January 2025

Letter from the Rabbi

Dear Temple Israel Community,

Hodesh Tov and happy new year! Once again we welcome a new secular month along with a new Hebrew month: Tevet. Tevet is the only month that begins in the middle of an ongoing festival: Hanukkah. This season, my hope for us all is that the light in our lives will continue to increase like the lights of the hanukiyyah, even as we bid our festival farewell until next year.

For Temple Israel, the month of December was full of a number of great events! On the first Shabbat of December, we piloted a new program: Kabbalat Shabbat and Dinner for children and young families and more than 60 people came together for a joyous celebration of Shabbat! We are looking forward to another such program soon, most likely in February. Thanks to all who helped to make the event happen!

Special events at TI in December also included Hanukkah celebrations, over Shabbat and on New Years Eve when about 30 of us came together to light the menorah, daven, and enjoy latkes in each others company. Before Hanukkah began, we the TI/TC Adult Ed committee organized an event where I presented two modern Midrashim written by Israeli women from Gaza envelope communities in the immediate aftermath of 10/7. The program offered a valuable space for substantive conversation about challenging questions of theology and politics in our time. Sadly, we find ourselves continuing to need to pray for the swift emergence of peace in the land of Israel and for the safe return of all the hostages and exiles.

We can look forward to new learning opportunities in our community in January! The next program of the TI/TC Adult Ed committee will be at TI on 1/12 as we learn from TI member as Binghamton Jewish Studies professor Dina Danon about her current research on the Eastern Sephardi Diaspora. On Tuesday afternoons, I will continue to facilitate space for learning and conversion before our weekly minyan. However, I will shift the focus to “Torah in Our Times.” Each week, we will put a Torah passage or teaching into conversation with a current issue that is claiming attention in the news and on our hearts. If you have an issue or topic you would like to explore with others, please share it with me so that I can prepare some appropriate Torah sources for that topic.

Also in regards to learning, our newly revised Hebrew school program will begin weekly classes again on 1/22! We will gladly welcome any children who would like to join what is both a fun and educational environment! Adults who are interested in helping with instruction or organizational efforts are equally sought after!

I hope we can continue to gather together in community often in this new secular year and to be together in both sad times and joyous occasions! Please, be in touch with me if you are going through something and would like rabbinic pastoral support.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Micah R. Friedman

הרב מיכה שמחה פרידמן 

January 2025

Letter from the President

Dear Members and Friends of Temple Israel,

     Nays Gadol Hayah Sham – A Great Miracle Happened There! The four Hebrew letters on the dreidel (Nun, Gimel, Hay, and Shin) serve as a mnemonic to recall our antecedents’ triumph over the Syrian Greek invaders in our homeland, and the miraculous long-lasting lamp oil. As we celebrate Chanukkah and spin the dreidel, we hope that it lands on the letter Shin, and we can claim the pot. Even Hay would be okay, as we would win half the pot.

While we usually only play dreidel for a week, our Temple Israel Lottery Fundraiser offers hundreds of chances to win – six days a week all year long! TI Lottery tickets only cost $25 each, and if the number you choose is selected in the NY State Lottery, you win! These make great gifts, and it has been an effective fundraiser for our synagogue, as well.

As you know, dreidels in Jerusalem are engraved with different letters (Nun, Gimel, Hay, and Pay) representing the sentence: Nays Gadol Hayah Po – A Great Miracle Happened HERE! This reminds me of the great miracle that happened here in Vestal a decade ago. Our Temple building collapsed, and miraculously , no one was injured. As a further miracle, we were able to rebuild and reconsecrate our own synagogue. With the support of each and every one of you, we have been able to pray, study, and enjoy this institution, carrying on the traditions of our ancestors in a modern, egalitarian manner.

Your continued financial support and personal participation are essential to keep this miracle alive. I remind you that Annual Dues are due in full by the end of December. Please also consider celebrating a simcha with an engraved leaf, or memorializing a loved one with a yahrzeit plaque, or donating to any one of our various funds.

In 2025, under the leadership of Rabbi Friedman, we are planning numerous opportunities to fulfill your needs. After a busy December, 2025 is off to a great start with a stimulating Adult Ed program on January 12th featuring Professor Dina Danon, and planning is underway for an exciting Musician-in-Residence Weekend with Zach Mayer in March. Your participation and program ideas are most welcome.

A number of our regulars are away during the Winter months, so your participation in our Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday services (in-person or on zoom) is greatly appreciated. Come on in from the cold and enjoy the warmth of our services and programs. We look forward to seeing you.

Best wishes for a healthy and fulfilling 2025,
Art

Arthur B. Siegel
President – Temple Israel