Featured – Page 8 – Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven

TE annual food drive – and a huge thank you.

My dear friends, I am amazed, impressed, thankful, and absolutely blown away by your response to this year’s Yom Kippur Food Drive! Twenty-three years ago, on our first attempt to collect food for the hungry in our community, “little” Aaron Webber, then only an adolescent, helped me weigh the food we collected. Repeatedly stepping on and off my bathroom scale, we calculated that we collected nearly a ton (just under 2000 pounds) of food. We were thrilled with the results and thanked you all for your generosity. Fast forward and skip ahead to this year. As you all know, the food we collected was divided into two piles and donated to the food pantries of both the Jewish Family Service and the Town of Orange. JFS continues to weigh the food donated by local congregations and recently informed us that we gave them 1,752 pounds of food that translated into 1,348 meals for the needy. They further told us that we donated more food than any other participating congregation! How about that! But that’s only half the story. Knowing that we donated an equivalent amount of food to Orange means that this year you donated more than 3,500 pounds. That ‘s 1,500 pounds more than our first year. Almost double. Did I say I’m blown away by your overwhelming generosity? Now while that’s a pretty high bar to jump over next year, I have every confidence. Thank you so very much for your response to this important tzedakah project.

Will Sherman

The Times They Are A-changin’

In 1963, songwriter Bob Dylan wrote, “the times they are a-changin.” For Temple Emanuel this is true in more ways than one! Daylight Savings will soon end; we will have a new President in the White House; and the results of the TE Service time survey are in and are being acted upon. Whether or not Bob Dylan decides to accept the Nobel Laurette in literature I think he got it right when he said, “If your time to you is worth savin’, Then you better start swimmin’, Or you’ll sink like a stone, For the times they are a-changin’.” And I believe TE has the ability to change with the tides of our growing congregation (165 member units strong now!).

For many years the time for the start of services has been the subject of animated discussion for the Ritual Committee and for the community. Three years ago the Ritual Committee charged the Board with the task of looking at the issue and seeing if we needed to change. Our first explorations into this task involved discussions with individuals and small groups and a paper survey. This gave us good information but didn’t represent a majority of the congregation (only about 71 responses). So the Survey Monkey was created and was answered by 135 members.

Briefly, when asked, 57% of the responders preferred a late service with 55% preferring the 7:30pm start time. Of the 43% of the responders who preferred an earlier service, 58% preferred the 6:30pm time. In both groups there were about 20% with no preference. While this is not a scientifically validated survey, it does give us a feel of where we are as a congregation. The Board feels they have enough information to act upon and begin a small test of change for 6 months.

Beginning January 1, 2017 we will begin our usual service at 7:30pm instead of 8:00pm. The Family Service will remain at 6:30pm on the first Friday of the month. At the end of June, we will again send out a survey to see what people thought of the change and if we plan to continue it or make other changes. I believe we still need to provide a few more 6:30pm opportunities for our congregants, but we don’t want to create a confusing, unwieldy schedule.

Thank you to all of you who provided this valuable input. Thank you to Robin Levine-Ritterman for spearheading the effort, creating the Survey Monkey, and presenting the results to the Board. Thank you to the Board for voting on a change. I am looking forward to hearing from many of you over the next few months.

New this year: Monthly Shabbat Morning Minyan – January 7 at 10:00 am

Ready to try something new? Join our informal monthly Shabbat morning minyan to enjoy the majesty of the full Torah service with the haftarah reading! Come experience Shabbat in a different light.

Future dates:

February 4

March 4

We are exploring the possibility of organizing childcare at the time of this service, please let the office (office@templeemanuel-gnh.org) know if you are interested!

Shir Magic: Remembering Rabbi Jerry Brieger with a special concert of Kol B'seder at Temple Emanuel, November 6 at 6:30 pm

This summer we said goodbye to our teacher and friend, Rabbi Emeritus Gerald ‘Jerry’ Brieger, z”l. This special concert of the legendary Kol B’seder will honor the memory of this wonderful man, who has impacted numerous generations of TE members over nearly 40 years of dedicated service to this community. With this event we are establishing a new annual tradition of honoring Rabbi Jerry’s memory with a special musical event at TE.
There will be a special tribute booklet created for this event, and we very much look forward to opening our doors on the night of November 6 to members of the Greater New Haven Jewish community and beyond.

For more info and to get your tickets, please follow this link.

About our performers:

KOL B’SEDER
Authors of classic Jewish songs such as “Shalom Rav” and “Lo Alecha,” Cantor Jeff Klepper and Rabbi Dan Freelander have been singing together for 45 years. Their love of Jewish music began at summer camp in the late 1960s — a few years later Jeff and Dan, inspired by the late Debbie Friedman, were composing new melodies that would radically change the way Jews sing and pray. Today, their songs are woven into the fabric of synagogue worship around the world. Kol B’Seder has been a mainstay on the American Jewish scene for decades, erasing boundaries, uniting the Jewish community. A Kol B’Seder concert is the “ultimate Jewish sing-along,” an experience you, your family and friends, will never forget.
Rabbi Daniel Freelander is President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. He is a co-founder of the North American Jewish Choral Festival, and was honored with the Debbie Friedman Award by the Union for Reform Judaism in 2015.
Cantor Jeff Klepper has been the cantor of Temple Sinai of Sharon, MA since 2003. He is co-founder of the Hava Nashira workshop for song-leaders, and teaches at Hebrew College’s School of Jewish Music in Newton, MA.

The World of Mussar is opening before you … and you are invited to enter.

Our community will soon be embarking on a program of study and practice in the way of the Jewish spiritual tradition of Mussar and everyone is invited to join.

Mussar might best be described as “Jewish spiritual ethics” and has been practiced for centuries by people who sought to cultivate and strengthen the qualities of the inner mensch. Mussar has been undergoing a revival in the Jewish world, and we are fortunate to be able to offer this curriculum created by The Mussar Institute, the leaders in the field. This program is endorsed by the Union for Reform Judaism and is suitable for all, regardless of level of Jewish knowledge. There are no pre-requisites nor is Hebrew required

Come join in small group study, led by Rabbi Farbman, as we explore together, in a safe and caring environment, what the Jewish tradition has to teach us about the traits of humility, gratitude, equanimity, patience, order and honor, among others – and discover how you can improve these qualities in your own life. This 19 week course will begin with an orientation session on November 20^th, then meet approx. every other week, starting on December 4 and ending on May 21^st. You will receive a copy of the course textbook “Everyday Holiness” by Alan Morinis textbook, and in group meetings and personal study and practice, we will explore these soul traits together.

Alan Morinis himself will serve at Temple Emanuel Scholar-in-Residence this year, March 24-26, an incredible opportunity for our entire community.

Mussar offers a Jewish pathway and a set of teachings that will help you find your way toward becoming your best self, and our community to reach its higher potential.

BOTH OF THE GROUPS HAVE REACHED MAXIMUM CAPACITY AND REGISTRATION HAS BEEN CLOSED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT ON THE WAITING LIST, PLEASE EMAIL THE OFFICE: office@templeemanuel-gnh.org

So You Think You Can Pray: Jewish Liturgy Course continues January 5 @ 7:30 pm.

Ever wanted to know what the words of different Jewish prayers mean? Explore the order of the service in greater detail? Get to learn your way around the prayerbook? This class is for you!

Join Rabbi Farbman and learn your way around siddur on Thursday nights.

Nov 3 and 10,

December 1.

January 5, 12 and 26

February 2, 9 and 23

March 2 and 9

Presentation and book signing by the author, Marisa Scheinfeld at the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven, Amity Road, Woodbridge, at 2 pm November 13.

Today, the Borscht Belt is recalled through the nostalgic lens of summer swims, Saturday night dances, and comedy performances. Forgotten about and exhausted, much of its structural environment has been left to decay. The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacationland, presents Marisa Scheinfeld’s photographs of abandoned sites where resorts, hotels and bungalow colonies once boomed in the Catskill Mountain region of upstate New York. Some of the structures have been lying abandoned for periods ranging from four to twenty years, depending on the specific hotel, or bungalow colony, and the conditions under which it closed. Other sites have since been demolished, or repurposed, making this book an even more significant documentation of a pivotal era in American Jewish history. Marisa is a dynamic speaker, and an award-winning photographer who grew up in the Catskills. She invites you to share your Borscht Belt memories, or learn how your grandparents spent their summers.

The program is a partnership between TE and the JCC celebrating Jewish Book Month.

**Note: Change of admission cost

The program is FREE for all TE members, whether or not they are JCC members.

Admission for others: $5.00 for JCC members and $10.00 for non JCC members.

A Continuing Exploration of Jewish Spirituality: Words, Rituals and Holy Spaces TE’s Lay-Led Shabbat Afternoon Sessions of Learning and Discussion

“Jacob came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night…

Taking one of the stones of that place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place’ (Genesis 28:11).

‘Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is present in this place, and I did not know it!” Shaken, he said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven” (Genesis 28:16-17).

Last year in our lay-led Shabbat afternoon sessions, we began looking into concepts of spirituality by thinking about prayer, how each of us understands and experiences it. This year we will continue this process by thinking about holy space and the relationship of space, words, rituals, worship, and our personal spiritual growth. Join us for Session 1 on October 29 at the home of Jim and Jean Silk to explore the topic of Place. TE members and friends are welcome. For questions contact Chris Radler.

Future meeting dates:

Dec. 3, 2016: Ritual

Jan. 14, 2017: Finding the Words

Feb. 11, 2017: Creating Prayer

March 18, 2017: Creating Sacred Space

Jewish Teen Education – JTE

The Greater New Haven Jewish Community is excited to announce the launch of JTE, a new Jewish teen education program created “By Teens, For Teens.” A board of local Jewish teenagers have been working hard to create this program which is modeled after MAKOM, New Haven county’s previous and very successful Jewish teen education program.

Starting THIS TUESDAY, JTE will meet every Tuesday from 7-9 pm at the JCC. There will be a variety of classes offered, ranging from Israeli cooking to comparative religion, and everything in between. The session will run for approximately 12 weeks and students will be able to select two classes for the session. JTE is open to any and all Jewish 8th through 12th graders in the New Haven area, regardless of synagogue affiliation or previous Jewish education. The goal is to get all Jewish teens involved in learning more about the religion and culture.

Registration is open now!

Tot Shabbat service, September 23 at 5:30 pm

Come celebrate Shabbat with Rabbi Michael in the beautiful TE sanctuary with songs and stories! Perfect for children under 5 and their families. Members and non-members welcome!

The Tot Shabbat service on Friday, September 23 at 5:30 pm will be followed by a Shabbat reception and dinner (to welcome our guest speaker Erendira Vanegas), allowing congregants of all ages to interact and enjoy the meal! We will have some teens to help out during dinner, allowing parents a chance to get to know more adults at TE.

To register for dinner, please follow this link.