Rabbi Michael D. Howald
Cantor Suzanne Bernstein
Bryn Biren, Felicia Otto
Co-Presidents
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Temple Israel’s Electronic Bulletin
E-Shalom
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JANUARY 2024
Tevet-Shevat 5784
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“Shalom, Welcome to Temple Israel....” is a phrase taught to us by Carole Lachman, a beloved, long-time congregant and bulletin editor who died in 2002. We named our bulletin in her honor and worked to realize her vision of Temple Israel as a community that welcomes the stranger and lets no one stand alone. This new version of the bulletin maintains our tradition of communicating with our Temple Israel family and continues to forward Carole’s vision, love and devotion for our synagogue. | |
CLICK ON ANY OF THESE IMAGES TO PRINT OR DOWNLOAD FLYERS WHICH CAN ALSO BE FOUND ELSEWHERE IN THIS BULLETIN. | |
CAKES, COOKIES, (EGG)CREAMS & CAROLS | |
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HISTORY OF ZIONISM & ISRAEL | |
Erev Shabbat Services take place IN PERSON. Live-stream links, for those unable to join us, will be e-mailed to all congregants, along with the Friday night Progam, every Friday. The Zoom link for Saturday morning Torah Study and Services can be found below. (Please check weekly News and Notes and the Friday Night Program for any updates or changes.)
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Shabbat Morning
Torah Study at 10:00 a.m. followed by Services at 11:00 a.m.
Meeting ID: 878 5582 6129
Passcode: 778943
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**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. | |
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AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OR COPY OF
MISHKAN T'FILAH
MAY BE PURCHASED FROM CCAR
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AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OR COPY OF
MISHKAN T'FILAH FOR YOUTH
MAY BE PURCHASED FROM CCAR
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A Message from
Rabbi Michael D. Howald
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With the end of Chanukah, the Hebrew calendar invites us to consider the next Jewish holiday in the cycle of the year, the holiday of Tu B’Shevat (the 15th day of Hebrew month of Shevat). Although not a true Chag (“festival”), Tu B’Shevat, also known as the “New Year for Trees” gained new importance in the last 50 years, spurred by the modern focus on environmental issues, particularly the movement to preserve natural spaces from human development. Long before the 1970’s, however, the early pioneers of pre-state Israel made the planting of forests a key aspect of Zionism, an emphasis that easily aligned with Tu B’Shevat’s focus on the seven species of the land of Israel and the produce of fruit trees. Even this year, with Israel still at war with Hamas as I write this article, you can still be certain that multitudes of Israelis will plant trees this Tu B’Shevat, both to expand and preserve the woodlands of Eretz Yisrael and as an expression of hope and faith in the future of the Jewish state.
Although we often forget, one of the important aspects of early Zionism was its emphasis on renewing the relationship between the Jewish people and the earth. Notwithstanding character of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, most Jews living in eastern Europe in the 19th century lived in villages or cities, not on farms. The return to Zion, accordingly, was also often described as a return to nature, a place where the Jewish people could remake themselves anew as people of the land. At its beginnings, accordingly, Zionism was as much about the redemption of the land as it was about the redemption of a people. A central feature of the effort to redeem the land of Israel was the planting of trees in a land largely denuded of forests by wars and human depredation. By planting trees in Israel, the early Zionists believed, they would symbolically reaffirm their roots in the ancient Jewish homeland and produce living icons of the national revival of the Jewish people.
To oversee this vital project, the Fifth Zionist Congress in 1901 created an agency to purchase and reforest land within the boundaries of the biblical land of Zion to be an eternal possession of the Jewish people. This agency, known in Hebrew as Keren Kayemet Le-Yisrael[1], became known in English as the Jewish National Fund (“JNF”). To fund this immense project, the JNF encouraged contributions from the worldwide Jewish community by various means, but especially by means of a little blue box, designed like a charity box with a slot for coins as the top, which made its way into every Jewish school and hundreds of thousands of Jewish homes. In the face of rising and deadly antisemitism in Europe the Jewish people might appear to be a felled tree, the founders of the JNF maintained, but (quoting a messianic verse from the Prophets) “a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit (Isaiah 11:1).” The planting of trees in the historic land of Zion therefore came to represent the national renewal of the Jewish people and became a sacred activity that represented faith in the redemption of both land and people.
In this context, its no wonder that Tu B’Shevat, almost forgotten after the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, regained prominence as a day for teaching about the significance of reforesting the land of Zion as an affirmation of faith in the revival of the Jewish people. In most pioneer cultures, the primary impetus is to turn the forests into farmland. In Zionism, this dynamic was reversed with an emphasis on reintroducing nature into a land ravaged by wars and millennia of human plundering of forests for construction materials and fuel. As a result, Tu B’Shevat in Israel has become a day devoted to planting trees in which both young and old participate. This year undoubtedly, many of the trees planted will be planted in memory of those murdered on October 7th as well as those who have fallen in the war since. Those trees, like those planted in years past, will be an enduring symbol of Jewish survival in the face of those who would cut us down and, more than any other year in recent memory, will represent a hope that the land and the people of Israel may one day be redeemed from the afflictions of the present. Even though we may not want to celebrate this year, I could not think of a better reason to observe Tu B’Shevat.
[1] This name comes from a phrase in a prayer in the morning service: “These are the things that are limitless of which a person enjoys the fruit of the world while the principal remains in the world to come.” In other words, the trees planted by the JNF will produce fruit in this world while the forests will remain for the generations to come.
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A Message from the Co-Presidents | |
The Hebrew word for honor and respect is Kavod. It is a word of great strength and importance in the Hebrew language. The giving of Kavod both honors the recipient and satisfies an obligation of the donor. The satisfaction is an inner glory, for being able to do good.
At Temple Israel, we have a Kavod Society which many of you might not know about. Our synagogue is a self -sustaining institution that receives no financial support from anyone other than its own members. The Kavod Society was created to allow our congregants to further demonstrate their commitment to Temple Israel by voluntarily increasing their annual dues. It’s goal is to help individuals and additionally offset the costs of the essential work that we do. The Kavod Society also assists with the expenses of our operational costs.
There are various levels of Kavod membership that begin at the Bronze level, move to the Silver level, with the Gold level being the highest. If your family is already a Kavod member, please consider moving to a higher level of membership.
We want to make Temple membership possible to all who want to affiliate. This is a way that each of us can help to make this possible.
On Friday night, April 12, 2024 we will be honoring each of the Kavod members with a reception, thanking each of them for their generosity.
Feel free to contact Felicia or me if you are ready to say, “ Hineni, here I am, I am ready to support Kavod.”
It will be greatly appreciated!
Bryn Biren & Felicia Otto
Co-Presidents
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The Shabbat that we read the Torah portion, Beshalach, which contains the song the Israelites sang at the miraculous parting of the sea, (Exodus chapter 15) is called "Shabbat Shira" - the Sabbath of Song. On Friday January 26, our senior choir, accompanied by Elona Migirov at the organ, will once again celebrate Shabbat Shira. This year, we are focusing especially on a beautiful prayer from the Shabbat morning service that may not be familiar to many in the congregation. Originally a blessing for rain attributed in the Talmud (Berakhot 59b) to Rabbi Yochanan (2nd-3rd CE), "Ilu Finu" is an ecstatic, poetic expression of gratitude, with Rabbi Yochanan's words as the core:
Even if our mouths were full of song as the sea, and our tongues full of joy in countless waves...we could never thank You adequately.
The Senior Choir will sing a few of the many musical settings of "Ilu Finu." As the footnote below "Ilu Finu" on page 220 in Mishkan Tefilah reminds us, "Every praise could be music, the voice singing in harmony with the universe and its Creator!" Our dedicated choir members and I invite you to lift your voices with ours on the Sabbath of Song!
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SENIOR CHOIR
Sunday, January 21- 10:00 am
Rehearsal
Tuesday, January 23 - 7:00 pm
Rehearsal
Friday, January 26- 7:00 pm
Warm-up in library for
7:30 pm Shabbat Shira Service
JUNIOR CHOIR
Friday, January 5 -Warm -up -6:30 pm
for 7:00 Family Service
Sunday, January 21 -12 noon Rehearsal
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As the secular calendar comes to a close at the end of this month, we thank our congregants and friends of Temple Israel listed below who have fulfilled their High Holiday Pledges at the time of this e-bulletin publication.
With sincere gratitude and thanks to you all,
Bryn Biren and Felicia Otto on behalf of
The Board of Trustees of Temple Israel
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JANUARY 2024
TEVET-SHEVAT 5784
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MAZEL TOV TO:
ARLENE SORKIN for being honored at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Staten Island Chapter of of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
CONDOLENCES TO:
DENNIS GUTTSMAN & family on the loss of his sister,
Judy Guttsman.
GET WELL WISHES TO:
DENNIS GUTTSMAN recovering from COVID;
NINA ROHAN recovering from COVID;
PAMELA ROGOZIN hospitalized with diverticulitis;
SUE FREEDMAN rehospitalized;
ARNIE GROSSMAN fighting an infection.
THINKING OF YOU:
DR. RON AVIS, DR. ALICIA BASKIN, MAXINE COHEN, JOE GAMORAN, SILVIA GORNSTEIN.
WELCOME
New Members:
FANYA BALLOW & JORDAN PADILLA
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January 5, 2024
Robert May
Linda Schulman
Samuel Sheirr *
Louis Barnet *
William Garfunkel *
Marian Lee *
Telva Nison
Jerome Sommer
Bertha Dicker *
Olga Lieberman
Albert Melniker *
Norman Silverman *
Lydia Doris Weiss *
Phyllis Zimmerman
Jerome Birch
Michael Pisetzner
Rita Guttsman
David Morse *
Arlene Rich
Abraham Schwartz *
Maynard Selmon
Janet Aronson
Selma Blumin *
Larry Dumont
Samuel Shapiro *
And we remember from the Holocaust:
Rivkak-Leah Ejlenberg
Maria Merz
Jolan Jung
Jozsef Bauer
Agnes Schulmann
January 12, 2024
Meyer Axelrod *
Claire Biren
Tina Goldstone
David Aronson
Barnett Kadin *
Irving Schwimmer *
Benjamin Feitelson *
Edward Kitoff *
Herman Lippman
Nathan Nadel *
Dorothy Smith *
Lawrence Applebaum
Stanley Miller
Mord Reuben *
Sarah Tatt
Rose Dunn *
Julius Hyatt
Molly Rosenbaum
Amelia Schmeidler *
Harry Docteroff *
Solomon Horowitz *
Ruth Applebaum
Joseph Klauber *
And we remember from the Holocaust:
Franz Sinzger
Georges Damiens
Rochla Chomski
Lucjan Biernacki
Christobal Gil
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January 19, 2024
Alvin Myron Mulnick
Robert Koren
Sandy Slamow *
May G Stein *
Paula Brandt *
Daniel Lewin *
Florence Lustig *
Pamela Adler
Barry Lee
Joseph Stern *
Eileen Carlton *
Abraham Cohen *
Anna Dichter *
Minnie Wolff
Louis Wolinitz
Leo Bleiman
Marie Rosati Checchi
Joan Kass *
Rose Roth *
Nathan Sappin *
Edythe Kadin *
Mitchell R. Stein *
And we remember from the Holocaust:
Max Reichman
Friedel Kimmelman
Seren Hoenig
Henya Zaydman
Johann Freyburger
January 26 , 2024
Melvin Sher *
Jack Freedman
Bernice Hanibal
Henrietta Hershfield
Louis Kunofsky
Sam Lauter *
Sam Tannenbaum
Morris Taub *
Roy Dumont
Jerome Fishman
Abe Outman
Nettie Barnet *
Martha Dickar *
Beatrice Litkofsky *
Arthur Lomazow
Sophie Mulnick
Barbara Pisetzner
Joseph Pollak *
Ester Weis
Mary Wolodiger *
Hedy Schwartz *
And we remember from the Holocaust:
Ludwig Hofmann
Erna Leuchter
Johannes Lubbers
Feigel Davidowicz
Sidi Ritschker
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* These names are on our Memorial Wall.
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EREV SHABBAT SERVICES
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Friday, January 5
FAMILY SERVICE
Service at 7:00 p.m.
JUNIOR CHOIR SINGS
In Person and
via Live-Stream
(link to be sent via e-mail)
ONEG SPONSORED IN HONOR OF SHABBAT BY
THOSE CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES IN JANUARY AND BY THE FROYMOVICH-BROOKS FAMILY.
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Friday, January 12
Service at 7:30 p.m.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SHABBAT
Person and
via Live-Stream
(link to be sent via e-mail)
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Friday, January 19
TOT SHABBAT-5:30p.m.
Service at 7:30 p.m.
In Person and
via Live-Stream
(link to be sent via e-mail)
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Friday, January 26
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Service at 7:30 p.m.
SPECIAL
SABBATH OF SONG
ADULT CHOIR SINGS
In Person and
via Live-Stream
(link to be sent via e-mail)
ONEG SPONSORED IN HONOR OF SHABBAT SHIRA BY CANTOR BERNSTEIN, ELONA MIGIROV AND THE ADULT CHOIR
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SATURDAY MORNING
TORAH STUDY
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Torah Study
Saturdays at 10:00 a.m.
followed by
Services at 11a.m.
Via ZOOM
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DONATIONS MADE EASY! | |
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.
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DEDICATE A LEAF ON OUR
TREE OF LIFE
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Click on the image below. | |
MOST FLYERS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FOR PRINTING BY CLICKING DIRECTLY ON THE FLYER. | |
Dear Fellow Congregants,
We're excited to share some great news! Temple Israel is in the process of upgrading its membership system, offering our congregants the convenience of accessing their accounts online.
Once we’ve gone live, we encourage everyone to get online and update their account information, ensuring that all personal data is accurately captured. It's also a great opportunity to review account standings and ensure that any outstanding balances are satisfied. Even more exciting, this new site will offer an optional feature to settle membership commitments electronically!!
Keep in mind, we’re close to completion, but do not have a launch date just yet.
We're looking forward to rolling out this new feature soon and hope that everyone participates eagerly, as we strive to improve access for all facets of our Temple community.
Please feel free to contact me directly at: JPerezRabin@gmail.com should you have any questions, concerns, or comments.
Again, thank you for your on-going support of Temple Israel.
Jacqueline Rabinowitz
Financial Secretary
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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.
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At our December 1st Friday evening Family Service, we continued to remember the hostages with the chair on the Bimah marked with a blue sash. We thank Rabbi Howald, Cantor Bernstein, choir, and junior choir for their accompaniment and entertainment at the Hanukkah Pajamakah service on the evening of December 8, 2023, at which time the Rabbi consecrated our new members. Sisterhood, with Brotherhood's support, created a beautiful Hanukkah dinner filled with delicious food from Pamela Rogozin and Shariann Ganz and games and activites organized by Jodi Siegel. Many Sisterhood and Brotherhood members helped to create the successful and festive evening.
Our Religious School students put on a beautiful Hanukkah Assembly on December 10th. Our Ritual Committee member Chad Rachman took wonderful pictures, available on the web site and Facebook page. Chad is also, with the help of Nina Rohan and Barbara Fried, completing insertion of the bookplates for our dedicated Mishkan Tefillah.
We will be preparing for B’nai Mitzvah in the upcoming months. You will find the dates in the News and Notes for late January and February. Please mark your calendars so you can come to these events and support our hardworking students as they become young men and women.
We are also working with Rabbi to bring our congregants a T’u B’Shevat program on January 21, 2024. We will provide all information in the upcoming News & Notes.
Finally, we look forward to seeing you at Friday night Erev Shabbat Services, hopefully in person (but also available on stream) and at Saturday morning Torah Study and Shabbat Services which are on zoom. Our first Family Service of the year on January 5, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. will feature Riva Froymovich Brooks reading Torah. (Please see Felicia's message in the Religious School article.)
We continue to thank Jim Rohan for his musical leadership on those Friday nights Cantor Bernstein is not here and also Dr. Ken Pickover for his musical accompaniment on Saturday mornings when he is available.
Please look to your e-mails, messages, Temple Israel’s New and Notes, our Facebook Page and this E-Shalom for additional information as it becomes available.
In any and all ways you celebrate we again wish you Chag Sameach and a healthy and happy secular New Year.
Nina Rohan
Remy Smith
Co-Chairpersons
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USHERING & BIMAH
Thank you to the following congregants for their assistance with ushering during services as well as for honoring the Congregation with their presence on the Bimah in December:
Bryn Biren, Marnie Blit, Linda Brill, Deanna Feder, Genevieve Lopez, Beverly Mazer, Felicia Otto, Chad Rachman, Alina Shteynberg,, Judy Scher, Inez Singer (Bimah and Usher) and Remy Smith
Nina Rohan
Chair
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December started with a bang with Sisterhood’s very special Chanukah Pajamakah and New Member Dinner on Friday, December 8. There were fun and games for the children thanks to Jodi Siegel and Brotherhood. Families wore either their Chanukah pajamas or their favorite Chanukah apparel. We enjoyed tasty traditional holiday treats including roast chicken, brisket, and lots of latkes. A huge thank you to Shariann Ganz and Pamela Rogozin along with Blanche RIcci, Anita Zuckerberg, Susie Goldsten and others who helped set-up,cook and clean up. Angelica and Justin also helped. To make the evening even more complete, the children and adult choirs, led by Cantor Bernstein, performed for the congregation during the service. Rabbi Howald and Cantor Berstein did a humorous and engaging skit. A beautiful oneg, sponsored by the Otto, Sarfati and Sherer families, concluded a wonderful and festive evening. | |
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Sisterhood’s Annual Holiday Fair was held on Sunday, November 19. A huge thank you to Blanche Ricci and Deanna Feder who so skillfully headed this event as they have done for many years. Tables were filled with Chanukah menorahs, dreidels, storybooks, furry stuffed animals, Bryn Biren’s handmade jewelry, Chanukah candles, and an array of children’s Chanukah toys. Beverly Mazer and Inez Singer collected the money for the purchases, and Claire Guttsman and Nina Rohan were busy wrapping the gifts for those who needed it. A big thank you for all the others who manned tables, set up the night before and on the morning of the fair, and assisted in helpful ways. Those volunteers were Linda Hanibal, Salvatore Mazzola, Anita Zuckerberg, Bob Zuckerberg, Fern Barris, Shari Stein-Ballow, Larry Hanibal, Jodi Siegel, Alan Siegel, Debby Smith-Levine, Ronnie Schorrr, Libby Gershansky, Debbie Chernoff, Claire Guttsman, Shariann Ganz, Silvia Gornstein, Sam Gornstein, Cheryl Levine, Ronnie Schorr, Nina Rohan and Barbara Feigelman. Please excuse us if we neglected to list you.
Our December 17, Sisterhood had a General Meeting that was well-attended and awesome paid-up catered Membership Brunch. After our brief meeting, we had our Illuminarts program on legacy that was arranged by Shari Stein-Ballow. Thank you to Claire Guttsman and Sandy Feuerstein for organizing the paid-up brunch, to the volunteers who helped, and to Chad Rachman, Alex Lenner, and Russell Kaminsky for helping to set-up the tables.
We look forward to a very special performance (and fund-raiser) by DeborahZecher on January 20, 2024. Join us for an evening of Cakes, Cookies, (Egg) Creams and Carols featuring the music of Carole King, Carol Bayer Sager and Carolyn Leigh. Please be sure to make a reservation and bring friends for this entertaining and delicious evening.
We are very grateful to all our volunteers for assisting with Friday night onegs and welcome additional volunteers in the very near future.
Sisterhood thanks Susie Goldstein for the excellent lace repair that she made around the edge of our embroidered tablecloth that we use for our Friday night Kiddish.
We have an upcoming General Membership meeting on January 10 and an Executive Board meeting January 28. Please watch your e-mail.
Please save the date for our Sample(d) Sale on March 2 and a joint Sisterhood and Brotherhood Bingo night on March 16. Details will be available very soon.
Please continue to pray for peace and the release of the hostages in Gaza.
Pamela Carlton, Sue Freedman, Judy Lee, Anita Zuckerberg
Sisterhood Co-Presidents
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Brotherhood at Temple Israel continues….Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Congregants who participated in Brotherhood’s 2023 Chanukah Greeting Card. Once again, the cover art was generously provided by JD Lee and wonderfully depicted one of the holiday’s favorite activities, the preparation of latkes by family members. We are so grateful for JD’s talent and willingness to share it with us.
And, speaking of Hanukah, we were very pleased to support the annual “Hanukah Pajamakah” by providing games and giveaways for our youngest participants. A good time was had by all!
Looking ahead, Brotherhood will be assisting with the special presentation by Rabbi Deborah Zecher on January 20th, “Cakes, Cookies, (Egg)Creams, and Carols”. We look forward to seeing many of you at this Temple-wide event.
Please be reminded that in preparation for the Temple’s annual Yom HaShoah observance, Brotherhood will again be sponsoring the distribution of the yellow memorial candles to be lighted on Erev Yom HaShoah, Sunday, May 5th. We believe that this event takes on special significance in light of the events of October 7th, 2023. We hope that you will all support this initiative.
And, in closing, please remember that you still have the opportunity to renew or initiate your membership in Brotherhood. As you can see, with your support, we will be able to assist with ongoing activities here at Temple Israel.
With best wishes,
Bob Zuckerberg and Alan Siegel
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The religious school celebrated Hanukkah last month with our 1st annual Hanukkah Assembly Performances. Each class sang a Hanukkah song and put on Hanukkah skits. Our social hall was full with an audience of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends. All of the students did an amazing job performing and my Co-Chair, Brooke Lopez, wrote, directed and prepared all of the students. Shout out to Brooke for the amazing preparation! Our families cooked and brought in a delicious spread of latkes, fruit, jelly donuts and treats to enjoy together after the assembly.
We thank so many congregants who came out to Jimmy Max on November 30th for our dine in where the school raised over $460! We appreciate the support.
As we move into the second semester of school, we are looking forward to awarding many of the students who attended services in October-January with gift cards. Students who did not earn gift cards for attendance can get a jump start on a new Special Shining Shabbat Star Program at our January 5th Family service. We ask all students and families to come to Shabbat Services and have the opportunity to have the honor of coming up to the Bimah by wearing shabbat appropriate clothing. Slacks and button down shirts or dresses and skirts show Shabbat and our sanctuary the respect it deserves. All students who dress up for Shabbat on Friday, January 5th will receive a special gift.
Looking forward to seeing all families and students in their Shabbat best attire!
Sincerely,
Felicia
Felicia Otto
Religious School Committee Co-Chair
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Some photos from our Chanukah Assembly! | |
We are sorry if your name was inadvertently omitted. Please contact the Temple Office to update your membership information. | |
The Sisterhood of Temple Israel would like to help you celebrate birthdays and anniversaries for you and your family.
You can share the joy of Shabbat and your birthday and/or anniversary by helping to sponsor an Oneg Shabbat on the Friday evening when we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries for that month.
In addition to sponsoring the Oneg, the names of those celebrating appear in the Friday night program and celebrants are invited to the Bimah.
A contribution of $10 for birthdays and $18 for anniversaries is suggested to honor your special occasion and help the Temple at the same time.
Letters are sent out early in the month prior and payment would be appreciated before the first Friday of the month of the celebration.
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IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SPONSORING AN ONEG, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FLYER BELOW AT LEAST ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE OF THE DATE YOU ARE REQUESTING.
SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO SISTERHOOD VIA THE SISTERHOOD MAILBOX, OR GIVE IT DIRECTLY TO
SISTERHOOD CO-PRESIDENT JUDY LEE.
YOU WILL THEN BE CONTACTED BY A SISTERHOOD REPRESENTATIVE WHO WILL HAPPILY ASSIST YOU WITH ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS & DETAILS.
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Our Board Financial Secretary Jackie Rabinowitz joined our meeting this month to discuss a dues proposal presented by our members Barbara Fried and Judy Scher. We discussed the possibility of incorporating new age groups for singles 18 to 25 and 26- to 30-year-olds. We discussed options that might be feasible with Temple expenses. Also discussed was the feasibility of different options for senior membership. We will work with Jackie on possible options that would attract younger single people. We talked with Jackie about the young single professional group that was successful in the past an agreed that there had been interest in the community with this group. Jackie will work with our committee to investigate what we need to sustain the Temple. Once those numbers can be ascertained then we could look at the current fee schedule.
We also discussed reaching out to the students at college campuses to see if there would be interest in attending services or attending our Temple events. Including this group could open doors for increased membership and growth within the Temple.
We discussed what specific Membership programs would appeal to all groups at the Temple.
We also discussed the possibility of wearing name tags at services, even if they are just temporary paper tags. We felt that people would be more approachable with one another if they knew their names and that it would encourage increased communication with guests at Temple.
We also discussed that during meetings each month we will identify the people who we have not seen at Temple or people that have had no contact with members. We will create a list and reach out to those members.
Our next meeting will be on January 11th at 7:30 on zoom.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandy Mazzucco
Claire Guttsman
Co-Chairs
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Temple Israel was saddened this past month by the passing of Judy Guttsman, sister of Dennis Guttsman, after a long illness.
Our Congregation was invited to share in the service for Judy at the home of Dennis and Claire Guttsman in the beginning of December. May the family of Judy Guttsman find comfort in the rituals of our people and among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Thank you to all those who helped with the Shiva. Our Temple is stronger because we are there for each other in times of need.
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Pamela L. Rogozin
Caring Community Chair
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Temple Israel Sisterhood Judaica Shop
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EVERY HOLIDAY
EVERY LIFE CYCLE
EVERY SIMCHA
Just what you need and just what they want!
The only place on Staten Island for all your Jewish gifts.
Special Orders available.
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Some featured Judaica Shop items this month:
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Contact Blanche Ricci at branchtr.ricci@gmail.com
if you are interested in any Judaica Shop items.
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Bryn Biren
Terry Baver
Avis Foundation Trustees
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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.
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Welcome to 2024.
We have some plans for the next few months.
On March 3rd at 11am. you are welcome to bring all your children to learn how to bake Hamintashen! The same wonderful teacher who taught out children how to make challah will be doing the class for us.
And on March 10 at 2pm, our children who are 10 + are invited to come to the Museum of Jewish Heritage - a Living Memorial to the Holocaust. They will be doing a tour and program for our children, “The Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark”
On January 20th, join us for a concert by Rabbi Deborah Zecher. She will sing songs of Carole King, Carol Bayer Sager and Carolyn Lee. The cost of the tickets is $60 in advance and $65 at the door.
And on February 10, Felicia and Bryn have created a wonderful concert with Vinnie Medugno..a concert of 1960’s wonderful music with back-up singers and a band. This concert is free if you purchase the tickets before December 31st, and are a temple member!
We continue to hope you all attend the Family services which are usually the first Friday of every month. Of course, you can attend all the services with your children, but this one is very important for them to come to. They can also have a part speaking during the family service. Just remember to let Rabbi know that your children would like to participate.
If you are able to participate in any of our committees, please reach out to us and we will help you find the right committee for you! We always need our volunteer temple members to manage and create a wonderful Reform congregation.
Sincerely,
Bryn Biren and Terry Baver
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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!!!!
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BOOK DISCUSSIONS WILL BE HELD in FEBRUARY, APRIL, AND JUNE.
Thanks to Judy Lee for leading us through an amusing discussion of “The Matzah Ball”. By Jean Seltzer. Check News and Notes for the name of the next book.
The programs that follow will be happily presented as a joint effort of the Adult Learning Committee and the Avis Foundation.
Nilaja Troy, our wonderful office manager, will share some of what she has been studying, in a 3-part discussion of “Comparative Religion”. On Tuesday, December 19, our knowledge was widened by her program on “The Birth of Christianity”. Please continue to Learn-Tuesday, January 2, “Schism and Persecution”, Tuesday, January 9, ‘Where Are We Now?” Both programs begin at 7:30 PM on Zoom.
Scott Kalmikoff will return to us with some exciting programs, on January 16, 30, & February 6, discussing “The History of Israel, Zionism, and the present Conflict”.
And we are looking forward to a program on the evolution of Reform Judaism, given by Rabbi Howald.
Check News and Notes to find out when and where to RSVP if you wish to take part in these exciting programs.
Our expert Mark Meyer will be returning with some new views on the world of Art, in March.
A program on “JEWISH DIVERSITY” is under consideration, Would those of you in our congregation, or friends, 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!
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Judith Pessah
Adult Learning Committee Chairperson
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The FUNdrasing Committee would like you to be on the lookout for an exciting and creative off site event towards the end of February 2024.
A flyer will be going out soon.
Rhonda Trontz-Allen, Karen Frey-Gamoran, Lissa Winchel
Co-Chairs
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Contributions to Temple Israel as tributes, dedications or memorials are welcome and are published in the weekly Shabbat program.
Donations can be dedicated to the general Temple Israel Fund or to any of the following specific funds:
- Adult Education Fund
- Building Preservation Fund
- Caring Community Fund
- Carole Lachman Memorial Fund
- Choir Fund
- Confirmation Fund
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Estelle A. Gootenberg Memorial Fund (for Torah Repair/ Restoration)
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Gerald J. Lustig Memorial Fund (for Ark & Ark Doors)
- Liheyot Fund
- Membership Fund
- Prayerbook Fund
- Rabbi Marcus Kramer Memorial Library Fund
- Shoah Education Fund
- Scholarship Fund
- Rabbi Michael D. Howald Fund for Social Action and Tikkun Olam
A $5.00 minimum donation is requested for these funds. Checks for donations to any of these funds should be made payable to Temple Israel.
PRAYERBOOKS may be dedicated in honor or memory of a special person or occasion. For specific prayerbooks and donation amounts, look for the Prayerbook icons found in this bulletin
Please make checks for Donations to the RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND payable to that fund.
Donations in any amount may be made to SISTERHOOD OF TEMPLE ISRAEL or BROTHERHOOD OF TEMPLE ISRAEL with checks made payable directly to the affiliate organization.
For a leaf on the TREE OF LIFE in honor of a simcha, please scroll down.
For permanent MEMORIAL PLAQUES on our Family Memorial Wall or Original Memorial Wall, please call the Temple office at 718-727-2231.
To see list of all recent
Tributes and Program
Donations to Funds...
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CLICK ON THIS ICON TO TAKE YOU THERE!
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If you are not receiving this Bulletin via a direct e-mail and would like to, please contact us at TICOMMUNICATION@aol.com to be added to our mailing list. | | |
CONTACT INFORMATION
718-727-2231
tmplisrael@aol.com
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ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES |
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