Shul News & Notes
What Is Our Tikkun Olam Group All About? The Shofar Asked…
The Tikkun Olam Initiative is celebrating its 5th anniversary. We are dedicated to the concept to heal the world by creating and nurturing relationships with not-for-profits that improve the lives of individuals and families in Southold Town and its environs.
Over the years, we have supported CAST by collecting school supplies each August, Cans For CAST during the High Holidays, toys in December, and donating bilingual books to preschool graduates of the Parent-Child+ program. We have collected and donated personal care items to John’s Place, a homeless shelter in Greenport.
Three seasons of the year, we work at the Common Ground gardens in Southold to grow, harvest and deliver fresh vegetables to the food banks at CAST and the North Fork Parish Outreach.
New this year is our support of The Butterfly Effect Program, a nonprofit that empowers young people through safe spaces, and leadership and educational opportunities.
What is our group all about? We help the vulnerable, and we increase the visibility of our shul as an important charity in our community. Those interested in helping us accomplish our goals with these and other projects, please contact Veronica at 516-313-0605.
If I am only for myself, what am I; if we are only for ourselves, what are we?
—Veronica Kaliski and Madelyn Rothman
Another Tikkun Olam Project By The Tikkun Olam Initiative Group
Question: What do you do with all those freebies you find in motels, hotels, airports, restrooms, doctors’ offices, and package deliveries that include a little something extra? You know, little sample bottles and tubes of toothpaste, soap, hand lotion, shampoo, deodorants, sanitizers and other products too nice to toss, so they end up unopened and stuffed in a dresser drawer.
The TOI has an idea to help you declutter and help out folks who could use those items. In the vestibule of the shul, the TOI will place a box marked “Little Stuff With Big Benefits,” and whenever you travel or find yourself with a swag bag of little bottles of stuff, you can stuff them in the box.
The TOI will take care of the rest — delivering them to shelters, food pantries and the like. It’s a new idea with year-round value. Let’s make it work.
Book Circle Delves Into Three Generations Of A Flamboyant Family
(This is the June selection. No Book Circle meeting in May)
The Book Circle will meet on Thursday, June 18, at 3:30 p.m. in the Andrew Levin Park garden at the synagogue, weather permitting. The June selection is Out of Egypt, a memoir by Andre Aciman.
Here, the author introduces us to the eccentrics who shaped his life — Uncle Vili, the strutting daredevil, soldier, statesman and spy; the two grandmothers, the Princess and the Saint, who gossip in six languages; and Aunt Flora, the German refugee. And through it all, we come to know a boy who, even as he longs for a wider world, does not want to be led, forever, out of Egypt.
For more information about the Book Circle, contact Susan Rosenstreich, coordinator of the group, at ctigreenport@gmail.com/.
Members, Relatives, Friends Gather For The First-Night Passover Seder
The shopping and chopping, the slicing and dicing were done. The table was set and re-set three times to accommodate last-minute guests. When everyone was seated, the president welcomed everyone to our shul
and turned over the evening’s observance of Passover to shul member Rabbi Suzan Lipson, who
led the gathering through the story of the exodus from Egypt and the journey from slavery to freedom. We dined on traditional Seder foods, read the dramatic narrative, sang the songs, drank the wine, and thoroughly enjoyed the rituals we performed together. Thanks to all who made it happen. SMBloom photo
Shabbat Dinner with Rabbi Robert L. Wolkoff, Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m.
You Are Invited…
…to a Shabbat Dinner
Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m., in the community room of our shul
as guests of the Board of Directors
Joining us at the dinner and for Shabbat services on
Friday evening, May 1, and Saturday morning, May 2 is
Rabbi Robert L. Wolkoff
For 19 years, Rabbi Wolkoff has served as spiritual leader of Congregation B’Nai Tikvah in North Brunswick, NJ., where he helped to grow the membership, design compelling programs, advocate for Israel, address congregants’ personal struggles with cancer, bullying, and the need for emotional support, among other innovations.
During his distinguished career, Rabbi Wolkoff has been spiritual leader at Congregation Agudath Achim in Savannah, GA; Jewish Community of Gothenburg, Sweden; Congregation Ohev Shalom in Marlboro, NJ, and Temple B’Nai Shalom in Benton Harbor, MI.
He is a magna cum laude graduate of Wesleyan University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained in 1979. Additional studies include the New School for Social Research, Hebrew University, and the Yedidyah Spiritual Direction Training Program.
As Rabbi, my goals are to “stimulate passionate learning mindful prayer, joy and humor, and bold Jewish programming with an engaged Conservative community.”
Rabbi Wolkoff is under serious consideration for the position of Rabbi in our shul. We invite you to meet the Rabbi at our Shabbat dinner in his honor, and to experience his guidance leading Shabbat services on May 1 and May 2.
RSVP to the Shabbat Dinner
no later than Wednesday, April 29
CTI Election Process 2026
The election of officers and members at large for the year beginning July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be held in June. Click here to view the document outlining the election process.
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