December 2015 - The Brotherhood Synagogue

The Brotherhood Synagogue
h’’bZ
28 Gramercy Park South
New York, NY 10003
Phone (212) 674-5750 Fax (212) 505-6707
www.brotherhoodsynagogue.org
Volume XXXIV Number IV
Tevet / Shevat 5776 January 2016
Refugees
by Rabbi Daniel Alder
A
s the son of an immigrant father who
came to America to escape Nazi Germany,
I am grateful to this country who took in my
family in their time of need. Generations of
Jews have been afflicted by host countries and
denied entry to other nations because of their
religion. And our religion teaches us that we
should deal fairly with the stranger because
“you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Historical parallels have recently been drawn
between the current plight of Syrian refugees
and the German Jews before World War II. The
two groups are not completely symmetrical.
The threat of death, in their countries of origin,
are different. And Americans were primarily
concerned with economics in 1939 while
today’s fears are more related to safety (clearly
extensive background checks are necessary).
Interesting, however, is a 1939 Gallup
poll reporting that 61 percent of Americans
opposed accepting 10,000 Jewish refugee
children—coincidentally, the same number of
Syrians that the Obama administration has
pledged to take in 2016. America is defined
by the immigrant experience, something that
Jews understand especially well. We have
little to fear from 10,000 refugees escaping
the war zone that is Syria. On the contrary,
those people might well be assets, with their
integration into the ideals of America a rebuke
to the Islamist barbarians in the Middle East.
Like Israel, like any other country, America
needs to take concerted action to safeguard its
borders and its citizens. Terrorists that wreak
mayhem all over the world from their base in
the Middle East must be stopped before they
spread so much fear that civilized countries
sacrifice the ideals that are the most important
guarantors of our security. While clearly not
all Muslims are a menace, there certainly is a
virulent stream of Muslim ideology that has
bred terrorism.
Indeed, there is a struggle for the soul
of Islam. Al Qaeda and ISIS are terrifying
examples of what can happen when religion’s
worst impulses run totally wild. As Rabbi Shai
Held points out, in the current climate there
are four pitfalls which we must avoid: The
first two, the mistakes of misguided liberals,
are (1) denying that Islam has anything to
do with ISIS, and (2) refusing to admit that
Islam is in unique crisis. The latter two, the
mistakes of reactionary conservatives, are
(3) declaring that Islam is irredeemably evil,
and (4) painting all Muslims with the same
brush.
ISIS is driven by a savage ideology that
takes inspiration from Islamic texts and
traditions. To suggest otherwise is to deny
just about everything that ISIS has ever said
about itself. Shadi Hamid of the Brookings
Institution points out that divorcing ISIS
from Islam “isn’t even effective at countering
Islamophobia, since, to the unpersuaded,
claims that Islam and ISIS are unrelated sound
entirely divorced from reality.”
Religious leaders need to confront the
fact that while religion can elicit empathy
and love and deeds of great kindness, it
can also call forth hatred and bigotry and
unspeakable cruelty. Jews are only one among
many religious and ethnic minorities to have
suffered from the argument that all members
of the community should be punished for the
misdeeds of a few, or that their religion itself
constituted a threat to the wellbeing of the
nation or the world.
Our American safety lies in our commitment to our ideals, to our intention to serve as
a beacon to the world of how it may be, how
humanity can mingle all religions, all beliefs,
all races and build a nation that is united and
strong and stands not for cruelty or indifference
but for opportunity and hope.l
Shabbat Services
FRIDAY, January 1, 6:30 pm
SATURDAY, January 2, 9:30 am
FRIDAY, January 8, 6:30 pm
Guest Speaker: Samuel Torjman Thomas
SATURDAY, January 9, 9:30 am
FRIDAY, January 15, 6:30 pm
SATURDAY, January 16, 9:30 am
Bar Mitzvah of Jack Nelson
FRIDAY, January 22, 6:30 pm
SATURDAY, January 23, 9:30 am
Bar Mitzvah of Alexander Gerstenhaber
SATURDAY, January 23, 4:45 pm
Bar Mitzvah of Zachary Klein
FRIDAY, January 29, 6:30 pm
SATURDAY, January 30, 9:30 am
SATURDAY, January 30, 5 pm
Bar Mitzvah of Samuel Silver
Adult Education
Winter/Spring 2016
Beat the winter chills by warming
up to a good Jewish study course
filled with conversation and
camaraderie.
Check the enclosed brochure
or the Adult Ed page on the
Brotherhood website:
http://brotherhoodsynagogue.org/
adult-education
for information on all the courses
being offered. Classes begin the
week of January 25.
My Two Cents: The Threat We Face
by Lenny Gold
“
I
’m not #BDS but I admit I enjoy the sheer
terror it unleashes among America’s Liberal
Zionists.” Originally tweeted by Reza Aslan, the
Iranian-American creative writing professor at
UC-Riverside, this admission was proudly and
brazenly re-tweeted in June 2014 by a Jewish high
school history teacher in our kehilla.
This not only exemplifies the respectable
place which anti-Semitism now occupies in
academia, but is also representative of a worldwide
propaganda war against Israel and the Jewish
people. The battlefields stretch from the media
to academia to Yad Vashem to the UN, EU, and
many NGO’s.
The weapons in this war include such tactics as
doctored maps claiming to show the appropriation
of Arab lands 1948-present (which include the
State of Israel among those lands); the refusal to
recognize the Jewish people’s historical claim to the
land of Israel; the questioning of Israel’s very right
to exist (as Columbia University History Professor
Joseph Massad did in a 2011 article lauded by
the same high school history teacher mentioned
above); and, of course, the BDS movement. (BDS
stands for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions,
a 10-year-old global campaign to isolate Israel
economically, politically, and academically until
Israel withdraws from all the territories and grants
the right of return to all Palestinian refugees.)
And many of the foot soldiers in this war are
themselves Jews (and not just such well-known
names as Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein,
and John Mearsheimer).
It is a war characterized by lies, hypocrisy, and
outright hatred.
A few more examples:
• Numerous public schools across America have
adopted an anti-Israel curriculum developed
by an organization called Axis of Hope run by
Boston University professor Carl Hobert.
• A curriculum with similar anti-Israel bias in
predominantly-Jewish Newton, MA has been
the subject of heated controversy for several
years.
• Various churches, including Mennonites,
Methodists, and Presbyterians, have sold stock
in companies that do business with Israel. In
one instance, The New York Times reported
in June 2014 that “the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A) voted to divest from three companies
that it says supply Israel with equipment used
in the occupation of Palestinian territory.”
• An umbrella religious organization, the
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC),
has a BDS page on its website. As an NGO
which also wields substantial control over the
culture and curriculum of numerous Quaker
schools (including Friends Seminary, located
4 blocks from Brotherhood), the AFSC
poses a double threat to Israel—as a BDS
supporter, and as a source of extreme anti2
Israel bias in pre-college academia influencing
young, impressionable American minds and
fomenting the type of anti-Israel sentiment
now seen on college campuses and beyond.
For example, Friends high school students
in 2011 were assigned by a Jewish jazz teacher
to read an essay which contained such phrases
as “the racist hell of the Zionist state” and
“Israeli ‘peace making’ equals ‘piss taking.’”
The essay’s author was Gilad Atzmon, a
saxophonist born and raised in Israel and
an IDF veteran of the first Lebanon war.
The teacher assigned the essay and invited
Atzmon to the school (and was joined in
doing so by the history teacher mentioned
above) because he believed Atzmon was
a “peace activist,” and the jazz teacher was
“intrigued by [Atzmon’s] political stance on
the Mid East,” although no other points of
view were assigned or discussed.
These are not your grandfather’s Quakers,
as Dr. Charles Jacobs said in his presentation
at Brotherhood, in September 2014, on
the subject of anti-Israel bias in American
high schools. Yet AFSC is just one of many
reputable NGOs and governmental entities
which support anti-Israel activities (including
terror), as reported by Dr. Yvette Alt Miller.
Israeli writer Tuvia Tenenbom has expressed
concern about the alarming number of self-hating
Jewish Israelis who give cover to those who wish
harm on Israel. He cites, for example, a tour guide
hired by the EU to take non-Jewish Italian tourists
through Yad Vashem and have them believing that
it’s not the Jews but the Palestinians who are the
victims that the tourists just learned about.
Unfortunately, as current bloody events in
Israel demonstrate, this war proves the wisdom of
the Israeli saying, “When someone says he is out
to destroy you, you better believe him.” A bleak
picture indeed, but not a hopeless one.
Three op-eds by Alan Dershowitz, along with
opposition by parents, Jewish organizations, and
The Jewish Week, had some impact on Friends
Seminary. Courageous Jewish students defeated
pro-BDS resolutions for two consecutive years in
the University of Michigan’s student government,
despite emotional and physical threats. The state
legislatures of Tennessee, Illinois, and New York
have passed anti-BDS measures by wide margins,
and Congress passed a trade bill that would make
rejection of BDS by the EU a condition of any
free trade concession by the US.
What can you do?
Express your support of Israel to your elected
representatives. Speak out on behalf of Israel
with facts and reason. Support pro-Israel legal
action, such as lawsuits brought by the Israel Law
Center (Shurat HaDin), which won a $655.5
million judgment against the PLO in US Federal
Court for the PLO’s role in supporting terrorists
who murdered and injured members of 10
Jewish families. Monitor pro-Israel media such
as HonestReporting, CAMERA, and TIP (The
Israel Project).
You can make a difference in combating
this very serious and growing problem—
which, unfortunately, is no longer just a war
of words.l
Life Goes On
Life Goes On is a group for those of us who
have lost a spouse or life partner and want to
experience the beauty, joy, and opportunity that
New York life offers surrounded by supportive
friends who understand and share in the loss.
We had an amazing Hanukkah party—all
30 of us! Thank you everyone for the generous
gifts you shared and the delicious desserts you
contributed.
Get your exercise gear on! Our own
Gaby Kende, who is an American Viniyoga
Institute certified yoga teacher and yoga
therapist, will lead us in a 75 minute yoga
class at our next meeting on Thursday,
January 14th (snow date January 28) at 5:30
pm at Brotherhood Synagogue. This class is
appropriate for everyone (regardless of body
type or condition), and there will be a choice
of being on a mat on the floor or in a chair
for part of the session. We do ask that you
arrive on time as late arrivals would spoil the
experience for everyone. We will follow our
The Brotherhood Synagogue
workout with dinner together as usual, details
to follow. Yoga class attendance is limited,
please advise Agnes or Roberta as soon as
possible if you plan to join.
Our December book club meeting will
take place after this article goes to print
and before we will schedule our January
date together. Therefore, a separate e-mail
will be forwarded in time to everyone with
information about the next book selection
and the date for our meeting. Of course, as
usual NYU professor Margaret Boe Birns will
expertly guide our discussion, accompanied by
wine and desserts. The cost of participating is
$20 per person.
If you or someone you know would like
to be a part of Life Goes On, please come to
our meetings—we would be happy to see you!
If you have any questions, please call Agnes
Marton at 917.519.4427 or e-mail her at
1agnesmarton@gmail.com or call Roberta in
the Synagogue office at 212.674.5750. l
Tevet / Shevat 5776
January 2016
Friday, January 8 at 6:30 pm
Join Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas, professor of ethnomusicology and
Jewish studies at CUNY as he discusses the spirit of convivencia, or
coexistence, that characterized all three Abrahamic faiths during the
Golden Age of Spain. He will also co-lead portions of the service with
Cantor Weis on Friday and Saturday morning.
Saturday, January 9 at 8 pm
Dr. Thomas will return with members of his band ASEFA and the
NY Andalus Ensemble for A Taste of Sepharad, an intimate,
cabaret-style concert of music in Hebrew, Arabic and Ladino from
the Sephardi-Mizrahi traditions. Tasty Sephardic desserts and drinks
will be served.
Tickets for Saturday’s performance are
$10 in advance. $15 at the door.
Covering the period from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution
through the 1930s, this exhibition explores how early
modernist photography influenced a new Soviet style while
energizing and expanding the nature of the medium—and
how photography, film, and poster art were later harnessed
to disseminate Communist ideology. The Power of Pictures
revisits this moment in history when artists acted as engines
of social change and radical political engagement, so that art
and politics went hand in hand.
The tour group will meet in the lobby at 4:05 pm SHARP.
The Power of Pictures:
Anyone registered for this tour is also welcome to visit
the other exhibits at the museum without charge prior
to the tour.
A Guided Tour at the Jewish Museum
Group size is limited to 20. Please call (212.674.5750) or
email Roberta at rkahn@brotherhoodsynagogue.org to reserve
your spot by or before January 15. Payment must be made in
advance ($20 payable to Brotherhood Synagogue).
Early Soviet Photography, Early Soviet Film
(92nd Street & 5th Avenue)
Thursday, January 21, 4:15 PM
Sponsored by the Special Events Committee
Sunday, February 7, 11 am - 12:30 pm
Volunteer with The Hunger Van
@ Brotherhood
The Interfaith and the Social Action Committees invite Brotherhood families and individuals
to volunteer to fight against hunger on Sunday, February 7 at 11 am when
Brotherhood will again host The Hunger Van, a project run by Muslims Against
Hunger. Volunteers will work together to prepare sandwiches and salads for
distribution by The Hunger Van to the needy at NYC locations.
Please rsvp to Roberta (rkahn@brotherhoodsynagogue) or call the office
to rsvp 212.674.5750 by Friday, January 29 since we need a final count of
volunteers! In addition, a contribution of $20 per individual adult or $30
per family is recommended in order to help defray the costs of the food.
Tevet / Shevat 5776
January 2016
The Brotherhood Synagogue
February 19-21
Shabbaton Weekend:
Israel by Land, Sea & Air
Friday, February 19 Speaker:
Seth Siegel, author of
Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution
for a Water-Starved World
Sunday, February 21 Speaker:
Hedy Ben Eliyahu, Regional Park
Ranger, Mt. Gilboa & Valley Region:
Israel- Birding Superpower
3
President’s Posting
Happy 2016!
W
e had a busy year end at Brotherhood
with a wonderful Shabbaton and
Chanukah celebration in December. January
2016, will start out the year with many new
and exciting programs.
January is the time of year when many take
vacations and fly south, but the weather as of
this writing has been so warm, it’s almost like
being in the south. Winter holiday break is
over and now it’s time to get back to school,
Nursery School, Hebrew School, Early
Childhood, Tikvah and our Adult Education
classes. Make sure you take a look at our
Adult Education booklet online or enclosed
or pick up a copy at Brotherhood and sign
up for a course. It’s a wonderful way to enrich
your life and to meet new people at the same
time.
During Shabbat, January 8-9, Brotherhood
will have Dr. Samuel R. Torjman Thomas as our
Musical Scholar in Residence. Dr. Thomas will
co-lead portions of the Friday night services
along with Cantor Weis as well as Saturday
morning services. On Saturday evening, Dr.
Thomas will hold a cabaret style concert with
his band and the New York Andulus Ensemble.
This should be a wonderful evening to hear
songs sung in Hebrew, Spanish and Ladino.
There will be Sephardic desserts and drinks!
The Special Events Committee is
sponsoring a guided tour of an exhibit at the
Jewish Museum on January 21, titled, The
Power of Pictures, Early Soviet Photography and
Films. Sign up quickly—this is only for a small
group.
The Brotherhood Film Series will have its
first screening on Sunday, January 31 and will
bring you one of noted Israeli filmmaker, Avi
Nesher’s, great films, The Matchmaker. Please
note—we have installed a new drop down
screen in the sanctuary. You will no longer
have trouble seeing the film, no matter where
you are sitting. But—no popcorn please!!
Lastly, please do not forget to support
the Brotherhood Annual Fund if you have
not done so already. In order to continue to
bring you all wonderful programs and still
maintain our wonderful synagogue, we need
your support.
L’Shalom.
Judy Shapiro
Social Action News
Project Cicero
during the month
of February
During the entire month
of February we will be
Save the Date
collecting new and gently
used books for under-resourced NYC schools.
Stay tuned to weekly emails and announcements
for more about Project Cicero.
Births, Mazal Tov to:
Jennifer and Matthew Miller on the birth of
their son, Miles Hudson Miller; and to older
sister, Sophie.
Susan and Jeffrey Hunter on the birth of their
granddaughter, Leah Edith August, born to
Joanna Hunter August and Daniel August.
B’nai Mitzvah, Mazal Tov to:
Lisa Lewis on the Bat Mitzvah of her daughter,
Lea Lewis.
Richard and Wendy Nelson on the Bar Mitzvah
of their son, Jack Nelson. Jack, a student at
Friends Seminary, will celebrate his simcha
with his younger brother, Lucas.
David Gerstenhaber and Kelly Posner
Gerstenhaber on the Bar Mitzvah of their son,
Alexander Gerstenhaber. Alexander, a student
at The Speyer Legacy School, will celebrate
his simcha with his younger siblings, Joshua,
Dylan and Mikaela.
Kimberly Klein on the Bar Mitzvah of her
son, Zachary Klein. Zachary, a student at The
Lowell School, will celebrate his simcha with
his younger brother, Jared.
Tom Silver and Natasha Silver Bell on the Bar
Mitzvah of their son, Samuel Silver. Sam, a
student at Winston Prep, will celebrate his simcha
with his younger siblings, Benjamin and Sarah.
Weddings, Mazal Tov to:
Myra Hushansky on the wedding of her son
Emile Tobias Berk to Susannah Reyes.
Condolences to:
Pictued above are members of Brotherhood’s Social Action
Committee who visited the Hebrew Home at Riverdale,
shown in their beautiful sculpture garden overlooking the
Hudson River. Members took a tour, visited with residents
and sang holidays songs spreading holiday cheer.
Pictured are some of our members who volunteered for
the DOROT Thanksgiving Delivery program on Sunday,
November 22. Brotherhood sent a group of 14 volunteers—
a great mix of seasoned DOROT visitors, as well as some new
members—all of whom shared in some wonderful and
meaningful visits with a number of homebound seniors.
Shabbat Club • Saturday, January 9, 1 pm
On Saturday, January 9 at 1:00 pm, congregant Alan Fell will discuss the problem of the agunot—
the “chained” women who are unable to receive Jewish divorces. Intrigued? Curious? Join us
in the second floor reception room, opposite the sanctuary. Snacks and beverages will be
available. All are welcome. Bring your friends and mishpocha.
The group will meet again on February 20. Check your weekly email and Shabbat
announcements for more information on Shabbat Club meetings and topics, or contact
Deborah Newman. l
4
Happenings in Our
Kehilah
The Brotherhood Synagogue
Stephen Siderow on the passing of his father,
Neil Siderow.
Doug Evans on the passing of his brother,
Jeffrey Evans.
Dennis Consumano on the passing of his
mother, Theresa Consumano.
Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber on the passing of
her mother, Susan Goldman Posner.
Welcome New Members:
Terry and Samantha Milou of Flatiron have
a daughter, Elle who is 2 months old. Terry
works in fixed income at Deutsche Bank and
Samantha is in finance at AOL.
Zachary and Liza Gordon of Chelsea have a
21-month-old son, Hank. Zachary is a vice
president at Greenhill & Co. and Liza is the
director of sales at Trunk Club, New York.
Jeffrey and Kimberly Rosen of Chelsea have a
one-year-old son named Elijah and an adorable
little French bulldog named Layla. Jeffrey is a
managing director at Apollo Management and
Kimberly is a full-time mother. l
Tevet / Shevat 5776
January 2016
Yahrzeits
^Garden of Remembrance
*Book of Remembrance
January 2-8
January 16-22
Isaac Alhadeff, *Herman Alshan, Fred Bayroff,
^Frances Berger, ^Cylka Berke, Selma Berman,
Phyllis Block, Rae Brumberg, ^Roberta Cummings,
^May Lipton Cummins, ^Jack Davis, *Julius
Dolitsky, *Florence Eichner, ^Fritz Falkenstein,
*Fannie Feldman, ^Shaynii K. Gadsden, Ansel
Garfin, Abraham Glasser, George Goldberg, Pearl
Goldfinger, *Minnie Gross,
*Sarah Handler,
~^Yaakov Michele Hirsch, Goldy Hushansky, *Aaron
Bernard Israel, *Edith R. Karban, Benjamin Klein,
*Charlotte Chernoble Klein, ^Leon Krentzman,
Estelle Lasser, Jeanne Levine, ^Ilsa Karger Levy, Ruth
Lewis, Isidore Marke, *Claude Markel, *Gilbert
Naftalis, *Florence Newfield, Esther Nirenberg,
Shirley Pearlstein, *Murray Pfeffer,
Hannah
Pressman, Lawrence Raizman, ^Esther Rosenberg,
Sylvia Rubinstein, Charlotte Hope Saltzman, Arthur
Sampson, Sophia Savits, Nathan Scher, Isidore
Schneider, ^Jeannette Mildred Seinfeld, *Joseph M.
Sepersky, ^Abba Settle, Pauline Shapiro, ^Theresa
Rena Sidran, Edward L. Silverstein, Miriam B.
Singer, Barry N. Spilkin, ^Rose Strong, ^Evelyn K.
Sussman, Larry Toporek, Nathan Tucker, ^William
Tudor, ^Maurice Volk, Arlyne Warmbrand,
^*Celia L. Warmbrand, ^Hannah Weiner, ^Phyllis
Weinstein, *Abraham Weiss, Melvin A. Wool, Marc
Zeitlin
^Mary Abbey, ^Dr. Bernat Abraham, Blume
Alter, ^Barbara Altman, ^Harold Altman, Beatrice
Babitz, Henry Biegeleisen, ^Pauline Birnbach,
^Alice Blumenthal, *Temma H. Bohrer, Morris
Brown, Sidney Burack, Nathan Cheshes, *Beatrice
Chizner, Claire Klaits Cohen, *Herman Cohen,
Bertha Cooperman, ^Beth Cosnow, Milton M.
Enzer, ^F. Joyce Feitell, David Fener, *George
Fraenkel, *Faye Frankel, *Rabbi Moses Fried,
^Charles Samuel Ginsburg, Sophie Gipsman, ^Liza
Gleizer, Harold H. Goldberg, *Irving Goodman,
Anna Gottlieb, ^*Sabina Graetzer, ^Henrietta
Green, Julia Greenbaum, Norman Halper, ^Yetta
Halpern, ^Sophie Hoffman, Esther Ir, ^David
Janow, ^Cecelia Josselson, ^Philip Kimmel, Clarice
Lefkowitch, *Beatrice Levine, ^Barney Levine,
Elayne Lieberman, Elayne Lieberman, *Sidney
Liebowitz, Hyman Lipkis, Ralph Lusskin, ^Solomon
Novom, *Herbert Plaut, *Eva Posner Post, Phillip
Raffe, Edward Renstrom, ^Howard Topol Roberts,
*Belle Robinove, Ullman Rosenfield, Koula Saba,
*Monroe I. Schechter, *Isabelle P. Schechter, ^George
Schwartz, Ruth Share, Ronald Shiffman, George
Silver, ^David Milton Solomon, ^Lena Steinberg,
Zendel Storozum, Leo Teviovitz, *Augusta Toby,
*Bea Topal, *Isaac Versh, ^Solomon Yaker, Rachel
Leah Zacks
January 9-15
January 23-29
^Tessie Adler, *Rose Alster, Molly Baron, Abraham
Block, Barbara Brooks, Belle Cassar, Ira Cirker,
^Louis Diamond, ^Mary Diamond, *Benjamin
Dymm, *Ben Farland, Beatrice Feder, *Rachel
Finebaum, Lynn Finkelstein, Lisa Fisher, ^Jennie Fox,
Paula Franklin, *Hanie Friedman, *Vicki Germaine,
^Rose Schlamowitz Glass, ^Gertrude Goldschmidt,
^*H. Mark Goldshlag, ^Jerome Goldstein, ^Roger
Gomby, ^*Daniel Halpern, *George Hirschfeld,
*Bessie Honig, Jean Iskowitz, Joseph Israel,
Jack Kasman, Isaias Lerner, Arthur Levits, Joel
Levitz, Sam Lichtenstein, Lillian Manischewitz,
William Pukatch, Frieda Rauch, Gertrude Riff,
Dr. Thomas Robitscher, *Leroy S. Rosenbaum,
Schiffy Rosenblum, ^Henry Rosenblum, ^Natalie
Simon Rosenfeld, *Harry Satosky, Milton Schupak,
^Charles D. Seeman, Lily Seregi, Leyzer Silverstein,
Hyman Slotnick, Irma Louise Spitzer, ~^Sari Orovan
Steiner, ^Samuel A. Valentine, ^Honor Hess Ward,
*Samuel Warfman, ^Gertrude Weiner, L. Wolfson,
Jimmie Yee, *Joseph Zalkind
^Ruth Appelbaum, Myra Appleton, *Lilian
Bachrach, Jossie Barcelona, *Edward H. Breiterman,
*Abraham Chizner, Lorraine Cohen, ^Irvin
Fisher, Judith Friedjung, Morris Friedman, Sylvia
Gershenson, ^Sylvia Glassman, Esther Golden, Ethel
Gostin, Solomon Greenberg, ^*Daniel Franklin
Greenhouse, Ben Gross, *Rose Gross, ^*Louis Gross,
Sally Grossman, ^Irving Handler, *Lillian R. Hayt,
Fritz Herz, ^Dora Jaffe, ^Lawrence Janow, *Moshe
Josephson, *Rose Katz, Charlotte Beldegreen
Kaufman, ^*Jennie Klein, Lee Kohn, *Bea Kramer,
*Betty Lampert, ^Anna Levine, *Morris Levine,
Rose Levine, Martin Licht, Alice Lichter, Sarah
Liebowitz, *Florence Liebowitz, Melvin Lipp,
Aaron Machlin, Frieda Belkowitz Maloff, Lawrence
Maloff, Lillian Manischewitz, ^Ruth Weichman
Mantel, *Joseph Meyers, Susan Miller, ^Jean Miller,
Isidore Olsfanger, *Frieda Pearl, Belle Plutzer, Dov
Rahav, Irene Raphael, ^Rose Schindel Rich, ^Lillian
Roniss, Irving Rubenstein, ^Bertha Russ, ^Philip
Satonoff, Jack Schor, ^Dinah Simila Chaya Schumer,
The Chesed* Committee
Henry Sellner, Celia Shander, *Adam Siegal, ^Ann
Silberberg, Brenda Silver, Robert Silverman, ^Rose
Teitelbaum, Helene Vassil, ^*Jonas Weintraub,
^Michael Weiss, David Weissman, *Ida Robinove
Weller, ^*Leo E. Williams, Murray Zenkel
January 30-February 5
*Helen Belle Aaronson, Morris Adelsberg, Gustave
Altman, Robert Arias, Clara S. Benjamin, *Steven
Mark Berkowitz, Siegfried Blum, Leon Blumenthal,
Sara Borochov, *Lillian Cantor, ^Eve Cassell,
Stanley Chusid, ^Solomon Cohen, ^Yetta Dienstag,
*Helen Elkin, *Aaron Fassler, Howard Feinstein,
Charles Fell, *Rose M. Finneman, ^Cyril Freed,
Steven Futterman, Murray Goldfinger, Charlotte
Grabisch, *Fred Greenberg, ^Morris Greene,
Kurt Grubler, Nelly Guggenheim, Klara Halpern,
Joseph Hardenburgh, Arthur Kantor, ^Mollie
Kronenberg, ^Herbert Magram, Adolf Markovitz,
Mollie Meadow, ^Sara Miller, *Louis Nudelman,
Miriam Olken, Arnold Paster, *Renee Pollack,
Bessie Potell, ^Michael Remba, Rabbi Andrew J.
Robins, *Benjamin Rosenberg, Stanley Rosenthal,
Louis Schiffman, Harry Schwartz, Sam Shapiro,
Hannah Shemtov, Ben Sherman, ^Fritz A. Sontag,
Daniel Stacher, ^Rose Stopler, Alice Teviovitz, Karl
Waldbrand, *Alice E. Warfman, ^Blanche Wind
The Brotherhood
Synagogue
28 Gramercy Park South
New York, N.Y. 10003
Phone: (212) 674-5750
Fax: (212) 505-6707
www.brotherhoodsynagogue.org
RABBI DANIEL ALDER,
CANTOR MIKE WEIS,
RABBI IRVING J. BLOCKZ’’L D.D.:
Founding Rabbi
HERMAN DIAMOND: Cantor Emeritus
SHIYA RIBOWSKY: Cantor Emeritus
JUDY SHAPIRO: President
PHILLIP ROTHMAN:
Executive and Education Director
Congregation founded in 1954
Historic Landmark Building
erected in 1859
Wants You to Know
If you or a loved one are dealing with dementia, there is a new Jewish organization offering
companionship, connection and community. Check out beyondmemory.org, the website of
Seivah—Jewish Life Beyond Memory.
*The Chesed Committee provides help and compassion to Brotherhood members in times of need. We can be
reached at chesed@brotherhoodsynagogue.org or through the synagogue office.
Tevet / Shevat 5776
January 2016
The Brotherhood Synagogue
GRAMERCY PARK
MEMORIAL CHAPEL
353 Second Avenue New York, NY 10010
(212) 477-6334
5
Hebrew School News: The Brotherhood Synagogue Book Fair
by Michelle Roth, Book Fair Chair
W
hat a wonderful way to celebrate Jewish
Book Month (November)! The 2015
Brotherhood Book Fair brought together our
community over a shared love of books, gift
giving, and supporting our synagogue.
Brotherhood received a percentage of every
book sold.
The highlight of the Fair was noted author
and storyteller, Mark Goldblatt’s, visit on
Wednesday, November 18. Mark is a prolific
political commentator and the author of
satirical and comedic adult books, as well as
the young adult book Twerp and its newlyreleased sequel, Finding the Worm.
Mark began his visit by entertaining
questions from the audience, made up of
our Wednesday Hebrew school students
(ages 6-11), Hebrew school staff, and other
Brotherhood members. Questions ran the
gamut from “When did you start writing?”
(The answer: “In high school, to impress a
girl. It didn’t work.”) to “Do you make a lot of
money writing?”
With good humor, Mark responded,
“Well, if you add up all the money I have
made writing, and divide it by the hours that I
have spent writing, I would have made a larger
hourly wage babysitting. But, I love what I
do!”
After Mark answered all the questions from
the audience, he read us a hilarious excerpt
from Twerp. The reading was followed by a
book signing. Copies of both his YA novels
were available at the Fair and quickly sold out.
Luckily for us, Mark had thoughtfully brought
along bookmarks, which he personalized for
any fan who wanted one. If you wanted to
buy one of his books but were too late, don’t
fear—Mark Goldblatt’s books are available on
Amazon.
A big Thank You to all our Book Fair
volunteers: Judy Batalon, Randi Bayroff,
Tikvah*
by Myra Hushansky
O
n a Sunday in December The Tikvah Program was honored to be part of an
incredible unplanned experience. Our music teacher, Yaniv Hoffman (check
him out on youtube under “JudaBlue”) was approached by the Jewish War Veterans
group who were meeting for lunch and Chanukah celebration at Brotherhood. This is
a yearly event. Their coordinator asked if Yaniv and our class could sing some songs for
Chanukah for the group. These were Jewish War Veterans of the U.S. military. Yaniv,
was deeply moved by these men’s service and he readily agreed. When I came down
to join the class, Yaniv informed me of what he wanted to do and we hastily decided
on ‘HaTikvah’ and ‘Maoz Tzur.” The director took some pictures prior to our singing
and one of our very shy students began to move away. Another of our
students spoke quietly to encourage the shy student and that student
not only stayed, but sang. I was so proud at one student’s courage
and the other student’s compassion. The veterans, many with
walkers, stood up tall and strong as they heard the first notes
of HaTikvah and sang robustly through Maoz Tzur. Yaniv
thanked them for their service and when I tried to tell them
they were our light, I got choked up! I hope I got the words
out. It was really special for us and for them on so many levels.
I especially thank Yaniv for going out of his way and making
this very meaningful experience happen for all of us. l
*Tikvah is Brotherhood’s Hebrew School program for children with
special needs.
6
The Brotherhood Synagogue
Henrietta Bittman, Jessica DeCoux, Inge
Dobelis, Gail Fox, Susan Keohane, Paulette
Lerner, Sandy Markovitz, Jean Mascia, Brad
Miles, Deirdre Miller, Lila Podgainy, Sheryl
Prince, and Michael Tsouros.
A hug and Thank You to Marjorie
Ingall, who is so knowledgeable about the
book industry and so generous in sharing
her knowledge—Marjorie met with me one
morning to help put together this year’s
awesome book order. To Hebrew School
principal, Barbara Simon, a huge Thank You
for organizing Mark Goldblatt’s visit. And an
extra-special Thank You to Agnes Marton
and the Life Goes On group. Her marvelous
members once again made up the majority
of the book fair staff. They were punctual,
professional, patient, and always happy to
help our shoppers, young and old!
Finally, Thank You so much to everyone
who purchased books as gifts or for their own
libraries. You all made this year’s Book Fair a
big success—I am already looking forward to
November 2016!! l
And from all of us at Brotherhood: a BIG thank
you to Michelle Roth.
Blazing Horns
Light Up
Chanukah
The Eyal Vilner Big Band on December 5.
Tevet / Shevat 5776
January 2016
Nursery School Thoughts
by Buffy Hersly
S
ix years ago, our family began our journey
at the Brotherhood Synagogue Nursery
School with our first daughter, Cameron. It
was exciting and fun, yet terrifying. We were
starting a new school, meeting new friends and
didn’t know what to expect. Ultimately, we
loved our experience the first time around, but
what has surprised me most is how different the
second time has been with our daughter Eva.
It’s even better. It’s like coming home again.
This time, I worry less and enjoy everything
more. I actually like mornings, despite how
rushed they are. I love seeing the cute little line
of kids walking down the stairs wearing their
backpacks, watching how their faces light up
at the sight of each other during drop off—as if
they haven’t seen one another for weeks!
The first time around, I was more worried
about everything—the little and the big things.
Now, I don’t stress about the little things—like
if I forget a change of clothes, or miss an event,
or bring the really giant birthday cupcakes for
each child instead of the more sensible mini ones
(and I did all of the above). I don’t really stress
about the big things, either. Will my daughter
make friends? Will my husband and I meet nice
parents? Will she be able to go potty by herself?
Will she get hurt on the playground? I still recall
a phone call I made to Merril during Cameron’s
first year, saying that I was truly worried for my
daughter’s safety because she told me her friend
“sat on her head that day in class.” Merril, of
course listened kindly and set my mind at ease as
she always does. I think of that conversation and
smile, not only because I am now much more
sane and relaxed about parenting in general,
but because I know my little one is in the best
hands here and with people who care for her
with compassion. Being back in the Yellow
room is like being back together with family.
Seeing nearly all the same teachers (which is so
rare for a school), singing the same songs and
being part of the traditions that I never realized
I loved so much until we came back. And while
so many things have evolved, like the amazing
new playground and an incredible high-tech art
installation for this year’s Chanukah celebration,
what is most important has remained unchanged.
It’s this indescribable sense of warmth, security
and familiarity that allows our family to be part
of something so special. It is knowing that our
younger daughter Eva is going to grow and learn
and make friends in this welcoming and sweet
community. As a first time mom, I didn’t realize
how magical it was. The second time around, I
know and I appreciate it so much more. I worry
less, enjoy more and am grateful to be back. I
also know that if I bring the wrong birthday
cupcakes and, for the record, I did it again this
year, everything will be ok. l
Please join us to welcome
Shabbat together with stories
and song.
Friday, January 8
5:30 pm - Children up to 3
years old with Dapha Mor
followed by a Pasta Dinner
Friday, January 22:
5:30 pm - Children up to 3
years old with Daphna Mor
5:30 pm - Children ages 3-6
years old with Gavi Rubin
6:30 pm - Grades 2-7
with Gavi Rubin and
Phil Rothman
♪ Cantor’s Notes: Caffeine with the Cantor ♪
by Cantor Mike Weis
P
lease forgive me.
While these are the words we might
normally expect to hear during the High Holy
Days season of repentance, I feel compelled
to share them with you now. Looking back on
my three and a half years here at Brotherhood
(has it already been that long?), I realized that
as many of you as I’ve gotten to know, there
are far too many of you whom I do not yet
know, and have never met.
You might be forgiven for thinking that
my job as cantor is to lead services and teach
B’nei Mitzvah. While those are, without
question, significant parts of what I do for
our community, and certainly the most public
roles I play, the truth is that I am here to be
present for you. If you happen to be one of
the folks who shows up regularly on Friday
or Saturday, then it’s quite likely that we have
already come to be very well acquainted.
But what if you are part of the significant
majority of our members who are not Shabbat
regulars? How well have I done being present
for you? The answer is probably not all that
well, as evidenced by the fact that not only
do I not know most of your names, I don’t
even know your faces.
To be fair, this is a big community and
there are a lot more of you than there are
of me, so to speak. Getting to know 1000
member “units” (don’t you love being called
that?) is no small task. But it’s still my job
to find ways to reach out to you, not the
reverse. And that is why I have to ask for your
forgiveness, because I haven’t done enough to
find you. That’s been the reality.
But not anymore.
Starting now, I’m going to be making a
far more concerted effort to reach out to you,
starting with this article. This will happen
initially through phone calls and e-mails,
but ideally, we will get a chance to sit down
together over a Starbucks or Red Bull or
something and just have a chance to get to
know one another.
Call it “Caffeine with the Cantor.”
Granted, it’s going to take me a looooong
Tevet / Shevat 5776
The Brotherhood Synagogue
January 2016
time to go through the entire membership list,
probably years, so please don’t be offended if it
takes me some time to make my way down to
your name. In fact, to avoid that possibility, I
want to invite you RIGHT NOW to send me
an e-mail at cantor@brotherhoodsynagogue.
org or leave me a voicemail, and let’s set
something up today. And even if you don’t
have the time or inclination to get together,
drop me a line and just say hello.
If you happen to find yourself in the
building for any reason, feel free to pop in
and introduce yourself. Although my office
is all the way up on the fourth floor (yes, we
do, in fact, HAVE a fourth floor), feel free to
come in and catch your breath after climbing
all those stairs.
This is a real invitation, and I urge you
either to reach out to me or at least NOT to
hang up on me when you hear my voice on
the other end of the phone. And if it works
out for your schedule, maybe we’ll make an
opportunity to grab a cup of caffeine (or
decaf ) together in the very near future. l
7
Brotherhood
Synagogue
Sunday
Kislev / Tevet 5776
January 2016
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
✡ Saturday Morning: Shabbat Corner 9:45 am • Junior Congregation 10:30 am • Alef-Bet Club 11 am
3
4
4 pm: Hebrew School
5
4 pm: Hebrew School
6
4 pm: Hebrew School
7
Friday
1
4:20 pm Candles
Saturday
2
9:30 am: Services
9
9:30 am: Services
6:30 pm: Services
OFFICE CLOSED
8
4:27 pm: Candles
SHEMOT
5:30 pm: Family Shabbat
(0-3) & Pasta Dinner
5:40 pm: Minyan
1 pm: Shabbat Club
8 pm: Samuel Thomas
Concert
6:30 pm: Services
Guest Speaker: Samuel
Thomas
10
9:30 am: Tikvah
11
7:30 am: Minyan
4 pm: Hebrew School
12 9:30 am: Toddler Class 13
4 pm: Hebrew School
10 am: English In Action
10:45: am Toddler Class
14 9:30 am: Toddler Class 15
4:34 pm: Candles
10:45 am: Pre-Toddler
Class
6:30 pm: Services
VAERA
16
9:30 am: Services
Bar Mitzvah of
Jack Nelson
2 pm: English In Action
4 pm: Hebrew School
3 pm: Thursday Corner
5:40 pm: Minyan
4:30 pm: Hebrew Corner
6 pm: Life Goes On
BO
rosh chodesh
17
9:30 am: Tikvah
18
19 9:30 am: Toddler Class 20
OFFICE CLOSED MARTIN LUTHER
KING DAY
10 am: Baby Class
10 am: English In Action
11 am: Pre-Toddler Class
10:45: am Toddler Class
4 pm: Hebrew School
1:30 pm: Hadassah
Meeting
21 9:30 am: Toddler Class 22
10:45 am: Pre-Toddler
Class
2 pm: English In Action
4:42 pm: Candles
6:30 pm: Services
5:30 & 6:30 pm: Family
Shabbat Services
3 pm: Thursday Corner
23
9:30 am: Services
Bar Mitzvah of
Alexander Gerstenhaber
4:45 pm: Bar Mitzvah of
Zachary Klein
4 pm: Jewish Museum
Tour
4 pm: Hebrew School
5:40 pm: Minyan
4:30 pm: Hebrew Corner
7 pm: Board Meeting
7 pm: Brotherhood Book
Club
BESHALACH
24
31
9:30 am: Tikvah
5 pm: Brotherhood
Film Series
25
9 am: Book of Genesis
26 9:30 am: Toddler Class 27
10 am: Baby Class
4 pm: Hebrew School
10 am: English In Action
11 am: Pre-Toddler Class
5 pm: Book of Leviticus
10:45: am Toddler Class
11 am: Prayer 101
7 pm: Prayerbook
Hebrew
4 pm: Hebrew School
4 pm: Hebrew School
8 pm: Jewish Current
Events
5:40 pm: Minyan
6:30 pm: Harmoni-AH!
7 pm: What Is Israel?
7 pm: Early Modern
Broadsides
28 9:30 am: Toddler Class 29
4:51 pm: Candles
10:45 am: Pre-Toddler
Class
6:30 pm: Services
30
9:30 am: Services
5 pm: Bar Mitzvah of
Sam Silver
Noon: Lunch & Learn
2 pm: English In Action
3 pm: Thursday Corner
4:30 pm: Hebrew Corner
YITRO
TU B’SHEVAT
Brotherhood Film Series
Join us for a screening of The Matchmaker, directed by one of
Israel’s most popular filmmakers, Avi Nesher
Sunday, January 31, 5 pm
(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0626409/)
The Matchmaker (2012, 112min)
Following the screening film expert, Eran Polishuk, Director of Film
and Media, Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel will
discuss Israel’s film industry, and Avi Nesher.
This coming of age story, unlike any you’ve seen before, tells the
story of Arik, a teenage boy in Haifa who gets a job working for
matchmaker Yankele Bride. A mysterious survivor of the Holocaust,
Yankele introduces Arik to a new world built on the ruins of an
old one. As he begins to learn the mysteries of the human heart
through his work with Yankele, he falls in love with his friend Benji’s
cousin, Tamara, who has just returned
from America, full of talk of women’s
rights, free love and rock and roll. The
disparate parts of Arik’s life collide
in unexpected, often funny and very
moving ways as he lives through a
summer that changes him forever.
Admission $10 (free with student ID)
Sponsored by the Special Events Committee
Brotherhood 2016 Film Series will feature films
by Israeli filmmakers in connection with
Brotherhood’s theme of Israel this year.