Message from President Tobie Reisler
Mishkan Ha'am - February News Feb. 2, 2009
Subject - Groundhog Day at Mishkan Ha'am ... and other things
Hello, Mishkan Ha'am family and friends.
Groundhog Day is NOT a Jewish holiday. In fact, I don't even know if groundhog meat is Kosher (ground hogmeat is decidedly not). However, there is a Steering Committee meeting on Groundhog Day, Monday, Feb. 2nd at 7:30 pm at Rosa Leader-Smith's. And that's only the tip of the hamhock:
Last chance for "Hair." Tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 2, is the last day to reserve seats and pay Rosa Leader-Smith for tickets to our fundraising theater party for "Hair," scheduled for Sunday afternoon, March 22. Over 30 people have reserved seats and there is still time if you email Rosa at rleadersmi@aol.com immediately and get her your check by Monday. Tickets are still available in all 3 categories, $100, $75.00 and $65.00 and $23.00 of each ticket goes to the benefit of Mishkan Ha'am. If you've reserved seats, and haven't mailed your check to Rosa, please do so right away.
Yiddish Book Center trip! Mark Sunday, April 19 on your calendar for our field trip to the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Ma. The center's mission is to "rescue Yiddish and other modern Jewish books and celebrate the culture they contain." For those with young kids, note that the museum is across the street is the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, which also will be open. Contact Marsha Heiman at marshway@optonline.net if you're interested; it's a 3 1/2 hour drive from New York--a full-day's outing--and she'd like a count of likely participants to gauge the need for a bus charter. For additional information, go to www.yiddishbookcenter.org and http://www.picturebookart.org.
Congratulations to Ellen Tattelman!
Mazel Tov to Ellen Tattelman, who has been selected as Mishkan Ha'am 2009 recipient of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation's Keruv award, to be given in New York City the evening of Thursday, April 2nd. This year, the theme of the award was "Inreach/Outreach." Here's a message from Sharon Kivowitz, representing the selection committee (composed of former award-winners):
After a much debated and not easy decision because of the wealth of wonderful and very-deserving candidates (boy are we blessed!), the committee that you appointed would like to nominate Ellen Tattelman as our nominee. It was Ellen and Joey's vision that made this incredible community happen. Ellen was the first recruiter, spreading the word about MH in Riverdale, Yonkers and the Rivertowns. I can attest to the amazing outreach job she did in the early years because of the numerous and long address lists she gave me when I was preparing the invitations for the gala. She is the idea generator and passion behind some of our most interesting, spiritual, and fun programs and activites, she served on the Education Committee for years and she stepped up to co-chair the Programming Committee this year. This is just a mere mention of the many, many things that we are grateful to Ellen for.
If you'd like to join Ellen and her family at the event, which will includes a full-scale production of the Broadway revival of West Side Story, pencil in the date of April 2. I'll have more details later about the cost of the event, and potential carpools.
Buy Passover candy and help She'arim/Gateways, MH's innovative approach to Hebrew School. Speaking of Ellen Tattelman, she is once again coordinating the children's candy drive. Last year the drive netted more than $1,000 for our school. This year, you have the opportunity to order from two different candy companies, and the choices are yummy! If you don't have access to a She'arim/Gateways student and would like to order, contact Ellen at etattelm@montefiore.org by Feb. 10.
Now, drumroll....What's happening this week?
Monday, Feb. 2, 7:30 pm: Steering Committee meeting at Rosa Leader-Smith's house in Yonkers. E-mail her at rleadersmi@aol.com for directions.
Thursday, Feb. 5, 7:30-9:30 pm: Beit Midrash, led by Rabbi Benjamin Weiner. This is the last date in our winter series. We will be taking a look at classical Jewish text--Talmud and Midrash--while continuing to explore themes of Jewish identity, and continuing to work in the hevruta and shiur model. In specific, Ben will be leading us in the study about Shabbat--how our sages have seen Shabbat and its practices. You're welcome to join even if you missed the last two sessions.
Friday, Feb. 6, 7:30 pm: Adult Kabbalat Shabbat, led by Rabbi Benjamin Weiner.
Saturday, Feb. 7: Environmental Saturday
9 am: Yoga, led by Lois Heitner in the Kripalu style. No prior experience necessary.
10 am-noon: Family Tu B'Shevat seder, led by Rabbi Benjamin Weiner. Join us for our unique take on "Jewish arbor day." This celebration of spring--which comes earlier in Israel--includes a snack of fruits, nuts and other goodies, and an appreciation of everything our earth provides. Open to all ages. Monica Rickenberg, the organizer, says anyone who'd like to come early to help set up--say, at 9:30 or so--is welcome. E-mail her at monicaian@aol.com with any questions.
7:30 pm: Havdallah and Talk: Climate Change and Jewish Values. After Havdallah led by Rabbi Benjamin Weiner, member and environmental lawyer Joe Siegel, will speak. Be prepared for a lively and timely conversation.
Sunday, Feb. 8, 11-2 pm: Tikkun Olam (Social Action) project: Serving lunch at the Yonkers Sharing Community. We need four servers, aged 12 and over. Contact Harriet Stein at hpstein1@aol.com if interested.
Upcoming events:
Adult Study Group: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7:30 pm at the home of Marian and Lenny Meyerson. Subject: The Book of Ezra. Suggested background (Wikipedia listings): Ezra, Jewish History (page 1-4), Cyrus the Great, Artaxerxes I, Second Temple. Contact Lenny at m4601@aol.com for directions.
Other items:
Attention knitters: Members of the MH knitting circle who are still working on scarves to give to the homeless can bring them to services next Friday night or Saturday morning (Feb. 6 and 7), so Monica Rickenberg can deliver them to Midnight Run. If you know you won't finish, keep working on your scrarf; we'll get it to Midnigh Run eventually.
Rabbi Host-a-Matic:
Lots of dates are still available to host Rabbi Ben for a vegetarian or Kosher meal. Go to http://www.doodle.com/participation.html?pollId=qewqissr47as484i and follow the directions.
Community notes:
Participate in a genetic study of cancer in Ashkenazi women. Wednesday, Feb. 4, 9:30-11:30 am: Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: The Next Generation of Genetic Discovery, at Temple Israel Center of White Plains, 280 Old Mamaroneck Road, White Plains. The program will include a Q&A with NYU Medical Center faculty member Harry Ostrer, MD. and the opportunity to participate in a genetic study involving breast and ovarian cancer in Ashkenazi women. To register or find out more information, contact Nancy Zaro at (914) 328-7001 or nancy@wjconference.org.
Israel-Gaza conversation. Sunday, Feb. 8, 2-4 pm: "A Night Journey: Israel and the Gaza," a community circle and conversation sponsored by the Fellowship for Reconciliation, 521 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY. Check the attachment for more information or e-mail Julie Weiner at jweiner123@optonline.net. (She's not an organizer, but plans to attend.)
Organic Kosher food: A group of families in Westchester is now working with KOL Foods (kolfoods.com) in Maryland to set up monthly deliveries of organic, sustainable, glatt Kosher meat. Steve Sagner of White Plains is the Westchester Coordinator. Interested? Contact him at stevo33484@yahoo.com.
Mishkan Ha'am would like to acknowledge, on behalf of the whole
congregation, receiving the following contributions:
In Memory of Carl Kisslinger
Sol Oberman
Susan and Jeff Adler
Sue Rudavsky
Faye and Meyer Lieman
Marian and Lenny Meyerson
The Saphra Family
Tobie Stanger and Jim Reisler
Have a good week,and I hope you see your shadow!
Tobie
Link to Preceding Newsletter
Please Note:
All services/programs, including Hebrew School, are held at the Reformed Church of Hastings, 18 Farragut Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, unless otherwise specified. Click for directions.
All services/programs, including Hebrew School, are held at the Reformed Church of Hastings, 18 Farragut Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, unless otherwise specified. Click for directions.