June 7 - Temple Israel of Great Neck

B’nai/B’noT MiTzvah inour TeMple israel FaMilyJared KaimanJared Daniel Kaiman will be called to theTorah as a Bar Mitzvah on June 16. He is theson of Kim and Hon. Jonathan Kaiman, andhas a brother, Shaun, 16, and a sister, Iyana,7. Jared is a seventh grade student at GreatNeck North Middle School. He will be receivingthe “4 Sport” award this year for makingthe school’s football, basketball, volleyballand baseball teams. Jared enjoys playing thesaxophone. For the past several years he hasvolunteered in local community programssuch as Ecofest, Spookywalk and Earth DayCommunity Clean-ups. Jared has participatedin the Israel Day Parade since he was 5years old and marched again this year.Benjamin NewmanBenjamin Newman will be celebrating hisBar Mitzvah on June 23. He is the son ofClaudia and Bruce Newman and has twobrothers, Aaron, 10, and Eli, 7. Benjaminis a seventh grade honor student at GreatNeck South Middle School. He is the recipientof the first place award in the MagneticLevitating Cars Competition at BrookhavenLaboratories. Benjamin enjoys playing tennisand baseball, as well as being in theschool band. He is currently attending theWaxman High School and Youth Houseand plans to visit Israel in the near future.FROM THE BETH HAGAN NURSERYSCHOOLAn Open Letter to the Beth HaGan StaffThe following Religious School studentswere recognized for outstanding attendance, havingattended 80 percent of all classes. Studentswith an asterisk following their name attended atleast 90 percent of Religious School classes.Saul Ades, Juliette Ahdoot,* AlexandraAhdoot,* Jonathan Ajodan,* BenjaminAjodan,* Ashley Aminzadeh,* NatalieAminzadeh,* Ryan Aminzadeh,* NicoleAminzadeh,* Aaron Asherian, AlexisAsherian, Sophia Askari,* Serena Askari,*Zachary Astrof,* Jared Astrof,* BrookeBakhshi,* Kayla Bakhshi,* Kyle Bakhshi,*Samantha Becker,* and Lily Becker.*Also, Lauren Benhuri, RebeccaBernstein,* Jeremy Bernstein,* MatthewBloom,* Ethan Bloom, Amelia Blumberg,——4——By Rachel MathlessEDITOR’S NOTE: As the school year draws to a close, Beth HaGan Nursery School Director RachelMathless wrote the following letter of thanks to all who made this a successful school year.Dear Staff:I would like to take this opportunity tothank you for a most wonderful year, butmere words fail to convey my gratitude for theoutpouring of love, compassion, patience andhumanity you dispense with grace every day.• I watch as you frame a task for a child andsee him master it and I am pleased.• I listen as you sing to a child whilechanging her diaper and I am peaceful.• I feel your excitement when a child achievesher “aha” moment and the realization ofaccomplishment dawns on him.• I smile as you giggle together with a childwhen a goal is finally achieved• I fill with tears when a child holds youtightly and waves goodbye as he conquersthe fear of separation and I know the trustand bond you have established will prevail.• I marvel at the constant and variediterations of creative projects and artifacts,which the children produce with such prideand excitement.So, humbly, I thank you for cuddlingand comforting a child who feels sick or sador afraid or just needs your special touch.• Thank you for arriving each day excitedand energized. Looking forward to a newadventure.• Thank you for your creative sparks whichkeep stimulating and inspiring every day.• Thank you for believing in the sacrednessof the work you chose as your profession.• Thank you for giving hugs and “highfives” and a little victory dance every timean obstacle is overcome.• Thank you for understanding that whatis learned in the sandbox will influence thechildren for years to come.• Thank you for guiding the childrenthrough the small things, which havebecome huge milestones.• Thank you for giving the children space togrow, to dream, to explore, to experiment and toexperience the world with all its possibilities.• Thank you for knowing that you need totrust in the resilience of all children and intheir ability to figure it out.• Thank you for your constancy andconsistency in working until successfulconclusions are attained.• Thank you for making me proud of you everyday and making it a joy to come to work.I am acutely aware of your going theextra mile again and again and I know thatin you I am truly blessed.To our incredible maintenance staff,who anticipate our every need, grant ourwishes with smiling countenances evenwhen we ask them to scale the walls andhang moonbeams from the ceiling.And buckets and buckets of thanks toMarie for all you do always, the myriadactivities far too numerous to mention here.You give much more than is expected, butthat is your inimitable style.My best wishes for a happy, healthyrestful summer, time to reflect and renew,rejuvenate and revivify for the coming BethHaGan school year. Stay well.Love,RachelReligious School Attendance AwardsAlec Blumberg,* Jacob Botesazan, AshleyChaman,* Nathaniel Charasz, AdinCharasz,* Samuel Chiche,* Ethan Citron,*Emily Citron,* Michael Cohenmehr,*Michaela Damaghi, Samantha Damaghi,Joshua Davidson,* Bradley Delafraz,*Brandon Delafraz,* Joseph Eshaghoff,*Hanna Eshaghoff,* Juliet Eshaghoff,* JustinFarajollah, Matthew Farkas,* Lauren Farkas,Brett Figelman,* Aliza Fine,* Simona Fine,*Reid Fleishman,* Sophia Gal, Emily Gal,*Joshua Gal, Aaron Geula,* Alexander Geula,*Rena Geula, Ariel Gold, Eli Goldberger,Clara Goldberger, Benjamin Goodwin,* EliGoodwin,* Charles Goodwin, Emily Greiff,Joshua Haghani, Kayla Hakimi,* Eric——Continued on page 5Attendance Awards——Continued from page 4Hakimi,* Aaron Hakimi, Sophia Hanover,Noah Hanover,* Jessica Harouche,* JordanHarouche,* Aaron Harouche,* JosephHarounian,* Leila Hawa,* Yoel Hawa,*Gabriella Hedvat,* Alexis Hedvat,* AshleyHedvat,* Chloe Hedvat,* MikaylaHendizadeh,* Spencer Horowitz,* JuliaHyman,* Nathaniel Hyman,* RogerHyman,* Daniel Itzkowitz,* MichaelKahen,* Iyana Kaiman,* Barrett Kanfer,*Eden Katz,* Talia Katz,* Kevin Khadavi,*Justine Khadavi,* Zoe Khorshad,* JonathanKirshner,* Benjamin Kobliner,*Joshua Kobliner,* Sarah Kobliner,* JessicaLalehzar,*, Jacob Landerer,* BenjaminLanderer, Gabriel Lefkowitz,* JordanaLerner, Elizabeth Lev,* Martin Lev,* TaliaLevy,* Charles Linden, Evan Lipp,* andMikaela Lipp.*In addition, Zachary Lipp,* Ari Lissack,*Zoe Mahfar,* Natasha Mahfar,* KarinaMakhani,* Limor Makhani,* MatthewManesh, Sean Manesh, Daniel Mayeri,Remy Mehdyzadeh, Jake Mehdyzadeh,Dylan Meirowitz,* Deborah Meirowitz,Harry Meirowitz,* Cayla Mirjani,* TaliaMirjani,* Layla Modlin,* Kayla Monahemi,Hannah Nahavandi, Jessica Nahavandi,Rebecca Nahavandi,* Jack Nathan, JasonNejat,* Matthew Nejat,* Aaron Newman,*Eli Newman, Alexis Noghreh,* ChloeNoghreh,* Emanuel Nysenbaum,* DavidOginski, Aaron Ohebshalom,* AdamOhebshalom,* Ashley Ohebshalom,*Daniella Ohebshalom, Jared Ohebshalom,*Noah Oralevich, Allison Parnes, SamanthaParnes, Lauren Perlman,* Ari Picker,*Joshua Picker,* Alexandra Pour, Oliver Pour,Dayna Pourmoradi, Ella Pourmoradi,* NoaPourmoradi,* Amanda Putter,* IsabellaRastegar,* Ilan Rastegar, Jacob Rastegar,Sophie Rokhsar, Chloe Roofeh,* SharonRoofeh, and Jonathan Roofeh.Also, Eric Rosenbaum, JonathanRothbaum,* Joshua Rothbaum,* JonathanSasson, Emma Sassouni,* Leila Sassouni,Harry Scheidt,* Noah Scheidt,* NancySchoen,* Alexander Schwartz, DanielaSchwartz, Avital Sclar,* Daria Scolnick, JakeSedaghat, Alexandra Sedgh,* Daniel Sedgh,*Daniel Shahery, Matthew Shavolian,*Jordan Shavolian,* Kimberly Shokrian, SamSilberg, Dylan Solomon,* Jaren Solomon,Matthew Somekh,* Maya Somekh,*Alexander Tabaroki,* Elliot Tabaroki,*Jasmine Tabaroki,* Maya Tabaroki,* ValerieTabaroki,* Benjamin Taied,* Kate Tehrani,*Alexander Victory, Lauren Victory,* NicoleVictory,* Amanda Volk,* Brian Volk,* JadenWeisser, Elliot Weissman, Sophie Weissman,*Elie Weitzman,* Sigal Weitzman,* SophiaWotman,* Adam Wright,* Gabriella Wright,*Eric Yachbes,* Noah Young, Emma Young,Ethan Youssefi, and Shayna Zeitlin.*Waxman Youth House teens were well represented at the Celebrate Israel Parade.College Grads and Temple Israel——Continued from page 2religious and spiritual life was going to suffer.For a year, I searched for temporary solutions.I visited my friends in Jewish communitiesin the City and became a frequentShabbat guest. I started going with myfriends to the Hofstra Chabad. However,my frustration only grew every time I hadto return home: why could I not find ayoung, vibrant Jewish community in GreatNeck, the most Jewish town I knew?There was no official committee or meetingto jumpstart the “Great Neck College GradsKabbalat Shabbat.” It began slowly and informally,when Cheryl Moin suggested the ideaand came up with a date for our first KabbalatShabbat. I created a Facebook page and event,and Erica Moin coordinated several logisticaldetails. We both invited friends and discussedthe upcoming event with Danny Mishkin.After talking to some of the future attendees,we decided to have a Kabbalat Shabbat servicebefore the catered dinner.I had no idea what to expect for that firstFriday night. All I knew was that I was leadinga service, some of my friends were attending,and some of Erica’s friends were attending.We did not know how people would respondto the service or even to one another. Afterassembling the chairs in a circle, I awkwardlyintroduced myself and Danny suggestedinterspersing introductions into the service.Erica and I both found that there wereseveral people neither of us knew who hadheard about the event through the TempleIsrael Voice or other friends. It was clear thatmany people were unfamiliar with some of theprayers, but everyone was paying attentionand following along. Once the service wasover, the tension and unfamiliarity quicklydissipated: some of us began rekindlingfriendships with people we had not seenfor years, and others sat with strangers andbecame fast friends by the end of the night.We had about 25 people, and it seemed as ifeveryone had the space to feel comfortable.——5——We mingled over good food and wine, and noone left until about 10:30. If we had been ableto stay longer, I have no doubt that we wouldhave. Our first Shabbat dinner was a success.Over the course of the next few weeks,several discussions took place in terms ofhow to structure the evening and organize theevents. After talking to various attendees, wedecided to have a more abbreviated serviceand encouraged participants to include theirown suggestions and opinions about theservice. Erica created a Facebook event forthe next Shabbat dinner and has continued tofacilitate the Facebook events ever since.Each Shabbat dinner has been different, withnew themes and ideas (such as a beer-tastingwith Rabbi Adelson) and new participantspeople all around me…are all here for the samereason I am: to connect.each time, but a core group of young Jewishprofessionals have returned every time. Wecontinue to have informal, casual services,along with introductions and icebreakers suchas “highlights of the week.” People have slowlybegun to be more familiar with the servicesand have suggested different tunes and songs.No one ever leaves before 10 P.M., and manyof these friendships have already extendedbeyond Friday night Shabbat dinners.It is unclear whether or not this groupwill expand to celebrating other Jewish andsocial events or if it will remain as it is: a spacefor young Jews to come together and celebrateShabbat, learning and friendship. Either way,the community and atmosphere that we haveall created is special and valuable. I alwaysanticipate these Shabbatot with excitement andenthusiasm, as I imagine reuniting with oldfriends, creating new ones, eating, laughing andeven praying with people all around me who areall here for the same reason I am: to connect.