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congregation chavurah beth shalomAv/Elul 5767 Temple Talk

August 2007

“The Religious Jew who has heard the voice of Sinai must continue to listen as he hears the commanding voice of Auschwitz”

WHAT CAN WE AFFIRM ABOUT GOD AFTER THE HOLOCAUST? (PART II)By Rabbi Jack Bemporad

God is the creator of creators. In creating the world, God brings into being wills that are distinct from His own. A concept of God which allows free beings to exist besides Him is a much worthier concept than that of a God who is the cause of everything that happens.

God as creator has traditionally been conceived as a great architect, mechanic, or watchmaker who produces a mechanical model. A much worthier concept of God is one that allows free beings to act in ways to realize His purposes or to frustrate them, a God who does not, indeed cannot, make all the decisions if a universe with beings, order, value and freedom is to come into being. In creating the world, God gives full significance to Creation so that He acts not through coercion or manipulation, but through persuasion, appeal and revelation.

God would be responsible for evil if He was the sole agent of all that happens, and all other beings were merely instruments

or vessels of His will. But in a world where there is genuine freedom, where there is personal discovery and production of values, God can only work as a persuasive being, and not as a coercive being.

The divine purpose can only be realized by human beings freely making God's purpose their own. From this comes both the possibility of cooperating with God, or estrangement from God's purpose or sin. It means that the future is not a given, it means that not everything is already pre-determined, it means, as William James said, "If this life be not a real fight, in which something is eternally gained for the universe by success, it is no better than a game of private theatricals from which one may withdraw at will, but it feels like a real fight, as if there was something really wild in the universe which we, with all our idealizations and faithfulness, are indeed to redeem."

Or, as Sorely stated, "If there were no possibility of missing the mark, there would be no value in taking aim."In a world that is open, where human beings are free, where they can frustrate or realize God's will, and where a person can only gain the ultimate good through inner growth and moral action, such a world is the world we live in.

Of course there is evil, great evil; but it is the task of human beings to transcend and transform that evil. Of course, man is not in the center of the universe; it is man's task to reorder the universe so that man can indeed be at its center.And so we finally reach the problem which all of us are haunted with today, and that is the problem of the Holocaust.

Let us review several recent attempts which deal with this issue and contrast them with the view presented above. Professor Fackenheim, in his book, "God's Presence in History," has said that from Auschwitz there emerged a divine commandment and that the divine commandment was to deny Hitler a posthumous victory; that we Jews should do everything we can to preserve Judaism, and thus insure that

Hitler does not ultimately win. "The Religious Jew who has heard the voice of Sinai," Professor Fackenheim asserts, "must continue to listen as he hears the commanding voice of Auschwitz." He prefaces his chapter entitled, The Commanding Voice of Auschwitz, with an interesting, if somewhat bitter tale by Elie Wiesel. It is a tale of a madman, a pious Jew, who comes back to a little synagogue in Nazi-occupied Europe, and during services suddenly says to the Jews, "Don't pray so loud,

God will hear you. Then he will know that there are still Jews left alive in Europe and you, too, will be destroyed."

What Professor Fackenheim has postulated is a demonic God and, in fact, he says that the religious Jew today must be revolutionary, for there is no previous Jewish protest like his protest—which is to be an observant Jew to spite God. Continuing to hear the voice of Sinai as he hears the voice of Auschwitz, may require him to cite God against God in ways even more extreme than the challenges of Abraham, Jeremiah, Job or Rabbi Levi Yitzhak.

Fackenheim's proposed solution to the spiritual dilemma of the Holocaust is inadequate. If Sinai is genuine, then we don't need Auschwitz to learn that Hitler should not win. We don't need six million people to suffer and die for us; one doesn't need an experience like that to get the special commandment that Hitler should not succeed. If Sinai is genuine, than God could not be demonic. The God of Abraham, who could be challenged to fulfill His obligations, to whom Abraham said,(continued on page 4)

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Rabbi’s MessageBy Rabbi Jack Bemporad page 1 (cont. page 4, 5)

Worship and Education Schedule page 2Mission Statement page 2Contact Information page 2

Calendar page 3

Religious School NewsPage 6

Religious School Registration Form page 7

Yahrzeits and Condolences page 8

High Holiday InformationPage 9, 10

Jewish Patriots page 11Klintcharova at JCC page 11

Hitler’s Grasp page 12Oboist on Kol Nidre page 12 Sescil page 13Book of Remembrance Order Form page 13

Description of Adult Education Programs and Worship page 14

Ads page 15

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Worship and Adult Education SCHEDULEShabbat Evening Service August 3 8 p.m Meditation and Minyan August 4 10 a.m.

Shabbat Evening Service August 10 8 p.m Meditation and Minyan August 11 10 a.m.

Shabbat Evening Service August 17 8 p.m Meditation and Minyan August 18 10 a.m.

Shabbat Evening Service August 24 8 p.m Meditation and Minyan August 25 10 a.m.

Shabbat Evening Service August 31 8 p.m Meditation and Minyan September 1 10 a.m.

Chavurah

Beth Shalom“A Progressive

Reform Chavurah dedicated to excellence in education of

contemporary Judaism.”

P.O. Box 417Tenafly, New Jersey

07670Phone:

(201) 567-7806Fax:

(201) 567-5551Email:

ChavBethShalom@aol.com

Founding Rabbi and Spiritual Leader:Rabbi Nathaniel Benjamin

Senior Rabbinical Scholar:Rabbi Jack Bemporad

Rabbinical Associate:Rabbi Dennis Shulman

President of the Congregation:Richard Viders

Youth Activities:Rabbi Steven J. Meltz

Assistant to the Rabbis:Janine Schwarz

Director of Education:Debra Kronberg

Mailing:Jill Benjamin

Shabbat ServicesShabbat Services are held every Friday night at 8 p.m. except when there are Family Services which begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine Community House. Please note that religious school students are required to attend Family Shabbat Evening Services

Shabbat Morning Meditation & MinyanMinyan led by Rabbi Dennis Shulman includes an active discussion of some aspect of this  week's Torah portion, and an explanation of a prayer or two included in the service.  Dress is casual

Ephraim Woolman Judaic Study ClassSaturday morning class led by Rabbi Bemporad includes stimulating discussions about Jewish philosophy, history, scripture and commentary on current events. Join us every Shabbat morning at 10:30 a.m. at the

OUR MISSION STATEMENTAt Chavurah Beth Shalom, we embrace the values of a contemporary Reform Judaism that integrates reason, experience, intellectual curiosity and spirituality into our modern religious practice. Firmly rooted within the prophetic tradition, we believe that:

Jews in every generation have a responsibility to preserve Judaism for the future. Jews in every generation must respond creatively to the challenges of

contemporary society. Jewish tradition and ritual are a vital part of our religious practice and must

comport with the highest standards of ethics. Old and new rituals alike must stand the test of reason and experience, and our rituals must enable us to lead an ethical life and to better understand the divine.

Jews must embrace openness to truth from all sources including philosophy, science, art and literature.

Jews must be willing to respect and acknowledge the value of other religious traditions and work with other religions to find common ground and strive for the betterment of all.

Meaning in our lives comes from the pursuit of justice, a sense of humility, the idea of mercy and an obligation to make peace with ourselves as Jews and with other peoples of the world.

These values stand at the core of the teaching of the prophets and are the essence of Reform Judaism. Our Chavurah is dedicated to offering this vision of Reform Judaism to families who seek an inclusive, rational, ethical and religiously compelling form of Jewish practice and Jewish life.

INSERT CALENDAR PAGE HERE

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(Rabbi’s Article Continued from page 1)

"Shall not the judge of all the earth do justice?" could not be demonic. Abraham proclaimed that God was just. Fackenheim seems to be saying that we are just, but God is demonic. He is holding God responsible for the evil men do, a view that cannot stand. God is a persuasive, not a coercive being. He has created a world from which man emerged as the last stage of evolution, but man must bring about justice in the earth; God does not take on the task of man. Man must take on his own task with God's help. The real issue the Holocaust raises is not whether Hitler should win, but should Abraham, Akiba, and Jeremiah lose. Those truths which they stood for and which many died for, the truth which completely revolutionized the world, necessitates that we bear witness to them, for if we don't carry on for them, then the gift that the Jews gave to mankind may perish. If any truth comes from this, it is not that Hitler shouldn't win—we knew that Hitler should not win-but that Abraham and Isaac and Jeremiah should not lose. There are several other ways to deal with the Holocaust.

Professor Henry Slonimsky, one of the great leaders and teachers of the Reform movement wrote a brilliant paper, "The Philosophy Implicit in the Midrash," in which he writes:"The core of Jewish belief is that Israel must bear the Torah from God to the world, but the world is unwilling and resists all three; God, Torah, and Israel. And the protagonist who does the actual bearing must also bear the brunt of the suffering...the Torah stands for goodness, for the vision, and ideals, and values, or light of God in which we see light. God, besides being this light and vision which we behold, is also such power, such real actual power in the universe as is committed and has already been marshaled for the victory of the good. This power must be increased, the ideal must be translated into the real, and the active agent in this crucial event is man, who is thus destined for tragic heroism by the very nature of his situation. Israel, of course, stands for the ideal Israel, and is paradigmatic of the good and brave man everywhere. That the best must suffer the most, must assume the burdens and sorrows of the world, constitutes the most awesome phenomenon and paradox of the whole spiritual life. God in the full meaning of the term is seen to stand at the end, not at the beginning; on that day He shall be one and His name shall be one. He must be made one, man is the agent in whose hands it is left to make or mar that supreme integration. The assertion of God in a Godless world is the supreme act of religion."

Slonimsky believes this task is the true meaning of the covenant. It embodies the principle of noblesse oblige, which requires those who have witnessed to the unity of God to bear witness and stand for God in a Godless world, to stand for justice in a world that denies justice, to stand for truth where truth is despised. In this way, Slonimsky accounts for the Jews’ countless suffering. Yet, as impressive and brilliant as this view is, it is defective insofar as it leads to an ultimate dualism between the universe and God. God is characterized only as an ideal which must be actualized and therefore, as a growing god, who either emerges or is held back by man's action.

Evil, according to Slonimsky, can be explained as a concomitant of the unfinished character of the universe, which

is correct, and as the result of a God who does the best he can, but without man's help, is not strong enough to overcome evil, a view I hold to be incorrect.

For Slonimsky, God is not a creator, but is that aspect of reality that is good and holy and which must overcome the other aspects of reality which are recalcitrant. His view of God is coupled with a belief in progress, but which is in fact alien to it. Here he was true to his great teacher Hermann Cohen, and true to that Biblical phrase which he so often quoted, "On that day He shall be one and His name one." According to Slonimsky, the demand of the heart that God be one and that man succeed in making him one overrides whatever rational doubts one may have as to the success of this end.

But unless God is in some sense the Creator, then there are no guarantees about God's emergence. Rather than emerge, He may be defeated. What turned Slonimsky away from the concept of a creator God was the reigning view that a creator God not only is responsible for all that happens and, therefore, must be responsible for evil, but also that such a God denies man's freedom. But if we conceive creation as an act wherein God creates other beings with full power to act for good or ill, then we can conceive of a God who is a creator and revealer, yet not responsible for evil. God, in my view, respects the integrity and freedom of man and thus works though persuasion and revelation, and not coercion. Tennant expressed this well when he stated that God, "in revealing Himself...will respect the moral personality of the persons who he would enlighten." This is the ethical condition of revelation to man.

Professor Hans Jonas’ position in many ways is similar to Slonimsky's, but differs from it in certain crucial respects. Jonas devised a staggering myth in which he describes a God who, for reasons known only to Himself, allowed the universe to come into being, and in doing so, divested Himself of all power to direct, correct, or ultimately guarantee the devious working out of creation.

"God renounced His own being, divesting Himself of His deity—to receive it back from the Odyssey of time weighted with the chance harvest of unforeseeable temporal experience; transfigured or possibly even disfigured by it.. Man was created 'for' the image of God, rather than 'in' His image" and "our lives become lives in the divine countenance… Our impact on eternity is for good and for evil—we can build and we can destroy, we can heal and we can hurt, we can nourish and we can starve divinity, we can perfect and we can disfigure its image-and the scars of one are as enduring as the lustre of the other."

Addressing the question of Auschwitz, he continued:"What about those who never could inscribe themselves in the Book of Life with deeds either good or evil, great or small, because their lives were cut off before they had their chance, or their humanity was destroyed in degradations most cruel and most thorough such as no humanity can survive? I am thinking of the gassed and burnt children of Auschwitz, of the defaced, dehumanized phantoms of the camps, and of all the other numberless victims of the other man-made holocausts of our time. Among men, their sufferings will soon be forgotten, and their names even sooner. Another chance is not given them.. are they, then, debarred from an immortality which even their tormentors and murderers obtain...leaving their sinister mark on eternity's face? This I refuse to believe. And

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(Rabbi’s Article Continued from page 4)

this I like to believe: that there was weeping in the heights at the waste and despoilment of humanity; that a groan answered the rising shout of ignoble suffering, and wrath - the terrible wrong done to the reality and possibility of each life thus wantonly victimized, each one a thwarted attempt of God. 'The voice of thy brother's blood cries unto me from the ground': Should we not believe that the immense chorus of such cries that has risen up in our lifetime now hangs over our world as a dark, mournful, and accusing cloud? That eternity looks down upon us with a frown, wounded itself and perturbed in its depths? The image of God is in danger as never before...An eternal issue is at stake together with the temporal one-this aspect of our responsibility can be our guard against the temptation of fatalistic acquiescence or the worse treason of 'apres nous le deluge,' We literally hold in our faltering hands the future of the divine adventure and must not fail Him, even if we would fail ourselves."

When Jonas discusses the philosophical consequence of his myth, he postulates a suffering God, a God affected by man's action, which implies a becoming God. He is also a caring God, and finally, He is not, for Jonas, an omnipotent God.

The similarity between Jonas' and Slonimsky's views is obvious. Both Slonimsky and Jonas seem to argue for a doctrine of a God who risks something, and that what God risks entails His very being. The being of God is itself dependent on man's action. Jonas sees this as a direct result of the existence of a universe, and thus, as one of the effects of creation, which makes it more satisfactory than the dualism proposed by Slonimsky. I would accept the doctrine that in creating the world, God did take a risk, in the sense that the world is open, and thus, contingency, temporality, and freedom are real. I would not, however, go so far as to say that man can create or annihilate God. He can, however, annihilate and destroy himself. Here his freedom is clear.Fackenheim, Slonimsky, and Jonas all seem to agree that there is a kind of drastic limitation of God's activity in the world—or rather a redefinition of how God acts in the world. However, this limitation is not such as to render the divine powerless or impotent. This does not mean that God is finite, for the limitation of God's power is not, as Slonimsky states, due to man or any other external cause. Rather it is a necessary condition of there being a world at all.

The old theism is no longer meaningful today. A God who creates a finished universe, down to its last detail, who is the creator of all, the evil as well as the good, who knows all, so that man's actions are merely a reenactment of what is eternally in God's mind—such a view makes a mockery of the agony and tragic heroism of man. By making God the cause of all, it makes Him directly responsible for the evil in the world and, therefore, makes God either demonic, or denies the reality of evil. In either case, man is denied any significance. Man really makes no difference in a universe where God's whim could at any point make everything different, or in which God could have worked everything out at the beginning for the best. Such a view simply cannot account for the reality of time, process, novelty, and risk.

We must affirm the creation of a cosmos but one that is unfinished, incomplete in the making. Creation must be the "creation of creators." There is both order and chance in the world, both being and process, law and freedom. But novelty makes risk as well as loss and evil real.God continually creates the universe with possibilities for life, mind and value. Now the good, the true, and the beautiful become goals to be achieved, ends to be realized.It is due to God that there is something rather than nothing, order rather than chaos, the primacy of good and not the primacy of evil. Neither being, nor order, nor aim at value is intelligible without some reference to God as Creator, an impetus to greater differentiation, organization, and harmony.

However, it is a mistake to assume that order is all of a type. There is logical, natural, and moral order. There is no moral order apart from logic, pattern, and value. Moral order is a goal to be achieved, and not a fact. This presupposes man's task. God must be such as to allow for man's task. In creating the world, God decided on the side of having man be the decider of his fate, and not fate the cajoler of man.

It is a mistake to see creation as a finished product. Creation is a process with an open future. It is not the case that God creates a finished universe. God has created and is creating with his creatures a basically unfinished universe. The goal of creation is the actualization of an ideal order of things.The positive fact of evil is the conclusive proof that there is an unfinished character to reality. Science deals with an ideally closed world. The laws of nature are there to be discovered. Religion deals with an essentially unfinished world. Religion is concerned with what needs completion, with a universe in the making. It must actualize the truths it stands for. The ultimate resolution of the problem of evil is the affirmation that being, with its risks and possibilities of irreparable loss, is more valuable than non-being and nothingness; that time and temporality are real and not merely appearance. A perfect universe is an is an impossibility, everything realized at once. Here realization is impossible.

God creates the formative elements and acts as the divine inspiration to man's task, but God does not take on man's task. It is man that is to help and continue the process of creation and be a co-creator with God.

God is the basis and ground of the novelty of the World. God is necessary for the universe and man to be intelligible. Only through belief in God as Creator and sustainer, as the ground of being and order, as the source of inspiration in worship, as the ground for the values man must realize-only through such a belief in God can man find meaning and value to his existence.

So, perhaps we may summarize by saying that evil is the irreparable loss of good, that man's greatest good is not pleasure or justice but soul-making, the realizing of the good, and that man himself must take upon himself that task, that burden of ascent. The rabbis taught this in a splendid Midrash in which they say, "Those who are persecuted and do not persecute in return, those who listen to contemptuous insults and do not reply, those who act out of love and are glad of suffering, concerning them, Scripture says, they that love God are like the sun going forth in his strength."

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Religious School NewsBy Debbie Kronberg

I have just returned home from commemorating Tisha B’Av (the 9th of Av) when Jews traditionally mourn the destruction of the two Temples and other calamitous events which have befallen our people over the centuries. The book of Lamentations is read. The mournful, haunting melody and disturbing words of the destruction of Jerusalem with her tattered residents reduced to beggars in the street, remind us of the high price of war.

Although not always a part of the Reform calendar, I think it behooves us all to pause to remember and reflect upon our past and what we can do to ensure the security of Israel in today’s tumultuous times. Although receiving little press, for example, the Israeli town of Sderot is currently under bombardment from rockets coming over the border from Gaza which has caused death and destruction and daily fear for the residents.

In May of 2008, Israel will be celebrating its 60th year as the modern Jewish State. The students of our Chavurah Beth Shalom Religious School will be participating in several county wide events to celebrate this momentous occasion. We will be studying special lessons in order to understand the importance of Israel to the Jewish people from biblical times until today. We will learn about all the achievements in education, medicine, science and technology that Israel has

shared with the world. The children will learn all about the various regions from ancient to modern. Did you know about the Biblical Zoo which contains animals mentioned in the bible???

The children will celebrate Yom Ha Atzm’ut (Israel Independence Day) with a festival including Israeli songs, dances and food. Most of our Tzedakah collection this year will go to organizations in Israel which provide humanitarian aid to the elderly, the poor, and to victims of terror.

Being Jewish, for our children, is more than attending Religious School - it is a way of life - it is being part of a loving and caring community. We are planning many events this year to give our religious school families the opportunity to learn, pray, and celebrate together. The Calendar of classes and events will be mailed to each family shortly.

Please send your completed registration forms to the Chavurah immediately so that we may provide adequate staff and curriculum materials.

The teachers and I look forward to sharing a wonderful school year with you.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR REGISTRATION FORMS   BY JUNE 15, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE ADEQUATE PREPARATIONS FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR!Need a Religious School Registration Form? You can find one on the back of this page

or visit our website at www.mychavurah.org.

*** NOTE OUR POLICY ***

Chavurah Beth Shalom's Religious School is open to the children and grandchildren of members of The Chavurah.

You must be a member in good standing to register your child(ren) for religious school (i.e., no outstanding dues, religious school or life cycle fees). Tuition payment of $500 per child must accompany each registration form in order for it to be processed. Should a member have a financial situation that precludes final payment by the first day of class, please contact us at 201-567-7806 to arrange a payment schedule for the balance.

Is it time to schedule your Bar or Bat Mitzvah?We are presently reserving dates for 2008 and 2009

We offer a very flexible policy regarding the scheduling of your child's Bar/Bat Mitzvah.Services may be conducted on the date, time, and location of your choosing, such as your home, reception site or our sanctuary at the Alpine Community House. You are not limited to a Saturday morning Service. Individual preparation in your home is provided by Rabbi Nat Benjamin and members of our teaching staff who pay

Pre-registration will help us prepare for Religious School Year 2007/2008

Kindly complete this form below and return it to the address noted below

2007/2008 Religious School Registration Form

School begins September 19, 2007

Tuition $500

Student’s Name:____________________________________________________ Date Of Birth:___________________

Address:___________________________________________________City:____________State/Zip:______________

Home Phone:_____________________Cell:____________________Grade:_______________

E-Mail Contacts: _____________________________________________________________

Mother’s Name: __________________________ Business Phone:________________________

Address if different: ____________________________________________________________

Father’s Name:___________________________ Business Phone: _________________________

Address if different: _____________________________________________________________

Has your child attended Hebrew School? ______Where?_______________________How long?______

In case of emergency contact:________________________________________________________

Relationship to Student:_____________________Phone numbers:___________________________

In extreme medical emergency, Chavurah Beth Shalom has permission to arrange for medical assistance: Signature:_____________________________

Please inform us, IN STRICT CONFIDENCE, of anything that will help us provide your child with the best possible educational Environment. ( learning disabilities, allergies, divorce, etc. ).

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Chavurah Beth Shalom Religious School P.O. Box 417 Tenafly, NJ 07670 (201) 567-7806 Fax: (201) 567-5551

ChavBethShalom@aol.com www.mychavurah.com

YAHRZEITS – AUGUST 2007/5767

Shabbat Service August 3Aaron Ackerman, father of Beverly AllenBess Byron, mother of Herve ByronRoy Simon, husband of Molly Tauder & father of Jill BenjaminAlvina Surrey, mother of Sidney SurreyDorothy Silverman, Aunt of Sheldon & Ilene GelmanRuth Rappoport, mother of Sybil Moses Jack Kirschner, father of Linda Herskowitz Leo Altchuler, father of Murray Altchuler Seymour Sinert, Father of Lance Sinert Rubin Metz, father of Aura Nelson

Shabbat Service August 10Murry Lewin, grandfather of Ronny Siegal Charlotte Neuwirth, mother of Richard NeuwirthLeonore Weber, mother of Drew WeberSam Miller, uncle of Florence Baron. Frances Kerekes, mother of Neomi Dezer and Grandmother of Gil DezerElinore Reichman, mother of Dr. Lee ReichmanBenjamin J. Gold, father of Myra WrubelGary Herskowitz, son of Linda and Gerald HerskowitzHarry Herskowitz, father of Dr. Gerald Herskowitz Michael Nussbaum, father of Barbara Dolinsky William Wilson, grandfather of Ernie Wilson Hyman Levine, father of Paul LevineRose Dollinger, mother of Edmund Dollinger Ruth Cohen, mother of Sam CohenHarry Collier, father of Judith Zola

Shabbat Service August 17Ann Skigen, mother of Ilene Gelman Sadie Kahn, mother of Dr. Fred Kahn Rose Baron, mother of Stanley BaronHarvey Radus, father of Wendy Federman Hyman Feinberg, father of Dr. Herbert Feinberg Dr. Sawnie Renard Gaston, stepfather of Rebecca Moldover Rose Danzis Holman,mother of Alexander HolmanJack Irwin, father of Stephen Irwin

Shabbat Service August 24Arthur Bauchner, husband of Seena BauchnerSolomon Breiger, father-in-law of Lil BreigerArthur A. Fink, father of Dr. Kenneth FrankMortimer Greenspan, Father of Joann WeberArline Goodman, wife of Steve Goodman.Alex Levine, father of Jeffrey LevineBernard "Red" Geller, Father of Laurence GellerBruno Bieger, brother of Joseph Bieger Betty Rosen Levine, mother of Jeffrey Levine David Kahn, father of Dr. Fred KahnLeon Ornstrat, father of Arlene FriedmanFrances Melnick, mother of Susan Berkey Gertrude Greenbaum, mother of Wesley and Todd GreenbaumMurray Sherbert, uncle of Dana OstermanFlorence Altchuler, mother of Murray AltchulerMaurice Goldstick, father of Wilfrid Goldstick

CONDOLENCESWe are saddened to learn of the passing of our member

Richward NeuwirthWe express our deepest sympathies to

Mrs. Eileen Neuwirth on the loss of her husband

Our deepest Sympathies to:

Anthony Lopomo, the beloved father of Laura Meltz and father-in-law of Steven Meltz

Van Sommer on the loss of his motherTerri Sommer

Molly Tauder on the passing of her dear friend Blanche Wiener, mother of Brenda Phillips

Robert and Wendy Lembersky on the passing of John Budd

Elaine Chernick on the passing of her husband Eugene Chernick

Leo Mazer on the loss of his wife Dr. Joelle Mazer

Shabbat Service August 31Sherle Berland, mother of Susan Penn Helen Brown, mother of Sheila Falk Lucille Fergenson, mother of Everett FergensonLaz Brieger, husband of Lil BriegerSarah Mazer, mother of Leo MazerBenjamin Casser, father of Joseph Casser Gertrude Glick, Mother of Dr. Robert GlickBenjamin Weinstein, father of Fran AltchulerPhoebe Friedman, mother of Meryl SommerRee Goldman, mother of Lori Braverman, grandmother of Andrea GrossRiva Leah Zacks, grandmother of Dr. Jerry Zacks

Milton Weber, father of Drew Weber

HIGH HOLIDAY INFORMATION

We are pleased to announce that our 2007 High Holiday Services will be held at the Bergen Perform Arts Center located at 31 North Van Brunt Street (1 block north of Palisades Avenue) in Englewood, New Jersey on the following dates and times:

Erev Rosh Hashanah Wednesday September 12 7:30 p.m.Rosh Hashanah Morning Service Thursday September 13 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Children’s Service Thursday September 13 2 p.m.2nd Day Rosh Hashanah Friday September 14 11 a.m. in Alpine

Kol Nidre Friday September 21 7:30 p.m.Yom Kippur Morning Service Saturday September 22 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Children’s ServiceMusica nd Meditation

Saturday September 22 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Afternoon and Yizkor Service Saturday September 22 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

We request that you send in your ticket requests early. Your membership dues include tickets for you and your children through college age. They may not be purchased for non members living in Bergen County or given to them for admission to services You may purchase additional tickets for visiting family members at $100 per person for all Holidays or $75 for one Holiday.

Only those with tickets will be admitted to services. Guest tickets can be purchased for $100 per person.

Family Member Name All Services Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur

Phone#:___________________Office#:_______________E-mail Address:________________

For Payment By Credit Card : Visa MasterCard

Total Amount of Charge: $___________________Cardholder NameName on the Account: __________________________________ ___________

(Print Name) (Signature)Account Number:

Expiration Date:Your contribution is tax deductible as permitted by law.

P.O. Box 417, Tenafly, NJ 07670 (201) 567-7806 Fax: (201) 567-5551 E-Mail: ChavBethShalom@aol.com

www.mychavurah.com

Invoices have been sent out.If you have any questions or did not receive your invoice, please contact the synagogue.We appreciate you prompt payment so we

can begin to prepare for High Holy Day Services.

DIRECTIONS FOR HIGH HOLY DAYSBergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)30 N. Van Brunt StreetEnglewood, New Jersey 07631(201) 816-8160 (office) (201) 227-1030 (box office)

Conveniently located just minutes from the George Washington Bridge, bergenPAC is within easy access of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Westchester and Rockland counties. The Center’s location in downtown Englewood provides a safe suburban setting with free parking and a wide selection of outstanding restaurants and cafés nearby. You'll also find an array of art galleries and shops displaying antiques, gifts and crafts, and fashions – all within walking distance.

From Route 4 East/WestExit right at Englewood/Grand Ave. Go north on Grand Ave. to Palisade Ave. (about 1 mile). Turn left and go two blocks to North Van Brunt St. (immediately after railroad tracks). Turn right. bergenPAC is in the middle of the block on the left.

From Route 17 North/SouthRoute 17 North or South to Route 4 East. Follow directions "From Route 4 East/West."

From George Washington BridgeTake Route 4 West exit. Follow directions for Route 4 West above. Or: Take the Palisades Interstate Parkway North to Exit 1. Turn right off the exit ramp onto Palisade Ave. Go down the hill (about 2 miles), and make an immediate right after the railroad tracks onto North Van Brunt St. bergenPAC is in the middle of the block on the left.

From NJ Turnpike95 North (Local) toward GWB to Exit 71 (Broad Ave.). Turn right onto Broad Ave. Stay on Broad. Broad becomes Dana Place. At the end of Dana, turn left at traffic light onto Palisade Ave. Make right after the railroad tracks. bergenPAC is on the left.

From Route 80Take Route 80 East (local lane). 80 and 95 merge in Teaneck. Follow directions "From NJ Turnpike."

From Nyack AreaTake Palisades Interstate Parkway South to Exit 1. Turn right off the exit ramp onto Palisade Ave. Go down the hill (about 2 miles), make an immediate right after the railroad tracks onto North Van Brunt St. bergenPAC is in the middle of the block on the left.

NJ TRANSIT BUS SERVICE TO BERGEN PACTake the #166, #178, #186, #756 or #780 bus to the Van Brunt St. & Palisade Ave. stop in Englewood. For a list of the towns serviced by these bus routes.

RED & TAN BUS SERVICE TO BERGEN PACTake the #11A, #20, or #14 bus to the Van Brunt St. & Palisade Ave. stop in Englewood. For a list of the towns serviced by these bus routes.

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Tickets Anyone??We are pleased to announce that our 2005 High Holiday Services will be held at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (formerly The John Harms Theater) located at 31 North Van Brunt Street (1 block north of Palisades Avenue) in Englewood, New Jersey. We urge you to arrive a half hour early to allow for seating!

We request that you send in your ticket requests early. Your membership dues include tickets for you and your children through college age. They may not be purchased for non-members living in Bergen County or given to them for admission to services. You many purchase additional tickets for visiting family members at $100 per person for all Holidays or $75 for one Holiday. Only those with tickets will be admitted to services.

How a Jewish patriot saved AmericaBy Richard Booker

In 1975 the United States Postal Service issued a stamp honoring a man named Haym Salomon for his contribution to the cause of the American Revolution. This stamp was uniquely printed on the front and the back. On the glue side of the stamp, the following words were printed in pale, green ink: "Financial Hero – Businessman and broker Haym Salomon was responsible for raising most of the money needed to finance the American Revolution and later to save the new nation from collapse." I personally have one of these stamps. Historians who have studied the story of Salomon all agree that without his "contribution to the cause" there would be no America today. Haym Salomon bought and sold financial papers to raise money for Robert Morris who was the superintendent of finance for the Continental Congress. He believed that America would be a safe haven for the Jews. But this son of a rabbi also believed that one day in the future, Jerusalem would rise from the dust, the Jews would return to their ancient homeland, and Israel and Jerusalem would once again be the home of the wandering Jew. Salomon determined to do all he could to finance the Revolution so America could survive until that future time when his people would once again fill the streets of Jerusalem. From one crisis to the next, Robert Morris went to Haym Salomon for help, and Salomon always responded. Salomon gave his entire personal fortune of over $800,000 to the cause of the Revolution. This debt was never repaid. He died sick and penniless at the age of 45, Jan. 6, 1785, leaving behind a young widow, Rachel, and four children all under the age of 7. Rachel tried for months after Haym's death to collect on personal loans that he had made to Morris, to the Congress and others. She was requested to turn all her securities and

certificates over to the state treasurer of Pennsylvania for evaluation. After several months, she made further inquiries and was informed that all of the papers relating to her inheritance had been lost. Haym Salomon was buried in Mikveh Israel Cemetery in Philadelphia in a grave that is now unmarked. Since we don't know which his grave is, we cannot even pay our respects at his graveside nor erect a marker. But the story of Haym Salomon doesn't end with an unmarked grave. There is a plaque on a brick wall bordering the cemetery that was placed by Haym's great-grandson, William Salomon, in 1917. It says, "To the Memory of Haym Salomon … interred in this Cemetery the location of the grave being now unknown. …" Was it just a coincidence that the year this plaque was erected was the same year of the Balfour Declaration issued by the British, which begins, "His majesty's Government views with favor the establishing in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people"? Was it just a coincidence that in 1975 when the Postal Service issued the stamp honoring Haym Salomon, that same year the Israeli government issued a stamp honoring Harry Truman, the American president who was the first head of state to recognize Israel? As Salomon believed, America has been that save haven for the Jewish people, and Israel has been reborn. As we celebrate America, may we remember the great debt we owe to Haym Salomon. While we may not be able to repay him personally, we can honor him by standing firm in our support and prayers for a strong and secure Israel and a united Jerusalem under the rule of Haym's Salomon's spiritual descendants, the Jewish people.

JCC THURNAUER SCHOOL OF MUSICGUEST ARTIST SERIES

PRESENTSInternational Soloist and Recording Artist

SUZANNA KLINTCHAROVA“Klintcharova’s playing is heavenly.” – American Record Guide

“Five Centuries of Harp Music”

Sunday, September 16, 20073 p.m.

Tickets: $20/$18 JCC Members/$12 Students and Seniors

This concert is part of “Israel @ 60” Celebrations and will feature two compositions byIsraeli composers and a reading with accompaniment of Yehuda Amichai’s “Poems of Jerusalem” with Gideon Vaisman

For more information thurnauer@jccotp.org or call (201) 769-7900 x245

Beyond Hitler's Grasp

A great many Jews know the story of how the Danes rescued 8,000 Jews from the Nazi's by smuggling them to Sweden in fishing boats. Very few Jews, know the story of how all 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were saved. Not a single Bulgarian Jew was deported to the death camps, due to the heroism of many Bulgarians of every walk of life, up to and including the King and the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. In 1999, Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti Defamation League flew with a delegation to Sophia to meet the Bulgarian Prime Minister. He gave the Prime Minister the first Bulgarian language copy of a remarkable book, "Beyond Hitler's Grasp," written in 1998, by Michael Bar Oar, a professor at Emory University. (A Bulgarian Jew who had migrated to Israel and then to the USA). This book documents the rescue effort in detail. The ADL paid for and shipped 30,000 copies to Bulgaria, so that the population could partake in the joy of learning about this heroic facet of their history. This story is clearly the last great secret of the Holocaust era. The story was buried by the Bulgarian Communists, until their downfall in 1991. All records were sealed, since they didn't wish to glorify the King, or the Church, or the non Communist parliamentarians, who at great personal risk, stood up to the Germans. And the Bulgarian Jewish Community, 45,000 of whom went to Israel after the War, were busy building new lives, and somehow the story remained untold. Bulgaria is a small country and at the outset of the War they had 8 million people. They aligned themselves with the Nazi's in hopes of recapturing Macedonia from Yugoslavia and Thrace from Greece. Both provinces were stripped from them, after W.W.I. In late 1942 the Jews of Selonica were shipped north

through Bulgaria, on the way to the death camps, in sealed box cars. The news of this inhumanity was a hot topic of conversation. Then, at the beginning of 1943, the pro Nazi Bulgarian government was informed that all 50,000 Bulgarian Jews would be deported in March. The Jews had been made to wear yellow stars and were highly visible. As the date for the deportation got closer, the agitation got greater. Forty-three ruling party members of Parliament walked out in protest. Newspapers denounced what was about to happen. In addition, the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Krill, threatened to lie down on the railroad tracks. Finally, King Boris III forbid the deportation. Since Bulgaria was an ally of Germany, and the Germans were stretched militarily, they had to wrestle with the problem of how much pressure they could afford to apply. They decided to pass. Several points are noteworthy. The Bulgarian Jews were relatively unreligious and did not stand apart from the local populace by virtue of garb, or rites. They were relatively poor by comparison to Jews in other countries, and they lived in integrated neighborhoods. Additionally, the Bulgarians had many minorities, Armenians, Turks, Greeks, and Gypsies, in addition to Jews. There was no concept of racism in that culture. The bottom line here is that Bulgarians saw Bulgarian-Jews as Bulgarians, and not as Jews. And, being a small country, like Denmark, where there was a closeness of community, that is often missing in larger countries. So, here was a bright spot that we can point to as example of what should have been. The most famous of those saved was a young graduate of the Bulgarian Military Academy. When he arrived in Israel, he changed his name to Moshe Dayan.....

OBOIST ELLEN KATZ WILLNER TO PERFORM THE KOL NIDRE Internationally renowned oboist Ellen Katz Willner, a member of theAmerican Ballet Theater Orchestra and a founding member of the Quintet of the Americas in Bogota, Colombia and New York City, will perform The "Kol Nidre" Op 47, by Max Bruch at our Erev Yom Kippur Service, Wednesday, September 12, 7:30 p.m. at The Bergen Performing Arts Center. Ellen has performed as a soloist with Cantori New York and the Little Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center, as well as chamber music concerts in the New York metropolitan area. She has also performed as a member of the Mostly Mozart Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, New York Pops with Skitch Henderson, New Jersey Symphony, and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Ellen Willner was principal oboist in the Bogota Philharmonic and the Caracas

SESCIL (Leon Wells)

While attending one of Rabbi Bemporad’s inspirational Saturday morning talks, I asked, “Is the Bible an example of positive human behavior? When Noah was told to build the ark, why didn’t he see other people’s children and try to take them in, too? Was it only his wife and three daughters, and pairs of each animal species that he cared about? Isn’t such blind obedience to God—without regard to the moral implications of Noah’s “selfishness”—a crime against humanity?

I think about the Kalwinskis when I read this Biblical tale. I don’t believe God spoke to Josef Kalwinski or his wife and daughter, or his son, Kaziek, when they embarked on their mission.

In 1943, during the Holocaust, I was 18 years old when, after almost two years, I escaped from the Death Brigade. The Brigade exhumed the murdered bodies of the Nazi victims and burned them to erase any trace of the atrocities. At the time, I was the only survivor of my entire family, 70 members in all. Thinking I had hidden away a cache of gold, a fellow inmate, Korn, took me along with him to the farm of Josef Kalwinski. Korn assumed that I had gold because it was my job to keep count of the gold sieved from the ashes and to turn it over to the Nazis. It never occurred to me to take any of this loot for myself and I used some of it only to bribe the SS guards to treat our group with leniency. This is what made it possible for us to escape, because as we approached the gate on the day we decided to escape, the guard assumed I was bringing him gold and opened the gate. We struck him down and ran away.

I had no idea where I was, but Korn, who worked with the locals before the war, did. When we met Mr. Kalwinski, Korn asked him to hide both of us, and assumed I had gold to pay for it. When he realized that I had nothing, he told Josef Kalwinski he could lose me, because I was a stranger and did not know where I was.

Mr. Kalwinski gave me a long look and said, “how can I leave him to get lost? He’s only a baby. Baby was the only English word he knew, and that became my nickname. I joined 22 other Jews hidden on his property. They were not overjoyed to have me, because of the extremely cramped quarters.

The Kalwinskis were risking their lives, since Aany Pole found hiding Jews was hanged, together with his entire family. The Kalwinskis fed us, cleaned our living space, carried out our slops and did it without raising the suspicion of their neighbors. With kindness and care, his wife,helped by her young daughter and son—a boy my age—worked night and day. Their youngest son had been sent away to distant family, lest he forget and mention our presence to the neighbors.

Why did the Kalwinskis make this great sacrifice for a boy they did not know and for the other twenty-three Jews they hid? Was because of their sense of righteousness and a feeling of humanity for their fellow man? They did not think only of themselves and their safety. Should their tale be added to our Bible, to the literature that describes this as ultimate way to conduct one’s life?

You can read this story and others in Janowska Road by Leon W Wells, published by the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

BBOOKOOK O OFF R REMEMBRANCEEMEMBRANCE

Our annual “Book of Remembrance” is distributed during the Yiskor Memorial Service on the afternoon of Yom Kippur. This year we are planning a more attractive format and we urge you to return this form promptly with your payment before September 30th, so that we will have the time needed to prepare the new booklet.

Please enter _______ names in the Book of Remembrance at $20 each.

1. ________________________________ 4._____________________________

2. ________________________________ 5._____________________________

3. ________________________________ 6._____________________________

Member’s name:_______________________________Phone:_____________________

Address:_____________________________________ E-mail:_____________________

Visa or Mastercard Number: ________________________________________________ Expiration Date:________________

Shabbat Morning Meditation & Minyan

Saturday Morning at 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted

Known as a “member and guest-friendly service,” this Meditation and Minyan led by Rabbi Dennis Shulman meets for less than an hour each and every Saturday and always includes an active discussion of some aspect of this week’s Torah portion and an explanation of a prayer or two included in the service.

Dress is casual and informal.

The minyan meets around a conference table in the basement of the Alpine Community House.

The Ephraim WoolmanJudaic Study Class

Saturday Morning at 10:30 a.m.This class led by Rabbi Jack Bemporad includes stimulating discussions about Jewish philosophy, history, scripture and commentary as well as current issues. Classes resume in September 8.

Held at the Alpine Community House.Coffee and Bagels will be served.

S ‘n’ SW O R L D F A M O U S

Kosher Delicatessen

Restaurant and Catering

34 East Palisade Avenue Englewood, New JerseyPhone: (201) 541-6880Fax: (201) 541-6883

Larry and Jenna Gellerare members of

Chavurah Beth Shalom

Debbie’s Designs Florist

For All Your Events Weddings

Bar/Bat Mitzvah1133 Rt. 23 South

Wayne, NJ(973) 696-7930

Lonnie MorrisCertified Nurse Midwife

Birth, Delivery & Brit Milah567-0810 568-5733

LMCNM @aol.com

Gutterman-Musicant Funeral Directors

402 Park Street, Hackensack, NJ 076011-800-522-0588

Arthur Musicant, Mgr. NJ Lic. No. 2544Alan Musicant, NJ Lic. No. 2890

Serving the Jewish Community with dignity and compassionwww.GuttermanMusicantWien.com

Wien & Wien Inc. Memorial Chapels129 Engle St., Englewood, NJ (201) 569-2404 ~ 402 Park St., Hackensack, NJ (201)

489-6125Barry Wien, Mgr. NJ Lic. No. 2885

Experienced professional offering therapeutic and educational services for children with speech, language and communication based special needs. Specializing in PDD and ADD and experienced in both floortime and ABA approaches.

Please contact Ronit Moritz at 917-545-8332.

Barefoot Cabinetry

Hand crafted fine woodwork, custom cabinetry, and refinishingwww.Barefoot-Studio.com

Call Eddie at: (201) 835-8353

The Perfect Arrangement

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Julie Kerzner Keery Private Mortgage Banker

Wells Fargo Private Mortgage BankingPark 80 West Plaza 1

Saddle Brook, NJ 07663Office: (201) 909-6121Cell: (917) 519-2429

congregation chavurah beth shalomAugust 2007 Newsletter

Chavurah Beth Shalom P. O. Box 417 Tenafly, NJ 07670 www.mychavurah.org

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BONNIE S. MAYMember of Chavurah Beth Shalom

Former Bergen County ResidentSPECIALIZING IN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES

FORYOU AND YOUR CHILDREN