. . .
Soloway Blood Bank Drive
Sunday, December 18
9 AM - 12:30 PM
When you "deposit" in our "account" you and your family can "make withdrawals," AND you are helping your Temple "family" and community.The greatest gifts are health and life,so our Blood Bank is scheduled, for your convenience, on the day of ChanukahMania.Email
Marla Ostroff
atmarlahoicowitz@gmail.com or
Jamie Ostroff
atostroffj@gmail.com with your phone number and thetime you'd like to give.
Fun for the whole family!Crafts and Activitiesfor Preschoolers and older!
Two new exciting additions this year! We will be producing “Peace Poles”, to be used inour new outdoor classroom. Everyone whoattends will be asked to contribute a word of peace in one of the many world languages. Our wishes for peace are much stronger when we work together.Recycled Menorah contest ~ families or groups will work together to make a Menorah out of recycled items you bring with you. Start saving your recyclables for this fun event right now!Please bring in a brown bag filled with food itemsto be donated to the Interfaith Food Pantry. Thentake your brown bag and fill it with your artprojects. We are assisting others and being greenat the same time.
HappyChanukah
A specialway to give . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And to Enjoy
ChanukahMania!
Sunday, December 18
9 AM - 11:30 AM
NEVER TOO EARLYNEVER TOO EARLYNEVER TOO EARLYNEVER TOO EARLYNEVER TOO EARLYTO SHOP FOR CHANUKAH!TO SHOP FOR CHANUKAH!TO SHOP FOR CHANUKAH!TO SHOP FOR CHANUKAH!TO SHOP FOR CHANUKAH!
Visit the Women’s Connection Gift Shop whereyou’ll find the very best in gifts for the home, foryour children and grandchildren and maybea little something just for yourself . TheGift Shop is open on Tuesdays duringReligious School hours, during the onegshabbat on Fridays, and on Sundays andother days by appointment.
DECEMBER 2011/KISLEV-TEVET, 5772
Clergy
Rabbi Daniel M. Cohen, D.Min.Rabbi Ellie Lynn Miller, M.A.R.E.Rabbi Harvey S. Goldman, EmeritusRabbi Herbert Weiner, EmeritusCantor Theodore AronsonCantor Joan Finn
Lay Leadership
Jay Rice, PresidentRob Ozer, VPJules Nissim, VPSue Wishnow, VPMax Weisenfeld, VPLisa Tilton-Levine, VPDavid Leit, VPWendy Ferber, VPJeff DuBowy, TreasurerLynne Crawford, Secretary
Executive Director
Leslie Y. Sporn
School Directors
Carol Paster, PreschoolMindy Schreff, Religious School
Program Director
Tracy Horwitz, LSW
JFS Social Worker at TSTI
Beth Sandweiss, MA, MSW
Bulletin
Sunny SeglinPhone: 973-763-4116
MEMBER CONGREGATIONUNION FOR REFORM JUDAISM
Schedule of ServicesSchedule of ServicesSchedule of ServicesSchedule of ServicesSchedule of Services
2
Contact us at info@tstinj.orgVisit our website at www.tsti.orgPh: 973-763-4116 Fax: 973-763-3941
Friday, December 2
Vayetze
Women’s ConnectionShabbat Service, 7:30 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building
Saturday, December 3
Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet MidrashB’not Mitzvah of Lucy Reynal andEmelia Gertner 10:15 A.M.Bar Mitzvah of Jared Levi 10:30 A.M.
Friday, December 9
Vayishlach
Shabbat Service and Scholar,Jane S. Gerber, “The Impact of SephardicJews on the Contemporary Jewish World”,6:00 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building
Saturday, December 10
Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet MidrashBar Mitzvah of Claudia Steiner andMarc Steiner, 10:15 A.M.
Friday, December 16
Vayashev
Shabbat Service, 7:30 P.M.
Saturday, December 17
Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet Midrash
Friday, December 23
Miketz
Shabbat Service, 6:00 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building
Saturday, December 24
Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet Midrash
Friday, December 30
Vayigash
Shabbat Service, 6:00 P.M.Bass Sanctuary Building
Saturday, December 31
Minyan Service, 9:15 A.M.Gross Bet Midrash
Friday, January 6
Veyechi
Family Shabbat Service, “A Biblical Journey”6:00 P.M.Shabbat Service, 7:30 P.M.
(cont. from page 3)
iPads at temple we will be able to ensurethat all students will have access and wecan begin to implement this approach.Finally, the built-in camera on the iPadmeans that our students can be morecreative than ever in putting togetherlearning opportunities, demonstratingtheir knowledge, sharing their creativity.In addition, they will make it easier thanever to capture what takes place in ourcongregation on a daily basis.
Happy Chanukah!Light your first Chanukahcandle onTuesday, December 20(24 Kislev) in the evening.
On November 6,
we began an open conversation discussing innovative wayswe can create additional meaningful experiences here at TSTI. OnDecember 18 at 11:30 a.m., the conversation will continue and we wouldlove for you to join us. In addition to sharing specific programmatic ideas wewill examine the core values that make our congregation what it is andexplore how we might better share, enrich and deepen them.If you were not able to attend the first meeting we encourage you to attendthis one.
Rabbi Cohen, Rabbi Miller, President Jay Rice
Temple Innovations: A Think Tank You Can Join!
3
From theRabbi’s Study A Thoughtto Share
(cont. on page 2)
The snow that fell this October causedan unbelievable level of destruction.As I drove around, our local streetslooked more like the streets of a wartorn village than the beautiful colorful neighborhoods we expectat this time of year. I felt such a tremendous level of sadness forthe trees that were so broken and battered. Many of us were leftwithout power, experiencing a new level of cold. I know therewere some that stayed in their homes and braved the cold whileothers moved in with neighbors , family or friends whofortunately still had power and heat. I was impressed with thecare that people had for one another. Everyone was asking, “Are you okay?” “Is there anything you need?” “How can I help?”At the end of what was a very long week for many, my son Jack was the Shabbat child in his preschool class. As always it was apleasure to sit on the Bima with our preschool studentswelcoming Shabbat with story and song. In Jack’s classroom thechildren were seated waiting to say the Shabbat blessings whenthe teacher began to say, “We are so lucky today…” and a littleboy jumped in and shouted, “Because we have power!” All thekids agreed.This October, many of us experienced the discomfort of beingcold and or homeless for just a few days but far too many in ourcountry experience this everyday. As we prepare to go into thewinter holiday season we are lucky enough that we can be generous and give to those who have very little. If you havenew/unopened toiletry items, new or gently used toys, booksand clothing, and small household items in good conditionplease drop them off at temple from December 9-14. Theseitems will be taken to the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Orangesto be distributed prior to the start of the holidays.Another way that we can express appreciation and gratitude isto say blessings. For 8 nights of Chanukah we are able to take afew minutes to light the Chanukiah and say the blessings beforetearing into presents. On the first night we say 3 blessings, onefor lighting the candles, one for miracles and finally the
shehechiyanu
(for giving us life, sustaining us and enabling usto reach this season). On nights 2-8 we say only the first twoblessing. By saying the blessings it reminds us to take just alittle bit of time to be thankful. So here is a bit of a challenge-On the first night of Chanukah after lighting the candles have your family take a minute to answer the questions, “What are you grateful for and why?” and “What modern day miracles do you see in the world?” Then write a blessing of your own thatcan be included as part of your Chanukah tradition. I would loveto hear the blessings that you create.Dear FriendsI am thrilled to share with all of you thatThe Carvel Foundation has approved a grant of almost $20,000 which will allow TSTI to create a state-of-the-art technology lab filled with iMacs and iPads. Theobvious benefits will be felt by the students in our Iris Family Center for Early Childhood Education and the Linda and Rudy Slucker Religious School, but the impact will hopefully be feltcongregation-wide.For the past few years we have been urged to do more withtechnology in our school. Despite my love of technology, untilnow I believed it would be a distraction from our coreeducational goals rather than an enhancement to them.Two things have changed over the past months that now make itthe right time to pursue this educational enhancement. First, weare a beta site for a new Jewish online learning endeavor by Behrman House publishers. Second, because of the amazing work Rabbi Miller and the Religious School Board have done over thelast few years, as well as the transformative impact our new Religious School Director Mindy Schreff has already had, ourdays of organizational and communication strife within thereligious school are thankfully behind us.Our grant request was presented to the Thomas and Agnes CarvelFoundation Board of Directors this past summer and unanimously approved last month.I am excited about the possibilities that this grant affords us as acongregation, and I am excited to have the opportunity to be amodel for what other religious institutions can do withtechnology if they are similarly inclined.So what will this new technology lab enable us to do?First, the new Behrman House technology portal is something thathas the potential to transform Jewish education. While much of itwill be focused on what students do at home, there is an in-schoolcomponent. This lab makes this possible.Second, there is some excellent education material available forboth desktop and iPad environments and the purchase of saidsoftware is built into the grant. In addition, I have personally been working on an iPad-based tutorial software system forprayer preparation. Previously this would have excluded any student who did not have an iPad in their homes and wastherefore not acceptable for us to employ. Now that we will have
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