לשנה טובה SHARE THE BEAUTY OF THE High Holy Days

YOM KIPPUR יום כפור ROSH HASHANAH ראש השנה SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 1, 2019 OCTOBER 8 – 9, 2019 1 & 2 TISHRI 5780 10 TISHRI 5780

2019 GUIDE TO THE HIGH HOLY DAYS 5780 DAYS OF AWE

Dear Friends,

Find your center here with us these High Holy Days at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. We look forward to seeing you during this time of renewal and elevated spirituality.

Please join us in preparing for this sacred and special time by sharing your holiday plans with us on the included request forms. We hope to welcome you, as we welcome in the Days of Awe together.

These High Holy Days, explore the words that help lift our souls to genuine self-evaluation and resolve. Embrace the moments of introspection as we discover who it is that we are meant to be. Connect to your Hamptons Jewish community, and work to connect to something larger than yourself. Hear the sounding of the Shofar that awakens our souls, and calls us to dream of a more perfect time to come.

Join with us here in the heart of the Hamptons. Together we will rejoice in the new possibilities that await, express gratitude for the blessings of our lives, and sing the sacred melodies that connect to the Jewish past, present, and future.

L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu… may you, your families, and all of us be inscribed for a good year of bountiful blessings.

Rabbi Joshua Franklin Cantor/Rabbi Debra Stein

Diane Wiener Dr. Joel M. Hoffman Harry A. Katz Director of Development Director of Education President Executive Director Emerita

FIND YOUR CENTER, HERE.

2 YAMIM NORAIM — SCHEDULE

SHARE THE BEAUTY OF THE HIGH HOLY DAYS 5780 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 ...... Teaching with Dr. Joel M. Hoffman - 7:00pm (Sanctuary) ...... Selichot - 8:00pm (Sanctuary)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 ...... Rosh Hashanah Eve - 8:00pm (Tent)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 ...... Rosh Hashanah Morning - 10:00am (Tent) ...... Children’s Programming* - Begins immediately following our procession with the Torah (Social Hall) . . . . . Babysitting Available** (Children Ages 3-7) - 10:00am–End of RH Morning Service (Social Hall) ...... Family Service (Bring children & grandchildren, family & friends) - 3:00pm (Sanctuary) ...... Tashlich at Main Beach (Bring family & friends) - 4:30pm (Main Beach)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 ...... Rosh Hashanah Second Day - 10:00am (Sanctuary) ...... RAIN DATE Tashlich at Main Beach (Bring family & friends) - 4:30pm (Main Beach) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 ...... Kever Avot - 11:00am (Shaarey Pardes Accabonac Grove Cemetery - 306 Old Stone Highway, East Hampton)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 ...... Yom Kippur Eve (Kol Nidre) - 8:00pm (Tent)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 ...... Yom Kippur Morning - 10:00am (Tent) ...... Babysitting Available** (Children Ages 3-7) - 10:00am–End of YK Morning Service (Social Hall) ...... Healing Service - 1:00–1:30pm (Sanctuary) ...... Refl ections for Yom Kippur Afternoon - 1:30–2:30pm (Sanctuary) ...... Family Service (Bring children & grandchildren, family & friends) - 3:00pm (Sanctuary) ...... Yizkor, Afternoon Service & Neilah Service*** - 4:00pm (Tent) *Children’s Programming is for ages 8-12. Pre-registration required. **Babysitting services are available for children ages 3-7. Pre-registration required. ***This service ends at approximately 7:00pm, after which we invite you to join us as we break our fast together on the Donald & Barbara Zucker Patio.

AT THE END OF OUR DAY OF ATONEMENT THE SHOFAR WILL BE SOUNDED

“MAY OUR PRAYERS REACH HEAVENWARD AND OUR HEARTS FIND PEACE”

3 HIGH HOLY DAYS 5780

L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu! ELUL The Hebrew month leading up to the High Holy Days is a time of soul-searching in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Our tradition recognizes that self transformation doesn’t take place in a single day, and not even in the ten days of awe in between the holidays. Rather our tradition assigns a whole month to the process.

THE HIGH HOLY DAYS: YAMIM NORAIM Yamim Noraim: The Ten Days of Awe The ten days beginning with Rosh Hashanah on September 29, 2019 and ending with Yom Kippur October 9, 2019 are known as the Yamim Noraim, or the Days of Awe. The work of repairing ourselves and the damage from our misdeeds takes place during these days. It is customary to seek out those who we have wronged and repair our fractured relationships during this period.

ROSH HASHANAH Begins at sundown on Sunday, September 29, 2019 “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a holy day commemorated with loud blast.” (Leviticus 23:24) The first day of Rosh Hashanah is a festive commemoration of the creation of the world, as well as a somber day of self-examination. The sounding of the Shofar epitomizes and resolves this spiritually significant duality; the Shofar, a ram’s horn, is blown in the synagogue to center our spirit.The primitive and strange sound of the Shofar stirs something deep within us.

YOM KIPPUR Begins at sundown on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 “On the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you. You shall practice self-denial.” (Leviticus 23:27) Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of the Jewish year. We fast to channel our energy into prayer and repentance. In addition to self-improvement, we ask forgiveness and seek reconciliation. On the eve of Yom Kippur, we listen to the Kol Nidre prayer, one of the most inspiring melodies in Jewish tradition. According to legend, the Books of Life and Death for the coming year are sealed at the close of Yom Kippur, which explains the serious mood of this holiday.

4 THINGS TO DO AND KNOW / NEW YEAR CONSIDERATIONS THINGS TO DO AND KNOW ABOUT ROSH HASHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR • Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time for people to pause and assess their growth and achievements over the past year. • Beginning weeks before the holidays, many people exchange cards expressing wishes for a good, sweet New Year. Select and mail some to friends and family, and enjoy the good wishes from others. • On the evening of Rosh Hashanah, set your dinner table with a festive tablecloth. Place two round challahs on the table along with wine and a bowl of honey to symbolize a sweet year. • Before the meal is served, cut an apple into pieces, dip the pieces in honey, and share them. While eating the apple, each person wishes for a sweet New Year. Some people also follow the custom of eating a fruit on Rosh Hashanah that they have not eaten for a year. • Unlike other major Jewish holidays, the High Holy Days are not related to historical events. Also known as the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are purely religious holidays that emphasize morality, self-examination, spirituality, and holiness. • Rosh Hashanah values teshuva, a spiritual return to a God who hears penitence, forgives our sins, and offers an opportunity to start anew. According to Jewish tradition, God’s decision is not made in haste; the “Gates of Repentance” remain open until the Day of Atonement, at which time the final decree is established. • Yom Kippur is the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar. Also known as the Shabbat Shabbaton, the Shabbat of Shabbats, Yom Kippur is perhaps the most weighty and pensive portion of the High Holy Days. Beginning with Kol Nidre and ending with Neilah (the “closing of the gates”), Yom Kippur concludes the Days of Awe. After the Neilah Service, the Shofar is sounded and the congregation leaves to begin the New Year.

NEW YEAR CONSIDERATIONS „„ Rosh Hashanah is the time of return. Every fall, synagogues swell with the tides of people returning to pray for the New Year.

„„ The goal of Judaism is to awaken and expand our immortal soul and to hold fast to those ideals that lift us beyond ourselves. This ancient and magnanimous faith lends meaning to life and encourages atonement.

„„ Judaism is the will to believe in the grandeur of life and the glory that is God. Our religious tradition tells us that there is an immortal spirit whose history, struggles, victories, and defeats give meaning to life. This faith has sustained us through the ages.

„„ We come to the synagogue to pray for the capacity to see and to feel the wonder of life, to regain love for one another, and, above all, to learn how to recognize “the dignity by which in some eternity our pain is measured.”

„„ Rosh Hashanah is a time for resolution and dedication to morality and respectful observance.

5 THE SOUND OF THE SHOFAR: THE LANGUAGE OF EMOTION

I’ve always been fascinated by the sound of a shofar. I learned to blow the shofar as a child, and eventually took on the role of shofar blower within my synagogue. The shofar’s sound isn’t exactly pretty, but it is strikingly powerful. The pitch of the horn feels primal, evoking sentiments that have echoed through millennia of Jewish history. The notes of the shofar––tekiah, shevarim, truah, and tekiah gedolah––express more than just ancient calls. I believe the sound of the shofar is the language of raw human emotion.

It’s no surprise than the Jews from around the world pay such heed to this ancient ritual. For all of the prayers, teachings, and readings on the holidays, the sound of the shofar is the sound that never gets old, and it’s the sound that always stirs us from our seats. People count the length of the final call of the shofar, and murmur as its cry sputters to an end. We get so caught up in the blowing of the shofar because its language is accessible to all, and it articulates the feelings of renewal, reflection, awakening, brokenness, and transformation. No other instrument can mimic its emotion, and no words carry the same power.

One of my favorite Hassidic tales speaks of Rabbi Wolf Kitzes, who learns a special teaching to be recited before blowing the shofar. Rabbi Wolf memorized the teaching, but because he was nervous in his role, wrote it down on a piece of paper for safekeeping in his pocket. When the time came to sound the shofar, Rabbi Wolf had forgotten the teaching. He slid his hand into his pocket, only to discover a hole at the bottom, through which the paper must have surely dropped. Tears welled in his eyes as he stood before the congregation, and then, he wept in unbridled emotion as he announced the shofar calls without any teaching or explanation. The rabbis teach that an axe is stronger than a key, just as emotion is stronger than any teaching, story, or explanation. The shofar is a spiritual axe that breaks through stubbornness, carves through the deepest recesses of the soul, and opens the pathway to teshuvah (repentance).

Many might sit through a High Holy Day service and not understand the Hebrew words being chanted, but the sound of the shofar is a language that we all understand. It’s the language of our deepest cry. Its rumbling resonance pierces the soul, and awakens the emotions of the heart. When we have no words left to offer, no profound prayer to give, we let the shofar wail open the gates of heaven, and open our hearts to a new year. Rabbi Josh Franklin SHOFAR There are three distinct sounds of the Shofar; each with its own significance and feeling:

• Tekiah A long, drawn-out note expressing stability and the totality of a good life. • Shevarim A quick succession of three broken tones that represent sorrow and lamentations. • Teruah Nine very short, staccato notes that signify unwanted doubts and weakness.

6 A MESSAGE FROM RABBI EMERITUS SHELDON ZIMMERMAN / SELICHOT

As the summer sun begins to wane, we attempt to capture and retain the warmth that comes to our lives from the ocean, the beach, through hours spent outside with friends and family. The summer communities begin to wind down and so many return to the cities and the activities that mark the fall season. The Hamptons become somewhat quieter and the busy traffic less pressured and challenging. “See you next summer” becomes a loud refrain and yearlong residents take a deep breath as they wave “good-bye” to another season and its busy-ness. Even the number of social events takes a break for another year. Another deep breath.

But for us as Jews, now is the beginning of our busy season of introspection, reflection, and self-evaluation. We turn to our dreams, hopes and visions of what can yet be. We turn from the external warmth of the summertime to the warmth of rediscovering who we are, what we have done, and the year that has passed. We affirm the strength and power of the human soul and spirit and we know in the deepest recesses of our hearts and being that we can change, grow, affirm the best in who we are and turn towards what we can yet become.

Judaism is our religion of hope. We are never totally bound and imprisoned by the errors of the past. Our Holy One is a force of forgiveness that we can emulate in all that we do. Relationships can be enriched, old friends and new friends can be embraced. The Jewish understanding of life is that our lives contain the ongoing capacity for teshuvah and change, that each and every day of our lives can be used for growth and becoming. God is waiting. We have the power and spirit to do what we have not as yet done - that is become what our best dreams have held out for us. Our prayerbook makes it clear in the words of the Torah, “The Holy One says to Moses I have forgiven according to your words and pleas”. Our God is not primarily judgmental - rather judgment is the key to our change and self-transformation.

May you have a very busy season of change and growth, change and becoming. Thus we shall be a blessing as our ancestors Abraham and Sarah were called to be. In this New Year may we all become a blessing in our own lives and the lives of our community and country.

I am grateful to Rabbi Franklin and Cantor/Rabbi Stein for asking me to write this message for the Holy Days and all they do for JCOH. Judy joins with me and our family in wishing each of you a year filled with blessings, vision and hope.

Shanah tova u’m’tukah. A sweet and good year. Rabbi Emeritus Sheldon Zimmerman

SELICHOT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 | 8:00PM An overture to the High Holy Days, Selichot encourages us to contemplate our past year and focus on the value of a new beginning. We celebrate Selichot as a Saturday night service before Rosh Hashanah. Join our Director of Education, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman, who will teach at 7:00PM before the service at 8:00PM.

7 CANTOR’S CORNER: KOL NIDRE

Every year, as I look out into the congregation on Kol Nidre, I look for familiar faces; I look for reassurance that those who have been part of our congregation for my almost forty years are still here. I look for new faces, those whom I have recently been introduced to, and cherish the potential of new relationships.

Then I stand at the bima and I stare at a text that is both powerful and poignant. I look at a text that by its own simple measure should not carry the weight that it does. I look at a text that has been the catalyst to bring many non-observant Jews back to their faith.

Kol Nidre, a legal formula meant to annul our vows made to G-d and bring us forgiveness, and a clean slate: Me Yom Kippurim Zeh ad Yom Kippurim. From this Yom Kippur until next Yom Kippur. Adonai-if over the course of the year, I do not live true to my vows, please forgive me.

Kol Nidre, a haunting melody repeated three times only after we invoke a tribunal, a court of three called to be witnesses.

Our melody of Kol Nidre is set to Ashkenazi melodies which are called Misinai tunes-melodies that came to us from Sinai when we received the Torah. However, we know these melodies are not so ancient and probably date from the twelfth or thirteenth century. These were probably melodies sung by German troubadours called Minnesingers who sang about courtly love. Our ancestors took these melodies and made them Holy.

In 1844 the first congress of Reform leaders decided to take Kol Nidre out of our liturgy, and it wasn’t until around 1960 that it was once again put back into the Union prayer book. However, during the time it was taken out of the prayer book itself, many congregations continued to recite Kol Nidre. The early Reform movement attempted to take Kol Nidre out of our liturgy because its formulaic “oath” was seen as easily capable of causing trouble for the Jews. Who would trust a person who believed that from year to year they could get a pass on their vows by reciting a simple formula? Most in the secular world would not know the vow was only between man and G-d, and not legal for vows made between men.

Traditionally Kol Nidre is recited before sundown because it is a legal formula. While in many reform congregations the service begins after sundown, we still wear tallitot as a reminder of the tradition that the Kol Nidre service begins before sundown. Perhaps because it is the only evening service when we wear a Tallit at night, it holds a powerful and sacred place for us.

Kol Nidre, the dispensation of vows is first seen in the Talmud, and most interestingly it is said in the Talmud that the recitation should take place on Rosh Hashanah. So why the switch to Yom Kippur? It is believed that this happened post Talmudic times because the majority of worshippers were not necessarily in the pews for Erev Rosh Hashanah, but they were in the pews Erev Yom Kippur.

The text for Kol Nidre curiously parallels an Aramaic text found in Babylonia around 500 C.E. The text, found on prayer bowls included language that asked for the annulment of curses. The sacred bowls were used on Rosh Hashanah with prayers and formulae to override promises not kept. However, the Babylonian Geonim would only allow Kol Nidre to be recited if the text was purely religious and sought only divine pardon forgiveness and atonement. Although curiously there is no mention of G-d in the Kol Nidre.

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8 CANTOR’S CORNER: KOL NIDRE

As we always strive to make our prayers and our worship experience relevant to our own times, please allow me to take a moment and bring our Kol Nidre prayer forward into the 21st century.

Kol Nidre The vows we make, when we say “Never Again” and then children are held in detention centers without their parents there to comfort them. The vows we say when we say “Never Again” and then live through a year of mass shootings unparalleled in our history. The vows we make when we say “Never Again” and then watch as our country tries to turn back time on women’s reproductive rights.

Dear G-d, this year as I chant the Kol Nidre, let my voice and my intention rise. Let me remember that vows that I make between myself and those around me must be upheld. Let me search my soul and my conscience and find my commitment to you and our sacred religion and all of humankind strengthened in the New Year.

As we begin Kol Nidre with a vow asking to be forgiven, so too do we end N’eila with a final ask for forgiveness.

May those I love find a renewed strength as we call out on Yom Kippur Salach Lanu, forgive us, and await your response Salachti Kidvarecha. I forgive you because you have asked for forgiveness. Cantor/Rabbi Debra Stein

KOL NIDRE SERVICE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 | 8:00pm Yom Kippur is a day of self-reflection. Ten days after Rosh Hashanah, we come together as a community in prayer and ask for forgiveness from those we might have hurt or harmed the previous year. Taking into account our actions from the previous year, we prepare to journey forward into the next year. We learn from the past, inform the future, and remain ever mindful of the holiness of the present moment.

9 SYMBOLS AND PRAYERS FOR THE HIGH HOLY DAYS

Special foods and prayers are incorporated into High Holy Day observance as religious symbols. As with Shabbat, candles and wine decorate the dinner table on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. APPLES AND HONEY A symbol of sweetness and renewal, apples and honey represent our hope and aspirations for the New Year. As we eat the apple with honey, we pray, “May God renew for us a good and sweet year.”

CANDLES We light candles before a festive meal.

ָּברּוְך ַא ָּתה יְיָ ֱא ֵֹלהינּו ֶמ ֶלְך ָה ָעֹולם, ֲא ֶׁשר ִק ְּד ָׁשנּו ְּב ִמ ְצ ָֹותיו, וְ ִצ ָּונּו ְל ַה ְד ִליק ֵרנ ֶׁשל יֹום טֹוב Baruch Ata Adonai, Blessed are you, Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha Olam, Ruling spirit of the universe, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav who sanctifies our lives with mitzvot and v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov. commands us to kindle these festival

CHALLAH Sweet, round challah filled with raisins symbolizes wholeness and our desire for a complete New Year.

: ָבּרּוְך ַָאתּה יְיָ ֱא ֵֹלהינּו ֶמ ֶלְך ָה ָעֹולם ַה ִּמֹוציא ֶל ֶחם ִמן ָה ֶָארץ Baruch Ata Adonai, Blessed are you, Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha Olam, Ruling spirit of the universe, ha motzi lechem min ha aretz. who brings forth bread from the Earth.

WINE OR GRAPE JUICE A potent symbol of life and joy in Judaism, may the sweetness of this wine (or juice) enhance our hopes for the New Year.

. ָבּרּוְך ַָאתּה יְיָ ֱא ֵֹלהינּו ֶמ ֶלְך ָה ָ ם,עֹול ֵּבֹורא ְפ ִּרי ַה ָג ֶּפן Baruch Ata Adonai, Blessed are you, Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha Olam, Ruling spirit of the universe, Boray p’ree ha’gafen. Who creates the fruit of the vine.

SHEHEHEYANU The traditional prayer recited upon reaching milestone events, such as Rosh Hashanah, is called the Sheheheyanu.

. ָבּרּוְך ַָאתּה יְיָ ֱא ֵֹלהינּו ֶמ ֶלְך ָה ָעֹולם, ֶש ֶׁה ֱחיָנּו וְ ִקיְ ָּמנּווְ ִה ִג ָּיענּו ַל ְז ַּמן ַה ֶזּה Baruch Ata Adonai, Blessed are you, Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha Olam, Ruling spirit of the universe, sheheheyanu, v’ki y’manu, who gives each of us life, v’higiyanu lazman hazeh. who sustains us through the years and enables us to reach this most awesome occasion. 10 BRING FAMILY & FRIENDS! TASHLICH at MAIN BEACH MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | 4:30pm (RAIN DATE: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1)

CANDLES TASHLICH: FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW We light candles before a festive meal. ?What is Tashlich ָּברּוְך ַא ָּתה יְיָ ֱא ֵֹלהינּו ֶמ ֶלְך ָה ָעֹולם, ֲא ֶׁשר ִק ְּד ָׁשנּו ְּב ִמ ְצ ָֹותיו, וְ ִצ ָּונּו ְל ַה ְד ִליק ֵרנ ֶׁשל יֹום טֹוב Blessed are you, Adonai Tashlich, a part of the High Holy Days, encourages moral cleansing through action. With each small Ruling spirit of the universe, piece of bread we cast into the water, a small part of our sins from the past year can be forgiven. who sanctifies our lives with mitzvot and commands us to kindle these festival When does it occur in the order of the High Holy Days? The Tashlich ceremony is carried out on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah.

What do we bring? Our Tashlich is B.Y.O.B.: bring your own bread. Any regular or even stale bread will do.

How can we celebrate? By throwing bread in “living water,” which in our case is the ocean. Swimming pools, fountains, and other man-made water features don’t count—Tashlich focuses on a connection to God through nature in addition to repentance, so we cast our sins into a local body of water.

Tashlich and Water Main Beach is a perfect place to cast away our sins not just for the tranquility of the Atlantic Ocean, but also for the long-standing connection between water and Jewish scriptural history.

A few well-known examples of water imagery include: Noah’s ark and the erasure of what God deems “sinful” with a massive flood; the parting of the Red Sea to let the Israelites escape oppressive Egyptian rule; and even our seasonally-dependent addition to the Gevurot prayer, Mashiv Haruach Umorim Hagashem, which praises God’s ability to influence the rain that supports our harvests and our survival.

11 “JCOH LEGACY” – DIANE WIENER, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

This year we commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. In 1959, 17 families established a Jewish home to educate their children, honor their Jewish traditions, and celebrate the simchas in their lives. Today, with the support of generous donors, the JCOH is a center without walls, serving the Jewish community from Manhattan to Montauk. The 60th Anniversary is a Diamond Anniversary, a fitting metaphor for the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. The diamond is the strongest gemstone, with a brilliance that symbolizes unconquerable strength and endurance. Today, through the continued commitment, dedication and support of our donors, the Jewish Center of the Hamptons shines as a beacon of Judaism on the East End. Your donation to our High Holy Day Appeal touches lives by ensuring the JCOH will continue to shine as a Jewish home for all who wish to join us on our Jewish journey. On this Diamond Anniversary, enhance the brilliance of the JCOH with your High Holy Day Appeal pledge.

From 1959 through 2019 - we were there for it all.

We rejoiced at the births of children and grandchildren, celebrated at the coming-of-age at Bar and Bat Mitzvah, danced at weddings and shed tears at the passing of loved ones.

We are caregivers.

We are educators of a lifetime of Jewish values and traditions.

Values that begin with a child’s first steps and traditions that continue for a lifetime.

This is our mission. For the last 60 years and for the next 60 years.

We are the Jewish Center of the Hamptons.

We build Jewish lives.

Make a difference today with your donation to our High Holy Day Appeal.

Your impact will last a lifetime. –Diane Wiener Visit our website at jcoh.org/highholydays or call 631-324-9858 to donate today!

12 HIGH HOLY DAY APPEAL / OUR HIGH HOLY DAY PRAYERBOOK: MISHKAN HANEFESH

This year, more than ever, THE JEWISH CENTER OF THE HAMPTONS needs your support through your donation to our HIGH HOLY DAY APPEAL We are calling upon you at this sacred time in our Jewish lives for a donation to our High Holy Day Appeal that will sustain our congregation. Your help is needed to strengthen our Jewish presence on the East End and grow our community.

With your High Holy Day Appeal donation, you can make a difference in the lives of all who call the Jewish Center their home. Your generous support is needed now more than ever as we join together with our clergy, professional staff and lay leaders to serve the community from Manhattan to Montauk.

FIND YOUR CENTER, HERE. Visit www.jcoh.org/giving to make a difference today!

Our High Holy Day machzor, Mishkan HaNefesh, provides meaningful prayers and readings to inspire personal reflection and growth during the Days of Awe.

With translations that contemplate the evolving role of faith in our lives, to the transliterations that are accessible to all, Mishkan HaNefesh stays true to our traditions while providing a guide for spiritual awakening at the High Holy Days.

In preparation for the High Holy Days, take this opportunity to dedicate a copy of our new machzor in memory of a loved one or to celebrate a simcha.

Visit our website jcoh.org or call the JCOH office at 631-324-9858. L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu. May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a year of blessings.

13 “I HAVE A LITTLE LIST” – DR. JOEL M. HOFFMAN, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

“These things have no limit,” begins a nearly 2,000-year-old list in the Mishnah, our earliest collection of Jewish law. The list details commandments for which more is always better. Leaving unharvested crops (pe’ah) for the poor, for instance, is the first item there. Leviticus (23:22) asks farmers to leave the corners of their fields unharvested so that the poor can — free of charge and anonymously — gather food. The more crops left for the poor, the fewer people go without food. Feeding some hungry people is good; feeding more is better. That’s why there’s no limit. But the real point of the list is that good things come in two varieties. Sometimes the more you have the better. That’s what we all expect. But apparently some good things — perhaps even most — are only good in moderation, and even turn detrimental with quantity. It’s not just that they stop being good. They become bad. Food, for example, falls in this second, non-intuitive category. We think of food as a good thing because it’s yummy and we need it to survive. But while 2,000 calories of food a day is twice as good as 1,000, 4,000 calories is not twice better than that. And 16,000 calories can be deadly. After a certain point, otherwise life-sustaining food becomes a health hazard. Modern readers may be surprised to find that prayer is not on the ancient list of things that have no limit. Rather, prayer is like food. You should have enough, the Rabbis say, but don’t overdo it. By contrast, g’milut chasadim, being kind, does appear. You can never be too kind or be kind too often. A related list, traditionally juxtaposed with the first, comes from the Talmud. It details things that offer inherent reward in return for doing them: honoring parents, for example, or helping people work out their differences. Honor your parents and you’re more likely to be happy yourself. It’s usually the right thing to do, but even if it weren’t, it would still be a good idea, because it just so happens that it will make your own life better. Similarly, help two people stop fighting and you don’t have to live amid strife. We find g’milut chasadim (“being kind”) from the first list on the second list as well. Not only can you never be too kind, but the more kindness you show, the better things will be for others and for you as well. Karma, some people call it. Studying Torah is also on both lists. Unlike food, whose benefits turn deleterious after a point, more learning is always better. That’s why it’s on the first list. Its role in the second list is more oblique. We read: studying Torah “is like” all the other things on the list. (A common mistranslation misses the whole point, wrongly claiming that studying Torah “is equal to them all.”) The list doesn’t tell us in what way studying Torah might be “like” honoring parents, helping two people get along, or being kind. Perhaps one has to study Torah to find out? This is one reason we work so hard to give children and adults alike a path into Jewish learning. It’s part of the impetus for Gates of Jewish Learning on Sunday mornings. And it’s one force that drives me personally to invest so much energy in quality education. More generally, it turns out that considerable unhappiness comes from mixing up the list of “more is always better” with the list of “enough is enough.” It further turns out that it’s surprisingly tricky to determine what goes on which list. What about money? Is more always better? What about free time? Or tranquility? Or even joy? These are complex and nuanced matters, deceptively masked in a facade of simplicity. But they are important. So as we prepare to celebrate a new year together, let’s carve out some time to reevaluate the lists of our lives, the better to enter Rosh Hashanah with a sense of balance, of purpose, and of holiness. L’Shanah Tovah, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman

14 BABYSITTING / FAMILY SERVICES / CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING

BABYSITTING High Holy Days babysitting is available for children Ages 3 to 7 for: ROSH HASHANAH MORNING SERVICE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | 10:00–END OF SERVICE as well as YOM KIPPUR MORNING SERVICE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 | 10:00–END OF SERVICE Pre-registration is required. Please fill out the form on our website at jcoh.org/highholydays or contact the JCOH office at 631-324-9858

FAMILY SERVICES Bring your whole family to this musical service for all ages! If you like the upbeat music and ambience of Shabbat on the Beach, then you’ll find the stories and songs just as engaging L'Shanah Tovah and meaningful. Tickets are required for these services. Have a sweet year! ROSH HASHANAH MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | 3:00pm YOM KIPPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 | 3:00pm

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING Our director of Eduction, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman, will be leading children’s programming for kids ages 8–12 on: ROSH HASHANAH MORNING SERVICE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Immediately following our procession with the Torah the children with gather in our social hall for special activities that will give greater meaning to your child’s High Holy Day experience.

Pre-registration is required. Please fill out the form on our website at jcoh.org/highholydays or contact the JCOH office at 631-324-9858

15 MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR / PARKING & SHUTTLES

As we transition to the High Holy Days season, I want to extend a giant “Thank You!” to all who helped make our Summer Institute a success. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

This year will mark my fourth High Holy Days at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, and my first serving as Administrator. I look forward to celebrating with you and greeting you at the entrance to the tent on your way to services. Please come and say “hi” to me so I can continue to put names to faces.

If there is anything I can do to assist you regarding any of our High Holy Days services and events, please do not hesitate to call me at the JCOH office or e-mail me. Suggestions, comments, questions, and concerns can always be brought to my attention.

If you need to make any sort of special financial arrangements for the High Holy Days I encourage you to reach out to our Financial Manager, Amy O’Sullivan, to speak in confidence. No one will be denied the High Holy Days experience due to finances.

Once again this year there will be one main entrance to our tent. Everyone entering High Holy Days services in our tent and sanctuary must present a valid ticket. This includes our Family Services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In addition, in keeping with recommended security protocol, tickets will be issued for all children as well as adults.

Upon presenting your ticket, you will be given a paper wristband. The wristband will allow for access to our tent, sanctuary and administrative building. We will have security personnel stationed around our tent as well as in our main sanctuary. Please refrain from bringing large or bulky bags or packages to services.

We ask for your cooperation as we work together to ensure our safety. Our goal is to provide a secure environment in which we can all experience the spiritual beauty of the High Holy Days as we usher in the New Year 5780 together.

Wishing you and your loved ones a sweet New Year. May we be blessed with good health, joy and fulfillment, and peace. Matthew Oates, Administrator

PARKING & SHUTTLES As the Jewish Center no longer owns the property at 56 Woods Lane, parking will be available at 30 Woods Lane, the property immediately to the east of the Jewish Center. In addition, we have made arrangements with the Village of East Hampton to provide some overflow parking at Main Beach, Lot 2 (87 Ocean Avenue). A JCOH staff member will be driving a marked van to escort you and your family from Main Beach to our tent. Please make every effort to leave yourselves extra time to enter our tent for High Holy Day services this year.

16 FAQ FOR THE HIGH HOLY DAYS

F.A.Q. (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) FOR THE HIGH HOLY DAYS: Why are the words “L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu” used so frequently on Rosh Hashanah? These three Hebrew words mean “May you be inscribed for a good year.” Used as a spoken greeting on the holiday, these words remind us of God’s transcription of each person’s fate for the coming year in the Book of Life.

Why are the ten days beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur, the Ten Days of Repentance, especially significant? These ten days represent the important period between the start of God’s judgment of each individual and the finality of Yom Kippur. For this reason, the Ten Days of Penitence are regarded as a valuable chance to ameliorate our moral standing in the eyes of God. In observance of Yom Kippur, we switch from L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu to G’mar Chatima Tovah—May you be sealed in the Book of Life for Goodness.

What are the traditional foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah? To symbolize a sweet new year, Jews eat sweet foods like apples and honey. Among Ashkenazic households, you will commonly find tzimmes, a as sweet stew made form carrots and dried fruits. Some Sephardic Jews place the head (rosh) of a fish on their table, commemorating the head of the year, and giving homage to the biblical verse “God shall place you as a head and not as a tail.” Round challahs are also traditionally eaten at this time of the year as a reminder of the never-ending cycle of life. While there are no traditional foods on Yom Kippur, as it is a fast day, Jews break the fast in the evening with a dairy meal.

Why do Jews fast on Yom Kippur? The requirement of fasting on Yom Kippur is based on an interpretation of a Torah verse. The Book of Numbers (29:7) states, “And on the tenth day of this seventh month [Tishri] you shall observe a sacred occasion when you shall practice self-denial…” In this context, “self-denial” denotes abstinence from food and drink.

Why is Yizkor included in the Yom Kippur Service? The Yizkor Service, the memorialization of close relatives, dates back to the fifth century. A vestige of ancestral traditions developed during the Spanish Crusades, Yizkor provides an opportunity for the individual and the community as a whole to express its common loss.

17 BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE / KEVER AVOT MEMORIAL SERVICE

BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE Jewish history and Jewish memory are a central theme to our High BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE Holy Day observance. Jewish tradition teaches us that remembrance is a significant part of understanding who we are now, and where we are going in the future.

The custom of publishing a congregational Book of Remembrance is an ancient one that can be traced back to the early Thirteenth Century. We are preparing our Book of Remembrance to honor our loved ones who continue to fill our lives with the precious gift of memory. This book will be used throughout the year at each of our sacred moments of remembrance.

To add your loved one’s name to our Book of Remembrance, please YOM KIPPUR 2019–2020 (5780) e-mail [email protected] or call the Jewish Center at 631-324-9858.

“The dust returns to the earth as it was, but the spirit returns to the God who gave it.”

"At the end of the year and the beginning of another, we remember them."

KEVER AVOT MEMORIAL SERVICE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 | 11:00am Shaarey Pardes Accabonac Grove Cemetery 306 Old Stone Highway, East Hampton We invite you to join us in a brief, but beautiful Memorial Service as we recall our loved ones of blessed memory at the meditation pond in our Cemetery.

The High Holy Days are a time for recalling their lasting impact upon our lives. As Jewish tradition teaches us, regardless of where their place of rest is located, we are to honor them with special moments of memorial and by living our lives to reflect their best values and their highest aspirations.

18 SUKKOT FESTIVAL SERVICE / SHEMINI ATZERET SIMCHAT TORAH

SUKKOT FESTIVAL SERVICE MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 | 10:00am

SHEMINI ATZERET SIMCHAT TORAH SIMCHAT TORAH FESTIVAL SERVICE WITH YIZKOR PRAYERS MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 | 10:00am

19 WHO WE ARE We are the Jewish spiritual and cultural oasis on the East End of Long Island, in Manhattan, and beyond. Rooted in Torah, prayer, and acts of loving kindness, the Jewish Center of the Hamptons shares the joy of the Jewish traditions and deepens our connections to a rich heritage through Jewish values and a diversity of Jewish voices. In our many avenues of learning we seek to bring relevance and meaning to our daily lives. We are a center without walls, connected to Israel, and the Jewish people wherever they might dwell. We welcome each person regardless of gender, sexual orientation, and race, embracing anyone who chooses to join us on our Jewish journey. As a socially conscious congregation, we dedicate ourselves to mitzvot, fulfilling our obligations to God, and to one another. Come find your center, here.

Through a grant by an anonymous donor, The Jewish Center of the Hamptons is excited to offer membership to Individuals and Families 35 years of age or younger for one year. Invite your children and grandchildren to join us!

For more information on membership and our High Holy Days services, please contact our Adminstrator, Matthew Oates at 631-324-9858 or [email protected], or feel free to reach out to Rabbi Joshua Franklin or Cantor/Rabbi Debra Stein.

For more information on “Gates of Jewish Learning”, our educational program for children in the Hamptons and New York City, please contact our Director of Education, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman at 631-324-9858 or [email protected].

LIKE JCOH ON /JewishCenterOfTheHamptons

FOLLOW JCOH ON @JewishCenterOfTheHamptons

20 RABBI JOSHUA FRANKLIN | CANTOR/RABBI DEBRA STEIN | RABBI EMERITUS SHELDON ZIMMERMAN DIANE WIENER, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EMERITA DR. JOEL M. HOFFMAN, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION 2019-2020 Membership dues support only a portion of the many services and programs offered by the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. We have several categories of membership dues to enable people to give according to their financial capability. New members are also asked to contribute to the Capital Improvement Fund to maintain our facilities. Nobody will be denied membership in our congregation due to financial hardship. Please speak with our Financial Manager, Amy O'Sullivan, confidentially, to make alternative arrangements for Jewish Center dues.

PLEASE CHECK ONE: ☐ I am a new member ☐ I am a returning member MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES ☐ $25,000 President’s Gold Circle Membership ☐ $3,600 Double Chai Membership ☐ $10,000 Sustainer’s Silver Membership ☐ $2,750 Chai Membership ☐ $7,500 Builder’s Bronze Membership ☐ $2,300 Family Membership ☐ $5,000 Kavod (Honor) Membership ☐ $1,150 Single Membership YOUNG PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES ☐ Young Professional Single (26 to 35) ☐ Young Professional Couple (26 to 35) Your first year of Young Professional Membership will be generously paid for by an anonymous donor • • • • • ALL MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES INCLUDE HIGH HOLY DAY TICKETS • • • • • CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND (one-time assessment which can be paid in three annual installments. Not required for Young Professional members) ☐ $1,800 Family ($600 per installment) ☐ $900 Single ($300 per installment) SECURITY ASSESSMENT FOR DUES CATEGORIES ☐ $350 (Required for Single, Family, Chai, Double Chai & Kavod Memberships)

Name (1): ______Name (2): ______Cell Phone Number (1): ______Cell Phone Number (2): ______E-mail Address (1): ______E-mail Address (2): ______

Children: ______P e r m a n e n t A d d r e s s : ______C i t y : ______S t a t e : ___ Z i p : ______L o c a l A d d r e s s : ______C i t y : ______S t a t e : ___ Z i p : ______D a y t i m e P h o n e : ______E v e n i n g P h o n e : ______L o c a l P h o n e : ______

Enclosed is my/our check for $ ______Membership Dues, Category: ______

Please make payable to The Jewish Center of the Hamptons OR

Please charge my: ☐ MasterCard ☐ Visa ☐ American Express C a r d N o . : ______E x p . D a t e : ____ / ____ B i l l i n g Z i p C o d e : ______S i g n a t u r e : ______C S V : ______

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED 44 WOODS LANE, PO BOX 5107 | EAST HAMPTON, NY 11937 631-324-9858 | FAX 631-329-6654 | [email protected] | WWW.JCOH.ORG CANTOR’S CORNER: KOL NIDRE / OPEN YOUR DOOR TO JUDAISM

OPEN YOUR DOOR TO JUDAISM Judaism isn’t limited to activities at synagogue. To help you observe the High Holy Days at home, we offer these ideas for making Judaism a greater part of everyday life. Consider…

„„ Calling family and friends and renewing old relationships.

„„ Listing your three greatest achievements since last year.

„„ Setting three goals for the coming year.

„„ Volunteering time to help others.

„„ Taking time each day during the week preceding Yom Kippur to reflect on the past year.

„„ Fasting and giving the money you would have spent on food to fight food insecurity.

„„ Making peace with yourself and with God.

„„ Reconciling with those whom we may have hurt.

PARTNERS AGAINST HUNGER “Is this the fast I have chosen?” –Isaiah

It is always the right time to help others, but in the fall and winter, we pause for reflection and thanksgiving. We are providing bags with a reminder that hunger is real, even in the Hamptons. Our tradition challenges us “to feed the hungry.” Support the JCOH in its fight against hunger, now and throughout the year. Please take a bag and bring it back to the JCOH filled with non-perishable items by Yom Kippur, Wednesday, October 9, 2019. Let us share in the meaning of the High Holy Days by helping those in need. Canned and boxed items, toiletries, and baby food will help meet real needs… including for each of us to perform the mitzvah of tzedakah. Help make it a happier time of year for all!

22 GATES OF JEWISH LEARNING

GATES OF JEWISH LEARNING OPENING DAY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 9:45AM–12:15PM Our fl agship Sunday morning program offers the richness of our Jewish heritage in the form of a curriculum based on cutting-edge pedagogical techniques and individualized attention. With a fl exible mixture of music, text, art, history, story-telling, culture, theology, Hebrew, and social action, Sunday mornings bring children the fullness of Jewish tradition in a uniquely modern program.

TO REGISTER AND FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT JCOH.ORG/GATES

23 44 WOODS LANE, PO BOX 5107, EAST HAMPTON, NY 11937 WWW.JCOH.ORG | 631-324-9858 | FAX 631-329-6654

OFFICERS BOARD OF TRUSTEES PAST PRESIDENTS CLERGY Bernard Zeldin PRESIDENT Stanley Baumblatt Rabbi Joshua Franklin Harry A. Katz Sol Richter, z”l Fredrick Becker Irving Markowitz Cantor/Rabbi Debra Stein Barbara Braun VICE PRESIDENTS Jack Karp, z”l Rabbi Emeritus Sheldon Zimmerman Caroline Berley Endzweig Mitchell Iden Charles Egosi, z”l Michael Frank Carole Olshan Evan Frankel, z”l STAFF Alan Garfield Steven P. Schwartz C. Leonard Gordon DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Martin Gershon Carol Wenig Morris Kramer EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EMERITA Kenneth Gilman Betty Marmon, z”l Diane Wiener TREASURER Marc Goldstein Joseph Oppenheimer, z”l Hirschel B. Abelson Arthur Malman DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Donald Zucker Dr. Joel M. Hoffman Andrea Olshan Linda Heller Kamm SECRETARY Edward Pantzer Michael Salzhauer ADMINISTRATOR Charlotte Sasso Jeffrey Rimland Matthew Oates Carol S. Roaman HONORARY TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN Nanette Rosenberg Howard Lutnick, CO-CHAIRMAN FINANCIAL MANAGER Amy O’Sullivan Michael Salzhauer Gregory D. Shufro Morton Olshan, CO-CHAIRMAN Nancy Wintner David Gerstein GRAPHIC ARTIST Cathy Yohay Jane H. Goldman Wil Weiss Lynn Zises Steven Roth Sara Beth Zivitz Andrew Sabin ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Michael Senft Patricia Fall

Sheldon Solow MAINTENANCE Donald Zucker Nicholas Ward

FOUNDERS Tiffany King Evan M. Frankel z”l Carlos Alfaro Jacob Kaplan z”l Irving Markowitz Bernard Zeldin

SHABBAT SERVICES OFFICE HOURS OFFICE DIRECTORY (Equipped for the hearing impaired) Monday–Friday: Phone: 631-324-9858 9:00am–5:00pm Fax: 631-329-6654 | jcoh.org Fridays: 6:00pm in the Sanctuary (September 6 through May 15, 2020) Rabbi Joshua Franklin Amy O'Sullivan Saturdays: 10:00am Ext. 204, [email protected] Ext. 202, [email protected] Followed by Kiddush and Torah Study Cantor/Rabbi Debra Stein Wil Weiss • Phone Dial-in: 1-800-846-4808 Ext. 205, [email protected] Ext. 211, [email protected] • Dial code 99088599 and touch the Dr. Joel M. Hoffman Patricia Fall (#) pound key Ext. 3202, [email protected] Ext. 201, [email protected] • On our Website click on the banner Matthew Oates Nicholas Ward while we are streaming. Ext. 203, [email protected] Ext. 207, [email protected] Diane Wiener Ext. 206, [email protected]