As discussed in the paper this week, the Oct. 7 service at the North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station served as a coming together of humans healing from an event which rocked a nation and the world, one year ago this month.
But, it is so incredibly crucial to note that it was a group of human-beings coming together — not people of any one religion, background or gender — but people of all walks of life, who gathered on that Sunday night to comfort one another, and lend a shoulder to anyone in need of comfort.
Despite the presence of a few politicians, the night was not one of politics, but of deep empathy for anyone who lost a dear one in Israel, or community members who know someone who has.
It was a beautiful reminder that despite the complexities of what is happening in the Middle East at this moment in time, we can still congregate as a united body, purely in support of humanity.
No hidden agendas. No hatred of anybody.
People were there to hold one another’s hand, and honor the memory of those they loved, and those they had never met.
At its core, religion is about peace, love and compassion, and that was precisely what occurred that night. People of a shared faith, came together in prayer to provide their neighbors with an hour of solace.
And, we can all use some solace in these horrific times.
Video footage of Hadas Ehrlich, being played at North Shore Jewish Center, explaining the details of her experience in Israel on October 7, 2023. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
By Toni-Elena Gallo
On Oct. 6, the North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station held a solemn memorial service, honoring those who lost their lives from Hamas’ attack on Israel which occurred October 7, 2023.
Hamas’ attack claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people. Approximately 100 of the 240 hostages originally abducted still remain in captivity, including four Americans.
Rabbi Aaron Benson speaks at the event. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
Rabbi Aaron Benson began the service by showing the congregation a donated Torah mantle, which has been dedicated to the memory of Israeli Sergeant Major Omer Smadja, HY”D, 25.
The top of the mantle reads Ecclesiastes 3:4’s “a time to grieve… a time to mourn and a time to dance,” because despite everything that has transpired since last October, “we will dance again.”
The night continued with words from U.S. Rep. Nick Lalota (R-NY1), a self-described Roman Catholic, who said he has been spending more time in synagogues lately, than churches.
“Our Jewish neighbors need us at this time,” he continued, because of “the serious times that we are in.”
Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), followed LaLota’s speech to the congregation, with a more personal account.
Kornreich, who has family in Israel, shared that “we can acknowledge complexities of the conflict which exists there,” but that it is important to keep in mind the severity of the attacks. He explained that, proportionally speaking, due to the small population of Israel, the number of deaths would be equivalent to around 40 to 45 thousand Americans.
Rabbi Joshua Gray of Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook spoke at the event. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
Guest Rabbi Joshua Gray of Stony Brook’s Temple Isaiah echoed the earlier sentiments of Rabbi Benson, saying that the Jewish people do not experience pain, joy or horror individually, but as “one voice together.”
“I think one of the things that keeps us so strong, and keeps us surviving through travails that seem so insurmountable is our ability to come together — to support one another,” Gray shared.
The main focus of the night, following the words of the multiple Jewish leaders and other dignitaries in attendance, was the video testimonial of a young woman named Hadas Ehrlich.
Granddaughter of the synagogue’s former Cantor, Marty Ehrlich, z”l, Hadas works for Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service.
Ehrlich drove an armored ambulance in the attacked area on Oct. 7, despite having no training as a combat medic.
Video footage of the young woman addressing a congregation of her own showed Ehrlich explicitly describe the scenes she witnessed first hand, such as seeing a woman killed as she sipped coffee on a bench, and a young man who, she explained, was “surely about to experience his last moments.”
The young man had been laid on top of for three hours by a fellow EMS worker, whose bodily pressure had stopped him from bleeding to death. She recounted how she tried to bring a small sense of joy to his pain, by jokingly telling him, “Hey, we made a deal. I told you to stay awake,” which elicited genuine laughter from the man. He had almost lost consciousness three times during their ambulance ride.
“He called me annoying after a while,” she smiled.
After Ehrlich transferred the man to another ambulance, she told the paramedic to ensure that he “respects the end of his deal,” as his blood pressure plummeted.
A week and a half later, she received a phone call from an unknown number.
“My brother is awake, and he remembers you and he remembers your deal,” the voice on the other line said.
The service ended in prayer.
Correction: In the print editions of TBR, it was mistakenly printed that the Oct. 7 attack occurred on Rosh Hashanah.
On Sunday, May 5, the North Shore Jewish Center hosted a Silver Jubilee gala celebration honoring two women, Executive Director Marcie Platkin and bookkeeper Mary Ellen Shouler, for 25 years of service to the NSJC.
“I am extremely proud to be the executive director of this wonderful congregation … I always say there is a feeling of Chevra [‘’your people”] and fulfillment working for NSJC,” Platkin said.
Shouler added that, “Working here at the North Shore Jewish Center has been like working for a family business. I will always remember the families I have come to know and the children I have watched grow over the years.”
The NSJC is a Conservative Jewish congregation in Port Jefferson Station that describes itself as a “vibrant center of Judaism in Suffolk County.”
Platkin, raised in Jericho and certified with a master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University, began a long career of community and religious services as an organizer for the Jewish Association for Services to the Aged. She later went on to become an administrator of the New York State Family Self-Sufficiency Program under Gov. Mario Cuomo before starting at the NSJC in 1999.
Shouler, described as being “known for her sweet and calm disposition,” said she has “worn many hats.” Growing up in Smithtown, she worked at first for Western Electric in New Jersey but then “wound up back in Smithtown.” She found herself at the NSJC first as a part-time secretary and gradually advanced to the position of bookkeeper.
Both women placed extensive value on the positive effect that the NSJC has to the Long Island community.
In her speech at the event, Platkin described it as a place to learn and grow as a Jewish people and to formulate Jewish identity, but also “the one place outside home where [she] feels most comfortable,” noting that she had announced her engagement on the same bimah [podium where the Torah is read] 22 years earlier.
Shouler was similarly grateful for her experience: “[Starting at the NSJC] was a totally new experience for me, I was also learning about Jewish culture and the Jewish faith. Who would have known when I started here at the North Shore Jewish Center that so much time would pass and that we would be able to share many life events with each other.”
The gala was a heartfelt tribute to the two remarkable women for their dedicated 25 years of service. Their personal reflections highlighted the profound impact NSJC has had on their lives and the community.
In my opinion any holiday that includes matzoh ball soup is bound to be popular. Passover, which begins Monday night, April 22, features this dish, made with matzoh unleavened bread. The holiday is not just popular but is revered by Jews and non-Jews alike for its overarching theme of freedom. The ancient Israelites were enslaved in Egypt yet God, through the prophet Moses, freed them. As a reminder of this miracle, Jews refrain from eating anything baked with leaven and instead eat matzoh, the simple bread of slaves.
For Americans, Passover resonates because freedom is a virtue at the core of our country’s identity. Being a citizen is defined as having freedom of religion, of speech, of press and of assembly. Quite literally “revolutionary” when first adopted, the principles in our Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, have spread these standards of freedom and human dignity around the world.
The Bible’s message about freedom in the Passover story has a slightly different emphasis. It is not at odds with the American view, but it reminds us of a key aspect of freedom. Moses’ famous message from God demanding that Pharaoh, “Let My [God’s] people go,” is usually quoted without its conclusion, “that they may serve Me [God.]”
When the Jews were finally freed from Egypt, it wasn’t so they could “let loose” after generations of enslavement. Such a life of abandon isn’t any true kind of freedom. Upon leaving Egypt, the Jews set out into the wilderness, eventually to come to Mount Sinai and there receive the Ten Commandments. To take on the responsibility of freedom. To accept laws that will build a society not of oppression, nor of indulgence, but one of respect and concern and common purpose. The Jews would march on, eventually coming to Israel, where they would settle and start to build a society based around the freedom to be responsible. Helping others isn’t a burden. Respecting them isn’t an imposition. Acknowledging that my own humanity is lessened if I do not also care for yours.
Whether you are celebrating Passover this year or not, make yourself a nice bowl of matzoh ball soup. And then, whether you’re celebrating or not, find someone to share that soup with, maybe even a lot of people, maybe even people who seem different from us. Freedom teaches us that we aren’t so different. At some point, we will all need help in our lives, and at some point we all can offer help. Let’s share that responsibility together, along with the matzoh ball soup.
Aaron Benson is the rabbi at North Shore Jewish Center, based in Port Jefferson Station.
Community members participated in a menorah lighting at the Train Car Park in Port Jefferson Station Sunday, Dec. 18. Photo by Paul Perrone
The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce annual menorah lighting ceremony took place Sunday, Dec. 18, at sundown in the hamlet’s Train Car Park.
Rabbi Aaron Benson of North Shore Jewish Center officiated the ceremony, offering a prayer to mark the first night of Hanukkah. The event was well attended by community members and many from the North Shore Jewish Center.
Among those joining the festivities were PJSTCC vice president Paul Perrone, the chamber’s community liaison Joan Nickeson and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook).
To commemorate the first night of Hanukkah Sunday, Nov. 28, families gathered together at the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce Train Car for a ceremony to light the menorah.
At 4 p.m., just as the sun began to set, Rabbi Aaron Benson led the group in prayer, song and the lighting of a tabletop menorah, as well a large one facing the front of the train car on Route 112.
“We’re always very pleased to be able to share the holidays with the community and the chamber has been a great partner,” Benson said. “The holiday really is universal in its meaning — the idea of lighting the way during the darkness and freedom for people to express who they are.”
Hanukkah candles need to burn for at least thirty minutes. The Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, involves lighting a candle for each of the holidays eight nights.
Rabbi Aaron Benson
Of course the candles can burn longer than that, but the ancient sages determined such a length of time would be enough to make the lighting significant and yet not overly costly at a time when candles would have been more expensive and essential than today.
The lights remind us of a miracle performed for the ancient Jews. Having thrown off the yoke of foreign rule, they came to rededicate the despoiled Temple in Jerusalem. There they found only enough oil to light the Temple menorah for a day, but the oil miraculously last eight days. During that time the Jews were able to prepare more oil.
Yet we light for only thirty minutes. We illuminate the long winter night for the briefest of intervals. It seems inadequate but we not only do it once, but over and over for more than a week. And this is enough to celebrate a holiday about miracles.
Sometimes in life we may only be able to “light up the dark” temporarily to help that friend or family member or ourselves just a little. Should we refrain from doing so just because we can’t fix it all? Certainly not! Over and over we must keep doing what we can, even if it might be just a little, to bring some good, to cause a miracle to take place.
During the thirty minutes the Hanukkah candles burn each night, and during all this winter season, let us do our part, whether large or small, to aid those lost in the night and light the way for them.
The author is the rabbi of North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station.
Members of North Shore Jewish Center were on hand for the unveiling of a historical marker at 152 Main Street in Setauket. The building is the site of the first synagogue to be built on Long Island. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
The Jewish Historical Society of Long Island and North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station celebrated the 125th anniversary of the first synagogue to be built on Long Island Sept 5, according to a press release from JHSLI.
Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich speaks at the Sept. 5 event. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
The spot ofthe former synagogue building is located at 152 Main Street in Setauket where II Acts thrift store now stands and is owned by Setauket United Methodist Church.
In 1893, the congregation Agudas Achim, meaning association of brothers, was incorporated in Setauket, according to the press release. Three years later a plot of land was purchased on the west side of Main Street just north of 25A and a house of worship was constructed. The opening of the synagogue, the first to be built on Long Island outside of Brooklyn and Queens, was dedicated on Sept. 2, 1896.
“With all the growth and change that has taken place on Long Island over the last 125 years it’s amazing this historic building still stands,” said Brad Kolodny, president of the Jewish Historical Society of Long Island.“We are proud to honor the legacy of those who built the synagogue.”
Among those in attendance for the ceremony and unveiling of a historical marker were Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) and Rabbi Aaron Benson of North Shore Jewish Center. Also, attending the event were North Shore Jewish Center members who are descendants of the families who came to Setauket to work in the former rubber factory and founded the synagogue.
Rabbi Aaron Benson of the North Shore Jewish Center hosts a ceremony condemning recent anti-Semitic violence. Photo by Les Goldschmidt
Numerous acts of anti-Semitism in the past week have left Jewish community leaders concerned for the welfare of its congregates during one of the most joyous celebrations of the Jewish calendar.
Members of the North Shore Jewish Center host a ceremony condemning recent anti-Semitic violence. Photo by Les Goldschmidt
On Saturday, a man broke into a rabbi’s home in the town of Monsey in Rockland County where he assaulted the rabbi and those assembled there. Police said the assailant, 37-year-old Grafton Thomas, allegedly stabbed five people gathered in the rabbi’s home, including the religious leader’s son. According to the Washington Post, one of those attacked remains in critical condition. Thomas has plead not guilty.
The North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station gathered together Sunday, Dec. 29 with members of the faith and local officials from the surrounding area to show strength in the face of the violence, lighting candles on a menorah in light of the attacks. Rabbi Aaron Benson, of the Jewish Center, spoke of the need for unity and forward thinking as they looked to “come to grips” with recent anti-Semitic attacks.
The rabbi said such ceremonies are both necessary and helpful for the Jewish community, finding a way to respond to such unnecessary and unprovoked violence. While he said he has seen consistent acts of anti-Semitism over the past several years, seeing several acts of hate over the course of Hanukkah was something new and distressing.
“It was a way to express hope — that we will prevail over violence and hate,” he said. “People of the Jewish faith has faced such attacks and harassment for centuries, but we have always been able to survive, to stay strong.”
Rabbi Aaron Benson of the North Shore Jewish Center hosts a ceremony condemning recent anti-Semitic violence. Photo by Les Goldschmidt
Other recent events during the days of Hanukkah have made Jewish leaders concerned. On Dec. 23 a man allegedly shouted anti-Semitic slurs while assaulting a woman in Manhattan. On Dec. 26, another Brooklyn woman was harassed by a woman shouting other slurs towards her and her son. The next day, a woman slapped three Orthodox Jewish women in the face in Crown Heights, which is known for its Orthodox Jewish population.
Benson said around 75 people came to the ceremony Sunday night, and while many of them were from his congregation, more came from surrounding communities. Fellow clergy from neighboring churches such as the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook also came to show support.
Rev. Linda Anderson of the Unitarian fellowship said such shows of support from non-Jews are important so that all know that no one faith is standing alone in the face of violence. Earlier this year, after an attack on mosques in New Zealand, she and other members of the local Three Village Interfaith Clergy Association and Building Bridges in Brookhaven gathered at a mosque in Selden, forming a ring around the building to show support. Anderson is the president of the interfaith group.
“The idea that we have to keep doing this is discouraging,” she said, lamenting about the seemingly constant violent attacks on minority faiths around the world. “But we will keep it up, we will stand for fellow faiths in our community.”
Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) attended the ceremony and called it a “beautiful display of community unity.”
She said that after numerous incidents of anti-Semitism across the country, local centers have looked to review their own policies in protecting their congregation.
In terms of Suffolk County Police, she called them “proactive” in looking to stop such incidents happening locally.
Members of the North Shore Jewish Center host a ceremony condemning recent anti-Semitic violence. Photo by Les Goldschmidt
SCPD said in a statement they have stepped up patrols at and around synagogues and Jewish community centers.
Benson said he has found that both the SCPD and sheriff’s departments have been very proactive in their efforts to confront anti-Semitism. He said the local precinct often reaches out to his synagogue and offered added protection for the location after the violent attack Sunday.
U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY-1) also condemned the attacks.
“Hanukkah 2019 in New York will be remembered for a sick amount of violent anti-Semitic attacks in and around New York City. From colleges to Congress to Hanukkah parties and synagogues, anti-Semitism is on the rise and on full display in many ugly forms,” he said in a statement. “The violent anti-Semitic attacks in and around NYC are being caused by raw hate, feckless leadership, a culture of acceptance, education and promotion of anti-Semitism, and lowering quality of life. All elected and community leaders need to step up to confront and crush this threat.”
From left, Rabbi Aaron Benson and Rabbi Paul Sidlofsky address the audience at the Jan. 27 screening. Photo by Donna Newman
By Donna Newman
The Suffolk County Jewish community experienced a unique event on Jan. 27, co-sponsored by North Shore Jewish Center of Port Jefferson Station and Temple Isaiah of Stony Brook.
The documentary film “Who Will Write Our History” about life in the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland during World War II had its global premiere in hundreds of venues in more that 41 countries around the world – and the Jewish Center was the only venue in Suffolk.
The film offers a detailed account of the conditions and atrocities faced by Jews imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto from November 1940 to mid-May 1943, at which time the Nazis destroyed the ghetto following an uprising by its inhabitants.
Thanks to the members of a secret society – code named Oyneg Shabes (joy of the Sabbath) – led by historian Emanuel Ringelblum, an extensive archive was created to chronicle the day-to-day horror of life in the ghetto. One cache was unearthed in 1946; another in 1950. A third is believed buried on the grounds of the Chinese Embassy in Warsaw.
One hundred fifty people gathered to view the film, according to event coordinator Marsha Belford.
Temple Isaiah’s Rabbi Paul Sidlofsky welcomed the crowd. “Over 70 years have passed since [the Holocaust], yet we remember,” he said. “We remember because, during that time, brave people planted seeds to ensure that we would have a tree of knowledge recalling those historical events … At great personal risk and with little hope of survival they hid valuable items that could later be used as proof of Nazi atrocities, serving as evidence to counter false claims of what did and did not occur.”
There was total silence in the screening room, as a combination of archival footage and photographs interspersed with actors reenacting what is described in the diaries and documents. The film brought reality to a history that, barring the evidence of the Ringelblum Archive, would be unfathomable.
After the film, North Shore Jewish Center’s Rabbi Aaron Benson led a Q&A. He offered four observations about the Oyneg Shabes group.
First, the simple human story of resilience and courage in their heroic efforts to record and preserve what was happening to them. Second, a commitment to the Jewish vision of Yizkor (remembrance) that infused their actions. Third, the immense insight of Ringelblum to utilize a very modern, Western idea: a scientific study of history, which was only a few generations old in the 1940s. Fourth, rather than focusing on the leaders (the rabbis) as history traditionally had, his plan was to record history written by ordinary people; assembling a ground-level image of ghetto life.
One film viewer, Dr. Wilfred Lieberthal aptly identified a basis for this wisdom. He said, “Jews have an understanding and an appreciation for the power of the written word.”
