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JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
March 20, 2026
2 Nisan 5786
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A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
We are now enduring the cold sweat and panic caused by the annual cleanse of Hametz from the house, and the bank breaking purchase of food, for Passover.
MORE THAN ONE PERSON CAN BE HEARD SCREAMING” “WHY AM I DOING THIS!?!?!?”.
Here is an answer. It is about the memories I talked about last week, but it is also about aspirations for the future. Part of Passover is about our hopes for a better tomorrow. This is the reason we say “Next year in Jerusalem” at the end of the Seder. Unfortunately, today we really have a tangible need for a better tomorrow.
On its face, Passover is about the redemption of our ancestors from Egyptian slavery. The story of freeing an entire people is so compelling that it has crossed over from a purely religious observance to a pop culture phenomenon. (Cue the myriad movies, songs, and stories written about the Exodus). But the Haggadah does not view the redemption as solely national. Indeed, the Haggadah specifically tells us that, “In every generation one is obligated to see oneself as having personally gone out from Egypt, as it says (Exodus 13:8), “And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went free from Egypt.’”
The Hebrew is very clear. A parent in the future will tell his/her child that it is “because of what the Lord did for ME….” The first thing that is striking about this is that we have always learned that the redemption was of an entire people. This is an important part of our Jewish narrative. However, by the Torah’s own language, the redemption was not just national. It was personal also very personal. This is why the Haggadah says that each of us must feel as if he/she went out from Egypt.
We highlight the personal nature of the redemption, by centering the observance of Passover around the home ritual incorporated in the Seder. We highlight its communal nature by recognizing that God redeemed a nascent Israelite nation.
This year, as we prepare for Passover do not forget to let your children and grandchildren know that each was personally “de-Egytptized”. At the same time, each is a part of the Jewish people. Each individual needs to find a way to support the community. In return, the community helps, in many ways, to support each individual.
NOTE: SO MANY HAVE NOT ANSWERED MY REQUEST FOR PASSOVER MEMORIES. HELP!!!!!
I am attaching a great Passover activity sheet for your families. It was prepared by CORE during the pandemic, but it is still a great way to have fun with Passover, while learning at the same time. SEE BELOW
And as I have been roaming the Passover aisles of various supermarkets, I am reminded that, unfortunately, while it is a holiday of freedom, it is notably not a holiday of free matzah.
Have fun preparing and Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
COPY LINK BELOW FOR RABBI'S ATTACHMENT
file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Pesach+escape+room_Core_lowres (3).pdf
| 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 | |  | |
Candle Lighting Time
(Southern Ocean County)
Shabbat Eve
Friday, March 20, 2026
6:51 PM
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Friday
March 20, 2026
SERVICES
7:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join Services
on Zoom
FRIDAY NIGHT
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Saturday
March 21, 2026
TORAH STUDY
9:00 AM
SERVICES
10:00 AM
IN PERSON AND
ON ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services and Torah Study
SATURDAY MORNING
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Special kiddish sponsored by Rose Valentine in memory of Rudy and with thanks to all those who made it possiible for her to say Kaddish these last 11 months.
Saturday
March 21, 2026
TORAH STUDY
9:00 AM
SERVICES
10:00 AM
IN PERSON AND
ON ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services and Torah Study
SATURDAY MORNING
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TORAH READING
Parashat Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1-5:26
In Vayikra (“He Called”), the first Torah portion in the Book of Leviticus, God tells Moses about the sacrifices offered in the Mishkan. Among these are sacrifices entirely burnt on the altar, meal offerings made of flour and oil, peace offerings, and sacrifices brought for sinning inadvertently.
Here is the Portion
HAFTORAH
Isaiah 43:21-44:23
The haftarah for Parashat Vayikra ) is one of hope, aimed at the Judeans who are exiled to Babylonia. This week's Torah reading discusses public sacrifices that support and renew a relationship with God; the accompanying haftarah says that the people had abandoned the sacrifices, which is why they were punished with exile, but they will be able to turn back to God and be forgiven.
Here is the Haftorah
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TORAH QUESTION?
In today's world, without sacrifices at the center of Jewish practice, what practices or rituals might serve a similar purpose of reflection, repair, or gratitude?
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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
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Thanks to Murray Spiegel for an enjoyable and informative program on how to make your Seder more fun for everyone. Here are some resources he shared with us.
SedersForYou.com
WhyIsThisNight.com
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SUNDAY, March 22
Pickleball
10:00 AM - 1 PM
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TUESDAY, March 24
Pickleball
10 AM - 1 PM
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WEDNESDAY, March 25
Mah jongg & Canasta
12:30 PM
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THURSDAY, March 26
Pickleball
10 AM - 1 PM
Torah Study
11:00 AM
PJP Museum Program
7:30 PM
*******
FRIDAY, March 27
Studying the Prophets
Following morning minyan
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Thursday, March 26
PJP Virtual Tour of the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience
7:30 PM
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Wednesday, April 22:
WAX Book Club
4:00 PM
“The Midwives’ Escape: From Egypt to Jericho” By Maggie Anton
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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
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TUNE IN THIS SUNDAY NIGHT AT 8:00
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.
See Trailer below.
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PJP MUSEUM SERIES
Tour of the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience
Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 PM
Join us as we explore the stories held in the galleries of the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE). Spanning thirteen states and three hundred years, the MSJE's core exhibition explores the diverse relationships, experiences, and environments encountered by Jewish communities in the American South. We’ll discuss artifacts and stories from early Jewish immigrants as they navigated southern spaces to find and build communities. Learn how southern Jews maintained their identity and became part of the fabric of southern society. The MSJE team will walk us through the galleries and have a conversation about this unique yet universal story.
Presenter: Lizzi Meister, the Public Programs Manager at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, will be our tour guide.
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The Seder Plate
The seder plate should have the following items on it:
- the z’ro·a (a roasted shank bone),
- the beitzah (an egg),
- the maror (some bitter herbs or horseradish),
- the ḥaroset (a chutney made, in the Ashkenazic tradition, of apples, wine, and nuts), and
- the karpas (a green vegetable, usually parsley, although potatoes could also be used. Any vegetable over which the borei p’ri ha-adamah blessing is recited).
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Some seder plates contain a spot for ḥazeret (a bitter vegetable, often romaine lettuce). This stems from a controversy over the commandment in Numbers 9:11 that requires that we are to eat the paschal lamb “with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (Some authorities interpret this reference to bitter herbs in the plural as requiring a second form of bitter herb to be consumed in addition to the maror. Most, however, do not feel this is necessary.)
A plate should also be prepared with three matzot. Two are in place of the regular two loaves that adorn any festival or Shabbat table. The third is for the afikomen.
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Miriam and Elijah’s Cup
There are many ancient and modern traditions associated with the Passover seder. A special cup called the Cup of Elijah is set on the table. Tradition expects the prophet Elijah to announce our ultimate redemption and the coming of the messiah. (Some fill this cup at the onset of the seder, but others wait to pour the wine until the moment at which the door is opened formally to welcome Elijah to the seder. Others pass the cup around the table with all participants adding a little of their own wine. This approach symbolizes that redemption today requires that each and every one of us pitch in and offer our help.)
Many families today also feature a Cup of Miriam on their seder tables. Unlike the Cup of Elijah, this one is filled with water. This symbolizes that the tradition remembers Miriam as having been instrumental in the Israelites’ successful effort to find water during their years spent wandering in the desert. Also, this cup enables seder participants to pay tribute to the heroines of Jewish history, past and present.
Adapted from https://www.exploringjudaism.org/
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JewBelong’s contemporary Passover Haggadah makes your Seder meaningful, engaging, and easy to follow. No Hebrew school flashbacks. No slogging through long paragraphs no one understands. And no guests quietly wondering when it's time to eat.
Just clear explanations, modern language, and a flow that's fun until the last cup of wine. Plus a great skit and lots of other fun surprises!
| | PRINT AND SEND BACK TO RABBI BY MARCH 31, 2026 | | |
PASSOVER RECIPE CORNER
We woud love to share recipes. If you have a special recipe we can publish in the Shabbat Reminder please send to rvalen1963@aol.com
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Passover Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Melissa Kaye Apter
from JamieGeller.com
These cookies are so great for Passover because they are non-dairy
Prep Time
20minutes mins
Cook Time
12minutes mins
Ingredients
1 cup margarine 2 sticks
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup matzoh cake meal
¼ cup potato starch
1 2.8 ounce package vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the margarine, brown sugar and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
With the mixer on low speed add in the matzoh cake meal, potato starch, vanilla pudding, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Add in the vanilla and chocolate chips.
Using a 2 tablespoon size cookie scoop, drop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are slightly brown for a soft and chewy cookie. Bake 12-15 minutes for a crispy and crunchy cookie.
Happy Passover!
| | WAX BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP | | |
Wednesday, April 22nd at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: TBA
The Midwives’ Escape: From Egypt to Jericho
By Maggie Anton
An Egyptian mother and daughter, Asenet and Shifra, a midwife and her apprentice, wake up on the morning of the tenth plague to find Asenet's husband and son, both firstborns, dead. Asenet's sister Pua, married to an Israelite, urges Asenet's family to leave Egypt with them, which they reluctantly do, along with Asenet's wainwright father and his two apprentices. Recognizing that the Hebrew god is more powerful than any of the Egyptians' gods, other non-Israelites join the exodus, including Hittite and Nubian palace guards. Once hearing and accepting God's commandments at Mt. Sinai, these two Egyptian midwives join the Israelites on their forty-year journey to The Promised Land where they tend to the wounded, share hardship and adversity, fall in love, and start a new home and a new generation.
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NEED A SEDER PLATE? MATZAH BOX? WINE GLASS?
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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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:
Michael Beck*
Louis Cohen
Irving List*
Lillian Barham
Edward Greenberg
Charles Miller
Fannie Shapiro
Ruth Weisberger
Lawrence Alpert*
Charlotte Chazin*
Minnie Einhorn*
Martin Hartman
Sheila Kleinfeld
Fred Pollack
Jeanette Rosen
Dora Weinstein
Isadore Abend
Mary Halpern
Herbert Iris
Irving Maginsky
Marion Rosenzweig
Leon Shectman
Benjamin Epstein*
Shirley Feather*
Rita Haas
Lena Hirschman
Esther Ketzlach
Irving Klein
Bertha Stern Landau
Rhona Rothschild
Jenie Silverman*
Saul Silverman*
Brenda Swissman
Benjamin Fruchtman*
Charles Kasselman*
Henry Kelsen
Bernard Mihtz
Fred Adler
Charlotte Dzuna
Betty Husak
Harry Kaplan
Cora Korb*
Harriet Rothman
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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"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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Linda Chakrin
March 22
Steven Lager
March 22
Diane Hoffman
March 23
Karen Fink
March 25
Jon Geier
March 25
Marlene Nissenblatt
March 26
C. Zachary Rosenberg
March 26
Dana Langerman
March 27
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Arthur & Roberta Abramowitz
March 26
54th Anniversary
Justin Brasch & Juli Smith
March 26
26th Anniversary
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SHARE YOUR NEWS AND PICTURES
CONTACT:
rvalen1963@aol.com
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We would like to expand our Caring Committee to reach out to folks who need a "how are you doing?" call once and a while. Please contact
Debby Schweighardt
973-634-5349 if you are interesting in participating
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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The 2026 Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film was awarded to All the Empty Rooms at the 98th Academy Awards. Directed by Joshua Seftel and produced by CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman, the 35-minute film documents the lives of children killed in U.S. school shootings by showcasing their preserved bedrooms.
Included in the film is the room of Alyssa Alhadeff, Age 14, killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting on February 14, 2018, in Parkland, Florida. Alyssa is the granddaugher of JCC of LBI members Terri & David Rabinovitz.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VIEWING THE FILM ON NETFLIX
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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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