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JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
April 18, 2025
20 Nisan 5785
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I hope that each of you had wonderful seders. Ours seders were intimate, meaningful, and fun.
The Seder ritual is old, very old. The Torah, itself, contains a proto-Seder meal (the paschal lamb, matzah, and marror), the first of which took place on the night before the Israelites left Egypt.
The Torah, additionally, gives instructions for how to celebrate Passover in several places. It also mentions either a question raised by a child, or the need to explain the story to a child. This need for children to ask questions or for parents to teach their children, naturally became a part of the Haggadah.
The traditional Haggadah has roots dating sometime before 400 CE and it was finalized sometime around 800 BCE. It is, however, pretty clear that much of what is formalized in the Haggadah had been occurring even before the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.
Imagine a child asking some form of the 4 questions around 400 BCE, or earlier. That is 2400 years ago and it is not the starting point. So, understand that the annual ritual that we sit down to perform is old. One would be hard-pressed to find a continuous religious ritual that has been going on as long as the Seder.(Indeed, many complain that our Seders are too long. J) Kol HaKavod to each of us for not breaking the string. (May our children and grandchildren continue it)
The Seder ritual has us performing a play in which we are enslaved by a powerful nation and redeemed by God. Though the story ends with the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery, the saga does not end there. It turns out that God redeemed our ancestors for a purpose. God’s intent, from the start, was to give the Jewish people the Torah and then to give them a homeland, Israel. The people and the land would be a light to the other nations.
“Redemption with a Purpose” is an important, if overlooked, theme of the Seder and the Passover holiday. What are we going to do with our redemption? Are we going to make the most of it, or are we going to waste it?
We are given a method with which to fully consider who we are and who we would like to be. Every evening, from the second night of Passover until Shavuot (49 days), we count the Omer. Many reasons are given for this ritual. I see it as a part of the “purposeful redemption” formula. Each evening, when we count, we put ourselves in a position to consider how we will put our redemption to good use.
It is 50 days from the beginning of Passover until Shavuot. The first holiday marks our redemption from slavery and the second holiday marks our receipt of the gift of Torah at Mount Sinai.
The question is posed as to why we did not receive the Torah as soon as we left Egypt. One answer is that our ancestors simply were not ready to receive it at that moment; they were, for all intents and purposes, still slaves, with slave mentalities. It was better to allow some separation from Egypt before bestowing a gift of such importance.
Waiting to put some time and distance between slavery and the receipt of Torah is a nice thought, but why count the Omer each day? Answering this question is a bit more challenging. One answer is that it forces us to check in with ourselves every day for at least the few minutes it takes us to say: “Today is the XX day in the counting of the Omer.” Thus, by force of the ritual, we can consider what kind of day it was and, perhaps, think about our hopes for the next day.
Another reason may be that to receive the whole Torah in one day would be too much stimulation. By counting for 49 days, we receive a little piece of the Torah each day that we count.
Please join us in counting every evening, just after Maariv services. Services start at 7:30 and we will be counting at about 7:45.
Shabbat Shalom and Moadim L’Simcha
Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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Saturday, April 19
Sunday, April 20 - Yiskor
All services begin at 9:00 AM
ON ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
PASSOVER SERVICES
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SHABBAT SHALOM
&
HAPPY PASSOVER
Candle Lighting Time
(Southern Ocean County)
Shabbat Eve
Friday, April 18, 2025
7:20 PM
Saturday. April 19, 2025
8:22 PM
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Friday
April 18, 2025
Services
7:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join Services
on Zoom
FRIDAY NIGHT
Saturday
April 19, 2025
Sunday,
April 20, 2025
9:00 AM
ON ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
SHABBAT
PESACH VII
TORAH READING
Exodus 13:17-15:26;
Numbers 28:19-25;
Song of Songs 1:1-8:14
Here are the Readings:
Torah I
Torah II
Megillah
On Passover, the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) is read from a scroll, known as a Megillah, on the Sabbath of Passover week. This tradition is one of the five Megillot (scrolls) read on various Jewish holidays. The Book of Esther, which is read during Purim,
Passover and Song of Solomon on the Sabbath of Passover week, Ruth on Shavuot, Lamentations on Tisha be-Av, and Ecclesiastes on the Sabbath of the week of Sukkoth.
HAFTORAH
II Samuel 22:1-51
Here is the Haftorah
Pesach VIII
Sunday, April 20, 2025
YISKOR
Here are the Readings:
Torah I
Torah II
Haftorah
Isaiah 10:32-12:6
Here is the Haftorah
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WEEKDAY SERVICES
Monday - Thursday
Ma'ariv Service
7:30 PM
Here is your invitation from Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
MA'ARIV
Monday - Friday
Shacharit Service
8:15 AM
Sunday at 9:00 AM
Here is your invitation from Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
SHACHARIT
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stu’s a-stu-te sayings…..
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shephard, I shall not want
God gives me repose in green meadows
And guides me over calm waters
God will revive my spirit and direct me on the right path
For that is God’s way
Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no harm, for You are at my side
Your staff and Your rod comfort me
You prepare a banquet for me in the presence of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows,
Surely goodness and kindness shall be my portion
All the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord, forever
One of the most lilting and stirring prayers is Psalm 23
Psalm 23 portrays God as a good shepherd, feeding (verse 1) and leading (verse 3) his herd. The "rod and staff" (verse 4) are also the implements of a shepherd - Some commentators see the shepherd imagery pervading the entire psalm - It is known that the shepherd is to know each sheep by name, thus when God is given the analogy of a shepherd, God is not only a protector but also the caretaker. God, as the caretaker, leads the sheep to green pastures (verse 2) and still waters (verse 2) because HaShem knows that each of God’s sheep must be personally led to be fed - Thus, without its shepherd, the sheep would die either by a predator (like the wolf) or of starvation, since sheep are known for their helplessness without their shepherd
Some congregations will chant Psalm 23 during the third Shabbat meal: Shalosh Seudah - It is also commonly recited in the presence of a deceased person, such as by those keeping watch over the body before burial, and at times, the funeral service itself
It has such a heart rendering and comforting conveyance, that it is traditionally sung at Yizkor.
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SUNDAY, April 20
NO PICKLEBALL
Pickleball 10 - 1
******
TUESDAY, April 22
Pickleball
10 - 1
******
WEDNESDAY, April 23
Canasta & Mah Jongg
11:00 AM - 1:45 PM
*******
THURSDAY, April 24
Torah Study
11:00 AM
Pickleball
10 - 1
FRIDAY, April 25
WAX Luncheon
12:00 Noon
at Kubel's
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Friday, April 25
WAX Luncheon
12:00 Noon
at Kubel's
Tuesday, April 29
Paint & Sip
10:00 AM
John Kendrick Series
Broadway - A Biography
8:30 PM
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Friday, May 2
JCC Family Dinner and Service
6:30 PM
Sunday, May 4
Afternoon Movie
2:00 PM
Wednesday, May 7
Singles, Widows and Widowers
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Friday, May 16
Candle Making Event at “Lavinia’s Haven”
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, May 20
John Kendrick Series
Screen to Stage
8:30 PM
Wednesday, May 21
WAX Book Club
4:00 PM
Friday, May 23
WAX Brunch – Venue TBD
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MAH JONGG & CANASTA
WEDNESDAYS
12:30 PM TO 4:00 PM
April 23, May 21, 28.
Play starts at 11am and ends at 1:45
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PICKLEBALL
Sundays, Tuesdays
and Thursdays
10 - 1
NO PICKLEBALL 4/20
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JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION
WEDNESDAYS AT 4:00 PM
NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING
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Wednesday, May 21st at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: TBA
The Woman with the Blue Star
By: Pam Jenoff
1942. Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents in the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous tunnels beneath the city. One day Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers.
Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother, who has developed close alliances with the occupying Germans. While on an errand in the market, she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street. Upon closer inspection, she realizes it’s a girl hiding. Ella begins to aid Sadie and the two become close, but as the dangers of the war worsen, their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds. Inspired by incredible true stories, The Woman with the Blue Star is an unforgettable testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive.
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LOOK FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
THESE OTHER SUMMER EVENTS
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July 17: Irvin Moreno Rodriquez, Director Stockton Holocaust Resource Center 7pm
July 30: JCC Summer Bazaar with Susan Shapiro hosting a Book Signing
August 21: Tour of Harvey Cedars Bible Center (HCBC) – 10am
BEACH SERVICES
June 13 – Beach Services at Loveladies 6pm
June 20: Beach Services at Spray Beach 6 pm
June 27: Beach Services at Loveladies 6pm
July 11: Beach Services at Spray Beach 6pm
July 18: Beach Services at Loveladies at 6pm
July 25: Beach Services at Spray Beach at 6pm
August 8: Beach Services at Loveladies
August 15: Beach Services at Loveladies
August 22: Beach Services at Spray Beach
August 29: Beach Services at Spray Beach
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The JCC section at Crescent Memorial Park is available for sales. Please contact Bonni Rubin-Sugarman at 609-417-7148.
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We are very excited to add to the WAX Gift Shop items from local merchants and artisans. Stop in to look and buy one (or more) of these beautiful pieces for your home, as a gift or just for yourself. Here is a sample one of our new products. The gift shop is open during office hours M-F 10 - 2.
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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:
Jacob Britz*
Kathryn Hadley*
Arnold King Brenman, MD
Fanny Dickman
Joseph Horowitz
David Rosenbloom*
Samuel Troum*
Joseph Callet*
Sylvia Evans
Deborah Gottlieb
Anita McMillan
Richard Saivetz*
Carole Nunberg Britchkow
Geraldine Isanuk
Barbara Sher*
Marian Selsky*
Sydell Sussman
Ben Weisberger
Barbara Greenberg
Raleigh Liebenberg
Bill Sisenwine
Kurt Albu
Dora Haber
Raphael Haber
Anna Schwartz
David Weinstein
We encourage you to join us on the day of your loved one’s yahrzeit. In the morning, the service is about ½ hour beginning at 8:15 and in the evening at 7:30 until about 7:45.Rabbi will be glad to say the traditional El Malei Rachamim prayer for you, which is recited during the funeral.
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Ellen Jay
April 19
Lisa K. Marinelli
April 19
Michael Babst
April 20
Frank Brancati
April 20
Naomi Koller Fishman
April 20
Alison Friedman
April 20
Ellen Oxfeld
April 21
Susan L. Beekman
April 22
Marilyn Kaufman
April 22
Jacob Pleeter
April 22
Jennifer Millner
April 23
Ruth Miller
April 24
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Bonni Rubin-Sugarman
recovering after hip surgery
| Harris Weisel celebrated the 69th anniversary of his bar mitzvah last Shabbat. | | | |
SHARE YOUR NEWS
AND PICTURES
CONTACT:
rvalen1963@aol.com
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CARING COMMITTEE
This committee acts as a support system for congregation members facing illness and other personal situations that need to be addressed.
Please contact Chairperson,
Debby Schweighardt
if you are in need of assistance or if you know of a JCC member that needs our help.
973-634-5349
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The Ocean County Library is honored to present “Courage to Remember,” a traveling exhibit of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, at three branches during the month of April:
- Barnegat Branch – 112 Burr Street, (609) 698-3331
- Lacey Branch – 10 East Lacey Road, Forked River, (609) 693-8566
- Waretown Branch – 112 Main Street, (609) 693-5133
Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place from sundown Wednesday, April 23 through sundown Thursday, April 24. “Courage to Remember” consists of 40 panels in three sections that visually describe the Holocaust experience from 1933 through 1945.
The images capture the brutality of persecution and genocide, the danger of complacency and the urgency of memory. Characterized as a tribute and a warning, it has been seen by millions on six continents and continues to travel internationally.
One section will be displayed in each of the three participating OCL branches throughout April. The Lacey Branch exhibit will encompass 1933-39; Waretown Branch, 1939-41; Barnegat Branch, 1941-45. The panels will be on view at all three branches on Friday, April 11.
The California-based Simon Wiesenthal Center confronts global antisemitism, prejudice and intolerance through nine branches in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Jerusalem and Brazil. It is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization at the United Nations, UNESCO, Organization of American States, Latin American Parliament and Council of Europe.
“Courage to Remember” is free and open to the public during normal operating branch hours. For more information, stop by or call the participating branch of your choice or call (732) 349-6200. See the full schedule of Library programs in the online Calendar of Events.
The exhibit is sponsored by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, Ocean County Library, Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, New Jersey Historic Commission, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Ocean County Jewish Federation, Beth Medrash Govoha, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Ocean County Prosecutor-Human Relations Commission, Ocean County College Center for Holocaust Genocide and Human Right Education, Ocean County Sheriff, and Ocean County Superintendent of Schools.
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YOU CAN NOW FILL OUT A GIVING FORM AND PAY ON LINE IN ONE SIMPLE PROCESS.
Go to jccoflbi.org - Giving/Pay
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GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
PAVERS
Inscribe a paver at the front entrance to the building
8" X 4", 8" X 8" and 12" X 12"
SEE UPDATED ORDER FORM:
PAVER FORM
Become a permanent part of the JCC landscape.
Purchase a personalized paving stone
in honor of your family or in memory of a loved one.
Please contact Diane Hoffman
with your order or with any questions:
dihoff1@aol.com
PRAYER BOOKS
There are still High Holiday Prayer Books and Chumashim available to be purchased in memory or honor of someone or something. The cost of a Prayer Book is $72 each and $120 for an Eitz Hayim Chumash. The donation includes an affirmation sticker in the book and an acknowledgement letter or letters.
See Order form here: Prayer Book
TRIBUTES
SEND ONE OF OUR TRIBUTES IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF
See order form here: TRIBUTES
TREE OF LIFE
Add a leaf (leaves) to our beautiful Tree of Life located in the Social Hall. See the order form here: TREE OF LIFE
Bronze Leaf $90
Silver Leaf $126
Gold :Leaf $180
ENDOWMENT FUND
Herb and Selma z”l Shapiro established the first individual Endowment Fund in memory of his father, as part of the JCC’s Endowment Fund portfolio.
Since then, three additional individual Endowment Funds have been established. Other members are encouraged to also provide for the future of our JCC by establishing similar funds. Please consider adding to this number.
A donation of at least $50,000 to the endowment fund will allow the donor to name one of the funds as the donor wishes. All such named funds will be joined together to be part of the Endowment Fund portfolio.
Endowment funds are necessary to ensure the continuation and well being of our congregation. All members are encouraged to help this important effort by contributing to this portfolio, whether as a specific named individual fund, or as a general donation. The donation can be spread over one, two, or three years, and can be paid via check, donation of appreciated stock, wills, or from the RMD of your IRA or 401K account. Your gift to the fund can be sent to the JCC Office. Please mark your check accordingly.
YAHRZEIT PLAQUES
Space is available for memorial plaques on the yahrzeit boards in the Sanctuary.
Here is the order form:
YAHRZEIT
KOL HAKAVOD
Please consider being a part of this campaign to supplement the clergy needs of our congregation. This is a separate, voluntary commitment and is additional to our low annual dues obligation. HERE IS THE LINK TO BRING UP THE DONATION FORM KOL HAKAVOD
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2025 MEMBERSHIP FORMS
Your support is so important to the continued success of the JCC.
Here is form for renewal:
RENEW NOW
And if you have been reading our Shabbat Reminder and other communications and have not yet joined our congregation, here is the new member form:
JOIN NOW
BE A PART OF THE WOMEN'S AUXILLARY
2025 DUES FORM HERE
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JCC FUNDS
Your gift to the JCC supports our Clergy, our Congregation and the Community.
ENDOWMENT FUND
This fund was established to assure the continuity of our JCC, and our ability to continue providing a full-service congregation to serve the Jewish people of the area. While a donation of any amount is encouraged, a donation of at least $50,000 allows the donor to name a special or specific Endowment Fund in memory or honor of a specific person event, or family.
GENERAL FUND
Donations to this fund are not earmarked but placed in the general administrative account. Donations to this fund can be in honor or memory of a person, event, or family.
KOL HAKAVOD FUND
Donations to this campaign supplement the clergy needs of our congregation.
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
This fund, managed by the rabbi, allows donors to enable the rabbi to do the work of tzedakah in response to the needs of individuals, organizations and the community.
ZENA & JERRY JAY KIDDISH FUND
The Zena and Jerry Jay Kiddush Fund was established in memory of Rabbi Jay's parents to help provide funds for our Saturday morning kiddushes.
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JCC LEADERSHIP
OFFICERS
President- Phil Rosenzweig
1ST Vice President-Sherry Fruchterman
2ND Vice President-Diane Hoffman
3RD Vice President- Jon Geier
Treasurer- Stu Cofsky
Secretary- Cliff Denker
Immediate Past President -Michael Babst
BOARD MEMBERS
Howard Babbitt
Diane Buskirk
Lorna Klein
Paul Levine
Ken Podos
Sondi Pripstein
Terri Robinovitz
Bonni Rubin-Sugarman
Rose Valentine
Ken Yudman
WOMEN'S AUXILIARY
President - Diane Buskirk
Co-Vice President - Noralyn Carroll
Co-Vice President - Jill Denker
Treasurer - Suzy Geier
Secretary - Joanne Babbitt
Immediate Past President - Irene Babst
Representative to the Board - Sondi Pripstein
Rabbi Michael S. Jay, Spiritual Leader
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