Saturday, February 13, 2010

CAI Hoops Finishes Regular Season With Rout of Emanuel

The Agudath Israel Men's Club Basketball team closed out it's 2009-10 regular season with a 60-42 thumping of Temple Emanuel -- and a three-game win streak. The win avenged a three-point loss about a month ago when CAI fell to the E-Men 43-40.

In the win, center David Kerner (pictured, top) continued his hot streak with 15 points. Richie Dicker (bottom picture) added 14. All but two of the eleven men who showed up got on the scoreboard and those that didn't made other contributions to the cause.

Agudath Israel gets a bye week as the league takes its President's Day/School Vacation hiatus for February. But CAI returns to action in the playoffs on Thursday, February 25th. Pairings and times have not been announced, but Agudath Israel is likely the 4th seed in Division B and will face top-ranked B'nai Shalom of West Orange, whom CAI has never beaten this year. Continue to visit this blog for official details.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

World Wide Wrap 2010

Gerry Shapiro, CAI's in-house expert on tefillin, assumed his usual, annual role as educator and gave a great lecture during the World Wide Wrap. The Wrap, a global event organized by the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, took place on Sunday morning, February 7th. Gerry walked Men's Club members, Hay class students and their parents through the liturgical passages pertaining to tefillin and providing reasonsings for the customs. He also provided insights on the usage of the famous phylacteries in Ashkenazi and Sephardic culture and discussed the permission of tefillin use among Jewish women.

Don't think for a moment that the recent flap over an orthodox Jewish airline traveler wearing tefillin did not come up. It did, to much laughter and consternation. Great job, Gerry! (Pictured are, from left, World Wide Wrap committee chair Harvey Hershkowitz, Gerry Shapiro and WWW committee member Ken Levitt.)

After Gerry's talk, Congregation Agudath Israel hosted Dr. Ismar Schorsch, the recent past Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Dr. Schorsch was a featured speaker in CAI's author speaker series. His new book, Canon Without Closure, was the focal point of his discussion. The book took 13 years to write but has been met with applause by clergy both in and out of the Jewish faith.

Thanks to all, especially CAI education director Susan Werk, for making the World Wide Wrap 2010 a great morning!

Monday, February 1, 2010

CAI Outplays JCC-West Orange, 47-35; Two in a Row!

With a formula of patient play on offense, low turnovers and a flawless 2-3 on defense, the CAI Men's Club basketball team won its second straight game, 47-35, over JCC-West Orange. David Kerner (right) picked up where he left off from last week's sensational effort with a double-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds. Steve Eitman connected for 12 points including two go-ahead three pointers.

CAI was down 21-19 at the half but solid zone defense kept JCC-WO from making - and eventually taking - shots from beyond 10 feet. CAI has not had a two-game win streak since winning the Jerusalem Division championship in 2008.

Agudath Israel goes for three in a row when it faces Temple Emanuel on Thursday, February 11 at 8:15 pm. Emanuel notched its only win four weeks ago against CAI, a game Agudath let slip away in the last two minutes.