Shofar Adar/Nisan 5772
Jewish Family Congregation www.jewishfamilycongregation.org
March 2012
From the Rabbi’s Desk Recently, I have participated in some discussions in a variety of interfaith settings, involving lay people and ordained clergy. And each time, I marvel at the widespread ignorance, among Jews and non-Jews, about the actual status of Jewish officiants. Rabbis and cantors are not clergy. That term…clergy…is defined in my Oxford Dictionary as persons “ordained for religious duties”. The same dictionary goes on to list those who would qualify under its definition, including priests, ministers, chaplains, pastors, parsons, rectors, etc. The terms “rabbi” and “cantor” do not appear on the list. The term “rabbi” is defined, in the same dictionary, as “a Jewish scholar or teacher, especially of Jewish law”, or someone “appointed as a Jewish religious leader”. “Cantor” is defined as “leader of the singing in a synagogue”.
prophets to the earliest of the rabbis, who lived in the first century CE. Those who were ordained, after the time of Hillel the Elder, around 30 CE, were awarded the title rabbi, which literally means “my master”, indicating that others acknowledged the person’s mastery of Jewish learning. The Romans prohibited the transmission of this authority and actually tortured Jewish leaders who tried to pass it on to their students. The political, spiritual and economic situation of the Jews in Israel under the Romans declined dramatically, and the center of Jewish learning shifted to Babylonia, so that the chain of ordination in Israel was broken, in theory never to be restored again.
Today, Reform rabbis are ordained using the traditional Jewish formula of s/he can teach, s/he can judge (in the areas of Jewish law only, of course) and until the advent of the Reform Movement, 200 years ago, teaching and And while we in the Reform Movement (and the Conser- adjudicating matters of Jewish law were the primary funcvative and Reconstructionist Movements as well) do speak tions of those carrying the title “rabbi”. of our rabbis as ‘ordained” (and now the same term will The Reform Movement borrowed some clerical and pasbe applied to cantors, who have, up till now, been intoral functions from the clergy of the Lutherans surroundvested), it is clear that this is a recent innovation, not in ing them, and rabbis became officiants at services and ceremonies (which they had not been at all till then), and keeping with the history of Jewish practice. In Jewish history, ordination originated when Moses was counsellors, comforters and official community represencommanded by God to transmit some of his own authority tatives as well. to his successor, Joshua (Num 27:18). The sages who gave So those of us in rabbinical and cantorial positions today us the Talmud noted, in Pirkei Avot 1:1 that the line of are often included when people refer to clergy. transmission of authority went from Moses to Joshua, to (Continued on page 2) the elders of the tribes, to the prophets and from the From the Rabbi’s Desk What’s Happening/March Second Seder Invite Service Schedule March Oneg Hosts Kids Ask the Rabbi Early Childhood Center Purim Carnival Invite The Religious School
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Recent Donations to JFC Book Swap Invite Social Action Committee JFC Sisterhood Invite Birthdays/Annivs/Yahrzeits Ask the Rabbi JiFTY Donations Form JFC’s March Calendar
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Page 2 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 Jane Weil Emmer jfceccenter@gmail.com Temple Administrator Jolie Levy jfcoffc@gmail.com
Board Of Trustees Richard Mishkin, President 914-764-8305; Mark Lavin, Vice President; Polly Schnell, Vice President; Hal Wolkin, Chief Financial Officer; Diane Richman, Secretary; Carrie Kane Elise Serby Patterson Shafer Debra Verbeke Elisa Zuckerberg and Johanna Perlman, Past President
Shofar Editor Jolie Levy Shofar Printer EnterMarket
Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
March 2012
From the Rabbi’s Desk (cont’d) (Continued from page1)
In a Christian context, clergy are those authorized to perform life-altering functions, like consecration of the communion wafer and wine, baptisms, weddings, confession, communion, last rites and funerals. Some Christian denominations do not have clergy at all, but rather, preachers and pastors, and they distance themselves from the traditional rituals of the Christian church. By contrast, in Jewish life, the parallel rituals do not require ordained officiants. For a circumcision, the ritual is performed by someone trained in both the surgical and religious elements of the procedure, called a mohel (today, many mohalim and mohalot are medical personnel). The officiants at a wedding are called the m’sader or m’saderet kiddushin, the one who organizes the ritual according to its prescribed order. Bnai mitzvah, regular and special worship services and Passover sedarim, can all be “led” by any knowledgeable Jew over the age of 13. Today, civil law requires a person “appointed as a religious leader” – see dictionary definition of “rabbi”, above - to officiate at weddings and conversions, because these are rituals in which “personal status” changes. But Jewish law, which does not recognize “clergy”, does not require this.
God. The Jewish priesthood was something of a model for the institution we today associate with the Roman Catholic Church, and the office of pope corresponds to that of the high priest (the earliest Christians were, of course, Jews well acquainted with the Jewish priesthood). Rabbis, by contrast, had no ceremonial or leadership functions outside their roles as scholars and judges. We know that, in the first century CE, there were both priests and rabbis functioning in the same Jewish community in Jerusalem, and they clearly had different spheres of significance. In that environment, the priests came close to the dictionary definition of clergy, and rabbis certainly did not. Today, when American Jews are well educated for the secular world but no so much for the Jewish world, the rabbi and cantor become the agents, the representatives, and by popular expectation, the clergy of our people. But we should all be wary of appropriating that term too readily. The obligations to study, to pray, to visit the sick, to attend to the deceased and the bereaved, to provide for the poor, these are obligations that fall equally upon all adult Jews, especially since the earliest rabbis engaged in a democratization of Jewish religious life. None of these tasks may be performed by proxy (“rabbi, please pray for me”).
It is worth pointing out that the closest we have come, in Judaism, to having clergy, was the priesthood (kohanut) of antiquity. A Jewish community depends upon all its This was an inherited function, and the priests were charged with responsibility for members for its vitality and effectiveness. carrying out the sacrificial rituals so that That’s a good thing! they would be efficacious and pleasing to
JFC WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS DAWN and PETER KESSLER of Croton Falls, NY and their sons, Jake and Zachary
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What’s Happening This Month at JFC? Fri., Mar. 2
URJ CAMPS PRESENTATION
7:30 p.m.
Greg Kellner, Senior Assistant Director of Crane Lake, and Matthew Emmer, Songs Director at Eisner Camp, will be conducting a camp-like service to give youngsters a feel of Jewish summer camps. Students may ask questions and share stories with each other.
Sun., Mar. 4
JFC ANNUAL PURIM CARNIVAL
12:00-2:00 p.m.
Come join us for our annual Purim Carnival! Lots of fun, games and prizes. Also, don’t miss our GIANT WHALE!
Thurs., Mar. 8
JFC PURIM SERVICE
5:00 p.m.
Everyone is invited to join us for our Purim service, which is being held during Religious School.
Fri., Mar. 9
FAMILY SERVICE
6:30-7:15 p.m.
A service designed to appeal to younger children, complete with music, storytelling and, of course, prayers (oneg will immediately follow)
Sat., Mar. 10
LUNCH ‘N LEARN
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
An opportunity for adults to discuss matters of current Jewish interest. The subject will be Jewish response to Rich Santorum. Bring lunch (veggie or dairy only).
Fri., Mar. 16
GRADE 2 SERVICE
7:30 p.m.
JFC’s Shabbat Service, featuring the Grade 2 presentation and their own Oneg Shabbat.
Sun., Mar. 18
DEAD SEA SCROLLS
4:00 p.m.
JFC is going to NYC to see the scrolls and then have dinner together afterwards (for those who want to do so). Some of these scrolls have never been exhibited before, so even if you've seen the scrolls in Israel, you probably haven't seen these!
Tues., Mar. 20
ECC BOOK SWAP
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Bring one or several books to swap with other families with small children. There will be lots of storytelling, cookies and milk. You may bring as many as 15 books if you like! PJ’S ARE ENCOURAGED.
Fri., Mar. 30
CONGREGANT DRASH
7:30 p.m.
Bryon Friedman of the Ritual Committee will bring a topic for all to discuss and learn about.
ALL EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
2012 J EWISH F AMILY C ONGREGATION 111 S MITH R IDGE R D . - S OUTH S ALEM , NY - (914) 763-3028 WWW . JEWISHFAMILYCONGREGATION . ORG
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
March 2012
WHY IS THIS NIGHT DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER NIGHTS? Join us for our traditional
Second Seder Sat., Apr. 7, 6:30 p.m. 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. There is a signup poster in the JFC Lobby, or you may call the JFC Office. 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 and matzoh, as well as all paper goods. We will also provide grape juice.
IF YOU PREFER WINE, PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR OWN (be sure it is Kosher for Passover, please) Cost:
$18/person $36/family $10/guests over 2 yrs.
PLEASE JOIN US!
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SERVICE SCHEDULE MARCH Mar 2/ Adar 9 Mar 3
7:30 pm 10:00 am
URJ Camps Shabbat Shabbat Morning Service
Thursday, Mar 8/Adar 14
5:00 pm
PURIM SERVICE
Friday, Mar 9/Adar 16 Saturday, Mar 10
6:30-7:15 pm 10:00 am 11:00am – 1:00 pm
Family Service Shabbat Morning Service
Friday, Mar 16/Adar 23
7:30 pm
Saturday, Mar 17
10:00 am
Parshat VaYak’hel/P’kudei GRADE 2 SERVICE Bar Mitzvah of Joshua Rauch
Friday, Mar 23/ Nisan 1
7:30 pm
Saturday, Mar 24
10:00 am
Friday, Mar 30/ Nisan 8
7:30 pm
Lunch n Learn
Parshat Vayikra Shabbat HaHodesh*** Bar Mitzvah of Gregory Hoffman Parshat Tzav Shabbat Hagadol*** Congregant’s Drash
*** There two Shabbatot are part of the group of designated Sabbaths that lead up to Pesakh; in antiquity, Jews were required to purify their souls in preparation for celebrating the festival of liberation. A Jew who failed to atone for all sins and cleanse him/herself of all guilt would not be in the requisite state of ritual purity to participate in eating the Passover sacrifice, which, in ancient times, was the primary ritual act of Pesakh.
MARCH ONEG HOSTS MARCH 2
Joel & Laura Kaplan Doug & Sue Kaufman
MARCH 9 Lisa Katz Felice Kempler
MARCH 30
Jerome Kerner & Alexis Johnson Emily Perl Kingsley
Please find a substitute if you cannot host your assigned Oneg.
MARCH 16 GRADE 2 SERVICE Josh & Michelle Blum Jillian & Brian Chipman
Please contact the JFC Office with the name(s) of the new hosts.
MARCH 23
Please contact your Board Host if you have any questions.
Josh & Michelle Blum Ed & Deb Verbeke
MARCH BOARD HOST: Debra Verbeke (914) 763-0016
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March 2012
Jewish Family Congregation Early Childhood Center Where Family is our middle name
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO REGISTER! Please visit our website at www.jewishfamilycongregation.org
Kids Ask the Rabbi This question was posed by a kindergarten student during a Thursday afternoon Ask the Rabbi session recently.
enough food for everyone, how to prevent and/ or cure diseases and illnesses, how to end war and all other kinds of suffering.
God gave humans the intelligence to figure perfect, so that no one gets sick or hungry and these things out, and God put into our world all the resources (plants, animals, minerals, ideas) things like that? we need to find the answers to these probAnswer: Our rabbis of long ago noticed the same thing…that there is hunger, homelessness lems. So now it is up to us to fix the world and make it perfect. and all kinds of illnesses and diseases in the The Hebrew phrase for that idea is tikkun world. And they also wondered: why did God create the world with so many problems in it? olam, fixing the world. And our tradition teaches us that humans are meant to be partWhy not make the world perfect? ners with God in the process of creating a perTheir answer was that God began to create a perfect world, and then realized that it would fect world.
Question: Why didn’t God make the world
Each of us has to contribute to that process not give people a chance to show how caring, how smart and how creative we can be, if there every day, if we are to succeed. So think were no ways to make the world a better place. about how you contribute to the perfection of our world. And remember that you are God’s So God invited people to help finish the work partner in this activity. of creation by figuring out how to provide
MARCH 20 ECC BOOK SWAP 5:00 - 7:00 P.M.
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The Early Childhood Center Jane Weil Emmer, Director
What’s Happening at The Early Childhood Center?
amaze me. They are growing so fast. On a typical day, I find one or more of the Green Room kids visiting the older role At JFC ECC, our goal is to develop learning through models. It is a wonderful direct experiences. February is usually a month feeling to see the kids when we learn about winter, snow and seasons. learn from each other This year our climate has been so mild that this and grow together. has been a bit challenging. Children can learn many This February, each things through the exclass learned about change of questions, and it is important for early trees and the cycle childhood teachers to encourage this method of of the seasons. learning. This helps children develop concepts and Farmer Dale visited acquire skills in using language effectively. When to teach us about the the kids visit each other’s classes, they practice wonders of trees. the skills they learn in their own familiar environment. As a result, children increase their growth We tasted all different and maturity towards independence. foods, and created bar Critical thinking through asking questions is necescharts to compare what we sary in a child-centered environment. When kids liked and what we disliked. express their own points of view, they are encourWe tried new foods, and aged to practice critical thinking. This is our ultieven learned to like some mate goal at the JFC ECC. new things that come from trees. Tu b’shevat is the day we celebrate the trees waking up. They wake up slowly, and so did we on the morning of February 8th. We all came to school in our pajamas. We had special snacks and snuggled inside all morning. Cantor Kerry joined us on Pajama Day to teach some special songs. Watch for his CD coming home soon! The Yellow Room performed their theatrical interpretation of a classic book “Caps for Sale.” The Blue Room, and full JFC Staff, enjoyed the production. The kids had a great time and shared a wonderful story with us all. The children in the Green Room continue to
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
March 2012
Todah Rabbah from the ECC to: Our February Mystery Readers: Luda Samuels, Marjorie Schiff, Aaron Shapiro, Michelle Zaken, Cassie Hollander and Rachel Clott. Emily Wein and her Mom (Penny and Calvin's Grandma) - for sharing their love and knowledge of music with our students. Cantor Kerry for sharing music at PJ Day/ Tu Bshvat celebration. Rabbi Carla for enriching each and every Shabbat. Jolie and Kathleen for putting up with our "Ruach"...and helping in every way that they can.
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All are welcome to attend this year’s… JFC PURIM CARNIVAL This Month!! Come play inside the
Giant Inflatable Whale! Hosted by JFC Grade 7 parents and students
Sunday, March 4th Time: 12:00- 2:00 P.M. RS 4th-6th graders should bring spending $ to school on the 4th (They attend Carnival at 11 AM) JFC Purim Service on Thursday, March 8 from 5-6 PM during RS Join us—or pick up for RS at 6 PM!
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The Religious School Leslie Gottlieb, Director
If you were Hama Kashgari, you would be in a lot of trouble right now. A Saudi journalist, Kashgari was at first detained while away from home with threats of imprisonment and death because he wrote an imagined dialogue between himself and the prophet Muhammad posted on Twitter last month. In an article by Margalit Fox published in February, we learn of this story. “Human Rights Watch warned that Mr. Kashgari faced ‘almost certain conviction and a death sentence on charges of apostasy’ if he was sent back to Saudi Arabia.” He was detained at the airport in Malaysia and then was hurried off on a private Saudi jet back home to face arrest. The Twitter post for which he has made an apology directly to the prophet reads, “On your birthday, I will say that I have loved the rebel in you, that you’ve always been a source of inspiration to me, and that I do not like the halos of divinity around you. I shall not pray for you,” – this according to The Daily Beast website. Kashgari sounds like a devout believer to me—someone who talks directly to a Gd he feels will hear his personal voice and understand. Sort of like, “Adonai, hear my cry….” It seems sad that in this time of modernity that a free -thinking individual, a writer, cannot express himself/ herself creatively without the fear of reprisal that includes the loss of life. What era is this that a human being cannot put his/her thoughts out there, in this case in the blogosphere? No person or group has been threatened, there has been no public denunciation of a religious figure, and there has been no reason for a man’s life to be hanging in the balance. But we live in a world with fanatics who feel empowered by their sanctimonious self-proclaimed knowledge of Gd’s will. The very nature of Gd is owned by myriad groups who have essentially co-opted Gd for their own purposes. Even our own politicians, some of them anyway, have taken the same view of religion— you are either for it--or a heathen. This kind of lunacy is hard to eliminate and harder still to simply point out without an accusation of heresy doled out to its author. For those of us who remember the fatwa issued against Salman Rushdie in the latter part of the twentieth century, I invite you to come to the same conclusion. It’s the Crusades of the second millen-
nium—only in this incarnation of religious intolerance we are toting Ipads and cell phones. How far we have NOT come. Religious freedom is what we came to America to find. It is the real reason for our Constitution and everything that binds us, or should. Even when it comes to Judaism, fanatics still try to impart their vision of Gd’s words on all Jews—and all peoples. A few months ago in Israel, when a Haredi man condemned an eight year old girl for dressing suggestively—one had to stop to ask where the insanity ends. It was in the Jewish Quarter in Israel that I felt most vulnerable as a woman, actually. Not wearing the Orthodox garb, I was a target for stares and looks of disapproval even though I was covered up. At the Kotel, women were running up to me with head coverings before I got any nearer to the wall so as to protect their view of what it means to be holy and respectful—not that I minded this intrusion as I do understand this tradition and respect it. It is just that it was being forced upon me like a conversion may have felt centuries ago to the individuals who were conscripted. Just like in our Purim story, Mordechai was asked to bow to a Gd he did not worship. Was it his right to deny his accusers this gesture? I believe he did the right thing but at what cost? Should Mr. Kashgari lose his life for his voice? Apparently so… which is a modern tragedy in my opinion. At the Religious School at JFC we talk about making decisions about religion, our own, through the process of education with respect to our culture. As Reform Jews we get to filter the information and decide for ourselves. Of course, we are still not truly recognized by the Israeli rabbinate. Even weddings performed here by non-Orthodox rabbis are not deemed valid in Israel by the authorities. How strange this is. Does it matter? Yes and no. One man, W. Gunther Plaut, who died last month at the age of ninety-nine helped to modernize and change the way Reform Jews thought and worshipped. He contemporized The Torah by writing a new edition that took him nearly ten years to write/ compile: The Torah/ A Modern Commentary. (Continued on page 12)
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The Religious School (cont’d) “First published as a single volume in 1981 and issued in a revised edition in 2005, Rabbi Plaut’s Torah has become a touchstone for Judaism’s liberal branches. While Jews have long studied the Torah — the first section of the Hebrew Bible — with the aid of rabbinic commentaries, none like his had ever before appeared.
Inside, the Five Books of Moses — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy — appear in Hebrew and English, accompanied by Rabbi Plaut’s commentary. (The commentary on Leviticus was written by Rabbi Bernard Bamberger.)
‘God is not the author of the text,’ Rabbi Plaut wrote in the volume’s introduction, ‘the people are; but God’s voice may be heard through theirs if we listen with open minds.’
Plaut was forward-thinking to say the very least. It is scholars like him who move us forward. As religion changes over the centuries, we must change with it and make interpretations that satisfy our yearning for personal truths while respecting tradition. I feel proud to worship as a Reform Jew having grown up attending an Orthodox house of worship for special occasions. I am prouder still that we get to teach our students to think for themselves in the context of what they are studying. It should mean more to them with this approach. The questioning child (wait for it—Passover is right around the corner) is the one who stands out at JFC. These progressives will be our next set of mentors and teachers although they hardly believe it from their own doubtful perspectives. They contribute so much because they are thinking things through most carefully, it seems. They are the dreamers, the next W. Gunther Plauts, the next Hamza Kashgaris.
The Plaut Torah has sold nearly 120,000 copies, according to its publisher. It is used today in many Reform synagogues, as well as in some Conservative and Reconstructionist ones, throughout the United States and Canada.’ ‘This is the first non-Orthodox full commentary on the Torah published in English for congregational use,’ Rabbi Daniel H. Freelander, a senior vice president of the Union for Reform Judaism, as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations is now known, said in an interview on Friday. Rabbi Plaut’s Torah, the first edition to be produced in the New World, spans nearly 1,800 pages and took more than a decade to prepare. Even its cover gives quiet but unmistakable evidence of its unorthodox intent: the 1981 edition opens from left to right, like a conventional English book, instead from right to left, as traditional volumes of Hebrew Scripture do.
Drawing on scholarship in science, biblical archaeology, Near East studies, folklore, linguistics and feminism, and on non-Jewish texts including Shakespeare, the Koran and the New Testament, the commentaries in the Plaut Torah ascribe layers of possible meanings to the text. This makes probing analytical discussion — even argument — among worshipers not only possible but often satisfyingly inevitable.” (The New York Times, February 11, 2012 Obituary section)
Todah Rabbah From The Religious School to… The over-night chaperons and evening helpers for the Youth Group Shul-In held in March The Grade 7 parents and students who will help this month to make the Purim Carnival special for all who attend All those RS families who have taken advantage of the Early Registration for the 2012-13 school year All of the RS staff members who are contributing to rework the Progress Report format Ruth Ossher for her continuing efforts to make our music program at the RS the best it can be
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Did you know…
A donation to the JFC-URJ Camp Fund helps send children to summer camp who would not otherwise have this privilege. Memories that will be cherished forever. Thank you for remembering this fund!
Recent Donations to JFC General Fund Michael & Rona Salpeter
Scott & Cheri Beck Arline Novick Jim Olver Tom & Betty Maher John Stadler William Mazo
In Memory of Kenneth Bernhardt In Memory of Herbert Kaufman In Memory of Martin Bressler In Memory of Milton Rubin In Memory of Stephen Margolis In Memory of Stephen Margolis In Memory of Stephen Margolis In Memory of Stephen Margolis In Memory of Stephen Margolis In Memory of Charlotte Kahn Stadler In Memory of Stephen Margolis
Memorial Board Plaque Michael Gordon
In Memory of Lila Gordon
Doris Hettmansberger
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Laurence Furic Chuck & Ellen Cohen Betty Goodman Kenneth J. Aufsesser
In Memory of Marcy Lissau Daniels In Memory of Stephen Margolis In Memory of Stephen Margolis In Memory of Stephen Margolis
HIGH HOLY DAY DONATIONS Paul & Lorraine Malamet IF ANY DONATIONS ARE NOT LISTED, KINDLY CONTACT THE JFC OFFICE AND LET US KNOW.
Don’t forget: Each time you shop at DeCicco’s, just tell the cashier you are a JFC member before ringing up your order. JFC gets a rebate from your purchase. It’s that easy! (You may still use your DeCicco’s cards…)
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
JFC Early Childhood Center
invites you to join us for a
Book Swap March 20, 2012 5:00-7:00 Bring a maximum of 15 children’s books to swap with other families and participants. The evening will feature NON-STOP STORYTIME COOKIES AND MILK Children are encouraged to wear PJ’s Early Childhood Center at JFC 111 Smith Ridge Road (Route 123) South Salem, NY 914-763-3028 for more info
March 2012
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JFC Social Action Committee A Simple Twist of Fate As we reach our first stop in Manhattan, we are struck by the number of men, women and children who approach the Midnight Run van for food, clothing and supplies to ease winter’s burden. How did they get here, how did they slip through the safety net? Fact is, it’s not hard.
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by Patterson Shafer A juice box. A dessert or two-- e.g. granola bars, cookies, candy bar, or brownies, etc.
A couple of napkins. The food should be prepared on the 17th.
All those interested in meeting up to help with sorting I have been twice “homeless,” both times after a divorce. clothing between now and then, please email Debbie I took shelter with parents or friends. Not quite the street, Lavin at DebbieLav@aol.com. We will set times that are but certainly not home. Mine was an issue of comfort, not convenient to those willing to help. You can also take survival. In my work with the alcohol and drug addicted, I clothes home to label. We use masking tape to mark the clothing size so that it’s easy to sort and distribute. know many who have been homeless for extended periods and have gone on to rebuild their lives. I know many We will need some people to gather at the garage prior to who are dead. 3/17 in order to organize and decide what we will be taking. We hope many can come to help out. But most perplexing is the plight of a friend of mine, I’ll call Rhoda. She is a degreed and experienced social For those who also want to participate on the run to New worker who for the better part of a year was living in her York City, we are planning to schedule one more in May or car. Friends gave shelter during the winter months. But June. during warmer times, unemployment exhausted and the economy in shambles, she worked for minimum wage, just barely able to buy food for herself and her dog and gas to move her car. Did you know that some Wal-Marts allow you to sleep in your parked car? How could this happen? Contact Debbie Lavin The good news is that she has since found a good job in (debbielav@aol.com) her chosen field.
Want to help?
This brings us to the Midnight Run, which is March 17. We already have our limit of participants to go on the run, but we really need volunteers to help sort and label the clothing and make bag dinners. We need a volunteer to make soup. And several volunteers for meals: each meal should have, in a paper or plastic bag:
The Tzedakah of the Month For MARCH Is
A hearty sandwich (a nice amount of meat, or
HOMES FOR HEROES FOUNDATION Their purpose is to provide or coordinate financial assistance and housing resources to our nation’s heroes such as military personnel, police/peace officers, firefighters and first responders in need.
chicken or tuna salad, etc.), condiment and lettuce (no tomato, too messy!) Fruit- e.g., durable like an orange or banana (apples sometimes OK, but hard to bite if one is missing teeth), or a prepackaged fruit cup with a plastic spoon. A high protein item, such as a hard-boiled egg or cheese stick snack.
Selected by the
JFC Social Action Committee
Next Midnight Run: March 17, 2012
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WJCS Plans Purim Celebration for Persons with Developmental Disabilities The Havorah Program of WJCS is sponsoring a Purim Celebration for persons with developmental disabilities on Sunday, March 4 at 1:00 PM at Bet Torah Synagogue, 60 Smith Avenue, Mt. Kisco. The event includes music, crafts, games and refreshments. All are welcome and admission is free. To register contact Carol Williams at 761-0600 X107 or cwilliams@ wjcs.com.
Chairobics & More Offered at WJCS Senior Programs Starting March 5, the Mt. Vernon Senior Programs will be offering weekly Chairobics Body Movement classes on Mondays from 10:30 -11:30 AM. Classes cost $2 per session. No advance registration required. Located at Sinai Free Synagogue, 550 North Columbus Avenue, the program sponsored by Westchester Jewish Community Services provides social, educational and fitness activities for older adults. A daily hot lunch and transportation are available. For more information, contact Rabbi Andrew Bossov, Program Director, at 668-4350.
WJCS Plans Seders for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities The WJCS Havorah Program is planning two threecourse Seders for individuals with developmental disabilities: --Community Passover Seder for Persons with Developmental Disabilities will be held Thursday March 29 at 6:00 PM at Temple Shaaray Tefila, 89 Baldwin Road in Bedford. Admission is $10 per person. --Passover Seder for Persons with Developmental Disabilities will be Monday, April 2 at 6:00 PM at Beth El Synagogue Northfield Road and North Avenue in New Rochelle. Admission is $10 per person. All are welcome. To register, contact Carol Williams at 761-0600 X107 or cwiliams@wjcs.com.
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JOIN THE NEW JFC SISTERHOOD! COME JOIN US FOR A FABULOUS EVENING WITH A GROUP OF AMAZING WOMEN. WE WILL SHARE OUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ABOUT FUN AND UNIQUE EVENTS.
THURSDAY, MARCH 15 7:00 P.M. At the home of NICOLE ROSE 154 North Street, Ridgefield, CT RSVP: (203) 438-0553 or rosetimes4@sbcglobal.net IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL READERS Ruth Ossher is DANGEROUSLY ALLERGIC to many flowers. Accordingly, we CANNOT have the following flowers in the building at any time: Lillies Tropical flowers Jasmine scent Any highly scented flowers Artificial flowers that have been sprayed Ruth is NOT allergic to: Tulips Daffodils Hydrangeas Mums Sunflowers Potted flowers that we plant outdoors If you are using a florist, PLEASE have them call us even if they are sure. Dangerous mistakes have already been made. Many thanks for your cooperation!
MEM B NON ERS AN ARE MEMBE D R WEL COM S E!
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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.
BIRTHDAYS Holly Alexander Julia Besterman Joshua Bolgar Kevin Brand Andrew Carter Aaron Cohen Jaclyn Cohen Ellen Conti Karen Conti Dylan Cooper Ruby Davis Andrew Emmer Kenneth Feldman Zachary Fischman
Michael Gilbert Melissa Goodstein David Gottlieb Leslie Gottlieb Richard Hellinger Taylor Hoffman Laurel Honig Mitchell Kahn Terry Kalter Dayna Kaplan Jamie Kaplan Talia Kaufman Tracy Kirker Jeffrey Klotz
ANNIVERSARIES Michael & Marcela Berland Chuck & Ellen Cohen Charles Dockter & Lee Goldstein Kenny & Ellen Elias Martin & Henriette Kutscher Matthew & Julie Portnoy Leslie & Susan Simon Jonathan & Jennifer Sobel
Terrence Levens Corie Levine Heather Levinson Nathaniel Levinson Asher Meister-Aldama Michael Portnoy Amy Rackear Jacob Rauch Max Rauch Andrew Rose Noah Rose Sophie Rudin Dylan Salpeter Wynter Schnell
Jordan Schwartz Jodi Senese Julian Shafer Jonathan Sobel Alexa Stevelman Hayley Verbeke Zoe Waldman David Warren Bennett Wattles Mitchell Waxman Emily Wein Rebecca Westlake Julia Zuckerberg
YAHRZEITS Aaron Auerbach Murray Augustus Daniel Berlin Leo Bloch Martin Bressler Yetta Freedman Alex Gelbart Leon Gold Muriel Gould Felicia Israel-Mucciolo Anna Jacobson Goldie Kardish Sydney Lazarus
Melvin Moss Harold Plotka Betty Ravitch Irving Reichenthal Max Rifkin Herman Rosenthal Milton Rubin Elsie B Rudy Freda Salmon Max Schenk Agnes Spergen Hetty Weaver
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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The fingers being held in the air are indicating THE DATE!
Feb. 1, 2012 NO SNOW, NO COATS, NO WORRIES, NO PROBLEM!
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ASK THE RABBI public reading of Torah. If the Torah really did originate Answer: I am assuming that you are not asking about the at Sinai in approximately 1250 BCE, why is there no menages of our 3 Torah scrolls (the tiny one is about 300 years tion of it until 800 years later? Why is there no reference old; the Czech scroll is about 175 years old; and the Sefar- in the Psalms (ascribed to King David, who lived around the year 1000 BCE) to the Torah? Why don’t the prophets dic scroll is about 30 years old). You want to know how old the Torah…also known as The Five Books of Moses…is. (who lived and worked between 1000 and 100 BCE) have a lot to say about the contents of Torah? And there are at least two answers to that question. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain scraps of all the books of the Those who follow traditional Judaism believe that the To- Hebrew Bible except the Book of Esther, which had apparrah was given to Moses at Sinai verbatim as we have it ently not entered the canon by the year 70 CE (when the today. Conventional wisdom says that the exodus from Temple was destroyed by the Romans, and the scrolls, it is Egypt took place approximately in 1250 BCE, and since the believed, were hidden in the caves near the Dead Sea). Torah indicates that Moses received the Ten CommandScholars who have worked on these scrolls have shown ments (and by implication, all the rest of the Torah) 7 that the Torah texts preserved amongst them are not enweeks later, we can deduce that the traditional dating of tirely the same as the text we use now, which suggests the Torah would make it about 3250 years old. that the Torah, as late as the first century CE, was still in a On the other hand, those who think that the Torah is the state of flux, and only some time later was an absolute work of human beings believe that the Torah finally took standard accepted by the Jewish people. its present form around 450 BCE. They think that its vari- So it becomes quite hard to answer the question, “how ous parts were written between the 9th and the 5th centu- old is the Torah”. The answer you may be comfortable ries BCE, and then edited into its current form by scribes with might not suit the next person. And, unless there are among the Judeans who returned from the Babylonian more discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls, it seems likely captivity to rebuild the Temple (536 BCE was the beginthat we will never know definitively how to answer the ning of that return). question. The Book of Ezra and Nehemiah reports the reading of the If you are interested in more information on this subject, Torah to the Judean public, probably around 450 BCE. please discuss this with me, and I’ll refer you to some very There is no other reference in the Hebrew Bible to the accessible sources. Question: How old is the Torah?
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Priority________________ Date received___________ Check #_______________ Application for 2012-2013 School Year Child’s Name __________________________________________________ Gender _______________
Date of Birth _________________________
Home Address_________________________________________________ Home Phone_____________________________ Parent Name__________________________________________________ Parent Occupation______________________________________________ Business Address___________________ Business Phone_______________ Cell Phone___________________
E-mail_____________________
Parent Name__________________________________________________ Parent Occupation______________________________________________ Business Address___________________ Business Phone_______________ Cell Phone___________________ Other Children: Names/Ages
E-mail_____________________
__________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________
Please Check Appropriate Class 2-day 2’s_______ 4-day 3’s_______ 5-day 3’s_______
3-day 2’s _______ 4-day 4’s _______ 5-day 4’s _______
M/W/F 9:30-11:45 M/T/W/F 9:15-12:00 M-F 9:15-12:00
The tuition can be paid in full or in three equal installments: April 27, 2012 June 29, 2012 September 28, 2012
Please include a non-refundable $350 deposit made payable to JFC ($50 registration fee; $300 will be applied to tuition).
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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!
NEW JFC E-NEWSLETTER By now, you may have received the first of our e-newsletters to add a bit more magic to our Midrash! We hope you like the new format and information they bring. If you have news, pictures, or other items you wish to share, just reply via the line included at the bottom (or sidebar) of each missive. Our goal is to make this a vibrant and up-to-the-minute reflection of our JFC family. As part of our efforts, we'd like to start focusing on our wonderful members and will be including, whenever possible, a little biography on our Oneg host families for the week. You'll get either an e-mail or phone call from our newsletter editors a week or so before your host week. Please give them a little information on yourself so we can let everyone know how special you are to our community. Any suggestions, please contact either Kathy Storfer or Laurence Furic. (Your intrepid newsletter team.)
We are pleased to announce our annual Barton’s Passover Candy Sale. Proceeds of the sale are used to support JFC. This year, you may also ask your out-of-town friends and family to help as well by purchasing products from the MISS CHOCOLATE ON-LINE ORDERING SERVICE. It’s easy!!! Here’s all you do: 1. Log on to www.misschocolate.com and click on ONLINE STORE, then STUDENT SIGN UP (in red on the left). 2.
Enter SCHOOL CODE: 701525, and click submit.
3.
Complete all the information, including your own personal password.
You will get a confirmation page with the information you just provided. WRITE DOWN YOUR STUDENT ID # AS YOU WILL NEED IT TO PROCEED. (The confirmation page will also be emailed to you.) PLEASE NOTE: Your email confirmation will also include instructions on how to share this offer with friends and family. You only need to follow these instructions if you wish to forward the email to others. 1.
From where you are, click on FUNDRAISING LOGIN (in red on the left).
2.
Enter your STUDENT ID # and password.
3.
Click on-line ordering, and shop away!
After adding items to your cart and clicking on CHECKOUT, you will be brought to a window entitled “New Customer.” This is where you will enter your shipping address. Orders will be shipped directly to you – there is no need to pick it up at JFC! Orders over $75 will ship for free. New York State purchases are subject to sales tax. HURRY! THE SALE ENDS MARCH 15!
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ON WINGS OF EAGLES UJA-Federation of New York in Westchester warmly invites the entire Westchester community to spend an evening with Micha Feldmann Hero of Operation Solomon Since 1982, Micha Feldmann has devoted his life to bringing Ethiopian Jews to Israel and has helped them be absorbed into Israeli society. As Israel's consul-general to Ethiopia, he was one of the key architects of 1991's Operation Solomon that succeeded in bringing 14,310 Ethiopian Jews out of besieged Addis Ababa in one weekend. Currently, Micha serves as the director of the Ethiopian department within SELAH -- the Israel Crisis Management Center, an organization that helps in the absorption of new immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union, who were stricken by tragedy. Hosted by UJA-Federation of New York Scarsdale Women's Philanthropy Thursday, March 22, 2012 7:30 p.m. Westchester Reform Temple 255 Mamaroneck Road Scarsdale, New York Event Chairs Beth Ehrich Berkeley • Debbie Farfel • Lisa Rodman • Nicky Ziman Event Committee* Jane Alpert • Paula Blumenfeld • Lisa Eisenstein • Donald J. Fleishaker Lawrence and Sharon Grunfeld • Laura and David Kleinhandler • Bonnie and Mitchell Rudin Margo and Jack Schwartz • Fran and Saul Singer • Marc Suvall • Lynn and Glen Tobias Scarsdale Leadership Divisional Chair Caryl Orlando Area Chairs Trisanne Berger • Pam Frankel-Stein • Stephanie Hurwitz • Loryn Kass Robin Silk • Rochelle Waldman Couvert $36** per person, which includes the book, On Wings of Eagles. Dessert Reception Register Now For more information, contact Janine Jenkins at jenkinsj@ujafedny.org or 1.914.761.5100 ext. 114. Dietary Laws Observed. ASL interpreter available upon request. *In formation **The couvert represents the value of the event and is not tax-deductible.
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- - - Lots of new vendors! - - Check website for details.
rs ndo e v to ew ds n n’t wish n d a a rip g do ithSc ! If you r creatin all the W p Sho e time onside an get proall th r now, c ou too c s to this help r orde unt so y update ffice fo o O w acc ing ne he JFC unt! t exci ! Call t ur acco gram ng up yo i sett
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February 2012 Dear Friends, We want to thank you for the incredible support provided by Jewish Family Congregation of South Salem to UJA-Federation of New York / Westchester’s 5th Annual Families Feeding Families January Food Drive for the Bronx Jewish Community Council Food Pantry and Westchester Jewish Community Services families. Could you BELIEVE THAT MOUNTAIN OF FOOD you collected, with food donations still arriving on Sunday? We loaded 307, yes 307 cartons into the truck compared to 200 last year. That is a 53% increase!!!!!! And we did the final stretch- of sorting and packing with over 170 teenagers from 31 Westchester synagogues, community centers, schools and organizations. Our teen and adult volunteers came together in a monumental effort to get the job done – in less than 2 hours!!! This truly community wide mitzvah resulted in our most successful food drive to date. We want to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you for your generosity and the work that you all did. Be assured that many, many hungry people, who struggle to buy food for themselves and for their loved ones, will have food to eat and a few less worries at least for a while. It has been a pleasure to work with you and we look forward to more opportunities to come together to do more for those who so badly need help. We do good together. With warmest regards, Liz Schnitzer, Stephanie Tessler Kate Schnitzer, Marlee Baumberg Donna Divon For event pictures: http://on.fb.me/fff2012http://gallery.me.com/urbanenergy#100997
Donna Divon Program Manager Community and Volunteer Services UJA-Federation of New York/ Westchester 701 Westchester Ave, Suite 203 East White Plains, New York 10604 914.761.5100 ext 130 Fax 914.761.9859
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JiFTY By Jessica Sheptin
We are so excited about hosting the upcoming Shul-In. This year’s theme is Pixar Movies! Watch next month for pictures of all the fun we had! JFC ANNOUNCEMENTS 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. 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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March 2012 Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu 1
Fri 2
K-3/CC/SMP/YG ECC ECC Staff Mtg. 12:15
THURSDAY CLASS TIMES:
Creation Station
K-3: 4:15-6:00 CC: 6:15-7:15 YG: 7:15-8:15
Bd Mtg
URJ CAMPS Service 7:30 Tot Shabbat
Sat 3
Gr. 7 9-10:45 Bagel Shabbat 9:30 ALL WELCOME JiFTY SHUL-IN
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Gr. 4-6 9:00-12:00
ECC
ECC
ECC
K-3/CC/SMP
ECC
Gr. 7 9-10:45
(11-12 carnival -DON’T FORGET $)
Gr. 7 4:20-6:15
Creation Station
Lunch ‘N Learn 11:00-1:00
Purim Carnival 12:00-2:00 ALL WELCOME
Purim Service Family Service 5:00 (during RS) 6:30-7:15
11
12
13
14
15
Gr. 4-6 9:00-12:00
ECC
ECC
ECC
K-3/CC/SMP/YG ECC
Comm. Mtg
Kids Knesset 5:10-5:30
Gr. 6 - B’nai Mitzvah Readiness Mtg (students only) 11:30-12
Gr. 7 4:20-6:15
Ritual Mtg
RS Early Reg. ends; regular YG Elections reg. begins (ends 4/18)
16
Creation Station GR. 2 SERVICE
17
Gr. 7 9-9:45 Bar Mitzvah Of Joshua Rauch
Service 7:30 Tot Shabbat
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Gr. 4-6 9:00-12:00
ECC
ECC
ECC
K-3/CC/SMP Model Seder 5:15-6:00
ECC
Gr. 7 9-9:45
Kids Knesset 11:10-11:30
Gr. 7 4:20-6:15 ECC BOOK SWAP 5:00-7:00 P.M.
NFTY Elections (NYC)
Creation Station
Bar Mitzvah Of Gregory Hoffman
Service 7:30 Tot Shabbat
25
26
27
28
29
Gr. 4-6 9:00-12:00
ECC
ECC
ECC
Model Seder 11:15-12:00
Gr. 7 4:20-6:15
K-3/CC/SMP/YG ECC ECC Staff Mtg. 12:15
30
Creation Station Congregant Drash Service 7:30 Tot Shabbat
JEWISH FAMILY CONGREGATION
31
SPRING RECESS NO RELIGIOUS
SCHOOL
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