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A TORAH MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
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BUILDING A FUTURE TOGETHER
This week's Torah portion is a continuation of the narrative about the building of the Mishkan, the portable Tabernacle designed to be the dwelling place for God's presence as the Israelites travelled through the desert. The detailed instructions given for creating the Mishkan and its colorful and ornate contents are repeated several times. Commentators have struggled mightily to explain the repetition, but I would like to boil it down to a simple notion.
It is about relationship and dreaming. God is seeking to be intimately and consistently present with the Israelites. This represents a new and heightened mutual commitment in the relationship. There is anticipation and hope being felt by God and the Israelites. God, by verbalizing a vision for the Tabernacle to Moses (as emissary of the Israelites), God is literally sharing His dreams, hopes, and desires for the home they will build together.
The Mishkan is intended to be a Home for God; however, it is not just a physical home. Homes don't just happen. Physical structures, where people live, might happen and be built, but a "home" is dreamed. A "home" is dreamed and planned and lived in
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Like a young couple talking about the home they intend to build for their future family, God is fantasizing about what it will be like. The Deity shares the dream with the Moses and with the Israelites, and together they make it happen.
This Shabbat we will be celebrating "Shabbat Across America". Synagogues across North America will host Shabbat dinners, and invite guests to experience a Shabbat dinner, Shabbat songs, Shabbat service, and Shabbat ritual. God exists when people join together to sanctify time and space. Jews across the world take part in this Shabbat ritual. "Shabbat Across America" helps to highlight this worldwide communal unity.
The Mishkan was God's traveling dwelling place. Today's synagogue is a place for people to worship; to be in community, and to be at home and to be with God. The instruction and the repetition discussed above are not so much about construction and component parts as it is about building a future.
Hope, Dream, Visualize, Talk, build, and be together. Together with each other, together with our selves, and together with God.
Shabbat Shalom - 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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THE WEEK THAT WAS...
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25 folks enjoyed the delicious Cholent-fest Shabbbat lunch prepared by the Rabbi last Saturday morning. Thank you to Ina Morgenthal, Ira Morgenthal, Irene Babst, Michael Babst and Cliff Farin for their help that morning.
Next Cholent Shabbat is March 23.
The Women's Study Group led by Deb Schweighardt met last Sunday with 10 ladies in attendance. Thank you to Deb for leading the group and providing the refreshments (a variety of yogurts, a granola cereal that could be eaten as cereal or on top of the yogurt, various sweet kosher treats, cheesecake, eclairs, pecan coffee cake, grapes, fresh blueberries). Thanks too to
Ina Morgenthal and Irene Babst helped put out all the food.
The group studied our matriarch Rachel (last session was about Sarah). Here is a link to a interesting article about Rachel which provoked much discussion: RACHEL'S VEIL OF INDEPENDENCE
The next in this series of women's studies programs is planned for Sunday, May 19th when we will look at the Leah/Rachel story. Deb is suggesting that we read - or reread - "The Red Tent" in preparation for the group's May get-together.
Gals at the Florida Reunion
Jackie Avondoglio, Phyllis Sisenwine, Roberta Kaplan, Maxine Paris, Marilyn Alexander, Gail Merson, Nancy Harrison, Renee Goldman, Lynn Berman, Helyn Benjamin, Judy Abend, Eileen Rosen, Eileen Buznitsky, Diane Hoffman, Sue Rubinfeld
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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
See form for your order:
PAVERS
We will be taking orders for pavers to be put in this Spring. Please contact Diane Hoffman with your order or with any questions:
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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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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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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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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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 FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL 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
3/1/19 - 3/8/19
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Friday
Shabbat Across America Dinner
6:00 PM
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Friday
March 1, 2019
5:31 PM
(So. Ocean
County NJ)
JOIN US FOR SERVICES
Shabbat Shekalim
("Sabbath [of] shekels"
read in preparation for Purim, requests each adult male Jew contribute half of a Biblical shekel for the upkeep of the Tent of Meeting. The Torah portion Exodus 30:11-16 is read. This Shabbat takes place on the Shabbat before the 1st of the Hebrew calendar month of Adar, or on the 1st of Adar itself if it falls on Shabbat. In leap years on the Hebrew calendar, when there are two months of Adar, Shabbat Shekalim is on the Shabbat before the 1st of Adar II (or on the 1st of Adar II itself if it is Shabbat).
March 1, 2019
Services
7:00 PM
Rabbi's Talk:
Friday night talk: What, why, and how we pray: A look at some of our liturgy.
SATURDAY
March 2, 2019
Torah Study
9:00 AM
Services
10:00 AM
Vayakel
(Exodus 35:1 - 38:20)
II Kings 12:1 - 12:17
Torah Readers:
Aaron Lombardi
Rabbi Jay
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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YAHRZEITS FOR NEXT WEEK
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These names will be read at services on March 1, 2019
Milton Pollack
Emily Spiegle
Marjorie Fisher*
Minnie Britz*
Edna Eisner
Edward Gold
Sidney Kronenberg
Manuel Sidel
Harvey Leon Fruchtman*
Norman Gerber*
Gussie Herman*
Belle Saferstein
Esther Tannenbaum
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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PURIM
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Wednesday,
March 20th
Pizza, Pasta, and Purim.
6:00 pm
Dinner with an
inventive reading
of the Megillah to follow.
Dinner will be: $10.00 per person, $20.00 per family
Come in a costume and get a prize!!!
It is a fun Mitzvah
to hear the Megillah!
Contact the office
to make a reservation
609-492-4090
Hamentashen Baking:
Sunday
March 17, 10 am
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BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
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Through a program with our email provider, Constant Contact, we are able to send birthday greetings to our members. If you are a member and we do not have your birthday and want to receive an email greeting, please contact the office: 609-492-4090
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CONGREGATION
NEWS
INGE BATOFF
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SHARE YOUR NEWS
AND PICTURES
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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SISTERHOOD STUFF
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TO SPONSOR AN ONEG SHABBAT ON ANY FRIDAY EVENING, PLEASE CONTACT
JODY BRUSILOW
AT 610-745-4006.
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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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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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| 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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