November 3, 2006 –
Heshvan 13, 5767
Thank you to all who made
last week’s
inaugural Synaplex Shabbat
so successful.
If you have not yet filled out the
Synaplex survey,
please take a few moments
to do so, at
http://www.insightexpress.com/s/Temp109227
Check our website at www.tbe.org for 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
FOR ELECTION DAY…
“These three things are always
here.
Just to be is a blessing.
Just to live is holy.
Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy of Priests,
would often say,
“Pray for the welfare of the
government,
for were it not for the fear of it,
people would swallow each other
alive.”
Pirke Avot 3:2
Friday Evening
Candle
lighting: 4:30 pm pm on Friday, 4
November 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/
Shabbat Evening
service: 6:30 PM– in the sanctuary. This week, we will be combining our regular
service with our 6th grade class. Following the service, the 6th
grade families will have their class dinner.
Tot Shabbat – 6:45 PM – in the chapel
Shabbat
Morning: 9:30 AM– on Shabbat, we celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Jonathan
Karp. Mazal tov to him and to his parents
Sharon and Doug Karp!
Children’s services: 10:30 AM – (jr.
congregation service in the chapel, Tot Shabbat morning downstairs. 6th
and 7th graders not on the Shabbaton are expected to be in the main
sanctuary)
Saturday Mincha and Havdalah – 4:00 PM – This Shabbat afternoon we celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Jake Levensohn, son of Hope and Peter Levensohn. Mazal tov to all!
Our Torah
Reading for Shabbat Morning
Parashat Lech-Lecha
פרשת
לך־לך
Genesis 12:1 - 17:27 – The Abraham
Saga Begins…
1: 16:1-6
2: 16:7-9
3: 16:10-16
4: 17:1-6
5: 17:7-17
6: 17:18-23
7: 17:24-27
maf: 17:24-27
Haftarah Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16
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!
We’ve had a special request for a
guaranteed minyan on Sunday Nov. 5 at 9:30 and for Tues. Nov. 7 at 7:30.
Please sign up at the Rosner Minyan Maker at www.tbe.org
The
(occasionally)
Today marks the
11th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. It is especially sobering to consider
how hopeful we were back then and how bleak are the hopes for peace now. Whether or not the hopes of November 4,
1995 were misplaced is a matter for conjecture, but there are many who believe
to this day that had Rabin lived, history would have turned out quite
differently.
Read about that
dark chapter in the Jewish Virtual Library, at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/rabinass.html
Below is an
excerpt from my column in this week’s Jewish Week…
http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=5471
|
(11/03/2006) |
|
‘Power
To The Person’ |
|
Joshua
Hammerman |
|
In case you missed it, we have entered the Era of the Individual.
Groupthink is yesterday’s news. Mass culture is over. Thomas Friedman
proclaimed it in his recent best seller, “The World is Flat.” “It just happened — right
around the year 2000 … people all over the world started waking up and
realizing that they had more power than ever to go global as
individuals.” |
|
|
Synaplex…
the morning
after…the month before
The beauty of the Synaplex Shabbats that we began
last week is that, unlike other valuable events, we won’t have to wait a
year for the next one to happen. In
fact, the next one is only a month away.
More details about that elsewhere.
I’m finding that many people who had held some reservations about
the idea became full-fledged converts last week. It was pretty hard not to be enthusiastic about the idea when so many hundreds of
people found their way to meaningful Jewish experiences on Shabbat in a
synagogue.
Anyway, given that people might now be more able to
understand what we were trying to do, here is what the people at Synaplex say
about why this project has become so important:
The
Challenge Synaplex Addresses
There is an old
saying, “If we don’t change our direction, we’ll end up where
we’re headed.” The funders of Synaplex looked at the trends, talked
with the experts, and came to the undeniable conclusion that if American
synagogues were to succeed in bringing more people back to synagogue on
Shabbat, they would benefit from making some “direction adjustments.”
The statistics
are sobering:
- 52 percent of
American Jews do not believe in God [1]
- American Jews are
demographically endangered [2]
And, according to
research on Jewish “Millenials” and Gen X’ers, [3]
the diversity in the population is only going to magnify. The
research indicates that members of these two generations:
- have fewer
memories of Jewish family celebrations and fewer experiences of being in
the synagogue with their families
- are less
interested in classical Jewish rituals
- are accustomed to
self-directing their life choices
- celebrate
religious, cultural and ethnic diversity and have weaker Jewish social
bonds than did their parents
- value subjective
spiritual experiences as a way of knowing the world over traditional
propositional truths
What we know about American Jews
- American Jews
enter Jewish life through many Jewish portals: study, social action,
culture, spiritual, 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
- a large
percentage of Jews today identify as secular
Not relishing the
direction these statistics were taking American synagogues, STAR funders
decided it was time for a new direction.
Synaplex is
designed to help synagogues better serve the Jewish community’s diverse
population of new family structures, including but not limited to: large
numbers of singles, single-parent, gay and lesbian, bi-racial, empty-nester and
adoptive families. Greater diversity means no single approach or program will
satisfy the needs and interests of the American Jewish community.
What Synaplex Believes
Synaplex believes
that Jewish identity is created within a community of shared meaning and
intimate groups, in which participants engage in high-quality
experiences.
Synaplex believes
synagogues should facilitate that community building by offering flexible
programming to match the diversity of spiritual, cultural and educational
interests of congregants and potential congregants.
Synaplex believes
synagogue involvement is a process, and people first need to experience the
value of belonging before they are ready to join.
[1] Harris Interactive Survey, 2003
[2] National Jewish Population Survey, 2000-2001
[3] Millenials (born between 1979 and 1994)
Gen X’ers (born between
1964-1979)
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
What Was Kristallnacht?
This coming
week we mark the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, when
many say the Holocaust really began.
Here is some background on this tragic anf foreboding night, excerpted
from the Jewish Virtual Library. To
see the full article, go to:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/kristallnacht.html
Almost immediately upon assuming the Chancellorship of
Germany, Hitler
began promulgating legal actions against
In the first half of 1938, numerous laws were passed
restricting Jewish economic activity and occupational opportunities. In July,
1938, a law was passed (effective January 1, 1939) requiring all Jews to carry
identification cards. On October 28, 17,000 Jews of Polish citizenship, many of
whom had been living in Germany for decades, were arrested and relocated across
the Polish border. The Polish government refused to admit them so they were
interned in "relocation camps" on the Polish frontier.
Germans pass broken window of Jewish-owned
shop (USHMM Photo).
|
|
|
Among the deportees was Zindel Grynszpan, who had been
born in western
Zindel Grynszpan's seventeen-year-old son, Herschel,
was living with an uncle in
The assassination provided Joseph
Goebbels, Hitler's Chief of Propaganda, with the excuse he needed to launch
a pogrom against German Jews. Grynszpan's attack was
interpreted by Goebbels as a conspiratorial attack by "International
Jewry" against the Reich and, symbolically, against the Fuehrer himself.
This pogrom has come to be called Kristallnacht, "the Night of
Broken Glass."
On the nights of November 9 and 10, rampaging mobs
throughout
The burning of the synagogue in Ober Ramstadt (USHMM Photo).
|
|
|
The official German position on these events, which
were clearly orchestrated by Goebbels,
was that they were spontaneous outbursts. The Fuehrer,
Goebbels
reported to Party officials in
Three days later, on November 12, Hermann
Goering called a meeting of the top Nazi leadership to assess the damage
done during the night and place responsibility for it. Present
at the meeting were Goering,
Goebbels,
Reinhard Heydrich, Walter Funk and other ranking Nazi officials. The intent of this meeting was two-fold: to make the Jews
responsible for Kristallnacht and to use the events of the preceding
days as a rationale for promulgating a series of antisemitic laws which would,
in effect, remove Jews from the German economy. An interpretive transcript of
this meeting is provided by Robert Conot, Justice at
'Gentlemen! Today's meeting is of a decisive nature,' Goering
announced. 'I have received a letter written on the
Fuehrer's orders requesting that the Jewish question be now, once and for all,
coordinated and solved one way or another.'
'Since the problem is mainly an economic one, it is
from the economic angle it shall have to be tackled. Because, gentlemen, I have
had enough of these demonstrations! They don't harm the Jew but me, who is the
final authority for coordinating the German economy. `If today a Jewish shop is
destroyed, if goods are thrown into the street, the insurance companies will
pay for the damages; and, furthermore, consumer goods belonging to the people
are destroyed. If in the future, demonstrations which are necessary occur,
then, I pray, that they be directed so as not to hurt us.
'Because it's insane to clean out and burn a Jewish
warehouse, then have a German insurance company make good the loss. And the
goods which I need desperately, whole bales of clothing and whatnot, are being
burned. And I miss them everywhere. I may as well burn the raw materials before
they arrive.
'I should not want to leave any doubt, gentlemen, as
to the aim of today's meeting. We have not come together merely to talk again,
but to make decisions, and I implore competent agencies to take all measures
for the elimination of the Jew from the German economy, and to submit them to
me.'
It was decided at the meeting that, since Jews were to
blame for these events, they be held legally and financially responsible for
the damages incurred by the pogrom. Accordingly, a "fine of 1 billion
marks was levied for the slaying of Vom Rath, and 6 million marks paid by
insurance companies for broken windows was to be given to the state coffers.
(Snyder, Louis L. Encyclopedia
of the Third Reich.
Kristallnacht
turns out to be a crucial turning point in German policy regarding the Jews and
may be considered as the actual
beginning of what is now called the Holocaust.
1.
By now it is
clear to Hitler and his top advisors that forced immigration of Jews out of the
Reich is not a feasible option.
2.
Hitler is already
considering the invasion of
3.
Numerous
concentration camps and forced labor camps are already in operation.
4.
The Nuremberg
Laws are in place.
5.
The doctrine of lebensraum
has emerged as a guiding principle of Hitler's ideology. And,
6.
The passivity of
the German people in the face of the events of Kristallnacht made it
clear that the Nazis would encounter little opposition—even from the
German churches.
Following the meeting, a wide-ranging set of
antisemitic laws were passed which had the clear intent, in Goering's words, of
"Aryanizing" the German economy. Over the next two or three months,
the following measures were put into effect (cf., Burleigh and Wippermann, The
Racial State: Germany, 1933-1945. NY:
1.
Jews were
required to turn over all precious metals to the government.
2.
Pensions for Jews
dismissed from civil service jobs were arbitrarily reduced.
3.
Jewish-owned
bonds, stocks, jewelry and art works can be alienated only to the German state.
4.
Jews were
physically segregated within German towns.
5.
A ban on the
Jewish ownership of carrier pigeons.
6.
The suspension of
Jewish driver's licenses.
7.
The confiscation
of Jewish-owned radios.
8.
A curfew to keep
Jews of the streets between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. in the summer and 8:00 p.m.
and 6:00 a.m. in the winter.
9.
Laws protecting
tenants were made non-applicable to Jewish tenants.
10. [Perhaps to help insure the Jews could not fight back
in the future, the Minister of the Interior issued regulations against Jews'
possession of weapons on November 11. This prohibited Jews from
"acquiring, possessing, and carrying firearms and ammunition, as well as truncheons
or stabbing weapons. Those now possessing weapons and ammunition are at once to
turn them over to the local police authority."]
One final note on the November 12 meeting is of
critical importance. In the meeting, Goering
announced, "I have received a letter written on the Fuehrer's orders
requesting that the Jewish question be now, once and for all, coordinated and
solved one way or another." The path to the “Final
Solution” has now been chosen. And, all the
bureaucratic mechanisms for its implementation were now in place.
What are the
Jewish issues
in next week’s elections?
While a
religious institution cannot endorse candidates, it is important that we help
people to understand the issues involved and to go out and vote. Here are some sites that present those
issues from varying political perspectives and from Jewish angles.
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2006/11/01/jews-elections-and-parties/
(a conservative approach)
http://rac.org/index.cfm?
Aipac’s web site (http://www.aipac.org/)
gives lots of info on matters of concern to Jews and to
Stop
In response to
Blocking Hizballah
Terrorism
In the aftermath of the war between Israel and the terrorist group
Hizballah, Congress has overwhelmingly passed a resolution that calls on the
international community to ensure that Iran and Syria are not allowed to rearm
Hizballah and urges the Lebanese government to request that international
troops help monitor its border with Syria. Introduced by Reps. Tom Lantos
(D-CA), Henry Hyde (R-IL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Gary Ackerman (D-NY),
the bill urges the international community to insist upon the full
implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for
disarming Hizballah and empowering the Lebanese government. Passed in the House
by a vote of 411-5, the resolution further commends Lebanese Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora and his government for deploying the country’s armed forces
to the border with
Sanctioning
While the President has already imposed some sanctions on Syria under
the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003,
increased pressure on Syria from additional U.S. sanctions is needed to hold
the Syrian regime accountable for its continuing support of terrorism. Reps.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) led 115 House Members in
sending a letter to the president urging him to impose the full range of
potential
Outlawing Hizballah
Despite Hizballah’s recent wave of attacks on Israeli civilians,
the European Union (EU) has failed to add the heavily armed terrorist network
to its list of terror groups, allowing it to raise funds throughout the
continent. In letters to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, more than 200
members of the House and 88 senators have urged the EU to reverse this policy.
The House letter, signed by 209 lawmakers, was led by Reps. Elton Gallegly
(R-CA) and Robert Wexler (D-FL), while the Senate letter was led by Sens.
Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Bill Nelson (D-FL). Please thank your members of
Congress for urging the EU to take action to isolate Hizballah.
Stand By
After Hizballah and Hamas launched unprovoked strikes against Israel,
the House and Senate passed resolutions condemning the terrorist
organizations—along with their state sponsors, Iran and Syria—and
backing Israel’s right to defend itself against their attacks. The
resolutions, sponsored by bipartisan leaders in both chambers, also call for
Hizballah to be disarmed and for the full weight of American financial,
diplomatic and economic sanctions to be imposed on
Prohibit Aid to
Hamas
The Palestinian government is now controlled by Hamas, a terrorist
organization that has refused to renounce violence, recognize
Support Foreign Aid
to
For decades, presidents and lawmakers of both parties have backed aid
to
Let’s
begin with GOOD NEWS from
Global
Democracy | Blue-and-white
turns green as Israel forges an alternative energy future
Celebrating 5 years - Environment
It's not easy being green, but Israeli society has made significant strides
towards greater environmental awareness over the past five years. Not only has
there been a revolution in the way Israelis relate to their environment and
legislate environmental policy, but there has also been a breakout of Israeli
innovators who have become pioneers in creating protective technologies that
are cleaning our environment and developing alternative forms of energy. More...
Health
| From
new ideas to Nobel prizes, Israeli university research sets the pace
Celebrating 5 years - Research
Innovation at Israeli universities is nothing new. But
what has rapidly improved over the last five years has been the journey from
research lab to the marketplace. The blossoming and expansion of technology
transfer companies - businesses housed on campus that are devoted to taking the
products of the university's minds and presenting them to the world - has
flourished with the end result being medicines and devices ranging from
multiple sclerosis drugs to satellite communication 'smart cards' making their
way into American homes and offices. And with four Nobel Prize winners to its
credit in the last five years, Israeli universities have a lot to be proud
of. More...
Culture
| Israeli
rockers to light up NY indie showcase
The CMJ Music Marathon - the American independent rock music annual showcase in
New York City - is going to have an Israeli accent this year.
Four acts from Tel Aviv will rock
Culture | Real life hoop dreams for Israel's Gaza evacuees
Israel Plans
Elephant Park (JTA)
From Masorti
The Masorti (Conservative) Movement in
Rabbi Schlesinger’s religious roots were not in the Conservative
Movement. He grew up in an Orthodox family in
He became director of the
“I will dedicate my term to strengthening the Conservative Movement and
Masorti rabbinate in
Since the Rabbinical Assembly’s founding in 1901, it has been the
creative force shaping the ideology, programs, and practices of the
Conservative movement and is committed to building and strengthening the
totality of Jewish life. Rabbis of the Assembly serve congregations
throughout the world, and also work as educators, officers of communal service
organizations, and college, hospital, and military chaplains.
Rabbi Schlesinger will replace Rabbi Peretz Rodman who served as the President
of the Rabbinical Assembly in
If you are interested in learning more about the Masorti Movement, please
contact:
Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 832
New York, NY 10115-0068
1.212.870.2216
1.877.287.7414 toll-free
www.masorti.org
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
A New Road for
Israel - Avigdor Lieberman
To the editor of the New York Times: Your editorial got it wrong. The
See also The Wrong
Partner in Israel - Editorial (New York Times)
Scenes
from the Jihad - Jeff Jacoby
At this point in the war against radical Islam, the radicals are on the march. From Ahmadinejad's swagger to Hizballah's war on
Radical Islam is not going away. Like Nazism and communism, it is
an ideology that produces the systemic murder of innocents. Like those earlier
totalitarianisms, it will go on murdering until it is crushed. Like them, it is
impervious to appeasement and contemptuous of weakness. The longer Americans
sleep, the farther the jihad advances. (
Lebanon War
Reaffirms Arab World's "Resistance" Doctrine - Ehud Yaari (Washington Institute for
Near East Policy)
- Militarily,
- The perception that
- The muqawama doctrine does not
call for the strengthening of armies to compete against adversaries' armed
forces. Instead, it calls for battles to be waged against civilian
populations.
- Israel's neighbors - Syria, Egypt,
Jordan, and the Palestinians - have all been threatened by the possibility
that nonstate actors will hijack their foreign and domestic policy
agendas. The fact that
- The goals of the muqawama
doctrine are not achieved through the defense of a single, national
territory, but rather through a continual wearing down of the enemy
morally, physically, and psychologically.
PA
Income Down 60% Since Hamas Took Power (AP/International Herald Tribune)
The Palestinian Authority's income fell by 60% after Hamas took
power in March, even as the government payroll expanded, creating an
increasingly unsustainable situation, the International Monetary Fund reported
Wednesday.
Between April and September, the
government took in just $500 million, down from more than $1.2 billion in the
same period in 2005.
The report said the number of PA civil servants grew by 5,400
this year, to more than 142,000 in mid-June.
Most of the hiring took place in the security services, and some
20,000 new recruits are currently being trained and could be added to the
payroll in the future.
It now costs about $100 million a month to cover salaries for
government workers, compared to about $80 million a month in mid-2005. The
increase is also due to a generous across-the-board pay increase in late 2005.
Economist Samir Hleileh, who served as Palestinian Cabinet
secretary before Hamas came to power, warned that the current system of
payments is setting back years of financial reform carried out by former
Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, who had set up a single Treasury account to
clean up rampant mismanagement and corruption.
Palestinian
Emigration on the Rise (Jerusalem
Post)
Palestinians are leaving the territories due to the harsh
security and economic situation there, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on
Wednesday.
Ahmed Suboh, a Palestinian Foreign
Ministry official, said that over the last four months, foreign and Arab
diplomats in the territories have authorized 10,000 Palestinians to enter their
countries, and that some 45,000 additional emigration requests were currently
being evaluated.
Egyptians See
Israel, Denmark, U.S. as Enemies
(AFP/Ynet News)
A poll made public on Wednesday by an Egyptian state institute
showed that 92% of Egyptians see
60% say
Countries crowned as "friends" of
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:
When: This
Sunday, November 5, 2006
Time: 10:00 a.m. –
12:00 p.m.
And please
consider joining Sisterhood if you haven’t joined already
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.
22nd Annual Harold Hoffman Memorial
Lecture
Guest lecturer: Peter Bergen
Best Selling Author and Terorrism Expert for CNN
Tuesday, November 14
at 8:00 PM
Topic:
Osama bin Laden, History’s Most Successful
Terrorist
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!!!
Shopping
hours: Sunday mornings, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Weekday
shopping by appointment.
To
schedule an appointment, please call
ISRAELI MOVIE NIGHT at TBE
Sat. NOV. 11 @ 8 PM -
In
"The Syrian Bride"
(2005)
delves into the fascinating culture of the Druse in
Refreshments and popcorn will be served:
TBE Progressive Dinner and
“Murder in the
We are proud to present the first fundraising event of the
season: The
Choose from of a wide selection of congregants' homes and
delectable cuisines for dinner, and then join us for coffee and dessert at the
All adults are welcome!
Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. and the
This year we are trying something new: we've gone electronic! Please note that because we are trying
to conserve paper and costs, you will not be receiving an invitation in the
mail for this event. Instead, it is
very important to open all the attachments by following the links below:
For the Invitation, please click here:
http://www.tbe.org/site/docs/ProgressiveDinnerInvite.pdf
For the Brochure of Dinner Venues, please click here:
http://www.tbe.org/site/docs/ProgressiveDinnerBrochure.pdf
For the Preference Form, please click here:
http://www.tbe.org/site/docs/ProgressiveDinnerRequestForm.pdf
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to
contact Scott Allen <mailto:AllenS@nypbt.com>
or <mailto:scottallen008@yahoo.com> ; Elissa Hyman <mailto:ehyman@optonline.net>.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Scott Allen
Elissa Hyman
Co-chairs for the TBE Progressive Dinner
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
Not as long as a Shabbaton,
Not as short as yesterday's great bowling event...
Kadima's
3rd Annual Election Day Sleepover
Sleepovers seem to be high up on the kids list of
things they would like to do with Kadima this year,
so we thought it would make sense to take advantage of
the long weekend.
(Reminder: Kadima is the 6th-8th grade youth group)
Please see the attached flier for
details and RSVP soon. It will be one of the highlights of the year!
Thanks!
Edoe Cohen
Temple Beth-El Youth Advisor
In case you have trouble with the flier:
What: Sleepover with games, snacks, movies and more.
Where: Temple Beth-El
When: Monday - Tuesday, November 6th-7th, 8pm - 10am
Price: $10
Sleeping over is not mandatory - kids can be picked up before the night is
up if they prefer to sleep at home.
Please RSVP no later than this Friday, Nov. 3rd by replying to this
email.
Sunday, November 19th
Come join Jewish teens for an exciting adventure into
Go to www.jewtopiaplay.com for more details on the play.
Time: Meet
at the
We will arrive back to
Cost: $60
per person, this includes the show, train, and subway. Bring extra cash for
food or you can bring a bag lunch.
Space is limited so send your checks in ASAP
All checks are due by November 10th
Please make all checks payable to Temple Beth El
Email Edoe Cohen edoecohen@gmail.com to RSVP
Hats Off!
A Rabbi was walking, slowly, out of a shul in
"I don't think I could have retrieved my hat by myself," said the
Rabbi. "Thank you very much!" He then placed his hand on the man's
shoulder and said, "May God bless you."
The young man thought to himself, "I've been blessed by the Rabbi, this
must be my lucky day!" He decided then and there to go to the racetrack.
In the first race he noticed a horse named 'Stetson' at 20 to 1. He bet $50
and, sure enough, the horse came in first. In the second race, a horse named
'Fedora' was at 30 to 1, so he bet all his money on that horse. Fedora came in
first, as well.
At the end of the day the man returned home to his wife. She asked him where
he'd been. He explained about catching the Rabbi's hat, and being blessed by
him, and how he then went to the track and did so well betting on horses named
after hats.
"So where's the money?" she said.
"I lost it all in the ninth race. I bet on a horse named 'Chateau' and it
lost."
"You fool," exclaimed his wife, 'Chateau' is a house, 'chapeau' is a
hat!"
"It doesn't matter," he said, "the winner was some Japanese
horse named 'Yarmulka'."
Previous Shabbat-O-Grams can be accessed directly from our web site
(www.tbe.org)
To be removed from this mailing list, send an e-mail request
to office@tbe.org