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JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
January 2, 2026
13 Tevet 5786
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From the Heart....
Here I am again with the unique opportunity to fill in for Rabbi Jay while he vacations with his family.
In this week's Torah Portion, Jacob bestows blessings on his descendants before he dies. He calls in each of his sons and says, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come." I am not sure that all of his words were kind; for some he highlighted their strengths but for others he recounted their failings.
As a special reward to Joseph, who remained righteous throughout his ordeal of exile, he calls forward Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, and gives them a special blessing.
We have the opportunity each Friday night to follow the tradition of blessing our sons: "May G‑d make you like Ephraim and Menasseh."
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Jacob continues to play favorites and there is no mention of a blessing for his daughter Dinah. However, there is a midrash that Jacob asked Judah to bring Dinah to him and he gives her this blessing:
"Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah,
You are my heart and the strength of my spirit.
You are the piece of me that wrestled with angels
And that survived when assailed by challenges.
You, who have been denied what you are due by your father for so long,
Have offered a broken man kindness and mercy.
You are strength and love.
You are the best of your parents and so much more than we could ever be.
Our people will learn from your endurance.
I bless you and ask God, who has accompanied me, to walk with you all the days of your life."
We can bless our daughters each Friday night along side of our sons with this blessing: "May G‑d make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah."
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Rabbi Shimon, an early sage, notes that many righteous figures, before their deaths, give their children a similar message, offering food for thought about the role of ethical wills and the teachings transmitted from one generation to the next.
Last November, Rabbi Jay gave a talk on Ethical Wills. An ethical will is a non-legal document that passes down personal values, life lessons, family history, and beliefs, rather than financial assets, to loved ones, acting as a heartfelt "love letter" to guide future generations and preserve wisdom that might otherwise be lost.
I have wanted to leave my children and grandchildren my Ethical Will but just can not get started. I found this beautiful template I plan on using to fullfil this wish. Click here to view and to download. I am going to fill it out in my handwriting which I want them to recognize. This will be my New Year's resolution.
Wishing all of you a Happy 2026.
Rose Valentine
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Candle Lighting Time
(Southern Ocean County)
Shabbat Eve
Friday, January 2, 2026
4:28 PM
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Friday
January 2, 2026
7:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
WITH
RABBI RICHARD HAMMERMAN
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join Services
on Zoom
FRIDAY NIGHT
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Saturday
January 3, 2026
9:00 AM
ON ZOOM ONLY
WITH
RABBI RICHARD HAMMERMAN
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
SATURDAY MORNING
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TORAH READING
Parashat Vayechi
Genesis 47:28-50:26
Vayechi (“He Lived”) is the final Torah portion in the Book of Genesis. It opens as Jacob prepares for his death, making his son Joseph swear to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah. Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons and his own 12 sons and then dies. Jacob’s sons bury him. The portion ends with Joseph’s death.
Here is the Portion
HAFTORAH
I Kings 2:1-12
Just as this week’s Torah portion recalls a patriarch sharing his deathbed wishes with his descendants, so does the accompanying haftarah. In this passage, King David delivers his last wishes to his son Solomon, and upon his father’s passing, Solomon assumes the throne.
Here is the Haftorah
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TORAH QUESTION
Parashat Vayechi concludes the book of Genesis. Considering the book’s overall narrative and the experiences of its key figures, what lessons can we draw and apply to our own journeys of faith and family?
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WEEKDAY SERVICES
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
| Rabbi Jay will be in his office at the JCC after services on Saturdays. The Rabbi is also available at any time or place to schedule in-person, or virtual meetings at your convenience. The Rabbi can be reached by call/text 973-865-9534 or email at Mjayrabrab@gmail.com | | | |
SUNDAY, January 4
Pickleball
10 AM - 1 PM
******
TUESDAY, January 6
Pickleball
10 AM - 1 PM
WAX Brunch
11:00 AM
*****
WEDNESDAY, January 7
Mah jongg & Canasta
12:30 PM
THURSDAY, January 8
Pickleball
10 AM - 1 PM
Torah Study
11:00 AM
FRIDAY, January 9
Studying the Prophets
Following morning minyan
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Tuesday, January 6
WAX Brunch: LBI Table
11:00 AM
Thursday, January 15
Dr. Tull “Everything you want to know about Medicinal Cannabis”
7:45 PM after services
Friday, January 16
Shabbat Family Dinner
6:30 PM
Wednesday, January 21
Book Club
4:00 PM
Saturday, January 24
Cholentfest after services
Sunday, January 25
PJP “Purim in the Works of European Artists”
1:00 PM
Friday, January 30
Special WAX Shabbat Program
7:30 PM
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PICKLEBALL
Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
10 - 1
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MAH JONGG & CANASTA
WEDNESDAYS
12:30 PM TO 4:00 PM
| | | WAX BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP | | |
Wednesday, January 21st at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: Debby Schweighardt
How to Lose your Mother: A daughter’s Memoir
By Molly Jong-Fast
Molly Jong-Fast is the only child of a famous woman, writer Erica Jong, whose sensational book Fear of Flying launched her into second-wave feminist stardom. She grew up yearning for a connection with her dreamy, glamorous, just out of reach mother, who always seemed to be heading somewhere that wasn’t with Molly. When, in 2023, Erica was diagnosed with dementia just as Molly’s husband discovered he had a rare cancer, Jong-Fast was catapulted into a transformative year.
How to Lose Your Mother is a compulsively readable memoir about an intense mother–daughter relationship, a sometimes chaotic upbringing with a fame-hungry parent, and the upheavals that challenge our hard-won adulthood. A pitch-perfect balance of acceptance and rage, humor and heart, How to Lose Your Mother tells a universal story of loss alongside a singular story of a literary life. This is a memoir that will stand alongside the classics of the genre.
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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.
The gift shop is open during office hours M-F 10 - 2.
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CALL PAUL LEVINE WITH ANY QUESTIONS
484-802-0586
SEE ORDER FORM BELOW
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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:
Morrie Baker
Bonnie Joy Farin*
Harold Farin
Sidney Gottlieb
Martin Kader
Solomon N. Rosenstein
Gil Ross
Jacob Weill*
Frances Berson
Lise Polishook
Ethel Rosenberg
Sam Rosenberg
Esther Sheparde
Irving Chakrin
Florence Cohen Galer
Susan Levy
Herb Morton
Ruth Moss
Phyllis Tanenbaum
Murray Weiner
David Weinzimmer
Dora Chazin*
Samuel Cweibel*
Mildred Epstein
Stephen Epstein*
Sydney R. Racusin*
Paul Sidel
Ruth Albu
Richard Aronson
Sidney Bitton
Ruth Grossman
Julius Rapaport*
Janet Runko
Sophie Silver*
Florence Strikowsky
Walter Blumberg
Rose Gerstenblatt
Evelyn Davis Kolsby*
Andrea Lander
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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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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Robin Grossman
January 3
Gary Morgenstern
January 3
Eileen Powitz
January 3
Max Scheer
January 3
Joel Rosenberg
January 4
Charles Schleifer
January 4
Howard Treatman
January 5
Scott Ranani
January 7
Diane Buskirk
January 9
Harvey Ritter
January 9
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Paul & Renie Carniol
January 3
50th Anniversary
Robert & Lynn Levitt
January 5
62nd Anniversary
Stephen & Helene Scharf
January 5
51st Anniversary
Steven & Shelley Harris
January 7
36th Anniversary
| Vera & Bernard Hershenberger | Sherry & Howard Fruchterman |
SHARE YOUR NEWS
AND PICTURES
CONTACT:
rvalen1963@aol.co
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As we welcome 2026, this piece of prose may be just what we need
TODAY
Read each line and then follow the instructions of the last line
TODAY WAS THE ABSOLUTE WORST DAY EVER
AND DON’T TRY TO CONVINCE ME THAT
THERE’S SOMETHING GOOD IN EVERY DAY
BECAUSE, WHEN YOU TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
THIS WORLD IS A PRETTY EVIL PLACE
EVEN IF
SOME GOODNESS DOES SHINE THROUGH ONCE IN A WHILE
SATISFACTION AND HAPPINESS DON’T LAST
AND IT’S NOT TRUE THAT
IT’S ALL IN THE MIND AND HEART
BECAUSE
TRUE HAPPINESS CAN BE OBTAINED
ONLY IF ONE’S SURROUNDINGS ARE GOOD
IT’S NOT TRUE THAT GOOD EXISTS
I’M SURE YOU CAN AGREE THAT
THE REALITY
CREATES
MY ATTITUDE
IT’S ALL BEYOND MY CONTROL
AND YOU’LL NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS HEAR ME SAY THAT
TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY
Now read this same writing from the bottom line up
Happy & Healthy 2026 from Stu W Lehrer
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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
Scroll down to see the new Ner Tamid Fund
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.
NER TAMID FUND
The Ner Tamid Fund was established in 2025 as part of the JCC’s 75th Anniversary Celebration. Its purpose is to fund necessary maintenance or improvement of our beautiful JCC building as well as the Parsonage. To ensure that the JCC remains an Eternal Light for the Jewish Community on and off the island and in Southern Ocean County generally, please consider making a separate donation to the Ner Tamid Fund, or allocating a small portion of your High Holiday donation to that fund.
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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
Ken Podos
Sondi Pripstein
Terri Robinovitz
David Shatz
Bonni Rubin-Sugarman
Rose Valentine
Ken Yudman
WOMEN'S AUXILIARY
President - Diane Buskirk
Treasurer - Suzy Geier
Secretary - Joanne Babbitt
Lorna Klein
Joyce Levine
Representative to the Board - Sondi Pripstein
Immediate Past President - Irene Babst
Rabbi Michael S. Jay, Spiritual Leader
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