As you finish up your school year, and as we watch Israel's current military campaign against Iran's nuclear program, we want you to know that we are here if you need any support. Whether you want support to process your feelings or if you're looking to learn how to talk about the current conflict with other teens, we are here for you. We hope and pray for a swift end to this conflict, and for the health and safety of friends and family in Israel. If you would like to connect, please reach out to Alyssa (aberman@bethelnr.org) or Rabbi Sitkin (zsitkin@bethelnr.org).
We also want to share some exciting news with you: We are planning an interfaith trip for teens to Washington, DC in November! We are partnering with Generations Church, a local church in downtown New Rochelle, in which we will take ten 9th-12th graders from each community to explore our shared histories. We will spend two days/three nights visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Oh, did we also mention that it's free?! Thanks to a generous grant through the UJA Federation, we are able to offer this amazing opportunity to our communities at no cost. You just need to commit to attending the DC trip as well as two, 1-hour orientation sessions before the trip and two, 1-hour follow-up sessions after the trip. If you are interested in applying for this shared histories trip, please join us for an Information Session on Tuesday, June 24 at 7:30 pm. RSVP to Alyssa at aberman@bethelnr.org if you're interested.
Due to the closure of Israeli air space, many Israelis who were planning to work at Ramah Nyack (day camp) and Ramah Berkshires (overnight camp) are unavailable to travel to their camps. These camps are eagerly looking to fill positions, and we hope you can join them!
Camp Ramah Berkshires is located about 1 hour away and is an overnight camp. Their staff must be high school graduates and older. If you're interested in learning more, please reach out to Alana Tillman, Associate Director, at atilman@ramahberkshires.org.
Camp Ramah Nyack is located just over the bridge in Rockland County and is a day camp. They can provide bussing (as a bus counselor) for those commuting, although some staff do stay over. Camp Ramah Nyack hires staff in high school and older. If you're interested in learning more, please reach out to Sophie Libow, Program Coordinator, at sophie@campramah.org.
If you are intersted in working at a different camp, for one week or the full summer, the Foundation for Jewish Camp team will connect you to an amazing camp for a summer of connection, growth, purpose, and joy! Visit www.jewishcamp.org/work if you are interested.
We are counting down the days until Monday when our two-week Mini Camp begins. Let's all hope for beautiful sunny days of fun and laughter!
Please send in the following items with your child: - a complete change of clothing - a beach towel - a filled water bottle - an extra pair of footwear to change into after water-play - bag for wet clothing - dairy or parve lunch - optional: hat and sunglasses
* PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME!
There will be a lot of outdoor waterplay, so be sure to send your child to camp wearing a bathing suit and water shoes, with sun block already applied.
We will be using Room 1 for Mini Camp for all ages. Pick-up and drop-off will be at the door of the classroom.
Snack in the form of pretzels, crackers, Pirate's Booty, etc. will be provided by the school.
We looking forward to seeing you and your child on Monday!
The Mini-Camp (MC) Counselors: Morah Linda, Morah Amelia, Amy and Estevan
Thank you for cultivating a beautiful Poet Tree together for Rabbi Schuck Beth El members and friends shared the poems hanging from this tree celebrating ten years together with Rabbi Schuck as an expression of gratitude to him and our community. You can submit more poems by June 20th to add to the Poet Tree, and browse the collection here.
Dear Beth El,
Last night as we were celebrating 10 years together as a community under the leadership of Rabbi Schuck, Israel carried out a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and high level IRGC military officials and nuclear scientists. Our thoughts are with the Israeli people as they brace for what may come next.
While the full consequences of Israel’s strike on Iran are still unfolding, we are united in our prayer for calm and stability. Many of us have family and dear friends who live in Israel or are currently visiting. We hold them close in our hearts, along with all other Israelis, and we pray for their safety and well-being.
In uncertain times like these, community becomes all the more vital—together we can be a source of strength, solidarity, and shared hope. May we continue to support one another, and may peace soon prevail.
Shabbat Shalom, The Beth El Clergy Team
Friday, June 13th 6:30pm Kabbalat Shabbat 8:10pm Candle Lighting
Saturday, June 14th Parashat Beha'alotcha 9:00am Shabbat Morning Services 10:30am Mini Minyan 10:30am Tot Shabbat This week's kiddush is sponsored by Aron Davidowitz and Tayla Cohen in honor of Noah's bar mitzvah. 12:45pm Daf Shevui 8:20pm Mincha/Maariv 9:10pm Havdalah
Clergy from across New Rochelle— Jewish and Christian, Black and White— will gather on the steps of City Hall to stand united against the rise of antisemitism in our country. This interfaith vigil is a public expression of support, mourning, and moral clarity. Together, we affirm: hate has no home here, and the safety and dignity of the Jewish community is a shared responsibility. Come, join us!
Mazal tov to Aron Davidowitz and Talya Cohen on their son Noah's bar mitzvah.
Mazal tov and happy birthday to Leonora Loewentheil on her recent 98th birthday. Those marking a simcha, observing the loss of a loved one, or someone who is sick or recovering from an illness have delighted/comforted that their lifecycle event has inspired generosity. If you would like to make a donation to Beth El in honor or in memory, please click here. MISHEBERACH LIST If you would like to add a name to the Misheberach list, please email Rabbi Sitkin at zsitkin@bethelnr.org.
As a service to our members, Beth El includes in this section outside events that may be of interest to members of our community. Listing an event does not constitute endorsement of the event by Beth El.
RUN 4 THEIR LIVES is an opportunity to create community while supporting the releease of the hostages in Gaza. You can read more information about our 'why' at http://Run4lives.org. The group meets weekly on Sunday mornings. Participants can walk or run as much as they would like. Learn more about the upcoming November Israel trip, as well as weekly announcements about meetup locations in the WhatsApp Group, which you can join here.
Your children have been in Beth El for an entire school year, and yet every day, their backpacks have gone home pretty much empty.
If you didn’t know us well, you might think that your child didn’t learn anything. The reason it is hard to send home anything in the back pack is because nothing fits...
We can’t send home how they learned to find their own name on the attendance chart.
We can’t send home how they learned to serve their own snack.
We can’t send home how they became comfortable and confident in the daily routines of the classroom.
We can’t send home the amazing constructions that groups of the children built together.
We can’t send home the large mural all the children painted so beautifully together as a community.
We can’t send home the giggles of the children as they created erupting volcanos with their vinegar and baking soda experiments.
We can’t send home the mud pies created in our Mud Kitchen.
We can’t send home the caring eyes on each child as they dropped their coins in the tzedakah boxes.
We can’t send home the pride the children feel as they host Shabbat Bear for the weekend.
However, our teachers have been sending home a few things, like wet sleeves from the water table, paint speckles on faces, and muddy shoes and boots from Gan Teva. Or maybe you've heard stories of how your children have zipped their own jackets or helped others put on their jackets.
Yes, if you looked inside their backpacks, it would seem like they haven’t been learning, but if you look outside of the backpack, you will see cooperation, friendship, independence, collaboration, discovery, testing, questioning, trial and error, confidence, exploration and play.
We’d say it was a very successful year.
We will miss you and wish you a wonderful summer ahead, Ronnie and Shery
Parents joyfully remember their child’s very first steps. They remember when they slept through the night and said their first words. Parents are there for those moments.
When parents leave a child at the door to the classroom each day, they are often filled with curiosity: What is my child doing in there? Who is my child when I am not around? The private world of children can be marvelous, yet so mysterious.
Tomorrow, on the last day of school, each family will be presented with a gift from the teachers -- a Journey Binder. The Binder is a record of your child’s explorations and encounters, moments of triumph and meaningful transformations. This binder contains a variety of texts and photos depicting moments of learning, birthday celebrations, engaging with friends, Shabbat celebrations and more.
If this is your child's last year at Beth El, you may take the Binder home. For those families who are returning in September, the Journey Binder should be left in school as it will be passed on to your child’s new teachers. When your child eventually leaves our school, you will be presented with the Journey Binder, a keepsake to serve as a beautiful record of his/her learning experiences at Beth El Nursery School. We hope you find these Binders to be a source of valuable insight into the precious years of early childhood.
We have been made aware that there is work going on at the front of the building which is creating a lot of dust. As a result, for this afternoon's dismissal, we are asking everyone to please enter the building through the back door. There will be a guard present. If you can pass along this message to anyone picking up your children today, it would be greatly appreciated.
When should I arrive? We encourage arrival at 7:00pm so you have ample time to enjoy drinks, hors d'oevres, and dinner with the community. When does dinner start? Unlike in years past, we will be offering dinner—along with cocktails and hors d'oevres—at 7:00pm in order to give everyone time to eat before the program starts! We will be moving into the Sanctuary at 8:20pm for the program.
Where do I park? Please allow adequate time to find parking, as space is limited in the Beth El front and back lots. Additional parking is available in the Ursuline School parking lot, located at 1354 North Avenue, and in the surrounding public streets. Please do not park in the CVS lot as your car would be subject to towing.
What will we do? Enjoy cocktails, delicious eats, and bid on items in our silent auction 7:00pm-8:20pm. At this point, we will transition to the Sanctuary for an approximately thirty-minute program celebrating Rabbi Schuck's 10 years at Beth El. Following this program, we will return to dancing, dessert, and more opportunities to bid in the silent auction. Look forward to additional exciting surprises throughout the evening that speak to this year's gala celebration.
What should I wear? Think celebration, festive and fun, whether that means your favorite cocktail attire — a stylish dress, a dapper jacket, a suit, a tie — or whatever makes you feel good and ready to celebrate.
Can I bid online in the silent auction now? Yes! Browse the goods here. Online auction ends at 11:00pm tomorrow (Tuesday), and will continue in real life at the gala.
Can I still place a journal ad? Yes! Rabbi Schuck will be presented with a printed comprehensive journal after the gala, inclusive of last minute journal ads.
Can I still submit a published poem for the Poet Tree? Yes! We are collecting poems through June 20th. You can submit a poem here.
It's not too late to...
Place a Journal Ad
Place your journal ad to let Rabbi Schuck know what his presence at Beth El has meant to you.
The vital funds raised help Beth El Synagogue Center to thrive providing programming, worship and care for all generations of members—from ages 0 to 100+.
Purchase Your Tickets We'll celebrate a decade of Rabbi Schuck's rabbinic leadership at Beth El. Our gratitude comes to life in festive dining, a celebratory, heartfelt program, and dancing—sure to be a cherished event for all, as well as an expression of our commitment to a flourishing future together.
Silent Auction is open! Bidding is now open for exciting items and experiences in our silent auction! Find your yen while supporting Beth El.
We are sorry to share that another one of our Gesher friends has tested positive for strep throat. This child was last in school yesterday. Please note that this child did not present with a sore throat or any typical strep symptoms and just finished antibiotics this past Monday for a previous case of strep.
Of late, as you all know, there have been an unusually high number of cases of strep throat in this class. Additionally, this is the third consecutive case of strep for this particular child. We are supporting the doctor's recommendation that each member of the Gesher community be tested for strep, as there may be an asymptomatic case going around that is spreading the virus unknowingly. It would be so unfortunate to have a child miss the last day of school's festivities, and one is able to return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. To that end, please have them tested asap.
As a reminder, common symptoms of strep throat include the following but may or may not be present:
Throat pain that usually comes on quickly Painful swallowing Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus Tiny red spots on the area at the back of the roof of the mouth (soft or hard palate) Swollen, tender lymph nodes in your neck Fever Headache Rash Nausea Not all sore throats are strep, and not all strep includes a sore throat. The only certain way to diagnose strep is through a throat culture. The incubation period is 1-5 days. Please let us know if any other cases develop. Wishing our Gesher friend a refuah shlema.
For event accessibility needs, please be in touch so we can address them.
Last chance to join us at the gala!
Friday, June 6th 6:00pm First Fridays Kabbalat Shabbat 8:06pm Candle Lighting
Saturday, June 7th Parashat Nasso 9:00am Pride Shabbat Morning Services 10:30am Mini Minyan 10:30am Tot Shabbat 12:45pm Daf Shevui 8:10pm Mincha/Maariv 9:07pm Havdalah
Note About Check Donations When making a donation by check to any of the funds including the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund at Beth El, please ensure that the check is made out to "Beth El Synagogue Center" and then indicate in the memo line of the check which fund it is intended for. The bank has indicated that they will no longer accept checks made out to the fund name.
Magazine Spring Cleaning Got old magazines? Please donate them to Beth El Day Camp for upcoming activities by dropping them off in the lobby.
Mazal tov to Fran and David Klingsberg on the B'nai Mitzvot of their grandchildren, Bryce and Camden Klingsberg in Florida.
Mazal tov to Keren & Jared Morris on the bat mitzvah of their daughter, Hannah Morris.
Condolences to the Levine family on the loss of our longtime member, Beatrice Freedman z"l.
Those marking a simcha, observing the loss of a loved one, or someone who is sick or recovering from an illness have delighted/comforted that their lifecycle event has inspired generosity. If you would like to make a donation to Beth El in honor or in memory, please click here. MISHEBERACH LIST If you would like to add a name to the Misheberach list, please email Rabbi Sitkin at zsitkin@bethelnr.org.
As a service to our members, Beth El includes in this section outside events that may be of interest to members of our community. Listing an event does not constitute endorsement of the event by Beth El.
RUN 4 THEIR LIVES is an opportunity to create community while supporting the releease of the hostages in Gaza. You can read more information about our 'why' at http://Run4lives.org. The group meets weekly on Sunday mornings. Participants can walk or run as much as they would like. Learn more about the upcoming November Israel trip, as well as weekly announcements about meetup locations in the WhatsApp Group, which you can join here.
It is hard to believe that next week is the last week of school. We look forward to celebrating with you all on Wednesday. Details may be found below for each class celebration.
School may be ending next week, but Beth El Nursery School is offering Mini Camp for the two weeks following the end of the school year, before Day Camp begins. Mini Camp dates are as follows: Monday through Friday, June 16 - June 27 (no camp on Thursday, 6/19), 9:00am - 1:00pm or 9:00am - 2:00pm. Before and after care will not be offered during these two weeks. Please see the flier below for further details. Click here to register.
As a reminder, there will be no after care or Lunch Bunch on Wednesday, June 11, the last day of school. For those who participate in our hot lunch program on Wednedays, pasta will be served. Beth El's Annual Gala is celebrating a decade together with Rabbi Schuck on Thursday, June 12. It's always wonderful to see families from our Nursery School community out on the dance floor enjoying a night out, while supporting this important synagogue fundraiser. Please consider attending, placing an ad, or participating in the silent auction by clicking here.
On Sunday, June 8 from 10:00-11:00am, Beth El's Director of Youth and Family Engagement, Alyssa Berman, will be hosting A Taste of Religious School. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to learn more about our Religious School if you are considering enrolling for the 2025-2026 school year. Morah Emily, the Gan (K) teacher (and yoga teacher extraordinaire) will lead a model class. During this time, Alyssa will be happy to meet with the adults to answer questions and share more information regarding programming. You'll also have the opportunity to connect with current parents and each other. This is a free event that is open to the community! Register here.
Spring Cleaning Alert! Beth El Day Camp is still collecting magazines to be used during staff training. Magazine donations can be brought to the labeled box in the synagogue lobby. They thank you in advance!
Looking to order labels for camp this summer? Feel free to scroll down and learn about Mabel's Labels. You will recieve adorable labels and Beth El Nursery School will get a share of the profits! Click here to order.
It is so hard to believe that the end of the school year is drawing near. End of year celebrations for each class will be on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 11th. Please find times for each age group's celebration below:
Shoresh - 10:30-11:45am Gezah Classes - 9:15am-10:45am Anaf Classes - 1:00pm-2:30pm Gesher - 9:15am-10:25am Shabbat shalom! Ronnie and Shery
Mabel's Label's Fundraising We are continuing our fundraising through Mabel's Labels. With every order we will earn 20% commission for our school. If you are not familiar with Mabel's Labels, they offer personalized waterproof name labels for your children's items. This is the perfect time to get your orders in before the school year begins. Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and choose Beth El Nursery School (New Rochelle) from the organization list. Click here to order.
