In This Issue
Hidon Ha Torah Competition May 2nd!
Conducting a Successful High Holiday "Appeal"
METNY's Annual Dinner - June 7
Yasher Koach Corner
Proud To Be Jewish Art Contest
Celebratin Mother's Day + Our Feminist Matriarchs
Synagogue Security Workshop
Morning of Study and Socialbility with HAZAK
METNY USY Regional Convention
Save the Date - Salute to Israel Parade May 23
No Nukes for Iran
UJA Beit Midrash - Shavuot
Register Today for the New Directors of Education Institute
Webinar: So What's New About Mergers?
International Mikveh Conference
To read workshop summaries and to download handouts from the 2010 Synagogue Leadership Conference, visit the METNY website.
Publicize your event on the METNY Community Calendar. Please email

Kimberly Bastin at [email protected] to have your event posted.
Click here to view the calendar.

Check out our Website!
Follow METNY on the Web!
 
 
 
Click here to become a fan of
METNY USCJ on Facebook!
 

Twitter
@CharlieSavenor
 @MetnyUSY
 
FREE BOOKS!

METNY USCJ has an extra set of Encyclopedia Judaica. If you are interested in attaining this set for your synagogue library please contact Rabbi Charles Savenor at [email protected].
Contact METNY
820 Second Avenue, 10th Fl.
 New York, NY 10017
 
212-533-0800 (p)
 212-533-0400 (f)
 
Rabbi Charles Savenor
 Executive Director

Rabbi Moshe Edelman
Associate Executive Director

Rabbi Paulette Posner
Director of Education

Dave Siegel
Interim Director of Youth Activities

Sharon Steinberg
President

 

Hidon Ha Torah


Hidon Ha Torah


METNY will be holding its annual Hidon Ha Torah 6th grade Torah competition this Sunday, May 2nd.  It will take place at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), located at 3030 Broadway, New York, NY.


Breakfast and registration will be being at 8:30 am.  The semi-final round will begin at 9:30 am.  Our expectation is that the event will conclude no later than noon.


To volunteer for the event, please contact Rabbi Posner at (212) 533-0800 or [email protected].


 

The Metropolitan New York District of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism: METNY

 

Presents the newly restructured  and freshly redesigned

 

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES

 

For Synagogue presidents, officers, committee members, clergy and professionals

 

Conducting a Successful High Holy Day "Appeal"

TWO locations to choose from:

 

May 13th at 7:30 PM at the Dix Hills Jewish Center, Dix Hills in Suffolk County

 

May 17th at 7:30 PM at the Orangetown Jewish Center in Orangeburg in Rockland County



The theme of the Yamim Noraim/Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur is the three fold concepts of Teshuvah, Tefillah and Tzedakah.

 

Through change which we initiate in ourself, through the experience of prayer/reflection and  through acts of righteousness including deeds of kindness(hesed) and tikun olam (change behavior) and

tzedakah as financial gifts we elevate our lives and transform society.

 

The High Holy Days have become a time for tzedakah for the synagogue. We will address the following questions are the seminar:

 

  1. How should a synagogue develop a meaningful approach to raising funds for itself?
  2. What role do  lay leaders play in the process?
  3. What part is reserved for rabbi, hazzan or other religious leaders?
  4. When should the campaign begin?
  5. Who should be contacting the membership?
  6. How should we approach members?
  7. What financial goals should be set for each year?
  8. What techniques have been successful already?

 

SUCCESSFUL EFFORT SHARED. QUESTIONS DISCUSSED, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR 5771/2010 EFFORT.

apple


Guest presenter (Dix Hills Jewish Center): Lee Grebstein, Past President Dix Hills Jewish Center, Chairman of High Holy Day Appeal


Guest presenter (Orangetown Jewish Center): TBA

 

The Leadership Series is coordinated by Norman Korowitz , METNY Executive VP and Rabbi Moshe Edelman, METNY Associate Director.

RA News Alert



IN WAKE OF ROTEM/AYALON MEETINGS WITH JEWISH LEADERS IN NEW YORK
CONSERVATIVE, REFORM AND RECONSTRUCTIONIST MOVEMENTS
RELEASE STATEMENT CRITICAL OF THE CONVERSION BILL

 

Statement Reflects United Stance on Proposed Legislation


 
CONTACT: Conservative: Shira Dicker at 917.403.3989, [email protected]
Reform; Kate Bigam at 202.398.2800, [email protected]
Reconstructionist: Yael Ridberg at 917.287.4207, [email protected]
Carl Sheingold at 215.885.5601, [email protected]
 
April 30, 2010 (New York, NY) -- Israeli Knesset Member David Rotem, author of a proposed bill dealing with conversion in Israel, met this week with leaders of the North American Jewish community to discuss the bill's possible ramifications. Following a series of discussions with Rotem, the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements together issued the following statement:
 
We are appreciative of the substantial amount of time MK David Rotem devoted to meetings with us, individually and collectively, during his visit to the United States to discuss the legislation he has sponsored in the Knesset dealing with conversion and the Law of Return.  We also welcome Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Ayalon's participation in many of our meetings.

It should, first, be emphasized that we deeply appreciate Mr. Rotem's stated goal in advancing the legislation - to ameliorate the bottleneck in the conversion process that currently keeps as many as 350,000 thousand olim (immigrants) from the former Soviet Union from converting to Judaism.  The laudable goal of attempting to hasten the process of conversion for these individuals - who currently serve in the Israeli army and contribute positively to Israeli society - is one that deserves widespread attention and support. Together, we thank MK Rotem for his efforts in addressing this crisis.
 
MK Rotem believes his proposed legislation would rapidly open the door to a faster conversion process.  We respectfully disagree. Not only would this legislation fail to achieve his forecasted result, the collateral damage to the 85% of world Jewry who are not Orthodox (and perhaps others who are) would be disastrous to the unity of the Jewish people in a number of ways.
 
The bill threatens to alter the Law of Return and consolidate conversion power into the hands of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Both of these results could have devastating effects on the relationship between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry and thus on the broader unity of the Jewish people. Such concentration of power in favor of Ultra-Orthodox Jewry effectively negates the roles of the non-Orthodox movements both within Israel and abroad, sending the message that only the Orthodox have a place within our Homeland.
 
Specifically, the current formulations of Article 1 would legislate the role and status of the Chief Rabbinate in a way not previously written into law. Such legislation would turn back the clock on 20 years of hard-won accomplishments in the Israeli High Court and complicate future efforts to appeal to the Court, which has been the single mechanism to counter religious discrimination in Israel.  
 
This bill returns us to the destructive "who is a Jew" question, that has previously threatened to divide World Jewry, as it does today. To explicitly connect conversion to a single religious stream, while making no mention of other streams of Judaism, is by definition to compromise and jeopardize the Law of Return, as it places the decision for "who is a Jew" in the hands of one group. Such an action is inconsistent with the democratic ideals on which the State of Israel was founded and relies, and would detrimentally affect the worldwide Jewish community.
 
Further compounding our concern is the fact that the bill mentions no alternative method of conversion via non-Orthodox streams.  We - and more importantly, our Israeli colleagues and their lawyers - believe that this language, if adopted as written, would further marginalize and hamper the Masorti and Reform movements in Israel. This would be a tragic consequence as we offer vibrant religious alternatives to a nation of Jews religiously alienated by the increasingly extreme positions of a minority religious establishment.  We firmly believe that any conversion legislation must explicitly address these concerns.

We are additionally troubled by language that provides that any person who entered Israel while ineligible to receive Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return will remain ineligible following conversion. Though MK Rotem says this language exists to outlaw the possibility of illegal immigrants undergoing conversion solely to obtain Israeli citizenship and remain in the country, the reality is that this deeply troubling clause differentiates between those who are born Jewish and those who choose to be Jewish, amending the Law of Return to exclude those who have made a conscious decision to join the Jewish community. For 2,000 years, Judaism has treated Jews-by-choice the same as Jews-by-birth.  We are taught "as soon as a convert emerges from the mikvah (ritual bath) she or he is Jewish for all purposes."  (Talmud, Yevamot 47b) We see no justification now for differentiating between groups of Jews or including an article with such severe ramifications in the framework of a law purportedly dealing with easing conversion procedures.
 
While we recognize the goals Mr. Rotem is working to achieve and deeply respect his efforts, we cannot lend our support to a bill that will have such devastating ramifications. This moment, when Israel faces a great many challenges, both at home and abroad, is no time to enact legislation that has the potential to divide the Jewish community or to alienate Diaspora Jewry.
 
Even as we expressed our concerns to Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon and MK Rotem, we also emphasized our steadfast love and commitment to the people and State of Israel. It is in this spirit of unity that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues in the Masorti and Reform movements in Israel and with one another. Indeed, it is our unconditional love for Israel as both a sovereign nation and a worldwide Jewish community that calls us to urge, in the strongest possible terms, upon MK Rotem, the Yisrael Beitenu party, and Prime Minister Netanyahu to withdraw this bill and introduce legislation that resolves the urgent problems of olim from the former Soviet Union without compromising either the core democratic values of the State or the Law of Return.
 
For information about this joint statement of the leadership of the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements to the Rotem Conversion Bill, please contact the following:
 
Conservative: Shira Dicker at 917.403.3989, [email protected]
Reform; Kate Bigam at 202.398.2800, [email protected]
Reconstructionist: Yael Ridberg at 917.287.4207, [email protected]
Carl Sheingold at 215.885.5601, [email protected]

Yasher Koach Corner



metny delegation to sulam 37 
METNY wishes a huge Yasher Koach to our participants at SULAM 37 this past weekend!  Coordinated by METNY's Associate Director,Rabbi Moshe Edelman, this weekend is a training session for new and incoming congregational presidents. 
 
The 37th cohort of presidents came together at the Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center in Reiserstown, Maryland, from April 22-25.  Over those four days, they shared with, listened to, and learned from each other.  The group at SULAM 37 included representatives from METNY, both incoming presidents and staff.  They are (from left):

Rabbi Charlie Savenor, METNY Executive Director
Louise Sherby, Town and Village Synagogue (New York, NY)
Rabbi Moshe Edelman, METNY Associate Director
Mark Gelfand, Midway Jewish Center (Syosset, NY)
Nancy Kaplan, Temple Beth-El (North Bellmore, NY)
Michael Swirnoff, Congregation Temple Israel (Glen Cove, NY)
Jennie Ossentjuk, Etz Chaim (Monroe, NY)
Rabbi Paul Drazen, USCJ Chief Program Delivery Officer
Gila Drazen, METNY Administrative Assistant
Ariel Manacher, Temple Sholom (Greenwich, CT)
Glen Gilbert, JCC Harrison (Harrison, NY)

metny delegation to sulam 37 with certificatesYashar kochachem on completing this important conference!

For more information about SULAM, contact Rabbi Moshe Edelman at [email protected].  To see more pictures from SULAM 37, please go to www.uscj.org/pictures.html






PTBJ

Celebrating Mother's Day + Our Feminist Matriarchs



In 1971, a group of Jewish feminists adopted the name Ezrat Nashim* and began to press for change in the role of women in Jewish life. In March 1972, they attended-without invitation-the National Convention of Conservative Rabbis and presented a manifest for equal access to leadership and religious participation for women. Nearly 40 years later, members of this group reunite to tell what it was like to be in the advance guard of Jewish feminism, how they have shaped their lives, and how they view the changing role of women in Jewish life and the struggles remaining for future generations. They will also talk with younger Jewish feminists.

Joining us will be: Martha Ackelsberg, professor of Government and Women's Studies, Smith College; Arlene Agus, Jewish resource advisor to Jewish Child Care Association, executive consultant to Jewish Family Foundations; Dr. Leora Fishman, physician; Rabbi Judith Hauptman, professor of Talmud, Jewish Theological Seminary; Dr. Eva Fogelman, psychologist; Paula Hyman, professor of Modern Jewish history, Yale; Maureen McCleod, Family Court Judge, retired; Dina Rosenfeld, assistant dean, Undergraduate Programs, NYU Social Work School; Judith Hyman Rosenbaum, Jewish Women's Archives, Boston; and other members of the 'younger generation.' Judith Plaskow, professor of Religious Studies, Manhattan College, will moderate.

*Ezrat Nashim is the term used for the women's section in traditional synagogues; literally, it means 'help of women."

Sunday, May 9 @ 3 pm  $10 JCC members/$15 nonmembers 
Code: JJLEZR00S0
Register online at www.jccmanhattan.org or call 646-505-5708.

JCC in Manhattan - Amsterdam @ 76th Street


Report on Israel by the Presbyterian Church Convention


We want to bring to your attention information that is now available on the USCJ website regarding the biased, an anti-Israel Middle East Study Committee (MESC) report that will come before the Presbyterian Church (USA) at its General Assembly in July 2010.  To learn more about the MESC report and United Synagogue's reaction to it, please go to the links in blue below.   You can also contact Faye Gingold, Project Manager, Synagogue Resources and Social Action, at [email protected] and 646-519-9258.


As the Presbyterian Church USA considers voting to accept a report that strikes many Jews as not merely critical of Israel but actively anti-Zionist, we at United Synagogue join in deploring the report and explain why we think it's dangerous.


metny uscj

westchester jewish center

Synagogue Security Workshop

Dear Presidents and Interested Parties:

 
The Westchester Jewish Community is hosting its first Community Security Roundtable on:
 
Wednesday May 5, 2010
7:30-9:30 PM
Scarsdale Synagogue/Temples Tremont and Emanuel
2 Ogden Road, Scarsdale
 
This NEW Roundtable was created in response to the continuing acts of bias crime that have been directed towards the Westchester Jewish community and our institutions.  Like all of the Roundtables sponsored by the Westchester Jewish Conference, our goal is to periodically assemble volunteer representatives from all of our Westchester Jewish organizations for the sharing of best practices and information and to improve communication.  We will be stronger by working together.
 
This Roundtable is open to the person that YOU determine best handles this responsibility for your synagogue/organization.  Although open to all, the roundtable is designed for volunteer leadership
 
Our first meeting, will include presentations from experts from the Westchester County Police, Office of the Westchester District Attorney and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York As importantly, will be the sharing between synagogues and organizations.
 
Please respond to this invitation via a simple email at your earlier convenience or forward this email to the most appropriate person in your organization.  Please do let us know who will be representing your organization so we can add them to our distribution list.
 
We are very pleased that Scott Baken and Harry Mamaysky will be chairing this first meeting.  We thank them in advance for their leadership.
 
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to having your organization represented at this first meeting.  
 
Elliot Forchheimer
Executive Director
Westchester Jewish Conference


To RSVP, email Elliot Forchheimer at [email protected]
.

The Metropolitan New York District of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism presents:
 
A MORNING OF STUDY AND SOCIABILITY
with HAZAK: the Senior Adult Program of Conservative Judaism
In Celebration of Shavuot
MAY 11TH 2010
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE CENTER
NEW ROCHELLE NEW YORK

Torah Mug
 
10:15 a.m.  Welcome to the Beth El Synagogue of New Rochelle. Come in an have a cup of tea or coffee. Meet new friends. Say hello.
 
10:35 a.m. Meet Rabbi David Kosak, Assistant Rabbi of Beth El and  our guest speaker Rabbi Moshe Edelman Associate Director, METNY District of USCJ.
 
10:40a.m. FAITH, FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP in the BOOK OF RUTH. In 4 short chapters we shall explore
  • Judaism's attitude to non-Jews
  • Conversion to Judaism
  • The place of Israel in Jewish tradition
  • The relationship of generations(mother in law and daughter in law in Ruth)
  • The coming of the Messiah: Jewish idea, Christian thought
  • The relationship of Ruth to the holiday of Shavuot

And time for a few Q&A too.
 
11:55 a.m. Shalom. Thanks for coming. Please let us know of other topics for us to prepare for you.

12:00 p.m.Lunch at one of New Rochelle's kosher restaurants. On your own.

 
Please RSVP to (212) 533-0800 or [email protected] to let us know if you will be coming with friends, other congregants, or other seniors.  Beth El Synagogue Center is located at 1324 North Avenue in New Rochelle.  The program is free to all.



Register Today for METNY USY's Regional Convention and 8th Grade Experience!
May 14-16, 2010
USY Logo Red
Register Online at http://metny.uscj.org/regionalconvention


The Salute to the Israel Parade is on Sunday, May 23, 2010.
 
Click here to learn more and have your synagogue march!


 

This year the celebration and parade will mark the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. The METNY District of United Synagogue, which  is made up of over 100 congregations, has always had an impressive contingent at the Annual Salute to Israel Day Parade. We hope you will participate and bring your members, friends and family.

 

METNY will be marching with our regional USY group. More info will be shared over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

 

We have a few simple questions for your synagogue:

 

1. Will your congregation be marching in the parade as its own group, your area or METNY? YES____NO____.  If YES, which one?                                           

 

2. Will you be watching, but not marching? YES_____NO______

 

3. Did you congregation run any special programs for Yom Hazikaron or Yom Ha'atzma'ut this year? If so, please describe it here:                                                                                                          

 

                                                                                                                                                           

 

Name of Congregation:_______________________________________________

 

Address_____________________________City________________Zip_________

 

Your Name __________________________ email__________________________

  

Please be in touch with any questions. We can be reached at [email protected] or 212-533-0800.  We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at the Salute to Israel parade on May 23rd!

 

B'shalom,

 

Jeffry Horowitz                                              Sharon Steinberg

METNY Israel Affairs Chairman                   METNY President

 

P.S.  - USCJ has an Israel Affairs Committee with hundreds of congregations represented. If you have not submitted the name of your congregation's chairperson, please do so at this time. You can send your information to Jeff Horowitz at [email protected].

 
 
PREVENT IRAN FROM GAINING NUCLEAR WEAPONS
 
SIGN A PETITION:
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism requests your help in gathering signatures on a national petition to our elected officials urging them to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The No Nukes for Iran Advocacy Program's goal is to gather 100,000 signatures by mid-May.  That will allow our collective voices to be heard in Washington D.C. and throughout the country.
 
To sign an online petition or download a petition to gather handwritten signatures, go to http://www.nonukesforiran.org/action/petition/
 
ORDER NO NUKES FOR IRAN BANNERS:
In partnership with the Israeli consulate, United Synagogue offers its member congregations a special opportunity to buy large vinyl "NO NUKES FOR IRAN" banners. They are 3 feet by 6 feet, and suitable for displaying outdoors or indoors.  To see the banner and to order it, go to http://www.nonukesforiran.org/products/.  
 
United Synagogue-affiliated congregations can use the promotional code "uscj-banner" when they order; that way the subsidized price is only $36 per banner.  The regular price is $80 per banner. Please order quickly to take advantage of this limited subsidized price.
 
We encourage you to display the "No Nukes for Iran Banner" in a highly visible place to send a powerful message across your community and beyond.
 
Please email Faye Gingold [email protected] if you have any questions, or call her at 646-519-9258.



UJA-Federation of New York
Jewish Resource Center

Shavuot: Revelation and Repair

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Join our community for an exciting group discussion with Rabbi Michael Paley, scholar-in-residence at UJA-Federation of New York. This session is modeled after the traditional beit midrash, a rabbinical house of study featuring interactive group discussions. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to learn with friends and colleagues!

UJA-Federation of New York
Seventh-Floor Conference Center
130 East 59th Street
(between Park and Lexington Avenues)
New York City

To register or request an assisted listening device, please contact Rebecca Russo at 1.212.836.1661 or [email protected].


Eleventh Annual New Directors of Education Institute 2010
Sponsored by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

NDI

Join other new educational leaders for an enriching and inspirational
three days at the beautiful Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center,
5425 Mt. Gilead Road, Reisterstown, MD 21136.

This three-day institute and yearlong coaching program will begin on Tuesday, June 22, at 10 a.m. and conclude on Thursday, June 25, at 4 p.m.

The institute is designed for new directors of education who have less than three years of experience.Participants will complete the institute with many tools and will understand the meaning and importance of becoming an educational leader.

Registration is due by June 2. The cost is $450 for a shared room or $500 single occupancy (while the supply of single rooms lasts). Costs include room and all meals, a director's manual on CD, and plenty of helpful materials. USCJ largely underwrites the costs for the institute and the full year of mentorship.

For more information and to download the brochure and application, click here.


Questions? Call Susan Wyner, United Synagogue's consultant for synagogue education at (440) 473-3165 or email [email protected].




From UJA-Federation of New York's SYNERGY Leadership Development Project

Webinar: So What's New About Mergers?
Wednesday, June 2, at noon and at 7:30 p.m.

In a time of dramatic change in the synagogue world, two things are "new" about an apparently "old" idea-namely, merger. First synagogues have new and urgent motivations to consider such a change. And second, recent research has identified innovative merger approaches few synagogues have ever seriously considered. In this webinar you will:

�     Explore innovative forms of collaboration and merger relevant to the current situation
�     Examine "myths about merger" that could harm your chances of success
�    Consider how congregations shift from a survival focus to a visionary stance that favors thoughtful innovation, and how leaders address the loss and disorientation members experience along the way.

Workshop leaders: Robert Leventhal and Alice Mann, both Senior Consultants with the Alban Institute

For more information please contact Gayle Bloom at 212.584.3346 or [email protected].

mikvah conference

Thinking about the fall?  United Synagogue is co-sponsoring a conference at Boston's community mikvah, Mayyim Hayyim, October 10-12, 2010.  Click here for more information!

Upcoming Transitions in YOUR Synagogue Leadership
 
METNY USCJ would like to keep all of your synagogue board members up to date on the METNY programs and information. When your synagogue elects new board members please fill out the Synagogue Leadership form and send back to the METNY office so we can include your leadership on our lists. Please click here for the form.
 
Please email, fax or mail to [email protected] or fax to 212-533-0400. The form can be mailed to 820 Second Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10017.

Furthermore, many of our congregations are currently in search for professional and spiritual leadership. METNY is here to help. Please contact any of our staff with questions. We wish our congregations success in this sacred enterprise.