JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
January 6, 2023
13 Tevet 5783
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How important is Torah study to our tradition? It is so important that our rabbinic tradition sought to incorporate Torah study into our daily routine.
In the morning service, there are three prayers for Torah study and then selections from Torah and rabbinic writings to study.
Here are the 3 prayers in English:
1) Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who sanctified us with the commandments and commanded us to engage in words of Torah.
2) So, Adonai our God, make the words of Your Torah sweet to us ant to the house of Israel, Your people, that we and our descendants, and the descendants of Your people, the house of Israel, that we all should know Your name and study Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who teaches Torah to the people Israel.
3) Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the world, who chose us from all peoples, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are you Adonai Who gives the Torah.
Click here for the blessings in Hebrew:
Each blessing describes our connection to Torah differently. The first blessing places a burden on us to, not only, study Torah, but to engage in it. The second blessing envisions God as the teacher who will make Torah sweet in our mouths. The third depicts us as passively receiving Torah as a gift.
In the liturgy, the blessings are followed by sources from the Torah, the Mishna, and the Talmud. This expresses the importance of, not just the Torah itself, but of the Rabbinic writings as well. In the rabbinic world we like to say: “It’s all Torah”.
The point of all this is that our tradition envisions us making Torah a continual part of our lives.
What would it feel like for you to pick something from our tradition to read every day?
Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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Candle Lighting time
Friday evening
January 6, 2023
4:29 PM
(So. Ocean County)
JOIN US FOR
SERVICES
Friday night
January 6, 2023
7:30 PM
IN PERSON AND
ON ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
Saturday Morning
January 7, 2023
9:00 AM
IN PERSON AND
ON ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
Torah Reading
Parashat Vayechi
Genesis 47:28-50:26
Here is the Reading
Vayechi (“He Lived”) is the final Torah portion in the Book of Genesis. It opens as Jacob prepares for his death, making his son Joseph swear to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah. Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons and his own 12 sons and then dies. Jacob’s sons bury him.
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Haftorah
Here is the Haftorah
Saturday evening
Havdallah
5:30 PM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
Sunday - Thursday
Ma'ariv Service
7:30 PM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
Monday- Friday
Shacharit Service
8:15 AM
Sunday at 9:00 AM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
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FROM THE HEART
My thoughts on this week's portion
Rose Valentine, Editor
There is so much about family dynamics in Vayechi, this week’s Torah reading. It is fascinating.
In this portion, Jacob summons Joseph and tells him – not asks him - “When I lie down with my ancestors, take me up from Egypt and bury me in their burial-place.” And Joseph replies, “I will do as you have spoken.” Later, when Joseph visits his father on his death bed, he brings his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim with him. Jacob musters up all his strength and says: “Now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine no less than Reuben and Simeon.”
When you view the list of the 12 tribes of Israel, these two are listed along with Jacobs sons. I have always wondered why when pray to our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph is not included. Yet, his sons - and those of the other sons of Jacob - receive this honor. In addition, Friday night, we bless our boys with a special prayer it includes – “May God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh.” It is curious why they have been set apart but it might be because of his deep love for Rachel and their offspring.
How about the daughters of Jacob? We know of the story of Dinah but there is a fascinating story about his granddaughter Serach, daughter of Asher. There is a wonderful midrash about her. She is the one who told Jacob that his long-lost son Joseph was alive. Jacob was particularly fond of listening to her musical talents. When the brothers returned from Egypt, they were uncertain how to inform their elderly father the remarkable news that his favorite son was still alive. It might be too much for old Jacob to handle. They recruited Serach, who took hold of her harp and melodiously announced that Joseph was still alive. Because of her compassion, she was rewarded with a long life and merited to live until the time of Moses and the exodus from Egypt. In fact, Serach’s name is actually listed twice in the Torah. Not only is she listed among the Israelites who went down to Egypt with Jacob, but she is also listed among those who came out of Egypt. According to tradition, Serach’s uniquely long life allowed her to assist Moses in locating Joseph’s remains in order to transport his coffin to the Land of Israel.
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There is a lovely book that you might want to get for your young granddaughters: “Serach’s Song (by Yaffa Gottlied, Aura Press).
Thank you to Jewish Treats (jewishtreats@njop.org) for recognizing Serach in their latest email and to Rabbi Jay who has inspired me to study and question the weekly portions with his wonderful Thursday morning classes.
rgv
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IMPORTANT PROGRAM TONIGHT!!!!! |
Thursday, January 5 @ 8:30 PM
Dr. Eric Mandel, Director, Middle East Political Information Network (MEPIN)
“Israel’s Challenges 2023: Iran, the Palestinians, Hezbollah, the Abraham Accords, and Anti-Semitism”
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In this Zoom talk, we will analyze the threat of Iranian nuclear weapon, Israel's "War between the Wars" with Hezbollah, and the ring of fire Iran has created to surround and threaten Israel from all sides. We will take a deep dive into what Palestinians want and if they can accept a Jewish state in any territorial dimension. Finally, we will examine Anti-Zionism and the BDS movement, especially on the college campus, which are no less lethal a threat to Israel than a nuclear weapon. |
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THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8
JCC Clean Up Day
10:00 AM
MONDAY, JANUARY 9
Foundations for a Thoughtful Judaism: Practice
A Hartman Class with Rabbi Jay
10:00 AM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11
12:30 AM - 4 PM
Canasta & Mah Jongg
following Ma'ariv
7:45 PM
with Rabbi Jay
"Jewish Wisdom"
using the book
by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12
11:00 AM Torah Study with the Rabbi
2:00 PM Beginning Hebrew with Ira
SEE LINKS BELOW
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January 8 - JCC Clean Up
January 18 - WAX Book Group
January 21 - Cholent/Game Afternoon Shabbat
January 21 - Lighthouse International Film Society film at the JCC
January 26 - PJP History Zoom Series
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WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE.....W |
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WHO: Lighthouse International Film Society & Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island
WHAT: Screening of Cinema Sabaya
WHEN: Saturday, January 21, 7:30 pm,
ADMISSION: $10 online/$12 door. (free to LIF Society members)
Advance reservations are strongly encouraged and appreciated
LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ (January 3, 2023)—The word sabaya in Hebrew means “young girls,” so the irony is all the more sharply drawn when used in the title of this intimate story of eight woman—of various ages, both Arab and Jewish—who meet at a community center video workshop and begin documenting their lives.
As each student works on her filmmaking skills and shares her footage, beliefs and preconceptions are challenged and barriers broken down. The group comes together as the women they are—mothers, daughters, sisters, wives—all living in a world designed to keep them apart. Learning more about each other and themselves, their interactions form empowering, uplifting bonds.
Inspired by writer-director Orit Fouks Rotem’s own experiences as a teacher in Tel Aviv, Cinema Sabaya presents a deft and heartfelt portrait of art’s capacity to unite disparate communities. Moving seamlessly between the challenges they face in their domestic lives and the joy found in the new friendships fostered within this unlikely group, the women open a window onto our common humanity. And the cast, comprised of both professional actors and non-actors, strikes a perfect balance of humor and grit.
Cinema Sabaya is Israel’s Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards, and winner of five Ophir Awards, including Best Picture; Best Director, Orit Fouks Rotem; and Best Supporting Actress, Joanna Said.
SEE TRAILER BELOW
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PNJ JEWISH TRAVEL PROGRAMS
Free of Charge to JCC Members & Friends
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NEXT PJP TRAVEL PROGRAM: "The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam: A Visit to the Secret Annex”
Sunday, January 29 at 1:00 PM
COME JOIN US on a virtual tour of the Secret Annex in the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam to examine the extraordinary life of Anne Frank and how her legacy continues to inspire young people today. Led by educators from the Anne Frank House this webinar will leave plenty of time for Q&A. Prior to the virtual tour please view the powerful documentary “The Short Life of Anne Frank” to prepare for the webinar.
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The JCC is participating in the PNJ Consortium. An exciting 8-part series is being made available to our congregation.
You need not register.
NEXT PROGRAM JANUARY 26, 2022
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JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION
WEDNESDAYS AT 4:00 PM
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Our book last discussion on Florence Adler Swims Forever had mixed reviews on the book itself. Lots of readers enjoyed the references to Atlantic City especially those who had spent their childhood there before the Casinos. There was much discussion on the question of keeping family secrets.
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NEXT BOOK
Wednesday, January 18th at 4:00 pm
Discussion Leader: Sondi Pripstein
Three Sisters By Heather Morris
Against all odds, three Slovakian sisters have survived years of imprisonment in the most notorious death camp in Nazi Germany: Auschwitz. Livia, Magda, and Cibi have clung together, nearly died from starvation and overwork, and the brutal whims of the guards in this place of horror. From there, the three sisters travel to Israel, to their new home, but the battle for freedom takes on new forms. Livia, Magda, and Cibi must face the ghosts of their past--and some secrets that they have kept from each other--to find true peace and happiness.
FUTURE BOOKS:
February: House on Endless Waters
March: The Choice
April: Defending Brita Stein
ORDER YOUR BOOK FROM AMAZON AND START READING TODAY
Click here to borrow the book from the Ocean County Library.
A Zoom link will be sent shortly before the event.
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RSVP TO JILL DENKER 973-214-2767 Jill.denker@hotmail.com |
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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening
Morrie Baker
Bonnie Joy Farin*
Sidney Gottlieb
Martin Kader
Solomon N. Rosenstein
Gil Ross
Jacob Weill*
Frances Berson
Lise Polishook
Ethel Rosenberg
Sam Rosenberg
Esther Sheparde
Florence Cohen Galer
Herb Morton
Ruth Moss
Phyllis Tanenbaum
Murray Weiner
Dora Chazin*
Samuel Cweibel*
Mildred Epstein
Sydney R. Racusin*
Paul Sidel
Ruth Albu
Richard Aronson
Sidney Bitton
Ruth Grossman
Julius Rapaport*
Janet Runko
Sophie Silver*
Walter Blumberg
Rose Gerstenblatt
Evelyn Davis Kolsby*
Andrea Lander
*Memorial plaque will be lit this week.
In this Zoom era, we have been able to have a daily minyan at 8:15 AM and at 7:30 PM and on Shabbat. 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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Patricia Block
January 7
Scott Ranani
January 7
Diane Buskirk
January 9
Kenneth Podos
January 10
Joan Ely
January 11
Barbara Hirsh
January 11
J. Robert Lieber
January 11
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Jason & Jamie Wasserman
January 7
19th Anniversary
Louis & Cheryl Celebre
January 13
43rd Anniversary
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SHARE YOUR NEWS
AND PICTURES
CONTACT:
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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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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:
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:
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.
TRIBUTES
SEND ONE OF OUR TRIBUTES IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF
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:
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:
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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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
Donald Pripstein
Terri Robinovitz
David Shatz
Rob Van Naarden
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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JCC INFORMATION
THE JCC OF LBI IS LOCATED AT
2411 Long Beach Boulevard
(24th Street)
Spray Beach, NJ 08008
Telephone: 609-492-4090 FAX: 609-492-7550
THE OFFICE IS OPEN
MONDAY - FRIDAY
CLOSED THURSDAY
FROM 10 - 2
Staff:
Leslie Dinkfelt, Office Manager
Mary Beth Krieger, Staff Member
Diane Parzych, Staff Member
Susan Berube, Kitchen Manager
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LATEST
BULLETIN:
PRAYER BOOK:
WEB SITE:
PAVERS:
TREE OF LIFE
YAHRZEIT PLAQUE FORM:
KOL HAKAVOD DONATION FORM
TRIBUTES:
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Rabbi Michael S. Jay
Phil Rosenzweig, President
E-mail Editor: Rose Valentine
Graphics by
Irene Babst
Contributing Columnist
Sheila Weisel
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