THE
LADDER MAY/JUNE 2022
And Jacob dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to the heavens...
Coming Together In Moments of Service Tikkun Leil Shavuot Night of Study
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Study with Scholar-in-Resident Rabbi Norman Cohen, Ph.D.
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Ukraine Donations Update
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Refugee Resettlement Page 13 West Point Visit and Shabbat Dinner
Back Cover
RABBI’S MESSAGE Update from the Annual Meeting of the Central Conference of American Rabbis In the waning days of March, Rabbi Linzer and I had the opportunity to reunite with 300+ colleagues, teachers and friends at the annual meeting of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) in San Diego. The title “annual” is somewhat misleading, as due to Covid, this was the first in-person meeting held since 2019. While we participants rejoiced in our ability to come together in prayer, study and discussion, several moments deserve to be shared with our congregation.
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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 President
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Perhaps the greatest highlight was offered by the attendance and honoring of Rabbi Sally Priesand, who became the first female Reform Rabbi fifty years ago. Coupled with the 100th anniversary of the first Bat Mitzvah, Rabbi Priesand’s attendance provided ample opportunity to reflect upon the influence of 50 years of women in the rabbinate. And given that the CCAR is currently helmed by the amazing Rabbi Hara Person, this influence was hard to miss. The conference beamed with joy and pride in standing ovation for Rabbi Priesand as she was honored by the conference. On the other hand, much of the convention was spent debating the current ethics rules of the CCAR, particularly around sexual impropriety and inappropriate behavior. In recent years, several instances have come to light of known sexual abusers avoiding significant repercussion and at times, even directed towards open positions without knowledge of the hiring institution. At the same time, an ethics investigation into Union for Reform Judaism camps revealed a similar lack of oversight and transparency in dealing with staff and rabbinic faculty members. The CCAR is dedicated towards reforming their policies but must carefully balance the need for transparency and notification with the privacy deserved by victims/survivors and for those accused who have not been proven guilty. A special ethics task force provided an update and asked for our feedback in how to best reform these policies. I will be sure to update the congregation on this ongoing matter as events warrant. Another hot topic issue is the proposed plan to close the rabbinical program at one of Hebrew Union College’s three stateside campuses. At the moment, the Reform movement’s seminary maintains programs in New York, Cincinnati and Los Angeles. However, as enrollment has shrunk due to several factors, sustaining three separate campuses for an annual class of 30 rabbis does not make financial sense. The current plan is to shutter Cincinnati’s full time rabbinic program while protecting its archives and research programs. In addition, the college aims to move towards greater hybrid learning, with Cincinnati acting as the central campus for those engaged in remote learning. One evening of the conference witnessed an emotional meeting with HUC’s leadership and those CCAR rabbis who are deeply pained by the proposal to close the Cincinnati campus. But the broad majority of those present offered support for
RABBI’S MESSAGE this idea, for the sake of the long term financial wellbeing of the Reform movement’s one and only seminary. A decision on Cincinnati is set to take place later this spring. Outside of these big ticket items, I had the opportunity to study with favorite professors such as my Talmud and Mishna teacher, Dr. Devora Weisberg, who now oversees HUC’s rabbinic program, as well as my mentor and professor Dr. Bill Cutter, who not only taught me Hebrew literature but also officiated at my wedding. There was ample time to catch up with colleagues and hear about how things are going in their communities. And yes, some of this was done poolside and even beachside. After two years of being apart due to Covid, it was an honor and joy to reconnect with former classmates and those who share the similar path of serving congregations and the Jewish people. In reflecting with colleagues, I came away with the familiar sense of humility and gratitude for serving such a wonderful congregation as Beth El. While some colleagues spoke of dwindling membership, high rates of disaffiliation, financial hardship and problematic lay leadership, I felt a sense of pride in speaking about the engagement, growth and participation we enjoy in our congregation. And so even as I bade farewell to the warmth, sun and ocean in San Diego, I returned to New York excited and optimistic for all that awaits me here in Northern Westchester. Thank you for making this possible. As always, I invite your comments, questions or the opportunity to discuss any of the above with you at your convenience. In the meantime, thank you for making Temple Beth El such a wonderful place to call home. L’Shalom,
Rabbi Jaffe
TACOS AND TORAH Tacos and Torah with Rabbi Jaffe Tuesday, May 24 at 6:15 pm The Taco Project, 465 Bedford Road, Pleasantville We hope to mix our love of learning and eating with a new limited series, Tacos and Torah, to be held at The Taco Project in Pleasantville. Order your tacos, chips and margarita. Then join Rabbi Jaffe and your Beth El neighbors in an informal discussion on Jewish text. All ages welcome. Salud!
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION Monday, May 23 at 7:30 pm on Zoom Please visit bethelnw.org/event/AnnualMeeting2022 to view the following and to register for the Zoom meeting: • • • •
The meeting agenda Minutes of June 2021’s meeting The slate of new officers and trustees and their biographies Committee reports
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RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Religious School Activities By Pamela Goldfarb, TBE Member and Religious School Parent The Religious School held many exciting programs in March and April for their students. The children enjoyed participating in enriching programs to enhance their classroom experiences. Our sixth and seventh graders participated in a workshop with the Anti-Defamation League, “Words To Action: Empowering Students to Address Anti-Semitism.” The interactive program is designed to equip the students with constructive and effective responses to combat anti-semitism and anti-Israel bias. The program has been an annual program for the seventh graders as part of the seventh grade Holocaust unit. This was the first year the sixth graders participated. The program was a meaningful and instructive for both grades and the Religious School will be continuing with the program for both grades next year. As part of the seventh grade Holocaust unit, TBE introduced a new program, the Holocaust Gallery Walk. Beth El members whose family members are Holocaust survivors shared their families’ stories with the students. The new TBE Holocaust Education Committee, founded by Naomi Keller, created and led the wonderful program. Thank you to Helen Dorman, Bettina Prober, Stacey Pfeffer, Meryl Lefkowitz, Naomi Koller, Hedy Simpson, Elise Wagner for sharing your families’ stories with our students. The students were engaged in the program and appreciated hearing the stories. The Religious School students have been enjoying field trips and welcoming visitors from outside of TBE. As part of the sixth grade study of Jewish lifecycles, the sixth graders visited the Mikveh in White Plains. A sofer (Torah scribe) is coming back to TBE to meet with the fourth graders. The children will be writing their Hebrew names in calligraphy with the sofer. The Religious School is pleased to be able to have students participate in these annual programs in-person again. The students also enjoyed gathering together to celebrate Passover. Kindergarten though third grade had a candy seder during Religious School and the fourth grade through sixth grade had a model seder during Religious School. The students enjoyed learning about and celebrating Passover with their classmates in advance of the Passover holiday. We hope our families had a nice Passover and look forward to more learning and enrichment programs as we finish the school year.
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Religious School Passover Seder Highlights
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS May 6 Teacher Appreciation Shabbat Service 9 Last Day for 7th-12th Grade 10 Last Day for Tuesday 2nd and 3rd Grade 12 RS Last Day for 5th and 6th Grade 15 Last Day for K-4th Grade
Religious School Purim Carnival Highlights
MISHLOACH MANOT FUNDRAISER UPDATE On behalf of The Religious School Committee, we are excited to share that our 5th annual Mishloach Manot Fundraiser successfully raised just over $17,000 in support of our TBE Religious School. Many people helped make this fundraiser a success and so we’re extending a hearty thanks to: Jill Liebman and Melissa Bahr, Co-Chairs of the Religious School Committee, for their incredible support and organization, the members of the Religious School Committee, who helped fund-raise and pack and distribute the baskets, Religious School Committee member Tara Brandoff and her family for their generous donations of the beverages in the baskets, Religious School Committee member Laurie Levine for her donation of time, talent, and the printing of her creative postcards, Sarah Lieb, Vice President, for her time and support, and Courtney Davis Walker, fellow temple member, who successfully secured the discount concession coupons from Bedford Playhouse. We also thank Rabbi Linzer, Genn Kelly, Jaclyn Dubray, and Leslie Aufieri-Schneiderman for their time, patience, and support, and our Religious School staff, especially Heather Satin, who so kindly helped us distribute the baskets. Some of our donations came from businesses owned by fellow temple members -Max Braun & Sons, Inc., and Scattered Books - and we especially thank them for supporting us in this effort. Truly, we are extremely appreciative of all of the businesses that supported this fundraiser, many of whom have been challenged during the last two years. We won’t forget them! Our wish was that you and your family enjoyed the baskets together. We are especially grateful for your support of our Religious School and hope we can count on you again next year! Many thanks, Meryl Lefkowitz and Sandra Stein Mishloach Manot Chairs
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EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Spring Has Sprung in the ECC By Hope Blauner, TBE ECC Director Warmer temperatures, daffodils growing in our garden and worms spotted in our courtyard can only mean one thing; springtime is finally here. After what has seemed like a very long winter where the children spent most days indoors due to the freezing cold temperatures, the children are back outside running, climbing, digging and most of all enjoying spending time with nature. As a Reggio Emilia inspired school, the environment plays a critical role in how children play. That is why we work so hard to create an indoor and outdoor space where children feel welcomed, trusted and respected. Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to expand our outdoor space so there are a variety of play areas for the children to explore in addition to our wonderful playground. We have noticed that there seems to be one particular area that has emerged as their leading favorite: the mud kitchen. Since the dawn of time, children have been drawn to mud puddles and dirt as part of their play. Mixing soil, water and other natural materials provides children with endless possibilities for learning and fun, so it’s no wonder the mud kitchen is popular amongst the preschoolers. Equipped with shovels, bowls, utensils, and pots this extension of our indoor dramatic play area allows the children to participate in a familiar setting but with the enriched benefit of being outdoors. Tucked away right by the garden, the mud kitchen has found its perfect home with an endless supply of water and dirt. Mud play has many benefits. It might inspire children to feel a connection to nature and develop an appreciation for the environment. Mud is a wonderful open-ended art medium that can be easily transformed into sculptures, roadways and the all-time favorite: birthday cakes. The limitless nature of mud encourages creative thinking and allows children to freely create without fear of making mistakes. Social growth occurs when children work together in the mud kitchen. They develop social skills as they encounter situations that involve taking turns, compromising, and sharing. In addition, the rich, engaging sensory play allows them to express their creativity while enhancing their fine motor skills. Just as children are expected to clean-up after playing with materials in the classroom, they also help with the clean-up in the mud kitchen. By putting all the materials back into the bins and getting the area organized, the children learn to be responsible. It also allows the mud kitchen to be ready for a visit from the next class or the next day’s play. Let us be thankful for April showers which helps to keep our mud kitchen alive. So, when your preschooler comes home covered in dirt, you can nod knowingly and ask them what was cookin’ in the mud kitchen today.
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TBE ECC HIGHLIGHTS May 6 Tot Shabbat 27-30 ECC Closed for Memorial Day Weekend June 7 Last Day of Pre-K 8 Last Day of School for 3 Day 2s 9 Last Day of School for 5 day 2s, 3s, 4s and Temple Tots 10 4s Growing-up Ceremony
ANNUAL GALA
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SPECIAL SHABBAT SERVICES First Friday Family Shabbat Friday, May 6 5:30 pm Tot Shabbat 7:15 pm Teacher Appreciation Shabbat Worship Service with guest speaker Cantor David Frommer, Jewish Chaplin at West Point Join us as we thank our Religious School teachers and our madrichim. Cantor David Frommer, who serves as USMA Chaplain, will also be speaking about his experience as serving as the West Point Chaplain and his time in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Shabbat Service with Confirmation Friday, June 3 at 7:15 pm Congratulations to our Confirmands: 10th Grade Alexander Brandoff Asa Nunberg Jonah Cantor Etai Nunberg Talia Diller Carly Penn Vivian Dorfman Benjamin Prober Gabriel Duran Alyssa Rose Alexander Fine Ryan Schwartz Jason Friedman Jenna Shaiken Riley Klein Jordana Singer Lexi Marshall Shoshana Stein Asher Moss Emma Wasserman 11th Grade Sasha Fried Jamie Lynch Noah Marlow Isaac Saland Bertha Shipper Skyler Stambleck Sam Tainsky
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Shabbat Service with Board Installation Friday, June 10 at 7:15 pm Our congregation is honored to welcome our newest board members to their positions and to express our gratitude to those taking on leadership roles. We will also thank those stepping off the board for their years of service. Congratulating our New and Renewing Officers: Rhonda Regan Marc Fried Lisa Crandall Meryl Lefkowitz Sarah Lieb Jennifer Pariser Kelly Aidekman Pam Klein Welcome to the Board of Trustees: Vanessa Baker Jill Liebman Continuing service on the board for a new term: Gregg Diller Janet Levy Alyssa White Thank you for those board members whose term is ending: Deb Fass Jacobs Karla Shepard Rubinger Carol Wolk
Shabbat Service with Graduation Friday, June 17 at 7:15 pm Congratulations to our Graduates: Chloe Appel Samuel Auerbacher Mia Beltran Samuel Berger Gemma Braun Sophie Card Matthew Cooperberg Charles Emanuel Jack Glasser Megan Glasser Daniel Goodstadt Jonah Halperin Sydney Katz
Gaia Kelly Ilan Laurence Michael Lee Simon Margolies Dylan Marshall Nathan Meyer Coby Nunberg Caleb Reynolds Jordan Rosen Ben Rothstein Joshua Samberg Dylan Satow Nathaniel Tucker
SHAVUOT
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ADULT EDUCATION What Lies Under the Fig Leaf? Biblical Stories of Clothing and Identity Sunday, May 15, 11:15 am–12:30 pm with Scholar in Residence Rabbi Norman Cohen, Ph.D. Topic: Uncovering our True Identities. Genesis 37-39, the Book of Esther In Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” the invisible suit of clothing tells us much about the character of the emperor as well as that of his subjects. It also reveals the writer’s concerns and values. The symbolic power of clothing, both in what it hides and reveals, has everything to do with identity and how we perceive it. So, as we read biblical stories through the interpretive lens of Midrash, we will gain a powerful sense of what lies under the garment of Torah.”
COMMUNITY PROGRAM
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TIKKUN OLAM Blood Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Registry Drive Sunday, May 15 from 2:00-4:00 pm Join us to save a life! Calling all adults ages 18-41 to enter the Be The Match Registry! With a simple cheek swab, Be The Match can determine if your bone marrow can save a patient’s life. Take the first step to becoming someone’s hero. It will only take ten minutes of your time! If you can’t make it on the day but would still like to participate, please scan the adjacent QR code to inquire about having a kit sent directly to your home. Help improve the odds by registering today. YOU could be a family’s hope for a cure!
GUEST COLUMNIST Summary of Beth El’s Collection Drive for Ukraine By Cheryl Ehrlich Our congregation recently undertook a weeklong collection drive for items to be sent to Ukrainians both in the country and fleeing for refuge in bordering nations. Congregant Cheryl Ehrlich kindly provided the following summary of our efforts. For more information, go to DonationsforUkraine.com. We prayed we’d never see it again. Russia’s bloody and unprovoked attempt to annex a sovereign democracy. The indiscriminate shelling of men, women and children. The destruction of homes, theatres, houses of worship, even refugee corridors. We’re horrified by the sheer numbers — almost 5 million Ukrainian refugees forced to flee their homes over the Polish and Moldovan borders. Another 7 million displaced within the country. And as of 16 April, 800,000 Ukrainians have been pulled from their homes, stripped of their documentation and phones, and forcibly resettled into Russian “filtration” camps. As Jews, and humanitarians, today we are all Ukrainians. Members of our Beth El congregation, like Jews worldwide, have helped in many ways, including generously sending money. But many of us are frustrated that we can’t do more. When Rabbi Jaffe announced a tikkun olam initiative, the congregation stepped up. Within one week, there was a mountain of boxes and bags in the synagogue lobby, ready to take to Donation for Ukraine, a New York-based non-profit collecting food, emergency medicine and equipment, hygiene products, clothing, pet food, and other vital items to ship to the many displaced people of Ukraine who’ve left their lives with nothing but a backpack or small suitcase. On a rainy Sunday, a group of volunteers (the Ehrlich, Goldsmith, Perlmutter, Resnick and Weill families, along with the Rabbi and his two daughters) came to collect the items. “I was in awe — such generosity,” said Dick Goldsmith. It took ten people, including members of the temple staff, about an hour to load five cars. Continued on page 12
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GUEST COLUMNIST We drove off in the rain, to a nondescript street in Canarsie, Brooklyn, one hour and a world away. Donation for Ukraine volunteers met us, and together we unloaded the cars, shlepping bag after bag, box after box, down a narrow driveway leading to an underground parking garage that took up the entire basement of an apartment building. The space, donated by the landlord, had been transformed into an immense sorting center. Picture boxes as far as you can see, piles needing to be sorted and packed, chaos looking for order. When we finished unloading the cars, we were heartily thanked, but none of us wanted to turn from a chance to get our hands dirty. Lena, the energetic organizer, didn’t wait for anyone to change their minds. Our first task was unpacking food and checking expiration dates. Lena told us they couldn’t ship anything more than a month over its expiration date (despite my strong advice), due to the indeterminate amount of time items take to reach their recipients. The most crucial items are sent in donated private planes. Others must go by boat. Congregant Jeff Perlmutter described the almost overwhelming scene, “Getting to the basement of where they were collecting everything made me realize what an absolutely daunting task this was, not for us, but for all the collection centers around the world. Sorting. Boxing. Throwing expired stuff out. Shipping to some future location. And then what? All the unpacking and getting it to those in need. Hundreds of man hours. And someone organizing it all…. And incredibly thankful for the extra hands.” About a dozen Donation for Ukraine volunteers came and went during the afternoon, all on a mission. Most were Ukrainian Americans, having grown up speaking Russian at home. One woman was Georgian. Said congregant Leslie Resnick, “One of the volunteers was Russian, she really wanted to do what she could to help. A few of the others, despite their accents, have been here from Ukraine for 10 - 20 years, but many family and friends remain in Ukraine.” “I spent a lot of time talking to Lena,” said congregant Bonnie Weill. “Although she has lived in the US for 30 years she still has lots of friends and relatives in Ukraine. I told her I am 1/4 Ukrainian and my grandfather came to the US from Zhytomyr. She comes to the volunteer center after work several days a week and said there are always people there. Even in the midst of such a serious and difficult task, we had some funny conversations and laughed about not being able to see expiration dates without our reading glasses.” Thanks to our thoughtful congregants, including the dentists, we were able to fill several cartons with toothbrushes and toothpaste. When each box was full to bursting, Lena came to squeeze in more. Another job was separating out stick deodorants by gender, which seemed odd until Sergei explained that men’s deodorant goes directly to soldiers. We had to tape the opening of every bottle of shampoo, conditioner, dish soap — anything that might spill in rough transit. A dozen donated wheelchairs spoke volumes about who’s being helped. My main contact was with Ivan, a tall, gentle Ukrainian of few words, organizing the medical and military area. It was heart warming to unbox and discover treasure troves of painkillers, vitamins, bandages and other much-needed supplies, and add them to the cartons going out by plane. As the day lengthened, we were served nalysnyky, Ukrainian cheese rolls, and other treats. And then… it was time to go home. “It is heartbreaking to watch the news but seeing people come together to help makes me feel hopeful,” said congregant Tracey Perlmutter. To quote Rabbi Jaffe, “As the Talmud teaches, Lo alecha ham’lacha ligmor, v’lo ata ben chorim l’hibatil mimena - It is not your duty to fully complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Donation of Ukraine is open from 11 to 7 everyday and welcomes both supplies and volunteers.
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GUEST COLUMNIST Update on Refugee Resettlement Efforts By Norma Klein, Board of Trustees, Co-chair of the Tikkun Olam Committee On Friday, March 11th, we welcomed Afghan Refugees Fardeen and Haroon Ghafoor to speak at Temple Beth El. Norma Klein, who graciously serves as our liaison to ReSET Westchester, provided this recap of the group’s recent efforts to settle refugees in our area. For more information or to get involved, go to resetwestchester.org. As a descendant of refugees myself, whose ancestors either escaped persecution during the pogroms in Eastern Europe, or escaped the Holocaust, I felt a particular empathy towards these new families in need. I’ve always wondered what it was like for my grandparents and their families, who I’ve been told, literally ran out their back doors into the fields and somehow made it to America with only what they could carry. Who took them in? How did they get food and shelter? How did they even begin to set up a new life? The details are a little fuzzy but I have been told organizations like HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) & local communities helped. And I wanted to be a part of that to help these people experiencing similar crises in their lives. So when Rabbi Jaffe came to our committee and asked if we could look into this organization called ReSET Westchester, I was intrigued. It was a new interfaith group initiative forming to resettle the refugees that were being evacuated from Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban this past fall. Those airplanes we all saw on TV filled with refugees fleeing their countries were living on military bases across the US and needed homes. And now with the horrors unfolding in the Ukraine, there will be more need than ever. I started meeting on zooms every Monday with a group of about 15 to 20 people from Shaaray Tefila, Bet Torah, the Bedford Presbyterian Church, the Antioch Baptist Church, the Upper Westchester Muslim Society & Neighbors Link to name just a few. And I was so impressed with not just the dedication, but the brains, the thoughtfulness and the kindness of all the members of ReSET. We are all just volunteers who came together, to create and implement a plan, to take in, resettle, support and guide these families. And really anyone can help. I truly love, appreciate and am so grateful to be working with this new group. So, the work and the stories... currently we are in the process of resettling three families locally but it is a large undertaking. The first was a single, young man who is well on his way in his own home with a job in finance and currently working on getting his driver’s license. The second is a family of three with a young teenage daughter and the last family is the one I have been managing along with my co-manager, Elaine Merker of Bet Torah who I love collaborating with. They are a lovely young couple with three young children all under the age of 5 and the mom is pregnant with her fourth. They barely speak English but are eager to learn. We have finally moved them into an apartment which I am hoping they will come to call home. But our tasks are both complex and costly. They include obtaining affordable housing, furniture, employment, transportation, English language training, getting kids enrolled in schools, dealing with government agencies for assistance, and counseling if needed for three families. So we could use both manpower and resources. And just as an aside, I know that whenever we ask, TBE members have gone above and beyond. For example, last month when I sent out a wish list for items needed for one of our houses, the requests were completely filled within two hours of posting. Amazing. So hopefully, you’ve been moved tonight by these stories and will help us in supporting these families as they restart their lives. I truly have made great new friends both with my counterparts at ReSET and the Afghan families I’ve come to know. Here is an update on the lives of the Afghan families we have helped to re-settle: The single, young male working in finance is well on his way to getting his driver’s license, buying his own car and weaning off many of the government benefits that have helped him thus far. The teenage daughter of the second family is acclimating to school and her parents are working very hard on getting jobs, sharpening their resumes, networking and improving their English. The third family consisting of the three young children and a baby due in July has settled into their apartment. The father has started a full-time job, the oldest child will be starting kindergarten next week and we will hopefully have the second oldest in day camp this summer. Finally, we also hope to start the legal process of attaining asylum for all families.
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NEW EVENT
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GUEST COLUMNIST My 15 Minutes With A Rescued Shoah Torah By Stacey Pfeffer This article originally appeared on the website - Jewish Women of Words on April 27, 2022. There I am 8 years old staring at the scuffs on my Mary Janes and my Trimfit tightclad legs while I sit in the plush velvet seat at shul. I really want to sit criss-cross applesauce but my dad would forbid it. I should be paying attention to the service but instead I’m staring at the colorful stained-glass windows with images of Bereshit and wondering if I will have a rainbow cookie or black and white at kiddush. Then comes the moment where I wonder will my dad get hagbah or another type of aliyah? I really hope so. Every Saturday growing up I’d go to shul with my dad. We’d walk the four blocks to our temple no matter what the weather. I loved how he’d don a three-piece suit adorned with a snazzy handkerchief in his suit jacket and a felt fedora with a feather in the brim. ‘Look British, think Yiddish,” he said with a wink as he made sure his tie was straight. I loved sitting next to him, the faint smell of Aramis permeating the air. This was a special time of the week for both of us. My dad felt at home in our shul. I could see a certain peace fell over him while he was there. An escape from the world where the aftermath of the Vietnam War often haunted him or the daily horrors he saw working at Child Protective Services in NYC with abused kids. Whenever he got hagbah, I felt so proud. There was my dad, a stocky figure holding up the Torah but to me it seemed a feat that only Superman could do. How much did it weigh I wondered? Fast forward to my Bat Mitzvah at our Conservative shul and I’m wondering why I am relegated to a Friday night service and no Torah reading. I am one of the best students in my Hebrew class, blessed with a musical voice. Where’s my chance to shine like the boys in Hebrew school? We celebrate Simchat Torah at our shul and the joyous dancing starts on the expertly lacquered ballroom floor. We eventually move outside to a main throughfare that the police have barricaded off for us. My dad gets to dance with the Torah. I get a mini one and a flag of Israel to wave as the sweat forms slowly on his upper brow. I loved my childhood moments at shul but as I got older, I yearned for a place where I could be physically and spiritually closer to the Torah. Much to my parent’s initial dismay, I found it when I started a family of my own and moved to the suburbs joining a Reform temple. Here I saw women reading from the Torah, getting aliyah and female CrossFitters honoured with holding the Torah up high on the bimah for all to see on Rosh Hashanah. So when the rabbi asked if I would be willing to read from the Torah during the High Holiday service this year I jumped at the chance. They sent me an MP3 file that I studied over the dog days of August. I asked for a translation of my section because it wasn’t enough to chant the words. I had to know their meaning. When the moment came for me to sing from Genesis, I went to the bimah, holding the yad unsteadily, noticing the soft leather of the Torah. This was my chance and my son and two daughters would see it and even my parents attended the services via Zoom thanks to COVID and were proud. This past spring my rabbi asked if I’d be willing to hold a rescued Torah from the Holocaust housed at our temple at an upcoming Yom Hashoah procession in our county’s official observance of this solemn day. Both my maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors and I once again said yes despite my diminutive stature. I’m not even 5 feet and was worried about carrying its hefty weight since I don’t CrossFit but I figured I’d muster up the strength somehow. I wish that my dad still had the SuperMan strength to hold the Torah or watch me in this special procession. I wish my grandparents could see this moment too – to witness the true meaning of L’Dor V’Dor and to know that I finally found my home spiritually and physically with the Torah. They would have felt truly blessed.
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GUEST COLUMNIST The Inclusion of Women into Jewish Tradition By Rabbi Liz Rolle On Friday, April 22nd, we celebrated 100 years of women becoming Bat Mitzvah and 50 years of women serving as Reform Rabbis by inviting several female leaders to read from the Torah and Rabbi Liz Rolle, who grew up at Temple Beth El, to speak. The following is an excerpt from her remarks. In a few minutes, we will hear the story in the Torah about the five daughters of Zelophehad. These five women had a problem. Due to the interesting and different attitudes and traditions about how property was bequeathed and inherited - mainly from men to men, it appeared to them as they traveled with the Israelites through the wilderness that, with the death of their father, the land promised to him by the Torah might pass out of their immediate family. With no brothers to inherit, who might receive this promised territory in place of their father? The five of them (and they are always referred to by name): Noa, Milcah, Hogla, Tirzah, and Mahlah went to Moses to complain. “We ought to be the rightful heirs of our father’s real estate; otherwise it will pass out of our family. It’s not right!” Now, these five were hardly the first to complain to Moses! There was Korach - he had challenged Moses to show that he was somehow holier than the rest of them! Of course, Korach’s followers were swallowed up by the earth. And when the people complained to Aaron that Moses was away up Mt. Sinai for too long, he told them to build a golden calf and the reward for that was a plague that ran through the camp. So, what might await the five daughters? Well, unlike the other complainers, they arrived with a solution to offer as well. If they were to be the heirs, they proposed, they would be limited to the men of their own tribe as marriage partners so the land would remain within the tribe. Without going into all the details, suffice it to say, their complaint was heard, it was well-received, and a new precedent was set. Daughters from now on could inherit land from their fathers if there were no sons. Jump ahead more than 3000 years, in the second decade of the twentieth century, my grandmother had a problem. Actually, she had two problems. The first problem was that she wanted to drive the family car, in those days referred to as ‘the machine’. Now, my granny, my mother’s mother, had five older brothers and they all drove the machine. You have to picture the machine, of course, with its crank in the front that you had to crank up to get the engine running. Very ladylike! When she approached her father, he reportedly answered that he was not going to have HIS daughter be the first woman in Philadelphia to drive a machine! We’re talking, like, 1912. Like the daughters of Zelophehad, Granny - her name was Alice (Ed. note: pronounced Elise) - had a solution! She went out on the street corner and waited each day until she saw a woman drive by. She was not the first woman in Philadelphia to drive a machine - but as close as she could get! In 1922, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan had a problem. He had four daughters. No longer concerned about bequeathing them his real estate holdings as Zelophehad might have been, Rabbi Kaplan was concerned, instead, with bequeathing his daughters Torah in a worthy fashion. He also came with a proposed solution. At his synagogue, the Society for the Advancement of Judaism - these days known simply as SAJ - at SAJ, where men and women still had separate seating, by the way(!), on Saturday morning, March 18, 1922 - just over 100 years ago, following the Torah reading for the morning, Rabbi Kaplan had his 12-year-old daughter, Judith, come forward and read the end of the Torah portion in Hebrew from her Bible which she used as a textbook in her day school. No Torah scroll, plenty of vowels. Rabbi Kaplan had not really prepared her for this moment and what was going to happen. Nor had he, apparently, informed the other family members what he had planned. Thus it was without fanfare that Judith Kaplan was the first girl to become a bat mitzvah two years after the
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GUEST COLUMNIST country had given women the right to vote. Her three sisters followed along as each one turned 12. It’s not clear, by the way, that any of them did this with any great enthusiasm! I mean, really, what 12 year old girl wants to be the only one of her friends to do nearly anything?!? My granny’s problem was that she wanted to go to college. Now, her father, my great-grandfather, was not entirely unreasonable and agreed that she could attend at Penn right there in downtown Philadelphia. But she wanted to live at school and there he put his foot down. So, she did not go to college! Of course, with two daughters of her own, you can guess what happened in the next generation. My mother - whom many of you knew - attended Elmira College in the late 40’s and lived in the dormitory of the all-women’s school. If you did know her, you may not know that after college, she attended the Culinary Institute of America for a single semester. She was, of course, the only woman in a class full of prospective male chefs! Her younger sister ended up attending at Penn and never did move out of her parent’s home until she got married. In the early 50’s, she was one of two or three women in her veterinary class and practiced as a veterinarian for many, many years. In the 1960’s Rabbi Dr. Nelson Glueck, then president of the Hebrew Union College, was searching for a solution. He wanted badly to be the first president of the College to ordain a woman! He needed a candidate! While the Reform rabbis had voted - just 3 months after Judith Kaplan became a bat mitzvah in 1922! - the Reform rabbis (all 67 of them) voted that there was no reason a woman could not be ordained. The governing council at HUC rejected the possibility. Many women studied at the College which gave out other degrees as well. A daughter of one of the professors 2 thought she might be ordained but left after 71/2 years when she realized the College would not allow it. So, Rabbi Glueck needed a candidate. Sally Priesand presented herself as a possible solution. Sally was the lone woman in her rabbinic class. She really DID want to be the first woman rabbi. Well, she didn’t want to be first, she just wanted to be a rabbi and she was willing to be the first. She was the only woman in her classes and was, indeed, as Rabbi Linzer mentioned, ordained 50 years ago in 1972.
CONCERT The Westchester Chorale proudly announces that Elizabeth Sternlieb will perform as a soloist for their May 7th concert, “Voices of Jubilation.” The concert at Larchmont Avenue Church will feature choral works by two contemporary composers, Douglas Kostner’s Come…and Dance and Jubilate Deo, Dan Forrest’s triumphant choral exploration of Psalm 100 sung in seven languages from Arabic to Zulu. If you would like to preview this amazing contemporary composition, you can find an impressive performance by using this QR code. Use your cellphone camera to take a photo of the code to the left and be taken directly to the YouTube video. In addition to Elizabeth Sternlieb, the special guests at the performance will include the Westchester Children’s Chorus. They will be accompanied by a full orchestra promising an afternoon of pure musical exuberance. Our Cantor has been busy this past winter, as she coordinated and produced two virtual concerts to raise funds for Mazon, an international organization that feeds the hungry. These “CANTORS AND COMPANY” concerts ran coast-to-coast live on YouTube. The “Voices of Jubilation” concert, celebrating our community’s emergence from two years of ‘COVID fermata,’ will be held at Larchmont Avenue Church, 60 Forest Park Ave., Larchmont, NY. Please visit westchesterchorale.org to purchase tickets.
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B’NEI MITZVAH Appears in print only
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B’NEI MITZVAH Appears in print only
ISRAEL TRIP Winter Break Chanukah Family Israel Trip with Rabbi Jaffe December 22-31, 2022 Join Rabbi Jaffe and your Temple Beth El friends and neighbors on this extraordinary trip for both explorers and deepeners. Celebrate Chanukah in the Promised Land, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to the Negev Desert. Full details and booking information can be found on this website: www.israelmaven.com/bethelnw/
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JOYS & SORROWS RECENT GIFTS
February 3–April 11, 2022 Betty & Jack Bader Adult Education Fund Clifford & Susan Ray in memory of Lydia Hertling Cantor’s Discretionary Fund Cynthia Garrett & Stanley Berman in memory of Henry Garrett Beatrice Hallac in memory of Jimmy Hallac Ken & Rhonda Regan in memory of Sheila Taylor Joan Saslow in memory of Edward Klagsbrun Craig & Diane Thaler in memory of Harriet Heller Caring Community Fund Jonathan & Maxine Ferencz in memory of Robert Aranow Scott & Melissa Singer in memory of Phyllis Biren Steven & Susan Sorrel in honor of Miles Brensilver’s family on his Bar Mitzvah Steven & Susan Sorrel in honor of Emma Feig’s family on her Bat Mitzvah Steven & Susan Sorrel in honor of Allison Gordon’s family on her Bat Mitzvah Steven & Susan Sorrel in honor of Jake Levy’s family on his Bar Mitzvah Steven & Susan Sorrel in honor of Lucas Sussberg’s family on his Bar Mitzvah Steven & Susan Sorrel in honor of Charlie Van Schaick’s family on her Bat Mitzvah Steven & Susan Sorrel in honor of Makensie White’s family on her Bat Mitzvah Clergy’s Discretionary Fund Peter Halperin in memory of Andrea Halperin Early Childhood Center Fund Jordan & Samantha Cohen in memory of Donald B Katz Jordan & Samantha Cohen in memory of Jacki Pearlman William Deutsch in memory of Fran Deutsch Susanne Katzman in memory of David H Katzman Ellis & Rae Zimmer Fund For Children In Need Victor & Suzanne Rosenzweig in memory of Rob Oppenheimer Flower Fund Jeffrey & Debra Geller in memory of Dora Shapiro Richard & Lucille Goldsmith in memory of Hilda Collins Richard & Lucille Goldsmith in memory of Gertrude Goldsmith Dovia Lerrick in memory of Anna Ginness Dovia Lerrick in memory of Philip Ginness Laurence & Stacey Pfeffer in memory of Barbara Pfeffer Richard & Dianne Spitalny in memory of Mark Press
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YAHRZEITS May 1-7 Barbara Breakstone Muriel Denmark Bert Elson Evelyn Frisch Henry Gerard Selma Glassgold Bella Goldfischer Larry Gordon Linda Haberman Robert Haberman Beatrice Hertz Sally Israel Massarsky Kurt Jacobson Sydelle Kesselman Florence Klein Sam Lefkowitz David Mayer Mannie Ray Irving Rosanes Sidney Rothenberg Norman Rubenstein Charles Sol Rubin Sidney Sauerhaft Stephen Schecter Nathan Schneps Margot Sisman Noah Trustman Murray Waksman Sylvia Waldman May 8-14 Bess Berkowitz Edna Clayman Sandy Fishman Leonard Franklin Emanuel Ginsburg Rita Gruberg Ethel Harris Israel Jerome Harris Marilyn Kabalkin Sydney Kaufman Howard Kolbert Irving Mann Wilma Saberski Mendelowitz Edward Meyer Irvin Munowitz Burton Pariser Ira Potashner Barbara Ann Pryba Rose Reisner Isabelle Russo Thomas K. Saltzman Ernest Shabes
Irving Sisman Theodora A. Smith Dora Spitalny George Stabler Becky Tucker Bernard Weiler David L. Wolfson Alexander Zamshnick May 15-21 Harvey Ades Herman Berman Stanley Breslow Rose Cohen Jacob Vosk Falbaum Dolores Ferencz Ignatz Ferencz Regina Ferencz Mollie Ginsburg Henry Grubel Elissa Sandra Herst Lee Kaliner Norman Lindsey Milton Mann Marvin Nachlis Rabbi Aaron Panken Morton Rosenthal Arthur Rosin Edith Schwartz Frieda Schwartz William Schwartz Jacob M. Seiler Fawn Joy Shaw Bernard Stein Moses Sternlieb Helen Weigle Sondra White May 22-28 Gregory Altman Stanley Axelrod Rosalie Beck Frederika Borchard Alvin Brensilver Herbert Cohn Jack Dorman Belle Ferentz Isaac Fuchs Peter Grunebaum Robert Held Donald Honig Ruth Kesselman Tracy Michelle Kreisberg Fanny Levison Lewis Reff Edith Robin Jay Schlackman
JOYS & SORROWS Shumel Solomon Martha Storch Jacob Ely Cutler Wagshul May 29-June 4 Adell Agatston Irving H. Biren Clara Brauner Gerald Cohen Bella Elbaum Julius Fleischman Everett Kabalkin Irwin Katz Sally Katz Richard Krauss Patricia Loveland Helene Mayer Abe Narvaez Bernard Rickles Eleanor Rickles Jules Rosenberg Vera Rosenzweig Mel Rothstein Esther Singer David Spielman Rose A. Tauber Fanny Vielie Jack Wildstrom June 5-11 Thomas Aczel Mary Berman Ruth Braslow Gertrude Cohen Harry Crespin Rose Crespin Samuel Crespin Tillie Dick I. Leo Fishbein Susan Friedman-Pearsall Leroy E. Gaines José (Pepe) García del Valle Morris Goldfischer Selma Kesselman Louise R. Levine Jules Levitt Hank Loewenstein Harriet Messinger Helen Rose Herberta Schacher Mildred Scolnick Henry Simpson Bernece Sturzer Pauline Gi Weinstein Marianne Wildstrom Steven Zuckerman Tracy Zuckerman
June 12-18 Gerald Berman Joel Clayman Marjorie Cole Morton Crandall Angelina Crespin Harry Daub Golda Fisher Edward Fliegel Robert Hale Miriam Herschkowitz Pearl Isacoff-Galin Harold Jayson Mildred A. Kaufman Stanley Klausner Ben Kozierok Ellen Lewy Deedy Lipshutz Alan Mirken Raymond Phillips Arnold Rosenbluth Renee Ruzow Adolf Schneider Martha Schwartz Blanche Sitver Harry Smiley Alex Sussman Laura Wiley June 19-25 Belle Adler Adolph Auerbacher Leopold Beckwith Sara Borisky Kobacker Zoltan Ferencz Elizabeth Fishbein Sue Goldberg Charles Green Nathan Haberman Ira Hyams Sheryl Iskovitz Morris Kramer Rose Kraus Sandra Lee Levy Brachfeld Florence Lifschen Harry M. Poppick Stanley Raider Hyman Rosenzweig Joyce Schachter Gerald Schwartz Jerome Sorrel Marian Trustman Philip Wortman
Flower Fund (Continued) Richard & Dianne Spitalny in memory of Samuel Press James & Ellen Tilzer in memory of George Tilzer Gregory Altman Music & Arts Fund Donald & Helen Levy in honor of Emily Battaglia for her Bat Mitzvah Marshall & Nancy Schiff in memory of Florence Schiff Goldstein Israel Action Special Fund Adrienne Shiloff in memory of Helen Horowitz Religious School and Family Education Fund David & Janis Adler in memory of Muriel Adler David & Janis Adler in memory of Anne and Bob Ross Senior Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Beatrice Hallac in memory of Jimmy Hallac Joan Kolbert in memory of Dyke Kolbert Ken & Rhonda Regan in memory of Sheila Taylor Joan Saslow in memory of Edward Klagsbrun Richard & Jane Zenker in memory of Elaine Zenker Tikkun Olam/Social Justice Fund Jonathan & Maxine Ferencz in memory of Ed Klagsbrun Victor & Suzanne Rosenzweig in memory of Cary Lowen Tributes Andrew & Ellen Cooper in memory of Joseph & Judy Cooper Andrew & Ellen Cooper in memory of Jerome & Anna Figowsky Phyllis Kirshner in honor of Barry Meisel Jonathan & Leslie Koch in memory of Morton Pechman Arthur Pearsall in memory of George Fullam Mildred Pintchman in memory of Grandmother Charles & Eve Poret in memory of Pearl Poret Carrie and Gary Ratner in honor of Landon Hoffner’s Bar Mitzvah Bruce Smiley & Mara Cohen in honor of Cantor Sternlieb Joshua & Stacey Divack in memory of Barbara Blaustein Sylvia Waksman in memory of Dr. Gloria Kalina Sylvia Waksman in memory of Lena Lefkowitz Susan Zankel in memory of Gertrude Adelsberg Susan Zankel in memory of Grandma
June 29-31 Maria Clark Frances Greenebaum Julie Greener Gladys Katz Fred Meyerson
Beth Pekarne Ruth Poppick Susan Shapiro Rose Singer Gerald Wlody
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JOYS & SORROWS
dkxal dpexkif Heartfelt Condolences to
Larry Beilenson on the death of his father, Nick Beilenson Beth Besen on the death of her mother, Sondra Arlene Wagshul (Fein) Mara Cohen on the death of her father, Howard Cohen Samantha Cohen on the death of her grandmother, Gertrude Katz Vicki Feiner on the death of her brother, Robert Lewis Aranow Jared Pearlman on the death of his mother. Jacki Pearlman Shlomi Yedid on the death of his father, Mordechai Yedid
In times of joy and sadness, please keep us informed! 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.
vjna CELEBRATE at FACILITY RENTAL
TBE!
B’NEI MITZVAH CONFERENCES BIRTHDAY PARTIES LECTURES MEETINGS CELEBRATIONS WEDDINGS
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.
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TEMPLE DIRECTORY 220 SOUTH BEDFORD RD CHAPPAQUA, NY 10514 WWW.BETHELNW.ORG
914.238.3928 T 914.238.4030 F TEMPLE@BETHELNW.ORG
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER 914.238.5735 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
914.238.5641
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
1220
Beth Cohen, Administration Assistant to ECC Director
1323
Jaclyn Trustman-Dubray, Administrative & Life-Cycle
Senior Rabbi
Jonathan Jaffe
Rabbi-Educator
Maura H. Linzer
Cantor
Elizabeth Sternlieb
Executive Director
Gennifer Kelly
Director of Early Childhood Center
Hope Blauner
jjaffe@bethelnw.org
mlinzer@bethelnw.org
esternlieb@bethelnw.org executivedirector@bethelnw.org
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS
Rhonda Regan President
Marc Fried
Coordinator 1322
Leslie Aufieri-Schneiderman, Communications Director
Executive Vice President
1312
Carmen Stevens, Development Coordinator
1325
Jason Stringer, Building Operations Manager
Lisa Crandall
1122
Heather Satin, Religious School Assistant Principal
1110
Joni Gehebe-Kellogg, Youth Coordinator
1300
Life-Cycle Emergency
Please send all checks to our accounting company: 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.
Vice President
Gregg Diller Vice President
Sarah Lieb
Vice President
Jennifer Pariser Vice President
Alyssa White Treasurer
Pam Klein Secretary
hblauner@bethelnw.org TRUSTEES Term Expires 2022 Deb Fass Jacobs Meryl Lefkowitz Janet Levy Karla Shepard Rubinger Carol Wolk 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
Amy Robin Immediate Past President Past Presidents, Honorary Members of the Board Ernest M. Grunebaum Steve Adler Barry Meisel Richard Albert Gloria Meisel Stanley Amberg William Pollak Lisa Davis David Ruzow Melvin Ehrlich 23
Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14115 White Plains, NY
220 SOUTH BEDFORD ROAD CHAPPAQUA, NY 10514
CURRENT RESIDENT OR
SAVE THE DATE! Shabbat Service and Dinner at West Point with USMA Jewish Chaplain Cantor David Frommer and West Point Jewish Cadets Friday, August 12 We will be taking Shabbat on the road and visiting West Point and Cantor David Frommer, who serves as USMA Chaplain. Following services, we will join Jewish West Point cadets for Shabbat dinner. Please join us for this once in a lifetime experience. A native of New York City, Cantor (MAJ) David Frommer graduated from Yale University in 2004. After college, he enlisted as a Lone Soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, where he was assigned to the Nahal Infantry Brigade and served with distinction in the West Bank. Following his ordination, Cantor Frommer deployed overseas as the first cantor ever to serve as a chaplain in the US military, providing religious support for Jewish personnel stationed in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar. He currently serves as Jewish Chaplain for the US Military Academy. Please register in advance as space is limited. We will share the address and driving directions to registrants ahead of the service and dinner. RSVP on our website: bethelnw.org/event/WestPoint
