Cheshvan/Kislev 5782 / November 2021
Volume V
No. 39
Voice of Truth
Rabbi's Message: Thanksgiving and Hanukkah There are two types of people in the world: Those who talk about how the Jewish holidays are always early or late, but never right on time, and those who say the Jewish holidays are at the same time every year—on the Jewish calendar. Of course, both are correct. It depends on whether you’re thinking about the secular calendar or the Jewish one. This year, the season of the High Holy Days was very early according to the secular calendar, and it was over by the beginning of October. At the end of this month, on November 28, Hanukkah will begin, also extremely early on the secular calendar. In the United States, the celebration of Hanukkah has been influenced by its proximity to Christmas. The association of gift giving with Hanukkah, as well as the relative importance of the holiday in this country (it’s a minor festival on the Jewish calendar, but is considered a major holiday in American culture, overshadowing major festivals like Sukkot and Shavuot), are peculiar to the United States, and not part of the celebration of Hanukkah in Israel. Despite the fact that for most Americans Hanukkah and Christmas are parallel Jewish and Christian holidays, Hanukkah actually has a lot more in common with Thanksgiving. On the Jewish calendar, the big harvest festival of gratitude is the fall holiday of Sukkot, and historians say that the first Hanukkah celebration was a delayed celebration of Sukkot. Thanksgiving falls between Sukkot and Hanukkah, giving us ample opportunity, both Jewish and secular, for gratitude. Hanukkah also celebrates an unlikely military victory, when rebels defeated the army of the Syrian Greeks who had put idols in the Temple in Jerusalem. They recaptured the Temple and rededicated it. The rebels were fighting not only the empire that had ruled them but also fellow Jews who were happy to coexist with Greek culture. As practitioners of Reform Judaism, we may actually have more in common with the Jews who believed they could be integrated with Greek culture without losing their Jewish identity than with the Maccabean rebels who believed integration was inevitably assimilation and loss of Judaism. Even so, we might use this time of year to think about what we are grateful for in Judaism. What is it that we value about the religion, the culture, the family of Judaism? What is it that we value about our particular Jewish community? I know that I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time with (online or in person) multiple generations of people with different kinds of lives and experiences, people I would not meet in other settings, people with amazing and fascinating stories to tell and wisdom to share. We have a tendency, in our culture, to segregate ourselves by stage of life—parents of school-age children spend time with other parents of school-age children; young single people seek out other young single people; empty nesters congregate with other empty nesters. Congregational life offers different opportunities (though not everyone takes advantage of them). If you are not participating in the various opportunities at B’ShERT that would allow you to build relationships with people in different stages of life than yourself, I would encourage you to try it. I know you already have a lot going on, and I’m definitely not offering a guilt trip or an additional burden. I am suggesting, though, that it is worth your trouble and your time to build relationships with others in the congregation who might not obviously have a lot in common with you. Community takes work and the more you put into it, the more you get from it. As Thanksgiving approaches and we think about what we are grateful for, let us also use the approach of Hanukkah to think about the ways we might want to rededicate ourselves to community life at B’ShERT. May your celebration of these holidays bring joy, and may you feel surrounded by love. I look forward to seeing you in person or online soon. Rabbi Heidi Hoover
President's Message: Finding Our Way Back If you happen to be an introvert, one silver lining of the last year and a half is that you no longer had to come up with some lame excuse to sit home and read a book. No naming names here, but if you follow me on Goodreads you may find someone who embraced the concept of social distancing well before the pandemic.I didn’t spend the better part of 2020 just reading, of course. I also watched a lot of virtual American Songbook concerts, scrounged for Girl Scout Thin Mints in the back of the freezer, declared my liberation from zippers, and got used to working at my dining room table with the dog under my chair. Here’s the thing: after you do this for a while, you get comfortable. Too comfortable. A happy inertia sets in. Then guilt begins to creep in, trumping the inertia even among the most socially averse. That’s when you realize that this period of hibernation was never intended to last forever. Like most people, I’m slowly, cautiously, making my way back to the kind of civilization that exists outside Zoom. I’m immunocompromised, so I tend to be extra careful. But recently I high-jumped out of my comfort zone and returned to my favorite jazz club, Birdland, to see John Pizzarelli — twice in one week. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it until I was actually there. Was I worried? A little. But if guilt trumps inertia, jazz trumps all. Here at Temple, we’ve also started resuming our in-person life with services, religious school, and other activities, but we do so with the knowledge that multi-access operations are here to stay. And this is a good thing. While it was the pandemic that launched our relationship with Zoom and sparked the sudden increase in our congregation’s overall tech savviness (thanks, Mike Rose!), we’ve all seen the benefits of using this technology. During the shutdown, we were able to keep people engaged — in fact, attendance was often higher than at in-person activities — and we even gained several members who live too far away to commute to Temple (in one case, several thousand miles away). With the welcomed opening of the sanctuary in September, it’s been great to see (fully masked) people once again sitting in our pews and raising their voices together in song. But we’ve also seen that Zoom continues to be a compelling way for many congregants to attend Shabbat services, whether because of health concerns, rain, parking issues, or other reasons. (I still miss my pandemic routine of eating dinner during Friday night services, so I totally get it.) Many of those who are regulars at committee, affiliate, or board meetings will agree that these meetings run more efficiently on Zoom than in person. We’ve also saved a few bucks (and calories) on the Entenmann’s snacks. While we're inching our way toward something resembling normal life at Temple, we’re not quite there yet. In order to start using the Banquet Hall again, both for outside rentals and our own in-house activities, it's essential that we first upgrade the air circulation in that space in accordance with COVID guidelines. We’re currently exploring the various options with an engineer, and then we’ll discuss how to move forward. Thanks to Eric Platt and the Reopening Committee for their hard work on this. In addition to serving as a valuable revenue stream, the Banquet Hall is an important part of our Temple’s social fabric. We can all expect in-person attendance to increase when we can gather safely for Friday night potlucks, Saturday morning Women of B’ShERT brunches, and other events once again. Be assured that this day will come. Thanks to everyone in our community for your ongoing support of B’ShERT! My (virtual) door is always open. Please feel free to reach out to me at president@bshert.org with your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Adrienne Knoll
Happy Fall, all! Here’s an update on what the Membership Committee has been working on since our last report. On October 5, we held our first committee meeting of 5782, and we thank everyone who attended. We talked about some important topics such as tracking and understanding membership data, and we discussed some exciting plans for the coming months. Beginning November 3, Hana Roth Seavey will be facilitating Tai Chi for Beginners on Zoom. This series is appropriate for all ages, genders, and skill levels and will run for four sessions ending on December 1 (there is no class on November 24). There are limited spaces available—register at taichiwithhana.eventbrite.com. In mid-November, we plan to host another outdoor welcome table for the community to hand out information about our congregation, some Hanukkah supplies, and hot drinks to go. We’re targeting Saturday, November 13, weather pending. We continue to think of ways we can outreach and engage the broader community so that they can see what we have to offer and what makes us special. We’re also planning a multi-day Hanukkah Extravaganza. More details to follow soon, but here are the broad strokes: on Sunday, November 28, and Sunday, December 5, we are going to mobilize some of B’ShERT’s most enthusiastic singers to join us in Hanukkah Choraling—AKA singing some of our favorite Hanukkah songs outside of some local neighborhood spots. We’ll have some information about B’ShERT on hand and will publicize some of our upcoming events. On Friday, December 3, we will be welcoming our new members both virtually and in person at our congregation’s Hanukkah Shabbat service, which will also serve as our New Member Shabbat service. Those of you who have attended in person will remember it is a beautiful event where congregants are invited to light their hanukkiyot on the bima (or on Zoom, via spotlight), and we think the theme of dedication is perfect for the occasion of honoring our new members. If you are a new member who joined in 2020 or 2021, you’ll be receiving a personal invitation to participate in the service. We truly hope you can attend either online or in person. And on the evening of Sunday, December 5, we’ll be hosting an outdoor Community Menorah Lighting in front of our building on Marlborough Road. We invite you, your friends, family, and neighbors to join us outside as we sing the blessings together and light all eight lights on our big menorah. We’ll end our evening with a few favorite songs. We think this could be the start of a beautiful new tradition. We plan to hold this event rain or shine with the help of some tents, and we are hoping for some good weather. Looking further ahead, we will be presenting a program in January featuring Heywood Big Day, also called “Third,” of the Crow Nation. This program will be part of our congregation’s Tu B’Shvat celebrations and will center around similarities and shared interests between our cultures. We will be sharing more about this program in the coming weeks. Our next committee meeting of the year will be on Tuesday, November 2 at 7 p.m., and we would love for you to join us. Please email Ellyn (pr@bshert.org) or Joanie (jmhschaffer@gmail.com) for the Zoom link. Ellyn Rothstein and Joanie Holland Schaffer, Co-Chairs Membership Committee
Membership Committee
The Women of B’ShERT held their second virtual Ice Cream Social on Tuesday, October 12. Emcee Doreen Aronow started our evening off with Cyndi Lauper’s song “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” which really set the tone for the night. Some of us were even dancing in our chairs! Charlotte Russell read one of her wonderful prayers, which also set the tone for the evening. “We’re not born of the same family, but we are sisters in every sense of the word . . . we’re sisters in our hearts.” Indeed, we are. Fran Arnowitz read the Treasurer’s Report. The Women’s group has been receiving dues and donations, which, in turn, they have donated to the Temple’s New Year Card, as well as bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah gifts. In addition, they gave an ad for the Yearbook, A Year Like No Other. When our Temple bookkeeper, Sondra Berkman, retired, the Women of B’ShERT gave her a check in appreciation for her years of service to the Temple. Sondra, however, wouldn’t accept this check because she felt it could be used to feed others. So the check was used to buy food for our Little Pantry instead. Fran mentioned that new members get free membership for a year, and they don’t have to be a member of the Temple. So, “C’mon down!” Doreen then invited us to share funny stories, if we wanted to—no pressure involved. Then followed many funny stories, some more hilarious than others, which made for a good laugh or two. Our members really know how to tell a funny tale! Brava, ladies! Before the evening ended, Doreen set the tone again for a special feature. Stevie Wonder’s song “Isn’t She Lovely” wafted softly through the air. Then, Doreen put on the screen some pictures of our members when they were children, and the audience was challenged to identify them. This was a lot of fun! Doreen mentioned that this new feature will be a part of future events of the Women of B’ShERT, so get ready to share! Thank you to Doreen, who always does a magnificent job of emceeing, as well as planning this great event with Charlotte Russell; and to Charlotte for her wonderful and quite appropriate opening prayers; and to Fran Arnowitz for her informative Treasurer’s Report. And thank you, our dear members, for making this evening such a huge success—with or without ice cream! Please join us again for our next event on Zoom, which will be on Tuesday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. Our very own Temple member, Melodie Winawer, will discuss her newest book. Stay tuned for more information. Mona Goldberg, Charlotte Russell, Sara Meyer West, Co-Presidents Women of B’ShERT, A Sisterhood Organization (Submitted by Jane Gleiberman)
Women of B'ShERT: A Sisterhood Organization
Brotherhood Affiliate at B'ShERT
On behalf of Brotherhood, we express our sincere thanks to financial advisor Mitch Nelson for his informative and useful program, “An Inside Look at Retirement Living.” We very much appreciate that he gave up part of his busy schedule to present, as well as everyone who took time out of their busy Sunday to attend. A special thanks also to Manny Arnowitz, who coordinated the presentation for Temple members. The next Brotherhood meeting is Sunday, November 14, at 9:30 a.m., and yes, we are still on Zoom. Bagels optional. Sam has a request: will all our members please let him know if they would like to take a part in our December Brotherhood Shabbat, and would you like to participate from the Temple Sanctuary — masks and proof of vaccination required — or would you rather be on Zoom? We are also asking all Brotherhood members to come prepared to discuss at least one thing you did to relieve stress during these very stressful times that we have just experienced. If you are not a Brotherhood member, but you have a great idea, please let us know. All ideas will be shared, and we will give you credit! Here’s one idea to get us started — a great way to reduce stress was to participate in the services and events on Zoom that our fantastic clergy provided for us each week. Where would we have been without Zoom and the unbelievable technical skills of Mike Rose? Brotherhood has many events planned in the upcoming months, including our Brotherhood Shabbat on Friday, December 10; speakers on Janet Yellen and our Federal Reserve; a tour of West Point done virtually on Zoom by our own Allan Zarrow; another great trivia night hosted by Mike Rose; a Brotherhood membership Breakfast on us at the Mirage in May; and, among other surprises, a trip to a Cyclones game this summer. We are also hoping to get a member of the Cyclones to speak to us about the upcoming season — the team has to have a better record than they did this year. Depending on the situation with COVID, at this time plans for a June Brotherhood picnic, whether indoors or outdoors, remain uncertain. Please check upcoming issues of the Voice of Truth, voicemails, and flyers for information about future Brotherhood events. We hope everyone had a great Halloween and we wish everyone a great Thanksgiving, a wonderful Hanukkah, and we thank all our servicemen for keeping us safe as we celebrate Veterans Day. Note: please consider supporting our Temple on Giving Tuesday, November 30. There is still time to join Brotherhood! Send a $36 check made out to Brotherhood at B'ShERT. Send your membership dues to Gene Guskin, 2664 East 12th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235. Note you do not have to be a member to participate in our meetings or events, but your membership helps keep us going. Please — stay well and stay safe! Joel and the members of your Brotherhood Affiliate at B'ShERT
“CHOOSE LIFE”: PHILOSOPHICAL MUSINGS ON PARENTHOOD, NEUROGENETICS AND ETERNAL RETURN November 9 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom The Women of B’ShERT, a Sisterhood Organization is pleased to invite everyone (not just women) to our next event on November 9, a book talk by author Melodie Winawer. Melodie’s new book, Anticipation, is coming out November 2, and we are thrilled to be the first venue for her talk titled “Choose Life: Philosophical musings on Parenthood, Neurogenetics, and Eternal Return.” Many of you know Melodie, a wonderful, brilliant, and amazingly inspiring B’ShERT congregant, who spoke to us a few years ago about her first book, The Scribe of Siena. So you know this will be an eye-opening, mind-expanding evening where we will share and grow. Fix yourself a hot toddy or your favorite drink and join us on Zoom on Tuesday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. Please feel free to invite your friends. Zoom link to follow closer to the date.
Here’s what Simon & Schuster says about the book: From the author of the “engrossing historical epic” (Booklist) The Scribe of Siena, comes a thrilling tale set in the crumbling City of Mystras, Greece, in which a scientist’s vacation with her young son quickly turns into a fight for their lives after they cross paths with a man out of time.
Click here for the official website of Anticipation by Melodie Winawer.
The Interfaith Coalition of Brooklyn (B’ShERT, the Turkish Cultural Center, Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church, and East Midwood Jewish Center) had its annual outing on October 11. This did not disappoint. We went downtown Manhattan and visited the Museum of the American Indian. The museum has a lot of interesting information. I focused on modern painting by native Americans and the exhibit on the Native American contribution to the United States military. After relaxing in Battery Park while eating our brown bag lunches, we did some touring of the park and then cruised on the Staten Island Ferry. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water and it is always so inspiring to see Lady Liberty with her welcoming torch and think of what it meant to our family members and other immigrants (including those of us who were not born in the United States) to see her in the harbor at last. The Interfaith Coalition’s book group had its discussion of Born A Crime by Trevor Noah on October 18. Thank you for guiding us through this thought-provoking (and funny!) material, Ellyn Rothstein! We meet again on Monday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. on zoom to talk about A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Save the date for the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, which will be held on Sunday, November 21, in the afternoon. As of today, no decision has been made as to whether it will be in person or on Zoom, but we will keep you posted. We continue to plan other social action projects. Yvette Pomeranz, Co-Chair Social Action Committee
Photos by Alan Zarrow
Social Action Committee
The Fundraising Committee is pleased to announce two initiatives during the months of October and November. The first is our holiday market in conjunction with Etsy. Once again, Karen Eichel has prevailed on the artisans in her family to donate 10 percent of the sales from Temple members. This campaign is up and running now, and is available through November 15. The names of the lines are Centered Vessel and Faith Oland Pottery. When you check out, please indicate the you are ordering through B'ShERT, to assure that your donation is credited. Please contact Karen Eichel at (917) 856-9912 or the Temple office for further information. As of this date, we have had two sales. The second initiative is Giving Tuesday, which is also the second day of Hanukkah. Some families establish a giving circle for charity during this time. If you do, please remember B'ShERT at this time. The funds will be dedicated to the Accessibility/Elevator fund. The date of this event is November 30. Facebook will be matching funds up to $7,000 for donations made through Facebook starting at 8 a.m., that day. So wake up early, set your alarm, grab your coffee or tea, and be ready to be wide awake for this event. Please see page 18 of this VoT for more info on how to donate. Pam Glantzman and Yvette Pomeranz, Co-Chairs Fundraising Committee
Do you have gently used clothing suitable for donation? You are in luck—we have learned about a clothing drive being sponsored by the East Midwood Jewish Center in conjunction with the Urban Dove Charter School, taking place now. (Thanks Pam Glantzman!) See the flyer below for more details. Also, depending on where you live, you may be able to arrange for your donations to be picked up at your home. Please contact Naomi Rabeeya of South Central Brooklyn United for Progress atnrabeeya@gmail.com for information about this option. As always, thanks for your support. Yvette Pomeranz and Lori Silverman, Co-Chairs Social Action Committee
Centered Vessel on Etsy
Fundraising Committee
Faith Oland Pottery on Etsy
Offerings of the Heart Contributions Gratefully Acknowledged
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund In memory of Andy Glantzman ~Pam Glantzman & Frank Gonzalez ~Roseanne Levitt For the Caring Committee In honor of our daughter’s wedding ~Gene & Faye Guskin For the Stained Glass Fund In memory of Irv Tabickman ~Mona Goldberg For the General Fund In honor of David & Jessica Schulman’s caring & kindness ~Diane & Les Schenker For the speedy recovery of John Vanderhorn ~Lori Pandolfo In memory of Arnold Block ~Marcia Kaplan Mann & Gabriel Wiesenthal Arnold Block ~Hazel Tishcoff Arnold Block ~Judy & Gerard Soffian Arnold Block ~Lori Pandolfo John Carfizzi ~Marcia Kaplan Mann & Gabriel Wiesenthal Andy Glantzman ~Jeff and Loren Levinson Andy Glantzman ~Hazel Tishcoff Andy Glantzman ~Leanora Katzman Andy Glantzman ~Deborah Kossman Suzanne Lechnos ~Jane & Harold Gleiberman Kyle McGee, Sr. ~Jeff and Loren Levinson Betty Menken ~Judith Weiss Dorothy Platt ~Milton Platt Frances Wolfe ~Milton Platt
An online search shows that there are many ways to stay informed and connected with news about and from Israel. Below are a couple virtual programs that you can access for a deeper understanding of the current political and social issues that are shaping modern Israel: Israel Dialogues Fridays, October 8–November 26 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT Presented by Holy Blossom Israel Engagement Committee. Co-Sponsored by The Reform Jewish Community of Canada (RJCC), ARZA Canada, ARZA, and the Canadian Zionist Federation (CZF) “The Israel Dialogues” provides an opportunity to engage fundamental issues facing the country, its people, and the Jewish diaspora. Join experts from various backgrounds, together with their invited guests, discuss a range of topics. The initial eight sessions presented this fall focus on domestic Israel, the Palestinian community, and the Jewish community. Click here to register How to Make Sense of Israeli Politics? Thursdays, November 4, 11, 18, 25 2:30–4 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. PT / 7:30–9 p.m. UK 4-week live on-line course Leo Baeck College is delighted to partner with Arzenu, the political voice of Reform, Progressive and Liberal Religious Zionists within the World Zionist Organization and its subsidiaries. Arzenu, using a grant from Keren Kayemeth Leyisrael, would like to sponsor anyone who would like to join this four-week online course. This is an opportunity not to be missed as you will be learning with Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, chair of Arzenu. In this four-part series, Rabbi Lea Mühlstein will provide an introduction to the Israeli political system and explore the main issues in contemporary Israeli politics. To book your free place on this course, please email Jarek at lehrhaus@lbc.ac.uk. To stay informed and up to date with all that's Israel, the Progressive Jewish Movement, and ARZA, please go to arza.org, urj.org, or IRAC.org. The Jewish ARZA Committee wishes all a very happy Hanukkah. Tamara Kerner ARZA Committee
We welcome your Voice of Truth news. Let the B'ShERT community know of events in your community, family or your own life. Send your news to news@bshert.org.
ARZA Committee
Over this past year and a half, your Caring Chesed committee has gone through many constraints due to COVID that have restricted our actions to help congregants in need. Yet we still made many phone calls, sent Get Well and Sympathy cards, and provided meals when necessary. However, person-to-person meetings, which is something we often have done to console those who may need to see a friendly face and be given a warm hand, have been greatly decreased or nonexistent. Hopefully this pandemic will disappear, but no matter the circumstance, we will continue our vigilance and contribute anything we can to afford comfort to the well-being of our B'ShERT congregation. As the New Year of 5782 has arrived, we wish our B'ShERT congregation and your families the very best of health now and in future. Respectfully, Gene Guskin and Ruth Bilé, Co-Chairs Caring Chesed Committee
The Glantzman and Gonzalez families would like to thank everyone for their calls, cards, tree plantings in Israel, and donations to various charities in memory of Andy Glantzman. We appreciate your kindness and generosity during these challenging times. We especially appreciate the guidance and understanding shown by Rabbi Hoover. May we all go from strength to strength. Pam Glantzman, Frank Gonzalez, Marie Glantzman, and her entire family During a time like this, the family of John Carfizzi realizes how much our Temple Family means to us. Your kind expressions of sympathy are appreciated and will always be remembered. THANK YOU ALL, Terry & Stan Hollander
Caring Chesed Committee
Laurie Bassi, Social Action Co-Chair and liaison to the Interfaith Coalition, has resigned from this position. She and Herb will be moving out of New York in the near future. Thank you, Laurie, for your commitment, hard work and inspiration. Yvette Pomeranz from the Social Action Committee has been appointed liaison to the Interfaith Coalition. On Saturday, April 18, at 1 pm (after services), please attend a Social Action Lunch and Learn in the Community Room. The topic is Climate Change: Response to Urgency. The discussion will be moderated by Yvette Pomeranz and the two resource books will be We Are The Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer and Let There Be Water by Seth Segal. The discussion will center around concrete actions we can take as individuals, as a temple entity and as society and what is needed to galvanize us to take action. Our annual Passover Food Drive will take place in March. Please bring your UNOPENED, UNEXPIRED food to Temple by Friday, March 27. We will be donating this food to Our Lady of Refuge Church Food Pantry (OLRC), which is part of our Interfaith Coalition, and our Little Pantry. We are also happy to once again be able to support seniors in need at this time of year at the Marks JCH. Your donation to our Dr. Janet L. Haynes Social Action Fund will allow us to provide individuals and couples with funds to purchase food for their seder tables. See the flyer in this Voice of Truth with date and other details. We’re pleased that the children of the Religious School will also participate by helping to sort items. Please save the dates for the following Interfaith Coalition program and watch for flyers with complete details: • Abraham’s Table: Sunday, March 29, 3:30 - 5:30 pm at the Amity School on Knapp Street. Topic: The Environment in the Light of Our Three Traditions. • Interfaith Iftar dinner combined with Abraham’s Table: Sunday, April 26 at OLRC. Theme: What Is Your Most Important Religious Holiday? • Movie Night: Thursday, August 6 in the parking lot of the Amity School. Time, movie and other details will be announced at a later date. The next meeting of the Social Action Committee will take place on Thursday, April 30 at 7 pm in the Community Room. Susan Sysler Co-Chair, Social Action Committee
Hanukkah Care Packages Do you know of a college student in our community who might like to receive a care package from the B'ShERT Youth Group? Our Youth Group is planning to put Hanukkah care packages and handwritten notes together to send off to all the colleges where we are represented this year by our congregants and community members! Deadline: end of day, November 5, 2021. Please email Emma Tattenbaum-Fine at with your college student's name and university mailing address. The Youth Group will take it from there! Thanks! Emma Tattenbaum-Fine Jacqueline Smith Memorial Youth & Outreach Coordinator
SAVE THE DATE: November 30, 2021 – Giving Tuesday —Remember B'ShERT— bshert.org/givingtuesday Donate directly on Facebook: bshert.org/gt-donate Create your own fundraiser: facebook.com/fund/BShERTBrooklyn/ Or donate via the Temple website: bshert.org/donate Giving Tuesday is right around the corner. And you can express thanks for the richness in your lives by donating to B’ShERT. Facebook will be matching the first $7 million donated, so time your donation for 8 a.m. on November 30, and it might get matched! Last year, over $2,100 was raised. We look forward to multiplying that total in 2021. We know this is a challenging economic time for many in our community; please consider B'ShERT if you are making donations on Giving Tuesday. B’ShERT is a 501(c)3 non-profit; all donations are tax-deductible and should be eligible for most corporate match programs. You can keep track of our Giving Tuesday progress and events on our website at bshert.org/givingtuesday anytime.
Dear Members, Our B'ShERT Community Choir is back in business! In preparation for our special Hanukkah Shabbat service on Friday, December 3, I will be holding three rehearsals so that we can learn some beautiful holiday tunes. The rehearsals will take place IN PERSON on the following dates: Thursday, November 11, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Thursday, November 18, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Thursday, December 2, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.. Please make every effort to attend all three rehearsals. I look forward to working with you as our FULLY-MASKED choir gets ready to sing again! Nonie Schuster Donato Cantorial Soloist
Photo by NewMontefioreCemetery.org
Just a reminder that we have graves available for purchase at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Queens and New Montefiore and Beth Moses cemeteries on Long Island through our legacy congregations. Through October 31, we are offering B’ShERT members the special rate of $500 per grave. On November 1, the cost will go up to $750. Both rates are significantly lower than if you were to buy graves directly from the cemetery. Please note that you must be a full member in good standing to take advantage of this benefit. While it is certainly not a pleasant subject to think about, advance burial planning relieves family members of the emotional and financial burden often associated with making these arrangements when a death occurs. If you are interested in purchasing a grave or graves, please contact Alice Hyatt in the Temple office at (718) 282-1596 or alice@bshert.org. Sincerely, Adrienne Knoll President, B’ShERT
Just a Reminder...
Gina Anderson Lila Behrman Asa Berk Emily Berk Ronan Bowman Sandra Dann Paul Dann Tobias Dicker EmmaLina Eckstein Chloe Elstein Robert Fried Jordan Goldberg Lisa Greenstein Faith Horowitz Marcia Kaplan Mann Kathleen Katzen Larry May Sydney McGee Sophia McGee Stephanie Oestreich Dean Rousakis Kevin Salisbury Paul Salisbury Frema Schneier Leah Soffian Myra Tattenbaum Lucy WadmanBarbara Wasserman
...and Happy Anniversary to... Warren & Samantha Bloom; Thea Platt Glass & Steven Glasser; Stan & Terry Hollander
Torah Portions - November 2021
Date
Torah Reading
Reference
November 6
Toldot
Genesis 25:19-28:9
November 13
Vayeitzel
Genesis 28:10-32:2
November 20
Vayishlach
Genesis 32:3-36:43
November 27
Vayeishev
Genesis 37:1-40:23
Simcha Corner Happy Birthday, November Babies!
Mazel Tov!!
Ken Brown Photography The best for Your Mitzvah! (or any other event, personal or professional) Longtime established pro; temple member; references available. editman1000@gmail.com • 718-670-3256.
JESSICA SCHULMAN • TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE SPECIALIST COMPUTER SERVICES & GRAPHICS ARTS SERVICES 718 338-2043 • fax 718 377-7919 jstech@optonline.net
Maxine Feldman Teaches… Piano, Voice, Guitar, Sight-Singing Ms. Feldman has 35 years of experience teaching all ages. She has served on the music faculties of NYU, Brooklyn College, The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and Hebrew Union College. She has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the United Nations, at PTBAS and now at the new consolidated congregation! For further information, please call Maxine at 718-490-7556
You Are Invited to Join THE HANNAH SENESH SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA, INC. The Hannah Senesh Society honors the memory of one of the greatest heroines in modern Jewish history during World War II. Membership: Family —$20 Individual —$10 Lifetime—$100 Contact: Jacqueline Mizrahi, Co-President (718) 666-7418
B'ShERT's Caring Chesed Committee: We're Here to Help Volunteers are needed to make phone calls and/or visits to those who are ill or have suffered a loss. It is especially important to keep in touch with those who are grieving after the initial mourning period. If you know that someone is in need of a visit or a call, please contact one of our co-chairs. We are always looking for new members and would appreciate any ideas to make the committee more effective. "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it…" Pirke Avot Gene Guskin (917) 533-6231 Ruth Bile (646) 732-2650 Frema Schneier (917) 459-0904 Debbie Belsky (718) 252-8030 B'ShERT Caring Chesed Committee
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NOVEMBER CALENDAR