Ritual Committee

Chairperson

Introduction

The spiritual triumvirate of the Congregation consists of the Clergy, the Ritual Committee and the Board of Directors. In close communications, these three groups organize the worship services to best serve the Congregational needs. The Committee meets once a month throughout the year to discuss the upcoming Holy Days and festivals and review the feedback from the ones we have recently observed. The Committee is responsible to insure that Friday night services are conducted every week. In fulfilling that responsibility the Committee looks to the Congregation for support when the Rabbi and the Cantor are away, from time to time.

The Committee maintains the Learner’s Minyan on the second Saturday morning of each month. On the last Sunday of each month a Minyan and Bagel Breakfast (AKA Tefillian Breakfast) is coordinated by the Committee. The Committee also inventories and examines the ritual objects to determine the need for repairs or replacements. When necessary, we review prayer books and make recommendations for new books to the Board of Directors.

We are open to suggestions from the Congregation and welcome comments. We also invite new and existing members, who are interested in contributing to the ritual practice of the Congregation, to join us.

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A Word from Mary

The Ritual Committee was happy to be able to provide several receptions again this year during the High Holy Days. The Slichot service and reception were well attended and were a great way to start the High Holy Day season. The children and their parents enjoyed the kiddush after the children’s service on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. And finally the kiddush after Tashlich on the second day of Rosh Hashanah gave us all a chance to sit down and relax for a nice lunch.  Because the second day of Rosh Hashanah was the last Sunday of the month, it seemed like an extension of the “Last Sunday of the Month Morning Minyan” which brings me to reintroduce the LSMMM previously known as the tefillin breakfast. 

When I joined Temple Israel about 23 years ago, the tefillin breakfast was already well established. Leo Samuels, z”l, arranged for sponsors and did the shopping for bagels, cream cheese and lox. His sister, Helen Irving, and “the women”: Irmgard Greenebaum, Irmgard Alba, Rosel Schlachter, Paula Klein, Myriam Renfro and a few others prepared the ‘breakfast’ while the men put on tefillin and said the weekday morning prayers in the sanctuary. The women sliced the bagels, spread cream cheese and distributed the lox evenly on each one. At the end of the service everyone sat down at tables in the social hall and enjoyed the breakfast. Leo always managed to get sponsors who were observing a yahrzeit or simchah.  There was usually a minyan even though Harry and Marta Hankin never attended. 

Today most of the previously named people are angels, and the dynamics of the service and breakfast have changed. We still have services the last Sunday of the month year round and some people still put on tefillin, but during the school year we are joined by one of the Religious School classes for services and breakfast, and there has been instruction for the students to introduce them to putting on tefillin. 

The main difference is that now “the women” are not assigned only to kitchen duty. Everyone joins the service and everyone over 13 is counted for the minyan. The sliced bagels, cream cheese and lox are distributed at the tables and everyone prepares their own. During the school year there is a lively exchange between students and adults, and even during the summer there are usually enough people for a minyan to say Kaddish for those who are observing a yahrzeit.  

Frank Weinberg usually leads services, but at least one of our clergy attends and leads the service when Frank is away visiting his grandchildren. 

There are times when the facility is also used by other groups. We have joined with the Membership Committee for the New Member Breakfast and we have taken our breakfast to various other rooms when the Social Hall was set up for Sisterhood meetings, Chanukkah or Purim parties or other events. When the last Sunday of the month falls during Passover we have matzah instead of bagels. We had one of the best breakfasts under the sukkah on a bright fall morning a few years ago.

 This tradition has been one of the little-known joys that the Ritual Committee has promoted and maintained. We are glad that there was such a good turnout for the High Holy Day receptions and encourage you to join us on the last Sunday of the month during the rest of the year for a short morning service, bagels and good company. Jerry Rabinovitz is the sponsor organizer now, so please feel free to talk to him about sponsoring a breakfast. We look forward to seeing you.

Mary Garmo Gold  

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