Ethically Speaking-September 2013

7/30/2019 Ethically Speaking-September 2013

1/8

At what is soon to be a new season at our Brooklyn Ethical Society, I want tobegin by thanking everyone who made last year so successful. We had astrong board and dedicated staff who helped the society shepherd throughnumerous changes. We said good-bye to our Clergy Leader-in-TrainingCatherine Bordeau and coalesced our most active members into a leadershipcouncil that provided just that: counsel and leadership. We have said goodbye to some loved and longtime teachers at our Childrens Assembly: OtisCotton and Alva Rogers and to our Communications Manager Ben Halbersham. We welcome Jason Dubin, our long-time Facilities Manager into abroadened position that includes communications for our society. We remainmost grateful to Damal Edmond, our Administrative Director, for keeping ourplace humming. Our Board President Jean Rohe, Secretary Lucy McNair andPledge Secretary Fiona Boneham have all ended their terms on the board, tobe followed soon by Alec Gershberg.

The gifts these members have brought to our society have been filled withlove and insight and we can be grateful for their steadfast leadership. We wel-

come new board members Janice Novet and Warren Miner. Erin Moore as-sumes the position of Board Secretary and Kim Brandon as Pledge Secre-tary. Tom Castelnuovo continues as Treasurer and I transition as our newPresident. Donna Minkowitz takes a six-month sabbatical from the Board asher book is about to be published and she will begin her publicity tour! Therewill be at least one trustee position open next year, so please keep yourselfposted if you are interested in this incredible leadership development opportunity!

We are enthused to welcome Jone Johnson-Lewis as our new Interim ClergyLeader and look forward to having her talents and passions shared with us inBrooklyn. We also welcome Lea Bender as our new Education Director/Teacher.

We are enthusiastic that Lea, Simba and the Ethical Education Committee wilelevate our childrens programming into the next phase of prominence whichit so deserves.

The last year showed progress in our strategic planning process that canmore accurately be called Strategic Doing. Through many changes and ini-tiatives we have continued to build our beloved community at 53 ProspectPark West. We have welcomed half a dozen new members, several of whomare already practicing their organizational skills to our collective benefit. Ourcommittee structure is growing roots with numerous

53 Prospect Park West

at 2nd Street in Park Slope

www.bsec.org

[email protected]

718.768.2972

(continued on page 5)

The Brooklyn Societyfor Ethical Culture

(BSEC)

Jone Johnson Lewis,

Interim Clergy Leader

[email protected]

Damal Edmond,

Administrative Director

[email protected]

Board of Trustees

President: Rebecca LurieVice President: Vacant

Recording Secretary: Erin Moore

Treasurer: Tom Castelnuovo

Pledge Secretary: Kim Brandon

Trustees:

Dr. Alex Ian Gershberg

Donna Minkowitz

Warren Minor

Janice Novet

Editors:

Jason Dubin

Joel Shatzky____________________________________________________________________________

The Brooklyn Society for Ethical

Culture is a humanistic, religious

and educa t iona l fe l lowship

promoting knowledge, love and

practice of ethics-centered living.

As a diverse and welcoming

community, we assist each other in

developing ethical ideals, exploring

choices, navigating our life

journeys, and working to realize amore just and compassionate world.

BSEC belongs to a federation of

Ethical Culture & Ethical Humanist

Societies and/or Fellowships in the

U.S. known as the American Ethical

Union

www.aeu.org

Ethically Speaking

Newsletter PublicationSeptember 2013

Message From the BoardRebecca Lurie, 2013-2014 President


2/8

Brooklyn Ethical Mourns the Passing ofAlison Brunell

We mourn the sudden and tragic death of our member Alison (Ali) BrunellAli suffered a brain hemorrhage on Saturday, July 20, and died on July 21in Methodist Hospital without regaining consciousness.

Ali was born on June 16, 1944 in Springfield, MA. She was a passionate

actress and teacher, working most recently as a professor at CUNY-College of Staten Island.

Alis death came as a terrible shock and loss for all of us . She had re-

cently joined with members at Ethical and other activities, where she was

so lively and vibrant. It is hard to believe that she is gone.

On Sunday, August 4, at the beginning of an already scheduled EthicalCulture workshop, 20 members and friends gathered

Ethically Speaking, September 2013, page 2

Experiment #3: On Thursday, September 12, 7 pmin the Library at BSEC, Ill lead a workshop on Build-ing a Caring Community. My hope is that out of thiswill grow a more structured program of caring andsupport among members at BSEC, a program onwhich Ill focus during my time here. The emphasis ofthe workshop will be on two key caring topics, Pres-ence and Boundaries, as well as some time to con-sider future plans. Please RSVP by email or mail tolet me know if youre probably or definitely coming.

Experiment #4: Youll also discover that Im a lifelonglearner and I like to learn with others. In SeptemberIm planning on keeping two Tuesdays open foLearn with the Leader from 12 noon to 1:30 p.mBring your lunch with you--we should have room forabout 6-8 of us in my office--and Ill throw on aGreat Courses video and well watch it together andthen discuss it. For starters, well try out theirMeaning of Life course and start with Choice andthe Daily Life. RSVP by email or mail if you thinkyou might be able to come, so I can determine if the

rooms large enough or we need to adapt.

I am so looking forward to this year!

In the Interim - A Note from Jone-Jone Johnson-Lewis, Interim Clergy Leader


All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

An interim period is a time to do some experimenting, totry some new ideas, see which ones work, and learnfrom those that dont work.

History is one of my passions. BSEC has its own his-tory, and with that, insights and lessons and inspiration.Im interested in what you each (members and friends)remember and value about this Societys history: longago history or recent. So heres experiment #1: I inviteeach of you, member or friend of the Society, to email

me (or send me a note at the Society office), telling mejust one thing that you find interesting or inspiring fromthe Societys history, and one thing about the Societyshistory that puzzles you.

And experiment #2, a bit different. Given that I wont bein Brooklyn all month, Im going to try out an online ap-pointment system. Do you want an appointment to seeme when Im in town in August? Find a time thats con-

venient for you at http://www.jone.us/atbsec. No back-and-forth phone calls and emails and messageswould be needed just to find a time. If you dont haveeasy access to the internet and email, you can call

and well arrange a time. If this experiment worksout, Ill continue to use that starting in September.


3/8

CHILDRENS SUNDAY ASSEMBLY::::A Letter from Lea Bender

Hello Parents!

As the new Teacher-Director for theChildren's Sunday Assembly, I amexcited to be writing my first announce-ment to you about the upcoming year!

Fall is right around the corner and were gearing up for anew year of CSA starting on Sunday September 8th.Simba will once again be working with our youngestmembers (3-6 yrs) and I will be leading the 7-11 year-olds. We are busy planning curriculum with Jone John-

son-Lewis, our interim clergy leader.

You will hear all about our work and curriculum outlineswhen we have our first Ethical Education meeting sched-uled for Sunday, September 15th from 1-2 pm. This willbe a great chance to learn more about this years CSAand to share your own ideas and input. I look forward tomeeting you all and working together to continue todeepen parent involvement throughout the year.

Registration materials and other information about thecoming months will be sent to your mailboxes and in-boxes in mid-August. The form will also be posted online

at that time. We encourage everyone to register for the2013-14 CSA year before Sept. 8

th.

I am looking forward to working with our Coming of Agegraduates and supporting them as they continue to assistSimba and me on Sundays. I will soon be in touch withany COA graduates who are interested in assisting us.

There are many new things in store for 2013-2014,(myself included) and Ill be updating you on them inmore detail in the coming weeks and months.

I am looking forward to meeting all of you in person soon.In the meantime, feel free to email me at [email protected] you have anything youd liketo discuss before we see each other in September. Re-member the first Platform is Sunday September 8th witha Garden Party to follow! I look forward to seeing you allthen.

All the best,-Lea Bender,BSEC Education Director


Brooklyn Ethical Mourns the Passing of AlisonBrunell Continued from page 2

in a circle to share our thoughts and memories ofAli, who joined BSEC three years ago. It was won-derful to learn of her many fine qualities that wehad experienced and appreciated during theseyears. She was very thoughtful and would askquestions which made us all think more deeply

about what we believed and how we were doingour ethical work.

Here are some of the comments spoken at thisCircle:

I knew Ali as a friend who is true, real and always

confidential.

What does it matter if you know someone inti-

mately; if they touched your heart, that's the light

of light.

Going places together. I miss her aliveness.

How we found out about her death a week later. I

needed to find more info and can now share this.

Moved by the news. She was very interesting and

very alive

Shocked and horrified. She was so enthusiastic

and smart

How important it is to spend time with people. I

was glad to have the few times with her. Would

like to do that with more of us. She did not hold

anything back.

Sudden death is so hard.I take for granted that I may not always get to

know others.

Comforted by a quick death without long suffering.

Her inquiry was inspiring

Left wondering, who is she?

Great reviews by students of hers.

Her teaching was very creative and spiritual

Punctuality was critical to her.

Grammar matters!

Questioning aspect was so good. She often knewmore than she let on.

Grateful for learning.

Radiant. Vibrant.

May the work she has done speak for her!

She was continuing to unfold.

Recent lunch was a great opportunity to get to

know her!


ETHICAL EDUCATION


4/8

One of Brooklyn Ethical'sPartners Needs Our Help!!

Let's Do All We Can!!

Valery Jean, the Executive Director of FUREE(Families United For Racial and Economic Equality),

fainted at the office while getting ready for a city-wide public housing mobilization in early Au-gust. She was rushed to the hospital where she hasbeen ever since, with loved ones by herside. Despite a serious diagnosis, Valery is stable,alert, and thankfully, doing better than her doctorshad anticipated. She needs our support as she un-dergoes brain bypass surgery and faces a lengthyrecovery.

Valery has spoken at platform, and we hosted a gar-den party fundraiser for FUREE a summer ago. Va-

lery's strength as a part of FUREEs organizing workfor social justice community empowerment is invalu-able.

Today we are reaching out for any support theBSEC community can give. FUREE has a fund tohelp with medical and family expenses while Valeryis in the hospital. FUREE has created an easy, se-cure way to make an online donation to support thefamily in this time of need: http://furee.org/news/community-response-needed-valery-furee. Or youcan send a check to:

FUREE81 Willoughby Street, #701 Brooklyn 11201.

Let's do what we can to support Valery and to keepFUREE strong.

Thank you for your help and consideration.

-Gregory Tewksbury, chair, Ethical Action-Rebecca Lurie, President


Brooklyn Ethical Mourns the Passing of Alison BrunellContinued from page 3

Her writing was most impressive!

It was nice to have had time with her.

She had a lot of compassion.

She was Sassafras the clown.

Enjoyed her quirkiness. She was torn to be inseveral

places.

Urgency to bring and include others.

Joel Shatzky, who was away for the Circle, wrote I

was privileged to work with her on a play I wrote in

which she skillfully performed the role of Clara Schu-

mann. She was a gentle, talented and dedicated

teacher, actor and friend. She was also a thoughtful

and enlightening member of the Sharing Circle and will

be missed.

Ali was also fun-loving. At our picnics, she loved to

play a red-nosed clown she named Sassafras. Mem-

ber Annemarie Mogil is donating a beautiful sassafras

tree which we will plant in our garden in the fall, in

memory of Ali and her playful Sassafras. We will miss

her.

PoemPoemPoemPoem ---- OUROUROUROUR WAR MACHINEWAR MACHINEWAR MACHINEWAR MACHINE

No one owns our war machine

It belongs to all of us

Paid for with our precious time

We slave away, day after day

To feed this gargantuan, insatiable colossus

We fund lower forms of life, served by higher forms of killing

Blind obedience, no room for doubt

Not enough soldiers, contract em out

Yellow cake, red phone, agent orange, Green zone

A rainbow full of lies

The hearts and minds of our time

Lost to economies of scale, lives for sale

A snake, eating its own tail

Every day in every age, on every stage

Ignore the sage

And turn the page -- By Lisa M. Novak, Brooklyn Society WritersBy Lisa M. Novak, Brooklyn Society WritersBy Lisa M. Novak, Brooklyn Society WritersBy Lisa M. Novak, Brooklyn Society Writers

ETHICAL ACTION


5/8


A Message From the Board, continued from page 1

members taking on leadership in a wide variety of ways. At our June Member Meeting we had small groupsbrainstorm ideas for both short-term needs and long-term vision for education, our facility and our desires foclergy and pastoral leadership. This next year will see these conversations continuing through CommunitConversations (Looking for a good name for this process, by the way).

You will now see regular programming on Thursday evenings at the library; for fun and for these CommunityConversations. Ethical Living will offer activities that help us touch the right side of our brains with play, art

and craft. We will initiate a BSEC Multi-generational Chorus. Also, think about contributing to our Ethical Living Cookbook for creative (and ethical) ways to make fun and love in the kitchen!

This summer we have been trying something new with a summer series of What is Ethical Culture? Drawingon the local talent of leaders who have a tie to our society, Lisel Burns, Martha Gallahue, Jone JohnsonLewis and Anne Klaeysen have all contributed to this series and more than twenty members and friends havattended each workshop. This allowed us to gather in an educational setting together over the summer. Asummers end, expect to receive an evaluation survey for this activity so we can get your feedback. Likewisewhile usually quiet at BSEC, the summer also remained active for the members who attend the SundayMorning Circle and have enjoyed each others companionship. All the while, we are seeing tremendousstrides in our childrens programming with initiatives for a curriculum map with standardized expectations andgoals. Thank you to so many members and staff for this project. We are collaborating with the American Ethi

cal Union as well, to assure efficacy in this project.

These summer gatherings have come at an important time as we unexpectedly received the very sad newsof the sudden passing of our dear member, Ali Brunell, in late July. In only a few years Ali had quickly become an active member of our community, sharing her talents and her enthusiasm with us at every chanceshe had. She attended numerous committee meetings, was a regular greeter at our Sunday morningshelped in the kitchen at any request for any need and showed up for anything that involved acting and performing, (which meant she was everywhere), shining her smile and loving presence all over us. Ali will bemissed. Alis sudden death and charming life was memorialized on a Sunday in August when our SundaMorning Circle and our workshop on Ethical Culture featured our memories and gratitude of Ali. May we continue to find ways to honor our members who have passed and cherish each other here, while we can. Ashowed many of us the great simple value of showing up and being present with each other with kindness.

And finally, as I assume the honored role of being your Board President, I want to personally thank everyonfor playing a supportive role in our community. I know that as we continue to streamline our committee effortso our programming has impact and builds leadership skills among our members so we each can better realize our individual power, that we are cultivating the soil and the air around us for a more caring communityand a more healthy society, inside BSEC and beyond. Please feel free to reach out to me, or any Boardmember, for any reason as we seek to collaborate towards a better world with passion and care.

Season Opening Platform: Sunday, September 8th @ 11am

For the Time Being: Jone Johnson-Lewis,Interim Clergy Leader

We live our lives in the moments between what was and what will be -- "in the in-terim." Some "interims" are longer than moments. Such times are full of potential, to re-flect on the past, learn the lessons the past can teach us, and then apply that learning toplan and move into the kind of future we want. And, every moment is also full of potentialfor living fully in the now.

Algernon Black talked about the time after losing a loved one as an opportunity to "remakeour relationship" with that person. Interim times are opportunities to remake our relation-ships with ourselves as well as with whatever is changing. Who are we becoming? Jone,our Clergy Leader for this interim period while BSEC makes decisions about future leader-ship, will reflect on these aspects of interims, applied to our lives and to our community.


6/8

THE AMERICAN ETHICAL UNIONS ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

Would you like to learn more about the Ethical Culture movement, have a say in its direction, meet members

from around the country, and become better informed on ethical issues? If you answered yes to any or aof these options, you might consider attending the annual Assembly of the American Ethical Union, the national federation of locally organized Ethical congregations. The 96thAEU Assembly was held from June 13-16, 2013 at The Mason Inn on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. BSEC Delegateswere Rebecca Lurie and Diane Kirschner. Each Society is allocated delegate votes based on its total membership. BSEC was entitled to three votes. Childrens Sunday Assembly instructor Simba Yangala, membeJoan Klips, and BSEC Leader emeritus Lisel Burns also attended. Information about the Assembly programcan be found on the AEU website:http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1206579.

A hard-copy packet of materials distributed is on file at the Society and you can ask to borrow them fromDamal.

Assembly is a mix of business, socializing and networking, learning and free time. General and workshop

sessions continued last years focus on criminal justice and featured Bart Lubow, Director, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, Annie E. Casey Foundation, who presented a disturbing, informative and rousingoverview of juvenile detention in our country. You can read their report which was distributed at the Assembly by going to http://www.aecf.org/~/media/Pubs/Topics/Juvenile%20Justice/Detention%20ReformNoPlaceForKids/JJ_NoPlaceForKids_Full.pdf.

The National Ethical Service, the AEUs NGO at the United Nations, presented Dr. Robert McCrie, a profes-sor at John Jay College for Criminal Justice here in NY, who spoke about his first-hand experience visitingprisons throughout the world, including here in the U.S. The Elliott-Black award honored The Southern Poverty Law Center, which had been nominated this year by the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. Theaward was accepted by Lecia Brooks, who leads the Law Centers outreach efforts on key initiatives and social justice issues. She presented a detailed and inspiring chronology of the centers work.

The program also featured a performance piece called The Goddess Diaries, which were short dramaticpieces telling the personal narratives of storytellers ages 11 to 66. It is a piece that can be replicated at locaSocieties and featured performer-members of the Washington Ethical Society.

Of the many workshop options offered, Diane and Rebecca planned their attendance so they would gain asmuch information as possible. Diane attendedThe Race to Incarcerate, presented by Marc Mauer, Execu-tive Director of The Sentencing Project; Restorative Justice Project, presented by Dave Deal, Attorney andco-coordinator of the Northern Virginia Mediation Services Restorative Justice project; andExpanding OurMulticultural Relationships: Building Our Future, led by Paula Cole Jones, Racial & Social Justice Director forthe Joseph Priestly District of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Rebecca attended Foundationsof Excellence: Growing Your Sunday School with Dynamic Curriculum: Tips from the Trenchesand also

joined the Presidents Council for the first time. Both Rebecca and Diane attendedIntro to Inspiration: Teach-ing Ethical Culture, led by Leaders Dr. Joe Chuman of Bergen and Hugh Taft-Morales of Philadelphia andBaltimore.

Two resolutions were raised at the business meetings. The body passed a Resolution on Womens Reproductive Justice. A resolution on Gun Violence was tabled until next years Assembly. However, a task forceis being formed to work on it during the year. The draft resolution is also in the file stored in our office withDamal. Past resolutions are available athttp://aeu.org/library/byresolution.php?case=resolutions.

Next years Assembly will be in Chicago: May 1-4, 2014. Save the date so you too can attend.



7/8

WHATS COOKING AT BSEC:SEND US YOUR STORIES!

Share with us your story through thefoods youve cooked or eaten, or thespecial utensils or bowls handeddown to you, or even memories ofsitting around the holiday dinner ta-ble. How has food created who youare? Your history? Thats

what Phyllis Poonachan and Laura Duffy would love to learnabout you.

They are asking the BSEC community to send in personal sto-ries surrounding food to put in our upcoming book, tentatively

titled Whats Cooking at BSEC, a community building/fundraising project. We welcome stories, recipes and even vid-eos of you and your family or friends, from within and outsidethe BSEC community. They can be short or long, poems orone-liners. What ever youd like to share.

Tell us how your grandmother made those latkes! What wasthe secret behind your fathers famous meatball? What memo-ries come to kind when you set that holiday dinner table?

For more information, or to send in stories, please email LauraDuffy at [email protected], or Phyllis Soonachan

at [email protected]._________________________________________________

COMMITTEE MTGS.@1:00 on Sundays

1st Sunday: Restorative Circles - Library2nd Sunday: Writers Group- Library

Ethical Education Meeting Room3rd Sunday: Ethical Action Library4th Sunday: Ethical Living Library

Writers Group Basement

Join us forCommunity Conversations

This Fall - Thursday Evenings at ourLibrary

First Thursdays of the month-Board of Trustees meetings 6:30 9:30Upcoming Meeting: Thursday, September 5th

Community Conversations is being pre-sented as an approach for us to exploresome topics together as we continuouslystrengthen our community. We will learnfrom one another, think deeply about ourethical practices and share visions aboutwhat we can do and become. Topics willinclude: our children, how we care forone another, our programming, our workin the broader community, our vision for

our space.

The following dates at: 7pm 9 pm

September 12 - Cultivating our CaringCommunity - with Jone Johnson Lewis,thinking about caring for each other throughthe milestones of our lives how to activateour own beloved community for one anotherand beyond

September 19 with Tasha Paley, experi-

ence Playback theatre as a method for cul-tivating compassion, having fun and ignitingcommunity vibrancy.

September 26, with the Building andGrounds Committee, begin to discuss ourlong term hopes and dreams for our com-munally held property at 53 Prospect ParkWest.


Join the BSEC

Intergenerational Choir!Early Fall Pilot Edition

Two Rehearsals: Sundays, September 8 and 22, 10am-10:45am. One Performance during platform Sunday, Sep-tember 29th.Open to all: children and adults, members and non-members.Led by Phyllis Soonachan and Jean Rohe.

Write to Jean Rohe at [email protected] or sign the BSEC-sign-up sheet.

ETHICAL LIVING


8/8

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture53 Prospect Park WestBrooklyn, NY 11215-2629718-768-2972bsec.org

CHARLIE HOROWITZ MEMORIAL PLATFORM

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22ND 11 AM

The Ethical Action committee starts each season with the annual Charley Horwitz Memorial Platform in honor of the longtimeBrooklyn Ethical member, civil rights and labor activist, who died way too young at 70. Charley spent nine years in Mississippi inthe 1960s and never lost that commitment to building a better world. In the 1990s, Charley built Brooklyn Ethicals ties with Haitiand Fonkoze, a microfinance group there, and after September 11 attacks, he helped launch the Children of Abraham PeaceWalk, bringing together people of all faith and no faith in the borough, and helped open our building for meetings and events tochallenge the illegal round up of our Muslim neighbors who were being held without charge at the Metropolitan Detention Center inSunset Park.

This year, on Sept. 22, Ethical Action is bringing in 350.org, the climate action group founded by the writer Bill McKibbenthat sounds the alarm on how urgently we need to act so that life on this planet can continue in the way we have knownit. Lyna Hinkel, a 350NYC group leader, and other activists will share their struggle to haveschools, congregations and govern-

ment pension funds to divest from the 200 companies that control the vast majority of the worlds coal, oil and gas reserves. Toforstall catastrophic climate change, James Hansen and other scientists say we need to make sure that 80 percent of those re-serves stay in the ground.

Lyna Hinkel, a 350NYC group leader, and student and congregational campaigners will discuss the history of divestment strug-gles, their NYC City Pension Fund Divestment initiative, and the effort to convince their congregations or colleges to di-vest.

The platform will be followed by a divestment workshop at 1pm where Hinkel and the grassroots campaigners will share their

experiences in the year-long divestment campaign and offer resources for those who want to engage in their own.

BSEC: Guiding Free Thinkers Since 1907Stay Informed, Connected, and Involved with BSEC

Website: www.bsec.org Facebook: Friend Brooklyn Ethical Interested in BSEC Membership? Contact Dan at [email protected]

Documents

Ethically Speaking-September 2013