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Larchmont Temple News JUNE 2013 PROFESSOR NILI FOX PRESENTS ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE - STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 10:00 AM The Lois & Julian Braun & Cantor Edward Graham Adult Education

1 Larchmont Temple News JUNE 2013 PROFESSOR NILI FOX PRESENTS ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE - STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 10:00 AM The Lois & Julian Braun & Cantor Edward Graham Adult Education Fund Israel Breakfast For centuries, the Bible has been utilized as a mirror of early Israelite religion and everyday life. In the last century, archaeological excavations, in the Land of Israel and neighboring states, have raised key questions pertaining to the Bible s accuracy and the reality painted by its texts. Guest speaker, Nili Fox is Professor of Bible and Director of the School of Graduate Studies at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, OH. UbkJ,CJ In this issue: From the Rabbi... 2 From the President... 3 Announcements... 4 From the Cantor... 5 Brotherhood...5 Social Action...5 Temple Youth...5 Events...5 Congregational Family... 6 Thank You... 6 Ads... 7 Monthly Worship Schedule... 8 For updated information on Temple happenings, visit us at

2 2 LARCHMONT TEMPLE 75 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont, NY ; FAX: a member of the Union for Reform Judaism JEFFREY J. SIRKMAN Rabbi MARA S. NATHAN Associate Rabbi/ Director of Congregational Learning FREDDA R. MENDELSON Cantor RENA FRAADE Director of Religious School DEBRA FRANKEL Director of Early Childhood ZE EV AVIEZER Executive Director ז ל H. LEONARD POLLER Rabbi Emeritus ז ל EDWARD GRAHAM Cantor Emeritus BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ron Hauben President Meg Fienberg Honorary President Harri Taranto Executive Vice President Robert Goodman 1st Vice President Stacey Chervin-Sigda 2nd Vice President Robert Rothman Financial Vice President Lisa Samson Administrative Secretary David Szabo Treasurer David Becker Ellen Blumstein Sheila Chervin Yvette Goorevitch Barbara Lewis Kaplan Michael Nathan Mark Oster Richard Shapiro Toby Sklarew Martha Steinman Steven Tanenbaum Kent Yalowitz Trustees Scott RiEmer Brotherhood President Michele Metsch Sisterhood Representative Brian Cousin Karen Zimmerman Youth Education Committee Chairs Jennifer Kislin Tami Moskowitz LTNS Steering Committee Chair Thank you for submitting by the 10th of each month to afagon@larchmonttemple.org Andrea Fagon, Editor/Designer Carol Scharff, Proofreader Printed on recycled paper Julia Rothman LarFTY President FROM THE RABBI SACRED TRANSITIONS Some things change some things remain eternally the same. We are so very thrilled to be welcoming in our new member of the LT Covenant clergy team, Cantor Tracey Scher. Through a cooperative process of shared visioning regarding who/what our new Chazan should be, with the survey feedback of around a quarter of the congregation, shepherded by the guiding leadership of our 20 member Cantorial Search Committee, and with the approval of LT s Trustees, we have engaged a wonderfully gifted Cantor. What makes her so wonderful for us, however, is that beyond all cantorial capacities, Tracey is a Covenantal Spiritual Leader. She delights in the search for the Divine Presence, often glimpsing God through the relationships she nurtures, or in the moments where the music envelops as it uplifts... She loves learning and teaching, bringing Torah to life through mutual insight-exchange She reaches out with compassion, fostering healing and hope, whether through ritual moments or life-cycle milestones, or as a listening presence heart to heart Yet, above all, Tracey Scher is our new Cantor because, through the inspiration of her voice and the impassioned spirit of her vision, she exudes mentschlichkeit Some things change some things remain eternally the same. The way and why in which we engaged our new Cantor is possible largely due to who our almost Emeritus Cantor is Leading with a life-affirming sweetness, inspiring with a voice almost as huge as her heart, Fredda Mendelson s 14 years cantoring at LT have been a model of menschlich service of humane and holy care. For all who heard her, for all who were touched by her graciousness, Fredda is and ever will be an LT treasure. We are so very blessed that her sacred song and her loving presence remain Still shaken from his encounter with the burning bush, now charged by the Holy One with leading Israel towards redemption, Moses questioned: But when I come to the Children of Israel and they ask me, What is God s Name? What shall I say to them? And God replied to Moses: Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh I Will Be what I Will Be [Exod 3:13-14] In other words, God s Name is Becoming Growth Possibility Transformation Reminding us: Some things change some things remain eternally the same. As we sing, struggle, reach, teach, celebrate, create, connect & care for one another, God s Echo resounds Covenant keeps us whole and the bush burns, unconsumed. What a gift to share in a harmony that is so Holy! Jeffrey Sirkman Rabbi JOIN US as we welcome Tracey and her husband Chris, along with their children Isaac & Maya this summer.either at Welcome Coffees at various Member Homes, or at our Congregational BBQ-Picnic in the Mermey Garden Exact Dates/Times will be coming soon.

3 FROM THE PRESIDENT Where Did The Year Go? Wow it is June already how did that happen. The weather is finally warming up, the crocuses and tulips have come and gone, and our thoughts are turning to the end of our year and summer plans. Summer brings the usual beehive of activity at Larchmont Temple down several notches. Our clergy and professional team winds down a bit, re-charges their batteries and takes some well-deserved vacation time. The slower pace of activity also offers some time for reflection on both the year that has gone by and the new one about to start. Although the pace will slower, this summer will be busier than usual, with integration of a number of key new staff members, including our new cantor, a new youth director, a new early childhood program director and a new rabbinic intern. Please take the time to introduce yourself to our new staff members when you are around the Temple this summer and stay tuned for multiple opportunities to greet and welcome Cantor Tracey Scher through informal and intergenerational gatherings in congregants homes and Temple-wide events. Beyond that, while I am reminded that every year the High Holy Days are exactly when they should be, this year they seem to be spectacularly early. Erev Rosh Hashanah is only a few days after the official end of summer Labor Day so our Clergy team will be working together as Rabbi Sirkman, Rabbi Nathan and Cantor Scher plan our High Holy Days worship services and programming. Looking back over the past 12 months my first year as Larchmont Temple s President I am proud of our accomplishments as a community and as a congregation. Beyond the innumerable Shabbat services, fundraisers, mitzvah projects and life cycle events, this year is particularly memorable because of the challenges we overcame. We gained strength as we came together to provide comfort and support, and grew as a congregation, as we weathered Super storm Sandy and the colossal tragedies of Newtown and more recently in Boston. We also started to see the key elements of Rabbi Sirkman s Ladder Vision come to life, with an amazing Shabbat School month, enhanced communications, multiple retreats and wonderful adult education programs. Thanks to the support and generosity of our membership and the never-ending efforts of our clergy and professional staff, next year will see these programs and more in full bloom. Finally, we celebrated Cantor Mendelson throughout the year in a variety of ways. Most memorable were the Fredda and Friends concert in December and a tribute to Cantor Mendelson in May. While the pace may change, the cycle of life at Larchmont Temple continues over the summer. As always, the Temple remains open, and our clergy and staff remain available to our congregants. We also have the energy and enthusiasm of our youth at our Nursery School summer camp program and of our adults at lay-led Shabbat services. I know speak for each of us in saying it has been a hectic, challenging and stressful year. Let s all hope for a peaceful, relaxing and re-energizing summer. With best wishes, Ron Hauben, President 3

4 Ben Bat Binah Service of Affirmation Friday, June 14 6 Tamuz :00PM Jane Axelrod Leslie Cowen Caryl Feldman Virginia Fineberg Karen Gross Phyllis Gutterman Jennifer Hahn Wendy Kaufman Amy Lieberman Barbara Schiff Lisa Senter 4

5 FROM THE CANTOR Need A Ride? Let the Shul Shuttle transport you to Temple. Contact Rhoda Sumberg at Shir Ami Thanks to Jayson Rodovsky, Charlotte Bassett, Marilyn Breiter, Joel Brill, Steve Cohen, Barbara Coleman, Virginia Fineberg, Carol Froehlich-Hull, Nada Glick, Stephen Gutmann, Judith Gutmann, Andrew Harrison, Robert Immerman, Edward Jacobson, Enid Kaplan, Laura Landau, Marnie Marks, Sheryl Odentz Maller, Andi Rosenthal, Judy Sadowsky, Robert Sklarew, Spencer Smith, Robert Sternbach, and Joan Winer-Brown for a wonderful year filled with song. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication. Have a great summer! LT SINGS! Thanks to Dara Anhouse, Rebecca Herzberg, Eliana Kraut, Sabrina Reznik, Courtney Ross, Sarah Rothenstreich, Anita Rothenstreich, Sacha Sergent, and Isaac Nathan for a great year of music and fun! June Rehearsals: June 5, 12, 19 Choir Party: June 19 at 7:30PM Shabbat Service: Friday, June 21, 8:00PM. Call is 7:30PM Summer services: begin June 28 BROTHERHOOD The Brotherhood would like to thank our membership for making this a successful and rewarding year. Among the events that the Brotherhood sponsored this year were: 2 very successful blood drives, the Yom HaShoah Yellow candle program, 7 Brotherhood breakfasts, including breakfasts with Congressman Eliot Engel and State Senator George Latimer, Fall Social Event - Monday Football Night Giants vs. Redskins, Yom HaShoah Event with Israeli Filmmaker Zipora Trope and a fundraising Raffle. We would like to thank the dedicated service of retiring board members: Scott Riemer, Stuart Barish, Bill Haft, Gary Lilien and Larry Reinharz. We also would like to welcome incoming board members Cliff Katz, Joel Brill and Andrew Spatz, and not so new incoming board members Marty Kanengeiser and Bob Sadowsky, who are returning to the board after a hiatus. Have a great summer! Please save the date for our opening breakfast September 22, SOCIAL ACTION There will be three Midnight Runs during the summer months-- June 1, July 13 and September 21. Please help by volunteering as a driver, sorter or food maker. linda.riefberg@gmail.com to participate. We need sneakers, (size 9 and above) knapsacks and duffle bags. So please recycle those end-of-school year items! Our last meeting of the year is June 9. We will discuss how to allocate our tzedakah funds. We welcome interested congregants to join us for the meeting. We look forward to seeing everyone next year at our Social Action events. EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS Volunteers Needed: The Ritual Committee is looking for a few great volunteers to help assign honors for the High Holy Days. This group works closely with the clergy to assign honor (aliyah) roles for all of our services. The time commitment is about four meetings which will take place mainly in June. To volunteer, please contact Rabbi Sirkman via the Ritual Committee at ritual@larchmonttemple.org LARCHMONT TEMPLE YOUTH LarFTY End of Year BBQ, Sunday, June 2 at 12:30 PM at Larchmont Temple. Cost is $5 per person. Come celebrate the end of the year with all your LarFTY friends! Have a great summer! 5

6 OUR CONGREGATIONAL FAMILY Deepest Sympathies to the family of Robert Warshaw, husband of Elaine Warshaw THANK YOU RABBI SIRKMAN S MITZVAH FUND In honor of our daughter Abagail becoming Bat Mitzvah by Gary & Laurie Lee In honor of our son Ajed becoming Bar Mitzvah by Robert & Linda Zimet In honor of our daughters, Brooke and Heather, becoming Bat Mitzvah by Laura Landau & Spencer Smith In gratitude and in honor of our granddaughter Lauren becoming Bat Mitzvah by Sheila Chervin & Peter Schwartz In gratitude for officiating at the naming for our son, Connor, by Joanna & Chris Roses In gratitude for the home blessing by Jennifer Roth & Ross Prussin In honor of dear friends, Judy & Steve Gutmann on their 50th anniversary by Riva Edelman In memory of Judith s sister Diana Lowe Friedman by Judith & Harvey Rubin In memory of Sheila s mother, Mary Halpern by Sheila and Philip Liebowitz In gratitude for the shiva minyan for Alane s sister, Karen Rainville, by Alane & William Okun MEMORIAL FUND In memory of Ruth Plofsky Barish By Stuart Barish In memory of Karen Rainville, sister of Alane Okun By Marshall & Ellen Cohen In memory of Julius Jermanok (Fawn Schecter s father) By Sassoon & Esther Majorie Peress In memory of my father, Samuel Botzman By Gerald & Gail Robinson In memory of of Steven Marcus By Carol Willner GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS In memory of Samuel H. Bloom By Barry & Judi Dichter In memory of Irving M. Dichter By Barry & Judi Dichter In memory of my father, A. Herbert Edelson s yahrzeit By Debra Goldstein LOIS & JULIAN BRAUN/CANTOR GRAHAM ADULT EDUCATION FUND In memory of our father and grandfather Julian G. Braum By Kenneth & Carole Shutzer GENERAL ENDOWMENT FUNDS In honor of Carol Scharff for the work she does in planning and setting up the oneg shabbat receptions By Stephen & Judith Gutmann ARTHUR & ROSE WOLF ISRAEL CONNECTION FUND In honor of Judy and Steve Gutmann s 50th wedding anniversary By Jim & Liz Weingast SOCIAL ACTION TZEDAKAH FUND In memory of Henry Rand By Barry & Judi Dichter In honor of Judy and Steve Gutmann s 50th anniversary By Robert & Minna Immerman With thanks to Carolyn Kamlet and Julie Carson for Cantor Mendelson s fabulous service of tribute By Yvonne Tropp In honor of Lynn Reichgott By Irving & Claire Zuckerman ADULT EDUCATION BEN BAT BINAH INFO SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 7:30 PM A new Ben Bat Binah class is forming! If you have you always wished you became a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or are just looking for a way to build a deeper connection to Jewish learning and living, then this course might be what you have been looking for. Ben Bat Binah meets every Tuesday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Temple Library. Over a two-year period, students will study Jewish History...from Ancient Israel to Modern times; Prayer book Hebrew...from the basics to prayer fluency/meaning; Jewish Thought...from questions of revelation to our unfolding redemption; Jewish Tradition...from customs and ceremonies to how s and why s of holidays and ritual observance. Join us for this info session in the Library for a course curriculum overview. RSVP to Rabbi Nathan at mnathan@larchmonttemple.org or ext. 22 VIEW THE monthly calendar AT 6

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JUNE WORSHIP SCHEDULE Saturday, June 1 9:00 am Chevrah Torah 10:30 am Congregational Worship Bat Mitzvah of Emma Biermann Bat Mitzvah of Lily Epstein 10:30 am Downstairs Minyan Larchmont Temple 75

8 JUNE WORSHIP SCHEDULE Saturday, June 1 9:00 am Chevrah Torah 10:30 am Congregational Worship Bat Mitzvah of Emma Biermann Bat Mitzvah of Lily Epstein 10:30 am Downstairs Minyan Larchmont Temple 75 Larchmont Avenue Larchmont, NY NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID WHITE PLAINS, NY PERMIT NO Friday, June 7 KORACH (Num. 16:1-18:32) 6:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat 6:30 pm LTNS 4 s Moving Up No 8:00 pm Service Saturday, June 8 9:00 am Chevrah Torah 10:30 am Congregational Worship Bat Mitzvah of Samantha Dorf Bar Mitzvah of Ben Fishman 10:30 am Downstairs Minyan Friday, June 14 CHUKAT (Num. 19:1-22:1) 8:00 am Shabbat Worship Ben Bat Binah Affirmation Saturday, June 15 9:00 am Chevrah Torah 10:30 am Congregational Worship Bat Mitzvah of Lily Ann Ross 10:30 am Downstairs Minyan Friday, June 21 BALAK (Num. 22:2-25:9) 8:00 pm Shir Chadash Shabbat Saturday, June 22 9:00 am Chevrah Torah 10:30 am Congregational Shabbat Bat Mitzvah of Ava Cyruli 10:30 am Downstairs Minyan Larchmont Temple First Friday Shabbat Dinner June 7 Celebrate our Nursery School 4 s moving up to Religious School and Kindergarten! Services at 6:30 PM Optional Dinner in the Garden Room at 7:15 PM Supervised Crafts table Dinner Cost: $22 per adult $14 per child, 4 years and over Free for kids 3 & under! Dinner is nut free with wheat free & vegetarian options - Catered by PLATES Includes buffet dinner, challah, wine, dessert, and crafts RSVP wendy.weinstein.karp@gmail.com Friday, June 28 Summer Services begin

Larchmont Temple News

JUNE 2014 Larchmont Temple News 5774 / 2013-14 Learning Theme FROM STATEHOOD TO SACRED HOME: Critical Questions & Sustaining Hopes in the Struggle for Covenant In this issue: Congregational Learning...