1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

M A N E T T O
H I L L
J E W I S H
C E N T E R
From the Rabbi’s Study
Rabbi Neil Schuman
S
havuot is a very perplexing holiday. Every other holiday
has a date of its own: Passover takes place on 15th of
Nissan, Yom Kippur, on the 10th of Tishrei, and Succot, on the 15th of Tishrei. By comparison, Shavuot is called
for fifty days after Passover.
upon G-d’s descent. We remember, in the traditional Jewish manner, by eating cheesecake, cheese blintzes and other
dairy delights, memorializing the Jews undergoing a koshering of their homes when they became commanded in the
kashrut laws.
Furthermore, every other Yom Tov
has an explanation to its existence
in the Torah: Passover is the day we
were freed from Egyptian bondage,
Yom Kippur is the completion of the
forgiveness for the Sin of the Golden
Calf, and Succot is in remembrance
of the “Clouds of Glory” (which accompanied us the forty years we traveled in the Sinai desert).
Shavuot is mentioned as a “Festival of the Harvest”, yet, it is
not referenced in the Torah with any specific historic event.
Why is Shavuot different than the other holidays?
Yet, most importantly we need to honor this occasion by
questioning our own connection to this event.
A wedding is a monumental, life altering event. Hopefully,
it’s the most cherished and meaningful day in a person’s life.
When one marries one’s soulmate, life doesn’t just become
busier quantitatively; it increases qualitatively and sometimes exponentially. By sharing life with one we love, there’s
more depth and meaning in everything we do.
What would it imply if one partner forgot their anniversary?
What message does it convey to the other spouse, to oneself?
By tradition, Shavuot is our wedding anniversary with G-d.
It’s the day of the “Ten Commandments.” It’s the day G-d
revealed Himself upon Mt. Sinai and spoke to a nation of
millions. It’s the day we nationally entered our everlasting
covenant with Him. Therefore, there shouldn’t be a need
to mention the date. If it’s important to us, we’ll remember.
We remember by staying up late on Shavuot night and learning Torah. MHJC will have a number of exciting of classes
scheduled. We remember by decorating the synagogue with
fresh flowers, in commemoration of Mt. Sinai blossoming
MANETTO HILL JEWISH CENTER CONTACT LIST
Main Office: (516) 935-5454
[email protected]
www.MHJConline.org
Rabbi Neil Schuman
[email protected]
(201) 456-1343 (cell)
President: Mark Hirsch, [email protected]
Treasurer: Mark Spector
Education Director: Ruth Kravit, [email protected]
2
Shofar • May/June 2015
“Mattan Torah”, the “Giving of the Torah” took place, by
tradition, in the Jewish year, 2448, 3,327 years ago. In the
interim, we survived civil wars and foreign conquests, the
destruction of two of our Temples, exiles, expulsions, pogroms and Holocausts. In the face of all this opposition, we
still clung to our belief in a personal G-d, the Holiness of
the Torah, the strength of the Jewish people and a love of
the Land of Israel.
Our beliefs and practices, though, have transformed over
time. Some of this change was caused by archeological, historical and scientific discoveries that countered traditional
beliefs. Others were caused by an evolution in our understanding of G-d. Almost all religions have transformed from
a sacrificial or “fire and brimstone” form, to one of love and
service of the heart. Certainly, as humanity matures and transforms, we transform with them. On the other hand, I believe
G-d loves diversity. Just as all the different languages, topographies and cultures add something marvelous to the world, so
do its different religions. Yet, the traditional Jewish practices
and prayers don’t resonate with us as they did with our forefathers. As Conservative Jews, we can’t conserve a religion that
doesn’t speak to, more importantly, entice, its people. We
need to create learning, prayer and social environments that,
we, our children and grandchildren will be desirous to attend.
A voice still goes forth from Sinai. The G-d of diversity
still wants us to love Him and represent Him in our Jewish
way. As Shavuot, our anniversary date approaches, it’s up to
us to determine how this marriage will successfully evolve
and continue. I invite you to brainstorm with me and the
MHJC leadership, to make sure we’re still celebrating this
anniversary in a meaningful way, many years from now.
Happy Shavuot!
JUNE 12 & 13: We will have a musical Shabbat with
Cantorial Intern Steven Zeidenberg. Sponsored by
Marvin and Sharon Waks, in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Instrumental
SHABBAT MORNING: A capella
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Mark Hirsch
It’s time for me to look back.
s I enter my final month as President of MHJC, I
have spent a lot of time looking back on the last
three years. When I took the position, we had just
begun to reinvent our kehila; we had a Rabbi in place for
just a year; and we were rebuilding our Hebrew School into
the thriving school we have today. We also had some tough
financial issues to work through.
A
As time went on, and with the help of a wonderful hardworking Board, things started to look up. We were growing
once again, and our membership today is at the highest level
it’s been in over ten years. I also had the privilege of being
President as we celebrated 45 years of MHJC.
As of this writing, I do not yet know who will be in this
position next year, but I hope it will be as fulfilling to that
person as it has been to me for the past three years. I have no
intention of going away; I think there is still a long way to go
at MHJC and I plan on helping in any way I can. I hope all
of you will help in that effort.
There are too many people to thank for all the help and support I’ve received over the last three years, but I do have to
say a special thank you to Jodi for putting up with me during
my tenure, in which I was out of the house five nights a week.
I want to wish all of you a happy and safe spring and summer.
Things certainly changed for me as I entered my final year,
though, as the congregation found itself in search of a new
Rabbi. This was a project and a challenge I was not planning
on undertaking, but turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life with the culmination of bringing Rabbi Neil
to us (the best accomplishment of my term). As I stood on
our bimah in front of so many of you on a Sunday morning back in January to personally install Rabbi Neil as our
spiritual leader, I could not have been prouder to be the
President of such a great kehila.
Dona Malter
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Visit MHJClive! Our listserv is a forum by which we
can connect our MHJC family through a group email
to share ideas, discoveries and information as well
as to look for a babysitter, recommend a plumber,
share holiday recipes, look for a job, and recommend a good book to read. The topics are endless!
Please give it a try. Address emails to MHJClive@
googlegroups.com. The listserv will be moderated
to prevent inappropriate emails from being posted
so take a minute to read our email “netiquette,”
which is posted on our website (MHJCOnline.org).
We look forward to networking with you!
Manetto Hill Jewish Center • Iyar/Sivan/Tammuz 5775
3
Be Part of Something Great
Harvey Cohen, Ritual Chair Person
O
n March 4th, Rabbi Neil Schuman, accompanied
by Barbara Tetenbaum and Ronni MordechaiStrongin, along with Shelly Rokofsky, David Rokofsky, and Alene Abramson gave a Purim Spiel at MHJC.
The musical group modified current hits to tell the story of
the Esther and Mordechai saga and brought a smile to all in
attendance.
Rabbi Neil followed up the Purim Speil with a cantorial
Shabbat on March 21st headlined by Steve Zeidenberg and
Gil Ezring. These two young men are both second year cantorial students at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Traditional and some new tunes were sung and our membership
experienced a joyful event.
On April 3rd, Rabbi Schuman held his first Community
Seder at MHJC. Fifty (50) members and guests were in attendance. The Rabbi introduced a new Haggadah entitled:
“A Night to Remember”, which made the service both informative and enjoyable.
As you can see, MHJC is a Synagogue that services the needs
of our Congregants not only with respect to daily evening
minyans from Sunday to Friday at 8:00 pm, and Saturday
from 9:30 am to about 12:00 pm, but our long list of events
organized by the Shul’s various committees is second to
none. Education, Ritual, Ways and Means, High Holiday,
Catering, Cantorial, Israeli and Jewish Affairs, Membership,
Sisterhood and Men’s Club are just some of the hard working committees that get us through each and every year.
At 6:30 pm on May 6th, we will be celebrating Lag B’Omer.
Just like the celebrations for Sukkot, Chanukah and Purim,
Rabbi Neil will lead us in song. We will even have a fire pit!
As it is traditional on Shavuot to participate in learning, we
will have some sessions of varied topics at the Synagogue at
8:00 pm on Saturday, May 30th, the first night of Shavuot.
More information will be sent in an email blast.
Be a part of our push to the future. Take part in our growth.
Join one of our committees and be part of something great.
MEMBERSHIP
Sue Halfen
T
his is the time of year when people are looking for
a temple and Hebrew school for next year. Manetto
Hill Jewish Center has a lot to offer these families.
Please let your friends and neighbors know of our accomplishments: “The Little Temple that Could.”
We are not only looking forward to welcoming new
members, but want to thank all our existing congregants for
their continued membership. On Sunday, May 17th we will
again have our “free” member appreciation barbecue. Please
mark the date on your calendar. We look forward to seeing
you then.
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4
Shofar • May/June 2015
Mitzvahs, extended Kiddushes, Baby
Namings, Bris and more. Please contact
the office at (516) 935-5454 to reserve
your event date and to ask any questions.
Simchas
If you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary in
May or June and it is not listed, please notify the office
so that we can update our records.
May Birthdays
Jeffrey Akavan, Todd Nevin Andron, Amy Banchik, Linda
Benowitz, Noah Caust, Faith Cohen, Jodi Cohen, Joel
Cohen, Rozi Cooper, Jordan Edward Dashow, Cassie
Edelstein, Jonathan Engel, Mark Feig, Jake Fenster, Riley
Forchheimer, Lee Gaynes, Zachary Gorfinkel, Lauren
Greenstein, Samantha Hirsch, Jaci Kessler, Laurel ScarrKonel, Rachel Konel, Stephanie Kurtzman, Kevin Labelle,
Sherry Lerner, Philip Levner, Beny Lynch, Daniel Mann,
Elizabeth Anne Marchbein, Steven Messer, Eric Minkoff,
Marilyn Morris, Ziv Nacson, Ellen Oliva, Jennifer Ostrager,
Jeffrey Ozur, Carla Petroro, Edwyn Pinck, Henry Raleigh,
James Raleigh, Barbara Randall, Seth Reznik, Jack Sand, Steven Schenkein, Joshua Schwartz, Ilana Shedrow, Lawrence
Shertzman, Melissa Shertzman, Sophie Shertzman, Claude
Solnik, Matt Spolansky, Scott Sommer, Brian Spund,
Norma Spund, Matthew Sudran, Samara Tetenbaum, Nina
Trembley, Marvin Waks, Sharon Waks, Justin Winiarz, Dov
Witkes, Sadie Witkes, Ann Lipshie Zisser, Juliet Zucker.
May Anniversaries
Gerry & Carole Clarin, Craig & Stacy Kistenberg, Douglas &
Ronni Leo, Mark & Ilene Sudran.
June Birthdays
Bonnie Apfel, Bernard Beckerman, Aaron Benowitz,
Amanda Benowitz, Jillian Bernstein, Meredith Bernstein,
Graydon Brenner, Jennifer Carmen, Matthew Carr, Allison
Davidoff, Benjamin Diamond, Erica Drossman, Danielle
Feder, Samantha Fradkin, Cheryl Fuchs, Barry Getzoff,
Cindy Getzoff, Melissa Goldman, Kathy Hanzel, Dawn
Hoffman, Daniel Hughes, Andrew Kallem, Ellen Kallem,
Stacy Kistenberg, Ilana Konel, Elijah Ross Kolton, Mason
Julius Kolton, Sherrie Kusinitz, David Labowitz, Matthew
Leo, Sigal Lynch, Dona Malter, Don Marx, Matthew Marx,
Sue Moskowitz, Amit Nacson, Yosef Nacson, Abigail
Ostrager, Sharon Pearl, Erik Powers, Julianna Redler, Ethan
Rish, Jayme Ritter, Jacob Rokofsky, Richard Rosenberg,
Elijah Sauer, Heather Sanborn, Michael Sanborn, Lee
Schenkein, Arielle Sheinwald, David Stern, Joel Stern, Aaron
Trembley, Cole Tuomey, David Vanderpool
June Anniversaries
Howard & Sandra Benjamin, Harvey & Roberta Cohen,
Daniel & Rozi Cooper, Richard & Susan Elgart, Hugh & Lori
Fradkin, Paul & Lee Gaynes, Frank & Sue Halfen, Nathan &
Adriana Levner, Burt & Shelia Lipshie, Gerry & Madeline
Matis, Elliot & Marilyn Morris, Stu & Judy Nitkin, Mark
& Barbara Nizewitz, Shawn & Jaclyn Novatt, Alan & Dena
Ozur, Ed & Linda Pinck, Hyman & Bobbie Ritter, David
& Carron Rokofsky, Richard & Susan Rosenberg, Bruce &
Judy Ross, Theodore & Eleanor Scarr, Irwin & Alice Scharf,
William & Alice Schweitzer, Larry & Lisa Sommer, Harlan
& Norma Spund, Andrew & Rachel Tuomey, Marvin &
Sharon Waks, Andy & Debby Wilder.
M A Z E L
T O V
To the DIAMOND family, on the Bar Mitzvah of
BENJAMIN; to the NACSON family on the Bar
Mitzvah of ZIV; and to the MALTER family on the
Bat Mitzvah of granddaughter, YAEL SCHWARTZ.
YAHRZEITS
In this the May/June issue the Hebrew months of Iyar
12-29, Sivan and Tammuz 1-13 fall. If you do not see a
Yahrzeit listed, please notify the office with the necessary
information so that it can be added to the Synagogue’s
computer system.
Iyar 12-29 Yahrzeits
Pepe Apfel, David Blatt, Seth Eagon, Lillian Edelman,
Nathan Eichen, Louis Fischer, Rebecca Goldman, Herbert
Goldstein, Ruth Gordon, Molli Goldman Hirsch, Robert
Nataupsky, Bessie Reiter, Moe Rokofsky, Walter Schweitzer,
Milton Small, Marvin Steinberg, Irving Stier, Irvin Talkofsky,
Moses Weintraub.
Sivan Yahrzeits
Maurice Apfel, Millicent Apfel, Phyllis Bass, Tessie Batt,
Irving Bram, Margareta Dreyfuss, Fannie Edelman, Hy
Edelman, Saul Gaynes, Mary Grunwald, Nathan Katz, Helen
Kaufman, Philip Klatman, Howard Klein, Pearl Kleinman,
Howard Krasner, Edythe Levine, Sol Mandelbaum, Nathan
Margolis, Sadie Marrin, Eugene Moskowitz, Nathan
Nitkin, Robert Orr, Sam Shniter, Mollie Shorten, Bernard
Silver, Ruth Sisselman, Shirley Spatt, Benjamin Steppel,
Irving Uslan, Sarah Waks, Morris Wandy, Carl Weintraub.
Tammuz 1-13 Yahrzeits
Lillian Apfel, Helen Blustein, Michael Castle, Sarah
Chazanowitz, Herbert Drossman, Sandee Goldstein, Bella
Goldwasser, Rodnay Lamel, Max Leichman, Lawrence
Levner, Mae Nautaupsky, Murray Paikin, Irving Rappaport,
Esther Robins, Ceilia Sanoff, Florence Schneberg, Stanley
Siegelheim, Herbert Starr, Molly Tetenbaum, Anna Vogel.
Manetto Hill Jewish Center • Iyar/Sivan/Tammuz 5775
5
Sisterhood
F
Barbara Dicken and Patti Silver, Co-Presidents
inally, the warm weather has arrived! Sisterhood has
had a very busy year and we are getting ready for some
R&R over the summer.
Our two major upcoming events are the Women’s League
Women of Achievement Dinner and MHJC’s Board installation. On June 3, we will be honoring Marilyn Katz and
Cheryl Sheinwald at Temple Israel of Great Neck; it will be
a very festive evening and MHJC Sisterhood is thrilled to
celebrate the accomplishments of our recipients. Then, on
June 26, we will be installing our new Executive and Trustee
Boards.
Lastly, we rescheduled an art project (decorating flower pots)
to July 8. Cheryl will be showing us how to modge-podge
flower pots to be used other purposes.
Have a wonderful summer! We look forward to seeing our
Sisterhood members at the July event.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS!
TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE SHOFAR.
Please consider purchasing one or more trees in memory of a loved one or to honor any life event. For
more info, please call Sharon Waks at 516-799-1437.
Men’s Club
Michael Dashow and Michael Konel, Co-Presidents
S
halom to all of our fellow brethren. As this fiscal year
comes to an end, we want to offer our sincere thanks
to all of you, our members, who helped us make this
year such a success—both for our club as well as for our
MHJC family.
Men’s Club has achieved much more than we ever imagined.
We held our second annual Friday night Shabbat Service in
which so many of you participated; we held a fun day of
miniature golf; we hosted NY Blood Drives. In December,
we held our annual breakfast on the 25th; and in February,
we held our Super Bowl Tailgate Party with everyone having
fun, food, and pain, as we watched the Seattle Seahawks lose
to the New England Patriots.
with some survivors and their liberators, who lit “Six Yellow
Candles” donated by our Men’s Club. We also distributed
“yellow candles” to our Hebrew school students and to our
congregants, to help them observe the day, as well as to the
Mid Island Y JCC for our Community Observance held on
Thursday, April 16.
Also in February, our Men’s Club hosted the Federation of
Jewish Men’s Clubs’ NY Metro Regional Quarterly Meeting. Lots of great ideas and events were planned that night.
Thanks to those who attended that very important meeting.
In March, we partnered with Sisterhood and held our Passover Wine Tasting event. Those who attended had lots of
fun and, of course, there were plenty of wines to sample.
On Sunday April 12th, Men’s Club participated with NY
Metro Region FJMC at the Holocaust and Tolerance Center
in Glen Cove to observe Yom HaShoah–Holocaust Remembrance Day. We had several special guest speakers along
6
Shofar • May/June 2015
HMTC Chairman Steve Markowitz with Men’s Club co-presidents,
Michael Dashow and Michael Konel
We look forward to seeing you at our meetings and events.
As a reminder, we meet on the fourth Wednesday of every
month; however, please review the online calendar for any
changes. Once again, our sincere thanks go out to all who
have made this another wonderful year.
Another month, another Shofar, another article from me
I
was asked recently, “How do you come up with your
topics?” Truthfully, I just sit at a computer and start
typing. What you see in front of you is what is on my
screen when I am done (typos and all…sometimes). For this
Shofar article, however, I thought about writing before I
sat down because something will be happening soon that I
wanted everyone to be aware of.
New Budget? New Executive Board and Trustees? Hebrew
School Graduation? High Holidays? All of these things are
happening over the next 5 months, but none are what I am
writing about. The MHJC Calendar is my topic. Yup, that calendar that we produced last September is important enough
for me to write about.
About a year ago it was announced that MHJC would produce
a calendar with birthday and anniversary announcements, special ways to kvell and most importantly, advertising. Thanks
to a select few people who went out and solicited advertisements from local businesses, the MHJC Calendar was a huge
success and one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. This
is my topic because the planning has started for next year’s
calendar, which means advertising will be solicited once again.
For those that don’t know me well, let me give you a little
background about something I did. I used to work in minor
league baseball, for teams here on Long Island and in California. One of my responsibilities was getting sponsors for our
teams. I used to go out, meet with clients and show them the
benefits of advertising with us. Looking at a billboard was one
thing, but the print ads and the magazines were important
because it can be proven that they work...or do not. Our calendar is a print ad and I want all of our advertisers to return
and I would love to see our calendar sell out.
How can you help? Simple. Go to the stores that advertised
and buy their products. Call those that provide services and
use them. If you happened to lose your calendar, call the office (516-935-5454) and see if they have more. They may not,
but it is worth a shot. And for the ease of others…here are just
a few advertisers as I flip through the pages (I will not list every
one, so please do not be offended if I do not mention your
ad…I am literally flipping though the pages as I am writing).
Do you need your house or rooms in your house painted?
Call Precision Painting Plus at 888-573-8132 and ask for Christian. Mention their ad in the MHJC calendar and get 15% off.
By the way, they painted the inside and outside of our Shul.
The Wine Annex, at 1129 Old Country Road, has been a supporter of MHJC over the years. When you need a bottle of
wine as a gift or to restock your shelves, say hello and let them
Russ Blatt
know that the MHJC Calendar is where you saw their name.
Gabby’s Gourmet Bagelatessen has all kinds of party trays,
platters and ideas. There is one in Syosset and one in Woodbury. GabbysGourmet.com is where you can find them on
the internet. Let them know you chose them because they
choose to help MHJC.
Many restaurants want you to see their name in our calendar,
so why don’t you stop by? Buteras on Jericho Turnpike in
Woodbury (www.buteras.com), Wong’s Noodle Town on Old
Country Road (www.wongsnoodle.com) will also give you
free delivery, and Mario’s Ristorante and Pizzeria have been
staples in Plainview for years on Old Country Road (www.
mariospizzaonline.com). Gold & Meyers in Morton Village
is a part of our calendar, as is La Piazza (www.lapiazzaonline.
com). You can always visit the Plainview or Farmingdale location of The Main Event to watch your favorite sporting event
or get a late night drink, and what better place for an early
breakfast or late dinner than On Parade Diner in Woodbury
(www.onparadediner.com).
There are so many businesses that have helped MHJC.
If you are planning a visit to a salon, think about Raves on
Manetto Hill Road (www.ravessalon.com). We have auto care
advertisers, Four Star Auto Care in Plainview and S & S Automotive Center, located in the Mobil station on South Oyster
Bay Road. Busto’s Martial Arts is running a special for new
students through the calendar (www.BustosMartialArts.com)
and Art a la Carte in the Morton Village Shopping Center has
special discounts for our calendar. Just a hint at Art a la Carte,
you just have to tell them you saw their ad and you will get
35% off framing and other great deals.
You see my point? There are so many advertisers that you
could use on a regular basis. You food shop, right? Use Greenfield’s Shop Rite, which is a fantastic friend to MHJC. Many
of our members have advertised in the calendar with their
businesses. Use them! Look through the calendar and reach
out. You may not only cultivate a business relationship but
you may also make a friend out of the phone call.
It is so much easier to go speak to someone about advertising
once again when we are using his or her product and services.
It is very easy to close a sale when the MHJC name is ringing
in their ears because our congregation is visiting their store.
Go in. Say hello and let them know that you saw their ad in
the MHJC Calendar and you came in to say thank you. In
turn, I thank you for once again finishing my article and visiting our sponsors.
Manetto Hill Jewish Center • Iyar/Sivan/Tammuz 5775
7
CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE
T
Keith Greenstein
he Celebrate Israel Parade is almost here! MHJC is
marching this year! Please mark May 31st on your
calendar to join us for a fun-filled day as we march
in the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) cluster
to the theme, Israel Imagines. With all that is going on in the
world today, it is more important than ever to demonstrate
our support for Israel. All who are able to march the onemile parade route are welcome and encouraged to join us.
As this article is being written, we are working out the details
concerning the cost of the tee shirts, the bus, the time and
place of departure and the time and place we are meeting
in the City (in case people are making their own transportation arrangements). Please note that, similar to other clusters,
everyone marching under the JCRC cluster is required to
purchase their tee shirt. If you have not received that information yet, it will be forthcoming soon. For more information, feel free to call Keith Greenstein or Rabbi Neil.
MHJC CALENDAR
O
Sharon Dashow and Marilyn Morris
ur very own Manetto Hill Jewish Center calendar
was such a success last year that we are doing it
again! In addition to supporting MHJC with your
listings, it is a wonderful way to share your simchas and
other important events and news with our MHJC family.
We have kept the prices the same for all the listings as well
as for the full, half, quarter, and sixth page ads plus we have
added a gold page. We are so excited about our newest addition to the calendar—our MHJC cuties page. Imagine
leafing through the calendar and seeing pictures (2” x 2” in
color, complete with captions if you desire) of your children,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc.!
By the time you read this article, an email blast listing all
the categories and prices will have been sent via the
synagogue’s email blast. We hope that you will use this
information not only for your own submissions but, also,
to solicit ads. If each member could solicit one ad (of course
we would love to have more!), it would ensure the success
of our calendar. Please carry the price page with you and
the next time you visit a doctor, dentist, other professional,
frequent a store or go out to eat, please ask them for an
ad. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at
[email protected].
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS!
TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE SHOFAR.
SHOP FOR MHJC!
You can shop and MHJC can make money. We are now
selling gift cards for everything. Supermarkets (Shop-Rite;
Fairway; etc.), department stores (Bloomingdale’s; Macy’s;
Bed, Bath & Beyond; etc.), restaurants (Macaroni Grill;
Wendy’s; etc.), Motels (Best Western, etc.), & home
improvement (Home Depot; Lowe’s; Best Buy; etc.), & more.
This costs you nothing. If you want a $100 gift card for Bed, Bath and Beyond,
send a check for $100 made out to MHJC to the synagogue. The first Monday of each
month an order will be placed for the gift cards and within a week you will
have your gift cards. Use them to shop or give as gifts. The more who buy, the more
we make. Our profit is from 2% to 12% depending on the store. This will add up.
For More Information call Sue Halfen (516) 921-2682 or MHJC (516) 935-5454
8
Shofar • May/June 2015
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Young Family Life
Debbie Atlas
Exciting things are happening in Young Family Life!
t is so wonderful to see this base of our membership
grow. Our young families with children ages 5 and under
are part of the future of Manetto Hill Jewish Center, and
at every program and event, we meet new families who tell us
what a great time they had and are looking forward to what
will be coming up.
I
We will also be hosting a new event: Bagels, Babies and Tots
on Sunday, May 31. This is an opportunity for young families to socialize at Manetto Hill Jewish Center while their
children play. So come down, have a bagel, and bring your
kids for playtime.
Our Passover celebration for ages 5 and under was wonderful! We held a fun and interactive “Seder” for our young
families in which we told the story of Passover, sang songs,
decorated Seder plates and cups for Elijah and held a hunt
for the Afikoman. Thank you so much to Jackie Novatt and
Jennifer Kolton for all of their hard work to make this event
such a success.
And finally, we are very happy to announce our new Facebook group! “Like” us at Manetto Hill Jewish Center Young
Family Life-Plainview NY on Facebook. As of now, we have
close to 50 members in our group, and our virtual community is constantly growing. What a great way for young
families to learn all about what Manetto Hill Jewish Center
has to offer them! This is where young families can connect
with each other, share ideas, information, recipes, and anything else they wish. Our group is carefully monitored by
our administrators, Russ Blatt, Jennifer Kolton, and me, and
is open to both members and non- members alike.
If you are looking for a “parent/grandparent and me” program, look no further than our Minyan Munchkin/Tot
Shabbat program led by Jackie Novatt. We do Jewish-themed
music and movement, play with props and instruments, and
celebrate Shabbat together. Our next Minyan Munchkins
will be held on Saturday, April 25: this will be a joint program with the Mid Island Y/JCC, followed by another session on Saturday, June 20. Hope to see you there!
PJ Library
W
Sharon Dashow
e have just started our second year of partnering
with PJ Library to send a monthly gift of free,
high quality Jewish children’s books and music
to families raising Jewish children ages six months through
eight years. Many thanks to the individuals who are helping
to sponsor this program!
For those of you who want to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity but have not yet done so, we would love
to have you sign up. Signing up is easy. Just go to www.
pjlibrary.org/MHJC which will bring you to our page on the
PJ Library website. Click on “Sign up in this Community”
on the left-hand side of the page and then enter the required
information.
In addition to receiving books, there are programs that we
can avail ourselves of to team up with PJ Library and introduce Jewish reading and learning to our children. If anyone
is interested in running these programs and our portion of
PJ Library or who wants to help in doing so, please contact
the synagogue office at 516-935-5454 or send us an e-mail
at [email protected]. We could use your help to
grow this program!
Have ideas for a program? Questions about what
Young Family Life has to offer you? Would you like join
our committee or help us plan an event? Contact us at
[email protected] or contact us on our Facebook page!
We look forward to hearing from you.
Please visit the Manetto Hill
Jewish Center Facebook page
and “like” us. Invite your friends,
your family, your children, and your children’s
friends to “like” us as well. We will be posting all of
our events and special dates on Facebook.
Book Club with Barbara Nizewitz
Reading groups offer book lovers a wonderful
opportunity to meet new people, enjoy stimulating
discussion about interesting topics, and best of all,
read great books!
We meet on Thursday nights at 7:30 pm.
Check the Shofar and e-blasts for the schedule.
Manetto Hill Jewish Center • Iyar/Sivan/Tammuz 5775
9
Engagement/Outreach
T
DONATIONS
Barbara Nizewitz
he Engagement Committee at MHJC has been busy
planning for a fantastic event that is taking place on
June 7, 2015. Bestselling author, Judith Frank, will
be leading a discussion on her book, All I Know and Love.
Many of you took advantage of the presale of books and I
am happy to say that they have been ordered and should be
delivered by the end of April.
For those of you who have not yet registered, it is not too
late. The cost is $36 which will include a catered lunch.
YOU deserve it! Join us as we have the opportunity to dialogue with this intelligent and compassionate author.
If you have attended author-led book discussions, you know
how motivating and exciting they are. If you have never
attended one, make this your first: I promise, you won’t
regret it.
Registration will be closed soon: don’t be left out. Use the
registration form located in this newsletter or contact the
office for a form.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS!
TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE SHOFAR.
The following members made donations or redeemed
pledges that were deposited between December 1, 2014
and March 31, 2015:
Dan & Karen Akavan, David & Debbie Atlas, Shirley Bart,
Bernard & Linda Beckerman, Harvey & Harriet Blatt, Russell & Mara Blatt, Richard & Ruth Brachman, Ike & Renee
Cantos, Gerry & Carole Clarin, Harvey & Roberta Cohen,
Joel & Elyse Cohen, Martin Dashevsky, Michael & Sharon
Dashow, Randy & Vicki Diamond, Ed & Barbara Dicken,
Alex & Debbie Edelstein, Marty Eichen, Stuart & Sheryl
Eisenberg, David & Audrey Engel, Lewis & Doree Feldman, Daniel & Ilana Forchheimer, Mark & Shelley Forchheimer, Charlotte Froehlich, Steve & Cheryl Fuchs, Paul &
Lena Gaynes, Robert & Ellen Goldman, Robert Goldstein,
Keith & Robyn Greenstein, Frank & Sue Halfen, Mark &
Jodi Hirsch, Darin & Dawn Hoffman, Stanley & Adrienne
Horowitz, Jerry & Phyllis Gordon, Sherri Hughes, Barry &
Marilyn Katz, Helen Klein, Norman & Sandra Kleinman,
Philip & Jennifer Kolton, Michael & Laurel Konel, Paul Konigstein & Martha Kovel, Larry & Mindy Kurtzman, Jodi LaManna, Steven & Meryl Lamel, Lance & Amanda Lefkowitz,
Doug & Ronni Leo, Al & Joyce Lerner, Bruce & Iris Lesser,
Burt & Sheila Lipshie, Eric & Dona Malter, Len & Leah
Mandelbaum, Howard & Naomi Mann, Don & Stacy Marx,
Ira & Arlene Minkoff, Dr. Elliot & Marilyn Morris, Myron &
Sue Moskowitz, Yosef & Chari Nacson, Vivian Negrin, Jack
& Barbara Neiman, Mark & Barbara Nizewitz, Alan Osterweil, Eric & Jennifer Ostrager, Barry & Sharon Pearl, Gale
Pine, Daniel & Zelda Polofsky, Erik & Nancy Powers, Steven
& Barbara Randall, Lawrence & Harriet Rabinowitz, Mario
& Trudy Reznik, Sonny & Marilyn Robins, Shelly & Judie
Rokofsky, Ben & Marcy Rosenbaum, Marty & Ellen Rosenfeld, Bruce & Judy Ross, Bernard & Doris Roth, Edward &
Frances Roth, Linda Rubin, Daniel & Cheryl Sanborn, Ted
& Eleanor Scarr, Irwin & Alice Scharf, Ellis & Felicia Schneberg, Jeff & Judith Schutzer, David & Lauri Schwartz, Bill
& Alice Schweitzer, Barry & Sharon Shorten, Ken & Patti
Silver, Brad Smallberg, Dr. Larry & Lisa Sommer, Mark &
Debbie Spector, Harlan & Norma Spund, Howard & Laurie
Starr, Joel Stern, Glen & Lauren Stifelman, Shlomo & Ronni
Mordechai- Strongin, Mark & Ilene Sudran, Larry & Barbara
Tetenbaum, Martin & Rosalie Tonkelowitz, David Vanderpool, Marvin & Sharon Waks, David & Jessica Weissman,
Andy & Debby Wilder, Ed & Susan Winiarz, Michael &
Sharon Zelkind.
In addition we would like to thank all who have supported
and attended our events.
10
Shofar • May/June 2015
Principally Speaking
S
halom! As I am writing this article, I am looking outside and seeing and hearing many of Hashem’s beautiful creations: the sunshine (finally), the trees and
flowers blooming, and the birds chirping. Then I look down
the hallway and see and hear the beautiful students here at
Manetto Hill Jewish Center.
In the past few months we celebrated two important holidays—Purim and Passover. Let me start with Purim. It was
filled with innovation due to the creativity of our teachers.
The teachers created various ways for the students to make
masks, groggers, and even gluten-free Hamantashen—thank
you, Mr. Sudran. They certainly were prepared for the
Megillah reading. The students sang Purim songs taught by
our music teacher Marilyn Sobel during the Purim Spiel
(Thank you, Rabbi Neil and cast) and read various parts of the
Megillah. If I had to pick a winner for best costume, it surely
would have been very difficult.
Hosting a Passover Seder for students has been a tradition at
Manetto Hill Jewish Center. It would never come to be without the help of our Chairperson and Vice President, Mindy
Kurtzman and Laurel Konel; and of course our wonderful
custodial staff, Mark and Boumny. Thank you for doing all
the shopping and preparing the tables for over 60 children.
This year there was not only one Seder but two. The first
Seder was for students pre-K-2. It was lovely to see some
of our kindergarteners come on Monday with their parents
on a day they usually do not attend—Yasher Koach. The
Haggadah was geared for this age group: a host of singing
and acting out the plagues. A good time was had by all.
The second Seder was geared for grades 3-7; hearing them
chant the Four Questions and answering questions during
the reading of the Haggadah assured me that they were well
prepared in helping their own families lead a Seder.
Ruth Kravit, Education Director
enough to take time out of her very busy schedule and talk
to our students about what it is like being a soldier in Israel
and all the training she had to do. Let me tell you, not easy!
Our students were thoroughly engaged and very insightful
questions were being asked. Yasher Koach Ingbar.
A big Todah Rabbah also goes out to the Daled Class, guided
by Mr. Hirschfield, for leading a Friday night service; the Bet
Class, guided by Mr. Sudran for leading a Friday night service; and the Hay Class, guided by Ms. Polofsky, for leading
a Shabbat morning service. A phenomenal job was done!
Please save the dates for the upcoming events:
May 6: Lag B’Omer Celebration
May 8: Friday night services led by Aleph Class
May 9: Junior Congregation
May 18: Primary Moving Up Ceremony
May 20: Moving Up Ceremony and Hay Class
Graduation
B’Shalom.
I want to extend a big Todah Rabbah to Ingbar Baumvoll.
She is the daughter of our Gimmel Teacher, Miss Anat. Ingbar is a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces. She was kind
Manetto Hill Jewish Center • Iyar/Sivan/Tammuz 5775
11
Funeral Directors
162-05 Horace Harding Expressway
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
800-446-0406 718-445-0406
Keven Wandy Lic. Funeral Director
Member MHJC
We are here 24 hours, to serve your family
www.jewishfunerals.com
CONTACT US AT:
[email protected]
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