Dear Friends,

One of my favorite rabbinic teachings about the nature of Torah and revelation comes from Bahya ben Asher, a thirteenth century Spanish philosopher and kabbalist. Regarding the fact that sifrei Torah contain no vowels or punctation, Bahya wrote as follows:

[Scripture is unvocalized] because unvocalized letters can hold many different meanings and can separate into many different sparks, and it is for this reason that we are commanded not to vocalize the text in the Torah scroll, for the meaning of each and every word follows from the vowels, and once vocalized they can only mean one thing, but without vowels a person can understand many marvelous, mighty, and glorious matters.

In this striking teaching, Bahya marshals an aesthetic quirk of Hebrew language–the unvocalized nature of the written text–in service of making an audacious claim about the nature of how scripture mediates and discloses revelation. The fundamental indeterminacy of text–the fact that unpunctuated words, phrases and sentences can be parsed in a variety of ways–is not only a curious aspect of the scribal tradition but a core feature of how the text communicates. Rather than speaking in a straightforward, univocal way, divine writing is inherently unfixed and, therefore, infinitely generative. The Torah’s inherent vagueness and uncertainty thus opens out, perpetually, onto new vistas of interpretation and enlightenment. To punctate the text in its written form would, in fact, be a violation of a commandment because it would unduly limit the Torah’s revelatory power!

This is a marvelous idea and one that strikes me as urgently relevant at an undeniably confusing and troubling moment in the life of our people. Most of us, most of the time, are drawn to clarity–clarity in our relationships with the world, with our tradition, and with one another. And yet the world persistently resists our attempts to cut it down to size, to domesticate our diverse experiences, and to render them fully intelligible. And when we try to get a firm handle on life, we very often wind up flummoxed, wondering, and lost. Bahya, through his mystically inflected hermeneutices, suggests that getting lost in our texts (and in the texts of our lives) need not be an occasion for despair; instead, it can be an opportunity to experience renewed illumination. 

As we head off in the uncharted wilds of the summer, may moments of confusion and doubt yield sweet fruit in the unfolding fullness of our lives–

Brachot,

Rabbi Benjamin Resnick 

Ben

A few days ago, I attended a moving evening of gratitude dedicated to this year’s Shinshinim—a group of remarkable young Israelis who chose to dedicate a year of their lives to serving our Westchester Jewish community. As the opening slideshow played, listing each Shinshin’s name alongside the many schools, synagogues, and institutions they touched, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and appreciation.

The word Shinshin is short for Shnat Sherut—a Year of Service. These young leaders, fresh out of high school, come to Jewish communities abroad to serve, educate, and connect. Their presence helps bridge the emotional and cultural gap between American Jews and Israel. They are not just emissaries; they are builders of relationships and identity. Carefully selected through a rigorous process and supported by the Israeli emissary (Shlichah) in our region, they live with local host families for about four months at a time, bringing Israel into the heart of our homes and institutions.

This year, we had the honor of welcoming Ohad Vered to our Learning Center community. Ohad is 18 years old and comes from Kibbutz Dvir, a small, close-knit community in Israel’s Negev. He describes his favorite place in the kibbutz as the pool—where he spends much of his summer with friends—and enjoys playing guitar and performing in a school band. Ohad has a younger sister and a younger brother, and he arrived in our community eager to share not only the story of Israel, but also the unique traditions of his kibbutz life. His family visited us in late May, and spent time during Kabbalat Shabbat with our students, who had a chance to learn a little more about Ohad through his parents and siblings. 

From the moment he joined us, Ohad brought warmth, creativity, and connection to our students—from our youngest Alef class to our Bnei Mitzvah cohort. Whether guiding us through Israeli geography, sharing his Purim celebrations, helping set the tables for our community Model Seder, or lighting a memorial candle at our Yom Hazikaron ceremony, Ohad reminded us—especially our children—that Israel is not just a place on the map, but a living, breathing part of our collective story.

Through Ohad’s lessons, students traveled to the vibrant streets of Tel Aviv and the ancient alleys of Jerusalem. They tasted Israeli snacks, sang Hatikvah, discussed the meaning of Shalom and Salam, and explored stories of resilience and hope, including that of Holocaust survivor David Leitner. Each activity reflected Ohad’s passion not just for teaching, but for creating meaningful relationships and dialogue.

But Ohad didn’t just teach about Israel—he embodied it. His presence sparked curiosity, conversation, and connection. During the farewell event this month, one shinshinim host family shared how deeply the experience affected their own family. Through everyday dinners and heartfelt discussions—about the war in Gaza, Israeli society, and shared Jewish values—their children, some in college and one in high school, developed a genuine bond with Israel that hadn’t been there before. They eventually traveled to Israel and were welcomed by their shinshin’s family—proof that the bonds formed through this program are both meaningful and lasting.

As their service year ends, Ohad and his fellow Shinshinim will serve in Jewish camps during the summer and then return to Israel to begin the next phase of their journey: joining the Israel Defense Forces. This transition reminds us of the strength, courage, and deep sense of responsibility these young people carry with them—not only for their country, but for Am Yisrael, the Jewish people everywhere. We pray for their safety and hope that one day we will be able to visit them in Israel—or that our children, when they travel there in the future, will have “friends” waiting to welcome them with open arms.

It is impossible to measure the full impact of the Shinshinim. Their work plants seeds in our students and in our homes—seeds of identity, empathy, and enduring connection to the Jewish homeland.

As we prepare for another year, I warmly encourage the PJC families to consider opening their homes to a Shinshin. Hosting for four months may seem like a commitment—but the experience is nothing short of transformative. You welcome a young Israeli into your home, and you gain a bridge to Israel, a new family member, and a living example of Jewish pride and resilience.

Thank you, Ohad, for your presence, your joy, and your service. You have left an indelible mark on our community—and in our hearts.

To learn more about the Shinshinim program or inquire about becoming a host family, please contact Karen Avneri: KarenA@jafi.org 

Wishing you a joyful and recharging summer

And may we soon see peace, SHALOM, in Israel and around the world,

Ana

Ana

“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”

— Abraham Lincoln

Every day is an opportunity for something good to happen. I do think so. The way things are going, however, I am grateful that the future comes one day at a time. That is about all I can handle. 

This week we will be holding our Annual PJC Congregational Meeting. This is when we start to think about the future of the new year ahead. It is also the time when we reflect on the year that was. I am proud to report that the PJC is strong. We are 124 member families with 34 LC families and 59 LC students. We had 108 families, 87% of our membership (!), participate in our annual High Holiday and Honey Gram campaigns and we had 102 members attend the gala.

We are fortunate for our membership. Not because of our numbers but because of who we are. It’s not possible to come to a service and not feel welcomed, cared for or noticed. It’s not possible to come to a family dinner and not have someone ask you to join their table. It’s not possible to have a life crisis and not have an army of friends make you dinner. The list goes on.

I was at a wedding in California a couple of weeks ago and saw friends from Pelham that I hadn’t seen in years. They asked if I get to the old neighborhood much. I replied that I do because of my connection to the PJC. One friend smiled, shook his head and said, “I don’t know what it is about that place. People love it. Like can’t say enough about how great and wonderful it is to be part of it. It’s weird, I don’t know others that speak about their temples or churches that way.” I could not have been more proud. It was akin to the kind of proud when someone compliments your kid. Just makes you feel good all the way from head to toe.

Not only am I grateful to be part of this community, I also am grateful for the lay leaders that devote their time and efforts to keeping us strong.  A special thank you to this year’s Board, with a shout out to Dan Rubock, Secretary, and Adam Ilkowitz, Communications Chair, for their commitment and contributions. You will be missed next year. 

Adam Gerber

Mitch Cepler

Dan Rubock

Larry Cohen

Marjut Herzog

Adam Ilkowitz

Jon Kasper

Matt Marcus

Emily Pauley

Jeremy Schulman

Laura Temes

Liz Tzetzo

At our annual meeting, we will vote on the slate of people and budget that will take us thru the new year to come. We will be welcoming two new Board members, Dan Catalano and Steve Handelman. Thank you for agreeing to be part of the team. 

I look forward to whatever is coming. I expect there will be moments of greatness and there will be bumps along the way, too. That is ok. There is nothing we cannot do or handle as a community. We will take the future, as we always do, one day at a time.

Lisa

In the day I lay traps for my memories

And at night I work in Balaam's factories

Changing curse to blessing and blessing to curse.

Yehuda Amichai

from the poem You Musn't Show Weakness

Dear Friends,

This is the final HaKol before the summer break. I wish all of you the blessing of a safe, relaxing and fulfilling summer. Hopefully, we will trap our memories of 5785 at the PJC - both the blessings and the sadness of our losses.

These are troubling times. My heart is with those struggling to sleep through nights of sirens, explosions and seeking shelter in safe spaces. I've contacted my friends in Israel to let them know my thoughts and prayers are with them. I think it is important to let them know we care.

There have been missile attacks in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Rehovot, Bat Yam, Haifa, Tamra, B’nei Brak, Petah Tikvah and other places. To my knowledge, 24 Israeli civilians have been killed and over 500 wounded in these barrages. I’m heartbroken for those who have lost their lives, their loved ones and their homes.

Forward looking - we've selected Professor Josh Lambert to be our Scholar-In-Residence the weekend of October 24-25th 2025. Josh will join us for a community dinner Friday evening, give the drash on Shabbat, discuss the Jewish short story and sign books after Havdalah at Rabbi Resnick's home.

Josh Lambert is currently the Sophia Moses Robinson Professor of Jewish Studies and Comparative Literature at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. I have studied Jewish short stories with Professor Lambert under the aegis of My Jewish Learning and found him to be a fascinating speaker. He researches the background and times of the authors he teaches and comes up with surprising tidbits and insightful commentary.

I look forward to studying with Professor Lambert and hope you will find his perspective on Jewish short stories and American culture as interesting as I do. Closer to the time of the Literary Speaker weekend, we will announce the short stories that Professor Lambert will be discussing so you can read ahead if inclined to do so - it's not an assignment!

Have an enjoyable summer!

Barbara

The Anatomy of Exile

by Zeeva Bukai

According to the writer Ayelet Tsabari, Zeeva Bukai beautifully weaves one Mizrahi family's tragic tale of love and loss and deftly illuminates the liminal space between places and languages, Arabness and Jewishness."

"The Anatomy of Exile" will grab you from the first page. Set in Israel in the wake of the 1967 Six Day War, Tamar Abadi's world collapses when her sister-in-law is killed in what appears to be a terror attack but is really the result of a secret relationship with a Palestinian poet.

Tamar's husband Salim is a Jew born in an Arab land, Damascus, Syria. Torn between his Jewish and Arab identities, and mourning his sister's death, he uproots his family and moves them to the United States. Tamar struggles to maintain the integrity of their Jewish-Israeli identity against the backdrop of the American "melting pot" that tugs at her family harder than she anticipated.

When a Palestinian family moves into the apartment upstairs, Tamar is forced to reckon with her prejudices as her daughter falls in love with the Palestinian son who shares more similarities with her than American boys. Fearing history will repeat itself, Tamar's determination to separate the two sets into motion a series of events that can destroy her relationship with her daughter, Rachel, her marriage to Salim and the family she has worked so hard to protect.

This striking debut novel explores Tamar's struggle to accept love that is taboo and grapples with how exile forces us to reshape our identity in ways we couldn't dream of. It is a powerful story.

Barbara

Justin Cohen will be studying at Cornell University, majoring in Human Biology, Health and Society on the pre-med track. 

Ben Sasson was a LC madrich since 8th grade.  Ben is heading to McGill University. He’s interested in international development and economics.

Sasha (Alexandra) Herzog was a LC madricha. Sasha researched autism spectrum disorder at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and earned awards at the Regeneron Westchester Science and Engineering Fair. She is heading to Smith College and plans to study neuroscience.

The Present

by Billy Collins

Much has been said about being in the present.

It's the place to be, according to the gurus,

like the latest club on the downtown scene,

but no one, it seems, is able to give you directions.

from The Rain in Portugal: Poems

"Share a Simcha" allows congregants to share their news with our PJC community. Please submit news about family members -- engagements, births, job updates, kid achievements, community acknowledgements and any other milestones -- to the HaKol Editor, Barbara Saunders-Adams.

. Mazal Tov to our June Birthday Celebrants:

Erin Scherer, Abigail Leonard, Jordan Perkis, Logan Spitzer, Elanor SChoomer, Zachary Levy, Adrian Moshe, Elizabeth Tzetzo, Romina Levy, Jodie Cabin, Alain Sasson, Sarah Zalcmann, Paula Geller, Amy Martin, Meryl Druckerman, Sarah Jacobson, Zachary Morgan, Ethan Teitlebaum, John Leonard, Michelle, Dvorkin, Morgan Calles, Roselle Glick, Michael Droller, Sybil Rosenberg, Jordan Schwarz, Izak Lee, Bennett Wies, Noah Breskin, Adam Rubock, Sarah Abeshouse, David Garvett, Casper Lieberman, Stephanie Carniol, Shelley Klein, Clara Masson, Dan Mailick, Aviv Ram, Naomi Birutti, Roger Krulak, Edward Geller, Meredith Price

. Mazal Tov to our graduating seniors: Justin Cohen, Sasha Herzog, and Ben Sasson

. Mazal Tov to Lori Weber on becoming a Chazanit

. Mazal Tov to Karen Dukess on publication of her second novel, Welcome To Murder Week

Share a Simcha is a regular HaKol feature, so keep your news and updates coming!

GALA SPONSORSHIP

Thank you to our Gala Sponsors

Gold sponsors

Radvany Family

Silver sponsors

Lieberman Family

Prager Family

Goldman Family

Krulak Family

Bronze sponsors

Jaffe Family

Herzog Family

Goldenberg Family

Rob Rossman

Martin Family

Sustainers  

Neubardt Family

Gerber Family

Serebransky Family

Yelsey Family

Tzetzo/Ploski Family

Promoters  

Trachten Family

Dukess/Liesman Family

Benefactors

Barback Family

Weissman Family

Rabbi Schuck & Family

Contributors

Haft/Schachter Family

Jacqueline Stein

Temes Family

Maria Abeshouse

Sigel Family

Peck Family

Klebanow Family

Supporters

Schwartz Family

Schulman Family

Pauley Family

Singer Family

Sybil Rosenberg

Thank you to our gracious hosts

Judy and Mike Shampanier - Bowen

Rebecca and Matt Schwarz

Andrea and Peter Rothberg

Sybil Rosenberg

Joel and Shelli Peck

Maria and Gene Lief

And thank you to our Fund Raising Chair for a wonderful event

Marjut Herzog

Total Raised $27,000

102 Gala Attendees



Billing statements are emailed monthly. 

Checks made out to the Pelham Jewish Center can be mailed to Pelham Jewish Center, P.O. Box 418, Montvale, NJ 07645. Credit card payment instructions are on your monthly emailed billing statement, or go to https://thepjc.shulcloud.com/payment.php. 

If you are interested in paying via appreciated securities or IRA distributions, please email Mitch Cepler.

It is the policy of the Pelham Jewish Center to make every effort to assist members experiencing financial challenges. Financial challenges should never be a barrier to being an active member of the PJC community. You can reach out to President, Lisa Neubardt, Treasurer, Mitchell Cepler or Rabbi Benjamin Resnick to speak confidentially concerning your ability to pay PJC dues and Learning Center tuition.