Shul News & Notes
Oculus: Eye On Art
“Path to Freedom,” a 20×16-inch mixed media collage and acrylic concept by Saul Rosenstreich, coordinator of the shul’s Judaism and Art group, “takes elements from three photographs and rearranges portions of them to generate a new meaning,” the artist says. The figures of the family are from the 2012 Holocaust memorial in San Juan, PR, by Michael Berkowitz and Bonnie Srolovitz. The birds are from wall decorations in a nearby art museum in San Juan. These elements are arranged over a simple abstract design found on Pinterest. Additional painting with acrylics was used to coach the fragments into a coherent image. The work suggests that the arduous path to freedom — freedom to exist as Jews — is in fact, attainable.
Photo by the artist
Book Circle To Discuss Award-Winning Memoir/Detective Story
The next meeting of the Book Circle will be held on Thursday, March 18, at 3 p.m., on Zoom. The selection for the month is History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
In this much-loved novel, a long-lost book reappears after 60 years, half a world away, mysteriously connecting an old man searching for his son and a teenage girl seeking a cure for her widowed mother’s loneliness.
The Book Circle meets each month to explore books on Jewish themes and Jewish writers. For more information, call the shul at 631-477-0232 and leave a message for Susan Rosenstreich, coordinator of the group.
Shul Members Approve Contract Extension For Rabbi Gadi
At a special Congregation meeting held Sunday, Feb. 21, on Zoom, those attending overwhelmingly approved a contract extension for Rabbi Gadi Capela, spiritual leader of the synagogue. The new terms extend the current contract, due to expire on August 30, 2021, by 16 months, moving the renegotiated contract expiration date to Dec. 31, 2022.
Treasurer Alan Garmise, chair of the Contract Negotiating Committee, explained the extension of 16 months. Previous contracts have expired just prior to the High Holy Days, a problematic time for both a rabbi and any congregation, he said.
According to the extension, all terms of the current contract will remain in place, including no changes in the rabbi’s annual salary or his retirement plan. The synagogue will continue to fund the rabbi’s medical insurance policy.
Congregants unable to attend the meeting were invited to cast their votes by email. The final numbers were not available at press time, but the acceptance rate of more than 85% of congregants voting favorably at the meeting was not expected to change significantly.
The Shofar Goes Interactive: Tell Us What’s On Your Mind?
One of the most avidly read areas of any newspaper is the “Letters to the Editor” page. This is where people discover what readers are thinking, what’s important to them, and how they feel about the world around them.
The Shofar, your monthly link to shul news, regional developments, and reports on the global Jewish community, wants to know what you think about Jewish issues today, shul operations, Zoom activities and events, and whatever else you care to share with Shofar readers. We’re planning a lively Letters to the Editor section with you as our star reporters. What’s on your mind?
Email your letters to info@tifereth-israel.com, with To The Editor in the subject line. Letters generally should be no more than 100 words, although the editors recognize that some may need to run longer. Please provide your name and contact information in case of questions. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. So, what are your thoughts? What do you think about this idea?
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