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Rabbi Azriel Blumberg |
Sid Stadler, President |
YIE
Journal
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During the month of September,
YIE offered a Hebrew Reading Crash Course (sponsored by NJOP) which was well
attended and well received. Level II courses are being given in
January. YIE marked the anniversary of the September 11 tragedies
with an evening of prayer, thought and inspiration. All who attended
were moved by the powerful and haunting video presentation. The High Holidays saw a tremendous turnout in
shul. We enjoyed seeing everyone, renewing old friendships and forming
new ones. October was dominated by Succos, Shmini Atzeres and
Simchas Torah. The entire shul packed into the Blumbergs’ Succah for a
Succos Kiddush. Was your Succah still standing after the wind on Chol
Hamoed? Simchas Torah was celebrated with the usual YIE
flair. Thank you to all our “regular guests” – your joining us really
enhances our Yom Tov. “Kol Han’arim” was a sight to behold; may our
shul always be blessed with many little people running around! Thanks
to all who set up, served, and helped clean up at our Simchas Torah luncheon. YIE’s first “Bagel Bais Medrash” was a big
success. As an antidote to the cold November
winds, we warmed up to a delicious breakfast while engaging our minds in
learning. The topic: “The Ethical Jew meets the Observant Jew.”
If you enjoy a quiet, respectful atmosphere, you probably noticed that our davening is a little more peaceful these days. If you also enjoy hearing the pitter-patter of young feet, however, not to fear. Our kids are in shul in full force! YIE has started a Shabbos Morning Children’s Group, with a little “davening” and a lot of supervised play. Thank you to all who volunteer as monitors and to all who have donated toys. The early snow in December caused us to postpone our Movie Night but didn’t prevent a large turnout for our Children’s Pre-Chanukah Party. Under the leadership of Harriet Goldman, the children made beautiful Chanukah decorations to hang in their homes. Games were played, Chanukah gelt (chocolate!) and other nosh was given out, and Chanukah songs were sung.
Not to be outdone, the Annual Chanukah Party was a great success. We were joined by our friends from Congregation Toras Emes, together with Rabbi Yochanan Ivry and his family. Steve the Magician was a hit with adults and children alike. Congratulations to all the winners of the raffle (was it "fixed"?).
Our second Bagel Bais Medrash, held on January 11, also had a "magical"
theme. Rabbi Yitzchak Greenfield gave a talk entitled "Harry
Potter and Judaism" which discussed the Jewish attitude toward sorcery
and superstition. Yasher Koach to the many people who came despite the
cold weather. The Gateways Organization,
internationally renowned for its efforts to reconnect Jews with their
heritage, made its debut appearance on Everyone in the large audience was
entertained, impressed and inspired by Rabbi Becher’s unique style and
breadth of knowledge. Is there such a thing as a “Lucky
Month?” This question and others
were discussed by Rabbi Blumberg in our February 22 Bagel Bais Medrash. The topic was “The Majesty and
Mystery of Adar.” And
what would Purim be without Hamentashen?
So, in preparation for Purim, YIE held a Children’s Hamentash
Baking Party. After all the rolling,
folding and filing was done, the kids watched an entertaining Purim video and
answered questions about the Purim story.
This was our first children’s program done in conjunction with
Rabbi Yochanan Ivry and Congregation Toras Emes. Many thanks for all their help! The
month of March started with a
bang! Our unique YIE
“graggers” gave Haman quite a trouncing (and our gabbaim quite a
workout!) Thank you, Paul! Our long-awaited Community Shabbaton was
a big success. Both long-time Eltingville
residents and those (hopefully future Eltingville residents) who joined us
for Shabbos experienced YIE’s special warmth and “ruach” at
its best. From the early morning Siyum to the long
Sedarim, Pesach in Eltingville was an experience not to be missed! The late hours and heavy food did not
prevent the Tefilos from being lively and vibrant and the joy of spending Yom
Tov together was clearly felt. They say that good things come to those
who wait. On April
25, the first event held in our new “social hall” was well
worth all the planning that went into it.
Mr. Roy Neuberger and his wife Leah described in vivid detail their
journey “From Central Park to Sinai.” Everyone in the room listened spellbound as
The month of May
brought fresh blossoms and green leaves, many of which made their way inside
our shul for Shavuos! After a
presentation by Rabbi Blumberg on the topic of Minhag Hamakom, the brave and
the hardy stayed up all night delving deeper into the sources on this
subject. By the second day of Yom Tov, everyone
had recovered enough to enjoy the sumptuous dairy Shavuos luncheon in our
social hall. The atmosphere in the
room was electric as old friendships were rejuvenated and new ones were
formed. “Good neighbors give good
lectures.” On Sunday, June 6, Rabbi Yosef Asher Weiss, dean of Yeshiva Ohr Hadaas in
Pleasant Plains, spoke about “Attitudes and Aspirations – the
Roadmap to Religiosity.” Rabbi
Weiss is an old-time friend of YIE, hearkening back to the days when, as a
single bochur, he would spend Shabbos in Eltingville. What would Tisha
B’av be without a video? Thanks
to Mrs. Barbara Schnitzer, YIE has always been provided with a superb
presentation from the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. This year we saw and heard Rabbi Avrohom
Chaim Feuer and Rabbi Paysach Krohn speak, along with some haunting footage
of tragic events in As an added bonus, those weary souls who
stayed between Mincha and Maariv were treated to a video presentation by the
OU about performing acts of kindness, entitled “Be Good for
Nothing.” As the hot days of August
drew to an end, it was time to prepare for Rosh Hashanah. And prepare our kids did, with an
expedition to Terhune Orchards in Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur are always a time for overflow crowds at YIE. While our Davening was in full swing
upstairs, our children were under excellent supervision downstairs. The three-day Yomim Tovim gave us plenty
of time to learn between Mincha and Maariv.
In true YIE tradition, our study of Rambam’s Hilchos Tshuva
caused questions to be raised and sparks to fly! Who would have
imagined that our extension in back could be transformed into a winter
wonderland! For two weeks in a row,
our entire community came together in the lavishly decorated room to share
simchas. We were treated to “a
blast from the past” with the presence of Rabbis Yormark and Cohen. Before we turned around, November was upon us! Time for ice cream and movies. As tantalizing as the ice cream sundaes
were, our audience sat spell-bound by the dramatic tale of the life of
Rashi. Everyone left asking for more
(of both!) Our Bagel Bais Medrash series resumed
with a flourish. Rabbi Yaakov
Lehrfield of the Young Israel of Staten Island graced us with his thoughts on
Chanukah. He could not help but be
impressed by the participation of our very knowledgeable audience. Our Game Night in February was a big success. A good time was had by all, and extra
proceeds went to help fund our Mikvah.
By the way, who really won?... Stay tuned for more… There is
always something happening… |
Hard at
work...
Finished!
