Congregation B’nai Israel2710 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604www.congregationbnaiisrael.org

Volume 153, Number 2 Elul 5771/Tishrei 5772 September 2011

From the Family Education CenterAutumn Fun

As we say goodbye to those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer we say hello to autumn splendor, the time of harvest and gathering together. The approaching New Year and harvest festivals will be an opportunity to see old friends, meet new friends, and invigorate our B’nai Israel family. We look ahead to a year of enriching happenings and unique ways for our community members to connect to one another, to B’nai Israel, and to their own Jewish fulfillment.

Be a part of our upcoming Family Education happenings!

Make this the year to build your own backyard sukkah!Celebrate the week of Sukkot in your own backyard sukkah. It’s easy. Contact Elaine at 203-336-1858 or echetrit@congregationbnaiisrael.org to order your sukkah kit, which includes an assembly manual and all of the hardware for an 8’ × 8’ sukkah. The materials (wood and lattice) will be

delivered to your door the weekend before the festival of Sukkot, and you can arrange to have a volunteer B’nai Israel sukkah squad of able and willing B’nai Israel builders arrive at your house to help you construct your beautiful sukkah on Sunday, October 9. The one-time expense for a lifetime of Sukkot celebrations is $300.00. Orders must be placed by September 23.

Contact Elaine by September 23 to order your lulav and etrog set for $60.00.

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year! L’Shanah Tovah!

High Holy Days Services for 5772

S’lichot Saturday, September 24 (hosted at Congregation Rodeph Sholom;See p. 11)8:00 p.m. Havdalah and S’lichot program 10:00 p.m. Refreshments, followed by service

Erev Rosh HashanahWednesday, September 28 6:30 p.m. Early Service* 8:45 p.m. Late Service*Our “Family-Friendly” Erev Rosh Hashanah 6:30 p.m. service will once again include special features designed to welcome families with children. In addition to a few changes in the prayers and music, midway through the service Rabbi Gurevitz will lead the children (and adults who choose) to the chapel for a special interactive storytelling. After about a half hour we’ll join the rest of the congregation for Kiddush and closing prayers.

Rosh Hashanah, 1st Day Thursday, September 2910:00 a.m. Morning Service (Sanctuary)10:00 a.m. Morning Service (Tent)10:00 a.m. Youth Program (Grades 1–6)3:00 p.m. Family Service****There will be two Family Services running simultaneously. Elementary school–age children will be offered an age-appropriate service in the sanctuary with Rabbi Prosnit, Cantor Blum, and the Junior Choir. Preschoolers, non-readers, and infants are welcome to attend a service designed just for them in the tent with Rabbi Gurevitz.

Rosh Hashanah, 2nd Day Friday, September 3010:00 a.m. Service12:30 p.m. Tashlich (on Brooklawn Parkway)

Kol Nidre Friday, October 76:30 p.m. Early Service8:45 p.m. Late Service

Yom Kippur Saturday, October 810:00 a.m. Morning Service (Sanctuary)10:00 a.m. Morning Service (Tent)10:00 a.m. Youth Program (Grades 1–6)1:30 p.m. Family Services**2:45 p.m. Afternoon Service4:45 p.m. Yizkor Service

(approximate time)5:45 p.m. Neilah (Concluding) Service

Please turn to p. 8 to learn more!

James Prosnit, D.D. .................................................................... RabbiRachel Gurevitz, Ph.D. .............................................................. RabbiArnold I. Sher, D.D. ................................................... Rabbi EmeritusSheri E. Blum, D.M. ................................................................ CantorRamon Gilbert, D.M. ................................................ Cantor EmeritusIra J. Wise, R.J.E. ............................................. Director of EducationRobert H. Gillette, R.J.E. ....................................... Educator EmeritusElaine Chetrit ...................................... Director of Family EducationAlexa Cohen .............................................. Early Childhood DirectorAbby Rohinsky ..................................................... Director of FacilityMatthew Rosen ............................................................. Youth Advisor

OfficersMark A. Kirsch ..................................................................... PresidentMindy Siegel ........................................................... 1st Vice PresidentShari Nerreau ................................................................ Vice PresidentSamuel Rosenberg ........................................................ Vice PresidentRichard Walden ............................................................ Vice PresidentMichael Blumenthal ............................................................. TreasurerStuart Horowitz ..................................................... Assistant TreasurerJulie Pressman ...................................................................... SecretaryKelly Reznikoff ................................................... Financial SecretaryAmy Rich .................................................... Immediate Past President

Affiliates

Jim Greenberg ................................................. Brotherhood PresidentMolly Blumenthal & Michael Kalmans ........... BIFTY Co-Presidents

2 What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@congregationbnaiisrael.org!

Sincere Sympathy We extend our sympathy to the bereaved families of:

Ruth Bender, mother of Jeffrey BenderDiane Nigrosh, sister of Mark NigroshLynn Robinson, mother of Donna TaussLenore Letterman, mother of Saul LettermanRocco Vinci, father of Paul VinciArlen Nickowitz, husband of Gail Nickowitz

Sharing Our Joy…

Congratulations to Sherry Portnoy, who became the aunt of a niece, Jessica Brooke PortnoyJeff and Wendy Bender on the birth of their granddaughter, Isla Ruth Bender

In This Issue

From the Rabbi’s Desk ................................................ 3Brotherhood News ..................................................... 4From Rabbi Gurevitz .................................................. 5From the Early Childhood Center ............................ 6Young Families Havurah ........................................... 6From the Education Center ........................................ 7Shabbat Services ........................................................ 8Family Education ...................................................... 8Adult Jewish Learning ............................................... 9Donations .................................................................. 10

Welcome! Welcome!

A warm welcome to our newest members. We look forward to their participation in our many programs and hope their affiliation will not only enrich their lives, but that of our congregation.

Marcie and Yury Berson and AlexyWarwick Avenue, Fairfield

Volunteer Training Begins at The Connecticut Hospice in Norwalk

The Connecticut Hospice, Inc., is sponsoring its fall volunteer training this October. This volunteer course will inform and prepare prospective volunteers in all aspects of hospice care. Representatives from the nursing, social work, pastoral care, arts, and bereavement departments of The Connecticut Hospice will describe their individual roles in the interdisciplinary care of hospice patients both at the Branford facility and in the home care setting. Please contact Patricia A. Corradino, Director of Volunteer Services, at 203-315-7510 or 1-800-8-HOSPICE, ext. 150. You can also send an e-mail to pnowak@hospice.com for more information.

3For our High Holy Day Food Drive, please fill the grocery bags distributed at Rosh Hashanah services with nonperishable

groceries and bring them to Yom Kippur services. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

From the Rabbi’s DeskRemembering September 11th

It doesn’t take much to get us to relive the terror we experienced on 9/11. A trip to lower Manhattan, a glimpse of the city skyline without the twin towers, or a flash of a low-flying plane brings it back quickly to most of us. And for the families of 3,000 individuals, I imagine not a day has gone by since 2001 when the absence

of a loved one has not been felt. We don’t need a milestone anniversary to remind us of that day.

But the upcoming 10th anniversary provides an appropriate formal time of lamentation, memory, and resolve.

I re-read the High Holy Day sermons I delivered that year. My messages tried “to name” the pain, horror, and anger we felt and to reflect on the fragility of life that confronted us so. At the same time I marveled at the ability we have to persevere in the face of great insecurity, and I stood in awe of the resilience our communities displayed in coming together to support each other and show the power of unity. In the days that followed 9/11 there were scores of memorial services and community conversations that sought to condemn fanaticism and show another way forward.

I know it’s bad form to quote oneself—but at the time I wrote, “On Tuesday the CEO died alongside the secretary, the Windows on the World pastry chef died with the flight attendant and the firefighter. Black, white, brown, many people from other nations—Death was very democratic

that morning. So, in that spirit it seems essential now for Americans to be united in life.”

The sense of unity that prevailed in our land has certainly dissipated over the decade. Some would say it didn’t take long for us to squander any good will that might have prevailed. Partisan wrangling over this past summer has shown that we as a nation are more divided than ever. But naïvely I hope that the upcoming 9/11 gatherings will restore some of the foundations and touchstones of common purpose. Folks will be gathering at Ground Zero, at the Pentagon, in a field in Pennsylvania, and just about everywhere else throughout the land to pray, to reflect, and to share. We have the need to remember—to tell each other exactly where we were when we first heard or saw the news. As we do so I hope we’ll remember that more unites us than divides us.

Locally we will have some time to come together first as our own congregation (a special morning memorial service at 9:45 a.m. here at the temple) and then later in the day at an interfaith community-wide commemoration at 3:00 p.m. on the town green in Fairfield.

As we move towards this year’s High Holy Days, herewith a prayer that the broken blasts and mournful moaning of the shofar come together in one blast of certainty and clarity, one great blast of wholeness and hope. L’ Shanah Tovah,Rabbi James Prosnit

September 11th Commemorations

Service of Remembrance at B’nai IsraelSunday, September 11, 9:45 a.m.Our congregation gathers for a shacharit (morning) service with special Yizkor/memorial readings and reflections. Community-Wide Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 at the Fairfield Museum3:00 p.m.In conjunction with the Fairfield History Museum’s special exhibit for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the Fairfield Clergy Association, the Tent of Abraham Interfaith group, and

the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport invite the community to an interfaith observance led by clergy from local Jewish, Christian, and Muslim congregations. The service will honor the memory of those lost, as well as the shared bonds of faith and hope that draw us together as a community. Following the observance, any who wish may participate in Sacred Listening Circles at the Museum, which provide the opportunity to share personal reflections of 9/11, speak of our hopes for the future, and listen to the voices of others.

4 Your purchases at Amazon.com via http://www.congregationbnaiisrael.org support our temple!

Brotherhood News

Welcome back from summer break!

The holidays are fast approaching, and it is time to begin our highly successful Brotherhood Breakfast Pledge Program that affords our Shabbat morning worshippers the opportunity to nosh without exchanging gelt. This program is meant to offset your regular Shabbat breakfast consumption. The cost is $80.00.

We also welcome special pledges to honor a moment in your life, to remember a loved one, or “just because.” Our special breakfast program includes lox, whitefish salad, and a few other extras outside our normal breakfast fare. If you wish to sponsor a Special Brotherhood Breakfast, please see Steve Verbil each Shabbat or contact Jim Greenberg at jim@unionmachinery.com.

To all men in the B’nai Israel community: Your membership is the single most important contribution you can make to ensure the continued success of our efforts. Each and every man in our community can make

a difference. Please be sure to make your contribution this year.

If you wish to join Brotherhood, please send a $40.00 check made out to B’nai Israel Brotherhood to:

B’nai Israel Brotherhood2710 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604

At Brotherhood we measure our success by the mitzvahs we make and the joy they bring…whether you are already a member, or are looking for a fun and productive way to get more involved in temple life, come on out and lend a hand in the company of some really great guys who love to have fun! Drop me an e-mail anytime for more information.

L’shalom,Jim Greenberg, Brotherhood President

Meet Our New BIFTY AdvisorHello everyone, my name is Matthew Rosen. I will be taking over the role of BIFTY Advisor, and I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity. I remember my days in my temple’s youth group. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I look forward

to helping these young men and women share a similar experience.

I grew up in Cheshire, CT, and attended the University of Connecticut where I was very involved with Jewish

life on campus. I was a member of the Jewish fraternity AEPi and worked closely with Hillel. I also helped coordinate a bone marrow drive for the Gift of Life Foundation, which has been publicly recognized for its achievements and work helping the Jewish community. I am beginning my second year as a high school guidance counselor and I feel very blessed because I love my job.

If you (or your son or daughter) have any questions or would like more information about joining BIFTY, please don’t hesitate to contact me at:mrosen@congregationbnaiisrael.org.

Attention all college students and/or parents of college students – We Want You! We would like to keep in touch with you while you are away from home. In order to send you little holiday surprises and for you to keep connected with

your temple friends, we need your school address and e-mail. Please send Lynn in the main office your information at lynn@congregationbnaiisrael.org.

Good luck at school, and remember that you will always be part of the B’nai Israel family!

5

From Rabbi Gurevitz

Will You Accept the Gift?

I’m writing this month’s column at the end of July, but you will likely be reading it after the end of August. Rosh Hashanah arrives at the end of September, and so here I am, on an 85°F day in July, preparing my thoughts for the approach to the High Holy Day season. With High

Holy Day sermons to write and services to plan, the beginning of August is often the time that rabbis begin to prepare for the High Holy Days.

On August 31 it will be Rosh Hodesh Elul—the start of the month of preparing for the New Year. As I sit here and reflect on what “preparing” really means, as I begin a full month earlier, I am aware of an immediate emotional response that is followed by an altogether different response. My initial reaction is one of discomfort. I’m not ready to let go of the feel-good of the more relaxed pace of summer in congregational life. I feel the rise of anxiety as I start to think about what most needs to be said, shared, and experienced this year. I wonder what it might be like to just jump into the High Holy Days and experience it in the moment, without all of this advanced preparation. And then I realize….

There is so much of our lives where we feel like we are being carried along by a wave—we barely have time to breathe to reflect, assess, take in our surroundings, and take charge of the direction in which we are heading. Things happen day to day, and we find ourselves reacting to them. Sometimes it can be exciting—exhilarating, even. But sometimes it can feel like we’ve been caught in a riptide and it takes every ounce of energy to stop from going under.

There is a natural rhythm—a pulse—to the flow of Jewish time and the annual unfolding of the festivals. But built into that rhythm are pauses and rests. Like any

good percussionist you’ve got to practice, and you’ve got to be as good at the rests as the beats to make good rhythm. Shabbat is our weekly invitation to take a pause. But the month of Elul is an extended period where we are invited to slow the rhythm of our lives so that we can make space to reflect, review, take stock, and prepare. What are we preparing for? We are preparing for life. Meaningful living. Living in an awakened state rather than sleepwalking.

We cannot enter Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Day season without time to prepare. We need the pauses and the space to renew and rededicate ourselves to the most important task of all: how we, in the midst of all that life brings our way, choose to respond and live.

Will you accept this gift? Will you give yourself a pause each day to look at aspects of your life and the inner landscape of your soul and reflect on those things that you treasure and those things that do not serve you well?

This year I will again post regularly during Elul on my blog, sharing readings, thoughts, and practices that can help guide those preparations. And if you have a reflection that you write or find online and wish to share, please e-mail it to me at rgurevitz@congregationbnaiisrael.org.

You can access the blog at http://shmakoleinu-hearourvoices.blogspot.com (or via the link at the bottom of our congregational homepage: bit.ly/BnaiIsraelCT. I’ll also make the Elul postings available from time to time on our Facebook group page. If you are a Facebook user and haven’t joined our interactive group yet, you can request to join via https://www.facebook.com/groups/bnaiisrael/.

Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz

The High Holy Days are fast approaching! See cover for more information.

6 Your purchases at Amazon.com via http://www.congregationbnaiisrael.org support our temple!

From the Early Childhood Center

From the Young Families Havurah

Welcome to a New Year!We are very excited to begin the 2011–2012 school year on September 7. The summer has gone by so fast. The teachers have taken care to be sure the classrooms are all ready for the first day. We are pleased to welcome back all of our staff from last school year and to welcome many new families to the Early Childhood Center.

In addition to our regular preschool programs, we are delighted to offer two programs for parents and children, starting in late September:

Toddler Coffee and Cuddles Program – designed for parents •and their children (ages 1 and 2); one morning per week Baby Coffee and Cuddles Program – designed for parents •and their babies (under 1 year old); one morning per week

Both are led by professional facilitators. Please contact Alexa Cohen at 203-335-5058 or acohen@congregationbnaiisrael.org for more information.

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

Alexa Cohen, Early Childhood Center Director

Q: What is the most common disease transmitted by Jewish mothers? A: Guilt.

Search for “Jewish mother guilt jokes” in Google, and you will get more than 5 million hits. Do Jewish parents (let’s be gender-neutral in this egalitarian age) really instill more guilt in their children? If so, what is distinct about our culture that causes us especially to embrace guilt? Finally, and perhaps most interesting, is guilt always a bad thing?

According to author Joshua Halberstam, “There is no credible empirical evidence—I’ve looked hard and carefully—that Jews feel more unwarranted guilt than others. The hypothesis is of course too amorphous to confirm or disconfirm with reliability; interestingly, however, when it comes to testable mental states such as psychosis, the data suggest that Jews suffer less than average” (“The Myth of Jewish Guilt,” The Forward, December 5, 2005). He asserts that the Jewish guilt stereotype is relatively recent, founded by newly assimilated Jews of the past few generations.

However, as Halberstam acknowledges in his article, Judaism (like other religions) ritualizes guilt in our daily prayers and particularly in the liturgy of the High Holy Days. “Our Father our King, hear our voice, we have sinned before you,” we recite, while (symbolically) beating our breasts. So much self-flagellating (especially on an empty stomach) can feel uncomfortable to modern Jewish adults, and the liturgy is not appropriate for children in its full form. It is important as the High Holy Days approach to consider the wisdom of this tradition. Is all this religious and cultural guilt really a national affliction, a disease we transmit to our children as the joke suggests, or does it hold some value for Jewish adults and children?

Guilt represents the internalizing of societal norms and can serve an important social purpose, helping us to subject our impulses to these norms. In an article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (August 2009), Dr. Grazyna Kochanska found a measure of guilt to be advantageous. She found that very young children who experience more guilt after wrongdoing generally are less disruptive throughout their preschool years. I want my children to experience

guilt after they misbehave, but not shame. Shame, an overwhelmingly negative feeling about oneself as a person, can lead to destructive behaviors. On the other hand, guilt, a feeling of remorse regarding a particular action, actually reflects an overwhelmingly positive feeling about oneself. We feel guilty when we know we could have done better. Our guilt inspires us to try to do teshuvah, literally “returning” to our best selves, but understood more generally as attempting to rectify the problem and promising to make a different choice in the future.

During these High Holy Days, go ahead and let yourself and even your children feel a little guilty: it’s good for you. As a Jewish parent, I know.

Rabbi Nicole Wilson-Spiro

Young Families Havurah Events in September

Evening hike and bonfire Havdalah program at Earthplace, 10 Woodside Lane in Westport Saturday, September 10 at 4:00 p.m. It’s not going to rain this time.... Learn about local nature with a naturalist-led hike and enjoy s’mores over the campfire. Bring a picnic dinner, picnic blanket, flashlight, and bug spray. RSVP and bring $5.00 per person to Lynn in the main office by Friday, August 26. Please make sure to RSVP on time—this event will not run without sufficient enrollment. Did I mention s’mores?

Annual pre–Rosh Hashanah apple picking at Silverman’s Farm Sunday, September 25 at 2:30 p.m. Get ready for the holiday by loading up on beautiful, local apples with the Havurah. Silverman’s is located at 451 Sport Hill Road in Easton (off Exit 46 from the Merritt Parkway).

Weekly Shabbat family mornings start at 9:15 a.m. for bagels and 9:30 a.m. for services.

All Havurah events are open to everyone!

Something new is coming to our Sunday classes. After our morning meeting with the students, we will be joining our Shira (music) teacher, Jonathan Cahr, for Havdalah.

What? You say that Havdalah, the service that marks the end of Shabbat

should be on Saturday evening, not Sunday morning? Strictly speaking, that is absolutely correct. The Talmud teaches that if one has the means, it is permitted to extend Shabbat—as late as Tuesday! So what’s our deal?

Last year, we were able to send three of our teachers on an educators’ trip to Israel with our own Dr. Lisa Grant. One of the places they visited was the Leo Baeck School in Haifa. Leo Baeck is a Reform institution serving the children of Haifa. Each Sunday, they are led in Havdalah by Rabbi Ofek Meir. Rabbi Meir reminds them that while they did not all have a chance to end Shabbat together, they are beginning their week of learning together. Therefore they will mark the separation between Shabbat and the rest of the week (“Havdalah” literally means “separation”) to distinguish the work they will do together.

Our teachers, Bonnie Alterman, Anne Kirsch, and Susan Preminger, suggested we do the same. So this year we will. It will be a brief gathering with song and ceremony to bring everyone back to Jewish learning. We hope it will enhance the sense of community our students feel. We will meet each week at 9:45 in the chapel. If you are around, we would love you to join us in a ring around the children. Feel free to drop in!

Meet the Morim! And One Another!

Morim {Hebrew; mo·reem} teachers; Moreh (male) teacherMorah (female) teacher; Morot (female-only) teachers.

It started out in the Religious School Committee a little over a year ago. Someone wondered if we might take a different approach to introducing parents to the new school year on Sundays. It became “Meet the Morim,” two mornings where parents and their children’s teachers come together to learn about what the coming year will bring and to get to know their teacher. It was a great success, so we are doing it again!

Parents of Kitot Bet and Gimel (2nd and 3rd grade) students are invited to meet their morim on Sunday, September 11, opening day. Bring your children to their classroom and then join us in the sanctuary. We will have a brief memorial service to remember those who perished in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC 10, years ago. Then you will go to your student’s classroom to meet the teacher. The students will be in Shira (music) or Ivrit (Hebrew) class.

Parents of Gan and Kitah Alef (Kindergarten and 1st

grade) students are invited to meet their morim on Sunday, September 18. Bring your children to their classroom and then join us in the Social Hall for a cup of coffee and a chance to meet one another. Once the Madrikhim have moved the students from the classrooms to Havdalah, Shira (music), and Sifriya (library), we will go up to the classrooms.

We can’t wait to meet with you!

L’shalom,Ira J. Wise, Director of Education

7For our High Holy Day Food Drive, please fill the grocery bags distributed at Rosh Hashanah services with nonperishable

groceries and bring them to Yom Kippur services. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

From the Education Center

And Now for Something Completely Different…

Celebrate the beginning of a new school year with the Religious School

Family Picnic!

Sunday, September 11 at noonSponsored by the Brotherhood and the Religious

School Committee

Religious School Opening Days

Sunday, September 11, 9:30 a.m. (Gan–Kitah Gimel [grades K–3])Tuesday, September 13, 4:30 p.m. (Kitot Daled–Vav [grades 4–6])

Monday, September 19, 7:00 p.m. (Kitot Zayin and Chet [grades 7 and 8])

8 The High Holy Days are fast approaching! See cover for more information.

SHABBAT SERVICE SCHEDULE

Friday, September 2 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – ShoftimDeut. 16:18-21:9Haftarah – Isaiah 51:12-52:12

Saturday, September 3 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study

Friday, September 9 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – Ki TeitzeiDeut. 21:10-25:19Haftarah – Isaiah 54:1-10

Saturday, September 10 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study11:00 a.m. Bar Mitzvah of Joshua Karol, son

of Ian and Nina Karol

Friday, September 16 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – Ki TavoDeut. 26:1-29:8Haftarah – Isaiah 60:1-22

Saturday, September 17 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study11:00 a.m. B’nai Mitzvah of Isabel Roth,

daughter of George and Susan Roth, and Jake Rubenstein, son of Jon and Diane Rubinstein

Friday, September 23 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – Nitzavim-VayelechDeut. 29:9-31:30Haftarah – Isaiah 61:10-63:9

Saturday, September 24 – S’lichot is observed 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study11:00 a.m. B’nai Mitzvah of Taylor Berlin,

daughter of Duane and Stacey Berlin, and Dylan Condon, son of Lawrence and Judith Condon

Friday, September 30 6:00 p.m. Service

Torah Portion – Gen.1:1-2:3Haftarah – Isaiah 5:5-6:13 or Jeremiah 31:1-19

Saturday, October 1 – Shabbat ShuvahTorah Portion – HaazinuDeut. 32:1-52Haftarah – Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Young Families Havurah 9:30 a.m. Torah Study11:00 a.m. Bat Mitzvah of Zoe Ettinger

Hochberg, daughter of Melissa Ettinger and Eric Hochberg

(Fridays at 6:00 p.m. where indicated, preceded by an Oneg Shabbat at 5:30 p.m.)

Mishpacha Shabbat Friday, September 16, 6:30 p.m.Families with children, come to our September Mishpacha Shabbat for an evening of family fun and joyous celebration as we usher in Shabbat with song and prayer and a delightful meal together. At our first gathering of the year, we will create our own beautiful family tzedakah boxes, explore the mitzvah of tzedakah, and celebrate the joy of giving. RSVP to Elaine Chetrit at echetrit@congregationbnaiisrael.org by September 13. B’nai Israel furnishes the main dish for our Shabbat meal. Each family brings either a side dish or dessert to contribute to our informal buffet supper. $5.00/adult, $2.00/child.

Family Education in the Religious School

Sunday, September 25, 9:30 a.m.Gan Workshop and Consecration

Remember to save the dates for our B’nai Israel Sukkot and Simchat Torah celebrations!

Sukkot Wednesday, October 12, 5:00 p.m. Come decorate our synagogue sukkah and enjoy a potluck dinner under the stars. Bring fruits, vegetables, gourds, dried flowers, cards, and any of your favorite hanging items to beautify our lovely sukkah. Following our sukkah decoration, we’ll sit down together for our harvest meal. In celebration of our bounty, bring a nut-free dish that can feed eight to share at our picnic. Last names beginning A–L, please bring a side dish, and last names beginning M–Z, please bring a main dish. We’ll conclude our evening with a Sukkot Family Service.

Simchat Torah Wednesday, October 19, 6:30 p.m.Design your own colorful Simchat Torah flag or banner to wave and parade around the sanctuary during our spirited Simchat Torah Family Service.

From the Family Education CenterAutumn Fun (Continued from cover)

9Your purchases at Amazon.com via http://www.congregationbnaiisrael.org support our temple!

Take a LookAdults—eye exams are an important part of maintaining overall health! Can you read this? If not, fear not!!

We assure you 20/20 Hebrew vision following a 10-session proven and successful Hebrew course.

$100.00 for 10 sessions. Class times and dates to be mutually agreed upon (minimum of five students needed for class). Contact echetrit@congregationbnaiisrael for more details and to register.

See you there!

Opening the Gates of the High Holy DaysFriday, September 16 and 23, noonTake a look inside our machzor—the High Holy Day prayerbook—through text, midrash, and music. This two-part course is guaranteed to enhance your appreciation of these peak days in the Jewish year. With Rabbi Prosnit and Rabbi Gurevitz. Please join us!

Let’s Do Mussar: A Spiritual Workshop, with Rabbi Ira StoneSaturday, September 17, 1:30 p.m.

Congregation Beth El welcomes us to join their Scholar-in-Residence, Rabbi Ira F. Stone, for some pre–High Holy Day introspection. Mussar is a Jewish spiritual and ethical practice of personal development that focuses on middot—our inner traits—and how we can refine and balance them for the betterment of ourselves and

our society. Refreshments will be served. RSVP to Beth El at 203-374-5544 or e-mail CongBethEl@aol.com. Seating is limited.

Rabbi Stone is also speaking on Shabbat and participating on a panel entitled “Does the Conservative Movement Have a Soul?” on Sunday afternoon, September 18. For full details, see Beth El’s Web site at http://www.uscj.org/ctvalley/fairfield/index.htm.

Rabbi Stone has been Rabbi of Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel in center-city Philadelphia since 1988. His most recent book, A Responsible Life: Mussar as a Spiritual Path, was published by Aviv Press in 2006.

Shabbat Meet-Up for Widows and Widowers With Special Guest David PresslerSaturday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m.David Pressler, visual artist and art curator and a member of B’nai Israel, will be holding a discussion on his most recent work “FACE BOOK: 2010” as originally shown at ArtPlace Gallery, Fairfield. David has adapted this exhibition for digital projection to continue to share the extraordinary images and insight from the original exhibition.

Where do you see FACES? The answer is what David Pressler has been telling artists, photographers, children, and adults for many years: First, “you must learn to look, in order to see.” That’s the real secret of “FACE BOOK: 2010.” If you know how to look, you will be amazed at what you may find looking back at you!

Please join us at the home of Lee Attenberg, 51 Morning Glory Drive, Easton. Call 203-374-9688 for directions.

New Age Spirituality—It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Judaism Monday MidrashaMondays, October 3, 10, 17, and 24 at 7:00 p.m.Time was, you went to synagogue whether you liked it or not. Guilt was enough to keep you going. But it’s not quite that way anymore. We want to feel connected. Are prayer and services enough, or do you want more? This course will review the teachings of Wayne Dyer, one of the premier new age leaders of our time. Based on principles of Eastern religions, psychology, and philosophy, new age spirituality doesn’t replace Judaism—but it sure can enhance it. See life’s map through a whole new prism with Ron and Shira Linden.

Fourth Annual Women’s Spirituality RetreatSaturday, November 19, approx. 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.Killam’s Point Retreat Center, Branford, CTThis year Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener and Spiritual Director Rayzl Feuer join Rabbis Rachel Gurevitz and Suri Krieger for our annual Women’s One-Day Spirituality Retreat. Full details and confirmation of times will be included in the October Bulletin. We are inviting women from Andrea and Rayzl’s communities, P’nai Or in Hartford and P’nai Shore on the CT shoreline, to join us for our joint program. The retreat is $36.00 for members of our communities. Attendance will be opened to nonmembers in mid- October for $50.00 (they can request to be added to a waiting list in the meantime). We will again provide delicious food for each other for lunch. Space is limited. Reserve your place with Lynn in the office at 203-336-1858 or llynch@congregationbnaiisrael.org.

Adult Jewish Learning at Congregation B’nai Israel

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Discretionary Fund – Rabbi ProsnitMark Abrams in memory of Ruth Bender, mother of Jeff and Wendy Bender.Jeff and Wendy Bender in loving memory of mother, Ruth Bender.Marilyn and George Bissell in memory of son, Daniel Ziller.Bobby Bresler, Laura, Jon, and Jim in loving memory of Harvey Bresler.Barbara and Mark Edinberg in memory of Diane Nigrosh, sister of Mark Nigrosh.Ellen and Arthur Gang – Mazel Tov to Erin Gleeson and Rabbi Jonathan Prosnit.Guido Gualtieri in memory of Jimmy Cohen, brother of Rozanne Lancia.Don and Wendy Hyman in honor of the wedding of Emily Hyman to Matthew Martin. George and Alice Kelly in memory of father, Thomas Kelly.Carol Krim in loving memory of husband, Michael, and in appreciation to Rabbi Prosnit.Anthony and Rozanne Lancia in memory of Dr. Julius Kaplan.Shirley Lantz in memory of beloved son of Marilyn and George Bissell, David Ziller.Alekseyy and Raisa Ledvich in memory of mother, Emilia Ledvich, and grandmother, Adell Dovalskaya.Lee Lester in honor of Rhea Farbman and June Klein for their dedication to the Kesher Project.Gale Lubchansky in memory of beloved mother and grandmother, Faye Steuerman.Kenneth and Nora Mayerson in memory of father, Harry L. Silverman, and brother, Stanley B. Silverman.Jack and Karin Newman in honor of Jonathan Prosnit’s ordination and Rabbi Jim Prosnit’s 30th anniversary of his ordination.Roberta Schwartz Planos in loving memory of father, Lawrence B. Schwartz, and Miriam S. Scherr.Suzanne Saletan anad Hank Widrow in honor of Jonathan’s ordination.Esther Spiegel in honor of Jonathan’s ordination and his engagement to Erin Gleeson.Lois Sussman in memory of husband, F. Richard Sussman and father of Margo Kaminsky.Eileen and Howard Tolk in loving memory of sister, Helen Cramer.Florence Yasser in memory of father, Abraham Epstein.

Discretionary Fund – Rabbi GurevitzThe Caston family – Miriam, Bob, Harry, and Anne in memory of David Ziller.

Music FundJim and Barbara Abraham in memory of Diane Nigrosh, sister of Mark Nigrosh.Luise and Ed Burger in memory of Diane Nigrosh, sister of Mark Nigrosh.Elena Halady – Mazel Tov to Nina and Ken Rabine on the marriage of their son, Dustin, to Jessica Kleiner, which will take place on September 3.Edward and Anne Kamens in memory of David Ziller, son of Marilyn Bissell.Amy Kaplan – thanks to Cantor Blum. Muriel Lefsetz in memory of Fanny Kaster, Harvey Kaster, and Adam Morris.

Ilse Levi in honor of David and Judy Beier’s special anniversary.Eileen and Howard Tolk in loving memory of mother, Justine Tolk.Frederic West in memory of Dorothy West.

Enhancement FundLori, Ken, Ryan, Arielle, and Darcy Berger in memory of Diane Nigrosh, sister of Mark Nigrosh.Luise and Ed Burger in memory of Adeline Apfelbaum, mother of Willi Berkowitz.Marsha and Mel Freling in honor of Marc Silverman.Jim and Lisa Greenberg in honor of Jonathan Prosnit and Erin Gleeson’s aufruf; in memory of Diane Nigrosh, sister of Mark Nigrosh; and in appreciation of Richard Walden.Barbara Haflich – sincere sympathy to George and Marilyn Bissell; best wishes to Julia Mayer for a complete recovery. Jane and Bob Hillman with thanks for Jeff Siegel for the time he gave to Ethan.Albert and Alida Kleban in memory of father, Joseph Shulkin.Lee Lester in honor of Rhea Farbman and June Klein for their dedication to the Kesher Project.Alice Madwed in memory of David Ziller, son of Marilyn Bissell.Jay Stubenhaus in memory of Edward Stubenhaus.Eileen and Howard Tolk in loving memory of father, Samuel Tolk.

Religious School Enrichment FundSally Kenler in memory of Diane Nigrosh, sister of Mark Nigrosh.

Religious School Scholarship FundSusan and Bob Sussman in memory of grandfather, Lester Paul Bibro, and in memory of Mordka Knopf, father of Fred Knopf.

Rabbi Arnold I. Sher Social Action FundAlison Bonds and Larry Levine in memory of Lynn Robinson, mother of Donna Tauss. Barbara and Mark Edinberg in memory of Lynn Robinson, mother of Donna Tauss.Ilse Levi in memory of Lynn Robinson, mother of Donna Tauss.George and Chris Markley in memory of Lynn Robinson, mother of Donna Tauss.Harriet and Sam Miller in memory of father, Joseph Kot.Suzanne Saletan and Hank Widrow in honor of the birth of your grandson, Stanley James.Eileen and Howard Tolk in memory of Esther Zimmer, mother of Seena Katz. Nursery School Scholarship FundAbby Schine in honor of Gail Weinstein’s retirement and in memory of Anne Selcow, aunt of Stanley Lessler.The Viens family in memory of Diane Nigrosh, sister of Mark Nigrosh.

Nursery School Enrichment FundPaula and Herb Greenberg in honor of Gail Weinstein’s retirement.George and Chris Markley with deep gratitude to Gail Weinstein for 25 remarkable years as our Early Childhood Director.

Rachel, Hannah, and Sarah Rosenberg in honor of Gail Weinstein’s retirement.Eileen and Howard Tolk – congratulations to their son and daughter-in-law, Josh and Jessica, on the birth of their second daughter, Taylor.Carol and Steve Wolfson in honor of Gail Weinstein’s retirement.

Judith Brav Sher FundElaine and Juda Chetrit – Mazel Tov to grandparents Barbara and Derek Solomon and parents Kerrith and Derek Rosenbaum on the birth of baby Micah Tamir Rosenbaum; in memory of parents Eli Teller and Rachamim and Zohar Chetrit.George and Chris Markley – Mazel Tov to Jennifer and Sal Birrittella and the entire Sher family on the birth of Stanley James Luis Birrittella.Charles and Nancy Needle in honor of the birth of Arnie and Serena Sher’s grandson, Stanley James.

Vision Loan Reduction FundJudy and Michael BlumenthalRichard and Joanne KrantzPatti and Samuel Rosenberg in honor of Gail Weinstein’s retirement.

Sylvia Prosnit Adult Education FundLarry and Audrey Bernstein in memory of Lynn Robinson, mother of Donna Tauss.Diane Fried in appreciation.

Alan H. Weinstein Scholarship FundJoni and Michael Greenspan in honor of the birth of Stanley James, son of Jenny and Sal and grandson of Serena and Arnie Sher; condolences to Helaine Alper and family on the loss of Fred Sabsowitz; congratulations to Donna and Avi Goldstein on the ordination of daughter, Diana.

Daniel Smith Cemetery FundEileen and Howard Tolk – congratulations to Harriet and Sam Miller on their grandson Harrison’s Bar Mitzvah.

Lee and David Lester Kesher Project FundLee Lester in honor of Rhea Farbman and June Klein for their dedication to the Kesher Project. BIFTY/Greenwald Scholarship FundThe Locke Family in memory of childhood friend, Jack Greenwald.

The Arnold and Doris Tower FundThe Locke Family in memory of Aunt Bobby.

Prayer Book Fund George and Chris Markley in memory of Ruth Bender, mother of Jeff Bender.

MAZONBess Halpert in memory of Ruth Bender, mother of Jeff and Wendy Bender.

DonationsPlease note that only contributions of $10.00 or more will be acknowledged with a card and Bulletin listing.

11For our High Holy Day Food Drive, please fill the grocery bags distributed at Rosh Hashanah services with nonperishable

groceries and bring them to Yom Kippur services. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Spend S’lichot evening with a real

Saturday, September 24, 8:00 p.m.Congregation Rodeph SholomSheldon Yellen, president/CEO of the Belfor USA Group, Inc., which works on integrated disaster recovery

and restoration services, will discuss his own journey of self-discovery and t’shuva and its surprising connection to the High Holy Days.

Welcome, Havdalah, and introduction by Rabbi Daniel Victor, followed by an “Undercover Boss” episode and Q & A with Mr. Yellen. A dessert reception will be followed by the S’lichot service, led by our community’s clergy and choirs.

Co-sponsored by Congregations Beth El, B’nai Israel, B’nai Torah, and Rodeph Sholom, and Belfor and Mr. Yellen.

As we start the Jewish season of introspection and self-evaluation…

Celebrate Shabbat at Camp ¥ Hiking ¥

Arts & Crafts ¥ Sleep in EisnerÕs Heated

Cabins ¥ Visit and Play at Crane Lake ¥

Sports and Games Make New Friends ¥

Campfire and SÕmores

Fr i d a y, O c t o b e r 1 4 t h - S u n d a y, O c t o b e r 1 6t h

For 2nd-5th graders(grade in Fall 2011)

For First-Time and Prospective Eisner & Crane Lake CampersNew Camper Weekend

Find out more at eisner.urjcamps.org or cranelake.urjcamps.org

Before Sept 1: 413.528.1652After Sept 1: 201.722.0400

Join MAZON’s effort to make sure that no one goes hungry. Help us transform how it is into how it should be. Donate to MAZON today. May 5772 be a sweet year, and may we be

blessed to see the end of hunger in all our communities.

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What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@congregationbnaiisrael.org!

Welcome Young Israeli Emissaries!We are delighted to welcome our new Young Emissaries from Israel! Below are letters each of them has written to our congregation. They should be here in the beginning of September. If your family is interested in hosting one of them for part of the year, contact Ira Wise at 203-335-0745 or iwise@congregationbnaiisrael.org.

Hello everyone!

My name is Rotem Prag. I live in Kibbutz Ein-Harod, which is below Mt. Gilboa in the north of Israel. I have two brothers and a sister and I’m the youngest. Most of all I like dancing and singing.

I chose to be in this program because the connection between the Israeli Jews and the Jewish population around the world is very important to me. As a Jew I believe people should not worry about what is happening here in Israel—because

Israel will always be the home of the Jewish people.

I look forward to meeting each and every one of you in the year to come.

Rotem

Hello everyone!

My name is Avital Goshen and I live in Kibbutz Hasolelim, which is located in the beautiful Jezreal valley in Israel.

I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I do have amazing parents and a cute collie dog named Cookie. My parents made aliyah to Israel 20 years ago and I was the first member in our extended family to be born in Israel.

I have just graduated the Israel Arts and Science Academy in Jerusalem, which is a three-year private boarding school. Although my major in school was science, my true love is music. I have sung in a choir for five years, and in high school I had a band.

Five years ago, when I came back from Camp Tamarack in Michigan, I knew that I wanted to take part in strengthening the living bridge between Israel and the Jews in the United States. Most of my family lives overseas and I am the first generation in Israel. All of that and more make me think that this program is very important, and I am really proud and glad to take part in it.

I can’t wait to meet you all!

Avital