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Blessing of the Animals a Huge Success |
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Thursday, 26 August 2010 11:24 |
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By Dr. Gary Yarnell: On Friday evening, August 13th, 2010, the JCCH sponsored its first ever blessing of the animals. In discussions with our congregants, Rabbi Glazer structured an event marked by spirituality, humor, song, and of course, a cacopheny of barks and meows. The service, open to all faiths, was conducted outdoors on the synagogue patio, with congregants, friends, and neighbors bringing a wide assortment family pets. Unlike the less formal Blessing of the Animals performed by local churches, this event was conducted more as a service, with Rabbi Glazer officiating, participants doing individual readings, and all joining in song. In his introduction, Rabbi Glazer noted that he chose this date as it is the anniversary of the death of Rev Kook, the State of Israel’s first chief rabbi. Rev Kook had a messianic vision for Eretz Yisrael that included mankind’s peaceful coexistence with the animal kingdom. In that light and in his honor, JCCH has acknowledged the importance of all animals as integral to the essence of our own humanity. Through our pets, many of us have learned to appreciate the wonders of G-d’s gift of Nature. We allow ourselves not only to share this Earth with animals, but have nurtured some to share our homes and our lives as our companions. This event is one of many highlighting the direction our JCCH is taking in its attempts to be a spiritual home for its members. Years ago, as our Synagogue 2000 committee was looking for ways to help shore up the relevancy of Conservative Judaism to modern American urban and suburban life, ideas such as these were born. It is with great appreciation that we have the leadership that has enabled us to see many such ideas come to fruition. |
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The Man Who Lost His Faith but Re-Learned the Message of the Shofar |
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Thursday, 26 August 2010 11:12 |
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By Cheryl Pine: In his journey from Germany to the United States in the late 1930’s, my grandfather saved the lives of himself and his family, but lost his faith. He escaped Germany at the moment when Jewish lives and property were literally being shattered all around him. My grandfather and his family escaped from their home in Zweibrucken, Germany on the night of November 11, 1938 in the aftermath of the two-day pogrom known as Kristallnacht, Night of Broken Glass, during which the Nazis destroyed Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues all across Germany and took the lives of scores of Jews. One of the 267 synagogues destroyed in this rampage was the one that my grandfather served as Rabbi & Cantor. He also was a public school teacher in a small neighboring town for a class of Jewish students ranging from ages six to fourteen who were segregated from the other students by the Racial Laws instituted against the Jews. On the morning of November 11, the rioting had not yet started in his home town, so he traveled to his teaching position as usual and remained with the children in class until they were sent home. When the rioting began in their town, my concerned grandmother called the school asking to speak with her husband, but was contemptuously informed, “Oh, he’s gone to Palestine.” Shortly after my grandfather returned home he was arrested and jailed, as were all the Jewish men in his neighborhood; it was clear that they would all be sent to concentration camps. As Rabbi in the town, my grandfather served as a prison chaplain and had become acquainted with the warden with whom he played chess. With no alternative, my grandmother beseeched the warden to release my grandfather from jail. He did so and offered to escort the family across the nearby border into France if they could be ready within the hour. My grandparents and their three young children (including my mother, Margot) remained in France until visas were obtained which would allow them to take one of the last of the refugee ships to the United States in April, 1939. On a trip to the United States several months before Kristallnacht, my grandfather had obtained the promise of a congregational position at a small synagogue in Westerly, R.I. After about a year in this position, the family moved to New London, CT. But at this point, with the suffering of so many Jews who were doomed to remain in Europe, my grandfather lost the will and faith to lead a congregation in prayer and song for he believed that a Cantor must fully and completely “make the prayer understood and loved by all the congregation.” Instead, in their new town, my grandfather opened a grocery store which he ran for several years. In time, however, Jewish families began to invite him to read the Megillah or lead a minyan, and when a position for a Cantor was offered to him at the local synagogue, he accepted. With his beautiful tenor voice and soulful interpretation of the prayers, he taught Torah reading and organized children’s choirs and cantorial concerts, serving his synagogue for twenty years. The blowing of the shofar is the only special biblical ritual for Rosh Hashanah. To some, it awakens a sense of awe and purpose as we begin a new year. To others, it is a way of communicating our cries and passions to G-d. For my grandfather, returning to being a cantor was possible only when he was truly able to believe again in his ability to communicate the power of prayer and to inspire others. May we all find the meaning we seek in the shofar during these High Holy Days. L’Shanah Tovah! Happy & Healthy New Year! |
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Wednesday, 25 August 2010 08:45 |
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Lulav & Etrog for Sukkot If you would like to order Lulav & Etrog sets for Sukkot, please call Sue Needleman at 835---2850 or email
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to place your order. Thank you. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 August 2010 08:46 )
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Tuesday, 24 August 2010 13:43 |
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot will be the subject of discussion when the JCCH Book Group starts the New Year in the JCCH library at 7:30PM, Sunday, October 3, 2010. The book was on the New York Times Best Sellers list for many weeks and is, "The story of the woman whose cancer cells were cultured without her permission in 1951". All books selected are available in paperback and audio. The group meets five times a year at the JCCH on Sunday evenings from 7:30 to 9PM and the schedule for future meeting is October 3rd, 2010, December 5th, February 13th, 2011, April 3rd and June 5th.Please join us and bring a friend. Refreshments are served and all are invited. |
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Tuesday, 24 August 2010 13:41 |
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We are looking forward to another interesting and entertaining year of Club Wednesday programs. Our schedule for eight dates during the New Year 5771, (2010-2011) is easy to remember, the first Wednesday of every month October through May. Club Wednesday is sponsored by the JCCH Sisterhood and open to all with leisure time at no charge. On Wednesday, October 6th starting at 11am, Shari Baum LMSW, the on site social worker from Westchester Jewish Community Services, made available to us by a grant from United Jewish Appeal Federation, will lead our Current Events discussion in the JCCH Library. This will be followed at noon with a buffet luncheon and program which will end not later than 2PM. In order to know how many people to expect, RSVPs to the JCCH office 914-835-2850 are always appreciated. |
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Mah-Nishmah? What's Happening? |
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Monday, 28 June 2010 14:09 |
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Summer BBQ Israeli –Style As in the U.S., holidays and summer vacations invite outdoor social events and dining in Israel. There, the BBQ is called Mangal or Al Ha’esh (over the fire). Grilled meats and fish are popular staples at the BBQ’s which are held in backyards, on balconies, on the beach or in public parks. Popular dishes and spices that are used reflect many of the different ethnic cultures in Israel, among them Middle Eastern, Balkan and South American. The Book of New Israeli Food ,by Janna Gur (Schocken Books, NY), is a wonderful cookbook of contemporary Israeli cuisine which contains creative recipes, interesting text and lavish photographs. All the recipes are kosher and many utilize locally grown fruits and vegetables. The cookbook also highlights various chefs, restaurants, and even kiosks found throughout Israel from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Rosh Pinah and Acre. In the section on grilling, there is a recipe you may enjoy for your own BBQ’s this summer. The recipe is for “Diana Lamb Kebab” which is from one of the best Arab restaurants in Israel, the Diana of Nazareth: Ingredients (serves 4-6) 2 lbs. 4ozs. Fresh lamb (shoulder or thigh, with the fat), chopped or ground coarsely, 2 large onions, chopped coarsely, 2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely 1 cup pine nuts, roasted1 tsp. black pepper, crushed½ tsp. Baharat spice mix*, 1 heaping tsp. salt - Mix all the ingredients and knead for 4-5 minutes. Shape into long or round kebabs and thread onto metal skewers.
- Barbecue on a charcoal grill about 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with grilled onions and tomatoes and tahini dip.
*Baharat spice mix (mix all the following ingredients and store in an airtight jar): 1 tbs. ground cardamom, ground black pepper, ground cinnamon, ground dry ginger and ½ tbs. each ground allspice and ground nutmeg. Be-Tayavon! Enjoy your Israeli BBQ! |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 August 2010 10:43 )
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Summer Mini Series at JCCH |
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Monday, 28 June 2010 08:46 |
Exciting Summer Mini Series Led by our new Atidat Ami Rabbinic Intern Josh Ratner Judaism Through the Ages: An Intellectual Tour of Judaism From Antiquity Through Modern Times
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4 Thursdays 10:30-11:30AM(July 8, 15, 22, 29)
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 June 2010 08:33 )
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Tuesday, 01 June 2010 11:40 |
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By Deborah Bers: Often when we celebrate a lifecycle event, such as a wedding or a bar or bat mitzvah, we choose to honor our closest friends by asking them to perform various important tasks associated with the ceremony. At a wedding we select individuals to be Best Man, Maid of Honor, groomsmen or bridesmaids; at a bar or bat mitzvah we ask our friends and family to read from the Torah or come to the bimah for various other tasks. Our synagogue is blessed with a congregation full of good friends who contribute generously in one way or another to our community. Because of their hard work, monetary gifts, and generous donations of time (our most precious resource), the JCCH is able to offer the wonderful programming, events and services that make our synagogue truly a “community center.” The Ritual Committee, in an effort to commend these friends for their good works, assigns various “honorable tasks” to be performed during the High Holiday services. Some of these honors include carrying or dressing the Torah, or opening or closing the ark. Some congregants, who receive letters asking them to participate in the service in this way, readily return the cards acknowledging their acceptance of the honors. Others, for whatever reasons, are either reluctant to accept this honor, or neglect to return the cards. It is important to remember, however, that while true charity involves no material compensation, it is also a mitzvah to allow the recipient of your charitable deeds a means to thank you for your charity. So if you might be shy about performing such an honor, please remember that it is just another way to participate in the happiness of the occasion and to show honor as well to your congregation. Brought to you by the Ritual Committee |
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