Torah Portion Bechukotai Leviticus 26: 3-27:34 Chanter TBD D var Torah Ellen DuBois Cantor Kimberly Haynes Greeter Barbara Stone

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Rabbi Miriam Hamrell Cantorial Soloist Gary Levine Associate Cantorial Soloist Co-President Kimberly Haynes Michael Stevens Judy Kollack AHAVAT TORAH ONE TORAH, MANY TEACHERS, ONE COMMUNITY

1 Rabbi Miriam Hamrell Cantorial Soloist Gary Levine Associate Cantorial Soloist Co-President Kimberly Haynes Michael Stevens Judy Kollack AHAVAT TORAH ONE TORAH, MANY TEACHERS, ONE COMMUNITY May 17th, : am Mussar with Rabbi Miriam and Rabbinic Intern Gregory Metzger 10:00 am PM Shabbat Service Vice President Secretary Treasurer Shoshi Wilchfort Lynn Stevens Dan Sterling Board Members Past Presidents Debra Barrath Barbara Burbank Vicki Crawford Judy Freeman Gary Levine Florene Rozen Jonathan Troper Rena Jaffe Jean Katz Ron Estroff Sid Rosenblatt Blanche Moss Ex- Officio Members Rabbi Miriam Hamrell Charles Hamrell MD Torah Portion Bechukotai Leviticus 26: 3-27:34 Chanter TBD D var Torah Ellen DuBois Cantor Kimberly Haynes Greeter Barbara Stone Unless otherwise indicated, all events and services are at Village Lutheran Church, 343 S. Church Lane, L.A

Rabbinic Intern Gregory Metzger Friends, I am writing this message from Washington DC where I am standing up for human rights by lobbying congress on issues of great importance to girls and women

2 Rabbinic Intern Gregory Metzger Friends, I am writing this message from Washington DC where I am standing up for human rights by lobbying congress on issues of great importance to girls and women throughout the developing world: - end violence against girls and women - stop hate crimes against LGBT people - empower girls to end child marriages Here I am Standing Before You, Hineini A poem written by the AJWS community as we prepared to meet with senators and members of congress advocating for the INTERNATIONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT (IVAWA). This poem is the response to the question, "Why are you here?" This poem is about our response to God's call to us as Jews to stand up for justice. Our response is HINEINI, Here I Am In this poem, we translate Heneini into the language of the peoples we serve and the women whose human rights are not being realized. Here is the poem: Here I am standing before you, Hineini. Here I am standing before you, je suis ici To advocate for those whose voices are silenced. And use the might of our nation to help. To make my citizenship matter. To teach and to be inspired. Live my values. Dive deep into change making To create a better world, Share my light with others. To say I did not stand idly by. To honor the divine in all people. To pray with my feet. Here I am standing before you, Hineini. Here I am standing before you, estoy aqui Before you, My God; My representative; My children; my grandson; my mother; Beatrice in Kenya and Aie San in Burma This community of like-minded souls Here I am Because I ve never felt unsafe, I am blessed, privileged, responsible, Because it s urgent As an ally, as a witness, Because I am called and commanded. Because long ago in Odessa, When my grandmother was 15 years old,

3 she was pulled out of school and married and had seven children before she was 25. She couldn t sign her name;; Rose. For rape victims. For the 300 kidnapped Nigerian girls For the LGBT freedom fighters in Uganda. For my children, so they inherit a better world, so they know how to make their world better I stand before you because I must do this before I die. I feel sick about the suffering of women and girls Because I see myself in every woman I meet. Because my mother said there was another way. I stand before you, Because I know what it feels like to live openly and hidden I stand before you Because I am a survivor of sexual violence. I am a woman, I am gay, I am a feminist, I am a man, I am a mother, I am a Jew. I believe this is what it means to be Jewish. to comfort the stranger and the orphan to make room for difference Because my world is blessed with sweetness, but the greater world is broken. Because I Believe that advancing the rights of women, girls and sexual minorities will change the world that one life is not more precious than another. that everyone has the right to choose. I believe in we need pass the International Violence against Women Act. Here I am standing before you, Hineini. Here I am standing before you, mein hun na. Because social justice is more than sharing on Facebook Because I fought to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Because the girls I met in India are afraid of being married off Because AJWS boldly advocates for issues that can change the world. Here I am standing before you, mein hun na. Here I am standing before you, estoy aqui Here I am standing, je suis ici Here I am, Hineini.

When: Wednesday May 14 @ 5:30pm Where: Factor s Deli, Pico Blvd @ Beverly Drive (private

4 When: Wednesday May 5:30pm Where: Factor s Deli, Pico Beverly Drive (private back room) For information please call Irwin Moss or mooseman01@roadrunner.com

5 You are invited to a Poetry Reading The Mirror by Philip Danufsky Saturday, May 17 at 4 to 6 pm Musical interludes by Jane van Loon playing the Santoor At our home 3235 Kelton Avenue Los Angeles, CA Light refreshments will be served Please RSVP to: pgdanuf@ca.rr.com

Dear AT Congregants & Friends of AT, Just a friendly reminder that Ahavat Torah will have a booth at this year s celebration of Israel's 66th birthday.

6 Dear AT Congregants & Friends of AT, Just a friendly reminder that Ahavat Torah will have a booth at this year s celebration of Israel's 66th birthday. Please come by and say, "Hello, our booth will be in the "Tel-Aviv" area. Also, please purchase your tickets on line as it is only $5. If you purchase it at the gate, it will be $10. This year's guest Israeli artist is Idan Raichel, the first Israeli artist to fill-up the Kodak theater a few years ago. Come and ENJOY

Wonderful News Our Past Rabbinic Intern Susan Nanus will be ordained on Monday, May 26th, 2014 Everyone at Ahavat Torah Congregation is invited Rabbi Miriam Hamrell will be presenting Susan to the

7 Wonderful News Our Past Rabbinic Intern Susan Nanus will be ordained on Monday, May 26th, 2014 Everyone at Ahavat Torah Congregation is invited Rabbi Miriam Hamrell will be presenting Susan to the Bait Din, the Rabbinical Court, and also blessing her on this very special occasion, as she opens a new chapter in her Book of Life. Please RSVP to Rabbi Miriam THE ACADEMY FOR JEWISH RELIGION, CALIFORNIA Transforming the Jewish World PROUDLY INVITES YOU TO JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 2014 RABBINIC AND CANTORIAL ORDINATION AND CHAPLAINCY GRADUATION OUR RABBINIC ORDINEE Susan Leigh Nanus OUR CANTORIAL ORDINEES Marsha Rose Attie Wendy Elizabeth Bat-Sarah Alexander Berkovich Seth Marlon Ettinger Rachel Carrie Goldman Jessica Nicole Hutchings OUR CHAPLAINCY GRADUATES Efrat Laura, Greenstein Brayer, Deborah Shira Schmidt, Rabbi Yehoshua (Shuki) Gabbai, Adam Brian Siegel MONDAY, MAY 26, 2014 ORDINATION BEGINS PROMPTLY AT 2:00 PM STEPHEN S. WISE TEMPLE STEPHEN S. WISE DRIVE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

8 Thank you for a wonderful and fabulously successful evening at our 11 th annual Gala. It was an amazing experience to be honored and we feel so blessed for having been chosen this year. We were so excited to see many of our AT family enjoying themselves during the festivities. We are delighted that a Torah Chanters' Fund has been established and to Blanche, thank you for overseeing our gift - the beautiful art piece recognizing our contributions to AT and the establishment of the fund We will treasure them always. Barbara and Debra - thank you for chairing the evening and pulling it off with such grace. Shoshi - thanks for your service as advisor par excellence. Jackie - thank you for taking on the important job of managing the response cards and for dealing with the obstacles encountered along the way. You were awesome Arlene, Sid, Judy W. and Coleman - you out did yourselves with your superlative organizational skills, making the silent auction fun and successful. Lynn - thank you for using your incredible artistic eye to create an energetic and upbeat tribute book. Thank you to our congregants for composing such warm and loving tributes. Debra, Jonathan and Lynn thank you for creating the revolving tribute video. The music and visual presentation were a feast for the eyes. And, Jonathan, thanks for finding those delectable wines to enhance the dinner food. Vicki - thanks for securing the recognition proclamations for us. Hung in our homes, they will be a reminder of a most meaningful evening. Sherry and Renee - our AT Decorators, thank you creating a festive and beautiful ambiance at the venue, and to Sherry for finding our lively entertainer Judy K. - thanks for handling the 50/50 drawing with such care and for making it fun and profitable.

9 Arlene Milrad & Steven Klitzky - thank you to our wonderful photographer and his assistant for helping us remember the evening with meaningful pictures. Jean - thanks for being our trouble shooter with your usual grace and wisdom. Rabbi - thank you for your leading of a beautiful Havdalah service as you always do. Kimberly and Gary Thank you for enhancing the Havdalah service with your beautiful voices. Your duet was amazingly moving. Michael and Judy K. - Thank you for your lovely introductions during the presentation ceremony. Joan - thank you for once again contributing your delectable chocolate cakes to the dessert bar. They were enjoyed by everyone And to those of you who helped by doing behind the scenes tasks before and during the Gala - our most heartfelt thanks This evening will always be one of our special memories. With love, gratitude and appreciation, Beth, Hal and Rena

10 OUR 11TH ANNIVERSARY GALA A great BIG thank you to Debra B, Barbara and the whole Gala team who planned and created a beautiful evening from A to Z It was a night none of us will soon forget. The decoration was amazing, food delicious, wine heavenly, prizes were enticing, silent auction exciting, service with loving, program was great and on schedule, photo opportunities to all, etc, etc. We could not have done it without you all. It takes our whole community to make this special evening on so many levels so grant. Toda Rabbah. Loving hugs, Rabbi Miriam ********************************* What a fabulous evening The decorations, all the great vacation homes/restaurant and theater certificates and other things available at the silent auction, the great table service provided by the Mulholland Tennis Club (everything they served was HOT), the delectable tri-tip, salmon, and chicken dinners topped off by the dessert table highlighted by the beautiful home baked special "Spiegel" Magen David chocolate cakes, the 50/50 raffle, the proclamations from the city dignitaries citing our honorees, the terrific music and dance teaching by our returning Alfie L. (he was so good at the Hanukah party, we asked Sherry to invite him back), all the young people really setting the pace for the dancing along with Izydor W. right there with them (), the beautiful Havdalah with Gary and Kimberly singing their special duet, the heartfelt comments by the honorees themselves after being presented with our community s gift, an acrylic plaques indicating a torah chanters fund was being set up in their honor,...and much more It was over all too quickly. What a memorable night it was not only for the honorees but also for the 140 folks who were able to attend to honor Beth, Hal, and Rena all of whom hold a special place in our hearts for their endless and tireless contributions to Ahavat Torah as chanters, Board members and officers, and for just being the kind of people they are. Kol hakavod to not only the honorees but all who were involved in the planning and implementing of this wonderful party. B'shalom, v'brachot, v'ahava - Judy K. *************** Dear Rena & Hal, A great big THANK YOU to one of Ahavat Torah s most beloved Power-House couple. Rena, you are a passionate and talented teacher of Hebrew & Torah Trope. You were a creative Program Director, and a devoted congregational President. Hal, you were our trusted and committed Treasurer. We relied on your wisdom and judgment to carry us when we needed you the most. You both are Ahavat Torah s unsung heroes. You are leaders and doers who have blazed a trail at our congregation for all to follow. Thank you so very much Rabbi Miriam & Dr. Chuck Dear Beth, Thank you so much for always being ready to offer your creative, imaginative, artistic and design intellect to many of our Galas. Thank you so much for being a faithful Torah chanter for years. Thank you so much for co-chairing our Fundraising and Hospitality committees. You are an amazingly dedicated person and we are very grateful for all that you do for our loving congregation. Thank you so very much Loving hugs, Rabbi Miriam & Dr. Chuck

11 Dear Gala Team, It does take a village to produce an AT Gala, and what a fabulous gala you produced Who would have dreamed on Monday, when we all worried that not enough people were coming, that we would have over 140 attending? Thanks to the chief organizers, Barbara, Shoshi, Debra, & Jackie, for making it look so smooth and effortless. Thanks to Sherry & Renee for making the rooms look beautiful. Thanks to Lynn, Jonathan & Debra for producing the tribute video. Thanks to Arlene & Sid for organizing the silent auction. Thanks to Coleman for all the data entry. Thanks to Rabbi Miriam, Gary & Kimberly for the beautiful prayers, blessings, & songs. Thanks to our co-presidents, Michael & Judy K for support at every step of the process. Thanks to Blanche for purchasing beautiful gifts for our honorees. Thanks to Vicki for securing proclamations for our honorees. Thanks to the wonderful MC & Dance instructor for keeping it all so lively. And thanks to our wonderful honorees, Rena, Hal, and Beth for inviting a packed house of attractive, lively, generous guests to celebrate with us. You all helped to keep our beloved Ahavat Torah Community thriving. Love, Jean Katz *************************** Dear ones, Gala was filled with joy and happy energy. The food and service was excellent and all went smoothly. MANY THANKS to Barbara, Debra, Lynn, Shoshi, Judy, Arlene, Coleman and all the others who gave their all to make it a joyous evening. B'shalom v'ahava, Michael Stevens *************************** Ahavat Torah s 11th Anniversary Gala was a huge success It was a glorious time, filled with fun, friendship and great music. I could feel the love as our community gathered together to honor Hal & Rena Jaffee & Beth Devermont for their many years of service to our congregation. The excitement in the room was palpable and it was a pleasure to see so many smiling faces relishing in the joy of celebrating together. I know that the warmth and affection we all felt toward one another at the Gala will be a constant reminder to us all of the very special community that we are all blessed to be a part of. Lovingly, Vickie Craawford Pictures of the Gala will be posted on our website in the near future be sure to check our website often

12 LETTERS TO THE NEWSLETTER PRISON VISIT On Sunday I attended a Passover Seder at the Women's Prison in Chino. The gathering was also an opportunity to honor Rabbi Miriam and her seven years of service to the inmates at the prison. The event was attended by inmates, their rabbi, Moshe Halfon, Eli Lester and his incomparable music, 25 Ahavat Torah visitors and visitors from other synagogues. During the Seder, several of the inmates spoke or read of the particular meaning of 'freedom' to them. And after the Seder, other inmates read or spoke tributes to Rabbi Miriam and how she has literally changed their lives. The lunch we shared, far from being prison food, was Kosher-catered and delicious Then we danced and danced and danced to the music of many Israeli favorites. Before visiting Chino Prison, friends who have volunteered there told me that my first visit would be transformative. And in ways I am still experiencing it... it was transformative Rita Reuben ****************** Dear Rabbi & Congregation, Thank you, Todah Rabah, for allowing our family the privilege of attending Saturday Morning Services for the Aufruf blessing ceremony for my son and daughter-in-law. I was so moved by the out-poring of love and fellowship from your congregation, and how everyone was so welcoming to us. It was such a beautiful Shabbat service, in my life, I will never forget this special day. Toda Rabbah and with much gratitude, Karen T & Phil H.

Kimberly Haynes with Marla Leigh Jewish Women's Theater May 18 - June 3 JOIN ME FOR JEWISH WOMEN'S THEATER PRODUCTION OF UNKNOWN STORIES OF BIBLICAL PROPORTION Spinning ancient stories into modern

13 Kimberly Haynes with Marla Leigh Jewish Women's Theater May 18 - June 3 JOIN ME FOR JEWISH WOMEN'S THEATER PRODUCTION OF UNKNOWN STORIES OF BIBLICAL PROPORTION Spinning ancient stories into modern ones, upending preconceived notions about the relevance of our sacred texts in the hilarious and provocative show Includes Q & A with artists and dessert buffet Please register quickly as the shows always sell out fast use the link below David Sonnenschein will play on May 19, 25, and 30 Jamie Papish will play on May 18, 25, and 30

2014 / 5774 May 10am Shabbat Service Shabbat, 17 1pm Social Action Committee meeting Sunday, 18 Monday, 26 Wednesday, 28

Home Ahavat Torah Booth at the Celebrate Israel Festival at Rancho Park American Memorial Day Susan Nanus Ordination

Wise Temple Yom Yerushalayim Shavuot Shabbat Service Board Meeting Prayer and Pop Shabbat & Simhat Shabbat Shabbat, 21

14 2014 / 5774 May 10am Shabbat Service Shabbat, 17 1pm Social Action Committee meeting Sunday, 18 Monday, 26 Wednesday, 28 June Tuesday, 3 Thursday, 5 Shabbat, 7 Shabbat, 14 4pm to 6pm 11am 6pm 2pm 10am 1pm 10am Poetry Reading Phil & Vivian Home Ahavat Torah Booth at the Celebrate Israel Festival at Rancho Park American Memorial Day Susan Nanus Ordination Steven S. Wise Temple Yom Yerushalayim Shavuot Shabbat Service Board Meeting Prayer and Pop Shabbat & Simhat Shabbat Shabbat, 21 10am Shabbat Service Shabbat, 28 10am 1pm Shabbat Service Ahavat Torah Community Meeting Installation of Officers ForfurtherinformationcontactDebraatAhavatTorahLA@gmail.com AHAVATTORAHCONGREGATION,P.O.Box422SantaMonica,CA90406Phone310O362O1111

Kedoshim Leviticus 19: 1-20:27 Bea Smetana and Rena Jaffe. Torah Portion

Kedoshim Leviticus 19: 1-20:27 Bea Smetana and Rena Jaffe. Torah Portion Rabbi Miriam Hamrell Cantorial Soloist Gary Levine AHAVAT TORAH ONE TORAH, MANY TEACHERS, ONE COMMUNITY http://www.ahavattorahla.org Associate Cantorial Soloist April 26th, 2014 Kimberly Haynes Co-President