Ee Since Babylon
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
eet t Centralill- III Synagogue Vol. 46 NO.8 April 1992 Adar II/Nisan 5752 "0'10 ~~'" ~ p..~ ·e'lo~ ~'Io~ p.. ~ Central Synagogue f,~ cordially invites you to attend the New York premiere of Ninth Annual Shofar Award will be presented Ever at Shabbat Evening Services Since April 3, 8:15 pm to Babylon Sidney M. Wolfe, M.D. A new dramatic musical work Director, Public Citizen Health Research Group commemorating the SOOth anniversary of Columbus' first voyage to America for his and the SOOth anniversary Devotion to the highest standards of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain of medical ethics Sunday, April 12 - 3:00 pm Leadership in national health care reform Music by: Samuel Adler Vigorous advocacy of Text by: Samuel Rosenbaum patient empowerment Soloists: Cantors Lisa Hest, Protection of the safety of foods, drugs, Annie Bornstein, medical devices and the workplace Howard Stahl & Richard Botton Introductory remarks by Narrators: Florence Kugel & Ellen Gould Mark Green Conductor: Amy Kaiser Consumer Affairs Commissioner of New York City With orchestra and chorus In the Sanctuary In the Sanctuary New Phone System Installed. We are pleased to report that our new phone system is finally in place. It is an important part of our effort to make communications more efficient, effective and accurate. In particular, it will enable us to receive and handle emergency messages on a 24-hour basis. You will receive more information, including the direct dial phone numbers of different synagogue offices, in a separate mailing and in the May Bulletin. An Eternal People Calendar APRIL Monday, 4/6, 13,20,27,8:15 pm IMTWTFI 1 2 3 4 Let's Read & Explore 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Monday, 4/6, 13, 20, 27 , 7:00 pm ofl 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Reform Judaism at Central Synagogue ***GALA OJ *** 26 27 28 29 30 Events Monday, 4/6, 13, 20, 27 ,7:00 pm Another 3-star Evening Choral Society Mondays, 6:00 pm from Brotherhood! Sisterhood Sponsored (See Choral Society schedule) Intermediate Hebrew * Catered gourmet dinner Activities Thursday, 4/2, 9, 30, 6:00 pm with fine wines Advanced Hebrew Bridge Entertainment by Tuesday & Thursday, 7 :~ 0 pm Thursday, 4/2, 9, 30, 7:00 pm * 4/2,7, 9, 14, 16,21,28,30 Religious School Broadway's Peter Howard Gift Shop Dancing to live music Monday - Friday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday, 4/6, 13, 20,27 * Tuesday, 4/14, 4/28 Seniors Club Wednesday, 4/1,8,15,29 Saturday, May 9, 7:30 pm Tuesday, 4/7, 14,21, 28 , 10:00 am Pre-Kindergarten Workshop Cabaret/Annual Meeting Sunday, 4/5, 9:30 am Don't miss the fun! Wednesday, 4/29, 5:45 1pm Grade 9-12 Retreat Sisterhood Study: Friday - Sunday, 4/24 - 26 With Rabbi Rubinstein; brown bag lunch * * ** * ** * ** * * * Thursday, 4/9, 16, 10:30 am Scouts Board Meeting Wednesday, 4/8, 5:45 pm Girl Scouts Monday, 4/6, 13,20,27, 6:00 pm Up Front with Brotherhood Sponsored Tuesday, 4/7, 14,21,28, 3:30 pm Brotherhood Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts Activities Monday, 4/6, 6:00 pm Robert Kandel Tu esday, 4/7,14, 21, 28, 5:30 pm Board Meeting The Brotherhood year will end with several Wednesday, 4/8, 6:00 pm Special Events grand flourishes! Program for· the Blind Sunday, 4/26, 9:00 am Sisterhood/Brotherhood Joint Program Elections on April 8 will give us a strong CPR Training Th ursday, 4/2, 6:00 pm group of officers and board members who Monday, 4/13, 20, 7:00 pm Shofar Award Presentation will come up with great ways for us to serve Friday, 4/3,8:15 pm the congregation and to enjoy each other'S Study Nursery School: St. Bart's Seder company. After elections we shall adjourn Institute of Jewish Studies: Tuesday, 4/7, 10:00 am to the Community House lobby to dedicate Talmud youth Group Chocolate Seder the elevator Braille facilities to Gus Friday, 4/3, 10,24, 8:00 am Sunday, 4/12,12:00 noon Rundbaken's memory. Our chaplain, Chevra Torah Concert Commemorating 1492 Rabbi David Seligson, will join us for the Saturday,4/4, 11, 18, 25,9: 15 am Sunday, 4/12, 3:00 pm brief ceremony. Congregational response to the Career Notes from tions, including the Religious Coalition for Connection was fabulous; however, Rabbi Abortion Rights (RCAR). Both of our Re Weiner, Alan Kupferberg and Dr. David Sisterhood form movement's parent organizations, the Kaufman could always use more volun Union of American Hebrew Congfegations teers. We are glad for the opportunity to Ruth Oliver (UAHC) and the National Federation of provide the CPR course, and to Lester A Critical Issue For Women & Men Temple Sisterhoods (NITS) are members Breidenbach for organizing it. congratula We Can't Go Back! of RCAR. The round trip bus fare is just $25. tions to Rabbi Rubinstein and Martin If you haven't yet reserved a seat on the bus, Hertz for a great retreat! Join the March for Women's Lives call Sara Friedman at 348-0170. ~ Fred Grill looks forward to greeting you at Sunday, April 5, 1992 Nadine Strossen's lecture on April 2. And Ta lk to a physician who had to turn away Come to the Cabaret! • I be sure to greet Richard Kandel at Gala a woman needing to terminate a preg On the evening of Wednesday, April 29, III, on May9! We install officers and board nancy before Roe v. Wade became law, Joslin Hall will be transformed into a caba- members at the Gala but, above all, we all and you will know without doubt that we ret setting as our Sisterhood annual meeting have a wonderful time! Bring husbands, cannot turn our backs on this issue; we becomes a three-star program: election, wives, dates, or come alone, but by all cannot go back to those days. supper nightclub entertainment, and World means, come! The importance of our mission of Sunday, Union Update, all of stellar quality. The Finally, support our raffle, organized this April 5, will be underscored by the pres evening starts with a reception and dinner, year by Ted Freiser. The prizes are great, ence in our delegation of Rabbi Peter followed by a brief business meeting to the tickets inexpensive, and our proceeds Rubinstein, who is corping with us on our elect two new vice presidents and three .. go right back into synagogue programs and bus to Washington and on the march. In new Board members. Nominated to serve events. Brotherhood constantly rededicates Washington our group will join women, as vice presidents are Gloria Fishman and itself to helping the synagogue. So, again, men, girls, and boys from across the Barbara Grill and as board members, Lola please support our one and only fundraiser. country, under banners of many organiza- (continued on page 6) We all thank you. 2 The Story of Central A Message from Rabbi Rubinstein Synagogue - Part II Every Jewish holiday results from a combi the ancients were tied to nature in a much nation of forces that emerge together in more immediate fashion than we, we should In the February Bulletin we briefly re harmony. If we look at the history of the not lose sight of the fact that what we eat counted the history ofearly Jewish congre various holidays we celebrate, we will finds its origin on our farms, orchards and gations in New York. In 1839, Shaar generally find them to grow from roots that vineyards, and in the sea around us. We do Hashomayim was formed by German have both agricultural and historical ori well to recognize our intimate connection immigrants, andin 1846agroupofimmi gins. This is especially true of the festivals to the natural cycle and to continuously grants who came from the area around commanded in the Torah. thank God for the food we have. Prague met for worship and adopted the name Ahawath Chesed. Central Syna Passover, the holiday which even the most Chag HaMazot is the celebration of the gogue is the direct descendant ofthese two peripheral Jew tends to celebrate by at natural cycle, coming as it does at the congregations. The story continues, with tending a Seder, is a wonderful example of beginning of the spring planting. more to come in future Bulletins. this synthesis. We read in the Torah of two Passover celebrates a historical rebirth of different celebrations - Pesach and the the Israelites. After hundreds of years of As the congregation Ahawath Chesed Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMazot) grew, it moved from its first home on slavery, Moses brought forth the people, (Lev. 23.5-6). Chag HaMazotis the celebra giving them new life. The historical events Ludlow Street to a space above two houses tion of the birth of nature. We find within on Ridge Street. The rental for the syna celebrated during Passover parallel the pagan religions as well as in Christianity natural cycle of dormancy and rebirth. The gogue was $100 per year; the dues were recognition of the earth's rebirth after $1.50; the ritual was Orthodox. The con holiday brings together the historical and dormancy during the winter. Pagan reli agricultural themes. It motivates us to give gregation moved in 1854 to a house it gions made the life-death and rebirth cycle purchased on Columbia Street near the East special attention to the wonder and miracle a pivotal aspect of their celebrations.