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KUDOS TO THE JCC OF LBI FOR HOSTING AN EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE AND TIMELY TALK WITH ALAN DERSHOWITZ THIS EVENING. OVER 500 HOUSEHOLDS WERE ON ZOOM FOR THE PROGRAM. MAZEL TOV TO OUR GREAT INTERVIEWER RABBI JAY AND TO BOARD MEMBER DAVID SHATZ FOR REACHING OUT AND MAKING THE ARRANGEMENTS WITH MR. DERSHOWITZ.

A SHABBAT MESSAGE FROM RABBI JAY

As I am writing this it is Thursday, May 23rd, which is the 15th day of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar. It is also the 31^st day of counting the Omer. This means that this coming Sunday is the 33^rd day of counting the Omer, also known as Lag Ba’Omer. Also on Sunday is our (somewhat annual) Blessing of the Pets. Look elsewhere in this Shabbat Reminder for specifics about this event.

At any rate, here are 7 interesting facts about Lag Ba’Omer:

1. It's the 33rd day of the Omer count

2. It's the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, writer of the Zohar and teacher of Kabablah

3. It's also the day that commands us to love and respect each other.

4. It's traditional to light bonfires on Lag B'Omer eve.

5. It's customary to eat carobs on Lag B'Omer

6. It's the one day during the Omer (the counting between Passover and Shavuot) when you can suspend the mourning practices and do such things as have a celebration, listen to music or cut your hair.

7. There are seven facts here because seven represents the number of perfection. Seven's a pretty popular number in Judaism. Look at some of the 7’s in our tradition:

7 weeks of the Omer

7 emotions, one for each week of the Omer( love, fear, compassion, ambition, humility, bonding and receptiveness)

7 candles in the Menorah

7 days of the week

7 colors in the rainbow- the sign of G-d's covenant

According to an article on My Jewish Learning, by: Francine Klagsbrun:

The Omer is a time of semi-mourning, when weddings and other celebrations are forbidden, and as a sign of grief, observant Jews do not cut their hair. Anthropologists say that many peoples have similar periods of restraint in the early spring to symbolize their concerns about the growth of their crops. But the most often cited explanation for the Jewish practice comes from the Talmud, which tells us that during this season a plague killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva‘s students because they did not treat one another respectfully. The mourning behavior is presumably in memory of those students and their severe punishment.

According to a medieval tradition, the plague ceased on Lag B’omer, the 33rd day of the Omer. (The Hebrew letters lamed and gimel which make up the acronym “Lag” have the combined numerical value of 33.) As a result, Lag B’omer became a happy day, interrupting the sad­ness of the Omer period for 24 hours. (It is thus customary to have weddings on Lag B’Omer).

In Israel it is customary to have picnics and light bonfires on Lag B’Omer. 

This coming Monday, May 27, 2024, is Memorial Day.  It is observed on the last Monday of May, and honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. While it has been a tradition to observe this Day with picnics and family gatherings, please be sure to set aside some time to consider the heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect all that we hold dear. If you know a family who has lost someone while serving our country, please reach out to them and thank them. If you do not know anyone personally, spend a moment in reflection for all who have lost their lives so that we might live ours in the best way possible.

On Erev Memorial Day (Sunday night) I will be giving the Inaugural Blessing for the Spray Beach Yacht Club.

Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay

Lag BaOmer 2024 / 5784

33rd day of counting the Omer

Begins at sundown on Saturday, 25 May 2024 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, 26 May 2024.

Lag BaOmer Is celebrated on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. One reason given for the holiday is as the day of passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Modern Jewish tradition links the holiday to the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Roman Empire (132-135 CE). In Israel, it is celebrated as a symbol for the fighting Jewish spirit.

One way the holiday is celebrated is with picnics and bonfires which symbolize the light Simeon bar Yohai brought into the world. And in Israel, they plant trees and every year numerous couples wed at this happy time.

Many of us will, in fact, be celebrating Lag BaOmer on this Memorial Day Weekend - remembering those who fought for our country, eating outdoors and planting flowers and sprucing up our landscaping.



SHABBAT ON THE BEACH SERVICES

JUNE DATES

Friday, June 14 @ 6:00 PM

Shabbat on the Beach

Loveladies

Friday, June 21 @ 6:00 PM

Shabbat on the Beach

Spray Beach

Friday, June 28 @ 6:00 PM

Shabbat on the Beach

 Loveladies

CLICK HERE FOR BULLETIN WITH ALL THE SUMMER DATES

PAGE 8

Sunday, June 9 @ 11-1 PM

WAX Welcome to Summer Brunch at the JCC

Friday, June 14 @ 5:30 PM

Blessing of Fleet at Viking Village

Wednesday, June 19 @ 4:00 PM

WAX Book Review

Friday, June 21 @ 6:00 PM

Shabbat on the Beach

Spray Beach

Sunday, June 23

JCC Membership Brunch at the JCC

Friday, June 28 @ 6:00 PM

Shabbat on the Beach in Loveladies

Sunday, June 30 @ 4 - 6 PM

Interfaith Concert with

The Island Singers

WAX HONEY FROM THE HEART SALE BEGINS JUNE 3

This distinctive 8-ounce jar of kosher honey arrives in time for Rosh Hashanah, decorated with a festive label, and includes a personalized card reading “Shana Tova—Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year.” A card also lets the recipients know that a donation has been made in their honor to the Women’s Auxiliary of the JCC of LBI. Details to follow.

PAID UP WAX MEMBERSHIP BRUNCH

PAID UP WAX MEMBERSHIP BRUNCH

Sunday, June 9 at 11:00 AM

PAID WAX MEMBERS ONLY

BRUNCH WILL BE SERVED

Guest Speaker: Phyllis Sisenwine, Certified Personal Coach

RSVP Diane Buskirk by June 5 (856-952-5940)



JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION

 WEDNESDAYS AT 4:00 PM

NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING

NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING

Wednesday, June 19th at 4:00 PM

Discussion Leader: TBA

A Castle in Brooklyn By: Shirley Russak Wachtel

1944, Poland. Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson meet as boys under terrifying circumstances. They survive by miraculously escaping, but their shared past haunts and shapes their lives forever. Years later, Zalman plows a future on a Minnesota farm. In Brooklyn, Jacob has a new life with his wife, Esther. When Zalman travels to New York City to reconnect, Jacob’s hopes for the future are becoming a reality. With Zalman’s help, they build a house for Jacob’s family and for Zalman, who decides to stay. Modest and light filled, inviting and warm with acceptance—for all of them, it’s a castle to call home. Then an unforeseeable tragedy—and the grief, betrayals, and revelations in its wake—threatens to destroy what was once an unbreakable bond, and Esther finds herself at a crossroads. A Castle in Brooklyn is a moving and heartfelt immigration story about finding love and building a home and family while being haunted by a traumatic past.

CONGREGATION NEWS

JCC Member Carl Steinberg is looking for a

tennis partner this summer.

Give him a call if you are interested. 215-530-6352

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

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