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JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
March 8, 2024
28 Adar I 5784
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FOR THE BEST VIEWING OF THE SHABBAT REMINDER,
CLICK HERE
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A MESSAGE FROM
OUR RABBI
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On Tuesday morning I received a call from longtime congregant, Jon Lombardi, who is an Undersheriff in Ocean County. He explained that the Sheriff’s Office was sponsoring a program in which representatives of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces were going to be in Ocean County giving a presentation. The representatives discussed what it was like in Israel now and that, despite much world criticism, Israel is doing what it must to protect its citizens now and for the future.
They explained the sad truth that in a small country like Israel, everyone knows someone who has lost a loved one. They described the horrors of October 7th and how law enforcement (like those present in the room) shouldered the bulk of the initial attacks until the army got its act together. They did this with handguns and no heavy equipment. And yet they, and private citizens and retired army officers, ran toward the carnage, not away from it.
It was a stark presentation, but the worst was to come. The main part of the presentation was the 47 minute “raw footage” video that the IDF made as a testimony to the horrors of October 7th. Beforehand the presenters advised that if we needed to leave during the video, we should feel free to do so.
Indeed, watching that video was an extremely unpleasant experience and I really did not want to be there. But, like a deer caught in the headlights, it was impossible to get up.
Without going into detail, much of what I saw, simply cannot be “unseen”. It is burned into my memory. As I watched, I was saddened, angered, grief stricken, appalled, nauseated, frightened, sickened, infuriated, and disoriented.
In truth, the part of the video that moved my soul the most was not the savagery. There was one brief section in which a first responder was videoing himself walking in horror among body after body at the Nova music festival. It was not graphic, but the whole time he was saying: “Is there any sign of life, oy voy voy.” “Is there any sign of life”? He did not find anyone alive, but the tenderness in his voice; this person represented humanity in a sea of inhumanity…. That made me want to cry.
Like you, my dear readers, the wounds of October 7th have been exacerbated by the vitriolic antisemitism that has been on display here and around the world.
How can we live in a world where it is possible for humans to do such inhumane things? And how can we live in a world where so many refuse to condemn it?
And how could they smile and laugh for the camera while watching and being barbaric? And how can so many applaud them?
And how can they praise Allah as they rape, kill, burn, maim, torture and kidnap children, women, the infirm, and the elderly? And how can other, so-called, God-fearing humans not ask God to curse them for doing it?
I think I now have a better understanding of why God destroyed the world during the time of Noah and, later, why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. God realized that there was no other way to cleanse the world, or the cities. Oy.
Despite all of this, I am hopeful for the future of Israel and the Jewish people. Israel has previously weathered tough times and unfair world rebuke. Israelis are incredibly resilient, and Israel is strong and vibrant democracy.
The US has self-corrected before. 85 years ago, Nazis marched in Madison Square Garden. We have the Constitution to help us. We have the memory and foresight of our founders.
Three generations ago, our ancestors would never have believed that we have achieved what we have achieved. Three generations ago, our ancestors would never have believed that the Jewish people would have a thriving and strong, self-sufficient, democracy in our Promised land. All amazing. Rabbi David Wolpe said it best. Watch him here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BpxULyG-Sw&list=PLk8IGaZs5c318BnCf3uJPPcczsDKhP1P-&index=2
Don’t lose sight of the fact that we are still living in, what is probably, the best time in history to be a Jew. May it continue. May God remain a shield over God’s people and over the Land of Israel.
Be concerned. Be vigilant. Be vocal. But don’t lose hope.
Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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SHABBAT SHALOM
Shabbat Candle
Lighting time
Friday evening
March 8, 2024
5:39 PM
JOIN US FOR SERVICES
Shabbat Shekalim
This Shabbat takes place on the Shabbat before the 1st of the Hebrew calendar month of Adar, or on the 1st of Adar itself if it falls on Shabbat. In leap years on the Hebrew calendar, when there are two months of Adar, Shabbat Shekalim is on the Shabbat before the 1st of Adar II (or on the 1st of Adar II itself if it is Shabbat).
Friday, March 8, 2024
6:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
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Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
FRIDAY NIGHT
Saturday,
March 9, 2024
9:00 AM
IN PERSON
& ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
SHABBAT
TORAH READING
Parashat Vayakhel
Exodus 35:1-38:20, 30:11-16
Vayakhel (“He Assembled”) opens as God commands the Israelites to observe the Sabbath. Moses asks for material donations for the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and the people donate. A group of artisans designated by God begin building the Mishkan and its vessels.
Here is Parshah
Part 1; Part 2
HAFTORAH
II Kings 12:1-17
The Shekalim haftarah continues on the same theme, discussing the efforts of King Jehoash (9th century BCE) to earmark communal funds for the upkeep of the first Holy Temple.
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 Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
SHACHARIT
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THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2024
Pickleball
10:00 AM
Dr Jerry Faich “Surviving Your Next Prescription”
1:30 - 3:00 PM Zoom
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MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2024
"Chosing Hope"
Class with Rabbi Jay
10:00 AM
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TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2024
Mark Lipman "History of LBI"
1:00 -2:30 PM
Pickleball
3:00 PM
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024
Canasta & Mah Jongg
12:30 PM
Rabbi's Class
"The Case for Israel"
7:30 PM following minyan
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THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2024
Pickleball
10:00 AM
Torah Study with the Rabbi
11:00 AM
Intermediate Hebrew with Ira
2:00 PM
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FRIDAY MARCH 15. 2024
Studying the Prophets with Rabbi Jay
9:00 - 9:20 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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Learn Signing
Friday, March 15, 2024
10:00 AM
Dr Jerry Faich “Surviving Your Next Prescription”
Sunday, March 10, 2024
1:30 - 3:00 PM Zoom
Mark Lipman "History of LBI"
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
1:00 -2:30 PM
PJP Program
Dr. Michah Gottlieb, New York University
“A Rabbinic Debate about Slavery on the Eve of the Civil War”
Thursday, March 14, 2024
8:30 PM
WAX Book Review
The Color of Water
by James McBride
Thursday, March 21,2024
4:00 PM
Stop the Bleed
by Jewish Federation of Ocean County
Friday, March 22, 2024
11:00 AM -1:00 PM In Person
Magillah Reading
Saturday, March 23, 2024
7:00 PM
Rabbi Jay “The International Court (ICJ) and Current Ruling”
Sunday, March 24, 2024
1:00 - 3:00 PM
In Person & Zoom
WAX Brunch
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
11:00 AM -1:00 PM
Wally’s
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LEARN SIGNING WITH
ANTHONY DEFRANCO
at the JCC
FRIDAYS
10:00 AM - 11:AM
March 15 & April 5 and 19, 2024
Another program brought to you by the JCC Women's Auxiliary
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JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION
THURSDAYS AT 4:00 PM
NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING
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Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 4:00 PM
Discussion Leader: Sondi Pripstein
The Color of Water By: James McBride
In The Color of Water, McBride retraces his mother's footsteps and, through her searing and spirited voice, recreates her remarkable story. The daughter of a failed itinerant Orthodox rabbi, she was born Rachel Shilsky (actually Ruchel Dwara Zylska) in Poland on April 1, 1921. Fleeing pogroms, her family emigrated to America and ultimately settled in Suffolk, Virginia, a small town where anti-Semitism and racial tensions ran high. With candor and immediacy, Ruth describes her parents' loveless marriage; her fragile, handicapped mother; her cruel, sexually-abusive father; and the rest of the family and life she abandoned. At seventeen, after fleeing Virginia and settling in New York City, Ruth married a black minister and founded the all- black New Brown Memorial Baptist Church in her Red Hook living room. "God is the color of water," Ruth McBride taught her children, firmly convinced that life's blessings and life's values transcend race. Twice widowed, and continually confronting overwhelming adversity and racism, Ruth's determination, drive and discipline saw her dozen children through college—and most through graduate school. At age 65, she herself received a degree in social work from Temple University.
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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, March 14 @8:30 PM
Dr. Michah Gottlieb, New York University
“A Rabbinic Debate about Slavery on the Eve of the Civil War”
As civil war loomed, President James Buchanan designated January 4, 1861 as a national day for fasting and prayer. That day Rabbi Morris Raphall of Congegration B’nai Jeshurun in Manhattan gave a sermon arguing that a civil war should not be waged over slavery since slavery was a biblically sanctioned institution. The Baltimore Rabbi David Einhorn responded with an essay excoriating Raphall for his terrible misunderstanding of the Bible. Does the Bible consider slavery legitimate? In this session, we’ll explore a rabbinic debate over this question.
Michah Gottlieb is Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU. An expert on modern Jewish thought and philosophy, his current research centers on musar and the practice of ethical self-development. He is author of several books and numerous articles including most recently, The Jewish Reformation: Bible Translation and Middle-Class German Judaism as Spiritual Enterprise (Oxford, 2021).
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PJP Travel Programs
2023-2024
Sunday, March 10 @ 1:00 PM “Jewish Iran” with Alan Niku
RECORDING OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE
Iran's Jewish community is one of the oldest diaspora communities in the world. But is there more to those 2700 years than Queen Esther and the Islamic Revolution? This talk examines the lesser-known parts of Iran's Jewish History, a vast story of prophets, autonomous nations, divergent sects, epic poetry, and political intrigue. Through the music, languages, foods, writings, traditions, and stories of two millennia, along with their ties to neighboring and faraway communities, the Jews of Iran have forged a culture at once Persian and Jewish, with traditions and aesthetics uniquely their own. Now in a second Diaspora in the United States and Israel, with a small population remaining in Iran, the community faces inevitable changes. We will use the knowledge of the past to look to the future of the community and discuss how the unique heritage of Iran's Jews can be preserved. Alan Niku is a filmmaker, writer, and scholar of Mizrahi culture from San Luis Obispo, California, based in Los Angeles. A native speaker of Persian, he spends his time learning related Jewish languages, deciphering Judeo-Persian manuscripts, and interviewing community members about their stories. He is also a musician and an amateur chef, teaches history and Jewish heritage at various levels, and seeks to educate the world about the underrepresented cultures of the Middle East through his writing and films.
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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:
Felix Horowitz
Robert Muscente
Sam Wittenberg
Harvey Leon Fruchtman*
Norman Gerber*
Gussie Herman*
Esther Tannenbaum
Adam Heller
Jeffrey Weiner
Max Kopelman
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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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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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?
Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
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Lynn Reimer
March 9
Ellen Weinberg
March 9
Phyllis Green
March 11
Lauren Scharf Snyder
March 12
Alan Traster
March 12
Bernard Hershenberg
March 13
Vera Hershenberg
March 13
Linda Marr
March 13
Howard Miller
March 13
Bernard Rosenberg
March 13
Aaron Shapiro
March 13
Karen Buchalter
March 14
Arlene Frumkin
March 14
Louis Beckerman
March 15
Renie Carniol
March 15
Lexa Merson-Koel
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David & Karen Shatz
March 10
50th Anniversary
Howard & Deede Rothenberg
March 12
41st Anniversary
Fred & Karen Schwing
March 13
31st Anniversary
Matthew Rosenbloom & Alix DeTullio
March 14
9th Anniversary
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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:
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 z"l 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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2023 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
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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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