The CMI Bulletin
More than a place - We’re a community
SERIES 111 No. 2
SEPT/OCT 2026
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
Join your CMI community for Shabbat Services each Friday evening and Saturday mornings when we have a B’Mitzvah to celebrate!
September & October Services
To view the full schedule of services, please click the button below.
To join the livestream for services, please click the button below.
MESSAGE FROM RABBI SCHAEFER
We sometimes find ourselves on the wrong path, through unfortunate circumstances or the choices we’ve made. Years ago, I organized a weekend camping trip to enjoy autumn in New England. I planned everything, including the camping spot, the meals, and the hikes, but I trusted Google Maps to take care of the directions.
Click HERE to view Rabbi Schaefer’s entire message.
MESSAGE FROM JULIE CHEVAN CMI PRESIDENT
Shanah tovah umetukah!
The end of summer often feels bittersweet, as our calendars fill up and many of us return to work, school, and the pace of a full and demanding schedule. Days get shorter and our lives get busier.
Click HERE t0 read the entire message from Julie.
MESSAGE FROM CANTOR FOX
Shanah Tovah!
It always feels a little alarming to start saying “Shanah Tovah” during the month of Elul, the Hebrew month preceding the High Holidays, as is customary in this time of preparation. Yet, this year, with the Holidays falling so early in our secular calendar, it feels perhaps even more alarming.
Click HERE to read the entire message from Cantor Fox.
Simchas and Such
Bat Mitzvah of Annabelle Epstein
Saturday, October 10 at 10:30 a.m. In person & livestream
Mazel Tov to our B’nei Mitzvah
Mazel Tov to Annabelle and her family as we celebrate her becoming a Bat Mitzvah!
Services are open to all in the community.
Annabelle will be reading from Parashat B’reishit.
Bat Mitzvah of Sylvie Frahm
Saturday, October 17 at 10:30 a.m. In person & livestream
Mazel Tov to Sylvie and her family as we celebrate her becoming a Bat Mitzvah!
Services are open to all in the community.
Sylvie will be reading from Parashat Noach.
THE CONGREGATION EXTENDS A WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS
Stephen Heller & Silvina del Carmen-Heller
Hedda Kopf
Lauren Pisano and children, Donato (Danny), 6 & Maximus, 4
Karen & Ira Zeid
MAZEL TOV TO THE FOLLOWING CONGREGANTS
Mazel Tov to Micheal Dimenstein & Hedda Rubenstein on the birth of their grandson,
Isaac Arthur (Izzy) - Hebrew name, Chaim Avraham Born on July 17, 2026
Mazel Tov to his parents, Marissa Mayer & Daniel Dimenstein and big sister, Maya.
Mazel Tov to Martha & John Simpson on the birth of their granddaughters,
Rhea Jiavani Simpson Born on March 30, 2026
Mazel Tov to her parents, Nicholas & Shantel Simpson.
AND
Stevie Mars Szabo & Dorothy Jade Szabo Born April 25, 2026
Mazel Tov to their parents, Shayna (Simpson) & Jack Szabo
Mazel Tov to Milt & Joan Wallck on the birth of their grandson,
Theodore “Teddy” Merritt Wallack, Hebrew name, Yaakov Born on August 10, 2026
Mazel Tov to his parents, Casey & Harris Wallack.
CMI EVENTS - SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER CLOSINGS
Monday, September 7 - BUILDING CLOSED for Labor Day
Selichot Service and Havdallah Saturday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Join Rabbi Schaefer and Cantor Fox, as we join with local Reform synagogues to begin our prayers for forgiveness in preparation for the High Holy Days.
First Day of Religious School Sunday, September 27 at 9:30 a.m.
Welcome back! We cannot wait to see you on Sunday, September 27th and we look forward to seeing you all after a wonderful summer break!
Michelle will be eagerly waiting to greet you beginning at 9:00.
Brotherhood Coffee Shop Sunday, September 27 at 9:30 a.m.
Grap a cup of coffee, a bagel or a doughnut in the Rotunda every sunday morning. The Brotherhood of Men and Women runs our coffee shop, providing sustenance in a social setting. All proceeds go to Religious School Scholarships.
CMI Book Group Wednesday, September 30 at 12:00 noon
Welcome back from the summer hiatus! We are looking forward to another year of interesting and enlightening book discussions. Our first book is, Heart of a Stranger by Angela Buchdahl, Senior Rabbi at Central Synagogue in Manhattan. As the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi, this is a stirring account of her journey from feeling like an outsider to becoming one of the most admired religious leaders in the world.
CMI Confronting Racism & CONECT – Renewing American Democracy Sunday, October 4, 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Biography:
Gadkar-Wilcox received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and is Associate Professor of Constitutional and Human Rights Law at Quinnipiac University.
In her role as a State Senator, Gadkar-Wilcox serves as Deputy Majority Leader, is chair of the Government Oversight Committee and Regulation Review and serves as vice chair of the Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committee and the Judiciary Committee.
Postcard Writing Tuesday, October 6, 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Thursday, October 8, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Every Voice, Every Vote Postcard Writing Campaign
Help CMI send 600 postcards to Texas communities impacted by barriers to voting. We are joining the Reform Action Center's Every Voice, Every Vote Campaign to reach voters in communities where there is a significant racial gap in voter participation. In partnership with the Center for Common Ground's Reclaim our Vote Campaign, we hope to make every vote count by helping Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities overcome barriers to voting in their state.
Simchat Torah w/Pizza Truck Dinner Friday, October 2 5:30 p.m. Dinner 6:30 p.m. Service
Join us for a delicious pizza dinner with gelato dessert before we all join together to celebrate the Torah! Come dance with us, raise your voices, and show off your ruach with lots of singing and a wonderful sense of community! We hope to see you there!
Special Shabbat Service with Stuffed Animal Parade Friday, October 16 at 6:00 p.m., special oneg at 5:30 p.m.
Chevra Hands Sunday, October 18 at 10:00 a.m.
Calling all quilters, knitters & crocheters! Our dedicated group of quilt-makers, called Chevra Hands, makes shawls, baby blankets and lap blankets that we donate to members of our congregation including newborns, people in the hospital and those who are home bound. Everyone is always welcome to join us.
SAVE THE DATE!!! Israeli Symphony Orchestra Wednesday, October 21, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Watch the weekly E-News for more details as the date approaches!
Adult Education Opportunity with Jeffrey Sonnenfeld Sunday, October 25, at 9:30 a.m.
Trump's Ten Commandments: Strategic Lessons from the Trump Leadership Toolbox
Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld will discuss the research that led to his new book, Trump's Ten Commandments: Strategic Lessons from the Trump Leadership Toolbox. The book is a New York Times bestseller. Yale leadership scholar and CMI member Jeffrey Sonnenfeld pulls back the curtain on Donald Trump’s rulebook for power—revealing the ten ruthless, repeatable strategies that explain how he conquers chaos, commands loyalty, and bends every arena to his will.
VIEW THE WEBSITE CALENDAR FOR THE FULL DESCRIPTION
Participants in the program will receive a copy of Professor Sonnenfeld’s book.
Torah Study - In Person or on Zoom
Please note that we are now meeting at 9:00 a.m. once again
Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Liturgical Hebrew - In Person
Rabbi Steve Steinberg will lead this class teaching the sacred form of the Hebrew language used for Jewish prayers, Torah readings, blessings, and synagogue services.
Sunday mornings (when there is Religious School) 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Modern Judaism - In Person
Rabbi Steve Steinberg will lead this class and cover Bundism (Jewish socialist movement), Zionism and the complexities of the development of the American Jewish world including bankers, gangsters, Hollywood & Vegas.
Sunday mornings (when there is Religious School) 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
CMI SPOTLIGHT
Membership Team Volunteer Opportunities at CMI
CMI is seeking volunteers to support its varied membership engagement and support efforts. These are the special ways you might get involved:
Membership Committee - help plan, implement and track creative membership outreach activities.
Shabbat Dinners Team - help welcome members & guests and support set-up and clean-up efforts.
New Member Welcome Team - help deliver CMI ‘welcome bags’ to new members in your local neighborhood.
If you are looking for meaningful ways to support our community, contact Membership Chair, Sarah Greenblatt at sarahbgreenblatt@gmail.com. to discuss ways you can best join in!
Book Burial Ceremony
Thanks to all who supported the effort to perform the sacred ritual of burying books and printed materials that contain Holy Scripture and prayers. We are grateful to Rabbi Schaefer and Cantor Fox for ensuring the proper conduct of this process, including beautiful prayers and reflection. Thanks also to our community partners Nolan Monuments and Paulo’s Landscaping for making the event possible. A special thank you to Michael Dimenstein for organizing this special ceremony.
Phyllis Bausher, Ivey Cooley, Ricci Cummings, Michael Dimenstein, Joel Jacobson, Karen Kimball, Hedda Rubenstein
SEPTEMBER GREETERS
Phyllis Bausher, Ivey Cooley, Michael Dimenstein, Joel Jacobson, Richard & Marie Shaw and Cliff & True Wolff
OCTOBER GREETERS
SUMMER SERVICE LAY LEADERS
We extend a special thank you to the congregants who led us in prayer and song over the summer.
Rachel Alderman, Michael Allen, Cynthia Astmann, Dana Astmann, Max Blustajn, David Chevan, Julie Chevan, Michael Dimenstein, Stan Friedman, Ben Greenberg, Stephen Harris, Hedda Rubenstein, Alan Sturtz, Patricia Vener-Saavedra, Martha Weisbart, & Jonathan Zabin
PULPIT FLOWERS, KIDDUSH & BREAK FAST SPONSORSHIPS
One of the nicest ways to honor a special occasion is to sponsor pulpit flowers and Kiddush/oneg for services. Congregation Mishkan Israel is grateful to the following Sponsors:
Rosh Hashanah flowers, kiddush & Yom Kippur Break Fast are sponsored by Jimmy Shure. Yom Kippur flowers are sponsored by Sarah Greenblatt in memory of her mother, Evelyn Greenblatt. Flowers for all High Holy Days are also sponsored yearly by the Alan L. Gans Revocable Trust in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Louis R. Gans, Dr. Alan Gans and Audrey Gans Saidel.
To arrange for a sponsorship for the holidays or any Friday service, contact Tamara at (203) 288-3877 or tepstein@cmihamden.org.
2026-2027 DONATIONS
CHAI HOLY DAY CAMPAIGN
To view the list of Chai Holy Day Donors, please click the button below.
RECENT DONATIONS
To view the list of recent donations please click the button below.
YAHRZEITS
September Yahrzeits
To view the lists of September Yahrzeits, click the button.
October Yahrzeits
To view the lists of October Yahrzeits, click the button.
May their memories be a blessing
IN SYMPATHY TO
Lydia Bornick on the loss of her son, Robert Michael Bornick Martha Weisbart on the loss of her sister-in-law, Kristi Cohn
IN MEMORIAM
Evelyn Hatkin Gennadiy Sorochan
Thank you to our advertisers for their support
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Contact Us
THE CONGREGATION MISHKAN ISRAEL BULLETIN
September-October 2026 Series 111 No. 2
THE CONGREGATION MISHKAN ISRAEL
785 Ridge Road, Hamden, CT 06517
Phone: (203) 288-3877 Fax: (203) 248-2148
http://cmihamden.org
Rabbi Daniel Schaefer x236 dschaefer@cmihamden.org
Rabbi Emeritus Herbert N. Brockman, Ph.D. D.D. x238 cmirabbi@cmihamden.org
Cantor Sierra Fox x244 sfox@cmihamden.org
Jody Dietch, Executive Director x241 jdietch@cmihamden.org
Michelle Goldstein, Religious School Director x237 mgoldstein@cmihamden.org
Jennifer Verrier, Early Learning Director x246 jverrier@cmihamden.org
Julie Chevan, President president@cmihamden.org