Bulletin from the Board Debbie Gartenberg

Transcription

1 Editor Karen Bartels fax home phone Newsletter of the Congregation Kehilat Shalom of Belle Mead, NJ October 2010 Tishrei Cheshvan 5770 Congregation Kehilat Shalom 253 Griggstown Rd. Belle Mead, NJ Phone: Fax: Regular office hours: M-W-Th 8:30-3:30 T-8:30-6pm F-8:30-1pm Rabbi Susan Falk ksnj.org President Matt Rosenthal Administrator Robin Bengochea Religious School Principal Shari Rothstein Lay Cantor Kate Mende-Fridkis Board of Trustees Officers of the Board 1st Vice President Steve Weinstein 2nd Vice President Stacey Anderson Past President Ed Krisiloff Treasurer Debbie Gartenberg Financial Secretary Mark Goldhammer Recording Secretary Susan Waskow Corresponding Secretary Sheryl Rosenberg Trustees Shelley Nord Michael Galkin Gary Gartenberg Debbie Tesser Iris Rubensteinl Robert Neusner Affiliate: Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Published by: Bulletin from the Board Debbie Gartenberg The High Holidays are over, and things are gearing up for a new year of Religious School, adult education, and other social and spiritual events at the synagogue. Since joining the Board of Directors, I have learned a lot about the ebb and flow of the synagogue. I was surprised to learn how much preparation goes into getting ready for this intense holiday. I won't go into details here, but suffice it to say that everything from getting the entry way tile and sanctuary carpets cleaned, tuning the piano, putting the High Holiday prayer books in place, to arranging the aliyot, readings, ark openings/closings, Torah undressing/dressing, practicing for all of the beautiful songs, and writing and practicing sermons and speeches are all just a part of what goes into preparing for the holidays. This year, I attended every service except for the Tashlich walk to the stream. (I had company coming and had to finish cooking!). Going from the New Year to the Day of Atonement, and being led through this progression by our Rabbi was an enlightening experience. Each service was important in and of itself, but experiencing them in sequence was even more powerful and fulfilling. One thing that I really like is that Rabbi Susan has a plan for the upcoming year in terms of what she wants to teach us. She probably has had a plan every year, but I never caught on to this before because I never attended very many High Holiday services, let alone Shabbat services. I like this idea of a plan, because it gives our year a direction. I like direction because it makes me feel like I am going somewhere, and I trust that Rabbi Susan knows where she is taking us. This year, my goal, along with my husband, is to literally put Friday night services in our calendar once a month. Last year we wanted to go once a month but that didn't happen. We would try to attend if we had time, or if we felt up to it which rarely happened. Many Friday nights we were just too tired, and all we wanted to do was stay home, sip martinis, and play Scrabble. This year, we feel differently. This year we feel compelled to really make Friday night services a priority to the point where we have literally written them in our calendar. If I want to see where Rabbi Susan is taking us, the only way to do this is to actively make the commitment. During the High Holiday services, while I was in the sanctuary with Rabbi Susan and all of our worshipers both members and guests, I felt an unusual sense of safety. We were worshiping in our building while the world around us was going on with its wars, bad economy, life threatening storms, and distractions from things like computers and cell phones. For a short time, we were in the sanctuary and away from all of these things. I liked being together with people who were there to worship, remember, honor, learn and to find their inner spirituality. I am looking forward to sharing some Friday nights in this way. Maybe I'll even cook a chicken, have some challah and light some candles with my family before we come to the synagogue. Maybe we'll get really inspired and invite some friends from the congregation to share our Shabbat dinner. We'll see where this goes. I'll let you know when I write my newsletter article next year. Who knows, maybe you will also come to some Friday night services, and we'll share this journey together.

2 CKS Donations CKS gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our members and friends. General Last year s Religious School 1st grade mothers In Honor of Morah Tracy Richard Yuresko & Natalie London and Jonathan Many thanks to Rabbi Susan High Holiday Myra D Andrea In Memory of Shelley Cole Alan Rabinovich Dedication to Dita Rabinovich Marylu Simon Howard Malitz Dedication to Carl Malitz and Herbert Sloan Alison Wagreich Susan Keeler Stacy Wolf Dedication to Larry M. Wolf Allyson Sandak Dedication to Rebecca, Sam, and Ron Tracey & Aaron Goldberg Juliet Beier Mary Ellen Curtin With gratitude for your hospitality Dara Miller Paul Kirschner Neil Wolf In memory of Eugene Wolf and Harry Cravitz Joseph Mansfield Dedication to Irving Jakubovitz Daniel Roth Rosalyn Goldman Arthur & Rita Bransdorfer Wendy Reissman Dedication to Allen Reissman Stacey & Dave Anderson Dedication to Selma Feldman and Herman Busch Hartley Singer Ralph Joseph Kenneth & Diane Heimberg Susan Flaster Amy and Barbara Brilhart Sheryl & Richard Rosenberg In honor of Morra Spritzer who has added so much to CKS, as she embarks on her new adventure In honor of the marriage of Kate Fridkis and Simon Berring Amy & Christopher Doelling Karyn Waller Alice & Gary Nackman Peggy & Bob Fass Bob & Sue Rothstein Nancy & Paul Silverberg Jackie & Jeff Barth David Glaskin Jill Schimmel Michelle Smith Jodi & Jeff Meissner 2 Arlene & Stanley Berger Elizabeth Brauner Michael Feldmus Benjamin Silberman Pamela & Steven Sloan Nina D Angelo In Memory of Albert & Shirley Walsh Joe & Diane Wions Ira Kasoff Rabbi s Discretionary Fund London/ Yuresko family WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! Donna and Ron Lubin of Hillsborough Aaron and Tracy Goldberg of Hillsborough Daniel and Linda Seligman of Belle Mead Robin Roth Bengochea of Lambertville Leonard and Janette Edelstein of Belle Mead Jared and Christine Witt of Rocky Hill Paul and Nancy Silverberg of Princeton Andrew and Deborah Fingerhut of Hillsborough Committee News Third Annual Rummage Sale We will be holding our Third Annual Rummage Sale on Friday, October 29th and Sunday, October 31st from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. (not on Saturday). As in the past, this will be an enormous sale with everything from kitchen, household, yard, light furniture and kids items to clothing and books. We need your donations and help to make this happen! Donations will be accepted on Tuesday, October 26th and Thursday October 28th from 1 to 7 p.m. at the synagogue. Other times can be arranged by ing Debbie Gartenberg at dgart1518@gmail.com. We need help with pricing during the week, setting up on Sunday morning, and selling on Friday and Sunday mornings. Please Debbie with the times you are available. CKS Book Group Do you like to read books or need a reason to get started again? Do you want to get to know more CKS members in an intimate setting? Come to the CKS Book Group! We read a variety of books and discuss them at our monthly meetings. Our first meeting this year will be held on Monday, October 11th at 7:30pm at the synagogue. This will be both an organizational meeting where we pick the books and meeting dates for the rest of the year, as well as a discussion of our first book The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Refreshments will be served. Please call Marilyn Plotkin at if you have any questions. Everyone is welcome! NEW - CKS Mahjong Group Many people have expressed an interest in a CKS Mahjong Group. This is your opportunity!! Come on Tuesday, October 5th at 7:30pm at the synagogue to the organizational meeting of this new group. We are looking for people who have never played the game, people who are willing to teach, and we need to find out how many game sets are available for our use. Please join this new group to learn/play this fun game, meet new people, and have a fun night out. Please contact me with any ideas or suggestions! Debbie Gartenberg or dgart1518@gmail.com.

3 Message from the Rabbi Greetings. On Yom Kippur afternoon, about 30 CKS members and guests gathered in the sanctuary before the concluding Neilah service for our nontraditional Avodah service to share music, poems, midrash, and other inspirational offerings with each other. Some just came to listen, and those who shared ranged from children to adults. I d like to share with you the offering of Joe Wions, Past President and long-time member of CKS. The Power of Will in Handling Adversity Early last month, I was visited by a new friend with ALS. He came with his wife and brother-in-law to seek advice on dealing with the illness. It was interesting to compare the differences in our conditions. He has been living with a confirmed diagnosis for three years less than I have. Yet, his progression is in some ways worse than mine, while in other ways less severe. On the plus side, he still has modest movement in his legs (although not strong enough to walk), and he does not require 24/7 breathing support. On the downside, his speech is very difficult to comprehend, there is no movement in his arms and hands, his weight is very low, and he constantly battles sadness. In the short time since our meeting, I have exchanged several s with his wife clarifying suggestions I had offered. These exchanges caused me to reflect on the vast array of remedies and procedures with which I have experimented over the past eight years to arrive at the protocol which is currently keeping me stable and generating modest improvements. Many of these experiments have drawn amazed reactions from friends who could never see themselves employing such tactics - things like a raw vegan diet, lemonade cleanses, coffee enemas, and colema boards (a variation of colonics) to name a few. I have had conversations with several people with ALS who came to pick my brain on what has worked for me. Few, however, have committed to the changes or procedures I have recommended, which brings me to the issues of choice and will. These topics came into very sharp focus for me about four years ago, when an alternative health practitioner named Tom Woloshyn came into my life. One of the first things he asked me was, Do you want to live or do you want to die? I was startled. It seemed obvious. I had taken it for granted. Confronted with Tom s question, I had to ask myself to what lengths I was willing to go. Suddenly it became clear that the potential for success was highly dependent on what I really believed and was actually committed to doing. Tom helped me realize that if I was to have any hope of recovering from ALS, I had to decide whether I truly wanted to live, and how much. In discovering the depth of my will to live, I found the power to choose to employ healing practices to which most people would react with Are you kidding me!? I sometimes ponder which comes first, the strength of will or the power to choose. It seems to me a bit of a chicken and egg question. In pragmatic terms, the bottom line is that both are required for success. The good news in this observation is that there are people out 3 there demonstrating what it takes to succeed in difficult times. A choice can be made to learn from their techniques, adapt new approaches, and achieve more success. Whether it has to do with fighting an illness, losing weight, winning a job, or confronting some other challenge, choice and will are always at play. They can define the limits of our success, or the potential of our opportunities. I chose to share this post from my blog with you today, because the issues of choice and will seem so relevant to what the Days of Awe are all about. As we reflect on the lives we have lived in the past year, and how we would like to do better in the year ahead, I think we have to ask ourselves what choices we are truly prepared to make. What changes in our behavior are we really committed to? If our choices are real our wills will be strong, and our resolutions will translate into action. There will be less to atone for next year, and in the spirit of Tikkun Olam, we will have helped to make the world a better place. To read more of Joe s blog, go to:

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5 Kehi-Loft It s that time of the year again. You know what I m talking about. You probably see bright yellow school buses back from hibernation, winter coats in storefront windows, and even the beginning of Halloween mania. You probably smell the fresh scent of new school supplies, crunchy fall leaves and you probably hear the sound of kids moaning and complaining. Moaning and complaining? Oh yes, it must be back-to-school season. As school starts again, it s time for Kehi-Loft to come back from vacation too! But, unlike school, everyone s actually looking forward to this. And how could they not? This year, the teens of Kehi-Loft hope to contribute more, learn more, do more, and be more. With much pizza, soda, and conversing on the way, the smiles of miserable CKS teens will surely return again. For Kehi-Loft, the festivities of the year have already begun! On September 12 th, Kehi-Loft planned and executed a car wash during the first week of religious school. Even as it poured, dedicated Kehi-Lofters continued to wash cars and use nature to their advantage (can anyone say, the world s best hose?). And even in the foul weather, they managed to collect more than 200 dollars that they hope to put to good use in order to take Kehi-Loft to the next level. Sincere thanks to Tom Berger, Eric Weitze, and Nancy Javeline for helping to coordinate the car wash! On September 19 th, Ed Krisiloff will teach the teens of Kehi-Loft how to construct the sukkah for our synagogue. Thanks in advance to the many adults that will undoubtedly dedicate their time to making sure that they sukkah goes up without a hitch. Adults, get your teens to join Kehi-Loft. Teens, if you re not here, get over here! Kehi-Loft would love some new members to join the ranks. And the best part? No homework! Shalom, Ariel Kramer If you haven't registered for Kehi-Loft already, please do so by contacting Robin in the office at Robin@kehilatshalomnj.org or visiting the CKS website at Kehi-Loft sessions for October and November from 6:00-8:00 unless noted October Sunday, Oct 3 - Social and planning session Wednesday, Oct 20 - Regular session Wednesday, Oct 27 - Session with Rabbi Susan Sunday, Oct 31 morning - Help with CKS rummage sale November Wednesday, Nov 3 - Regular session, Rabbi Susan may lead Friday, Nov 12 at 7:45 - Kehi-Loft leads Shabbat services Wednesday, Nov 17 - Possible move at Beth El Sunday, Nov 21 - Social session 5

6 Jewish Community To my fellow CKS Congregants, It is with a heavy heart that I have to move from the area and leave CKS due to a change in my employment status. My office is closing, there are no comparable jobs in the area, and I was able to land a job with my company in Maitland, Florida (Orlando area). I will be moving no later than November 15. Shortly after my bat mitzvah I left NJ and my synagogue. I traveled far and wide mostly to places where there weren t a lot of Jews. I do not consider myself religious and was not observant or particularly knowledgeable about Judaism. Yet wherever I lived, I always knew I was Jewish even if I didn t know what that meant. In retrospect I realize that as I moved from place to place being Jewish was one of the very few constants in my life even if I didn t appreciate then how important that constant was. Fast forward to one day 3 years ago. I was beating myself up for not living up to my own expectations at work and decided to go to CKS for Shabbat services to find some peace. I took a seat in the back. Sheryl came over, introduced herself, saw I was having a tough time and gave me a hug (and then made me sit up front!). I ve been coming to services and classes ever since. During my 3 year membership at CKS I re-learned the songs and prayers of Shabbat. I assisted some Bagel Cafes on Sunday mornings which allowed me to meet many congregants. I attended Service Leadership class and subsequently co-led 3 services, gave 4 d var Torahs at services, and led a shiva service at work for the daughter of a coworker. I have become much more observant of Shabbat as a day not only of rest but of holiness. Last but not least were many Sunday Torah study sessions. I will probably never fully understand what it means to be Jewish which is ok. I think it is the acts of participating and learning and studying that are in and of themselves a big part of Jewishness. CKS provided the means to immerse myself in Judaism. I have made friendships that I hope will be lasting. I especially want to thank Rabbi Susan Falk, Sheryl and Richard Rosenberg, Meryl Bisberg, the Javelines and my Torah study partner Susan Waskow. All of you have opened the doors of learning and sharing which have enriched my life beyond words. Please feel free to stay in touch with me at morras@msn.com. Shalom, Morra Spritzer GETTING TO KNOW: Iris Rubinstein Family Fantastic 12 year old daughter, Gabrielle. Loving 5 year old dog, Koda. Sister and brother and their families live in central NY (Utica) and my dad and stepmom live in Rye, NY. Grew up in New Rochelle, NY and have lived in this area since Occupation and education BS in Management and Org Behavior from Rider long before it was a university! Back at Rider these past 3 years taking accounting courses with a concentration in Fraud and Forensics. Currently working at Princeton University in the Office of Communications as Operations Assistant. Loving being back at work. Community Activities Just joined the Board of Directors at CKS - thanks for the great honor! Very involved with a grass-roots social justice org called the Alliance for Racial and Social Justice. Had been on the PTAs in Montgomery but not much time now. Ran a support group for perinatal loss for 8 years. Activities I enjoy Playing with Gabi, being with friends, reading, scrapbooking, playing Scrabble. Favorite Movies Oh my, too many to list! Mama Mia!, The Shawshank Redemption, The Philadelphia Story, Gone With The Wind, The Usual Suspects, 12 Angry Men, Funny Girl, any musical. Favorite TV shows Oh my, too few to list Glee, Whatever Gabi is watching (except Sponge Bob). Favorite Books Again, too many (I read a lot!) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc., All the Harry Potter books, The Story of Edgar Sawtell, Time Traveler's Wife (not the movie), Time and Again by Jack Finney, Word Freak by Stephan Fatsis, A Separate Peace and To Kill a Mockingbird. Favorite Music Oldies and Broadway musicals, Forever Young by Bob Dylan, Hey There Delilah by Plain White Tees Favorite Foods Kasha Varnishkas and my matzoh balls, Thai and sushi Best Childhood Memories Riding the waves at Jones Beach in my dad's arms, snuggling with my mom, rearranging furniture with my sister, wrestling with my brother, large family gatherings. If I had more time. I would let Gabi teach me taekwondo (she's a 2nd degree black belt), catch up on my scrapbooking, have a garage sale and re-finish my bench. 6

7 October Tishri Heshvan 5771 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 3 4 6:56AM/6:38PM Kehi-loft - 6-8:00 pm Intermediate Hebrew - 9:30-11:30 am (off :03AM/6:27PM 7:05AM/6:26PM 7:30 pm - CKS Book Club Intermediate Hebrew - 9:30-11:30 am (off Apple picking for Montgomery Food Bank - 1-3:00 pm at Terhune Orchards :11AM/6:17PM Intermediate Hebrew - 9:30-11:30 am (off :19AM/6:07PM Intermediate Hebrew - 9:30-11:30 am (off New Member Pot Luck Dinner - 4:00 pm (off 31 7:27AM/5:57PM Rummage Sale - 9:30 am - 1:00 pm 5 6 6:57AM/6:37PM 6:58AM/6:35PM 7:30 pm - CKS Mah Jong Group 7:06AM/6:24PM 13 6:59AM/6:34PM :12AM/6:15PM 7:13AM/6:14PM Membership Committee Meeting - 7:30 pm 7:14AM/6:12PM Kehi-loft - 6-8:00 pm Education Committee Meeting - 7:15 pm :20AM/6:05PM 7:21AM/6:04PM Rummage Sale Drop- Off Ritual Committee Meeting - 7:30 pm :54AM/6:42PM SIMCHAT TORAH Shabbat Family Service - 7:00 pm 6:55AM/6:40PM 8 9 7:00AM/6:32PM 7:01AM/6:30PM ROSH HODESH I Shabbat Services - 7:45 pm 7:02AM/6:29PM ROSH HODESH II Ben Applegate Bar Mitzvah - 9:30 am :07AM/6:23PM 7:08AM/6:21PM Board Meeting - 7:30 pm 7:09AM/6:20PM Shabbat Services - 7:00 pm 7:10AM/6:18PM Jacob Fischman Bar Mitzvah - 9:30 am 7:22AM/6:03PM Kehi-loft - 6-8:00 pm :15AM/6:11PM 7:16AM/6:09PM Shabbat Services - 7:45 pm 7:17AM/6:08PM Ben Eckardt Bar Mitzvah 28 7:23AM/6:01PM Rummage Sale Drop- Off 29 7:24AM/6:00PM Pot Luck Dinner - 6:00 pm Shabbat Services led by the 6th and 7th grades - 7:00pm 30 7:25AM/5:59PM

8 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Princeton, NJ Permit No Griggstown Road, Belle Mead, NJ Listserve contact Fulfilling the religious, educational and social needs of our Jewish community since Inside the Newsletter Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 October 2010 Bulletin from the Board Donations/Committee News From the Rabbi Religious School News Kehi-Loft Letter from Morra Spritzer/ Getting to Know: Iris Rubinstein October calendar Current resident or: Deadline for next newsletter: October 15 th Whom to contact for Adult Education Meryl Bisberg Beautification Rhonda Wynston-Kraftt Audrey Starkman Billing/Payments Robin Bengochea ext. 1 admin@ksnj.org B nai Mitzvah (helpers, celebrations) Meryl Orlando Board of Trustees 2 nd Thurs Matt Rosenthal Building/Grounds/Décor Andy Sokel andsok@aol.com Building Usage/Access Robin Bengochea ext. 1 admin@ksnj.org By-Laws Victor Elgort vselgort@nmmlaw.com Congregants Assistance Fund Rabbi Falk ext. 3 rabbi@ksnj.org Education 1st Wed. Andrea Lass Judy Weitze Financial Committee Debbie Gartenberg Mark Goldhammer Fundraising Lisa Kent Gift Shop Susan Waskow Hospitality(Kiddush & Oneg) Robin Bengochea Kindercapers Audrey Starkman Mark Goldhammer Kehi-Loft Karen Fridkis Life Cycle (Caring for each other) Sheryl Rosenberg swellcourt@verizon.net Long Range Planning Joseph Weiss josephhobartweiss@verizon.net Membership Jim Ohls Pastoral Emergencies Rabbi Susan Falk Dave Campeas Personnel Jeff Barth Brian Cige Publicity Stacey Anderson Debbie Tesser Rabbi's Liaison Dave Campeas Holly Nelson Religion Richard Rosenberg Technology- Internet and Marketing Amy Rosenthal webmaster@ksnj.org Technology - Computer and Networking Michael Galkin Tikkun Olam Michael Galkin by CKS. All rights reserved. Permission required for reuse. The CKS Newsletter is published monthly, except July. Deadline is the 15 th of each month. Every effort will be made to publish contributed items, but due to space restrictions, placement and format are at the discretion of the editor. Advertising Policy. You can advertise in this newsletter to inform the community of your business or profession. Advertising is accepted based on its interest and applicability to our readership. Location in the newsletter is at the editor s discretion. CKS does not necessarily endorse or vouch for the products and services of our advertisers. The newsletter is published 11 times per year (no issue in July). a file with the art to the editor, or provide camera-ready art on clean, white background. Advertiser responsibility to meet deadlines. Rates are low and must be paid in advance. For information and a rate sheet, please contact the editor.