Long Island's Oldest Reform Congregation
140 Central Avenue - Lawrence, NY 11559
(516) 239-1140

Dearest Congregants:

During December, we significantly increased participation in Temple events. The Junior Choir performed their Chanukah Cantata both at Family Services and at the Ocean Promenade Nursing Center in Rockaway Park. The nursery school children met a new character “Judah Maccabird” during their Chanukah Tot Shabbat. (The Maccabird is a story telling marionette). The Rosh Chodesh Group gave its first presentation of women’s liturgy that they had written and we had a Music Festival which not only served to inform and entertain, but also introduced you to the fabulous talent of our Professional Quartet and of our organist Matthew Lewis.

This December marked the first time that I attended the UAHC Biennial. What a thrill it was to be with 4500 other Reform Jews discussing policy, praying together en masse, and learning new skills. I hope you will all have the opportunity to attend the next convention.

We are now in the millennium. (I remember some years ago trying to figure out how old I would be at the Millennium….And now it is here)! To start out the Secular New Year, the Junior Choir will be performing both on the first Friday in January, and on January 21st when we perform “Song of the Sea”. January 21st will be a special evening. This is the week we chant unique Torah melody commemorating the story of the Pharoah’s army drowning in the Sea of Reeds, and the salvation of the Jewish people. Ten adults from the congregation will chant the Torah at the Friday evening service. The Junior Choir will sing “Song of the Sea”, a composition that I had commissioned by Rabbi Cory Weiss for Children’s Choir and Cantor. Our religious school student Shawn Axman will sing a Hebrew song for for Tu Bishvat (Tree holiday), and several mothers and daughters will sing Miriam’s Song, a song about how Miriam and the women danced and sang when the Israelites were safely across the sea. It should be quite a festive evening and I look forward to seeing you at services supporting the many participants.

If you have not signed up yet for “The Zion King”, please do so as soon as possible. We need the grandest tigers in the jungle for the Best Purim Spiel ever.

I wish you a good month and good health.

Best wishes, 

Cantor Oreen Zeitlin