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Sisterhood
Sisterhood Scene
By the time you are reading this article, the Seders will be over and we will be into the counting of the Omer. The Omer is counted from the second night of Passover until the first day of Shavuot—50 days hence. The Omer was a sheaf of the new wheat or barley brought to the Temple along with a sacrifice to signify the start of the period from Peach to Shavuot in the calendar. It also signified the beginning of the new wheat harvest that would end agriculturally around Shavuot, when the first fruits would be harvested.
That got me thinking about counting. Why do we as humans count things? Counting makes things seem more special like when we count our marble collection or our dolls as children to make them seem larger than they might be. Counting is a way of leading up to an important event that helps us pass the time and prepare ourselves for the celebration or important day to come. During the Omer, we are counting from freedom of Passover to the acceptance of the Torah on Shavuot, a very weighty time in our people’s history.
We are also counting the days till spring as the air warms and the flowers begin to bloom. This year in particular we are counting to the end of the Pandemic with the ability to hug our loved ones and meet people face to face once again. Counting as I see it means hope. Hope that things in the future will return to normal, that faces we love will be with us in person, and that the calendar will proceed along its normal path. May hope be your byword this Passover. Sandy Gruenberg, Sisterhood President
What’s Growing in Sisterhood’s Garden This Spring
• Bulbs, Bulbs, Bulbs! See the box below about how you can order bulbs directly from the supplier to beautify your gardens and to also help Sisterhood raise funds for the shul. • April 8th: Join our clergy as Sisterhood sponsors a Yom HaShoah program for the entire congregation on Thursday, April 8th. Our own Sandy Speier Klein will tell her mother’s moving story. • May 2nd: Come and hear a conversation between Rabbi Sitkin and Rabbi Fisher and the author of a new book, Unstoppable, about how an immigrant from Nazi Europe came to New York and changed his life story completely. Each participant family will receive the book free. • June: Watch for our installation of officers and a surprise program that is sure to delight all.
UNSTOPPABLE: Legacy for the Post-pandemic World Lessons from the life of Siggi Wilzig
Please join the Beth El clergy for a special Zoom program sponsored by Sisterhood Sunday, May 2nd, at 7:30 pm
A conversation between Joshua M. Greene, author of Unstoppable, the unbelievable true story of Siggi Wilzig's journey from Auschwitz to Wall Street, and Rabbi Sitkin, about overcoming trauma and adversity. A Zoom link will be available on Beth El's Livestream page (www. bethelnr.org/livestream).
All registrants will receive a complimentary copy of the book.
SISTERHOOD PRESENTS BAGELS & BOOKS
Monday, April 26th • 9:30 am
We will discuss The World We Knew, by Alice Hoffman For those who want to read ahead, our May 24th book is Lioness: Golda Meir, by Francine Klagsbrun Questions? Call Arlene Salman 914-235-2485, aesalman@aol.com.
EVENING BOOK CLUB
invites you to discuss its next book The Jews Should Keep Quiet, by Rafael Medoff April 21st • 7:30 pm
Questions? Contact Erica at mmleepstein@gmail.com or Cynthia at cynglickman@gmail.com.
Every Tuesday at 4:00 pm, with Stephanie Lederman
Youth and Family Coordinator bethelnr.org/cookingchugzoom April 6 Shlissel Challah (Key Challah) April 13 Blue and White Crinkle Cookies April 20 Easy Pizza Dough with Choice Toppings April 27 Smores Bars for Lag BaOmer
Beth El teens came together to talk about homelessness during the pandemic and what we can do to help, put together by our very own USY Social Action/Tikkun Olam Vice President Arielle Maliniak
Beth El Celebrates April Birthdays
Beth El would like to extend a “Happy Birthday!” to its members with a birthday in the month of April. If you have an April Alyx Bernstein Beth Breakstone Steven Brick Michele Brick Felice Brostoff Steve Brostoff Lisa Capelouto Rachel Casanova Deborah Chassen Lynn Chinitz Julia Cohen Judith Cooper Brandon Davis Maxine Dreizen Leah Edelson Rabbi Jerome Epstein Ilan Felberg Erica FeldmanBases Deborah Feuerstein Paige FioRito Geoffrey FioRito Michael Fisher Tara Fishler Robin Freedman Ellen Gelboim Alyssa Ginsburg Rochelle Goldring Susan Goldstein Yvette Gordon Jeffrey Graf Dori Graff birthday, but your name does not appear on the list, we are sorry for the omission and ask that you e-mail the synagogue at info@bethelnr.org so that we can update our Sandra Gruenberg Helen Gruenfeld Sy Gruza Matthew Hanau Lawrence Hanau Vona Herz Arthur Holland Ellen Hollander Lisa Jacobs Larry Jonas Kathy Kafer Eunice Kaplan Robert Kattan Kenneth Katz Howard Katz Theodore Keltz Karine Kleinhaus Lois Kohn-Claar Peter Lane Jerome Lebowitz Ford Lenchner Mitchell Littman Jenny Longman Irvine Marcus Barbara Margolin Lisa Medin Shannon Norwitz Reuben O’Neill Claire O’Neill Nurit Pacht Stanley Patchen Josh Podietz records. 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.)
Judith Pogostin Wendy Pomerantz James Chris Reid Marlene Rimsky Avrun Rivel Judith Rosenfeld Theodore Rosenzweig Richard Schechtman Roni Schiffres Susan Schlecker Steven Schwartz Jonah Seidenfeld Mark Seidenfeld Ella Shteingart Jason Silverman Elisa Singer Rabbi Zachary Sitkin Jeffrey Solomon Judy Spiegeland Dara Spielvogel Avi Stein Phyllis Steinberg Tamar Tait Larsen Talmadge Eric Turkewitz Abraham Walfish Sharon Weiner Rick Weisbrod Boris Ziser Sandy Zisser
YOUTH AND FAMILY PROGRAMMING FOR APRIL
PASSOVER LATER DAYS, APRIL 3rd AND APRIL 4th
9:45 am Tot Shabbat 10:45 am Family Kehillah Sign up at www.bethelnr.org/livestream.
APRIL 11th
10:30 am BE Mitzvah Experience, at bethelnr.org/bemitzvahzoom
APRIL 18th
2:00 pm Lag BaOmer Fun with Ramah Berkshires, for K -3, at www.bethelnr.org/youthzoom
April 29th
5:30 pm Youth and Family Lag BaOmer Celebration, in person at Beth El (see box on previous page)
FRIDAY, APRIL 30th - SATURDAY, MAY 1st Youth and Family Engagement Shabbat!
Join us on Friday for our virtual Kabbalat Shabbat at 6:00 pm. Visit www.bethelnr.org/livestream for the link. And join us Shabbat morning at Beth El for a celebration of our Youth Community! Email minyan@bethelnr.org to save your spot or sign up for Tot Shabbat and Family Kehillah by visiting www.bethelnr.org/livestream. You can also join the service in the sanctuary via livestream at www.bethelnr.org/shabbatlivestream.
Passover: Kitah Bet and Gesher getting ready for Passover
Kitah Vav created their own Purim Shpiel and shared it with the younger grades Silly faces in Religious School Kehillah Families love a good Beth El drive by! Beth El staff ready to celebrate virtual Purim with our youth community!
Kitah Hey spent time online with our virtual Shinshinit all the way from Israel
Kitah Dalet loves Religious School!
APRIL 2021 NISAN ~ IYAR 5781
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SHABBAT
For all of our online and virtual learnings, teachings, and activities, visit www.bethelnr.org/livestream.
Visit us on facebook at facebook.com/BethElSynagogueCenter
Minyan times are subject to change. Please refer to Beth El's minyan signup page (bethelnr.org/minyansignup). You may also find minyan times listed on the Synagogue website's calendar (bethelnr.org/calendar). Thank you.
