BULLETIN TEMPLE EMElH OF1EANECK, NEW JERSEY, AN AFFiliATE OF 1HE UNION FOR REFORM JUDA&d: • • •••••••••••• SERVING REFORM CONGREGATIONS IN NOR1HAMERICA VOLUME 57 NUMBER 6 Adar I1Adar n 5765 March 2005 CONTENTS My grandfather, of blessed memory, your flesh as an everlasting pact." loved to tell the story of his birth. He was Circumcision is unique in that it is the Message from Rabbi Sirbu born in San Francisco in the fall of 1906, only commandment given to the Jewish 2 Temple Officers just six months after the people through Abraham Bulletin Deadlines great earthquake and fire rather than Moses. Ever 3 Message from larry Silver had left thousands of people ................................................................... since, circumcision has 4 Message from the Rabbi cont'd. homeless. He was born in a played a major role in the 5 From the Religious School tent city in Golden Gate religious and tribal identity Early Childhood Center Park, for his family had lost of Jewish men. There Is a 6 Donate to your favorite fund their home as well. Even so, midrash that speaks about Gift Shop News his parents wanted to have the Israelites who were liv­ Israeli Independence Day Festival him circumcised when he ing under Pharaoh's decree RABBI 7 Trachtenberg Memorial was 8 days old. His mother to throw their sons into the library Update had serious reservations STEVEN Nile. Despite the edict, they SIRBU 8 Renaissance Group Trip though, because as he told continued to circumcise ~ Save the Date- BARJ Tea it, "the only mohel they their sons. The Egyptians • 9 Temple Emeth Trip to Israel could find was a shikor." It took me a while would say to them, "Why do you circum- • Strategic Planning Update before I was fully able to appreciate this cise your sons? Will they not in no time Museum Exhibit:Women story, (after all, I didn't know that shikor at all be flung into the rived" The of Valor meant alcoholic) but it has certainly stuck Israelites replied, "We will circumcise 10 Would you like to be a Buddy? with me.And it reflects the importance of them nevertheless. You do with them as II Scholar-in-Residence Weekend brit milah to the Jewish people. you wish; he who is to die will die, he who 12 Renaissance Group News In Genesis 17, God commands is to be slain will be slain, and he who is Help Wanted for PR Abraham to circumcise himself as a sign destined to live will live." The author of Committee of the covenant that they establish with this midrash portrays the Israelites as 13 10 Reasons to Attend one another. The Torah doesn't give a lot understanding that circumcision brings Second Night Seder of details, only that Abraham circumcised with it communal identity and protection Family Shabbat Potluck himself at the age of 99 years. He also from God, so they continue to fulfill the Save the Date:Temple Emeth Dinner Dance circumcised his son Ishmael, who was 13, commandment. 14 Families with Graduating and the other males of his household.The Elsewhere in the Torah, we can infer the 12 Graders Torah, thankfully, does not give many importance of brit milah, even when it is not College Kids details about Abraham's circumcision. It explicitly mentioned. In the V'shamru JlI"'¥lr. 15 Gift Shop News doesn't describe instruments or stitches which is taken from the Book of Exodus, it Wine Tasting or pain. But when we next see Abraham refers to Shabbat as something to be prac:t:iced 16 Save the Date in Chapter 18, he is sitting outside the as an everlasting pact throughout the genera­ Environment Committee opening of his tent. The traditional tions.This language is very similar to the com­ Religious School Candy Sale commentators say he is convalescing mandment given to Abraham in Genesis. I 7 Social Action News after his procedure. Biblical historians believe that the V'shamru 18 Colors of the Rainbow In Genesis, God says, "Throughout the was composed at a time when Babylonian Contribution Form generations, every male among you shall authorities banned circumcision, so the Jews 19 Contributions be ci rcumcised at the age of eight days. had to look to Shabbat as a substitute. Thus shall my covenant be marked in But no matter how many texts there continued on page 4 \. page 2 0meth Bulletin TEMPLE EMETH BULLETIN Temple Emeth 1666 Windsor Road Teaneck, NJ 07666 833·1322 School 833·8466 Steven Sirbu Rabbi Ellen S. Tilem Cantor Louis J. Sigel Rabbi Emeritus Dora Geld Friedman Religious School Educator Sharon Floch Early Childhood Director Marion Schechter Temple Administrator Tsilla Thumim Comptroller Sandra Rumayor Administrative Assistant Barbara Sabella School Administrator Larry Silver 385·1869 President Dan Firshein 287·9067 First Vice·President William Graizel 833·8403 Second Vice· President Nicole Falk 444·7519 Third Vice·President Sandra Klein 837·3850 Secretary Rhona Herman 836·1946 Asst. Secretary Richard Buchbinder 837·0694 Financial Secretary Madelyn Wolf 585·0393 Asst. Financial Secretary Steve Packles 692·9881 Treasurer Michael Robinson 692·0779 Asst. Treasurer Jacqueline Guttman 503·9029 Editor Leslie Sonkin 947·2815 Design and Production Month Bulletin Mid-month Deadline Pub. Date Deadline Pub. Date 3/2 3/9 ~ril 3110 3/21 4/6 4113 ay 4114 4/28 5/4 5111 June 5112 5/26 611 6/8 Material for the bulletin is not only welcome, it is essential for the success of the publication; HOWEVER, it is necessary to Temple Emeth Bulletin is published monthly honor the deadlines as listed. For the Bulletin mailings, all mate­ from September through June rial must be sumbitted by 8:00 pm on the date of the deadline. Advertising Rates for Ad Size 2" x 3-1/2" PLEASE SUBMIT ALL MATERIAL BY E-MAIL TO [email protected]. We cannot guarantee publication of items 1x Member: $50 Non Member: $75 submitted as hard copy (i.e. on paper). 5x Member: $225 Non Member: $350 For Mid-Month mailings, all materials - either camera-ready lOx Member: $300 Non Member: $450 art or information to be included in the body of the Mid-Month For additional information, call 201-833-1322 sheet - are due by 12:00 noon on the date of the deadline. • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• visit the temple emeth website: www.emeth.org @meth bulletin page 3 MI SHEBEIRACH "God heals and the ents with her smiles and good cheer. Directly and indi­ doctor takes the fees." rectly, they are important parts of our Temple Emeth life. Benjamin Franklin In our Siddur Emet prayer book, above the prayer we sing each week, are the following additional words: Singing the Debbie Friedman "May the One who blessed our ancestors bless all LARRY SILVER Mi Shebeirach towards the end who are touched by illness. Grant insight to those who of Shabbat services each week has always given me great bring healing, courage and faith to those who are sick, comfort, particularly in my personal times of need. The love and strength to us all and all who love them. God, melody is haunting and lovely. I let the power of the let Your spirit rest upon those who are ill and comfort prayer wash over me. When not consumed with my them. Watch with special care over ........ own thoughts of loved ones and/or friends in need, I can Speedily and soon may we all come to know a time sometimes hear the emotion and plaintive words of my of refuah shlemah, a complete healing, a renewal of body fellow congregants. The calling out of the names of the and spirit, and let us say: Amen." sick by Rabbi Sirbu and by each of us personalizes the Let us all pray for the speedy and complete recov­ moment. eries of Peter, Barbara and all of our loved ones and I have just added two members of our Temple Emeth friends. Remember to bring them your love, support family to my personal Mi Sheibeirach recitations. Peter and good cheer in their time of need. And let us say: Tilem and Barbara Sabella are on their separate journeys Amen. of dealing with serious illness and injury respectively. Peter is Cantor Tilem's emotional anchor, her rock in "A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spir- times of need. Barbara lights up the hallways of our it dries up the bones." school wing and brightens the days of our Religious Proverbs School, Early Childhood Center and Youth directors, committee chairs, teachers, co-workers, children and par- B'Sha/om, •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Good news! After 4-1/2 years, we have finally closed on the sale the expansion of their existing building. of a 40' x 100' piece of property to the north of our parking lot The original sale contract was negotiated by past President to the Mikvah Association of Bergen County (Mikvah). Temple Laura Kirsch and signed IN july, 2000 by past co-Presidents £meth received $100,000, with all expenses paid by the jacqueline Guttman and joseph Boonin.The Mikvah Association's Mikvah. It will be used to pay for capital expenses and be President, Miriam Greenspan, expressed her heartfelt gratitude applied toward our mortgage principal and interest A separate to Laura and to all of Temple £meth for our cooperation and Parking Agreement allows the Mikvah to use 21 spaces on the assistance in helping them meet the requirements of the north end of our parking lot, in exchange for their paying a pro- Township of Teaneck and for bringing the sale to a successful rata share of insurance and maintenance costs.