SEPTEMBER'S THEME:

In Memoriam

Marlene Hurwitz

OUR RABBI

RANDY SHEINBERG

As Always...Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Will Arrive at the Right Time

• You probably know the old quip: “The Holidays are late this year,” says one congregant to her Rabbi. The Rabbi replies, “They may occur in October rather than September, but they are always right on time!”
• This is one of those years where the High Holidays occur “late” according to the Gregorian calendar we use daily. But of course, according to the Hebrew calendar, Rosh Hashanah is always on the first of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This year, that just happens to fall on October 2nd - 3rd.
• Many of us tend to run our lives by the academic calendar, whether we are in school or not. Labor Day thus feels like the end of summer (it’s when the local pool closes), and early September the beginning of the new year. And yet this year the Jewish new year does not begin until October. I think that this “late” start to the holidays gives us an opportunity - instead of rushing into the High Holyday season, we can take our time getting there and really focus on preparing ourselves for the new year.
• I would like to invite you to take to heart this notion of preparing for Rosh Hashanah this year. You can do that in a variety of ways. First, you can participate in a two-part Adult Education Course that I am co-teaching with Rabbi Brian Stoller of Temple Beth-El of Great Neck. In this course we will preview some of the prayers found in our machzor (High Holyday prayerbook) and discuss the themes they raise. I hope that this will enrich your experience of the prayers when we pray them together on the holidays themselves.
• You can also prepare for the New Year by participating in a brief service known as S’lichot. S’lichot is a service traditionally held late in the evening on the Saturday before Rosh Hashanah. This year, in the hopes of making it possible for more of you to attend, we are holding our S’lichot Service on Sunday morning September 29th at 11:15am. At this service, you will hear some of the musical themes of the High Holydays. We will also change the mantles of our Torah scrolls from their year-round blue to their festive holiday white. If you have never participated in this ritual, I encourage you to join us. It may not seem like much, yet I find that changing the Torah covers helps me to visualize and prepare for my own transformation. It reminds me that I too can change my habits, no matter how ingrained they may be. I can wipe the slate clean, and then reintroduce into my life the best of my qualities, leaving what I am not proud of behind.
• In addition to these public forms of preparation, I would also like to invite you to personalize your preparation for this season. Take a few moments each day, or as often as you can, to ask yourself a few simple questions: ••• What in my life this past year am I proud of - and how can I continue this behavior in the new year? ••• What habits, attitudes, values have not served me well - and how can I leave them behind in the new year? ••• Who do I want to be in 5785?
• You may wish to reflect on these questions in a journal or simply sit with them regularly.
• As we prepare for this new year, we each have the ability to transform ourselves, our communities, and even the world. If we do this right, then the High Holydays will indeed have come just at the right time!

Wishing you and your loved ones a sweet and meaningful start to this New Year!

TEMPLE PRESIDENT:

- LISA LUPO -

Welcome September

• I have not been a student in a very long time, but I still think of September as the beginning of a new year or at least as a fresh start...
• This year, I am looking forward to welcoming in the Jewish New Year in our sanctuary on Wednesday night, October 2nd. I find it meaningful to celebrate the holidays with my Temple family, and I hope to greet many of you at our various High Holiday Services.
• I am excited for the first day of Religious School on September 8th. Similar to last year, our calendar is full of special events and family program. I am pleased to welcome back Kathryn Kitt as song leader and director of our Kol Simkha Youth Choir. Kathryn will continue to serve as cantorial soloist during our monthly family services. If you are a religious school parent, please plan on coming to parent orientation on the morning of September 8th to learn more about our plans for the year.
• Also, this year we have engaged artist Jennifer Levine for four sessions throughout the year to work with the congregation on a canvas mural with the theme L’dor V’dor – from generation to generation. Everyone in the congregation will have a chance to participate in this community building project. Look for more information on dates and to how to sign up to participate.
• As part of our future planning efforts, we are scheduling more joint events with neighboring synagogues. On September 15th, the Social Action Committee invites everyone to participate in a joint brunch and postcard writing campaign with North Country Reform Temple in Glen Cove to encourage voting for NYS Proposal 1, which is geared to protecting New Yorker’s rights and freedoms, including the right to abortion care.
• Also, on September 17th and 24th - Rabbi Sheinberg and Rabbi Brian Stoller of Temple Beth El in Great Neck will conduct a two-part adult learning course on preparing for the High Holidays. Look for more joint events after the High Holidays.
• After attending services, many of us welcome in the new year with family and friends. We generally serve honey sweetened deserts at our New Years’ celebrations as a way to wish everyone a sweet new year. I have made the below recipe for honey bundt cake for the last several years, and it must be good, because I am always asked to make it again. Let me know if you decide to try it out and what you think.
• As always, please reach out to me by clicking on the LINK below for any questions and concerns you may have or if you just want to say hello.

May everyone be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a happy and healthy new year...L’Shanah Tovah!

MAZEL TOV TO JULIA ADRIAN!

Temple-at-Large

Let us focus on the affirmation of human power and human dignity. At Rosh Hashanah it is a time for us to consider the possibilities for change, improvement, and happiness that we can create for ourselves as human beings.

Mazel Tov!

BOOK CLUB & WRITING GROUP INFORMATION

REMEMBER TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The Temple Book Club will next meet on Monday, September 9th at 7:30pm to review The Women - A Novel by Kristin Hannah. Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. (goodreads.com)

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The next Temple Creative Writing Group meeting is on Tuesday, September 10th at 7:30pm.

SOCIAL ACTION

A New Year Brings New Beginnings

• I always look forward to Rosh HaShanah as a time for reflection and a new beginning. Maybe because I was a teacher for so many years and the new school year began around the same time as the Jewish New Year - time to look back and ahead, a fresh start! I think of the role of the Social Action Committee as connected to both Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and Rosh HaShanah (a new year to refresh our efforts and hopes). Come join us!

• Given that this November is an important election year (Presidential!), the Social Action Committee is planning activities to inspire our community: A Communal Brunch on Sunday, September 15th at 11:00am to hear State Assemblyman Chuck Lavine speak about the Equal Rights Amendment on the back of the November ballot and write some postcards to encourage voters. This event will take place at the North Shore Reform Temple in Glen Cove. Please see the flyer below for all the information you need to attend the brunch. In addition, our next Social Action Shabbat will be on Friday, September 20th at 7:30pm.

Join Us This Year as We Continue to Unite Improve Our World

LIFELONG LEARNING

One’s Faith Can Enable You to Reconnect to Your Beliefs and Traditions with A Passion and Intimacy That Will Resonate Throughout the Year

• In his somewhat alarmingly book, This is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared, Rabbi Alan Lew traces the period from Tisha B’Av (which we just commemorated on August 13th) through Sukkot as a three-month journey of transformation for the Jewish soul: from the pain of destruction of both ancient temples in Jerusalem to the joyous fall harvest holiday, which we will celebrate in mid-October. This year, September coincides with the Hebrew month of Elul, meant to be a time of introspection, self-examination, and quietude. On the most practical level, Elul is an excellent time to examine our own habits to see if we are happy with our behavior and, if not, how can we go about making changes. One thing is for sure: it isn’t easy. However, as Rabbi Lew writes, “The truth of our lives is reflected in everything we do, and if we focus on even one small part of our lives, it brings up the entire truth of it.”
• A wonderful way to re-examine our Jewish selves is through the Weekly Torah Study Group. Every Saturday morning at 9:15am a group of adult students, typically more than a dozen - join with Rabbi Sheinberg to discuss the weekly portion of the Torah. At Simchat Torah, we end reading from the final book (Deuteronomy) and begin again…well, “In the beginning...” (in Genesis). Each week we read and discuss the portion for that week. Everyone has the chance to ask questions or add their own opinions, especially in terms of how the contents relate to our lives today. You will be surprised at how much you will learn and how it will open up your mind, allowing you the opportunity, as expressed above - for introspection, self-examination, and even quietude (although our discussions often get quite lively).
• Please join us weekly via ZOOM. Check the Weekly Updates for the ZOOM connection, as well as for the time each class begins. The times can also be found on the calendar at the end of each Tikvah Times Issue. Sometimes - typically at least once a month - the group meets in-person (in the Temple Tikvah’s Beber Auditorium), while also allowing for a ZOOM connection for those who cannot make it. One nice thing about the in-person classes is that there are usually bagels available to have with coffee or tea. As Rabbi Hillel actually never said, “An everything bagel with vegetable cream chess makes the Torah stories that much tastier.”

Shana Tova Tikateivu!

Sisterhood

AV - ELU 5784

• As we start the period in Jewish tradition of preparing for the new year - we begin to pray, self-reflect, and review the actions of the past year. We can only make changes and improvements in ourselves and our community if we take the time to review what we have tried, what we accomplished, what we could have done, and what we wish to achieve in the coming year.
• Now that Leslie and I have completed our first year as Co-Presidents of Sisterhood and begin our second, we believe we had a successful year. Our past activities have been reviewed in prior articles and since our last article, we had a wonderful end of the year dinner in June and honored our Woman of the Year...Terry Lepzelter. Thanks to Terry Cutler for organizing the dinner.
• Unfortunately, our first meeting of the new year was met with horrendous rains, so our dinner was cancelled and we had to have the meeting on ZOOM. We are completing another successful Honey from The Heart Sale and thank all that participated! Our September meeting and dinner will help to get Sisterhood off to a good start. Our goal is to do everything we can to support the Temple. We are hoping to do some fundraisers to allow us to continue to pay for security and the organizations that we support. The Paid-Up Membership Brunch is November 3rd, so please make sure to get your dues paid as soon as possible. Also, on October 27th in conjunction with Brotherhood, we are sponsoring Brad Kolodny, a noted speaker/author on Jews/Synagogues of Long Island. More information will follow.
• Therefore, upon reflection, I hope that my role as Co-President of Sisterhood will allow me the opportunity to help make constructive changes to the way we do things, to make things more efficient, and to continue to work collaboratively with the fellow board members and Sisterhood at large. Leslie and I hope to get more participation from the Sisterhood community and continue to raise funds to support the Temple.

Rabbi Adina Allen, “ As the new year is about to begin, let’s move beyond all we think we know and tapping into the place of all possibilities.”

BROTHERHOOD

A Zis Gebentsht Yor

• Once again, the High Holy Days are late and that gives us the entire month of September to think about what we did this year and how we will change in the next.
• Brotherhood remains active with the Nassau/Suffolk Men of Reform Judaism (MRJ) attending the bi-monthly meetings to learn of their programs and discuss ours. This can lead to having joint programs which benefits multiple groups. In fact, in late October (5785) we will join with Sisterhood in bringing a special speaker, Brad Kolodny who has authored two books, 125 Years of Synagogues on Long Island and The Jews of Long Island. Brad will join us on Sunday morning, October 27th at 10:00am. Please mark your calendars for this exciting event.
• After a long layoff due to Covid we again had our Dinner/Entertainment/Auction...which sold out! We raised significant funds allowing Brotherhood to continue providing camp scholarships and other special programs for Tikvah children!!
• We are proud of three of our members that make up the tenor/bass section in the Temple Tikvah Choir. We are looking forward to the wonderful High Holy Day music all of our Temple members so enjoy. We are also looking forward to our newest tenor, Andy Finkelstein joining Brotherhood.
• Finally, I must acknowledge our amazing Brotherhood President, Marc Gold who continues to provide special events for all to enjoy, and cooks up delicious barbecues and latkes for our young ones' pleasure.

Brotherhood wishes everyone a sweet New Year and easy fast!

HAKARAT HATOV

DONATIONS:

• MI SHEBARACH LIST: Joyce & Joel Mensoff with best wishes for a speedy recovery to Aiden Maletzky • Tikva Mussafi praying for a family member
• SHMIRA (Security) FUND: Joseph & Barbara Massey in honor of their first grandchild, Alison Charlotte Massey • Susan Schall in honor of the Massey’s new granddaughter, Alison Charlotte Massey • Barbara Silberman in honor of the first Massey grandchild, Alison Charlotte Massey
• SIMCHA FUND: Florence Baravarian sending best wishes to the Massey’s on the birth of their first grandchild, Alison Charlotte Massey • Susan & Kent Moston in honor of Robert Bader 100th Birthday • Joyce & Joel Mensoff sending best wishes to the Massey’s on the birth of their first grandchild, Alison Charlotte Massey
• TEMPLE TIKVAH MEMORIAL FUND: Deborah Abramowitz in memory Bessie & Emil Abramowitz • Sharon Adler in memory of Hyman Adler • Florence Baravarian in memory of Joseph Rosenberg, Hortense Herlitschek, and Neil Kizner • Lorraine Bertan in memory of Bernard Bertan • Bernice Bloch in memory of Max H. Bloch • Sheila & Martin Bokser in memory of Lillian Lehrman Bokser • Brotherhood in memory of John Massey and Neil Kizner • Julie Covelli in memory of Leonard Fischbach • Terry & Michael Cutler in memory of Sydelle Cutler • Elaine Farber in memory of Shirley M. Roth, Joseph Roth, and Sigmund Roth • Merle Fishkin in memory of Ethel Pugach • Ruth Friedlander in memory of Florence Friedlander, Philip Friedlander, and Joel Friedlander • Susan & Robert Gelfand in memory of Irving Gelfand • Steven & Doreen Geller in memory of George Geller • Vivien Goldbaum in memory of Egon Biss • Barbara & Stephen Goldberg in memory of Alexander Muchnik • Susan & Martin Goldschmidt in memory of Miriam Schwesky and Marion Goldschmidt • Dara & Seth Goldstein in memory of Neil Kizner • Ronni & Charles Hollander in memory of Sophie Hollander • Lois Howard in memory of Leonard Feitell • Mimi Kahn in memory of William Lichtenstein • Marcia Kasner in memory of Lewis Hyman Kasner • Nancy Kiss in memory of Rene Heimendinger • Carole Kaplan in memory of Dora Kaplan • Marcia Kasner in memory of Sylvia Kasner • Gloria & Lawrence Konstan in memory of Estelle Walters, Neil Kizner, John Massey, and Marlene Hurwitz • Lisa Lupo in memory of Eleanor Braverman • Joe & Barbara Massey in memory of Neil Kizner • Joyce & Joel Mensoff in memory of John Massey and Neil Kizner • Susan & Kent Moston in memory of Neil Kizner • Sandra & David Peskin memory of Neil Kizner • Suzanne Plastrik in memory of Rhea Markus • Lorraine & Martin Ross in memory of Sarah Ross • Helaine & Edward Schachter in memory of Fred Schachter • Susan Schall in memory of Neil Kizner • Susan & Irwin Schneider in memory Anna Green, Louise Cavaliere, Frances Schneider, and Ruth Gelb • Helene, Alene, and Jordan Schonhaut and Family in memory of Tillie Schonhaut, Harold Schonhaut, and Dora & David Dresner • Marilyn S. Schwartz in memory of Max Newman • Barbara Silberman in memory of Marlene Hurwitz and Neil Kizner • Merry & Richard Slone in memory of Harry Slone • Janet & Barry Spool in memory of Abraham Goldberg and Minnie Kaplan • Joyce Braun Stoner in memory of Shirley Braun • Mark Wasserman in memory of Neil Kizner • Jeffrey & Teresa Weisbrot in memory of Libby Glowitz • Jack Zaffos in memory of Sal Zaffos • Irene & Stanley Zorn in memory of Neil Kizner

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YAHRZEITS

• MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd - LABOR DAY
• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd - Sisterhood General Meeting at 7:30pm
• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th - Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm
• THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th - On the Marc Sports Talk with Marc Gold at 4:00pm & Cardio, Core and More! with Lori from 5:00pm to 6:00pm
• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th - Shabbat Services at 7:30pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 7:01pm)
• SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th - *Torah Study at 9:30am / IN-PERSON & ON ZOOM (LINK in the Weekly Update) & Julia Adrian’s Bat Mitzvah at 10:15am
• SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th - Kol Simkha Choir Rehearsal at 9:00am; FIRST DAY OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOL at 9:30am; and Parent Orientation at 9:45am
• MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th - Brotherhood Meeting at 7:00pm & Book Club Meeting at 7:30pm
• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th - Writing Group Meeting at 7:30pm
• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th - NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE / Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm
• THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th - On the Marc Sports Talk at 4:00pm with Marc Gold; and Cardio, Core and More! with Lori from 5:00pm to 6:00pm
• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th - Family Shabbat Service at 7:00pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 6:49 pm)
• SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th - *Torah Study at 9:00am ONLY ON ZOOM (LINK in the Weekly Update) & Blessing of the Animals Havdallah at 5:30pm
• SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15th - FIRST DAY OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH / Kol Simkha Choir Rehearsal at 9:00am; Religious School at 9:30am; and Post Carding & Brunch Event at North Country Reform Temple in Glen Cove at 11:00am to Support NYS ERA Ballot Initiative, Including Reproductive Rights
• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th - High Holiday Prep Course with Temple Beth El: Part 1 at 7:00pm at Temple Tikvah
• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th - Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm
• THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th - Wise Aging at 11:00am; On the Marc Sports Talk with Marc Gold at 4:00pm & Cardio, Core and More! with Lori from 5:00pm to 6:00pm
• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th - Tot Shabbat at 6:30pm and Social Action Shabbat Service at 7:30pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 6:37pm)
• SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st - * Torah Study ON ZOOM ONLY at 9:15am (LINK in the Weekly Update)
• SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd - Kol Simkha Choir Rehearsal at 9:00am; Religious School at 9:30am; and Youth Event at 12:00pm
• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th - HDH Prep Course with Temple Beth El: Part 2 at 7:00pm at Temple Beth El in Great Neck
• WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th - Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm
• THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th - On the Marc Sports Talk with Marc Gold at 4:00pm & Cardio, Core and More! with Lori from 5:00pm to 6:00pm
• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th - Shabbat Services at 7:30pm (Shabbat Candles Lit at 6:25pm)
• SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th - Torah Study at 9:00am / In-PERSON & ON ZOOM (LINK in the Weekly Update) & Gabriella Escobar’s Bat Mitzvah at 10:30am
• SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 - Kol Simkha Choir Rehearsal at 9:00am; Religious School at 9:30am; and S’lichot at 11:15am

* PLEASE REFER TO THE WEEKLY UPDATES & THE LINK BELOW (CLICK ON NEW EVENTS, THEN CALENDAR) FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION *

OUR LEADERSHIP

TIKVAH TIMES STAFF

Editor - Alene Schonhaut / Assistant Editor - Madeleine Wolf / Jay Beber - Cover Design & Consultant