the newsletter of woodlands community temple
December 2015 Kislev-Tevet 5776
Hanukkah:
Hanukkah Happenings
More than Latkes & Candles
by Rabbi Billy Dreskin
by Rabbi Billy Dreskin
As a kid, Hanukkah wasn’t a big deal. My family lit candles but there were
no gifts and I don’t remember singing or latkes (’tho if my mom is reading this, I may get an earful). When my own kids were growing up, however, Hanukkah was a big deal. Not only did we light candles and sing songs, Ellen’s latkes were the biggest deal of all and we’d anxiously await Hanukkah’s arrival so we could taste them again. And presents … oh how there were presents! I’d go crazy many months earlier, making lists of what I thought the kids and Ellen would enjoy. As the internet grew from infancy so did my shopping strategies, allowing me even greater access to the goodies my family would love. Hanukkah, of course, isn’t just “the Jewish Christmas” – a demeaning descriptor of both holidays, reducing them to lovely (walletemptying) family gatherings but devoid of Continued on page 3
Novelist Michael Cooper by Cantor Jonathan Gordon
M
ichael J. Cooper, MD, wellrespected and dynamic author of Jewish adventure fiction, will speak at our Shabbat Evening service on Fri, Dec 18 at 8:00 pm. This promises to be a memorable and exciting event in a year filled with a spotlight on Jewish literature. Michael will talk about his unique experience as a writer who has chosen to create in the Jewish milieu, while being a modern and committed Jew. A native of Northern California, Michael emigrated to Israel in 1966 and lived in Jerusalem during the last year the city was divided between Israel and Jordan. Over the next decade, he traveled throughout the region, worked as an actor and musician on stage and Israel TV, studied at
Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and graduated from Tel Aviv University Medical School. Now a pediatric cardiologist at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, he returns to Israel and the West Bank frequently to volunteer his services to children who lack adequate access to care. Cooper’s second novel, The Rabbi’s Knight, recently available through Amazon, is steeped in the Jewish world of Kabbalah and the history of the Crusades. His debut novel, Foxes in the Vineyard, set in 1948 Jerusalem, Continued on page 4
Hanukkah is one of our favorite home celebrations. There’s lots going on at temple and elsewhere, making this year’s Festival of Lights your brightest yet: 1) “50 Menorahs for 50 Years.” On Fri, Dec 11 at 7:00 pm, bring your family menorah and join us for our annual MishpaHanukkah Shabbat. Not only will we sing and (yes!) eat latkes, as part of our ongoing 50th anniversary celebration we’ll be lighting fifty hanukiyyot. Make sure one of them is yours! 2) If you have a child enrolled in grades K-2, be sure you’re with us on Sat, Dec 12, 4:30-6:00 pm, for a special Hanukkah-themed Kindling program. A wonderful opportunity to share with your children and your temple community in accessing and celebrating Hanukkah’s deeper messages. 3) For the eighth night (especially if you’re lighting more than one hanukiyah), pull out a camera, leave that shutter wide open (no flash), and take a family portrait by candlelight! Digital cameras are great at giving truly warm and lovely pix to send to the relatives, or just add to your own family archive. Our family has taken one every year since 1991! 4) Join me and Ellen (and Josh Nelson and Neshama Carlebach, Kutz Camp songleaders, plus NY area cantors and musicians) to celebrate the eighth night of Hanukkah (Sun, Dec 13 at 4:30 pm) with unforgettable music, singing and (of course) celebration. Temple Emanu-El in NYC (10 E 66 St). Tix available at kutz.urjcamps.org. And be sure to visit wct.org/ hanukkah for information and how-to’s. Happy Hanukkah!
Our Woodlands Community Rabbi Billy Dreskin rabbi@wct.org Rabbi Mara Young rabbimara@wct.org Cantor Jonathan Ben Gordon cantor@wct.org Tara Levine, Director of Youth Engagement youth@wct.org Corey Friedlander, Sh’liakh K’hilah corey@wct.org Jason Fenster, Rabbinic Intern intern@wct.org
Executive Committee Dayle Fligel, President president@wct.org Rachel Wineberg, VP Education education@wct.org Bob Apter, VP Facilities facilities@wct.org Andy Farber, VP Finance finance@wct.org Nancy Fishman, VP Programming/Ritual programming@wct.org Herb Friedman, Financial Secretary financialsecretary@wct.org Andrea Einhorn, Secretary secretary@wct.org Mark Selig, Treasurer treasurer@wct.org
Board of Trustees Aliza Burton Barry Leibowitz Dan Emery Lisa Linn Gloria Falk Lisa Sacks Yvette Gralla Steve Sagner Elka Klarsfeld Mike Scafidi Jenna Lebowich Michele Wise Stuart Berlowitz (ex-officio)
Office Staff Liz Rauchwerger, Office Coordinator liz@wct.org Marjorie Mattel, Office Assistant marjorie@wct.org Michele Montague, Education Administrative Assistant michele@wct.org Bookkeeper bookkeeper@wct.org
Woodlands Community Temple 50 Worthington Road White Plains, NY 10607 914.592.7070 main office 914.592.1790 religious school direct line 914.592.7376 fax wct@wct.org www.wct.org Religious School: school@wct.org
Woodlands Community Temple is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism Art Director: Melanie Roher Advertising Director: Bob Apter
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Worship Schedule
Remember: First Chanukah Candle is lit
Gen 37:1 - 40:23 ... Amos 2:6 - 3:8
Sunday night, December 6
Fri, Dec 4
Bring the glow, the beauty, the miracle ... home.
Shabbat Vayeshev
A Joyful Noise at 8:00 pm A service for everyone, from oldest to youngest. With a dozen musicians and your voices, we’ll fill the Sanctuary with a joyful noise! Visual Worship tonight... all prayers and readings will be projected onto screens. Human Rights Shabbat tonight – members of WoodSY will share iyyunim. Double (!) babynaming tonight for Zachary Holand, son of Loren and Dan Holand, and Aiden Santoro, son of Stacy and Peter Santoro, both grandsons of Trudy and Michael Holand. Special welcome this evening to our 4th grade families!
Sat, Dec 5 Shabbat Morning Service at 10:30 am Celebrate with us as Lucas Werner, son of Natalie and Jay Werner, becomes a Bar Mitzvah.
Shabbat Miketz Gen 41:1 - 44:17 ... I Kings 3:15 - 4:1
Fri, Dec 11 MishpaHanukkah Shabbat at 7:00 pm “50 Menorahs for 50 Years!” For the entire congregation, just earlier – meaningful for adults, engaging for kids! This month, filled with Hanukkah spirit (and latkes)! Bring your family, Hanukkah menorah and help us really light up the Sanctuary! If you like, join us for a quick dinner at 6:00 pm – make your reservation at wct.org/mishpakha.
Sat, Dec 12 Shabbat Morning Service at 10:30 am Celebrate with us as Samantha Gottlieb, daughter of Jennifer and Adam Gottlieb, becomes a Bat Mitzvah. Also this morning, aufruf for Noah Tanzman and Adrienne Levin, daughter of Steve and Terri Levin.
Shabbat Vayigash Gen 44:18 - 47:27 ... Ezek 37:15-28
Fri, Dec 18 Jammin’ Shabbat at 7:00 pm Put on your jammies, bring a bedtime friend, and c’mon over for the wildest 30 minutes of bedtime song, stories and blessings ever! We’ll be jammin’ on the keyboard and guitar, and makin’ a Shabbat to get you ready for bed. Bring a buck for tzedakah!
Novelist Michael J. Cooper at 8:00 pm The author of The Rabbi’s Knight will speak.
Sat, Dec 19 Celebrate with us as Micah Kerness, son of Miriam and Dan (z”l) Kerness, becomes a Bar Mitzvah.
Shabbat Vayekhi Gen 47:28 - 50:26 ... I Kngs 1:1-12
Fri, Dec 25 Christmas Shabbat (yep!) at 8:00 pm Only at Woodlands, of course. Join Ellen and Billy Dreskin, Corey Friedlander and Harriet Levine for an evening of celebration of all that we share with our Christian brothers and sisters.
Sat, Dec 26 No service this morning. Kaddish can be recited by request at Hevra Torah.
Babysitting
at 8:00 pm Shabbat services is provided by teens from our religious school. This month, babysitting will be available on Dec 4 and Dec 18. There is no charge and no advance notice is required. For further information, contact babysitting@wct.org.
Hanukkah, continued from page 1
deeper spiritual significance. Just as Christmas celebrates an incredible set of religious values, Hanukkah is also significant and for a whole lot of excellent reasons. The story of Hanukkah is one of courage and of speaking truth to power and, when that was unsuccessful, of agitating for social change. The Greco-Syrians, in denying basic civil rights to the Israelites, found themselves facing down a rag-tag army of Maccabees who were fighting for their own dignity and for the right to shape their own destinies – values we subscribe to in our own lives and pray will belong to our children and grandchildren as well. Each year when you celebrate Hanukkah, you have an opportunity to teach these messages to your young ’uns and to remind yourself of their import as well. Sharing a little bit of the Maccabees’ story each time we light candles, and asking each other what it can teach us today, is a way to keep the transcendent values of Hanukkah alive and strong (you can download a set of readings at wct.org/hanukkah). Emphasizing tolerance and welcoming those who are different from us is another of Hanukkah’s vital messages. Whether we call to mind the downtrodden (the poor, the oppressed, the enslaved, the brutalized) or those whose story would benefit from deepening our sensitivity and support (who are denied full acceptance because of their skin color, their gender, their sexual orientation, their ethnicity and/ or their religion), Hanukkah is Judaism’s spiritual call to arms. As the Maccabees refused to accept the status quo when it diminished the integrity of their lives, our tradition challenges us to do the same, concerning ourselves and our loved ones, and concerning those unknown to us but whose welfare depends on folks like us caring about folks like them. So pick a night of Hanukkah (many of them, if you wish) and light candles for those you care about and want to help. Don’t stop there. Go and help them. Make a donation. Deliver gifts. Volunteer. Be in touch with your elected representatives – tell them it’s Hanukkah and your rabbi conscripted you to be a Maccabee for someone who could really use one. In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare reminds us, “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” Perhaps God said it even better, “Let there be light!” Which just goes to show, there are an infinite number of ways to brighten a world so desperately in need of good people who care. While Hanukkah is most definitely about latkes and candles and songs and even gifts, it reaches its full spiritual significance when the Maccabean spirit is channeled through us and our families. So in this season of light and (with another Star Wars movie opening this month) of lightsabers, I’ll end with, “May the force (of kindness, compassion, generosity and open-heartedness) be with you!” Happy Hanukkah,
Hevra Torah Learning Saturdays, 9:15-10:15 am There’s abundant room around our table. Drop by once or often. We’d love to have you join our lively conversation. In the Meeting Room or Library.
Dec 5 Parashat Vayeshev Facilitated by Jason Fenster
Dec 12 Parashat Miketz Facilitated by Cantor Jonathan
Dec 19 Parashat Vayigash Facilitated by Rabbi Mara
Dec 26 Parashat Vayekhee
Facilitated by Rabbi Billy
Holiday Toy Drives Have A Heart (Nov 23 - Dec 3) We’ve partnered again with WJCS to collect new toys for needy Jewish children at Hanukkah. Please drop off a new toy or two.
Toys for Tots (Dec 1-22) For needy kids at Christmas, toys are being collected by the Greenburgh Fire Department. Collection bins for both are in the hallway outside the Sanctuary Questions, contact michele@wct.org
Throwback Shabbat 80s/90s Fri, Jan 8 at 8:00 pm Save the date for our second “Throwback Shabbat.” We’ll continue celebrating WCT’s 50th birthday by exploring temple life during the 1980s and 1990s. With iyyunim (creative prayer introductions) written by members who were active during those decades and a retrospective on temple life from Rabbi Billy, we’re hoping it’ll be as wonderful an evening as our first “Throwback Shabbat” in October. Hope you can join us!
If you or someone you know is a victim of Domestic Abuse, please share this confidential hotline:
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Michael Cooper, continued from page 1
Just Israel Hand in Hand Schools Roberta Roos
“ Israel is the only place in the world where they can get this kind of education.”
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o said the American mom I was speaking with several years ago. She was explaining why she had chosen the Hand in Hand school in Jerusalem for her little kids to attend during the family’s two-year stint in Israel. That school was in the news earlier this year when it was set on fire by Jewish terrorists because of their disdain for the school’s philosophy. Classes are co-taught by Jewish and Arab teachers in both Hebrew and Arabic. The students are Arab Christian, Muslim, Armenian Christian, Jewish secular, Jewish traditional and come from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Amid today’s violence, the school (and three others in the network) serve as reminders that cooperative living is possible even when the individuals come from different backgrounds and have different points of view. It is not always easy, but because of the courage of the staff, parents and children, the school’s motto, “learning together, living together,” becomes a reality.
Last Chance to Transfer Your Bookplates from Gates of Repentance As we begin a new tradition with Mishkan HaNefesh, please let us know if you would like your old bookplates from Gates of Repentance transferred, at no cost. Simply email your request to bookplates@wct.org. The deadline to transfer bookplates from Gates of Repentance to our new prayer book is Dec 31, 2015. Requests made after that date will unfortunately not be able to be honored.
won the grand prize in the 2011 Indie Publishing Contest. The Rabbi’s Knight was a finalist for the 2014 Chaucer Award for historical fiction. In The Rabbi’s Knight, war-weary Knight Templar Jonathan St. Clair is garrisoned in the port city of Acre in the year 1290, the twilight of the Crusades. In possession of an ancient scroll with a cryptic inscription, St. Clair becomes more interested in learning Kabbalah than fighting Moslems when he learns that the inscription holds the key to unlock the secrets of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. But no Jewish scholars in Acre can decipher the inscription, and time is running out; Acre will soon come under siege, and the one man able to divine the scroll’s meaning, Rabbi Samuel, the last Gaon of Baghdad, has been targeted for assassination by a rival rabbi because of their sharp disagreements in the Maimonidean Controversy. St. Clair apprentices himself to Rabbi Samuel and together with Zahira, a beautiful Moslem woman who had been avoiding a local emir by hiding in a leper colony, and with the assistance of al-Hasani, a brilliant Moslem physician and cartographer, the knight and rabbi travel to Jerusalem, risking everything to fulfill their shared and sacred destiny as guardians of the Temple Mount. Here is a chance to hear from a vibrant and unique author who will give us new ideas about how Judaism fires the soul. And why not read his novel first? He will sign our books. We will have a few there to buy, as well. Bring your friends! n
Jacob Spike Kraus wows our religious school families at the Jonah Maccabee Family Concert.
BetterTogether – a WCT-led Initiative! L’dor vador... from generation to generation. We usually think of this phrase as one generation passing down a tradition to another. But it can work both ways. Seniors have a lot to teach teens, and teens have a lot to share with seniors. BetterTogether: Westchester brings the generations together. We’re looking for Woodlands seniors and teens to meet with each other monthly. Using music as a connection point, we’ll share stories, create and lead services in the community, and enjoy a private concert with Jewish music legends. If you like to sing, play an instrument, or simply like to get to know new people – young and old(er) alike – then join us. You can hone your own songleading and musical skills while strengthening the chain of Jewish generations. No musical ability needed! What’s a senior? We’re not sure – an AARP cardholder? You decide. We’d love to have you! To get involved, contact Rabbi Mara (914.592.1790 or rabbimara@wct.org). Sponsored by NFTY and the URJ (Union for Reform Judaism). Hosted by Woodlands Community Temple – us!
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from the
Cantor
Sh’lakh Manot
A Child’s Hanukkah For Me
S
omeone recently asked how it is that the Torah promises we shall be as numerous as the stars and the grains of sand – there are so few Jews in the world! I replied that we are numbered in eternal generations yet Jews have survived against all predictions, and with God’s help we will remain to serve long into the future as well. Which makes me think of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a story of survival with two themes. On one hand, we mark the victory of the Maccabees, when we triumphed over the powerful in a righteous cause. It is easy to see the hand of the Almighty in the fulfillment of our national hopes. But truly, this military victory is a poor reason for a religious celebration. It is not in God to send armies against one another; war is a human action, and not a laudable one over the long history of the world. In fact, the Maccabees themselves became corrupt after a time. They adopted Greek customs before their kingdom was destroyed within a few hundred years. Some take pride in military victories; wiser heads see war as the tragedy it is. The other story of Hanukkah appears to be for children, but it is in fact the only story discussed in the Talmud. A wonder occurred when the pure cruse of oil burned for a week while more was being sought. The Maccabees were eager to rededicate the Temple after their victory. They had the choice to wait until an adequate supply was acquired. A smart manager would have waited – why start the lamp when we know it will not last? It might prove bad for morale! People could claim we had wasted resources. God intervened and kept the oil burning, longer than science and reason would dictate. And here is the story of Jewish survival. Where human reach ends, there God begins. While so many have contributed to our community and culture, God has provided the extra element. God has kept our people alive while powerful civilizations and political entities have become but a changing backdrop to our national story. So let’s light the lamp and sing our songs with a child’s simple faith this year. We are all children of Israel, are we not? Happy Hanukkah!
A Purim Tradition Returns! Megillat Esther tells us that the Jews of Shushan celebrated their deliverance from Haman by sending gifts (sh’lakh manot) to one another. You are invited to honor this tradition of giving at Purim by participating in Woodlands’ Sh’lakh Manot program. For $118, your family can send sh’lakh manot (Purim Goody Bags) to the entire Woodlands family. In the letter that will be included in each Goody Bag, we will include your name along with all other families that are sending Purim wishes. Ordering information will be mailed to you in January. Online ordering will be available as well. Purim Goody Bags will be sent home with our students from religious school and available for pickup after our Congregation Purim Celebration (Wed, Mar 23).
Not only is sending sh’lakh manot a mitzvah, but you’ll feel great knowing all proceeds support our temple and our religious school operating costs. Any questions? Want to help? Please contact us at purim@wct.org.
A new group at WCT...
Hanukkah Music to Spice up Your Latkes!
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mong our most powerful Hanukkah memories, to be sure, are the melodies we learned as little kids. There’s so much wonderful Hanukkah music out there; why not fill your home with some of the great tunes that are available to you? Cantor Jonathan recommends: • “ Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah” (The Klezmatics) • “Wonder Wheel” (The Klezmatics) • “Rhythm + Jews” (The Klezmatics) • “ The Jewish Experience” - Chanukkah (Western Wind and Theodore Bikel) • “ Circle of Fire - A Hanukah Concert” (Voice of the Turtle)
Rabbi Billy recommends: • “It’s Chanukah Time” (Julie Silver) • “Light These Lights” (Debbie Friedman) • “Hanukkah Swings” (Kenny Ellis) • “ Songs in the Key of Hanukkah” (Erran Baron Cohen) • “The Chanukah Collection” (Safam) • “Rockin’ Chanukah Revue” (Sam Glaser) • Celebrate Chanukah (Various Artists) • “8 Nights of Hanukkah” (Kid Kosher) • The Hanukkah Lounge (Instrumental Jew Age Music)
Baby Boomer Women! We are women from Woodlands Community Temple who identify with the Baby Boomer generation (technically, born between 1946 and 1964, but no restrictions apply). We are a group seeking social and spiritual connections with other women in our congregation as we move through various stages of life. Join us Sun, Dec 13, noon - 2:00 pm in the Youth Lounge. We’ll discuss: “Empty Nest Blues? – How Might Woodlands Play a Supportive Role?” Email babyboomerwomen@wct.org for more details.
To purchase any of these recordings, try amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, soundswrite.com, or oysongs.com (for mp3 downloads).
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“The Candidate” Wed, Dec 2 at 10:00 am We’ll view and discuss the movie, “The Candidate,” starring Robert Redford. The film follows a young man totally unqualified to run for office, but with a dream of how to better the State of California. This movie is particularly timely with regards to the upcoming Presidential election of 2016.
The True Story of Hanukkah Wed, Dec 9 at 10:00 am Join us in welcoming Rabbi Mara Young, our Director of Congregational Learning, who will explore with us the ancient texts that speak of a Maccabeean victory and of cleaning up the temple, but nothing about a miracle of oil that lasted for eight days. What were the rabbis going for when they relayed that part of the story? We’ll take a look at the “facts” and “fiction” of this beloved holiday and ask what it means for us today.
Current Events Discussion Wed, Dec 16 at 10:00 am Here’s your chance to comment, agree, or disagree with factors affecting local, national and worldwide news. Come join us and have some fun.
December Happenings & Beyond Learning
Author Michael J. Cooper Fri, Dec 18 at 8:00 pm
WCT Book Club Tue, Dec 15 at 7:30 pm
As promised by Cantor Jonathan on Rosh Hashanah, Woodlands welcomes Michael J. Cooper, wellrespected author of Jewish adventure, who will speak about choosing to write in the Jewish milieu. Here at WCT, we’re all reading The Rabbi’s Knight, available online, which is steeped in the world of Kabbalah and the Crusades.
We will discuss My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, the story of two female friends growing up in a poor neighborhood outside of Naples in the 1950s. Their stories converge and diverge, reflecting momentous changes in Italy’s history. According to The Times Literary Supplement, this book “is stunning; an intense, forensic exploration of the friendship between Lila and the story’s narrator, Elena.” It beautifully evokes the working class Italian neighborhood where these two young girls live and the larger city of Naples. Judy Kessler will facilitate. Note: While everyone is welcome, we’ll be meeting outside the temple so please email jeanne.bodin@ gmail.com for the location.
Westchester Night of Jewish Learning Sat, Dec 5 at 6:45 pm
Michael is a Californian who emigrated to Israel in 1966, living in Jerusalem when it was still divided between Israel and Jordan. A pediatric cardiologist, Michael again lives in California but returns frequently to Israel and the West Bank volunteering to help children who lack adequate access to care.
The First Book of Samuel... A Nation Fit for a King? 9 Wednesdays, 8:00-9:30 pm Ernst Josephson, David and Saul, 1878
Daytime Diversions
With 32 Westchester rabbis as teachers for the night, there’s sure to be a topic that will pique your interest! Two sessions of learning, followed by a dessert reception and entertainment. $20 in advance, $25 at the door (register online at wjcouncil.org). To be held at Beth El Synagogue, 1324 North Ave, New Rochelle. Questions, please contact donna@ wjcouncil.org.
(begins Dec 2) Join Rabbi Billy for an in-depth exploration of the First Book of Samuel, tracing ancient Israel’s miraculous but destructive journey from theocracy to monarchy. In King David’s rise to power, the very same elements that would unify Israel would also undermine and sow the seeds of destruction for the young nation. What can we learn of our ancestors? And how does this speak to our lives today? Please read the First Book of Samuel before our first session.
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Soci a l Ac t ion
Guilt-Free Gelt (The Chocolate of Change)
Dessert for a Week December and January
Christmas Eve Midnight Run Thu, Dec 24 at 9:00 pm
Yum, yum! We all love chocolate Hanukkah gelt. But on the Ivory Coast, where more than half the world’s cocoa is harvested, illegally-trafficked children commonly work on cocoa farms with no pay and in unsafe conditions. Buying fair trade chocolate helps end labor abuses in the cocoa industry and makes enjoying this Hanukkah tradition so much sweeter. Learn more about fair trade chocolate and where to purchase it at fairtradejudaica.org.
The smell of fresh baked brownies or the bite of a crispy, cold apple can help the teens at The Sanctuary shelter know there are people who care about them. You can sign up to provide a week of desserts or fruit during Dec and Jan (or split a week). For available weeks, contact Jeanne Bodin (jeanne.bodin@ gmail.com).
As part of this year’s Confirmation curriculum, Rabbi Billy and the Social Action Committee invite students and parents of our 10th grade to feed the homeless in New York City. Christmas Eve (a night when the needy and homeless feel especially alone and without hope), we will meet at the temple, pack up our cars and spend a few hours finding and feeding the homeless. Even in the dead of winter (dress warmly!) many sleep in cardboard boxes on the street. You can offer them a hot cup of soup or coffee, and some much-needed compassion. Depending on room, congregants may also join our caravan. If it looks like we’ll have room, we’d be honored to have you join us. Email socialaction@ wct.org to inquire. Once you’re on our list, we’ll give you call as soon as we know your status.
Two Ways to Put Your Heart into Hanukkah: Ner Shel Tzedakah (Candle of Righteousness) On Fri evening, Dec 11, the 6th night of Hanukkah, many families teach their children about the needs of the less fortunate by donating the value of the gifts they would ordinarily exchange. Deciding where and how to fulfill this mitzvah can be a fun and engaging family project. Gifts to any of the following might be particularly appealing to your children: Free the Children (freethechildren.com), HIAS (hias.org), Keren b’Kavod (irac.org/ socialaction.aspx), Save the Children (savethechildren.org). Help the candle of righteousness glow brightly for those in need. Don’t let the light go out! Learn more at reformjudaism.org/ner-sheltzedakah-candle-righteousness.
Gifts for Boys at Children’s Village
You won’t believe how much this group can knit! Join us as we sew together blankets, create new squares and make caps for chemotherapy patients. Contact Angela Adler at angeadler@aol.com.
Help a boy from Children’s Village have a happy holiday. If you’re able to supply a gift or gift card for one of the boys, contact Jeanne Bodin (jeanne.bodin@ gmail.com).
Project Ezra Luncheon Sun, Jan 10, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Mensch of the Month: The 5th Grade!
Woodlands may be celebrating its 50th but the Project Ezra luncheon is not far behind as it celebrates its 40th anniversary at WCT. Since 1976, we’ve shared food and conversation, laughter and song, and a bit of history with our elderly friends from the Lower East Side. Sign up now to host a 40th anniversary table by contacting Harriet Kohn (hrsw82@hotmail.com or 693-0751). The 5th grade Religious School students participate and it’s a great activity for your whole family.
Make your child a mensch and help fill the Food Cart with cereal boxes and healthy snacks.
Knitting and Crocheting Sun, Dec 13, 3:00-5:00 pm
Collections of the Month For Midnight Run: Clean, gently-used adult winter coats and warm casual clothing, shoes and throw blankets. Also, new hats, scarves, gloves, underwear, undershirts and socks.
For the Abayudaya (Jewish community of Uganda): Working smartphones, digital cameras, Kindles and Nooks.
Social Action Meeting Mon, Jan 4 at 8:10 pm Note date change! All welcome. For more social action programs, go to wct.org/socialactionprojects.
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About that Little Cruse of Oil Six hundred years after the Maccabees saved our people, the Roman Empire ruled over the land that had once been Israel. Our rabbis feared that their oppressors might harm those who celebrated a Hanukkah that recalled our armed rebellion centuries earlier against the Greek armies. To fool the Romans, the rabbis created a different telling of the Hanukkah story. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 2Ib (circa 500 CE) ... “When the Maccabees entered the Holy Temple, they found only enough oil to light the great Menorah for a single day. And yet, while the week passed waiting for the arrival of new oil, the great Menorah never burned out. For eight days and nights, its light filled the Temple and shone throughout Jerusalem.” The legend speaks of a miracle — how one small light kept the fires of hope and of faith burning brightly. And though the story may not have really happened, its message — that great things can come from a single individual’s efforts — reminds us that reallife miracles can happen everyday.
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About that Number Twenty-Five
Ever wonder why Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev and Christmas on the 25th of December? Well, the jury’s still out but here’s some food for thought. Christian tradition dates Jesus’ birth as December 25, but the most prominent theory is that early Christians borrowed the date from pagan celebrations. Lots of ancient festivals were held at the darkest time of year in late-December. In 274 CE, Roman emperor Aurelian established a feast of the birth of Sol Invictus on December 25. Early Christians may have deliberately chosen the same date to encourage the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman world. The Books of the Maccabees mention the 25th of Kislev as being the date when the Greco-Syrians first offered pagan sacrifices in the Jerusalem Temple (I Maccabees 1:59). It’s also, we are told, the date when the Maccabees successfully restored it again and established our annual celebration (II Maccabees 1:18). It is not unlikely, however, that our ancestors also chose this date because of its resonance in the wider society. What’s the correct answer? Hopefully, time will tell.
Yo u t h E n g a g e m e n t We are re-launching our YFEC (Youth and Family Engagement Committee)! YFEC and Tara, our Director of Youth Engagement, work closely to plan congregation-wide events aimed at getting families to participate in events together and feel close to their WCT community. The committee and Tara also work closely to troubleshoot challenges surrounding youth and teen engagement. One of our goals this year is to get families with teens involved in events already happening at WCT to increase participation at temple-wide events and get teens more involved in events with their Jewish community at large. We are looking forward to having monthly meetings and soon adding teen members whose voices will be representative of the WCT teen community. Look out for more information in the next Makom issue regarding our first event of the year — a Westchester Knicks game! Interested in joining (teens AND adults)? Please contact Juli Klein at juliklein20@gmail.com.
Hanukkah Gelt Nu? Is Hanukkah gift-giving Jewish or isn’t it? Read on for all the goods on gelt. There’s nothing about it in the Hanukkah story. Some suggest it’s a carry-over from Purim ... sh’lakh manot, the “portions” we share with one another in celebration of having survived Haman. Perhaps, as we were redeemed on Purim, Hanukkah motivates redemption-inspired (remember the Maccabees?) gift-giving too. But more likely, it’s part of actual Maccabeean history. In 168 BCE, Antiochus invaded the Jerusalem Temple. In 164 BCE, the Maccabees took it back. And in 142 BCE (22 yrs later), Judea stamped its own coins (see I Maccabees 15:6), the ultimate symbol of nationhood. A hundred years after that, a coin was minted portraying the seven-branch menorah, likely to remember the rededicated Temple and the festival of Hanukkah (whose celebration had fizzled out). A half-century after that (around 0 CE), Judea’s independence came under siege by Rome. Hanukkah, the holiday that celebrated successful political revolt, was revived and observed more fervently than ever. New customs appeared, including gelt, which may have symbolized those early Jewish coins, and the Maccabean spirit and independence they represented. So go on and share the gelt. It’s fun. It’s sparkly. And it’s Jewish too!
Dreidel Games 1. All you need for this game is a dreidel. Each of the players puts a candy, a nut, a penny (anything you want to play with) in the center. The first player spins the dreidel, then the second, then the third, etc. Gimel means “gantz” – take it all! Hey means “halb” – you get half the pot. Nun means “nicht” – sorry, you get nothing. And shin means “shtell” – oops, you need to add to the pot. 2. Here's another game you play with the dreidel. Each player takes a turn spinning the dreidel and wins the number of points equivalent to the letter which comes out on top. This game can be played in teams. Gimel = 3 points. Nun = 50 points. Hey = 5 points. Shin = 0 points. 3. Place a cardboard circle on a table. Divide the circle into eight parts and number them from one to eight. Each participant gets three spins and the score is counted according to the number in which the spinning point of the dreidel is found when it stops. The dreidel must be started from the center.
Have fun. Happy Hanukkah! 8
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The Simkha Page
B’nai Mitzvah Lucas Werner
Samantha Gottlieb
December 5
December 12
Torah Portion Vayeshev Hebrew Name Laybel Pesakh
Torah Portion Miketz Hebrew Name Orly Aviva
Micah Kerness December 19 Torah Portion Vayigash Hebrew Name Mikha Tivon
Mazal Tov to... Jay and Natalie Werner, as their son, Lucas, is called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah.
Dan (z”l) and Miriam Kerness, as their son, Micah, is called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah.
Adam and Jennifer Gottlieb, as their daughter, Samantha, is called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah.
Melissa Swift and Diane Robertson on their marriage.
Todah Rabbah (thank you) to... All who participated in Simkhat Torah for creating a raucous and incredibly joyous evening. Roberta Roos for making delicious challah dough for our 9th grade family learning night. Bruce Ginsberg for arranging the visit by Abrahamic Reunion’s Ibrahim Abu El-Hawa.
Stephen and Eileen Stein, Nat and Iris Adler, Amy Stein and Tich-boi Huynh for their help in preparing Rabbi Billy’s remarks at “Throwback Shabbat: Our Huynh Family.” Karen Fox for her incredible energy, devotion, creativity and impeccable taste in maintaining The Judaica Shop, making available great Judaica at great prices to us and our families.
Woodlands at the
Biennial! Front to back: Left- Dayle Fligel, Rabbi Billy, Tara Levine Front to back: Left- - Rabbi Mara, Fran Weingast, and Corey Friedlander
The Judaica Shop Committee wishes everyone a joyous Hanukkah and hopes their celebration of the Festival of Lights is glowing! It’s not too late to purchase a new family heirloom hanukkiah or a special gift for a young couple’s first Hanukkah. Stop by and see if one speaks to you. And add a dreidel to a collector’s cache. As we head towards 2016 resolutions are on our minds. It’s not too late to follow through on those you made during the High Holy Days plus make new ones. Thinking about having family Shabbat dinners? The Judaica Shop can help you set a beautiful table with a variety of candlesticks, challah plates, knives, challah covers and Kiddush cups. Thinking about adding a more Judaica to your home? Placing mezuzot on doorposts is one of the oldest commandments and most iconic rituals of Judaism and the gift shop has a wide variety of options. The adhesive-backed ones are great for renters, college student dorms or to accommodate a child’s changing interests to elaborate mixed media, ceramic or wood ones for your front door…we have them all. And we have Kosher scrolls too! The Judaica Shop is open every day, by request, the temple office is open. Evening and weekend hours are noted in the weekly email blast. Shopping for something special? Email us at JudaicaShop@wct.org and we’ll shop for you. Our prices are generally better than retail or online. And yes, we take credit cards!
www.wct.org
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Save the Date – Stacy Beyer in Concert Sat, Feb 27 at 8:00 pm
Saying Goodbye to German.
We’ll miss you!
Stop by stacybeyer.com and fall in love!
Yes, Jews are Organ Donors! Organ transplantation is a routine therapy for dozens of life-threatening diseases, yet thousands of New Yorkers desperately await a second chance to live. Judaism teaches us, “To save a life is to save a world.” Contrary to popular misconception, Jews do register as organ donors! Won’t you participate in the mitzvah of matan hayyim – the gift of life? Register online at donatelifeny.org. Rabbi Billy’s written more online about the Jewish view of organ donation (tinyurl. com/organdonation613). Help close the gap between the number of donated organs and the number of people waiting.
$$$ for 1st-time
Above: Temple staff takes German out for lunch to say their goodbyes Right: At oneg in German’s honor, temple prez Dayle Fligel bids him and his family farewell
Summer Campers
Up to $1000 is waiting for you to send your child or grandchild to a URJ summer camp (Eisner, Crane Lake, Kutz, 6 Points Sports Academy or 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy). No kidding! We’ve linked arms with the UJAFederation of New York and the Foundation for Jewish Camp and are thrilled to be able to offer this subsidy to any family wanting to give a child their first, unforgettable experience of summer at a Jewish sleepaway camp. The application process is now open at onehappycamper.org. If you’ve got questions, feel free to contact Tara Levine, Rabbi Mara or Rabbi Billy.
Bookplates Available With the arrival of our new makhzor, Mishkan HaNefesh, we hope you will honor someone you love by purchasing bookplates to dedicate individual copies. Your donation will not only pay tribute to the important people in your life, it will also help us pay for the new books. $36 for two labels (one in a Rosh Hashanah volume and one in a Yom Kippur volume). Order online at wct.org/ bookplate.
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www.wct.org
WCT Trip to the 911 Memorial Museum on October 17
Donations We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who support Woodlands Community Temple by remembering and honoring their friends and loved ones through their generous contributions.
Rabbi Billy’s Mitzvah Fund Thank you Rabbi Billy and in honor of the marriage of Katja and Alex, from Marina Braun and William Lang. In honor of Rabbi Billy for his heartfelt, meaningful wedding service for Michael Blum to Julie Ward, from Elizabeth and Kenneth Blum. Thank you Rabbi Billy for the meaningful and spiritually uplifting High Holy Day Services, from Jeanne and Murray Bodin. In honor of Lila and Isabella becoming a Bat Mitzvah, from Dan Broden and Rebecca Stevens. Thank you so much and in honor of the naming of Eloise Neugeborn, from Emily and Ian Neugeborn.
Rabbi Mara’s Mitzvah Fund Thank you for helping to make Woodlands such a special place, from Jeanne and Murray Bodin.
Cantor’s Discretionary Fund
In memory of Bill Falk, from Robert and Selena Barron, Robert Berger, Richard and Barbara Block, Lee and Nanci Brickman, Aliza Burton, Phillip and Donna Chonigman, Lois Ratafia Diamond, Billy and Ellen Dreskin, Andy and Joan Farber, David and Dayle Fligel, Corey Friedlander, Bob and Bonnie George and Family, Dale, Elly, Maya and Zachary Glasser, David Griff and Roni Beth Tower, Erwin and Susan Grill, Charles and Carol Kessler, Michael and Marcia Kingston, Philip Leibel, Barry and Laurie Leibowitz, Nancy and Howie Levine, Mark and Michele Montague, Rochelle Novins, Liz Rauchwerger, Jon Richer and Lisa Sacks, Lloyd and Roberta Roos, Frances Rosenfeld, Mike and Liz Scafidi, Mark and Marjory Selig, Michael and Lynn Silverman, Eileen Spielman and Ellen Rosenwald, Joel Spielman, Bob and Jane Steinhardt, Melissa Swift, Joel and Arlene Taman, Andrew and Michele Wise, Michael and Deborah Wiskind, Zachary Withers, Robert and Roberta Yeshion.
In honor of Lila and Isabella becoming a Bat Mitzvah, from Dan Broden and Rebecca Stevens. In honor of the marriage of Nathan Gordon and Jillian Humphreys, from J. Eric Humphreys.
Hunger Fund
Education Enrichment Fund
Social Action Fund
In memory of Belle Gould, mother of Deborah Pollowitz, from Jim and Debbie Pollowitz. In honor of Hebrew education, from Chuck and Nancy Fishman. In support of the Hebrew Program, from Roni Beth Tower and David Griff.
In honor of Julie Stein and Roberta Roos, from Social Action Committee Members. In honor of Scott and Julie Stein, from Deborah de Winter. In honor of Jason Fenster and for his wonderful, amazing and inspiring senior sermon, from Lloyd and Roberta Roos.
Chai Fund
High Holy Day Prayerbook Fund
In honor of Dr. Vasant V. Moharir, from Sharmila Moharir. In memory of Martin Schwartz, from Max and Sondra Tuchman. In honor of Lily Maniscalco becoming a Bat Mitzvah, from Pamela Wax. In honor of Charlie and Jill Strick, from Malcolm Appelbaum. In memory of Laura Sloane, from David L. Sloane. In memory of Martin Block, husband of Myrna Block, from Irwin Miller. In honor of Lily Maniscalco, grandaughter, on becoming a Bat Mitzvah, from Barbara Bernard. In yahrzeit memory of Sam Froimowitz, from Sandy Froimowitz. In honor of Sandra, Alan, Josh, and Lucas Cohen, from Sandra and Sheldon Cohen. In honor of the High Holy Days, from Erwin Moskowitz and Joann Cunningham.
In memory of Irving Kantrowitz, father of Audrey Kaplan, from her grandchildren. In memory of Pearl and Martin Goldberg, from Jeanne and Murray Bodin. In honor of our Parents, Sandra and Sheldon Cohen, from Alan and Sandra Cohen and Family. In memory of Dr. Edward Elkin and Paul Elkin, from Elena Elkin. In honor of Margot Serwer for her help during the High Holy Days, from Dale, Maya and Zachary Glasser.
In memory of Bill Falk, from Joseph Pandolfo.
Project Ezra In memory of Bill Falk, from Scott and Julie Stein.
The Woodlands Community Mourns the Loss of Ira Mayer uncle of Martha Dubinsky-Witkowski Bill Falk husband of Gloria Falk Jack Goodman father of Patty Goodman Iris Siegel mother of Cantor Ellen Dreskin HaMakom y’nakhem otam… may God bring comfort to all who are in mourning. Zekher tzadik livrakha ... may their memory be for a blessing.
Scheduling Weddings or Funerals The rabbis and cantor want very much to be with you during significant life-cycle moments. Please speak with them before setting any dates or times for weddings or funerals. Don’t be disappointed to learn they’re not available at the time you’ve already arranged, so bring them “into the loop” at the very beginning of your planning.
We Want to Hear from You! It is always a pleasure to hear good news from members of our WCT family. It often helps to share the not-so-good too. Please let us know if you or someone else is in need of a visit or phone call from our clergy. Many assume that “everyone knows,” but this is not always true. A note or call to our temple office or clergy will ensure that we are able to extend support to Woodlands’ members in a moment of need.
Geraldine and Gerald Weinberger Lifelong Learning Fund In memory of Morton Griff, from David and Roni Beth Griff/Tower.
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Jubilant Reflections WCT Members Gaze Across 50 Years
Steve and Terri Levin: The 90s
W
e moved from Washington to New York, together with Josh and Adrienne, in late 1984. At that time, Terri was a practicing Catholic with 16 years of Catholic schooling, Steve was a practicing agnostic, and our children had been baptized. We had been married in church on a Saturday, so no rabbi participated. We had few Jewish friends in Washington and the one Jewish couple with whom we were good friends looked forward to Christmas tree-shopping with us every December. Rebecca, born shortly after we moved to New York, was also baptized. But we did not know many people in Westchester and were “adopted” by my cousin, Jane Friedberg, and her family. All of a sudden we were attending seders and learning about Jewish customs and traditions. We wanted to raise our children with a religious background and Terri was not finding Catholicism spiritually satisfying, so we decided to try Judaism. Jane was an active member of Woodlands, so we enrolled Josh and Adrienne in religious school and ourselves in a course Rabbi Mark Shapiro offered to interfaith couples. We also became good friends with Jeff and Isabel Rachlin, who had grown up in traditional Jewish homes and quickly became our guides in all things Jewish. They were temple-shopping, so after a
Friday night dinner in their home we visited a synagogue together. None of us felt at home, so we decided to try Woodlands together, joining within weeks of each other and quickly making friends with other Woodlands families. Terri and our new friend, Barbara Goncharoff, took conversion classes together and, a year later, Terri and Barbara (and our children) were in the mikveh in Riverdale and then drinking shots of Crown Royal with Mark, celebrating what was a turning point in our lives. A month later, we celebrated our twelfth anniversary by getting remarried at Woodlands with Ellen Dreskin officiating. Not long after that, we became adult B’nai Mitzvah.
B
y the 1980s Woodlands had grown significantly, but was still a small synagogue where it doesn’t take long to go from zero to sixty. Before we knew it, we were spending lots of time at WCT, becoming regulars at Friday night services (we suspect some can still remember a sleeping Rebecca lying across a couple of chairs) and quickly getting involved on committees. Before we knew it, Terri was president of the School Board and Steve was president of the temple. Our lives revolved around Woodlands – attending services, adult education classes, Torah
Study, social action projects such as Project Ezra and the Midnight Run, and fundraising through the Goods and Services Auctions. Woodlands was a place where we could find spirituality, learn, and do good. We are proud of our role in events that remain important at Woodlands. Our old red Voyager van was the first Food Van on Yom Kippur, we helped inaugurate the Sukkot Barbecue, and we were involved in bringing Rabbi Billy back to Woodlands and Harriet to Woodlands. Now, having moved back to New York City, we’ve visited a few synagogues but none of them feel like Woodlands. That’s why we still belong to Woodlands and why we return every September. When we enter the tent, it’s as though we never moved away. Adrienne is getting married in December and we could not imagine anyone other than Billy officiating. Woodlands is our spiritual home and always will be. ••••••••••••••
Steve and Terri Levin joined WCT in 1987. Steve served as President 1993-1995.