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Jerusalem by Night
“
Besides the many insights I have
gained and the sheer pleasure
of learning Talmud with such a
fascinating group, this study
has given me a new appreciation
for nighttime.”
New Members Cook
for the Shelter
MARCH/APRIL 2012 • ADAR/NISAN/IYAR 5772
Rabbi J. ROLANDO MATALON
"From what time may we recite the Shema in the evening?" (Berachot 2a) These are the opening
words of Talmud, and the rabbis usher us into a discussion about the experiences of evening
and night. With exquisite sensitivity, the rabbis guide us through evening and night and call our
attention to the light changes, to human concerns at the day's end, to the night's divisions, to its
noises and its music, its dangers and its potential.
Why does the entire Talmud begin with the evening, when most human beings return home from
their daily activities and get ready to get some rest and go to sleep, as opposed to the morning
when we begin a new day? How is time established, does nature establish it or do humans?
What is the night for? What scares us at night? What does it open up for us? What does night
represent? What is the relationship between night and prayer? Between night and study?
I had the privilege to explore these and many other questions during my three-month sabbatical
in Jerusalem at Beit Midrash Elul with a group of about 25 people: academics, artists,
businesspeople, educators, observant and non-observant, a few with advanced degrees in
Talmud, others who are encountering the Talmud for the first time. Besides the many insights I
have gained and the sheer pleasure of learning Talmud with such a fascinating group, this study
has given me a new appreciation for nighttime.
PHOTO: BELINDA lASKY
New members prepare a meal for the BJ/SPSA
Shelter, December, 2011. See page 14 for more
information about this year’s new members.
During my time in Jerusalem, I rented a small apartment in the neighborhood of Nachlaot, which
was established toward the end of the 19th century and where Jews arriving from Iraq, Kurdistan,
Iran, Turkey, and Syria in the following decades made their residence. Right next to the colorful
Machane Yehuda open market, Nachlaot is a charming neighborhood of narrow streets and
alleys, old houses interspersed with a few modern buildings. Nachlaot contains a huge number of
little synagogues, and it has been an incredible experience to pray there and discover the variety
of customs and musical traditions. Every Shabbat I would get up at 2:45AM and walk the narrow
streets of Nachlaot in order to attend the singing of bakashot. During the winter months, a crowd
of about 120 people, ranging in age from 8 to 80, gathers at the Ades synagogue in Nachlaot on
Shabbat at 3:00AM in order to sing a collection of 64 devotional poems, written over a span of
1,000 years, known as bakashot (petitionary poems or poems of supplication; le-bakesh—to ask,
to request, to petition). The practice of Jewish devotional singing at night was quite prevalent in
pre-expulsion Spain, and it was strengthened by the 16th-century kabbalists of Safed. It has been
perpetuated until today by some communities, such as the Jews of Aleppo. For four hours, ending
(continued on page 13)
Social Action/Social Justice. . . . . . 2-3
Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Executive Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Youth & Family Education. . . . . . . . 6-7
Purim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
The BJ Maintenance Team. . . . . . . . 10
Member Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Yom HaShoah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Announcements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
inside:
Sylvia’s Story: A Path to Leadership........................................................................... 2
How BJ Is Measuring Success..................................................................................... 4
Dreams and Visions for Jewish Education­­.................................................................. 6
Confessions of a Purim Addict.................................................................................... 8
The Men Behind the Scenes at BJ............................................................................. 10
Meet Jeannie Blaustein, BJ’s New President........................................................... 11
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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MARCH/APRIL 2012
Social Action/Social Justice
Sylvia’s Story: A Path to Leadership
By Larissa Wohl
t
he Aging in New York Hevra is one
of two new campaign groups of
Panim el Panim: BJ’s Community
Organizing and Advocacy Initiative and
Sylvia Vogelman is its newest co-chair.
Sylvia has been a member of B’nai
Jeshurun since 1995, but it is only recently
that our social justice volunteers have had
the privilege of her leadership. We couldn’t
be happier!
Larissa Wohl: Hi, Sylvia. Can you tell me a
bit about how you came to B’nai Jeshurun.
What made you join?
aging parents, isolation, navigating benefits
and services, accessibility, and the ability
to retire and live with dignity after work.
These issues resonate for me, so I joined.
I work at the Medicare Rights Center, a
nonprofit that counsels people who are on
Medicare—people who are either elderly
or handicapped or both. I felt I had a lot to
bring to the committee, that it was a natural
role for me to play—and at the same time,
an opportunity to do something positive for
the congregation.
Sylvia: I was looking for a synagogue that
was inclusive of a whole community—
and BJ fit the bill. I like and respect the
rabbis, and I really like the spirit of the
congregation. When I come into the shul on
Friday nights something very special comes
alive in me. And I sense that it’s the same
for everyone in attendance. This is what I
wanted from a congregation. I went to other
synagogues, but they just didn’t feel right. I
love the sense of openness; of being there
all together.
Larissa: Have you ever volunteered at B’nai
Jeshurun before?
Sylvia: I was a sleep-over volunteer at the
BJ/SPSA Homeless Shelter for a year and
then became a substitute volunteer. At that
time, I had my own consulting business,
so I could easily work the time into my
schedule.
Larissa: But that wasn’t enough for you?
Sylvia: No. As much as I liked being helpful
and doing direct service, it wasn’t enough.
I wanted to get even more active, and so
when I saw the Panim el Panim Community
Cafés advertised last spring, I decided to
go. I attended and participated in those
community conversations to learn more
about what issues were most pressing
in the BJ community. In the end they
announced the formation of an Aging in
New York Hevra in response to the
palpable sense of anxiety in our
congregation about aging, taking care of
2
Larissa: Has joining the Aging in New York
Hevra deepened your relationship to BJ and
to other members as you hoped it would?
Sylvia: Yes. Or, I guess you could say, that all
of the potential I had hoped to find is there
for a deeper relationship. The committee is
just starting, so we haven’t made much of
an impact yet, but I’ve gotten to know some
people who I wouldn’t have known before.
So, I’m beginning to build relationships,
which makes me feel more connected to
the community. And I’m gaining a deeper
appreciation of BJ’s inner workings. It’s an
amazing place.
“
I wanted to get even more
active, and so when I saw the
Panim el Panim Community
Cafés advertised last spring,
I decided to go. I attended and
participated in those community
conversations to learn more
about what issues were most
pressing in the BJ community. “
Larissa: What does it mean to you to have
taken on this leadership role?
Sylvia: I feel a tremendous sense of
responsibility. I am—we all are—committed
to making this happen. And I think
it will be a great thing for the
congregation and for the community.
I know how powerful volunteerism
can be, how much of a difference
an individual can make in an
organization and in another person’s
life. I was the Co-Chair of the Board
of Directors for God’s Love We
Deliver for more than 10 years, and
I’m very proud of what we have been
able to do. I feel the same way about
my day job, as the Development
Director for the Medicare Rights
Center.
Larissa: Does your Judaism inform
the work you’re doing or the other
way around?
Sylvia: I think it’s because I’m a Jew
that I feel that I want to give back. I
feel a responsibility to my community
and to my city. That’s why I got involved in
God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit that 25
years ago began as an organization that
delivered hot meals to people with HIV/
AIDS. I had friends passing away from
HIV/AIDS. I wanted to help in any way
that I could—raising money, working in
the kitchen—and that was a feeling that I
shared with all of the other volunteers. In
fact, that powerful urge we all had to “do
something” has helped the organization
grow and evolve. Today, they also deliver
meals to people with other serious
illnesses, in addition to those with HIV/AIDS.
We felt if we did such a good job for our
original clients, why couldn’t we help others
in need?
(continued on page 3)
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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Larissa Wohl Introduces Herself
h
ello! I’m Larissa Wohl, and I am
excited to be the new Social Action
Program Assistant working with
Channa Camins in the SA/SJ Department.
I am fortunate to be working with the cochairs and volunteers of our CSA and our
four direct-service programs: BJ Reads,
the BJ/Ralph Bunche School tutoring
partnership, the Judith Bernstein Lunch
Program, and the BJ/SPSA Shelter. Despite
having only been at B’nai Jeshurun for
a few short months, I can already say
that I’m beginning to feel a part of this
community. As a former corps member
in AVODAH: the Jewish Service Corps, I’m
looking forward to grappling with similar
issues around direct service and advocacy
that both I and the nonprofit social service
organization I worked for last year faced.
How do we, as individuals and as part of
a larger community, make a significant
change for the 30,000 homeless men,
women, and children in NYC every day? I’m
proud to be working with a synagogue that
is committed to social action and social
justice; a synagogue that has created both
direct service programming and advocacy
initiatives designed to address this and
other issues our society faces today.
My work last year in AVODAH with N Street
Village, a community of empowerment and
recovery for homeless and low-income
women in Washington, D.C., had a huge
impact on how I view work in direct service
and advocacy. Through this amazing
nonprofit, I had contact with women whose
stories taught me so much about the
struggles of our society’s most vulnerable
individuals. One woman, with whom I worked
and developed a very close relationship, is a
“
I’m looking forward to becoming
part of an environment at B’nai
Jeshurun that recognizes the need
for both organizing community
members and making a difference
on an individual level.”
PHOTOS: DENISE WAXMAN
Larissa Wohl and Channa Camins.
current client and volunteer receptionist
team leader in the Wellness Center. She,
like many other Americans within the last
few years, became sick, needed hospital
care, and was subsequently fired from her
job while in the hospital. Unable to afford
her mortgage she lost her home and had
nowhere to turn. She found herself at
N Street Village where it took her many
months before she regained the drive to
get herself back on her feet and to involve
herself in the community of women, but
once she did, she found she was in a
supportive, warm environment where she
began to thrive. She began mentoring other
women, started her own crocheting class,
and took on more and more responsibilities.
For her, an organization like N Street Village
is helping her back to where she needs to
be to move out on her own again. It is direct
service at its best. Unfortunately, not all
social-service organizations like N Street
Village are as successful. Not all of them
view homeless and low-income individuals
as whole people. How do we replicate the
organizations that are working? How do
we utilize their models on a larger scale to
affect change in a broader way?
My work this past year both solidified my
faith in what social services are capable of
accomplishing and forced me to continue
thinking about how to reconcile the need
for direct service and advocacy at the same
time. It was difficult for me to want to affect
change on a large scale, to fix the system
which had failed many of the women I
met, but to also focus on the daily needs.
I’m looking forward to becoming part of
an environment at B’nai Jeshurun that
recognizes the need for both organizing
community members and making a
difference on an individual level, whether
it’s reading with a child once a week or
providing a safe and welcoming space for 10
women at the shelter. My work has only just
begun, but the discussions and important
conversations are ongoing and I can only
imagine what’s in store. n Sylvia’s Story continued from page 2
Larissa: But BJ allows you to have a
different kind of volunteer experience?
Sylvia: Yes, it does. It’s more than being
willing to put in the time and effort.
There are other things at work here.
The spirituality is very powerful. I love
going to synagogue. I love being part of
the community. I love the vibe. And while
the time I have available to be active is
fairly limited, the way the Aging in New
York Hevra was being formed—through
conversation, exploration, and planning—is
right up my alley. It’s something I think is
very worth giving time to.
Larissa: And when you’re not here, or at
work or at another volunteer “job,” what do
you do?
Sylvia: I’m a huge theater- and dance-goer.
And I love spending time with my friends.
For more information about how you can
lend a hand in the advocacy
efforts of the Aging in New York Hevra,
please contact Sylvia Vogelman,
[email protected] or
call x259. n synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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COMMUNITY
How BJ Is Measuring Success
Compiled by Belinda Lasky
t
he B’nai Jeshurun community
is as strong and vibrant in spirit
and action as ever. Together we
reacquired the 89th Street building. Now,
the rabbis and BJ’s leadership are busy
planning for what comes next.
Last spring, a timely opportunity arose for
BJ to take part in a special cohort of six
urban and suburban New York synagogues
through Synergy: UJA-Federation and
Synagogues Together. UJA-Federation
works in conjunction with Measuring
Success, a firm with an excellent history
working with synagogues to measure
performance.
The critical tool of measuring performance
was a community survey designed to assess
our strengths and weaknesses. We invited
members to complete the survey in May
2011 and were delighted that 48 percent of
you took the time to share your thoughts and
feelings around everything from our Shabbat
and holiday services to social action/
social justice work to our Hebrew School
program. Measuring Success handled the
data collection, analysis, and reporting. It
also assisted in interpreting the findings and
setting priorities for action.
The results of the survey are helping us to
move from impressionistic to fact-based
decision making. Its purpose was to:
• measure our performance and perceived
quality
• identify key areas of strength and
opportunity
• create benchmarks against which to
measure future performance
• provide input into our process of
continuous improvement and planning
The feedback we received through the
survey has been invaluable in better
understanding the needs of our community,
and your input and suggestions are being
taken very seriously. Since the survey
period, a team of dedicated lay leaders and
professionals have participated in an intense
process of data analysis and interpretation
to glean as much as we can from the survey
data. We have held a number of meetings to
review the survey results and discuss next
steps. Here are some of the key findings that
have emerged from this work:
• BJ can do more to create a sense of
welcoming and hospitable environment
for everyone who walks through our
doors.
• We need to do a better job creating an
integrated community of children, teens,
and adults.
These general observations from the survey
data serve as a platform on which we will
conduct secondary research around key
topics and further analyze the data. We hope
you’ll continue to be part of the process,
and we will continue to update you. The
May issue of the Kol Hadash will provide
even more data results, so stay tuned. We
appreciate your continued enthusiasm and
assistance around helping BJ reach its full
potential. n
Harold Goldman: An Appreciation
a
driving force at BJ during one
of the most momentous and
transformative periods of our
recent history, Harold Goldman helped us to
return to our home at 89th Street. With that
accomplishment complete he is now retiring
from his position as Executive Director.
Harold came to BJ originally to assist us
with the development department, which
is his field of expertise, but very soon we
realized that we had at home what we were
looking for in a greater leadership position.
He has brought to the office wisdom, calm
and serenity, an appreciation for the Jewish
communal experience, as well as charm and
elegance. He has the skill to navigate stormy
waters with a sense of control and optimism;
his life experience and intelligence give him
an ability to help others to see the bigger
picture. Harold quickly earned the kavod,
the respect, of our staff and lay leaders,
and everybody who interacted with him has
become a closer person to BJ.
Harold: We say good-bye to you from the
office with a deep sense of gratitude. We are
all better because of the blessing of having
worked with you. We are looking forward to
having you and John at services without your
needing to concern yourself about the dayto-day issues of the congregation.
With tremendous fondness and appreciation,
— Rabbis and Staff
PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN
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synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Steve Goldberg: Hitting the Ground Running
By Sian Gibby
a
lthough Steve Goldberg laughingly
says he’s not a morning person,
you would never know it to talk
to him bright and early on a Monday.
His enthusiasm for his new position
at B’nai Jeshurun is so manifest in his
manner—audible in his voice and forcefully
articulated in his words—that you’re left
with the unmistakable sense that he’s
ready to hit the ground running as our new
Executive Director.
“unique brand of spirituality and energy. I’ve
heard it called an ‘avant-garde’ spirituality.”
With all the people he has met here, “there’s
a passion and commitment that’s so evident
and necessary—I don’t take it lightly. If
people aren’t engaged on a visceral level, as
they are here, then you won’t succeed in the
same manner. You want people to find the
value in what you’re doing… I would love to
see us find ways to engage as many people
in the congregation as possible.”
Asked about the opportunities and
challenges facing BJ at this critical juncture
in the congregation’s history, Steve spoke in
a way that indicates he has given the topic
a great deal of thought; ideas came pouring
out of him. He knows how BJ got to where
we are, and is in awe of our achievements.
And he brings a compassionate and
refreshing perspective to his new duties
born of his experience in the Jewish world
(particularly in his years as director of
Hadassah’s Executive and Member and Unit
Services Divisions).
This experience provided critical lessons
that will help him in his leadership role with
BJ. One lesson has to do with the power
of grassroots engagement, something he
sees becoming of particular significance
at BJ. The challenge, he explains, “will be
to create the necessary balance. You don’t
want to get so clinical about the business
aspects of the congregation that you forget
about the importance of doing creative and
inspiring things to engage people. I’ve seen
on the ground level [at Hadassah] what a
movement can accomplish.” And he can
envision how at BJ the grassroots power can
be similarly harnessed. “One of the things
I’m really looking forward to is further
developing BJ’s brand of cutting-edge
educational and social action programming.
It’s such an important and compelling
corollary to the charismatic leadership of
the rabbinate and hazzan.”
When I asked him what had impressed
him initially about B’nai Jeshurun, he
immediately mentioned the congregation’s
Steve spoke very appreciatively of his
experience thus far at B’nai Jeshurun,
getting to know the synagogue and its
community. In particular he expressed
his admiration for Jeannie Blaustein, her
intelligence and warmth in welcoming
him and getting him up to speed. “Jeannie
has an incredible depth of understanding;
not just of the challenges that face BJ,
but of the amazing opportunities that
exist to overcome them. I am thrilled
to be partnering with Jeannie and this
wonderful leadership team—the Board, the
rabbis and hazzan, and all the dedicated
professionals—to further develop and
articulate a vision that aligns with needs
of the community while striking a balance
between thinking strategically and doing
creatively.”
“
One of the things I’m really
looking forward to is further
developing BJ’s brand of
cutting-edge educational and
social action programming. It’s
such an important and compelling
corollary to the charismatic
leadership of the rabbinate
and hazzan.”
He acknowledged the success of the
capital campaign and how difficult it will
be to fill Harold’s shoes. With Harold’s
leadership, we reached the historic moment
of purchasing the 89th Street building.
“I’m very excited about bringing everyone
together into our new home. And what
better gift to ourselves than to fill every
inch of our new home with an energy and
enthusiasm befitting this congregation—a
vibrant and engaged congregation with an
equally exciting and sustainable future.”
Steve, a native of Connecticut who has
lived in Israel and worked at the American
Embassy in Tel Aviv, has a degree in
international relations with a concentration
in cross-cultural negotiation from the
University of Connecticut. His mother’s
family left Spain during the Inquisition and
settled in Jerusalem. Steve’s grandfather’s
entrepreneurial spirit brought the family to
Cali, Colombia, where his mother was born:
She is a violinist and violin instructor, and
Steve’s father is a retired middle-school
principal. Steve grew up in a Conservative
home, the third of four children. He
currently lives on the Upper West Side with
his longtime partner, Greggor Petrovic, and
their pup, Grover. n
Sian Gibby has been a BJ member since 2005.
She is the copy editor for Tablet Magazine and
is writing a book about Jewish food.
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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YOUTH & FAMILY EDUCATION
Dreams and Visions for Jewish Education
By Ivy Schreiber and Emily Walsh
a
s we began our respective journeys
as Jewish educators, we each
had visions of developing Jewish
education defined not by the four walls of a
classroom, but rather by the people, values,
beliefs, and practices in our tradition. We
envisioned educating a new generation
to be knowledgeable, participating,
committed, and dedicated Jewish leaders.
In their book A Jew Within, Dr. Steven Cohen
and JTS Chancellor Arnie Eisen write,
“American Jews speak of their lives, and
of their Jewish beliefs and commitments,
as a journey of ongoing questioning and
development.” Our work at BJ gives us
the opportunity to transform our goals for
Jewish education into reality every day by
supporting learners and families along that
journey of ongoing development.
a year-long enriched learning track. Today,
that track has become the annual Reach for
Shabbat Retreat that brings all 3rd-, 4th and 5th-grade Hebrew School families to
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
each fall to experience a full Shabbat as
a community. This year, we added a new
pilot program to the retreat with a 6th grade
B’nai Mitzvah family track. We continue to
innovate, creating new opportunities for
families to engage with our tradition as a
community. One highlight for families is our
ritualized opening program for 4th grade
families to kick off the b’nai mitzvah journey.
We open up the entire Torah scroll and
families find the place in the Torah that will
be the child’s parasha (portion) when s/he
is called to the Torah to become a bar/bat
mitzvah.
Six years ago through the process of
Re-Imagine, a project of the Experiment
in Congregational Education that guides
synagogues through innovation, the Hebrew
School created an opt-in pilot program
where 19 4th-grade families participated in
Our desire to innovate remains strong as we
enter into the next chapter of BJ’s history.
We stand at the cusp of a great opportunity
as we expand our vision, yet again, for
Jewish education in our new Community
Home on 89th Street.
“
In 2012 we will pilot a Jewish
Journey Project (JJP), a vibrant
new model to transmit Jewish
culture, language, and values.”
Now a great new opportunity is in the
works. In 2012 we will pilot the Jewish
Journey Project (JJP), a vibrant new model
to transmit Jewish culture, language, and
values. Together with the JCC in Manhattan
and other area synagogues we have been
working for months to create this project
collaboratively. The launch of JJP will
dramatically transform the traditional
Hebrew School experience for children in
the years leading up to b’nai mitzvah by
drawing on the rich programming resources
in the greater New York area to serve as
a living learning laboratory for Jewish
children and their parents. Rabbi Joy Levitt,
Executive Director of the JCC in Manhattan
and the visionary behind JJP says, “We look
forward to creating new models that will
work for children and parents, helping them
grow and learn while strengthening Jewish
life and community.”
Cohen and Eisen remark, “The most
important thing a Jew should do as a Jew is
to pursue a Jewish journey.” We are excited
to now be designing maps for our learners’
and families’ Jewish journeys. Our early
dreams and visions for Jewish education
are coming to fruition. We will continue to
explore the best and most innovative ways to
bring Jewish practices and knowledge to life
and so to inspire our learners and families
on a path toward a committed Jewish life. n
PHOTOS: DARA Schaefer
6
Left and above: At the Reach for Shabbat Retreat
at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center,
October, 2010.
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
ADAR/NISAN/IYAR 5772
Meeting Rabbi Marcelo
By Galit Ben-Joseph
o
n Monday, Dec. 5, BJ’s Gan and
Kitah Aleph groups had the very
special opportunity to meet with
Rabbi Marcelo. The students (ages 4-6)
were invited to ask him any question
they wanted. Some came prepared with
questions, others thought on the spot.
Everyone eagerly awaited Rabbi Marcelo’s
arrival, and when he got there, he joined
the children on the floor, told us a little
about his background, and then opened it
up for questions. We learned that Rabbi
Marcelo was at Camp Ramah for a very long
time, until he was 30 years old! And that he
studied Clinical Psychology!
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The students (ages 4-6) were invited to ask him any question they wanted.”
We also learned that he loves his job,
especially when he gets to spend time
with people. The part he likes least is
reading through the hundreds of emails he
receives every single day! Other questions
included: “How many times have you
read the Torah?” Answer: “Many.” and
“How many times can you use a Havdalah
candle?” Answer: “Depends on how flat or
thick it is—sometimes, it can last for many,
many times.” We concluded by taking an
adorable picture of Rabbi Marcelo with all
the children. Everyone had a fantastic time,
and it was very special to be able to learn
with our Rabbi. Rabbi Marcelo, thank you so
much: You are amazing!
Galit Ben-Joseph is an investment adviser at
Neuberger Berman and Professor at Yeshiva
University. She lives on the Upper East Side
with her husband, Neil, and two children,
Rachel and Joshua. She first began attending
services at BJ almost 20 years ago.
PHOTOS: Galit Lopatin Bordereau
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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PURIM
1994
Confessions of a Purim Addict
By George Klas
i
t started off innocently enough
when a newly minted rabbi asked
me to help out with a Purim Spiel. It
was 1987, and Roly had just joined Marshall
to help re-build BJ.
Our first effort, Robbery at Jeshurun
Junction, was a forgettable spaghetti
western. The following year we hit the
hard stuff with our own script, Follow the
Hamentash Road. So started a decadelong habit of shamelessly stealing ideas
from luminaries such as Rodgers &
Hammerstein, Walt Disney, The Beatles,
and George Lucas.
High on success, we became more
ambitious with the plays. We rented
costumes, volunteers built sets, while
choreographers, directors, make-up artists,
and musicians added to the joy of standingroom-only audiences of kids and adults
in outrageous costumes. Heady stuff for a
bunch of amateurs.
But we had our challenges. One year the
stage was extended to handle a larger cast.
Predictably, in mid-performance it buckled,
the sound system failed, and a petrified
Esther lost her voice. On another occasion
a grand finale that took days to stage was
overshadowed when a dramatic drop of
hundreds of balloons was miscued and
kids ran around wildly popping them. The
pandemonium was delicious.
Over the years an odd assortment of
characters graced our stage: a lamé -suited
“
We rented costumes,
volunteers built sets, while
choreographers, directors,
make-up artists, and musicians
added to the joy of standingroom-only audiences of kids
and adults in outrageous
costumes.”
Elvis, meat-head goons, amorous lions,
an aerialist flea, minstrels, Miss Ethiopia,
Mayor Ed Koch, Barbra Streisand (actually
sighted at BJ), and R2D2. All worked for
scale.
Of the nine plays I wrote and produced,
Purim Circus was my favorite. Two screwy
clowns (guess who?) both named Biff,
anchored a series of zany acts that included
a weakling strongman, an opera singer
who swallows a flea, a maestro conducting
Beethoven with an orchestra of toy
instruments, and a hot doo-wop group. In
the name of art I took the prerequisite pie in
the face. Bravo.
After years of Purim dependence it was
time for rehab. So, in 1995 the tradition was
handed off to the next generation of Purim
junkies. n
1994
1991
George Klas, his wife Enid, and son Noah have
been members since 1985. When not clowning
around, he is a marketing consultant.
The photographs and program covers shown
were provided by George and Enid and have
been added to the BJ Archive.
Purim Spiels Revisited
1987...........Robbery at Jeshurun Junction
On Wild, Wild, West 88 St.
1991...........Purim Circus
A flea tamer and his daredevil star steal the show.
1988/94......Follow the Hamentash Road
Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.
1992...........Miss Purim
A politically correct beauty pageant.
1989...........Sound of Purim
Unemployed social worker becomes a nanny to
NYC mayor’s adopted kids. Don’t ask.
1993...........Esther and the Beast
A beastly king is tamed by a brave woman.
1990...........Purim Wars
The BJ Force prevails with a little help from The Beatles.
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1995...........Purim, A Rock Musical
Graceland meets Shushan.
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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1994
Many contributed to my rich memories
of our Purim Spiels. Apologies to those
inadvertently left out.
1995
Purim Scenes From Years Past
Support
Myriam Abramowicz, Elizabeth Amelkin,
Jill Nathan Astrow, Seth Baumrim, Steve
Brennan, Tami Crystal, Penny Dannenberg,
Leonardo Farkas, Marta Felcman, Gene
Ferrell, Carol Gelles, Jennifer Hakkov,
Phyllis Katz, Mark Kaufman, Jonathan
Memmert, Jill Nathanson, Ari Priven, Angela
Racolin, Gabriela Ricardes, Mark Sameth,
Helene Schingh, Ricki Segall, Roma Serdtse,
April Stewart Klausner.
Ingenues
Jonathan Berger, Danielle Bergman, Sophie
Eisner, Rachael Ettenger, Noah Klas, Rachel
Levi, Sarah Levithan, Susie Levithan, David
Lieberman, Alexandra Newman, Lindsey
Newman, Suzanne Polivy, Marianna Racz,
Rachel Rosenthal, Rebecca Rosenthal,
Danielle Segal, Jessica Segal.
Below: Cast party, 1990
Cast
Ilana Abramson, Vivien Bacaner, Cherise
Barri, Jacob Bender, Marion Capriani,
Susan Bodnar, Phyllis Carson, Todd
Chanko, Melah Gindl, Bruce Gitlin, Joyce
Goodman, George Golden, Aviva Hay,
Sigfrida Herma, Lydia Herman, Ed Joyce,
Abigail Katz, Phyllis Katz, George Klas,
Tamara Leeds, Esther Levi, Suzanne Levi,
Nick Levitin, Roly Matalon, Sara Meyer,
Sue Miller, Alison Pepper, Mark Perman,
Kim Radsken, Jeff Roberts, Sam Schatsky,
Laurie Schwartz, Jeff Segall, Nan Siegmun,
Julie Siegmund, Johanna Skilling, Deborah
Stern, Phil Turner, Nancy Wayne, Cindy
Weiner, Hadassah Weiner, Tom Weiss,
Marshall Wise, Elaine Zeldman.
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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THE BJ MAINTENANCE TEAM
Roma Serdste
The Men Behind the Scenes at BJ
By Guy Felixbrodt
w
hen I started working at BJ, I
assumed that we would all be
under one roof—literally. It didn’t
take long for me to realize that BJ has
three “roofs,” between 88th Street, 86th
Street, and the BJ office, and that during
the High Holy Days BJ is in two additional
locations! We wanted to discover a bit about
the team that makes it happen against
all odds of limited space and multiple
locations, and who have been doing it
faithfully for years—the building caretakers
and maintenance staff.
All of the men on this team were born
in the former Soviet Union, except for
Damian, who was born in Poland. Damian
communicates in English to the rest of
the crew, who mostly speak to each other
in Russian. Damian and Raman both take
classes and like the flexible work schedule
that allows them to combine work and
study. Raman also volunteers in the NYPD
as an auxiliary police officer. Both Mikhail
and Dmitry love spending time with their
respective grandchildren; Dmitry also
enjoys visiting his family in Israel. Leonid
is a graduate of the Soviet army academy
and attained the rank of colonel there;
when he wanted to join his family in the
United States, his younger brother Vladimir
suggested he join him working at BJ. The
brothers are happy working together as
literally a part of bigger Jewish family.
Lyubomir’s hobbies are fishing and traveling
on his free time, and Solomon is an avid
basketball fan and player. Boris likes it
much better in America since it never gets
as cold as it does in his birthplace: Siberia!
“
All of the men on this team
were born in the former Soviet
Union, except for Damian, who
was born in Poland. Damian
communicates in English
to the rest of the crew, who
mostly speak to each other in
Russian.“
When asked about his men, Roma said: “I
enjoy working with my team very much. I
can rely on them anytime, especially when
the unexpected happens. They always step
up to the plate and put everything else aside
till the situation is resolved!”
Raman Khaklou
Mikhail
Kremerov
So, next time you see them at BJ, say “hi”
or “privyet” (pree-vyet), and you can thank
them in person for everything that they do
to allow us all to enjoy our communal life at
B’nai Jeshurun. n
Damian
Mazuchowski
Boris Serheyev
Lyubomir Mulyava
Dmitry Ziskin
Leonid Tayts
Vladimir Tayts
Solomon Tsveitel
PHOTOS OF B. SERGHEYEV & V.TAYTS: ROMA SERDSTE
ALL OTHER PHOTOS THIS PAGE: DENISE WAXMAN
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synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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MEMBER PROFILE
Meet Jeannie Blaustein, BJ’s New President
By Susan Reimer-Torn
l
ithe and energetic, her youthful
face framed in long curls, Jeannie’s
manner is open, lively and
unpretentious. She is assuming a leadership
position at a crucial time in BJ’s history.
What, I wonder, has led her to devote all
her time and considerable skills to this
endeavor?
As she holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology,
we begin with a chat about psychotherapy.
Although she remains a believer in its
benefits, Jeannie is aware of some missing
components, “We need a path to hope,
optimism, connection, faith, community.”
Working in a hospice, she was struck by the
need to address the spiritual needs of the
dying. “Whether they were Jewish or not,
people saw their lives in terms of a journey,
there were powerful biblical themes that
kept emerging.”
“
We, like the angels on Yaakov’s
ladder, must move between the
world of human affairs and the
world of all that is sacred, holding
a space for the awareness and
honoring of both. “
Jeannie decided to complement her
education with training in pastoral care and
a Doctor of Ministry degree from HUC-JIR as
well as four years of study with the Institute
for Jewish Spirituality. “Is it a tension? Is it a synergy?” Jeannie
asks. Her own life reflects a quest for a
synthesis between apparent polarities.
Jeannie was born into a prominent Jewish
family in Baltimore who dedicated their
commitment to Jewish life through
philanthropy and volunteer work in local,
national, and international organizations.
While the focus of her socially conscious
family was outward, and Jeannie did spend
a year in Israel during college, her early
adult life was shaped largely by her clinical
training as well as her more private practice
of meditation and inner work.
When her first daughter Sophie was born
in 1995, however, Jeannie felt a need
to reconnect with Jewish tradition. She
returned to the Shabbat traditions of her
childhood, the celebration of Jewish holidays
in her home with family and friends, and the
search for a Jewish community. She is now
the mother of two daughters, Sophie, 16 and
Livia, 13, each of whom went through BJ’s
Hebrew School, became a bat mitzvah at BJ,
and is active in BJ’s Teen Service Learning
Program.
She recalls that instant feeling of home
when she and her husband Peter Bokor first
came to a BJ Friday night service.
“The rabbis’ authenticity, the singing, the
aesthetic—it was beautiful and real and
accessible to us as a place of transformation
of both oneself and the world. It felt like
home. It was perfect.”
“Is it a tension? Is it a synergy?” At BJ,
Jeannie was finally able to find a deeply
satisfying synthesis between her belief
in personal spiritual growth and her
commitment to tikkun olam, “as well as
a new understanding of the personal and
communal power of mitzvot through the
deeply engaging work of the Bikkur Holim
committee.”
Jeannie thinks about synagogue leadership
in a probing, original way.
“Is it an organization or is it a community?
Of course, it is both. This is a big part of
the challenge,” Jeannie says. “On one
hand, BJ is large and complex, so we
need a professional level of organizational
management. But we also need
psychological and spiritual awareness
when dealing with the needs, longings, and
vulnerabilities that people inevitably bring
to the place they call their extended family
or spiritual home. BJ is a spiritual home and
it is also a model community to the outside
world. It’s a place where we celebrate
newborns and bury our loved ones, where
PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN
we worship, educate our children, and act in
the world. It is also a guiding light to other
institutions in a rapidly evolving Jewish
world.”
Is it a tension? A synergy? Jeannie
replies,“Marcelo put it beautifully during a
recent Kabbalat Shabbat service: As Jews,
we can never be all in one world at the
expense of the other. We, like the angels
on Yaakov’s ladder, must move between
the world of human affairs and the world
of all that is sacred, holding a space for
the awareness and honoring of both. My
hope is that at BJ, we will continue to hold
this awareness as well, and move ahead in
creating for ourselves a more effective and
sustainable organization even as we deepen
our commitment to BJ’s transformational
mission of social justice, tikkun olam,
spiritual growth, and Jewish tradition.” n
Susan Reimer-Torn is an author and
executive coach. She blogs on her travels
with Roly in Talmud land and other things at
susanrtorn.wordpress.com.
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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YOM HASHOAH
Each of Us
Has a Name
BJ Yom HaShoah Commemoration
Wednesday, April 18 | 6:45PM | 88th Street Sanctuary
By Zelda
The reading and hearing of the names of those killed during the Shoah will follow the Yom
HaShoah service. A panel discussion will follow, featuring the BJ members who shared
their personal stories of the Shoah at the Eileh Ezkerah service on Yom Kippur. The panel,
moderated by Myriam Abramowicz, will discuss both the stories as well as the difficult
logistical and emotional process of gathering and writing them.
Translated by Marcia Falk
Each of us has a name
given by the source of life
and given by our parents
Each of us has a name
given by our stature and our smile
and given by what we wear
Each of us has a name
given by the mountains
and given by our walls
Each of us has a name
given by the stars
and given by our neighbors
Each of us has a name
given by our sins
and given by our longing
Each of us has a name
given by our enemies and
given by our love
Each of us has a name
given by our celebrations
and given by our work
Each of us has a name
given by the seasons
and given by our blindness
Each of us has a name
given by the sea
and given by
our death.
Zelda Schneersohn Mishkovsky (June 20,
1914-April 30, 1984), widely known as Zelda,
was an Israeli poet. She received three awards
for her published works.
Published here with permission from
Marcia Falk, The Spectacular Difference:
Selected Poems. Trans. Marcia Falk.
Cincinnati, Hebrew Union College Press,
2004.
Page from a book of names of those killed during the Shoah.
12
PHOTO: DENISE WAXMAN
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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PHOTO: Yahel Matalon
Jerusalem by Night RABBI J. ROLANDO MATALON
at 7:00AM when the time for Shaharit
arrives, the singing goes through the variety
of middle-eastern musical modes, with
each side of the congregation alternating in
call and response, interspersed with short
improvisations by expert hazzanim. Tea
is passed around in trays, and eventually
the changes of light become perceptible
until the sun comes out. These are the
fastest four hours I have ever experienced.
Being immersed in religious poetry and
song at a propitious time for the soul, from
the darkest time of the night until dawn,
when everything around is quiet, was one
of the most significant of my sabbatical
experiences.
continued from page 1
Yehuda Amichai, the great 20th-century
poet of Jerusalem wrote:
“Jerusalem is built on the vaulted
foundations
of a held back scream. If there were no
reason
for the scream, the foundations would
crumble, the city would collapse.
If the scream were screamed, Jerusalem
would explode into the heavens.”
Jerusalem has much to scream about: the
absence of peace, endless strife among
its communities—haredim, secular Jews,
Ashkenazim, Oriental Jews, Palestinians—
injustice and inequality and discrimination,
demolition and evictions, poverty and
hunger, the growing religious zealotry
that segregates and humiliates women,
as well as the mounting, ugly winds of an
antidemocratic nationalism.
In the narrow alleys, in the cold of the
Jerusalem winter nights, the held-back
scream has penetrated my soul, as well as
the bakashah for a hope that is still elusive.
Our faith seeks to turn oppression into
redemption, darkness into light, scream
into song. Perhaps that is why the Talmud
begins by discussing the evening Shema.
May we learn to bring about the Shema of a
new dawn. n
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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MARCH/APRIL 2012
MEMBERSHIP
Welcome! BJ welcomes new members to the community (as of November 2011):
Andrea Adelstein
Cara Akselrad
Michael Anstendig and Hanna Lee
Angie and Norman Atkins
Laura Ballance
Kate Ballen
Anna Bank
Michael and Margaret Bayer
Richard Behfarin
Nancy Beltrandi
Brett Benowitz
Manor Ben-Shaul
Naomi Berkowitz
Alexandra Berman
Genya Bernstein
Rebecca Blum
Barbara Bock
Jonathan Bock
Matthew Bock
Abram and Melissa Bohrer
Ron Bondy
Elise Bornstein
Laurence Bromberg
and Renee Rachelle
Jessica Feldman
Alexander Fellman
Nancy Fried
Mitchel and Meggan Friedman
Andrew Garland
Lisa Gelber
Adam and Sarah Gerber
Michael and Rita Gerber
Orly Gilat
Sara Giovanitti
Robert and Cecilia Gluck
Allison and Gary Goldenstein
Steven Goldman
Maia Gottesfeld
Seth Greene
Laurabeth Greenwald
Scott Greiper
and Angelica Mojarro
Harold Grinspoon
and Diane Troderman
Jonathan Grossberg
Aaron Grossman
Steven Grossman
Olivia Grubman
At the November 2011 New Member Orientation Program.
Barry Brown
Eduardo Butelman
Judy and Matthew Cahill
Steven Cohen and Kirk Iwanowski
Ariana Cooper
Debra Cooper
Casey Corey
Paula Crane
Jaime Davidovich
Samantha Dines
Allie Drabinsky
Marcy Drogin
Miriam Duron
Steven East and Katie Cone
Tamara Epelbaum
Benjamin Everett
Nasim Farjad
KOL HADASH
PHOTO: HARRIET R. Goren
Laurie Gruhn and Ira Feinberg
Nicole Hadad
Avery Halfon
Scott and Lauren Henkin
Anne Herlick
Beth Herz
Allyson Himelstein
Elisheva Hirshman-Green
and Steven Finston
Joshua and Alison Holden
Yael Holoshitz
Eveline Hunt
Josh Hurwitz
Ana Ines Leibovici
Estelle Irwin
Joan Jablow
Laura Jacobs
Jordan Rochelson
Adam Roffman and Shira Wallach
Eleanor Rooks
Lois Rooks
Deborah Rosenbaum
Ari and Jennifer Rosenberg
Viki and Jon Rosman
Joseph and Wendy Rosner
Howard Roth
Alana Rouff
Jesse and Keri Ryback
Rollene Saal
Melanie Sackheim
Jessica Safir
Barbara Schwartz
Jonathan and Oriyan Schwartz
Daniela Sciaky and Reed
Corderman
Alona and Lacarya Scott
Ellen Selditch
David and Lori Sherman
Marjorie Siebert
Bradley Silver and Michael Franco
Itorye Silver
Rosalind and David Silver
Audrey Simons
Marilyn and Jim Simons
Sharon Sklar
Laura and Andrew Slabin
David and Michele Slifka
Robert Dolman
and Heidi Slimm-Dolman
Aaron Smargon
Aaron Soffin
Sandra and Alexander Southwell
Marlene and Arthur Spielman
Thomas Stanton
and Martha Zaslow
Miriam Steele
Gregory Stein
Carol Stella
Samara Stern
Bill Swersey
Elizabeth Szaluta
Barbara Taranto
Caryn Teitelbaum
Meryl Teitelbaum
Marjorie Tiven
Ina Torton
Rachel Travis and Michael Chiert
Josh Trutt
Tor Tsuk
Ria Van Ryn
Jesse Weinberg
Benjamin Weiss
Shira White
Harry Zlokower
Jeremy Zweig
new voIce • MARCH/APRIL 2012
The Kol Hadash is published every other month. We would love to print
your stories and articles about BJ! For submission guidelines, contact
[email protected]. All material is the property of B’nai Jeshurun
and cannot be reprinted without permission.
14
Seth and Lindsay Jacoby
Lisa and Steven Jaffe
Simon Jaffe
Steven Solomon
and Moira Jaffe-Solomon
Barbara Jerud-Lorch
Rachel Kaplan
David Katz and Lauren Hurvitz
Nancy Kaufman
Madelyne Kirch
Ilana Kirschbaum
Sue Koch and Kiyoshi Otsuka
Allison Kohn
Shanna Kowalsky
Dan Kramer
David Kravitz and Lisa Fernandez
Lindsay Kulla
Sarah Kurz
David and Amy Landesberg
Lucy Langenkamp
and David Feldman
Ruth and Ira Langer
Cheryl Lazarus
Barry Le Vine
Rebecca Lederhausen
Luciana and Alon Lederman
Robert Leventhal
Evan Levine
Alice Lewin
Joseph Litman
Jonathon and Michelle Luft
Stacy Malin
Stacy Menzer
Joshua Meredith
and Emily Metz-Meredith
Jenna Michael
Lesley Michael
Sandra Michael
Hilary Miller
Laurence Miller
and Karina Romao
Ari Mintz
Katherine Moss
and Douglas Hochstadt
Marilyn Moss and Sam Hanson
David and Wendy Nanasi
Saul Nathan-Kazis
Michael Nazarian
Rachel Nazarian
Rachel and Gregory Obenshain
Jesse Paikin
Adena Philips
Bill Platt
Caroline Racond
Margaret Ray
Joshua Rechnitz
David Rochelson
Ellis Rochelson
The Kol Hadash is printed using soy-based inks on 50% recycled
paper by an online, eco-friendly printer at a substantial cost saving
compared to traditional printing methods.
Designer: Harriet R. Goren
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mazal Tov
To the following members and their families on their
B’nai Mitzvah (January and February):
Gabriel Barnett
Condolences (through January 27)
The community of B’nai Jeshurun mourns the death of our beloved
members:
• Arthur Margulies, and we extend sincere condolences to his
family, Hannah Margulies, Sharon Feuer, and their families.
Max Schatsky
• Otto Knoller, and we extend sincere condolences to his wife,
Lotte Knoller, and their entire family.
Aurie Greenberg
To the following members and their families (through January 27):
• Hazzan Mordechai Schram and Sonia Gordon-Walinsky and
Peninnah Schram on the birth of their son and grandson,
Yitzhak Eliyahu.
• Susan, Stephen, and Joanna Samuels and Jeremy, Natan, and
Orli Hockenstein on the engagement of their daughter, sister, and
aunt, Alicia Samuels, to Eric Rosenstock.
• Peter Geffen and Karan Kessler and Jonah Geffen and Julia
Mannes on the engagement of their son and brother, Dan Geffen,
to Luanne Tyzzer.
• Isabelle Sarah Kish (3rd Grade, BJHS) on being selected as a
finalist in the 2011 Yaldah Magazine Jewish Fiction Contest.
• Joseph and Wendy Rosner on the birth of their daughter,
Naomi Brooke.
• Mira and Barry Schlein on the birth of their granddaughter,
Arden Rose.
• Wendy Leiser and Robby Dykan on their recent engagement.
)
• David Hochman, and we extend sincere condolences to Joan
Hochman and Christopher Reid, Marcia Hochman and Joel Mitnick,
and their families.
• Bonnie Goldman, and we extend sincere condolences to her
husband, A. David Lori, her daughter Hilary, and their entire
family.
The community of B’nai Jeshurun extends sincere condolences to
the following members and their families:
• Michael and Rita Gerber on the death of Michael’s father,
Robert Gerber.
• Amy Moses and and Linda Moses and Arthur, Eric, Jason, and
Matthew Gurevitch on the death of Amy’s and Linda’s mother,
Carol Moses.
• Dov Bronner and Shula Wiener and Danielle, Arielle, and
Michael Bronner on the death of Dov’s father, Gamiliel Bronner.
• Cindy Wachenheim and Hal Bacharach on the death of Cindy’s
father, Kurt Wachenheim.
• Cindy Levy on the death of her stepfather, Herbert Steinhardt.
• Bruce and Marsha Noble on the death of Bruce’s brother,
Ken Noble.
• Jeffrey, Chirona, and Manny Silverstein, Erin Santana, and
Stacie Deiner on the death of Jeffrey’s father, Herbert Silverstein.
• Robin Glasser Sacknoff on the death of her daughter,
Tray Glasser.
• Melvin Prostkoff and Helen Hanan on the death of Melvin’s
mother, Edith Prostkoff.
• Peter Goldman and Peter Eckert on the death of Peter’s father,
Eugene Goldman.
• Suzanne Levy and her entire family on the death of her father,
Marvin Levy.
• Kathleen Peratis, Richard Frank, Dimitri, Ellen, Stephen, and
James Willert, Katherine Peratis Willert, Samuel Peratis Frank,
Julia Peratis Frank, and Christopher Spannaus on the death of
Kathleen’s mother, Mae Peratis.
synagogue: 257 W. 88th St. • office: 2109 Broadway (Ansonia), Suite 203, New York, NY 10023 • tel : 212.787.7600 • fax : 212.496.7600 • website : www.bj.org
15
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 530
New York, NY
2109 Broadway (Ansonia) • Suite 203 • New York, NY 10023
KOL HADASH
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­ YNAGOGUE:
S
257 West 88th Street
OFFICES:
2109 Broadway (Ansonia), #203
Main Telephone Number
212-787-7600
Fax Number (2109 Broadway)
212-496-7600
Website
www.bj.org
Rabbis:
J. Rolando Matalon
Marcelo R. Bronstein
Felicia L. Sol
Hazzan and Music Director:
Ari Priven
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MARCH/APRIL 2012
Committees & Services:
Accounts Payable........................227
Accounts Receivable...................237
Adult Education Information..... 233
Bar/Bat Mitzvah..........................223
Bikkur Holim...............................233
BJ Reads.....................................391
Communications.........................275
Community Programs................255
Conversion..................................261
Daily Minyan................................232
Development
& Donation Information.........228
88th Street Rental.......................255
Family Activities: Hotline............318
Hakhnasat Orhim........................255
Havurot.......................................255
Hevra Kadisha . ......................... 233
Homeless Shelter......212-339-4250
Interfaith Committee ................ 379
Kiddush Scheduling....................255
Kol Jeshurun...............................275
Kol Hadash..................................275
Life Cycles...................................233
Lunch Program...........................338
Mekusharim................................224
Membership Information............224
Ralph Bunche School
Partnership........................... 301
Social Action...............................259
Teen Programming.....................253
Torah/Haftarah Reading.............232
Tze’irim ..................................... 264
Ushering.....................................233
Visiting Groups............................250
Volunteer Information................255
Youth & Family Education..........225
Director of Events:
Guy Felixbrodt, x255
Board of Trustees:
Jeannie Blausteinº
President
Beth Kern
Henry Meer
Bernie Plum
Irv Rosenthal
Jack Stern
Emily Weiss
Michael Yoeli
Interim Director of Development:
Arlene Swartz, x228
Director of Communications:
Denise Waxman, x275
BJ Rabbinic Fellows:
Jonah Geffen, x262
Adam Roffman, x261
Director of Administration & Finance:
Ron Seitenbach, x226
Cantorial Intern and Teen Educator:
Shoshi Rosenbaum, x242
Director of Facilities:
Roma Serdtse, x258
Executive Director:
Steve Goldberg, x266
Assistant to Rabbi Matalon:
x234
Assistant Executive Director:
Belinda Lasky, x224
Assistant to Rabbi Bronstein
and Hazzan Priven:
Naomi Goodhart, x240
Director of Education for
Youth and Family:
Ivy Schreiber, x225
Assistant to Rabbi Sol:
Sarah Guthartz, x233
Director of Social Action/
Social Justice:
Channa Camins, x259
Assistant to Executive Director
Steve Goldberg:
Jacob Shemkovitz, x256
Jonathan Adelsbergº
Chair
Sally Gottesmanº
Vice President
Joel Kazisº
Vice President
Stephen Stulmanº
Vice President
Debra Fineº
Treasurer
Andrew Littº
Secretary
Katie Boyar
Robert Buxbaum
Anne Ebersman
Christina Gantcher
Barbara Glassman
Sofia Hubscher
Honorary Trustees
Virginia Bayer*
Ted Becker*
Frederic Goldstein
Marcy Grau*
David Hirsch*
Richard Janvey*
Robert Kanter
Joan Kaplan
Susan Kippur*
Sara Moore Litt*
Naomi Meyer
Judith Stern Peck*
General Counsel
Richard Kalikow
º Executive Committee Member
* Past President