SEEKING a NEW ASSISTANT RABBI 2710 Park Avenue the First Months of 2019 Promise to Be Bridgeport, CT 06604 HIGHLIGHTS Busy Ones for Nina Silberman
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Volume 160, Number 7 Sh’vat/Adar 1 February 2019 Congregation B’nai Israel FEBRUARY SEEKING A NEW ASSISTANT RABBI 2710 Park Avenue The first months of 2019 promise to be Bridgeport, CT 06604 HIGHLIGHTS busy ones for Nina Silberman. (203) 336-1858 About the Calendar As chair of the search committee for www.cbibpt.org It’s a leap year, and Rabbi Prosnit a new Associate Rabbi to succeed explains what that means in the Rabbi Schultz, Nina has already begun Jewish calendar and how it all came reviewing the resumes of some 20 about. Page 3. potential candidates for the job. Thinking About Love “The month of February is going to be As we approach Valentine’s Day, very exciting,” she said. Rabbi Schultz explores the concept of love in Judaism. It’s more than Following a process, and a timetable, Nina Silberman, right, with Ruth Gross at a chocolates and roses. Page 5. dictated by the Central Conference recent Mitzvah Morning, wrapping donated of American Rabbis, Nina and Rabbi toys for Al’s Angels Scenes From School Schultz will conduct interviews via Skype The process must be completed by March Ira Wise offers a slide show, in with the candidates, most of whom are 5, when the synagogue will make an offer words, of scenes from the religious soon to graduate from the Hebrew Union to the committee’s first choice. school, including surprise Israeli College–Jewish Institute of Religion. dance lessons and our students In seeking candidates, the synagogue had getting to know students in Israel. Then, in February, they will invite to fill out an application of its own. Rabbi Page 7. the top four or five to Bridgeport to be Schultz said it spelled out three qualities interviewed by the search committee, to the congregation is seeking: Reaching a Milestone tour the synagogue and to interact with The Rabbi James Prosnit Legacy members of the congregation. Continued on page 5 Fund has raised more than $1 million. Page 4. “Ask the Rabbi” Shabbat Dinner Honoring Rabbi Prosnit • How do you think B’nai Israel might planned for Friday evening March 1 Please clip out the updated schedule change ten years from now? when three beloved Congregation B’nai of events planned to honor Rabbi Israel rabbis will sit on a panel and take Prosnit on his retirement. Page 16. • Where were you and when at the questions from the audience after a moment you decided you wanted to Shabbat dinner with congregants. be a rabbi? The panel discussion, to be moderated by • In 2019, what’s the reason modern Also Inside B’nai Israel congregant Jeff Ackerman, Jews are still asked by rabbis to is planned as the kickoff to a series of Sharing Our Joy .........................P. 2 consider participating in ancient Bonim .........................................P. 6 activities unfolding in Spring 2019 that ceremonies like bris or mikvah collectively will serve as a tribute to BIFTY ........................................P. 6 visits? Adult Learning ...........................P. 8 Rabbi James Prosnit who will retire at the end of June after 29 years. Donations ...................................P. 9 • What’s been your most embarrassing Shabbat Services ......................P. 15 moment as a rabbi? Participating on the panel will be Rabbi Arnold Sher, B’nai Israel’s rabbi from Questions like these could possibly be 1968 to 1990, Rabbi Prosnit and Rabbi included in the uninhibited dialogue Continued on page 3 Sharing Our Joy Irving and Nancy Silverman, in BULLETIN BOARD celebration of receiving the John & Phyllis Neary Award for their public What’s Your Story? Weight of Ink,” which won the 2017 service in Easton. Let’s welcome Shabbat. Let’s National Jewish Book Award, will Fred and Ronni Zinn, in celebration of break bread together. And instead speak on February 25 at 7:30 p.m. the birth of granddaughter, Viviana Zinn, of moving to the chapel for an at the Conservative Synagogue of daughter of Jordan and Emily Zinn. informative talk, let’s sit with one Westport, 30 Marcia and Stephen Falk, in another. Let’s meet new people Hillspoint Road. celebration of the 1st birthday of and relax with old friends. Friday, Please reserve grandson, Jovi Mountain Falk, son of February 1. Kabbalat Shabbat at a spot by going Ben and Erica Falk. 6 p.m.; dinner at 7:15. Dinner is to the website of Bob and Ellen Sheiman, in celebration $20.00 per person. Contact Chris@ The Federation of the birth of grandson, Yakov Kern, son cbibpt.org or (203) 336-1858 for for Jewish of David and Rebecca Kern. reservations. Philanthropy in Bridgeport. Taste of Torah Join us for a night of Bite-Size Torah! Sincere Sympathy communal Jewish learning on Join Rabbi Schultz for six mini February 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at sessions of Torah (Really!)Sunday We extend our sympathy to the Congregation Beth El, Fairfield mornings, 9:35-9:55 a.m. in the bereaved families of: Woods Road, Fairfield. The keynote library. February 10 – Jewish speaker will be Tal Keinan, author Mourning Customs; February 24 Joel Zinn, brother of Fred Zinn of “God Is in the Crowd: Twenty- – What is Zionism? March 3 – A Joshua Spector, son of Mark and Deena First Century Judaism” Quick Look at God; March 31 – A Spector Primer on Jewish Texts; April 28 – Sylvia Edelson Torah Yoga The Basics of Jewish Prayer Cecil Widdows, father of Karen Consider a new experience for your Widdows Shabbat morning. “The Jew is in Save the Dates Kenneth Epstein, son of Eloise Epstein the Lotus:” Hatha Yoga & Jewish Mitzvah Morning. February 24. Moshe Arens, cousin of Joseph Bobrow Meditation for Beginners will be Details to follow. The committee offered on Saturdays at 10:30. For would welcome ideas for future this class, we will focus on specific Mitzvah Mornings. Contact Nina Pave the Way Hebrew words and symbols from Silberman at [email protected] and Jewish Meditations and Kabbalah. Danielle Forma at diforma@aol. In October, the congregation held a The instructor, Alan Dressler, com dedication ceremony for Phase One of began practicing Hatha Yoga and our Pave the Way Campaign, which has Meditation in 1994 after a traumatic The Religious School Purim raised needed funds and enabled us to car accident. He has taught Yoga at Carnival is Sunday, March 17th and beautify the front of the synagogue. the Jewish Community Center in our Purim Service is Wednesday, Bridgeport and the Jewish Home of March 20th Fairfield County. Sisters’s Schmooze, March 6. Meet the Author Details to follow. Rachel Kadish, the author of “The But there’s still time to buy a Kristen Carley came up with the idea and commemorative brick. More bricks led the initial campaign. Mark Schnitzler will be added soon. If you’re interested, coordinated much of the work with our please contact Lynn Lynch at the office or brick vendor and contractor. by e-mail at [email protected] Other volunteers who assisted include More than 150 congregants have bought Bernie Jacobs, Amy Rich, Ellen Hyde bricks, which were installed before the Phillips and Bonnie Appel. High Holidays. 2 What’s happening at the Temple? Get Hashavua, our weekly email. Send your request to Lynn at [email protected]. From the Rabbi’s Desk/Rabbi James Prosnit Happy Leap Year! It’s a leap year! No not an extra day at the the 9th month and October the 10th , etc.? keep in line with the seasons. But biblical end of February. We’ll save that for 2020. Answer --at some later date January and historians suggest it must have been con- But in the Jewish calendar a leap year is February were added, making 12 months nected to the reign of King Josiah in the actually a leap month and occurs seven but not changing any names.) second half of the seventh century BCE. times every 19 years. Over the years I’ve Josiah not only centralized worship in Je- enjoyed teaching about the intricacies The Jews, however, based their calendar rusalem, but likely set the current calen- of the Jewish calendar, so I thought I‘d on 12 lunar cycles, roughly 29.5 days. dar system in motion.1 review and marvel at its sophistication The problem was a strictly lunar year one last time. was 354 days long. A solar year was 11 It is almost certain this is how they ad- days longer. If you’re familiar with the justed for seasonal creep: At the end of While the naming of the extra month is Islamic calendar you’ll be aware that the 12th lunar month, priests in Jerusa- not all that creative, (Adar 1 and Adar 2), that is a strictly lunar calendar, which is lem determined spring had arrived. If the concept attests to the wisdom of the ancients. The Romans used a 10-month calendar beginning at the spring equinox This also explains the answer to the perennial in March, but for many years did not have any months for the time between the end question, Are Holidays early or late this year? of December and the new year in March. (By the way – that’s why many of our why a festival period like Ramadan floats spring was indeed deemed to have ar- Gregorian calendar months have prefixes through the entire year, moving up 11 rived, great: the new moon was a sign that don’t make sense. Why is September days each year. that not only the first month had begun but also a new year, and messengers were But, since many Jewish holidays were sent out to announce that Passover was connected to the agricultural seasons of two weeks away.