Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Friends,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We still need a few more people to join our Temple Sinai team of volunteers who will be going with Nechama this Sunday to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Please contact Matt Libien at  demott50@yahoo.com or cell 2017882077.

For those interested in making their Thanksgiving celebration more than an exercise in exercising their mandibular muscles, below please find a Thanksgiving prayer that I will be bringing to my family’s celebration this afternoon.  Below that is the “Prayer for the State of Israel” and links to other prayers for Israel and for peace, so appropriate at this time.  May the cease fire that began yesterday hold and, “May the One who brings peace to the high heavens, bring peace to us, to all Israel and all the world.”  Amen.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

By Rabbi Naomi Levy 

Found at  www.ritualwell.org

For the laughter of the children,

For my own life breath,

For the abundance of food on this table,

For the ones who prepared this sumptuous feast,

For the roof over our heads,

The clothes on our backs,

For our health,

And our wealth of blessings,

For this opportunity to celebrate with family and friends,

For the freedom to pray these words

Without fear,

In any language,

In any faith,

In this great country,

Whose landscape is as vast and beautiful as her inhabitants.

Thank You, God, for giving us all these. Amen.

[From TALKING TO GOD: Personal Prayers for Times of Joy, Sadness, Struggle, and Celebration (Alfred A. Knopf, New York)]

 

Prayer for the State of Israel (authorship is generally credited to Nobel Prize Laureate Shmuel Yosef Agnon)

Our Father in Heaven, Rock and Redeemer of the people Israel; Bless the State of Israel, with its promise of redemption. Shield it with Your love; spread over it the shelter of Your peace. Guide its leaders and advisors with Your light and Your truth. Help them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our Holy Land. Deliver them; crown their efforts with triumph. Bless the land with peace, and its inhabitants with lasting joy. And let us say: Amen.

For Prayers for Peace at this time see:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.jstreet.org/images/Prayer_for_Peace_in_a_Time_of_War_ASklover_final2.pdf

http://blogs.rj.org/blog/2012/11/15/prayers-for-peace-in-the-middle-east/

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Jordan Millstein

Rabbi's Message: Thanksgiving Back

Dear Friends,

Long before the Pilgrims are said to have celebrated their harvest with a Thanksgiving festival in Plymouth Colony in 1621, our ancestors in ancient Israel celebrated their harvests with thanksgiving festivals:  Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot.  (In fact, the American Thanksgiving is said to have its roots in the Jewish fall harvest festival of Sukkot.)  A central part of these thanksgiving festivals for our biblical forebears was the mitzvah of bringing the first fruits of their harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to God.  In so doing they established what, to this day, is a basic Jewish principle of giving thanks:  Giving thanks means giving back. 

This Thanksgiving presents many of us with a special reason to be thankful and give back.  Perhaps you feel as I do that having gotten through Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath without injury or significant property damage we should be grateful.  Meanwhile, as you well know, there are many who were not so fortunate.  There are a number of ways that you can give back and help the victims of Hurricane Sandy:

This Sunday, November 25th, Matt Libien, our Tikkun Olam chair, is leading a group of Temple members who will be volunteering with the Jewish disaster relief organization, NECHAMA.  NECHAMA, which in Hebrew means, “comfort” or “compassion,” has been taking groups of volunteers from our community to various sites in the metropolitan area to do clean-up work.  This Sunday the crew from Tenafly will be made up of Temple Sinai members.  As of this moment, we need 7 more people to be part our NECHAMA team.  It is physical work so one needs to be in decent shape and at least 16 years old to participate.  The group will leave at 7:45 a.m. from the Temple parking lot.  Contact Matt Libien at demott50@yahoo.com or cell 2017882077 if you want to participate.

If you would like to give back by giving tzedakah, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Hurricane Relief fund has collected $326,000 to date, including $8,000 for West End Temple in Neponsit, NY, in the Rockaways.  You may recall that I shared with you my colleague, Rabbi Margie Slome’s, moving report on the day after the storm, in which she described how her Temple was devastated by flooding.  Go to http://urj.org/socialaction/issues/relief/hurricanes/ to give to either the general hurricane relief fund or the fund dedicated to helping West End Temple in Neponsit.

For other ways to help hurricane victims through the Jewish community and elsewhere I highly suggest visiting the dedicated section of the web site of my friend, Rabbi Don Weber’s congregation, Temple Rodeph Torah of Marlboro, NJ:  www.sandyhelp.trt.org.

When our ancestors gave thanks at their harvest festivals they gave thanks for the land that God had given them, the Land of Israel.  I don’t have to tell you that our brothers and sisters living in that Land need our support right now.  The New York Times reported a few minutes ago that Egyptian officials are saying that a cease fire declaration was close.  In the Middle East, however, one should never count one’s chickens before they hatch.  Moreover, even if hostilities stop, there will be still be a great need for funds for the recovery effort.  You can go to the web site of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, www.jfnnj.org, or of the URJ, at           
www.urj.org/israel, to contribute to the Jewish community’s terror relief fund.  Monies will go to The Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and ORT, to deliver immediate services and assistance on the ground throughout the southern part of the country. Such services include trauma counseling, financial assistance, portable bomb shelters, and potentially other initiatives including bringing children in the strike zones out of harm’s way.

Last but not least, don’t forget to support our local organizations that help those in need.  Local needs are often neglected when disasters strike elsewhere.  For several years I have collected donations from members of my family at our Thanksgiving dinner for the Center for Food Action in Englewood.  Perhaps you will choose to adopt this custom. 

Whatever you do, remember that giving thanks means giving back!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Rabbi Jordan Millstein

Operation Amud Anan + Rabbi Yoffie This Weekend!

Dear Friends,

I know you join me in my deep concern and prayers for our brothers and sisters in the State of Israel. More than 275 rockets from Gaza have exploded in Israel since Israel's assassination of Ahmad Jabari, the head of Hamas' military wing, on Wednesday. Tragically, three Israelis were killed in a rocket strike on Kiryat Malakhi on Thursday. Some of the rockets fired Thursday landed in Holon and Rishon Letzion, where my wife has relatives. Two rockets were aimed at Tel Aviv but, fortunately, landed in the sea. In speaking with our new co-youth advisor at Temple Sinai, Anat Katzir, an Israeli who just moved to Tenafly, I learned that many residents of the south have fled north to stay with relatives or friends. She also mentioned that many of her fellow reservists in the IDF intelligence services were called up.

The name of the current IDF operation in Gaza is “Amud Anan.” It means, “Pillar of Cloud” and refers to the “Pillar of Cloud” through which God protected our people as we fled from Pharoah’s armies at the Red Sea. May God protect our people now as God did then, help bring a quick end to the shelling by Hamas and Operation “Amud Anan” with as little suffering as possible.

If you would like to make a donation to help those who are suffering from the rocket attacks in Israel you can give to the Jewish Federations of North America Israel Terror Relief Fund.

Meanwhile, we are privileged to have Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the immediate past-president of the Union for Reform Judaism, join us at Shabbat evening services at 8:00 p.m. to begin his weekend with us as our scholar-in-residence. Rabbi Yoffie has been a tireless advocate for the State of Israel throughout his career, including a number of years when he served as the Director of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America. I highly recommend reading the piece he wrote on the current conflict that was published in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, today.

And please join us tomorrow evening at 8:00 p.m. when Rabbi Yoffie will speak at services; at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning (free bagels and coffee included) and Sunday morning at 9:30 when he will speak about Israel at a breakfast sponsored by our Brotherhood. Now, more than ever, it is important that we come together as a community.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jordan Millstein

Storm and Storm Response II

Dear Friends,

Normally, when you find yourself talking about the weather it’s because you don’t have much else to say.  But, there is nothing normal about the weather that we’ve had over the past couple of weeks.  I just watched a very distressing news report about people on Staten Island who are living in a hotel because their homes were destroyed in the hurricane.  Tonight they are freezing because the hotel has no power and the temperatures have plummeted. My heart goes out to them and I know you join me in praying for everyone in our region who is suffering in the cold and snow this evening.  I imagine some of you have lost your power again tonight and perhaps others of you never got it back after the hurricane.  Please let me know if you or others you know in the Temple are without power. We are thinking of you.     

Tomorrow, our Early Childhood Center will be opening at 11:00 a.m. after a two hour delay.  Anyone who has lost power or just wants to come by can do so at that time.

Below please find a note from Matt Libien, Temple Board Member and Chair of our Tikkun Olam Committee.  As you may know, Matt ran a remarkable collection drive last Sunday and he is organizing another one this week.  Thank you, Matt, for working so hard to help all of us do this important mitzvah and help those in need.  Please read his note below carefully so that you can participate.

Take care,

Jordan

Dear Friends,

I hope this email finds you well.  I know that many of you have had your power restored and have finally been able to get back to work.  I am truly grateful and impressed with everyone's response to last Sunday's collection drive.  The Northern Valley community responded in a strong way.  We wound up taking 11 Minivan full loads to the Maywood collection point.  They were truly impressed with the amount of supplies that we were able to generate.

Because the response was so strong and at the request of many, we are holding another collection drive this Sunday at Temple Sinai from 8am to 1pm.  Many people have already brought supplies to Temple Sinai and they are holding them until Sunday.  If you prefer, you are able to bring supplies to the Temple all week during business hours or any time the Temple is open.  These supplies can be brought to the office or given to any of the staff.  On Sunday we will be outside near the building entrance bordering the side parking lot.  We will drive over to a collection point in Paramus after 1pm.  This collection is being coordinated by the Rotary District of Bergen, Passaic, and Hudson counties.  Rotary will then organize the donation and deliver the supplies to where they are needed.  Rotary is an entirely volunteer organization.

We will need volunteers to be there for the collection and to help with the delivery.  I know that many of you will step up.  Please let me know your availability via email or call, 2017882077. 

Here are the items needed:

Paper Soup Bowls, Plastic Spoons and Forks, Cases of Bottled Water, Canned Soup, Non-Perishable Food Items, Pet Food, Baby Formula, Diapers, Hand Sanitizer, Toiletries, Sweatshirts, New or Clean Used Clothes, Cleaning Supplies, Garbage Bags,
Batteries, and Power Strips (Outlet Strips)

This time around we have been asked to separate new clothes from used clothes.  There is also a separate drive for new underwear and new socks.  If new underwear and new socks are donated, we can bring them to the Maywood distribution point and they are bringing them directly to Staten Island and the Rockaways.  In Moonachie, due to space constraints, they are looking only for small dollar amount gift cards($10) and school supplies.  If we have enough volunteers, we can separate these items and bring them directly to the Wood Ridge Civic Center.

I was truly humbled by your response last week.  Let’s do it one more time!  Please spread the word.

Sincerely,

Matt Libien

Anwering a Prayer

Dear Friends,

After lighting the candles at Temple last night and praying that light be brought back into our homes this afternoon my family became one of the lucky ones to have power restored to our house.  I pray that the rest of you who still are in the dark this “Motzei Shabbat” (Lit:  the time after Shabbat leaves, i.e. Saturday night) have your electricity restored soon as well.  And may you find a gas station with less than a two hour wait!

In the meantime, there are many others whose problems are far worse than not having power in their homes or gas for their cars.  While the devastation on the Jersey Shore, Long Island and areas on the water in NYC are well known there are also people right here in Bergen County who were very hard hit by the storm.  Half a dozen levies gave way on the Hackensack River and water poured into a number of towns alongside it.  Moonachie, Little Ferry, and Carlstadt were flooded and many of their residents are now sleeping in shelters around the county with few or no possessions - some with just the clothes on their backs. This includes children who have no idea why this happened.

Matt Libien, Temple Sinai’s Tikkun Olam Committee chair, will be at Temple Sinai tomorrow morning  from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. collecting items to bring to those affected by the flood along the Hackensack River. Whatever is donated will be brought over to a collection point in Maywood and then will be distributed the same day. 

Here are the items needed:
Paper Soup Bowls, Plastic Spoons and Forks, Cases of Bottled Water, Canned Soup, Non-Perishable Food Items, Pet Food, Baby Formula, Diapers, Hand Sanitizer, Toiletries, Sweatshirts, New or Clean Used Clothes, Cleaning Supplies, Garbage Bags, Batteries, and Power Strips (Outlet Strips)

Matt will be driving them over himself.  But he could use some help.  If you have a truck or van and can drive to Maywood tomorrow to drop off these sorely needed supplies it would be a great mitzvah.  Also, Matt may need some people to help load his van and any other vehicles if we are fortunate to get a lot of donations.  Please contact Matt at  201-788-2077.

Also, I want to remind you that the blood mobile will be at Temple Sinai all morning tomorrow.  Please donate blood.  We will also be registering people for the bone marrow donor registry. 

And don’t forget that tomorrow is open house for our religious school families!

Shavua Tov – May you all have a much better week this week than last!

Jordan

Tragedy and Response

Dear Friends,

I am sure you were as shocked and distressed as I was to learn of the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Sandy in certain parts of the Tri-State area.  It is hard to believe that such devastation could happen here.  I was touched by a posting on Facebook by one of my colleagues and mentors when I was in rabbinical school, Rabbi Margie Slome, who serves West End Temple, the Reform congregation in Neponsit, NY:  “Our first floor has been flooded out….all of our Mishkan T’filah [prayer books] and revised Torah commentaries are soggy….The pews were uprooted.  Our newly donated sound system…probably doesn’t work….I knocked on the doors of as many frail elderly as I could. Some who refused/couldn’t leave….Houses are on fire….”  Our hearts go out to Rabbi Slome and her congregation and countless others who lost homes and businesses during this storm. If you want to help, you can give to the Union for Reform Judaism Hurricane Emergency Fund. 

If you want to help rebuild West End Temple in Neponsit you can contribute directly to Rabbi Slome’s discretionary fund:  RDF of West End Temple c/o Rabbi Margie Slome, 152 Westminster Rd., Brooklyn, NY  11218    

At the same time, I am still wondering about you – members of our Temple Sinai community – and what has happened to you these past few days.  Even if it is just to say, “We don’t have power but we’re OK,” please let me know by emailing me at  rabbimillstein@templesinaibc.org or texting or calling me at 201-655-0266.  I don’t have the ability to respond to everyone given the state of our communications but I’ll worry less if I hear from you.  (I guess that’s the Jewish mother in me!)  Of course, if things are not OK, I want to know that as well.  Perhaps, our Paul Winter Helping Hands Committee can find a way to help.  At the very least, we can lend a sympathetic, listening ear. 

At the same time we would like to invite all of you to have Shabbat “pasta dinner” tomorrow evening at the Temple at 6:30 p.m.  We will provide the dinner; you bring a beverage and dessert.  There is no charge, though donations are welcome. Please RSVP to ambennoun@verizon.net or text 201-658-9103.  We are very grateful to Temple and Sisterhood board member, Anne Marie Bennoun, for organizing and cooking this dinner.  Last night, thanks to the efforts of Ann Marie and other volunteers, we served dinner to nearly 50 Temple members whose homes are without power.  Still others dropped by the Temple to charge their cell phones or other devices, get a cup of coffee or just get out of the cold and dark. We will be open until 8:00 p.m. tonight and open again at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday (Shabbat) and Sunday.

Last but not least I would like to ask if any of you reading this have any gasoline in a can that you would be willing to give or sell to another Temple member.  A number of people have generators but have run out of gas, which is now very difficult to purchase.  Please notify me by email at  rabbimillstein@templesinaibc.org.

Temple Sinai provides many programs and services to our members.  But, we are much more than an agency or institution.  We are a community of people who are there for one another in good times and bad.  We are a Temple Family.

 Shabbat Shalom,

Jordan