Temple Beth-El of City Island "your shul by the sea"  480 City Is. Ave,  P.O. Box 188, City Is., NY 10464            (Updated on 1/23/2012)

About the Shul About Rabbi Shohama About Reb David Current Calendar Shul News Membership Letter Yahrzeit List Jewish Week Article Scenes of 2011 Photo Gallery History of TBE Feb 2011 Newsletter Make safe and secure donations with PayPal. Thank you. or send a check to Temple Beth-El of CI P.O. Box 188 City Is., NY 10464	VANDALIZED SHUL ON CITY ISLAND LOOKS TO FUTURE OF LIGHT By Rabbi Shohama and Reb David     At a recent gathering of rabbinical, cantorial and rabbinic pastor students, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi reminded that it's okay to view a synagogue as a business -- so long as we know what kind of business we're in.  Our business always must be to inspire, empower, comfort, heal, teach and serve in holy community -- to uplift the world's shards of brokenness into the light.       We returned from that gathering to shards of broken glass in our synagogue.       Just before Shabbat on January 13, Temple Beth-El of City Island – our shul – was vandalized. Intruders broke windows to infiltrate the synagogue and stole the community's ritual items -- including silver crowns adorning Holocaust-era Torah  scrolls, kiddush cups and the like.  Instead of preparing to welcome Shabbat with joyful song and dance, community members and clergy arrived to a mess in the sanctuary and police investigators saying, "Don't touch anything."     We’re lucky: we weren't firebombed like the Temple Beth-El of Rutherford, New Jersey; nobody was hurt and our Torahs were unharmed.   But the recent spate of violence against area synagogues is a sobering reminder of our world's brokenness – and hopefully, too, a chance to lift those shards of brokenness into the light.   We're a small but spirited congregation, an island outpost of Judaism attracting members from a wide area who seek our vibrant, innovative and joyful approach to Judaism, in a part of the world where there used to be more synagogues.  Our story is not unique.  Like an increasing number of congregations, ours can't afford denominational labels: we're unaffiliated, egalitarian and inclusive.    However one views these trends, they offer  opportunities.  We view our mission as  giving everyone regardless of means or  creed somewhere to experience joyful  Judaism.  To that end, our High Holiday  services our free, our doors are open to all, and our dues are virtually nil.	We pay high prices for these choices,  but as Reb Zalmanrightly observed,  our first business is  uplifting souls at  all costs.     So when vandals violated our community,  it was quite a blow: violence against any  house of worship is blow to all who care  about holy community.  In time, the shock  will wear off, clean-up will proceed,  damage to our building will be repaired  and lost items will be restored. The sharp     edges of broken trust in our safety,  however, may take longer to fade.    Maybe that’s a good thing.  We must  reject clutching even justifiable hurt.  If  this incident and others like it inspire us to  tend the brokenness around us and  redouble our commitment to build bridges  to those in our communities who feel like  isolated islands – unsafe and exposed –  then maybe we can redeem the recent spate  of violence for the good.       That is our calling and our true business:  an invitation to lift the brokenness into the  light.        Keyn yehi ratzon.

     SAVE THE DATE: SHABBATON FOR SHOHAMA
                     May 4-6, 2012 (New York, NY)

       Please join Rabbi Shohama Harris Wiener's community of family and friends at a shabbaton of music, dance, davvenen and learning.
On this Shabbat Kedoshim, we will celebrate Shohama's 70th birthday, 10 years of service at Temple Beth-El of City Island, visionary
leadership in spiritual direction (Hashpa'ah), service as Rosh Hashpa'ah  of ALEPH's Ordination Programs,  and 15 years as Dean and
President of the Academy for Jewish Religion -- history's first female head of a Jewish seminary.

       Please join our mailing list for information about programs, accommodations and other ways to support Rabbi Shohama's ongoing
work of spiritual renewal.  Detailed plans for the shabbaton, including a gala dinner dance, will be announced in early 2012.  For now,
SAVE THE DATE!

WHEN: May 4-6, 2012, starting with Kabbalat Shabbat.

       WHERE: City Island (New York City) and surrounding area.

                        :A JOYOUS AND TUNEFUL BEGINNING TO 5772

   Leading Temple Beth-El of City Island into a sweet and melodious new year, Rabbi Shohama Wiener conducts Rosh Hashana services
with the assistance of (from left to right), Reb David Markus on keyboard, Cantor Elaine Faver, Monty Renov on bass guitar, Alan Dattner
on drum, Rabbi Shohama on guitar, and Joshua Davidowitz on viola and Steve Gottlieb with his soprano saxophone.

     Over the course of three days and three evening services, (from erev Rosh Hashana to the Havdallah service after Yom Kippur) the Rabbi kept each
service distinct and different from the others. With such a variety the Rabbi and Reb David kept the congregation coming back for more -- until they
conducted "The Trial of Jonah" and a procession down to our party room for a wonderful Break Fast Dinner provided by many of our friends and members.
Kudos to all -- and Shana Tovah!

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