Rabbi Michael D. Howald

Cantor Suzanne Bernstein

Bryn Biren, Felicia Otto

Co-Presidents

APRIL 2024

Adar II- Nisan 5784

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PASSOVER SEDER

FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS

LINE DANCING FUNDRAISER

SISTERHOOD END OF YEAR DINNER

LADIES' NIGHT

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN

ONEG SPONSORSHIP

CERTIFICATES

YOM HASHOAH 2024

TREE OF LIFE

Shabbat Morning

Torah Study at 10:00 a.m. followed by Services at 11:00 a.m.

Meeting ID: 878 5582 6129 

Passcode: 778943

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MISHKAN T'FILAH

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On Sunday, April 7^th, Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan (not Staten Island!) will host another gathering of Holocaust Torah scrolls to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the Memorial Scrolls Trust (“MST” or the “Trust”), the Trust responsible for distributing these Torah scrolls to synagogues all over the world. This gathering will include scrolls from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and a few others neighboring states. The last time the Trust sponsored such an event was in 2019. At that time, seventy-five scrolls were presented to eight hundred guests who had a chance to see them displayed and read a little about their history. The guests also had a chance to hear representatives talk about the Trust and its ongoing work to preserve and distribute these precious objects to congregations. The Trust, in return, only asks the hosting congregations to honor them and give them a prominent place in the life of their community.

         I have shared the story of the Trust and its remarkable work before but its worth remembering that our Holocaust Scroll is one of 1,564 Torah scrolls that were collected by the Jewish community of Prague during the Nazi occupation of what was then known as Czechoslovakia. This was their act of resistance to Nazi terror, done in the hope that one day they could return these Torah Scrolls to the Jewish community. These scrolls are among the few remaining objects that testify to the richness of Jewish religious life in central Europe before World War II.  The Nazis murdered more than 85% of the Jews living in the Czech lands in the Holocaust and, when the war ended, almost all the Jews who had helped gather and preserve these scrolls had perished in the camps or left Prague. The scrolls consequently languished in a warehouse until 1963, when Ralph Yablons, a lawyer living in London, agreed to fund their purchase and removal to Westminster Synagogue in London. The Memorial Scrolls Trust was consequently formed to preserve and loan these scrolls to synagogues worldwide on the stipulation they never be sold or donated.

         Many synagogues in our area, including Temple Israel, have a Torah scroll on loan from the MST. Most of these scrolls are, like ours, delicate and precious and only used on special occasions. This is an opportunity to see a large number of them at one time. As of the time of writing of this article, seventy congregations, including Temple Israel, have registered to attend with their scrolls. The organizers anticipate even more at the gathering on April 7^th. In addition to a parade of scrolls, music and other festivities, the chair of the MST, Jeffrey Ohrenstein, will be present to offer his comments along with another trustee, Lois Roman, who collaborates closely with congregations who have a Torah Scroll on loan. The program will be appropriate for all ages, and I encourage you to attend!

         The doors will open for the public at 2:30 and the program will begin at 3 pm. Temple Emanu-El is located at 1 E. 65^th street (at 5^thAvenue) in Manhattan. The event is free but, if you are interested in attending, you must register at : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mst-nyc-scroll-gathering-tickets-807650373007?aff=oddtdtcreator. We would appreciate knowing if you are planning to attend this historic event. Please email me at rabbi@templeisraelsiny.org or Jerry Gross at jlg33@aol.com. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Bryn Biren

Felicia Otto

It is the time of year when we are preparing for Passover seders, but at the same time, we should be thinking about the meaning of the holiday.  We all know that it is about freedom, and we celebrate a group of people who escaped slavery and persecution. The Jews fled from Egypt to become what they wanted to be. We can demonstrate our own freedom at our Seder tables by asking questions. The seders begin with questions. Our families gather at Seder tables to answer those specific questions each year. However, the seder can also be a place for your own family to ask their own questions. Encourage your relatives and friends to become involved and to feel free at the Passover table to talk openly. This world is filled with technology: I-phones, I-pads, crazy work schedules, school demands. Time passes so quickly and we do not take the time to really discuss things and get to know the people who are in our lives. This is an opportunity. Have conversations.

The Passover story stresses freedom; becoming who we want to be. Passover is the chance to talk about your own spiritual journey. We have many interfaith families at Temple Israel. Moses was raised by Pharaoh’s family and married a woman from a different culture. Passover can be the springboard for a conversation about multiculturalism; about relationships and about the beliefs that make us who we are.

Let the backdrop of the Passover story be one that provides a meaningful event for you and your family.

Time with family flies by - take advantage now.

We wish each of our Temple Israel families a meaningful holiday!

Bryn Biren & Felicia Otto

Co-Presidents

“For lo, the winter has passed, the rains are over and gone, the flowers appear in the earth, the time of the singing of birds has come…”.

    — Song of Songs

We have so much to celebrate this month. The Festival of Passover brings us together in joy as we relive the journey from bondage to freedom during family and community Seders. On April 12 we honor Kavod members who go above and beyond to support Temple Israel. And on April 14, Sim Lenner will receive the Next Generation award from the Nancy Avis Foundation! Congratulations to Sim and all Kavod members, and Chag Sameach to everyone!

Looking ahead, we are getting the Rock of Israel band together for a Rock Shabbat on Friday, June 7, 7 pm. Rehearsal on Sunday June 2, at a mutually agreed time. Let me know if you want to participate! 

Cantor Suzanne Bernstein 

SENIOR CHOIR

Sunday, April 7- 10:00 am

Rehearsal

Tuesday, April 16- 7:00 pm

Rehearsal

Friday, April 19- 7:00 pm

Warm-up in Library for 7:30 p.m. Service

JUNIOR CHOIR

Friday, April 5 -Warm -up -6:30 pm

for 7:00 Family Service

Sunday, April 7- 12 noon

Rehearsal

Please join the Cantor, Rabbi and Choir as we share the joy of Shabbat & Passover with residents of The Brielle on

Friday, April 19th at 3:30 pm.

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR FULL PROGRAM INFORMATION

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL 2024

ADAR II-NISAN 5784

For calendar updates please check the Temple website.

To print or download a copy of this calendar, click here.

MEMORIAL SCROLLS TRUST

HOLOCAUST TORAH SCROLLS GATHERING

SUNDAY, APRIL 7

3:00 PM

TEMPLE EMANU-EL

1 EAST 65 STREET

NYC

Join Rabbi Howald as we bring Temple Israel's Holocaust Torah scroll for this unique gathering in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Memorial Scrolls Trust. 

Please register in advance by clicking on the link below.

Please also let Rabbi Howald or Jerry Gross know if you are registering.

MAZEL TOV TO:



GENEVIVE LOPEZ, daughter of Brooke Lopez, on being accepted into the the High School Journalism Immersion Program;

SIM LENNER, daughter of Julia and Alex Lenner, on being accepted into Columbia University.

CONDOLENCES TO:

Former member CAROL ROSEN KATZ and family on the loss of her husband, Wallace David Katz; former member MARILY KRONLAND and family on the loss of her husband, HOWARD KRONLAND.

GET WELL WISHES TO:

SANDY MAZZUCCO recovering from a torn Achilles tendon;

BEVERLY MAZER recovering from carpal tunnel surgery;

CHAD RACHMAN recovering from an appendectomy;

PAMELA ROGOZIN recovering from a fall and a sprained ankle.

THINKING OF YOU:

SUE FREEDMAN

RUSSELL KAMINSKY

BARBARA FRIED

BARBARA MENNA

April 5, 2024

Estelle Dichter *

Brian Kudler

Steve Nison

Louis Siegel *

Max Baruch *

Paul Leder

Edith Miller

Daral Neiman

Theodore Ruskin

Florence Soloff *

Edward Marcus *

Florence Sigmund

Alan Trontz

Sidney Sheren *

Stanley Benjamin *

Norman Smook

Falik Bronzaft

Mitchell (Melech) Gordon *

David Gornstein

And we remember 

from the Holocaust:

Raymond Vos

Hilary Godwald

Wolf Nitzberg

Fanny Neufeld

Janek Malitz

April 12, 2024

Bertram Bronzaft

Esther Burger *

David Feldhamer *

Israel Pisetzner *

Rose Sugarman

Earl Gross

Betty Liebowitz *

Murray Mazer

Albert V Rosen *

Ira Bankofsky *

Sol Lubin

Benjamin Adler

Clara Vinocur

Aida Josel Brouse *

Michael Doria

Frances Friedman

Ruth Kosnitsky-Feigelman

David Behar *

Paul Martin Gross *

Sara Pappert

Emanuel Sugerman

And we remember 

from the Holocaust:

Jakob Aelman

Magda Paltsche

Jozsefne Goldblatt

Rachelina Polak

Bela Braun

April 19, 2024

Herman Schnittman *

Albert David Soren *

Helene Sparber

Evelyn (Lynne) Benjamin *

Mary Goldberg *

Edythe Kahn

Hy Schorr

Shirley Shapiro *

Seymour Barris

Dora Flaum

Bertha Schlefstein *

Charles Ira Salzberg

Rubin Sheren *

Franklin Joseph Stein *

Rhea Greenspan

Maurice Scher *

And we remember 

from the Holocaust:

Wilhelmine Spahr

Albert Asal

Thea Jonas

Sibille Schmarhoustsch

Jacob Voorzanger

April 26, 2024

Estelle Gootenberg *

Larry Littman

Bert Meyerberg *

Malvina Goldberg *

Murray Lee *

Samuel Richter *

Cornelius Bregoff *

Edith Gloates *

Irving Smith

Carl Berkowicz

Sallie Klaw *

Dora Selmon

Benson Bodell

Joseph Kerstein *

Rose Schneider

Jennie Blumenthal *

Abraham Cohen *

Naomi Newhouse Jablons *

Sonia Outman

And we remember 

from the Holocaust:

Samune Hubsch

Gerrit Leefsma

Stanislaw Wisniewski

Bernhard Hahn

Jozsi Gurtler

The Advance Payment Program allows members to pay in advance for Friday night program ads. Members usually deposit $100 (or less in some cases) and when an ad is placed, $5 is deducted. When the balance gets low (usually to about $10) an e-mail is sent reminding the member that they should consider adding money to their account. 

You may, if you wish, pay in advance for Friday night program announcements. For more details contact the Temple office or contact Deanna Feder at  dfeder19@aol.com to set up an account. 

DEDICATE A LEAF ON OUR

TREE OF LIFE

Click on the image below.

Dear Fellow Congregants,

Looking forward to the Spring season and your continued participation in the many events that are planned for the remainder of the year. As you can appreciate, our Temple ‘home’ has been maintained so that it will continue to be a welcoming site for our Congregants. As such, there are expenditures associated with this on-going effort.

Please check to see that your Annual Commitment to the Temple is up to date so that we can continue to meet the needs of our Congregants.  Should you need any assistance or clarification regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me either through the Temple office or directly: Jackie @ 347-631-9802. 

Thanks in advance for your on-going commitment to Temple Israel; we are grateful for your continued support.

Jacqueline Rabinowitz 

Financial Secretary

Please consider becoming a member of our

KAVOD SOCIETY.

It helps to make membership available to all our families. Speak to our Financial Secretary to upgrade your membership.

PASSOVER MORNING SERVICE

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

10:30 AM

FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER SERVICE ON ZOOM (only)

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87285062867?pwd=WDBrcDZsYlNoSFZobTNWMGFDV2toZz09

Meeting ID: 872 8506 2867

Passcode: 971146

One tap mobile

+16469313860,,87285062867#,,,,*971146# US

+16465588656,,87285062867#,,,,*971146# US (New York)

PASSOVER YIZKOR SERVICE

WILL BE IN PERSON

ON MONDAY, APRIL 29

10:30 AM

We just celebrated a happy Purim with the reading of the Megillah, an entertaining Purim Shpiel, activities for the children, and Shalach Manot.  The Purim Shpiel was a parody of the Barbie movie written by Cantor Bernstein.  Sisterhood's own Judy Lee, Jodi Siegel, Sara Sarfati and Nina Rohan played Jewish Holiday-themed Barbies, Bryn Biren was the creator (aka Ruth Handler), and Silvia Gornstein was Queen Vashti Barbie.  Thank you, Blanche Ricci, Linda Hanibal and Deanna Feder for preparing and distributing the Purim gift bags.  Thank you everyone who assisted and contributed to making this holiday a joyous time.

We now look forward to celebrating Passover with our Temple Family.  Jodi Siegel has been working on preparing for the Jennifer Straniere Memorial Passover Community Seder (April 22).  It will be a wonderful evening where we will enjoy delicious traditional Passover fare along with our members, their friends, and people from the community. Volunteers are needed on the Sunday before the seder to help set up the social hall.  

Many thanks to Jodi Siegel and her committee for the very successful Sampled Sale to support the Jennifer Straniere Memorial Passover Community Seder. Sisterhood raised enough from the Sampled Sale to be able to have an especially delightful Passover dinner.

We want to thank everyone who helped with onegs:  Karen Gross, Inez Singer, Deanna Feder, Pamela Rogozin, Nina Rohan, and the many others who pitched in.  

The Sisterhood Shabbaton scheduled for May 18 has been cancelled.  Instead, we will be having a fun evening event for the ladies.  It will be a bring a dairy dish and a gag gift evening.  See flyer for more information.  

Maxine Cohen has been collecting cash donations for people in need of Passover food for the Kosher Pantry.   

Sisterhood nominations and election for next year will occur in April and May.

Other dates you should mark on your calendar:  Temple Israel Gala on June 2, Brotherhood and Sisterhood Installations on June 14th, and Sisterhood’s End-of-the-Year Dinner on June 18.  

God Bless and Save the State of Israel!

Pamela Carlton, Sue Freedman, Judy Lee, Anita Zuckerberg

Sisterhood Co-Presidents 

Brotherhood at Temple Israel continues….Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Here comes Spring, the season of renewal.  What a perfect time for the current and future members of Brotherhood to get together to reestablish their commitments to our Temple.

Over the past few months, we have assisted our Sisterhood counterparts by supporting the wonderful concert by Rabbi

Deborah Zecher, as well as providing beverages for the most enjoyable presentation by singer Vinnie Medugno.

As we move forward, we would like to remind you of the variety of activities that will be taking place during the balance of the year.

We will be organizing and distributing the Yellow Candles to be used to commemorate Yom Ha’Shoah to be lit on Sunday evening, May 5.

Later in the month we will be sponsoring an off-site Sunday morning breakfast to provide an opportunity to enjoy interesting conversation in a relaxed setting.  Please watch for the invitation.

Please be reminded that we will be working with Sisterhood to identify a viable date for an evening BINGO event for all to attend.

Also later in the Spring, we will be planning a Men’s Night Out Dinner for our members at a venue to be determined.  And don’t forget that our summer BBQ will be taking place again this year with good food and some entertainment for our children who will be attending.

We look forward to working together in support of our Temple family in a cooperative and interactive manner.  Remember, all are welcome to assist and participate.

With good wishes for a safe and healthy Spring season,

Alan Siegel & Bob Zuckerberg

We are looking forward to our school’s Model Passover Seder on Sunday, April 7^th in the social hall at 11:00am. All families are welcome to be a part of the day and we look forward to having your support in bringing in all of the necessary items to make the Seder meaningful and delicious!

Our April students of the month will be honored at the April Family Shabbat Service on Friday, April 5^th at 7:00pm and later in the month on Sunday, April 14^th, we look forward to our school alumni and current school music instructor, Sim Lenner, being honored at the JCC Nancy Avis L’Dor V’Dor Luncheon. 

Thank you to all who supported our School Fundraiser

and for your continued support of all our school programs!

Felicia

Felicia Otto

Religious School Committee Co-Chair

We are sorry if your name was inadvertently omitted. Please contact the Temple Office to update your membership information.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SPONSORING AN ONEG, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FLYER BELOW AT LEAST ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE OF THE DATE YOU ARE REQUESTING.

SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO SISTERHOOD VIA THE SISTERHOOD MAILBOX, OR GIVE IT DIRECTLY TO

SISTERHOOD CO-PRESIDENT JUDY LEE.

YOU WILL THEN BE CONTACTED BY A SISTERHOOD REPRESENTATIVE WHO WILL HAPPILY ASSIST YOU WITH ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS & DETAILS.

We are continuing our work on The Kavod reception which will be held on Friday April 12 prior to Shabbat services. Claire and Sandy arranged the caterer and music.  We will be discussing the other aspects of the event with the rest of the Committee at our next meeting.

The Membership Committee continues to plan for the monthly TOT Shabbats. Each month the families are contacted prior to the service. At least two committee members are asked to volunteer to assist at the service. Several families have attended the wonderful services which are led by Rabbi Howald and Cantor Bernstein. TOT Shabbat takes place on the third Friday of each month at 5:30. 

At our next meeting the Committee will continue to discuss arranging for a Membership event that will reach our intergenerational Congregants. More information to follow.



Each month we reach out to members of the Congregation who have not attended services or who have had no recent contact with the Temple. Several of the Committee members reported that they have made phone calls to a variety of members who really appreciated the calls.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandy Mazzucco

Claire Guttsman

Co-Chairs

The mission of the Dr. Ronald Avis Foundation for Temple Israel Reform Congregation is:

…. to provide financial support for young families seeking membership in Temple Israel, and to attract new young families by providing learning opportunities, family programming, and social justice initiatives.

************************************************************

Welcome to April!

Passover is this month and it is a special, wonderful holiday.  If your family wants to celebrate the seder at temple, reach out and sign up for your family to attend. If you are doing your own seder and have any thoughts or questions of what you want to create for your seder, feel free to call Terry, as she has created her own Haggadah.

The weather is getting warmer and we all look forward to coming to temple on Friday nights with our family. 

We are looking forward to ideas for events next year which our young children can attend. We only want to do programs that help teach them all about Judaism and our history. If you have any ideas, reach out to either of us. 

We are looking forward to helping you all find ways to volunteer at our temple. We are ALL volunteers and we know it means a lot to have the support and help of all of our new temple members.

Enjoy the warmth of April and our special Passover holiday.

Sincerely,

Bryn Biren and Terry Baver

The story of the Dr. Ronald Avis Foundation for Temple Israel

Dr. Avis originally provided our wonderful Foundation to cover a portion of the membership cost for the first 6 years for young families with young children. Our congregation had been diminishing and he was looking for a way to help us all begin to grow. After meeting with Bryn and Terry a few times, more money was added so the families would also have the opportunities to experience programs for their children. Many wonderful events have been set up for the young families including museum visits, Chanukah cookie designs, a Challah class, a program at the Staten Island Holocaust Center, and many other experiences. The foundation has also helped cover the cost of the religious school teachers.

But then!!!! Covid happened!!!!!!

So the decision was made to use a portion of the foundation money to help all the temple members. The Avis Foundation began to create the zoom classes for the adults in our congregation. These classes are continuing and the foundation covers the costs of them all. The Avis Foundation also covered the cost of the 75th anniversary event. And the foundation is now working with Judy Pessah and the Adult Education Committee to help cover the cost of all the events and classes for the adults in the congregation. 

So: Our entire congregation has benefitted from the generosity of the Foundation. Thank you RON!!!!

Adult Learning/Avis Foundation

Many thanks to Mark Meyer for his wonderful views on Art.  We hope he can return in the Fall to inform and entertain us some more.

Looking Ahead

Rabbi Howald will present two programs—

Thursday, April 18th on Zoom, at 7:30 PM.  “Our People’s Prayer Book”— helping us to understand the prayers we say each week.

Tuesday, April 30th on Zoom, at 7:30 PM.  “The World to Come” — Is there an afterlife?

Tuesday, May 14th on Zoom, at 7:30 PM.  “Trail of Philadelphia” Thinking about Jewish Diversity and Heritage, we will view a video to learn about the unique history of the Jewish community in Philadelphia, Pa.

Tuesday, May 21st  on Zoom, at 7:30 PM.  Book Discussion. “Don’t Forget to Write” by Sara Goodman.  This is the story of a “misbehaving” young Jewish woman who is sent to live with a great aunt, with interesting results!  Start Reading!

If you wish to learn more about Judaism on your own, take a look at the following:

My Jewish Learning.com  

You will learn one Hebrew word each day, and a wealth of information!

Watch “The Chosen” on Netflix TV or  Amazon Prime, to gain a great understanding of the historical relationship between Jews and Christians.

Go to ertflix.gr to stream a video, “The Fire Bracelet”,  a true story about a Sephardic family in Thessaloniki, Greece. This will be in Greek with English translations.

Judith Pessah

Adult Learning Committee Chairperson

The FUNdraising committee invites you to put on your most fun dancing attire and learn line dancing from the Dancefix instructor.

Saturday May 4th. Doors open at 7:15

Light Supper.  BYOB

County, pop or request your favorite dance song.

Raffles and 50/50

RSVP by April 20, 2024

$40per person. 

At door $45.

Please see attached flyer for where to send your RSVP.

Rhonda Trontz-Allen, Karen Frey-Gamoran, Lissa Winchel

Co-Chairs

Contributions to Temple Israel as tributes, dedications or memorials are welcome and are published in the weekly Shabbat program.

Donations can be dedicated to the general Temple Israel Fund or to any of the following specific funds: 

• Adult Education Fund 
• Caring Community Fund 
• Carole Lachman Memorial Fund
• Choir Fund 
• Confirmation Fund 
• The Jeffrey Ganz Building Preservation Fund 
• Estelle A. Gootenberg Memorial Fund (for Torah Repair/ Restoration) 
• Gerald J. Lustig Memorial Fund (for Ark & Ark Doors) 
• Liheyot Fund 
• Membership Fund 
• Prayerbook Fund 
• Rabbi Marcus Kramer Memorial Library Fund 
• Shoah Education Fund
• Scholarship Fund 
• Rabbi Michael D. Howald Fund for Social Action and Tikkun Olam

A $5.00 minimum donation is requested for these funds. Checks for donations to any of these funds should be made payable to Temple Israel.

PRAYERBOOKS may be dedicated in honor or memory of a special person or occasion. For specific prayerbooks and donation amounts, look for the Prayerbook icons found in this bulletin

Please make checks for Donations to the RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND payable to that fund.

Donations in any amount may be made to SISTERHOOD OF TEMPLE ISRAEL or BROTHERHOOD OF TEMPLE ISRAEL with checks made payable directly to the affiliate organization.

For a leaf on the TREE OF LIFE in honor of a simcha, please scroll down. 

For permanent MEMORIAL PLAQUES on our Family Memorial Wall or Original Memorial Wall, please call the Temple office at 718-727-2231.

To see list of all recent

Tributes and Program

Donations to Funds...