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