asj kue - bjnyc-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com€¦ · performing mitzvot, to justice work, if one enters...

One of the most overwhelming moments of the High Holy Day season for me occurs during theMusaf service of Simhat Torah. It comes after the intensity and the beauty of the dancing with theTorah, after the celebration of the Hatan/Kallat Torah and Hatan/Kallat Bereshit, and after wereenter the book of Bereshit anew—a sort of “back to the future.” At that moment I experienceanother back to the future: I look back at the amazing fifty-three-day spiritual marathon thattook us from Rosh Hodesh Elul to the Yamim Nora’im and through Sukkot. At that moment,physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted, I contemplate the year ahead. How am I goingto fulfill all those commitments made in the depths of prayer? How on earth am I going to tacklethis daunting task? Where do I begin? All the personal change I committed to, fixing the relation-ships with my close ones, the new mitzvot I would take on, the books I would read, the weeklyhours of study, consuming more responsibly, seeing my own personal responsibility for the justice issues around me, and yes … the exercise, the healthy eating, etc., etc. … Since I don’t believe in instant change or in magical transformations, and since I have embarked so manytimes on new paths that stuck for only short periods of time, I approach this issue with a seriousdose of skepticism and some despair. I know well that most of the work is about just showing up,about resisting the temptation to abandon soon after starting, about fighting every excuse in thebook that will let me off the hook. I offer here are a few practical suggestions based on some ofmy successes and mostly on my failures:

1. Be realistic, don’t commit to more than you can handle. If you attempt serious work oncharacter change, take on one trait at a time. Jealousy, anger, excess of humility; justfocus on one at a time and work hard. Take on one mitzvah and become good at it by repeating and refining your performance.

2. Find a hevruta partner. It is often easier to keep one’s commitment to change, to study, toperforming mitzvot, to justice work, if one enters into a relationship of reciprocal commit-ment and support.

3. Set fixed times. It never works if you are casual and leave it open; remember how quicklylife takes over.

4. Be constant. It is much better to do a little often than to do a lot seldom.

(continued on page 2)

Back to the Future RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON

KOL HADASH

asj kue new voIce

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inside:Sustainable House in the City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Envisioning a Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

In the Stream of Eternity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

The Cult of Perfection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

A Journey, Random—Or Is It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Social Action/Social Justice . . . . . . . .2Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-7Inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7MTM Rabbinic Fellowship . . . . . . . . .8Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Tze’irim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Youth & Family Education . . . . . .12-14Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

See page 5 for more photos and reflections on the weekend.

PHOTO: LEORA FRANKEL

Community Retreat, June ‘09

OCTOBER 2009 • TISHREI/HESHVAN 5770

“How am I going to fulfill allthose commitments madein the depths of prayer?How on earth am I going totackle this daunting task?Where do I begin?”

SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org

new voIce • OCTOBER 2009

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o you recycle in your home?

If the answer is yes, you’ll bepleased to know that we recycle in yourspiritual home too! The guidelines for recy-cling at B’nai Jeshurun are the same in thesynagogue as they are in all New York Cityresidences, government agencies, schools,and institutions. Recycling is critical to re-ducing the quantity of waste that New YorkCity sends to landfills and incinerators, andit is the law in New York City. Because it isfree to residents, recycling every day is aneasy way to protect the environment andhelp stop global climate change.

What to recycle? Do you have a running debate about which yogurt and take-outcontainers to recycle in your home? Are youstill turning over your plastic lunch container and wondering about the mysteri-ous number printed on the bottom?

There is a simple rule to follow at home andat B’nai Jeshurun: Plastic and glass bottles,jars, or jugs with a narrow mouth are gen-erally recyclable. The things you cannot re-cycle include take-out and yogurtcontainers, plastic wrap, deli and salad barcontainers, plastic cups with straws, Styro-foam, paper towel, and napkins, soiledpaper cups and plates. For a more completelist, please see the flier from NYCDepartment of Sanitation included in thisKol Hadash.

If you’re a B’nai Jeshurun regular, you’veprobably noticed blue and green recyclingbins at various locations around our 88thStreet building. In fact, we’ve labeled themconspicuously so that they are hard to miss.The bins are located in all the places in our88th Street building where we’re likely to bethrowing things away and should be used todispose of any and all material that can berecycled. They come in two designer colors—blue for paper products and greenfor glass and plastic bottles and metalcans—and are clearly marked.

The blue bins in the sanctuary lobby should be used to recycle copies of the Kol Jeshurun and other papers distributedduring services and other BJ events.

Wine and soda bottles should be depositedin the green bins located inFrankel Hall and in the sanctuary during kiddushim, onegs, Shabbat dinners, or other social events. Volunteers for the shelter orlunch program and any mem-bers utilizing the BJ kitchenshould use the recycling bins inthe synagogue kitchen linedwith clear plastic bags.

The bins are a central elementin a two-year effort, called“Greening BJ,” to make B’naiJeshurun a model of environ-mental responsibility. Pleasehelp B’nai Jeshurun ensure thelasting impact of thesechanges. If you attend a BJevent and you can’t find the recycling receptacles pleaseask a member of our fabulousfacilities staff. n

— Gil Kulick

KOL HADASH.SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL JUSTICE

5. Set measurable goals and evaluateyour progress periodically.

6. Be gradual. Increase in small andmanageable steps.

7. Don’t ever tell yourself it is too lateto start.

What was Rabbi Akiva’s beginning? At age

40 he had not learned anything. One time hewas standing at the mouth of a well andasked, “Who hollowed out this rock?” Theyanswered him, “Was it not the water thatconstantly falls on it?” They further said,“Akiva, are you not familiar with the verse‘Water wears away stone...’ (Job 14:19).Rabbi Akiva immediately made the follow-ing logical deduction to himself: “Just as

the soft [water] shaped the hard [stone],words of Torah—which are as hard as iron—all the more so they will shape my heartwhich is but flesh and blood.” (Avot deRabbiNatan 6).

And bring yourself always back to that placedeep in your heart that yearns for growthand for change. n

Back to the Future RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON continued from page 1

dBJ Recycles “The bins are located in all the

places in our 88th Streetbuilding where we’re likely tobe throwing things away andshould be used to dispose ofany and all material that canbe recycled.“


PHOTO: CHANNA CAMINS

TISHREI/HESHVAN 5770 • new voIceasj kue

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am one of the behind-the-scenesBJ staff members. I am a Jew whofeels strongly about the need to be-

have in a way that does the least possibleharm to the earth. When I read about the BJEnvironmental Hevra and their efforts to-ward “greening” BJ, I’m aware of the waysin which the BJ office may fall short of theideal. Then I feel the need to set an examplefor my fellow staff members. I thought Iwould start by reducing the amount ofwaste I produce. We have glass and metalutensils available, but only if you are eatingdairy/vegetarian food. I like to eat mea, sot Ipurchased bamboo reusable utensils andeliminated the need for plastic. There aremany small things like this that can make abig difference, and I’m always looking outfor new ideas. Tis prompted me to sharewith the entire BJ community the choicesthat my husband and I have made over thelast few years to reduce the amount ofwaste we produce in order to make a posi-tive impact on our environment.

I always thought I was supposed to live in asimple time, maybe like the Ingalls familyfrom Little House on the Prairie (although Ialways knew that wouldn’t work out; thereweren’t any Jews in Walnut Grove). In 2006 Imoved to New York City, nowhere near Wal-nut Grove, and this is now my home. Thereare wonderful things about the city thathelp us lead a life far more sustainable

than in a suburb. Here are some of thethings we do to keep things simple:

My husband drinks a lot of seltzer, so webought a Soda Club machine (www.sodac-lub.com). This eliminated the waste of theseltzer plastic bottles.We purchased a share in a CSA (communitysupported agriculture). Being part of a CSAmeant that we could regularly have beauti-ful local produce.

When I was pregnant, we researched alter-natives to conventional disposable diapers.A diaper service seemed impractical sincewe don’t have a doorman. So, we found gDiapers (www.gDiapers.com), which is ahybrid of cloth and disposable. The dispos-able piece is flushable or compostable. Weuse a combination of disposable and theg’s. We figure for every gDiaper we use, weare making a difference.

Recently, the KJ had information about ordering meat from Kol Foods(www.kolfoods.com). So, after we read moreabout Kol Foods, we jumped on board. Justlike with the CSA, it makes food taste betterto know where it is from.

We stepped up using canvas bags moreoften when we shop. We do end up withplastic bags, but we use them for picking upafter our dog.

In my kitchen, I strung up a cotton stringline across the window where I can hangbibs and the washcloths to dry. It has cut mypaper towel use to one roll about every fourweeks.

We are actively searching for an option forcomposting in our apartment. I love to lookaround www.altuse.com, and I receive dailyemails from www.thedailygreen.com, whichhelps keep me informed and offers newideas every day.

Living a life of sustainability does not meanyou are cheap; it means that you care aboutthe future of your family. Reducing yourwaste is the perfect way to begin. n

— Sarah Guthartz

Sustainable House in the City

i

COMMUNITY


Great news: Shabbat mornings at BJ include timeto schmooze!

Responding to the community’s call forweekly kiddushim, BJ is happy to be ableto announce that a kiddush will now follow Saturday morning services everyweek. On those Shabbatot when JuniorCongregation meets, we’ll need every-one’s help to move tables and organizefood so we can begin the light meal to-

gether. A Shabbat teaching will followthe kiddush on many weeks of the year.

More kiddushim means more opportuni-ties for members to sponsor them. If youhave an anniversary, birthday, b’naimitzvah, graduation, wedding, baby-naming, or other life cycle event, honorthe occasion by celebrating it with yourcommunity. To make this easier we havecreated several package options forcatering a kiddish at a modest cost. Of

course you can always plan your own,and we’ll help coordinate. To learn moreabout sponsoring a kiddush, contact GuyFelixbrodt at the BJ office.

Kiddushim give you a chance to meet andsocialize with your friends from the com-munity as well as to talk to the BJ staffand leaders who will be at each kiddush.

See you there! — Belinda Lasky

Community Kiddushim—Every Shabbat!

COMMUNITY


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KOL HADASH.


n the midst of Yamim Nora’im, Iwas trying to imagine how thisyear could be different—how, at

this high point of the Holy Days, as if stand-ing on a spiritual pinnacle scoping out the“mountains” (and, of course, the “valleys”)ahead, I could foresee what is to come onmy journey this year.

I invite you to follow the imaginary journey Itook with its visions and unexpected real-izations.

Imagine a village of thousands of peoplewho are bright, intelligent, devoted, andwho have a common sense of purpose intheir tribal existence.

Imagine hundreds of groups whose mem-bers focus on what they love to do, explor-ing the endless variety of their interests(art, music, poetry, spiritual quest, child-rearing, the environment, commerce, writ-ing, movies, traveling, gardening, and somany more). Imagine these individuals so-cializing comfortably with others with noneed for pretense and always seekingmeaning in their exploration.

Imagine a huge living room alive with thespirit of humans being together, beinghuman (humane), and becoming betterhuman beings together.

Imagine communication that is uplifting,that helps one to really see and that doesnot concern itself with business or daily life.

Imagine a place where it is warm on the in-side when it is cold and lonely outside,where one is welcomed and not judged byappearance, age, or income, but appreci-ated for being a child of G-d, a fellowhuman being living through another chal-lenging day, while seeking to pursue ameaningful life and to bring hope to others.

NOW YOU CAN STOP IMAGINING!

I suddenly realized that our BJ community(B’nai Jeshurun—the children of the up-right, or Israel) is that imaginary villagemade real, and that now is the time to makeour beautiful and vibrant community lifeeven more devoted, stimulating, sincere,welcoming, uplifting, and hopeful.

BJ’s 4,000 members have many talents andvirtues, and much ruah, and together forma special shared identity.

It is true that our “village” is quite diverseand spread out geographically. But when weget together to celebrate holidays, s’mahot,and the lives of members who have passedon, we are one in spirit and one in fellow-ship. We can now supplement the face-to-face connections with new virtual tools.

Our community is a fertile ground for “treesof knowledge” to start growing and bloom-ing in small gatherings, events, and fellow-ship groups, which we call havurot.

The homes of most BJ members are not5,000 square feet with multiple bedroomsand bathrooms, or a huge living room. Butwhere there’s room in the heart there isroom even in a one-bedroom apartment fora few people to gather and to get to knowother members of this fascinating group.This can be done by welcoming guests for adinner or for a place to stay for a night ortwo (hakhnasat orhim), or through hosting ateaching or a living-room conversationabout a current social need in our midst.

Community can be strengthened by joiningothers one morning a week to start the daywith some prayers, by greeting membersand guests at services, by doing a mitzvahfor another member, by initiating an eventfor a holiday or a needy cause,-- or simplyby having Shabbat dinner together. I, you,we, can make BJ better.

If each BJ member did only one of these orthe many other things that make us a com-munity, there would be a daily stream ofnew and stronger connections among usthis year. If some members acted in thisway every week (as many members alreadydo), and if these acts inspired others … canyou imagine?

The ideal village we seek is not so much“out there” as “in here.” Appropriately, thisis reflected in BJ’s name. In Hebrew, betand yud are the initials for B’nai Jeshurunand form the word “be’e,” which means “inme.” BJ is truly in each of us.

If you are inspired by this vision, it is withinyou to make it a reality. If you have ideasabout what you would like to see happen inthis community, feel free to contact me andwe can join forces to make them a realityhere and now. n

— Guy Felixbrodt

Envisioning a Village

i“

PHOTO: TOM ZUBACK

It is true that our ‘village’ isquite diverse and spread out geographically. But when we gettogether to celebrate holidays,s’mahot, and the lives of memberswho have passed on, we are one inspirit and one in fellowship.”

Hear Herees, the retreat grounds rolled gen-tly green under a canopy of sky-blue sky. Yellow sun glinted off a

placid lake whose surface was occasionallydotted by water fowl. Tree branches in adense woods beckoned you to explorewithin. And at night, that cream-cheesemoon smiled oh so brightly.

And yes, I inhaled the perfume of morningdew; my skin was massaged by the Shabbatsun. Yet, it wasn’t what I saw or smelled orfelt that most moved me. It was what Iheard. Particularly, the sound of our ownvoices.

Voices passionately engaged in spiritedback and forth in two discussions of men’splace in Jewish life. Voices in dialogue as,over dinner or casual strolls, we each absorbed the other’s story. And most mov-ingly, voices in song. Papa Todd accompa-nying happy campers in singing goldenoldies around a Saturday night campfire.Elana’s strong mezzo gently guiding a smallcircle in shirim.

But this weekend, song was never sweeterthan when raised in prayer. Shabbos morn-ing prayers outside on the deck with birdsamen-ing in assent.


The RetreatThe woman next to me at Shabbat dinner hadbeen in my Honors English class in highschool—40 years ago (is that possible?). Weboth “couldn’t believe it.” She had just retired.Me? I’m still trying to figure out what to dowhen I grow up.

My roommate had returned to New York tolive, serendipitously discovered a fabuloussynagogue with a great rabbi, and changedher largely secular lifestyle to one in whichJudaism was central. Turned out we bothliked to be alone and read, so we had a kind of“separate but together” bonding thing.We brainstormed about the causes and curesfor the fact that Jewish men (other than

y

COMMUNITY

Community Retreat, June 2009: A Shabbat Delight

There Is BeautifulI thought I knew what music was—untilShaharit on the lawn on Sunday at the BJsummer retreat, when sweetly twitteringsongbirds played back-up to Ari’s davening.As the Welsh say, “There is beautiful.”

The retreat was filled with moments ofbeauty. There was the bonfire after Shabbatended, when a big full moon shone over thelake as people enjoyed Israeli dancing tothe tunes from Ari’s accordion. Marcelo, always imaginative, had invited us to cele-brate havdalah around the bonfire, which henamed our havdalah candle. He was ourplayful, loving, funny poet throughout theretreat, and it was so good to have that timewith him.

On Shabbat afternoon, Gail Ressler and Ihad gone paddleboating on the lake. Instructions: Steer boat to center of lake.Remove feet from pedals. Trail fingers incool water. Gaze at trees. Appreciate silence and presence of good friend.Breathe. In short: Shabbos!

My roommate, Amy Wachtel, broughtjacks! We played a game on our cabin floor.She’s much better at jacks than I am.

I saw a bunny and orange dandelions, atetwo or three or six meals a day, enjoyedfriends both new and old. It was a wonder-ful weekend.

— Jenny Golub

A Smaller, More Intimate BJFolks often complain that BJ is so large.Well, for those who want a taste of a“smaller, more intimate BJ,” the CommunityRetreat is for you.

Imagine rolling up to the Block and Hexter Vacation Center pre-erev Shabbosand being greeted by two angels by thenames of Ari and Marcelo, dressed inwhite, and an accordion serenade.

Some highlights for me included Marcelo’sgusto and humor, Ari’s heavenly music, Esther’s profound Torah, dancing up a storm at Friday night services, davening




SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org 5

PHOTOS: TOP, HARRIET R. GOREN.ABOVE AND RIGHT, LEORA FRANKEL.


6

lost my parents, Rabbi JudahNadich and Martha Hadassah Ribalow Nadich, within seven

months of each other—my father on the12th of Elul, 5767 (2007), and my mother onthe 18th of Adar, 5768 (2008).

After each loss, my sisters and I sat shivawith our extended families. The closenessof our family and the visits of so many—close friends as well as strangers, whocame to share stories of their experienceswith my parents—brought us all tremen-dous comfort. It did not surprise me thatspending such an intense experience withthose I love best brought me tremendoussolace. What did surprise me was the sig-nificance of each minyan, repeating thewords of the kaddish with my sisters, andbeing supported by the symphony of voicesdavening together. When each shiva wasover, it seemed natural to go to the BJ min-yan to continue davening and reciting kad-dish. In truth, I did not want to let go of thecomfort I had found in communal prayer.

What I discovered in attending BJ’s morningminyan during the following 18 months wasan extension of the comfort I found duringeach week of shiva. Not only was I sup-

ported by my husband, who came with meso much of the time, and by a group thatwould become so important to me, I wassurrounded by many who had experiencedloss and with whom I felt a strong bond. Irealized that saying kaddish forces themourner to rejoin and take his/her place inthe community of faith.

The loss of my parents is one from which Iwill never fully recover. I am grateful,though, that their loss left me with a won-derful gift. The 11 months of mourning foreach of my parents has long since passed,and the minyan is no longer merely a placein which I seek comfort. It is a sanctifiedway to start the day, it is a place where I seea wonderful group of committed BJ mem-bers, and it has put BJ in an even more sig-nificant position in my life and in the life ofmy family.

In a sermon my father preached, he said:“One cannot live by spiritual spurts andstarts. … Religion is a matter that requiresdaily devotion and attention. … Prayer en-ables us to reach deep into the core of ourbeings … and brings to our consciousness,before God, the mystical, beautiful, aes-thetic and affectionate capacities that re-

side deep within us. It also takes us out ofour own age and places us in the stream ofeternity.”

I ask that, as a BJ member, you share in theresponsibility of ensuring that at least 10people participate daily in order for mourn-ers to recite kaddish; I invite you to com-memorate yahrzeits as well as happyoccasions by attending the minyan; and Iencourage you to share in the wonderful experience of starting your day in this community of prayer. n

— Shira Nadich Levin

Shira Nadich Levin is a real estate partner atCooley Godward Kronish LLP, and serves aspro bono counsel to The Abraham JoshuaHeschel School (where she is also an honorary trustee and former president), aswell as to the Jewish Funders Network andThe Abraham Fund Initiatives. Shira is amember of BJ together with her husband,Jim, and her sons, Alexander, Gideon, andBenjamin, serves on the Executive Commit-tee, and co-chairs the BJ Minyan Committeeand Volunteer Task Force.

KOL HADASH.

In the Stream of Eternity

COMMUNITY

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i

My first thought:This is how the Israelites must havefelt during the part-

ing of the Red Sea. Or maybe just the onesin the back, after they saw that God reallydid come through as promised, that walls ofwater would hold, and there was no saferplace in the world than this narrow path between two pulsing, towering cliffs.

One Friday evening during Kabbalat Shabbat at BJ, and in the middle of the weekof shiva for my brother, I sat downstairs witha Hevra Kadisha member who volunteersfor the task of accompanying mourners asthey enter the sanctuary following LekhaDodi. We waited in quiet for a half hour; I almost forgot that people were praying

right above us. Then an usher came to tellus it was time, and we walked upstairs andstood outside the sanctuary for a few min-utes as everyone finished dancing andsinging. (“Do you want to go back?” whis-pered the usher, concerned that I wasn'tready to witness such joy even from afar. ButI was really glad to see happy people, although relieved not to participate. Thiswas the first time all week I had been able tohear music without cringing in pain.) Thedoor opened, and I walked down the aisle toa seat up front as everyone stood and said:

Ha-makom y’nahem etkhem b'tokh sh’aravelei tzion virushalayim.

May God comfort you among the mournersof Zion and Jerusalem.

Ha-makom: literally, “the place,” but also aname of God. But it seems to me that thetranslation should be more concrete than“God”—the word evokes an actual structurefilled, rather than a Presence that fills. Atthat moment, as I walked in between wallsof people, I knew that this room, togetherwith everyone abiding within it, was God—the God of comfort, embodied in my com-munity and those who waited, hugged, andfussed over me during that half hour, andmy friends who had arranged to sit next toand in rows right behind me; and the God ofmy heritage, in the few seconds between theback of the sanctuary and my seat when Icould almost hear an echo of this moment inall those other stories of exodus, pain, andredemption. n

— Harriet R. Goren

Ha-makom: The Comfort of Communityour voIces

[The minyan] is a sanctified way tostart the day, it is a place where I see a wonderful group of committed BJ members, and it has put BJ in an even more significant position in my life and in the life of my family.”


7

n Parashat Emor (Leviticus 21:1 –24:23), God speaks to Moses,telling him to tell Aaron that no off-

spring of his who has a defect shall bequalified to perform the priestly duty ofmaking sacrifices. He goes on to give acomprehensive list of who is barred fromthis honor—“no man who is blind, or lame,or has a limb too short or too long,” “noman who has a broken leg or a brokenarm,” “or who is hunchback, or a dwarf, orwho has a growth in his eye, or who has aboil-scar, or scurvy, or crushed testes.” Asmuch as this laundry list of imperfectionssheds light onto the phobias and fears ofthe ancients, it casts a long shadow into thepresent, illumining the way we look at dif-ference.

In an attempt to understand the harsh-sounding, exclusive language of thisparasha, I consulted with Rabbi Dahlia Kronish. She explained that as a people wehave transitioned from a sacrificial(priestly) to a prayer-centered (rabbinic)tradition and that the sacrificial ritual wasvery focused on perfection. It was a physi-cal, rather than spiritual, offering, andtherefore demanded physical perfection inorder to be offering up to God “our verybest.” This perfection expressed itself bothin the requirements pertaining to the ani-mal offered and to the priest offering it onthe people’s behalf. She used the term “cultof perfection” to elucidate the ancients’ obsession with purity. In the Rabbinic timeperiod, with the shift away from sacrifice toprayer, the Rabbis’ teachings attempt todeal with physical difference in a new way.

The Mishnah Sanhedrin teaches that allGod’s creatures are different. Masehet Brahot teaches that there is a particularblessing we are instructed to say upon en-countering people who are physically differ-ent. As Rabbi Kronish pointed out, somefeel that this serves as a reminder—espe-cially in the post-sacrificial time period—that all people are God’s creatures andtherefore important.

How do these concerns affect us in the 21stcentury? Does the “cult of perfection” stillresonate with us today, somewhere deepinside of ourselves? When we gather to-gether in prayer, are we able to accommo-date and include those who cannot hear,who cannot see, cannot talk, or cannotwalk? Or those who have trouble learning?

Two years ago, an Inclusion Committee wasformed at B’nai Jeshurun, charged with themission of working toward ensuring thatpeople with disabilities and special needsfeel welcome and able to participate fully inevery activity of the BJ community. Thegoals of this committee are to ensure sen-sitivity toward people with disabilities andtheir families, caregivers, and partners andto create a culture in which they are in-cluded in all areas of congregational life—worship, education, volunteering, and socialparticipation.

With Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein as rabbinicguide, the committee plans to conduct asurvey to find out which families and indi-viduals have needs that ought to be ad-dressed and then let them know what the

synagogue can offer, as well as directingthem to other resources within the widercommunity. In place already is the MemClass, now in its third year at the BJ Hebrew School, designed for children withlearning disabilities. The main thrust of theInclusion Committee is to work as a think-tank for all issues concerning inclusion,with the goal of ultimately finding the resources and solutions to make the ex-traordinarily rich experience of praying andlearning at BJ as accessible as possible.

Just as the Rabbis of old, grappling withtheir own fears and prejudices as well asthe difficulty of the Biblical text, came upwith their own interpretations, we too arecharged with the task of examining our“cult of perfection” in an age of amniocen-tesis, genetic engineering, a rise in the inci-dence of autism, and increasing longevity. n

— Anne Landsman

Anne Landsman’s recent novel, The RowingLesson, was awarded South Africa’s 2009 M-Net Literary Award for English fiction andthe 2009 Sunday Times Fiction Prize, thelargest prize of its kind in Africa. She hasbeen a BJ member for 14 years and is on theInclusion Committee.

iThe Cult of Perfection

“When we gather together inprayer, are we able to accommodate those who cannothear, who cannot see, cannot talk,or cannot walk? Or those whohave trouble learning?”


n response to BJ’s CommunityBuilding Initiative, we would like to introduce a new program

to bring the community together: BJ B’Yahad.

Led by a task force in partnership withthe rabbis, board, lay leaders, and staff,BJ B’Yahad will organize groups of mem-

bers who wish to be more connected toBJ to form groups (k’vutzot).

Members in these k’vutzot will partici-pate in at least three programs togetherin the fall/winter, including a Shabbatdinner. It is our hope that through BJB’Yahad and the k’vutzot experience, wewill embrace and engage more members

and become a more inclusive, cohesivecommunity.

If you would like to be a member of thek’vutzot, or know someone we shouldreach out to, please contact BelindaLasky at [email protected] or x224 to find outhow you can be part of a k’vutzah. n

— Susan Etra, BJ B’Yahad Co-Chair

BJ B’Yahad

i

INCLUSION


8

KOL HADASH.


rabbi named Shawn Zevit onceasked me, “Do you want to be aleader who is remembered for how

many followers you had, or for how manyleaders you helped cultivate?”

One of the key hidden topics within theBook of Deuteronomy is the complexity of asuccessful leadership transfer. While theTorah is very clear about Joshua being theworthy successor to Moses, very little iswritten about how Joshua will transitioninto being the leader. What inner obstaclesdoes Joshua face? Is there a vocal minorityamong the children of Israel that doubt hisleadership capabilities? From reading thefirst chapter in the Book of Joshua, it isclear that the transition was successful.Joshua has quickly gained the confidence ofB’nai Yisrael. But was it a smooth transi-tion? Question marks abound. What are theconditions that lead to successful leader-ship transfer? How much overlap betweenleaders is necessary or appropriate? Whatbecomes the role of the former leader?What mechanisms need to be in place if andwhen the new leader experiences earlybouts of imperfection/failure?

Leadership transfer is a mysterious art, especially in the life of a place like B’naiJeshurun. As the new full-time MTM Rabbinic Fellow, I experience this phenom-enon in a variety of ways. For example, theBJ Tze’irim community is currently goingthrough its own leadership transition. Justrecently. a brand new executive team waselected. Several of the active Tze’irim re-ceived the call to take their communal in-volvement up a notch, and they respondedaffirmatively. Simultaneously, other keyleaders, who have chaired committees andgiven countless volunteer hours, are takinga necessary step back. Both of theseprocesses are essential to the ongoing vi-tality of Tze’irim, but they are not alwaysself-evident.

The transition between new leaders andformer leaders has a very subtle rhythmthat requires all parties involved to listendeeply as they adjust to their new roles andredefine their relationship to each other

and the community. Both sides of this equa-tion demand a spiritual discipline. Therecan be strong temptation to ignore eachother or, conversely, to create a sense ofover-reliance. Pay attention to the tempta-tion, but do not give in to it. Acknowledgethat it is simply difficult to give or to takeover the mantle of hard work with a fullsense of integrity. A few things should beconsidered:

Former leaders need encouragement to be-come mentors to the new leaders. Eachnew leader will require a different amountand style of mentoring and may not be re-ceptive to certain “advice” in the same waysas their co-leaders and predecessors.Former leaders will need to learn the danceof visibility and invisibility, when to work behind the scenes and when to just showup. New leaders will need the autonomy tomake their own mistakes and learn fromthem so they can spiritually grow into theirpositions. True leadership confidencecomes less from executing a detailed planto perfection and more from overcomingadversity and learning how to work together.

Sometimes Torah can help us when we re-alize what is missing. We know very littleabout the inner struggles that may or maynot have accompanied the leadership trans-fer from Moses to Joshua. What we doknow is that Moses experienced much an-guish around his death but projected it to-ward G-d. One can only speculate that partof his anguish was in the relinquishment ofhis role as Israelite leader. It is not clearthat Joshua is ever the sole leader of the Is-raelites while Moses is still alive. Is it justthat the Torah focused on Moses, or wasMoses having trouble letting go? Letting gocan be one of the greatest spiritual chal-lenges. It is matched only by the challengeof taking hold. How difficult it is, then, totransfer leadership: to witness and experi-ence the simultaneous processes of takinghold and letting go.

May the incoming Tze’irim leadership beblessed with a combination of motivationand appreciation, humility and enthusiasm.May they be lifted up by all the previousleaders of Tze’irim whose hard work en-abled them to reach this moment. May thework of all our leaders, past, present, andin every capacity, be infused with a conta-gious enthusiasm that makes the experi-ence of community-building a blessing andnever a burden. And may we all continueto find ways to locate and cultivate the next group of leaders waiting for their moment. n

— Rabbi Ezra D. Weinberg

Letting Go and Taking Hold

MARSHALL T. MEYER FELLOWSHIP

a

“The transition between newleaders and former leaders has a very subtle rhythm thatrequires all parties involved tolisten deeply as they adjust totheir new roles and redefinetheir relationship to each otherand the community. Both sidesof this equation demand a spiritual discipline.”

COMING IN THE DECEMBER KOL HADASH:Answers to members’ questions for Rabbi Felicia Sol


9 SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org

Born To accidental parentsIn Switzerland near a churchI was baptizedA CatholicAmong Protestants.

God did not object.

TornFrom a cozy haven too earlyTo unwilling relativesIn GermanyI was pronouncedA ProtestantAmong Catholics.

God did not object.

A reluctant residentIn a heartless home In a meaningless faithI went through the motionsOf becoming a part In some community of God.

I did object to God.

Leaving religion behindLiving and studying Through secular timesFastforward—to New YorkFalling in loveWith a Jew.

One German No God.

Did God object to me?

Torn Between wanting to stay And having to move A struggle ensued between

My inner non-believer,My inner survivor,My inner wanderer,My outsider on the inside.

I chose.

BornWas now this Of all things:A German American Jew.

God did not object.

Thank you—I’m fine. I’m home.

Home is America,where everyone is from somewhere.Home is the tribe of Israel,where everyone struggles with God.Home is a familywhere the choice is alive.Home for now.

A journey, random—Or is it?

God does not object.

— Karin Bruckner

A Journey, Random—Or Is It?our voIces

PASS THE KHOne of the problems of print publications isthe delay factor. By the time the Kol Hadasharticles are proofed, designed, printed, andmailed, two months have gone by. On theother hand you can touch them, carry themfrom place to place, slip them in your bag,save them on a shelf, and pass them on.Pass yours on to a friend who might be in-terested. It’s another way to share BJ.

A GUIDE TO THE BJ COMMUNITYAs I write this, in early August, I have noidea how the BJ community will have re-acted and adapted to the fact that a new BJGuide did not appear in their mailbox (onlythose few members without online accesswill have received a copy in the mail) andthat you are being asked to pay if you want anice color copy. As I explained in the lastissue, we did this for both economic and

ecological reasons. We hope any disap-pointment is offset by these benefits andthat you approve of the new two-part Guide,crafted by Harriet Goren, and the beautifulintroduction of BJ’s new logo and look.

FACEBOOK: A WARNINGWe are fans of Facebook, but you still haveto be careful. In July, an Internet scam thattargeted synagogue members across thecountry hit BJ. Through Facebook’s emailand chat function, people received credible-sounding requests for money from im-posters who hijacked their friends’Facebook identities. Along with severalother BJ people, MTM Fellow Rabbi EzraWeinberg was targeted. BJ communicatedwith members about this and reported it tothe authorities. The FBI is aware of thisscam and is working with the victims. Un-fortunately, this kind of thing is common.

PLEASE protect yourself from online fraudby learning more. One good source is theInternet Crime Complaint Center (IC3),http://www.ic3.gov, which offers informa-tion about common schemes and preven-tion tips.

BJ’S NEW LOGOWe are busy imprinting the BJ logo on justabout everything we touch, as you havesurely noticed by now. We’ll continue towork on converting everything thatemerges from the BJ office. We ask allmembers who may have used the old BJlogo in the past to retire it to your “trash” or“wastebasket.” It is important that BJ pres-ent a single face to the world. Any use ofthe new BJ logo must be approved in ad-vance. Please plan ahead if you anticipatesuch a need and contact me. n

— Denise Waxman

The Latest Word: A BJ Communications Update

COMMUNICATIONS


10

KOL HADASH.TZE’IRIM


Orthodox) are dropping out of Judaism, andlots of insightful and inventive ideas were putforth. Knowing BJ, I believe we will re-inventsuccessful male outreach, programming,and involvement.

Saturday night, we were taught lots of Israelidances, all new to me. As someone whocan’t remember directions and who has twoleft feet, I must say the dance instructionswere easy to follow and lots of fun.

The camp grounds were lovely, on a beautifullake. The food was tasty and I loved the“make your own” ice cream sundae buffet. Itwas wonderfully relaxing. I could have veryhappily stayed at “camp” for the week.

— Rhonda Warren

Community Retreat, June 2009 continued from page 5

outdoors, serving as Jeff Yablonka’s dailywake-up call, playing jacks with my room-mate Jen Golub, starbursts of morningsunlight dancing upon the lake, earlymorning Tai Chi with the Kirtan Rabbi,going out on the lake in a paddle boat withTodd Chanko, sitting in the Jacuzzi with abunch of the kids, joining in a circle onlawn chairs reasoning with our Rabbi,watching caterpillars crawl as robinsbobbed about, noting that the male leadersat BJ can’t build a fire like Felicia, hangingaround the campfire with Ami Weil and oth-ers, while listening to her guitar playin’hubby and singin’ along. Only complaint—itwas too short! Am most grateful that I wasable to join in and be there.

— Amy Wachtel

And the high point, Kabbalat Shabbat, insidea studio whose acoustics were perfect, likedavening inside a cello. Here was the thrillof tefillah. Our voices blended so fluidly, yet each could be heard so clearly, so individually.

I call that community.

The retreat sounded amazing to me. And ifit sounds good to you, maybe you’ll attendnext year’s. June 4 through 6, 2010. You really should have been there. Next year,maybe you will be.

— Jeff Yablonka

hirty Tze’irim members, five hours,and over 1,000 pictures later … theFirst Annual BJ Tze’irim Big Apple

Scavenger Hunt was a success! BJ mem-bers in their 20s and 30s were asked toleave behind the cozy Upper West Side andexplore more of New York City with a cam-era. So, without any indication of what theprize would be, six teams took off with a listof objects or activities to capture on film.Here are a few of the 82 (!) possibilities:

• Form a human pyramid in front of a synagogue

• Participate in a pickup basketball game ata park

• Start a dance party with seven strangers

• Hug a police officer

• Find a runner and jog with him/her

Members were asked to be as creative aspossible in doing these tasks. For instance,in order to get a picture of a lookalike, oneteam found a mirror and took a pictureshowing a participant’s reflection. Anotheraccomplished “flipping pizza dough in apizza joint” by creating what looked like apizza joint in an empty section of a grocerystore. Nearly all teams had “celebrity sight-ings” of mascots and wax celebrities inTimes Square. They also had to be in thepicture together for team tasks, and theTeam Sign had to be included in ALL pictures to prove the team hadn’t split up(not that any of them would dream of doingsuch a thing).

The feedback from this event was great,typified by one contestant’s remark that it“was as much fun as I’ve had traipsingaround the city in a long time.” Tze’irimhopes to have many more of these kinds ofprograms in the future. To all members whoparticipated—win or lose (by the way, theprizes were $10 gift cards for Starbucks,Jamba Juice, Pink Berry, H&H Bagel, andChipotle), we’re glad you played the game.

To view more photos from the event, see theB’nai Jeshurun Tze’irim 20s and 30s groupon www.facebook.com. n

— Wendy Leiser

tTze’irim’s Photo Scavenger Hunt

The RetreatSmaller, More IntimateHear Here

Clockwise, fromleft: Team in frontof a famous deli,on monkey bars;at subway stop.

PHOTO: WENDY LEISER PHOTO: WENDY LEISER

PHOTO: JIM ROME


11

ANNOUNCEMENTS

To the following members and their families on their b’nai mitzvah (August and September):

Olivia Sabat

Nathaniel Gertzman

Joshua Manocherian

Henry Jacob Callahan-Gold

Mazal Tov Condolences (through August 28)

To the following members and their families (through August 28):

Jack David Marcus on the recent marriage of his daughter, JessicaMarcus, to Justin Gallagher.

Scott Weiner and Beth Siegel on the birth of their grandson, Caleb Joseph Mallo.

Ilana Bragin and Paul Fenyves on their recent wedding.

BJ staff member Yaffa Garber on her recent marriage to RavidTilles.

Penny Dannenberg, who was recently accepted into the WhitneyMuseum Docent Program.

Deedy and David Goldstick, Patty Goldstick and Alex, Isabela andCaleb Hesquijarosa on the birth of their grandson, son and brother,Maximus Andre.

Lenore Ruben on the birth of her grandson, Blake Noah Levenson.

Anne Millman on the birth of her grandson, Daniel Matan Kriegsman.

Purim Play creator/director Michael Kelberg, and his wife Becky,on the birth of their daughter, Lila Beverly.

Josine Shapiro and Andrew Clateman on their upcoming wedding.

Adam Pollack and Marlene Rachelle for receiving their Masters degrees from the William Davidson School of Jewish Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Jonathan Adelsberg and Anita Sibony on the birth of their daughter, Rosa Fiona.

Ruth Lazarus and Michael Feldberg on the marriage of theirdaughter Rachel Lazarus Feldberg to James Scott Levine.

Yosef Goldman and Anne Lewis on their recent engagement.

Timothy Mann and Jessie Reagen on their recent wedding.

Yasher Koah:

Nadine Hack for being the commencement speaker at SouthernNew Hampshire University Graduate School of International Community Development on July 2, 2009.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun extends sincere condolences tothe following members and their families:

Laurie Basch, and Alex, Adam, and Sophie Nacht on the death of their beloved father, father-in-law, and grandfather, CharlesBasch.

Audrey Melkin on the death of her beloved mother, Jean AnnMelkin.

Andrew and Jay Schinderman and their entire family on the deathof their beloved father, Ivan Schinderman.

Robert and Helen Stark and their entire family on the death oftheir beloved mother and mother-in-law, Anne Stark.

Joan Kaplan on the death of her beloved mother, Frieda Goldman.

Michael Roffer, Susan Lerner Roffer, and Benjamin and JillianRoffer on the death of their beloved mother, mother-in-law, andgrandmother, Celia Roffer.

Jules and Judy Love on the death of their beloved brother andbrother-in-law, Alan Love.

Alan and Mimi Frank on the death of their beloved mother andmother-in-law, Edith Frank.

Diane, Mark, and Joshua Weisstuch on the death of their belovedmother, mother-in-law, and grandmother, Rose Frimet.

Harley, Lori, Lindsay, Danica, Brennan, and Griffin Bassman onthe death of their beloved father, father-in-law and grandfather,Irving Bassman.

Michael Isenberg on the death of his beloved mother, Riva Bursuk.

Bruce, Elizabeth, Ben, Adam, and Ross Gitlin on the death of theirbeloved mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother, Gloria Gitlin.

Shari Kenner on death of her beloved mother, Frances Kenner.

Miriam and Sam Herscher on the death of their aunt and great-aunt, Hilda Herscher.

)SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org

ra Dounn, Teen Educator, was raised in Teaneck, NJ, attending Teaneck public schools, Hebrew school at boththe Teaneck Jewish Center and at Congregation Beth Am,

and then the Bergen Academy of Reform Judaism (BARJ) during hishigh school years. During his senior year of high school, he began aclose relationship with his mentors Rabbi Dr. Samuel Mendelowitzand Rhoda Mendelowitz, who largely inspired his desire to develophis Jewish and Jewish textual knowledge.

Ira attended the University of Chicago (AB, 2004) where he concen-trated in Public Policy Studies and also had a particular interest in

the Great Books Program. While at Chicago, he was a board member and the project leader ofHabitat for Humanity, and also participated in service learning trips with Hillel to New Orleansand to Buenos Aires, Argentina. With a Muslim colleague, Ira founded the Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Group (JMD) at the University of Chicago. He also worked at Cook County Hospital'sTrauma Department with the University of Chicago's Summer Links Program during the summer of 2002 and worked for Lawyers for Human Rights in Pietermaritzburg, South Africaas a University of Chicago Human Rights Program Intern during the summer of 2003.

After college, Ira went to Israel, where he studied Hebrew at the Hebrew University ofJerusalem and Milah ulpanim, and studied Jewish texts at Yeshivat Hamivtar in Efrat, followedby study at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah until 2008. In January 2008, he traveled to Ghana on Ameri-can Jewish World Service's (AJWS) Rabbinical School Delegation. Since March 2008, he hasworked at Jewish Child Care Association's (JCCA) Bukharian Teen Lounge, a comprehensiveafter-school program for Bukharian teenagers in Queens where he continues to work.

Among other things, Ira is enthusiastic about playing sports (soccer, baseball, bowling, tabletennis, and many others), Broadway shows, reading (especially on the subway), Jewish informaleducation, traveling to new places, and meeting new people.


12

KOL HADASH.YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION

i FAMILY LEARNING PROGRAMSB’nai Mitzvah family learning programs are an essential part of theB’nai Mitzvah process for all studentsand parents.

Unless otherwise noted, programs takeplace in the 86th Street Chapel. All Sat-urday afternoon programs are special“kick-off” events and are followed by aMinha service. All Saturday morningprograms precede Junior Congregation.

4th Grade• Saturday, March 13, 2010, 4:00PM*(88th Street Frankel Hall)

5th Grade • Saturday, November 7, 2009,

3:30PM*• Saturday, March 6, 2010, 9:30AM

6th Grade • Saturday, November 14, 2009,3:00PM* (88th Street Frankel Hall)• Saturday, December 5, 2009,9:30AM• Saturday, February 6, 2010, 9:30AM• Saturday, April 17, 2010, 9:30AM

MITZVAH FAIR• Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 6:00PM* (88th Street Sanctuary)

OVERNIGHTS AND RETREATS5th Grade Overnight • Saturday, January 23, 2010* (88th Street Frankel Hall)

6th Grade Retreat • April 30 – May 2, 2010 (Camp Ramah, Nyack)

*This is an addition and/or change indate and/or time than previously publicized.

Contact Emily Walsh at [email protected] x243 for more information about the B’nai Mitzvah Family Learning Programs.

Welcome to Ira DounnSAVE THE DATES:


• BJHS Reach for Shabbat Family Retreat October 16-18This retreat is for all Gimmel, Dalet, Hey and Mem students and their families. There will be a retreat prep meeting on Thursday, October 8at 5:00PM at 88th Street.

PHOTOS: REBECCA ROSENTHAL

At the 2008 Reach for Shabbat Retreat


13

Thursday, October 1 ...............................................................................Parents’ Back to School Night at BJHS

Thursday, October 8 ...............................................................................Reach for Shabbat Family Retreat Prep Meeting

Friday, October 16 ..................................................................................Bim Bam (every Friday through November 20)

............................................................................................BJHS Reach for Shabbat Family Retreat

Sunday, October 18.................................................................................Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing! (for 6th grade girls)

............................................................................................Domestic Service Learning Program Meeting

............................................................................................International Service Learning Program Meeting

Wednesday, October 21 ..........................................................................Teen Leadership Track

Friday, October 23 ..................................................................................BJHS Hey, Vav, and Mem Shabbat Dinner

Saturday, October 24 ..............................................................................K-2nd Grade Shabbat Program

Sunday, October 25.................................................................................Family Social Action Event

Tuesday, November 3 .............................................................................Community Families Cooking for the Shelter—7th Grade

Wednesday, November 4 ........................................................................B’nai Mitzvah 4th Grade Parent Orientation

Saturday, November 7............................................................................5th Grade B’nai Mitzvah Program

Saturday, November 7............................................................................3rd-5th grade Grade Havdalah & Movie Night

Saturday, November 14..........................................................................6th Grade B’nai Mitzvah Program

Sunday, November 15.............................................................................Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing! (for 6th grade girls)

............................................................................................Domestic Service Learning Program Meeting

............................................................................................International Service Learning Program Meeting

Wednesday, November 18 ......................................................................Teen Leadership Track

Important Dates for October–November

Having just completed the personal reflec-tion period of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kip-pur, the holiday of Sukkot is a time when westep out of our individual homes and intocommunal dwellings. The custom of wel-coming guests into the sukkah dates back toearly Kabbalah literature and is called ushpizin (Aramaic for “guests”). It not onlyrefers to inviting actual guests into one’ssukkah but is also meant to figuratively wel-come people from our past.

Tradition teaches that seven guests are “invited” into the sukkah—one for eachnight of the holiday—and include our biblicalpatriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,Moses, Aaron, and David. Many interpreta-tions also bring in our matriarchs, Sarah,Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah,and Esther (often Rebecca, Leah, Rachel,Dinah, Tamar, or Ruth can be substituted).

Modern practices include inviting significantJewish figures from recent history, as wellas family and community members who areno longer with us. This is an opportunity tolearn from those who came before us and tobe inspired to live our lives accordingly.

The custom of ushpizin also teaches that weshould “invite” those less fortunate to sharein a festive meal. Maimonides taught, “Whileeating and drinking himself, one is obligatedto feed the stranger, orphan, and widow,along with the other unfortunate poor…”(Laws of Yom Tov 6:18). The season ofSukkot reminds us of our obligation to helpfeed the hungry and to reach out to those inneed.

Here are some ways youcan “welcome guests” intoyour sukkah (or home if youdo not have your own sukkah)this holiday season:

• Share stories with your chil-dren about people that youadmired or were importantto you.

• Donate your time and/or resources to alocal shelter or food bank. If you’d like tovolunteer for the BJ shelter please contactBJ/SPSA Shelter Co-Chair, Anne Millman,at [email protected] or x259.

• Invite another BJ family over for a meal,and get to know each other better!

— Emily Walsh, Assistant Director of Education

for Youth and Family

Ushpizin: Who Will You Welcome Into Your Sukkah?



14

KOL HADASH.

YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION


• Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!One Sunday a month from September 2009through June 2010, 4:00-6:00PM,88th Street Frankel Hall,

Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! is a wonder-ful program based on the Jewish tradition ofwomen’s New Moon celebrations that buildsthe self-esteem, leadership skills, Jewishidentity, and friendship networks of adoles-cent girls. There are already hundreds ofgroups around the country and we arethrilled to be launching our very own here atBJ this fall for 6th grade girls. Monthlygatherings include themed craft activities,role-playing and conversation, socializing,and snacking!

The program and supplies fee is $180 forthe year. To receive the exact dates andother registration information, please contact Leora Frankel at [email protected] or x271.

Upcoming Youth & Family Education Events

• 4th Grade B’nai Mitzvah ParentOrientation MeetingWednesday, November 4, 7:00PM88th Street Sanctuary

Parents of children in 4th grade, or whosebirthdates fall between September 1999 andDecember 2000, are invited to an informa-tional meeting that will detail each step ofthe B’nai Mitzvah planning process. Thoughthis meeting is optional, we highly encour-age all parents to attend.

Applications for dates will be turned in atthis time, and there will be an opportunityfor questions and answers.

For more information, please refer to theB’nai Mitzvah link (under “Limud”) on theBJ website, www.bj.org, or contact ArleneBrandon at [email protected] or x223.

• Social Action Opportunity:Family Fun in Riverside Park!Sunday, October 25, 11:00AM-2:00PM

Join other BJ families for an afternoon ofhelping to beautify Riverside Park followedby a pot-luck picnic lunch. The volunteerwork (which will comprise the first twohours) is appropriate for adults and childrenages 8 and up, but anyone is welcome to joinus at 1:00PM for the picnic and some outdoor games. Please R.S.V.P. by October15 to Leora at x271 [email protected] for the exact meeting location and additional details.

• Life After Nursery School: The Process of Applying to Public School KindergartenWednesday, October 14, 6:30PM, R.S.V.P. for location

Please join us for an evening with educa-tional consultant, Dr. Robin Aronow, andlearn the latest information for the 2009-2010 admission season to public schoolkindergarten in Manhattan.

Robin Aronow, Ph.D, is an educational con-sultant who advises families in the processof applying to both public and private ongo-ing schools, Pre-K through High School.She is often quoted by the media in regardsto issues related to schools in New YorkCity. In this workshop, she will present anoverview of the options and processes of ap-plying to public school kindergarten in Man-hattan. Topics include: Valuable Resourcesin Getting Started, Timelines, ApplicationProcedures, Public vs. Private Schools,Gifted and Talented vs. General Education,Stanford-Binet and G&T Testing, Dual Lan-guage Programs, Zoned Schools, LotterySchools, Charter Schools, Overcrowding,and Rezoning.

This workshop is only open to BJ members.R.S.V.P. to Emily Walsh at [email protected] or x243.

• Bim Bam:A Music, Movement and MitzvahClass for Babies and ToddlersFriday mornings, October 16-November 20,10:45AM, 88th Street Frankel Hall

Sign up your youngest BJ members for apre-Shabbat class on Friday mornings thisfall! Every class, children ages 0-3 will prepare for Shabbat with songs, stories,tzedakah and other fun games and learningactivities. This is also a great opportunity toconnect with other parents and young

children in the BJ community.The class is $72 for members, $118 fornon-members per family. Scholarships areavailable for BJ members who are in needof financial assistance, please contact EmilyWalsh at [email protected] or x243 for moreinformation. To register, please contactElana Ayalon at [email protected] or x260.

PHOTO: LEORA FRANKEL

Riverside Park program, May, 2009.

TISHREI/HESHVAN 5770 • new voIce asj kue

SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org 15

Adult Education FundMiriam Lox in memory of

Thomas Reiner

ASL Interpreting Fund Irma and Robert Radus in

honor of Michael Kramer

Bebe Bronstein Jewish CampScholarship Fund

Helena Diamant Glass

Bikkur Holim Fund In memory of

Barbara GoldmanSofia Hubscher and Adam

WallachLorraine Korn Miriam Lox

BJ/SPSA Homeless ShelterFund

Megan Eisen in honor of JudyGeller-Marlowe

Glenn Marlowe and JudyGeller-Marlowe in honor ofAri Priven's 20 years at BJand Brian Baum and PaulaBrinberg's engagement

Children’s Services Fund Richard Ehrenhaus

Etz Hayim Fund Carol Goldsmith in celebration

of William and Vicki Abrams'50th Anniversary

Scott Weiner and Beth Siegelin honor of Caleb JosephMallo

Floral FundAdina Schecter

General Fund Noah, Caleb, Avital, and Yael

Berkman-Mintz in memory ofJudith Cossin Berkman

Micki EisenmanAlvin Epstein in memory of

Barbara GoldmanTed Fisher in memory of Juel

GoodmanAlan and Mimi Frank in

memory of Madeliene ReidJules and Susan Frankel in ap-

preciation of their aliyah onShabbat to celebrate their33rd wedding anniversary

Marvin Kalickstein in honor ofDan and Lauren Jucaem

Richard and Rosemary Kalikowin celebration of Judy Geller-Marlowe

Stephen and Susan Kippur inmemory of Jean Ann Melkinand David Sternoff

David Klafter and NancyKestenbaum

Stefan and Mary Krieger inhonor of Jules Frankel

Selma Krupnick in memory ofMadeleine Reid

Shelah LeaderHella Moritz in honor of Ari

Priven's 20 years at BJBella Rector in honor of

Myriam Abramowitz Ronnie RedenBarbara Reed in

memory of Ann StarkWomen's Rosh Hodesh Group

in honor of Henry MeerMark and Mindy SotskyBruce TennebaumMimi TurqueJoel and Anne VaturiDeborah WinantJudy and Carl Wolkin in honor

of Felicia SolIn celebration of William

and Vicki Abrams' 50th Anniversary

Nancy BlumRuth Friedman Jonathan

and Ellen Goldstein Steven and Phyllis Gross Sandra and Louis Grotta Judy and Miles Josephson Elaine Lieb Harold Oertell Betty Rothschild Alice and Stephen Shapiro Lawrence and Naomi Stein Ronald Weiss

In memory of David Sternoff

Roma Barnett Liba Beyer Robert and Elisa Bildner Paul and Heather Booth Miriam DanielRichard Davidson Sarah Durham Ruth Flicker Darrell Friedman Joseph and Ellen Gilbert Lynda Goldstein Paul Hastings Debra and Len Herz Janet LivingstonRuth Messinger and

Andrew Lachman Aviva MeyerJerry and Ellie Schlakman Adrienne Schlossberg Donald Schwartz Debra Schwartz Alan and Patricia Siger Irving and Carol Smokler Burton and Barbara

Sternoff Alona Sussman Anthony Wartnik Matthew and Robin

Weinberg J Chris and Kristen

Winckler Arlene and Milton Wittels

Hebrew School Fund Craig Phythyon in honor of

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Koret

Hevra Kadisha Fund Daniel and Jessica White in

memory of Phoebe Golub

Judith Bernstein Lunch Program

In honor of Judy Geller-Marlowe

Faye H. Levey Elie Maor and Yvette Benedek Anne PowersBarbara Rodgers

Kiddush Fund Belinda Lasky in honor of Asya

and Ted Berger's 45th Anniversary

Marshall T. Meyer MemorialFund

George and Sharon Golden inmemory of Abraham A.Golden

Shabbat Oneg Fund Mary Carrera

Social Action/Social JusticeFund

Marcia Annenberg in memoryof Frances and Morton An-nenberg

Stephanie and Chris Saia inmemory of Blanche Saia

Teen Program Contribution Fund

Ellen Landau in honor of JoeYankelowitz

Yizkor Fund Myriam Abramowicz in mem-

ory of her beloved parents,Mendel and Lea

Rose Alpert in memory of herfather and brother

Anita Altman in memory ofJack Altman, Anna and Zodick Coffino, and GordonZaloom

Toby Baldinger in memory ofher father

Howard and Shirley Bisgeier inmemory of Shirley's motherand father

Charles Borrok in memory ofMaurice Borrok

Jacqueline Braverman inmemory of Dora Becker

Sandee Brawarsky and BarryLichtenberg in memory ofCeil Merritt

Ralph Brunswick in memory ofLiz Genn

Susanne Catinella in memoryof Nicholas Catinella

William and Gail Cohen inmemory of Sylvia Cohen

Carol Dikman in memory ofRose Weinstock and herbeloved grandfather

Shirley Dorfman in memory ofHarry Dorfman

David Eisikovits in memory ofhis beloved mother, Sylvia

Eugene and Laurel Eisner inmemory Ruth Weinstein

Samuel and Phyllis Feder inmemory of Phyllis's motherand sister

Simone Franco in memory of Isaac and KarinFranco

Linda Frankel in memory ofGary Femmer

Robin Fried in memory ofErwin Fried

Sheila Gabins in memory ofVictor Carl Goldberg

Bonita and Harvey Ganot inmemory of Murry Estrin

Curtis Hayworth in memory ofYitl Bath David Ha Levy

Martin and Halina Igel in mem-ory of Tonia Igel

Howard Jacobson and KathrynWolfson in memory of Sheldon Wolfson

Barbara Kane in memory ofTony Gabriele

Sandra Katz in memory of herfather

Alexander and Hindy Kisch inmemory of Dr. Guido andHildegard Kisch

Lorraine Korn in memory ofDavid Korn

Terry and Sarai Levene inmemory of Max and FriedaBerenstein

Albert and Naomi Levine inmemory of Max Levine

Richard Lieberman in memoryof Samuel Gottlieb

Sherwin and Wendy Liff inmemory of Jack Vhugen

Roly Matalon and Talia Hatzorin memory of Celia Matalon

Betty Palmer in memory of hermother

Elenor Radzivilover in memoryof Jean Ann Melkin

Penelope Raphaely in memoryof her beloved mother,Miriam

Bella Rector in memory of herparents-in-law

Cecile Rodau in memory of herbeloved husband, Leonard

Sonia Rosenbaum in memoryof Rosita Rosenbaum

David Rosenberg and BerniceLeber in memory of BarnardSchapiro

Arthur and Phyllis Rovine inmemory of Lena Liben andGeorge Rovine

Charles and Amy Rudnick inmemory of Leonard Teicherand Luba Rudnick

Alfred and Renee Schwartz inmemory of Martha Schwartz

Raymond and Glenda Schwarzin memory of Louis Schwarz

Gail Landis in memory of Norman Landis

Raymond Shanfeld and LoisRappaport in memory ofPhilip and Abraham Rappa-port

Shelly Sherry in memory of herbeloved mother, Sylvia

Jerome Siegel and PhyllisHarlem in memory of FannieSiegel

Irene Siegel in memory of Esther and Louis Lanster

Jonathan and Orli Silver inmemory of Elihn Silver

Mervin and Gittel Silverberg in memory of Gershon Taitelbaum

Felicia Sol in memory of Helen Sol

Leonard and Barbara Sugin inmemory of Dorothy Gruberg

Janet Sullivan and ArmandPierro in memory of AmelySullivan

Marian Warden in memory ofher husband, Jack

Scott Weiner and Beth Siegelin memory of Lenord Weiner

Jo Ann Werbel in memory ofJulius Perelman

Barbara and Robert Willingerin memory of Rose Halin

The Ma Tovu Havurah in memory of Jean Ann Melkin

Holly Zabitz in memory of JuliaZabitz and Ellery Ralina

Carol Zwick in memory of Jean Ann Melkin

KOL HADASH new voIceOctober 2009

The Kol Hadash is published every othermonth (in 2009: January,March, May, August, October, December). We would love to printyour stories and articlesabout BJ! For submission guidelines, contact [email protected]. All material is the propertyof Congregation B’naiJeshurun and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Designer: Harriet R. Goren

DONATIONS (received as of August 13, 2009)

Rabbis:J. Rolando MatalonMarcelo R. BronsteinFelicia L. Sol

Hazzan and Music Director:Ari Priven

Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellows:Rabbi Ezra D. WeinbergMIchelle Dardashti

Executive Director:Harold Goldman, x248

Assistant Executive Director:Belinda Lasky, x224

Director of Education for Youth and Family:Ivy Schreiber, x225

Director of Social Action/Social Justice:Channa Camins, x259

Associate Director of Development/ Interim Directorof Development:Erzsébet Ragyina, x228

Senior Development Associate/Assistant to Harold GoldmanElizabeth Stone, x233

Communications Manager:Denise Waxman, x275

Director of Finance &Administration:Ron Seitenbach, x226

Director of Facilities:Roma Serdtse, x350

Assistant to Rabbi Matalon andCommunications Associate: Sarah Guthartz, x234

Assistant to Rabbi Bronstein and Hazzan Priven: Naomi Goodhart, x240

Assistant to Rabbi Sol/Life Cycle Coordinator:Yaffa Garber, x256

Board of Trustees:Jonathan AdelsbergºPresident

Susan Kippurº*Chair

Jeannie BlausteinºVice President

Robin FleischnerºVice President

Stephen StulmanºVice President

Debra FineºTreasurer

Joel KazisºSecretary

Robert BuxbaumGene CarrJeffrey FeigRochelle FriedlichChristina GantcherBarbara GlassmanSally GottesmanSofia Hubscher

Richard KalikowDavid KarnovskyBeth KernSusan Kippur*Debbie LernerAndrew LittRussell MakowskyHenry MeerAndrea NewmanBernie PlumBenjamin RossEmily Weiss

Honorary TrusteesVirginia Bayer*Ted Becker*Frederic GoldsteinMarcy Grau*David Hirsch*Richard Janvey*Robert KanterJoan KaplanSara Moore Litt*Naomi MeyerJudith Stern Peck*

General CounselRichard Kalikow

º Executive Committee Member* Past President

SYNAGOGUE:257 West 88th Street

OFFICES:2109 Broadway (Ansonia), #203

Main Telephone Number 212-787-7600

Fax Number (2109 Broadway)212-496-7600

Websitewww.bj.org

Committees & Services:Accounts Payable.......................227Accounts Receivable ..................237Adult Education Information .....233Bar/Bat Mitzvah .........................223Bekef ..........................................255Bikkur Holim..............................256BJ Reads ....................................391Communications........................275Conversion .................................264Daily Minyan...............................232Deaf & Hard of Hearing ...................

e-mail: [email protected]: 212-628-7061

Development& Donation Information ........228

88th Street Rental......................223Family Activities: Hotline ...........318Hakhnasat Orhim.......................255Havurot.......................................255Hevra Kadisha ...........................256Homeless Shelter .....212-339-4250Interfaith Committee ............... 379Kiddush Scheduling...................255Kol Jeshurun...............................275Kol Hadash .................................275Ledor Vador................................224Life Cycles..................................256Lunch Program..........................338

Membership Information...........224Ralph Bunche School

Partnership ...........................301Shabbat B’Yahad .......................255Social Action ..............................259Telephone Language Companion....

212-721-9037Teen Programming ....................253Torah/Haftarah Reading ............232Tze’irim ......................................264Ushering ....................................305Visiting Groups...........................234Volunteer Information................255Youth & Family Education ..........225

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 530New York, NY


16

KOL HADASH.

2109 Broadway (Ansonia) • Suite 203 • New York, NY 10023

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