During the coming weeks, the Nominating Committee will be meeting to propose a slate of Officers and Trustees to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Temple.
We encourage any Temple members with the desire to help make plans and decisions that affect the continued growth and success of our Temple to submit a brief resume, letter of intent or contact any member of the committee. Please have your resume addressed to the attention of the Nominating Committee and in the Temple office by March 1, 2021. All information will be held in strict confidence.
The Committee’s recommendations for nominations will be presented to the current Board of Trustees on March 7, 2021, and will be announced at the Congregation meeting on March 21, 2021. The election will be held at the Congregation meeting on April 25, 2021.
Nominations from the floor may also be made at the March Congregation meeting for any position. This is the only time floor nominations can be offered. All nominees will be asked to submit a brief biographical statement for distribution to the Congregation prior to the April Congregation meeting. The positions to be filled for the 2021-2022 Temple year are President, First, Second, Third, and Fourth Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and seven seats on the Board of Trustees.
Please see below for an excerpt from the Temple Policy Book detailing the responsibilities of Board Members. Please feel free to contact any member of this committee with any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.
DUTIES OF BOARD MEMBERS The following are excerpts from a letter, created by the Nominating Committee, that outline some of the responsibilities of Board members. This letter was approved by the Board of Trustees on February 23, 1997:
Attendance and participation at Board Meetings Meetings are held monthly, except in July and August, on a Sunday or Thursday evening in the Temple beginning at 7:30 and usually ending around 10:30. The office of any Trustee who is absent from three (3) successive regular meetings of the Board may be declared vacant by the Board.
Committee Involvement Board members will chair at least one committee and should attend the meetings of other committees.
Shabbat Usher Board members are expected to usher during one or more Friday night Shabbat Services during the year. This serves as an excellent opportunity to help the Congregation and display your leadership position.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Representative As a representative of the Board of Trustees, you will make a presentation to our Bar/Bat Mitzvah children at two services during the year.
Attend Services Regularly As a leader of the Congregation, you should make every effort to attend Shabbat Services regularly, at least monthly.
Attend Temple Functions Again, as a leader of the Temple, you are expected to support and attend as many functions as your schedule will allow. Your membership in and support of the auxiliaries of our Temple, including Sisterhood, Men's Club, and Youth, is vital.
Support our Fundraising Programs Your financial support for these programs, consistent with your ability to provide such, is expected and appreciated.
URJ The Union for Reform Judaism. You should make every effort to attend local Key Leadership Workshops, as well as Regional and National URJ Conventions. These conventions provide an excellent opportunity to learn about Temple life, and to meet Jewish leaders of other Congregations within the Reform Movement.
And if Elected as an Officer Monthly meetings for Officers are usually held on a Thursday evening, 10 days prior to the upcoming Board meeting. They begin at 7:30 and may last beyond 11:00.
Delve deep into Legendary Jewish Icon Fanny Brice’s life with Fanny Brice go-to gal and expert Kimberly Faye Greenberg. She will share fun Fanny Brice stories and anecdotes as well as songs in a lecture performance along with Q&A. Register now
Kimberly Faye Greenberg is the first and only actor to play leading roles in two Off-Broadway musicals at the same time. In addition, Kimberly’s numerous portrayals of Fanny Brice (Four shows and two CDs) have been critically acclaimed by the New York Times, Huffington Post, and Associated Press. In addition, Kimberly has numerous other theater and TV/Film credits.
When his father dies, it falls to Larry—the secular son in a family of Orthodox Brooklyn Jews—to recite the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, every day for eleven months. But to the horror and dismay of his sister, Larry refuses, imperiling the fate of his father’s soul. To appease her, he hires a stranger through a website called kaddish.com to say the prayer instead—a decision that will have profound, and very personal, repercussions. Irreverent, hilarious, and wholly irresistible, Nathan Englander’s tale of a son who makes a diabolical compromise brilliantly captures the tensions between tradition and modernity.
Who Will Write Our History recounts the work of Emanuel Ringelblum and his resistance to Nazi oppression. In the Warsaw Ghetto of 1940, Ringelblum established Oyneg Shabes, a clandestine organization chartered to document all facets of Jewish life under Hitler and to preserve a historical record. Though decimated by murders and deportations, the group persevered in its work into the spring of 1943. Before Ringelblum and his family perished in March 1944, he and his associates managed to hide thousands of documents in milk cans and tin boxes, which they buried beneath buildings not long before the ghetto was burned, ensuring that the voice and culture of a doomed people would outlast the efforts of their enemies to silence them.
Samuel Kassow is the Charles Northam Professor of History at Trinity College and author of "Who Will Write Our History: Emanuel Ringelblum, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the Oyneg Shabes Archives”. He served as a consultant for the documentary film version of “Who Will Write Our History,” directed by Roberta Grossman with Nancy Spielberg as executive producer. He was born in a Displaced Persons Camp in Germany to two Holocaust survivors. As a child of survivors, Kassow’s first language was Yiddish and he was very much affected by his background. He developed an interest in Jewish history at a young age. After graduating from college in 1966, he took a Fulbright Scholarship in England at the London School of Economics and studied at Oxford until eventually deciding to get his PhD in history at Princeton. In 1972, he went back to Trinity as a professor, where he has been teaching ever since. Kassow’s first 15 years of teaching had very little to do with Jewish history and more to do with Russia, but after his parents died, things changed. He said, “I realized so many survivors were dying off; the day would come when no one would really care or understand what happened, so I decided I would write about the Holocaust.”
It is with great sadness that we share that Marc Goldberg passed away on February 8, 2021. Marc was the son of Alan and Ruth (z"l) Goldberg, stepson of Alyce Goldberg, brother of Stephen, brother-in-law of Jennifer and uncle of Ryann & Adam.
There will be a private funeral on February 10, 2021. No online Shiva will be observed.
Each year, Temple Shaari Emeth’s College Youth Committee works diligently to keep your college-age children connected to our community. We send Judaica gifts, Temple mail, interesting articles, and more throughout the year, to remind them of their family back home.
Please update information you previously submitted.
Given this year's unique challenges that college students are dealing with, please include information in the comments section of the form about school vacation dates and extended periods at home.
Please contact Anisha Gizersky with questions or to volunteer with the committee.
A new registration is needed, even if you signed up last year. Please submit a form for each child. Thank you.
Donations should be dropped off at the Temple no later than February 11th. For more information contact Stacy Goto .
Join us as we come together to perform one of the mitzvot of Purim, matanot l'evyonim(giving to the needy), and support Monmouth County's homeless community. This will be a socially distant, outdoor event where we will assemble 200 Blessing Bags (small assortments of basic toiletries and snacks in a ziplock bag). The bags will be distributed by The Blessing Bag Brigade of NJ, a non-profit organization dedicated to showing compassion and humanitarianism towards the homeless.
We are looking for volunteers to help assemble bags as well as individuals willing to donate supplies. Our goal is to collect 200 of each item in increments of 24 or 25. (Quantities can vary depending upon how items are packaged.) Donations can be purchased privately or through the Amazon wishlist link provided by Blessing Bag Brigade ( found on the sign-up genius website above ). All supplies must be dropped off at the temple by Feb. 11th.
Believe it or not, Temple Shaari Emeth is gearing up to celebrate Purim. You can help make the holiday sweet by sending PURIMGRAMS to others. At this time, when so many people feel so isolated, sending a PURIMGRAM to a friend, family member, or neighbor is a sweet way to show you care.
Proceeds from each PURIMGRAM help fund the Toby and Seth Hanover Youth Scholarship Fund, which provides over $10,000 of scholarship each year to support sending our children to Jewish camps and educational programs. The importance of Jewish summer experiences in developing strong Jewish identities as adults is well-documented and a goal of the synagogue. We also help our students make lasting memories and friends. What a deal! By sending chocolate you can help give a child the summer experience of a lifetime!
You can send a chocolate bar to members of the TSE community: For an initial $18 donation you can send up to 6 PURIMGRAMS, with each additional PURIMGRAM costing only $2. In addition to the PURIMGRAM, recipients will receive a letter explaining that a gift was made to the Seth and Toby Hanover Youth Scholarship Fund with a list of all the people who sent it to them. In addition to sending a PURIMGRAM to an individual, you can chose to do on or more of the following:
$36 – Send a PURIMGRAM to all Clergy & Administrative staff
$36 – Send a PURIMGRAM to all ELC teachers and staff
$36 – Send a PURIMGRAM to all Religious School teachers and staff
$36 – Send a PURIMGRAM to all TSE Board of Trustee members
$180 – Send a PURIMGRAM to the entire congregation
Finally, you can also chose to send a PURIMGRAM to everyone who sends one to you (and be billed by the synagogue) or pay how you paid for your initial order.
Even more exciting, three chocolate bars will include a golden ticket, which can be traded in for a $50 Amazon gift card.
Orders are due no later than February 5, 2021. PURIMGRAMS will be delivered to recipients the week of February 21. Those who live out of the area will receive their PURIMGRAM in the mail.
Thank you for helping to give our children the gift of Jewish Camp! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Temple office or respond to this email..
Happy Purim,
Naomi Bressler Chair of the Seth and Toby Hanover Youth Scholarship Committee
In celebration of Martin Luther King weekend, we are welcoming guest speakers for a panel on racial justice in America entitled: Racism in New Jersey: Seeking Understanding – Pursuing Justice. Mark your calendar for an interesting discussion featuring religious and community leaders.
Congregations from around the state will join what should be a powerful program inspiring us to work together to resolve racial disparities and injustices in our state. Our guests will share testimony of their personal experiences of racial injustice, and a discussion will follow about their vision of where change needs to start, and how we can be effective allies.
A Taste of Israel for Tu B'Shevat Saturday, January 30, 2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Tu B'Shevat is the New Year of the Trees, so it's the perfect time to explore Israel through the natural world and taste some Israeli foods along the way! Join Keren Hananel, who has led many Israel trips for Temple Shaari Emeth and just led our Israel tour on Zoom in December, on an adventure in Israel that will also excite our taste buds. After our tasting tour, we will experience a beautiful Havdalah service as a community on Zoom.
Make sure to sign up by January 25th to reserve your tasting kit, which will include figs, dates, olives, pita, olive oil, zatar, almonds, grape juice, and more.
Keren Hananel, our Tu B'Shevat Tour Educator, was born and raised in Israel and served in the Israeli Air force. Upon completion of the army, Keren studied and completed a bachelor’s degree in Israel Studies and Geography at Bar Ilan University. Keren is an engaging Tour Educator. She has worked with a wide variety of groups including adults, children and teens. In the recent past, Keren used to guide trips to Georgia and taught meditation. When she is not guiding in Israel, Keren spends her time supping on Mediterranean waters, reading plenty and hiking abroad.
It is with great sadness that we share that Sylvia Weiner passed away on Sunday, January 10, 2021. Sylva is survived by her beloved children, Karyn and Larry Speichler and Gary and Carol Weiner; her granddaughters, Brett Saftlas and Meredith Filiberto; and her great granddaughters, Mollie, Grace, Sydney and Isabella.
A private funeral will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.
If you would like to reach out to the family, you may send notes to: The Speichler Family 3 Memorial Court Monroe Township, NJ 08831
May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world
Join Us for Healing, Hope, Action: A Reform Movement Shabbat Gathering
As we prepare for Shabbat, you’re invited to a live virtual event this afternoon with the Reform Movement. Join us as we gather to share a Jewish framing for what we’re experiencing right now, including words of comfort and how we can move forward in a unified way during these deeply troubling times. Friday, January 8th at 3PM - Preregistration Required
It is with great sadness we share that Dorothy Benowitz passed away today. Dorothy was the mother of Phil and Howard Benowitz, mother-in-law of Robin and Melissa and grandmother of Daniel, Rachel and Todd.
There will be a private funeral on Tuesday. Shiva Minyan will be held on Tuesday, December 29th and Wednesday, December 30th at 7:00 p.m. You may join the minyan by clicking here: https://zoom.us/j/94939282566? pwd=UjRTNkg3MEdYM3hpbG5FNTZjTGlNUT09 Meeting ID: 949 3928 2566 Passcode: 9VpyUb
The family will not be receiving guests for shiva, but you are encouraged to call and e-mail to express condolences. benowitzp@gmail.com 105 Rolling Hill Drive Morganville, NJ 07751 (732) 946-0186
May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world
It is with great sadness we share that Brenda Joan Kaplan passed away on Monday, December 21, 2020. Brenda was the sister of Milton Straus, sister in law of Jean, and aunt of Alicia Straus and Cindy Weiss. The funeral has been delayed due to COVID and will be held in California on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.
Condolences can be sent to: Milton Straus 100 Spruce Street Freehold, NJ 07728 (732) 780-2820
May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world
It is with great sadness we share that Brenda Joan Kaplan passed away on Monday, December 21, 2020. Brenda was the sister of Milton Straus, sister in law of Jean, and aunt of Alicia and Cindy Strauss. The funeral will be held in California on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.
Condolences can be sent to: Milton Straus 100 Spruce Street Freehold, NJ 07728 (732) 780-2820
May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world
It is with great sadness that we share that Alan Schiffman passed away on December 21, 2020. Alan was the father of Karen Goldstein, Philip Schiffman and Michael Schiffman, the grandfather of Rachel Kellman, Sarah, Miriam & Benjamin Goldstein, Matthew & Jake Giriazzo and Zachary & Eric Schiffman and the great grandfather of Micah Kellman.
There will be a Shiva Minyan on Wednesday, 12/23 at 7:00PM on Zoom:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Paula Will demonstrate how to perfect challah and babka doughs, filling options for both and new ways to shape these iconic Jewish desserts.
Paula Shoyer, known as “the kosher baker,” is the author of The Healthy Jewish Kitchen, The Holiday Kosher Baker, The Kosher Baker, The New Passover Menu and the upcoming The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook, out February 2021.
Paula has a degree in French pastry from the Ritz Escoffier in Paris, and does cooking classes and talks all around the world.
She is a freelance writer for several publications, cookbook editor and consultant and brand ambassador for kosher food companies. Paula competed on Food Network's Sweet Genius and has appeared on TV over 44 times, including in Israel.
If you would like to bake along with Paula, please make sure to prepare your dough ahead of time to use during the class. Click here for recipes.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
During this period of Pandemic one of the challenges has been the lack of contact with family. Even when we are together, we remain socially distant. Even our holiday celebrations have moved online. Join in a group discussion of this strange new normal, learn some coping strategies and find ways to gain support and connection even in the midst of isolation.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Join Rabbi Melinda Panken, Monsignor Sam Siriani, Rev. Jonathan Elsensohn and Fatima Jaffari for an exploration of the Golden Rule from the perspective of Jews, Catholics, Protestants and Muslims. This event is sponsored by the Greater Freehold Clergy Association which brings houses of worship together from all different faiths, building tolerance and understanding, and working together as people of faith to make the world a better place.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
After a decade as a political speechwriter—serving as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, and chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton on her 2008 presidential campaign—Sarah Hurwitz decided to apply her skills as a communicator to writing a book . . . about Judaism. And no one is more surprised than she is.
Hurwitz was the quintessential lapsed Jew—until, at age thirty-six, after a tough breakup, she happened upon an advertisement for an introductory class on Judaism. She attended on a whim, but was blown away by what she found: beautiful rituals, helpful guidance on living an ethical life, conceptions of God beyond the judgy bearded man in the sky—none of which she had learned in Hebrew school or during the two synagogue services she grudgingly attended each year. That class led to a years-long journey during which Hurwitz visited the offices of rabbis, attended Jewish meditation retreats, sat at the Shabbat tables of Orthodox families, and read hundreds of books about Judaism—all in dogged pursuit of answers to her biggest questions. What she found transformed her life, and she wondered: How could there be such a gap between the richness of what Judaism offers and the way so many Jews like her understand and experience it?
Sarah Hurwitz is on a mission to close this gap by sharing the profound insights she discovered on everything from Jewish holidays, ethics, and prayer to Jewish conceptions of God, death, and social justice. In this entertaining and accessible book, she shows us why Judaism matters and how its message is more relevant than ever, and she inspires Jews to do the learning, questioning, and debating required to make this religion their own.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Virtually visit Congregation Shearith Israel, commonly known as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, the first Jewish congregation in North America founded in 1654. Come tour the Synagogue and learn about its very long, rich and interesting history in New York City.
The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy (LESJC,) is a non-profit organization in existence since 1998, whose primary goal is to preserve the synagogues of the LES, the most famous immigrant neighborhood in America.
Janet Kirchheimer is a prize-winning poet and author of a book entitled How to Spot One of Us. Janet is also a teaching fellow at The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and she has been a member of Congregation Shearith Israel for over 20 years.
Toby and Seth Hanover Youth Scholarship For Camp and Summer Programs
ATTENTION: PARENTS WITH CHILDREN IN TEMPLE SHAARI EMETH’S RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Would you like to give your child the gift of amazing Jewish memories? Do you want to create a love of Judaism that will last a lifetime?
Jewish Camp, Jewish Teen Travel or Jewish Summer Experiences are the best way to do this and Temple Shaari Emeth is ready to help you give this gift to your children!!
Temple Shaari Emeth believes that our youth are our future, and so, we offer our Temple’s youth both merit awards and need scholarships to send children to Jewish summer programs including NFTY in Israel, Camp Harlam, Six Points Academies and Mitzvah Corps. Studies have proven that children who have Jewish summer experiences have stronger Jewish identities as adults, and so we give out nearly $10,000 annually to make sure that no child is denied Jewish summer camp because of finances.
ALL THAT WE REQUIRE IS THAT YOUR CHILD:
Be enrolled and attend Temple Shaari Emeth’s Religious School.
Be registered for summer camp BEFORE you submit your Youth Scholarship Application.
AND THAT PARENTS:
Are members in good standing of Temple Shaari Emeth at the time the summer program begins.
Volunteer to help in the preparation and distribution of the Shalach Manot Fundraiser.
The completed Youth Scholarship Application must be received by ***January 7, 2021***.
We will notify you by the end of January 2021 when the decision for your child’s scholarship is determined. We look forward to receiving your completed Youth Scholarship Application.
If you are in need of greater assistance you might also want to look into the following scholarship opportunities:
Many Jewish camps have their own scholarship programs. Check with them directly.
It is with great sadness we share that Elaine Bornstein passed away on November 24, 2020. Elaine was the mother of Scott Bornstein, mother-in-law of Sandy Bornstein and the grandmother of Matthew, Robert and Brianna.
May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world
It is with great sadness we share that Charles Thalor passed away on December 9, 2020. Charles is survived by his wife Zelda, his children Jamie Thalor and Marti Agins, his daughter-in-law, Deborah Thalor and son-in-law Rand Agins, his grandchildren, Maxwell Thalor, Andrew Agins and his wife Erin, Adam Agins and his great grandchildren Lila & Jonah Agins.
There was a private funeral service earlier today.
May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world
Temple Shaari Emeth has a holiday tradition of putting a "Miracle Menorah" in the temple lobby covered with paper mittens with the names of children from at risk families, along with gifts the children have asks for. We then pick mittens off of the Miracle Menorah and bring the gifts to the temple so that the Raine Foundation can deliver the gifts to those families.
This year we have chosen to support 20 families by purchasing $200 gift cards for each of the families so that they can purchase their own gifts. This seems like a more sensible way to support the concept behind the Miracle Menorah this year.
If you can please support this effort by contributing money so that we can purchase gift cards for the 20 families that we are going to help this year by making their holiday a little brighter. Any donation, all or part of the cost of a gift card, would be appreciated.
It is with great sadness that we share that Evelyn Silvert passed away on November 25, 2020 at the age of 97. Evelyn was the mother of Dale Iserson, the mother-in-law of Larry Iserson, the grandmother of Lori & Mike Kivowitz and the great grandmother of Holden & Harper Kivowitz.
May God console those who mourn in Zion, Jerusalem and throughout the world
Are you ready for a Doughnut Truck - mini gourmet doughnuts, milkshakes topped with doughnuts, hot chocolate, coffee, loads of fun!
Not your usual Chanukah celebration and not only because we're having an outdoor service in December!
Drive-in Rules (Revised due to current guidelines):
Must stay in cars (no "lawn chair seating")
Must wear face masks when outside of cars
We will take doughnut/shake/coffee/hot cocoa orders at your cars (we will hand out order slips upon entrance to the parking lot.)
We will text you when your "order" is ready for pick-up
Look for our Chanukah Email coming soon! Streamed candle lighting each night at 7PM Sisterhood Yoshe Seniors ELC Religious School Renaissance Men's Club
Sunday, December 13 11:00 am Jewish and Democratic: Threats and Challenges to Israel’s Democracy with Anat Hoffman
In recent years, authoritarian regimes have been gaining strength worldwide, mostly following financial and social crises. Although our country has managed to keep its democracy intact, we must remain aware and be vocal about its violations. Attacks on the courts and especially Israel’s Supreme Court, have increased. There are also more and more attacks - from the highest government offices - against Israeli journalists, and even against the Attorney General’s office, and other safeguards of democracy. During this webinar, we will scrutinize the different threats and challenges to Israel’s democracy. One of them, the Supreme Court Override Bill, could remove all power from the Supreme Court. While the Knesset is not fully functional, this can open a Pandoras box for extremist behaviors and indoctrination. It is imperative to understand where seemly harmless actions can lead and what we can do about them.
Anat Hoffman, an Israeli born in Jerusalem, serves as the Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) since 2002.
Come Home to Israel and Let Israel Come Home to You December 19th to 23rd 5:00 to 6:00pm each night Visit Israel from your Home
Join the incredible Keren Hananel, (Keren has lead multiple trips for TSE) as she takes us on a five day tour through Israel including explorations of some newer sights that have only opened during the pandemic.
December 19: Explore Northern Israel: The Golan heights and Mt. Hermon
December 20:The Story of Caesarea and Recent Archaeological Findings
December 21: Jerusalem
December 22: Kumran (sight of the Dead Sea Scrolls) and Ein Gedi and its Ancient Synagogue
December 23: Southern Israel: Sde Boker, Ben Gurion’s House, Ben Gurion’s Grave and Ovdat
The last night of the tour will include a “Banquet” from 6:00-7:00 p.m. with the opportunity to purchase an Israeli meal to be picked up at the Temple prior to the event, enjoyed with some shmoozing.
Erev Shabbat, December 11: Chanukah 6:30p Chanukah Family Service
Shabbat, December 12: Chanukah 9:00a Torah Study 11:00a Chanukkah Blessing Bags 6:30p Sisterhood: Chanukah Lights
Sunday, December 13: Chanukah 11:00a Jewish and Democratic: Threats and Challenges to Israel’s Democracy with Anat Hoffman 1:00p Club YOSHE: Chanukah Bingo
Mitchell Berger and Valerie Krisni Married on November 9, 2020 Married in Destin, Florida where Mitchell is stationed in the Air Force
The wedding was attended by Mitchell's parents, Sandra & Jonathan Berger, his brothers, Jeremy & Sam, his sister-in-law, Bree, his nephew, Emmett and niece, Paityn as well as Valerie's sister, Hester and brother-in-law Laurant.
