It seems to always rains during Sukkot. This year the Island weathered a storm during the holiday. We had to take down the Succah and move services for Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah to Zoom only. Of all years to not dance with Torahs and celebrate the return home of the hostages. Yasher Koah to Rabbi Jay for conducting a service with inspiring videos and songs for Simchat Torah.

But, we missed celebrating the holiday as a community in person. We will be having a "Simchat Torah Sheni (II)" at services next Shabbat, October 24. Join us as we dance with our Torahs with joy and gratitude.

      WHY I LOVE TO DAVEN HALLEL

Dedication to my Mishpachah b’Ahavah

from Stu Lehrer

The great American writer Thomas Wolfe once wrote the astounding line “….you can’t go back home….” – Yet when I am paraded with the awesome honor and privilege to lead the Hallel prayer, I feel I can not only go back home but to former Shuls that left an indelible mark with their ruach and davening.

The opening sections have melodies that are generally familiar to all and yet they take me back to my childhood synagogue which in essence was our second home: Beth Joseph Center of Rochester NY. In the middle of Hallel is a stanza that begins with “Kol Ree’nah” which we in Junior Congregation would literally shout in its refrain with quite loud ruach!

Then over the years Eve and I learned other tunes to the familiar verses not just from the other Shuls we belonged to across the nation, but far more special from our nieces and nephews as what they learned at their Yeshivote. This also included the accepted and proper way to ‘shake the lulav’ in the two parts of the Hallel which then Hallel became an inspiring and moving service

Finally, and most poignantly, there is the solemn and extraordinary verse that is Min ha’metzar, kah’rah’tee yah, ah’nah.nee vah’mer’chav yah – translated: In distress I called to HaShem, who answered by setting me free. This was my Mother’s, z”l, favorite posuk and liturgical song.  Because of this, it was quite meaningful to all of us. At our Pesach Seder, when we got to this point in the service: as most of our family have been in choirs and musicals: we actually sang Min Ha’Metzar slowly in sweet multi-harmony. Thus, when I have the honor to daven Hallel and I get to this profound moment in Hallel, I truly “go back home” and hear us. But especially, I hear my Mom.

THIS WEEK

The PJP program planned for this Sunday, October 19 "has been cancelled. The Jewish Museum, NY – “Afterlives: Recovering the Lost Stories of Looted Art” will be rescheduled for 2026.

If you missed the excellent program on the show "Oklahoma" which is part of the John Kendrick Broadway Series, here is the link and password:

CLICK HERE IS THE LINK Password #a0hJajF

RAFFLE WINNERS

1st Prize - Ellen Bernstein $4,557.00

2nd Prize - Herb Botwinick $2,278.50

3rd Prize - Carol Koransky $759.50

MAZEL TOV!!!!



FOR THE LATEST CALENDAR OF WAX EVENTS EVENTS

CLICK HERE FOR CALENDAR

WAX BOOK DISCUSSION

The third Wednesday of each Month

Wednesday, November 19th at 4:00 pm

Discussion Leader: TBA

ON ZOOM

Beyond the Rivers of Babylon: My Journey of Optimism and Resilience

in a Turbulent Century

By Joseph Samuels and Julie Fax

Growing up on his family’s cattle farm in western Iceland, young Orri has gained an appreciation for the beauty Rowing upon the Tigris River to enjoy a summer campfire on the tiny islands that emerged every summer, teenaged Joseph Samuels never could have imagined that these waters would soon become his only hope for freedom. At the age of 19, he was forced to leave his family behind as he smuggled out of Iraq in the secret hold of a Basra riverboat to escape the violent and repressive anti-Semitism that, over the next few years, would spell the end of the twomillennium old Iraqi Jewish community. Beyond the Rivers of Babylon follows Joe’s remarkable journey, from his colorful childhood in the Old Jewish Quarter of Baghdad, to his life-altering service in the Israeli Navy, to starting a family and building a real estate empire in Montreal and Los Angeles. Blessed with a landscape of a home that is no more, and in the process imparts the lessons of a life lived to its fullest. remarkably vivid memory and a keen ability to look inward, Joe paints a sensoryJoe paints a sensory landscape of a home that is no more, and in the process imparts the lessons of a life lived to the fullest.



The JCC section at Crescent Memorial Park is available for sales. Please contact Bonni Rubin-Sugarman at 609-417-7148.

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.

The gift shop is open during office hours M-F 10 - 2.

CALL PAUL LEVINE WITH ANY QUESTIONS

484-802-0586

SEE ORDER FORM BELOW

CONGREGATION NEWS

MAZEL TOV TO

ANN NEWMAN

on the birth of her granddaugher

Jacqueline (Jackie) Shay Van Oostendorp

YOU CAN NOW FILL OUT A GIVING FORM AND PAY ON LINE IN ONE SIMPLE PROCESS.

Go to jccoflbi.org - Giving/Pay

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

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