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A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
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Parashat Va'Etchanan: The Text of a Prayer
When I lead Minyanim (services) or teach about Tefillah (prayers), I often like to play a game I call: "Where did that come from?!" Recognizing that much of our liturgy comes directly from the Torah, I like to point out where a quote originated. Sometimes I simply point if out or sometimes it is the beginning of a deeper conversation to determine whether a specific quote's use in the prayer is the same as its meaning in the Text from which it came.
Parashat Va'Etchanan stands out because much of it has found its way into our daily existence as Jews. For instance, this Torah portion contains a restatement of the Ten Commandments together with the Shema, each, in its own way, the sine qua non of our faith. But there is another quote from V'Etchanan that maintains a very important position in each of our prayer services. It is from 4:39) The English text is: "Know this day and take it to heart that Adonai is God in heaven above and on earth below, there is no other."
The Hebrew in transliteration is:
V'yadata ha-yom va-hasheivota el l"vavkha, ki Adonai Hu Ha-Elohim ba-shamayim mi-ma-al, v'al ha-aretz mi-takhat, ein od. ***
Where do we see this? It is in the Aleinu, the prayer that we say at the conclusion of every service. This sentence is at the end of the first paragraph that many of us sing as a congregation in an easily recognizable tune.
The Aleinu prayer is, according to Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, "[o]ne of the noblest expressions of the universal character of Jewish monotheism". It was written in the 3rd century and is often ascribed to the Babylonian sage, Rav. Originally intended to be said during the Musaf service on Rosh Hashanah, it became the closing prayer of each daily service during the early 13th century.
The piece of Va'Etchanan that is in the Aleinu reaffirms the notion that our God truly is the one and only God. When it says that Adonai is God in heaven and on earth below, the liturgy is telling us that God is the God of "everywhere" and "everything".
In the greater context of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses is giving his final speech to the Israelites. At length, and with love, Moses is taking the Torah and synthesizing God's Commandments into his own words; in a form that humans will better be able to understand. (Indeed, human emotions abound in Deuteronomy.) As in his life, these words will enable Moses, even after his death, to be an intermediary between the people and God.
Knowing that the words are Moses', every time we say the Aleinu and recite this piece of Text, it is as if Moses is calling out to us; calling to each of us. We are being reminded of the very basic nature of Torah's message; there is One God in heaven and on earth. In this regard, it is not by accident that the first part of the Aleinu is in the present tense. It is intended to be a permanently present message; a message that transcends time. It reminds us that every day, every hour, every minute, and every second, the God to whom we find ourselves praying is the one God.
One God, One Torah, One people.
Shabbat Shalom - Rabbi Michael S. Jay
*** (By the way, anyone who can help me to use Hebrew in Word, please feel free to reach out to me.)
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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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The Chaverah had a fun time Sunday night as Liz Trotta and her assistants gave a swing dance class to the group.
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Malenie & Michael Piscetelli
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Thank you to Jill Denker, Chaverah coordinator, David Shatz, Karen Shatz, Linda Chakrin and Diane Buskirk for putting it all together.
 AUGUST BAZAAR.
Our two bazaars are one of our biggest fund raisers. It takes a lot to pull it off. Thanks to Mary Beth Kreiger in our office and our custodian,Tony DeGregorio, for all of their hard work. The publicity - signs on the boulevard, flyers for the motels and publicity in the local papers - let folks know about the event.
It is important for our vendors to know we are doing our part.
Thank you to all our members who make it their business to stop in to show their support.
Bravo to the following for their help: 
The early morning check-in workers were Ron Marr, Diane Hoffman, and Don Pripstein
JCC Table:
Karen Shatz, David Shatz, Maxine Paris, Don Paris, Ina Morgenthal, Ira Morgenthal, Harold Farin, and Don Pripstein
Our kitchen staff:
Irene Babst,
Mike Babst,
Diane Buskirk,
Noralyn Carroll,
Jill Denker,
Bunny Kaufman,
Beverly Miller,
Suzy Geier,
John Geier,
Hedda Chairnoff,
Phyllis Sisenwine,
Natty Lapidus and
Marlene Matz
Special kudos to Jill 'Denker and Sue Rosenthal for making the ever popular Karen Schwing coffee cake.
Our shoe salespeople:
Lisa Siberman,
Helene Gordon,
Arlene Schragger and
Roberta Kaplan
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MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW!!!!
Enjoy a nostalgic evening with comedian,
Larry Donsky
Star of
the original 2009 "Old Jews Telling Jokes"
&
The Jersey Chix
Performing songs
from
Broadway to Motown to jazz and rock
Sunday August 18th 7:00 PM
Snacks, drinks and dessert.
Tickets - $35.00
609-492-4090
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THE OCEAN COUNTY FEDERATION
JEWISH FILM
FESTIVAL
COMES
TO MANAHAWKIN
It is very exciting news that the Jewish Federation has come "south" to accommodate the folks in the southern part of our county. Let us show that we appreciate this by attending in large numbers the two films being shown at the
Regal Theater in Manahawkin.
Tuesday, August 20th @ 7:00 PM
"Shoelaces"
The story of a complicated relationship between an aging father and his special-needs adult son whom he abandoned while a young boy. Through the film's portrayal of a relationship full of love, rejection and co-dependency, it sheds light on the importance of human life, human connection and questions if life has meaning without either one of them.
DINNER AND A MOVIE
The community is offering an opportunity to have a buffet dinner prior to the movie on August 20th at the Element Restaurant & Bar for $20 per person. A vegan option is available. The price includes taxes, gratuities and all drinks except for alcohol (which can be purchased at the bar). Dinner is a 5:00 prior to the 7:00 movie. Contact Arlene Schragger by Friday, the 16th to make your reservation at:
Sunday, August 25th @ 7:00 PM
"The Light of Hope"
TICKET INFORMATION:
You can order online at
or
by calling the BOX OFFICE at 732-531-9106
and then pressing EXTENSION 14
Tickets to each show are $12
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MORE SUMMER ACTIVITIES
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BOOK CLUB 
August 19th
10:30 at the JCC Library
Book to be reviewed:
"The Lost Girls of Paris"
by Pam Jenoff
ANNUAL CONGREGATION MEETING
Sunday, August 25.
10:00 AM
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MAH JONGG & CANASTA
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Mah jongg & Canasta
Wednesdays from
12:30 to 4:00 PM
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PROGRAMS OF INTEREST AT THE LIBRARY
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The Friends of the Island Library are sponsoring a program on
August 19 at 7 p.m. about ancestry and genetics with Sandy Hahn Lanman.
 Lanman's late mother had been given up for adoption in Germany in 1928. Seemingly, this would have been a dead-end road for finding any relatives. But through some good investigative journalism techniques, she was able to find her grandmother's immediate and extended family living right here in New Jersey within 5 months of beginning her search. She also had some interesting adventures that included identifying her grandfather through DNA.
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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
Become a permanent part of the JCC landscape.
Purchase a personalized paving stone
in honor of your family or in memory of a loved one.
It will be
WRITTEN IN STONE
TREE OF LIFE
Add a leaf (leaves) to our beautiful Tree of Life located in the Social Hall. See the order form here:
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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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
Mary Beth, Tony and Leslie
Office Staff:
Leslie Dinkfelt, Office Manager
Mary Beth Krieger, Staff Member
Tony DeGregorio, Custodial Staff
Kitchen Manager
Susan Berube
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Rabbi Michael S. Jay
Michael Babst, President
VIEW THE JULY/AUGUST BULLETIN
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
8/16 - 8/23
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Friday 8/16
Rabbi's Class
10:00 AM
Topic: "Is it real or is it fake news?"
Sunday
Remember the Catskills
7:00 PM
Monday
Book Club
10:30 AM
Tuesday
Jewish Film Festival
7:00 PM
"Shoelaces" @
Regal Theater, Manahakwin
Wednesday
Mah jongg & Canasta
12:30 - 4 PM
Thursday
Women's Rosh Chodesh
7:00 PM
LBI Foundation in Loveladies
Friday 8/23
Rabbi's Class
10:00 AM
LAST CLASS
SEE NEW TWO PAGE SUMMER CALENDAR
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August 16, 2019
7:33 PM
Friday, August 16, 2019
6:00 PM
at the beach in Loveladies
just south of St. Clare's Church
Bring a beach chair
Rabbi's Talk:
Hear Me, Be Like Me,
or Do as I say.
What Does God really want?
Saturday, August 17, 2019
SHABBAT NACHAMU
The first of seven haftarahs of consolation leading up to the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
BAR MITZVAH OF
HENRY RANANI
Henry lives in Woodbridge, CT with his parents, Dana and Scott and his brothers, Jack, and Will. He will be an eighth-grader at Ezra Academy a Solomon Schechter day school in the fall. He loves playing sports especially soccer and futsal. Henry loves LBI because he gets to spend time with family relaxing on the beach, playing Kadima, playing mini-golf and eating a lot of ice cream.
MAZEL TOV
to
Parents Dana & Scott Ranani,
Grandparents
Sam Ranani
Marney
Ranani
Will z"l & Myrna Roth
and the entire family
9:00 AM Torah Study
10:00 AM Services
Here is the portion
PARSHAH
Haftorah
Isaiah 40:1 - 40:26
Here is the Haftorah:
HAFTORAH
Torah Readers
Aaron Lombardi
Dara Lovitz Van Naarden
Henry Ranani
Alexa Williamson
Jack Ranani
Haftorah Chanter
Henry Ranani
The family invites the congregation to join their guests for an extended kiddish
in honor of
Henry's bar mitzvah.
SPECIAL SHABBATS
Celebrating
AARON LOMBARDI
as he moves on
to Rutgers University this Fall
at Saturday morning
services
August 24th.
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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HIGH HOLY DAY TICKET INFORMATION
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 High Holiday ticket forms should have been received by JCC members.
You can view the mailing here:
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YAHRZEITS FOR NEXT WEEK
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These names will be
read at services on
August 16, 2019
Barbara Carey
Dr. Jerome Cohen
Benjamin Parker
Burt Schwait
Molly Young*
Angela Dicicco
Betty Jonas
Rosalind Mularz
Gertrude Serepca*
Yetta Elman
Martin Ferber*
Cecile E. Kessler
Arnold Rifkin
Barton Bloom
Louis Katz
Robert Warren*
Jack Blecher
Myer Elgart*
Joseph Friedland
Sophie Neustadt*
Leslie Kaufman
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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HAPPY BIRTHDAY
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Steven Hartman
August 17
Andrea Seidler
August 17
Warren K. Racusin
August 19
Jackie Avondoglio
August 20
Oded Cohen
August 21
If you have not given the office your birthday information and would like to receive birthday wishes, please notify the office of your date of birth.
And if you would like to have the Rabbi give you or a family member a special blessing on the Shabbat of your/their birthday, please let him know: RABBI
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CONGREGATION
NEWS
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JAKE & MARY PLEETER
on the birth of their granddaughter
to parents
Alex & Lauren Bresner
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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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 AN ONEG SHABBAT
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SPONSOR
an Oneg Shabbat
on Friday night
with a $36.00
minimum contribution
See this form for details
ONEG
Call the JCC Office to reserve a date.
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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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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50/50 RAFFLE
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All members should have received their raffle tickets. Please make sure to send back your raffle stubs so that you are entered to win....and it could be quite a nice windfall.
Additional tickets are also available in the office.
RAFFLE DRAWING IS AT BREAK THE FAST
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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 ONEG SHABBAT SPONSOR: ONEG KIDDISH SPONSOR: KIDDISH |
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