February 28, 2018 Dear Friends, Please review our 5778 Passover mailing, which includes the following: From the Rabbi s Study and Passover Schedule (p. 3) Scholar in Residence Shabbat with Dr. Rachel Anisfeld (p. 4) Food drive and a message from the Chesed Committee (p. 5) Community Seder and Passover Learning (p. 6) Shavuot Schedule (p. 6) Adult Education and NCSY (p. 7-9) Who s Who at CBAJ (p. 10) Sale of Chametz Form (p. 11) On behalf of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Rabbi Feldman, I d like to wish you and your family Chag Kasher V Sameach. Sincerely, Drew Kugler President, CBAJ Email: president@cbaj.org 2
February 28, 2018 Dear CBAJ Family, From the Rabbi s Study. Let all who are hungry come and eat; let whoever is in need come and join our Passover. As we prepare for Pesach, we recall the opening statement of the Haggadah above. Note that there are two parts to that sentence. The first part refers to those people who do not have the food needed for Pesach. It is our job through Maot Chitim, or Passover Relief (but literally, money for matzah ), to make sure that they have this food. The funds collected will go primarily to our friends and neighbors right here in the community who have trouble putting food on the table every day; some of the funds will go to help the needy in the larger Jewish community through Jewish poverty relief organizations in the US and in Israel. We thus fulfill both our Jewish communal obligation and our obligation to our congregation family. Please send a check to the CBAJ Rabbi s Discretionary Fund earmarked Passover Relief to the synagogue office, or make your donation online to the CBAJ Benevolent Fund at www.cbaj.org/donate, and write Passover Relief in the comments section. The second part of the statement refers to those who have food, and plenty of matzah and wine, but they may be alone and do not have a Passover seder. It is also our communal responsibility to invite them to join us. In that spirit, I ask the CBAJ family to let us know if you have room at your Passover seder for those who may want to join you. Likewise, if you do not have a Passover seder to go to, or if you would like to be hosted for any of the Passover meals, please let us know so that we can match guests with hosts. Please help us make Beth Abe a warm, welcoming, and sharing community this Pesach. May G-d respond to our Passover generosity and hospitality by blessing us all with a chag kasher v sameach, a Happy and Kosher Passover. Roy Feldman rabbi@cbaj.org PASSOVER SCHEDULE Thursday, March 29 Search for Chametz......................After 8:00 PM Friday, March 30, Passover Eve Morning Services and Siyyum..................6:40 AM Chametz may not be eaten after................10:53 AM Burn Chametz no later than...................11:56 AM Candle Lighting............................. 7:01 PM Evening Services............................ 7:00 PM Start Seder.............................After 8:02 PM Saturday, March 31, Passover I Morning Services...........................9:00 AM Evening Services...........................7:00 PM Candle Lighting and Seder................After 8:03 PM Sunday, April 1, Passover II Morning Services...........................9:00 AM Evening Services...........................7:05 PM Yom Tov ends.............................8:04 PM SERVICES DURING CHOL HAMOED Monday, April 2, Passover III Morning Services...........................6:30 AM Evening Services...........................7:10 PM Tuesday, April 3, Passover IV Morning Services.......................... 6:30 AM Evening Services............................7:10 PM Wednesday, April 4, Passover V Morning Services.......................... 6:30 AM Evening Services............................7:10 PM CONCLUDING DAYS OF PASSOVER Thursday, April 5, Passover VI Morning Services.......................... 6:30 AM An Eruv Tavshilin must be prepared Evening Services............................7:10 PM Candle Lighting............................. 7:07 PM Friday, April 6, Passover VII Morning Services...........................9:00 AM Evening Services...........................7:10 PM Candle Lighting............................7:09 PM Saturday, April 7, Passover VIII (Yizkor is recited) Morning Services...........................9:00 AM Evening Services...........................7:05 PM Shabbat / Yom Tov ends..................... 8:12 PM 3
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A Message from the CBAJ Chesed Committee: The Chesed committee has been visiting the sick, calling those in need, and providing meals to our members who need additional support. YOU CAN HELP IN TWO WAYS!!! 1. We need to know who can benefit from some chesed. If you know of a congregant who is in the hospital, recovering from surgery, or in need of support please contact Marjorie Gang, chairperson of the chesed committee at chesed@cbaj.org 2. You can volunteer to provide some chesed. There are many ways you can become involved. *Cook in a kosher kitchen and deliver meals (reimbursement available) *Pick up meals and deliver from Kosher Price Chopper *Make phone calls to people in the hospital or recently discharged *Make visits to people who are in the hospital Please let the chesed committee know how you want to help. CHESED@CBAJ.ORG 5
Plan Ahead... SHAVUOT SCHEDULE Saturday Night, May 19, Shavuot Eve Evening services at 7:55 PM Candle Lighting after 9:05 PM Shavuot Dinner at 9:05 PM Opening Class at 10:30 PM Followed by All Night Learning, Midnight Ice Cream Party, and Sunrise Minyan at 5:10 AM Sunday, May 20, Shavuot I Morning Services at 9:00 AM Evening Services at 8:00 PM Candle Lighting after 9:06 PM Monday, May 21, Shavuot II Morning Services with Y izkor at 9:00 AM Evening Services at 8:00 PM Yom Tov ends at 9:07 PM 6
Sam Verstandig, 14- year-old Anti-Bullying Activist, has been recognized as one of NY Jewish Week s 36 Under 36 for his work in activism and lobbying. SHABBAT May 5 Shabbat, May 5: Conversation with Rabbi Feldman and Sam Verstandig following 9:00 AM Services Anti Bullying Workshop for Parents and Teachers following Kiddush. 7
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Talmud, In Depth Tractate Kiddushin Sunday Mornings, 8:45 to 9:30 Join Rabbi Feldman as he brings his popular Talmud class to CBAJ and the Albany Jewish Community. The class studies Talmud and commentaries from their original texts. It welcomes and is suited for people who have never before opened a volume, but will be stimulating and thought provoking for even the most experienced student of Talmud. The laws, ethics, and ideas found in the Talmud serve as the cornerstone of Judaism s rituals and its civil and moral systems. Its study transcends disciplines and broadens the mind. 9
Who s Who at Beth Abe Rabbi Roy Feldman Senior Rabbi rabbi@cbaj.org; ext. 5 Originally from New York City, Rabbi Roy Feldman is excited to serve the Jewish community of his state s capital. He earned his undergraduate degree in Linguistics and History at Columbia University and studied at Yeshivat Petach Tikva in Israel. After that, Rabbi Feldman received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg of Jerusalem, as well as an MA in Jewish Philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School. Prior to joining CBAJ, he was Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan and taught Judaic studies at the Ramaz Upper School, where he received rabbinic training and mentoring from Rabbi Haskel Lookstein. He is married to Rachel Minkin and they are the proud parents of Charlotte and Millie. Rabbi Feldman believes that a rabbi s primary role in the twenty-first century is to articulate, embody, and exemplify the reasons why traditional Judaism remains relevant today. Jeanette and Tzvi Goldstein Youth Directors and NCSY Coordinators youth@cbaj.org; ext. 4 Jeanette, Tzvi, and Avraham Goldstein currently live in Washington Heights while completing their education. Jeanette, a graduate of Brooklyn College currently enrolled in Wurzweiler Graduate School of Social Work, has been involved with programming for children of all ages and backgrounds, most recently through NCSY and Camp Morasha. Tzvi is currently working on his degree in psychology and Semicha at Yeshiva University. He spends his summers living in the woods and hiking the Catskills with the teens of Camp Yagilu. Now in their fourth year with the Albany Jewish Community, Jeanette and Tzvi are looking forward to adding to the warmth they felt when they first came in, through programming for kids and the whole family. Seanan Herrick Office Manager seanan@cbaj.org; ext. 3 Seanan grew up just around the corner from CBAJ, and is happy to be back in her old neighborhood. She has years of experience in office management and customer service, including being an Executive Assistant at CARES Inc., and creating and running her own childcare center. Seanan lives in Delmar with her husband Daniel and daughters Katelyn and Madelyn. Sharon Randall Bookkeeper bookkeeper@cbaj.org; ext. 810 Sharon lives in Albany. She has thirty years accounting experience in the non-profit world and the for profit world. Prior to starting her own bookkeeping business, she worked for thirteen years for Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region as their Business Manager. Additionally,, she's a Hospice Volunteer and a Reiki Practitioner. 10
One way to avoid the prohibition of owning chametz on Pesach is to sell it to a non-jew. It is customary to appoint the Rabbi as one s agent to transact this sale. You may use this form to appoint Rabbi Feldman as your agent. Since ideally, one should appoint one s agent directly, it is best to give this form to Rabbi Feldman. He will be available at the shul for authorizing the sale of Chametz after morning and evening services (except Shabbat) from Friday morning, March 23 to Friday morning, March 30, or by appointment. If it is impossible for you to see Rabbi Feldman personally, please fill out the form and make sure it reaches the synagogue by Friday, March 30, no later than 9:00 AM. The sale of Chametz is a legal transaction in which the buyer becomes the full owner of the Chametz. For the sale to be considered a serious transaction, the buyer must be able to have access to his goods. If you are going away for Pesach, please indicate where your keys can be found or how the buyer may enter your residence on the form. POWER OF ATTORNEY I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Roy Y. Feldman, of 380 Whitehall Road, Albany, New York, to sell, transfer, and assign all Chametz of whatever kind and nature I possess or in which I may have an interest, knowingly or unknowingly, wherever situated, and to lease all places in which Chametz may be found, in my residence at: Address: Or in my place of business at: Address: Or in any other place, without reservation and limitation. The places where Chametz may be found can be accessed by contacting me at: Tel: Email address: Printed Name: Signature: Date: Please circle one if you plan to spend Passover in another time zone: Israel Europe Central Rocky Mountain Pacific If I am away, the keys to my home can be found with: Name: Address: Tel: 11