The Ladder - January/February 2023

220 SOUTH BEDFORD ROAD CHAPPAQUA, NY 10514

WWW.BETHELNW.ORG 914.238.3928 T 914.238.4030 F

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER 914.238.5735

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL 914.238.5641

TEMPLE@BETHELNW.ORG

TEMPLE STAFF

JONATHAN JAFFE Senior Rabbi MAURA H. LINZER Rabbi-Educator

ELIZABETH STERNLIEB Cantor

GENNIFER KELLY Executive Director

RABBI NORMAN COHEN, Ph.D. Scholar-in-Residence

HOPE BLAUNER Early Childhood Director RHONDA REGAN

Tikkun Olam Thanksgiving Community Meal Program

Celebrating Interdenominational Connections

Each year, the Leffell School, a Jewish day school in White Plains, holds its annual Sheilat Rav (Questions for the Rabbi) day, in which the fourth grade class meets with over a dozen Westchester rabbis throughout the interdenominational spectrum, from Orthodox to Renewal. Last month, I was able to participate in what I believe is my seventh Sheilat Rav event. And as always, I came away deeply impressed both by the students and my rabbinic colleagues, with whom I enjoy learning and exploring our connections.

The questions posed by the fourth grade layups are certainly not layups to answer. In our small group session, Rabbi Annie Tucker of Temple Israel Center of White Plains, Rabbi Steve Kane of Congregation Sons of Israel in Briarcliff and I were pressed on all matters of theology and practice. “If God talks to people in the Torah, how come God doesn’t speak with us now?”, “Do you believe all of the stories in the Torah are true and if not, why do we tell them?”, “Why does God prohibit Moses from entering the promised land after hitting the rock, even after Moses has led the people for 40 years through the wilderness?”, “Do you think certain mitzvot are more important than others?”, “What is the purpose of keeping kosher?”. As you can see, the firing squad before the fourth grade students was not for the faint of heart!

Following the small group session, we 15 rabbis sat before the entire fourth grade class, as students posed questions that their entire class had agreed upon. As each question was answered by multiple rabbis, I relished hearing my colleagues express how they approach their Judaism from different perspectives. And I was grateful to live in a community in which such diversity of opinions and practices is celebrated. We often take for granted not only our own religious freedom, but the benefits of living amongst multiple expressions of Jewish identity.

My experience with Sheilat Rav made me think of our ninth graders, who learn about interfaith and interdenominational relationships with Rabbi Linzer. During those months of the curriculum, our students can be found at the local church, mosque or temple. Additionally, Rabbi Linzer welcomes clerical colleagues from through the Jewish and interfaith spectrum to visit our students at Beth El and answer their many questions. This curriculum is based upon the belief that the more we understand one another’s perspective, the more we can collaborate and engage with one another. Teaching our kids to see the world through others’ eyes represents an investment in their future practices of tolerance and understanding. It is the reason why every other month, Reverends Martha Jacobs of First Congregational Church, Christopher Lee of Saint Mary the Virgin and I get together for breakfast at the Pleasantville Diner.

As we enter into 2023, may we push ourselves towards engaging with those outside of closest circles, and may we practice the curiosity and bravery of the Leffell fourth graders in asking big questions and demonstrating an eager willingness to learn about how others see the world.

L’Shalom, Rabbi Jaffe

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

By Melissa Bahr, TBE Member and Religious School Parent

The Religious School and the Religious School Committee have been really busy this year. Classes are in full swing, with kids engaging in multi-media lessons, art projects and everyone’s favorite new activity to encourage a love of nature and animals- Goat Hikes!!

As planned, families have been invited to enjoy many in-person events at the synagogue this year. We’ve been able to host two First Friday Shabbat Dinners and Services with grade level participation for 6th and 5th graders in November and December. Both were extremely well attended, and the kids all did great on the bima with a big crowd at each service.

Our Parent Education session for Kindergarten parents ran on December 4th, with lots of families in attendance. They really enjoyed making menorahs for Chanukah together. And our 2nd Grade Family Education spent the morning of December 11th on a scavenger hunt of TBE. It was so fun watching families discover places at TBE they may not have ever seen before!

We were excited to kick off a new series of Parenting Workshops earlier in the fall. A second session, which focused on Parenting in the Digital Age was offered while many of our younger students were in Religious School on a Sunday morning in November. This session was facilitated by a social worker and some of our older teen students also joined the conversation to give their perspective as well.

Our new art program is well underway. Our students are working on new canvases to hang at the top of the staircase. They’ve really enjoyed working together on it, and are looking forward to seeing all of the pieces come together.

Our 10th grade confirmation students volunteered at 914 Cares in November. They packed over 250 feminine hygiene kits, 6,000 diapers and 15 bags of clothing and items for families to get through winter. Then they all enjoyed a group dinner together at a local restaurant, which we hear was a lot of fun. We hope everyone had a wonderful Chanukah and a Happy New Year! We are really excited for more great programs and events with our students and families in 2023!

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

Journey Binders

By Hope Blauner, TBE ECC Director & Emily Kreiner, Assistant Director

A month feels like it goes by in a flash for adults, but for a preschool aged child, each month marks a significant amount of time in their young lives. Within a month’s time a child grows taller and older, and also grows in less physically obvious ways. Children mature emotionally throughout the school year and are better able to articulate their feelings and regulate their impulses as they grow. Children also mature socially throughout the span of a school year. Our youngest preschool children are naturally egotistical, and begin their journey at the ECC thinking about themselves and making sure their own needs are met. As time passes and children get older, they begin to see themselves as members of a group, and learn that they are one within a community in their classroom. Children begin to build empathy as they become more aware of others, and friendships deepen and grow. By the time a child graduates from the 4’s they have built strong and lasting friendships, they are learning to advocate for themselves, and they know that they are each an important member of their classroom community.

A special way that we mark the growth of each child throughout their years at the ECC is through our Journey Binders. When a child enters the ECC their teachers begin a journey binder. These binders grow with the child, and our teachers add submissions each month. After the school year is complete the binder travels to the next year’s teacher, for her to begin adding entries. By the time a child completes their year in the 4’s the journey binder is a beautiful compilation of each child’s experience throughout the preschool. Submissions vary, which keeps the journey binder interesting and relevant. Some entries are the same for each child in the class. Welcoming the children together as a class, celebrating holidays, and participating in special activities are opportunities for teachers to document the full class experience throughout the year. Other entries are tailored for each child in a more individual way. Birthdays and Shabbat are such important moments in a child’s year. Documenting these special moments bring such joy to our children. Favorite classroom activities and time spent outdoors are also perfect ways to mark a child’s individual growth.

One of the clearest ways to see a child’s representational artwork develop is through self-portraits. Early portraits might just include a head, or arms and legs that are connected to the head. Over time the torso emerges, and body parts are more accurately placed. Details like fingers, feet, and hair, to name a few, come later. Including self-portraits in Journey Binders is such a clear sign of the growth of a child throughout a school year.

What better way to reflect back over the growth of a child than a Journey Binder! As educators we are constantly reflecting – we think critically about how best to document the work and play our children are doing in the classroom, about how to develop rich curriculum, and about how to foster the social emotional development of the children in our classes. Journey binders provide such a natural form of reflection. As we take the time to reflect we can engage in conversation by reliving shared experiences and bringing memories back to life. Journey binders become the portfolio of a child’s work, documenting growth through snapshots in time, marking moments throughout a young child’s school year. We can’t wait to share these Journey Binders with you!

SPECIAL

SHABBAT SERVICES

First Friday Family Shabbat

Friday, January 6

5:00 pm Tot Family Dinner

RSVP for dinner on our website: bethelnw.org/event/ECC/2023Jan-Dinner

5:45 pm Tot Shabbat

6:45 pm Shabbat Dinner for 3rd Grade Families

7:30 pm Family Shabbat Service with 3rd Grade Participation

Friday, February 3

5:00 pm Tot Family Dinner

RSVP for dinner on our website: bethelnw.org/event/ECC/2023Feb-Dinner

5:45 pm Tot Shabbat

6:45 pm Shabbat Dinner for 4th Grade Families

7:30 pm Family Shabbat Service with 4th Grade Participation and Siddur Ceremony

Celebrating the Connection Between Jewish and African Americans

As we seek to foster a sense of camaraderie and connection with our friends at Antioch Baptist Church and the larger African American community, we invite you to these two opportunities for engagement and discussion.

Shabbat Worship Service with Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friday, January 20 at 7:15 pm

Featuring The Afro-Semitic Experience band concert and Speaker Reverend Merle McJunkin of Antioch Baptist Church

To honor the memory of Dr Martin Luther King and his message we are so excited to welcome Rev. Merle McJunkin of Antioch Baptist Church in Bedford Hills to speak during this service. We will also be sharing Shabbat with The Afro-Semitic Experience, Jewish American and African American musicians who merge their musical roots under the radical notion that people of different faiths, races, and beliefs can come together, and celebrate and build community.

Sunday, February 12

Service 10:20 am, Discussion 11:30 am-12:15 pm at Antioch Baptist Church of Bedford, 3 Church Street, Bedford Hills, NY

Join Rabbi Jaffe and Reverend McJunkin, along with congregants of both Antioch Church and Temple Beth El in discussing both the connection and current pressure points between the Jewish and African American communities. Join us for an open and respectful conversation towards finding common ground between our communities.

SPECIAL SHABBAT SERVICES

Scout Shabbat

Friday, February 10 at 7:15 pm

All Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Leaders are invited to join us at Shabbat services!

Open to all in the community; temple membership is not required. Come in uniform and get a patch! Stay after services for our s’mores oneg!

GUEST COLUMNIST

Unplug With Us on Shabbat

By Sarah Lieb, TBE Board of Trustees Member and Religious School Madrichim Parent

Do Yourself a Favor: Experience a Friday Night Shabbat Service at TBE

On a recent Friday evening, it was a typical busy end to the work and school week for our family with two high school boys. Who needed to be dropped at what sports practice at what time? What was for dinner? Was the work project submitted? Did the form for baseball make it to the coach? Did I tell my parents that I arranged for dinner this weekend? We all know this constant track that runs through our minds (and families) each and every moment of the day.

However, I was lucky this particular Friday evening. I was scheduled to usher a Friday night Shabbat service. After racing around most of the week (as we all do…) checking items off our perennial “to-do” list, we then walked into the synagogue for a Friday night Shabbat service. It was wonderful to see a small group of friendly faces and then granted the opportunity to sit. Sit quietly. Listen. Breathe. Allow some time for my mind to simply stop thinking so much. My husband, Jon, and I were able to focus on the candles - and the simple gift of time for quiet, reflection, introspection and breathing. This was a moment for me that helped to wind down my week and allowed an opportunity to stop, relax and recharge. Escape from the hustle and bustle of the week.

One particular highlight of the Shabbat service was listening to and enjoying our gifted Cantor Sternlieb’s beautiful voice. For me, Cantor Sternlieb’s warm and rich music seemed to have a healing and transcendent power. Nothing else was present in my mind at that time. Her voice elevated the experience and clearly lifted spirits of all present, while bringing a feeling of beauty and peace.

This service was also an opportunity to take in the words of our Clergy (Rabbi Jaffe, Rabbi Linzer and Rabbinic Intern Madeleine Fortney) - who provide weekly commentary to our congregation in an empowered, conscious and joyous way. It was also an honor to share this Shabbat service together with the Fried family celebrating a synagogue Bat Mitzvah milestone together. There was also a time to stand alongside those that were in mourning, among our community.

After the service, the Shabbat Oneg was also a joy to attend. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new families and connect with members (and, of course the B’nei Mitzvah family). Jon and I were lucky to meet and spend time with extended members of the Fried family - and talk about Brooklyn and NYC (while enjoying some delicious fruit and cookies, of course!) At the small Oneg, I was able engage with Cantor Sternlieb and also chat with Rabbi Jaffe.

Friday night TBE Shabbat services provides us with a way to unplug from our daily tasks and allow an opportunity to both focus and connect with community. Do yourself a favor - take a moment on an upcoming Friday night here at TBE to simply be present and center yourself for the week ahead.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Temple Beth El Gathering in Florida

Saturday, January 14 at 4:00 pm

Sufganiyah (Filled Donut) Crawl in NYC with Rabbi Jaffe

Family Chanukah Shabbat Dinner and Service with Intergenerational Choirs

Please join Cantor Sternlieb and our hosts Richard and Judy Miller for a gathering of members of the Beth El family in Florida over winter break. Whether you are a full time resident, snow bird, or simply on winter vacation, come on down and get to know your Beth El neighbors. We will gather over food and drink, for a song or two in Boca. We look forward to seeing you there! Please RSVP to Jaclyn to let us know you will be attending: jdubray@bethelnw.org

Jazz Night with Vodka and Latkes Chanukah Celebration

What Does Judaism Say About?

Exploring Jewish Views on Contemporary Issues

with Rabbinic Intern Madeleine Fortney

Given the myriad of issues confronting us today, it can be helpful to access Jewish sources to see how our sages dealt with such matters. Even the most specific modern issue can find precedence in Jewish history. And so we will dig into the heart of the matter on such crucial issues as gender, sex, abortion, gun control, and narcotics. Session with be taught jointly by Rabbi Jaffe and Rabbinic Intern Madeleine Fortney, with five sessions on Sunday mornings and two others on Shabbat afternoons, with breakfast or lunch offered. Please join us for all or any one of these lightning rod issues.

Register for each class on our website: www.bethelnw.org/AE/JudaismSay

Dates and topics:

Sunday, January 22 at 9:15 am (with breakfast)

What Does Judaism Say About Tattoos and Piercings?

Saturday, February 4 at 12:00 pm (with lunch)

What Does Judaism Say About Gender and Sex?

This series has been made possible by the Resnick Family Fund for Adult Jewish Studies.

MISHLOACH MANOT

Temple Beth El’s Religious School Fundraiser

This year, Purim begins on Monday, March 6th, and preparations are underway for the Religious School’s annual fundraiser, the Mishloach Manot Fundraiser. The Religious School Committee appreciates the ability to help temple members fulfill the mitzvah of sending food to friends and family. But we also look forward to this event because it helps the Religious School meet some of its financial needs that tuition cannot cover as it provides the high level of education and engagement that we all benefit from. The proceeds raised during this important yearly fundraiser support all aspects of the Religious School, including programming, supplies, and staffing.

There are two ways you can be a part of the Mishloach Manot Fundraiser. One way is with the purchasing of Mishloach Manot. Around the end of January, you will receive an email from HappyPurim.com, where you will be able to order a Purim Bag to send to temple members. The Religious School Committee will then receive your order and start packing a Purim Bag! Another way is by sponsoring the Religious School Committee’s creation of the actual Purim Bags. You or your business can give a monetary donation, a gift card, or a product donation, and any donation is greatly appreciated. We will acknowledge your sponsorship in every Purim Bag that is given to fellow temple members, as well as in a temple-wide electronic communication. If you are interested in a sponsorship, please reach out to Sandra Stein and Laurie Levine, Co-Chairs of the 2023 Purim Fundraiser at PurimFundraiser@bethelnw.org.

We hope you choose to participate in any way, and we’re happy that we can offer two options. Our thriving Religious School is such a vital component of our temple. Last year, over $17,000 was raised with this Fundraiser and we hope to make the 2023 Fundraiser even more successful.

Many thanks as we look forward to a happy Purim!

Sandra Stein and Laurie Levine, Co-Chairs, 2023 Purim Fundraiser

Winter Coat & More Collection for Asylum Seekers coming from Texas January 6-13

The week of January 6-13, 2023 Temple Beth El will be collecting for Grannies Respond who have been helping the immigrants coming into the Port Authority (over 20,000 people from South and Central America have arrived since late spring). They need winter coats, hats, gloves and boots (all sizes, new and mildlyused), new underwear, new socks and kids sneakers (new or used). Volunteers from Westchester who work with Grannies Respond* will be driving our donations to NYC.

*“Grannies Respond provides and elicits compassionate and respectful support for asylum seekers and immigrants who are seeking safety and security in the United States”.

More information is on their website: www.granniesrespond.org

Making Soup & Sandwiches for the Needy

Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 pm

Our annual Soup’er Bowl program is transforming and moving to an evening. This year we are trying a Thursday night, complete with wine and cheese! We will be making the same type of dry soup jars, plus new this year, sandwiches for Katonah Community Center. For the week prior we will ask the congregation for soup ingredient donations, asking each grade level for a particular item - more details to come. Please check on our website for updates: bethelnw.org/event/SoupSandwiches2023

Give the Gift of Life Living Donor Kidney Transplants

Living donor programs allow a relative or a compatible unrelated donor (such as a spouse or friend) to donate a kidney. Siblings have a 25% chance of being an “exact match” for a living donor and a 50% chance of being a “half-match.” Donor compatibility is established through blood tests that look for matching blood types and antigens. The overall health of the potential donor is also of critical importance.

The success of the living donor program has helped to make renal transplantation one of the most common and successful types of organ transplantation. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center (NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia) began performing live donor kidney transplants in 1970 and expanded its program in 1986 to encompass non-related donors. Today, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia has the most active living-donor service in New York.

More information can be found on their website: columbiasurgery.org/conditions-and-treatments/living-donor-kidney-transplants

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Beth El now has the capability to text our membership. As we learn this new software, we will start with only weather and emergency notifications. Our text messages will come from phone number 914-768-2841; please put this number in your contacts at TBE Text Messages. Messaging is only one direction from the temple to you. Please be sure your mobile number is listed in our database.

If you wish to not receive texts from us, please do not delete your mobile number from our database; instead you can edit your online profile “contact information” subscriptions or block this number on your phone when/if you get a text from us.

B’NEI MITZVAH Appears in print only

JOYS & SORROWS

RECENT

GIFTS

October 26 – December 9, 2022

Betty & Jack Bader Adult Education Fund

Paul & Judith Farber in memory of Ray Clifford

William & Sandra Flank in memory of Ray Clifford

Leslie & Sam Guttman in memory of Cliff Ray Susan Ray in memory of Betty Liber

Cantor’s Discretionary Fund

Beth & Marc Rudofsky in honor of Eve Glass’s Bat Mitzvah

Caring Community Fund

Richard & Jane Zenker in memory of Alan Mirken

Early Childhood Center Fund

Jared & Erin Pisapia

Steven Ross & Francine Falk-Ross in memory of Corinne Lawner Falk

Flower Fund

Gail Litwak in memory of Doris Lowy Stan & Penny Hamlet in memory of Harold Friedlander

Charles & Robin Elkin in memory of George Katz

Bette Travin in memory of Ella Shabes

Sam & Sally Honig in memory of Betty Brand Schwab Alisa Gershman in memory of Leon B. Rosenblatt

Michael & Bettina Prober in memory of Aaron Goodman

Edward Wilders Jr & Rachel Wilders in memory of Bert Kaplowitz

Victor & Suzanne Rosenzweig in memory of Samuel Lowen

Richard & Dianne Spitalny in memory of Jerry Press

Richard & Dianne Spitalny in memory of Frieda Press Beth Weinberger in memory of Doris Lowy

Resnick Family Adult Education Fund

Bette Travin in memory of Clifford Ray Tammy & Stuart Leffler in honor of Clifford Ray

Senior Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

Marc & Amanda Garfinkle in honor of Gracyn on her brit bat

Tributes

William & Sandra Flank in memory of Ray Clifford

Joan Kolbert in memory of Ray Clifford

Carolyn Linett

Adrienne Shiloff in memory of Clifford Ray

Michael & Jane Swirsky in memory of Alex Sterling Michael & Jane Swirsky in memory of Morgan Yale Swirsky & Selma Swirsky

YAHRZEITS

January 1-7

Merrill Adelson

Albert Alpert

Abraham Farhy Barbara Fass Estelle Ferentz Anna Ginness Lewis Goodkin Ted Greenbaum

David Halperin Anna Herzfeld

Mark Klein Jay Ochser

Samuel L Pekarne Betty-Ruth Potts Kenneth Sack Jed Satow Thelma Silverman Bernard Waring Burton Wasserman Martin Weiss

January 8-14

Bertha Abramson Arthur Axelrod Esther Buchman Max Elbaum Angela Fisher Irwin Gerstein Lisa GoddardCooperberg Simon Goldman Michael Goodman Rhea Greenwood Lisa Grubel

Susan Karel Arthur Klein

Rachel Leiwant Edith Lewis Grace Lewis

Susan Manasse

Ida Mirsky

Lucy ResnickDerechin

Abraham Rifkin Claire Rubin Mildred Rudolph David Sack

Sara Shienbloom Robert Sturzer Nehemiah Urena

January 15-21

Lawrence Abrams

Norman Alpert

Ruth Baum

Rebecca Beckwith Norman Budoff Hilda Friedlander Sadie Fuchs

Sylvia Goldberg

Lawrence Gruberg

Jack Hymson

Julian Juster

Klari Kaufman

Herman Leifer William Leiwant

Eva Levine

Samuel Levitt Norman Lynton Albert Miller

Harry A. Nadel Charles Pintchman

Myrna Pitman Randi Potack

Sondra Rabinowitz Jacob Rosenberg Helen Schaum Alexander Treitelman Rebecca Zeller

January 22-28

Irving Corman

Michael Fishman

Loretta Geller

Joseph Gordon Martin Gruenfeld Harriet Heller Alice Henneman Philip Isaacson C. Zane Jacobs

Philip B. Kimmel Harry Levin Shirley Levine Albert Mackles Sydney Make Gail Neuberger Samuel J. Resnick Gerald Thurer Sylvia Turman Annelise Wagner

Jack Avrech

Nancy Bader

Michael Paul Brainin

David Colin

Henry Ralph Garrett

Harriet Goldstein

Linda Grigg

Jimmy Hallac

Mandel J. Kramer

Zelma Lipshutz

Cary Lowen

Rebecca Perloff Jaffe

Sam Press

Herbert Ross

Robert Sitver Sheila Taylor Jack Wohl

February 5-11

Miriam Blechner

Saul Braslow

Marilyn Bunshaft

Saul Dorfman

Richard Falk

Aaron Fast Morris Finkel

Jeanne Gelber

Melville Geller

Molly Geraldine Girshek

Steven Goldberg

Jaclyn Hope Greenstein

Edward Klagsbrun

Ethel Margolis

Lucille Meisel

Max Mittman

Jerome Ruzow

Theodore Stuzin Elaine Zenker

February 12-18

David Altman

Betty Bader

Matthew Blindman

Gertrude Elkin

Sylvia Goldberg

Milton Goldstein

Helen Halber Klein

Albert Huber

Scott A Josephs

Max Klein

Harold Klein

Rhoda Levine

Phyllis Nadel

Mark Press

Amy Resnick

Anne Ross

Florence Schiff Goldstein

Muriel Seiler

Martha Trustman Sylvia Weisberg Rita Wilders

February 19-25

Ronald Abramoff

Nick Beilenson

Bernard P. Borchard

Philip Bressman

Renee Buxbaum

Robert Cohen

Gustave Ehrenberg

Thelma Felcher

Beatrice Futterman

David Futterman

Irving Goldberg

Isaac Hakim Bebe Harrison Doris Held

Jeffrey Holst

Arthur Isack Alice Jacobs Ben Kolbert Lena Lefkowitz

Murray Ocko

Bella Pismeni Saul Reinharz

Alan Rolle

Lee Rosenberg Lenore Rosin

Theodore Ruzow

Frances Saltzman

Laura Sloan

Maury (Maurice)

Sommer

Jerrold Urish Francine Vexler

Beatrice Wolfson

February 26-28

Ingrid Braslow

Nasha Hamlet

Gloria Kalina

Selma Leff

Florence Meyers

Anthony Rotunno Madeleine Wallach

Mordechai Yedid

dkxal dpexkif

Heartfelt Condolences to

It is always a pleasure to hear good news from our temple members and to share joys. Often it helps to share problems or illnesses, too. Our Rabbis, Cantor, and Caring Community Committee want to respond to the needs of our congregants.

Please let us know if you, or some other temple member, might be helped by a visit or telephone call. Many people assume that everyone knows, but a note or call to the temple office, at 238-3928 x 1300, will get the message to our clergy.

Barbara Pfeffer

Frayda Feldman on the death of her husband, Ronald Feldman

Carol Halperin on the death of her son, Steven Halperin

Roger Klepper on the death of his mother, Carol Wasserman Klepper

Alyssa White on the death of her mother, Joyce Gurinsky

In times of joy and sadness, please keep us informed!

vjnaCELEBRATE at TBE!

From weddings and life-cycle events to private gatherings, business functions, and lectures, Temple Beth El’s stunning new facilities provide an exceptional setting for all types of special occasions and events.

For rental inquiries or to schedule a tour of our facilities, please call Carmen Stevens 914.238.3928 ext. 1312 or email cstevens@bethelnw.org. We look forward to helping you create a memorable event. For more information, please visit www.bethelnw.org/facility_rental.

TEMPLE DIRECTORY

TELEPHONE EXTENSIONS

1311 Senior Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe

1121 Rabbi-Educator Maura H. Linzer

1316 Cantor Elizabeth Sternlieb

1321 Gennifer Kelly, Executive Director

1221 Hope Blauner, Early Childhood Center Director

1222 Emily Kreiner, ECC Assistant Director

1220 Cari Lynch, Administration Assistant to ECC Director

1323 Jaclyn Trustman-Dubray, Administrative & Life-Cycle Coordinator

1320 Leslie Aufieri-Schneiderman, Communications Director

1312 Carmen Stevens, Development Coordinator

1325 Jason Stringer, Building Operations Manager

1122 Heather Satin, Religious School Assistant Principal 1110 Joni Gehebe-Kellogg, Youth Coordinator

1300 Life-Cycle Emergency

Please

Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester PO Box 418 Montvale, NJ 07645

WE ARE AN INCLUSIVE CONGREGATION

Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester appreciates the rich diversity of the Jewish community and invites all who seek a connection to Jewish life to join us. We encourage participation of interfaith couples and families as well as people of all backgrounds, ages, financial means, sexual orientations and gender identities. We welcome children and adults with disabilities and their families. We strive to ensure that our programs and facilities are accessible to all and to accommodate special needs.

The synagogue is a kehilah kedoshah — a sacred community. Like a sukkah, it is constructed of many different branches woven together: the married and the unmarried, single parents, grandparents, non-Jewish spouses and those of all sexual orientations. The broader the sukkah’s reach, the more tightly its branches are woven, the stronger it stands. So too the synagogue: the greater the variety of people welcomed within it, the closer they feel to one another, the stronger the temple stands.

Senior Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe

jjaffe@bethelnw.org

Rabbi-Educator Maura H. Linzer mlinzer@bethelnw.org

Cantor Elizabeth Sternlieb esternlieb@bethelnw.org

Executive Director Gennifer Kelly executivedirector@bethelnw.org

Director of Early Hope Blauner Childhood Center hblauner@bethelnw.org

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS

Rhonda Regan President

Marc Fried Executive Vice President

Lisa Crandall Vice President

Meryl Lefkowitz Vice President

Sarah Lieb Vice President

Jennifer Pariser Vice President

Kelly Aidekman Treasurer Pam Klein Secretary

TRUSTEES

Term Expires 2023

Larry Block

Alyssa Garnick Lerner

Pam Goldfarb

Norma Klein

Art Saltzman Stephanie Saltzman Debbie Samberg

Term Expires 2024

Evan Cohen

Gary Munowitz

Stacey Pfeffer

Melissa Singer Stacey Stambleck Diane Thaler

Term Expires 2025

Vanessa Baker

Gregg Diller

Amy Robin Immediate Past President

Past Presidents, Honorary Members of the Board

Steve Adler

Richard Albert

Lisa Davis Melvin Ehrlich

Ernest M. Grunebaum

Barry Meisel

Gloria Meisel William Pollak David Ruzow