1 February/March 2020 Shevat/Adar/Nisan 5780 Special Events at TRT Services Friday, February 7th, 6:30 p.m. - Rock Shabbat service Shabbat Shirah, a Sabbath of Song featuring guest artist Max Kasler, Cantor Lawrence, our Rock Shabbat Band and TRT Adult Choir Friday, February 21st, 8:00 p.m. - Shabbat Healing service led by Rabbi Stern and Karen Joseph Friday, February 28th, 5:45 p.m. - Women's Shabbat Service * held at Fred & Murry's in Freehold. RSVP at womensshabbat.trt.org by February 21st. Friday,March 6th, 6:30 p.m. - Shabbat Service We welcome our friends from Wicker Memorial Baptist Church Monday, March 9th, 7:00 p.m. - TRT's Famous Purim Service & Shpiel * Come in costume! Friday, March 27th, 8:00 p.m. - Shabbat service honoring our newest 18 and 36-year member families Tot Shabbat Saturday, February 8th - " Creating Our Own Trees" Saturday, March 7th - " It's Purim!" Service begins at 9:15 a.m. with Rabbi Stern and Mr. Sam A nd M ore ... February 7th to 10th - 10th Grade Trip to Washington, DC Sunday, February 16th, 10:00 a.m. - TRT visits Wicker Memorial Baptist Church Saturday, February 29th, 8:00 p.m. - Sisterhood's Spring Fling/ Leap Day Dance Party and Karaoke Night * rsvp at signup.trt.org Sunday, March 8th, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Annual Purim Carnival Sunday, March 29th, 5:00 p.m. - Rock Shabbat Concert featuring Nefesh Mountain! Tickets available at?https://trt.org/concertform Bereavement Group Sisterhood Evening Book Discussion Group All meetings are on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. February 27th & March 26th , 7:00 p.m. February 12th & 26th March 11th & 18th Daytime Book Discussion Group March 4th, 12:00 p.m. *For more info on these events, please see the flyers in the back of this newsletter Our Mission Statement: Temple Rodeph Torah seeks to build an active and engaged Jewish community, one person at a time. We cherish our time-honored traditions to make them ever more relevant and precious in our modern lives. These traditions will help to enrich and ensure a Jewish future through worship, spirituality, education, celebration and acts of loving-kindness. Board of 2Directors 2019-2020 Officers President: Tmima Grinvald Vice President: Jen Herzog Vice President: Andrea Kazin Vice President: Dan Schleifstein Treasurer: Lee Adasko Financial Secretary: Denise Swartz Recording Secretary: Heather Miliote Corresponding Secretary: Carol Shangold Past President: Robbin Manne Directors Brooke Baron Laurie Kaufman Juli Blumenthal Jennifer Levin Mort Blumenthal Yang Lu Ellie Golden Joel Schleifstein Ron Hiller Marge Stevens Jeff Weiss Committee Chairpersons/Representatives Education: Marge Stevens Nominating/ Volunteer Growth: Juli Blumenthal Finance: Bob Dollinger Sisterhood: Brooke Baron Fundraising: Andrea Kazin Worship: Ellie Golden Membership: Jen Herzog Youth: Amanda Roy Men's Club: Eli Grinvald TEMPLE RODEPH TORAH NEWS is published bi-monthly by Temple Rodeph Torah, PO Box 125, Marlboro, NJ 07746 It is provided without charge to member families and others upon request. 2 President's M essage My dear TRT family, 3 Since I started my role as a president, each time I enter Temple Rodeph Torah I have the honor of meeting the wonderful members who put their heart into volunteering, to make our community a thriving one. And 2020 is no different. Our volunteers continue to dream, create and design what we?ll encounter next. I am delighted to see volunteers step up to ensure that meaningful musical worship will continue to be one of the pillars of our community. Their passion is infectious, and I hope that you will join them. As 2020 began, we already signed a contract with Rabbi Marc Disick as our interim Rabbi for 2020-2021. And that is a significant accomplishment. He will be starting July 1. Rabbi Disick impressed our Search Committee with his candor, professionalism and compassion. As an Interim Rabbi, he is not only going to fill the duties of a Senior Rabbi, but he is also specifically trained to help our congregation identify the guiding criteria toward the future of the community. He will work with our leadership as well as with all our members. We recognize how hard it will be to close a chapter, to reminisce, say thank you, and l?hitraot to Rabbi Weber and Rabbi Stern. A group of creative members is in the midst of planning the Gala Celebration in honor of Rabbi Weber and Rabbi Stern?s retirements. This double-chai chapter is worthy of celebrating and distinguishing a meaningful time in our lives together. By now, you should had received the invitation to the Gala Celebration on April 26. The planning for this important event is complex, and your early RSVP is appreciated. We are creating a tribute journal and keepsake containing letters, remembrances and well wishes from dignitaries, colleagues and you, members of TRT. Please make sure your family's warm wishes will be included. Understand we need time in collating and designing the journal before printing deadlines, so please do not delay. I wanted to share with you a personal experience I had a week or so ago. I attended the Jewish Solidarity March in NYC over the Brooklyn Bridge. I felt as if I was an integral part of our people: the Jewish people. I met hundreds of people, who were standing up for our own freedom of religion, some Jewish, some not. Even those who were not affiliated with any movement were there to say: We cannot allow fear to occur, and hate has no place here. At times, when I was on the bridge I thought: What would have happened if people had spoken up against hate back in Europe in 1939? I realized that we cannot allow fear to scare us into hiding. The consequences are far too dangerous. We must stand up for ourselves and do so together. Seeing thousands of people stand up that day, I felt inspired. Tmima Grinvald, Temple President 3 Temple Rodeph Torah is a member of the Union for Schedule of Services Reform Judaism, and a Partner Congregation of Friday, 1/ 31 Shabbat Service ? 8:00 p.m. Mazon: A Jewish Response Sermon: ?100 Blessings a Day? Anniversary blessings for January; Candle Lighting 4:54 p.m. to Hunger Saturday, 2/ 1 Shabbat Morning Service ? 10:00 a.m. Minyan Group Leader: Rabbi Shira Stern Friday, 2/ 7 ROCK4 SHABBAT? 6:30 p.m. Guest Artist: Max Kasler With Cantor Rick Lawrence and the TRT Adult Choir Birthday Blessings for February; Candle Lighting 5:03 p.m. Saturday, 2/ 8 Shabbat Morning Services: 9:15 am ? TOT SHABBAT, with Rabbi Stern and Mr. Sam: ?Creating Our Own Trees? 10:00 a.m. - Minyan Group Leader: Karen Goldstein Friday, 2/ 14 Shabbat Service ? 8:00 p.m. Sermon: ?Rabbi Weber?s 95 Percent Rule? Candle Lighting 5:12 p.m. Saturday, 2/ 15 Shabbat Morning Service ? 10:00 a.m. Minyan Group Leader: Rabbi Don Weber Friday, 2/ 21 Shabbat Service ? 8:00 p.m. A SERVICE OF HEALING FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS Service Leaders: Rabbi Shira Stern and Karen Joseph Candle Lighting 5:20 p.m. Saturday, 2/ 22 Shabbat Morning Service ? 10:00 a.m. Minyan Group Leader: Rabbi Shira Stern Friday, 2/ 28 Shabbat Services: 6:00 p.m. ? WOMEN?S SHABBAT DINNER & SERVICE (Advance registration required) 8:00 p.m. ? Shabbat Service Sermon: ?My Rabbi?s Courage? Anniversary Blessings for February; Candle Lighting 5:28 p.m. Saturday, 2/ 29 Shabbat Morning Service ? 10:00 a.m. Minyan Group Leader: Karen Goldstein Friday, 3/ 6 Kabbalat Shabbat Service ? 6:30 p.m. Story: ?The Economics of Anti-Semitism? Birthday Blessings for March; Candle Lighting 5:36 p.m. Saturday, 3/ 7 Shabbat Morning Services: 9:15 am ? TOT SHABBAT, with Rabbi Stern and Mr. Sam: ?It?s Purim!? 10:00 a.m. - Minyan Group Leader: Rabbi Don Weber PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MONDAY, 3/ 9 TRT?S FAMOUS PURIM SERVICE ANDSHPIEL ? 7:00 P.M. Come in costume ? we dare you! Prizes for best adult costumes; ADVERTISERS! Pageant for all the children in costume; Bring boxes of MAC AND CHEESE to shake ? and donate! THEIR ADS HELP TO DEFRAY Friday, 3/ 13 Shabbat Service ? 8:00 p.m. SOME OF OUR COSTS IN Sermon: ?Everyone Has an Achilles? Heel? Candle Lighting 6:44 p.m. PRODUCING THIS NEWSLETTER. Saturday, 3/ 14 Shabbat Morning Service ? 10:00 a.m. Minyan Group Leaders: Bob and Susan Dollinger IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE Friday, 3/ 20 Shabbat Service ? 8:00 p.m. WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN Sermon: ?The Value of Volunteering? Candle Lighting 6:51 p.m. ADVERTISING - PLEASE Saturday, 3/ 21 Shabbat Morning Service ? 10:00 a.m. CONTACT TRT AT Minyan Group Leader: Karen Goldstein 732.308.0055. Friday, 3/ 27 Shabbat Service ? 8:00 p.m. Honoring our newest 18- and 36-year member families Sermon: ?Who Is Rich?? Anniversary Blessings for March; Candle Lighting 6:58 p.m. Saturday, 3/ 28 Shabbat Morning Service ? 10:00 a.m. Minyan Group Leader: Neal Finkelstein Please call the temple office if you know of any temple member who is ill, or who has been admitted to the hospital. We want to visit and offer our help, but we cannot help unless we know about them! 4 Upcoming Holidays Tu BiShvat 5 Although the celebration of Tu BiShvat has a long and varied history, the theme most commonly ascribed to the holiday today is the environment. It is considered a festival of nature, full of wonder, joy, and thankfulness for creation in anticipation of the renewal of the natural world.