Temple Beth Electronic News

Transcription

1 Temple Beth Electronic News Visit our temple website at Kislev-Tevet 5775 December 2014 Thank You s Y A huge thanks to Rabbi Anne for her incredibly beautiful sermon at the DACU Interfaith service the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It was very inspiring and was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the temple, Judaism, and our talented rabbi. Y Also thanks to Donnie for his excellent reading at this service. Y And thanks to Donnie for being the leader and the moderator at the last Children of Abraham evening about Noah. Donnie was the presenter on the Jewish view of Noah, and also served as the moderator for the other speakers and for the discussion. Good job! Y Thanks to Randy and Teresa for hosting the rabbi last time. The lucky coincidence was that the rabbi was able to give Randy a ride to Rockford on Sunday so that he could catch his plane out of Chicago since this flight wasn't able to take off out of Dubuque. Y And thanks to Kate and Larry for taking the rabbi to dinner on the Friday night. Y Also thanks to Jo Lobertini for hosting the last oneg (despite the fact that Paul couldn't even come to services due to some dental work we hope you are all recovered, Paul). Y And thanks to everyone who joined the rabbi for dinner at Crust on the Saturday night, had some discussion about the Jewish view on immigration, and then for some, saw the play Miracle on 34th Street, starring our own Terry Kruse! The Weekend of December Y Friday evening Hanukkah Service at 6:00 PM, followed by our Celebration/Dinner! See below for specifics. Y Saturday morning 9:30 AM: Family School Y Saturday evening Adult Get-Together: at Lucee Sirk s retirement center. We will gather at 5:30 and have a casual dinner together (provided by Cindy and Lucee), and then we will have some conversation. (Please refer to the rabbi s article to see the topic of the conversation.) Lucee lives at Oak Park Place, which is near Hempstead High School in Dubuque, off of Lucy (not Lucee) Drive. (Please get directions from Cindy.) J Temple Beth El Hanukkah Celebration! Friday evening, December 19 (when Rabbi Anne is here with us), we will celebrate Hanukkah, which officially starts Tuesday, December 16. On Friday, December 19, we will start our service at 6 PM. We will celebrate Hanukkah so everyone should bring their own hanukkiahs (menorahs). Following the family-friendly service, we will have dinner and light the Hanukkah candles. Randy Sirk will make latkes and matzo ball soup, and everyone else should bring a dairy dish to share. We have boxes of Hanukkah candles at temple for anyone who needs them. 1

2 Building Update One unfortunate piece of news is that the contractor was scheduled to repair the steps in front of the temple, but then the weather turned suddenly cold - too cold to do cement work. So they had to put the project on their list for first thing to be done in the spring. Very frustrating to all of us!! Membership Update For those of you who are paid temple members, or who have worked out a payment plan with our treasurer, Kate sent out updated Temple Rosters earlier this week. Thanks to everyone who sent in their updated information! Family School Updates As announced in last month s newsletter, we now have a new assistant Family School leader. Our temple member, Donnie Wood, has agreed to fulfill this role. His real job is teaching Spanish at Clarke University. And so he truly is an educator. He will join the rabbi for the sessions when she is in town and then he will conduct an additional session in-between rabbi visits. We are really really fortunate that Donnie is willing to take on this role. He is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and will provide an amazing enhancement to our children's religious education. And he knows Hebrew! We have scheduled the first few additional sessions, so please put these on your calendar. These sessions will take place at temple at 9:30AM. Refer to the master schedule at the end of the newsletter for all Family School sessions scheduled so far. Temple & Community Engagement REFLECTIONS IN THE PARK From Becca Gottlieb We have been asked to staff "Reflections in the Park" on Dec. 24th. The money we collect benefits Hillcrest Family Services, and this event is their main fundraiser of the year. Christmas Eve is usually one of the busiest nights, and without Temple Beth El s participation, they would not be able to do it. If you are available to volunteer at Murphy Park, contact Rebecca Gottlieb. Right now the early and late shifts are fairly well-staffed, but we need volunteers for the middle of the evening (approximately 7-9pm). Also, Dubuque is currently under-represented compared to Platteville and Galena. If you are available to work at Murphy Park, contact Rebecca. TEMPLE BETH EL SISTERHOOD EVENT From Emily Kruse, Sisterhood President The Temple Sisterhood is making a return trip to Mt Carmel - home of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - to present another Havdalah service and have a potluck dinner. It was so well received last time by us and by them that we decided to do it again! Mark your calendars for Saturday, January 10 at either 4 or 4:30. Sisterhood members are providing soup and bread; the sisters will provide dessert and drinks. Please contact Emily Kruse at kruseea@hotmail.com or if you can attend and indicate what you will bring. Also, let Emily know if you have a Havdalah set we can borrow. 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 Members & Friends Y Congratulations to Terry for his excellent performance as Fred in Miracle on 34th Street. Many Temple Beth El members enjoyed watching him perform and had an opportunity to gloat about our Terry. Y From Hank: I am scheduled for knee replacement surgery on Dec.16 and should be in Mercy Hospital for 3 days. If anyone has 5 or 10 minutes to stop there and say "Hi", that would be great. A very Chappy Chanukah to everyone. Y Faye is also scheduled to have her knee replaced early in January. We wish Hank and Faye all the best and will be thinking of them. Y From Lynn Verger: I'm artist of the month at Clare Bank in Platteville if anyone wants to stop by and see what I've been up to. Y Two items from Karin: 1. Karin was one of six cantorial voices who sang in a concert celebrating the installation of Cantor David Berger at KAM Isaiah Israel in Chicago. 2. During a fabulous 10-day trip to Paris and Prague, Faye and Karin stayed in a medieval apartment in the Ungelt, a 12th century square originally run by Jewish merchants, where traders from foreign countries came to pay customs. In addition to touring the Jewish quarter, they also attended a reform Kabbalat Shabbat Service (and made the minyan!) at The Spanish Moorish Synagogue; where they knew many of the songs!!! Among the worshippers: a couple from Jerusalem, 4 Czechs, a writer from Boston and an Orthodox young man living in Kolodno on the Russian border-- but originally from Skokie!!!!!! The Spanish Moorish Synagogue KAM Isaiah Israel in Chicago (on President Obama's block!!!) Dubuque Food Pantry In addition to our usual (and perennially needed) peanut butter and jelly, some suggestions for December donations include sweet potatoes/yams, scalloped or au gratin potatoes, soup, toothpaste, lotion, and toilet tissue. Instead of or in addition to bringing items to services, you can send monetary donations (often used to purchase milk or produce) to the area Food Pantries. 3

4 Children of Abraham Schedule of Conversations Dubuque s Children of Abraham creates an atmosphere in civic life that builds inter-religious solidarity, cooperation, and friendship. It does so through regular monthly topical conversations, service activities, educational outreach, the creative use of sacred space, and expressions of cross-cultural hospitality. Everyone is invited. Please come. Our conversations are warm, informative and often rather humorous. Always on Thursdays, we begin at 7PM. Website: Y January 29 Scripture Study (Christian) "The Sermon on the Mount Love for Others" St Anthony s Church Y February 19 Humor in the 3 Traditions Hadley Auditorium, University of Dubuque Y March 19 Scripture Study (Muslim) Tri-State Islamic Center Y April 16 The Afterlife Wartburg Seminary 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 December Judy Landau Domagalla (Ellie and Lou Landau's Daughter) Abba Leifer Richard Keene Baby Levi Ida Rotman (Ruthie Silverberg's Mother) Lillian Olanosky David Urbach Dora Oller Nathan Gerson Robert Garfield Harry Render Baby Brin Harry Shuman Eleanor Shuman Louis Belsky Meyer Marmis David Parson Sally Janis Jacobson Neil Pritikin (Karin Pritikin's Father) Samuel Sommer Annie Lois Isaac Miller Samuel Rosenbloom Helen Birndorf Baby Gable Mina Gershon (Kate Scheinman's Step- Grandmother) Zanvil Rotman Julius Weinstein (Larry Goldberg's Grandfather) Rose Wrubel (Faye Wrubel's Mother) Henry Render George Tabak Sarah Belsky Nathan Wrubel (Faye Wrubel's Father) Ben Glazer (Rea Kirk's Father) Goldie Feldstein Baby Greenberg William Olansky Eva Platt Grace Burstein (Ellie Landau's Mother) Rochelle Farber Mary Rosenthal Leonard Winston (Larry Goldberg's Uncle) Mary Hertzman Sidney Scheinman (Kate Scheinman's Grandfather) Jack Solomon Meyer Zuckerman Gail Farber (Susan Farber's Cousin) Sol Urbach Max Patinkin Walter Urbach 4

5 From Rabbi Anne: These lights that we kindle to recall the miracles and the wonders and the deliverance and the victories in battle that our ancestors accomplished in those days at this season through the hands of Your holy priests. (Haneirot Hallalu, part I: the prayer customarily recited after the kindling of the Hanukkah candles) I have always loved Hanukkah. Even as a child I never asked my parents whether we could celebrate Christmas. I never wanted to. Quite frankly, I have found Hanukkah to be a much better deal with all of the presents, the fattening food, the games, and the gathering with family. Plus, Hanukkah lasts for a full eight days. But, truly, what I have always loved most about Hanukkah, from as early as I could remember, are the lights. To this day, I can spend hours watching the candles melt down to nothing; holding my breath as they flicker through their final moments. And in that instant, when the last candle on the Hanukkiah sizzles into the night, the world around me, too, is transformed. No longer am I embraced by the warm glow of tradition. Rather, the darkness reminds me of the cold at the door. I tend to turn in early during Hanukkah once those candles are out, I can think only of the warmth of my bed and the comfort of sleep. Although the original Hanukkah story had virtually nothing to do with light, today we call Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Initially, Hanukkah was meant to celebrate the Maccabean family s military victory over the Greeks and our subsequent rededication of the Great Temple in Jerusalem. From the beginning, it was established as a yearly celebration in which we would rededicate the Temple and offer hymns of thanksgiving. After the destruction of the Temple, however, and living under a number of inhospitable empires, the early Rabbis ( C.E.) began to highlight different aspects of the story. Instead of flaunting the fact that a small band of Jews came together and drove the occupying Greeks out of the region, the Rabbis played up anything that the people had done to rededicate the Temple such as rekindling the lights and reciting hymns. Plus, they took these aspects and attributed them all to God we were victorious because God led us to victory; the oil that was expected to burn for only one day miraculously lasted eight days. This miracle of light, in particular, became a point of fixation for the Rabbis. How many lamps do we light? Do we go from one light to eight lights as the days progress or from eight lights down to one light? Do we have to use olive oil or can we use candles? When do we kindle the Hanukkah lights? Where is the Hanukkiah placed? The rabbis discussed every detail that they could imagine with regards to these lights. Why? For the same reason that as a child I would sit at the dining room table and watch intently until every candle dwindled into darkness. During the darkest time of the year, when the days are short and bitter cold, the military victories of generations long passed do not dispel the shadows of the night. A candle, a flame, a warm glow the sanctification of time and space, of family and friends, of home and synagogue the lights of the Hanukkiah light up our lives as they light up our nights and they remind us of our connection to the Divine. And throughout all eight days of Hanukkah these lights are sanctified and we may not use them except to look upon them in order to thank and praise Your great name for Your miracles and for Your wonders and for Your deliverance. (Haneirot Hallalu, part II) 8 Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah Beyond Presents: 1. Lots o Latkas! Fry up some goodies in honor of the oil of Hanukkah. The American favorite is, of course, potato latkes but what about sufganiyot, Israeli jelly donuts, or apple fritters?! 2. Family Game Night When was the last time you played Chutes & Ladders or Gin or Scrabble (not through a screen!)? Break out your favorite games and just have fun together. The point of most of our holidays is to spend sacred time with our family and/or friends. What is more sacred than a family Monopoly challenge or Charades? And don t forget to throw in a round or two of dreidle! 5

6 3. Social Action Make the world a better place this Hanukkah by using one of the ideas on the URJ s Social Justice Gift Guide for Hanukkah. What a great way to celebrate this season of miracles. 4. Get Out of the House For at least one night of Hanukkah take your family and/or friends and go do something fun and frivolous. Go to the movies or ice skating or just to a really nice dinner. Rather than worrying about making latkas, make some memories. 5. How Long Can You Get YOUR Oil to Last? In the spirit of using only an eighth of the amount of oil we thought we needed, try to reduce your energy usage. It can be as simple as changing out your old light bulbs for CFL or LED bulbs or checking your house for drafts that are letting the warm air escape. Conserving energy is good for your pocketbook and your soul so do as the Maccabees and make that oil last. 6. Learn a Little Whether you join us at Family School Saturday morning, Adult Study Saturday night, or you break out on your own, Hanukkah is a perfect time to engage in the classic Jewish way of dispelling darkness: study. (By the way, if you do choose to study with us Saturday night, we are going to be pitting sun vs. moon, rabbis vs. Maccabees, God vs. human it s going to be pretty intense!) 7. Light these Lights as I mentioned in my article, one of my favorite traditions of Hanukkah is lighting the Hanukkiah. Every night find a moment to sing the blessings and bring the light of Hanukkah into your home and into your life. 8. Come to the Beth-El Hanukkah Party! All are invited Friday, December 19 for a very short service and a rousing party complete with latkes ala Randy! 6

7 Service and Mitzvah Schedule for (5775) (Not all special events are included on this schedule. Refer to each newsletter for times/dates.) December (Hanukkah) 6:00PM Service followed by Dinner & Celebration host the rabbi - Kruses Group Lucee Sirk December 20 Family School at 9:30AM with Rabbi December 24 Reflections in the Park Volunteering Opportunity 2015 January 10 Sisterhood Havdalah Service at Mt. Carmel January 10 Family School at 9:30AM with Donnie January (Tu Bishvat) host the rabbi - January 31 Family School at 9:30AM with Rabbi February 14 Family School at 9:30AM with Donnie February (Purim) host the rabbi - March 14 Family School at 9:30AM with Donnie March (Visitor service) host the rabbi - March 28 Family School at 9:30AM with Rabbi April host the rabbi - April 25 Family School at 9:30AM with Rabbi 7

8 May host the rabbi - May 16 Family School at 9:30AM with Rabbi June host the rabbi - June 20 Family School at 9:30AM with Rabbi 8