Share a potluck Shabbat meal with family and friends! Unwind at the end of the week, and welcome Shabbat with your extended Temple Emanuel Family.
A Tot Shabbat service for families with kids under 5 is at 5:30pm, and a main Shabbat service will begin at 7:30pm – you are welcome to either, or just come and share the meal! Please sign up for potluck – follow the link!
Torah scrolls are very special. It is an incredible honor and privilege to read from the Torah scroll in front of the congregation. It requires skill and effort, and lots of preparation for each such occasion – a labor of love on behalf of the community and of the Jewish people. Holding the Torah scroll does not require a special skill (perhaps some strength is useful), but it can be a truly moving, emotional experience. When holding the Torah, whether for the first time as a bar or bat mitzvah, or for the 100th time, we cannot help but be in awe of the incredible chain of tradition, of hundreds upon hundreds of generations of Jews that cherished their Torah, and passed it on, leaving a small mark that perhaps cannot be seen, but can be felt by us as we accept the Torah from their hands and carry it forward. The sense of continuity, of importance of ritual and of connection with our people’s past is palpable whenever one holds the Torah — a truly awe-inspiring feeling.
As I held TE’s Holocaust Memorial Scroll #1178, and as I marched in a quiet procession of over 70 Czech memorial scrolls, I was overwhelmed for a moment by a different kind of emotion. In my arms I held not only an incredible treasure of the Jewish people that was created and lovingly maintained by previous generations of Jews I did not know, but a scroll that belonged to the destroyed Jewish community of Horazdovice, a community that perished in the flames of the Holocaust. This was not just the Torah connecting me to the Jewish past – this was a moment to acknowledge, once again, that the future of this Torah’s Jewish community of Horazdovice was wiped out by the cruelty of hate and yet somehow, miraculously, the orphaned Torah has survived and found its way into the loving hands of our community, right here in Orange, CT. Scroll after scroll paraded through the room packed with over 800 people from some 80+ synagogues in the Tri-State area, honoring the painful past – and celebrating the miraculous survival of Judaism. I will never forget this moment and this feeling.
I have invited other members of TE who were able to attend to share some of their experiences from that day. I hope that their words can help you experience some of that special occasion:
“Tuesday, February 5th was truly a spiritually and personally meaningful experience for me. Watching the processional of more than 70 Czechoslovakian Holocaust scrolls, with our rabbi carrying our 1850 scroll, was a moving sight. To be there with a group of folks from my TE family made everything even more special and exciting, starting with the difficulty of parking at the train station to our rolling, sometimes party-like conversations on the train back and forth, and our long walks from Grand Central Station to Temple Emanu-El and back. It is such a privilege for our congregation to have been entrusted with one of these rescued, restored scrolls. In addition, it now appears that the scroll we retired in 2007 (to be only displayed) may indeed be able to be restored and put back into use. As one of those lucky enough to have chanted from that scroll during the retirement service, I would feel even more fortunate to once again chant from it in the near future. Any such opportunity would enhance my feeling of connection to those who perished for their beliefs and heritage, and for whom I may speak when chanting.” — Barbara Berkowitz
“Having convinced myself that one of the Czech scrolls must surely have come from the shul of my grandmother Adele Kolish Reyman, I felt that I needed to be at this rare reunion of the Czech scrolls residing in the Tri-State area. Reading and hearing about these scrolls, gently touching the covers, viewing the IDs affixed to the wood, and seeing the solemn walk with the Torahs were profoundly moving experiences.
Who can say that Adele, her four older brothers and their parents did not see one of these very scrolls I was seeing? No one can say it is not there, so it is. I needed to be there.” — Barbara Miller
“Awesome, proud, sad, memorable, honored, humbled, grateful.
These are some of the emotions that the ten Temple Emanuel members felt as they saw the parade of more than 70 Czech Holocaust scrolls from all over the United States come down the aisle at Temple Emanu-El in New York City on February 5th. This was the largest gathering of the Czech scrolls ever in one place. The Memorial Scroll Trust has 1,564 scrolls on permanent loan to congregations throughout the world. Temple Emanuel’s scroll from Horazdovice came to the Temple Emanuel congregation in 1966 under the leadership of then-Presidents Lois and Paul Levine. It has been used in countless Friday night services, b’nai mitzvah services and High Holy Day services over the last 50 years.
During World War II, the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia were wiped out. The people had been lost, but amazingly 1,564 Torah Scrolls from more than 122 congregations had been saved. Westminster Synagogue became the home to these Czech Scrolls in February of 1964. There they were stored, restored and then sent back out into the world by the Memorial Trust Fund. The evening of February 5th brought 70 of these scrolls and their congregants together for the first time.” — Melissa Perkal
Joan and I recently heard a string quartet concert devoted entirely to elegies. The music was so moving, the audience so quiet, I thought about how we give voice to support each other at the time of loss.
At TE, our custom is to stand together alongside mourners, and recite the Kaddish together. This ancient prayer was written in Aramaic, the common language in Talmudic times, so that everyone would understand what was being said. It is a prayer of praise for Adonai. In most traditional congregations, reciting the Kaddish is an obligation of a male mourner, or close male relatives. Others are not obligated to recite the Kaddish, but TE’s custom is for all to stand with the bereaved, in memory of the departed, and in support of those remaining.
In our wider culture, the elegiac tradition recognizes that mourners, sometimes wordless, receive critical support from others who stand together and share the sorrow. Elegiac poems and music move each of us as we think about the one who has died, our own mortality and beyond to the miracle of our short lives.
Mary Frye wrote this elegiac poem for a Jewish girl who had fled the holocaust, only to receive news that her mother had died in Germany. Frye saw this girl weeping inconsolably because she could not visit her mother’s grave to share her tears of love and bereavement.
Do not stand at my grave and weep
by Mary Elizabeth Frye
Do not stand at my grave and weep:
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry:
I am not there; I did not die.
Celebrate Purim with TE Hebrew School 4:30-6:00
¤Hamentaschen baking!
¤A crazy Purim Spiel with audience participation!
¤Purim costume parade!
Get creative with your costumes and win a prize!
Community-wide Megillah reading 6:00 pm
¤Bring a box of pasta to use as a grogger on Wed, March 20th.
¤ On Wednesday, March 20th, and Friday, March 22nd, we will be collecting boxes of pasta, pasta sauce and canned vegetables to donate to Beth-El Center in Milford. Beth-El provides shelter and food services for homeless people.
Come and join the TE family for a NO THEME PURIM PARTY! Dress up in your wildest costume, crazy hat or silly outfit and compete to win the Best Costume Competition! Festivities begin at 7:00 pm
BYOBeverage and NUT FREE Snacks. ¨Entertainment by the renowned TE DJ, Jeff Levinson. Join in the Karaoke Competition, dancing, activities and much more fun!
The event is FREE but we ask you to register in advance.
We plan to offer 2-3 FREE slumber parties where parents can leave their little ones if they have a problem securing a sitter (with Madrichim support). *If you plan to use the slumber party services, please be sure to let us know in advance so that we can plan accordingly (how many children and what ages?)
RABBI URI REGEV, President of ‘HIDDUSH – For Religious Freedom and Equality in Israel’.
Friday, March 8
•5:30pm Tot Shabbat Welcome Shabbat with joy and songs (for under 5s & their families)
•6:00 pm Shabbat dinner – Please RSVP for dinner/lunch online
•7:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service. Rabbi Regev will speak on “The Challenge of Pluralism in Israel: Can Israel be Truly Jewish and Democratic?”
Saturday, March 9
•10:00 am Parashat Pekudei – Torah Study with Rabbi Regev.
•11:30 am Dairy lunch. RSVP for dinner/lunch
•12:30 – 2:00 pm “Kotel, Conversion, and Rabbinic Blacklists: What Are the Effects of the Latest Conflicts on Israel-Diaspora Relations?”
Sunday, March 10
•10:15 – 11:45 am “Israel heading to the polls April 9: How will the elections impact Religious Freedom and Israel-US relations“
About our Speaker: Rabbi Regev serves as the President and CEO of the educational and advocacy Israel-Diaspora partnership, “Freedom of Religion for Israel” and of its Israeli counterpart, “Hiddush— For Freedom of Religion and Equality ”. A past President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, Rabbi Regev served as founding chair, and later as executive director and legal counsel, of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the advocacy group established by the Reform movement in Israel.
This weekend is generously supported by an Anonymous TE Leave a Legacy Donor.
Please sign up by April 12th!!!
And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.-Exodus 12:17
According to the Jewish tradition, one of the greatest mitzvot (commandments) of Passover is to celebrate this ancient biblical holiday with a Seder – a special gathering that brings together our history, heritage, and modern observances that are meaningful and relevant to us today. It is the time when Jews are getting together to read the Haggadah, perform rituals, sing, have fun, and of course EAT!
Join our extended Temple Emanuel family to celebrate the First Night Passover Seder on Friday, April 19th. Members & non-members are welcome!
Please do not let the cost of the dinner prevent you and your family from attending the Seder – speak to Rabbi Farbman confidentially.
We are excited to offer this wonderful new course, taught by Anne Schiff, a PhD candidate at Yale.
Please save the dates!
Thursday nights, 7 – 8:30 pm.
January 24, 31; February 7, 28; March 14; April 4, and 11.
Share a potluck Shabbat meal with family and friends! Unwind at the end of the week, and welcome Shabbat with your extended Temple Emanuel Family.
A Tot Shabbat service for families with kids under 5 is at 5:30pm, and a main Shabbat service will begin at 7:30pm – you are welcome to either, or just come and share the meal! Please sign up for potluck – follow the link!
Since the October attack on Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill Pittsburgh, synagogues and other institutions across the country have been working on ways to keep our synagogue schools and sacred spaces safe,at the same time as maintaining the open and welcoming community that is part of our culture and religious practice. At Temple Emanuel, our rabbi, staff, lay leaders and our safety committee have worked hard together to find the best way to do this. A community Safety meeting was convened by NH Jewish Federation,where several New Haven area synagogue presidents and rabbis shared information- what each is doing to be prepared, and to mitigate risk. In addition, the Federation is prepared to act on our behalf to transmit possible resources available from federal, state or local authorities, and to examine the possibility of group purchasing or other collective activities.
The principles of safety for TE are similar to those practiced by schools and other public institutions. They include thinking in advance of what we will do in the case of a threat, learning from law enforcement the best steps for safety, training our staff and teachers in best response alternatives, working together with local law enforcement to minimize risk and planning for action if ever needed.
On the national scene, Bernhard Mehl’s Kisi organization lists several steps to synagogue safety;
TE has already taken most of these steps, and is in the process of examining and adopting several others. Special thanks to our Safety Committee, led by Max Case and Michael Shanbrom. As you see some of our changes for safety, including electronic surveillance of our building and environs, keeping our doors locked, having congregant volunteers serve as safety monitors during school and religious service hours, and encouraging Orange Police to know our building, our schedule, and do periodic sweeps of our property, let us know if you have observations or ideas that may help us all feel safe at TE.
