Volume III Nisan/Iyyar 5780 / April 2020 No. 24
Rabbi's Message: The New Normal (for Now) As I think back to when I wrote the message for last month’s Voice of Truth, I could not have imagined how different things would be when I sat down to write for this month. I think many of us share the feeling of how surreal all of this is — how quickly our way of life has changed. We hope and believe that some semblance of normalcy will return, but we have no way of knowing when, or what will remain altered. Here is something that we may be more feeling more acutely than we did before: We are all connected. Not just Jews, but everyone, around the world. COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, doesn’t care about race, class, borders, or nationality. None of us are immune, and all of us are vulnerable. We have a sense that those over 70 (or maybe 60) years old and those whose immune systems are compromised are more vulnerable to have severe symptoms if infected, but we are not completely sure. This is so new that there is much that we don’t know. What we are told by experts, and the best information we have, is that for now we need to stay home as much as possible, minimize contact with other people, and go out only when it is absolutely necessary—for groceries, as rarely as possible, and for medical needs like a pharmacy or doctor. This feels so strange, and what I was hearing a lot a couple of weeks ago, and also feeling myself, was, “But I don’t want to do that!” “I don’t want to stay home!” “I don’t want to cancel my event!” This is an entirely normal reaction. Of course we don’t want to refrain from seeing each other in person. Of course we don’t want to change the way of doing things that we love, that are an integral part of our lives. This is not trivial. But even though it is completely surreal, and we may not know anyone (yet) who is terribly ill from COVID-19, and the hospitals that are close to being overwhelmed with serious cases are not overwhelmed yet, it actually is a matter of life and death that we keep separate from each other even though it’s hard to grasp it in a visceral sense. Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav said, “Kol ha-olam kulo gesher tsar m’od, v’ha-ikar lo l’fached clal.” “All the world is but a narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to be afraid at all.” This has been a guide for me for years. I understand it to mean that the world is terrifying—a narrow bridge that we each must navigate. And what is important is not that we are not afraid—who could be unafraid?—but that we don’t allow the fear to paralyze us. So in this time of COVID-19, we might be afraid, but we behave with bravery. We take the responsible actions of staying home as much as possible, going out briefly when we must and taking precautions, checking on those we know who are vulnerable because of age or underlying conditions. At B’ShERT, we have suspended all in-person contact. Services and meetings are online. You can find links on our website at bshert.org. Please reach out if you want to talk or have any needs that B’ShERT could meet. I look forward to connecting with you virtually soon, and seeing you (and hugging you, if that is something that works for you) when all this has passed. Rabbi Heidi Hoover
voice of truth
President's Message: Staying Connected As the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the past few weeks have been difficult and scary for many of us. These are uncertain times as our usual routines have been disrupted. This includes everything that happens at B’ShERT. We very quickly switched our Shabbat services, Religious School, meetings and other activities from in-person to virtual. I would like to thank Rabbi Hoover and Rabbi Pinsky for their phenomenal work to make this a reality. They have accepted this challenge to explore how to best provide our spiritual, intellectual and communal needs virtually. Fortunately, thanks to Mike Rose, we had already been streaming our services online. His expertise has been instrumental in updating our website so that we can simply click on links to reach the online services, meetings and other activities. Also, he has been ready to help anyone that is having difficulty with these new ways of connecting with each other. We must extend a huge thank-you to Mike for all he has done for us to remain connected virtually during this crisis. Like our ancestors after leaving Egypt, we are learning how to live a life different from anything we have ever experienced before. In terms of our Temple activities, many of you are learning how to attend services, meetings and classes online. We are learning new ways to keep connected that will benefit us in the future. When life gets back to normal, we will be able to set up our meetings, discussions, lectures and classes so that those that cannot physically attend can participate virtually. Rather than canceling services during a severe snow storm, for instance, we will be able to put the service online. As a result, we will become a stronger and more connected community. While many of us face uncertain days ahead, let’s pray that this crisis will come to an end soon so that we can say goodbye to the physical social distancing we are now practicing. This Passover, our seders will be different than any many of us have ever experienced. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we will not be with our extended families or friends. Rabbi Hoover is looking into how we as a community can have a virtual seder. This would be a wonderful silver lining to this most difficult time. On Saturday, April 25, Rose Brown will be becoming a bat mitzvah at B'ShERT. As of now, we have postponed in-person Shabbat services only through the end of Passover. However, as I write my message, it’s very likely that we will need to extend that decision. Should the in-person service be postponed, Rose will still have her bat mitzvah in our sanctuary and I encourage all of us to be with her virtually by watching the service online. Finally, traditionally this time of year is difficult for our congregation financially as payment of outstanding dues and fees tend to slow down. I know that due to the COVID-19 crisis many of you are facing financial difficulties and uncertainties. However, if you that have outstanding dues and fees and have the ability to pay, please do soon sooner rather than later. It would be greatly appreciated and would help us to avoid borrowing from other funds. I wish all my B’ShERT family a Happy Pesach and may we continue to stay in touch during these difficult and unusual times. B'Shalom, EricPlatt President, B'ShERT
Reminder: Friday night (8 pm) and Shabbat morning (11 am) services are always lined/available on the bshert.org/services/live page of our website. If you have questions about streaming or have difficulty watching/finding the streams, email Mike Rose at tech@bshert.org.
B'ShERT Bio: Amy Rhodes Froelich BEGINNINGS: I was born in Aspen, CO a month before I was expected while my parents were participating in the Aspen Music Festival. I had yellow jaundice and had to be helicoptered to Denver when I was three days old in order to get two full blood transfusions. Thankfully, all worked out. I lived in NYC on the upper west side for the first two years of life and then moved to Englewood, NJ where I lived in the same house until I moved out to go to college. BACKGROUND: My father is a Jewish New Yorker from Rosedale, Queens. My mother is Japanese and moved to America when she was 18 on a Fulbright Scholarship to study at The Juilliard School. They met at a chamber music festival in Marlboro, VT in the summer of 1966 and married two years later. Although my mother never officially converted to Judaism, I was brought up Jewish, going to Temple Sinai, a reform congregation in Tenafly, NJ where I became a Bat Mitzvah and also went on to Confirmation. My mother likes to call herself (and by extension my sister and me) Jewpanese. PROFESSION: I work at Carnegie Hall and have been there for almost 17 seasons. My parents and sister are all professional string players, focusing on chamber music and teaching. I run a fellowship program for top level young professional classical musicians who are passionate and curious about integrating education, community engagement, advocacy, and entrepreneurship into their performing lives — a program that combines the values of chamber music and mentorship that I grew up with. FAMILY LIFE: My husband Dan and I will be married 20 years in June. We have two beautiful children. Evan is 13 and became a bar mitzvah at B'ShERT this past November and Lia is almost 11. Dan and I have lived in NYC since 1996 and in Brooklyn since 2006. We have been members of B'ShERT for about six years. WHY B'ShERT: I had searched for a congregation on and off ever since moving to NYC and didn't find one until we joined B'ShERT. Being of mixed background, it was important to me to find a place where I could feel comfortable and not have to feel defensive and also to find a place where my children could find and explore their Jewish identity. I feel incredibly lucky to have found B'ShERT, a real community that accepts people as they are, and I love that music is such an important part of the Saturday morning service. I joined the Board of Trustees in September and am honored to be involved in that way. FUN FACTS: Dan and I met on our first day of Orientation at the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. I am not fluent in Japanese but when I visit my family there, I can communicate enough to get around. I enjoy listening to a broad range of music from Beethoven String Quartets to 80's top 40. Potato chips and fries are my weakness. (Photo courtesy of Amy Rhodes Froelich)
Dan, Evan, Lia and Amy
Photo by Robin Bass
Report from Women of B'ShERT, A Sisterhood Organization
And the Raffle Basket Winners Are...
Photo by Karen Eichel
Manny & Fran Arnowitz
Photos by Fran Silverman
2020: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The year 2020 started out great for your Brotherhood affiliate and our Temple with a wonderful indoor picnic, a delicious Brotherhood bagel breakfast and meeting, some fantastic bar and bat mitzvahs and a fabulous Purim Megillah reading and Purim Spiel. Then our Temple, like much of the U.S. and the world, was shut down by a terrible and scary virus. Thank you, Rabbi Hoover and Rabbi Pinsky, for your tremendous effort to keep us involved with Shabbat services and your support in these difficult times. Mike Rose, your technical knowledge is amazing. Brotherhood had some interesting programs set for the rest of the year, which can always be made up at a later date. I am sure Alan Zarrow and Ron Schweiger are practicing their fantastic lectures. We can always have a Brotherhood breakfast at the Mirage in the foreseeable future. Hopefully, by the end of June we can have the Brotherhood outdoor picnic. We also have tickets for the Brooklyn Cyclones Jewish Heritage Day at the end of August, which hopefully we can attend. The main thing is we pray for good health for everyone. Stay in touch with each other, especially the elderly and those living alone. Congratulations to Adrienne Knoll on your well-deserved honor of being the Temple honoree at the June luncheon. [Ed. note: Thanks!] I pray we are all able to celebrate this wonderful occasion on time. I hope by the time I write the May Brotherhood column the coronavirus is a thing of the past. Please stay well. Joel Moss and Brotherhood of B'ShERT
As I write this, all meetings and functions at the Temple are postponed. Our wonderful 7th Night Dessert Seder is one of the casualties of coronavirus. We hope that by May, things will return to normal and we will be able to celebrate the women’s Shabbat Service on Friday, May 8th. We also hope that on May 9th, Alan Zarrow will be able to speak at our Shabbat morning brunch on the topic of West Point. Our prayers are for everyone’s health. May we meet again soon. Sara Meyer West, Charlotte Russell and Mona Goldberg, Women of B’ShERT
Thank you to everyone who purchased raffles for our drawing at our Purim Shpiel. The big winners of our raffle baskets were (pictured) Ellyn Rothstein and (not pictured) Richard Miller, Robin Bass and Sally Moses. I know we all look forward to gathering in person again for Temple events. We're always looking for donations of new, unused items for future raffle baskets. If you have an item to donate, please contact Karen Eichel of B'ShERT's Fundraising Committee at bawn2shop@aol.com. Thanks! Karen Eichel Fundraising Committee
News From B'ShERT Brotherhood
Purim 5780 at B'ShERT!
Our Purim Shpiel, Esther & Elton Shushan, was written by Rabbi Heidi Hoover and based on the music of Elton John. Congregants of all ages made this a shpiel to remember!
(Photos by Robin Bass, Ellyn Rothstein, Joanie Holland Schaffer and Phyllis Schweiger)
News from the Jewish Cultural Committee
Report from the Social Action Committee
Laurie Bassi, Social Action Co-Chair and liaison to the Interfaith Coalition, has resigned from this position. She and Herb will be moving out of New York in the near future. Thank you, Laurie, for your commitment, hard work and inspiration. Yvette Pomeranz from the Social Action Committee has been appointed liaison to the Interfaith Coalition. On Saturday, April 18, at 1 pm (after services), please attend a Social Action Lunch and Learn in the Community Room. The topic is Climate Change: Response to Urgency. The discussion will be moderated by Yvette Pomeranz and the two resource books will be We Are The Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer and Let There Be Water by Seth Segal. The discussion will center around concrete actions we can take as individuals, as a temple entity and as society and what is needed to galvanize us to take action. Our annual Passover Food Drive will take place in March. Please bring your UNOPENED, UNEXPIRED food to Temple by Friday, March 27. We will be donating this food to Our Lady of Refuge Church Food Pantry (OLRC), which is part of our Interfaith Coalition, and our Little Pantry. We are also happy to once again be able to support seniors in need at this time of year at the Marks JCH. Your donation to our Dr. Janet L. Haynes Social Action Fund will allow us to provide individuals and couples with funds to purchase food for their seder tables. See the flyer in this Voice of Truth with date and other details. We’re pleased that the children of the Religious School will also participate by helping to sort items. Please save the dates for the following Interfaith Coalition program and watch for flyers with complete details: • Abraham’s Table: Sunday, March 29, 3:30 - 5:30 pm at the Amity School on Knapp Street. Topic: The Environment in the Light of Our Three Traditions. • Interfaith Iftar dinner combined with Abraham’s Table: Sunday, April 26 at OLRC. Theme: What Is Your Most Important Religious Holiday? • Movie Night: Thursday, August 6 in the parking lot of the Amity School. Time, movie and other details will be announced at a later date. The next meeting of the Social Action Committee will take place on Thursday, April 30 at 7 pm in the Community Room. Susan Sysler Co-Chair, Social Action Committee
Photo courtesy of Ron Schweiger
Dear Temple Family, It is with gratitude that we send you, our Temple family, our sincerest appreciation for your warm expressions of condolences upon the passing of my brother Edward Albino. Special thanks to Rabbi Hoover who always knew what was needed or wanted. Sincerely, Candi and Robin Friedman
It goes without saying that Jewish cultural events around town, like every other event around town, have been canceled or postponed. When I last checked, the Folksbiene is still planning to perform The Tenth Man in May, which we had hoped to see on May 31st, but I confess that I have not yet bought a ticket and will wait and see. The resilience of people in the face of trouble is amazing and inspiring. Many places have risen to the challenge of educating us and connecting us to our Jewish heritage (and giving us something to do while we socially isolate in our homes) by providing online programs of Jewish interest. Things you always wanted to see, had no time to see or never thought before about seeing, you can see now right from your desk. Just look up any Jewish cultural institution online and find out. For starters, you can view the Auschwitz exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the exhibits at the Jewish Museum, recorded events at YIVO, and past programs at the Center for Jewish History. Moreover, you are not limited to activities in New York or even the United States. Take a virtual tour of the Israel Museum! Yvette Pomeranz Jewish Cultural Committee
We hope that everyone is safe and in good health. Thank you to all who have donated food for our Passover Food Drive. We will determine our delivery date to Our Lady of Refuge Church Food Pantry and food for our Little Pantry based on the guidelines for being able to interact from the Centers for Disease Control and our local and state directives. We also thank those who contributed to the Social Action Fund and will continue to accept donations to be given to needy seniors at the Marks JCH. Once we can physically attend our Saturday morning services, we will determine the date for our Social Action Lunch and Learn on Climate Change: Response to Urgency. As of this writing, our Interfaith Coalition Abraham’s Table scheduled for March 29 will probably be done virtually. The status of the Iftar dinner with Abraham’s Table for Sunday, April 26 will be determined depending on our situation as we get closer. The status of the Social Action Committee Meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 30 will be determined as we get closer as well. Keep healthy and safe. Susan Sysler Co-Chair, Social Action Committee
Karen Eichel (right) was recently presented with the Rosemarie Carro award. The award is given annually by the Marine Park Alliance during Women's History Month to honor a local woman for dedication and service to the community. Congrats to Karen!
More Glad Tidings from B'ShERT & Beyond
Shirley Amrani Lisa Bachner Asher Berk Harry Bialor Ruth Bilé Jacob Bloom Rose Brown Meilan Chiu Craig D’Entrone Luca D’Entrone Aaron Donato Amyt Eckstein Dorothy Evans Nancy Frost Michele Kirshenblat Aidan J. Miller Teddy Moskowitz Rose Orenstein Shyra Reiss Deanna Roth Herb Rubenstein Melissa Scott Hana Roth Seavey Lyle Silversmith Julia Stemmer Harvey Wang Daniel Weidmann Emily Whitehead Ethan Whitehead Melodie Winawer
...and a Happy Anniversary to Amy Dattner-Levy and Rabbi Peter Levy !
Dani Orenstein, daughter of Karin and Jamie Orenstein, celebrated her music-filled bat mitzvah at Temple in March, right before social distancing became the order of the day. Mazel tov to Dani and the entire Orenstein family! (Photo by Tamara Kerner)
Simcha Corner Happy Birthday, April Babies!
Report from the ARZA Committee
Thanks to all the members of B’ShERT who voted in the World Zionist Congress elections. As of the end of voting, the U.S. elections garnered over 120,000 votes, more than double the amount from the 2015 election and the highest number of votes since the elections began for the entire American Jewish community 30 years ago. The Reform/Reconstructionist slate received close to 10,000 more votes than any other slate. This year, Yom Haatzmaut (Israeli Independence day) falls on Wednesday, April 29. The ARZA committee is planning to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut on Saturday, May 2nd. As of this writing, due to COVID-19, the celebration will most likely be virtual. Stay tuned, as plans have not yet been finalized. To stay informed and up to date with IMPJ, IRAC and the progressive Zionist movement in Israel, go to arza.org and/or https://urj.org. Let’s continue to support progressive Judaism in the land of Israel. In honor of Israel's 72nd birthday, the ARZA committee wishes all a month filled with health, companionship, sunshine and Shalom (peace). Tamara Kerner, ARZA Chair
April 3 - 4 7:05 pm Tzav Leviticus 6:1 − 8:36 April 10 - 11 7:13 pm Chol HaMo-eid Pesach Exodus 33:12 − 34:26 April 17 - 18 7:20 pm Sh'mini Leviticus 9:1 − 11:47 April 24 - 25 7:27 pm Tazria/M'tzora Leviticus 12:1– 15:33
Candle Lightings & Torah Portion Calendar — April 2020
B'ShERT Member Scores Touchdown for Special Olympics
On March 6th, congregant Alan Zarrow was one of the many high school and college football officials who volunteered to participate in the annual Snow Bowl to raise money for the New Jersey Special Olympics. Each year, the New York Football Giants open Met Life Stadium for three days of flag football played by able-bodied teams from Northern New Jersey and parts of New York. The monies that the individual teams raise annually total over $250,000. Alan, who is the deputy editor of the Voice of Truth and a frequent lecturer on historical arcana, also works as a volunteer volleyball official for the Special Olympics of New York City annual volleyball tournament.
Photo courtesy of Alan Zarrow
Photos by Alan Zarrow
Report from Beth Moses
Eric Platt and I recently visited our parents' graves in Beth Moses Cemetery, in the sections owned by Temple. While there, we were able pay our respects to others who had been part of the Temple family. Among them were Phil Kantrowitz, Moische Schneider, George Russell, Marcia and Elliott Wilkow, Fay Treulich, Seymour Willinger, and Bill Kossman. We placed stones on their graves. The grounds were very green and peaceful. Everything looked well-tended. It was an opportunity to remember and find comfort in the strength and spirit of those before us. Yvette Pomeranz (Photo by Eric Platt)
You Are Invited to Join THE HANNAH SENESH SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA, INC. The Hannah Senesh Society honors the memory of one of the greatest heroines in modern Jewish history during World War II. Membership: Family —$20 Individual —$10 Lifetime—$100 Contact: Harry Bialor, President (718) 375-8669
JESSICA SCHULMAN • TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE SPECIALIST COMPUTER SERVICES & GRAPHICS ARTS SERVICES 718 338-2043 • fax 718 377-7919 jstech@optonline.net
B'ShERT's Caring Chesed Committee: We're Here to Help Volunteers are needed to make phone calls and/or visits to those who are ill or have suffered a loss. It is especially important to keep in touch with those who are grieving after the initial mourning period. If you know that someone is in need of a visit or a call, please contact one of our co-chairs. We are always looking for new members and would appreciate any ideas to make the committee more effective. "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it…" Pirke Avot Gene Guskin (917) 533-6231 Ruth Bile (646) 732-2650 Frema Schneier (917) 459-0904 Debbie Belsky (718) 252-8030 B'ShERT Caring Chesed Committee
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Ken Brown Photography The best for Your Mitzvah! (or any other event, personal or professional) Longtime established pro; temple member; references available. editman1000@gmail.com • 718-670-3256.
Maxine Feldman Teaches… Piano, Voice, Guitar, Sight-Singing Ms. Feldman has 35 years of experience teaching all ages. She has served on the music faculties of NYU, Brooklyn College, The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and Hebrew Union College. She has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the United Nations, at PTBAS and now at the new consolidated congregation! For further information, please call Maxine at 718-490-7556