TBA FUNDRAISER THE CURE FOR THE COMMON SHOW

Transcription

1 CENTER FOR PROGRESSIVE REFORM JUDAISM IN METROWEST tebeam Volume 62 / No. 7 / March 2018 TBA FUNDRAISER THE CURE FOR THE COMMON SHOW A Word from Rabbi Sobel ESTHER GOING BEYOND THE BIBLICAL TEXT March 1 Chag Purim Sameach! Happy Purim! When I was very young, my mother made a home-made Purim costume for me and dressed me as a hamantaschen. As Purim approached, I would Rabbi Sharon L. Sobel begin to dread getting dressed up in that hamantaschen costume. I hated it! I thought I looked silly, it was uncomfortable and who wanted to be a hamantaschen anyway? Every Purim that I had to wear that ridiculous costume, I longed to dress up as Queen Esther. For me, Esther epitomized the ideal heroine and continued on next page By Laurie Schneider JOIN US FOR A NIGHT OF FUN & FUNDRAISING! SATURDAY, MARCH 17 DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM DRINKS, DINNER, DESSERT & A SHOW RAFFLE, SILENT AUCTION AND LIVE AUCTION The Temple Beth Am Fundraising Committee is delighted to invite you to be entertained by Bryson Lang. Bryson is a Comedy-Manipulator. He takes both ordinary and out-of-the-ordinary objects and literally spins them into a visual tapestry in a distinctive and dynamic way. At the show you ll see: flying sombreros, sharp sickles, huge spinning rings, upside down bounce-juggling, giant beach balls, glo-in-the-dark objects, a tennis racquet and always a few surprises. The Press of Atlantic City said, quick-witted comedy with mind-blowing juggling skills, Bryson Lang s act is a sight to behold! Some audience members will also join Bryson in the spotlight continued on page 3

2 tebeam / March 2018 / 2 A Word from Rabbi Sobel continued from front page don t most little girls love dressing up as a queen? Finally, when I was six years old, my mother made a Queen Esther costume for me and I was ecstatic! I lovingly wore that same costume for many years. Each and every Purim many young girls love to dress up as Queen Esther, their Jewish heroine. Young Jewish girls don t have very many biblical role modes. The few women we read about in the Torah are most often discussed only in context of their relationships with key male characters. We hear about these women only in their roles as sisters, wives and mothers. Moreover, for most of them, their stories center around their ability or inability to procreate. Because the Bible does not give us a complete picture of women and their roles, we tend to cling to those women who appear to be strong, independent and have contributed something unique and special to the Jewish people. Esther, at first glance, appears to be such a woman. And, she is only one of two biblical women who have a whole book named after her. Even the rabbis of old credit Esther with extraordinary characteristics and qualities. The Talmud (Megillah 15a) says that God s holy spirit accompanied her when she went to see King Achashversosh to begin the process of saving her people. This midrash elevates Esther s status to that of a prophetess someone who has been endowed with ruach hakodesh the holy spirit. The rabbis of old need to be given a great deal of credit for writing their midrashim which depict Esther in such a powerful manner. It is this rabbinic image of Esther which has been handed down to our children. It was this image which served as a model of inspiration to those who were dissatisfied with the feminine role models who exist in our Jewish tradition. If we want our children to think of Esther as an appropriate role model, then we need to do as the rabbis of old did: we need to go beyond the text itself, to teach them the midrashim that the rabbis wrote about her, and to write our own midrashim as well. We also need to listen to another silent, female voice in the text, the voice of Vashti. Vashti should get more kudos for sticking up for herself. Yes, Esther saved the Jewish people s lives, but the credit, at least as the biblical tale depicts, really belongs to Mordechai. Maybe my mother knew what she was doing all those years ago when she insisted that on Purim, I dress up as a hamantaschen and not as Queen Esther. JUSTICE JUSTICE SHALL YOU PURSUE We are seeking committee members who are looking to form consensus to determine Temple Beth Am s social justice mandate. Our goals: to be inclusive of all our congregants, across the demographic spectrum to plan initiatives on the local, state, national and international level to educate, raise awareness and take action to respond to the lessons of the Torah, our Jewish tradition and the prophet s call Next meeting: TBD To RSVP or for inquiries, please contact: Social Justice Committee Co-Chairs: Sheila Statlender and Abby Wolf SocialJustice@tempbetham.org FRIDAY MARCH 2, 2018 / 16 ADAR 5778 DINING AND DAVENING...5:15 PM SHABBAT EVENING SERVICE...7:15 PM Led by Rabbi Sobel, Cantorial Intern, Dara Rosenblatt and Co-Led by Brotherhood The Mitzvah Baskets and Oneg Shabbat are sponsored by David and Diane Wallenstein SATURDAY MARCH 3, 2018 / 16 ADAR 5778 SHABBAT MORNING TORAH STUDY... 8:30 AM SHABBAT MORNING MINYAN... 9:30 AM MORNING SERVICE & B NOT MITZVAH... 10:30 AM Hannah Lyn Wallenstein, daughter of David and Diane Wallenstein Samantha Shay Wallenstein, daughter of David and Diane Wallenstein FRIDAY MARCH 9, 2018 / 23 ADAR 5778 SHABBAT EVENING & TORAH SERVICE...7:15 PM Led by Rabbi Sobel and Cantorial Intern Dara Rosenblatt March Anniversary Blessings The Mitzvah Basket, Pulpit Flowers, and Oneg Shabbat are sponsored by James and Deborah DeHart, in honor of Carver and Thomas becoming B nai Mitzvah SATURDAY MARCH 10, 2018 / 23 ADAR 5778 SHABBAT PARAH SHABBAT MORNING TORAH STUDY... 8:30 AM SHABBAT MORNING MINYAN... 9:30 AM MORNING SERVICE AND B NAI MITZVAH... 10:30 AM Carver Robert DeHart, son of James and Deborah DeHart Thomas Jacob DeHart, son of James and Deborah DeHart FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2018 / 1 NISAN 5778 SOUPER SHABBAT DINNER...6:00 PM SHABBAT HALL LU SERVICE...7:15 PM Led by Rabbi Sobel Dedication of Wall of Honor 5778 SATURDAY MARCH 17, 2018 / 1 NISAN 5778 SHABBAT HACHODESH ROSH CHODESH NISAN SHABBAT MORNING TORAH STUDY... 8:30 AM SHABBAT MORNING MINYAN... 9:30 AM FRIDAY MARCH 23, 2018 / 8 NISAN 5778 SHABBAT EVENING FAMILY SERVICE...6:30 PM Led by Rabbi Sobel and Cantorial Intern, Dara Rosenblatt and Members of Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Junior Choir The Mitzvah Basket and Oneg Shabbat are sponsored by Francis and Fern Vona SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2018 / 8 NISAN 5778 SHABBAT HAGADOL SHABBAT MORNING TORAH STUDY... 8:30 AM SHABBAT MORNING MINYAN... 9:30 AM MORNING SERVICE & BAR MITZVAH... 10:30 AM Jack Vona, son of Francis and Fern Vona PASSOVER FRIDAY MARCH 30, 2018 / 15 NISAN 5778 There is NOT a Shabbat Evening Service tonight PASSOVER BEGINS AT SUNDOWN-FIRST SEDER...6:50 PM SATURDAY MARCH 31, 2018 / 15 NISAN 5778 SHABBAT MORNING TORAH STUDY... 8:30 AM SHABBAT MORNING MINYAN... 9:30 AM

3 3 / March 2018 / tebeam THE CURE FOR THE COMMON SHOW! continued from front page to add an extra dimension to the performance and bridge the gap between the stage and the crowd. Bryson has performed on Masters of Illusion and won first place on the Extreme Gong Show. See why Bryson Lang is called, The Cure For the Common Show! Please go to the link below to watch Bryson Lang s Video: As in the past we will have a raffle and a live auction and we will have a silent auction this year, as well! We have a two Night Stay for two People at the Colonel Spencer Inn, Campton, NH, Bruins tickets, Red Sox tickets, Dinner for four prepared by Rabbi Sobel, a Jewish Major League Baseball Player framed poster, and High Holiday Parking Spaces and much more! President s Message Welcome to March. It s the time of year when we feel the small and infrequent glimpses of spring. Unfortunately, the next day we are, once again, hit with the harsh reality of winter. Similarly, in March we begin to review our annual budget for the following year and are hit with the reality of monies received year to date and the amounts still unpaid. As a reminder we are on a fiscal year ending in June. Reviewing our present collections, we see that many of our members are behind in both their membership dues and school tuition. I cannot stress enough the importance to our present temple financial obligations and budget forecasting that all dues and tuition be paid in a timely manner. I fully understand that people have many other financial obligations but I am asking you to not put Temple Beth Am at the bottom of your priority list. We promise to be there for you and your family when you need us so I am now asking you for reciprocation in being there for us. We need the full cooperation of ALL of our members, not just a few, to fulfill their financial obligation to TBA for this current fiscal year. Please remit your payments for both membership dues and tuition to our office as soon as possible. On behalf of the TBA leadership Thank you for your cooperation. Howard E. Schwartz, Temple President We will be clarifying our Facebook presence. Currently there is confusion between our closed group and our public Facebook page. Effective March 1, 2018 The Closed Facebook Group will be: TBA MEMBER GROUP The Public Facebook Page will be: Temple Beth Am of Framingham WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are looking for raffle items in the $25-$50 range (spa package nail or hair, restaurant or store gift certificates (can be purchased through the temple). Anyone wishing to donate items to either the live auction or the raffle can contact Laurie Schneider at schneidercrew5@gmail.com. We are looking for VOLUNTEERS to help with the evening. Please contact Laurie if you are willing to help. TICKETS are $49 per person for dinner, show and dessert. Reserve a table of eight for $440 including one beverage/person. Space is Limited! For tickets call or shalom@tempbetham.org Library News Purim Fun! ENJOYING THE BOOK OF ESTHER: THE BIBLE IN RHYME by Marcia Goldlist This is a delightful way to read the Purim Story! Check it out! Marsha Massey, TBA Librarian Library Hours: Sundays, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM when religious school is in session Most Tuesdays, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM Shabbat Hall lu Join us for our Musical Shabbat Service on Friday, March 16 at 7:15 PM. Everyone is welcome! Traditional and contemporary music; participatory, reflective and joyful worship. Welcome Shabbat with family, friends & community CALL FOR MUSICIANS AND SINGERS! Do you sing or play an instrument? We would love to have you join us on the bima for our special Shabbat Hall lu services and other musical ocassions throughout the year. If interested, please Dean and/or Dara. Dara: dara.rosenblatt@gmail.com / Dean: Arvidsond@aol.com

4 tebeam / March 2018 / 4 Education Update FROM PURIM TO PASSOVER By Rabbi Marcie Kamerow, Director of Education March is here and it is a full and busy month! This year it begins with Purim and ends with Passover. Our grade 9 students just returned from New York and our grade 10 and some of our grade 11 students just returned from the Rabbi Marcie Kamerow, MJEd Religious Action Center s L taken Seminar in Washington, D.C. While in New York, our students experienced both the fun and the rich Jewish history that the city has to offer. In D.C our students had an amazing opportunity TBA For additional information regarding our fundraising efforts please call the temple office at GIFT CARDS TBA is currently selling gift cards to Stop & Shop and a variety of other national stores and restaurants. The cards are sold to you for face value and 5% of each card purchased is donated to TBA, at no additional cost to you. Gift cards make great gifts any time of the year. Cards are available for purchase at the temple office by cash and check only. FUNDRAISING DINNERS During the year, there will be fundraising dinners at area restaurants. The temple receives a portion of all the sales. Stay tuned for dates and times. SPRING FUNDRAISING EVENT March 17, Mark your calendars! TREE OF LIFE The TREE OF LIFE mounted on the wall of the of the temple lobby is a favorite way for members to commemorate simchas and honor family members and friends. Your gift of leaves ($300) and stones ($1000) will support continuing growth projects in the future. Pledge cards are available in the temple office. GILLETTE STADIUM PROGRAM Volunteer at Gillette Stadium for upcoming Patriot s Games. Temple Beth Am is earning $125 per person per game! Watch for more information or contact Stu Sheinhait at sshein@rcn.com or call The only requirement is that you must be 16 years old. Volunteers get pizza and soda to eat before the event. VP of Fundraising Stu Sheinhait and die-hard volunteers working the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 21. The group raised several hundred dollars for TBA selling hot chocolate. They also got to watch the Patriots beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20! SMILE AMAZON You shop, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile purchases to Temple Beth Am. Amazon Smile is the same Amazon that you know. Support TBA by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com. Please note that Amazon is tripling the donation amount to 1.5% when customers make their first eligible smile.amazon.com purchase from March 12-31, 2018! to learn how to be social advocates and lobby on Capitol Hill. Our grade 8 students continue to visit Hastings House as part of their B nai TELEM program. On the home front, we had our grade 3 Simchat Siddur Service, our grade 2 Family Shabbat Service, and our grade 2 Family Education program. All of these different programs remind us how alive and diverse Judaism can be, both inside and outside of Temple Beth Am. Following these trips and events, we celebrated Purim and are getting ready to celebrate Passover at the end of the month. I spoke about the four main mitzvot of Purim last month, but I think there is an interesting transition that happens between Purim and Passover. First, they are both considered spring holidays (even though it does not feel so much like spring just yet). They remind us that spring is coming and that we are going from the darkness and confines of winter to the light and the freedom of spring. Second, each of these holidays is a month apart and they both remind us of a time when Jews were oppressed and had to overcome something difficult and survive. We all hit bumps in the road and while they may not be as big as slavery and oppression, they are challenges nonetheless. Whether it is the challenge of getting through the winter or something bigger, we have to find ways to grow and learn from these challenges in order to become our best selves. Looking forward to sharing much joy with all of you over Purim and the Passover season. L Shalom, Rabbi Kamerow FRAMINGHAM INTERFAITH BOOK CLUB Sponsored by Framingham Interfaith Clergy Association & The Open Spirit Center at Edwards Church INVITES YOU TO THEIR MONTHLY BOOK DISCUSSIONS on the 1st TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH Current Book: SACRED GROUND Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America - by Eboo Patel (Reading the book is not a requirement to join the discussion.) TIME: 7:30-8:45 PM VENUE: OPEN SPIRIT CENTER at EDWARDS CHURCH, 39 Edwards Rd., Framingham The mission of the Book Club is to foster a deeper understanding and respect among people of all faiths and traditions. For additional information, please contact us at: bookclub@icbwayland.org

5 5 / March 2018 / tebeam Save the Dates HERE ARE SOME GREAT EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO TEMPLE BETH AM ANNUAL PURIM CARNIVAL Fun for the whole family! Sponsored by Temple Beth Am Sisterhood On Friday March 16, 2018 at 6:00 PM, join us for Souper Shabbat, prior to the Shabbat Hall lu Service at 7:15 PM. Bring a crockpot of your favorite soup (non-shellfish, non-pork and not mixing milk and meat), copies of your recipe (because everyone will love your soup) and enjoy a warm and cozy dinner before getting pumped up for Shabbat Hall lu. The temple will have bowls and soup spoons, challah and drinks. Please bring a ladle for you soup. Cost is $5 per family. Make your reservation in the temple office by Thursday March 15th. Sunday, March 4, :00 AM - 1:00 PM (No 2nd session religious school) Pizza, hot dogs, soda, chips, and more! Make your own sundae courtesy of Ben & Jerry s Games, lots of prizes, face painting and more! Music and fun by professional DJ, DJ Felix For extra fun, come in costume! All are welcome, including non-temple members For more info. contact the Temple Beth Am office at

6 tebeam / March 2018 / 6 BROTHERHOOD BROTHERHOOD SPOTLIGHT Brotherhood Renaissance man By Henry Schwan, Brotherhood co-president This is the first of an occasional spotlight of a Brotherhood Board member. RUSS LITIN IS MORE THAN THE GUY THAT MAKES THE EGGS FOR THE MONTHLY TEMPLE BETH AM BROTHERHOOD BREAKFAST. Russ runs the kitchen for the Brotherhood, and he enjoys doing it I enjoy getting together with the guys, he said but this 62-year-old TBA member that wears the white chef s coat and announces the buffet items during the monthly breakfast is a true Renaissance man. In addition to cooking, he gardens and collects wines. He has also done some woodworking and furniture refinishing. And his homemade breads, which he is known to bake occasionally at a Brotherhood breakfast (he only serves them to the Brotherhood kitchen crew), are to die for. But Russ s real love is traveling, and helping people along the way. Russ grew up in Sharon, and convinced his parents to let him go on a seventh-grade school trip to Rome. The following year he went on another school trip to Madrid. Those trips set me on a path. I love to travel, Russ said. When I interviewed Russ for this story, the first thing he talked about was his upcoming trip to Greece, where he will meet up with his daughters, Alena and Kira, who both live in Europe. He hasn t been there in 40 years, when he climbed Russ on a medical trip to Guatemala. the Acropolis. Then it s on to Guatemala in April, his third trip there to provide dental care to those living in small towns. Russ is a geriatric dentist he has worked in nursing homes for 30 years and his trips to Guatemala to perform extractions and Russ with a happy Guatemalan patient. other dental services bring him enormous satisfaction. Some of these people are in great pain, and sometimes they hold my hand with both of theirs to thank me. I just melt. It s an intense experience, Russ said. Russ loves history, and culture, and as he described his medical trips to Guatemala, he also spoke about Guatemalan history and linguistics. He mentioned two Mayan languages in Guatemala K iche and Kaqchikel and you get the feeling he would become fluent if he had more time to spend than a week, which is the typical length of his medical trips. Brotherhood News BROTHERHOOD BREAKFASTS All breakfasts begin at 9:00 AM. See the exciting lineup of guest speakers: Sunday, March 11 David Greenwood, author and lecturer on Distracted but Focused How Successful Entrepreneurs with ADHD Stay Productive. Sunday, April 22 State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg Sunday, May 6 Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS BROTHERHOOD PARTICIPATES IN SHABBAT TORAH SERVICE Friday, March 7:00 PM BROTHERHOOD SERVES DINNER AT TBA BASKETBALL BANQUET Sunday, March 4 at FHS cafeteria BROTHERHOOD SERVES EASTER DINNER Sunday, April 1 at Hastings House Watch for more details about these great events! Member attendance is encouraged for all events. The Brotherhood is a wonderful way to get involved with the temple! TBA Brotherhood needs volunteers to help with our annual events. If you d like to get involved, please contact Mark Barnett, VP of Membership at mail4barnett@gmail.com or either co-president Bill Karger at wbkarger@verizon.net or Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@verizon.net. Russ is approaching his 20th anniversary as a TBA member. He joined in fall 1998, and soon after, Howard Newell, who was, and still is, a mainstay on the Brotherhood breakfast team, asked Russ if he liked to cook. Russ has been part of the Brotherhood kitchen crew ever since, and he s run the show for the past eight years. All of us that love feasting on the Brotherhood s 40-foot buffet have Russ to thank for his leadership. The next time you see Russ, shake his hand for his contributions to TBA, and to humanity.

7 7 / March 2018 / tebeam SISTERHOOD Reflections SISTERHOOD TRIVIA NIGHT What could be better than friends, Chinese food and fun? On January 27th, that is exactly what transpired here at Temple Beth Am. The evening started with a Chinese buffet catered by China Gourmet. Everyone enjoyed the scallion pancakes, General Gau s chicken, fried rice and a lot more; brain fuel for the trivia contest to follow! With over 55 people competing in teams for the distinction of the best trivia team, the competition was fierce. But the GNOs (Abby Wolf, Julie Wolf, Kathy Covarrubias, Rachel Fier and Donna Golden) were the victors. The Very Stable Geniuses ( Julie and David Fialkow and Sarah and Jeff Burns) placed second, and the GOATs (Rick Reed, Lou Movitz, Phyllis and Dan Bendell, and Helen and Stu Slavid) rounded out the top three teams. We were thrilled to see so many participants, with lots of new faces! Thank you to everyone who participated for supporting Sisterhood at this fundraiser. We are planning more programs like this. Sisterhood News BOARD MEETINGS Wednesday, March 7:15 PM in the Temple Study OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS PURIM CARNIVAL Sunday, March 11:00 AM-1:00 PM COOKING/BAKING DEMO WITH PAULA SHOYER Thursday, March 8 YES FUND EVENT Thursday, March 22nd MAH JONGG TOURNAMENT Sunday, April 1:00 PM PROGRESSIVE DINNER Saturday, May 12 Watch for more details about these great events! 2018 MAH JONGG CARD SALES A HUGE SUCCESS! Sisterhood sold $1,224 in 2018 MJ cards this year. Sisterhood gets $1.50 per card, plus a bonus donated back to us. Thank you to all for your support. We had a couple new large orders from our own Sisterhood members canvassing their winter groups in Florida. Let s keep that going for next year! Respectfully, Sue Clark On the Horizon THE KOSHER BAKER COMING MARCH 8 Paula Shoyer, a.k.a The Kosher Baker, is coming to Temple Beth Am on March 8. Please join TBA Sisterhood for a delectable evening including a cooking demonstration, dinner and dessert as well as the opportunity to purchase Paula s newest cookbook, The Healthy Jewish Kitchen. There are two ways to participate: 1. Dinner Event Paula will teach us how to make a 5 course meal while sharing her story on how she became known as The Kosher Baker. $25 per person which includes dinner and dessert. Begins at 6:30 PM. or 2. Private Cooking Class Paula will teach valuable cooking and baking tips during this up to 3 hour class while helping to prepare for the evening s event. Limited to 10 people. $75 per person which includes the evening event and a cookbook. Begins at 1:00 PM. Kindly RSVP to sisterhoodtba300@gmail.com and let us know if you will be attending the dinner event or the private cooking class (which includes the dinner event). If you have questions about events or membership please us at sisterhoodtba300@gmail.com

8 tebeam / March 2018 / 8 YOUTH BATY S HEADING INTO SPRING Hi Temple Beth Am! As we are slowly making our way towards spring and warmer weather, BATY has a lot of exciting things coming up! Our most recent event was BATY s annual shul-in, which was a huge success. We had current members (9th-12th graders) as well as JBAT (7th and 8th graders) participate in a Cake Wars competition. It was a great opportunity for everyone to bond and spend quality time together as well as an excellent chance for the younger kids to get a taste of what being in BATY is really like! On March 3, BATY will be going on our Mystery Bus Ride! This is a very popular event that promises fun and excitement, as no one knows where the bus will be stopping! BATY members will be having an amazing time together, and this event is always an adventure with plenty of opportunity for members to socialize and get to know one another even better. Looking even further ahead, BATY will be hosting our pre-passover Pancake Breakfast on Sunday morning, March 25! We will have plenty of chametz to eat before the Passover holiday begins! We hope to see everyone there to enjoy some freshly made pancakes by BATY members of all ages. Many of us are also looking forward to NFTY NE s Spring Conclavette, which will be taking place in Needham in early April. We are so exited for all of the many things coming up in BATY! If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to ask! Until next time, Mikayla Fier BATY Co-President If you have questions about events or BATY membership please contact Julia Zinn at youthadvisor@tempbetham.org Youth News BATY WORSHIP SERVICES BATY WINTER SHABBAT SERVICE: - postponed due to weather - BATY BOARD MEETINGS (WEDNESDAYS AT 6:45 PM) - BOARD ONLY March 14 April 4 BATY MEETINGS (WEDNESDAYS AT 6:45 PM) - ALL BATY March 21 April 25 May 9 May 16 NFTY-NE EVENTS SPRING CONCLAVETTE: April 6-8 LEADERSHIP KALLAH: May BATY EVENTS MYSTERY BUS RIDE: March 3 MARCH BATY/JBAT EVENT: March 17 PANCAKE BREAKFAST: March 25 BATY EVENT: April 28 FRESHMAN KIDNAP: Date TBD ANNUAL YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP DINNER FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2018 DEADLINE FOR SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE IS APRIL 1 Annually, Temple Beth Am celebrates the accomplishments of our youth, which follows Temple Beth Am s Hebrew High School graduation. On Friday, May 4, we will be recognizing Temple Beth Am youth who are receiving scholarship assistance from a variety of Temple Beth Am scholarship funds. Temple Beth Am is blessed with an extraordinary group of teens and children, who will be our future Jewish leaders as they participate in experiences to enrich their Jewish lives. Through the generosity of current and past Temple Beth Am families, youth scholarship assistance funds have been made available to our temple youth who are attending Jewish overnight camp and special Jewish volunteer summer programs, youth who are graduating from high school and going on to college or university, and youth who are traveling to Israel on leadership and educational programs. The Youth Scholarship application can be found at Note that we ask that applicants with their parents help, complete the form. The 2018 deadline is April 1, and applications can be mailed to the Temple Beth Am office, attention Sue Siegel. These funds include: Scholarships available for: Attendance at overnight Jewish Camps Participation in NFTY Leadership Institutes Scholarships available for: Travel to Israel Scholarships available to: Support for College and University Studies Leslie Brenner Camp Scholarship Fund (administrated by Sisterhood) The Lloyd Martin Scholarship Fund Morris Chapman Fund The Mindy Steinberg Memorial Fund must be have completed Confirmation requirements Morris Chapman Fund The Lloyd Martin Scholarship Fund David Mindess Scholarship Fund Mickey Moffie Scholarship Fund for those majoring in business, business-related majors, and economics The Lloyd Martin Scholarship Fund The Gail H. Constant Memorial Fund for those majoring in interior and/or fashion design All recipients will be invited to Beth Am s annual dinner as our guest. We encourage all recipients to attend and be recognized for their continued participation in Jewish life. More Details to Come

9 9 / March 2018 / tebeam Lifelong Learning News WELCOME TO OUR TENT, TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES. Ideas for Leading a Creative, Fun, Interesting, Interactive and Lively Seder Sunday, March 11, 2018 and Sunday, March 25, 2018 Friedman Hall / 11:15 AM Led by Rabbi L. Sobel Learn the history and development of the seder ritual Learn how to gear your seder to the demographics of your guests No more hurry up, let s eat! Creative tips to encourage participation from everyone present Learn how to choose the perfect Haggadah And so much more This program is appropriate for everyone! RSVP to Ellen at shalom@tempbetham.org by Thursday, March 8, 2018 RABBI S COFFEES A monthly opportunity to join Rabbi Sharon Sobel in Discussion Join Rabbi Sobel each month in an informal setting in the temple library to discuss a current topic of interest to you. No course fee nor reservations required. Just drop in on time, for any session. The Rabbi s Coffees will be offered on the following dates: March 21, April 11, and May 16. All discussions are from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Feel free to bring a bag lunch! LIFECYCLES IN JOY MARCH SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES Date Name Years 3/18 STEWART & SHARON GINSBERG 30 All couples celebrating a March anniversary will be blessed on March 9th at the 7:15 PM Shabbat Evening and Torah Service. Please call the temple office if you are planning to attend. IN SADNESS We record with deep sorrow the names of those who have died since our last bulletin. May their memory be for a blessing. THE CONGREGATION MOURNS WITH Jackie Walsh on the loss of her mother, Helen Hillson Steve Schneider, on the loss of his mother, Edna Mae Schneider Phil and Marsha Massey, on the loss of their son, David Massey Eileen Fialkow, on the loss of her mother, Lillian Cornish We mourn the loss of Our Friend and Temple Member Herbert Schwartz Father of Phil, Paul, Arthur Schwartz and Roslyn Comenitz Beloved Companion of Mae Folb Our Condolences to his family May his memory be for a blessing For more information on Lifelong Learning please contact Co-Chairwomen Barbara Sands (bss1022@verizon.net) or Cynthia Roll (cynthiaroll@yahoo.com) TBA Flashback

10 tebeam / March 2018 / 10 Only 4 Miles from Temple Beth Am Creative Event Spaces for People Guest Room Blocks Available for Out of Town Visitors Easy Access Off Speen Street, Mass Pike and Route 9 BostonNatick.HamptonInn.com. 319 Speen Street, Natick, MA } Special group rate blocks for family and friends } Alexandra Bavosi / Sales Manager Courtyard Marriott 3 Technology Drive, Westborough, MA (508) EXT abavosi@jamsanhotels.com L CHAIM! Experience the downtown energy in the heart of the MetroWest. For exquisite cuisine, impeccable service and unique spaces to celebrate your unique style, choose the VERVE Crowne Plaza Hotel for your wedding, shower or Bar/Bat Mitzvah. For a tour of our modern, elegant ballrooms and a personal consultation, call Worcester Street, Natick MA VERVEhotelnatick.com Owned & Operated by Distinctive Hospitality Group Natick, MA

11 11 / March 2018 / tebeam TBA Notes Save-the-dates, tidbits, and things to know WEBSITE DONATIONS ARE HERE! Our new website can now accept credit card donations. Please take advantage of this new capability on our website to acknowledge the memory of, or to honor an accomplishment of a friend or a loved one. SHABBAT MORNING TORAH STUDY Every Saturday morning from 8:30-9:30 AM SHABBAT MORNING MINYAN Every Saturday from 9:30-10:30 AM TBA CARES Your temple is here for you whether in good times or bad. Please let Rabbi Sobel know what is going on in your life. rabbi@tempbetham.org DINING AND DAVENING Upcoming date: March 2 JFS HEALTHY AGING EXERCISE CLASS Wednesdays at 1:00 PM / January 10-April 14 $5 per class at the door or $55 for series Register with Abrielle Salloway x360 / asalloway@jfsmw.org SHARON MEMORIAL PARK Heritage - Tradition - Community since 1948 Chapel for indoor funeral services Advance planning - Interfaith sections Independent Family Owned In the Tradition of Our Great-Great Grandfather Jacob H. Levine ( ) Proudly serving all of New England s Jewish Communities with over a century of local experience. Levine Chapels 470 Harvard Street Brookline, MA LevineChapels.com A Proud Dignity Memorial Provider. A Service Family Affiliate of AFFS and Service Corporation International 206 Winter Street, Fall River, MA (508)

12 Temple Beth Am 300 Pleasant Street Framingham, MA Temple office Bookkeeper s office shalom@tempbetham.org website School office Rabbil Sharon Sobel x104 Rabbi Marcie Kamerow x121 Rabbi Sharon L. Sobel Rabbi Rabbi Donald M. Splansky Rabbi Emeritus Rabbi Marcie Kamerow Director of Education Dara Rosenblatt Cantorial Intern Howard Schwartz President Ellen Jagher Office & Building Administrator; Contributing Editor to tebeam Mary Robinson Bookkeeper Sandra Levey School Administrator Julia Zinn Youth Advisor Jeff Sands tebeam Editor Rob Levine tebeam Designer tebeam is published 9 times annually by Temple Beth Am tebeam Volume 62 / No. 7 / March 2018 Temple Beth Am is a warm and vibrant Reform Jewish community located in Framingham, MA, comprised of members from the greater Metro West area. Founded in 1956 and affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, members and visitors find a relaxed and informal atmosphere in which people of all ages, backgrounds and orientations come to worship, learn, enjoy music, explore Judaism, and find new friends. CENTER FOR PROGRESSIVE REFORM JUDAISM IN METROWEST