Rabbi`s Message - Temple B`nai Abraham

Temple B’nai Abraham
The Temple Shofar
President – Robin Affrime
Rabbi Julie Pfau
Sarah Seidel Sisterhood
President–Randye Bloom
58 Crosswicks Street ~ PO Box 245, Bordentown, NJ 08505
(609) 298-1527 ~ www.bnai-abraham.org
JANUARY 2012
Rabbi’s Message
During January, months after Yom Kippur, about
the last thing on anyone’s mind is fasting.
However, aside from the more well known fasts of
Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av (9th of Av), there are
also four minor fast days in the Jewish calendar.
These are Asarah B’Tevet (Fast of the 10th of
Tevet), Tzom Gedaliah (Fast of Gedaliah), Tzom
Tammuz (Fast of the 17th of Tammuz), and Ta’anit
Esther (Fast of Esther). These minor fasts have
different criteria for observance than we are familiar
with for Yom Kippur. A regular Jewish day runs
from sunset to sunset, and most Jewish
observances follow that pattern. Hence, on Yom
Kippur and Tisha B’Av, the fast begins slightly
before sunset. It is different with the minor fasts –
they begin at dawn rather than at sunset the night
before. Other restrictions associated with the fasts
of Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur, such as refraining
from washing or wearing leather, do not apply on
minor fast days.
The fasts of the Asarah B’Tevet (10th of Tevet),
Tzom Tammuz (17th of Tammuz), and Tisha B’Av
(9th of Av) are related to each other. Asarah
B’Tevet commemorates the day when Babylonian
King Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of
Jerusalem that ultimately led to the destruction of
the First Temple. Tzom Tammuz marks the day
when the walls of Jerusalem were breached, a year
and a half after the siege began. This fast begins a
three-week period of mourning that culminates in
Tisha B’Av – the commemoration of the day that
the First Temple was destroyed.
Each of these days is associated with the great
devastation of the loss of the First Temple and the
period of the Babylonian exile. But over the course
of Jewish history, each of these fast days also
came to be associated with other great calamities
that befell Jewish people. For example, Tzom
Tammuz is also associated with events ranging
from Moses’ descent from Mt. Sinai to discover the
people worshipping the golden calf, to the
liquidation of the Kovno ghetto in 1944. Tisha B’Av
is linked to the biblical story of the spies who made
negative reports about the promised land, the
destruction of both Temples, the failure of the Bar
Kokhba revolt of 132-136 CE, as well as the
expulsion from Spain in 1492. In modern times,
Asarah B’Tevet has come to have associations with
the Holocaust, since the Chief Rabbinate in Israel
made it a “general kaddish day” for the many
victims whose exact yahrzeit is unknown.
For many Jews, mourning the loss of the Temples
can be unappealing, or they may feel some
ambivalence about it.
We might mourn the
sufferings that so many Jews have experienced in
the course of our history, but how many of us would
desire a return to the Temple system – with its
animal sacrifices and its rigid hierarchies between
men and women and between priestly and nonpriestly classes? I for one am grateful that such is
not the model for our current Jewish religious
practice! I am grateful that we have developed
other models over the millennia.
Still, even without a Temple, we have to decide
how to respond to current events in Israel that
mimic some of the religiously enforced inequities
that existed under the Temple system. How should
we respond when ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel
verbally abuse an 8-year-old girl because they don’t
approve of her clothing, or when ultra-orthodox
Jews try to enforce segregation between men and
women in public spaces such as buses and
sidewalks? How do we respond when religious
extremists exacerbate conflicts with Palestinians
through illegal settlements? <continued page 2>
Temple B’nai Abraham Officers
Officers:
President
Executive Vice President
Religious Vice President
Financial Vice President
Recording Secretary
Past President
Trustees:
Religious School Chair
Membership Chair
Building Chair
Technical Chair
Robin Affrime
Charlie Weiss
Sid Morginstin
Mike Rosen
Susan Giachetti
Betsy Ramos
Linda Osman
Kim Aubry
Eileen Gale
Brian Epstein
Temple Donations
In Honor of the birth of their granddaughter to Joel
and Marsha Dowshen from Eileen Gale
Get Well to Jay Trackman from Eileen Gale,
Michael Scolaro & Randye Bloom, Rhea Goldman,
Phyllis Busch, Eileen Miller, Mike & Marcia Rosen
Get Well to Eileen Gale from Michael Scolaro and
Randye Bloom, Rhea Goldman
Prayer book in Memory of Daniel Brazer from
Randye Bloom and Michael Scolaro
In Memory of Bernard Zeichner from Stan & Ronnie
Zeichner
In Honor of David Zaveloff’s marriage from Mike &
Marcia Rosen
In Appreciation from Mollie Goodman for Hanukah
party
Get Well to Rita Nissim from Mike & Marcia Rosen
Get Well to Jill Zaveloff from Mike & Marcia Rosen
In Memory of Lillian Brewis from Brian & Maribeth
Epstein
In Memory of Max Kamer from Phyllis & Iz Kamer
High Holiday Pledge
Mindy Fink
Yahrzeits for January
January 6, 2012
Ella Kessler, mother of Henry Kessler
Lawrence Bowker, husband of Linda, father of
Jonathan Bowker
January 13
Rod Eudell, friend of Linda Bowker
Ethel Speiser, mother of Berny Speiser
Evelyn Rothman, mother of Robin Affrime
January 20
Blanch Cantor, wife of Paul Cantor
Bernard Zeichner, father of Stan Zeichner
Julius Bloom, father of Randye Bloom
Jacob Epstein, great uncle of Brian Epstein
Jennie Groveman, mother-in-law of Seena
Groveman
January 27
Minnie Gutstein, mother of Herman Gutstein
Rose Wasserman, mother of Linda Bowker
Ida Josephson, mother of Sam Josephson,
grandmother of Mark
Minnie Kaufman, grandmother of Phyllis Busch
Harry Gutstein, father of Herman Gutstein
Joseph Schwartz, grandfather of Phyllis Chudoff
Rabbi’s Message <continued from page 1>
As non-citizens, there are limits to what we can do –
we may only have the power of our voices and
choosing wisely about which groups will receive our
financial contributions.
As one aspect of our response, I would like to
propose a reinterpretation of these fast days.
Instead of mourning the loss of the Temples, I
propose that we actively mourn for the
contemporary desecrations of Jewish life and
religion. I propose that we mourn for the ways that
Jewish religious extremists have contributed to
conflict and suffering in Israel, Palestine, and the
world – for both Jews and non-Jews. I propose that
we use these days to mourn the chillul ha-Shem, the
desecration of God’s name that occurs when women
are oppressed in the name of religion. I believe that
one of the greatest calamities for the Jewish people
today is that which is brought by our own religious
extremists, and I can mourn that unambivalently.
Asarah B’Tevet corresponds with January 5th this
year. (Tzom Tammuz will be on July 8th, and Tisha
B’Av will be on July 29th.) I invite you to observe
the fast in the way that is most appropriate for your
health and well being, and to expand your
understanding of these days to make them
meaningful to you.
Remember that we have
inherited a tradition that speaks of the past but also
addresses the present, and it is our task to claim it
and transform it to reflect our values – for our
generation and generations to come.
Shalom,
Rabbi Pfau
Temple B’nai Abraham is affiliated with
the Jewish Reconstruction Federation.
www.jrf.org
In case a loved one dies, the following information
will be helpful in thinking through what steps to take:
1) As soon as possible, please contact the Rabbi,
the Temple President, and the Sisterhood President.
SAVE THE DATE
2012 Shabbat Morning Services
January 21 (Osman Bar Mitzvah)
February 11
March 10 (Saltstein Bar Mitzvah)
April 21
May 5
June 23
It is time to restart the HEALING LIST. All
names are now off. If you have anyone that
you want listed, please call or send his or her
name to Sid Morginstin.
mailto:[email protected]
Update on the Trip to Israel
Unfortunately, we have less than 10 people who
are interested in the Israel Trip. We needed at
least 20 to make it worthwhile. Therefore, I will
no longer pursue the trip. If you are still
interested here are the WEB SITES of the
companies I contacted. If you want a contact
person, please call me.
ARZA WORLD www.arzaworld.com.
ISRAEL EXPERTS www.israelexperts.com
(This is from Steve Burnstein whom we met at
the Retreat)
SHALOM JOURNEYS
http://www.shalomjourneys.com
All are about the same; however, I was leaning
toward SHALOM JOURNEYS as they seemed to
offer the best tour. ARZA WORLD just sent me an
e-mail about a tour from June 28 thru July 6 starting
at $1,350 for land and $2,350 for land and air.
However, this seems to be a MINIMALISTIC tour –
basically Jerusalem and environs. I am sure that
you will find one that is suitable.
2) If you would like the Rabbi to officiate at the
funeral, please ask the Funeral Director to contact
the Rabbi when exploring possible dates and times.
3) There are many traditional Jewish practices that
may offer guidance about the handling of the body,
the funeral, and the burial. Please ask the Funeral
Director to explore these options.
4) Resources about mourning, death, and dying are
available from the Rabbi. There is also a synagogue
document containing information about Jewish
funeral procedures.
We hope this information will be needed as
infrequently as possible!
Siddur and Tallit Donations
A new Siddur (prayer book) can be purchased
in honor of or in memory of someone for $35.00; a
Talles (prayer shawl) can be purchased for $60.
Please contact Sid Morginstin [email protected]
M em orial Plaques
Plaques are available for $250.00. To order a
plaque, send the following to Sid Morginstin, Plaque
Chairman at PO Box 8101, Trenton, NJ 08650 or
[email protected]: #1 English name of loved
one, #2 Hebrew name of Loved one, and #3 Date of
death in the English calendar. Once the plaque has
been put up, you will be billed. Plaques will not be
moved from one board to the other.
The Trackman family sends a BIG
“THANK YOU” to everyone in our
community for all the well wishes,
prayers and visits for Jay. He is at
home and doing very well!
Sarah Seidel Sisterhood Officers
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Financial Secretary
Record. Secretary
Corres. Secretary
Trustees:
Susan Giachetti
Elaine Trackman
Randye Bloom
Debby Weiss
Marcy Schwartz
Rita Nissim
Ellen Wehrman
Mimi Geller
Phyllis Chudoff
Eileen Gale
Sisterhood News
A small, but enthusiastic group of us did yoga at
the December Sisterhood meeting. Thank you
to Marcy Schwartz who helped us to stretch our
lower backs, meditate, and reinforce our
magnetic fields. It truly was a wonderful respite.
There is no Sisterhood meeting in January or
February. In March we will have a book group.
This year we thought it might be fun to make
this a Temple wide event and to gain the
participation and perspective of men and teens,
so we have chosen The Book Thief, by Markus
Zusak. Think of this as One Book, One Temple
B'nai Abraham. A date will follow shortly.
Don't forget that Linda Osman's son, Noah, will
become a Bar Mitzvah on January 21. Please
make an effort to attend Shabbat services
Friday, January 20 to support the Osman family
and wish them mazel tov.
Supermarket Gift
Card Program
Make a New Year’s Resolution
to support our Temple by purchasing your gifts
cards from Acme or ShopRite. Please send a
check to Dowshen, 502 Farnsworth Avenue,
Bordentown, NJ 08505 or call 298-5306. Your
cards will be sent to you the same day.
Sisterhood Donations
Get well Jay Trackman from Steve & Ellen
Benowitz, Shyrle & Sol Kushner, Rhoda &
Henry Kessler, Phyllis & Is Kamer, Charyl & Sid
Morginstin, Neil & Karen Nissim, Renee
Harrison, Phyllis Chudoff, Marcy & Rick Shain,
Sheila Lamonsoff
Get well Eileen Gale from Jay & Elaine
Trackman, Marcy & Rick Shain, Phyllis Chudoff
Rejoicing with Mindy Fink on your selection
to Phillie Pops from Elaine & Jay Trackman
Rejoicing with Marsha & Joel Dowshen on
arrival of Baby Neve from Jay & Elaine
Trackman
Rejoicing with you Jill Popko on your
appointment from Elaine & Jay Trackman
Rejoicing with Mimi Geller on your special
birthday from Phyllis & Is Kamer
Rejoicing with Ray & Cindy Cantor from Eileen
Gale
In Memory of Roz Gross’s mother from Renee
Harrison
In Memory of Miriam Radler from Randye
Bloom & Mike Scolaro
In Memory of Mr. Horwitz from Renee Harrison
In Memory of Bea Marvet from Phoebe & Jeff
Nissim, Barbara & Jeff Streisfeld
In Memory of Lee Nissim from Phyllis & is
Kamer
Tot Shabbat News
The next Tot Shabbat will be on
Friday, January 13th at 6:00. It will
include candle lighting, potluck dinner,
story time, a theme-related craft, and
songs. If you need any additional
information, or would like to volunteer to help
clean up or set up, please contact Marla
Hoffman [email protected].
2012 Tot Shabbat Programs
January 13 – Tu B’shevat theme
February 24 – Purim theme
March 23 – Passover theme
April 13 – Shabbat theme
May 11 – Lag B’Omer theme
June 1 – Shavuot theme
Message from the President
Robin Affrime
On Friday night December 23rd the temple community met to celebrate Hanukah and to share a
potluck supper. As the evening began everyone stood together to light the menorahs and to sing
Hanukah songs. The table was aglow with more than a dozen menorahs, and it was a beautiful sight
to see. The lights were reflected in the faces of the young and old as we were reminded of who we
are and why we celebrate this holiday of freedom.
After lighting both the Hanukah and Shabbat candles the Tot Shabbat families gathered for a story
while many of the adults went upstairs for an abbreviated service.
After prayers and stories we said the blessing over the homemade challah, and dug in to sample the
delicious food everyone brought. There were yummy casseroles, and delicious salads, pizza and
sweet tasty baked goods, including jelly donuts. Most importantly there were piles and piles of sizzling
latkes, plenty for everyone!
I was gratified to see that people of all ages attended. There were babies, and tots, Hebrew School
students and their families and congregants of all ages. I love seeing everyone coming together to
share what we have in common. I would like to thank everyone who attended for bringing something
special to eat and for sharing a portion of their holiday with our TBA family. It was such a fun
evening!
May you be blessed with good health, prosperity in your chosen profession, and the love of family
and friends. Happy New Year!
Rabbi Julie leads the celebration in the menorah lighting and Hanukah songs.
The Board decided to experiment with a new start time for Shabbat morning services. It was thought that
beginning at 10:00 am instead of 9:30 am might increase the likelihood of people arriving on time. We will be
interested in people's responses to the alternative start time, and will take note of whether it accomplishes the
goal. We will then evaluate whether to make the new time permanent. (However, when there are B'nai
Mitzvah, we will still begin at 9:30 am since there are additional pieces of the service.)
JANUARY 2012 ~ TEVET 5772
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
4:30 pm Hebrew
7:30 pm Shabbat
12
13
4:30 pm Hebrew
6 pm – Tot
Shabbat
7:30 pm Shabbat
19
20
21
4:30 pm Hebrew
7:30 pm Shabbat
9:30 am – Shabbat
Osman Bar Mitzvah
26
27
28
9 am –
Sunday
10 am Hebrew
8
9
10
11
9 am –
Sunday
10 am Hebrew
15
16
17
18
9 am –
Sunday
10 am Hebrew
22
23
24
25
9 am –
Sunday
10 am Hebrew
29
9 am –
Sunday
10 am –
Hebrew
4:30 pm Hebrew
30
31
1
14
7:30 pm Shabbat
2
3
4:30 pm Hebrew
7:30 pm Shabbat
4