Author: Rabbi Michael Farbman

February President’s Column (This one’s getting its foundations strengthened!)

Bruce SpiewakA lot of exciting and stimulating events have been happening at TE and in our community in the last month.  I’ll try to give you some highlights here, but cannot include everything.

  • Aside from the usual Family Shabbat Friday evening service at the beginning of January, we had our “New” Shabbat Morning Torah Service.  This was a service that concentrated on the Torah reading and included interactive discussion among the congregants attending.  It was a very stimulating and enlightening educational experience. It is an event that will be continued periodically.
  • There was also an Adult Education class led by Tom Bleeks, held at the home of Ed Cantor and Rise’ Siegel.  “Living Jewishly – Reform Judaism and Halachah” was the topic of discussion.  Sign up for the next one if you missed the last one!  It is a great opportunity to mix education and social interaction in an informal setting.
  • The Social Action Committee’s second in the series “Divrei Laila” did instigate creative, thought provoking and respectful discussion on the history and complexity of the situation in Israel and how we relate to what is happening there.  Thanks to Debbie Elkin for inspiring it, Max Case (and his able assistant Samuel Farbman) for his skillful role as moderator, Jim Silk and Jim Graham for their inspiring and enlightening presentations, and the 30 +/- attendees who contributed many perspectives to the discussion.
  • There was weekly Torah study on Saturday mornings at the House Library with Rabbi Farbman.  All are welcome!  Sign up!
  • Social Action Community Service Committee sponsored the Social Justice Shabbat Service, which incorporated special readings by congregants of all ages and a short movie!
  • A new adult evening Haftarah class is off to a great start and is open to all!
  • TE Executive Board / Finance Committee Task Force members met with URJ Lay Leaders to discuss URJ resources and perspectives available to TE with respect to financial sustainability of congregations in the current economic climate.  A review of our dues structure is in process.  Stay tuned….
  • TE Executive Board members met with New Haven Jewish Federation Leadership for a discussion regarding the possibility of the Federation serving as a forum or facilitator for area congregations and agencies to dialogue about resource sharing and symbiotic relationship building, in this age of financial awareness. Stay tuned…
  • TE hosted the Debbie Friedman Memorial Concert, invited the Jewish Community to attend, and held a special bake sale.  The extraordinary TE Band and Children’s Choir were featured!

If any of this sounds intriguing to you, please consider this an invitation to attend events, participate in committee projects and otherwise increase your involvement in our vibrant TE community.  Again, many thanks to you all, who make these things possible!

Chag Purim Sameach!

Purim 2011As I write this column, the music from our 2nd Annual Debbie Friedman z’l memorial concert is still ringing in my ears – what an incredible event it was! I want to take this opportunity to once again thank all our wonderful musicians who dedicate their time and talents to the TE band which, under Laurel Shader’s remarkable leadership, continues to go from strength to strength! I also want to thank all the volunteers who made the event such a success, as well as all the TE bakers for a yummy reception!

This year’s calendar is quite unusual as many of the Jewish festivals seem to be falling earlier than many of us can remember! Purim in February, Passover in March, Erev Rosh Hashanah on September 4th (!), and Chanukah will begin the day before Thanksgiving! Just in case you are beginning to doubt if you have ever experienced Chanukah so early, do not be alarmed – you haven’t! It happened once before in 1888, and according to someone’s smart calculations, next time this will occur (if no adjustments are made to the Jewish calendar) will be in the year 79,811! So for all of you ‘once in a lifetime’ experience collectors, this is the one for the books J.

Chanukah may come early this year – but it is still a long way away! Purim, on the other hand, is coming up on February 23/24! Our multi-talented Chasen family is once again preparing an incredible celebration entitled “This is Purim.” If you are over 21, you do not want to miss this! The event is free this year, so please bring your friends and family, as well as anyone who is interested in Temple Emanuel.

Our adult Purim parties are notoriously fun, and we get to celebrate non-stop as we gather on Sunday morning, February 24th for a family Purim event as part of our religious school celebration. This year we will be joined by students and families from Congregation Sinai Hebrew School, and I want to encourage all TE members to bring their grandchildren (especially the ones who are not enrolled in our Hebrew school) in costume to join in the fun!

As we prepare to have lots of fun on Purim, I also want to encourage you to attend the Interfaith Scholar in Residence Learning Experience on March 10th.  This year Temple Emanuel is hosting this annual community event, and I hope many of our members will take part. And before you know it, Passover will be on our doorstep – please make sure you mark your calendars for the Annual TE 2nd Seder on Tuesday, March 26th. The flyers for both of these events are enclosed with the Shofar, so please register soon!

As you can see, the next few months at Temple Emanuel are packed with exciting events, as well as our regular services, educational programs and discussions. Be sure to check out all of these wonderful opportunities, and let me know what other ideas you might want to see come alive at Temple Emanuel.

B’shalom,

Rabbi Farbman.

Temple Emanuel goes to Israel!

Join Rabbi Michael Farbman and Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven on a family friendly experience in
ISRAEL July 27, 2013— Aug. 9, 2013

On This Outstanding Journey, together we will…

  • Explore the many faces that make up Multicultural Israel
  • Enrich our knowledge of Jewish and Ancient History
  • Enjoy outdoor adventures and the beauty of the land itself
  • Encounter firsthand the Modern Miracle of the State of Israel
  • Immerse in Israeli Culture — Art, Food & Wine
  • Engage with the Progressive Community in Israel

Read the full itinerary and register today online at:

www.ayelet.com/FarbmanJuly2013.aspx

How do you view the map of Israel? January 12th – Divrei Laila – Night Commentaries – #2 !

Saturday evening, January 12, 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary, Temple Emanuel is holding the second in our Social Action Committee’s series of three Divrei Laila (English translation = Night Commentaries), with the goal of inspiring respectful discussion on issues that are important to us.  Our topic on Jan. 12 is “How do you view the map of Israel?”    We’re encouraging everyone to speak — all views are welcome! — for a maximum of 2 or 3 minutes each depending how many of us are there, signing up to speak.  Max Case has agreed to be the moderator, and Jim Graham and Jim Silk will be the first two speakers.   A number of different maps will be projected on a screen.  Our evening will start with Havdalah and end with dessert and discussion.  Come, speak, listen, and learn!  We hope to see you there.

President’s Column (This One’s Composite!)

Bruce Spiewak“Welcome! Temple Emanuel is a warm, caring and open community of approximately 160 households. As a small Reform synagogue, our members have the opportunity to know one another and have meaningful input into how our synagogue operates. Temple Emanuel is a participatory, diverse, non-judgmental and intellectually vibrant congregation. Our membership comes from many towns in the greater New Haven area, and the Valley, adding to the diversity of our congregation.”
Does the above quotation sound familiar? It should—it comes from our Temple Emanuel website, www.templeemanuel-gnh.org. Have you visited it recently? Many people have done so, whether they are currently members or prospective members. Our website presents our congregation in a true and welcoming way in order to inform our members of events, past, present and future and in order to be inviting for prospective new members.
“What does that have to do with composite?” you may rightfully ask. Well, the reference to composite, in the context of architectural columns, according to Jackie Craven, who writes for about.com, is “to bring to mind a style of column that combines the Ionic and the Corinthian orders of architecture. Developed by the Romans in about the first century BC, composite columns have highly decorated capitals (tops). The leaf decorations of the Corinthian style combine with the scroll designs that characterize the Ionic style. In contemporary architecture, the term composite column can be used to describe any style column molded from a man-made composite material such as fiberglass or a polymer resin.”
So, the leafy Corinthian designs are combined with the scrolls of the Ionic style, which can be seen as a metaphor for the diverse interests and styles of TE members. The more modern use of materials in a composite column is similar to the way that Reform Judaism in general and Temple Emanuel in particular have developed to include traditional Jewish concepts and practices with a more modern outlook on the evolution of Judaism.
In a more generic sense, composite refers to something “consisting of separate interconnected parts.” Again, this reminds me of the composition of the Temple Emanuel Congregation. We all have our unique and separate lives, and yet we are connected by our community at TE.
In science, a composite particle is one made of smaller particles. So, if Temple Emanuel is one particle in the universe of Jewish existence, then each of us is a smaller particle that helps to make up the TE particle. The strengths and skills that we contribute to the composite particle are what makes it unique and what makes it strong and what makes it survive.
Last month I summarized some areas of concentration for our Board of Directors and Member Families, including Membership, Governance and Finance. In the past month many of our Committees, Board Members and Members have taken to heart the invitation to participate on many levels. We are moving forward and making great strides toward our goals and encourage you to join us if you have not already done so. We have focused direction and enthusiastic involvement, and we welcome you! Keep up the good work in responding “Hineini!”

It is a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it…

HagbahahFrom its very inception, Reform Judaism has looked for new ways to engage with Jewish ritual. Jews all around the world have looked for ways to make the traditional prayers and customs inspiring and attractive to a modern Jew. Services were shortened (mainly through the removal of repetition of certain prayers that arose at various points in our history) to encourage better atten- dance; Dvar Torah, or sermon, was introduced in vernacular; prayers were translated and often read in the language of the land. Instrumental music was brought back into Jewish worship after centuries of absence following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70CE. At every point in the last 200 years our movement has looked for inspiring ways to engage the Jews. Temple Emanuel has always been at the forefront of that search for meaningful and inspiring opportunities to be Jewish as part of our community.
A number of years ago a Torah Service was added to one Friday night a month in order to provide our small congregation with an opportunity to interact
with the Torah scroll and the ritual associated with reading Torah from the scroll since we do not have a regular Shabbat morning service (when Torah is traditionally read). Every Shabbat morning a committed minyan of TE members comes together in TE’s library to read and discuss the weekly Torah portion in great detail—a wonderful tradition and a very special part of my weekly life at TE. But much as I enjoy our wonderful Torah discussions, I also miss the wonder and the joy of raising the Torah and reading the ancient words from the scroll on more than one occasion a month.
On the first Shabbat morning of January (Jan. 5th at 10:30am and every month after that), we will be adding one more opportunity to engage with Torah at Temple Emanuel—a special Torah Service with an extended discussion of the portion. Come enjoy the ritual and the joy of Shabbat and Torah celebration, as well as an opportunity to learn wisdom from its timeless teachings and the warmth of TE community. “It is a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it!”

Chanukah Gift Giving Program a Huge Hit!


Over 45 kids and 40 adults came together on Sunday, December 2nd for a day of learning and tzedakah. The morning started with the asepha, a gathering of parents and children filled with songs, stories and learning about Chanukah. The group then split off with the kids going back to school for an hour, and the adults joining the Rabbi for a very interesting discussion about the meaning of Tzedakah. We gathered back together for a snack and to pack over 100 gift baskets filled with books, toys, art supplies, hats, scarves and gloves as well as baby items. These baskets will be distributed by ‘r kids Family Center, Fair Haven Community Health Center and Jewish Family Services. Many people in the congregation contributed items for the baskets, and there was a wonderful feeling of cooperation and giving in the social hall. Hopefully we have touched the lives of a number of people with these baskets. Thanks to all who participated!

Praying for Peace…

Chanukah candlesAbout a month ago I read about a phone app called “tzeva adom” (code red), an Israeli early-warning service. Intrigued, I installed it (it was free) and tried to see what information it could provide. All the menus were in Hebrew — and in small print at that—making it hard to read quickly. I almost deleted the app—I figured I would be better off getting news updates from Israeli English-speaking newspaper websites such as haaretz.com, but I got distracted and the app stayed on my phone.
A few weeks later I heard a strange alarm coming from my phone. The screen was flashing “tzeva adom Sderot,” a red alert for the town of Sderot. Suddenly the notifica- tions started coming every few seconds, listing the names of small towns and villages in the south of Israel. For the next week, my phone went crazy—the notices were coming fast and furious, listing names of bigger towns and cities every day: Be’er Sheva, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem… Each “tzeva adom” was referring to a rocket—or series of rockets— fired from the Gaza strip towards the Israeli cities. By the time I opened my eyes in the morning, my screen was filled with updates, and it kept buzzing all day long.
After a few hours I silenced my phone—the constant beeping was making it impossible to work and was unsettling to my children. I simply watched the buzzing screen, flashing the names of towns I love and places I have never heard of. I have to tell you that this little app provided one of the most powerful experiences for me. Every time my phone buzzed, thousands of Israelis ran for cover, having 15 seconds or less to reach the bomb shelter’s safety. I read the news and letters from friends and family members who were afraid to take a shower for fear of not being able to make it to a safe place when the sirens went off. I read about repeated PTSD among the children growing up in the south of Israel, children whose playgrounds and kindergarten classrooms are built as
bomb shelters… Every time the “red alert was sounded, they had to run for cover. I could silence my phone and go about my life…
By the time I got to write this column the fragile ceasefire has been renewed. The operation “Pillar of Cloud” ended without the ground invasion of Gaza, allowing most of us to breathe an uneasy sigh of relief. As we mourn the loss of life on both sides of the border, we also know that the timing of the fragile ceasefire helped avoid many more deaths that are inevitable in any military action.
Here at TE we have renewed our conversations about Israel and peace, continuing to search for ways in which we can engage with each other, reveal and debate our differing positions in a respectful environment of a loving community.
I want to draw your attention to a special program we had planned months ago when working on the TE calendar for the year. On January 12th we will hold a second in the series of TE “Divrei Laila” events, following the great success of TE Soap Box in November. We will be discuss- ing the “green line”—or the lack of it—on the maps of Israel. While the exact details and the members of the panel are still being worked on by Debbie Elkin and members of Social Action Committee that organizes this event, I encourage you all to save the date and make sure you come and join in.
I am looking forward to my phone not buzzing red alerts any time soon. Being a realist, I will not be removing the app just yet…
Wishing you all peace and quiet, happiness and joy as you celebrate Chanukah! I look forward to seeing many of you at our Shabbat Chanukah celebration on December 14th at 6pm. Check the website for more details, and sign up for dinner!