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JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER OF
LONG BEACH ISLAND
E-LETTER
February 23, 2024
14 Adar I 5784
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FOR THE BEST VIEWING OF THE SHABBAT REMINDER,
CLICK HERE
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A MESSAGE FROM
OUR RABBI
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Hope. It’s not just Hatikvah.
On Monday mornings, I have been teaching a class about the importance of “hope” in our tradition. We’ve been looking at this topic using the book, “Choosing Hope”, by David Arnow. The class has been wonderful to teach. One take-away that I have had from reading the book, is that “hope” has been an energy source that has kept our people, and our tradition, vibrant for so long. (You can join us at the class every Monday at 10:00, by clicking HERE
“Hope” is pervasive in our liturgy, in our commentaries, in our rituals, and in the way we live our lives. Other than Hatikvah (which literally means The Hope), “hope” is not “in-your-face”. It is not like monotheism or the mitzvah system, but if you scratch the surface of the liturgy, or the Talmud, or the things we do as Jews, you will find that hope is an energy source.
A great example of something that is “hope” filled, but not normally seen as such, is the prayer that we sing at the end each service, Aleinu. Most of you are familiar with Aleinu. According to our tradition, it dates to Rabbi Akiva (50 CE to 135 CE). We have ended our prayer services with it since, about, 1300 CE.
Aleinu is broken into two basic parts. In the first paragraph we bow, pledging fealty to God. Thematically, this is important because it specifically connects us to God and our tradition.
The second paragraph that highlights “hope”. We literally place our hope in God that the world will be perfected, and all peoples will be living in peace and harmony. We believe that the perfection we seek will be reached via a partnership between us and God, which is important. But the significant point here is that we are hoping for this better future.
Hope requires action and by reminding ourselves 3 times a day of the desire for a perfected world, we keep it on our “to do” list. To look at the Aleinu prayer, please click HERE
I came across the beautiful poem below by the Israeli poet, Leah Goldberg.
After you read it, please feel free to let me know what the poet’s “hope” is:
Teach me, my God, blessing and prayer —
For the secret of the withered leaf,
The brightness of the ripened fruit;
For this freedom
To see, to sense, …
To breathe;
To know, to wish,
To fail.
Teach my lips a blessing, a song of praise
In renewal of your day,
Each morning and eve.
That my today not be
Like all my yesterdays;
That my day not be — merely routine.
Let’s hear it for Hope! Hope, Hope, Hooray!!
Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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SHABBAT SHALOM
Shabbat Candle
Lighting time
Friday evening
February 23, 2024
5:23 PM
JOIN US FOR SERVICES
Friday, February 23, 2024
6:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
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Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
FRIDAY NIGHT
Saturday,
February 24, 2024
9:00 AM
IN PERSON
& ZOOM
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
SHABBAT
TORAH READING
Parashat Tetzaveh
Exodus 27:20-30:10
Here is Parshah
Tetzaveh (“You Shall Command”) opens as God instructs Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. God details how to make the priestly clothing, how to sanctify the priests and offer sacrifices during the seven days of inauguration in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and how to build the golden altar.
HAFTORAH
Ezekiel 43:10-27
Here is the Haftorah
HAVDALLAH
5:30 PM
ON ZOOM ONLY
Here is
your invitation from
Rabbi Jay to join
Zoom services
HAVDALLAH
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Sunday - Thursday
Ma'ariv Service
7:30 PM
Here is your invitation from Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
MA'ARIV
Monday- Friday
Shacharit Service
8:15 AM
Sunday at 9:00 AM
Here is your invitation from Rabbi Jay to
join Zoom services:
SHACHARIT
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THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Pickleball
10:00 AM
PJP Program
“Jewish Portugal”
1:00 PM
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26
"Chosing Hope"
A NEW class with Rabbi Jay
10:00 AM
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Pickleball
3:00 PM
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Canasta & Mah Jongg
12:30 PM
Cantor Sarah Geller: The Work of Antiracism –
How Hard Is It, Anyway?
7:45 PM
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29
Pickleball
10:00 AM
Torah Study with the Rabbi
11:00 AM
Intermediate Hebrew with Ira
2:00 PM
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FRIDAY MARCH 1
Studying the Prophets
9:00 - 9:20 AM
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PICKLEBALL
SUNDAY 10:00 AM
TUESDAY 3:00 PM
THURSDAY 10:00 AM
Reminder: Pickleball for members only!
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MAH JONGG & CANASTA
WEDNESDAYS
12:30 PM TO 4:00 PM
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WAX Bunch at LBI Table
Friday, February 23
11:00 AM
Cholentfest
POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER PASSOVER
Saturday, February 24
After Services
PJP Program
“Jewish Portugal”
Sunday, February 25
1:00 PM
Cantor Sarah Geller: The Work of Antiracism –
How Hard Is It, Anyway?
Wednesday, February 28
7:45 PM
PJP Program
CANCELLED
“What is Judaism? –
The Dispute between Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig”
Thursday, February 29
8:30 PM
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Learn Signing
Friday, March 1 & 15, 2024
10:00 AM
Dr Jerry Faich “Surviving Your Next Prescription”
Sunday, March 10, 2024
1:30 - 3:00 PM Zoom
WAX Book Review
The Color of Water ByJames McBride
Thursday, March 21nd at 4:00 PM
Stop the Bleed
by Jewish Federation of Ocean County
Friday, March 22, 2024
11:00 AM -1:00P M In Person
Magillah Reading
Saturday, March 23, 2024
7:00 PM
Rabbi Jay “The International Court (ICJ) and Current Ruling”
Sunday, March 24 1:00 - 3:00 PM
In Person & Zoom
WAX Brunch
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
11:00 AM -1:00 PM
Wally’s
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LEARN SIGNING WITH
ANTHONY DEFRANCO
at the JCC
FRIDAYS
10:00 AM - 11:AM
March 1, 15, April 12, 2024
Another program brought to you by the JCC Women's Auxiliary
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JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION
THURSDAYS AT 4:00 PM
NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING
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Thursday, March 21nd at 4:00 PM Discussion Leader: TBA
The Color of Water By: James McBride
In The Color of Water, McBride retraces his mother's footsteps and, through her searing and spirited voice, recreates her remarkable story. The daughter of a failed itinerant Orthodox rabbi, she was born Rachel Shilsky (actually Ruchel Dwara Zylska) in Poland on April 1, 1921. Fleeing pogroms, her family emigrated to America and ultimately settled in Suffolk, Virginia, a small town where anti-Semitism and racial tensions ran high. With candor and immediacy, Ruth describes her parents' loveless marriage; her fragile, handicapped mother; her cruel, sexually-abusive father; and the rest of the family and life she abandoned. At seventeen, after fleeing Virginia and settling in New York City, Ruth married a black minister and founded the all- black New Brown Memorial Baptist Church in her Red Hook living room. "God is the color of water," Ruth McBride taught her children, firmly convinced that life's blessings and life's values transcend race. Twice widowed, and continually confronting overwhelming adversity and racism, Ruth's determination, drive and discipline saw her dozen children through college—and most through graduate school. At age 65, she herself received a degree in social work from Temple University.
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Thanks to our membership in the PJP we are able to enjoy a variety of programs. Here are the new programming lists. No need to register in advance. | |
PJP Series "What Jews Think”
2023-2024
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February 29 PJP Program Cancelled.
NEXT PROGRAM
Thursday, March 14 @8:30 PM
Dr. Michah Gottlieb, New York University
“A Rabbinic Debate about Slavery on the Eve of the Civil War”
As civil war loomed, President James Buchanan designated January 4, 1861 as a national day for fasting and prayer. That day Rabbi Morris Raphall of Congegration B’nai Jeshurun in Manhattan gave a sermon arguing that a civil war should not be waged over slavery since slavery was a biblically sanctioned institution. The Baltimore Rabbi David Einhorn responded with an essay excoriating Raphall for his terrible misunderstanding of the Bible. Does the Bible consider slavery legitimate? In this session, we’ll explore a rabbinic debate over this question.
Michah Gottlieb is Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU. An expert on modern Jewish thought and philosophy, his current research centers on musar and the practice of ethical self-development. He is author of several books and numerous articles including most recently, The Jewish Reformation: Bible Translation and Middle-Class German Judaism as Spiritual Enterprise (Oxford, 2021).
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PJP Travel Programs
2023-2024
Sunday, February 25 @ 1:00 PM “Jewish Portugal” with Gloria Ribeiro
The Jewish heritage of Lisbon started in Roman times (if not before). This visit will allow you to understand the living Jewish community in Lisbon and learn about their history, their traditions and their everyday life. We will see the Sharee Tikva synagogue and refer to the massacre of Passover of 1506, for which a memorial was built by Jews and Catholics to express the reconciliation between religions. We will also walk virtually through Lisbon's historic downtown, where two of the Jewish quarters used to be located. The Alfama, the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon, still preserves the 8th century layout, and here, Jews, Christians and Muslims used to live and work side by side. For centuries after the expulsion, many "Conversos" kept practicing their faith in secrecy, and the most famous example are the Belmonte Jews, who until recently lived as an isolated community. We will also learn about the growing community of Porto, representing about 500 Jews from more than 30 countries. Glória Ribeiro finished her university degree on National Tourist Guiding, and became Portugal's official guide in five languages in 2004. She loves to show her people and their history to all her visitors, especially Portuguese Jewish history. She actually believes she has Jewish background herself.
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The following names will be read by the Rabbi on Friday evening:
Claire Kirschner
David Cousins
Jonah Herszenberg
Robert Jonas
Lottie Levy*
Salvatore LiVecchi
Henrietta Nagel
Shirley Teplitsky
Morris Weiner
Murray Elefant
Bella Garb
Gerald Golden
Sarah Livshitz*
Ann Nogi
Elizabeth Tittlebaum
Gerald Abrams
Abraham Fisher
Norman Ketzlach
James Norberg Sr.
Esther Renzin
Damary Hernandez
Richard Snyder
Netti Turek
Helen Applebaum
Jetchen Karo
Stanley Karp
Susie Sisenwine
Joseph Friedman*
Nathan Levison*
Adam Benjamin Lewisohn
We encourage you to join us on the day of your loved one’s yahrzeit. In the morning, the service is about ½ hour beginning at 8:15 and in the evening at 7:30 until about 7:45. Rabbi will be glad to say the traditional El Malei Rachamim prayer for you, which is recited during the funeral, going up to the grave of the departed, Yizkor remembrance day and other occasions on which the memory of the dead is recalled. You are also welcome to share with the minyan some special memories of your loved one.
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CONDOLENCES TO
JANI JONAS
on the passing of her sister
Rona Cohen
God remember forever our dear ones who have gone to their eternal rest. May they be at one with the One who is life eternal. May the beauty of their lives shine for evermore, and may our lives always
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John Schweighardt
February 25
Joan Silver
February 26
Martin Chazin
February 28
Bobbi Freedman
February 28
Harris H. Weisel
March 1
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Gibbi & Anna Tkatch
February 28
20th Anniversary
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Stanley Spitzer
on the birth of his
great granddaughter
Sarafina
to Allison Knight & Michael Skolnic
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SHARE YOUR NEWS
AND PICTURES
CONTACT:
rvalen1963@aol.com
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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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YOU CAN NOW FILL OUT A GIVING FORM AND PAY ON LINE IN ONE SIMPLE PROCESS.
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GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
PAVERS
Inscribe a paver at the front entrance to the building
8" X 4", 8" X 8" and 12" X 12"
SEE UPDATED ORDER FORM:
PAVER FORM
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.
Please contact Diane Hoffman
with your order or with any questions:
dihoff1@aol.com
PRAYER BOOKS
There are still High Holiday Prayer Books and Chumashim available to be purchased in memory or honor of someone or something. The cost of a Prayer Book is $72 each and $120 for an Eitz Hayim Chumash. The donation includes an affirmation sticker in the book and an acknowledgement letter or letters.
See Order form here: Prayer Book
TRIBUTES
SEND ONE OF OUR TRIBUTES IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF
See order form here: TRIBUTES
TREE OF LIFE
Add a leaf (leaves) to our beautiful Tree of Life located in the Social Hall. See the order form here: TREE OF LIFE
Bronze Leaf $90
Silver Leaf $126
Gold :Leaf $180
ENDOWMENT FUND
Herb z"l and Selma z”l Shapiro established the first individual Endowment Fund in memory of his father, as part of the JCC’s Endowment Fund portfolio.
Since then, three additional individual Endowment Funds have been established. Other members are encouraged to also provide for the future of our JCC by establishing similar funds. Please consider adding to this number.
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 named funds will be joined together to be part of the Endowment Fund portfolio.
Endowment funds are necessary to ensure the continuation and well being of our congregation. All members are encouraged to help this important effort by contributing to this portfolio, whether as a specific named individual fund, or as a general donation. The donation can be spread over one, two, or three years, and can be paid via check, donation of appreciated stock, wills, or from the RMD of your IRA or 401K account. 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:
YAHRZEIT
KOL HAKAVOD
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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2023 MEMBERSHIP FORMS
Your support is so important to the continued success of the JCC.
Here is form for renewal:
RENEW NOW
And if you have been reading our Shabbat Reminder and other communications and have not yet joined our congregation, here is the new member form:
JOIN NOW
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JCC FUNDS
Your gift to the JCC supports our Clergy, our Congregation and the Community.
ENDOWMENT FUND
This fund was established to assure the continuity of our JCC, and our ability to continue providing a full-service congregation to serve the Jewish people of the area. While a donation of any amount is encouraged, a donation of at least $50,000 allows the donor to name a special or specific Endowment Fund in memory or honor of a specific person event, or family.
GENERAL FUND
Donations to this fund are not earmarked but placed in the general administrative account. Donations to this fund can be in honor or memory of a person, event, or family.
KOL HAKAVOD FUND
Donations to this campaign supplement the clergy needs of our congregation.
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
This fund, managed by the rabbi, allows donors to enable the rabbi to do the work of tzedakah in response to the needs of individuals, organizations and the community.
ZENA & JERRY JAY KIDDISH FUND
The Zena and Jerry Jay Kiddush Fund was established in memory of Rabbi Jay's parents to help provide funds for our Saturday morning kiddushes.
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JCC LEADERSHIP
OFFICERS
President- Phil Rosenzweig
1ST Vice President-Sherry Fruchterman
2ND Vice President-Diane Hoffman
3RD Vice President- Rose Valentine
Treasurer- Ira Morgenthal
Secretary- Cliff Denker
Immediate Past President -Michael Babst
BOARD MEMBERS
Howard Babbitt
Diane Buskirk
Mitch Frumkin
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Jon Geier
Paul Levine
Ken Podos
Terri Robinovitz
David Shatz
Bonni Rubin-Sugarman
WOMEN'S AUXILIARY
President - Diane Buskirk
Co-Vice President - Noralyn Carroll
Co-Vice President - Jill Denker
Treasurer - Suzy Geier
Secretary - Joanne Babbitt
Immediate Past President - Irene Babst
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