Celebrating Tradition, Embracing the Future!

Transcription

1 Shomrei Torah - Wayne Conservative Congregation May 2017 Iyar/Sivan Hinchman Ave. Wayne, NJ Shabbat & Holiday Candle Lighting Times Celebrating Tradition, Embracing the Future! May /5.7:40 pm 5/12...7:47 pm 5/19...7:54 pm 5/26...8:00 pm 5/30...8:03 pm 5/31...9:04 pm Contents From the Bima...2 Words from Our President... 3 Religious School...4 Sisterhood.5 Bar Mitzvah.9 Golden Cards...25 Calendar

2 Executive Board Roberta Ort President Barry Blecherman Executive Vice President/ President Elect Stacey Maines Vice President of Education, & Youth VP Randy Reiser Membership & Programming VP Howard Hook Finance VP Ivan Gerstein Treasurer Tova Friede Financial Secretary Bruce Seidman Recording Secretary Cindy Merker Immediate Past President - Clergy Randall Mark Rabbi - Staff Jay Hirschhorn Administrator Judy Jaffe Director of Congregation Learning Suzanne Zofi Administrative Assistant Gloria Millan Shabbat Staff FROM THE BIMA Rabbi Randall Mark The last week of May will be a very exciting time, but don t expect to get much work done. As Americans we will celebrate Memorial Day parades, picnics, BBQs, a trip to the shore however you like to mark this day; but hopefully you ll take some time to reflect on the meaning of the day. We live free because of the price paid in blood by others who defended our great nation and on this day we remember them. I think of it as civil Yizkor. Then the very next day, Erev Yom Tov, Tuesday night, May 30 th we begin the Festival of Shavuot. Some refer to it as the Forgotten Festival since most people go to synagogue on Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur, most know that we build a sukkah on Sukkot and that we eat matzah and attend a Seder on Passover, but Shavuot; what s Shavuot? If you can answer that one, give yourself a pat on the back. Shavuot was originally an agricultural celebration, we would bring the first fruits of the spring harvest to the Temple and make a declaration that is specified in the Torah making it the oldest piece of liturgy that we have. When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3 And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us. 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 And you shall make response before the LORD your God, A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7 Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, [a] with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me. And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God. 11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you. (Deuteronomy 26:1-11) It may look familiar since the rabbis put it into the Haggadah. Shavuot also commemorates the giving of the Torah and as such we do a number of things. 1. We celebrate Confirmation with our 10 th graders, as they have continued to study Torah beyond their Bar Mitzvah. This year we celebrate with Josh Blecherman and Tyler Maines as they are Confirmed. 2. We engage in a Tikkun Leyl Shavuot Torah study late into the night. We often don t go much beyond 10:30/11 around here, but some study all night long! 3. There is a tradition of eating dairy on Shavuot, so come join us for blintzes and cheese cake! We will have full festival services on both Wednesday and Thursday in observance of the Festival and of course the office will be closed. And the Friday is Erev Shabbat, so it will be a great week to be an American, a great week to be a Jew, but not much work will get done. Wishing you all a Chag Sameyach a Happy Holiday! 2

3 Words From Our President Roberta Ort This month marks the one-year anniversary of my presidency at Shomrei Torah. Wow! People always talk about how quickly time passes. One day we re pushing strollers and the next day it seems we re sending the children off to college. Everyone said, don t rush the years away and of course I was too busy to listen. I was always one of those people looking forward to the next milestone. When will he crawl? Start talking? Go to first grade? But although I was always looking forward to the next big thing, I did, and still do, enjoy every moment along the way. My mother taught me this lesson a long time ago both in her lifetime and in her passing. She was always doing or planning something, getting together with friends or family, organizing a simcha or just planning dinner. She lived life to the fullest always laughing and having fun. Her true passion was for travel. She loved seeing new places, experiencing new cultures, and trying new foods; rather than repeating a destination, she always ventured on to something new. She was way before her time, traveling to China and Japan in the 1960 s. She passed her love of travel on to my siblings and me. We travelled cross country as a family three times when we were kids each time stopping in different states and cities to see all there is to see. We visited several countries in Europe and made it to Israel in the 70 s. In the 80 s I joined her on several trips to interesting destinations, including Iceland, Thailand and Hong Kong. We learned that the fun in is the adventure. We never knew exactly what we would find over there. Back in the day there was no internet or Google Maps. We didn t make dinner reservations on Open Table, purchase tickets online for a sightseeing excursion, or order a car via an app to pick us up. We took each day for what it was, enjoyed the adventure, and when it was done we planned the next one. My mother died in a tragic accident in December Of course, she had something special planned for us that month the whole family was to spend the change of the millennium together in a New England Inn. She lived every day of her life up to that moment enjoying everything that life had to offer. She had taught me all along that we need to live life while we re living because we don t know what tomorrow will bring. I embrace that every day, enjoying the constant busy that is my day-to-day norm. As I move into the second year of my presidency I hope to embrace this forward-looking approach in my role at Shomrei Torah. As this school year and fiscal year wind down to a close, exciting and innovative plans are underway for next year. I invite you to join me for the ride in my second year, enjoy the adventure, and live while you re livin! 3

4 CONGREGATIONAL LEARNING Judith Kuper Jaffe Director of Congregational Learning According to most pollsters, almost 90 percent of American Jews in the 21st century celebrate Chanukah, more than the number who observed Chanukah in the 1930s. Passover is the celebrated by more than 70% of Jewish Americans, taking part in at least one seder. The month of May Iyar/Sivan is chuck full of festivities, celebrations and joy that few pay any mind. Shavuot, held 49 days following the 2 nd seder (or on May 31 and June 1), is easily the least-celebrated major holiday. Succot has the succah, a focal point for getting together under the stars in a beautiful, natural setting. Rosh Hashannah the shofar and Yom Kippur has a break the fast. Shavuot has no similar family ritual but is both a Jewish harvest festival, and commemorates the story of Revelation, the receiving of the Torah. Just as the Israelites waited during the night to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai, today many Jews gather at late-night study sessions and snack on cheesecake. Lag B'Omer is celebrated on the 33 rd day of after the 2 nd seder. The Talmud tells us that during this season a plague killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva s students because they did not treat one another respectfully amd as a result, became a time of semi-mourning, when traditional weddings are avoided. The mourning behavior is presumably in memory of those students, their severe punishment and a reminder to us to behave nicely. According to a medieval tradition, the plague ceased on Lag Ba Omer and became a happy day, celebrated with bonfires and picnics. Let us not forget that on the same day at Lag B Omer is Mother's Day this year. Whether marked by the Torah, the UDA in 1908, or Hallmark cards, a special day for our Moms is appropriate. Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, is the most recent addition to the calendar. Celebrated on May 24 th, the 28 th of Iyar, Jerusalem has been considered the capital city of the Jewish people since King David s time in approximately 1000 BCE. Yom Yerushalayim became a special day after the Israeli Defense Forces took over the old, eastern part of the city on the 3 rd day of the Six-Day War in June Israel s Independence Day is celebrated on the 5 th of Iyar, when members of the provisional government read and signed a Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. The original date corresponded to May 14, Yom Ha atzmaut in Israel is always preceded by Yom Hazikaron, Israel s Memorial Day for the fallen soldiers. The message of linking these two days is clear: Israelis owe their independence the very existence of the state to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it. With only 6 holidays to both learn and celebrate and 6 sessions remaining for our religious school students (3 rd to 7 th graders) - less for Sunday School and TAST-e - it is indeed a jam packed time to rejoice! Please be sure to join us on Sun, May 7 th for our final Hooray for Holidays (Prekindergarten kindergarteners). Both PreKADIMA (3 rd 4 th ) and KADIMA (5 th 8 th ) will hold final events on May 7 th from 12:30 2:00 pm. Details will follow. Our extraordinary Vav (6 th Graders) will lead the Torah service and read from the Torah for the very first time on Sat, May 13 th. They ve worked exceptionally hard and both Morah Beth and the children thank you in advance for coming. Our 7th Graders/Kitah Zayin will lead the Friday night service on May 19 and celebrate the culmination of their formal religious school training at Shomrei Torah. A gallery presentation of our students work will be on display during the week of May Our final Tekes, last day of religious school and end of the year picnic will be held on May 21. Everyone is welcome to join us! 4

5 Kitah Zayin/7th Grade lead the religious school in a very special mincha service commemorating Yom Hashoah/Holocaust. Religious School students at Shomrei Torah in Wayne engaged in a wonderful program with author Murray Spiegel of "300 Ways to Ask the Questions." A Travelphobe Reports Back From Israel by Scott Podell Those who know me know what I love the most (the beach, the Jets, and traditions) and what I abhor the most (travel, travel, and travel). Which is why, until last month, I successfully avoided doing what I was told every Jew is supposed to do: visit Israel. Yes, the pang of guilt always reared its head when I answered "no" to the question "Have you ever been to Israel?, but that guilt was no match for the visions of cancellations, delays, lost luggage, and all of the other headaches which flooded my mind when such a trip was proposed. I knew that it simply was not worth it. I was simply wrong. I will always be indebted to my wife Adrienne for many things, but wearing me down until I finally agreed to make the trip to Israel is arguably right on the top of the list. To say that I returned from Israel a changed person is not hyperbole. The ten days we spent there gave me a new sense of who I am, where I come from, and how I look at the world. Words such as Golan Heights, West Bank, and Old City were just those - words. How these places fit into my life could only be learned by being there. I could read, watch videos, and listen to lectures, but nothing can have the transformative power of standing in a trench at a battleground and listening to stories of how a tremendously outnumbered army defended the security of Jews everywhere, told by someone who was actually in the battle. It is the same for understanding what is was like to start a kibbutz a stone's throw from enemy territories when mortar shells were exploding right in front of you, and the same for seeing first-hand the archeological remains of so many places that are part of our history. And the list goes on. At the recent Passover Seder we talked about the four different types of children and how they relate to the story of our freedom from Egypt. Before my trip, with respect to Israel, I was very much the Simple Child, not really understanding what Israel has to do with me, and why I should care so much about its future. While I do not presume to return as the Wise Child, at least I am now somewhat wiser. I better understand what is going on in the Middle East, I better appreciate the richness of our heritage, and I better comprehend the sacrifices which countless men and women made so that there could today be a Jewish State - and why that is so important. It is enriching, it is exhilarating, and it is fun. Take it from someone who still hates to travel, but who would return in a heartbeat and surely will - go visit Israel. 5

6 Do you sometimes wonder... Ok, another night, another dinner to cook. What I m I going to make today? What if I tell you there are 30+ brand new dairy or parve recipes just waiting for you to add to your menu? Yes, that s right! These delicious recipes will be in a special cookbook that you can keep. I know you are very anxious to know all the particulars, so here they are: Sisterhood is having its 9 th Annual Recipe Dinner on Thursday, May 11 at 7:00 pm and you are invited! The only admission is for you to bring your favorite dairy or parve dish to the party. The dinner is being chaired by the three fabulous Sues once again: Nagler, Mirsky and Feldman, and that is a sure guarantee for a delicious evening. Make sure to RSVP to Sue Mirsky at suemirsk@aol.com to let her know that you will attend. Everyone will go home with an awesome cookbook with all the evening recipes just waiting for you to make. Yum! Now we know what we will make for dinner, we have to have all the ingredients. Well, I have an easy solution for that. SCRIP! By now most of us know what it is and use it whenever we go to market. So simple to do... Just call Marcy Marcus at , Phyllis Staloff at , Roby Weiner at or the Synagogue office and purchase SCRIP (gift card) to your favorite store. NO EXTRA CHARGES. Cards are available to Kosher Nosh, Shoprite Fairway, Stop and Shop, Panera, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Seasons and so much more. When you purchase SCRIPT, you are supporting Shomrei Torah at the same time. It s a Win-Win. Lots of new items are coming in to the Gift Shop in the lobby on a regular basis. Stop by and say hello to Lee Ann Beck and see what s new. She is usually available on Sunday mornings, and can be reached by appointment. Linda Gaba, Sisterhood President 6

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8 Joshua Zarin Bar Mitzvah June 10, Sivan 5777 My name is Joshua Zarin and I am in seventh grade. I enjoy playing video games, watching sports, and going to summer camp. I am a dedicated New York Giants, New York Rangers, New York Yankees, and New York Knicks fan. My Parsha is BeHa alotecha. In Hebrew it means when you go up and comes from the word aliya, as in going up to the Torah or to go up to live in the Land of Israel. BeHa'alotecha begins with instructions as to how the High Priest Aaron is going up to light the lamp stand. The lamp stand was built from seven lamps in the Tabernacle and BeHa alotecha explains how it was to be made. God then commands Moses to purify the Levites so that they can work in the Temple. My Mitzvah Project was called Sweets for Smiles. I raised money for Children s Specialized Hospital, an in-patient and out-patient rehabilitative hospital located in Mountainside, New Jersey. I named my Mitzvah Project Sweets for Smiles because all of the money that I raised came from the sales of various sweets (some of which I baked in our synagogue s very own kitchen). The sweets, which people bought, ultimately created smiles for all of those patients who benefitted from my project. I would like to thank Rabbi Mark for being such a great example of what a religious leader should be. I would like to thank Judy Jaffe for creating educational opportunities for me. I thank all of my teachers along the way who have helped shape my religious education and I would like to give a special recognition to Beth Julie for believing in me and for her teaching, which she always kept interesting. I would also like to thank Stuart Skolnick for his patience and for being a great tutor. Lastly, to my Mom, Dad, and little sister Jessica; all of this would not be possible without your support. 8

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19 Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Wayne Conservative Jewish Congregation whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Husband of Gloria Millan 19

20 FOR SALE BY SHOMREI TORAH TWO INDOOR BURIAL CRYPTS AT "ABRAHAM & SARAH" Adjacent units, level two on the first floor of building #1 Contact Alan Feldman

21 21 SISTERHOOD GOLDEN CARDS IN HONOR OF LEE ANN & PAUL BECK BIRTH OF GRANDSON Harryet & Stuart Ehrlich Tova & Zev Friede Rhita & Steve Gastwirth Carol & Harold Willner Diane & Richard Seltzer Marcy & Dave Marcus AMY & ALAN FRIEDMAN ON BEN S BAR MITZVAH Synagogue Board & Affiliates MARSHA & PAUL GREENBERG BIRTH OF GRANDSON Maxine & Barry Berger Tova & Zev Friede Carol & Harold Willner Marcy & Dave Marcus JUDY & ANDY JAFFE BIRTH OF GRANDSON Rhita & Steve Gastwirth RABBI RANDY & DASSY MARK BIRTH OF GRANDDAUGHTER Tova & Zev Friede Marcy & Dave Marcus BARBARA & JERRY FRIEDMAN GRANDSON S BAR MITZVAH Laura & Marty Siegel Stephanie & Richard Whitman DANNY FISHBANE SON S ENGAGEMENT Terri & Oscar Reicher Noal & Jayne Solomon Stephanie & Richard Whitman Marcy & Dave Marcus SISTERHOOD GOLDEN CARDS IN MEMORY OF ANNETTE KLEIN MOTHER OF SHARON EMMOS Maxine & Barry Berger DR. AARON L. MARK FATHER OF RABBI MARK Carol & Harold Willner Diane & Richard Seltzer Marcy & Dave Marcus MOTHER OF JEFF ROSA Roz & George Hirschberg MOTHER OF MEREDITH BOROWSKY Diane & Richard Seltzer SPEEDY RECOVERY TED SOUTHGATE Maxine & Barry Berger SUE GLICK Elaine & Sy Schlossberg CHARNEY GLUCK Roz & George Hirschberg SISTERHOOD GIFT FUND IN HONOR OF MARSHA & PAUL GREENBERG BIRTH OF GRANDSON Iris & Gene Fisher FRANK TOBIN MITZVAH FUND IN HONOR OF DAVIDA ROSENBLUM BIRTHDAY WISHES Maury Mandel DAVID & SAM ROSENBLUM HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Maury Mandel JERRY & BARBARA FRIEDMAN GRANDSON S BAR MITZVAH Elaine & Ken Tobin AMY & ALAN FRIEDMAN BEN s BAR MITZVAH Elaine & Ken Tobin RABBI S DISCRETIONARY FUND IN HONOR OF RABBI & DASSY MARK GRANDDAUGHTER S BIRTH Sam Lampert Suzanne Freedberg IN MEMORY OF DR. AARON L. MARK FATHER OF RABBI MARK Harvey & Sue Nagler Stephen & Ruth Langfelder BEN PITTEL YOUTH SCHOLAR IN HONOR OF RABBI & DASSY MARK GRANDDAUGHTER S BIRTH Cheryl & Jeff Hayet DANIEL FISHBANE SON S ENGAGEMENT Marsha & Paul Greenberg STACEY & JEFF MAINES KAYLEE S BAT MITZVAH Sid & Caroline Blecherman BEN WELTMAN HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY! Sid & Caroline Blecherman LEE ANN & PAUL BECK GRANDSON S BIRTH Marsha & Paul Greenberg IN MEMORY OF DR. AARON L. MARK FATHER OF RABBI MARK Leslie & Michael Fischgrund Cheryl & Jeff Hayet Ellen & Stanley Bergnstein Amy & Alan Friedman Aly & Michael Greenstein Sid & Caroline Blecherman Sam Lampert Suzanne Freedberg Gerald Leroy YOUTH FUND IN HONOR OF JUDY & ANDY JAFFE GRANDSON S BIRTH Shomrei Torah Dalet Class IN MEMORY OF DR. AARON L. MARK FATHER OF RABBI MARK Lisa & Dan Schwarz SHOMREI TORAH FUND IN HONOR OF LEE ANN & PAUL BECK BIRTH OF GRANDSON Sid & Caroline Blecherman MAXINE STAVE SAMANTHA S ENGAGEMENT Anita Petak MOLLY AMOROSO BABY NAMING Jennifer & Todd Amoroso

22 YAHRZEIT FUND MILTON BROSER Father of Cliff Broser HELEN SARIN Mother of Barry Sarin MARLENE LEWIN Mother of Shelley Lewin LOUIS HERSKOWITZ Grandfather of Barbara Simon ESTHER SIMON Grandmother of Lenny Simon EVELYN STEIN Mother of Jill Landau EVELYN HENRY Mother of Paula Shaiman JULES KLEIN Father of Paul Klein PINCHAS SCHRANK Grandfather of Peter Whitmore SAUL GOLDBERG Father of Alice Broser IRVING KWIAT Father of Steven Kwiat NATHAN BERENZWEIG Father of Stanley Berenzweig LEON ZEROLNICK Father of Elaine Schlossberg MAX HIRSCHHORN Husband of Marilyn Hirschhorn LAWRENCE ASARCH Father of Alan Asarch LILLIAN CANTOR Mother of Barbara Zitcer BERNARD SHAIMAN Father of Lee Shaiman SAMUEL GREENBERG Father of Arthur Greenberg MILDRED SHECHTMAN Mother of Susan Gordon LAZARE BALDERMAN Grandfather of Monique Wasserstrum BENJAMIN CARROLL Father of Cindy Brazer MARILYN FRIEDMAN Mother of Robyn Weiss FREDERICK LANDAU Brother of Iris Fisher BERNARD DALL Father of Sandy Rothstadt ALA ROTHSTADT Mother of Garry Rothstadt ZOLTAN SCHULTZ Uncle of Anita Skolnick I want to thank everyone in the Shomrei Torah community for the love and support I felt during my father's shiva. There were an overwhelming number of people who showed up to offer words of comfort and to insure we had a minyan during the day as well as at night. The meals were appreciated and the donations to the shul continue a tradition that was important to my father, as he very much believed in the importance of giving tzedakah. I can't thank you all enough. Your kindness will live on in my heart! Rabbi Randy Mark 22

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24 Shomrei Torah Wayne Conservative Congregation 30 Hinchman Ave. Wayne, NJ NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PATERSON, NJ PERMIT NO Address Service Requested Celebrating tradition, embracing the future! 24