Temple Beth Electronic News

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1 Temple Beth Electronic News Visit our temple website at Iyar-Sivan 5775 May 2015 Thank You s Y To Paul and Jo, for hosting the rabbi last time she was here, with special thanks for inviting her to the symphony on the Saturday night. Y To everyone who went to Timmermans for dinner on the Saturday night, early enough for the symphony goers to get to the concert on time. Fourteen people gathered for dinner. What a nice crowd and a very enjoyable evening! Y We hope the rabbi s back is better. She was suffering badly during her last visit to Dubuque. Thanks to Lisa Intriligator for providing last minute chiropractic services to the rabbi. Very much appreciated. The Weekend of May Y Friday evening Shabbat Service at 7:00 PM; oneg hosted by Pearce Y Saturday morning Family School at 9:30 AM Y Saturday evening Adult Discussion at 7:00 PM at the Pearce home. (NOTE: We are looking for someone to host the rabbi for dinner on Saturday, prior to Adult Discussion.) Members & Friends Y Fern Reinstein had double by-pass surgery in Madison, and she is already home and doing very well! Feel free to call her! She is going to be as good as new! Y Wayne Dyrke had another procedure on his shoulder. We hope that he is doing well! Y Hank Goldstein had his second knee replacement. Although progress has been a little slower than the first one, he is making a good recovery. Y A big congratulations to Emily Goldberg, who is graduating on May 16, with a Bachelor s in Social Work from Bradley University! Way to go! We are all proud! Emily will be going on to the University of Wisconsin- Madison in the fall for her MSW. Y Another big congratulations to Abby Landau, who will also graduate on May 16, with a Bachelor s in Music Therapy from Western Illinois University! (Abby is Ellie and Louie s eldest granddaughter.) Y Susan Farber and Bernie Saks have opened a new venture Magoo s Pizza, on University Avenue in Dubuque. Pizza anyone? Y Not totally new, but still very exciting news: Rylynn Liberg McQuillen has opened a shop next door to her mom s, called Echoes from Heirlooms, on Bluff Street in Dubuque. Y Jacquie Dyrke writes, I have two paintings in a year-long exhibit, Women of Galena: Past, Present and Future, at the Galena History Museum, which will open on Mother's 1

2 Day. My daughter Lisa is in both of the paintings. In one, she is herself as I chose her as my Galena woman of the present with ties to the past as she strives to preserve the sewing skills of the past through her avocation of making clothing from the 1800 s using the same techniques as were used back then. We had to pick an item from the museum collection to include in the painting. I chose an 1855 dress, and in the painting, Lisa is sitting on the floor hemming the dress. In the second painting, she is portraying Elizabeth Houy, the wife of the man who built our house in She is wearing a 'lingerie dress' from the museum collection. Until I did research, I didn't know that both Elizabeth and her husband spent their whole married lives in our house, and in fact they died in our house! (No ghosts, so far!) Lisa is on the front porch in the painting, opening an umbrella as if she were about to go for a walk. Y Sandy Carleton writes, Kate, I would like to remain on your list. I first became acquainted with your temple when my son was going to school at UWP and I would visit him. I only attended twice over the years, but I met and contacted several people over the years. Ellie Burstein Landau is a child member of the synagogue I belong to in Rockford. Because of being on the mailing list at your temple, I have begged my synagogue to do an online newsletter. Finally, after more than three years, they said that if I wanted it so badly, then I should do it. I have been doing it for 1.5 years now, and I have used several interesting articles on people that your members have shared and said to pass on. Our condolences go to Linda Chapman and Hank Goldstein on the passing of Linda s mother, Vera Lord. She was 95 years old, and had lived a very good life. May her memory be for a blessing. Steps outside the Temple Big news- the new steps are finally almost done at the temple - the steps from the street to the sidewalk. A tremendous thanks to Brett for being relentless in contacting the contractors to get this project done. And an even bigger thanks to the Levy Family Foundation in Madison for providing the funds for this important project. Changes to the drainage pipes and slope should mean that water no longer pools in front of the steps. We need to get a new railing for the new steps because of changes that were necessitated to bring the steps up to code. (There are now two steps instead of three.) Thanks so much Levy Family for supporting Temple Beth El!!!!! (We expect to get the railing soon and to be able to complete the project.) Upcoming Temple Trip The dates for our congregational trip to Chicago will be July Everyone will arrive in Chicago during the evening of Thursday, July 16. We will stay until sometime on Sunday, July 19. The plan is to visit sites of Jewish relevance including Jewish food. J Some of the time will include a tour guide and some without. We will stay at a hotel in a northern suburb of Chicago (probably Skokie) so that we don t have to deal with the congestion and the cost of staying downtown. If you are interested in joining us or if you have any questions, contact Cindy (mikelcinkc@aol.com). (This trip does not replace the rabbi s visit in July - it is an extra opportunity for those who choose to go.) Hosting Opportunities Y To host the rabbi for the weekend or to host an Adult Study, contact Cindy Pearce (mikelcinkc@aol.com). Y To host the rabbi for dinner, contact Randy Sirk (randysir@aol.com). Y To host an oneg, contact Fern Reinstein (threeamstamper@yahoo.com). 2

3 FAMILY SCHOOL REPORT CARD: A+++ Your editor has had the pleasure of attending several recent Family School sessions, and I have been so excited and inspired about what I saw (and what I got to do), that I wanted to feature our Family School in this month s Beth El Newsletter. What follows is an overview from our Assistant Teacher, Dr. Donnie Wood, and then input from two of our families (the Kruses and the Intrilligators). Enjoy! From Donnie: It has been a great pleasure for me to step in and help out with family school this year! The rabbi has planned this academic year around the theme of the rainbow, as she described in her Rosh Hashanah sermon, which encompasses all possible colors, varieties, and elements of creation. During each of our family school lessons, students are introduced to a new color of the keshet (rainbow). Each is presented in Hebrew and is attached to a certain theme. When possible, we have tried to connect the color to the nearest possible holiday. For example, we discussed katom (orange) right around Thanksgiving; so we talked about orange foods and fall leaves. Sometimes we talk about a particular symbolic aspect of a color. When we learned tzahov (yellow), we talked about the importance of light, both literally and symbolically, in our traditions. Over the course of the year, we re working to physically construct a rainbow in the fellowship hall using various pieces of paint swatches. Also, as the students learn new colors, they are introduced to new Hebrew letters. Our goal is for them to learn the entire alphabet by the end of the summer. We play games, create fun activities, tell stories, and do crafts that bring all of these elements of our religion, culture, and language together. During the last couple of lessons, the students began a journey to Israel. We made passports to take on our journey, which also serve as mini notebooks. As we visit each new location, students jot down key Hebrew words and fun facts in their passports. Last time, we visited Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). The students learned about the Temple Mount, Jerusalem stone, the Western Wall, and they got to create their own mizrachim (a placard or marker indicating the direction of prayer when in Jerusalem). Our next lesson will take us to a kibbutz, to the Dead Sea, and to a Bedouin tent complex in the Negev Desert! 3

4 From the Kruses: The boys in family school have been focusing on Hebrew this year. Each lesson - and now there are two per month! - provides a review of previous letters learned along with introduction of new ones. One way they have been learning the letters is via colors. A new color is presented each lesson along with a related topic such as a holiday or Israel. Everything is very interactive and keeps the boys' attention. We are grateful to Donnie for being our new extra teacher. Having lessons twice a month makes such a difference! It helps with retaining previously learned information and creates a more fertile ground for absorbing new things. Scott enjoys it very much. While Aaron is there, too, he seems to be most interested in the snack! From the Intrilligators: Our boys enjoy Family school, from learning Hebrew to learning about our Jewish holidays and traditions, and especially building things! The craft projects are fantastic! Rabbi Anne is a great teacher with a wonderful way of getting along with the kids and keeping them in line. Donnie is also a wonderful teacher, and his knowledge is impressive. We are very lucky to have Family School here in Dubuque, and Gabriel and Ethan are already looking ahead to their Bar Mitzvahs in a few more years!!! 4

5 Dubuque Area Food Pantries In addition to our usual (and perennially needed) peanut butter and jelly, you can send monetary donations (often used to purchase milk or produce) to the area Food Pantries: Send checks made out to the Dubuque Food Pantry to 1598 Jackson Street Dubuque, IA, Send checks made out to the "United Churches of Galena Food Pantry" to 971 Gear St. Galena, IL Send checks made out to the "Platteville Food Pantry" to P.O. box # 127 Platteville, WI NOTE about Yartzeits: We would like to update our list to include the relationship of a deceased loved one to a current or recent former temple member. If you would like this relationship to be added to names on our list, or if you have names to add to our list, please the information to kscheinman@aol.com. Yartzeits for May Barbara Herman (Fern Reinstein's Sister) Esther Kellis (Rea Kirk's Aunt) Hannah Solomon Bernard A. Zelens Baby Diamond William Greenberg (Kate Scheinman's Grandfather) David Shuman August Meyer Ida Pochter Miriam Slivken Edel Oller Caroline Marks William Medow Caroline Marks Okin Leo Fisher James Frug I. May Sadie Goldberg Pritikin (Karin Pritikin's Grandmother) Harry Farber Leo Marmis Sasha Garber Baby Dora Kransen Joseph Linder Baby Ensburg Rachel Loupp Rose Shapiro Rose Berk William Scheinman (Kate Scheinman's Uncle) Jennie Berk Abraham Reinstein (Jesse Reinstein's Father) Rosalynn Uze Ruthie Pochter Frieda Liebowitz (Faye Wrubel's Grandmother) Ernst Landau 5

6 From Rabbi Anne Pirkei Avot: The Chapters of Our Fathers on Pursuing Wisdom & Knowledge When our patriarch Jacob asked an angel for a blessing he was given the name, Yisra el, the one who wrestles with the divine and with human and prevails. This is the essence of being Jewish, of being Israel. Our tradition, our culture, our lives are based on this notion that we must wrestle with ideas both great and small; we must struggle with issues of the body and the mind; we must question the matters of the heart and of the soul. Questions: we Jews love questions. Form our earliest history we have been compelled to question and argue and tear apart every topic that has crossed our path. We have even gone so far as to ritualize this love of questions at our Pesach Seder, mah nishtanah halaila hazeh? 3000 years of tradition have taught us that questions and questioning makes us stronger, well, at least it makes us a whole lot smarter. 5:25 Ben Bag-Bag used to say of the Torah: Turn it and turn it again, for everything is in it. Ü While Shammai and Hillel may have disagreed on many a topic they both understood the importance of regular study. We need to go out of our way to engage in questioning. Þ Do not let yourself get caught up in looking for the best teacher or the most ideal situation. Remember the words of Ben Zoma As Jews asking questions is more than our inheritance or even our right. Û God forbid we only have one opinion on a matter, Ben Bag-Bag reminds us to consider any and every angle of a subject. 4:1 Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from all people. 1:15. Shammai said: Make your study of the Torah a fixed habit. 2:5. Hillel said: Do not say, When I have time I will study because you may never have the time Questioning is our responsibility. If we do not question we will not evolve; we will not grow; we will not reach our potential. I have been known to tell the kids that the easiest way to make a rabbi happy is to ask her questions. Challenge our tradition. Inquire about those things you are unsure. Make a habit of wondering what Judaism says about everything. 3:3 Rabbi Chananiah ben Teradion said: If two sit together and words of Torah pass between them, the Divine Presence rests between them. This weekend in anticipation of Shavu ot, we will be studying the classic Jewish text: Pikei Avot. We will be looking at the great wisdom text from the Talmud that gives us great advise on living a vaulted life. While I will highlight some of my favorite passages at Shabbat services, the real Pirkei Avot fun will be had Saturday night. Ý Come sit with me and share words of Torah. Come invite the Divine Presence to rest amongst us. B Shalom, Rabbi Anne Persin 6

7 Service and Mitzvah Schedule for first half of 2015 (5775) (Not all special events are included on this schedule. Refer to each newsletter for times/dates.) May Shabbat service, 7:00 PM May 16 Family School with Rabbi, 9:30AM May 30 Family School with Donnie, 9:30AM Host the rabbi Pearce Oneg Pearce Dinner with rabbi Friday night N/A Dinner with rabbi Saturday night Adult Discussion Saturday night Pearce June Shabbat service, 7:00 PM Host the rabbi Goldberg-Scheinman Oneg Kruse June 13 Family School with Rabbi, 9:30AM Dinner with rabbi Friday night Dinner with rabbi Saturday night Adult Discussion Saturday night Goldberg- Scheinman TBD Family School with Donnie, 9:30AM July Shabbat service, 7:00 PM Host the rabbi Oneg July 11 Family School with Rabbi, 9:30AM Dinner with rabbi Friday night Dinner with rabbi Saturday night Adult Discussion Saturday night TBD Family School with Donnie, 9:30AM August Shabbat service, 7:00 PM Host the rabbi Oneg August 22 Family School with Rabbi, 9:30AM Dinner with rabbi Friday night Dinner with rabbi Saturday night Adult Discussion Saturday night TBD Family School with Donnie, 9:30AM Rosh Hashonah - September Yom Kippur - September October rabbi visit - October 9-11 November rabbi visit - November 6-8 December rabbi visit - December 4-6 Hanukkah party Sunday December 6 Family school with Donnie - TBD January rabbi visit - January

8 Family school with Donnie - TBD February rabbi visit - February Family school with Donnie - TBD March rabbi visit - March April rabbi visit - April May rabbi visit - May June rabbi visit - June