Who could blame The Shofar for pirating the title of Luigi Pirandello’s play, “Six Characters in Search of an Author,” when the shul is planning a playreading performance for early spring, and the author of the play is looking for — yes — six characters? The play chosen is “We Call It Whiskey,” a one-act comedy by shul member Chuck Simon, who will cast and direct the work for a hybrid presentation — live at [...]
Plans are well underway to launch a Saturday morning Hebrew School at the shul, tentatively set for February 25. “The restart of a Hebrew School has long been one of Rabbi Gadi’s goals,” said Ann Hurwitz, chair of the shul’s Education Committee and one of the driving forces behind the project. “We’ve not had a Hebrew School here for at least the last 12 years,” Ann Hurwitz pointed out, “but over his tenure, Rabbi Gadi [...]
This month’s Oculus feature was created by Saul Rosenstreich, founding member and leader of the shul’s Judaism and Art group. Artist’s statement: This poster is about antisemitism, but it began as a purely creative exercise to rework one of my unfinished paintings. The shapes and colors that spontaneously emerged suggested a horrific monster, which I later tweaked into an image that resembled the Greek mythical Cerberus, the dog/snake animal that guarded the Underworld. It [...]
It had been raining all day last Thursday, but nothing could wash away my excitement. It was my first day back on campus after nearly a decade. The precipitation made me feel like a fish returned to the water. When I started at CTI, I was about to finish a second master’s degree at the Jewish Theological Seminary, this time in Modern Jewish Studies. But things got busy, and I was unable to complete the [...]
Are you an armchair pundit? Do you have ideas about ways to grow Congregation Tifereth Israel, expand our programs, increase our membership, and refresh our buildings and grounds? Do you have ideas for new initiatives? Would you like to lead or manage a new program or project? Or facilitate an expansion or renovation? Are you a new member with a fresh perspective, but reluctant to make your voice heard because you do not want to [...]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IF YOU’RE CONSIDERING BEING PART OF THE READING OF - WE CALL IT WHISKEY, a one act comedy. There is an opportunity for thirteen people, including a narrator, six minor characters, and five larger roles. It is a reading, meaning, one doesn’t need to memorize parts. The characters are: Rabbi Miller, a meek somewhat withdrawn middle-aged man. Julie, an aggressive twenty-something woman of Scottish descent who has visions of grandeur. [...]
Jews throughout the world celebrated Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, at various hours on December 18, 2022, depending on the time zone. Monitoring from Greenport, New York, this reporter can document the arrival of Hanukkah precisely at 5 p.m. Eastern, in Mitchell Park, here in our quiet little maritime outpost on the east end of the North Fork of Long Island. It was here that the Village had set up the official menorah, adjacent to [...]
Maybe it was the fun of rhyming “Now is the time we should act, and put toys in a barrel unwrapped.” Ouch. Or maybe it was the cute photo with a reminder to support the Toy Drive. Whichever appealed to the sense of holiday giving, shul members responded in a big way. When the Tikkun Olam Initiative members opened the big red barrel placed near the office door (and sometimes by the ramp door), they [...]
This month, we lost an amazing man — Rabbi Elliott Spar. Elliott was a colleague, a friend, and a mentor. One of his children, Ari Spar, is a member of our shul. For almost four decades, he was the rabbi of the Temple Beth Shalom congregation in Smithtown, the same pulpit for his entire rabbinate. He retired here in Mattituck. I first met Elliott as my student, when Dr. Don Russo and I began [...]
As the lights of Hanukkah 2022 flicker and fade, and we close down a raucous game of dreidel with more Hanukkah gelt than any of us have seen, I delight in my family celebration. What a treasure that it follows on the heels of our Congregation Tifereth Israel family festivities: Menorah lighting in Mitchell Park, then back to the shul for latkes, donuts, and hot cider shared with a crowd of synagogue and community members, [...]
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