Or Chadash Newsletter - March/ April 2016 Edition

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In This Issue
Service Schedule
In Our Community
Yahrzeits
Donations
Legacy Circle
Rabbi's Message
President's Message
Religious School Director's Message
Cantor's Message
Wine Tasting
What You May Have Missed
Shabbat  Service Schedule
Shabbat Window  

Friday, April 22nd 
Happy Passover
Celebrate Shabbat and Passover at home with  family  and  friends .  No services at Or Chadash.
 
Friday, April 29th - 7:30 PM
Shabbat Service and Discussion: Remembering the Holocaust.
 
Friday, May 6th - 7:00 PM
Shabbat Service and Confirmation.
 
Friday, May 13th - 7:30 PM
Shabbat Family Services. 4th Grade Participation: Celebrating Israel.
 
Saturday May 14th - 5:00 PM
Shabbat Afternoon Service and Bat Mitzvah of Emily Schlessinger

Friday, May 20th - 7:30 PM
Shabbat Services

Friday, May 27th
Celebrate Shabbat at home with  family  and  friends .  No services at Or Chadash.
 
Friday, June 3rd
Potluck Shabbat Dinner 6:00 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat Service 7:00PM
Shabbat Family Services with Comedian Joey Novick: Let there be laughter: Jewish Humor in America

Saturday June 4th - 10:00 AM
Scott Tauscher Bar Mitzvah

Saturday June 4th - 5:00 PM
Katie Lowe Bat Mitzvah
In Our Community

Refuah Sh'leima (Get well) to...
Susan Blaicher 
Barbara Sansevere
Dorothy Saks
Beverly Kornstein
Vivian Forman
Barbara Gruber

Mazel Tov to:
Kathy Gohr on her Ordination as Cantor
Matthew Gold
Paxton Gold
Declan Gold
Jamison Gold
Kate DalPezzo
Lily Shreiber
Marlee Schindler
...on receiving Hebrew Names


In order to help us be a more caring community, please share your lifecycle events with  Rabbi Forman
Feel free to click on a hyperlink to send a note and let someone know you are thinking about them.
Yahrzeit
yahrzeit photo

April 8
Joseph Ettinger
Shelly Weller's beloved father
Barbara Levine
Richard Steinbrink's beloved sister
Robert John Schwade
Bob Schwade's beloved father
Louis Eli Werstein
Leslie Hann's beloved grandfather
Marc Leon
Betsy Zalaznick's beloved uncle
Maude Albert
Steve Albert's beloved grandmother
May Gong
Sandra Gong's beloved mother
Norman Halper
Ruby Halper-Erkkila's beloved father

April 15
Carol Rosen
Eliot Rosen's beloved wife
Stanford Bernard Speizer
Louis Speizer's beloved father
Richard Landman
Michele Korfin's beloved father
Bernice Sherman
Louis Spiezer's beloved mother

April 22
Sarah H. Levin
Ellen Pytlar's beloved mother
Joseph Sacks
Jodi Brodsky's beloved grandfather
Ralph Amodio
Leslie Hann's beloved uncle

Apr 29
Edwin Loewy
Susan Ingram's beloved father
Andrea Harvey's beloved grandfather
Helen Topf
Alice Schwade's beloved mother
Evelyn Zwerling
Eric Zwerling's beloved mother
Ruth Moutner
David Moutner's beloved aunt
Rose Weinstein
David & Isabel Mahalick's loved one
Sheldon Rotter
Naomi Zwerling's beloved father
Doris Lerman
David & Isabel Mahalick's loved one
Sheldon Weinick
Ross Weinick's beloved father
Ellen Sabio
Steven Albrecht's beloved mother
Robert Hann
Chris Hann's loving father
Deborah Schwartz
Shelly Weller's Loved One

May 6
Esther Adelman
Laura Senator's beloved grandmother
Louis Brodsky
Gary Brodsky's beloved grandfather
Lillian Golden
Beth Golden's beloved grandmother
Kate Hirsch
Betsy Zalaznick's beloved great grandmother
David Abrams
Larry Abram's beloved father
Lillian Rapp
Salena Kern's beloved mother
Estelle Kern
Allen Kern's beloved mother

May 13
Larry Seligman
Deb Weiss's beloved father

May 20
Hannah Rachel Sandler
Jeff Sandler's Beloved Mother

May 27
Charlotte Werstein
Leslie Hann's beloved grandmother
Leo Heller
Jim Lewy's beloved grandfather
Elizabeth Lewy's beloved father
David Lewy's beloved grandfather
Anna Wolf
Leslie Hann's loving grandmother
Celia Zalaznick
Bruce Zalaznick's beloved grandmother
Morty Lehrer
Perry Lehrer's beloved father
Richard Levy
Robert Levy's beloved father
Bernard Sigel
Meridith Sigel-Willey's beloved father


Donations
Thank you to all who contributed from December 1st to January 31st 2016: 

Tree of Life
Gary & Debbie Weiss: In Honor of Sam and Ben's B'nai Mitzvah

7th Grade BM Gift
David & Michele Kinderman
Darren & Elizabeth Loew
Marc & Caryn Tomljanovich

General Contribution
Jeff & Christine Berg
Richard & Kay Braun: In Honor of Susan Ingram's 75th Birthday
Harvey Gold

High Holy Day Donations
Mitchell Greenstone

Gillian Kulp Music Fund
Gary & Debbie Weiss: In Honor of Kathy Gohr's Ordination

Tzedakah
Edward & Cheryl Lifshitz
David & Kimberly Turner
Legacy Circle 
F or more information or further details, please click on this link .
To view the digital version of our Legacy Circle Book of Life  click here.

Legacy Circle Members
Legacy Circle Members as of April 1st, 2016:

Larry & Beatrice Abrams 
Susan & Steve Albert
Kimberly & Doug Beman
Jeff & Christine Berg
Adam & Audrey Belkin
Rabbi Joseph M. Forman
Dan & Jackie Freedman
Cantor Kathy Gohr
Harvey & Kathryn Gold
Steven Grumbach
David & Katherine Moutner
Gary & Susan Parilis
Nisim & Alexa Parliyan
Rabbi Richard F. Steinbrink
Rick & Jill Rosenthal
The Senator/Graybeal Family
The Sloan/Gong Family
Louis & Caryn Speizer
Caryn & Marc Tomljanovich
Renee Trambert
Kimberly & David Turner
Debbie & Gary Weiss
Mark and Kristina Witzling
Betsy & Bruce Zalaznick

Jewish Family Services

Jewish Family Services 

JFS is a non-profit, non-sectarian social service agency whose mission is to preserve and strengthen the quality of individual, family and community life based on Jewish values. We provide our services to a diverse socio-economic client population that includes individuals, children, young adults, families and the elderly.


 Click here for information on additional services.  

 

The Shimon & Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center

 


The Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center, is a non-sectarian social service agency located on 14 acres on Talamini Road in Bridgewater.  The JCC opened its doors to the community in December 1999 after years of planning and fundraising by a passionate group of local families that were driven to bring a JCC to our tri-county area. 

 

Please use this link to find out what is happening at the JCC.

Meals On Wheels 
Meals on Wheels needs volunteer drivers in our area. Serve your homebound senior neighbors a hot noontime meal. The commitment to drive is only once a month. It will take only an hour or two once a month to get that good feeling of giving. Call our office at (908)284-0735 to offer your time or for more information (and/or check out our website at mowih.org ). Help us, help others. Many thanks.  
Mitzvah Day is coming -- Save the Date -- May 15th, 2016


Rabbi's Message


RabbiForman
This week we celebrate the Festival of Pesach - one of our three agricultural holidays that is now linked to an event recorded in the sacred texts of our tradition. Pesach gets its name from the idea that God "Pesach-ed" the houses of the Hebrews as the Angel of Death made its way through Egypt. Often translated as Passover, Pesach more accurately means "to save," as God saved the Hebrews from death, rather than passed over them. So how did God know which houses to visit and save from the Angel of Death? You might think that God needed no help, but our story relates that the blood of a lamb was painted on the doorposts. The Hebrew word for a doorpost is Mezuzah.
 
Today we continue the tradition of placing a sign upon our doorposts to proclaim that our home is a Jewish home. We affix not blood, but a small container safeguarding the words of Deuteronomy that remind us to place those very words there!
 
The tradition of putting up Mezuzahs on our doorposts dates back 2000 years. But what happens when you need to repaint the house? My sister, Rabbi Sharon Forman, recently faced this dilemma. She is a writer, and her story of taking down and putting back up the Mezuzahs in her house was published on ReformJudaism.org. Here is the link to her article, and here is an excerpt:
 
"Carpenters, plumbers, roofers, floor and insulation installers, painters, and a lone electrician have almost completed their six-month task of making our home brighter and more comfortable. In preparation for the onslaught of dust and paint, we temporarily dismantled the mezuzot that we had so proudly affixed a decade ago, when we first moved into the house. These whimsical containers, whose Hebrew name means "doorpost," host small scrolls inscribed by hand with passages from the Torah. Passing through the barren doorframes in my home, I have felt uneasy, a transient guest in someone else's domain.
"Now the freshly painted doors invite us to adorn them. My husband leads the odd procession, electric screwdriver in hand. I follow, bearing our collection of old and new mezuzot. Our 10-year-old son trails after us, reciting the traditional blessing after me, as we encounter each door, slowly emptying out the bowl, as if the house itself is feasting on the ritual objects."
 
As Passover approaches and we prepare ourselves for a week to recall the ancient struggle for freedom our ancestors generations ago endured, I encourage you to pause for a moment and look at your Mezuzah. It is a symbol not only of a Jewish home, but its public display is a reminder that we live in a free land. (If you would like me to place one on your doorpost, just send me an email. I would be happy to provide one for your home.) The words of Jewish writer Emma Lazarus from her poem "The New Colossus" are inscribed on the Stature of Liberty. They declare that this nation is a haven for all who yearn to breath free. May our Passover celebration remind us that many people still do not live in freedom; our Pesach demands that we work toward the freedom of all humanity.
 
I wish you a safe, joyous and Zissen Pesach.
 
Rabbi Joseph M. Forman

President's Message

Our Sanctuary

The Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines the word sanctuary in its simple definition section as, "a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter; the protection that is provided by a
safe place; the room inside a church, synagogue, etc. where religious services are held." Last month I had the pleasure of doing yoga inside of our sanctuary. As I was watching the beautiful Or Chadash stained glass window project beads of colored light onto our sanctuary-turned-yoga-area, I thought about the many things that happen inside of our sanctuary. That weekend alone we had Friday night services, a Saturday morning Bar Mitzvah, Sunday morning "shalom yoga" and a celebration filled with song in honor of Cantor Kathy's ordination. The weekend before we had an author speak to us about Einstein, and, recently, we have had cooking demonstrations and cookbook authors, Temple Tots, Religious School assembly and, of course, Friday night services. Over the course of the year you might shed a tear during our Yitzkor service, join in celebration at B'nai Mitzvah, participate in our Purim Shpiel, hold the Torah during Simchat Torah, light a menorah for Hanukkah, build a hand during mitzvah day, see a video during our annual congregational meeting or lift your voice in song during a Friday night service. All of this occurs in our sanctuary.

One of my favorite songs in our repertoire is "In this house". In our Or Chadash house the sanctuary serves as the heart. It is the center of what we do, and within its four walls we laugh, cry, sing, dance and even sometimes do yoga. When I first came to Or Chadash, I remember sitting at an event, surprised that we were allowed to eat in the sanctuary. Years of more structured buildings and people admonishing me not to dirty the rug or the chairs rang through my ears. At Or Chadash we like to eat, to cook and to celebrate with food, and sometimes that means bringing food into the sanctuary. We also don't mind when kids come in and sometimes have to sit up front or even on the bimah. Sometimes they cry or laugh, sometimes they are fed a bottle and sometimes they have been known to whisper or tussle with one another.

Our sanctuary is not for show. Our sanctuary is a safe place. You won't get hushed or told to discard the delicious baked good from Betsy's latest selection that you picked up on the way in. Last month, The New York Times ran an article about "500 Years of Jewish Life in Venice" (NY Times, March 9, 2016).  In the article was a picture of the Scuola Grande Spagnola (Great Spanish Synagogue) . The picture of the sanctuary which dates from around 1532 was beautiful. It showed marble floors, ornate pews, a giant chandelier and an impressive bimah. I can imagine that it is a magnificent place to pray. On the other hand I am not sure it would work well for Shalom yoga, and I can't imagine where the tots would sit on the bimah for Temple Tots, and I am pretty sure no one would be too excited about a tray of baked goods being passed around. I'd love to attend a service some time at the Scuola Grande Spagnola in Venice, but when it comes to finding a place where I feel sheltered and protected, I don't think I would trade our sanctuary here at Or Chadash.

Kim Turner
Religious School Director's Message 

Betsy NYC.jpg
 
For me, Passover Seder comes with a zillion traditions and rituals.  The preparations begin with a dusting off of my three ring binder titled Passover -yes, I AM traditional when it comes to special recipes and print them as well as Dropbox them!  This binder contains so many memories and provides comfort as I see my Mom's handwriting on the matzah ball recipe.  It also contains an article from the New York Times discussing if quinoa is Kosher for Passover, as well as so many dessert recipes--- flourless chocolate cake, macarons, pavlovas, as well as the recipe pack Rachel Reuben created for the OC cooking class (2014), and the Passover dessert class Melissa Pickell led at Or Chadash (2005).   My preparation also includes polishing my silver and discovering where the Passover aisles are hidden in the supermarket this year.  I will put the extra leaf in my dining room table, iron some tablecloths and napkins and, most importantly--clear off the remaining piles of "stuff" resting comfortably on my dining room table. 
 
With this traditional Seder prep in place, this year I hope to change things up a bit at the Seder table.  I hope you will consider taking a look at how Amichai Lau-Lavie, a great Jewish educator and the founder of sTORAHtelling has modified part of his Haggadah customs in order to make room for a new set of "Four Questions." Amichai teaches:  "Interrupt the tradition, to do what the tradition asks us really to do: educate, talk, learn from each other."  With thanks to Rabbi Billy Dreskin of Woodlands Community Temple for introducing me to Amichai's work, here are Amichai's "Four Questions."

1. Mah nishtana?  "Why (how) is this night different?"
What's new about your life tonight that's different from last year?

2. Avadim Hayinu.  "We were slaves." 
What's Egypt to you?  What's your slavery?  What keeps you back from being more free this year?  As an individual or in this world?  Or if you prefer, what liberation have you experienced this year?
 
3. Dayenu.  "Enough."
What are the riches, the blessings in your life?  Where do you have what's sufficient?  And where in the world or in your own life are we not saying Dayenu?  What can you do to stop this slavery, this oppression, whatever that means to you.
 
4. L'shana haba'ah. Next year."
What dreams will you be reaching for in the year ahead?  Where do you see yourself?  What's the vision?  For yourself, for your world?
 
May your Passover holiday be meaningful to you and your family. Wishing you a sweet Pesach.
 
 
Betsy Zalaznick 
Cantor's Message

Kathy Gohr
 
On March 13 th I was incredibly blessed by the members of Or Chadash. Most of you know that I was ordained last January in Denver Colorado, and was given a celebration by the congregation to acknowledge this accomplishment. I was thrilled that this community would wish to honor me in this way, I am still glowing!! Not only were many members of our community present, but I was able to share this experience with my good friend, Cantor Lisa Levine! I have known her for years as a musical colleague and to be able to share this day with her was really special.

I was also totally surprised when my students past and present took the time to learn to chant Torah texts that mirrored my life passions. I have said many times before that "One who teaches a child Torah it is as if they have given birth to that child. While I don't wish to detract from the pride their parents rightfully possess, I hope you will allow me to "kvell" (boast) a little for the role I played in the evolution of their Jewish identity.

When I said goodbye to Lisa she made a point of reminding me of how much I am loved. I am truly blessed to be a part of this community where all are welcome and all are valued as the gifts that they truly are. I look forward to serving you as Cantor Kathy into the future.  


Bless-sings,
Cantor Kathy Gohr
Confirmation Invitation 

 
  
Purim Carnival Roundup
Like a rascal, full of Purim mischief, Mother Nature worried us about snow --but the skies were clear for our annual Purim Carnival, March 20th! We all enjoyed a lively Megillah reading, a galactic speil ("Purim Wars" starring Andy Stein as Darth Vaman), and an entertaining performance by the TCNJ Circus Club. Then, it was time for the games, Esther's Salon, the craft room with the TCNJ Circus Club, the prize room, and new this year--a Hamantashen-filling station. We tallied the votes for most popular hamantashen filling: chocolate won by a landslide! We also had a winner for the guessing game: Eric Tiber correctly guessed 234 starbursts to win the container-full!

Thank you to our local merchants for various generous donations: Wegman's, ShopRite of Flemington, ShopRite of Washington.

A special thank you to Home Instead Senior Care for lending us their popcorn machine --and to Judi Levine for facilitating that.

Thank you to everyone who brought pasta-box-groggers; our food donation to The Open Cupboard totalled 65 pounds!

And the biggest thanks goes to all our student volunteers from 7th to 12th grade, who helped with the carnival games, the hamantashen-filling station, the food, Esther's Salon, and the Prize Room. The best is to see the "big" kids making the carnival a great time for the "little" kids. We couldn't run the carnival without you! Thank you: Amanda Albrecht, Shay Beckman, Jared Belkin, Jacob Berg, Jonatha Berg, Thuy Blumenfeld, Michael Breslow, Jenna Lifshitz, Sarah Loew, Julia MacIsaac, Bowie Shreiber, Jordan Sinoway, Sydney Stoter, Scott Tauscher, Evan Tomljanovich, Lyra Tomljanovich, Sam Tracey, Becca Wasserman, Robyn Wasserman, Joshua Weinberg, Ben Weiss, and Sam Weiss.

See you next year!
The Carnival Committee
3rd Annual Wine Tasting Event at Old York Cellars
Come Join Or Chadash for our
3rd Annual Wine Tasting Event!
Old York Cellars
80 Old York Road, Ringoes, NJ, 08551
 
May 21st 2016
6-10pm
$40/per person
 
You will get a tasting of 6 different wines and scrumptious food to eat  - along with lots of gift baskets to bid upon.  Wine is also available for purchase.
 
Come and enjoy the night out and bring friends and family!!! This event is open to the entire community and is sure to be a blast!
 
To register, CLICK HERE.  Payment can be made via credit card or check. Checks can be dropped off at the Temple or mailed directly to:
 
Adam & Audrey Belkin
6 Jennings Lane
Whitehouse Station, NJ  08889
 
Please contact Audrey or Adam at 908 534 3676 if any questions.
All funds raised go to support Or Chadash

Mishloach Manot
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our Mishloach Manot fundraiser to make it a success

Larry & Beatrice Abrams
Steve & Susan Albert
Steven & Susan Albrecht
Ben Atkinson & Faith Fuhrman
Robert & Galia Barlow
Ken Becker & Sharon Bobnar-Becker
Adam & Audrey Belkin
Paul & Elyse Belkin
Douglas & Kimberly Beman
Jeff & Christine Berg
Tim & Miriam Blanke
Ray Blumenfeld & Audrey Hackel
Jon & Lori Blutfield
Ira & Estelle Breines
Scott & Maryann Breslow
Carl Christensen & Deborah Beer-Christensen
Brian & Carol Coriell
Brian & Faith Costello
George Eckelmann & Jane Engel
Craig Erkkila & Ruby Halper-Erkkila
Rabbi Joseph M. Forman
Carmine & Eileen Freda
Dan & Jacquelyn Freedman
John & Maria Gendelman
Harvey Gold
Matthew & Jaimee Gold
Robert & Julie Goldstein
John Graybeal & Laura Senator
Steve & Sage Grumbach
Chris & Leslie Hann
Phillip & Andrea Harvey
Alan Hecht & Maria Jose De La Hoz
John & Rebecca Hennings
Mark & Jessica Hodkinson
Pierce & Stacey Hubbard
Gerald Jones & Karen Tovi-Jones
Nancy Kanter
Craig & Sudha Kantor
Andy & Michele Korfin
Jack Kurlansik
John Langer & Annette Ivry
Cindy Lehrer
Perry Lehrer
Barry & Alison Levine
Judith Levine
Adam & Jana Levison
Robert & Shirl Levy
David & Robin Lewy
Elizabeth Lewy
Jim & Mary Clare Lewy
Edward & Cheryl Lifshitz
Darren & Elizabeth Loew
Alan Marrus

Paul Melamud & Farah Whitver-Melamud
Vadik & Kate Metelitsa
David & Katherine Moutner
David & Rita Orlans
Doug & Stephanie Orr
Stuart Oxenhorn & Robin Schutz
Gary & Susan Parilis
Nisim & Alexa Parliyan
Darren & Yulia Pincus
Stephen & Diana Propper
Ellen Pytlar
Matthew Rainey & Michelle Segall-Rainey
David & Randi Roberts
Elliot Rosen
Rick & Jill Rosenthal
Joseph & Carolyn Sansevere
John & Toby Sarinick
Don & Sara Schenker
Rebecca Schindler
James & Barbara Schlessinger

Robert & Alice Schwade
Stephen Sinoway & Beth Golden
Victor Sloan & Sandra Gong
Glenn & Lydia Sokoloski
Wendy Solomon
Louis & Caryn Speizer
Andrew & Jane Stein
Joe Strauss
Mike & Lisa Tauscher
Chris & Melissa Tiber
Marc & Caryn Tomljanovich
Gerard & Liz Tracey
David & Kimberly Turner
Edward Tyler & Renee Trambert
Glenn & Eve Wasserman
Paul & Andrea Weinberg
Paul & Maureen Weiner
Ross & Susan Weinick
Gary & Debbie Weiss
Amara Willey
Richard Willey & Meridith Sigel-Willey
Mark & Kristina Witzling
Craig Wolfson & Vicki Tuschak
Sergey & Honeylet Wortman-Vayn
Bruce & Betsy Zalaznick
Eric & Naomi Zwerling

 
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What You May Have Missed
 
Cookbook Author Leah Koenig








Celebration of Cantor Kathy Gohr's Ordination








More of What You May Have Missed
 
Rabbi Forman's Trip to Israel


Clockwise from below:
Or Hadash in Haifa, downtown Tel Aviv, the Tel Aviv Marathon, Halva at the Jerusalem Market, the Menorah at the K'nesset, near the Jaffa Gate, outside the Old City in Jerusalem, candies in the Jerusalem market.






Even More of What You May Have Missed

Are You Smarter Than a K-1st Grader?




Making Bird Feeders at Temple Tots Tu B'shevat



"Einstein" Author Steven Gimbel 


 
Legacy Celebration Event at Congregation Beth Chaim 


Shalach Manot Thanks
Dear friends at Or Chadash:
Once again, Diane and I returned from winter away to find the shelach manot package. How sweet of so many of you to think of us and to include us in your Purim celebration. We thank you and send our good wishes for a wonderful Pesach.

Sincerely,
Rabbi Richard (Rabbi Emeritus at Or Chadash) and Diane Steinbrink 


Dear Or Chadash friends!
I have grown to look forward to the Mishloach Manot baskets each Purim season. I truly feel blessed when I arrive home to see it on my doorstep.

Thank you so much,
Abby Rutka
Or Chadash Webmaster