Shofar Cheshvan-Tevet 5776 • November/December 2015 In this issue...you can click on the Rabbi’s Message page you would like to read first. Beautification ........................................... 16 From Strength to Strength: Reform Makes Great Strides at the World Zionist Congress Brotherhood............................................. 17 Calendar .............................................29-30 I had intended to write reports from the World Zionist Cantor ........................................................ 2 Congress (WZC), but as you may have noticed, that didn’t happen. The Congress was such a sensory overload Community ..........................................15-16 that it was hard to concentrate, let alone chronicle what was going on there. Now that I have returned to the States, I Contributions ........................................... 28 can look back on what was an extraordinary experience for our large Reform Cultural Arts .........................................18-20 delegation and an historic event for our movement. What made the WZC a challenge is also what made it great. It was a Education Directors .................................6-7 cacophony of Jewish voices from all over the world, representing a broad Hebrew Corner ......................................... 14 range of opinions on Judaism and Zionism. What made this Congress extraordinary is that every voice was heard — though sometimes louder Jewish LIFE ..........................................12-13 than was appropriate! I choose to regard the high pitch as an expression Legacy Circle ............................................. 11 Continued on page 3 Lifecycle (TBE Family News) ...................... 25 Mensch of the Month ................................. 9 President’s Message ...................................5 Rabbi Gluck’s Silver Jubilee ........................5 Cabaret-style Entertainment Rabbi’s Message......................................1-2 with Open Mic Renaissance ............................................. 17 Saturday, November 14, 7:00 p.m. Sisterhood ...........................................21-23 Interfaith Thanksgiving Social Action ............................................. 24 Service Welcome to the World ............................. 25 Tuesday, November 24, at 7:00 p.m. Worship Schedule ...................................... 2 Yahrzeits ..............................................26-27 Annual Shabbat Chanukah Youth Engagement ................................... 10 Friday, December 11, 7:00 p.m. (Chanukah, December 6 to 14) Comedy Night and Chocolate Tasting 2nd Annual Chanukiah Saturday, December 19 Making Event Chocolate at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, December 13, 9:00 a.m. Comedy at 8:00 p.m. Temple Beth-El • 67 US Highway 206 • Hillsborough, NJ 08844 • (908) 722-0674 • www.ourbethel.org Worship Schedule NOVEMBER Friday, November 6 Friday, November 20 Friday, November 27 8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service 6:00 p.m. Shabbat for Tots 8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service — Shabbat B’Shir 8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service with Choir; Saturday, November 7 Shabbat of Appreciation Saturday, November 28 Parashat Chayei Sarah, Genesis 23:1−25:18 Parashat Vayishlach, Genesis 32:4−36:43 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Minyan Service and Torah Study Saturday, November 21 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Minyan Service and Torah Study Parashat Vayeitzei, Genesis 28:10−32:3 Friday, November 13 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service and Torah Study with 7:00 p.m. Family Shabbat Service B’nei Mitzvah Ethan Wolkofsky and Jake Silver Saturday, November 14 Tuesday, November 24 Parashat Tol’dot, Genesis 25:19−28:9 7:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Service 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service and Torah Study with Bat Mitzvah of Peyton Diamond DECEMBER Friday, December 4 Thursday, December 10 Friday, December 18 8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service Chanukah, Fifth Candle 8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service with Choir Saturday, December 5 Friday, December 11 Saturday, December 19 Parashat Vayeishev, Genesis 37:1−40:23 Chanukah, Sixth Candle Parashat Vayigash, Genesis 44:18−47:27 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Minyan Service and Torah Study 7:00 p.m. Family Chanukah Service with Consecration 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Minyan Service and Torah Study Sunday, December 6 Saturday, December 12 Friday, December 25 Chanukah Begins: First Candle Parashat Mikeitz, Genesis 41:1−44:17 6:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service (Special time) 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service and Torah Study with Monday, December 7 Bar Mitzvah of Evan Gladstone Saturday, December 26 Chanukah, Second Candle Chanukah, Seventh Candle Parashat Va-y’chi, Genesis 47:28–50:26 10:00 a.m. Shabbat Minyan Service and Torah Study Tuesday, December 8 Sunday, December 13 Chanukah, Third Candle Chanukah, Eighth Candle Wednesday, December 9 Chanukah, Fourth Candle Temple Calendar Webpage http://www.ourbethel.org/luach-beth-el Shofar Submissions and Deadline The next issue of the Shofar will be January 2016. PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for submissions is December 15. Annual Shabbat Chanukah Service Submit articles via email to: [email protected]. December 11, 2015 In the subject line, please use the following 7:00 p.m. naming convention: Shofar Month/Shofar/ Committee Name or Professional Staff Name. Bring your Chanukah menorah and candles from home to light at the beginning of the service. Torah Portions Join us earlier that evening for a pot-luck Shabbat dinner. You can read a Weekly Torah Enjoy celebrating with your friends, Commentary by visiting the Union of meet some new and prospective members. Reform Judaism’s web page: www.reformjudaism.org/learning/ Let us know you’ll be joining us at tinyurl/TBEChanukahDinner torah-study Temple Beth-El Shofar 2 Cheshvan-Tevet 5776 Click here to return to Page 1 Rabbi’s Message, continued from page 1 of the great passion the delegates felt for their Zionist and reflected well on our pluralistic values. We could convictions, which is a positive take on behavior that was, have passed our resolutions as they were drafted without at times, not entirely civil. Mizrachi’s support. Instead, we chose a path of moderation Despite the contentiousness of the debate, this 37th WZC and inclusion that modeled the way we hope to see our was an historic event for the Reform Movement because, Jewish world manage its differences. more than ever before, we claimed a place at the forefront Who would have imagined that Mizrachi would support of the Zionist movement. Ours was the largest delegation a resolution calling for an egalitarian prayer space at the from the Diaspora, and our members were among the Western Wall? By including language that affirmed the leaders of the Congress, including its chair, Philip Meltzer. status quo in the existing sections of the Kotel, Mizrachi It is important to note that our strength came from you. voted with us for the creation of a new, “third section of Your vote for ARZA (the Association of Reform Zionists of the Western Wall site that will be equal in size, funding, America) in the American Zionist Elections last year helped and visibility, and offering a dignified space of worship for us win 56 seats at the WZC — 40% of all the votes cast in the Conservative and Reform streams and to Women of the the United States! Together with Reform delegates from Wall.” Israel and around the world, the combined delegation of In similar fashion, Mizrachi joined with us to pass a ARZENU, the International Reform Zionist Movement, was resolution condemning hate crimes and denying funding 78 strong. When these votes were added to those of our from the World Zionist Organization to “any group or progressive Zionist coalition partners, Meretz and Labor, movement that promotes in their platform any principles we formed a powerful bloc of 180 delegates. or activities that directly or indirectly promote hate on the The strength of our numbers truly mattered. It enabled basis of national origin, racism and discrimination…” us to gain leadership positions in the World Zionist Mizrachi also joined with us in passing a resolution Organization (WZO) and the Jewish Agency for Israel supporting the LGBT community in Israel that calls on the (JAFI), and secure significant budgets for our movement’s Israeli Minister of Education to “ensure that all educational work in Israel and the former Soviet Union. Since the institutions in Israel will create curricula and programming Israeli government provides very limited support for that promote respect for, and the civil rights of, all diverse non-Orthodox Judaism, this money helps to correct an communities, including the LGBT community.” Meeting imbalance that is also an injustice, and enables us to grow Mizrachi’s openness to our initiatives with sensitivity as a serious Jewish alternative in the Jewish State. to their needs made such achievements possible. More Also significant is the fact that the strength of our than that, it earned us admiration and respect, and numbers enabled us to wield influence over the direction demonstrated that we are worthy of leading the shared of the Zionist Movement. This we accomplished through institutions of the Jewish people. the resolutions process, which is the heart of the work of There is much work to be done. Racism, discrimination, the WZC. Almost all of the resolutions we introduced were and acts of hate are on the rise in Israel. The current passed, and we were able to block the passage of most of Israeli government includes parties that are adamantly the resolutions we opposed. opposed to Jewish pluralism, civil rights for