The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Judaism

Temple Shaaray Tefila and Students and Parents Against Campus Anti-Semitism

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All HS, Confirmation and Post Confirmation Students – Join us on OCTOBER 26th @ 6

CROSSING THE LINE 2

Many people are surprised to learn that anti-Israel and anti-Semitic

activities have increased significantly on campuses across the country. Often, our children are unprepared when they confront BDS, or Students for Social Justice in Palestine (SJP) for the first time, or when they hear a professor speak about Israel as the hostile aggressor, or protagonist in the Middle East.

Understanding the agendas, learning the facts, knowing your rights, learning how to deal with Anti-Semitism on campus, are all essential tools we can give our children now. We invite HS students to an informative evening with a showing of Crossing the Line 2 and special guests from the film and from colleges across the country.

Who: Confirmation and Post-Con students from TST and HS
students from all Westchester schools

When: Monday, October 26th 6:00 P.M.
Where: TST – 89 Baldwin Road, Bedford Corners, NY

Hosted by: Temple Shaaray Tefila and Students and Parents Against
Campus Anti-Semitism

For more information, and to rsvp, contact Robin Weber at rweber@templest.org 666.3133 or Karyn Gallant karyngallant@msn.com

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Congregation B’nai Yisrael Celebrates New Rabbi and Educator

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rabbi_josh_stromRabbi Josh Strom has joined Congregation B’nai Yisrael (CBY) of Armonk as its new permanent rabbi. Rabbi Strom previously served as an Associate Rabbi for Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Colgate University and was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2008.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Rabbi Strom to our congregation and local Jewish community,” said Lisa Broomer, president of CBY. She added, “Rabbi Strom brings just the right combination of new ideas and respect for tradition to our congregation with boundless amounts of enthusiasm and passion for our shared Jewish values and beliefs. We are looking forward to many years of fulfilling worship, meaningful learning and heartfelt outreach both within and beyond our community with Rabbi Strom, in partnership with our beloved Cantor, Hayley Kobilinsky, who just celebrated ten wonderful lyrical years with CBY.”

“I am both humbled and thrilled to be joining this strong congregation and local Jewish community,” said Rabbi Strom. “CBY has a rich history for upholding both cultural and social values rooted in Jewish beliefs and traditions. I am eager to help lead and build CBY’s congregation and presence as it embarks on the next great chapter of its future.”

Melissa Cohavi also joins CBY as the new education director after serving Temple Sinai of Stamford, CT for 10 years. Melissa’s extensive education includes a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a Masters in Social Work from Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Lisa Broomer shared, “The Board of Trustees and congregation are very excited and inspired by the additions of Rabbi Strom and Melissa Cohavi.
Their dynamic personalities have already had a big positive impact in a short amount of time.”

Welcoming video interviews of Rabbi Strom and Melissa Cohavi are available through CBY’s website, www.CBYArmonk.org Founded in 1970, Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk is a Reform congregation with nearly 350 family members.

Houses of Worship

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Bet Torah
60 Smith Avenue
Mount Kisco, NY
bettorah.org		 First Congregational Church
210 Orchard Ridge Road
Chappaqua, NY
fcc-chappaqua.org		 Our Lady of the Wayside
Saw Mill River Road
Millwood, NY
sainttheresa.org
Chappaqua Friends Meeting
420 Quaker Road
Chappaqua, NY
chappaquafriends.org		 Grace Baptist Church
12 Orchard Ridge Road
Chappaqua, NY
gbcwpny.org		 Temple Beth El
of Northern Westchester
220 South Bedford Road
Chappaqua, NY
bethelnw.org
Church of Saint John &
Saint Mary
30 Poillon Road
Chappaqua, NY
sjsmrcc.com		 Lutheran Church
of Our Redeemer
120 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
chappaqualutheran.org		 Temple Shaaray Tefila
89 Baldwin Road
Mount Kisco, NY
shaaraytefila.org
Church of Saint Mary
the Virgin
191 S. Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
episcopalchurch.org		 Mt. Kisco Presbyterian Church
605 Millwood Road
(Rt. 133)
Mount Kisco, NY
pcmk.org		 Upper Westchester
Muslim Society
401 Clairmont Avenue
Thornwood, NY
uwms.org
Pleasantville Community Synagogue
219 Bedford Road
Pleasantville, NY
shalompcs.com

Rabbi Joshua Strom: New Leader at Congregation B’nai Yisrael

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rabbi_josh_stromEditor’s Note: Congregation B’nai Yisrael is hoping members and prospective members will take the time to “get to know” their new Rabbi–Rabbi Joshua Strom–who just recently joined this vibrant North Castle congregation. Rabbi Strom joins B’nai Israel with not only an impressive Rabbinical background, but with a strong love for musical theater and hockey too!

Here are some highlights B’nai Israel provided about Rabbi Strom:

Rabbi Strom was born in northeast Philadelphia and raised in the suburb of Yardley, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He is the younger of two sons born to Rabbi Elliot and Susan Strom, brother to Adam. He grew up spending summers at URJ Camp Harlam in the Poconos, through which he made many lifelong friends and met his wife, Tali, and many weekends throughout the school year with NFTY-PAR.

He graduated Pennsbury High School in 1998 and went on to attend Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, where he received a BA in English, graduating magna cum laude in 2002.
While matriculating at Colgate, Rabbi Strom became very involved in the men’s a cappella group, the Colgate 13, as well as musical and dramatic theater, appearing in half a dozen productions of various genres. Colgate is also the place where Rabbi Strom discovered his aspirations for a career in the congregational rabbinate, as well as where he learned to tolerate the cold and love the beautiful game of hockey.

In the year following his graduation, while applying to the rabbinical school of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, he worked at Congregation Beth Chaim in Princeton Junction, New Jersey as the assistant director of the religious school and youth group advisor.

Rabbi Strom began his rabbinical studies in the summer of 2003 in Jerusalem, and returned the following spring to begin studying at the New York campus. He served Temple Beth El in Chappaqua as a rabbinic intern for that year, and also began to teach at Temple Shaaray Tefila of New York City, where he would eventually become a rabbinic intern. Upon his ordination from HUC-JIR in 2008, Rabbi Strom went on to serve Shaaray Tefila as their assistant and then associate rabbi until the spring of 2015.

Rabbi Strom and Tali were married just weeks after his rabbinic ordination in 2008, and are now blessed with sons Jonah, born in May 2010, and Gabriel, born in December 2013.

Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk Elects New Permanent Rabbi

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rabbi_josh_stromCongregation B’nai Yisrael (CBY) of Armonk announced today that its congregation elected Rabbi Joshua Strom as its new permanent Rabbi, effective July 1, 2015.

Rabbi Strom is currently serving as an Associate Rabbi for Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Colgate University and was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2008.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Rabbi Strom to our congregation and local Jewish community,” said Lisa Broomer, president of CBY. She added, “we think that Rabbi Strom will bring just the right combination of new ideas and respect for tradition to our congregation with boundless amounts of enthusiasm and passion for our shared Jewish values and beliefs. We are looking forward to many years of fulfilling worship, meaningful learning and heartfelt outreach both within and beyond our community with Rabbi Strom, in partnership with our beloved Cantor, Hayley Kobilinsky, who just celebrated ten wonderful lyrical years with CBY.”

“I am both humbled and thrilled to be joining this strong congregation and local Jewish community,” said Rabbi Strom. “CBY has a rich history for upholding both cultural and social values rooted in Jewish beliefs and traditions. I am eager to help lead and build CBY’s congregation and presence as it embarks on the next great chapter of its future.”

Rabbi Strom replaces Rabbi David Katz, who has been serving as CBY’s Interim Rabbi while the temple conducted its search for a permanent Senior Rabbi.

Founded in 1970, Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk is a Reform congregation with nearly 350 family members.