Becoming Neshama

TEMPLE BULLETIN
A"Publication"of"Temple"Emanuel"
A Reform Congregation since 1854
CELEBRATING OUR 159TH ANNIVERSARY
Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism
Rabbi Yael Romer
Volume 61
"
Cantor Robert Cohen
Issue 6, February, 2014
Adar, 5774
FROM THE BIMAH
Rabbi Yael Romer
Becoming Neshama
CARLEBACH, raised an Orthodox Jew, is the
daughter of the renowned late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z”l.
Up until her transformative experience at this year’s
convention of Reform Jews (the URJ Bienniel) Neshama
considered herself Orthodox, sometimes as one who
practiced and lived in-sync with mainstream Orthodoxy and sometimes an
Orthodox Jew who challenged mainstream Orthodoxy.
continued on page 12
ESHAMA
1
The Temple Bulletin
is published by Temple Emanuel
243 Albany Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401
PHONE: (845) 338-4271
FAX: (845) 338-0506
EMAIL: templeemanuel@hvc.rr.com
WEBSITE:www.templeemanuelkingston.org
Rabbi............................................................ Yael Romer
Cantor:………………………………….…Robert Cohen
Rabbi Emeritus....................................Jonathan Eichhorn
President.........................................................Les Kalmus
Chairman...........................................................Lou Klein
Senior VP....................................................Martin Miller
Treasurer.....................................................Linda Sumber
VP for House................................................... Joe Cohen
Secretary................................................... Ruth Heisman
Past President....................................................Ric Lewit
Trustees: Pat Brakman, Pamela Fraser Glenn Grubard,
Karen Leider, Arnold Zepel, Richard Mahler, Evelyn
Rosenthal, Steven Schwartz, Jennifer Schwartz-Berky
and Amy Scorca. Mark Trott, Brotherhood liaison.
Honorary Trustees...............................Conrad Heisman,
Charles Ronder, Michael Zackheim and Eli Basch
Religious School Director……..Julie Stein Makowsky
Temple Administrator……………Jessica Fillmore
Bulletin Editor… .................................Jeffrey Greenberg
Calendar Editor………………….…Sherri Wise-Keesler
Bulletin Proofreader…………………. ....Ruth Heisman
The Temple Bulletin is published ten times each year, excluding July
and August. It is distributed for an annual fee to members, free to nonmembers and always available free on-line. Submissions or advertising
inquiries should be addressed to the Temple Office.
Deadline for submissions is the first day of the month which precedes
the month of publication. Late material will be held for the following
issue.
To Contact Us
Please call (845)338-4271.
The Temple Office hours:
Tuesday through Friday,
10am to 2pm. The Office is closed on Mondays,
legal holidays, and some Jewish holidays.
Rabbi Romer can be reached in her study at (845) 338-4384, extension
102 She is available for appointments Tuesday through Friday. For
emergency contact when the Rabbi is not in her study, you may call her at
(914) 466-4184.
When calling the Temple, you may dial the following extensions as soon
as the main greeting begins:
Office, 101
Rabbi, 102
Religious School, 110
Bookkeeper, 103
Contact Bulletin editorial staff by e-mail at
bulletin@templeemanuelkingston.org.
We Need Your Feedback.
In the very near future we’ll be e-mailing each of
you a multiple choice questionnaire about Temple
Emanuel. It’s the first part in an on-going attempt to
find out some things about our Congregants and
what you think about Temple: What you like and
dislike; what you’d change and what you’d leave the
same.
Be brutally honest. We’ll use the information we
gather to both improve things here and to reach out
to the broader Jewish community in the Hudson
River Valley.
Following up on the questionnaire will be much
more in-depth focus groups. If you’d like to be part
one of the groups, please let us know. I can be
reached at jdgadvt@frontiernet.net .
We want your voice to be heard.
2
CANTOR BANTER
Bob Cohen
Village Days
AVE ANY OF
you been Inside
Llewyn Davis
yet? I really
mean have you
seen the flick?
It was made by the Coen Brothers.
So it occurred to me that my
headline for this review could be:
“The Coens took the “H” out of
Cohen and took the Spirit out of
the Sixties!”
Actually, although they did take
the “H” out of my last name, I do
like a lot of their films including
their most recent film before ILD,
“A Serious Man” which featured a
beautiful Yiddish folksong running
all the way through it. Few folks
picked up on it, but I thought it
was quite wonderful. And, I am
ashamed to say, I haven't seen
“The Big Lebowski” yet, though I
did see “Oh Brother” where the
music, collected by T. Bone
Burnet (who also put the music
“The Coens took…the
Spirit out of the
Sixties!”
together for ILD) was a brilliant
recreation of real old-timey songs.
But in that film too, the songs were
better than the film.
3
In ILD, T. Burnet once more puts
together a brilliant collection of
songs reflecting the really folky
part of the folk revival of the
1960s. They are, for the most part,
beautifully performed by Oscar
Isaac. Now, I understand that this
was not a documentary of the
1960's folk revival in all its
richness as well as its mishugas.
But as the first important feature
film about that era, I was hoping to
experience some of the wonderful
talents of the young folks (among
them, in a very small role, me –
not quite an extra)--the way
they/we worked together, the way
the songs we sang were received
by the audiences, from the tiny
coves of Greenwich Village to
Hootenanny-wide concerts in
various venues.
Actually the opening of the film
proves very timely for me. I will
be teaching a course at Lifespring,
at the Woodstock Jewish
Congregation, called: “The Folk
Revival & The American
Immigrant Songbook,” surveying
in song and story the 1960s. We’ll
include songs from Israel, Eastern
Europe as well as from the various
mountain ranges and valleys of our
own USA. This music was almost
my entire music education, aside
from piano lessons begun at 8
years of age. It enriched both my
knowledge of our country and the
world, and also human nature, in
love, out of love, in struggle and in
victory, in grief and in glory,
including the tiny bit I knew about
my people and our religion at that
time in my life.
In the film the focus is on the main
character, who once had served in
the Merchant Marine and now,
because of some bureaucratic
weirdness, cannot return after his
failure as a folksinger. He is a
kind of lackadaisical depressive, a
wandering-within-himselfwanderer. The actor's singing and
guitar playing are very well done.
The women he knows or crashes
with (including his sister),
however, are totally un-nice to
him. Although, considering his
mindless meandering, one cannot
fully blame them.
The film does have some Jewishacting older folks who try to be
supportive of his life and career,
but seem clueless about the world
he is in, as is he. My friend,
colleague, and fellow member of
the New World Singers back in the
day, Happy Traum, remarks in a
Facebook review he wrote that this
was really a more innocent time
then the C Bros would have you
think. I think he is right.
Although God knows the 20th
century was already the parent of
monstrous offspring, we younguns in the 60's were still more
naive and dreamy than one can say
of young folks now who live
4
mostly in cyberspace and seem to
know everything instantly, if not
sooner, and don't seem to believe
in much of anything.
I must say that after about three
quarters of the movie, I found
myself getting bored and restless
and in the need of something.
Action? A roaring crowd, a folk
group, a turn toward success?
Llweyn's buddy, with whom he
sang, is now dead and he is
determined to go it alone. The
overweight jazz play druggie
played by John Goodman is funny
but like – who he? And why is
Llweyn in his car with his even
weirder driver.
The film ends (this is not a spoiler)
with an actor playing Bob Dylan
singing in a coffeehouse his song
based on an old Irish folk song,
Fare Thee Well. Actually, we
(The New World Singers) used to
invite Dylan up on stage to sing
this song with us at Gerde's Folk
City in Greenwich Village. It's
soaring melody and his lyrical
wandering lyrics still move me
when I think of them, and when I
sing them myself. As Happy puts
it, Dylan's appearance (and
subsequent fantastic success) was
the end for many of us folkies in
the same playing field. I always
used to say that it was like being a
playwright in the time of
Shakespeare. Oy vey!
The film also completely ignores
the causes we championed with
our songs: civil rights, peace,
unions. Sure, for some it was just
about “me,” but for many of us it
was about a fairer, brighter day
reflected in the songs we sang and
the places we sang them.
By the way, in case you are
wondering “what kinda name is
'Llewyn,” it’s Welsh and since my
wife, Patricia, has Welsh ancestry,
I was very open to fall in love with
this film. Sad to say, it was like a
stray cat who continues on her way
despite your attempts to pet it.
Which brings me to the absolutely
best part of this flic – the cat
(which a friend tells me was
actually played by 4 cats!). To
which I will add, my father said
his name in Russia was (are you
ready?) Katz-Cohen – but not
Katz-Coen. And don’t get me
started on my DNA and whether I
am a descendent of Israelite
priests. I'm in enough trouble as is!
Fare Thee Well
(Traditional)
If I had wings like Noah's dove
I'd fly the river to the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
I had a man who was long and tall
Moved his body like a cannon ball
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
5
Remember one evening, it was
drizzlin' rain
And in my heart, I felt an achin'
pain
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
Muddy river runs muddy 'n' wild
You can't care the bloody for my
unborn child
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
Once I wore my apron low
Been a-keep' you away from my
door
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
Number nine train ain' done no
harm
Number nine train take my poor
baby home
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
Now, my apron is up to my chin
You pass my door but you never
come in
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
Fastest man I ever saw
Skid Missouri on the way to
Arkansas
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee
well
Join us on this special
evening when we will be
sharing the aromatic
experience
of select pure
essential oils
from plants,
trees
and
fruits
that
since
Biblical
times
have
uplifted
the human
spirit and
opened the heart
to joy. This event is
NOT ADVISED
if you are
allergic to
fragrances
A scented
journey to joy
ROSH CHODESH
Adar
Thursday February 6
7:30-9:30PM
Temple Emanuel
243 Albany Ave, Kingston
Info: Cathy Gins 845-876-7644
6
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Julie Stein-Makowsky
The Kibbutznik
AST MONTH WE
celebrated Tu
B’Shevat – the
Jewish holiday in
which we take the
time to acknowledge
trees. We call it the birthday of the
trees. I have always found that I
have a hard time connecting to this
holiday and celebration. Yes, I
appreciate trees. I actually really
love certain trees and I adore the
fruit and nuts that they yield. Tu
B’Shevat usually falls in the winter
cold when all the trees on my
property are bare and hibernating.
But of course this is not the case in
many other parts of the world.
Years ago (and I means years) I
took a year off from college and I
went to work on a Kibbutz
HaOgen in Israel. On the Kibbutz
I had a number of jobs (I was there
10 ½ months.) I cleaned
vegetables in the kitchens for the
midday meal; I picked oranges,
grapefruit, avocados and cotton. I
worked in the laundry and at times
I even worked the midnight shift in
the plastics factory on the Kibbutz.
One of the most distinct memories
I have from that transformative
year was the way the trees
bloomed around January and
February. Suddenly we were
harvesting fruits like crazy! At the
end of February there were so
many strawberries delivered from
another Kibbutz that we ate
ourselves sick! I think that was the
first year that I really understood
about Tu B’Shevat.
So many of our Jewish
celebrations and rituals are
connected to the land of Israel. As
a Jewish Educator I am always
thinking about how to share these
connections with our students
without them actually experiencing
7
the origins of the connections.
Though we work very hard to
engage our students and create
hands-on and interactive ways for
them to live our holidays and
celebrations we are still working in
a vacuum. The only way to give
them a fully integrated
understanding on why and how of
Jewish practice is through
spending time in Israel.
A number of years ago our family
was fortunate to be in Israel for an
amazing 10 days to celebrate my
daughter Talia’s joint Bar and Bat
Mitzvah with my nephew, Avi. It
was a dream come true for me to
be able to do this not just with my
husband and my children but with
a number of other family
members, some of whom had
never been to Israel before. The
trip fell during the celebration of
Passover and that just made it even
more special. When Talia became
a Bat Mitzvah I had already spent
many years preparing students and
working families through the B’nai
Mtizvah process. Much to my
dismay the real message of that
day in a Jewish child’s life is often
obscured by the lavish celebrations
and attention to the party details.
Celebrating a child’s Bar or Bat
Mitzvahs in Israel is chock full of
very special memories. The
message of becoming part of the
global Jewish community through
this ritual is heard loud and clear.
This coming December (I know
that seems like a million years
from now) Rabbi Romer will be
leading our community on a trip to
Israel. With the Rabbi and her
Educational Guide it promises to
be a trip filled with learning
experiences. As plans come
together it looks like there will be
a focus on the Golan Heights with
even an option to visit Petra in
Jordan. Rabbi Romer hopes to
celebrate one or more Bar or Bat
Mitzvah while on the trip. What a
wonderful gift this could be to
your child – to raise them up as a
Bar or Bat Mitzvah in the land of
Israel.
I am hoping to join this
community trip and I want to
invite you to join as well. The trip
is tentatively schedule for
December 25th – January 3rd.
Please keep your eyes open for
8
more details as plans become more
solidified.
Glickman, written, produced and
directed by James L. Freedman
and executive produced by Martin
Scorsese, tells the triumphant story
of Marty Glickman, who was
denied the chance to participate for
the U.S. in the 1936 Berlin
Olympics. He went on to become
one of the most revered and
influential sportscasters in history.
A multi-sport athlete with
blistering speed, the Jewish
Glickman was a teammate of Jesse
Owens on the 1936 U.S. Olympic
track team, but politics and antiSemitism robbed him of the
chance to win gold in the 400meter relay – an event held in front
of Adolf Hitler in Berlin.
From The Bros
Glickman
n Tuesday,
March 25th at
7:00PM,
Brotherhood,
in association
with The
Rosendale Theater Collective is
proud to present “Glickman” at the
Rosendale Theater, 330 Main
Street, Rosendale. Following the
83 minute documentary, we’ve
assembled an expert panel of
sports professionals, followed by a
Q&A moderated by WDST’s
Doug Grunther.
Marty would go on to become a
legendary sports announcer on the
East Coast –- and as the first voice
of the NBA invented such classic
basketball terms as “the key,” “the
midcourt stripe,” and “swish!” In
a Hall of Fame career that spanned
over fifty years, Marty would paint
his “words eye” pictures for the
New York Knicks, Giants and Jets
–- as well as help create HBO
Sports and mentor a who’s who of
sportscasters.
The film interweaves fascinating
archival footage with a wide mix
of interviews including
sportscasters, athletes, actors and
family members such as Marv
Albert, Bob Costas, Larry King,
9
Bill Bradley, Jim Brown, Frank
Gifford, Jerry Stiller, and N.Y.
Giants co-owner John Mara.
$18 in advance and $25.00 at the
door. Doors open at 6:30. Due to a
limited number of seats, please
make your reservations early as
this event will sell out quickly.
Sisterhood
Pat Brakman
Sunny FLA
’m writing from Florida,
not missing the cold but
the warmth of our
community and looking
forward to Spring and all
the upcoming Sisterhood
and Temple events. By the time
you read this, our Annual Trivia
night will be history and congrats
to the winning team and their able
competitors. While here we of
course visited the local temple (in
our golf cart). This is a new
congregation and, just like Temple
Emanuel, bustling with activity.
January is designated Florida
Jewish History Month. Maybe this
is why so many of our "kin" arrive
here this month. Jews have been a
significant part of the development
of Florida since 1763, the first year
Jews were able to live as Jews in
Florida. Prior to that, since Florida
was owned by Spain, it was "for
Catholics only". When The Treaty
of Paris was signed, Florida was
turned over to England and
religious freedom began.
When Florida was declared a state
in 1875, fewer than 100 Jews lived
there. But right after that the
Jewish community began to
flourish. A synagogue was built in
Pensacola in 1786 and by 1900, six
congregations had been registered
in the State. Today, there are over
300 congregations contributing to
the quality of life for all Floridians.
Sisterhood here is very active and
is a warm friendly group of
women. I did not get to participate
in any of their events but hope to
on my next visit. Our own
Sisterhood is busy as you may
remember from my last article.
On February 6th, Rosh Chodesh
returns. Watch your email for full
details. March is bursting: We
have a dance party on Saturday
March 1. Sisterhood Shabbat is
Friday March 21; the Spring
rummage sale is Sunday, March
30-31 and April 6th is the
Women’s Seder. In May we will
be hosting the WRJ District Area
Day, welcoming women from
Temples from throughout the
district. In June we officially end
our year with the paid up dinner. I
anticipate seeing you at any or all
these events and welcome your
10
input and assistance in making
them successful. Soon these two
"Snowflakes" will fly North and
we
look forward to being back home
and rejoining all the activity at
Temple Emanuel.
PURIM
at TEMPLE EMANUEL
A Jewish Opportunity to
Let Down Your Hair and Be Wild!
Sunday, March 16:
A Free, Family-Friendly Purim Celebration
10:00AM—Purim Service
10:30AM—Megillah Reading
11:00AM—Shpiel
12:00PM—Carnival & Costume Parade
Purim Carnival
-Youth Group led - booths, games, prizes!
243 Albany Ave, Kingston 845-338-4271
www.templeemanuelkingston.org
11
continued from page 1 But
until San Diego,
Neshama found her home as an Orthodox
Jew. Over the years, Neshama has been
blessed by the support and comfort of
friends and colleagues in the Conservative
Movement. But up until this fall, Neshama
admits that she had little to no meaningful
contact with Reform Jews prior to her
accepting a singing/teaching engagement in
San Diego.
As you have been hearing, from Dr. Martin
Miller and Pat Brakman, the URJ Biennial
was a powerful, informative experience.
But no one could have planned or expected
the public affirmation that Neshama
Carlebach made in front of five thousand
Reform Jews. From the Bimah, Neshama
declared that she “was making Aliyah to the
Reform movement.” Reverberations were
heard and felt throughout the Jewish press
and throughout the Jewish world. Neshama
Carlebach had become a Reform Jew.
NESHAMA CARLEBACH DESCRIBES WHAT
she coined as “a brand new- yet deeply
familiar experience. She found in Reform
Judaism all the best values and practices of
the Judaism that she cherishes:
-Loving and cherishing Shabbat
-Loving Jewish rituals in an open
hearted, expansively spiritual way
-Engaging in the message of the
Torah to make all of humanity
deeper- more empathetic, loving and
capable of kindness.
-Interfaith engagement that
recognizes the true unity for all God’s
children
-An egalitarian community where
women and men participate as equals in
Torah study
-An egalitarian community where
women and men participate as equals
in the joy of Judaism; the ability to
delight, dance and engage.
-The implicit mandate that Tikkun
Olam is bound up with being a Jew.
-A recognition and commitment that
being a Jew means a commitment to global
healing.
-A recognition and commitment to
find our place as Jews in the modern world.
I am deeply moved by Neshama Carlebach’s
Reform insights, because they serve as a
reminder, challenge and inspiration to me as
“Reverberations were heard
and felt throughout the Jewish
press and throughout the
Jewish world. Neshama
Carlebach had become a
Reform Jew.”
a Reform Rabbi and to you my Congregants.
Neshama found that Reform Judaism
supports the values that she is able to
endorse and live. Neshama describes in her
address- that there were too many times in
her Jewish past that she found herself in
Mitzraim, trapped in the narrow spaces of a
mindset that was narrow and oppressive
when she desired expansiveness and
inclusivity.
Neshama is a practicing Jew who found her
way to the expansive possibilities of Reform
Judaism. We, active members of Temple
Emanuel, already have that affiliation. But
what will our practice consist of?
12
I want to urge you to review Neshama’s
address (http://www.jta.org/2014/01/03/lifereligion/neshama-carlebach-sets-recordstraight-about-her-embrace-of-reform). I
want to encourage you to focus on the
values of Reform Judaism Neshama
experienced and articulated. Renew, refresh
and reinvigorate your commitment, not only
to your Judaism, not only to your Temple,
but to your Jewish practice that illuminates
and actualizes the very best values that your
Judaism offers.
-Purim festivities and celebration
-Women’s Seder
-Rosh Chodesh
-Second Night Klezmer Seder at
Temple
-Yom Ha-shoah Seder
- Involvement in New & Renewed
Social Action Projects
-Sabbath teaching and bike ride with a
Survivor
-Temple Emanuel’s 160th Festivities
-Temple Emanuel’s first Shabbaton
The possibilities are endless:
Your engagement is what brings Judaism to
light and to life.
-Sabbath at Temple
TOOTT SHHAABB
A
BB
T
BBA
AT
st
Join us February 1
,
Our toddler service is celebrated monthly
on Saturday mornings from 9:00-9:30am, followed by a healthy Kiddush.
An extraordinary way to connect your young child to Judaism
& your Temple community.
We look forward to singing, dancing & story telling with you!!!
Upcoming Tot Shabbat dates in 2014:
February 1,
March 1, April 12, May 24, June 14
13
A Voice From the Pews
Dr. Martin Miller
Judaism Is Not A Product: A Report From
the Biennial
OME WEEKS AGO ,
I
ate Shabbat dinner
with 4,999 other
people, and that
included Pat
Brakman, our
Sisterhood president. All of us had
something in common. Earlier, we
had waited anxiously for more
than 30 minutes to get into a huge
auditorium. It wasn’t for appetizers
or entertainment. It was for
Kabbalat Shabbat services.
This was a very diverse crowd: all
ages, all sorts of backgrounds and
orientations. Many of the people
there looked something like my
Ashkenazic relatives. Many others
looked like my wife Sara’s AngloSaxon and Celtic relatives. One, a
rabbi at one of New York City’s
largest synagogues, resembles her
Korean mother, a Buddhist who
happened to be at the services.
Funny, they all looked Jewish.
That’s who we are, the way we are
these days.
We were all at the Biennial
convention of the Union for
Reform Judaism, this
congregation’s parent
organization, in San Diego.
Parenthetically, let me mention
that I love the URJ. Some of you
may not know that we are
delinquent in our URJ dues,
because it has not been seen as a
“Judaism as
experienced in our
synagogues but also
elsewhere in our lives
needs to shift
dramatically…”
high enough priority item in our
budget, yielding to items that our
leadership see as essential to keep
us afloat. But it is in our interests
to maintain a proper affiliation
with that organization, and we
should be willing to pay for that
goal.
Our congregation’s leadership as
well as the general membership
have a lot to gain, much to learn by
staying connected and further,
doing as I did: attending a biennial
14
meeting. We might want to think
of it as a Jewish analog to what
Muslims do, fulfilling a religious
injunction by visiting Mecca to
walk around the sacred Kaaba. But
at a URJ Biennial, Jews do what
Jews do: pray, study, learn, meet
and schmooze with other Reform
Jews from all of the country and
elsewhere in the world, and then
head for home stimulated and
enriched. This year’s biennial
provided all of that, and I’d like to
share some of what I gained.
There was quite a lot of interest to
me, and as I see it, to our
congregation, during the four day
event. But here is my most direct
concern. There was much urgency
reflected in sessions at the Biennial
about the reluctance of young
Jewish adults, so-called Jewish
millennials, to affiliate with
congregations in their midst.
Results of a recent major Pew
Research study show that such
millennials are often assertive
about their willingness to identify
as Jews, and to ascribe to what
they understand to be Jewish
values, but they are likely to say
that they don’t believe that their
needs for a truly meaningful
Jewish life can be met through
synagogue affiliation.
A good deal of discussion was
focused on how that issue can be
joined. After all, millennials would
represent a substantial portion of
our future community. And we
believe that we should be able to
help meet the needs of such young
men and women for a Jewish life
that is meaningful in their own
terms. The discussion at
workshops I attended often lead to
a larger topic, one that is
potentially transformative for
Jews, especially progressive Jews,
everywhere. This was the idea that
Judaism as experienced in our
synagogues but also elsewhere in
our lives needs to shift
dramatically--from one that is
transactional to a well-articulated
and carefully cultivated relational
Judaism.
transactional
Judaism? It should be
easily recognized. We
pay a certain amount of money in
our dues and fees, and that buys us
a package we have virtually
negotiated and transacted: tickets
for the High Holidays, B’nai
Mitzvah preparation for our preteens, assurance that our life-cycle
celebrations and crises will be met
appropriately by our clergy. Yes,
of course these services are
possible because of the generosity
of so many, but the basis for them
is set into motion with what is
effectively a contract between a
family and the synagogue
organization. And like many other
contracts, they reach an expiration
date, for instance just after a
HAT IS
15
youngster’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
The product has been delivered.
And that’s all there is to it.
Jewish learning and living (for
instance, how we observe
Shabbat).
In contrast, relational Judaism is
modeled on the brit, the covenant,
a permanent agreement provided
by HaShem to Abraham and all of
his descendants. We are all
included. The kinds of
relationships that need to be
involved, and the principles of
relational engagement, can be
found in a very good book, nearly
a manual, called Relational
Judaism, by Dr. Ron Wolfson,
much talked about at the Biennial.
Fifth is between you and your
Jewish community, both sacred
and secular. Sixth is between you
and Jewish people, wherever Jews
are found, anywhere in the world.
Seventh is between you and the
State of Israel. Eighth is between
you and the whole world, Jewish
and non-Jewish.
Transformation to a relational
Judaism is a project for every
Jewish community to undertake,
because no matter how far along
one might be (and we’re not so bad
here at Temple Emanuel) there is
room for more. It will take
commitment and time to bring it
about. We would all be the better
for it. A good beginning would be
for our members, including our
leadership, to read the book.
Wolfson talks about nine levels of
relationship, each worthy of
substantial discussion. The first is
the relationship between you and
yourself--a strong Jewish identity-without which none of the other
levels could happen. Second is
between you and your family.
Third is between you and your
friends. Fourth is, between you and
Finally, ninth is between you and
God, whether you believe or not,
given only a willingness to wrestle
in your heart with what for many
of us is recognized as the divine
presence. But bear in mind that it
is the first level, the quality and
nature of self-relating--full
acceptance and understanding of
oneself in Jewish terms--that is
fundamental to the effectiveness of
other relationships.
Wolfson also describes twelve
principles of relational
engagement, tools that sharpen
relationships. Some of those are
already a part of our
congregation’s canon, and we may
even be ahead of the curve with
them. We are a congregation
disposed towards relational
Judaism, because of the leadership
of our rabbi, and we should be
proud of that disposition.
16
One of the principles Wolfson
calls “Personal Encounters.” One
is Shabbat dinner exchanges,
where families invite each other,
as some of our families are doing,
on the first Shabbat of each month.
And we know how our rabbi is
there for us when we are sick or in
the midst of a life-cycle crisis.
For “Telling Stories,” another of
Wolfson’s principles, we can
certainly improve. People want to
tell their life stories, and they want
audiences ready to hear them. We
need to listen to the narratives of
others’ lives, and to provide the
mechanisms to make that possible.
We should consider creating a
video archive where our families
are prompted to tell their stories,
and make those records fully
accessible to our members. A third
principle, “Learning Together and
Doing Together,” is moving along
at our Temple. I have personally
enjoyed that at both ends of the
learning table.
TURNING AGAIN TO THE URJ
Biennial, there were other fine
sessions there that I managed to
attend. Apart from the moving
worship services, plenary sessions
were fascinating, including a
conversation with URJ President
Rick Jacobs that turned out to be a
one-sided talk by Benjamin
Netanyahu, skyped in from Israel,
and a largely nostalgic session on
the civil rights frequent reminders
of the significant roles played by
URJ social activist leaders in that
effort. I sat in on a terrific lecture
on the history and relevance of the
synagogue by Rabbi Larry
Hoffman, who reminded his
audience that the real basis for
Reform Judaism, at its origins, was
and is to assure dignity for all,
which is a fulfillment of the Will
of God. But my personal favorite
at the Biennial was a session led
by Rabbi Shefa Gold on Hebrew
chanting. We spent the better part
of two hours getting a better
understanding of this wonderful
spiritual art form, where tiny texts
are carried forward in mystical
melodies, repeated over and over
until you are lost in the glorious
moment. We do some chanting
here at Temple Emanuel, and it
would be great if we did even
more.
The next URJ Biennial will take
place in November of 2016, in
Orlando, Florida. Let’s work to see
that significant numbers of our
leadership and as many members
as possible will be there. All of us,
our congregation and the URJ
itself, will be well served by such
participation.
(Ed. Note: Marty will be back next
month with more thoughts on the
implications of the Pew Report and
how some of its lessons might be
applied here at Temple Emanuel.)
17
TEMPLE EMANUEL BROTHERHOOD
PRESENTS
A FILM BY JAMES L. FREEDMAN
1 2 4 7 2
PROUD SUPPORTER
O F T H E RO S E N DA L E
THEATER COLLECTIVE
1 2 4 7 2
$18 Donation Q&A WITH OUR EXPERT PANEL $18 Donation
TUESDAY MARCH 25, DOORS OPEN AT 6:30
20
Contributions
In memory of Hannah Feldman
Marvin Feldman
General Fund
SCRIP
Brotherhood
Sisterhood
Mah Jong Group
In honor of all the Bingo
volunteers and for Bulletin
Expenses
Yolande “Yo” Jones
In honor of Mary and Sid Bolin
Alan and Gail Levy
For Framing
Les and Barbara Kalmus
In honor of Rabbi Romer’s
Dedication and Leadership
Steven Rosenberg and Debi
Duke
Yahrzeit Fund
In memory of Harry Haimowitz
Deborah Brenner
In memory of Sarah Haimowitz
Deborah Brenner
In memory of Irving and Bess
Chatanow
Gerald and Lynette Chatanow
In memory of Moses Singer
Toby Eisman
In memory of Marion Durkin
Ewald and Kathryn Koerner
In memory of Harry Leifer
Howard Leifer and Ellen Leifer
In memory of Esther
Maidenbaum
Aryeh Maidenbaum and Diana
Rubin
In memory of Arthur and Paula
Forst
Bruce and Ruth Wally
In memory of Nathan Wilder
Ben and Karen Wilder
In memory of Dr Maurice
Zackheim
Michael and Doris
Zackheim
Menches’ Brick Fundraiser
Jeffrey and Carmel Gold
Richard Lewit and Alison Guss
Wayne and Joanne Miller
Frederick and Joan Quaderer
Capital Campaign
Louis and Mary Jane
Klein
Richard Lewit and Alison Guss
Dr. Steven Schwartz and Jill
Horn
Eli and Susan Basch
!
19
!Annual Appeal
Eli and Susan Basch
Kenneth and Selma Bitz
Rabbi Jonathan and Suzanne
Eichhorn
Rhoda Gellen
David and Susan Goldin
Steven and Karen Grossman
Marsha and Jerry Hamburg
Martin and Anita Kantor
Mr. Levy
Richard Mahler
Roland Barbara Michaels
Aryeh Maidenbaum and Diana
Rubin
Errol and Estelle Nadler
Debra Pemstein and Dean Vallas
Frederick and Joan Quaderer
David and Evelyn Rosenthal
Fonda Rothblatt
Steven Schwartz and Jill
Horn
Donald and Karen Signor
Lillie Singer
Robin Lynn Waxenberg
Jay and Joyce Bender
Werbalowsky
High Holiday Appeal
Alan and Gail Levy
Amy Scorca
Neil and Lucinda Segal
Matthew Lortie and Linda
Brandon
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Eli and Susan Basch
Neil Satinsky Fund
In Memory of Lauren & Neal
Satinsky
Kitty Satinsky
Refua Sh’lema
Asa Quinn Markiewicz
Ben Wilder
Priscilla Gideon
Richard Mahler
Larry Reer
Joy Gross
Leonard Zimet
Karen Wilder
Mark Trott
Massie Mehl
Jordan Corvin
Anniversaries
Les and Barbara Kalmus
Richard and Barbara Moscowitz
Aryeh Maidenbaum and Diana
Rubin
Ralph and Sondra Giordano
Condolences
Temple Emanuel stands with
Michele and Barry Entner, Alex
and Emily, on the loss of Myrna
Sherman z”l, Michele’s beloved
mother, who passed away
December 12.
May Her Memory Be For A
Blessing.
20
In The Spirit
Services
Weekly Kabbalat Shabbat
Services – Friday evenings at
7:30pm.
!
The 1st Friday of each month,
services begin early at 6pm, on the
1st Friday there will be a
“symbolic” Kiddush at Temple.
Families will be encouraged to
develop a “tradition” of sharing a
Sabbath meal immediately
following services.
Musical Shabbat is held on the 3rd
Friday of each month at 7:30pm.
Shabbat Service with Zemer Choir
participation is held on the 4th
Friday of each month at 7:30pm.
Saturday Morning Services –
Every Saturday after Labor Day
through the end of June, at 10 am.
Torah Study is integrated into the
service. Special activities for
children and teens.
Rhinebeck/Red Hook Services &
Celebrations- select holidays
throughout the year including
Second Day of Rosh Hashannah,
Sukkot, Tu B'Shevat, & Lag
B' Omer, held in the
Rhinebeck/Redhook area.
All are welcome.
Rhinebeck Meditative
Prayer And Torah Study
Held weekly on Thursday
mornings, in Rhinebeck,
September through June, led by
Rabbi Yael Romer. Meditation
beginning at 8:45am followed at
9:15am with Weekly Torah Study.
Welcome your day with a morning
ritual that prepares you to receive
the day’s blessings with fullness,
centering, & breath. Exploring our
Jewish traditions, this morning
ritual will integrate meditation &
study as part of an alternative
morning practice. Explore your
Jewish journey with a progressive
egalitarian approach and learn
about what our Congregation has
to offer. For directions, contact the
main office.!
!
Tot Shabbat
Tot Shabbat is celebrated monthly,
on Saturday mornings from 9 –
9:30 am, followed by a Kids’
Kiddush. This is an extraordinary
way to connect your young child
to Judaism and the Temple
community and helping you to
connect with other young
families. We look forward to
singing, dancing, & storytelling
with you!
21
Healing Prayers
During each service, we offer all
who are present to join in a
communal healing prayer. This
prayer supports healing of body &
soul – a lifelong journey for those
in need of spiritual fortitude, as
well as for individuals or loved
ones challenged with illness. We
welcome you to connect with
Jewish ritual and our community
in our quest for meaning &
strength.
Adult Ed. with the Rabbi
Conversion Course & Private
Conversion Tutorials!
Available by request, Rabbi Romer
conducts a Judaism study group
and Conversion Course and also
offers private tutorials. Contact the
Rabbi in her study, 845-338-4271
x 102 for details.
Hebrew Trope
Held most Wednesdays, from
12:30 to 1:30 pm, September
through June.
Talmud Pirke Avot
Taught by Dr. Martin Miller
Held from 11:15am to 12:15pm,
most Wednesdays, September
through June
Adult B’nai Mitzvah Course: For
information and to set up an
appointment, call the Rabbi in her
study, 845-338-4271 x 102.
Lunch with the Rabbi - Join Rabbi
Romer and guests, on most first
Tuesday of every month, October
through June, from noon to 1:30,
for food for the body and food for
the soul. This is an opportunity to
share a hot meal, warm adult
community, and dialogue with
Rabbi Romer and stimulating adult
learning in each meeting.!
Kabbalah from Rabbi Nachman of
Braslov – Teaching Zohar
Starting in the fall, on the 2nd & 4th
Thursdays of the month from
5:30PM to 7PM. Students of this
special class will be asked to
purchase course material in
advance.
Intro to Judaism – Held once a
month on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of
the month, October through June
from 1:30 to 3PM. The class will
build on the previously covered
material, but drop-in students will
be welcomed and encouraged.!
Conversational Hebrew – led by
Rabbi Yael Romer, this advanced
group will be covering a lot of
material, and students must
purchase the course materials
before the class begins. Held on
Wednesdays during the school
year, from 5 to 6:30PM,
registration required.
22
Temple Emanuel’s Sisterhood (WRJ)
is celebrating our 10th Annual Passover
WOMEN’S SEDER
Sunday, April 6th, 2014/5774
5:00pm – Shmooze
5:15pm – Seder
6:30pm - Dinner
Bring a friend and a dish to share
to our pot-luck vegetarian/dairy dinner without
“chametz” (bread products).
845-338-4271 ext 131
243 Albany Ave, Kingston
www.templeemanuelkingston.org
Second Night
Seder
At
TEMPLE EMANUEL
APRIL 15
TH
This year with a
Taste of Klezmer!
Seating at 4:45PM
Seder begins at 5:00PM
Reservations: 845-338-4271 ext 136
243 Albany Avenue, Kingston
www.templeemanuelkingston.org
A Special Invitation to you,
from
Rabbi Yael Romer...
You are invited to:
Lunch with the Rabbi, February 4th
A study & group discussion
led by Rabbi Yael Romer, following a free
hot catered lunch at noon.
e
l
a
S
e
g
a
m
Rum
4
1
/
0
3
/
3
:
e
t
a
D
Rummage Sale on
Sunday, March 30
from 10am to 3pm
Drop off hours the week before from 10am to 2pm on:
Tuesday, March 25 through Friday, March 28
Bag Sale:
Monday, March 31
from 10am to 2pm
Sponsored by
Temple Emanuel’s
Sisterhood
243 Albany Avenue in Kingston
845-338-4271 x 101
!
February 2014
Adar/Adar 5774
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
1 Adar
Parashat Terumah
Rosh Chodesh Adar
9-9:30AM Tot Shabbat
9:30AM-12:30PM
Religious School
10AM Shabbat Morning
service
2
2 Adar
3
3 Adar
4
4 Adar
5
5 Adar
6
6 Adar
7
7 Adar
8
8 Adar
Parashat Tetzaveh
9
9 Adar
10:30AM-1PM Mah
Jongg
10:30-11:30AM Tone
with Sloane –
Beginner
12-1:30PM Lunch
with Rabbi Romer
12-1PM Tone with
Sloane – Intermediate
7:15PM Membership
Committee Meeting
12:30–1:30PM Hebrew
Trope
5PM Bingo
5-6:30PM
Conversational Hebrew
6:45-8:30PM
Confirmation class
8:45AM Rhinebeck
Meditation & Torah
study with Rabbi Romer
12-1PM Tone with
Sloane – Intermediate
7-10PM Rosh Chodesh
Adar
7PM Zemer Rehearsal
5-6PM Monthly Young
Family Snacks & Crafts
6-7PM Early Kabbalat
Shabbat Service
10
11
12
13
14
10 Adar
11 Adar
12 Adar
13 Adar
Ta’anit Esther
10:30AM-1PM Mah
Jongg
16
16 Adar
17
17 Adar
10:30-11:30AM Tone
with Sloane –
Beginner
11:30AM-12PM Tone
with Sloane bonus Abs
12-1PM Tone with
Sloane – Intermediate
7PM Ritual
Committee Meeting
12:30–1:30PM Hebrew
Trope
5PM Bingo
5-6:30PM
Conversational Hebrew
6:45-8:30PM
Confirmation class
18
19
18 Adar
19 Adar
8:45AM Rhinebeck
Meditation & Torah
study with Rabbi Romer
5:30-7PM Kabbalah
Class
7PM Zemer Rehearsal
7PM Finance Meeting
20
20 Adar
14 Adar
Purim Katan
Valentine’s Day
23 Adar
10AM Shabbat Morning
service
21
22
22 Adar
Parashat Vayakhel
21 Adar
10:30-11:30AM Tone
with Sloane –
Beginner
12-1PM Tone with
Sloane – Intermediate
12:30–1:30PM Hebrew
Trope
5PM Bingo
5-6:30PM
Conversational Hebrew
6:45-8:30PM
Confirmation class
8:45AM Rhinebeck
Meditation & Torah
study with Rabbi Romer
12-1PM Tone with
Sloane – Intermediate
6-7PM Caring
Community Meeting
7PM TE Board Meeting
7PM Zemer Rehearsal
7:30PM Musical Shabbat
10:30AM-1PM Mah
Jongg
7PM Sisterhood
Meeting
24
25
26
27
28
24 Adar
10:30AM-1PM Mah
Jongg
25 Adar
10:30-11:30AM Tone
with Sloane –
Beginner
12-1PM Tone with
Sloane – Intermediate
26 Adar
12:30–1:30PM Hebrew
Trope
5PM Bingo
5-6:30PM
Conversational Hebrew
6:45-8:30PM
Confirmation class
27 Adar
8:45AM Rhinebeck
Meditation & Torah
study with Rabbi Romer
12-1PM Tone with
Sloane – Intermediate
5:3-7PM Kabbalah
7PM Zemer Rehearsal
15
15 Adar
Parashat Ki Tisa
Shushan Purim
7:30PM Kabbalat
Shabbat Service
President’s Day
23
9:30AM-12:30PM
Religious School
10AM Shabbat Morning
service
9:30AM-12:30PM
Religious School
10AM Shabbat Morning
service
12:30PM Social Action
Training Day
28 Adar
7:30PM Kabbalat
Shabbat Service
with Zemer Particpation
TEMPLE EMANUEL
243 Albany Avenue
Kingston, New York 12401
!
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