TSTI Bulletin October 09

Celebrate Simchat Torahand the Creation of our New TorahFriday, October 9 at 7:30 P.M.

You can have a synagogue without a building (or one underconstruction). You can have a congregation without a rabbi(but who would want that??) You cannot, however, have atemple without a Torah.

(cont.on page 15)

For three millennia the Torah has kept our people alive andvibrant. How ideal that we will officially kick off the L’dorVador Torah Project on Simchat Torah, the holiday that isdefined as “rejoicing in the Torah” and celebrates thecompletion of the annual reading of the Five Books of Moses. During the service the concluding section of Deuteronomy is sung, and immediately following, theopening section of Genesis, or

B’reishit

is chanted. Thewriting of a new Torah is a year-long journey, a step-by-step process that in itself is an act of

B’reishit

creation. Tolearn more about the L’dor Vador Torah Project, visitwww.tsti.org/torahprojectThe entire congregation – including children – are invitedto Simchat Torah festivities on Friday evening, October 9,2009 at 7:30pm. Together we will celebrate our devotion tothe Torah and our pride in being Jewish. We will also mark the significant milestone of beginning a

new

Torah, andwelcome a once in a Jewish lifetime experience.

Please Join Us to HonorPlease Join Us to HonorPlease Join Us to HonorPlease Join Us to HonorPlease Join Us to Honor

Rabbi Ellie MillerRabbi Ellie MillerRabbi Ellie MillerRabbi Ellie MillerRabbi Ellie Miller

Celebrating 10 Years in the Rabbinate at TSTICelebrating 10 Years in the Rabbinate at TSTICelebrating 10 Years in the Rabbinate at TSTICelebrating 10 Years in the Rabbinate at TSTICelebrating 10 Years in the Rabbinate at TSTI

Friday, October 30th 7:30 P.M.Friday, October 30th 7:30 P.M.Friday, October 30th 7:30 P.M.Friday, October 30th 7:30 P.M.Friday, October 30th 7:30 P.M.

A Festive Oneg Shabbat Follows Services

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Clergy

Rabbi Daniel M. Cohen, D.Min.Rabbi Ellie Lynn MillerRabbi Harvey S. Goldman, EmeritusRabbi Herbert Weiner, EmeritusCantor Theodore AronsonJoan Finn, Cantorial Soloist

Lay Leadership

Hope Pomerantz, PresidentGail Barry, VPAdam Leight, VPJay Rice, VPArlene Gordon, VPRobert Ozer, VPPaula Lieber, VPDebbie Bernstein, VPJesse Bayer, TreasurerBreena Fishback, Secretary

Executive Director

Leslie Sporn

School Directors

Carol Paster, PreschoolPia Kutten, Religious School

Program Director

Tracy Horwitz, LSW

Bulletin

Sunny Seglin

MEMBER CONGREGATIONUNION FOR REFORM JUDAISMContact us at info@tstinj.orgVisit our website at www.tsti.orgPh: 973-763-4116 Fax: 973-763-3941

Schedule of ServicesSchedule of ServicesSchedule of ServicesSchedule of ServicesSchedule of Services

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES

OCTOBER 26:19 P.MOCTOBER 96:08 P.M.OCTOBER 165:57 P.M.OCTOBER 235:47 P.M.OCTOBER 305:37 p.m.

Thursday, October 1SUKKAH DECORATING6:00pm-7:30pm

Enjoy a light dessert as we decorate ourSukkah as a Temple community. Makedecorations, hang signs, place the gourdsand pumpkins to create a beautifulSukkah for everyone to enjoy. End theevening by shaking the lulav, smellingthe etrog and learning the blessings of Sukkot.

Friday, October 2

Erev Sukkot

Shabbat Service and Installation of Officers and Trustees, 7:30 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building

Saturday, October 3

Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet MidrashB’not Mitzvah of Madeline Reichman andZoe Filzer, 10:15 A.M.Bat Mitzvah of Ali Cohen, 10:30 A.M.

Friday, October 9

Yizkor Service and Lunch of Remembrance, 10:30 A.M.Gross Bet Midrash

Shemini Atzeret

Shabbat Service/Simchat Torah and Torah Project Introduction, 7:30 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building

Saturday, October 10

Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet MidrashB’nai Mitzvah of Harrison Angoff,Andrew Patterson and Jonah Williams,10:15 A.M.Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Geller, 10:30 A.M.

Friday, October 16

Bereshit, Genesis 1-6.8

Shabbat Service, 7:30 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building

Saturday, October 17

Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet MidrashB’nai Mitzvah of Cassidy Guerin,Brooke Moskowitz and Nathaniel Wolf,10:15 A.M.Bar Mitzvah of David Butcher, 10:30 A.M.

Friday, October 23

Noach, Genesis 6.9-11.32

Shabbat Service with Mayor Cory Booker,6:00 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building

Saturday, October 24

Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet MidrashB’nai Mitzvah of Margot Radding and Tobias Simon, 10:15 A.M.Bar Mitzvah of Garrett Brand, 10:30 A.M.

Friday, October 30

Lech-Lecha, Genesis 12-17.27

Shabbat Service with Noah Aronson,7:30 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building

Saturday, October 31

Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet MidrashB’not Mitzvah of Hannah Kaplan andAnnie Liebes, 10:15 A.M.Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Kessler, 10:30 A.M.

COME DECORATE THE SUKKAH Thursday, October 1 6-7:30 P.M.

Enjoy a light dessert as we decorate our Sukkah as a Temple community. Make decorations,hang banners, place the gourds and pumpkins to create a beautiful sukkah for everyone to enjoy.End the evening by shaking the lulav, smelling the etrog and learning the blessings of Sukkot.

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From the Rabbi’s Study

A few weeks ago I traveled to Washington, DC where Ihad the honor of celebrating Rabbi Noah Fabricant’sinstallation as a rabbi of Washington Hebrew Congregation. Rabbi Fabricant is the son of JeriWarhaftig and Neil Fabricant and grandson of LoriWarhaftig, all of whom are long-time members of TSTI.Rabbi Fabricant became Bar Mitzvah and wasConfirmed on our bimah. He was a thoughtful andproactive leader of STISY, our senior youth group. As a young adult, he showed interest in every aspect of temple. Rabbi Fabricant created the original layout forthe Yom Kippur Afternoon Service we now share each year. In other words, he was, and is, everything we hopeone of our TSTI young people will be — aknowledgeable, committed Jew who actively takes partin the Reform Jewish Community.As I wrote the words I shared with Rabbi Fabricant andall who gathered to celebrate him, I was struck by onecentral thought — while he IS a product of our Lindaand Rudy Slucker Religious School, his core commitmentto Judaism, his love of study and his on-going drive toperform

tikkun olam

did not come from Temple. Itcame from home. Rabbi Fabricant grew up in ahousehold that has always been committed to Jewishlearning and life. It is a home in which the act of questioning our tradition, challenging our religiousassumptions and then taking the time to study and searchfor answers, is paramount. Such an environment allowedRabbi Fabricant to learn and grow, becoming anessential link in our on-going chain of tradition. TSTIwas, fortunately, part of that process but it was not THEREASON for it.When Rabbi Fabricant spoke (brilliantly I might add) heshared a number of memories about growing up at TSTI.As he shared each one, I was reminded that Jewishcommitment isn’t created with broad brushstrokes.Rather, it is created one memory at a time and it is eachof those memories, one linked to the next, that creates acommitted Jewish life. (And not just for those whochoose to enter the rabbinate.) But those memories areonly created if we ensure that our young people arehere at Temple to experience them.Put more generally, a synagogue (be it ours or another)does not CREATE Jewish commitment. It does not make Jews. That happens at home. Our many educationalopportunities, be it in our Linda and Rudy SluckerReligious School, Iris Family Center for Early ChildhoodEducation or our Adult Education Program, offer a greatdeal. They provide numerous opportunities for learning, growth and community. But they are not the startingpoint for that process nor even the most important partof that process. Each of our homes bear thatresponsibility and synagogues, at best, are partners in theprocess. And when we work together as partners, we willproudly be able to say that, together, we have helpedensure a bright Jewish future.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen