Shul News & Notes
Yellow Candle Project Volunteers Will Deliver Packages In Early April
Members and friends of our shul can expect to find yellow candles delivered to their mailboxes or doorsteps in early April. Once again, our shul is planning to participate in the Yellow Candle Project, a global program to commemorate the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Men’s Club president Tom Byrne, coordinator of the shul’s participation, met with his team for a packing party on March 26 to ready the candles for delivery. Included in each package is a yellow candle and also a card with the name, age, date and place of death of a child who perished in the Holocaust, he said.
The Yellow Candle Project is a communal memorial to Jewish Holocaust victims on Yom HaShoah. For many participants, the glow of the candles “broadens understanding of the Holocaust in the safe space of our own homes,” Tom Byrne said, noting that many participants share images of their lighted candles on social media, creating a collective memorial.
This year’s observance will be held on Monday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m., when we will gather on Zoom to light our candles together. This year, our shul has invited the North Fork Reform Synagogue to join our congregation in a shared observance.
Although the candles are distributed without charge, recipients can make a charitable contribution to the shul, designated for an educational project at Greenport High School. Contributions will finance a bus to transport students to the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. It is hoped that this program will provide young people with a deeper understanding of the events that led to the Holocaust and the tragic aftermath of intolerance.
Hats, Scarves And Even Feathers Created Stylish Dressing-Up For Purim
The sounds of noisemakers could be heard throughout the building as shul members, once again, told Haman and his sons what they think of that whole bunch of momzers. Hamantaschen treats, on the other hand, received a warm welcome. In the sanctuary and on Zoom, the costumes were fun and inventive for the holiday of Purim. Pictured, from left, Sara Bloom, Leah Friedman and Carol Seigel.
Joanna Paulsen photo
As Covid Wanes, Shul Plans To Reinstate Shabbat Oneg/Kiddish Rituals
The suggestion that the shul reinstate the Oneg Shabbat ritual following each Friday night service and the practice of providing a Kiddish lunch each Saturday was met with bravos and hurrahs at the Sunday, March 19 meeting of the shul’s Board of Directors. Shul president Judith Weiner called the idea a “return to a sense of community.” As president of the shul’s Sisterhood group, Adrianne Greenberg was asked to meet in committee to formulate a plan and a start date.
As in the past, the Sisterhood will need members to “take on” a weekend (or a month of weekends) to shop for the food, prepare simple presentations, and cleanup afterward. Maybe that sounds like a lot, but it’s not. Think about a friend coming for coffee and cake, or a sandwich and salad lunch.
Volunteers can contact the Sisterhood president at ctigreenport@gmail.com.
Oculus: Eye On Art
“Grazing on High,” a 12” x 20” pastel by Saul Rosenstreich, founding member of the shul’s Judaism and Art group, is based on a photo captured by the artist last summer while visiting the Scottish Highlands. “Sheep were every- where,” he told The Shofar, recalling how the light beige forms stood out against the distant and highly-colored hills and valleys. Thinking about the many references to sheep in the Bible and the ancient Jews who first herded them brought to the artist’s mind the metaphor of the shepherd caring for the needs of the sheep and rewarded by their bounty, so eloquently expressed in Psalm 23, where even G-d is likened to the ever-caring shepherd.
Book Circle Continues To Explore Rothschild Women
The Book Circle is finding the Rothschild women so fascinating — and lengthy — that discussion will continue into the April meeting, which will be held on Thursday, the 20th, at 4 p.m., on Zoom.
In this book, The Women Of Rothschild: Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty, Natalie Livingstone reveals the role of women in shaping the legacy of the famous Rothschild family, synonymous with wealth and power. The writer follows the women from the 19th through the 21st centuries. As Jews in a Christian society and women in a deeply patriarchal family, they were outsiders. Excluded from the family bank, they forged their own distinct dynasty and became influential hostesses and diplomats, choreographing electoral campaigns, advising prime ministers, advocating for social reform, and trading on the stock exchange.
The Book Circle meets monthly to discuss books on Jewish themes and/or by Jewish writers. For more information, email ctigreenport@gmail.com with a message for Suzi Rosenstreich, coordinator of the group.
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