Friday, November 25, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving


Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving can happen every day...

Not the feast in which so many of us are about to indulge – our waist lines and cholesterol counts could never afford it – but the original meaning of giving thanks:  showing gratitude for what we’ve been given.  Our ancestors would make pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem on the harvest festivals.  They would stand before the kohen, the priest, in the Temple and recite, “My father was a wandering Aramean.  He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there…The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us….Adonai freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand…bringing us to this place and giving us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, Adonai, have given me.”  Our ancestors would then give the first fruits of their harvests to the Templeas an offering to God.

Giving thanks means giving back.  This evening at my family’s Thanksgiving feast I will be asking everyone at the table to make a donation to the Center for Food Action in Englewood.  But, our giving should not stop at Thanksgiving nor need it come only in the form of tzedakah, financial support.  It can come in the form of giving time to organizations in the community, many of which really need you in order to do what they do. 

Temple Sinai needs you to volunteer your time with us. Your fellow members have created the attached information to identify ways for you to participate – addressing the needs of our religious school, helping members in need, planning social action, community projects and lots more.

So let us know about where you would like to participate. Reach out to our Membership Chair David Klein, our Executive Director Jeff Katz or me to get started.  Let this Thanksgiving be a beginning of a lifetime of giving thanks by giving back.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Jordan

Friday, November 18, 2011

Giving Thanks Together


Dear Friends,

Our Jewish tradition teaches that we should give thanks each day, and at numerous times during the day (e.g. when we eat), for what God has given us.   Ironically, the holiday we call, “Thanksgiving,” comes but once a year and it is not a Jewish holiday.  Be that as it may, there is no reason not to celebrate Thanksgiving and when we do so, to make it an opportunity to spend a moment actually giving thanks.  For prayers you can say, go to:  http://blogs.rj.org/reform/2011/11/thanksgiving-prayers-service.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rjblog+%28RJ+Blog%29

The other thing I highly recommend is to attend the Tenafly Interfaith Thanksgiving service this coming Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at The Church of the Atonement, 97 Highwood Ave. at Engle Street in Tenafly.  We have been joining together with several churches and representatives of the Islamic community in Tenafly for this service for several years now and I can say it has been a real treat.  Cantor Nitza works on the music and several of our Temple members participate. 

Joining together in prayer and thanksgiving is especially important at this time in the life of our community and our nation.  As you know, our civil society has been severely challenged in recent years and positive experiences in the public square are few and far between.  This service (and the wonderful reception that follows) is a great opportunity for us to take a stand against this trend by building positive relationships with our neighbors of other faiths.  Many of our neighbors came to Temple Sinai a few years ago when we hosted this service.  I hope you can find the time to reciprocate and join us at the Church of the Atonement this year.

If you are planning to attend and it is at all possible please bring a donation for the Center for Food Action of any of the following items:  dry milk, 100% juice, peanut butter and jelly, toothpaste, toothbrushes, supermarket gift cards, bar soap, baby formula, diapers size 4, 5, or 6, canned vegetables or canned tuna.  Also, checks can be made out to “The Center for Food Action”.

May you have a Shabbat Shalom and a Happy Thanksgiving.

Jordan

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Trip to Israel Meeting THIS Sunday


 Dear Friends,

A visit to the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism…a bar mitzvah at the South Wall of Herod’s Temple…a swim in the Dead Sea…wine tasting at a Golan winery…a pilgrimage to Yad Vashem, Israel’s unparalleled Holocaust museum…spelunking in the caves of Beit Guvrin…a night out on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv…a day walk through the narrow alleyways and art galleries of mystical Safed…

What do you want to experience on YOUR trip to Israel?

Come and tell us this Sunday at 10:00 am at an introductory meeting about Temple Sinai’s first congregational trip to Israel in over 25 years!  The trip will take place during the school break at the end of December in 2012.  But, we must start planning now.  The meeting Sunday will be held in the conference room, which is across from the kitchen, behind the social hall, upstairs from the religious school wing.  It will last approximately 45 minutes.  The meeting is for anyone who is considering going, whether you are sure or just thinking about it.

If you can’t attend please reply to this email and let me know about you and your family’s interest. 

Join Temple Sinai’s congregational trip to Israel and say, “Am Yisrael Chai!” – “The People of Israel Lives!”

L’shalom,

Jordan

Friday, November 11, 2011

Evil Inclination

Dear Friends,

This week the headlines were ablaze with two very different scandals. The first, the sexual harassment scandal of presidential candidate ofHerman Cain. The second and more disturbing, the scandal at Penn State surrounding former Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky that has toppled legendary coach, Joe Paterno, and accomplished university president, Graham Spanier. The actions of the two perpetrators, Mr.Cain and Mr. Sandusky, cannot really be compared. Herman Cain’s behavior was sleazy and wrong. Sexual harassment is a terrible thing and should never be allowed or condoned. The child abuse and pedophilia of Jerry Sandusky, on the other hand, is so thoroughly depraved that one cannot think about it without getting nauseous.

Despite these differences, the behavior of the two men do have a couple of things in common that point us to similar lessons. The Talmud teaches, “The greater the man, the greater his evil inclination.” (Tractate Sukkah 52a) That is, as a person’s prominence, power or wealth grows so does their temptation and tendency to engage in acts that are inappropriate or worse. Power, fame and fortune multiply one’s opportunities to take advantage of and harm others. At the same time, they can also distort a person’s ego giving him or her a sense of entitlement or feeling of invincibility. Moreover, there is a connection between sexuality and power, sexuality and charisma, fame and fortune, that can drive those with it to do things that are deeply troubling.

Cain and Sandusky were in many ways “great” men. Sandusky was a brilliant defensive coach; some thought he was the genius behind a lot of Coach Paterno’s success at Penn State. He was a huge figure in State College, a small town, where he was treated, in many ways, like royalty. Herman Cain was a great entrepreneur and budding political star. His charisma helped him outshine many of his opponents and drew many followers. I know I need not remind you of a recent President of the United States who had similar qualities and was also unable to control his libido, engaging in sexual harassment and worse. For the record, I believed at the time of President Clinton’s scandal that he should have resigned and I believe now that Herman Cain should end his candidacy. Their behavior was shameless and people who commit such acts, who use their power to take sexual advantage of others, should not be allowed in positions of power. As far as Sandusky is concerned, they should lock him up and throw away the key. He is beyond the pale.

Also troubling is the behavior of those who witnessed or were aware of these acts. Sports fans, like myself, who have followed the Penn State story carefully cannot understand why Joe Paterno and President Spanier did not act clearly and forcefully to stop the sexual predator and child molester in their midst. They have rightly been dismissed from their positions. In the case of Herman Cain, it is those who were harassed by him who were also the witnesses to those acts. By keeping quiet for all these years, by accepting settlements from the National Restaurant Association, “hush money” in exchange for keeping quiet, they, too, are complicit in allowing Mr. Cain to continue his behavior with others. The Talmud teaches us that those who witness a person committing a sin are obligated to take action to try to stop them. If they have the ability to stop the perpetrator and they do not then, our tradition teaches, the sin belongs to the witness as well. Paterno may not be legally guilty of a crime under American law but morally he committed a grave offense.

“Who is mighty? One who controls his evil inclination,” Pirkei Avot teaches us. For a Jew, true power lies in one’s ability to control one’s destructive urges, whether one is “great” or ordinary. True greatness lies in the extent to which one lives a righteous life, including one’s willingness to stop those who lack such control from harming others.

Shabbat Shalom,
Jordan

Friday, November 4, 2011

The BIGGEST, BESTEST Gathering


Dear Friends,

Can you imagine what it might be like to join with thousands of other Reform Jews at a life-changing Shabbat service?

Have you ever wanted to have a chance to be in the audience when the President of the United StatesBarack Obama, speaks about topics that matter to you as a Jew?

Are you curious to discover more about Judaism?  More about Reform Judaism?

Here’s your chance! Join with Jews from around the country and with a growingTemple Sinai contingent to attend the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial (national convention) being held this year in WashingtonDC from December 14 – 18. I will be there and more than ten congregational leaders and members are already planning to join me at this remarkable event.

Through November 11, discounted registration is available.  To read more about the convention, the programming, and the attendance options, please click on the following link: http://urjbiennial.zerista.com/.

We are excited by the many programs, presentations, seminars, music and services and are reaching out to invite you to attend and to share in the experience.  The biennial is very special and everyone who has previously participated has universally enjoyed the experience.

If you have any questions or if you would like to express interest in attending, please contact David Klein who has additional information and can help to answer your questions. Contact David at 917-836-4646 or via email at hh608@aol.com. Of course, you can also contact me or reach out to our Executive Director, Jeff Katz.

Shabbat Shalom,
Jordan

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Storm follow-up + New Opportunities


Dear Friends,

On behalf of the staff and leadership of our congregation I want to let you know that we are thinking of all of you who continue to suffer without power or are struggling with significant damage to your property.  I have been touched by the many stories I have heard and am glad that the Temple has been able to lend a little help to a number of our members.  If there is anything else we can do to help, or if you have heard of people who are having a particularly hard time, please let us know.  We want to be there for all of you.

In the meantime, for those of you whose lives have returned to near normal or for those whose lives have not but are looking for a place to come in out of the cold, I want to highlight some of the terrific new opportunities we have lined up for this week at Temple Sinai.  Don’t blink or you’ll miss these great new programs:

  1. Wednesday evening, Nov 2nd, 7:30 p.m – The opening session of an “Introduction to Judaism” course sponsored by the Union for Reform Judaism and hosted by Temple Sinai.  Have you always felt that you don’t know the basics of Judaism that others seem to know?  This class is for you!  Rabbi Leana Moritt, an outstanding teacher in our community will be teaching.  This course is for adults of all ages, Jewish and not Jewish, who would like to learn about our faith.  One need not be a Temple member to participate.  Come to this opening session to learn more. 
  2. Thursday evening, Nov 3, 7:00 p.m. – Steven Simon, long-time member of Temple Sinai, will be telling his story of surviving the Holocaust as a refugee and hidden child in France.  This program is sponsored by Temple Sinai’s Renaissance group.
  3. Thursday evening, Nov 3 – “ECC Mom’s Night Out”.  Contact Sage at eccoffice@templesinaibc.org for more information.
  4. Friday evening, Nov 4, 6:00 p.m. -  Tot Shabbat . at 6:00 p.m. followed by Shabbat Dinner for young families at 6:30 p.m.  We will be welcoming all new ECC families to our community.  Contact Sage at eccoffice@templesinaibc.org to rsvp for dinner.
  5. Sunday, Nov 6 – “God Talk,” a new discussion series that I am leading starts this coming Sunday at 11:00 a.m.  Come for the free bagels or for the discussion or both.  Bring your thoughts, doubts, and questions about God.  No thought too heretical, no question beyond the pale. 
  6. Sunday, Nov 6 – Mitzvah Day!  Come to Temple Sinai to donate blood between 8:45 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; register by going to www.jfnnj.org to participate in renovation projects with Bonim Builders or **NEW** do craft projects with residents of Buckingham in Norwood, a rehabilitation and nursing care facility.   This will be a wonderful opportunity for our volunteers to interface with residents of their Korean wing. Fostering relationships with the Korean community is one of the goals of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Northern New Jersey this year.  Also, please bring the following to TempleSunday or sooner for our Mitzvah Day collections: 
School supplies – New pens, pencils, crayons, markers, rulers, notebooks, highlighters, scissors, erasers, folders, glue sticks, glue or any other unused classroom supplies. 
Gardening supplies – Seeds, potting soil, small pots and gardening tools.
Arts and Crafts Projects – Not supplies, but art projects sold in the store for children that can be done in bed, e.g. Pixos, Mosaics, Crayola Explosion, etc.

May we all be safe, warm and engaged in Jewish living.

Take care,

Jordan (Rabbi Millstein)