Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island E-Letter
November 12, 2021
8 Kislev 5782
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Veterans Day Prayer
Rabbi Dr. Laurence Milder
Compassionate God, Source of Mercy, we pay tribute to those who have served our country, to express our gratitude for their courage and selflessness, both those among us today and those of generations past. This nation, built by those born of this soil and those who have come here from all the corners of the earth, is on a continual journey toward its destiny. May we never let down those who have served in defense of this country. May we uphold the values of freedom, of the inherent dignity of every human being, by our own right conduct, by the kindness and tolerance we show to one another. May we lead the world by example, and become, in the words of Isaiah, a light to the nations. Then will the labors and sacrifices of these veterans be honored not in words alone, but by our deeds.
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A TORAH MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI |
Can I be honest with you? I don’t like ladders. Heights make me a bit queasy, and ascending a ladder any more than 3 or 4 rungs makes me uncomfortable. This is one reason why I always read Parashat, Vayetzeh, with a bit of awe and wonder.
In it, Jacob dreams of a ladder that rises from the earth up to the heavens, with angels continually going up and down it. I cannot go up 5 feet on a ladder, and here are the angels going all the way up to heaven. But, when you think about it, angels are supernatural beings. Why would they even need a ladder?
I don’t think the message of the ladder is about the angels. I think it is about the continual connection between heaven and earth. It is a connection that is as easy as climbing a ladder, one rung at a time. (As long as you are not afraid of heights.) The message is that God is as close as climbing a ladder. But it is also that we need to make ourselves accessible to God.
During Hallel we sing: ”The heavens belong to God, the earth God has entrusted to humanity”(Psalm 115:16). The vision of the ladder illustrates that, though heaven and earth are separate realms, God wants the heavens (Godliness) to be, forever, connected to the earth (humanity), and the other way around. In this way, humanity will know that it should act with divine inspiration, and holiness. At the same time, God will remember the various covenants God made with humanity. (i.e. with Noah and with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)
But the ladder illustration goes one step further. By being constantly connected, the heavenly and earthly realms are effectively merged. At all times we have divinity. At all times, God understands humanity. If humanity climbs the ladder and the Divine descends the ladder, at some point we meet. Human divinity or divine humanity. Either way it is a path to understanding. My advice to those ascending or descending the ladder…..Keep looking straight ahead and, remember, you only need to go one rung at a time.
Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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KRISTALLNACHT
November 10, 1938
Kristallnacht, or the “night of broken glass,” marked the acceleration of the systematic persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany 83 years ago.
For two nights, synagogues were destroyed and Jewish businesses plundered by mobs of Nazi troops and sympathizers. More than a thousand people were killed and 30,000 were removed from their homes.
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LIGHTHOUSE FILM SOCIETY SCREENING
FILM OF INTEREST....
The Pine Barrens
Nov. 11-14th
Virtual Screening
Q & A with filmmaker
Ticket - $10
Educators Free — A limited number of tix are available for educators. Email from school/college email name, level/class taught, school/college. You will be sent a link.
The film explores the expansive Pines as one of the last true mysteries in America's terrain. Each exquisitely composed shot introduces visually eye-popping independent ecosystems that have remained untouched by the encroaching world of modern highways and sprawling duplexes. Thought to be completely uninhabitable (due, in no small part, to Jersey Devil lore), the Pine Barrens are nonetheless home to small communities who choose to live off the map. As these inhabitants share their stories by bonfire, Kessler captures the ruminations, both mundane and profound. But when the inevitable intrusion of a pipeline threatens their well-being, the communities must band together to uphold the legacy of such a special place. Featuring an equally eerie and beautiful score from local musicians The Ruins of Friendship Orchestra, THE PINE BARRENS is a magical look into a world untouched.
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SHABBAT SHALOM
Candle lighting Time
Friday evening,
November 12, 2021
5:55 PM
So. Ocean County
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JOIN US FOR SHABBAT DINNER
&
SERVICES
Friday evening
November 12, 2021
6:00 PM
ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to Join
Zoom Services
Saturday morning
November 13, 2021
Services
9:00 AM
IN PERSON
AND
ON ZOOM
BAR MITZVAH OF MICHAEL GATTO
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The Gatto and Morgenthal families are proud to announce the Bar Mitzvah of Michael Thomas Gatto on November 13, 2021 (parshat Vayetze). Michael is the son of Vincent and Sharon Gatto, and the grandson of Ira and Ina Morgenthal. He is the younger brother of Matthew and Nicholas Gatto. Michael is in the seventh grade at Southern Regional Middle School where he is in the honors program. Throughout his school career he has consistently had one of the top grade-point averages in his class. Michael is an accomplished musician on drums and other percussion instruments. He is a member of the school band. He is a huge Beatles fan, especially Ringo Starr. Michael enjoys sports as well, particularly flag football. Michael’s skill in learning new languages is evidenced by his quick mastery of Hebrew. He is looking forward to sharing his special day with everyone.
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to Join
Zoom Services
Torah Reading:
Parashat Vayetzei
Genesis 28:10-32:3
Here is the Reading
Haftorah
Hosea 12:13 - 14:10
Here is the Haftorah
Saturday evening
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 11/14
Hanukah Bazaar
11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
MONDAY 11/15
10:00 AM
Hartman Institute Seminar
"Foundations for a Thoughtful Judaism'
with Rabbi Jay
TUESDAY 11/16
Open Mah jongg/Canasta
12:30 - 4 PM
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WEDNESDAY 11/17
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.
4:00 PM
WAX Book Discussion
"A Observant Wife" by Naomi Ragen
THURSDAY 11/11
11:00 AM Torah Study with the Rabbi
2:00 PM Beginning Hebrew with Ira
7:45 PM Discussion of the Film "Misha and the Wolves"
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News from the
Women's Auxiliary of JCC
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Thank you to everyone who supported WAX’s “Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends” shopping event. We doubled the number of participants, and tripled our earnings over last year! WAY TO GO!!! Joanne |
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FRIDAY Night Shabbat Dinner (ZOOM)
Nov. 12, 2021
Services at 6:00 PM
and dinner following. We will Schmooze, sing, pray, Schmooze, learn, eat, and Schmooze some more! Dinner following candle lighting and kaddish in your own private chat room with friends or new friends.
Future Dates - Save the Dates
December 3
January 7
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"Misha and the Wolves" Netflix See it on your own. Discussion on November 18 after Ma'ariv
A dramatic tale of a woman whose Holocaust memoir took the world by storm, but a fallout with her publisher - who turned detective - revealed an audacious deception created to hide a darker truth. SEE TRAILER BELOW
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WAX BOOK CLUB
Wednesday, November 17th at 4:00 PM
Discussion Leader: Debby Schweighardt
An Observant Wife by Naomi Ragen
Naomi Ragen continues the love story between newly observant California-girl Leah and ultra-Orthodox widower Yaakov from An Unorthodox Match.
In the midst of their heartfelt attempts to reach a balance between their human needs and their spiritual obligations, the discovery of a secret, forbidden relationship between troubled teenage daughter Shaindele and a local boy precipitates a maelstrom of life-changing consequences for all.
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Harry Berkowitz*
Helen Berman
Leon B. Entin
Stuart Gussin
Stanley S. Levy
Abram Piwosky
Lilyan Strassman*
Milton A. Levine
Louis Tkatch
Louis Young*
Donald Cohen
Dr. Joseph Evans
Rae Friedenberg
Rochelle Naftoly
Mortimer Nelson*
Cheryl Newman
Miriam Rebo
Irving Kanis
Chris Makos
Mildred Mashberg
Bertha Rothstein
Jeffrey Rudnick*
Murray J. Sklar
Henry Berman
Sylvia Gussin
Rae Konner
Neal Chilton
Rabbi Jacob Friedman*
Maxwell Kahn
Herman Pokras
Arthur Schoen
Marcus N. Silverman*
Miriam Levine
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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REMEMBERING RABBI JACK FRIEDMAN |
CONDOLENCES
to Juli Smith and the Brasch family on the loss of her mother
Corrine Smith
The funeral was held on Sunday in Syracuse, NY
"May God remember forever our dear ones who have gone to their eternal rest. May they be at one with the One who is life eternal. May the beauty of their lives shine for evermore, and may our lives always
bring honor to their memory."
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DIANE & BARNEY HOFFMAN
on the bar mitzvah of
their grandson
Jack Monroe Hoffman
Brooklyn, NY
11/13/21
LENORE & DAVID FORSTED
on the bat mitzvah of
their granddaughter
Meredith Eden Hodus
Memphis, Tennessee
11/27/21
..
SHERRY & HOWARD FRUCHTERMAN
on the marriage of their son
Todd Fruchterman
to
Erin Satterwhite
Nov 6, 2021
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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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Steven Friedman
November 15
Eileen Feldgus
November 16
Carole (Cookie) Gomer
November 17
David Hamburger
November 17
Mitchell Frumkin
November 18
Phyllis Dittrich
November 19
Stephen C. Gilbert
November 19
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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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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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