THE SCRIBE. Monthly Newsletter of Temple B nai Abraham Now Celebrating its 128 th Year Affiliated with the United Synagogue. Pesah

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1 THE SCRIBE Monthly Newsletter of Temple B nai Abraham Now Celebrating its 128 th Year Affiliated with the United Synagogue 127 EAST MAIN STREET Of Conservative Judaism MERIDEN, CT FAX March, 2018 Adar Nisan 5778 From Rabbi Michael G. Kohn Amalek In the Spring, we read the four special Maftir portions from the Torah, each of which is accompanied by a special Haftarah. The second of the four, which we read on February 24th this year, is Zakhor, which is on the Shabbat before Purim, and which commands us first, to remember, and then, to blot out the name of Amalek. The Amalekites, according to the Torah, attacked the Israelites from behind in the wilderness, striking the weak and infirm, the children and the elderly. It is for that reason, we are commanded to remember and to blot out the name of Amalek, which is the paradigm of pure evil for Jews. As I sat down to write this column, I am both shocked and saddened by the news that 17 people were senselessly murdered at a Florida High School. It was the eighth such shooting in a school in the first seven weeks of In each of those, it was the young who were targeted; precious lives having been cut short by a firearm. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. In a landmark case, decided three years ago in an opinion by the late Justice Scalia, he wrote (italics are mine): Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. From Blackstone through the 19thcentury cases, commentators and courts routinely explained that the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. It may be objected that if weapons that are most useful in military service M-16 rifles and the like may be banned, then the Second Amendment right is completely detached from the prefatory clause.... But the fact that modern developments have limited the degree of fit between the prefatory clause and the protected right cannot change our interpretation of the right. Today s Amalek is the assault weapon the AR-15 and the like and the Amalakites are those who callously allow them to be legally owned and possessed by individuals, other than law enforcement or the military. Those are the weapons that Justice Scalia concluded do not fit the description of 18th century citizens capable of military service, who would bring the sorts of lawful weapons that possessed at home to militia duty. Our Talmud teaches us that whoever destroys a life of Israel is considered by Scripture as if he has destroyed an entire world;. We have seen more than enough lives young and old cruelly ended by assault weapons. Once again, it s time to blot out this new Amalek and those who continue to permit its legal existence from this world. Pesah The annual Pesah Guide will be arriving shortly. It contains much information, including the various times for lighting candles, selling and burning your hametz, kashering the house and utensils, forms for selling your hametz and contributing to Mazon, and a general guide to permitted and prohibited foods. Please allow at least 15 minutes from the end of the holiday for me to repurchase the hametz. B'Shalom, Rabbi Michael G. Kohn

2 Thank you to everyone who helped make the Soup Kitchen Drive such a success. Whether you brought in canned goods or sent a check and allowed us to purchase your donation, we filled a pick-up truck full of veggies. Here are a some pictures of what we donated-

3 CALENDAR EVENTS MARCH Friday 6:30 pm Shabbat Evening Services 3 Saturday 9:30 am Shabbat Morning Services followed by an Adult Education luncheon 4 Sunday 9:30 am Jewry Duty 6 Tuesday 7:00 pm Finance Committee Meeting 8 Thursday 7:30 pm Auxiliary Committee Meeting 9 Friday 6:30 pm Shabbat Evening Services 10 Saturday 9:30 am Shabbat Morning Services 7:30 pm Military Whist Card Party 11 Sunday 9:30 am Jewry Duty 15 Thursday 7:30 pm Ritual Committee Meeting 17 Saturday 9:30 am Shabbat Morning Services followed by a Shabbat luncheon 18 Sunday 9:30 am Jewry Duty 22 Thursday 7:30 pm Board of Directors' Meeting 23 Friday 6:30 pm Shabbat Evening Services 24 Saturday 9:30 am Shabbat Morning Services 25 Sunday 9:30 am NO Jewry Duty 30 Friday 8:00 am Siyyum Service for the First Born Final Sale of Hametz No Shabbat Evening Services 1st Seder 31 Saturday 9:30 am Shabbat Morning and Pesach Services 2nd Seder 16 Friday 6:30 pm Shabbat Evening Services

4 cuy kzn - Mazal Tov Happy Anniversary to our members celebrating an anniversary in the month of March 4th - Anita & Martin Hillman 17th - Linda & Allen Caplan 25th - Phyllis & Bernie Frydenberg Happy Birthday to our members celebrating a birthday during the month of March: 2nd - Herman Sochin 4th - Herb Bichunsky 7th - Sue Massicott 7th - Rabbi Michael Kohn 10th - Ben Eisner 20th - David Goodman 21st - Risa Zierler 22nd - Jan Weiss 22nd - Estelle Limon 22nd - Shari Turner 24th - Katrina Axelrod 27th - Susan Croog Happy Birthday to our next generation: 5th - Matthew Arnold PASSOVER SCHEDULE Friday, March 30 8:00 am - Morning Service and Siyyum ceremony for the first born 1st Seder No Shabbat Evening Services Saturday, March 31 9:30 am - Shabbat and Pesah Services (1st day) Sunday, April 1 9:30 am - Pesah Services (2nd day) Friday, April 6 9:30 am - Pesah Services (7th day) 6:30 pm - Shabbat Evening Services Saturday, April 7 9:30 am - Shabbat and Pesah Services (8th day) with Yizkor recited vnhka vtupr Wishing a Complete and Speedy Recovery to: Herman Sochin

5 PURIM Wednesday, February 28 6:00 pm at Beth Israel Synagogue 22 North Orchard Street, Wallingford Dinner will be served so please RSVP to our office ( ) by Friday, February 23rd. Come in costume or bring one with you. (adults and children) Come and enjoy hamentaschen!

6 Time to restock your gift cards. Time to think about gift giving. During the upcoming months many of us will need gifts for graduations, baby showers, wedding showers, Mother's and Father's Day. Gift cards allow the recipient to fulfill their own needs. Gift cards will not be sold again until July and August. Buy easy to give gifts (the size is always right)! What Is Scrip? Scrip is a term that means substitute money. When you purchase scrip, you re purchasing negotiable gift certificates and prepaid cards that are used just like cash. You can use scrip to purchase everyday expenses like food, clothing, and other essentials, and with every purchase, you earn revenue for Temple B nai Abraham. How scrip generates revenue for us The Great Lakes Scrip Center acts on behalf of synagogues, schools and other non-profit organizations to purchase large amounts of scrip from restaurants, department stores, and other retailers. Because the scrip is purchased with cash up front, the participating retailers offer a substantial discount. Temple B nai Abraham would buy the scrip from Great Lakes Scrip Center at a discount, and re-sell the certificates to families like yours for full face value. The discount - from two to fifteen percent or more is Temple B nai Abraham s revenue. Scrip is "shopping cart fundraising Scrip is a popular fundraiser because families don t have to sell anything. Temple members produce revenue by making regular household purchases they would make anyway. Clothing, toys and gifts can be purchased with scrip. You can use the cards themselves as gifts. Your friends can buy them. Find Out More See the list of available Scrip on the reverse side of this flyer. Then put your shopping dollars to work for Temple B nai Abraham. If there is a merchant whose name you do not see on the flyer, please ask. *** Note *** All orders must be paid with a check made out to Temple B nai Abraham and accompany the order form. Please send them to the temple office before Friday, April 20th. The gift cards will be available about mid November and can be picked up at the temple office during regular office hours. You will be contacted by or phone when the cards are in. Please call the office first to make sure someone will be there. Contact the temple office at or Janice Weiss at

7 Gift Card Fundraiser to Benefit Temple B nai Abraham Orders must be received in the Temple office by Friday, April 20, Amount Percent # cards Total $ on card Clothing/Department Stores Aerie $25 10% Aeropostale $25 7% American Eagle $25 10% The Children s Place $25 12% Dress Barn $25 8% Express $25 10% Foot Locker $25 9% Gap/Banana Republic $25 14% Gymboree $25 13% JC Penney $25 or $100 5% JCrew $25 13% Jo-Ann Fabric $25 6% Kmart $25 or $50 4% Kohl s $25 or $100 4% Limited $25 9% LL Bean $25 16% Land s End $25 18% Lord & Taylor $25 8% Macy s $25 or $100 10% Marshall s/tjx $25 or $100 7% Michaels $25 4% Old Navy $25 14% Payless Shoes $20 13% Pier 1 Imports $25 9% Pottery Barn $25 or $100 8% Sam s Club $25 2.5% Sears $25 or $100 4% Talbot s $25 13% Tanger Outlets $25 8% Target $25 or $100 2% Toys-R-Us $20 1.5% Wal-Mart $25 or $ % Zappos.com $25 8% Books, Music, Movies, Photos, & More Amazon.com $25 3% Barnes & Noble $10 or $25 9% Groupon.com $25 7% itunes $15 or $25 5% Restaurants & Food 99 Restaurants $25 13% Applebee s $25 10% Bertucci s $25 10% Boston Market $10 12% Brio $25 12% Bruegger s Bagels $10 7% Buffalo Wild Wings $10 or $25 8% Burger King $10 4% Cheesecake Factory $25 5% Chili s Grill & Bar $25 11% Chipotle Mexican Grill $10 10% Chuck E. Cheese $10 8% Cold Stone Creamery $10 8% Cracker Barrel $10 or $25 9% Denny s $10 7% Amount Percent # cards Total $ on Card Dunkin Donuts $10 3% Dunkin Donuts $25 3% IHop $25 8% Long Horn Steakhouse $25 9% Olive Garden $25 9% Outback Steakhouse $25 8% Panera Bread $10 or $25 9% PF Chang s $25 8% Rainforest Café $25 9% Red Lobster $25 9% Red Robin $25 11% Ruby Tuesday $25 8% Ruth s Chris $50 10% Starbucks $10 or $25 7% Subway $10 or $50 3% Taco Bell $10 5% Texas Roadhouse $25 8% TGI Friday s $25 9% Wendy s $10 4% Home & Cosmetics Bath & Body Works $10 or $25 13% Bed, Bath & Beyond $25 7% CVS Pharmacy $25 6% Rite Aid $25 4% Walgreen s $25 6% Ulta $25 4% Home Improvement Ace Hardware $25 or $100 4% Home Depot $25 or $100 4% Lowe s $25 or $100 4% Merry Maids $50 5% Restoration Hdwr $25 or $100 12% Sports and Pets Cabela s $25 11% Dick s Sporting Goods $25 5% PetSmart $25 4% Electronics & Office Supplies Best Buy $25 or $100 3% Game Stop $25 3% Hallmark $25 4% Office Max $25 or $100 5% Radio Shack $25 4% Staples $25 or $100 5% Total # of Cards Ordered Total Amount of Order $ Name Phone Number

8 Military Whist Card Party Saturday, March 10 th, :30 PM Come and enjoy an evening of card playing, conversation, snacks and delicious desserts at Temple B nai Abraham. Bring your friends and family members to this Bi-Annual Event. We will teach you this very easy and fun card game. Win prizes (first and last place tables) Come with a partner or a bring a full table or two (4 players to a table) Please call the Temple Office ( ) by Wednesday, March 7th to reserve a table. Also, please let us know if you can bring your own bridge table. Admission: $10 per person for Auxiliary Members $12 for Non-Members Babysitting will be provided at $10 per child A 50/50 raffle will be held

9 Yahrzeits Observed During the Month of March Mar. 1 Mar. 2 Mar. 3 Mar. 4 Mar. 6 Mar. 7 Mar. 8 Mar. 9 Harry Gordon Charles Pierson Dorothy E. Miller Elliot DuBrow Esther Levine Sidney Friedman Eva Bittman Nathan Pell Ruth Jacobs Ralph Kohn Arthur Henle Abraham Goldstein Faye Lovett Sarah Abrams Eva Ziskis Louis Zwillinger Gladys Rosenberg Harry Goldstein Rose Zellman Fannie Fightlin Dr. Irving Katz Joseph Silverstein Sarah Friedman Philip Rosenthal Jules Grossman Ralph Burwick Louis Lurie Helene Axelrod Miriam Cooperman Nathan Weinstein Julius Levine Adele Messinger Paul Baron Minnie White Fannie Levitch Molly Helper Rachel Rosenthal Shirley Stuart Rose Israel Herman Messinger Anna Cherniack Abraham Cheerman Merwin Zuckerman Mar. 10 Mar. 11 Mar. 12 Mar. 13 Mar. 14 Mar. 15 Mar. 16 Mar. 17 Mar. 18 Mar. 19 Selma Young Marshall Cooper Anna Weinberg Beatrice Kolbin Dorothy Miller Sima Kalmanowitz Tessie Cherniack Abraham Goldberg Gertrude Wilder Doris Kaye Bessie Epstein Yehudi Lenzner Charles Cohen Herman Angel Fred Rubenstein Abraham Rosen Lena Moslowitz Minnie Levitt Mollie Silver Michael Melton Isadore Cohen Louis Tonkonow Ruth Sugarman Rebecca Friedlander Abraham Berson Ida Dina Arlook Rose Cherniack Sally Alderman Ida Cheerman Shirley Zierler Anna Katz Mary Statlender Max Steiner Noah Kaplan Samuel Mag Harry Gerstenblatt Margaret Cohen Irwin Denenberg Rhoda Hurwitz Rita Stobezki John Jack Levin Jack Reich David Fine Mar. 20 Mar. 21 Mar. 22 Mar. 23 Mar. 24 Mar. 25 Mar. 26 Mar. 27 Mar. 28 Mar. 29 Mar. 30 Mar. 31 Max Levine Bernice Silverman Moses Bichunsky Israel Koslow Lester Sugarman Ella Fightlin Hyman Bogatz Joseph Zellman Maxwell Lee Dorothy Ash Goodwin Gladys Hozer Lena Kaplan Leonard Goralnik Chaya Dina Becker Gussie Port Lena Cohen Allen Rosenberg Minnie Gould Miriam Kaplan David Silverman Janetta Seligman Fannie Goldberg Frank Schupack Max Katz Celia Shatsky Miriam Sheftel Solomon Miller Sarah Rachel Loitz Joseph Katrosar Stacy Shepard Lena Beloff Oscar Gross Sam Dressler Jacob Goldstein Hilda Goodstein Ida M. Dunn Rose Bishinsky Jack Edelman Ervin E. Schiesel Joseph Koenig A Candle or Yahrzeit Light should be lit at sundown the night before these dates. Tzdakah to perpetuate the memory of a loved one is a Mitzvah. Your contribution to the Yahrzeit Fund would be greatly appreciated.

10 vcr vsu, - THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS TO OUR VARIOUS FUNDS Yahrzeit Fund: In Memory of: Isaac Grossman by H. Robert & Glenda Grossman Isaac Shapiro by Alice & Burt Shapiro George Shapiro by Alice & Burt Shapiro Lori Shapiro by Alice & Burt Shapiro Gussie Shapiro by Alice & Burt Shapiro Shirley Sodel by Edward & Elaine Sodel Milton Sodel by Edward & Elaine Sodel Chester Trueheart by Hilda Trueheart Ruth K. Sugarman by Phoebe & Donald Sugarman Dr. Lester H. Sugarman by Phoebe & Donald Sugarman Isadore Shapiro by Barbara & Ernest Shapiro General Temple Fund Speedy Recovery to Marc Nemeth by Debbie & David Kaye. Mazal Tov to Michelle & Rick Grossman on the marriage of their daughter Meredith to Paul Wegerdt, by Debbie & David Kaye. Rabbi's Discretionary Fund In honor of A'niko Folk Reinke, on her 17th Birthday, by Carolyn Folk Schwartz. Barry Koslow Torah Restoration Fund In Memory of Sanford S. Shorr by Flora Shorr. In Memory of Dr. David Ross-Russell by the Temple B'nai Abraham Chevra Kadisha. E. JACK SHORR Attorney & Counselor at Law E. JACK SHORR LAW OFFICES, LLC 1501 East Main Street, Suite 301 Meriden, CT Phone: Fax: ejs@ejshorrlaw.com MERIDEN SELF-STORAGE, LLC. Lisa Highbridge Manager 210 Pomeroy Ave. (rear) Meriden, CT (203) Phone (203) Fax sales@meridenselfstorage.com Chevra Kadisha Fund In Memory of Joan Wood by Gerry Emple.