Bulletin dec15 web

DECEMBER 2015 • Vol. 98, No. 5 KISLEV ~ TEVET 5776 www.bethelnr.org

Join us for Beth El’s Congregational Hanukkiyyah Lighting

Thursday, DecembeR 10th 5:45 pm On our front lawn Blood Drive....................................... page 2 Semi-Annual Meeting........................ page 5 Give to Beth El, not the IRS.............. page 3 Kol Nidre Appeal.........................pages 8, 9

Monday Night Football................... page 10 Youth Community............................. page 15

Join the smart* pEOPLE

* SMART = Senior Mature Adults Retired Together

Wednesday, December 2nd, at 11:30 am

The SMART people will travel to Iona College Arts Center to view the photography exhibit, “One Man Who Tried to Stop the Holocaust: Jan Karski.” Mr. Karski was a courier linking the Polish underground resistance with the Polish government in exile. He labored to alert world authorities about the Nazi death camps. Karski, a Catholic, is revered for his bravery and his consistent attempts to save Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Leave Beth El at 11:30 am. No charge.

Need a ride? Contact Julie. Afterwards we will go out for lunch.

10:30

am

- 11:30

am

Exercise Wednesdays, where Walk-Ins Are Welcome No R.S.V.P. • Free for Beth El Members Community: $60 for 10 classes; $8 for a drop in class

Wednesday, December 9th,* at 11:30 am

First Wednesday of the month Balance Exercise and Fitness using resistance bands, balls, and cones. Led by Tim, from Personal Training Institute.

Current Events (see below), followed by Hanukkah celebration at 1:00 pm. After the discussion and Hanukkah menorah lighting, we will sing our Hanukkah favorites with the talented Lori Weber! Enjoy scrumptious latkes and applesauce. Assemblywoman Amy Paulin will be visiting, bringing delicious cookies. All are welcome! Invite your friends! No charge, but R.S.V.P. is appreciated.

Second Wednesday of the month Mind and Body Yoga AND Meditation, with Kirpal. Theraputic workout from head to toe.

Tuesday, December 15th, RETIREES, at 9:30 am

Join us to “Discuss Important Issues which the Political Candidates Should be Speaking About,” led by Dr. Lester Zimmerman. All are welcome to participate and share their thoughts. Coffee and a nosh; discussion to follow. No charge.

Third Wednesday of the month Zumba, with Julie, offers a low intensity dance workout, dancing to different music genres.

*Current Events, at Beth El - No charge!

Fourth Wednesday of the month Chair Yoga for “every body,” with Nan. Improve your health through an amazing form of breathing exercises.

Wednesdays, December 9, 16, 23, and January 6, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm.

Join Ed Pressman, instructor at Westchester Community College, for a lively discussion on current events in the world around us.

For information or to R.S.V.P. to above, contact Julie Rockowitz at JRockowitz@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 256.

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Blood Drive Sunday Morning, December 6th 8:30 am - 12:30 pm at Beth El Synagogue Center

New York Blood Center will be here!

Blood cannot be manufactured.

The one pint you donate can help to save three patients!

We need all of you in order to meet our community’s need for blood.

Appointments preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.

• Visit bethelnr.org/blooddrive to register.

• Questions? Call the office at 914-235-2700, ext. 223, or call New York Blood Center Community Health Services at 800-688-0900 with any questions about your eligibility.

• E-mail Mitch Kaphan, benrblooddrive@gmail.com. co-sponsored by The Beth El Men’s Club and Temple Israel of New Rochelle 2

In a Giving Mood? Suggestions for Giving to Beth El instead of the IRS! in value) may be donated to a public charity, and the donor can claim the fair market value as an itemized deduction on his or her federal tax return—up to 30 percent of the donor’s adjusted gross income. No capital gains taxes are owed because the securities are donated, not sold. The greater the appreciation, the bigger the tax savings will be.

As the holidays approach, many people look for ways of combining their desire to do good with their desire to save on taxes.

For the charitably inclined, there are strategic ways of giving that can help the giver and the receiver. Contributing to charitable causes before the end of the year is one of the most popular tax-reduction strategies for people who itemize deductions.

Tax changes that went into effect in 2013 raised the income tax rate for high-income earners, making charitable deductions a more attractive option.

Generally, if you itemize your deductions, making charitable contributions can decrease your tax bill, but the higher tax rates for high-income earners add an increased tax benefit for charitable contributions. In the giving mood? Here is a strategy to consider that can help you make the most of your giving this year.

Maximize your charitable donation to Beth El Synagogue Center.

Donate stock, your IRA mandatory minimum distribution, or other investments that you have owned for more than twelve months and are worth more than you paid for them. Donating appreciated stock creates a “double play” of tax benefits—a charitable deduction AND avoiding tax on the unrealized long-term capital gains of the donated property. Besides deducting their full market value, you escape the long-term capital gains tax that would have been due had you sold the shares.

Contributions of stock or other property are deductible for 2015 as long as the gifts are completed by Thursday, December 31st. For donations made with checks, you may count checks as deductions for 2015 as long as the payments are put in mailboxes in sufficient time for letters to be postmarked by midnight Thursday, December 31st. Credit card payments for charitable donations qualify for 2015 deductions as soon as you authorize the charge. This holds true even if the credit card companies don’t bill you until 2016.

Give appreciated securities, rather than cash.

The donation of cash or check is, by far, the most common method of charitable giving. All things considered, however, cash donations are generally not the most tax-efficient way to give.

Contributing stocks, bonds, or mutual funds that have appreciated over time has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reasons. Despite recent market gyrations, it’s likely your portfolio is filled with stocks that have appreciated over the past few years. Investors who give appreciated stock to charity avoid the capital gains tax on appreciation and can deduct the stock’s full market value at the time of the gift.

Most publicly traded securities with unrealized long-term gains (meaning they were purchased over a year ago and have increased

Beth El does not offer tax or legal advice and encourages you to consult with your own professional advisors.

Update from Our Sister Synagogue in Paris, Adath Shalom

Schmooze with Rabbi Schuck!

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm A “schmooze” is a small gathering for various segments of our congregation (e.g. seniors, Nursery School families, and so on), that enable Rabbi Schuck and our members to get to know each other in a more intimate setting. To keep meetings small, we cap registration and schedule additional events to meet demand.

As you know, on Friday November 13th, a surprise attack took place in Paris by ISIL terrorists, who killed 129 Parisians and wounded another 430. Our sister synagogue in Paris, Adath Shalom, is located not far from where these heinous attacks took place. We have been in contact both with synagogue president Aline Benain, and with Bertrand Lortholary, the Consul General of France (who we know), based here in New York. We have expressed our horror at the loss of life, and our condolences for all who died. In particular, the granddaughter of one of Adath Shalom’s congregants was killed in the attack. The shul is in shock. Both men expressed their appreciation for our thoughts and prayers. Aline stated that they are not afraid, rather they are angry. I urge our congregants and students to write to Aline at Aline.benain@club-internet.fr and Adath’s Rabbi, Rivon Krygier, at rivon@free.fr to express your direct support. You can also write to Bertrand Lortholary at Bertrand.lortholary@ diplomatie.gouv.fr to express your support for France and her people.

Jeff R. Swarz David Horowitz

Tuesday, December 8: Parents of School-Age Children Tuesday, December 15: Intermarried and/or with Intermarried Family Tuesday, January 12: Open to all Tuesday, February 2 Parents of Nursery School-Aged Children Tuesday, February 9: S.M.A.R.T. People Tuesday, February 23: Open to all

Register at bethelnr.org/SchmoozeRSVP. Please watch for additional Schmooze events!

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Rabbi’S MESSAGE Dear Friends, We have hit what many religious thinkers feel is our lowest moment in America: the month of December.

Theologians, clergy, and lay leaders alike Rabbi feel that Christmas David A. Schuck and Hanukkah have become holidays that celebrate American culture’s most unappealing feature, which is, of course, the ideology of consumerism.

Christians celebrate Christmas and we celebrate our ancestors’ courage to stand up to the Greek Assyrians by flexing the muscles of our present day culture: we buy “stuff,” billions of dollars of stuff. It is challenging to live in a consumerist society and nourish our souls at the same time.

Consumerism has not only affected the way we celebrate Hanukkah, but it has changed the way we relate to our Jewish community in general. On the surface, it may be tempting to think of the synagogue as would a consumer, they we are all members purchasing a product. The problem with this is that it destroys the fabric of what a community must be. If we show up at the synagogue expecting someone else to give us something- whether that something is inspiration, education, a good program, or connectedness- I am afraid we will be disappointed. When we take responsibility for shaping our own Jewish lives rather than expecting someone else to do it for us we will necessarily be more satisfied.

My dream is that every member of Beth El will understand that membership not only includes the expectation of receiving a “product,” but also the responsibility to help shape that product. For our community to soar, people need to be personally invested in the success of all that we do. Our professional staff should not work in a vacuum, but rather, everything that we create ought to have your fingerprints alongside ours. We are each looking for partners to help shape the culture that we are building and the programs and services that we offer.

The first step toward achieving this requires a shift in our thinking. Every time you encounter a “synagogue product,” take a

moment to think about the fact that someone within our community spent time in order to bring it to you. When you get a call from someone asking you to help with something or to collaborate on a program, jump in and say yes. You yourself are a part of the sacred product that we are working to create together; your participation is essential.

Take the opportunity to be a part of something grand, something that touches the lives of so many people and future generations.

Beth El can be an oasis of real community within the raging sea of American consumerist transactions, a culture described

by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks as one of artificially

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generated needs and over-advertised goods.

In his book To Heal a Fractured World, he writes, “If there is one thing I have learned from the people I have met, rich and poor, powerful and powerless, it is that the meaningfulness of a life lies not in what you take but in what you give.” Let’s share the responsibility of building this community together. It is the greatest gift we can give one another this Hanukkah.

Hanukkah Sameah (Have a Happy Hanukkah)!

Rabbi David A. Schuck

president’S MESSAGE A “Culture of Giving” Encompasses More than Dollars and Cents Dear Friends, As you know, I have been advocating for the rekindling of Beth El’s Culture of Giving for approximately eighteen months. I am happy to report that we are heading in the right direction. Through this year’s Kol Nidre Appeal, we have raised $225,000 on top of last year’s $850,000 for the Sirner gala and $275,000 for our prior year Kol Nidre Appeal. These are accomplishments we should all be proud of. It is understandable that this year’s Kol Nidre appeal did not reach the record amount of last year given our other recent successful fund raising activities. Thank you to all of our donors that are listed on pages 8-9 of this Bulletin, and especially to our members that qualified for our Shomrim Society with contributions of $1,800 or more.

Of course, fund raising is critical to the viability of our shul, but there are other aspects to a successful culture of giving that are equally as meaningful and vital. Volunteering for our myriad of committees and activities are also necessary elements within the shul’s culture of giving. Just last month, we had almost 300 high school teens in the shul for the METNY Regional USY Kinnus.

The USYers brought so much ruach to our community and infused a sense of joy and enthusiasm in our services and throughout our building. It was a magical weekend, and not only was it great for Beth El, but also fantastic for the USY staff and USYers with many of them saying, and writing to us, what an incredible experience it was and thanking our shul, clergy, staff, and volunteers for being so warm and inviting.

There was a large team of volunteers registering the kids, baking cupcakes, preparing and serving meals, hosting USYers in their homes, cleaning up and doing so much more. Kol HaKavod to Jen Vegh, Bekkah Gold, Donna Bartell (our volunteer leader), and all the adults and even some kids for all their work making the Kinnus such a hit and making Beth El shine in the community.

But even more than our thanks to the them, these volunteers felt a sense of fulfillment and pride from being a part of something special and felt deep gratitude for being able to help make such a meaningful experience happen. The memories of Kinnus weekend

and the positive energy it created for our entire community is a priceless gift to all our staff and volunteers that will last a long time to come.

But this is just one example. Volunteers Samuel E. Berger are vital to the ongoing existence of the shul. We also have many people involved with our committees that work day in and day out on Audit & Finance, Israel Action, Keruv, Btzelem Elokim, Catering, Building Maintenance, Human Resources (HR), Nursery School, Religious School, Men’s Club, Sisterhood, and many, many, many more.

I thank each and every one of our lay volunteers for helping the shul and providing their expertise and services to address our needs including legal, HR, and finance issues, surveys, Kiddush luncheons, education, and programming, and even providing us with certain materials at cost or for free.

Notwithstanding all these fabulous volunteers, some people have commented that when they look around, it’s the same people all the time helping out. Of course, that is not true all the time, but there does seem to be a core group of people that volunteer and attend most programs. I am asking that all of us consider volunteering in one way or another. People participating feel very rewarded for helping out. “The more you give, the more you get”—how true! We will be looking to modify many committees over the next several months.

Please let us know how you would like to get involved. There may not be a place for everyone on each committee or activity, but we will be glad to help figure that out.

I know that people think I only focus on the financial side of giving, but I want us to rekindle all aspects of our culture of giving. Get more involved and you’ll not only be helping others and our community, but enriching your own life as well. Speaking of kindling, I want to wish everyone a Hag Urim Sameah, Happy Hanukkah to all and a Happy and Healthy 2016!!

See you in shul, Sam

Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting Wednesday, December 16th Come drink and schmooze with us and stay to hear about the state of Beth El! Plentiful cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres at 7:00 pm.

At 8:00 pm, following cocktails, Rabbi Schuck will be teaching a class.

Our meeting will follow.

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Limmud Classes for December 2015 Tuesday, December 1

7:00 pm

Hanukkah Workshop for Parents of Nursery School-Aged Children

Thursday, December 3 10:00 am

WAJE: “Talmud’s Twists & Turns,” with Rabbi Hojda

Thursday, December 3

Choir Rehearsal, with Hazzan Ellen Arad

8:00 pm

Friday, December 4

10:00 am

Parashat Hashavua, with Rabbi Josh Dorsch & Jack Gruenberg

Saturday, December 5

10:30 am

Shabbat Discussion Group, with Jack Gruenberg

Saturday, December 5

12:45 pm

ShabbaTunes, with Hazzan Jamie Gloth

Saturday, December 5

1:00 pm

Daf Shevui

Sunday, December 6

1:00 pm

Ulpan Beginners Class, with Miri Ben Avi

Wednesday, December 9 7:30 pm

Re-introduction to Judaism, with Rabbi Schuck, off-site

Friday, December 11

10:00 am

Parashat Hashavua, with Rabbi Josh Dorsch & Jack Gruenberg

Saturday, December 12

8:30 am

“The Biblical Book of Job,” with Rabbi Blumenfeld

Saturday, December 12

1:00 pm

Daf Shevui

Sunday, December 13

1:00 pm

Ulpan Beginners Class, with Miri Ben Avi

Monday, December 14

7:00 pm

Ulpan Advanced Class, with Miri Ben Avi

Thursday, December 17 8:00 pm

Choir Rehearsal, with Hazzan Ellen Arad

Friday, December 18

Parashat Hashavua, with Rabbi Josh Dorsch & Jack Gruenberg

10:00 am

Saturday, December 19 10:30 am

Shabbat Discussion Group, with Jack Gruenberg

Saturday, December 19

1:00 pm

Daf Shevui

Sunday, December 20

1:00 pm

Ulpan Beginners Class, with Miri Ben Avi

Monday, December 21

7:00 pm

Ulpan Advanced Class, with Miri Ben Avi

Saturday, December 26 10:30 am

Shabbat Discussion Group, with Jack Gruenberg

Saturday, December 26 1:00 pm

Daf Shevui

• All Ulpan classes are taught by Miri Ben Avi. For questions, contact her at miriulpan@gmail.com, or 914-602-1503.

• For information about WAJE, e-mail WAJE@wjcouncil.org, or phone Alice Tenney at 914-325-7001.

• For questions about all other programs, contact Rabbi Josh Dorsch at jdorsch@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 260.

Yiddish Vinkl Fridays, 1:00 pm All are welcome!

We all enjoy speaking mamalochen! Join us every Friday!

Speak Yiddish, schmooze, and have fun!

For further information, contact Bea Freedman, 914-337-8645.

“A Modern Understanding of the Biblical Book of Job” Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, Ph.D. (Near Eastern Literature and Languages)

December 12th 8:30 am - 9:30 am in the Board Room

Job is one of the most powerful epic books in the Bible. It is the dramatic story of a good man who dares to challenge God’s judgment in the face of human suffering. It is a rich theological work that lends itself to a variety of profound observations about the human condition, past and present.

Interesting open discussion will undoubtedly take place upon close examination of the text.

All are welcome. No fee.

Saturday, December 5th • 12:45 pm 6

Additional dates: March 12, April 2, and May 21.

BeTzelem Elokim Committee hosts community forum on inclusion Some of the responses to the Inclusion Questionnaire sent out last June were expected, others were surprising, but one theme was clear: Beth El has come a long way on the journey to making synagogue life fully accessible, but we’re not there yet. Beth El members overwhelmingly identified the weekly Kiddush lunch as their favorite activity, but food sensitivities limit some people’s enjoyment. A large group of respondents were families with children who have behavioral and/or developmental needs, and yet each family seems to feel alone.

The most identified “accommodation” requested by members of the congregation? A simple smile!

On Thursday, October 22nd, nearly forty members of the Beth El community gathered in the Wiener Lounge for an important discussion about inclusion at Beth El. Betzelem Elokim Committee co-chair, Rabbi Josh Dorsch, began the evening by introducing the work of the committee and our guest speaker.

After Rabbi Schuck set the tone with his D’var Torah, attendees heard an inspiring presentation by Miles Forma.

Miles, a twenty eight-year-old man, had his own Bar Mitzvah at Beth El nearly fifteen years ago. Since then, he has been on a journey to find his place in Jewish life. Miles is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and has very limited control of his motor movements, including those movements required for walking and speaking. Miles spoke candidly about communicating through his Augmentative Communication Device, about his bar mitzvah, and about his newest passion—learning Hebrew.

Following his presentation, congregants had many questions for Miles, including some tough questions that don’t have a clear solution. When asked what could be done to make the synagogue more welcoming, Miles said he didn’t have the answer.

The best advice he could give us? “Be welcoming.” Be welcoming. This sounds so intuitive, so simple, yet as the night progressed, participants shared their own stories of being welcomed, and sometimes not, into Beth El life. Rabbi David Schuck made an important observation—if a parent of a child with special needs decides to bravely bring their children to shul for a service or program, it takes only one member of the community to make a snide comment or give a disapproving glance, and we’ve lost.

O f c o u rs e , fe w o f u s w o u l d intentionally make a parent or individual with a disability feel unwelcome, but the reality, we discovered, is that many people in our midst have “invisible disabilities.”

Autism, Tourette’s Syndrome, sensory processing disorders, attention deficits, anxiety, low-vision, and rheumatoid arthritis are all conditions which impede an individual’s ability to participate fully in one or more aspects of daily living.

These conditions and countless others may be invisible—the individual with the condition looks as you would expect an

unaffected individual to look (they have no outward signs of disability). With this in mind, the group concluded that if we see a child accompanied by his or her parent in shul, we should assume the parent is aware of their child’s behavior and is trying to help their child behave appropriately.

Reprimanding a child whose invisible disability makes “expected” behavior difficult is counterproductive. Instead, offer an understanding smile to the parent and perhaps ask if you can be of help.

If you overhear someone else making negative or unhelpful comments, make a point of going over to the person(s) being marginalized to reassure and welcome them.

The meeting continued by discussing some concrete steps Beth El is taking to remove barriers to participation, including signs listing the ingredients of Kiddush food, quiet rooms for congregants who may need to escape the commotion of a crowded shul, and the initiation of a family-friendly, casual and fun Kabbalat Shabbat service. Elise Richman moderated a lively and heartfelt discussion of further steps Beth El could take to enhance our culture of inclusion.

As the night came to an end, it was clear that there are two roads to inclusion and we need to take them both. The easier road is the pragmatic, the physical, and the programming changes that can be made to accommodate the needs of all members of our congregation. The harder one is the environment, creating an atmosphere of patience, acceptance, and understanding in which we welcome all members of the community. In order to be truly inclusive, we need to have both.

Stephanie Millman Dorsch

KERUV COMMITTEE NEWS

At Beth El, we have had a long-standing group for parents and relatives of intermarried couples. The group has met periodically, and it will continue to do so. The purpose of this group is to provide discussion and support for family members of intermarried children or relatives. It gives people an opportunity to talk about their own experiences and to speak on a personal level about how they have been affected by it and how they deal with it. It helps, I hope, to dissipate some of

the personal feeling of embarrassment, guilt, shame, and failure that people may feel about being in this situation.

Since our Beth El group began, much of the personal feelings of discomfort experienced by family members of the intermarried has been reduced. This is not so much because of our group talks, but rather by the general increase in knowledge of the social shift has taken place in the Jewish community regarding intermarriage. Still, 7

nobody in the Jewish community feels good about it. Among the things we’ve discussed relevant to this subject is how to encourage raising of Jewish grandchildren when a child intermarries. We are not averse to talking about any issue related to this subject. The group meets off premises in private homes.

If this is a subject of importance to you and you’d like to hear more or participate, please contact me at RBSuss@optonline.net.

Bob Sussman, Chair

KOL NIDRE APPEAL 2015 Beth El Synagogue Center would like to extend a sincere thank you to all those who contributed to our 2015 Kol Nidre Appeal. Your support of the Beth El community is greatly qppreciated and it allows us to continue to proide excellent programs for all. % Ten Percenter: Those who increased their pledge by a minimum of 10% above their contribution last year.

SHOMRIM SOCIETY Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Bernstein Mr. Salo Aizenberg & Ms. Karine Kleinhaus% Mr. Graham Arad & Hazzan Ellen Miller Arad Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Berger Dr. Brian Bosworth & Lauren Freeman Bosworth Mr. Gary Claar & Ms. Lois Kohn-Claar Mr. & Mrs. Robert Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ehudin Mr. & Mrs. Aaron J. Fleishaker Mr. Donald J. Fleishaker% Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Gelboim% Mr. & Mrs. Allan Glick Mr. & Mrs. Michael Goldstein Mr. & Mrs. Edward Ackerman Mr. & Mrs. Joel Adler Mr. Eric & Dr. Elizabeth Alderman Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Altman Dr. & Mrs. Stan Arkow Mr. Joseph Aronauer & Ms. Peri Schwartz Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Assor Mrs. Ruby Axelrod Mrs. Gladys Barish% Mr. & Mrs. Rick Barlis Dr. & Mrs. Abraham Bartell Mr. Sanford L. Batkin Mr. & Mrs. Robert Baum Mr. & Ms. Joseph Baumgarten Mr. Irving Baumwald Mr. & Mrs. Joseph D Becker Mrs. Michele Silverman Bedell% Mr. Alvin Begleiter & Ms. Binnette Lipper% Mr. & Mrs. Mark Berman Cantor & Mrs. Ira Bigeleisen Mr. & Mrs. Melvyn Bloom Dr. & Mrs. Fredric M Bomback% Ms. Erica S. Bonime% Ms. Ellin Bousel Falk Dr. & Mrs. Perry Branson Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Breskin Mr. & Mrs. Steven Brick Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Burton Dr. Rochelle Chaiken Mr. & Mrs. Henry Charabee Mr. & Mrs. Barry Charles Mr. Steven Chester & Ms. Dara Spielvogel Dr. & Mrs. Marvin Chinitz Mr. Irwin Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Steven Cohen% Mr. Thomas Cohen & Ms. Elisa Singer Mrs. Phyllis Cole Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Cooper Mr. & Mrs. David Curtis

Shomrim Society: Those who made a contribution of $1,800 or more.

Membership in this society demonstrates a deep commitment to the continuity of services and programs provided by Beth El.

Mr. & Mrs. Leon J. Greenspan Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Gross Mr. Edward D. Heffner Dr. & Mrs. David Kaufman Mr. & Mrs. Edward Kaufman% Drs. Ted Keltz & Beth Breakstone Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Klingsberg Mr. Dan Kusnetz% Mr. & Mrs. Jerome D. Lebowitz Mr. & Mrs. Warren Lesser% Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth May Mr. Michael & Dr. Susan Meisler

Mr. Robert & Dr. Lisa Patchen% Mrs. Naomi Raber Mr. & Mrs. David Reifer% Mr. & Mrs. Eric Roth Rabbi & Mrs. David Schuck Mr. & Mrs. Steven M. Schwartz Mr. Mark & Dr. Marjorie Seidenfeld% Mrs. Ruth Slater% Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Stahl Mr. & Mrs. Laurence Stein Dr. & Mrs. Michael Wechsler% Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Wygoda%

KOL NIDRE CONTRIBUTORS Ms. Mally Diamant Drs. Paul & Carol Diament Ms. Susan Diamond Mr. Jay Diamond & Ms. Joyce Goldklang Dr. Marvin & Mrs. Susan Solow Dubin Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Efron Dr. & Mrs. Avi I. Einzig Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence Epstein Mr. Marc Esrig & Ms. Marci Lobel-Esrig Mr. & Mrs. Russell Fayer% Mrs. Phyllis Feingold Mr. Michael & Dr. Claudia Felberg Mrs. Dalia Fenster Mr. & Mrs. Gabriel Feuerstein% Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Fisher Dr. & Mrs. Michael Fisher Ms. Abbe Fleishaker Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Fogelman Dr. & Mrs. Herbert Fox Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Freedman% Mr. Bernard Freedman Drs. Paul & Victoria Freedman% Mrs. Blanche Fried Mrs. Elaine Friedman Mr. & Mrs. Jay Friedman Mr. & Mrs. William Friedman Mr. & Mrs. David Fuchs Mr. & Mrs. Steven Fuchs% Mrs. Caryl Fuchs Dr. & Mrs. Mel Gabriel Mrs. Edith Geisinger Mr. & Mrs. Leon Geller Mr. & Mrs. Max Gerber Mr. & Mrs. Jack Gingold Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Ginsburg Mrs. Esther Glassman Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Glickman Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan B. Glickman Mr. Bruce Gold & Dr. Grace Kalfus

Drs. Joseph & Carrie Goldberg Mr. & Mrs. A. Carl Goldenberg Dr. & Mrs. I. David Goldman% Mr. & Mrs. Mark Goldman% Mr. & Mrs. Howard Goldstein% Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Goldstein Mr. & Mrs. Jay Goldstein% Dr. & Mrs. Robert Goldstein Mr. & Mrs. Joel S. Goldstein Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Gottlieb% Mrs. Betty Grad-Gross Mrs. Bettina Graf Drs. Michael & Milagros Greenberg Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Groner Mr. & Mrs. Marc Gross Mr. & Mrs. Joel Grossman Mr. & Mrs. Jack Gruenberg% Drs. Steven & Lynn Gruenstein% Mr. Sy Gruza% Steven Guggenheim & Susan Wolman Mr. & Mrs. Sheldon Haber Dr. & Mrs. Sol David Haber Dr. & Mrs. Edward Halperin% Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Heiman Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Heir Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hershkowitz Mr. Glen Herskowitz Dr. & Mrs. David Herzog Dr. & Mrs. David M Hirsh Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Holland Mr. & Mrs. Elliot S. Hollander% Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Hollander Mr. & Mrs. David Horowitz Drs. Cynthia Gray & Alain Hyman% Mrs. Clara Ingwer Mr. & Mrs. Paul E. Jablansky Mr. & Mrs. Perry Jacobs Mr. & Mrs. Robert Jacobson Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Jakoby

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KOL NIDRE APPEAL 2015 Dr. & Mrs. Harvey Jay Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Joffe Mr. & Mrs. Gary Joseph Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Kaidanow Dr. & Mrs. Mitchell Kaphan Dr. & Mrs. Solomon Kaplan Drs. Mitchel & Ronnie Kaplan% Rabbi & Mrs. Eugene S. Katz Dr. & Mrs. Jack Katz Mr. & Mrs. Howard Katz Dr. & Dr. Harvey Katzeff Dr. & Mrs. Richard H. Kaufman Mr. & Mrs. Shlomo Kessel Mr. & Mrs. Jonas Kessler Mr. & Mrs. Jason Kessler Mr. & Mrs. Steven Kessler% Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Kesten Mrs. Ruth King Mr. & Mrs. Marc Klee Mr. & Mrs. Richard Klee Drs. Sylvain & Anna Kleinhaus Drs. Richard & Ruth Kling Mr. David Klonsky Dr. & Mrs. Donald Kotler Mr. & Mrs. Roy Krasik Mr. Michael & Dr. Heidi Kremins Ms. Barbara Lande Mr. & Mrs. David Langsam Mr. & Mrs. Louis Lapides Alexander LaTorraca & Jill Kurtzman Mr. & Mrs. Marc S. Lazarus Drs. Alan & Elizabeth Legatt Dr. & Mrs. Jay Lerman Mr. & Mrs. Elliot A. Lesser Ms. Erica & Mr. Joshua Leventhal Mr. & Mrs. Frank S. Levin Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Levine Mr. Richard Levine & Ms. Lorri Liss Mr. & Mrs. Martin Levitin Mr. & Dr. Gary J. Levy% Mrs. Judith Levy Mr. & Mrs. Evan Levy Mrs. Janice Levy Mr. & Mrs. Herb Levy Ms. Laura Lewis Mrs. Faith Liberman Dr. & Mrs. Stanley Liebowitz Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Linett% Mr. & Mrs. Randy Longman Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Lowin Ms. Nina Luban & Mr. Scott Bonci% Mr. & Mrs. Barry Lubart Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Lustig Mr. & Mrs. Marc Maibrunn Mr. Eric J. & Dr. Michelle Maidenberg Mr. & Mrs. Michael Malina Ms. Kelly & Mr. Harry Mamaysky Mr. & Mrs. Alan Marcus Mr. & Mrs. Arthur S. Margolin

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Markovits Dr. & Mrs. Marshall I. Matos Mr. & Mrs. Mark Medin% Drs. Scott Mellis & Melanie Kogan Drs. David & Meryl Mendelson Mr. Frank Meyers Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Mittleman% Mr. & Mrs. George Morris Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Morris Mr. John Morris Mr. Thomas Mukamal & Ms. Elana Maser Mr. & Mrs. Ofer Nagar Dr. Dianne Newman Mr. & Mrs. Michael Novoseller% Drs. Maximo & Molly Nozyce Dr. Henry & Mrs. Zipporah Oksman% Mrs. Deborah Olstein Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence E. Orans Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Patchen Mr. & Mrs. Darren B. Peister Mrs. Laura Penn Mr. & Mrs. Merrick Platzner Robert Preminger & Pamela Friedman Mr. & Mrs. Marvin P. Price Mr. & Mrs. Hyman Pryluck Mrs. Miriam Rabin Mr. Andrew & Dr. Anne Reis Dr. & Mrs. Arnold Reisfeld Ms. Randee Gordon & Mr. Lester Resman Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Resnick Mr. Barry & Dr. Elise Keltz Richman Mrs. Evelyn Rosen Mr. & Mrs. Alan Rosenberg Dr. & Mrs. Nathan Rosenfeld Mr. & Mrs. Howard Rosenstein Mr. & Mrs. Rosenzweig Mr. & Mrs. Brad Roth Mr. Les Rothenberg Mr. & Mrs. Steve Rotker Mrs. Dana Rottman Mr. & Mrs. George Rozansky% Mrs. Valerie Rudolph Drs. Meir Salama & Ilisa Wallach Mr. & Mrs. Gary Salmo Mrs. Mary Salpeter Mrs. Henrietta Sanford Dr. & Mrs. Robert Schepp% Mr. Alan & Dr. Naomi Adler Schiller Mr. & Mrs. David Schlecker Ms. Marj Schlosberg & Mr. Glick Mr. & Mrs. Paul Schneiderman Mr. & Mrs. Steven Schneidman Drs. Simeon Schwartz & Ellen Greenebaum Dr. & Mrs. Jules Schwartz Dr. & Mrs. Edward Schwartz Drs. Alan & Thalia Segal% Dr. & Mrs. Isaiah Seligman Mr. Joe-Victor & Ms. Dawn Shammas Dr. David Shechter & Caroline Fox 9

Mr. & Mrs. Joshua Shedroff Mr. Lloyd Sherman% Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Shteingart Mr. & Mrs. Harold Shulman Mr. & Mrs. David Silberstein Dr. & Mrs. Mark S. Silver% Mr. & Mrs. Martin Silver Arnold & Shelley Goldring Silverman Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Silverman Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Simchowitz Mrs. Barbara Simon Dr. & Mrs. Douglas Simon Mr. & Dr. Evan Snyder Drs. Mitch & Marilyn Sofer Cantor & Mrs. Alan Sokoloff Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Solomon Mr. Jay Sommer Dr. & Mrs. Peter Spenser Mr. & Mrs. Steven J. Stein Drs. Howard Steinman & Barbara Birshtein% Mr. & Mrs. Steven Stern Mr. & Mrs. Alan Stern Mr. & Mrs. Burton Stern Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Stern Mr. Marc Straussberg & Ms. Sharon Brown Mr. & Mrs. Alan D. Striar Mr. Ron & Ms. Robin Sundick Dr. & Mrs. Robert B. Sussman Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey R. Swarz Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Tait Ms. Sheila Tanenbaum Drs. Howard & Nancy Tiszenkel% Drs. Ruth & Eric Treiber Ms. Betty & Mr. Mitchell Troyetsky Mr. & Mrs. Eric Turkewitz Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Wacht Mr. & Mrs. Mark Walfish% Mrs. Bernice Ward% Mrs. Norma Wasserman Mr. & Mrs. Sheldon Weinberg Dr. & Mrs. Sylvain M. Weinberger Ms. Roberta Weintraub Mr. & Mrs. Rick Weisbrod Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Wiener Mr. William Winters Mr. & Mrs. Ivor Charles Wolk% Dr. & Mrs. Allan Wolkoff Dr. & Mrs. Norbert Wolloch Mrs. Nora Klion-Wolloch Mrs. Helene Wolloch Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Yairi Mrs. Janet Yoskowitz Mr. & Mrs. Steven L. Young% Mrs. Esther Zarembski Dr. & Mrs. Lester Zimmerman Mr. & Mrs. Bob Zinaman Mr. & Mrs. Marc Zoldessy Mr. & Mrs. Fred Zucker Mrs. Reba Zuckerman

A Note from Your Men’s Club . . .

This was written shortly after the Beth El Men’s Club cooked breakfast for 285 hungry teens and staff at the USY Kinnus, held at Beth El from Friday, November 13th through Sunday morning, November 15th. Starting at 7:00 am on that chilly Sunday morning, our dedicated team of member volunteers, led by Mitch Kaphan, cracked and cooked 600 eggs and a case of pancake mix. A lot of very satisfying hard work was consumed in about eighteen minutes. If you missed it, please mark your calendar for the next breakfast we will serve, which is for the Beth El Day of Service on Sunday, January 17th.

Men’s Club is proud to host our Blood Drive on Sunday morning, December 6th, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, co-sponsored with Temple Israel of New Rochelle. Donating blood is one of the simplest human acts of chesed we can perform. The winter period always presents greater difficulty to maintain ample blood resources for all in need. All blood types are needed. Please turn to page 2 for details.

Through the luck of the NFL calendar, the Giants return to Monday Night Football on December 14th for another game, this time opposing the Miami Dolphins. Join us at 8:00 pm (game at 8:30 pm) to root for the G-Men or against the Jets’ division rival. Pizza and beer (adults only) in the Youth Lounge for $15 if you register in advance, or $20 at the door. PLEASE register at www.bethelnr.org/football.

Our monthly meeting will be held at the Blood Drive on Sunday morning, December 6th, at 9:00 am. Stop by for a bagel and schmear.

We will discuss our spring events and assignments.

Rob Levine, gobrother@ralasolutions.com Steven Young, beprez@optonline.net

Beth El Sisterhood & New Rochelle Hadassah are pleased to present

Baila R. Shargel noted social and cultural historian, author, and professor discussing her compelling book Lost Love: The Untold Story of Henrietta Szold Baila Shargel is a graduate of Goucher College and the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). She has taught at Pace University, Purchase College, Manhattanville College and JTS. Lost Love is a remarkable look into the private sorrow of a public woman. It is a story with all the elements of a great melodrama: the spurned love of an older woman for a younger man who appears to court her, then suddenly becomes engaged to a much younger woman; gossip and scandal in a closed social milieu. It is the true story of Henrietta Szold, the American Jewish Zionist who founded Hadassah, and Dr. Louis Ginzberg, one of the first JTS faculty members, in the early years of this century. You won’t want to miss it!!

Tuesday, December 15th

at Beth El Synagogue Center, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Light lunch: 12:30 pm; Program: 1:00 pm Everyone is welcome!

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SISTERHOOD I love your pin – where did you get it?

I cannot count the number of times someone said that to me over this past holiday season. Where I got the pin is no big secret. By making a tax-deductible contribution of $180, you, too, can have the opportunity to participate in preserving, promoting, and perpetuating Conservative/Masorti Judaism.

By supporting the Torah Fund Campaign (jtsa.edu/torahfund) of Women’s League you also support The Jewish Theological Seminary (New York, New York), Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (Los Angeles, California), the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem, Israel), and the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano (Buenos Aires) and get the pin, as well!!

Among the many projects this “pin-money” has supported are: Women’s League Educational Pavilion (Kripke Tower); Women’s League Seminary Synagogue; Mathilde Schechter Residence Hall Renovations Goldsmith Hall; Residence Hall at the American Jewish University; JTS Quadrangle; JTS Library Bookshelves; Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies Garden; Scholarships for all the schools.

Make it a point to contact either of our Sisterhood Torah Fund chairs—Rita Kaufman at rita.kaufman@gmail.com or Susan Morris at sgmorris@optonline.net—to make your JTS Torah Fund donation today, and wear your pin with pride and joy knowing you have helped!

Vicki Fisher, Sisterhood Treasurer

Save the date . . .

Monday, January 18th

Large print cards, $9 each Standard print cards, $8 each Orders must be placed by December 15th Payment is required with your order. Make your check payable to Beth El Sisterhood and return it to the office, attention Arlene Salman.

Please include your name, complete mailing address, phone number, and the number of each card style that you would like to purchase.

Questions? Contact Arlene at 914235-2486, or aesalman@aol.com.

(Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) for Sisterhood’s Annual

Cinema Brunch

Join us at 10:30 am for a light meal and a feature film Film to be announced. Watch for details!

Questions? Call Phoebe Gross, 914-725-8711.

Questions?

Contact Erica Epstein at 914-391-6662, or Cynthia Glickman at 914-582-6297.

Order Your New Cards from Sisterhood!

Ongoing Programs Card Room, 12:45 pm: Canasta (Mondays) and Mah Jongg (Tuesdays) meet weekly!

Wa l k i n g C l u b meets every Monday at 9:30 am for a nice easy walk—not a jog. All are welcome!

Bagels & Books Book Club usually meets on the last Monday of the month, at 9:30 am. Join us on December 21st for The Storyteller, by Jodi Picoult.

Mitzvah Knitting will resume on Wednesday, January 20th, and will continue to meet on the third Wednesday of the month at 9:30 am.

Lessons and supplies are available. For information, e-mail Phyllis at pjf920@ verizon.net. If, prior to that time, you have items to donate (squares, scarves, hats, etc.) that you made at home, please contact Phyllis for pick up.

Next date . . .

Thursday, January 7th 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

questions? Contact Arlene Salman, aesalman@aol.com, or 914-235-2485.

All I Love and Know

by Judith Frank 11

RACHELE UNTER EXHIBITS IN THE KANNER-KURZON MUSEUM December 5, 2015 – January 10, 2016

Rachele Unter has been painting since she was 9-years-old.

She studied art and art history throughout high school. After college, along with marriage, raising children and managing a coffee house in New York C i t y, s h e g o t h e r Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Ramapo College, in New Jersey.

She also studied at the Brooklyn Museum of Art School, and with many renowned artists such as Ad Reinhardt, Lillian Orlowsky (a disciple of Hans Hoffman), Bruce Dorfman and Master Printmaker Roberto DeLamonica. She developed a keen interest in print making and has her own printmaking studio, but she also does oil painting, collages, pastels, drawing and mixed media.

In explaining her art she said, “I look to nature for inspiration for my art since nature is the best creator, and I am only an imitator of natural things…What comes alive through flowers and plants and fruit is the deepest kind of alive, and my ability to print and paint aliveness is a gift I am grateful for. This gift allows me to express myself emotionally and spiritually. Despite the fact that I have been doing this for many years I always feel as though I am still finding my way to the heart of my feelings. I throw myself into the wild dance of art, searching for a deeper sense and trying to see into the nature of things both physical and imaginary. I gaze at the object

which is the subject of a work, but I also look beyond the object and contemplate what it means in my life and how best to represent that meaning.”

Rachele has produced many m o n o t y p e s , lithographs and etchings grouped into series on various subjects. Most of the work has saturated colors, partly influenced by the Fauve movement in the last century. Although the subject matter is usually clear she also does abstract and semi abstract pieces. She has won prizes in a number of juried exhibits. Her pieces are now found in many private collections. As examples of her activity, in the past two years her work has been seen in solo or group exhibits in the Piermont Flywheel Gallery, the Manhattan Graphics Center, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Connecticut, the Belskie Museum of Art and Science, the Phoenix Gallery, and the transFORM Gallery in New Rochelle.

The artist’s reception will be held on Sunday, December 13th, 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm. Everyone is invited to meet the artist and to discuss her work. You can also visit the museum at any time when the synagogue is open; if the room is locked you can get the key from the Beth El office or from the greeter at the front door. All work will be for sale.

Memories to Go The Street Where I Lived des Champs-Elysées in Paris. There were magnificent apartment buildings on the Concourse. On Memorial Day we would walk to the Grand Concourse to watch the parade. I was so proud to be waving my American flag. In the hot weather, my mother would pack a picnic supper and my brother and I would be able to eat outdoors with a cool breeze blowing.

The street next to ours was Bathgate Avenue, with an amazing market area. My father, Little Dave, and his partner, Big Dave, had an outdoor fruit and vegetable stand. It was so small; my husband would cry whenever he talked about it. He could not believe that two families made a living from this stand. On Bathgate Avenue there were kosher butchers with their live chickens, fish markets, clothing stores, and, to top this off, the finest fabric and decorating shops. People came from far and wide to shop on Bathgate Avenue.

In those days, when you needed infant furniture, everyone went to the Bicycle and Baby Furniture Shop and placed an order, no deposit. When the baby was born, they delivered your order and then you paid. For the layette, my mother and I went to Cohen’s Baby Shop and placed two orders, one for a girl and one for a boy.

When the baby was born, we picked up the correct color.

Claremont Parkway was my home and it was my world, my loving world.

Blanche Fried

I was born in the Bronx and lived in the same apartment until I was married. It was a neighborhood with walk-up tenements, many stores, and people who worked very hard to make ends meet. Our apartment was over Ginsey’s Toy Store.

I lived on Claremont Parkway which was a wide street surrounded by two very beautiful parks, Crotona Park and Claremont Park.

On Claremont Parkway there were all kinds of stores and, really, everything you could possibly need. During World War II, many rallies took place on Claremont Parkway. Close by, there was a movie theater, a candy store, and a store which only sold oil that was run by a man named Mr. Apple. I cannot remember names anymore, but I still remember this one, all these years later.

We used to go to both parks. Crotona Park still has a very fine tennis center and Indian Lake, which is not a real lake, but a man-made water area. It still has a big pool and a baby pool. In the summer, on hot nights, we would go to Crotona Park to cool off.

Families sat on the park benches until very late at night. No one was ever afraid.

Claremont Park was very different from Crotona Park. You could walk up the very steep hills of Claremont Park and arrive near the Grand Concourse. This was going into a very different world. The Grand Concourse was supposed to resemble the Avenue 12

Nursery School NEWS And let’s not forget our twos, who are beginning their first nature explorations. They created a communal class mural and explored what it is like to paint with gourds and pumpkins!

And now to Thanksgiving! At the Nursery School our focus is on the four “Fs”—Food, Friendship, Family, and Feathers! The children heard stories, sang songs, cooked, and had numerous art and science activities relating to these themes. Our science centers were filled with many activities connected to pumpkins, gourds, squash, and corn. We counted seeds and kernels, measured circumferences, and compared and contrasted these items via color, size, shape, texture, and smell. Data was displayed in a variety of graphs. The cooking and baking that the children engaged in as they prepared many tasty dishes for our class feasts enabled them to utilize and expand upon their math and observational skills. Our hallways were filled with the wonderful aromas of corn bread, cranberry relish, and sweet potato pie. Children made beautiful placemats, centerpieces, and “Thank You” jars to take home for use at their family feasts.

Thanksgiving preparations in the Nursery School generated many opportunities for children to engage in a variety of Jewish values and mitzvot. The Anaf classes (our four-year-olds) discussed the concept of thankfulness. They dialogued about our beautiful world and the blessings in our lives. Each child shared what he/she was grateful for, and the teachers recorded the responses. All of our classes invited special guests, like the clergy, our maintenance staff, and our office staff. That’s what Thanksgiving means to us.

Ronnie Becher, Director

The fall season offers wonderful opportunities for creative learning in the Nursery School.

This month, our four-year-olds created selfportraits using leaves, sticks, acorns, pine cones, straw, burlap, wood, shells, corks, rocks, etc. and revealed their “true nature” as they see themselves. The children enjoyed rummaging through the materials and arranging them on a wood tray before they started gluing them on. As they watched others and saw their own creations forming, their heads were spinning with ideas of other things to add to their portraits. Each creation is as unique as the child it represents. Some are minimalists and some got so involved they couldn’t get enough!

After reading one of their favorite books, We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt, by Steve Metzger, our three-year-olds took a nature walk to the big open field behind the large playground and collected all kinds of “nature items.” Upon their return, the children sorted the leaves by color and divided their other nature treasures by shape and texture. It was then time to create! Working in small groups, the children made fall collages on wooden bases using their collections.

Their finished products were a beautiful, natural collection of ideas, strategies, and teamwork.

Another threes class created amazing natural mobiles in conjunction with their parents, who came to school for Curriculum Night. Pictures of the mobiles were made into a book with quotes and photographs showing the finished products, which now adorn the classroom.

Nature in the Nursery School SOME PHOTOS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEB VIEWING

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YOUTH & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Religious School News RELIGIOUS SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS One of our goals in the Religious School Friday, December 4 Sunday, December 6 Thursday, December 10 Sunday, December 13

Thursday, December 17 Sunday, December 20 Monday, December 21 – Sunday, January 3

Vav/Gesher, Olim, & Tichon Erev Shabbat, 6:00 pm Hanukkiyyada Prep for Gimel-Gesher Hanukkiyyada Prep for Gimel-Gesher Olive Press Workshops for Gan-Bet Hanukkiyyada for Gimel-Gesher Art for Alef & Bet Art for Gimel-Hey Closed for Winter Break

Calling all youth!

The annual Youth Shabbat will be held on Saturday, February 6, 2016. Anyone interested in participating should contact Debra in the clergy office at dlomurno@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 239.

follow the Religious School on Twitter! @bethelrelschool

this year has been increasing communication between parents, board members, and educators. We have already met with a great deal of success! Our teachers are regularly sending an e-mail to parents and posting on our private Facebook group with detailed updates about the learning happening in their classes, including photos, videos, and anecdotes. In November, we also kicked off an initiative in which our Religious School Board members each have five to seven families who they reach out to periodically over the course of the year to build connections and better represent our constituents in their decision making. It’s an exciting time in the Religious School. We invite you to visit us or e-mail us to learn more about our programming.

PHOTOS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEB VIEWING

Ethan, Kitah Alef’s teen helper reads the book, Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher.

Kitah Gimel learns Hebrew with “Model Magic” clay.

Registration is now open for Summer 2016 Early Bird Deadline: February 10, 2016 Camp dates; Monday, June 27th - Friday, August 12th We will be open on Monday, July 4!

To register, visit www.bethelnr.org/daycamp.

To arrange a tour, contact Julie at jrockowitz@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext. 256.

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YOUTH & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Youth Community Update

A Note from Jen There’s a great, old Hassidic story about a small village in Poland. The rabbi’s only son was getting married and the community decided that they would bring a barrel to the town center and every household would pour a bucket of their best wine into the barrel. On the night of the wedding, the bride, groom, and their guests would have the sweetest celebration the village had ever known. After weeks of watching the level of liquid rise, everyone was so excited to tap the barrel and taste the wine. After wishing mazal tov, the mayor tapped the barrel and water flowed from it.

It turns out the villagers thought they could get away with pouring a pail of water into

the barrel because it would go unnoticed amongst all of that sweet wine. Each villager had expected the others to do their part, assuming he or she had to do nothing.

In November, when we hosted over 300 people for the METNY USY Regional Fall Kinnus, so many in our community brought their “bucket of wine.” From shopping to housing, volunteering, supervising, cooking, and serving, the Kinnus was a prime example of our community coming together to make a difference. Thank you all for your help in making this weekend a success!

Jen Vegh, Director of

Youth & Family Engagement

November began with a splash as we hosted over 280 USYers for the METNY USY Regional Fall Kinnus. This incredible weekend could not have been a success without the help of our congregants, who housed, prepared, and served meals to our visitors, and helped with supervision.

Special gratitude goes to Donna Bartell for coordinating the food for the weekend; Bekkah Gold, our Assistant Director of Youth & Family Engagement, for coordinating on-site logistics and coaching our teens through the preparation; and to our USYers who spent numerous hours preparing centerpieces, the banner, and other integral elements of the weekend. This incredible weekend made us all extra proud to be a part of the Beth El family.

YOUTH COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS Saturday, December 5 Tuesday, December 8 Thursday, December 10 Friday, December 11 Sunday, December 13 Thursday, December 17 Friday, December 18 Saturday, December 19 Wednesday, December 23 – Thursday, December 31

METNY Kadima Shabbaton Beth El USY Board Meeting, 6:00 pm Kadima Hanukkah Party, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Beth El Hanukkah Shabbat Dinner Rosh Hodesh Parent Learning, 9:15 am USY Event, 6:00 pm METNY USY Freshman Shabbton, 11:30 am METNY USY 10th-12th Grade Overnight

PHOTOS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEB VIEWING

USY International Convention

Watch your e-mail for information about other upcoming Youth Events!

Chaverim competes to be the winning team at Minute to Win It!

PHOTOS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEB VIEWING

Our teens work together to prepare for METNY USY Regional Fall Kinnus, hosted at Beth El this past month.

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DECEMBER 2015 MONDAY

SUNDAY

Please visit the Beth El Synagogue Center website, WWW.BETHELNR.ORG for the most current information on meetings and events.

To send us a message, e-mail info@bethelnr.org.

1324 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY 10804-2190 914-235-2700 • www.bethelnr.org

A Conservative synagogue affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi ....................................David A. Schuck Hazzan ........................................Jamie Gloth Associate Rabbi......................Joshua Dorsch Associate Cantor .............................. Uri Aqua Rabbi Emeritus ..................... Melvin N. Sirner Cantor Emeritus...............Lawrence Avery, z”l Hazzan Emeritus ................... Farid Dardashti Executive Director ................. Erica Leventhal Controller ....................................Olivier Vogel Day Camp Director ................ Julie Rockowitz Nursery School Director ........ Ronnie Becher Dir. of Youth & Family Engagement .. Jen Vegh Special Projects Director ........Linda Newman Maintenance Director ...............Milton Sinclair OFFICERS President ............................Samuel E. Berger Executive Vice President... Geralynn C. Reifer Vice President .......................... Daniel Burton Vice President .................. Sandra Gruenberg Vice President ....................Mark Seidenfeld Treasurer .............................. Joseph Wygoda Financial Secretary ...................Debbie Young Recording Secretary ................. Jayne Peister AFFILIATE OFFICERS Sisterhood President .......... Barbara Horowitz Men’s Club Co-Presidents ........Robert Levine Steven L. Young Religious Sch. Parent Org. ...........Ellen Barlis, Rachel Casanova, Marci Marcus

B’NAI MITZVAH 12/5 Julian Ferdman 12/13 Jonathan Gotian 12/19 Maya Scheinfeld

6

Daily Minyan Beth El maintains morning and evening services every day of the year. Contact Associate Cantor Uri Aqua, 914-235-2700, ext. 222.

1

19 KISLEV

Baby U 9:30 AM Mahjong 12:45 PM

Limmud Parent Hanukkah Workshop 7:00 PM

Visit us on facebook at facebook.com/BethElSynagogueCenter

24 KISLEV

Blood Drive 8:30 AM Men’s Club Meeting 9:00 AM Religious School Kehillah 9:00 AM Zumba 9:30 AM Israeli Dance 10:00 AM Chaverim 12:00 PM Hebrew Ulpan, Beginners 1:00 PM

7

25 KISLEV

Nursery School Havdalah 9:05 AM Walking Club 9:30 AM

13

26 KISLEV

Light 3rd Candle HANUKKAH

Light 2nd Candle HANUKKAH

1 TEVET

14

2 TEVET

Nursery School Havdalah 9:05 AM

Religious School Kehillah 9:00 AM Zumba 9:30 AM Israeli Dance 10:00 AM Ruach 11:00 AM Hebrew Ulpan, Beginners 1:00 PM Artist’s Reception 2:00 PM

15

3 TEVET

SMART Retirees Discussion 9:30 AM

Walking Club 9:30 AM

Sisterhood/Hadassah Joint Mtg. 12:30 PM

Canasta 12:45 PM

Mahjong 12:45 PM

E.L.I. Meeting 4:30 PM Hebrew Ulpan, Advanced 7:00 PM

Light 8th Candle HANUKKAH ROSH HODESH

20

8

Nursery School Hanukkah Chagigah for 3S and 4S 9:00 AM Mahjong 12:45 PM USY Program 4:30 PM USY Board Meeting 6:00 PM Schmooze with Rabbi 7:30 PM (R.S.V.P. only) Sisterhood Executive Board Mtg. 7:00 PM Sisterhood General Board Meeting 8:00 PM

Canasta 12:45 PM

Light 1st Candle EREV HANUKKAH

BULLETIN EDITOR ...............Linda Newman

TUESDAY

Men’s Club Monday Night Football 8:00 PM

Schmooze with Rabbi 7:30 PM (R.S.V.P. only) Youth Services Committee Mtg. 8:00 PM

HANUKKAH

8 TEVET

METNY USY 10th-12th grade overnight (off-site)

21

9 TEVET

22

Religious School Closed

Nursery School Havdalah 9:05 AM

Religious School Kehillah 9:00 AM Zumba 9:30 AM Israeli Dance 10:00 AM

Sisterhood Bagels and Books 9:30 AM Walking Club 11:30 AM Canasta 12:45 PM

Hebrew Ulpan, Beginners 1:00 PM

Hebrew Ulpan, Advanced 7:00 PM

10 TEVET

Mahjong 12:45 PM

Shacharit*

Saturdays – 9:00 am Sundays – 8:00 am Mondays & Thursdays, 6:55 am Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – 7:00 am *On Friday, December 25, morning minyan will take place at 8:00 am

27

15 TEVET 28 Religious School Closed

16 TEVET

Nursery and Religious Schools Closed

USY International Convention

USY International Convention

Zumba 9:30 AM Israeli Dance 10:00 AM

Walking Club 9:30 AM Canasta 12:45 PM

Evening Minyan Times Mincha and Maariv

December 1 – 31 4:15 pm 16

29

17 TEVET

Nursery and Religious Schools Closed USY International Convention Mahjong 12:45 PM

KISLEV ~ TEVET 5776 WEDNESDAY 2

20 KISLEV

FRIDAY

THURSDAY 3

21 KISLEV

4

SHABBAT 22 KISLEV

Toddler Time 9:15 AM; 10:45 AM Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 AM SMART People Trip to Iona College to View Karski Exhibit 11:30 AM

WAJE with Rabbi Hojda, 10:00 AM

Choir Rehearsal 8:00 PM

27 KISLEV

10

28 KISLEV

JLiFE Hanukkah Kasakove Playdate 4:30 PM Congregational Hanukkiyyah Lighting 5:45PM Kadima 6:00 PM Re-Introduction to Judaism 7:30 PM (OFF-SITE) Officers Meeting 7:30 PM SMART People Current Events 11:30 AM followed by Hanukkah Celebration 1:00 PM

Light 4th Candle HANUKKAH

11

29 KISLEV

Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 AM SMART People Current Events 11:30 AM Nursery School Westchester Director Network and Project SEED 2:00 PM RoHo Girls 4:00 PM NS Parent-Teacher Conf. for 2s 5:00 PM Semi-Annual Pre-Meeting Enhanced Cocktail Hour 7:00 PM Semi-Annual Congregational Mtg. 8:00 PM Board of Trustees 9:30 PM

11 TEVET Religious School Closed

USY International Convention (off-site)

17

4:09 PM

Hanukkah Shabbat - Service 5:30 PM; Dinner 6:15 PM

18

Nursery and Religious Schools Closed USY International Convention

Birthday Shabbat A Modern Understanding 8:30 AM Shabbat SPACE 9:30 AM Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 AM Youth Services 10:45 AM Daf Shevui 1:00 PM

USY 6:00 PM

Nursery and Religious Schools Closed USY International Convention (off-site_

7 TEVET

Shabbat ends 5:16 PM

METNY USY Freshman Shabbaton (off-site)

25

26

Choir Rehearsal 8:00 PM

12 TEVET

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METNY USY Freshman Shabbaton (off-site) METNY USY 10-12 gr overnight (off-site) Shabbat SPACE 9:30 AM Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 AM Shabbat Discussion Group 10:30 AM Youth Services 10:45 AM Daf Shevui 1:00 PM

4:11 PM

Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 PM

13 TEVET Synagogue Offices Closed Nursery and Religious Schools Closed 4:15 PM

USY International Convention (off-site)

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30 KISLEV

Shabbat ends 5:13PM

VAYIGASH

Hanukkah BEST Shabbat Tables (off-site)

18 TEVET

12

Light 7th Candle HANUKKAH ROSH HODESH

6 TEVET

Toddler Time 9:15 AM; 10:45 AM Parashat Hashavua 10:00 AM

Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 AM SMART People Current Events 11:30 AM

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VAYESHEV METNY Kadima Shabbaton (off-site) Welcoming Chai House Visitors Shabbat SPACE 9:30 AM Pre-Service Oneg 10:15 AM Shabbat Discussion Group 10:30 AM Youth Services 10:45 AM ShabbaTunes 12:45 PM Daf Shevui 1:00 PM WJC Night of Jewish Learning 6:45 PM

Light 6th Candle HANUKKAH

5 TEVET

24

23 KISLEV

Shabbat ends 5:12PM

MIKETZ

Parashat Hashavua 10:00 AM Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 PM

Light 5th Candle HANUKKAH

4 TEVET

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METNY Kadima Shabbaton (off-site)

Vav/Gesher, Olim, and Tichon Erev Shabbat 6:00 PM

Toddler Time 9:15 AM; 10:45 AM

Get SMART Get Fit 10:30 AM

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4:09PM

Yiddish Vinkl 1:00 PM

Keruv Committee Meeting 8:00 PM

9

Parashat Hashavua 10:00 AM

5

18 TEVET

Nursery and Religious Schools Closed USY International Convention

NEW YEAR’S EVE 17

VAYECHI

14 TEVET Shabbat ends 5:19 PM

USY International Convention (off-site) Shabbat SPACE 9:30 AM Pre-Serv Oneg 10:15 AM Shabbat Discussion Group 10:30 AM Youth Services 10:45 AM Daf Shevui 1:00 PM

Condolences We record with sorrow the losses suffered by our members and friends and extend to them our deepest sympathies. Condolences to: Lenny Kundel upon the loss of his father, Mikhail Kundel; Alan Kurlander upon the loss of his father, Martin Kurlander; Sandy Batkin upon the loss of his brother Stanley Batkin; The Sommer-Batkin family upon the loss of their mother, Donna Sommer-Batkin; Annie Lowenthal upon the loss of her husband, Murray Lowenthal; Selma Moses upon the loss of her husband, Manfred (Fred) Moses; Julie Rockowitz upon the loss of her husband, Noah Rockowitz.

Thank You from HOPE Community Services for High Holiday Food Drive Dear Congregants of Beth El: We are writing this letter to express our deepest thanks for your recent food drive, which supplied us with a great amount of food for our pantry families.

This food helps us to continue our mission to bring HOPE to the table and lives of our neighbors in need.

HOPE continues to be the largest provider of emergency food services in Westchester County. We also provide outreach support such as citizenship classes, crisis intervention, and social services. As we continue and expand our services to the community, we are acutely aware that we cannot do so without your support.

Once again, on behalf of all of us—clients, staff, and board of directors—thank you.

Sincerely, Carole Troum, Executive Director

Welcome to the Beth El Community The Frajnd Family Of Larchmont Amos and Sara Frajnd Ella, 8; Mia, 5 The Friedland Family Of Mamaroneck Jason and Jacqueline Friedland Abraham, 11; Asher, 9; Shepherd, 7; Nava, 4 The Henry Family Of Scarsdale David and Heather Henry Liora, 3; Eliana, 8 months; Yael 8 months The Solar/Kevy Family Of New Rochelle Craig Solar and Sharon Kevy Steven, 15; Matthew, 12; Jake, 8

Beth El Celebrates December Birthdays Beth El Synagogue Center would like to extend a “Happy Birthday!” to its members with a birthday in the month of December.

We hope that you will join us for Kiddush Harriet Abrahami Samuel Adams Adrienne Altman Bradley Altman Judy Aqua Alexander Arad Daniel Aronstein Myriam Batista Samuel Berger Miles Bernstein Barbara Birshtein Rebecca Bloom Perry Branson Samuel Burton Steven Chester Simona Chhahira Mattie Cohen

Rachel Collens Talya Davidowitz Susan Diamond Michael Dorfman Lisa Dorman Jacqueline Einzig Stephen Field Gerald Fischoff Victoria Freedman David Fuchs Edith Geisinger Murray Gelb Joshua Glickman Gail Goldman Joel Goldstein Ruth Gotian Amnon Gotian

lunch on Shabbat, December 12th. If you have a December birthday, but your name does not appear on the list, we are sorry for the omission and we ask that you e-mail the synagogue at info@bethelnr.org so that we Alec Kremins Jill Kurtzman Lynn Kuszel Benjamin Kuszel Gabrielle Kuszel Frieda Lewis Faith Liberman Stanley Liebowitz Anita Liebowitz Kelly Mamaysky Ethan Mayblum Susan Mittleman Claudia Morris Gregory Newman Lawrence Orans Gabriela Parsley Emily Patchen

Cynthia Gray Debra Greenberg Alan Greenberg Ellen Greenebaum Rebecca Groner Jacob Gruza Alan Guber Jon Halpern Jessica Hecht Miriam Hirsch Alain Hyman Helene Katz Geraldine Katz Barbara Katzeff Melanie Kogan Matthew Krasik Betsy Kravitz 18

can update our records. Please contact us if you do not wish to have your name appear on our birthday list. (The list reflects our adult members and post-bar/bat mitzvah children up to the age of 21.)

Cori Silk Jayne Peister Linda Silver Zachary Platek Erica Sokoloff Ian Plaxin Judith Somerstein Ian Polow Gregory Stein Abigail Prager Robert Strauch Barbara Protass Alan Striar Geralynn Reifer Zachary Wachs Bernard Rosen Joyce Wechsler Maya Scheinfeld Rebecca Wertheimer Matthew Schiller Hanita Schneiderman Renee Wolk Steven Schneidman Eleanor Zabb Rachel Ziser Lois Schulman Reba Zuckerman Martin Schulman Leora Segal Evelyn Selber Happy Birthday!

Jacob Shteingart

Mazal Tov

DECEMBER YAHRZEITS

The yahrzeit of the following deceased persons permanently inscribed on our Memorial Walls are observed on these dates:

Newsmakers . . .

Mazal tov to: Bea Freedman upon the birth of her great-granddaughter Shayna Whitney Blumberg, and to parents Audrey and Marc Blumberg and grandparents Ronnie and Jerry Levine; Elizabeth and Alan Legatt on the marriage of their daughter Rachel to Will Merchan, son of Estela and Edssel Merchan; Sandy and Sam Klein on the engagement of their daughter Heather Klein to Michael Kalan, son of Howie Kalan and the late Esther Kalan; Shirley and Bernie Katz upon the birth of great-grandson Victor Chaim Arakanchi, brother of Eli and Sarah, and to grandparents Laurie and Victor Ben Amo, and parents Michelle and Yossi Arakanchi.

Ilona Rivel Eleanor Gore Seymour Kornfeld Alice Charnet Chaim Halevi Eichner Abraham Gosschalk Jan Peerce Sol Zeller Samuel Zuckerman Yetta Zuckerman Ethel Joslevitz Renee Ratner Philip Levene Lorraine Gittelson Bernard Marx Erna F. Schwarz Joseph M. Weber Joseph Wechsler Rose Glick Samuel Halpern Gussie Rappaport Ada Greenstein Pauline Duberstein Hyman Kleinman Clara Locitzer Phoebe Lampert Anne Schoen Arthur Hirsch Nathan Osofsky Louis Tarloff Louis David Wile Charlotte Zeller Max Berman Raphael Cohn Sadie Fuchs David Schifter Ruth Baum Cohen Sadie Fuchs Jeanette Cohen Linda Dinkes Sarah Fay Silver David W. Simpson Sabina Bialo

A Warm Beth El Mazal Tov to One and All!!

Share your milestone events with us!

We would like to hear about your engagements, births, graduations, losses, and other events. If you experience a milestone or a loss in your family, please contact Linda Newman at LNewman@bethelnr.org, or 914-235-2700, ext.

246, with your news.

Kiddush The Kiddush of December 5th will be sponsored by Eve Ferdman in celebration of the bar mitzvah of her son Julian Ferdman; and by Trisanne and Sam Berger in honor of Sam’s special birthday and in memory of Sam’s mother, Lillian Berger, on her yahrzeit.

The Kiddush of December 12th will be sponsored by the 2015 Simchat Torah honorees—Carrie Fox, Ellen Gelboim, Nina Luban, and Darren Peister.

The Kiddush of December 19th will be sponsored by the Jodi and Robert Scheinfeld in honor of the bat mitzvah of their daughter Maya Scheinfeld; and by Barbara and David Horowitz in honor of the aufruf and upcoming marriage of their son Michael Horowitz.

The kiddush of December 26th will be sponsored by Elise and Barry Richman in honor of their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.

Can you help? Be a Kiddush Sponsor!

Kiddush lunch with our fellow congregants is just one of the many things that makes Beth El a special place. Beth El needs your help to sponsor these lunches. We are looking for individuals or families to sponsor a kiddush lunch. For just $750, you can provide lunch on Shabbat. Dates with no sponsor are: January 9 January 16 January 23 January 30 February 13

February 20 February 27 March 12 March 19 March 26

April 2 April 9 May 7 May 14 May 21

May 28 June 4 June 25

1 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 17 17 17 17 18

Fannie Lewinsohn Eva S. Garfein Rose Katzof Ida Levine Jake Meyers Joseph Einhorn Jean Feingold David Troodler Joseph Wasserman Isadore Ginsburg Susan Kramer Yosef Rapoport Beckie Walek Alexander Ira Boner Hyman M. Charm Isidore Eisenberg Hannelies Guggenheim Edward Heligman Stanley Josell Frances Miller Leon Nirenberg Chaim Rubin Benzel Bertram Klein Jacob Sohn Beatrice Berens B. Merton Aronstein Rose Goldman Rebecca Goldstein Joseph Kurzon Samuel Zucker Rose Cohn Irving Friedman Jacob Katzof Morris Loinger Joseph Sunshine Eva Sussman Frances Rosenblum Barbara Teichman Nathan Fink Ralph P. Katz Rose Goldstein Ada Hirsch

Do you have a food allergy?

If so, please bring it to the attention of our executive director, Erica Leventhal by sending an e-mail to ELeventhal@bethelnr.org describing your allergy, or call 914-235-2700, ext. 225.

Call Alise Liquorie in the office, 914-235-2700, ext. 223, or e-mail aliquorie@bethelnr.org.

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18 19 19 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 23 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 26 27 27 27 27 27 28 28 28 28 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31

Contributions CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND IN MEMORY OF: Stanley Batkin, beloved brother, father, and grandfather, from Linda and Sol Haber.

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Noel and Leah Edelson in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Ilana Shechter-Fox and in memory of Richard Gloth, beloved father of Hazzan Jamie Gloth; Bobby and Judy Schmeidler in honor of Aaron Fleishaker’s birthday and in memory of Charles Kahn; Norene Arnold in honor of inspiring high holiday services while visiting her children Lisa, Larry, Charlie, and Molly Mandelker; Janet Seligman in memory of her father, Joe Kenler; Carole and David Curtis for the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund; Nora Klion-Wolloch in honor of Carrie Fox and David Shechter on Ilana’s Bat Mitzvah, Liz and Alan Legatt on their daughter’s wedding, a thank you to the clergy for meaningful yamim noraim, to Milton and his staff for providing for all during the holidays, a refuah sh’leimah to Bernice Ward and Helene Wolloch, and to Julie Rockowitz on her honor as a Woman of Excellence; Dan Kusnetz in honor of his time at Beth El; Eilene Kahn in honor of the yahrzeits of her brother and father; Annette and Mitchell Fogelman for Lois Morgenstern on the loss of her husband, Martin Morgenstern, and in memory of Eliot Ginsberg, father of David Ginsberg; Beth Seigel in memory of the brother of Debbie Markovits; Rita and David Kaufman in memory of Etta Rosenfeld and Pearl Kaufman; Caryl Fuchs in memory of Samuel Fuchs and Stanley Fuchs.

SYLVIA AND ROBERT SCHER CHESED COMMUNITY FUND IN HONOR OF: Harriet and Leonard Schwartz on their fiftieth wedding anniversary, from Martha Goldman, and Madeline and Irwin Dannis.

A generous donation was received from Anita and Stanley Liebowitz to be used where needed.

IN HONOR OF:

ANDREW SHAPIRO MEMORIAL FUND

Cantor Uri and Judy Aqua on the birth of their grandson, and to parents Danny and Debbie Aqua, from Laura Penn, and Phyllis and Harvey Jay.

IN HONOR OF: Judy and Cantor Uri Aqua on the birth of their grandson, from Judy Shapiro.

Robert Patchen’s chanting of the Haftarah on Rosh Hashanah, from Judy Shapiro.

In honor of Ethan Turkewitz becoming a Bar Mitzvah.

In honor of the birth of Cantor Uri and Judy Aqua’s new grandson, from Ruth and Amnon Gotian.

In memory of Yvette Goldstein, mother of Jay Goldstein.

In memory of Stanley Batkin.

In memory of Richard Gloth, beloved father and grandfather of the Carr-Gloth family, from Kandee Storm; Alise, Max, and Maggie Towers (Liquorie); Mitchell and Betty Troyetsky and family; Steven and Debbie Young; Brian Bosworth and Lauren Freeman-Bosworth and family; Susan and George Morris; Tami and Michael Novoseller; Caryl Fuchs; Cynthia, Jeff, and Tanner Glickman; Ruth and Amnon Gotian; Carole and Jeff Graham; Rita and David Kaufman; Heidi Spitz and Michael Kremins and family; William Levenson; Rhoda and Sylvan Kamens; and Lynn and Jeffrey Lowin.

Elizabeth and Alan Legatt on the marriage of their daughter Rachel Legatt to Will Merchan, from Ana and Bruce Wenig.

IN MEMORY OF:

Beth El Simchat Torah honorees—Carrie Fox, Ellen Gelboim, Nina Luban, and Darren Peister, from Elise and Barry Richman.

Ed Shapiro, my beloved husband, on his first yahrzeit, from Judy Shapiro.

Barry Richman in appreciation for his High Holiday honor, from Elise and Barry Richman.

PTA LIBRARY FUND

A generous donation was received form Louise and Jason Silverman to be used toward our congregational Kiddush luncheons.

IN MEMORY OF: Richard Gloth, beloved father and grandfather of the Carr-Gloth family, from Elaine and Jack Katz.

ELEANOR G. BAUMWALD PRAYERBOOK FUND IN HONOR OF: Debbie and Adam Mayblum on the bar mitzvah of their son Kyle, from Michelle and Eric Maidenberg.

IN MEMORY OF:

HAZZAN’S DISCRETIONARY FUND

GENERAL FUND A generous donation was received from Diane and Eugene Linett.

Our parents, Louis and Edith Scheinberg, form Phyllis and Harvey Jay.

Yahrzeit AND Yizkor DonationS Ira and Andrea Lippel; the Haber family; Sharon Spenser; Naomi K. Raber; Barbara and Marc Klee; Barbara and Jay Lerman; Peter and Sharon Spenser; Eric Alderman and family; Marilyn Handler; Michael Richmond; Valerie Rudolph; Alan Legatt; Judy Schmeidler; Lynn and Jeffrey Lowin; Anita and Marc Zoldessy; Ronnie and Mitchel Kaplan; Leon and Irene Greenspan; Gladys Barish; Ronnie and Jesse Weinberger; Henrietta Sanford; Nancy Goldman Levy; Ilene Poses; Bruce Gold and Grace Kalfus; Ruth Kling; Nathan Eisler.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES FUND IN MEMORY OF: Martin Morgenstern, beloved husband of Lois Morgenstern, from Susan and Elliot Lesser.

Richard Gloth, beloved father and grandfather of the Carr-Gloth family, from Susan and Elliot Lesser.

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IN MEMORY OF: Martin Morgenstern, beloved husband of Lois Morgenstern, from Carol and Laurence Gross, and Eileen and Richard Smernoff.

Our beloved parents, Ida Gross, Louis Gross, Gertrude Mayorowitz Lukacs, and Michael Mayorowitz, from Carol and Laurence Gross.

Stanley Batkin, beloved father of Alan Batkin, from Golub Capital.

DAY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN HONOR OF: Julie Rockowitz on her Woman of Excellence honor, awarded by the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, from the Brot family, Helene and Gary Liebstein, and Debi and Steven Neustadter.

The family of

Martin Morgenstern wishes to express our gratitude to the Beth El community, and especially the clergy and the Sisterhood, for their overwhelming kindness, support, caring, and generosity in our time of loss.

Thank you.

Lois Morgenstern and Family

Contributions Sisterhood Mitzvah Fund IN HONOR OF: Carrie Fox and David Shechter on the bat mitzvah of their daughter Ilana, from Blanche Fried, and Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Julie Rockowitz on being honored by the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, from Blanche Fried.

Carrie Fox for being honored on Simchat Torah, from Blanche Fried, Vicki and Nate Fisher, and Joyce and Mike Wechsler.

Nina Luban for being honored on Simchat Torah, from Blanche Fried, Vicki and Nate Fisher, Naomi Raber, Sharon Shoenholtz and Larry Hanau, and Joyce and Mike Wechsler.

Ellen Gelboim for being honored on Simchat Torah, from Blanche Fried, Vicki and Nate Fisher, Naomi Raber, and Joyce and Mike Wechsler.

Darren Peister for being honored on Simchat Torah, from Blanche Fried, Vicki and Nate Fisher, and Joyce and Mike Wechsler.

Barbara and Mark Goldman on celebrating a special anniversary, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Barbara and David Horowitz on celebrating their fortieth anniversary, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Barbara and Harvey Katzeff on celebrating their fortieth anniversary, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Date: _____________ Amount: $__________ Method of Payment:

Robin and Mitchell Kaphan on celebrating their fortieth anniversary, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Phoebe and Peter Gross on the engagement of their daughter Claire to Sam Stampfer, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Ellen and Moishe Gelboim on the birth of their grandson Jesse, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Lynn and Jeff Lowin on the marriage of their daughter Joanna, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Naomi Raber on the engagement of her granddaughter Maia, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Cantor Uri and Judy Aqua on the birth of a grandson, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Rochelle Chaiken on the engagement of her son Brian to Stacy Berkowitz, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Selma and Fred (z�l) Moses on the marriage of their granddaughter Barbara to Mitch Yofee, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Rivka and Harry Spring on the birth of grandson Jacob Aviv, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Harriet and David Rudnick on the engagement of their daughter Elana to Brandon Liebeskind, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Judith Goldstein on her speedy recovery, from Naomi Raber.

DONATION FORM

From: _________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________ Check ________ Bill Me ________

Please check one of the funds below. Make your check payable to Beth El Synagogue.

Alan and Elizabeth Legatt on celebrating their fortieth anniversary, from Blanche Fried, and Joyce and Mike Wechsler.

Miriam Rabin, who tirelessly devoted years to the Mitzvah Fund for Sisterhood, from Carol Freedman.

Debbie and Adam Mayblum on the Bar Mitzvah of their son Kyle, from Joyce and Mike Wechsler, and Sharon Shoenholtz and Lawrence Hanau.

Alan and Elizabeth Legatt on the marriage of their daughter Rachel to Will Merchan, from Joyce and Mike Wechsler.

Vicki and Nate Fisher on the celebration of their anniversary, from Naomi Raber.

Isaak Nathan Shargel, grandson of Brenda Berry and Jonathan Lopatin, from Joyce and Mike Wechsler.

IN MEMORY OF: Gertrude Kaplan, beloved mother of Mitchell Kaphan, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Richard Gloth, beloved father of Hazzan Jamie Gloth and grandfather of the Carr-Gloth family, from Vicki and Nate Fisher.

Martin Morgenstern, beloved husband of Lois Morgenstern, from Joan and Jonah Atlas, and the Sisterhood Bagels& Books Group.

The yahrzeit of our mother, Harriet Engelson, from Barbara Engelson and Marc Klee.

Sisterhood Mitzvah Fund: Call Rise Stern, 914-761-5645, or mail to 59 Bayne Place, White Plains, NY 10605.

Please make your check payable to Sisterhood Mitzvah Fund.

_____ General Donation _____ Jeremy Scheinfeld Memorial Fund ______ Special Needs Fund _____ Zaro Senior Programming Fund _____ Youth Activities _____ Endowment Fund _____ Day Camp Donation _____ Andrew Shapiro Memorial Fund _____ David Gingold Nursery Sch. Fund _____ Eleanor G. Baumwald Prayerbook _____ Teen Educational Exp. Scholarship Fund _____ Nursery School Donation _____ PTA Israel Travel Study _____ Capital Improvement Fund

Scholarship Fund _____ PTA Library Fund THE JEREMY SCHEINFELD _____ The Sylvia and Robert Scher _____ Dorothy Fleishaker Religious MEMORIAL FUND

Chesed Community Fund School Enrichment Fund IN MEMORY OF: ______ The Hannah & Joshua Fund, funding _____ The Selma and Stanley Batkin

the Families Initiative Committee Religious School Scholarship Fund Harriet (Honey) Gordon, beloved mother of Noel A separate check, payable to the name of the fund, is needed for the below: _____ Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund _____ Sisterhood Mitzvah Fund _____ Hazzan's Discretionary Fund _____ Men's Club Donation Circle one: In Honor of Memory of Recovery of _____________________________________________________________________ Name and address for acknowledgment and relationship of below named person(s) to person named above: Relationship: _________________________________________ Name: ________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________ 21

Gordon, from Sharon and Ira Weiner.

SPECIAL NEEDS FUND IN HONOR OF: Elizabeth and Alan Legatt on their fortieth wedding anniversary, from Phyllis and Harvey Jay. IN MEMORY OF: Our grandfather, William Nierenberg, on his yahrzeit, from Wendy and Alan Rosenberg.

Sch EchTE R WESTch ESTE R

FIFTY YEARS YOUNG

Longevity is the reward for embracing tradition and innovation.

Open HOuse Lower School nOvember 8, 2015

Middle School December 6, 2015

high School nOvember 1, 2015

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Beth El Synagogue Center 1324 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY 10804-2190

Non Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID White Plains, N.Y. Permit No. 925

address service requested

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