Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island 315 Forest Avenue Staten Island, New York 10301 tmplisrael@aol.com

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Rabbi Michael D. Howald                     Student Cantor Jennifer Benrey Co-Presidents Jerry Gross and Alan Siegel

E-Shalom - MAY 2019 Temple Israel’s Electronic Bulletin “Shalom, Welcome to Temple Israel....” is a phrase taught to us by Carole Lachman, a beloved, long-time congregant and bulletin editor who died in 2002. We named our bulletin in her honor and worked to realize her vision of Temple Israel as a community that welcomes the stranger and lets no one stand alone. As we move to a new version of this tradition of communicating with our Temple Israel family, we continue to forward Carole’s vision, love and devotion for our synagogue.

Wednesday, May 15th 7:00 p.m.

A Message from Rabbi Michael D. Howald                  On April 9 th of this year, the Commissioner of Health in the city of New York issued an order declaring a public health emergency because of an epidemic of measles cases in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn. The order was precipitated by more than 250 cases of measles among residents of Williamsburg, largely restricted to the Orthodox Jewish community. As a result of this outbreak, the Commissioner ordered all previously unvaccinated persons living in Williamsburg to immediately obtain the MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine.  The mayor later indicated that those who refused to take the vaccine for themselves or their children, would face the risk of fines of up to $1,000 and orders preventing them from attending school or going to other places of public association.          Some in the Jewish community have claimed that orders mandating vaccinations like the MMR violate their religious freedom. For instance, three rabbis affiliated with Agudath Israel of America, an Haredi [1] Orthodox movement, recently issued a booklet in which they claimed that although “one may follow the opinion of most doctors and choose to vaccinate his children, the individual who has done his research has the obligation to act according to his knowledge.  If his research had led him to understand that the risks of vaccinations are greater than its benefits, and particularly when his view is supported by many medical doctors and researchers, the commandment of ‎וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם מְאֹ֖ד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם  (“For your own sake, therefore, be most careful” Deut. 4:15 WTT), obligates him to shield his children from vaccines.”  Based on this letter and other considerations, some parents in the Haredi community refused to allow their children to receive the MMR.           In contrast, most authorities in the Jewish community over the centuries have embraced vaccines and the public health benefits they provide. Reasoning that  pekuach nefesh,  the obligation to preserve life, takes precedence over almost all other laws, the overwhelming number of Jewish authorities have ruled that vaccinations are appropriate and encouraged. In reaching that conclusion, many cite the greatest medieval interpreter of Jewish tradition, Maimonides, who ruled almost a thousand years ago that "God created drugs and compounds and gave us the intelligence necessary to discover their medicinal properties; we must use them in warding off illness and disease." Twenty years ago, based on this authority, the Reform movement decided that, if exemptions to vaccination requirements are granted to those to whom vaccines pose a medical risk, Jewish tradition does not object to compulsory immunization against disease. In 2005, the Conservation movement decided that, except for valid medical reasons, unvaccinated children can properly be denied admission to Jewish day schools. The modern Orthodox movement has reached the same conclusion, strongly urging all parents to vaccinate their healthy children as recommended by their medical professionals. Even Agudath Israel of America, responding to the booklet mentioned above, recently issued a strong letter affirming the value of vaccination, affirming that: “Countless rabbinical figures and leaders, including leading rabbis in the Agudath Israel movement and doctors serving these communities, have repeatedly encouraged vaccination in the strongest possible terms.” Based on traditional Jewish texts, the Reform movement has ruled that vaccines qualify as proven remedies and constitute a religious obligation. Other movements have been equally emphatic in urging vaccination in response to diseases that pose a public health risk. Those who claim otherwise base their decision, not on Jewish law, but on considerations outside our tradition. Considering the ongoing outbreak of measles in New York City, those who are guided by Jewish tradition and law will insure that they and their children receive the vaccinations deemed appropriate and necessary by their doctors before exposing others to the risk of communicable diseases. Rabbi Michael D. Howald ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1]   “The word “haredi” is a catchall term, either an adjective or a noun, which covers a broad array of theologically, politically, and socially conservative Orthodox Jews, sometimes referred to as “ultra-Orthodox.” What unites haredim is their absolute reverence for Torah, including both the Written and Oral Law, as the central and determining factor in all aspects of life. Consequently, respect and status are often accorded in proportion to the greatness of one’s Torah scholarship, and leadership is linked to learnedness.”  https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/haredim-charedim

A Message from Co-Presidents Jerry Gross & Alan Siegel

We are still glowing from the wonderful Community Passover Seder that hosted almost 125 participants.  Very special thanks to Jennifer Straniere whose attention to detail has again enabled us as an inclusive Congregation to enjoy such a special event.  Our thanks are also offered to the congregants who assisted with the set-up and clean-up of our Social Hall, to Sisterhood, and to Rabbi Howald and Student Cantor Jennifer Benrey who led the Seder. Looking forward to the month of May, we remind everyone of our Yom Ha’Shoah observance on Thursday, May 2 nd .  The topic for the evening will be “Why Remember the Holocaust?” with a discussion led by Professor Lori Weintrob, Director of the Wagner College Holocaust Center. On Wednesday, May 15 th , our annual Congregational Meeting will be held at which time elections for our Temple’s leadership for the 2019-2020 year will take place.  Our annual Avodah Awards will also be presented at this time. The meeting is open to all members in good standing; we look forward to seeing you there. On Friday, May 17 th , our next Shabbat Shalom dinner will take place prior to Erev Shabbat Services.  This activity affords us a wonderful opportunity to share a meal with our fellow congregants and then worship together in our Sanctuary. Please join us at  the Staten Island UJA Federation breakfast on Sunday, May 19 th to congratulate Pamela Carlton and Pamela Rogozin, Temple Israel’s honorees and on Sunday, May 5 th as Judy Scher receives the L’Dor V’Dor 1 st Generation Award from the JCC. We especially look forward to seeing you at our own Gala Brunch on June 2 nd as we honor Past President Bryn Biren for all she has done and continues to do for Temple Israel. Please be sure to participate in the many activities that are being planned for the remainder of this year and offer your assistance in planning and implementing new and exciting activities for the coming year. Please accept our best wishes for continued health and happiness. Jerrold Gross and Alan Siegel Co-Presidents

Notes from Student Cantor Jennifer Benrey

Shalom Temple Israelites, What an exciting month we have had! With Pesach now behind us, let us embrace our chameitz and reflect on our own journeys to finding our freedoms. What do you do in your daily life that expresses your freedom to speak, to express yourself, to travel and live in safety, to pray? We thank God for these freedoms and all the people who came before us that paved the way for us to live as our most authentic selves. As we transition into a new chapter of our Jewish year, we also reflect on those who weren’t as lucky. This month we commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (the Day of Memory of all the fallen soldiers who fought for the state of Israel), and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) which all occur within a period of eight days. These holidays focus on memory, tragedy, and the glimmer of hope that carried, and continues to carry, the Jewish people through hardship. While I was living in Israel, I experienced what it was like to watch the entire city of Jerusalem stop during the Yom HaShoah siren that plays throughout the entire country for two full minutes of reflection. People get out of their cars in the middle of the street while others crowd the busy sidewalks in complete silence and stillness. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced, and it was incredibly powerful. Moving into Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut, the narrative tells of sacrifice and sadness bringing about joy and freedom in the land, and that transition happens literally overnight. My personal favorite part of Yom HaAtzmaut has always been the Israeli folk dancing, and I have memories of doing it every year at my synagogue in Miami. In recent years, I have gone from participating in Israeli dance to leading it, and I look forward to bringing dance and fun Israeli songs to our choir service and oneg on May 10th.  Also, at the end of this month, we will get the very special treat of being lead in prayer by our eldest students in kita gimmel for a special Friday night service using the prayer book that they have made themselves as part of our yearlong tefillah project. I am so proud of them and am excited that they get to share their prayers with the community. We hope to see you there! L’shalom, Student Cantor Jen Benrey

Jodi Siegel & Shariann Ganz Co-Presidents

As we clear away the last of our matzah crumbs, we reflect on how much Sisterhood has accomplished during the past month. It was announced that we were awarded another Incubator Grant from WRJ which will enable us to expand our wonderfully successful Chanukah Gelt Mosaic Mural Project.  The grant will allow us to share the Chanukah experience with nursing home residents and hospitalized children. We learned about the “hows, whys and whens of the Shabbat Service” at our General Membership meeting. Our Bowling Bonanza was a great success, with a record number of attendees, thanks to the efforts of Felicia Otto and her committee. We held a beautiful, meaningful and delicious Community Passover Seder for 120 people in our Social Hall under the planning and guidance of Jennifer Straniere. All leftover food from the Seder was donated to Project Hospitality. We gave another $1000 to the Temple as part of our annual monetary commitment.  New glass coffee mugs were purchased to replace our “ancient” cups and saucers. Our Slate of Officers for 2019-2020 was finalized. We learned how to “STOP THE BLEED” and had active shooter training, thanks to Blanche Ricci, Jory Guttsman and Pam Carlton. We created a beautiful Kiddush to help celebrate the wedding of two Temple Israel Congregants. And we did all of this while still planning for the all the upcoming events scheduled for May and June! Please join us as we celebrate with Sisterhood Members Pamela Carlton & Pamela Rogozin and Judy Scher as they are honored by the UJA and JCC respectively. We will be holding our final Executive Board and General Membership meetings of this year.  Our Executive Board will meet on Tuesday, May 7 th at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Shariann Ganz.  All Officers and Directors should attend as we will be finalizing arrangements for all our end-of-year activities.  Our final General Membership meeting of this year will take place on Thursday, May 23 rd at 6:30 p.m.  It will also be our annual Game Night. We will be holding our Elections for next year’s officers and directors.  Bring your favorite games and join us for a light dinner of pizza and salad. Please RSVP to  SisterhoodTI@aol.com so that we are sure to have enough slices to go around! Be sure to send in your reservations for our annual End-of-Year Dinner.  It is always a beautiful event and a chance for us to celebrate and honor those special members who have made outstanding contributions to Sisterhood this year. (See flyer below.) We are also in the midst of planning for our Installation Shabbat Service  which will take place on Friday, June 21 st .  All outgoing and incoming Sisterhood Officers and Directors must be present for this special service.  Please look for e-mail communications regarding your participation in this service in the coming weeks. We are grateful to all those who have made or will make each of these initiatives possible. We look forward to your participation in all future Sisterhood endeavors. Wishing you all a very happy Mothers' Day. In Sisterhood, Shariann Ganz & Jodi Siegel fekete804@aol.com jsiegel23@aol.com Co-Presidents

JUST CLICK ON FLYER TO DOWNLOAD OR PRINT!

THE BROTHERHOOD Temple Israel – Reform Congregation of Staten Island brotherhoodpresident.ti.si@gmail.com

Our Men’s Seder was held on Sunday afternoon April 14 immediately following Religious School. Thank you to Rabbi Howald for leading our service.  A huge thanks goes to my wife Shariann for preparing and serving the delicious and plentiful Seder meal to all that attended. It was a wonderful opportunity for the Men of our Temple to bond and at the same time experience the learning of this special holiday. Immediately prior to that, we held a brief business meeting to nominate the Officers and Directors for the coming year.  We will formalize these nominations at our Dinner meeting held May 1.  On May 22 we will be holding our annual Men’s Night Out/ End of Year dinner at Cielo Restaurant. Thank you to Jerry Mulnick and Irwin Magnus for arranging this for us. It is sure to be a great evening of friendship and camaraderie. Please look for the flyer in this E- Shalom. Reservations are necessary, so get them in as soon as possible. Please note that all the Men of the Temple are encouraged to join us,  We are coming close to the end of our year. Please look out for information on our Paid up Membership Breakfast tentatively scheduled for Sunday June 23. Details will be available shortly. This has been a very productive year for Brotherhood. I want to thank all of our Brothers who made this year successful and I look forward to another great year. Over the summer we will hold our annual Bar B Que. Look for details shortly. Brotherhood is a vital affiliate organization to the Temple. Together we are strong and make a difference to our Temple Family   Please share your ideas with us to enhance the Brotherhood experience. Yours in Friendship and Brotherhood, Jeff Ganz

Click on Flyer to Print or Download.

Services on the 1st Friday of each month will now begin at 7:00 p.m.

No Shush Shabbat will begin at 5:45.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY 2019

F or calendar updates click here . To print a copy of this calendar, click here .

Mazel Tov   Pamela Carlton, who was honored by the YMCA in Manhattan as the Staten Island Broadway Branch Adult Volunteer of the Year. Judy Scher, who will receive the1st Generation Award at the JCC L’Dor V’dor . Pamela Carlton and Pamela Rogozin, our honorees at the UJA Breakfast Elizabeth Feuer & Joel Tanzer on their marriage. Condolences Marnie Blit and Family on the passing of her mother, Sheila Blitt.     Shariann Ganz & family on the loss of her aunt, Jean Greenfield. Shari Stein Ballow and Family on the loss of her father Franklin J. Stein. Get Well Wishes to Student Cantor Jennifer Benrey Linda Scher Janice Gross  Scott & Lourdes Fuller Dennis Guttsman Karen Frey Gamoran Thinking of You Susan Weinman

If you have any questions about your membership or if you know a potential new member please contact our Financial Secretary Jennifer Straniere at  tmplisfinsec@aol.com .

EASY fundraising

Go to Smile.Amazon.com Select "Change Your Charity" Type in “Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island" Click Search Click Select Order as usual. Temple Israel benefits!

We hope you all had a “Zissen Pesach”.  We thank Sisterhood and their Seder team led by Jennifer Straniere for the wonderful first night Community Seder on Friday April 19 th and of course thank our Seder leaders Rabbi Howald and Student Cantor Benrey.  Thank you to Brotherhood and Rabbi Howald for the Men’s Seder on April 14 th . We also thank JR Rich for leading Torah Study on Saturday April 20 th and Pam Carlton for leading the Shabbat Holiday Service that followed.  Our seventh day Passover Service including Yizkor was held on Friday morning April 26 th .  We thank Karen Gross and Deanna Feder and their helpers for the KFP Dairy Dish to Share Lunch that followed the Service. A reminder that the new times continue for No-Shush Shabbat and the Family Service both held on the first Friday of the month.  The Family Service begins at 7:00 PM on May 3 rd and No Shush-Shabbat starts at 5:45PM that same evening. Yom Hashoah will be observed at Temple Israel on Wednesday May 2 nd at 7:30 PM and will include a discussion on “Why Remember.” Our guests for the discussion include:  Bethany Friedman, Founder,  Shir Levav for Holocaust survivors, Jennifer Hermus, Holocaust Educator, Susan Wagner High School and Lori Weintrob, Director, Holocaust Center, Wagner College.  Our 30 th annual Memorial Service follows in the Sanctuary.   The Community Yom Hashoah Observance will be held at the Bernikow JCC on Sunday May 5 th at 6:30 PM.  Doors open at 6:00 PM.  The title of the program is “Conspiracy for Goodness – How French Protestants Rescued Thousands.”   The guest speaker is Renee Silver.  Our Holocaust Torah Scroll will be presented by Rabbi Howald during the observance. All our students are invited to participate in the candle procession held during the beginning of the observance. Look for flyers for these Yom Hashoah observances elsewhere in the bulletin.  Please come to Temple on Friday night May 31 st as our students in Kitah Gimmel will use their own prayer-book and lead an original Shabbat Service they authored. We look forward to seeing you often at Temple. Linda Brill and Jeffrey Ganz Co-Chairpersons THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE: Thank you to the following congregants for their assistance with ushering during services as well as for honoring the congregation with their presence on the Bimah in April: Gayle Chason, Jeffrey Chason, Evan Chason, Jacob Chason, Deborah Chernoff, Larry Hanibal, Charles Nadel & Roslyn Persky, JR Rich, Jodi Siegel and Rhonda Trontz-Allen Nina Rohan  Ushering Chair

HERE’S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DEDICATE ONE OR MORE OF OUR 25 NEW CHILDREN’S PRAYERBOOKS JUST CLICK ON THE FLYER, PRINT IT, COMPLETE IT AND MAIL IT TO THE TEMPLE WITH YOUR CHECK!

MAY 3, 2019 Joel Chernoff James Gamble Frances Reiss Julius Schneider Benjamin Sherman Arnold Wells * Ettie Berman * Sidney Holzman Rebecca Lauren Lipsitz * Ethel Gershansky Elizabeth Greenfield Clara Hershenson Clara Schneider Gary Singer Sally Berger * Louis Melniker Michael Duskin * Katherine Marks * Minnie Pepperman Rose Kitoff * Beatrice Kutell Solomon Nison Anna Siegel Alan Bernard Sostek And we remember from the Holocaust: ERNST SIEGEL TILLI GABOR DOVID-BERISH HAMPEL STANISLAW SOKOLOWSKI ARTHUR WIECKMANN MAY 10, 2019 Erwin Badrian Harriette Duskin * Alma Rothwein Jacobs * Clara E. Silverberg * Muriel Trachman * Milton Eisen * Barry Nadel Ida Shenman * Fay Schaefer * Esther Goldman Dumont Beatrice Lachman * Ada Lauter * Joel Kleinman Edith Marks And we remember from the Holocaust: NIKOLAS BREKELMANS STANISLAW MAKSYN PETER HERZOG EFRAIM SCHNEIDER YITZHAK HOJNATSKI

MAY 17, 2019 Dr. A.  Milton Jacobs * Dorothy M. Melniker * Rea Silberberg Ernest Beck Harold B. Blach Roslyn Klein Craig Lawrence Horn * Suzanne Nadel * Joel Samuel Schoenholtz * Murray Gold * Florence Hurkin * Alan Soloway * Charlotte A. Braverman * William Grodman And we remember from the Holocaust: RACHEL LANDAU ANTONI GROSMAN HANA-GITL TRAJMAN MALCA SOMMER SCHAJA LASKOW MAY 24, 2019 Namitta Berlyand Edith Gamoran Iris Mushnick Etta Rabin * Ane Sussman * Rita Feldstein * Ruth Lewis Dr. H. Edward Marshon * William Brill * Gertrude Gross * Irving Cohen * Carole Lachman * Dora Wolchok Burton Cohen * Anna Katy Silverman * Leon Grossman Robert Selig And we remember from the Holocaust: ALFRED LIBOCHOWITZ YAKOV LIBERMAN FRITZ WESCHLER HAIM LANDAU LISEL ROSENWALD MAY 31, 2019 Peter Nash * Beatrice V Dubrin Morse * James A. Meyers * Lee Pessah * Ben Harris Marilyn Tanzer Fred Feigelman David Manger * Jesse Silverman * Shirley Wolinitz-Sacoff Samuel Elrich And we remember from the Holocaust: SHLOMOH WAKSMAN BERL WINNINGER HEDWIG SIMON SALAMONNE WIESENBERG RUDOLF ROTHER

* These names are on our Memorial Wall.

We are sorry if your name was inadvertently omitted. Please contact Lara at the Temple Office to update your membership information.

The Sisterhood of Temple Israel would like to help you celebrate birthdays and anniversaries for you and your family. You can share the joy of Shabbat and your birthday and/or anniversary by helping to sponsor an Oneg Shabbat on the Friday evening when we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries for that month. In addition to sponsoring the Oneg, the names of those celebrating appear in the Friday night program and celebrants are invited to the Bimah. A contribution of $10 for birthdays and $18 for anniversaries is suggested to honor your special occasion and help the Temple at the same time.   Letters are sent out early in the month prior and payment would be appreciated before the first Friday of the month of the celebration.

Friday, May 3 FAMILY SERVICE AT 7:00 P.M. CELEBRATION OF FEBUARY BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES Friday, May 10 ADULT CHOIR SINGS Friday, May 17 SHABBAT SHALOM DINNER (Reservations & Payment required) ONEG SPONSORED BY JUDY LEE Friday, May 31 ONEG SPONSORED BY KAREN & JERRY GROSS IN HONOR OF SHABBAT ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR GRANDSON ETHAN BECOMING A BAR MITZVAH.

WHICH EREV SHABBAT SERVICE IS RIGHT FOR MY FAMILY?

Spring is HERE! GREEN THUMB COMMITTEE forming now! If you’re interested in planting and gardening to help beautify our Temple grounds, please contact Alan Siegel at ajsiegel1@aol.com

Please consider becoming a member of our KAVOD SOCIETY. It helps to make membership available to all our families. Speak to our Financial Secretary to upgrade your membership.

Temple Israel Sisterhood Judaica Shop EVERY HOLIDAY EVERY LIFE CYCLE EVERY SIMCHA Just what you need and just what they want! The only place on Staten Island for all your Jewish gifts. Special Orders available.

Some featured items this month:

Contact branchtr@aol.com or call the Temple Office at 718-727-2231.

REHEARSALS Wednesday, May 8 Wednesday, May 29 6:45 p.m. The Choir will be singing at services on FRIDAY, MAY 10

If you would like to join the Temple Israel Adult Choir, just come to any rehearsal...and all the rehearsals that follow!

The open Library hours will be: Wednesdays 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. and Sundays 9:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m. If you have any books you think would be appropriate for The Rabbi Marcus Kramer Memorial Library, please bring them for us to see. Steve Scher Chair

Click on flyer to download or print.

Wednesday, May 15th 7:00 p.m.

Hear ye! Hear Ye! Night at the Races (May 18 th ) is a family fun evening. Kids and adults ride horses (sort of) to the role of the dice.    Everyone gets to bet on their favorite jockey and make money for Temple Israel.  Think cruise line races. Guess what?  You can actually sponsor one of our eight races. If you sponsor it you can name it. Name it after your company, grandchild, family pet, etc.  Only $20.

Just click on the flyer above to print or download. Rhonda Trontz-Allen-, Karen Frey-Gamoran, Lissa Winchel Co-Chairs

Electronic Copies of this flyer will be accepted. Click HERE to print or download.

A giant  תודה רבה , thank you very much, is in order to all the parents who contributed to and helped with the students’ model Passover Seder on April 14th. Huge thanks also, of course, to Rabbi Howald and Student Cantor Benrey for leading such a meaningful and musical Seder, and to our excellent faculty for teaching our students all about Passover.    Please plan to come to the next meeting of the Committee on Religious School on Sunday, May 19th at 10:15 at Temple Israel. We will be deciding on who will take on important leadership roles within the committee for the 2019-2020 academic year. If you can’t make it to the meeting, but would like to be considered for a role, please email me before May 19th.   Our last Sunday of religious school for this academic year will be May 19th.  The last Wednesday will be May 29th.    One of our classes, Kitah Gimmel, will be conducting a very special Shabbat service on May 31st at 8:00pm. They’ve been working for months on their own siddur. You won’t want to miss seeing the results of their hard work!    Mark your calendars for Saturday evening, June 8th, Erev Shavuot, which is also our Youth Confirmation. Please come to celebrate Shavuot and to support our confirmands Noah Miller, Phineas Larson, and Landon Levine.   If you have any questions or ideas, or would like to become more involved, I welcome your emails: ti.si.school.bd@gmail.com   B’shalom, Jennifer Cortijo Chair  Committee on Religious School

We had a most enjoyable day on April 6th, attending "The Immigrant," at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ, followed by dinner at Olive Garden. The next meeting of the Adult Learning Committee will take place on May 16th at 7pm at Judy Pessah's home. At 7:30 pm we will begin our discussion of "Lemon Tree" by Sandy Tolan, a story of an Arab and a Jew in the Middle East. On May 21st don't miss an evening at the Noble Museum. Beginning at 6pm we are invited to tour the museum and at 7pm there will be an entertaining talk on Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean. There is no fee to attend this event thanks to the additional funding provided by the Avis Foundation for Temple Israel. On May 30th at 11am please join us on a visit to Urban Glass in Brooklyn, where we will be taken on a tour of this glass making facility, followed by lunch at Juniors which is nearby. For more information, or to RSVP to any or all of our events contact Cheryl at cherylmlevine@gmail.com , or Judy at  judithpessah@gmail.com . Thank you. Cheryl Levine Judy Pessah Co-Chairs

Since our last E-Shalom we said a farewell to Sheila Blit, mother of Marnie Blit, mother-in-law of Scott Schwartz, grandmother of Nate and Ethan.  We were also saddened by the loss of Franklin J. Stein, father of Shari Stein-Ballow, father-in-law of Lawrence Ballow, grandfather of Fanya and Jillian Ballow and Great grandfather of Jordan Padilla. Thank you to the congregants who helped with the Shiva for the Stein-Ballow family and for your heartfelt concern and written condolences for the Blit family. May these families find comfort among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and may the memories of their departed loved ones be a blessing. To those who are recovering from illness or surgery we wish you all the best of health.   If you need assistance, please let us know.  As always, we hope that you, our congregants, will continue to support our Caring Community with your donations that help cover the costs of food, paper goods, tolls, parking, etc. used to assist those of our Temple Community that need assistance. Our committee assists congregants who need help with a Shiva, rides to doctors when they cannot get there themselves and meals when necessary, among many other things.  Thank you all for your generous donations. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy month!! Pamela Rogozin (917)607-0782 Caring Community Committee Chair

Click here for information on No Shush Shabbats.

No Shush Shabbat Volunteers Needed No Shush Shabbat is a half hour Shabbat service conducted by Rabbi Howald the first Friday night of each month for special needs children and their families (ages 4-14 are welcome). It has been highly successful and has been on going for about two years. A number of congregants have been our permanent “ helpers” at these services, and it is time to expand our pool of volunteers. Primarily the task is to be present to aid Rabbi with some behavior management and help serve the challah and juice at the end of the service. Of course the parents are present so primary responsibility is to also be role models during the service.  We have established very positive relationships with these  children and families a number of whom have joined our synagogue. It is open to the entire Staten Island Jewish community not just Temple members. If you would like to be part of our volunteer corps please contact Judy Scher @  Drjudysi@gmail.com . It is a pleasant and rewarding experience for anyone who has experience with special needs children or would like to learn (young adults interested in this field are welcome). Also, if you know anyone in the community who would benefit from this experience who are not Temple members, please let them know about this special service. Thank you Judy Scher, Joanna Meltzer, & Inez Singer

Click here for information about I*Shabbat!

Social action is almost out of funds!!!!  Please donate to this important mitzvah!!!  We will not be able to continue helping feed the hungry or assisting the people of our community without your donations!!!!  Thank you for helping in any way you can!!! BACKPACKS Through the generous donations of some of our members we are getting close to filling our backpacks for next year!!  If you would like to be a part of this wonderful mitzvah please donate to Social Action and indicate that you are donating for the Backpacks.  If you would like to attend the graduation where the backpacks are given out just let me know!!! FOOD PREPARATIONS   The months of April and May are so full of activities we have not been able to figure out when our next food preparation event can be scheduled for.  We will let you know when we find a date. Thank you again to all those who help with this important Mitzvah. DIAPERS Did you know that neither WIC nor food stamps cover the cost of baby diapers?  In order to help, we provide packages of diapers to Project Hospitality to be distributed to mothers of infants.  Please buy diapers or make a donation to Social Action to support this cause. DONATIONS    Of course, none of the things Social Action does could be accomplished without your generous donations.  We have been able to feed thousands of people less fortunate than ourselves and hope to feed thousands mor e,  thanks to you!    We have given hundreds of backpacks to children who might otherwise not received them, and hope to give hundreds more, thanks to you!  We have diapered hundreds of babies helping hundreds of families, and we hope to help hundreds more, thanks to you!  Please help us continue our important work for our community by donating both your time (for food prep events if you are available) and funds.  Thank you so much for your support! Pamela Rogozin (917)607-0782 Social Action Chair

FRIDAY, MAY 3 NO SHUSH SHABBAT - 5:45 p.m. FAMILY SHABBAT SERVICE - 7:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 HEBREW SCHOOL - 4:30 p.m. SATURDAY, MAY 11 THEATRE WORKSHOP (Ages 6-13) (RSVP required) SUNDAY, MAY 12 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL -9:30 a.m WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 HEBREW SCHOOL - 4:30 p.m. FRIDAY, MAY 17 I*SHABBAT - 6:00 p.m. SHABBAT SHALOM DINNER - 6:30 p.m. FRIDAY, MAY 19 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL -9:30 a.m WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 HEBREW SCHOOL - 4:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 HEBREW SCHOOL - 4:30 p.m. FRIDAY, MAY 31 ORIGINAL SHABBAT SERVICE CONDUCTED BY KITTAH GIMMEL - 8:00 p.m.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FAMILY ACTIVITIES We have had a very exciting year at Temple Israel with the many programs that have been provided for our children and their parents. The Avis Foundation concludes our programming for the 2019-2020 calendar year with two terrific workshops for the boys and girls and a very interesting lecture for the adults. On Saturdays, May 4 and 11 Michael Ferman, a lifelong dramatic instructor and member of Actor’s Equity and SAG- AFTRA , will hold workshops for our children ages 6-13. The first workshop that was held in March was a big success. The May workshops will take place in the Main Hall, Room B-5, at Wagner College from 4 -6 PM. The room is located in the basement level of the building. The children may attend either or both of the May workshops. There will also be a very interesting lecture sponsored by the Adult Education Committee and the Avis Foundation about the Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean at the Noble Museum , 1000 Richmond Terrace, Building D, on Tuesday, May 21st at 7:00 PM. Come at 6:00 PM to explore the museum . Sherrie Baver, who teaches political science and Latin American Studies at the City College of NY and the Graduate Center at CUNY, will fascinate you with stories about the struggles in the Caribbean, Latin America and the diaspora. The program is free, invite anyone who may be interested to attend. We are looking for additional young families to join Temple Israel. This is the time of year that we a re looking for new members to become part of our synagogue family. If you know of anyone who may be interested just contact Bryn Biren at 1(718)447-6225 or Terry Baver at 1(718)490-4428 and we will immediately reach out to them. -Bryn Biren

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Contributions to Temple Israel as tributes, dedications or memorials are welcome  and are published in the weekly Shabbat program. Donations can be dedicated to the general Temple Israel Fund or to any of the following specific funds:  Adult Education Fund  Building Preservation Fund  Caring Community Fund  Carole Lachman Memorial Fund Choir Fund  Estelle A. Gootenberg Memorial Fund (for Torah Repair/ Restoration)  Gerald J. Lustig Memorial Fund (for Ark & Ark Doors)  Liheyot Fund  Membership Fund  Prayerbook Fund  Rabbi Marcus Kramer Memorial Library Fund  Shoah Education Fund Scholarship Fund  Social Action A $5.00 minimum donation is requested for these funds. Checks for donations to any of these funds should be made payable to Temple Israel. PRAYERBOOKS may be dedicated in honor or memory of a special person or occasion. For specific prayerbooks and donation amounts, look for the Prayerbook icons found in this bulletin Please make checks for Donations to the RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND payable to that fund. Donations in any amount may be made to SISTERHOOD OF TEMPLE ISRAEL or BROTHERHOOD OF TEMPLE ISRAEL with checks made payable directly to the affiliate organization. For a leaf on the TREE OF LIFE in honor of a simcha, please scroll down.  For permanent MEMORIAL PLAQUES on our Family Memorial Wall or Original Memorial Wall, please call the Temple office at 718-727-2231. To see list of all recent Tributes and Program Donations to Funds...

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