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A TORAH MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
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The Book of Genesis begins with God actively creating the world and then actively destroying it. God rebuilds the world after the flood and then destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. However God, while present, is mostly not an active God in most of the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As the Book of Genesis ends God's name is mentioned, but the Deity does not seem to be physically around.
The Book of Exodus begins hundreds of years later, and it seems as if God had left the world and permitted the Israelites to become enslaved. It is not until the end of Chapter 2 that God hears the cry of the Israelites. In Chapter 3, Moses and God meet, but it is not until Parashat Va-Ayra, that God reinserts God's self back into history. It is here that God becomes fully present in the story and is ready to fulfill the promises that were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The God who had been missing has returned. This is, perhaps the most important part of the story. God had not been present and then became present. The God who promised redemption was back to make sure that the Israelites were redeemed.
How important is it that God kept the promise? How important is it that God returned to be an active participant in history? It is so important that when the Israelites receive the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments do not begin with the words "I am the Lord your God who created the heaven and the earth," but "I am the Lord your God who brought you out from Egypt, from the House of Slavery."
The result was the fulfillment of a promise; it ended in the creation of a people and a nation. God returned and reconnected. The Secular New Year gives us an opportunity to imitate the Holy One. There are people whose lives we have not been a part of. They are folks who we might like to have been in contact with but, for some reason, we have not reached out. Why not take a moment to reconnect. Make a call, send an email, or send a private message on Facebook.
God's reconnection with history and the Israelites ultimately led to the creation of a people and a nation. Who knows where your re-connection might lead?
Shabbat Shalom and a Happy and Healthy New Year
May this Shabbat be full of peace and may the year bring health, contentment, and peace - Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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KOL HAKAVOD CAMPAIGN
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Please consider being a part of this campaign to supplement the clergy needs of our congregation. This is a separate, voluntary commitment and is additional to our low annual dues obligation. HERE IS THE LINK TO BRING UP THE DONATION FORM KOL HAKAVOD
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UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
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Cholent Shabbos
Saturday morning January 24th
Join us for services followed @ noon by a Cholent lunch prepared by Rabbi Jay. After lunch stay a while to play some games or just to chat.
WHAT IS CHOLENT?
Cholent, a hearty stew, is uniquely Jewish fare. The traditional prohibition of kindling fire on Shabbat led Jewish cooks to experiment with ways to combine meat, grains, and vegetables in heavy pots that could simmer slowly overnight in a low-heat oven, so families could enjoy a hot Shabbat meal the next day. The dish seems to have originated in the Middle East, spreading with the Jewish people to wherever they migrated and picking up the spices and flavors of their surroundings, eventually creating regional versions of this wonderful stew.
The word "cholent" itself appears to derive from medieval French, a combination of chault (hot) and lent(slow). In America, cholent refers to the stew made with meat, potatoes, barley, and beans that was favored by Eastern European Jews. Often accompanied by kishke (Yiddish for "intestine"), a flour-and-onion stuffed sausage, and various kneidlach or dumplings, it is heavy and very filling. Try this recipe for classic cholent.: CHOLENT RECIPE
Regional varieties of cholent are endless: Sephardim make hamin using chicken and eggs; Moroccan dafina or skhina comprises meat, barley, chickpeas, vegetables, and spices, and varies from household to household; and in France, there is cassoulet, which often includes goose, sausage, and beans slow cooked in plenty of goose fat. Other varieties include Bukharan sweet and sour osh savo and Iraqi tabeet or tbit, an entire chicken stuffed with rice, herbs, and seasonings.
FLORIDA REUNION
February 26 at Noon
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
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GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
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SEND ONE OF OUR TRIBUTES IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF
PAVERS
Inscribe a paver at the front entrance to the building
TREE OF LIFE
Add a leaf (leaves) to our beautiful Tree of Life located in the Social Hall. See the order form here: TREE OF LIFE
Bronze Leaf $90
Silver Leaf $126
Gold :Leaf $180
ENDOWMENT FUND
Join Herb and Selma Shapiro z'l to help assure the continuity of our JCC, and our ability to continue providing a full-service congregation to serve the Jewish people of the area.
A donation of at least $50,000 to the endowment fund will allow the donor to name one of the funds as the donor wishes. All such name funds will be joined together to be part of the endowment fund portfolio.
Judith & Donald Pripstein have joined the Shapiros with a $50,000 donation and have established The Pripstein Family Endowment Fund.
All members are encouraged to help this important effort by contributing to this fund whether as a specific named fund, or as a general donation.
Your gift to the fund can be sent to the JCC Office. Please mark your check accordingly.
YAHRZEIT PLAQUES
Space is available for memorial plaques on the yahrzeit boards in the Sanctuary. Here is the order form: PLAQUES
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TD AFFINITY PROGRAM
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Easy money!
Do you have an account with TD Bank?
You can contribute to the JCC without it costing you a cent. TD Bank will pay us on the number of accounts in our TD Affinity Club. There is no minimum number of members. We automatically receive $10 for every checking account and .01% of the balance on Savings Accounts. In addition we receive $50 for any new accounts. This is strictly confidential and the JCC does not know the amount in any of the accounts.
Think about joining this program and helping the JCC to reap the benefits.
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JCC INFORMATION
THE OFFICE IS LOCATED AT
2411 Long Beach Boulevard (24th Street)
Spray Beach, NJ 08008
ENTER THE BUILDING DURING OFFICE HOURS
THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR.
FOR HANDICAPPED ENTRANCE
PRESS THE ENTRY BUTTON ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE FOR ADMITTANCE.
Mailing Address:
2411 Long Beach Blvd.
Spray Beach, NJ 08008
Telephone: 609-492-4090
FAX: 609-492-7550
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Mary Beth, Tony and Leslie
Office Staff:
Leslie Dinkfelt, Office Manager
Mary Beth Krieger, Staff Member
Tony DeGregorio, Custodial Staff
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Rabbi Michael S. Jay
Michael Babst, President
VIEW THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER/JANUARY BULLETIN
with this link
E-mail Editor: Rose Valentine
"Like" Us on Facebook: Search for Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island and make sure the JCC of LBI: The Place to Be icon shown above shows up
or cut and paste:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jewish-Community-Center-of-Long-Beach-Island/345647489300?ref=br_tf
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NEXT WEEK'S EVENTS
1/4/19 - 1/11/19
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Friday 1/4
Shabbat Dinner
6:00 PM
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Friday
January 4, 2019
4:28 PM
(So. Ocean
County NJ)
JOIN US FOR SERVICES
FRIDAY
January 4, 2019
Services
7:00 PM
RABBI'S TALK:
Ethics in Social Media
SATURDAY
January 5, 2019
Vaera
(Exodus 6:2 - 9:35)
Here is the Parshah
PARSHAH
Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:25
Here is the Haftorah
Torah Readers:
Aaron Lombardi
Rabbi Jay
Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat
Monday, January 7th
Please help us create a special atmosphere by not using electronic devices (phones, cameras, games etc) in or around the synagogue on Shabbat
and Holidays. No food or drink is permitted in the sanctuary.
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CONGREGATION
NEWS
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CONDOLENCES TO
TERRI ROBINOVITZ
on the loss of
her sister
Elizabeth Bavosi
"May God remember forever our dear ones who have gone to their eternal rest. May they be at one with the One who is life eternal. May the beauty of their lives shine for evermore, and may our lives always bring honor to their memory."
PHIL LOMBARDI
who is in the SOMC
SHARE YOUR NEWS
CARING COMMITTEE
This committee acts as a support system for congregation members facing illness and other personal situations that need to be addressed.
Please contact Chairperson,
Debby Schweighardt
if you are in need of assistance or if you know of a JCC member
that needs our help.
973-634-5349
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YAHRZEITS FOR NEXT WEEK
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These names will be read at services on January 4, 2019
Helen Berman
Joyce Blumberg
Harry Jerome
Herman Meyer
Gilbert J. Sholin
Dr. Henry Abrams
Helen Cweibel
Estelle Gordon
Joseph Gross
Beatrice Koss
Richard Pacharz
Harriet Blecher
Cantor Hirsch L. Chazin*
Marvin Kolsby*
Doris Luterman
Dr. Jack David Levy*
Erik Cameron
Perla Zavelson
Lillian Kenter*
Frieda Klein
Martin Nissenblatt
Mary Esther Sprague Ruoff*
Helen Tebeleff
Milton Elefant
Phyllis Greenfield
Henry Hirsh
William Jaslow
Jack Kaplan
Stella Schub
Joseph Stern
Arthur Sussman
PLEASE LET THE OFFICE KNOW WHEN YOU WILL NEED A MINYAN TO SAY KADDISH.
* Yahrzeit Plaque - These names are lovely enshrined on our synagogue memorial boards.
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CELEBRATE A MILESTONE AT THE JCC
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The JCC is a beautiful place to celebrate a milestone: wedding, anniversary, baby naming, birthday.
Contact the office for further information. 609-492-4090
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SPONSOR A KIDDUSH
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We are proud to announce the establishment of the
Zena Jay Kiddush Fund
in memory of Rabbi Jay's mother
Those who want to sponsor a kiddish or would like to donate to the fund, can contact the office at 609-492-4090
For information about
sponsoring a Kiddush
SEE DONATION & MENU:
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TEXT BLAST SIGN UP
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If you would like to receive JCC of LBI reminders and alerts via text message on your cell phone, please contact the office by email ([email protected]) or phone (609-492-4090) We would be alerting you for example that "Services are cancelled" or "Last opportunity to sign up for Community Seder".
This information will not be shared and will only be used for JCC purposes.
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BULLETIN ADS
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Please contact the JCC Office (609-492-4090) if you would like to place an ad in the Bulletin
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NAME BADGES
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If you did not order a name tag, we will be putting in another order. Here is the link for the form to order your name tag: BADGES
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| DOCUMENTS AND LINKS |
| JUST CLICK AND YOU'RE THERE!!! LATEST BULLETIN: BULLETIN WEB SITE: JCC WEB SITE MEMBERSHIP FORMS MEMBERSHIP PAVERS: PAVERS TREE OF LIFE TREE YAHRZEIT PLAQUE FORM: PLAQUE KOL HAKAVOD DONATION FORM KOL HAKAVOD |
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