The Bulletin SCHEDULE OF HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH – Erev Rosh Hashanah Light Holiday Candles......................................................................................... 6:35 P.M. Evening Services ................................................................................................ 6:30 P.M. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST – 1 Tishrei 5778 First Day of Rosh Hashanah Morning Services-Rabbi Klein, Rabbi Tilles & Cantor Smolarz ..........................8:15 A.M. Torah Reading ....................................................................................................9:45 A.M. The CJL Minyan-Rabbi Tilles ........................................................................... 9:45 A.M. An Intimate, Interactive Adaptation of the Traditional High Holy Day Service Pre-Service Supervision for Children (ages 4-12) .............................................. 9:30 A.M. Children’s & Teen Services ...............................................................................10:30 A.M. Tashlich (Camman’s Pond) .................................................................................. 5:30 P.M. Evening Services (Mincha/Maariv) ..................................................................... 6:35 P.M. Light Holiday Candles after ................................................................................ 7:40 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND – 2 Tishrei 5778 Second Day of Rosh Hashanah Morning Services-Rabbi Klein, Rabbi Tilles & Cantor Smolarz ...........................8:15 A.M. Torah Reading ....................................................................................................9:45 A.M. The CJL Minyan-Rabbi Tilles ........................................................................... 9:45 A.M. An Intimate, Interactive Adaptation of the Traditional High Holy Day Service Pre-Service Supervision for Children (ages 4-12) ..............................................9:30 A.M. Children’s & Teen Services ...............................................................................10:30 A.M. Evening Services (Mincha/Maariv Service) ........................................................ 6:35 P.M. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD – Shabbat Shuvah Services ...............................................................................................................9:00 A.M. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH –Yom Kippur Light Holiday Candles no later than.................................................................... 6:20 P.M. Mincha Services ................................................................................................. 6:00 P.M. Kol Nidre Services .............................................................................................. 6:15 P.M. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH – Yom Kippur Morning Services-Rabbi Klein, Rabbi Tilles & Cantor Smolarz ..........................8:15 A.M. The CJL Minyan-Rabbi Tilles ........................................................................... 9:30 A.M. An Intimate, Interactive Adaptation of the Traditional High Holy Day Service Pre-Service Supervision for Children (ages 4-12) ..............................................9:30 A.M. Children’s & Teen Services ...............................................................................10:30 A.M. Yiskor Services .................................................................................................10:45 A.M. Community Yiskor Services ................................................................................ 3:00 P.M. Healing Service – Led by Rabbi Ravid Tilles .....................................................3:30 P.M. Mincha ................................................................................................................ 4:30 P.M. Neilah ................................................................................................................. 5:45 P.M. Yom Kippur Ends ................................................................................................ 7:20 P.M. [email protected] Fall 2017 Vol 18, Issue 3 Page 1 www.merrickjc.org Most Jews include in their celebration of Rosh Hashanah the custom of eating a piece of apple dipped in honey in the hope that the New Year ahead will be one of good- ness and sweetness. Less well known is the custom on Rosh Hashanah of eating other foods which symbolically express our hope that the New Year will be blessed in a variety of ways. For instance we eat a pomegranate and offer a prayer that the year be one in which our good deeds will multiply like the seeds of a pomegranate. It was the sixteenth century Rabbi Yehuda Loewy who explained the development of this custom. Rabbi Loewy saw a special significance to our beginnings each Rosh Hashanah. In his view Rosh Hashanah establishes an an- gle of trajectory which helps to determine our aspirations, our goals our priorities, our dreams and our hopes for the New Year. In his writings, Rosh Hashanah and then Yom Kippur, are the days on which we determine the arc of our year. How high will we lift ourselves? Will we elevate our commit- ments? Will we raise our game high enough to meet our expectations of ourselves and others’ expectations of us? Will we begin the New Year with a heartfelt desire to be more understanding, to offer more kindness, to increase the good deeds we perform and the overall goodness we bring into the world? Will we see our role as people who are asked to share our blessings more generously? Perhaps you can think about it this way. If you were in dialogue with the person you were one year ago – would that person say to you today – really, you’ve done that? You’ve changed that much? I’m proud of you. You didn’t remain in one place. How often we think that we are not the kind of person who can begin again, but all of us can do precisely that. The foods we consume on Rosh Hashanah communicate the powerful idea that beginnings are pregnant with possibilities. A year from now we can surprise ourselves as we look back and realize how the tra- jectory of this Rosh Hashanah led us to a year of renewal, growth and change. That potential makes this time of the year incredibly exciting and spiritually energizing. Betty joins me in wishing you and yours a very sweet, healthy and good New Year. May it be a year of wonderful new beginnings for all of us. Rabbi Charles A. Klein We are so grateful to our very dear friends in the con- gregation who made donations in honor of our grandson Michelle & Michael Schwartz & Family Evan’s becoming a Bar Mitzvah. Your thoughtfulness is Senior Rabbinic Chair always appreciated by our family. May we continue to share times of simcha for many years to come. Yours, Charles & Betty Klein Page 2 Who are the Members of The Merrick Jewish Centre? I have the honor of greeting most everyone when they first join The Merrick Jewish Centre. WE speak by phone and email, I give them tours of the building, and I guide them through the application process. They enter our family for various reasons including; 1) the religious education of their children, 2) seeking a new spiritual home, and 3) the opportunity to participate in MJC’s many activities throughout the year. For bookkeeping purposes, MJC families are categorized as Full families, Single families, Associates, JCC, Legacy, Sustaining, and Seniors. MJC members come from all walks of life. They are accountants, attorneys, dentists, doctors, financial planners, graphic designers, computer experts, HR, nurses, musicians, pet care, plumbers, recruiters, retailers, salespeople, stock brokers, teachers, veterinarians, and possess so many more professions. Our members are also homemakers, retirees, students and volunteers. What are the commonalities of MJC members? I ask each member as they join, “Where are you coming from?” Most respond not only by saying the name of their former shul, but provide me with the reason they are particularly joining the MJC. The most common reasons are; the MCJ is a large and vibrant syn- agogue blessed with strong spiritual leadership, dynamic educators, and active programming for all ages and demographics. We are open 7 days a week. Your synagogue does great things and serves tens of thousands of people in the Merrick/Bellmore community and beyond. The Merrick Jewish Centre is the sum of its parts. Our reputation is the result of YOUR commitment to the preservation of a strong and vibrant Conservative Jewish presence on the South Shore of Long Island. We are defined by our membership. Each and every one of you are the reason we are thriving. Yes - we are blessed with incredible clergy and committed staff - but it is the membership who empowers MJC leader- ship to be great. It is YOUR commitment to The Merrick Jewish Centre that will see us continue to serve the community into the future. Being a member of the MJC is making a statement - You are saying that you have a com- mitment to Israel - to helping other people - to learning more about your faith and culture. Be proud of belonging to the MJC. Whether you joined this summer or you have been a member for 60 years, know that you are part of something bigger than yourself. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a sweet and healthy New Year 5778. May it be filled with simcha and joy. B’Shalom, The Bulletin published quarterly by Jamey Kohn, Executive Director Merrick Jewish Centre CONGREGATION OHR TORAH 225 Fox Boulevard Merrick, NY 11566 Temple Office: (516) 379-8650 Charles A. Klein, Rabbi Ravid Tilles, Associate Rabbi Javier Smolarz, Cantor