חדש. What s New at Temple Avodat Shalom. Save the Date Saturday June 8th the Annual Awards presentation and a Farewell to Rabbi Paul and Family

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1 חדש What s New at Temple Avodat Shalom Save the Date Saturday June 8th the Annual Awards presentation and a Farewell to Rabbi Paul and Family January, 2019 Bulletin/5779 Volume 67/Issue 4 Did You Take Your IRA Required Minimum Distribution? Did you know that with the new tax laws for 2018, many people who must take a required minimum distribution from their IRAs are paying their temple dues from their IRAs? The tax laws this year have changed so that many people can benefit from donating through their IRAs. You can discuss with your tax advisor, financial advisor, or call the Temple office for more details. Marc Potolsky Mobile Phone Inside this issue... January calendar on page 23. For up-to-date Temple information: Check the Temple website: Receive weekly announcements by send your updated address to administrator@avodatshalom.net 1

2 Upcoming Events January 1 st New Year s Day office closed January 2 nd Adult B nei Mitzvah Class 7:00 pm RS/TASTE January 3 rd Torah Noon January 4 th Tot Shabbat 6:00 pm No Dinner Shabbat in PJ s Family Service led by the 6 th & 7 th Grades 7:30 pm Lay-led Service 7:30 pm January 5 th Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am January 6 th Religious School Chaverim - 11:30 am Adult Education - Death and the AfterLife with Rabbi Paul 9:30 am January 7 th Brotherhood Card Nite 8:00 pm January 8 th Yoga 7:00 pm Listening Session 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm January 9 th RS/TASTE Sisterhood Board Meeting 7:00 pm January 10 th Torah Noon January 11 th Brotherhood Sabbath Services, 8:00 pm January 12 th Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Rabbi Mitelman Lecture at Temple Israel 4:30 pm January 13 th Religious School Adult Education - Death and the AfterLife with Rabbi Paul 9:30 am 6 th Grade Kehillah 10:00 am January 14 th Brotherhood Board Meeting 7:00 PM January 15 th Yoga 7:00 pm Sisterhood Mah Jong 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm January 16 th RS/TASTE January 17 th Torah Noon January 18 th Board of Governors/Shalom Circle Dinner, 6:00 pm Sabbath Services featuring our Choir, 8:00 pm January 19 th Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am January 20 th Religious School Sunday Movie 12 Angry Men at 2:00 pm January 21 st TU B SHEVAT MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY- Office Closed January 22 nd Yoga 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm Board Meeting 7:30 pm January 23 rd RS/TASTE FROM RABBI PAUL Happy New Year! By the time you read this article, fireworks will have gone off the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, sixteen hours later the ball will have dropped on Times Square in New York, and we will have entered calendar year All of these festivities beg the question, "Do Jews say Happy New Year on January 1?" One response says, "No, not really, because January 1 is not a Jewish New Year." In fact, January 1 was often, in Eastern Europe, a time of pogroms and riots against the Jewish community. Besides, Jewish tradition tells us that there are four Jewish new years in our calendar. In a 3rd century text known as the Mishnah, the opening of tractate Rosh Hashanah teaches, "The four new years are: (1) On the first of Nisan [before Pesach], the new year for the kings and for the festivals; (2) on the first of Elul [the month before Rosh Hashanah], the new year for the tithing of animals; Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon say, on the first of Tishrei; (3) on the first of Tishrei [our celebration of Rosh Hashanah], the new year for years, for the Sabbatical years and for the Jubilee years and for the planting and for the vegetables; (4) on the first of Shevat, the new year for the trees according to the words of the House of Shammai; the house of Hillel says, on the fifteenth thereof [Tu b'shevat]." With all of these "new years" to celebrate and acknowledge in our calendar already, do we also need to acknowledge January 1 as "New Year's Day?" Another response would say, "Meh, why not?" Each day we awaken to life has the capacity to bring something special, unexpected, wonderful, or challenging into our lives. Each day gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we have lived in the past, what about our lives we wish to change, how we hope to continue growing, even in those moments when life hurts. So if "New Year's Day," even if it isn't a traditional Jewish celebration, brings an opportunity for deeper consideration, an embrace of new opportunities and strengthened resolve, I would say, Go for it. My word choice of "resolve" over "resolution" is purposeful. To me, "resolution" suggests "finished/ completed," but the word "resolve" suggests the much harder work of engaging in the effort to change. How many New Year's "resolutions" are broken in the first 72 hours of the year? In contrast, how many of us exercise the "resolve" to keep moving forward when life presents us with imposing obstacles? Personally, 2019 brings a host of expected challenges - - our bittersweet departure from Temple Avodat Shalom, our resettling in Sydney, Australia, an embrace of a new school for Hannah and Emily, and new career opportunities for Lisa and me. And then there is the unexpected, those moments for which we cannot prepare, sometimes don't ever realize are happening, and that we simply need to meet head-on with grace, courage and dignity. January 24 th Torah Noon January 25 th Sabbath Services 8:00 pm January 26 th Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Shabbaton 5 th Grade January 27 th Religious School 2 nd Grade Workshop 9:30 am Adult Education - Death and the AfterLife with Rabbi Paul 9:30 am January 29 th Yoga 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm January 30 th RS/TASTE January 31 st Torah Noon Feeding the Hungry Rabbi Paul J. Jacobson Cantor Maria Dubinsky Educational Director Barbara Haber President Audrey Rosenblatt Administrator Barbara Herman Hoff Accompanist Kenneth Corneille Sisterhood Liz Dunkelman and Carrie Jablonsky Brotherhood Mario Caveda Rabbi Emeritus Neal I. Borovitz Cantor Emerita Ronit Josephson This Bulletin is published monthly by Temple Avodat Shalom 385 Howland Avenue River Edge, NJ Phone: (201) Fax: (201) administrator@avodatshalom.net Website: 2

3 I enter 2019 still reflecting on 2018, which turned out to be a year of enormous growth for me, as I spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on childhood memories and deep wounds. I wrote personal essays, short stories, and (for the first time in my life) poetry. I read nearly fifty books. I traveled to seven countries, and I cried, a lot. My favorite new word from 2018 was proprioception, "the sense of the relative position of one's own parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement." I have, for most of my life, struggled with the sense of being present in my body, and with understanding my body in the space of the world around me. With the help of an occupational therapist, I spent 2018 becoming more comfortable and confident in my body, and learning how to let go of the ground beneath me. If someone had told me on January 1, 2018, that I would, for the first time in my life, jump off the diving board with Lisa, Hannah, and Emily cheering me on (June), turn upside down on a bungee harness (October - thanks Linda Pereira), or use the monkey bars in the gym (November - thanks Wayne Alperti), I would have looked at them and said, "Me? You have to be joking." Never say never. We cannot know what 2019 will bring. But maybe, just maybe, we can begin with a few words of hope. May you meet the year ahead embraced by and embracing loved ones around you - family, friends, colleagues, and community. Where life is sweet, may you share and bask in that sweetness, however fleeting it may be. Where life is painful, may you be present and sensitive, allowing others to feel their pain, listening to what they need, helping them as they require, respecting the power and the personal nature of their journey, without minimizing their suffering or trying to fix it for them. May you meet the expected challenges of life as best as you can, and regarding those unexpected challenges, may you meet those moments too, and trust that there are fellow travelers and companions on this mystifying journey of life, right there beside you, who want to walk with you, and hold you. From my heart to yours...happy new year. Rabbi Paul FROM THE PRESIDENT The other day I was listening to the recently released soundtrack of Springsteen on Broadway. Before Bruce launches into Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, he talks about friendships, and in particular the friendship he had with Clarence Clemons. He talks about how each of us has a story, that Clarence and Bruce used to whisper those stories into each other s ears, and how they carried those secrets together. Like Clarence and Bruce, all of us not only have secrets, but we also have stories and ideas. I like to think that sharing those stories and ideas, and carrying them together, makes us stronger. It gives us the foundation that we build our merged story on and that is the story that makes us the community that we are at TAS. This is the idea for the Think Tank sessions we have been having over the past couple of months. Listening to your stories and your ideas, having you share them out loud with all of us at once, rather than whispering them to each other and holding them close, is allowing me to be able to put together a list of ideas to share with the entire Board of Directors, with the goal to distill those ideas into the strategic direction that TAS should take over the next few years. You are helping to define the type of community that you want TAS to be, and giving us the basis for how to shape that vision. I was asked a couple of weeks ago to define what has been most meaningful to me during my time as President of TAS. It is not an easy question to answer. But one of the things that is at the top of my list has been listening to all of you, working to understand how all of us, together, define our community and envision our future. I value the trust you have placed in me, by sharing your thoughts and ideas, not only at the Think Tanks, but in the conversations that so many of you have had with me. Your honesty is truly appreciated. And so, of course, I am going to remind you to attend the Think Tank scheduled for January 8 from 7-9 PM. I started out the year 5779 by telling you that I want to hear your voices, and I meant it. Even if you do not have any new ideas to share, come and listen to what others are thinking about and talking about. Be part of the vison. If you cannot make it to the session on January 8, or if you have additional thoughts and ideas, or you are reading this after January 8, please me at president@avodatshalom.net. I look forward to hearing from you. L Shalom, Audrey 3

4 FROM THE EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR Social Justice Is Not Just for Grown-Ups For our school-wide Chanukah program this year, we decided to run a Mitzvah Fair, in order to enable our students to experience the feeling of giving (in addition to their typical Chanukah practice of receiving ). We invited a cross-section of charitable organizations to showcase the work that they did and to explain to our students the impact that individuals can have on the lives of those in need. Students visited every table, and then decided how to allocate the dollar bills they had brought in from home. In exchange for each contribution, the children received a Happy Chanukah card to fill out and give to friends and family, telling them that a donation had been made to this organization in their honor. Our teachers helped to facilitate this teachable moment, speaking with their students about their opinions, priorities and passions as they walked around the social hall. The children also had Mitzvah Fair passports, which were stamped at each station. Some of the participating groups included Jewish Family Home, Starlight Children s Foundation, Friends of the IDF, Hackensack River Keeper, Center for Food Action, Jewish Family Children s Services, the Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey, and The Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs. More than $600 was collected in total for the fourteen organizations, and the discussion regarding why and how to give tzedakah continued to be unpacked in the classrooms after the fair was over. There are a variety of social justice activities specifically designed for elementary school aged children; some of which are both fun and effective. In the past, I have conducted the Egg Lesson, where students are each provided with a chicken egg a white egg, a brown egg, a cracked egg, etc. The appearances of the eggs are described in great detail; students are encouraged to compare and contrast the physical characteristics down to the tiniest aspect. Finally, the eggs are cracked into one community bowl and it is discovered that the eggs all look exactly the same. After gently swishing around the bowl, students are challenged to determine which egg came from which shell, and the task proves almost impossible. In That s Not Fair!, the impact of educational disparities is highlighted as half of the class are provided with new construction paper and well-working scissors while the other half is given notebook paper and old rusty scissors. The students are instructed to create paper dolls (for example) and the participants quickly learn how low-quality and high-quality resources can have a great impact on student achievement. Can girls be plumbers? helps to teach about gender stereotypes and career choices, using photographs to help encourage group discussion. These are just a few examples of ways to engage our children to begin to think about ways to repair our world ( tikkun olam ). The sooner a child is exposed to the inequities of our society, the sooner they can begin to do their part to fulfill this Jewish value. Please see the following message from parent Margie Gelbwasser, who is interested in offering social justice opportunities for our religious school students (gelbwasserma@yahoo.com): Communities seem to have ample volunteer opportunities for teens but very few for the younger set. However, there are many great things younger kids (ages 5-12) can do if given the chance. I'd love to start a junior social justice group and am eager to hear your ideas! Please me with your thoughts, and we'll plan to have an interest meeting in Barbara Haber Educational Director 4

5 Come play mah jong Tuesday night January 15 th from 7-9! We will also meet Sunday morning, February 24 th from 9:30-11:30, and Tuesday night March 5 th from 7-9 leading up to our Mahj Madness on March 24 th. Book club will meet Monday February 4 th to discuss Chanel Cleeton s Next Year in Havana. Join us for the sisterhood service February 8 th at 8 pm. Next board meeting is January 7 th at 7 pm. RSVP to events, questions, ideas and suggestions contact us at sisterhood@avodatshalom.org. BROTHERHOOD SHABBAT SERVICE On January 11, 2019, the men of the Brotherhood invite the entire congregation to join them at Friday Night Services at 8:00pm for the "Brotherhood Service". The men of the Brotherhood use this annual event to lead the congregation in prayer. Brotherhood President Mario Cavada and Brotherhood Service Chairman David Greenfield are proud to announce that Adam Herbst has graciously accepted the invitation and honor of presenting the D'var Torah. Everyone is invited to stay after the service and to enjoy the oneg that is being sponsored by the Sisterhood. BROTHERHOOD JEW-PARDY The TAS Brotherhood is excited to announce that on February 9:30am they will be presenting the 47th Annual JEW-PARDY!! All members of TAS are invited to attend the breakfast and to test their Jewish knowledge during the highly spirited game. If that isn't enough to excite you, a prize will be given to each member to the team that wins the game. Brotherhood President Mario Caveda wanted a celebrity MC for the contest and asked Alex Trebeck come to TAS to host, but sadly, Alex is allergic to bagels 'mit a schmeer and had to decline. Luckily, our very own Jonathan Rochlin is available for MC duties!! All this for the low cost of $8.00 a person. For more information & to register (by Jan. 29 please), visit the Brotherhood page at avodatshalom.net/community/brotherhood 5

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7 The TAS Adult Education Committee is pleased to announce the following January 2019 Activities: Death And The Afterlife Lecture series presented by Rabbi Paul Jacobson Sunday, January 6 th, 9:30 am How do we approach death? Reservations, feelings, misgivings? End-of-life care in Judaism Sunday, January 13 th, 9:30 am Funeral and Mourning Rituals, Liturgy Sunday, January 27 th 9:30 am Afterlife Sunday, February 10 th, 9:30 am Ethical Wills and Elder Care Viewing of Twelve Angry Me, with Adam Herbst, January 20, 2019 at 2:00 pm Young Families January bulletin article January 4th is First Friday services, including Tot Shabbat at 6 pm and a family service at 7:30 pm. Jr. Choir will participate! January 13 th Calling all 2 nd grade parents! Want to meet some of the families in your child s class? Meet up with Helen Pollack and other parents at the Panera on Rt 4 (in the Kohl s shopping center). They ll be having breakfast there on the second Sunday in January during religious school, starting at 9:45. Stop by and chat! Mark your calendar now for these fun events in February! February 1 st : First Friday February 9 th : Havdalah and Game Night, 6:30 pm. Bring you own beverage. We will play games, eat snacks and hang out. We ll put on a movie for the kids, who can come in PJs with sleeping bags and pillows. Fun for everyone! The junior and senior Youth Group had a great month. They attended gaga sphere, where they played nine square for an afternoon! We have also had successful bake sales with delicious cupcakes and desserts. The Youth group has been working hard to prepare for the midnight run coming up on January 26. The Youth Group is now collecting clothing and toiletries that are given to the homeless people on the streets of New York City. The Midnight run is one of the most heartwarming events of the year and we look forward to helping others! Want to Help? The fundraising committee for the Temple is always looking for new ideas and people to help. If you are interested, please contact us at fundraising@avodatshalom.net. 7

8 KIPPAH FUNDRAISER Order Kippot for your special celebration (Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Wedding) through the Temple and help support our Parents' Association who help fund many of our children's activities. Call Debra Tester at for information. To DALE COHEN on her conversion to Judaism; To JOYCE & TOM BIVONE on the marriage of their daughter Joanne to Phil; To ANN & JEFF BAKER on the birth of their granddaughter, Zoe Rose. Each month, the children in our congregation who are celebrating birthdays are called to the bimah during our First Friday Family Service. November birthdays will be called to the bimah on January 4 th. We wish all of them a Happy Birthday. Jack Cleaver Emily Jacobson Connor Klein Benjamin Lewis Mallory Mentzel Sophia Gaffin, Matthew Goldfarb, Sara Howard, Gabrfiela Iacoviello, Ilana Jablonsky, Jacob Katz, Benjamin Kupfer, Jake Rabinowitz, Kiran Seligman, Gabriel Vukosavovic and Bailey Wacks... 8

9 Gift Cards Available for More Than Just Food Shopping $5 and $10 cards from Bath & Body Works, Barnes & Nobles, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Panera Bread will be available from the office. Additional quantities or other gifts cards from over 700 vendors can be ordered for you. Visit the office during normal business hours or call us. Visit Thank you! Getting Your Gift Cards Into Your Phone (ecards) MyScripWallet is the ordering tool for ScripNow ecards. MyScripWallet is not an app. It s a mobile website that can be used from a cell phone or mobile device. MyScripWallet is supported for both Safari (iphone) and Chrome (Android). You ll use your existing ShopWithScrip username and password to login. You pay with PrestoPay (it links to your checking account). If you don t have a username and password, or PrestoPay, you can sign up through the TAS website Gift Card page. When MyScripWallet first launches, any currently registered cards that you previously reloaded will appear in your wallet. You can order from MyScripWallet or ShopWithScrip.com and all ecards will appear in your wallet. For now, you ll have an Enter Balance button for each of your ecards and Reload cards so you can record the balance yourself each time you use the card. Future plans include a feature to check the balance on MyScripWallet for retailers that allow it. Some retailers aren t quite ready for mobile redemption yet, and they require the printed ecard or physical gift card at checkout. If that s the case, you ll see a note in red clearly indicating that when you are ordering and when viewing the ecards/reload cards in your wallet. You can log in to your ShopWithScrip account from your computer to print out your ScripNow ecard for those retailers that require it. No warning message means that you can present the ecard at checkout from your phone. You ll receive an confirmation when your reload has processed. Funds are added overnight for regular Reloads ordered Monday through Friday by 3:30 PM Eastern. ReloadNow items paid for will be ready in minutes. Look for the designation Reload or ReloadNow on the ordering list to tell which type of ecard it is. JUSTICE AT TAS Please visit our Justice Central webpage (under Community) on the TAS website. We now have three subpages Gender Identity and Expression, Social Justice Trip Remote Area Medical and Additional Social Justice Opportunities. We frequently post new Tikkun Olam opportunities seminars, food drives, rallies, thought pieces. Contact justice@avodatshalom.net to get issues and events added to the Additional Social Justice Opportunities or if you have questions about our activities. 9

10 Order Your Purim Gift Bags Now The Sisterhood of Temple Avodat Shalom is pleased to offer you an opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot (the traditional Purim gift of food and candy). Your participation in this fundraiser will contribute to its success and will be greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the people receiving it. Use the order form on the back to send gift bags to TEMPLE MEMBERS, CHILDREN, AND STAFF Gift bags are $10.00 each Only one bag will be given to a family (regardless of how many orders that family receives). This bag will include a gift card listing all those who contributed to this bag. NO ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER FEBRUARY 27, 2019 Questions? Contact: Sisterhood: ORDER FORM FOR MISHLOACH MANOT GIFT BAGS Your Name Address Phone 10

11 PLEASE follow these easy steps for ordering: A. List the FIRST & LAST NAME of Temple members and staff to whom you would like to give Mishloach Manot gift bags. Example: The Sara and David Sutter Family B. If you want to send a bag to a child, as well as listing their name, you must indicate that it is a child otherwise the bag will be to the family name. Gift bags are $10.00 each Please use a separate piece of paper for additional orders. C. Be a PURIM PATRON - For $250, your family s name will be added to every gift bag. D. TOTAL GIFT ORDER Yes, I want to be a Purim Patron. OR I have ordered Purim gift bags at $10.00 each. Total Enclosed E. Don t Forget Anyone! For those who are not Purim Patrons, but are ordering gift bags, we can automatically reciprocate to everyone who sent you a gift bag and then send you a bill for the additional bags. You MUST PURCHASE at least one gift bag in order to reciprocate. Check here if you wish to do this. Yes, please reciprocate and bill me at $10.00 a bag. MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO TEMPLE AVODAT SHALOM SISTERHOOD. MAIL CHECK & ORDER FORM TO: Temple Avodat Shalom, 385 Howland Ave., River Edge, NJ Gift bags will be available for pick-up in the Temple Lobby on Sunday, March 19, 2019 at the Religious School Purim Carnival. We will contact all recipients to let them know about pick-up at the Temple. REMEMBER, ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 27, 2019!!!. 11

12 PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST BE A TEMPLE MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING AND A PAID UP MEMBER OF SISTERHOOD BY 12/31/18 IN ORDER FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A SCHOLARHISP SISTERHOOD JEWISH CAMP AND EXPERIENCE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION One of the goals of the Sisterhood is to encourage our members children to have fun and enriching Jewish experiences beyond the TAS community Date: Parent Name: Child Name: Address: Phone Number: Jewish Camp (please list name) * Jewish Experience (please specify) OR Total Cost of Program 12

13 Have you previously received a Sisterhood scholarship? If yes, please list date(s) and program(s). Please describe why you would like to attend your program. (Please use the reverse side of this application or attach a separate sheet.) Scholarship Rules: 1) Parent must be a member in good standing of TAS and the TAS Sisterhood. Sisterhood dues MUST have been paid by 12/31 of academic year. 2) All scholarship requests must be received by April 1 st or prior to the start of the Jewish experience. 3) NEW - Students may apply for a camp scholarship multiple years, however preference is given to first time applicants. 4) Scholarships for Jewish experiences other than camp are limited to a one time award per individual experience. 5) Decisions will be made no later than May 1 st with preference given to first time applicants. 6) Students who receive scholarships may be asked to participate in a Temple activity to share their experience. Parent Signature: Student Signature: Jewish experience scholarships are awarded for youth trips to Israel or Jewish youth experiences such as the RAC trip or the NFTY Bi-Annual Convention. If you have any questions or require further clarification please contact us at sisterhood@avodatshalom.net 13

14 HELP OUR LIBRARY GROW! TEMPLE AVODAT SHALOM BIRTHDAY BOOK DONATION PROGRAM: Celebrate your child s (or grandchild s) birthday with a book donation to the Temple Avodat Shalom Library! The program is simple. You send in a donation for $18.00, which will be used toward the purchase of a new book. The books will be available in the library for your child to select. On or near their birthday, the librarian will have your child choose a book. A bookplate with your child s name, birthday and the school year will then be placed inside this book. Your child will be the first person to check out this personalized book and bring it home to share. Children with birthdays in June will choose a book in December, July in January, and August birthdays in February on their "Half Birthday". Thank you in advance for participating in this wonderful program to help expand our library! If you have any questions, please school@avodatshalom.net TEMPLE AVODAT SHALOM BIRTHDAY BOOK PROGRAM $18.00 per book Checks payable to "Temple Avodat Shalom"; memo section Birthday Book Donation Name of Child Birthdate 14

15 Midnight Run Help Temple Avodat Shalom s Youth Group, SHATY, distribute food and clothes to the homeless throughout New York City on January 26! Please Donate! Clothing: Gently Used/New Adult Coats, Pants, Shirts New Underwear and Socks **Especially needed: Large men s sizes Travel - size Toiletry Items: shampoo, soap, razors, toothbrushes, etc. Cash or Checks (For making meals and buying extra items) Gift Cards: Shoprite, Costco, etc. Garbage Bags and Boxes Please drop off all donations by January 23 rd! Contact: ariana.altman@aol.com and ilanaseltzer@gmail.com with any questions! 15

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19 The cutoff date for all donations to be listed in the Bulletin is the 25 th of each month; otherwise they will be listed in the following month s bulletin. GENERAL FUND Donations to the General Fund support all activities of the Temple DAVID GREENFIELD & MARIAN ROFFMAN AUDREY & JOEL ROSENBLATT In Honor of Dale Cohen s conversion to Judaism. PEGGY & STUART SCHNEIDER AUDREY & JOEL ROSENBLATT BARBARA & MICHAEL KING ELLEN & NEAL LITINGER Mazel Tov to Jeff & Ann Baker on the birth of their new granddaughter, Zoe Rose. AUDREY & JOEL ROSENBLATT To Steve Berman Glad to know you re feeling better and wishing you a fast recovery. Congratulations to the Corrigan Family on Jack becoming a Bar Mitzvah. To Mary Lurie with wishes for a speedy recovery. ELLEN & NEAL LITINGER Congratulations to Ellen & Steve Berman on the birth of their grandson Jacob Eli Brunn. SIDNEY SCHNALL For the Gurwitz family in memory of Abraham Gurwitz. BARBARA & MICHAEL STARR To Nilene Evans Chase and Arnie Chase with thanks for hosting them on Shabbat. JOAN & GUNTHER HECHT To Liz & Len Lawton to thank them for their hospitality. NILENE EVANS CHASE & ARNOLD CHASE ELLEN & NEAL LITINGER ROSELYN ALTMAN GLORIA LIEBERSTEIN LIZ & LEN LAWTON In honor of Linda and Philip Gould s 60 th Anniversary. NORMAN AMENT In honor of Helen and Lloyd Astman s 50 th Wedding Anniversary. ELLEN & NEAL LITINGER Mazel Tov to Tom & Joyce Bivone on all of your Simchot. May they continue coming. LIZ & LEN LAWTON To Eileen & Gene Austin Hooray for living under one roof again! To Janet & Paul Ritter Thinking of you. VIVIAN SLOVES Mi Shebeirach wishes for Kenny Ahn. ` YARTZEIT PLAQUE MISHKAN T FILAH FOR YOUTH FUND SOCIAL ACTION FUND (Feeding the Hungry) CHARLOTTE MAGID To Richard & Mary Lurie Congratulations on Joseph successfully defending his dissertation CHILDREN'S LIBRARY FUND LIBRARY FUND ADULT EDUCATION FUND THE SCHNOLL MUSIC FUND CONNIE SCHNOLL To Walter Weiss & Family in loving memory of Carol. Happy 60 th Anniversary to Linda and Phil Gould. Wishing you many more! YARTZEIT FUND WARREN & NANCY HEAPS In Memory of Warren s father, Robert Heaps. SUSAN & RICHARD PIKE In memory of Susan Pike s father, Joseph Fried. VIVIAN SLOVES In memory of her mother, Sadie Kaufman. PHYLLIS BESEN In memory of her husband, Martin Besen. SIDNEY SCHNALL In memory of his mother, Anna Schnall. PEGGY & STUART SCHNEIDER In memory of Peggy s mother, Faye Bloch. MIDGE RAUCH In memory of her mother, Gertrude B. Mackoff. In memory of her father, Herbert A. Mackoff. FRANCINE EBERSMAN In memory of her brother, William N. Ebersman. In memory of her grandfather, William Ebersman. In memory of her aunt, Irma G. Marais. ERIC & MARILYN LANSEY In memory of Eric s beloved father, Gilbert Lansey. JEANNE BUESSER In memory of: Her grandfather, William Schlesinger. Her husband, Raymond Buesser. Her cousin, Howie Kronick. Her uncle, Maximillian Schlesinger. Her friends, Rose Moore and Ron Zangger. JOHN & LORI DAUGHERTY In memory of Aaron Raff. CAROL BARNESS & JON STRANGE In memory of Carol s mother, Elaine Barness. LARRY & SUSAN ALTMAN In memory of Larry s mother, Celia Altman. ROBERT SALOMON In memory of Robert s, mother Estelle Salomon. IRIS & MARVIN LAPIDUS In memory of Iris s aunt, Frances Warhaftig. DOUGLAS & KAREN CHARIPPER Donation to the Tree of Life Challenge in memory of Douglas s father, Bret Charipper. CANTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND JOYCE & NEIL MASSOTH To Debbie Lev Thinking of you. Best wishes to Mary Lurie for a speedy recovery. In honor of Linda and Philip Gould s 60 th Anniversary. LINDA & PHILIP GOULD With thanks for the special blessing in honor of their 60 th Anniversary. RABBI'S DISCRETIONARY FUND FRED LEVITAN For use for on whatever is needed. PHYLLIS BESEN Rabbi Jacobson, Your warmth and hospitality are amazing. Thank you. CONNIE SCHNOLL Many thanks. LINDA & PHILIP GOULD With thanks for the special blessing in honor of their 60 th Anniversary. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL DISCRETIONARY FUND SISTERHOOD A. BAER MEMORIAL SCHOOL FUND BROTHERHOOD CANTOR JOSEPHSON CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND SHAVELSON FUND To subsidize teen and young adult participation in Jewish leadership programming CHARLOTTE MAGID To the Shavelson Family in memory of Ruth Shavelson. LAPIDOS TREE OF LIFE MICHAEL MEALIA SCHOLARSHIP FUND MITZVAH WALK BRICK TORAH RESTORATION FUND For the care and maintenance of our Torah scrolls SISTERHOOD SUNSHINE FUND Our deepest condolences to the family of Leon Cohen on his recent passing. Get well wishes for a speedy recovery to Mary Lurie. Congratulations to Joyce and Tom Bivone on the marriage of their daughter Joanne to Phil. Welcome wishes to Dale Cohen as she is now officially a member of our tribe. MAZEL Tov to Heather and Michael Corrigan on the Bar Mitzvah of their son Jack. A REMINDER: Donations to Temple Avodat Shalom's Funds may be made, by phone or mail, in honor of someone, in memory of someone, or "just because." A beautiful card of acknowledgment will be mailed to the honoree or to the family of the deceased upon receipt of the donation, minimum $10. However, certain specific Funds require higher minimums, as follows: Library Fund $18Torah Restoration 180 Gates of Joy 18 Simcha Tree of Life 180 Mishkan T filah Youth 18 Lapidos Tree of Life 250 Torah Commentary 90 Mitzvah Walk Brick

20 HANDY PEOPLE NEEDED TO HELP SENIORS and DISABLED PERSONS Want to enjoy a really rewarding experience? The Chore Service, sponsored by the Bergen Volunteer Center, helps keep Bergen County seniors and people with disabilities safe in their own homes. Chore volunteers perform minor household repairs that these vulnerable people can t do themselves nor get anyone else to do, and that can make a huge difference in the quality of their lives. These repairs are performed at no cost to the people, other than the cost of the materials used in the repair. For those on a fixed income, these savings could mean the difference between paying a professional a fee just to evaluate a situation, and whether there is money for food or medicine! A Chore volunteer should be able to perform the kind of minor repairs that any able-bodied homeowner must do: replacing broken locks/doorknobs, installing washers in faucets, replacing electric outlets or switches, installing grab bars and hand railings, putting in/taking out small air conditioners, even changing light bulbs! The Chore Service has three vans that are sent throughout Bergen County 5 days a week. A volunteer would be assigned one day a week to a crew that performs 4-5 service calls per day. Chore offers a great volunteer opportunity for retirees or people who work second and third shift jobs. Call Maureen at (201) to find out how satisfying it can be to use your handyperson skills to lend a hand to those in need. 20

21 Incontinence is the second leading cause of institutionalization. 25 million Americans suffer from urinary incontinence 25 % of Bergen County seniors live below the poverty level There are currently no programs that offer financial assistance to seniors in need of adult briefs or other incontinence products, making these necessities for independent living unattainable luxury items. Adult products of this kind cost upwards of $100 a month, and with social security benefits averaging $874 a month, purchasing them is not possible for millions of adults. Having access to these items are a basic human need, allowing senior adults to remain mobile, social and productive. Without them, many healthy older people would be trapped in their homes, fearful of joining social functions, trips to libraries or the movies, or even attending their own grandchild s wedding! Seniors who remain socially active remain healthier, both physically and emotionally, and since people are living longer and leading more active lives, it is critically important to invest in programs that can help them afford products that will allow them to remain engaged in their community. The cost of not providing them will be astronomical by comparison to the care costs incurred by the need of early institutionalization and other health problems! Unlike babies, who outgrow the need for diapers, incontinent adults will bear this cost for the rest of their lives. A recent study indicates that 25% of our New Jersey seniors cannot afford basic necessities. They are not eligible for Medicaid yet their Social Security check does not cover food, medications and adult absorbent products. Did you know that there is no government funding for adult care briefs? (formerly known as adult diapers) Without these products many seniors would be trapped in their homes and unable to attend social and/or family events. People are living longer and leading more active lives. The Adult Care Brief Bank was developed to collect and distribute absorbent products to those in need. Through drives, similar food drives or collections, The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, The Academy of Holy Angels, The New Synagogue of Fort Lee, St. Joseph's Parish, Bergen Family Center and other venues including networking events have collected over 120,000 products. The items collected are distributed to individuals in need through local agencies such as the Center for Food Action, Meals On Wheels of Bergen County, and Pascack, Visiting Homemaker Home Health Aide Service of Bergen County, Jewish Family Services, Bergen Family Center, the Southeast Senior Center for Independent Living (SESCIL) and more. All it takes is an blast and a collection bin. Oh yea, a bit of media always helps 21

22 The Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey along with the Holocaust Museum created a program with you as a community leader in mind and invite you to attend. There has been an unfortunate uptick of hate and bias that we see and hear about almost daily in our local schools and community. With the scrawling of swastikas and racist and anti-semitic graffiti, this problem directly affects many vulnerable groups and many of your constituents. That in mind, we created a program as a way to help combat hate and bias at the most important age: to our vulnerable school children. We would be honored for you as a leader to attend this very important program taking place on Wednesday, February 6 th at the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. The event is created with educators in mind, with the focus being on softening bias and racism in the classroom and in the world today. We would also greatly appreciate it if you could help us publicize the event by disseminating the information to your community. Please see the flyer below and attached. 22

23 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday FEBRUARY S M T W T F S JANUARY 2019/ Tevet 1 NEW YEAR S DAY - Office closed 25 Tevet 2 Adult B nei Mitzvah Class 7:00 pm RS/TASTE 26 Tevet 3 Torah Noon tevet - shevat 27 Tevet (4:23) 4 Tot Shabbat 6:00 pm No Dinner Shabbat in PJ s Family Service led by the 6 th & 7 th Grades 7:30 pm Lay-led Service 7:30 pm 28 Tevet 5 Parashat Vaera Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am 29 Tevet 6 Religious School Chaverim - 11:30 am Adult Education - Death and the AfterLife with Rabbi Paul 9:30 am 1 Shevat 7 Brotherhood Card Nite 8:00 PM 2 Shevat 8 Yoga 7:00 pm Listening Session 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm 3 Shevat 9 RS/TASTE Sisterhood Board Meeting 7:00 pm 4 Shevat 10 Torah Noon 5 Shevat (4:30) 11 Brotherhood Sabbath Services, 8:00 pm 6 Shevat 12 Parashat Bo Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Rabbi Mitelman Lecture at Temple Israel 4:30 pm 7 Shevat 13 Religious School Adult Education - Death and the AfterLife with Rabbi Paul 9:30 am 6 th Grade Kehillah 10:00 am 8 Shevat 14 Brotherhood Board Meeting 7:00 PM 9 Shevat 15 Yoga 7:00 pm Sisterhood Mah Jong 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm 10 Shevat 16 RS/TASTE 11 Shevat 17 Torah Noon 12 Shevat (4:38) 18 Board of Governors/Shalom Circle Dinner, 6:00 pm Sabbath Services featuring our Choir, 8:00 pm 13 Shevat 19 Parashat Beshalach Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am 14 Shevat 20 Religious School Sunday Movie 12 Angry Men at 2:00 pm 15 Shevat 21 TU B SHEVAT MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY- Office Closed 16 Shevat 22 Yoga 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm Board Meeting 7:30 pm 17 Shevat 23 RS/TASTE 18 Shevat 24 Torah Noon 19 Shevat (4:47) 25 Sabbath Services, 8:00 pm 20 Shevat 26 Parashat Yitro Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Shabbaton 5 th Grade 21 Shevat 27 Religious School 2 nd Grade Workshop 9:30 am Adult Education - Death and the AfterLife with Rabbi Paul 9:30 am 22 Shevat Shevat 29 Yoga 7:00 pm Choir 7:30 pm 24 Shevat 30 RS/TASTE 25 Shevat 31 Torah Noon Feeding the Hungry 23