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September 2019 • 1 Elul 5779 - 1 Tishrei 5780 the Volume LXXVI • Number 1 VoiceSEPTEMBER 2019 • 1 ELUL 5779 - 1 TISHREI 5780 Rosh Hashanah Schedule 5780/2019 Saturday Night, September 21st Selichot Program 9:00 PM Selichot 10:30 PM Erev Rosh Hashanah, Sunday, September 29th Candle Lighting 6:25 PM Mincha-Maariv 6:15 PM First Day Rosh Hashanah, Monday, September 30th Morning Service 8:00 AM Torah Reading 9:30 AM Sermon 10:30 AM Shofar 11:00 AM Mincha and Tashlich 5:15 PM Maariv 7:15 PM Candle Lighting After 7:22 PM Second Day Rosh Hashanah, Tuesday, October 1st Morning Service 8:00 AM Torah Reading 9:30 AM Sermon 10:30 AM Shofar 11:00 AM Mincha & Maariv 6:15 PM Shabbat Shuvah, Saturday, October 5th Morning Service 9:00 AM Shabbat Ends 7:15 PM Congregation Sons of Israel • Manalapan, NJ • 732.446.3000 Join our FREE E-mail theVoice Mailing List Table of Contents Timely Synagogue information can be sent to you via e-mail. It’s easy to register. Go to Rosh Hashanah Schedule . 1 our Web site From Our Rabbi . 3 President’s Message . 5 http://www.sonsofisrael.com Sisterhood Scoop . 7 Men’s Club Happenings . 9 and click the “Join our Free Email Mailing Nursery News . 11 List” for instructions. Yom Kippur Schedule of Services . 12 Sukkot Schedule of Services . 13 September Birthdays . 17 September Anniversaries . 17 Mazel Tov & Condolences . 17 From My Perch by Maxine Pilavin . 19 Adult Education/Ritual News . 23 Trees in Israel . 23 Donations . 26 September Yahrzeit List . 30 Calendar: September . 38 Calendar: October . 39 Minyan Times . 40 About Our Advertisers Please support our advertisers who have helped reduce the production costs of the Voice. 4 Corners Bagel & Cafe . 4 Wine on Nine . 4 Remax - Aileen Minchello . 16 Network 1 Financial . 16 Brooker Photography & Video . 16 Marvelous Montages . 16 Coldwell Banker . 24 Martin & Edith Stein Hospice . 24 Benchmark Lending - Jay Lillianthal . 24 Israel Bonds . 28 Merrill Lynch - Jay Fields . 28 Steven Stern, D.M.D. 36 Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels . 36 2 the VOICE • 1 ELUL 5779 - 1 TISHREI 5780 FromFrom OurOur RabbiRabbi ELUL – A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY By Rabbi Robert S. Pilavin he Jewish calendar includes not only holidays, but night. A rabbinic homily connects the first verses with also many seasons. The “counting of the Omer” for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. sevenT weeks from Pesach to Shavuot is a period of semi- Special penitential prayers (Selichot) begin on the mourning extending from the Exodus to the Revelation Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah – assuming there – our freedom from slavery until our freedom to accept are at least four days to recite them. If (as in 2019) there the Torah. We speak of the “Three are not four days, Selichot are Weeks” between the fast of 17 advanced to the previous Saturday Tammuz and 9 Av (“Tisha B’Av”) as night. Jewish law prescribes that a period of mourning for the loss of sacrificial animals be set aside four both the First and Second Temples. days in advance to be examined for According to Jewish tradition, potentially disqualifying blemishes. the 40-day period of 1 Elul through The above suggests two key 10 Tishrei (= Kippur) is also a points. The High Holiday season season. It corresponds to the 40 days does not begin when we walk into of Moses being on Mt. Sinai (see the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah – Exodus 34:28). After the sin of the it begins with Elul. And the High Golden Calf and the breaking of the Holiday season does not end with Tablets, we wait 40 days for Moses Yom Kippur – it extends through to return with the new set of Tablets Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and as a sign that God has reconciled Simchat Torah. with the Jewish people. In between the 1st of Elul and This year September completely overlaps Elul, the Simchat Torah are endless opportunities for spiritual very last month of the Jewish calendar. Elul is the nourishment – and Sons of Israel awaits you with open “overture” to the Days of Awe. On Sunday, September arms. Maxine joins me in wishing each of you a 1st we begin to sound the shofar each weekday morning Ketivah VeChatimah Tovah – may you be written and at services. The shofar reminds us that the time to repent sealed in the Book of Life in the new year of 5780! is upon us (Exodus 24:12). We also begin reciting Psalm 27 every day and WWW.SONSOFISRAEL.COM 3 the Comments, Suggestions, Questions... Voice Rabbi A News Magazine Published Monthly Robert Pilavin . [email protected] by Congregation Sons of Israel President Maurice Zagha . [email protected] Rabbi . Robert S. Pilavin Executive Director Vic Schioppo . [email protected] President . .Maurice Zagha Executive Vice President Executive Director . .Vic Schioppo Bonnie Leff . [email protected] Nursery School Director . .Jackie Weilheimer Vice President/Ritual Michael Lebowitz . [email protected] Men’s Club President . .Michael Katz Treasurer Sisterhood Praesidium . Vickie Amron Steve Kass . [email protected] . .Rochelle Epstein Manager-Communication & Business . .Donna Fassman Allison Robinson . [email protected] . .Mindy Fromm Caterer - The Orchid/Bistro 70 Dalia Barness . [email protected] Editor, the Voice . Bill Berger Men’s Club Manager of Communication & Business . Michael Katz . [email protected] . .Allison Robinson Sisterhood Praesidium Vickie Amron . [email protected] Rochelle Epstein . [email protected] www.sonsofisrael.com Donna Fassman . [email protected] Mindy Fromm . [email protected] 732-446-3000 Recording Secretary Jodi Jacobs . [email protected] the Voice is the official monthly publication Trustee-at-Large (the Voice) of Congregation Sons of Israel and is mailed free Bill Berger . [email protected] to all congregants and nursery school families. Trustee-at-Large (Education) Third class postage paid at Freehold, New Jersey. Jay Fields . [email protected] Trustee-at-Large Advertising rates upon request. Shaun Lillianthal . [email protected] Congregation Sons of Israel Nursery School Director Gordons Corner Road • PO Box 369 Jackie Weilheimer . [email protected] Manalapan, NJ 07726 Articles for the next issue of the Voice are due September 10 4 the VOICE • 1 ELUL 5779 - 1 TISHREI 5780 president’spresident’s messagemessage By Maurice Zagha s the summer draws to an end we look ahead to the synagogue for decades. This event needs your support and “Days of Awe” from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. we hope you will take action and be part of our tribute to AThese days are a gift to us – a chance to step back and look him. We are currently looking for committee volunteers; at our lives. This is the time of year where we review our please call Vic Schioppo at the shul office if you’d like to place in the world, and hopefully make better choices for lend a hand. We hope to see you all there. the year ahead. Action sometimes does speak louder than Larry acted, and he led by example. You too can think words and going forward I hope that meaningful actions about being an example. As the calendar year draws to a make the difference for all of our shul family in the year close I wanted to reiterate some of the ways congregants 5780. can help our shul financially should they choose to do so. Actions matter. Just before Shavout I asked you The following are three ideas that you may be able to participate in the “Do Nothing Fundraiser” It to take advantage of. worked! Thank you to all the donors that took • The first is relatively simple and painless. If out their checkbooks and made a difference you work for a company that has a for our synagogue. I asked and you matching contribution fund, please make answered the call; I am very grateful. sure that you apply for a matching grant Another source of action has been the for our shul. We are a 501(c)(3) recent swarm of activity as we start a new organization and will qualify for Hebrew School in early September. With matching funds. So, please check your the guidance of Executive VP Bonnie Leff company website to see if this benefit is and our member Chaya Friedmann, a core available to you. It has the potential to group of Nursery School families have DOUBLE your contributions throughout the committed to joining us for a new model of year. Jewish Learning. This new curriculum links themes • Second, a strategy that anyone over 70 ½ years of that are important to students of this age, such as caring for age can consider is directing all or a part of their annual IRA our world, family, kindness, peace, and more, to Jewish Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) to be sent directly traditions and values through music, stories, Torah portions, to Congregation Sons of Israel. Under current IRS rules, projects, experiences, and associated Hebrew vocabulary. anyone over 70 ½ can distribute to a charitable organization We hope to have fun and motivate students to participate in up to $100,000 per tax year. The check must be paid directly prayers even before they have mastered Hebrew reading, to to Sons of Israel by your IRA custodian. What you get for set them up for success as they learn to read. Thank you, that is a federal tax-free charitable distribution and the shul Chaya. benefits greatly by receiving the donation. We suggest that You can take action as well, in so many ways. This you consult with your tax professional and financial advisor coming November we will be honoring our past member for more information. Larry Bloom at an event on November 24. With Larry’s • In addition to directing your RMD to Sons of Israel, you passing last year, his ultimate gesture was a significant may also wish to consider naming our shul as a beneficiary donation to our synagogue.
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