Rosh Hashanah

Begins Sept. 24th @ Sundown

Rosh Hashanah is the

Jewish New Year.

It falls once a year during the month of Tishrei and occurs ten

days before Yom Kippur.

Together, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as the

Yamim Nora’im, which means the Days of Awe in Hebrew.

Rosh Hashanah ends on Friday, Sept. 26th.

B’N

AI

B’R

ITH

BA

NN

ER

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014

YOM KIPPUR Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement)

is one of the Jewish High Holiday Days. The first High Holiday Day is

Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Yom Kippur falls ten days after

Rosh Hashanah on the 10th of Tishrei, which is a Hebrew month that correlates with September-October on the secular

calendar. The purpose of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between

people and with G-d. According to Jewish tradition, it is also the day when G-d

decides the fate of each human being. October 3rd & 4th

Page 2

Page 2

Resident Service Schedule @ B’nai B’rith

COMING IN OCTOBER

11/8 (Wed.)- Mt. Airy & Outlets

11/24 (Fri.) Food Stamps (help to get)

with Marnie

11/24 & 10/31 (Fridays) JCHC U. Reel

Film Series @ JCC

B’N

AI

B’R

ITH

BA

NN

ER

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014

Congregate Brunch served on Sundays @ 11:00 am

Rabbi Jay will be here on Wednesdays @ 1pm

Marnie Kean, Social Worker will be here Thurs. 1-3 & Fri. 9-3

Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday 9-5,Friday 9-4

Sweetness for a Sweet New Year Shofar Factory @ JCC Sept. 18 (see bulletin board)

Learn the history of the Shofar and its significance

The types of kosher animals that can be used

How the shofar is made—live demonstration as the

rabbi crafts a genuine shofar starting from a raw

horn.

How to blow the shofar

A sweet desert will be served, Free prizes & lots of fun

Remembering Sept.11, 2001

Page 3

We shall never forget.

We shall keep this day, We shall keep the events

and the tears, In our minds, our memory

and our hearts, and take them with us as

we carry on.

Maria Goldberg September 4

Ruth Littman September 9

Jean Gluck September 9

Rita Griggs September 11

Celebrating September Labor Day September 1

“9/11” 14th Anniversary September 11

International Day of Peace September 21

Fall Begins September 23

Rosh Hashanah Begins @ Sundown Sep-

tember 24

Family Health & Fitness Day September

27 B

’NA

I B

’RIT

H B

AN

NE

R

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014

Page 4

Counting our Blessings

In the most recent remake of King Kong there is an extraordinary scene. Kong, the oversized gorilla, has had a very long

day. He has fallen in love in what seems to be an unworkable relationship with a woman about 1/10th of his size. He has fought dinosaurs, and the elements, and he has been shot-at relentlessly by humans trying to save his pint sized love interest.

All of this is seemingly a normal day in the life of the giant ape.

However, at some point Kong grabs the girl and starts to run. At first it seems as if he is running away from his day. It

appears that he is trying desperately to get away from the vicious animals and guns and running for cover.

But soon it becomes apparent that he is not running away from anything. Rather he is running toward something. And as

the scene continues, there is a sense of urgency in his face and his body language. He climbs a mountain. We see ruins of

what must have once been a proud and glorious civilization of which he is the sole, beaten and scarred, survivor. He scur-ries through the ruins rushing purposefully to his destination and then he simply sits on a cliff. And then we see where he

had been heading. King Kong, the beast; a Mr. Hyde on steroids who expresses nothing but unbridled rage, is purposefully

sitting down on a ledge to calmly and serenely watch the sunset. It is a ritual that he presumably does every day.

The great beast is a softy for a beautiful girl and a beautiful sunset.

But what is really happening here? What is the lesson behind the story? I would propose that Kong is looking for the good

in an otherwise dreadful day. Seeking the silver lining. Despite all that has happened, the beast is counting his blessings.

No matter how miserable his daily existence, no matter how lonely he is, no matter how many people or animals try to make

his life a challenge, he knows that whatever else may be going on, when it is sunset, he will be punching the clock and

watching that ball of fire go down. And if that sunset is the only thing he has in his world that brings him joy, he recognizes

it and seeks it out.

King Kong is expressing gratitude for what he has; he is grateful for the seemingly little things in his life. Even if the only

little thing he has is a daily sunset.

According to Rabbi Irwin Kula, of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL), there is probably no

more important thing for our own personal happiness than developing an attitude of gratitude. He points out three critical things about gratitude(I am paraphrasing in close form from a video that Rabbi Kula made about 2 years ago and posted on

a website called “Mincha moments”. I recommend that you go to this website and watch Rabbi Kula’s video; it is transform-

ative):

1) Gratitude is a choice. Some people can have everything and have no sense of gratitude, while there are folks who have

nothing but are grateful for the little that they do have. If it is a choice, then we need to learn how to make the choice to be grateful.

2) If gratitude is a choice, then it is also a skill that can, and needs, to be developed. We need to study the art of being grate-

ful. The question must then be asked: “How does one practice gratitude?” Our tradition actually provides a perfect program

designed to do just this.

Rabbi Kula explains that the Rabbis told us that we should make 100 blessings a day. Imagine what a day would be like if

we found 100 reasons during the course of that day to say, “Hey that’s great!” If we were capable of doing this, we would

actually become skilled practitioners of gratefulness.

In the Jewish tradition A blessing is designed to help us to see the wonder that exists in the world around us. If we are

“blessing”, we cannot ignore. It forces us to take stock of the things that happen as they are happening. For instance, if, each time we eat an apple, we say a blessing over it, we are more likely to appreciate that beautiful piece of fruit. Thus, by

saying blessings we are teaching ourselves to have gratitude.

Counting our blessings, and having a paradigm within which to do so will provide a great start to becoming more grateful

but there is one more step to look at.

3) Rabbi Kula’s third and, I think, most important point, is that we need to learn how to be grateful for the “partial”. The

requirement of perfection is the enemy of being grateful. Too often we have the attitude that “if we do not get it all; if we only get a piece, we cannot be grateful”. I know that I fall prey to this all too common human condition.

It would be wonderful to have everything; it would be wonderful to get everything; it would be wonderful to always win. But the truth is that, for most of us, life is not this way. Life is a series of peaks and valleys; highs and lows, good and bad.

The real gift is to learn to recognize this. We need to accept the imperfections of our lives but, at the same time, we need to

revel in the good things that happen, even if they are simple. In short, we need to be happy with the partial.

And this brings us back to our friend King Kong. Remember the bad day, the bad love, the enemies, and the guns? Well

certainly it was not perfect, but Kong knew to take time out of his day to be happy with the partial. That sunset did not fix his problems, but his ability to be grateful for it gave him some relief from his other troubles. It was a blessing and a gift

that he gave to himself.

My hope this year is that we all can take this lesson to heart; learn to have an attitude of gratitude. We can always strive for

more, but we need to enjoy those things that are actually within our grasp. May this be the year that we learn to accept the

partial and to always count our blessings.

L’Shanah Tova U'metukah Tikateivu (May you be inscribed for a good and sweet new year) – Rabbi Michael S. Jay B’N

AI

B’R

ITH

BA

NN

ER

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014

Page 5

September 1 Labor Day Office Closed

September 3 Livingston/Short Hills Malls

September 4 Long Branch

September 8 Rt 10 shopping & World Market (New

store)

September 10 Farmer’s Market in S.O.

September 12 JCHC U. Reel Film Series @ JCC

September 15 U. S. Israel Relations @ JCC

September 16 Residents’ Meeting with Bill Gar-

finkel

September 17 Mt. Airy Casino

September 18 Shofar Factory at JCC

September 19 JCHC U. Reel Film Series @ JCC

September 22 Essex Green

September 23 Sheena Collum S.O. Trustee to speak

September 24 Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown

OFFICE CLOSED AT 1:00

September 25 Rosh Hashanah 1st day

OFFICE CLOSED

September 26 Rosh Hashanah 2nd day

OFFICE CLOSED

September 29 Barnes Museum in Philadelphia

B’N

AI

B’R

ITH

BA

NN

ER

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014

Wishing Everyone Happy, Healthy, & Blessed Holidays!

Page 6

Celebrate Labor Day September 2nd

If a task is once begun,

Never leave it till it's done.

Be the labor great or small,

Do it well or not at all.

HAPPY LABOR DAY

B’N

AI

B’R

ITH

BA

NN

ER

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014

September Greetings from Bryna...

Hard to believe that the 1st day of fall is September 23rd. The summer this year

was relatively mild. Hopefully we will continue to enjoy nice weather. We have

some interesting programs and trips planned for September. The JCHC Reel Film

Series starts on Friday, September 12th. An anonymous benefactor is graciously

subsidizing the tickets. The price for our residents will be $2.50. The brochures

with the schedule of the films being shown are in the Community Room. If you

have any questions, please come to the office for assistance.

There is an interesting program at the JCC on September 18 on making a Shofar.

There is a sign and sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Sounds like fun.

Sheena Collum, a South Orange Trustee will be here on September 23rd at 7pm in

the Community Room. She was here a few months ago and I got rave reviews

about her from the tenants that attended.

The Jewish Holidays start the evening of September 24th. We will put out the Hol-

iday booklet next week in the Community Room. It will have the schedule of the

services and holiday dinners at Village Apartments at 110 Vose Avenue. Please

come to the office if you want to attend and we will make the arrangements.

Yom Kippur follows 10 days later. They are among the most important and holi-

est days of the Jewish year.

Rosh Hashanah means the beginning of the year in Hebrew. The New Year is a

solemn time, yet it is also a time of celebration.

We wish everyone that celebrates the holidays, “Shana Tova”- a sweet and happy

New Year.

Please stop by or call me with any concerns.

Bryna Stone

Site Manager

Page 7

B’N

AI

B’R

ITH

BA

NN

ER

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014

Thanks to our activities coordinator Carolyn, we had a good balance of pro-

grams and trips, both near and far this summer. We had delightful weather to

enjoy Jazz in the Garden at the Newark Museum, trips to the Farmer’s Market

and shopping trips to the malls. The Residents’ Association birthday celebration

for residents born in the months of April, May and June held on July 2nd was

Angie Sena’s 90th birthday! Angie’s nephew treated us to the ice cream cake

and balloons bobbed on the ceiling to make this a festive occasion. Carolyn pro-

vided a hilarious DVD—selections from the top ten episodes of I LOVE LUCY.

It was a grand celebration.

On Thursday July 24th the Residents’ Association sponsored a ziti/pizza dinner

(which means you could enjoy one or the other or both) with a nice tossed salad

and soda, topped off with watermelon. This occasion was our “send-off” to our

friend Sr. Phyllis, who, having retired from her work and studies at Seton Hall

(with three masters’ degrees!!!), was heading home to Saskatchewan, Canada.

We will miss her—she served as the Residents’ Association’s recording secre-

tary for several years and did an outstanding job—we wish her well.

We enjoyed a second S.O.S. (South Orange Seniors) meeting on August 11 and

found the three ladies (Tonia, Peggy and Nan) faithful to their original desire to

enhance our lives. The S.O.S. Three want to lend their caring initiative to help

bring our views and visions into reality for us all to enjoy! Come and share

yours!

We continue to enjoy the Congregate meals on Tuesdays and Carolyn’s little

surprises like the ice cream social and DVD’s like “Sea Biscuit” recently. We

appreciate and thank our faithful Bryna and Carolyn and the maintenance staff.

Our next scheduled meeting of the Residents’ Association is Tuesday Sept. 16th

2014 with a special surprise from Carolyn! All residents are welcome!

We miss our friends who have passed on, but we look forward to making new

friends of our new residents. Each new resident is a new friend in the making,

someone who will contribute to the busy, interesting like we enjoy here together.

Lavinai Walker—Co-President

Page 8

B’N

AI

B’R

ITH

BA

NN

ER

JE

WI

SH

C

OM

MU

NI

TY

H

OU

SI

NG

C

OR

PO

RA

TI

ON

OF

M

ET

RO

PO

LI

TA

IN

N

EW

J

ER

SE

Y

September 2014