חדש. What s New at Temple Avodat Shalom. February 2018 Bulletin/5778 Volume 66/Issue 5

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1 חדש What s New at Temple Avodat Shalom February 2018 Bulletin/5778 Volume 66/Issue 5 Gift Cards Available for More Than Just Food Shopping Your participation in the TAS Gift Card Program does not only buy your groceries and gifts for friends and associates, you can use it to travel for business and pleasure. Gift cards are available for Delta Airlines, Disney, Hotels.com, Budget Rent-a-Car, Choice Hotels, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines, among others. Check out these and all 700+ vendors available through the program by going to the TAS website, under "Support Us" and "Gift Cards" and clicking the link. Or write us at giftcards@avodatshalom.net. Inside this issue... February calendar on page 27. 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 February 1 st Torah Noon Family Promise February 2 nd Tot Shabbat, 5:15 pm Nosh, 5:45 pm Family Service, 6:00 pm led by Grade 5 Dinner, Song, Oneg, 7:00 pm Alternative Minyan, 8:00 pm February 3 rd Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Potluck Lunch & Learn Family Promise SHATY Midnight Run/Shul In February 4 th Brotherhood Jewpardy Breakfast, 9:30 am, RSVP Sisterhood Mah Jongg lessons Junior Choir Festival, 2:00 pm Family Promise February 5 th Brotherhood cards, 8:00 pm February 6 th Kadima Yoga February 7 th Opioid Addiction Awareness Program, 7:00 pm Open To The Congregation February 8 th Torah Noon February 9 th Sisterhood Shabbat Services, 8:00 pm February 10 th Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Grade 4 Shabbaton February 11 th Sisterhood Board, 9:30 am Purim Shpiel Rehearsal 9:30 Sisterhood M-J lessons, 9:30 February 13 th Yoga Executive Board, 7:30 p.m. February 15 th Torah Noon February 16 th Sabbath Services, 8:00 p.m. with choir February 17 th Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am February 19 th PRESIDENTS DAY Office Closed February 20 th Yoga February 21 st NO SCHOOL/NO TASTE February 22 nd Torah Noon February 23 rd Brotherhood Shabbat Services, 8:00 p.m. February 24 th Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am February 25 th Megillah Reading Grade 7 Purim Shpiel Purim CARNIVAL Purim Shpiel Rehearsal 1:00 Purim Bags pick up Feeding the Hungry February 27 th Yoga February 28 th Erev Purim PURIM SHPIEL, 7:00 p.m. FROM RABBI PAUL I recently applied for and was selected to join a cohort of 38 rabbis and cantors for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's Clergy Leadership Program. Earlier this month, I gathered with my fellow cohort members outside of Los Angeles where we completed the first of four retreats that we will share together over the next eighteen months. I have been privileged to attend many "conferences" and "professional development seminars" throughout my career - some more useful and beneficial than others. What was unique about this conference was that it wasn't a conference at all. The Institute stressed that we were on a "retreat" - something I've never really encountered or endured before. For four and a half days, our cohort participated in prayer, Jewish-themed mindfulness meditation (both seated and walking), yoga (to further our awareness of body and breath), text-based learning, and some group conversation grounded in non-responsive, non-judgmental listening. Approximately eighteen hours of each day, including two of our three meals, were conducted in complete silence. In the interim period leading to our next retreat (in July) each of us is assigned a chevruta - a partner to share with in more learning, discussion, reflection, and incorporation of the skills we began to develop. We will be guided in an exploration of Jewish texts and we have been instructed to allow ourselves the space to sit in meditation for approximately ten minutes each day. On the final day of the retreat, we were reminded that we are only a few days into this eighteen-month period and that the process is only beginning. Our teachers stressed that, "this journey is not yet about what you bring back to your congregation" or "what you are able to now do as a cantor or rabbi that you haven't done before" or "how you will teach the texts you had an opportunity to learn." The goal of the program is to assist clergy in their own personal and spiritual development - thus having an impact on the way we lead and conduct ourselves in community, in service to others and to God. In one of our guided meditations, we were invited to allow our attention (and intention) to focus on the words, "What is this? I don't know," as a way of exploring openness to possibilities, letting go of control, rather than clutching to it. Returning to our congregation, I find myself asking the question, "What is this?" and responding, "I don't know." I cannot yet understand how this first week of the cohort will impact my life or my rabbinate, but I am grateful to our community for this special opportunity to learn and grow, and I look forward to sharing aspects of this journey with you. Rabbi Paul rabbijacobson@avodatshalom.net Rabbi Paul J. Jacobson Cantor Maria Dubinsky Educational Director Barbara Haber President Audrey Rosenblatt Administrator Barbara Herman Hoff Accompanist Kenneth Corneille Sisterhood Barbara Starr and Cheryl Jaffe Brotherhood Marc Herrmann 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

3 FROM THE PRESIDENT One of the highlights of my week is to come to Shabbat Services on Friday nights. I love to connect and catch up with members of our community, as well as to welcome people who might have just walked through our doors for the first time. During the service in our sanctuary, I look forward to singing and praying together with all of you. For me, it marks the end of what has (usually) been a hectic and possibly stressful workweek. It signals my brain to turn itself down, even just a little bit, and the quiet moments of the service allow me to let go of some of that stress. As quiet and peaceful as those Shabbat moments can be, the rest of our daily life at Temple Avodat Shalom can be anything but. I mean this in the most positive way possible. That noise is the joyful clatter of us joining together in any number of functions and activities, and I look forward to that noise as much as I look forward to the Shabbat quiet. This coming month brings multiple opportunities for joyful noise. On February 4, we will have the Junior Choir Festival. While it does not take place at Temple Avodat Shalom, please join us at Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, at 2 PM, to hear some beautiful young voices. In addition to that, we will have both our Sisterhood and Brotherhood Shabbat services during this month. I always look forward to these warm, reflective evenings put together by people who work tirelessly to make our community better all the time. And, to top it off, we get to finish off the month with Purim on February 28, a night when you can get away with making as much noise as possible! The rowdiness begins at 7 PM that evening, as we delight in drowning out Haman s name. Come in costume, and be prepared to be loud as well as thoroughly entertained by our annual Purim Spiel! I look forward to seeing you throughout the month of February, in both the quiet and the noise. L Shalom, Audrey FROM THE EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR Finding Teachers from Amongst Peers One of the most wonderful things I love to hear is a 6 th or 7 th grader state, When I m a teaching assistant, referring to joining our madrichim program as a teen helper at religious school. For many of our students, the rite of passage of becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is followed by an equally important next step coming back and giving back, to the very classrooms in which they once sat. Becoming a madrich (male) or madricha (female) is a wonderful way for the congregation s newest young adults to maintain a connection to temple life, sustain their Jewish identity, and keep in touch socially with their religious school friends. We currently have 25 madrichim who get up early every Sunday morning to come in, provide incredible assistance in our school, and serve as positive role models for our children. We have recently taken the next step, launching our new Peer B nai Mitzvah Tutoring program. Here is how the program works: Our 7 th grade students, who are currently preparing to become Bar/Bat Mitzvah, are paired with a current TAS graduate as their peer tutor. These pairs, working as chavruta (literally friendship or partnership ), will meet once a week to help supplement the training they receive from both Cantor Maria and Rabbi Paul. The tutors, who have completed this journey within the last couple of years, are there to help with prayers, Hebrew readings, and answer any logistical questions the 7 th graders may have. These sessions will allow the clergy more time to concentrate on the students Torah and Haftarah portions. We see this program as a true win-win scenario. Post-B nai Mitzvah teens will experience tangible ways to make an impact on the lives of others. In addition, they will gain invaluable leadership and community service experience that they can use on college, National Honor Society and scholarship applications. Our 7 th grade students will find mentors and role models with whom they can share concerns, ask questions, and look to for guidance about the B'nai Mitzvah experience. We currently have four pairs working together. This being our pilot of the program, students did begin meeting with their peer tutors after they had already begun their formal training. We are hoping to improve upon this situation by connecting peer tutors with 7 th graders at the very beginning of their training so that we can optimize the results of their time spent together. 3

4 There is a trend toward utilizing peer-to-peer mentorship in other temples across the United States. There have been both short-term and long-term (positive) results within these communities, including: An increase in students leading Shabbat services Higher retention rates of students after their 7 th grade year Building a culture in which preteens are able to connect with older teens to find guidance, ask questions and share life experiences together Sending the vital message that Jewish connections and educational experiences don t end at age thirteen We are very excited to see our program grow, improve and expand. We are so grateful for this very first group of participants (both tutors and tutees!), and will take their feedback seriously as we move forward. We are hopeful to create lifelong bonds, improve communication, better address students unique needs, and perhaps see improved confidence on the bimah as well! Barbara Haber Educational Director SHATY Temple Youth Group Hello TAS members, I am very excited to announce SHATY's upcoming events. On Saturday, February 2nd SHATY will be participating in an event called The Midnight Run. Over the past month we have been collecting donations of clothing and toiletries which we will be packaging, along with food, to give to the less fortunate population of New York City. Then on Sunday, February 25 SHATY will be running its annual Purim Carnival with lots of fun games and prizes. I hope to see a lot of our Youth Group Members and teens there! We welcome your support and help in the future and if you have any questions or suggestions feel free to contact me at tas.shaty@gmail.com. Looking forward to seeing you around the temple. Jason Edelstein President SHATY Sweet Tastes of Torah sponsored by North Jersey Board of Rabbis Young Families We ve been having a lot of fun! Check the Avodat Shalom Facebook Page (a closed group, so make sure you request to join) for all the pictures. You won t want to miss these February Young Families events (suited to families with children toddler through elementary school)! Tot Shabbat will start at 6 PM. Dinner is at 6:30 for those who sent in an RSVP. Family services will start at 7:30 PM (5 th grade leading). You must register in advance for the dinner; the cost is $36/family. Purim is coming! Join us on Sunday, February 25 is our awesome Purim Carnival, perfect for kids of any age. Wednesday, February 28 at 7:00 PM is our very popular Purim Shpiel, a parody play put on by fellow congregants, adults and children, who have been working hard at rehearsals to make sure it s an entertaining evening! Don t forget the costumes at both events! Save these March dates: Fri., March 2, First Friday Sat., March 24, Brotherhood Comedy Night (adults only) 4

5 . FEEDING THE HUNGRY Our next session of Feeding the Hungry is February 25 th. If you can help with a prepared food donation or wish to volunteer to serve please go to If you would like to help but are unable to provide a food donation there are many other ways to contribute including buying a Shoprite gift card from the Temple and donating it to the program. If you have any questions Brett Norton at TASFeedingTheHungry@gmail.com. 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. 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. Each month, the children in our congregation who are celebrating birthdays are called to the bimah during our First Friday Family Service. January birthdays will be called to the bimah on February 2 nd. We wish all of them a Happy Birthday. Jake Brooks Ethan Caveda Simon Grinberg Simon Kadesh Holland Lewis Dario Lule Ouziel Hannah Roa Noah Rybak Lee Benson, Evan Cohen, Madeline Glass, James LoSchiavo, Henry Pobutkiewica, Alena Quinn, Mia Rochlin, Joshua Schultz, Rina Shmulenson, Rebecca Tester, Sarah Tester and Hannah Weinberg Empty Nester s We hope you will join us for our next event as we attempt to conquer the Escape Room. Stay tuned for more details!! Our programs are open to all!! Feel free to let us know is you have any questions or ideas. 5

6 JUSTICE AT TAS The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. At Shabbat Services on Friday night, December 8, 2017, the Social Justice Core Committee announced that our first (but far from last!) Justice Initiative will be focused on Gender Identity and Expression. Nilene Evans Chase spoke about the process for identifying our first Initiative and the initial plans for moving forward. Rabbi Paul spoke about the Jewish values that underlie and support this Initiative. We hope you will read their speeches below and join us in honoring all of us fashioned in b'tzelem Elohim, the image of God. For our first event, join us for a special Shabbat Lunch N Learn on February 3, 2018, where we will discuss Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family, by Amy Ellis Nutt. Becoming Nicole is available in local libraries as well as through booksellers. Many of the committee members have read the book and been deeply moved. This will be a potluck lunch. Contact Nilene about the potluck and with any other questions. If you want to learn more about Nicole, watch her Ted Talk on Youtube: Feel free to contact us at: justice@avodatshalom.net to get issues and events added to the Justice Initiative webpage or if you have questions about our Justice Initiative. Nilene Evans Chase Who am I? Who are we? Who is not I? Who is not we? Rabbis Paul and Paula began our Temple s social justice journey about 18 months ago when they joined the Union for Reform Judaism s Community of Practice Moving Justice to the Center of Your Synagogue. Interest in justice accelerated a year ago and we have been wrestling with what we, together, can do to make a difference as a community. We needed to find out what matters to us. Starting last May, we held ten meetings in which more than 100 members spoke about their passions what matters to them in our search for a path towards Tikkun Olam, Healing our World. Many worthy and necessary projects were mentioned. It was overwhelming and daunting. The major theme that emerged was The Other, the not me, the not us the orthodox, the Muslim, the disenfranchised, the prisoner, the convicted, the person who has walked another path. But what could we, a small synagogue, do? Our initial guidelines included Reflect our Jewish values Act locally Find an issue where we can make a difference Find partners to work with And make sure we have the support of our membership not everyone will agree but everyone should be able to see the value and importance of the cause We also created a core committee. We had more than 15 members come to our first meeting, and we have a solid core of 10 members who are deeply involved and invested in TAS s Justice plans. In our first core committee meeting, a member also urged us to set goals that were SMART, an acronym for: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound 6

7 We discussed a number of ideas, including voting rights, school lunch shaming, a $15 minimum wage, transgender/lgbtq rights and something related to healthcare. Committee members researched these issues carefully to determine what we could do and what would make a difference as well as say to our members, justice matters and this is who we are or aspire to be. And so, we looked in the mirror. We all look in the mirror but what do we see? Do we see who we are? Who we want to be? Does what we see reflect who we believe we are? Are we hiding from ourselves, from our family, from our friends? Do we have to hide? After a number of thoughtful conversations by our Justice Committee and research, as well as informal conversations with members who are not on the Committee, and discussions with Barbara Haber, our School Committee leaders and our Youth Group, we decided that our first Justice issue will be Gender Identity and Expression The right of an individual to see in the mirror the person they believe they are. This is broader than Transgender Rights, which is where we started or even LGBTQQIA (yes there are many letters now), but a fundamental assessment of ourselves and our acceptance of the not me. In a few minutes, Rabbi Paul will discuss the Jewish values in opening our hearts and selves to support the Gender Identity and Expression movement. I just want to spend a few more moments on our process and plans. The Reform Movement, through the Religious Activities Center, its Social Justice arm, supports Transgender Rights as one of its core missions, particularly for children in schools. It has offered us a lot of information. In addition, Rabbi Paul, Laurie Rochlin and I attended a six hour seminar on LGBTQ issues through Keshet, a national organization that works for full LGBTQ equality and inclusion in Jewish life, at Jewish Federation last week. Most of the members of our Committee and a few other members have read Becoming Nicole, about the journey a family has taken as their transgender daughter grew up. We have more education and preparation to do. But here is our initial plan. First, we need to walk the walk. We want to make TAS welcoming to people on all parts of the gender spectrum, and we have learned it is a spectrum. Our first goal will be to educate our members and their children, in age appropriate ways, about the LGBTQ community. You will find that our teens and younger members are way ahead of us older people. Something as simple as pronouns matters. We will examine our website, our forms, even our liturgy to seek to ensure that we are sensitive to people who are not normal. And we will banish the word normal immediately. We will establish a library, both physical and on the Justice website, with resources about gender issues. There are more plans but they will be rolled out over the next months. Once we, as a community, believe we are the welcoming group we strive to be, we will turn outward to our school systems, particularly the ones where our members live to make sure that they are as welcoming as they ought to be. I am grateful we live in NJ, where there is a lot of support for the LGBTQ community. The NJ School Boards Association is a standard bearer in the issues. We are still researching our school districts but, for example, Paramus s policy is very up-to-date and welcoming. While we have been speaking informally to members about our Gender Identity and Expression plans, this is our first formal statement to the congregation. We will be posting information immediately on the Justice page of our website and will have a notice in the Bulletin for those members who are not here tonight. For some of us, these plans may be discomforting or shocking and some of us may believe we are going in the wrong direction. A number of people have already said I support our plans but there may be others who will push back. So far, I think we have heard that but not the actual push back. If you are concerned, please, please let us know. We welcome everyone s support but we really want to hear as well from people who are concerned with our plans. I can always be reached by phone or , both of which are in our Directory Tikkun Olam is a journey we will never be done repairing the world. This is another step in TAS s commitment to that journey and we will be adding other projects along the way. This is where our journey begins, but our journey will not end until each of our goals and projects can be completed and we can note a positive difference in our world. Please join our efforts. 7

8 Rabbi Paul Jacobson Following upon Nilene's words and the efforts of our committee and our congregation over many months, we turn to our tradition for some words of strength and guidance. I am reminded of a scene from the second season of The West Wing, 1 where President Josiah Bartlett goes to battle with a talk show host about interpretations of the Bible. The talk show host calls homosexuality an abomination because in Leviticus 18:22, the text reads, "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination." 2 President Bartlett's response is priceless: I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7, "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not be freed as male slaves are." 3 She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleaned the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?" My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Bartlett continues his line of questioning, in a monologue that now seventeen years after this episode first aired, remains timely. We have before ourselves an ancient book, a timeless tradition, texts that we keep at the focal point of our congregation and that form the basis for our individual and collective spiritual journey. And yet, in some regards, the texts that we cite can be used as a vehicle for greater pain and suffering. We cannot allow such behavior or such "tradition" to guide our judgment and direct our process. Where Torah challenges us with an ancient value, we must use our gifts of heart and mind, of generosity, of sensitivity and love to ask how God is guiding us, how God is teaching us, how God invites us to participate in the process of making our world a better place. In his book, Putting God Second, Rabbi Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem writes: In truth, Judaism, like all religious traditions, can be likened to a tale of two cities, with the best of stories and the worst of stories, the most just and the least just of laws...the question that religiously committed people must face is which collection of verses to quote, emphasize, and weave into the tapestry of religion s essence. Which narrative will ultimately prevail? Which passages will nurture and comprise the beating heart of faith, and which will be relegated to the ideological dumping ground of verses that, according to the Talmudic adage, never were nor were ever meant to be implemented, but were written only as objects of theoretical study. 4 We could spend our time quoting Leviticus 18:22. We know that there are others who will take our tradition, people from other communities who might say, "But the Bible says." Yes, these views are out there. And Jewish tradition teaches us to love our neighbor. Jewish tradition teaches us, more than any other commandment in the Torah, to love and show deference to the stranger in our midst. Jewish tradition teaches us the value of hachnasat orchim, offering hospitality and welcome to other people in our community so that we may have the opportunity to get to know them and to get to know their story. Jewish tradition teaches us that every single human being is created in the image of God and blessed with a Divine spark in their soul. Aren't these the verses that we should be quoting? Aren't these the verses that should be guiding us on our journey? Our Social Advocacy Committee has charged our community with a very special goal - to affirm and embrace the lives of community members, settled in our congregation and beyond our walls, who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, community members who are exploring their gender identity and/or sexual orientation, and who are looking for a place that they can feel at home, where they can be welcomed, and where they can be affirmed for who they are as individual human beings, created in God's image. Earlier in our service tonight we sang, "Let there be love and understanding among us. Let peace and friendship be our shelter from life's storms." Through our actions, through our words, and through our loving efforts, may we come to witness a time in which God's sukkah of peace, may be spread over and envelop us all Leviticus 18:22. 3 Exodus 21:7. 4 Donniel Hartman, Putting God Second, p

9 Sisterhood News! Crack! Bam! Dot! Our Mah Jong lessons are well underway! We are so excited to have so many women sign up for lessons and we look forward to our Mah Jongg Madness on March 18th! Our next Sisterhood Board Meeting will be on the Wednesday, February 7th at 7 pm all are invited to attend. Our next Lilith Salon will be held on March 7 th at 7 pm. PLEASE note the new date! We are looking forward to a stimulating evening of conversation/discussion with Dara Garcia. **Please support the Sisterhood and all that we do for the Temple by supporting our biggest fundraiser of the year Mischloach Manot! Send your friends a festive and delicious bag filled with holiday treats for Purim. No orders can be accepted after February 5th! Please look for the flyer at the back of the bulletin to sign up. Warm Regards, Barbara and Cheryl Sisterhood@avodatshalom.net 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 5, 2018 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, February 25, 2018 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 5, 2018!!!. 11

12 PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST BE A TEMPLE MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING AND A PAID UP MEMBER OF SISTERHOOD BY 12/31/17 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 QUICK!!! If I say "Lecha Dodii", is your reply "What is the name of the hymn sung to welcome Shabbat?"? If it is, then you are ready to join the TAS Brotherhood for the 47th Annual JEWPARDY contest on Feb. 4, 2018 (ie, Super Bowl morning) at 9:30am. Host Jonathan Rochlin has been working for a full year to come up with categories that are sure to test your Jewish IQ in a wide range of categories. And if you think that your Jewish IQ doesn't "measure up", well, come anyway as (1) you might just be amazed at how much you really do know and (2) you're sure to have more than a few laughs at some of the silly and wacky guesses that some of our congregants make. And if that isn't enticing enough, a breakfast will be served. Where else in River Edge can you have such a great morning for the low cost of $8.00?? All TAS congregants are asked to register for this fun morning by Wed. Jan. 31 so that we known how much food to order. To register, please go to: 14

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17 Dear Friends, The Sisterhood would like to invite you to our Lilith Salon. We would love for you to join us for an evening of good conversation, laughs, and possibly tears, but most definitely sisterhood. We will be discussing articles from the winter Lilith magazine. There are copies in the TAS office if you do not have a subscription. Wednesday Evening March 7 th 7:00pm Please note change in date and time Questions or Concerns and RSVP to Sisterhood@avodatshalom.net 17

18 BROTHERHOOD COMEDY NIGHT Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? A: To go to the TAS Brotherhood's Comedy Night on March 24!! OK, ok, we promise the jokes will be better than that. We can make that promise becaue we have THREE "Headliners'" booked for the evening. Steven Scott has been described as a perfect mix between Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Carrey. His unique and tasteful brand of comedy combines clever observations of his everyday life with his amazing vocal talents; which include an array of characters, voices and sounds ranging from celebrities to musical instruments. Buddy Fitzpatrick combines the skill of a great monologist with a physical style that brings his observations to life. His act is made up of inventive material delivered in a self-assured style. Mike Speirs quick, candid wit is his hallmark. A self-confessed former party boy, he now finds his hell-raising days are becoming a distant memory as he turns to a fresh and funny look at the realities of being a grown-up. Mike s life is a running reality check, and he gives his honest take on being the guy he is. The tickets are $36 if purchased by March 3, $40 afterward, and $50 at the door. Tables of 10 can be purchased for $340 but only by March 3. (The price will change automatically at midnight of March 3 and only show individual tickets at $40). The doors open at 7:00pm for an 8:00pm show. Brotherhood will provide dessert and table snack food, but if you wish an "adult beverage", it's BYOB. To register for this fun-packed night, go to: 18

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20 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 20

21 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. IN MEMORIAM The congregation extends deepest sympathy to the families of: Roberta Cohen on the passing her husband, Marvin Cohen; Claire Rosenbaum z'l; Lynda McGowan and Jeff Pollack, on the passing her mother, Patricia L. Marino; Steve and Joan Kaplan on the passing of his mother, Marcella Kaplan. GENERAL FUND Donations to the General Fund support all activities of the Temple GINEEN & DONALD WEISS AUDREY & JOEL ROSENBLATT PEGGY & STUART SCHNEIDER ELIZABETH & LEONARD LAWTON STEVE & ELLEN BERMAN MITCHELL & KAREN LIGHT RICHARD & MARY LURIE NILENE EVANS & ARNOLD CHASE PAM & MICHAEL EDELSTEIN LISA & ROBERT COHEN GAL & MEL GLANTZ To Doug, Karen and Sandra Charipper in memory of Bret Charipper BARBARA & MICHAEL KING JOYCE & NEIL MASSOTH AUDREY & JOEL ROSENBLATT NEAL & ELLEN LITINGER STEVE & ELLEN BERMAN MITCHELL & KAREN LIGHT TONY & BARBARA LUCIANO RICHARD & MARY LURIE LINDA & PHILIP GOULD GAIL & ERIC GOLDFARB JOE MOSKOWITZ & ROBERTA PALEY CHARLOTTE MAGID NILENE EVANS & ARNOLD CHASE BARBARA & MICHAEL STARR PAM & MICHAEL EDELSTEIN PEGGY & STUART SCHNEIDER JAN & STEVE JOFFE LISA & ROBERT COHEN To Steve and Joan Kaplan in memory of Marcella Kaplan TEMA ACKERMAN To Susan Altman wishing your mother a speedy recovery THE GOLDFARB FAMILY BARBARA & MICHAEL STARR Happy birthday to Lisa Jacobson DON & GINEEN WEISS To Lynda McGowan and Jeff Pollack in memory of Pat Morino ELIZABETH & LEONARD LAWTON To Janet Ritter Thinking of you YARTZEIT PLAQUE MISHKAN T FILAH FOR YOUTH FUND SOCIAL ACTION FUND CHILDREN'S LIBRARY FUND ELIZABETH & LEONARD LAWTON STEPHANIE & PHIL MANDELBAUM To Steve and Joan Kaplan in memory of Marcella Kaplan ADULT EDUCATION FUND SHATY SID SCHNALL THE SCHNOLL MUSIC FUND GLORIA & CUBBY COHEN Congrats to the birth of your great grandson Nathan NATALIE GLOVER To Connie Schnoll in memory of Alfred Paranay YARTZEIT FUND BARABRA SHAPIRO In memory of Paul Shapiro PHYLLIS BESEN In memory of Martin Besen MINNA GREENBERG In memory of Harry Greenberg JOAN GREENSPAN In memory of Waldo Greenspan In memory of Jerome Steglitz In memory of Isador Bressler In memory of Ethel Blumen Bressler STEVE & ELLEN BERMAN In memory of Evelyn Berman In memory of Dora Musen CHARLES & JESSICA HOROWITZ In memory of Sol Horowitz ALAN MARCUS In memory of Allan Marcus In memory of Shirley Marcus STEWART & RITA GOLDING In memory of Rose Schulman LAPIDOS TREE OF LIFE To purchase a Leaf on our Tree of Life RABBI'S DISCRETIONARY FUND ARLENE SHANER In memory of Harry Shaner ROBIN & ED ZIMMERMAN THE HERMAN MANSFIELD FAMILY DAVID AND JANESS MESSNER AMY GUSS LINDA & PHIL GOULD Thank you to Rabbi Paul for the special anniversary blessing CANTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND RELIGIOUS SCHOOL DISCRETIONARY FUND SISTERHOOD A. BAER MEMORIAL SCHOOL FUND CHERYL BAER BROTHERHOOD ADAM HERBST Donated by Ethan Herbst fantasy football and baseball CANTOR JOSEPHSON CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND SHAVELSON FUND To subsidize teen and young adult participation in Jewish leadership programming MICHAEL MEALIA SCHOLARSHIP FUND MITZVAH WALK BRICK TORAH RESTORATION FUND For the care and maintenance of our Torah scrolls JOAN GREENSPAN JACOB S LADDER FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE DEBORAH ABROMSON LARRY & SUSAN ALTMAN EUGENE & EILEEN AUSTIN CHERYL BAER CAROL BERDY LIZA & GARY BARTH PHYLLIS BESEN RICHARD CHAIMSON & MERYL KORDOWER STEVE & DALE COHEN STEVEN COHEN & LISA NELSON-COHEN NAOMI JACOBY COHN HOWARD & JUDY CRYSTAL JOHN DAUGHERTY & LORI WIDMAN NILENE EVANS & ARNOLD CHASE BERNARD FAUST & ROSE KAY BROWNING ADAM & YELENA FEIMER NEIL & JANE GAFFIN STUART & MARGIE GELBWASSER WERNER & ELIZABETH GOLDSTEIN KENNETH & BARBARA HABER GUNTER & JOAN HECHT ADAM HERBST MARC & PATTY HERRMANN MICHAEL & SALLY ISAACS PAUL & LISA JACOBSON MARC & CHERYL JAFFE STEVEN JOFFE SETH & CASSANDRA KADESH SHANE & MAGGIE KLEIN ERIC & MARILYN LANSEY LEONARD & ELIZABETH LAWTON RUBIN & LENORE LERER DAVID & ROBIN LEVY ANDY & ANNETTE LIEB ANTHONY & BARBARA LUCIANO GREGG & DALIA MALOVANY JERRY & BARBARA MARKOWITZ NEIL & JOYCE MASSOTH JOSEPH MOSKOWITZ & ROBERTA PALEY BRETT & MICHELE NORTON ALAN PERZLEY & LESLIE LEVENTMAN JEFFREY & GAYLE MUSNIKOW RICHARD & SUSAN PIKE STUART & ANITA PLOTKIN MARC & BETHLEE POTOLSKY VIVIAN POTOLSKY PAUL & JANET RITTER JONATHAN & LAURIE ROCHLIN STEVEN & LESLIE SCHIFRIEN STUART & PEGGY SCHNEIDER STEVEN & LYNN SCHWEIGHARDT ERROL & BARBRA SELTZER BARBARA & MICHAEL STARR TED & STACY STEIN JANET STERLING RICHARD & DEBRA TESTER DAVID & KATHERINE ZATZ MICHELLE ZIBERFARB 21

22 SISTERHOOD SUNSHINE FUND Our condolences to Robin Zimmerman on the passing of her mother, Brenda Privman. Hearty Mazel Tov to Lisa and Robert Cohen as they prepare to be grandparents again through their daughter Sarah and husband Danny Weber. Our condolences to Roberta Cohen and family on the passing of her husband Marvin Cohen. Condolences to Michael Jacobs and family on the recent passing of his mother June Jacobs. Wishing great happiness to Barbara and Ken Haber as they joyously await the arrival of their grandchild. Condolences to Doug Charipper, his mother Elaine Charipper and other family members on the passing of his father Bret Charipper. Congratulations and much happiness to Barbara and Jerry Moskowitz on their son's recent engagement. Special birthday wishes to a very special lady, the wonderfully wonderful Lisa Jacobson as she celebrates this very special birthday. Congratulations to Lev Norton upon receiving a $300 Sisterhood Scholarship for a Jewish summer camp experience. Congratulations as well to Erinn Rebuhn as she was also awarded a $300 Sisterhood Scholarship for her Jewish summer camp experience. Get well wishes for a speedy recovery to Susan Altman's mother, Ida. Our deepest condolences to Steven Kaplan and family on the recent passing of his devoted mother Marcela Kaplan. 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 $18 Torah 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

23 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. 23

24 Purim's Near 1. experience the JOY!!! watch the SHUSHAN SHUFFLE click here click here for samples and cost 24

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27 FEBRUARY 2018/5778 shevat adar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday MARCH S M T W T F S Shevat 1 Torah Noon Family Promise 17 Shevat (4:57) 2 Tot Shabbat, 6:00 pm Family Service, 7:30 pm led by Grade 5 Dinner, Song, Oneg, 6:30 pm Alternative Minyan, 8:00 pm 18 Shevat 3 Parashat Yitro Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Potluck Lunch & Learn Family Promise SHATY Midnight Run/Shul In 19 Shevat 4 20 Shevat 5 Brotherhood Jewpardy Breakfast, 9:30 am, RSVP Sisterhood Mah Jongg lessons Junior Choir Festival, 2:00 pm Family Promise Brotherhood cards, 8:00 pm 26 Shevat 11 Sisterhood Board, 9:30 am Purim Shpiel Rehearsal 9:30 Sisterhood M-J lessons, 9:30 21 Shevat 6 Kadima Yoga 27 Shevat Shevat 13 ' 22 Shevat 7 Opioid Addiction Awareness Program, 7:00 pm Open To The Congregation 23 Shevat 8 Torah Noon 29 Shevat Shevat 15 Torah Noon 24 Shevat (5:05) 9 Sisterhood Shabbat Services, 8:00 pm 1 Adar (5:14) Shevat 10 Parashat Mishpatim Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Grade 4 Shabbaton 2 Adar 17 Parashat Terumah Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Yoga Executive Board, 7:30 pm Sabbath Services, 8:00 pm with Choir 3 Adar 18 NO SCHOOL Purim Shpiel Rehearsal 9:30 4 Adar 19 PRESIDENTS DAY Office closed 5 Adar 20 6 Adar 21 NO SCHOOL / NO TASTE 7 Adar 22 Torah Noon 8 Adar (5:22) 23 9 Adar 24 Parashat Tetzaveh Wrestling with the Torah, 9:15 am Sabbath Services, 10:30 am Yoga Brotherhood Shabbat Services, 8:00 pm 10 Adar 25 Megillah Reading Grade 7 Purim Shpiel Purim CARNIVAL Purim Shpiel Rehearsal 1:00 Purim Bags pick up Feeding the Hungry 11 Adar Adar 27 Yoga 13 Adar 28 NO SCHOOL / NO TASTE Erev Purim PURIM SHPIEL, 7:00 pm 27