High Holy Days

Transcription

1 MISHKON TEPHILO GALIM High Holy Days Mishkon Tephilo Synagogue Serving Jewish Communities in Venice & Santa Monica Since

2 High Holy Days 5776 Galim Magazine Mishkon Tephilo Mission Statement Mishkon Tephilo is a participatory, egalitarian congregation striving to meet the religious, spiritual, educational, and social needs of a diverse membership within the framework of Conservative Judaism. The commitment and participation of all congregants is to be nurtured with the understanding that all contribute value to our community. We value full participation, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, age, or marital status. We view ourselves as partners in God s Mitzvot (commandments) and of Torah (study), Avodah (meaningful worship and work), and Gmilut Chassadim (acts of loving kindness). We are bound together by the traditional Jewish experience through the following values: Spirituality Members engage in prayer and study experiences that bring them closer to God and to each other. Community We are bound together by a Brit Tzibur (community covenant) of providing celebration, solace and support throughout the Jewish life-cycle. Torah We are an education center for the teaching and study of Jewish texts, rituals, practices and values. Tz dakah and Tikkun Olam We understand our obligations as Jews to care for and support the Jewish people, the State of Israel and the community in which we live. Inside This Edition Coming Together for the High Holy Days: Messages from the Rabbi and the President 3 Cherishing Memories and New Experiences: The Raider Shofar and Executive Director s Message... 4 Religious School and Preschool News... 5 Membership and New Rabbi Search Process... 6 Upcoming Events... 7 New and Classic Programs 8 High Holy Days Donors List 9 Inspirational Planning Greetings and Thanks Contacts, Ads and a Baby 12 2

3 If you grow up in a synagogue, the first Psalm you re likely to learn is 145, which begins: Ashrei yoshvei vei-techa, od y hal lucha, selah. It was my first Psalm, and my Hebrew teacher timed me to see how fast I could read it without any mistakes. He recorded my times in the margin of my prayerbook, Siddur Shiloh (I kept this siddur for many years, but it disappeared some time ago). The first time at the top of the column was 8 minutes and 35 seconds. There were about 10 entries under that; the last one was just over 2 minutes. How much patience my teacher had in order to work with me on what for him must have been a particularly boring task! It was also the first Psalm I learned by heart, a useful resource when one is flying on an airplane encountering severe turbulence. The first half of the verse is especially appropriate for the Holy Days: Happy are they who dwell in Your house. It is appropriate but not always true. Are you dwelling here now? Are you happy here? A strange word: dwell. It s more than spending time (as if time were a commodity). It s an investment; it s the opposite of visit. It suggests rootedness, ownership, familiarity, family. Can God s house be a dwelling? Can it be a joy to make it such? Like many teachings of Torah, this verse from Psalms is not necessarily true: we say it as a challenge to ourselves to make it true. The second half of the verse is also good for these holidays. Most Again By Rabbi Dan people might translate it: They will continue to praise You. I propose a different translation: They will praise you with: Again. We say the same words: again. We sing the same songs: again. We come to the same place: again. We see the same people: again. Tomorrow we will say these prayers: again. We make the same mistakes and are forgiven: again. We say I love you: again. We beat our chests: again. We will be back next year: again. The again is a form of praise that is underappreciated. The experience is not new. It grows and becomes more textured, more nuanced, more familiar with time and repetition. What is ritual if not an institutionalized way of praising with again? Like constancy at the gym, worship is about reps and building up your spiritual muscles. For me, this verse is particularly poignant this year. I ve been coming to this House of God for 20 years and leading High Holiday services without a break since This year is my last. It has been a joy to be in God s house. I expect to be here next year Again but sitting in the back. Each year has been different. Same words, many of the same tunes, but because I m different, the dwelling has been different. Celebrate with me by doing our sacred work Again. And Again. Make this House your house. How pleasant and good it is for brothers and sisters to dwell in peace! Coming Together During the High Holy Days A Few of My Holiday Things By Judy Gordon, President Family all scattered, but thoughts of them here, While all around me, bringing me near, Brisket in the oven, forgiveness in my heart These are a few of my High Holiday things Standing in shul with my community round Waiting for the moment the shofar will sound At the ocean s edge with repentance in my heart These are a few of my High Holiday things When Rabbi Dan speaks, When tekiyah g dolah sounds When the gong s at rest I have in my heart Mishkon Tephilo And wish everyone the best. Rabbi Dan will delve into The Parking Circle of Life (above) during services. Wishing you a Shana Tova u Metuka a sweet and good 5776 to you and yours. 3

4 The Raider Shofar By Judy Gordon, President When you walked into Mishkon for services, you might have passed a really beautiful display case on the wall and noticed it was empty. If you looked closer, you would have seen that, at the top, it says, The Raider Shofar, and inside there is a plaque explaining that the shofar is being dedicated by Phil s wife, Roberta Tishman, and his daughters Shannon Raider- Ginsburg and Jennifer Karan. But where is the shofar? It is where it belongs on the bima waiting to be used this High Holy Days season and for many to come. Phil was many things for and with the Mishkon community: he was a board member, treasurer and president; he was Phil Fix It for more building issues that any one of us can name; he was a favored guest at Preschool Shabbat; he introduced smooth bourbon to Saturday morning Kiddush; he was a devoted member of the community; but I believe his favorite was being Ba al Tekiyah (Master of the Shofar Sound) at High Hoy Days services. Phil loved his shofar and was known to wake the neighborhood on Elul mornings. He was moved by the fact that he was representing the congregation of worshippers during the services and took this very, very seriously, filling each breath with holiness and compassion. Thanks to Roberta, Shannon and Jennifer for this wonderful gift. Thank you, Rabbi Dan, for all of the advice, consulting and hand holding. And thank you, Matt Marko, for designing and fabricating the beautiful case. Most of all, thank you, Phil, for being the person you were. Ready for the Next Step in Mishkon s History By Kelley Courtney, Executive Director As the High Holy Days approach, I find myself reflecting on so much here at Mishkon. People are optimistic about the upcoming changes and looking forward to growing. I want to say thank you to everyone who continues to step up to help Mishkon become the best synagogue we can be during this transitional period. All of our volunteers, organizers, helpers, event planners, member and nonmember sponsors of building-repair projects, and many other generous supporters continue to impress me. Our wonderful new board is off to a running start, and past board members are helping with advertising, finances, planning, and more. We even have an amazing new committee, Mishkon Mishpacha, which you can read about on Page 4. I couldn t do my job without each and every one of you. We are in a time of transition in many ways. Our beloved Rabbi Dan is retiring as our rabbi after 20 years of service, but he will still be a friend and fellowcongregant. We have a revamped electronic Messenger and Galim magazine, as well as a websitebased calendar and donation payment system. Now, instead of dropping by the office to bring a check, you can just drop by to say hi. And we will be welcoming new members as we continue to grow. I want to get to know all of you better as I move into my second year as Mishkon s Executive Director. We will face many new challenges and opportunities that come along with this time of change. I m sure there will be bumps and surprises along the way, but we re prepared, because we have one another. I m really looking forward to Mishkon s next step. Cherishing Memories and New Experiences 4

5 אם אין אני לי מי לי וכשאני לעצמי מה אני ואם לא עכשו אימתי Rabbi Hillel said: If I am not for myself who will be for me? And being for my own self, what am I? And if not now, when? Religious School News This summer, I visited my daughter, Tahlia, and son-in-law, Naphtali, in the Houston area, where they are getting ready to have our first grandchild. Tahlia and Naphtali have been preparing to raise this child with as much Jewish culture and values as they can. They ve done so much research and have learned so much. I am extremely proud. I attribute a lot of that to their Jewish education. I didn t have to ask whether they wanted to have a baby naming or a Brit Milah. They insist on it. They shared with me that they want their child to grow up in the synagogue, go to a Jewish preschool, attend a day school or synagogue religious school and have great Jewish experiences. They want this child to be part of a Jewish community and to thrive in a home that observes holidays and Shabbat. What more can a grandmother ask for!!! This year, the theme of our Religious School is Im Ayn Ani li mi li, If I am not for myself who will be for me? And being for my own self, what am I? And if not now, when? We are fortunate to have fantastic, skilled teachers. We welcome back Shifra Raz, who teaches Hebrew to our students in grades 2-7, and we welcome the newest member of our faculty, Cantor Oreen Zeitlin, who comes to us from Chicago and will be teaching Judaic Studies to grades 2-7. It was my pleasure last year and will be my extreme pleasure this year to be teaching kindergarten and Grade 1. I will also be teaching Tephilah, Torah Trope, Music, and Judaica, preparing our students with Jewish tools for life. Rabbi Dan will be working closely with our staff, students and parents, concentrating on the study of Torah and Jewish Values. We are fortunate again this year to have our own Yael Steinberg lead the Mishkon Tephilo High Holy Days Junior Congregation services, which will take place on the first day of Rosh Hashana from 10 a.m. to noon and on Yom Kippur day from 10 a.m. to noon. We are looking forward to an amazing year of learning together. Wishing you a year filled with sweetness, spirituality, learning, good health and love, L Shana Tovah U metukah, Susan Sims Bodenstein Preschool at Mishkon Tephilo We began the school year on September 8, For you last-minute parents out there, we have the rare opportunity of a few unexpected openings in our program. The goal of our preschool is to provide a warm, nurturing environment in which our children can develop to their fullest potential. We achieve this through a developmental, hands-on curriculum influenced by Judaic practices that meets the individual needs of every child. We provide low ratios in a small family- and community-oriented program for children ages 2-5. In addition to our preschool, we offer Parent & Me Infant and Toddler classes on Thursday mornings. For more information about our programs and/or to schedule a tour, please call Elisa Coburn at (310) or at preschool@mishkon.org. Hazzan Laurie Rimland-Bonn Director of Religious School and Family Education Transforming Through Education 5

6 New Membership The Membership Committee at Mishkon has as its mandate to recruit, maintain and retain members of the Mishkon family. We give all new members a welcome gift, and if they re around when we deliver, we chat and answer any questions the new members may have. We try to encourage members to let us know if there is anything we can do to improve their Mishkon experience. Our project for is to compile a member-to-member directory. We want members to be able to find services they might need from among their fellow Mishkonians. In addition to listing professions and businesses, we will include hobbies and other interests so that folks who have similar interests can share experiences. We will be sending out a questionnaire to gather the information. We hope that, when you get your questionnaire, you will return it promptly. Joining Mishkon is not just about paying dues. We hope our members will take part in building and developing the Mishkon community. Choosing a New Rabbi: Mishkon s Hiring Process By Dayna Greenspan After more than 40 years as a rabbi and 20 years at Mishkon Tephilo, our beloved Rabbi Dan Shevitz will be retiring in the fall of We are now in the process of finding a new rabbi to partner with us in the next phase of the life of Congregation Mishkon Tephilo. This Rabbi search is a threephase process that takes an entire year to complete. The Search Committee is being co-chaired by Dayna Greenspan and Russell Schwartz, who are managing the process of finding and recommending a new Rabbi to the Board of Directors. Phase 1 We have completed the first phase, Focus Groups and Surveys. The entire congregation was invited to participate and give opinions on the most important traits and skills of a new rabbi. More than half the members participated in the focus groups and/or survey. Carole Stein, the chair of Phase 1, is preparing her report, which will help those who are writing the candidate profile. Additionally, at its monthly meetings, the Board of Directors has been discussing the shul s values and goals. These ideas will be added to the Focus Group survey results, to assist with the preparation of our specific job description / application. Phase 2 The next phase of the process will be led by co-chairs Melissa Tarsky and Lonnie Friedman. Their committee will assist with that job description and the review of résumés. We hope this will take place between September and December. Phase 3 The final phase will be the Interview process, to take place during the spring of Michele Prince and Itai Klein have agreed to chair this subcommittee. The Interview subcommittee will meet (in person or by web video) with candidates and will bring each of the top three to Mishkon for a Shabbat weekend. The candidates will be asked to lead services and meet congregants. Congregants will be able to submit their opinions to the subcommittee, which will make its recommendations to the Board of Directors, who must approve the candidate. The goal is to hire our new Rabbi in June This is an exciting and important year for our synagogue. We plan to keep you updated at every step. 6

7 Happenings Progressive Sukkah Hop Sunday, September 27, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will meet for Kiddush and appetizers in Mishkon's Sukkah across the alley in the large, paved area set up especially for us, from 11 a.m. to noon. Then we will be hopping to several congregants' homes to enjoy their Sukkahs and one another's lovely company from noon to 4 p.m. Mishkon Mishpacha Meetup Sunday, October 4, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mishpacha means family in Hebrew. Let s socialize and plan together as a family within the family of Mishkon. Come join us at a member's home for an informal play date and social. All members are invited. If you have grandchildren, bring them! Talmudic Rabbis and Jewish Sorceresses: Strange Bedfellows," with Maggie Anton Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m. to Noon Learn about the surprising prevalence of ancient Jewish magic in Talmudic times and how some of that "sorcery" is still with us, even in our liturgy. Maggie Anton is the award-winning author of historical fiction series Rashi's Daughters. See Page 8 for more. Barbara s Book Club Tuesday, October 27, 7:30 p.m. We will be discussing David: The Divided Heart (Jewish Lives), by Rabbi David Wolpe. Rabbi Dan will be the discussion leader at the Helmans. Rabbi Dan s Retirement Celebration After 40 years in the rabbinate and 20 years as the spiritual leader of our community, Rabbi Dan will retire in the summer of What s next? Your name here: Please join us in honoring Rabbi Dan Shevitz as he begins the next phase of his journey. Join Us for Dinner at the American Jewish University Mulholland Dr. Los Angeles, CA p.m. Sunday, April 3,

8 Author of Rashi s Daughters Inaugurates Adult Education Program the Louis Sneh-sponsored film "End of the Line-Seeshaupt, and Professor Miri Koral on the Yiddish Poets of Venice, California. Maggie Anton, author of Rashi's Daughters will discuss and sign her new book, The Enchantress. This Sunday Series event will take place at Mishkon on October 25 from 10 a.m. to noon. Copies of her book will be available for sale at the event. The AKCESS (After Kiddush Cultural, Educational, and Spiritual Symposiums) program will continue throughout the year. Rabbinic Intern Jeremy Szczepanski will kick off the program this year on Shabbat after Kiddush on September 19. He will alternate with Rabbi Dan every other month. Jeff Fleck will continue Chug Rashi: A Moment with Rashi, once a month using Rashi's commentaries to discuss the weekly Last year, the Sunday Series included Interfaith Relationships, the Jews of Iraq with Joseph Samuel, Rabbi Tsvi BarDavid on Prayer, Song and Movement, parasha (portion). Last year s guest teachers included Mishkonians Sandy Helman, Matt Marko, Rabbi David Stein, Marvin J. Wolf, Carol V. Davis, Dr. Jerry Helman, Jeff and Michele Prince, and Rabbi T'mimah Ickovits. We will also have "Lunch and Learn" with Rabbi Dan and "Prayer Book Hebrew" with Jeff Gornbein. Contact Chairperson Phil Bell at shalvah@aol.com. for more information. Programming for a Growing Shul Welcome to the new Mishkon Mishpacha (Family) Meetup Group! By Aliza Wine We are a diverse group of Mishkon members who want to socialize, learn and connect with one another. Most of us have young children, but two families are empty-nesters who still seek community and that family feeling in the broadest sense possible. There are preschoolers and Religious School students and their parents. Our youngest participant is 1 month old! At our first meeting, we got to know one another and Rabbi Dan and picked some fruit in a member s garden. We brained-stormed some future activities, such as bowling, picnics, playdates, holiday celebrations, sing-alongs and more! On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Mishkon Mishpacha Meetup is joining with the greater Mishkon community at Tashlich. Our next meetup will take place at the home of Aliza Wine on Sunday, October 4, 2015, which coincides with the end of the Sukkot holiday. You do not have to be a Mishkon member to join us in the Sukkah! We plan to get together from around 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Surprises are in the planning stages! If you would like to come or want more information about our group, please Aliza at winealiza@gmail.com, and be on the look-out for announcements in the Mishkon Messenger. 8 Barbara s Book Club By Rena Panush, Program Coordinator and Adrienne Enzer, Book Club Member Mishkon member Barbara Wiesenfeld started Mishkon s book club eight years ago, and the group has since been renamed Barbara s Book Club in her memory. In addition to meeting once a month in members' homes, we have an annual speaker night at Mishkon featuring a local author and drawing both non-book club Mishkonians and non-mishkonians to the presentations. This year, Janice Steinberg, author of The Tin Horse, presented a slide show about the history of Jews in Los Angeles and told us how she researched her L.A.-centered novel. In general, we read about Israel, the Holocaust, Jews in the Diaspora: Egypt, Iraq, England, Argentina, and the American Jewish experience. We read American, Israeli and European authors, both newly published and more well-known. Our discussions are very lively because our members have varied life experiences and professions and, of course, opinions. Apart from providing intellectual stimulation, the book group has provided its stalwart members with an added, priceless benefit: the creation of a close family within the larger Mishkon family. Please join us whether or not you read the book and whether or not you liked the book. If you didn't read the book, perhaps the discussion will inspire you to do so. If you didn't like the book, your opinions will help make the discussion more interesting. Contact Rena, rapan18@gmail.com, for more information.

9 High Holy Days Donor List Alper, Eugene & Bloch, Susan Amarawansa, Karen & Ananda Bakis, Yakov & Josephine Barron, Miriam Bashoff, Jaclyn Batinkoff, Randall Baum, Aaron Bell, Phil & Chana Belmes, Alla & Roza Bender, Andrew Berger, Shelley Bernstein, Barbara Birnbaum, Debra Brick, Ilene Bronner, Deborah Bruce, Mark & Rosin, Cynthia Buchbinder, Harriet & Stuart Cohen, Beverly Cohen, Howard & Lehrman, June Daman, Phil Davich, Victor Davis, Carol & Berezin, Charles Davis, Howard & Sternfeld, Janet Decker, Denise Donohue, Marlena Doktorczyk Drexler, Marcy Ejnes, Mark & Smith, Stephanie Enzer, Adrienne & Selwyn Eskin, Gregory & Marina Eule, Carole Felixson, Carol & Jaduszliwer, Bernardo Fineman, Igor Fischel, Elaine Fisher, Richard M. Fleck, Jeffrey & Steinhart, Deborah Forman, Cindy Freedman, Bernard & Gail Friedman, Lee & Cande Friedman, Lonnie Friedman, Monroe & Rita Fryszman, Bernard Gehlfuss, Shulamit Geil, Ed & Michelle Goland, Rosaleah Golden, Stan Goldstein, Cynthia Goldstein, Herbert Goldstein, Sara & Raymond Goldstein, Steven & Eileen Gordon, Gail Gordon, Judy Gornbein, Jeff & Martin, Fredricka Gourarie, Hadassah Grebler, Rene Greenberg, Scott & Vick, Michelle Grunstein, Michael & Judith Guttman, Alex & Andrea Haber, Elaine & Darren Hammerman, Fern Hamovitch, Hannah Hasday, Cynthia Helman, Jerome & Sandra Herman, Paul Hershkowitz, David & Helena Horn, Susan Fox Hymes, Lawrence Kadish, Sheldon & Rosenfeld, Mary Ann Kalis, Murray & Fannie Katz, David Katz, George Katz, Monroe Kholodovskiy, Boris & Karimova, Tamara Kleinman, Alan & Sharon Kleinman, Sabina Kolodny, Jack Krutonog, Boris Kunstler, Evelyn Kunstler, Peter & Karen Lempert, Philip & Gray, Laura Levine, Gerald Lewitt, Marilyn Lieberman, Donna Lindau, Susan Lipsky, Allan & Marilyn Loberman, Loetitia Lotan, Shuli Louria, Ken & Bilson, Meredith Lustman, Nathan Matian, Pedram Maurer, Todd & Kaplan, Natasha Metzger, Daniel & Nancy Mingail, Eli Mollin, Pauline Morris, Donald Myman, Frances Neiter, Margie & Jerry Ortasse, Solomon & Urbaitis, Marleen Osser, Patricia & Irving Paley, Andrew Panush, Rachel & Grant, Will Panush, Rena & Richard Paradise, Mitch Paris, David & Cowen, Nancy Podus, Deborah Pomerantz, Earl & Myra Portnoy, Caryl Portnoy, Sarah & Singer, Ben Prince, Michele & Jeffrey Rankin, Bonnie Raz, Shifra & Rubinstein, Benny Sager, David Samuel, Yael & Jacob Schlei, Brad & Metcalf, Lisa Schrag, Morton & Lorraine Schreck, Rhona & Ira Schwartz, Robert & Greenspan, Dayna Schwartz, Russell & Goland, Susan Shepnick, Ira & Ninette Silver, Rosalind Slesaranksy, Eduardo Smith, Cassandra Smith, Howard J. & Levine, Victoria Sneh, Louis & Dina Sorter, Thomas & Phyllis Spevak, Albert Starer, Lois B. Steckler, Lisa & Morgan Stein, David & Carole Steinberg, Barry & Ann Stern, Arthur A. Tarsky, Melissa & Brian Tepper, Robert & Anita Tishman, Roberta Vagley, Sharon Waterstone, Harry & Ilene Wechsler, Irene & Chase, Richard Weissler, Eric Wemischner, Robert & Raffel, Leslie Willis, Saundra Fay Wilson, Stephen & Claudia Wrobel, Avi & Chiang, Nora Thanking You for Your Generosity 9

10 L Shanah Tovah Wishing you good health, happiness, and peace Hannah Hamovitch May all our friends, relatives and book club members have a year filled with happiness and good health. From Rich and Rena Panush Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year. Carol Felixson and Bernardo Jaduszliwer Wishing you a year of Peace & Joy Judy Gordon Shana Tova, peace & blessing to the Mishkon Staff & Kehillah. Fredricka Martin & Jeff Gornbein Mazel Tov, Mishkon The Bells Shanah Tovah Brian, Melissa, Elizabeth and Sarah Tarsky wish everyone a sweet New Year. L Shanah Tovah Tikatevu To Our Mishkon Community Raymond, Sara, Ben, Harry and Eliana Goldstein Thank you, Mishkon community, for your love and support during our recent bereavements. Russell, Susan, Nora and Molly 10

11 People Who Want to Hear From You Rabbi: Dan Shevitz President: Judy Gordon Vice Presidents: Lonnie Friedman, Cindy Goldstein Secretary: Dayna Greenspan Treasurer: Myron Lieberman Board Member: Phil Bell, Carol Felixson, Jeff Fleck, Michael Kirschbaum, Itai Klein, Rena Panush, Michele Prince, Roz Silver Past President: Melissa Tarsky Committee Chairs: Building & Grounds: Stacy Feinberg Tephila: Jeff Gornbein Membership: Rena Panush Communications: Marvin J. Wolf Fundraising: Lonnie Friedman Kiddush: Andy Bender Social Action: Aliza Wine Cemetery: Ben Singer Adult Education: Phil Bell Staff: Executive Director: Kelley Courtney Office Assistant & Galim Designer: Lisa Anne Klein Bookkeeper: Nicole Saacks Preschool Director: Elisa Coburn Religious School Director: Hazzan Laurie Rimland-Bonn Rabbinic Intern: Jeremy Szczepanski Custodian: Ruben Carrillo Mishkon Tephilo has a limited number of burial plots in cemeteries in the Los Angeles area Eden (on Sepulveda) and Home of Peace (on Whittier Ave.). If you are interested, please call the Mishkon office at (310) , and someone will get back to you. Scott Wine welcomed Ryder Duke Wine into the world in Mazel tov! Our renovated Social Hall is a great place for your next event. Please check out our website 11

12 The גלים in Galim Magazine GALIM, the name of this magazine, means waves in Hebrew. At Mishkon, we make waves for a better shul and a better world. Impact Galim office@mishkon.org Hampton Dr Venice, CA