To the editors: Dede Whitsit, a founding member of the Book Circle, has left us. But today’s meeting of ours group made it clear that if Dede is no longer with us in body, she is a lasting presence among us in spirit. It was Dede who always made sure we got the full load of facts on the matters our books brought to our attention. And it was Dede who always reminded us [...]
Decades have come and gone since the Passover holidays in my memory, yet I recall them in vivid detail. All the family is gathered — my husband and our children, my husband’s mother, his brother and family, my brother and family. We are seated in the dining room of our house on a bucolic street in Westchester County. The table is set with care, the wine is poured, the matza distributed, and all of us [...]
The following letter was sent to the Tikkun Olam Initiative, and is reprinted here with permission. Dear Congregation Tifereth Israel: Thank you so much for your continued support of CAST. We truly appreciate your kindness and generosity. I cannot express how grateful we are to have community members so dedicated to our common goal of supporting the underserved population on the North Fork. Best wishes, Karina Hayes, Food Relief Program Manager
In response to Rabbi Gadi’s column in the January issue of The Shofar, I offer a different perspective, quoted from Rabbi Joel Levinson in Newsday’s “On Faith” column: “According to Jewish law, Jews have an obligation, with medical guidance, to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We have this obligation because it is a mitzvah to protect our own health and the health of others. This pandemic has taken more than 850,000 lives in the United States [...]
Our shul’s Sisterhood and Men’s Club are co-sponsoring the Yellow Candle Project to commemorate Yom HaShoah. Each family in our congregation will receive a yellow candle to light at home on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Knowing that Jews worldwide are lighting candles at the same time can be a moving experience of remembrance. The Yom HaShoah Yellow Candle Project was initiated in North America in 1980 by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs in cooperation [...]
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” —A. A. Milne I cannot estimate the size of my heart, but I think, unlike Piglet’s, it must be voluminous to hold all the gratitude I want to express to members of this congregation — and beyond — for supporting our journal, our shul and, yes, supporting me as this year’s journal honoree. [...]
Dear Members of Congregation Tifereth Israel, Community Action Southold Town, Inc. (CAST) would like to thank Congregation Tifereth Israel for its generous support over the past year. As you are well aware, the COVID-19 health and economic crisis was very challenging, and people of color, low-income families, and rural communities were hit the hardest. CAST could not have met the unprecedented need without the support of the local community, including Congregation Tifereth Israel. We want [...]
One of the most avidly read areas of any newspaper is the “Letters to the Editor” page. This is where people discover what readers are thinking, what’s important to them, and how they feel about the world around them. The Shofar, your monthly link to shul news, regional developments, and reports on the global Jewish community, wants to know what you think about Jewish issues today, shul operations, Zoom activities and events, and whatever else [...]
One of the most avidly read areas of any newspaper is the “Letters to the Editor” page. This is where people discover what readers are thinking, what’s important to them, and how they feel about the world around them. The Shofar, your monthly link to shul news, regional developments, and reports on the global Jewish community, wants to know what you think about Jewish issues today, shul operations, Zoom activities and events, and whatever else [...]
For more than two decades, Thelma Novick has been the author behind Tifereth Israel’s Sunshine Cards. Her cards have delivered our thoughts on life events to those we care about. The occasion may be happy, sad or humdrum, but for Thelma, it is always a special one. Her Sunshine system is simple: You call Thelma, she listens, your thoughts appear in her elegant script on a Sunshine Card, and off it goes to your loved [...]
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