This February we again will celebrate the talents of B’nai Israel’s artists with a gallery of the works by some of our talented congregants. Our artists are both professional and those with special avocations. Last year we displayed paintings, drawings, collages, photographs and sculptures. If you or congregants you know would like to participate this year, please contact the main office by January 15. You can call 203-336-1858 or send an email to [email protected]. The art show will run February 5-15, but the celebration extends well beyond the artistic display. It also includes: “Chagall’s Artistic Vision” We will host a talk by Marc Chagall’s granddaughter, Bella Meyer, on “Chagall’s artistic vision.” She will speak on Friday, February 6 at 8:15 p.m. following Shabbat services 6:00 p.m. and s Shabbat dinner at 7:15 p.m. Reservations are necessary for dinner and can be made by contacting Chris in the main office. The cost is $20 per person. Ms. Meyer, who is now a floral designer and founder of the Manhattan studio Fleurs Bella, was born in Paris and raised in Switzerland in a creative environment heavily influenced by her grandfather. As a child and young woman, she would sit easel-side to Chagall as he created his extraordinary paintings at his home in the south of France. She wrote, “I grew up with his paintings around me.” Meyer, who obtained a Ph.D. in Medieval Art History from the Sorbonne and has worked for the Visual Arts Cultural Services at the French Embassy, has taught art history, written academic papers, and lectures extensively on Marc Chagall’s work throughout the world. Volume 156, Issue 6 Tivet/Sh’vat 5775 January 2015 Welcome! Welcome!....................P.2 Sharing Our Joy….......................P.2 Sincere Sympathy…....................P.2 From the Rabbi’s Desk …...........P.3 BIFTY…......................................P.4 Rabbi Schultz…...........................P.5 Adult Jewish Learning….............P.6 From the Education Center ..........P.7 Bonim Preschool…......................P.8 Donations….................................P.10 High Holy Days Appeal…...........P.11 Shabbat Services Schedule…......P.16 Inside This Issue Continued on Page 6 The B’nai Israel Art Show let congregants show off their artistic skills in multiple ways last year. Celebrating Our Artists Sabbath Of Song Photo by Kate Eisemann A family portrait of chagall Every year our congregation joins Temple Israel of Westport and Temple Shalom of Norwalk to celebrate Shabbat Shirah, the Sabbath of song, combining our adult volunteer choirs for an evening that celebrates Jewish music. This year’s celebration takes place Friday, January 30, at 8:00 p.m. at Temple Israel, 14 Coleytown Road in Westport. Joining the three congregational choirs will be the cantors of each synagogue: we will sing in Westport with our 3 choirs and our 3 Cantors: Cantor Sheri Blum of Congregation B’nai Israel, Cantor Dan Sklar of Temple Israel and Cantor Shirah Lipson Sklar of Temple Shalom. There will be a chapel service at B’nai Israel at 6:00 p.m. for those not planning to attend the festivities in Westport.
Transcript
Congregation B’nai Israel2710 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604www.cbibpt.org
This February we again will celebrate the talents of B’nai Israel’s artists with a gallery of the works by some of our talented congregants. Our artists are both professional and those with special avocations. Last year we displayed paintings, drawings, collages, photographs and sculptures.
If you or congregants you know would like to participate this year, please contact the main office by January 15. You can call 203-336-1858 or send an email to [email protected].
The art show will run February 5-15, but the celebration extends well beyond the artistic display. It also includes:
“Chagall’s Artistic Vision”
We will host a talk by Marc Chagall’s granddaughter, Bella Meyer, on “Chagall’s artistic vision.” She will speak on Friday, February 6 at 8:15 p.m. following Shabbat services 6:00 p.m. and s Shabbat dinner at 7:15 p.m. Reservations are necessary for dinner and can be made by contacting Chris in the main office. The cost is $20 per person.
Ms. Meyer, who is now a floral designer and founder of the Manhattan studio Fleurs Bella, was born in Paris and raised in Switzerland in a creative environment heavily influenced by her grandfather. As a child and young woman, she would sit easel-side to Chagall as he created his extraordinary paintings at his home in the south of France. She wrote, “I grew up with his paintings around me.” Meyer, who obtained a Ph.D. in Medieval Art History from the Sorbonne and has worked for the Visual Arts Cultural Services at the French Embassy, has taught art history, written academic papers, and lectures extensively on Marc Chagall’s work throughout the world.
Volume 156, Issue 6 Tivet/Sh’vat 5775 January 2015
Welcome! Welcome!....................P.2Sharing Our Joy….......................P.2Sincere Sympathy…....................P.2From the Rabbi’s Desk …...........P.3BIFTY…......................................P.4Rabbi Schultz…...........................P.5Adult Jewish Learning….............P.6From the Education Center..........P.7Bonim Preschool…......................P.8Donations….................................P.10High Holy Days Appeal…...........P.11Shabbat Services Schedule…......P.16
Inside This Issue
Continued on Page 6
The B’nai Israel Art Show let congregants show off their artistic skills in multiple ways last year.
Celebrating Our Artists Sabbath Of Song
Phot
o by
Kat
e Ei
sem
ann
A family portrait of chagall
Every year our congregation joins Temple Israel of Westport and Temple Shalom of Norwalk to celebrate Shabbat Shirah, the Sabbath of song, combining our adult volunteer choirs for an evening that celebrates Jewish music.
This year’s celebration takes place Friday, January 30, at 8:00 p.m. at Temple Israel, 14 Coleytown Road in Westport. Joining the three congregational choirs will be the cantors of each synagogue: we will sing in Westport with our 3 choirs and our 3 Cantors: Cantor Sheri Blum of Congregation B’nai Israel, Cantor Dan Sklar of Temple Israel and Cantor Shirah Lipson Sklar of Temple Shalom.
There will be a chapel service at B’nai Israel at 6:00 p.m. for those not planning to attend the festivities in Westport.
2 What’s happening at temple? Get Hashavua, our weekly email. Send your request to Lynn at [email protected].
Welcome! Welcome!
A warm welcome to our newest members. We look forward to their participation in our many programs and hope their affiliation will not only enrich their lives, but that of our congregation.
Richard and Carol OffenbachSpinning Wheel Road, TrumbullRachel and Peter Kushel, Rebecca and EdwardCanterbury Lane, FairfieldJonathan and Nicole Bush, and ZeviLynnbrook Road, Fairfield
Sharing our Joy…
Congratulations to:
Maggie and Marc Walowitz, in honor of the marriage of son Jason Walowitz to Adrianne Inert
Sincere SympathyWe extend our sympathy to the bereaved families of:
Bernard Lipin, stepfather of Stacy GigliettiGene Schechter, father of Adam SchechterHelene Brier, mother of Judith KatzEllen Kadden, wife of Jack KaddenGertrude August, mother of Jon AugustPaul Reisman, husband of Gertrude ReismanSophie Varon, mother of Joe Varon
WZC Delegate Election
Vote for the Reform Movement’s slate in the World Zionist Congress elections. Voting takes place from January 15 to April 30. Register and vote online in one session. (Paper ballots will also be available for those who choose not to vote online.) Please cast your vote for ARZA – REPRESENTING REFORM JUDAISM. You must be 18 by June 30, 2015, Jewish and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. There is a registration fee: $5 for those 18 to 29, and $10 for those 30 and older.
James Prosnit, D.D. ............................ RabbiEvan Schultz ................................... RabbiArnold I. Sher, D.D. ............... Rabbi EmeritusSheri E. Blum, D.M. ........................... CantorRamon Gilbert, D.M. .......... Cantor EmeritusIra J. Wise, R.J.E. .......... Director of EducationRobert H. Gillette, R.J.E. ... Educator EmeritusAlexa Cohen .......... Early Childhood DirectorAbby Rohinsky ............... Director of Facility
3Item of the Month: Canned Goods – Stews, Chili & Soup
From the Rabbi’s Desk Dr. King, Garner and Brown, and a Personal Reflection
The observance of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday has always provided a good occasion to pause and reflect on race relations in our country. Certainly the events that we’ve witnessed in Ferguson, Missouri, and Staten Island over the past several months have made this year’s remembrance of Dr. King an exceptionally important time to take stock of the very real divisions that are affecting our society.
A significant moment and recollection for me goes back 15 years or so. I was part of an inter-racial and inter-religious dialogue group at Norwalk Community College. The backdrop was two events in New York City: First, the assault of Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant, who was brutalized and sodomized by New York City police officers in a Brooklyn police station; second, the killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed immigrant from Guinea who was shot 41 times by police officers who mistook his reaching for his wallet as reaching for a gun.
At the time I remember thinking how the two were very distinct incidents. One was a case of sadistic police officers abusing their authority in a most horrific way. The other was a case
of very bad policing, a tragic accident with no criminal intent. The African-American minsters in the dialogue group saw them as one in the same! To them each was an example of police brutality, racial profiling and targeting young men of color.
It was a clarifying moment for me that I remember these many years later. That conversation came flooding back this summer with the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown and the refusal of the Grand Juries to indict the police officers responsible. I gained from my dialogue group then an understanding that continues to today, namely that African-Americans have reason to see such events in a very different way and Whites cannot ignore the history and
lack of trust between law enforcement and those in Black communities. If America is to live up to its value of equal justice for all, such disparities in our views must be addressed.
If good can emerge from tragic events that tarnish our society, it’s not only the assessment of our justice system – it’s a commitment to individual action as we confront the prejudice and bigotry that lie in the recesses of our own hearts.
In Ferguson Missouri, it has been Houses of Worship (including my friend and classmate Rabbi Susan Talve) that have played perhaps the most valued role in quelling violence, providing spiritual support and leading the way to redress grievances. The hope of course is that those community efforts are in place long before a tragic occurrence arises. Through our participation in organizations like CONECT and other inter-faith and inter-racial coalitions, certain action plans are at work that seek to ameliorate the disparities and injustice existing in our community.Sadly, the Dream still has a ways to go.
Perform a mitzvah for our students and the communityTikkun Olam is a critical part of B’nai Israel’s mission and identity. This year, we started a new program for all sixth-grade religious school students and their parents called Tikkunim, allowing them to experience different types of mitzvot.
Our Tikkunim and older Mitzvah students are participating in many service projects for agencies in our community. Several activities involve
collections, and a corner of the temple’s coat room will serve as a hub. Collection boxes will be labeled and identified with the organization in need.
Please help our B’nai Israel students make a difference and support this ongoing initiative. The following are now being collected:
• New and gently used books (K-8th grade)
• Clothes – kids and adults, especially extra-large sizes
• Plastic shopping bags • Hotel-size toiletries
For more information, please contact Judy Blumenthal at [email protected]. Thank you for your help in supporting both these agencies and our students.
Start 2015 with some new friends at BIFTY! All high school teens are welcome!
Events are held in the BIFTY Lounge from 7:00-8:30 p.m.: January 15 – BIFTY Movie NightJanuary 22 – Dutch AuctionJanuary 29 – Kindergarten Games
Like “BIFTY” on Facebook!Follow “BIFTYPage” on Instagram!
Taking a YouthfulApproach
Marisa Underberger served as president of BIFTY, Congregation B’nai Israel’s youth group, when she was a senior in high school. Now, she returns to help guide and reinvigorate the group as part of her new role as BIFTY Advisor and Youth Engagement Specialist. Underberger teaches fifth- and sixth-grade math and science at Park City Prepartory School in Bridgeport as part of the Teach for America program.
What is the goal for your role?The goal for my role is to get more teenagers and youth involved in Jewish life in the Temple. And the way we do that is through our youth group, BIFTY, which meets about once a week. We want to get teens from all over the Fairfield County area together to have fun, do a few Jewish activities here or there, and really just to get to know each other and hang out with people they wouldn’t normally have a connection to.
Toward that end, what is your biggest challenge?BIFTY’s biggest challenge has been membership, and when I came in last year, we really had only 10 members that were all board members. And I really can’t take much credit for it, but the team worked really, really hard to reach to other teens in the Temple community and encourage them to come. They’re doing all of the networking, talking to all of the teens, and we’ve had really successful programs with at least 15 teens at each one. I think our highest was around 22. To have that audience was awesome.
So how do you grow that number? We’re going to really reach out to freshmen and eighth-graders, potentially even seventh-graders, so that’s kind of where the youth
Continued on Page 9
Why Join BIFTY?B’nai Israel’s youth group has great events run by dedicated board members and enjoyed by Jewish teenagers. If our exciting events don’t convince you to join, maybe our Co-Presidents Harper Wise and Caroline DelAngelo will.
Tell us a little about yourselves. HARPER WISE: I am a Junior at Fairfield Warde High School. I am involved in music, debate, swim team, track and theater. CAROLINE DELANGELO: I’m a junior at Fairfield Ludlowe High
School! Outside of BIFTY, I work at Fairfield Ludlowe Preschool and intern at an art studio.
Why did you join BIFTY? What kept you coming back? HW: I joined BIFTY freshman year, and I was the current NFTY-Representative at the time. I kept coming back because BIFTY was (and still) is a very open community where age doesn’t really matter. It was a way for me to stop thinking about my busy life
Continued on Page 14
Tis the Season ... to decorate challahs.
BIFTY
5Do you want your news in the Bulletin? Email editor Scott Smith at [email protected].
From Rabbi Schultz Prayer Stories: Creating Meaning through Film and Narrative
“Creating meaning” is a phrase we hear often in the discussion of contemporary American religion – congregants in religious communities across the country seek a spiritual and real connection; a space in which the words of our prayer books and sacred texts speak a message that enables us to understand both ourselves and the world around us in new and profound ways. It is a complex task to create such a space, however, as we ask ourselves, what exactly does it look like to “make meaning” of a prayer on a Friday night or Saturday morning services? How do we go beyond the translation and history of the prayer so that synagogue attendees can truly find a way to connect spiritually with the words on the page?
Several congregants have approached me in recent months and said something to the effect of, “I come to services often, but I still don’t know what the prayers mean.” This surely is a challenge in the 21st century, where many are flocking to other sources of spirituality because they could not find it in their synagogues and churches.
Admittedly, I too find it challenging each week to recite the words in our prayer book with a full sense of meaning and understanding. Over time I have come to realize that making sense of the prayers and building true connection with God takes time, even a lifetime. I think there is a direct correlation between life experiences and making meaning of the prayers; it is only as I get older and experience more that certain prayers begin to make sense.
It was only after the birth of my first son, Koby, for example, that the Hashkiveinu, a prayer from our evening liturgy, began to make sense, that it started to fill with meaning for me. As I sat beside his crib during his first months of life, with my guitar in hand, I sang the words of Hashkiveinu, hoping to lull my newborn baby to sleep, praying that God protect him and provide this baby with a shelter of peace throughout the night. Now, when we sing that prayer at Friday night services, the words transport me back to those moments of singing to Koby, praying to God for the protection and peace of my child, a moment that any parent would treasure and can understand. I think that making meaning of a prayer is about connecting a life experience to the main idea or theme of that particular prayer.
These conversations about meaning with our congregants sparked an idea: If creating meaning is about connecting our life experiences with the themes of the prayers, then what if we created a space in our prayer services for congregants to do just that – to share a moment from their lives that highlights one of the themes of the prayers. By hearing these stories, others may feel a new spiritual or emotional connection
to the prayer, or they may think about moments in their own lives that connect with the meta-themes of each prayer.
And thus the Prayer Stories film project was born.
With the immense help of our congregant Jeff Taylor, we created eight short films, each one featuring a B’nai Israel congregant sharing his or her story. Every story connects with one of the themes of the prayers. We plan to show the films throughout the year at Friday night services, as well as to our Religious School students and on our website. We hope this project will create a space for others to make meaning, share their own stories, and learn about others in the community.
We plan to show our first film at services on January 23. To watch a preview video of the Prayer Stories film project, visit http://bit.ly/prayerstories. We hope you will join us to be part of this special project.
Congregant Barbara Solomon talks about the meaning of prayer in her life as part of the
new “Prayer Stories” video series.
Item of the Month:
Please donate cans of stew, chili and soup.
6
Painting Art Social & WorkshopYou will have a chance on Saturday, February 7 from 2:30 to 4:30 to explore your own artistic talent with a Painting Art Social and workshop led by Gail Ball. We’ll provide the paints, painting subject, canvas and refreshments; you provide your enthusiasm and creativity. The cost is $36 per person, and space is limited, so sign up by emailing [email protected] or call 203-336-1858.
Reception & Havdallah
We will host an artists’ reception and conversation from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 7, followed by Havdallah
Children’s Workshop
On Sunday February 7 at noon, following Religious School, the children get a chance to show off their talents. The Sunday school students
will be invited to sit at the project table of their choice after a pizza lunch. Theycan experiment with sculpture, collage, stenciling and more as the “resident” artists guide the children to explore various art materials and unleash their creativity. This workshop is free of charge. Please come and share in this wonderful experience with your child!
The Journey Continues... Torah Study in Bamidbar/Numbers
Saturday Mornings at 9:30 a.m. Every Saturday morning we learn Torah together – some attend 8:00 a.m. services, others arrive in time for the study group. Some participate every week, and others drop in when they can. Some have solid biblical backgrounds, and others are novices to the study. Some know Hebrew, and most do not. Bottom Line: Everyone is welcome! Join us for an enriching, enjoyable and engaging hour of weekly learning of our most sacred text.
Adult Round Table First Thursday of Every Month (except this month!) at 12:30 p.m.Next meetings are January 8 and February 5
A discussion about current events for anyone who wants to go beyond the headlines. Facilitated by Gloria Katz. Join us the first Thursday of every month, and bring a sandwich, your opinion and an open mind.
Waiting for Taste of Torah Lifelong Learning, January 24From Rabbi Prosnit and Rabbi Schultz
Are We Still One People? Defining Jewish Pluralism in the 21st CenturyWith Rabbi Dan SatlowM o n d a y s , January 26, February 2 & 97:00-8:30pmAs indicated by recent studies, the nature of Jewish identity and notions of Jewish peoplehood are rapidly changing in the United States. Join
Rabbi Dan Satlow as he explores some of the latest ideas and thinking on what it means to be a Jewish people and how we can redefine Jewish pluralism in the 21st century.
Rosh Chodesh – Women’s GroupWith Rabbi Suri KriegerThursdays at 7:30 p.m., January 15The waxing and waning of lunar cycles have been a guiding force for women throughout the ages, both literally and spiritually. Since the Jewish feminist m o v e m e n t reclaimed Rosh Chodesh in the 1970s, women have been gathering on a monthly basis to acknowledge and celebrate. The form of this celebration has taken on many faces – ancient text, contemporary outreach, food and fantasy.
Come here Robert Edsel, author of “The Monuments Men,” discuss his journey from oil and gas entrepreneur to cultural activist and the stories of the men who helped save cultural history from the Nazis at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 25 at Fairfield University’s Quick Center. Edsel will speak as part of the Open VISIONS Forum series. Admission is $45 per person.
A special meet-and-greet reception is being planned for B’nai Israel con-gregants prior to the lecture. The time and place are still being determined, so contact the Temple office at 203-336-1858 for details if you are attending the lecture.
B’nai Israel congregants can be your customers, too! To advertise in the Bulletin, contact Nina King at [email protected].
Adult Jewish Learning at Congregation B’nai Israel
Just like last year, the artistic skills of Congregation B’nai Israel members will be on display again
in February.
art..............Continued from page 1
Photo by David Pressler
Monuments Men:“The Search for
Nazi Art Loot”
7What’s happening at temple? Get Hashavua, our weekly email. Send your request to Lynn at [email protected].
From the Education Center “Not Dead Yet!”
This past October, the Pew Charitable Trusts issued a report called “A Portrait of Jewish Americans.” There has been a great deal of hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing in the Jewish press about the state of affairs in our community. Synagogues and religious schools have been declared to be dinosaurs, and the new denomination is “just Jewish.” In recent weeks, we have seen a new kind of response, as we leave panic mode and take a clear look at what the survey says to us.
Nancy Parkes is a colleague and friend, and she is one of the smartest and most creative educators I know. I would like to paraphrase the article she published on eJewishPhilanthropy.com (a very interesting and important Jewish blog – I recommend it to you!).
Supplementary schools (like our Religious School) matter – and they do make a positive difference in the lives of our families. Can they be better? Absolutely. But, they need support to do so. Here is my proposal:• Stop the negative narrative.
Parents, lay leaders and clergy need to become vocal advocates for supplementary education… Fortunately B’nai Israel’s leadership and clergy are very supportive. As members of our congregation and community, we need to celebrate what works in our school and point out where it could be better.
• Be our partners. We need YOU to truly be our partners in creating the educational excellence that we all want. B’nai Israel is not like the place most of us went to as kids. We need to tell our kids about what their experience will be like, not what was lacking in ours. And then we need you to work with us to make it the school you wished you
had attended! Join the R e l i g i o u s School Vision Team and help us chart the course. Join the Community Building Team and help i m p l e m e n t programming. Meet with Ira and talk about being a teacher or substitute in
our school. And tell your children they are going to be in Religious School and Merkaz until the end of twelfth grade and you are not negotiating.
• Collaboration. Jewish camps and youth groups “work.” So does supplementary education when it is combined with these informal experiences. Yes, your Kitah Bet (2nd grade) student is too young to attend overnight camp. That will not always be the case. We are constantly talking about Eisner and Crane Lake Camps as one of the best things you can do for your kids. And now we have Six Points Sci-Tech camp for kids with a scientific bent. BIFTY, our high school youth group, is fabulous, and we have a lot of teens participating. We also have 30 teens working in our school as Madrikhim. And we need to send even more of our kids to Israel with NFTY. Yes, there are other great Jewish camps, youth groups and Israel programs. Let’s work together to match your teen with the one that is right for them!
These are just a few ideas – not just for the world of Jewish education, but for our families here at B’nai Israel. I hope you will follow up on some of them. Call me at 203-335-0745 or e-mail me at [email protected] and we can talk about how.
If you would like to read Nancy’s entire article, I re-posted it on my blog at bit.ly/NextLevelParkes.
L’shalom, Ira
Ira J. Wise, R.J.E.Director of Education
We need more than our students and teachers to be engaged in our Religious School.
8
The following article is an excerpt from the Alameda (California) Patch. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to share it. The author’s thoughts very much reflect the way we feel here at Bonim Preschool. Our goal is to help each child realize his or her potential and help him or her achieve it through engagement (not always through words). Sometimes a supportive smile goes very far to give self-confidence to accomplish goals. Trust me, we are always there to make sure everyone is safe, dry the tears and give the hugs, and encourage the child to try again. By Kate Bassford Baker
Dear Other Parents at the Park:
Please do not lift my daughters to the top of the ladder, especially after you’ve just heard me tell them I wasn’t going to do it for them and encourage them to try it themselves.
I am not sitting here, 15 whole feet away from my kids, because I am too lazy to get up. I am sitting here because I didn’t bring them to the park so they could learn how to manipulate others into doing the hard work for them. I brought them here so they could learn to do it themselves.
They’re not here to be at the top of the ladder; they are here to learn to climb. If they can’t do it on their own, they will survive the disappointment. What’s more, they will have a goal and the incentive to work to achieve it.
In the meantime, they can use the stairs. I want them to tire of their own limitations and decide to push past them and put in the effort to make that happen without any help from me.
It is not my job to prevent my children from feeling frustration, fear or discomfort. If I do, I have robbed them
of the opportunity to learn that those things are not the end of the world, and can be overcome or used to their advantage.
If they get stuck, it is not my job to save them immediately. If I do, I have robbed them of the opportunity to learn to calm themselves, assess their situation, and try to problem-solve their own way out of it.
It is not my job to keep them from falling. If I do, I have robbed them of the opportunity to learn that falling is possible but worth the risk, and that they can, in fact, get up again.
I don’t want my children to learn that they can’t overcome obstacles without help. I don’t want them to learn that they can reach great heights without effort. I don’t want them to learn that they are entitled to the reward without having to push through whatever it is that’s holding them back and “earn” it.
Because – and this might come as a surprise to you – none of those things are true. And if I let them think for one moment that they are, I have failed them as a parent.
I want my children to know the exhilaration of overcoming fear and doubt and achieving a hard-won success.
I want them to believe in their own abilities and be confident and determined in their actions.
I want them to accept their limitations until they can figure out a way past them on their own significant power.
I want them to feel capable of making their own decisions, developing their own skills, taking their own risks, and coping with their own feelings.
I want them to climb that ladder without any help, however well intentioned, from you.
Because they can. I know it. And if I give them a little space, they will soon know it, too.
So I’ll thank you to stand back and let me do my job here, which consists mostly of resisting the very same impulses you are indulging, and biting my tongue when I want to yell, “BE CAREFUL,” and choosing, deliberately, painfully, repeatedly, to stand back instead of rush forward.
Because, as they grow up, the ladders will only get taller, and scarier, and much more difficult to climb. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather help them learn the skills they’ll need to navigate them now, while a misstep means a bumped head or scraped knee that can be healed with a kiss, while the most difficult of hills can be conquered by chanting, “I think I can, I think I can,” and while those 15 whole feet between us still feels, to them, like I’m much too far away.
Cast your vote for the Reform movement’s candidates to the upcoming World Zionist Congress. See Page 2 for details.
Bonim PreschoolMom’s Plea: Please Don’t Help My Kids
“I don’t want my children to learn that they are en-
titled to the reward without having to push through
whatever it is that’s holding them back
and ‘earn’ it.”
9Item of the Month: Canned Goods – Stews, Chili & Soup
engagement comes in. One of the things that the BIFTY team wants to do is have like a BIFTY Buddy, a youth that they reach out to every time they can come to an event. That will start happening in the spring. And then the other thing we do is have calling parties once a month where our board members call teens who have said they were interested and maybe haven’t been able to come to an event yet.
So what is BIFTY? How do you describe it to somebody?BIFTY is B’nai Israel’s Jewish youth group, where Jewish teens come together for an hour and a half once a week and engage in fun programs. So, some examples of programs are we had a Halloween party, we’ve played Israel trivia, we’ve done a Temple scavenger hunt, so a whole variety of programs that get teens to bond with each other and consider something Jewish, maybe more social, but really just to get them to meet each other and hang out in a whole new setting.
Do you find that kids are aware of actually what it is or is there’s a misperception that you have to cut through?
I think there’s some perception that it’s going to be like you’re just sitting in a library or something, and it’s really not. Also, I think it’s a challenge that they don’t know anyone there. Going there for the first time and meeting these people who do know each other can be really challenging, but our board has done a really awesome job at spreading out and mixing the groups up. So I think that after that ice is broken, they want to come back.
There’s also a social activism aspect, right? You do the Yom Kippur food drive, for instance.So we did the food drive during the High Holidays and we’re hopefully going to a soup kitchen in the Bridgeport area and have some of our teens helping out. Also, our Religious and Cultural Vice President Becky Molinoff and our Social Action Vice President Melanie DelAngelo are working with the (Israeli Young) Emissaries to try and do a Temple-wide Israel program. We talked about making baskets for soldiers or maybe donating costumes for Purim or something to get the whole Temple involved. We set our goal at three social action events for the whole year.
So then the last question would be, why join BIFTY?At the most basic level, it’s fun. You’re going to enjoy it and you’re going to meet new people. It’s a great opportunity for leadership, and I think that while teens may not realize it now, it’s great to have connections with other Jewish teens that you may not have at school and you may not have after you leave this community and go to college. So I think that it’s just making those connections now with other Jewish teens and being around a place that is outside of school, maybe even a little outside of your comfort zone. This is probably the most fun, dynamic, outgoing group of teenagers I’ve ever been around, so I can’t imagine someone who wouldn’t want to come around and even just try it out for an hour and a half one Thursday. I think my last thing is it’s never too late to join. I mean, just because you didn’t come to an event in September doesn’t mean you can’t come at any other random point. We have a few new teens every time, and I think they always have a really good time, so always come, always join, we’d love to have everyone who wants to come.
youth ............................................................. Continued from page 4
ONE OF US: Ellen Kadden
“ULTIMATE” CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES By Ellen Kadden
I double the recipe that comes with the butter-flavored Crisco sticks and made just a few changes. So if you lose this, just look for “the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe” from Crisco.
In a large bowl with a mixer, cream:1 stick butter-flavored Crisco1 stick salt-free Fleischman’s margarine1 box light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla4 tablespoons milk or water2 eggs
Put the mixer aside and stir in:3½ cups all-purpose flour1½ teaspoons salt1½ teaspoons baking sodaStir in:2 bags chocolate chunks (I use Baker’s)Most of 1 bag Ghiradelli’s 60% chocolate chips – NOT
semi-sweetDrop by tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop)
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees F until light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes (do not overcook)
Makes about 4 dozen
These freeze well, but I usually give them all away!
At the end of November we mourned the death of Ellen Kadden a longtime congregant who was devoted to the people and activities of B’nai Israel.
Ellen attended services regularly, served on the Board of Trustees and was an active participant in study groups,
committees, choir, social action projects —you name it, Ellen was involved.
She also was known for bringing her incredibly delicious chocolate cookies to many, many Temple meetings and events. We miss Ellen and know that her good works and love of this
congregation live on – as will her “secret” recipe!!
We want to know what makes each of
you One of Us. Please share with us our Congregation B’nai Israel story. Email the B’nai Israel Storytellers at [email protected].
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DonationsPlease note that only contributions of $10.00 or more will be acknowledged with a card and Bulletin listing.
Rabbi Prosnit Discretionary FundBonnie Alterman, in memory of Miriam Payess and Ed Payess.Gina, Andy and Amelia Arnold, in honor of Rabbi Prosnit and Wendy Bloch on the birth of grandson, Ezra Jules Gleeson Prosnit; in memory of mother and grandmother, Noel Nehama Snyder; in memory of father and grandfather, Donald Smith Snyder.Fredell Cederbaum, in memory of Sarah Popkin.Sylvia Edelson, in loving memory of father, Morris Edelson.Lori Berger, in memory of father, Lester Davis.Gloria Katz, in memory of Leon Rosenthal, stepfather of Ronnie Dubrowin.Judy Katz, Lisa Rosenthal, and Jonathan Brier, MD, in loving memory of Helene Brier.Shirley Jacob Lantz and Family, in loving memory of Robert Jacob and Rabbi Jacob Lantz.Aleksey and Raisa Ledvich, in memory of grandparents, Eli Goldshteyn and Feiga Vengerovskaya.Dr. Bernard and Marion Levine, in memory of lifelong friend, Mortimer Berliner.Harris Marmor, in celebration of Robert and Stacey’s wedding.Rob Marmor and Stacey Delikat, in honor of our wedding.Elliot and Elizabeth Miller, in honor of our children’s baby naming.
Rabbi Schultz Discretionary FundElliot and Elizabeth Miller, in honor of our children’s baby naming.Debbie and David Ross, in honor of the wedding of daughter, Rachel Ross, to Harry Wolff.
Music FundClaire L. Baker, in memory of Ellen Kadden, wife of Jack Kadden.Judy Katz, Lisa Rosenthal, and Jonathan Brier, MD, in loving memory of Helene Brier.
Brenda and Justin Kreuzer, in memory of our mothers, Virginia Kreuzer, and Juliet Furman; in appreciation to Cantor Blum.Ilse Levi, in memory of mother, Leni Vogel Strauss.Larry and Linda Ludwig, in memory of Leon Rosenthal, stepfather of Ronnie Dubrowin, father-in-law of John Dubrowin; in memory of Ellen Kadden, wife of Jack Kadden.Richard Rosen, with thanks to Cantor Blum for helping me prepare for my Torah reading.Naomi Schaffer and Roger Jackson, in memory of Leon Rosenthal, stepfather of Ronnie Dubrowin.Debbie, Dan, Matthew and Jaime Viens, in memory of Helene Brier, mother of Judith Katz, grandmother of Ben, Peter and Evan.Debbie and Michael Weisman, in memory of Gertrude August, mother of Jon August; to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Eisenberg, in honor of the engagement of son, Barry Eisenberg, to Rebecca Levine.
Enhancement FundMarvin and Joann Gelfand, in memory of Edith Gelfand.Jim and Lisa Greenberg, in honor of Rich Rosen’s Torah Reading; in honor of Jerry Demner’s Torah Reading; in memory of Helene Brier, mother of Judith Katz; in memory of Leon Rosenthal, stepfather of Ronnie Dubrowin.Irma and Victor Gurvits, in memory of Julius Geiman.Harold and Rochelle Levy, a donation.Ann Cooperberg Ludwig, in memory of Helene Brier, mother of Judith Katz.Ruth Madwed, in memory of father, Jacob Dolid.Jane and Jerry Pressman, in memory of Bernard Lipin, stepfather of Stacy Giglietti.Barbara Rifkin, in memory of Helene Brier, mother of Judith Katz.Gail and Edward Schriffert, in memory of Harry Vineberg, beloved father and grandfather of Gail, Dustin and Tamara Schriffert.
Caren and Bill Schwartz, in memory of Gunther Stile, father of Twody Schless.Steven Warner, in memory of Ellen Kadden, wife of Jack Kadden.
Sylvia Prosnit Adult Education FundBari Dworken, in memory of Ellen Kadden, wife of Jack Kadden.
Nursery School Enrichment FundKelly and Glen Reznikoff, in memory of Bernard Lipin, stepfather of Stacy Giglietti.Debbie and Dan Viens, in memory of Gunther Stile, father of Twody Schless.
Nursery School Scholarship Fund4B Parents and Children, in memory of Cynthia Kushel, mother of Susan Zuckman.The Bonim Preschool Teachers, in memory of Cynthia Kushel, mother of Susan Zuckman.Alexa and David Cohen, in memory of Bernard Lipin, stepfather of Stacy Giglietti.Elliot and Elizabeth Miller, in honor of our children’s baby naming.Ellen Hyde Phillips, in memory of Estelle Glass, mother of Patty Green; in memory of Leon Rosenthal, stepfather of Ronnie Dubrowin.Debbie and Dan Viens, in memory of Bernard Lipin, stepfather of Stacy Giglietti.
Rabbi Martin Library FundMyrna Rubenstein, in memory of Ellen Kadden, wife of Jack Kadden.Prayer Book FundCarol and Nate Barsky, in memory of brother, Donald Quint; in memory of aunt and uncle, Eleanor and Harold Woodman.Chris and George Markley, in memory of Helene Brier, mother of Judith Katz.Ellen and Robert Sheiman, in memory of Leon Rosenthal, stepfather of Ronnie Dubrowin.
Do you want your news in the Bulletin? Email editor Scott Smith at [email protected].
Continued on Page 11
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DonationsPlease note that only contributions of $10.00 or more will be acknowledged with a card and Bulletin listing.
MazonCarol and Nate Barsky, in memory of daughter, Lynn Barsky Ryalls.Judith and Stanley Lessler, in memory of Gertrude August, mother of Jon August.
Religious School Scholarship FundKim and Mike Feinstein, in memory of Bernard Lipin, stepfather of Stacy Giglietti.
Rabbi Arnold Sher Social Action FundCarson and Robert Berkowitz, in memory of Gene Schechter, father of Adam Schechter; in memory of Ellen Kadden, wife of Jack Kadden.Jeff Schwartz, in memory of Jack Newman, husband of Karin Newman.
Etz Chaim Living Torah FunJudi and David Beier, in beloved memory of grandmother, Celia Mehl.
Daniel Smith Cemetery FundSerena and Arnie Sher, in memory of Gunther Stile, father of Twody Schless.
BIFTY Greenwald Scholarship FundThe Estate of Mr. Sherman Greenwald, a donation.
Cast your vote for the Reform movement’s candidates to the upcoming World Zionist Congress. See Page 2 for details.
High Holy Day AppealNames appearing below are the most recent contributions. Thank you!
Pillar of CongregationSteve and Jill ElbaumElizabeth and Mark NigroshAllan and Claire Shumofsky
Benefactor of CongregationSusan and Richard PremingerRonni and Fred Zinn
President’s CircleAndrea Goodman and Jeff Ackerman
Lori and Ken BergerElaine and Juda ChetritSteven and Susan KleinSamuel MillerRandy and Beth ReichDebbie and Dan ViensJudy and Marty Waldman
General ContributionLisa and Yoav BurgerRobert and Judith Chessin
Gail and Gary FelberbaumSteven and Barbara GersenAlice and George KellySally KenlerLarry Levine and Alison BondsDavid and Judith PresslerBernice and Paul RoschRita and Dan ShichmanSharon and Frederic West
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and relax with a bunch of other Jews.CD: I joined BIFTY my freshman year. The fun events and people that are apart of BIFTY have kept me coming back the past three years
Why do you think other teens should join BIFTY? HW: Teens should join BIFTY because it provides a “break” from the busy
world around us in a constructive, informative and REALLY fun way.CD: It’s a fun way to hang out with other Jewish teens and be involved at the temple. We have a fun program almost every week, and it gives you another great community to be a part of!
As Co-Presidents, what are your
goals for BIFTY this year? HW: My big goal for this year is to share BIFTY as much as possible. I want to have as many teens as possible come to our fantastic events and embrace them into the BIFTY family. CD: My biggest goal for BIFTY this year is to get as many people to come and experience how great it is, and expand membership overall.
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Food for the Soul: To help with the Oneg Shabbat, contact Naomi Schaffer at [email protected].
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support of the B’nai Israel Bulletin:
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Dr. David F. BindelglassDr. Alan M. NelsonDr. Glenn M. RichDr. Michael Sonick
Dr. Lawrence DinkesDr. Kenneth RabineDr. George P. Kelly
Dr. Howard B. TwerskyDr. Martha Yepes Small
Dr. Jeffrey D. Small Dr. Peter A. Small
Dr. Edward PortnayDr. Michael ConnollyDr. Kenneth KingslyDr. Mark J. Hotchkiss
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Congregation B’nai Israel2710 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604www.cbibpt.org
Friday, January 2 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Va-y’chi, – Gen. 47:28-50:26 Haftarah – I Kings 2:1-2:12
Saturday, January 3 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study 9:30 a.m. Young Families Havurah 11:00 a.m. B’nai Mitzvah of Henry and Sarah
Szuchman, son and daughter of Gayle
Szuchman and Mark Szuchman Friday, January 9 5:30 p.m. Mishpacha Shabbat 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Sh’mot, Exod. 1:1-6:1 Haftarah – Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-29:23
Saturday, January 10 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study
9:30 a.m. Young Families Havurah Friday, January 16 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Va-eira, Exod. 6:2-9:35 Haftarah – Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
Saturday, January 17 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Torah Study 9:30 a.m. Young Families HavurahFriday, January 23 6:00 p.m. Service with the Band Torah Portion – Bo, Exod. 10:1-13:16 Haftarah – Jeremiah 46:13-28 Debut of “Prayer Stories”
Saturday, January 24 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study 9:30 a.m. Young Families Havurah 10:30 a.m. New “Rabbi’s Table” Shabbat service with Rabbi Schultz in the library. Friday, January 30 6:00 p.m. Chapel Service Torah Portion – B’shalach, Exod. 13:17-17:16 Haftarah – Judges 4:4-5:31 8:00 p.m. Special Shabbat Shira Service at Temple Israel, Westport
Saturday, January 31 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study 9:30 a.m. Young Families Havurah
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SHABBAT SERVICE SCHEDULE(Fridays at 6:00 p.m. where indicated, preceded by an Oneg Shabbat at 5:30 p.m.)
5775 Holy Days • Tu Bishvat
February 4, 2015• Purim
March 5, 2015• Passover
April 4-10, 2015• Yom Hashoah
April 16, 2015• Yom Hazikaron & Yom Ha’atzmaut
April 22-23, 2015• Shavuot
May 24-25, 2015
(Note: All holidays begin at sundown on the evening before)
