Kol Hadash July/August 2011

By the grace of friendship, I recently had the blessing of participating in conversations with youngprofessionals (not including myself in that category) about sustainability. The question on the tablewas: How to live a more sustainable life? Just listening made me hopeful about the future.

The majority of people I spoke with were architects for whom eco-friendly construction was notsimply a matter of discussion; it was the place of departure. The fact that someone wants to live inan eco-friendly house doesn’t make the living experience sustainable. Sustainability and respectfor the environment are not one and the same. One can recycle and use green sources of energy,with deep respect for plants and animals, yet be completely stressed out on the treadmill ofproductivity day and night while living a BlackBerry-controlled life. This type of existence is notsustainable physically or spiritually.

Let’s define “sustainability.” The Wikipedia definition is not bad: Sustainability is the capacity toendure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive overtime. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems.For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, withenvironmental, economic, and social dimensions.

If this is the case, I would like to add the actions that one should take, in theory, to live a moresustainable life.

"Actions are sustainable if: • There is a balance between resources used and resources regenerated. • Resources are as clean or cleaner at end use as at the beginning. • The viability, integrity, and diversity of natural systems are restored and maintained. • They lead to enhanced local and regional self-reliance. • They help create and maintain community and a culture of place. • Each generation preserves the legacies of future generations."

— David McCloskey, Professor of Sociology, Seattle University

In sustainability, culture, society, and human ways of life are by definition part of the ecosystem.We affect the environment, and the environment affects us. We are the environment, healthy orunhealthy.

(continued on page 5)

Sustainable Judaism RABBI MARCELO R. BRONSTEIN

KOL HADASH

asj kuenew voIce.

Panim el Panim Cafés Lead Us in New Directions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

When Is a Carrot a Form of Activism? .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Welcoming Our Newest Members .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Teens Together at BJ: A Parent’s View.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Creating Community: It’s a Girl (and Mom) Thing! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Houdini and Exodus .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Social Action/Social Justice . . . . . .2-3Celebrating Roly’s 25 Years . . . . . . . .4Food Programming at BJ . . . . . . . . . .4Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Member Spotlights . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7Youth & Family Education . . . . . . .8-11Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Contemplative Retreat . . . . . . . . . . .14Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

At the BJHS model seder on April 14. Readmore about recent Youth & Family activities on pages 8-11.

The BJHS Model Seder

JULY/AUGUST 2011 • SIVAN/TAMMUZ/AV/ELUL 5771

“ In sustainability, culture,society, and human ways of lifeare by definition part of theecosystem. We affect theenvironment, and theenvironment affects us. We arethe environment, healthy orunhealthy.”

SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org

PHOTO: KRISTEN KERSEY

inside:

new voIce • JULY/AUGUST 2011

2

We are “... not obliged to complete thetask, but neither are we free to desistfrom it.” — Pirkei Avot, 2:16

e heard you say:

The cost of health insurance is too high,especially the cost of COBRA and insurancefor the self-employed; you value incomediversity in our neighborhoods; you arestruggling to navigate services and care foraging parents; we heard you say affordablehousing is scarce, and you “can’t afford toleave or stay,” you are concerned forhousekeepers, nannies, and elder-careworkers.

You are angry about:

The high cost of food; a perceived lack ofcivility in public spaces; that New York Stateand our country deny the rights of same-sex

couples to marry; you are angry about thethreat to women’s reproductive rights;about attacks against Muslim Americans inour city; the loss of small businesses in theneighborhood; about the cost of basichealth needs like eye drops and hearingaids; the problems of domestic violence anddate rape; and you are angry about the costof high interest rates on personal credit andall of the hidden fees.

You are worried about:

Aging in New York; about job availability andsecurity; your children coming home withcollege degrees and not being able to findwork and encountering a limited field ofpossibilities; you are worried about studentloans overwhelming our young people;about anti-Semitism; budget cuts to seniorservices; insurance coverage forcatastrophic illness; your own isolation orthat of your friends living alone; peoplelosing their homes due to high rent, high

maintenance fees, or foreclosure; thegrowing gap between rich and poor in ourcity; slipping from the middle class; andyour ability to retire someday; budget cutsand resulting layoffs.

You care about:

The quality of our drinking water in NewYork City and the risks of hydrofracking; thequality of New York City public education;access to quality food in all New York Cityneighborhoods; immigrant rights; well babycare; fair share taxation and living wages;

KOL HADASH.SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL JUSTICE


Panim el Panim Community Cafés Lead Us in New DirectionsBy Marcy Einhorn

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“At each of the three Cafés,members were guided through a program that was designed togive everyone an opportunity to share their concerns, withoutjudgment or criticism, in order togenerate the clearest picture ofthe issues that are on BJmembers’ minds.”

PHOTOS, PAGES 2-3: DENISE WAXMANAt the Community Café Celebration on April 13.

SIVAN/TAMMUZ/AV/ELUL 5771 • new voIce

you care about pedestrian safety at trafficlights and near bike lanes; accessible andpublic transportation; access to mentalhealth care including supportive housing;and respecting teachers.

Panim el Panim is hopeful about what wecan accomplish together.

“Please take your seats. We are ready tobegin.”

With that call to action, Jamie Emhoff, co-chair of Panim el Panim kicked off thisyear’s Listening Campaign, which we calledthe Community Cafés. Every few years,Panim el Panim hosts listening campaignsas a way of gauging what social justiceissues are of concern to the congregation.When Panim el Panim was founded eightyears ago to do congregation-basedcommunity organizing, we held a series of613 one-on-one meetings, which led toformation of four different hevras, orworking groups, to address a variety ofissues from an advocacy and organizingstandpoint.

This year we tried a different modelforlistening campaign. At each of the threeCafés, members were guided through aprogram that was designed to give everyonean opportunity to share their concerns,without judgment or criticism, in order togenerate the clearest picture of the issuesthat are on BJ members’ minds. Membershad a chance to move through threedifferent conversations over the course ofeach evening with a facilitator and avolunteer to record the stories, ideas, andthoughts that were discussed. Atdesignated times, the groups shifted to anew position in the room, leaving behindtheir comments for the next group to reflecton from a new perspective. In the firstround we focused on issues and concerns inmembers’ daily lives, or those that theircommunity struggles with, the

things that keep them upat night, or that come upin conversation withfriends and family. In thesecond round,participants were invitedto share personal storiesthat speak to why they orothers they know areaffected by certaininjustices. Powerfulexamples were sharedaround each table

highlighting how deeply felt many of theseissues are by the community. For the thirdround we changed gears by tasking eachtable with writing a vision statement for theideal city and state. A participant reportedfeeling chills after reading her table’s piece:“We strive to live in a city/state whereeveryone has enough to eat, no one islonely, everyone feels accountable to theircommunity, where we consider the long-term effects of our actions and where wereally listen to others as a way of gainingperspective and learning from each other.”At the conclusion of the three Cafés,volunteers gathered the notes and recordedimpressions of each event and consideredwhich issues had the potential for futurecampaign work.

Over 70 members gathered again on April13 for the Community Café Celebration andReport Back event in the sanctuary. NewYork State Assembly Member LindaRosenthal and New York City CouncilMember Gale Brewer opened the eveningby reflecting back the power organizedcommunities have in making change. Theyreminded us of the successful campaignsBJ has been involved with including thepassage of the Health Care Security Act,making Plan B emergency contraceptionavailable to all city residents, and passageof the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights. Weheard from several members who sharedpersonal stories: Jamie Emhoff spoke aboutthe profound impact Panim has made onher life and her personal connections to theMarriage Equality Hevra; Melanie Shermanspoke about the financial burden of caringfor aging parents; Amy Lavine shared herfear around the high cost of housing; EsterRose shared her concern for the

unmanageable costs of healthcare; and Ishared my experience with credit card debtand high interest rates. The message at theReport Back was one of hope about whatwe can accomplish together, and I leftfeeling inspired, hopeful, and proud of BJ asa congregation.

“So, what do we do next?” asked JudithTrachtenberg, co-chair of Panim el Panim.With that inquiry, Judith announced thecreation of two new issue exploratory teamsto expand BJ’s social justice work beyondthe already hard-working Marriage EqualityHevra and the Affordable Housing WorkingGroup. After a thorough review of the inputat all three Community Cafés, it wasdecided to create two new teams to addressissues of Aging in New York and EconomicJustice.

The issue of Aging in New York is aresponse to the palpable sense of anxiety inthe congregation about the many issuesrelated to aging: taking care of agingparents, navigating benefits and services,accessibility to public spaces andtransportation, and the ability to retire andlive with dignity after work. Some work hasalready begun in the Upper West Side andother parts of the city that have beendesignated as Aging Improvement Districts,so this team will begin to explore what youwould want to see in an age-friendly NewYork City and how that translates into anactionable campaign.

The Economic Justice Exploratory Team isan outgrowth of a small group that hasbeen focusing on issues of usury andpredatory lending. It will begin to researchissues of high interest debt, living wages,ethical banking practices, unemployment,and financial education needs for BJmembers.

Each of these groups will require the effortsof many members, and each will also givemembers the opportunity to learn aboutcommunity organizing and work towardneeded changes. Please be in touch withChanna Camins, Director of SocialAction/Social Justice, if you would like tolearn more about how to be involved:[email protected] or x259. n

Marcy Einhorn is an attorney, author, andmotivational speaker in the area of consumerlaw. Marcy and her two adult children havebeen BJ members since 2009.

asj kue

3SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org

“Powerful examples wereshared around each tablehighlighting how deeply feltmany of these issues are by thecommunity. ”

4 SYNAGOGUE: 257 W. 88th St. • OFFICE: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • TEL: 212.787.7600 • FAX: 212.496.7600 • WEBSITE: www.bj.org

new voIce • JULY/AUGUST 2011KOL HADASH.

The extraordinary vision, wisdom, leadership, and commitment that Roly has broughtto BJ for the last 25 years have transformed BJ as a community and inspired eachone of us as individuals.

Donate a MahzorWe are honoring Roly’s 25 years of spiritual leadership by purchasing the newMahzor Lev Shalem for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, published by theRabbinical Assembly. You are invited to donate one or more copies of the 4,000mahzorim we will need in order to use them during the next Yamim Nora’im. Abookplate with the name of the donor will be placed in each mahzor. Donationscan be made at www.bj.org/mahzor.

Come to Shabbat Services and a Special Kiddush for Rabbi MatalonOn Saturday, September 10, the BJ community will come together to honor and celebrate Rabbi J. RolandoMatalon at a special Kiddush at 88th Street. A book of messages from the community will be presented toRoly. The presence of everyone would be the greatest honor of all. Please join us! n

Celebrating Rabbi Matalon’s 25 Years at BJ

FOOD PROGRAMMING AT BJ

used to be cynical about organicfood. I considered it a niche market,another way to capitalize on

people's fears and insecurities. My mindchanged slowly, through encounteringpeople with more openness to the coreissues of food justice. And, like manyreaders, my heart was opened by MichaelPollan's exposition of the spiritual and ethi-cal dimensions of our food supply chain inhis book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I cameaway from his dense analysis of Americanfood history with an unexpected feeling:optimism. I felt, for the first time, that I had aright and even an obligation to expect morefrom my relationship to food and the land.

I decided to join a CSA (CommunitySupported Agriculture). For those who aren'tyet familiar with CSA, members are"investors" in a farm. We pay a fee at thebeginning of the year. In exchange, wereceive a weekly share of the farm's harvestthrough the season. CSAs ensure the

survival of small farmsin a competitive market.Many CSAs offer theirshares on a slidingscale for low-incomemembers. Many CSAsoffer their weeklyunclaimed vegetablesdirectly to shelters andsoup-kitchen programs.

This form of organizing serves many keycomponents of food justice, from hunger tosecurity to health of people and land.This will be my fourth season engaging inthis relationship with Roxbury Farm. I lovemy farmers! They provide my nourishmentfor half the year, and they are my proxies instewardship of the land that they diligentlycare for. I know that they have an abidingcommitment to proper treatment of workers,plants, animals, and soil. I reserve this kindof admiration for a rare few people, myfarmers and Rabbis among them.

I started a conversation with Rabbi Ezra lastyear about how I could serve food activismhere at BJ. Around the same time, a veryambitious and visionary Ariel Schneider,Social Action/Social Justice ProgramAssistant, got the idea to start a CSA at BJ. Icautioned her about the huge amount ofwork involved, but she was undeterred! In atruly amazing feat, she assembled themembers and formed a highly capableleadership team. I was both deeplyimpressed and sad that I would not be a partof this monumental undertaking. But therewas no way I could leave my farm and therelationships that I had built over the courseof years. I was just the kind of person whothey were looking for to join their startup, butyet I wasn’t able to participate. And I wasn’talone. The CSA is a terrific outlet for foodorganizing at BJ, but not the only onenecessary to take advantage of the widercommunity’s passions.

i

When Is a Carrot a Form of Activism? By Melissa Tapper Goldman

(continued on page 7)

“The CSA is a terrific outlet forfood organizing at BJ, but notthe only one necessary to takeadvantage of the widercommunity’s passions.”

PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN

SIVAN/TAMMUZ/AV/ELUL 5771 • new voIceasj kueCOMMUNITY

Judaism is a way of life that constantlyfosters sustainability. Our tradition wasformed in relationship to nature and theenvironment; all holy days are based on thecycle of the months. We have laws thatprevent us from cutting fruit trees andencourage us to take care of animals. Theshmita, the rest of the land every sevenyears, is a manifestation of this sensitivity.

Rabbi David Rosen, in his essay “SustainableDevelopment—A Jewish Perspective,”affirms: “The biblical model for sustainabledevelopment is rooted, above all, in a moralvision that demands that we contend withthe dangers posed by human arrogance, forit is arrogance that justifies greed,exploitation, irresponsibility and violencetowards others. Fundamental then to theScriptural message is not only the specialfocus on the most vulnerable in society, butthe insistence that we recognize that we areall vulnerable—we are all temporary

sojourners in God’s world. Such awarenessmay lead us to live more responsiblytowards ourselves, our neighbors, ourcommunities, our nations, our humanity,and our ecology.”

Sustainability and ecology are not the same.Sustainability is about the sanctification oftime in Heschelian terms. It is about how wespend our time; it is our capacity to take abreak, our capacity to meditate, to createdistance from our pursuits in order to putthings in perspective. It is about ourcontribution to a more just world. It is aboutnot believing that we are at the center ofcreation, and the capacity to contractourselves. It is about realizing how healthyor unhealthy, how organic or un-organic ourlife is.

I am taking the word “sustainability” beyondeco-jargon. If we look at the Jewishcommunity as a whole, is it a healthy

organism? Is it an organism that lives up toits ultimate values? What practices ofcommunal living do we have in today’sJewish world that are not sustainable in thelong range? Is the Jewish environment inbalance or out of balance? Is the Jewishenvironment a healthy one for our kids, forour young who will define the future?

If not, what unhealthy practices have wedeveloped that help our young run awayfrom the organized Jewish environment?

I am not pretending to answer thesequestions, but just bring them to ourconsciousness. This article will be out in thesummer—a time to slow down, to take abreak, to achieve perspective and, I hope, tothink about questions like these.

Have a great summer! n

Sustainable Judaism RABBI MARCELO R. BRONSTEIN continued from page 1


Welcoming Our Newest Members By Susan Viuker Landau and Carol Gelles

hen Felicia gave birth to Aiden lastspring, the BJ community spranginto action and provided them with

three home cooked meals a week. Thefollowing is an excerpt from the thank youmessage from Felicia:

Several months ago when I told Yaffa that Ididn't want to receive gifts for the then baby(the now Aiden) because there would be somuch excess, I suggested that aside frompeople making donations to the scholarshipfund at BJ, I'd be happy to receive somemeals. Some meals turned into 3 meals aweek for 6 months …

The greatest mitzvah that could come out ofthis outpouring of support would be for thismitzvah to breed another mitzvah (PirkeAvot). Imagine if we had 20 new babies atBJ in the course of a year, each familycould receive a meal a week from us for amonth!

I can't thank you enough for the support and delicious meals. I hope and pray ourcommunity can respond with such love andgrace with all new additions to ourcommunity.

With love and gratitude,— Felicia

In response to Felicia’s vision we haveformed the Meals for New and GrowingFamilies Committee, chaired by SusanViuker Landau and Carol Gelles. With BJproviding one Shabbat meal for the family,the committee will serve to provide twoadditional home-cooked meals. Volunteersto this committee can chose to either cook afull meal for the family on their own or join acooking hevra at the BJ kitchen that willprepare the meal as a group.

As anyone who is a parent or is close to ayoung family knows, the first month

following birthcan be full ofoverwhelmingadjustments.Join us inhelping tomake this timea little lesshectic for thenew parents byhelping them

relax for a Shabbat dinner filled with BJ loveand food. To volunteer or for moreinformation, please contact Susan [email protected] or Carol [email protected].

We are very excited about this new endeavorand look forward to your enthusiasm, ideas,and participation. If you would like to helpsupport this committee to purchaseingredients for these meals, please donateat www.bj.org. n

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KOL HADASH.


MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS

t’s been about 12 years that I’vebeen a member of B’nai Jeshurun.Maybe as is the case for many of

us, BJ initially seemed like a place tohopefully develop friendships/communityand re-connect with Judaism (having hadsomewhat of a hiatus after Hebrew School,my bar mitzvah, and being in a Jewish youthgroup in high school).

While it was a bit daunting going to such alarge service (not to mention the initialstrangeness of the service being in achurch), I had the sense that I might developthe friendships and re-connect with Judaismif I just stuck around a bit.

My initial avenue in was the BJ softballgames. Those first few years, there wereupwards of 40 of us (women included)playing once a week at a field by the boatbasin in Riverside Park. Again, it was a bitdaunting—not to mention I was a bit rusty atcatching fly balls—but I stuck around, metpeople, and eventually caught more fly ballsthan I missed.

But softball wasn’t all there was. I went toservices most Friday evenings. While I wassure just about everyone there was morefamiliar with the service than I was, I cameto really like it. Eventually, it became theright place for me to be on a Friday night. Ofcourse, it helped that I developed a solidgroup of friends, having people to go havedinner with after services.

There were also the retreats. It wasn’t onlymy interest in meeting someone that had mego to the singles retreats; it was a sense itwould add to my being part of thiscommunity and deepening my connection toJudaism. And while there’s still no ringaround my finger after several retreats, theywere (and still are) a place to relax and enjoyShabbat in the beauty of nature, connectwith the Rabbis and other people you seearound but don’t have the chance to spendany time with, and, if it calls to you, sitaround a campfire and sing along whilesomeone plays guitar (on a few occasions, Iwas the one playing).

Then there has been the havurah I’ve been apart of. Very proudly, I’m one of two originalmembers (Harriet Goren being the other)who met at Felicia’s apartment after (wethink) the fall 2000 singles retreat. While weweren’t sure what any group would look orfeel like, it seemed like it could beworthwhile. For the first few years, quite afew people came and went. While we had agoal of having a Shabbat service coupled

with a catered dinner atsomeone’s apartment once amonth, we never quite met thatoften. Still, we kept meeting.Now, about 11 years later, we’restill meeting, usually with Harrietco-leading the service. (Anyonewho’s been at a service that she’sco-led knows how fortunate weare.) We usually have between 15and 20 people at each meeting. Itnever fails that I walk in andinstantly have this real nicefeeling of comfort. A number oftimes over the years we’ve givenextra money away for tzedakah.As the treasurer who writes thecheck, I get a real feeling of prideat giving money to any number ofcauses ranging from local tointernational, including those

affecting lives in Israel.

I’ve also been one of the leaders of severalBekef events. These have again been anopportunity to broaden my relationships, notto mention going on what I think are somepretty cool walks.

Sticking around has been the key—there’salways the opportunity, when walking into anenvironment where I’m not comfortable, tosay this isn’t for me and walk away. I’m gladthat for the most part, I’ve chosen to stickaround. Now if I can only keep catchingthose fly balls … n

Craig Rosenberg, a member since 1998, ispresident of Bekef, a member of the HaverimTovim Havurah, and regularly plays in the BJsoftball games.

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Sticking AroundBy Craig Rosenberg

“Sticking around has been thekey—there’s always theopportunity, when walkinginto an environment whereI’m not comfortable, to saythis isn’t for me and walkaway. I’m glad that for themost part, I’ve chosen to stick around.”


SIVAN/TAMMUZ/AV/ELUL 5771 • new voIceasj kue

s I mounted the stairs to attend myfirst New Member Orientation, Ihad no way of knowing just how far

my journey with BJ would take me. Grippingthe handrail and reminding myself to smile, Iasked myself how was this going to beeasier than meeting one guy? I’d once beena Friday-night regular, searching for mybashert at services.

Twelve years later, I was back seekingcommunity for two. My husband Stephanand I wanted to meet people with whom weboth had something in common, preferablycouples so we could double date! (Stephanand I, by the way, did not meet at BJ.)

I took a deep breath to calm myself as I tookin the huge loft with rustic brick walls—thetype of elegant-earthy brownstone that isfeatured in Woody Allen films. Several longbuffet tables, laden with foil trays, werecentral. I helped myself to salad, crustybread, and baked ziti. Then I sat down on afolding chair so as not to fumble-spill DietCoke on the cream leather couch.

Balancing the plate on my lap and steadyingmy shyness, I exchanged greetings withLayla—a petite brunette with curly hair whowas wearing an embroidered peasantblouse. Several of us started talking. Ienjoyed being in the buzz of the chit-chatand thought: “This isn’t so hard.” I evenreached out to a woman at the periphery ofour cluster, who sat with her arms locked ather side. I offered her the olive branch of“Hello, I’m Debra.” She accepted.

What was I thinking? Shouldn’t I have hadsome sort of check-list? At least to find outwho is married or in relationships? Then,surprising for a Jewish gathering, theprogram started on time but not beforeLayla mentioned that she would be usheringthe next Friday night. I would know someoneat services again!

The orientation was well structured; athorough information packet wasdistributed. I found out how to becomeinvolved through volunteering. A highlightwas when all 40 of us formed a long circle tosay a bit about where we liked to travel. Ishould have anticipated this moment whenI’d filled out my name badge, which askedthis question. Instead, I tried to listen to theothers while I rehearsed—my quickenedheartbeat swishing in my ears.

Then Rebecca spoke: “My favorite place tovisit is Paris, and we used to go often when Ilived in Europe with my husband, Michael,who is British.” The Seine parted.

I acknowledged Rebecca when it was myturn, pointing out my Eiffel Tower earrings.“The man I live with, Stephan, is French, andmy favorite place is also Paris even if itmeans staying with my mother-in-law. ButStephan is the lucky one who gets to go toNew Jersey where I’m from!” I welcomedthe laugh.

We separated into two groups; Rebecca wasassigned to the other one. Two nice Jewishgirls who’d found Jewish mates with sexyaccents; I had to find a way to meet her! She actually approached me, and weexchanged numbers as we were leaving.“Michael and I are new to BJ and would liketo meet some other couples.”

They have become our good friends. Thistime around, it was a match made in BJ. n

Debra L. Eder and Stephan have beenmembers of BJ since 2009; she has becomeinvolved in Hevra Kadisha and the RoshHodesh Women’s Group. Debra’s recentpublications include a personal essay in theanthology Siblings and Autism. She is writinga collection of connected stories: “Is There LifeAfter Debra?”

a

My Journey at BJBy Debra L. Eder


“We separated into two groups;Rebecca was assigned to theother one. Two nice Jewishgirls who’d found Jewishmates with sexy accents; I hadto find a way to meet her! ”

Joining a CSA is also a serious commitment.Many times during the summer, I open myfridge and think, “How can I possibly use allthese zucchinis?” Shifting to a seasonal wayof eating is difficult, especially in New York.From experience, I knew that what new CSAmembers need is a community to supportthem in their transition. Typically, 50 percentof new CSA members make it through onlyone year.

I brainstormed how I could help the CSA andenjoy the momentum of the food projects atBJ and decided to start a seasonal vegetablecooking class. We had four gifted volunteerchefs from our community to teach useverything from making salad dressing topickling techniques. My organizing was ofthe rookie variety, but the demand was high.Every class was full to capacity. I left thesummer exhausted from the project but abetter cook, and with a few new friends.

They were so successful that they arecontinuing this year! I hope to see more ofyou next year. n

Melissa Tapper Goldman has been an activemember since 2008 along with her fiancé,Aubrey Clayton. She is a writer, filmmaker andarchitect-in-training. She can be reached [email protected].

Carrot as Activism continued from page 4

8

YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION



attended morning minyan with my4-year-old daughter, Mia, everySunday, to say kaddish for my

Mom the year she died. Mia was usually theonly child there. One of the “regulars,”Shelly, became friendly with Mia and toldthe group one day, “A Holocaust survivorcame to services once and said he lovedhearing the voices of children at servicesand around the synagogue because thesaddest sound he experienced was thesilence when there were no children left tomake their voices heard.” From thatmoment on, I felt comfortable bringing mychildren to even the most intimate ofsettings at BJ.

The Purim carnival and play, also on aSunday, offer quite a different scene thanminyan. At the biggest event of the year forchildren at BJ, kids are everywhere, running,laughing, and being as silly as can be. Theplay in March had a theme, brilliantly woveninto the Purim story, about: Expansion!alluding to the 89th Street building, a much-needed development, since the communityof young children and their families at BJ isalso expanding rapidly.

While we’re waiting to expand into our newbuilding, the Young Families Initiative, underthe guidance of Emily Walsh, AssistantDirector of Education, Youth and Family, andchaired by Christina Gantcher, is dedicatedto expanding opportunities and creating anintimate community for this population. Butright now families can connect at BJ. Andthe kids learn about Judaism, mitzvot (gooddeeds), and the values we cherish. There areprograms and activities for every day of theweek:

Friday mornings: Why sign up for anothergym or music class when your child ages 6

months to 3 years can join their friends atBim Bam? This class teaches kids thepopular Shabbat songs andniggunim/melodies sung during BJ services,and kids get to be silly, all before givingtzedakah (charity) saying the blessings, andenjoying candles, grape juice, and challah!

Friday nights: If you miss the soulful Fridaynight services you attended before earlybedtimes were part of your life, come back—with your kids. On the first Friday of themonth, after a short service, families enjoyShabbat dinners where teenagers play withthe kids.

Saturday morning: Shabbat services offerage-appropriate (for parents, too!) serviceswith music, praying, dancing, wine, andchallah! These mornings often featureStorahtelling, a theatrical and interactiveapproach to teaching children about Torah.

Sunday: Play with your BJ friends in thepark.

Monday: You can participate in a monthlybook group where parents discuss Jewishparenting, read poignant thinkers, andconnect with local parents who will amazeyou.

Tuesday: You will want to keep the artprojects that your children make at BJ’s Artsand Crafts class, a new program exposingkids to materials you will be happy they areusing outside your home!

Wednesday: Attend a learning session withone of the Rabbis.

Thursday: Look out for one of the specialevents, holiday celebrations, or concerts atBJ. There is usually food at these events;always a plus for noshing children.

Every day: Read books about the holidaysand Jewish values with your kids every nightbefore bed. BJ has generously sponsored aJewish literacy program, in partnership withthe PJ Library, to send these books tomembers’ homes each month at no cost tothe families!

Now that you have filled your calendar withBJ services, events, and programs you mayfeel like I do: No other kid-focusedorganization can compete with BJ! Just asmy love expands for my growing children,my love expands for BJ as its programs andspace grow. I am confident that BJ will growwith us and our children. Perhaps one daymore children will attend morning minyan. n

Valerie Gerstein met her husband, Mark, at BJ.They are the proud parents of Mia (4) and Liza(2). Mia named our Shabbat morning class“Bim Bam” while Valerie was helping to createthe program. Valerie volunteers with UJA andthe JCC in Jewish Young Family outreach.

i “Just as my love expands for mygrowing children, my loveexpands for BJ as its programsand space grow.”

The Voices of BJ Children Filling Our SpacesBy Valerie Gerstein

ewish education is about building relationships—whether it is with places such as 88th Street or theLower Ninth Ward, activities like the Purim play or Shabbat dinners, with ideas and values such astzedek (justice) or hakhnasat orhim (welcoming others), or most important, with other Jews. The Youth

and Family Education Department has many programs that bring people together to build our community anddeepen their connection to BJ and to Judaism. n

jIt’s Happening HereBy Emily Walsh


BJ children listening to a PJ Library book.

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Teens Together at BJ: A Parent’s ViewBy Todd Chanko

hen I arrived at LaGuardia on awintry, overcast January afternoonto pick up my son, Sasha, I saw the

excited, happy, and somewhat anxious facesof other BJ parents. Some I’ve known foryears, others I’d just met—but what we allhad in common was that our just-turned-teen children were returning from four days

in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. A culminationof several Sundays of study, discussion, andexploration of the crisis still facing residentsfive years after Hurricane Katrina, the tripwas an intense voyage inward and beyond.Led by Roly, Jason Fruithandler (BJ’s TeenEducator), and Emily Walsh, (AssistantDirector of Education), the journey broughttogether an eclectic group—regular shul-goers and once-in-a-whilers; Jewish dayschool students, secular private- and public-school kids; and kosher, vegetarian, orwhatever’s-in-the-fridge. Yet, thesedifferences counted for little as the intensityof clearing debris for a future communitygarden synthesized—and made real—thevalues espoused by BJ. Tikkun olam is alovely sentiment, and embracing the worldoutside the synagogue a noble goal, butwhat these kids learned in New Orleans isthat growth comes from engagement—notonly with others, but with each other. Ofcourse, they had fun, too—Preservation Hall

and beignets at Café du Monde made sure ofthat.

But before they went off to the Big Easy, BJ’steens had had numerous other ways to learnabout themselves and their relationship toour tradition. My daughter, Eden, a buddingthespian and dancer, finished her third

Purimspiel season this year, during whichshe not only honed her stage skills but alsodeepened her friendships. Encouraged byBJ’s own Jerry Korman and Mira Rivera,along with Michael Kelberg, BJ’s younger setlearns dramatic discipline, collaboration,and theatrical arts—and along the way to thebig day powerful bonds are formed that

endure long after the umpteenthhamantaschen disappears. What has alwaysstruck me is how Eden and her peersidentify themselves not by their schools orwhere they live but simply as part of thelarger BJ hevra.

However, it is in preparation for b’nai mitzvotwhere both children and parents developprofound understandings of the meaning ofcommunity. As BJ has been blessed with anunusually large membership, most childrenare paired for their b’nai mitzvah. Havingjust celebrated Sasha’s bar mitzvah lastOctober, I know the process and confess thatat first I’d wanted him to have the bimah allto himself. (If most parents are honest they,too, have harbored the same feeling,however fleeting.) Yet, the sharing of thebimah, the day, the learning with DannyGolden and his family opened up newrelationships. We shared Shabbat dinnerstogether, met with Roly together, practicedwith Ari together, and had brunch the dayafter together. Most importantly, two boys—one with a day-school background, the otherfrom a secular private school—joinedtogether on a Shabbat morning to lead us in

tefillah, Torah, and song.

I’ve seen my own hevra grow,expand, and develop in my manyyears at BJ. Being with ourchildren as they move through themany stages of childhood acrossthe Purimspiel, JuniorCongregation, and b’nai mitzvahprograms I’m confident in ourfuture. Who knows? Hopefullysome of them will marry eachother—just like many of us didafter we first met 20 years ago. n

Ever since his first Rosh Hashanahwith Marshall and Roly in 1986, Todd

Chanko has made BJ his spiritual home. Soonthereafter he joined the choir and alsoperformed for many years in the Purimspiel.He met Ami here 20 years ago. Their children,Sasha and Eden, participate in a full range ofBJ activities.

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“... What these kids learned in New Orleans is that growth comesfrom engagement—not only withothers, but with each other. ”

Above, from left: Sasha Chanko (left) and friends on the NewOrleans trip; a scene from the December, 2010 BJ Hanukkah play.

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: JASON FRUITHANDLER, DAN CALIGOR



YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION

ur children are assigned a b’naibitzvah date by B’nai Jeshurunassigns when they turn 10 years

old. Although it seems far in the future, BJprovides each child and their parents manyopportunities to learn jointly in preparationfor their momentous occasion. The firstprogram offered for 4th Fourth Graders wasthe unrolling of the Torah. We all marveledat how long the Torah is, viewed thehandwritten scroll up close, and found ourchild’s parasha. This year in 5th Grade, therehave been three incredible learningopportunities. One Saturday morning, RabbiRoly discussed the Shaharit service with thechildren and their parents. One evening,

Rabbi Felicia met with the parents todiscuss the joys and struggles our b’naimitzvah children will experience as theyseek more independence. On anotherSaturday morning, Rabbi Marcelo engagedthe children and their parents in thechoreography of the Saturday morningservice and discussed why it is important tocelebrate becoming a b’nai mitzvah. Theselearning opportunities with the rabbis areunique and should not be missed as youprepare for your child’s b’nai mitzvah. n

Dini Albert Golden is a former professionalballet dancer with American Ballet Theaterand Phantom of the Opera. She has been a

member of BJ since 2000 along with herhusband, Michael Golden, and their threechildren, Sydney (18), Danny (13), and Julian(10). Dini has been on the Hebrew SchoolAdvisory Committee for three years.

o

n a rainy, chilly fall Friday night theThird Grade came out in force andembraced their first visit to the

Reach for Shabbat Retreat at the IsabellaFreedman Jewish Retreat Center.Excitement and apprehension filled the airas the children looked for friends andfamiliar faces while the parents were busymatching their children's friends with thecorresponding parents. Wondering how shecan forge new friendships when mydaughter spends only four hours a weekwith these children from all different schoolswas a question that kept popping into myhead.

By the designated "free time" on Saturdayafternoon, the boys were playing a soccergame, the girls were playing hide and seek,and a co-ed group formed a game ofbaseball. Our Third Grade parents stoodoutside in the fresh, nippy fall air breathingdeeply and getting to know each other a littlebetter. One mom volunteered to helparrange and organize future events for ourgaggle of Gimmel girls. Wow, I thought tomyself, it is possible to help our daughtersto stay connected!

A few months later, ona snowy winter’s day,our tireless momleaders arranged aSunday morning ofbowling. Anothersuccessful turnout,and fun to boot!

Next up was a plan fora Friday night BJHSShabbat Dinner, butthis did not work formany of us. Thinking ofhow to continue the momentum, wewondered if a dinner at Carmine's right afterHebrew School could work. Amazingly, atable for 16 was set with the Third GradeGimmel girls on one end and their parentsgathered on the other end. Furtheringfriendships with some and meeting otherparents for the first time was a delectableaddition to the menu of events.

We parents have done all the planning and

coordinating of these events ourselves andcan see that we are on our way to building awonderful BJHS community. By the time ourdaughters reach b’not mitzvah they will betheir own, and probably our, social directorswell into the future. n

Barbara Pyles, a BJHS Advisory Committeemember, volunteers at the Calhoun Schooland works at the National Coalition AgainstCensorship. She and her husband, Stephen,have two children, Phoebe and Palmer.

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Gaggle of Gimmel Girls Building Community, BJ StyleBy Barbara L. Pyles

Three Years and Counting: B’nai MitzvahLearning Programs With the RabbisBy Dini Albert Golden

“By the time our daughters reach b’not mitzvah they will be their own, and probably our, social directors well into the future.”

At the 2010 BJ B’nai MItzvah Retreat. PHOTO: LEORA FRANKEL

Tefillin workshop with Roly.PHOTO: EMILY WALSH

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SIVAN/TAMMUZ/AV/ELUL 5771 • new voIce asj kue


Creating Community: It’s a Girl (and Mom) Thing!By Leora Frankel

t’s hard to believe, but thisSeptember marks two years sincethe YFE department launched a

chapter of Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!This nationwide initiative of MovingTraditions* builds the self-esteem,leadership skills, Jewish identity, andfriendship networks of adolescent girlsthrough monthly gatherings to celebrate thenew moon and Hebrew month. Ourinaugural group began with more than adozen 6th Grade girls in the Fall of 2009,who have met for two years now to learn,play, and explore together the critical issuesthey encounter on their journey toadulthood. Through discussion, drama,crafts, and purely social time, we delve intocontemporary challenges such as peerpressure, body image, and relationships,through a Jewish lens.

Part of what is so special about BJ’s It’s aGirl Thing! group is the way in which it hasbrought together different youth populationsfrom across the congregation—girls who areenrolled in BJHS, others who study at theHeschel School, and still more who liveoutside of Manhattan but belong to thesynagogue. Without this group, many ofthese girls would never have connected; andwith it, we have created a unique andinclusive community of young women hereat BJ. Carole Balin, who is both the motherof participant Eve Gertzman and a boardmember of Moving Traditions, writes: “Wehave been part of the BJ community sinceour children were born. And now, for thefirst time, my daughter has come to stakeher own claim in it by finding her owncommunity within the community.” What’smore, it’s a mom’s thing too! We have added

to the girls’ program a fewopportunities each year for theRosh Hodesh moms to conveneand participate in parallelconversations, facilitated byFelicia as well as some of themothers themselves.

This year has been especiallymeaningful as most members ofthe group have become b’naimitzvah, a milestone that we

marked together in this special sisterhood inaddition to the wider communitycelebrations. On the heels of Eve’s simha,Carole reflected, “It IS a girl thing! During atime of intense emotional and physicalgrowth, my daughter returns monthly to acircle of friends at BJ where they speakhonestly about their concerns and triumphs.An adolescent’s mother's dream.” Thesupport and strength the girls have giveneach other through this process has furtherdeepened their connections and will surelyonly grow as we continue meeting into athird year!

It’s a Girl Thing! has been so successful thatwe are thrilled to be recruiting now for asecond cohort of girls to begin this fall. Anygirls who will be in 6th or 7th grade duringthe 2011-2012 school year are eligible to jointhe new group, which will be facilitated byShoshi Rosenbaum, our new TeenCoordinator (and continuing CantorialIntern). For more information about theprogram or to register your daughter fornext year’s group, contact Leora [email protected] or look for the registrationform online at www.bj.org. n

* See Jason Fruithandler’s article “TheBrotherhood,” below, for more about MovingTraditions.

i

The BrotherhoodBy Jason Fruithandler

inth Grade boys, who usually don’tshare more than a joke, are talkingabout the serious and deep issues

that they face. It may sound unlikely, and Ican’t quote them, but I was there while ithappened. The context was “TheBrotherhood,” an eight-week program foradolescent boys. Created by MovingTraditions (www.movingtraditions.org), thedeveloper of the very successful “It’s A GirlThing!,” The Brotherhood is a brilliant,complex, layered, and, most important, funprogram with a dynamic curriculum, and I’vehad great pleasure in participating in it as amentor/leader. I feel lucky to have beenapart of this pilot program and wish it hadbeen around when I was a boy.

Never do 20 minutes pass in theBrotherhood sessions without some physicalaction. The Brotherhood’s developersunderstand boys’ need to move around andto experiment. What makes TheBrotherhood unique is that it successfullyprovides avenues for boys to ask questionsthat are taboo in all other walks of life.

Jewish boys need young Jewish role modelsto help them to explore what it means to livein a modern world with both theirmasculinity and their Judaism. TheBrotherhood provides that, and createsbonds between the participants.

Sally Gottesman, a BJ member and BoardMember, and also the co-founder and chairof Moving Traditions, said of the program,“The Brotherhood is proving to be asuccessful way to build real Jewishcommunity for diverse boys. So, it feelsappropriate—and I am delighted—that BJ isone of the first synagogues to adopt thisprogram.” n

n


“What makes The Brotherhood unique is that it successfully provides avenuesfor boys to ask questions that are taboo in all other walks of life.”

PHOTOS: LEFT. LEORA FRANKEL. BELOW, JASON FRUITHANDLERIt’s a Girl Thing! intergenerational Hanukkah party.

On the 2011 New Orleans teen trip.


new voIce • JULY/AUGUST 2011KOL HADASH.REFLECTIONS

Houdini and Exodus: Reflections on the Deceptive Triangle of Knowledge, Power, and TruthBy Susan Reimer-Torn

he Jewish Museum in NYC is thefirst major art museum to examineHarry Houdini's life and his

enduring influence on art and culture.1 Theexhibit left me thinking about how Houdini'slife and legacy dramatize central Jewishconcerns.

Harry Houdini, born Erich Weiss in 1874 toan immigrant Hungarian rabbi and his wife,was a consummate performer whose featsof escapology challenged assumptions abouthuman limitations. Drowning, freezing,burial, hanging, suffocation, and bondagewere some of the mortal extremes hesurvived with great showmanship. Houdini'ssensationalist career acts out a persistenttension within Judaism: What are thepowers ascribed to God, and what are thosethat lie within the human province?

Houdini's stance, much as the Book ofExodus, draws its own line on the often-blurred boundary between the two.

It is understandable that many in Houdini'sthrall insisted that this unusually daring andprovocative escape artist had superhumanpowers. It is somewhat more surprising thatHoudini went out of his way to vehementlydisavow, rather than exploit, that belief. Inthis way, Houdini takes a position on acentral concern of the Book of Exodus—theorigins of sacred power and its oftenexplosive relationship with the effects of so-called magic.

The implicit partnership—and frequentlyexplosive rivalry—of magic and religion is amillenniums-old story. Religious leadersoften depend on some form of magic toestablish their spiritual authority. Onceestablished, religious authority hasfrequently clamped down hard on magic,lest its practitioners use their arts towillfully subvert their cherished truth.

Like all religions, Judaism has played uponthe uneasy alliance of magic and religion. InExodus we read of Yahweh's bid forsupremacy over the Egyptian gods whichMoses and Aaron must prove to the rulingPharaoh and his court. Pharaoh's elite corpsof conjurers can turn rods into snakes,prompting Moses and Aaron to demonstratethat they can do the same. But their claim torepresent an omnipotent God calls fortrumping the court magicians at their owngame. By having one of their snakes devourall of the Egyptians' serpents, Moses andAaron dazzle the competition and assertYahweh as supreme.

There are other ways to look at this story. Anhonest practicing magician would point tothe Hebrews' superior knowledge of animalbehavior: Surely they were first to discover

an obscure genus of desert snake thatnaturally devours those of another genus.An Orthodox reader would explain that Godtemporarily allowed Moses and Aaron toembody divine prowess in order todemonstrate the hegemony of the true God.But we are never to believe that Moses orAaron (or any of our religious leaders)themselves have superhuman powers.

In her musical play “Houdini,”2 the greatfeminist poet and leftist activist MurielRukeyser records a statement Houdini oncemade when questioned about the origins ofwhat others perceived as his “mysticalpowers.” Her Houdini character explains:“My father said we're not to be magiciansbecause of what Moses did. … And God toldMoses to strike the rock with his staff. Watergushed forth. Moses let them believe it wasall his doing; he did not give credit. That'swhy he wasn't allowed to go into thePromised Land. And we're not to bemagicians.” Later on, Rukeyser quotesHoudini as saying, “If you dig deeply you canfind the answers in ancient science.Ultimately however, it is only God.”

Bizarrely enough, Houdini ran intoconsiderable trouble for his insistence uponthe distinction between the magician (onewho claims to wield mystical power overnature) and the illusionist (one who knowssecret techniques to effect the illusion ofhaving such powers). In 1926 there was acongressional investigation into the highlyquestionable activities of the so-calledSpiritualists who flourished between thegreat wars. These self-appointed mediums

t

Harry Houdini, 1899

PHOTO: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MCMANUS-YOUNG COLLECTION

“The implicit partnership—andfrequently explosive rivalry—ofmagic and religion is a millenniums-old story. Religious leaders oftendepend on some form of magic toestablish their spiritual authority. ”

1. “Houdini: Art and Magic” and a companion exhibit, “Masters of Illusion: Jewish Magicians of the Golden Age” is on view at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles through September 4, 2011.2. “Houdini, A Musical” by Muriel Rukeyser is available exclusively through www.parispress.org.



13

appropriated tricks proper to stage magic(levitating tables, simulation of spookyvoices, conjuring ghostly apparitions) whileshamelessly claiming to put the war-bereaved in touch with departed spirits andcharging hefty fees for their riggedtheatrics. Houdini, who tirelessly explainedthat he was an illusionist and not amagician, was zealous about unmaskingthese tricks, making him as a star witnessin the government's inquiry.

The actual transcript from the 1926congressional investigation veers off into thesurreal. Houdini is badgered by onecongressman into confessing that he has allmanner of “powers greater than human.”Another insists that Houdini admit he hasthe actual power to “fly through keyholes.”Houdini tries to explain that he hasprofessional secrets that, if divulged, wouldreveal cause and effect techniques thatallow him to sustain his illusion of “mysticalpower.”

Undeniably, Houdini hadextraordinary physicalprowess as well as a greatdeal of secret and specializedknowledge—how to pickintricate locks, how to holdhis breath for extendedperiods, how to quickly undo astraitjacket, even how tomake an elephant appear todisappear. And thisknowledge, along with hisphysical mastery, certainlygave him powers beyond theordinary. The actual debate—never quite clarified in theemotional din on CapitolHill—was about the source ofhis powers. Houdini says ofhimself, “I am a psychicinvestigator, and I performstage illusions. I admit onlythat I am human.” It was vitalto him that people notconfuse his years of arduoustraining with his having beengranted superhuman powers.These he adamantly insistedwere proper only to God.

Exasperated by Houdini'sinsistence that “everythingwas done by ordinary means,”

one congressman finally explodes, “It's all aplot of the Jews!” followed by a meaningfulsilence. Houdini the escape artist findshimself a target of a dangerously ambiguousaccusation, one that has cost the chosenpeople dearly throughout their history. Weare here confronted with the inescapablytricky triangle of knowledge, power, andtruth. A “chosen” nation's claim toknowledge and even to sacred truth leadsothers to conclude they must also havepower, even if history has shown thesesame people to be overwhelminglypowerless in the face of real threat. (I canremember while traveling in a Europeantrain in the late eighties being cajoled by asober and educated German to finally reveal“the secret power of the Jews” and how Ihugged my little son closer to me in aprotective embrace.)

In his own way, Houdini was an agentprovocateur. Houdini's amazing prowess andethnic origins inevitably stirred up oldsuspicions of secret Jewish powers. A man

of self-styled integrity, he then used hiscelebrity to put old misconceptions aboutJews to rest. Tragically the rest of 20th-century history testifies that in this onegreat challenge, the master showman didnot succeed.

Finally, flummoxed, members of Congressaccuse their superstar witness of being“against religion,” a charge he passionatelydenies. “True belief is a great thing, I careabout that.” Accused of debunking religion,Houdini could have passed himself off as anunconcerned secularist. But this was notHoudini's stance. In Rukeyser's play, as inreal life, Houdini says, “I have always wantedto believe. It would have meant life to me.”In this, his perpetually unsatisfied longing tobelieve, Houdini is the essential Jew. Alas,when he died that same year, he was stilltormented with spiritual doubts.

The Jewish people emerging from slaverywere faced with a similar challenge tobelieve. They are given all sorts of “wondersand signs” to bolster them in their fledgingfaith: the Nile turning to blood, theproliferation of locusts, the smiting of thefirst-born, and the parting of the Red Sea.Still the Jewish people are neverunwavering in their faith. How much moredifficult faith had to have been for a man likeHoudini, who, unlike most of us, wasinitiated into the magicians how-to manualswith their step-by-step instructions foreffecting even such outsized Exodus-scalemiracles. His was a need to challengecomplacency, overturn facile assumptions,probe deeper, go further out on the edge,and keep searching. His obsessive questwas, in many ways, the search of his ownpeople and that of the everyman andeverywoman everywhere who adored him. n

Susan Reimer-Torn is a BJ member, executivecoach and writer born into a family of Orthodoxbelievers, married into a lineage of stagemagicians, and always fascinated by theexplosive relationships between the two. Sheblogs regularly at susanrtorn.wordpress.com.

REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM SIDNEY H. RADNER

“In his own way, Houdini was anagent provocateur. Houdini'samazing prowess and ethnic originsinevitably stirred up old suspicionsof secret Jewish powers. ”


14

KOL HADASH.COMMUNICATIONS


What’s New at dub dub dub dot bj dot orgBy Denise Waxman

hile trees were turning green andflowers blooming this spring, the BJwebsite was sending out some new

shoots, too. Here’s a short report.

First, there is a new main section calledMusic of BJ, which includes not only thePiyutim that have been introduced atservices this year but also the completetracks from every BJ CD. “The Music ofPesah at BJ” was very popular. During Elulyou may want to listen to “TekiYah“ inpreparation for the Hagim. You will also find“With Every Breath—The Music of Shabbatat BJ” and music of Purim.

Divrei Torah delivered by the rabbis eachShabbat have also been requested over theyears. For now you will find them underLimud (Learning). Only the Divrei Torahfrom February 2011 to date are available atthe moment; but we plan to add pastrecordings gradually. Usually they are addedby the Tuesday following the service. This

will be an especially welcome addition tothose who are homebound.

Visitors to BJ attend services just aboutevery week. Now visitor groups can easilyregister online on a new Visitors’ WelcomePage, which you can find under About BJ. Inaddition they can download visitorguidelines. For staff, this greatly simplifiesthe process. This is not all that’s new forvisitors; but you will have to wait untilSeptember to read Belinda Lasky’s reporton Hakhnasat Panim.

Finally, in case you missed the AnnualMeeting on June 2, you can read the AnnualHighlights of 2011 that were distributedthere online. It is in color and includes somegreat pictures. See if you are there and findout about all that this amazing communityhas accomplished during the last year. You’llfind it under BJ Publications.

Happily I won’t need to provide you with

directions to content on the website muchlonger. The website is now in the midst of atrue overhaul (which I, much to my chagrin,promised more than a year ago). When thenew www.bj.org site debuts this fall,everything should be easy to find and user-friendly. I think you’ll be pleased with theappearance and surprised at how much isavailable. n

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oin us for a week of simple living in the rich ecology of the Costa Rican rain forest. We willexplore Jewish contemplative practice as a way to connect more deeply with our soul, ourtruest values, and with God’s creation, of which we are an integral part.

Each day we will pray, meditate, set a kavanah (intention), follow integrative bodymovement practices, and experience nature. This is not a silent meditation retreat, buteach day will contain periods of silence and reflection.

More information, including details about accommodations and costs, can be found atwww.bj.org/costarica. n

KOL HADASH new voIce • July/August 2011

The Kol Hadash is published every other month. We would love to print your stories and articles about BJ! For submission guidelines, [email protected]. All material is the property of B’nai Jeshurun and cannot be reprinted without permission.

The Kol Hadash is printed using soy-based inks on 50% recycledpaper by an online, eco-friendly printer at a substantial cost savingcompared to traditional printing methods.

Designer: Harriet R. Goren

In Goodness God Renews CreationBJ Contemplative Retreat In Nature

Costa Rica: January 15-22, 2012with Rabbis Rachel Cowan and Marcelo Bronstein

j

15

ANNOUNCEMENTS

To the following members and their families on their b’nai mitzvah (May and June):

Atalya Sternoff

Henry Mandler

Isabelle Bleckner

Michael Model

Benjamin Feinglass

Cara Geser

Alexander Baren

Alexandra Cohen

Rachel Bass

Isaac Santelli

Lily Ann Warshaw

Naomi Lofchie

Zachary McGonigle

Daisy Barbanel

Mazal Tov Condolences (through May 27)

To the following members and their families (through May 27):

Michael Simonson and Beth Lief on the marriage of theirdaughter, Jocelyn Simonson, to Mike Grinthal.

Alexandra and Joshua Metzl on the naming of their daughter,Anna Rose.

Lauren and Daniel Juceam on the birth of their son, Ezra Simon.

Earle Kazis and Robert Pollack for being among the 17distinguished Seixas Award Reward recipients who were honoredby the Kraft Center for Jewish Life at Columbia University.

Joyce Gottlieb on receipt of her Doctoral Degree in Health &Behavior Studies from Columbia University.

Bim Bam Assistant Rachel Brook on her engagement to MattHolman.

Barbara Dobkin on receiving the honorary degree of Doctor ofHumane Letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute ofReligion.

Ruth Lazarus and Michael Feldberg on the birth of theirgranddaughter, Anabelle Eve Levin.

Rabbi Jason Fruithandler, BJ Rabbinic Fellow, on his ordinationfrom the Jewish Theological Seminary; Cantor Yakov Hadash,Education Intern, on his investiture from the Jewish TheologicalSeminary; and Cantor Joshua Breitzer, bar mitzvah tutor, on hisinvestiture from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute ofReligion.

John Ruskay on receiving an honorary doctorate from the JewishTheological Seminary.

BJ staff member Sarah Guthartz on earning her Masters in SocialWork from Yeshiva University.

Karen Radkowsky on being honored at the Limmud NY FoundersDay Dinner.

Jeff Levin, Andrew Goffe and Zachary Levin-Goffe on the birth oftheir son and brother, Justin George.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our belovedmember Mark Chanko, and we extend our sincere condolences tohis wife Anita, his son Todd, his daughter-in-law Ami Weil, hisgrandchildren Sasha and Eden, and their entire family.

The community of B’nai Jeshurun extends sincere condolences tothe following members and their families:

Judy Gitenstein on the death of her beloved brother-in-law, David L. Bernstein.

Ruth and Malcolm Sheldon on the death of Ruth’s beloved mother,Doris Cohen.

Mimi Lox on the death of her beloved aunt, Dorothy Weinberg.

Janice and Charlie Honig and Lisa Honig Buksbaum on the death ofJanice's beloved brother, Ira Cohen.

Gary, Zachary and Jake Nestler and Anna Winderbaum on thedeath of Gary's beloved father, Monroe Nestler.

April, Paul, Gabriel and Jonah Klausner on the death of April'sbeloved father, William Bernard Stewart.

Sandra Feldman on the death of her beloved mother, HannahFeldman.

Philip Silverman, Leslie Brill and Sarah Silverman on the death ofPhilip’s beloved mother, Muriel Silverman.

Earle and Judith Kazis, Joel Kazis and Sara Nathan, DeborahKazis and Gideon Taylor and their children on the death of Earle’sbeloved sister, Shirlee Kazis Shrago.

Larry and Malcom Fox on the death of Larry's beloved aunt, Sallee Gumbiner.

)



Rabbis:J. Rolando MatalonMarcelo R. BronsteinFelicia L. Sol

Hazzan and Music Director:Ari Priven

Cantorial Intern:Shoshi Rosenbaum

Executive Director:Harold Goldman, x248

Assistant Executive Director:Belinda Lasky, x224

Director of Education for Youth and Family:Ivy Schreiber, x225

Director of Social Action/Social Justice:Channa Camins, x259

Program Director:Guy Felixbrodt, x255

Communications Manager:Denise Waxman, x275

Director of Administration & Finance:Ron Seitenbach, x226

Director of Facilities:Roma Serdtse, x258

Assistant to Rabbi Matalon andCommunications Associate: Sarah Guthartz, x234

Assistant to Rabbi Bronstein and Hazzan Priven: Naomi Goodhart, x240

Assistant to Rabbi Sol:x233

Assistant to Executive DirectorHarold Goldman:Jacob Shemkovitz, x256

Board of Trustees:Jeannie BlausteinºPresident

Jonathan AdelsbergºChair

Sally GottesmanºVice President

Joel KazisºVice President

Stephen StulmanºVice President

Debra FineºTreasurer

Andrew LittºSecretary

Katie BoyarRobert BuxbaumGene CarrAnne EbersmanChristina Gantcher Barbara Glassman

Sofia Hubscher Beth Kern Henry Meer Bernie Plum Irv RosenthalJack SternEmily Weiss Michael Yoeli

Honorary TrusteesVirginia Bayer*Ted Becker*Frederic GoldsteinMarcy Grau*David Hirsch*Richard Janvey*Robert KanterJoan KaplanSusan Kippur*Sara Moore Litt*Naomi MeyerJudith Stern Peck*

General CounselRichard Kalikow

º Executive Committee Member* Past President

SYNAGOGUE:257 West 88th Street

OFFICES:2109 Broadway (Ansonia), #203

Main Telephone Number 212-787-7600

Fax Number (2109 Broadway)212-496-7600

Websitewww.bj.org

Committees & Services:Accounts Payable.......................227Accounts Receivable ..................237Adult Education Information .....233Bar/Bat Mitzvah .........................223Bekef ..........................................255Bikkur Holim..............................233BJ Reads ....................................391Communications........................275Community Programs ...............255Conversion .................................264Daily Minyan...............................232Development

& Donation Information ........228

88th Street Rental......................223Family Activities: Hotline ...........318Hakhnasat Orhim.......................255Havurot.......................................255Hevra Kadisha ...........................233Homeless Shelter .....212-339-4250Interfaith Committee ............... 379Kiddush Scheduling...................255Kol Jeshurun...............................275Kol Hadash .................................275Life Cycles..................................233Lunch Program..........................338

Membership Information...........224Ralph Bunche School

Partnership ...........................301Social Action ..............................259Teen Programming ....................253Torah/Haftarah Reading ............232Tze’irim ......................................264Ushering ....................................305Visiting Groups...........................234Volunteer Information................255Youth & Family Education ..........225

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 530New York, NY


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KOL HADASH.

2109 Broadway (Ansonia) • Suite 203 • New York, NY 10023

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Kol Hadash July/August 2011

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