Holocaust Torah Dedication Ceremony and Celebration!
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Shomrei Torah - Wayne Conservative Congregation Nov 2013 Cheshvan/Kislev 5774 30 Hinchman Ave. Wayne, NJ 07470 973-696-2500 www.ShomreiTorahWCC.org Celebrating tradition, embracing the future! Candle Lighting Times November 1 - 5:36 PM 8 - 4:28 PM 15 - 4:21 PM 22 - 4:16 PM 29 - 4:13 PM Contents REMEMBER …..TUESDAY, DECMBER 3rd From the Bima…...….2 OUR COMMUNITY-WIDE Words from Our President…………….3 CANDLE LIGHTING 5:45 PM! Bar Mitzvah………….6 Volunteer of the Month ……………………….7 Religious School…….8 Sisterhood .................13 New Friday Night Service Schedule…...13 Restore to Zachor…..4 Children’s Programming Holocaust Torah Dedication Ceremony ……………………...16 Golden Cards…….....29 and Celebration! Calendars…………...22 Everyone is Invited… Come Celebrate with us! Sunday, November 17, 2013 at 10 a.m. See page 4 for details 1 November 2013 From the Bima The talk of the town these days is the Pew study: A Portrait of Jewish Executive Board Americans. No, I don’t mean Wayne Township, but rather the community of American Jews. You see Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan got it Karen Weiss President right when he said we live in two civilizations – one American and one Jewish. Sometimes they are in harmony, but sometimes they conflict Cindy Merker and sometimes they come together in unexpected ways. That’s what is Executive Vice President/ going to happen at the end of November. I hope that you’ve heard President Elect Thanksgivukkah is coming! Roberta Ort The confluence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah is a once in a lifetime Vice President of experience, so let’s make the most of it! Good news you can do all your Education, Ritual & Youth Hanukkah shopping before the stores get crowded with Christmas shoppers! So why is this a Randy Reiser once in a lifetime experience? Both Thanksgiving and Hanukkah float – Thanksgiving being the Vice President of fourth Thursday of November, it typically falls between Nov. 22-28. Hanukkah is always the Membership, Program & th Social Action 25 of Kislev, however that date on the Jewish calendar can begin anywhere from Nov. 28- Dec. 25. So if Thanksgiving is at its latest and Hanukkah is at its earliest, we get what is Mark Kass happening this year. So why won’t it happen again? The Jewish calendar is imperfect and is Vice President of actually falling behind at a rate of 4 days/1000 years, now that’s not much, but it means that Finance & Fundraising th very shortly Hanukkah will not start earlier than Nov. 29 . At some point there will need to be Howard Hook a correction to keep Sukkot in the fall, Hanukkah in the winter and Pesah in the spring; but it is Treasurer not of immediate concern. Phil Nuccetelli So what are people doing for Thanksgivukkah? You can purchase a Menurkey. You might Financial Secretary ask what is a Menurky? It is a Turkey Menorah or more appropriately to the name it is a Menorah Turkey. It was the idea of a 9 year old entrepreneur named Asher Weintraub. If Andy Simon Communications Secretary you want to hear the Thanksgivukkah song, go to the website of musician Rabbi David Paskin. The chorus: Arlene Marks Thanksgivukkah, Thanksgivukkah; let’s celebrate across America Recording Secretary Thanksgivukkah, Thanksgivukkah; Happy Holidays, Thanksgivukkah! Sheryl Sarin Nun, Gobble, Hay, Shin Immediate Past President Apple, rhubarb and pumpkin ————————- So stuff your turkeys with latkes, put your Cornucopia next to your Hanukkiya, er, Menrukey; Staff and fun celebrating both as an American and as a Jew! Happy Thanksgivukkah! Randall Mark Rabbi Be part of MITZVAH DAY 2013 Melody Sandor Synagogue Administrator at EMERITUS Karen Weiss Assisted Living in Wayne 820 Hamburg Turnpike Religious School Principal Donna Davis Sunday, November 3, 2013 Synagogue Secretary 12:30 – 4:00 pm Suzanne Zofi Volunteers of all ages needed! Administrative Assistant Intermingle with the Senior Residents Gloria Millan •Arts & crafts • Bingo • Light manicures Weekend Custodian •Most important, GOOD LISTENERS! Fred DeKovessey As an additional mitzvah project, a bin will be placed at the synagogue to col- Custodian lect baby items, new or slightly used. To register or for more information, contactTova Friede: 973-610-1513 or [email protected] or Linda Dumoff: 862-686-3609 or [email protected] 2 November 2013 do. He spoke of our need to offer more passionate prayer Words from Our President... experiences, more serious learning opportunities for From October 13-15 I had adults and children, and a more intense experience of the privilege of attending the United Jewish that make a profound impact on people's lives. Synagogue of Conservative Judaism At the conclusion of the convention, all of us left (USCJ) Centennial Convention in with dual charge-- having been electrified by the palpable Baltimore with Rabbi Mark and energy and charged with the task of continuing the Sheryl Sarin. Over 1200 people from North America, conversation in our own homes and communities. Israel and Britain joined to celebrate, to network, to Two days after we returned home, we had our learn, to be inspired by each other and discuss new and Board of Trustees meeting and we spent the entire exciting avenues of opportunity for the Jewish people. meeting having a conversation about these issues. The convention was billed as the “Conversation Continued discussions of these questions will be vital to of the Century”, but it really was just the beginning of a the perpetuation of this wonderful community here at conversation that each of us who was there would take Shomrei Torah. I hope that many of you will find ways to back to our own synagogues. communicate with me about your vision for how we can In the program guide, the Co-Chairs welcomed build a stronger Shomrei Torah community together. the participants by saying: “Together, through a series of I encourage you to add your voice to the conversations, we will explore the dramatic changes conversations, to be a part of the mix, to ensure that our taking place in the Jewish world, hear how innovative community is engaging you and challenging you, and so thinkers and congregations are responding to the that we can make Shomrei Torah the community that we changes and learn how we can all foster warm, vibrant alI want and need it to be for the future. I look forward to sacred communities for 21st century Jews.” continuing the conversation and the journey that lies Each day there were a number of conversation ahead! starters and Keynote addresses given by some of Conservative Judaism’s greatest thinkers who inspired and challenged us with the question: why does Conservative Judaism matter? How does it matter? They dared us to dream, finding ways to achieve a differently reality. The lectures, addresses and workshops were inspiring and thought provoking. They presented new ideas, different approaches and sometimes conflicting opinions on how to grow and strengthen our Jewish Smiling Faces Needed! community. It was motivating, energizing and exciting to be Be a Greeter for there. We can continue with complacency or in the words of Rabbi Steve Wernick, USCJ CEO, “decide that Shabbat ~ good enough is no longer good enough. Rather we should strive …to be amazing and awesome, Friday nights or revolutionary and forward thinking.” Dr. Ron Wolfson spoke about how creating and Shabbat morning…. maintaining relationships are the best way for synagogues and Judaism to thrive in the 21st century and No experience necessary! that we as clergy and lay leaders need to “meet people where they are at” in order to have a thriving kehillot Email Karen at (community). He stressed that it’s all about relationships,” and that people may come for programs, [email protected] to help! but they will stay for relationships. JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen encouraged us to Thank you! stretch our boundaries of who we reach out to. We need to attract more members not by watering down our message and our activities, but by deepening what we 3 November 2013 4 November 2013 (TO OUR) COME ^ HOME FOR SHABBAT! As you may have heard, Shomrei Torah is beginning a program called “Come (to our) Home for Shabbat”. Our hope is to get as many families as possible sharing Shabbat dinners with each other, to build relationships and to learn from each other. The guests at the first dinner, held on November 15th, are encouraged to become hosts of the second dinner, which we will hopefully hold in January or March of 2014. The idea is not to reciprocate but to “pay it forward”. If you are interested in participating in our first dinner, as a host or a guest, please contact Jackie Helfand at [email protected] or201-486-5654. Please note that this is a pilot project and we will continually be working out the “kinks”! FAQs: How do I get involved as a host or a guest? Contact Jackie Helfand at 201-486-5654 or [email protected] Do I have to have a kosher home to host? No, but we ask that only kosher meat be served, no meat and milk together and dairy or fish meals are also fine. What if, as a guest, I require a kosher home? Let Jackie know and she will match you with a host with a kosher home. Whom should I invite? Choose people that you know but would like to know better. Stumped on who to invite? Call or email Jackie Helfand and she’ll work on a match! Help! I don’t know the prayers! Don’t worry! The idea is to be a guest first and then we’ll teach you how to be a host.