HaKol
The Voice of the
Pelham Jewish Center
December 2022/Kislev-Tevet 5783
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Leadership Messages
Rabbi Benjamin Resnick
Education Director
Ana Turkienicz
President
Steve Martin
HaKol Editor
Barbara Saunders-Adams
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Congregant News
& Donations
Book Notes
Barbara Saunders-Adams
Tutoring Afghani Refugees
Hannah Steinberg
Food For Thought
Share a Simcha
Tributes & Donations
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Dear Friends,
In his collection of divrei Torah, the 19th century Hasidic rebbe Yehudah Aryeh Leib, better known as the Sefat Emet, speaks about the Hanukkah lamp as an ongoing miracle, repeated and maintained in every generation. Just as our ancestors lacked pure oil, so too we lack pure oil. Just as our ancestors experienced the loss of the Temple, so too we experience the loss of the Temple. And just as the Maccabees' lighting was miraculous, so too our lighting is miraculous. When we light the hanukkiah, we are not simply recalling a past miracle; rather, we are participating in that self-same miracle. This is because, according to the Sefat Emet, the original hanukkiah is still burning, only in a hidden place, and each year, when we light our lamps, we keep that light alive a little longer.
There are many ways that our world, like the world of our ancestors, obscures our access to true kedushah – to holiness and to elevation and to illumination. There are many ways that the miraculous remains hidden. We live in a world that is often harsh. We live in a world that is often unfair and violent. We live in a world in which the Temple Mount itself is still a place of strife and religious intolerance, rather than a place of sacred encounter. And yet as dark as the world can be, it is not only dark.
I have always been struck by the fact that synagogues used to maintain nerot tamid – eternal lamps–even before the advent of reliable electricity. The practice – which recalls the ever-burning flame that the ancient priests maintained in the mishkan–required that the shamash (not the candle but the servant of the community) tend the lamp daily, trimming the wick and refilling the oil. I imagine a singular figure, my ancestor, making his way slowly but dutifully through the black cold in order to make sure a little light was still burning, somewhere on the edge of a vast and haunted wilderness. He blows warm air into his fists and he pulls his coat tight around his body and he is nearly blind from frost. But still he moves on ahead, lighting a light for those who will follow.
As we kindle our hanukkiot this year, I encourage all of us to attune ourselves to the miraculous moments unfolding all around us, to the moments of healing and of meaning, which ride the great wake of that first miracle of light and continue to infuse our own. May we all build on the miracle of the lamps, on the miracle of past lamps, on the miracle of the lamps we light together, and on the miracle of unknowable future lamps, still waiting to be lit.
Hag Urim Sameach,
Rabbi Benjamin Resnick
Ben
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Education Director
Ana Turkienicz
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“For the miracles you’ve done for us in those days, at this time”
(excerpt from the Hanukkah blessings)
Every year when we light the candles on the Hanukkiah, we are commanded to say the
blessing al hanissim - for the miracles. We praise
G-d for the miracles done for
us in those days bayamim hahem (in ancient times, as in the Hanukkah story) at this time,
bazman hazeh which can be interpreted in two ways: at this time as in this same season, in the month of Kislev, when the story of Hanukkah took place, or, alternatively, in our times, for the miracles that happen to us in the present time. You pick what works best for you.
When I recite this blessing, I think about the miracles that happened to my
ancestors in the past and the miracles that are happening for us in our time.
The miracle from the time of the Maccabees did not happen only through Divine
intervention. It happened because a group of people decided to take action and
invested all their might in order to bring the “miracle” about. A handful of committed
people who decided that enough was enough. It also helped that they shared the same
faith and that the community around them showed solidarity with them. Oh, and yes,
G-d. But G-d helps those who help themselves, who take their destiny in their hands and
fight for what is right. That is the miracle I bless when I light my Hanukkah candles.
This year, when I light the Hanukkiah, I will be thinking about our local miracles, bazman
hazeh, in this time: how we came together as a community and put together our minds
and our hearts to keep the LC operating during the hardest times, so we can now
celebrate Hanukkah with a school full of old and new students, welcoming new families,
creating new friendships and connections that hopefully will last for a lifetime.
With the support of our Rabbi, our Board and many more, we were able to keep our
fabulous faculty and bring in some new talented teachers, and together we are creating
a meaningful and vibrant Jewish learning environment for our future generations, where
each child and each family can find their own place in the Jewish continuum.
I will be lighting my Hanukkiah thinking about people like Beth Yelsey, a congregant
whose children are longtime alumni of our LC. Beth approached me to ask if we needed
help putting in place a fire drill for the Learning Center, which she did, with devotion,
patience and a heart full of kindness. What a blessing and quite a miracle - to have
people reach out and extend a hand to ensure that our students are safe and our
synagogue is well cared for.
I will be thinking of Becca Ploski, our senior madrichah, whom we watched grow at the
PJC, become Bat-Mitzvah and been a madrichah since 8th grade. Becca is applying
to colleges with the goal of majoring in Jewish Education! So inspired by her choice and
her boldness! Looking forward to hearing all about her college adventures in the future!
Or of Ben Sasson, a sophomore madrich, who was accepted to the prestigious
Hartman Institute Teen Fellowship - a unique opportunity to explore big Jewish ideas
with world-renowned scholars. Ben will meet teens from across North America and he will be mentored by college students. Ben started the fellowship one month ago and we are closely following him as he reports how much he enjoys the meetings and the learning.
I will be thinking about the miracle of our teen participants in the newly created Teen
Collab, a pilot Regional Hebrew High School Program where five of our teens are
having a blast learning with teens from five other communities in our area. Our small
contingent is as big as the groups from synagogues with double or triple the amount of
members than we have - so proud of them!
I will be thinking about the small miracles that no one see, performed by Adam, our
caretaker, and Melainie, our office manager, as they quietly go out of their way to
ensure our students have a safe and welcoming environment to learn and connect with
each other.
And finally, I will be thinking about the blessings of good health and life that we were
bestowed with, being able to overcome the pandemic and come out on the other side
stronger than ever. She’echyanu!
Thank you G-d, and thank you to the whole PJC family for making sure we can bless
the miracles that happened to us, in those days and at this time.
And let us say,
Amen!
Happy Hanukkah!
Ana
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Chanukah is, of course, the Festival of Lights. Judaism is replete with many beautiful interpretations of
the multiple meanings of light, and I wanted to share a brief piece of learning from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks that strikes me as connected to the PJC this year. https://outorah.org/p/774/
“There’s an interesting question the commentators
ask about Chanukah. For eight days we light lights, and each night we make the blessing over miracles:
she-asah nissim la-avotenu. But what was the miracle of the first night?
The light that should have lasted one day lasted eight. But that means there was
something miraculous about days 2 to 8; but nothing miraculous about the first day.
Perhaps the miracle was this, that the Maccabees found one cruse of oil with its seal
intact, undefiled. There was no reason to suppose that anything would have survived
the systematic desecration the Greeks and their supporters wrought on the Temple. Yet the Maccabees searched and found that one jar. Why did they search? Because they had
faith …” I find this a sweet reminder that the way we create miracles is by having the
faith to search. The miracle can only happen because of the first step, the searching.
The showing up, taking the first step, believing that something special just might happen
– perhaps that is the true miracle.
We aspire as a community to increase the light in each other’s lives. The Pelham
Jewish Center hopes to be a beacon of light. Our services are joyful, filled with song
and community. Each week our wonderful Rabbi Resnick shares beautiful words of
Torah that inspire deep reflection, offering challenges and insights that reverberate long
after services are over. The Learning Center is thriving with a growing number of
children engaging in Jewish study. Adult education is busy, and we recently hosted
Prof. Arnie Eisen, the former Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, to
participate in our learning.
A leading center of Jewish thought, The Shalom Hartman Institute of Jerusalem,
https://www.hartman.org.il/program/boundaries-and-belonging/
is partnering with Westchester synagogues in a four part series entitled
“Boundaries and Belonging” The series asks: “In our fragmented world, how can the
synagogue be a nexus of community and connection? At a time of radical individuality,
what is the value of communal life? How can we straddle the tension between nurturing
a community of belonging with the need for boundaries? Who is an “insider” and who is
an “outsider” in the modern American synagogue? What are the obstacles to the
inclusive, pluralistic synagogue today?”
We are excited that the PJC will be the site of the fourth program on Wed. March 15, 2023 at 7 PM.
Please increase the light in all our lives by participating together in any of the PJC
activities. The only thing you need to bring is yourself – and our light will shine so much
brighter.
Chag Chanukah sameach.
Steve
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HaKol Editor
Barbara Saunders-Adams
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Dear Friends,
I'd like to share a heartwarming story about our long time members Ted and Vivian Brown. I received a message from Pat Levinson explaining that she would miss the December Women's Group because she would be attending (on Zoom) the Bar Mitzvah of Ted and Vivien Brown's grandson. I wrote to Ted to find out the details for our HaKol Simcha column. I found Ted's explanation worth sharing.
"Thanks for thinking of us … I’m happy to share the particulars of what’s happening this Shabbos, which should also give you a general idea of what’ s going on with Viv and me. It began when our daughter, Jennifer, was looking for a Religious School for her son, Ben. Since her husband, Matt, is not Jewish, she thought it would be easier if they joined a Reform synagogue. She picked a small one in Troy, which at that time, had a school affiliation with a nearby Conservative synagogue.
Incidentally, that Reform Temple, Congregation Berith Shalom, was built in 1870 and is the oldest continuous operating synagogue in New York State. Since Ben’s birthday is in July, the Rabbi, Deborah Gordon, told Jennifer that they couldn't hold events in the summer as they have no air conditioning. Rabbi Gordon suggested that Jennifer pick another shabbos for Ben's Bar Mitzvah. With the aide of her computer, Jen determined that Viv’s father (after whom Ben is named) probably became a Bar Mitzvah on Shabbat Vayishlach.
Unbeknownst to me, a short while ago, Ben and Jen began discussing how to make Ben’s Bar Mitzvah more meaningful. As they had never really connected with Berith Shalom, Ben suggested having the Bar Mitzvah at "Grandma’s shul". Vivian has been living at the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center for the last year and a half (I am very pleased with the care she is getting). They have a fairly large sanctuary that they call their Shul. The Center has a Conservative service Shabbat morning, modified to reflect the needs of the residents. I spoke with the Religious Director, Rabbi Amiel Monson, and he approved having the Bar Mitzvah there. In addition, Rabbi Gordon spoke with him and they arranged for her to call Ben up to the Torah. I am very excited about all of this as Ben is doing the double mitzvah of enabling Viv to attend and giving the residents an upgraded service.
Again, thanks for thinking of us. I hope you and your family are well. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything else.
Shalom,
Ted
I hope you found this update as interesting as I did.
Chag Chanukkah Sameach!
Barbara
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The Ornament of the World
How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain
by Maria Rosa Menocal
In this time of strife within religions, between religions and within and between countries, the subtitle of Maria Rosa Menocal’s book intrigued me. Was it possible? Is it possible in the foreseeable future for the three Abrahamic religions to not only tolerate each other but also work together for the common good?
Menocal, a professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Yale University, follows the Umayyad caliphate’s last surviving prince, Abd al-Rachman from Syria in 750 A.D to Cordoba on the Arabian Peninsula. There he oversees the city blossoming into a religiously tolerant, intellectually stimulating Eden-like place of magnificent architecture, beautiful gardens and flowing water. For over seven centuries, Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of relative tolerance, where literature, science and the arts flourished.
To be clear, Abd al-Rachman’s Andalusia was not a place of equals – under dhmini law Jews and Christians were protected minority religions which could practice if they remained low key and did not proselytize to Muslims. However, Jews who read, wrote and spoke Arabic fluently, became physicians, philosophers and advisors to the caliphate. Jews were welcomed into Muslim society even as they kept their own culture in the home. Reverence for knowledge lead to building vast libraries. This university-like atmosphere made Cordoba the “ornament of the world”.
Menocal points out that Hebrew was not a vernacular language in medieval Spain - it was used for liturgy and study. Arabic was better suited to expressing thoughts and feelings. Judah Halevi, Samuel the Nagid and Maimonides wrote in Arabic. According to professor Menocal, “Hebrew was made nearly vernacular by being sung and recited in the native accents of the Andalusians”. A new poetic Hebrew burst forth of which the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai was one of the beneficiaries.
Maria Rosa Menocal follows the history of medieval Spain through the rise of antisemitism in response to the bubonic plague and the expulsion of Jews in 1492 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Although sometimes dense and challenging, there is much to learn from this book.
Barbara
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Tutoring Afghani Refugees
Hannah Steinberg
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It is impossible to grasp the scope of one's ability to impact others until you have successfully changed someone's life.
When I embarked on the journey of tutoring a family of seven Afghani refugees upon their arrival to the United States last March, I did not realize how much they would change my life and how much I would change theirs. Over these past 9 months, we have shared countless laughs, smiles and stories. My Mom, Mimi Steinberg, tutors the Afghani Mom Latifah. My best friend Meredith and I tutor the three eldest kids, Altaf, Najia and Hadis who are 10, 9 and 6 respectively. What we have been doing goes beyond just teaching them English and homework help. It is centered around making them feel like they can belong and can be accepted in Westchester society. It is about providing them with love and patience and advice to help them adjust to this new life.
When I first began this project, I was afraid of the language barrier and how I, a 15-year-old high school student, could possibly take on the enormous task of helping this family assimilate. Yes, there have been some challenges, but what I have found is that we have a way to understand each other that is not constrained by English or Pashto. They are more than students - they are my friends. The family has helped me form a better outlook on life by enabling me to be more grateful for what I have. Despite the trauma the family has endured and all they have lost, the Afghanis maintain a positive attitude and continue to smile and be appreciative of what little they have. I know that to them, a smile is a large contrast to what they were experiencing a mere year ago, so it fills me with joy to see them do so, especially when my words or presence is the cause of it.
Just recently, when we brought the family Halloween candies and costumes, they were so happy and thankful. They could not wait to put the costumes on and dance around the small dorm they reside in. Just this simple act of giving them my old Halloween costumes was something that brightened their days and they were so appreciative. It made me see the importance of valuing the small experiences of life and not take for granted all of these moments.
Throughout my time tutoring, the family has become more comfortable around us and began to trust us more. Whenever we walk into their home, we are greeted by countless hugs and smiles and they immediately share anecdotes from their week with us and offer us something to eat or drink. They do their best to make sure we feel welcome and at home since our presence does the same for them. With that being said, I am forever changed for the better by their presence in my life.
As for how I have changed their lives, I will never forget the recent interaction I had with the dad, Khalil. He said to me, “You guys are our family. We are so grateful to you for changing our lives. Thank you for all you do. We love you.” Upon hearing that, I teared up because listening to him affirming to me how we have helped them filled me with a sense of pride, fulfillment, and gratitude to God for allowing our paths to cross and interlock.
Hannah
Hannah Steinberg is a former LC student and aspiring journalist.
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A Longing To Return To The Land Of Israel
by Yehuda Halevi
My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west.
How can I find savor in food? How shall it be sweet to me?
How shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet
Zion lieth beneath the fetter of Edom, and I in Arab chains?
A light thing would it seem to me
to leave all the good things of Spain -
Seeing how precious in mine eyes
to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary.
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"Share a Simcha" allows congregants to share their news with our PJC community. Please submit news about family members -- engagements, births, job updates, kid achievements, community acknowledgements and any other milestones -- to the HaKol Editor, Barbara Saunders-Adams.
. Mazal Tov to Jason & Roselle Glick in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Madison Glick.
. Mazal Tov to Ted & Vivien Brown in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson,
Ben Cross, and his parents Jennifer & Matt Cross.
Simcha is a regular HaKol feature, so keep your news and updates coming!
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Donations to the PJC from...
- Robert Kahn and Andrea DeRose Kahn
- Andy and Lisa Neubardt in memory of Pauline Brest (Lisa's mother)
Donations to the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund from...
- Jon Backer and Amy Ehrlich
A Kiddush will be sponsored by Irina Dynov in memory of her grandmother,
Dasya Kazarnovskaya and father Gregory Dynov
At any time, if you wish to pay by check, please make it payable to "The Pelham Jewish Center" and mail it to our bookkeeping firm at: The Pelham Jewish Center, P.O. Box 418, Montvale, NJ 07645.
All donations to the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, at any time throughout the year, should be made payable to "The Pelham Jewish Center -- Rabbi's Discretionary Fund" and mailed directly to Melainie Williams at the PJC office. Thank you!
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