The Shofar בס''ד. From the. desk of. Rabbi Pearl. May Fri. May 26/Sivan 1. Light candles, 7:31 p.m. Services, 8 p.m.

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1 The Shofar May 2017 Vol. 89 Issue 5 (Published Monthly) Congregation B nai Israel : A Traditional Conservative Synagogue 45 Twombly Ave., Staten Island, NY Tel: (718) Fax: (718) Rabbi Pinchas Pearl , , lamdan453@gmail.com Office@sicbi.com, web site: sicbi.com. Facebook:Congregation B nai Israel, NY Preschool and UPK , cbiacademy123@gmail.com May 2017 Fri. May 5/Iyar 9 Light candles, 7:39 p.m. Services, 8 p.m. Sat. May 6/Iyar 10 Rabbi s class, 8:40 a.m. Services, 9:20 a.m. Fri. May 12/Iyar 16 Light candles, 7:46 p.m.. Services, 8 p.m. Sat. May 13/Iyar 17 Rabbi s class, 8:40 a.m. Services, 9:20 a.m. Fri. May 19/Iyar 23 Light candles 7:52 p.m. Services, 8 p.m. Sat. May 20/Iyar 24 Rabbi s class, 8:40 a.m. Services, 9:20 a.m. Fri. May 26/Sivan 1. Light candles, 7:31 p.m. Services, 8 p.m. Sat. May 27/Sivan 2 Rabbi s class, 8:40 a.m. Services, 9:20 p.m. Tues, May 30/Sivan 5 Erev Shavuot Services, 7:45 p.m., followed by study session Light candles, 8:02 p.m. Wed. May 31/Sivan 6 First Day of Shavuot Services, 9 a.m. Light candles, 9:15 p.m. June 1/Sivan 7 Second Day of Shavuot Services, including Yizkor, 9 a.m. OTHER DATES TO KEEP IN MIND (See also page 4) May 2-Tuesday, Ritual Committee, 8 p.m. May 7- Sunday Rabbi s study session, 10 a.m Movie, 7:30 p.m May 10-Wednesday-Sisterhood s Create an Original Masterpiece, 7:30 p.m. May 16-Tuesday Finance committee, 7:15 p.m. Board of Trustees, 8 p.m May 21-Sunday-UJA breakfast, 9:30 a.m. (see page 4) May 23-Tuesday Sisterhood meeting, 6:45 p.m. Girl s Night Out, 7:30 p.m. May 28-Sunday.-Rabbi s study session, 10 a.m. All Sunday study sessions will be on the book of Proverbs and will be preceded by services at 9:15 a.m.. We wish everyone a happy Shavuot 2 From the desk of Rabbi Pearl בס''ד At the end of May, we will celebrate Shavuot, a holiday that, sadly, gets short shrift on our calendar and in our consciousness. Passover is yom tov, acknowledged and, in some form, celebrated (at least according to the New York Times) by 70% of American Jews. I do not have a comparable statistic for Shavuot, but I am sure it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 10%. Lacking the symbolism of Succot, the special dietary considerations and powerful historic tale of Passover, and the emotional power of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Shavuot has been called the orphan of the Jewish calendar. That s a pity. The message behind Shavuot is powerful and speaks to our spiritual life as Jews today. It commemorates the moment when the all of the Children of Israel, and the souls of all thejews who would live in the future, stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai and received the Torah. There is a famous midrash that tells us that G-d picked up Mt. Sinai and held it over the heads of the Jewish people. Accept the Torah the midrash has G-d saying or here will be your burial place. Very sensibly, the Jewish people accepted the Torah. What is this strange midrash trying to teach us? I believe it is recognizing that accepting the yoke of the Torah, is very difficult. All kinds of things we like are forbidden, all kinds of burdensome responsibilities are placed upon us, we spend lots of time doing things for which we have imperfect understanding of, and that often we don t want to do. Quite simply, there is a strong emotional push to reject the Torah. Yet, Shavuot comes to teach us that acceptance of Torah, of Jewish faith and practice in our lives, puts us into direct communication with G-d, the same way we communicated at Mt. Sinai. It is called zeman matan Torahseinu the time of the giving of the Torah. Why isn t it the time of the acceptance? Continued on page 2 May 2017 The SHOFAR 1

2 OFFICERS OF CONGREGATION B NAI ISRAEL RABBI Pinchas N. Pearl Chairman of the Board of Trustees President Executive Vice President First VP Second VP Third VP Treasurer Financial Secretary Recording Secretary Sisterhood Presidents Editor Marvin Cooper Charles Greinsky Barry Kashubo Roger Lader Marvin Cooper Kevin Brosnick Laurie Raps Susan Finkelstein Norman A. Kanter Zoya Khalfin Sandy Levy Norman A. Kanter There are several ways you can remember a loved one or commemorate a special occasion. Here are some ideas: Bar/Bat Mitzvah Synagogue office: (718) Cemetery Dr. Selman Berger (718) Chumash ($75) Synagogue office: (718) Siddurs ($36) Synagogue office (718) Hebrew School Synagogue office: (718) Kiddush Synagogue office: (718) Memorial Plaques Scott Diamond: (917) Baby Naming Synagogue office: (718) Reserve a date Synagogue office: (718) Tree of Life Synagogue office: (718) Tree in Israel Synagogue office: - (718) President s message.the Seders were beautiful! Rabbi Pearl did his usual excellent job in conducting them and encouraging maximum participation. I am particularly grateful to him for taking the initiative in making all of the arrangements, working with the caterer, and generally making sure everything was in order. As if we did not have enough to eat (and make us gain weight) during Passover, the end of this month brings another holiday, Shavuot, complete with cheesecake. This holiday is also cause for celebration. While we are celebrating, it is well to remember that these two holidays helped make us what we are. Passover resulted in our being released from bondage and enabled us to be a free people able to choose our own life. Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah, provided the framework of how we should live our lives. While there are any number of specific rules to be an observant Jew, one of the guidelines I try to keep in mind is Chapter six, verse eight, from the prophet Micah: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your G-d. I would like to focus on the last part of that verse, walk humbly with your G-d, To me, it means, among other things, acknowledging G-d and giving thanks for all the blessings that we have received. But it is not enough just to think of this. The thankfulness needs to be expressed. What better place to express it than in a synagogue? In addition to our services every Friday night and Saturday morning, Shavuot. as well as Passover, is marked by special services. Yes, they are in the middle of the week, and, yes, it can be difficult to arrange your schedule to attend them, especially if you are working, but isn t the obligation we owe G-d important enough for you to make the effort? While my physical condition is not good, I will do my best to be at services. I hope you will too. Yours in fellowship, Charles Greinsky President P.S. Remember, whether or not you can attend services, donations for simchas, yahrzeits, or to commemorate any other event, is a mitzvah, and certainly helps us keep the doors open, by maintaining our synagogue and promoting our activities. Rabbi s message (continued) The giving is an accomplished fact; G-d gave the Torah. Do we accept it? How do we accept it? What do we do with it? That s up to us. That midrash tells us that the acceptance of the Torah in our lives is a tough thing. But it has been the very thing that has kept the Jewish people alive all these generations. Yes, Shavuot is an excuse to eat cheesecake, to fry blintzes and blow to smithereens that diet we swore we d start on Pesach. But it is a time to connect with the foundation of our faith and destiny as Jews. Recognize the gift, find the way to accept it, and celebrate Shavuot with the importance and excitement it deserves. Chag sameach! Shalom. Pinchas Pearl Rabbi Changes in catering arrangement Exclusive Catering by Kaplan will no longer be located in our building. They are, however, as with any other caterer welcome to cater affairs here. The following is part of a letter received from Mel and Stacie Kaplan. Even though we will not be residing there (at C.B.I.) as of the end of May, we will always be there to support the community and our C.B.I. family. May you continue to thrive for our People. We thank the Kaplans for all that they have done for us over the years. May 2017 The SHOFAR 2

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4 Yahrzeits This Month Yahrzeits start on the evening before the date given. For additions or corrections to this list, please contact Scott Diamond at (917) , or If you need to say kaddish for a yahrzeit, please call the office two weeks before, and we will try to arrange a minyan. It would be helpful to bring a few family members and friends to the service to make sure of a minyan as it is not always possible to arrange one from our congregants. The names of the departed will be read at the Friday evening service preceding their yahrzeit. It is appropriate for members of their families to be present and recite kaddish at that service, as well. It is also customary to make a donation in memory of the departed one. May 3/Iyar 7 Samuel Saks, father of Manny Saks May 4/Iyar 8 Morris Edelman, father of Rhoda Jaslow May 6/Iyar 10 Samuel Jaslow, father of Herbert Jaslow Rudy Olinsky, father of Norman Olinsky May 8/Iyar 12 Morris Goldstein, father of Stuart Goldstein May 9//Iyar 13 Miriam Boxer, mother of Francine Sklar May 10/Iyar 14 Jacob Epstein, father of Rita Hauser Frieda Goldklang, mother of Lillian Phillips May 11/Iyar 15 Michael Perner, father of Shelly Harwayne Tsypa Valdberg, grandmother of Lenny Valdberg May 12/Iyar 16 Joseph Harris, father of Adele Harris May 13/Iyar 17 Daniel Kostetsky, relative of Milena Priven May 14/Iyar 18 Louis Birnbaum, husband of Roslyn Birnbaum Benjamin Cramer, father of Mark Cramer May 16/Iyar 20 Miriam Erdman, grandmother of Charles Greinsky David Streger, father of Roberta Sapolsky May 18/Iyar 22 Abraham Finkle, father of Martin Finkle May 21/Iyar 25 Helen Wassner, mother of Martin Wassner May 22/Iyar 26 Sally Lipschutz, mother of Robert Leopold Hyman Tasman, father of Marcia Cohen May 23/Iyar 27 Seymour Fourman,,relative of Fourman family Murray Haber, father of Marilyn Goldstein May 24/Iyar 28 Samual Aizenszpis, father of Anne Forman May 26/Sivan 1 Rose Fruchter, mother of Anita Sini May 27/Sivan 2 Jacob Greinsky, grandfather of Charles Greinsky May 28/Sivan 3 Misha Czutovsky, father of Rita Shapiro and greatgrandfather of Monique Datnova May 29/Sivan 4 Alexander Ferencik, father of Dagmar Katz May 30/Sivan 5 Edith Cohen, mother of Al Cohen Eli Katz, father of Jack and Otto Katz Lawrence Sandick, father of Ilene Greinsky May 31/Sivan 6 Ada Landwehr, mother of Eleanor Dovdovany About this month s events Rabbi Pearl is starting a new adult education series entitled The Book of Mishle (Proverbs) King Solomon s wisdom for the ages. The class, like the class in the Psalms, which Rabbi Pearl led during the winter months, will analyze the writing of King Solomon s book of personal wisdom and insight. Please join us Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. A light breakfast will be served. Sunday evening, May 7, please join us at 7:30 p.m. for a screening of Labyrinth of Lies a dramatization of early prosecutions of Nazi war criminals in Germany. Our book club is reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay by Michael Chabon. Please read the book and join us for lively discussions of this well-written and entertaining novel. Jack Tabak to be honored Jack Tabak, a regular member of the Saturday morning minyan, as well as at yahrzeits, will be honored at the UJA breakfast on May 21. Jack is one of the most reliable people in the congregation when it comes to work to be done. May 2017 The SHOFAR 4

5 Our Hebrew School prepares for the Oscar Weissglass Memorial Seder The students received certificates of appreciation for their performance (Pictures by our Hebrew School coordinator, Lillian Brosnick) The Hebrew School students practicing their parts for Rabbi Pearl listening to the Hebrew School students presenting at the Oscar Weissglass Memorial Seder. explaining the ten plagues. Each one explained one of the plagues The students taking turns explaining the plagues The ten plagues are being described. May 2017 The SHOFAR 5

6 KAPLAN S KOSHER CATERING Kiddush Shiva Bris Baby Naming Bar/Bat Mitzvah Non-Profit Organizations *We accept ALL major credit cards May 2017 The SHOFAR 6

7 Thank you for your contribution Contributions received after April 15 will be acknowledged in the June issue. Flora and Miron Berenshteyn in memory of Mordechai ben Meir Sandy Berger in memory of Robert Berger Vlad Cohen Brenda and Marvin Cooper in memory of Dora Perl Eleanor and Mike Dovdavany in memory of Michael Landwehr Joel and Rae Ganzman in memory of Abraham Ganzman Marian and Arthur Goldberg in memory of Danielle Goldberg Bette and Steven Goldstein in memory of Sydney Kettner Marilyn and Stuart Goldstein Charles and Ilene Greinsky in memory of Irvin Erdman and Elsie Krevoy Gloria Hirsch in memory of Dora Hirsch Sheldon Lynn Ilya Miretskiy in memory of Chaim ben Mordechai Sandra and Stephen Poris Diane and Harris Schwartz in memory of Oscar Herzekow Possible arrangements were discussed for Friday onegs and Saturday kiddushes in view of the fact that Exclusive Catering by Kaplan will no longer be in the building. Neal Rappaport is off the ventilator has been moved back to Silver Lake Rehabilitation Center. Laurie Raps Preschool news We have received our Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale report based on the review of our Pre-K For All program. This assessment is an observational tool used to assess early childhood learning environments. CBI Academy Preschool's Pre-K For All class scored above the NYC average in Space and Furnishings, Personal Care Routines, Language -Reasoning, Activities, Interaction, and Program Structure. We are very proud and it's everything we hoped for! The CBI Academy Preschool Faculty News About our members Congratulations to Ilene Greinsky who has been named the Mayor s representative on the Snug Harbor Cultural Board. Best wishes for speedy recoveries to Richard Finkelstein from his recent gall bladder surgery, and Lee Brosnick, from his accident. Sisterhood news The president, Sandy Levy, stated that the synagogue Seders were a success. The painting class fundraiser to be held on May 10, should be a fun evening. Wine, cheese, and snacks will be served and each participant will paint a masterpiece to take home. The cost is $30.00 per person which includes all supplies. Reservations should be sent into the office as quickly as possible. Our theater party, Not That Jewish, will be held on Sunday April 30. The cost is $36 per ticket and tickets are limited. We are working on renting a van to take us from C.B.I. to the theater and back. C.B.I. will be going to Jewish Heritage night at the Staten Island Yankees on August 20, The cost is $25 per adult and $22 per child. The cost includes a $10 food voucher. A flyer will be forthcoming. Places for a possible fundraiser were discussed. We will be having a greeting card workshop conducted by our member, Barbara Smith, who is very generously donating the supplies. The cost will be $10 person and will take place on June 13 th, May 2017 The SHOFAR 7

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