Families celebrated on Monday, Oct. 13, as Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages under the Gaza ceasefire deal. Hamas is yet to release the remains of all the dead hostages despite being required to do so under the deal that would bring some closure to the national trauma that began when the terror group took 251 hostages back to Gaza after massacring some 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023. The first seven living [...]
“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 [...]
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 [...]
As we approach the High Holy Days, I am reminded of a discussion held in our sanctuary one recent Shabbat morning. A question was posed: “What is holy?” It was a reasonable question. Prayer after prayer in the Siddur refers to holiness — the holiness of God, the holiness of Shabbat, even the holiness of prayer itself. If you Google “holy,” you will find terms as inscrutable as the word itself — words like [...]
Morning clouds evaporated on July 20, and glorious sunshine filled the sky for the second annual Garden Party held in Andrew Levin Park. Co-chairs Helaine Teperman and Nancy Torchio were the sterling hosts of the event, welcoming shul members, family and friends of the 2025 Journal honorees, Miriam Gabriel and Adrianne Greenberg, and overseeing every element of the splendid event, from food and drink, music by Ron Rothman and company, seating, and the ceremony saluting [...]
Rabbi Suzan Lipson has been working daily at our shul for weeks. She told me she was bothered by the state of the shul’s library — books shoved onto shelves wherever there is a space, no regard for order. She asked me if I’d mind if she straightened up the shelves, put the books into categories, and made a database so we would know what we have. Would I mind? Was she kidding? A [...]
As I write this message for the July issue of The Shofar, the outdoor temperature is pushing 92 degrees, and my hair is bushing-out uncontrollably from the humidity. I’m reminded of another scorching hot day one summer long ago. I hope readers will find charm in the story, and wisdom in the postscript. In the tradition of the proverbial chicken that crossed the road to get to the other side comes this story about [...]
The 2025 Journal Committee is proud to name Adrianne Greenberg and Miriam Gabriel as this year’s Journal honorees. Both women have served our shul with distinction for more than 20 years, contributing in many capacities — from leadership roles to committee members. Before her election as president of the shul for three consecutive terms, Adrianne held many offices on the Board of Directors over a period of 20 years, including Recording Secretary and Vice [...]
To help the children of CAST families gain the skills necessary for success when starting kindergarten, the shul’s Tikkun Olam Initiative (TOI) group purchased 20 bilingual copies of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” for the 3-year old group, and 20 copies of “Rainbow Fish” for the 4-year-olds. Each book is labeled inside, announcing (in Spanish and English) that the book was donated by Congregation Tifereth Israel. “Helping these children gain the literacy skills that their English-speaking [...]
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