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Iyar/Sivan 5773
Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Jewish Family Congregation www.jewishfamilycongregation.org
May 2013
May 2013
From the Rabbi’s Desk Over the past year, I have spoken on several occasions at services about the bizarre events taking place at the Western Wall, the Kotel, in Jerusalem. I refer of course to the way the Israeli police have responded to the prayer service conducted there each Rosh Hodesh, new month, by the Women of the Wall WoW. This group has been gathering for a prayer service, complete with Torah reading, to welcome the new month, since 1988. From the beginning, they were harassed for wearing tallitot at the most holy place in Israel, the exterior retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and they were subject to name calling, spitting, physical violence and other obnoxious behaviours. Some members of this group were injured in these incidents and taken to hospital, and some were arrested by the state...not the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) who attacked them! There are photographs taken at the Western Wall not long after it was captured by Israeli soldiers in 1967, which clearly show that men and women could stand together there to pray. But when the plaza was expanded, it was developed into two genderseparate areas, the men’s side being much larger than the women’s, of course. And administration of the plaza was given to an Orthodox group, headed by an Service Schedule--------------Page 3 Religious School-----------Pages 5-7 May Calendar------------------Page 8 Bridge to the Future-----------Page 9 Holocaust Reflection--------Page 16 Kids ask the Rabbi-----------Page 19 Ask the Rabbi----------------Page 23
Orthodox rabbi; together, they have established the rules about who can do what at this sacred site. Though women are clearly allowed to pray at the wall...and do...they are not permitted to hold a group service, to wear tallitot or tefillin or read from a Torah scroll. Though Orthodox law, halakha, does not forbid any of these things, Israeli civil law now does so, on the basis that these actions offend the religious sensibilities of the ultra-Orthodox who govern the site. When I last visited Israel, in 2009, to attend the conventions of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Women’s Rabbinic Network, I was part of a group of more than 100 women rabbis (and a group of our male colleagues) who joined the Women of the Wall for an early-morning service in celebration of Rosh Hodesh Adar. We stood at the back of the women’s side of the plaza, away from other women who stood right at the wall for their morning prayers; the men with us stood outside the women’s area. We sang parts of the service, which provoked the men on the other side of the dividing fence, the mechitza, into throwing chairs over the fence at us, while they screamed in Hebrew that it is forbidden for women to sing. The police didn’t know what to do; while they could have enforced the civil law that in fact outlaws
Sisterhood--------------------Page 25 Ritual Committee------------Page 27
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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
Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
From the Rabbi’s Desk (cont’d)
May 2013
what we were doing (many of us wore our tallitot under our coats to avoid unnecessary provocation), they didn’t want to start a fight with a large and potentially influential group of American visitors. There were cameras present jewishfamilycongregation.org recording the whole thing, so there was no hope that this event would go Rabbi unnoticed in the media. Other women, Carla Freedman clearly Orthodox, stood a short distance jfc@bestweb.net away from us, but did not disrupt Cantor our prayers; perhaps their presence Kerry Ben-David cantorbd@aol.com expressed solidarity with us, though they could not bring themselves to join our School Director service. As the shouting from the men’s Leslie Gottlieb side grew louder, the police shuffled us lesliejo0312@gmail.com to a safe place in the archeological site Early Childhood Center Director around the corner from the plaza, where Jane Weil Emmer we read Torah without further incident.
the service to go un uninterrupted. WoW has invited some Jewish female celebrities to join them this summer, and that could increase the media attention to the cause both at home and abroad.
But the harassment has continued, and women have been arrested, held in jail overnight, and subjected to crude efforts at intimidation...to no avail. Some of the most extreme examples of this happened just this past winter. And a couple of months ago, the prime minister appointed Natan Sharansky, who heads the Jewish Agency, to conduct a review of the situation and propose a resolution. Sharansky’s main job is to interface with the Jewish world outside of Israel, and in doing so, he has discovered that the Women of the Wall enjoy enormous support especially in America.
That does not mean that it will be smooth sailing from now on, of course. Anat Hoffman, who is the executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center and is the leader of WoW, has expressed cautious optimism about the Sharansky proposal, but she is realistic in acknowledging that we all will have to wait and watch to see how this plays out.
jfceccenter@gmail.com Board Of Trustees Polly Schnell, President; Richard Mishkin, Vice President; Elisa Zuckerberg, Vice President; Hal Wolkin, Chief Financial Officer; Glenn Kurlander, Secretary; Robyn Cohen Michael Gitlitz Ken Levinsohn Robi Margolis Patterson Shafer Paul Storfer Suzanne Sunday Bonnie Wattles Richard Weiser and Jeanette Sanders, Past President Shofar Editor Bryan Wolkin Shofar Printer Copy Stop Royal Press
American Jews are revolted by the second-class status forced upon Jewish women at Judaism’s most sacred location. And they have made their support for the WoW group very clear. Meanwhile, some prominent Israeli women, including a few members of the Knesset, have joined the WoW services recently, and because of their Knesset status, they are immune from arrest, so the police just stood back and allowed
Now, Sharansky has come up with a Solomon-like recommendation, to the effect that a third area be created, at the archeological site mentioned above, where men and women can pray together if they so choose, and women can pray as a group, wearing tallitot and tefillen if they want to. The recommendation so far has not received opposition from the Orthodox, and even the rabbi who is in charge at the Kotel has indicated that he would not oppose the implementation of the plan.
If Sharansky’s plan is implemented successfully, it may very well be the thing for which he will ultimately be remembered, overshadowing his personal history as a refusnik released from prison by the Soviets as the result of pressure brought by Jews all over the world to address that injustice. It would make him the unchallenged exemplar of fighting religious oppression. And it may also indicate that the arrival of the mashiakh (messiah) is at hand!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
May Service Schedule -Friday, May 3/ Iyar 24 7:30 pm Parshat B’har-B’hukotai -Saturday, May 4 10:00 am Bat Mitzvah of Alexandria Andrade -Friday, May 10/Sivan 2 6:30 pm Pot Luck Dinner *** 7:30 pm Parshat BaMidbar -Saturday, May 11 10:00 am Bar Mitzvah of Ike Radin -Wednesday, May 15/Sivan 7 7:30 pm Shavuot Service Confirmation Yizkor -Friday, May 17/Sivan 9 7:30 pm Parshat Naso Bar Mitzvah of Bennett Wattles -Friday, May 24/Sivan 16
7:30 pm
Parshat B’ha-a lot’ekha
-Friday, May 31/Sivan 22 7:30 pm Parshat Sh’lakh Lekha Julie Conti chants Torah in honour of her father’s conversion Congregant’s Drash ***please bring a veggie/dairy dish to share with 6 people. Our theme will be Mexican food.
Oneg Schedule May 3rd - Matthew Duckett and Elisabeth Rich, Allen and Ellen Goldstein May 10th - Allen Gabor and Lisa Papernik, Cheryl Chess May 17th - Cheryl Chess, Matthew Duckett and Elisabeth Rich May 24th - Bryon and Victoria Friedman, Hal and Laurie Wolkin May 31st - Liza and Peter Breslin, Peter and Jamie Kaplan
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Cantor Ben-David is available to our congregants for all life-cycle needs Call/Text: 917-400-4068 Email: cantorbd@aol.com
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
From the Religious School
May 2013
By Leslie Gottlieb, Director
It seems that wherever you go, people are always talking about food—or eating. In the Jewish world, we know how much food plays a role in our connection to our heritage-- and often the smells in the kitchen during holiday preparations can tell you where on the Hebrew calendar we are with precision. No one can deny that the aromas of horseradish, charoset and wine combine to fill the air with a magical scent that draws us in to the holiday spirit. In one section of a Torah portion that usually appears in May or June each year, Beha’alotecha (When You Step Up), we find a discussion of the laws of Pesach among other things. Even in biblical times, everyone was talking about food! The people complained to Gd because they were suddenly without meat because in Egypt their diets were more varied than out in the desert. According to one source, “Gd tells Moses to gather 70 elders to aid him in leading the people. The appointed leaders are told to advise the people that Gd will give them meat to eat for a whole month—until it becomes loathsome to them.” We learn that, “while the quail meat sent by Gd is still fresh, Gd strikes the people with a plague. The setting of these events is named Kivrot HaTa’avah (graves of craving) because the Israelites who craved meat died and were buried there.” Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins according to Christian ethics so we know that many/most religions deal with excessive appetites in accordance to the value systems of these myriad traditions. Plainly put, eat what you are given and don’t ask for more… which is kind of like Mom’s Golden Rule combined with a bit of Charles Dickens! Jonathan K. Crane, a rabbi and professor of bioethics and Jewish thought at Emory University has a lot to say about food and Jewish thought on consumption. “Among these old arguments is the novel idea of eating less than what fills one’s belly. The Talmud teaches that people should eat enough to fill a third of their stomachs, drink enough to fill another third, and leave a third empty. (A hadith in the Islamic tradition also teaches this.) Rashi, a medieval French rabbi, interpreted the Talmud
to mean that the final empty third is necessary so that the body can metabolize emotions. If one ate until one’s belly was completely full, there’d be no room left to manage one’s emotions and one would burst asunder. However absurd this may seem to us today, it made physiological sense in the pre-modern world as the emotions were considered physical things that, like food and drink, were metabolized by the body. A body stuffed with food and drink is full only of biology; it leaves no room for biography, for what makes us human. The medieval physician and legal scholar Maimonides similarly instructed people to eat and drink less than what filled their bellies (he thought the stomach should be three-quarters full). Moreover, they should eat slowly. Modern science corroborates Maimonides: it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to receive messages from the stomach that it has had enough. Satiety can be achieved with less food than one might think, and it requires more time to reach it. Of course, one need not be a theist to experience satiety. One needs only a belly. Perhaps these old ideas could inspire new ways of addressing the complex weight problem in America. They could help us reduce the amount of food we put on our plates, which would lower the tonnage of otherwise good food discarded every day. And they could mitigate the costly and debilitating diseases associated with our current eating practices.” These arguments reveal that everyone controls his/her own body—or temple, as some refer to it. His more salient point to consider is, “We should stop asking ourselves, ‘Am I full?’ and start asking, ‘Am I satisfied?’ “ This is obvious and fascinating all at once. Another interesting view comes from Rabbi Dalia Marx, an associate professor for liturgy and Midrash at the Jerusalem campus of HUC-JIR. She writes about the Torah portion we read in early April, Sh’mini from Leviticus (9:1-11:47). She writes that she overheard a conversation several years ago about the considerations we should make when choosing food and discusses the laws of kashrut in conjunction with this idea. Her words
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
From the Religious School (cont’d)
are so powerful and she has thought this through with so much clarity that I have excerpted much of her column from a recent URJ weekly broadcast to let her make her own extraordinary points: “In Parashat Sh’mini, Chapter 11, we find the first full formulation of the laws of kashrut. First the laws regarding “land animals” are specified, then laws governing “all that are in the waters.” Regarding poultry, the Torah then provides a list of nonkosher birds and prohibits the consumption of “every swarming thing.” These laws of kashrut have remained more or less the same today, though they have expanded greatly through the ages. In the State of Israel in recent years, we are witnessing an ever-growing stringency in the application of the laws of kashrut regarding its ritualistic, technical aspects. But it seems in many circles, there is less and less interest in the profound sense of kashrut. Many friends and relatives can no longer dine together, not because of questions about kashrut but because questions regarding hechsherim (kashrut certificates). Many seem to have forgotten that the original meaning of the term kasher is “apt” or “appropriate.” If we look around us, we must conclude that many of those engaged with matters of kashrut seem to have forgotten what kashrut means at its core. Still more and more Jews are pondering how we should treat our food and what our eating habits should be. We wonder: -What does it mean to eat kosher? -Can fast food that’s saturated with cholesterol be kosher? -Is food that’s manufactured by children in Third World countries kosher? -Is the flesh of animals raised in unimaginably bad conditions and cruelly slaughtered considered to be kosher? -Are TV dinners that are heated and served without care to children who stare impassively at screens kosher? -Can food eaten with anger and shame to compensate for all that is missing in life be kosher? -Rabbi Marx proposes these thoughts or considerations one should make in order for food to be considered holy,
May 2013
if you will. She also outlines from where in Torah these ideas stem: Suggested Guidelines of Essential Kashrut Social justice: “Share your bread with the hungry” (Isaiah 58:7) Nature’s preservation: You shall not destroy (according to Deuteronomy 20:19) Fair treatment of animals: “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19, 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21) Fair employment: “You shall not defraud your fellow . . . . The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning” (Leviticus 19:13) Health: “For your own sake, therefore, be most careful” (Deuteronomy 4:15) Gratitude: “Let all that breathes praise the Lord, Hallelujah” (Psalm 150:6) Family: “How good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together” (Psalm 133:1) Community: “And all the people went their way to eat and drink and send portions and make great merriment” (Nehemiah 8:12) Enjoyment and pleasure: “honey and milk are under your tongue” (Song of Songs 4:11) Moderation: “If you find honey, eat only what you need, lest surfeiting yourself, you throw it up” (Proverbs 25:16) Some of these criteria are self-evident, others may be less obvious. One may even argue that they have nothing to do with kashrut. But in a world where everyone “just grabs something,” we should stress the importance of dining together, not only to fill our stomachs but also to uphold a family and communal value. In a society where so many people suffer from eating disorders, we should stress the need to actually enjoy eating and to eat in moderation. And so on. Some of these criteria are complementary, but some stand in tension and even contradiction.For example: “Fair trade” food may be very expensive and therefore difficult for some to obtain. Some organic food companies keep their workers in state of modern slavery, so the healthy product stands in tension with the ideological dimension
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Eating together daily as a family may limit the variety and refinement of the food served. Dining in a place that hires people with mental disabilities may mean waiting longer for service Using disposable dishes makes it easier to keep halachic kashrut, but it is bad for the environment. Our Torah is a Torah of life, and therefore is as multifaceted and complex as life itself. We should strive to have the food that nourishes our bodies be consistent with this Torah of life and life of Torah.
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Let’s talk to our children about all of this so that, as Reform Jews, we can make choices through our education and bring peace to our world through every action we take. Bon appétit! Have a great summer and don’t forget to register for Religious School for the fall!!!
Todah Rabbah from the Religious School to… The Rabbinical Search Committee for their hard work over many months
Indeed, there are no easy solutions regarding the essential kashrut of our food. But the distinction between right and wrong, between what is kosher and what is not stands at the core of Jewish thought. We need to remind ourselves that conscious eating is essential. What we put in our bodies becomes part of us: we should remember that it should elevate our holiness. And even if there are no definite answers (and are there any?), we cannot see ourselves as free from dealing with them.”
The Wein and Wattles families for the book donations
So as you ask someone at the table to pass the farmraised chicken (these birds only need to have the barn door opened for a few minutes a day without the birds ever leaving to roam around the farm to be considered farm-raised, as I understand it)… or to pass the coffee (with beans grown and picked, perhaps, by workers who are mistreated), think about what makes something kosher or acceptable to your ethical standards. Our son was writing a food blog for a Jewish website called, “What Is Your Food Worth” while working on his Ph.D. and I asked him to research what it means for meat to be considered kosher and if these guidelines are consistent with treating animals in a kind and ethical way in today’s world. His research was upsetting, to say the least. I couldn’t even watch the video clip he attached to his column. It showed the killing of animals-- the kosher way which is not at all the least painful method for the animal by technology’s standards. Let’s leave this off there for everyone’s sake. It was not an exhaustive research endeavor so the question still exists about how we can better understand ancient precepts in a modern world. I will say that all of this talk about eating and ethics has made me want to change my diet. My husband and I are now eating no animal flesh for the first week of every month to help save the world… by 25% or so, for now. We’ll see how that goes.
Karen Blum and the RS Committee for their commitment to our school
The families and RS Committee members who plan to help with the Sunday, May 5 STARS Party and Carnival (end of May) The RS teachers, mentors, parents and students who contributed to a fabulous school year and Ellen Elias for her years of service to the JFC RS as she is retiring
Noah Sklarin for his work on the physical tribute he is designing and building to honor the memory of Molly and Gregory (Eagle Scout Project, May 5, 9:15 AM for JFC members, during RS) Rabbi Carla and Cantor Kerry for making this school year special for our students Jane Emmer and the ECC teachers for their support and friendship All the volunteer RS Class Parents for their outstanding support of the school Kathleen and Carol in the office for… everything Richard Mishkan and Hal Wolkin (and the JFC Board of Trustees) for their ongoing support Bryan Wolkin, for producing The Shofar!!!!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
May Calendar Sunday
28
Monday
29
5 -Grades 4-6 -STARS Party 10-11/ Carnival 11-1pm
6 -ECC -RS Gr. 7 -10am Kitchen Science
12
-ECC -RS Staff Dinner 6:30pm -RS 10 Pack 6-7:30pm
20
-ECC
-ECC
-ECC -12:30pm RS -Yom Yerushalayim -10am Green Chimneys
Thursday -RS K-3, CC -7:30pm Board Meeting
-ECC -ECC Staff Meeting
22
17 -ECC -7:30pm Service
23 -14 Sivan 5773
29
Saturday
11 -Parashat Bamidbar -Ike Radin BM 10am -Ike Radin Kiddush Luncheon 12pm
18
-Parashat Naso -10am Bennet Wattles BM
-No ECC - 7:30pm Service
25 -Parashat Beha’alotcha
31 -ECC -7:30pm Congregant Drash/Service
4
-No more Sat. Gr. 7 -Parashat BeharBechukotai -A Andrade BM 10am
24
30 -7:30 Board Meeting
3
10
16 -JFC CLOSED -Shavuot II
-ECC -10am Music -10:30am Science
Friday
-ECC -Rosh Chodesh Sivan -Pot Luck 6:30pm -Service 8pm
-YG Party 6-7:30pm -YG New & Old
-JFC CLOSED -No ECC -Shavuot I -7:30pm Confirmation
-ECC
2
9
15
28 -ECC -7:30pm Conversion
1
8
21
27 -JFC CLOSED -Memorial Day -10am Movement
Wednesday
14 -ECC -Erev Shavuot -7:30pm Conversion -7:30pm Ritual Meeting
-ECC -10am Kitchen Science
26
30
7
13 -ECC -10am Movement
19
Tuesday
1
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Walking the Bridge to the Future
“Hi honey. Dinner is in the oven. Get the kids showered and put them to sleep!” a scream came from Nicole’s office pantry as I walked in from work. I knew she was engaged in a matter carrying great weight as only the most serious of issues are addressed in her pantry. Oh yeah. another conference call remembering that the JFC Gala is only three weeks away. “Are you going to be speaking again with Hal, Glenn and Jeff?” I asked. “No. Bonnie and the team.” “Make sure they brush their teeth!!” dismissing me abruptly. I knew this was now crunch time, as the frequency of late night conversations and highly energized conference calls had increased dramatically. Kids were now sleeping and the call continued. While I was pretty confident that Nicole, Lauren and Noah were the only ones in the house, I somehow was able to also hear the voices of Bonnie, Suzanne, Laurence, Dina, Tesa, Richard, Cathy and Luda crafting something wonderful. 3 Days To Go “What kind of auction Nicole?” asking a bit perplexed having not experienced many auctions. She clarified and what now resonated with me most, was the complexity associated with successfully pulling off a project of this magnitude. How would Bonnie, Suzanne and Laurence, three incredibly busy people in both their professional and personal lives, be able to devote the time? Well they certainly did! I couldn’t even imagine the extent of work that went into assuring that this critical part of the evening was executed appropriately. It was flawless as a result of their wisdom and experience. Gala 2013…6:30PM I walked through the doors of the Kittle House with a gigantic bag filled with rose petals for the tables, and was directed downstairs through what seemed like a very private and exclusive entrance. Entering the room felt great as I was plowed over with a remarkable level of energy. A combination of sheer beauty looking forward, but ironically a different feel as well. I looked to my right and felt like I was in the war room of NORAD. The registration desk was covered with laptops and other exotic technologies, and it was all business. Between Laurence, Cathy and others, I now felt as if there was a most stringent screening process to even be permitted to continue my journey across the Bridge to The Future. After a thorough dialogue, the guards granted me entrance, and I found myself in the heart of the auction isle. Wow! I felt like I was at a place that had both the characteristics of FAO Schwarz and Sotheby’s (an obvious example of work done by people with vast experience in the art of delivering powerful presentations). Few guests
May 2013
had arrived at this point. I did see Richard reviewing all the auction items and jotting down some notes. What better person to speak to. I needed some perspective and I’m sure he had helped orchestrate so many of these events years prior. He mentioned the wonderful Gala’s of the past and that tonight would too make the history books. 7:00PM...JFC Arrives Nicole instructed the DJ to begin the music and as if a switch was turned on, the room transformed into a grand ball. Watching the guests arrive, looking incredibly dapper and seeing the smiles, I knew that any questions they had about the evening were decisively answered. During the cocktail and hors d’oeuvres hour we were formally welcomed by Bonnie and Nicole to be followed with the beautiful voice of Cantor Kerry of which we have all become so accustomed. Dinner was served and my usual tendency to scout the various offerings was halted immediately when I found the 100 pounds of Nova. Eating contently and breaking bread with my extended family at these magnificent tables was so very pleasurable. The auction began and so many participated both in purchasing wonderful excursions and gifts, as well as offering their homes (Thank you Berg family and others!!). Dessert came and went and then it was time to dance. Unlike the incredible tone set by the methodically chosen music up until this point, it was now time to have the DJ spread his wings. So many of us found our groove and danced the night away. My only regret was that I missed what lots of people said was a tour of the most incredible wine cellar imaginable; how did I miss that? The evening came to an end and we all left with feelings of great joy for a multitude of reasons. Not surprising, the night was far from over for some, as the reconciling and cleanup had just begun. Thank you again to all who worked so hard on this remarkable ground breaking evening. And, many thanks to all donors who so generously participated in the auction making the evening a very successful night for JFC. Andrew Rose
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Birthdays
Alana Valente
Katelyn Sobel
Robert Bolgar
Daniel Storfer
Zachary Gottlieb
Steven Vandervelden
Isaiah Blum
Dawn Kessler
Peter Kessler
Forrest Rappaport
Hayes Firestein
Tyler Alexander
Jackie Kalter
Philip Levens
Jacob Breslin
Georgia Marceau
Jack Wilson
Debra Paget
Samuel Blum
Ethan Lipper
Sydney Fried
Alix Drawec
Allison Glass
Daniella Amerling
Laurence Furic
Abigail Dodes
John Conti
Harris Henshaw
Jake Kessler
Marc Kutscher
Alexander Wattles
Lowell Haims
Nathaniel Kaplan
Alex Wattles
Aaron Paulding Theodore Bloch Susan Westlake Phyllis Amerling
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Notes by
Donations High Holy Day Appeal Kenny and Ellen Elias Dave and Phyllis Amerling Rabbi Discretionary Fund Martin and Tracey Weisberg Molly and Gregory Religious School Scholarship Fund Michael Gitlitz and Rita Landman Richard and Jennifer Carter Adam and Robyn Cohen Emily and Michael Wein Gala donation Emily and Michael Wein Better Home and Garden Rand Realty Scott and Lori Bailey Alex and Bonnie Wattles ECC fund Cassie, Seth, Macey and Jemma, Calvin Hollander
Nancy, Inc.
Nancy Silberstein Invitations and stationery at discount prices tel/fax: 914-232-0835 e-mail: notesbynancy@aol.com www.notesbynancyinvitations.com
Thank you to: Ted Bloch Josh Blum Mark and Debbie Lavin Gordon, Winter & Rain Schnell Andrea Snyder Josh and Rob Strongin Ed Verbeke for participating in the spring road side clean up. Approximately 22 bags were filled!
Helen Bergson Charlotte Dutka Milton Fayne Abraham Goldfield Shirley Grossman Andrew Hyman Bella Koven Claire Levens Alan Levinsohn
May Yarhzeits
Diane Ravitch Josephine Rothman Fuchs William Rubenstein Martin Simon Sadie Stein Ludwig Sternberger Arthur Sturm Esther Weber
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Holocaust Survivor Ruth Bachman Speaks to the RS Grade 6 and Other Guests in April to Commemorate Yom HaShoah
Ruth Bachman’s mother’s passport (on its cover the large letter “J” appears in yellow) New passports had to be issued for Jews trying to leave their countries as non-Jews
Star of David that Ruth and all Jews in Vienna were ordered to wear whenever they left home. Bachman said she covered hers with her school binder in order to move about freely.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Ruth Bachman’s story appears in the book, Hiding To Survive: Stories of Jewish Children Rescued From the Holocaust by Maxine B. Rosenberg.
Ruth Bachmnan with JFC member, Dawn Kessler. Dawn helped to secure our speaker this year.
Grade 6 Students appear with Ruth Bachman, center
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
A Reflection on Holocaust Remembrance Day by Matt Emmer I visited Auschwitz on the fourth of July. Birkenau too. It was the kind of day you’d hope July 4th to be. Bonded by years of going to summer camp together, 40 of us boarded a bus that morning and departed our comfortable hotel for the unknown resting place for so many not-too-distant ancestors. Intellectually we are prepared for the outing. The holocaust sits nicely on textbook pages and movie screens and seemingly endless programs. Not nicely, but well enough. It’s there and you can take what you want from it. It’s like the bubonic plague or the crusades. It’s a terrible thing that happened in our past, but we were there and now we’re here. And history repeats and all that, so we know about it. We know all about it. We know dates and maps and stories and even some names. We know about the construction of buildings and the ashes and chimneys. We know about the electric fence and barbed wire. We know about crying. We know snow and black and white. As the bus approached the concentration camps, several things started to happen. People, mostly girls, started crying. It’s not something I think anyone can explain. They’d never been there before. They couldn’t know what it would be like, but something inside must have told them that that was the thing to do. So they did it. I thought that I should listen to something meaningful. In my fifteen-year-old mind, the only one I could think of at the moment was “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen from the “Live in London” album. So that’s what I turned my iPod to as our bus pulled into the Birkenau parking lot. Birkenau is a place that is always seen in black and white. It’s the snowy scenes from “Schindler’s List” and the blurry images on crinkled paper. But that’s not how it is. Despite what you’d expect, the Holocaust happened in color. And today, on the fourth of July, it was full of it. There were birds. And not ravens and crows and blackbirds and all of those death birds. There were bright red songbirds and yellow ones and blue ones flying everywhere. They sang. There’s a lake there called the black lake. It’s called that because it’s full of ash, the ashes of dead Jews and Gays and Roma and other people. Its been marked as a mass grave site by the authority that marks stuff like that. There were butterflies mating around it. Who let them in? I thought they weren’t supposed to be in concentration camps, just Emily Dickinson poems. We walked along a pathway that the Jews were led on as they marched to the crematoria. They were led there on July 4th and July 5th and July 6th and all summer long. It wasn’t just winter and snow and black and white. It was death marches in color on beautiful days like this when you kind of want to be outside. Like I said earlier, some people cried, some people gasped and said “Oh my God” and “How could this happen”. I went silent. I can’t exactly explain it, but from the time I got off the bus until the time I got back on, I couldn’t speak. There are Jewish stories from this part of the world about how the words from Torah scrolls would fly into the heavens if they were burned. Mine weren’t flying up to the heavens. They just weren’t there. A lot is said about silence in relation to the Holocaust. It’s used as a symbol of indifference and apathy and everyone who said but didn’t do anything. And I think that those things are bad and all, but that wasn’t what my silence was about. My silence was about not having words. My silence was about something that I can’t explain, but I feel is holy in some way. I still don’t know three and a half years later, but I’ve learned not to be ashamed of it. So when we talk about Yom Hashoa and light candles and post black and white pictures of concentration camps of Facebook, I’m sorry but that’s not what the Holocaust is about for me. It’s about how 6,000,000 Jews and 5,000,000 other people were led to their deaths in color.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Cantor Ben-David leads the 7th graders in a service on Yom HaShoah.
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Anniversaries Matthew Duckett & Elisabeth Rich Bryon & Victoria Friedman Kenneth Kurzweil & Suzanne Sunday Frederick Slogoff & Erica Goldberger David & Amy Fischer Ken Okamoto & Nita Weissman John & Karen Conti Graeme & Catherine Lipper
Eric & Meredith Rudin Mitchell & Jodi Waxman
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Kids Ask the Rabbi Question: My friend, who is Catholic, says prayers before she goes to sleep every night. What prayers should I say? Answer: Our wise teachers taught us that we should say the words of the Shema each night just as we are getting ready to fall asleep. In the paragraph that we chant in the synagogue right after we sing the Shema, the paragraph we refer to as V’ahavta, we are instructed to keep the words of the Shema in our hearts at all times, including “when you lie down and when you rise up”. So, when you are in bed, ready to sleep, you just say the Shema to yourself. In other words, the thoughts with which we are to begin and end the day are those about loving God and devoting ourselves to doing the good things that God expects of us. If these ideas are constantly with us, we will do better at reaching the high standard of behaviour that God sets out for us in the Torah. The last thoughts you should have just as you drift off to sleep should be about doing what God wants you to do.
Religious School students celebrate Yom HaAzmaut with birthday cake for Israel and a special Scavenger Hunt.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
In April, the Religious School’s Kids Knesset “Rock Around the Hebrew Calendar” food event was tons of fun!! We celebrated the Hebrew months of Kislev, Adar and Nisan and made treats to go along with our observance of three special holidays of the year. Everyone had a great time as our K- Grade 3 students cycled through three cooking stations. We had some older students as helpers, too!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Summer Fun At Jewish Family Congregation REGISTRATION FORM Summer 2013 9:30-12:15 Child’s Name:___________GenderM/F___Birthdate:____________________
Street Address:________________________________________________________
Mailing Address:_________________________________________________________ Home Phone:____________________ E-mail:__________________________
Fall 2013 my child will be attending: 2 year old class: __ (max 3 days per week)
(check one) 3 year old class:____ 4 year old class: ____ Kindergarten: _______ School :______________________
parent name:_________________ Phone:__________________ Cell:_______
parent name:_________________ Phone:________________ Cell:__________ Siblings
Name:_________________
birthdate:_____________________
Name:_________________________birthdate:__________________
Local emergency contacts:
Name:__________________________ Phone#_____________________ Cell:_________________ Name:__________________________ Phone#_____________________ Cell:_________________ Child’s Doctor_______________________________________Phone#_______________________ Allergies:_________________________________________________________ Special Needs/Services:____________________________________________ My child will attend JFC Summer Fun:
5 day ($225/wk)
Week of 6/24:
_______
Week of 7/8:
________
Week of 7/1: _, no camp 7/4 or 7/5)
3 day($190/wk) ___________
___________ $190 for everyone! ___________
Week of 7/15: ________
___________
Week of 7/29: ________
___________
Week of 7/22: ________
___________
The fee for JFC Summer Fun is $225 per week. 5 mornings per week or $200/wk 3 mornings per week. Payment is due in full with registration form
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
REGISTER TODAY … REGISTER TODAY…. REGISTER TODAY…. Tell your friends and neighbors about the exciting news at JFC ECC.. Please call Jane Emmer today.. 914-763-3028 x 15 NEW CLASS OFFERINGS 2013-14
Register Today for all programs … including Summer Camp
Three’s & Four’s programs Mon - Thurs 9:15—12:00 pm Optional Friday with emphasis on Jewish Culture
Two’s program Monday & Wednesday 9:15—11:45 am Optional Friday with emphasis on Jewish Culture
ch Lunch Bun 4’s For 3’s & 12—1 pm eek twice a w
South Salem Enrichment offers a program on site for 4’s (Mon & and Wed 12-3)
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Ask the Rabbi Question: I know that there is a blessing we say when we put on a tallit, but why is there no blessing when we put on a kippah? And what are we supposed to do with kippot that are dirty or torn? Answer: If you pay close attention to the blessing we say when we put on a tallit, or when we light the Shabbat candles, or when we hear the sound of the shofar...and for many other occasions as well, you will note the following words: “asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu...” meaning, “who has sanctified us with (his) commandments and commanded us to...”. The last few words after this formula are different in every case, spelling out what the particular commandment is This is the standard formula for a blessing said when we fulfil a specific mitzvah, either directly commanded to us by God in the Torah or commanded to us via the rabbis as a way of fulfilling an idea or thought in the Torah. For example, we are commanded by God to put fringes on the corners of our garments (Numbers15:32-41), so when we put on a tallit, a four-cornered garment with fringes on its corners, we say a blessing, using the formula above. In that case, the blessing comes to us from God in the Torah. When we light the Shabbat candles, we use the same formula, though there is no commandment in the Torah to light Shabbat candles. Rather, the rabbis of old created the ritual of lighting candles for Shabbat by way of fulfilling the commandment to make the Sabbath day holy (which in Hebrew means “set apart, special”); in ancient times, people lit a candle every night, and blew it out when they went to sleep, but the rabbis required that we light two candles on Shabbat, one each for the two separate commandments to make Shabbat holy, and that we do not blow them out at all. These two actions, the lighting of two candles and leaving them to burn out, together separate the Shabbat candles, and therefore Shabbat itself from other days, thereby making it holy. So that accounts for the blessings we say to designate actions that fulfil commandments. Since there is no direct commandment in the Torah to cover our heads, and there is no rabbinic commandment to do so either, there is no need for a blessing to accompany the wearing of a kippah. It is true that some people kiss a kippah if it has fallen to the floor, apparently as a gesture of reverence thought appropriate because the kippah is worn in the sanctuary. But that is a matter of personal choice and not a religious requirement. No one knows the origin of the Jewish practice of covering the head (especially for prayer and other rituals). What we do know is that it seems to go back very far in history. But there is no reference to it in the Torah. Because of this, the early Reformers were quite comfortable abandoning the practice. But more recently, as our movement has become more comfortable with various traditions, it has returned to the wearing of kippot...now by men and women. And the array of choices of styles, patterns, colours etc has made the wearing of kippot something of a fashion statement as well. Because there is no blessing associated with the wearing of a kippah, the object itself has no special status. So, if one is dirtied, torn or otherwise damaged, it can be disposed of just as you would a sock that is beyond reclamation. If you find that you have a collection of old kippot from many years of bnai mitzvah and weddings, feel free to throw out those that no longer mean anything to you. There are lots more where those came from!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Summer Fun at JFC Early Childhood Center
nature... water play.. .arts and crafts....snack.... old fashioned summer fun If you think your little one is too little for day camp, think again. There are many benefits to sending your child to our summer program.
A preview of preschool. If your child is scheduled to start “real” school in the fall, day camp will give him
a taste of what’s to come, such as following a morning routine, and learning to organize his stuff ( there will be a designated place for him to put his backpack, and other belongings).
Separation preparation. Learning to make a break from parents and or caregivers can be an invaluable
benefit of day camp for a tot, especially since camp counselors’ objectives are mainly to make sure your child is safe and entertained.
Souped-up social skills. Learning to interact with other children (including sharing and taking turns) can
be a huge benefit of day camp, especially a child who hasn’t yet had many opportunities to hang out with kids his age. Even if your child has been attending nursery school or preschool during the winter, chances are he will encounter plenty of fresh little faces at summer camp. Instant new pals!
Mixed age groups. Mixed-age grouping resembles family and neighborhood groupings, which throughout
history have informally provided much of children’s socialization and education. At our summer camp children’s personal and social development is enhanced through the building of relationships within the camp community , this includes teenagers, pre-schoolers of several ages as well as adults.
A new-baby break. This will only apply to big sibs, but if your tot has recently acquired a new little brother
or sister, going off to day camp will give him a respite from competing for your time and attention and help him feel even more like a big kid — with big-kid privileges.
Bonus benefit for you. Whether you have a newborn, a career to tend to, or a home to keep up, sending
your tot to camp can provide you with the time and energy you’ll need to take care of business this summer. When your little camper comes home, you’ll be able to focus on him while he tells you all about his fun day.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
JFC Sisterhood News
May 2013
By Cindy Carson and Ellen Barth
Our Sisterhood is officially one year old and it’s been a great year.
We’ve sponsored dinners, book groups, beauty events, honey sales, and a Rosh Chodesh service just to name a few. If you haven’t had an opportunity to join us at any of these events, we hope you will take some time from your busy lives and check out what we have to offer. We have many great ideas for the coming year and look forward to meeting all of you. If you have any questions of us or would like to get more involved in the planning of an event, please feel free to contact me or Nicole Rose.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Early Childhood Center at Jewish Family Congregation Jane Emmer – Director 914-763-3028 x 15 111 Smith Ridge Road South Salem, NY 10590
Application for 2013-2014 School Year Child’s Name __________________________________________ Gender ________Date of Birth ___________________________ Home Street Address____________________________________ Town/State/Zip Code____________________________________ Home Phone ___________________________________________ Parent Name___________________________ Cell Phone ______________ email address ____________________ Parent Name___________________________ Cell Phone ______________ email address ____________________ Siblings - Name: _______________________ birthdate_____ Name: _______________________ birthdate_____ Name: _______________________ birthdate_____ Please Check One: Circle Days : 2’s 2 day _________ 3 day__________ (M – W – F 9:15-11:45) 3’s 4 day _________ 5 day _____ ( M – T – W – Th- F 9:15 – 12:00) 4’s 4 day _________ 5 day _____ ( M – T – W – Th- F 9:15 – 12:00) Tuition Information $250 Non –refundable registration fee must accompany this form. Tuition is p Tuition is as follows: 2 day 3 day 4 day 5 day
2 payments of $ 1,400 due 6/1 and 9/1/2013 (2’s only) 3 payments of $ 1,400 due 6/1, 9/1 and 11/1/2013 (2’s only 3 payments of $ 1,800 due 6/1, 9/1 and 11/1/2013 (3’s & 4’s) 3 payments of $ 1,966 due 6/1, 9/1 and 11/1/2013 (3’s & 4’s)
total tuition total tuition total tuition total tuition
$ $ $ $
2,800.00 4,200.00 5,400.00 5,900.00
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Ritual Committee
May 2013
By Michal Salpeter, Chairman This past week one of our congregants remarked to me that the Ritual Committee seemed liked a mysterious entity to her. She stated to me that she was not quite sure who we are and what it is we really do. To that end I decided to give you our version of “20 questions”. 1) Who are the members of the Ritual Committee? Currently the committee members are the Rabbi, myself, Doris Hettmansberger, Bryon Friedman, Mark Lavin, Martin Weisberg, Curt Shulman, Karen Conti and Glenn Kurlander. 2) What exactly is the function of the committee? We handle the obvious tasks required for the conduction of the JFC ritual – we plan and ensure smooth operation of services on High Holy Days and all other festivals. We coordinate with the Religious School for the “special” Shabbat services such as the grade presentations and Rock Shabbat. You may have attended a function that involves food such as summer BBQ’s, Shabbat pock luck dinners and the Passover seder. Honors and aliyot are distributed by our committee members. We discuss potential changes in ritual and we report our suggestions to the Board of Trustees. 3) Is the committee open to congregants to join? Yes, we welcome any JFC members to join us 4) Do I need to be able to read Hebrew or chant torah to join? No, the only requirement is that you have a passion for JFC. 5) Do I have to be a long-term member of JFC to join? No, all members are welcome regardless of how long they have been congregants. 6) Are there endless meetings involved? The ritual committee meets one evening per month and our meetings are actually quite entertaining. 7) Would my opinions be welcome as a new addition to the committee? Yes, our ritual practices are in constant flux and each person’s thoughts are listened to and debated. 8) How often are the Ritual Committee members expected to attend Friday night services? There is a committee person on duty each Friday night to hand out honors and to assist the Rabbi – the rotation is about once every 7-8 weeks. 9) Why would I want to join this committee? The Ritual committee is the largest and most active of the permanent standing committees at JFC. The sense of accomplishment and the feeling of community are the primary reasons most of our members experience. 20) How can I join? If you feel you desire more participation in the activities of JFC you can contact me at bigal2360@comcast.net or speak to me any time you see me.
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
The Early Childhood Center celebrated Passover with a lively seder led by Rabbi Carla. The food was prepared by the children and a good time was has by all!
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Take a look at some of our 2013 Bnai Mitzvah students‌making the world a better place!!
7th grader, Claire Lichtman made all of our lives a little sweeter at her bake sale fundraiser to support the URJ’s Hurricane Sandy Relief effort! She baked everything herself and raised hundreds of dollars!
JFC RS 7th grader, Ike Radin shown delivering Passover food gift bags to Temple Shaaray Tefila for their annual seder for developmental-ly disabled adults. Ike helped with the JFC Grades 4-6 Model Seder, too!!!!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Farmer Dale visited the ECC for our first Spring “Growers Program� workshop. We learned about the tools used to plant.. And we planted peas
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Israel Independence Day at the Religious School
May 2013
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
May 2013
Grade 4: Designing Alef-Bet Letters From a Homemade Rice Krispie Treat Recipe that Includes Kosher Marshmallows!!
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Jewish Family Congregation Shofar
Non Profit Organization Postage PAID White Plains, NY Permit No. 9022
Current Resident Or
May 2013