Sep 1, 2017 - ties to Habonim lasts to this day. Our monthly Queens services and classes attest to that, as does their a
SEPTEMBER 2017 ELUL 5777 / TISHREI 5778 103 West End Ave / New York, NY 10023 ph 212-787-5347 / fax 212-595-3542
www.habonim.net
From the Rabbi Thanks to Facebook's “On This Day,” I was recently reminded of a pre High Holy Day interaction with my daughter, Z, when she was two and a half years old. I had just shown my daughter the shofar. I let her touch it; her eyes got big. I let her smell it; a smile spread across her face. I blew it for her; her smile got BIG. I let her smell it; she fell back on the couch and said, Mommy, that is too scary for me! The same nose. The same shofar. Both different when inhabited by breath. Elul, the Hebrew month in which we find ourselves, is designed as a time of curiosity, awakening and transformation. The blowing of the shofar each day in Elul engages our senses and changes us, over time, from the inside out. The sound of the shofar calls us to wake up and pay attention. It may startle, evoke laughter, cause the hair on our arms to stand on end. Each day's sounds offer a new encounter with self and the divine. Tekiah - what becomes clear cognitively that I want to change? Sh'varim - how might I make a change, then stop, turn inward and re-calibrate? T'ruah - feel your heart beating with anticipation as places within your soul begin to awaken, imagining the many small steps on the road to becoming who and how you will be in the New Year. Elul reminds us that even the familiar may evoke different feelings from moment to moment, a sacred experiential path that tugs at our heart strings, calling up memories and making space for imagination and hope. The path to the holy days may be scary at times. Will our prayers for change be answered? The Talmud reminds us of Rabbi Ami's teaching, "One's prayer is answered only if one takes one's heart into one's hands, as it is said, "Let us lift up our heart with our hands" (Lamentations 3:41)." In just a few weeks we will stand together, vulnerable before the Holy One, embraced by the divine love of community. Holding our hearts in our hands, we can imagine a new year of promise, change, risk, adventure and love. This stance does not happen overnight. And so
we must prepare, taking some time in each of the days leading up to the Yamim Noraim - the Days of Awe - to allow ourselves to experience wonder, to smile, to listen, to feel a bit afraid. I ask each of us, young and old, to take 5 minutes each day from now until Rosh Hashanah to pay attention. Stop to smell a rose each day on your path to work. Notice the way your dog greets you when you enter the house every evening. Listen to the sound of the shofar. Let it shake up your soul, open your heart and motivate you to bring your diving spark into the world as we make way to welcome a year of promise together. I'm honored to take my place at Congregation Habonim. I look forward to greeting you in prayer, song, learning and reflection in the days ahead and to forging this year of new beginnings together. l'Shanah Tovah,
Rabbi Lisa Gelber
SEPTEMBER 2017 Kabbalat Shabbat Services Fridays, 6:30 pm, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22 Shabbat Morning Services Saturdays, 9:30 am, 9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 9/23 Torah Tots (age 5 and under with parent/caregiver) Saturdays, 11:00 am, 9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 9/23 Community Dinner Friday, 9/8, register at goo.gl/LKn2XX or contact
[email protected]. Queens Service Friday, 9/8, 8:15 pm Weekly Study with Rabbi Gelber Tuesdays, 10:00 am, 9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26 Sisterhood, Race for the Cure Sunday, 9/10 Sisterhood Book Group Tuesday, 9/12, 7:00 pm, 4-3-2-1: a novel by Paul Auster Tot Shabbat (age 5 and under with parent/caregiver) Friday, 9/15, 5:15 pm, followed by family-friendly dinner B’nai Mitzvah (at 150 W. 83rd Street) Saturday, 9/9, Samuel Moelis, son of Jeffrey & Deborah Moelis, at 150 W. 83rd Street Saturday, 9/16, Josh Unger, son of Sharyn Ben Zvi and Kenneth Unger, at 150 W. 83rd Street Sunday Morning Minyan Sunday, 9/17, 9:30 am Tour of Upper West Side Art Deco Buildings with Tony Robins Sunday, 10/1, 2:00 pm Sisterhood Membership Kick-off Luncheon Sunday, 10/15, 12:00 noon HIGH HOLIDAYS 2017/5778 Purchase High Holiday Tickets at goo.gl/TQTzCd Purchase Lulav & Etrog Sets at goo.gl/ky1rc5 Saturday, 9/16 8:00 pm, Selichot service Wednesday, 9/20, Erev Rosh Hashanah 12:00 noon – Offices closed
Friday, 9/29, Erev Yom Kippur 12:00 noon – Offices closed Traditional Egalitarian Services at Ethical Culture Society, 2 W. 64th Street, unless noted otherwise Wednesday, 9/20 6:30 pm, Erev Rosh Hashanah service Thursday, 9/21 9:00 am, 1st Day Rosh Hashanah service 5:30 pm, Tashlich at Hudson River Pier, W. 70th Street & Riverside Park South 7:00 pm, evening service at Habonim, 103 West End Avenue Friday, 9/22 9:00 am, 2nd day Rosh Hashanah service Friday, 9/29 6:15 pm, Kol Nidre Saturday, 9/30 9:00 am, Yom Kippur service 11:30 am, Yizkor (time approximate) 5:00 pm, Minchah 6:00 pm, Ne’ilah (bring your shofar for the conclusion) Classical Habonim Service with Organ & Choir at Congregation Habonim, 103 West End Avenue, unless noted otherwise Wednesday, 9/20 6:30 pm, Erev Rosh Hashanah service Thursday, 9/21 9:30 am, 1st Day Rosh Hashanah service 5:30 pm, Tashlich at Hudson River Pier, W. 70th Street & Riverside Park South 7:00 pm, evening service Friday, 9/22 9:00 am, 2nd day Rosh Hashanah service at Ethical Culture Friday, 9/29 6:15 pm, Kol Nidre service Saturday, 9/30 9:30 am, Yom Kippur service 11:30 am, Yizkor (time approximate) 5:00 pm, Minchah 6:00 pm, Ne’ilah (bring your shofar for the conclusion)
Youth and Family Services at Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th Street Thursday, 9/21, 1st Day Rosh Hashanah
10:00 – 10:45 am, Torah Tots Service (for preschoolers & younger with parents 10:45 am – 12:00 noon, Congregation Katan for Kindergarten, First & Second graders (parents may stay) 10:45 am – 12:15 pm, Junior Congregation 1 (Third, Fourth & Fifth graders) 10:45 am – 12:15 pm, Junior Congregation 2 (Sixth, Seventh & Eighth graders)
Friday, 9/22, 2nd Day Rosh Hashanah
10:00 – 10:45 am, Torah Tots Service (for preschoolers & younger with parents) 10:45 am – 12:00 noon, Congregation Katan for Kindergarten, First & Second graders (parents may stay) 10:45 am – 12:00 noon, Junior Congregation (Third, Fourth & Fifth graders)
Saturday, 9/30, Yom Kippur
10:00 – 10:45 am, Torah Tots Service (for preschoolers & younger with parents) 10:45 am – 12:00 noon, Congregation Katan for Kindergarten, First & Second graders (parents may stay) 10:45 am – 12:15 pm, Junior Congregation 1 (Third, Fourth & Fifth graders) 10:45 am – 12:15 pm, Junior Congregation 2 (Sixth, Seventh & Eighth graders)
CONGREGATION HABONIM
[email protected] / www.habonim.net / 212-787-5347 Rabbi Lisa B. Gelber* Cantor Bruce Halev* x. 107 x.109 Richard Kargauer, Rina Cohen Schwarz, Executive Director, Religious School Director, x.101 x.105 Tina Lobel, Nursery Ann Obsatz, Associate School Director, x.108 Nursery School Director, x.123 OFFICE STAFF Kenny Altman, x.103 Roy Ramsey, x.106 Adina Rifkin, x.100 Louise Rode, x.102 MAINTENANCE STAFF Matvey Khazanov, Jesus Guttierez, x.122 x.122
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS Neil Goldstein, President Stephen Berman, Treasurer Susan Grant, Secretary David Feuerstein, Vice President Michael Harwayne, Vice Richard Verner, Vice President President TRUSTEES Mindy Abramson Beth Bornstein Jonathan Chariton Deena Ecker Nita Gottesman Wendy Halperin Debra Karlstein Jennifer Kenter Michael Massen Marc Mehl Maya Levy-Merdinger Jeffrey Moelis Abigail Schlaff Howard Stoffer Elaine Witkoff HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Arthur Falkenstein, z”l Herman Lichtenberg, z”l Peter Mayer, z”l Marga Walter, z”l EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS (non-voting trustees) Rabbi Lisa Gelber Cantor Bruce Halev Richard Kargauer, Saul Sanders Executive Director John Keller PAST PRESIDENTS Elaine Witkoff Saul Sanders Leo Asen John Keller Carol Kahn Strauss Ralph Stein, MD z”l
Please send all donations and payments to: Congregation Habonim, C/O Kesef Accounting Services POB 418, Montvale, NJ 07645
Please inform the Habonim office of all Life Cycle events in your family: births, deaths, anniversaries, awards, promotions & other significant events. Contact Adina at 212-787-5347 x.100,
[email protected]. To schedule time to meet with Rabbi Gelber, contact Kenny at 212-787-5347 x.103,
[email protected]. MAZAL TOV TO Lauren & Scott Sholder on the birth of Dani May Sholder, sister to Andi. Beth & Zachary Bornstein on the birth of Hannah Rose Bornstein, sister to Sammy and Julia. Carla & Aaron Karp on the birth of Vivian Devorah Karp, sister to Samuel.
CONDOLENCES
To Elliot and Vicki Brown on the passing of Elliot’s father, William Brown z”l. To the family of Renate Elias z”l on Renate’s passing.
I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful summer with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming back all of our Nursery School children and their families, catching up, and beginning what I know will be a fantastic, enriching and rewarding year for everyone. Ann, Roy and I have been joyfully and enthusiastically preparing for this coming school year, creating an environment for our students filled with new and exciting activities in a safe and stimulating setting. Through our child-centered activities, purposeful educational materials and warm and nurturing staff, we will facilitate and optimize your children's growth through their explorations and curiosity. As always, we have a lovely group of children coming to the Nursery School. It is such a delight to be a part of their first days of school, and then to be able to watch them grow and learn during the time that they are with us. For many children, that time extends beyond the preschool years, as they continue on to Habonim’s Religious School, and as families take part in the many rich opportunities that Habonim has to offer. Our Early Explorers Program is blossoming. The classes will be on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:0011:00 am for little ones aged 18 to 24 months. It will be a nurturing and enjoyable playgroup experience that will serve as a stepping stone for the preschool years. Information about all of our classes, times, and how to register is available on Habonim’s website (www.habonim.net) or by calling Roy Ramsey, Nursery School Administrator, directly at 212-787-5347 x. 106. We extend a warm welcome to all of our current and new families. We know that you have wonderful times ahead, both as members of the Nursery School, and as members of the larger Habonim community. Shanah Tova, Tina Lobel Nursery School Director
Oseh shalom bimromav hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael!
May God who makes peace in the high places, grant peace to us, to all Israel and to all who dwell on earth. Over this summer, I was blessed with shalom, and every time I sang or said this prayer, I connected to the words of Oseh Shalom personally. I was spiritually and professionally refreshed as I spent a few weeks teaching at Camp Ramah Nyack. I am grateful to my colleagues and Habonim's lay leadership for supporting my time at camp. I worked with an incredible chinuch (education) team at Ramah - over two dozen educators, rabbis, JTS students and assorted Jewish professionals who joyfully taught over 600 campers. Each day our team met to work through the teaching plans, and it was always collaborative and supportive. The creativity and enthusiasm was palpable, and I was part of planning fun experiential shi'urim (lessons) that taught the children so much each day. In one of my shi'urim, our rising 3rd Grade students created their own iTorah scrolls, embedding their own art and stories connected to the original Torah text. In another shi'ur, I taught rising fifth graders about Jewish Hall of Famers - ranging from Sandy Koufax to Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Albert Einstein. Each day I also taught two different bunks from two of the younger eidot (units). I had so much fun with my Shorashim (rising 1st graders) and Nitzanim (rising 2nd grader) girls! My favorite moments at camp were when I spotted our own Habonim children in their different activities or just walking around camp. It was incredibly fulfilling to see the excitement in their eyes as they were dancing on the migrash (the main field), singing Hebrew songs and prayers, or playing Gaga. Ramah Nyack makes that joy happen each day. We had 13 Habonim chanichim (campers), a fellow shi’ur teacher, Sam Feldman-Greene and two tzevet (staff) members: Suzi Gordon and Danielle Kaufman. Please feel free to speak with any of us about our experiences at Ramah Nyack, especially if you're considering Ramah for your children. My weeks at Ramah led into our new shalom at Congregation Habonim, as we all welcomed Rabbi Lisa Gelber as our community's spiritual leader. Shalom does mean peace, but it also means completeness. We can
look forward to a future of even greater shalom, filled with Torah, spirituality, kindness, thoughtfulness, intentionality, and connectedness for our holy Habonim community. I look forward to sharing the joy of working with this incredible kehilah with Rabbi Gelber, and know she will be a great leader for all of us. Our High Holidays and the start of Religious School all come at the same time this year. Information about our youth services and services for our youngest families is in this bulletin and on our website. Religious school begins the week of September 25, with our Gimmel-Hei students (3rd-5th graders) and our Vav and Zayin students (6th7th graders) beginning that Monday. Our Gan-Bet Classes (K-2nd graders) begin on Tuesday, September 26. I look forward to seeing all of our returning and welcoming our new students. Our teachers, mostly returning faculty members are prepared and eager to work with their kitot (classes), bringing the joy of learning Torah to their students.
Bar Mitzvah, September 9, Samuel Moelis, at 150 W. 83rd Street Sam just returned from a fantastic summer at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires and will be attending 8th grade at West End Secondary School (WESS) in the fall. Sam enjoys a diverse range of activities, including performing in his school plays, debate, ice hockey, baseball and generally anything outdoors. His torah portion is Ki Tavo, which is teaching him about gratitude. For his Mitzvah project, he volunteered to teach baseball in the Challengers division of West Side Little League, helping others discover the joys of baseball.
I wish you all a Shana tova u'metukah, may 5778 bring you all much sweetness and true shalom. Rina Cohen Schwarz Religious School Director
Bar Mitzvah, September 16, Joshua Unger, at 150 W. 83rd Street Josh is in 8th grade at West End Secondary School and just completed his 5th summer at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. He is an avid sports fan and athlete, and loves playing soccer, basketball, flag football and ultimate Frisbee. His Torah portion is Nitzavim-Vayeilich. For his Mitzvah project, Josh is volunteering at the Next Step Men’s homeless shelter, which provides a warm, caring and safe environment for men who are in a transitional period in their lives.
Sisterhood Torah Fund Pins Have Arrived Sisterhood Torah Fund pins have arrived! If you have already ordered or paid for one, contact
[email protected]. If you would like a pin, the donation is $180. Please send a check for $180, payable to "Torah Fund" to Janet Schwartz in care of Habonim, 103 West End Avenue, NYC 10023. Torah Fund supports the institutions that educate Conservative rabbis, cantors and educators.
grow in our own way, we also need to know about our forbearers. The same is true of Habonim. So here is a brief Habonim family history. Habonim made the Upper West Side its home in the late 1950s, about 20 years after its founding. It was a relatively central location for its members, who were spread out primarily over Manhattan and Queens. Membership has varied; from the 1950s to the early 1970s we had Hebrew Schools and weekly Shabbat services in Manhattan as well as Queens, and two sets of clergy. We celebrated High Holidays together, with services held in Town Hall on 43rd Street (the main service) and in the synagogue. For the first 51 years Habonim had (with a very few interim years) only two main rabbis - Rabbi Hugo Hahn, the synagogue founder, and his son-in-law, Rabbi Bernhard Cohn. Cantor Halev joined us in 1983, following long-time Cantor Erwin Hirsch; Walter Salomon, father of Linda, was the second cantor for many years.
ORDER ETROG & LULAV SETS THROUGH CONGREGATION HABONIM Sets for CHILDREN are $30.00. Sets for ADULTS are $40.00. Purchase online at goo.gl/ky1rc5 or contact Adina at
[email protected], 212-787-5347 x.100. Order by September 18. _____ LOOKING BOTH WAYS Whether we’re looking at or thinking about our parents and grandparents or looking at our children, or both, it becomes clear that each of us is influenced by our families. We come to realize that in order to thrive and
Until the 1990s we belonged to the Reform movement but Habonim never fit neatly into that label. While we had Confirmations (bat mitzvahs did not begin until around 1970), our services were much more traditional in that they were largely in Hebrew and women were not called to the Torah; that did not happen until about the mid-1970s. The choir and organ together with the liturgical music of composer Louis Lewandowski and others was a holdover from the German Liberal religious tradition. Early social groups, especially the Junior League, brought a good number of Habonim couples together, and we had a very active Sisterhood and Brotherhood, the latter having had a wonderful Friday afternoon/evening program for participants at the Jewish Guild for the Blind. Habonim also sponsored a summer camp (Camp Shalom) for children who would otherwise not have gone to camp, at which some of our teens served as counselors. Habonim was unique. The common thread was not where members lived; it was not even entirely what they wanted in the liturgical practice – members ranged from secular to orthodox. The bond was their shared history and experiences. Habonim was the place where they were like everyone else and did not have to explain anything. But Habonim members have embraced change, too. We established a highly regarded Nursery School under
President John Keller’s leadership, we have been led by two female rabbis, Rabbi Gelber and Rabbi Samuels, and we have had two female presidents of the synagogue. We joined the Conservative movement. And as the bulk of the membership has shifted to the Upper West Side, the liturgy of our services has largely aligned with that of other Conservative synagogues. For many of our long-time members, the strength of their ties to Habonim lasts to this day. Our monthly Queens services and classes attest to that, as does their attendance at Shabbat morning services. But just as telling are the many lasting friendships – within our School families and those at Shabbat services, along and across generational lines – that have formed among our current members. That is how we know that Habonim is a family. And that is what makes Habonim unique now. We welcome you (back) into the Habonim community as we approach the New Year. Please join us in bringing the best of what Habonim was, and adapting it to what you envision our synagogue can be now and should be for our children and grandchildren. Shana Tova! -----Susan Grant Members of Our Queens Community, July 2017
L to R: Senta Berger, Inge Balin, Trudi Schwartz, Lilo Grant, Irma Levy, Marianne Falkenstein
From Our Sisterhood President We are looking forward to an exciting year. Our year begins on Sunday, September 10, with our participation on Team Sharsheret’s Race for the Cure, our book club on Tuesday, September 12, a tour of Art Deco buildings led by Habonim's own Tony Robins on Sunday, October 1 (the day after Yom Kippur) and then our kick-off luncheon on Sunday, October 15. A list of additional events is in this bulletin and a complete list of events is
on the Sisterhood page of the Habonim website at www.habonim.net/Sisterhood. Expanding on the foundation created by our immediate Past-President Amy Kargauer, we anticipate that Sisterhood will continue to expand its role at Habonim by more interaction with Nursery School and Religious School families, and with adult education and community service projects. We are affiliated with Women's League for Conservative Judaism (WLCJ), which is the umbrella organization for Conservative synagogue women's groups worldwide. The following passage describing the history of WLCJ is from the website of Jewish Women's Archive at www.jwa.org:
Women's League of Conservative Judaism by Shuly Rubin Schwartz Women’s League for Conservative Judaism is the national organization of Conservative sisterhoods established by Mathilde Schechter in 1918 as the National Women’s League of the United Synagogue. Schechter continued the work begun by her husband, Solomon Schechter, who had called for women to assume a role in the newly established United Synagogue of America. As founding president (1918–1919), she envisioned an organization that would be the coordinating body of Conservative synagogue sisterhoods and inspired Women’s League to promote an agenda whose mission was the perpetuation of traditional Judaism in America through the home, synagogue, and community. People who know me know that I have less of an interest in formal mission and vision statements than I do in simply working to perpetuate Judaism through the home, synagogue, and community. This is something that all of us can do in whatever way we choose. We hope one of the ways that you will do that is by participating in and with Sisterhood. Shana Tova! Janet Cord, Sisterhood President
WLCJ Convention Mary Sanders, past President of Congregation Habonim’s Sisterhood, graciously shares these highlights of the 2017 WLCJ Convention. The Women’s League for Conservative Judaism (WLCJ), the umbrella organization for all Sisterhoods of Conservative Synagogues in North America held their annual convention from July 23 – 26. This was a special convention, as it dually celebrated its 100th anniversary since its founding by Mathilde Schechter in 1918 and the 75th anniversary of the launching of the Torah Fund campaign, the official act of tzedakah of WLCJ, in 1942. Torah Fund is an annual fund raising effort supporting students and programs of The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Its purpose is to support the living Torah, educating our Rabbis, Cantors, Educators, Administrators and Lay Leaders. Without these people, and by extension, without Torah Fund, there is no future for our community. The Convention began with reports from the outgoing administration on the last three years of accomplishments. Our own Judi Kenter was acknowledged as she completed her term as WLCJ Recording Secretary. A highlight was the screening of A Garland of Grace. honoring all of the living WLCJ International Presidents and included interviews with the 10 living WLCJ presidents from Ruth Perry, who took office in 1974 through Carol Simon who just completed her term in 2017. The 2017-2020 Officers and Board of Directors of WLCJ were installed. Margie Miller is the new president of WLCJ. Speakers at the Convention included Melissa Rosen from Sharsheret, (a national not-for-profit organization supporting young Jewish women and their families facing breast cancer - whose mission is to offer a community of support to women, of all Jewish backgrounds, diagnosed with breast cancer or at increased genetic risk). Congregation Habonim will be part of Team Sharsheret at the Race for the Cure on Sunday morning, September 10. Bernice Balter, former Executive Director of the WLCJ and wife of our prior interim rabbi, Shlomo Balter and other women spoke about Women’s Health Issues.
There were discussions on Israel including the two state solution, Jerusalem, and religious pluralism. Dana Marlowe founded the organization Support the Girls. With the help of family and friends, Dana developed an operation that receives, sorts, and distributes bras and monthly menstrual products to women who need them. Her program inspired this year’s WLCJ convention social action project “Mathilde’s Mentionables.” Over 5,000 bras were collected for women in need, homeless women, women in shelters, etc. Torah Fund, the highlight of every WLCJ convention, was celebrated with the heads of all five Conservative Movement seminaries: Dr. Arnie Eisen, Chancellor of JTS in New York; Rabbi Brad Artson, Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinical Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles/Dean of the Zacharias Frankel College at the University of Potsdam in Germany; Rabbi David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, Inc./President Emeritus of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem; and Rabbi Ariel Stofenmacher President of Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano and Marshall T. Meyer of Buenos Aires. Dr. Anne Lapidus Lerner, formerly Vice Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, received the Mathilde Schechter Award. Anne has been on the front lines from the beginning – having been appointed to the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1969. Among her many publications, “Who Has Not Made Me a Man: The Movement for Equal Rights for Women in American Judaism,” a study of the interaction between second generation feminists and American Judaism, has become a classic of American Jewish feminist history. A good time was had by all! -----Mary Sanders
Congregation Habonim Sisterhood Book Club When was the last time you read for pleasure? Don’t have time? Most people don’t. When life gets hectic, reading for pleasure can be one of the first things to fall off the radar. If you aren’t reading as much as you’d like, you will find several good reasons to join the Sisterhood Book Club.
Read more - Most of us need a push to get motivated and joining a book club provides deadlines. Making time to read for a book club will open windows for other reading as well. It’s a bit like the more you read, the more you remember how much you love reading. Being a part of a book club means you will be reading at least one book a month no matter what. If you finish early, you may grab something else to read in the meantime. So, while you may all meet to discuss one book, you also talk about everything you have been reading in the meantime. Read things you wouldn’t normally read - Do you tend to stick to one genre when you read? We all know that it is more beneficial to read a variety of styles and genres to expand your mind. However, it can be difficult to push yourself to pick up books outside your comfort zone. Book clubs are a great way to expose you to variety of genres and shift your reading habits. Meet new people - While making friends is always good for the soul, a book club gives you a chance to meet people from different walks of life. It has the added benefit of meeting new friends and developing relationship outside of the book club. If you are meeting with the same people you will get to know them better as time goes on. And begin to see the literary side of people which is eye opening and exciting. Book club will become something you can rely on, like a strong friendship. Other conversations will happen - You'll start off talking about the book, what you loved, what didn't feel realistic to you, your favorite characters, and key chapters. If it sparks heated debate, you may spend much of your time discussing it, but there will always be the book that doesn't inspire a deep discussion. Then, someone will bring up the day's big news story or a new restaurant and suddenly you are on a completely different conversation track. Experience books in a whole new way - Reading alone is wonderful. Sharing a book with others who have followed a similar solitary journey brings a whole new perspective on the experience. It can open you up to different explanations and insights that you may have missed.
Get insight into the minds of other readers - Getting a glimpse into how readers react to different topics, styles and techniques can be enlightening. Learn new techniques and approaches - Getting the opportunity to analyze writing with fellow readers can help you to gain a greater understanding of the writing process. Likewise, explaining your own observations to others will cement the lessons more firmly in your own mind. You may even decide that you would like to start writing. It is fun - Taking the time to enjoy yourself and have fun with books and other people can inspire and recharge your creative juices.
If you've been meaning to treat yourself to a new experience, come try the Congregation Habonim Sisterhood Book Club. We look forward to it every month, and we think you will, too. So get started with our next read, 4321 by Paul Auster, which we will discuss on Tuesday, September 12 at 7:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you! -----Karen Krieger, Sisterhood Membership VP
Sisterhood, Upcoming Events (all invited, unless noted otherwise), contact
[email protected] for information or to RSVP. Find us on the Web at www.habonim.net/sisterhood.
Sunday, September 10, join Sisterhood on Team Sharsheret for Race for the Cure. Information at www.sharsheret.org/event/join-teamsharsheret-race-cure-walk-nyc/ Tuesday, September 12, 7:00 pm, Sisterhood Book Group: 4-3-2-1: a novel by Paul Auster. Sunday, October 1, 2:00 pm, tour of Art Deco Buildings with Tony Robins, author of New York Art Deco: A Guide to Gotham's Jazz Age Architecture. Please note: space limited. Sunday, October 15, 12:00 noon, 2017-2018 Membership Luncheon. Find information at https://goo.gl/XumTMc.
TEAM HABONIM
BUILDING A JEWISH COMMUNITY TOGETHER
THANK YOU TO THE SISTERHOOD OF CONGREGATION HABONIM FOR ITS GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE MONTHLY BULLETIN MAILING
CONGREGATION HABONIM 103 West End Avenue New York, NY 10023
