July 27, 2011
Check out this story on West Hempstead's/Franklin Square's declining population of Conservative Jews, and the impact of changing demographics on our Jewish Community Center of West Hempstead.Can the trend be reversed? What will be the role of the JCC in this new era? Can we change the dynamics and develop innovative strategies to adapt, survive and thrive?
What the article below fails to mention is that, notwithstanding decreasing numbers among our ranks, the JCC of West Hempstead continues to provide the community with innovative, entertaining and educational programs and activities.
From Chavurah groups to Mini University, Sisterhood dinners to Men's Club bagel breakfasts, trips to centers of Jewish culture to Mitzvah Moments close to home, the heimishkeit abounds at our JCC.
We may not be "growing" in numbers -- although we continue to reach out to new friends and potential neighbors. There can be no doubt, however, that, as a congregation committed to Judaism, to Yiddishkeit, to community, we continue to grow in leaps and bounds.
Conservative Judaism is alive and well on Long Island, and in this neck of our Jewish woods, the JCC of West Hempstead is taking the lead with renewed energy and enthusiasm! From The Jewish Week:W. Hempstead Boundary Blues
Lone non-Orthodox congregation, on Franklin Square
border, fighting demographics and real estate trend.
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
July 20, 2011
Let My People Be! By Seth D. BykofskyIf there's one thing that unites the Jewish people, it's a good argument! From, "It was a horse. It was a mule," to creation of a Palestinian State, Jews love -- indeed, we thrive upon -- disagreement. Why, even the question, "Who makes the best matzo balls in the family?" spurs arduous debate.So, it comes as no great surprise that the very call to unite a people under one hood has created quite a stir.Peoplehood. Or so it has been labeled. As cause to fund... Continue reading...
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
July 19, 2011
As Jews, we often hear the
expression, “shver tzu zein a Yid.” Loosely, it’s tough to be a Jew. But what
other people, with the exception, perhaps, of the Chinese, have the good
fortune to celebrate the new year, not once, but twice.
Double the pleasure. Double
the fun. [Where are those Doublemint twins?] A time for reflection, resolution, course correction and a
fresh sta... Continue reading...
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
June 21, 2011
For the better part of the second half of the last century, synagogue life in America -- and in suburbia, in particular -- was synonymous with community.Not only faith-based activities -- the shul being the place to commune with the Almighty -- but social and political life as well, tended to center in and around the shul, most notably, our Jewish Community Centers, or JCCs.And so it was, and so it remained, through the decades. The fifties morphed into the tumultuous sixties. The sixties too... Continue reading...
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
June 21, 2011
The
world didn’t come to and end in May, as predicted. Thank God! That would have
put a definite damper on donations.
Of
course, there’s no end to the end of the world prophesies. . .
The
Mayan calendar, in the ultimate homage to Montezuma's
Revenge, passes into eternity in 2012. December 21, 2012, to be exact. The winter
solstice. It is then, according to 2012
theori... Continue reading...
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
June 16, 2011
Although the Information Age
began decades ago (thank you, Al Gore, for inventing the Internet), our
congregation somehow managed, gallant efforts notwithstanding, to circumvent
cyberspace. Until now!
The JCC of West Hempstead is
coming of age, committed to taking us wel... Continue reading...
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
June 15, 2011
Your editor was most impressed
with the Rabbi’s sermon on Day 2 of Rosh Hashana. The theme (the Rabbi’s words,
not mine): What Would Abraham Do?
Mind you, it is with certain consternation, and a
tad more than a hint of reservation, that I would make that literal sojourn —
let alone acronymization — to WWAD. After all, historically, cannot the
rift between Jews and Musl... Continue reading...
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
June 9, 2011
By Seth D. Bykofsky Not all that long ago, at the start of the most recent session of Congress, members of the House of Representatives, at the directive of the leadership, read The Constitution of the United States on the House floor. Granted, they missed a few pertinent paragraphs, and skipped over an Amendment or three, but hey, rewriting history seems to be all the rage these days!As the rights and privileges of We The People were being pored over, some of us scratched our heads and, in th... Continue reading...
Posted by JCC West Hempstead. Posted In : From The Bulletin Editor's Desktop...
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The View from The Editor's Desktop
| Seth D. Bykofsky |
| West Hempstead, Long Island, New York |
Editor-in-Chief of The Bulletin, Webmaster, Tweetmeister, Grant Writer, strategic planner, and occasional provocateur (in a good way ;-) at The Jewish Community Center of West Hempstead, brings you highlights from the pages of Bulletins past, viewpoints and opinions on current issues, and the occasional Op-Ed from beyond the pale, all for your consideration, edification and enjoyment.
The views expressed in this column are solely those of this writer and the contributors to this blog. You are welcome to share them, and encouraged to express your own in these pages.
Chime in anytime at JCCeditor@aol.com.
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