Recent TSE Emails

It is with great sadness that we share that Michael Pickett passed away on Friday, December 17, 2021.  Michael was the father of Victoria, Ashley, and Brandon Pickett and the son of Helen Pickett, brother of Stacey Feit and Francine Cohen, and brother-in-law to Warren Feit and Brian Cohen. 

The funeral and Shiva are being held in Florida.

May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world

It is with great sadness we share that Fred Shaw passed away on
Sunday, December 26, 2021.  Fred was married to Susan for 58 years, before she passed away in November 2020.  Fred is survived by son Steven Shaw and his wife Alissa; son Robert A. Shaw; daughter Barbara L. Neitlich and her husband Scott; granddaughtes MollyJo and Leah, and grandson Ryan.

A graveside service will be held Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 11:00 AM at B'nai Abraham Cemetery, 2600 Route 22 East, Union, New Jersey 07048.

Shiva will be at the Shaw's home (11 Pheasant Drive, Marlboro) and on Zoom, Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm with a Minyan at 7:00 pm each night.

Click here to attend the Funeral Service or Minyan by Zoom


To join by phone:
Dial by your location
        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 813 767 8219
Passcode: 051290

Donations can be made to the
Toby and Seth Hanover Youth Scholarship Fund

May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world

Join us online ONLY for the next two weeks. The service is on the website, Facebook  or YouTube 

Upcoming Lifelong Learning

January 9, 2022 / 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Contemporary Jewish Art

Registration Required

Richard McBee is a painter of Biblical subject matter and writer on Jewish Art. From 2000 until 2014 he wrote about the Jewish Arts for the Jewish Press and continues to exhibit paintings, lecture and curate Jewish art exhibitions.  He is a founding member of the Jewish Art Salon (jewishartsalon.org). His website (richardmcbee.com) exhibits over 300 of his artworks and 250 of his Jewish Art reviews.

“We are living in a Golden Age of religiously themed Jewish American Art…” (Matthew Baigell, Professor Emeritus Rutgers University, author of over 20 books on American and Jewish Art.)

We will explore the works of 15 contemporary Jewish artists who plumb their Jewish identity through midrash, feminism, Kabbalah, abstraction, Biblical narrative, book illustration, popular culture and comics.

Open Door Needs Your Help

 Open Door is in need of volunteers;  drivers, computer input and packers
Contact Rich Cobin at 732 462 9006 or crashcobin@yahoo.com
Application at  FAOpenDoor.org under "Want to Help"

Please help us run the winter shelter program at TSE.   We need volunteers for a few dinners and most importantly people to stay overnight at the Temple.  If you haven’t volunteered before you might be a little apprehensive.  It’s very easy!  Here’s how it works:
You’ll arrive at the temple at 6:30pm and someone from the shelter committee will be there to greet you and show you around.
There will be volunteers there ready to serve dinner.

You may be asked to help transport a few men from St. Peter’s Church in Freehold or another volunteer may drive them and they will arrive at the Temple shortly after 6:30pm.

Volunteers will serve dinner in the Social Hall and the men will eat.  This is a great time for volunteers to connect with the men.  Many of them appreciate some company and people to talk with.  It’s always interesting to hear their stories.

There is a security guard with the men and after dinner they usually watch TV for a while.  After dinner, overnight volunteers move into the main office where you will sleep.Two self inflating air mattresses are provided and can be set up in the office.

At 6:30am, you’ll put the continental breakfast out for the men and 7am they head back to St. Peter’s in Freehold.

We can pair you with a more experienced volunteer if you would like to try that before staying on your own. 
 
Click here to sign up for a volunteer slot

 
Michael Holzer organizes the Shelter for our congregation and if you have any questions you may reach out to him at mikeholzer322@gmail.com.
 
Please consider volunteering. We are especially in need of volunteers who can stay over night. If you have any concerns or questions please reach out to me by email  or call 732-462-7744.
 
If you would like to make a donation to support the program, you may do that by clicking here.                                  

Here are the dates that we need to fill:
DINNER:
Dec 25th
Feb 12th
Feb 19th
Mar 26th
OVERNIGHT STAY
Dec 25th
Jan 1st
Jan 22nd
Jan 29th
Feb 5th
Feb 12th
Feb 19th
Feb 26th
Mar 5th
Mar 12th
Mar 19th
Mar 26th

More about the Shelter Program

Temple Shaari Emeth participates in the Emergency Housing and Advocacy Program's winter shelter program.  You can read about the program in a previous article published in the Asbury Park Press .  

You can also view this  YouTube VIDEO  from when the youth group prepared dinner for the men.

May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world

Hello Everyone!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  As promised, I wanted to share an update on the Panken/Cohen Family.  I want to thank everyone for respecting the family's privacy as they navigate through the next few weeks.  Glenn's prognosis is still unclear.  He is being cared for by the best doctors for him and we will send an update as we receive more information.

Rabbi Panken will be taking the remainder of December, anticipating to return in January.  In her absence Cantor Wally will be taking over all clergy duties, including life cycle events and services.  We will be working with lay leaders and other local clergy to assist with any additional needs.  

We are continuing to monitor the family's needs and will continue to make sure they have enough meals and support necessary to ease the burden.  If you are looking for ways to help, please consider making a donation to our Caring Community Helena Fund. This fund helps support congregants by providing meals to families who are experiencing difficult times.

Have a great week!

Join the service in person or watch at home. The service is on the website, Facebook  or YouTube 

Happy Wednesday!  I hope everyone is having a great week...we made it halfway!!  I had a chance to speak with the Rabbi and she is so appreciative of all of the love and support for her and her family.  We continue to pray for Glenn's recovery and will share information when appropriate.

I know there are many of you who would like to help in some way.  The Rabbi and her family are a bit overwhelmed right now by everyone's generosity, so we are asking that people who want to help consider making a donation to our Caring Community Helena Fund. We will then use proceeds to make sure the family's needs are taken care of, and of course will share your thoughts with Rabbi Panken.   The donations made to this fund are used to support congregants by providing meals to families who are experiencing difficult times.  This fund is named in memory of Helena Heitt, a TRT congregant, who passed away after a long battle with breast cancer.

We thank everyone for their prayers and good thoughts.

All sessions of the Scholar in Residence weekend will be in-person and streamed.

Friday, January 14: Shabbat Service 7:30pm
“Girl Sets Her Goal to Be First Woman Rabbi”: 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first woman ordained by a rabbinical seminary. We will explore the significance of an event that changed the course of Jewish history around the world.

Saturday, January 15
► Coffee, Continental Breakfast available

Torah Study 9:15am
Parashat B’shalach and the Legacy of Miriam the Prophet
 
Shabbat Morning Service 11:00am
 
► Lunch/Snack Available
 
Session 1 12:30pm
“Give us a holding among our kin”: The Inception and Reception of The Torah: A Women's Commentary
In the book of Numbers, the five daughters of Zelophehad boldly assert their right to inherit their deceased father’s land since they have no brothers. This story provides a fitting symbol for The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. Associate Editor, Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss, will tell how the book came about and show why a women’s Torah commentary matters today more than ever.
 
► Snack Available
 
Session 2 1:45pm
“What can we do to create light together?”: Interfaith Insights from American Values, Religious Voices
The “American Values, Religious Voices: 100 Days, 100 Letters” campaign sent a letter a day to the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress for the first 100 days of the Trump administration in 2017 and the Biden administration in 2021. The letters were written by a multifaith group of scholars who connected core American values to our different religious traditions. We will sample several letters and reflect on the project as a much needed model of interfaith partnership and civil dialogue around shared values.
 
Please note:  A continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be available between sessions.  Masks are required when not eating/drinking and during all services and sessions.

All sessions of the Scholar in Residence weekend will be in-person and streamed.

Dr. Andrea Weiss is the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Bible at HUC-JIR/New York.

Dr. Weiss was ordained at HUC-JIR and received her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She served as Associate Editor of The Torah: A Women's Commentary (URJ Press, 2008), which won the Jewish Book Council's 2008 Everett Family Foundation Jewish Book of the Year Award. She also created a highly innovative response to the emerging political landscape known as American Values Religious Voices: 100 Days, 100 Letters, which was published by the University of Cincinnati Press.

Dr. Weiss’s leadership within HUC-JIR has helped reshape curriculum for the rabbinical program across the campuses and built a deeper sense of community at the New York campus. She developed the Worship Working Group in 2003 and has continued to oversee this group of students and faculty who work together to reflect on and improve worship there. She has played a leadership role in major initiatives such as the Spirituality Initiative of the New York School, the Mandel Initiative in Building Capacity for Visionary Leadership, and the annual New York Kallah.

May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world

As the weather starts to get colder we are thankful for the warmth of of homes and the good fortune we have.  For some, the basics of food, clothing and housing are not guaranteed. Knowing this, Temple Shaari Emeth has always provided assistance to those in need through our work with Open Door and the Emergency Housing and Advocacy Program.
 
Fourteen years ago, our congregation opened its doors to shelter the homeless during the coldest months of December through March through the Emergency Housing and Advocacy Program. Once again we will join with St. Peters, St. Roberts, Hope Lutheran, Faith Evangelical, St. Veronica and St. Josephs to ensure that there is a safe place to sleep every night of the week during the winter. The miraculous part of this program is that it is all volunteer driven and you too can be part of this life saving work.
 
Let me explain how the process works:
Every Saturday night from December through March, Shaari Emeth houses the homeless and volunteers provide a hot dinner, a cold breakfast and at least one volunteer each week to host the guests and provide hospitality for them.
 
YOU CAN VOLUNTEER TO STAY OVERNIGHT
 
For Overnight Volunteers:     
1) Participants are screened, tested for drugs and alcohol, and given a pass that allows them to receive a ride at 6:00 pm. that leaves from St. Peter’s in Freehold and arrives at the Temple. Any person who is ill, drunk or behaving oddly will not be allowed to receive shelter. Transportation is provided by a taxi service. No more than twelve guests are allowed on any given night.

2) Someone from the Shelter Committee will be at the Temple to welcome you and our guests. There will also be a Security Guard who will sleep in the same room with the men and remain with you overnight. Shaari Emeth Volunteers sleep in the main office and air mattresses are provided. We are looking to have two volunteers from the Temple overnight. Both men and women are welcome to volunteer. All volunteers must be vaccinated. 
 
3) When the guests arrive there will be other Temple volunteers who provide and serve dinner and you will have an opportunity to eat with the men and get to know them.  You may feel uncomfortable about doing this but it is really the most meaningful part of the night and it means so much to our guests to be treated with kindness.
 
4) Cots and linens are provided and the men set up their own beds. Keep in mind that the same men come once a week to the Temple and they know what to do. After dinner, the men relax, watch TV, use cell phones and typically are asleep before 10:00 P.M..
 
5) The men wake up at 6:30 and the volunteers set up the breakfast cart. All supplies for breakfast are provided by other volunteers. There is a Keurig available for guests to make coffee. The men will fold away their cots and clean up their bedding. You will make sure that breakfast is cleaned up and that the Temple kitchen is in order.
 
6) At 7:30 A.M..  taxi service comes to pick the men up and return them to downtown Freehold. And you can go sleep knowing that you have made a real difference in the life of someone in need.
 
YOU CAN VOLUNTEER TO BRING AND SERVE DINNER OR PROVIDE BREAKFAST
 
Dinner and Breakfast Volunteers:
 
1) If you are donating breakfast a suggested list of items will be sent to you the week you are volunteering. It includes typical Continental Breakfast items. We ask that you drop off the breakfast food sometime before Saturday evening.
 
2) If you are donating dinner, we ask that you prepare or purchase a meal for 15 people. You’ll need to arrive at the Temple by 6:15 on the evening you volunteer. You will set up and serve dinner and you will be finished at approximately 7:30 P.M.. after cleaning up. 

For teens who serve dinner or stay overnight with a parent, we offer community service letters.
 
Click here to sign up for a volunteer slot

 
Michael Holzer organizes the Shelter for our congregation and if you have any questions you may reach out to him at mikeholzer322@gmail.com.
 
Please consider volunteering. We are especially in need of volunteers who can stay over night. If you have any concerns or questions please reach out to me by email  or call 732-462-7744.
 
If you would like to make a donation to support the program, you may do that by clicking here.                                  

Click here for Shelter Covid-19 Protocols

More about the Shelter Program

Temple Shaari Emeth participates in the Emergency Housing and Advocacy Program's winter shelter program.  You can read about the program in a previous article published in the Asbury Park Press .  

You can also view this  YouTube VIDEO  from when the youth group prepared dinner for the men.

Join the service in person (masks required) or watch at home. The service is on the website, Facebook  or YouTube 

Download the Temple Shaari Emeth app in the App Store or on Google Play
search for Shaari Emeth

Lifelong Learning
Sunday, December 5th
11:30am to 1:00pm on Zoom
Click to Register

Hiddur Mitzvah: What our sacred objects can teach us about Judaism and ourselves.
We use objects to help us in performing ritual tasks. We need a cup to hold the wine for kiddush, We use a cloth to cover the challah on shabbat. Where do these objects come from? Why do we use the ones we use? What do our traditions tell us about these Items. We will review some traditional texts and share stories about our own items.

Chanukah Family Service
Drive-in Shabbat (broadcast to your car radio)
or bring your lawn chairs and sit outside

Broad Street Donuts for all who join us ....
and Hot Chocolate by the firepit after the service

Bring a battery-operated menorah if you have one

For first night only:
HEBREW TEXT
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
TRANSLITERATION
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh.
TRANSLATION
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

Blessing 1
HEBREW TEXT
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו
וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל חֲנֻכָּה.
TRANSLITERATION
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. 
TRANSLATION
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.

Blessing 2
HEBREW TEXT
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
 שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵֽינוּ
 בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
TRANSLITERATION
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu v’imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz’man hazeh. 
TRANSLATION
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wonderous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.

Join the service in person (masks required) or watch at home. The service is on the website, Facebook  or YouTube 

Download the Temple Shaari Emeth app in the App Store or on Google Play
search for Shaari Emeth

Temple Shaari Emeth has a holiday tradition of putting a “Miracle Menorah” in the temple lobby covered with paper mittens so our congregants can do the great mitzvah of helping children from at risk families receive perhaps their only gifts for the holiday season.

This year TSE is proud to sponsor both the Raine Foundation and Jewish Family & Children’s Service. 

The Raine Foundation mittens are designated with labels of an individual child and her/his/their desired gift. 

Jewish Family & Children’s Service has requested all gift cards (Target, Walmart, Kohls, Amex, etc.) so the mittens are designated with a $25.00 minimum.
We are also offering on-line donations for Jewish Family & Children’s Service for those individuals who are not coming into the Temple. 

Visit the Miracle Menorah in the Temple lobby to pick a mitten off the Menorah

Please note the following holiday deadlines:

All Jewish Family & Children’s Service gift cards must be returned to the Temple Office no later than November 21st so JFCS can distribute them in time for Chanukah.  All on-line donations to JFCS must be completed by November 21st as well.

All Raine Foundation toys (unwrapped with mitten label attached) must be placed under the Menorah in the Temple lobby no later than Friday, December 3rd.  Several Raine children requested gift cards so please return those to the temple office (mitten attached).  This will enable Raine to pick them up and distribute them according to their deadline.

Thank you so much for your generous support in making this holiday season a happy one for an at-risk child!

Start you weekend at the Empanada Kabbalat Shabbat Service!
Join us for the service at 6:30pm and stay for the Empanada Oneg!

Or watch at home with chips and salsa.

Join the service in person (masks required) or watch at home. The service is on the website, Facebook  or YouTube 

Download the Temple Shaari Emeth app in the App Store or on Google Play
search for Shaari Emeth

Please click here to login to your Shaari Emeth Account

All TRT accounts have been merged into the TSE database. You can login to your account by clicking on the above link. When you do so, you can create a password.  Your username is the email that this email was sent to.  Each member in a family has a their own access to the database, using the email on file.  If trying to login, not using the above link, you can click on the "Login" link on the top right of the homepage and choose "Forgot Password".

Calendar

Drawing from her book, The Five Books of Miriam (Putnam 1996; HarperSanFrancisco pb, 1998), Dr. Ellen Frankel presents this ancient text through a prism of women's voices, including Our Mothers, Our Bubbes, the Rabbis, the Sages in Our Own Time, as well as a host of biblical women such as Lilith the Rebel, Mother Rachel, Wily Rebecca, and Dinah the Wounded One. She explores how new questions can uncover ancient secrets, how modern research and scholarship can shed new light on the past, and how today's women can engage in conversation with their biblical counterparts. Frankel's work is a blend of feminism, Jewish tradition, and what she calls "Folk Torah.".. ... read more