Shul News & Notes
The Tikkun Olam Group Delivers Tomato Plants To CAST’s Food Pantry
Cookie Slade, left, and Veronica Kaliski of the shul’s Tikkun Olam group potted and brought 20 tomato plants to the food pantry at CAST’s Southold headquarters. The plants, grown by Cookie from seeds, are distributed to CAST’s clients, who grow and nurture them at their homes for fresh veggies throughout the summer and early fall. Shul members wanting to participate in nurturing plants for CAST or the Common Ground garden can email the shul with a message for Veronica or Cookie.
Madelyn and Tom Thank Silent Auction Contributors and Participants
“Hey, Tom. Looks like we did it again. The opening party for the Virtual Silent Auction was a Wow! Bids were flying in, and the lucky winners were thrilled with their finds.”
“Right you are, Madelyn. It was great fun, and we have all those who contributed merchandise and services to thank for making the auction such a success.”
“Ya know what, Tom, everyone who participated in the auction came away with a treasure. Even those who were bidding against each other found bragging rights for other items on the auction block. I’d like to thank all those participating in the auction for their spirited bidding and generosity.”
“Sure thing, Madelyn. Everyone involved provided a great big boost to the treasury, helping our shul to keep humming along smoothly.”
“Whadiya say, Tom, are we on for next year?
“I am if you are, Madelyn. Fun times ahead.”
Letter from Ann Hurwitz
To the editors:
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the second course developed for synagogues by Jewish Theological Seminary — Beyond Dispute: Debates that Shape Jewish Life. Thank you, Rabbi Capela, for your preparation, for the wisdom of your teaching, and for the adaptations you made to make the last four sessions timely and relevant. Thanks to Andrea Blaga for making sure each participant had access to the videos and the sources. And thanks to all the stalwarts who attended any or all of the sessions, devoting a good-sized chunk of their Sundays for 12 weeks.
We learned about perennial issues that constitute the core of Judaism, issues that were often posed dichotomously but, when studied, revealed their complexity and led us to understand context and circumstance. As we considered these issues and the opposing views within Judaism, we read a variety of sources — biblical commandments, Talmudic discussions, medieval arguments, and contemporary opinions, all in the process of learning much about Jewish history. In all, we deepened our understanding of Judaism, our core values, and when and how beliefs may be modified. Beyond Dispute showed us how past authorities had heard each other and how balance was sought, all in the spirit of “argument for the sake of Heaven.”
Personally, I felt we enriched each other by sharing the material, our views, and our lives as we came to know each other more fully. For me and, I hope, for all participants, the purpose of the course was fulfilled.
Ann Hurwitz
Sponsor of the JTS course for our shul
Dede Whitsit
To the editors:
Dede Whitsit, a founding member of the Book Circle, has left us. But today’s meeting of ours group made it clear that if Dede is no longer with us in body, she is a lasting presence among us in spirit.
It was Dede who always made sure we got the full load of facts on the matters our books brought to our attention. And it was Dede who always reminded us that, although we were reading stories, there was a real world where those tales came from. Her hunger for knowledge and her capacity to clarify complex ideas were immeasurably valuable to us as we navigated debates and discussion on literature about and by Jews.
While her cheerful smile and rousing humor will no longer greet us when we meet, we will always hear her voice loud and clear, sounding its message of hope for a better, kinder world. Thank you, Dede.
Fondly,
Liz Adams, Miriam Gabriel, Adrianne Greenberg, Nina Neimark, Susan Rosenstreich, Madelyn Rothman, Irma Strimban.
Tikkun Shavuot
You are invited to join Rabbi Gadi and shul congregants participating in a joyous Tikkun Shavuot, Saturday, June 4, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., on Zoom.
The festive holiday of Shavuot celebrates the time that the Jews received the Torah at Mt. Sinai.
Based on this auspicious beginning, Jews traditionally study through the night, fortified by dairy dishes, notably a creamy cheesecake.
Join Rabbi Gadi and members of our congregation for Havdallah, personal reflections, and short teachings on topics that relate to Jewish understanding.
Speakers:
1. Rabbi Gadi – “Kabbalah on Shavuot: What Do We Receive?”
2. Chuck Simon – “The Tragedy of King Saul:
A Democrat in a Republican Congress”
3. Paul Nadel – “Judaism and the Science of Yoga: A Quest for True Happiness”
4. Open Q&A session with Rabbi Gadi while eating cheese cake.
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