1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER
5775/2015
APRIL/ IYAR / NISAN
ISSUE #95
Honoring Franny & Arnie Drucker
SISTERHOOD MEETING
SUNDAY, APRIL 19TH - 9:30AM
COMEDIAN BARRY POLOFSKY & A LITE BITE!
SISTERHOOD NEWS BEGINS ON PAGE 31
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HAMAKOM YINACHEM
Sharon Doretsky on the passing of her mother, Leona Weiner.
Stuart Linzer on the passing of his mother, Ruth Linzer.
Andrea Crane on the passing of her mother, Gloria Sanford.
Judy Altman on the passing of her brother, Charles Leber.
Stephen Taub on the passing of his mother, Hedda Taub.
Robert Englander on the passing of his father, Stephen Englander.
Edward Fryman on the passing of his mother, Helen Fryman
MAZEL TOV
Ilene and Michael Brooks and Ruth and Robert Dubrow on the birth of their grandson,
Zachary Maddox, son of Stacey and Joshua Dubrow
PJC MISSION STATEMENT
Plainview Jewish Center is a forward-looking, family-friendly,
Conservative synagogue, which respects and incorporates traditional
Jewish values. We are completely egalitarian and inclusive in all aspects
of synagogue life.
We strive to provide a distinct, positive Jewish identity through
worship, life-long education, enrichment, and community involvement.
These practices ensure a congregation in which every member matters.
KEEP US INFORMED!! Got good news? Engagements, marriages, births? Send your information by mail,
fax (516-938-2737) or email (pjcli@optonline.net) so that we may share your simchas with the congregation.
PLEASE LET OUR CLERGY KNOW!
Current laws prevent hospitals from releasing names of patients. Please call the Temple Office when you, a
family member, or friend are in the hospital and would welcome a visit. Contact the Temple office at 516-9388610 ext.0.
ORBIT (USPS 410440) is published monthly from September to June
for $2.00 per annum by the Plainview Jewish Center (a religious corporation under the laws of the State of New York), 95 Floral Drive West,
Plainview, New York 11803. WE 8-8610. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ORBIT, Plainview Jewish Center, 95 Floral Drive
West, Plainview, New York 11803
RABBI...........................................................................Steven Conn
RABBI EMERITUS...................................................Julius Goldberg *
CANTOR......................................................................Morris Wolk
PRINCIPAL.................................................................Rachel Ginsburg
PRESIDENT..............................................................Bruce Elowsky
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD............................Shea Z. Lerner
SISTERHOOD PRESIDENT..........................Debbie Zaglin
MEN’S CLUB PRESIDENT....................................Mark Hochberg
FAMILYEDUCATION DIRECTOR......................................Judy Alper
ACTING YOUTH DIRECTOR.............................Morgan Hammerman
ORBIT EDITORS.......................................................Margie Richter
Michele Haimes
Elizabeth Kessler
ORBIT COVER ART................................................... Joyce Eckstein
* In Memorian
DEADLINE - FOR- ISSUE DATE
APRIL 1st
Plainview Jewish Center
516-938-8610
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Mon. thru Fri…………… 6:30AM
Mon. thru Thurs…….…...8:00PM
Sun. and Holidays………. 9:00AM
Sun. and Holidays………. 8:00PM
Friday Evening Services Check Calendar for Times
WE’RE ON THE WEB:
WWW.PLAINVIEWJEWISHCENTER.ORG
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APRIL CALENDAR
Rabbi Steven Conn & Cantor Morris Wolk will officiate at services
The Officers and Board of Trustees Extend a Hearty Mazal Tov to the Families of the Following Simchas
Thursday, April 2nd
Senior FAN Club……………….…….….1:00PM
Friday, April 3rd
Morning Minyan-Fast of First Born……..6:00AM
Pesach Evening Service………..............5:45PM
Community Passover Seder…......……..6:30PM
Saturday, April 4th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 1…...….9:00AM
Mincha/Ma’ariv……………………......….7:00PM
Sunday, April 5th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 2..……..9:00AM
Pesach Mincha Service…….……......….7:00PM
Wednesday, April 8th
Lunch and Learn…………………….….11:00AM
Ritual Committee Meeting………………8:30PM
Thursday, April 9th
Senior FAN Club……………………..…..1:00PM
Pesach Evening Minyan – Day 7...……..7:15PM
Friday, April 10th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 7…....….9:00AM
Pesach Mincha Service – Day 8.........…..7:15PM
Saturday, April 11th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 8…….….9:00AM
Mincha/Ma’ariv…………………………….7:15PM
Sunday, April 12th
Services Followed by T/T Breakfast…..…9:00AM
Monday, April 13th
Religious School Committee Meeting…...8:15PM
Tuesday, April 14th
Men’s Club Movie Night…………………..8:15PM
Wednesday, April 15th
Chesed Meeting……….......……………...6:30PM
Yom Hashoah Program………….………..7:00PM
Thursday, April 16th
Senior FAN Club…………….......…….…..1:00PM
Board of Trustees Meeting…...……..…….8:30PM
Friday, April 17th
Erev Shabbat Service……….…………….6:00PM
Family Friendly Friday Night Service……..7:00PM
Saturday, April 18th
Shacharit Service…………….…….………9:00AM
Mincha/Ma’ariv…………………………….7:00PM
Bar Mitzvah: Noah Levitt,
son of Ina and Sanford Levitt
Sunday, April 19th
Services Followed by T/T Breakfast…….9:00AM
Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class……………..9:15AM
Sisterhood Meeting………………………9:30AM
Stepping Up Vav with Parents…....…….11:00AM
J-Flex…………………………..…....……11:30AM
Monday, April 20th
Mishpacha Committee Meeting…….……7:30PM
I*Express Meeting…………………………8:30PM
Tuesday, April 21st
Sisterhood Board Meeting……..…………8:15PM
Wednesday, April 22nd
Israel Trip Presentation……………………7:30PM
Bible Class with Rabbi Conn……………..8:30PM
Thursday, April 23rd
Senior FAN Club…………………………...1:00PM
Friday, April 24th
Musical Tot Shabbat………………….……5:30PM
Erev Shabbat Service……………………..6:00PM
Bet Class Service………….......….……….7:00PM
Saturday, April 25th
Shacharit Service……………….…………9:00AM
Baby Naming: Isabelle Rose Forschheimer,
Daughter of Debbie and Adam Forschheimer
Granddaughter of Alice and Steve Glasser
Musical Junior Congregation.……….....…9:45AM
Mincha/Ma’ariv………………..…….......…7:30PM
Sunday, April 26th
Services Followed by T/T Breakfast…..…9:00AM
Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class…………...…9:15AM
J-Flex……………………………………...11:30AM
Family Bingo……………………………….5:30PM
Tuesday, April 28th
Men’s Club Board Meeting……………….8:30PM
Wednesday, April 29th
Sisterhood Fashion Boutique…………….7:00PM
Thursday, April 30th
Senior FAN Club………...........………...…1:00PM
Congregation Meeting……………...……..8:15PM
Mark your calendars: PJC Journal Dinner Dance
honoring
Franny & Arnie Drucker
May 3, 2015!
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FROM THE RABBI by Rabbi Steven Conn
By most measures, more American Jews observe Passover than
any other holiday—even Hanukkah. Seder attendance hovers around 70
percent. Why do so many of us attend seders, even if most of us (present
company excepted) don’t do much of anything else Jewish the rest of the
year?
Of course, the Passover seder appeals to us because it is a family
gathering. Many of us associate the Passover seder with the warmth and
love of family coming together around the table for a celebration. Many of us also love the
seder food, from the sweetness of the charoset to the savoriness of the brisket to the
lightness of a perfectly executed sponge cake.
But there is something else about the Passover seder that I think resonates with a lot
of us: the Passover story. Although the story is set in a particular time in place, long ago
and far away, the Haggadah articulates the themes of the story in a way that is both timeless
and timely. One of my favorite examples of how the Haggadah connects the story of the
exodus to our lives is the passage “v’hi she’amda.” “V’hi she’amda” interrupts one of the
serial tellings of the Passover story that make up the first part of the Haggadah. Before we
recite or sing this passage, we raise our glasses, as if to make a toast. Then we declare:
This promise has stood both our ancestors and us in good stead. For not just
one enemy has stood against us to wipe us out. But in every generation there
have been those who have stood against us to wipe us out. Yet, the Holy One,
Praised be God, keeps on saving us from their hands.
This declaration invites us to put our own experience in the context of the Passover story.
Just as in Moses’ time, an evil enemy tried to destroy our people, so too in every age, -including ours. We praise God for saving us not just from Pharaoh, but from all those who
have sought to destroy us throughout our history.
This year, there are no shortage of enemies who seek to destroy the State of Israel,
and even the Jewish people. Last summer, Hamas terrorized Israel with deadly rocket and
mortar fire and attacks launched from cross-border tunnels. Iran moves closer to building
nuclear weapons that it intends to aim at Israel. Meanwhile, the Iranian backed Hezbollah
threatens Israel’s northern border. ISIS, too, looms as a threat to Israel’s north. In Europe,
anti-Semitic incidents have skyrocketed. Jews in France and Denmark have been targeted
in deadly terrorist attacks. Even in the United States, the BDS movement has become a
safe harbor for those who want to express their anti-semetic sentiments in the guise of
opposition to Israel’s policies on the West Bank.
Unlike other times in our history, we do not have to simply rely on God to thwart our
enemies. With the State of Israel’s military might, and the influence of American Jews on
government policy, we can actively respond to the threats we face. While our power is no
( continued on page 5 )
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From The Rabbi ( continued from Page 4 )
guarantee of success, we find ourselves in a much better situation than our ancestors ever
were.
In spite, or maybe because of our relatively newfound power, we are just as
preoccupied as ever with the threats that face us. It was this preoccupation with external
threats, many believe, that drove the results of the recent Israeli election. Israel may be
suffering from a shortage of affordable housing and a growing income gap. But Israelis were
more concerned with the many threats facing them from outside. Therefore, they voted for
Benyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, which campaigned not only against the center-left Zionist
Union, but also against its own right of center allies as the only party that could guarantee
Israel’s security.
Preoccupation with external threats is also driving the current debate in this country
over a nuclear deal with Iran; a debate that Netanyahu eagerly threw himself into. No one
disagrees that Iran is a threat not just to Israel, but to the entire world. President Obama and
his Republican opponents are locked into a heated confrontation over what is the best way
to control that threat. Both sides, I believe, understand just how high the stakes are when it
comes to Iran.
It is unfortunate, though utterly predictable, that our preoccupation with external
threats in both Israel and the United States has quickly become politicized. In the days leading
up to the election, Netanyahu seemed to reverse his longtime commitment to a two-state
solution. On Election Day, he tried to drum up right-wing voter turnout by sounding the alarm
that Israeli Arabs were voting in large numbers; as if this poignant demonstration of Israeli
democracy at work were also a threat to the nation.
Meanwhile, here in the United States, forty-seven Republican senators sent a letter to
Iran suggesting that any treaty made by President Obama would soon be nullified. Speaker
of the House John Boehner invited Netanyahu to address Congress on Iran two weeks before
the Israel election, and many Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech. After the election,
President Obama waited a long time to congratulate Netanyahu on his victory and suggested
that perhaps it was time to “re-assess” the U. S Israel relationship.
It is tempting to dismiss most of Netanayhu’s actions, as well as those of our own
country’s leaders, as little more than “pandering to the base.” As Netanyahu has already
suggested in his post-election remarks, Israel is still a country that values all of its citizens and
a two state solution is still possible if conditions are right. I would not be surprised if many of
the other statements and actions of American leaders that I mentioned above turn out to be
mere posturing. Still, the cynical manipulation of the public’s security concerns for shortterm political gain is very disheartening. If dealing with external threats is so important to the
future of Israel, the Jewish people and the United States, how can our leaders be more
concerned about their standing with their core constituents than actually working together
to address the problems at hand?
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From The Rabbi ( continued from Page 5 )
We have the right to expect more from our leaders. The response to external must go
well beyond pandering, divisiveness and consolidating power. The Haggadah makes this point
in dramatic fashion at the beginning of the seder. Just after we eat karpas, the green vegetable,
we uncover the matzah and hold it up for all at the table to see. We then declare:
This is the bread of poverty and persecution that our ancestors ate in the land of
Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need come and share
the Pesach meal. This year we are still here, next year in the land of Israel. This year
we are still slaves, next year, free people.
The bread of poverty and persecution, the matzah, is still on our seder table even
today. While we may live in a democracy, we are not free from external threats, or from
problems inside our community. How do we address these problems? We do not cower in
fear in our own homes. We do not circle the wagons and admit only those who are just like
us. We do not play divide and conquer in our own communities. Instead, we open our
doors as wide as possible, in spite of the threats and the problems. We embrace each other
and endeavor to sit around the table together. And we nurture our dreams; dreams of national
unity, dreams of a day when we will all be truly free.
In times like these, we need strong leaders. But as the Haggadah reminds us, we also
need leaders who can bring us together, who are compassionate and who have a vision
beyond the next campaign. As Americans and as Jews, our success has come as a result of
our commitment to freedom and our relentless pursuit of our ideals. As we prepare to
celebrate Passover this year, we should demand from all of our leaders, both here and in
Israel, not just a strong response to the very real threats we are facing, but also a firm
commitment to the ideals and the freedoms that are the foundation of the American and the
Jewish people.
Text Study with Rabbi Conn
Shabbat Afternoons between
Mincha (Afternoon) and Ma’ariv (evening) services.
Beginning on Saturday evening April 11th, we will resume our study
of the Mishnaic Tractate Pirkei Avot, the Wisdom of the Sages. This year,
we will focus on the sixth and final chapter of Pirkei Avot. Join us for some
lively and stimulating learning.
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The Cantor’s Note: The Lingering Taste of the Afikoman
How do model children turn into juvenile delinquents at the Passover
seders every year, guilty of petty larceny? They snatch the afikoman from
under our noses, and with our blessings no less, only returning it for a nice
ransom.
The afikoman is, of course, the broken piece of middle matzoh that is
hidden away and eaten at the end of the seder meal before concluding the
Haggadah. The word has a strange sound, and is often translated as dessert.
This is at best an oversimplification, and an astute reader will notice elsewhere
in the Haggadah that we are enjoined not to conclude the proceedings with an Afikoman. Hence, the
word could not really mean dessert. Our afikoman is, in reality, a symbolic remembrance of the Paschal
lamb, which during Temple times, was the last thing eaten at the end of the Passover meal, and whose
taste was meant to linger.
The derivation of the word lies in the historical evolution of the seder. It is the Jewish adaptation
of the classical Greek symposium. Afikoman is the Hebraicized rendering of the Greek epicomion,
the term for the postprandial entertainments which were an integral part of the symposium and which
the rabbis felt were inappropriate at the seder. A symposium was a tightly organized and choreographed
social gathering for drinking, conversation and entertainment. It was held in a room designed to
accommodate a number of high couches set end to end along three walls, upon each of which two
people would recline. The symposiarch, or master of ceremonies, laid down rules for the evening and
established the order of events. He decided the number of cups of wine to be drunk and the proportion
of water to wine. In an atmosphere of relaxation and conviviality, the guests conversed, recited poetry,
joked, gossiped and played music. Professional musicians, dancers and courtesans provided
entertainment, called the epicomion. A well conducted symposium was considered to be a highly
civilized event, providing liberation from every day restraints within a carefully controlled environment.
It is easy to recognize in this framework the major elements of the seder – reclining, a host who
presides, a set order of events and ceremonies, a numbering of the cups of wine to be drunk and
ordaining of foods to be eaten, the participation of guests singing and elaborating the conversation
and the general atmosphere of conviviality. Only entertainments which were considered licentious or
unseemly were forbidden. Instead, the rabbis wanted the taste of matzoh, the bread of affliction
(afikoman), to linger on our palates at the seder, in the same way as the flavor of the Pascal lamb had
done in earlier times.
There is another reason that the rabbis gave why the Paschal lamb was to be the last course at
the seder meal. It should not be eaten, they felt, purely as a means of satisfying our hunger, bur only
after we have taken the edge off our appetites with the other seder foods. It was fundamentally intended
to be a spiritual, rather than a gastronomic experience, in short, a mitzvah, a means of serving God.
This is an enduring message for the time in which we live, whose ethos, studies suggest, lies in the
prerogative of the individual to pick and choose, to accept or reject, solely on the basis of personal
satisfaction levels. The lesson of the afikoman is that Jewish life is larger than our individual tastes
and the means of satisfying them. It is a life built, instead, on the concept of mitzvah, individual and
communal responsibility. That is the lingering taste that the rabbis wanted us to savor as we come
away from our Seder tables.
Gerri and I wish you a Chag Kasher Vesameach, a joyous and kosher Passover,
Cantor Morris Wolk, D.Mus.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Bruce Elowsky
While the weather wasn’t warm, PJC was glowing In March when we had
our Purim celebration. Over 300 people were in attendance. Congratulations
to the USYers for running a successful Carnival. Additional thanks to the USY
President Jessica Hauser, and Michelle Portnoy for organizing the Carnival. A
Yasher Koach to Men’s Club for running the Ice Cream Social and to Sisterhood
for preparing the Shalach Manot bags.
Congratulations to Men’s Club, their President Mark Hochberg, Executive
Producer Robert Cohen and The Patio Players for a very successful production
of Fiddler On The Roof. Everyone really enjoyed it.
Now, as we usher in Spring, please remember that this year’s Journal Dinner Dance honoring
Franny and Arnie Drucker will be on Sunday, May 3rd, at 5 PM. We hope that you will join us in
celebrating a second generation founding family. Please help by either submitting or soliciting
advertisements for our Journal. For every $250 in ads submitted, you will receive a seat at the
Journal Dinner.
Our new Prospective Member Dinner will be held on Friday, May 8th at 6 PM, catered by
Robert Ian Caterers. If you bring a new prospective member to the dinner, you and your family will be
eligible for a gratis dinner. If the prospective member / family joins as a member of PJC, you will
receive a $250 credit towards your membership dues. Details of the event will follow.
This year’s Zayin Class Graduation on Monday, May 18th at 8:15 PM will be a very special
event. We are not only acknowledging the accomplishments of our graduates, but we will also be
saying farewell to Mrs. Rachel Ginsberg, our Educational Director for the past 14 years. Please join
us that evening for this multi celebration. You will also have an opportunity to meet with our new
Educational Director. Following the ceremony, dessert will be provided by Robert Ian Caterers.
Reservations are required.
Save the date for Cantor Wolk’s 40th Anniversary Celebration to be held on Sunday, June 7th
at 5 PM. To honor Cantor Wolk during this celebration, we would like to present him with a memory
book. We hope that you and our family have very fond memories of times spent with the Cantor, and
encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences by placing an add in the memory book. More
information will be made available in the next few weeks.
If you do not have plans for the first night of Passover, it is not too late to join the Rabbi and
Cantor on Friday, April 3rd at 6:30 PM where a seder will be hosted at PJC. A delicious meal will be
supplied by Woodbury Kosher. Please contact the office for information and pricing. This event is
open to the entire community. Reservations are required.
My family and I wish everyone a Zissen Pesach. Bruce
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Let’s Celebrate!
Cantor Wolk’s 40th Anniversary at PJC
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STOCK UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Now we have Walgreens, Macy’s, TJMAXX,
Marshall’s, California Pizza Kitchen & Panera
cards too!
HELP PJC’S RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
JUST GO ONTO THE SHOPRITE WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.SHOPRITE.COM/SHOPRITE-FOR-MY-SCHOOL/
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. SELECT PJC AS YOUR SCHOOL AND
ENTER YOUR SHOPRITE PRICE PLUS CARD NUMBER. EVERY TIME YOU
BUY “BOXTOP” ITEMS, PJC WILL GET CREDIT. THREE TIMES A YEAR,
OUR RELIGIOUS SCHOOL WILL RECEIVE A CHECK.
IT’S SO EASY! THANKS FOR HELPING!
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PJC YOM HASHOAH PROGRAM 2015
The Holocaust of Greek Jewry:
Why Did So May Greek Jews Die
In An Environment So Conducive
To Their Survival?
Wednesday, April 15th at 7pm
The Greek Jewish community prior to the Holocaust consisted of two groups, the
Sephardic Jews who were heirs of the Golden Age of Muslim Spain and Romaniot
Jews, who were Hellenized and lived in the area for over 2,000 years. However, this
rich and ancient Jewish community dating back to antiquity was in essence wiped out
during the Holocaust where a larger percentage of Greek Jews were selected to die at
the death camps than that of any of the other Jewish communities. All told, 87 percent
of the Greek Jewish community, numbering between 60,000 and 70,000 souls prior
to the war, perished in the Holocaust. In 1945 the officially registered survivors numbered no more than 10,000.
Our Key Note Speaker will be Marcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos, Museum Director
Kehila Kedosha Janina, a historian, author and noted speaker who will discuss with us
the Holocaust and the Greek Jewish Community.
Our Yom Hashoah program will also include lighting of memorial candles by our
own honored Survivors of the Shoah, selected readings by our Hebrew School Students, as well as the moving reading of the names of those martyrs lost in the Shoah
from our Book of Remembrance*.
Please make every effort to attend with your family.
*If you wish to personally recite the names of family members please contact Nanette or
Sandy Strenger at 681-0910 in advance of the program, otherwise all names will be read by
members of the Holocaust Remembrance Committee.
PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER 95 Floral Drive West, Plainview, NY 516 938-8610
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Spend the
First Night of Pesach
with your PJC Family
Friday, April 3 at 6:30pm
$40 per person
$18 per child (Pre-Bar Mitzvah)
Under 4-Free
Leave the preparation to us and come enjoy a beautiful seder led by Rabbi Conn and Cantor Wolk
with a delicious meal
supplied by Woodbury Kosher
OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY
RSVP is a MUST
Mail your check to PJC to confirm your reservation.
95 Floral Drive West, Plainview, NY 11803
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Dear Friends,
One small phrase in the Torah is all it took to create the frenzy that is now known as “cleaning for Pesach”. In
the book of Exodus we read, “There shall be no leavened products (chametz) in your homes.” As far as we
know, our ancestors always understood this passage literally. Any leavened product, from Playdo to bread
dough,was to be removed from our homes before sunset on the 15th of Nisan.
If we are far-sighted planners, we might be able to arrange our menus so that we eat up every last crumb of
chametz before Passover. We certainly can give away un-opened chametz items to Island Harvest or any other
food banks as well.
But most likely, there will be items we cannot use or give away; items that would be very expensive or inconvenient
to replace if we were to throw them out. Rabbis in the Middle Ages recognized this reality, and created a kind of
“legal fiction” to enable us to keep some of our chametz locked away for use after Passover. This legal fiction,
involved transferring authority over all chametz remaining after a certain date to the local rabbi. The rabbi, in turn,
would “sell” the chametz to a non-Jew for a modest down-payment. In theory, the non-Jew was free to use the
chametz during Passover. In fact, the “sold” chametz is separated from Passover food and placed in a marked and
sealed box or cabinet, so that a Jew cannot easily access it, but the non-Jewish buyer can easily claim it. Should the
buyer fail to pay the full purchase price by the end of Passover, the reaming chametz reverts to its original owners.
While some may see the Sale of Chametz as a bit far-fetched, I believe it embodies Judaism’s ability to at once be
a livable religion that does not impose unrealistic demands on its adherents, but also a religion that makes change in
an evolutionary, not revolutionary way. I am happy to provide the opportunity for us to sell our chametz this year.
If you would like to participate n the Sale of Chametz, please fill out the form below and return it to the PJC office
by Friday April 3rd at 7:30 AM.. I will be available to personally “buy” chametz at PJC beginning on Sunday March
22nd. I am usually available after morning minyans Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, on Monday and Thursday
afternoons from 3:00-6:00 PM, and after evening minyans Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Feel free to stop by at other times as well.
Chag Kasher V’samaech, Rabbi Steven Conn
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delegation Of Power of Attorney for the Sale of Chametz
Know ye that I the undersigned fully empower and permit Rabbi Steven Conn to act in my place and stead, and in
my behalf to sell all chametz possessed by me (knowingly or unknowingly) as defined by Torah and the Rabbinic
law. And to lease all places wherein Chametz may be found, especially in the premises located at
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
(address—include all residences and businesses)
Rabbi Conn has the full right to sell and lease by transactions, as he deems fit and proper and for such time which he
believes necessary in accordance with detailed forms as explained in the general authorization contracts which have
been given this year to Rabbi Conn to sell the Chametz. This general authorization is part of that agreement. Also do
I thereby give the said Rabbi Conn full power and authority to appoint a substitute in his stead with full power to sell
and to lease as provided herein. The above given power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinical regulations and
laws, and also in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and the United States. And I do hereby affix
my signature on this the ______________________ day of _____________ in the year 2015.
Signature: ________________________________
Print Name ______________________________
I am pleased to enclose a voluntary donation of $_______ to the PJC Ma’ot Hittim Fund (all donations will
directed toward providing Passover food for those in need or to other hunger-relief organizations.
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PESACH 5775
SERVICE SCHEDULE
Friday, April 3rd
Morning Minyan-Fast of First Born…6:00AM
Pesach Evening Service…..…………5:45PM
Saturday, April 4th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 1….…9:00AM
Mincha/Ma’ariv……………..……….7:00PM
Sunday, April 5th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 2...…...9:00AM
Pesach Mincha Service…………....….7:00PM
Thursday, April 9th
Pesach Evening Minyan – Day 7…….7:15PM
Friday, April 10th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 7…….9:00AM
Pesach Mincha Service – Day 8……...7:15PM
Saturday, April 11th
Pesach Morning Service – Day 8…….9:00AM
Mincha/Ma’ariv…………..………….7:15PM
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PJC IS GOING TO ISRAEL!
Come to an informational session
on
Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:30pm
Larry Ritter, President of Israel Tour Connection (ITC) will be giving a
presentation about the trip and will be available for Q&A and to take
deposits. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
stacy.meyerson@verizon.net or through the synagogue office.
This year we will be in Israel!!
Your Israel Trip Planning Committee
More details on pages 37 & 38
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Israel Affairs by Sharon Kunoff
For those of you who follow Israel on a regular basis, you are aware of the recent suicide bombings,
the lead up to elections and the controversy over Prime Minister Netanyahu’s invitation and subsequent
speech to the US Congress. As I write this, Israeli’s are voting and by Thursday, March 19th we should
have some idea whether Netanyahu and his party will have won enough seats so that he will be called
upon to form the new government. At this point, it is not clear as to whether or not that will be the case.
One point I would like to make is that one party that expects to gain more seats than in the present
Knesset is the Arab party which does have Jewish Israelis on its list also. Another interesting point was
made by a Palestinian. Khaled Abu Toameh, who reports on grassroots Palestinians, calls for elections
of their own: “We say all these bad things about Israel, but at least the people there have the right to vote
and enjoy democracy,” remarked a veteran Palestinian journalist from Ramallah. “We really envy the
Israelis. Our leaders don’t want elections. They want to remain in office forever.”
While we as American Jews cannot really have any affect on Israeli elections, there are certain
situations in Israel that I believe affect all Jews. As one of our speakers at the Adult Jewish Studies
program in Israel pointed out, he, as an American Rabbi was not allowed to officiate at his son’s wedding
in Israel. The woman he was marrying was Russian whose ancestry was questioned by the Israeli chief
Rabbi. In these cases the Rabbinuit requires conversion by an Orthodox Rabbi which demands that the
convert promise to join and Orthodox Synagogue and observe all laws of Shabbat, send their children to
an Orthodox school, etc. This type of situation is becoming very prevalent in Israel today. It is true that the
people involved can marry outside of Israel and then come back and register the marriage. But, this
means that unless something changes, the children of the union will also have to leave the country to
marry and so on. There is something we can do something about this.
There is another important election going on where your vote matters: the elections to the 37th
World Zionist Congress (WZO). Any person who is Jewish, over the age of 18 by June, 2015, and a
resident of the United States can vote. The WZO distributes tens of millions of dollars annually to the
various organizations in Israel whose slates are elected to the WZO Congress. The funds are distributed
in proportion to the number of delegates elected. More non Orthodox votes, more non Orthodox delegates.
More non Orthodox delegates, more money to the non Orthodox movements in Israel. Both the
Conservative and Reform movements are urging their members to vote.. A large portion of the money
allocated by the WZO is to these streams. The Conservative Movement, our movement urges us to vote
Mercaz USA Slate 2. This is the movement that supports the now over 60 Massorti synagogues in Israel.
Many of the ideas Mercaz stands for are shared by the Reform delegations. Each supports freedom of
religion, the right of non Orthodx rabbis to conduct marriage, divorce, burial and conversion. If you
believe that women should have full religious and civil equality in Israel, here is your chance to make a
difference. Israel needs all our votes. MERCAZ USA is the Zionist membership organization of the
Conservative Movement, the voice of Conservative Jewry within the World Zionist Organization, the
Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Zionist Movement and the Jewish National Fund to support
religious pluralism in Israel and strengthen the connection between Israel and the Diaspora.
It is important that you register and vote for MERCAZ - the political arm of the Conservative/
Masorti Movement!! Mercaz stands for a pluralistic, inclusive, egalitarian, unified, sustainable and diverse
Israel! Voting is now open! Please vote now! It takes only a few minutes!! To register and to get a paper
ballot, go to http://www.mercazusa.org/election-2015/pdf/registration-form.pd. If you do not use the
computer, ask a friend to print out a ballot for you or stop in the PJC office. If they are not busy, they will
( continued on Page 21 )
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Israel Affairs ( continued from Page 20 )
print a ballot for you. If you prefer, the entire voting process can be done on line. There is a $10 charge
for registration for those over 30 and $5 for those under thirty. This one time charge is the same for online
or paper voting. We are now midway through the elections period to choose the 145 American Jewish
delegates for the 37th World Zionist Congress. Voting, which began in mid-January will run through April
30th. Vote now!! It is important that we show our strength and really show that we are connected to Israel,
our Jewish State!
Men’s Club Movie Night
Tuesday, April 14 at 8:15pm
SUZIE GOLD
Suzie Gold is the story of a young Jewish woman living in London
with a sister who is about to marry a young Jewish man. Breaking with the
ideas of her traditionally orthodox family, Suzie falls in love with Darren, who
happens not to be Jewish. She fears introducing him to her family because of
their opposition to marrying outside of one’s faith.
Free Admission.
Includes free popcorn, candy and soda!!
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APRIL 29TH - 7PM
BY APRIL 15TH
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Plainview Jewish Center 60th Anniversary Special Gifts Tribute
Please consider becoming a permanent gift donor to the Plainview Jewish Center. The
following is a list of suggested Special Gift items that can be dedicated to celebrate joyous
events such as engagements, weddings, births, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays, and anniversaries.
Dedications can be made in the memory of loved ones or to acknowledge a special friend.
Brass inscriptions will be provided.
Synagogue
Lobby/Main Corridor
Bimah
Torah
New Torah
Torah Crown
Torah Rimonim
Torah Breastplate
Megilah
Pulpit Chairs
Presidents Plaque
Tree of life Leaf(s)
Trophy Display Case
Tallit and Prayer Book Cabinet
Bulletin Board
Art Work
Religious School
Classroom
Library
New computer
Smart Board
Display Case
Wall Artifacts
Garden
Kiddush Cup
Havdalah Service Items
Pew Seats
Torah Reader’s Yad
Bimah Wall Candelabra
Flags on Bimah
Memorial Boards
Challah Cover
Mezuzahs
Name memorial
Garden Benches
For further information, please contact:
Steve Glasser at:
516-938-3069 or
stevetg@aol.com
WE WISH TO THANK AND EXPRESS OUR DEEP APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING
FAMILIES FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO THE MORNING MINYAN:
Zita & Richard Jospa
Randy & David Goldstein
Helen & Norman Spector
Gale Pine
Martin Dashevsky
WE WISH TO THANK AND EXPRESS OUR DEEP APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING
FAMILIES FOR THEIR DONATION TO PJC:
Marilyn & Fred Schatz
Bernice Kralstein
Judith B. Denis – Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund – In memory of Doris Sherman
Francene & Boris Cohen – Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Linda & Steven Hesekiel
Sharon, Ed, Alana & Matthew Becker – In memory of Ivy Golden
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Passover is quickly approaching. We’re concerned about cleaning the house of chametz (leavened
bread products), what foods to cook, how many people to invite…and where will we put all of them! One
great thing about Passover is that it celebrates many important concepts. We celebrate our exodus from
Egypt and with that the birth of the Jewish people. In many ways it is the birthday of the Jewish people. It
is also the time to celebrate the rebirth of the world. After such a bitter cold summer, we are indeed all
looking forward to the warmth and sense of renewal that the season of Spring brings us. This year,
instead of dwelling on the extra work this holiday brings, let us celebrate the feeling of rejuvenation that
Passover brings to our lives!
In terms of Family Education activities, this month is a bit quiet. Our big, open house, community
wide Aleph Class Family Workshop, where we retold the story of Passover took place on Sunday, March
29th. Thank you to all the people who so greatly devote their time to this workshop: Rhonnie Diener, Gail
Kriss, Diane Miller and Barbara Rosenberg, along with many, many others. Thank you as well to Rhonnie
Diener who helped make our PJ Library Purim Event such a fabulous success. Thank you to the more
than a dozen parents (and one aunt) who brought their children to this wonderful program.
Save the dates :
5/4………..Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!
5/16………May Family Friendly Friday Night Service
5/22……….May Family Education Committee Meeting
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Passover.
The memorial plaques in our temple sanctuary
help us to remember our loved ones
who are no longer with us.
For questions or information,
contact the temple office: 516-938-8610
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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR B’NAI / B’NOT MITZVAH
NOAH LEVITT
April 18, 2015
Noah is the son of Ina and Sandy Levitt and has a sister, Allie. He is an eighth grader at
Mattlin Middle School. Noah enjoys robotics club, guitar, trumpet, symphonic band and
jazz band. His favorite holidays are Passover and Chanukah which he celebrates with his
family. For his Mitzvah Project, he is a volunteer at the Fun Center at John Theissen
Children’s Foundation.
REMEMBER TO PURCHASE CANDY BAGS
FOR YOUR BAR/BAT MITZVAH
THROUGH OUR YOUTH GROUP
CONTACT THE TEMPLE OFFICE: 938-8610
The “Mina Kwitkin
Jewish Youth Engagement Scholarship Fund”
In observance of the 1st yartzeit of the death of Mina Kwitkin, a special “Mina
Kwitkin Jewish Youth Engagement Scholarship Fund” has been established at PJC by
Beryl Kwitkin and Family. The purpose of this Fund is to help PJC’s Jewish Youth
participate in experiences which will help them grow in their understanding,
participation, and appreciation of “experiential” Jewish living.
In the Spring of this year, children of PJC members who will be attending Jewish
summer sleep away camps, will be able to start applying for a scholarship from this
Fund.
Application forms will become available on Monday, April 13th in the Religious
School and PJC offices and should be returned to the PJC office by April 27, 2015.
Award letters will be mailed near the end of May.
Individuals wanting to contribute to this new Mina Kwitkin Jewish Youth
Engagement Scholarship Fund can send a donation to the PJC office with a check
made out to PJC – Mina Kwitkin JYES Fund.
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SCHOOL NEWS By Rachel Ginsburg, Principal
Why did the original Rabbinic editors of the Haggadah insert the section about the “Four Sons”
when it had nothing to do with the Exodus from Egypt, per se? There are a variety of answers to that
question. Some adhere to the simple meaning of the passage; others experiment with its homiletic
possibilities.
The simple approach is that the father has an obligation to teach his children on the Seder night,
as it is written in the Torah. “And you shall tell your son in that day saying it is because of that which the
Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus: 8). accordingly, the Rabbis included the
section on the “Four Sons” in the Haggadah to give every father guidelines how to best instruct each of
his children. Not all children are alike. Effective teaching requires adopting different approaches for
different kinds of learners.
Homiletic explanations vary. One compares the Four Sons to Four American Jewish Generations.
The Wise Son represents the first generation of Jewish immigrants who brought with them all the Jewish
knowledge from the old country. The Wicked Son is the second generation, which tried to assimilate
into American society and, therefore rebelled against Judaism. The third generation, the one that knew
very little, and their children (who are the fourth generation) are so far-gone that they don’t know what to
ask. Another explanation takes a more psychological approach. It suggests that we must be realistic in
raising our children in a way that anticipates their future lifestyle and vocation. It suggests that the
recognition of what the child is should be the guideline for how we prepare them for what they will become.
All these explanations are very useful for our approach in Hebrew School. We should educate
each child according to its needs. We should prepare him/her for specific goals that fit his/her own
capabilities. We should also take into account their parent’s Judaic knowledge and background so that
we can be realistic regarding what we can expect from them.
Our overall objective is to raise a child to be a G-d fearing proud Jew who is a responsible
member of the Jewish community; who takes part in conveying Judaism to the next generation. This is
not an easy task. That is why we constantly try different ways of teaching and different techniques. For
example, when we teach about Pesach we use hands on methods as well as straight teaching techniques.
We welcome suggestions and want to work with the parents. So please get involved and help us guide
our children to maximize his/her Jewish potential.
This year, we plan to teach many songs and show videos on the story of the Exodus. After
Passover, in conjunction with Yom Hashoah, the Vav and Zayin classes will participate in the PJC Holocaust
ceremony on Wednesday, April 15th. This will take place from 7:00PM-8:00PM in the Main Sanctuary in
lieu of a school day. Vav students will be able to receive extra service credit that they may still need or
drop one of their absences. However, Vav students will be required to attend school on Tuesday, April
14th and on Wednesday, April 15th.
We will celebrate Israel Independence Day, in the classrooms, on April 20th and April 21st. On
Sunday, April 26th, we will have our last camp experience “chavaia” program for the Bet and Gimel
classes.
As you can see, the year is almost over and there is so much we still want to cover.
I wish all parents and students a Chag Kasher V’Sameach and a sweet Pesach! Rachel
Page 27
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APRIL 2015 SCHOOL CALENDAR
Apr. 2-12
13
13
15
15
17
19
19
20
20
22
24
25
26
26
Thurs-Sun
Monday
Monday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Friday
Sunday
Sunday
Monday
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Sunday
Passover Vacation
School Resumes- Regular Schedule
School Comm Meeting
Chesed Meeting
Eve-Holocaust Memorial Day
Vav & Zayin MUST attend service
Family Friendly Service
Stepping-Up/6 VAV - with Parents
J-Flex
Mishpacha Committee Meeting
I-Express Meeting
Eve of Israeli Independence Day
Bet Class Service
Musical Jr. Congregation
J-Flex
Camp Experience-Bet & Gimel Class
No School or Jr. Congregation
4:15PM-6:15PM
8:15PM - Library
6:30PM - 8:00PM - Room 211/209
No Reg Class for Zayin.
7:00PM-8:00PM
11:00AM-1:00PM - Youth Lounge
11:30AM-1:00PM - Room 213
7:30PM-8:30PM - Library
8:30PM-9:15PM - Library
Regular Schedule
7:00PM-8:00PM
9:45AM-11:15AM - Youth Lounge
11:30AM-1:00PM - Room 213
9:00AM-11:30AM
Shiva Set Up
A very special service that Sisterhood extends to our congregation
is a shiva set-up for those who have, unfortunately,
had a loss in their family.
If you need this service, call the temple office to request the set-up.
Dorit will contact us and we will discuss the different options with you.
If any one is interested in helping
with the shiva set-ups,
please call the office and leave your name and number.
Thank you, Doris Cooper
FREE MONEY
Please help our Religious School earn free money
Save Box Tops from General Mills brand items
Ziploc – Kleenex – Hefty – Cheerios – Scott Paper
Gogurt – Kix – Betty Crocker
and many more !!
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Page 28
We sometimes need to call people to make
our morning and evening minyans. We would
like to expand the list of people we can call.
USED COAT DRIVE
If we can call you in either the morning at 6:30AM
or evenings at 8PM or both please let us know.
Please email us at, pjcli@optonline.net
or call 938-8610.
Please specify: Name, Phone Number, Availability:
Morning or Evening or both,
Any restrictions (i.e. any day but Tuesday).
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Page 29
REFUAH SHELAYMAH
Our Plainview Jewish Center Family wishes a refuah shelaymah to:
Hank Marcus Lucille Giniger
Irving Weingarten
Martin Bertisch Zelda King
To our PJC members: if you would like to have a family member
included in this section, please notify the temple office at:
516 938-8610 x101
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ShopRite & Fairway
Food Certificates
are always available
Call
Illyse - 622-6657
or
Temple Office - 938-8610
Remember, by supporting the
Food Certificate Program,
you support PJC!
** gift cards and scrip will be sold
Sunday mornings 9-12 in the temple lobby!!
Page 30
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SISTERHOOD NEWS
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE - Debbie Zaglin, President
We have just completed our Shalach Manot project for this year and, as always, it was a major
success. I cannot begin to express my thanks for all the work this committee did for months and for all
the volunteers who came down to help pack. The dedication was incredible but the camaraderie and
cooperation was even more special. If you weren’t able to participate this year, treat yourself to a
wonderful experience next year. Now we, and families all over the world, will begin to prepare from Passover. The Seder is not
only a time for families to assemble, it is designed as a warm, inviting atmosphere for the passing of
Jewish identity and awareness from one generation to the next. The very word “Haggadah” means
“telling.” It comes from the biblical phrase, “And you shall tell your child.” The entire Seder service is
built around the question “WHY?” The power of the answers have not diminished in two thousand
years. When children ask the question, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”, they are
answered with a clear summary of why we are Jews.
Passover celebrates our beginning as a free and independent people. “In every generation,
every Jew must feel as if he himself came out of Egypt.” The words come from the Haggadah, but in
retelling them, we make them our own.
From my home to yours, A VERY HAPPY PASSOVER!
PROGRAM Rose Weiner - Program Vice President
Please mark your calendar for our April Sisterhood meeting. It will be held on Sunday
morning, April 19th at 9:30. We will have a light bite and the comedy of Barry Polofsky to follow for
entertainment. You can bring a guest who is not a Sisterhood member, but they will be charged $3.00
to attend. This will be a relaxed and fun filled morning. Hope to see everyone there.
The program committee would like to thank everyone who attended our Passover Workshop in
March. Rae, from Woodbury Kosher, demonstrated how to make three different Passover foods. We
were able to sample each of the foods. He also gave us some very helpful hints. We hope that you will
try his recipes or the ones in the booklets that we distributed. Happy Passover !
Save the date
Wednesday, April 29th
Sisterhood’s Fashion Boutique!!
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SISTERHOOD JUDAICA SHOP
The Sisterhood Judaica Shop has gifts for all your holiday
needs. We have a large selection of honey and apple sets,seder
plates, menorahs, mezuzahs, jewelry and head coverings for
both men and women. Our great holiday serving pieces,
including platters and utensils, are wonderful for celebrating
and entertaining or to bring as a gift to family and friends.
WHEN YOU THINK GIFTS, THINK SISTERHOOD JUDAICA!
FOR INFORMATION, CALL MICHELE HAIMES @ 516-822-0704
BUY JNF TREES FROM SISTERHOOD
THEY CAN BE IN MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE
OR IN HONOR OF A LOVED ONE
OR JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PLANT A TREE IN ISRAEL
JNF TREES ARE $18.00 EACH
PLEASE CONTACT: BUNNY FINKELSTEIN @ 433-5778
OR DEBBIE SIEGEL @ 822-6146
MAY WE SERVE YOU
Prayer Book Fund
Diane Miller 935-7732
Judaica Shop
Michele Haimes 822-0704
Torah Fund
Rose Weiner 935-0454
Joyce Rimer 433-4826
Judi Dorosin
Book of Life
Rhoda Meshover 938-8818
Cookbook
Barbara Alhadeff 631-923-0000
JNF Certificates
Bunny Finkelstein 433-5778
Debbie Siegel 822-6146
Mitzvah Committee: Call Temple Office: 938-8610 (Shiva Set-up & Shiva Chairs Available)
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TORAH FUND - Rose Weiner, Torah Fund Coordinator
The Torah Fund campaign is Sisterhood’s commitment to the Jewish Theological
Seminary. The JTS is the basis of Conservative Judaism with a worldwide
network of academic and religious institutions.
By supporting the Torah Fund campaign you are making it possible for our
future rabbis, cantors and teachers to be trained and educated. You can help by
purchasing Torah Fund cards which are available for all occasions. They can be
bought for personal use or they can be sent out for you. Cards are available at
general meetings, or you can contact Joyce or Rose who will be happy to send
them out for you. Cards are $4.00 each ( plus $.50 postage if we send it for you).
We welcome benefactors for a pledge of $180 and you will receive a beautiful pin.
Your donations will help safeguard the future of Jewish life for our children and
future generations to come. Thank you for your support!
Rose - 935-0454, Joyce - 433-4826
*** Special Sale: $36 for ten cards; $20 for six cards
Welcome a new arrival!
Send one of these beautiful Torah Fund cards today!
Send these beautiful cards to celebrate happy occations,
to acknowledge the death of a loved one, to thank a friend,
to wish someone a return to good health or
just to let someone know you’re thinking of them.
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Page 34
SHALACH MANOT THANK YOU!!!
As I sit down to write this article I am reflecting with admiration and pride in being a
member of the Plainview Jewish Center Sisterhood and the Shalach Manot committee.
I am dedicating this article to the wonderful women who have just completed the months of
preparation for the Shalach Manot Bags you have just received. Those of you who have worked
with us know what this project entails. During these months our committee has multi-tasked:
planning, researching for good purchases, buying, shlepping, advertising, record keeping and
lastly packing our beautiful bags. We asked that you let Sisterhood be your agent in sending
Shalach Manot and you outdid yourselves in your support and we thank you all.
In giving thanks, at this time, I would like to single out three women whose hard work and
dedication has been the backbone of the Shalach Manot committee they are - Sheryl Fischer, who
does all the bookkeeping of orders billing and purchasing and coordinating our beautiful bags for
packing; Marion Weisfelner my co- chairman who takes care of all the advertising, organizing of
all the volunteers when packing and helping with anything that has to be done; and Marilyn Cohen,
who was our outstanding shopper and shlepper-a helper with anything. In addition, Marilyn is our
Purim Card Chairman. She is the one who fills all the card orders, prepares, prints and sends out
those beautiful Purim cards. These women have put hours and hours of time and precious energy
into this project and they are to be applauded. Tov! Tov! Tov! Tov for a job well done.
I would also like to thank Doreen Guzik and Judi Dorosin for preparing, making and
sending the fabulous Shalach Manot packages to our college kids.
To the Shalach Manot committee, without your help this project would not be so successful.
Thank you, thank you to:
Judy Forman, Judy Dorosin, Rhonnie Diener, Ellen Hayman, Carol Hauser, Zita Jospa, Margie
Richter, Joyce Rimer, Debbie Siegel, Elyse Schrage, Rose Weiner and Debbie Zaglin. And
additional women who helped the committee pack Hamantashen, prepare mailings and food shop:
Doris Cooper, Suria Rimer, Alyssa Beitler, Debra Levy, Michele Haimes and Michele Brickman.
To the packers - without your help our bags would not be completed. Thank you, thank
you to:
Lesley Banks, Judy Dorosin, Zita Jospa, Judy Forman, Lee Hauptman, Rose Weiner, Michelle
Portnoy, Jessica Hauser, Ellen Hayman, Cara Hayman, Andrea Hayman, Margie Richter, Rhonnie
Diener, Joyce Eckstein, Debbie Siegel, Debbie Zaglin, Sharon Speiller, Debra Levy, Rhoda Kanter,
Stacey Popkin, Ida Kleiner and Michele Haimes.
Thank you all for a most successful Shalach Manot project.
Bunny Finkelstein, Shalach Committee Chairman
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WE WISH TO THANK AND EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING FAMILIES
FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO THE YAHRZEIT & YIZKOR FUND:
Nancy & Kenneth Maltz
Karen & Robert Pincus
Roslyn & Henry Kurkowski
Mira & Paul Klein
Marlene Kreditor
Rita Gulack
Jeffrey Friedman
Louise & Seth Pollack
Diana & Elliott Rosensweet
Roberta & Neil Kushner
Iris & Philip Seydel
Marge Felder
Doris & Hy Schoenfeld
Miriam & Arnold Glatter
Barbara & Martin Novick
Deborah & Michael Zaglin
Ellen & Steven Haas
Lisa & Lance Gordon
Halina & Mark Cymerman
Rochelle & Steven Battino
Sarah Gutman
Richard L. Schneider
Dorothy & David Stopsky
Eileen Glotzer
Natalia Nevidomsky
David A. Miller
Wendy & Dennis Fingold
Doreen K. Katchen
Beatrice & Robert Gutman
Marjorie & Marc Richter
Zahava & Shalom Waldman
Marilyn & Landon Zuckerman
Elizabeth & Julius Libutti
Ellen & George Rosenbaum
Mae Greenspan
Laurie & Joel Bates
Loretta Fleiss
Rhoda Meshover
Ann Saunders
Carol & Melvin Breshin
Ellen & Richard Lincer
Rona Zemel
Caryn & David Nazarieh
Lenore & Bob Weinstein
Anita & Sheldon Chassen
Stacy & Andrew Meyerson
Barbara & Bernard Roy Hoffman
Randy & David Goldstein
Sheila & Stephen Taub
Sheila & Alan Cook
Karen & Mark Garbus
Rochelle & Harvey Lefkowitz
Arlyne & Fred Skolnik
Gertrude Kugelman
Donald Isaacson
June & Marc Hollander
Carol Ginsberg
Sherry Landau
Rachel & Joseph Slater
Eileen & Edward Fleischman
Evy & Jerome Rothman
Eileen Fonfa
Randi & Howard Tatz
Lillian Smith
Beverly & Albert Solomon
Vivian Lowitt
Linda & Allan Furman
Frances Levy
Ida & Murray Kleiner
Judy & Harvey Altman
MEN’S CLUB by Stephen Taub
Is winter finally over? It must be if we are about to gather for the first seder. It also means that any
day now you should find in your mailboxes your Yom Hashoah candle, an annual ritual courtesy of Men’s
Club. Don’t forget to light it at sundown on April 15th.
On April 14th, we will host our annual Movie Night. Unfortunately, we had to postpone this event
originally scheduled in February. We apologize to all those who were inconvenienced or disappointed.
To remind you, we will be showing, Suzie Gold, a comedy about a young Jewish woman living in London
who is romantically involved with a non-Jewish man. We will be serving popcorn, candy and soda. As
always, when it is a Men’s Club event, there is no charge to all attendees. The movie will start at 8:15pm.
We want to thank all of those who supported our recent performances of Fiddler on the Roof,
whether you attended the shows, advertised in our Playbill, performed, helped build the sets, sold tickets
or just helped out. It was our most successful show in over a decade. A special Yasher Koach should go
to our show’s executive producer, Rob Cohen, who proved that yes, you really don’t need sleep for a
month if you want to put on a great show.
We want to congratulate Richard Friedman, who was this year’s PJC Men’s Club Man of the
Year, celebrated last month at the New York Metropolitan Region Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs
annual dinner. It was a well-deserved honor.
Have a nice Pesach.
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THE BIBLE CLASS CONTINUES!
THE BOOK OF EZRA & NEHEMIAH - BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND
Looking for an hour of action, drama and excitement on Wednesday night?
Take in a classic series that has been delivering the thrills for more than 2000 years.
Join Rabbi Conn, for all the action on selected Wednesdays at 8:15PM.
This month, we will begin our study of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
These books chronicle the return of the Babylonian exiles to the land of Israel in the
sixth cnetury BCE. Although the events described in these books happened 1500
years ago, they often seem like they could have happened today. Ezra and
Nehemiah grapple withy questions like: “What if Jews don’t want to retrun to Israel?
Who is a Jew? And what does it mean to have a Jewish State?” Our discussions
will focus not only on how Ezra and Nehemiah address these questions, but also on
what their answers mean for our time.
Free and open to all. Bring your own Bible or use the study sheets
provided in class. No Hebrew necessary.
Next Session
Wednesday, April 22nd
Ezra 7
Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
New participants are always welcome.
LUNCH AND LEARN
Wednesday, April 8th
Join us from 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM for stimulating study, good food and
even better company at our monthly Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Conn. This
month, we are holding a special Kosher for Passover Lunch and Learn. Our
theme will be, “Too Hot to Handle? The Original Jewish Love Songs of Shir
HaShirim (Song of Songs).” We will explore the connection between Song of
Songs and Passover. How did this controversial book make it into the Bible in the
first place? How has it been used and understoood in ancient and modern times?
Suggested donation is $5 per person. Lunch and Learn is usually held on
the second Wednesday of each month. Open to all PJC members and the
community at large.
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Detailed Itinerary on Page 41
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Israel Tip Itinerary
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Hatzilu Means Rescue
Hatzilu is reaching out to our community for help. This worthy organization
has been assisting impoverished and needy Jews throughout Nassau County for
many years. Volunteer social workers help elderly Jews obtain the government benefits
to which they are entitled and food is provided to the hungry. Hatzilu maintains the
largest kosher food warehouse in Nassau County and volunteers deliver food to
people who need it desperately. The warehouse is in dire need of canned goods and
nonperishable foods. Donations of these products would help restock the shelves
that are almost bare.
Hatzilu appreciates all money donations as well. A food collection box will be
placed by the main entrance of the synagogue.
Thanks for helping those in need. For further information about
Hatzilu, please go to: www.hatzilurescue.org or call 931-2884.
Arlyne Skolnik
HATZILU
IN ORDER TO HELP OUR JEWISH POOR AND ELDERLY,
PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO HATZILU.
MEN’S CLUB WILL SEND A CERTIFICATE
TO HONOR THE NAME OF MEMORY OF WHO YOU CHOOSE.
THIS IS AN IDEAL WAY TO EXPRESS A “SIMCHA” OR “SYMPATHY”
AND TO HELP OUR FELLOW JEWS.
PLEASE EMAIL STEVE GLASSER AT: STEVETG@AOL.COM
OR CALL HIM AT: 516 938-3069 TO ORDER A CERTIFICATE
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ATTENTION ALL CONGREGANTS:
OUR WEEKDAY EVENING MINYANS
ARE IN NEED OF A FEW GOOD PEOPLE!
WEEKDAY MINYAN IS AT 8PM AND LASTS 15 MINUTES.
ANY DAY YOU CAN COME DOWN
WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU
PJC BUY A BRICK PROGRAM
Please help us in raising money to upgrade, beautify and maintain
our building and grounds. Our Walkway of Memories will provide a
permanent way to honor or memorialize a family member or friend,
a business or special occasion.
For further information or additional order forms, please call:
Larry Speiller at (516) 938-8610.
The Lend a Hand Project (M’yad L’yad)
Please join Sisterhood, other members of PJC
and many others on Long Island
as an anonymous sponsor of a LI family in need .
All you need do is send a package
as few as four(4) times per year
through your local UPS store.
The Lend a Hand Project will pay the shipping cost.
For more information, call:
Marilyn or Marty Leibowitz at 822-6965.
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PSSST! IT’S OKAY TO TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE
.
Respecting others’ privacy is an important Jewish value. Lashon
HaRa—gossip—is uniformly condemned by our tradition. But there is at
least one exception. When someone is ill or in need of care and support,
it is a mitzvah to tell people who can help.
In our community, the Rabbi and Cantor provide pastoral support to
individuals and families who are suffering illness and those who need
emotional support. The Rabbi also serves as the liaison to our newly
formed Bikur Cholim Committee; which provides additional visits and
support to those who request it.
Please let the Rabbi and Cantor know when someone in our
congregation is ill; or when a family is dealing with a crisis. Only when
they know can they reach out to individuals and families in need. Only
when they know can they mobilize our Bikur Cholim committee to provide
additional support. Don’t worry that they might already have the
information. Don’t worry that you are “bothering” these busy people.
The information you provide will be vital to helping our congregation to
serve the needs of those who need us the most.
Rabbi Conn and Cantor Wolk can be reached at PJC at (516) 938-8610.
Rabbi Conn can be reached by cell at (516) 524-7447
or by email at rabbiconn@plainviewjewishcenter.com.
PLAINVIEW JEWISH CENTER
CEMETERY GROUND
Location: Wellwood Cemetery at Pinelawn, New York
Cost:
Single Graves available at $600 each grave.
Terms:
25% down with interest free monthly payments
for a period of up to two (2) years.
Eligibility: Available to PJC Members ONLY.
For information call: JOEL FASS 938-7351