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

Not Just Any Class

Dear Friends,

It’s not every day that the likes of Yossi Klein Halevi, noted author, columnist and expert on Israel and the Middle East, drops by to do a workshop for a small group of New Jersey rabbis.  It would have to be for something very special – and indeed it is.  On Monday, I will be part of a small group of rabbinic colleagues to study with Professor Halevi  to help prepare us to teach the participants in our iEngage, the “Engaging Israel Project” of the Shalom Hartman Institute.  Halevi is one of the scholars who designed the curriculum and who are continuing to produce cutting-edge new material as part of the Engaging Israel Project.  At the center of curriculum are 9 recorded video lectures by Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, president of the Hartman Institute.  The lectures also include the teaching of other esteemed professors and experts on Israel, the Middle East and world Jewry, e.g. Professor Shlomo Avineri of Hebrew University, Professor Moshe Halbertal of Hebrew University and NYU Law School and Dr. Yehuda Kertzer of Brandeis, among others. 

Nineteen students have already signed up to participate in the iEngage program, which will meet on 18 Monday nights this fall and winter, from 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai.  Our opening session will take place on Monday evening, October 29th at 8:00 p.m.  (It was originally scheduled to begin this Monday, October 22, but we moved it back one week so as not to conflict with the last presidential election debate.)  It is not too late to sign up but we need you to do so ASAP so we can order the source materials for you from the Hartman Institute.   The cost is $36 total for members of Temple Sinai and $50 for non-members.  The program is subsidized by the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey and the Adler Family Innovation Fund, as well as Temple Sinai.  Please contact Sage Aidekman at saidekman@templesinaibc.org or 201-568-3075 by Tuesday to register.

And there is one more special treat:  On Thursday evening, November 1st at 7:30 Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman will be delivering the keynote lecture for the iEngage series at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades.  The lecture is entitled, ‘The “Tribes” of Israel’.  Rabbi Hartman will discuss the perception that Jewish life in Israel and North America reflect radically different Judaisms and “tribal” affiliations, and the challenge that this presents to a more unified Jewish world.

I am very excited to study with Yossi Klein Halevi and Rabbi Donniel Hartman, as I was privileged to do several summers ago when I attended the Shalom Hartman Institute summer program for rabbis.  I would be even more excited to have you join me on the iEngage journey with me.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jordan Millstein

p.s.  Some of you who have been following my email blasts and blogs over the years may have expected me to write about the ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York yesterday, which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, the law that prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage.  So here it is:  hooray for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals!  Stay tuned for the big moment when this issue finally goes to the Supreme Court.

The Debate is On - This Sunday at 9:30 am

Dear Friends,

With the fall holiday season having come to a close it is time now to move on to…debate season!  The season actually began with last week’s presidential debate in Denver, which left Democrats with agita and Republicans jubilant.  Who knows what we will witness this Thursday night when Vice President Biden and Congressman Ryan get together at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky?

All of this, of course, is mere prelude to the big showdown, which takes place this Sunday at our very own Temple Sinai between Congressman William Pascrell (D) and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (R), candidates for Congress in the 9^th NJ Congressional District.  OK, granted, we won’t have Jim Lehrer hosting and 70 million people watching on T.V.  On the other hand, no one was serving you free bagels and coffee for the presidential debates, as our Brotherhood will this Sunday.  In all seriousness, it’s quite an honor for Temple Sinai and our Brotherhood to be chosen to host this important local event which is sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, and the New Jersey Jewish Standard. 

This Sunday’s debate at Temple Sinai will also represent a rare moment for Jews in our local community from across the political and religious spectrum to come together.  As I discussed in my sermon on Yom Kippur, there are so many divisions within our community, yet we are all “holding onto the same tallit.”  We need to make an effort to engage one another in open, civil dialogue. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to do so. 

Breakfast starts at 9:30 a.m.  The debate itself will run from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. See below for more details. I hope you can make it. 

As I mentioned in my Yom Kippur morning sermon as well, I am looking for a few good women and men, conservatives and liberals, to participate in a Sunday morning political dialogue group.  Our goal will not be to get everyone to agree (a crazy thought in any Jewish group), but to get a small group of people with strong views to listen and learn from one another.  Please contact me at rabbimillstein@templesinaibc.org or 201-655-0266 x202 if you are interested.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Jordan Millstein

What Did I Forget For The Holidays?

Dear Friends,

There are so many things coming at us at this time of year it is almost impossible not to forget something.  So, we’ve prepared the following in the hope that it saves you some confusion during Rosh Hashanah.  May your New Year be sweet and smooth as honey!

Top Ten Handy Dandy Reminders for Rosh Hashanah:

1. What time are Rosh Hashanah services?

On Sunday, September 16, services begin with the Erev Rosh Hashanah Evening Service at 8:00 pm.  On Rosh Hashanah morning, Monday September 17 there are two services. The first is at 9 am followed by a repeat of the morning service at 12:30 pm. Second day Rosh Hashanah services are at 10:30 am for a musical service for adults and teens in the sanctuary and a family service for parents and children up to B’nai Mitzvah age at 11 am in Founders Hall. More information is on our web site at www.templesinaibc.org.

2. You are invited! Discover new and old friends at a NEW Erev Rosh Hashanah oneg!

Following the Erev Rosh Hashanah service, you are invited to join together for a new Temple Sinai tradition. We’ll gather to wish one another a happy New Year over coffee, cake and more.

3. Aargh. I forgot about my tickets. Or … what do I do - Aunt Ruthie just decided to come to services!

Please call the temple office NO LATER than 2 pm tomorrow (Friday), September 14 so we can work with you. There will be a “will call” area when you arrive for services.  Come early and speak to an usher so we can help you.

Bear in mind the temple office is not open on Shabbat or this Sunday.

4. What’s the deal with this thing called “Tashlich”?

Join us at the Demarest Duck Pond for this symbolic "casting off sins" into a body of water.  We will join together immediately following the second day of Rosh Hashanah services on Tuesday, September 18 at approximately 12:30 pm. Apples, honey and light refreshments precede the brief ceremony.  If it rains refreshments will be at the Temple after services.

5. Remember those in need.

Buy groceries now for our High Holy Days food drive.  Pick up your grocery bags during Rosh Hashanah and return them by the day after Yom Kippur for distribution to our neighbors in need.  Special thanks to the Ulrich family and SFTY, our high school youth group, for their commitment to this important project. 

6. Sisterhood Flower Sale 

Today/Friday is the deadline to order flowers to beautify your Rosh Hashanah table. Send an email right now to Meredith Cohen at meredithcohen410@gmail.com.

7. Does Your Family Have a New Baby?

This year we will again mention the names of babies born during the past year. If you had a baby since last Rosh Hashanah or had a new grandchild since then, contact Sally Collins today/Friday at 201.568.3035 or scollins@templesinaibc.org.

For your baby to blessed on the bimah, join us for the Tot Rosh Hashanah service on Monday September 17 at 3:30 pm. Be sure to contact Sally Collins today/Friday!

8. Do you need to find babysitting for your baby?

Babysitting is available for children ages 2-5 during the first service on the mornings of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Advance registration is required. Send your email by 2 pm on Friday, September 14 to participate.

9. What are my options for my children in grades K – 6?

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah come with your children to our new Family Service at 11:00 a.m.  On the first day we have Junior congregation for children only, which runs concurrently with the first morning service at 9 am on Rosh Hashanah. Registration is required. Contact the religious school office by 2 pm on Friday at201.568.3075 or email tkrauthamer@templesinaibc.org.

10. L’shanah Tovah … Have a happy new year. Enjoy this special time of year with your loved ones and may you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a healthy and fulfilling year!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Jordan Millstein