Rabbi s Corner. by Rabbi David Finkelstein. September 2016 Av - Elul Volume 32 Issue 1. Table of Contents

Transcription

1 September 2016 Av - Elul 5776 Volume 32 Issue 1 Table of Contents Rabbi s Corner by Rabbi David Finkelstein As September settles in, this year, so does the Hebrew month of Elul. Some of us, and our family members, our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren start a new year of learning, and our teachers are starting to teach again. In the midst of this renewal of the educational year, some of us begin to say Selihot. In the Sephardic and Middle Eastern traditions, Selihot is said for the entire month of Elul. Those who wish to can participate in Selihot services based on the Syrian tradition at Hebrew College on select weekday mornings beginning at 7am. In the Ashkenazi tradition, Selihot is said starting from the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. Since Rosh Hashanah begins on Sunday night this year, Ashkenazi Selihot begins on Saturday night one full week before Rosh Hashanah. The Selihot service (meaning "[Requests for] Forgiveness") is based on the foundational Biblical moment when Moses asks for forgiveness from God for the sin of worshipping the golden calf while revelation takes place on Mount Sinai. Moses' prayer draws out the divine attribute of forgiveness, which, until this moment, had never been expressed. The Selihot service draws on the energy of that moment when forgiveness emerged in our world. When we pray Selihot, we appeal to this divine attribute of forgiveness, following Moses' example, and we ready our souls to begin a new year. Let us all say a blessing for the new classrooms, for the new teachers, for the new classmates, for the new subjects of study, and for our own selves as learners. Todi'eini orach chayyim Show me the path of life sova smachot et panekha Your face, the face of the Teacher, accompanied by overflowing celebrations n'imot biy'minkha netzach sweetness at the ready, forever (Psalm 16). May we learn again how to learn, what learning is within reach for us this year. May we all learn again how to ask selihah for forgiveness. (Continued on page 13) The next bulletin will be for October. If you have an article that you would like to submit please get it in to the Temple office before September 15th. Rabbi s Corner 1 Coming Up 2-3 Yahrzeits 4 Donations 5 Mark s Remarks 6-7 Calendar 8-9 High Holiday Info Me ah Program 12 Advertisements Rabbi: David Finkelstein Cantor: Ellen Band Hazzan: Yosi Weintraub President: Mark Frydenberg Vice Pres.: Lester Macklin Secretary: Susan Baron Treasurer: George Isaac Membership Secretary: Ellen Macklin Editor: Andrea Baron Address 25 Harvard Street Waltham, MA office@tbiwaltham.org web site: (781) Office Hours Monday - Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm

2 Join us for an Open House Shabbat. Invite your friends and any prospective members to attend. Saturday, Sept. 17th 9am FROM CHESED / CARING COMMITTEE If you are saying kaddish and would like us to notify congregants to attend a Monday or Thursday minyan, please contact Susan Holbert at susan@theindexpros.com or at least one week ahead of time. While we can't guarantee a minyan of ten will be present, we can work together spread the word! 2

3 Shabbat Evening Services and Dinner Friday, September 16th menu: End of Summer Barbeque Vegetarian option available upon request Services begin at 6:30 pm Dinner begins after services, around 7:30 pm. Vegetarian option available on request. Please let us know if you have any other dietary requirements when you sign up by contacting the Temple office. $18 per adult, $40 per family if paid by the Weds. before the dinner $21 per adult, $45 per family for later reservations You can register online at or contact the Temple office to sign up. Future Shabbat Evening Services and Dinner Dates (Subject to Change) October 21st (in the Sukkah) November 18th December 9th January 20th February 17th March 17th (Tisch with Hankus Netsky) No Dinner in April (Join Us on Tuesday April 11th for the 2nd Seder) May 19th June 16th July 14th (Member s home pot luck) August 18th 3

4 September Yahrzeits Name Date Aaron Mendelsohn Av 28 1-Sep Ethel Griff Av 29 2-Sep Oscar Davidson Av 30 3-Sep Sumner Mason Tirk Elul 01 4-Sep Morris Potash Elul 01 4-Sep Anna Araten Elul 01 4-Sep Louis Alpert Elul 02 5-Sep Ella Weiner Elul 02 5-Sep Rose Ritter Elul 05 8-Sep Aaron Blauer Elul 05 8-Sep Bertha Zellin Elul 06 9-Sep Cecelia Belle Freeman Elul 06 9-Sep Rachel Shecktman Elul Sep Alexander Freedman Elul Sep Ruth Cormier Elul Sep Abraham Goldstein Elul Sep Benjamin Greenblott Elul Sep Agatha Baron Elul Sep Gayle Raye Schupak Elul Sep Joseph Kennen Elul Sep Carrie Altman Elul Sep Sara Weinstein Elul Sep Samuel Wolf Elul Sep Nathan Weiner Elul Sep Mary Nochemsohn Elul Sep Louis Goldberg Elul Sep Samuel Arnold Elul Sep Jennie Bernstein Elul Sep Harry Goldberg Elul Sep Anna Ginsburg Elul Sep Hyman Cohen Elul Sep Rose Jacobs Elul Sep Rebecca Wolf Elul Sep Stanley Bloom Elul Sep Daniel Leaken Elul Sep Dorothy Nottenburg Elul Sep Name Date Bessie Aronie Elul Sep Morris Macklin Elul Sep David Feingold Elul Sep Louis Kniznik Elul Sep Sarah Mendelsohn Elul Sep A. Harvey Cinamon Elul Sep Louis Goldstein Elul Sep Annie Siegel Elul Sep Hedwig Benedick Elul Sep Abraham Crevoshay Elul Sep Sarah Caplan Elul Sep David Pokat Elul Sep Samuel Pill Elul Sep Abe Grater Elul Sep Lillian Michaelson Elul Sep Herman Bootin Elul 28 1-Oct Doris Resnikoff Elul 28 1-Oct Max Russell Elul 29 2-Oct Marion Cohen Elul 29 2-Oct Memorial Wall Update We re making progress on the new memorial wall. The old Yahrzeit tablets have been removed, and six 4 x10 panels have been installed. We will retain several of the in memoriam crowns from our original tablets, and display the individual name plaques directly on the panels. This will increase our capacity to approximately 1000 name plaques. A central etched lucite frame will illuminate the names of those whose Yahrzeit is observed during the current month. 4

5 Donations Family Table Donations General Fund Donations Hella Hakerem, in memory of Mel Cook Esther Keaney, in memory of Helen Berkel Keaney Irving and Sheila Lesnick, in memory of George Lesnick Nicole Haber Martin and Joan Taubman Lillian Etkind, in memory of Katherine Sidell With gratitude to the community and Rabbi Finkelstein for providing me a home this past summer. What a truly special beacon I found TBI to be. I hope many more young people "אין home. like me find their way to your holy זה כי אם בית אלוהים,ודה שער השמים" Ariel Kagedan Morris Hollender Torah Reading Fund Arnold and Polly Slavet Adult Education Fund George and Judith Isaac A wooden collection box has been placed in the Temple lobby so that members can donate Kosher food items to the Family Table. We have been asked to provide 25 cans of salmon every month to help support their growing list of families. Thanks in advance for your much needed contributions. Saturday Kiddush Sponsors August 20 - Brad and Dina Baker, in memory of her mother August 27 - Susan Holbert and Pierce Butler, in memory of his mother Maisie September 3 - Marilyn Racette, in memory of her mother September 10 - Sisterhood September 17 - Diana Korzenik in memory of her mother Condolences To Susan Holbert and Pierce on the loss of his mother, Maisie Thanks to those who read Torah, Haftarah, or gave a D'var Torah in August Mark Frydenberg Rabbi David Finkelstein Susan Kane Rabbi Sara Meirowitz Mike Rosenberg Genevieve Fosa Caroline Nudelman Susan Holbert Cantor Ellen Band 5

6 M A R K ' S R E M A R KS : P R ES I D E N T S R E P O RT By: MARK FRYDENBERG Annual Meeting Recap Thanks to everyone who attended the annual membership meeting on Sunday, August 28. At the start of the meeting, I invited everyone to discuss with those at their tables the two items they thought that the Temple as a community should work on during the coming year. Afterward, each table reported their conversations back to the entire group. Some of the things that members shared include: Table 1: More diversified young membership and cohesiveness of current community Table 2: More members and retention, more programs Table 3: fundraising and independence and improving attendance Table 4: Increase membership and stable finances Table 5: Diversity faction younger family and outreach to larger community Many of these topics will inform the community conversations that we will have during the year, one in the fall, and one in the spring. Dates will be announced next month. Membership Votes The membership elected Susan Gitelle Baron as our new Recording Secretary, filling the vacancy left by Genevieve Fosa's resignation. We presented Genevieve with a gift of appreciation for her service as Recording Secretary over the past decade. I am pleased that Genevieve will remain on the board as the co-chair of the Chesed / Caring Committee with Susan Holbert. The congregation also overwhelmingly approved the bylaws revisions unanimously supported by the Board of Directors in July, with a vote of 31 in favor, 1 opposed. Among the highlights of these revisions, we now define synagogue membership in terms of households, welcoming the Jewish member of an interfaith household to join the synagogue individually, or as a family along with the non-jewish family member. Non-Jewish members of interfaith households do note vote, and are not eligible to serve as committee chairs or officers. They are welcome to participate on most committees and in all synagogue services or events as appropriate. The bylaws revisions also allow for next year's nominating committee to nominate between 0 and 3 board members at large. The intention here is to create a pathway to increased participation and leadership for interested members who currently may not be able to take on the responsibility of chairing a committee. Please contact me if you are interested in exploring this idea further. My thanks to Dina Baker, Julie Gagnon, Janice Goldstein, Shaun Hayward, and Bruce Trager for their service on the bylaws committee last year. Changes to the Board of Directors With the new bylaws approved, a few minor changes to the Board of Directors are now in place. Mark Frydenberg (President) Lester Macklin (Vice-President) George Isaac (Treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee) Susan Gitelle Baron (Recording Secretary) Ellen Macklin (Membership Secretary and chair of the Membership Committee) The Board's Standing Committees are those related to the day-to-day operations and governance of the synagogue. In cases where committees are co-chaired, one co-chair will represent the committee on the board. Cemetery (Jim Baron) Finance (George Isaac) 6

7 House (Merrill Griff) Membership (Ellen Macklin) Development (to be appointed) Hesed / Caring (Genevieve Fosa and Susan Holbert) Programming (Yaron Shragai) Ritual/Religious (Caroline Nudelman and Bruce Trager) Sisterhood (Nessie Baron) As a result of this new governance structure, some previous committees that had board representation will now continue without board representation. Their chairs may attend board meetings, as board meetings are open to all Temple members. (The next board meeting is on September 7 at 7 pm.) Library (now is part of Religious Committee), chaired by Marilyn Racette Kitchen (equipment is now part of House Committee, meals for holidays and Shabbat is part of Religious/Ritual committee), chaired by Marge Marion Ed Brown, former chair of the Finance Committee, will remain as a member of that committee. Thank You M A R K ' S R E M A R KS : P R ES I D E N T S R E P O RT By: MARK FRYDENBERG My thanks to all of these committee chairs and officers for overseeing their areas of programming and services to Temple Beth Israel during the past year and in the year ahead. In addition, several volunteers have played a key role in our activities. These include Ellie Handel and Ed Kaufman for decorating the synagogue on Shabbat mornings, Julie Gagnon, for assisting with kids' programming and building beautification; Susan Holbert, for organizing members to give Divrei Torah, David Freedman, for offering the aliyot each week on Shabbat morning; Catherine Cantrell, for assisting whenever needed; Brad Baker, for organizing the TBI gardens and community program; Erika Cohen, for helping in the office when Andrea is away and for food shopping; Esther Keaney, for food shopping and mentoring our treasurer; Dina Baker, Susan Kane, Alan Levine, and Howard Trachtman, for publicizing our activities in various outlets and locations; Hazzan Yossi Weintraub for managing our Hebrew Yahrzeit list. If I missed mentioning how you go above and beyond the call of duty, please accept my thanks and my apology (and let me know!) We appreciate all of you! We accomplished a lot this past year, from rethinking our membership model to approving new bylaws, completing an audit of our financial records, creating an annual budget, and creating community conversations throughout the year as a safe space for discussing issues facing the synagogue. There s still work to be done, but these steps are a good start in improving how Temple Beth Israel operates now and into the future. Honoring Andrea Please join us at services on Saturday, September 24, for a special Kiddush lunch in honor of our office manager, Andrea Baron. Andrea is completing 20 years of dedicated service in the office of Temple Beth Israel. She is the face and the voice of TBI, the first person you see when walk in the building, and the first voice you hear when you call the synagogue. Since all of us have interacted with Andrea at one time or another, it is only fitting that the members of the synagogue sponsor the luncheon in her honor as a token of our appreciation. I invite you to contribute any amount to be a sponsor the luncheon in Andrea's honor. Since this event is in honor of Andrea, please give your contribution to me if you see me at the Temple (not on Shabbat), or send it to my attention c/o the Temple Office. And no, this is not a surprise! L'shanah Tovah. On behalf of the officers and Board of Directors of Temple Beth Israel, I wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and sweet new year. 7

8 3 Parashat Re'eh Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 6:57 pm Candle lighting 5 Labor Day 10 Parashat Shoftim 17 Parashat Ki Teitzei 24 Leil Selichot TBI EVENTS CALENDAR September 2016 Elul 11 10:00am Clean Up Day 6 7 8:00 am Morning Minyan 7:00 pm Board Meeting :00 pm Rabbis Class :00 pm Rabbis Class :00 pm Board Meeting (Tentative) 8 9 6:45 pm Candle lighting 15 6:30 pm TBI Service and DInner 6:33 pm Candle lighting :20 pm Candle lighting :08 pm Candle lighting Rosh Chodesh Elul 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 7:56 pm Havdalah (42 min) Kiddush Sponsor Marilyn Racette 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 7:43 pm Havdalah (42 min) 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 7:31 pm Havdalah (42 min) 4 Rosh Chodesh Parashat Ki Tavo 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 7:19 pm Havdalah (42 min) 8:00 pm Selichot Evening Kiddush in honor of Andrea Baron 8

9 2 Erev Rosh Hasha- 3 Rosh Hashana 9 10 Columbus Day 16 Erev Sukkot 17 Sukkot I 23 Sukkot VII 24 Shmini Atzeret 31 Halloween 4 Rosh Hashana II 11 Erev Yom Kippur 18 Sukkot II 25 Simchat Torah 12 Yom Kippur 19 Sukkot III (CH''M) 20 Sukkot IV (CH''M) 21 Sukkot V (CH''M) 8 Parashat Vayeilech 15 Parashat Ha'Azinu 22 Sukkot VI (CH''M) 29 Parashat Bereshit TBI EVENTS CALENDAR October 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Parashat Nitzavim 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 7:06 pm Havdalah (42 min) na 6:05 pm Candle lighting 4:30 pm Decorate the Sukkah 5:30 pm Dinner in the Sukkah 5:41 pm Candle lighting (Hoshana Raba) Sukkot VII/Hoshanah Rabah 9:00 am Hoshana Rabah Services 1:00 pm Sukkah Hop (Tenative) 5:31 pm Candle lighting 30 Breakfast program 10:00am See page 15 for details 5777 Rosh Hashana (New Year) 7:03 pm Candle lighting (regional holiday) 8:00 am Morning Minyan Sukkot I 8:00 am Sukkot Morning Service 6:40 pm Candle lighting Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah 8:00 am Shmini Atzeret/Yizkor/Ges hem 6:00 pm Snack and Torah Tour 6:29 pm Candle lighting 6:30 pm Simchat Torah Evening Service and Dance with the Torah Rosh Hashana II (New Year day 2) 7:01 pm Havdalah (42 min) 5:49 pm Candle lighting Sukkot II 8:00 am Sukkot Morning Service 6:38 pm Havdalah (42 min) 6:28 pm Havdalah (42 min) 5 Tzom Gedaliah 6 Yom Kippur 6:48 pm Havdalah (42 min) Sukkot III 13 Sukkot IV :56 pm Candle lighting 14 5:45 pm Candle lighting Sukkot V 5:34 pm Candle lighting 6:30 pm Services and Dinnre in the Sukkah 28 5:24 pm Candle lighting Shabbat Shuva 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 6:54 pm Havdalah (42 min) 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 4:00 pm Himelfarb Bat Mitzvah 6:43 pm Havdalah (42 min) Sukkot VI 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 2:00 pm Sukkah Hop (Tenative) 6:32 pm Havdalah (42 min) 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Services 6:22 pm Havdalah (42 min) 9

10 High Holy Day Services and Schedule 5777 Selichot Saturday, Sept. 24 8:30pm Evening Program 10:00pm Selichot with Rabbi Finkelstein and Cantor Ellen Band Erev Rosh HaShanah Sunday, Oct. 2 7:30pm Evening Service Rosh HaShanah Day 1 Monday, Oct. 3 Rosh HaShanah Day 2 Tuesday, Oct. 4 8:30am Morning Service 10:30am Children s Service (until 11:30 am) 5:00pm Tashlich at Charles River Moody St. 8:30am Morning Service 10:30am Children s Service (until 11:30 am) Shabbat Shuva Saturday, Oct. 8 9:00am Shabbat morning service Sunday Minyan followed by Cemetery Memorial Service Sunday, Oct. 9 9:00am Morning Minyan (at TBI) 10:00am Service at Beth Israel Memorial Park, 190 South Street Begin Building Sukkah Sunday, Oct. 9 11:45am Please come and give us a hand! Erev Yom Kippur Tuesday, Oct. 11 5:30pm Kol Nidre Service Yom Kippur Wednesday, Oct. 12 8:30 am Morning Service 11:30am Yizkor (approximate time) 10:45am Children s Service (until 11:45 am) 4:00pm Mincha, Neila, Ma ariv, Havdalah 6:56pm Shofar and Break-the Fast Build the Sukkah Sunday, Oct :00am Put up Sukkah (Rain Date!) Erev Sukkot Sunday, Oct. 16 4:30pm 5:30pm Family Event: Decorate the Sukkah Potluck Dinner in the Sukkah Sukkot Yom Tov Day 1 Monday, Oct. 17 8:00am Morning Service/Kiddush in Sukkah Sukkot Yom Tov Day 2 Tuesday, Oct. 18 8:00am Morning Service/Kiddush in Sukkah Hol HaMoed Sukkot Shabbat Evening Friday, Oct. 21 6:00pm 7:00pm Shabbat Evening Service Dinner in the Sukkah Hol HaMoed Sukkot Shabbat Morning Saturday, Oct. 22 9:00am Shabbat morning service/kohelet Lunch in the Sukkah Hoshanah Rabbah Sunday, Oct. 23 9:00am Morning Service Shemini Atzeret Monday, Oct. 24 8:00am Morning Service (with Yizkor) Simchat Torah Evening Monday, Oct. 24 6:00pm 6:20pm FamilyEvent: Snack and Torah Tour Evening Service/Dancing with Torah Simchat Torah Morning Tuesday, Oct :00am Morning Service: Complete Torah Cycle and Begin Bereishit/Genesis Shabbat Bereshit Saturday, Oct. 29 9:00am Shabbat Morning Services

11 Temple Beth Israel 2016 High Holy Day Service Information Seats for Members and Out-of-Town Guests Temple Beth Israel assigns seats to members for High Holy Day services. Members who have paid or arranged a payment plan by September 1 will receive the same seats as last year. After that date, seats will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis. To reserve additional seats for visiting family members or out-of-town guests, or to change your assigned seats, please contact the office so we can try to accommodate your request. Individual members receive one assigned seat; family members receive two assigned seats. Members' children who are under the age of 18 or full-time college students receive complimentary seats with their families. Parents, adult children, other immediate family members, and visiting out-of-town guests of members who themselves are members in good standing at another synagogue receive complimentary seats, but we would appreciate a donation of $50 per adult. Out-of-town relatives and guests who are not members of other synagogues may reserve seats for $100 each. Guests children under the age of 18 or full-time college students receive complimentary seats with their families. Unassigned seats in the rear of the sanctuary are available at no cost for those do not reserve them beforehand. Children s Services and Child Care TBI will hold children s services for each day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning. We will also offer child care on these days and for Kol Nidre (if there is enough interest); preregistration is required, as we need to hire the appropriate number of staff. Please contact the Temple office by September 15 so we can properly plan for these services. Courtesy and Consideration If offered an honor during the service, please take your place on the bimah at the appropriate time so services flow smoothly. Upon entering the sanctuary, if the sanctuary doors are closed, please wait s until the ushers welcome you to take your seats. Please refrain from wearing strong colognes, perfumes, or other scents to be considerate of those with fragrance sensitivities. Children are welcome at our services. Please bring quiet toys for them to play with! 11

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13 (Rabbi s Corner Continued from page 1) Happy Elul I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine The King Is in the Field, Rabbi David Contact Rabbi David at rabbidavid@tbiwaltham.org or The Rabbi s Classes will continue in September Wednesdays 7:00pm - 8:30pm September 14 - Psalms September 21 - Contemporary Issues Support Our Advertisers 13

14 SAVE THE DATES ~ MARK YOUR CALENDAR The Program Committee has scheduled three dates for presentations by interesting authors, and you really don t want to miss them. So, plan to attend and feel free to invite others to join you. On October 30, 2016 TBI member, Noah Beit-Aharon, will present his epic fantasy, Silent Hall after breakfast. If you want to preview the book, his web page is nsdolkart.com (Noah s pen name). He has performed readings at several local book stores with much success. As Spring arrives, so does the baseball season, and to celebrate this time of the year, Larry Ruttman will join us for breakfast on April 2, 2017 and then discuss his book, American Jews and America s Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball. His book was chosen as the #1 baseball book in America for the year 2013, among many, by Sports Collectors Digest, and now adapted into a musical play. This is an event not to be missed! On Yom Hashoah eve, April 23, 2017, Dr. Rita Goldberg will present her book, Survivor and Rescuer: My Mother, the Frank Family and the Holocaust. This is an evening event of interest to the entire community, so invite your neighbors to join us. The holocaust was a systematic murder of Jews and non-jews alike. We expect books to be on sale at all three events. Please make reservations to help us prepare. Other events will be advertised at a later date. Lester Macklin 14

15 Temple Beth Israel Waltham, MA Breakfast and Book Reading with N.S. Dolkart Sunday, October 30, am Reservations $10 in Advance, $12 at the Door, Free for Children Noah Beit-Aharon, a member of Temple Beth Israel, writes under the pen name N.S. Dolkart. He is a graduate of Hampshire College. By day, he leads activities in a nonprofit nursing home; in the evenings he cooks with his wife and plays with their two children; and only late at night does he write his tales of magic and Godhood. He doesn t sleep much. Silent Hall is his first novel. 15 Send your check, payable to Temple Beth Israel, to: Ed Brown 35 Lyme Road, West Newton, MA For more information: Please join for Morning Minyan before breakfast, at 9 am. Temple Beth Israel 25 Harvard Street Waltham, MA

16 TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL 25 Harvard Street Waltham, MA Phone: We re on the Web General Fund High Holiday Donation Rabbi s Discretionary Fund Carl and Caryl Goldstein Siddur Memorial Fund Morris Hollender Torah Reading Fund Children s Services and Programming Other, please specify: Temple Beth Israel Donation Form For your convenience, please use this form to make your donations and send to: Temple Beth Israel, 25 Harvard Street, Waltham, MA I have chosen the fund indicated at the left: (Please use a separate form for each fund. Minimum donation: $10) Attached is my check in the amount of: $ The donation is being made In Honor Of In Memory Of Other This donation is made by: Name: Address: City/State/ Zip Please send acknowledgement to: 16