A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI

Parashat Chukkat begins by describing an odd law which requires the location of a red cow that will be sacrificed. Its ashes will then be used to purify anyone coming in contact with a dead body. Sounds weird doesn’t it? Sometimes the Torah is like that. If you want to learn more about this red cow, and the ritual surrounding it, email me, text me, or call me. I look forward to your questions or comments.

I do want to reference briefly one piece of text. At the beginning of the Parasha, God tells Moses to “Instruct the Israelite people to bring you a red cow without blemish….” It is an instruction to “all” of the people, not just the priests and not just the leaders. There are two ideas that one might learn from this instruction. First, red cows (without even one non-red hair) are extremely rare, thus the entire community needed to be involved in the search. Secondly, involving an entire community in a task, is a way to strengthen that community.

Over the past few weeks, as I have seen congregants, not surprisingly may have lamented the current state of the world. The concern always begins with how Israel and the Jewish people are being treated. 

Obviously, as your Rabbi, I share all your concerns. At the same time, I am thankful that you are sharing them with me. Please continue to do so. While the subject is depressing and stressful, I think that you will find that talking about it to be therapeutic.

I have been asked what we should do. I do not have any, one, great answer. Clearly, neither the anti-Israel sentiment nor the antisemitism is going to be resolved quickly. (While I have separated them here, it is my belief that, in most cases, they are one and the same). 

This hatred, whatever its genesis, is old and entrenched. While I do not have a quick solution, I think that Parashat Chukkat provides an important starting point. That starting point is community. Whatever we do, we need to stick together and face the world as a unit. 

This is the time to reach out to your friends and acquaintances and check in. This is the time to look at a Jewish person who does not share your politics, or who does not look like you, or who does not observe the traditions in the same way that you do, and say: “We are one, Am Yisrael Chai!”.

The next step is continuing education. Who are we? (We are not colonizers, racists, or oppressors). What is Israel? (It is not an imperialist or oppressive regime). What is Judaism? (It is a religion of Love and not doing to your neighbor what you would not want done to you). What is a Jew? (A Jew is many things. To pick just one, a Jew is indigenous to the land of Israel).

At the same time as we are educating ourselves and each other, we should add one tradition to what we are currently doing. If you don’t light Shabbat candles, light them. If you light shabbat candles but don’t say Kiddush, say Kiddush. If you say Kiddush, but don’t say the blessing over the Challah, say the blessing over the Challah. If you don’t set a portion of Shabbat aside to rest and/or spend quiet time with your loved ones and/or friends, set aside some time on Shabbat for them.

Ours is a rich history in which we have thrived in good times and in bad. God, Torah, and our tradition have given us the tools we need. Let’s open the tool chest together and get to work.

I am here for you, as I know you will be there for each other.

Shabbat shalom - Rabbi Michael S. Jay

Last weekend began with serious matters as we heard Dr. Eric Mandel share with us at the Shabbat Dinner his views on the crisis in Israel and antisemetism. The weekend came to a close with a fun event featuring the very talented Ben Lippman and his children entertaining us vaudeville style. See video of both events below.

Thank you to our Programming committee for continuing to bring interesting programs to our community.

Friday, July 12

Shabbat on the Beach at Spray Beach

6:00 PM

Friday, July 19

Shabbat on the Beach at Lovelades

6:00 PM

Sunday, July 21

An Evening with Carl Steinberg

7:00 - 9:00 PM

Tuesday, July 23

WAX Brunch at Wally’s

11:00 AM

Thursday, July 25

Trivia with DJ Mike

3:30-6:00 PM

Friday, July 26

Shabbat on the Beach at Spray Beach

6:00 PM

JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION

 WEDNESDAYS AT 4:00 PM

NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING

Wednesday, July 17th at 4:00 pm

Discussion Leader: TBA

Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland

After the Jacobson siblings win a life-changing fortune in the lottery, they assume their messy lives will transform into sleek, storybook perfection–but they couldn’t be more wrong.

The four Jacobson children were raised to respect the value of a dollar. Their mother reused tea bags and refused to pay retail; their father taught them to budget before he taught them to ride a bike. And yet, now that they’re adults, their financial lives are in disarray. The siblings reunite when their newly widowed father puts their Jersey Shore beach house on the market. Packing up childhood memories isn’t easy, especially when there’s other drama brewing. Matthew is miserable at his corporate law job and wishes he had more time with his son; Laura’s marriage is imploding in spectacular fashion; Sophie’s art career is stalled while her boyfriend’s is on the rise; and Noah’s total failure to launch has him doing tech repair for pennies. When Noah sees an ad for a Powerball drawing, he and his sisters go in on tickets while their brother Matthew passes. All hell breaks loose when one of the tickets is a winner and three of the four Jacobsons become overnight millionaires. Without their mother’s guidance, and with their father busy playing pickleball in a Florida retirement village, the once close-knit siblings search for comfort in shiny new toys instead of each other. It’s not long before the Jacobsons start to realize that they’ll never feel rich unless they can pull their family back together.

JOIN

MUSICIAN AND JCC MEMBER

CARL STEINBERG

for a evening of songs you love

The Eagles, Creedence Clearater and the Beach Boys

SUNDAY JULY 21

7:00 - 9:00 PM

$10.00 per person

THE GYPSY MOON DUET

Sunday, August 4th at 7:00 PM

Dinner

Concert by the Gypsy Moon Duet

An In-House Silent Auction

$40 per person

The committee is excited about the silent auction prizes they have collected so far. You could win a woman’s bicycle, Yankee tickets, Mets tickets, artwork, and a stunning antique pendant with rubies. It is going to be a great event!!!!!

CONGREGATION NEWS

SEND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF YOUR GRADUATES TO rvalen1963@aol.com.

PICTURES ARE WELCOME

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

2024 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:

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