THE TRUTH
Selichot Saturday, September 16th 7:30 PM Rosh Hashanah Erev Rosh Hashanah Wednesday, September 20th 8 PM Festival Morning Thursday, September 21st 10 AM Family Service 1:30 PM Tashlich 2:30 PM Friday, September 22nd (2nd Day) 10:00 AM Kol Nidre Friday, September 29th 7:30 PM Yom Kippur September 30th 10:00 AM Continues all day Family Service 1:15 PM Afternoon Service 2:30 PM Yizkor approximately at 4:30 PM Community Break-The-Fast immediately following services
High Holidays 5777 / 2017 • L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu
Volume CVI Elul 5777 / September 2017 No. 2856
Rabbi’s Message: A Look Around In 1986, the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off came out. I was a teenager; the film became a favorite of mine, and was iconic for many of my generation. Ferris said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” In context, this was ironic because of all he and his friends did in that day. There wasn’t a lot of stopping and looking around, though at the same time there was an appreciation of every moment. It is true that life moves fast, and it’s easy to get caught up and forget to notice, appreciate, remember extraordinary moments. Last month, the United States experienced both the wonder and the tragedy of nature’s exceptional events. Our hearts are full of sadness and shock at the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey’s flooding in Texas and Louisiana, especially in the communities of Houston and nearby towns. We pray for the health and recovery of those affected most directly, for the consolation of those who lost loved ones, and for the return to normalcy for our Jewish communities and all who suffer the after-effects of this terrifying disaster. We have posted some suggested ways to assist the recovery effort on our website and on the Temple’s Twitter feed at twitter.com/TempleBethEmeth. Before the waters rose and the winds came, however, there was another day with a very different sky. On August 21, the United States paused in awe as a solar eclipse reached totality all across our country. In Brooklyn, there was not a full solar eclipse, but at 2:44 pm, about 75 percent of the sun was covered by the moon. In advance of the eclipse, there was a lot of excitement, and there were many warnings. “Don’t look directly at the sun! Permanent eye damage will result.” There was testimony online from people who have damaged their eyes that way. It seems bizarre that the sun, so far away, could burn our eyes. And yet, that is how powerful it is. The sun is literally vital to our survival, and at the same time it can blind us. This is one of the metaphors that can help us think about God, especially as God is depicted in the Bible. God is so powerful that God can rescue our people, care for us, sustain us with miraculous food (the manna in the wilderness), and lead us to the Promised Land. At the same time, God tells Moses, “No one may see My face and live.” We are taught that approaching God is dangerous for anyone not in a state of ritual purity. God ensures the survival of our people, but in the Bible, if we are not careful around that power, people die. These days, a God that penalizes people in deadly ways for sin, who causes death when it’s not clear why, isn’t really the God we want, nor are those ways of thinking and talking about God helpful in times of disaster and pain caused by natural events like hurricanes, earthquakes or floods. We want a friendly God who loves us, forgives us, and tells us that when we do what we believe is right, we’re going to be okay. Jewish tradition gives a blessing to say upon seeing a natural wonder, like a comet or lightning: “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Maker of the works of creation” or “…whose power and might fill the world.” Most Jewish sources do not advocate saying a blessing for a solar eclipse, however, but see it as a bad omen. (Tradition does support saying one of these blessings when witnessing powerful winds.) It’s not hard to imagine how frightening a solar eclipse might have been to those who didn’t understand it. And even though ancient Jewish and non-Jewish understood eclipses, darkness when there is supposed to be light doesn’t look good, as light is generally associated with good and darkness with bad. I was excited about seeing the eclipse—even the partial, Brooklyn version. I took the sheet of “solar film” my husband had ordered (an uncut piece of the dark plastic material used in Eclipse Glasses) to the restaurant where I was lunching with a friend. We sat outside. It was amazing to see the sun as the moon passed between it and the Earth. What was more amazing was the sense of community. A man at the table next to ours heard us talking, and looked over curiously. “Do you want to look?” I said. He did. Very shortly afterward, other patrons asked about my film sheet and asked to borrow it. It was passed around, among people who would not have spoken to each other under different circumstances. I have experienced Brooklyn and NYC unity when faced with adversity — camaraderie in response to subway delays or other setbacks — but I have few memories of New Yorkers coming together around something positive and amazing. For that reason, I reject the idea that the eclipse was a bad omen. We didn’t need a sign for that: We know that we live in a difficult and uncertain time. We saw Nazis and white supremacists march without fear in Charlottesville, Virginia. We saw the awful and terrible power of a mighty storm bring an enormous city to a halt, and we worry that a changing climate may bring more “500-year floods” on an all too frequent basis. But we as communities can and do come together and support each other. We can step up and help out, as many volunteers and organizations are doing in Texas right now. We can simply share our wonder and awe with those around us, and open ourselves up to the possibility of connection and community every day. In a similar vein, our community will be joining with Progressive Temple Beth Ahavath Sholom (PTBAS) toward the end of next month. It is tempting to see this as a metaphorical “eclipse” of one congregation by another (which is doing what depends on your perspective). It is our challenge—and I believe we will meet it—to recognize the feelings of loss that members of each congregation might be experiencing (the light is being eclipsed), and to see that beyond the loss there is opportunity and vitality—the sun will shine unhindered again. Meanwhile, we thank God for the beauty of nature, the ability to help and heal, the opportunity to slow down and appreciate (if we can remember to take it), and the possibility of renewal, recovery and full sun. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Happy New Year from The Truth! The January edition of The Truth is arriving in your mailbox (or email inbox) a bit later than planned. Apologies for the delay; you can always find the current calendar of events and services on our website at www.bethemeth.net, or just call or email the office if you have schedule questions. The next issue of The Truth will be published during the first week of February. If you have submissions, news or updates for the community, please get them in (email truth@bethemeth.net) before January 25. –The Editor
From The President’s Desk In my most recent missive to you in June, I previewed the consolidation agreement that we would vote on at the congregational meeting. As you no doubt have heard, the vote to consolidate with Progressive Temple Beth Ahavath Sholom has now passed both congregations. While we usually distribute the temple calendar in August, we had to wait this year so that both PTBAS and TBE could plan the year together. On July 25, an ad hoc group from both PTBAS and TBE met at PTBAS to assemble the calendar. Despite the size of the group—seemingly one person per day of the calendar—we worked together harmoniously, meshing our events and PTBAS’s events for an incredibly busy but sure to be rewarding year. As of October 16, the two congregations will begin to worship, meet, and celebrate together. Building on this calendar meeting, and to prepare for this historic joinder, the boards of both temples have had a productive summer. If you read through this whole issue you will see reports from different committees with details of the activities, but here’s a quick run-through: A newly formed Communications Committee, led by PTBAS immediate past President Sam Silverman and new TBE trustee Maria Deutscher, is looking at all of our internal and external communications, including the newsletter, website, social media, voicemail and emails. Elsewhere in The Truth, see an article from Fred Baer regarding the PTBAS phone message system (soon to be usable across the combined congregation) and our “name the newsletter” contest. The Building Committee cleaned out the Cantor’s study and the loft above it, and is remodeling the room to make an office for Cantor Suzanne Bernstein and Sondra Berkman, PTBAS’s administrative assistant. The building committee also installed new cameras in the Banquet Hall, a new ceiling & new digital display in the Community Room, and brought in an architect for a preliminary look at putting in an elevator to connect the main floor with the refurbished Banquet Hall. Another new Committee is the Fundraising Committee, led by new Trustee Sally Moses and recently-joined member Herb Rubenstein. They are bursting with ideas for fun and community-building activities to raise funds for the congregation. If you would like to get involved, please contact the temple—or use our Member Directory—to reach out to Herb or Sally. With all of this activity, it’s important to remember what will change and what will not change as the result of the consolidation. September 1 to October 16 are our final six weeks as “Temple Beth Emeth v’Ohr Progressive Shaari Zedek,” and after that we will become a new consolidated congregation. During this process, we deliberately used the term “consolidate” and not “merger,” because we are not simply joining groups, but we are coming together to form an all new community. It will be tempting to think of PTBAS as simply a large group of new members, and to treat them as such. It’s hard to let go of the idea that TBE is “our” temple, and that we have to accommodate “them,” especially because we are staying at 83 Marlborough and Rabbi Heidi remains our spiritual leader. There is a very common dream for people who live in big cities. In this dream, you find some previously hidden door that leads to a new room or rooms in your apartment or house. All of a sudden, you have so much more space to decorate, to explore, or to just spread out. This is a manifestation of one’s desire to escape both the literal confines of a small living space, and a metaphor for breaking out of self-imposed boundaries. I urge us to treat our consolidation with PTBAS as this dream come true. Don’t see PTBAS members as strangers or interlopers; instead, they are a large group of people who were actually part of us all along; we just discovered them now. Our new congregation will remain a place to form friendships, to explore Judaism, and to find community in an often hectic and troubling time. Jeff Levinson, President of TBE Religious School • Rabbi’s Update The new school year and the new Jewish year have nearly arrived! Welcome back to our returning families, and welcome to those joining us for the first time. On September 9, the kickoff breakfast will begin at 9:15 and religious school classes and parent information will be at 9:45. Services are at 11 am. Invite friends who might be interested in Religious School! Time changes: Please note that starting this year, bagels will be at 9:15, class at 9:45, and services at 11 am. The change is related to our consolidation with PTBAS. Please be as on time as you can—our teachers only have your kids for about an hour even when everyone is on time. They need to be able to make the most of it. Also, this year Confirmation Class will be on Wednesdays at 6 pm, not 5:30 as in past years. We will meet for the first time on September 13. Shinshins: "Shinshin" is an abbreviation for "Sh'nat Shlichut," meaning "year of service." Young Israelis have the option to take a gap year between high school and the army to do service. One way to do that is to come to the United States, work in Jewish institutions and live with Jewish families. Many of you know that my family hosted two of the shinshinim last year (Naomi & Shira), who worked with our temple on an ad-hoc basis. I'm hosting again this year, as are a couple of other families in the congregation. I am thrilled to announce that two shinshinim will be working at our synagogue this year. Ayala will be with us on Wednesdays to work with b'nei mitzvah students at 4 pm and to lead a high school session at 5:30. Yeheli will be with us on Saturday mornings. High School: I am super-excited that we're starting a weekly high-school program, Shinshin Shiur! On Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, our shinshin Ayala will be leading it with our Jacqueline Smith Memorial rabbinic intern Jenn Queen. Ayala will do activities and discussion about Israel, starting with how being an Israeli Jewish teenager is the same as/different than being an American Jewish teen. She'll then move on to social issues, exploring how Israeli society and American society discuss and deal with issues of race, gender, religion, etc. If you have a post-Confirmation kid, please encourage them to come. It'll be amazing. The first meeting will be September 13. Curriculum: Last year was the first year of a new Religious School curriculum we're developing, with a three-year cycle. Each year has a theme, and weekly lessons are planned using the theme as a lens. Last year's theme was Jewish Ethics. This year's theme is Israel—the People and the Place, and lessons will be viewed through that lens, so for example, a lesson about Hanukkah might be about how the holiday is celebrated in Israel, or about the historical Maccabees and the geography of where their rebellion happened. B'nei Mitzvah: We have lots of bar/bat mitzvahs coming up! Tutoring will continue to be on Wednesdays at 4 pm at Temple, with Jenn; Cantor Suzanne Bernstein, who will be here as a result of the consolidation; shinshin Ayala; and me. Teachers: We're welcoming back Adi, Lizzy, Jenn, and Cara. Bryna continues as the director for the school. Ian will be substituting this year, but will not lead a regular weekly class (due to the age distribution of our students). If you have questions or suggestions regarding the religious school, or want to get more involved (always a good idea!) please reach out to bryna@bethemeth.net or to any member of the Religious School committee, chaired this year by Madelon Jonas. We look forward to learning with and from your children this year!
photo by Harvey Wang
The Simcha Zone Happy Birthday, December Babies!
Treasurer's Update Evelyn Shunaman Welcome to the new year! Toward the end of December I sent out a quick survey question asking congregants if their employers offered matching donations to eligible charitable organizations. This was to help the Finance Committee gauge whether it would be worth it for the synagogue to apply for 501(c) (3) status, which is usually needed for these types of matching donations. A number of people couldn’t answer the survey question: I apologize. I didn’t realize that Google forms required respondents to have Google accounts! If your employer does offer matching donations and I haven’t yet contacted you, could you please send me a quick email at evelyn.shunaman@gmail.com? Thanks! Did you know: The Temple can benefit from every Amazon purchase congregants (or friends of congregants!) make if they sign up on Amazon Smile. Simply log on to smile.amazon.com and select Temple Beth Emeth V’Ohr Progressive Shaari Zedek as your charity of choice. If you bookmark that site as your “Amazon” site, you’ll always bring up the “Amazon Smile” site when you order! This is what you’ll see when you bring up your Amazon ordering site: AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% the dollar amount of all your eligible purchases to the Temple! If you buy $1000 on AmazonSmile during the year, the Temple gets $5. Not much, but it’s so easy! And if every congregant does it, it just adds up for the Temple! Take a minute to set it up on your computer and make a painless donation to the Temple on the back of a corporate giant willing to be generous.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO TEMPLE
Memorial Fund Donor In Memory of Fred Baer & Evelyn Shunaman Lillian Baer Ellen Weiss Lillian Weltman Ellen Weiss Howard Weiss Saul & Susan Radow Sylvia Radow Alan Zarrow Herman Zarrow Jacqueline Yudelowitz Olga Ryss Teddy & Derly Moskowitz Murray Moskowitz Werner & Natalie Friedlander Harry Geller Mark & Minna Seitelman Reba Elias Fran Levine Roma Levine Mark & Minna Seitelman Esther Seitelman Marcia Kaplan Mann Barry Schloss Marcia Kaplan Mann Charlotte Kaplan Lori & Bob Pandolfo Barry Schloss Lori & Bob Pandolfo Charlotte Kaplan Natalie & Werner Friedlander Lottie C. Friedlander Gail Resnicoff Ida Fenster Gail Resnicoff Sy Resnicoff Lynn DeNonno Charlotte Kaplan Nadine Antopol Charlotte Kaplan Michaela & Henry Schaeffer Josiah Morris Kane Nancy Ostrover Dorothy Fadem Hazel Tishcoff Charlotte Kaplan Hazel Tishcoff Barry Schloss Jacqueline Morel Anne Morel Mildred Morel Anne Morel P. Schaefer & M. Schwartz Herb Kalisman Lynn DeNonno Patricia Weiss The Greenbaum Family Charlotte Kaplan Elaine & Lenny Drucker Patricia Weiss Bob & Lori Pandolfo Patricia Weiss Hazel Tishcoff Minerva Grossman Ron & Phyllis Schweiger Patricia Weiss Ron & Phyllis Schweiger Lillian Shanken Linda and Daniel Silverman Patricia Weiss Philip Kaplan and Family Charlotte Kaplan Judith Weiss Patricia Weiss Lynn DeNonno Bertha Schuster Mildred Morel Arnold Stephen Morel Jacqueline Morel Arnold Stephen Morel Mike & Diane Figueroa Rose Kohn Mike & Diane Figueroa Ramon Figueroa Marcia Kaplan Mann Patricia Weiss Marcia Kaplan Mann Bertha Schuster
Meg Silfen David Westbrook Hannalina Hoover Eli Bilanow Leo Bilanow Elexi Schwartz Ruben Schaefer Daniel Froehlich Ronnie Schulman Adam Schwartz Suzanne Bile Eric Schweiger David Silversmith Chiara Winawer Stein Alexander Khenkin Elaine Sarfati Leo Wang Janice Essa Aowyn Schneider Scott Chappell Susanna Friedman
The entire TBE community extends its condolences to cantorial soloist Nonie Schuster-Donato on the loss of her mother Bertha Schuster. “For The Memory Of The Righteous Is A Blessing”
In times of joy and sorrow, and to remember loved ones who have died, Jews traditionally give tzedakah. From the time our Temple opened its doors, congregants and friends have made donations to its funds, most of which are used simply to support the operation of the Temple. The names of those who contribute to funds (but not the amount donated) are published each month to acknowledge in whose honor or remembrance a donation is being made. Donations may also be made anonymously. In most cases (except the bookplate and Tree of Life funds), the amount of the donation is up to the donor. Some people like to give in multiples of $18 (for Chai, “life” in Hebrew). You may have seen funds listed in The Truth, but may have wondered when it’s appropriate to donate or how the donations are used. The list below should answer those questions. Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund – Contributions to this fund are used by Rabbi at her sole discretion, particularly to help families in need. Donors most often contribute to this fund in appreciation of services the rabbi has performed, such as officiating at a wedding or funeral, performing a baby-naming, or providing special help to a bar or bat mitzvah. Additionally, money left in the Tzedakah plate after services goes to the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund. Celebration Fund – Donors celebrate the successes of other congregants by contributing to this fund. Birthdays, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, births, marriages, and professional successes are all cause for celebration! These donations are used to support the operation of the Temple. Recovery Fund – When a fellow congregant is ill, wishes for healing are expressed by donating to this fund, which goes to support the operation of the Temple. Memorial Fund – Donors remember those who have died by making contributions to the Memorial Fund, which is used to support the operation of the Temple. These donations are most often made at Yahrzeits or Yizkor, but they can be made at any time in any amount. Building Fund – If there is a particular building improvement you know is needed but is not in the budget, you can help out. Speak to Sheldon Greenberg. In the past, congregants have made donations large and small that have funded specific building projects. Religious School Fund – Donations are used to support the Religious School, either to fund a project for which there is no money available, or simply to help ensure that the Religious School does not incur a deficit. Morton Meyer Fund – This fund was established in memory of Morton Meyer, Sara West’s father, who lost his life tragically. Donations to the fund are used to beautify the sanctuary. Book of Life/Golden Book —Prior to the holidays each fall, the office sends out a card to congregants asking who they would like to include in the “Golden Book of Memory.” This is distributed on Yom Kippur. There is no set amount of donation required; a minimum donation of $18 per person listed is a good guideline. In addition to covering the production costs of the Golden Book, donations support the operation of the Temple. Book Plate Fund—You’ve seen them in the prayer books! If you would like to purchase bookplates, they are $18 each. See Alice in the office if you are interested. Simcha Leaf Fund—In the community room we have a Simcha Tree. Each leaf is inscribed with a name and a date of a happy occasion. If you’d like to list your special occasion on the tree, a leaf costs $250. In addition, you will be asked to sponsor the oneg when the leaf is unveiled. If you are interested, contact Alice in the office. Memorial Plaques – Unfortunately, our memorial boards are full! (There’s one rather undesirable space left, actually.) When we consolidate with PTBAS we will have to make some choices about memorial boards, and we hope there will be the opportunity for current congregants to purchase plaques for their recently deceased loved ones. —Evelyn Shunaman, Treasurer
What Are All These Funds, Anyway?
Recovery Fund Donor Speedy Recovery For Shifra Brodsky Bob Pandolfo Celebration Fund Donor Occasion Karol Rose In honor of Temple’s 106th Anniversary and Mike Rose being honored. Shifra Brodsky In honor of Max Levinson’s Bar Mitzvah Shifra Brodsky In honor of Ronan Schneider’s Confirmation Shifra Brodsky In honor of Jason Chappell’s Marriage to Samantha Shifra Brodsky In honor of Emily Donato’s acceptance to Yale School of Music Shifra Brodsky In honor of Jason Hyatt’s Graduation from Emory Law School Shifra Brodsky In honor of the birth of Robin Bass’s grandson Anthony John Mark Seitelman In honor of his wife Minna Barbara Cohen Hopard In honor of Monday Night Israeli Dance Laurie Bassi & In honor of the publication of Herb Rubenstein Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer Morton Meyer Fund Donor In Memory Of/Thought Of Sheldon Greenberg & Sara West Patricia Weiss Sheldon Greenberg & Sara West Blanche Mate Sheldon Greenberg & Sara West Marc Halpern Sheldon Greenberg & Sara West ITO Bob & Lori Pandolfo
Treasurer’s Summary of FY17 Each year the Treasurer presents a preliminary financial report and a preliminary budget for the following year at the June congregational meeting. Our bylaws call for a full financial report with a review of the previous fiscal year’s activities and any proposed budget modifications in September. I am providing this report here. The present and future financial situation of the Temple will be discussed at a future congregational meeting. Bottom line: We anticipated ending the year with a deficit of $73,000. Good news! Because of increased donations, the deficit was less than half that amount—$35,000. Our income was 76% greater than expected, and our expenses were 59% greater than originally planned. We started the year with bank accounts totaling $425,000 and we ended the year with balances totaling $390,000, reflecting the $35K deficit. The donation activity was intense this year. We received an extraordinary bequest of $262,571 from the Belson Family. We also had a very successful Yom Kippur appeal, yielding $23,000 more than we had expected based on last year’s donations. Further, when the decision was made to renovate the banquet hall, Religious School families raised $26,700 to help pay for that. The spending was also intense. Just at the time we learned of the Belson bequest, we found out that to comply with codes, we had to install a new fire detection system at a cost of $120,000. After our banquet hall was shut down due to an issue with our place of assembly permit, we used the opportunity of having an unusable hall to undertake its renovation. The complete renovation of the room and the bathrooms cost $210,000 (note that the replacement of the banquet room floor was planned and budgeted before the room's closure by the DOB). The additional revenue from the Belson bequest, the Yom Kippur appeal, and the banquet room fundraising covered the cost of the year’s capital improvements. Additional donations beyond what we had anticipated enabled us to end the year with a smaller deficit than we had projected. On the negative side, we ended the fiscal year with some congregants having significant balances in their accounts, which caused both the Religious School and our dues/building fund revenues to fall short. During July and August some of these past due balances were received, but there are still congregants from whom we would appreciate payment. On the revenue side, our income from use of the banquet hall ($30K planned) was virtually nil because of its unanticipated closure in the early fall. (Revenue received for booked parties had to be returned, which shows as a cost for the Temple.) This year, although PTBAS and TBE will be operating as a joint congregation from the end of October, our consolidation will not be legal until it is approved by the NY Attorney General. Therefore, for FY18 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018) TBE and PTBAS will keep separate books. This is why we have a separate budget for FY18. At the June 21 congregational meeting, a preliminary TBE FY18 budget ($558K expenses/$503K revenue/$55K deficit) was approved. At the August 23 Finance Committee meeting, a final proposed budget (available on request from the office) was developed. Changes were made based on year-end actuals, as well as the fact that expensive unanticipated repairs were made in July to stop leaks in the lower basement and in the brickwork at the back of the building. The proposed FY18 proposed budget (listed alongside the FY17 budget and actuals in the chart below) now anticipates both higher expenses and revenues: $628K in expenses offset by $524K in revenue, resulting in a $104K deficit. The key change is that our allocation for building repairs increased by $50K. One thing we need to keep in mind: While the consolidation with PTBAS is wonderful, it does not solve our financial problems. PTBAS also operates at a deficit, and the assets it brings to the new joined congregation will be needed for building repairs. Our new congregation won’t have a large endowment that will generate income to offset our continuing operating deficit. We rely on the generosity of our congregants, particularly during the Yom Kippur appeal, to be able to pay our bills and the salaries of our staff. Part of what made us able to end last year with a lower deficit than expected was the fact that our congregants were so generous in the Yom Kippur appeal. Yom Kippur comes at the end of the month. We hope it was a good year for you and you will be able to give as much — or more — than you did last year.
On Sunday, May 21, 2017, a group of members from TBE and PTBAS gathered to accompany Ron Schweiger, Brooklyn Borough Historian, on a walking/riding tour of Ditmas Park/Victorian Flatbush. The weather was perfect for a trip around the neighborhood. The neighborhood was in full bloom. Those who walked with Ron through the neighborhood learned about famous and infamous former residents involved in the history of this area of Brooklyn. Those who rode, were given a tour with a script prepared by Ron. Emily Whitehead and Phyllis Schweiger accompanied the riders through the neighborhood. All reported an interesting and enjoyable event. We look forward to more events as a consolidated community! —Phyllis Schweiger
A Note On Billing… Temple bills are now going out monthly to congregants with e-bill, and quarterly to those who prefer U.S. mail. Bills for the new year went out on August 1. We really appreciate payment of the new year's dues and building fund as early as possible in the year!
Adriane Adam Erica Anderson Alan Antopol Kenneth Brown Lisa Draho Candi Friedman Rob Friedman Nathan Frost Rusty Goldbaum Rachel Gordon Elana Karopkin Liya Khenkin Patrick Luib Richard Nar Zachary Nar Alexa Orr Nancy Ostrover Michael Rose Julie Subrin Michael Tornick Sara West Betsy Zimiles
Joint Fundraising Committee The combined Fundraising Committee of TBE & PTBAS has begun planning several events for the year to have fun (and raise funds) for the congregation. Mark your calendars for Nov. 30, Jan. 7, Mar. 11 & May 6 and keep an eye out for details as the dates get closer. If you would like to help out, contact co-chairs Herb Rubenstein & Sally Moses (TBE) or Pam Glantzman (PTBAS) through the Temple office.
The Simcha Zone Happy Birthday, September Babies!
Sept 1 Shelly Greenberg, wine Sarah West, candles Sept 8 Candi Friedman, candles Rob Friedman, wine Sept 15 potluck and Torah service Monica Beyer, candle Robert Rothman, wine Judith Weiss, Torah blessing Gerard Soffian, Haftorah blessing Sept 22 Phyllis Schweiger, candles Ron Schweiger, wine
Ritual Committee • Robin Bass Starting this fall, weekly bima honors will be listed in the newsletter every month. If you are interested in joining the rabbi and cantor on the bima for regular honors or monthly Torah service Torah and Haftorah blessings, please contact Alice in the Temple office to let us know. September honors:
Membership Committee • Fred Baer, Alvin Berk The Membership Committee has begun to reach out into the further reaches of Brooklyn to let folks know who we are and what we offer. We have had tables at 2 different Church Avenue Street fairs and the Third Avenue Stroll in Bay Ridge. Thanks to Candi and Rob Friedman, Sara West and Sheldon Greenberg, Melissa Scott, Jeff Levinson, Gerard Soffian and others. Coming up: the Flatbush Frolic on September 17, and the Bay Ridge Ragamuffin Fair in October. For next season, we’d like to add the Brooklyn Pride Fair and the FDC’s “Summer on Cortelyou” and perhaps others, depending on available volunteers. We are placing e-mail list sheets at the Front Desk at TBE for visitors at Friday Night and Saturday Morning services. We are working on a formalized welcoming process for new members, to include a Welcome Packet of useful materials, including a Member Directory. More on that later. We have begun to establish a working relationship with our Membership counterparts at PTBAS. Your suggestions and participation are more than welcome!
A New Way To Connect Fred Baer for the Communications Committee Starting soon, our consolidated Temple’s ability to communicate with all congregants will be enhanced with the addition of the phone notification service currently used by PTBAS. This system sends PTBAS congregants a weekly message from Cantor Bernstein along with service and event schedules, and it can be used to alert members to event changes or weather-related cancellations (many schools use a similar system, so you may already be familiar with it). These messages are normally sent as calls/voicemail, but can also be sent out as SMS (text) alerts. While we all may dislike the calls from telemarketers and other phone solicitations, this service will not add to the annoyance. The only regularly scheduled call is on Friday afternoons, to alert members of upcoming events for the week, similar to the weekly email and Facebook “Coming Up” messages. At other times, and only in case of need as determined by the clergy or executive officers, we can provide congregants with real-time information, for example: “Services begin 30 minutes early tomorrow due to the eclipse,” “Temple will be closed Monday because there is an angry squirrel in the balcony,” or “Tomorrow’s meeting of the Committees Committee has been moved to Fred & Evelyn’s house,” etc. On your caller ID, a message from this system will show as being from PTBAS or Temple, so you will know it is a legitimate message from us, and not a telemarketer. We would love for you to participate in this system so the Temple can reach you in real-time. However, should you prefer to choose only emergency announcements & skip the Friday message, want SMS rather than voicemail, or to opt-out completely, you can certainly choose any of those options. A letter from Temple will be sent out this Fall with more information and the opt-in/opt-out details, so watch your mailbox. We’re glad that PTBAS is bringing this cool and unobtrusive way to get key information about participation in Temple life.
September Yahrzeits: “For the Memory of the Righteous Is a Blessing”
Temple On The Road… Friday, June 30th was a busy day for temple members Bonnie Greenbaum, Alan Zarrow, and Ron & Phyllis Schweiger. That morning, Alan took all of them to visit the grave of Ron's aunt and uncle at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. "Aunt Aida" was mentioned in Alan's Sisterhood talk on the history of Arlington National this past April, and Ron actually brought several of his aunt's pieces of memorabilia from her time serving in the WAC' during World War II along to the lecture for our congregants to see. It certainly would not be a surprise to anyone that a stop to the grave of the mythological inventor of baseball (Abner Doubleday) was also on the agenda. Ever the Brooklyn Historian, it would also not be a surprise to anyone to know that Ron was very happy to see the grave of Floyd Bennett. That evening, Ron drove the four of them out to Woodbridge, VA, to Congregation Ner Shalom, to attend Friday night services officiated by CNS's new Rabbi—none other than our former Jacqueline Smith Memorial Rabbinic Intern, Lizz Goldstein. To say that she loves the place and, more importantly, to say that the congregation loves her would be the understatement of the month. To say that she was surprised and happy to see her former congregants would be the understatement of the year! It really was one a heck of a day. —Alan Zarrow
Aug 27–Sep 2 2017 Hyman Agar Charles Bushkin Benjamin Epstein Robert Feinberg Helen Friedman Fischbein William Friedman Yetta Friedman Esther Goldschmidt Madeline Goldschmidt Theodore Hanau Hannah Harris Solomon Herz Rose Kohn Flora Lenk Rose Levine Annette Blanch Levy Sophis Palman Anna Pines Lillian Shanken Leibish Silverman Leonard Sussman Rosalind Weil Veldron Abraham Weinberg Bertha Weiss Sep 3–9, 2017 Millie Appel Solomon Benjamin Jack Bresler Judith Ehrlichman Etta Eisenstein Celia Engelhardt Joseph Fadem Ida Fainglas Maxwell Friedman Abe Geron Lewis Glazer Michael Goldsmith Minnie Goodman Max Kasner Joel Kushner Mark G. Levy Benjamin Oberlander Joseph Packer Joe Phillips Samuel Probstein Rebecca Rosenberg Quitman Augusta Rayved Yetta Rayved Bertha Rosenfeld Julia Sabath Herbert Sackowitz Harry W. Steinig David Noah Sugarman Anne Weit Leon West Isaac Wiener Sep 10–16, 2017 Alfred Carlin Florence Cohen Fannie Davis Regina Frank Sarah Freeman Alexander Goodman George Gottlieb Anne Handler Harris Ray Herzog Charles Heyman Bertha Ehrlich Kahn Edward Kahn Max Kesselman Joseph Kunreuther Esther Lachman Solomon Leichter Josephine Lowenstein Emil Neufeld Lena Pincus Bernard Rappaport Anne Resnicoff Edna Rosenberg Pauline Rosenberg Sol Rosenberg Henrietta Rosenblum Isadore J. Rosenblum Martha Rosenfeld Minnie Rosenstein Ruth Rothman Cecelia Rubenstein Marcia Saroff Albert Seitelman Doris Frances Shapiro Frank Shapiro May Sharnoff Esther Simon Jonas Sonnenshine David Stemper Phillip Strauss Dora Taran Samuel Wasserman Fred Weiss William Weiss Sep 17–23, 2017 Herman Bacharach Sol Barr Samuel Bergoffen Irving Bogan Irving Cohen Samuel Cohn Blanche Dozier Joseph Dreyfus Louis Ehrlich Aaron Fawer Leonie Fribourg Tait Frost Adolph Goldberg Chanin Hirsch Deborah Hirsch Jennie Hirschberg Nathan Hirschfield Edward Katz Phillip Keiter Mordecai Kohn Amelia Kunreuther Hattye Kurzweil Louis Levine Rabbi Samuel Levinson Benjamin Loeb Moses H. Magnus Janet Weisberg Manne Edward Markowitz David Schlein Margaret B. Schoen Joseph Sonfield Bella Stiller Cecilia Weiss Frank Weiss Nina Wormser Sep 24–30, 2017 Ruth Achs Harry Adels Robert Bennett Arthur Blank Leah Cantor Settye Cohen Paul Cutler Lenora Fragner Capt. Henry Goodman Robert Glazer William Goldschmidt Rosalind Halpern Milton Levine Ernest Levy Anna Lind Simon Lowenstein Emma Manasia Leonard Natelson Mary Phillips Gussie Pagoda Edward Rabinowich Esther Rosenblatt Bertha Schwarzwald Wolff Sheen Paul Silberstein Jacob Taub Jerome Weil Pauline Weisvogel
Name The Newsletter! From The Editor's Desk Greetings, Truth readers! Once the consolidation of TBE and PTBAS kicks in this October, we're going to need a new name for the newsletter (since "The Truth Temple Voice" isn't particularly clever or easy to say). Since you are the most discerning, clever and all-around amazing people we know… Do you have a fantastic idea, a savvy branding choice, or just a fun notion you want to convey? Send us an email at truth@bethemeth.net and share it! If your suggestion ends up as the new name for the newsletter, you'll get credit in the masthead and a personal thank-you note from the newsletter editors. More changes coming after the October issue: we will be moving to plain-paper copying and more black & white pages in the interest of economy. You can help save printing and postage costs by subscribing to the newsletter electronically; simply advise the office and we'll remove you from the paper distribution. You'll see more activities listed, more committee reports (and more pages!). We will also be accepting a limited amount of advertising to help defray production costs and raise funds for the Temple, so start thinking of local merchants and professionals who might be interested in reaching our audience. We also welcome your committee reports, good news updates, editorial contributions, community events of interest, restaurant reviews, household tips… if there's room and it's intriguing, we'll print it! Deadline (due to holidays) is 9/20. I look forward to an exciting year with you. —M.T.R.
ISRAELI DANCE at Temple 83 Marlborough Road (corner of Church Ave), Brooklyn NY Mondays from 7:30 – 9:30 led by master teacher Faigee all levels welcome $10 per session First class is free! So come …you’ll have fun and get a great workout Subway stop: Q or B train, Church Ave. station For more information: Call the Temple at 718-282-1596 or email Robin at soccermomrob@aol.com