So, Woody Allen has written a novel. So what. It’s true, more recently, his personal life has overshadowed his brilliance as a scriptwriter and filmmaker, but let’s remember his brilliance as a scriptwriter and filmmaker. So, now that he has written a novel, maybe we should see what he has to say in that novel. This item is not intended for you to rush out and purchase it. But because it’s Woody, and because he [...]
The Book Circle has chosen to read an account of a shocking true story as its November selection. The group will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 3:30 p.m., on CTI’s Zoom to talk about Allegra Goodman’s story, Isola. In this thriller, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and privilege. Suddenly orphaned, her guardian spends her inheritance, then takes her on a trip where she is accused of betrayal, punished and abandoned [...]
New Vender Joins Gift Shop Artisans Just In Time For The Holiday As the chief buyer for the Gift Shop (actually the single display case in the lobby), I’m always on the lookout for something special to offer our members. With Hanukkah coming, these notecards caught my eye. Hand-drawn and painted by David Tamarkin, an artist I recently discovered at Peconic Landing, I learned that his drawings, with their simple lines and sweet subject matter [...]
Apparently More Than One... Adrianne Greenberg is our chief shofar blower, and her skills are amazing. What a sound she produces from that small ram’s horn. And for the final blast before the break-the-fast meal, she shakes the rafters. Nevertheless, Rabbi Debra Cantor had a different idea: If one shofar blower can make that kind of music, what would 10 or more shofar blowers sound like? To test, she brought a whole basket of shofars [...]
Hardly a breath had elapsed between the last bite of bagel at the break-the-fast meal on Thursday, Oct. 2, when came a shout-out for volunteers: “Hey, everybody, we’re having a Build-the-Sukkah Party on Sunday. Come on down.” Really? Sukkot already? Yup. So a bunch of us hauled up all the pieces from the basement — long poles, short poles, rolled-up slats for roofing, various unidentifiable bits and pieces, and a gigantic blue and [...]
When Alana Weiss visited her gramma, Susan Rosenstreich, she was all-in when the fun activity for the two of them was weeding, planting and harvesting veggies and herbs at Common Ground. There, in exchange for gardening space at Treiber Farm, organizations can raise crops and donate to local food pantries. Susan Rosenstreich is a founding member of the Tikkun Olam Initiative group at our shul, which donates to CAST the carrots and squash, lettuce and [...]
Be sure to reserve your place at the table for a delicious brunch and an answer to an age-old question about art: “What Makes A Work Of Art Work.” Join art historian and writer Joyce Beckenstein on Sunday, Nov. 9, at noon, in the shul’s community room for an eye-opening presentation on how to read “visual language.” Today, we are relentlessly bombarded with images from digital media, streaming videos, and phantasmagorical imaginings intended to [...]
As we reflect on the past year and look to the coming year, we acknowledge this is a time for renewal and commitment to our community and to our traditions. As our New Year 5786 begins, let’s build a stronger tomorrow together. This is also a time to remember our shared responsibilities to our community. Your presence at services and programs and simchas helps to sustain our sacred community. Your gift now will ensure [...]
Every morning for the last 15 years or so, I log-on to “Religion News Service,” an online publication with reliable, well-researched and documented coverage of global religion news. I learn about faith as practiced around the world by Islamists, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jews and indigenous and folk tribalists living in the far corners of this earth. Through the years, I have passed on to readers of The Shofar many of these stories about Jewish traditions [...]
Coming up on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 3:30, at the shul, the Book Circle will meet the Fletcher family and come to terms with a deep-seated generational trauma and how that morphed into the destructive nature of wealth, identity and personal fulfillment. The October selection is titled Long Island Compromise, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. The Book Circle meets monthly to explore books by Jewish writers exploring Jewish topics. For more information about the group, email [...]
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