Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan 5778

Transcription

1 Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan 5778

2 SULAM Beth El - Seek. Understand. Learn. Act. Marvel. We are so excited for the inaugural year of SULAM Beth El, our re-imagined educational program! Our leadership team and educators have worked diligently throughout the summer to create a new structure and innovative curriculum, and we will continue to evaluate and assess throughout the year. Our goal is to provide an engaging, experiential program that brings meaning and relevance to all learners. SULAM. It s not just a pretty name! Sulam is the Hebrew word for ladder, and we think it offers great symbolism for our program. It represents the ladder of learning on which we hope all will ascend throughout their experience in our new educational program. We also gave meaning to the individual letters of SULAM to further reflect our philosophy and program goals. With guidance from our dynamic team of educators, we believe learners will be inspired to Seek, Understand, Learn, Act, Marvel...both individually and as a community. On the subject of words and meaning, here is some new vocabulary in reference to our educational program: Instead of Religious School, we use SULAM Beth El Instead of Teacher, we use Educator Instead of Student, we use Learner Instead of Classroom, we use Learning Space Follow our progress as we bring our vision to life! Find us on Facebook at SULAM at Beth El Temple where you can learn more about the program and access the link to our calendar. Looking forward to a wonderful year! Caryl Goldberg Education Director SULAM Beth El cgoldberg@bethelwh.org Parent Yoga Sunday, Sept 24 9:30-10:30 AM A drop-in yoga tefilah (prayer) class, just for SULAM Beth El parents. LEADER: Adriana Matozzo, West Hartford Yoga SPONSOR: Parent Action Group Education Task Force Many thanks to: Carrie Berman, Lisa Harris, Judy Rosenthal, Lois Koteen, Leslie Silvers, Jonathan Alter, Jordan Grossman, Dan Zittoun, Jay Wolman Registration...is underway, and it's all online! If you have not received login and register information, please call the office at SULAM Beth El September Wed 6 4:00 PM Open House Sun 10 9:00 AM First Day 9:00 AM Annual Parent Tailgate Party (with Men s Club and Women s Network) Sun 17 9:00 AM RH Family Program (see p. 10) Sun 24 9:00 AM PAG Opening Meeting 9:30 AM Parent Yoga Tue 26 7:00 PM Curriculum Night (parents only) October Sun 1 12:00 PM Sukkah Decorating Sun 15 9:00 AM Ushpizin Sukkot Family program Sun 29 9:00 AM Parent Coffee with Caryl 9:15 AM Camp Ramah program (see p. 9) November Sun 5 9:00 AM 3 rd Grade Siddur Decorating, with parents PAG: Meet the Chairs We are so excited to support SULAM Beth El as co-presidents of the Parent Action Group (PAG). Between us, we currently have 3 kids in SULAM Beth El (4 soon enough!) and cherish the education and experiences our children have gained through Beth El. PAG supports the children, parents, and teachers through various programs including coordination of room parents, mitzvot opportunities, and social events. We would like to thank last year s PAG chairs, Lisa Harris and Tammy Krulewitz, for their efforts and leadership. Feel free to us if we can help you or your family at all with the SULAM Beth El experience! Sharon Neiberg & Janel MacDermott pagpresidentsbetheltemple@gmail.com 2 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

3 Making Connections Chai Society Luncheon and Speaker Connecticut Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman Wednesday September 13 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM Chai Society is pleased to welcome Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman to discuss her Jewish roots and how they impact her public service. Join us for a delightful lunch and meaningful conversation. COST: $12 RSVP: required by 9/8, Allan Geetter, , Jay Cudrin, Men s Club Distinguished Service Award Banquet Honoring Jacob Kovel Thursday, September 14 6:00 PM We honor Jacob for his many years of devoted service to Beth El Temple and the Community. Guest Speaker: Jeffrey Teitler, award-winning documentary filmmaker, Director of Envision Films and Assoc. Professor of Communications at CCSU. Master of Ceremonies: Beth El President Jonathan Alter. COST: $40 ($60 Patrons; $100 Sponsors) TRIBUTE BOOK: other sponsorship levels available RSVP: by 9/5, Bruce Shein, , bruceshein@comcast.net NOTE: invitations have been mailed to all members Support our Syrian Refugee Family It s been quite a summer for our friends from Syria as they discovered all that West Hartford has to offer and they made friends among the Arab community. Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, the family benefits from the generosity of several local food banks. The older girls went to camp this summer and their grasp of English is amazing. Mom has been riding the bus and learning how to navigate on her own. She is also getting skilled at grocery shopping without guidance. Dad has his learner s permit and took driver s education in Arabic. It s not too early to start thinking about how to get them a car. If anyone knows of someone who has a minivan they are thinking of getting rid of, ask them to consider giving it to our friends. The beginning of school is an exciting new adventure for the older children. Mom and her two youngest children will be ready for weekday outings without the older girls. Think of them when you are setting up playdates, heading for the library, or otherwise planning an outing. The family s biggest need is having people to spend time with and have fun. Consider taking a few of the children and one parent for a fun activity. We need people to drive for occasional appointments and for food bank visits. Whether you can give a few hours or regular assistance, there are many ways to help the family! CONTACT: Robin Landau, robinlandau2@gmail.com, Carrie Berman, carrieberman82@gmail.com Hebrew Reading Crash Course for Adults Sundays, Sept 17 - Nov 19* 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Learn to read Hebrew in only nine 1-hour sessions. Designed for those with little or no background in Hebrew, it concentrates on teaching the Hebrew alphabet and reading skills. Each participant will receive a free copy of NJOP s Reishith Binah Hebrew primer. INSTRUCTOR: Sidra Sperling COST: no charge; books provided CONTACT: Wendy, SPONSOR: National Jewish Outreach Prog. *NOTE: no class 10/8 Institute for Basic Judaism Thursdays begins November 2 7:35-9:15 PM A 21-session program for beginners exploring a Jewish life for themselves, including interfaith couples, people considering conversion, and Jews looking for adult-level basics. It is also appropriate for Christians and Muslims who want to better understand Judaism. INSTRUCTORS: local Conservative Rabbis, including Rabbis Garber and Rosen COST: $295, scholarships available CONTACT: Rabbi Richard Plavin, riplavin@gmail.com, Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

4 The Rabbis Desks The Beat of the Drum, the Sound of the Horn I hope that this has been a summer of relaxation and renewal for you. A time of a slower pace, a chance to breathe, play, and reflect. Having the opportunity to spend more time in nature than is my norm, I found myself drawn to the words of Henry David Thoreau. The bicentennial of this famous New Englander, naturalist, and promoter of both civil disobedience and the uniqueness of each individual, is observed this year. Thoreau is most famous for his two years of withdrawal to Walden Pond where he wanted to live a simple life of awareness, to be awakened by an infinite expectation of the dawn. A place where living deliberately in a life stripped bare of anything non-essential he could learn what it truly had to teach. His most famous statement reads If a man doesn t keep pace with his companion perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however, measured or far away. What a lovely affirmation of non-conformity or a driving personal vision. And, I imagine the author was describing his maverick self. Yet, we also know Thoreau regularly left Walden Pond to return to Concord. He shopped, he socialized, he was a somewhat irregular hermit. He too needed people. Rosh Hashanah gives us a Jewish parallel of the move between human uniqueness and our community. Our instrument is not Thoreau s drum, but the unique Jewish horn which is the Shofar. In tradition, the Shofar is meant to be a spiritual, ethical, alarm clock and the declaration of hopeful redemption. We listen to it communally, but hopefully, hear it personally. I hear it saying where have you been asleep to realities and unfilled possibilities, this past year? How and when have you fallen short? Do you see the good and hopeful dangling in front of you awaiting your grasp? What do you hear when the Shofar is sounded? In services, where we join with so many others, what do you hear addressed to you, your life, and where it might be headed in the months to come? Our New Year is a time to be uplifted as individuals in a setting of sharing. Let that combination give us the melody of meaning in the year ahead. Nancy and our children join in wishing you a sweet and healthy New Year. ~ Rabbi Jim Rosen Spring 2018 Trip to Israel Rabbi Rosen is planning to lead a group trip to Israel, May 6-18, Stay tuned for details! CONTACT: Rabbi Howard Sowalsky, , hsowalsky@bethelwh.org Camp Ramah in New England A.K.A. Ramah Palmer, home of the Fighting Roo! All of our clergy have the privilege and joy of visiting the campers and counselors (both college-aged and adults!) from our Beth El families at Ramah Palmer. Rabbi Rosen and Cantor Ness made separate day trips to camp, and Rabbi Garber did too. But she also spent a week as a Scholar-in-Residence and her older son enjoyed his first summer as a real camper and living in the bunks! A-SIDE, 1 ST SESSION: Noam, Pauline, Rabbi Garber, Josh, Ellie, Sammie, Emma A-SIDE, 2 ND SESSION: Jonah, Sam, Alex, Joel, Josh, Rabbi Rosen, Maya, Rabbi Garber, Sarah, Sari, Sydney with a friend from the Gan (staff kids camp) B-SIDE, 2 ND SESSION: Rabbi Rosen, Abby, Max, Ahna, Rabbi Garber, Miles, Ethan, Jessie 4 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

5 Reflections from the President It is not too late. It is early and about to grow. Now is the time to do what you know you must and have feared to begin... Forgive the dead year. Forgive yourself. What will be wants to push through your fingers. The light you seek hides in your belly. The light you crave longs to stream from your eyes. ~ Marge Piercy The Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are a time for introspection regarding how we have chosen to live our lives over the past year. As we welcome the new year, we are supposed to step back from our harried day-to-day routines with its flurry of regular, troubling news cycles to reflect, recalibrate, and reaffirm our core identity and values. We are asked to consider the past twelve months the successes and the failures and contemplate how we choose to learn and grow. On Rosh Hashanah, our fate for the coming year is written in the Book of Life, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed. However, your Book of Life doesn t begin on Rosh Hashanah nor does it end there. It began when you were born, and continues to be written every day. It is written by the choices you make. You decide whether your book tells the story of a person rich with memories of laughter, hugs and acts of kindness, or a person regretfully recalling a life less meaningful. Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of fantastic opportunities. Can you treat those you encounter with greater respect and empathy? Can you repair your relationships with others? Can you do more to help those in need? On Yom Kippur, we are called upon to reflect on how we want to enhance our Jewish knowledge, observance, and participation. As your leaders, we are constantly asking ourselves how we can help you on your own personal journey. We have wonderful people and programs here at Beth El to allow you to grow spiritually, socially, and intellectually. If there is something more we can do, just let us know. On behalf of my fellow officers and the entire Board of Trustees, I wish you all a Shana Tova. May this be a sweet, happy new year for us all. And, may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life. ~ Jonathan Alter Cantor s Corner - The Threshold You are standing at a door, a point of entry to another room in this large and partially unexplored building. You have passed through many of these entranceways before that point between two rooms, the undecided middle zone between inside and outside, between here and there As you gaze across into the next room, there is that moment of stillness, of deciding how to cross from the space you currently occupy to the other side, a place somewhat unknown, but full of promise and conveying possibilities. On the occupied side is understanding, and on the other side is perhaps the beginning of a reordering of comprehension. The door, or threshold, is a neutral area where the two ways balance and cancel each other out. That threshold belongs to both rooms. Thresholds are not only physical, but also so much a part of time, crossing from one moment to the next, when the decision to act is taken, as when Avraham decides to leave his father s home and embark on the search for his identity, and when Moshe is involved in the process of leaving Mitzrayim (Egypt) so that the Jewish people could become a nation. In this season of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as we approach that temporal threshold from this year to the next, let us have the fortitude and inner strength to both gaze back at what recent times have given us, and look to a new time, a beautiful year a year that can be filled with happiness, health, learning and many wonderful moments of meaning: הלוא צויתוך חזק ואמץ, אל-תערץ ואל-תחת: כי עמך י-י א-להיך, בכל אשר תלך. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) ~ Cantor Joseph Ness Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

6 Worshipping Together Why Worship? Advice from an Atheist! We lead busy lives. Even retirees have full calendars. We rush from place to place and hurriedly share on Facebook, Instagram, etc. Most of us don t often take time to really connect with each other, or ourselves. Alain de Botton, a well-known atheist, has some advice that might seem strange coming from a nonbeliever. He suggests you try religion, which he says is packed with good ideas on how we might live, how we might arrange our societies, how we might develop lasting relationships and how we might find peace. In this time of uncertainty, the sense of ritual, of community, of morality that religion embodies can be comforting indeed, de Botton offers. If you re looking for a chance to gather your thoughts or even chase them from your mind if the idea of losing yourself in beautiful melodies, connecting with friends, being inspired to change the world (or yourself!), sounds good, we invite you to join us for Shabbat services or morning or evening minyan. You may say to yourself, I didn t grow up going to services or I don t speak Hebrew. Neither is required. Our prayer books are user-friendly with English translations, meditations, interesting commentaries, and transliterations of the Hebrew into phonetic English. Eventually many newbies take our adult Hebrew classes or even become an adult Bar or Bat Mitzvah. So the first step, really, is just to show up to any of the services listed to the right. Or call one of our rabbis ahead of time and they ll connect you with a mentor who will meet you and sit with you. Take a look at what we offer and come join us! Supporting Minyan The Men s Club is starting something new to support Sunday Minyans on select dates. For Sunday s without a speaker program, they will be providing a morning nosh. If Sunday doesn t work for you, consider picking a day of the week to attend Minyan and support your fellow congregants as they say Kaddish. NOTE: the first speaker program is 11/5 Sundays, 8:45 AM Introduction We are an egalitarian congregation and invite broad participation. Along with our clergy, congregants (adults and teens, men and women) read Torah, chant the Haftarah, and lead our services. Many women choose to wear a tallit, and head coverings for women vary between kippot, hats, headbands, doilies, and no covering (unless they go on the bima). Friday Evening Shabbat Services We welcome Shabbat at 6:00 pm in the Chapel. Sometimes there is a second service at 7:30 pm followed by a speaker. In addition, there are monthly kid-friendly services at varying times. Saturday Morning Shabbat Services Our Shabbat morning service, Shacharit, generally runs from 9:30 am until noon (but people come in at anytime, really). There s lots of beautiful singing during the service. The 20-minute Shabbat afternoon service, Mincha, begins at 12:30 pm. The Saturday evening service, Ma ariv with Havdalah, is not regularly scheduled. Bar and Bat Mitzvah Ceremonies We celebrate our young teens marking this milestone at any of our services where the Torah is read. Most families choose Shabbat morning; other options include Saturday evening, Monday or Thursday morning, and specific Sunday mornings. Anyone who missed the opportunity as a teen is invited to study and prepare to become an adult bar/t mitzvah. Daily Morning and Evening Minyan Our daily morning and evening minyan prayer service with at least 10 Jewish adults are held in the Chapel (see box for schedule). Minyan includes Kaddish for those in mourning or observing yahrzeit (the anniversary of a person s passing). We read Torah on Monday and Thursday mornings, as well as on Rosh Chodesh (the new month) and Festivals. Holidays Join us in celebrating the many wonderful holidays that honor our Jewish past (and present!). Occasionally, several synagogues in the community join together for holiday celebrations. Daily Minyan Morning 7:00 AM Mon Fri 8:45 AM Sun Evening 7:30 PM Sun Thu Note: Special Times Mon, September 4 9:00 AM For all High Holiday (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, etc.) service times, please see the special pull-out section beginning on page Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

7 Worshipping Together - Shabbat Shabbat LIVE! Under the Stars Friday, September 8 BBQ DINNER 5:30 PM FAMILY SERVICE 6:15 PM Join us for our annual BBQ dinner and outdoor family service with the Shabbat LIVE! Band. COST: $12/adult, $8/child (ages 3-12) RSVP: by noon on 9/6, online at tinyurl.com/slatbet VOLUNTEERS: needed to shop, set up, greet, and cook Sukkot Family Service Friday, October 6 SERVICE 6:00 PM DINNER 6:45 PM Kids lead the service followed by Shabbat dinner in the Sukkah. COST: $12/adult, $8/child (ages 3-12) RSVP: by noon on 10/3, to the Office Fridays, Sept 15, Nov 17 Shababa BABIES THROUGH PRE-ELEMENTARY Mini-Minyan SHABABA GRADUATES Join Morah Barbara Checknoff in welcoming Shabbat through prayers and songs. Includes a Shabbat story! 5:45-6:45 PM Join Rabbi Garber for songs, dances, a Torah parade and more as we welcome Shabbat together. DINNER: follows for participants of both programs, chicken nuggets for kids and hors d oeuvres for parents; vegetarian or gluten-free available by request NO CHARGE, but participating families are invited to serve as sponsors in honor of their children RSVP: requested so we prepare enough food NOTE: open to all Birthday Aliyah Saturdays ALL AGES! Sept 2, Oct 7, Nov 4 DURING SERVICE On the first Shabbat of every month we celebrate birthdays with a special group aliyah (Torah honor) and blessing from the Rabbi. Children s Playroom Saturdays UP TO AGE 5 Weekly 9:30 AM - NOON A place geared for your energetic child. NOTE: parents must supervise their children NOTE: also available on Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret Candle/Havdalah Lighting Shabbat Friday Saturday Sept :05 PM 8:03 PM Sept :53 PM 7:51 PM Sept :41 PM 7:39 PM Sept :28 PM 7:27 PM Sept :16 PM 7:15 PM Oct :04 PM 7:03 PM Oct :53 PM 6:51 PM Oct :42 PM 6:40 PM Oct :32 PM 6:30 PM Saturdays, Oct 14, 28, Nov 11 11:00 AM - NOON Mazel Tots AGES 5 & UNDER Celebrate Shabbat in a kid-centered, creative, crafty and totally cool way! Master educator Jennifer Schwartzman leads our youngest friends and their parents in a spirited new setting. Share meaningful experiences with prayers and Torah stories, and join us as Jewish traditions and stories come to life through play! Shabbat Club ALSO Sept 16 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGES Beth El dads Jason Kay and Alan Tuvin lead an interactive prayer service and Torah portion exploration. There s always fun, food, and friendship. Shabbat Club is the cool place to be! SINGING AND TREATS ON THE BIMA follow for participants of both programs NOTE: open to all For all Family and Children s programming QUESTIONS: Rabbi Garber, , igarber@bethelwh.org RSVP: to the office, Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

8 Making Connections Women s Network, in partnership with the Mandell JCC Jewish Book Festival, presents Lunch and Book Discussion in the Sukkah Wednesday, October 11 12:00-1:30 PM Join author Jamie Brenner, for a discussion on her new novel The Forever Summer. COST: $20/WN and JCC member; $25/non-member RSVP: by 10/2, womensnetwork-bethel@gmail.com Refresh, ReJEWvenate, Renew A Spiritual Retreat for the Women of Beth El Friday-Sunday, October We re back & better than ever! A Shabbat weekend experience to nurture our body, mind, and soul. We will journey to a peaceful retreat center where we will engage in prayer, song, dance, learning, reflecting, and sharing together. LOCATION: Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, CT REGISTRATION: Rabbi Garber for the link COST: $375, includes lodging (double occupancy), meals, snacks, programs CONTACT: Rabbi Garber, igarber@bethelwh.org, Chai Mitzvah Continues (again!) Tuesday, Oct 31 10:00-11:00 AM Beth El Women are invited to join this year s Chai Mitzvah (it s a continuation for those who have participated before, but newcomers are welcome). We ll meet 4 times this year to discuss God! COST: none CONTACT: Rabbi Garber, igarber@bethelwh.org, Empty Nester Moms If your youngest child has recently left home, you are invited to join in as we discuss this new stage of our lives. Watch for s with information about a late October get-together (after the holidays). CONTACT: Lonni Schulz, , LonniSchulz@sbcglobal.net Camp Ramah Introduction Sunday, Oct 29 9:15 PM Representatives from Camp Ramah will join us for a presentation and discussion. Parents are invited to join us as grades 3-6 learn about the magic of Jewish camping! United Synagogue Youth Campfire Dang, that s hot! Sun, Sept 10 Opening Event 6:00-8:00 PM Let s start off the USY year with a great time, friends, music, S mores, games, and more. LOCATION: Westmoor Park fire pit area, West Hartford COST: no charge Lounge Nights Tuesdays, Sept 12, 26 7:30-9:00 PM Come and enjoy games, programs, food, and more, with your friends. WHUSY lounge nights are a great opportunity to take a break from a busy week and have a great time with USY. LOCATIONS: to be announced COST: no charge Pizza in the Hut Tuesday, Oct 10 7:30-9:00 PM We ll hang out, eat pizza, and take part in fun activities all while enjoying the beautiful Sukkah. LOCATION: Emanuel Synagogue, West Hartford COST: no charge Winter Convention Host Families Wanted February 9-11, 2018 It might seem early, but we are starting to look for host families! After our immensely successful Winter Convention this past year, West Hartford will be hosting another regional USY convention. This time, we are including USYers from the Boston area and expect more than 100 people. HOST DETAILS & REGISTRATION: usyhost2018 For all USY programs and event, CONTACT/RSVP: Jason Kay, whusy18@gmail.com 8 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

9 Apple Picking Sunday, Sept 10 1:00-2:00 PM Join our Beth El families to pick apples for the holiday. Please let us know you'll be there so we can all pick together! LOCATION: Belltown Hill Orchards, S. Glastonbury COST: pay for what you pick CONTACT: Sharon Neiberg, , Rosh Hashanah Family Program Sunday, Sept 17 9:15 AM - 12:00 PM Join together as a community to engage in High Holiday preparation. Food, prayers, songs, stories, and more will get the whole family ready for the New Year! We will make an apple dessert using apples picked the week before. NOTE: free and open to the entire Beth El community CO-SPONSORS: SULAM Beth El & Lifelong Learning Men s Club Sunday, Oct 8 The 7 th annual Tour de Shuls CT benefits the Camp Ramah Tikvah program, the Chazak Program at Camp Eisner, and Crane Lake for campers with disabilities. Your participation in the Tour will help to enable these children to enjoy all of the joys of a Jewish summer camping experience. INFORMATION: REGISTRATION: $54/adult, $36/child (under 18) NOTE: fee waived for riders who raise at least $100 Beef & Beaujolais in the Sukkah 7 th Annual Sukkahfest Tues, Oct 10 6:00-8:30 PM Eat, drink and be merry. A local expert will discuss the various wines we ll taste. It s a Mitzvah to eat in the Sukkah. COST: $20 RSVP: by 10/4, Jacob Kovel, , eaglewars@aol.com Minyan on the Mountain Sunday, Oct 15 9:00-11:00 AM The entire community is invited to an Avon mountain scenic venue to experience the breathtaking fall foliage, a Sunday morning minyan, and delicious breakfast. SUGGESTED DONATION: $5 RSVP: by 10/10, Dave Diamond, , daviddiamond2@comcast.net CO-SPONSOR: Emanuel Brotherhood MEET: Beth El or Emanuel parking lot for car pools to private home in Avon Keeper of the Flame Brunch Honoring Bruce Shein Sunday, Oct 22 11:00 AM Tribute and celebration reception of Conservative men who make major contributions to their respective communities. LOCATION: Congregation Or Shalom, Orange, CT COST: $25/adult, $10/child (12 and under) RSVP: by 9/23, Phil Schulz, , philschulz@sbcglobal.net NOTE: watch for your invitation in the mail TRIBUTE BOOK: sponsorship available SPONSOR: CT Valley Region Federation of Jewish Men s Clubs Kickoff Sports Program Sunday, Nov 5 MORNING MINYAN 8:45 AM BREAKFAST & PROGRAM 9:15 AM Stay tuned for details. COST: no charge for breakfast/program SPONSOR: Wiesen Family Walk Around the Reservoir Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:45 AM Schmooze and exercise as we walk. LOCATION: Meet in parking lot closest to Route 44 COST: no charge CONTACT: Dave Klau, , daklau747@gmail.com Men s Club Breakfasts To commemorate a special birthday, anniversary, bar/bat mitzvah, or any other occasion, you can help sponsor a breakfast. MINIMUM CONTRIBUTION: $36 NOTE: Sunday mornings, monthly, following Minyan INFORMATION: Bruce Shein, , bruceshein@comcast.net Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

10 Lifelong Learning LIBRARY CORNER Ethiopian Immigrants and a German-American Ghost Roberta J. Buland What is meant by home? In Drawn From Water, American Jew Dina Elenbogen explores her thirty -year friendship with Ethiopian Jewish immigrants in Israel as they struggle in their new country. From November 21, 1984 and ending abruptly on January 5, 1985, Operation Moses resulted in 8,000 Ethiopian Jews arriving in Israel. They are descendants from a community of once over 100,000 strong, and today they work and live in Israel. Through the stories of siblings, Elenbogen raises questions about religion, assimilation, and cultural identity. In the longings and fulfillment, and missed opportunities, dreams are born. In this heartbreaking book about the quest of Ethiopians for their Israeli homeland, she interweaves her personal parallel journey, discussing how poetry and the arts have provided a bridge between her life in America and Israel. In American Ghost, Julia Staab s great-great-granddaughter, Hannah Nordhaus, traces her ancestor s transfiguration from a 19 th century Jewish bride to a modern phantom in La Posada (place of rest), once a grand Santa Fe mansion. It belonged to Abraham and Julia Staab, emigrants from Germany in the mid-19 th century. After they died, the house became a hotel. In the 1970s, the hotel acquired a resident ghost a sad, dark-eyed woman in a long gown. Strange things began to happen: vases moved, glasses flew, and blankets were ripped from beds. Family diaries, photographs, and newspaper clippings take Nordhaus on a riveting journey through 300 years of German history and the American immigrant experience. With the help of historians, genealogists, family members, and ghost hunters, she weaves a masterful moving story of Old Europe and pioneer life, villains and visionaries, medicine and spiritualism, and imagination and truth. Library Corner provides information about non-fiction books housed in our library. New and old books are reviewed rather than critiqued. Books may be borrowed for your enjoyment and education. To request that a book from our library s collection be reviewed, please contact rjbuland@comcast.net. Beginning of a New Year Stop by the library for suggestions on how to fulfill some possible New Year s resolutions. We have new books, cookbooks, CDs, DVDs, and lots of ideas! Join a Book Club Experiment with new recipes in the kitchen Listen to a Book on CD Repurpose an Old Book Meet the Beth El Librarian CONTACT: Susan Fried, susanfried@sbcglobal.net Ongoing Weekly Classes New participants welcome, no registration, no charge Writing Workshop Mondays 1:30-3:00 PM Open to all Beth El fiction and nonfiction writers. Write, read, discuss, and improve your craft in a supportive, friendly atmosphere. CONTACT: Betty Hoffman, , bhoffman3@comcast.net NOTE: resumes 9/11 Lunch & Learn Tuesdays NOON - 1:00 PM Rabbi Rosen explores the Hebrew Bible. He has been going through the entire book, chapter by chapter. He is continuing in the Book of Isaiah. NOTE: resumes 10/3 NOTE: bring a brown-bag, dairy lunch Talmud Study Wednesdays 10:30-11:30 AM This is a self-led, interactive study, in English, and all participants are invited to contribute. We will be studying Tractate Sanhedrin, focusing on questions of jurisdiction, criminal law, and punishments. NOTE: not meeting 9/20, 10/4, 10/11 CONTACT: Steve Stier, steven.stier@hotmail.com Bible & Breakfast Thursdays 8:00-9:00 AM After Minyan, we discuss the weekly Torah portion. Led by our Rabbis during the school year. NOTE: not meeting 9/21, 10/5, 10/12 SPONSORS: Elaine & Cal Price, Susan & Michael Schenker, Myra & Bill Kleinman 10 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

11 Spotlight on a Member Congratulations, Ronit! Our own Ronit Shoham was recently named one of four super volunteers who will receive the Polaris Award from Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH), honoring her vision, skill, and courage in serving the Greater Hartford Community. Ronit has been the driving force behind many remarkable projects that have had significant impact on many in the community. Here at Beth El, she and Marci Alter re-envisioned and chaired our Xmas Day Mitzvah Day, initiated our monthly cooking and serving program with Charter Oak, and launched several year-round mitzvah programs with Peter s Retreat, Hands on Hartford, and South Park Inn. They worked with our religious school families to create Cuz We Care pillows for hospice, cancer, and dialysis patients, and stuffed teddy bears for children who are in need of a cuddly friend. Ronit has also served on our Board of Trustees. In addition to her Beth El involvement, Ronit helped create the Miracle League of Connecticut, enabling children with physical and mental challenges to enjoy playing baseball, and The Underground, a safe and secure location for teenagers to congregate, communicate, and grow together. Ronit has also been Engaging Generations New Members Ellen & David Carillo, and Avi & Harris Beth & Albert Kranc, and Elana & Marissa Nina & Jordan Kunkes, and Harry Denise & Richard Order Phyllis & Jack Plotkin Congratulations Meryl & Mitchell Danitz, on marriage of daughter Sara to Noah Steinhardt Jillian & Josh Feldman and Debra Feldman on birth of daughter/ granddaughter, Emma Samantha Lisa & Peter Fishman, on marriage of son Garrett to Chelsea Caplan Ellie Jainchill, Carol Starr, and Gary Starr, on engagement of granddaughter/daughter/daughter Jessica to Andrew Praskin Nina & Jordan Kunkes, on birth of son, Harold Joseph Shelley & Robert Langer, on birth of twin grandsons, William and James Elke Webb & Noah Jablow, on birth of son, Harley Melvin Dan & Julie Winick, on birth of son, Jordan Maxwell Mazal Tov! and Appreciation for Sponsoring a Kiddush or Lunch Michele & Dane Kostin, Ann & David Brandwein, Rabbis Garber & Rosen, and Taste of Shabbat, in honor of Rev. gretchen Sausville Gottfried & Miller families, in honor of aufruf of Josh Gottfried & Shanna Miller Bonnie & Paul Lewis, in honor of aufruf of daughter Samantha & Eric Schoenberg Lisa & Peter Fishman, in honor of aufruf of son Garrett & Chelsea Caplan Taste of Shabbat central to Jonathan s Dream Re-Imagined which is rebuilding the very popular inclusive, accessible playground at the JCC. We are so proud that Leadership Greater Hartford has chosen to honor Ronit, notes Rabbi Rosen. She is the embodiment of what Rabbi Eliezer said centuries ago, Let other people s dignity be as precious to you as your own. Others who will be honored include Cheryl and Jamie Bear McDonald of Windsor and Iran Nazario of East Hartford. The Polaris Awards Gala takes place at 5:30 pm on October 18. LGH alumni and members of the community are invited to honor these successful leaders and celebrate how they have made our community better and stronger. You can register for Polaris online at leadershipgh.org. Jonathan s Dream Reimagined: Community Build Fri-Sun, Sept 8-10 Community Planting Sun, Oct 1 The original Jonathan s Dream playground was built by the community in After much use, it needs to be rebuilt, and again by community volunteers! There are many ways to support this project through the days of the build, the planting day, fundraising, and special play dates. REGISTRATION: bit.ly/jonathansdreambuild2017 Rivka Dvorin & Dr. Art Freedman Dora & Rabbi Howard Sowalsky and family, in honor of Suzanne and Josh s aufruf Of Blessed Memory Benjamin Fisher, father of Warren Sara Friedman, mother of Matthew Leonard Greenberg, husband of Phyllis, and brother of Arnold Greenberg Donald Habelow, father of Dr. Wendy Habelow Nancy Slosberg Klotz, mother of Julie Wolman Minna Pearl Dr. Myron Shafer, father of Glenn Bar and Bat Mitzvah Celebrations Continue to page 25 Please send all Life Cycle announcements to Laurea in the Office: LEsau@bethelwh.org. Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

12 Enjoying Beth El - BETH EL MUSIC & ARTS Music Series Sundays, 7:00 PM ROCK OF AGES December 3 Pre-Chanukah orchestral concert featuring the Beethoven Violin Concerto, Artie Shaw's Clarinet Concerto, and a Tribute to Rock and Roll celebrating the 50 th Anniversary of Sgt Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band, PLUS the music of Led Zeppelin and Moody Blues. HAYDN AND BACH March 18 A chamber concert featuring Haydn Cello Concerto in D; Bach Cantata with 16 choral singers; Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. ISRAEL CONCERT June 3 An orchestral concert with the Beth El Choir in celebration of Israel s 70 th anniversary. INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: $20/person; $15/senior (62+) and students; FREE for children 12 and under Concert Series Sponsors and Tributes For over 20 years, BEMA has produced outstanding musical programs for our synagogue, as well as the Greater Hartford community. Thank you for allowing us to entertain, educate, and inspire you with the magical sounds of the Beth El Orchestra and Choirs. Please consider becoming a season sponsor (three levels), which includes tickets to all three concerts forms are available in the Temple Office. If you already subscribed through the annual dues letter, we thank you. There are also opportunities, at many levels, to endow a section or chair of the orchestra for the season. These may be created as a Tribute in honor or memory of a loved one. CONTACT: bema@betheltemplemusic.com Music University - Fall Words & Music Through the Ages What do lyrics mean and how does the music change meaning? Cantor Joseph Ness teaches us how words and music work together. COST: no charge RSVP: bema@betheltemplemusic.com, for planning SPONSORS: Bob Gruskay, evening lectures NOTE: evening lecture immediately follows the 7:30 Minyan NOTE: afternoon lecture, please bring a brown-bag dairy lunch CANTATAS & OREOS Wed, Nov 1, 7:30 PM Mon, Nov 6, 12:00 PM Learn about Cantatas and Oratorios; audio samples. Served with Oreo cookies and milk BAROQUE SPEAK Wed, Nov 8, 7:30 PM Mon, Nov 13, 12:00 PM The language of revolution in chorale music; live demonstrations. Served with Coffee, Tea, and French Pastry WHY DOES THE FAT LADY SING? Thu, Nov 16, 7:30 PM Mon, Nov 20, 12:00 PM A discussion of the opera libretto. Served with something decadent Music University - Spring Israel: Land of Music Each of these lectures precedes and prepares you for an upcoming concert. Point-Counterpoint Wed, Mar 14, 7:30 PM TBD, 12:00 PM A comparison of Baroque and Classical Forms. Israeli Experience Wed, May 16 & 23, 7:30 PM An exploration into music influenced by Israel. Recitals Sundays NEW this year Nov 12, 4pm Trumpet, with James McAloon Jan/Feb Chamber Recital, weather dependent May 9 Piano Recital Just one click for Beth El Temple Music Info! BethElTempleMusic.com Now you can see what's going on all the time. Anytime. With Music Events at Beth El. Don't forget to "Like Us on Facebook for minute-by-minute music news. And listen to Classical Music 91.3, wwuh.org 12 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

13 High Holidays / 2017 Beth El and Torah Values In Leviticus 19:14, the Torah states: "You shall not curse the deaf nor place a stumbling block before the blind..." This command (mitzvah) is very relevant when it comes to the issue of fragrance sensitivity. Many people are affected by fragrance sensitivity. Exposure to fragrances can have serious health effects on affected individuals, and make it impossible for them to attend services, classes, and other functions. So, next time, before you apply fragranced materials, please think of Torah and its implications for Jewish values and behavior. Let's keep the air we share healthy and fragrance-free for all. Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul Tishrei-Cheshvan

14 Finding the Magic of the High Holidays The High Holidays the Days of Awe are a time of repentance, but also of gratitude, togetherness and joy. But hours of services or fasting doesn t always help us convey those feelings to our youngest members. Don t worry there are so many ways at home and at Beth El that you can share this special time of the year with your family. Need a break? Our Community Room is always open! There you ll find books, puzzles, games, comfy chairs, and a cozy spot to relax and meet new friends. At every service location you will find The Information Station a table with books, pipe cleaners, wikki stix, and stickers. While electronics are prohibited, we invite our youngest children to keep their hands busy while singing with us. Tashlich Thursday, September 21 Gather together for a ceremony by the creek. Children will feel at home in the backyard for this brief service. Bring crumbs or bread to toss into the flowing water, symbolically casting off our sins as a community. Neilah Saturday, September 30 Neilah services provide a true moment of awe during the days of awe. Go up to the ark as a family and take a moment to find peace and share the beauty of the Torah with your loved ones. A children s program (geared to all ages) ends with the children filling our Sanctuary s bima with the light of their glow sticks. Sukkot Family Service Friday, October 6 Kids lead the service, followed by Shabbat dinner in the Sukkah (please see page 7 for rsvp information). Erev Simchat Torah Thursday, October 12 Come at 5:45pm for our fun Simchat Torah LIVE! Torahs are passed around as we sing and dance, a truly joyful service to celebrate the ending and beginning of reading the Torah. First graders (and new-to-beth El second graders) receive their own mini- Torah! We ll unroll the entire scroll... and help you find your Bar/Bat Mitzvah Torah portion! Simchat Torah Friday, October 13 Services continue in the morning, as we dance around the sanctuary and bless our youngest members all the babies born in the last year! Make your own shofar Host an apple and honey tasting Print coloring pages for kids of all ages Prepare for the fast (and break!) with Yom Kippur tips & recipes Check out our Library for new cookbooks and holiday meal ideas 14 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

15 Service Schedule Tickets: Please present your tickets for entrance on Rosh Hashanah-Day 1, Kol Nidrei, and Yom Kippur morning (see page 19 for ticket policies). Community Selichot Saturday, Sept 16 8:30 PM - Program and Refreshments 10:00 PM - Service LOCATION: Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Dr. Rosh Hashanah - Erev Wed, Sept 20 6:00 PM - Mincha & Festival Ma ariv Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 Thursday, Sept 21 8:00 AM - 12:10 PM Sanctuary Service 8:30 AM - 12:45 PM Chapel Service 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM Babysitting 10:00 AM - 12:10 PM Kessler Hall Service 10:30 AM - 12:15 PM Children s Programs 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Teen Programs 5:00 PM - Tashlich Ceremony LOCATION: 25 Huntington Drive, West Hartford 6:00 PM - Festival Mincha & Ma ariv Rosh Hashanah - Day 2 Friday, Sept 22 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Sanctuary Service 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM All New - Meaningful Family Service in Kessler Hall 6:25 PM - Festival Mincha, Kabbalat Shabbat & Ma ariv Shofar: On both days of Rosh Hashanah, the Shofar will be sounded in all morning services and programs. Shabbat Shuvah Saturday, Sept 23 9:30 AM - Shabbat Service with Rabbi Rosen s Annual Tribute to Small-town Midwest Jewish Communities Lake Norden Badger 12:00 PM - Congregational Lunch 12:30 PM - Mincha Cemetery Service Sunday, Sept 24 12:30 PM - Cemetery Service LOCATION: Beth El Cemetery, Jackson Street, Avon Yom Kippur - Kol Nidrei Friday, Sept 29 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM Sanctuary Service 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Chapel Service Yom Kippur - Day Saturday, Sept 30 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Sanctuary Service 8:30 AM - 1:15 PM Chapel Service 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM Babysitting 10:00 AM - 12:10 PM Kessler Hall Service 10:30 AM - 12:15 PM Children s Programs 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Teen Programs Yizkor: Will be recited in two morning services, Sanctuary: between 11:00 am and noon Chapel: after 12:15 pm 4:30 PM - 5:45 PM Mincha 5:45 PM - 7:15 PM Neilah 6:30 PM - 7:05 PM Children s Program 7:15 PM - Havdalah & Final Shofar Blast Sukkot - Erev Wednesday, Oct 4 6:00 PM - Mincha & Festival Ma ariv Sukkot - Day 1 Thursday, Oct 5 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Festival Shacharit 6:00 PM - Festival Mincha & Ma ariv Sukkot - Day 2 Friday, Oct 6 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Festival Shacharit 5:45 PM - Family Service & Dinner 6:00 PM - Chol HaMoed Kabbalat Shabbat Services Shemini Atzeret - Erev Wednesday, Oct 11 7:00 AM - Hoshanah Rabbah 6:00 PM - Mincha & Festival Ma ariv Shemini Atzeret - Day Thursday, Oct 12 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Festival Shacharit (Yizkor 11am) 12:30 PM - Festival Mincha Simchat Torah - Erev Thursday, Oct 12 5:45 PM - Simchat Torah LIVE! 7:30 PM - Festival Ma ariv Simchat Torah - Day Friday, Oct 13 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Festival Shacharit 12:30 PM - Congregational Lunch 6:00 PM - Festival Mincha, Kabbalat Shabbat & Ma ariv Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul Tishrei-Cheshvan

16 Service Descriptions - High Holy Days Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 & 9/21 Yom Kippur - Day 9/30 You have a CHOICE of 3 services! All THREE services include: The sounding of the Shofar. Our teens chant Torah portions. The portion is theirs from bar/bat mitzvah until they go to college. The Temple president will offer greetings; there will not be an Appeal from the bima. Congregants are honored with aliyot. At all services, seating is first-come, first-served. Children are welcome and invited to all services and are asked to maintain decorum. The Sanctuary and Chapel services include: Complete services, with sermons by our clergy. Yizkor will be recited on Yom Kippur. Unique service highlights: Sanctuary Service: led by Rabbi Rosen and Cantor Ness and accompanied by our choir and organ. Chapel Service: led by congregants Jason Kay and Susan Gold, without an organ or choir. Rabbi Garber delivers the sermons. Kessler Hall Service: led by Rabbi Garber and Rabbi Sowalsky, spiritual and soulful, with violin and piano, and group aliyot for all ages. (Yizkor will not be recited.) Children s Services and Babysitting: see page 18. Rosh Hashanah - Day 2 9/22 We are open to the community! Sanctuary Service: led by Rabbi Rosen and Cantor Ness, the congregation is encouraged to sing along with the choir. It is the only regular service this day and the organ is not played. Meaningful Family Service: Children and adults of all ages are invited to Kessler Hall for this interactive service with Rabbi Garber and Rabbi Sowalsky. Additional program information is on page 18. There are no separate Children s Services or babysitting on this day. Yom Kippur - Kol Nidrei 9/29 Opening Service Sanctuary Service: led by Rabbi Rosen and Cantor Ness, is accompanied by our choir and organ. Chapel Service: led by Rabbi Garber and Susan Gold, is a more participatory and intimate service. Both are complete services; our Torahs will be carried in procession throughout. Yom Kippur - Neilah 9/30 Concluding Prayers Sanctuary Service: as the symbolic Gates of Heaven are closing, we encourage all who wish to come up to the open Ark for personal moments of reflection and prayer. Non-Jewish family members are invited to come before the Ark with their families. Sukkot 10/5 & 10/6 After both morning services, stay for Kiddush and fulfill the mitzvah of eating in the Sukkah. Shemini Atzeret 10/11-10/12 This is the 8 th day of Sukkot, but really a holiday unto itself. It is one in which we imagine God begging us to linger in holiday celebration for just one more day. Yizkor will be recited at approximately 11 am. Simchat Torah LIVE! 10/12 Hakafot with the Shabbat LIVE! Band Grade 1 Torah ceremony Refreshments sponsored by Men s Club Simchat Torah Morning 10/13 Hakafot and aliyot for all New Baby Blessing: if your baby was born since last Rosh Hashanah, come for a special blessing from the bima. Honorees: Chatan Torah Dan Cohen Chatan Bereshit Bernie Selig Kallat Mafteret Ann Brandwein Followed by a community lunch. 16 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

17 Service Descriptions - and more Community Selichot Service 9/16 Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Dr, West Hartford Begin your spiritual journey for this High Holiday season as our community of Conservative congregations gathers together. Tashlich Ceremony (rain date: 9/22) 9/21 Berlinsky Home, 25 Huntington Dr, West Hartford A brief family-friendly service, at 5:00 pm. Evening services back at Beth El at 6:00 pm. Shabbat Shuvah 9/23 It is a Beth El tradition for Rabbi Jim Rosen to give his Annual Tribute to Small-town Midwest Jewish Communities Lake Norden Badger. Followed by a uniquely themed lunch. Cemetery Service 9/24 Beth El Cemetery, Jackson Street, Avon Our rabbis will lead a brief service honoring our beloved departed and offer prayers at individual graves. Refreshments & Lunches What would a Jewish holiday be without something to eat! No charge and no reservations needed, except 10/6. Selichot 9/16 Refreshments during the program. Rosh Hashanah Days 1 & 2 9/21-22 Socialize with Apples & Honey after services. SPONSOR: Men s Club Shabbat Shuvah 9/23 A themed lunch to follow Lake Norden Badger. Neilah 9/30 Grab a sweet after the final Shofar blast. SPONSOR: Women s Network Sukkot Days 1 & 2 10/5-6 Kiddush in the Sukkah after morning services. Sukkot/Shabbat 10/6 Family Services and dinner. See page 7 for more details and rsvp information. Simchat Torah LIVE! 10/12 Hors d oeuvres, dessert, and martinis. SPONSOR: Men s Club Simchat Torah Morning 10/13 Community lunch after morning services. Lulav and Etrog It s a mitzvah to own and wave the Lulav & Etrog. Join us throughout the week of Sukkot for opportunities to do so. PURCHASE: the Judaica Store in Bishop s Corner, support our member Rivka Dvorin DEADLINE: order your set by Monday, 9/18 Candle Lighting Times Rosh Hashanah Wednesday 9/20 6:32 PM Thursday 9/21 7:30 PM Friday 9/22 6:28 PM Yom Kippur Friday 9/29 6:16 PM Note: light Yizkor candle first Sukkot Wednesday 10/4 6:08 PM Thursday 10/5 7:06 PM Friday 10/6 6:04 PM Shemini Atzeret Wednesday 10/11 5:56 PM Note: light Yizkor candle first Simchat Torah Thursday 10/12 6:54 PM Friday 10/13 5:53 PM Sermons Rosh Hashanah - Erev Sanctuary, Rabbi Garber Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 Sanctuary, Rabbi Rosen Kessler Hall & Chapel, Rabbi Garber Rosh Hashanah - Day 2 Sanctuary, Rabbi Rosen Yom Kippur - Kol Nidrei Sanctuary, Rabbi Rosen Chapel, Rabbi Garber Yom Kippur - Day Sanctuary, Rabbi Rosen Kessler Hall, Rabbi Garber Chapel, Jason Kay; Yizkor Introduction, Rabbi Garber Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul Tishrei-Cheshvan

18 Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 & 9/21 Yom Kippur - Day 9/30 Children s Program 10:30 AM - 12:15 PM AGE 3 - GRADE 6 Age-specific programs include music, prayers, games, crafts, a professional storyteller, yoga, snack, and more. Parents can decide if their 3-y.o. attends babysitting or the Children s Program. Remember, babysitting requires advance registration. Teen Program 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM GRADES 7-12 Age-appropriate High Holiday discussions. Notes Everything Kids Please encourage your child(ren) to participate in our children s programming or to join one of our three main services where they are warmly welcomed. Please, no parents at the children s programs. OPEN: to members and their guests Rosh Hashanah - Day 2 9/22 Meaningful Family Service 10:30-11:45 AM Kessler Hall ALL AGES Meaningful Family Service: led by Rabbi Garber and Rabbi Sowalsky in Kessler Hall, it s brief, it s spiritual, it s magical. A highlights service meant for all ages. Celebrate the birthday of the world Beth El style! Bring your own shofar to guarantee we re all awake from our slumber. (Don t have a shofar? Make your own! alphamom.com/family-fun/holidays/make-a-shofar-tocelebrate-the-jewish-new-year/) Parents are required to be with their children. There are no separate Children s Services or babysitting on this day. Children s Playroom Sukkot Thu & Fri, Oct 5-6 Shemini Atzeret Thursday, Oct 12 Simchat Torah Friday, Oct 13 9:30 AM - NOON UP TO AGE 5 On these holidays without specific children or family programming, our regular Shabbat playroom will be available should your energetic child need some space. NOTE: parents must supervise their children Yom Kippur - Evenings Kol Nidrei 9/29 (Opening Service) 6:00 PM All ages are welcome at both the Sanctuary and Chapel Services. Neilah for Children 9/30 (Conclusion) 6:30 PM Chapel ALL AGES A separate gathering for children of all ages for the final hour of Yom Kippur. Parents of small children are encouraged to stay. All participants will be accompanied to the bima in the Sanctuary for Havdalah at the end of Neilah. NOTE: See pages 16 & 20 for details about the private family moment at the Ark in the Sanctuary, beginning at 5:45 PM. Babysitting Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 & 9/21 Yom Kippur - Day 9/30 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM AGES 1-3½ Pre-registration and pre-payment are required in advance. A parent/grandparent must escort each child to the babysitting room. Older siblings may not drop off or pick up children from the babysitting room. Each child will be given a color-coded bracelet; parents/grandparents will receive an identical bracelet - colors identify service choice (Kessler Hall, Chapel, or Sanctuary) so that we can locate family members quickly, if needed. Only a parent/grandparent with a matching bracelet may pick up a child. Please provide your own diapers, wipes, and any kosher snacks your child might want. $18 per child, per day, in advance. Forms are available in the office, or register online: tiny.cc/5778babysitting 18 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

19 High Holiday Ticket & Seat Policies Tickets are required for entry on: Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 9/21 Yom Kippur - Kol Nidrei 9/29 Yom Kippur - Day 9/30 Each person, 18 and over, must have his/her own ticket, with his/her name on it. Tickets are complimentary for all Young Adults, ages All Guest and Reciprocal tickets may be picked up in the Beth El office. Tickets are not required for any child under 18 years of age. Guests Members may purchase tickets for relatives and friends, ages 25 and up, who live outside Hartford County. Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 $ 150 Kol Nidrei & Yom Kippur $ 150 Both Holidays $ 250 A completed guest form is required in order to receive your Guest Tickets. The form is posted on our website and is available from the office. Young Adults: for ALL guests ages 18-24, tickets are complimentary. Local college students and active military personnel: just need to show their ID. Members of Beth El Temple High Holiday tickets will be mailed to members in good standing on September 6. Your adult children, ages 18-24, will automatically be issued tickets. Your adult children, ages 25-29, if not members on their own, may purchase tickets at a reduced rate. Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 $ 75 Kol Nidrei & Yom Kippur $ 75 Both Holidays $ 150 Welcoming the Greater Hartford Jewish Community We are pleased to open all other services to the Greater Hartford Community. Tickets are not required for Rosh Hashanah - Erev and Day 2 and Yom Kippur - Mincha and Neilah (concluding service). Seating At all services, seating is first-come, first-served. Saving seats during the High Holidays is NOT permitted. If you want to ensure that your family sits together, please arrive early and together. Children are welcome, invited, and entitled to seats in any service of their choice. Should adults or children need a short break from the service, they should expect to find their seats available upon their return. At least one member of their family should remain with the seats. Reciprocal Tickets We participate in the reciprocal ticket program where members in good standing at any synagogue receive complimentary tickets to another synagogue. For your guests Please have them ask their synagogue to /fax a Reciprocal Ticket Request Form/Letter to Beth El. It must include the names of both our member and the guest, and which days they will be joining us. If YOU are traveling If YOU are spending any part of the holiday at another synagogue that requires tickets, please call our office to have a Reciprocal Ticket Request Form sent on your behalf. Members in good standing have paid their dues in full, or have returned their completed membership form with their first payment. Special Seating Requests for any service Seats may be reserved in advance only for persons with disabilities or who may require the assistance of support equipment (e.g. walkers, wheelchairs). If necessary, one additional seat may be saved for a companion to remain with that person during the service. These seats will be held only until 10:30 am, after which they will be released. Please notify the Temple office as early as possible so that the seat(s) can be properly designated. Requests must be made by Thursday, September 14. Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul Tishrei-Cheshvan

20 The Fine Print (Guidelines) Security & Safety Please enter the building through the Community Room with your ticket (or student or military ID). We reserve the right to inspect all packages. For the safety of all, do not prop open external doors. Due to fire regulations, strollers and walkers are not permitted in the Sanctuary or Chapel. Ushers will show you the designated parking area. As many look alike, please attach a label or identifying ribbon. Be aware of all building exits, in case of emergency. Ushers Ushers will be wearing identifying badges and flowers, and will be available to answer questions and help find empty seats. They will close ALL doors during sermons, for other speakers, and when the Ark is open. Please do not enter any service during the sermon or when the Ark is open. If you would like to volunteer for a shift as an usher, please call the office by September 8. Please be respectful of all usher directions. Parking & Shuttle Please park where directed by the parking attendants in the Temple lot and only in designated spaces. Police will not allow parking on either Albany Ave. or West Ridge Drive; please be aware that we no longer have access through the gate in the fence. Please follow all posted no parking signs on the side streets in adjoining neighborhoods. Be aware that the police will issue parking tickets. Additional parking will be provided at the Crown Market in Bishop's Corner, 2471 Albany Ave. A shuttle bus will run continuously between Beth El and the Crown Market as follows: Rosh Hashanah - Day 1 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM Kol Nidrei 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM Yom Kippur - Day 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM High Holiday Preparations Very special thanks from the Beth El Community to the following members for their efforts in readying our synagogue for the High Holidays. Decorum Please maintain the sanctity of services by limiting conversation and dressing modestly. To reduce noise and distraction, the main doors to the Sanctuary and Kessler Hall will be kept closed. Expect to enter and leave services from a side door. Those with walkers may be excepted. Please do not congregate in bathrooms. Parents, please suggest to your children that they choose a service to attend. During certain portions of the service, you will be asked to wait before entering into the Sanctuary, Kessler Hall, or the Chapel. Please also limit leaving at those times. To preserve the sanctity of the holiday, all electronic devices, including cell phones, must be turned off prior to entering the building. All ipods, cameras, etc., should be left at home. Beth El is fragrance-free. In consideration of your fellow worshipers, please refrain from wearing any scented products. Ellen Sanders-Nirenstein and her crew for cleaning the silver adorning our Torahs crowns, breastplates, and pointers Sheila Fox and her helpers for the ongoing cleaning, weeding, and beautifying of all the flower beds around the building Ann Lucchesi Rosow for new High Holiday Torah Mantles 20 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

21 Inside Our Machzor Here s a closer look at a familiar piece of Yom Kippur liturgy, the Ashamnu, the shorter confession. The confession is written in the plural, so that we repent as a community. Many of the items in the list relate to spoken transgressions, not just physical ones. How to do it: Bend forward a bit; not a bow, just hunching over to show remorse. Gently strike your heart as you recite each word, representing the heart s desires as the root of all transgressions. In quieter moments of services, or if you find yourself needing to re-focus, take a closer look at the margins. On the left you ll find poetry, quotes and reflections, while the right has explanations. Both can enhance your relationship to familiar (and less familiar) texts. Notice here that it s alphabetical. From alef to tav, A-Z, the confession is all-encompassing. That is mirrored in the English. Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul Tishrei-Cheshvan

22 Lifelong Learning What does it all mean? ~ Explanations of words specific to the High Holiday season Hakafot ~ the seven circuits around the sanctuary during which the Torah scrolls are carried on Simchat Torah. During this joyful custom each hakafah is accompanied by much singing and dancing. Often, the Torah procession is followed by children waving flags. Hoshanah Rabbah ~ the seventh day of Sukkot is marked by a synagogue service, during which seven processions are made by all in attendance with lulav and etrog, while special prayers are recited. The Cantor wears his kittel for parts of the service, and the melodies echo those from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is the official end of the High Holiday season. Kol Nidrei ~ the opening prayer recited the evening that Yom Kippur begins, acknowledging and releasing our obligations to our vows. It is traditionally recited 3 times, and has become the special name of the service for that evening as well. Lulav and Etrog ~ the arbah minim, or Four Species, referring to the Four Species used branches from the palm, willow, and myrtle trees, and the etrog, a citrus fruit similar to a lemon. During the morning service each day of Sukkot (except Shabbat), the lulav and etrog are held together and waved in every direction symbolizing God's presence. Machzor ~ the High Holiday prayer book. Neilah ~ the final service on Yom Kippur, after which you get to eat. See facing page for what makes this service special at Beth El. Rosh Hashanah ~ the Jewish New Year; a two-day holiday that commences the High Holidays, a period of 10 days ending with Yom Kippur, also known as the Ten Days of Repentance. Selichot ~ Jewish penitential prayers and poems, generally said during the period beginning with the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah, leading up to the actual holiday. Shabbat Shuvah ~ the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, also the Shabbat of Repentance, and gets its name from the opening word of the special Haftarah (portion of prophets) read that day in services. Shemini Atzeret ~ the eighth day of assembly, following the conclusion of Sukkot. In Israel and in some Diaspora communities, Shemini Atzeret is combined with Simchat Torah. It is the first day on which the prayer for rain is recited, marking the beginning of the rainy season in Israel. Simchat Torah ~ lit. rejoicing in Torah. This holiday (in much of the Diaspora) immediately follows Shemini Atzeret and the conclusion of Sukkot, and marks the end and the beginning of the cycle of Torah reading. The celebration is especially festive, centering on synagogue services during which the Torah scrolls are taken out and paraded around the sanctuary and even spilling out into the street, where Torah holders often will break into joyful dancing. It is customary for everyone in the congregation to receive an aliyah on Simchat Torah. Sukkah ~ a dwelling built specially for the holiday of Sukkot. We dwell in the sukkah during the holiday, eating our meals and, for many, sleeping in the sukkah as well. There are many rules regarding the building of the sukkah. It can be made out of a variety of materials but the roof must consist of natural materials which allows one to see the sky and the stars at night. Historically, it represents the farmers huts that were built in the fields of ancient Israel during the Fall harvest, and the dwellings of the Israelites in the wilderness of the Exodus. It is by definition a flimsy structure, symbolizing the fragile nature of life and our dependence on God's protection. Sukkot ~ The week long holiday which begins five days after Yom Kippur, named for the huts, or booths, in which Jews are required to dwell during the festival (see above). One of the three pilgrimage festivals of ancient Israel, Sukkot celebrates the Fall harvest. Tashlich ~ the symbolic casting off of our sins during the High Holiday period, and is marked by a ceremony on Rosh Hashanah whereby we take pieces of bread (representing our sins) and toss them into a natural body of water. Ushpizin ~ Biblical ancestors who are symbolically invited to enter the sukkah on each day of the holiday and welcomed in a short ceremony. The men who are invited are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David. Many also invite these Biblical women as well: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Hannah, Miriam, and Esther. Yizkor ~ a memorial service, recited four times a year during services, for our departed relatives and loved ones. It is recited on Yom Kippur, and lasts about 15 minutes. Yom Kippur ~ also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. We traditionally observe this with a 25 hour period of fasting and intensive prayer. 22 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

23 Lifelong Learning, cont. What does it all mean? ~ Additional terms Aliyah/Aliyot (pl) ~ lit. going up, an honor to ascend the bima Amidah ~ the central prayer in all services, generally recited while standing Bima ~ the pulpit Chatan ~ lit. bridegroom Diaspora ~ a scattered population whose origin lies within a particular geographic locale; or the movement of a population from its original homeland. In particular, the term refers to all Jews who live outside of Israel Erev ~ lit. evening, commonly used to denote the eve on which a holiday or Shabbat begins Havdalah ~ a ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat or a holiday. On Shabbat it involves wine, spices, and a braided candle. On most holidays, just wine. Kabbalat Shabbat ~ the service that welcomes in Shabbat, recited on Friday evenings Kallat ~ lit. bride of Ma ariv ~ the name of the evening service that commences each new Jewish day Mincha ~ the name of the afternoon service of each Jewish day Musaf ~ the additional service added on Shabbat and many holidays, and is greatly extended on the High Holidays Shabbat ~ the Jewish Sabbath, a period of rest each week which commences on Friday night just before sundown, for a 25 hour period. It begins with candle lighting, and ends with Havdalah. Shacharit ~ the morning service each day Shofar ~ a ram s horn that is used to make a blast of noise like a trumpet, and is used in Rosh Hashanah services and at the end of Yom Kippur. Yom ~ lit. day What is it all about? ~ Questions & Answers about our traditions. Why do Jews donate money to their synagogue at the time of High Holidays? The High Holidays are a time when Jews regardless of their level of engagement or observance feel most connected to their Jewish selves. During the month of Elul preceding Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to increase the giving of charity, as well as ask forgiveness from people one may have wronged. It is a time when Jewish organizations of all kinds seek to inspire Jews to step up their involvement and, yes, to also increase their charitable giving. Why do we visit the cemetery before Yom Kippur? It is a traditional time of remembrance and recalling loved ones who have passed. Why is the Havdalah service different on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? All festivals and Shabbat conclude with Havdalah prayers, recited at the end of Ma ariv. On Rosh Hashanah and other festivals it is modified and does not include the spices or flame. But, since Yom Kippur is described in the Torah as Shabbat Shabaton Hee Lachem (Sabbath of Sabbaths it will be for you) a full Havdalah is at the end of Neilah (similar to Shabbat each week). If a festival ends as Shabbat begins (as it does this year with Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot First Days, and Simchat Torah), Havdalah comes after both holidays on Saturday night. With one festival leading into the next, we don t pause for Havdalah. Why do we wear white and sneakers on Yom Kippur? White is a sign of purity. Shoes without leather (some sneaker brands) are worn so as to have no luxury - leather is considered a luxury. Why is a Tallit worn at night only on Yom Kippur? Yom Kippur is considered one full day of prayers, starting with Kol Nidrei. We continue to wear the tallit through Neilah, the end of the full day. The tallit is not worn during regular weekday evening services. Why is Neilah such a special service at Beth El? Literally, the closing of the gates. This is the final service on Yom Kippur and the Ark is open for about an hour. While it is open, we have one last chance to seek repentance and be sealed in the Book of Life. At Beth El, everyone, including non-jewish relatives, is invited to stand for a private moment at the open Ark. What are the special honors on Simchat Torah? There are three special aliyot, and to receive one during the Torah reading is a great honor at all synagogues. For the first, we read the last section of the Torah, when Moses passes away. The second goes back to the beginning with the story Creation and the establishment of Shabbat. The third is a portion that precedes the Haftorah reading for the day the first chapter of Joshua, which is the book that immediately follows the Five Books of the Torah. The honors are called Kallah or Chatan, bride or bridegroom of the Torah, which reflects on the specialness of these honors. At Beth El, each of the honorees is brought to the bima under a chuppa, signifying the wedding-like atmosphere of the moment, with special blessings recited over the honoree. Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul Tishrei-Cheshvan

24 Doing Mitzvot Annual Kol Nidrei Food Drive for Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry at Jewish Family Services (JFS) JFS serves families facing financial setbacks, isolated elderly, and disabled adults living on meager incomes. Please help make a difference in their lives! For your convenience, paper bags will be located by the front door on Rosh Hashanah. Please drop off your filled bags, in the Community Room, anytime between Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidrei evening, Friday, September 29. We prefer food items that have a hechsher symbol indicating that the item is kosher. Due to lack of space, please do not bring Passover items. THANK YOU! in advance for your support of this important Mitzvah. The Kosher Food Pantry Sorting Food Drive Donations Sunday, October 1 9:00 AM Help sort all those bags of donated items before we deliver them to the Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry. continually needs to be restocked. Throughout the year, when coming to shul, please bring a can of vegetables or fruit, peanut butter, tuna fish, pasta, or a bag of groceries. Place your donations in the box at the entrance by the Community room. Food Canned vegetables, fruits, soups, solid white tuna, salmon, sardines Boxes of pasta, rice, couscous, cereal, crackers, macaroni & cheese Juice - preferably apple or grape Decaf & regular coffee and tea bags Pasta sauce, peanut butter, salad dressings Baking flour, sugar, mixes & frostings Condiments (mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard) Bathroom/Kitchen Supplies Cleaning supplies Sponges, Scrubee pads, Brillo, SOS Dish and Laundry detergent Paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, napkins Toiletries Toothpaste, toothbrushes, bars/liquid soap Disposable razors, Shaving cream Deodorant - men & women Hand cream & body lotion Diapers (sizes 1 through 5) Depends (Small, Medium, Large) Beth El Temple of West Hartford Inc Albany Avenue West Hartford, CT bethelwesthartford.org Main Office: SULAM Beth El: Jim Rosen, Rabbi jrosen@bethelwh.org Ilana C. Garber, Rabbi igarber@bethelwh.org Stanley M. Kessler, Rabbi Emeritus Joseph Ness, Cantor jness@bethelwh.org Caryl Goldberg cgoldberg@bethelwh.org Education Director Rabbi Howard Sowalsky hsowalsky@bethelwh.org Ritual & Executive Director Jonathan Alter, President president@bethelwh.org Lydia Lutt marketing@bethelwh.org Social Media and Marketing Coord. Deborah R. Rosenfeld, beth.el.temple.wh Published every two months. Following the deadline schedule below, please submit articles to: TempleTopics@bethelwh.org 2/1 for March-April 4/1 for May-June 6/1 for July-August 8/1 for September-October 10/1 for November-December 12/1 for January-February Other Beth El questions, updates, etc., should be sent to: CDeer@bethelwh.org Send Life Cycle announcements to: LEsau@bethelwh.org Note: The calendar grid is now a separate document and can be downloaded from our website. Each month is a separate page, designed for legal-sized paper (8.5 x14 ). Copies are also available in the office. 24 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

25 Engaging Generations Bar and Bat Mitzvah Celebrations Ethan Tiffany Alex Kowalsky September 2, Information 2017 on Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations October 7, 2017 Ethan, son of Valerie & Eric is available Tiffany of from West the Temple Office. Alex, son of Meredith Kowalsky, Hartford, grandson of Lynn & Al Salsberg from brother of Ross, grandson of Andrea Montreal and San Diego, and Ronnie & Lee Tiffany & Ronald Saxon, is a 7 th grader at from New York, is an 8 th grader at King Philip Solomon Schechter Day School. He Middle School. He is assisting residents with raised money for the non-profit special projects at Jewish Senior Services in Bridgeport. Soccer for Peace which brings Palestinian and Israeli children together for a week long soccer Sophie Celia Kudler camp to play together and establish relationships. September 9, 2017 Sophie, daughter of Stephanie & Justin Kudler of Estelle Miriam Cohen West Hartford, sister of Hallie, granddaughter of Marcel Joseph Cohen Diane & Arthur Patz from Newton, MA, Irma & October 28, 2017 Gary z l Wallin from West Hartford, and Nancy & Estelle and Marcel are the children of Richard Kudler from Manchester, NH, is an 8 th Jamie & Isaac Cohen of West grader at King Philip Middle School. Sophie is recycling cans and Hartford, and the grandchildren of bottles, donating the money to charities such as the Kosher Food Pam & Glen Hait from Paradise Pantry and the Children's Hospital of Boston. So far, she has Valley, AZ, and Esther & Moshe z l recycled more than 5,000 cans and bottles. Cohen from Morocco and Paris. Estelle, a 7 th grader at Bristow Middle Ethan Howard Harris School, is working with Read to September 16, 2017 Grow to build home libraries for Ethan, son of Lisa & Peter Harris of West Hartford, children. Marcel, a 7 th grader at King brother of Max and Joel, grandson of Judith & Don Philip Middle School, is raising Karabelnik from Reading, PA, and Sandra z l & money for Heifer International, helping families Howard z l Harris of Lido Beach, NY, is an 8 th develop animal-based businesses around the globe. grader at King Philip Middle School. For Ethan s Bar Mitzvah Project, he and 10 other friends formed a big band Zachary Blake Wasserman which practiced for many months and then performed for the November 4, 2017 residents at multiple assisted living and nursing homes. Zach, son of Mara & Seth Wasserman of Avon, brother of Edward Avi Malakh Chloe, grandson of Joan z l & October 7, 2017 Sherwin Epstein from Sherman Edward, son of Alla & Leonid Malakh of Oaks, CA, Harvey Wasserman from Farmington, brother of David, grandson of Klara & Enfield, and Sharon Avruch from Canton, is an 8 Vladimir z l Goykhman from Farmington and Rita th grader at Avon Middle School. Zachary is selling & Gregory Malakh from West Hartford, is an 8 th wrist bands to raise awareness for the Mowat grader at Irving A. Robbins Middle School. For his Wilson Syndrome Foundation on behalf of their Mitzvah project he is collecting donations for JDRF to fund type 1 dear Zoe Fineberg. diabetes research. Beth El Temple Craft Gallery From jewelry to Judaica, mezuzah to menorah, and tallit to tzedakah box, our beautiful craft gallery is the perfect place to shop: for your holiday table, a gift for bar/bat mitzvah, new baby, or other simcha. We carry items by wellknown Israeli artists and update our merchandise frequently. OPEN: most Sundays during the school year, 9:00 AM - NOON APPOINTMENTS: Jill Jones, ; Shelley Barker, Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

26 The EveryOne Annual Appeal /5777 Thank you to all of our members who participated in the first EveryOne Annual Appeal, helping to make this endeavor a great success. At Beth El, we believe every member and every gift matters! The EveryOne Appeal is a unified effort to raise funds that began with the High Holiday Appeal in 2016 and ended with our fiscal year on June 30, The Appeal is cumulative, recognizing all of your tax-deductible contributions to Beth El, including your annual gift. The Circles of Honor represent the various cumulative giving opportunities. Pillar of Righteousness Robin & David Gelles Tali & Stephen Kest Mandell and Braunstein Families Zachs Family Foundation Pillar of Mitzvot Zadelle Krasow Greenblatt & Arthur N. Greenblatt Konover and Coppa Families Lois & Chuck Koteen Joyce & Richard Leibert Judie & Coleman Levy Pillar of Strength Sally & Harris Chorney Maureen & Steven Fast Kathy & I. Bradley Hoffman Nancy & Jeffrey Hoffman Deborah & Steven Kleinman Abbey & Stephen Kreinik Elaine & Jerry Leshem Laurie & Marshall Shakun Leigh Newman & Gary Starr Paula D. Steinberg Patrons Circle Anonymous Ruth Anne & Halley Faust Annette & Seymour Gavens Jeanne & Daniel Kleinman Myra & William Kleinman Deborah & Glen Rosenfeld Robin & Rafael Santiago Carolyn & Jeffrey Weiser Double Chai Circle Phyllis & Gerald Gelles Amy & James Jay Goldman Charlotte & Brook Jason Michele & Dane Kostin Robin & Leonard Oremland Beth & Daniel Papermaster Nancy & Rabbi James Rosen Beth & Bernard Schilberg Francine & Steven Stier Chai Circle Marci & Jonathan Alter Morris Banks Lee Ann & Claudio Benadiva Karen & Gordon Binkhorst Ellen Blumberg Alisha & Ronald Cipriano Naomi & Michael Cohen Sharon & Robert Efron Amy & Jesse Eisler Frances & Philip Feltman Marsha & Warren Fisher Michelle & Eric Gladstein Joshua Gottfried Beverly & Arnold Greenberg Sharon & Neil Kochen Jannine & Ed Leshem Linda & Alan Levin Diane & Richard Lieberfarb Linda & Joel Malkoff Ellen & Jeffry Nestler Batsheva & Robert Oberstein Judith & David Rosenthal Joan & Paul Shapiro Debra & James Shmerling Susan & Alan Solinsky Dora & Rabbi Howard Sowalsky Regan & Barry Stein Gayle & Steve Temkin Patricia & Howard Weiner Stacy Nerenstone & Morton Weinstein Jennifer & Steven Wolfberg Mitzvah Circle Anonymous Ruth & Bert Berlin Estelle & Abraham Bernstein Carolyn & Stuart Bernstein Melissa & Adam Borgida Judith Borus Ann & David Brandwein Barbara & David Brown Ronald Buckman Shelley & Alan Cetel Ayelet & Bruce Chozick Ann & Bernard Cope Sheila & David Diamond Vicki & Leonard Eisenfeld Mary Epstein Korine & Ronald Ferraro Alexandra Flowers Ellen & Ethan Foxman Suzanne & David Goldberg Barbara & Robert Green Lisa Levin & Thomas Greenebaum Betty & Herbert Hoffman Jill & Brad Hutensky Rachel & Max Javit Jill & Gary Jones Eva & Michael Kaplan Alys & Jack Krichavsky Judith & Daniel Kulakofsky Karen & Morris Later Alice & Adam Leshem Tamara Kagan Levine & Marc Levine Marilyn Steinmetz & Stephen Lieberman Andrea & Robert Lindenberg Paulette & James Lotstein Barbara Louis Rachel & Mitchell Marcus 2 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

27 Linda & Edward Miller Janet & Joel Miller Faith & M. Bruce Parker Stephen Rabb Rosalind & Joseph Rachlin Susan Rabinowe & Daniel Rapoport Bruce Robbin Joanne & Arthur Rome Ellen & Stuart Roth Carolyn Greenspan & Marshall Ruben Sandra & Marshall Rulnick Susan & Michael Schenker Susan & Mark Schmidek Lauren & Jeff Schuman Remy & Hy Schwartz Marilyn & Alan Schwedel Shari Roth & Russell Selzer Leslie & Bruce Silvers Roberta & Bruce Singer Judyth & Irwin Singer Linda & Bruce Stanger Edythe Sussman Judith & Joel Weisman Lorraine Wiesen Sustainers Circle Anonymous Barbara Aaron & Jeffrey Nese Marjorie & Bruce Abel June Rosen & Benjamin Abrams Marlene & Jeffrey Alfin Eve Alpert Lisa & Lance Alpert Elizabeth & Harris Appelman Carrie Berman & Ronald Apter Esther & Stephen Aronson Laura & Daniel Barash Shelley & Michael Barker Nancy & Marty Baron Vida & Eliot Barron Barbara Barshay Amy & Peter Barzach Barbara Basch Hope & Jeffrey Bash Melissa & Joel Bauman Charlotte Bazer Jacqueline Bazzano Roz-Lynn Beckenstein Crystal & Jeffrey Begleiter Sharon Bercowetz Avram Berger Patricia & Howard Berke Holly & Alvin Berkon Harriet & Robert Berland Mara & Joshua Berman Irene & Martin Berman Susan & Frederic Bernstein Nancy Bernstein Sonia & Richard Bernstein Joanne & Kenneth Bienstock Murray Bilmes Robert Birnbaum Jordan Blinder Wanda Schulman & Harold Blinderman Sandra Bloom Linda & Steven Blotner Leslie & Harold Blumberg Shery & Stewart Bober Sapora & Michael Bogatz Christopher Bohrer Jessica & Richard Borden Joan Bortman Lisa & Jeffrey Bourke Meryl & Scott Braunstein Ronni Breiter Deborah Broadley Shirley K. & David Brody Maria & Eric Brown Stephanie & Geoffrey Brown Barbara Rosen & Jeffrey Brown Sara Goldfarb & Seth Brown Marlene & Stephen Brown Beth Brumberg Marilyn & Roy Bubbs Carin Buckman Roberta Buland Paul Bush Elizabeth Byer Janice Cartin Leah & Steven Chatinover Barbara Checknoff & Seth Riemer Gail & Stephen Chinitz Ruth Cion Ann Cohen Jacalyn & Daniel Cohen Jamie & Isaac Cohen Georgianne & Jonathan Cohen Karen & Lawrence Cohen Marsha & Martin Cohen Samuel Cohen Susan & Stuart Cohen Linda & Henry Cohn Sharon & Stephen Conway Beth Cook Ina Cooper Claudia Coplein & John Kreinest Courtney & Steven Covici Marilyn & Marvin Cremer Reeva Cremer Harriet & Jay Cudrin Carol & Burton Cunin Meryl & Mitchell Danitz Harriet & Frederick Dannhauser Bruce Deitch Alison & Edward Demarest Edith Denes Marlena DeRosa Jacqueline & Christopher DeSesa Gail & Barry Deutsch Anne & Craig Diamond Bette Jane & Leonard Diamond Beth & S. Lee Diamond Kimberly & Jason DiBella Diane & Scott Dolin Elaine & Robert Dombroff Ellen & Peter Donshik Edith & Sy Dresner Evelyn Dvorin Lawrence Dvorin Monica & Amnon Ehrlich Amy Eklund & Daniel Beauvais Jeanne & Marshall Elman Mona Elson Melissa & Andrew Epstein Cheryl & David Epstein Rita & Martin Epstein Frances Erlichson & Timothy McCarthy Karen Trager & Yael Etzkin Tom Falik Barbara Falkin Leigh & Gregory Farber Rebecca & Andrew Feingold Debra Feldman Jillian & Josh Feldman Joyce Kamanitz & Thomas Feldman Suzanne Fieldman Gayle & Edwin Fierer Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Tishrei-Cheshvan

28 Gail Fine Lisa Arden & Jed Finman Lisa & Peter Fishman Dory & Jeffrey Fleischman Elyse & Marshal Fox Sheila & Theodore Fox Felicia Wilion & Jay Frankel Arthur Freedman Eliane & Richard Freund Ilana Waynik & Jeremy Fried Pamela Friedeberg Marian Friedland Abbe & Kenneth Friedman Matthew Friedman Irene Fromson Betty Garber Rabbi Ilana Garber & Adam Berkowitz Diana Garfield Marcia & Michael Garfinkel William Gartner Sandra & Mark Gassner Allan Geetter Ava & Harold Geetter Loren & Joel Gelber Patricia & Stuart Genser Donald Gershman Nancy & Jay Gershman Dayna & Brian Gilbert Rochelle Ginsberg Carolyn & Jeffrey Gitlin Nancy & Richard Gitlin Alison & Alan Gittleman Faye Glass Nan Glass Susan Gluck Susan & Robert Gold Beatrice Goldberg Sandra & Bruce Goldberg Maxine & David Goldberg Deborah Prince & David Goldberg Marilyn & Harry Goldberg Caryl & Leonard Goldberg Morton Goldberg Frances Gurtman & Richard Goldberg Sybil & H. Donald Golden Shera & David Golder Michael Goldfarb Julie & Ethan Goldman Felice Goldman Julie Koppel Goldman & Joshua Goldman Shirley Goldman Laurie & Bruce Goldsmith Ada Goldstein Fredda & Jonathan Goldstein Deborah & Scott Goldstein Doris & Herbert Golinsky Lori & Harvey Goodman Claudia & Joel Goodman Nancy & Robert Goodman Pamela & Barry Gordon Sharon Gorlick Michele & Daniel Gottfried Nancy & Dennis Gottfried Rebecca & Martin Gould Cecily Grable Ruth Ann & Harland Graime Lisa Grant & William Weitzer Phyllis Greenberg Nicole & Joshua Greenblatt Diane & Lawrence Greenfield Elizabeth & Steven Greenspan Judith & Albert Greenspoon Phyllis Grinspan Marilyn & Jeffrey Grody Rachel Grody Susan Grody Robert Gruskay Jason Gutcheon Leonard Guthart Vivian Haas Rosalind Bobrow Hahn & Howard Hahn Sherry Haller Lisa & Peter Harris Cheryl & John Hinze Nina & David Hoff Monica & Matthew Hoffman Phyllis Hoffman Renee Holden Michelle & Joshua Hollander Glenda Holmes Andrea Hotes Ziva Stauber & Lawrence Hudson Lois & Allan Hutensky Anna & Seth Huttner Herbert Isaacson Roberta Moss & Michael Isko Elke Webb & Noah Jablow Allan Jacobs Robyn Jacobs Nancy & John Jacobson Eleanor Jainchill Renee Janow Karen Jarmon Mindy & Jeremy Jason Carol Johnson Jennifer & Randy Kabakoff Mitra & Seth Kabakoff Louise & Ralph Kadden Bilha & Leo Kaplan Roberta Woronow & Theodore Kaplan Barbara & Robert Karasik Tobye & Edward Karl Debbie & Gary Katz Debra & Howard Katz Michelle Bellinger & Jeffrey Katz Karen Katz Roslyn & Marvin Katz Leah & Peter Katz Charna & John Kaufman Laurie & Joshua Kaufman Melinda & Alan Kaufmann Beth & Bernard Kavaler Arielle & Jason Kay Dana & Jonathan Keller Dorothy E. Kelmenson Kimberly & Jeremy Kempner Wendy Kern Hilda & Arthur Kesten Tracy King Laura & Rick Kinyon Joyce & Wallace Kirschner Barbara & David Klau Michael Klein Gina & Dennis Koppel Karen & Richard Korris Diane & Alan Kosan Judith & Morris Kotick Shari & Jacob Kovel Meredith Kowalsky David Kravet Riva Lewinter & David Kruger Tammy & Joshua Krulewitz Stephanie & Justin Kudler Bonnie Roswig & Michael Kurs 4 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

29 Sharon Kursman Robin & Jeffrey Landau Stephanie & Justin Landrie Fran & Frederick Landy Elaine & Harry Lane Lauren & Jason Lang Shelley & Robert Langer Miriam Lappen Lee Lapuk Robin & Adam Lazinsk Phyllis & Stewart Lehman Trudy & Andre Lerer Robert Lerner Joan & Melvin Levi Wendy & Howard Levinbook Sarah & Daniel Levine Ellen Levine Annette & Jack Levine Marie & Mark Levine Peter Levine Anita & Dennis Levy Lisa & Evan Levy Judith & Harold Levy Bonnie & Paul Lewis Gilda Liebowitz Arlene & Leonard Lippman Sherry & Daniel Lohr Jennifer & Andrew Ludgin Karen & Robert Ludgin Wendy Lyon Janel & Kevin MacDermott Mindy & Andrew Maidman Alla & Leonid Malakh Marjorie Malitz Stacey & Steven Malitz Ellen & Charles Mandelberg Cynthia Mann Denese & Norman Mann Fay Manus Amanda Cohen & Benjamin Marcus Karen & Larry Marcus Karina & Zachary Marcus Ellen & Jerald Margolis Kimberly & Scott Margolis Sheila & Howard Mark David Mathog Eileen McMurrer Edith Meade-Shiffman Sarah & Lucas Meira Benchaya Beth Melnick Martin Melnick Diane & Alan Melton Sheila & Aaron Ment Barbara Messing Jean & Sheldon Meyer Susan & Howard Meyerowitz Lori & Douglas Meyerson Christi & Eric Miller Constance Mindell Roberta & Benson Monastersky Janet & Harold Moskowitz Arthur Mostel Marsha & Lanny Nagler Susan Namerow Nina Narins Sharon & Brian Neiberg Mina & Barry Nemirow Carmen Ness & Cantor Joseph Ness Kelly Bard & Guy Neumann Marylin & Arthur Noll Lisa & William Nollman Amy & John Nulsen Janet O'Connor Marlene Passman Teddy Paul Marilyn Pearson Ronald Peikes Gerald Perloff Randi & Steven Piaker Jacquelynne & Marvin Pilo Bette & Joel Platt Sherri & Fred Pliskin Faye Poles Jill & Eric Polinsky Karen & Jeffrey Polinsky Deborah & Richard Polivy Eileen & Elliott Pollack Florence & Philip Post Elaine & Calvin Price Andrew Prince Teri Bayer & Bruce Putterman Linda & Steven Putterman Lewis Rabinovitz Keryn & Fernando Rausch Adine & Thomas Regan Alvin Reiner James Reiner Lori & Lance Reiser Debra & Paul Reiss Judith & Frank Resnick Anne Riener Julie & George Risisky Rhona & Joel Roffer Carol Rosen Karen & Michael Rosen Emily & Stuart Rosen Cheryl & Rabbi Howard Rosenbaum Carol & Barry Rosenberg Lillian Rosenberg Michele Rosenberg Andrea Rosenfield Shirley & Irving Rosenthal Bonnie & Jay Roston Debra & Richard Rostowsky Kim & Brian Roth Marilyn & Alan Rothstein Tara & Daniel Rothstein Diane Rothstein Andrea & Lance Rothstein Sandra & Joel Rotman Jane & Gary Rubin Devorah & Herman Rubin Gloria & Mark Rubin Gideon Rutenberg Ila & David Sabino Tracey & Benjamin Sachs Geraldine & Gilbert Sack Lois Saffer Susan & Matthew Saidel Diane & Ronald Salm Barbara & Ira Samberg Susan & Jesse Samuels Erika & Ari Santiago Judith & David Satlof Heather & Joshua Satlof Andrea & Ronald Saxon Jane & Andrew Schachter Kathryn & Paul Schaeffer Marlene & Jerome Scharr Susan & Louis Schatz Rosanne Druckman & Larry Scherzer Rachel & Bryan Schilberg Barbara & Nathan Schilberg Stacy & Kelvin Schleif Sharon & Michael Schloss Phyllis Schloss Rita Schoolnik Janet Schrager & Steven Arnold Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Tishrei-Cheshvan

30 Martin Schulz Lonni & Philip Schulz Toby & Arthur Schuman Erica & Adam Schuyler Lisa Cohen & Gary Schwartz Nancy Schwartz Melissa Mentzer & Karyn Schwartzer Lea & Bernie Selig Mindelle Seltzer Dana Greenberg & Glenn Shafer Florence Shakun Harlan Shakun Lisa Shakun Karen & Roy Shakun Edith Shapiro Gale & Larry Shapiro Deena Samberg-Shefsky & Douglas Shefsky Sharon Levine-Shein & Bruce Shein Eveline & Mark Shekhman Cyral & Richard Sheldon Angelica Sherber-Perez & Michael Sherber Edith Sherman Estelle Sherry Elena & Steven Shichman Ronit & Scott Shoham Stacey & Eric Shore Robyn & Gabriel Shtern Phyllis & Gerald Siegal Ethel Siegelbaum Anita Sigel Hilary & David Silver Eric Silverstein Elizabeth & Adam Simmons Vera & Eli Simon Barbara Simons Muriel Slotnick Arline & Stuart Small Roberta & Marvin Smith Olga Smith Ellen & Stephen Solomon Ruth & Howard Sovronsky Clara Sowalsky Jan Glassman & Joel Sowalsky Sidra & Marvin Sperling Sara Spodick & James Boryczewski Helene & Felix Springer Honey Sue & Joseph Springut Selma Squires Carol Starr Barbara & Jeffrey Steckler Anne Stein Haiyan & Gary Stein Tamara & Joshua Stein Merrill Stein Marion Steinberg Linda & Richard Steinmark Ruth Stern Norma Jean & Robert Sternschein Michal Klau-Stevens & Gregory Stevens Marny & Thomas Stevens Deborah & Michael Stiebel Reba & Alden Stock E. Reuel Stoltz Gertrude Sucoll Risa & Kenneth Sugarman Beatrice & Bernard Sussman Lisa & J. Bruce Sussman Marc Sussman Marge & Ricky Swaye Ruth Sweedler Michelle Kunzman & Steven Szafman Lois & Jason Tanzer Valerie & Eric Tiffany Dorine & Martin Toyen Naomi & Calman Tussin Karen Schoenfeld Tuvin & Alan Tuvin Susan & Martin Ungar Lorraine & Farrel Vogelhut Roslyn Volvovitz Shirley & Julius Wachtel Susan & Stuart Wachtel Marcia & David Waitzman Irma Wallin Janice & Leonard Wasserman Jean Weil Abraham Weinberg Nancy Gould & Brian Weinberg Marguerite & Marvin Weinberg Frances & Paul Weinberger Bonnie & Abby Weiner Sandra Hershson & Daniel Weiner Rachel Leventhal-Weiner & David Weiner Janice Weinstein Laurie Mandell & Richard Weinstein Wendy Habelow & Robert Weinstein Elisa Wagner & Stephen Weinstein Melissa & Randall Weinstock David Weintraub Lenore & Philip Weisinger Murray Wellner Libby & Matthew Wentworth Lilo & Herbert Werner Sandra Stanfield & Laurie Wetherbee Lori & David Wetsman Susan Widem Bernice Wiener Kathy Steadman & Seth Winkleman Linda Moses & Steven Wirpel Sarah Willen & Sebastian Wogenstein Ann & Michael Wolf Rebecca & Jay Wolman Julie & Mark Wolman Roslyn Yellin Lori Yontef Elaine & Theodore Zachs Irene Zalevsky & Edward Bolles Bella & Jonathan Zeisler Shirley Zelman Hilary Freedman & Howard Zern Michelle Zeuschner Sandra Zieky Janet & Richard Zimmerman Jill & Jeffrey Ziplow Gwen & Daniel Zittoun Marcia Zola Doreen Fundiller-Zweig & Elliot Zweig C. Dianne & Richard Zweig And when something works well, we do it again! In September, members will be sent information about the EveryOne Appeal / Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

31 Supporting Beth El Special Gifts Thank you to the following members for these special projects. Oberstein Family Donation of Concert Piano Ann Lucchesi Rosow New High Holiday Torah Mantles Zachs Family Sponsorship of Concert Piano New Carpeting in Hoffman Hall and Main Hallway We deeply appreciate the following Thoughtful Contributions. This list reflects contributions received and processed through July 20, For the next edition of Temple Topics, contributions need to be received in the office by September 19. The minimum donation for each listing is $10. Every dollar contributed can and does make a difference and will be acknowledged. Unrestricted funds support the timely needs of Beth El Temple. Restricted funds benefit specific purposes and objectives. For a complete list of funds, and any specific designations, please visit our website. Your gift may be mailed to the Temple office or submitted online. Cantor s Music Fund in Appreciation of Cantor Ness for help with Torah portion & Haftarah Rivka Dvorin & Arthur Freedman Cantor Ness Leonard Guthart, Helen Lewtan Linda & Steve Blotner Lois & Chuck Koteen Cantor Ness Jannine & Ed Leshem in Honor of 50 th wedding anniversary of Harriet & Jay Cudrin Barbara & David Brown Aufruf of son, Matthew & Tracey Ederer, of daughter, Stephanie & David Ochs Robin & David Gelles Birth of twin grandsons, William Celio Tigre & James Beto Tigre Shelley & Bob Langer 50 th wedding anniversary of Harriet & Jay Cudrin Michele Rosenberg in Memory of Sylvia Roth, mother of Dr. Shari Roth the Levin-Greenebaum family Diane Guthart, sister-in-law of Leonard Neeli Mann & family for the Yahrzeit of Meyer Zwerdling, father; Max Bazer, father -in-law Charlotte Bazer Samuel Lindenberg, father Judith Weisman Cemetery Fund for the Yahrzeit of Rose Abkowicz, mother Ann Wolf & Les Abkowicz Rabbi Garber s Discretionary Fund in Appreciation of Rabbi Garber for the naming of daughter, Peri Jennifer Mara & Josh Berman Rabbi Garber Laurie Kaufman Rabbi Garber for the aufruf of daughter Shanna & Josh Gottfried Janet & Joel Miller in Honor of 90 th birthday of aunt, Shirley K. Brody Caren & Larry Peters Education Fund in Memory of Murray Stock, father of Dr. Alden Stock Rhona & Dr. Joel Roffer for the Yahrzeit of Nettie Epstein, grandmother; Ruth Scharmett, grandmother Jill & Gary Jones Munsey Horwitz, mother & grandmother; Sandy Horwitz, father & grandfather Jill & Gary Jones & Harrison, Ethan & Aaron Library Fund in Memory of Sylvia Roth, mother of Dr. Shari Roth Jennifer & Steve Wolfberg for the Yahrzeit of David Cukier, Holocaust remembrance Carol N. Johnson Rabbi Rosen s Discretionary Fund in Appreciation of Donna Ganslow, our hostess Leah Katz & Holly Swirsky Rabbi Rosen Fred & Leonard Guthart, the Kursman family, Helen Lewtan, Ellen & Michael Swalle, Mary Kay & Sam Goldenberg, El & David Goldenberg, Marsha & Art Arpin, Sherri & Fred Pliskin, A.J. Leshem, Reba & Alden Stock Rabbi Rosen for the aufruf of daughter Shanna & Josh Gottfried Janet & Joel Miller in Honor of Nancy & Rabbi Jim Rosen s 25 th anniversary celebration at Beth El Ronni Breiter 90 th birthday of Evelyn Dvorin Shirley K. & David Brody The Rosen family Holly Cohen 90 th birthday of Shirley K. Brody Evelyn Dvorin 50 th wedding anniversary of Harriet & Jay Cudrin Linda & Shel Eisenberg Rabbi Rosen s Lunch & Learn teaching Arthur Freedman Aufruf of son, Matthew & Tracey Ederer, of daughter, Stephanie & David Ochs Robin & David Gelles Bar mitzvah of Seth Liebowitz, grandson of Gilda Harriet & Jerry Gilson Grandson, Peter Malkin achieving the rank of Eagle Scout Morton Goldberg Peter Malkin achieving the rank of Eagle Scout Felice Goldman Eagle Court of Honor for Jordan Lazinsk & Peter Malkin Robin & Adam Lazinsk, Julie & Robert Malkin Special birthday of Jerry Gilson Gilda Liebowitz 90 th birthday of Shirley K. Brody Rita & Herman Rosenbaum 45 th wedding anniversary of Reba & Alden Stock; our 50 th anniversary Andrea & Ron Saxon 50 th wedding anniversary of Andrea & Ron Saxon; our 45 th anniversary Reba & Alden Stock 50 th wedding anniversary of Andrea & Ron Saxon Holly & Jerry Swirsky 45 th wedding anniversary of Susan & Stuart Wachtel; 97 th birthday of Yuddie Wachtel Shirley Wachtel in Memory of Diane Guthart, sister-in-law of Leonard Roberta Buland, Neeli Mann & family Murray Stock, father of Dr. Alden Stock Brenda & Malcolm Berman, Diane & Alan Melton, Andrea & Dr. Ron Saxon Howie Falkin, husband of Barbara Linda Cohen Rachel Mano, mother of Rivka Dvorin Evelyn Dvorin, Larry Dvorin Leonard Greenberg, husband Phyllis Greenberg Sherman Shike Gershman, husband of Adele, father of Jay Cheryl & John Hinze Leonard Greenberg, husband of Phyllis, brother of Arnold Caren & Larry Peters Louise Koppleman, mother of Susan Cohen Beth & Bernie Schilberg Murray Stock, father & grandfather Reba & Alden Stock (continues) Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

32 Supporting Beth El, cont. Taste of Shabbat Fund in Appreciation of Beth El Temple Gregory Traub & family Our clergy for honoring Sam Cohen s 94 th birthday Jackie & Dan Cohen in Honor of Birthday of Alison Demarest Jackie & Dan Cohen Special birthday of Michelle Brisman- Gladstein Lori & Lance Reiser in Memory of Rachel Mano, mother of Rivka Dvorin Arthur Freedman Sherman Shike Gershman, husband of Adele, father of Jay Loren & Joel Gelber Wishing Good Health to Nana Madelyn & Jacob Cohen Chai Society in Honor of 50 th wedding anniversary of Harriet & Jay Cudrin Barbara & Bob Green for the Yahrzeit of Mae Ugelow, mother Judith Satlof Jewish Continuity Fund in Honor of 50 th wedding anniversary of Andrea & Ron Saxon Phyllis & Sheldon Nova Tzedakah Fund in Honor of The wonderful Beth El Community Arthur Freedman Temple Fund in Appreciation of Rabbi Rosen Martha Fischer in Honor of Graduation of Max Kaye & Alexandra Kaye, grandchildren of Ina Cooper Judith Bayer Bar mitzvah of Seth Liebowitz, grandson of Gilda Judy Cohen 90 th birthday of Shirley K. Brody Ruth Feinberg Marriage of Daniel Gavens, grandson of Annette & Sy, to Sarah Michaud Joyce Fleshcer in Memory of Sylvia Roth, mother of Dr. Shari Roth the Aronson family, Janet & Joel Miller, Louise & Dean Scher Murray Stock, father of Dr. Alden Stock Bella & Judd Fink, Bonnie & Jay Roston, Beth & Bernie Schilberg Cipie Miller Carol & Joshua Hoffenberg William Zalman Katz, uncle Jonathan Katz Alfred Galin Joyce & Richard Leibert Abraham Kurtz, brother-in-law of Phyllis & Stewart Lehman Loretta & Larry Levy Sherman Shike Gershman, husband of Adele, father of Jay Gerri Sack Eleanore Reiner Marguerite & Marvin Weinberg, Nancy & Brian Weinberg for the Yahrzeit of Dyna & Harold Kluk, parents Eve Alpert Abraham Beckenstein, grandfather & great -grandfather Roz-Lynn & Julie Beckenstein Bertha Berland, mother Robert Berland David Abrahamson, father; Robert Blumberg, father Leslie & Harold Blumberg Martha Weiss, mother Jessica Borden Mimi Aleng Holocaust remembrance Judy Borus Louis Illions, father Barbara & David Brown Beatrice & George Solomon, parents Shelley Cetel Joseph Kligman, father Ina Cooper David Turchin, brother; Haley Cremer, granddaughter Marilyn & Marvin Cremer Dr. Eugene Bodian, father Alison & Ed Demarest Barbara & Harold Falik, parents; Jennifer Falik, daughter Tom Falik Freda & Isadore Freedman, parents; Michael Freedman, brother Hilary Freedman Nathan Oren, father; Samuel Gilson, father; Lloyd Gilson, brother Harriet & Jerome Gilson David Arthur Glass, son; Vysia Cukier, Holocaust remembrance Nan Glass Fanny & Philip Gluck, grandparents Susan Gluck Ida & Max Matlaw, parents Sybil & H. Donald Golden, Bernard Matlaw Barbara Weil, mother Nancy & Dennis Gottfried Martin Redlus, father; Joel Dreese, Holocaust remembrance; Charles Alban, Holocaust remembrance Judy & Al Greenspoon Abraham Guthart, father Leonard Guthart Martin Holden, husband; Gusta Fischer, mother Renee Holden Yale Kaplan, father Michael Kaplan You can support Beth El while you shop! Beth El is now part of AMAZON SMILE! When shopping at SMILE.AMAZON.COM, you will find the exact same prices, selection, and shopping experience as amazon.com with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Beth El. Buy GIFT CARDS from Beth El for your own shopping and dining. Use them in place of cash, checks, or credit cards for purchases you were going to make anyway! AND THEY MAKE GREAT GIFTS! Change your default search engine to GOODSEARCH.COM and select Beth El as the non-profit you wish to support. It is powered by YAHOO.COM, and they will donate to Beth El with every search! All at no charge to you, no extra effort, and Beth El benefits!! 32 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

33 77 Temple Fund for the Yahrzeit of (cont.) Greta Meier, mother Debbie & Steve Kleinman Elizabeth Kochen, mother Neil Kochen Barbara Sickle, grandmother Stephanie & Justin Landrie Arthur Levine, father Mark Levine Albert Davis, father Diane Lieberfarb Trina Berkowitz, sister Gilda Liebowitz Kurt Simon, father; Benedikta Drabik, Holocaust remembrance Andrea & Robert Lindenberg Della Louis, mother-in-law Barbara Louis Ben Fairman, father Jean Meyer Blossom Greenberg, mother Janet Moskowitz Emanuel Zimmer, father Marylin Noll Jean & Nathan Aronson, parents Faith Parker Michael Levy, father; Abraham Piaker, father Randi & Steven Piaker Benjamin Goldenberg, father Sherri & Fred Pliskin Stuart Prince, father Andrew Prince Virginia Rabb, sister Stephen Rabb Seymour Roffer, father Rhona & Joel Roffer Raymond Poriss, father Karen & Michael Rosen Molly Stack Schatz, grandmother; Zara Krasnow Leavitt, grandmother Deborah Rosenfeld Lillian Rosenfield, mother; Hilda Rosenthal, mother Judy & David Rosenthal Sylvia & Walter Roston, parents Bonnie & Jay Roston Gilbert Sack, husband; Rose Baver, mother Gerri Sack Anne Schupack, mother Beth & Bernie Schilberg Robert Schulman, father Wanda Schulman Mildred Kurtz, sister Florence Shakun Ann Cohen, mother & grandmother Cyral & Richard Sheldon, Stacy, Scott, Sloane Judith Shore, mother Stacey & Eric Shore Marsha Singer, sister Irwin Singer Alvin Satz, father Linda Stanger Mildred Mann, mother Barbara Steckler Teppy Shein, mother Regan & Barry Stein Esther Freedman, mother Deborah Stiebel Amy Toyen, daughter; Rita Alexandrowitz, Holocaust remembrance Dorine & Marty Toyen Hilda Waitzman, mother Marcia & David Waitzman Joseph Perets, brother; Colette Perets, sister Marguerite & Marvin Weinberg Mary Lange, aunt Lenore Weisinger Mildred Kurtz, sister Joel Weisman Dr. Michael Yellin, son; Sally Yellin, mother-in-law Roslyn Yellin Sarah Cohen, mother Janet Zimmerman Joseph Zola, husband Marcia Zola General Unrestricted Endowment Fund in Memory of Leonard Greenberg, husband of Phyllis, brother of Arnold; Rachel Mano, mother of Rivka Dvorin Annette & Sy Gavens Alter Family Fund in Honor of Jonathan Alter becoming President of Beth El Meryl & Mitchell Danitz, the Engelman family, Lois & Chuck Koteen, Judy & David Rosenthal Michael & Susan Schenker Endowment Fund in Memory of Benjamin Fisher, father of Warren Susan & Michael Schenker (continues) Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

34 Supporting Beth El, cont. Sharon & Bob Efron Family Fund in Memory of Rachen Mano, mother of Rivka Dvorin Sharon & Bob Efron Gavens Family College Youth Fund in Honor of Marriage of Melanie Rosenberg, daughter of Carol & Barry to Brian Gartenlaub; special birthday of Jan Anderson Annette & Sy Gavens in Memory of Marvin Michael Halpin, brother of Tony Halpin Annette & Sy Gavens for the Yahrzeit of Pauline Kushnet, sister Annette Gavens Friends Fund for Members in Need in Honor of Diane Lieberfarb s successful presidency; Dr. Sara Danitz receiving her Ph.D.; special birthdays of Ellen Blumberg & Butch Shimelman Judy & David Rosenthal in Memory of Sandra Harris, mother of Peter Judy & David Rosenthal Sherman Shike Gershman, husband of Adele, father of Jay; Leonard Greenberg, husband of Phyllis, brother of Arnold; Benjamin Fisher, father of Warren; Sylvia Roth, mother of Dr. Shari Roth; Murray Stock, father of Dr. Alden Stock Patti & Howard Weiner Kreinik Family Fund for the Yahrzeit of Belle Miller, mother; Hanalore Dreifuss, Holocaust remembrance Abbey & Stephen Kreinik Naomi & Michael Cohen Endowment Fund in Appreciation of Diane Lieberfarb s presidency Naomi & Michael Cohen for the Yahrzeit of Sarah Kurnitsky, mother Naomi & Michael Cohen Eleanor Weinberg Jainchill Family Fund for the Yahrzeit of Esther & Benjamin Gurne, parents Eleanor Jainchill Diane & Richard Lieberfarb Endowment Fund in Appreciation of Diane Lieberfarb s two years as President of Beth El Temple Lois & Chuck Koteen Board of Trustees of Beth El Temple for presenting me with a leaf on the Tree of Life Diane Lieberfarb in Honor of Diane Lieberfarb with deepest gratitude and appreciation for serving Beth El Temple as president Meryl & Mitchell Danitz Diane Lieberfarb s devotion & service to Beth El Temple Annette & Sy Gavens College graduation of Aaron Weissman; Sara Danitz receiving her doctoral degree; Shari Schwartz receiving an award from Sharsheret for 10 years of volunteerism Diane & Richard Lieberfarb in Memory of Robert Cohan, father of Linda Jainchill Diane & Richard Lieberfarb Mann Family Organ Fund for the Yahrzeit of Terezia Drechsler, Holocaust remembrance Naomi & Michael Cohen Bruce Shein & Sharon Levine-Shein Endowment Fund in Appreciation of Roz Rachlin; Lois Koteen Sharon Levine- Shein in Honor of Nephew Jacob Herz graduating from high school & entering college; Nancy & Rabbi Jim Rosen for their 25 years of outstanding leadership in the Greater Hartford community; special birthday of Roslyn Katz Bruce Shein & Sharon Levine-Shein in Memory of Herb Slotnick, husband of Marcia Bruce Shein & Sharon Levine-Shein for the Yahrzeit of Rose Levine, mother; Sylvia Levine, aunt; Jennie & Phillip Shein, parents Bruce Shein & Sharon Levine-Shein Bertha & Sidney Schulman Endowment Fund in Appreciation of The donors who helped restore the Temple organ Jackie & Dan Cohen I. Milton Widem Adult Education Fund for the Yahrzeit of I. Milton Widem, father; George Widem, uncle; Hilda Waxman, grandmother; Elsie Widem, grandmother Susan Widem 34 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT

35 Sowalsky Gabbai Rishon Endowment Fund in Appreciation of Of carrying the Torah Arthur Freedman Rabbi Howard Sowalsky for the aufruf of daughter, Shanna & Josh Gottfried Janet & Joel Miller Rabbi Howard Sowalsky Nancy Schwartz for the Yahrzeit of David Schalit, uncle Lea & Bernie Selig Donald Day, brother-in-law Clara Sowalsky Laurie & Marshall Shakun Family Fund in Appreciation of Laurie & Marshall Shakun Lois Koteen in Honor of Marshall s birthday Florence Shakun Leigh A. Newman & Gary S. Starr Family Fund in Honor of The birthday of Joseph Starr Leigh Newman & Gary Starr Lewis A. Steinberg Family Fund in Appreciation of Paula Steinberg Lois Koteen The wonderful women s Israel trip reunion luncheon Beth Melnick in Honor of All the wonderful women who attended the Israel trip reunion and those who could not attend; my wonderful daughter, Laurie who cleaned-up Paula Steinberg in Memory of Paul Perisweig; Macia Kagan Paula Steinberg Arthur & Stella Mostel Fund for Adult Education in Memory of Sandra Harris, mother of Dr. Peter Harris; Sylvia Roth, mother of Dr. Shari Roth Carolyn & Jeff Weiser for the Yahrzeit of Charlotte & William Mostel, grandparents Carolyn & Jeff Weiser Dr. Manuel & Evelyn Stier Memorial Fund for the Yahrzeit of Dr. Manuel Stier, father Dr. Steven Stier Sussman Families Endowment Fund for the Yahrzeit of Mollie & Abe Leichman, parents; Dorothy Berkowitz, sister Edythe Sussman Harriet Andorsky, mother Lisa Sussman Amy E. Toyen Endowment Fund for the Yahrzeit of Ernest Blake, father; Barnet Toyen, brother Dorine & Marty Toyen CT Mohel Ron Buckman, MD Brit Milah Simchat Bat Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 Tishrei-Cheshvan

36 2626 Albany Avenue West Hartford, CT Presorted First Class U.S. Postage Paid Hartford, CT Permit No Doing Mitzvot KNITzvah Group Sundays, Sept 10, Oct 15 10:00-11:30 AM If you knit or crochet, this is a fun way to spend 90 minutes. We chat and schmooze while creating something useful donated to (mostly) local charities for people who need a little "extra love. NOTE: bring #10 needles CONTACT: Annette Gavens, sygavens@aol.com, or Norma Jean Sternschein, njsternschein@comcast.net Charter Oak Project October 1-2 COOK, SUNDAY 9:00-11:00 AM SERVE, MONDAY 5:30-7:00 PM Prepare and serve dinner for Hartford school children and their families. Volunteers also needed to shop and deliver the food to Charter Oak. Donations welcome. LOCATION: cook at Beth El, serve at Charter Oak Cultural Center, Hartford CONTACT: Kerry Rausch, rausch.kerry@gmail.com, , or Craig Diamond, , craigpdiamond@yahoo.com Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen Mondays October 2, November 6 10:00 AM - 12:45 PM The group prepares and serves lunch to approximately 80 clients the first Monday of the month. LOCATION: Immanuel Church, Woodland St, Htfrd CONTACT: Ellen Solomon, gingy81434@hotmail.com NOTE: not meeting in September Keeping Beth El Beautiful Calling all green thumbs! Volunteers needed to tend the containers and in-ground plantings around our building. Commit a little or a lot, or adopt a plant and tend to it for the season. CONTACT: Sheila Fox, , foxtg@aol.com Jessie s Garden is going strong! Volunteers are still needed through September. Regulars are asked to use the SignUp website; newcomers can contact Betty. CONTACT: Betty Hoffman, , bhoffman3@comcast.net Mitzvah Day 2017 Monday, Dec 25 Watch for information in the next Temple Topics. COORDINATORS: Lisa Shakun, Johanna Zelman Temple Topics Note: The calendar grid is now a separate document and can be downloaded from our website. 36 Each month Beth is a El separate Temple page, West designed Hartford, legal-sized CT paper (8.5 x14 ). Copies are also available in the office.