News You Can Use

Breaking News

Jules Gutin, Long-time USY Director to Take on New Role

Jules Gutin, international director for USY and Kadima, named new senior education advisor:

Jules Gutin, who on June 1 will mark his 20th anniversary as international director of United Synagogue Youth and Kadima, the high school and middle school programs run by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, will become United Synagogue's senior education advisor on January 1, 2012... [read more] 

Synagogue Leadership Conference

Workshops From the Conference

The convention's theme, "Profiles in Chutzpah," presented "out of the box thinking" that leaders can utilize to enhance and inspire their kehillot, congregations.

This week, we're featuring a video of part of a presentation by Harvey Brenner, executive director, Congregation Or Zarua, entitled, "This is the Moment" -- Merging at the Right Time for Your Kehillah:  

"This is the Moment" -- Merging at the Right Time for Your Kehillah

Read more about the session 

 Our Efforts Made a Difference

Facebook Takes Down "Third Antifada" Page

A note from MERCAZ USA:

As you may know, a Facebook page had been created calling for a third Intifada against Israel. The page had received in excess of 300,000 "like's". Because of the outcry over the past week of the American Jewish community, Facebook was forced to take action against the page, at first advising it would monitor the page to prevent calls for violence and then, in the middle of the week, acceding to our demands to have the page totally removed. Reports are now circulating that a substitute Facebook page on behalf of a renewed Palestinian Intifada has now come back up. If you are on Facebook, please take the time to monitor the situation and write to Facebook should the reports of a new Intifada page prove correct.

"The Buzz" 

What They're Saying About METNY

"Got Chutzpah? Leaders Do"

by Rabbi Charles Savenor

"With deep respect for you and your chutzpah piece. It takes Chutzpah in this world to write about things that are positive, uplifitng and good. Write on Rabbi... and may you continue to have the chutzpah to tell it like it is!"

PaRDeS Yaakov 

 "Profiles in Chutzpah" Case Study #3: 

Rabbi Jeremy Ruberg & Trey Kaley:

Giving a Voice to Jewish A Cappella

One of the innovative aspects of the 2011 Synagogue Leadership Conference was the Chutzpah Awards presentation. We have reformatted the award entries as case studies in leadership and innovation. During the coming weeks, we will feature a case study of a Chutzpah Award winner with guiding questions for you and your kehillah leadership to discuss.  This week we feature Rabbi Jeremy Ruberg, Assistant Rabbi, New City Jewish Center; and Trey Kaley, the a cappella group he helped found.

Situation/Challenges: Music is a major centerpiece of Jewish life. Beginning with the tradition of the Levites filling the Temple with song, nowadays singing at simchas and during prayer continues to be an important aspect of vibrant Jewish communities.  Although many of our synagogues have succeeded at passing down a love for specific melodies and tunes, such a love has led to the knowledge of but only a handful of melodies... [read more] 

Solomon Schechter Awards

Deadline Approaching Soon!

The Solomon Schechter Awards, to be awarded at this year's USCJ Kallah in San Diego, reward extraordinary characteristics and certain unusual and outstanding aspects or achievements that go beyond the expected norms. Award winners deserve recognition for the originality and quality of their programs, for their presentations and achievements. We congratulate them, as well as the many other synagogues that continually strive for excellence. The selection process is not an easy one, and we applaud the efforts of all who submitted entries to the program. Applications are due on Monday, May 2, 2011. [more info]

District Happenings

News & Events From Around the METNY District

Israeli Shabbat at Town & Village Synagogue

A. O. Scott, NY Times Film Critic, Lectures at Park Slope JC

The Park Slope Jewish Center is proud to present The Holocaust in Film, a four-session lecture series taught by A. O. Scott, New York Times film critic, with illustrative clips. This course will explore some of the ways that a uniquely horrific and painful historical experience has been commemorated, reconstructed and even turned into entertainment. The weekly course is on Sundays, 7-9 pm from March 20 through April 10. [more info]  

Discussion With Authors of "Sacred Trash" at JTS

METNY USY

Record-Breaking Kinnusim: Koach & Kiryah

Two weeks ago the Kiryah (5 boroughs) division of METNY USY held its Spring Kinnus, which was hosted by the Israel Center of Conservative Judaism. Over 80 youth took part in a weekend that saw the USY'ers raise close to $1200 for Tikun Olam (USY's tzedekah fund), visit an area nursing home, and discuss Anti-Semitism and ways they, as teenagers, can combat Anti-Semitism.

The Koach (Westchester/Rockland/Putnam/Orange/Greenwich) Spring Kinnus was held this past weekend at New City Jewish Center, where the energy was palpable. This was the largest Koach kinnus in history, the previous high being 205!

Koach's educational theme was "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." A generous donor provided a copy of the book for all of the 235 participants. Check out some photos from the Koach Kinnus, below:

Yasher Koach to Koach and Kiryah's boards and kinnusim chairs as well as Mark Spielvogel and Bruce Varon on their successful Kinnusim!

 USY Alumni Picnic

July 10, 2011

METNY USY Alumni will hold a picnic on Sunday, July 10, 2011 at Eisenhower Park on LI.  Like 2 years ago, this is going to be a big reunion, so make your plans now!!!

Tell all your old USY friends about it and invite everyone on your friends list that was a USY'er. FAMILIES invited, bring the kids!!!!!

Music, softball, games, raffles, etc...Don't miss it out on seeing your USY friends and making new ones!!!!!

 Look out for more info coming soon!

Yasher Koach Corner 

Yasher Koach to Congregation Tifereth Israel, Glen Cove, on being featured in the USCJ Calendar for the month of April with the photo, above. 

Yasher Koach to Josh Rabin on his appointment as the school rabbi at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County. Josh will be ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary on May 19, 2011.

Yasher Koach to Todd Hausman, Chazak Divisional Director, and Danielle Hauser, Divisional President, on their Spring Kinnus this Shabbat at Temple Israel in Great Neck, NY. We appreciate Temple Israel's Hachnasat Orchim.

Yasher Koach to the board of the Israel Center of Conservative Judaism, who voted this week to send all of their B'nai Mitzvah kids to METNY Encampment.

Yasher Koach to Erica Leventhal, executive director, and Marc Klee, president, of Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle on their new logo and their rebranding.

Yasher Koach to Amy Brown, a member of the social action committee at Congregation Ansche Chesed, for organizing a pre-Pesach letter-writing campaign to Governor Cuomo asking him to help end the practice of requiring food stamp applicants to undergo stigmatizing fingerprinting. [download the letter] [download talking points about the campaign] 

METNY on the Road

On Sunday, March 27, 2011, Dr. Elissa Kaplan, lead educator for the PaRDeS Yaakov program, facilitated the workshop,  Shalom, Eretz Yisrael!  Teaching Israel in Grades Gan through Hey for the religious school faculty, led by Lucy Fox, at the Temple Sinai Hebrew School in Middletown, NY.    

Pictured here are Lucy, Elissa and teachers pointing to some of their favorite place in Israel.  The teacher in the middle, pointing to Jerusalem, just returned from the USCJ's HAZAK trip to Israel.  It was her first trip, and she had an incredible time!

On Monday, April 4, Rabbi Edelman met with: 

Dr. Peter Pitzale and Elizabeth Yaari  about Explora-Torah 

On Monday, April 4, Rabbi Edelman visited a meeting of the Long Island Council of Principals of Conservative Synagogues in Woodbury, NY.

Also on Monday, April 4, Rabbi Cara Weinstein Rosenthal, Building Our Jewish Home program director, visited Huntington Jewish Center to discuss interfaith outreach. 

On Tuesday, April 5, Rabbi Savenor and Tamar Schwartz met with the METNY USY field staff.

This weekend, Rabbi Edelman will visit Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale as they honor Rabbi Barry Dov and Shoshi Katz in their journal and celebration.

This Sunday-Monday, April 10-11, Rabbi Savenor will travel to Denver, CO, to give the keynote address and lead a leadership workshop at the Central USCJ District Leadership Conference.

On Wednesday, April 13, Rabbi Savenor will meet with the board of Monroe Woodbury Jewish Community Center.

Save the date!

METNY Annual Dinner