16
APRIL 2011 ADAR II / NISAN T H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F T E M P L E N E R T A M I D Topics Temple Mark Your Calendars Sunday, April 3 / 2 pm Community Concert and Reception with Cantor Linda Hirschhorn Wednesday, April 6 / 7:30 pm College Workshop with Marcia Kramer Friday, April 8 / 8 pm Guest Speakers Phyllis Berman and Marge Grayson Saturday, April 9 / 10:30 am Shalom Shabbat! Sunday, April 10 / 11:15 am Guest Speaker: Dr. Brigitte Sion Sunday, April 10 / 7 pm Rosh Chodesh Women’s Seder Monday, April 11 / 7:30 pm Substance Abuse Seminar with Larry Westreich Tuesday, April 12 / 12 pm Lunch With the Rabbi Monday, April 18 First Seder Tuesday, April 19 / 10 am Pesach Services in the Chapel Tuesday, April 19 / 6 pm Community 2nd Night Seder Saturday, September 23 / 10 am Learner’s Minyan Tuesday, April 26 / 10 am Yizkor Service in the Chapel Shabbat Services Erev Shabbat services every Friday at 8 pm except the last Friday of the month when services will be at 6:30 pm. Shabbat services every Saturday at 10 am. April 1 / 6 pm Tot Shabbat & Pot Luck Dinner April 9 / 10:30 am Shalom Shabbat! April 16 / 10 am Casual Minyan followed by Torah Tish April 29 / 6:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat The International Jew Having just purchased a pair of quite stylish Portuguese-made leather and canvas "deck shoes" in a Swiss department store where everyone speaks Italian, I was feeling particularly international. Lugano will do this to you. Dubbed the Swiss "Riviera", the juxtaposition of a palm tree lined lake with the snow-covered peaks of the Alps in the distance, its downtown shopping area is as renowned for its collection of high-end designer shops in storefronts dating to the Middle Ages as it is for the marble-mosaic floors that lead into those stores. "You're not in Kansas anymore" (or the Mall at Short Hills), said the voice in the back of my head. This became especially true as I emerged from the trendy department store into the crowded, outdoor, hot chestnut smelling plaza. Standing in a makeshift semi-circle were a dozen or so Moslems, completely indistinguishable from the other European shoppers save the women wearing their traditional head-scarves and a few of the men with their necks wrapped in Arab qafiyyas. But it was their placards that caught the attention of the sale-searching shoppers that afternoon in Lugano. Difendiamo I Diritti Umani, read one poster. Liberta al Popolo, above a photo of Muhamar Qaddafi; below his picture with his face crossed-out was the word Assassino. You didn't need to know Italian to get the message. The revolution in Libya had started a few days before. Suddenly the mystique of the shoes I carried in my shopping bag had been usurped. My eyes, my mind, my heart were captured by these men, women and children reminding us what is truly important in this world. Human Rights. Freedom from tyranny. No matter that I might have been unwelcome (Rabbi continued on page 8) STEVEN KUSHNER Rabbi

Temple - nertamid.org · Temple Mark Your Calendars Sunday, April 3 / 2 pm Community Concert and Reception with ... his picture with his face crossed-out was the word Assassino. You

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

A P R I L 2 0 1 1

A D A R I I / N I S A N

T H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F T E M P L E N E R T A M I D

Topics Temple

Mark Your Calendars

Sunday, April 3 / 2 pm Community Concert and Reception with Cantor Linda Hirschhorn

Wednesday, April 6 / 7:30 pm College Workshop with Marcia Kramer

Friday, April 8 / 8 pm Guest Speakers Phyllis Berman and Marge Grayson

Saturday, April 9 / 10:30 am Shalom Shabbat!

Sunday, April 10 / 11:15 am Guest Speaker: Dr. Brigitte Sion

Sunday, April 10 / 7 pm Rosh Chodesh Women’s Seder

Monday, April 11 / 7:30 pm Substance Abuse Seminar with Larry Westreich

Tuesday, April 12 / 12 pm Lunch With the Rabbi

Monday, April 18 First Seder

Tuesday, April 19 / 10 am Pesach Services in the Chapel

Tuesday, April 19 / 6 pm Community 2nd Night Seder

Saturday, September 23 / 10 am Learner’s Minyan

Tuesday, April 26 / 10 am Yizkor Service in the Chapel

Shabbat Services

Erev Shabbat services every Friday at 8 pm except the last Friday of the month when services will be at 6:30 pm. Shabbat services every Saturday at 10 am.

April 1 / 6 pm Tot Shabbat & Pot Luck Dinner

April 9 / 10:30 am Shalom Shabbat!

April 16 / 10 am Casual Minyan followed by Torah Tish

April 29 / 6:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat

The International Jew Having just purchased a pair of quite stylish Portuguese-made leather and canvas "deck shoes" in a Swiss department store where everyone speaks Italian, I was feeling particularly international. Lugano will do this to you. Dubbed the Swiss "Riviera", the juxtaposition of a palm tree lined lake with the snow-covered peaks of the Alps in the distance, its downtown shopping area is as renowned for its collection of high-end designer shops in storefronts dating to the Middle Ages as it is for the marble-mosaic floors that lead into those stores. "You're not in Kansas anymore" (or the Mall at Short Hills), said the voice in the back of my head. This became especially true as I emerged from the trendy department store into the crowded, outdoor, hot chestnut smelling plaza.

Standing in a makeshift semi-circle were a dozen or so Moslems, completely indistinguishable from the other European shoppers save the women wearing their traditional head-scarves and a few of the men with their necks wrapped in Arab qafiyyas. But it was their placards that caught the attention of the sale-searching shoppers that afternoon in Lugano. Difendiamo I Diritti Umani, read one poster. Liberta al Popolo, above a photo of Muhamar Qaddafi; below his picture with his face crossed-out was the word Assassino. You didn't need to know Italian to get the message. The revolution in Libya had started a few days before.

Suddenly the mystique of the shoes I carried in my shopping bag had been usurped. My eyes, my mind, my heart were captured by these men, women and children reminding us what is truly important in this world. Human Rights. Freedom from tyranny. No matter that I might have been unwelcome

(Rabbi continued on page 8)

STEVEN KUSHNER Rabbi

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 2

TEMPLE NER TAMID

936 Broad Street Bloomfield, New Jersey 07003 Tel: 973.338.1500 Fax: 973.338.4486 www.nertamid.org

a Reform synagogue serving Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and surrounding communities

Member URJ

RABBI Steven Kushner RABBI EMERITUS Stanley Skolnik CANTOR Meredith Greenberg ASSISTANT CANTOR Cathy Lawrence

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Iris Schwartz PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR Arlene Sherman SOCIAL WORKER Beth Berns YOUTH GROUP ADVISORS Jeff & Amy Kagan ACCOMPANIST / CHOIR DIRECTOR Edward Alstrom

PRESIDENT Nina Tucker

VP PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT Marjorie Grayson

VP FINANCE Andrew Dwyer VP MEMBERSHIP Barbara Nuddle VP RELIGIOUS LIVING Arlene Kraus

VP HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION Robert Hertzberg

VP EARLY CHILDHOOD Rochelle Sandler

TREASURER Andrea Robik

SECRETARY / DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION Deborah Gussoff

BROTHERHOOD PRESIDENT Stephen Rosen

YOUTH GROUP CO-PRESIDENTS Shaina Dorow Leah Gussoff

TEMPLE TOPICS EDITOR Laurie Schifano

NINA TUCKER President

It’s Our Members that Make the Difference I’m a big Law & Order fan, possibly a reflection of my need to believe that

there is justice in this world. I also just love to figure out “who done it”, or how it can be proven. Even when I was a kid I gravitated to cop shows. I recall watching reruns of The Naked City. It always ended with, “There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them.” Each episode was a police drama that focused on the individual stories of the criminals and victims. Good or bad each person has a story to tell.

As President I have had the opportunity to get to know many members better than I probably would have otherwise. People have stories to tell whether it’s at a new member gathering, insights from the parental charge at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, at a committee meeting, or even a shivah minyan. There are over 1200 stories at Ner Tamid and it reinforces for me what a wonderful congregation we have.

This year I’ve been reminded many times how our members shape who we are. In March we had a wonderful Havdalah Café with our home-grown talent. You really got to experience these members’ special talents. Then of course there was the Purimspiel only a couple of weeks ago. It was another great performance by many talented members. But it is also our members that drive what we do and what we are. I recently had the opportunity to talk to a potential new member about Ner Tamid. I described our egalitarian, soulful services and the variety of programs and services. Her response was “it sounds like a very welcoming community”. I really think we are, although there is always room to do more.

It’s thanks to you and what you bring to this congregation that makes us what we are.

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 3

MEREDITH GREENBERG Cantor

IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT AS I SIT HERE writing this article, we are approaching Shabbat Shemini, when we read the section of Torah where, in addition to Aharon HaKohen (Aaron the Priest) offering the first sacred korban/sacrifice on the altar, we also read this:

“Just before the priests are to be installed Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu offer ‘strange fire’ before God and die in the process.” Leviticus 9

Unlike other places in Torah where one person or a group is collectively destroyed through God’s wrath in direct response to their negative actions, Nadav and Avihu seem to be doing everything right. Up until this moment where the esh zarah (the Hebrew words we translate as strange fire) are offered, the sons of Aharon are falling in line with God’s plan and all is right with the world. Is it possible that their death, the ultimate punishment, was in some way a sign that God was using for the benefit of the rest of Israel?

Signs are coming in droves, with the upcoming Chag Shel Pesach (Passover holiday) just around the corner. The seder table and rituals within our hagaddah (literally the telling) are loaded with signs of miraculous magnitude and the most famous of all the signs are what we commonly refer to as the PLAGUES! Those ten signs are the ones, particularly at our seder table, that get us to shake our heads with knowing. We understand! To quote our Rabbi Kushner as he relates the words of his brother, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, God knows how to get Her message across loud and clear, “I’m God, You’re NOT.” Or does She?

“And you (the Israelites) shall know that I, the Lord, am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians...But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage.” Exodus 6:7-9

Dr. David Arnow asks in his article, ‘Signs, Wonders, and Faith: Or did the Plagues fail?’, “Do the Israelites come to know God through the plagues?” From the time of the first plague, dam/blood, through to the last plague, the death of the first born, not a single word is spoken in Torah from the mouths of the ones for whom these signs are designed and performed. The Israelites are essentially mute in the face of all this wonder. The only words that are spoken are complaints when the Israelites notice they are being chased by the Egyptian army. “Was it for want of graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness?” they ask Moses. Not until the completion of the last sign enacted against the Egyptians, the death of the Egyptian soldiers who are drowned in the sea as it closes behind the Israelites, do they finally sing praise to God.

It begs the question once again, was all of that really necessary? I mean, did it do the job anyway or does it ultimately fail? Do the Israelites learn lessons God was teaching through these sensational acts, and do we still need them even now? When do we really come to understand the impact God can and does make on our lives? Is it when a tsunami hits the shore and wipes thousands of people from life to death in a single stroke? For me, I am struck by the awesomeness of those times when the Earth and its creator appear. Earthquakes, tsunamis, death of one and death of many, birth of any. However, in the more quiet and intimate times when I, for whatever reason, am spiritually opened, and I allow God’s wonders and signs to touch my soul, whether tragic or joyful, I know God.

As we begin to prepare for the chag, in which we are all commanded to tell the story of the first redemption of our people, ask yourself if the signs in our lives when the Torah’s message is revealing itself to us, whether we need the plagues to make an impact. Can we learn without them? Can we start this new year of freedom with a fuller and more open heart and can we convince God, through our actions here on Earth, that we are ready to learn? Through maasim tovim and rachamim, acts of goodness and compassion, not war and plague, may we all know freedom and peace. Kein y’hi Ratzon, may this be God’s will.

Temple Community Seder April 19th 6:00 pm

Please join us on the second night of Passover for Temple Ner Tamid’s Community 2nd Night seder led by Rabbi Steven Kushner and Cantor Meredith Greenberg. There will be lively discussions and Cantor Meredith will conduct a special program for young children. Costs are $50 per adult; $25 per child in grade 2 through age 12; $10 per child in 1st grade and younger. Please look for the sign up flyer on page 9 in this Topics.

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 4

IRIS SCHWARTZ Director of Education

ONCE PURIM IS OVER it always seems to me like a quick slide to the summer. And, when I think of summer I think of summer camp. When our children were young Herb and I explored the possibility of sending them to Jewish day school. As a young couple with one income we couldn’t afford it. Wanting more of a Jewish experience for our children, the next best thing we thought would be to send them to a Jewish camp – which we also couldn’t afford. Today there are scholarships and other help available for campers through local federations like our MetroWest (see information following this article) but that was not the case when my children were small.

So there I sat on a porch at Camp Ramah in Nyack with the camp director Rabbi Albert Thaler hoping that I could trade my work for tuition. I brought my neatly printed resume expecting to become a teacher or program planner or something appropriate to my level of education and professional experience. Instead, never looking at the paper I brought, Rabbi Thaler said: “I need someone to answer the phones in the office,” to which I replied, “I don’t think that’s me.” “How about running a gardening program,” he asked. “I don’t see myself doing that either,” I replied. We chatted briefly. As I got up to leave he said, “Well, we do need someone to be in charge of the sports shed.” To his great surprise I turned quickly and responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!” That he didn’t even ask me if I knew how to play any sport gives you a clue about how he viewed sports and its status at camp. However, Rabbi Thaler got more than he bargained for. As an ex-jock, almost physical education teacher, and past softball coach I really did know my way around a baseball diamond and basketball court and after my 9 years as “rosh sports” Camp Ramah Nyack had a credible sports program. I still get nostalgic carrying a basketball under my arm!

All four of my children attended not only the Ramah Nyack day camp but the residential Ramah Berkshires camp until they were literally too old to be campers. Then they all returned as counselors and staff for many, many summers. Even now as a congregational rabbi, Ari spends at least a couple of weeks at Ramah Berkshires each summer. When we gather together, old camp stories and continuing relationships with camp friends are still favorite topics for our dinner table – even though my kids are now all adults. The connection to Camp Ramah will, I believe, be with my family forever. I’m certain that my grandchildren will be Ramah campers in just a few short

years. You see, that’s the beauty of Jewish camp. It is the kind of life-changing gift that we as parents can give our kids that has the potential to last forever.

I started to think about my family’s Ramah experience once again as I read the recent study on the long-term impact of Jewish overnight camp, “Camp Works,” by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The study concludes that those who have attended a Jewish camp are more Jewishly engaged as adults than those who did not. This study is the first statistical look at the effect of Jewish camping on individual as well as communal Jewish identity. The most pronounced increase in Jewish engagement is shown in four areas that are not typically associated with non-Orthodox Jewish behavior. Three of them are related to Jewish identity: 1) Camp alumni are 55% more likely than Jewish adults who did not attend camp to say they are “very emotionally attached to Israel.” 2) They are 45% more likely to attend synagogue at least once a month. 3) 30% more of them donate to Jewish federations.

As an indication of a certain level of Jewish commitment, the significance of these results cannot be over-emphasized. According to Steven Cohen, Director of the Berman Jewish Policy Archive at NYU Wagner, “Where camp has had its strongest effect has to do with its creation of an intense, temporary Jewish community.” The communal experience provided by Jewish camping imprints on the individual leading to “a greater propensity to view ones’ self within a larger Jewish social network in adulthood.”

In truth I didn’t always love working at camp. A basketball court or baseball diamond can be a pretty hot place to be in the broiling sun. Nevertheless, sending our kids to Camp Ramah was one of the smartest and most important things Herb and I ever did as parents. It was worth every sacrifice we had to make. Jewish camp though is not a panacea. Just as we can’t expect a synagogue school alone to make our kids into Jews, neither can we expect that kind of result after a single summer at a Jewish camp. But if on-going, these two experiences together combined with a supportive home environment will go a long way into creating the next generation of self-identifying committed Jews. The answer to how we keep kids Jewish is not mysterious. The answer, as sociologist Steven Cohen comes with “Strong Jewish homes, supplemented by intensive Jewish educational and

(Iris continued on page 6)

Friday, April 8 Grade 4 Pot Luck Shabbat Dinner

April 17 through 25 No School, Passover Break

Sunday, May 1 Yom HaShoah

Monday, May 9 Yom HaAtzmaut

Sunday, May 15 Honoring of Teachers & Madrichim Words of Wisdom Awards Brunch

Sunday, May 22 Mitzvah Day

Important Religious School Dates to Remember

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 5

ARLENE SHERMAN Shoresh Director

OH NO, THEY’VE EMPTIED AN ENTIRE aisle of shelves in the supermarket. That can only mean one thing—it’s time to panic because the shelves will soon be full of Passover foods. And sure enough, Passover foods appear. Should I buy them now or maybe they will go on sale (good luck with that one). For now, I just bypass that aisle and continue on my way.

I have such fond memories of Passover. Our family seders were wonderful and my Bubby made the best gefilte fish, matzah balls, and sponge cake you ever tasted. We enjoyed being with family and friends as we retold the story of Passover. Now that I’m responsible for making the Seders, I realize the time, effort and love that was put into the preparation of the seder meals. Hence, my panic when the Passover foods appear on the store shelves.

We are planning a Family Passover Celebration at Shoresh. Our celebration with family and friends is always a delight. We will tell the story, sing songs, eat some traditional Passover foods (which will include charoset made by the children) and bake our very own matzah. The children are learning about Passover in their classrooms through hands on activities, songs, art experiences and dramatic play. The children are creating seder plates, matzah trays, Elijah’s cup, and some are even making their very own haggadah. It is not easy to teach the Passover story to young children and we must always be sure that what we teach is age appropriate. We certainly do not want to scare them with all the plagues, so we focus on how the Jewish people had to work very hard and were very sad. They were not free to do the things that made them happy, but with the help of G-d and Moses they were able to leave Egypt and be free.

We wish everyone a Sweet and Happy Passover!

SHORESH IS NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATION FOR SCHOOL AND CAMP

Programs for 2’s, 3’s & 4’s Young Two’s Mommy & Me Summer Fun Camp – 8 weeks, 4 weeks or any weeks

in beween. Water play, arts and crafts, sports and games, nature, songs, stories and lots of outdoor play. Each week is a different theme. June 27th- August 19th

For more information, please call or e-mail Arlene Sherman 973-338-1500 x7 [email protected].

Prayerbook Fund Dedicate one of our new

prayer books in honor of a simcha or in memory of a loved one. The cost per

dedication is $36.

Remember Temple Ner Tamid in Your Will

Would you like to make a gift to the Temple that provides you or your loved ones with income for life while giving you an immediate tax deduction?

Temple Ner Tamid has established a Planned Giving subcommittee.

For information on planned giving, or to help with this important ef-fort, please call Mark Perwien at (973) 783-0142.

TREE OF LIFE

Leaves on the Tree of Life can be purchased to celebrate any simcha.

Commemorate any life-affirming event such as

Birth, B'nai Mitzvah, Confirmation, Marriage

or Anniversary.

Leaves cost $180

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 6

ADULT EDUCATION

Join Rabbi Kushner following Shabbat morning services on Saturday, April 16, immediately after Shabbat mornings services, for the monthly Torah Tish. This is your chance for more serious text study on the weekly torah portion in a relaxed atmosphere. Free and open to all.

On Sunday, April 10 at 11:30, Dr. Brigitte Sion, Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow, New York University, Religious Studies Program and Department of Journalism, will speak on the topic of “Passover and Easter Food, a Comparison”.

The Rosh Chodesh women’s group will get together on Sunday, April 10 at 7 pm for a Women’s Seder. Led by Cantor Meredith Greenberg, the event is always inspirational and informative.

socializing experiences.” More than 70,000 children and teens attended Jewish summer camp in 2010. Will your child be one of those lucky kids this summer? I hope so! Give the gift that keeps on giving to your child and family for generations to come – send your child to a Jewish summer camp.

One Happy Camper Information I am pleased to let you know that One Happy Camper NJ is here as a Jewish camping resource for you - if you are looking to fill a week, a month or full summer, they will help find the right camp match for your child. For FREE, personalized guidance, contact Tracy Levine by email [email protected] or call her at 973.929.2970. PLUS: $1,000 grants for new campers! Visit www.onehappycamperNJ.org

(Iris continued from page 4)

CHESED

Welcome to our new members of Temple Ner Tamid! The Chesed Com-mittee is a group of people who reach out to those in our community who are in need. Some of the activities we are involved with are visitations, driv-ing to the Temple for services, meals delivered due to surgery or illness, shiva visits and platters, sending cards to people who lost a loved one, or have been ill, or are going through difficult times. We try to be there for you, or for someone you know, when-ever there is a need.

If you need to get in touch with the Chesed Committee you can email S u s a n G o l d s t e i n a t [email protected] or call the Tem-ple office and they will contact us. If you want to become active on the committee, we welcome you to do so. We usually meet once a month at the Temple.

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 7

SENIORS

Co-Sponsored by Temple Ner Tamid and Dorothy Druian, in cooperation with the JCC MetroWest NJ and the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Division. Meetings are held at Temple Ner Tamid, 936 Broad Street, Bloomfield, on most Tuesdays, from 11am-2pm. Current events discussion and/or video aerobics start at 11:15 AM, followed by lunch (bring your own dairy lunch) and then our feature presentation.

Tuesday, April 5 – Meeting 11:15—Discussion group in library 11:15—Move Today Exercise in multipurpose room 12:00—Pizza luncheon (sign up in advance by calling Susan at 973-530-3447) 12:30— The Humdingers entertain with their unique singing and choreographed moves 1:00—Israeli Dancing with Randi Brokman

Thursday, April 7 – The Wills, Presidential Impersonators, perform Harry and Bess Truman at the JCC MetroWest, West Orange at 12:30 pm; free. Lunch available for $3 at 11:45 am; advance reservations required. Bus transportation from Temple Ner Tamid at 11 am for $12 per person.

Monday, April 11 – JCC Community Passover Seder at Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston. Cost $12 for JCC members; $20 for non-members. Bus transportation available from Temple Ner Tamid for additional $3.

Tuesday, April 12 - No Meeting

Wednesday, April 13 – Trip to Drew University to Holocaust lecture/film on the “Voyage of the St. Louis”. Bus pick up at 8:45 am. Cost $23 not including lunch.

Wednesday, April 13 – Trip to Mt. Airy Lodge Casino. $25 JCC members. Bus leaves from West Orange JCC at 9 am. Bus will stop at Bloomfield beforehand at 8:30 am if at least 5 people sign up for trip.

Tuesday, April 19 – No Meeting due to Passover

Tuesday, April 26 – No Meeting due to Passover

If you have any questions about membership or events, call Susan Galatz at the JCC at 973-530-3447.

NEW BRICK WALKWAY DOESN’T IT LOOK

GREAT? DON’T MISS BEING A

PART OF IT! We will be placing future brick orders over the course of the next year, so if you missed the summer installation, don’t feel left out. We still want each of our members to be a part of the new "Path of Peace" walkway leading to the Temple's main entrance this summer. You can order 4X8 bricks at $180 or 8X8 bricks at $360.

Questions? Contact Marge Grayson 973-744-2474 or

[email protected].

Thanks so much to all of you who have already participated!

Candle Lighting April 1 7:03

April 8 7:10

April 15 7:17

April 22 7:25

April 29 7:32

Phyllis Berman and Marge Grayson will reflect on their recent mission to the Jewish Community of Cuba, complete with pictures, following Erev Shabbat Services on Friday, April 8. Services will begin at 8 pm.

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 8

as a Jew and a Zionist in their political rally. My conscience said I belonged with them. I took pictures instead.

But I've thought a lot about them since returning from Europe last month. While I've wasted no time in showing off my stunning photos of Lake Lugano at sunset and the cloud covered Alps from my high-speed train window, it's the images of those Moslems holding their signs that keep calling out to me. Especially now, in this season of our freedom, as we prepare to re-tell the story of our liberation from the bondage of Egypt.

The International Jew, a multiple-volume anti-Semitic publication by Henry Ford and largely based on the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion, promulgated the accusation of a Jewish conspiracy for world domination. Well maybe there's some truth in it, just not the one its adherents intended.

Judaism is, indeed, rooted in a universalistic mission to transform the world, to be a "light unto the nations," to bring Torah's message that we are all created "in the image of God," that all God demands of us is "to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God." The landscape of Judaism is the world "and all the inhabitants thereof." "Remember the stranger," Torah implores us. The Ger. The outcast, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the outsider. "Because you were strangers in the land of Egypt." No text appears more often in Torah than these words. It is as close to a raison d'être as we have in Judaism. And it doesn't list any exceptions.

Twice in Exodus 23 Torah is blatantly clear that we are commanded to be

compassionate, even to those we regard as enemy. In verse 4 we are taught that if the animal of our enemy goes astray and we find it, we must return it to him. And in the next verse, even more to the point, Torah says: "If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving it with him, you shall help him to lift it up." Forget his being your enemy, your adversary; even if he hates you, you are commanded to help him. Doing the right thing knows no limitation.

How much the more so, then, when we are talking about freedom, as primary and sacrosanct a value as any we know in Judaism. Indeed, it is the central theme of Passover. Put another way, if we feel hard-pressed in the course of our Seder table-talk to include Egyptians, Libyans, even Palestinians in our prayers and hopes for independence and freedom, then what's the point? Do we think Pesach is just about remembering? Do we think Pesach is just about Jews? If so, we might as well just cut right to the meal.

I appreciate how difficult this will be for us, especially right now. The images of the horrific murders in Itamar last month still hang in our mind's eye. As does the bus stop bombing in Jerusalem. And again the rockets fall out of the sky from Gaza. Like so many of you, I am profoundly

burdened by the perpetual siege of our people. But just as we admonish those who castigate the many for the acts of a few, so we must be careful not to generalize our pain and the anger it engenders onto all Moslems and Arabs. We pray for freedom for all peoples. And we pray that they use their freedoms responsibly and with compassion.

To be sure, there are no guarantees where that freedom will lead. Perhaps it will open the door for Israel's more vitriolic enemies to fill the void and seize control. This is a very real possibility. But can we support demagoguery? Can we justify oppressive regimes because they keep Israel's enemies at bay? The truth be told, if Israel and the Middle East (and the entire world for that matter) are to have any hope for peace, real peace, a peace that is lasting and true, then freedom must be its midwife. It has always been this way. It always will. That is why we celebrate freedom every year at the onset of spring. This is our season of hope. This is why we exist as a people. Which is to say, we don't eat matzah for the taste.

(Continued from page 1)

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 9

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 10

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

Mark your calendars and save the date: Saturday evening, May 14, 2011 is our annual gala Celebrate TNT. We will be honoring our U.S. Military Veterans this year. We want information on all of our vets—from Ner Tamid, B’nai Zion, Temple Menorah, and Beth Sholom Reform Temple (living and dead), as well as anyone currently serving. You can honor our vets by giving us information, photos or memorabilia for a presentation, by placing an ad in our Ad Journal—ones with photos of your own veteran would be especially great!

In addition to the Ad Journal, the evening will include a Silent Auction. As always, any donations you can make—items, services, gift certificates will be greatly appreciated and well-displayed.

Food will be plentiful, so be sure to plan on attending a wonderful evening. If you want to help in any capacity, please contact me.

Of course, all of our other opportunities to assist our congregation continue: Please consider engaging in the Chiddur Mitzvah—the act of helping to beautify our building by commemorating loved ones, whether with us physically or only in our hearts, our own families and special events. The Tree of Life in the hallway at the front

of the building gives you the opportunity to commemorate simchas or joyous events. Our modern new Yahrzeit Boards in the sanctuary allow you to commemorate those who have gone before. If you want a memorial plaque, please see Laurie.

New brick orders are still coming in. Be a part of our new Pathway to Peace leading to our main entrance. New bricks will be installed as the weather settles down.

If you are interested in our new Matan B’Seter Fund to support Religious School tuition for families who are unable to make such payments, please contact Andy Dwyer or Nina Tucker for this opportunity to reach one of the highest levels of tzedakah—an anonymous donation to a recipient who will not know you.

If you have any ideas for planning & development, want to help with any event, or are interested in joining our Covenant Circle—always an outstanding way to support our congregation, please contact me. Thanks for helping to make TNT a going concern! And of course, donations of any kind and amount are always greatly appreciated.

Marge Grayson [email protected] 973-744-2474

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 11

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 12

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 13

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 14

Ree and Dick Adler in memory of Rose Katowitz

Elaine Alpern in memory of Ethel Kirshbaum

Lisa Wasser-Berlin and Michael Berlin in memory of Lillian Gushin and Mitch Perlmeter

Phyllis Berman in honor of Jennie Grayson's Gates Scholarship

Leslie and Arnold Block in memory of Lillian Weinstock and Manus Coen

Rosanne and Ira Bornstein in memory of Elinor Neifeld

Barbara Brooks in memory of Marilyn Sandler

Cary Chevat in memory of Isidore Chevat

Shirley Cobert in memory of Lillian Gushin

Dorothy Druian in memory of Louis Druian

Marilyn and Jerry Ellis in memory of Mitch Perlmeter

Mary Knowles and Stephen Feldberg in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Bonnie Feldberg

Robert Fields in memory of William Fields

Deborah Friedman in memory of Louis Silber

Martha Fritz in memory of Elinor Neifeld

Paula Gash in memory of Lewis Gash

Arlene Goldstein in memory of Dora Sherman, Mary Weissman and Renee Zeisel

Marge and Paul Grayson speedy recovery wishes to Steve Rosen, Anne Laurent & Martha Fritz; in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Anolik and the mar-riage of Jeri Isaacson and Michael Quiat; in memory of Lillian Gushin and Morton Stagoff

Charlotte Greenstein in memory of Louis Druian

Marilyn and Robert Hilowitz in memory of Abraham Hendler and Lillian Gushin

Diane Horowitz in memory of Alfred Ascione

Jill and Alan Johnson in memory of Morton Stagoff

Cindy Kaplan Rooney in memory of Sylvia Kaplan

Paula Kaufmann in memory of Bill Kaufmann

Claire and Stan Keyles in memory of Lillian Gushin

David Klein in memory of Tessie Klein

Elliot Lainof in memory of Joseph Lainof

Steven Lee in memory of Annette Lee

Helen Mackler in memory of Alfred Mackler

Deborah Miller in memory of Lewis Gash

Barbara Minwalla in memory of Rose Yam

Maxine Schlyen in memory of Henry Schlyen

Seniors Group of Temple Ner Tamid in honor of the Chesed Committee

Neil Shyman in memory of Belle Shyman

Jonathan Simon in memory of Sophie Simon

Debra Simon in memory of Frieda Simon

Karen Spindel in memory of Philip Spindel

Evelyn Stier in memory of Pauline Shapiro

Crystal Van Horn in memory of Irving Wellington

Betty Ward in memory of Mae and Morris Rubin

Florence Weinstock in memory of Minna Weinstock

Tamar Weiss in memory of Louis Weiss

Ceil Zeisel in memory of Jacob Marcus, Bruce Meknes, Renee Zeisel and Steve Zeisel

Contributions to the Synagogue

WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR MEMBERS, RELATIVES AND FRIENDS

TEMPLE TOPICS / PAGE 15

hcrcl Mnurcz THEIR MEMORIES ARE A BLESSING

Gladys Schwartz Aunt of Eric Levin Donald Korn Cousin of Lisa Korn

In Loving Memory

Shabbat – April 1

Anne F. Abrams Kenton Benedict Murray Gottesman Joseph Hammer Myron Hollander Fannie Malick Sylvia Pimes Barbara Raphael Maurice Rich Alma L. Rose Minnie Sherman Berl Sondak Caroline Weikersheimer Julia G. Yasen Steven Zeisel

Shabbat – April 8

Henry H. Abrams Max Adelman Sani Haim Daniels Thelma Eisenberg Lake Epstein Irving Fishbein Thomas Fitzgerald Bess Forim Dora Forim Yetta Freedman Herman Gutman William Heimowitz Louis Hirsch Raisa Kalmeyer Leo Katz Nathan Kirsch Morris Korn Selma Kowal Martha Lazar Leon Levoff Rebecca Marcus William Marks Frieda Meinhard Martha Newman Lottie Nyman Benjamin Opatut Erna Reisner Saul Ring

Lydia Salkin Antonia Schubert Sam Sherman Charles Singman Morris Spitzer Lillian Stein Mary Stolzberg William Tilkin Maurice Weiser Samson Wiener Isaac Zimerspitz

Shabbat – April 15

Louis Abramson Hjalmer Anderson Gloria Bell Bella Bussin Jacob Cohen Elizabeth Dicks Norman Eatroff Moishe Ehrlich Sam Feingold Louis Finkelstein Jack Guest Abraham Gussoff Rose Halpern Sylvia Harrison Morris Hasson Mark Hoffman Max Abraham Kahn Rebecca Katz Sadie Katz Leo Kolinski Harry Lawrence Charles Levin Joseph Marlon Anne Meyer Razel Mishonek Samuel E. Myers Francis Oxman Samuel Paur Fred Warren Phelps Manuela Rabinovich Israel Richmond Muriel Rifkin Dora Sax Sylvia Schlager

Jerome Silver Esther Skolnik Dorothy Sugarman Carol Thaler David Weingast Samuel Weisstein Kermit Wellner Morris W. Wien Sandra Ruth Zeff Samuel Zelikman Blanche Ziman

Shabbat – April 22

Clarice Abrams Strasser Sidney Ackerman, Jr. Morris Becker Herman Brown Rosa Cohen Abraham Duboff Fanchon Gattel Clara Gross Hyman Hammer Louis Hershkowitz Martha Heumann Harry Kahaner Milton Keyles Barbara Kivitz Louis Kleinman Samuel Kosak Herbert Kramer Leonard Lessing Louis Liebling June Linn Abraham Maltenfort Benjamin J. Meyer Louise Nazare Anne Polin Charles Reisner Esther Rochlin Albert Rothfeld Samuel Schlyen Leo Schneider Frances Simkowsky Joseph Singman Hyman Small Samuel Solomon Sarah Spiller

Moritz Spitz Rose Stelzer Helen Tucker Max Vogel Helen Weinstein Barbara Weiser Sarah Zeisel

Shabbat - April 29

Alice Anderson Rita Applebaum Blanche Bernstein Ethel Bock Abraham Clayman Mona Coen Samuel Cohn Louis Cole Arthur Eisenberg Adele Elman Eva Girsh Ted Goldberg Perry Goldstein Martha Henley Sydney Horowitz Joseph Jacobs Elinor Kaplan Mollie Kaplan Samuel W. Kaplan Rosalyn Doris Karas Herz Ketzlach Philip Kirschner Julius Krulewitz Bertha C. Kurzman Anita Rose Lanzo Yetta Mandelkern David Marion Toby Milden Heinz B Ostheimer Harry Rabinowitz Benjamin Rich Joseph J. Ruffalo Shirley Sherman Carol Spencer Benjamin Stadtmauer Carole Thalea Freida Tilkin Irwin Weintraub Aaron Ziv

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID BLOOMFIELD, N J

PERMIT NO. 8

TEMPLE NER TAMID 936 Broad Street Bloomfield, New Jersey 07003

B’nai Mitzvah

April 2 Caleb Resnick

April 9 Will Axelrod

April 16 Rachel Alfieri

April 30 Alexander Baum