TEMPLE BETH-EL OF GREAT NECK SHEMA HAS BEEN LOVINGLY ENDOWED BY SANDRA ATLAS BASS V1N2 | SPRING 2017 ASK THE RABBI Page 7 PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE 1 6 11 14 15 21 Small Groups Cantor Lapin: The Jewish Purim Be Our Guest: Calendar of Events are Growing God Is In the Cooking School at Carnival Purim Shpeil with and Worship Details Temple Beth-El Shayna Punim and Serivces the Beast CONTACT US Temple Office: (516) 487-0900 RABBI TARA FELDMAN CHARLENE LEVY www.tbegreatneck.org Senior Rabbi Administrative Assistant [email protected] [email protected] IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER Ext 118 Ext 110 JOY ALLEN NANCY FREED RABBI ELLE MUHLBAUM Administrative Assistant to the Administrative Assistant Assistant Rabbi Religious School Early Childhood Education Center [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ext. 121 Ext 126 ext. 129 JOY S. PALEVSKY RACHEL BARNEHAMA AMANDA GREENAWALT Office Manager Hebrewtime & Facetime Coordinator Director of Congregational Engagement [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ext 115 Ext 124 Ext 108 VICKI PERLER STUART BOTWINICK CANTOR LISA HEST Director, Early Childhood Education Center Executive Director Cantor Emerita [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ext 129 Ext 107 Ext 116 DAFNA WEINTRAUB RABBI JEROME K. DAVIDSON, D.D. CARI HORN Assistant to the Clergy Rabbi Emeritus Controller [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ext 116 Ext 116 Ext 119 RABBI MEIR FELDMAN CANTOR VLADIMIR LAPIN Senior Rabbi [email protected] [email protected] Ext. 104 Ext 120 Pictured below: Artwork created by our Sisterhood and found in the SOCO Lounge 2 TEMPLE BETH-EL SHEMA | SPRING 2017 CLERGY SMALL GROUPS ARE GROWING SMALL GROUP LEADER TRAINING IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTION BY Excitement is building around the emerging Developing meaningful relationships is the core RABBI TARA Small Groups initiative here at Beth-El. of Jewish life and Jewish community. At Temple Over the course of the fall and winter, a Beth-El, we envision building what Ron Wolfson FELDMAN cohort of some 25 upcoming leaders is calls “a relational model” in which congregants being trained to facilitate Small Groups with open their homes for learning, laughing, and Purpose (SGWP). Leaders are exploring sharing with each other in an intimate and the philosophy and vision behind Small trusting environment. We, who participate, will Groups as well as the “how to”— the ideas develop stronger connections to others within Every member of a and strategies which will enable Small our TBE family and a renewed sense of purpose Groups to flourish. Role playing provides and meaning in our own lives. Small Group takes an experiential element essential to our training process. Starting in March, SGWP WHO CAN GET INVOLVED? an active role and will officially launch with groups continually SGWP is intended to be an engaging, fun and is integral to the forming starting this spring and beyond. soul-nourishing opportunity for all synagogue members. We encourage you to participate group’s identity. Small WHAT DO SMALL GROUPS DO? as Small Groups groups begin to form. Some Small Groups are comprised of roughly Small Groups will be affinity-based (parenting Groups contribute to ten members who meet outside of the groups, groups which share a professional synagogue on a monthly basis. Facilitated by interest or hobby, interfaith or blended family the vitality of the TBE one or two leaders, Small Groups engage in groups). Other groups will be intergenerational “Five Mitzvahs:” groups, men’s groups, women’s groups and more. community at large. 1. Socializing Leaders of new groups will be reaching out to 2. Learning enlist participation in the next few months. Our 3. Taking a moment for spiritual ultimate goal is to have every congregant actively reflection engaged in a Small Group of their choice. 4. Caring for one another as needs arise Would you like to become a part of a newly- in the group forming Small Group? Would you like to start 5. Doing acts of Tikkun Olam (social your own Small Group? Do you have other action). questions? Please, feel free to reach to Rabbi Tara Every member of a Small Group takes Feldman or any member of our Small Groups an active role and is integral to the group’s Vision Team: Judi Linden, Sepi Kohanim and identity. Small Groups contribute to the Jordana Levine. vitality of the TBE community at large. TEMPLE BETH-EL SHEMA | SPRING 2017 3 CLERGY PANIM EL PANIM FACE TO FACE a reminder of their new covenantal people. United in slavery and eventually relationship with God. Moses had in exodus, it is this communal project received the blueprint for the mishkan, that cements the community’s identity the tabernacle, and this served as the as God’s people. By creating a place for instructions for how to bring God into God to dwell among them, the Israelites the Israelite community. Though Moses put themselves in close relationship himself could speak with God panim el with God. In building together in panim, face to face, Moses initially fails community, they become close to each to gather the community and engage other as well. with them. The Israelites need a sacred The Israelites are told to bring space, a symbol of God’s nearness. offerings heartfully. It is written, kol Finally, Moses assembles them as n’div libo—each one whose heart gives BY RABBI a community and puts them to work willingly, or leaps to participate, brings ELLE MUHLBAUM on a new project. This time, instead of their offerings forward. They are the bringing their gold to the molding of an ones who have the spaciousness within idol, they bring it to the building of the themselves to recognize God’s presence, love being immersed in a mishkan. This time, instead of making and they are able to contribute to the Jewish community. Engaging something unwanted by God, they will creation of a formal sacred space for with people in the sacred and construct the sacred tabernacle. When the community to experience God’s mundane moments of their lives, Moses was on the mountain with God, presence. Those who participate most Iparticipating in Jewish journeys from he was an ineffective leader. His top- fully in the contributions to the mishkan Genesis through Deuteronomy and down approach was simply not working. are those whose hearts are moved, beyond, and simply coming together Moses realizes that he needs to whose hearts lift them up. The Israelites’ and living Jewishly together…each piece reignite the community. I think the hearts, their essence, are at the center of of being part of a Jewish community mishkan’s purpose was to bring the the building of the mishkan. is so meaningful and rewarding. A community together. Moses forgot that This is the place where God and the community is such a sacred thing to be God told him “v’asu li mikdash—You people are together, in relationship. a part of! (plural), make me a sanctuary,” that It’s as if those who are n’div libo have This March, we’ll read from Parashat the entire community is commanded their heartstrings tugged—they can’t Vayakhel-Pekudei. There, Moses returns to make a mishkan. The community restrain themselves. Here they are, to the people from Mount Sinai after is what transforms the mishkan, the at Sinai, getting ready to design an the Israelites’ transgression of building dwelling place, into the mikdash, the intricate structure. They aren’t trained the Golden Calf. Moses is furious at holy place. as apprentices to gifted artists. This is a the Israelites for their impatience and Medieval commentator Nachmanides group of former slaves, newly redeemed, lack of faith in him, and, importantly, teaches us that the importance of the living in the wilderness. They build from in God. Their project of building this mishkan is not just that it, in and of within. I envision a group of regular idol demonstrates a limitation of the itself, is a critical structure. He teaches Israelites whose heartstrings are tugged community. The Israelites wouldn’t sit that through the building of the to serve God. They cry out, their spirits around and wait at the base of Mount mishkan, humans get to participate in move them, and it’s like they’ll explode Sinai for Moses to be the only one in enacting revelation here on earth by if they don’t just try it, something, relationship with God. The Israelites creating God’s dwelling place among the need something tangible to serve as Continued on page 6 4 TEMPLE BETH-EL SHEMA | SPRING 2017 CLERGY GOD IS IN THE DETAILS any years ago, in a small So, what’s the purpose of these laws? shtetl in Europe, a man Well, the short answer is that in Judaism came to shul for a morning details matter. It’s not enough to have prayer service. This good intentions alone, actions are Mparticular morning was a wet one as a ultimately more important. storm had passed the night before. As Throughout the year, as members of the man began to pray he glanced out this sacred TBE community, we have of the window and saw that a horse opportunities to learn and be inspired carriage was stuck in the mud with a in incredible ways. From our powerful family inside. The man quickly rushed MLK Shabbat to our meaningful Yom out of the synagogue to help. He ran Kippur services, from weekly Torah outside while still wearing a kippah, his study to our joyous Simchat Torah tallit, and his tefilin.