What happens when months, even years of working and waiting for change happens all at once? From where I sit as the newly elected president of this shul, that is exactly the situation in which we find ourselves. Most of us resist change, but when it is necessary and we face it head on, it can be challenging, exciting, and a little scary — but exhilarating at the same time. As of July 1 we [...]
As we bask in the warm beauty of summer on the North Fork, we find ourselves in the middle of one of Judaism’s great annual events — an unfolding drama of alienation and reconciliation. It begins with the disastrous “Three Weeks,” culminating in Tisha B’Av — the anniversary of the destruction of the Temples and the horrifying alienation of exile. This is followed by the “Seven Weeks” of consolation, culminating in Rosh Hashanah, the Ten [...]
The beautiful 2026 Journal honoring Ann Hurwitz and Linda Kessler is here! Please take a look and join us in celebrating our wonderful honorees and Congregation Tifereth Israel’s 125th anniversary! We hope you enjoy it!
TISHA B’AV COMMEMORATION Two Thousand Years and One Thousand Days From 9 Av to October 7 We come together in person and online on Wednesday Evening July 22 at 7:30 to hear survivor testimony from the destruction of the Temple in ancient Jerusalem, from the camps of the Holocaust, and from the destroyed kibbutzim in southern Israel Congregation Tifereth Israel
The morning service is not one long extended event, but rather a series of events, like scenes and acts in a play, or movements in a symphony. For those who understand it, it is filled with sweeping crescendos and moments of high drama. The basic structure is this: We begin with a short series of prayers, focusing on our personal identity, place, and time. This is called Birkot Hashachar, morning blessings. This is followed by Pesukei D’zimra, [...]
Prayer is the pathway to G-d, the experience of a dimension of our lives which transcends the day-to-day, and reminds us that we have a place in eternity. Sounds great, but we live at a time when talent for praying is not our strongest suit. To pray well, we must get in touch with our deepest selves. That is no easy task. To pray well, we must “know before Whom we stand.” No easy task, [...]
The first of the ten commandments begins with the word “Anochi,” meaning “I,” as in “I am the Lord your G-d…” The mystics point out that the first letter in “Anochi” is an aleph—which paradoxically enough is a silent letter. The idea being that before G-d even speaks a word, the world stands in silent anticipation for whatever concrete statement is about to be released from the infinite. The “silent letter’ before a parent speaks is [...]
It is with great sadness that The Shofar reports the unexpected passing on June 13 of Roberta Conway, long-time partner of esteemed shul member Arthur Riegel. Those of us who knew Roberta will remember her warm smile and delightful sense of humor. She will be greatly missed. The Shofar joins the membership in mourning her death.
Alan Greenspan, the influential economist who steered U.S. monetary policy during his five terms as chairman of the Federal Reserve under four presidents, died June 22 at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 100. Greenspan helped to define modern American capitalism from the final years of the Cold War era through the dawn of the digital age. He presided over the Fed during one of the longest economic expansions in U.S. history, a boom [...]
Manny Nosowsky, a New York Times crossword puzzle creator who delighted solvers with his witty, pun-filled puzzles for nearly two decades, died on May 20 in San Francisco. He was 91. Dr. Nosowsky had been practicing urology for about 20 years when he faced a sudden bout of health issues. In 1983, at age 51, he gave up medicine and retired. To fill time, he joined his wife in solving crossword puzzles, and he decided [...]
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