Temple Topics Jan.-Feb. 2012

Beth Haverim Shir Shalom
EMPLE
BETH
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TEVET/SHEVAT/ADAR 5772
Friday, January 6
VOLUME 28 NO. 3
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
8:00 PM
Saturday, January 7
10:00 AM
Friday, January 13
7:00 PM
Oneg Shabbat Hosts: the Konikow family
Bar Mitzvah of Matthew Konikow
Family Service
Oneg Shabbat Hosts: the Kossar and Mittleman families
Please note the early start time. Birthdays in January will be celebrated.
Saturday, January 14
Friday, January 20
10:00 AM
B'nai Mitzvah of Dylan Kossar and Jordan Mittleman
11:30 AM
Tot Shabbat
8:00 PM
Saturday, January 21
10:00 AM
Friday, January 27
Saturday, January 28
Friday, February 3
Oneg Shabbat Hosts: the Miller family
B'not Mitzvah of Sarah Miller and Tracy Miller
8:00 PM
Oneg Shabbat Hosts: the Barr and Scholl families
10:00 AM
B'nai Mitzvah of Jeremy Barr and Amanda Scholl
8:00 PM
Shabbat Shirah
Oneg Shabbat Hosts: the Peller family
Saturday, February 4
10:00 AM
Friday, February 10
7:00 PM
B'not Mitzvah of Alexandra Peller and Fallon Peller
Please note the early start time. Birthdays in February will be celebrated.
Saturday, February 11
Friday, February 17
11:30 AM
Tot Shabbat
10:00 AM
Friday, February 24
8:00 PM
Saturday, February 25
RAMAPO VALLEY
MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY
Shabbat Morning Service
8:00 PM
Saturday, February 18
280
10:00 AM
10:00 AM
ROAD
07430
PHONE:
FA X :
Shabbat Morning Service
Oneg Shabbat Hosts: the Sipper family
Bar Mitzvah of Andrew Sipper
201-512-1983
201-512-1586
www.BethHaverimShirShalom.org
BETHHAVERIM @ OPTONLINE . NET
President’s Message
As our tour bus approached the
Lebanese border during our
congregation’s Israel trip this
past summer, with a bit of
anxiety in my voice I asked our
guide, “How close to the border
will we be going?” She casually replied, “Within a
stone’s throw.” Given the images dancing in my head of
Palestinian youth hurling stones at Israeli soldiers, “a
stone’s throw” was not the metric for distance that I
was looking for at that moment! But indeed, as I look
back on my first trip to Israel, “stones” were at the
centerpiece of so many aspects of our visit and Israel’s
history. From the top of Masada, we learned about the
rolling of stones down upon the oncoming armies. At
the Western Wall, we heard about the precision of
cutting, transporting and aligning the tremendous
stones at the foundation of the wall. And in one of the
most touching moments of the trip for me, during our
visit to a military cemetery in Jerusalem, when our
group learned that Israeli children come each year to
place small stones on the tombstones of those fallen
soldiers who have no one to visit them, one of our
young BHSS members asked, “Can I also do that?” and
with tears in my eyes I watched several of our youth
put small stones to this most passionate and significant
purpose.
support them in every way we can. But that’s only one
piece of the puzzle, as we need to devise programs,
services and activities (Exciting programming) that
engage all segments of our congregation, from young
parents attending Family School to empty nesters who
enjoy a Sunday afternoon trip with our Lifelong
Learning team. As the engagement from such activities
builds bonds within and across our membership,
people choose to stay as members, meeting the critical
goal of Member retention, the third element of the
circle. And, quite simply, the #1 driver of our financial
soundness (the final element of the circle being Solid
finances) is a growing membership base. Coming full
circle, that financial soundness enables us to attract
and retain superior pulpit leaders, and provide the
types of services and programming that are valued by
our members.
It sure sounds simple, doesn’t it? If you think so, then
I welcome you to come to an upcoming Board meeting
where we wrestle with constrained dollars to spend on
so many different initiatives that we believe will
advance our congregation. Which brings me to one
final point: easy ways that you can add to our financial
soundness. In my last column, I encouraged you all to
support the TDBank initiative where BHSS gets
compensated merely if you link an account, on a
confidential basis, to our affinity program. This
month, I’d like to ask you to please support our scrip
program, which has no cost to you, but potentially
huge gains for BHSS. See the link in our weekly email
or on our website, and jump into the program. There
are hundreds of vendors that we all use regularly, and
merely purchasing gift cards for these stores (at face
value) will be a big win for BHSS. And in my efforts to
ensure we maintain this virtuous circle for years to
come, I dare not leave any “stone unturned.”
Back here in Mahwah, “Harvey, is it always about the
money?” was the legitimate question that a Board
member raised when we were discussing a new
fundraising idea recently. This question caused me to
wonder whether my focus was misplaced, as indeed I
do put great emphasis on ensuring the financial
strength and integrity of our congregation. But as I
thought further, it became clearer that there is an
intimate and critical linkage between that which a lay
leader such as me can influence (i.e. our
finances) and the vital programs and
Superior
services delivered by Rabbi, Cantor,
pulpit
Rebecca and our various committees.
Graphically, my sense is that as a
Board and as a congregation we need
to continue to focus on all elements
Solid
of a “virtuous circle,” as delineated:
finances
Without question, this virtuous
circle begins at the top with our rabbi
and cantor (Superior pulpit). As a
congregation, we are blessed to have them
as our leaders, and we will continue to
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Member
retention
As
always, I seek your input and
involvement in all that we do at BHSS.
If you see the picture as I do, let me
know. And if you see it differently,
and would like to help advance our
Exciting
thinking, for sure give me a call or
program- drop me an email.
ming
Have a Happy New Year!
—Harvey Weinberg, President
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
From the Rabbi’s Study
“If not now, when?”
Near as I could tell, my parents had never discussed organ
donation.
actor in Los Angeles, one an
accomplished boxer.
So 13 years ago this January 19, as my father lay suddenly
dying, my mom turned to me for my opinion as the Organ
Transplant Team awaited her answer: Would we like his
organs to be donated?
Lisa shared with us stories of her
competing at the Transplant Games, a quadrennial sporting
competition for organ donor recipients. She gave us a donor
quilt she had received at the Games-- a quilt she had kept in
hopes she'd meet us someday. Lisa now speaks regularly on
behalf of Gift of Hope, urging others to become donors so
that others in need of donations might be as blessed as she
considers herself.
My parents thought they had all the time in the world; no one
ever wants to have these "what would I want at the end of my
life?" conversations, and so they just hadn't gotten around to
it. In the fog of it all, I couldn't be the son and the rabbi, so
we called our family rabbi. He strongly encouraged us to
consider donation. "When Jews can save a life, we do,
period," Rabbi Wolkow said. We decided that, if my father's
death could save life, we would allow his organs to be
donated. Nothing could bring him back, but perhaps, despite
it all, something good could come from something awful.
Lisa had lived from age 21 to age 30 with kidney disease, on
dialysis, nearly giving up hope of ever receiving a transplant,
of ever having a normal life. And then on January 21, 1999,
while at the dialysis center, she received the call that would
change her life. There was a kidney that was a match for her.
"Do you want it?" she was asked by the representative of Gift
of Hope, the organization in charge of facilitating organ
donation in Illinois. "What kind of question is that? Of
course I do!" she said.
And last month, on the day before Thanksgiving, a great
miracle happened. We met Lisa, the recipient of my father's
left kidney.
When Lisa first contacted us by mail last winter indicating her
desire to meet us, we were hesitant. Did we want to meet her?
What would it be like? How would it feel? Would it change
anything? We decided, in the end, to give it a try. After many
months of communication, first by snail mail, then by phone,
we finally arranged to see one another.
We met at Lisa's Baptist church in inner city Chicago, a place
that is clearly a second home to her. She sings in the 100member choir each Sunday, where some 1200 parishioners
attend the Sunday service.
The meeting began awkwardly. What should we say to each
other? Where to begin? We were all so nervous, so anxious. I
know that I was so full of mixed emotions. Nothing could
have prepared us for this encounter. Eventually, we began to
speak of our families, of my father. We shared pictures of my
dad from various stages in his life; she shared pictures and
newspaper articles of her two grown sons-- one an aspiring
She expressed her deeply emotional and endless gratitude for
our and my father's generosity; she invited us to feel where
the kidney had been placed in her body. We took pictures,
shared tears and contact information. We promised to come
to church some Sunday when we are in Chicago. It was truly
an amazing, emotional, and unforgettable encounter. I felt
God's presence in the room, and my father's as well. And I
know that Lisa felt the same.
I share this story in part because you are my extended family,
and many of you have shared chapters in my story with me
these past 10+ years. But more, I share it because I want to
urge you, plead with you, really, to sign your donor card
today, and tell your loved ones your desires so they'll know
what you want.
There are thousands of Lisas on waiting lists today. You and
your loved ones should live long and healthy lives, and then,
when the time comes, your Jewish tradition calls upon you to
perform an act of pikuach nefesh, of saving life, even beyond
your own if it is possible to do so.
It was a rare and special moment that took place in the social
hall of the Baptist church on erev Thanksgiving 2011. Rarely
do donors and recipients have the opportunity to meet face to
face. But it shouldn't be rare for our fellow human beings, in
need of organs, to receive life-saving treatment.
For the sake of giving the ultimate gift to someone in need;
for the sake of your Jewish tradition; for the sake of all the
Lisas in the world who may or may not ever be given the
opportunity to say thank you, commit to becoming a
potential donor today.
It's a gift the rabbis call chesed shel emet—of pure kindness,
because, in most cases, the recipient will never be able to
thank you. What more pure and generous gift could there be?
—Rabbi Joel Mosbacher
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2011/2012 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Rabbi Joel Mosbacher
Cantor David Perper
Educator, Rebecca McVeigh
PRESIDENT, Harvey Weinberg
VICE PRESIDENT, Evelyn McGilloway
VICE PRESIDENT, Jen Cole
VICE PRESIDENT, Nancy Levene
TREASURER, Mitchell Miller
ASST.TREASURER, Michelle Cassel Siegel
SECRETARY, David Birnbaum
TRUSTEE, Eric Aronson
TRUSTEE, Marc Weiss
TRUSTEE, Gary Sheppard
TRUSTEE, Joe Berkofsky
TRUSTEE, Andy Schechter
TRUSTEE, Beverly York
URJ LIASON, Al Levene
PAST PRES., Ritch Yanowitz
SISTERHOOD Co Pres, Linda Vogel
SISTERHOOD Co Pres, Mona Lefkowitz
BROTHERHOOD Co Pres, Ian Coyne
BROTHERHOOD Co Pres, Erb Cooper
SR. YOUTH ADVISOR, Stacey Butler
JR. YOUTH ADVISOR, Leah Rosenberg
201-337-4803
201-934-1894
201-512-1983
646-364-8417
201-934-5474
201-891-2438
201-236-6059
201-337-4503
201-612-4389
917-273-2682
201-962-2641
201-848-0929
201-956-0585
201-825-1382
201-825-2651
201-760-1636
201-236-6059
201-445-3613
845-357-5640
201-236-9490
845-368-2830
845-357-2703
845-629-8069
845-517-5224
[email protected]
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2011/2012 COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Life Long Learning, Co Chair, Lori Yanowitz
Life Long Learning, Co Chair, Leslie Sapienza
BUILDING & GROUNDS, Art Weber
CARING, Co Chair Sheri Schott
CARING, Co Chair, Gail Wichler
COMMUNICATIONS, Lisa Lamster
DUES ACCOMMODATION, Iris Greenberg
ENDOWMENT, Chair, Ranan Wichler
EDUCATION, Terry Sitomer
LIBRARY, Sheila Groskin
LIBRARY, Ruth Turner
MEMBERSHIP Co Chair, Lisa Barrack
MEMBERSHIP, Co Chair, Jennifer Cole
MUSIC, Chair, Evelyn McGilloway
MUSIC, Co Chair, Nora Berger
OUTREACH, Mark & Jane Young
RITUAL, Co Chair ,Nancy Levene
RITUAL, Co Chair, Stacey Coyne
SOCIAL ACTION, Ken Goldstein
TEMPLE TOPICS, Temple Office
WAYS & MEANS, Jeff Nimerofsky
201-445-3613
201-760-8972
201-818-0858
201-236-1167
201-934-9239
201-760-1935
201-512-1983
201-934-9239
201-236-4886
845-351-4375
845-351-5732
201-760-0785
201-891-2438
201-934-5474
201-703-0132
201-327-1281
201-236-6059
845-368-2830
201-677-0799
201-512-1983
201-995-0042
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Candlelighting times:
January 6 - 4:25 pm Vay’chi
January 13 - 4:32 pm Sh'mot
January 20 - 4:40 pm Va’eira
January 27 - 4:49 pm Bo
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February 3 - 4:57 pm B’shallach
February 10 - 5:06 pm Yitro
February 17 - 5:15 pm Mishpatim
February 24 - 5:23 pm T’rumah
January
Birthdays
Tyler Adler
Michelle Bechtel
Todd Bechtel
Logan Buchalter
Sophia Cohen
Ashley Crystal
Nicole Crystal
Olivia Eisberg
Jack Halpern
Jacob Hoffman
Matthew Konikow
Dylan Kossar
Lauren Landis
Jarrad Levy
Samantha Levy
Téa Marder
Sarah Miller
Tracy Miller
Jared Moss
Shyia Prizel
Hailey Rodriguez
Branden Rothenberg
Jack Rothenberg
Samantha Rowbottom
Amanda Scholl
Drew Schwartz
Emily Scuderi
Evan Simon
Jordan Stone
Eli Toomey
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
Cantor’s Corner
Thanks to all who aided in producing the BHSS Israel
Festival. The Junior Choir rocked out, and Itay Goren played
a fantastic program. And then, the food, I should tell you?
Falafel, and awesome hummus.
And slides of the
congregational trip to Israel this past summer. And enough
Israel flags made in religious school to completely ring the
social hall. It was a glorious event. To all those who attended
and supported us, thank you.
Braeden Harris, my voice teacher,
is the source for so much in my
life. Faith and I are entirely
grateful to him for the time he gives us each week in
Greenwich, CT. Belated Thanksgiving to the Brad man and
his wife, Brenda Harris, today’s leading American soprano.
Look her up on www.youtube.com. Lovers of great singing,
you'll thank me.
The music department, the music committee & I, have been
busy during a wonderful fall and beginning of winter. We
shared a concert with Temple Beth Rishon of the wonderful
Israeli pop star from the ‘60s and ‘70s, Shuly Natan. The
concert was a sell out, and all those present sang and loved it!
A couple weeks later, the Sunday after Thanksgiving to be
exact, Faith and I and a group of our colleagues sang a great
program at the JCC on the Palisades. Again, a sold out house!
During these times, the adult choir was preparing to sing two
programs for assisted living communities. Again we joined
choral forces with Beth Rishon. At the first concert, any
resident who was not able to attend in person could turn on
their television set and watch as the concert was broadcast to
all the rooms of the facility. Cantor Mamber and I conducted,
and Itay Goren played for us as well. So you see the moral of
this story is….
*****
Each year around Chanukah, Braeden gives us a list of
quotes that he gathers throughout the year. This year’s was
a wonderful list, so here are a few:
“All art requires courage.”
- Anne Tucker
“They know enough who know how to learn.”
- Henry Adams
“After silence, that which come nearest to the inexpressible,
is music.”
- Aldous Huxley
“You owe it to us all to get on with what you’re good at.”
- W. H. Auden
Cantor David Lessner Perper
THE CHOIR AT BHSS ROCKS! JOIN US!!
Cantor’s Young People’s Concert
January 8, 3 p.m., Free
An hour with Cantor Perper, and the youngest of
the young people in and around our community.
We'll sing and move together!
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From the Educator’s Office
2011 URJ Biennial
Yes, my husband and I were there when President Obama gave a
“shout out” to the NFTY teens, and our son was there in the NFTY
crowd screaming with pride. We were there when Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak thanked the Reform movement for their support of our homeland, and
we were there when Rabbi Eric Yoffie gave his final, inspirational, biennial Shabbat morning
sermon. We were there to learn, and pray, and laugh, and remember Debbie Friedman - and so
we sang - a lot. And we experienced it with one of the largest contingents that our congregation
has ever sent to a biennial, at the largest biennial that has ever been held. Although I am sharing
a photo here, you should visit the URJ’s Biennial video collection website,
http://urj.org/biennial11/webcast/ for a better “feel” for those amazing days and nights.
With less than 6 hours of sleep each night, constant movement (running, sometimes) from
workshop to plenary session to services to meals, you might think (as I did) that I would sleepwalk through our Monday and Tuesday school sessions and Chanukah celebrations! However,
our K - 3 concert and party, our Kadimah D.A.R.E. gift sorting and Chanukah learning (thanks
to Rabbinic Intern Jen Gubitz), and Tuesday's students participating in the community
menorah lighting - all went off without a hitch. And it was great. Thank you to parent
volunteers and to our teachers, and I personally thank the URJ Biennial - for inspiring in me,
appropriate to this season, a “rededication” to this congregation.
—Rebecca McVeigh
Much of the BHSS contingent had Shabbat dinner together at the URJ Biennial in National
Harbor, Maryland. We were two tables strong in a crowd of over 4,000 - it was amazing!
Standing, l to r: Rod McVeigh, Al Levene, Nancy Levene, Rachel Crouch, Jane Young, Ed Vogel
Seated, l to r: Rebecca McVeigh, Ari McVeigh, Rabbi Joel Mosbacher, Ian Coyne, Stacey Coyne,
Linda Vogel
Also at Biennial but not in the photo: Cantor David Perper & Mike Sternlieb
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February
Birthdays
Lucien Adler
Samantha Baker
Jeremy Barr
Harrison Bograd
Lily Brickman
Lauren Byrne
Amanda Clark
Cora Einhorn
Harrison Flynn
Ryan Grossman
Dylan Kelman
Jillian Konikow
Jolie Krieger
Samantha Lamster
Jared Marder
Samuel Mintz
Andrea Mitchell
Benjamin Mitnick
Jordan Mittleman
Lev Mosbacher
Alexandra Peller
Fallon Peller
Heather Romoff
Leah Rosen
Noah Rostolder
Olivia Rowbottom
Harlee Shirvan
Joshua Simon
Andrew Sipper
Hunter Surgan
Jessica Tarriff
Brielle Wiener
January Calendar 7
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February Calendar 8
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
...will be called to the Torah...
Matthew Konikow - January 7, 2012
Lives in Mahwah, New Jersey. Mother,
Leslie, Father, David, Sister, Jillian, 10
..................... is a 7th grader at Ramapo
Ridge Middle School ............ His interests
include baseball, skiing, and most sports. “I
would like to do something in the area of sports
management. I look forward to having my entire
family and friends together to share this important day
with me.”
Dylan Kossar - January 14, 2012
Sarah Miller - January 21, 2012
Lives in Oakland, New Jersey. Mother,
Laura, Father, Mitchell, Sisters, Caroline,
16, and Tracy, 14 ..................... is a 7th
grader at Valley Middle School ........... Her
interests include dance, soccer, flute, and
camp (Eisner!) “I would like to go “on
pointe” in ballet. This day is going to be
exciting and fun. The studying and learning of
Hebrew will all be worth it.”
Lives in Allendale, New Jersey. Mother,
Missy, Father, Rob, Brother Ryan z"l, Sister,
Emme, 3 1/2 ..................... is a 7th grader at
Brookside School ........... Her interests
include softball, basketball, acting, singing,
and waterskiing. “I would like to become
businesswoman or a teacher or a chef. I feel lthat
this experience is a very exciting process that I can share
with my family and friends.”
Tracy Miller - January 21, 2012
Jordan Mittleman - January 14, 2012
Lives in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Mother,
Jennifer, Father, Alan, Sister, Emily, 10
..................... is a 7th grader at Woodcliff
Middle School ............ His interests include
basketball, Raquette Lake Camps, and
Syracuse. “I would like to go to an Ivy League
college and be a bond trader like my dad. I am
psyched to be celebrating this special occasion with my
family and friends.”
Lives in Oakland, New Jersey. Mother,
Laura, Father, Mitchell, Sisters, Caroline,
16, and Sarah, 13 ..................... is an 8th
grader at Valley Middle School ............ Her
interests include karate, guitar, video games,
and archery. “I would like to earn a Black
Belt in karate. I am excited, yet a little bit
nervous.”
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...will be called to the Torah...
Jeremy Barr - January 28, 2012
Lives in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Mother, Mary, Father, Stuart, Brother,
Jacob, 17 and Sister, Margaret, 16
.................... is a 7th grader at Cavallini
Middle School ............ His interests
include sports, reading, and hanging out with
friends. “I am very excited to become a part of
the Jewish community.”
Alexandra Peller February 4, 2012
Amanda Rose Scholl January 28, 2012
Lives in Suffern, New York. Mother, Kristen,
Father, Hal, Brother, Zachary, 14
..................... is a 7th grader at Suffern
Middle School ............ Her interests include
dance, singing, guitar, reading, reading Hebrew,
writing, shopping, and crafts. “I would like to
become an English teacher, marine scientist, doctor or an
author. I feel like this is a huge step up for me as a person,
and as a Jew. This is a memorable time, and I hope it’ll be
perfect.”
Andrew Sipper - February 25, 2012
Lives in Ramsey, New Jersey. Mother, Debra,
Father, Bill, Sister, Carly, 9 ..................... is a
7th grader at Eric S. Smith Middle School
............ His interests include lacrosse and bass
guitar. “I would like to be a professional bass
guitar player. I’m excited to share this special
day with family and friends.”
Lives in Ramsey, New Jersey. Mother,
Melissa, Father, Jay, Sister, Fallon, 13, and
Brother, Ryan, 8 ....................... is a 7th
grader at Smith School ............ Her interests
include soccer, going to Mets/Jets games, and
hanging out with friends and family. “I would
like to be a good person and be proud of my
accomplishments. I feel proud to have reached this
stage in my life.”
Fallon Peller - February 4, 2012
Lives in Ramsey, New Jersey. Mother,
Melissa, Father, Jay, Sister, Alexandra, 13,
and Brother, Ryan, 8 ..................... is a 7th
grader at Smith School ............ Her
interests include soccer, going to Mets/Jets
games, and hanging out with friends and
family. “I would like to be a good person and
give back to my community. I feel happy and excited
to become a woman in the Jewish religion.”
Does your family have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah coming up? In order to be included in the appropriate issue of Temple
Topics, your child's brief "bio" and photo are due as follows:
For a March or April date, by February 1, For a May or June date, by April 1
If you need a form, or have any questions, please call or email to the synagogue.
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Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
High Holy Day/Yizkor Appeal
Marc & Elizabeth Abel
David & Sarah Adelson
Jack & Carol Adelson
Ashley Ames
Marc Appelbaum
Eric Aronson
Sidney & Hermine Aronson
Norman & Alison Axelrod
Cathy Baglin
Michael & Juliet Barr
David & Lisa Barrack
Joel & Irma Becker
Rich & Bonnie Berens
Harold& Nora Berger
Jeffrey & Dana Berkowitz
Ira & Marilyn Bernstein
Joseph & Meg Berkofsky
Gary Bettman
Bert & Susan Binder
David & Bette Birnbaum
Robert Blau
Gary & Cindy Buchalter
Charles & Barbara Burghardt
George & Karen Charne
Jesse & Terri Coffel
Michael & Dorothy Cohen
Melvin Cohn
Stephanie Cohn
Matthew & Jennifer Cole
Herbert & Melissa Cooper
Josh Daniel
Marc & Laurie Daniel
Bill & Gail Darrow
Gerald & Florence David
Marc Davis
David & Carol Diamant
Joel & July Dorfman
Arlene Duglin
Felix & Diana Gampel
Gary & Renee Garbus
Lawrence & Marsha Gluck
Jeffrey & Susan Goldstein
Kenneth & Diana Goldstein
Richard & Karen Gordon
Leonard Greer
Larry & Sheila Groskin
Sylvia Groskin
Martin & Merri Gurian
Joseph & Gabrielle Gutierrez
Kim Hausner & Marilyn Gross
Barbara Heitman
Emanuel & Irma Hirsch
Martin Hymowitz & Rhonda
Goodman
Roy & Marilyn Israel
Joel & Sheryl Ives
Robert & Sandi Jeanette
Ronald & Sue-Ellen Johnson
Ron & Elyse Jonas
Laurence & Robin Kahwaty
Linda & Richard Kaplan
Wayne Kaplan & Steven Goldberg
Michael & Candy Kassover
Marc & Robyn Katz
Helaine & Brian Kay
George & Joan Kessel
Alan & Sanda Kessler
Jerry & Kathleen Kirshman
Stuart Kirshner & Ethel Rosen
Jeffrey & Deborah Klein
David & Leslie Konikow
Robert & Michelle Kossar
Stephen & Anita Kossar
Noel & Lisa Lamster
Jeffrey & Mona Lefkowitz
Peter & Kathy Liebmann
Al & Nancy Levene
Chaim & Randi Levin
Steven & Amy Littman
Martin & Rhoda Lonow
Jonathan & Suzanne Lynn
Michael & Jennifer Marder
Robert & Ellen Mass
Jim & Evelyn McGilloway
Rod & Rebecca McVeigh
Jay & Joy Meisner
Madeline Meltzer
Bob & Pearl Meyers
Mitchell & Laura Miller
Helen Milstein
Hal & Allison Mintz
James Morgan
Ari Mosbacher
Joel & Elyssa Mosbacher
Nyles & Jennifer Moser
Stanley & Marilyn Moser
Phyllis Okon
Newt & Sandra Parks
Harry & Debra Perper
Charles Pesin
Steven & Lisa Potter
David & Susan Price
Jay & Laurie Rabin
Harris & Susan Reinstein
Jerry & Arlene Rock
Nathan & Michelle Rosenberg
David & Lisa Rothenberg
Peter & Marissa Sacher
Anthony & Leslie Sapienza
Andrew Schechter & Shari Slavin
Keith & Cathy Schlanger
Craig & Ruth Schoenrock
Allan & Sheri Schott
David Schwartz
Lois Schwartz
Tom & Nina Scuderi
Cynthia Seidman
Michael & Meri Senchak
Rick & Randy Shill
Andrew & Roni Silver
Bruce & Karen Silverman
Richard & Jane Silverman
Jan & Jane Simon
Steven Simon
Stuart & Phyllis Simon
Mark & Robin Slakter
Floyd & Ilyse Smith
Richard & Gail Sobel
Richard & Chris Soleimani
Betty Spellman
Daryl & Gail Spencer
Michael & Bonnie Stark
Adam & Laurin Steiger
Richard & Kristi Steinberg
Nathan Stern & Whitney Speer
Kevin & Leslie Strauss
Scott & Marsha Tarriff
Judith Teich
Jack & Nancy Teichman
Mel & Paula Tenenbaum
Sheryl Thailer
Jonathan & Lauren Theodore
Michael & Elyssa Toomey
Herbert & Randi Trepper
Edward & Linda Vogel
Aaron & Lia Waitz
Elizabeth Wandelmaier
Art & Stephanie Weber
Harvey & Marci Weinberg
Michael & Linda Weinstein
Marc & Barbara Weiss
Gerald & Lynn Weston
Fred & Ariela Wichler
Ranan & Gail Wichler
Michael & Beth Wiesner
Douglas & Julie Wright
Ritch & Lori Yanowitz
Beverly York
Mark & Jane Young
Michael & Lynn Zall
Howard & Kathryn Zukoff
11
Brotherhood News We ended the secular year on a high note,
with our first Brotherhood Raps of the
fiscal year at the end of November, followed
soon by our Holiday Party at Waterwheel
in Tallman, which was well-attended and
fun as always. Thanks to all who came, and
to all who wanted to come but were unable.
Coming up, we have some very special
events. At our general meeting on Tuesday, January 10, our
guest will be Brotherhood member and local practitioner Dr.
Michael B. Schachter, who will be presenting an alternative
look at men’s health care. The location is still being
determined; please check the Brotherhood website at
www.bhssbrotherhood.org for details, or our Facebook page
(search for Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Brotherhood, because
the link is too long to print). Or for those of you not online,
you can call Erb at 845-357-2703.
In February, we will be having a Poker Night on the 13th
at 7. RSVPs are a must, and we will send details to
those attending. Contact us by e-mail to
[email protected] or call
Erb at the above number. (Better plan a nice
Valentine’s Day to make up for your boys’
night out!)
Our Brotherhood Raps events also continue
on January 29 and February 26, both Sunday
mornings at 9:30 at Panera in Ramsey.
These are informal and generally smaller gettogethers (for some of us, while waiting for Sunday school to
end). If you have not yet attended one, come on by and
check it out.
Finally, our Executive Board meetings are scheduled for
January 5 and February 7 at 7 p.m. The January meeting
will be offsite (check the above sources for location as we get
closer) and February will be at temple. Brotherhood
members are welcome to attend.
Hope to see you along the way!
- The BHSS Brotherhood Board
Sisterhood News Thanksgiving and Chanukah have come and gone. We
enjoyed our Carousel cakes and pies on Thanksgiving and
had a wonderful time at the Chanukah brunch, where we
feasted on amazing food and collected gift cards for the
Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund.
As the cold weather settles in, we now focus on our biggest
fundraiser of the year, TRICKY TRAYS!! Come join us on
March 25, 2012, for the chance to win many wonderful
prizes! Doors open at 1 p.m. Please help us make this event
a success by donating a new item (contents of a gift basket
or gift card) with a value of at least $25. Your name will
then be noted in the Tricky Tray program. We request that
items be brought to the BHSS office by March 2, 2012.
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You may also make a cash donation (checks made out to
BHSS Sisterhood, and note that it is for Tricky Trays) and
we will make a basket for you. If you have any empty
baskets, we would appreciate them as well.
If you have any questions, please contact
Elizabeth Wandelmaier at 201-529-2399, email:
[email protected], or Beth Wiesner at 201-857-2272,
email: [email protected].
Please help us continue to contribute to programs at BHSS
and beyond by supporting Tricky Trays!
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
Life Long Learning Our learning closed 2011
with a BANG!
In November, over 25 members traveled to Philadelphia for
an incredible visit to the National Museum of American
Jewish History. The unanimous feedback was that it’s a “must
see,” and one afternoon wasn’t enough to take in all there was
to learn about Jews in America, from Colonial times to the
Gold Rush to today….
In December, Life Long Learning hosted our Kugel Oneg and
Book Discussion. We offer many thanks to the wonderful
cooks who shared their talents and family recipes. During
services, we had a spirited discussion about the One Book,
One Community book selection: My Father’s Paradise, by
award-winning journalist Ariel Sabar. Books can still be
purchased at the synagogue office at a discount for only
$6.75, or borrowed from the temple library.
FAMILY PORTRAITS:
IMAGES OF FATHERS, MOTHERS, SONS, AND
DAUGHTERS IN JEWISH TEXTS AND TRADITION.
A four-session course taught by educator and temple member
Bette Birnbaum. Her last offering in the fall, “Keys to Bible,”
was filled to capacity.
Dates: Tuesday 2/28, Tuesday 3/6, Tuesday 3/13, Tuesday
3/27 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. All materials provided. No prior
Jewish study necessary. Cost is $20 for all 4 sessions. Please
RVSP to the temple office – space is limited.
April:
Mahjong Lunch ‘n Learn –
Sunday April 1, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
2012 looks to be just as fulfilling and fun as we continue to
examine our theme for the year: Families and Family History.
Here are some of our upcoming events:
January:
BHSS One Book One Community Event:
Jewish Families around the World
Sunday, January 29, 2011, 12:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Create your passport and travel to other countries where you
will explore the customs and traditions of Jewish families
around the world. Learn about the music, food, stories
and holiday, and ritual traditions of other Jewish
families and discuss how it compares to your family
traditions.
Feb./March:
“A Conversation with Ariel and
Yona,” author of My Father’s Paradise, Ariel Sabar,
How did Mahjong become so popular among Jewish women?
Did you ever want to learn how to play?
Already play and looking for new
partners? Join us for an afternoon where
some Mahjong Mavens will give us the
real deal on the game.
RSVP to the temple office by March 15.
will visit the Northern New Jersey on Thursday,
March 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Emeth in Teaneck.
The program will be followed by an open reception,
where guests will be able to meet Ariel and Yona and
have books signed, while enjoying dessert and coffee.
13
Michelle Mitzvah & Social Action As you all know from reading Temple Topics and from
speeches delivered at holiday services, the Michelle Mitzvah
Group, along with other committees at BHSS, can probably
be said to represent the social action arm of the synagogue.
We’re just regular folks who take very seriously the importance
of reaching out to those in our community who are in need of
a helping hand. Sometimes we wonder if we really are making
a difference…and then there are times, such as the past few
months, when we find out that we really are.
For years we have collected food for the Center for Food
Action, an amazing organization with a Mahwah facility that
helps feed over 700 Bergen County residents. In these
tough economic times that number is growing at a
rate of two families a week. At our High Holiday
services we filled up two van loads with bags of
food…more than 450 bags! That’s a lot of food…and
it was an unbelievable experience to see shelves at the
Center that had been running dangerously low
suddenly overflow thanks to BHSS and other
organizations such as ours. And yet the winter and
summer months are difficult ones for the Center, and
we are constantly looking for ways to do more to help
them. New initiatives will be unveiled in the coming
months.
For several years now the Michelle Mitzvah Group
has awarded scholarships to graduating students at
East Side High School in Paterson in an effort to
encourage these challenged kids to continue their
education into a two- or four-year college. Last
month we had an award ceremony in our temple
during which checks were issued to four young people who
are currently enrolled… and announced that we were
enhancing the program so that another check will be waiting
for them upon graduation. Tears flowed, there was lots of
hugging, and we all knew that indeed we had made a
difference. See photo.
If we learned anything over the past years, it is that there is so
much that needs to be done in our community, so we decided
to explore new areas that we may contribute to. One we found
was the Children’s Aid and Family Services of Paramus. For
over 100 years this amazing volunteer organization has been
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providing life skills counseling, educational workshops,
coaching parents on nurturing healthier babies, and arranging
over 10,000 adoptions. When we visited their facility for the
first time, we were literally surrounded by dozens of preschool day care children eagerly reaching out to shake our
hands. Then we walked into the building’s lobby and on the
wall was a crude hand-made poster with the words of
Margaret Meade: “Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” We knew
immediately we had found a new community partner to work
with.
There are so many other initiatives we as a temple family have
undertaken… and so much more that is just waiting for
willing hands. So, another joyful occurrence in recent weeks
has been the number of BHSS members who have reached
out to join in our efforts and provide us with the means to
further expand our work. We have an extraordinary
membership at BHSS with varied skills and big hearts. There
is no limit to the positive impact we can have in our
community, and it is such a rewarding endeavor. If you want
to join us, please call the office and we will return your call…
with open arms.
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
Music Committee This last month was full of music. The
Junior Choir, with members old and new,
sang wonderfully throughout the November
Family Service and again at the fundraising
concert for the New Israel Fund on
November 13. For this, they learned two
new Israeli songs, one in Hebrew and one in
English, but first, they led everyone in the
singing of “Hatikvah.” This concert, in
which our own Itay Goren played the
starring role, was in aid of the New Israel Fund. The Music
Committee supports this fund almost every year, and this year
we were able to send $2,000. Itay gave a marvelous recital,
introducing and playing diverse works by Beethoven, Chopin,
Mendelssohn and Bernstein. A highlight of the program was
the first performance of a Ballade by the American composer
David Winkler, who was in the audience. After the recital, we
adjourned to the social hall for great Israeli style food,
generously underwritten by a donation from Sisterhood. All
the while, photos from the BHSS Israel trip were shown and,
in honor of Israel, there was an exhibition of
Israeli flags as seen through the eyes of the
younger members of our religious school. It was
a truly wonderful afternoon.
We look forward to the first of Cantor Perper’s
Young People’s Concerts, to take place on
Sunday, January 8 at 3 p.m. This concert will be
specifically for the younger members of the
congregation, so look for the link to more
details on the weekly email. On February 3, the choirs will
sing at the Shabbat Shirah service, so please mark your
calendars and come along.
The Music Committee thanks all those who support our
programs. We meet on the fourth Tuesday of every month at
7:30 p.m. Come along and join us!
Evelyn McGilloway and Nora Berger
Music Committee Co-Chairs
BHSSTY Shalom BHSSTY!
We hope you are all having a great school year so far. The
Youth Group has been having a wonderful first semester! Our
Pizza in the Hut with the Brotherhood was awesome.
Everyone had a great time on our hike at the Ramapo
Reservation after some delicious pizza. Although our Gravity
Vault event was cancelled due to the crazy early snowstorm, it
WILL be rescheduled for the spring. Thank you to everyone
from the congregation who came to the Spaghetti Dinner to
raise money for Nechama. We raised over $250 to help this
great organization! Lastly, the TYG had a blast at Medieval
Times! We are gearing up for our next events. The TYG will
be going tubing at Campgaw Mountain on Sunday, January 8.
We will also have a senior youth group Mall Scavenger Hunt
at the Palisades Mall on Sunday, January 22. More
information about the January events can be seen on our
Facebook page, BHSSTY GER (friend us!), or in our monthly
mailings. February events will be announced shortly. The
Board is getting ready for our mid-year planner, so if any
TYG-ers have suggestions for future events, do not hesitate to
let us know! Simply send an inbox to our Facebook or email
your co-presidents.
Eiley Stern [email protected]
Ashley Ellis [email protected]
15
Contributions Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Thank you for everything!
- Nita & Eddie Klaskow
With thanks for all you did for Matthew during his Bar
Mitzvah
- Sheryl Thailer
Thanks for all you do!
- Marilyn & Roy Israel
Thank you for your kindness and warmth this past year!
- Joyce Rosenblatt, the Eisberg family, & the Blandi family
In appreciation and in memory of Jack Sprung
- Nesha Sprung
With thanks for all your support and kind words
- the Kaplan family
With Thanks and appreciation and in honor of Matt Stein’s
Bar Mitzvah
- Lois & Marty Klapper
Educator’s Discretionary Fund
In appreciation of your outstanding work and your
friendship
- Evelyn & Jim McGilloway
To Laurie Scher-Israel - in memory of Howard Israel, a real
mensch!
- Marilyn & Roy Israel
To Joel and Judy Dorfman in honor of their 50th wedding
anniversary
- Barbara & Phil Moss
With gratitude for your help in preparation for Matthew
Stein's Bar Mitzvah
- Lois & Marty Klapper
Life Fund
in honor of our dear friend Barbara Moss
- Judy & Joel Dorfman
in memory of Jerome Weinberg
Thank you for your friendship and beautiful High Holy
Days - with love
- Evelyn & Jim McGilloway
- Marci & Harvey Weinberg
Cantor’s Discretionary Fund
to Stacey Coyne and family, in memory of her brother,
Eric Steinman
- Evelyn & Jim McGilloway
- Phyllis Okon
- Linda & Ed Vogel
- Gail & Ranan Wichler
- Helen Milstein
- Sheri & Allan Schott
- Lois & Ira Grumet
In honor of Emily Perper's work and devotion to her
community
- Donald Hurwitz
to Barbara and Phil Moss - wishing you good things!
- Evelyn & Jim McGilloway
With thanks and appreciation for being you and in honor of
Matthew Stein’s Bar Mitzvah
- Lois & Marty Klapper
to the Liebmann family, in honor of Kelsey's Bat Mitzvah
- the Gurian family
With thanks for all you did for Matthew for his Bar Mitzvah
- Sheryl Thailer
to Eddie Saiff and Rick Levine, in honor of their becoming
directors of the NY-NJ Trail Conference
- Gail & Ranan Wichler
For grateful thanks for all your help!
- Marilyn Taylor
To Susan Beerman, Meyers Lurie and Minnie Klaskow, well
wishes.
- Nita & Eddie Klaskow
With thanks and love for the beautiful High Holy Days
- Evelyn & Jim McGilloway
in honor of the Daniel family
- Sonni & Lawrence Greenberg
In appreciation of your talent!
- Marilyn & Roy Israel
Thank you for your kindness and warmth this past year!
- Joyce Rosenblatt, the Eisberg family, and the Blandi family
In appreciation and in memory of Jack Sprung
- Nesha Sprung
16
to Susan Gralla and family, in memory of her father, Jack
Sprung
- Marci & Harvey Weinberg
to Barbara Weiss and family, in memory of her mother,
Marilyn Kennedy
- Marci & Harvey Weinberg
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
Contributions in memory of Norman Novak
- the Daniel family
to Caroline Meyers, in memory of my cousin Norman
Meyers
- Pearl & Bob Meyers
in memory of Pearl's father, Daniel Zahm, and Pearl's
brother, Milton Zahm
- Pearl & Bob Meyers
in memory of Norman's mother, Adele Axelrod
- Alison & Norman Axelrod
in memory of Morris Goodman
- Carole Goodman
to Joel and Judy Dorfman in honor of their golden wedding
anniversary, with love
- Beverly & Sid Groffman
- Carol & Jeff Press
- Lesley & Bob Glasgow
in honor of the Caring Committee
- Marilyn Taylor
Center for Food Action
donated by their families in honor of the following simchas:
Bar Mitzvah of Mitchell Falkow
Bar Mitzvah of Matthew Zavist
Bar Mitzvah of Jason Shill
Bar Mitzvah of Adam Clark
Bar Mitzvah of Jack Darrow
Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge
donated by their families in honor of the following simchas:
in memory of Blanche Feldman
- Marilyn & Ira Bernstein
to Jim McGilloway in honor of his 80th birthday
- Barbara & Phil Moss
in memory of Erna Tuteur
- Sheri & Allan Schott
thanks to Beth Haverim Shir Shalom for hosting the
Dartmouth Aires winter concert
- The Dartmouth Club of Northern NJ
Brick Fund
to Stacey Coyne and family, in memory of her brother, Eric
Steinman
- Mona & Jeff Lefkowitz
in memory of Esther Moss
Barbara Weiss Scholarship Fund
- Barbara & Phil Moss
to Charlie Romano - wishing improved health and recovery
in the days ahead
- Barbara & Joe Friedman
to Gaye Tiesler, for a full and speedy recovery
- Marsha & Larry Gluck
Bar Mitzvah of Ian Cohen
Bar Mitzvah of Joshua Widawsky
Bar Mitzvah of Max Ditkoff
Bat Mitzvah of Bridget Bierfass
Tree of Life
in honor of Joel and Judy Dorfman’s
50th wedding anniversary
in honor of Jack Darrow’s Bar Mitzvah on
October 22, 2011
Prayer Book Dedications
to the Gralla family, in memory of Susan’s father,
Jack Sprung
- Sheryl Thailer & Michael and Matthew Zavist
- Gail & Ranan Wichler
to the Pegulis family, in memory of Harriet Carp
- Marsha & Larry Gluck
to Jay Lensky, for a full and speedy recovery
- Marsha & Larry Gluck
17
Yizkor IN LOVING MEMORY OF:
Bernice Gruber
- Dede & Richard Levine
George Adlman, and the Premselaar family - Natalie Adlman
Florence Lefkowitz Marsa
Ethel and David Saltzman, Samuel Bonstein, and Marian
Friedman
- Sandy & Bill Arlington
William Kaplan and Adele Axelrod
- Alison & Norman Axelrod
Yola Gewelb
- Denise Marsa
Sadie and Jacob Widman, Nathan Widman, and Aphie
Squires
- Bernice Medici
Daniel and Rose Zahm, and Harry and Celia Meyers
- Pearl & Bob Meyers
- Lisa & Terrance Byrne
Monya Clarke
- Lorraine & Harold Clarke
Ruth Ansin, Manny Ansin, and Margo Ansin Simmons
- Helen Milstein
Victor and Phyllis Cohen
- Dorothy & Michael Cohen
Nancy Morgan
Edward S. Cohn
- Stephanie Cohn
Annette and Jesse Sills, and William and Hattie Galland
- Joanne & Lee Ehlermann
Douglas Freeman and Leizer Alperstein
- Nicky & Eric Freeman
Esther Moss, George Moss, Beatrice Lerner Moss, Victor
Levy, Sarah Blacher, Ethel Pesin, and Irving Pesin
- Barbara & Phil Moss
Irwin Orshalick and Muriel Feinrod
- Claire Orshalick
Seymour Oventhal
- Joanne Oventhal
Joseph Isaac Goldstein
- Steven Goldstein
Arnold Peller
Irv Goodman
- Carole Goodman
Alberta Meltzer
Jack Sprung
- Susan & Dennis Gralla
all who have passed - Rhonda Goodman & Marty Hymowitz
beloved Parent, Grandparents, Brother, Relatives, and
Friends
- Marilyn & Roy Israel
Sarah Iskowitz
- Sheryl & Joel Ives
Morris and Edith Roth, and Gertrude and Paul Jeanette
- Sandi & Robert Jeanette
- James Morgan
- Melissa & Jay Peller
- Kim & Bill Pressman
Leatrice Erlman and Bernard Rosenberg
- Michelle & Nathan Rosenberg
Max and Pearl Schwartz, and Max and Sally Shulman
- Lenore & Larry Schwartz
David Schwartz
- Meredith & Burton Schwartz
Simon and Blanche Seidner, Harry and Florence Gordon,
and Diane Molz
- Ann & Barry Seidner
Alek Shlahet
- Carmela Shlahet
Clarence F. Shapiro, father of Nancy Kahn
- Nancy & Danny Kahn
Stanley Spellman
Max Rosenberg, Lillian Rosenberg, and Ruth Reid
- Claire Klein
William D. Cassel, Bernard Goldberg, and Shae Goldberg
- Michelle Cassel & Benjamin Siegel
Paul Levitt, Eva Steadman, Beatrice Levitt, Benjamin Levitt,
Thelma Levitt, and Stanley Mirsky
- Sherry Levitt
Mildred Landau
18
- Carol & Robert Shulman
- Geri Squire
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
Yizkor IN LOVING MEMORY OF:
Max Granat, Bernard Waxenbaum, and Diane GranatYalowitz
- Mimi & Steven Waxenbaum
Morris Itner, grandfather of Glen Stettin, great grandfather
of Sarah, Benjamin, and Elana
- Sharon & Glen Stettin
Vernon Taylor, and Leon and Dorothy Auerbach
- Marilyn Taylor
Dorothy and William Thea, and Edward Shandell
- Carol & Joel Thea
Celia, Florence, and Jack Turner, Marilyn Friedman, Jacob
Robinovitz, and Anne Robinovitz
- Ruth & Stu Turner
Jerome Weinberg and Saundra Arons
- Marci & Harvey Weinberg
Melvin Katz, father of Helaine Wohl - Helaine & Alan Wohl
David York and Morton Fuchs
- Beverly York
High Holy Day Appeal
in honor of the birth of Benjamin Yanowitz
- Phyllis & Bruce Meller
XàxÜÇtÄ _|z{àá W|ÇÇxÜ
On Thursday evening November 17, 2011, fifty people gathered at the River Palm Terrace in Mahwah to celebrate
the thirteenth annual Eternal Lights Dinner. This major fundraiser was initiated in 1999 when over twenty couples
donated $1, 000 each and enjoyed cocktails and dinner together, creating the foundation for this wonderful evening.
More than a decade later, we are pleased that many of these same families still gather for this event, and are even more
pleased that several new members have joined this dedicated group. This year we are grateful to our co-hosts Ritch
and Lori Yanowitz and David & Lisa Barrack. Everyone had a wonderful time, and again dinner was a large
financial success, netting over $18,000 of support to our congregation.
Eternal Lights is a celebration of a community, our leaders, and those who work every day to make Beth Haverim
Shir Shalom such a terrific place for everyone. We list below, and gratefully thank, all those who supported our
fundraiser this year. If you can, please join us next year for the fourteenth annual Eternal Lights Dinner.
Bill & Sandra Arlington
Eric & Dina Aronson
Juliet & Michael Barr
David & Lisa Barrack
David & Bette Birnbaum
Barbara & Charles Burghardt
Terri & Jesse Coffel
Dorie & Seth Cohen
Eric & Lauren Einhorn
Gary & Renee Garbus
Andrew & Sylvia Goldmann
Ken & Diana Goldstein
Steve Hittman
Ron & Sue Ellen Johnson
George & Joan Kessel
Jeff & Deborah Klein
Kathy Liebmann
Jonathan & Suzanne Lynn
Arlene & Rich Mandel
Jim & Evelyn McGilloway
Rod & Rebecca McVeigh
Bob & Peal Meyers
Phil & Barbara Moss
Kim & Bill Pressman
Eddie & Robbie Saiff
Rob & Carol Shulman
Ilyse Smith
Glen & Sharon Stettin
Sheryl Thailer
Harvey & Marci Weinberg
Ranan & Gail Wichler
Ritch & Lori Yanowitz
Beverly & Harlan York
Jane Young
19
Ritual Committee Tu B’Shevat: The New Year for Trees
Tu B’Shevat, the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar, is the day that
marks the beginning of the “New Year for Trees.” This is the season in
which the earliest-blooming trees in the land of Israel merge from their
winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle.
Legally, the “New Year for Trees” relates to the various tithes that must
be separated from produce grown in Israel. These tithes differ from
year to year in the seven-year Shemittah cycle; the point at which a
budding fruit is considered to belong to the next year of the cycle is the
15th of Shevat.
We mark Tu B’Shevat by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that
are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy
Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. Bokser- carob- is
also a popular holiday treat. This day is also known as “Arbor Day”
and is celebrated by school-children in Israel who plant trees.
Michelle Mitzvah Party
at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, NJ
Join Us & Do a Mitzvah !!
Sunday, February 5
All volunteers will meet in the temple parking lot at
11:15 a.m. We will drive to the hospital in Mountainside
and have our party from 1-3 p.m.
Join us and Cantor Perper as we sing songs
and bring smiles to children in need!
Volunteer Now
For more information or
to sign on as a volunteer,
email Bobby Mass at
[email protected]
20
Send Your Kids to
Eisner or Crane Lake Camp!
Once again the Jewish Federation of Northern New
Jersey, in partnership with the Foundation for
Jewish Camp, is providing a limited number of
grants to encourage children to attend overnight
Jewish camp for the first-time. Financial incentives
of $1,000 will be awarded to first-time campers
who attend a nonprofit Jewish overnight summer
camp for at least 19 days. Eligible campers must be
entering grades 4-12 (after camp) and attending
a camp listed on the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s
website (www.jewishcamp.org/camps). This
program is an outreach initiative for children who
are not currently receiving an immersive, daily
Jewish experience. As such, children who attend
Jewish day school or yeshiva are not eligible for
this incentive program.
As only a limited number of first-time camper
incentive grants will be distributed this year,
and they will be distributed on a first-come
first-serve basis, we encourage your families to
apply at www.onehappycamper.org asap.
Food Stamp Challenge Response Like many families in the BHSS community, we too donated
a bag of groceries during the High Holidays. While making
the purchases, I found myself thinking about each food
choice. Should I choose foods that I would eat, or should I
choose from the typical American diet? I was raised on the
typical American diet: processed foods, over-salted and sugared treats and lots and lots of animal protein.
and artisanal cheeses? If these choices reflect our expectations,
those which define our sense of happiness and freedom, then
these will surely come at a serious cost to our health and prove
unrealistic to sustain.
Judaism commands us to heal the world. In my heart, tikkun
olam is the most beautiful life-affirming aspect of our faith.
Our concern for the hungry can extend much further. Our
impact can be more profound. What we eat matters! Our
food choices are like ripples in the water beginning from the
center, out to our communities and extending globally. Before
we purchase our food, before we sit down to eat, we can ask
ourselves this question: Just because I can monetarily afford
to eat anything, does it mean that I should? If you would like
to learn more about the benefits of a vegan diet, you can check
out my top book picks on the subject: The Bond, by Wayne
Pacelle; Diet For A New America, by John Robbins; The
World Peace Diet, by Will Tuttle; The Kind Diet, by Alicia
Silverstone; Sistah Vegan, by A Breeze Harpe; Eating Animals
by Jonathan Safran Foer; Veganist, by Kathy Freston; and
Animal Liberation, by Pete Singer.
I participated in the Food Stamp Challenge to show my
solidarity with those who are hungry. From the outset, I knew
that I would be able to prepare nutritious meals on thirty-one
dollars and fifty cents a week. It required planning, but I was
able to eat well. My outcome does not negate the fact that
thousands of Americans are hungry and even more suffer
from diet-related illness. I personally follow a plant-based
vegan diet. My organic produce is cheaper than most meat
and dairy, and even if it wasn’t, I would continue to buy it.
Here’s why. Growing organic produce is gentler on the planet
and does not require the exploitation and horrendous
suffering and killing of millions of animals each year. I am not
making the argument that $31.50 is an acceptable allotment
for Food Stamp recipients. Nor am I implying that if we
If you wish to contact me, I can be reached at
could, we should mandate veganism for everyone receiving
[email protected] or through the temple. Please feel free to
public assistance. Real change occurs when we choose for
introduce yourself and to discuss this issue, which is so near
ourselves.
and dear to my heart. My hope is that it will become so for
I guess what I wish to express is that we are profoundly
you, too.
fortunate to live in America; the land of heated car seats and
-- Julie Seidman
talking “smart” phones. For those of us who are the most
entitled, we have a responsibility to ask
ourselves why it is important to selfregulate our desires in an age of excess.
How do our choices impact other living Our Tree of Life commemorates joyous family life cycle events. The brass leaves are
things? Many of us are able to purchase waiting for YOU to inscribe
anything, yet we still have no idea as to its them with your memories!
actual cost. The “typical” American diet is
cruel, unsustainable, unhealthy and As we come to the end of
killing our planet. I am not advocating each book of the Torah, we
self-denial, but rather suggesting an say, “chazak, chazak,
affirmation of self that is developed by v’nitchazeik” – be strong,
weighing short-term pleasures against be strong, and we shall be
long-term consequences. How do we strengthened. May our
understand this question in the greater Tree of Life be a symbol of the
context? Do we feel impoverished if we strength of our community for many years.
can’t consume meats, ocean life, fast foods
Tree of Life
Leaves are $100; to order, please call Iris in the office; 201-512-1983
21
Good Welfare
from & for the congregation
Condolences
Speedy Recovery
to Stacey Coyne, on the loss of her brother, Eric Steinman
Marilyn Israel
to Marc Abel, on the loss of his father, Steven Abel
Barbara Moss
to Hal Scholl, on the loss of his father, Sheldon Scholl
Dalia Leibowitz
to Estela, Jaime, Jacob, Jonathan, and Jules Blaustein, on the loss of husband
and father Ron Blaustein
to Leonard Kaplan, on the loss of his father, Samuel Kaplan
Marlene Belohoubek
Jane Simon
Rose Wandelmaier
to Kathleen Kirshman on the loss of her brother, John Kreiss
Mimi Waxenbaum
to Barbara Friedman, on the loss of her brother, Burton Freeman
to Claire Orshalick, on the loss of her great aunt, Miriam Werner
to Walter Vasquez, on the loss of his aunt, Angel Jara
to Ashley Ames, on the loss of her father, Herman Orth
Mazel Tov
to Ethan Weinberg and the Dartmouth Aires on being finalists on The Sing-Off!
to Rabbi David Segal and Cantor Rollin Simmons on the birth of their son,
Levi Simmons Segal
to Dana & Jeffrey Berkowitz on the birth of their son, Ethan Benjamin Berkowitz
The BHSS Brotherhood had a blast at our annual Chanukah party.
We stole some gifts from each other and enjoyed an evening together!
22
GOT SCRIP?
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom now has it available!
Need convenient gift cards and want to help BHSS?
Great for all kinds of gifts, including B’nai Mitzvahs, birthdays, teachers,
thank you gift, holidays, and your personal shopping. Participating retailers
include:
There are over 350 retailers participating in this program. There are no
activation fees when you purchase these cards. Beth Haverim Shir Shalom
receives a percentage each time a card is purchased. So why pay extra fees at
the store when you can just order your gift cards from your synagogue! Please
contact Lisa Lamster at 201-760-1935 or [email protected].
East
East District
District URJ
URJ Shabbaton…January
Shabbaton…January 28,
288, 2012
2 0 12
Congregation
Co
ngregation B’nai
B’nai Jeshurun
Jeshurun • 1025 S. O
Orange
range A
Avenue,
venue Short
venue,
Short Hills,
Hills, New
N JJersey
ersey 07078
070
8:45
8:
45 AM
AM
Registration
Registration
9:30
9:
30 – 10:
10:20
20
Torah
Torah Study
Study Sessions
Sessions
10:30-12:30
10:
30-12:30
Shabbat
Shabbat Worship
W o r s h ip
wi
th Guest
Guest Da
rshan Rabbi
Rabbi El
liot Kl
einman
with
Darshan
Elliot
Kleinman
12:4512:
45- 2:15
2:15
Ki
Kiddush,
ddush, Lunch,
Lunch, aand
nd Z
Z’mirot
’mirot
2:30
2:
30 – 3:
3:25
25
Wo
Workshop
rkshop Aleph
A le p h
3:35
3:
35 – 4:
4:30
30
Wo
Workshop
rkshop Bet
B et
4:40
4:
40 – 5:
5:00
00
5:00
5:
00
S’
S’udah
udah Shlisheet
Shlisheet
ending Shabbat
Shabbat with
with story
story & song
song
ending
Havdalah
Havdalah wi
with
th Singer/Songwriter
Singer/Songwriter Peri
Peri Smilow
Smilow
this day of food for the
the body, mind & soul
$36 for this
(includes a 3% donation
donation of our food costs to MAZON))
(includes
click
cl
ick
http://urj.org/east/calendar/shabbaton
ht
tp://ur
urjj.org/east/calendar/shabbaton
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anuary ahrzeits
Mark Abramson
Herman Ackerman
Leah Adlman
Norman Arkawy
Donna Barrack
Max Barrack
Barry Barron
Esther Bernstein
Howard Bettman
David Bleiberg
Stanley Brauner
Claire Brender
Ronald Brenner
Allan Browne
Vincent Brunhard
Bella Cohen
Stewart Cohen
Gerald Deforest Crouch
Ruth Doblin
Florence Eichner
Sophie Eisenstein
William Eisenstein
Julia Fihrer
Walter Fondiller
Miriam Gebrowitz
24
Sidney Goldstein
Esther Goodman-Zaslow
Ely Gordon
Regina Gunther
Aaron Hall
Shirley Jacobs
Phoebe Jaffe
Gerald Klein
Milton Klein
Sarah Knox
Harry Krupnick
Sylvia Lacher
Harry Litman
Thelma Litman
Vali Manzon
Celia Meyers
Jodi Monash
Lester Mosbacher
Milton Nachinson
Claire Novak
Hilda Opell
Amalia Pavlovec
Benjamin Rabin
Frank Reich
Sadie Rix
Samuel Rosenzweig
Mary Rudnick
Eileen Schachter
Mollie Scher
Mildred Schiff
Ruth Friedman Seager
Sam Segal
Katherine Siskin
Milton Sitomer
Bernard Smolinsky
Ariel Soriano
Edward Spencer
Suzanne Steinberg
Judith Steinman
Rebecca Stukalin
Florence Turner
Sumner Victor
Bernard Waxenbaum
Rose Weinstein
Robert Weiss
Karl Wildman
Bob Witt
Milton Yanofsky
Shirley Sue Young
Mark Zavist
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Temple Topics
ebruary ahrzeits
Irene Bernstein
Ida Bloom
Samuel Bornstein
Alice Brickman
Molly Chertoff
Gary Coffel
Justin Colten
Margarita Coyne
Mary Eisenberg
Alter Gebrowitz
Berdie Gelfenbein
Betty Winkler Gluck
Alvin Goldberg
Ida Goldberg
Mitch Goldman
Carol Goldstein Graff
Reuben Gruber
Arthur Gunther
Walter Hausner
Anna Heffler
Max Heffler
James Hession
Ira Hieger
Harrison Sidney Hoffman
Bertha Israel
Paul Jeanette
Paula Kaplan
Melvin Katz
Gloria Kirshner
Joseph Kossar
Ethel Krupnick
Seymour Landau
Jack Lazar
Billye Levine
Thelma Levitt
Alex David Levy
Miriam Lichtenfeld
Jeane Lisk
Irving Mallow
Sylvia Mandel
George Mendelsohn
Gloria Mendelsohn
Harold Millman
Charles Mitchell
Nancy Morgan
Dorothy Nachinson
Irwin Orshalick
Jardena Pavlovec
Louis Piper
Kenny Plunchio
Ruth Zwecker Rockwell
Melvyn Romoff
Leo Rosengarten
Mollie Rosenzweig
Jack Roth
Samuel Roth
David Saltzman
Estelle Samuels
Harry Sault
Morris Schwartz
Louis Segal
Arthur Sherry
Margo Simmons
Marilyn Solomon
Eva Stedman
Samuel Surkes
Nick Susa
Herbert Verter
Louis Wagman
Walter Wallison
Archie Weber
Lillian Weber
Sidney Weicher
Jeffrey Wein
Jacob Weinberg
Jacob Widman
Nathan Widman
Betty Wildman
Harry Zall
Leonard Zinn
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Rabbi Joel Mosbacher
Cantor David Perper
Rebecca McVeigh, Educator
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Synagogue Office Closed:
Monday, January 16 and Monday, February 20
No Religious School:
Sunday, January 1, Monday, January 2, Tuesday, January 3
Sunday, January 15, Monday, January 16, Tuesday, January 17
Sunday, February 19, Monday, February 20, Tuesday, February 21
To do in January & February:
Torah Study beginning at 8:45 a.m. - Saturdays, January 7, 14, 21, and 28
Young People’s Concert - Sunday, January 8 beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Senior Youth Group Snow Tubing - Sunday, January 8
Tot Shabbat - Saturday, January 14 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Senior Youth Group Mall Scavenger Hunt - Sunday, January 22
Lifelong Learning Presents: Jewish Families Around the World (a hands-on learning experience for everyone of every age!) Sunday, January 29 beginning at 12:15 p.m.
Shabbat Shirah (Sabbath of Song) - Friday, February 3 beginning at 8:00 p.m.
Torah Study beginning at 8:45 a.m. - Saturdays, February 4, 11, 18, and 25
Tu B’Shevat Oneg following services - Friday, February 10
Tot Shabbat - Saturday, February 11 beginning at 11:30 a.m.