SPRING - SUMMER 2020 2 West 70Th Street New York, NY 10023 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SPRING - SUMMER 2020 2 West 70th Street New York, NY 10023 1. From the Rabbi’s Desk FROM THE RABBI’S DESK 2. Around Shearith Israel 3. A Message from Our Parnas RabbiFELLOW Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik PESAH PASSENGERS 4. Executive Director’s Message Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik 5. Introducing Our New Deputy Executive Director: Bonnie Barest In his book Civility, Yale law In contrast, Pesah is a holiday when we 6. Announcements CONTENTS professor Stephen Carter reenact our journey out of Egypt, and we notes that in the nineteenth emphasize that this journey was one we 12. Holidays century, everyone traveled began together, and this journey is through by train. Whether it was history which continues to this day, and 13. Special Events first, second, or third class, which binds us together. There is a wonderful 14. Spotlight on the they traveled together, were tradition among many Sephardic Jews in Sisterhood forced to sacrifice a bit for each other, and to which the matzot are bound up in a napkin, treat each other with civility, in order to make with one member of the family placing it on 15. Culinary Corner the ride more bearable. They purchased a book his or her shoulder. That individual is then by Isaac Peebles, Politeness on Railroads, and asked: “From where do you come?” The 16. Excerpts from Arthur followed its rules, such as “whispering, loud reply is exquisite: “I am from Egypt, and am Goldberg Remarks talking, immoderate laughing, and singing journeying to Jerusalem. Please come with 18. Jewish Education should not be indulged by any passenger.” me.” The matza is then passed to another Pesah celebrant. The minhag beautifully Now, Carter writes with dismay, everyone 20. Youth at Shearith Israel embodies Judaism as a journey, and how only travels by car; and “we travel both long and together, as one 21. Spotlight on Youth and short distances surrounded by metal and glass people, can this Young Families and the illusion that we are traveling alone. journey truly The illusion has seeped into every crevice of continue. May 22. Women at Shearith our public and private lives, persuading us this Pesah bind Israel that sacrifices are no longer necessary.” The us to each other On the Cover: Our historic Samuel Volkswagen advertisement, writes Carter, says 23. Hesed once again. Hart Sefer Torah, expertly restored it all: “On the road of life, there are passengers 24. Services as part of our ongoing Torah and there are drivers,” with the commercial Restoration Project. For a listing concluding, “drivers wanted.” According to this 33. Stay Connected of all who have contributed to this ethos, ought to be a driver, everyone ought to 34. Help Make It All Happen effort, see page 11. To get involved, pave their own path through life, no one ought visit shearithisrael.org/restoration. to have passengers. 36. Staff and Board 1 A MESSAGE FROM OUR PARNAS Louis M. Solomon Dear Congregants: outset, to have every single member of our community participate, to With 2019 in our collective rearview whatever degree life’s circumstances A B mirror, our Congregation’s Year permit. We have been thrilled of Years Commemoration, marking with the dynamic growth of Shearith Israel’s 365th anniversary of our membership over the past organized Jewish presence in America, several years. And it is our newer AROUND SHEARITH ISRAEL is coming to a close as well. We’ve shared many members who have disproportionately shown truly magnificent celebrations over the past year: their commitment in matching and actually To name just a few, together we participated in exceeding the financial commitment of your Passover and the American Imagination, a tour Board of Trustees. Each and every member of de force symposium led by Rabbi Soloveichik; our community, longstanding and recent, is an a Shabbat Dinner with today’s conversos from indispensable part of our congregation. Each Recife, Brazil; and The Travels of the Torah, a and every member should have a hand in our magisterial event featuring our Rabbi’s keynote collective future. lecture, a moving reunion of the Portuguese Duke of Braganza with the descendants of the We will be announcing a few more opportunities Abarbanel, the rededication of a meticulously for our members and friends to get involved in restored, centuries-old American Torah, and the the final months of the Campaign. One rare C unprecedented return, exhibition, and use of our and particularly noteworthy opportunity is to three precious sets of Myer Myers rimonim. We have a small tribute plaque affixed to one of the took two excursions to our Touro Synagogue in twelve candlesticks surrounding the teba in the Newport, Rhode Island, as well as several in-city main sanctuary. There are very few places in our A. Our beautiful annual memorial trips to cemeteries and museums to pay homage synagogue—especially inside the sanctuary— at Chatham Square cemetery, to our collective past and to marvel at our where signs or plaques are mounted. These led by Z. Edinger, celebrating Community’s influence on American historical candlesticks are one of the few exceptions where the patriotic service of our events both large and small. this has been permitted in the past. In keeping members, past and present. with our tradition, we are offering these limited We all took great pleasure in these ambitious Refer to page 16 for write up of spots to a few major Year of Years donors who events. They were fitting moments in our Arthur Goldberg’s remarks. express interest. If you would like to learn more, Commemoration. But Year of Years was—and contact our Executive Director, Barbara Reiss remains—an important occasion for us as B. A fascinating tour of Jewish or our new Deputy Executive Director, Bonnie ABOVE: One of our groups at the New-York a community to secure our Congregation’s art and artifacts at the Jewish Barest, whom everyone should take a moment Historical Society, where Rabbi Soloveichik led financial future as well. We all should be proud Museum, for CSI Youth and to welcome to our community. We are counting a private, in-depth tour of the “Mark Twain in of the success of this effort to date. As of this on 100% participation and support in the PTTS students. the Holy Land” exhibit. Member Bill Schulder writing, we have secured over $7MM in pledges Campaign. Please, be a part of this history. and gifts from 125 donors. “Thank you” is too (back row, right) is holding his first-edition copy C. Many Shearith Israel members of the famous Mark Twain book, The Innocents puny and insufficient a phrase to express our I wish everyone a wonderful Spring and kosher attended the No Hate No hakarat hatov, or deep and abiding gratitude, to and happy Passover. Abroad, or The New Pilgrims’ Progress, upon Fear solidarity march this past those who have already stepped up. But there which the exhibit is based. January. Shown here: Executive is more to be done—not a lot more, but more. Director, Barbara Reiss, Mark As we wind down our Year of Years Celebration, 2 Aaron, and Guy Reiss. we remain loyal to our goal, expressed since the 3 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Barbara Reiss Tree of Life, Poway, Jersey City, Monsey. 4) Reinforcing our Front Door— Who would have thought that we Our latest Homeland Security Grant would be witness to such horrific (for which we applied in 2018, in violence and attacks on synagogues advance of the latest incidents) will in America, especially those so close “harden” our exterior doors. Although to home. Not only do we need to be safety and security are our priority, concerned about the rise of violent we are committed to preserving the anti-Semitism and the safety of Jews everywhere, we aesthetics and historicity of our facility and need to maximize our safety in our own synagogue. complying with NYC’s Landmark Preservation At Shearith Israel, safety and security have always Commission requirements. This is a complex INTRODUCING OUR NEW been extremely high priorities for us, and now we and expensive job requiring qualified craftsmen are reinforcing our efforts. We thought now was and security experts. The grant will also enable an opportune time to tell you about some of the us to add access technology that will restrict DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: security features we have in place and are currently who can enter the building and who can permit implementing (some are apparent, some less so visitors to enter. BONNIE BAREST and some, we are advised not to disclose), much of which is invisible or barely discernible to you but 5) Ongoing Community Communications— I am excited to join the Shearith Israel community saw the film “Children of the Inquisition,” but all should make an important difference: We maintain regular contact with our local NYPD precinct and have also recently met in my new role as Deputy Executive Director. across the country and world. 1) Professional Security Personnel—We retain a with the NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau This is a great opportunity for me to combine my In May, I took a fabulous trip to Barcelona. How security firm that is highly regarded and has contracts Clergy Outreach Unit. Maintaining these professional and Jewish philanthropic passions. amazing to take a Jewish tour of Barcelona’s past, with the Israeli consulate and other prominent communication lines keeps them aware of our As a recognized leader in the media industry, I seeing the Call and L’Antiga Sinagoga in the synagogues and schools. particular concerns and encourages them to can put my business skills to work to handle the Quarter inhabited by the Jewish community in give us attention during higher risk times and administrative roles and my passion for Judaism to medieval Barcelona, and then enjoy Barcelona’s 2) Emergency Preparedness for Staff and on an ad-hoc basis.