Bulletin from the Board - Tom Berger

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Monica Holland
5 years ago
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Editor Karen Bartels karen.bartels@comcast.

Belle Mead, NJ 08502 Phone: 908-359-0420 Fax: 908-359-8848 Regular office hours: M-W 8:30-4pm T-Th 8:30-6pm F-8:30-2:30pm Rabbi Susan Falk rabbi@ksnj.org President Susan Waskow president@ksnj.

1 Editor Karen Bartels home phone Newsletter of the Congregation Kehilat Shalom of Belle Mead, NJ May 2014 Iyar- Sivan 5773 Congregation Kehilat Shalom 253 Griggstown Rd. Belle Mead, NJ Phone: Fax: Regular office hours: M-W 8:30-4pm T-Th 8:30-6pm F-8:30-2:30pm Rabbi Susan Falk President Susan Waskow Administrator Robin Bengochea Principal Shari Rothstein Lay Cantor Kate Mende-Fridkis Board of Trustees Officers of the Board 1st Vice President Iris Rubinstein 2nd Vice President Robert Neusner Past President Stacey Anderson Treasurer Ron Lubin Financial Secretary Steve Weinstein Recording Secretary Debbie Gartenberg Corresponding Secretary Sheryl Rosenberg Trustees Tom Berger Leonard Edelstein Michael Galkin Gary Gartenberg, MD Alexis Greenberg Ronald Lubin Marc Rosenberg Affiliate: Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Published by: Bulletin from the Board - Tom Berger I had a very lackluster college career. After starting out on the Dean s List as a freshman, it was all downhill from there. Looking back, I have long regretted that I put so little into my college experience, because as a result, I got so little out of it. Fortunately, because of my daughter, I am now able to vicariously go back in time and relive those years in a much more rewarding way. My daughter is approaching the end of the best four years of her life as a college student. This is true, not because she chose the most prestigious school or the one with the best party atmosphere you know the type. She has had such a wonderful time simply because she has put so much of herself into every opportunity she has met, academically and socially and extracurricularly. This got me thinking about what I have been getting out of my CKS experience all these years. Like many CKS members, we joined when our child became Hebrew school age. We had no particular thoughts about being actively involved in CKS life. We remained on the periphery, coming to High Holiday services, bringing our daughter to Hebrew School, meeting with other parents, including a friend with whom I would walk and have breakfast at the diner until Hebrew School was over. Then, over time, our daughter became a Bat Mitzvah and joined Hebrew High. She did this because it was free and we wanted her to remain involved. She initially resisted but, thanks to Karen Fridkis leadership, she slowly embraced the group and Kehi-Loft was born. Then Karen started shaming me into helping with carwashes and other Kehi-Loft events. One involvement has led to others such as helping with fundraising events, rummage sales, MaCKSquerade parties, etc. and now board membership. The funny thing is that this involvement, rather than being a burden, has turned into a source of pleasure and has enhanced my enjoyment of CKS membership. I ve been fortunate to come to know such amazing, dedicated CKS people, both on the board and off. So many people who appear to find pleasure in doing what they can to keep this synagogue going and growing. And that is the point of this article. What CKS means to me or to you is not something that simply happens; it is something that is created. If I had remained on the periphery, uninformed and unconcerned with what goes on here, I would have remained indifferent. By following my daughter s example and seeing how her involvement has benefited her, I have allowed myself to become more involved in CKS and have been rewarded. So, DUH! If you also want to get more out of CKS, give more of whatever you can to CKS. And I do not mean just money. Don t do it for me. Do it for yourself. You may be surprised. Tom Berger, Trustee Proofreader: Shana Bartels

CKS Donations CKS gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our members and friends.

Bella Rappaport Debbie Lampf & Michael Kalison in memory of Seymour Kalison & Norma Goldfield Robin Bengochea Greg & Suzanne Corsan Janet

Marc and Harlene travelled there last month.

Peggy Fass Marc & Harlene Rosenberg Congregant s Assistance Fund Diane Wions Hebrew School Sue Orshan in memory of Tekla Kowalski High

2 CKS Donations CKS gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our members and friends. DONATIONS General Jared & Christine Witt Rabbi Susan Falk Al & Cathy Reicheg Richard & Sheryl Rosenberg In honor of the birth of Lily & Bella Rappaport Debbie Lampf & Michael Kalison in memory of Seymour Kalison & Norma Goldfield Robin Bengochea Greg & Suzanne Corsan Janet Wetherill Debbie Lampf & Michael Kalison Shelley Parish Nord Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, as photographed by Marc Rosenberg. Marc and Harlene travelled there last month. Rabbi s Discretionary Fund Sue Orshan Kate Fridkis & Simon Berring Stacey and Dave Anderson Jen & Hal Rappaport Hilary & Peter Crist Bob & Peggy Fass Marc & Harlene Rosenberg Congregant s Assistance Fund Diane Wions Hebrew School Sue Orshan in memory of Tekla Kowalski High Holiday Paul & Meryl Goldstein Did you know that dues only cover half of the CKS annual budget? Please donate. 2 Requesting... The is looking for donations of gently used laptops and ipads to be used to add technology to the classrooms. Drop items off in Shari Rothstein's office with the donor's name on the equipment.

Message from the Rabbi Portions of the poem Open Closed Open by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai 4 Open closed open. Before we are born, everything is open in the universe without us.

I set up the camera a few feet away on something stable (the one thing that s stable in this world), I decide on a good place to stand, near a tree, run back to the camera, press the timer, run back

3 Message from the Rabbi Portions of the poem Open Closed Open by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai 4 Open closed open. Before we are born, everything is open in the universe without us. For as long as we live, everything is closed within us. And when we die, everything is open again. Open closed open. That s all we are. 5 What then is my life span? Like shooting a selfportrait. I set up the camera a few feet away on something stable (the one thing that s stable in this world), I decide on a good place to stand, near a tree, run back to the camera, press the timer, run back again to that place near the tree, and I hear the ticking of time, the whirring like a distant prayer, the click of the shutter like an execution. That is my life span. God develops the picture in His big darkroom. And here is the picture: white hair on my head, eyes tired and heavy, eyebrows black, like the charred lintels above the windows in a house that burned down. My life span is over. 7 I believe with perfect faith that at this very moment millions of human beings are standing at crossroads and intersections, in jungles and deserts, showing each other where to turn, what the right way is, which direction. They explain exactly where to go, what is the quickest way to get there, when to stop and ask again. There, over there. The second turnoff, not the first, and from there left or right, near the white house, by the oak tree. They explain with excited voices, with a wave of the hand and a nod of the head: There, over there, not that there, the other there, as in some ancient rite. This too is a new religion. I believe with perfect faith that at this very moment. Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai 6 I wasn t one of the six million who died in the Shoah, I wasn t even among the survivors. And I wasn t one of the six hundred thousand who went out of Egypt. I came to the Promised Land by sea. No, I was not in that number, though I still have the fire and the smoke within me, pillars of fire and pillars of smoke that guide me by night and by day. I still have inside me the mad search for emergency exits, for soft places, for the nakedness of the land, for the escape into weakness and hope, I still have within me the lust to search for living water with quiet talk to the rock or with frenzied blows. Afterwards, silence: no questions, no answers. Jewish history and world history grind me between them like two grindstones, sometimes to a powder. And the solar year and the lunar year get ahead of each other or fall behind, leaping, they set my life in perpetual motion. Sometimes I fall into the gap between them to hide, or to sink all the way down.

CKS RELIGIOUS SCHOOL MONTHLY NEWS May 2014 Last month we had a wonderful Passover Palooza.

The highlights included: illustrating the Passover Story in cartoon style, write and perform a rap or song about karpas (parsley), building

Thanks to the MANY volunteers that helped make this program possible and our amazing teachers that worked together to create this program.

- Sunday, May 4, 2014 Spring Retreat at Camp JRF for 4th 7th grades Sunday, May 4, 2014 - Cooking - Open House for Prospective members, bring a

blue and white as we celebrate Israel's birthday! Students will participate in a 'Gadna' program, a simulation of real Israeli Army basic training.

Israeli army and its culture through obstacle courses, teamwork and leadership. Sunday, May 18, 2014 Last day of.

4 CKS RELIGIOUS SCHOOL MONTHLY NEWS May 2014 Last month we had a wonderful Passover Palooza. The entire school came together and in mixed-aged groups rotated through twelve stations to learn about the holiday. The highlights included: illustrating the Passover Story in cartoon style, write and perform a rap or song about karpas (parsley), building pyramids on the bimah in complete silence just like the slaves, creating a commercial for a delicious Passover food and four question charades! Thanks to the MANY volunteers that helped make this program possible and our amazing teachers that worked together to create this program. Here are some highlight photos: MAY EVENTS Friday, May 2, 2014 Shabbat Services led by K-4th grades 7pm followed by an ice cream oneg Friday, May 2 - Sunday, May 4, 2014 Spring Retreat at Camp JRF for 4th 7th grades Sunday, May 4, Cooking - Open House for Prospective members, bring a friend and share the warmth of CKS and our Religious School Sunday, May 11, 2014 Yom Ha'atzmaut - Israel Independence Day: All students should wear blue and white as we celebrate Israel's birthday! Students will participate in a 'Gadna' program, a simulation of real Israeli Army basic training. With the help of Amit Shukar, an Israel Defense Force lieutenant, students will actively learn about Israel and will become familiar with the Israeli army and its culture through obstacle courses, teamwork and leadership. Sunday, May 18, 2014 Last day of. We welcome Marilyn Price as she helps us wrap up our year of Shem Tov/A Good Name through the use of storytelling and puppets. All students will learn to be puppeteers and will participate in our closing program. Parents should arrive at 11am for our final puppet show and closing ceremony.

After our insanely fun Purim skit in March, our next session was a social night, but we didn t hold it at the synagogue like we usually do.

5 KehiLoft In the past month Kehiloft has surely mixed things up a lot! We actually only held one normal meeting up in the loft, but we mixed up the rest of our scheduled meetings to try things that Kehiloft has never done before. After our insanely fun Purim skit in March, our next session was a social night, but we didn t hold it at the synagogue like we usually do. We had a big group head to the bowling lanes and spent two hours just chilling and bowling. That was a really cool experience because the group doesn t meet up at other places very often, except for in Princeton at the end of the year. After bowling our next group event was supporting Tess Kowalski at her TS Walk in Mercer County Park. Although I couldn t go, I heard it was an awesome event and some Kehilofters showed up to walk the 5K with Tess and her family. MAY Sunday, May 4 - Social session Wednesday, May 7 - Rabbi Susan leads a discussion Saturday, May 17 - HomeFront picnic. CKS event Sunday, May 18-9:00 - noon. Spring car wash, siyyum. Hand-print fundraiser JUNE Wednesday, June 4 - Dinner in Princeton Sunday, June 22 - Field trip to Lower East Side, NYC. Time TBA Friday, June 27 - Kehiloft graduation Shabbat service Shalom, Karen Fridkis, Director of Education at Kehiloft We had one more meeting in April where we started our preparation for the service that we will lead on April 25 th. The Parsha is a little hard to work with, but we plan to have a very interesting discussion potentially with a lot of debate. We re also excited to invite the 7 th graders to our next meeting after spring break, which should be fun if we get a lot of people to come. ~Jason Rosenthal

Jewish Community Jewish LIFE (Learning Is For Everyone) thanks the community for supporting this past season of our adult education program.

We were thrilled to offer two new prestigious adult education programs this season: The Melton School and Engaging Israel.

We look forward to a new season of Jewish learning featuring guest speakers, cultural programs, and classes. The 2014-2015 Jewish LIFE brochure will be available in the Fall.

CKS Mishaberach list read at services on February 28 and placed in the Western Wall in Jerusalem by Marc and Harlene Rosenberg on March 13.

6 Jewish Community Jewish LIFE (Learning Is For Everyone) thanks the community for supporting this past season of our adult education program. We thank our Patrons and Benefactors and all those who attended and supported Jewish LIFE programs and events this past season. We were thrilled to offer two new prestigious adult education programs this season: The Melton School and Engaging Israel. Our Jewish LIFE calendar was filled with a wide range of opportunities for learning that were well attended and enjoyed by so many in our community. We look forward to a new season of Jewish learning featuring guest speakers, cultural programs, and classes. The Jewish LIFE brochure will be available in the Fall. Show your support of Israel! The Celebrate Israel Parade takes place on Sunday, June 1 in New York City. CKS Mishaberach list read at services on February 28 and placed in the Western Wall in Jerusalem by Marc and Harlene Rosenberg on March 13. Jewish Family Services Social Club Social Club for Young Adults with Aspergers or Developmental Challenges Promoting opportunities for those with special needs to live with dignity and respect, this monthly activity group is offered to help participants socialize, practice skills, and share experiences in a relaxed, supportive and fun environment Group meets monthly on Tuesdays 4:00-6:00 PM Shimon & Sara Birnbaum Jewish Center Bridgewater, NJ For more information or to enroll please contact JFS at There is a $50.00 registration fee and $10.00 per session fee. This program is open to people of all backgrounds Scholarships are available

May 2014 4 9:00 AM 9:30 AM Open House 11 9:00 AM S M T W T F S 5 6 Mah Jongg 12 13 Mah Jongg 7 6:00 PM Kehiloft 1 2 4:00 PM 4-7 Retreat at Camp JRF 7:00 PM K-4 Family Shabbat Services 8 Board Meeting

7 May :00 AM 9:30 AM Open House 11 9:00 AM S M T W T F S 5 6 Mah Jongg Mah Jongg 7 6:00 PM Kehiloft 1 2 4:00 PM 4-7 Retreat at Camp JRF 7:00 PM K-4 Family Shabbat Services 8 Board Meeting 9 Shabbat Services Shabbat Service 3 9:30 AM Charlotte Schultz Bat Mitzvah :30 PM Home Front Picnic 18 9:00 AM 9:30 AM CarWash 12:30 PM Annual Meeting Mah Jongg :00 PM Ritual Committee Meeting 7:00 PM Membership Committee Mah Jongg 21 7:00 PM Education Committee Shabbat Services Shabbat Services :00 PM Moriah Blitz Bat Mitzvah

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Princeton, NJ 08540 Permit No. 176 253 Griggstown Road, Belle Mead, NJ 08502 http://www.ksnj.org Listserve e-mail: contact admin@ksnj.

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 Current resident or: May 2014 Whom to contact for Adult Education Meryl Bisberg Beautification Debbie Gartenberg Billing/Payments Robin Bengochea ext. 1 admin@ksnj.org B nai Mitzvah (helpers, celebrations) Meryl Orlando Board of Trustees 2 nd Thurs Susan Waskow president@ksnj.org 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 Rabbi Falk ext. 3 Fund rabbi@ksnj.org Education 1st Wed. Jill Fraticelli and Christine Witt Financial Committee Debbie Gartenberg Steve Weinstein Fundraising Debbie Gartenberg Gift Shop Susan Waskow Iris Rubenstein Hospitality(Kiddush & Oneg) Natalie London Kindercapers Natalie London Kehi-Loft Karen Fridkis Life Cycle (Caring for each other) Sheryl Rosenberg swellcourt@verizon.net Joseph Weiss Long Range Planning josephhobartweiss@verizon.net Ron Lubin Marketing Bob Neusner Membership Jim Ohls Pastoral Emergencies Rabbi Susan Falk Personnel Jeff Barth Publicity Bob Neusner Rabbi's Liaison Debbie Tesser Holly Nelson Ritual Iris Rubinstein Technology- Internet and Marketing Amy Rosenthal webmaster@ksnj.org Technology - Computer and Networking Michael Galkin Tikkun Olam Michael Galkin Debbie Gartenberg Deadline for next newsletter: May 15 th 2014 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 temple office.

Bulletin from the Board- Robert Neusner

Bulletin from the Board- Robert Neusner Editor Karen Bartels karen.bartels@comcast.net home phone 609-921-1811 Newsletter of the Congregation Kehilat Shalom of Belle Mead, NJ June/July 2014 Sivan Av 5773 Congregation Kehilat Shalom 253 Griggstown