October 27, 2006 –
Heshvan 6, 5767
THIS WEEKEND…
Turn back your clocks
… to the seventh day of
Creation!
And to a Tower in
Synaplex Shabbat is HERE!!!!!
Full
Schedule just below
DRESS IS CASUAL FOR THE ENTIRE
SYNAPLEX SHABBAT!
Yashar Koach to Shayna
Goldberg, Lisa Goldberg, and Ariel Goldberg,
who donated hair to Locks of Love.
Check our website at www.tbe.org for more photos, the complete
Synaplex schedule, along with NEW super photos of our spectacular TBE Sukkah
and mp3 and text files of the High Holidays sermons.
Send your friends and relatives the gift of Jewish awareness -- a
Shabbat-O-Gram each week, by signing them up at www.tbe.org. To be removed from this mailing list,
sent e-mail request to office@tbe.org. If you have signed up and are not
receiving our e-mails, check your spam filter to make sure that TBE is not
being “spammed out.”
Contents
of the Shabbat O Gram:
(Click
to scroll down)
Just
the Facts (service schedule)
The (Occasionally) Ranting Rabbi
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunities
Required Reading and Action Items (links
to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)
Announcements (goings on in and around
TBE)
Quote for the Week
“It takes three things to attain a
sense of significance:
God
A Soul
And a Moment
These three things are always here.
Just to be is a blessing.
Just to live is holy.
-Abraham Joshua Heschel
Friday Evening
Candle
lighting: 5:39pm pm on Friday, 27
October 2006. 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/
Come for part or all of a new way to spend Shabbat at TBE, BUT BE SURE TO COME!!
Here’s the schedule for the first Synaplex Shabbat
Dress is Casual!!!
Come and go as you wish.
All events are open to the general public and are free of
charge.
Check Friday’s e-mail for more information on rain
contingencies.
While some things may have to be shifted,
know that SYNAPLEX IS ON in any event.
Most major components of the day will not be impacted by
rain.
Announcements regarding the football game and Pet Pallooza
will be made following the Storahtelling program and just before lunch.
Fri. Oct. 27, 2006
7:30 pm - Tot Shabbat with Nurit Avigdor
Shabbat Unplugged with Cantor Littman
Candlelight Oneg and “Rebbe’s
Tish”
Sat. Oct. 28, 2006
9:00 am - Continental Breakfast,
Body-Mind-Spirit Bike Ride, led by Cantor
Littman and Matt Kasindorf
Kabbalistic Yoga (@ 8:45) with Raema Salmon
and Jackie Tepper
Study Session with
10:00 am - Choose from our Shabbat Morning
Service Options:
Traditional Service (@ 9:45), including
Meditative Service led by Dan Klipper,
Tot Shabbat Morning with Nurit,
Teen Service, run by our teens and assisted
by Youth Advisor Edoe Cohen,
Family Learner’s Service, led by
Rabbi Hammerman.
Followed By A Short Kiddush.
11:20 am - We present STORAHTELLING,
including the celebration of an UFRUF!
Followed by 12:30 Luncheon
1:30 pm – Speakers and Activities
Your choice:
Workshop: “Backstage with
Storahtelling,”
Go backstage and between the lines with the
Storahtellers to learn the art of ritual theater and Torah commentary
Family Communication Workshop with Mara
Hammerman and Elissa Stein
Especially for the AARP Generation:
“Communication about Medication:
Dealing with Doctors and Drugs,” with Richard Cohen
Israeli Dancing for Kids w/ Shmulik,
2:30 pm – Fun Activities
Your choice:
“Backstage with Storahtelling”
continues
Family Scavenger Hunt,
“Rose-ner Bowl” Touch Football
Game,
Israeli Dancing for Grown-Ups with Shmulik,
Afterwards you can hang around or go home to bring back your family
pet/pets for our…
3:30 pm – Pet Pallooza (Pet Show and
Blessing over the Animals) @ the Hammermans’ front lawn
Evening: USY Teen Movie Night
We
thank all our sponsors and supporters, including Jackie Tepper and David
Robinov, and Greg and Benjy, who are sponsoring this month’s Shabbat
Unplugged, in honor of David and Benjy’s birthdays. We also thank Gary Gladstein in
particular for his support of Synaplex and wish him Mazal Tov on the ufruf of
Jeff Gladstein and Theresa Eickman on Synaplex Shabbat. Thanks also to Cheryl Bader and Steve
Goldblum and family, for bringing us Shmulik. And we thank all our volunteers and
participants as well!
The Cuisine of Synaplex:
Friday’s Oneg is a selection
of fine cakes and pastries
Saturday Breakfast is...cut
fruit, granola, yogurt, bagels w/asst spreads, coffee, tea and juice
Saturday kiddush is mini bagels
w/asst spreads and cakes
Saturday lunch is...cold salmon teriyaki,
sesame noodles, grilled vegetables and portabella mushrooms,
Caesar salad and dessert
And along with that food for the
body, there will be ample nourishment for the mind and for the spirit as
well….
Our Torah Reading
A full (triennial) reading will take place at our
traditional service on Synaplex Shabbat.
Other services will discuss elements of the
reading.
And the Storahtellers will make it come alive.
נח
1: 11:1-4
2: 11:5-9
3: 11:10-13
4: 11:14-17
5: 11:18-21
6: 11:22-25
7: 11:26-32
maf: 11:29-32
Haftarah Isaiah 54:1 - 55:5
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
For online Parsha quizzes from Pardes in Israel, go to http://www.pardes.org.il/online_learning/parsha_quizzes/ Torah for Kids: http://www.torah4kids.net/ Weekly Lesson of Popular Israeli Rabbi Mordechai Elon: http://www.elon.org/archives/archives.htm - and his parsha sheets: http://www.mibereshit.org/special/download_eng_pdf.htm From Bar Ilan University: http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/; http://www.torahproductions.com/weekly_article.jsp
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
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.
We’ve had several people coming lately
who are saying kaddish following recent deaths in the
family. We want to make sure we
have a minyan each day. Your presence any morning is greatly appreciated!
Please sign up at the Rosner Minyan Maker at www.tbe.org (for those who have had problems,
it’s been fixed).
The
(occasionally)
Should Jewish
Children Trick or Treat?
Last week, I excerpted from a Beliefnet column dedicated to this not-so-controversial
controversy. Today, a selection of
views from Moment Magazine (always a great barometer of Jewish currents). While the overwhelming sentiment here is
that Halloween is harmless, non-religious and American and basically no big
deal (a sentiment that I subscribe to), there are those who feel otherwise (as
last week’s writer did - see Halloween: Treif or Treat?)
Find the complete Moment selection at http://www.momentmag.com/5766/oct06/MOM-2006-10_askrabbis.html. Here are some of them:
Modern Orthodox
This is not so much a halachic question; it is a
public policy question. Do we want to prohibit or permit this activity?
Historically, Orthodoxy has been
suspicious of letting its youth celebrate American holidays for fear that this
would lead to assimilation or adoption of “practices of Gentiles.”
When I was growing up Orthodox rabbis were critical of those who celebrated
Thanksgiving, but as Orthodoxy has acculturated such attitudes have relaxed.
One could argue for prohibition of
Halloween because it is associated with witches and ghosts. Judaism has
implacably opposed witchcraft or attempted communication with the dead since
biblical times. Monotheism is the antithesis of magic. “There is none
beside Him” (Deuteronomy 4.35), and no abracadabra tricks can manipulate
God to get unnatural results.
That having been said, Halloween is almost
entirely a product of American consumer culture, and there’s more mockery
than true belief to be found in the ever-popular costumes of witches and
monsters.
My wife and I discouraged our children
from trick-or-treating—partly out of fear of religious syncretism, but
mostly because we did not want them to internalize American consumerist
psychology and because eating a lot of candy is unhealthy. But I confess, trick-or-treating
is popular in our neighborhood. In order to be good neighbors, we leave boxes
of fruits, treats and candy goodies in front of the house with a sign inviting
kids to help themselves to one item out of each box. We don’t check if any
of the kids are Jewish. Conclusion: If a Jewish child wants to go
trick-or-treating for social reasons, it’s not a big deal.
Rabbi Irving Greenberg
President, Jewish Life Network/ Steinhardt Foundation
Conservative
As Halloween is celebrated nowadays, it is mostly about trick-or-treating,
dressing up, having fun and getting free candy, with few or no religious
overtones. That said, there are issues about celebrating it that are Jewishly problematic and are worthy of consideration by
thoughtful Jewish parents.
There is a halachic
prohibition against a belief in sorcerers and magic. Some of this begins with
the biblical tale of Saul, who consulted a fortune teller instead of God about
his future. His misjudgment resulted in Saul losing both his throne and his
mind.
As long as parents discuss with their
children the difference between believing in sorcery and reality, I see no
significant objection here. Most of my objections are related to the conflicts
that can arise between celebrating Halloween and doing the right thing, Jewishly. For example, for the family that keeps kashrut,
there is surely the issue of whether some of the candy and food that their kids
will “bag” will meet the Jewish edible standards. But this could be
addressed by carefully “sifting” through the candy, and donating
all unacceptable items to a food bank for other children who can partake
without religious restrictions.
A more serious conflict arises when Halloween coincides with Shabbat, Jewish
holidays or Hebrew school attendance. What kind of message is a parent giving
to his or her child when he or she is told that to go out trick-or-treating
takes precedence over Jewish study or celebrating Shabbat and other Jewish
holidays?
Parents may also wish to consider the values suggested by Halloween, such as
demanding sweets from strangers. The original saying is in actuality a threat:
“If you don’t give me a treat, I’ll give you a trick.”
Can Jewish kids live without these ghosts, goblins and candy? I certainly think
so. Will it do irreparable damage to their Jewish identities if they
participate? Probably not. But as parents, we should think about the values,
priorities and commitments we want our children to develop.
Rabbi Ron Isaacs
Temple
Bridgewater
Reform
Though I write as a Reform rabbi, I offer what can be called (in the
phraseology of Rabbi Isaac M. Wise) an American Jewish response.
To be completely true to our tradition,
the answer is, “No. Jewish children should not go trick-or-treating on
Halloween.” Inasmuch as this is a Christian/ pagan holiday—no
matter how secularized it has become—it is inappropriate for Jews to
observe it in any manner.
However, the matter is more complicated.
Are there moments when Jews have taken an essentially foreign idea and co-opted
it and changed into an authentic Jewish tradition? Of course! And the most
obvious example is the Passover seder. So many of our
traditions were lifted directly from Roman influences. In acknowledging those
antecedents, would anyone suggest that our practices are somehow inauthentic?
Of course not!
In this same light, there are few who would connect the carefree,
costume-wearing, candy- gorging escapades of our children on October 31 with
the religious overtones that the holiday once carried. As such, the holiday has
evolved into a secular celebration. Therefore, it would seem to be as innocent
an activity as celebrating New Year’s Eve or Thanksgiving (both of which
once had Christian connotations).
Even in accepting Halloween, do I want our
Jewish children to associate the best time of the year (dressing in costumes
and getting as much candy as one can carry) with a holiday with nominal pagan
and/or Christian overtones? Of course not! Instead, wouldn’t it be
wonderful if they thought of the Jewish holiday where children dress in
costumes, eat lots of goodies and act in all types of silly and fun ways?
(Purim!) But that, I guess, is for another discussion.
Rabbi Arthur P. Nemitoff
The
Reconstructionist
We could boycott All Hallow’s Eve for its
ghoulish associations—and, in medieval Christendom, Jews received more
trick than treat. We might avoid this holiday of “pagan” origin,
lest we “do as the other nations.” Ghosts of Halloweens past may
still haunt us.
Or Halloween could be just a harmless
diversion. We might accompany our Power Rangers and Doras
around the neighborhood to say that “
Mordecai Kaplan taught that we who
“live in two civilizations” must answer as Jews and Westerners
both. We live in mostly mixed communities where Halloween is an accepted norm.
Our kids have friends, Jewish and non, who will invite them trick-or-treating.
Though we reserve the right to withhold children’s immediate
gratification, should we put our foot down here?
It’s a tightrope act: Avoiding
Halloween may feel like the Jewish thing to do, yet a simmering feeling of
“I missed the funnest thing ever” can
subtly undermine future Jewish identity. So rather than decree or surrender, we
should decide with our kids and engage them in discussion of the values at
hand. Secular concerns at Halloween have a Jewish angle, too—moderation,
safety, neighborliness, ethics of food—making it a “teachable
moment.” We can balance values like kavod
(respect), tzedakah, kashrut, briyut
(health) and oneg (enjoyment). Options abound: Serve treats, but not go door-to-door?
Avoid skeleton costumes? Collect candy, then donate it? Between abandon and
avoidance lie many possibilities. Let’s choose wisely, together.
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder
Dobb
Adat Shalom Reconstructionist
Congregation,
Renewal
In the American melting pot of shared cultures, trick-or-treating is as
religious as a bagel. Dressing in costume for occasions other than Purim is Jewishly acceptable. It makes sense that Jewish schools
don’t celebrate Halloween, but it’s normal for Jewish students to
want to take part in it.
Halloween is a time to teach piku’ah nefesh—protecting
or saving a life. A few examples: When trick-or-treating children should be
accompanied by an adult. Teens are safer at a Halloween party than going out
alone. Products that are unsealed shouldn’t be eaten. Large amounts of
candy can be dangerous to our health.
When Halloween falls on a Friday, hold a party on motza’ei
Shabbat. Invite your child’s Jewish and non-Jewish friends and serve
delicious, kid-friendly food. More harm is done to Jewish continuity by
forbidding youth from observing holidays like Halloween than by supporting the
celebration in safe and healthy ways.
Rabbi Pamela Frydman
President, OHALAH: Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal
Independent
This is a tough one. Jewish children should learn about their own traditions
rather than always celebrating everyone else’s. Still, it is far better
for a Jewish child to go trick-or-treating than to celebrate an iota of
Christmas and Easter.
Why? Because Halloween is probably a whole
lot closer to Jewish tradition than Christmas or Easter. After all, Jewish
tradition also held annual rituals of warding off evil spirits, or winds, with
the approach of major seasonal changes. As the Midrash teaches, “What is
the ritual of the barley offering? One waves the barley shoots in its season,
first inward and outward to ward off harsh winds that are harmful to the crops,
then upward and downward to ward off harsh rains that are harmful to the crops.
Others say, first inward and outward to the One to whom belongs all of the
universe, then upward and downward to the One to whom belongs both the Upper
Realms and Lower Realms.” Even the shofar that we blow so glibly these
days on Rosh Hashanah was to our ancestors an implement to ward off evil
forces. So if you must take your kids trick-or-treating, employ it as an
opportunity to introduce them to the richness of their own tradition.
Rabbi Gershon
Winkler
Walking Stick Foundation
What follows is an excerpt from a Shabbat-O-Gram piece I wrote a
couple of years ago, when the matter really came to a head – ie. When Halloween fell on Friday night. At that time the corresponding Torah
portion was also Noah, as it is this week, which led to some interesting
observations. You can find the full
essay at http://www.tbe.org/site/sog/031031.htm
along with links connecting Halloween to this week’s portion of Noah.
Challah-Ween?
The observance
of Halloween is not Jewish and many arguments pro and con about dressing up and
going door to door for candy have been made over the years. But there is no argument over the
importance of Shabbat in our tradition. This year, Halloween comes out on
Shabbat. This year's confluence of
October 31 with Friday night presents families (and synagogues) with a unique
opportunity to make a positive statement to their kids about Shabbat, while not
necessarily placing people into a position of conflict with the fun of
Halloween.
So this Friday
night at services we're going to celebrate Shabbat with a unique twist. One congregant suggested that we call it
"Challah-Ween." Whatever you choose to call it, please
come! Adults and children of all
ages are welcome to join us at our regular time of 6:30 -7:30 PM, and if you
happen to have a costume on because you are coming from trick-or-treating OR
going afterwards, we still want you to come by and spend Kabbalat Shabbat with
us. Cantor Jacobson and I are planning
a fun service, and we'll have plenty of candy here…I may even bring out
my favorite Jewish ghost story, “The Rabbi Who Was Turned into a
Werewolf.”
Another way
that has been suggested to embrace Shabbat while allowing your child to have
the "fun" of Halloween is to keep the NOAH theme (this week’s
portion) when choosing a costume.
So, did Scooby Doo have a place on
Noah’s
As you might be
able to tell, I come from the “lighten up” school of thought when
it comes to Halloween, although I do feel a far greater concern because of this
year’s confluence with Shabbat.
But the question as to whether or not Halloween is
“un-Jewish,” is far too complex to relegate to a few comments in a
Shabbat-O-Gram. So this Shabbat
morning I’m going to devote some time to the fascinating subject of
“Jew-sion,” the fusion of Judaism and
surrounding cultures. It’s a
perfect time to discuss this, because there is a clear connection between the
story of Noah (this week’s portion) and the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh,
as well as other ancient legends.
What is also
clear that, Gilgamesh aside, the Noah story has many universal themes. It shows clearly how the destiny of all
humankind is intertwined.
What Are the
Seven Laws of Noah?
I’ve always considered this
week’s portion of Noah to be the most universal of the entire Torah. In just a few chapters it speaks deeply
to what all human beings share: the
temptation to be violent and to control (which pervades even in the post flood
world of the Tower of Babel); the importance of communication, our fragility in
the face of nature’s tempests, the need to love all creatures, great and
small, and the mere fact that all of us, humans, animals and everything else
– we’re literally “on the same boat.”
The portion also refers to what later
rabbis called the “Seven Laws of the Descendents of Noah,” or Noahide Laws.
While Jews are responsible for all of the Torah’s 613
commandments, these seven apply to all of humanity. Here are the Wikipedia explanations of
all seven.
What’s most fascinating is a growing movement among non-Jews to embrace these laws. This month’s Moment magazine has an in-depth article about the phenomenon. Check it out at http://www.momentmag.com/features/oct06/2006-10_Noahides.html.
Finally, read Rabbi Yitz
Greenberg’s commentary on this week’s Haftarah at CLAL’s website.
(CLAL Haftorah This Week:
Noach)
“The world is established on the bedrock of a partnership of
committed love—covenant (brit, in
Hebrew). God's loving commitment is to establish and sustain a world of natural
law and order within which life can flourish. Humanity's loving commitment is
to create and nurture life, to build a better, more perfect world within the
natural order and with full respect for it.
This foundational partnership is the Noahide
covenant, made with Noah and his family—the ancestors of all
humanity—and with all living things (Genesis 9:8-11). The covenant
with Jewry is an extension of this universal pledge. Jewry—the
family of Abraham—is meant to be a pacesetter on humanity's
journey toward the promised perfection. The people,
Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunties
Beth El Cares
Cathy Satz (968-9191; csscounsel@yahoo.com)Cheryl Wolff (968-6361; cwolff@optonline.net)BETH EL CARES co-chairs
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Habitat
for Humanity is recruiting volunteers to assist with the planning and building of
6 to 9 housing units on West Main Street in Stamford (near the Kentucky Fried
Chicken). The actual timing of the building depends on site plan and other
approvals, but the ceremonial ground breaking should take place in October
2006. Please contact bknebal@habitatcfc.org
if you want to help in any way. Assistance is needed now in the formation
stages, as well as later with the building. Bob Knebel,
CEO, can tell you what jobs are available.
LOCKS OF LOVE HAIR DONATIONS CONTINUED
Any
one wishing to donate 10 or more inches of hair to Locks of Love can contact
Cathy or Cheryl for more information on how to donate and how to get your
before and after photo on the TBE web sit
Cheryl
Wolff
Cathy
Satz
A “Stunning”
Question
I
received this timely question this week from one of our college students, Geoff
Hainbach – timely because of that amazing portion of Noah and its concern
for the welfare of animals and the human treatment of all living beings. Stunning and mistreatment of animals in
Kosher slaughter has been in the news lately, because of a scandal at an
Dear
I was having a discussion with some friends the other day about the method of slaughtering a cow in order for it to be considered Kosher. Is the meat from a cow considered kosher if it has been stunned prior to cutting its throat and draining the blood? (Sorry for the graphic nature of the question.) I don't believe it is, but I was not positive about this. Additionally, is the answer the same in order for it to be cosidered kosher versus Glatt Kosher? Thanks for your help in answering these questions.
I
hope all is well with you and everyone back in
Regards,
Geoff
Geoffrey Hainbach
Columbian
The
Hi Geoff
Great questions – in fact,
I’d like to feature it in the Shabbat o gram if it’s OK with
you. I can do it anonymously if you
prefer. In any event, Glatt has
nothing to do with the method of slaughter, but rather the smoothness of the
lungs. It is a step above and
beyond the kashrut laws to ensure that there are no improper blemishes or
scars.
As for your “stunning”
question, I found a nice Conservative response that I’ve copied
below. The matter is complex
– it also ties into this week’s portion of Noah, which calls upon
us to be sensitive to all life.
Thanks again for the question and I hope
all is well. Keep me posted!
Rabbi H
http://judaism.about.com/od/kosherdietarylaws/f/stunning.htm
Q. Why aren't animals stunned first before they are ritually slaughtered?
A.
The laws of kosher slaughter (shechita) are designed
to be the most humane possible, preventing pain to living creatures (tza'ar ba'alei hayim), by a swift and immediate death.
If a kosher slaughterer (shochet) uses a properly
honed and sized knife for the animal in question (generally twice as long as
the diameter of the neck of the animal) and the knife severs with one motion
the trachea, esophagus, and blood vessels of the neck, then suffering should be
minimized. Properly executed and with the most modern equipment devised to
protect against violations of the fundamental laws of kosher slaughter, shechita will result in the animal dying within literally
seconds and then bleeding out maximally.
What we don't want to do, obviously, is to frighten, mishandle, or cause the
animal to struggle, for that would lead to emotional pain (tza'ar)
and it might also lead to defective slaughter (which would then be pointless if
the animal were not to be kosher meat). While shechita
isn't foolproof, it has been observed that the animals suffer as minimally as
possible when slaughter is done by trained and experienced shochtim.
Minimal suffering is the goal no less than a pronouncement that the meat is
kosher for not having violated the physical steps of shechita.
According to Rabbi Isaac Klein z"l of the
Conservative Movement, there has been discussion about stunning, by electricity
or anesthesia, for a number of years. Some have seen no objection to it, but
the overwhelming majority have ruled against it.
In my own limited experience, the use of a stun gun or a bullet frequently
doesn't actually stun or kill the animal; it actually can add to the animal's
pain and thrashing. Thus, stunning techniques aren't guaranteed to reduce
animal suffering.
In
my opinion, the best way to further reduce suffering is newly designed
equipment that facilitates an upright shechita. It
literally cradles the animal, prevents the head from falling, and thus makes it
unnecessary to invert the animal. I understand that many Orthodox authorities
have not yet approved this new implementation, and it is going to be expensive
for the slaughter houses to do so. But I believe that if the resulting meat is
as kosher physically and it is obtained in a more humane fashion, then we
should buy kosher meat from slaughter houses that use this new equipment.
I should add that recent films, study of the issue and a study of health rules
for the human being are urging me to consider a far more vegetarian way of
life. I already overwhelmingly eat fowl rather than beef. Rabbi Klein notes
that perhaps all of these regulations for kashrut were intended to promote a
vegetarian lifestyle. He suggests that perhaps God permitted us to eat meat as
a concession to our humanity, but that vegetarianism is really God's first
choice.
Why Synaplex?
The following comes from
the Synaplex Website: http://www.starsynagogue.org/SynaplexWhyThisApproach/
Responding to Changing Needs and Environment
The Synaplex™
initiative rests on quantitative and qualitative research, including lessons
learned from other synagogue transformation efforts. Key research findings that
inform Synaplex include:
·
No single approach or program to synagogue life will satisfy the
diverse needs and interests of the American Jewish community. Therefore,
synagogue initiatives need to be flexible in allowing for different kinds of
programs to match the diversity of spiritual, cultural and educational
interests of congregants and potential congregants.
·
Jewish identity is created within a community of shared meaning
and intimate groups, in which participants engage in high-quality experiences.
·
American Jews enter Jewish life through many Jewish portals:
study, social action, culture, spirituality, as well as prayer.
·
People undergo spiritual, emotional, cognitive and physical
developmental changes throughout their lives. What suits them at one stage of
life will not necessarily appeal to them at another stage. Thus, in their
programming, synagogues need to reflect these developmental changes.
·
For many today, synagogue membership is a process, and people
first need to experience the value of membership before they are ready to join.
Additionally, a high rate of mobility causes people to delay or abandon
synagogue membership.
·
A large percentage of Jews today identify as secular.
·
The Jewish community is highly diverse, characterized by new
family structures, including large numbers of singles, single-parent, gay and
lesbian, bi-racial, empty-nester and adoptive families.
The following research findings on Jewish “Millenials” (born between 1979 and 1994) and Gen X’ers (born between 1964 and 1979) that will impact
on synagogue affiliation include:
Gen X’ers and Millenials:
n
Have fewer memories of
Jewish family celebrations and fewer experiences of being in the synagogue with
their families.
n
Are less interested in
classical Jewish rituals.
n
Are accustomed to
self-directing their life choices.
n
Celebrate religious,
cultural and ethnic diversity and have weaker Jewish social bonds than did
their parents.
n
Value subjective spiritual
experiences as a way of knowing the world over traditional propositional
truths.
With these insights as a
foundation, STAR came up with an old idea and this weekend, we bring it here:
What is
Synaplex?
Synaplex™
is a way to celebrate simultaneously the many authentic expressions of Judaism
- learning, culture and gathering as well as prayer. Jews have a multitude of ways to participate
in Judaism and Jewish life; Synaplex™ brings them together in Jewish
"prime time," that is, in the synagogue on Shabbat.
Let’s
begin with GOOD NEWS from
From Peter
Abelow
(Who guided our
two most recent TBE Israel Tours)
Dear Family and Friends,
There was a fabulous article about Avi's film, HOMEGAME in the
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193509554&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Sincerely,
Peter
Real
life hoop dreams for Israel's Gaza evacuees
While media coverage of Israel's evacuation of 9,000 Jewish residents from the
Gaza Strip in the summer of 2005 focused on the political and physical struggle
between the government and its citizens, Israeli filmmaker Yaron
Shane and producer Avi Abelow chose to close in on
the human aspect with their new film Home Game. The documentary centers
on a high school basketball tournament taking place during the final days of
evacuation, and skillfully juxtaposes the struggles on the court and off. Listen to podcast here. More...
Culture | Israeli
Sci Fi and fantasy fans get
beamed up
It was geek heaven as young Israeli Sci Fi fans recently gathered for the tenth ICON Festival which
brought more than 5,000 enthusiasts to the Tel Aviv Cinemateque
for a four-day celebration of science fiction, fantasy and role-playing. With
more than 50 film screenings around the clock and plenty of original
Hebrew-speaking fare, the turnout and the energy displayed proved that although
science fiction has yet to take hold in mainstream Israeli culture, there are
still plenty of locals who know how to speak Klingon.
More...
Health | Israeli
innovation prevents need for frequent catheter replacement
Nothing about staying in the hospital is comfortable, but Israeli company Flexicath hopes to help relieve one of the most annoying
and painful experiences of an extended hospital stay - having an IV line
repeatedly inserted into your arm. Currently, in order to prevent inflammation
and infection, IV lines need to be changed every three days. Flexicath has solved that problem by developing an IV catheter
- the FirmGrip - that can be left in place for up to
20 days. More...
Technology | Taking
the danger out of nuclear energy
An ISRAEL21c series
The Israeli Energy Alternative
Many people are frightened at the mere mention of the word 'nuclear'. But with
skyrocketing fuel costs, the efficient and affordable solution of nuclear power
is impossible to ignore, and the controlled use of nuclear solutions for power
are spreading worldwide. At
now for the rest
Prime source: Daily Alert of the
See also http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.672581/k.CB99/Home.htm
The
Lieberman Perplex (the Forward)
By a curious coincidence of events and timing,
"Look
Who’s Talking to God"
"…the fact that three-quarters of the respondents say God speaks
through their own internal thoughts is cause for both approbation and
apprehension. If God sounds like us, how can we discern between reinforcing our
own desires and the more objective ‘voice’ of God?
‘That people think God sounds like them is quite beautiful,’
Hirschfield says. ’But if you hear God and he is always telling you what
you want to hear, you should be honest and say you are not listening to God
but, to yourself. Part of listening to God should be to occasionally be
surprised or unnerved. There should be moments of sacred surprise and growing
that comes from the discomfort of not always hearing what you want to
hear…’"
By Kimberly Winston (from Beliefnet.com)
Argentina
Charges Iran, Hizballah in 1994 Jewish Center Bombing
Argentine prosecutors have charged
U.S.
Wants Tougher Sanctions on Iran than Europeans Are Proposing - Edith M. Lederer
The U.S. indicated it wants tougher sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend
uranium enrichment than the measures in a UN resolution drafted by Britain,
France, and Germany. European diplomats said the proposed sanctions - banning
the sale of missile and nuclear technology to
In an attempt to win
Saudi Succession
Laws Overhauled - Magdi Abdelhadi
A new law of succession in Saudi Arabia was issued by King Abdullah last week
with the apparent aim of reducing uncertainty around the transfer of power in
the country. Abdullah has established a new body, the Allegiance Commission,
exclusively made up of male heirs to the founder of the kingdom, King Abdulaziz bin al-Saud, which will
have the job of ensuring the smooth transfer of power. This means that the
decision to choose the future ruler of the kingdom will no longer be in the
hands of one person alone - the king - but a group of princes. (BBC News)
See also New Saudi
Rules on Succession: Will They Fix the Problem? - Simon Henderson (Washington
Institute for Near East Policy)
News Resources -
· Attempt to
Smuggle Explosives from Gaza to West Bank Thwarted - Shmulik Hadad
Israeli security services in recent days thwarted an attempt to smuggle
explosives from Gaza through the Karni crossing, it
was released for publication Wednesday. Security forces discovered six kilos of
standard TNT hidden inside an iron cage used to transport goods from
Hamas
"Executive Forces" Recruiters Active in Bethlehem in West Bank - Najib Farag
According to Palestinian security sources, Hamas activists have begun
recruiting young Palestinians in the Bethlehem area for service in the
"Executive Forces." The recruiters have been able to attract numerous
young people, many of whom are former Fatah activists who have become
disgruntled with the movement. (
See also IDF Likely to Be Swept
Up in West Bank Struggle - Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is likely to escalate soon in light of
the Israel Defense Forces' decision to try to thwart the establishment of a
Hamas security service in the West Bank. In
Deadly
Hizballah Chess Match - James G. Zumwalt
Hizballah embarked on the wide-scale conversion of
private homes in southern
Hizballah had designed a tactical plan
calculated to maximize civilian casualties on both sides of the battlefield -
by design on the Israeli side in targeting its major population centers and by
consequence on the Lebanese side as
Lessons of the
War in Lebanon - Mark Helprin
The lessons for
The preeminent lesson is that
Will France Ever
Integrate Its Muslim Immigrants? - Matthew Kaminski
See also Masked
Vandals Set Buses on Fire in Paris Suburbs
Masked vandals set ablaze two buses near
Warnings to Israel on
Lebanon Overflights Linked to French Election
Campaign - Freddy Eytan (Maariv-Hebrew)
- "Israeli
overflights in Lebanon endanger our soldiers,"
UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini has
warned. Yet Gen. Pellegrini, who has served in
- He
did nothing to prevent the arming of Hizballah
or the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid, and tens
of tunnels and bunkers were built and thousands of rockets were launched
at
- It
is time to send the general home and end his one-sided reports, which do
little to contribute to peace in the area and result in misunderstandings
and unnecessary arguments.
- It
is clear to everyone that until UN Resolution 1701 is implemented in full,
and as long as there is still no serious oversight by UNIFIL over Hizballah, the Israeli Air Force must continue its
flights.
- We
should thank
ADULT ED CLASSES
“The Many Demensions of Jewish Prayer”
with
meets select Sunday mornings 9:00-10:00
am
Next meets on Nov. 5
Bimah 101:
Prepatory course for Adult Bar/ Bat Mitzvah
With Cantor
Meets weekly Sunday mornings 10:00-11:00
am
Judaism for Everyone
An Introductory Class for Dummies, Smarties…
and Those Who Don’t Know How to Ask
With
Meets weekly on select Sundays 11:00
am-12:00 pm
(A prerequisite for those who wish to join
the Beth El Adult Bar/ Bat Mitzvah Class.)
Fee: $50 for materials
This
week: What is the Torah – What is the Bible?
Beginners’ Hebrew class
Instructor:
Take advantage of this beginner/ class
to:
Become familiar with the Hebrew
alphabet
Improve your Hebrew reading fluency
Delve into a bit of modern Hebrew
Come explore the Hebrew language in a
relaxed group setting!
Meets weekly on Tuesday evenings at
7:30– 8:30 p.m.
Starting October 24th- December 12th
(total of eight sessions)
You are
cordially invited to Temple Beth El’s Annual Sisterhood
Paid Up Membership
Brunch
Featuring:
Mrs. Diane
Ferber-Collins
Diane
Ferber-Collins has an MBA in Marketing and is completing her Masters in School
Psychology. Finding herself at home
and noticing that there were many objects in her home that she was not using/did
not need/never opened, she began her EBAY garage sale odyssey. Today, Diane has
experience with what sells easily, will attract bidders, and insider tips to
share. She has taught an Ebay course to adults in the Darien Continuing Education
Program for several years, and brings that content to Beth El.
Also Featuring:
Brunch food
from Temple Beth El’s own cookbook.
Where:
Time: 10:00 a.m. –
12:00 p.m.
And please
consider joining Sisterhood if you haven’t joined already
Support our
Our featured
item:
The Sisterhood
Cookbook
Delicious Recipes!
Kosher! Family Favorites!
Already a TBE Best
Seller!
Are you going to a party? Some suggestions for hostess gifts: Wine bottle or wine glass coasters,
small jeweled boxes, pretty serving dishes, decorative dreidels...
REMEMBER, EVERYTHING IS DISCOUNTED 20% OFF RETAIL PRICES!!!
Hours: Sunday, 10:00 a.m. -
12:00 noon and Tuesday & Thursday, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE
Please join us for
TBE Progressive Dinner and
“Murder in the
Look for more information….
Please contact Cantor
Littman if you are interested in singing with our Adult Choir. The Adult
Choir is not JUST for the High Holy Days.
We continue to learn music together, develop our voices, and plan for
future performances. Cantor Rachael
Littman, 322-6901, ext. 303 or cantor@tbe.org.
Attention students from
3rd – 12th grade: Cantor Littman will soon be holding
auditions for TBE’s Youth Choir. Anyone interested please contact the
Cantor, 322-6901, ext. 303 or cantor@tbe.org.
COLLEGE STUDENTS!
Come One,
Come All on November 12
Register for Tapestry, a community wide evening of adult education
SYNAPLEX at TBE
5767
Friday, December 8 -
Synaplex Shabbat
Exotic
multi-cultural Shabbat dinner celebrating the new Sisterhood Cookbook,
New Member Shabbat,
December Dilemma, Themes: Diversity and Hospitality,
Elise Klein of
“Bridges” is our keynote speaker
Friday and Sat. January
19 and 20 - Synaplex Shabbat/Shabbat Unplugged
Scholar in
Residence Dr. Benjamin Gampel
Fri and Sat.
February 9 and 10 - Synaplex Shabbat
Sisterhood Shabbat
Scholar in
Residence, Rabbi Burt Visotzky
Havdalah
Unplugged
Friday March 9 - Synaplex
Shabbat, Shabbat Unplugged,
Shabbat, April 7
– Beth El Cares Synaplex Shabbat - Passover
Friday May 3 -
Synaplex Shabbat/Shabbat Across
Friday, May 10
– Synaplex Shabbat/Shabbat Unplugged
Shabbat, June 23
-Synaplex Shabbat, adult b’nai mitzvah
Download a volunteer form at
http://www.tbe.org/site/sog/SynaplexVolunteerPackage.htm
or Click
here for the Volunteer Form
contact our Synaplex committee at
Fill it out and send it back – and join the dozens
who have already stepped forward!
And for more general information about Synaplex,
go to www.starsynagogue.org
Learning and Latte at Borders
featuring Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Rev. Douglas McArthur and Dr. Behjat Syed
This year’s topic:
“Moral Dilemmas for a World in Crisis”
Join us as we engage in friendly dialogue about some of the hot-button issues of the day.
Meets on the second Tuesday of each month (except November), from 7:30-8:30 PM, October-May
Topics (subject to last-minute adjustment to keep up with the headlines)
Nov. 21 – Can an enemy become a friend? When is forgiveness possible? To what ends must we go to achieve peace? What does it mean to love your neighbor?
Dec. 12 – What comes first, loyalty to one’s country, or loyalty to one’s faith?
Jan. 9 – When does life begin and what happens to the soul after life ends?
Feb. 13 - Can other religions be “true?” How can pluralism work for the believer?
March 13 – Is sexuality good, evil or neither? What are the worst “sins” for our traditions?
April 10 – What are different ways of imagining God in our traditions? How does God show love?
May 8 – What is the future of religion in
LIFE FORCE : A Shoah Love Story
A play by
Tamar Gershberg , Mary Lee Grisanti
, and Michael Limone
My name is Mary Lee Grisanti,
I teach in the UConn English Department (
A few years ago, writer Tamar Gershberg and I were given grants by the CT Commission on the
Arts and Stamford Cultural Development Corp. to develop a drama from the
memoirs of Tamar's uncle, Willi Tannenbaum,
written in the first few months after his liberation from
Most of our public high school students
know little of the Holocaust. In order to make sure that their work is deeply
informed and sensitive, their teachers, parents and other community partners
have committed to giving the students intensive Holocaust education. In
the future, we hope to take the production to more schools.
Willi, the son of a Hasidic family from Tarnow who ran away to live the cabaret life in pre-war
Berlin, survived the Holocaust because of his excellent knowledge of languages,
and his gregarious and principled personality. He escaped the first year of the
war on Aryan papers with the help of a compassionate German woman who loved
him. But when he saw the immensity of what was happening, Willi
returned to his family in
LIFE FORCE is a true example of how stories
come to life in community. Please join us.
LIFE
FORCE: A Shoah Love Story
November 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 8 pm and
Sunday, November 12 at 2pm
Check out the photos of our recent car wash and barbecue
programs at www.tbe.org!
Sunday, October 29th
KADIMA
is the 6th – 8th Grade Youth Group
RSVP by Wednesday,
October 25th
By emailing:
Synaplex Premier Wekend
For USY
Where?
Temple Beth-El
What?
10:00 a.m.
USY Teen Services
No need to wait for the Wailing Wall!
Get out of bed and join us for services led by your
friends. Sing, pray and be merry!
11:20 a.m. Storahtelling
A radical fusion of storytelling, Torah, contemporary
art and traditional ritual theatre.
Not to be missed!
Perhaps
Here are some excerpts:
Kishon 1924-2005
Ephraim Kishon, one of
He made his name as an outsider, a bourgeois
individualist immigrant during the decades when the main thrust of Israeli
society was socialist, communal, and sabra. Through
his essays he helped give voice to the perplexities of olim
from all over, including and especially the mizrahim
whose culture and background were utterly alien to his own.
Kishon
came to
With his early satirical essays, Kishon
became a master at lampooning the foibles of Israeli society: the high taxes
and overarching government bureaucracy, the rudeness of the inhabitants, and
especially the rampant Israeli tendency to do everything half-assed, a trait he
called partatch. In one of his most famous
books, Kishon elaborated on the theme of partach by describing the inhabitants of a country
called Upper Partatchia, located "on the eastern
end of the
One common characteristic of the average partatchi is his hostility to instructions. If he
sees a box labeled "This way up", he turns it upside down. If the box
has a big red warning "Fragile!", he tosses it up to the top shelves,
puts his fingers in his ears, and steps aside. If the label says "Store in
a cool, dry place", he places the thingie on top
of the boiler. Nothing will happen, since the boiler doesn't work anyway. He
rang up Stokes two months ago, but the plumber never came. So he gave the
boiler a new coat of paint.
The purebreed partachi loves fresh paint. If something is dirty,
he paints it. If it is rusted, another coat. For repairs that call for welding,
he prefers white glue and uses scotch tape instead of bolts. If he does decide
to use bolts then only one, two maximum. It will hold.
The partachi eats
noisily, walks noisily, talks noisily. Complains about the noise. If his
television set squeaks, he calls the technician. The technician tells him to
try and raise one side up. He raises the side and the noise stops. He places a
matchbox underneath the left side. If the noise starts up again, he replaces
the matchbox. Or hits the television. On the side and on top, a couple of
smacks with the palm of the hand. In general, if something breaks, the partatchi hits it. If it doesn't work, he waits a
couple of days and hits it again.
...
The products in
...
The partachi language is filled with its own
unique expressions. Yehiyeh beseder ("It will be okay") means disaster.
"Trust me" implies that the thing is impossible. "Soon"
means two hours from now. "A day or two" means a year. "After the
holidays," never. If a partachi wants to
refuse something, he says "give me a call."
(YNet has the whole essay up in Hebrew. If
I get the chance, I will try to translate it in full for Friday).
Kishon
became one of
The partatch that Kishon describes is still with us here. Perhaps things
aren't as bad as they used to be in the '50s and '60s. At least I hope they
aren't as bad. But he gave Israelis a new way of looking at themselves, and for
that he should always be remembered.
Previous Shabbat-O-Grams can be accessed directly from our web site
(www.tbe.org)
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