THE BULLETIN TEMPLE SHOLOM OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT www.templesholom.com September • October • November 2017 203-869-7191 Elul/Tishrei/Cheshvan/Kislev 5777-5778 DYNAMIC GUEST EXPANDED ROLE FOR SPEAKERS TO HEADLINE RABBI CHAYA BENDER Temple Sholom is excited to announce FALL PROGRAMMING that Rabbi Chaya Bender has joined our As part of its yearly programming mission, Temple Temple community full-time, and has taken Sholom strives to bring distinguished speakers to on the role of Senior Rabbinic Fellow and engage the local community. Youth Director. This fall, Temple Sholom will welcome three guest Rabbi Chaya, who started at Temple Sholom speakers, in addition to hosting a special Scholar in in 2016 as a Rabbinic Fellow, will now plan Residence Weekend with former Assistant Rabbi, Yoni youth and teen programming, serve as Nadiv in November (see page 15 for more information). Chapter Advisor for Greenwich BBYO, and will continue working in the Learning Center. Jonathan Greenblatt She will also lead Shabbat Study sessions Thursday, October 19 at 7:30 pm on Saturday mornings, Jewish Meditation Jonathan Greenblatt, this fall with Adam Feder, and will be an occasional guest speaker at Lunch ‘n Learn. CEO and Anti-Defamation (Continued on page 3) League (ADL) National Director, will lead a public presentation Join us for a Dessert Reception entitled “A 360° View of Anti-Semitism in celebrating the opening of 2017.” Greenblatt is an accomplished entrepreneur and innovative leader with experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors, and was included in The NonProfit Times’“Power & a photo exhibit honoring the Influence Top 50” list. Prior to heading ADL, Greenblatt Israeli Defense and Rescue Forces served in the White House as Special Assistant to President Obama and Director of the Office of Social Tuesday, Sept. 12, 7:00 pm Innovation and Civic Participation. at Temple Sholom Gil Hoffman Wednesday, November 1 at 7:00 pm Sponsored by Temple Sholom, Chief Political Tazpit Press Service Correspondent and and Friends of the IDF. Analyst for The Jerusalem Post, Gil Please RSVP to Hoffman, will discuss Alice Schoen, “Peace, Politics and alice.schoen@ Plutonium: An Insider’s templesholom.com Look at the Mayhem in the Middle East.” Amotz Eyal, Founder and Director of Tazpit Press Service (TPS), Hoffman, referred to as will be here to tell us about his experience as a foreign media “The Most Optimistic expert on Israel. This event is also a great opportunity to meet Man in Israel” by Israel Television, has IDF soldiers and to hear Sergeant Ofek, a combat soldier in the Egoz elite unit (specializing in complex ground operations), speak. (Continued on page 15) 2 SEPTEMBER•OCTOBER•NOVEMBER 2017 Senior Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz Rabbi Emeritus Hillel E. Silverman FROM OUR RABBI Youth Director/ Senior Rabbinic Fellow Chaya Bender Hazzan Sheni/Ritual Director Ezra Konigsberg Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan Z’L taught at the Jewish really struggle with how we are implementing Executive Director Theological Seminary, and each Monday he the answers within our own lives. For example: Eileen Robin would teach his students on the Torah portion of • How can we listen better to the needs the week. Then, on each Wednesday, one of his of others? Associate Executive Director students would teach further on the Torah text Lori Baden that Rabbi Kaplan had previously explicated. • How are we allocating our time and efforts on behalf of the ones we most love? Rabbi Kaplan was known to be a very Director of Finance • How are we living out a sacred life by demanding professor, and his students often Nori Goldsmith which we are living up the Jewish ideals dreaded trying to teach the follow-up lesson to of inclusivity? Nursery School Director the Rabbi’s own Torah lesson. One Wednesday, David Cohen the assigned student chose to simply explain • How are we keeping our minds open the Torah portion verbatim in the language that to the new possibilities that our lives Nursery School Director Rabbi Kaplan himself had used. can bring? Emeritus After he had done so, Rabbi Kaplan told the We will spend a lot of time in prayer during Phyllis Lyons student that his explication was woefully the High Holidays, but the purpose of our prayers is not to first appeal to God, but Director of inadequate. The student objected, and noted rather, to self-examine our own hearts, minds Congregational Learning that he had taught exactly as the professor had and souls; and then, and only then, ask God to Barry Gruber done so two days prior. His teacher’s response: “I have significantly grown since then.” help us achieve the new directions in our lives we wish to pursue. Congregational Coordinator This story, still often taught to rabbinical Alice Schoen students at J.T.S., is a valuable lesson and a Tomorrow, we can be very different than good reminder for us all as we head into our we are today; we can each significantly Public Relations, Programming High Holiday observances. What we think and grow. Taking the process of self-examination and Event Coordinator feel one day can, and often should, change on seriously, and making Torah speak to us in a Gina Pernicano the next day. If this wasn’t the case what point meaningful manner, can really help us self- would there be to serious introspection? fulfill the hope for a Happy New Year. President Ben Kriegler During the Ten Days of Awe, we are supposed L’Shanah Tovah, to ask ourselves the challenging questions, and Rabbi Mitch Sisterhood Co-Presidents Debbie Finkelstein Lauren Wels New This Year! e! lcom re we s a IN CASE OF AN hofar Blowing ge a EMERGENCY ll Workshop A RABBI MITCH CAN BE Led by REACHED ON THE Sunday, Sept. 17 Josh Fields, AFTER HOURS PHONE 11:30 am–12:15 pm Master BY CALLING Shofar Register to Alice Schoen, 203-542-7165, Blower 203-869-7191, EXT. 3 [email protected]. Table of Contents a www.templesholom.com 3 A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT As we transition from summer to fall, we are getting ready Rabbinic Fellow and Temple Sholom’s new Youth Advisor. You for this year’s High Holidays. Additionally, we have an exciting can learn more about her on the cover of this bulletin. fall planned with diverse programming and events with something for everyone. Hazzan Sheni/Ritual Director Behind the scenes, our musical team has been meeting and 2016-2017 marked Ezra Konigsberg’s 20th year at Temple preparing for the upcoming year. We are pleased to announce Sholom, where he serves as the Hazzan Sheni/Ritual Director that Adam Feder, who in the past has worked at the Temple and the primary Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor. In addition to his Sholom Learning Center and led Musical Shabbats, will duties in the Temple Sholom Learning Center, Ezra assists in continue in those roles and will also join our Selma Maisel conducting services from the bimah. Nursery School team as our Ruach Specialist. He and Rabbi Cantorial Soloists Mitch will continue the SMNS Friday morning Shabbat traditions with our pre-schoolers. For the 2017–2018 year, we welcome two Cantorial Soloists — Mikhal Weiner and Gòn Halevi. They will officiate at B’nai Our vibrancy continues to grow and so does the Selma Maisel Mitzvah services, as well as High Holidays and some Shabbatot. Nursery School under the leadership of David Cohen. The SMNS STEAM program is moving into its own lab space and Our doors are always open and Temple Sholom is a great we’ve added a gymnastics studio for the upcoming school year. place to unwind at the end of the week. Join us any Friday night at 6:30 pm for Shabbat services or at 10:00 am on Here are a few more updates: Saturday mornings. You can even celebrate a simcha and Senior Rabbinic Fellow and Youth Advisor sponsor our Kiddush lunch. Chaya Bender, who first joined the Temple Sholom community Best Regards, as a Rabbinic Fellow in 2016, has taken on the role of Senior Ben Kriegler, President Rabbi Chaya (Continued from cover) IN THIS ISSUE… She has more than ten years of teaching experience in various From Our Rabbi . 2 Jewish settings for learners of all ages and is passionate about helping others explore Judaism through the lens of art. Note from Our President . 3 A native of Southern New Jersey, Rabbi Chaya holds a BA in Summer Programming Highlights . 4–5 Anthropology with two minors in Near Eastern, Judaic Studies Israel Interfaith Trip 2018 . 6 and Gender Studies from Brandeis University. After Brandeis, she Youth & Teen Programs . 7 spent two years studying Rabbinic Literature at Drisha as a Music High Holidays at a Glance . 8 Fellow in the Artist Beit Midrash program. In addition to Rabbinic Ordination from JTS, she is pursuing an MA Degree at the William September Calendar . 9 Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. October Calendar . .10 Rabbi Chaya is committed to fostering inclusivity and equity in November Calendar . .11 the Jewish community and she is a member of the Gender and Mazel Tov to our B‘nai Mitzvah . 12-15 Sexuality Committee at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Scholar in Residence . .15 She also serves as the Chair of Keshet-JTS, a student organization devoted to community building, advocacy, education and Donations . 16–17 professional development for LGBTQA students and allies. Simcha Corner . .17 Rabbi Chaya is thrilled to be continuing at Temple Sholom, along Bereavement Notices . .17 with her wife, Emily and dog, Isaiah. Yahrzeit . 18-19 4 SEPTEMBER•OCTOBER•NOVEMBER 2017 SUMMER PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS Sisterhood Annual Spring Fling SMNS Pre-K Moving Up Day Summer Little Explorers Broadway Trip: