President's Column

Shalom.

May is normally a time to treasure the outdoors, when we enjoy the warm air and, on Memorial Day weekend, kick off summer fun. Instead, we’re in our own silos, our bunkers – our homes. We do get to treasure time with family, including children home from college (even if they would much prefer to still be there!). And there’s something spiritual about taking a daily long walk with a family member, emerging from our indoor lives for those brief moments of freedom and sunshine.

TBT also gives us those moments of connection to our community, even if it’s through our new means of connecting to the world – the internet and Zoom. Our weekly Shabbat services to view online, our interactive live Oneg gatherings and Torah Study group, weekly Mindfulness & Meditation, our renewed Religious School lessons, and the wonderful Passover Second Seder that over 50 TBT families attended have become part of the new rhythm of our lives.

Soon, our online experience will include the TBT Annual Meeting. Yes, like clockwork, virus or no virus, we will have our Annual Meeting, just not in the Social Hall. Through your computers, we can hear all about the wonderful things happening at TBT, celebrate our accomplishments, honor the Friesner Scholarship winner (and hear a report from last year’s winner), understand the TBT budget for the next year, and elect next year’s leaders who will help to continue to make TBT the beacon of Jewish life on the shoreline. Hope to “see” you all via Zoom on Thursday, May 14, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. The only thing we can’t give you is the pre-meeting nosh!

Although, that reminds me that TBT’s Helping Hands is still there for everyone who needs a person to talk to or assistance in shopping or other needs. Just reach out to the TBT Office.

- Jeff Babbin

Rabbi's Column - May 2020

Dear Friends,

We are getting good at this. Or not. It has been a good six weeks of isolation now. I recall the first moments as we made step-by-step adjustments to our lifestyles. I think back to the month of February – very easy for me to remember the entire month as Nancy and I were in Florida for the month. It was a time of innocence or maybe better referred to as naiveté. A virus was launching itself to land all over the world but we sat unknowingly in restaurants and at concerts and in places of worship – gathering, as is human to do.

And then came March. I remember those first ‘elbow bumps.’ We thought it was funny. Awkward. Silly even. But we played along and bumped elbows. Would that we could today. Because I had been away in February, we had a huge March line-up of special events and activities at the synagogue. Friday the 13th was to be Men’s Club Shabbat. The guys had prepared diligently. They knew their parts, had prepared the Torah reading, the d’var Torah and all the readings. It wasn’t until the afternoon of the 13th that we started wondering whether we should be gathering together to bring in that Shabbat. We cancelled Men’s Club Shabbat. And the rest is history. The public schools announced that they would not be returning to school that Monday. We cancelled Religious School for that Sunday.

Six weeks later, we have adjusted. We are living our lives remotely. But we are connecting. Even in profound ways.

I am so proud of our synagogue: the staff, the leadership, the volunteers, the members. So much courage. So much vision, And at this Bet Tikvah, this House of Hope, so much hope.

We have managed to turn our entire synagogue into a virtual reality. We have meaningful programs each and every week: Shabbat Services, a live pop-in Oneg that you can come to anytime and schmooze and visit and connect with your TBT family. We even have a Meditation Group that meets successfully on-line! We have assured that all our members have food and masks. We celebrated Passover beautifully with a Zoom Seder (some call it the Zeder), and we put kosher Passover meals complete with all items for your Seder plate, right into the trunks of your cars so you could observe Passover and gain strength from our Jewish traditions.

We have also celebrated births and mourned those who have passed away. More than anything at all, we have honored life. And we will continue to do so because that is what we do.

Today, more than ever, the synagogue has proven its value. Hold it fast. Hold on tight. We are in for a long ride, but we are in it together. And that is precious and priceless.

May God bless you all,
Rabbi Offner

President's Column - April 2020

Shalom.

I write to you at a time of great uncertainty in all of our lives, as they’ve been upended by a public health crisis unprecedented in our lifetimes. Our children are home from day care centers, grade schools, and colleges; our workplaces require remote work; and our local restaurants, theaters, and fitness centers are closed. I’m writing this column on March 18, but it’s impossible to predict what our lives will be like when you read this April Shofar column.

Although the synagogue building is physically closed to public access for now, rest assured that Temple Beth Tikvah remains open as your spiritual home on the shoreline. Our staff are ensuring all synagogue business is getting done; our clergy are ensuring you have access (even if remotely) to services and Torah study; our B’nai Mitzvah students are receiving their tutoring (again, remotely); and our religious school is actively pursuing strategies to engage your children remotely and continue their learning.

We are not alone. The umbrella organization for Reform synagogues, the URJ, is bringing the whole Reform Movement together via a series of videoconferences to provide resources and support to congregations throughout the country. And you – our congregants – are not alone. TBT is concerned with the health, safety, and welfare of every member of this community, and thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, we are reaching out to every congregant to ensure they are well and if they have needs we can work to fulfill. If you have not yet been contacted, or if you need a helping hand, or just someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to let the TBT Office, the Rabbi or Cantor know. Rest assured that TBT will be there for you.

Let’s hope and pray for easier times in the months ahead. May your celebration of Passover be meaningful in whatever form it can take.

Jeff Babbin

Rabbi's Column - April 2020

Dear Friends,

In a world that is changing so rapidly each and every day, it is hard to imagine where we will be as you read this note.

It is hard to know if we will be climbing further into difficult circumstances, or beginning to see our way out of them. In truth, we probably do know that whatever point we are at on the journey, we are in for a long haul. We are sure to be experiencing fear, fatigue, uncertainty and confusion. We are equally certain to have learned new skills, new ways of coping, new ways of reaching out and new ways of appreciating one another.

We cannot physically touch anymore, but oh how we can continue to touch. Our HELPING HANDS group has mobilized and every person in our congregation should have received a ‘touch.’ We want to go further, too. Technology has been a helpful tool – but not if you are not familiar with technology. If you need a lesson in Facetime or Zoom – our SALTY High School Youth Group kids are eager to give you a one-on-one! Just contact the office and we will arrange it.

We are coming together for Shabbat Services online and for Torah Study every Shabbat morning. We are exploring online Book Groups and other ways to stay engaged.

Nevertheless, though these wonders abound, I am keenly aware that the situation is stressful, anxiety-provoking and disconcerting. The risks to people’s health and people’s lives are serious.

We must continue, each of us, to observe the practices required to keep us all safe. Wash your hands. Use Purell. Keep your physical distance from others, but goodness knows we want to keep very close spiritually and emotionally. I am awed by the human spirit.

We are a resilient species. We will get through this. Not only will we get through this, we will ultimately be better for it. We will be better at humility. We will be better at reaching out. We will be better at perspective, knowing more clearly what is truly important and what is ultimately trivial.

Pesach arrives in just a few days. All our plans for gathering together physically? Cancelled. But the message of Pesach endures. It is a message of overcoming plagues. It is a message of true leaders rising up to lead a fearful people toward freedom and safety.

It is also a message that concludes: “L’Shana Ha’Ba’ah B’Yerushalayim,” “Next year in Jerusalem.” That message has new meaning for us today. It means: let’s make a date for next year. Let’s plan on our future and plan for our future. At TBT, it means we have not CANCELLED our events, we have RESCHEDULED them.

Yes, our in-person programs have been temporarily suspenced, but we are already planning for “L’Shana Ha’Ba’ah, for next year. We ‘cancelled’ our TBT Trip to Spain in April of 2020, but we are already planning for the trip to Spain to happen in April of 2021. We ‘cancelled’ our Scholar-in-Residence Weekend in March, but we have already rescheduled for October 23-24, 2020.

We do not yet know what our Seders will look like this year, but when they end, we will say “L’Shana Ha’Ba’ah B’Yerushalayim.” We will believe with all our heart and soul, “Next Year, in a healthier world and in a better place.”

  • Rabbi Offner

President's Column - March 2020

Dear fellow congregants,

I am writing to update you on the search for a cantor and educator to succeed Cantor Stanton after he departs on June 30. I am pleased to report that our cantor-educator search committee is up and running, chaired by Sue Groll and Loren Sterman. The committee is busy sorting through our options and submitting applications.

Cantor Stanton (like Cantor Margolius before him) wore multiple hats as a cantor-educator in addressing the musical, spiritual, and educational needs of our congregation. As we look for a candidate to fill those big shoes, the committee is taking a flexible approach in hiring, consistent with TBT’s history. For those of you who have been part of our community for many years, you’ll recall our use of student cantors on weekends and High Holidays or, at other times, a part-time ordained cantor or non-ordained music director (cantorial soloist) – with a separate professional educator serving as our religious school director in a part-time capacity. We are open to a variety of permutations, taking into account the applications we receive and the needs of our congregation.

Consistent with the breadth of our needs, our search committee (overseen by Sue and Loren) reflects the breadth of our congregation, populated with congregants with both musical and educational interests and experiences, cutting across different generations, and involved with a variety of synagogue activities (choir, Torah Study, religious school, and others). I thank the following volunteers: Peter Chorney, Christine Dokko, Kate Glazer, Alan Meyers, Heide Mueller-Hatton, Walter Stutzman, Stu Weinzimer, and Sandy Whelan. Also, the Rabbi and President (yes, that’s me) sit on the committee.

We are excited to undertake this work. If you have ideas that you’d like to share with the committee, please email me at jbabbin@wiggin.com .

-Jeff Babbin

Cantor's Column - March 2020

Dear Friends,

Looking at the scroll that we read on Purim – the Megilah scroll or “Megilat Esther” – we see several things that stand out in contrast to the reading of Torah.

Most notably, it doesn’t mention the name (or names) of God. Also, in more traditional Jewish communities, the scroll itself is prepared in advance of the reading by folding it in book-like fashion. Also note that, unlike the Torah, it is one single scroll. It never can be confused with a Torah scroll which is stretched out between two Atzei-Chayim – two “trees” (remember: “it is a tree of life to them that hold fast to it”). The “Megilah” scrolls are often ornate with artwork or even treated like paper art (think laser cards) and encased in beautiful containers. While we adorn the Torahs with beautiful covers, the scroll itself is simple and, aside from the letters, untouched. At TBT we are fortunate to have a few of these Megilah scrolls with their beautiful cases on display in the front display cases. One reason for the elaborate way we treat the Megilah scrolls, aligning with other customs around Purim, is to emphasize the physical aspects of life.

Other Jewish customs and mitzvot that are observed on Purim, such as the giving of mishloach manot, the giving of gifts of food to friends and neighbors, and the giving of tzedakah to those in need, remind us that there are basic needs that must be met in life, but also acknowledging that things can be taken to excess. An example of this can be seen in the hearing of the megilat Esther – the whole megillah, where the custom of imbibing, silliness, and turning many things upside down like the special trope used to chant the Esther’s story and the costumes we wear, and even dressing like the opposite gender is permitted; much like the customs seen in mardi gras keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

There are many Purim-related events going on at TBT the week leading up to Purim and I hope you can be part of some of them including our Purim Shpiel and SALTY carnival on Sunday, March 8th from 11 AM to 1:30 PM.

Also, consider joining us on Erev Purim, Monday, March 9th, 7 – 8 PM, for an Adult Megillah Shpiel. (21+ recommended). Hors d’oeuvres and libations will be served, or feel free to BYOB. In addition, we are looking for three (3) additional adult players for our Purim Shpiel cast on Monday evening. Please contact Cantor Stanton if you are interested and up for the fun!!

Purim Sameach!
Cantor Mark Stanton

Rabbi's Column February 2020

We have the extraordinary opportunity to have the director of the film “From Cairo to the Cloud” join us at TBT as our Scholar-in-Residence this year.

Michelle Paymar is an award winning filmmaker whose credits include documentaries that have appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS. Earlier films include her pioneering AIDS documentary, “For Our Lives,” and “Sippie,” a documentary (co-directed by Roberta Grossman) about blues artist Sippie Wallace.

“From Cairo to the Cloud” documents the discovery of the Cairo Geniza (a geniza is a receptacle for holy Jewish texts) and its subsequent safeguarding in ’The Cloud’ by a tenacious group of scholars. The Cairo Geniza revolutionized our understanding of Jewish history and illuminated a thousand years of vibrant Jewish life in the heart of the Islamic world.

There is so much to learn from the documents and from the filmmaker. We get to do both at our Scholar-in-Residence Weekend, March 20 -21, 2020.

To a great weekend of discovery!
- Rabbi Offner

President's Column January 2020

Shalom.

Hanukkah came late, having just ended at sundown on December 30. I can remember one year getting to light Hanukkah candles even on New Year’s Eve. But it is a funny thing to say that the Jewish holidays are “early” or “late.” Yes, we talk about how the past High Holidays came late. But, of course, the Jewish holidays come on the same day every year—on the Hebrew calendar.

I bet that many of us have a preference whether holidays come early or late. Yes, we Jews have opinions about everything. Do you like when Rosh Hashanah comes right on the heels of Labor Day, or do you like to have most of September to prepare for them? What about Hanukkah? (Or “Chanukah” as TBT prefers to spell it—again, we all have opinions, even about spelling.) One year not long ago, the first night of Hanukkah was the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. That was special because we got to celebrate with our out-of-state relatives who usually visit us for Thanksgiving but never get to celebrate Hanukkah with us. Yet, there are those who much prefer Hanukkah, like this past one, starting around Christmas, so shopping is in sync with what many Americans call the “holiday season.” Yet, that poses its own difficulties. We just had our annual TBT brisket and latkes Hanukkah dinner on Friday, December 20, two nights before the actual start of the holiday, because we knew that if we waited until Friday, December 27, many families would be away. That’s the problem—we celebrate our Jewish holidays on one calendar while living our school and work lives around a different calendar.

How do you react when Hanukkah is over by the first week of December and well-meaning friends and co-workers wish you Happy Holidays or even Happy Hanukkah at the “holiday party?” Just nod and say thanks, or say thanks but gently remind them your holiday is long over? And what about the TV stations that throughout December (regardless of when Hanukkah falls in the month) display a Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah on their Seasons Greetings message to viewers? Personally, if they need to greet viewers and display the tree, I’d just as soon they not bother with the menorah. It feels strained and not real, even if well-meaning. Do they wish us a Happy Passover in the spring, with a logo of matzo or a Seder plate, as that’s a more important holiday in our religion? Well, that’s my opinion. Yours might be entirely different, which of course is fine.

I spent my elementary school years in a town and school with very few Jews. I distinctly remember in 5th grade when I and my friend Stan (who, incidentally, introduced me to my wife Marlene 19 years later) were asked to go explain Hanukkah to a class of 2nd graders. I suppose it was good to do so, although it also gave me the sense of being different, an outsider explaining my alien culture. You can imagine my shock when, one December soon after that, I happened to be in Great Neck, Long Island (yes, where Rabbi Offner grew up) and saw Hanukkah displays in all the store windows. I couldn’t believe such a place existed.

Oh, and speaking of early or late: It’s never the wrong time and never too late to contribute to the TBT Annual Fund. It supports our vibrant synagogue and makes it possible for TBT to open our doors to everyone in the shoreline Jewish community.

- Jeff Babbin

Rabbi's Column January 2020

Dear Friends,

January is the coldest month of the year if not, thankfully, the snowiest. I look at the month ahead of us and, with that chill in the air, I look forward to warming up the weeks ahead with special projects and gatherings at TBT.

The first activity that I want to highlight is a very easy way for you to do a huge mitzvah. The State of Israel is preparing right now to host the World Zionist Congress, and your vote can make a real impact on shaping the Israel of the future to be pluralistic and egalitarian. Let me explain:

The World Zionist Congress has been meeting ever since Theodore Herzl established it in Basel, Switzerland in 1897. The Congress is comprised of worldwide Jewry and the United States has a large presence. If we can ALL vote for Reform Jewish delegates to be seated at the Congress, it could mean as much as $20 million dollars slated for projects in Israel that benefit a liberal expression of Judaism and allows for the flourishing of Reform Judaism in Israel. We can do this! Please make a commitment to vote – it will be made simple for you to do so by our fearless ARZA-WZC co-chairs, Mara Weissman and Andrea San Marco. They will be putting ballot information in your inboxes when the time comes to be able to vote. Just be on the lookout and promise to make a wonderful difference for Israel.

Other activities I look forward to in January include teaching a Lunch & Learn, this time on Tuesdays from 12:30 PM - 2 PM with a focus on the book of Genesis and how the actual Hebrew words of the text reveal its meaning.

I also want to mention the Gamerman Film Festival which usually warms us up in January but has moved this year to the month of March. Stay tuned.

The month of January coincides this year with the Hebrew month of Tevet. You may recognize in that Hebrew name the word “Tov” which means “good.” The rabbis consider Tevet to be a good month because, since it is so cold, it causes people to want to seek warmth by being close to one another.

By all means, let us warm each other up during this otherwise cold month of January.

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Offner