Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island E-Letter
January 14, 2022
12 Shevet 5782
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A TORAH MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
Before the actual splitting of the Red Sea, the Israelites are camped on its shores when they see the Egyptians giving chase on 600 chariots. Caught between the Egyptian army and the huge body of water, the Israelites scream at Moses, chastise him, and blame him for their impending doom. Moses in turn cries out in prayer to God. God’s answer is literally: “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to move forward…” In other words, God is saying: “Don’t just stand there waiting for me to do something, take action. Do something for yourselves”. There is a great lesson here. There are times for praying, and times for action. Obviously, as a Rabbi, I am of the opinion that prayer is a helpful, useful, and necessary part of our lives. That said, there are times (like when an army is bearing down on you) that prayer should be delayed until a later time and people need to take action.
This week, on Sunday night and Monday, we observe the holiday of Tu B’Shevat. This is the Jewish holiday celebrating the birthday of the trees. As such, Tu B'shevat is viewed as an appropriate occasion to educate people about our tradition’s advocacy of responsible stewardship of God’s creation, manifested in ecological activism. Tu B'shevat is an opportunity to raise awareness about, and to care for, the environment through the teaching of Jewish sources celebrating nature. It is also a day to act on the environmental sensitivity of the Jewish tradition by planting trees wherever Jews may live, or to donate to organizations, such as the Jewish National Fund, which devote much time and energy to re-foresting Israel.
It is only fitting that Monday is not only Tu B’Shevat, but Martin Luther King Day as well. Just as Tu B’Shevat teaches us that we have a responsibility to repair the world, MLK sought to make the world a better place by seeking to rid it of hatred and bigotry. Reverend King preached peaceful protest and publicly prayed for equality for all men and women, regardless of race, skin color, or religion. But, he also saw to it that action was taken. Just as God told Moses to tell the Israelites to move forward on their own, Martin Luther King, Jr. helped to coordinate protest marches and rallies in order to push forward God’s desire for equality.
It was after the 1965 march in Alabama, from Selma to Montgomery, after locking arms with Martin Luther King, Jr., that Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously said: “I felt my feet were praying.” Just as the Israelites had moved to cross the Red Sea toward redemption, MLK moved the African American community (and all of America) toward a redemption of their own. Prayer can take many forms. During the peace marches of the civil rights movement it was Prayer in motion.
Pray, but don’t permit prayer be a substitute for taking action. Enjoy nature, but take time to make sure it is healthy for future generations.
Shabbat Shalom, Chag Tu B’Shevat Sameach, and Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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Tu B’shevat
Tu B’shevat gets its name from the date on which the holiday occurs, the 15th of the month of Shevat. A minor Jewish holiday, it is often referred to as the new year (or “birthday”) of the trees. The holiday originated in the Talmud, and was based on the date chosen for calculating the agricultural cycle of taking tithes from the produce of the trees, which were brought as first-fruit offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem.
The holiday of Tu B’shevat fell out of practice after the destruction of the Second Temple, but was revived by kabbalists in the Middle Ages. They instituted the practice of the Tu B’shevat seder, a meal that partly mirrors the Passover seder and involves eating biblical foods native to the Holy Land and drinking four cups of wine.
Tu B’shevat has developed into an ecological holiday that reminds Jews of our connection to the earth and to our role as caretakers of the environment. Some modern practices include donating money to plant trees in Israel or planting trees locally. The kabbalistic Tu B’shevat seder has also been reclaimed.
As part of the Tu B’shevat seder it is customary to eat from shiv’at ha’minim (seven species endemic to the Land of Israel): wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, dates. Beyond that, there are many possible variations for preparing a Tu B’shevat meal, usually incorporating dried fruit and nuts, and one can be creative in deciding how to plan the menu.
from https://toriavey.com/what-is-tu-bshevat/
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SHABBAT SHALOM
Shabbat Shirah ("Sabbath [of] song" שבת שירה) is the name given to the Shabbat that includes Parsha Beshalach. The Torah reading of the week contains the Song of the sea (Exodus 15:1–18). This was the song by the Children of Israel after the Passage of the Red Sea.
Candle lighting Time
Friday evening,
January 14, 2022
4:37 PM
So. Ocean County
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JOIN US FOR
SERVICES
Friday evening
Jauary 14, 2022
6:00 PM
ZOOM ONLY
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Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to Join
Zoom Services
&
Dinner
Saturday morning
January 15, 2022
Services
9:00 AM
ZOOM ONLY
SHABBAT SERVICES WILL CONTINUE ON ZOOM
FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to Join
Zoom Services
Torah Reading:
Parashat Beshalach
Exodus 13:17-17:16
Here is the Reading
In this parashah, Pharaoh changes his mind and chases after the Israelite people with his army, trapping them at the Sea of Reeds. God commands Moses to split the sea, allowing them to pass, then closes the sea back upon the Egyptian army. There are the miracles of manna and clean water. The nation of Amalek attacks and the Israelite people are victorious.
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Haftorah
Judges 4:4-5:31
Here is the Haftorah
Saturday evening
5:30 PM
Havdallah
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to
Join Zoom Services
Sunday - Thursday
Ma'ariv Service
7:30 PM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to
Join Zoom Services:
Monday- Friday
Shacharit Service
8:15 AM
Sunday at 9:00 AM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to
Join Zoom Services:
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THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY 1/16
10:00 AM
CHILDREN'S TU B'SHVAT PROGRAM
MONDAY 1/17
10:00 AM
Hartman Institute Seminar
"Foundations for a Thoughtful Judaism"
with Rabbi Jay
TUESDAY 1/18
NO
Open Mah jongg/Canasta
WEDNESDAY 1/19
4:00 PM
WAX Book Discussion
following Ma'ariv
7:45 PM
Studying the weekly portions
with Rabbi Jay based on the book
"Judaism’s Life-Changing Ideas"
by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
THURSDAY 1/20
11:00 AM Torah Study with the Rabbi
2:00 PM Beginning Hebrew with Ira
following Ma'ariv
7:45
Discussion of the film "The Chosen"
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Sunday, 1/16 CHILDREN'S TU B'SHVAT PROGRAM
10:00 AM
Thursday, 1/20 "THE CHOSEN"
7:45 PM
Wednesday, 1/26 WAX BOOK DISCUSSION
4:00 PM
Sunday, 1/30 LANIE KAZAN CONCERT
8:00 PM
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Tu B'shvat is
Jewish Arbor Day
children ages 3-7
come and celebrate
ecology, trees and fruits of Israel
Zoom
SUNDAY JANUARY 16,2022
10a.m.
fun crafts, stories, songs and games
sponsored by :
PJ Library
The Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey
Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth
JCC of LBI
for reservations contact: jccoflbi@gmail.com
after registration you will receive the zoom link and list of materials to have on hand
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MOVIE NITE - Thursday evening January 20th
40th Anniversary of the film "The Chosen"
Watch the film on your own and join us for discussion after Ma'ariv at 7:45.
In this provocative drama based on Chaim Potok’s bestselling novel, frictions over tradition and modernity test the vexed friendship of two Jewish teens from different religious factions in 1940s Williamsburg. Reuven (Barry Miller) is the son of a worldly progressive scholar; Danny (Robby Benson) is the son of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi (iconic Oscar-winning actors Maximilian Schell and Rod Steiger play the fathers). Though ideologically split, the boys bond around their love of stickball, until a rift over the creation of a Jewish homeland prompts painful choices and a search for one’s own destiny. Director Jeremy Kagan crafts a nuanced, authentic portrayal of Hasidic life and post-WWII turmoil within American Jewry.
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Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island is pleased to present
Lainie Kazan
Up Close and Personal
Sunday, January 30, 2022
8:00 PM EST - Zoom
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JCC WOMENS AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION
WEDNESDAYS AT 4:00 PM
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Discussion Leader: Arlene Schragger
"The Last Kings of Shanghai" by Jonathan Kaufman
An epic, multigenerational story of two rival dynasties who flourished in Shanghai and Hong Kong as twentieth-century China surged into the modern era, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
The Sassoons and the Kadoories stood astride Chinese business and politics for more than one hundred seventy-five years, profiting from the Opium Wars; surviving Japanese occupation; courting Chiang Kai-shek; and nearly losing everything as the Communists swept into power. Jonathan Kaufman tells the remarkable history of how these families ignited an economic boom and opened China to the world, but remained blind to the country's deep inequality and to the political turmoil on their doorsteps. In a story stretching from Baghdad to Hong Kong to Shanghai to London, Kaufman enters the lives and minds of these ambitious men and women to forge a tale of opium smuggling, family rivalry, political intrigue, and survival.
Future books
"Jerusalem Maiden" by Talia Carner
Wednesday, March 23rd at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: Rose Valentine
"The Forest of Vanishing Stars" by Kristin Harmel
Wednesday, April 27th at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: Nora Hochman
"Hotel Moscow" by Talia Carner
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Also in stock - Mezuzah Scrolls |
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Richard Gilbert
Hyman Goldstein
Raya Koller
Linda Zelin
Barnet Bookman*
Marvin Hammer
Benjamin Reiser*
Dave Tarlow
Charles Bloom
Jacob Konner
Lucy Lief
Rabbi Pinchos Chazin
Robert Greenbaum
George Patmas
Estelle Stokes
Irvin Cohen
Julius Marmon
Rose Glickman*
Nathan Israel Printz*
Sam Zavelson
In this Zoom era, we have been able to have a daily minyan at 8:15 AM and at 7:30 PM and on Shabbat. 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, going up to the grave of the departed, Yizkor remembrance day and other occasions on which the memory of the dead is recalled. You are also welcome to share with the minyan some special memories of your loved one.
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Norman Barham
January 15
Ken Foreman
January 15
Jean Spitzer
January 15
Don Abramson
January 16
Justin Brasch
January 16
Marjorie Fagan
January 16
Lori Israelite
January 16
James Levey
January 16
H. Morton Scott
January 17
Elyse Tepper
January 17
Audrey Wisotsky
January 18
Helyn Benjamin
January 19
Sherry Fruchterman
January 19
Stacey Garb
January 19
Steven Kelsen
January 19
Rona Stein
January 20
Norman Chevlin
January 21
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Richard Schey & Vicki Baty
January 19th
36th Anniversary
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from your E-letter Editor, Rose Valentine
For some reason I have been greatly affected by the recent passing of Bob Saget, that nice Jewish boy from Philly. Perhaps it's the cold winter or that I have been home with a positive COVID test for a while. Who knows? It was not his talent or TV fame that drew me in. It was who he was and how he was remembered as a human being....loving to all around him but boy could he tell a rauncy joke with the best of them. Would love to remembered that way!!!!
Here is a video of his friends singer, John Mayer, and comedian, Jeff Ross, (from Springfield NJ) as they remember Bob Saget. They picked up his Prius in the LA airport where he had left it to travel to Florida for a gig and here is the conversation below. If you are uncomfortable with foul language, be fair warned.
May his memory by a blessing.
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SHARE YOUR NEWS
AND PICTURES
CONTACT:
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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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:
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:
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.
TRIBUTES
SEND ONE OF OUR TRIBUTES IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF
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:
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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2022 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Membership renewal letters were sent out last week. Your support is so important to the continued success of the JCC.
Here is form for renewal:
And if you have been reading our Shabbat Reminder and other communicatios and have not yet joined our congregation, here the a new member form:
To pay on line
Fill in your information and then
go to Donation Details - then
Other and type in 2022 Membership
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JCC FUNDS
Your gift to the JCC support 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 INFORMATION
THE JCC OF LBI IS LOCATED AT
2411 Long Beach Boulevard (24th Street)
Spray Beach, NJ 08008
Telephone: 609-492-4090 FAX: 609-492-7550
THE OFFICE IS OPEN TUESDAY AD THURSDAYS
FROM 10 - 2
CONTINUE TO USE THE PHONE OR EMAIL WITH REQUESTS.
OUR OFFICE STAFF WILL BE CHECKING IN REGULARLY.
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Staff:
Leslie Dinkfelt, Office Manager
Mary Beth Krieger, Staff Member
Kitchen Manager: Susan Berube
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LATEST
BULLETIN:
PRAYER BOOK:
WEB SITE:
PAVERS:
TREE OF LIFE
YAHRZEIT PLAQUE FORM:
KOL HAKAVOD DONATION FORM
KOL HAKAVOD
TRIBUTES:
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Rabbi Michael S. Jay
Michael Babst, President
E-mail Editor: Rose Valentine
Graphics by
Irene Babst
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