Shabbat-O-Gram
December 23 and 30, 2005 - Kislev 22 and 29, 5766
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman,
Send your friends and relatives the gift of Jewish awareness -- a
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Contents
of the Shabbat O Gram: (click to scroll down)
Just
the Facts (service schedule)
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities
Required Reading and Action Items (links
to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)
Announcements (goings on in and around TBE)
Here are some photos from recent funtastic events
(Candlelighting
at the
Torah Bowl, Jr. Choir at
Afternoon of Hanukkah Fun…)
More photos are at www.tbe.org
(check the
temple albums or our youth site’s albums)
Quotes for the Week
Einstein
Quotes on Spirituality
(thanks to Jonathan Ostroff for
these)
Many more
can be found at http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/einstein.htm
1.
I want to
know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that
phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts;
the rest are details.
2.
Science
without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.
3.
My religion
consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals
himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble
mind.
How to
Light the Hanukkah Candles:
A
multimedia presentation
(from www.myjewishlearning.com)
Hanukkah is among the most beloved and commemorated of the Jewish
festivals, and the hanukkiyah--Hanukkah
candelabra, often called a menorah--has become an enduring symbol of Jewish peoplehood and culture. This multimedia feature will
explain how to light the candles and say the blessings on them, and will also
delve into the history and meaning of this beloved holiday.
Click
here to begin. (flash software required)
Listen to Hanukkah songs, traditional and new (from Beliefnet)
Friday Evening
Candle lighting for Stamford, CT: Candle lighting: 4:12 pm on Friday, 23 December 2005. On Dec. 30, 4:16 (light Hanukkah candles for
the 6th night BEFORE Shabbat candles). For candle lighting times,
other Jewish calendar information, and to download a Jewish calendar to your
PDA, click on http://www.hebcal.com/. To see the festivals of other faiths as well,
go to http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/
Kabbalat Shabbat: 6:30 PM – (in the lobby on 12/23,
chapel on 12/30)
Tot Shabbat: 6:45 – in the chapel (yes,
Shabbat Morning: 9:30 AM – Kahal (congregant led) service
on 12/24. Thanks to Adam Eitelberg for preparing the d’var
Torah. Our congregational lunch is being
sponsored by Phyllis and George Heller, in honor of their 40th wedding
anniversary. Mazal tov to the Hellers!
Children’s services with Nurit:
10:30 (both weeks!)
Torah
Portion: 12/24: VaYeshev – Genesis
37:1 - 40:23 – the Joseph story begins
1: 38:1-5
2: 38:6-11
3: 38:12-14
4: 38:15-19
5: 38:20-23
6: 38:24-26
7: 38:27-30
maf: 38:27-30
Haftarah – Amos 2:6
- 3:8
Torah Portion: 12/31 Mikketz – Genesis 41:1 - 44:17 Shabbat Hanukkah & Rosh Hodesh Tevet – we read from THREE Torahs (count ‘em, 3)!
See a weekly commentary
from the UJC Rabbinic Cabinet, at www.ujc.org/mekorchaim. Read the Masorti
commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. University of Judaism, JTS commentary is
at: http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parashah/.
USCJ Torah
THE ENTIRE
HEBREW BIBLE (AS WELL AS OTHER JEWISH SOURCES) CAN BE FOUND WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE
TRANSLATION AT
Morning Minyan: Weekdays at 7:30, Sundays at
9:30 AM
Mondays, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 (federal holidays):
9:00 AM
IN THE CHAPEL
TO ENSURE A “GUARANTEED MINYAN” FOR THE DAY OF
YOUR YAHRZEIT – GO TO THE ROSNER MINYAN MAKER AT WWW.TBE.ORG AND ALSO CONTACT ME AT
RABBI@TBE.ORG.
A guaranteed minyan has been requested
for Tuesday, Dec. 27. and Tuesday, Jan. 3.
If you can make it, go to www.tbe.org
and click on the Rosner Minyan Maker to let us know.
Winter Weather Advisory
Note that in the case of
bad weather, weekday minyan does not take place when
The
Jewish Quandary: Core vs. Outreach
I had the pleasure of attending some of the
professionals’ conference for Hillel, held here in
Hillel faces
the same issues confronted by the Conservative movement, and in fact by all
Jewish organizations. To what extent do
we focus our resources on building up a solid, committed core, and to what extent
do we focus on outreach to those less involved?
I’ve always believed that it’s not an either-or proposition, that in
fact there are some kinds of programming that can appeal to the fringe and
committed alike – the kinds of programs that galvanize the core will allow for
that excitement to radiate outward. But,
from my questioning of several people at different levels of the Hillel hierarchy, this is the question, more than any other, that will guide the
selection of a new international Hillel president and
other key decisions that need to be made.
Despite all the efforts, Hillels on campus
still tend to reach primarily the core Jews, with so many others left out. Hillel’s challenge
to itself is to double the number of students for whom Hillel
can provide – and here is their mantra – “MEANINGFUL JEWISH EXPERIENCES.”
Meaningful Jewish Experiences: It should be our mantra as well. Each word needs to be defined – what we do
needs to be meaningful for people
(not just fluff), authentically Jewish,
even if unconventional, and experiential,
not merely passive, but engaging all the senses, the entire self.
The
demographic realities have made the question of core vs. outreach somewhat
moot. Only 48% of Jews on campus today have two
Jewish parents. Do the math. And how many of that 48% will just feel
comfortable walking off the street and into Hillel
for Friday night dinner? If we have,
say, 150-200 TBE students in college now, all of whom went through some Jewish
education at least through Bar/Bat Mitzvah, how many of THEM would feel
comfortable in Hillel (or, by extension, in any
synagogue)? The answer that is that
outreach is necessary even for the less “at risk” among us. Outreach is necessary for everyone.
Add to
that that surveys show that for that generation (which now includes people in
their ‘20s and ‘30s), known as “millennials,”
personal autonomy is key. They may well
want to be Jewish, but they want it on their terms. Free expression is a prime value. Following rules is not. Most of all, they are seeking personal
meaning. While religion (spirituality) may
no longer be a dirty word, religious institutions could well be irrelevant to
them. The traditional modes of community
building do not apply as much. So Hillels – and synagogues – who wish to
attract this group need to expand their programming options beyond traditional
services and events.
At the
conference I was talking to Debbie Rubenstein, whom many of us know – she used
to run UConn’s Hillel in
Storrs – and she was telling me how, last Shabbat at the pre-conference, she
offered an alternative to Shabbat services: a nature walk featuring poetic
passages about Shabbat by Heschel and others. She said it was amazingly popular. Many of the participants would not otherwise
have done anything that morning and certainly would not have gone to services. It was, for them, a Meaningful Jewish Experience.
We at
TBE are in the business of providing Meaningful Jewish Experiences for as many
Jews as we can reach. That is our
calling. That is our mission. Our decade-old strategic plan will have
expired before you receive the next Shabbat O Gram. (More on that in the
Spiritual Journeys section below).
We need to find new ways to adapt to the challenges of Jewish life for
the new generation.
A Special Request from an Old Friend
Karen Jossem was a beloved teacher in our community, a friend of
so many. When she died, so tragically
young, friends of hers decided to honor her memory and TBE “roots” by planting
a tree outside our sanctuary windows, a tree that has been thriving. Her son Doug, who went through our Hebrew
School and Merkaz Torah, has moved away but maintains
Beth El connections, including Jonathan Ostroff, who
forwarded Doug’s letter to me. This
letter is self explanatory. Please help
Doug to honor Karen’s memory as best you can.
Dear Friends and Family,
Ten years ago, on October 23, 1995 my life changed when my mother
passed away from Leukemia after a long and painful battle. It was a five year struggle that started with
breast cancer. The continual treatment
of Chemotherapy to cure the cancer had her develop acute Leukemia. My mother went through a lot of pain, my
family went through years of heartache, and anyone that knew my mother was
hurt. She was too young to lose her life;
I was too young to lose my mom!
To honor my mother's memory and to help prevent others from
experiencing the pain that she, and my entire family and friends went through,
I am participating in a Triathlon sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society's Team in Training. This
organization, the world's largest endurance sports training program, has raised
over 600 million dollars and has helped thousands of people.
On April, 30th 2006 I will partake in my first Triathlon. This Triathlon consists of a 1 mile swim,
26 mile bike ride and a 7 mile swim. Team in Training and the Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society (LLS), work diligently together 24/7 to cure blood
cancers. They also work in conjunction
with other cancer organizations to facilitate research and to coordinate
studies.
After learning about this program, I wanted to do my part. In order to participate in the Triathlon in
April, I have to raise a minimum of $4300, although my goal is to raise more than that!
I'm hoping you can help!
My mother never saw me graduate from high school, never saw me on
my first day of college, she will never see me get married or see any
grandchildren. I am doing this because I
don't want anyone else to miss out on all the joy that life has to offer. This is a terrible disease, one that I hope I
can help end.
With the holiday season upon us, please sponsor me with a gift to
the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. No contribution is too small and all
donations are tax deductible.
It may be hard to think of me as a
TRIATHELETE......Running....Biking ... Swimming but I
assure you I am Up to the Challenge and training has begun! I will keep you updated on
my progress through my personal home page.
Please click on the following link to make a donation to this
cause, http://www.active.com/donations/fundraise_public.cfm?key=DJossem
or if you would like to send a check my address is below.
Thank you all,
Doug Jossem
Doug Jossem
245 East 44th st apt 17D
201-686-5707
Beth
El Cares:
The
Environment and
This is a busy week for Beth El Cares. This weekend, we’ll be visiting homeless
shelters (particularly St Lukes Lifeworks) to help
them celebrate Christmas, and recently (and over the coming week) we’ve been
(and will be) seeing Jewish residents at seniors programs like Patchworks,
nursing homes, like Brighton Gardens, Sunrise, Smith House and Tandet Center, seniors residences like Sterling Glen as
well as Stamford Hospital and the Rosenthal Hospice – all to share the light of
Hanukkah. Thanks to all our volunteers,
including some B’nai Mitzvah students, and the
cantor, for all their assistance. It is
particularly satisfying to be representing our congregation when performing
these mitzvot.
Last Shabbat, Rabbi Andrea Cohen Kiener joined us and shared an
important message and a challenge.
Representing the Interreligious Eco-Justice
Network, Andrea mentioned that 30 religious institutions in our state have
signed on to a program of Clean Energy options.
A commitment to purchase clean, renewable energy would have a minimal
impact on our expenses (approximately a 10% increase in the electricity bill)
but would do a world of good, by 1) creating a healthier environment, not just
in the long term (Greenhouse effect) but even in terms of the air we breathe
right now, right here. 2) reducing our dependence on
Middle Eastern oil (a good thing for
Clean energy is of
course only the beginning (and it is nice to know that the city of
BETH EL
Anyone interested
in participating on the committee please contact Cheryl Wolff at 968-6361.
Visions: Yours, Mine and OUrs
As
the year comes to a close, bringing to an end the first half of the first
decade of the 21st century, we look back so that we can look
ahead. One thing we can now look back at
is TBE’s first strategic plan, which carried us from 1997 and is scheduled to carry
us to 2006, ie., next week! It’s on our website (www.tbe.org) and I recommend that you look at it,
esepcailly at the mission and vision statements.
Then,
feel free to look at some of the columns I’ve written over the last half decade
or so, some of which are on our website, and others are collected below. Then together, we can begin to look for new paths,
building from what we’ve accomplished.
THE HAMMERMAN
COLLECTION: 1999-2005
- Marketing
the Miracle (12/15/2005) The Passover Shuffle: Matzah, Wine and the iPod (3/2005)
- Developing God’s Image (11/11/2005) Disengagement: The Package Tour (09/16/2005)
- The Gazan Exodus and Joseph’s
Bones (06/03/2005) The Other Four Sons (04/22/2005)
- The Muddle In The Middle (02/25/2005) Purim Meets Good Friday (2/2005)
- Agnostic Tevye Not So Crazy
(01/28/2005) The Eclipse Of The Curse (11/05/2004)
- The Proud Jewish Stain (11/30/2004) Bar Mitzvah Nation (05/07/2004)
- Down Is Up In America (09/03/2004) Feeling The Power (01/30/2004)
- Gibson’s ‘Midrash’ (03/19/2004)
The Litmus Tree (12/19/2003)
- The New ‘Kotel’ (12/05/2003)
When
Israel's Independence Day Falls on Shabbat (5/1005)
- Mesopotamian Idol (06/06/2003) On The Red Sea, SARS And Fear (04/25/2003)
- Facing East (02/26/2003) Tough Questions About NJPS (01/10/2003)
- The November Dilemma (12/06/2002) Full Circle, Halfway Home (11/01/2002)
- God’s Clubhouse (07/26/2002) Getting To ‘Yes’ (05/24/2002)
- 9-11 And 613 (01/25/2002) Hugging Through Glass (12/07/2001)
- The Towers Of Babel (10/19/2001) Judaism In The Foxhole (09/14/2001)
- Link The Holocaust With Tisha b’Av (07/27/2001) Bialik’s Bird: Of Flight And
Return (05/25/2001)
- Kosher Pigs: Why This Pesach Is Different (03/30/2001)
On Scouting And Outing (03/09/2001)
- On The Same Page (01/19/2001) The Problem With Pedestal Rabbis (09/22/2000)
- Why Lieberman Makes Some Jews Nervous (08/25/2000) Confessions Of A Quickie Converter (06/09/2000)
- Giving U.S. Kids Their Birthright (01/14/2000) Being Inscribed In ‘The Video Of Life’ (10/15/1999)
- The Toughest Job Around: Being Human (07/23/1999) What I Do (07/16/1999)
- Our Millennial Masterpiece (05/28/1999) A Renaissance Without Rabbis?
(04/16/1999)
- Dressing Up As A Rabbi (03/05/1999) The Lord Is My Web (01/22/1999)
- From Shepherd to Weaver: book excerpt from
"thelordismyshepherd.com: Seeking God in Cyberspace"