Jewish Federation of Ulster County

One Albany Ave., Suite G-10, Kingston, NY 12401 845-338-8131 www.ucjf.org info@ucjf.org

Kolenu O
March/April 2013

UR

VOICE
Nissan/Iyer 5773

PASSOVER ISSUE

Passover Message
by Rabbi Yael Romer
Every Passover Jews around the world will tell our story of liberation. From slavery to freedom we re-tell of the Exodus from Egypt illuminating our story through the Pesach Seder specifically with the recitation of the Haggadah. Haggadah literally means telling. As we tell our story, it is striking to note that in the actual Haggadah there is practically no mention of the great prophet Moses. Ancient traditional renderings of the Haggadah include one mere explicit mention of Moses and most modern Haggadot no longer even include this one citation. The traditional explanation rendered is that the Haggadah wants to impress upon us that the power authoring redemption belongs exclusively to God. While Maimonides (1135-1204) adopts this tradition of omitting even the one mention of Moses in the Haggadah, he simultaneously teaches in Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chametz UMatzah, 7:2 that during the Seder parents ought to inform their children about what happened to us in Egypt and the miracles wrought for us by Moshe Rabeinu The essence of Maimonides ruling underscores that Sacred acts and Gods will are realized through human agency. Through life, leadership and action, individuals partner with God to bring about redemption. Certainly, Moses Ha-Navi is the quintessential example. A most powerful and transformative aspect of the Passover Seder and of Judaism at its core- is the explicit requirement to see ourselves as if each of us were slaves in Egypt, Avadim Ha-yeenu and we were redeemed, Hotzeeanu Mitmitzraim. We literally eat the bread of affliction (matzah), taste the bitterness of slavery (marror) and are reminded of the tears as well as of what is possible (the salt water). But to honestly tell this story it is critical that each of us find our voice in the journey. We ought not settle to tell the story without also weaving in the role of women
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Why is Kosher for Passover Wine Different From All Other Wines?
by Amy Barash
This year Passover begins at sunset on March 25th. As we gather around the Seder table, there can be quite a variety of wines to choose from, anything from a traditional Manischewitz Concord Grape to a St. Emilion from the Bordeaux region of France. What they should have in common is the capital letter P on the label. This indicates that the wine is both Kosher for Passover as well as Kosher for the entire year. There may also be a U or K in a circle. Kosher wine is a grape wine produced according to kashrut (Jewish dietary law). It must be created under a rabbis immediate supervision (Mashgichim means supervisors). For the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America to put its accreditation symbol on the bottles the letter O with the letter U insidethe winemakers must be Sabbath-observant Orthodox males. Jews must supervise the entire process from the harvesting and crushing of the grapes through fermentation to bottling. All ingredients must be kosher, and the tools used only for winemaking. Some producers flash-pasteurize wines by quickly heating them to about 176 degrees Fahrenheit and instantly dropping the temperature to about 60. The wine, then termed mevushal, can be opened and served by non-Jewslike waitersto observant Jews without rendering it nonkosher. (Mevushal translates literally as boiled, an outdated term winemakers avoid because of its negative connotations.) Many top-grade kosher wines are not mevushal; if a wine is mevushal, its label says so. Cellar apparatus must be sanitary. (This hygienic condition reflects a principle governing all winemaking.) Only kosher fermentation and clarification materials can
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OUR VOICE Kolenu

OUR VOICE Officers and Board 2013
President: Harriet Miller Vice President Jewish Federations of North America Ulster County Campaign Gail Levy

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Kolenu is filled with facts and information about Israel, the community, and world Jewry.
Newsletter Staff ........................... Amy Barash, Barbara Cohen, Janice Kaplan Director ....................................................... Ken Salzmann Administrative Assistant .................................... Sara Morales
Now on-line Visit www.ucjf.org

Vice President Community Relations Council: Harv Hilowitz Vice President Israel Advocacy: Nat Borsky Vice President Group Services: Alyson Brener Vice President Leadership Development: Bernie King-Smith Treasurer: Ed Lane Recording Secretary: Sandy Borsky
Barbara Blas Barbara Cohen Joseph Cohen Bruria Bodek Falik Carol Super Gold Ronnie Gold Geoffrey Miller Shari Miller Randolph Myerson Skit Rabbino Charles Shanok Karen Tashman Ellen Triebwasser

Advertising: contact our Federation office at 845-338-8131. Single ad (Business Card) is $20, double ad is $40. Discount for consecutive issues of single ad $18/double ad $36. Reminder: The deadline for submitting information to our High Holiday issue is Friday, July 26. Please support our advertisers. Their support helps defray the cost of this issue. Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10am-3pm; Friday, 10am-1pm. Kolenu is published 4 times a year: Passover, Annual Meeting, High Holiday, and Chanukah
You are important to Federation. We are a community without borders. We hope this issue will inspire, inform and increase your participation and support. One Albany Ave., Suite G-10 Kingston, New York 12401 845-338-8131 info@ucjf.org

MISSION STATEMENT
The Jewish Federation of Ulster County, Inc. serves as a community building organization that enhances the quality of Jewish life. The Federation fosters a strong relationship with Israel and strives to ensure the continuity of the Jewish people. Through the United Jewish Federations of N.A. Campaign, the Federation raises and distributes funds for the support of Jewish causes, locally and around the world.

Congregational Rabbis:
Rabbi Yitzchok Hecht Rabbi Jonathan Kligler Rabbi Yael Romer Rabbi William Strongin

Director:
Ken Salzmann

Administrative Assistant:
Sara Morales

Please support our advertisers. Their support helps defray the cost of this issue.

Seder Traditions by David Gold

Sharing our Seder with strangers and neighbors, Jews and non-Jews.

OUR VOICE
Passover Message
as an authentic part of our story of redemption. Before Moses birth the Talmud teaches that Miriam and Aarons father Amram divorced Jocheved and counseled all of the children of Israel to do the same. Amram determined that if the children of Israel ceased being intimate with one another, there would be no baby boys to fall victim to Pharaohs evil decree. It is Miriam who convinces her father to resume marital relations with their wives. Miriam reprimands her father; Pharaoh only decreed against the baby boys, you have set a decree in motion against all children, male and female and against the promise for future generations. It is after this that the Torah reports that Amram marries Jocheved (the restating of their relationship constituting a re-marriage) and [she] gave birth to a son. It was Miriam who prophesized the birth of Moses destined to be a great leader of Israel. Shifra and Puah, suggested in the Talmud to be synonymous with Jocheved and Miriam, described in the Torah as the [Egyptian] midwives for the Hebrews myaldot ha-iviot; defy Pharaohs decree to kill the male babies born to the Hebrew slaves because they have yirah for God. In their refusal to follow the decree of Pharaoh, risking their own lives, these Egyptian Women demonstrate the first act of civil disobedience reported in the Torah. Inspired by their awe of God, they are compelled to act ethically. Jocheved hides her son until she could not hide him any longer, so she placed him in a wicker basket smeared with clay and she launched him in the Nile River. Miriam stations herself close by to know what would be done with him. (Exodus 2:4) Recognizing that he is a Hebrew baby, [Bitya] Pharaohs daughter saves him from the river, negotiates a wet nurse from the Hebrew women who will nurse the boy *Exodus 2:6) and determines to raise this Hebrew child as her own son. When Moses is a married man, while travelling with his wife and sons, that God encountered him and sought to kill him. (Exodus 4:23) At this critical moment, it is his wife, Zipporah, a woman of action, who has the audacity, under-

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standing and courage to take a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and touched it to his feet and saves him from death. And it is at that crossing of the sea that Miriam the prophetesstook the drum in her hand and all the women went forth after her with drums and dances. (Exodus 15:20) Miriams trust in God was steadfast and she inspired a similar faith for those who followed her. She is recognized as a prophet and leader throughout the Israelites wandering in the desert. The midrash suggests Miriams leadership merited the existence of the well that accompanied the Israelites on their wanderings in the wilderness. When Miriam died the community was without water (Numbers 20:1-2). Miriam is a central source of nurturing, vitality, leadership and prophecy. Jocheved, Shifra, Puah, Bitya, Zipporah and Miriam, six women who played a vital role in partnering with God. Our story is not complete without parents informing their children about what happened to us in Egypt and the role, courage and character that these inspirational women had in paving the way for redemption. There can be no compromising as to the role of women in our lives, in our tradition, in our Judaism and in our narrative. It is incumbent for us to tell our stories and to live our Judaism with the commitment and conviction that each and every one of us can truly imagine that we too were there and has an authentic part in the journey. It is past time that we insist that our narrative values all of the voices equally. Just as we teach Mosesso it is incumbent upon us to teach, breath, and live Miriam and Shifra and Puah and Zipporah and Bitya and Jocheved. Only then will be begin to conceive of how each of us too can and must continue to step up to the sacred task of actively owning and participating in our Judaism, actively owning and participating in tikun olam; each of us partnering with God to forge redemption and hearing in our own lives and in our world. Blessings & Peace for a meaningful participatory Pesach, R Yael Rabbi Yael Romer, Temple Emanuel

SCHWARTZS INN
Historic Stockade New Yorks First Capital
Proprietors Barbara & Joe Cohen

delightful video of wide interest http://www.israelinsidethemovie.com/widget/ thevideo.php?s=522

Group Services by Alyson Brener

Fun events coming up.
Spring Fitness Event: April 21, 1-3PM. WJC.

70 North Front Street Kingston, New York 12401 (845) 389-9918 www.schwartzsinn.com

Make New Friends: Dance programs for children led by Drew Andrews for 4-8 & 8+. Mother Earth and Bard Science group: September 15 Adult Hike at North Lake: October 6

OUR VOICE
Passover Wine
be used; for example, halacha, or Jewish law, says clarification cannot involve isinglass, a gelatin that comes from sturgeon and is deemed non-kosher because adult sturgeon lack scales. While all wines require some sort of mold (yeast) for fermentation, Kosher for Passover wine must be made from mold that has not been grown on bread (such as sugar or fruit) and must exclude several common preservatives, like potassium sorbate. Of course the wine must be kept free from all chametz (grains, bread, dough). In the early days of wine-making in the U.S., the only type of grape that was available to make Kosher wine was the concord grape, originating in Concord, Massachusetts. However, since the juice of the concord grape is high in acid, winemakers added lots of sugar in order to make it drinkable. Today, its grown throughout the U.S., including the Hudson Valley. In the U.S. kosher wines came to be associated with sweet concord products by wineries founded by immigrants who came to New York. Manischewitz, located in Naples, NY near Lake Canandaigua and Kedem, right here in Ulster County on Route 9W in Marlboro, are 2 long-standing wineries. Beginning in the 1980s a trend toward producing dry, premium kosher wines started up a revival of the Israeli wine industry. Today there are over 200 wineries in Israel, and most produce Kosher for Passover wines. They include Yarden, Carmel, and Domaine du Castel. Some Israelis do not make kosher wines. They want their products perceived not as Jewish, kosher and sacamental, but as secular and Israeli or eastern Mediterranean. Ingredients:

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Mashugana Matzo Morsels

1 cup raisins 3 Tbs. Concord Grape Wine 1 stick butter 2 whole unsalted matzo, crumbled into 1 inch pieces 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces 1 cup walnuts, chopped 1. 2. 3. Soak raisins in Concord Grape wine. Melt butter in 7-1/2x11-1/4 baking pan at 325. Crumble matzo on top of melted butter. Layer chocolate chips over matzo. Layer raisins over chips. Spread chopped walnuts over raisins. Top with sweetened condensed milk. Mash down to saturate ingredients. Bake 20-25 minutes at 325. Cool and refrigerate an hour. Cut into squares and serve.

4. 5.

In Israel, not the diaspora, kosher wine involves biblical agricultural law. No wine can be made until the fourth year after a vine has been planted. The Torah requires that if a vineyard lies in biblical territory every seventh year is a sabbatical year, and it must lie fallow. We also have choices from almost every other wine producing region, including Napa Valley (Baron Herzog, Covenant), CA. France (Chateau Leoville-Poyferre & Chateau Matras St. Emilion), New Zealand (Goose Bay), Italy, Spain, and Chile. There are numerous recipes for Passover that include wine. Try these.

OUR VOICE Presidents Column

by Harriet Miller

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including our mission and goals for the future. Through the strategic planning process we hope to adapt our organization to better serve the needs of the local community. We need your input to help us with this task. Most of you have received questionnaires in an attempt to elicit your responses about how you perceive your relationship to the Federation. Please take a moment to fill them out as they will help us go forward with our plans to be a more inclusive Jewish organization. Based on your responses so far, we have started to plan childrens events, coordinate a bus trip to the Israeli Day Parade on June 2nd, and organize fitness events and outdoor activities throughout the coming year in order to make it easier for our members to meet and socialize with each other within the larger Jewish community. Please let us know what you are interested in and how you would like to participate with us. Of course this spring we have planned our annual Yom Hashoah commemoration. This year it will be held at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation on April 7th, when we will hold a candle lighting service to remember and honor those who suffered and perished in the Holocaust. Check your mail for further details about the event and UCJF.com. This spring as well, in conjunction with Bnai Brith and Jewish Family Services, the Federation is providing Passover food boxes to families in need in each of the area synagogues. Id like to extend my sincere thanks to Dena Crane, president of Jewish Family services, and her staff of volunteers, for organizing this joint humanitarian and charitable effort. Our thanks also go out to Shop Right for adding to this mitzvah by generously discounting their merchandise on behalf of the families that will be receiving the boxes of food. Finally, by the time you read this, we hopefully will have unveiled our brand new website, designed and maintained by our talented director, Ken Salzmann. Check us out and find out whats happening at the Federation, the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History and Fall for Art!
May you rejoice in our traditions and always be blessed with the rich and bountiful gifts of life.

Shalom
Passover represents the time in the Jewish calendar when we commemorate the passage of our people from bondage to liberation, from slavery to freedom. It offers a sense of hope that even when things seem at their most hopeless, we can lift ourselves up by expecting the best from ourselves in accordance with Jewish tradition. The story of the Exodus remains as relevant today as it did during the time of our ancestors. We are told that in every generation we must look at ourselves as if we personally had come out of Egypt. Many of us today understand this to mean that we must contemplate our own lives as a lifelong journey alternating between the narrow places, or challenges, we encounter and the decision to take an active role in overcoming those challenges by walking in partnership with G-d to create a more perfect world. As we look at our own personal challenges, I cant help but see certain parallels with recent events experienced by the Federation, as well. It has been said that moving into a new location is among the most stressful situations we can encounter in life. Over the past nine months, weve moved into our new location at 1 Albany Avenue, lock, stock and barrel, not once, but twice. Soon after our first move we experienced waterfalls streaming down into the office as a result of burst pipes from the apartment above on two separate occasions. Equipment and supplies were damaged but, thankfully, their cost was eventually covered by our insurance. These events took their toll and could have presented major challenges and setbacks for any of us, but, fortunately, because of the positive, can-do attitudes and quick thinking on the part of our director, Ken Salzmann, and office assistant, Sara Morales, as well as the hard work of our volunteers, we were finally able to settle into our second, and present office and begin the new calendar year with renewed hope and enthusiasm. We are now in the process of creating a new strategic plan which will help us redefine who we are as a Federation,

Pesach Sameach!

OUR VOICE Looking forwardand looking back

by Ken Salzmann, Director
On a recent winter Sunday, Jewish Federation of Ulster County board members gathered in a Woodstock home to begin imagining and articulating what the organization will need to be and do in years to come, in order to best serve a changing community in a changing world. That sessionthe first in what will be an extended Strategic Planning process that will include not only the insights of board members but those of the broader community as well saw the board grapple creatively and unflinchingly with a wide range of issues and opportunities that are changing the face of much of Jewish community life not only in Ulster County, but across the nation. To do that, they brought in our representative from Jewish Federations of North Americas Network of Independent Communities, Tiffany Yankovich, whose enthusiasm and vision as facilitator kept the conversation on track and lent a national perspective to the discussion. Some of those present have been leaders of the Federation and the community for many years; some have only taken on that role recently. Together, though, they began to delve into the questions of where Jewish Federation of Ulster County is now, where it needs to go, and how it might get there. How do we better serve Jews in the community of all backgrounds and ages, strengthening the values we share? And how do we continue to put those values into action, pulling together as a community both to celebrate and build our Jewish lives together and to reach out where there is need, to help to heal the world? Those arent questions that can be answered in one day. And they wont be answered even by an engaged and thoughtful board alone. The process that began that Sunday will be an ongoing one, and will include voices from every part of our community. We hope that one of those voices will be yours. If you have already received a Strategic Planning questionnaire, please let us hear your thoughts. If we have failed to reach out to you already, please give us a call, so we can all be sure the decisions and plans that come out of the process will be informed by your experience and interested, too. Together, we have a wonderful opportunity to step into the future as a stronger and more responsive community. If the impetus of Strategic Planning is looking forward, however, a phone call we received shortly afterwards came as a powerful reminder that whats to come mustand

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willbe built squarely on a foundation of tradition and history. Marianka May, the 2009 recipient of Jewish Federation of Ulster Countys Volunteer of the Year Award, was a young woman in a concentration camp when she became part of a remarkable choral group that refused to surrender its voice or its hopeto the Nazi horror. During World War II, she was among the prisoners in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp who performed Verdis Defiant Requiem a total of sixteen times, with a smuggled score and under the direction of conductor Rafael Schachter. With audiences that ranged from prisoners in the camp to a Red Cross delegation and senior SS officials, Schachter told the choir, we will sing to the Nazis what we cannot say to them. With her call, Ms. May was letting us , and the Ulster County Jewish community, know that those stirring and remarkably defiant concentration camp concerts are not forgotten. Their moving message lives on today in the work of the Defiant Requiem Foundation, which presents the Verdi composition in performances around the world, and which has documented the chorus history in a forthcoming public television program. On April 29, that Foundations work will come close to home, when the composition and dramatic video will be presented at Lincoln Center. That performance will be made even more powerful by the expected presence of Marianka May and two other survivors from the chorus. To learn more about the concert and the story behind it, you can look online to www.defiantrequiem.org.

ADVISORS

OUR VOICE

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Community Seders
HAPPY PASSOVER! Passover begins at sundown Monday, March 25
1st Seder Monday, March 25 2nd Seder Tuesday, March 26
Congregation Agudas Achim
Where All Are Welcome
254 Lucas Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 Telephone/Fax: 845-331-1176

Jewish Congregation of New Paltz

Kehillat Ahavat Achim
Synagogue/Sanctuary: 8 Church St., New Paltz 12561 Community Center: 30 N. Chestnut St., New Paltz Mailing Address: P.O. Box 577, New Paltz, NY 12561 Phone: 845-255-9817 E-mail: npshul@hvc.rr.com

Lets celebrate our freedom together! Communal Passover Seder Monday, March 25, 1st Seder Tuesday, March 26, 2nd Seder Join us for the Seder
If you need/want a place for the Seder, please join us. You can join us for either one or both Seder nights. Cost for each Seder, per person is: $36; Members - $26; Children - $18. No one will be turned away due to a lack of funds. Reservations a must! For more information, Kingston Seder please call 845-334-9044. For Ellenville Seder 917-280-2134.

Passover Second Night Community Seder

Tuesday, March 26 at 6:00pm at our Community Center. Please join us in this annual tradition for a delicious meal and community celebration of Pesach. Catered by Gayle Shankman of Please Eat the Daisies Caterers. Reservations required by March 24. $32 members & family, $37 non-members, $15 children 7-12 years, $5 children 3-6 years. For more information call our office at 845-332-8756.

Congregation Ahavath Israel

One must kindle the flame until it radiates and ascends upwards by itself. B.T Shabbat 12a
100 Lucas Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 845-338-4409 Email: ahavathisraelkingston@gmail.com

Second Night Passover Seder

Ahavath Israel Second Night Community Seder Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 6:30 pm

MENU
Chicken Soup w/Matzah Balls Turkey Roasted Vegetables Roasted Potatoes Coffee/Tea and Dessert and of course Afikomen (Vegetarian option available upon request) Adults: $35 children 13 and younger: $25 Paid reservations needed

Temple Emanuel
243 Albany Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401 Rabbi's Study: 845/338-4284, ext 102 Office: 845/338-4271, ext 101 E-mail: templeemanual@hvc.rr.com Rabbi E-mail: rabbiromer@hvc.rr.com Website: www.templeemanuelkingston.org

Call the Synagogue office at 845-338-4409 or e-mail ahavathisrael_sec1@juno.com or call Bernie & Lisa King-Smith at 336-6373 for more information

Second Night Passover Seder

Tuesday, March 26, seating at 4:45pm, Seder begins at 5:00pm.

OUR VOICE Jewish Family Services

Sharon Murray-Cohen, Executive Director
First: Happy Passover from the Board and Staff of Jewish Family Services. Many thanks to all within our community who contributed to JFSs Annual Appeal.

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(shopping and doctor visits). All volunteers must be 18 and older. We at JFS are very excited about this program. We hope to see you at our training! Training begins on April 16 at 5:30 at Jewish Family Services, 280 Wall Street, Kingston. To register, call our office at (845) 339-2980, e-mail us at jfs.ulster@gmail.com, or stop by our office at 280 Wall Street Kingston, NY.

Programs, Services and Up Coming Events

Starting in April of last year, though a sub contract with JFS Rockland, we have been able to provide In-Home Services through a grant from the Claims Conference. This grant is used to support personal care, nursing care, chore/housekeeping services, and case management services for financially and physically vulnerable Jewish Nazi victims. The Eligibility Guidelines are: Clients status as a Nazi victim. Clients financial status (determined by evaluation of both income and assets, based on Claims Conference Guidelines) Client functionality (for clients receiving home care) Contact our office (845-338-2980) if you, or someone you know, who lives in Ulster, Sullivan, Green, or Delaware Counties are in need of services, and may be eligible for this program. Care Giver Support Groups: Though a contract with Ulster County Office for the Aging, JFS currently provides Care Giver Support Groups in Kingston, New Paltz, Saugerties, Ellenville, and starting in March, will be providing a group in Phoenicia . If you are interested in attending any of these groups, and are caring for someone 60 years of age, or older, please contact our offices at the above number to obtain additional information, and register for one of these groups. Bereavement Group: JFS also provides a Bereavement Support Group. This group meets the 2nd, and 4th. , Wednesday of the month in New Paltz. For more information, and to register call our office. 7 Nights of Dining Out Raffle: We will be selling tickets for our annual fund raiser to benefit our Home Based services beginning in late March. Tickets can be purchased from JFS board members, or at our office located on the 2nd floor of 280 Wall Street over Ulster Savings Bank. If you see someone without a smile, give him one of yours! We are looking for positive people with big smiles to volunteer their time and energies with seniors in our community. We will provide training, supervision, and a positive environment for volunteers to meet other altruistic members of the community. Possible volunteer opportunities include making friendly phone calls or visits and taking seniors on errands

Hadassah Gift Wrap 2012

by Gail Levy
The Kingston-Woodstock Chapter of Hadassah is proud to report that our Gift wrapping venture at the Hudson Valley Mall during the holidays was a success. We raised a total of $8,500, which includes our wrapping and our portion of the weekend group's receipts. After expenses we were able to send $6,500 to the Hadassah Medical Center for Cancer Research. Our heartfelt thanks go out to David Brener who stepped in this year to man our ship of wrappers and helped keep this project afloat. He worked in all areas of gift wrapping and deserves a round of applause! Hurrah David!! Thanks go out to approximately 70 plus pairs of helping hands, many of whom worked multiples shifts. Many thanks to a handful of people who worked above and beyond. For those people who we were unable to reach this year, either by oversight or otherwise, please contact us next year. We will try our best to reach everyone. Thanks go out to the board of Congregation Ahavath Israel for their kindness in allowing us to store our supplies in one of their classrooms. This is a wonderful help. Also, a heartfelt thanks to the crew who helps us set up and breakdown at the end. Thanks to Elliot Spiegel and the staff at Speigel Brothers Paper Company and to Helene Fliegler for her fine choices in paper selection. We can all applaud our efforts. We have done well!

Seder Traditions by Carol Super Gold

Being with family and hearing the Passover story year after yearknowing Jews all over the world are all reading and performing the same rituals at this time.

OUR VOICE

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Jewish Federations of North America Campaign 2013

Gail Levy, Chairperson

Your Jewish Federation of Ulster County is a community without borders. Your Gift Is Needed

here
Helping the local Jewish Community Jewish Family Services outreach to the Jewish seniors in our community: q Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith q Chevra Kadisha q Project Hope for B'nai B'rith delivering packages of holiday food to needy Jewish households q SUNY Hillel q Daughters of Sara Senior Community
q q q q q q q

q q

Queens Galley Family of Woodstock multi-program human service agency, providing crisis intervention services, emergency shelter and food programs, childcare programs, and case management services

and abroad
Jews left behind in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe q

Providing for area synagogues Congregation Agudas Achim Congregation Ahavath Israel Jewish Congregation of New Paltz (Kehillat Ahavat Achim) Temple Emanuel Kerhonkson Synagogue, Congregation Tifereth Yehudah v'Yisrael Woodstock Jewish Congregation (Kehillat Lev Shalem) Jewish Federation of Ulster County Scholarships -

Supporting Jewish community centers, synagogues and weekly food packages. Helping them return to the Jewish community. Most are too elderly or sick to make aliyah. Jews in Argentina are facing anti-Semitism and economic hardship -

Israel Through your United Jewish Communities Federation Campaign, these same programs are provided to Israel's neediest. 5,000 emigrees still arrive each month from the former Soviet Union.

Marlene Survis Scholarship Award - Presented to an individual who will use the funds for a Jewish purpose such as a Jewish camp or trip to Israel q Awarded to a Jewish graduating senior from each area high school, who has exemplified community service. q Awarded to area youth for camps, teen trips to Israel, and to adults for adult educational programs.
q

Live Generously It does a world of good

Your tax deductible gift will touch many lives, young and old

$36____ $120____ $365____ $850____ $1,000____

Funding local Federation programs q q q

Federation Newsletter q Leadership Development Community Relations Council q Group Services "Teaching Tolerance and Combating Prejudice" Educational program

$5,000____ Other______ Please bill my MasterCard____ Visa____

No._________________________________ Exp. date_________ Name _________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________ City ___________________________ State/Zip_______________ Telephone_____________________ E-mail _________________
Mail to: Jewish Federation of Ulster County, 1 Albany Ave., G-10, Kingston, NY 12401 or pay on-line: www.ucjf.org (click donate)

Social Services for local agencies & organizations q q q q

Area soup kitchens The People's Place - food pantry CASA Court Appointed Special Advocate Angel Food East - A hot meal program for people living with HIV and AIDS in Ulster County

OUR VOICE Your Help Is Needed

Dear Federation Member, How do you prepare for Passover? Do you do a ritual spring cleaning , scour cookbooks for new recipes, make travel plans to gather with loved ones? Whatever the preparations, they culminate in our Seders, where we will read the Haggadah. Its text not only retells the story of the liberation of our people from slavery, but it assigns us a responsibility: to empathize with those who are oppressed, and to care for the needy who are struggling anywhere in the world. The Haggadah calls the matzah we eat during this holiday the bread of humilityit makes us grateful for all that we have been given and mindful of what we must do. If we are in doubt, the Haggadah instructs us plainly: Let all who are hungry come and eat. We invite you to prepare for Passover this year by honoring this obligation. We hope that you will continue to be part of the Federation of Jewish Federation of Ulster Countys response to the hunger and poverty that oppress so many in our midst. Your gift to Federation this Passover will help families from Moscow to Jerusalem to Ulster County have enough food to eat through Passover and beyond. It will help Holocaust survivors and other elderly everywhere live with security, access to care and dignity. It will help the long-term unemployed pay for food, housing, heat and health care. It will strengthen and give hope to children whose fates otherwise are at risk in the face of poverty, abuse or disability. And it will enable victims of disasters like Hurricane Sandy to rebuild and reclaim their shattered lives and communities. Your gift will help Federation take care of countless people in need the way we took care of Esther, a private and independent professional woman who was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. Her aggressive treatment left her weak and frail and she had nowhere to turn but Federation. We matched her with a social worker who gave her emotional, physical and spiritual support. She got me through it, said Esther about Anna, her social worker. Through her, I regained a lot of trust in people and in the Jewish religion. The Federation was there for me in any way that I needed. Your contribution will help the thousands of children and teens in Israel who are hungry for all kinds of nourishment and support they cant get at home. They need help to build and secure a vibrant futureand Federation provides it. One of these teens is Elizabeth, 16, whose family emigrated from Ukraine. Overwhelmed by her schoolwork and her parents divorce, she considered herself a failure

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until she moved from Ashkelon to a Federation-supported youth village run by the Jewish Agency for Israel. Thanks to the structure and support she received, Elizabeth found her footing and has been training at the villages state-of-the-art athletic facilities in track, a special talent of hers. Until they get to the village, they dont have a chance to succeed, said Natan Biton, the headmaster, of his young charges. Passover gives each of us an important opportunity to honor the Haggadahs commandment and our heritage by helping to feed the hungry. Please renew your support by making a generous gift to Federation this Passover. Help us fulfill our collective mission to care for the vulnerable. You can make a difference. With best wishes for a sweet Passover,

Campaign Chairperson P.S. Passover is a good reminder to reach out with our time as well as our money. Consider volunteering at a food pantry or delivering meals on wheels. Your help is needed!

Bnai Brith
by GAIL LEVY

We are so proud of the completion of the 2013 Bnai Brith Calendar. The last years clearly show that the community is happy to see the calendar available once again. We continue to raise monies for Federation and Bnai Brith. As we get ready to embark upon the 2014 calendar we ask for your support. We are building a team of people who we can count on to make calls for birthday, anniversary and memorial listings. Last year the office sent a copy of the 2012 Bnai Brith / Federation calendar to each of the synagogues. I hope this was shared with the congregations. We would like to hear from new people. Please contact the Federation office, 338-8131 or e-mail info@ucjf.org and join our team. Please indicate if you would like to be included in the calendar. The 1st entry is $12 and subsequent entries are $2 each. You can also place an ad in the Classified Section for $30 or be a Supporter or a Professional Supporter for $30. Jewish recipes are also included. Please share your favorite kosher recipe with us. We would love to publish it! Call Gail Levy, 339-7748 or e-mail gailslevy@aol.com with your entries and recipes. Lets make 2014 the best yet!

sover r Pas o f r Koshe t food Pe

292 Wall Street Kingston 845.339.5735

Dog & Sup Cat plie s

OUR VOICE Plans Well Underway for Fall for Art 2013
by Barbara Lane
Fall for Art 2013 will take place at Wiltwyck Golf Club on Thursday, September 12th. That may seem a long way off at this point, but committee members have already been planning and working on this years event for months. Over the years, Fall for Art has been blessed with a roster of extremely loyal corporate sponsors. In this, our 17th consecutive year, were delighted to report that Basch & Keegan, Catskill Hudson Bank, Daily Freeman (trade), Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley, Mid Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Price Chopper, Rondout Savings Bank, Spiegel Bros. Paper Co., Stewarts Shops, and Ulster Federal Credit Union have each once again pledged their support. Theres also some news regarding the Fall for Art committee itself. While Linda Hutchinson retired as the Federations office administrator last year, she has stayed on as a member of the committee. Lindas contribution to the success of Fall for Art over the years cannot be over stated, so we feel very fortunate that she has chosen to remain onboard. Were also delighted to report that Sue Worthman has joined as the newest member of the Fall for Art committee. Sue moved to Saugerties 39 years ago, but is quick to report that she still thinks of herself as a Brooklyn girl. In 1994, Sue took charge of the IBM Adopt-a-Family program for Ulster County, and she has continued to act as the programs coordinator as an IBM retiree. An inveterate volunteer, Sue has been on the board of the Saugerties Boys & Girls Club for 16 years and is a two-term past president. Sue describes herself as an avid tennis player, self-professed gym rat and adoring grandmother to Isabella and Sofia. Continuing our tradition of donating a portion of the proceeds from Fall for Art to a local arts organization or program, the committee has named the Alzheimers Associations Hudson Valley/Rockland/Westchester, NY Chapter as this years recipient organization. The funds will be used for its Arts with a Heart programa series of three arts workshops at the Rosendale recreation center for people with early-stage Alzheimers and their caregivers. While the Alzheimers Association has offered similar programs outside our area in the past, were proud to report that this will be a first of its kind for Ulster County. Information regarding Fall for Art sponsorship opportunities and our Call for Entries from Hudson Valley-based artists are both available on our website, FallforArt.org, or by calling the Federation office at 845.338.8131. The members of the Fall for Art committee look forward to seeing you on September 12th. In the meantime, dont forget to like us on Facebook!

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HA DAS SAH

Youth Aliyah 2013

by Paula Markiewicz

HELPING ISRAELs most vulnerable children to succeed, be they exiled immigrants or native Israelis, is the mission of Youth Aliyah, an act of tzedakah that spans beyond the time-line of Israels history. Todays Israeli society is more complex than ever. Children can have parents who are unable to care for them, or they may come from seriously underprivileged or high risk homes. Others are immigrants who come to Israel in need of education and assistance. Youth Aliyah programs are securing the future of todays youth in Israel.

Your Contribution To Youth Aliyah:

Support a health education program for Youth Aliyah students that provides vital preventative programs on smoking, drugs, teen pregnancy and other health-related and social issues. Build the Deborah B. Kaplan Sports Center in Meir Shfeya Youth Village, giving teens who once hung out on the corner a place to compete, exercise and experience the discipline and camaraderie of sports programs they would never have had access to in their communities. Fund programs that provide arts education through mobile units to the entire Youth Aliyah network, enabling children to express their deepest emotions through arts. Sponsor enrichment education programs for the children of the Youth Villages of Ramat Hadassah, Hadassah Neurim, and five youth day centers that bear the names of past Hadassah presidents. All have on-site counselors, social workers and academic tutors who truly help change the lives of Israel youth. Recently established program for Falasha Mura youth to resettle them from Ethiopia to Israel. Plans are to convert and educate them to thrive in modern Israeli society. THE ORGANIZATIONS mandate today remains the same as it has been for the past 60+ years to rescue youth from countries in distress and to help Israel and all youngsters develop to the fullest potential educationally, socially, and psychologically by instilling in them a sense of self-worth and pride. So please, friends, we call on you again to help support this lifesaving project. Thank you for your support! Make checks payable to Hadassah and mail to: Paula Markiewicz 12 Vans Terrace Lake Katrine, New York 12449

OUR VOICE
Programs in Israel for Teens Special Needs Camps

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Adult Jewish Study Program Scholarship

Scholarships, Scholarships, Summer Camp High School/College Scholarships! programs for youth Academic Program
their scholarship at the annual meeting Monday, June 3. It must be Jewish in orientation. The deadline for applications is Monday, April 22. Please mail to: Jewish Federation of Ulster County, 1 Albany Ave., Suite G-10, Kingston, New York 12401; E-mail: info@ucjf.org (attention Scholarship Committee).
In your letter to the Scholarship Committee, include the following information:

We are pleased to acknowledge the establishment of a newly funded category. Camp scholarship for children with special needs - $500 Hopefully, this fund will grow to the extent that numerous children may be the beneficiaries. 1. Camp scholarship for children with special needs ($500) 2. Summer camp programs for children, age 2-11 (up to $400) 3. Summer camp programs for children, age 12-16 (up to $400) 4. Summer programs in Israel for teenagers, age 16-18 (up to $400) 5. High School or college academic program for one school year ($1,000 stipend, for study in Israel) 6. Volunteers for Israel and Jewish study programs, adults age 18 & over (up to $400)

Federation Scholarships Due to the enormous interest and response in applications, we will only be able to give a scholarship to one member of a family and preference will be given to first time applicants. Applicant or family of applicant must be a member of the Jewish Federation of Ulster County. A minimum contribution of $36 to the 2012 Jewish Federation of North America Campaign constitutes membership. The recipients will be notified in May and will receive

1. Name and address telephone (home) cell (if applicable) grade

email (if applicable) parents name(s) parent's address (if different than applicant's) work experience (if applicable)

2. Purpose of funding (Jewish camp, Summer Teen Program to Israel, High School or College one year academic program, Volunteers for Israel, Adult Jewish Study Program) 3. How will this experience impact your life? 4. Tell us something about yourself and your family.

The

MARLENE SURVIS Memorial Scholarship Fund

In the past this scholarship has been given to individuals who have participated in programs at Jewish camps, seminars in Israel and Adult Study Programs. This scholarship is endowed by the Womens Philanthropy Campaign. Anyone wishing to contribute may send a donation to the Federation office, c/o The Marlene Survis Scholarship Fund.
Please send your resume and proposal to:

The Marlene Survis Memorial Scholarship is open to all Jewish students 4th grade thru post-graduation level (23 years of age). An award of $250 will be given annually by the Womens Philanthropy Campaign, based on a submitted proposal and resume.
In your letter to the Scholarship Committee, include the following information:

1.

Name and address telephone (home) cell (if applicable) email (if applicable) grade parents name(s) parent's address (if different than applicant's) work experience (if applicable)

Proposal
What is the Jewish Educational purpose to which you intend to use these funds?

Jewish Federation of Ulster County, 1 Albany Ave., Suite G-10, Kingston, New York 12401 or E-mail: info@ucjf.org by Monday, April 22, deadline for application.

Applicant or family of applicant must be a member of the Jewish Federation of Ulster County. A minimum contribution of $36 to the 2012 Jewish Federation of North America campaign constitutes membership.

The recipients will be awarded at the Federation Annual Meeting, Monday, June 3. Please call the Federation office at 338-8131 or e-mail: info@ucjf.org for more information.

OUR VOICE Chag Sameach!

by Rabbi Judy Greenberg Rabbiahavathisrael@gmail.com
What does this all mean to you? This is the question that the wicked son asks at the Passover Seder. We understand this child to be distancing himself from Jewish tradition, and wondering why you bother observing this holiday when he cant imagine that it might affect him. Jeffrey Goldberg puts this question in the mouth of many young American Jews in his Nation commentary in the New American Haggadah (2012, edited by Jonathan Safran Foer). Goldberg interprets his question to mean, The fate of my people is not my concern. In the ghettoized Jewish communities of the past centuries, a Jew could not possibly separate herself from the Jewish community. It would have been absurd to say that her own fate was not tied up with the Jewish people. But in America, Goldberg writes, this unique Diaspora nation, a place that comprehensively accepts, even embraces, its Jewish citizens, this becomes a more troubling proposition. In America today, it is easier than ever for a Jew to walk away from Jewish community. And, at first blush, the wicked childs question angers us: What does this all mean to you? He belittles his heritage; he brushes aside as unimportant that which we hold so dear. The question might seem irreverent or even rude, but at least the child is asking - at least she bothers engaging. Though insolent, she is initiating contact; she is curious. Can we see the curiosity and yearning hidden behind the troubling tone of the question? The wicked son uses skepticism to keep himself at arms length, but he still came home for Seder. Maybe he is missing a day of work, or maybe he traveled home from college. Though he sulks, something brought him home. And rather than respond as the Haggadah instructs us by explaining that God saved me from slavery in Egypt and that this wicked child would not have been saved, we welcome this child with open arms and help him to answer his own question: what can this all mean to him? Let us be grateful that she bothers to ask the question. What about all the other Jewish traditions that this child and so many young Jews in our communities today - dont even ask about. What does Shabbat dinner mean to you? What does giving tzedakah mean to you? What does prayer mean to you? And were they to ask us these questions, would we have answers for them? How do we answer these questions for ourselves? The Four Sons are one of the most popular parts of the Haggadah for artists to interpret. In many depictions we see that these children are not really children. They can be any age - including our own. But it feels safer to discuss them if we see them as children, distinguishing them from ourselves. But we all have been the wise child, the simple child, the child who does not know how to ask, and, indeed, even the wicked child. We have all gone through times when we distanced ourselves from Judaism and our

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Sunday, April 7 3:00 PM Woodstock Jewish Congregation 1682 Glasco Turnpike Saugerties, New York Please join us for a Candlelight Memorial Service
fellow Jews. When the wicked child in us asks his question, it is time to pause and remember what it is that connects us. There is no universal answer. We all have our own reasons for living Jewishly. But I imagine that for most of us, these might include: community, faith, heritage, family, and love of Torah and the tradition. This year, as we gather around the table to celebrate the Israelites Exodus from Egypt, let us listen with compassion as the Four Children ask their questions. May we be grateful for their curiosity, and let us be patient with the voices within us that ask those same questions. Chag Sameach!

Seder Traditions
by Melanie Hill
I cant resist the Bag oPlagues that have frogs, vermin and hail, or the set of masks representing each plague. This way each child at the table has an insect or mask Masks worn by Cole Rosola and Charlie Morton or sunglasses (for darkness!) to keep them involved and help them participate in the story.

OUR VOICE

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THE ISRAEL ADVOCATE

by Nathan Borsky, Israel Advocacy Chairman

Greetings from Israel. On January 22nd Israelis re-elected Prime Minister Netanyahu to lead a coalition government for the next four years. On January 22nd, Obama was sworn into office for another four years as Americas president. Unlike elections in the surrounding Arab and Muslim countries, the American election and Inauguration and the Israeli election, were open and peaceful processes. As a dual citizen, I am truly proud to be an American, an Israeli and a Jew!!! Another person that is also proud to be a Jew and an Israeli, wrote the following sentiment which was forwaded to me a while ago by our dear Evelyn Brener, ZL. In her memory please take a moment to read it and Kvell!

WHY IM PROUD TO BE A JEW/ISRAELI

With war raging in the Middle East, with global terror reaching new heights, with global anti-Semitism on the rise, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on why Im proud, more than ever, to be a Jew and Israeli. q q q q Im proud to be a Jew because Jews/Israelis dont kidnap. Im proud to be a Jew because Jewish education does not consist of teaching martyrdom and hatred. Im proud to be a Jew because my religious leaders and religious services dont whip me into a frenzy to kill others. Im proud to be a Jew because in the middle of a war, Jews still demonstrate and protest to protect the rights of the Arab-Israeli minority to voice their opposition to the war. Im proud to be a Jew because even when Israel is wrongly and falsely accused of killing innocent civilians, Jewish leaders apologize immediately for any loss of life-instead of celebrating these deaths by passing out candy and shooting celebratory gunshots into the air.

When the world accuses Israel of massacre in Jenin-when the world accuses Israel of bombing civilians on a Gaza beach-when the world accuses Israel of shooting a child cowering against a wall - when the world accuses Israel of bombing a Lebanese apartment building killing 56 civilians - when all of these accusations turn out to be totally false - to be vicious anti-Semitic lies and when all along I knew in my heart that these stories just could not be true -and Im later proven to be right. q q Then Im proud to be a Jew. Im proud to be a Jew because the Israeli Army is so, so good, that when it takes more than four weeks to wipe out a sophisticated enemy who has prepared six years for this war, the world criticizes the IDF for not getting the job done quickly. Im proud to be a Jew when my army, the Israeli army, drops leaflets and makes calls to Lebanese citizens on their cell phones to warn them to evacuate before bombing begins.

OUR VOICE
q

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Im proud to be a Jew when the democracies of the world talk about fighting the war on terror, but only Israel is left alone to bear the burden of eradicating Hezbollah, the proxy army of Iran and Syria. Im proud to be a Jew when entire Israeli towns in the north-Nahariya, Kiryat Shimona, Safed, are reduced to ghost towns due to the constant shelling, and yet not one looter has appeared to empty out the property of others.

When Israel must defend its very right to exist, when it must fight a well armed enemy representing the Islamic fascists, as President Bush has called them, when Israel must conduct this war on terror with its hands tied behind its back so as not to take an innocent life lest the media have something true to report, that it must fight this war of survival under the cloud of disproportionality, as if thousands of Katyusha rockets falling on its citizenry is somehow proportionate-when Israel simultaneously pushes back these threats both in the North and in the South under the added pressure of a biased media, q q q Then Im proud to be a Jew. Im proud to be a Jew because Mel Gibson is not a Jew. Im proud to be a Jew when the UNs Human Rights Commission consists of countries like Syria, Libya and Iran and Israel is not asked to join. Im proud to be a Jew when a Russian/Israeli businessman single-handedly creates not one but two tent cities on the beach to house Israelis fleeing the North and provides shelter, bedding, food and drink, showers and bathrooms-all done without red tape in a matter of 24 hours-to house over 6,000 Israelis, one of whom described it as a poor mans Club Med. I am proud to be a Jew when Israelis on the left and on the right support the governments decision to fight-when 97% of the country is united in its own defense-when Israelis from Jerusalem give shelter to families from Haifa-when food from the Negev is donated to feed soldiers at the front-when the IDF deploys soldiers on special assignments to deliver diapers to shelters and to entertain and calm the frightened children.

Jewish Information Resources

www.jta.org The Jewish Telegraphic Association; the Reuters of Jewish global news. www.jewishpress.com Largely Orthodox take on the news. www.yiddishbookcenter.org Located near Amherst, this organization has saved, cataloged and re-distributed Yiddish works for forty years. Great place to visit. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise organizations website including the Virtual Library, an amazing repository of info. www.brandeis.edu/cmjs Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies; Steinhardt Social Research Institute; Fisher-Bernstein Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership; Brandeis University, Waltham, MA. Modern Jewish studies programs and think-tanks. http://www.vosizneias.com Orthodox Community World News Site; responses from readers to news articles. http://www.nbn.org.il Nefesh BNefesh- Making Aliyah Assisting Americans making Aliyah; rescuing distressed communities. www.nacoej.org Ethiopian Jewish organizations website. http://www.sephardim.com Sephardic information website. www.jpost.com The Jerusalem Post. Our version of the NY Times. www.jewishgen.org Jewish genealogy website. http://www.claimscon.org Comprehensive info on Holocaust restitution. American Congress for Truth (www.americancongressfortruth.com) Arabs for Israel (www.arabsforisrael.com)

OUR VOICE
Beit Issie Partners with Sesame Workshop
Israeli charitys Friendship Park features on Sesame Street. by Viva Sarah Press March 3, 2013
Beit Issie Shapiros Friendship Park, the first inclusive and accessible playground for children with and without disabilities in Raanana, is now being featured on Sesame Street to help teach about inclusiveness and tolerance. The leading Israeli disabilities charity recently announced a global partnership with Sesame Street Workshop to further the inclusion of people with disabilities across the world. The Israeli muppet, Sivan, is the first puppet in the Sesame Street family worldwide who uses a

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wheelchair. Developed by Israel Sesame Street Workshop, Sivan is seen on Rechov Sumsum (Sesame Street in Israel) playing with her friends at the Friendship Park. Getting kids and their parents face-to-face with people with disabilities and having them represented in mainstream contexts makes these issues personal and real, said Beit Issie Shapiro Executive Director Jean Judes. Its the best way there is to change society. We are thrilled to be partnering together with Beit Issie Shapiro and HOP! to bring these issues to a wider community, and with the possibility of creating models that can be taken worldwide, said Global Sesame Workshop president and CEO, H. Melvyn Ming, on a visit to Raanana recently.

If You Enjoyed This Article

Then you may also be interested in the ISRAEL21c weekly newsletter. Its absolutely free and youll receive new articles every Wednesday highlighting the latest news on how Israeli efforts have contributed to the advancement of health-care, environment, technology, culture, and global democratic values worldwide, www.israel21c.org.

Jewish Federation Services

CAMERA (www.camera.org) (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) Honest Reporting (www.HonestReporting.com) Israel 21C (www.Israel21c.org) (covers science, medicine, technology, research) JTA (www.jta.com) (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) NGO-Monitor (www.ngo-monitor.org) PMW (www.pmw.org.il) (Palestinian Media Watch) Shurat HaDin (www.israellawcenter.org) (defense of victims of terror) Simon Wiesenthal Center (www.wiesenthal.com) Stand With Us (www.standwithus.com) TIP (www.theisraelproject.org) UCI (www.uc4i.org) (Unity Coalition for Israel) Un Watch (www.unwatch.org) (monitors UN compliance)

OUR VOICE Chevra Kadisha of Greater Kingston

by Randy Myerson
The Chevra Kadisha of Greater Kingston was established 28 years ago from a sense of need in our community to provide the services of a Jewish burial society, available to all Jews whether or not affiliated with a congregation. Since that time we have fulfilled that need to the departed of our faith, ready on short notice at the time of need, to carry out the final preparations before burial with dignity and lovingkindness. Gemilut Hasidim, the act of lovingkindness, is a mitzvah and this mitzvah is one that can never be repaid by the recipient. In that sense the members of the Chevra Kadisha perform their duties with no expectation of thanks or recognition. So why do these individuals, men and women alike, stand ready to be called away from their daily routine to do what most of us will never consider doing? Heres what they have to say... I have only recently begun to participate in the Chevra Kadisha. I had wanted to participate because I know how much it meant to my brother and me when my brothers close friend cared for our mothers body after our mom died. I have always found in my work as a physician that the privilege of sharing in life transitions of birth & death is very valuable & meaningful. I wanted to be part of the community of women who help with this special ritual. Although a rare participant in the Chevra Kadisha

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because I am often out of town, I have considered it an honor to assist in the fulfillment of a womans final wishes as a Jew. Honoring her body through ritual cleansing and prayer reminds us of the sanctity of the body, of life and the honoring of tradition. When I was first approached to serve on the Chevra Kadisha I did so just because it seemed like a good thing to do. In very short time I discovered that doing so became a comfort for me. Participating in these ritual acts, I know that those final preparations are being carried out with caring and dignity by fellow Jews. The Chevra Kadisha consists of two separate groups of men and women who perform the prescribed tasks, called taharah, and recite appropriate prayers which help to create the necessary spiritual context for the participants. Separate from the taharah is shmirah, taking turns remaining with the deceased from the time the taharah or preparation is completed by the Chevra Kadisha until the time of burial. Shmirah, if desired, is arranged through individual congregations or privately. Shmirah, also an aspect of gemilut hasidim, is a mitzvah of the highest order. We ask you as an individual to consider requesting the services of the Chevra Kadisha for yourself as well as your loved ones. Furthermore, we ask you as an individual to consider volunteering and participating as a member of the Chevra Kadisha. For more information please contact Ruth Mandelbaum (nurseruth1@hotmail.com) or Randy Myerson (rcmyerson@gmail.com).

Jewish Federation of Ulster County Campaign

by Gail Levy
In 2012 the Jewish Federation of Ulster County Campaign raised approximately $92,000, which includes monies from the General and Womens Philanthropy Campaigns and the Bnai Brith Calendar. We are very proud of our accomplishments and thank those who helped make this happen. We look forward to 2013 and we know we can count on you for our support. We plan to strive a bit higher this year and ask our donors to stretch and increase their pledge. The needs are great. This can be done. By the time Kolenu reaches your home, many of you will have received a phone solicitation. Your pledge can and should be paid no later than December 31, 2013. During the year we will communicate with you periodically. We will bring you up-to-date as to the needs and programs your dollars help fund.

Seder Traditions by Charlie Barkin

It was the first night of Passover, 1989. My daughter, Jana, who was four at the time, and I were walking back home from Dr. and Mrs Rosenblum. It was one a.m. in the morning. We just had the first Seder. We lived less than a half mile away. As we were walking, a man in a small lightweight truck was driving towards us, stopped and put his headlights on us. The driver yelled Stop! Why are you walking a little girl in the middle of the night! I said I am her father. We just came back from a Passover Seder. The driver said what? I never heard of a Seder! I think youre kidnapping the little girl and I am going to call the police! I replied Did you ever hear of Passover? The driver said, Yes. I then told him that a Seder was part of Passover. I then said to him Dont you think that if I was kidnapping a little girl, she would be crying and be scared? Cant you see that she is quite calm? The driver then agreed and said she was quite calm. The last thing he said was I never heard of a Seder and drove off.

BE GENEROUS IT DOES A WORLD OF GOOD!

OUR VOICE
Israel Active Again in Africa
by Harv Hilowitz
The cover story of the Fall 2012 issue of the highly regarded Africa Report magazine was entitled Shalom Africa, Israels Second Coming, showing a map of Africa adorned with dozens of Stars of David. The issue highlighted two feature articles about Israels recent diplomatic and business efforts on the continent, and also had a timeline of major events in Israeli history that impacted African nations. After Israels victory in the 1967 Six Day War, many African nations dropped all ties to the Jewish State, exchanging their political allegiances and trade to the Arab countries and Soviet bloc. Nominally socialist countries such as tiny Guinea-Bissau and Arab nationalist states like Libya blocked Israels efforts to join the African Union as an observer, and spearheaded embargos against Israeli goods. Today, over 40 nations there have full diplomatic relations with Israel, including Africas newest country, South Sudan, which gets military and intelligence support from Israel. Military and security assistance, mostly clandestine, is believed to be flowing into many African states that are fighting Islamic terrorism, including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Mali. The magazine reported that since 2006, over $1.6 billion of Israeli military hardware flowed into sub-Saharan states. Some of Israels military hardware also reaches Africa in a more direct way, as Sudan recently accused Israel of destroying a truck convoy in an air attack. Israel did not take credit for the raid, but it has put on notice terrorists who send weapons from Sudan through Egypt to its ultimate destination, Gaza. Non-military imports from Israel amounted to over $663 million (U.S.) in 2010, but the bulk of that went to Egypt, which is now in chaos and less likely to accept Israeli goods. Most positive are the Africans receptivity to Israels technological prowess, especially in areas of water desalinization, agriculture, and fighting desertification. The magazine reported that in 2011 Israel increased its exports to South Africa to $416 million, mostly manufactured goods. Also, there are now 16 major development projects being underwritten by Israel, and numerous human aid projects underway. In 2013, a number of large Israeli pharmaceutical, mining, and construction firms are planning projects in Ghana, Guinea and Dem. Republic of Congo.

page 18 Israeli-born Cellist Inbal Segev

Inbal is the wife of Tom Brener, son of Evelyn ZL and David, sister-in-law of Alyson and Craig Brener,

AMERICAN PREMIERE: SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013 8:00PM at the BARDAVON Debussy Prlude a LAprs-midi dun faune (Afternoon of a Faun) Dorman Cello Concerto with Inbal Segev - Cello Copland Symphony No. 3 $31 to $53 Based on location/ $20 Student Purchase your tickets in person at the Bardavon Box Office, 3 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, 845.473.2071 or in person at the UPAC Box Office, 601 Broadway, Kingston, 845-339-6088. Music Director/Conductor Randall Craig Fleischer

Seder Traditions by Helen & Chuck Fliegler

For about 20 years we have had all the participants sign and date the inide jacket of the hagaddah. Everyone gets a kick out of who had the hagaddah before them. Some of the signatures are from people who are no longer with us. Its a thumbs up tradition at the Fliegler Seder.

OUR VOICE Symbols of Passover

The Passover Seder Plate Hebrew: keara is a special plate containing symbolic foods used by Jews during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special significance to the retelling of the story of the yugioh from Egypt, which is the focus of this ritual meal. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal a stack of three matzos is placed on its own plate on the Seder table.

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eaten or handled during the Seder in Ashkenazi and many Sephardi traditions. Vegetarians often substitute a beet, quoting Pesachim 114b as justification. Beitzah A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral), evoking the idea of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and our inability to offer any kind of sacrifices in honor of the Pesach holiday. Since the destruction of the Temple, the beitzah serves as a visual reminder of the chagigah; it is not used in any way during the formal part of the seder, but some people eat it with saltwater as the first course of the meal. Many decorative and artistic Seder Plates sold in Judaica stores have pre-formed spaces for inserting the various symbolic foods. According to the Halakha (Jewish law), however, the items must be arranged in the order in which they will be used during the Seder, with the first item to be used paced closest to the leader of the Seder. The seventh symbolic item on the Seder table is a plate of

The six traditional items on the Seder Plate are:

Maror and chazeret Bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Egypt. For maror, many people mix freshly grated horseradish with cooked beets and sugar to make a condiment called chrein. (Note: If the horseradish itself is cooked or pickled, it is not considered valid for the Seder by traditional Jews.) Whole horseradish root can also be eaten. For Maror, other Jews (Sephardic tradition) use curly parsley and dip it in vinegar or salted water to symbolize the bitterness of slavery. Chazeret is typically romaine lettuce, whose roots are bitter-tasting. Either the horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten in fulfillment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder. Charoset A sweet, brown, pebbly mixture, representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. In Ashkenazi Jewish homes, charoset is made from chopped walnuts, grated apples, ice-cream, cinnamon, vodka and sweet red wine. Sephardi recipes call for dates and honey in addition to chopped nuts, cinnamon, and wine. The choice of ingredients reflects the various foods to which Israel is favorably compared in King Solomons Song of Songs. Karpas A vegetable other than bitter herbs, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder. Parsley, celery or boiled potato is usually used. The dipping of a simple vegetable into salt water (which represents tears) mirrors the pain felt by the Jewish slaves in Egypt, who could only eat simple foods. The consumption of the karpas early in the Seder is meant to spark questions from the children at the table. Usually in a Shabbat or holiday meal, the first thing to be eaten after the kiddush over wine is bread. At the Seder table, however, the first thing to be eaten after the kiddush is a vegetable. This leads immediately to the recital of the famous question, Ma Nishtana Why is this night different from all other nights? Zroa A roasted lamb or goat shankbone, chicken wing, or chicken neck; symbolizing the korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Since the destruction of the Temple, the zroa serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacrifice; it is not

three whole matzot, which are stacked and separated from

each other by cloths or napkins. The middle matzah will be broken and half of it put aside for the afikoman. The top and other half of the middle matzot will be used for the hamotzi (blessing over bread), and the bottom matzah will be used for the korech (Hillel sandwich). A bowl of salt water, which is used for the first dipping of the Seder, is not traditionally part of the Seder Plate, but is placed on the table beside it. However, it sometimes is used as one of the six items, omitting chazeret.

Ritual for Miriams Cup and Elijahs Cup

Traditionally, Jews put a cup for Elijah, full of wine, on their Passover seder tables, and also open the door for Elijah near the end of the seder, in recognition of the Jewish legend that the prophet Elijah visits every Seder table to announce the coming of redemption. Modern feminist Jews also put a cup of spring water on their seder tables to remember Miriam the prophet, for she danced at the Sea of Reeds to celebrate the Exodus, and a well of fresh water was said to follow her in the desert so that the Israelites always had water to drink. Where Elijah represents redemption and the movement of history, Miriam represents healing and renewal on the journey.

OUR VOICE

Synagogue News
Sunday, March 31 Light Candles from pre-existing flame at 7:02pm Evening Services at 7:00pm Monday, April 1 - Seventh Day of Passover Morning Services at 9:30am Evening Services at 7:00pm Light Candles from pe-existing flame at 8:03pm

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Congregation Agudas Achim

Where All Are Welcome
254 Lucas Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 Telephone/Fax: 845-331-1176 www.ChabadUlsterCounty.org Rabbi Yitzchok Hecht Bruce Tuchman & Howard Vichinsky, Co-Presidents

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Communal Passover Seder: Lets celebrate our freedom together! Monday, March 25, 1st Seder Tuesday, March 26, 2nd Seder Join us for the Seder If you need/want a place for the Seder, please join us. You can join us for either one or both Seder nights. Cost for each Seder, per person is: $36; Members - $26; Children - $18. No one will be turned away due to a lack of funds. Reservations a must! For more information, Kingston Seder please call 845-334-9044. For Ellenville Seder 917-280-2134. Moshiach Seuda - Feast of Moshiach: Join us for Moshiach Seuda, for the festive meal of Moshiach, on Tuesday, April 2nd, at the home of Rabbi and Reb. Leah Hecht, at 6pm. Please RSVP .

Tuesday, April 2 - Final Day of Passover Morning Services at 9:30am Yiskor Memorial Service at 10:45am Evening Services at 7:00am Meal of Moshiach at Rabbi Hechts house at 6:00pm Holiday ends at 8:04pm Sisterhood Gift Shop: The Sisterhood Gift Shop provides the community with a selection of Judaica for your home or gift giving. For Passover, our selection includes Seder plates, kiddush cups, matzo covers, afikomen bags, matzo trays, Haggadahs and books and gifts for children, Plan early for best selection. For inquiries, call Shirley Crystal at 331-4646. Kiddush: Kiddush is provided on Shabbos and holidays for all who attend services. To sponsor a kiddush for a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary, yahrtzeit or for no particular reason contact Shirley Crystal at 331-4646 or Rosemary Lewis at 331-0766. Memorial Plaque: To purchase a plaque for the memorial board for a departed loved one, contact Barbara Blas at 338-3499. Tree of Life: Leaves on the Tree of Life located in the lobby of Agudas Achim may be ordered for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, or other occasion by contacting Lorraine Trast at 331-3513. Tribute Cards: Tribute cards are available and will be mailed for you for a nominal fee. Cards may be sent In Honor of, In Memory of, Best Wishes, or other occasion. To order a card, contact Rosemary Lewis at 331-0766 or Brenda Fletcher at 338-5980.

Holiday Times and Activities for Agudas Achim

Sunday, March 24 Formal search for Chametz after nightfall Monday, March 25 - Fast of the First Born Light Candles at 6:55pm Evening Services: 7:00pm 1st Seder night Tuesday, March 26 - 1st Day of Passover Morning Services: 9:30am Evening Services: 7:00pm Light Candles from pre-existing flame at 7:56pm. Wednesday, March 27 - 2nd Day of Passover Morning Services: 9:30am Evening Services: 7:00pm Holiday Ends at 7:57pm Friday, March 29 Light Candles at: 6:59pm Evening Services: 7:00pm Shabbat, March 30 - Shabbat Chol Hamoed Morning Services: 9:30am Evening Services: 7:00pm Shabbat Ends at: 8:00pm

Ongoing Adult Education

Woodstock Weekly Torah Session: Living Torah video presentation: A weekly Torah lesson by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, followed by group discussion and explanation. We will then discover the mystical of the weekly Torah portion or learn about the upcoming Jewish Holiday. Event Location: Woodstock Library, 8:00pm. For further details, call Renee at 845-679-7148. (JLI) Jewish Learning Institute: Curious Tales of the Talmud: Finding Personal Meaning in the Legends of our Sages.

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Agudas Achim - contd.

Kingston course 6 Mondays beginning April 22nd May 27th, 7:00pm-8:15pm at Congregation Agudas Achim. Ellenville course 6 Tuesdays beginning April 23rd-May 28th, 7:00pm-8:15pm at Congregation Ezrath Israel, Ellenville. Everyone loves a good story. Knowing this, the sages of the Talmud used stories to encode messages about life that are far too deep and profound to communicate directly. This course decodes some of these extraordinary Talmudic mysteries to uncover layer within layer of insight into the nature of life, the universe. G-d, and man. Fee: $79.00 - Multiple Sign-ups - Special $25 off per student with minimum 2 sign-ups. Returning Student Special - $25 off. Jewish Law: Every Shabbos afternoon approximately one hour before the end of Shabbos between Sukkos and Pesach and approximately two hours before the end of Shabbos between Pesach and Rosh Hashanah. Kabbalah Exposed: Kabbalah Exposed is the way to start your day! This is a morning (Mon., Wed., Fri.) 20 minute telephone conference from 8:00am-8:20am. Your spiritual power breakfast to start the day! This is the ultimate Kabbalah class geared for all. If you have no, limited, or advanced knowledge in Kabbalah this class is for you! For more information, call Renee at 845-679-7148. NYC Jewish Heritage Trip: Trip to NYC March 17th. Join us as we visit The Ohel, Chabad Community in Crown Heights, Chassidic Art Gallery, Visit the Scribe, 770, A Matzah Bakery. $40.00 includes transportation and brunch. For more information and to RSVP , call 845-331-1176 or email Rabbi AB at RabbiAB@ChabadUlsterCounty.org. Jewish Womens Circle Events: Jewish Womens Circle of Ulster County is an opportunity for Jewish women in our area to meet new friends, socialize and learn in an informal setting. Check it out and see for yourself what its all about. For more information www.ChabadUlsterCounty.org/JWC or call Dena Crane at 845-246-0177 Pilates: Thursday, April 18th, 5:30-7:30pm. Building strong bones through easy Pilates. In celebration of the strength of the Jewish Woman. Musical Performance & Story Telling: Sunday, May 5th, 1:00-3:00pm. Soap & Suds: Revealing the innate creativity of the Jewish Woman, Thursday, June 6th, 5:30-7:30pm. Refresh yourself before the summer and indulge in the hues and scents of your aromatic soap creations. Tea n Torah: Engaging & Edifying Study & Conversation facilitated by Rebbetzins Leah Hecht & Binie Itkin.

Join us on Thursday, March 21st at Congregation Agudas Achim from 11am-12pm. Enjoy delicious kosher pastries and teas as you delight in the company of friends and gain appreciation for the insight and wisdom of the Torah. RSVP is appreciated. For women only. Call 845-331-1176 for more information. Lag BaOmer: Sunday, April 28th. Come celebrate with us. In honor of this special time, we will have a Lag BaOmer holiday celebration. We will have Bonfire Music Food (BBQ) Words Of Torah You. For more information and to reserve: RabbiAB@ChabadUlsterCounty.org or 845-331-1176. Weekly Radio Show: Listen to your most productive show on radio with Rabbi Hecht on your AM dial Sunday mornings at 9:30am on WGHQ 920AM.

Prayer
Shabbat Evening: Join us Friday evenings. Services begin 10 minutes after candle lighting, followed by Kiddush and hot kugel. Shabbat Day: Join us Saturdays for friendly and fulfilling weekly Shabbat services at 9:00am. Whether you are a minyan pro or new to the Synagogue experience, you are welcome at Agudas Achim. A delicious kiddush with a vegetarian kiddush follow services. To sponsor a kiddush, please contact Shirley or Rosemary at 845-331-1176. Be A Minyan-aire: The way to start your day!! Morning prayer followed by great coffee and kosher danish. Ellenville: Mondays at 8:00am; Kingston: Tuesdays at 8:00am. Guaranteed to be done by 8:45am.

Weekly Basketball at Edson

Where: Harry L. Edson Elementary School 116 Merilina Avenue, Kingston Start: End: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Wednesday, May 3, 2013

Call Chuck Fliegler, email: hc123brs@aol.com, 331-4256, or Jewish Federation office, email: info@ucjf.org 338-8131.

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Shabbaton: Get a taste of the culture, history, and stories of each heritage as we enjoy a delicious, lively, traditional Shabbos dinner. April 12th/13th, May 3rd/4th. Dinner $26, Lunch $18, Dinner & Lunch $36 per person. RSVP 845-331-1176 or RabbiAB@ChabadUlsterCounty.org. www.ChabadUlster County.org. All are invited. Sponsorships are welcome. Camp Gan Israel: The Summer of Your Dreams June 24th-July12th - Experienced and dedicated staff, and a program packed with new and exciting activities, this summer will be one theyll never forget! Trips Workshops Art & Crafts Swimming Sports. For more information e-mail Leah@ILoveGanIsrael.com or visit www.ILoveGanIsrael.com. The Hebrew School of Ulster County: An innovative and creative new program and curriculum!!! Exciting, education, hand-on learning! A must for every child! Bringing Judaism to life! Located in Kingston and Ellenville. For more information, contact Kington: Rabbi AB Itkin, 845-331-1176, Ellenville: Rabbi Shua Hecht, 917-280-2134. www.ChabadUlsterCounty.org/ HebrewSchool. Shavuot: Tuesday, May 14th - Holiday Dinner 8:30pm. Please e-mail us your dinner reservations.

Congregation Ahavath Israel

One must kindle the flame until it radiates and ascends upwards by itself. B.T Shabbat 12a
100 Lucas Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 845-338-4409 Email: ahavathisraelkingston@gmail.com
rabbi.ahavathisrael@gmail.com www.ahavathisraelkingston.org

Rabbi Judy Greenberg Jerry Weis, President

We are fully egalitarian, welcoming men and women to read Torah, Haftarah and receive aliyot. Our small size enables us to enjoy a warm, informal atmosphere at services. We are a multi-generational congregation, proud to have young children and older adults actively participating together in synagogue life. Our doors are open to interfaith families for all services, programs and events. We encourage non-Jewish family members to join us and participate in synagogue life. We also welcome Jews by choice, those who are non-observant and everyone who is looking to strengthen their Jewish identity and commitment.

All Night Learn-O-Thon

11:00pm Shavuos Ice Cream Party: Wednesday, May 15th Kabbalah & Coffee 9:00am; Morning Services 9:30am, followed by dairy Kiddush Buffet & Kids Ice Cream Party. Evening Services 8:00pm. Light Candles AFTER 9:01pm from a preexisting flame. Thursday, May 16th - Kabbalah & Coffee, 9:00am; Morning Services 9:30am/ Yizkor Memorial Service 10:45am, followed by Dairy Kiddush Buffet & Kids Ice Cream Party. Evening Services 7:45pm. Learn all about the Holiday of Shavuot at www.ChabadUlsterCounty.org/Holidays/Shavuot. E-mails: Featuring updates, announcements, words of Torah and more. To join e-mail: RabbiHecht@ChabadUlster County.org. Jewish Holiday Times: A Jewish magazine about the holidays mailed directly to your home. It is printed 5 times a year. If you do not receive this magazine presently, please e-mail us your mailing address RabbiHecht@ChabadUlsterCounty.org. We will gladly add you to our mailing list. Katz Family Hospitality Suites: Need a place to stay for a Shabbat or Yom Tov, join us! For more information, call 845-331-1176. Need a new Mezuzah or Teffilin? Do you have a Mezuzah adorning your home or apartment? We would love to help you participate in this wonderful Mitzvah! Ancient tradition teaches that this small mitzvah brings blessing and serenity to your home and harmony into the world by placing a Mezuzah on his or her door. Call Rabbi AB at 412-401-0238.

Schedule of Services
Shabbat: Shabbat Services Fridays .... 7:30pm (Except for family dinners, then 6:15pm) Saturdays ...................................................................... 9:30am Weekdy Minyan Sundays ................................... 9:00am followed by breakfast (Other days as needed - call office) Rabbi Greenbergs Schedule: March 15th-17th, with a potluck dinner and book club on the 15th. April 12th-14th May 10th-12th

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Book Club and Potluck Dinner

We will be welcoming back Rabbi Judy Greenburg and Dan Stolz and baby Lev Samuel Stolz-Greenberg on March 15 with our inaugural potluck Shabbat dinner and book club. Everyone is welcome to come and eat, and join in the bookclub discussion if you are interested. Or you can just come and eat. The book discussion is The World to Come by Dara Horn. Services will be at 6:30, followed by the dinner and book club discussion. All are welcome. You need not take part in the book club or join us for dinner, but we would love to have you do both. The board and Rabbi Greenberg have spent the past couple of months drafting a potluck policy that will enable us to enjoy the community of a dinner without compromising the kashrut of our kitchen.

Jewish Congregation of New Paltz

Kehillat Ahavat Achim
Synagogue/Sanctuary: 8 Church St., New Paltz 12561 Community Center: 30 N. Chestnut St., New Paltz Mailing Address: P.O. Box 577, New Paltz, NY 12561 Phone: 845-255-9817 E-mail: npshul@hvc.rr.com website: www.jewishcongregationofnewpaltz.org Rabbi William Strongin - 845-616-7403 Susan Cohen, President
Kehillat Ahavat Achim, the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz, is a Reconstructionist Synagogue. Reconstructionist Judaism is a progressive, contemporary approach to Jewish life that integrates a deep respect for traditional Judaism with the insights and ideas of contemporary social, intellectual, and spiritual life. We follow egalitarian and participatory practices. Please join us for Shabbat services and the following events!

Passover Service Schedule

Tuesday, March 26th: 9:30am - First day Pesach services. followed by kiddush; 6:30pm - Community Seder reservations required. Wednesday, March 27th: 9:30am - Second day Pesach services followed by kiddush. Friday, March 29th: 7:30pm - Erev Shabbat Services followed by Pesach Oneg. Saturday, March 30th: 9:30am - Shabbat services followed by kiddush. Sunday, March 31st: 9:00am - Minyon services followed by matzah brei breakfast Monday, April 1st: 9:30am - Seventh day Pesach services followed by kiddush, Tuesday, April 2nd: 9:30am - Eighth day Pesach services including Yiskor followed by kiddush.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Services
Shabbat Services: Join us every Friday evening at 7:30pm for Kaballat Shabbat services at the synagogue. Special Saturday morning Torah services are also held periodically, and Shabbat Torah services that include bnai mitzvah are held throughout the spring and fall. These all begin at 10am at the synagogue; please call our office 255-9817 for upcoming dates. Our custom siddur contains transliterations for all prayers, as well as helpful explanatory notes regarding the service, making it very user friendly. Oneg Shabbat sponsored by different families each week. Once a month our new JCNP Choir will participate in leading services, with new songs and instrumental music. All are welcome! Family Services: The first Friday of each month is a family Shabbat service. This is a warm, fun, child-centered service, which begins at 7:00pm. Hebrew school classes assist in leading these services. Upcoming dates: April 5, May 3, June 14. Junior Congregation: For children in grades 3-7. Kids only! Led by Robin Torres, our Junior Congregation services are also led in part by the children themselves, and the kids love it. Held monthly, 7:30pm at our community center.

Second Night Passover Seder

Ahavath Israel Second Night Community Seder Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 6:30 pm Menu: Chicken Soup w/Matzah Balls Turkey Roasted Vegetables Roasted Potatoes Coffee/Tea and Dessert and of course Afikomen
(Vegetarian option available upon request)

Pesach Second Night Community Seder

Passover Second Night Community Seder: Tuesday, March 26 at 6:00pm at our Community Center. Please join us in this annual tradition for a delicious meal and community celebration of Pesach. Catered by Gayle Shankman of Please Eat the Daisies Caterers. Reservations required by March 24. $32 members & family, $37 nonmembers, $15 children 7-12 years, $5 children 3-6 years. For more information call our office at 845-332-8756.

Adults: $35 children 13 and younger: $25

Paid reservations needed

Call the Synagogue office at 845-338-4409 or e-mail ahavathisrael_sec1@juno.com or call Bernie & Lisa King-Smith at 336-6373 for more information

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Torah Study: Torah study of the weekly parsha with Rabbi Bill is on Monday evenings from 7:00-8:30pm in our Community Center library. The Torah is our starting point but not necessarily our end point. Discussions vary and develop with the wishes of the participants textual, historical, political, and spiritual. Whatever evolves, it is always lively and interesting. All welcome. Join us for stimulating discussions.

Yom Hashoah: Holocaust Memorial Service with Havdalah: Sunday, April 7 at 10:00am. Location: 8 Church Street sanctuary. Shavuot Service and Study with Rabbi Bill: Monday, May 13 at 7:00pm at the Community Center. Please bring a dairy dish to share. Community Yard Sale: Sunday, May 5 at our Community Center. We need people to donate good, usable items for sale (no electronics or TVs), and to volunteer to help with various aspects of the sale. Call our office at 845-255-9817 if you have items to donate or want to help out. Donated items accepted on week prior to sale ONLY.

Community Luncheons: These very popular monthly luncheons (planned with seniors in mind, but open to all adults) feature a healthful, seasonal menu expertly and tantalizingly prepared by our resident chefs. Great food, lively conversation, beautiful table settings! Bring your friends! Members $9, non-members $14. Reservations required. For reservations, next luncheon date, or additional information, contact Myra Sorin at 255-5016 or msorin@hvc.rr.com. Chaverim Arts Childrens Program: Lots of fun for our little ones with Jewish music, arts activities, and dance for Pre-K through first grade children. Program run by Linda Brotman, with music and art specialists. Meets one Sunday a month from 9:30am-11am. This fun and lively program is open to all in the community. Call Teri Gil at 845-255-2516 or Betty Marton at 845-256-9040 for more information. Upcoming dates: April 14, June 2. Wagner, His Music, And the Question of Anti-Semitism Sunday, April 14, 4:00-5:30pm Discussion with Renee Hack The presentation will show the film We Want the Light, a documentary about Wagners music, and the question of Anti-Semitism. The film interviews scholars, and musicians including Leon Botstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Itzhak Perlman as well as survivors form the Holocaust who discuss the legacy of Wagners influence on our culture. Performances of music by Mahler, Bach, Wagner and others will be included. A group discussion will follow. Liturgical Dance Sunday, May 19, 4:00-5:30pm Livia Vanaver Hebrew melodies and poetic readings of the siddur during prayer services have inspired and moved the Jewish Community for thousands of years. Livia Vanaver will once again lead a discussion about the history of Liturgical dance and then guide us through a proper experience to find our own inner connection to the prayers and melodies of our Jewish Heritage.

Temple Emanuel
243 Albany Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401 Rabbi's Study: 845/338-4284, ext 102 Office: 845/338-4271, ext 101 E-mail: templeemanual@hvc.rr.com Rabbi E-mail: rabbiromer@hvc.rr.com Website: www.templeemanuelkingston.org Rabbi Yael Romer Cantor Robert Cohen President Ric Lewit Director Julie Stein-Makowsky Religious School

Temple Emanuel is a Reform Congregation with an open door policy; we invite you to join us for weekly services, holidays, festivals and celebrations throughout the year.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Temple Worship Services
Early Kabbalat Shabbat Service (1st Friday of each month) ................................................ 6:00pm Friday Kabbalat Shabbat Service .................................... 7:30pm (Families of all ages join in a vibrant and moving celebration of the Sabbath) Musical Shabbat (3rd Friday of each month) ................. 7:30pm Shabbat Service with Zemer Choir (4th Friday of each month) ............................................... 7:30pm Saturday Morning Minyan Service (September through June) ............................................. 10:00am (Children are always welcome at all services and we provide soft toys for little ones) Rhinebeck/Red Hook Sabbath Celebrations: Select holidays throughout the year including Sukkot and Tu BShevat held in the Rhinebeck/Red Hook area. Rhinebeck Meditation & Torah Study held weekly on Thursday mornings through the end of June.

Upcoming Events
Casino Night: Saturday, March 23 at 7:30pm. Join us for this great fundraising event! Tickets $50 per person and include: Music, Dancing, Appetizers, Games of Chance and $5,000 in funny money! Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, Poker, and Slots. Invite your friends! Call our office for more information: 845-255-9817.

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Tot Shabbat: From 9am to 9:30am through June, on select Saturday mornings once a month before morning services. Tot Shabbat is a great way to introduce your young child to Temple life, join other pre-school children and their parents and enjoy a warm and exciting program of song, dance and Jewish stories. Upcoming scheduled Tot Shabbats on March 16, May 11, June 15. Lunch with the Rabbi - May 7, June 4: Join Rabbi Yael Romer the first Tuesday of most months from noon to 1:30pm for food for the body and food for the soul. Adult Education with the Rabbi Talmud Pirke Avot, 11:15am to 12:15pm, most Wednesdays, through June. Hebrew Trope: 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, most Wednesdays, through June. Private Conversion Tutorials. Our Esteemed Religious School is in session through June 2. Open registration, contact our Religious School Director, Julie Stein-Makowsky at 845-338-4271, ext. 110 for more information. Bnai Mitzvah Program: Text and Commentary Study, group learning and individual tutoring. Confirmation Study: Study for young adults in 9th & 10th grades with the Rabbi and Teachers. Held on scheduled Wednesdays during the school year. Gift Shop: The Gift Shop is open for purchasing items during Religious School sessions on Sundays from 9:30am-1:00pm, during weekly office hours, or by special appointment. Social Action: We are blessed to have a warm caring community that helps others in their time of need through the workings of the soup kitchen, pre-holiday group visits to nursing homes throughout the Hudson Valley, an annual food drive, and the joint project Rebuilding Together with our neighbors St. Johns Episcopal Church. Youth Group: Temple Emanuels local chapter of NFTY TESTY, meets on select Sundays once a month from 1:30 to 3:00pm after Religious School. For students in 8th grade & up, members participate in exciting monthly events and yearly field trips.

Sisterhood Bra Recycling Event: Sunday, April 14 at 2:00pm Rummage Sale: Sunday, April 21; Bag Sale, Monday, April 22, drop-off hours during the week before. Lag BOmer: Brunch around the Bonfire on the front lawn at Temple, Sunday, April 28 at 11:00am. Bring an instrument to play and a dish to share and celebrate! Tikkun Leil Shavuot: Tuesday, May 14 at 10:30pm. Sunrise Service: Wednesday, May 15 at 5:15am at Kingston Point Beach. Ldor Vador Service and Temple Emanuels 159th Anniversary Celebration! Friday, June 7 at 6:00pm. Movies with Spirit: Saturday, July 20 at 7:00pm Elul Observance of Selichot Rituals: Incorporated into the observance of Selichot rituals with the sounding of the shofar just prior to Friday night services starting on August 9/Elul3.

Ongoing Programs
Beginning Hebrew: 12:00pm to 1:30pm Sundays when Religious School is in session, taught by David Rosenthal. Tone with Sloane: Weekly Beginner Classes - Tuesdays at 10:30am. Intermediate/Advanced Tuesdays at noon. Have a ball, all fitness levels Thursdays at noon. Book Club: Tuesday, April 9, 1pm at the home of Bobbie Sloman, 20 Pond Park Road, WoodtockThe Eloquence of The Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery will be discussed. Talmud Pirke Avo: 11:15am to 12:15pm, most Wednesdays through June. Hebrew Trope: 12:30pm to 1:30pm, most Wednesdays through June. Bingo: Held every Wednesday - Doors open at 5:00pm, cards sold at 6:00pm, game starts at 7:00pm. Rhinebeck Meditative & Torah Study: Held weekly on Thursday mornings through June. Led by Rabbi Yael Romer, Meditation beginning at 8:45am followed at 9:15am with Weekly Torah Study. Welcome your day with a Morning Ritual that prepares you to receive a days blessings with fullness, center & breath. Exploring our Jewish Traditions, this morning ritual will integrate Meditation, Prayer & Study as part of an alternative morning Practice. Explore your Jewish Journey with a progressive egalitarian approach & learn about what our Congregation has to offer. Young at Heart: A non-sectarian monthly meeting for mature members of the community. Dessert and a program at 1:30pm held every 3rd Thursday of the month from April through December.

Services & Events

Passover Festival Morning Service: Tuesday, March 26 at 10:00am-1:30am. Second Night Passover Seder: Tuesday, March 26, seating at 4:45pm, Seder begins at 5:00pm. Yiskor Service: Friday, March 29, 7:00pm-7:15pm before Kabbalat Shabbat at 7:30pm.

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Kehillat Lev Shalem

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Congregation Tiferet Yehuda VYisrael

Kerhonkson Synagogue
26 Minnewaska Trail Kerhonkson, NY 12446
Synagogue Phone: 845-626-7260 E-mail: Glenn Pomerantz: gapref@yahoo.com Website: www.Kerhonksonsynagogue.org Rabbi Sally Shore Wittenberg

Woodstock Jewish Congregation

1682 Glasco Turnpike Woodstock, NY 845-679-2218

Come join us. Everyone is welcome.

www.wjcshul.org - Karen@wjcshul.org Rabbi Jonathan Kligler Jon Lewis, President Karen Tashman, Executive Director

Worship Services
Shabbat Service* Saturday, April 13 ............................................................ 10:00am Shabbat Service* Saturday, May 11 ............................................................. 10:00am Shabbat Service* Saturday, June 8 .............................................................. 10:00am Shabbat Service* Saturday, July 13 ............................................................. 10:00am Shabbat Service* Saturday, August 10 ........................................................ 10:00am *After Services Bring a Kosher Dairy or Parve dish to share. Annual Toby Pomerantz Memorial BBQ, Early August Date TBA. Community Welcome!

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Jewish Federation of Ulster County, Inc.

One Albany Ave., Suite G-8 Kingston, New York 12401

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID C R S T. N E T 12550

WELLS ADVISORS FARGO

Office: Cell:
REALTY

845-679-7321 x105 914-466-4576 sheri@westwoodrealty.com

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