connected congregation forums - Scarsdale Synagogue Temples

Scarsdale Synagogue
Temples Tremont and
Emanu-El
Scarsdale Synagogue
Temples Tremont and Emanu-El
Hineinu
‫ • הננו‬We are here!
Creating a covenant community of shared lives and real relationships.
S H A L O M
N E W S L E T T E R
K I S L E V­– T E V E T 5775
n
D E C E M B E R 2014
STEW LEONARD’S
21-FOOT MENORAH
FAMILY
CHANUKAH PARTY
12.14 at 11 a.m.
SCARTY Junior Event
4th–6th Graders
Iron Chef: Donut Edition
CONNECTED
CONGREGATION
FORUMS
12.7 at 11:15 a.m.
and/or
12.10 at 7 p.m.
Dreidel Spinning Contest
11:30 a.m.
Bring Your Favorite Dreidel!
~ And Much More ~
Candle Lighting and Party
with Cantor Becker
12.18 at 5:30 p.m.
Professional Staff
JEFFREY C. BROWN • Rabbi
rabbibrown@sstte.org
CHANIN BECKER • Cantor
cantorbecker@sstte.org
WENDY PEIN • Director of
Congregational Learning
rabbipein@sstte.org
ROBERTA ARONOVITCH • Executive Director
roberta@sstte.org
JODY GLASSMAN • Nursery School Director
mazeltots@sstte.org
SARAH METZGER • Youth Group Director
sarahmetzger@sstte.org
MELANIE APPELBAUM • Marketing and
Communications Manager
melanie@sstte.org
SSTTE OFFICE
office@sstte.org
Board of Trustees
Committee and Program Chairs
Joy Bertan
Sara Feinstein
Roy Fenichel
David Goldman
Ron Katter
Fredda Kwitman
Jeff Margolin
Jonathan Paul
Beverly Picker
Rhonda Pomerantz
Debbie Schenfeld
Mark Schneyer
Emily Scherer Steinberg
Amy Strongin
Joel Wagman
Carolyn Weiss
Marsha Williams
Jeff Zelkowitz
Budget & Finance
Steven Eigen
Tom Vogel
Care2Connect
Christine Ginsberg
Communal Worship
Steven Masket
Harvey Tessler
Connected Congregations Ellen Baken
Early Childhood Education Valerie Greenberg
Lauren Ornstein
Family Events
Alison Litofsky
Funds Investment
David Newman
James Shifren
Governance Task Force
Lowell Williams
Library
Life-Long Learning
Millicent Baschkin
Barbara Ginsberg
Randee Horowitz
Scott Baken
Long-Range Planning
Jay Chalson
Madelaine Eppenstein
Marketing & Public Relations
Stuart Pearlman
Eric Schoen
Membership/Community
Alison Litofsky
Scott Rothstein
Women of SSTTE Co-Presidents
PJ Library
Randee Horowitz
Susan Lippmann Religious School
Andrea Miller
SSTTE Seniors
Aaron Plum
Congregational Leadership
DONNA VITALE RUSKIN . . . . . . . . President
KAREN CHAPRO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Social Action
STEVEN EIGEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sec. / Treasurer
DEBBIE FINN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learning
ALISON LITOFSKY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community
STEVEN MASKET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Worship
JULES NATOWITZ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administration
SCOTT ROTHSTEIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . Community
TOM VOGEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finance
ELLEN BAKEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Past President
Ex-Officio Members of The Board
Communal Worship
Religious School
Youth Group Pres.
Honorary Trustee
Harvey Tessler
Andrea Miller
Izzy Puig
Rebecca Rosenberg
Barbara Chesler
Sandy Rothstein
Professional Staff Emereti
STEPHEN A. KLEIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi – SSTTE
rabbisklein@gmail.com
Brotherhood of SSTTE Co-Presidents
KERRY BEN-DAVID. . . . . . . . . . . . . Cantor – SSTT
Richard Primoff Dan Alpert
Social Action/Tikkun Olam Karen Chapro
Elinor Wharton
GARY KATZ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exec. Director – SSTTE
Team Kehillah
Ellen Plum Rosenberg
ALAN HOCHBERG . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exec. Director – SSTTE
___________________________________
United Interfaith
Food Bank
Larry Eidelberg
Elinor Wharton
SCARTY Group Co-Presidents
Isabella Puig
Rebecca Rosenberg
Youth Advisory Board
Debbie Finn
Julie Schneyer
MARILYN SHEBSHAIEVITZ. . . . . . Exec. Director – TE
PHILIP ARONSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exec. Director – TE
REBECCA SHUBERT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Educator – SSTTE
Shalom to the Shalom... my friends! MLE
SST TE SHALOM NEWSLET TER
The Shalom is partially funded by the
Women of SSTTE. If you have ideas
for a new article please contact
Roberta Aronovitch, Executive Director,
at 914.725.5175.
The Shalom is published monthly
(except for July & August).
The Deadline for the January, 2015
Shalom is Friday, December 5, 2014.
In order to meet the publishing deadline,
please submit information on a timely
basis according to the deadline listed.
Programming Vice President
Rachel Blume
Communications
Vice President
Ben Chalson
Membership Vice President
Jenny Appelbaum
Religious and Cultural Vice President
Noah E. Steinberg
Treasurer
Jonathan Glickman
NFTY NAR Liason
Anna Wingate
Social Action
Vice President
Zoe Zelkowitz
The SCARTY Youth Group welcomes all
9–12 graders from SSTTE to participate in
activities. For more information contact
Sarah Metzger: sarahmetzger@sstte.org
Welcome! Any questions,
please contact us either by
E-Mail: office@sstte.org or
Phone: 914.725.5175
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER:
CONNECTED CONGREGATIONS
COVER:
CHANUKAH EVENTS
Profiles
From Our Rabbi
Worship
Mazal Tov
Sharing Shabbat
Communal Worship Corner
Kol Nidre Appeal
Our Director of Congregational Learning
What’s Happening at SSTTE?!
and
Calendar for December-January
Our Director of Youth Engagement
Tikkun Olam - Social Action
Our Director of Early Childhood
PJ Library - Library
Cycle of our Congregational Family
Advertisements
p. 5
p. 17
p. 3
p. 4-5
p. 6-7
p. 6
p. 7
p. 8
p. 9
p. 10
p. 11-13
p. 16-17
p. 15-15
p. 18
p. 19-20
p. 21
p. 22
p. 23-24
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
In this publication we try to print something
for everybody. For those who like services,
there is the Worship Section. For those
who like to check on Mitzvahs there is the
Cycle of our Congregational Family section.
And for those who like to find mistakes, we
have included a few of those as well.
Please let us know if you have found any
misspellings of names so that we may
correct these typos in our records.
PROFILES
Ray Santiago is the head of Security here at SSTTE. Born and raised in Brooklyn
and now residing in Whitestone, Queens. He has 2 daughters, ages 30 and 32. He
has been working here since September of 2006. He is retired from the NYPD after
20 years of service and it didn’t take him long to find his new home here. Most of
you will see him during the nursery and religious school, monitoring traffic flow or
during services. He keeps track of visitors entering the building making sure they
have authorized business here. He keeps abreast of current world events that may
have an impact on the safety of all attendees here at the Temple. As such he
maintains a strong relationship with the Scarsdale Police Department and he is in
constant communications with them. He has managed to have them conduct intruder
scenario exercises here, twice so far, and will arrange for more in the future.
Whenever possible he attends the Security round tables hosted by the Westchester
JCRC and passes on any developments or suggestions for enhancing our safety
status.
Marc Friedberg has been with us for one and a half years and is part of our security
team. He is also employed as a Criminal Investigator/Probation Officer for the
Westchester County Department of Probation. He has the distinction of being the first
probation officer to complete the New York State Criminal Investigator Class. This
class, also known as detective school, is much sought after, and very difficult to
achieve. Marc has also had the honor of being recognized for exceptional bravery on
eight occasions by the Commissioner of Probation. He has also worked on various
task forces, and interagency programs including service at ground zero in September
2001. Marc enjoys serving the members of the SSTTE community and loves
interacting with the congregants.
3
FROM OUR RABBI
Dear Friends:
I wanted to use my column this month to reflect with you about some of the
transformative work (for me, anyway) that many of us did together during the 2012-2013
year here at SSTTE.
As some of you will recall, I spent a portion of the year studying, teaching, and meditating
on the question of what role I, as a rabbi, might/should have in officiating at a wedding in
which one partner is not Jewish. For the many who attended the three public lectures
(and Q/A’s) I conducted on the issue, as well as for those that gathered in congregants’
homes for smaller discussions with me, and for the many of you who sought me out privately: all of us can attest
to the seriousness of the issue, and to the emotional and personal dimensions of the question…for it touches on
the core of our identities as individuals. And in many cases, on the identities of our spouses and families as well.
We spent that year learning together, and dialoguing. Your inspiring openness to conversation enabled me to
clarify how I would proceed forward in working with all wedding couples, regardless of whether one partner is not
Jewish. Thanks to your generosity of spirit, I grew and was enriched. (If you’re interested, you can find the
letter that I sent to the congregation in June of 2013, which is posted at http://goo.gl/LNtEPq. It contains
the details of the approach that I now use to guide my work with all premarital couples.)
Given the significance of the subject matter, I wanted to share with you a few developments that have come up
since June of 2013:




I’ve posted my remarks from the three public lectures that I held on the subject during that year on our
temple website so that as many people can continue to be a part of that process as possible. You can
access them at http://goo.gl/ZPmz6f.
I spent part of last year writing a reflection about my journey on the question, with significant focus on
why my five years of rabbinical school and seven years as an Assistant Rabbi had not afforded me the
chance to address this most important question. The essay will be published in just a few weeks in a
book edited by Rabbi Hayim Herring, one of our most important thinkers about the future of Jewish
communal life in America. The book is entitled Keeping Faith in Rabbis: A Community Conversation on
Rabbinical Education.
I’ve been privileged to mentor several other colleagues through their own decision-making processes,
based on my own experience.
I opened my door…and waited to encounter a first couple (that included a partner who wasn’t Jewish) to
walk on this journey with.
At some point, well over a year ago, I met Rachel Luskin and her fiancée Gregory Croteau (Rachel is the daughter
of temple members Michael and Judy Luskin). They were planning a wedding for October 2014, which meant
that we had more than enough time to get to know each other, plan their wedding together, and study together
– during in-person meetings timed to coincide with their visits back here in Westchester, and via video calls using
Skype and FaceTime to their home in California. Rachel and Gregory were deeply invested in the process. At the
outset of our first meeting, they were able to articulate the Jewish vision that they had, both for the wedding
ceremony itself, and for the home/family they looked forward to creating together.
I am deeply honored to be able to share with you that I was privileged to stand with Rachel and Gregory (and
with Michael and Judy, and Gregory’s parents too) under their chuppah in mid-October. We gathered on a
picturesque hilltop overlooking the Hudson River on a gorgeous day. And there was such joy….as we all
celebrated Rachel and Greg’s union, and the life they will now share together.
There was joy for me personally, as well. The wedding enabled me to ‘close the circle’ on a larger transformative
process that you (the congregation) and I began together when we first started to seriously discuss this issue
publicly in the fall of 2012. Rachel and Greg’s wedding, and now the writing of this piece, once again
(continued on page 5)
4
FROM OUR RABBI
(continued from page 4) gives me the opportunity to thank each and every one of you, and
particularly the members of our congregation’s lay leadership, for the tremendous courage and
patience that I asked of all of you….as we explored this important question.
It should go without saying that I remain open to continuing our dialogue. Should you have any questions about
my approach to this issue, or if there’s anything on your mind about it that you’d like to bring to my attention,
please don’t hesitate to be in touch so that we can make time to meet together in person to talk about it. And if
you know someone getting married, and you think they would benefit from speaking with a rabbi (even if they
don’t want a rabbi to officiate at the wedding for whatever reason), please have them be in touch with me! It is
always a blessing for me to be able to congratulate a couple that is on their way to committing the rest of their
lives to one another.
May you and your family only go from simchah (celebration) to simchah, and from strength to strength,
Rabbi Jeffrey Brown
Learn what it means to become
a Connected Congregation
OUR GOALS ARE TO:

Explore and articulate what it means to be a member of our synagogue community

Establish the importance of a new membership/financial model for the future
existence of a vibrant synagogue life
 Reinforce the value of connecting to Jewish life through a synagogue
Two meetings to choose from:
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2014 11:15 a.m. – 1:45 pm I Brunch Included
~ AND/OR (no need to attend both!) ~
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2014 7:00pm – 9:30pm I Dinner Included
This is a big project with very important consequences for our community. We need your help to
organize our Community Conversations
RSVP to office@sstte.org or call 914-725-5175 by December 1
Please feel free to reach out to any one of the Committee Chairs if you have any questions:
Rabbi Brown: rabbibrown@sstte.org
Cantor Becker: cantorbecker@sstte.org
Ellen Jancko-Baken: ebaken@fbklawyers.com
Gary Katz: garyjk11@gmail.com
Harvey Tessler: harvey.tessler@gmail.com
Donna Vitale Ruskin: donnasuevitale@gmail.com
Mark Hoffman: mark.hoffman@nbc.com
Scott Rothstein: shrothstein@gmail.com
5
WORSHIP
Religious Services
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5
5:30 PM
PJ Library Tot Shabbat Service
6:00 PM
Shabbat Dinner
6:30 PM
Family Shabbat Service
8:00 PM
Chavurah Service
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6
10:30 AM
The Congregation is invited to worship
as Sarah Bock becomes a Bat Mitzvah
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12
8:00 PM
Shir Shabbat Service
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13
10:30 AM
Shabbat BaBoker
4:30 PM
The Congregation is invited to worship
as Sean Ginsberg becomes a Bar Mitzvah
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17
7:30 AM
Boker Tov with Tom Vogel
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19
8:00 PM
Shabbat of Simcha
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26
6:15 PM
Ma-ariv Service
Shabbat Of Simcha Dates, Friday Nights
Shabbat of Simcha is an opportunity to celebrate the happy occasions of our lives as one
community. Join us for a special blessing:
Dec. 19 Jan. 16 Feb. 20 Mar. 20 April 17 May 15 June 19
Mazal Tov
Sarah Bock
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6
Sarah is looking forward to becoming a Bat Mitzvah.
Sean Ginsberg
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13
Sean is an 8th grader at the Ardsley Middle School. His
favorite subject in school is Math. His loves baseball,
hockey and football. In his free time he enjoys playing
video games. For his community service he delivered
Meals-On-Wheels for two years with his family.
6
WORSHIP
The Reviews Are In – The First Sharing Shabbat Was a Huge Success!!
Sharing Shabbat is a new opportunity at SSTTE for 5775.
On four Friday nights this year, our congregation will gather in each other's homes to share a
Shabbat dinner, some conversation and camaraderie while welcoming in Shabbat together.
Over 100 people attended Sharing Shabbat dinners at the homes of ten hosts in October. Here is what
your fellow congregants had to say:
“We very much enjoyed the experience of Sharing Shabbat and particularly the
opportunity to meet some congregation members we did not know. We encourage
you to continue this format for years to come.” – A Guest
“Sharing Shabbat was such a pleasure, as we got the unusual chance to share
Shabbat with some guests in our home that we don’t often get to see. It was a ‘five
star evening’” – A Host
“I’ll be honest. I was hesitant to go to a stranger’s home for dinner. But, a friend
convinced me to sign up. I am so grateful that I did. We all had a wonderful time.
Please sign me up for the next one.” - A Guest
“My wife and I had a great time hosting Sharing Shabbat dinner. And it would seem
our sharing congregants had a good time as well. While we knew almost all of the
folks at our table we didn't really know most of them very well. What a nice
opportunity to get more of their story and to share experiences as well as dinner.” A Host
Sharing Shabbat provided each host with a challah, the Shabbat blessings, and a short drash on the week's
Torah portion (Noach), and although there were no services at Temple that Friday night, we had a very wellattended Shabbat BaBoker service the next morning.
You can be part of Sharing Shabbat, too. Just sign up at SharingShabbat@gmail.com. New and
repeat attendees encouraged to join us – as hosts or as guests.
Please join us for a Sharing Shabbat Dinner in your home or at the home of fellow congregants on:
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
7
COMMUNAL WORSHIP CORNER
Tis the season…or so the saying goes. TV runs special programming. The stores promote
holiday sales. Homes are decorated. There are parties to attend. There’s a particular feeling in
the air and I readily admit to enjoying it (I only wish we’d start it after Thanksgiving - like we
did when I was a kid - and not as soon as Halloween night ends). For many years, I have
attended Christmas Eve services at a local church where the beauty of the music performed by
a twenty piece orchestra and a forty voice choir transports me and touches my heart. There is
much to enjoy at this time of year; that is certain.
…Yet, I can’t escape the feeling of being an outsider. I don’t feel hostility or exclusion, just
distance. I feel separate and apart from the world in which I live. Christmas is not my holiday
after all. My experience is always one step removed. There is the inescapable acknowledgment
that I am part of a very small minority. While I recognize my fabulous good fortune to have
been born at a time and in a place when being a part of that minority does not place me in
immediate jeopardy, does not expose me to the imminent threat of a pogrom or worse, I
nevertheless find myself confronting the stark reality of how tenuous my hold on peace and
safety really is.
We are not far removed in time from rampant state-sponsored anti-Semitism, nor in place
from violent acts of racial and religious hatred. We are protected yet still vulnerable. We are
compelled by the imperatives of history and human nature to remain ever vigilant – even as
we celebrate with our non-Jewish friends and neighbors who welcome and embrace us.
A few years ago I found myself in Tel Aviv during Chanukah (which coincided with Christmas
that year). There were chanukiot in every window (and not a decorated tree in sight). The
pulsing beat of contemporary Israeli music pumped through the speakers of the restaurant I
was in, as customers and wait staff engaged in the customary give and take of dinnertime.
Suddenly, the music stopped, the entire wait staff left their stations and tables and gathered
together in the center of the room around a single large chanukiah. Everyone – customers and
staff alike - offered the blessings and sang together as the candles were lit. And then as
suddenly as it began, the ceremony ended and we all returned to our individual activities and
personal conversations. That brief moment of collective expression has remained a powerful
and moving memory for me. I was not merely invited to someone else’s party I was included
as an integral and authentic part of a Jewish whole.
The lesson I draw is at once obvious and obscure. I understand viscerally the meaning of
inclusion. I recognize the distinction between feeling safe and welcome on the one hand and
feeling at home on the other. That part is clear. What remains obscure to me is how best to
deal with that recognition. Simply remaining vigilant is not enough. Making aliyah means
turning from a life here that I love, from a life that is truly my own. My answer, so far, is to
strengthen my connection to Judaism and to my congregation – my Jewish home – as I
continue my engagement with the non-Jewish world in which I live.
Stephen Gordon
8
KOL NIDRE APPEAL
Thank you so much for participating in our Kol Nidre campaign. Your contributions
moves us closer to helping us realize our vision of a truly sacred community. If you
don't see your name here, it is not too late...
Matthew & Marla Aboulafia
Meyer Ackerman
Daniel Alpert & Kara Sheinart
Audrey Appelbaum
Pamela Arkin
Sheldon & Roberta Aronovitch
David & Susan Auerbach
Scott & Ellen Baken
Andrew & Elysa Barkin
Hal & Barbara Baron
Joel Barth & Judy Seiff
Bruce & Barbara Beaumont
Harvey & Susan Belkin
Michael & Joy Bertan
Thomas & Janie Bezanson
Marlene Brenhouse
Rabbi Jeffrey Brown & Amy Bebchick
Scott & Jessica Cade
Andrew & Karen Chapro
Howard & Sharon Charles
Harold & Rosalie Citron
Gerald & Stefani Cohen
Glenn & Sonja Cooper
Thomas & Sandy Demopoulos
Scott & Susan Douglass
Steven & Elaine Eigen
Paul & Judith Elkins
Etta Epstein
David & Vera Erwich
Andrew & Sara Feinstein
Roy Fenichel & Amy Huang
Adele Finkelstein
Richard & Debra Finn
Sylvia Fox
Irene Fried
Alan & Sandy Frommer
Todd Garvelink & Deborah Schenfeld
Ruth Gershon
Henry & Barbara Ginsberg
David & Christine Ginsberg
Alan Glanzman & Amy Strongin
Leonard & Julie Goldberg
David Goldman & Abigail Crane
Sandy & Gale Goldman
Mark & Andi Goldstein
Robert & Jennifer Goldwasser
Victor Goodman & Elaine Laurence
David & Michele Gordon
Richard & Ilene Granstein
Judy Gruenberger
William & Caryl Grueskin
Joan Haywood
Victor & Yvette Hershaft
Harris & Randee Horowitz
Michael & Kathleen Hymes
Edward Kaminsky
Joel & Hilda Karp
Ronald & Karen Katter
Alan & Valerie Katz
Gary & Leslye Katz
Marc & Lynn Konigsberg
Peter & Sandra Kovacs
Stuart Krohnengold & Amy Laurence
Joel & Paula Kudlowitz
Harold & Fredda Kwitman
Paula Lester
Irwin & Diane Levy
William & Gloria Lewit
Susan Lippmann
Marc & Alison Litofsky
Leonard Lowy
Michael & Judith Luskin
Marilyn Maloff
Jeffrey & Elizabeth Margolin
Steven & Elaine Masket
Bruce Mekul
Berenice Miller
David & Nancy Milstein
Lise Minovitz & Eric Frey
Eileen Model
Alan & Jules Natowitz
Richard & Julie Neches
Fredric & Stacey Newman
David Nodiff & Amy Saland
Herbert & Sydelle Ornstein
Lee & Lori Parks
Alan & Ronnie Parnes
Howard & Wendy Pein
Stuart & Regina Pearlman
Martin & Babs Perschetz
Cecilia Pfeiffer
Irving & Sharon Picard
Edwin & Beverly Picker
Morton Pincks
Aaron Plum
Gary Pollack & Robin Aisenman
Paul & Margaret Poster
Rita Reich
Marcus & June Reidenberg
Joshua & Chanin Rosen
Robert & Ellen Plum Rosenberg
Samuel & Helene Rosenberg
Howard & Joan Rothman
Scott Rothstein & Elizabeth Troop
Marc & Heather Scheer
Newton & Susan Schiller
Marc & Leslie Schneider
Mark & Juliet Schneyer
Dan Schuchat & Lori Laubich
Eric & Diane Schwartz
Richard & Helene Shandell
Howard & Natalie Shawn
Leon & Marilyn Shebshaievitz
James & Nancy Shifren
Michael Shuster & Deb Morel
Jim & Pam Siegel
David & Lucy Simkins
Kathy Sparrow
Mutsuko Stein
David & Emily Steinberg
David & Dianne Stern
Steven & Lorraine Strauss
Richard & Carolyn Streicher
Harvey & Marsha Tessler
Michael & Dede Thea
Theodore & Tara Tyberg
Lynn Vergano
Tom Ruskin & Donna Vitale Ruskin
Thomas & Marcy Vogel
Alan & Ellen Wachtel
Joel Wagman & Michelle Henley
Harry & Eileen Weinstein
Lowell & Marsha Williams
Michael & Lynda Wirth
Leon & Hanna Zanger
Jeffrey & Margaret Zelkowitz
David & Martha Zornow
Sally Zuckerman
9
OUR DIRECTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL LEARNING
Gift Giving on Chanukah: Time for a Reboot
When did gift-giving on Chanukah become such an established and ornate custom?
Many of us might think that this happened during the 1950’s when American Jews were trying
to assimilate into American society. In reality, Jewish law requires the head of the household to
give gifts on the other two week-long holidays -- Passover and Sukkot. The 12th century
philosopher Maimonides summed up that making everyone happy on these holidays included
the obligation of purchasing wine for the men, fashionable clothes for the women, and candies
and nuts for the children (Maimonides’ lived in a non-egalitarian milieu…..) Today, gift-giving
customs are not widely observed on Sukkot and Passover, but Chanukah has certainly taken up the mantle. Gift giving on
Chanukah has become almost a de facto observance of the holiday itself!
In 2014, the American custom of trying to “outdo” or “compete” with Christmas feels outdated, a historical relic. We now
accept and celebrate the diversity in society. We feel secure enough in our own identity that we may appreciate the
beauty of another’s gift-giving tradition without having to adapt it to our own. Therefore, perhaps it is time , some might
say, more than time, for a reboot on the practice of parents buying “over the top” gifts for children on Chanukah. Instead
of buying eight gifts for eight nights in a traditional hierarchical fashion (parents / grandparents buying gifts for children),
here are eight alternative gift-giving suggestions.
1. Everyone becomes a gift-giver: Everyone gives /receives from everyone else. Each member is assigned a
night of Chanukah during which they prepare personalized gifts for everyone else. Each night rotates so that
each family member has the joy of planning and giving gifts to all.
2. Homemade Gifts: Try a night of handmade presents -- art, placemats, mugs, or bookmarks. These gifts are
often the most cherished and remembered.
3. “Secret Admirer Gifts:. Allow family members / guests to give a gift without attaching the name of the giver.
The recipient enjoys the “gift” of the mystery and surprise.
4. Tzedakah Giving: Gelt money is given to family members, but a portion of the gelt money is donated to an
organization of the recipients’ choice. Parents / family members may choose to “match” the amount the
recipient chooses to donate.
5. Grab Bag Night: Everyone buys a gift for $10.00 or less. All gifts are placed in a bag. Each guest / family
member reaches in and removes one gift from the bag at a time.
6. Quality Time Gifts: Give one another the promise of quality time together. A coupon for a family hike, board
game night, night at the movies or seeing a play. Spending quality time together helps create wonderful
memories which are in and of themselves the greatest gift.
7. Edible Gifts and Canned Goods for the Interfaith Food Bank: For all of us foodies out there, plan a special
meal or dessert on one night of Chanukah and enjoy. But also set aside and deliver canned goods to our
synagogue for the Interfaith Food bank.
8. Giving of Yourself / Coupons to be Redeemed Later: These are coupons which say, “I promise to watch my
little brother / sister so that my parents can go to a movie” or “I promise to play an entire game of Monopoly
on a snowy day” or even “I promise to do the dishes after tonight’s Chanukah dinner…”
Do you have other ideas for meaningful gift giving on Chanukah? Please share them by Please share them by emailing
them to me at rabbipein@sstte.org. May these gift-giving suggestions increase the light and joy in your Chanukah
celebrations.
Wishing you a Chanukat Sameach, a Happy Chanukah, (see p. 16 for important dates)
Rabbi Wendy D. Pein
10
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SSTTE?!
THE WOMEN OF SSTTE have been very busy during the past weeks. Following our
incredibly successful Welcome Back Luncheon with our great guest speaker, Len Lowy
and our prize packed raffles, we journeyed to visit three Houses of Worship of other
faiths. Our first stop was at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church where the Father
described different aspects of their practices. They follow the Eastern Rite of Catholicism
which is somewhat different from Roman Catholicism. The inside of the Church building
(which is round) is quite ornate and beautiful. The picture with this article shows many of the trip participants
in the Church. The Church is in Northwest Yonkers. Our next stop was the Vajiradhammapadip Buddhist
Temple on California Road in Mount Vernon. There we saw one of the five Monks in residence and learned
about their lives and some of the Buddhist practices. They also presented a wonderful cultural program
featuring music played on very unique instruments and a dancer. Following this the group enjoyed a multicourse Greek feast at Elia’s Taverna in Bronxville. The owners of the restaurant donated all of the left-overs
(and there was a lot!) to the Buddhist Temple. An interesting trip also became a Social Action Project. The
last House of Worship the group went to was the Jerrahi Mosque in Chestnut Ridge. There they learned about
the different facets of the Sufi sect of Islam. The three faiths have different styles of buildings from the
ornate to an old mansion and certainly different practices not only from us, but from each other. It was a very
enjoyable, thought provoking, and educational day.
We are moving forward in our goals to bring all of the Women’s activities in our congregation under one
umbrella and to try to have programs and activities at different times of day and different days to reach out to
all of the women in our congregation. If you have any ideas or suggestions we encourage you to email us at
ssttewomen@sstte.org. We would love to hear from you.
The Women of SSTTE are strong supporters of our congregation and its programs and we urge all women in
the congregation to make sure that the SSTTE Women (Sisterhood) Dues Box is checked off and paid on your
bills. Even if you cannot attend all of our programs, your support is important to what we do. Be sure to
check the Shalom and the Temple website and weekly emails for information on future programs.
NEXT BOARD MEETING
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 3RD, 10:30 a.m. (note change of date)
We will discuss and make plans for upcoming events. This year,
we plan to continue our activities through the winter, including an
evening game night. Our congregation’s president, Donna Vitale
Ruskin will be our speaker after the meeting. Bring a brown bag
lunch, we will supply coffee/tea and cake.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
WOMEN'S RETREAT
JANUARY 30-31, 2015
ATTENTION MAH-JONGG
PLAYERS!
We remind you that Wednesday
night is Mah-Jongg night at
SSTTE. Play takes place from
7 – 9 p.m.
OUR VISIT TO THE
HOUSES OF WORSHIP
IN OCTOBER!
Singing at the Sea: Hearing Our Voices in 2015
Cantor Becker will lead this year's retreat at the synagogue.
It will be a chance to refresh your spirit with song, prayer,
connection, learning and the beauty of Shabbat. More details
to follow. Email Cantor Becker at cantorbecker@sstte.org
with questions or call 914-725-5175.
11
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SSTTE?!
SSTTE SENIORS
Lunch at Buon Amici
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, 1 – 3 P.M.
Buon Amici, 238 Central Avenue, White Plains
RSVP to Maxine for seating. 914-476-4136
or mj1937YKS@aol.com
Coffee & Conversation
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16TH, 1 – 3 P.M.
Join us for some social time at SSTTE!
JUDAICA
Our Judaica Shop will be open on
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 9 A.M. to NOON
Give someone a gift of Judaica for
Chanukah! Come and choose from our
wide selection of Menorahs and Candles, as
well as gifts for children and adults, all at
discounted prices. There’s something for
everyone on your list! And, of course, we’ll
have---Chanukah Gelt!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
FAMILY SKI TRIP
JANUARY 16-19
URJ Eisner Camp
Great Barrington, MA
Interested? Call us at 914-725-5175
to register and/or find out more.
Camp,
Great Barrington, MA
BROTHERHOOD
Dr. Nir Barzilai discusses:
Can You Die Young at a Very Old Age?
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 9:30 A.M. – 11 A.M.
Longevity Expert Dr.Nir Barzilai to speak at
brotherhood breakfast.
9:30 a.m. – Breakfast
10 a.m. – Lecture Begins
10:40 a.m. – Q&A
Please see p. 13 of this shalom for more
details about Dr. Barzilai and his research on
aging.
Jewish Heritage Night at Westchester
County Center
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 7 P.M.
Watch the Westchester Knicks - a great
collection of players and NBA upcoming players
with folks from our SSTTE congregation
RSVP – ssttebros@gmail.com
The cost of each ticket is $19. Cash is
appreciated but you can also make out a check
to Brotherhood of SSTTE
SAVE THE DATE!!
Professional Comedy Night
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Show starts at 8 p.m.
$54/person; $500/table of 10
$60/person at the door
A portion to be donated to a charitable cause.
This is an event you won’t want to miss! 3
professional comedians are coming to SSTTE!
Skip to drive to NYC, skip the expensive parking
and join us! For more details, check our website
http://www.sstte.org/professionalcomedy-night.html. RSVP to
ssttebros@gmail.com
ARZA
Every SSTTE congregant has chosen to be a reform Jew. Help give that choice to Israeli Jews
worldwide by voting in the next big election.
You Just Gotta Be Jewish…18 Years or Older by June 2015, and a resident of the United States.
GET THE DETAILS RIGHT NOW at www:reformjews4israel.org
12
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SSTTE?!
13
CALENDAR
~ DECEMBER 2014
Sun
30
Mon
1
7
8
Brotherhood
Longevity
Genetics Lecture
9:30 a.m. – 11a.m.
Judaica Shop
Open
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Connected
Congregations
Meeting
11:15 a.m. – 1:45
p.m.
SCARTY Bounce
11:00 a.m.
PJ Library at
Peachwave
4 p.m.
14
15
Family Chanukah
Party
& SCARTY JR
Event
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Tue
2
Tikkun Olam
Food Packing &
Sorting
9 a.m.
Study Chavurah
with Rabbi Klein
10:30-11:45 a.m.
SSTTE Seniors
Lunch at Buon
Amici
1 p.m.
#GivingTuesday
9
Study Chavurah
with Rabbi Klein
10:30-11:45 a.m.
28
16 FIRST NIGHT
OF CHANUKAH
Study Chavurah
with Rabbi Klein
10:30-11:45 a.m.
SSTTE Seniors
Coffee &
Conversation
Mussar Study
with Cantor
Becker
7:30 p.m.
Fri
5
PJ Library Tot
Shabbat
5:30 p.m.
Dinner
6 p.m.
Family Service
6:30 p.m.
Sat
6
Shabbat Service
& Bat Mitzvah of
Sarah Bock
10:30 a.m.
Vodka & Latkes
Chanukah Party
8 – 10 p.m.
Chavurah
Service
8:00 p.m.
10
Connected
Congregations
Meeting
7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
11
Tikkun Olam
Social Action
Spring Planning
Meeting
7 p.m.
17
Boker Tov
7:30 a.m.
Mussar Study
with Cantor
Becker
7:30 p.m.
18
Stew Leonards
Chanukah
Menorah
Lighting
5:30 p.m.
Chanukah Night
of Giving
Jewish Literacy
with Rabbi Klein
8-9:30 pm
Tikkun Olam
Food Packing &
Sorting
7 p.m.
22
23
24
25
Vacation Week LAST NIGHT OF Vacation Week
Camp
CHANUKAH
Camp
OFFICE CLOSED
Ages 2-3rd Grade
Ages 2-3rd Grade
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Vacation Week
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Camp
SCARTY Soup
Ages 2-3rd Grade
Kitchen
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
29
30
31
Notes:
Vacation Week Vacation Week
Vacation Week
Camp
Camp
Camp
Ages 2-3rd Grade Ages 2-3rd Grade Ages 2-3rd Grade
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Study Chavurah
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
14
Thu
12
Mazel Tots
Chanukah
Celebration
10:30 a.m.
Shir Shabbat
Service
8:00 p.m.
13
Shabbat Baboker
Morning Service
10:00 a.m.
Havdalah Service
& Bar Mitzvah of
Sean Ginsberg
4:30 p.m.
Jewish Heritage
Night with
Westchester
Knicks Brotherhood
7 p.m.
1 p.m.
21
Wed
3
4
Women of SSTTE
Board Meeting
10:30 a.m.
19
Shabbat of
Simcha
8:00 p.m.
20
26
Ma-ariv Service
6:15 p.m.
27
CALENDAR
~ JANUARY 2015
Sun
Notes:
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
OFFICE CLOSED
4
5
NFTY 6 Pancake
Cook Off
Breakfast
11:00 a.m.
6
Tikkun Olam
Food Packing &
Sorting
9 a.m.
7
Mussar Study
with Cantor
Becker
7:30 p.m.
8
Study Chavurah
with Rabbi Klein
10:30-11:45 a.m.
11
12
6th Grade Family
B’nai Mitzvah
Program
9:00 a.m.
NFTY NAR
WINTER KALLAH
18
FAMILY SKI
WEEKEND
19
Martin Luther
King Day
OFFICE CLOSED
SCARTY Team
Tikkun Midnight
Run
13
Study Chavurah
with Rabbi Klein
10:30-11:45 a.m.
20
Tikkun Olam
Food Packing &
Sorting
7 p.m.
26
9
Hebrew Union
College
Shir Shabbat
Service
8:00 p.m.
10
Shabbat Baboker
Morning Service
10:00 a.m.
NFTY NAR
WINTER KALLAH
14
15
Women of SSTTE
Board Mtg
10:30 a.m.
16
Shabbat of
Simcha
8:00 p.m.
17
Chai Mitzvah
Group with
Rabbi Pein
7:00 p.m.
FAMILY SKI
WEEKEND
FAMILY SKI
WEEKEND
Women of SSTTE
Winter Game
Night
6:30 - 9 p.m.
21
22
Boker Tov
7:30 a.m.
Mussar Study
with Cantor
Study Chavurah Becker
with Rabbi Klein 7:30 p.m.
10:30-11:45 a.m.
27
Study Chavurah
with Rabbi Klein
10:30-11:45 a.m.
Sat
NFTY NAR
WINTER KALLAH
Jewish Literacy
with Rabbi Klein
8-9:30 pm
25
Study Seminar:
Torah
Commentary of
Dr. Avivah
Zornberg
9:30 a.m.
Fri
2
3
Shabbat Service
6:15 p.m.
28
29
Women of SSTTE
Winter Game
Night SNOW DAY
6:30 - 9sstt p.m.
23
24
Sharing Shabbat Shabbat Baboker
Dinnertime
Morning Service
10:00 a.m.
NO SERVICES AT
SSTTE
10th Grade
Confirmation
10th Grade
L’taken at the
Confirmation
RAC
L'taken at the
RAC
30
31
Shabbat Service Women’s Retreat
8 p.m.
at SSTTE
Women’s
Retreat at SSTTE
10th Grade
Confirmation
L’taken at the
RAC
15
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SSTTE?!
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DECEMBER DATES (continued from p. 10)
Shabbat Family Dinner & Service
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5th,
5:30 P.M. We will read a PJ Library
Chanukah book and make
our own dreidels followed
by Tot Shabbat services
and dinner.
6:00 P.M. Dinner
6:30 P.M. With 4th – 6th grade
participation
Cost of Dinner $15/adult, $9/child, cap
of $54/family.
Make your Checks payable to SSTTE
RSVP by DECEMBER 1st to
office@sstte.org or call 914-725-5175
Chanukah Trivia
Q. What day in the Jewish calendar is the
first day of Chanukah?
A. The 25th of Kislev
Q. At what time ideally should one light
the menorah?
A. Immediately at nightfall, at the
emergence of the stars
Q. In which direction do we add candles
to the menorah?
A. From right to left
Family Chanukah program
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14TH, 10:00 A.M.
Pre-K – 3rd Grade
Family Events Chanukah Party (see flyer on
p. 17 for details)
SUNDAY DECEMBER 14TH, 11 A.M.
RSVP to office@sstte.org by December 10
All ages are welcome!
PJ Library
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 4 P.M.
Peachwave Yogurt
228 E. Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale
Leslie Kimmelman, the author of the
PJ Library book “The Runaway Latkes,”
reads some of her books to us. She will then
lead us in a craft project.
SSTTE Website Has A New Look And
Many New Pages!
Take a look when you have a minute.


Q. What is the “ninth” light called?
A. Shamash
Q. How many candles (including the
shamash) are used during the holiday?
A. Forty-four



The home page has a new look and
feel including photo slideshows from
recent events
There is an interactive calendar that
allows you to sort by category – i.e.
tikkun olam/social action, women of
SSTTE, brotherhood, youth, religious
school, seniors
A stand-alone worship calendar under
the calendar tab
Tikkun Olam has it’s own tab
Many activities and upcoming events
are listed under the “Community” tab
Find any mistakes? Have any constructive
criticism? Please contact Melanie Appelbaum
at melanie@sstte.org
16
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SSTTE?!
17
OUR DIRECTOR OF YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
SCARTY (open to all 8th
through 12th graders) goes
to BOUNCE!!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH
Join SCARTY as we defy gravity
in a warehouse full of
trampolines!
Chanukah party for K’tanim
and SCARTY Jr.!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14TH
This is open to all k-6th grade
students. We have a ton of fun
things planned for the day,
. including a Chanukah house
building/decorating contest,
Iron Chef: donut edition, Pin
the Shamash on the Chanukiah,
and SO MUCH MORE! If you
enjoy food, fun, and friendship,
this is the event for you!
SCARTY/Team Tikkun
MONDAY, DECEMBER 22ND
We will be heading down to
Hebrew Union College in NYC
to volunteer at their soup
kitchen and help feed the
hungry.
Hello, parents!
The Scarsdale Synagogue youth program is in full swing now
and there’s plenty more to come in the chilly, beautiful month
of December. SCARTY had an extremely busy month in
October, with youth programs going on almost every weekend.
They started with the Out of the Darkness walk to raise money
for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and just
recently surpassed their goal of raising $1,000 for this noble
cause. Then we traveled to Brooklyn to explore the world (with
our taste buds) at Smorgasburg and concluded the day with a
photo/video scavenger hunt at Grand Central and some shakes
at Shake Shack. We also shared a wonderful Saturday evening
together filled with Chipotle, music from The Deep End (an
NYU-based band), stand-up comedy, joy, and a moving speech
from our scholar-in-residence, Danny Siegel. If you missed any
of these awesome programs, don’t worry. I forgive you. Also,
there are lots of fun things coming up in December!
Stay tuned for more updates from the Director of Youth
Engagement (that’s me), and don’t hesitate to email me with
any questions, suggestions, compliments, song lyrics, or knock
knock jokes.
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful December!
Sincerely,
Sarah Metzger
Director of Youth Engagement
p. 914.725.5175 ext. 122
c. 603.724.9259
e. sarahmetzger@sstte.org
18
TIKKUN OLAM – SOCIAL ACTION
Scarsdale Synagogue SEASON OF GIVING . . .
#Giving Tuesday – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2ND
Chanukah Night of Giving – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH
Social Action Meeting and Celebration – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH
and more…
#GIVINGTUESDAY
An International Day of Giving
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2ND
You’ve heard of black Friday & cyber Monday…
Now there’s #GivingTuesday!
Last year, more than 10,000 organizations in 46
countries participated in this program begun by the
92nd Street Y in 2011.
This year, Scarsdale
Synagogue has become an official partner.
All you have to do to participate is Give.
Give Time; Give Money; Give Food; Give Donations.
Give whatever you enjoy giving.
Give to whatever cause or organization you enjoy
giving to!
Just do it on DECEMBER 2ND.
And SHARE what it is you do to give - OR What
motivates you to give OR What organizations or
causes are important to you. SHARE on Facebook OR twitter -OR Instagram -OR Call or email SSTTE
and ask us to Share for you. Post an “UN-Selfie”
about how, where or why you give on the SSTTE
facebook page…search Scarsdale Synagogue Temples
Tremont & Emanu-El when logged into your facebook
page and don’t forget to LIKE US so you get all the
latest information!
But, above all, just Give.
A heartfelt, giant thank you to all of our fellow
Congregants for all they do and have done to help
Repair the World every day.
Your time, energy, enthusiasm, donations and
everything you volunteer to do to help others makes
a profound difference in the lives of others!
CHANUKAH NIGHT OF GIVING
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH
Join your fellow Congregants in devoting one
night of Chanukah to helping others in need.
Donate the value of your gifts (or the gifts
themselves)
that
would
otherwise be
exchanged on this one night of Chanukah to
organizations that assist others, locally or
globally. Give to whomever or whatever cause
or organization speaks to you. (There is a
special prayer for marking this Night of Giving
by lighting a “Candle of Righteousness” which
you can find on the SSTTE website.)
If you are looking for ideas for Giving this year,
just visit the Season of Giving Website page
under the Tikkun Olam tab at www.sstte.org
for discrete and impactful suggestions
including:




Our Holiday Gift Drive for children
affected by Domestic Abuse (girls and
boys from toddlers to teens supported by
My Sisters’ Place). Just bring the gifts to
SSTTE by 12/18 or to Stew Leonard’s on
12/18 (see p. 17 for more on the Stew
Leonard’s Candle Lighting)
Chanukah Holiday package deliveries to
Housebound Seniors through the BJCC
Food Bank Sort and Repack on
#GivingTuesday
A list of (with links to) Charities with a
Jewish or Israeli connection so you can
learn more and consider supporting these
organizations. (continued on p. 20)
19
TIKKUN OLAM – SOCIAL ACTION
(continued from p. 19)
UNITED INTERFAITH FOOD BANK
FOOD PACKING & SORTING
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2 – 9 A.M.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16 – 7 P.M.
FINAL SOCIAL ACTION MEETING OF 2014
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 7 P.M.
Join us as we:


Celebrate the wonderful Tikkun Olam that has
taken place at or through Scarsdale Synagogue
and our Congregants this year and
Look forward to and plan activities for 2015.
All are welcome!!
CARE2CONNECT
Our Care2Connect committee has one main goal – to reach out and support fellow congregants
throughout various lifecycle events. Members of our committee are here for you, in good times and in
hard times, offering support and a helping hand when needed. Throughout the years, we have
provided words of congratulations for births, marriages and bar/bat mitzvahs, words of sympathy
when those among us have lost loved ones, and words of support when others are not doing so well.
New volunteers are always welcome! There are no meetings to attend or events to schedule on your
calendar. Just let us know what you are interested in doing, how often you are available and the best
way to reach you. There is no requirement for what you would need to do, we are happy to work
within your comfort level to help you get involved. Then, when a need arises that you are
comfortable with, our committee will be in touch. Whether you can help out once a month or once a
year, it all adds up to a more supportive and caring temple community! Tikkun Olam,Together.
Other services our network of member volunteers provide include:
 Providing/Delivering Meals to homebound members or families during a health crisis;
 Checking in via telephone with the ill, elderly and/or homebound;
 Visiting an ill or homebound member;
 Transportation to a doctor's appointment for an ill or non-driving member;
 Hosting a single or widowed member for a holiday meal;
 Transportation to services (when available) for an elderly or non-driving member.
If you know...of a Synagogue member who is ill or in the hospital, call the office and let us
know. This way the Rabbi and Cantor can visit and Care2Connect can provide timely support. Don’t
assume that we know---we will only know if you tell us!
For more information, to volunteer or to let us know of a Congregant who could use our support,
please contact Christine Ginsberg at ginzb22@aol.com.
20
OUR DIRECTOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
December will be an exciting month for us! We’ll celebrate Chanukah! We’ll
teach the children how to play the Dreidel game, say the blessings as they light
their Chanukiah and all the joys of latkes!
Our Second Act program has been great! The children are truly enjoying
having lunch with their friends and the additional afternoon activities are fun.
Keeping in line with our specialist-rich environment, the children in Second Act
have Karate with Tara Alter on Mondays, enjoy “In the Thick of It” (a literature
and activity based program) on Tuesdays, “Super Soccer Stars” on Wednesdays
and Jeannine Palermo on Thursdays for Fun and Fitness.
Just a few reminders about registration:
Our Toddler Program and January 2’s
Nursery School for School Year 2015-16
Both of these programs begin on MONDAY,
JANUARY 5TH. The curriculum for these
programs is designed to promote fine and
gross motor development, interesting
objects to feed a child’s curiosity, and of
course, songs, finger plays, stories, art
projects, and more. The goal of these
programs is to begin a comfortable
separation process in hopes of preparing
the children for further school experiences.
School will begin as usual in September and
end in June, on or about the same day as
The Scarsdale Public Schools. We’ll shift
from our usual Nursery School format to our
Mini-Camp program on the first day school
meets in June. At the same time that the
Mini-Camp begins, our 3-Day 2’s program
will increase to 5 days per week, Monday
through Friday.
NEW- Vacation Week Camp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’re pleased to offer the first in a series of Vacation Week Camps. While
school is out- the children will play!!!!!! Our Vacation Camp serves children
2 years old through 3rd grade. Our Winter Vacation Camp will meet Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday December 22nd-24th and then again Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday December 29th-31st from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 pm.
You may choose all or some of the days. The cost of the program is $50
per child per day or $275 for the full 6-day program.
If you are interested in any of our programs,
please call Jody Glassman, Director
914-723-3001
21
PJ LIBRARY - LIBRARY
JOIN US
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, 4 P.M.
Peachwave Yogurt
228 E. Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale
Leslie Kimmelman, the author of the
PJ Library book “The Runaway Latkes,”
reads some of her books to us. She will
then lead us in a craft project.
PJ LIBRARY TOT SHABBAT
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5TH, 5:30 P.M.
We will read a PJ Library Chanukah book
and make our own dreidels followed by
Tot Shabbat services and dinner.
$15/adult, $9/child, maximum of
$54/family.
RSVP by December 1st:
office@sstte.org or call 914-725-5175
SSTTE LIBRARY
WHAT’S NEW IN THE LIBRARY: SPOTLIGHT ON DVD’S
New Titles:
Ahead of Time
Blessed is the Match
Hava Nagila
Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Gray
Scund
Ushpizin
Waltz with Bashir
Yizkor (Remembrance)
Women Unchained
The Other Son
Oldies but Goodies:
Ben Hur
Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Defiance
Fiddler on the Roof
Footnote
The Gatekeepers
Inglorious Bastards
Life is Beautiful
Munich
Once Upon a Time in America
The Pianist
Sarah’s Key
Schindler’s List
A Serious Mind
Sophie’s Choice
When Harry Met Sally
Please feel free to check out these DVD’s from the library or stop in and browse the shelves. You can
also view the collection online on the homepage at www.sstte.org and look for the online catalog
Button.
22
THE CYCLE OF OUR CONGREGATIONAL FAMILY
IN REMEMBRANCE
The Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El recognizes with sorrow the passing of:
Leonard Solomon, father of Joan Rothman
MAZAL TOV TO:
Howard & Sharon Charles on the marriage of their daughter, Cara Charles, to Scott Bernard
We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who support Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and
Emanu-El by remembering and honoring their friends and loved ones through their generous
contributions.
Cantor’s Discretionary Fund
SYLVIA FOX in memory of her husband, Mark Fox
PAULA LESTER in memory of her father, Monroe
Lester; her uncle, Sam Glicken; her grandmother,
Pauline Glicken
GARY POLLACK & ROBIN AISENMAN in memory
of his mother, Edith Pollack
General Tribute Fund
STEPHEN & ANITA ARONOFF in honor of Colin &
Sharon Morris
BERENICE COHEN in appreciation to the Rabbi
and the Cantor for their inspiring High Holy Day
Services and in honor of her children, Gerald &
Stefani Cohen
DR. PAUL & JUDITH ELKINS in memory of her
parents, Joseph & Eve Abrams; his mother, Frances
Elkins; Mark Fox, husband of Sylvia Fox
DR. DAVID & VERA ERWICH in memory of Jerry
Alkoff, brother of Rene Alkoff
ADELE FINKELSTEIN in memory of Mark Fox,
husband of Sylvia Fox
DAVID & MICHELE GORDON in memory of her
mother, Roberta Baum
JOEL & PAULA KUDLOWITZ in memory of his
grandparents, Leo & Becky Motel and Rose
Kudlowitz; her father, David Spielman; her
grandparents, Samuel & Frieda Bernstein
BERENICE MILLER in memory of her husband,
Raymond Miller; her father, Anthony Carragher
IRVING & SHARON PICARD in honor of the
marriage of Rachel Luskin, daughter of Michael &
Judith Luskin, to Greg Croteau
LEON & MARILYN SHEBSHAIEVITZ in memory
of their mother’s, Serena Taub and Helen
Shebshaievitz
DAVID & LUCY SIMKINS in honor of Phoebe
Sarna
Interfaith Food Pantry
SHARI PRESS in honor of her nieces, Jessica &
Tara Schwartz’s birthday’s; the marriage of Tara
Schwartz to Lt. Jonathan Guild
RITA REICH in honor of Linda Zeltner
WILLIAM & BARBARA ROSENBLUM in honor of
Linda Zeltner
MUTSUKO STEIN
Irving Gershon Talmud/Midrash Study
HARVEY & MARSHA TESSLER in memory of Mark
Fox, husband of Sylvia Fox
Library Fund
SHARI PRESS in honor of the birthdays of Len
Lowy and Philip Aronson; in memory of her mother,
Marilyn Press; her uncle, M. Gerald Friedman; and
Joan Schwartz
Playground Enhancement Fund
HARRIS & RANDEE HOROWITZ in memory of
Juan Torres, father of Diana Torres
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
PHIL & SARAH BEBCHICK
SYLVIA FOX in memory of her husband, Mark Fox
IRENE FRIED in memory of her grandson, Miles
Applebaum
ROSEMARIE GUMPEL
MICHAEL & JUDITH LUSKIN in honor of the
marriage of their daughter, Rachel, to Greg Croteau
GARY POLLACK & ROBIN AISENMAN in memory
of his mother, Edith Pollack
Rabbi Klein’s Youth Initiative
GLENN & SONJA COOPER in memory of Mark
Fox, husband of Sylvia Fox
23
THE CYCLE OF OUR CONGREGATIONAL FAMILY
Sisterhood Special Action Fund
HAL & BARBARA BARON in memory of Mark Fox,
husband of Sylvia Fox
DR. HENRY & BARBARA GINSBERG in memory
of Mark Fox, husband of Sylvia Fox; in honor of the
marriage of Cara Charles, daughter of Howard &
Sharon Charles to Scott Bernard
ROSEMARIE GUMPEL
JOAN HAYWOOD in memory of Mark Fox, husband
of Sylvia Fox
HELENE LORINSKY in honor of Barbara Stock
RITA REICH in memory of George Winograd,
father of Barbara Bodine; in memory of Miles
24
Applebaum, grandson of Irene Fried; in memory of
Mark Fox, husband of Sylvia Fox
PAUL & SANDRA ROTHSTEIN in memory of Mark
Fox, husband of Sylvia Fox
LEON & MARILYN SHEBSHAIEVITZ in memory
of Mark Fox, husband of Sylvia Fox
MAXINE STEINBERG for well wishes to Marlene
Brenhouse for a return to good health; in memory of
Miles Applebaum, grandson of Irene Fried
JOHN & TERRY STRATTA in memory of Mark Fox,
husband of Sylvia Fox
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