The Bulletin Adat Chaim s News Source

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1 The Bulletin Adat Chaim s News Source April 2016 Owings Mills, Maryland Adar II/Nisan 5776 From The President s Desk The month of April has finally arrived and so has the warmer weather. I am sure that everyone will be busy over the next few weeks with preparations for Passover and cleaning out all the chametz! We will also be busy at Adat Chaim as we start our spring cleaning, which will include a full top to bottom cleansing of the carpets, food prep area, refrigerators and food storage area. We want to ensure a chametz-free space during the Passover holiday. And speaking of chametz, the sale of chametz form can be found in the Bulletin on page 5. Please adhere to the deadline for turning in the form to the synagogue. Services for Passover will take place on Saturday, April 23 rd and 30 th. Yizkor service will be observed on Saturday, April 30 th. The service schedule and times are on the calendar. The Board and Ritual Committee have been busy preparing and planning with the Rabbi for services each week, the introduction of the new Lev Shalom Siddur, and the development of High Holiday Services. We want to get your input on a number of things in order to meet the needs of the congregation and community. Be on the lookout for our annual Survey Monkey questionnaire. Please take the time to fill out the questionnaire as soon as possible so that we can take your thoughts, ideas and suggestions into consideration as we plan. As we approach the end of the first quarter of our membership year, I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for your continued support and commitment to Adat Chaim. The months ahead will bring the end of my term and renewal for another fiscal year begins in July. We could not do what we do without each and every one of you. Shalom till next month, Cathy Litofsky 1

2 Adat Chaim Pleasant Hill Center Red Run Boulevard, Suite 109 Owings Mills, MD SHUL (7485) Rabbi Jerry Seidler Officers Cathy Litofsky President David Teichman 1 st Vice President Davidalan99@gmail.com Jerry Newman 2 nd Vice President jsnewm@gmail.com Allan Weksberg Secretary weks@comcast.net George Korba Treasurer gkorba@bridgedeck.org Editor Linda Boteach linda.boteach@gmail.com The Bulletin accepts all material relevant to the Jewish community in the northwest corridor. To maintain accuracy all information will be accepted by only. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 18th of each month for the next month s publication. Please contact Rabbi Seidler for all of your Life Cycle Events so that he may provide guidance and support to you and your family members. The synagogue can also help with a variety of services for you. This might include: phone squad or announcements to the congregation, coverage for services, meals, visits, rides to the doctor or any other assistance that you might need. So be sure to contact the synagogue office at: and let us know how we can help. Need Information? Adult Education Wendy Raith B nei Mitzvah Program Synagogue Office Billing Questions George Korba Bulletin Linda Boteach Catering and Kiddush Sponsorship Tina Asher Facebook Page Wendy Raith Gift Shop Tina Asher Life Cycle Events Synagogue Office Membership David Teichman Mitzvah Cards Janet Korba Ritual Committee Jerry Newman Sisterhood Adrienne Frager Webmaster Lynn Ruddie No phone calls or s on Shabbat please. Remember that the synagogue is supported through the following secured Amazon link: or you can log onto and choose the link: Shop Adat Chaim. Either way, it is a win-win for Adat Chaim. 2

3 Divrei Chodesh D Rabbi Jerry Seidler Pesach, the festival of Passover, should be infused and met with new meaning every year. How should we welcome the Passover this year? Let us consider the three symbols of Matzah, Marror and Pesach. I am approaching Pesach this year with a renewed sense of humility. In this sense, humility is both internal and external. It is a modest feeling of one s smallness before the ineffable majesty of the Eternal, and also an empathic recognition of the frailty of others under the yoke of oppression. Internal humility is symbolized by the unleavened bread. We know that only unleavened grain could be used in conjunction with ancient sacrifices, not just for Passover. Lack of leavening prevents the grain from rising in a yeast reaction. Leavening puffs up the grain, and such rising symbolizes haughtiness and arrogance, selfishness and greed (the it s all about me perspective). Human freedom, however, can occur when people allow room for others to be, not when we occupy their space, so to speak. The lack of leavening results in the opposite: a product that is lowly, taking up less of time and space. The meagerness of Matzah teaches us the role of humility in making for human freedom. The humble do not impose themselves on others, maximizing the opportunity for others to be in their own ways. This fulfills the insight of Hillel, that what is hateful to you do not do to anyone else. External humility is symbolized by the bitter herb. The bitterness of Marror ought to remind us that slavery, oppression, totalitarianism all these pathological social systems derived from arrogance and power lust -- can transform life into one of utter bitterness. We recall the observation in Exodus during the Seder, that the Israelites refused to listen to Moses because of their anguished spirit and the harshness of their enslavement (Sh mot 6:9). The lives of the ancient Israelites were so arduous and bereft of hope, that they could not hear and see, much less imagine, that life could be different, that they themselves could live freely in the grandeur of human dignity. If Israel could not heed Moses to better themselves and take up the responsibilities of freedom, how much more should we be patient with and humble before those in our community, state and country who similarly refuse responsibility for their destinies. These are the people who remain enslaved and disheartened, if you will, by historical, systemic oppression (racism, xenophobia, etc.) so that they will not grasp the outstretched Arm of God to lift themselves up to betterment and liberation. The Marror demands empathy, arousing our humility in the face of the broken human spirit, and compassionate patience to help the downtrodden improve their lives by overthrowing their modern day taskmasters and drudgery. The Matzah represents the humility of shiflut, of lowliness that allows for God s majestic energy to be actualized among all people and peoples. The Marror represents the humility of anavah, of nobility that calls us to notice and aid others in distress so that they, too, can share in the divine bounty of life. It is the lamb shank, the Pesach, that ultimately graces our Seder tables, as a reminder that sacrifice brings us and everyone closer to God and God s ways. While today we do not sacrifice the animal, we do sacrifice the ego of self-aggrandizement and group superiority to bring about redemption in our world, a society of holiness, the Malkhut Shaddai we pray about in the Aleinu. Shalom Aleikhem, and a Zissen Kasher Pesach! 3

4 Ritual Committee Jerry Newman, Chair Thank you to Rabbi Seidler, Norman Ament, George and Janet Korba, Tina Asher and Neil Posner for chanting chapters from Megillat Esther during Purim. It was enjoyable to quench our thirst, nosh some hamentaschen and fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the Megillah. We are using Lev Shalom at services. This is the new Conservative siddur that arrived just a few short weeks ago. Congregants find it very spiritual and an easy transition from Siddur Sim Shalom. We hope that you will take the opportunity to join us the first Friday of the month and on Saturday mornings to experience this new siddur firsthand. The next Friday night service will take place this Friday, April 1 st at 6:30PM. We hold Saturday morning Shabbat services each week starting at 9:30 a.m. Minyans are needed on a weekly basis so that congregants and community members who are in mourning or observing a yahrzeit are able to do so, providing them with a meaningful Shabbat experience. Please contact me by to let me know what Saturdays you are available. Pesach is right around the corner. Passover is the time when families come together to partake in a traditional Seder to tell the story of our freedom from slavery in Egypt. The evening is full of rituals, prayers and study. The first Seder is Friday, April 22 nd. Services during Passover will take place on Saturday, April 23 rd and 30 th. Yizkor will be said on Saturday, April 30 th. Please see the sale of chametz form on the next page of the Bulletin. If you need a minyan for any reason during the week or on Shabbat, please contact Jerry Newman at jsnewm@gmail.com so that he can arrange it for you. Please give at least two weeks notice for a yahrzeit minyan, allowing time for the Ritual Committee and our congregants to be notified. Yahrzeits The families listed below will be observing Yahrzeit for family members and need to say Kaddish during the month. To schedule a minyan service on a date other than Shabbat, contact Jerry Newman at or jsnewm@gmail.com. Date: Monday, April 11 th Saturday, April 16 th Sunday, April 24 th Saturday, April 30 th Sunday, May 1 st Thursday, May 5 th Saturday, May 7 th Saturday, May 14 th (Candles should be lit at sundown the night before) Yahrzeit of: Robert Gordon Marilyn Heiserman Benjamin Scharf Alan Frager Mendel Weksberg Anna Clarefield Annie Scheinin Samuel Clarefield Relationship: Brother of Cathy Gordon Litofsky Grandmother of Shari Gaister Husband of Janice Scharf Father-in-Law of Adrienne Frager Father of Allan & Bernie Weksberg Mother of Janet Korba Mother of Harry Deitchman Father of Janet Korba If you have a Yahrzeit and don t see it in the bulletin or wish to be included on the list for a relative s Yahrzeit, please call the office and we will be happy to update our database. 4

5 Sale of Chametz Passover 5776/2016 The ritual sale of chametz must be completed and received by the synagogue office by 9:00 AM Friday, April 22, 2016 Our tradition teaches that one mitzvah leads to another. The mitzvah of selling chametz is often accompanied by the mitzvah of tzedakah contributions. Form for Sale of Chametz Passover 5776/2016 I authorize Rabbi Jerry Seidler of Adat Chaim in Owings Mills, MD to act as the agent for my household living with or financially dependent on me to sell all chametz in my/our possession. This includes all chametz which I/we have knowingly or otherwise at home, a place of business, a vacation residence (including portions in a time-share), dorms, boats, storage facility or anywhere for which I/we have legal possession and access, in accord with the requirements and provisions of Jewish Law. NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP In appreciation for the Rabbi s assistance, I am enclosing a contribution to the General Synagogue Fund for his help with the mitzvah of selling my chametz. 5

6 Happy Birthday Happy Birthda TZEDAKAH Since the last edition of the Bulletin, the following donations have been made to Adat Chaim. GENERAL SYNAGOGUE FUND By Sue & Art Ross To Sadie Fine in Memory of your Husband To Beth Strauss & Family in memory of Beth s Husband By Marcy & Roger Wesalo In Honor of Cathy & Irv Litofsky s New Granddaughter In Honor of Adrienne Frager s New Grandson By Lynette Cohen In Memory of Elinor Reamer Gummit By Janet & George Korba In Honor of Adrienne Frager s New Grandson For the Yahrzeit of Celia Schneider, Janet s Aunt To Debbie Caplan & Family in Memory of Debbie s Beloved Sister Susie To Lynette Cohen, wishing her a speedy recovery HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES GO OUT TO: April 4 th Jaime Reilly 20th Buddy Asher yapril April 27 th Sheryl Forman April 28 th David Weksberg If your birthday does not appear or you have a correction to what we have, call the office at HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Lori and David Teichman April 8 th 32 rd 6

7 Sisterhood Adrienne Frager, President Sisterhood held its Goods and Services BINGO event on Sunday, March 13 from 2-4PM. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Sisterhood and Synagogue. We had a variety of prizes that were donated by local businesses, the Sisterhood and some of our Sisterhood members. Please see a list of our sponsors on the next page of the Bulletin. Councilwoman Vicky Almond and Anna Renault shared their stories at our March meeting. Both were fascinating to listen to and it was great to hear from such strong empowering women. The Book Club which is open to members and non-members has been busy reading all year long. We have discussed the following books, All the Light We Cannot See, Lincoln and the Jews, The Storyteller, Playing with Fire and The Devil in Jerusalem. We will meet again in May. For more information contact Linda Boteach at linda.boteach@gmail.com. April 3 - April 17 - we are in the process of planning an Online Vendor Fundraising event. Thirty-one, Mary Kay and Pampered Chef are three of our vendors. More information will be coming out in a separate . Please take advantage of this spring shopping opportunity to support our vendors and the Sisterhood. Each will be donating a portion of sales back to the Sisterhood. Mark your calendars for the Joint Sisterhood Dinner. Beth Israel Sisterhood will be hosting the event this year on Monday, April 11 at 6PM. Reservations are required. If you have not already done so and want to attend, please contact Cathy Litofsky by April 4 th. Additional events: Join the Federation of Jewish Women s Organizations on Thursday, May 19 9am -2:30 pm for their Centennial Celebration 100th Annual Convention. Come and support Cathy Litofsky when she is presented with the "Builder of Unity" award for Adat Chaim Sisterhood. See the flier on page 10 of the Bulletin. Shalom until next month, Adrienne Nat ah Karem join another hard-working, generous woman, who plants a vineyard by her own labors. (Proverbs 31:7) 7

8 Adat Chaim Sisterhood would like to thank the following community partners and sponsors: Dreamers Java Maŵa s Kƌystof s Baƌbeƌ Shop GaƌlaŶd s Gaƌage Maggies Flowers by Penny Lane SaŶtoŶi s Maƌket Saŵ s Bagels Glyndon Grille Adat Chaim Sisterhood Black-Eyed Susan Tickled Pink Reisterstown Diner Scratching Post TiŶa s AŶtiƋues 5 Wacky Women Nail Creations Vito s Café The Ski Shoppe Boxwood Collections Glyndon Jewelry J & P Pizza Xanadu Hair Plus Gourmet Girls Tina Asher Amy Helsel Cathy Litofsky Marcy Wesalo 8

9 Sisterhood Events & Activities at a Glance* (All events & activities at the synagogue unless otherwise noted) Monday, April 11 th Monday, May 7 th Thursday, May 19 th Seaboard Region Joint Sisterhood Dinner Beth Israel Congregation, Owings Mills Book club TBA Federation s 100 th Annual Convention Baltimore Hebrew Congregation 6:30PM 7:30PM 9:45AM 2:30PM Sunday, May 22 nd Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory TBA *Note: Look for additional activities and updates in future publications, s and communications from Sisterhood as they become available * Adat Chaim Sisterhood Continues its Food Drive Bring boxed and canned food whenever you come to the synagogue and place the items in the box in the lobby. The items will be divided between the Crisis Center and Hannah More to help support those in need right in our community. Help us fill the shelves at the Reisterstown Community Crisis Center and Sarah s Hope at Hannah More this year. A list of suggested and preferred items is on the Sisterhood page of the web site ( Food Donations Delivered to the Community Crisis Center on December 24th Thank you to all of our members who continue to make this possible! Let s keep those donations coming. 11

10 ~ April 2016 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Shabbat Services 6:30PM Birthday & Anniversary Shabbat Candle lighting: 7:13PM 2 Shemini Shabbat Parah Shabbat Services 9:30AM Sisterhood Board Meeting 7:30PM 7 8 Candle lighting: 7:20PM 9 Tazria Shabbat Services 9:30AM Rosh Chodesh Nisan Shabbat HaChodesh Joint Sisterhood Dinner at Beth Israel 6:30PM Candle lighting: 7:27PM 16 Metzora Shabbat Services 9:30AM Rabbi Seidler Shabbat HaGadol Pesach Fast of the Firstborn Erev Pesach First Seder 23 Pesach Second Seder Shabbat Services 9:30AM Candle lighting: 7:33PM Rabbi Seidler Shabbat Services 9:30AM Pesach (Omer 1) Chol HaMoed Pesach (Omer 2) Chol HaMoed Pesach (Omer 3) Rabbi Seidler Chol HaMoed Pesach Chol HaMoed Pesach Pesach Pesach/Yizkor (Omer 4) (Omer 5) (Omer 6) (Omer 7) Candle lighting: 7:40PM Remember that the synagogue is supported through the following secured Amazon link: or you can log onto and choose the link: Shop Adat Chaim. Either way, it is a win-win for Adat Chaim. 12

11 P.O. Box 29 Stevenson, MD office : fax: info@jewishwomensfed.org OFFICERS Sheila K. Derman, President Helene H. Waranch, First Vice President Rochelle Bohrer, Vice President Sheila Mentz, Vice President Linda Roedel, Corresponding Secretary Rae Shalowitz, Corresponding Secretary Debbie Shpritz, Recording Secretary Arlene Mazer, P.P., Treasurer Ann Fishkin, Auditor Harriet L. Meier, M.D. P.P., Community Representative ORGANIZATIONS Associated Women of The Associated AMIT Women Brandeis University National Women s Committee, Baltimore Chapter Covenant Guild, Inc. Hadassah, Baltimore Chapter Israel Bonds Maryland Women s Division Jewish Caring Network Jewish Women International, Lillie Straus/Hope Chapter Kappa Guild, Inc. Levindale Auxiliary, Inc. Mildred Mindell Cancer Foundation Miriam Lodge, K.S.B., Inc. National Council of Jewish Women, Baltimore Section, Inc. Rogers C. Snyder Memorial, Ladies Auxiliary #117, Jewish War Veterans Sinai Hospital Auxiliary True Sisters, Inc., Baltimore #35 SISTERHOODS Adat Chaim Congregation Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Beth El Congregation Beth Israel Congregation Beth Tfiloh Congregation Bnai Jacob/Shaarei Zion Chizuk Amuno Congregation Har Sinai Congregation Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Ner Tamid Congregation Temple Emanuel Temple Oheb Shalom Federation Celebrates 100 Years! One hundred years! A memorable time to be celebrated! The Federation of Jewish Women s Organizations of Maryland will hold its Centennial Convention on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The oldest and only existing Jewish Women s Federation in the country will welcome to this milestone event hundreds of women from 28 constituent organizations and sisterhoods. Ever since a brilliant group of Jewish women founded the Federation in 1916, it has made a positive impact on the communities in which Marylanders live and work, through enhancing education, leadership and advocacy. It s Serv-A program supports United States Servicemen and Women. In keeping with this year s theme, Strength in Unity, the exciting and diverse program will feature Keynote Speaker Marcia Greenberger, Founder and Co-President of the National Women s Law Center. An exemplary member from each constituent organization will receive the Builder of Unity Award in a memorable ceremony. The 2016 E. B. Hirsh Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Councilwoman Rikki Spector, Dean of the Baltimore City Council. Please help inform the public about Federation s forthcoming Strength in Unity Centennial Convention, celebrating its past one hundred years of leadership and its vision for a future of continuing community service. We would be happy to supply any additional information you may require. Marcia Bornfriend, Centennial Publicity Chair marcia410@comcast.net (443) Eve Vogelstein, Centennial Co-Chair mothraeve@gmail.com (443) Lynda Weinstein, Centennial Co-Chair missmagothy@aol.com (410) The Federation of Jewish Women s Organizations of Maryland is an umbrella group of non-profit organizations and sisterhoods, committed to leadership training, support of the Jewish community and advocacy of issues of major concern. Founded in

12 Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland Practical Tips for Genealogical Research in and near Present-Day Poland Please join us on Sunday, April 17, 2016, at 1:30 p.m. at the Hadassah meeting room, 3723 Old Court Rd (Dumbarton Offices entrance), Pikesville, for our next program, Practical Tips for Genealogical Research in and near Present-Day Poland ), presented by Mary Ann Evan. Because of the rise and fall of empires and the centuries of wars and invasions in Eastern Europe, genealogical research in Poland must include consideration of the western parts of Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine as well as nearby countries that were once part of Galicia in the Austrian Empire. After a brief survey of the major political, geographical, cultural, and religious influences that are significant for genealogy, we will cover the following topics, with particular emphasis on information most relevant to Jewish genealogy: 1) the Polish language: how to decode and transliterate places and names, including immigration records; 2) gazetteers: why we need them; some especially helpful examples; relating gazetteers and maps; 3) vital records and censuses: existence, location, and language; resources; and 4) Polish archives: catalog; digitization project; communicating with the archives. Mary Ann Evan s first taste of family history was as a child in Cleveland, listening to the stories that her grandparents, immigrants from Poland, told about life in the old country. As time went by, she was able to trace her grandparents lines back to the 1700s, visit all four ancestral villages, and contact many family members still in Poland. Mary Ann has volunteered at the Kensington Family History Center for more than 15 years, assisting people from diverse backgrounds in their genealogical research. She has made research trips to Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic and is presently facilitating an Eastern European Focus Group at the Kensington FHC. In her professional life, Mary Ann taught for 25 years and then moved into the world of computers, where she has worked for more than 25 years, most recently in IT security. The program is free for paid members and $5 for non-members (applied to membership fee when a visitor joins JGSMD) after their first meeting. Refreshments will be available. Please check our web site at for late updates and for the time, location, and program of future meetings. 14