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Temple Beth El of City Island
Your Shul By the Sea
480 City Island Avenue
Post Office Box 188
City Island, New York 10464
www.yourshulbythesea.org



















 

Temple Beth El of City Island
News by the Sea

November 2021

Cheshvan-Kislev 5782

 

In this Month's Newsletter

   Community News

November Snapshot 

Hello, wonderful Shul by the Sea community!  We hope this newsletter finds you well. October brought a lack of holidays (phew!) and a Fifth Friday celebration with some wacky costumes.  As we get ready to head into the darkness of winter, we go together.

All TBE offerings continue online. The schedule on TBE's website is current for October: look under "Upcoming Events" on the right side, or "Calendar" on the top of the website.

The Zoom link and code for each event, class, program or service is listed on the website. Zoom links are listed here also. As before, each day's Zoom code is the same from month to month.

Please note these dates for November
  • Torah study with Rabbi David continues:  Please join us for a lively Torah Soul Spa on Saturday mornings from 10:00-11:30am.  No previous experience required.  Zoom only. As we start from the beginning, it's a great time to jump on.  This year's theme is Morality and Midrasah.
  • Lights and Flicks:  Join our Saturday night movie series, curated by Barbara Gold. Movies are screened immediately after Havdalah, which begins at 7:30 pm.  Please check the calendar to see what's on the schedule.
  • Our embodied spirituality classes continue: Yoga with Daniella on Monday; Meditation with Tenzin on Tuesday; Feldenkrais with Rachel R. on Tuesday; Qi Gong/T'ai Chi with Avra on Wednesday; and Meditation with Barbara on some Fridays (Nov 12):  All are going full steam ahead. What a roster of talented spiritual mind-body practitioners we have!2
  • From the Heart Brunch this Sunday, 11/7 at noon (don't forget to push the clocks!) we will eat, bake challah, make a quilt, listen to music and generally get the Thanksgiving and Chanukah spirit going.  Bring donations for the food pantry.  Registration required.
  • Save the date:  We hope to go see the "Jewgrass" group, Nefesh Mountain, on Saturday night, February 5th in Mamaroneck.  For now, save the date!
  • Save the date: B'H the B-mitzvah cohort 2 will be called to the Torah for Shavuot, on the morning of June 5.  Our studying begins now!
  • Chanukkah candle lighting: Last year, we lit candles together every night, looking for our miracles.  We will do this again, it was enjoyed by many.  The times vary, so check the calendar for daily zoom candle lightings as we get closer to Chanukkah.  We will firm this up for you very soon.  We anticipate 6 PM most days, except 7:30 on Friday and Saturday.  Again, watch the calendar for times.
From TBE's shared heart to your heart where you are, welcome to October– and thank you for loving Your Shul by the Sea.

 
Kabbalat Shabbat Schedule for November


Deep thanks to TBE's service leadership team – Bob BerentShari Berkowitz, Stu Goldstein, Leslie Lichtman-Berland and Monty Renov – for lifting us into Shabbat during their Friday night services.

Here's our Kabbalat Shabbat schedule (starting 7:30pm).

  • Nov 5 - Stu and Leslie - zoom only
  • Nov 12 - Rabbi David - in shul IF VACCINATED (bring proof or submit in advance) and on zoom
  • Nov 19 - Shari and Monty - zoom only
  • Nov 26 - Rabbi David - Thanksgiving shabbat with special guests B-Mitzvah Cohort 1 in shul IF VACCINATED (bring proof or submit in advance) and on zoom
Please join us for a wonderful start to Shabbat each week.

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From the Rabbi's Desk:  Gateway to Miracles

By Rabbi David

Depending on the day, I'm a rational mystic or a mystical rationalist. Lawyer-judgely me insists on objective evidence (or, at least, a purpose to believing), while spiritual me craves – and, every so often, experiences – the certain wow beyond the rational how and why.
 
So what of "miracles" – what we call the impossible (or impossibly impactful) that actually happen? Spiritually, that's the focus of the upcoming Jewish month of Kislev, gateway to Chanukkah (which this year begins Sunday, November 28).
 
We evoke "miracles" for what Chanukkah has come to represent. Chanukkah is for the "miracle" of Maccabi freedom fighters overcoming impossible odds, the "miracle" of redeeming a defiled Temple, and the "miracle" of one day's oil lasting for eight (longer than the seven days of Creation itself). 
 
This era teaches that no amount of dark can extinguish a light determined to shine. We've seen that even the faintest light can begin to brighten the darkest dark. We've seen how each light can inspire others to shine.
 
Each in our own way, this month calls us to both seek that light, and also become that light and help others shine. But is it fair to link that call to "miracles" – especially when we might have so many other explanations ranging from physical science to psychology to outright myth? 
 
Albert Einstein would say yes. It might surprise us that the great Jewish physicist – intent on unlocking secrets of the universe, who came closer than anyone before and paved the way for everyone since – would speak of miracles. But he did: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
 
So too tens of thousands of medical professionals who saved countless lives during the pandemic. So too scientists who brought "miracle" vaccines to the world. So too "miracle" carbon-trapping technology that might help redeem the Temple of our planet. So too everyone whose acts of light-filled kindness touch others' hearts and brighten spots of darkness.
 
Maybe that's why Torah during Kislev centers on the Joseph saga. Torah tracks Joseph's descent from Canaan, thrown into a pit, sent down to Egypt, sold into bondage, falsely accused, and locked in a basement dungeon. Only there, in darkness, could a "miracle" dream reach Pharaoh – to Egypt, the 'Sun god' of  illumination – who'd summon Joseph up from prison darkness, into court, into Pharaoh's service, ultimately to become the governor whose service would save everyone.

The "miracle" path of lighting the darkness isn't somewhere else. While our familiar dreidel proclaims that nes gadol hayah sham (a great miracle happened there – meaning Israel), I prefer this Israeli version: nes gadol hayah poh (a great miracle happened here). Chanukkah is about lighting the darkness here, to live here as though everything is a miracle, to spread light from candle to candle, heart to heart, life to life – right here and now.
 
Not even the darkest dark can extinguish a light determined to shine. Even more, sometimes it's the darkest dark that inspires light to shine brightest. As Robert Frost wrote:
 
Oh star (the fairest one in sight),
We grant your loftiness the right
To some obscurity of light –
It will not do to say of night
Since dark is what brings out your light.
 
In the merit of miracle makers everywhere, let's go become lights. From my heart to yours, chag Chanukkah sameach!
 
Register now for Sunday's brunch
We will be meeting on Sunday November 7 at noon (don't forget to change your clocks) for challah making, quilt making, music, fun and of course eating!  The menu might include bagels and latkes...you will have to show up to find out!  Register on the website by clicking here.  We ask $25 for this small fundraiser.  Get your Chanukah and Thanksgiving mojo working. Bring something for the Food Pantry at Trinity Church if you can.  YOU MUST BE VACCINATED to attend and we are capping registration at 25 persons.
 
Register now for Adult Ed:  Secrets of our Success:  Resilience in Jewish Life

We are proud to announce that our Fall adult education course will continue our High Holiday theme of Gevurah:  strength, boundaries, resilience and, yes, chutzpah.  Please join us every other Tuesday night at 7:30 pm on zoom, beginning October 19 TONIGHT IS THE SECOND SESSION - JOIN NOW AND CATCH UP.

Join Rabbi David for a journey into Jewish themes of spiritual resilience. How did Judaism craft collective cultures and spiritual paths to not only survive adversity but also harnessed it to thrive?
Fee for members is $72; for non-members it is $120 for the series. Click here to register.

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  Register now for Book Club 5782

TBE is joining with our "cousins" at Congregation Beth Israel of North Adams, MA, to read all the hottest Jewish books of the year.  Please click thru to see the details; we will meet one Sunday night a month at 7 pm, starting on November 7, led by the incomparable Rabbi Pamela Jay Gottfreid. Join us from November to May.
Fee for members is $72; for non-members it is $120 for the series. Click here to register.

  Let's Go to Israel
We are hoping to travel as a group of 3 or 4 synagogues to Israel in the summer of 2022.  We are hoping for the best; time will tell.  However, we need to know now if there is enough interest.  Please write to yourshulbythesea@gmail.com if you are interested.  Read more here.

Zoom Links @TBE

click here for the October calendar in full

To access TBE's Zoom each day, click on that day's web link below. Or, you can go to Zoom enter the Meeting ID and Access Code manually.  

To access by phone, dial Zoom's phone number (646.568.7788), then follow the prompts to enter the Meeting ID and Access Code.

 

SUNDAYS: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 317 145 140  •  Code: 971260

MONDAYS: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 750 606 182  •  Code: 855659

TUESDAYS: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 381 969 769  •  Code: 097126

WEDNESDAYS: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 574 198 337  •  Code: 753541

THURSDAYS: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 372 001 186  •  Code: 132093

FRIDAYS: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 629 569 195  •  Code: 175471

SATURDAYS: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 801 261 043  •  Code: 374415


Healing List












 

TBE sends blessings of refuah shleimah (fullest healing possible) to these souls among and around us:

Anonymous (congregant)
Anonymous (congregant)
Anonymous (congregant)
Bob Berent (congregant)
Sue Camacho (friend of congregant)
Alana Fall (friend of congregant)
Audrey Giannakaris (sister of congregant)
Noah Jacob Gottlieb (friend of congregant)
Marla Lichtman (sister of congregant)
Tina Lichtman (sister of congregant)
Gary McGriff (friend of congregant)
Steve Roth (friend of congregants)
Jodie Sadovsky - R’faela Chanah bat Yerachmiel v’Rivkah (congregant)
Ellen Ruth Topol (congregant)
Binyamina bat Zahava (child of congregant)
Lev Dovir miBeit Miriam (student of R. David)
Yonatan ben Hadas v’Aharon (friend of R. David)
Mashah Ahuvia bat Leah
R. Ora Simcha bat Dvorah
Chaiyim ben Perel v'Avraham (friend of R. David)


TBE keeps Healing List names for a month, subject to renewal. In case of a request for confidentiality, only clergy will know: names will be kept private. 
To add/renew a name, or to seek Chesed Team support for personal needs arising from illness or other personal difficulty, email us (yourshulbythesea@gmail.com). For confidential requests, please contact R. David directly.  Big thanks to Tenzin and Leslie for their work on this.

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Community News

Here's a note from Ellen Weinstein:
Dorot is seeking volunteers to deliver Thanksgiving meals.  You can register at their website.
 

The Marlene Myerson JCC offers wonderful film series, the next of which is for Chanukah.  You can see more at their website.
 

Ellen Weinstein  570 269 5702   phone or text  weinbergerellen@gmail.com
 


Congrats to Shari for her appearance on the Bayit builder's blog, talking about singing as a connective spiritual practice.  Read it here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. R. David wants to know if you are having a financial crisis, as he applies for more funding from UJA for emergencies such as these.  Please contact him directly via email at davidevanmarkus@gmail.com.  All information is strictly confidential.

WRITE FOR US! We invite you to make free announcements – joyous occasions, memorials, tributes and more. We also invite you to send us pictures, poems and essays. Submissions are due on the 20th day of the month by email to the newsletter editor, Shari Berkowitz, at shariellen@gmail.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVE YOURSELF AND DEVICES A REST. Please silence all of your communication devices before services, especially for Barechu, Shema, Amidah and Kaddish. Thank you for uplifting the kedushah (holiness) of our sacred times. 

 

CONNECT WITH US


CONTACT US


Street Address
480 City Island Avenue
City Island, New York 10464

Mailing Address
Post Office Box 188
City Island, New York 10464

General Email
yourshulbythesea@gmail.com

Synagogue Website
www.yourshulbythesea.org

Donations & Payments
https://tinyurl.com/tbe-donate
 


 

YOUR SHUL BY THE SEA


     

"Your Shul by the Sea" is a spiritually dynamic, loving and joyfully inclusive community dedicated to the heights and depths of Jewish tradition. We emphasize renewing the heart and soul of Jewish life.

Our members and friends hail from across New York's tri-state area. They describe us as truly warm and real, free of pretense. From the moment you enter whether live or digitally, you'll feel enfolded, welcome and embraced just as you are.

We proudly welcome diversity in all forms. Our leaders are women and men, LGBT and straight. We hail from across and beyond the breadth of Jewish denominations. We pray and play with our siblings in multiple faiths, sharing with us the human call to infuse all life with living spirit. 

We draw from all movements of the Jewish world. We reach beyond outdated labels. Our clergy are innovators in Jewish spirituality, and hail from the Academy for Jewish Religion and ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.

Explore our website for more about our clergy, our uplifting Band and our education program. Welcome!

 

 

RABBINIC CONTACTS




R. David Markus

Rabbi & Spiritual Leader
Link for Email



R. Shohama Wiener

Rabbi Emerita
Link for Email

For pastoral emergencies, please also email the synagogue main office for prompt response: yourshulbythesea@gmail.com.


 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES &

COMMUNITY LEADERS



TBE's Board of Trustees are our Kohanim, community leaders in the spiritual flow of Judaism's ancient priesthood of service.

Executive Officers

   Jodie Sadovsky, Acting Vice President
   Rachel Stark, Acting President
   Stuart Sorell, Treasurer
   Elaine Belasco, Secretary

Trustees

   Shari Berkowitz
   Barbara Gold
   Bart Sobel
  
Advisory Council

   Bob Lerner
   Helen Lerner
   Arnold Wile
   David Stark
   R. Shohama Wiener
   Joel Meltzer
   Fern Hertzberg

Ritual Committee

   Bob Berent
   Shari Berkowitz
   Stu Goldstein
   Leslie Lichtman-Berland
   Monty Renov
   
 


MEMBERSHIP


Membership is open to all spiritual seekers who resonate with our joyful approach to renewing Judaism. We rely on membership and charitable support to keep our doors open to all regardless of means.

For membership information,
please contact:

Elaine Belasco
Membership Chair
718.885.2154
lainybel@aol.com


 


SUPPORT US


We depend on tzedakah (charitable support) to continue offering high-quality, low-cost spiritual community for all persons, regardless of means.

To make a 100% tax-deductible contribution, click here to give via PayPal:

   

On behalf of Your Shul by the Sea, thank you for your generous support of our vision for joyful spiritual Judaism in coastal New York and beyond.


 

BORDERLESS INCLUSION


Temple Beth El of City Island is proud to network with innovative communities across the spiritual spectrum that emphasize heartfelt inclusion and spiritual experience beyond labels and boundaries.

Rabbi David is a rabbinic fellow alumnus of

    

a former project of CLAL: Center for Jewish Life and Learning, whose participating clergy are helping lead the cutting edge of innovation in Jewish spiritual life.

 

 



RENEWAL IN ACTION


Temple Beth El of City Island inherits the spiritual tradition of innovation today re-inspiring Judaism and all spiritual life. 

We share the flow of spiritual innovation with cooperative spiritual allies here and around the world. Together we're building a living and breathing Jewish spirituality open to all.

In this spirit, TBE thanks proudly our spiritual partners at –
 

– which is helping pioneer the next phase of Jewish spiritual building for the 21st century. Learn more at Bayit: Building Jewish.
 
TBE draws from all streams and denominations of Jewish life, including the pluralist tradition of the New York Jewish seminary, Academy for Jewish Religion
and Jewish Renewal influences flowing in diverse ways, including the founders and alumni of 
 





PRIDE: LOVE WINS


    

Temple Beth El of City Island is a proud supporter of full LGBTQ equality and inclusion in Jewish life. We were among the first Jewish congregations in New York to legally solemnize same-sex marriages, and we have a long and proud history of LGBTQ leadership of our community.

For more information, please contact us or our friends at Keshet: For LGBTQ equality in Jewish Life.

    
 




DIVERSITY IN SPIRIT




Temple Beth El of City Island is rated as a top welcoming and inclusive synagogue for persons of all races, ethnicities and religions by the good people at Mocha Juden.

    

 



SHOP AMAZON FOR US


Please also support TBE with every Amazon purchase. Do your Amazon shopping from smile.amazon.com and designate Temple Beth El of City Island. Thank you!
 

 


 

COMMUNITY REQUEST:
MAKING SACRED SPACE @HOME


 

While we're all making our sacred spaces at home, we ask that all members and guests make a spiritual practice of being aware of the sounds in their surroundings.

Before services, please mute televisions, telephones and other electronic devices. If you have noisy pets, please place them in another room. If noise occurs, please make special effort to mute yourself.

Please consult our customs and policies for helpful guidance about ways to feel most comfortable in our community and make it your own. Thank you
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