Golden Book of Memory 2020
Our Golden Book of Memory is below. Our loved ones remain in our memories and our hearts.
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Machzorim for Yom Kippur
Dear B’ShERT family,
Attached below are PDF files of the prayerbooks we’ll be using for Yom Kippur. If you have a physical Mishkan HaNefesh prayerbook from the synagogue, you don’t need these files. Otherwise, these might be helpful to you.
To keep file sizes manageable, there are three separate PDFs. They are numbered in the order of the services. Click each link to view or download the PDF.
File #1 includes Kol Nidrei (Friday 7:30 pm)
File #2 includes the Yom Kippur morning prayer service (10 am), then the Torah service on Yom Kippur morning, through to the end of the morning service (a continuation of the 10 am service).
File #3 includes Yizkor (5 pm) and N’ilah (6 pm).
Virtual Backgrounds and High Holy Day Program
You too can sit in the sanctuary! Just download these backgrounds and plug them into Zoom. You can also download our High Holy Days program here.
Rabbi Hoover’s Message: On The Uprising
Dear B’ShERT family and friends,
Jewish tradition prioritizes pikuach nefesh, saving a life, over almost everything else. In this pandemic, we have been urging our congregants and friends to stay home, be cautious, and practice social distancing. This week we have seen many in our city and country congregate in protest, catalyzed by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police.
The protests are also about so much more. They are about the systemic racism that is built into our nation: the substandard healthcare, the systems that have prevented black Americans from building wealth, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African-American and Latinx communities, the disproportionate number of deaths of black Americans at the hands of police, the ways in which Americans are treated differently by the justice system, business owners, and individuals because of the color of their skin.
Those of us who are white cannot ever fully understand what the daily experience of people of color—Jewish and non-Jewish—is like. We can listen to and believe those who tell us what that experience is, we can read about it, we can learn, and we can stand with those whose lives are impacted daily by systemic racism, in ways large and small, obvious and subtle. I respect the grief, the rage, the sense of powerlessness, and the desire to be heard and acknowledged that led to the uprising of African-Americans across our country. I respect the allies—including some police—who have joined the marchers. I stand with them.
In this time of pandemic, it is risky to join protests in person. Should you choose to do so, please be as careful as possible not to expose yourself and others to the virus—wear a mask over your nose and mouth, and keep your distance from others. In your decision-making, take into account the others in your life who are at greater risk—older people and those with health issues.
There are also other ways to take action—write messages on your sidewalk with chalk; call elected officials and demand change; sign petitions; donate to organizations working for change; put signs in your window that reflect your beliefs; write an op-ed—these are some possibilities.
Black lives—both Jewish and non-Jewish—are not valued today in our country as much as white lives, and #BlackLivesMatter. Because our inherently racist systems lead to disproportionate, unjust deaths of people of color, working to change those systems also contributes to pikuach nefesh, to saving lives.
Please be safe and take care,
Rabbi Hoover
June 2020 Voice of Truth
Dear B’ShERT Community,
We’re pleased to tell you that the June 2020 edition of the Voice of Truth is now available online.
Click or copy here: https://pubsecure.lucidpress.com/2020-06-VoT/
The Voice of Truth team is now on hiatus until the September issue. Yours truly plans to take a break from VoT editing duties by reading novels and tackling a number of writing and editing projects. (The irony does not escape me.) The deadline for the September issue is August 20th; I’ll give you plenty of notice. If you’re inspired, feel free to send your submissions earlier. As always, direct all submissions to news@bshert.org. You may also reach out to me directly at a1editor@bshert.org.
I wish everyone a peaceful, enjoyable and healthy summer. I look forward to seeing many of you on Zoom and, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, back in our beloved Temple building.
Best,
Adrienne Knoll and the Voice of Truth team
Another Saturday Night… Participant Details
Hello talented people!
This is your home page for participating in the Another Saturday Night… B’ShERT telethon event on 6/6/20. Everything you need to know is either here or in the email you received from Pam Glantzman. If something isn’t clear please let us know.
Technical Guide for Participants
See the email from Pam for signin times. Please go to the Green Room first. When you are cued by Pam et al, click the Stream Room link and LEAVE the Green Room too.
Green Room Link • Stream Room Link
Show Schedule (please join the green room when requested by Pam in her email)
Help in an emergency: Pam • Mike • Yvette
A message from the President of B’ShERT
Dear B’ShERT Family,
Our thoughts are with you as you care for yourselves and your families during this difficult and uncertain period. It feels like we’re in the wilderness, wondering how long we must wait to reach the promised land of being face to face in our beloved building. During this unprecedented period, however, we’ve still managed to be active and present in your lives. Our dedicated and creative clergy, staff, supporters and congregants have ensured that B’ShERT is here for you to provide spiritual, educational, and social opportunities to benefit all of us.
While sheltering at home, many people have attended our Zoom/Facebook Live Shabbat services, Seders, Passover and Yizkor services, B’Yachad discussion sessions, Torah Study, religious school classes and numerous meetings. We’ve mourned together at virtual funerals and shiva. I am encouraged by how many of you have been attending these meaningful gatherings and hope that your needs for spiritual and community connections are being fulfilled.
I realize that many of you are facing financial difficulties and uncertainties. B’ShERT is experiencing much of the same. We are losing significant income from our Banquet Hall and Aim High early childhood rentals. We’ve had to cancel our fundraising activities, including the Journal Luncheon (which we are postponing). These are critical sources of revenue that support Temple programs, operating costs, and building repairs.
If you are able, please make a donation to B’ShERT to help sustain us during this difficult time. Please support our warm house of Jewish tradition, our open and inclusive spiritual community, as we strive to strengthen ourselves, each other, and the community as a whole — not just during this challenging period but for the brighter days ahead.
If you or someone in your circle is in need of support, feel free to contact Rabbi Hoover, or Faye Levine Guskin (fayelg47@gmail.com), a retired community social worker, who will gladly refer you to community resources.
Sincerely,
Eric Platt, President
Passover 2020 Observances at B’ShERT
Dear B’ShERT family and friends,
I know this Passover is going to be really different for most of us, and very difficult for many of us. As one of our major family holidays, it emphasizes the pain many of us are already experiencing being physically separated from our family and friends.
The word “Mizrayim,” Hebrew for “Egypt,” literally means “from narrow places.” Using this interpretively, we sometimes talk about Passover as leaving the narrow places to freedom. Technology is what is allowing our spirits not to be completely trapped in the narrow places of our homes. Being able to telephone and video-conference is how we continue to have the freedom of sharing our lives with others.
That is how we are going to be able to celebrate Passover together this year. Our second-night community Passover seder will begin at 6 pm on Thursday, April 9th.
You may have heard that there have been some security issues with Zoom, the platform that we use for interactive video gatherings. Because of that, you will need to register in advance for the second night seder. Please use this link at OneTable’s Seder2020 project to sign up in advance (by Thursday at noon).
When you register, you will receive an email with a pdf of our Community Haggadah and instructions for what it would be good to have on your table for the seder (and ways to improvise if you can’t get everything).
We will also be streaming our Festival services for the first and seventh morning of the holiday; those services will be available at bshert.org/services/live & you can also check your email for details this week and next.
I look forward to celebrating virtually with you!
In community and in peace,
Rabbi Heidi
COVID-19 Updates from Rabbi — March 13
Dear B’ShERT family and friends,
As we have been watching the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures to slow its spread, we have become increasingly concerned about our own community. As you know, our population includes many who are vulnerable to severe effects from the virus, and none of us have immunity to it.
Our president Eric Platt, the Executive Committee, Rabbi Pinsky, and I have been discussing over the past few days what measures we should responsibly take, and based on all the knowledge that is available now, we have decided the following:
All in-person gatherings are canceled or postponed between now and the end of Passover. We will move as much as possible online, and will provide instructions for how to access it. This includes Tuesday Torah study, services, and meetings.
We have already begun to stream services. I will continue to lead services on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings alone in the sanctuary (at least for now), so that services can be streamed from the sanctuary. The link to streaming services is bshert.org/services/live .
You can access an electronic version of the prayerbook to follow along here: https://www.ccarnet.org/
If you prefer to borrow a hard copy of the prayerbook, you may stop by the synagogue to pick one up, or let us know if you can’t do that and we’ll arrange to get one to you over the next week. Contact Alice at 718-282-1596 or alice@bshert.org to request to borrow a prayerbook.
Rabbi Pinsky is working with our teachers and Religious School committee to move Saturday religious school online. Hebrew lessons already take place online during the week, and will continue as they have been. She will be based at home and will send information when the plans have been made.
The family Purim megillah reading and carnival is canceled for tomorrow. Rabbi Pinsky will be on Facebook Live on the B’ShERT Facebook page at 10 am Saturday, where she will lead a Purim song session on Facebook at 10 am.
This is a frightening and confusing time, and in addition to the anxiety and concern you may be feeling, the measures we and other organizations are taking will necessarily increase social isolation. If you feel lonely and want to talk, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Rabbi PInsky, or another member of the congregation. Please also contact me or another member of the congregation if you need assistance with anything.
Even if we can’t be physically together, we want to continue to care for one another and be together spiritually.
If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Rabbi Pinsky, or Eric Platt.
May we be blessed with wisdom, health, and strength.
B’Shalom,
Rabbi Hoover
2020 Introduction to Judaism Classes with Rabbi Sue Oren begin October 21
October 18, 2020 by miketrose • Features 0 Comments
Introduction to Judaism: An Exploration for Curious Adults begins 10/21/20
Join this 20-session course on Jewish life, thought and practice
Discover Judaism from an adult perspective
Become a more confident parent of Jewish children
Explore long-standing questions that you haven’t yet asked
Join this 20-session course on Jewish life, thought and practice
In a warm and open environment,
explore Jewish thought, prayer and practice,
learn about Jewish history and holidays,
wrestle with inherited texts and contemporary issues,
discuss Jewish views of God, ethics, life and death.
The curriculum is designed to give you access to concepts, vocabulary and observances that are central to Judaism. Explore the holy and the historical, inherited texts and contemporary issues, rhythms of the calendar and of our lives in this seminar-style course.
Rabbi Sue Oren, Instructor and Coordinator
This 20-session class meets on ZOOM
Weds eves, 7:00-9:00 pm or Sun eves, 7:30-9:30
(plus a virtual shabbat gathering with Union Temple)
first session: October 21st
$425 course tuition plus $25 materials fee
For registration & questions, contact Rabbi Sue Oren at introclass@earthlink.net or 1.917.539.1334
This class is co-sponsored by:
BelovedBK, Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, B’ShERT, Congregation Mount Sinai,
East Midwood Jewish Center, Flatbush Jewish Center, Kane Street Synagogue,
Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives, Park Slope Jewish Center, Union Temple