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

‌

Rabbi Michael D. Howald                         Student Cantor Elizabeth Flynn President Bryn Biren

E-Shalom - May 2018 Temple Israel’s New 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.

On Monday, April 9, the Executive Officers and Board of Trustees of Temple Israel voted to send the following letter to Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik and the Officers and Board of Directors of The Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island.

If you would like to read the psak halacha to which this letter refers, CLICK HERE.

A Message from Rabbi Michael D. Howald The book of Leviticus, the book we typically read during the early spring of each year, contains some of the strangest portions in the whole Torah.  Universally dreaded by b’nei-mitzvah kids, the book of Leviticus is full of boils, fungal infections, rashes, sores sprouting hair and strange rituals involving animal sacrifice.  At first reading, it’s hard to know what to make of large parts of Leviticus, foreign to us not only because of its focus on the rituals of the now-destroyed Temple, but also because of its overt concern with sin and sacrifice.               Thank God that Jewish clergy no longer have to examine people’s skin, clothes or homes for signs of rashes and suspicious discolorations!  Does, however, the destruction of the Temple and the disappearance of the hereditary priesthood mean that large parts of the book of Leviticus have nothing to teach us today? Far from it!  In Jewish tradition, for instance, afflictions like skin rashes and mold and mildew were regarded as outward signs of the sin of “Lashon Ha’Ra,” a phrase we often translate as “gossip” or “evil speech.”  While today we regard that kind of thinking about the cause of physical ailments and physical discolorations on walls and clothing as scientifically incorrect, our ancestors’ focus on the sin of harmful speech has much to recommend it in this age of Facebook and Twitter.             Every day, in fact, we read comments on social media in which many verbally delight in the misfortune of others and mock those who disagree with them, on issues large and small.  This kind of hurtful speech has become so ubiquitous in our conversations, both on social media and in person, that we have become numb to its corrosive effect on our own sense of civil discourse. Today, the sins of “Lashon Ha’ra” are everywhere, from the discourtesies we exchange with fellow drivers on the road to the epithets that have become routine whenever people with opposing views exchange messages on social media. Today, most of us are uncomfortable with the notion that disease is a manifestation of individual misconduct. Our knowledge of science and medicine tells us that behavior is not always a root cause of sickness and, even if it is connected to what we do with our body, it is hardly ever causally related to whether we choose our words wisely and kindly in speaking about others. The telltale signs of our own moral decay, at least today, do not appear in the mirror, nor do the walls of our homes give away the joy we take in insulting our friends and acquaintances. Today, our boils and eruptions, our blemishes and stains, are largely hidden from the eyes of others, not just under our clothes or a new coat of paint, but often concealed even from ourselves.             Perhaps we need a partial return to the rituals of the past when the Temple still stood.  Not a return to the unfair and irrational idea that skin disease or mold or mildew represents God’s punishment for our uncontrolled tongue, but a second look at the benefit of specifically reviewing our sins of speech at regular intervals. Most commentators believe that the disease our ancestors called tzara’at was probably a host of diseases, rashes and conditions, some of which were chronic and progressive and some of which were temporary and susceptible to cure. Over the lifetime of the average person, it’s likely that everyone, at some point or other, experiences one of these afflictions. When they did in the ancient past, in addition to the procedures of washing and shaving set forth in Leviticus, the priests would have invited the stricken to scrutinize their own conduct when it came to harming others through hateful words. We are solely in need of that periodic review today, not just for the hurt and harm we inflict on others through words, but for the joy we take in watching others, particularly the powerful and the famous, inflict it on others. As we move toward the end of the book of Leviticus, maybe it’s time to look at our use of the gift of speech with the vigilance the ancient rituals of the Temple demanded.  How can we replace harshness with kindness and contempt with respect when it comes to the words we choose in interacting with our fellow men and women?  We may disagree with our ancestors’ understanding of the causes of their skin afflictions, but their focus on the sin of harmful speech has much to recommend it, even two thousand years after the destruction of the Temple.  May we learn from their wisdom! B’Shalom, Rabbi Michael Howald

A Message from President Bryn Biren What motivates parents to join a synagogue? I think that the answer would most likely be that they want to give their children a Jewish education. They want them to learn to love G-d, to know about their past, to learn about the traditions of their people and to enjoy the festivals that are part of our people. At Temple Israel we have wonderful children who have had a very wonderful year. Our youngest students, beginning at the age of 3 1/2, in the Aleph class, have thrived in our Religious School, where they are taught by Ms. Joanna ( Joanna Meltzer). She has enthusiastically come to class each week with creative projects that have enhanced the learning of the Hebrew letters. The class laughs, learns and loves their teacher. Our older students in the Bet class are reading Hebrew words and are learning prayers in Hebrew, in addition to delving into the history of the Jewish people. Morah ( teacher) Sara ( Shariann Ganz) has challenged our boys and girls, readying them for the class that was taught by student cantor Elizabeth Flynn. This class included intense discussions concerning Jewish values and exposed the children to content that will be needed for their Bat/Bar Mitzvah experiences. Student Cantor Flynn and Rabbi Howald worked together to provide a departmental program, moving from class to class, so that they could work with all of our older children. All of our Religious students met in the Sanctuary at the end of the Sunday sessions to learn Festival songs that were taught by Cantor Flynn. Brooke Lopez involved our children in a terrific Purim Shpiel (a play, show) and has become a part of the Religious School. She is engaging the children in “Storatelling”, (which is storytelling) and making the tales of our traditional Jewish heroes and heroines come alive. As our school year nears the end we are already planning for next year. It is our hope to form a children’s choir. It is also our intention to establish a Temple Israel children’s band. Please contact us if your child would like to be involved. We have to think of new ways to challenge and educate our children. We want them to come to our synagogue looking forward to being there. Our girls and boys are our future and the future of Temple Israel. We have to continue to provide opportunities and new challenges for them. I think our future looks bright!  Bryn Biren President

Notes from  Student Cantor Elizabeth Flynn

It is difficult to think about the next few months in my life and also in the life of Temple Israel and to not think about transition and change. Within two months, I will be finishing school, receiving my ordination, and leaving Temple Israel, a place I have called my spiritual home for the past three years. On top of all this I will be packing up my apartment and leaving, not only the physical space I have called home for the past four years, but also the state that has been my home for my entire life -- All of this to begin a new job and a new life in Delaware. As all of these changes occur in my personal and professional life, Temple Israel is of course entering into its own state of major transition: a new student cantor not withstanding, transitions in temple leadership, most notably the transition of new presidents, which is unique to this year, and the installation of new boards throughout the synagogue’s various organizations ensure that there will be considerable change in structure and dynamic in the Temple community over the next few months. Change is never a comfortable thing and with so much approaching, I have spent considerable time thinking about how to best navigate it – to make sure that the strong emotions that accompany change can help instead of hinder the process. It is no surprise given the complexity of our faith and culture that Judaism has many different processes for helping mark life transitions. From baby namings and b’rit milah to Bar/Bat Mitzvah to weddings to funerals, the best way to transition Judaism says, is through ritual.  While the term “ritual” sometimes seems archaic, summoning up thoughts of ancient practices of sacrifices and purifying incense, a ritual is in its most simple form, an act used to mark a time of distinction. The act of marking a time of change with a substantive and meaningful ceremony of some sorts helps not only smooth the transition but more importantly allows for the important moment of emotional expression and release. So while there may not be formal ritual designed for the transitions about to take place between myself and Temple Israel, I have been thinking about how I might adapt already existing rituals to help aid in my transition and working to mark the significance that my time with this community has had on my life and on my personal and professional growth. The idea of a Torah reading and aliyah has occurred to me, along with other ideas that may come out in our final service together on June 15 th. While I won’t spoil the surprise, know that there will undoubtedly be a service filled with music and merriment. It will certainly be a special evening and I hope that you will join me. For now, I plan to make the absolute most of the time we have left together – through prayer, laughter, and song. B’shirah, Liz

Jodi Siegel & Shariann Ganz Co-Presidents

During the months of May and June,we sometimes feel like we are in the middle of the tornado which takes Dorothy’s house from Kansas to Munchkin Land. Just as soon as Passover ends, Sisterhood is running full speed ahead towards our Spring Rummage Sale, our Nominations and Election Process, our final meetings of the year, our End of Year Dinner and Installation Service and planning ahead for the next year. With that, we are also involved in what we like to refer to as “Awards Season” on Staten Island because, inevitably and deservedly, there is some member of our Sisterhood being honored by one Staten Island organization or another every single year and none of us would miss being in attendance to support and congratulate one of our own. This year, we are happy to celebrate the accomplishments of Pamela Carlton, Andrea and Fred Simon, Jennifer Straniere, and Blanche Ricci, Claire Bleiman, Karen and Joe Gamoran and our all the past and present members of the Temple Israel Adult Choir and Accompanists being honored by the JCC, UJA, Wagner Chai Society and our own Temple, respectively. We also want to acknowledge those members of Sisterhood who are responsible for the success of some of our “end of year“ activities. Linda and Larry Hanibal and their family have once again made the enormous task of organizing and running our Temple Israel Sale look easy. We are so grateful to them and to all those who helped set up, work the tables and assist with the massive clean up. This was another successful fundraiser for Sisterhood and will help us to continue our annual support of our Temple in general. We are also extremely grateful to the women of our Nominating Committee who worked so diligently to put together a very strong slate of Officers and Directors for Sisterhood for 2018-2019. Thank you to Karen Gross and Inez Singer and to Deanna Feder, Shari Stein Ballow, and Debra Smith Levine for accepting and successfully completing this very difficult task. Sisterhood has been referred to, many times, as the “Backbone of Temple Israel”. But, our “backbone” is getting a little older and pieces of it are moving away. We desperately need the newer (and younger) members our our congregation to get involved with Sisterhood in order to ensure our future. If you want to know what’s going on in our Synagogue and you want to reap the benefits of our truly caring community, Sisterhood involvement is your best route. We guarantee that everyone single one of our current members would agree. We welcome you all to attend our meetings, join our committees, participate in our activities. We promise it will only enrich your Temple Israel experience! We are looking forward to the next few weeks, as we prepare for our celebratory End-of-Year Dinner and our Installation Shabbat Service. We are grateful to Sue Freedman and Fern Barris for all the work they have done in planning what promises to be another wonderful dinner and to Sue for, once again, working with Brotherhood and Rabbi Howald, and the Ritual Committee to coordinate our Installation Service. Please be sure to add all the dates and events below to your calendar. As we make our way down the Yellow Brick Road towards Oz and the summer, we look forward to sharing the many upcoming wonderful events and activities with all of you. In Sisterhood, Shariann Ganz & Jodi Siegel Co-Presidents

DATES TO REMEMBER Sunday, May 6 - UJA Breakfast honoring Andrea & Fred Simon **Tuesday, May 9- Sisterhood Executive Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m. (**New Date) Wednesday, May 16- SH General Membership Meeting/Dinner/Game Night - 7 p.m. Saturday, May 19 - Confirmation/Erev Shavuot Service - 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 20 - S havuot Yizkor and Healing Service - 10:30 a.m. (Dish to Share Luncheon to follow) Wednesday, May 22- Wagner Chai Society Dinner Honoring Jennifer Straniere-6 p.m. Tuesday June 12- Sisterhood End of Year Dinner -7:00 p.m. (Scroll down for Flyer ) Friday, June 15th - 6:00 p.m. Bring a Dairy Dish To Share Dinner Honoring Cantor Elizabeth Flynn Friday, June 15th -8:00 p.m. - Sisterhood/Brotherhood Installation Shabbat Service

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

Thank you to Sisterhood for allowing us to share Breakfast with them at our April meeting. We discussed a variety of issues including First Nominations for officers and Directors for the coming year. We will have a Dinner meeting this month. Please check your e-mail and News and Notes for the date. Also, our Paid up Breakfast offsite will be held in June, along with our end of year Men’s Night Out. Details will be announced soon.  On Sunday March 25 th , we held our annual Men’s Seder.  It was a very inspiring and tasty event for all. Thank you to Rabbi Howald for providing me with a new Haggadah to use. Also many thanks to my wife Shariann for helping to prepare the delicious food we enjoyed. Yellow Yom Hashoah Candles were distributed to the congregation to commemorate Yom Hashoah. Thank you to Alan Tepper and Irwin Magnus for taking the lead on this project. Thank you to all of you for your donations. I would like to welcome all of the new families to Temple Israel this year and invite them to participate in all of our events. This year, I have reinstituted the idea of giving Tzedukah in the name of something you are grateful for at the start of each meeting. This month we decided to send our Tzedukah to the Jewish Heritage Sports Association. Brotherhood is a vital affiliate organization to the Temple and I strongly ask that everyone become a member. We hold monthly meetings to take care of business, but more importantly to offer a bonding experience with your fellow men of the Temple Family.  Please share your ideas with us to enhance the Brotherhood experience. Together as one we will experience renewed strength. SAVE THE DATE July 29 th –Brotherhood’s Annual Barbecue Yours in Friendship and Brotherhood, Jeff Ganz

CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY 2018

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

Mazel Tov Nina Rohan on her retirement. Pam Carlton honored, by the JCC at the L’Dor V’dor Awards. Fred and Andrea Simon who will be honored at the UJA Breakfast. Jennifer Straniere who will be honored by Wagner College Chai Society Condolences   Lori Hernandez on the passing of her father, Jerry Fleishman Thinking of You Rebecca Hand

Please be sure to join us as we celebrate Shavuot during the month of May.  On Erev Shavuot Saturday May 19 th starting at 7:30 p.m., Robin Bronzaft Howald, David Meltzer, Nina Rohan, Jodi Siegel and Luigia Ruth Wiesner will be leading the Service as our Adult Confirmands.  Please plan to attend and honor their special achievement. Then, on Sunday morning, there will be a Shavuot Service at 10:30 a.m. which includes a healing component and Yizkor.  A "Dairy Dish to Share Lunch" will follow in the Social Hall. The Ritual Committee is grateful to our guest speaker Beth Siegel-Graf who, on Erev Yom HaShoah Wednesday April 11 th , presented a powerful program titled HERBERT SIEGEL - LUCK, FAMILY AND HEROISM. Beth shared her father's story about how he and his relatives journeyed from Poland to Siberia to Uzbekistan. It was a wonderful way for us to commemorate the Shoah during Temple Israel’s 29 th Annual Yom HaShoah observance and Service.  Thank you to Susan Marks for connecting us with our speaker.   Temple Israel was honored to host the Community Holocaust Remembrance on Sunday April 15 th , organized by The Staten Island Jewish Community Yom HaShoah Commemoration Committee.  Thank you Rabbi Howald, Alan Siegel, Jerrold Gross and Joyce Miller for their assistance and their support.     Jeffrey Ganz and Linda Brill , Co-Chairpersons Ritual Committee _________________________________________________________ THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE:   We thank the following congregants for their assistance with ushering during services as well as for honoring the congregation with their presence on the Bimah during the since the last E‑Shalom Pamela Carlton, Barbara Fried, Jeffrey Ganz, Shariann Ganz, Larry Hanibal, Irwin Magnus, Blanche Ricci, JR Rich, Pamela Rogozin, Andrea Simon, Fred Simon, Jennifer Straniere and Rhonda Trontz-Allen. Jerry Gross & Nina Rohan , Ushering Co-Chairs Jeffrey Ganz and Linda Brill , Co-Chairpersons Ritual Committee

May 4, 2018 Joel Chernoff James Gamble Frances Reiss Julius Schneider Benjamin Sherman Arnold Wells * Ettie Berman * Sidney Holzman Rebecca Lauren Lipsitz * Elizabeth Greenfield Clara Hershenson Clara Schneider Sally Berger * Gertrude Gross * Louis Melniker Michael Duskin * Katherine Marks * Dora Wolchok Rose Kitoff * Beatrice Kutell Solomon Nison Anna Siegel Alan Bernard Sostek Harriette Duskin * Alma Rothwein Jacobs * Clara E. Silverberg * Muriel Trachman * And we remember from the Holocaust: Bertha Strauss Yehezkeil Borys Batia Schulman Elkan Italie Lucjan Kosiorek May 11, 2018 Milton Eisen * Rachel Jacobs Barry Nadel Ida Shenman * Fay Schaefer * Esther Goldman Dumont Marilyn Tanzer Fred Feigelman Chester Kaplan * Beatrice Lachman * Ada Lauter * Dr. A.  Milton Jacobs * Dorothy M. Melniker * Rea Silberberg And we remember from the Holocaust: Leokadia Jarominiak Simonne Lichtenstein Marcel Gilboux Abraham Sichel Cosman Troostwijk

May 18, 2018 Ernest Beck Harold B. Blach Roslyn Klein Eugenia Gavarlynsh Craig Lawrence Horn * Suzanne Nadel * Murray Gold * Florence Hurkin * Dr.Henry Litinsky * Alan Soloway * Charlotte A. Braverman * Seymour G. Gollubier * William Grodman Itta Berlyand And we remember from the Holocaust: Judith Rebecca Keizer Noach Vawner Faygl Hojnatski Schimon Samostschik Jadwiga Ladowa May 25, 2018 Edith Gamoran Iris Mushnick Etta Rabin * Ane Sussman * Rita Feldstein * Ruth Lewis Dr. H. Edward Marshon * William Brill * Irving Cohen * Carole Lachman * Burton Cohen * Anna Katy Silverman * Samuel Tatt Leon Grossman Siegfried Katz * Carole Lachman * Peter Nash * And we remember from the Holocaust: Judith Rebecca Keizer Noach Vawner Faygl Hojnatski Schimon Samostschik Jadwiga Ladowa

* 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 Oneg following Services on Friday, May 4th, will be sponsored in Honor of Shabbat by those celebrating a Birthday or Anniversary in the month of May and by Miriam Friend in honor of her mother’s birthday and the 18th anniversary of her adult Bat Mitzvah. Birthday, Anniversary, Birth, Engagement, Wedding, Bat/Bar Mitzvah? CELEBRATE ANY SIMCHA and share your joy with the Congregation at Services on any Friday evening. Sisterhood will tak e care of everything for you! To sponsor an oneg, just Contact Sisterhood through the Temple Office (718)727-2231.

All Sisterhood Members and Friends of Sisterhood are welcome to join us for our May General Membership Meeting . There will be short business agenda which will include our annual election of officers and directors. The meeting will be followed by a light dinner and dessert and GAME NIGHT! PLEASE BRING A GAME YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY OR JOIN IN WITH OTHERS! (BYOB)

CLICK DIRECTLY ON FLYER TO DOWNLOAD OR PRINT.

SAVE-THE -DATE THE SQUARE DANCE Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 7:45pm Our next T.I. fundraiser, which is only days away by the time you receive this E-Bulletin, is an old fashioned rip-roaring hootnanny style Square Dance. Along with an open invitation to all, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome and invite our newer Temple Israel members to partake in our fundraising Square Dance event. Remember, no square dancing experience is required.  We will have a professional caller who will be announcing all the dance steps.   So why not mark your respective calendar, put your dancing boots on and mosey on down to Temple Israel with family and friends to Do-Si-Do for an evening of fun. Our Square Dance registration flyer is in the lobby or attached to this E-Bulletin.  If you don’t have enough time to mail in your registration and check, you may also pay at the door. This Committee works diligently to bring you enthusiastic experiences for your enjoyment.  Please share in them and remember that by doing so you help to support our Temple Israel Looking forward to seeing y’all! Respectfully, Andrea Simon and Karen E. Frey-Gamoran Fundraising Committee Co-Chairs

Religious School ( Sundays:9:30 am–12:00 pm -- 11:45am for Kitonim) Hebrew School  (Wednesdays: 4:30 pm- 6:00 pm for Students in 3 rd Grade & Up) PLEASE NOTE: Days there will not be school due to attendance of students in observation of Jewish holidays and/or public school holiday closings on: Sunday,   5/6 - UJA Breakfast and Ordination of Cantor Flynn Sunday,   5/27 – Memorial Day Weekend There is one more Children’s Workshop & Parents Program at the Noble Maritime Collection at Sailors Snug Harbor, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Bldg D Seats are limited. (Free to Temple Israel Members) 5/5. WATERCOLORS 4:00-6:00 PM AGES 5 -12 AND AT THE SAME TIME at the Nobel Maritime Building in another area, PARENT WORKSHOP: 5/5. “ YOGA & MEDITATION 4:00 PM Please RSVP(very important)—call Terry at: 1(718)490-4428 1(718)447-6225 These workshops are FREE to Temple Israel members. $15 to non-members interested in joining Temple Israel Joyce Miller School Advisor

By the time you read our article next month, our committee will probably have a new name.  We are planning to blend our activities with other committees. In order to ease the burden of planning for programs by many individuals, we believe it is in the best interests of our congregants for us to plan together. We will have access to more resources to hire speakers on a a variety of subjects, and we will reach out to congregants to speak on their areas of interest in Judaism and in the world in general.  We will include musical programs highlighting both Social Action and our Jewish Heritage. Please feel free to inform us of topics that appeal to you, as well as topics that you are able to present to us.  We will keep you posted

In the meantime READ “Sima’s  Undergarments for Women" by Ilana Stanger Ross.  This is a fun book , giving you a great perspective  on the  everyday life of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn,  while being comforting and uplifting at the same time Judith Pessah and Barbara Tepper Co-Chairs

Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the generous donations of our Temple Israel Congregants we were able, once again, to feed the hungry of Staten Island with our April 8th food-prep. Unfortunately we have not been able to plan a date in May with so much going on, but we hope to have another food prep event mid June. Thank you again for helping us help our community. Pamela Rogozin and Barbara Tepper  Social Action Co-chairs

Thank you to our Congregants who have contributed to and supported our Caring Community this month. It takes all of us at Temple to make us the Caring Community we are proud to have through Temple Israel. May we all be blessed with peace this month. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Tepper and Pamela Rogozin Co-Chairs

CLICK DIRECTLY ON FLYER TO DOWNLOAD OR PRINT.

FRIDAY, MAY 4 NO SHUSH SHABBAT (for Special Needs Children & their families) 6:00 p.m. FAMILY SHABBAT SERVICE 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, MAY 5 WATER COLOR PAINTING at Noble Maritime Collection (RSVP Necessary...see flyer below) 4:00 p.m. FRIDAY, MAY 18 I*SHABBAT (Interactive Service for Young Children) SATURDAY, MAY 19 EREV SHAVUOT ADULT CONFIRMATION SERVICE 7:30 p.m. For information and future dates for No Shush Shabbats, click here !

Are you stressed? Do you want to build your core strength? Join us. Thursdays 7:15-8:15 p.m. May, 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Sundays 6:00-7:00 p.m. May 6, 13, 20 Members: $15 Non-Members $18. Bring your own Yoga Mat Both sets of classes are for ADULTS ONLY . Both Chair and mat students are accommodated at each class. For more information contact Bryn Biren  1(718)727-2231

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.

The entire congregation is invited to join in the celebration as together we mark CONFIRMATION and SHAVUOT at the service on Saturday,May 19th at 7:30 p.m. The service will be led by this year’s Adult Confirmands and will include the reading of the Ten Commandments. This year’s Confirmands will be: Robin Howald, David Meltzer, Nina Rohan, Jodi Siegel and Luigia Wiesner. Please join us in celebrating their accomplishments. A special oneg will be held in the social hall following the service.  Erev Shavuot, Saturday, May 19th.

CLICK HERE FOR: Shavuot History Shavuot Customs & Rituals Shavuot Food & Recipes Shavuot Family Activities

Join us to celebrate the 70 TH Anniversary of Temple Israel and help us honor those who do so much for our Congregation. PLEASE SEND IN YOUR GALA BRUNCH RESERVATIONS AND JOURNAL ADS!!!!

All Past and Present Choir Members and Accompanists are being honored. If you have ever been a member of our adult choir, please join us for this special day! If you have not received an invitation or know someone who would like to receive one, please CLICK HERE to contact us . .

To place an ad in our Commemorative Gala Journal, click here!

If you have not yet received your invitation in the mail, please contact the Temple Office and leave a message for the Gala Committee.

Contributions to Temple Israel as tributes, dedications or memorials are welcome.  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, scroll down to the bottom of 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...

CLICK HERE

THE DR. RONALD AVIS FOUNDATION The past month has been an exciting one as the Avis Foundation reached out into the community with two April programs at the Noble Museum on the grounds of Snug Harbor. We marveled at the beauty of the building and enjoyed Printmaking and Star Gazing classes for our boys and girls ages 6-11. Dr. Terry Baver gave a fascinating talk on Critical Thinking for Parents for the adults. Our parents were also treated to a very relaxing Yoga class led by our terrific teacher, Denise Nizarre. Coming up on May 5th from 4-6 PM is a terrific WATERCOLOR PAINTING session led by Dawn Daniels, an instructor at the Noble Museum. The class is designed for children ages 6-11. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. On May 5th from 4-5 PM there will be an adult Yoga class at the Noble Museum. The classes on May 5 are FREE to Temple members. There is a $15 fee for non-members. Coming up on Sunday, June 3 there is a GREENBELT HIKE, for 4-7 year olds, lead by a naturalist, from 1:30-2:45 PM. Of course parents are welcome. For more information contact Terry Baver at Terryqbaver@ gmail.com or Bryn Biren at MsBunny7@ aol.com. If you know of any young family that might be interested in joining Temple Israel contact us immediately and we will reach out to them. __________________________________________________________ When the members of the Union For Reform Judaism meet at their biennials, one of the most important things they do is vote on Resolutions. As Rabbi Rick Jacobs , the president of the URJ has written, “for more than a century, resolutions have given voice to the URJ’s positions on domestic and international concerns, from Israel to Civil Rights, from inclusion for people with disabilities to principles of economic justice and more. Often, they place the URJ at the forefront of issues of the day; always they ground our positions in Jewish texts and tradition, rooting our priorities in our ancient and ongoing values. ...Resolutions may be proposed by congregations, URJ affiliates, and commissions, such as the Commission on Social Action.” Resolutions do not bind congregations, but they do shed a light on the priorities and vision of our movement and how we hope that vision can influence and shape public policy. At the Biennial in Boston this past December, six resolutions were voted on. Resolution on our Community’s Pursuit of Racial Justice Resolution on Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change Resolution on Responding to the Global Refugee Crisis Resolution on School Discipline and Academic Climate Resolution on Student-on-Student Sexual Violence in Schools Resolution on Redistricting Reading the resolutions from the past is a meaningful way to read about both American history and the history of the Social Action commitments of the Reform Movement in North America. For example, it is fascinating to read the resolution on immigration passed by the Reform Movement in 1913.  We plan to bring you periodic in-depth explorations of some of the resolutions voted on by the URJ over the years as a way to become more aware of the ways the Reform Movement has positioned itself regarding the important issues of the day. The Social Justice Initiative of the Avis Foundation

Click directly on flyer to print or download print or download.

Click on flyer to print to download

Of course you do! You can help Temple Israel raise much needed funds without any cost to you. We also can get Macy’s, Nordstrom, Saks Off Fifth, PetSmart, Peet’s Coffee, Barnes and Noble, Fairway, Marshalls/TJ Maxx. We are looking into getting The Container Store. Just purchase gift certificates to these stores from Larry Hanibal, Rhonda Trontz-Allen, or Barbara Tepper. You pay the face value, but as we buy these in bulk, we get a discount. The discount becomes our profit, as much as 11% for Macy’s, 5% for the supermarkets and drug stores. Ask Larry or Barbara for details. There are many more vendors for which we can get gift certificates, so ask us if you have any special requests. Most gift certificates come in $25 and $100 denominations. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Tepper

TREE OF LIFE   Commemorate a special celebration or honor a family member or friend with a beautifully engraved leaf or stone on our Tree of Life.  Click here for details.  LOOKING FOR A JEWISH E-CARD FOR HOLIDAYS OR LIFE CYCLE EVENTS?? Visit URJ AT THIS LINK

Consider DONATING A PRAYERBOOK in honor of or in memory of a loved one or in celebration of life cycle event. Select any of the prayerbooks used at Temple Israel for adults or children.

Click on the Prayerbook of your choice for the Prayerbook Donation Form!

For a printable version of this calendar, click here !

PLEASE PATRONIZE THESE BUSINESSES WHO SUPPORT TEMPLE ISRAEL. Be sure to mention that you saw their advertisement in our E-Bulletin.

Sunset Hill Laser & Electrolysis Fern L. Barris Hair Removal Specialist 891 Bard Avenue Staten Island, NY 10301 www.SunsetHillLaser.com (718)390-0531

If you are not receiving this Bulletin via a direct e-mail and would like to, please contact us at TICOMMUNICATION@aol.com to be added to our mailing list.

CONTACT INFORMATION 718-727-2231     tmplisrael@aol.com Visit our website

Follow Us ‌

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Our E-Bulletin is shared with the entire Temple Israel Family and the Staten Island Community. If you are a local business or community organization and you would like to advertise in our monthly bulletin, please contact the Temple Office at 718-727-2231 or e-mail TICommunication@aol.com.