HJC-Bulletin-Apr-210
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Non-Profit Organization Huntington Jewish Center U.S. Postage HJC Bulletin Paid Huntington Jewish Center Permit No. 227 510 Park Avenue Huntington, N.Y. BULLETIN Huntington, N.Y. 11743 INNOVATE & INTEGRATE - CREATING COMMUNITY & CONNECTION Published monthly, September to June, by the Huntington Hebrew Congregation Iyar/SivanNisan/Iyar 5772 5771 JuneApril 2011 2012 Founded in 1907 510 Park Avenue If Then, Why Not Now? Huntington, N.Y. 11743 ENJOY YOUR SUMMER Tel. 631-427-1089 (use sunscreen) By Rabbi Neil Kurshan Holocaust Fax 631-427-8118 Embracing the Haredim www.HuntingtonJewishCenter.com By Rabbi Neil Kurshan Memorial Service www.hjcny.org Some of the most whimpers of “No, no”. www.hjc.org embarrassing news Bulletin Editor: Gail Lodge stories about the These stories and similar ones play into Jewish community our stereotype of the Haredim as a in recent months population that wants nothing to do with have emerged from the modern world and that is willing to the town of Beit engage in violence to stop the tide of Shemesh located modernity. In Israel there is a very real approximately a fear of a clash of cultures and even of a The annual Huntington Memorial half hour from civil war which no one can win. To the Jerusalem. Here outside world it appears that we are a Service will be held at: are just two of Jewish people divided, and it is not so Shavuot Tikkun these stories although there are similar far-fetched to ask whether anyone from TempleTuesday Beth eveningEl (660 Park Ave.) June 7 at 8:00 pm stories from many communities in Israel. the outside needs to attack us when are Wednesday evening, April 18th On her first day of National Service (the fighting among ourselves. Israeli alternative to military service) “During the Nightat 7:30 of Shavuot pm. the Oriya Feldman, an Orthodox woman, The “problem” of the Haredim will Heavens Part for a Moment and boarded an Egged bus in Beit Shemesh. not disappear. There are close to one The speakerMiracles are will Possible” be Dr. Sylvain She turned on her MP3 player so that million Haredim in Israel, and the Haredi Bromberger, a Holocaust survivor she would not fall asleep and miss her community has a high fertility rate – Thisand year’s professor Omer Project emeritus will of the stop. She was lost in her music when approximately eight children per family- culminateDepartment in a study of sessionLinguistics on the and she was jolted by the first kick and then -the younger the age cohort the higher eve of Shavuot led by Rabbi Kurshan by additional blows raining down upon the percentage of Haredim. In 2006 onPhilosophy the nature of at miracles. MIT. WeThe will service is her. Standing over her and assaulting one quarter of the births in Israel were lookco-sponsored at the wondrous by andHJC miraculous with Temple her were four Haredim (ultra-Orthodox to Haredi families, and Israel’s Central momentsBeth El that and members Kehillat of ourShalom. Jews—literally those who fear or Bureau of Statistics estimates that within tremble). They struck her, spat on her, the next fifty years one third of Israel’s congregation have shared during the and threw at her whatever was in their population will be Haredi. Israel cannot Omer in the light of traditional Jewish hands. Her “crime” was that she had continue to support a population that is texts about miracles. Are miracles mistakenly boarded a mehadrin bus with largely impoverished, unemployed, and simply coincidences?IN THIS AreISSUE... they FREEDMAN separate seating for men and women and which does not serve in the army. supernatural or natural? Are they had sat unknowingly in the men’s section usually extraordinary events in the front of the bus instead of moving Until recently the problem of the clash involvingPage 1...Embracing life and death, or the are theyHaredim Jewelers to the back of the bus with the other of the Haredi and non-Haredi populations the wonders- by of Rabbi the everyday? Kurshan Are women. has been under the radar here, but in miraclesPage 6...Schedule in Biblical times of different Passover Since 1936 Israel it is viewed as one of the most from modern day miracles. Are A second incident involved eight year serious social issues facing the country. Services miracles a pre-modern, non-scientific old Na’ama Margolis, the daughter of When I was recently in Israel at the phenomenonPage 13...Library that have noUpdate meaning in a modern Orthodox family that had end of February, I had the opportunity 345 New York Avenue ourPage present 14...Since day? Join when us for ahas the made aliya from the United States to to attend a session under the auspices discussion of a fascinating issue in Beit Shemesh. A news story on Israeli of the Jewish Agency for Israel about Jewish thought.two-state A dairy solution dessert will Huntington Village television described Na’ama’s paralyzing the challenges posed by the Haredi become passe? fear of walking the three hundred yards population. The program was organized follow the session and all are (631) 423-2000 from her home to her elementary school. by a group called Makom, one of the most welcome. - by Zach Ingber Apparently she was afraid that the Haredi innovative educational organizations in Page 15...This Month in men protesting against immodest dress Israel today. American Jewish History outside her school would hurt her. In the news video her mother can be seen The most interesting part of the program HJC Bulletin Page1 HJC Bulletin Page14 encouraging Na’ama to walk the short was the grouping of us by tables with a way to school punctuated by the girl’s wide variety of session participants in Rabbi’s columnA Pre-Rosh con’t from page HaShanah 1 Workshop with Rabbi Kurshan HJC Babysitters order to share our reactions to the presentations about the We gratefully acknowledge Olivia Bendit: Haredim. Among those at my table was a mother whose Cell: 631.466.4068 Home: 631.261.1198 daughter hadWHO been BY spat FIRE, upon WHO in Beit BY Shemesh;WATER a Haredi woman the support received from the who lives in Sefat and who works with Haredi families at risk; Aliyah Cohen (16 yrs. old) two AmericanMonday students evening, spending Septmber their gap 19 year at an Israeli Cell: 631.759.1116 Home: 631.423.6814 yeshiva; a volunteer leader of the Federation in New York; the Rebecca Kramer (16 yrs. old) 8:00 pm in the Family Life Center NeilNeil Kurshan, Kurshan Rabbi, Rabbi TehilahMaxineMitch Eisenstadt Pashkin Fisher chief aide to Natan Sharansky, a member of the Knesset; and 423-5355 Fund for Cell: 631.560.1911 Home: 631.385.4317 423-5355 ReligiousPresident School & Youth myself as a Conservative rabbi. It was quite remarkable that Jake Kramer (19 yrs. old) Home: 631.385-4317 Sue Meisler Experience427-1089 Director We willall of study us were together at thewhat same is perhaps table thein dialogue most powerful with one prayer another. in 427-1157 IsraelNursery Gordan, School CantorDirector Maxine Fisher Jewish Education Shana Ledner (15 yrs. old) the liturgy of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, the Untaneh Tokef. 425-0525 Jane Hallberg Cell: 516.236.6687 Home: 631.754.0246 427-1089, ext. 22 Religious School Director I came away from the session disabused of many of my Administrator This prayer, with its powerfulSu imagerymm ofe passingr like a flock of Mitch Pashkin 427-1157 Esti Lodge (16 yrs. old) assumptions about the Haredi population. First it was 427-1089 Ext. 23 Sponsored by sheep one by one before God as God records our fate for the coming Sue PresidentMeisler Jane Hallberg Cell: 631.759.0943 Home: 631.427.4654 interesting to speakpr witho theg rHaredia womanms at our table. She year in the Book of Life speaks to our vulnerability and mortality Nursery School427-1089 Director Administrator Marisa Pashkin (15 yrs. old) 631.423.6472 clearly came from a different world—she was not willing to sit as human beings. Who will live and who will die; who by fire and 425-0525 427-1089 ext. 23 Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss next to me because of my gender and would only sit between 2011/2012 Jenny Rosen (15 yrs. old) who by water; who by neglect and who by despair? Join us in a HJC Board of Trustees 2011/2011/2012 2012 Cell: 631.514-.9061 Home: 239.6498 two women. However, the family problems she deals with Mitch Pashkin, President Life Monument Funds, Inc. communityin her workstudy ofin thisthe prayerHaredi with community Rabbi Kurshan are very and deepensimilar to the Rina Steinberg (14 yrs .old) your spiritual preparation for the holidays. All are welcome. st family issues that any of us face. More generally I learned Cheryl BermanHJC1 Board V.P. of Trustees/Andy Levy 2011-2012, Treasurer and Cell: 631.255.9808 Home: 631.424.2954 from the presenters at the session that increasing numbers Scott Ingber, 2nd V.P.Mitch Pashkin,Allison President Reiver, Secretary Michael Valente (17 yrs. old) of the Haredi population are in the Israeli work force—42% of Michelle Stack, 3rd V.P. Vicki Perler, Admin. VP Cell: 516.456.0514 Home: 423.2507 the men and 55% of the women. The stereotype of a Haredi Cheryl Berman, 1st V.P. Andy Levy, Treasurer Anna Wertheim family subsisting on government handouts while the father is CarolScott Baker Inger, 2nd V.P. Sue LefkowitzAllison Reiver,Ellen Secretary Steinberg Home: 631.549.2602 Cell: 631.901.7535 studying Torah all day and his wife is at home taking care of NancyMichelle Bendit Stack , 3rd V.P.Betty MesardVicki Perler, TynaAdmin.