don`t miss pjc`s comedy night! saturday, february 27th
Transcription
don`t miss pjc`s comedy night! saturday, february 27th
PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER 5776/2016 FEBRUARY / SHEVAT / ADAR I ISSUE #103 DON’T MISS PJC’S COMEDY NIGHT! SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH SISTERHOOD MEETING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND - 8:15PM BOOK REVIEW: THE NIGHTINGALE by KRISTIN HANNAH SISTERHOOD NEWS BEGINS ON PAGE 29 ORBIT Page 2 HAMAKOM YINACHEM Estelle Hodes, on the passing of her sister, Sheila Berkowitz. Michael Vernon, on the passing of his brother, Kenneth Vernon. Howard Friedman, Jamie Harris and Charles Friedman, on the passing of their wife and mother, Selma Friedman. Eileen Dershowitz, on the passing of her father, Irving Weicher. Nina Winter, on the passing of her mother, Rose Moskovic. PJC MISSION STATEMENT Plainview Jewish Center is a forward-looking, familyfriendly, Conservative synagogue, which respects and incorporates traditional Jewish values. We are completely egalitarian and inclusive in all aspects of synagogue life. We strive to provide a distinct, positive Jewish identity through worship, life-long education, enrichment, and community involvement. These practices ensure a congregation in which every member matters. KEEP US INFORMED!! Got good news? Engagements, marriages, births? Send your information by mail, fax (516-938-2737) or email (pjcli@optonline.net) so that we may share your simchas with the congregation. PLEASE LET OUR CLERGY KNOW! Current laws prevent hospitals from releasing names of patients. Please call the Temple Office when you, a family member, or friend are in the hospital and would welcome a visit. Contact the Temple office at 516-938-8610 ext.0. ORBIT (USPS 410440) is published monthly from September to June for $2.00 per annum by the Plainview Jewish Center (a religious corporation under the laws of the State of New York), 95 Floral Drive West, Plainview, New York 11803. WE 8-8610. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ORBIT, Plainview Jewish Center, 95 Floral Drive West, Plainview, New York 11803 RABBI...........................................................................Steven Conn RABBI EMERITUS...................................................Julius Goldberg * CANTOR......................................................................Morris Wolk PRINCIPAL.................................................................Philip Dickstein PRESIDENT..............................................................Shea Z. Lerner CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD............................Charles Wasserman SISTERHOOD PRESIDENT.................................Debbie Zaglin MEN’S CLUB PRESIDENT....................................Alan Hodes FAMILYEDUCATION DIRECTOR......................................Judy Alper YOUTH DIRECTOR.......................................................Dani Hauser ORBIT EDITORS.........................................................Margie Richter Michele Haimes Elizabeth Kessler Carol Hauser ORBIT COVER ART................................................... Joyce Eckstein * In Memorian DEADLINE - FOR- ISSUE DATE FEBRUARY 1st Plainview Jewish Center 516-938-8610 WEEKDAY SERVICES Mon. thru Fri…………… 6:30AM Mon. thru Thurs…….…...8:00PM Sun. and Holidays………. 9:00AM Sun. and Holidays………. 8:00PM Friday Evening Services Check Calendar for Times WE’RE ON THE WEB: WWW.PLAINVIEWJEWISHCENTER.ORG ORBIT Page 3 FEBRUARY CALENDAR Rabbi Steven Conn & Cantor Morris Wolk will officiate at services The Officers and Board of Trustees Extend a Hearty Mazal Tov to the Families of the Following Simchas Monday, February 1st IAJS Steering Committee Meeting…….……7:30PM Tuesday, February 2nd Sisterhood Meeting.….…...…..............……8:15PM Thursday, February 4th Senior FAN Club………………..….….………1:00PM Friday, February 5th Erev Shabbat Service……......……………….5:00PM Saturday, February 6th Shacharit Service…………………..………….9:00AM BAR MITZVAH: SAMUEL HAFKIN, SON OF MELISSA AND ALLAN HAFKIN Musical Junior Congregation…...…………....9:45AM Mincha/Ma’ariv…………......………...……….5:00PM Sunday, February 7th Services followed by T/T Breakfast….....……9:00AM World Wide Wrap…………………….…...…..9:00AM Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class..….……......……..9:15AM Religious School Committee Meeting…......10:00AM Hebrew High School……………….........…..11:30AM Patio Players Rehearsal………….............…2:00PM Evening Minyan…………………...................5:00PM NO 8:00PM SERVICE TONIGHT Tuesday, February 9th Men’s Club Movie Night……………....……….8:15PM Wednesday, February 10th Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Conn.…...…….11:00AM Ritual Committee Meeting…..…………....…..8:30PM Thursday, February 11th Senior FAN Club......….........……..….………1:00PM Board of Trustees Meeting…............…....….8:30PM Friday, February 12th Erev Shabbat Service……………..……..…….5:00PM Family Friendly Friday Night Service……..….7:00PM Saturday, February 13th Shacharit Service…………………………...….9:00PM Mincha/Ma’ariv………..........……..………..…5:00PM Sunday, February 14th Services followed by T/T Breakfast………..…9:00AM Patio Players Rehearsal….......…………...…2:00PM Tironim/Kadima……….........…...…………….5:00PM USY………….............…………………………7:00PM Thursday, February 18th Senior FAN Club…………………….…..…..…..…1:00PM Friday, February 19th Erev Shabbat Service………….....…………....….5:15PM Gimel Class Service…........…………..……....….7:00PM Saturday, February 20th Shacharit Service……………….....…………...….9:00AM Junior Congregation-Shabbat as One…......…...10:30AM Mincha/Ma’ariv………..................…..………...…5:15PM Sunday, February 21st Services followed by T/T Breakfast…………..…..9:00AM Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class……….....……….….…9:15AM Stand WithUs Israel Program…..……………..….9:30AM Hebrew High School…………….......……….…..11:30AM Patio Players Rehearsal………..…………...….…2:00PM Kadima………………..............……………….…..5:00PM USY…………………………………………….….…7:00PM Monday, February 22nd Membership Committee Meeting……….…….….8:15PM Tuesday, February 23rd Sisterhood Board Meeting……………….………..8:15PM Men’s Club Board Meeting………..........………..8:30PM Thursday, February 25th Senior FAN Club…………………………….……...1:00PM Friday, February 26th Erev Shabbat Service……………......…………….5:30PM Musical Tot Shabbat…………………….………….5:30PM Saturday, February 27th Shacharit Service…………………..……..………..9:00AM Mincha/Ma’ariv ……………………......….…..……5:30PM Men’s Club Comedy Night….................….……..8:00PM Sunday, February 28th Services followed by T/T Breakfast……………..…9:00AM Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class……….......………….…9:15AM Vav Class Workshop……………………………....11:15AM Patio Players Rehearsal….........…..……………..2:00PM Tironim/Kadima….........……......…………..….….5:00PM USY………………………………..…………..…..…7:00PM Please Note: On Super Bowl Sunday, February 7th, Our Evening Service Will Be At 5:00PM ORBIT Page 4 FROM THE RABBI by Rabbi Steven Conn For a few days last week, our beloved hometown, Plainview-Old Bethpage, made the national news. And that is not something that, in our quiet bedroom community, happens every day. It was the story of the Plainview Moms and the Powerball that finally brought our town into the spotlight. Media outlets including AOL, MSN, television stations in Las Vegas and Arizona and even the London Daily Telegraph picked up the story For those of you who did not see the reports on our local stations or read them in the newspapers, let’s quickly recap the story. As many of you know, Plainview Moms is a Facebook group with more than 4000 members. The group is, I am told, very active and its discussions are wide-ranging. It is not an exaggeration to say that Plainview Moms may be the single most influential civic group in our community. Certainly, every business in town, every club and organization knows the value of positive buzz on Plainview Moms. Last week a couple of members of the group put out a notice that they were putting together a group to buy Powerball tickets. Initially they expected “maybe fifteen” others to join them. Instead, the group ballooned to more than 1200 before the organizers closed off the pool. People waited in long lines in the bitter cold on Sunday and Monday nights just to get in on the action. News of the giant Powerball group quickly spread. Some people were calling it the biggest lottery pool ever. To their credit, the organizers made the rules of the pool quite simple and egalitarian. Families could buy five two dollar tickets; no more, no less. Winnings would be split equally among all the participants. And if the returns were less than ten dollars per family, they would be donated to charity. By pooling their money, the Plainview Moms Powerball group managed to reduce their odds of winning from one in 292 million to only one in forty nine thousand. But when the winning numbers were drawn on Wednesday night, they still didn’t win. In the end, the group ended up donating more than a thousand dollars to charity and nobody quit their day jobs. I think a lot of us got a real kick out of seeing our community get so much attention. But, at the same time, I know I am not the only one wondering, “what exactly does it say about our community that we are known for getting together to try to win Powerball?” Should we be proud of our organizational skills? Or should we be embarrassed by the intensity of our lottery fever? At least one local media figure, I am told, suggested that the Plainview Moms have simply proven once again the tremendous motivating power of greed. But I don’t see it that way. Sure, people were excited at the prospect of winning the Powerball. And participating in the group made that prospect a little less remote. Yet, the more I listened to Plainview Moms talk about the Powerball pool, both on television and in person, the more I realized that it really wasn’t about the money. From where I sit, I think our Powerball group served our community in much the same way that the Passover sacrifice served the ancient Israelites on the night of the exodus from Egypt. In the days before the exodus, Moses prepares the Israelites for the coming of the climactic tenth plague. “On the tenth of this month,” Moses instructs them, “take a lamb to a family, a lamb to a household. But if the household is too small for a lamb, let him share one with a neighbor who dwells nearby, in proportion to the number of persons: you shall contribute for the lamb according to what each household will eat.” The Israelites are instructed to slaughter the lamb on the night of the first Passover. They are to smear its blood on the doorposts of their houses, and eat the flesh as a part of a sacred meal that becomes the first Passover seder. ( continued on page 5 ) ORBIT Page 5 From The Rabbi ( continued from Page 4 ) It is interesting that the Torah is concerned not only with making sure that the Israelites each participate in the sacrifice of a lamb, but also that households that are too small to consume an entire lamb should join together. In fact, in later times, the great sage Rabbi Akiva teaches that sharing the lamb was necessary in order to fulfill the commandment. We might well ask, then “why was sharing the lamb so important? Would it have really made any difference if each family had just slaughtered and eaten its own lamb?” As it turns out, sharing the lamb is important not just for the night of the first Passover, but for the entire future of the Jewish people. Rabbi Joseph Solevetchik, the great twentieth century Orthodox thinker, sees in the sharing of the Passover lamb as helping lay the foundation for future Jewish communities. Solevetchik writes A new fellowship was formed around the korban Pesach (the Passover sacrifice); a new community sprang into existence. Being together, living with each other, sharing something many possess in common was made possible by the ceremony of the korban Pesach (the Passover sacrifice). The slave suddenly realized that the little he has saved up for himself, a single lamb, is too much for him. The slave spontaneously does something which he would never have believed that he was capable of doing — he knocks on the door of his neighbor whom he had never noticed, inviting him to share the lamb with him and to eat together. The chesed (kindness) community is born. For Rabbi Solevetchik, sharing the Passover offering establishes, first of all, a sense of connection among the people. Sharing their lambs makes the slaves realize that they have common bonds and a shared destiny. Sharing also challenges them to show their generosity toward others; to begin to truly care about each other. It is only when they have this shared sense of destiny, this feeling of community and generosity, that the Israelites are ready to leave Egypt and begin the process of becoming a real people. The Plainview Moms Powerball pool may not prove to be as significant an event in our community’s history as the first Passover is in the history of the Jewish people. But the lottery pool did serve some of the same purposes. Like the first Passover offering, the Powerball group brought people out of their homes and into a large scale experience of sharing as a community. There were no barriers or restrictions on who among the Plainview Moms could join the group. As such the group brought together a wide cross section of our increasingly diverse community. In that coming together, there was, at least for a few days, a sense of shared destiny. If one of us won, then all of us would win. We were in this together, even if it meant that each of us would get less than if we were in it alone and had the lucky number. Alongside our dreams of winning the Powerball, an impulse for generosity arose as well. The group’s gift to charity was not just a fallback position. It was, as anybody who was calculating the odds knew, the most likely outcome of this lottery pool. As much fun as it was to fantasize about winning, it was just as satisfying to know that the ultimate outcome of the group’s efforts was to help people in need. In the end, what I hope comes of this experience is a deeper sense of community here in Plainvew-Old Bethpage. Day in and day out, we spend most of our time in our own houses, and in our own small orbits of school, work, friends, and organizations. Even in a small town like ours, we know only a fraction of our neighbors. Yet, as we were reminded last week, we are far more connected than we realize. We really do have a lot in common with our neighbors here in Plainview-Old Bethpage. ( continued on Page 6 ) ORBIT Page 6 From The Rabbi ( continued from Page 5 ) Even more important, our lottery pool experience showed us that, if we can all share the dream of winning the Powerball, we can share other dreams as well. We can be not only a powerful force for creating community, but also a powerful force for making our community, and the world beyond, a better place. Imagine what we might be able to accomplish if we could find a common cause, a project for helping others that we all believed in. Imagine if we could find a way to channel the energy of 1,200 or even 4,000 families into doing some real good—not just as a by-product of our social lives, but as a goal in and of itself. There is so much more we can do together—if only we can take advantage of the incredible resources we have in each other. Putting together the largest lottery pool ever may not make us special. But the success of the Plainview Moms shows us that, as a community, working together and with a shared sense of destiny, we have the ability to do so much more. It is my hope and prayer that last week’s lottery pool will serve as the beginning of our community’s awakening to the possibilities of pooling our resources, our talents and our enthusiasm to make our community and our world a better place. A few months ago Shea asked Ed and I to form an Israel Solidarity Committee. The mission being to bring speakers to the synagogue to educate us on what is happening in Israel today and how this affects us in the states. As all of you have heard, our brothers and sisters in Israel are facing a new kind of intifada, one not fought with bombs but with knives. The silence of the media and the world to our pain is deafening. We, however, must not be silent. On Sunday, February 21st PJC will host a breakfast in support of Israel. Shahar Azani, of the organization STANDWITHUS, will speak about what is happening in Israel today. There is no cost for this breakfast. All we ask is your time. Please join us at 9:30am on February 21st. Children are welcome! Eileen and Ed Fleischman ORBIT Page 7 The Cantor’s Note: The Shirah as a Model for Communal Life As I sat down to write this column for Orbit, I found myself looking forward to the upcoming Shabbat. It was not reassuring, though, to hear that the weather forecasters were predicting what could be a major snow storm for the east coast on Friday evening. Of course, as so often happens, the experts did not all agree. So, we just had to wait and see. In any case, it is now past history. So, why, then, was this Sabbath different from all other Sabbaths? It was the Sabbath when we read Moses’ Song at the Reed Sea (Exodus 15) from the Torah. This song is identified in Jewish literature as the Shirah, the Song. Hence, the Sabbath is known as Shabbat Shirah, the Sabbath of the Song. Moses’ song is traditionally chanted with a special celebratory melody, different from the usual cantillation of the Pentateuch. Shabbat Shirah formerly marked the beginning of Jewish Music Month, a time dedicated to emphasizing the significance of music in the culture and civilization of the Jewish people. It is also, coincidentally, the anniversary of my bar mitzvah, which is only fitting for a bar mitzvah boy who grew up to become a cantor. The Shirah is the oldest song in Jewish history in existence today. It has become more than a celebration of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. It is, by tradition, an affirmation of Jewish faith in God and God’s sovereignty over all creation. We read this section not only when it occurs in the cycle of Torah reading, and on the seventh day of Passover, but every morning from the prayer book as part of the early Shacharit service. Its placement connects us to the Exodus experience and positions us to look forward to the future with hope. The Torah records that Moses led the men, and his sister, Miriam, led the women in song. The women’s singing, moreover, was accompanied by instruments and dance. The Midrash inquires where the Hebrews got these instruments in the desert, and the Rabbis answer that the women of that generation possessed such remarkable faith in Divine intervention that they brought instruments with them from Egypt to celebrate future miracles. There is a disagreement in the Mishnah as to exactly how the song was rendered. Rabbi Akiva believed that Moses declaimed it while the people responded “I will sing unto the Lord” after each verse. Rabbi Eliezer declared that the people repeated the whole song together after Moses. Rabbi Nehemiah said that Moses and the people recited the verses alternately. These special methods of recitation discussed in the Talmud still persist to a certain extent in contemporary congregational prayer and are reflected in different practices in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic synagogues. The differing opinions in the Talmud may actually serve as models for communal life. There are times when all the members of a community are in the same place, singing together, as it were, lifting their voices in a combined expression of unity. At other moments, a community needs a leader to show the way, after which they may follow. Leaders and followers are both essential components of a community. As a cantor, I can tell you that if one person sings and no one responds, little exists. But, when one person sings and others join in, the entire community is empowered. Cantor Morris Wolk, D.Mus. ORBIT Page 8 A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT by Shea Z. Lerner Running a vibrant and dynamic organization is no easy task. This is why I/we are appreciative for all those who take time out of their daily lives to donate their time and serve our congregation. According to the latest figures published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a single volunteer hour is worth over $250 per hour; an expense we would have to incur if not for our lay leadership at all levels. If we compute all of our volunteer hours, the benefit totals considerably in the seven figures. Donations cover expenses, one’s time enables us to operate. All too often, I engage congregants who reach out to me with one of two complaints; one, is that they are not “aware” of the happenings around the synagogue and they feel that we need to be more transparent and informative and second, we are bombarding them with too many emails, regular mail and phone calls apprising them of what is going on. As an executive fundraiser by profession, I ascribe to the paradigm that a “complaint is a gift,” whereby enabling one to take a negative and make it a positive. In our case, we have two polar opposites and whatever we do, clearly will not assuage the concerns of at least half of us. To those who feel we are not transparent and informative, let me remind you that on a weekly basis, we send out an email bulletin listing the happenings for the week and monthly, we send out Orbit. This is in addition to the social media posts, snail mail and phone trees that are part of our daily lives. In this technological age, PJC is able to track the number of emails sent and opened by our congregants. It is a paltry 20%. A higher percentage, around 80% of emails and correspondence are opened by our Religious School mailing list. One can surmise that once you receive an email message or phone call from PJC, it is deleted or sent to spam before opening. If you are not in “the Know,” it is because you have chosen not to be. Our Congregation meetings, held at least 4 times per year, are an opportunity to voice your opinions and VOTE on the numerous expenditures and elections required by our constitution. Unfortunately, we get enough for the required Quorum and not many more. For those who complain we are too informative, please refer to the prior paragraph for tips on being left out of the loop. In all seriousness, I defer to the fact that over publicizing is better than under publicizing. With that said, I appreciate those who came down on Wednesday, January 27th to the congregation meeting to vote for the nominating committee for 2016-17 and to approve the emergency repairs made to our HVAC/Water system at 95 Floral Drive and to the Rabbi’s roof at 23 Acorn Lane. Since we sent out results of the meeting, no one should feel uninformed. January was another exciting month. Special kudos to Men’s Club and Sisterhood for another successful Men’s Club/ Sisterhood Shabbat held on January 30th. Yasher Koach to our Presidents, Alan Hodes and Debbie Zaglin and to my esteemed and wonderful Co-Chair, Doris Cooper for making this a success. The Second Annual Parents Night Out saw well over 100 people for this 80’s themed event catered by Robert Ian Caterers with live music provided by the Ronald Reagan Band. Our committee cannot be thanked enough; Yasher Koach to Stacy Meyerson, Sharonie Kesselman, Jessica Grant and Vanessa Sheinwald for all of your hard work. Mazel tov to our Gimmel Class who during our Kabbalat Siddur Ceremony on January 31st, received their own personal Siddur’s to be used and cherished for a long lifetime. Hopefully you will have opened the Orbit email and read my column. More importantly, you are aware of the importance of our communications and the need for their frequency. Be on the lookout ( continued on Page 9 ) ORBIT Page 9 President’s Message ( continued from Page 8 ) for invitations and notifications for our Israel Action Breakfast on February 21st and our Comedy Night Fundraiser on February 27th. Please RSVP when noted so we can plan appropriately. Looking forward to your feedback (positive, I hope) and your participation. Shea Z. Lerner, szlerner@optonline.net SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH AT 9AM PJC WILL JOIN CONGREGATIONS AROUND THE WORLD AS WE TEACH THE MITZVAH OF WRAPPING TEFILLIN! SAVE THE DATE FIRST NIGHT OF PESACH AT PJC FRIDAY, APRIL 22ND AT 6:30PM Leave the preparation to us. Come and enjoy a beautiful seder Led by Rabbi Conn and Cantor Wolk With a delicious meal! ORBIT contact us at: 516-938-8610 Page 10 or www.plainviewjewishcenter.org ORBIT Page 11 ORBIT Page 12 Subject: The Goering Brothers: Heredity is Not Destiny While Hermann Goering was killing Jews, his brother worked tirelessly to save them. Hermann Goering was Hitler’s right-hand man and the founder of the Gestapo – may that monster suffer true justice for his deeds. Albert Goering was Hermann’s younger brother. While his maniacal sibling was killing Jews, Albert worked tirelessly to save them. The Goering brothers, only two years apart, grew up in a Bavarian castle. From an early age, the two were obviously different. Hermann was bold, confident and obsessed with war games; Albert was shy and thoughtful. Later, Hermann would tell a psychiatrist from his Nuremberg cell, “Albert was always the antithesis of myself.” In the 1930’s, ruthless Hermann rose in the ranks of the Nazi party to become Hitler ’s top military commander. Albert was strongly opposed to Nazism and left Germany in protest. He moved to Vienna, where he worked in the film industry and counted Jews among his closest friends. As Hermann’s campaign against the Jews intensified, so did Albert’s determination to help them. In Vienna, Albert once came upon a group of Nazi thugs, who had put a sign around an old woman’s neck proclaiming, “I am a Jewish sow.” A crowd gathered to mock the woman. Albert pushed through the mob, and punched two Gestapo officers to save the woman. His life might have ended right there, as the crowd turned on him. The SS men demanded to see his papers. When they saw his name, they escorted him to safety in deference to Hermann. When Albert’s Jewish friends in Vienna were arrested by the Nazis, Albert again used his unique position to save them. He forged documents, using his brother’s name, to help longtime pal Jacques Benbassat escape to Switzerland, and used his influence to get his former boss Oskar Pilzer, and Pilzer’s entire family, freed. Again and again, he saved Jewish lives. Whole families owe their present existence to Albert. He saved many Jews by sending trucks to Nazi concentration camps with requests for workers. Once aboard, the trucks would take them into a forest and allow them to escape. After the war, Albert was imprisoned at Nuremberg and interrogated for 15 months. Nobody believed his story until 34 Jews he’d rescued submitted sworn statements on his behalf. He was freed, but soon found that his name made him an unemployable pariah. Albert sank into depression and alcoholism, surviving on a small government pension and food packages sent by Jews he had saved. He died in obscurity in 1966. Albert’s wartime heroism was unknown until documents were recently unearthed in British archives showing that he saved hundreds of Jews. His life demonstrates that it is our choices that define us, not our relatives. By Salvador Litvak, Via Aish.com Checked at: http://www.timesofisrael.com/yad-vashem-prize-for-top-nazis-brother/ ORBIT Page 13 ORBIT Page 14 FRIENDLY REMINDER from SISTERHOOD....... Purim is Just Around The Corner - Wednesday, March 23RD!! Please participate in the Mitzvah of sending Shalach Manot to one another. Let PJC’s Sisterhood be your agent again this year. Don’t forget to place your Shalach Manot Orders early- The deadline is fast approaching - so don’t be left out. There are 4 different Order Forms in this issue of Orbit. They have also been mailed to you. If you participated last year we have also mailed you the order you placed last year to help make it easier to place your order this year. 1. There is an Order Form for Shalach Manot Baskets - send to your friends, family. Remember to send a child’s bag to your children, etc. (deadline is March 4th) 2. There is an Order Form to send to your child’s Hebrew School Teachers. 3. There is an Order Form for sending Purim Cards to friends or family far away (or nearby). (deadline is March 4th) 4. There is an Order Form for College Kits - send Shalach Manot to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc or anyone you love who is away at college. They will be thrilled to receive this. (deadline is March 4th) You may also visit the PJC website at www.plainviewjewishcenter.org to find the forms. So, don’t wait - place your order today. Send completed forms with payment to PJC attn: SISTERHOOD Sisterhood thanks everyone for their support and participation in this amazing project! Any questions contact: Marion @ 516-933-8085 darimazy@optonline.net or Bunny @ 516-433-5778 The Sisterhood Shalach Manot Committee ORBIT Page 15 SISTERHOOD PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER Purim Kits for College Kids Order Form If you are interested in sending a kit(s), please provide Sisterhood with the following information: Name of College Student: College Address: ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Who is sending the kit: ______________________________________ Name(s) to be signed on card: ______________________________________ Send: $15.00 per kit if you are a Sisterhood Member $20.00 per kit if you are not a Sisterhood Member TO: Sisterhood PJC 95 Floral Drive Plainview, NY 11803 Attention: Purim Kits We plan to be sending out lots of kits this year so be sure to place your order early! *Please remember that the cut-off date for ordering is Friday, March 4th so that we can ensure delivery by Purim, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. ORBIT Page 16 ORBIT Page 17 ORBIT Page 18 SISTERHOOD PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER IT’S SHALACH MANOT TIME Purim Begins Wednesday Evening, March 23rd Send a basket to your child’s Hebrew School teacher. Please check off the names below and enclose a check of $6.00 for each teacher you wish to send to. This can be sent to us separately or together with your regular Shalach Manot Order Form. ___ Mr Philip Dickstein , Educational Director ___ Ms. Lucille Giniger, School Secretary ___ Mrs. Judy Alper ___Ms. Audrey Leventhal ___ Ms. Rachel Bieler ___Ms. Rachelle Rosen ___ Ms. Shoshana Gilaad ___Ms. Edina Segal ___Ms. Gina Giuffre ___Ms. Fran Shalot ___Rabbi Yacob Gil ___Mr. Jordan Vitta ___Ms. Michal Fruchter ___Ms. Lois Welt ___Ms. Melanie Linker ___Ms. Pearl Wernick Your Name: __________________________________ Amt. Encl. ________ Your Child’s Name: _______________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________ Phone #: _______________________________________________________ Deadline is Sunday March 6th. Mail your order today with a check payable to: Sisterhood, PJC 95 Floral Drive, Plainview, NY 11803 Attn: Shalach Manot Committee ORBIT Page 19 Religious School - Mr. Philip Dickstein, Education Director One of the special parts of my position is having the opportunity to teach and learn from our students. Many years ago, Rabbi Chanina, taught, “I have learned much from my teachers. I have learned more from my colleagues than from my teachers. But I have learned more from my students than from all of them.” (Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 7a) How blessed is every teacher to learn from one’s students! I am so very proud to share a recap of a lesson I recently shared with our teens. I teach a class on Midrash. Loosely understood, midrash is a story about a story in the Torah. Many times the midrash solves a “problem” in the text or fills in a “gap” in the Torah. We began our year’s study by looking at a midrash which sought to explain why Abraham alone was given the command to leave his home and travel “…to the land I (God) will show you.” The midrash suggests that the command was given to the entire world, but only Abraham could hear it; only Abraham was receptive to God’s voice. And, why, the midrash asks, was Abraham open to hearing God’s voice? The midrash teaches that just as Abraham opened his tent so he could run to welcome visitors, his ears were open to hear God’s voice. At that moment one of the students, Jack Stone, said, “So when I do good for other people, that’s when I’m hearing God?” Pretty wonderful, huh?! . Our zayin students recently participated in the national Butterfly Project – www.thebutterflyprojectnow.org The project seeks to make one million ceramic butterflies to remember the one million Jewish children murdered in the Shoah. I was moved to see our children painting their butterflies. What wonder we feel when we see Jewish children laughing and smiling. Each is a promise for a better world. The Shoah was the darkest period of our people’s history; each child today brings a ray of light to banish that darkness. And, where is God during evil times? God is where we help each other; God is present when we reach out to those in need. Right Jack? The next class we read the midrash that explains why Isaac’s eyes were dim (Gen. 27:1). The midrash suggests that when Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac at God’s command, the angels cried. Their tears fell into Isaac’s eyes and they became dim. Three students, Emily Kubrick, Eden Greenberg, and David Smolowitz, said, almost all at once, “That’s amazing! I love what the rabbis wrote! They were so creative!” Right, Rabbi Chanina? Philip Dickstein, Educational Director WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN TO SPEAK HEBREW? A group of PJCers is looking to form a group to learn conversational Hebrew. Are you interested? The group would most likely meet on a weekday evening, beginning in January. We have an experienced instructor who would be thrilled to lead the group. The level of instruction would be determined by the participants, but the request came from a group interested in learning basic level skills. There would be a small fee for the sessions, with the exact number to be determined by the size of the group. If you are interested, please contact Rabbi Conn at (516) 938-8610 ext. 1 or rabbiconn@plainviewjewishcenter.com. ORBIT Page 20 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR B’NAI / B’NOT MITZVAH SAMUEL HAFKIN February 6, 2016 Samuel is the son of Melissa and Allan Hafkin and has two brothers, Austin and Harrison and a sister, Brooke. He is an eighth grader at POB Middle School. Samuel enjoys playing sports, playing guitar, following the Mets and the Knicks and learning about cars. His favorite holiday is Passover because the seder is a time when the family gets together. REMEMBER TO PURCHASE CANDY BAGS FOR YOUR BAR/BAT MITZVAH THROUGH OUR YOUTH GROUP CONTACT THE TEMPLE OFFICE: 938-8610 FEBRUARY 2016 SCHOOL CALENDAR 2/6/2015 7 7 12 14-15 17 19 20 21 21 21 26 28 28 28 28 Saturday Musical Jr. Congregation 9:45AM-11:15AM Sunday Mitkadem & High School 10:45AM Sunday School Committee Meeting 10:00AM Kirschner Rm Friday Family Friendly Service 7:00PM-8:00PM Sun-Mon President’s Day No School Wednesday School Resumes Regular Schedule Friday Gimel Class Service 7:00PM-8:00PM Saturday Jr. Congregation-Shabbat-As-One 10:30AM-12:00PM Sunday Mitkadem & High School 10:45AM Sunday Kadima -Casino Game Night-PJC 5:00PM-6:30PM Sunday USY -Casino Game Night-PJC 7:00PM-8:30PM Friday Musical Tot Shabbat & Dinner 5:30PM-6:30PM Sunday Mitkadem - NO HIGH SCHOOL 10:45AM Sunday Vav Class Workshop 11:15AM-1:00PM 5:00PM-6:30PM Tironim/Kadima - Disney Night - PJC Sunday Sunday USY - Disney Night - PJC 7:00PM-8:30PM ORBIT Page 21 Celebrate Musical Shabbat at Plainview Jewish Center Led by: Michal Fruchter Keyboards and guitar by: Shana Fruchter Have fun while we sing fun songs, play games and listen to a special story led by Rabbi Conn. Program begins at 5:30pm followed by a kid-friendly Dairy Dinner at 6pm from Hunkies RSVP: 938-8610 or pjcli@optonline.net Dates for the year: Friday’s at 5:30pm February 26th & March 18th April 15th & May 6th r e p l A y d u J y b r e n r o C n o i t a c u d E y l i m a F ORBIT Page 22 Volunteers are needed! Your efforts and input are always appreciated at all Family Education activities. In particular, we always welcome extra people to be greeters, accept honors and help in setting up the oneg. Our school based workshops, though very well planned, need extra “hands” to help them run smoothly and to make sure everyone has everything they need. Please contact Judy Alper at pcfamilyed@gmail.com if you would like to help on school workshops, PJ Library events or at the Family Friendly Friday Night service. Thank you to the following people who were kind enough to join on one Sunday morning for the Daled Family Ed Workshop: Rhonnie Diener, Jason Hymowitz and Ariella Alper. Their help was important to everyone there. Anyone else care to volunteer? Looking ahead we will be having a PJ Library Purim “event” and an Aleph class Passover workshop that is a lot of fun and open to the community. Go ahead, you know you want to have some fun and help out. pjcfamilyed@gmail.com. This month, our Family Friendly Friday Night Service is being held on Friday, February 12th at 7:00pm. Led by the Rabbi and Cantor, this service will have you dancing and singing in the aisles. As always, there is a tasty oneg to follow and you’ll have a chance to enjoy the company of family friends. If you would like to help participate in the sponsoring of the oneg, please contact Judy Alper at pjcfamilyed@gmail.com. I hope to see everyone there! WE WISH TO THANK AND EXPRESS OUR DEEP APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING FAMILIES FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO THE MORNING MINYAN: Rachel & Joseph Slater Audrey & Lawrence Leventhal – In memory of Sharon Leventhal Silver Charlotte & Jack Weingarten WE WISH TO THANK AND EXPRESS OUR DEEP APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING FAMILIES FOR THEIR DONATION TO PJC: Sabrina & Bruce Hymowitz Harriet & Alan Rothstein – In honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Ainsley Lerner Ellen & Robert Hayman - Cantor’s Discretionary Fund, In memory of Elenore Hayman ORBIT Page 23 PJC YOUTH CORNER Subscribe to Our Newslet Dear PJC Community Youth, We have some amazing events coming up. Below you can find an outline of our upcoming events. I hope to see you all at our future programs! Sunday, February 7th - Ruach Kinnus USY Sunday, February 14th - Event TBD Tironim and Kadima: 5-6:30pm USY: 7-8:30pm Sunday, February 21st - Casino/Game Night Kadima 5-6:30pm USY 7-8:30pm Sunday, February 28th - Disney Night Tironim and Kadima 5-6:30pm USY 7-8:30pm *Tironim serves grades 3-5, Kadima serves grades 6-7, and USY serves grades 8-12. *Tironim and Kadima will meet at 5-6:30 and USY will meet at 7-8:30 unless otherwise noted. Please look out for a weekly email with more details about the upcoming events. I am so excited to see you all there and look forward to the great times to come! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. My email is dhauser115@gmail.com and my phone number is (516) 554-7390. See you all on Sunday! B’Shalom, Dani Hauser CHECK OUT OUR NEW PJC APP! There is now a PJC app available in the Google Play Store. It contains upcoming events, service schedules, and much, much more! Look under “Plainview JC” for the app. ORBIT Page 24 COME CELEBRATE your Special Simcha with us Saturday, April 16, 2016 We can celebrate 10 special Simchas with a wonderful, catered Kiddush at PJC. You can really have your cake & eat it too For details please call Marsha or Joe Elowsky 516 349 8821 Page 25 ORBIT Plainview Jewish Center Special Gifts Please consider becoming a permanent gift donor to the Plainview Jewish Center. The following is a list of suggested Special Gift items that can be dedicated to celebrate joyous events such as engagements, weddings, births, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays, and anniversaries. Dedications can be made in the memory of loved ones or to acknowledge a special friend. Brass inscriptions will be provided. Synagogue Lobby/Main Corridor Bimah Torah New Torah Torah Crown Torah Rimonim Torah Breastplate Megilah Pulpit Chairs Kiddush Cup Havdalah Service Items Pew Seats Torah Reader’s Yad Bimah Wall Candelabra Flags on Bimah Memorial Boards Challah Cover Mezuzahs Presidents Plaque Tree of life Leaf (leaves) Trophy Display Case Tallit and Prayer Book Cabinet Bulletin Board Art Work Religious School Classroom Library New computer Smart Board Display Case Wall Artifacts Garden Name memorial Garden Benches For further information, please contact: Steve Glasser at: 516-938-3069 or stevetg@aol.com FREE MONEY Please help our Religious School earn free money Save Box Tops from General Mills brand items Ziploc – Kleenex – Hefty – Cheerios – Scott Paper Gogurt – Kix – Betty Crocker and many more !! ORBIT Page 26 Shiva Set Up A very special service that Sisterhood extends to our congregation is a shiva set-up for those who have, unfortunately, had a loss. If you need this service, call the temple office to request the set-up. Dorit will contact us and we will discuss the different options with you. If any one is interested in helping with the shiva set-ups, please call the office and leave your name and number. Thank you, Doris Cooper The memorial plaques in our temple sanctuary help us to remember our loved ones who are no longer with us. For questions or information, contact the temple office: 516-938-8610 ORBIT Page 27 We sometimes need to call people to make our morning and evening minyans. We would like to expand the list of people we can call. USED COAT DRIVE If we can call you in either the morning at 6:30AM or evenings at 8PM or both please let us know. Please email us at, pjcli@optonline.net or call 938-8610. Please specify: Name, Phone Number, Availability: Morning or Evening or both, Any restrictions (i.e. any day but Tuesday). ORBIT Page 28 REFUAH SHELAYMAH Our Plainview Jewish Center Family wishes a refuah shelaymah to: Hank Marcus Daniel Polofsky Martin Bertisch Beryl Kwitkin Sharon Kunoff Charlotte Weingarten To our PJC members: if you would like to have a family member included in this section, please notify the temple office at: 516 938-8610 x101 P: 516-826-4100 F: 516-826-4102 LIC. H1735560000 ORBIT Page 29 SISTERHOOD NEWS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Debbie Zaglin - President I read an article that stated, “Sisterhood is the most important Jewish women’s group in the community!” I may be a little prejudiced, but I tend to agree. It is not a single issue organization. It embraces Jewish education, family, Zionism, world Jewry, social action, community service and youth programs. It meets the total Jewish needs of today’s woman, helping her grow to her fullest potential. As an affiliate of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, each Sisterhood is part of the largest and most influential synagogue women’s organization in the world. As such, we are empowered with the ability to effect political and religious arenas locally, nationally and world wide. Even more importantly, we have the ability to ensure that the traditions and practices of the Jewish family will be maintained and passed on. I think that our most precious commodity is time. Most women are in the work force, either part time or full time, as well as continuing to be the primary person responsible for the home and household chores. They help with their children’s homework, volunteer at their schools, and root for every sports activity. They are also the guardians of most family traditions. Most women don’t have the time to spend months developing a fund raiser or working on some special new youth program. I foresee the need for many women to give a few hours instead of a few women giving many hours. The results will be very fulfilling because every contribution of time, no matter how small, will benefit the larger community. Each participant will have made the outcome successful. The outcome is the perpetuation of Judaism. Debbie Zaglin PROGRAM Rose Weiner - Program Vice President Tuesday evening, February 2nd is our annual Book Review meeting. Please remember to read, The Nightingale. Our discussion will be led by Judi Dorosin. It promises to be a very enjoyable evening. If you have not had a chance to read the book please come anyway. You will be immersed to a very interesting story. THE NIGHTINGALE by KRISTIN HANNAH FRANCE, 1939. In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France … but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive. START READING NOW! ORBIT Page 30 EDUCATION Doris Cooper - Education Vice President Jews and the Civil War I recently attended Rabbi Conn’s “Lunch and Learn” and the fascinating subject was Jews and the Civil War. We learned so many interesting facts that I’d like to share with you. In 1860, there were 31 million people in the United States, and 150,000 were Jews (which was half of 1% of the total population). 10,000 Jews enlisted in the Civil War (both sides). Jews in the South were more accepted and they were more interested in racial issues than issues of antisemitism. Abraham Lincoln had just been inaugurated in 1860, and in 1861, war was proclaimed. Many Jews had high ranking positions in the Union and Confederate armies and in the political arena. To name a few, Abraham Jonas, Alfred Mordecai and Judah Benjamin were well known at the time. Sadly, brother against brother and Jew against Jew fought each other in this war. There were many reasons for Jews to enlist in the Civil War. One was the opportunity for them to fight as equals and to rise through the ranks. They also became pro-active when Ulysses S. Grant made an edict expelling Jews as a class from the war zone, which Abraham Lincoln repudiated and overturned. Many more interesting facts and stories can be found in a book, “Jews and the Civil War: A Reader”, co-edited by Jonathan D. Sarna and Adam Mendelsohn. It will open your eyes and give you a perspective of the evolving relationship of Jews to America. Lehitraot, Doris Cooper MEMBERSHIP Carol Hauser - Membership Vice President; Debra Siegel, Membership Chairperson Thank you to everyone who have sent in their annual Sisterhood PJC Membership Dues. If you have not sent in your 2015-2016 dues, please send your $60 check, payable to Sisterhood PJC, as soon as possible. I would like to extend a Mazel Tov to my membership chairperson Debbie and her husband Jeff Siegel on the Marriage of their son Jason to Jaclyn. May they enjoy a lifetime of happiness together. Thank you for your continued support of Sisterhood PJC, Carol SISTERHOOD/MEN’S CLUB SHABBAT - JANUARY 30TH Thank you to all the marvelous women and men who participated in this year’s Sabbath. It’s not an easy task to fill the shoes of our wonderful professionals, but we did it with great effort and ability. Special thanks to our own Zelda Polofsky who was the program at our Kiddush. Her “Fun with Yiddish” was indeed fun and the sing-a-long was enjoyed by all. See you again next year. Doris Cooper, Education Vice President ORBIT Page 31 The family of Arnie Cooper is proud to announce that we will be having a posthumous showing of his pencil drawings at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library on Old Country Road, Plainview, New York 11803. It will start on March 1st and will continue through March 30th. On Saturday, March 12th, we will be sponsoring a reception from 1:00 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. We hope to see you there. Please SAVE THE DATE: PJC SISTERHOOD’S FASHION BOUTIQUE EVENING Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00PM Please join us for a nice dinner, good friends, and a whole lot of shopping from 25 vendors. Reservations are $25.00 per person. There will be great raffle prizes and just a very pleasant evening. Any questions, call Marilyn Cohen @ 516 822-4553. ORBIT Page 32 SISTERHOOD JUDAICA SHOP The Sisterhood Judaica Shop has gifts for all your holiday needs. We have a large selection of honey and apple sets,seder plates, menorahs, mezuzahs, jewelry and head coverings for both men and women. Our great holiday serving pieces, including platters and utensils, are wonderful for celebrating and entertaining or to bring as a gift to family and friends. WHEN YOU THINK GIFTS, THINK SISTERHOOD JUDAICA! FOR INFORMATION, CALL MICHELE HAIMES @ 516-822-0704 BUY JNF TREES FROM SISTERHOOD THEY CAN BE IN MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE OR IN HONOR OF A LOVED ONE OR JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PLANT A TREE IN ISRAEL JNF TREES ARE $18.00 EACH PLEASE CONTACT: BUNNY FINKELSTEIN @ 433-5778 OR DEBBIE SIEGEL @ 822-6146 MAY WE SERVE YOU Prayer Book Fund Diane Miller 935-7732 Judaica Shop Michele Haimes 822-0704 Torah Fund Rose Weiner 935-0454 Joyce Rimer 433-4826 Judi Dorosin Book of Life Rhoda Meshover 938-8818 Cookbook Barbara Alhadeff 631-923-0000 JNF Certificates Bunny Finkelstein 433-5778 Debbie Siegel 822-6146 Mitzvah Committee: Call Temple Office: 938-8610 (Shiva Set-up & Shiva Chairs Available) ORBIT Page 33 TORAH FUND - Rose Weiner, Torah Fund Coordinator The Torah Fund campaign is Sisterhood’s commitment to the Jewish Theological Seminary. The JTS is the basis of Conservative Judaism with a worldwide network of academic and religious institutions. By supporting the Torah Fund campaign you are making it possible for our future rabbis, cantors and teachers to be trained and educated. You can help by purchasing Torah Fund cards which are available for all occasions. They can be bought for personal use or they can be sent out for you. Cards are available at general meetings, or you can contact Joyce or Rose who will be happy to send them out for you. Cards are $4.00 each ( plus $.50 postage if we send it for you). We welcome benefactors for a pledge of $180 and you will receive a beautiful pin. Your donations will help safeguard the future of Jewish life for our children and future generations to come. Thank you for your support! Rose - 935-0454, Joyce - 433-4826 *** Special Sale: $36 for ten cards; $20 for six cards Welcome a new arrival! Send one of these beautiful Torah Fund cards today! Send these beautiful cards to celebrate happy occations, to acknowledge the death of a loved one, to thank a friend, to wish someone a return to good health or just to let someone know you’re thinking of them. ORBIT Page 34 WE WISH TO THANK AND EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING FAMILIES FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO THE YAHRZEIT & YIZKOR FUND: Charlotte & Joseph Brodie Eileen & Steven Dershowitz Loretta & Izzy Fleiss Anne Axelrod-Bedell Caryn & David Nazarieh Richard Lyons Enid Flax Paula R. LaMantia Linda Sobolow Janice & Howard Gellman Natalia Nevidomsky Ellen & Martin Kirschman Judith & Stuart Forman Lisa & Lance Gordon Ida & Murray Kleiner Ellen & George Rosenbaum Wendy & Dennis Fingold Philip Wolkis Philip & Sheryl Smolowitz Morton Amster Toby & Harvey Gordon Roberta & Neil Kushner Harriette & Jeffrey Gold Charlotte & Jack Weingarten Margie & Marc Richter Barbara & Bernard Roy Hoffman Estelle & Alan Hodes Shirley & Ross Landesman Francene Cohen Janine & Sheldon Jackman Zita Rosen Jonathan May Sherma & Robert Oshinsky Eileen Glotzer Beatrice & Robert Gutman Anne & Edward Fryman Susan & Jeffrey Miller Phyllis & Richard Golden MEN’S CLUB by Stephen Taub Men’s Club is gearing up for a number of major events aimed to benefit the entire congregation as well as the community at large. On Sunday morning February 7th, Men’s Club will be spearheading Plainview’s participation in the World Wide Wrap. Morning minyan begins at 9 a.m., where you will be able to join fellow Jews around the world as they put on the tefillin. And if you need a refresher course there will be plenty of people who can provide a helping hand. Then join us for our regular, Sunday morning Men’s Club Talis and Tefillin breakfast. On Tuesday, February 9th, Men’s Club will be presenting its annual movie night. This year, our feature film is “Above and Beyond,” which chronicles U.S. World War II pilots who volunteered to fight for Israel in the War of Independence. There will be popcorn, candy, soda and other treats available, and as is tradition, there is no charge for the evening. So come on down and join us at 8:15 p.m., right after the evening minyan. Then, on Wednesday March 23rd, don’t forget to come to Plainview Jewish Center to celebrate Purim. Wear your costumes and make a lot of noise. Then join Men’s Club for its annual ice cream sundae social. We will have several flavors and toppings as well as hamantashen. And, as usual, there is no charge. And, don’t forget about this year’s Men’s Club Patio Players show. We are presenting: The Melody Lingers On: The Songs of Irving Berlin. We will be doing shows on Saturday evening March 12th, Sunday afternoon March 13th, Saturday evening March 19th and Sunday afternoon March 20th. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. To purchase tickets contact the office and leave a message for Michael Prospect. ORBIT Page 35 THE BIBLE CLASS TAKES A WINTER BREAK Our Bible Class will be taking a “winter break” during the months of February and March. We hope to resume our study of the Book of Nehemiah in April. LUNCH AND LEARN Wednesday, February 10th Join us from 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM for stimulating study, good food and even better company at our monthly Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Conn. This month, we will read and discuss stories from Molly Antopol’s recent book, The Un-Americans. The stories center around Jewish life, past and present; exploring both the experiences of Jews in “the old country” and in Israel and America. Reviewer, Meg Wolitzer, writes that the stories, “[Will] make you nostalgic, not just for earlier times, but for another era in short fiction. A time when writers such as Bernard Malamud, and Issac Bashevis Singer and Grace Paley roamed the earth.” Suggested donation is $5 per person. Lunch and Learn is usually held on the second Wednesday of each month. Open to all PJC members and the community. SHABBAT AFTERNOON STUDY This winter, between Mincha and Ma’ariv services on Saturday afternoon, we will continue our study of Maimonides’ Hilchot De’ot. This work, which is part of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, takes on the question of what it means to live a good life from the Jewish point of view. Maimonides combines sound practical advice with words of wisdom drawn from our tradition. This material is sure to provoke lively and thought-provoking discussions. Please join us. Service times are posted on the PJC calendar in this publication and online. ADULT EDUCATION SURVEY What would you like to learn? When would you like to learn? How would you like to learn? We’d love to know. Watch your email for a brief survey on Adult Education coming this month. ORBIT Page 36 PARTNERS IN CARING The following correspondence was shared by the Partners in Caring organization. This may help someone who is reading it now, or may be of use to someone you know who is in similar circumstances and would benefit from the information. Dear Avigail, I am a 65 year old woman who just retired. I am seeing more changes related to aging then I realized. I have many other friends in the same boat, but I do not feel comfortable talking about how it is making me feel. Is there any sort of place I can go to where I can openly vent about how difficult this process has been for me? Ms. R Hi Ms. R, I understand that this is a complex time for you—you have years ahead of you, yet you also may begin to look back at your life; physical changes may be occurring that frustrate you and make you feel like you are no longer your younger self. There is a place for you to come to share your experiences in an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment at the Mid-Island Y JCC: our Strength in Aging group. Facilitated by a licensed social worker, group members have the opportunity to explore the different facets of their aging and learn the strengths that come with aging, while also learning ways to cope with the changes that occur. If interested, please contact Amy Angelone, LMSW, Partners in Caring social worker, at (516) 822-3535, ext. 384 or email her at aangelone@miyjcc.org for more information. Best, Amy Angelone, LMSW, Partners in Caring Social Worker Mid-Island Y JCC, (516) 822-3535 ext. 384 Email: aangelone@miyjcc.org ORBIT Page 37 ORBIT Page 38 Page 39 ORBIT A.A.R.P. SMART DRIVER COURSE Hosted by THE PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER ** SAVE 10% ON AUTO LIABILITY, COLLISION AND PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION INSURANCE FOR THREE YEARS, AND ** REDUCE YOUR ACTIVE POINT TOTAL BY UP TO FOUR POINTS (SEE DMV BROCHURE) THIS COURSE IS OPEN TO ALL PJC MEMBERS COURSE DATES , COURSE TIME: MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 AND MON., MARCH. 14, 2016 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM. YOU MUST ATTEND BOTH SESSIONS REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 30 APPLICANTS. $20.00 * THE NON-REFUNDABLE FEE IS PER PERSON FOR AARP MEMBERS, PAYABLE AT TIME OF REGISTRATION. SPOUSES BOTH USE THE SAME AARP MEMBERSHIP NUMBER. ENTER THE NUMBER IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER ON THE FACE OF THE CHECK. 25.00 PER PERSON. THE FEE FOR NON-AARP MEMBERS IS $ * BRING YOUR NEW YORK STATE DRIVER’S LICENSE AND A PEN TO THE SESSIONS. THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE AND GIVEN BY OUR OWN LARRY ABRAMS. * PLEASE FILL IN THE APPLICATION BELOW AND MAIL IT BEFORE THE CLASS DATE, ALONG WITH YOUR CHECKf for the appropriate amount (NO CASH), PAYABLE TO AARP, TO: LARRYABRAMS 17 TIPTOP LANE HICKSVILLE, NY 11801 Tel. 516x735-6483 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -CUT HERE- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NAME(s) _____________________________, ____________________________ ADDRESS: ____________________________ NUMBER ATTENDING____ ____________________________ AARP MEMBER?_____ If yes, AARP #__________________ TELEPHONE: _________________________ MON., MAR. 7, AND MON., MAR. 14, 2016 6:30 PM SHARP to 9:30 PM FEE FOR AARP MEMBERS IS $20 PER PERSON (ENTER YOUR AARP NUMBER ON THE CHECK.) FEE FOR NON-AARP MEMBERS IS $25 PER PERSON. CHECKS ONLY, PAYABLE TO “AARP”. ORBIT Page 40 ORBIT Page 41 Hatzilu Means Rescue Hatzilu is reaching out to our community for help. This worthy organization has been assisting impoverished and needy Jews throughout Nassau County for many years. Volunteer social workers help elderly Jews obtain the government benefits to which they are entitled and food is provided to the hungry. Hatzilu maintains the largest kosher food warehouse in Nassau County and volunteers deliver food to people who need it desperately. The warehouse is in dire need of canned goods and nonperishable foods. Donations of these products would help restock the shelves that are almost bare. Hatzilu appreciates all money donations as well. A food collection box will be placed by the main entrance of the synagogue. Thanks for helping those in need. For further information about Hatzilu, please go to: www.hatzilurescue.org or call 931-2884. Arlyne Skolnik HATZILU IN ORDER TO HELP OUR JEWISH POOR AND ELDERLY, PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO HATZILU. MEN’S CLUB WILL SEND A CERTIFICATE TO HONOR THE NAME OF MEMORY OF WHO YOU CHOOSE. THIS IS AN IDEAL WAY TO EXPRESS A “SIMCHA” OR “SYMPATHY” AND TO HELP OUR FELLOW JEWS. PLEASE EMAIL STEVE GLASSER AT: STEVETG@AOL.COM OR CALL HIM AT: 516-938-3069 TO ORDER A CERTIFICATE ORBIT Page 42 ATTENTION ALL CONGREGANTS: OUR WEEKDAY EVENING MINYANS ARE IN NEED OF A FEW GOOD PEOPLE! WEEKDAY MINYAN IS AT 8PM AND LASTS 15 MINUTES. ANY DAY YOU CAN COME DOWN WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU PJC BUY A BRICK PROGRAM Please help us in raising money to upgrade, beautify and maintain our building and grounds. Our Walkway of Memories will provide a permanent way to honor or memorialize a family member or friend, a business or special occasion. For further information or additional order forms, please call: Larry Speiller at (516) 938-8610. PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER CEMETERY GROUND Location: Wellwood Cemetery at Pinelawn, New York Cost: Single Graves available at $600 each grave. Terms: 25% down with interest free monthly payments for a period of up to two (2) years. Eligibility: Available to PJC Members ONLY. ORBIT Page 43 PSSST! IT’S OKAY TO TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE Respecting others’ privacy is an important Jewish value. Lashon HaRa— gossip—is uniformly condemned by our tradition. But there is at least one exception. When someone is ill or in need of care and support, it is a mitzvah to tell people who can help. In our community, the Rabbi and Cantor provide pastoral support to individuals and families who are suffering illness and those who need emotional support. The Rabbi also serves as the liaison to our newly formed Bikur Cholim Committee; which provides additional visits and support to those who request it. Please let the Rabbi and Cantor know when someone in our congregation is ill; or when a family is dealing with a crisis. Only when they know can they reach out to individuals and families in need. Only when they know can they mobilize our Bikur Cholim committee to provide additional support. Don’t worry that they might already have the information. Don’t worry that you are “bothering” these busy people. The information you provide will be vital to helping our congregation to serve the needs of those who need us the most. Rabbi Conn and Cantor Wolk can be reached at PJC at (516) 938-8610. Rabbi Conn can be reached by cell at (516) 524-7447 or by email at rabbiconn@plainviewjewishcenter.com. The Lend a Hand Project (M’yad L’yad) Please join Sisterhood, other members of PJC and many others on Long Island as an anonymous sponsor of a LI family in need . All you need do is send a package as few as four(4) times per year through your local UPS store. For more information, call: Marilyn or Marty Leibowitz at 822-6965.
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