Michael Seltzer, whose bedside vigil for a friend who was dying of AIDS, transformed him into a prodigious fundraiser for the disease. He rallied individuals, foundations and corporations to support prevention and treatment in the 1980s, when it was largely neglected at all levels of government. Mr. Seltzer died on July 31 while vacationing on Governor Island, near Branford, CT. He was 78. During Mr. Seltzer’s tenure as executive director of Funders Concerned About AIDS, [...]
Rosa Roisinblit, an Argentine human-rights activist who fought to establish the truth about the fate of her pregnant daughter and thousands of others who were kidnapped by security personnel and “disappeared” during the country’s 1976-83 military dictatorship, died on Sept. 6 in Buenos Aires. She was 106. Human rights groups have estimated that 30,000 Argentines were kidnapped, among them Mrs. Roisinblit’s 25-year-old daughter and her son-in-law, who were taken on Oct. 6 1978 when Patricia [...]
“For ten days, the gates are open, and the world is fluid. We are finally awake, if only in fits and starts, if only to toss and turn. For ten days, transformation is within our grasp. For ten days, we can imagine ourselves not as fixed and immutable beings, but rather as a limitless field upon which qualities and impulses rise up with particular intensity...” — Rabbi Alan Lew This Is Real and You Are [...]
A strange question was put to me a few days ago, and I’ve been dwelling on it, stewing about it ever since. The telephone rang. The caller was a reporter from Newsday, wanting to know about the situation in our shul swirling around the news that Rabbi Capela would be leaving his position as spiritual leader. An experienced reporter in my own right, I gave no details to this reporter, nor to the Suffolk Times [...]
Presentation by Joyce Beckenstein, Art Historian and Writer Sunday, November 9, 2025, Noon to 2pm Congregation Tifereth Israel, 519 4th Street Greenport, New York Donation of $18 per person RSVP In today’s world, we are relentlessly bombarded with images—from digital media and streaming videos to big-screen, phantasmagorical blockbusters—each shaping and manipulating our opinions, decisions, and perceptions. Visual literacy—the ability to “read” visual language—is an essential skill for understanding how and why we respond as we [...]
It’s Sukkot, a joyous holiday to celebrate the harvest. Please join us for our Sukkot observances. Sunday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.: Build the Sukkah Monday, Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m.: Members of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Southold are invited to a 7:30 service in the sanctuary, followed by refreshments in the Sukkah. Please join Rabbi Debra for this Erev Sukkot interfaith learning event Tuesday, Oct. 7, 9:30 a.m.: First Day Sukkot service in the [...]
Dear Tifereth Israel Friends, Cantor Ze'ev Weinstein and I are excited to usher in the new year with you in less than a week! We are planning what we hope will be meaningful and participatory high holiday services, filled with singing and learning. Tashlich sheets (as well as birdseed) will also be available at the synagogue on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Birdseed!? It turns out that bread isn't healthy for fish or birds, [...]
Dear Tifereth Israel Friends - On the Second Day of Rosh Hashanah, I will be leading a Community Text Study following the Torah service and the sounding of the shofar. That morning, the Torah reading is about the Akedah - the Binding of Isaac. During our text study, we'll explore some powerful new Israeli poetry related to the Akedah. Then we'll blow shofar (again) and conclude the service. Printed handouts will be provided at the [...]
To the Editors: I have been attending Shabbat services since the end of last year when Rabbi Gadi invited me. And since I am not Jewish or looking to convert, I never would have thought that his invitation would change my life. But I love the services, and have found such a warm welcome that most Saturdays, that is where I want to be. And I never expected that the first time I saw him [...]
21 Av 5785/ August 15, 2025 Dear Chevra, In trying to get my thoughts together, many things are running through my head, not the last is our beloved synagogue. It is time for all of us to come together and move forward with faith, hope, and good will. We can start that process by coming to shul, be it in person or via ZOOM and help to make a Minyan so members can recite the [...]
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