May 2014 Shofar - Iyar/Sivan 5774

1 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Jewish Family Congregation www.jewishfamilycongregation.org

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

May Shabbat Schedule Shabbat Emor, Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23

Religious School Gathering

May 2 7:30 pm Shabbat service with Yom HaAtzmaut Observance with Choir, Free babysitting May 3 7:30 pm Morris Glass, Holocaust Survivor, speaks and Havdallah Shabbat Behar, Leviticus 25:1 - 26:2 May 9

7:30 pm

Shabbat service

Shabbat Bechukotai, Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34 May 16 7:30 pm Shabbat service Free babysitting

Rehearsing Dayenu

May 17 10:00 am Shabbat service including Sandy Radin’s Bat Mitzvah Shabbat Bemidbar, Numbers 1:1 - 4:20 May 23

7:30 pm

Shabbat service

Shabbat Naso, Numbers 4:21 - 7:89 May 30

7:30 pm

Shabbat service

May 31 6:30 pm Hike, Picnic and Havdallah at Mountain Lakes Park, North Salem, NY

ECC Gets Ready for Passover

2 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

From the Rabbi’s Desk Shavuot and Confirmation Although this is the May Shofar and Shavuot is not until June 3-4, I want to share a few thoughts about that holiday in advance…

As most of you already know, Shavuot is one of the three Pilgrimage Festivals in the Jewish calendar, on the same level of importance as Sukkot and Passover.

Unlike Sukkot and Passover, however, Shavuot is only one day long, so it often gets overlooked. Also, there are no sukkot or booths to build, nor are there large family dinners with special foods and rituals like a Passover seder. Shavuot often feels like the lost child of the Hebrew calendar.

Shavuot is a harvest festival, similar to Sukkot, and celebrates the first fruits of the season. Jewish tradition also states that Moses received the Torah on Mount Sinai on Shavuot, so it is called the Season of the Giving of the Torah. Like other holidays, we read from a book in the Writings section of the Hebrew Scriptures -- in this case, from the Book of Ruth. The Book of Ruth was chosen as the additional biblical reading because she accepted the laws of Judaism when she joined the Jewish people, just as the ancient Israelites accepted the Torah on this holiday.

Reform Jews connected the ceremony of Confirmation with Shavuot for the same reason. After studying Jewish traditions and customs for a period of time

following a bar or bat mitzvah ceremony, these students confirm their acceptance of Torah into their lives. JFC is lucky to celebrate the confirmation of three students this year: Isaiah Blum, Shoshana Chipman, and Zachary Kaplan. I have greatly enjoyed teaching them this year, as well as other members of the Confirmation class. (Confirmation class at JFC consists of students in grades 8 and 9.) I hope that you will join me in celebrating their learning and achievements on Tuesday, June 3 at 7:30 pm for a special Shavuot and Confirmation Service. Each student will share personal thoughts about their Jewish journey, and I am sure that it will be inspiring and enjoyable.

Also, just as JFC welcomed members of Temple Shearith Israel to join us for Erev 7th Day Passover services, we will be hosted for Shavuot morning services on Wednesday, June 4 at 10 am at TSI, 46 Peaceable St, Ridgefield, CT. Cantor Kerry and I will join Rabbi David Reiner and Cantor Deborah Katchko Gray in leading a short service. Yizkor prayers will be recited, and there will be a chance to study together as well.

I look forward to seeing you at JFC on Tuesday, June 3 and at TSI on Wednesday, June 4 as we celebrate Shavuot together.

Chag Sameach!

Presidents’ Message--------------Page 3

Ritual Committee-----------------Page 7

Cantors’ Corner--------------------Page 4

Social Action Committee-------Page 8

Religious School-------------------Page 5

Ask The Rabbi---------------------Page 9

Early Childhood Center-------- Page 6

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

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

From The Presidents

by Glenn Kurlander and Hal Wolkin

As Spring appears finally to have sprung, it’s appropriate for our thoughts to turn to renewal and revitalization. While it’s always tempting to see metaphor email: office@jewishfamilycongregation.org in the movement from one season to another, for some Spring has special website: www.jewishfamilycongregation.org emotional force. And for us, as members of JFC, this time of year has particular ----------------resonance: our annual Gala is a matter of recent history and, as we write, Passover—a festival of renewal and a figurative rebirth—is just around the corner.

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

It’s worth reflecting for a moment on what our Gala has come to mean to us as a community. While it always has been an important fund-raising event for JFC, Cantor in recent years it has also become a defining celebration of our connectedness: Kerry Ben-David an opportunity for us to come together and renew and deepen our bonds, undercantor@jewishfamilycongregation.org score our commitment to JFC and to one another, revel in our sense of shared ---------------mission and, just as important, simply have fun together. Many families seek Director of Education out opportunities to engage in shared experience, because the store of memoLeslie Gottlieb lgottlieb@jewishfamilycongregation.org ries those experiences create and the bonds they forge are among the things that hold family together, during good times and during times of challenge.

Administrator We are no different. The Gala has again brought us together and strengthened Kathleen Sakowicz and deepened our bonds. And the accretion to JFC’s social capital resulting ksakowicz@jewishfamilycongregation.org from the Gala has been immense. Our thanks again to all the congregants who worked so tirelessly to make the Gala a success, and our thanks to you for sharEarly Childhood Center Director ing this special festival with us.

Jane Weil Emmer jemmer@jewishfamilycongregation.org

-------------------Glenn Kurlander Co-President Hal Wolkin Co-President president@jewishfamilycongregation.org Richard Mishkin, Vice-President Polly Schnell, Vice-President Robyn Cohen, Treasurer Suzanne Sunday, Secretary executive@jewishfamilycongregation.org Josh Blum, Trustee Karen Conti, Trustee Michael Gitlitz, Trustee Ken Levinsohn, Trustee Robi Margolis, Trustee Paul Storfer, Trustee Bonnie Wattles, Trustee Elisa Zuckerberg, Trustee board@jewishfamilycongregation.org -------------Shofar Editor Bryan Wolkin Shofar Printer Copy Stop Royal Press

Rabbi Burstein and we recently had the opportunity to participate in a celebration of renewal and revitalization of a different sort, when the three of us attended the installation of Rabbi David L. Reiner at our neighbor congregation, Temple Shearith Israel, just two miles up the road in Ridgefield. The installation was a lovely and joyous ceremony, and as TSI celebrated officially the beginning of its new chapter, we remembered fondly our own recent official celebration of rabbinical renewal when JFC formally installed Rabbi Burstein. We will have another opportunity to deepen our bonds with our TSI neighbors and celebrate our membership in a broader community on Sunday, April 20th at 7:00 pm, when we will hold an erev Seventh Day of Passover service (including Yizkor) at JFC, at which TSI’s Rabbi, lay leaders and congregants will worship together with us.

Please join us at this special service. (And looking just down the road a bit, TSI will return our hospitality on June 4, when they have invited all of JFC to join them for a Shavuot service at TSI.) Finally, we’ll mark another cyclical event shortly, as JFC will soon end one fiscal year and begin the next. That means that an annual meeting of the congregation will be held in June, at which congregants will vote on a new budget and elect board members and officers. There will be at least one vacancy on the board of trustees, and this is our first invitation to you to think seriously about giving back to JFC by becoming a board member. While the most important attributes for board service are a strong commitment to JFC and a desire to be deeply engaged, we are especially seeking a new board member with a financial accounting background. But whatever your professional or personal background, please think seriously about board service as a very tangible and satisfying way to make a significant contribution to our shared JFC community.

-Glenn Kurlander and Hal Wolkin

4 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

The Cantor’s Corner

By Cantor Kerry Ben-David “Outside the Camp” On March 28, our Shabbat Evening Service featured our wonderful second grade class. That week’s Torah portion was Tazria, and the students had been well prepared by Rabbi Burstein during his visit to their class the previous afternoon. Tazria, and even Metzora, the following week’s portion, both focus on the ancient issues of “purity” and “impurity” as they related to a very wide variety of conditions that involved the daily lives of our ancestors.

Both portions, depending on your perspective, can make tough, even uncomfortable reading. That discomfort arises from the fact that they address in an unvarnished way, topics that you and I rarely, if ever, discuss. In the wide variety of situations that sometimes brought one of our ancestors the designation of “unclean,” there was definitely an implicit awareness that they were separated from the rest of the camp until they fulfilled the explicit “rules” of how to regain their state of “purity.”

Rabbi Burstein, during his drash on March 28, referred to these unfortunate people as being “outside the camp.”

Certainly, even if they weren’t physically removed from the camp, they felt emotionally separated from all of their family and friends. Our JFC second graders were each given opportunities during the discussion to express their compassion and empathy for these poor folks who found themselves “outside the camp.” Each student was asked by Rabbi Burstein to detail what they would like to say to them during a hypothetical encounter. Our students’ enthusiastic expressions of warmth and encouragement were deeply touching to all of us present.

Because of the graphic content of these two Torah portions, they are also universally avoided, whenever possible,

by B’nai Mitzvah students when it comes to selecting a date for their simcha on our calendar. Avoiding an uncomfortable theme is possible when picking a B’nai Mitzvah date, but life does not always give us this option. For me, this year was just such an experience. Two months ago, unexpectedly, the words “outside the camp” took on added and personal meaning for me. I am going through a medical issue that has very much separated me from almost all men. Each year, only 2400 men in American receive a confirmation of Male Breast Cancer. Everything about my own experience with this form of cancer has definitely placed me “outside the camp.”

For me, this journey has been a powerful reminder of how important it is to reach out to those who, for any reason, are separated from the main camp by unfortunate circumstances in their lives, or illness of any type. May I suggest we take a lesson from the portions Tazria/Metzora and even expand on it. Let us remember those struggling with inner demons, addictions, low self-esteem and mental illness. Clearly, we know that this list goes on and on. And clearly, the need for our compassion and encouragement can be found at every turn of the road that we travel. We can make a big difference in the lives of those “outside the camp.” For me, there are no more important words in Judaism then “tikkun olam” - fix the world. Keep that phrase on the front burner of your lives as you go out and follow the suggestions of our second graders and our Rabbi: “fix the broken and the brokenness in the world around you!”

Shabbat Dinners for JFC Members Would you like to get to know Rabbi Burstein and a few other members of the congregation better? Are you a good host or hostess and enjoy having people in your home?

In an effort to connect members of the congregation with each other and for Rabbi Burstein to get to know people better, several members have hosted Shabbat dinners in their homes in the past few months. It is a great way to share Shabbat and strengthen our congregation.

We also are looking for guests interested in attending these meals, so let us know if you would like to join us.

If you would like to host or attend a small Shabbat dinner (usually at 5:30 pm) in a member’s home, please be in touch with Robi Margolis at: roberta.margolis@comphealth.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

5 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

From the Religious School

By Leslie Gottlieb

In one week, I’ll be off on a two week trip that will include several stops in Germany including Berlin— our daughter’s new favorite city in the world. She says she wants to live there one day! Several months ago when she left for a semester abroad there, I wrote about the confluence of emotions that went along with my hard-found acceptance that Germany was deserving of a second chance for Jews. So far, she has not felt any uncomfortableness—not any more than being anywhere “while being Jewish.” With Yom HaShoah behind us only a week ago and still clear in our collective rear-view mirror, remembering is an active verb that runs very deep right now, throughout the year and throughout our lives.

Interestingly, a few weeks ago, the notebook writings of German philosopher and Nazi Martin Heidegger were published for the first time and released in Germany. Over the years, sceptics have argued back and forth about his relationship and attitudes toward Jews. He was once in an actual romantic relationship with German-Jewish philosopher, Hannah Arendt which scholars say may have diminished his strong anti-Semitic views—but not so much. But Heidegger has been understood, according to Boston University Professor Thomas Meyer, to have imagined a world without Jews. It has now become clearer than ever that this prominent thinker felt Jews were deserving of a final solution. Richard Wolin of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York writes that, “The evidence now isn’t just undeniable, it’s over the top.” It is disturbing for scholars and humans alike, that such a towering mind like Heidegger’s could possess such a poisonous bias and hatred for a race of people-- ours.

It has come to be a modern disappointment for those who were in the camp that held him out to be so much more.

We like to think that anti-Semitism is something that relegates itself to a certain time in history. It certainly makes us feel better to think that way… safer, too. But lo and behold just a few weeks ago in nearby Greenburgh, an affluent municipality of northern Westchester, the chief of the Fairview Fire Department was accused of anti-Semitic slurs against the town supervisor-- who is Jewish—following his admitted frustration that some of the local fire districts were being consolidated. What is the difference what the actual issue is anyway? Why does the Jewish piece enter into the conversation here? The Board of Fire Commissioners called the remarks (which were not specified)

“a wholly inappropriate and embarrassing utterance… that did not reflect [the chief’s] true feelings.” But a spokesman from the Anti-Defamation League begged to differ saying, it “appears to be an attempt to excuse the vulgar anti-Semitic remarks by attributing them to a political disagreement.” How far have we come on the issue of bigotry since WWII? Apparently, not very.

We are not evolved as a race of humans, still, on the issues of racism and intolerance.

Many of you may have had the opportunity to have watched on PBS last month Simon Schama’s, “The Story of the Jews.” If not, it is worth investigating.

The five-part series is in book form in two volumes and is quite worthwhile. The first book “…celebrates Schama’s main thesis: that Jews were not the rigidly pious and self-segregating people Christian invective as well as the theologically dominated research of the late 19th and early 20th centuries made them out to be.

From the beginning, of their known history and for centuries thereafter, Jews comingled with Canaanites, Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, preMuslim Arabs and Christian Europeans,” according to reviewer, Judith Shulevitz in the Sunday Times Book Review one weekend in March. Maybe learning this about our people adds more fuel to the fire and further frustration that a people so assimilated into the fabric and culture of a community—wherever in the world we were living in the past or present—there could be such a hard line to divide us against the current of a society that once embraced us. When does this come together for any group of people-- and who can say if that will ever be if so many countries and religious groups (and individuals like the gentleman from Greenburgh!) continue to mark us as un-desirable… simply because we are Jews.

In grades 6 and 7 we teach our students about the Holocaust as a part of the Jewish experience and do not represent it as the entire lens through which we view ourselves and our magical history. In grade 6, parents, teachers and students attend The Museum of Jewish Heritage in lower Manhattan for a special and memorable experience that explores Jewish life and the Shoah. The museum is architecturally haunting and spiritually uplifting as the upper floor windows look out across the river to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It is remarkable how the building alone and its positioning on land reflects hope for its visitors. Ours is a remarkable story of a remarkable and resilient people.

Continued on page 20

6 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

From The Early Childhood Center

by Jane Emmer

What’s happening in the Blue Room?

The Blue Room crew learned all about Spring, Passover and Earth Day. April was a great month to link these three beautiful celebrations. Bean plants sprouted and grew really tall. We made kites and flowers. We acted out the story of Passover, learned about what is on the Seder Plate. We made pillowcases so that we could recline at our seders. We also made matzah covers. We had a great time leading our school model seder.

Throughout the month we focused on the importance of taking care of our planet, as we got ready to celebrate Earth Day. What’s happening in the Yellow Room?

Our Yellow Room dynamos learned more about dinosaurs and used them to make footprints in the paint and play dough. The kids love dinosaurs! They sorted them, described them and even “researched” their names.

The boys from the yellow room (we have an all boys class this year) had their first trip to the library. Each child has a library card and they each get to choose a book to take home and return the following week. They love their weekly library trips.

Thankfully the really cold weather has gone, and the children are able to spend more time outside. They love to drive our new cars and scooters, and play on our wonderful playground.

We learned the story of Passover, and loved going to our all-school celebration.

Endnote... a bit of wisdom from Robert Brooks, PhD....

Whether it’s a trip to the playground that gets ruined by rain or there are no more chocolate sprinkles at the ice cream shop, life is full of little and big disappointments. And as much as we’d like to spare our kids from letdowns, we can’t -- and that’s a good thing. “When children learn at an early age that they have the tools to get over a disappointing situation, they’ll be able to rely on that throughout childhood and even as adults,” says Robert Brooks, PhD, coauthor of Raising Resilient Children. “If you bend over backwards to shield them from disappointment, you’re keeping them from developing some important skills.”

7 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

From The Ritual Committee

By Michael Salpeter, Chair

While glancing at the Hebrew calendar I noticed that during the months of Nissan and Iyar there was an indication between Passover and Shavuot relating to the counting of the omer. Previously I had heard about the omer and more specifically the festival of Lag B’Omer, yet I had no idea of the meaning or the significance of these days . Rather than explain it to me, the Rabbi challenged me with researching the counting of the omer, and it seemed like an interesting topic to share with others.

In the book of Leviticus (23:15) we are commanded to count the days from the second day of Passover to Shavuot. In the days of the Temple, people brought an offering of grain on the second day of Passover, omer being the Hebrew word for sheaves of grain, presumably barley. The intention of the counting of the omer is to cement the link between Passover when the Israelites became free from slavery and Shavuot which celebrates the time when God gave the Torah to Moses. Traditionally each night we recite a blessing and state the number of days since the counting of the omer commenced.

The time of the counting of the omer is also similar to a time of mourning. Weddings, dancing, parties and haircuts are prohibited during these 49 days. While researching the reason for this somber time, it seems unclear as to the precise reason for the prohibitions. Possibly as a result of a plague or a war there was the death of 24,000 followers of Rabbi Akiba. During the 33rd day of the counting of the omer (33 being represented by the Hebrew letters lamed gimel or Lag) there is a respite from the prohibitions and traditionally bonfires are lit, the fires representing the light of the Torah.

As Reform Jews we may find socially conscious ways to celebrate Lag B’Omer. We may use that day to get our hair cut and donate that hair for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Couples getting married on that day may ask guests to donate tzedakah in their honor, or to participate in activities to stress the need for marriage equality. This year we should all consider some means of representing the meaning of the counting of the omer.

Use the Shofar to say...

Happy Birthday, Get Well, Thanks, or I Remember...

Sanctuary Chair Plaque $150 Leaf on Simcha Tree $180 Memorial Board Plaque $450 General Fund Building Fund Caring Committee Fund Social Action Fund Ground Beautification Fund JFC-URJ Camp Fund Molly and Gregory RS Scholership Fund Rabbi Discretionary Fund Music and Choir Fund Religious School Director Fund

8 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

From The Social Action Committee

by Debbie Lavin

We are planning a special Midnight Run outing for over the summer-- we will plan to do a Sunday morning breakfast run in July or August. This is a perfect opportunity for people to participate who are not able to do the very late Saturday night outings! We will distribute breakfast foods (quiche, scrambled eggs, rolls, Danish, coffee are suggested), and we only go to one stop around 8:30 or 9:00 AM. We also give out the usual new socks and underwear, but instead of a full assortment of clothing, we just give out 1 or 2 types of clothing (for instance, t-shirts). We are excited to do this new kind of mitzvah, and hope we will have a few people interested in participating. Already, we have 7or 8 people expressing interest, so let me know as soon as possible if you are interested.

Rayn Schnell wrote a wonderful essay in last Month’s Shofar about her committment to religious school. I would like to excerpt her thoughts about her participation in the Midnight Run: “A few of my friends and I rode to different points in the city and each had different. Jobs. I handed out clothing.

When someone found exactly what he or she wanted, I would get a feeling of such pride. I realized that even a small group of people can make an important difference in so many lives.... Now that I have experienced this, I will jump at the chance to do it, or anything like it, again and again as I grow older.”

If you’d like to help out with this special Mitzvah, please email DebbieLav@aol.com.

Board Host : Polly Schnell Oneg Shabbat Hosts: 5/2/2014

Jeremy Tubbs and Daniela Goldman

Judy and Steve Vandervelden

5/9/2014

Steve and Cheryl Shainmark

Richard and Beth Sklarin

5/16/2014 Tracy Benson

Richard Bersch and Amy Selig

5/23/2014 Linda Paulding Susan Stillman 5/30/2014 Andrew and Allison Rappaport

Robert and Emily Rauch

Bat Mitzvah of Sandy Radin

9 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Ask The Rabbi Why are there typically no Jewish weddings around this time of year?

The period between Passover and Shavuot is a special time in the Jewish calendar. Beginning with the second day of Passover, we count 50 days to the receiving of the torah on the holiday of Shavuot. This period is called the counting of the Omer.

Leviticus 23:15-16 states: “You shall count for yourselves -- from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving -- seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count, fifty days...” We also read a similar commandment in Deuteronomy 16:9-10: “You shall count for yourselves seven weeks, from when the sickle is first put to the standing crop shall you begin counting seven weeks. Then you will observe the Festival of Shavu’ot for Adonai, your God.” The number 50 is significant because it consists of the magical Jewish number 7X7+1.

An Omer is a grain offering of barley that was added to the additional sacrifices in The Temple in Jerusalem during biblical times. Since The Temple no longer exists, prayers take the place of our sacrifices, and we recite a blessing for each day.

Incidentally, the counting of the Omer is the only time in Judaism when missing a day prevents us from saying the blessing. If we miss a day of counting, we simply state the day without reciting the blessing. (Each year I try to say the blessing every day – I keep a chart next to my bed and in my work bag. Maybe this year will be the year that I count every day with the blessing…?)

Similar to Chanukah, we count up to Shavuot (not down); the Talmud teaches us the principle of “going up in matters of holiness.”

In addition to the biblical commandment of marking the days between Passover and Shavuot, this period is a time of partial mourning. Rabbi Akiba was one of the greatest scholars of the Talmud and lived during the 1st and 2nd centuries of the Common Era. A plague affected his students at this time of year, and tradition states that 24,000 students of his died because of the plague. Because of their death at this season, no weddings were performed at this time, nor do some Jews have haircuts. (These are the same prohibitions for other mourning periods in the Jewish calendar, like the days preceding Tisha B’Av.) Because the plague during Akiba’s life ended on the 33rd day of the Omer, that day has become a minor holiday known as Lag b’Omer (meaning 33rd day of the Omer). Many wedding ceremonies take place on Lag b’Omer, as do picnics and bonfires in Israel. Once the mourning period is broken, weddings are able to be performed, although some Jews wait until after Shavuot.

10 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

From The Sisterhood JFC Sisterhood – Shofar May 2014

The JFC Sisterhood is proud to welcome its newest members to the Sisterhood Board: Dawn Kessler, Marnie Cohen and Amy Fishkin. Thank you for the ongoing leadership of Cindy Carson, Nicole Rose and Susan Shapiro, who will continue to lead the Sisterhood at JFC. Cindy, Nicole and Susan have been instrumental in planning all the wonderful events that take place throughout the year which bring the women of JFC together.

On Monday, March 17, the Sisterhood came together at the Adam Broderick Spa for a night of schmoozing and pampering. Between complimentary massages, make-­‐up applications, laquer changes and ab express peels, members of the Sisterhood enjoyed mingling over wine and refreshments as we met new people, and chatted about family, work and life.

8 please join us for a special dinner honoring women of Coming up on MJune ay 18, leadership in our JFC community. Enjoy good food and great company as we get to know each other better and celebrate the strength of sisterhood. The JFC Sisterhood continues to be a place where all women, no matter what stage of life, or how long you’ve been a member in the temple, can come together and share in our lives. Being a part of the JFC Sisterhood is about being a part of a community that celebrates the special bond we hold as Jewish women. Our JFC Sisterhood events give us a chance to take a break from our hectic lives, take care of ourselves, celebrate our Jewish identity, and support one another. We hope you will join us for the Sisterhood Dinner on MJune ay 188th at JFC!

2014-15 Youth Group Board Newly Elected Posts President- Sam Blum Programming Co-VPs- Alex Ozols, Aaron Cohen Social Action Co-VPs- Ali Andrade, Zachary Kaplan Religious & Cultural Co-VPs- Jacob Furic, Gabe Zuckerberg Communications VP- Laurel Levinsohn Membership VP- Rachel Kalter

11 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Jewish Family Congregation’s

FAMILY BARBECUE Friday, May 2

5:30 pm Family Service for all ages 6:00 pm BBQ and Shabbat sing-a-long 7:30 pm Yom HaAtzmaut Service with Choir

BRING A FRIEND OR TWO NO CHARGE WE SUPPLY: Burgers (beef & veggie)/buns, hotdogs/buns, potato salad, cole slaw, condiments and paper goods.

YOU SUPPLY: Beverages and any other (kosher-style) food you’d like to grill.

YOU MAY ALSO WANT: Lawn chairs/blankets Bug Spray Frisbees, etc.

R.S.V.P. by noon Thursday, May 1

Either call (914) 763-3028 or email office@jewishfamilycongregation.org with number of people Jewish Family Congregation * 111 Smith Ridge Road * South Salem, NY 10590

12 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Donations Caring Committee Michael and Rona Salpeter in memory of Francis Horvilleur General Fund Ken Aufsesser in memory of Jerome Semel Doris Hettmansberger in memory of Harlan Hettmansberger, Martin Bressler, and Milton Rubin Drs. Ethan David and Michael Salpeter in memory Patrice Adams Michael and Emily Wein in memory of Isaac Israel Suzanne Sunday in memory of Francis Horvilleur Rabbi Discretionary Fund Karen Conti in memory of Karen’s grandmother, Anna Jacobson

Todah Rabbah, A Big Thank You to: Everyone who made the Gala such a successful event. Without a doubt, this was the best event JFC has ever had and everyone who attended had a great evening. It had all of the right elements in place and resulted in a lovely, memorable and successful evening. To our committee: the set-up was perfect, the food was absolutely delicious, the decorations were unbelievably gorgeous, our silent and live auction items were amazing and our fundraising was a wonderful group effort. We felt a sense of renewal with refreshed relationships and rejuvenated feelings toward JFC. So, a big thank you to everyone who worked on the event, who attended and who bid on items.

Thanks to all the Grade 7 parents, students and siblings for making this year’s Purim Carnival one of the greatest ever. We cleared $300 after costs and will use these funds for Arts Education for the Religious School in the fall. Thanks to all.

Debbie & Mark Lavin, Josh & Isaiah Blum, Emily, Rob, Josh and Max Rauch, Ian Leitner, Ellen Barth and Rob Strongin for their help with the Road Side Clean Up. Over twenty bags were filled and Route 35 is looking beautiful. Rob Strongin also replaced our Jewish Family Congregation sign on Route 35.

Karen Blum for her help shopping and organizing the April 9 seder for the developmentally disabled in Bedford, JFC Religious School Passover programs and the JFC College Holiday Gift Program.

Jodi Waxman & Ellen, Brooke and Carly Goldstein for their help at the April 9 seder for the developmentally disabled in Bedford.

Elyse & Heather Sherr for their efforts to help Hope’s Door and for planning to attend the May 24 Youth Summit for the Jr. Newtown Action Alliance at Newtown High School.

13 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Morris Glass, Holocaust survivor, shares his memories at Jewish Family Congregation Morris Glass was eleven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and changed his life forever. A childhood filled with school, soccer, and cowboy movies was transformed into a nightmare of ghettos and camps, unending hunger, exhausting work, fear and loss.

(Chosen for Destruction: The Story of a Holocaust Survivor

by Morris Glass and Carolyn Murray Happer)

Morris Glass, father of JFC congregant Michelle Blum, grandfather of Sam, Isaiah, and Ella Blum, is an active speaker for the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust. He speaks for the millions of men, women and children murdered during Hitler's reign of terror.

Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 pm 111 Smith Ridge Road South Salem, NY 10509 Visit https://morrisglassatjfc.eventbrite.com Or call 914-763-3028 To reserve your seat Tickets are free, but must be requested in advance.

14 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

K-3 program Passover Experience & Youth Group JiFTY Board Elections

15 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

RS grades 4-6 Enjoying Passover

16 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

May S.T.A.R.S. Party & Carnival Save the Date: Sunday, May 4!!

From 10:00-11:00 AM: Each K-3 RS student needs to attend the same number of services as his/her grade in order to attend the party on the 4th. Get busy now and attend Friday night services! Keep track of the dates and/or sign in using the Big Binder in the Youth Lounge whenever you arrive for Shabbat services. K-grade 6 students, eligible.

11:00 AM- 1:00 PM- ALL WELCOME!!!!!

This year we’ll have a 18’ slide and a Bounce House on hand to help with the fun!! Fresh popcorn and other treats will be served.

Also that day, we will feature a hands-on family art opportunity sponsored by Ben’s Bells Project—a project that promotes kindness around the globe to communities who encounter tragedy.

STARS kids come from 10-11 AM for all the fun they can fit in. From 11 AM- 1 PM the entire school and congregation can join us but bring some spending $ as this is our spring school fundraiser and we are counting on your support.

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

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

17 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

The Best of Old World Elegance, Rural Beauty and Modern Amenities Located in a country setting, the newly renovated clubhouse features a stunning ballroom windowed throughout, with panoramic views of a spectacular golf course and surrounding hills.

Parties of all sizes welcome One affair per day Kosher catering available

Salem Golf Club 18 Bloomer Road, North Salem NY 10560 914*669*5485 www.salemgolfclub.org

Notes by

Nancy, Inc.

Nancy Silberstein Invitations and stationery at discount prices tel/fax: 914-232-0835 e-mail: notesbynancy@aol.com www.notesbynancyinvitations.com

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

18 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

MB TUTORING Hundreds of students helped to excel

Malcolm Brown MIT Chemical Engineer B.S., M.S.

Prep

• SAT, PSAT & ACT

Math

• 7th & 8th Grades • High School sequence • Calculus

Science • Chemistry  Physics • Earth Science For further information, contact: Telephone: (914) 533-5468 E-mail: malcolmbro@aol.com Registered State tutoring. Serving Westchester and Fairfield

Local Shopping

Each time you shop at DeCicco Market, 1 Cross River Plaza, Cross River NY, tell the cashier you are a JFC member before ringing up your order. JFC will recieve a small rebate from your purchases.

19 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Jewish Family Congregation Picnic, Hike and Havdallah Rabbi Marcus Burstein will lead a Nature Hike concluding with a Sing-a-Long and Havdallah Service at Mountain Lakes Park May 31 Join us at 6:30 pm for a picnic, evening stroll, culminating in a Sing-a-Long Havdallah service around 9 pm.

Families are welcome to participate.

Space is limited.

Email office@jewishfamilycongregation.org to make reservations with the number of people attending before Friday, May 23 or with any questions.

Please remember to bring a picnic dinner, bug spray, water, and a flashlight. No alcohol permitted. Sturdy, closed toe shoes are recommended.

Meet at Big Pine campsite, near the lake at Sal Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park 201 Hawley Road, North Salem, NY.

20 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Continued from page 5

It is the rural area of Germany that I am anxious to feel most comfortable within as we travel abroad this month.

It is my particular hope to be embraced as a human—as a New Yorker, in fact, that interests me. On my shoulders is the pain of the past and the hope for the future including all the students’ lives I touch. I believe in people-- and hope that Jews and Germans alike can now really be considered friends. I know that sentiment sounds a lot like the voice of young Anne Frank whose home we plan to visit in Amsterdam, but it is heartfelt and genuine in every sense. I do believe…

JFC Religious School 6th Graders, Teachers & Parents At The Museum of Jewish Heritage this Spring

21 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

22 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

23 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

Birthdays Tyler Alexander

Laurence Furic

Ethan Lipper

Daniella Amerling

Allison Glass

Georgia Marceau

Phyllis Amerling

Zachary Gottlieb

Debra Paget

Theodore Bloch

Lowell Haims

Aaron Paulding

Isaiah Blum

Jackie Kalter

Forrest Rappaport

Samuel Blum

Nathaniel Kaplan

Michael Silva

Robert Bolgar

Dawn Kessler

Molly Silva

Jacob Breslin

Jake Kessler

Daniel Storfer

John Conti

Peter Kessler

Steven Vandervelden

Abigail Dodes

Marc Kutscher

Alexander Wattles

Alix Drawec

Eric Larson

Susan Westlake

Hayes Firestein

Philip Levens

Jack Wilson

Sydney Fried

Wendy Lipp

Yahrzeits Charlotte Dutka

Andrew Hyman

Diane Ravitch

William Rubenstein

Abraham Goldfield

Claire Levens

Edith Redman

Ludwig Sternberger

Shirley Grossman

Alan Levinsohn

Josephine Rothman Fuchs

Anniversaries Rabbi Marcus Burstein & Eric Larson

Kenneth Kurzweil & Suzanne Sunday

John & Karen Conti

Graeme & Catherine Lipper

Matthew Duckett & Elisabeth Rich

Eric & Meredith Rudin

David & Amy Fischer

Mitchell & Jodi Waxman

Bryon & Victoria Friedman

24 Page

Jewish Family Congregation Shofar

Iyar - Sivan 5774/May 2014

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

Religious School Passover Experience

Current Resident Or

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