"Talmudic Stories: From History to Literature" PJP Program with Jeffrey Rubenstein, which took place this past Thursday evening. Thanks to Arthur Weiner for serving as the program host. You will find the link to the program recording below.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Zn8y_3nY0tKaMqoCZHtwaDeGMtE6JE485iP8K7phoOWlkCPBUA9ujXo3yf6lbTWI.k1s_-5aKxWz-DrWE?from=hub

Passcode: 9*GbWV=Y

Monday, March 2nd

Pasta/Pizza/Purim

In Person and on Zoom

dress in your finest costume as we dine and read the Megillah

6:00 PM

Tuesday, March 3rd

Zoom Only

Services at 8:15 AM

including Megillah Reading

The Best Hamantaschen Recipe Ever

By Shannon Sarna | February 29, 2012

from the Nosher

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes  Yield: 16-20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional)
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• .

Instructions

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth.
2. Add egg, milk, vanilla and lemon zest until mixed thoroughly.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture until incorporated. Note: If the dough is too soft, increase flour amount by a few Tbsp at a time until firmer.
5. Form dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
6. Dust surface with flour to keep from sticking. Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thick.
7. Using a round 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out and place onto cookie sheet. To keep the dough from sticking to your cutter, dip in flour before each cut.
8. Fill each round with ½ tsp of your favorite filling, and using your favorite method, pinch corners together tightly.
9. Pop into the fridge for 10 minutes, or freezer for 5 minutes, to ensure hamantaschen hold their shape.
10. Bake at 400°F for 7-9 minutes.

Notes

• You need to chill the hamantaschen dough for 1 hour, or up to overnight if you want to make it a day ahead.
• You can freeze the dough for 1-2 months wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap. I would not suggest freezing already baked cookies with fillings inside.

STU’s A-STU-TE STU-FF   

PURIM: Before – During - After

Purim: this year is celebrated with Shabat Zachor on February 28; and Purim itself with the Megilah Reading Monday Night March 2 and Tuesday Morning March 3. Everyone is familiar with the story of Purim with the heroine Esther, and the hero Mordechai, and King Achaschevrus and that evil guy [boo!] whose name I won’t mention

…..here’s some fascinating stuff about Purim…..

• Megilah is one of two Books in the Tanach that never mentions God [the Song of Songs is the other]

•  After Haman [boo!] and his sons were hung, Persian Law would not allow rescinding a previous law, and thus the King thereby passed legislation to allow the Persian Jews to take up arms and defend themselves

•  The name Purim means ‘lots’ as that bad guy [boo!] used a lottery to pick the date to exterminate the Jews and fortunately we all know how that turned out

• Back in the day: Hamantaschen only came out in a couple of ‘flavors’ whereas now it comes in all varieties from PBJ to a Chocolate Dough filled with Dark Chocolate Fudge – Eve and Stu have actually won competitions for their unusual yummy Hamantaschen

• The Middle Ages saw Jewish communities perform Purim Schpiels or plays which evolved into the custom of donning costumes to celebrate this Festival

•  It has been told that Esther and Achaschevrus had a son whom they named Darius who eventually became Darius II allowing the Jews to return to Judea [now Israel] 

It is customary that on Purim that after the second reading of the Megilah, that being on the morning of Purim day, to distribute Shalach Manote, and then later in that day to attend a humongous Seudah [a Festival Feast Banquet] and somehow: fitting in to oblige getting so drunk that you can’t tell between Blessed be Mordechai and Cursed by Haman [boo!] [personally, I rather get drunk on Dark Chocolate]

To help commence with the festivities and celebrations of Purim, the congregation is invited to attend Shabat Zachor morning [February 28] wherein Stu will once again celebrate his Bar Mitzvah Anniversary with a few fun surprises!

A Chag Purim Sah’may’ach!

Thank you to all the members who participated in our first and very successful Shallach Manos Campaign.

Look for your Purim gift which is being mailed to each of our members.

A special thank you to Stacie & Ken Podos for bringing the program to our congregation and to Mary Beth for putting the mailing together.

WAX BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Wednesday, March 18th at 4:00 pm

Discussion Leader: Rose Valentine

Queen Esther By John Irving

Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board the ship to Portland, Maine; her mother is murdered by anti-Semites in Portland. Dr. Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther; in fact, he won’t find any family who’ll adopt her. When Esther is fourteen, soon to be a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic New England family with a history of providing foster care for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they despise anti-Semitism. Esther’s gratitude for the Winslows is unending; even as she retraces her roots back to Vienna, she never stops loving and protecting the Winslows. In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, Esther Nacht is seventy-six. John Irving’s sixteenth novel is a testament to his enduring ability to weave complex characters and intricate narratives that challenge and captivate. Queen Esther is not just a story of survival but a profound exploration of identity, belonging, and the enduring impact of history on our personal lives showcasing why Irving remains one of the world’s most beloved, provocative, and entertaining authors—a storyteller of our time and for all 

ON TV.....

IMPORTANT PROGRAM ON PBS

Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History

Episode Three

This episode races the 1960s "Grand Alliance" of Black and Jewish communities in the fight for civil rights, highlighting activism, collaboration and the tensions that tested their solidarity.

CLICK HERE TO SEE EPISODE THREE: Grand Alliance

CLICK HERE TO SEE EPISODE TWO: Strange Fruit

CLICK HERE TO VIEW EPISODE ONE: Let My People Go

The Faithful: Women of the Bible

A new Fox series, “The Faithful: Women of the Bible,” is premiering on March 22, just in time for Passover and Easter.

Its first installment tells the story of the first Jewish matriarch — Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who will be played by the legendary Minnie Driver, of “Good Will Hunting” and most recently “Emily in Paris” fame. Viewers will see the story of Abraham and Sarah, and also of Hagar, who Sarah instructs to bear Abraham’s son, Ishmael, after years of infertility, only to later give birth to their son Isaac.

The second installment follows Isaac’s wife, Rebecca, and the way she treats her two sons, Esau and Jacob.

The final episode of the mini-series will tell the stories of Jacob’s two wives: older sister Leah, whom he is tricked into marrying by her father, Lavan, and her younger sister Rachel, his favorite wife. Their 12 sons would later become the 12 tribes of Israel.

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.

CONGREGATION NEWS

SPEEDY RECOVERY

TO

Diane Hoffman

&

Jessica Schwing

The new mega Shoprite in Manahawkin is open. We are excited to see a section for Kosher meat and a Kosher deli slicer. Please show the folks in Shoprite that we appreciate their providing Kosher foods for our community. Read the background article below from our Ritual Chair Stu Lehrer.

Although we have a vibrant and incredible Synagogue on Long Beach Island, the ability to obtain a wide range of Kosher products from Meat and Dairy, to Take Out delicacies; from Refrigerated and Frozen Items to Dry and Canned Goods is not but a couple of minutes away

Lakewood does have a myriad of shops and stores, eateries and restaurants as Seasons, Gourmet Glatt, and Aisle 9, etc - Toms River is beginning to offer similar offerings which is not only closer to LBI, but at least one-way: no tolls as another Seasons, Bravo Pizza, Eigners Bakeries – And then lest we forget, there’s Bingo in Brick

Another set of Kosher services falls under the enterprise banner of The Kosher Experience – There are two separate Kosher Experiences in New Jersey and what sets them apart is the ownership

The Ravitz Family owns the Cherry Hill Garden Pavillion Shop Rite and within that supermarket is a Kosher Experience – Entering that Shop Rite: one finds themselves in a Kosher Bakery with a myriad of items clearly identified as Dairy or Parve – As one continues downward toward the aisle toward the left rear, is the alcove that has Kosher Meats [both ready to cook, as well as prepared], Sushi and Fish – There is also a barrage of every kind of Kosher food item

Then there is The Kosher Experience under the auspices of the Saker Family – Manahawkin and Waretown’s Shop Rites are owned by the Saker Family – They are the owners of three Kosher Experiences in New Jersey: Neptune, East Brunswick, and Marlboro – They are similar to the Cherry Hill Garden Pavillion Shop Rite with a massive Kosher section – These three Kosher Experience stores have their own weekly specials and sales apart from any other coupons

One of the great things about The Kosher Experience is that even though they are a separate entity from the actual Shop Rite, they work in tandem with the Saker and the Ravitz Families – To bear proof to this claim is for example: when there is a sale on Salmon or Ground Meat, the Kosher Experience will honor the sale price on their similar Salmon and Ground Meat

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

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

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 75^th 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.