Bulletin from the Board Steve Weinstein

Transcription

1 Editor Karen Bartels fax home phone Newsletter of the Congregation Kehilat Shalom of Belle Mead, NJ May 2011 Nisan Iyyar 5771 Congregation Kehilat Shalom 253 Griggstown Rd. Belle Mead, NJ Phone: Fax: Regular office hours: M-W-Th 8:30-3:30 T-8:30-6 F-8:30-1 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 Rubinstein Robert Neusner Affiliate: Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Published by: Bulletin from the Board Steve Weinstein Reflections (not in a rap) Although this will not be nearly as inspiring as the Purim Rap song I got to participate in a few Sundays ago, I wanted to celebrate and reflect on some of the many accomplishments that we as a community achieved this past year: a) Addition of nine new families to our community welcome to all of our new members! b) New sanctuary energy-efficient doors, windows, and lights in the sancuary thank you Joseph Weiss for your fantastic vision c) M&M&M weekly Religious School program (Mishpachah, Mitzvah & Mensch) great values being taught every week d) Re-signing of Rabbi Susan s contract through June 2016 yippee! e) A balanced budget (not a small feat given these economic times) f) New Kehi-loft created composting program (volunteer opportunities still available) g) Almost 40 people attended the Rabbi s All About Reconstructionist Judaism lecture a terrific turnout h) The Studio 253 fundraiser raised over $12,000 get your Mai Tai s ready for next year s Tropical Paradise, A Night Under the Stars event i) Mission Statement focus group discussions thank you to all who have provided your feedback. j) Shari Rothstein has been chosen as one of 37 congregational educators from the metropolitan area to participate in the Leadership Institute: Shaping Congregational Leaders and Learners a real honor and recognition for Shari and our Religious School! k) Matt Rosenthal s impersonation of Haman on Purim the roar from the students was deafening. In speaking for the entire Board, I would like to thank all of you for your support, dedication, and sense of community that has infused our congregation with a terrific spirit and energy. It is your involvement, whether leading activities or attending them, that has invigorated the community, attracted new members, and created an environment of Jewish culture and learning of which all of us and our children can feel proud. So, as each of us prepares for the end of school and our summer activities, we look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting on Sunday May 22, 2011 at 12:30. Please come and hear about the results of the past year, vote on the nominees for the Board and share your opinions. If you are unable to attend, then please send in your proxy form so your vote can still be counted. I am really proud to be a member of such a fun and vibrant community and expect that the best is still yet to come. Best wishes, Steve

2 CKS Donations CKS gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our members and friends. General Steve Weinstein Iris Rubinstein in honor of Gabi Rubinstein s Bat Mitzvah Joan Merdinger and Paul Ganales in honor of Gabi Rubinstein s Bat Mitzvah Jackie and Larry Weitzner in memory of Norma Goldfield Harlene and Marc Rosenberg in memory of Norma Goldfield Barbara and Tom Berger in honor of Jeremy Orlando s Bar Mitzvah Rabbi s Discretionary Fund Shari Burack and John Murphy Debbie Lampf and Michael Kalison Committee Corner Empty Nesters Finding yourself at loose ends now that the kids are out of the house? Looking to join a congenial social group to occupy some of that new free time? Craving activities with grownups activities that are fun, cultural (sometimes), and which always include food? Then Empty Nesters is for you. We are open to singles and couples. We meet once a month. Each member unit takes a turn at planning the activities. We have visited museums, restaurants, had potlucks, and many other activities. We always enjoy being together, talking, and sharing. If you think Empty Nesters is for you, or you have questions about us, please contact Richard and Sheryl Rosenberg at or swellcourt@verizon.net (with Empty Nesters in the subject line). Annual Meeting Date This year's annual membership meeting will take place on Sunday, May 22nd at 12:30. At that time members will vote on the slate of Board nominees and the budget for next fiscal year (2011/2012) will be presented as well as other important community business. Please plan to attend. CKS Book Rabbi Falk delivered an extremely interesting talk about the origins and develoent of the Reconstructionist movement on Sunday morning April 3, to a record Adult Ed crowd of about 40 people. Participants shared their baseline understanding of Reconstructionism. Rabbi Falk debunked the common myths, gave historical context, and shared her abundant knowledge of founder Mordecai Kaplan and of the movement to which CKS belongs. Photo by Meryl Bisberg Thursday, May 26 Book - Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Lauren Hillenbrand Location CKS Join us for a lively discussion of these thought provoking books. Everyone is welcome! Shari Rothstein Selected for Symposium We are happy to announce that Shari Rothstein has been chosen as one of thirty-seven congregational educators from the metropolitan area to participate in the Leadership Institute: Shaping Congregational Leaders and Learners. This initiative fosters collegiality, leadership develoent, and Jewish learning. Backed by a $2 million dollar grant from UJA-Federation of New York, the Conservative and Reform institutions The Jewish Theological Seminar and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion have partnered again for a third cohort to provide professional develoent for congregational Jewish educators. During the course of two and a half years, educators will have participated in eleven day long symposia, two twoday symposia, two intensive Summer Seminars, and a ten-day Israel Seminar. 2

3 Message from the Rabbi Last month, I taught an adult education class on Reconstructionism, the Jewish denomination to which our congregation belongs. I was delighted to see so many of you in attendance. Many of you expressed a desire to learn more so stay tuned for announcements regarding adult education on this and other topics next year. In the meantime, here is one of the handouts I gave to the class. Enjoy! Rabbi Susan TEN REASONS WHY YOU CAN BE PROUD TO BE A RECONSTRUCTIONIST 1. By putting civilization/people-hood (versus faith/religion) back at the center of Judaism, Reconstructionism acknowledges all the different ways of being Jewish cultural, secular, Zionist, Yiddishist, spiritual-seeker, traditional, etc. 2. Kaplan (the founder of Reconstructionism) was the first to envision the JCC model of synagogue (versus a house of worship only) where members could come together for social, educational and spiritual reasons. 3. Kaplan brought democratic values and structures to synagogue life, and his followers expanded on this work by introducing Values Based Decision Making (VDBM). 4. In 1922, Kaplan s daughter, Judith, was the first girl to have a bat mitzvah ceremony. 5. Since its inception in 1968, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) was always open to female candidates. Reconstructionist Rabbi Sandy Sasso became the second female rabbi in 1974; she was preceded by Sally Priesand of the Reform movement in There are now close to 1,000 female rabbis. 6. In 1984, the RRC was the first rabbinical seminary to admit openly Gay and Lesbian candidates for the rabbinate; in 1985, the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) was the first congregational organization to welcome LGBT affiliates. 7. The Reconstructionist movement created a ground-breaking prayer-book series with liturgy that: includes the needs of women and LGBT individuals; incorporates contemporary literature from Jewish and non-jewish sources on Jewish and American themes; degenderizes language and names of God; and updates prayers to include more recent GOD LOVES STORIES: A PASSOVER MESSAGE 3 historical events, such as the Holocaust, or to be more universal in message. It also was the first to use the now-imitated below the line structure as a space for interesting and enlightening commentary from ancient to contemporary sources. 8. Reconstructionist rabbis have been updating and creating new traditions and rituals to meet contemporary spiritual and lifecycle needs for the past four decades. 9. The RRC is the first and still the only rabbinical seminary to train its rabbis in the discipline of spiritual direction. 10. Reconstructionist synagogues have a strong record of being active in social justice causes, as well as being welcoming to diversity in their membership.

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5 Kehi-Loft Why I, Marissa Applegate, am a member of Kehi-Loft When I first joined Kehi-Loft, I did it out of a sense of obligation. My family had always been (and still is) very active in this congregation. My grandfather, Harvey Tesser, was one of its founders and my parents have been in the choir, on the Board of Trustees, and on a variety of committees for as long as I could remember. I felt it was my responsibility as their dutiful offspring to continue that tradition. So, I allowed my mother to sign me up, even though I felt it wouldn t be much fun. I could write the rest of my column about how perfect my experience was and how, after the first meeting, I immediately decided that this was the best organization I had ever been involved in. That would be an untruthful, clichéd and boring column. The truth was, I wasn t miserable at the first meeting, but I didn t have much fun either. Back then, it was still Hebrew High; we met in the K-2 room and did Torah study for the majority of the meetings. We had no say in the topics, and had only 15 minutes of socialization time a week. The reason that I stuck with this program is because it isn t the same program that I started in. It has changed, as we as a congregation have changed, and as the individual members have changed. When we decided that we needed our own space, we presented a proposal to the Board and got one. When we as a group felt that the name Hebrew High was not only dull but also misleading, we changed it and Kehi-Loft was born. When we decided that we wanted more say in what we discussed, wanted to meet more with congregants, and do less Torah study, we made it happen. What makes this group unique is that it is truly ours; we, the youth of this community, have created it, shaped it, and with each year reformed it to our current needs. I write this because it is that time of year again when 7 th graders look at their parents with a sense of dread. They have made it through what must seem countless years of Religious School and are yearning for an end to it all. But my advice- just try Kehi-Loft. Through this experience, I have learned so many things about myself, both as a Jew and as a person. I have met people whom I never would have met otherwise, and who have become some of my best friends. Perhaps most importantly, I now feel a deep connection with my synagogue. It is now not just my grandfather s synagogue or my parent s synagogue, but it is mine as well. So try it. You ll be surprised what can happen. Kehi-Loft calendar May Friday, May 6 at 7:00 - Kehi-Loft leads Shabbat services Wednesday, May 11 - Session with rabbi Sunday, May 15 - Social session with 7th graders June Wednesday, June 1 - tentative date for dinner in Princeton Friday, June 10 - Kehi-Loft graduation Shabbat service Composting! 5

6 Jewish Community Mark your calendar for the two remaining Jewish LIFE special events of the Season! * Sunday, May 1, 7 p.m.: Community-Wide Yom Hashoah Observance featuring Leila Levinson, author of Gated Grief: The Daughter of a World War II GI Liberator Discovers a Legacy of Trauma. Location: Temple Beth-El, Hillsborough. Free to the Community Please RSVP to Laura Friedman at the JCC: LFriedman@ssbjcc.org. Completing the Journey Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties Completing the Journey is the final push to help the Falas Mura, Ethiopians of Jewish ancestry, to make Aliyah. Please help the Jewish Federations reunite the 8,700 Ethiopian Jews with their families already living in Israel by purchasing a symbolic Airline Seat for $118. Whether you choose to sponsor symbolic airline seats at $118 each or support the campaign at any level, please give generously. Every gift brings an Ethiopian Jew one step closer to freedom. Donation forms available in the CKS lobby or go to the Federation website at * Tuesday, May 10, 7 p.m.: Community-Wide Yom Ha Atzmaut Celebration featuring the Israeli Defense Force Musical Ensemble. Location: Temple Beth-El, Hillsborough. To purchase tickets call Friends of the IDF at x14. Jewish LIFE thanks everyone who supported programs this year. The new calendar of events will be announced in the Fall. Debbie Golden Marketing & Public Relations Director Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center 775 Talamini Road, Bridgewater, NJ (P) x210 (F)

7 MAY Nisan Iyar 5771 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 5:57AM/7:55PM YOM HASHOAH Religious School Noon 8 5:49AM/8:01PM Religious School Noon :42AM/8:08PM Religious School Noon Kehi-loft - 6-8: :36AM/8:14PM LAG B'OMER Religious School Noon Religious School Siyum - 9:00 - Noon Annual Membership Meeting 29 5:31AM/8:20PM 5:56AM/7:56PM 9 5:48AM/8:02PM YOM HAZIKARON 30 5:41AM/8:09PM 3 5:55AM/7:57PM 10 5:47AM/8:03PM YOM HA'ATZMAUT 17 5:40AM/8:10PM Membership Committee Meeting - 7: :35AM/8:15PM 5:34AM/8:16PM 31 5:31AM/8:21PM 5:30AM/8:22PM 4 5:54AM/7:58PM ROSH HODESH I 11 5:46AM/8:04PM Kehi-loft - 6-8: :39AM/8:11PM PESACH SHEINI Education Committee Meeting - 7:15 5:34AM/8:17PM 5 5:52AM/7:59PM ROSH HODESH II 12 5:45AM/8:05PM Board Meeting - 7: :51AM/8:00PM Shabbat Family Service led by Kehi-loft - 7: :44AM/8:06PM Shabbat Services - 7:45 5th and 6th grade retreat at Camp JRF - (lasting through the weekend) :38AM/8:12PM 5:37AM/8:13PM Pot Luck Dinner - 6:00 Shabbat Service led by K - 7th grades - 7: :33AM/8:18PM 5:32AM/8:19PM No Shabbat Services 5:50AM/8:02PM 5:43AM/8:07PM 5:37AM/8:14PM 5:32AM/8:20PM

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 May 2011 Bulletin from the Board Donations/Committee News From the Rabbi Religious School News Kehi-Loft Jewish community May calendar Current resident or: Deadline for next newsletter: May 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.