News You Can Use from METNY USCJ

News You Can Use

(Redesigned Format)

BREAKING NEWS...

USCJ Strategic Plan Draft Released!
Download the Draft

Vetting United Synagogue's New Strategy:

United Synagogue and the Hayom Coalition have been working for over a year on a new strategic plan for USCJ. We invite you and your leadership to learn about this plan and the dynamic future of United Synagogue.

Rabbi Wernick will present and facilitate discussion about the strategic plan. This session will be held twice in two different parts of the district to enable as many stakeholders as possible to participate. Your feedback and support is vital to our shared future and success.

The sessions will take place as follows:

Thursday, February 10 at 7:45pm at Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn Heights, NY.
Tuesday, February 22 at 7:00pm at Temple Israel Center in White Plains, NY.

We are grateful to our host congregations for their hachnasat orchim and partnership.

Please RSVP to Sloane Rosenberg, METNY's executive assistant, at rosenberg@uscj.org or 212-533-0800.

We look forward to seeing and hearing from you at these visionary sessions!

Meet METNY's Newest Member:
Chavurat Emet of Suffolk County

By Marc Katz, METNY District Vice-Chair

A small group of Suffolk County residents started worshipping together about nine years ago, eventually forming their own congregation. Called Chavurat Emet, the congregation has grown to about three times its original size, now numbering 65 families.

The congregation has become METNY's newest member, having recently been approved for membership by United Synagogue and the METNY District Council.... [read more]

D'var Torah Videocast on Youtube:

"The Tiny Word, Li"

Leadership Lessons From Exodus #7

Click Here to watch the video!

Click here to read a D'var Torah on Parashat Terumah by Rabbi Moshe Edelman, METNY Associate Director

Rabbi Charles Savenor was the featured darshan for KOACH's "2 Minute Torah" podcast. Click here to listen to a D'var Torah on Parashat Terumah.

District Happenings

News & Events From Around the METNY District

Merrick Jewish Centre's singing sensation Cantor Ethan Leifer is playing his 5th concert at the Merrick Jewish Centre on Sunday Night March 13th, backed up by a full band. [more info]

The Josh Nelson Project will be performing on Saturday, March 12 at 8pm at the Paramount. This concert is presented by the First Hebrew Congregation of Peekskill. [more info]

Dr. Arthur Green to Speak On "Radical Judaism: Rethinking God and Tradition" in a lecture series at the Jewish Theological Seminary on Thursday, February 3. This is the first installment in the spring 2011 serie s, Contemporary Jewish Theology: Three Lectures. [more info]

From Hollywood to the Holy Land: Jewish Women on Screen, a film series for the spring 2011 semester, begins this Sunday, February 6, at 4 PM, with Salomé (1923), an outlandish, artsy adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play. For more info, email Kerry Wallach.

Masorti Olami and MAROM Olami are investing in today's youth and young adults, connecting them to their Judaism and connecting them to each other. Click here to watch a 3 minute video of ways that they are connecting Jewish youth and young adults around the world.

Remembering Debbie Friedman

30 Days Later

We mark Debbie Friedman's shloshim - the end of the 30-day period following her death - with music and gratitude. Her music brought countless Jews back to Judaism, and changed the sound of Jewish life. The song of her life was joy and light and deep soulfulness, and it drew many Jews closer to the community, to each other, and perhaps even to God. There is not a Conservative synagogue in North America that has not used something she wrote, and most likely there are few synagogue-going Conservative Jews who do not have some of her melodies in their hearts, even if they do not know she wrote it.

United Synagogue offers this program, created by Rabbi Paul Drazen, for synagogues considering shloshim programs honoring Debbie Friedman:

Click here to download the program

Click here for METNY's tribute to Debbie Friedman

METNY on the Road

Rabbi Savenor visits Temple Sholom of Greenwich CT. From left to right:
Rabbi Mitch Hurvitz, Rabbi Savenor, Ariel Manacher and Bob Driesen, co-presidents

On Sunday, January 30, Rabbi Moshe Edelman met with HAZAK co-chairs Carol Turoff and Jeffry Horowitz to establish a HAZAK Commission in METNY. (see photo, left) Look for a special report coming soon.

On Monday, January 31, Rabbi Charles Savenor visited Temple Sholom of Greenwich, CT (see large photo, above).

This weekend, Rabbi Savenor and Tamar Schwartz, METNY Director of Youth Activities, and Mindy Liebman, Youth Commission Chair, will join over 400 USYers and Kadimaniks at at the USY Mid-Winter Kallah at the Huntington Hilton.

On Wednesday, February 9, Rabbi Savenor will be at the UJA Think Tank session, and at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Glen Cove.

Also on Feb. 9th, Rabbi Moshe Edelman, METNY Associate Director, will be at the RANSAQ (Rabbinical Assembly of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens County) meeting at Oceanside Jewish Center.

On Thursday, February 10, the METNY staff will be at Temple Sholom, Roslyn Heights, for the USCJ Strategic Plan presentation by Rabbi Steven Wernick, CEO, USCJ. (See lead story.)

Yasher Koach Corner

Yasher Koach to Rabbi Bill Plevan on his installation at Shaare Zedek next Saturday night, February 12. Rabbi Savenor will be representing METNY at the installation.

Yasher Koach to Rabbi David Senter on his installation at Manetto Hill Jewish Center on February 13. Rabbi Edelman will be the installing officer, and Irwin Scharf will make a presentation, and Alan Reid, METNY Senior Vice Chair, will be in attendance as well.

Yasher Koach to Janet Tobin of Little Neck Jewish Center, on becoming president of Mercaz.

There are 100 more kids in attendance at METNY USY Mid-Winter Kallah than last year! Yasher Koach to co-chairs, Brendon Beroff & Lucas Eager-Leavitt.

News You Can Use: Redesigned

We hope you noticed that "News You Can Use" has been redesigned. Click here to read the report about our recent "News" survey.

Comments or questions about the newsletter? Don't hesitate to let us know. Call us at 212-533-0800, or email us at metny@uscj.org.