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T h e W r i t t e n W o r d

Temple Beth-El of City Island

"Your Shul by the Sea"

Adar - Nisan - 5766 480 City Island Avenue, City Island, NY Vol 4.1

ADAR IS THE MONTH OF FUN

The second week of Adar (March this year) should be a blast at Temple Beth-El of City Island.
We start with a special Welcome Shabbat service led by our Rabbi Shohama on Friday, March 10th, with an emphasis on fun. That will be followed by our special Saturday Family Program on 3/11at 9:30 am.

Celebrate Purim With Us on Sunday, March 12th from 2 to 4 pm. Enjoy performing or watching the Purim-spiel, making costumes and masks, eating hamentashen and just having a grand time!

The dress code is casual though we do encourage wearing costumes as seen in this photo of last year's gala Purim party. We will also supply an easy-to-follow script of our play – and ad-libbing is definitely permitted!

Karyn Berger, one of our Rabbinic Interns, says of her Saturday Family Program, now on the second Saturday of the month, "it's a great way to indulge the kid's [creative] side of you along with your children."

"This week," she adds, "we'll be making masks and learning about Purim. It will be a good precursor to Sunday's party."

Karyn's Family Program starts at 9:30 am and lasts for an hour. Then, at 10:30 am, on the second Saturday of each month, our second Rabbinic Intern, Daniel Klipper, leads the adult community in a warm and friendly Spirituality Service and Torah study session. "It's too good to miss," says Bob Berent, President of T.B.E.

Passover and our 72nd Anniversary

Set the Scene for April '06

April '06 promises to be a very busy month for members and friends of Temple Beth-El. Two big events are scheduled for the month of April – and each will be in a different seaside locale. But then, we are "Your Shul by the Sea", are we not!

The Stuyvesant Yacht Club will be the site of our annual Passover Seder and the City Island Yacht Club will host our 72nd Anniversary Dinner-Dance.

Traditionally, Temple Beth-El of C.I. conducted a Seder in our Selma Ginsberg Party Room – especially for people who couldn't attend a family event at Passover.

But, in 2005, a major flood put the temple's basement out of commission, and no community Seder was held.

While repairs and renovations are scheduled to begin this spring, our friends at the Stuyvesant Yacht Club have most graciously offered us the use of their attractive clubhouse.

Thus, we can have a first night's Seder right at the edge of Eastchester Bay and Long Island Sound. Hopefully, the amazing view won't delay us from starting the Seder at 6 pm on Wednesday, April 12th!

Temple Beth-El of City Island

"Your Shul by the Sea"

72^nd Anniversary Dinner-Dance

Saturday, April 29^th, 2006

7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

The City Island Yacht Club

63 Pilot Street

Dancing with DJ Ray Entertainment

Price per person - $65.00 Jackets Required

RSVP by April 10^th: Violet Ellis 718.885.2820

Rabbi’s Message

Dear Shul Family,

The story of Passover is one of appreciation—gratitude that the winter is over and new beginnings will sprout. We read from the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim. “For now the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come.”

Our story is one of hope--hope that hard times will end and peace will reign. For us, for all Israel, and for all humankind. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Then all shall sit under their vines and under their fig-trees, and none shall make them afraid.”

But Passover is about more than appreciation and hope. It is also about preparation. From the end of Purim until the Seder, Jews are called to focus on cleaning out all the chametz, all the old “stuff” that no longer serves. Not only the old bread crumbs, and the old grains, but old fear, anger, pride and sorrow that hold us back from realizing our truest, highest selves.

May you be blessed in this season of appreciation, hope, and preparation.
Hope to see you soon!

Love and blessings,
Rabbi Shohama
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