October 12, 2007

Rosh Hodesh Heshvan, 5768

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

Happy 95^th Birthday, Frank Rosner!

Mazal tov to Michael Sosnick (an parents Miriam and Steven), who becomes Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat morning, and to Donna Sweidan-Swartz and Michael Swartz on the naming of their daughter, Lila Faye.

You’ll note a slight change in format with the Shabbat-O-Gram. Program announcements and the service schedule are now being sent out by our office on Thursday. My thanks to Steve Lander and our office staff for taking on this important task and reworking our web-mail system so that we can send announcements out in a more attractive format and in a timely manner. This now frees up the Shabbat-O-Gram (and its author) to be able to focus exclusively on editorial content. There will be some overlap (e.g. some mitzvah projects, which will also continue to be featured here), but the two mailings should be seen as complementary – and much more easily digestible. If you wish to have a congregational or community event publicized, please send the information directly to Steve and to our office. Thank you!

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

Ask the Rabbi

Spiritual Journey on the Web

The Beth El Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary

Required Reading and Action Items (links to key articles on Israel and Jewish life)

Joke for the Week

SYNAPLEX RETURNS ON NOVEMBER 2-3!!!

Check our website at www.tbe.org

for the complete November Synaplex Schedule:

And check out our new,

TBE Youth Website,

at http://tbeyouth.com/

Quote for the Week

Writing is one of the easiest things.

Erasing is one of the hardest.

—Rabbi Israel Salanter

JUST THE FACTS

Candle lighting: 6:01 pm on Friday, 12 October 2007. For Havdalah 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/. The United Synagogue has updated its candlelighting information. To learn more, click here.

THE FULL SERVICE SCHEDULE NOW APPEARS ON THE SEPARATE TBE ANNOUNCEMENTS E-MAIL SENT OUT ON THURSDAY

Shabbat Services: 6:30 Friday night, 9:30 Shabbat morning, 10:30 children’s services

Morning Minyan: 7:30 Weekdays, 9:30 Sundays

TO ENSURE A “GUARANTEED MINYAN” FOR THE DAY OF YOUR YAHRZEIT – GO TO THE ROSNER MINYAN MAKER AT WWW.TBE.ORG AND THEN NOTIFY OUR OFFICE.

Torah Reading For Shabbat Morning

Parashat Noach
נח פרשת

Genesis 6:9 - 11:32

1: 6:9-16
2: 6:17-19
3: 6:20-22
4: 7:1-9
5: 7:10-16
6: 7:17-24
7: 8:1-14

On Shabbat Rosh Chodesh
maf: Numbers 28:9-15 (7 p'sukim)

Haftarah for Shabbat Rosh Chodesh / Isaiah 66:1 - 66:24)

The

(occasionally)

Ranting Rabbi

Here is a Post-holidays report from Asia sent exclusively for the Shabbat-o-Gram by David Rodwin (who brings much nachas to the Rodwin and Bloch families of TBE, to whom he is related!) David is traveling this year on behalf of the American Jewish World Service.

The New Year and Yom Kippur in an Unlikely Place

By David Rodwin

“Khamasa Gate, Yehudi church,” I told the auto rickshaw driver. “Yehudi chuch.” He hadn’t responded when I said “Jewish temple,” or “Yehudi temple,” or even “Yehudi mandayr,” which means “Jewish temple” in Hindi.

“Ahh,” he said as recognition finally showed on his face. “Yehudi church! Khamasa, Khamasa. OK.”

I was trying to get to the only synagogue within several hundred miles, a place called Magen Avraham located in Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat state, India.

It was Saturday, September 22^nd, Yom Kippur. A week or so previous, I had found the congregation’s website, and scribbled down the name and address. The two other American Jewish World Service (AJWS) volunteers placed in Gujarat—though not near me—said they would meet me at the shul.

I was excited to participate in a Yom Kippur service—something familiar in such an unfamiliar place—but I didn’t know quite what to expect. Would the congregation be primarily foreign ex-pats, or a local community? I hadn’t had time to explore the website, so I had no idea.

The auto rickshaw pulled onto a bustling commercial street, full of Hindus and Muslims doing their normal daily business, and there—two buildings down on the left, between an apartment building and a snack stall, around the corner from a mosque—was Magen Avraham. I paid the driver 20 rupees (about fifty cents), stepped onto the street, and put on my kippah.

The synagogue had no watchman or greeter, so I just walked up the steps and looked through the sanctuary’s wide-open doors. A few dozen men were standing barefoot on white sheets covering the marble floor, their sandals piled haphazardly outside. They were dressed entirely in white, some in western-style shirts and pants, others wearing the Indian kurta—a long top that comes down close to the knees—but all of whom looked to be Indian.

After slipping off my sandals, I walked inside. It was a Sephardic-style shul; the bimah was towards the middle of the sanctuary, and there was a mechitzah separation, with the women’s section on a kind of balcony on the second floor. The women above also wore only white, though most of them either wore the elegant, flowing salwar kameez—a loose blouse and slacks set with matching scarf—or the more formal sari, midriff exposed as is standard with nearly all saris.

A few other things distinguished the synagogue. Two plaques engraved with the 10 Commandments were set above the arc, Hebrew on the right plaque and Hindi on the left. The sound of passing traffic and the market outside came through the open doors and windows, and—though initially off-putting—eventually seemed to blend in with it all. And, oddly, blinking Christmas lights were set along the bimah, completing the sometimes bizarre contrast between old and new that exists all over India.

Seeing me struggle to find my place in the relatively new Sephardic siddur, a man of about fifty came over to help. In decent but heavily accented English, he introduced himself as the vice-president of the synagogue, asked me where I was from, and then smiled and returned to where he’d been standing.

The melodies were unfamiliar to me, but I followed along in the Hebrew. After twenty minutes or so, another man walked over, introducing himself in perfect, American-accented English. I thought I’d found another foreigner, and shook his hand happily.

He said his name was Jacob, and asked me where I was from. I told him Buffalo, New York. “Oh,” he said, “the States! Great. And what are you doing in Ahmedabad? Traveling?”

I told him I was a volunteer through the American Jewish World Service’s World Partners Fellowship program, and that I would be working for about nine months at a vocational training center for Dalits (a low caste that suffers terrible discrimination), about 30 kilometers south of Ahmedabad.

I asked him where he was from. “Well, I’m from Ahmedabad,” he said, smiling. “I’m Indian, of course! As is everyone else in this synagogue.”

The quality of his accent surprised me, and I told him so.

“It’s my job,” he said, shrugging. “I teach American English to call center workers in Ahmedabad. The accent is just a gift I have.” He told me that Ahmedabad opened its first call center in 2000, and now employed some 15,000 people in the field. This kind of work brings in crucial white-collar jobs and capital to a very poor, developing area that desperately needs it.

“So,” Jacob said, shifting the conversation back to the service, “Do you have a white handkerchief?”

I told him I didn’t, but that I’d happened to bring a blue one. Jacob told me that everyone would soon spread out a white handkerchief onto the floor, and—fully prostrate—bow several times.

“Just follow what everyone else does,” he told me. “I’m not too religious myself, but it’s nice to do the ritual.”

So, about five minute later, I spread out my handkerchief and—mimicking those around me—got on my knees and bowed towards the arc. I’m sure I stood out as the only person using a non-white handkerchief, but no one else commented on it.

I was glad when the other AJWS volunteers, Adam and Anna, arrived during a break in the service. Before the next batch of prayers started, we took a short walk around the neighborhood. Both Hindus and Muslims seeing us come out of the synagogue were very friendly, shaking our hands, asking us where we were from and becoming excited when they heard the word “America”.

A parade honoring Ganesha—the Hindu god with the head of an elephant—passed on a nearby street. Aaron remarked that India is probably the only place in the world where you can go to a synagogue around the corner from a mosque and watch as a parade to Ganesha tramps past.

Back in the shul, I spent a few minutes talking with two of the older members of the synagogue. One told me that there are only about 65 Jewish families left in Gujarat, down from a population of some thousands only fifty years ago. Nearly everyone, he informed me, has emigrated to Israel or America, including his daughter.

“Matchmaking is a problem,” he said. “We get girls from Bombay, where there are more Jews.” Young Jews in this part of the world apparently do as the locals do, and rely on their parents to arrange suitable marriages.

After sundown the shofar was blown, though the 90-degree heat had apparently taken its toll on the blower, and he had some trouble getting a clear sound. As per local tradition, fresh-squeezed grape juice was then given out to everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed mine, though the heat had forced me to break my fast earlier in the afternoon.

Magen Avraham is surely different in many ways from my own synagogue back home, but despite these differences—or maybe because of them—I’ll definitely be heading back to Ahmedabad’s “Yehudi church” sometime soon.

BY POPULAR DEMAND….

THE FOLLOWING BEAUTIFUL SELECTION WAS INCLUDED IN THE BAT MITZVAH BOOKLET FOR EVE WEINBERG LAST WEEK.

PEOPLE WERE SO IMPRESSED WITH IT THAT I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO SHARE IT HERE. MY THANKS TO THE AUTHOR, SUE YARGER

We end this booklet with a letter to Eva from Carl's sister Susan. On her most recent assignment in Africa, Susan lived and worked in the small town of Sefwi Wiawso, Ghana, which is also the home of a Jewish community of African ancestry.

Dear Eva,

Congratulations on your acceptance as an adult in the Jewish community! Although I have watched you grow mostly from afar, I have definitely watched you grow from babyhood to young adulthood, from small child to accomplished young lady. I remember the two year old toddler who came to snowy Vermont to send me off on my first African experience and the letters to my five African homes from your mother and father, proudly detailing your achievements.

My most recent assignment in Africa was in Sefwi Wiawso, Ghana. From research on the web I knew there were Jews of color living there. What I did not know was that I would celebrate Sabbath and Jewish holidays with them in their homes and in their synagogue. What I did not know was that we would become a tight-knit family, with mutual love, caring, and respect. What I did not know was that in this rural forested land, in this humid tropical climate, in this community of Jews of color, I would learn for myself: What is a Jew? As you continue to grow and learn, I hope someday you have the amazing and humbling experience of living in a culture different from the one in which you have so beautifully grown and that you will find the answers to questions you ask.

Love, Aunt Susan

THE JEWS OF SEFWI WIAWSO

What is a Jew?

….a birthright, an inheritance from one’s mother, an unbroken line of ancestors thousands of years long all the way back to Abraham and Sarah?

…circumcision of a few days old male child, a baby naming, a Hebrew education, diligent study for one’s bar or bat mitzvah, acceptance as an adult at thirteen (although not the car keys or the end of a nighttime curfew)?

….a marriage under the canopy, a broken glass, a ketubah certificate, grandparents buried in a Jewish cemetery, the absolute and guaranteed Right of Return to Israel?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….the culinary and olfactory enjoyment of a New York City kosher delicatessen, pastrami meat piled as high as Everest between Russian and rye, kosher dill pickle and cole slaw on the side?

….the understanding that when a cinnamon and raisin bagel is eaten at breakfast and a sun dried tomato bagel sandwich is eaten at lunch, bagels are no longer an Eastern European dough recipe?

….the unquestionable proof that chicken soup with matzo balls has total medicinal and curative properties?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….watching Fiddler on the Roof knowing our grandparents lived in Anatevka, were persecuted, and fled?

….watching Crossing Delancey knowing the choice of the boy did pierce the heart of our grandmother?

….watching Yentl knowing things hidden were not only one’s sex but one’s religion?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….the buying of Israeli Bonds, the planting of trees in Israel, the lifetime membership in Hadassah, the donations to Mogen David?

….the ultra orthodox Israeli man in black hat and black coat and black pants and long beard, bending and swaying and praying and wailing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, or the young female secular Jew singing and dancing so very close to a man on a Sabbath Saturday on the Mediterranean waterfront in Tel Aviv?

….the mother who wails uncontrollably and cries endlessly, the same sound of all mothers, when her Israeli soldier son does not return to her with his bag of dirty laundry but instead is returned to her in a box?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….eating our grandmothers' laboriously and lovingly prepared chopped liver, blintzes, and gefilte fish?

….listening to our grandfathers conduct the Passover Seder Service year after year after year?

….watching our parents dress for the umpteenth time for Temple Services?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….Sandy Koufax’s refusal to pitch a World Series game on Yom Kippur?

….Barbara Streisand’s nose?

….Marc Chagall's paintings?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….hearing all the Holocaust stories of relatives saved and many more lost?

….knowing someone with numbers on their arm?

….reading The Diary of Anne Frank with the eerie realization that the Diary could have had our name on it?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….the do-it-yourself congregation in Montpelier, Vermont, the ultra-orthodox believer in Brooklyn, New York?

….the fashion conscious Reform Jew in the Long Island suburbs, the Conservative service attendee in the conservative mid-west of Des Moines, Iowa, the Orthodox observer in the anything but orthodox environment of Las Vegas, Nevada, the Reconstructionist reconstructing in Los Angeles, California?

….the Chassidic, Lubavitch, Kabbalah, Masorti?

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

What is a Jew?

….my grandparents, parents, children, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins know all of these things….

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso know none of these things.

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso are Jews!

….not because Israel says so;

….not because whites say so;

….not because anyone, anywhere says so.

The Jews of Sefwi Wiawso are Jews!

….because in their daily lives they are Jews;

….because in their rituals, practices, and observances they are Jews;

….because in their hearts, minds, and souls they are Jews.

What is a Jew?

….is it none of the above or all of the above?

….does each individual decide for him or herself?

….where and when does the realization come?

What is a Jew?

….I never really knew before;

….but I know now;

….I knew it upon my first Sabbath service in Tefereth Israel Synagogue, with the Jews of Sefwi Wiawso.

What is a Jew?

….this 58 year old secular Jew finally knew;

….I knew the minute the smallest, most unadorned, non-handwritten, non-parchment Torah was taken out of the smallest, most unadorned Ark which doubled as a chair;

….I knew the minute the Torah was undressed and displayed;

….I knew the minute the Torah was laid open on the bimah, its Hebrew a foreign language to those who could speak three;

….I knew the minute the Torah was raised for all to see;

….I knew the minute the Torah was paraded around for all to kiss;

….I knew it was the same Torah of Jews across the millennia, of the wandering Jews all over the world, in Europe, Asia, the Americas and yes all over Africa.

What is a Jew?

….this 58 year old secular Jew finally knew;

….it is none of the above and all of the above;

….it is simple and it is complex.

….but most of all….it is the Torah,

….the same Torah of Jews across the millennia, of the wandering Jews all over the world, in Europe, Asia, the Americas and yes all over Africa.

STAR Announces Results of Second Annual National Rabbinic Leadership Survey

American rabbis express less anxiety over Israel, but more concern over synagogue engagement.

The cross-denominational survey of almost 200 rabbis was conducted during the summer of 2007. It reveals High Holiday goals, offers a pulse on Jewish community concerns and uncovers initial thoughts regarding support for Presidential candidates. (The majority of rabbis who responded were Conservative and Reform, so the findings apply primarily to the "liberal" denominations and may not be applicable to Orthodoxy.)

Synagogue Growth
65% of rabbis surveyed believe that synagogue membership will remain the same or decline over the next three years, which represents a 10% drop over last year. They also registered a 7% drop in their satisfaction with expectations about future recruitment. "While synagogue growth is always on the minds of rabbis, this year's survey reveals a heightened concern," says Rabbi Hayim Herring, Executive Director of STAR.  "Shifting denominational affiliations and larger numbers of interfaith families are challenging synagogue growth, and rabbis are starting to recognize that their role is not just about increasing ongoing membership participation, but reaching out beyond current congregants by attracting a more diverse community."

Read Executive Summary.

Mitzvah/Tzedakkah Opportunties

Beth El Cares:

Inreach and Outreach

Beth El Cares

High Holy Day Food Drive:

THANK YOU to everyone who once again helped to make this year's High Holy Days Food Drive a huge success! We brought over 1,200 bags of food and the shelves, which were empty, are now full again, with a supply of food that should last until Thanksgiving. Once again, thanks to Mark Lapine who lent us his truck to transport the food and his employees who helped unload it. Thanks also to the child volunteers who helped distribute the food bags and load them on the trucks (with a little “supervision” and “assistance” from Juan and Alberto). Special thanks to the Beth El members who came to PERSON-to-PERSON to sort the food and stock the pantry shelves. Person to Person, and we, appreciate everyone's generosity!

Christmas Eve Dinner:

Our next “official” mitzvah project is the annual preparing of food and serving Christmas Eve Dinner at St. Lukes and Pacific House. Volunteers are needed to contribute food, pick up flowers/food, transport food to the shelters and serve dinner. Save the date (Mon. Dec. 24). Please let me know if you would like to coordinate this project “before” it happens; Cheryl Wolff and Liz Vaisben will be the “house captains” for the actual dinners.

Toiletry Collection:

The third grade religious school class will be collecting toiletry items to give to the guests at St. Lukes and Pacific House on Christmas Eve. These toiletry items are the only holiday gift some of these individuals receive. Clean out your hotel amenity stash and your samples or buy full size items to donate. Watch for details in December telling you where to drop off the items.

Locks of Love:

Todah Raba to Jenna Plotzky (10) and Rachel Plotzky (6), the latest in a series of Beth-El congregants who donated their hair to Locks of Love. This was Jenna’s 2^nd donation to Locks of Love-Jenna was one of the original donors who had her hair cut by Guy Sasson on the bima back in March 2005!

From Mark and Jenna Plotzky

This years’ MS Bike Tour was indeed a very special. For the first time, I was joined by my daughter Jenna and together we both rode 12 miles to raise money in the fight against MS. Jenna was very excited as we arrived at Sherwood Island State Park early Sunday morning and was able to complete the ride in less than 2 hours. She has already showed interest in riding with me at next year’s MS Bike Tour.  I think that knowing that we had everyone’s support behind us really made a difference for both of us.  We want to thank everyone who sponsored and supported us. Also, we want to remind people that you can still sponsor us over the next few weeks. It is unfortunate but true that many of us have friends and family with MS and we really hope that this helps.  Any donation that you or your company can provide would be greatly appreciated. Simply click on the links at the bottom of this message to sponsor me or Jenna.

Alternatively, if anyone would also like to join us next year, we could have a team ride if we have at least 4 people.  If you have any questions about the donations, the team ride or anything else, please feel free to contact me at 203.359.2290. 

Thank you again for all your support!  Together we have raised almost $700!

P.S. If you would like more information about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, how proceeds from the MS Bike Tour are used, or the other ways you can get involved in the fight against MS, please visit nationalmssociety.org.

Click here to visit Jenna's personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=3861201&pg=personal&fr_id=7020&s_tafId=57583

Click here to visit Mark's personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2150852&pg=personal&fr_id=7020&s_tafId=57583

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Students’ Mitzvah Projects

Hi! I’m Mike Sosnick and my Bar Mitzvah is on October 13^th.  I am collecting used cell phones in any condition for a nonprofit organization called the CTIA (www.ctia.org and www.calltoprotect.org) Their Call to Protect initiative repurposes the working ones and gives them to people in dangerous domestic violence situations. The nonworking ones will be taken apart and recycled in a way that is safe for the environment. A box will be placed in the building for this collection.  Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Mike Sosnick

Hello. My name is Eloise Hyman.

My Bat Mitzvah

is coming up soon, so I am starting to work on my Bat Mitzvah project. A Bat Mitzvah project is something kids do to help the community when they come of age to have a bar or bat mitzvah. For my project, I am gathering books to donate for kids in juvenile residential treatment centers.

I am now asking for your help. I am collecting books in good condition for boys and girls aged 14-18.  Could you please look through your rooms, bookshelves, and closets for any spare books that you think kids might enjoy.   You could also tell your friends, and I could collect books from them as well.

The books that are allowed are fantasy, romance & teen books, history, novels, mysteries, sci-fi, science, poetry and anything else you can think of (but no sex please)!

How will you get me the books? You can:

- give them to me at school,

- have me pick them up at your house,

- send them to me,

- Or bring them to Temple Beth El the day of my Bat Mitzvah (October 27)

I will be collecting books from September to November.  The books for the boys will be going to the Abraxas Academy just north of Philadelphia and the girls books will go to the Abraxas Center for Adolescent Females in Pittsburgh.  My address, e-mail, phone number, and Aim are: address: 755 Westover Rd. Stamford CT. 06902, email: eloisehyman@yahoo.com, phone: 203.316.8228, AIM: pandaluvr106

Thank you, for reading this and I hope you will be able to help<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->.

See you in October.

Eloise

Hello my name is Nick Hyman.
 
My Bar Mitzvah is coming up soon, so I’m starting my Bar Mitzvah project.
A Bar Mitzvah project is something bat/bar mitzvah kids do for their bar/bat mitzvah to help the community.
 
For my project I am collecting books to donate for adult inmates in prison.  I ask for your help.
Could you look through your closets, bookshelves, and rooms
for any spare books that you think adults might enjoy reading.
I am collecting books for men and women ranging in age from 20-80.
 
What types of books are allowed? History, Thrillers, Mysteries, Romance, Poetry, Sci-Fi, Science, and even Math.
 
How can you get me the books?  You can:
· give them to me at school,
· have me pick them up at your house,
· send them to me,
· or bring them to Temple Beth El the day of my Bar Mitzvah ( October 27)
 
I will be collecting books from September to November.  The books do need to be in good condition.
I will be giving the books to the Moshannon Valley Correctional Center in Pennsylvania.
My address, e-mail, phone number, and AIM: 755 Westover Rd. Stamford CT. 06902,
nhyman@klht.org, 203-316-8228, or nickthekiwi106
 
Thank you, for reading this and I hope you will be able to help me.
If you have friends with spare books, pass this note on and I’ll collect their books as well.
 
Nick

From ~Shira Durica, who will be setting up a table during Hebrew School to make people aware of her project:

With Hadassah, i am sponsoring JNF's (Jewish National Fund) Program to plant trees in Israel.  While i was searching more about this issue, i found out about the three Israeli soldiers, and are now raising awareness about them, and raising money fore trees. How i am doing this is by selling dog tags with the  names, age and date of captured of all three of the soldiers. They are $10 and when you buy a dog tag, you plant 2 trees!

Thanks to Jon Durica for forwarding this one:

Subject: help remove JewWatch from Google - When you Google the word "Jew", one of the first websites that pops up is http://www.jewwatch.com/   -- an anti-Semitic, hate-filled harangue masquerating as "scholarly, factual, informational".
Add your name to the petition to remove www.jewwatch.com from Google's search engine. (Check out the site and you will understand why.) 
In order for Google to remove this, they would need a petition of over 500,000 requests.... so let's make it 1,000,000!
P.S.  Current total signatures approx. 272,000
Go to: http://www.petitiononline.com/rjw23/petition.html  to sign the petition.