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JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
May 30, 2025
3 Sivan 5785
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At its core, Shavuot is about connection. God wants to connect intimately with the Children of Israel and they, in turn, want to meet the Holy One Whom redeemed them. Each major holiday on the Jewish calendar has a theme centered on something our people have experienced and/or something that God did for us.
Rosh Hashanah is about the New Year, Yom Kippur is about atoning for our sins, Sukkot is about re-entering and treasuring the natural world around us. Hanukkah is about fighting for our rights and witnessing God’s miracles. Purim is about being saved from an evil plan of destruction. Passover is about our redemption from slavery.
Shavuot stands alone as a time that is reserved for connection between Israel and God. It is a holiday of covenant; representing the metaphoric marriage between a people and their God. As part of the covenant, God gave us the Torah. But what did we give God? The Midrash (stories used to explain the Torah) answers this question by telling us that our ancestors gave their children as collateral to God.
How do we celebrate the receipt of the Torah?
It is customary to eat blintzes, cheesecake, and other dairy foods on Shavuot. One reason given for this is that the Israelites first learned about keeping kosher when the Torah was given. They ate dairy foods until they could properly clean their pots and utensils because until that moment they had been eating non-kosher foods.
There is also a custom to stay up all night on the first night of Shavuot to study Torah and then to say the morning prayers at sunrise.
We recite Hallel on Shavuot, specific Psalms of praise to God. When we chant the Torah, we recite Ten Commandments.
It is customary to read the Book of Ruth. It tells of a woman who converts to Judaism and voluntarily accepts the Torah. Ruth’s reward is that she will be the Great Grandmother of King David whom, according to our tradition, was born, and died, on Shavuot. Aside from the basic narrative, the Book of Ruth highlights loyalty, beauty, intrigue, intimacy, and love. It is a great read.
Join us this weekend as we receive the Torah, eat dairy, study, recite special prayers, and read the Book of Ruth. The joyful observance of the holiday will begin on Zoom on Sunday evening, June 1st, at 7:30 at which time we will have a service and then study sessions. Since you will be home, you will need to provide your own dairy sack.
On Monday, June 2nd and Tuesday June 3rd, services will start at 9:00 am and will be in person and on zoom. Following services, a dairy luncheon will be served. During Tuesday’s services we will have a Yizkor service starting at about 10:45.
The blessings of continuing connection can never be overestimated. Our tradition tells us that each of us stood at Sinai to receive the Torah. When we get together to connect with each other and with God, it is a renewal of the revelation. May we be blessed to witness revelation after revelation after revelation.
If you have questions about Shavuot, or any other holiday, or anything in general, please feel free to reach out to me.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Shavuot Sameach – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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SHABBAT SHALOM
Candle Lighting Time
(Southern Ocean County)
Shabbat Eve
Friday, May 30, 2025
7:59 PM
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Friday
May 30, 2025
Services
7:30 PM
IN PERSON AND
ON ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join Services
on Zoom
FRIDAY NIGHT
Saturday
May 31, 2025
9:00 AM
IN PERSON AND
ON ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
TORAH READING
Parshat Bamidbar
Numbers 1:1-4:20
Bamidbar (“In The Desert”) is the first Torah portion in the Book of Numbers. It describes God's command to take a census and details the camping formation of the Israelites in the desert. It also begins to enumerate the responsibilities of the Levites when transporting the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
Here is the Parshah
HAFTORAH
Hosea 2:1-22
This haftarah speaks of a future redemption for the people of Israel, promising that they will be as numerous as the sand of the sea and will be recognized as "Children of the living God". The reading also includes a promise of unity and reconciliation between the tribes of Judah and Israel.
Here is the Haftorah
HAVDALLAH
8:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
HAVDALLAH
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WEEKDAY SERVICES
Monday - 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 from Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
SHACHARIT
6/2 and 6/3
SHAVUOT SERVICES AT 9:00AM
YISKOR AT approx.
11:00 AM
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SHAVUOT CANDLELIGHTING
& SERVICES
Candlelighting;
Sunday, June 1
8:00 PM
Monday, June 2
9:31 PM
Sunday, June 1
7:30 PM – Zoom ONLY
Services followed by
A Night of Study
(Tikkun L’el Shavuot)
Monday and Tuesday
June 2nd and 3rd
9AM (In-Person and Zoom)
7:30 PM – Zoom Only
June 3rd
Yizkor recited at approx. 11:00 AM
(In-Person and Zoom)
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stu’s a-stu-te sayings…..
Shavuot: A Multi-Faceted Holiday
- Shavuot, also known as the Festival of Weeks, is a significant Jewish holiday with both agricultural and historical-religious roots
- It marks the end of the Omer period, a 49-day count between Passover and Shavuot, representing the journey from physical freedom (Passover) to spiritual freedom (receiving the Torah)
The Giving of the Torah
- Shavuot commemorates the day God gave the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, a pivotal moment in Jewish history
· The holiday is sometimes called "Z'man Matan Torateinu" - "The Time of the Giving of Our Torah": we read the Aseret HaDeev’rote [he Ten Commandments on Shavuot
· Many Jews observe Shavuot by staying up all night to study Torah, a practice called "Tikkun Leil Shavuot"
Agricultural Roots
- Shavuot is also a harvest festival, celebrating the first fruits (Bikkurim) of the wheat harvest
- In ancient times, Israelites would bring offerings of the first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem
Dairy Delights
- It is a custom to eat dairy foods on Shavuot, various reasons are given for this tradition, including the sweetness of the Torah, and a reminder of the "land of milk and honey"
Interesting Observances
- Synagogues and homes are often decorated with flowers and greenery to celebrate the harvest and symbolize the blossoming of Mount Sinai.
- The Book of Ruth is read in synagogues on Shavuot, telling the story of a Moabite woman who converts to Judaism and becomes an ancestor of King David
Uniqueness and Evolution
- Shavuot is the only biblical holiday that did not originally have a fixed date in the Torah
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Stu’s Aunt Ruth’s Blintzas Sauce perfect for Shavuos and anytime……
This recipe yields 18 blintzas – It is definitely only for the fruit flavors as apple, blueberry, and cherry – You will need a large spoon [preferably wooden], a large mixing bowl and a 13 x 9 glass baking dish
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Mix the following ingredients extremely well – Mixer is not necessary
½ cup Sour Cream or Yogurt [if you wish to make it parve: use Dairy Free or Soy]
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 large Eggs
¼ cup Orange Juice or Orange-Pineapple Juice blend
¼ cup Sugar or 1/8 cup Sugar and 1/8 cup Light Brown Sugar
¼ teaspoon of Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
1 teaspoon of Maple Syrup
Spray the baking dish
For fun: lay the blintzas out onto the glass dish: mixing them up
Then pour the mixture over the blintzas & place the dish in the oven uncovered
Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and serve warm
Garnish with cut up fruit, whipped cream, and of course: ice cream
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WAX Brunch last Friday at LBI Table
Next Brunch "Welcome Back Brunch" at the JCC
Friday, July 13th
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
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Rabbi Jay & Don Pripstein at the Spray Beach Yacht Club's 103rd opening ceremony Sunday evening. Rabbi gave the invocation.
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SUNDAY, June 1
NO Pickleball
10 - 1
******
TUESDAY, June 3
NO Pickleball
10 - 1
******
WEDNESDAY, June 4
Canasta & Mah Jongg
12:30 - 4:00 PM
Singles Club
3:00 PM
******
THURSDAY, June 5
Torah Study
11:00 AM
Pickleball
10 - 1
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Sunday, June 1
Interfaith Singers at the JCC
4:00 PM
Wednesday, June 4
Singles Club
3:00 PM
Friday, June 6
JCC Family Dinner and Service
6:30 PM
Friday, June 13
WAX Welcome Back Brunch
11:00 AM
Sunday, June 15
Blessing of the Fleet
5:30 PM
Wednesday, June 18
WAX Book Discussion
4:00 PM
Sunday, June 22
Welcome Back Brunch
10:00 AM
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MAH JONGG & CANASTA
WEDNESDAYS
12:30 PM TO 4:00 PM
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PICKLEBALL
Sundays, Tuesdays
and Thursdays
10 - 1
NO PICKLEBALL 6/1 AND 6/3
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CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING EVENTS
THIS SPRING AND SUMMER
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JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION
WEDNESDAYS AT 4:00 PM
NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING
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Wednesday, June 18th at 4:00 PM
Discussion Leader: TBA
Does the Soul Survive
By: Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitzer
Near-death experiences? Past-life regression? Reincarnation?
Are these sorts of things Jewish?
With a blend of candor, personal questioning, and sharp-eyed scholarship, Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz relates his own observations and the firsthand accounts shared with him by others, experiences that helped propel his journey from skeptic to believer that there is life after life. From near-death experiences to reincarnation, past-life memory to the work of mediums, Rabbi Spitz explores what we are really able to know about the afterlife, and draws on Jewish texts to share that belief
in these concepts—so often approached with reluctance—is in fact true to Jewish tradition. “The increasing interest and faith in survival of the soul may grow into a cultural wave that is as potentially transformative for society as the civil rights movement and feminism. A renewed faith in ‘the soul’s journeys’ will call for a reassessment of our priorities and will enable traditional religions to renew and
transform their adherents.
Wednesday, July 16th at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: Debby Schweighardt
*IN PERSON AT THE JCC LIBRARY AND ON ZOOM
Maine Characters
By Hannah Orenstein
Wednesday, August 13th at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: TBA
*IN PERSON AT THE JCC LIBRARY AND ON ZOOM
Red Dog Farm
By Nathaniel Ian Miller
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LOOK FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
THESE OTHER SUMMER EVENTS
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July 17: Irvin Moreno Rodriquez, Director Stockton Holocaust Resource Center 7pm
July 30: JCC Summer Bazaar with Susan Shapiro hosting a Book Signing
August 21: Tour of Harvey Cedars Bible Center (HCBC) – 10am
BEACH SERVICES
June 13 – Beach Services at Loveladies 6pm
June 20: Beach Services at Spray Beach 6 pm
June 27: Beach Services at Loveladies 6pm
July 11: Beach Services at Spray Beach 6pm
July 18: Beach Services at Loveladies at 6pm
July 25: Beach Services at Spray Beach at 6pm
August 8: Beach Services at Loveladies
August 15: Beach Services at Loveladies
August 22: Beach Services at Spray Beach
August 29: Beach Services at Spray Beach
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The Federation has arranged for a fun program to come to Ocean County, the hilarious one-man-show: My Son The Waiter. This is for one night only on Thursday, June 19th.
Let's celebrate and laugh together as a community. After the past few years, we can use some uplifting humor.
The play at the Strand starts at 7:30 PM. You can buy general tickets - but donors to the Jewish Federation of $100 or more can get discounted VIP tickets and a special pre-show light dinner reception at 6:00pm.
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The JCC section at Crescent Memorial Park is available for sales. Please contact Bonni Rubin-Sugarman at 609-417-7148.
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We are very excited to add to the WAX Gift Shop items from local merchants and artisans. Stop in to look and buy one (or more) of these beautiful pieces for your home, as a gift or just for yourself. Here is a sample one of our new products. The gift shop is open during office hours M-F 10 - 2.
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CALL PAUL LEVINE WITH ANY QUESTIONS
484-802-0586
SEE ORDER FORM BELOW
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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:
Philip Applebaum
Shirley Guttman Frankfurt*
Abraham Fruchtman*
Leah Jacobs*
Harry J. Luterman
Hyman Rubin*
Bob Shrank
Mini Starr*
Leo Wasserman
Fay Baker*
Libby Gurian*
Dora Seidler
Abe Bernstein
Ruth Brill*
Irving Fingerman
Esther Myers
Shirley Rosner*
George Sesso
Bernice Gold
Muriel Krampf
Ethel Lenkowsky
Albert Rosenfeld*
Ike Schwaff*
Irene Epstein
Melvin Kleinfeld
Florence Koransky
Harry Kotler
Josh Braun
Douglas Cole
Isaac Freedman
Reginald Gilbert
Harriet Miller
Dr. Mark Rosenbloom*
Jacob Shaer
Rose Shaer
Sidney Denbo
Samuel Kanowith
Anita D. Klaiman*
Gloria Shapiro
Harry Sobelsky
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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Arleen Moffitt
May 31
Bernard Rothman
May 31
Lawrence Lerner
June 2
Lisa Ziff-Riley
June 3
Louis Celebre
June 4
Michael Nissenblatt
June 4
Rosalee Keech
June 5
Lee Gardner
June 6
Ira Morgenthal
June 6
Marc Rubin
June 6
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David & Debra Levy
June 3
41st Anniversary
Alan & Debra Traster
June 3
14th Anniversary
Michael & Irene Babst
June 4
14th Anniversary
Marc & Judith Lipman
June 4
55th Anniversary
Jeffrey & Susan Carson
June 5
48th Anniversary
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SHARE YOUR NEWS
AND PICTURES
CONTACT:
rvalen1963@aol.com
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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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READ ABOUT HARRIS WEISEL'S GRANDSON.... | |
YOU CAN NOW FILL OUT A GIVING FORM AND PAY ON LINE IN ONE SIMPLE PROCESS.
Go to jccoflbi.org - Giving/Pay
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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
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- Jon Geier
Treasurer- Stu Cofsky
Secretary- Cliff Denker
Immediate Past President -Michael Babst
BOARD MEMBERS
Howard Babbitt
Diane Buskirk
Lorna Klein
Paul Levine
Ken Podos
Sondi Pripstein
Terri Robinovitz
Bonni Rubin-Sugarman
Rose Valentine
Ken Yudman
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
Representative to the Board - Sondi Pripstein
Rabbi Michael S. Jay, Spiritual Leader
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