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JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
December 1, 2023
18 Kislev 5784
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TONIGHT
PJP PROGRAM 11/30 AT 8:30 PM
"JEWISH HOLLYWOOD: IN THE BEGINNING"
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TOMORROW MORNING AFTER MINYAN
STUDY THE PROPHETS WITH RABBI JAY
9:00 AM
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FOR THE BEST VIEWING OF THE SHABBAT REMINDER,
CLICK HERE
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CHANUKAH 101
First Night of Chanukah - Thursday, December 7
Lighting the Menorah
- On the first night of Hanukkah, there are usually only two candles on your hanukkiyah: the shamash in the center, and the first night's candle.
- Each night, add a new candle before lighting. Now, here's the tricky part: candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but candles are lit from left to right.
- There are 44 candles in a box - your need 44 candles to light one menorah for 8 nights.
- See blessings below.
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What's to Eat?
FRIED FOODS!!!! You can eat fried food without feeling guilty!
Why fried? Fried foods, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, are prepared and eaten throughout the holiday to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that kept the menorah (an ancient lamp) lit for 8 days instead of the 1 day it was supposed to last.
Here is a recipe for Fried Apples for a special Chanukah breakfast.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
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What's to Play?
PLAY DREYDEL
1. Any number of people can take part.
2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (about 10-15) such as pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, matchsticks, etc.
3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center “pot.” In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put one in the pot.
4. Every time it’s your turn, spin the dreidel once. Depending on the side it lands on, you give or get game pieces from the pot. For those who don’t read Hebrew, some dreidels also feature a transliteration of each letter. If yours doesn’t, use the photo below as a cheat sheet:
DREYDEL SIDES
a) Nun means “nisht” or “nothing.” The player does nothing.
b) Gimel means “gantz” or “everything.” The player gets everything in the pot.
c) Hey means “halb” or “half.” The player gets half of the pot. (If there is an odd number of pieces in the pot, the player takes half of the total plus one).
d) Shin (outside of Israel) means “shtel” or “put in.” Peh (in Israel) also means “put in.” The player adds a game piece to the pot.
5. If you find that you have no game pieces left, you are either “out” or may ask a fellow player for a “loan.”
6. When one person has won everything, that round of the game is over!
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What's to Sing?
Click below for a song sheet with traditional Chanukah songs
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Begin with Prayer– Parashat Vayishlach
Jacob is alone and scared. He has a community of wives, concubines, children, servants, and livestock, all relying on him. His brother, whom he tricked and cheated some 25 years earlier, is heading in the direction of this community. Those many years ago, the last words of his brother were that he would kill Jacob. This is of great concern to Jacob given the fact that his brother is a hunter and a warrior who has 400 men with him. Not an enviable position to be sure. What to do? What to do?!
Initially, Jacob makes a smart tactical move. He splits his community into two camps. This way, if Esau comes upon one camp, the other camp can run away while the first camp is being pillaged.
In a novel, the author would now have paragraph after paragraph of exposition depicting Jacob spending time preparing for the upcoming onslaught. In the movies there would be a montage of him setting elaborate traps and preparing his meager forces. On television there would be a commercial break or a “to be continued” sign. But this is not a novel, nor is it a movie, nor is it television. It is Torah and Torah’s primary objective is not just to tell a story, but to teach a lesson as well. Thus, Jacob’s next move is interesting. The Patriarch prays.
The Prayer is brilliant. Jacob begins by reminding God that Jacob is the progeny of Abraham and Isaac. Why begin here? Because God made many promises to Abraham and Isaac. The crux of these assurances was that the Patriarchs would be the fathers of a long line of descendants. Reminding God of these guarantees is not a bad place to start. Indeed, if you take a look at our central prayer, the Amidah, which we recite during each prayer service, it begins essentially the same way.
Jacob takes his prayer one step further. He thanks God for all God has specifically done for Jacob up until this point. He acknowledges that, but for God’s intervention, Jacob would never have amassed so much wealth.
But next comes the kicker. Jacob reminds God of the promise God made to Jacob that the patriarch would have “offspring as the sands of the sea which are too numerous to count.” The implication is that the Deity, as creator of heaven and earth and as an ethical and righteous God, needs to keep promises. Who in the future would pledge fealty to a God who could not keep promises. The only way for God to keep God’s promise and to prove His bona fides, would be to keep Jacob and his people alive. Talk about backing the Deity into a corner.
The prayer is apparently successful as Esau does not seek to destroy Jacob. Indeed, their meeting is friendly, if a bit cautious.
The reason that I have reviewed the above scenario is not merely to impress you with my extraordinary prose. I mentioned earlier that Torah seeks to teach lessons. Here, among other things, the Text teaches us that God is available and seeks connection with us. One way to connect is through prayer.
I think it also teaches the importance of prayer. We are living in very stressful times. Each of us is looking for something to do to help Israel or to fight antisemitism. Sometimes a good place to start is with a simple prayer.
May the One who hears prayers, listen to our prayers for:
The return of all the hostages.
Victory against an evil enemy.
The strength to battle those who hate us.
Peace in Israel and the world.
Do you have a prayer? Send it to me so I can share it with the congregation.
Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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Candle Lighting time
Friday evening
December 1, 2023
4:16 PM
Friday, December 1, 2023
SHABBAT DINNER
6:30 PM
In Person
SERVICES
7:30 PM
In Person and on Zoom
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Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
FRIDAY NIGHT
Saturday,
December 2, 2023
9:00 AM
In Person and on Zoom
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
SHABBAT
TORAH READING
Parashat Vayishlach
Genesis 32:4-36:43
Here is the Parshah
Vayishlach (“He Sent”) follows Jacob and his family as Jacob wrestles with a man (commonly understood as an angel), is renamed Israel, and reconciles with his brother, Esau. Jacob’s daughter, Dina, is raped by a Hivite prince, and her brothers sack a city in response. Rachel dies as she gives birth to Jacob's youngest child, Benjamin.
HAFTORAH
Obadiah 1:1-21
Here is the Haftorah
HAVDALLAH
6:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
HAVDALLAH
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Sunday - 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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RABBI'S CLASSES
MONDAY - 10:00 AM
"Choosing Hope" by David Arnow.
(starting date TBA)
WEDNESDAY - 7:30 PM following minyan
Studying "The Case for Israel" by Alan Dershowitz
THURSDAY 11:00 AM
Torah Study
Study of the weekly Torah portion.
FRIDAY 9:00 AM after morning minyan
The Prophets
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THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3
Pickleball
10:00 AM
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5
Pickleball
3:00 PM Beginners Session
4:00 PM Regular Play
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6
Canasta & Mah Jongg
12:30 PM
Rabbi's Class
"The Case for Israel"
7:30 PM following minyan
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7
Pickleball
10:00 AM
Torah Study with the Rabbi
11:00 AM
Intermediate Hebrew with Ira
2:00 PM
FRIDAY DECEMBER 8
Studying the Prophets
9:00 AM
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PICKLEBALL
SUNDAY 10:00 AM
TUESDAY 3:00 PM
THURSDAY 10:00 AM
Reminder: Pickleball for members only!
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MAH JONGG & CANASTA
WEDNESDAYS
12:30 PM TO 4:00 PM
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PJP
Join us for our 2nd 3-Part Series on Jewish Hollywood
Funny Girls Part 2
Jan 18, 2024 08:30 PM
Those Were the Days
Feb 22, 2024 08:30 PM
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December Shabbat Dinner
Friday, December 1
6:30 PM
WAX PROGRAM
"Surviving Your Next Prescription"
with Dr. Jerry Faich
Sunday, December 3
1:00 PM
PJP Program
“The Beginnings of Kabbalah”
Thursday, December 14
8:30 PM
Bar Mitzvah of Max Yudman
Saturday, December 16
9:00 AM
PJP Program
“Jewish Greece”
Sunday, December 17
1:00 PM
WAX Brunch
39 Degrees North
Friday, December 22
11:00 AM
New Year's Eve Party
Saturday, December 31, 2023
8:30 PM
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JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION
WEDNESDAY AT 4:00 PM
NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING
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Wednesday, December 20th at 4:00 pm
The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty
By: Natalie Livingstone
From the East End of London to the Eastern seaboard of the United States, from Spitalfields to Scottish castles, from Bletchley Park to Buchenwald, and from the Vatican to Palestine, Natalie Livingstone follows the extraordinary lives of the Rothschild women from the dawn of the nineteenth century to the early years of the twenty-first. As Jews in a Christian society and women in a deeply patriarchal family, they were outsiders. Excluded from the family bank, they forged their own distinct dynasty of daughters and nieces, mothers and aunts. They became influential hostesses and talented diplomats, choreographing electoral campaigns, advising prime ministers, advocating for social reform, and trading on the stock exchange. Rothschild women helped bring down ghetto walls in early nineteenth-century Frankfurt, inspired some of the most remarkable cultural movements of the Victorian period, and in the mid-twentieth century burst into America, where they patronized Thelonious Monk and drag-raced through Manhattan with Miles Davis. Absorbing and compulsive, The Women of Rothschild gives voice to the complicated, privileged, and gifted women whose vision and tenacity shaped history.
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Thanks to our membership in the PJP we are able to enjoy a variety of programs. Here are the new programming lists. No need to register in advance. | |
PJP Series "What Jews Think”
2023-2024
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Thursday, December 14 @ 8:30 PM
“The Beginnings of Kabbalah” examines the fundamental theological questions that gave rise to the tradition of Jewish texts and ideas known as Kabbalah. The program historically locates Kabbalah’s origins in Medieval Europe and considers how Kabbalah arose, in part, as a response to philosophical conceptions of the divine. The program will then explore some early Kabbalistic texts to understand how Kabbalists understood both the nature of divinity and the relationship between G-d and the world with a focus on humanity’s place therein.
Brian Hillman is an assistant professor in the department of philosophy and religious studies at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. He earned a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Indiana University, Bloomington in 2021. His research focuses on modern Jewish thought and Kabbalah. In addition to being the managing editor of the Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, his writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Jewish Studies Quarterly, Religious Studies Review, and The Jewish Book Council.
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PJP Travel Programs
2023-2024
Sunday, December 17 @ 1:00 PM
“Jewish Greece” with Evan Kapros Greece is full of history, and this is reflected in the history of Greek Jewry, a unique combination of Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and Romaniote communities with roots in Spain, the Balkans, and going back all the way to the Roman Empire. We will discover this rich history, and will talk about the social perceptions prevalent in contemporary Greek society concerning Jewish identities. Finally, no good discussion about Greek Jewry can be conducted without talking about the language, food, and music of the community!
Evan Kapros was born in Greece, while later he moved to Ireland. Right now he lives in Barcelona, where he is a volunteer at Mozaika. When in Greece, Evan was involved with groups for refugee rights and against antisemitism, and in Ireland he was a member of the Education Committee of the Irish Jewish Museum.
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Join us for our 2nd 3-Part Series on Jewish Hollywood
FUTURE PROGRAMS
Funny Girls Part 2 - Jan 18, 2024 - 8:30 PM
Those Were the Days - Feb 22, 2024 - 8:30 PM
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LAST CALL FOR PAVER ORDERS | |
If you would like to order a paver for this 2023 installation, please fill out the form ( click below ) and return it to the JCC office with payment. | |
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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:
Albert Haas
Miriam Kaplan
Sam Rosenblith
Israel J. Cramer
Esther Gold Entin
Zena Jay
Rachel List*
Henry Medvin
Jerome Polaner
Charles Farin
Houshang Golsaz
Bernard Potash
Henrietta Schocat
Robert Eisner
Dora Levy
Benjamin Serepca*
Garret Emanuel Davis
Fred Lewisohn
Phyllis Schwartz
Albert Goldberg*
Emil Goldstein*
George Lakin
Charles Barsh
Helen Eisen
Ray Farin
Jack Newman*
John Patrician
Charles M. Ross
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CONDOLENCES TO
Deb & John Schweighardt
on the loss of their beloved pet
PUGSLEY
" He was kind and sweet, very loyal. He joined us for Shabbat services on zoom as well as attending all weekly minyans on zoom. He was kind, calm, loyal and loving at all times. Although we found Pugsley through a dog rescue group, it was really Pugsley who rescued us. He will remain in our hearts forever."
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John Hailperin
December 3
Joel E. Leizer
December 3
Karmela Moneta
December 5
Debra Traster
December 5
Deanna Feinberg
December 7
Sanford Oxfeld
December 8
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Adolph & Carol Sicheri
December 3
34th Anniversary
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BONNI RUBIN-SUGARMAN
& JERRY FAICH
| ARLENE & STEVEN SILVERMAN | | |
MAZEL TOV
BABIES, WEDDINGS AND BAR MITZVAHS
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MAZEL TOV
JEFF & SUSAN CARSON
on the birth of their new granddaughter
Eve Susan Goel
great grandaughter of
Inge & Milton Batoff z"l
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MAZEL TOV
NORALYN & DAVID CARROLL
on the birth of their new granddaughter
Aella Willow Dorizas
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MAZEL TOV
SHARON & DAVID HENDLER
on the marriage of their
daughter Stacy Hendler
to
Geoffrey Holden
Sunday, December 10, 2023 at Perona Farms, in Andover, NJ
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MAZEL TOV
OWEN BRAHE
grandson of Barnett &
Diane Hoffman
son of Patty Hoffman Brahe &
Chris Brahe
who will be Bar Mitzvah on December 2 at the Port Jewish Center, Port Washington, NY.
Owen has selected LBI’s Compassion Café as his mitzvah project.
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MAH JONG/CANASTA GANG AT LUNCH THURSDAY | |
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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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MEET THE SOUP TROOP: Noralyn Carroll, Irene Babst and new member Robin Jenna. They made soup in the JCC kitchen to be given to our members who are not feeling well. Contact Irene or Noralyn if you or if you know of a member who needs some Jewish penicillin. Local delivery only!
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FROM OUR CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST SHEILA WEISEL
Stolen from my daughter Ivy. I hope some of my friends will do this to show their support of the Jewish people during this very difficult time.
WHO’s up for a CHALLENGE?
The Jewish Festival of Lights aka HANUKKAH will begin on December 7th through December 15.
I am wondering if any of my friends (especially those who are not Jewish) would be willing to LIGHT their front porch BLUE in SUPPORT of the Jewish people around the world as well as a gesture of their denouncement of antisemitism! (People can buy a blue light and substitute their usual light bulb for the 8 days of Hanukkah)
Let’s “LIGHT OUT THE DARKNESS” in the world these days. If you believe any form of intolerance or hatred against any minority group should not be acceptable, here is your chance to add much needed light !
If you do; please feel free to share pictures of your light here. It would mean the world to me (shushi22@aol.com).
Please COPY and PASTE to your wall if you’d like to SPREAD LIGHT
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YOU CAN NOW FILL OUT A GIVING FORM AND PAY ON LINE IN ONE SIMPLE PROCESS.
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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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2023 MEMBERSHIP FORMS
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 communications and have not yet joined our congregation, here is the new member form:
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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- Rose Valentine
Treasurer- Ira Morgenthal
Secretary- Cliff Denker
Immediate Past President -Michael Babst
BOARD MEMBERS
Howard Babbitt
Diane Buskirk
Mitch Frumkin
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Jon Geier
Paul Levine
Ken Podos
Terri Robinovitz
David Shatz
Bonni Rubin-Sugarman
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
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