- -EARLIER CHRONICLES - -

JULY 2010 — TAMMUZ/AV 5770

SPRING 2010--NISSAN/IYEAR 5670

DECEMBER 2009 —KISLEV 5770


JULY 2010 — TAMMUZ/AV 5770

WHAT’S COMING NEXT...

We have many new programs coming to you in July and throughout the summer.

Our new SHABBAT SHABOOM for young families at Havens Beach began July 2 at 5 PM...read more about it in Dasee’s column, below.

Beginning July 5 and continuing for seven weeks thereafter, on Mondays from 10-11:30 AM, Susan Pashman will lead a class based on Judith Shulevitz’s new book The Sabbath World. It is available from Amazon.com and locally from Canio’s and is requisite reading prior to taking the course which covers a range of historical changes in the moral and intellectual significance of "the day of rest."

On July 10th, Tot Shabbat will debut on Saturdays from 10-11AM, concurrent with adult services and will continue through the end of August. Dasee describes it in her Education column. She will lead it along with student-Cantor Julia Rubin-Cadrain and Leah Opphenheimer

On July 18 at 11 AM, Prof. Richard Gambino will deliver the third and final lecture in his series... this one on Henry Bergson.

The Temple will hold a CELEBRATION OF LIFE AND LEARNING the weekend of July 23-25 to honor Rabbi Morris’s full time commitment to Sag Harbor. Among the features are Marcus J. Freed, actor, writer performer and yogi and Rabbi David Ellenson, President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Learning, from which Rabbi Morris was graduated and ordained. It will be a festive weekend and you will receive specifics at a later date.

On July 30 and August 27 there will be 6:30 PM Potluck Shabbat dinners coordinated by Andrea Fagin and Myra Peskowitz, followed by 8 PM Shabbat Services.

Allan Silver will lead a discussion of Louis Begley’s 1991 novel Wartime Lies (based on his experiences) on Sunday afternoon August 8 at 5 PM at his home. Reading the book is a pre-requisite. Call or e-mail the Temple for directions and to RSVP.

Member Samuel Slipp, MD, will speak on his new book The Quest for Power: Religion and Politics on Sunday August 15th at 11 AM. Sam is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine and Past President of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry. He has written seven books and spoken around the world.

ADMINISTRATION...MARGARET BROMBERG with Eileen Moskowitz...

Spring always catches me off guard... I wait... I plan.... I promise myself to get the deck cleaned and the outdoor furniture spruced before July 4, and the little vegetable beds planted in a timely way... BUT nevertheless, I always find myself playing "catch up." Summer is here! Where did April and May go? So it seems with our Temple office! The "quiet months" when Eileen and I were going to get a number of "to do’s" off our list have slipped away... we did get some things done however: a Member Phone Directory will soon be on it’s way to those members who have requested it, either as an email attachment or a printed version. And Leda Goldsmith, our ever-conscientious Editor, has teamed up with Eileen and her computer skills to design and produce the Chronicles digitally. As we move forward, look for more tech-based enhancements in our weekly emails, website and other communications.

More than half of you have paid your membership dues and we THANK YOU for that, (second bills will be on their way to those of you who may need reminders). We value not only your financial commitment to Temple Adas Israel, for that is surely needed, but even more, your participation and sincere interest in the well-being and growth of our community. Your ideas for nurturing Temple Adas Israel are always welcome. And, as always, we remind you that you can participate in blessings both tangible and spiritual by sponsoring Oneg Shabbat, Kiddush, or flowers for our Bima.

Thank you to those who have recently shared Simchot with us in this way: the families of B’not Mitzvah Zoe Diskin, Rebecca Dwoskin and Rachael Pepper; the family of recent middle school graduate Jessica Gruenstein; Neal Fagin and Jeff Britz, who welcomed Dasee and Leon to full-time residence in Sag Harbor; and Dasee Berkowitz’s family, who honored the memory of her grandfather.

Thanks also to Diane Lewis, who faithfully updates our schedule on the outdoor message board and outgoing phone message and to Janet Grossman, who keeps us supplied with delicious Zomick’s challahs from Fairway Market in Plainview.

Having been required to acknowledge that summer is here without our having accomplished all the spring "chores," your Temple workers are trying to face the fact that The fall Holidays and Festivals begin "early" this year, right after Labor Day. So it won’t be long before your mailbox begins to fill up with related information......mail, by the way which goes out with the help of our "Mailing Team"... new members always welcome... no experience necessary.... we will train you... just let us know of your interest!

NEWSWORTHY...

Nice features on Rabbi Morris coming to Sag Harbor full time in The Sag Harbor Express and The Long Island Jewish World (thanks to member/journalist Karl Grossman). And, a chapter by Rabbi Morris is included in the new book Jewish Theology in our Time: A New Generation Explores the Foundations & Future of Jewish Belief edited by Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD.

ANNUAL MEETING...will be held at the Temple on Sunday August 8 at 10 AM.

ROSH CHODESH from GAIL GAMBINO...

As we welcome summer, our Rosh Chodesh group adds its voice in welcoming Rabbi Morris, his wife Dasee Berkowitz, their son Tamir, and his upcoming sibling to our Temple community full-time. Our welcome embraces a heartfelt wish that this new chapter for the Morris family will include felicitous living in Sag Harbor and meaningful, rewarding and happy experiences at Temple Adas Israel.

Rosh Chodesh is enjoying our expanded group of both snow birds and city birds and welcomes, as a new member, Nancy Abel . Our meetings continue to focus on themes and topics suggested by group members grounded in a celebration of the Jewish month. I enjoyed, and the group benefited from, terrific partnerships with Margaret Bromberg, Eileen Moskowitz and Janet Grossman this winter and spring and valued input from Ellen Ruby for the month of Tammuz. Dasee Berkowitz, our founder, will return to our group as our Jewish educational resource person.

I’m happy to report that our discussions on the Nature of God in Reform Judaism culminated in a letter to Rabbi Morris synopsizing our discourse and an invitation to join us for our August meeting. We are grateful and excited that Rabbi Morris can attend and is happy to ‘dialogue’ with us and offer his perspective and wisdom on this complex subject. We will celebrate our second annual Rosh Chodesh picnic in July during the month of Av—an occasion when food, and fellowship are the centerpiece of our meeting. Earlier than usual this year, we look forward to the inspiration and sustenance of our third annual Mikveh led by Dasee Berkowitz.

Rosh Chodesh celebrates two years of monthly gatherings this June. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this program and, as well, for the substance, imagination and friendship of our members. Finally, I am always happy to trumpet my periodic pitch for Rosh Chodesh: we are an on-going group for Temple members. If you are interested in learning, laughter reflection and fellowship, we’d love to have you join us. Please feel free to email me at bdwybaby@optonline.net

IN MEMORIAM... RABBI DAVID FORMAN...

The Temple Adas Israel community met Rabbi Forman when he flew in from Israel to serve as our High Holidays rabbi in September 2001. He was larger than life with an ebullient personality, a quick wit and the ability to engender warm spiritual feelings within the congregation as he led services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur following the horrific tragedy that is now known as the "9/11." Rabbi Forman, who died in Dallas on May 3rd awaiting a liver transplant, was revered and eulogized not only by the Progressive/Liberal Jews all over the globe -but by everyone who was touched by him through his books, columns in the Jerusalem Post and speeches at synagogues throughout the U.S. and the world.

He made aliya (from Boston) in 1972 and served with both Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and what is now the URJ -Union for Reform Judaism, where he led the Jerusalem office. He was the founder of Rabbis for Human Rights -and always a strong voice for religious pluralism. He leaves his wife, Judy, daughters Tamar, Liat, Shira and Orly and their husbands and children. He will be sorely missed by millions.

EDUCATION from DASEE BERKOWITZ...

Leon, Tamir and I are so happy to be settling into our new lives in Sag Harbor and our work at Temple Adas Israel. As many of you know, Leon and I have been on a "listening tour" with our congregants (by way of a series of focus groups) to learn more about what you value about our Temple community and the role you want it to play in your lives in the future. As educational consultant to the synagogue, I have done a bit of a "listening" by myself and heard from many of those leading educational programs at the synagogue including Leah Oppenheimer, Gail Gambino and Rona Klopman. I see my role as supporting the already robust array of programs that Temple Adas Israel offers and to plant the seeds for new programs to take root to reach an expanding circle of people who could be enriched by what the Temple has to offer. We have a few interesting projects underway.

First, Leah, Rabbi Morris and I will be engaged in a two-day retreat mid-July to engage in questions of educational vision and curricular development at the Hebrew school that Leah has so beautifully led over the years. Second, our Friday evening Shabbat on the Beach series of half hour family services with songs, stories, challah and grape juice, in a beautiful setting, began July 2 and will continue each week through the end of August. And third, our new student cantor, Julia Rubin-Cadrain, Leah and I are initiating a "Tot Shabbat" program that will kick-off on Saturday morning July 10th from 10-11am. It will be aimed at families with young children (but open to everyone!) and will run parallel to the adult service. Tot Shabbat will be a musical way for young children and their families to engage with Shabbat morning prayers in a way that is accessible and fun. Participants will get a chance to learn new Shabbat songs in English and Hebrew, hear parts of the Torah read (from the actual scroll!), and engage in drama activities that bring the meaning of the service and stories from the Torah to life. I am looking forward to some of these new projects underway and hope they add to the vibrant Jewish life at Temple Adas Israel.

 

FROM RABBI LEON A. MORRIS...

It’s been six weeks (at the time of this writing) since we’ve made Sag Harbor our full-time home. While we’re still unpacking boxes, our expanded work with the synagogue is well underway. On my first Friday night, I spoke of how our arrival is a significant transition not only for us, but also for Temple Adas Israel. Transitions, I reminded the congregation, are filled with challenge and complexity. I am confident that, at the end of the day, this transitional period will be for you and for us, one that gives birth to many new possibilities.

There is a great deal of potential in our congregation, and much that Dasee and I hope to do, together with the synagogue’s incredibly talented staff and dedicated lay leadership. We hope to grow our membership, but more importantly, to deepen the synagogue’s impact on the lives of our members. We want to develop more intimate relationships with families and individuals, to be more responsive in times of illness and death. We seek to help facilitate ongoing and sustained relationships with Jewish life, with mitzvot, and with Jewish learning.

We know that lasting transformation does not happen all at once, but with one significant step at a time. We are well on our way. We have shared in the celebrations of three Bnai Mitzvah so far this summer, with four more occurring in July, August, September and October. We marked the festival of Shavuot in a variety of modalities, including a tzedakkah project with our Hebrew school, a potluck dairy dinner, evening and morning services, and a late-night study session. We recently launched a new format for Saturday mornings that includes a brief prayer experience, an expanded Kiddush, and a Torah study. We held an open-mic "town hall meeting" on Israel in response to the Flotilla invasion in late May, demonstrating the need to be responsive in offering programs related to issues of the day. We have seen the successful completion of a year of engagement and learning with our Hebrew School.

Additionally, the past six weeks have given us an opportunity to begin a series of conversations with our members in various homes, inviting feedback on some of our ideas, and input into the future of our congregation. We are learning a great deal from these gatherings and our findings will help us in shaping a long-term plan for our work with the congregation. (If you haven’t signed up for one of these, please contact Margaret or Eileen in the Temple office.

In July, we will launch our "Tot Shabbat" services on Saturday mornings for young children, and our weekly "Shabbat Shaboom" celebration on Haven’s Beach at 5:00 PM every Friday afternoon. We will also have an opportunity to mark this significant transition in the life of our congregation with a weekend Celebration of Jewish Life and Learning, July 23-25 featuring Marcus J. Freed (actor, writer, performer and yogi) who appears through a generous contribution by Barbara Freedman. I am pleased that Rabbi David Ellenson, who as president of Hebrew Union College is one of American Jewry’s significant public intellectuals and communal leaders is participating. In refining our own vision of ourselves and who we want to be as a synagogue, in dreaming bigger, in expanding the pool of involvement, in cultivating a culture of philanthropic support for our synagogue, there is so much we need to learn. I look forward to all that we will become together.

FROM PRESIDENT NEAL FAGIN...

I want to share with you one of the joys that I have as president of our Temple. What I erroneously thought was an obligation, attending the increasing number of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, has become a source of great pleasure and satisfaction. Each of these 13 year olds is excited and well prepared for their "Big Day." I can feel the love and emotions of each family. I have had the opportunity to get to know the families as new members of our adult community. But how do we capture all this enthusiasm and assure that it will carry one long after the actual celebration? Rabbi Morris and Hebrew School Director Leah Oppenheimer are working on a retention program. If you have any ideas you think might work ...please share them with us. Being President certainly has its high points... but, for me, always having to ask for money is not one of them. As we seek to give the children a better Jewish education and have them better prepared for their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs our costs have increased. We have a bare bones program now that definitely needs your support. All of our students get the best preparation we can give them, but dues and tuition don’t always pay all the bills. If you are able to give something extra to help with our expanding program, I hope you will send along a contribution marked "Hebrew School" that will be dedicated to this vital part of the Temple Adas Israel experience. And, I am sure all of the celebrants and their parents would appreciate your attending a Bar or Bat Mitzvah to share their joy in the results. We have an exciting summer ahead...I look forward to seeing you all at our Temple events.

HEBREW SCHOOL: LEAH OPPENHEIMER..

Kendra Takton -Kent summarized our Fair Trade Chocolate Unit by saying "I learned that not all chocolate that tastes sweet, is sweet". The students also learned that more than 60% of the world’s chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast, is produced with rudimentary equipment and subsistence farming methods, by an estimated 204,000 children - little older than themselves. The children protested with letters to the major chocolate marketers...Mars, Nestles and Hershey. They raised $180 for the International Rescue Committee, which has programs for women and children in the Ivory Coast.

Tasting chocolate was the best part of the learning. But with study and thought along with the pleasure, they learned that you cannot harden your heart against suffering; like God and Moses, you have to decide to do something about it. I am very proud of our kids’ application to that cause.

The other big news this spring was the amazing success of our Bat Mitzvah students. Three have already celebrated... Mazel Tov to Rachel Pepper and the Peppers: Rebecca Dwoskin and the Dwoskins: Zoe Diskin and the Diskin Family. Like all of our Bar and Bat Mitzvah students, they learned ritual, Torah and created Tikkun Olam projects. I look forward to weeping with joy at the services of Oree Livni, Clara Oppenheimer and Zoe Vatash. These children will become blessings to their communities wherever they go.

On our other activities: The Boy’s Study Program has prepared another pair of talented students for Bar Mitzvah next year: Ben Klinghoeffer and George Mann. They have done well and contributed to services and social action. And the Parent’s Circle, a program which offers basic Jewish education to non-Jewish parents raising Jewish children, is about to wrap up for the year with a Shabbat Dinner.

Finally, a public thank you for eight years of teaching excellence and creativity by my friend and colleague Sue Lichtenstein, who is leaving us for full time work next year. She is a teachers’ teacher. She pushed the envelope of creativity to better communicate Jewish concepts to our students: she taught me how to incorporate art and spirituality into the work. And when we had problems, her humor and wit shone through where logic was useless. She is a woman beyond value in pearls, rubies and very sweet coffee.

WELCOMING OUR NEW STUDENT CANTOR...

Temple Adas Israel, welcomed JULIA RUBIN-CADRAIN as our new student Cantor on Friday evening May 28. Ms. Rubin-Cadrain will be a fourth third year cantorial student at Hebrew Union College’s School of Sacred Music in the fall.

She grew up in West Hartford, CT where she started her singing career in community choirs and local theater groups. She began studying voice at the Hartt School of Music while still in middle school. She went on to major in voice at the Greater Hartford Academy for the Arts, also in Hartford. She later graduated from the New England Conservatory in Boston as a voice major. She started Cantorial School at Hebrew Union College in 2005 and her student cantorial duties have led her to positions in Brookline, MA, Plano,Texas and at B’nai Jeshurun in Manhattan. In 2008 she traveled to Ukraine where she led Passover Seders throughout the country. Julia has a lovely voice and she exudes charm with her gracious smile and exuberance.

DAVE LEE REMEMBERS...recollections from his 48 years!

In the early sixties we had fixed the hole in the roof, demolished the outhouse on the property and stabilized the building with steel tie-rods. We had removed the bima and changed the area in front of the Oren Kodesh. The active members of the Temple at that time were The Spitzer, Katz/Rosenstein, Kelman, Matles and Lee families. We bought the empty field east of the Shul and decided to expand the building on that side, giving us much needed extra space. The sanctuary then began to take the shape it is today...but, we had to go into fund-raising mode. To raise money, the Spitzer family loaned us a large potato storage building. We cleaned it out and fixed up the place to host a giant dance. It was a great success attended by the whole community. We were very proud of the fact that we became an integral part of this historic town. As soon as it became public that Temple Adas Israel was holding this gala, all of Sag Harbor rallied behind us to make it a very successful event. One of the things that pleased me most was a visit to my store by one of the elders of the Old Whaler’s (Presbyterian) Church who brought a check for our Building Fund. He said that Temple Adas Israel was a very important part of the community and they felt they should support our efforts.

GRADUATION NEWS ...

Congratulations to High School graduates Nathaniel Oppenheimer, son of Dr. John and Leah Oppenheimer and Mark Mahoney, son of Bonnie and John Mahoney; and to Middle School graduate Jessica Gruenstein, daughter of Nicole and David Gruenstein.

PUBLICATION NEWS...

Erica-Lynn Huberty, daughter of Gail & Richard Gambino has just published Dog Boy and other Harrowing Tales. It is available on Amazon.com, BN.com and locally at Bookhampton’s stores.

NEWSWORTHY...

Board member Jonathan Glynn and his Wings over Haiti project received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for "outstanding service to the People of Haiti". Jonathan spoke about his experiences at the Temple on June 4th.

Board member James Dwoskin, one of the founders of SHINE (Sag Harbor in Nicaragua Enterprise) and Judy Spencer organized a successful benefit for SHINE at the Temple on June 13. There was music, a salsa lesson, sangria and food...tamales along with lovely veggie and fruit salads that Judy prepared, and special T-shirts were on sale. Close to 50 attended; awareness was raised in the Community and over $1200 was donated to help the cause. It was a fun afternoon.


PERSONNEL

RABBI LEON A. MORRIS: 631-725-0904

leonalanmorris@ gmail.com

DASEE BERKOWITZ: Educational Consultant

daseeb@gmail.com

STUDENT CANTOR: JULIA RUBIN-CADRAIN

Juliarubincadrain@gmail.com

ADMINISTRATOR: MARGARET BROMBERG

631-725-0904

PRESIDENT: NEAL FAGIN -631-835-2902

VICE PRESIDENT: ALAN LEAVITT -

SECRETARY: DAVID J. LEE

TREASURER: HOWARD CHWATSKY

HEBREW SCHOOL DIRECTOR: LEAH OPPENHEIMER

EDITOR, THE CHRONICLES: LEDA C. GOLDSMITH

BOARD MEMBERS: Jerry Cohen, Don Doctorow, James Dwoskin, Barbara Freedman, Jonathan Nash Glynn, Leda C. Goldsmith, Janet Grossman, Richard Hemley, Donald Katz, Howard Maisel, Richard Shapiro.

Honorary Board Member: Sylvia Lieberman

Associate Board Members: Margaret Bromberg, Mindy Cantor, Leah Oppenheimer, Phyllis Silver, Sandy Slipp

TEMPLE ADAS ISRAEL

Elizabeth Street & Atlantic Avenue...P.O. Box 1378

Sag Harbor, NY 11963

631-725-0904

 


SPRING 20102--NISSAN/IYAR 5770010


DECEMBER 2009 —KISLEV 5770

HAPPY HANUKKAH and other wonderful news!...

Our Temple’s Hanukkah celebration will begin at 5 PM on Friday December 11, at the Long Wharf where we will light the first candle on the Mega-Menorah, a joint effort of the Temple and Charles Egosi’s Sag Harbor Inn (owners of the Menorah). Afterwards, we will go directly to the Temple and begin our festivities with a Shabbat/Hanukkah Service at approximately 5:45 pm. As always, there will be FOOD...latkes and soufganiot... the traditional Hanukkah fare. Therefore, we need latke makers to bring their wares. We also need people to bring salads and other stuff to go with these goodies. Please let Margaret know what you will bring...631-725-0904.

After we eat, we’ll sing Hanukkah songs, tell Hanukkah stories and play Hanukkah games (including dreidel spinning). So come with kids and grandkids, prepared to "gamble" the night away.

Of course we all know the other wonderful news...that Rabbi Morris, his wife, Dasee and their most adorable son Tamir will be with us full time beginning this spring. This should put a smile on everyone’s face as it will put our Temple in a whole new league. Functioning full time means lots of new programs and ideas which both Rabbi Morris and Dasee will be sharing with us very soon. And Tamir will play happily, being lovingly watched over by congregants of all ages.

We can’t look toward the future without a brief mention of the past. Our High Holiday and Festival services were all very beautiful, meaningful to everyone, and very well attended. Simchat Torah was especially fun for all since we not only danced with the Torah –but with Tamir! During that evening’s service, Temple members were called to the bima for Aliyahs representing their decades. Since Joshua Gruenstein, age 10, was the only one representing the under 20 age group -he had the Aliyah for two decades, despite not having yet been a Bar Mitzvah...a most unusual honor for him and his family. The following morning, his sister, Jessica read from the Torah. At an earlier service, members of the Hebrew School participated in theYom Kippur afternoon service.

Someone found and sent us a blog from a woman who attended Yom Kippur services and blogged..among other things...."It is a warm and welcoming place for a wandering Jew like me". Nice tohear!

MESSAGE FROM RABBI LEON A. MORRIS...Dec.09

As we approach Hanukkah, I’d like you to know about an ancient debate between two famous Rabbinic schools of thought –Hillel and Shammai. It presents two options for the way candles are lit on the Menorah, both of which would allow someone from the outside, looking into the window of the house, to know which night of Hanukkah was being celebrated.

Shammai suggested that one light eight candles the first night, seven the second night, and so on, decreasing by one light each night of the festival...culminating in one light on the 8th night of Hanukkah. His justification for this position was that it corresponded to the decreasing number of festival offerings on Sukkot (the much older Biblical holiday on which Hanukkah was based).

Hillel, on the other hand, proposed doing it the way we do it today: one light on the first night, two on the second, continually increasing the number of lights until there are eight on the last night of Hanukkah. It is Hillel’s explanation for this that is most pertinent to us. Hillel said one should increase the number of lights each night because in matters of holiness one should always increase and not decrease.

This is an important message for us to incorporate into our observance of Hanukkah –to re-dedicate ourselves to increasing, and not decreasing in the areas of life that are most special and most distinctive. Hanukkah challenges us to increase the time we spend with our families, the acts of kindness we do for others, the amount of Tzedakah we give and the amount of time we volunteer. Hanukkah urges us to take on an additional mitzvah in our lives –to take an additional class about Jewish life or to attend synagogue more than we did the year before.

For our congregation, Hillel’s injunction seems quite timely. We are a congregation that continually increases in matters of holiness. We are developing new ways to coordinate our efforts in visiting the sick and have in place a team of volunteers to help families in the immediate aftermath of the death of a loved one. Also, artists among us are coordinating efforts to add an aesthetic dimension to our synagogue life.

Nothing could be a bolder statement of our desire to increase than the Board’s recent decision that the time has arrived for us to become a fully functioning, year round congregation with year round rabbinic leadership.

That decision meant far more than just inviting me and my family to move to Sag Harbor. Rather it meant an increasing ability to see our yet unfulfilled potential....what we can become...what kind of community we can be. It reflected the vision of increase...more members, more programs, more services, greater responsiveness to our members, and, hopefully, a deepened sense of Jewish identity and spirituality for all. Hillel would be proud of Temple Adas Israel’s recent decision to move forward!

IN THE NEWS...

Rabbi Leon Morris, was one of the first scholars named to the new Hartman North American Scholars Circle by the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel. This elite group of prominent Jewish leaders was "created to provide new ideas and responses to the moral and spiritual challenges facing contemporary North American Jewry", said Donniel Hartman, son of the Institute’s founder, and a member of its Israeli faculty.

He represented both TAI and the Skirball Center, as one of only 17 members of the 2009-2010 Scholars Circle all of whom are from prestigious learning centers including Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Stanford , Brandeis, Oxford and Temple Universities, Hebrew Union College and Park Avenue Synagogue.

The Shalom Hartman Institute, a pluralistic research and leadership institute founded by Rabbi David Hartman,"is at the forefront of Jewish thought and education and empowers scholars, rabbis, educators and lay leaders to develop new and diverse voices within the tradition, laying foundations for the future of Jewish life in Israel and around the world."

"I am honored to have the chance to study with such respected colleagues in a program only the Hartman Institute could envision," Rabbi Morris said

"I look forward to sharing ideas that are developed with my congregants and students."

Mazel Tov to Mark Mahoney (son of Bonnie Mahoney) who recently earned his Eagle Scout Badge. He was featured in an extensive interview in The Sag Harbor Express where he described the Eagle Scout process and his own route to the award. Mark was honored on October 18 at an installation ceremony during which Rabbi Morris delivered the Invocation and Benediction, and Dave Lee sang our National Anthem in his still quite British accent.

Kudos also to Temple Board member Jerry Cohen, who was featured in Real Estate New York for his work as Chairman of the Board of The Realty Foundation, an organization that offers a lifeline in the form of bridge assistance for those who have fallen on hard times.

HAPPY HANUKKAH TO ALL!

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT NEAL FAGIN...

By now you should have received letters from me and from Rabbi Morris and Dasee Berkowitz explaining that we are now a year round Temple, with our first full time rabbi. Dasee will serve us part time, as an educator, while continuing her consulting practice. This momentous change was well thought out, since it means a significant increase in our expenses. Before finalizing this plan, we reached out to many of you asking for a three year pledge of support to help us with our finances. We received a lot of pledges, yet we are still $30,000 a year short of what we need to sustain our new status. If we missed any of you, who are able to help, please e-mail me:

Sometime after the beginning of 2010 we will announce plans for an increase in dues. Also in the works is a major fundraiser early next summer. We are confident that our decision to move forward and provide our community with a full time synagogue is right, and that all of you will help in some way.

I always hate to solicit donations...but right now, in addition to the above, I am also looking for one or more of you to underwrite the purchase of 40 very comfortable chairs to be used as additional seating for members during the High Holidays, to make them feel like they are in the sanctuary. These chairs will match those we added a few years ago... beechwood with navy blue upholstered seats. The cost for the lot is $5400.00. Please help!

I look forward to hearing from many of you soon and to share all the joy that has come our way.

RONA KLOPMAN REPORTS...

I am happy to tell you that Temple Adas Israel’s first Israeli Film Festival at the Bay Street Theatre was well attended. The audiences especially appreciated the discussions following the films, led by Prof. Richard Gambino. We are looking forward to offering four more exceptional films next year.

Sixteen students are participating in the new Judaism 101 class, learning the basics of Judaism on Thursday evenings. It is a mixed class including Temple members and new students. The classes are friendly and non-judgmental and explore the fundamentals of Jewish traditions, customs, holidays and life cycle events. The Jewish understanding of God, essential Jewish texts and ethics are part of the 20 session course. Rabbi Morris attended a class during Sukkot to demonstrate the lulav and etrog. He was delighted with the group, since it fulfills a need for leaning about Judaism within the community.

I’d like to share (with her permission) a few excerpts from a letter I received from one student, Lindsey Jaffe...a Jew with a non-Jewish fiancé. ..." we are really enjoying the class and the sense of community it is providing for both of us...we are so grateful to you for teaching this class at Adas Israel... I am also grateful for the other students and a chance to build relationships with these wonderful people...and a temple so full of history... this network of family, values and tradition has given me a spiritual connection... it is something I hoped the class would help my fiancé understand... it is beyond my wildest expectation...you have created this place for us and it is such a gift..."

DAVE LEE REMEMBERS...

As the weather gets cooler I am reminded of a crisis we had back in the 1950's –- the dim and distant past. It was close to Hanukkah and we were planning a party to celebrate the festive occasion, and sing Hanukkah songs.

Our heating system consisted of an oil burner, installed in an old coal furnace, that heated the shul through a grate in the sanctuary floor. It was very inefficient at best --but it died completely just a few days before our party was scheduled.

We had very little money and went to see the local plumbing firm, R.C. Barry & Sons, on Main Street where we bought a new oil fired insert to be installed in our old coal furnace. Then we had to figure out how to pay for it. I remember clearly the price of the job...$650.00 and that was with a healthy discount. We raised what we could, about $275.00, and Hap Barry, the store’s owner allowed us to pay off the balance over a few months, which we did. Nettie Rosenstein (Gert Katz’s Mom), Ruth Rossuck, Mae Kelman (it was nice to see her in shul for the holidays), Vera Lee and Mary Matles ran a card party, as I recall. By the way, we had the furnace back in working order by Hanukkah, we had a good party and the furnace not only lasted 8 days for our local Maccabees, but for a long time thereafter. When we bought the empty lot next to the shul and built our extension, we put in a gas fired furnace to provide heat for both the new addition and the sanctuary. The heating -related job on our current agenda is to abandon the old, buried oil tank by draining it and filling it with special foam to prevent polluting the ground. Happy Hanukkah to all!

HEBREW SCHOOL NEWS...Leah Oppenheimer

Jewish education is at an all time high at TAI this year! In addition to our regular program, now serving 18 children and their families, we have several other offerings. The Bat Mitzvah class meets twice a week, Mondays as usual and Wednesdays to focus on Torah reading and liturgy. The five girls, Rebecca Dwoskin, Zoe Diskin, Zoe Vatash, Rachel Pepper and Clara Oppenheimer, are an inspiration to the other students as they actively move into synagogue life with Tzedakah projects and participation in Friday night services.

One of our new programs is Beit Boys for those who missed regular Hebrew School but who strongly desire a Bar Mitzvah. In 90 intense minutes these young men learn Hebrew, Tora in assisting at services. Stay tuned for more from these high energy students and their families. I believe they are ready for active participation in Temple life.

The Parents Circle is our other new venture. Using a curriculum from the Jewish Outreach Program, this 12 week series of classes offers families comprised of a Jewish and a non-Jewish parent intensive training in building a Jewish home. So far these families have learned about finding holy moments with their children, and framing
issues Jewishly. Our first Parents Circle Shabbat, Dec. 4th examined the "December Dilemma".

Look for our students at Shabbat services; don’t miss the Hanukkah party December 11th or the TuB’Shevat Seder on January 29. Be a part of the web of mitzvot that is Jewish living.

ROSH CHODESH NEWS... FROM GAIL GAMBINO

The Temple women's Rosh Chodesh group celebrates a year and a half of monthly gatherings this December. We welcomed two new members during the summer and are always pleased when another Temple member joins us.

We inaugurated three annual events this past year beginning with a summer picnic; then our second annual women's Mikveh, which was beautifully led by Dasee Berkowitz; and we also celebrated the East End harvest.

Perhaps stating the obvious, our meetings combine refreshments, reflection, learning, sharing and deepening friendships. Celebrating the Harvest allowed us to share some wonderful local food, to cook for one another and to experience a sense of gratitude for the unique place in which we live. We also spent some time looking at member-suggested themes for our meetings.

Under the umbrella of the significance of each month, we are developing a very interesting and challenging list of ideas which will serve as the core of our curriculum. For November's meeting, Eileen Moskowitz offered an intriguing and complex subject: The Nature of God in Reform Judaism. As she did last year, Eileen provided interesting research and a thoughtful and provocative outline for our discussion. Margaret Bromberg requested that we take a look at The Nature of Prayer which we integrated into our larger topic and focused on more personally in our circle of sharing.

It has been my goal to heighten abstract concepts with a personal reality and to integrate the study of Judaism within a larger secular, spiritual realm. We have reflected deeply upon the concept of balance--in Judaism and in our lives philosophically and psychologically. Our meetings will continue to reflect that...two examples of how we nurture one another... Myra Peskowitz is recuperating from surgery, so in November we took our monthly gathering to her. We will move to Sue Fisher's new "digs" in December to celebrate and bless the Mezuzah we gave her. Our discussions are thoughtful, our sharing is candid, our laughter is abundant and our connections are heartfelt. Please contact me, <Bdwybaby@optonline.net> if you would like to join us.

JANET GROSSMAN REPORTS...

The first Maureen’s Haven program for the homeless in our area has just started in the East Hampton Methodist Church. Since the program runs on Friday evenings, we can’t be there physically, but we can always help with our donations of goods and money. As one of the Hebrew School’s Tzedakah projects, the students are collecting packages of underwear for those who spend the night at the program. Scarves, gloves and winter hats are also needed. And, since there is no shower, they need disposable cloths for bathing- -three per person for each bath. These cloths are available at WalMart; it is estimated that 125 packages will be needed for the season. If you wish to donate any of these items please call Margaret at the Temple: 631-725-0904. The "guests" at Maureen’s Haven will be very appreciative. Thank you!

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT...Margaret Bromberg

Although we used to have a dormant season when our "busy season" came to an end after Simchat Torah, things around Temple Adas Israel now are anything but dormant. No time to hibernate as we are still sorting out and straightening up in the wake of the Fall Festivals while preparations for Hanukkah are underway.

In addition to special events, like the Hanukkah Party, our year round commitment to provide a Shabbat worship experience every Friday also requires attention and a dedicated core of prayer leaders and "followers" - the followers every bit as important as the leaders! Myra and Dan Peskowitz, Dave Lee, Leah Oppenheimer, Margaret Bromberg and Ann and Perry Silver have accepted the responsibility of leading prayers and we anticipate that Annette and Harry Heller, having recently returned from Israel, will share some impressions with us in on a Shabbat evening in the near future.

Once a month we spend a Friday evening at the home of a member; and when Student Cantor Donna Mashadi spends Shabbat with us, we share a meal at the synagogue after the Shabbat service. The Fagins and the Lees have hosted very successful Shabbat gatherings in their homes and we look forward to a Hanukkah Shabbat at the home of Allen and Beverley Fein. Later in the winter, the Zaretskys and the Schwabs will be our hosts. We need homes for our February and March gatherings, both on the 26th of the month.

During one of the workshops at a recent Bikkur Cholim Conference, I listened as we were encouraged to be sure to engage the talents of all volunteers as there is a "job for everyone".

I would like to add a twist to that by suggesting that each member of Temple Adas Israel think of what he or she might do to participate and support our Community. There truly is something for everyone and it doesn’t have to be work... attending a Friday night service is a very important contribution!

Myra Peskowitz is recovering from surgery at home. We wish her a full and speedy recovery.

We will miss the company and support of Sheila and Jerry Adelberg who will be in Arizona and California until March. We wish them easy travels and a safe return.

CALLING ALL TEMPLE ADAS ISRAEL COOKS...

Myra Peskowitz informs us that preparations are in the works for a cookbook containing recipes suitable for the Temple’s Pot Luck Dinners. These can be dishes you’ve already made for a Temple dinner –or other recipes appropriate for such an event....vegetarian or fish... NO MEAT, PLEASE. You may e-mail your recipes to Myra at: More about this in our next issue. And, while you’re writing your recipes, why don’t you include a snappy title for this cookbook and we’ll come up with a suitable prize if a winner is chosen from the submissions.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS...

We are delighted that the following new members and their families have joined us and we look forward to meeting all of them soon: Jackie Berg, Faith and David Diskin, with daughters, Jade and Zoe; Dr. Ira Blaufarb, Dr. Richard Blum, Marvin and Diana Chudnoff, Robert Fleischer and Susan Raanan, Rhonda and Arnold Finkelstein, Todd and Shanna France with sons, Henry and Abraham, Judy Greenwald and James Kyprios, Judith Hollander, Fred and Greta Kahn, Steve Levy, Wendy Marks, Jolie Parcher and Perry Burns with sons Baxter and Kai Parcher-Charles; Ellen Ruby, Karen and Irving Schwab, Shirley Silver, Susan and Bruce Steger and Lorne and Luke Weil.

REMINDER... the Bat Mitzvah class is collecting coats for the homeless, to be distributed by the Southampton Tire Center. PLEASE bring wearable winter coats for men and big boys to Temple NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 11th. There is a bin outside to drop them in. That will be a perfect Hanukkah Mitzvah!

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

PERSONNEL

RABBI LEON A. MORRIS: 212-508-0981
<Leon@adultjewishlearning.org>
 

Student Cantor DONNA MASHADI
<primadonna55@yahoo.com>
 

ADMINISTRATOR: MARGARET BROMBERG
<adasisrael11963@optonline.net>
 

PRESIDENT: NEAL FAGIN -631-835-2902
<CaptainFagin@aol.com>
 

VICE PRESIDENT: ALAN LEAVITT -
<Leavittny@aol.com>
 

SECRETARY: DAVID J. LEE
<Davelee_11963@yahoo.com>
 

TREASURER: HOWARD CHWATSKY
<HowardChwatsky@aol.com
 

HEBREW SCHOOL DIRECTOR: LEAH OPPENHEIMER
<Loppenhe@optonline.net>
 

EDITOR, THE CHRONICLES: LEDA C. GOLDSMITH
<Leda.gpg@verizon.net>
 

BOARD MEMBERS: Jerry Cohen, Don Doctorow, James Dwoskin, Barbara Freedman, Jonathan Nash Glynn, Leda C. Goldsmith, Janet Grossman, Richard Hemley, Donald Katz, Howard Maisel, Richard Shapiro.

Honorary Board Member: Sylvia Lieberman

Associate Board Members: Margaret Bromberg, Mindy Cantor, Leah Oppenheimer, Phyllis Silver, Sandy Slipp

TEMPLE ADAS ISRAEL

Elizabeth Street & Atlantic Avenue...P.O. Box 1378

Sag Harbor, NY 11963

631-725-0904

e-mail: <adasisrael11963@optonline.net>

website<www.templeadasisrael.org>
 


Phone 631-725-0904

On the web www.templeadasisrael.org

TEMPLE ADAS ISRAEL
P.O. BOX 1378
Sag Harbor, NY 11963

 

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