Laurie & Joe Brofsky - Hewlett E. Rockaway Jewish Center

From the Rabbi’s Study
RABBI ANDREW WARMFLASH
“If we can’t see God, how do we know that there is a God” I am
often asked this question by children but I know it is one that many
of us wonder about. For those who have been privileged to know
God’s presence in their lives, faith may be easy and obvious. The rest
of us find it difficult to believe with total certainty.
One classic Jewish response to this situation is to seek God in the
two realms where it is easiest to find traces of the Divine presence:
in the experience of Jewish community and the beauty of nature.
Outside of prayer, God’s presence is undoubtedly most accessible
in the natural world. As the Psalmist wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God and
the earth manifests God’s loving care.” To those who approach it with open eyes,
creation itself testifies to the presence of its Creator.
In this regard, I would like to encourage you to bring your family and participate in
two of HERJC’s new initiatives this spring: our Family Mitzvah Garden and Lag B’omer
Hike and Picnic. Both of these new projects, which are described in this issue of Hakol
offer opportunities for an enjoyable spiritual experience in the presence of community.
The Family Mitzvah Garden (see below) is located adjacent the rear of the synagogue
building and has already been planted with the first round of crops that will be donated
to a local soup kitchen as they are harvested. You can participate in this project
by helping us to keep the garden weeded, by harvesting and delivering the crops and
by helping to replant the garden with the next round of vegetables.
Our Lag B’omer Hike and Picnic (see page 10) will take us into the woods at the
Massapequa Preserve to enjoy the beauty of God’s world on a day when it has been
traditional for Jews to spend time outdoors. I hope you will join us and bring your
friends for what promises to be a wonderful day.
HAKOL is published
by the Hewlett-East
Rockaway Jewish Centre/
Congregation Etz Chaim
295 Main Street,
East Rockaway, NY 11518
Telephone: 516-599-2634
Fax: 516-599-2851
E-mail: office@herjc.org
Website: www.herjc.org
President
DAN GERSTMAN
Vice Presidents
MARILYN COHEN
JEFFREY FEIGENBLATT
DR. MARTIN LESSER
AUDREY POLINSKY
ROBERTA SUGARMAN
Treasurer
LARRY MILLER
Financial Secretary
JUDY HERBST
Recording and
Corresponding Secretary
TERRI GOLD
Sisterhood President
NANCY LEVITT
Men’s Club President
ELLIOTT POLINSKY
Editor Emeritus
CHARLOTTE BERCH
We’ve Broken
Ground on the
HERJC Family
Mitzvah Garden!
We built the wooden beds and put in the soil. Planting is on-going!
All contributions, physical and monetary, will be gratefully accepted.
Come help plant, weed and harvest!
Call the Youth Office at 599-1148 if you’d like to help.
Editorial Assistant
HELAINE K. RONEN
Periodical postage paid at the
East Rockaway, NY Post Office
(#233120). Postmaster: Send
address changes to Hewlett-East
Rockaway Jewish Centre, 295
Main St., East Rockaway, NY
11518. Affiliated with: United
Synagogue, National Federation
of Jewish Men’s Clubs, National
Women’s League. The views
and opinions expressed herein
do not necessarily reflect the
policies of HERJC or the
Conservative Movement.
HAKOL
www.herjc.org
MAY/JUNE 2011 page 3