A TORAH MESSAGE FROM RABBI JAY

Often I am asked: “If God is good, compassionate, and just, then why do bad things happen to good people?” I usually answer that we can never know the answer to that question. We simply cannot with any certainty say “why” something has happened to someone. Because of this, I have learned to suggest that it would be better to shift the query. Rather than ask “Why”, I recommend redirecting the question and asking “What” do I do now?”

I believe that this week’s Torah portion, “Re’eh”, provides a place to start in explaining the transition from “why” to “what”. In the very beginning of the Parasha, Moshe says:

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; and the curse, if you do not heed the commandments of the Lord your God, but stray from the way I am commanding you today… (Deut. 11:26 – 28).

The Rabbis have derived from this, that God gave humanity free will. It is our choice to determine whether to heed the commandments and be blessed, or to ignore them and be cursed.

This Free will gives us the ability to decide how to process the things that happen in our lives. Asking “Why did this happen?” requires us to look backward for a cause. This forces us to dwell on the past.  Shifting the question to “What should I do now?” permits us to look to the future. With “Why”, the problem becomes an end point.  If we ask, “What do I do now?” the problem becomes the starting point and you can work toward a solution.

The past cannot be changed, but we can influence the present and the future. Looking back can leave us feeling empty, bitter, and without control. Looking ahead can provide us with purpose, courage and self-control.

Free will permits us to decide how to actively live our lives and how to confront the issues thrust upon us. What we choose to do matters and enables us to chart our own paths.

We should always be cognizant of the unchangeable past but recognize that the future is our path to forge.

Speaking of the future, take a look at what is coming up!

1) The Beach Service this week, August 30^th, is the last of the season. Come!!! We are featuring Adam Fox who, as you may recall from last year is an incredibly talented vocalist and guitar player. This will be a great way to say goodbye the beach service until next year.

2) The month of Elul begins this coming Wednesday. This means that we will begin to blow shofar on Wednesday morning, and continue every morning until Tuesday, October 1^st.  Our shofar Blower, Stu Lehrer is unparalleled. Listening to the Shofar helps prepare us for the High Holy Days. The Shofar will be sounded at around 8:45 every morning. Join us for minyan, or even to just hear the Shofar. Here is the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83559208295?pwd=ZGNQbFlxR3Y4S1Vuc1hiYUNCMnNuUT09

Meeting ID: 835 5920 8295

Passcode: 437484

3) Wednesday nights in September, after evening minyan (which begins at 7:30), prepare for the High Holidays with Cantor Geller for 20 minutes. We’ll focus on a different prayer each week. We will review melodies and words so we will be able to join in more confidently during services. 

4)Monday mornings at 10:00 Starting on Monday, September 9^th, Prepare for the holidays with Rabbi Jay. We will be looking at Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ introductory essays to his Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Mahzors. Together we will discuss insights to the liturgy and themes of the holidays.

Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay

Labor Day: A Shabbat for Us All

by Sarah Greenberg

courtesy of ReformJudaism.org

After completing six days of work on the heavens and the earth,

“and all the host of them...God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made” (Genesis 2:1-3).

This example set by God instructs us as Jews to observe and remember Shabbat - the day of rest - every week. We turn from the routines and responsibilities for our daily lives and spend time with our families, our friends, maybe light candles or attend services. By respecting our rest, we honor our work.

The first Monday of September, Labor Day, is a type of “national Shabbat.” Read more here...

The JCC of LBI has made an agreement with the Crescent Memorial Cemetery in Pennsauken, NJ. Any member will be able to purchase a grave in a reserved section for the JCC of LBI.

Please join Board Member Bonni Rubin-Sugarman for a JCC Cemetery Section Informational Meeting on Monday 9/16 from 8:00-9:00 on Zoom.

Friday, August 30

Shabbat on the Beach at Spray Beach

6:00 PM

Sunday, September 8

Federation Film Festival

Film: "Less Than Kosher"

7:00 PM

Friday. September 13

Shabbat Dinner

6:00 PM

Sunday, September 15

Showing of the movie “Screams Before Silence”

10:00 AM

Monday, September 16

Meet & Greet: Activities for JCC singles, widows and widowers.

at JCC 3:00-4:30 PM

Wednesday, September 18

WAX Book Club

4:00 PM

Sunday, September 22

PJP Program

Travel the Jewish World

Jewish Copenhagen

12:30 PM

Friday,

September 27

WAX Brunch before High Holidays

Wally's

11:00 PM

Sunday, September 29

Federation Film Festival

Film: "No Name Restaurant"

7:00 PM

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

COUNT DOWN TO THE HIGH HOLIDAYS

Rosh Hashanah

Wednesday evening, October 2, 2024

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Friday, October 4, 20024

Yom Kippur

Friday evening, October 11, 2024

Saturday October 12, 2024

CLICK FOR THE JCC HIGH HOLIDAY BROCHURE

Ushers are needed for the High Holidays. Please contact Harold Farin if you can help. 732-546-2767

RESERVE A SEAT FOR THE FILM.

CALL DIANE BUSKIRK 856-952-5940 or EMAIL HERE

SIGN UP HERE TO MAKE

YOUR DINNER RESERVATIONS

WAX BOOK GROUP

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS EACH MONTH

NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING

Wednesday, September 18th at 4:00 PM

Discussion Leader: TBA

Year of Wonders

By: Geraldine Brooks

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders." Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read. 

WE ARE EXCITED TO AGAIN THIS YEAR TO HOST

TWO FILMS AT THE JCC. SEE FILMS AND DATES BELOW.

Again this year with our participationn

in the PJP Consortium,

you can visit Jewish communities around the world virtually.

CONGREGATION NEWS

READ ABOUT JESSICA BERMAN, COMMISSIONER OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S SOCCER LEAGUE. JESSICA IS THE DAUGHTER OF JCC MEMBER,

 DR. PHYLLIS COHEN.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE

SHARE YOUR NEWS

AND PICTURES

CONTACT: 

rvalen1963@aol.com

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 

HELP OUR COMMUNITY.....

'Stuff The Bus' With School Supplies At Manahawkin Applebee's

The annual Stuff The Bus school supplies drive, which benefits local classrooms, will return to the Manahawkin Applebee's this month. Each year, participating Doherty-owned Applebee's locations in New Jersey and New York park a school bus outside their restaurants and collect as many school supplies and cash donations from guests and community members as possible.

The bus will be at Manahawkin from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1. 

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:

JOIN NOW