or June.
without the active involvement of more congregants. Contact Debbie Lavin (debbielav@aol.com) or Jeanette Sanders (crotonjan@aol.com) with any questions or to sign up.
Second, Project Hope, set for Sunday, April 10th (morning) is a fantastic program of the Bronx Jewish Community Council. Volunteers distribute Passover groceries to impoverished Jewish seniors in their homes. All you need to do is show up. You deliver food, smiles, and a little company and conversation. Children are welcome to participate, and volunteers typically find this experience so rewarding that they attend yearly, requesting the same list so they can visit with their “regulars.”
As promised, here’s the list of necessary (men’s clothing only!) Midnight Run donations:
Please consider participating in these meaningful outreach activities, which are impossible to continue
In advance, we thank the volunteers who have already committed to either event, and we will bring you full reports in upcoming Shofars.
Men's Jeans Backpacks Sneakers Belts Hooded zipper sweatshirts Blankets Coats, hats, gloves, scarves New men's jockey-style underwear New white athletic socks
Want to help? Contact Debbie Lavin
The Tzedakah of the Month
(debbielav@aol.com)
For MARCH is
or Jeanette Sanders (crotonjan@aol.com)
“MIDNIGHT RUN” Selected by the
JFC Social Action Committee
Guidance & Resources for Men Separating or Divorcing New Horizons: A Discussion Group for Separating or Divorcing Men will be held Wednesday, March 23 at 7:00 PM at WJCS, 845 North Broadway, White Plains, NY. The event is an opportunity for men going through a separation or divorce to get information and guidance from a panel of experts including a psychologist/divorce mediator, lawyer, rabbi and family therapist. Plus, it will facilitate networking with others in similar situations. Space is limited. RSVP by March 14 to Susan Kronish (skronish@wjcs.com). The event is a WJCS Partners in Caring Program in Partnership with Bet Torah Synagogue, funded by UJA-Federation.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
- - - Lots of new vendors! - - Check website for details.
March 2011
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
March 2011
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. JFC can only list names/dates that have been reported to us.
ANNIVERSARIES Michael & Marcela Berland Chuck & Ellen Cohen Lee Goldstein & Charles Dockter Kenny & Ellen Elias Martin & Henriette Kutscher Matthew & Julie Portnoy Leslie & Susan Simon Jonathan & Jennifer Sobel
YAHRZEITS Aaron Auerbach Murray Augustus Leon Gold Muriel Gould Anna Jacobson Goldie Kardish Sydney Lazarus Harold Plotka
Max Rifkin Herman Rosenthal Milton Rubin Elsie B Rudy Freda Salmon Max Schenk Agnes Spergen Hetty Weaver
BIRTHDAYS Holly Alexander Christopher Boies Joshua Bolgar Kevin Brand Andrew Carter Aaron Cohen Jaclyn Cohen Ellen Conti Karen Conti Ruby Davis Andrew Emmer Kenneth Feldman Zachary Fischman Kayla Fisher Michael Gilbert Melissa Goodstein Leslie Gottlieb Richard Hellinger Taylor Hoffman Laurel Honig Mitchell Kahn Terry Kalter Dayna Kaplan Jamie Kaplan Talia Kaufman Tracy Kirker Jeffrey Klotz
Terrence Levens Corie Levine Heather Levinson Nathaniel Levinson Asher Meister-Aldama Michael Portnoy Amy Rackear Jacob Rauch Max Rauch Andrew Rose Noah Rose Dylan Salpeter Wynter Schnell Jordan Schwartz Jodi Senese Jonathan Sobel Alexa Stevelman Joshua Strongin Hayley Verbeke Zoe Waldman David Warren Bennett Wattles Mitchell Waxman Rebecca Westlake Julia Zuckerberg
Have you considered celebrating significant birthdays and anniversaries with a leaf on our Simcha Tree of Life? Call the JFC Office for details.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
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The Religious School (cont’d) (Continued from page 10)
mitzvah opportunity that helps to supply bicycles to young kids in Zimbabwe who otherwise would need to travel by foot to school and back, a six hour round excursion that would take them away from their stewards--- orphaned children (some of them relatives) who needed their supervision back at home. A few days earlier, I read about this very thing in an essay by Nicholas D. Kristof. He talked about a 17 year old boy named Abel who became a surrogate father for his orphaned siblings. Kristof writes about “A Chicago-based aid organization, World Bicycle Relief” *who+ distributed 200 bicycles to students in Abel’s area who need them to get them to school.” World Bicycle Relief trains one mechanic and equips him/her for every 50 bikes donated/distributed. So far, over 70,000 bicycles have been given out—over 70 percent to women and girls which helps reduce the incidence of rape/attack on their otherwise long unsupervised walks. This is social action making a difference for real people—one bicycle at a time. In the March 2011 issue of Bicycling, there is an ad for “Trips for Kids.” It is a non-profit organization that provides mountain bikes and environmental education for
disadvantaged youths. Anyone can start a Trips for Kids program in his/her local neighborhood. If you are interested, contact national@tripsforkids.org or call (415) 4582986. Perhaps where we live, teens worry about SAT scores and college essays whereas in other parts of the world, kids have to worry about getting safely from one place or another—or maybe worry how to care for younger brothers and sisters left without parents. Whatever the case, it is never too early to get the children in our families focused on ways we can help change the world. If your kids are too young to participate in the Midnight Run organized by JFC’s Social Action Committee, for example, then maybe you can help collect the clothes or toiletries needed. Maybe you can take on one or two family projects a year to help make tikkun olam something real in your lives. Now that is a great way for a family to do something meaningful together—getting everyone involved and making a real difference!!
Todah Rabbah from the Religious School to… Samantha Dorf for chairing the Purim Carnival -- and to all the Grade 7 parents and students for running the Carnival!
Jamie & Peter Kaplan and Laurence Furic (& families) for their book donations to the school library
The Religious School Committee for their help planning the (May) Tag Sale at JFC
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ASK THE RABBI
In Response to Last Month’s ASK THE RABBI...
Question: Why is challah braided?
Dear Rabbi, I must protest! As one of the Christians you’ve lumped together in the *February+ “Ask the Rabbi” column, I respectfully submit that you do your congregation a great disservice by implying that all Christians view the Bible as you have presented it, or for that matter, that we all view it the same way.
Answer: Good question! To find the answer, I had to consult with a book I received as a Chanukah present this year, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, compiled by Gil Evans. From that book I learned that the braiding of challah came about in Germany in the 15 th century, when Jews borrowed the art of breadbraiding from their gentile neighbours, to decorate the special bread for Shabbat and festivals, to increase the distinction between bread eaten every day and the bread produced for special occasions.
Nay, Nay! As you know, I view the Hebrew Bible much as you do, rather than than as that “born-again Christian” does, and unique and independent as I am, I am not alone.
As you read the Torah in sequence, so those of us in a “liturgical” style of worship read the gospels in sequence. (Liturgical churches include the Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran. Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists have the option of using the In times past in Europe, where our Ashkenazi ances- lectionary; Baptists and certainly, “born-again” evantors were generally poor, they ate dark bread six days gelicals usually do not use it.) In the Sunday lectionof the week. Why? Because they took their grain to ary, the gospel is central, with the Hebrew scripture the miller (that was the occupation’s name) to grind, casting some light on it – and rarely one that foretells the coming of Christ; the psalm shines light on the and they paid by the number of times the grain was ground. To produce coarsely ground grain, they paid Hebrew scripture; the epistle, except for high holidays, is in a separate cycle. In the daily lectionary, all less than to produce fine flour, which would also be of the four readings are read in their own cycle, with whiter too. So during the week, our ancestors ate coarse dark bread, and for Shabbat and festivals, they some patches being skipped over in all readings other than psalms. (The genealogies, for instance, are not ate bread made from fine white flour. read.) In the Sunday lectionary, we read the gospels in three years time. In the daily lectionary, we read To make the Shabbat bread richer, they added eggs the entire Bible, repeating some psalms, in two years. to the batter. The bread for Shabbat is called challah. The name comes from Numbers 15:20, where the Israelites were instructed to take “challah”, a portion from their batter and to offer it to Adonai as a gift (it is then given to the kohanim, the priests, to eat). Since we no longer bring gifts of food and drink to God (as “sacrifices”), today, when kosher bakeries produce challah, they take a pinch of the dough and burn it in the oven, before they bake the actual loaves. On the packages of kosher challah, there is a text which says, “challah has been taken”. More broadly, though, the term challah is used to designate that braided loaf made from fine white flour, its dough enriched with eggs.
You are correct in that Evangelicals tend to prooftext, but NOT all Christians do so. In fact, I would venture to say that MOST Christians do not do so. (As with Reform Jews, they just don’t know the Bible well enough and wouldn’t proof text if they did.) You simply cannot talk about a born-again action, which is probably more annoying to other Christians than to non-Christians, as being representative of “Christians” in general. It just ain’t so. There. Glad I got THAT off my chest. Rev. Carole Johannsen
Rev. Johannsen is the Director of Pastoral Care at I have learned lots of interesting things about “Jewish Phelps and Clergy Coordinator for the Phelps Hospice food” from the Encyclopedia, and I will share more of program. it with you over time.
Adar I/Adar II 5771
Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
First-Year Dues Are FREE!
FREE!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
March 2011
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
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March 2011 Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
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4
5
ECC
ECC
K-3/CC/SMP
ECC
Gr. 7 9-10:45
Kids Knesset 5:10
Gr. 2 Service Creation Station
Bd Mtg
Service 7:30 Tot Shabbat
10
11
12
ECC
Gr. 7 9-10:45
6
7
8
9
Gr. 4-6
ECC
ECC
ECC K-3/CC/SMP School Photos YG
Gr. 7 Purim Planning Party 4:20-6:15
Gr. 4 Service Creation Station Service 7:30 Tot Shabbat
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ECC
Gr. 7 9-9:45
ECC NFTY Elections Gr. 7 NYC ECC Comm. Mtg. 7:30
ECC ECC K-3/CC/SMP RS Comm Mtg Purim CeleWise Parent- RS Early reg. ing: Managing ends; regular bration a Melt-Down reg. begins 8:30-9:45 p.m. [ends 4/13]
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ECC
ECC
ECC
ECC
Gr. 7 9-9:45
10-PK 6-7:30
ECC OPEN HOUSE 10:00-12:00
K-3/CC/SMP YG
Gr. 4-6
Gr. 4-6
(carnival 11-12 don’t forget $) NO Gr. 7
PURIM CARNIVAL 12-2:00 Purim Service 9-9:30
[K/L Weather Reserve Day]
Children’s Shabbat for Me” 6:00
Bat Mitzvah Of [K/L WthrRsrv Day] Kayla Creation Fisher Station JFCAdults: Service 7:30 Movie Nite 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat
Bar Mitzvah Of Michael Portnoy
Service 7:30 Tot Shabbat
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Gr. 4-6
ECC
Gr. 7 Gr. 6 Holocaust Speaker 11-12:00
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ECC
K-3/CC/SMP
P/T conferences
JEWISH FAMILY CONGREGATION
Jewish Family Congregation 111 Smith Ridge Rd/Rte. 123 P.O. Box 249 South Salem, NY 10590
CURRENT RESIDENT OR
Non Profit Organization Postage PAID White Plains, NY Permit No. 9022