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• OUR RABBI •
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Revival and Renewal is Everywhere
- I am not much of a coffee drinker or caffeine addict, yet I love this story: A class of adult Hebrew students was once learning the blessings for eating various foods. They learned that there are distinct blessings for eating bread, eating fruits grown on trees, and drinking juice or water. "What’s the blessing for drinking coffee,?" one student asked. With a grin, the teacher answered: "Barukh atah Adonai, m’chayeh ha meitim.” (Praised are you God, who revives the dead.)
- As you may know, there is a strand of Jewish tradition that believes that there will eventually be a resurrection of the dead (techiyat hametim). This belief was codified by Maimonides as the last of his Thirteen Principles of Faith. And it appears as an alternative reading to one of our regular prayers - the Gevurot prayer of the Amidah. You may not recognize this, because we do not actually recite the prayer using those words, even though they are the original words of the prayer. We, and most (but not all), reform congregations change the words to the more general phrase, Barukh atah Adonai, m’chayeh ha kol. That is to say, we thank God for reviving everything.
- You needn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead to subscribe to this concept - you need only look at the world around you to find evidence for it. New buds on the trees, wilted plants that wake up after a rain shower. Revival and renewal is everywhere.
- However, how do we take it into our own lives? How do we renew ourselves?
- One way is to simply slow down, to take the time to appreciate the world around us and to listen to the still small voice that gives us hints as to what we need. Perhaps it’s something small - like a walk on a beautiful day, an extra trip to the library to find a book we like, a phone call to a friend. Or perhaps it’s something bigger - like embarking on a new, long-delayed project or relocating or changing a relationship.
- If we give ourselves time and permission to listen, most likely we will learn what we need to renew ourselves. But before we can do that, there is a prerequisite…
- In addition to the Gevurot, there is another prayer in our liturgy that connects us to the idea of renewal. The first prayer we recite after the morning call to worship, the Yotzer, a prayer that celebrates God’s role in creating our world. We praise God who “m’chadesh b’chol yom tamid ma’aseh bereisheet“, God who “makes new the works of creation every day, all the time”.
- This prayer serves as a radical reminder to us - nothing need be the way it is. Every single moment has the potential to be a new beginning, a blank slate. Too often we get stuck in our ruts. We predict the future based on the past, and we forget that renewal is an ever-present possibility. The first step to renewal is believing that the future needn’t replicate the past, that we always have the potential to see and create something new.
- Recently I was experiencing a difficult time. The issue I was facing felt hopeless. A friend advised me, “Whatever you are feeling now, it won’t always be this way. Just remember that things change and look for the possibilities that the new moment brings.”
- If you are in search of a mechiya, a new sense of joy and renewal, start by remembering the words of our prayerbook. Remember that change is always possible, and that you can fill the next moment with something magical that will bring you further into life.
L’chayim!
• TEMPLE PRESIDENT •
Dear Friends,
Time really does fly! My three-year term as President of Temple Tikvah will end on June 30th. I am filled with gratitude for the privilege of serving our beloved community and the opportunity to work with the amazing group of dedicated volunteers that are the backbone of Temple Tikvah.
I would like to thank • Our Temple Leadership - Executive Committee and Board of Trustees; our many Committee Chairs; Sisterhood; Brotherhood; and Religious School Leadership; our Office Staff - Marie and Hayley; our Custodial Staff - Tony, Julio and Carlos; our Educational Director, Sharon Fricano...and, of course, our Clergy - Rabbi Sheinberg and Cantor Friedlander • for their support and leadership during my tenure.
As the saying goes, it takes a village, and our village is strong because of all of you.
During the last three years, we have celebrated many joyous occasions, offered comfort during times of sorrow, and worked together as a community to uphold the values that define our faith. In short, we have continued to do what we do best - serve our congregants.
It has not always been easy. Given our local demographics, our finances, and the damage to our building from Hurricane Ida, we have had to make some consequential decisions to ensure our future together. Yet I am confident that we are on the right path and that our future as a congregation is bright.
What I cherish most about my tenure as President are the countless moments of connection and fellowship we have shared. The heartfelt conversations, the shared laughter, the camaraderie among our many volunteers, and the collective spirit of service - these are the memories that will stay with me forever.
As I step down from this role, I do so with full confidence in the future of our temple. I know that Cheryle Levine will lead with wisdom, grace, and a deep love for our congregation. I urge you to extend to Cheryle the same support, kindness, and cooperation that you have so generously given to me.
While my responsibilities may change, I will remain an active member of Temple leadership as Immediate Past President. I will continue to play an active role in Religious School as Administrator of the Voronovsky Educational Fund, and in planning our future as Co-Chair of the Future Planning Committee. My connection to Temple remains steadfast, and I look forward to continuing to worship, serve, and grow alongside you in the years to come.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the opportunity to serve as your Temple President. May the blessings of peace, love, and understanding be with you always.
With heartfelt gratitude, Lisa
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• RELIGIOUS SCHOOL •
There is a Yiddish word, "mechayeh," related to the Hebrew word "chayim" (life). Mechayeh means something that is refreshing, rejuvenating, or revitalizing • from Jewish Pride + Jewish Community = Strong Jewish Future by Rabbi Danny Burkeman •
RESOURCES FOR IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES
EDUCATION DIRECTOR
This Fall we will be beginning a new chapter in our mission to chinuch (educate) our students. Together with Temple Beth-El in September we will continue to transmit knowledge, that will encompass instilling values, morals, and sense of purpose. This is our commitment to students.
MAZEL TOV TO ELLA OGLESBY!
TIKVAH TOTS
enJOY Your Children!
- In Yiddish, mechayeh means delicious, delightful, and enjoyable; and isn’t that what we all want our lives to be? Of course, keeping our Tikvah Tots always happy is an impossible task, but we can try to give them a life filled with much joy. How many times have we seen the little ones look out the window at the rain and heard them say, “I’m bored. I have nothing to do?” Perhaps you should just pick them up and dance with them while singing: “Joy to the world. Joy to you and me.”
- Yes, joy - the ultimate goal. For tots, their joy comes from spending time with mommy and daddy (grandpa and grandma sometimes can step in). So when they say that they are bored with nothing to do - just be positive, be joyful, and like butter on toast - the joy will spread. Laughter and fun are contagious; so enJOY your children and they will be filled with the joy that comes from being with you. Play games, bake cookies, make plans for when it stops raining; or, if nothing works, there’s always Disney +.
We look forward to seeing you at our Tot Shabbat Pizza Dinner on Friday, June 6th at 6:00pm!
• Led by Temple member - Lori Domeny • Cardio, Core, and More is a small group of exercise savvy middle-aged women who refuse to quit. Anyone who is moderately fit and enjoys a workout will enjoy these sessions. The group's routine includes a Pilates/Barre based warmup, cardio, weights, and a long core conditioning/yoga stretch at the end of each session. Use your own yoga mat and lightweight hand weights (3 - 10lbs). • About Lori Domeny • Lori is an Aerobics and Fitness Association of America Certified Instructor who has previously taught at many local gyms.
REMEMBER TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The Temple Book Club will next meet on ZOOM on Monday, June 16th at 7:30pm to discuss the novel On Fire Island by Jane L. Rosen. Miriam Bradman Abrahams - December 11, 2023: Although this fast-paced novel deals with death and mourning, it is quite uplifting. Author Jane Rosen writes from the perspective of Julia Gold, a book editor who discovers the beautiful writing of novelist Benjamin Morse. The two become partners in love and work.
REMEMBER TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The Creative Writing Group will next meet on Tuesday, June 10th at 7:30pm.
SISTERHOOD
What is Mechayehdik: Delicious, Delightful or Enjoyable to You?
- Ah, a mechayeh. That thing that makes you sit back to enjoy the moment, perhaps to smile, to give you a new resolve to keep going. It’s a type of self-care as it refreshes and revitalizes us. It’s different for different people, it can change from time to time, and it can come from a planned activity or event or perhaps when we least expect it. It can be a scent, a taste, the way you feel when you accomplish something that was challenging, and it can occur when you are with others or alone. It’s floating on the lake away from the stresses of adulting, accomplishing something one has been working toward for some time, spending time reading or crafting, that deep laughter that brings tears with friends, or perhaps a special food dish that brings great memories of time with family and friends.
- As we come to the end of another programming year in Sisterhood I think back to what we have done this year. There have been many opportunities for a mechayeh moment as we have laughed together with the Bible Players, sang together during Music Trivia Bingo, prayed together during Sisterhood Shabbat and Women’s Seder, enjoyed being together with our Sisters and worked together organizing and implementing activities and events that benefited Sisterhood, the Temple, and our community. As I think back on all that we have done during the past months, I get that mechayeh moment from the satisfaction of a job well done and the love, caring, and support of all the women who worked so hard to make it all happen. I hope that everyone has felt that wonderful sense of accomplishment, a mechayeh moment.
- Thank you to our hard working Board Members who kept the ideas coming, who shopped, set up, and cleared at events, organized, implemented, led, directed, and made it all look so easy - trust me it’s not always. A special thank you to my Co-President Carol who shared the burden with me! I appreciate all the phone calls we needed to organize, plan, and remind each other of what still had to be done. We each brought our unique strengths into this job that has made our time as Co-Presidents work successfully, so successfully that we are now going into year #3, something neither of us ever planned on or expected.
- Our Final Event for this programming year is our End of Year Dinner on Tuesday, June 3rd. Carol and I are honored to be selected as Sisterhood’s Women of the Year. Please see the flyer above for more information.
- As summer comes, Sisterhood events and activities may be less than the rest of the year, yet we will not be gone. Our High Holiday Honey Sale will begin as summer arrives. Our Board will be busy planning for the year ahead, including more activities with Temple Beth-El’s Sisterhood.
A Mechayeh Moment!
SOCIAL ACTION
- I have a memory of older Jewish ladies down by the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, standing in ankle deep water and dunking their hands in so as to cool off their bodies by wiping their upper arms and chests with the water, but not actually submerging themselves in it. That is my image of what a "mechayeh" is: the word is related to life/chaiyim and refreshing; also, to how to maintain physical/mental health, to be resilient and hopeful, and to be and feel joy!
- What do you think of when you experience "mechayeh"? Some of us reflect on celebrations that make life meaningful. Others consider the essentials for our emotional needs, not just the physical ones. How do we heal our soul as well as our body? Consider the term "mindfulness" which reminds us to pay attention to the present moment. Jewish traditions such as "tikkun olam" (repair the world) and "g'milut chasadim" (acts of loving kindness) encourage us to think of the needs in the world and what we, as individuals or as part of a group can do to help each other. According to Jewish tradition, we are to focus on being healthy as part of our obligation to take care of our bodies; we attend to the interconnections among mind, body and soul. We even have a resource called The Jewish Sacred Aging Forum.
As we head into summer, what opportunities will you take to exclaim, "It's a mechayeh!"? We wish you many, and look forward to hearing about them whenever we reconvene!
BROTHERHOOD
MECHAYEH
- What a perfect title for this month’s Tikvah Times Brotherhood Article! The joy of being together was demonstrated in May at both the Sisterhood and Brotherhood Services. As our temple families looked on, our volunteers spoke and sang the blessings, read from the Torah, and joined together in song.
- And now, in June comes the Brotherhood Dinner and Auction. We men have gathered each month to work out the details. Committees determined the dinner menu, secured the entertainment, and worked tirelessly to obtain auction items.
- We are ready to bring joy to our Congregation’s Family and Friends!
- While we face on a daily basis - mental and physical issues, we need programs and events to bring joy to our lives. Our synagogue, Temple Tikvah provides the setting for them: Sisterhood, Social Action, Lunch and Learn, Torah Study, Cardio, Core & More, and Brotherhood’s Annual Dinner & Auction with a Live Show. We hope to see you on Saturday evening, June 7th 2025.
And when we get together, as we did on Sunday, May 18th to celebrate the Last Day of Religious School with our students, JOY is always the name of our day!
A Note from Brad Kolodny - President of the JHSHLI
Did you know the first congregation established on Long Island was incorporated in 1875? Over the past 150 years we have seen tremendous growth becoming the largest suburban Jewish community anywhere in the world and today Long Island stands as the fourth largest Jewish community in the United States. • I hope you will join us on Sunday, June 8th at 12 noon to celebrate this momentous milestone of 150 years of Jewish community on Long Island with our museum exhibit grand opening. Explore the rich history and enduring legacy of the Long Island Jewish community from the 19th century to today. View over one hundred artifacts, dozens of photographs, and even contribute your own story in the interactive video booth. I hope to see you there.
LIFELONG LEARNING
Together We Promote the Joy of Learning
- Lunch and Learn: It’s June, and we have had several fascinating Lunch and Learns throughout the year. Thanks so much to those who came out (or connected via ZOOM) to hear from all of our speakers!
- We have one more event planned for Saturday, June 14th starting at 11:30am. Our very own Cantor Leslie Friedlander will present a fascinating look at biblical narratives and how they relate to stories from other ancient cultures. Cantor Friedlander notes that it might surprise - or even distress - some of us to learn that “our stories” are included in the writings of other cultures. Or, more provocatively, some of “their stories” are found in our Torah. The Cantor will talk about Gilgamesh, Enkidu the wild man, Enuma Elish, Apsu, and Tiamat. They might sound like Anime characters in a video game; however they may be the inspiration for some of our narratives in the Books of Genesis and Exodus.
- Bring your own lunch. We will supply dessert, drinks, and the strange creatures. Find out more in the forthcoming Weekly Updates.
- Weekly Shabbat Torah Study: In June, we are studying from the Book of Numbers, in which there is much tension among the Israelites, Moses, and God; as they continue their trek through the wilderness, after exiting from Egypt. It is all pretty fascinating and there is much insight to gain from the many incidents. Torah Study is every Saturday morning at 9:15am, always on ZOOM and often in-person, as well at Temple Tikvah’s Beber Auditorium. And when it’s in-person, there are bagels and coffee to learn by. Come and join us!
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HAKARAT HATOV
• DONATIONS •
• JUNE 2025 •
- ADULT EDUCATION FUND: Robert & Beth Daniel in honor of Fran Fredrick’s 80th Birthday
- CANTOR’S DISCRETIONARY FUND: Julie Steiner O'Donnell & Andrew O'Donnell in appreciation of Cantor Leslie Friedlander for Hope's Bat Mitzvah
- RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND: Julie Steiner O'Donnell & Andrew O'Donnell in appreciation of Rabbi Randy Sheinberg in honor of Hope’s Bat Mitzvah
- SISTERHOOD SECURITY FUND: In honor of the following Milestone Anniversaries: Janet & Barry Spool - 55 years (May 10th) and Roslyn & Burton Tropp - 60 years (June 22nd)
- TEMPLE TIKVAH MEMORIAL FUND: Lynn & Jay Beber in memory of Ellen Perlman • Sharon Bibergal in memory of Hyman Goldberg • Board of Trustees in memory of Ellen Perlman • Brotherhood in memory of Ellen Perlman • Gloria & Larry Konstan in memory of Ellen Perlman • Susan Kane Moston & Kent Moston in memory of Ellen Perlman • Bonnie Love in memory of Betty Berland • Sandy Portnoy in memory of Jeffrey Portnoy, Frances Rabinowitz, George Marolin, and Irving Portnoy • Barbara Silberman in memory of Ellen Perlman • Carolyn & Daniel Weissfeld in memory of Yetta Weiss • Jack Zaffos & Laura Zaffos in memory Mollie Cantos Zaffos
*JUNE 2025 CALENDAR
- SUNDAY, JUNE 1st - Tikkun Leil Shavuot / Evening of Learning from 6:45pm - 10:00pm at Temple Tikvah
- MONDAY, JUNE 2nd - SHAVUOT / OFFICE IS CLOSED - Festival Service & Yizkor from 10:30am - 12:30pm
- TUESDAY, JUNE 3rd - Sisterhood End of the Year Dinner at Jonathan’s Restaurant in Garden City Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
- WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4th - Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm at Temple Tikvah
- THURSDAY, JUNE 5th - On the Marc Sports Talk with Marc Gold at 4:00pm
- FRIDAY, JUNE 6th - Tot Shabbat & Pizza Dinner at 6:00pm • AND IN ADDITION • Celebration of Learning Dinner at 6:00pm & Shabbat Service at 7:00pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 8:06pm)
- SATURDAY, JUNE 7th - Torah Study In-Person & ON ZOOM at 9:00am (LINK in the Weekly Update); Ella Oglesby’s Bat Mitzvah at 10:30am; and Brotherhood Dinner, Live Music & Auction Event from 7:00pm - 10:00pm
- MONDAY, JUNE 9th - Annual Congregational Meeting at 8:00pm
- TUESDAY, JUNE 10th - Writing Group at 7:30pm
- WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11th - Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm at Temple Beth-El
- THURSDAY, JUNE 12th - On the Marc Sports Talk with Marc Gold at 4:00pm
- FRIDAY, JUNE 13th - Shabbat Service / Board Installation at 7:30pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 8:10pm)
- SATURDAY, JUNE 14th - FLAG DAY / Torah Study at 9:00am IN-PERSON & ON ZOOM (LINK in the Weekly Update) • and • Lifelong Learning Event with Cantor Leslie Friedlander at 11:30am
- SUNDAY, JUNE 15th - FATHER’S DAY
- MONDAY, JUNE 16th - Book Club Meeting at 7:30pm
- TUESDAY, JUNE 17th - Brotherhood End of the Year Dinner at The International Buffet in Garden City at 7:00pm (See Weekly Update for more information.)
- WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18th - Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm at Temple Beth-El
- THURSDAY, MAY JUNE 19th - JUNETEENTH / Wise Aging at 11:00am • and • On the Marc Sports Talk with Marc Gold at 4:00pm
- FRIDAY, JUNE 20th - Congregational Dinner at Temple Beth-El at 6:00pm • and • Shabbat Service with Joint Choir Celebration with Temple Beth-El at 7:30pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 8:12pm)
- SATURDAY, JUNE 21st - Torah Study at 9:15am ON ZOOM ONLY (LINK in the Weekly Update)
- WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25th - Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm at Temple Tikvah
- THURSDAY, JUNE 26th - On the Marc Sports Talk with Marc Gold at 4:00pm
- FRIDAY, JUNE 27th - Shabbat Service at 7:30pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 8:13pm)
- SATURDAY, JUNE 28th - Torah Study at 9:00am IN-PERSON & ON ZOOM (LINK in the Weekly Update)
* PLEASE REFER TO THE WEEKLY UPDATES & THE LINK BELOW (CLICK ON NEW EVENTS, THEN CALENDAR) FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION *