Jewish Community Center of
Long Beach Island
E-Letter
February 19, 201610 Adar I 5776
Contents
A Torah Message from the Rabbi
Kol Hakavod
Upcoming Activities
Community Activities
Connection Corner
Membership Dues
Name Badges
This Week's Events
Service Schedule
Yahrzeits for Next Week
Minyanim
Congregation News
Sisterhood Stuff
Gift Shop
Giving Opportunities
TD Affinity Program
JCC Caps
Text Blast Sign Up
Documents & Links
A TORAH MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
This week's Torah portion provides the instruction to have a continuously burning oil lamp (in Hebrew: "Ner Tamid") in the portable Tabernacle.
Moses is told to tell the Israelites to bring pure olive oil to light the lamp (menorah) "for all time, throughout the ages". It is hard to understand this particular commandment. What is so important about a light? Why does it need to stay lit? Why does it need to be lit using pure olive oil?
The answers to these questions are not easy, nor do they fully answer why God needs this to be done. However, it is worth it to take a look.
Light is so important that it is the absolute first thing that God does when creating the universe. The first thing God says is: "Let there be light!" There is something inherently special about light. It literally enables us to see things in our physical world, while at the same time our "inner" light enables us to "see" even things that are not tangible. We refer to the Torah as our light. We are told to be a "light to the nations". The connection of the light to creation is accentuated by the fact that the Menorah in the Tabernacle had seven lights, one representing each day.
The light needs to stay continually lit for several reasons. Once it goes out, there is no guarantee that it can be started again; darkness can become all-consuming. There needs to be a constant connection between our past and our future. We need to be in continuing relationship with God.
The use of pure olive oil helps to emphasize the fact that the light is special. The olive oil and the Menorah are man-made; they require man's input. While the flame itself may have an ethereal, spiritual nature, in this context, it can only be present with human intervention.
This brings us back to that flame, the light. Fire, together with the smoke it produces, is inherently uncontrollable. When God leads the Israelites in the desert, the Deity chooses to do so in the form of fire by night and cloud (or smoke) by day. By using these elements, God is showing the ability to control that which is not capable of being controlled. On the menorah, the light functions as a reminder of God's eternal and imminent presence. However its presence and containment in the Tabernacle is directly related to the oil and the menorah itself, which is man's handiwork. The light of the Menorah thus becomes an example of God and man working together to ensure an ongoing connection between the creator and the created. God provides us with a way to encapsulate the "light". Brilliant isn't it.
Shabbat Shalom - Rabbi Michael S. Jay
OUR ROAMING RABBI
Rabbi Jay is again "roaming the island" and will be at Cafe at Acme in Peahala Parkon Sunday 2/21 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM and on Wednesday, 2/24 from 10:30 AM to Noon. He will be available to chat with shoppers and answer any questions. Drop by to see how he is doing and to join him for a cup of coffee!
KOL HAKAVOD CAMPAIGN
Please considerbeing a part of this campaign to supplement the clergy needs of our congregation. This is a separate, voluntary commitment and is additional to our low annual dues obligation. HERE IS THE LINK TO BRING UP THE DONATION FORMKOL HAKAVOD
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
MAH JONGG
Wednesdays 12:30 - 4:00 PM
SUNDAY MAH JONGG - February 21st at 10:00 AM
Please contact the office if you are planning on coming to the JCC on Wednesday to play mah jongg so we can let people know there will be a table.
JCC LADIES FLORIDA
REUNION LUNCHEON
(See change of address)
Tuesday, February 23rd
12:30 PM
Duffy's
1750 So. Federal Hwy
Delray Beach
(Corner of Linton Blvd. & Federal Highway)
Call Marcia Nelson to make a reservation: 561-998-3726
PURIM BALLET
The Ariel RivkaDance Company will be performing an original ballet entitled, "Book ofEsther: The Journey of Queen Vashti and Queen Esther" on Sunday, March 6,2016 at noon. The event community- wide event will be hosted by Temple B'nai Israel, 1488 Freehold Road, Toms River.
Proceeds from the event will provide scholarships to children from theOcean County Community to attend a Jewish Summer Camp Program during the summer of 2016.
Lynn Berkowitz will be ordering a block of tickets for this extra-ordinary program. Tickets are $10/Adult, $5/Child Ages 5-16 and $30/Family. Contact Lynn directly to get your tickets. 609-709-3160
For more details open up this Flyer:PURIM BALLET
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Lighthouse International Film Society Presents:
Screening and Director Discussion
Film - A Wing and A Prayer
Director- Boaz Dvir
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016
7:30 pm
Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts and Sciences
Address:120 Long Beach Blvd, Loveladies, NJ 08008
Phone:(609) 494-1241
Admission $5.00 - Free for LIFS members
The documentary A WING AND A PRAYER tells the remarkable, if little-known, story of an improbable group of World War II veterans who risked their lives and American citizenships to give the newborn state of Israel a chance to survive.Narrated by William Baldwin, the documentary features interviews with more than 20 of the operation's key aviators, their family members and historians.WWII veteran Schwimmer and his men helped reshape history, yet history books have ignored them. "A Wing and a Prayer" fills in that missing chapter."A Wing and A Prayer" features firsthand accounts of daring escapes and heart-pounding action by Schwimmer, Lewis and other members of the group, including Christian radio operator Eddie Styrak.Styrak arrested by the British for trying to bring Holocaust survivors into the burgeoning Jewish state, had to escape prison to join Schwimmer's operation.Moved by the plight of Holocaust survivors and Jews trapped in Palestine, former U.S. Air Transport Command flight engineer Adolph Schwimmer masterminded a plan to assist the besieged Palestinian Jews. Schwimmer's group - made up of Jews and non-Jews - eluded the FBI, outsmarted the U.S. State Department and created fictitious airlines to help the Israeli army ward off attacks from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. A WING AND A PRAYER follows the twists and turns of this clandestine operation.
Director Boaz Dvir will be on hand for a Q and A following the screening. Boaz Dvir is an award-winning filmmaker and Penn State University journalism and film faculty member. His first documentary, "Jessie's Dad," won Best Documentary at the ITN Distribution Film & New Media Festival in Los Angeles and the CINE Special Jury Award.
Click here to see the trailer:
CONNECTION CORNER
Lori Sherry & Rose Valentine touring Old Town Bluffton, South Carolina. The Sherrys visited with the Valentines on their way to the Florida Keys.
LBI get-together with Elsa & Edd Dreyfus of the Florida west coast visiting Jackie & Paul Avondoglio & Maxine & Don Paris on the east coast of the state.
More JCC friends gathering in Florida: Marcia Nelson, Elsa Dreyfus, Edd Dreyfus, Natty Lapidus, Paul Avondoglio, Bob Lapidus, Lori Sherry, Mickey Sherry, Maxine Paris, Don Paris. Photo by Jackie Avondoglio
Wewould love to share photos of your "winter connection" with other congregation members. Snap a picture and mail it to [email protected] and with your permission we will publish it in the Shabbat Reminder. Please include some copy to as well.
MEMBERSHIP DUES
We are OVER 300 FAMILIES STRONG thanks the continued support of our members with their annual dues contributions.
Members should have received their 2016 Membership renewal notices in December. Our 2016 expenses have already begun so we would appreciate receiving your dues payments as quickly as possible. Your personal membership date sheet included in the mailing, should be sent, with any corrections, along with your check. If you haven't done so yet, please contribute to our annual High Holiday Appeal.
In order to keep our records correct, please indicate the amount of money being sentfor dues, name tags, High Holiday Appeal and/or Membership Directory ads.
Current renewal forms are available on our web site:MEMBERSHIP FORMS
NAME BADGES
If you did not order a name tag, we will be putting in another order. Here is the link for the form to order your name tag: BADGES
JCC INFORMATION
THE OFFICE IS LOCATED AT
2411 Long Beach Boulevard (24th Street)
Spray Beach, NJ 08008
ENTER THE BUILDING DURING OFFICE HOURS
THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR.
PRESS THE ENTRY BUTTON ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE FOR ADMITTANCE.
Mailing Address:
2411 Long Beach Blvd.
Spray Beach, NJ 08008
Telephone: 609-492-4090
FAX: 609-492-7550
email: [email protected]
web site: www.jccoflbi.org
OFFICE HOURS:
MONDAY 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
TUESDAY 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
WEDNESDAY 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
THURSDAY 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
FRIDAY - 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Of
