The Seder Plate NI/15/65
- The Herclar Club Passover Newsletter -
4/6/04
Issue 8
SEDER FACTS: This is the 34th Annual Seder. It is being held on Tuesday April 6th (2nd Seder), 2004 (the 15th of Nissan, 5765) at the Crestmont Country Club, West Orange New Jersey. 49 Adults and 14 Children attended. Joan and Michael Silver and family led the Seder.
FROM THE EDITOR Howdy. It’s Seder time again. Another year down- bigger kids, bigger bills, bigger joys, bigger stresses. The past year had a mixture of profoundly happy achievements and some terribly sad times for Susan and me and our closest friends. Each new turn of events make us value each other and the incredible world we live in and we are reminded how fragile we really are. As they say, “Man plans and God laughs.” It is very easy to take so many of the wonderful gifts we have for granted. My children are wonderful and each day brings some new aspect of their personhood out. Jack turned four yesterday and Hannah turned two last month. They were just born, and it seems like I just blink my eyes and they can roll over, I blink again and they’re talking and running. I think I better stop blinking. Happy Passover Everyone. -Eric Lebersfeld NEWS FROM AROUND THE TABLE Greetings from Sam Weinstock Here we are again…members of the Herclar Family gathering together to celebrate our 34th Annual Seder. Our family spans five generations starting with Herman and Clara Geller down to our newest and youngest addition, Gracie Morgan Lebersfeld. We are delighted to welcome Gracie to our Seder table and we wish Illana and Jason a hearty mozel tov. In a few months we will be blessed with two more marriages in the family. On Sunday, May 30th my daughter, Melissa will marry Jeffrey Foor and on Saturday, June 6th, Debby Schloss will marry Mark Bednarcik. Mozel tov to both families. Through marriages and births the Herclar Family continues to grow. A few years ago this poem was distributed and I think it is worth repeating tonight.
Family Our circle of Family is a circle of strength and love With every birth and every union the circle grows. Every joy adds more love. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger. Sadly, on a more sober note, the world situation does not seem to be getting any better. Our brothers and sisters in Israel continue to fight, on almost a daily basis, for their right to exist. At the same time, we in America seem to be consumed, trying to preserve our freedoms, by fighting terrorism world wide. Not a pleasant picture, but I do believe that good will prevail over evil. So this evening, we must count our blessings and be thankful for the good fortune that there is a wonderful bond that unites all of the members of the Herclar family together and that the family continues to grow stronger and gain in numbers. Wishing all of you a Sweet Passover and continued good health in the coming year. Sam The Skoloff Family It has been a wonderful year for our family. The bright star was the birth of Kim and Ernie's son, Zachary Joseph. We now have three beautiful grandsons. Joe and I do a lot of traveling mostly visiting the children since they live in Rhode Island, South Carolina and California. We had a short fun trip to Las Vegas. We invited Harriet to join us and it was great, while Joe was in meetings Harriet and I got to just hang out together. This year Joe turns 60 and it seems like one long celebration, starting with a trip to the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island, Florida with friends (I recommend it highly) and then a surprise gathering (which at the time of this letter Joe does not know about) in Rhode Island at Kim's house where all the children will surprise him. What better birthday than to be with your family. On return from there one of our friends is surprising Joe with a trip to New Hampshire to the White Mountains. I hope there will still be snow. We will be going to Santa Fe and Taos in May for a week and we are looking forward to that trip. The best of all is yet to come. This summer we are starting a tradition of renting -1-
a house at a beach location so we can always spend a week together with our children and grandchildren. We will do that every summer. This year we are going to South Carolina, next year probably New England. Adele and Herman Lebersfeld This year Adele and I spent most of the winter in Florida…what a life. I only worked 5 days a week and played the rest. I was busy with the architects and planners building our new store in Royal Palm Beach. It was the first store we built without Arthur. I hope he is looking down and is very proud of what we built. In November Adele led a mission to Israel with 70 people from New Jersey. We joined with other groups to total 2000 people. It was the largest group to visit Israel in 2 years. Our stay was short only 7 days, but we met with the citizens of Israel and we gave each other strength and support. We heard their stories of how difficult it is to live in Israel in these times and we experienced the constant tension they live with every single day. We visited the outpost at Gaza and viewed the wall, which is being built to protect the population from terrorist attacks. We were hosted by the President of Israel at his home. A bus driver stopped his bus to let us cross the street; he said “thank you for coming”. The Israeli’s were so happy to see us in this time of uncertainty, that we accomplished our mission by just being there. We won a trip to England for a weekend in August. We took Daniel our grandson to show him the sights in London. We had a wonderful time even though it was 100 degrees. We are very proud of Joan who has gone back to school to get her Doctorate in physical therapy. She is working very hard running the family and studying physics and chemistry. In June, Daniel Silver and Jenna Lebersfeld will be graduating from middle school and will go on to high school. Alexa Lebersfeld will be starting middle school. In October Jacob Silver will be celebrating his bar mitzvah. We are looking forward to these events and are happy to be here tonight for our Herclar family Seder.
Renee and Stuart Baritz The Baritz family is doing well. Stuart is still traveling the globe and has added Poland, Mexico, China, Italy and Australia to his itinerary and the list continues to grow. Jared is still working for a private equity real estate firm and has a great apartment on 69th and 3rd. Casey's first year in the work force has been very successful. She is an assistant event manager for the Private Bank at Citibank. She deals with events in North America. Renee is finally finishing her Social Work degree from Hunter College. She will receive her MSW in June and would like to get a part-time job in grassroots organizing. Renee and Stuart will be celebrating their 30th anniversary in June. The Baritz family would like to wish everyone a very happy Passover and only good things in the future. Ellen and Sam Weinstock I guess the highlight of this past year was when Melissa and Jeff finally decided to “tie the knot” After going together for almost 14 years they decided in December to get married on Sunday, May 30th. So it seems to me as though I am always trying to beat the clock in order to get everything done in time for May 30th. Sam and I are excited and very much looking forward to sharing the wedding festivities with the Geller family. This past October, I convinced Sam that we should go to Spain on an Art and Architecture Trip sponsored by the Newark Museum. My rationale was Spain is a safe country and they are an ally of the US in the Iraq conflict. Although, Sam challenged me on my thinking, we did go to Spain and the trip was outstanding. But five months later, didn’t world events prove that Sam was correct and I was wrong. (Public confession!!!) I am glad that we were able to go and come safely. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Guggenheim museum in the center of Bilbao. The architecture is the true highlight of this museum, designed by American architect, Frank Gehry. It is an amazing constructional feat combining stone, glass and titanium curves. It must be seen. I also recommend you look into trips offered by the Newark Museum. I always like to mention something special about Steven. He is now participating in an art program run by the Matheny School in Peapack. The program enables developmentally and physically challenged to participate in the “Arts”. Among their offerings are wheel chair ballet, painting, sculpturing, poetry writing. Steven is participating in the painting program and he is producing wonderful oil paintings that he is very proud of. I can’t say enough about this program because of the opportunities it offers physically challenged individuals. We had a wonderful time on our family trip to Cape Cod last summer. It’s always wonderful to spend quality time with our children and grandchildren. We hope that we continue doing this for a long time. Sam and I will be celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary in July. Can you believe that one!! Happy Passover and Peace the world over. -Ellen and Sam -2-
Max and Debbi Lebersfeld This has not just been a good year, it’s been a great year for us. On a beautiful May day, Brian graduated from University of Pennsylvania. In the fall, he joined his father, uncle, cousins and brother at Capitol, and has come to love working there. He even gets to do some advertising work as an extra added bonus. Daniel spent the summer working for Dechert (a law firm in NYC) and will begin working for them after he graduates from law school this May. In October, Max and I celebrated our 30th anniversary with a wonderful trip to Las Ventanas in Los Cabos, Mexico. We highly recommend it for a romantic getaway. But the highlight of the past year, most definitely, was the arrival of Jason and Illana’s daughter, Gracie Morgan, our first grandchild, on February 22. She is the most delicious baby! And Max can’t wait until she is old enough to take her to the opera and ballet. Harriet & Lew Geller Our family continues to grow. We had a beautiful grandson, Zachary Joseph, born to Kim and Ernie. Rayme was married to Michael in August and we look forward to Debbie's wedding on June 5th. We have had many celebrations this year. We celebrated Leo's 89th birthday with our children and our daughter-in-law Rebecca. The bonus was that Marshall (Eric and Rebecca's youngest son) joined us in our celebration. Thanksgiving was soon after that and we had our annual celebration at Janice and Joe's house in Virginia. At that time our whole family is in one place. We get to see them all. This is a plus for us since all our family is scattered in many states, just too far away from us. It was the first time all three great-grandsons were with us at once. We then celebrated Miriam's birthday and we are proud to say in February we celebrated their 62nd anniversary. All in all it was quite a happy time. We also went to Florida to visit Miriam’s brother Eddie. It was a reprieve from the cold weather and we had a lovely time. Michael and Joan Silver The Silver family is going to lead the Seder this year for the first time. Jane, who will be a fifthgrader next year, has many innovative ideas to get the Haggadah rocking. Chocolate is definitely on the menu. Jake will be thirteen in a couple of months so it will be his last chance to find the Afikomen. He has been busy working hard at school, going to Bar Mitzvahs and playing basketball this year. Daniel, 14, is going out for the High School football team next year...but don't tell his grandparents. He is never happier than when he is throwing around that football with his friends, playing baseball or going to a Yankee game with Michael. Joanie is a going back to college at 41....pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree. She has made everyone around her a little on edge, but she is determined to make it work. Please pray for her and wish her luck. Michael is working hard and working out every free chance he gets. The children keep him going and Joanie tries her best...and he is still the funniest person we all know and love. Gloria Schwartz and Family (I don’t think this was written by Gloria, nor has any fact checking been
done, so read on at your own peril) Exciting things are happening in the wide world of Schwartz. Andy has dropped his law practice in favor of Haiti. Andrew and Dina have recently joined the Haitian opposition to Jean Bertrand Aristide and last we heard, they were living in an abandoned building outside of Port Au Prince with muskets ready to "get it on" in case the American forces send any more troops. They will accept donations. Ethan and Jasper are safe and sound in a secure rebel camp high in the mountains of Haiti. Donna and Jeff Banker are in year 2 of their Biodome experiment and haven't seen any other humans since March of 2002. Donna has resorted to eating plastic wall coverings and Jeff now will only answer to the name Fabio. They are expected to be released in early 2005. We wish them the best. David is now a part of a cultish survival group and hasn't been seen since early 2003. Gloria did receive one postcard sent from French Guiana with the word "help" on it. It is being examined by handwriting experts and the results will be revealed at the Seder. Matthew was last seen in South Africa hunting elephants. He has changed his name to Mukabaru and wears only a thong and face paint. He is the leader of a new African tribe of which he is the only member. He now speaks the "clicking" language. Go Matt! Gloria is very proud of the recent family developments and splits her time between a decrepit wooden shack in Morristown and her hideaway in Northern Thailand. While still denying she is in the CIA, Gloria finally had the bullet removed from her abdomen and keeps it in a formaldehyde jar in the refrigerator of her Short Hills "safe house". We look forward to seeing you all soon! Best, The Schwartz' Jill and Barry Cohen-Weinstock Family Happy Passover from the Cohen Clan. Life is constantly busy in our household with eveyone going in different directions at different times. Sara is 11 years old and is in the 5th grade at Deerfield School. Next year she is off to Millburn Middle School. She played the part of the orphan Brooklyn in the show -3-
Annie this year at school. Her interests include dancing, piano, tennis, skiing, swimming, softball, art, and instant messaging. She also takes great care of her younger sister Chloe who is 3 years old. Chloe attends pre-school and has a more active social life than her parents. Her interests include ballet, Barbies, Dora the Explorer, and dress-up. Brett is 8 years old and is in the 2nd grade at Deerfield School. Brett's schedule is packed and each morning he must know his complete agenda for each day by asking Jill endless questions and details. He has the makings of a future attorney. His interests are roller hockey, baseball, tennis, basketball, soccer, skiing and play station. He is on the Eagles little league team and would like to play pitcher if possible. He is an avid fan of the NJ Devils and the NY Yankees and keeps "up to the minute" details of the stats and scores of the teams. He is also a great big brother to Chloe. He is teaching her how to play hockey and baseball and will accompany her to Harbor Hills Day Camp this summer. Sara, Brett, & Chloe are extremely excited about the upcoming wedding of Aunt Melissa and Jeff Foor and a day does not go by without some question or idea about the big event. As for Jill & Barry, we are doing our best to keep up with the busy pace of our family's lives and try to make a little time for ourselves if possible. We wish everyone continued good health and happiness and look forward to celebrating with you for many years to come. Jamie and Ken Lebersfeld Alexa turned 11 in October and is currently in the 5th grade. She made the Florida All-State Chorus in January and even got a solo! She recently competed in a dance competition in which one of her dances received first place out of the top ten. She also plays French horn in the Pine Crest Band. When she is not dancing or singing, she loves to spend the little free time she has watching T.V. and Instant Messaging her friends on the computer. While managing her busy schedule, this drama queen still obtains a solid “straight-A” average. Jenna will turn 14 on April 16th and is currently an 8th grade student at Pine Crest School. In the fall, Jenna played on her school’s varsity basketball team. Unfortunately, they lost the division championships by a mere one point, but still managed to come in 4th place overall. She made the All-County Jazz band, in which she played trumpet. She received a Superior on both her trumpet solo and trio in the Florida Solo and Ensemble Festival. Both her concert and jazz bands received straight Superiors at the Florida Band Masters Association. To continue with this musical theme, Jenna has lately been “rocking-out” on her new electric guitar. She loves playing games on the computer and has recently created a very impressive website. Jenna has also maintained a stunning “straight-A” average and participates voluntarily in the National Junior Beta Club at her school. (honor society/service club. When Jamie is not hard at work at Capitol Lighting, she is busy chauffeuring Jenna and Alexa around to wherever they need to go. Ken is working hard building a new Capitol Lighting in Wellington which he is planning to open up very soon.
Cheryl and David Garfinkel As another year quickly passes, this Seder Plate entry gives us the opportunity to take a brief pause from our hectic lives and reflect on the wonderful milestones, the mundane happenings and incredible people we’ve encountered throughout this year. The Garfinkel’s moved to Mendham this year. Our new address for anyone who needs it is 30 Mount Pleasant Road, Morristown, NJ 07960. I know that seems confusing that I said we moved to Mendham but then gave you a Morristown mailing address—(I don’t know how they set things up out here but Mendham doesn’t have their own post office-go figure!) Needless to say it has been a real adventure moving in (we have a lot more wildlife out here on the open range), getting acclimated (to how quiet it is when you have no neighbors), and meeting new people (when you spot them in their cars!). The kids are adjusting great. Justine is in 2nd grade in the township public school. She has made some really great friends and appears to enjoy all the subjects in school. She seems to be a budding artist. One of her projects, a paddle doll, was chosen to be in a county wide art exhibit in Morris County. She continues to dance adding Jazz to her repertoire. She tried out for a competition level dance corp. and we have our fingers crossed that she made it. Lucas has joined the ranks of the four year olds. He attends the Hebrew Academy four days a week. He is like a little Jewish Mayor there—bossy, yet accommodating! Lucas is a typical boy who loves every sport. His Dad, (a NY sports fan), has introduced him to NJ Nets basketball by taking him to some games. He’s the little red-head with the enormous claw on his hand waving to SLY the mascot. He loves to play soccer and hockey, in the house of course. And his new favorite is football—are there any Jewish football players?!! David and I are working hard to pay our bills and spoil our kids rotten—what else are parents for! Happy Holidays to everyone and a warm blissful summer.
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