Rabbi Michael D. Howald

Cantor Suzanne Bernstein

Bryn Biren, Felicia Otto

Co-Presidents

OCTOBER 2023

Tishrei -Cheshvan 5784

Shabbat Mornings***

Torah Study at 10:00 a.m. followed by Services at 11:00 a.m.

Meeting ID: 878 5582 6129 

Passcode: 778943

***ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th (Sukkot)

and

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7th (Simchat Torah/Yizkor,

Torah Study will begin 9:15 am in the library and will be offered both in-person and online. The services will begin at 10:30 am, in person.

They will not be on Zoom or streamed.

**PLEASE CHECK NEWS & NOTES AND THE FRIDAY NIGHT PROGRAM E-MAILS FOR STREAMING LINKS FOR FRIDAY NIGHTS AND FOR ANY CHANGES REGARDING STREAMING AND/OR ZOOM LINKS.

MOST FLYERS IN THIS BULLETIN CAN BE PRNTED OR DOWNLOADED BY CLICKING DIRECTLY ON THE FLYER.

AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OR COPY OF

MISHKAN T'FILAH

MAY BE PURCHASED FROM CCAR

AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OR COPY OF

MISHKAN T'FILAH FOR YOUTH

MAY BE PURCHASED FROM CCAR

On the 15^th through the 17^th of December, the Reform movement will gather in Washington D.C. to celebrate its 150-year anniversary. After years of staying apart due to COVID, this will be the first movement-wide meeting since the Biennial in Chicago at the end of 2019. Those of us who loved attending the Biennials every year have been waiting for another opportunity to worship and study together with thousands of Reform Jews. This gathering, although several days shorter than the 5-day conventions we had before the pandemic, promises to be every bit as important as past Biennials, if not more so.  Indeed, the planners of this anniversary celebration have announced that “everyone who cares about the future of Reform Judaism belongs at this gathering” as we, together, determine the future of the Reform movement.  Since clergy, lay leaders and Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) staff haven’t come together like this for 4 years (instead of the usual 2), this meeting promises to be unusually significant.

The gathering will begin with a pre-Shabbat gathering on Friday afternoon, followed by Kabbalat Shabbat and a communal dinner that evening. Shabbat morning will offer participants a choice of worship either on the National Mall or at the hotel for those who would rather remain inside. Following some afternoon study and an opportunity to meet URJ leadership, Saturday evening will feature a retrospective on the history of the Reform movement through discussion and song, followed by a presentation on what the future of the URJ might look like. This evening meeting will be led by Rabbi Larry Hoffman, Rabbi Danny Freelander and Cantor Rosalie Will.

On Sunday, the attendees will meet in plenary session with URJ president Rick Jacobs and leaders from other faiths to discuss the opportunities and challenges of congregations in the modern faith-based world. This meeting will be followed by breakout sessions where we will discuss how to build vibrant communities through proven and innovative methods. The gathering will end that afternoon with a closing general session and a call to action.

If you want to know more about the 150 year anniversary celebration, you will find the webpage here: 

https://www.urj150.org/highlights.

You can also consult a blog about the gathering written by a few of the organizers of the event here:  

https://urj.org/blog/why-gather-celebrating-urjs-150th-together?fbclid=IwAR01LmY9fmDdU7fIW5oJatQbwXxJaCWxSVeWjMwj4S3N3vwLCs6W-4elgU8.  

After consulting this information, I hope you will consider attending this meaningful conference about the future of the Reform movement. I hope to see you there!  

Bryn Biren

Felicia Otto

Our fall harvest holiday begins on the fifteenth day of Tishri, which began on September 29th and ends on Friday, October 6th. Sukkot is the celebration of the pilgrimage made by the Jews to the Temple in Jerusalem, bringing sacrifices and bearing fruits. They made homes that were temporary, sukkahs, where they slept and ate during the holiday.

Each year at Temple Israel we hold a joyous holiday service involving the Sukkot custom involving the four species; the lulav (a palm frond), hadass (the myrtle tree bough), aravah (willow tree branches), and the citron ( the etrog). Do you know what the four species represent? The lulav has taste but no smell, it symbolizes the Jews who read the Torah but do not do good deeds. The hadass is fragrant but tasteless, this symbolizes the Jews who do good deeds but do not read the Torah. The aravah has neither taste nor smell, this represents those Jews who care neither for good deeds and do not read Torah. The etrog symbolizes the perfect Jew. 

Come to Temple Israel to celebrate Sukkot with Rabbi Howald and Cantor Bernstein. Stand, with your children on the bimah, hold the etrog and shake the lulav. Hear the music and listen to the prayers. Be a part of our congregation. Attending Friday night services, whether the Family service or the “adult” service becomes a part of you. If you do not understand Hebrew, if you do not know the words to each prayer or song, it makes NO difference. You are joining millions of Jews throughout the centuries who have done the very same thing. 

Simchat Torah immediately follows on Friday, October 6th through Sunday, October 8th. We celebrate the conclusion of the yearly cycle of reading the Torah. At this time we begin a new reading of the Five Books of Moses. The evening ends with our delicious, traditional ice cream Oneg for our children.

Make every effort to join us for both Sukkot and Simchat Torah celebrations, in person, with your fellow congregants.

What better time in the world to take the time to come to celebrate with one another? We need to feel joy and community!

Bryn Biren & Felicia Otto

Co-Presidents

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov wrote, “Gratitude rejoices with her sister joy and is always ready to light a candle and have a party. Gratitude doesn’t much like the old cronies of boredom, despair and taking life for granted.”

My heart is overflowing with gratitude to the dedicated members of the Temple Israel Senior Choir, who shlepped their massive binders of High Holy Day music to choir practice every week, starting in the heat of August so that they could lift all our voices in song and prayer during the Days of Awe. Thank you to our choir members: Bryn Biren, Pamela Carlton, Scott Fuller, Sam Gornstein, Judy Lee, Beverly Mazer, Judith Pessah, Pamela Rogozin, Jim Rohan, Jodi Siegel, Shari Stein-Ballow, Luigia Wiesner and Anne Young. Thank you to our organist, Elona Migorov, for her beautiful accompaniment, and to our guest cellist, Mary Wooten for her soulful playing on Kol Nidre.  

Now, as Rabbi Nachman said, we are ready to have a party, and that party is Simchat Torah! Come dance with the Torahs to the music of The Rock of Israel band.  

With gratitude and joy, I wish everyone Chag Sameach! Happy Holiday!

Cantor Suzanne Bernstein 

ROCK OF ISRAEL

Sunday, October 1 - 10:00 am

Rehearsal for Simchat Torah

Friday, October 6- Warm-up-5:30 pm in Social Hall for 6:30 Service

JUNIOR CHOIR

Sunday, October 1 -12:00 noon Rehearsal

Friday, October 13-Warm -up -6:30 pm

for 7:00 Family Service

Sunday, October 29 -12 noon Rehearsal

CHOIR

Sunday, October 29- 10 am Rehearsal

On Friday, September 29,

at 3:30 pm,

we will meet at the Brielle

to sing Shabbat songs celebrate Sukkot.

All are welcome! 

145 Friendship Lane (off Brielle Avenue)

Meet in the Lobby

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

OCTOBER 2023

TISHREI -CHESHVAN 5784

For calendar updates please check the Temple website.

To print or download a copy of this calendar, click here.

MAZEL TOV TO:

ROCHELLE MALTZ as she relocates to Newton, MA.

CONDOLENCES TO:

JANE ADLER and family on the loss of her sister, BETSY PICKET.

GET WELL WISHES TO:

JERRY GROSS, INEZ SINGER, ILENE PAPPERT,

JACK ROSENBLUM (Father of JUDY LEE).

THINKING OF YOU: 

DR. ALICIA BASKIN, GAYLE CHASON, JOE GAMORAN,

SILVIA GORNSTEIN.

WELCOME 

New Members:

MARK ROCKE

OLGA & DENNIS BERGER and FAMILY

Rejoin:

GERI KITOFF-LAUTER

October 6, 2023

These names were read at the Sept. 22 & 23 Shabbat services (as announced in last month's bulletin)

Mary Borack *

Mollie Hirsh

Victor Pessah *

Lillian Winer *

Loretta Grossman

Ruth Sommer

Laura Don

Dr. Lewis Gross

Irving Grossman

Howard Bierman

Rose Rosen

Helene Werb *

And we remember from the Holocaust:

Eigl Brin

Hans Goldscheider

Zelda Werthajm

Clara Freundlich

Genese Miliunski

October 13, 2023

Rubin Levine *

Harvey Don

Joseph Drescher

Benjamin Herman *

Minde Herman

Kenneth William Lipsitz *

Norma Feinberg Andrews

Mark Bronnberg

David Elrich

Abraham Leimsider

Anna Reznikoff

Beatrice Simon *

Helen Aronson

Josephine Grober

Murray Milton Scher

Diane Teitelbaum *

Seymour Gold *

Kermit Krisburg *

Celia Weissglass *

Malcolm Kass *

Seymour Richman

Maurice Schlefstein

Simche Silberman *

And we remember from the Holocaust:

Stefanie Sikelnik

Emil Windgassen

Paul Bähringer

Paul Mix

Frieda Loewenthal

October 20, 2023

Samuel Surpin *

Erica Greenbaum

Charles Wiesner

Dorothy Holzman

Joseph Yale Lipp *

Kenneth Peretz *

Delane Soposnick

Rose Grodman

Lottie Hirsch

Maude Kunofsky

Barbara Kurlander*

Rose Talisman

Catherine Howald

Esther Katzman *

 And we remember from the Holocaust:

Jean Mekschurp

Ernst Broch

Lajosne Nussbaum

Tzirel Bialystok

Berta Simbürger

October 27, 2023

Joseph Werb *

Joseph H. Diamond *

Charlotte Nash *

Marvin Aroll

Ruth Quartin Weitz *

Charles Berg

Charles Kalish

Margaret McGowan

Joel Schaefer *

Sylvia Smith

Mildred Cohen *

Sidney Don

Joseph Werb

Joseph H. Diamond

And we remember from the Holocaust:

Siegmund Koch

Wilhelm Mayer

Rayzel Buchman

Siegbert Kaiser

Chana Offenbach

The Advance Payment Program allows members to pay in advance for Friday night program ads. Members usually deposit $100 (or less in some cases) and when an ad is placed, $5 is deducted. When the balance gets low (usually to about $10) an e-mail is sent reminding the member that they should consider adding money to their account. 

You may, if you wish, pay in advance for Friday night program announcements. For more details contact the Temple office or contact Deanna Feder at  dfeder19@aol.com to set up an account. 

MOST FLYERS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FOR PRINTING BY CLICKING DIRECTLY ON THE FLYER.

Thanks to all whom have honored your annual commitments to Temple Israel in advance of our High Holiday service.  Please be sure to use your Membership Tickets for entry to our services.

In the coming months we will focus our efforts towards making sure we have the most current information about you and your family. We are currently in the planning stages of a verification process for each member unit. Thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation. More information to follow.

Please feel free to contact me directly at 347-631-9802 should you wish to discuss any matter regarding your annual commitment. 

Again, thank you for your on-going support of Temple Israel.

Jacqueline Rabinowitz 

Financial Secretary

Please consider becoming a member of our

KAVOD SOCIETY.

It helps to make membership available to all our families. Speak to our Financial Secretary to upgrade your membership.

As you read this we have completed our observance of the Days of Awe.

Many thanks to our members who have worked to make the holidays very meaningful. A special thanks to all who helped with summer and September onegs including Judy Lee, Anna Wu, Pamela Rogozin, Maxine Cohen, Inez Singer, Deanna Feder, and Rochelle Maltz. Other acknowledgements go to those who polished the ceremonial silver and prepared for the High Holidays 

including Pam Rogozin, Linda Brill, Nina Rohan, Pamela Carlton, Blanche Ricci, Beverly Mazer and Barbara Feigelman. We also want to send kudos to Jodi Siegel and Claire Guttsman for their spectacular job cleaning and restocking the Sisterhood kitchen closet. And to Jodi and Shariann Ganz for organizing the Pizza in the Hut/Sippin' in the Sukkah.

Sisterhood sends it's heartfelt condolences on the passing of Jeffrey Ganz to the Ganz family. Jeff was a dedicated former Temple president, treasurer and friend of Sisterhood.

Upcoming Sisterhood events include the following:

October 1 Sunday - SH participates in Religious School Orientation 10 am

October 11 Wednesday -SH exec board meeting 7:30 pm

October 15 Sunday - SH general meeting 10 am, speaker Alan Brill discussing Cyber Security

October 22 Sunday - ACS Breast Cancer walk 9:15 am

If you have not yet paid your SH dues ($45). please do so as soon as possible, or at our October 15 meeting. 

Please feel free to contact your co-presidents and vice presidents to volunteer for our events. Your participation is essential to the life of the Temple, the success of Sisterhood and our dedication to each other.

Pamela Carlton, Sue Freedman, Judy Lee, Anita Zuckerberg

Sisterhood Co-Presidents 

JOIN SISTERHOOD AS WE HONOR THE MEMORIES OF THOSE WE HAVE LOST TO BREAST CANCER.

Make your donation to the

American Cancer Society and walk with us on Sunday, October 22nd.

Please give your checks to Inez Singer or leave them in the Sisterhood Mailbox.

We still have some Sisterhood shirts available in memory of Jennifer Straniere. If you would like one, please contact JSiegel23@aol.com.

Brotherhood at Temple Israel continues….Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Thanks to those of you who attended our first meeting of the year following the joint Sisterhood and Brotherhood breakfast on September 10^th.  Thanks to Jerry Mulnick for providing the minutes of our last meeting.  We are looking forward to a successful year that will enable us to expand our membership so that we may better serve the needs of our Temple.

During the coming month we will once again be serving our traditional Ice Cream Sundae Oneg on Friday, October 6^th, following Shabbat services at which time those of our Congregants celebrating birthdays and anniversaries will be acknowledged.  In addition, since this is a “First Friday Family Service”, we expect that many of our younger congregants will be able to enjoy the ice cream sundaes served by our Brotherhood members. Your scoops are waiting; please let us know if you’ll be able to assist. 

We hope that you have already seen the flyer for the Brotherhood Sponsored Barbeque scheduled for Sunday, October 15^th.  Special thanks go to our “Chef Extraordinaire”, Kevin Lipsitz, who will be firing up the grills and waiting to meet your culinary requests. Again, assistant chefs are welcome to volunteer since we expect that this delicious event will be well-attended.  Please feel free to contact Bob to offer your services.

We thank you in advance for your continued participation in our organization that exists to provide social activities as well as serve related opportunities. We look forward to sharing another wonderful year.

Bob Zuckerberg and Alan Siegel

It was wonderful to see so many students and families at our High Holiday Services. Thank you to Brooke Lopez who ran our Rosh Hashanah Children's room and thank you to all of the students who participated in our Yom Kippur Children's Service. 

Sunday, October 1st is our first day of school! School begins promptly at 9:30am in the sanctuary for our learning service with classes to follow at 10:00am. Pretzel Sales are back and will be available for purchase for $2.00 a pretzel at dismissal. All proceeds go directly into our Youth Fund. 

From 10:00am-12:00pm while students are in class, all families are asked to come by our Temple Open House in the social hall. Committee representatives will be available to introduce you to all of the committees and wonderful things going on at Temple. We are asking that at least one family member from each family join a committee and get involved this year! We are better together and stronger because of one another. Some of the committees you can learn about and help grow are: Adult Learning, Finance, Membership, Ritual and our Sisterhood and Brotherhood will also be there. Our Judaica Shop will be open for purchases and Larry will be on site with certificates where you can help support Temple by purchasing gift cards. 

See you on Sunday, October 1st!

Sincerely, 

Felicia

Felicia Otto

Religious School Committee Co-Chair

We are sorry if your name was inadvertently omitted. Please contact the Temple Office to update your membership information.

The Membership Committee met on August 24^th on Zoom and welcomed new members Sarah Sarfati and Rian Silverman. 

We reviewed the goals of this committee for the year that include finding new and creative ways to recruit and retain members. We will work on ways to blend new families with the seasoned members so that there will be more familiarity amongst all Congregants.

We also discussed how to increase awareness of scheduled events and activities by expanding our present forms of social media and advertising. We are considering the formation of a social media subcommittee specifically for this aspect of Membership.

We will also investigate increasing Community awareness for events that might attract more young families in the Community such as Chanukah Pajamakah, Simchat Torah and Purim. 

We revisited the possibility of advertising these events in publications such as the Staten Island Parent magazine.  

Other events suggested to recruit new members and merge seasoned and new members is to utilize members of the Congregation to read to children, schedule a museum trip and engage in “teaching” sessions.

Also discussed was to continue working on an updated Temple Israel Handbook for all members and for the Community describing all aspects of our Congregation at Temple Israel. 

Our meeting next month is on September 21^st at 7:30 on zoom which is the 3^rd Thursday of this month. In the future we will meet the second Thursday of each month.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandy Mazzucco

Claire Guttsman

Co-Chairs

Contact Blanche Ricci at branchtr.ricci@gmail.com

if you are interested in any Judaica Shop items.

HELP IS NEEDED:

• for set up on Saturday night , November 18th at 6:00 pm;
• to work the fair on Sunday;
• to pack up the fair at 12:30 on Sunday;
• to SHOP, of course!

The mission of the Dr. Ronald Avis Foundation for Temple Israel Reform Congregation is:

…. to provide financial support for young families seeking membership in Temple Israel, and to attract new young families by providing learning opportunities, family programming, and social justice initiatives.

************************************************************

We hope your children have enjoyed the holidays. Consider bringing them to ALL of our holidays. They will learn to love the services and be a strong part of our community.

So far, we have a few dates set for the coming year, and more are being investigated. 

On November 5, the JCC Music Institute is going to come to our temple for an event starting right after Sunday school. The music teachers will perform for the children and show them the instruments they can start to learn to play. 

Brian the Animal Guy is returning and we are still working on that date.

On December 3 at 2PM, the young children can come, with their parents, to Cutest Cookies to create beautiful Chanukah cookies!

On March 3rd, the wonderful woman who ran the Challah making class for us is going to do a Hammentaschen class! We are thinking it will begin at 11 am and ALL children are welcome to come!

We are also working out a time when the older children can attend a program at the Museum of Jewish Heritage .  They are doing a program there for children about the “Rescue in Denmark”. 

We very much want to begin a Social Justice Committee at temple. if you are interested in being a part of that, contact Terry. (718-490-4428)

Looking forward to seeing you all at temple!

Sincerely,

Bryn Biren and Terry Baver

The story of the Dr. Ronald Avis Foundation for Temple Israel

Dr. Avis originally provided our wonderful Foundation to cover a portion of the membership cost for the first 6 years for young families with young children. Our congregation had been diminishing and he was looking for a way to help us all begin to grow. After meeting with Bryn and Terry a few times, more money was added so the families would also have the opportunities to experience programs for their children. Many wonderful events have been set up for the young families including museum visits, Chanukah cookie designs, a Challah class, a program at the Staten Island Holocaust Center, and many other experiences. The foundation has also helped cover the cost of the religious school teachers.

But then!!!! Covid happened!!!!!!

So the decision was made to use a portion of the foundation money to help all the temple members. The Avis Foundation began to create the zoom classes for the adults in our congregation. These classes are continuing and the foundation covers the costs of them all. The Avis Foundation also covered the cost of the 75th anniversary event. And the foundation is now working with Judy Pessah and the Adult Education Committee to help cover the cost of all the events and classes for the adults in the congregation. 

So: Our entire congregation has benefitted from the generosity of the Foundation. Thank you RON!!!!

BOOK DISCUSSIONS

will be held on the third Thursday of October, December, February, April, and June.

We will begin on October 19, at 7:30 PM, with “Madam, The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of The Jazz Age”, by Debby Applegate.  This story of a rather “Infamous” lady will be an eye opener! And you will enjoy the historical perspective on the “Schtetl” in Poland where Polly Adler was born and from which she left for America, and the Jewish communities in Massachusetts and New York in which she arrived, alone, as a young teenager! You may be surprised at what life was like in the 1920s!

Let us know if you have any book suggestions for the following months.     

Many thanks to Alina Shteynberg for her wonderful and yummy cooking lessons!

The programs that follow will be happily presented as a joint effort of the Adult Learning Committee and the Avis Foundation—

Mark Meyer will continue his fascinating view of special works of Art.

Tuesdays, October, 10, 17, 24, 31, 7:30 PM, on ZOOM.

Quynhy Nguyen will speak on “Nutrition and Aging”

Tuesday, November 7, 7:30 PM on ZOOM.

Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff will treat us to a discussion of the growth of the various branches of Judaism

Tuesdays, November 21 and 28, 7:30 PM on ZOOM.

Nilaja Troy will share some of what she has been studying in a 3 part discussion of “Comparative Religion”

Tuesday, December 19, “The Birth of Christianity”

Tuesday, January 2, Schism and Persecution

Tuesday, January 9, “Where Are We Now?

All at 7;30. PM (A decision will be made on whether the programs will be on Zoom and/or in person.)

Dr Sherrie Baver will present “The Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean”

Tuesday, Jan 30, at 7:30 PM on Zoom.

A program on Jewish diversity is under consideration, initiated with Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff”s discussion. Do you want to learn about the variety of ritual in different branches off Judaism? Would those of you in our congregation whose Jewishness did not begin in America, like to talk to us? Would you like to hear about Judaism in parts of the world where you would not think it would exist? We are working on these ideas. Please share your thoughts with us.

We have many congregants traveling the world. Would you like to share your   adventures with us? Would you like to take part in a program; perhaps— “Around the World in a Lifetime of Days”? If so, let us know.

Judith Pessah

Adult Learning Committee Chairperson

Start the New Year off right by joining

your Temple Israel family

and the FUNdraising Committee

for our 

Second Annual Games Extravaganza

on Saturday October 28, 2023.

Doors open at 7:15pm, first game at 7:45pm.

Join us for a fun filled night, laughter guaranteed.

Enjoy some tasty snacks. Bring your own bottle. (BYOB)

Raffles and a 50/50

$20 per person prepaid (preferred)

$25 at the door.

Please see flyer below.

Questions Contact

Lissa: 917-846-5454

Rhonda: rhondata61@yahoo.com

Karen: Kefreygamoran@aol.com

Rhonda Trontz-Allen, Karen Frey-Gamoran, Lissa Winchel

Co-Chairs