Happy Tu B'shevat! Celebrate a New Year!
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JANUARY 2018, TEVET/SHEVAT 5778 Happy Tu B’Shevat! Celebrate a New Year! Published monthly from September-June by Congregation Agudath Israel of West Essex; Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 20 Academy Road, Caldwell, New Jersey 07006; 973.226.3600; www.agudath.org CONGREGATION AGUDATH ISRAEL OF WEST ESSEX PAGE 2 WWW.AGUDATH.ORG JANUARY 2018 Schedule of Services ...................................... 4 Film - Honor of Tu B’shevat ...................... 24 A Message From The Rabbi ......................... 5 CAI Social Worker ...................................... 25 Notes From The Cantor ................................ 6 Adult Education .......................................... 26 What’s In The Werks .................................... 7 Shabbat Meditation ..................................... 27 CAI Development Director .......................... 9 World Music Event ..................................... 28 Men’s Club, Devils Tickets ........................ 12 Blood Drive .................................................. 29 Maven Chef .................................................. 13 NJ Jewish Singles 45+ ................................. 31 Early Childhood Center ............................. 15 Tributes and Donations .............................. 34 INSIDE Interfaith and Social Action ....................... 16 Yahrzeits ....................................................... 37 Sisterhood Shabbat...................................... 17 Personals ....................................................... 38 Men’s Club ................................................... 17 Caldwell Hadassah ..................................... 39 From the President ...................................... 19 B’nai Mitzvah ............................................... 40 Mahjong Madness ....................................... 20 Torah Fund ................................................... 42 Interfaith Committee .................................. 21 Superbowl Shabbat ..................................... 43 Environmental Committee ........................ 23 PAGE 3 CONGREGATION AGUDATH ISRAEL OF WEST ESSEX SCHEDULE OF SERVICES CANDLE LIGHTING For daily minyan and Shabbat morning times, see below, right-hand side. JANUARY NOTE: Early and Late Friday night Friday, January 5 ................................................ 4:26 pm services are being COMBINED into the Shabbat ends, Saturday, January 6 .................. 5:36 pm EREV SHABBAT SERVICE Friday, January 12 ............................................. 4:33 pm Friday, January 5 Shabbat ends, Saturday, January 13 ................ 5:43 pm Erev Shabbat Service ........................................... 4:25 pm Shabbat In PJ’s ........................................................ 5:30 pm Friday, January 19 .............................................. 4:41 pm Saturday, January 6 Shabbat ends, Saturday, January 20 ................ 5:51 pm Shabbat Meditation ................................................ 9:30 am Minchah/Talmud Study/Maariv ........................4:20 pm Bar Mitzvah - Kyle Fink ........................................ pm Friday, January 26 .............................................. 4:49 pm SERVICES Shabbat ends, Saturday, January 27 .............. 5:59 pm Friday, January 12 Erev Shabbat Service ............................................. 4:30 pm DAILY SERVICES Saturday, January 13 Bar Mitzvah - Tobey Giat ...................................... am Mornings Minchah/Talmud Study/Maariv ........................4:25 pm Monday & Thursday........................ ..6:45 am Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday........7:00 am Sunday Talmud Study............................8:15 am Friday, January 19 Sunday Shacharit......................................9:00 am Erev Shabbat Service ............................................. 4:40 pm Evenings L’Dor Va Dor Shabbat Dinner .............................. 6:00 pm Sunday - Thursday............................7:30 pm Erev Shabbat Monthly Service ............................. 7:00 pm Friday....................(see schedule) Saturday................(see schedule) Saturday, January 20 Torah Chug ............................................................. 10:15 am SATURDAY Camp Shabbat ......................................................... 11:00 am Minchah/Talmud Study/Maariv ........................4:35 pm Services Begin...............................9:00 am Torah Study Group......................9:00 am Friday, January 26 Torah Reading Chug...................10:15 - 11:00 am Erev Shabbat Service ............................................. 4:45 pm (twice a month, ages 9-12) Teen Service/Schmooze.............10:45 am Saturday, January 27 The following are at....................11:00 am Sisterhood Shabbat • Torah for Tots (ages 0-4) Minchah/Talmud Study/Maariv ........................4:40 pm • Mini-Minyan (grades K-2) Bat Mitzvah - Rachel Levine ................................. pm • Mini-Congo (grades 3-4) • Jr Congo (grades 5-6) • Kadima (grades 7-8) • Shabbat Meditation 9:30 am, second Saturday of every month PAGE 4 WWW.AGUDATH.ORG JANUARY 2018 Celebrating Tu B’Shevat: Jewish Responsibility Toward the Earth Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s famous volume titled, “The Lonely Man of Faith” describes two Creation stories in the Book of Genesis, unveiling 2 different dimensions of humankind, our nobility and our humility. Adam #1 - is crafted in the image and likeness of God. Adam #1 enters the world in perfect harmony with nature, as a vegetarian - with dominion over the entire planet. Rabbi Silverstein Adam #1 is graced by moments of creativity and transcendence that express our divine-like uniqueness, “little lower than the angels.” IN CONTRAST - Adam #2 - is existentially alone, with no claim to God-like resemblance. ADAM #2’s domain is limited to the Garden of Eden, in which he is not the MASTER, but is only the STEWARD - to till and to tend the Earth. Adam #2 is given limitations. Adam #2 is neither self-sufficient nor all-powerful. In Adam I#2, we recognize ourselves. In terms of ecology – for Adam #2 - Genesis 2:15 - Adam #2 is commanded leOvda uleShomra – “to work and to guard” the garden of Eden - e.g. to serve and to preserve, as the Earth’s Steward [Guardian] both cultivation and preservation [leOvda and LeShomra]. The word “Avodah” derives from the same root as “to worship.” It implies a religious relationship to the soil, to nature, to the world-as-a-garden. The dual mission is to work, to produce, to develop, but at the same time to preserve, to guard, to be vigilant that the work does not get out of hand –e.g. sustainable development. Stewardship implies responsibility, to be responsible to the One who really is in charge, e.g. to God. We see this image in the mystical book, The Zohar --- “where Creation is likened to a king [God] who ruled a city, built and maintained it, and then decided to appoint one of the residents [Adam #2] as ruler over it in His stead.” With the role of providing for the needs of the world and its perpetuation, humans must seek harmony with nature since no other being can elect to do so. When God in Genesis 1:26 says – “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness”” – this means [according A MESSAGE FROM RABBI ALAN SILVERSTEIN FROM A MESSAGE to David Kimche – RADAK] that God proposed to all of the elements in the natural order, “Let you and I, make the human together in partnership with US.” With these objectives in mind, it is imperative for us to be ecologically responsible, to be Shomrei Adamah. For that sacred purpose, the CAI Environmental Committee is celebrating Tu B’Shevat on January 31 at 7:45 pm – with a viewing of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Sequel” and then some religious perspectives from Father Tom of Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church as well as my presentation of this dimension of Mitzvah. Please join us. With friendship, Rabbi Alan Silverstein DEBORAH RABNER, M.D., F.A.A.D. Diplomate, American Board of Dermatology 1129 Bloomfield Avenue Suite 205 Tel. (973) 575-6880 West Caldwell, NJ 07006 Fax. (973) 575-1616 PAGE 5 CONGREGATION AGUDATH ISRAEL OF WEST ESSEX The Andy Statman Trio – Here on February 10! On Saturday night, February 10, join us for a wonderful concert with the Andy Statman Trio! For ticket details, see page 28. But rather than repeat that, let me tell you why you should come! First, let me tell you that I’ve known Andy Statman’s name, and his music, for decades. He is absolutely one of the greatest living Klezmer performers, and an absolute whiz on both mandolin and clarinet. Cantor Caplan If you haven’t heard this clip -- http://tinyurl.com/StatmanExample – just listen to 15 seconds of it, and you’ll see what I’m raving about. And if you don’t believe me, what about these guys? “Statman is the real thing - a musician’s musician” -- The New Yorker “Modern American music with ancient mysteries at the core...” -- The New York Times “A beautiful sound full of heat, heart and a love of God...” -- Rolling Stone “In Statman’s versatile hands is a music that’s full of surprises, sophisticated and completely accessible at once” -- New York Daily News “(A) seamless amalgamation of jazz, bluegrass and klezmer...” -- The Pittsburgh Post Gazette ---------------------------- Andy Statman, one of his generation's premier mandolinists and clarinetists, thinks of his compositions and performances as "spontaneous American-roots music and personal, prayerful hasidic music, by way of avant-garde jazz." Andy's musical journey began early, when he