CONGREGATION B’NAI YISRAEL is the Jewish home we share. We are a community creating positive experiences with individuals of every age. CONGREGATION B’NAI YISRAEL is our spiritual center, where together, our family of families celebrates, commemorates, worships, learns, nurtures, gives, and grows. We constantly strive to achieve the beauty that comes from experiencing the world through Jewish eyes.
CONGREGATION B’NAI YISRAEL 2 Banksville Road • Armonk, NY 10504 • Summer 2015 Quarterly Bulletin
community
Words of Gratitude-Words of Farewell Rabbi David Katz, Interim Congregation B’nai Yisrael can look forward to strong and fruitful years ahead. Rabbi Joshua Strom’s warm and intelligent spiritual leadership and Educator Melissa Cohavi’s new and fresh perspective will usher in a new era for the Temple and with Cantor Kobilinsky there will be an era of growth and prosperity. This past year has been rewarding for me in many ways. Much has been accomplished. Under the wise leadership of Rabbi Farber the school was strengthened. Holidays have been enhanced, notably Tu B’shevat and Purim. The Friday night service now includes children parading with the Torah and helping to undress it and congregants recite the Torah blessings when it is the anniversary of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah service. There has been a Long Time Member Shabbat and onegs that bring together college alumni. There were significant forays into the world of fundraising with new strategies considered and carried out. The gala exceeded all expectations. By laws were revised, a staff manual completed, a budget brought into line. Significantly, a survey was created that asked congregants about their skills, talents, desires and goals. The most important question was: How many times will you devote time to the Temple in the course of this year? Well over 150 members donated over 1300 times they would be present when asked-and when they were asked, service attendance doubled and tripled, “Study in the Suburbs” attendance increased dramatically (actually 1000 fold) and Torah study expanded. So we learned that CBY is potentially very wealthy when it comes to devotion to Temple life. Many congregants have put their heart and soul into maintaining the strength of the congregation during this time of transition. Lisa Broomer as President, is deserving of accolades. The Executive Board spent countless hours to improve the infrastructure of Temple life. The staff weathered the changes in leadership and worked to become a team. Many congregants devoted their heart and soul behind the scenes to make the year a success. The Temple is in good shape. The future is bright.
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In this Issue Cover-5 Community
"And Now For Something Completely Different" From Rabbi Joshua Strom CBY Brotherhood CBY Cultural Connections New Members of Our Board of Trustees Gala honoring Cantor Kobilinsky and Barby K. Siegel and Frederic J. Siegel
6 Tradition
8 Commitment to Others
Wrapping It Up
School Supplies Drive
7-8 Learning
9 Leadership
L'Hitraot "And Now For Something Completely Different" From Melissa Cohavi, Our New Educator Religious School Schedule 2015-2016
The Year in Review
Our Cornerstones
CONGREGATION B’NAI YISRAEL 2 Banksville Road, Armonk, NY 10504 (914) 273-2220 • fax (914) 273-2285 cbyarmonk.org • temple@cbyarmonk.org facebook.com/cbyarmonk • @cbyarmonk
Tradition Congregation B’nai Yisrael connects individuals to our Jewish heritage and weaves our traditions into our individual and family identities. Our religious traditions form a framework for meaningful Jewish lives, and help us to to celebrate moments of wonder in life’s cycle and to find comfort in Rabbi David Katz, Interim times of tragedy and sorrow. Our spiritual home connects our members rabbikatz@cbyarmonk.org to that which is Divine, to the rich variety of Jewish living, and to others Rabbi Joshua Strom, Elected rabbistrom@cbyarmonk.org in our community. Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky cantorkobilinsky@cbyarmonk.org Community Rabbi Douglas E. Krantz Congregation Founding Rabbi, Retired Ava Saperstein Administrator ava@cbyarmonk.org David Pribish Bookkeeper david@cbyarmonk.org Frank Vetere Facilities Manager frank@cbyarmonk.org Alicia Allison Communications Director alicia@cbyarmonk.org Jessica Gollin B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator jessica@cbyarmonk.org Melissa Cohavi Director of Education melissa@cbyarmonk.org Nancy Tejada-Ward Administrative Assistant to the Religious School nancy@cbyarmonk.org
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Executive Committee Lisa Broomer Brian Kaminer Samantha Schwam William Katz Bonni Stanley Paul Skurman Members of the Board Susan Bloom Michelle Eickelbeck Diane Freedman Sheldon Ganis Aaron Kwittken Ina Lane Suzanne Lipton Cookie Markhoff Charles Shapiro Amy Yallof Felicia Zacks
President Vice President, Business Affairs Communications Co-chair Vice President, Programs; Caring/Social Action Co-chair; Transitions Chair Treasurer Secretary, Human Resources Chair Member-At-Large, High Holy Day Honors Chair CBY Cultural Connections Chair Membership Chair Jewish Identity Development Chair High Holy Day Fundraising Communications Co-chair Religious Practices Chair
B'nai Yisrael is the center of Jewish life in Armonk. As a neighborhood synagogue, we form a bond among our member families. The synagogue serves as a spiritual and a social center where individuals fulfill their religious needs and find meaning in Judaism at every stage of life. Learning Learning the lessons of our Jewish heritage is a primary focus at Congregation B'nai Yisrael. Together we discover the building blocks of Jewish life, expand our sense of self in a Jewish context, and apply Jewish wisdom to every stage of our journey. Commitment to Others The Jewish impulse to repair the world [Tikkun Olam] plays a central role in the life of our community. We care for other human beings and strive to make a difference in people’s lives through individual and communal acts of tzedakah here in Armonk, in our wider Westchester community, and throughout our world. Investment We are deeply committed to maintaining our vibrant community. We demonstrate our dedication by sharing our time and our resources to insure a healthy future for our synagogue. Leadership Our clergy and leadership are accessible and responsive. It is our responsibility to be deeply connected to one another, in order to hear what every individual and family needs, and learn how to strengthen our community. Relevance From ancient times, Judaism has thrived by maintaining its traditions in an evolving world. Our synagogue helps our families build contemporary Jewish lives. Through celebration and study, by taking care of our own and reaching out to help others, by respecting every individual and embodying a spirit of diversity, we are able to be authentic Jews in a modern world.
PAST PRESIDENTS Lewis Schaffer Robert Regal Marilyn Heimerdinger John Stern Michael J. Gross ז״לShelly Jacob Mike Jacobs David Brody Barby K. Siegel Lyle Halperin ז״ל Joel Dworetzky Ann Leber Ellen Bernstein Frederic J. Siegel Lawrence C. Fox Charles Shapiro
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Printed on 100% recycled paper. Read this issue of our Bulletin, as well as past issues, online at cbyarmonk.org under Calendar and Events.
COMMUNITY continues from cover
Rabbi Strom will need the support of each one of you. If his goal is to create a congregation that more forcefully expresses the value of learning and he calls upon you to attend Shabbat morning study, you should be there. If his goal is to create a praying congregation and he asks you to attend services, it is important for you to make your attendance a personal goal. If you receive a call from him or the head of a committee to help the Temple in its efforts to “repair the world,” you should not hesitate. Rabbi Strom will be there for you at the most important moments of your life. He will teach and guide you. For the Temple to thrive there must be a sacred partnership between Rabbi and congregant. I know you will step forward. Thank you for offering me the opportunity to lead you this past year. Next year I will be the interim Rabbi at Congregation Dor Tamid, just north of Atlanta but wherever I go, fond memories of CBY will stay with me forever.
Farewell to Rabbi Katz on June 2
"And Now For Something Completely Different" From Rabbi Strom If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be (other than Israel)? Probably Southern California. Living my whole life in the Northeast has taught me that winter is overrated.
Is there a food that you couldn’t live without? Oreos. That was easy.
If you were granted one superpower, what would it be?
Flying. I know that's cliche, but after living in New York and seeing how ridiculously long it takes to go remarkably tiny distances, it has to be flying.
If you did not do this for a living, what other profession would interest you?
Being a sportswriter or play-by-play announcer for hockey games. I got to call games at Colgate for a semester and had the best time.
What’s on your DVR?
The Good Wife, Scandal, Around the Horn (which I describe as the Talmud of sports shows), The Voice, Nashville, Grey's Anatomy, and House Hunters for Tali; and the series finale of Parenthood from January, because Tali and I just refuse to let go.
What book did you read recently that you would strongly recommend to the congregation and why? While I read a lot of articles on a daily basis, I confess that I haven't read a book in its entirety in some time. But I do hope and plan to dive into Ari Shavit's acclaimed "My Promised Land." And, at some point as Jonah gets a little older, I look forward to using him as an excuse to start the Harry Potter series from the beginning.
What was your most embarrassing moment as child?
In 4th grade, challenged to rap by a classmate, as I began to recite a song I knew, I tripped and slammed my chin on a chair, putting my teeth through my lip, causing lots of bleeding and my first stitches. But at least I got out of a science test that day. :)
What’s on your "bucket list?"
It mostly consists of travel to exotic places: Hawaii, Japan, Australia, parts of South America, to name a few. I'd consider skydiving, but I would probably trade all of the above (and then some) to see my Flyers and Eagles win just one championship in my lifetime. (I'm sorry. But it's true.)
We look forward to welcoming Rabbi Strom and his family to our community beginning July 1. Join us for Summer Shabbat Services at 6:30 p.m. to welcome him. Learn more about Rabbi Strom on our website, cbyarmonk.org, including a 6 minute video with Rabbi Krantz. 3
COMMUNITY
CBY Brotherhood Our Brotherhood hosted another successful event with live music, food and drinks at Opus in May. (right) Thank you to everyone who has supported our newly formed Brotherhood. We look forward to planning even more programs and events next year.
CBY Cultural Connections Thank you to everyone who participated in our programs throughout the year, including our latest Art Tour to The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation. (right) We are currently planning a special Summer Cooking Class. More information will be available in our weekly Shabbat Shalom e-mail and on our website: cbyarmonk.org
New Members of Our Board of Trustees At our Annual Meeting on June 9, three members were elected to our Board of Trustees: Ina Lane, Suzanne Lipton, and Charles Shapiro. Newly elected to our Executive Committee is William Katz (Treasurer). Learn more about our new Board members in our Fall 2015 Bulletin. A special thank you to Debra Ezratty, Kara Klein, Richard Waksman and Brian Socolow who have compeleted their terms on our Board.
Save the Date: High Holy Days 5776
Summer Shabbat Services
Rosh Hashanah
Our Congregation Welcomes
Erev Rosh Hashanah Service Sunday, 9/13, 8:00 p.m. Rosh Hashanah Morning Service Monday, 9/14 10:00 a.m. Family Service, up to age 10 Monday, 9/14, 2:30 p.m. Tashlich at Wampus Pond Monday, 9/14, 3:30 p.m.
Yom Kippur Kol Nidre Service Tuesday, 9/22, 8:00 p.m. Yom Kippur Morning Service Wednesday, 9/23, 10:00 a.m. Yom Kippur Special Program Wednesday, 9/23, 12:30 p.m. Family Service, up to age 10 Wednesday, 9/23, 2:30 p.m. Afternoon Service Wednesday, 9/23, 3:30 p.m. Memorial & Closing Services Wednesday, 9/23, 4:30 p.m.
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Summer Shabbat Services will be at 6:30 p.m. from 6/19-8/28.
Zach and Dana Freeman and their children, Addison and Harper Andrew and Michele Berliner and their children, Luke and Remi Scottt and Radha Klugman and their children, Noah and Ian Alex and Erica Molina and their children, Arielle and Amelia David and Sherry Rothenberg and their children, Ben and Alex David and Jamie Sirkin and their children, Hailey and Courtney
In Memoriam Stanley Katz, father of Bill Katz Doris Schneider, grandmother of Jane Gold Jancy Dorfman, wife of William Dorfman Sylvia Gitlin, grandmother of Jocelyn Deutsch
COMMUNITY
Gala honor Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky and Barby K. and Frederic J. Siegel Thank you to everyone who supported our Gala honoring Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky and Barby K. and Frederic J. Siegel on April 18. Your generosity helped CBY raised nearly $170,000.
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TRADITION
Wrapping It Up Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky This edition of our temple bulletin is our wrap-up of the year. That was the notation in my calendar, where I jotted down a reminder to write this article. As I set about brainstorming my specific topic (always the hardest part for me), I couldn’t wrap my mind around the passage of time. There is a song from the musical, Rent, that describes how difficult it is to sum up a year: “How do you measure… a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife…in five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure a year in the life? How about love?” -“Seasons of Love,” from Rent by Jonathan Larson Here is my summary of the year since July 1, 2014, as of the writing of this article: 44 Shabbat services, 37 staff meetings, 22 b’nai mitzvah services, 20 shiva services, 9 funerals… I started to count how many students I’d worked with, and how many classes I’d taught, but that’s when I gave up. It’s simply too many to count. Not to mention that some things are beyond quantification. Consider the 22 13-year-olds who became Bar or Bat Mitzvah this year, each so completely different from the rest. The preparation was easy for some, and they shone without great effort. For others it didn’t come as easily. They worked so diligently, I marveled at even the small amount they accomplished week to week. Perhaps it seems cliché, but each of these life cycle events was a sea change, not only for those closest to them, the families, but for those more tangential as well. Yes, I have been changed by this year, by each of my students, each funeral, each prayerful moment in our sanctuary. I often write about the cycle of the Jewish year, and how it helps us trace the passage of time throughout the year. We always seem to be looking forward, to the next season, the next holiday, hoping if not knowing things will be better. We count the days from Passover until Shavuot (known as the omer), we plan our repentance during the days of the month Elul leading up to Rosh Hashanah, then we count the Days of Awe until Yom Kippur, and before we can blink, it’s Sukkot, and Simchat Torah, all falling at familiar intervals from each other. No sooner has Spring sprung, and we’re counting the days until Summer. Sound familiar? Our Jewish calendar is the backbone that keeps everything stable. And yet, even our calendar has changed. The Tanach (Torah, Prophets and Writings: the books that make up the Jewish Bible) refers to months that no longer exist. The Hebrew calendar measures months by lunar cycles, but adapts the yearly cycle by adding a leap month every several years. Changes have been made consistently over the last 2,000 years, including by Moses Maimonides.
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Even things like New Year’s had different versions in the Hebrew calendar, some beginning with Tishrei (when we celebrate Rosh Hashanah), and others with Nisan (right before Passover) or Shevat. Even the number of days in certain months can be changed. The amount of change we see in these systems leads me to wonder how, in such a flexible world, so much became fixed and rigid. I could point out how the traditional Jewish prayer book became fixed thanks to the creation of the printing press, which made it easy to preserve what had once been spontaneously spoken prayer. Or I could make the case that Jewish communities became more insular and rigid due to their environs amongst less-than-friendly neighbors, and thus certain practices became strict procedure for overall protection. But instead, I will create my own ode to our modern Jewry of today: Reform Judaism. The same Reform Judaism that went out on a limb to reduce redundancy in the services, the same Reform Judaism that decided that prayers could be said in the spoken language as well as Hebrew, the same Reform Judaism that decided that one could be considered Jewish even with only one Jewish parentmother or father, is the Judaism of our ancestors. True, we no longer sacrifice animals on an altar and sprinkle their blood, and we no longer treat disease in our community by segregating those with afflictions. But the Judaism of Torah was a constantly changing Judaism, and Reform Jews today, I posit, are practically speaking the closest to the intention of the Torah. We focus on the spirit of our prayer, on being holy people, and on making the world around us better. We do this not necessarily for the sake of making a check mark, that we’ve fulfilled a requirement, but for what it means to us, how it changes us. Thus we come full-circle: another year ended, and so much to look forward to. New leadership, new practices, new programs. May this new year bring us fulfillment, and may it lead our community into its next era. In the more relaxed days that are coming our way, consider ways you can become a part of this exciting time at Congregation B’nai Yisrael. Join us for a class, a speaker, a service, sing in the choir, join a committee to help make something happen, and be part of what makes our Jewish home so special.
Save the Date You are invited to hear Cantor Kobilinsky sing, along with members of Kol Hazzanim-Westchester Community of Cantors, in the annual Westchester Jewish Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, August 16 from 12:00-6:00 pm at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. Admission is free.
LEARNING
L'Hitraot Rabbi Joan Farber, Interim Director of Education It is hard to believe that two years have passed-the time has moved so quickly. During this time, I have come to appreciate so much that is part of the culture of CBY. There is an understanding that the children need to feel a strong connection to Judaism and to the community. The children know (at least I hope they do) that they are valued for who they are as individuals and as the guarantors of the future of Judaism. The teachers understand that they are vital links in the chain of tradition as they pass on their love and knowledge of Judaism. I hope that my short tenure brought confidence to the parents and to the congregation that the children were respected and encouraged to explore their Judaism, that the school was a safe and caring stop on their Jewish journey, that the faculty felt supported and that time spent at CBY was worthwhile.
Together, we have set policies and added to the program in subtle ways, such as the integration of Mitzvah Projects by grade and expanded holiday celebrations. I am gratified that I am leaving a sound foundation for Melissa Cohavi as she becomes the JID Director. As I move on, I am turning to my other passion, adult learning. I will be co-director of Hevreh: A Community of Adult Jewish Learners which will be creating opportunities for Jewish adults to study, pray and experience Judaism together. Our first gathering will be this July. In Judaism, we do not say good-bye, rather we say L’hitraot, until we meet again. I am sure we will run into each other in and around Westchester. In the meantime, I wish everyone a fun summer.
"And Now For Something Completely Different" From Melissa Cohavi If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be (other than Israel)? If I could, I would live at Disney World because I love it there and it is, after all, the happiest place on earth! Is there a food that you couldn’t live without? I can't think of a food that I couldn't live without. But among my favorites are ice cream, mexican and chinese. I am a vegetarian so I am always looking for new and interesting foods to eat. If you were granted one superpower, what would it be? My superpower would be to read people's minds. That way I would know what everyone really thinks! If you did not do this for a living, what other profession would interest you? I have been asked this question before, and the truth is that I really don't know. I love being a Jewish educator and can't picture myself doing anything else. But if I had to choose I would say social worker. Working in a synagogue community allows me to use my skills as both an educator and a social worker, which is why I love it so much. What book did you read recently that you would strongly recommend to the congregation and why? It probably doesn't surprise you that I like to read books with Jewish themes-my favorite is historical fiction. Some of my favorites are The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer, All Other Nights, In the Image, and The World To Come, all by Dara Horn. I also like reading books by Anita Diamant.
What’s on your DVR? I don't watch a lot of TV, but I do love Grey's Anatomy, The Middle and Modern Family. A running joke with my children is that I love documentaries, which is actually true. I guess that connects back to my love of learning. What was your most embarrassing moment as child? The one that comes to mind was when I was in the 6th grade. I was doing the show Peter Pan at school and I played the role of the children's mother. The teacher, Mrs. Hughes, was very strict about not having parents watch rehearsals because she wanted them to see the finished product as their first time. One afternoon I was on stage doing my thing and all of a sudden Mrs. Hughes stopped everything, looked to the back of the auditorium (which was dark other than the stage) and said, "Mrs. Silverman and Mrs. Klein, is that you back there?" My mother and her friend had been sitting on the floor in the back row watching the rehearsal! Of course, Mrs. Hughes asked them to leave the auditorium. It was so embarrassing in front of all of my friends! This is something I will never forget. What’s on your "bucket list?" There are many places in the world I would like to travel. Specifically, I would like to visit Poland to see where my grandfather's family came from, and if it becomes possible, I would like to visit Iran one day because that is where my husband's family is from. I would also like to go to Spain, Morocco, India and China. I really love travelling and learning about different cultures. Learn more about Melissa on our website, cbyarmonk.org, including a special video with Cantor Kobilinsky. 7
LEARNING
Religious School Schedule 2015-2016 We will begin our program year with a Sukkah decorating and BBQ for all our families on Sunday, September 27 (time TBD). For more information or to register your children, visit our website at cbyarmonk.org/learning. TOT Shabbat Fridays once a month for families with children ages 2-7, begins September 11, 5:30-6:15 p.m. 10/9, 11/13, 12/11, 1/8, 2/12, 3/11, 4/8, 5/13, & 6/10 Kindergarten Sundays once a month, begins October 4, 9:00 a.m. Pancake Breakfast: 9:00 a.m. Program Begins 9:30 a.m. 10/4, 10/25, 11/15, 12/13. 1/24, 2/7, 3/13, 4/17, & 5/1 1st & 2nd Grade Family Day (1st Day), Sunday, October 4, 9:00 a.m. Sundays, Pancake Breakfast: 9:00 a.m. Program Begins 9:30 a.m. Family Days: 10/4, 10/25, 11/15, 12/13, 1/24, 2/7, 3/13, 4/17, 5/1
3rd Grade
Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., after school session begins September 29
4th Grade
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., after school session begins October 1
5th Grade
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., after school session begins October 1
6th Grade
Wednesdays, 3:15-5:30 p.m., after school session begins September 30
7th Grade
Wednesdays, 3:15-5:30 p.m., after school session begins September 30
COMMITMENT TO OTHERS
School Supplies Drive The Community Center of Northern Westchester is now collecting new school supplies for families in need. Last year over 700 children, ages 3-18, received a bag of grade-appropriate supplies. Pick up extra items when you are shopping for your children this summer and drop them off at CBY. Our Caring and Social Action Committee volunteers will deliver them to the Community Center. You can also help by donating money-$25 will provide a student with basic supplies. (Make your check out to CCNW with “School Supplies” in the memo section
and mail it to CCNW, 84 Bedford Road, Katonah NY 10536)
Preschool Crayola large crayons Coloring book or pad Elementary Crayola washable markers Crayola crayons (box of 24) Glue sticks Colored pencils #2 pencils (packages of 12) Two-pocket folders Black & white marble composition books Handheld pencil sharpener Erasers 3"x3" Post-Its Soft nylon pencil bag 12" ruler (inches and metric units)
Zero Waste Day At Zero Waste Day on April 25, 2,415 pounds of clothing (totaling 8 trips) were donated to the Community Center of Northern Westchester. Thank you to everyone who donated.
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Secondary Yellow highlighters Colored pencils #2 pencils (packages of 12) Blue or black pens (packages of 10-12) 1" 3-ring binders Notebook filler paper Subject dividers Single-subject notebooks Two-pocket plastic folders Black & white marble composition books 3" x 5" white ruled index cards 3" x 3" Post-Its Erasers Soft nylon pencil bag
Blood Drive Our Blood Drive on May 16 collected 18 pints of blood to help those in need. Thank you to the 20 people who donated. We look forward to collecting even more at our next Blood Drive.
LEADERSHIP
The Year in Review Lisa Broomer, President Another year has come and gone at CBY, and what a year it has been! Many Thanks I want to thank Rabbi David Katz and his wife, Nancy, for their service to our congregation. Rabbi Katz has provided advice and guidance throughout this exciting but exhausting year. Nancy added her voice to our choir, helping us celebrate our most significant holidays. We will miss them both, wish them luck in their next adventure and give a hearty mazel tov on the naming of their granddaughter, Alice Lily Hamilton, born in April. Many thanks to Rabbi Joan Farber for introducing the changes necessary in our school to allow us to maintain the quality of our JID program. We owe a debt of gratitude to our departing board members, each of whom has had a lasting effect on our congregation: • • • •
•
Ivy Levien was instrumental in the early visioning and search for an Educator; Kara Klein brought new ideas to the Board on communicating more effectively with the congregation about our finances; Rich Waksman always ensured that we understood the financial implications of the choices we faced; Brian Socolow worked with several other members of the congregation to update our by-laws and led the nominating committee to assemble a highly qualified slate of officers and board members; and Debbie Ezratty worked tirelessly on our fundraising, allowing us to raise more this year than we believed possible.
To the Executive Committee, Shelly Jacob (chair of the Rabbinic Search Committee) and Diane Freedman (Chair of the Educator Search Committee), I thank you for the endless hours you have given and the incredible dedication you have displayed in fulfilling these responsibilities. For the Board, the members of our two search committees and all of our other committees, it would not have been possible to have had the amazing year we just completed without all of you. I would be remiss if I did not also thank the staff—Ava, Frank, Alicia, Nancy, Jessica, David, Angela, and Isaac. Much of your work is done behind the scenes, but nothing we do can be accomplished without you. We had a fantastic Gala Event to honor Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky's 10 years of cantorial devotion and Barby K. and Frederic J. Siegel's 20 years of dedicated service to our CBY community. Barby and Frederic have made and continue to make incredible contributions that have strengthened our community. Cantor Kobilinsky's presence has been the continuity and spirit keeping many of our families as members of our congregation through these past few years. I want to thank them personally and on behalf of the entire congregation for everything they have done to keep us all connected.
I am proud and excited to let everyone know that the congregation stepped up and reiterated its commitment to our community in a very tangible way. We raised $460,000 in total fundraising this year. I thank every family that gave, whatever their means, and particularly thank those largest donors who have provided for our congregation in its time of need. Strong Community We experienced many good times this year and appealed to a broad set of members with our many trips, events and activities. We congratulated 5 Confirmands and 23 B'nai Mitzvah this year. We led Friday prayers at The Bristal and welcomed all those who could attend to our sanctuary on Friday nights. We have fed the hungry and provided shelter for the homeless. We also came together as a community on one of the saddest days in our temple's history, to say goodbye to Miles Applebaum, and hope that our presence could provide some solace to his family and friends as we grieved with them. Bright Future We will stabilize our leadership with the arrival of Rabbi Joshua Strom and Melissa Cohavi. We are welcoming Rabbi Joshua Strom, his wife, Tali, and his two boys, Jonah and Gabriel, to our congregation. If you did not get a chance to meet Rabbi Strom on May 17, please take advantage of our less formal summer services to do so. We are also welcoming Melissa Cohavi as our new Educator to lead our JID program. They will bring new ideas, a fresh perspective and great enthusiasm to our community. Our future is bright, but is not without challenges. Rich Ader has agreed to a loan from the Weinstein endowment to our operating fund to provide a much needed cash cushion. Even with that loan, we will need to repeat the extraordinary fundraising achievement we did this year to provide time for a group of congregants to focus on creating a more sustainable approach to our fundraising efforts. We have a great start on increasing membership with at least 10 families expressing an interest in joining our congregation in the past few weeks. We have created a new class of membership, offering young families a chance to affiliate with us for a reduced cost until their first child enters the 3rd grade. At our Annual Meeting on June 9 we voted to approve updated by-laws, in addition to the routine slate of officers and board members. This will bring us into the 21st century in governing our congregation, for example, allowing electronic congregational and board voting, when appropriate. There are also changes required to comply with new provisions in NYS non-profit law, requiring board members to acknowledge any potential conflicts of interest in writing. I wish you all a relaxing summer and look forward to seeing you all in September.
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INVESTMENT
Donations General Fund Jay and Terri Bialsky Neil and Hilary Chavkin Alan and Michelle Cohen Brian and Debra Ezratty, in memory of Stanley Katz Howard and Randee Fischer Barry and Lisa Geller Robert and Jordana Getreu Andrew and Jennifer Hershaft Roger Williams and Leslie Hershey Keith and Robin Rosenthal Peter and Margareta Limburg Ross and Michelle Honig, in memory of Aaron Kaye Stuart and Ellen Rosenstein Gala Contrbutions Norman and Ilana Adler Jeffrey and Allison Berman Peter and Hilary Blum Mitchell and Ellen Cairo Alan and Michelle Cohen Larry and Sari Deutsch Joel and Amy Dworetzky David and Sharon Eder Steven and Michelle Eickelbeck Marc and Susan Failing Gary Glauber and Deborah Cerar Shon and Stefanie Glusky Jeffrey and Tracey Greenfield Bruce and Dianne Grossman Cindy Hoffman Lawrence and Robyn Hollander Doron and Ella Ilan David and Lori Ingber Paul and Linda Jacobs Aaron and Jennifer Katz Neil and Bonnie Katz Stephen and Ann Leber David and Debra Lerner Eric and Susan Levy Peter and Margareta Limburg Jerrold and Mary March Michael and Nancy Markhoff Brad and Pamela Mattes Steven and Rhonda Moll Mark and Lisa Neporent Robert and Susan Okin Robert Bresler and Joanne Peyser Jerome Pickholz Joseph and Beth Rosenberg Stuart and Ellen Rosenstein Martin and Elisa Rube Walter and Claire Schwartz 10
Gala Contrbutions Aaron and Betsy Spingarn Martin and Donna Stein Stephen and Deborah Tobia Jeffrey Tuchman and Felicia Buebel Mark and Pearl Vogel David and Stacy Werner Steven Wittels and Risa Kirsh Daniel and Michele Zenkel Rabbi Katz's Discretionary Fund Kara and Kenny Klein, in honor of Kate Klein's Bat Mitzvah Ellen Keats and Irv Goldstein, in memory of Robert S. Brody Cantor Kobilinsky's Discretionary Fund Jeanette Sandra Klein, in honor of Kate Klein's Bat Mitzvah Stanley and Ina Lane, in deep appreciation for the concert Kara and Kenny Klein, in honor of Kate Klein's Bat Mitzvah Nucene Blumenthal, in honor of the Cantor's concert Rabbi Krantz's Discretionary Fund Ed and Shari Applebaum. Thank you for your ongoing support, wisdom and love during our family's difficult journey. Arlene Veach in honor of Justin and Ilona's wedding
Tree of Life
Leaves have been placed on our Tree of Life in honor of
Tyler Greenfield • Bar Mitzvah • June 13, 2015 Isabella Yallof • Bat Mitzvah • May 2, 2015
Memorial Wall
Annette E. Cohen, mother of Fred Cohen
Make Your Contribution Online Making a contribution to CBY is a wonderful way to acknowledge those we love by honoring their memory or honoring a special occasion, including a birth, b'nai mitzvah, wedding or anniversary. Contributions can be made online at cbyarmonk.org/donate.
Amazon Smile A new way our congregants can contribute to the CBY community in an ongoing manner is through the Amazon Smile program. Amazon Smile allows you to direct a portion of your eligible Amazon.com purchases to non-profits like CBY. Just click on the Amazon Smile link on the Amazon homepage and select Congregation B'nai Yisrael as your charity partner. Once you do this, 0.5% of every one of your eligible Amazon purchases will be donated to CBY.
King David Memorial Chapel, Inc Generations of lasting service to the Jewish Community Family Owned and Operated • Handicapped Accessibility Graveside Services • Monuments • Preneed and Prepaid Planning • Fully Accommodating Facilities
288 East Main Street • Mount Kisco, NY 10549 914-241-7100 • www.kingdavidmemorials.com
Selling a Car, Truck or 4x4?
Help CBY by donating a vehicle you no longer need. Donating your vehicle is safe, fast, and tax deductible. Some restrictions apply. This service is provided free to the temple. For more information, please call Auto-Line Enterprises at (914) 681-1757
To advertise in our quarterly Bulletin, contact Alicia in the temple office at (914) 273-2220, alicia@cbyarmonk.org.
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CONGREGATION B’NAI YISRAEL 2 Banksville Road, Armonk, New York 10504
or current resident
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID WHITE PLAINS, NY PERMIT NO. 4438