High Holidays
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High Holiday services at Congregation Sha’arey Ha Yam mark the beginning of every Jewish year. Rabbi Geringer conducts the services which are interspersed with interesting meditations, special High Holiday thoughts, and times for reflection. Her sermons are always inspiring and thought provoking.
Philip Altland, our Musical Director, has compiled a large volume of music which combines traditional melodies with some more contemporary ones and even some Klezmer music. Stanley Jackson, a retired music teacher and member of the Congregation has joined Philip on the clarinet and flute for High Holiday services for the past three years. The entire congregation was delighted and moved by our music which rivals what is done in much larger metropolitan congregations. Our newly formed choir added greatly to our 2011 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services with new and interesting pieces. We anticipate that they will be enhancing our Shabbat worship and performing on other holidays and festivals through the year.
Philip Altland, our Musical Director, has compiled a large volume of music which combines traditional melodies with some more contemporary ones and even some Klezmer music. Stanley Jackson, a retired music teacher and member of the Congregation has joined Philip on the clarinet and flute for High Holiday services for the past three years. The entire congregation was delighted and moved by our music which rivals what is done in much larger metropolitan congregations. Our newly formed choir added greatly to our 2011 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services with new and interesting pieces. We anticipate that they will be enhancing our Shabbat worship and performing on other holidays and festivals through the year.
Here is a sample of Stan and Philip playing...
(press the right arrow to play)
After the Rosh Hashanah morning service, the entire Congregation goes to Manahawkin Lake for Tashlich. This is a very special service and is thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Tashlich
Tashlich, “to throw or to cast away,” is a custom celebrated by traditional Jews sometime between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, usually on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The ceremony can take place anytime during the holiday season through Hashanah Rabbah, at the end of Sukkot. The custom of saying Tashlich originates from medieval times, sometime around the 13th century, and it symbolizes our hope that God will forgive all our sins.
At the Tashlich ritual it is customary to say special prayers and throw bread crumbs in to a body of water as a symbolic act of repentance. Some prefer the body of water to contain living fish to remind us that just as fish are protected by the water in which they live, we pray to be protected by God. Also, just as fish swim freely and can suddenly be caught in a net, so too we can just as helplessly fall into the net of sin. Fish never close their eyes
and that is a reminder to us of the ever-watchful eyes of God, Who keeps watch over us but Who also looks upon us with mercy.
Furthermore, there is a mystical belief that fish are immune to the “Evil Eye” and by casting our sins where there are fish, we are indirectly asking to be protected from the evils of the world.
The practice of Tashlich is based on a verse from the book of the prophet, Micah, where it says: “And You will cast (“v’tashlich”) all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Family and friends get together at the water to “cast away” the sins of the past year and resolve to be better people in the year to come. Tashlich is sometimes referred to as “Tossing Tashlich.” The psychological ramifications of such an act are immeasurable; we go to a body of water, say prayers and we can feel that we are walking away with a clean slate. The water has symbolically carried away our misdeeds and we are free to start over. This does wonders for one’s spiritual self-esteem! Tashlich, therefore, is a way to admit our own faults and symbolically shed the baggage of last year’s mistakes. It gives us a starting point, and in the face of our own personal conflicts, we can affirm our closeness to humanity and our God.
Why should we, as Reform Jews, be interested in a practice which on the surface seems to be mere superstition? One of the beauties of Reform Judaism is its ability to peel back the outer layers of superstitions to uncover the impulses beneath them and reclaim and transform them into rituals which enhance our celebration of Jewish life. So it is with the
ceremony of Tashlich. We can plumb the depths of this old custom and transform it into something new and valuable for all of us.
At the Tashlich ritual it is customary to say special prayers and throw bread crumbs in to a body of water as a symbolic act of repentance. Some prefer the body of water to contain living fish to remind us that just as fish are protected by the water in which they live, we pray to be protected by God. Also, just as fish swim freely and can suddenly be caught in a net, so too we can just as helplessly fall into the net of sin. Fish never close their eyes
and that is a reminder to us of the ever-watchful eyes of God, Who keeps watch over us but Who also looks upon us with mercy.
Furthermore, there is a mystical belief that fish are immune to the “Evil Eye” and by casting our sins where there are fish, we are indirectly asking to be protected from the evils of the world.
The practice of Tashlich is based on a verse from the book of the prophet, Micah, where it says: “And You will cast (“v’tashlich”) all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Family and friends get together at the water to “cast away” the sins of the past year and resolve to be better people in the year to come. Tashlich is sometimes referred to as “Tossing Tashlich.” The psychological ramifications of such an act are immeasurable; we go to a body of water, say prayers and we can feel that we are walking away with a clean slate. The water has symbolically carried away our misdeeds and we are free to start over. This does wonders for one’s spiritual self-esteem! Tashlich, therefore, is a way to admit our own faults and symbolically shed the baggage of last year’s mistakes. It gives us a starting point, and in the face of our own personal conflicts, we can affirm our closeness to humanity and our God.
Why should we, as Reform Jews, be interested in a practice which on the surface seems to be mere superstition? One of the beauties of Reform Judaism is its ability to peel back the outer layers of superstitions to uncover the impulses beneath them and reclaim and transform them into rituals which enhance our celebration of Jewish life. So it is with the
ceremony of Tashlich. We can plumb the depths of this old custom and transform it into something new and valuable for all of us.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur services are equally beautiful and inspiring. Last year, Rabbi Geringer created an alternative afternoon service which was a delightful change from the endless readings that are usually part of that service.
The day ends with Stanley Jackson’s blowing of the Shofar and a catered Break the Fast which is held in the dining hall.
The day ends with Stanley Jackson’s blowing of the Shofar and a catered Break the Fast which is held in the dining hall.
Sukkot & Simchat Torah
In the Fall of 2009 the Congregation purchased a pre-fabricated Succah which was used for the first time. Volunteers from the Congregation assembled it and children from the Hebrew School decorated it. We were happy to have our Oneg in the Succah which was beautifully decorated with fruit, vegetables and plants and lit by blue and white lights.
Unfortunately, a terrible storm knocked it down the next day and it was too difficult to put it back up afterwards. However, the Succah was not damaged, and we look forward to many future holidays when we will be able to use it for dinners and Onegs.
Unfortunately, a terrible storm knocked it down the next day and it was too difficult to put it back up afterwards. However, the Succah was not damaged, and we look forward to many future holidays when we will be able to use it for dinners and Onegs.
In 2010 the weather was kinder to us, and we were able to enjoy the Succah for all eight days of the holiday. It is traditional to eat some of your meals in the Succah during the holiday. Students of the Religious School are shown having a snack after class.
| Building Sukkah.pdf |
On Simchat Torah, we rejoice in God's giving us the Torah. On this holiday, we read the last verse of the Torah and then go back to the first verse. In this picture, the Torah was unrolled around the whole sanctuary so the congregation could hold the scroll and watch it being rolled back to the first verse of Genesis.
Simchat Torah is always a joyous occasion marked by the usual processions with the Torah and the accompanying ceremony. Over the years, it has been the practice of the Congregation to unroll the Torah and have it held by members the whole way around the sanctuary. It truly gives meaning to completing the last verses of Numbers and beginning with the first verse of Genesis.
Simchat Torah is always a joyous occasion marked by the usual processions with the Torah and the accompanying ceremony. Over the years, it has been the practice of the Congregation to unroll the Torah and have it held by members the whole way around the sanctuary. It truly gives meaning to completing the last verses of Numbers and beginning with the first verse of Genesis.
Chanukah
For the past 2 years the congregation has had a Shabbat Chanukah dinner followed by services. This year's dinner was particularly well attended by an enthusiastic and hungry crowd. Volunteers from the congregation prepared a home cooked dinner of brisket, latkes and roasted vegetables. There are also several potluck Shabbat dinners throughout the course of the year which are always popular and provide a lovely way to welcome Shabbat as a congregation.
After the Chanukah dinner, Rabbi Geringer asked everyone in the Congregation to bring their own menorahs which were put on two large tables in the front of the sanctuary. The menorahs were lit with the usual blessings at the beginning of the service, and the candles cast a beautiful glow over the sanctuary during the entire service.
After the Chanukah dinner, Rabbi Geringer asked everyone in the Congregation to bring their own menorahs which were put on two large tables in the front of the sanctuary. The menorahs were lit with the usual blessings at the beginning of the service, and the candles cast a beautiful glow over the sanctuary during the entire service.
Congregation Sha’arey Ha -Yam has organized the public menorah lighting in the municipal building of Barnegat since our beginning. This is an opportunity for non-members and even non-Jews to come and see what Chanukah is about. After the lighting, Chanukah songs are sung and latkes, jelly donuts and hot chocolate and coffee are served. Our congregation has participated in the menorah lighting at Southern Ocean County Hospital as part of their Celebration of Lights. This event is also well attended. Our children from the Hebrew School sing Chanukah songs and refreshments are served.
| Celebrating Hanukkah.pdf |
Tu B'Shevat
SO WHAT IS TU B’SHEVAT?
On one of those nasty snowy January weekends last year when I was not able to come down to LBI, I attended a Tu B’Shevat seder at a temple near my apartment in New York. It was a truly delightful experience. When I found out that Rabbi Geringer wanted to do a Tu B’Shevat seder for us on January 21st, I was ecstatic. So what is Tu B’Shevat anyway? Are there other kinds of seders besides Passover? Read on.
Tu B’Shevat is the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat. It is known as the New Year for Trees.
Tu B’Shevat is one of four new years in the Jewish calendar. The others are: the first of Nissan for counting the reigns of the kings, the first of Elul for the tithing of animals, the first of Tishrei for the judgment of humankind (Rosh Hashanah). And Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for Trees.
In Israel, Winter is usually a time of heavy rains and rushing, surging creeks and rivers. At about the middle of the month of Shevat, the rainstorms stop, and soon thereafter signs of spring begin to appear. Even though two more months of Winter remain, buds begin to swell on the trees in Israel, the enduring symbol of God’s promise of renewed life.
According to some traditions, Noah’s Ark landed in the month of Shevat and the dove returned to the Ark with an olive branch in her beak. She heralds new life and the promise of a world that will once gain bloom and provide nurture.
In Israel, since the beginning of agricultural settlements in the late 19th century, the New Year of Trees has acquired great significance, symbolizing the revival and redemption of the land. Today Tu B’Shevat has become a day of commitment to protecting the environment.
It is customary to eat the Seven Species that were abundant in the land of Israel. They are wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. As with the Passover seder, it is customary to drink four cups of wine. The first cup is white wine which symbolizes winter. As we drink it, we recall that nature has been dormant for many months, awaiting the warmth of spring and its annual renewal of life. With this cup we eat nuts and fruit with a tough skin to remind us of the protection the earth gives. In this group we eat pomegranates, nuts, citrus fruits and coconuts. Some people are hard to know but once their outer layer is peeled away you are rewarded.
The second cup of wine is white but tinged with a small amount of red. The mixture of colors symbolizes the beginning of spring and the reawakening of the earth. In Israel, pink and white flowers dot the hills at this season. Fruits in this group with a tough inner core. Through this act we acknowledge the need to fortify our hearts. These fruits are dates, olives, cherries, peaches and avocados.
The third cup is red wine with a splash of white. This represents the warmth and beauty of Summer. With this cup we eat fruits that are completely edible. Fruits in this group include: figs, carob, grapes, berries apples and pears.
The fourth cup, completely red, symbolizes the glow of autumn. The crops are ready and the leaves are full of color. Plants are preparing seed for the next cycle of nature. This is the time of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – a time to take stock of ourselves. Also it is the time of Sukkot and the celebration of the harvest.
If you are like me and not a fan of Winter and cold weather, you will find that attending the Tu B’Shevat seder will be an uplifting, comforting and wonderful experience. I strongly urge you all to attend this wonderful ceremony. I can assure you that once you have attended a Tu B’Shevat seder you will look forward to them every year.
Philip Altland
On one of those nasty snowy January weekends last year when I was not able to come down to LBI, I attended a Tu B’Shevat seder at a temple near my apartment in New York. It was a truly delightful experience. When I found out that Rabbi Geringer wanted to do a Tu B’Shevat seder for us on January 21st, I was ecstatic. So what is Tu B’Shevat anyway? Are there other kinds of seders besides Passover? Read on.
Tu B’Shevat is the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat. It is known as the New Year for Trees.
Tu B’Shevat is one of four new years in the Jewish calendar. The others are: the first of Nissan for counting the reigns of the kings, the first of Elul for the tithing of animals, the first of Tishrei for the judgment of humankind (Rosh Hashanah). And Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for Trees.
In Israel, Winter is usually a time of heavy rains and rushing, surging creeks and rivers. At about the middle of the month of Shevat, the rainstorms stop, and soon thereafter signs of spring begin to appear. Even though two more months of Winter remain, buds begin to swell on the trees in Israel, the enduring symbol of God’s promise of renewed life.
According to some traditions, Noah’s Ark landed in the month of Shevat and the dove returned to the Ark with an olive branch in her beak. She heralds new life and the promise of a world that will once gain bloom and provide nurture.
In Israel, since the beginning of agricultural settlements in the late 19th century, the New Year of Trees has acquired great significance, symbolizing the revival and redemption of the land. Today Tu B’Shevat has become a day of commitment to protecting the environment.
It is customary to eat the Seven Species that were abundant in the land of Israel. They are wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. As with the Passover seder, it is customary to drink four cups of wine. The first cup is white wine which symbolizes winter. As we drink it, we recall that nature has been dormant for many months, awaiting the warmth of spring and its annual renewal of life. With this cup we eat nuts and fruit with a tough skin to remind us of the protection the earth gives. In this group we eat pomegranates, nuts, citrus fruits and coconuts. Some people are hard to know but once their outer layer is peeled away you are rewarded.
The second cup of wine is white but tinged with a small amount of red. The mixture of colors symbolizes the beginning of spring and the reawakening of the earth. In Israel, pink and white flowers dot the hills at this season. Fruits in this group with a tough inner core. Through this act we acknowledge the need to fortify our hearts. These fruits are dates, olives, cherries, peaches and avocados.
The third cup is red wine with a splash of white. This represents the warmth and beauty of Summer. With this cup we eat fruits that are completely edible. Fruits in this group include: figs, carob, grapes, berries apples and pears.
The fourth cup, completely red, symbolizes the glow of autumn. The crops are ready and the leaves are full of color. Plants are preparing seed for the next cycle of nature. This is the time of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – a time to take stock of ourselves. Also it is the time of Sukkot and the celebration of the harvest.
If you are like me and not a fan of Winter and cold weather, you will find that attending the Tu B’Shevat seder will be an uplifting, comforting and wonderful experience. I strongly urge you all to attend this wonderful ceremony. I can assure you that once you have attended a Tu B’Shevat seder you will look forward to them every year.
Philip Altland
Purim
Every year our Purim services draw a larger congregation and are more enjoyable. This year the Congregation had a potluck dinner before the service. The children from the Hebrew School led the blessing of the Shabbat candles, the Kiddush and the Motzi. Many of the children came in costume and performed several Purim songs during the reading of the Megillah. The Rabbi wore a costume and read a great and entertaining abbreviated Megillah while the name of Haman was drowned out by groggers made by the Hebrew School. Musical Director Philip made a guest appearance as Uncle Shlomo. Everyone was entertained by the Rabbi's and Shlomo's witty repartee. After the service, the Oneg featured some fabulous desserts and homemade Hamentaschen.
Pesach, Passover (click here for more)
Our Hebrew School had an opportunity to go to the Lakewood Matzoh Factory last week to see the 18 minute process of how Shemura Matzoh is made! What an experience watching the "Merry Matzoh Men" working in the kitchen under strict Rabbinical supervision, using the same method that has been done for years....even the baking in a wood burning oven! We were guided through the process by Chaplins Israel Bursztyn and Yakkov Wenger of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department. The Chaplins shared the story of the baking process enlightening the students with different facts, like many of the bakers were here from Israel assisting with the 24/7 process. Everyone, students, teachers and parents enjoyed the field trip, and look forward to doing the trip again next year. Next year in Lakewood!
Every year the Congregation has a Second Night Seder which is held in a nearby restaurant. The Seder is always very well attended by members, their extended families and non members. Everyone enjoys bringing their family and sharing the evening with their Temple family as well. Rabbi Geringer conducts the Seder with an interesting modern Haggadah, and the children from the Hebrew School sing Passover songs and usually do a presentation dramatizing the Plagues.
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