The GCJC Winds Up the Year

 

I just like this photo of Rabbi Goodman making Matzo Brie for breakfast for everyone.

 

Students prepared for our annual Lag B'Omer Game day by making cheerleading posters.  Ms. Margie chose the most creative poster and best presentation for teams to earn points.

 

During Game Day, the first thing we do is have the two teams gather in the Social Hall.  Captain Hannah C. Was the leader of the White Team.

 

The Blue team was led by Captain Jackie K.  Each team competed for points in History (led by Rabbi Goodman), Music (led by Cantor Lavranchuk), and Hebrew (led by Mrs. Krupen).  

 

Here's the Blue team huddled around to solve a Hebrew problem.

 

White team had to put their heads together, too.

 

Meanwhile, Peter Tittler was getting pizza ready for the Lunch break.  Other helpers were Bill Rettig, who took care of the gluten and diary issues,  and  Andrea Krupen and Margie Edelman ,who helped serve ice cream and cookies. 

 

A few more minutes to earn points...

 

Here is the recap given by Rachel Rose!   Other volunteer helpers included Molly Rivera and Cary Zukerman, who helped with supervising and outdoor set-up, and running the relays.

 

Potato race!

 

The teams tried hard.

 

No cheating, now.

 

The potato sack race was hilarious as usual.

 

On your mark, get set....

 is ...GO!   This one makes me laugh.

 

This also makes me chuckle.

 

Two friends tried the three legged race...came in last but laughed all the way.

 

The egg toss started a little bit disorganized, but...

 

...got worse...

 

...and worse...

 

...until it disintegrated into chaos!  However, it was picture perfect weather, and if the goal of the Religious school is for children to meet and socialize and study with other Jewish kids 'kinda' like themselves, we really should declare that 2016-17 has been a fantastic year!  

 

Parents showed up around this time, and friends left for the summer.  Of course, everyone is still welcome to come to Friday evening services, especially the third Friday of June at 7.  A schedule of the July and August summer services will be coming to families soon, and there still may be a few that need volunteer leaders!

 

Some of the youngest children lasted the longest without breaking the eggs!  

Remember, there is a Temple picnic at 11 am, on June 4 at Grove Stree Park...free burgers and lots of snacks!!Reply to the evite that you should have received.

Jackie K's Bat Mitzvah is coming up next weekend...all are welcome to come to the 11 am service on May 27 th, to show support.  It's a Mitzvah to come to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah!  

 

Many many thanks to our Volunteer staff of the Religious School:  Rabbi Goodman, Cantor Amelia Lavranchuk, Cheryl Minsky, Elaine Kreisberg, Andrea Krupen, Margie Edelman and Carolyn Hoera.  It is a labor of ❤️ and without our great teachers, the Garden City Jewish Center would not be the thriving and special place that it is!  Have a healthy happy and SAFE summer.   

More Spring Activities/ Thank you, Mr. President

 

One evening in April, Cantor Amelia Lavranchuk tied the evening's Torah portion to a cool science experiment that used mineral salts and fire....the result was red, green, blue and yellow fire.  

 

The Cantor's parents and a Chemistry teacher family friend helped run the experiment. There were five shallow dishes of alcohol which were ignited with a little blowtorch and when different mineral salts were introduced to the flames, they would turn different colors!

 

The other experiment had kids and adults filling little film canisters with water and alka seltzer, then putting them upside down and running away...they became little rocket ships that really took off! Try explaining to a student what a 'film canister' is.....

 

Did you know that there have been 14 Jewish astronauts so far? Maybe one of our GCJC kids will be next.

 

The Cantor repeated the rocket ship experiment on that Sunday morning, and the children loved it! Amelia is a summer counselor at a Massachusetts science camp called Six Points SciTech Academy.   Go to  www.urjnortheastcamps.org. , for information.  

 

The children loaded the rockets for countdown.....three, two, one,....

 

...BLAST OFF!!!  One landed on the roof! That must've had a double dose of alka seltzer.  Try explaining what 'alka seltzer' is to a child.

 

Ms. Edelman and Ms. Hoera  gathered several years' worth of extra materials for students to reuse and recycle, for some recent Art classes.  Not only did we honor Earth Day celebrations and marches, but it tied into the Jewish idea of Tikkun Olam.  Tikkun Olam is the concept of repairing the world, and that can be started with using things again, (maybe in a creative way.)

 

Three of the more junior classmates surveyed the materials and thought about what to make.

 

Children came up wth all sorts of ideas to reuse the stuff.

 

A girl consulted with Margie Edelman and seemed absorbed in the instructions.

 

Meanwhile, last night at the Cassariano Restaurant in Westbury, our outgoing President Howard Edelman was honored with a lovely dinner. Fifty two Temple members, friends and family helped him to mark two years as our leader.  The event was to thank Howard for his service to the Garden City Jewish Center, and to wish him well! (This photo of Howard in a Slingshot, was taken by Rabbi Linda Goodman as her husband was picked up and taken for a ride one day.) 

 

Margie, Howard, Lily and Rose Edelman posed for a nice portrait.

 

Debby Rood Goldman, left, and Peter Tittler, right, posed with the couple of the hour. Debby and Peter jointly planned, arranged, invited, and basically ran the event.   Peter gathered the journal dedications and got the journal printed, collated and bound. This fundraiser has helped sustain our Temple for another year.

 

Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman and our Rabbi Stephen Wise Goodman were two of the attendees.

 

Joe and Nina Malkevitch posed at the dinner.

 

This is a great shot of former President Alan Schoenfeld and Irma Segovia-Schoenfeld!

 

Former President Ken Gittelson with Linda Gittelson.

 

This is a nice photo of Sue and Alan Sherman.

 

Mal and Annette Hirshan posed with the famous (and former President)Norma Mindel. Norma later read an original poem dedicated to Howard.

 

Here is a view of the restaurant as Norma gave her speech.  It was a little noisy, but the food was just great and everyone had a nice dinner and a lovely time.

 

Howard received a Whitman sampler (related to a story the Rabbi told), and a real motorcycle (kit) from Steve Rood Goldman.  

 

Carolyn Hoera and Peter Tittler enjoyed the food, wine, and company.

 

Elaine Kreisberg, Robyn Clark and Lenore Cassese enjoyed the party, too.   

Many sincere thanks go out to everyone who came to the dinner, and also to the generous folks who donated to the journal! That is our one fundraiser each year and is absolutely vital to help us survive.

 I'll be back soon with one more blog entry.  Enjoy the Spring.