As I embark upon my third year as president of Congregation Tifereth Israel, I am struck by the ongoing and ever growing excitement our little shul on the North Fork generates among long standing members, new members, and in our local community. Initially, I would have said it is because we have used technology to our advantage by developing great new programs and social media initiatives. We have grown our volunteer pool and attracted new [...]
Wow! The Tikkun Olam Initiative sure knows how to grow veggies. Tom Byrne cradles these zucchini beauties, just harvested from the group’s two Common Ground plots. All produce is donated to CAST. Veronica Kaliski photo
“My heart is in the East and I am at the edge of the West” wrote the renowned poet, scholar and physician Yehudah Halevi when his heart was exiled in medieval Spain. “As for me,” said Judaism and Art member Hedvah Campeas-Cohen, commenting on the poem that had inspired her painting, “I was exiled here on the East End when my niece Sarah married her beloved Adam, last April, west of here in New Jersey. [...]
Journal 2022 is well underway with ads arriving in the mail, via cyberspace, through the door, and over the transom. Andrea, our office assistant and super creative design maven (Remember last year’s gorgeous journal?), is working ‘round the clock to top last year’s beauty. Has your ad arrived? Keep in mind that Journal 2022 honors one of our most giving volunteers — Roberta Garris — who, for three decades has pitched in to keep our [...]
SAMPLE DAILY ITINERARY Day 1 | Nov 6: Depart US Please book yourself or ask the office to book you on the following flight: El Al - #008 Depart JFK on November 6th at 11:50 PM. Landing at Ben Gurion the next day at 5:10 PM The return flight will be El Al #001 departing Tel Aviv at 12:45 AM on November 18th landing back in New York at 5:45 AM. If you book [...]
It was Thursday, June 30, a beautiful summer evening, an opportunity to launch the kayak at the beach located at the end of Fourth Street. At 7 p.m., my dog Chaya and I were on the water. My phone rang. I saw it was a congregant calling, so I took the phone out of my waterproof pouch, and we conversed while I rowed. As I was speaking, I noticed that Chaya was extremely interested [...]
As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Our shul demonstrates that kind of warmth and vitality with a spiritual camaraderie that embraces members, friends, and the North Fork community with a “feel good” liveliness that has endured and flourished for more than 120 years. Our Congregation Tifereth Israel community depends on the [...]
Time for a love story, the Book Circle has decided, choosing Weina Dai Randel’s The Last Rose of Shanghai: A Novel, a National Jewish Book Awards finalist. Here, readers are introduced to a vibrant portrait of a little-known slice of World War II history. Described as a powerful story of the relationship between a Shanghai heiress and a Jewish refugee, this sweeping novel — from the jazz clubs of Japanese-occupied [...]
Response to the shul’s support of Blue Card, in connection with donations to the Yellow Candle Project. Published with permission. June 24, 2022 Congregation Tifereth Israel Attn: Dr. Thomas Byrne 519 Fourth Street P.O. Box 659 Greenport, New York 11944 Dear Dr. Byrne, Thank you very much for the generous donation of $1,906.00. The Blue Card’s mission is built on a platform of helping Holocaust survivors who have suffered unspeakable atrocities in their lifetime. [...]
Exactly ten years ago, on July 1, 2012, I began my tenure at CTI. A few days later, on July 4, I moved into the Rabbi’s house. I was feeling somewhat like Abraham, our ancient father, who moved to the land of Canaan and maintained his double status as a ger and a toshav—an alien and a resident. Like Abraham, all Jews — perhaps all people — can ask themselves at some point, “When is this land [...]
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