Temple Beth O’R/Beth Torah 111 Valley Road, Clark NJ 07066 732-381-8403 [email protected] www.bethorbethtorah.org Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Rahway, NJ PERMIT No. 166 Temple Beth O’r/Beth Torah IYAR 5774 Change Service Requested Steven Stern, Spiritual Leader Howard Silverman, President Jonathan Phillips, Executive Vice-President MAY 2014 GAME SHOW GALA! Mailed May 1, 2014 Simply Streisand Sunday, June 29 at 5 pm Sunday, May 4 at 5 PM An outrageously fun evening with your favorite TV games shows! AWARD WINNING TRIBUTE ARTIST Enjoy delicious Super Heroes with all the trimmings catered by Deli-King of Clark! Yummy desserts! Presents an elegant, exciting show that leaves audiences spellbound! Don't miss out on the fun. Reserve now. Tickets are only $28 for members, $33 for non-members, and $10 for children under 12. CARLA DEL VILLAGGIO Evening includes ♦ dinner and dessert ♦ silent auction of fabulous goods & services For tickets call the temple office by Thursday, June 19. Tickets: members $30, non-members $35 PATRON $360: 2 admission tickets for the show, dinner & dessert; preferred seating; bottle of wine; Barbra Streisand CD; 2 raffle tickets & a photograph with entertainer SPONSOR $180: 2 admission tickets for the show, dinner & dessert, preferred seating & 2 raffle tickets You can be the next Winner!!! Simply Streisand Sunday, June 29 at 5 pm AWARD WINNING TRIBUTE ARTIST CARLA DEL VILLAGGIO Presents an elegant, exciting show that leaves audiences spellbound! Evening includes ♦ dinner and dessert ♦ silent auction of fabulous goods & services Details on the back cover 12 From the Cantor "This is my modest gift to the Jewish people who have always dreamt of biblical love, friendship and of peace among all peoples. This is my gift to that people which lived here thousands of years ago among the other Semitic people." Marc Chagall, Jerusalem, February 6, 1962 son’s passport list Israel as his place of birth. According to legal experts, the case involves a number of very significant constitutional issues. But what interests me most is not the perennial friction between the various branches of our government. Rather it is the degree to which governments and institutions make policy based not on propriety and reality, but on the basis of an attempt to placate those on the world stage holding the most radical and extreme viewpoints. We have unfortunately seen this phenomenon increasingly in recent years. On my trip to Israel in February, I had hoped to visit Hadassah Hospital and view the famous Chagall windows, but unfortunately there was not enough time. I wish I had made time, because today I just finished reading about the great passport debate. As you may know, the U.S. Congress in 2002 passed a law that required any U.S. citizen born in Jerusalem to have the right to have his/her passport stamped with Israel as the birthplace. This was intended to nullify the policy of the State Department that directed that only Jerusalem be listed as the place of birth, a policy designed to affirm the U.S. position of neutrality on the question of sovereignty over the city. Yom Yerushalayim will be observed on the 28th of Iyar, which falls this year on May 28th. It commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 following the Six Day War. There are surely many issues, including those related to the Holy City, that will have to be resolved if there is ever going to be peace between Israel and her neighbors. That is to be left for the parties involved to settle. That the birthplace of a baby born adjacent to the grand, artistic masterpiece of Chagall needs to be debated in the hallowed halls of our nation’s highest court is, however, unfortunate and sad. On the subject of Jerusalem, I am pleased to have been able to invite Rabbi Jonathan Porath to join us for our upcoming Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat on May 30 and 31. I met him briefly while in Jerusalem where he now resides, and as many of you know, he served our community in Clark from 1975 to 1984. Among other topics, he will be speaking about life as a resident of Jerusalem. I hope you will join us for this very special Shabbat. One might conceivably be excused for understanding the rationale behind the State Department’s position as regards the Old City, but is there any question at all regarding Israeli sovereignty over Western Jerusalem? Is there any question about whether a baby born at Hadassah Hospital or Shaare Zedek was born in Israel or not? According to the State Department it seems there is, and since the executive branch of our government is now in conflict with our legislative branch, the Supreme Court has been asked to adjudicate. Shalom u’vracha, Cantor Steven Stern A suit has been brought by Ari and Naomi Zivotofsky, U.S citizens whose son Menachem Binyamin was born at Shaare Zedek in 2002 and who claim the right to have their HOLIDAY CELEBRATION! TIKKUN LEIL SHAVUOTH What’s Up for Shabbat in May? Men’s Club Shabbat - Saturday , May 3 A NIGHT OF LEARNING Dress Down Shabbat— Come casual for our Shabbat services on Friday and Saturday, May 9 & 10. TUESDAY, JUNE 3, @ 7:30 P.M. Simcha Shabbat—We will celebrate all birthdays and anniversaries in the month of May on Saturday, May 24. Come for a blessing and share your simcha with your TBO/BT family! Join us at the Bayit (117 John Street) for an enchanted evening of prayers, Toray study, and dairy desserts. RSVP 732 381 8403 [email protected] Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat - Friday & Saturday, May 30 & 31 2 11 Nancy Kelner delivered the following D’var Torah on a recent Shabbat morning "I had the honor of giving the D'var Torah on Saturday, April 26, and was asked to submit it for our Temple Bulletin. Hope you enjoy it.” Nancy Kelner plan also involves telling the neighbor’s wife that you saw your neighbor in a bar, being a little too friendly with the barmaid. Bam! Now you’ve violated Commandment # 9, also, “You shall not bear false witness.” Holy cow! A double violation! Shabbat Shalom. I’d like to say a few words about today’s Torah portion. Well, I think you get the idea. Envy can be a slippery slope. But is it realistic to expect us to, let alone command us to, not be envious? Are we talking thought-control here? I decided to check the Internet to see what scholars had to say. Here’s what I found in Wikipedia regarding Maimonides’ interpretation of this commandment: Today’s parshah is Kedoshim. It begins: “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your G-d am holy.” It goes on to repeat many of the Ten Commandments and lists many other things we should and should not do. One of the Ten Commandments I didn’t see in the parshah is the tenth one, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, his manservant, his maid-servant, his ox, his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor's.” I am fascinated by the word covet. Definitely a word you don’t hear much in conversation today. If I saw the word covet for the first time, as a retired secretary, my first thought would be TYPO! (And those of you who type know that the R and the T are next to each other on the keyboard.) Maybe G-d meant ‘cover.’ And that leads – sorry, can’t help it - to the joke about covering your neighbor’s ass. Well, we know every word of the Torah was chosen carefully, so we know that G-d meant ‘covet’ after all. But what exactly does that mean? The online dictionary I checked said that envy, jealousy and covetousness are all very similar. But there must be a difference, otherwise the Torah would have said ‘You shall not envy’ or ‘You shall not be jealous of.’ And that could be a problem, because now it sounds like G-d is telling us how to think. Isn’t it hard enough to follow the first nine Commandments, which are actions, without also being told how we should think? Here’s how I see it. Think of envy, jealousy and covetousness as three levels of the same thought. Envy is the first level, yellow alert, if you will, when you look out your window, see a new car in your neighbor’s driveway, and say, “Nice car. I wish I had a car like that .” Jealousy is the second level, orange alert, when you look out your window, see a new car in your neighbor’s driveway, and say, “Nice car. I should have a car like that. He doesn’t deserve it.” Covetousness is the third level, red alert, when you look out your window, see a new car in your neighbor’s driveway, and say, “Nice car. I wish I had a car like that. I deserve a car like that. I want that car. “ And Bam! Next thing you know, you’re making plans to steal it. Violating Commandment #10 has led to violating Commandment #8, You shall not steal. ‘Maimonides viewed the prohibition of coveting as a fence or boundary intended to keep adherents a safe distance away from the very serious sins of theft, adultery, and murder. ‘Desire leads to coveting, and coveting leads to stealing. For if the owner (of the coveted object) does not wish to sell, even though he is offered a good price and is entreated to accept, the person (who covets the object) will come to steal it, as it is written (Mikha 2:2) [Micah 2:2], 'They covet fields and (then) steal them.' And if the owner approaches him with a view to reclaiming his money or preventing the theft, then he will come to murder. Go and learn from the example of Achav [Ahab] and Navot [Naboth]. ‘Maimonides’ admonition to learn from the example of Ahab and Naboth refers to the narrative in 1 Kings 21 in which King Ahab of Israel tried to convince Naboth the Jezreelite to sell him the vineyard Naboth owned adjacent to the king’s palace. Ahab wanted the land to use as a vegetable garden, but Naboth refused to sell or trade the property to Ahab saying, “The LORD forbid that I should give up to you what I have inherited from my fathers!” Ahab’s wife Jezebel then conspired to obtain the vineyard by writing letters in Ahab’s name to the elders and nobles in Naboth’s town instructing them to have two scoundrels bear false witness claiming that Naboth has cursed both God and the king. After Naboth was subsequently stoned to death, Ahab seized possession of Naboth’s vineyard. The text describes the LORD as very angry with Ahab, and the prophet Elijah pronounces judgment on both Ahab and Jezebel.’ So - what does that all mean and what are we supposed to learn from it? I think the lesson is that G-d doesn’t want to control our thoughts, G-d wants us to control our thoughts. And as hard as that may sound, I believe we wouldn’t be asked to do it if G-d thought we couldn’t do it. After all, don’t they say that G-d doesn’t hand us anything we can’t handle? If “we are the masters of our words before they are spoken,” then surely we are the masters of our thoughts before they lead to actions we will regret. The next time we catch ourselves gazing enviously at someone else’s handbag or house or grandchildren or anything else that doesn’t belong to us, let’s resolve to stop, take a breath, and say to ourselves, “What a nice house. I wish I had a house like that.” And then let’s take another breath, and say to ourselves, “ But I don’t, and that’s all right.” Suppose you’re a single guy, and you notice your neighbor’s wife is a very pretty woman, and you think to yourself, “How did my idiot neighbor get himself a beautiful woman like that? I wish I had a woman like that.” As time goes on, and you dwell more and more on the neighbor’s wife, envy turns to jealousy and then to covetousness. And Bam! Next thing you know, you’re making Shabbat Shalom. plans to take the neighbor’s wife away from him. Violating Commandment #10 has led to violating Commandment #7, You shall not commit adultery. And if you’re very clever, maybe your 10 From The President April Happy Birthday! Shalom, Bonnie Altman Jerome Baron Alex Cammy Nikolai Cherenkov Ilana Dorsch Ellen Gietter Bernice Gola William Hausler Lorraine Itzkowitz Malvina Kohn As I write this note to you on a glorious April day when the temperature should reach 50 degrees (only 47 now), I can just feel the collective excitement that winter has (hopefully) finally packed its bags and that summer will soon be here. I feel the inner joy to be outside. Acknowledging this change in seasons also gives me the opportunity to reflect on the winter that has just passed. We had our challenges with cold temperatures, ice and snow. Through it all we remain active and a vibrant community. Karen Langer Benjamin Margulies Helene Miller Ian Muhlgeier Arthur Purdy Shirley Ratner Benjamin Saks Joseph Weiner Norma Weinshanker Happy Anniversary! Alan & Wendy Mandelbaum Michael & Laurie Saks Jay & Esther Schlesinger Joel & Barbara Seltzer Allan & Rayna Warner Your Temple Board still strives to have interesting, exciting and entertaining programs to keep us active. It would be impossible to truly communicate my respect and admiration for all who serve on your Board. What they have collectively done for our community would be impossible to express in just a few short words. We have two upcoming programs -- "Game Show Nigh" and "Simply Streisand". Please come out, you will have an entertaining evening and help support Our Home, Our Shul. Our own Jon Henry Barr has been selected by the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Municipal Court Practice Section as this year’s Municipal Court Practice Award recipient. Jon Henry has been the municipal prosecutor in Clark and Kenilworth for many years and is the president of the New Jersey Prosecutors Association. He has been a speaker for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and serves as a volunteer emergency medical technician. Mazel Tov! I am looking forward to seeing you. Shalom, Howard Silverman, CONGREGATION MEETING MONDAY, MAY 19 AT 7:30 PM SLATE OF OFFICERS & TRUSTEES FOR 2014-2015 FISCAL YEAR WILL BE PRESENTED Combined Morning Minyan In the month of May minyan will be held in Clark. Monday & Thursday – 6:50 am; Tuesday, Wed., & Friday – 7:00 am; School Days The Hebrew School and Yaldeinu 's curricula for April added much learning about Passover--the prayers, the story, the Haggadah, the special foods, etc. Many of our families joined our Temple family at the First Night Seder and put into practice all of what they had learned!! Sundays & Holidays - 9:00 am in Clark. Evening services are held every day at 7:30 pm in Cranford. Stay in the Loop! Classes resumed after the Passover break for both groups on Sunday, April 27th. The end of the 20132014 school year for both classes will be on Sunday, May 18th. Can you believe how fast time is flying???? Elaine & Thelma Keep up with all our events by email. Contact the office if you are not currently on our email list. 3 SISTERHOOD PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SISTERHOOD BRUNCH MEETING I have lots of good news to report from Sisterhood this month. First, on Sunday, May 18th @10am, we will have a brunch meeting on “Mental Health Issues” with Dr. Esther Schlesinger leading the discussion. This is the rescheduled brunch meeting from February on the same topic. A special breakfast will be served. The TBO/BT Family extends Mazel Tov to: SUNDAY, MAY 18 @ 10 AM Florence Bernstein on the Bat Mitzvah of her granddaughter Gillian Alexa Miller ON MENTAL HEALTH WITH DR. ESTHER SCHLESINGER LEADING THE DISCUSSION The TBO/BT Family expresses condolences to: SISTERHOOD MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE!!! The TBO/BT Family wishes speedy recovery to: NEW DONOR DINNER DATE! THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014 AT 6 PM Then, most of you should be aware by now that Donor Dinner, normally held in May will be held instead on June 12th. This was done so we could have some amazing entertainment! Donor Dinner Committee Finally, there is an update on the crocheted baby caps. Our small group has made a dozen newborn hats, which are being donated to the Pediatric Dept. at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. I want to thank all the ladies who made this possible, including our instructors, Esther Schlesinger & Ellen Cohen. All of you did a fabulous job! Golden Books MAZEL TOV: To: Ruth & Bernie Berkhoff on the engagement of their granddaughter Sarah Rothenberg to Evan Schonfeld From: Norma & Jack Weinshanker To: Myrna & Arny Young on their 55th Wedding Anniversary From: Norma & Jack Weinshanker I plan on seeing many of you on May 18th! Joleen Fridson CONDOLENCES: To: Jayne Heidelberger on the passing of her mother Phyllis Cooperman From: Julia & Yakov Vinokurov To: Lenny Weiner on the passing of his mother Rachel From: Julia & Yakov Vinokurov Judaica Shop News Hope everyone had a nice Pesach. Can graduation time be far behind? We have a nice assortment of picture frames, photo albums and photo album/picture frame combos. We also have baby items (lots of bibs!) and children’s tzedakah boxes, women’s jewelry and books for children and adults. Remember – if you want something you don’t see, let me know – we may have it! Nancy Kelner 908-272-9072 or [email protected]. Special Fund Donations to Special Fund can be made for any occasion for a minimum donation of $5.00. You will receive 100% donor credit. To send a beautiful Special Fund card call: Gene Berry (732-388-3453). Golden Books To send a Golden Book for any occasion, call: Joan Oberman (732-381-4322) Evie Shulman (908-276-6894) Betty Needleman (908-389-0911). INCOME TAX INFORMATION Sisterhood makes a 5% profit on all ShopRite and A&P vouchers sold. Therefore you are entitled to claim that 5% as a charitable deduction on your income tax. If you are not sure how much donor credit (also 5%) you have received for vouchers, please contact Esther Schlesinger (732-548-7132). Cards are sent for $3.00 and you will receive $1.50 donor credit, or pick up a pack of 10 cards for $20.00 with $15.00 donor credit and send them yourself. They can be picked up from the office. Please send checks to Esther Schlesinger (9 Pine Ridge Dr., Edison, NJ 08820) or call (732) 548-7132 for the amount owed. Jayne Heidelberger on the passing of her mother Phyllis Cooperman Lenny Weiner on the passing of his mother Rachel Weiner Jake Altholz, Sheldon Halper We gratefully acknowledge the following donations made to TBO/BT during the month of April ( To make a donation in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special occasion, call or email the temple office.) Yahrzeit Fund Cantor’s Discretionary Fund Harriet Rothschild in loving memory of William Rothschild, Leon Weinberg, Meyer Weinberg Minyan Breakfast Fund Harriet Rothschild in memory of Amalchin Zimmerman Donated By In Memory of Herbert Hymanson Min Hymanson Rita Dubrow Faye Dubrow Marvin Edelman Abraham Edelman Esther Rubinstein Morris Gutwilig Paul Hymanson Min Hymanson Stewart Sherman Aaron Sherman Dr. Dennis Turner Henry Turner Claire Warech Charles Goldstein Bonnie Altman Bertold Dreifus Sheldon Halper Mollie Spatz Lorraine & Milton Loshin in memory of Dora Sattler Rayna Warner Simon Small Yuri Gorkin & Liya Tager in memory of Mira Beylina Shirley Coppleson Shirley Lewitter Elaine Kolker Albert Unger Michael E. Miller Ethel Miller Anna Vaidman Semyon Margulis Marilyn Weinstein David Weinstein Ida Breitbart Minnie Melnick Bess Berg Minnie Melnick Adele Pressman Harry Pressman Carla Rockliff Richard Wolfson Eva Silbert Leo Rogath Adeline Gesten Esther Lehner Sol Sern Memorial Fund Anonymous Gitta Harel Frances Burns ONEGS & KIDDUSHES SPONSORED BY: Congregation, Sisterhood, Men’s Club Arny & Myrna Young in honor of their 55th Wedding Anniversary Thank you We would like to thank all our dear friends at TBO/BT for the Purim Mishloach Manot, as well as good wishes for Myrna’s birthday and our anniversary. May we always share good occasions. Myrna & Arny Young Jane & Sheldon Halper would like to thank everyone for their calls and cards wishing Sheldon a complete and speedy recovery. Join TBOBT as we march in the Clark Memorial Day Parade! Vouchers: Monday morning, May 26. Details to follow. ShopRite and A&P vouchers are available at Sisterhood functions, and in the temple office. 4 9 From Dr. Michael Miller TBO-BT MEN’S CLUB SHOMREI HA’ARETZ Humans cannot survive without CLEAN water Scholar-in Residence Shabbat MEN’S CLUB SHABBAT Saturday, May 3 May 30-31 WATER CONSERVATION With the water pollution crisis in the eastern US and severe drought in the west, I'm sure you'll agree that now is the perfect time to focus on clean, safe and abundant water for all. with Rabbi Jonathan Porath Rabbi Porath served as rabbi of Temple Beth O’r from 1975-1984 before moving with his family to Israel. Top 12 Tips for Water Conservation in the Home 1. Calculate your water footprint. www.gracelinks.org/3404/water-footprint-calclator 2. Replace showerheads. Install low-flow showerheads, rated 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or less. 3. Install aerators. Screw aerators rated at 1.5 gpm onto your faucets. 4. Use toilet tank banks. Reduce water used per flush with these flexible inserts placed in the tank. 5. Go WaterSense. This certification ensures your appliances are the most water efficient in their class. www.epa.gov/ watersense/ 6. Turn it off! Shut off water when soaping up, shaving, washing dishes or brushing teeth. If you let it run to warm up/ cool down, collect it for other uses. 7. Wash dishes wisely. Scrape, don’t rinse, dishes before using the dishwasher. Plug up the sink/basin if washing dishes by hand. 8. Wash clothes with less. Do only full loads of laundry, or lower the water setting to match the size of the load. 9. Check for leaks. Each month check all appliances for leaks. 10. Avoid the garbage disposal! Collect food waste in a drain trap. 11. Kick the bottled water habit, and begin serving tap water. To remove chlorine taste, use a large pitcher with a renewable filter. 12. Watering shrubs and gardens, Use a water timer and “weeper hoses,” drip irrigation. Wandering Over – Going Home After living in New Jersey since February 1975, nearly equal to the same 40 years Moses wandered in the desert with our ancestors, Helene & I will be going home to New York. We have sold our house in Hillside, and will be moving into a co-op in Cedarhurst and to be near one of our fantastic children and their family. We expect to move by the end of May, not being around for Installation. This is a bittersweet decision on my part, but one whose time has come. Our granddaughter is nearly 5, and we have missed too much of her life already, being 2 bridges away and nearly always encompassing lousy traffic when we visit them or they visit us. So we go home to New York, Helene from the Bronx and me from Brooklyn. As we started our married life in Queens, as a compromise, now we compromise living in Nassau County instead of the City of NY. But it is the right compromise. I wish you all good health, much Mazel, only bright days and happiness. I wish for you what I wish for myself and my family. And being near our granddaughter will certainly bring Helene & me bright days & much happiness. It’s been a pleasure. And so I leave you with this: BOCELLI - Time To Say Goodbye Michael E. Miller April 11, 2014 Jewish Film Festival Wednesday, May 7—Aftermath Tuesdays, May 13 - the Zigzag Kid Wednesday, May 28 - The Lady in November, Life in Still All films start at 7:30 p.m. and will be shown at Rialto Theatre, 250 E. Broad St., Westfield. He will teach the following topics: Friday night at services: NURTURING JEWISH HEARTS AND JEWISH SOULS Shabbat morning at services: LEAVING HOME AND COMING HOME: 30 YEARS ON ALIYAH TO ISRAEL Shabbat after lunch: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF RABBI AKIVA: A HERO FOR OUR TIME Seudah Shlesheet: EXPANDING OUR JEWISH HORIZONS OR HOW TO LIVE PASSIONATE JEWISH LIVES IN CENTRAL NJ Please RSVP by May 19 if you plan to attend the Saturday Kiddush or afternoon Seudah Shlesheet. Coming soon! Spring Convention: May 16th—18th in Somerset. Action required: Clear your calendar and plan now to attend Encampment August 19th to August 26th. Details to follow. It is an unbelievable week! Happy Birthday to: Sign in on AmazonSmile.com and select "Clark Jewish Center" and Amazon will give 0.5% of your purchases to TBOBT. Both Hebrew & English parts available. Festive Kiddush to follow services. Your participation will be greatly appreciated. Got a Simcha? ISRAELI DANCE Tuesday Nights Birthday? Anniversary? Graduation? New grandchild? Host a Kiddush at TBO/BT beginners from 7 pm to 8 pm intermediate from 8 pm to 11 pm You can sponsor the entire Kiddush or be a cosponsor with a donation of $18 or more. Contact Julia at 732-381-8403 x11 or [email protected]. $10.00 per class/ $45 prepaid for 5 Part of the proceeds go to TBO/BT. Led by Elyse Litt 732-396-8299 8 All those that are graduating from middle school, high school, college, trade school, graduate school and medical school are invited to participate. If you have a family member that is graduating this year, please contact Claudia Dorsch at 908.756.0779 or [email protected] by April 1st. Ilana D.—May 2 nd Now you can support the temple while you shop. The TBO/BT Graduation Shabbat will be held on Saturday, June 7th. 5 Metropolitan Klezmer performed to a full and appreciative house at the Sol Sern Memorial Program Over one hundred guests attended our largest ever TBOBT Annual Community Seder Cantor Stern prepares the contract for the sale of hametz Arthur Purdy assists the Cantor in the burning of hametz remnants Four generations of the Rubin-Leibowitz family participated in the morning services on the day of the Fast of the Firstborn before Pesach 6 7
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