November 2015 - Larchmont Temple

Larchmont Temple News
NOVEMBER 2015
In this Issue…
From the President
LT Mission to Israel
Study & Learning
From Rabbi Sirkman
Kristallnacht Commem.
Chesed Corps
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2
3
3
3
4
Question of the Month
Family News
Communal Naming
Sirkmans Endowed Scholarship
From Rabbi Eve Rudin
Social Action
4
6
5
5
6
6
Contributions
Screening Samson & Delilah
Vodka & Latkes
Six13 Chanukah Acappella
Home for the Holidays
Brotherhood Blood Drive
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7
7
7
8
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For updated information on Temple events, visit us at www.LarchmontTemple.org
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Larchmont Temple
75 Larchmont Avenue,
Larchmont, NY 10538
914-834-6120; FAX: 914-834-6503
www.Larchmonttemple.org
a member of the Union for Reform
Judaism
Dear Fellow Larchmont Temple Congregants,
JEFFREY J. SIRKMAN
Rabbi
BETHIE MILLER
Assistant Rabbi
TRACEY SCHER
Cantor
RABBI EVE RUDIN
Director of Education, Youth & Families
LISA GERSHON
Director of Early Childhood
JANE SABLE-FRIEDMAN
Executive Director
FREDDA MENDELSON
Cantor Emerita
z’l
H. LEONARD POLLER
Rabbi Emeritus
z’l
EDWARD GRAHAM
Cantor Emeritus
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
HARRI TARANTO
President
RON HAUBEN
Honorary President
JULI KARSON
Executive Vice President
STACEY CHERVIN-SIGDA
1st Vice President
ROBERT ROTHMAN
2nd Vice President
DAVID SZABO
Financial Vice President
MARTHA STEINMAN
Administrative Secretary
MICHAEL NATHAN
Treasurer
With the High Holy Days occurring “early” this year, it seems like a long time since we
heard the inspiring sermons by Rabbi Sirkman and Rabbi Miller and the wonderful music
and chanting Cantor Scher offered us. So many of you have commented to me about
how truly wonderful and uplifting services were. While my ability to be in two places at
once remains wanting, I was able to attend some of the Tent services this year and was
delighted by the attendance and the multi-generational crowd they drew. Our Music
and T’filah Coordinator Ben Pagliaro made his debut to great acclaim and is well
underway to becoming a key member of the team.
Both the Nursery School and the Religious School are off to a great start. Rabbi Eve
Rudin, along with full time Educator, Ted Dreier, have put into place some exciting new
changes, some of which have already made a very noticeable difference.
The Chesed Corps (Caring Community) program led by Rabbi Miller is well underway as
well with several training sessions scheduled and many calls and visits to congregants
taking place. Similarly, the LT Connects initiative has had several well-received meetings
in congregants’ homes and continues to expand, as groups of LT members come
together to connect and talk face to face. The Cultural Arts Committee has a terrific
series of events planned for the whole year. We have an excellent Scholar in Residence
program coming up, as well as several other programs and series, throughout the year. I
encourage everyone to regularly visit the LT website and to read the emails and
brochures we all receive so as not to miss events of interest.
Fall at Larchmont Temple is a busy time with so much from which to choose. Whether
one is most drawn to ritual and liturgy, or a spiritual connection, or the social aspects of
life at LT, there is something here for everyone. Look through all the choices we have
and pick what most speaks to you. Come and be part of this dynamic and caring
community.
All the best,
Harri V. Taranto, President
DAVID BECKER
SHEILA CHERVIN
STACEY CREEM
MICHAEL FINEBERG
YVETTE GOOREVITCH
KEN GORDON
BARBARA LEWIS KAPLAN
STEVE LEHMAN
BETH METZENDORF
TOBY SKLAREW
AMY SOMMER
RANDI SPATZ
KAREN ZIMMERMAN
Trustees
STEWART ROSS
Brotherhood President
ROSEANNE AMOILS
Sisterhood Representative
JEFFREY WANG
KAREN EPSTEIN
Youth Education Committee Chairs
LESLIE CLIFFORD
NICOLE FIFTAL
LTNS Steering Committee Chairs
Thank you for submitting by the
1st of each month to
[email protected]
2 Weissman, Editor/Designer
Cynthia
Carol Scharff, Proofreader
Printed on recycled paper
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Families making the journey… Belisle Brody Canter Rotskoff Cowen
Elligator Tamarin Futterman Goldberg Gross Vig Herzog Millman
Kraut Lieberman Sodickson Lipton Loigman Metzendorf Oster
Ross Scher Shapiro Sirkman
BROTHERHOOD BREAKFAST
RABBI LARRY HOFFMAN, Professor of Liturgy at HUC-JIR
Sunday, November 15, 10 am
WHAT are the 5 Most Important Books of the Bible?
World-renowned liturgist, primary professor of Jewish Rite & Ritual, Rabbi Larry Hoffman, has
helped our Reform spiritual leadership understand the what's and how's of holiness for over
four decades. He is co-founder of Synagogue 2000, transforming synagogue life for the 21st
century. He will help us look at our Hebrew Bible and discover within it secrets for living a
healthier, holier life in our world today...
WHAT are the 5 Most Important Books of the Bible?...HOW can stepping inside these
tales and texts help you to understand the life questions confronting you?...Witness the master
teacher open a world you never knew existed and discover how/why it beckons you to enter.
Book Review
39 Books…Our One-Volume Guide to the Galaxy
Ruth…The Most UNLIKELY HERO of Israel…
Ruth is all about what family can mean—the loyalty it inspires and the loving-kindness that not
alone keeps it together, but helps it flourish. The family in question here is ISRAEL, and the
hero of our tale is RUTH. If, at first glance you thought: Something about the two just don’t go
together, you’d be right…and dead wrong. Ruth is the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi, a Moabite who could simply stay
home and start over, but decides instead to go with Naomi—Ruth is
the ultimate Jew By Choice: What’s Ruth’s motivation? To carry on the
“For wherever you go—I will go.
family line of her deceased husband; to raise a child who’ll grow up a
Wherever you lodge—I will lodge. Your
proud member of the people Israel…AND in so doing, to become a
people will be my people—
Mother of Israel herself. The power of the tale is palpable.
your God, my God…”
No pyrotechnics or sea-splitting scenes, rather the loss and renewed
hope of one Bethlehem family…Just Boaz, cousin of her late husband, who marries Ruth and provides a stable home wherein
they have a child…A little boy they name Oved, who will be the grandfather of a little shepherd boy named David—YES—the
one who becomes King of Israel and progenitor of the Messianic line….SO, a convert conceives the son who will father the
leader of all Israel, the same king who gives rise to the spirit that might yet save our world….
Ruth is all about what family can mean—our family: diverse strands of stories that interweave when we embrace one another
with open hands and hearts. Such is the caring outreach, the sacred kindness that will not alone keep us together, but create
a future family of Israel which might someday be ready to redeem our world.
Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman
The QUESTION
HOW is your family a reflection of RUTH…?
HOW can Ruth’s loyalty/love teach us to be more grateful for our family circle this Thanksgiving?
The TAKE-AWAY
WHAT blessings might RUTH inspire for us to share this Thanksgiving?....Join our TED Talk and find out!
Sunday, Nov. 1, 10:15 am Home for the Holidays (Interfaith Connection).
Kristallnacht Commemoration -- Monday, November 9, 7:30 PM
Guest Speaker: Bettina Graf
We will commemorate that fateful night 77 years ago…Our guest speaker Bettina Graf experienced
"Kristallnacht." Her presentation will cover her life under the Nazi occupation as well as her experience
during the "blitz" in London, and her family’s rescue from a ship torpedoed by the Nazis!
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CHESED CORPS WORKSHOP SERIES
Condolence Calls & Supporting Shiva
Monday, November 2, 7:30 PM
You are not alone – for all of us, it can be difficult to know what to say or
what to do to comfort someone in mourning. What is appropriate? What is
appreciated? What is the Jewish way? This upcoming workshop will
respond to these questions, and more. Our clergy team in partnership with
a WJCS social worker will lead an evening of study and skill building. On the
topics of condolence calls and supporting a family through shiva, we’ll learn
from Jewish wisdom and traditions, psychological insights, and those who
have years and years of experience.
Bringing Light to Others: Visiting the Sick & Elderly
Thursday, December 3, 7:30 PM
Whether someone is in the hospital, recovering at home, or having trouble getting out and about, the gift of a visitor’s
company can be invaluable. But what’s the best way to approach such a visit? What should we talk about? How do we
make sure that we’re not intruding? Visiting the sick – or in Hebrew, bikkur cholim – is considered one of the core acts of
compassion and chesed that we should do for one another when living together in community. In this second (of four)
workshops, we’ll explore together how to be present for each other during difficult times, and what we may gain from such
encounters. To ask questions or sign up for one or both of these workshops, please contact Rabbi Miller
([email protected])
Chesed Corps is an ever-growing group of dedicated LT members ready to lend support and care to our LT family.
Invitation to Circle of Healing, Friday, November 13, 7:15 pm
We all confront brokenness in our lives - perhaps in ourselves, and perhaps in in the lives of those we
love. Our Circle of Healing gives people the opportunity to offer up their own prayers.
Cantor Tracey Scher
WHAT are you most grateful for in being part of this Larchmont Temple community?
To me, Larchmont Temple means a
warm, welcoming and supportive
community, and gives me the
same family feeling whether it’s
intimate Friday night services or
large High Holiday services in the
tent. I’m so grateful to be part of
that community experience.
—Marshall Cohen
I am grateful mostly for the sense of warmth
and belonging which is present from
everyone - clergy, religious service greeters,
administrators and office team, building
support staff and religious school
personnel. Right behind that is a willingness
to try new things to engage members.
—Robert Fligel
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If it takes a village to raise a family, then it
also takes the LT community to help
make them Jewish. I am thankful that LT
has our Jewish back to provide the
roadmap of what we cannot navigate
alone.
—Wendy Weinstein Karp
A consistently warm, welcoming and caring
community where we can share life’s joys,
challenges and interests with friends and a
dedicated clergy.
–Mark Lederman
NURSERY SCHOOL PARENTS
Come Celebrate in
Black and White
November 14, 7:30-10:30PM
Communal Naming Ceremony (Brit – HaShmot)
Shabbat Vayetze: Friday, November 20, 7 PM
We've heard from many of you. We totally understand. Even with
the best intentions, a baby's first year can go by, and then it
becomes more and more challenging to plan for a naming! We
think this is a wonderful opportunity to have a communal
celebration in which any students in our Nursery or Religious
Schools (pre-B’nai Mitzvah age) who have not yet had a naming
ceremony will officially receive their Hebrew names.
During the Kabbalat Shabbat Service, we will invite the children and
their parents onto the bima to share their Hebrew names and
receive a special blessing. We are looking forward to this ceremony
and celebration. Please contact Rabbi Miller
([email protected]) if you and your family would like
to participate, if you have any questions, OR if you want to give
your child(ren) a Hebrew name but need some help selecting one.
Give & Donate for just one night!
Garden Room
Larchmont Temple Nursery School
Cocktail Party and Silent Auction
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Wednesday, November 18
7:30 PM
St. John’s Episcopal Church...
Join our clergy in a community-wide
celebration!
Drop In Lunch
Tuesday, November 17, 12:00 Noon
Guest Speaker TBA. Bring your lunch and we will provide dessert and coffee!
Celebrating the Susan & Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman Endowed Scholarship
Join us, as we, as a congregation celebrate the establishment of the
Susan & Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman Endowed Scholarship
which will enable a rabbinic student to pursue their
five years of study at HUC-JIR
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 8:00 PM
Rabbi Aaron Panken, President of HUC-JIR
will be our honored speaker.
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RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
From Rabbi Eve Rudin, Director of Education, Youth and Families
One of my favorite quotes about education and teachers is from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel:
Everything depends on the person who stands in front of the classroom. The teacher is not an automatic fountain from
which intellectual beverages may be obtained…What we need more than anything else is not textbooks, but text people.
It is the personality of the teacher which is the text that the pupils read: the text that they will never forget.
I Asked for Wonder: A Spiritual Anthology
So much of what “sticks” for us Jewishly is not necessarily the information--what we read in a textbook, but experiencing
Judaism with passionate and engaging people. During my first few months here at Larchmont Temple, it’s been wonderful
getting to know so many of YOU and your children who are so passionate about Judaism and the LT community! I look forward
to getting to know all of you over the coming months!
Pleasantville Cottages , November 15, 12:15 pm
SOCIAL ACTION
Share in a pizza party, play games and run activities with the children at the Pleasantville Cottage School in Pleasantville, a
school for emotionally troubled boys and girls ages 7-16. This is a great opportunity for the whole family. Meet at 12:15 pm at
Larchmont Temple and drive together. Stay for about 2 hours. Contact Lisa Schuman, [email protected].
Social Action Committee Meeting, Sunday, November 22, 10:00 am Temple Library
Please join us to discuss our projects, events and charitable causes. New members and ideas are always welcome!
Susan’s Place, Sunday, December 6, 12:30 pm
Join us as we bring a day of fun and TLC to women in a shelter in the Bronx. We are not experts, but somehow we manage to
offer nails, makeup, and hair styling to the women, and then have bingo for fun prizes. The women enjoy being pampered, and
enjoy the conversation and games. We drive together to the shelter on Fordham Road, only about a 20 minute drive, and stay
for about two hours. Pre-teens and teens are invited to come and help. Meet at Larchmont Temple at 12:15 pm. Contact Linda
Riefberg - [email protected].
OUR CONGREGATIONAL FAMILY
Our deepest sympathies to the family of Erica Pistol mother of Ron

Linda Scharff mother of Deborah Huppert
Mazel Tov to Doreen & Neil Davidowitz on the marriage of their son Aaron to Claire Botnick
THANK YOU
Rabbi Sirkman’s Mitzvah Fund
In memory of Marvin Schwartz by Gloria Schwartz
Best wishes for you & your family by Steve Ozer
In gratitude for our granddaughter Josephine’s
baby naming by Arthur & Ina Gordon
With gratitude for your thoughtfulness and for the
terrific office team by Priscilla Poller
In honor of Jane & Richard Shapiro’s special
birthdays by Mr. & Mrs. Lee Slosberg
In gratitude for your beautiful and inspiring
High Holy Days Services by Marshall Cohen &
Ellen Brooks
In memory of my father-in-law John Lowe
by Harvey Rubin
In gratitude for officiating at the marriage of our
son Andrew Davidowitz to Claire Botnick
by Doreen & Neil Davidowitz
Rabbi Miller’s Mitzvah Fund
With best wishes for the New Year by Steve Ozer
In gratitude for your beautiful and inspiring High
Holy Days Services by Marshall Cohen & Ellen
Brooks
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Cantor Tracey Scher’s Mitzvah Fund
In gratitude for your beautiful and inspiring High
Holy Days Services by Marshall Cohen & Ellen
Brooks
Cantor Mendelson
With gratitude for the Baby naming of our
granddaughter by Arthur & Ina Gordon
Coleman Outreach Fund
In memory of Lee Krohn by Joel & Lois Coleman
CULTURAL & EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
In memory of Marvin Schwartz
by Priscilla Poller
Religious School Progams
In honor of Josh Ettinger’s Bar Mitzvah
by Andrea Glenn Loigman
General Contributions
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In honor of Jane & Richard Shapiro’s 70 birthdays
by Gail & Jerry Robinson
by Mr. & Mrs. Marc Blumberg
In honor of the birth of our granddaughter, Adina
Lauren Dorfman by Jerold & Karen Dorfman
Susan Sirkman Fund
In honor of the special birthdays of Jane & Richard
Shapiro
by Mr. & Mrs. Richard Wachsman
by Mr. & Mrs. Warren Sweberg
by Ms. Barbara Miller
by Ms. Harriette Ketover
In gratitude for the unveiling for my husband Mark
Loigman by Andrea Glenn Loigman
In appreciation for the unveiling for my husband
Marty Gottesfeld by Ileen Gottesfeld
In memory of Susan Sirkman by Edgar Bernstein
Tzedaka Social Action Fund
In honor of Jane & Richard Shapiro's 70th birthday
by Mr. & Ms. Barry Abrams
In honor of Claire Zuckerman by Judy & Steve
Gutmann
In memory of Judith Lesch by Gerald & Marlene
Kolbert
Larchmont Temple proudly presents
Cecil B. Demille’s
Samson and Delilah
Sunday, November 29, 4 PM
Please join us for wine,
cheese and a lively discussion
about this epic film.
NY Times, Dec. 22, 1949
“Cecil B. Demille’s "Samson and
Delilah" was solemnly brought
forth last night at both the
Paramount and the Rivoli
Theatres, in keeping with its
elegance and size. And the first
thing to be said about it, before
the echoes have even died, is
that, if ever there was a movie
for DeMillions, here it is… In the
dazzling displays of splendid
costumes, of sumptuous settings
and softly tinted flesh… Starring
Hedy Lamarr, as Delilah,
Victor Mature, as Samson,
George Sanders and Angela
Lansbury”
Shul Shuttle is Back!!
If you are coming to services, a
meeting or an event at Temple and
don’t have a car or a ride, the Shul
Shuttle (operated by Larchmont
Taxi) can get you here and bring
you back home. Simply call the
office at 834-6120.
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Larchmont Temple Artists Wanted…Larchmont Temple plans to host an
exhibition featuring the work of LT members. In line with this year’ theme, the 39
books of the Hebrew Bible, we are asking our artists to create work related to any
event or personality in the Tanach.. If you would like to participate, contact Ze’ev
Aviezer at [email protected].
NOVEMBER WORSHIP
SCHEDULE
Friday, November 6
Chayei Sarah (Gen. 23:1-25:18)
6:30 PM Pre-Oneg
7:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat
Larchmont Temple
75 Larchmont Avenue
Larchmont, NY 10538
914-834-6120
www.larchmonttemple.org
Saturday, November 7
9:00 AM Chevrah Torah
10:30 AM Downstairs Minyan
Monday, November 9
7:30 PM Kristallnacht
Commemoration
Friday, November 13
Toledot (Gen. 25:19-28:9)
7:15 PM Circle of Healing
8:00 PM Service for the Soul-Shir
Hanefesh
Saturday, November 14
9:00 AM Chevrah Torah
10:30 AM Congregational Worship
Bar Mitzvah of Matthew Gensburg
10:30 AM Downstairs Minyan
Wednesday, November 18
7”30 PM Interfaith Thanksgiving
Service at St. John’s Episcopal Church
Friday, November 20
Vayeitzi (Gen. 28:10-32:3)
5 :00 PM Young Family Service
6:30 PM Pre-Oneg
7:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat
Communal Naming Ceremony
Saturday, November 21
9:00 AM Chevrah Torah
10:30 AM Congregational Worship
Bat Mitzvah of Julia Dorf
Bar Mitzvah of Zachary Schwab
10:30 AM Downstairs Minyan
Friday, November 27
Vayishlach (Gen. 32:4-36:43
6:30 PM Pre-Oneg
7:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat
Saturday, November 28
9:00 AM Chevrah Torah
10:30 AM Congregational Worship
Bat Mitzvah of Courtney Ross
10:30 AM Downstairs Minyan
INTERFAITH CONNECTION
Sunday, November 1, 10:15 am
A conversation among interfaith
families about how we navigate the
holiday season.
Bonus: Rabbi Sirkman’s TED TALK
WHAT blessings might Ruth inspire
for us to share this Thanksgiving?
Questions? Contact:
[email protected]
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