RABBI S MESSAGE. How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel

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CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL A Family of Families July 2014 CALENDAR OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES >>> Friday, July 4 @ 6:00 pm *Rabbi Emanuel will begin leading services Saturday, July 5 @ 9:00 am Friday, July

9:00 am Saturdays @ 11:00am Please come and join us RABBI S MESSAGE How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel These beautiful words of praise are traditionally recited as we enter

1 CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL A Family of Families July 2014 CALENDAR OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES >>> Friday, July 6:00 pm *Rabbi Emanuel will begin leading services Saturday, July 9:00 am Friday, July 6:00pm Saturday, July 9:00 am Friday, July 7:30 pm *Services led by Brian Honigbaum Saturday, July 9:00 am *services led by Gary Blum Friday, July 6:00 pm Saturday, July 9:00 am 11:00am Please come and join us RABBI S MESSAGE How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel These beautiful words of praise are traditionally recited as we enter the sanctuary and appear in the opening section of the morning service. They are all the more beautiful because they were uttered by a man, Balaam, who was intending to curse the Israelites rather than bless them. The story of Balaam, that we will read the first Shabbat of July, is one of those stories that, if it were not in the Bible, it would be more likely classed as ancient farce than spiritual lore. The story tells of Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam, a unique example of a non-jewish prophet in the Hebrew bible. Concerned by the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Balak sends for Balaam and instructs him to curse the Israelites. Not only is Balaam initially obstructed in his path to curse the Israelites by a talking donkey, but every time he opens his mouth to speak the curse he blurts out a blessing instead, despite the rising and somewhat comical anger of Balak. Included among these blessings is the first line of the Mah Tovu prayer. The Rabbis understand this blessing to be a prophetic reference to the study houses and synagogues that were to be such a central aspect of Jewish communal life. In looking over the ancient tents of the Israelites Balaam saw not the physical beauty of the tents but the spiritual and ethical beauty of synagogue communities. And the fact that Balaam s words are turned from curses to blessings, sheds light on an important aspect of synagogue community - our words of prayer, our spiritual experience in the synagogue, and our acts of loving kindness in the context of congregational life, can and should have a transformative effect. Having come to curse Israel, Balaam observes their places of worship and his words of condemnation were turned to words of praise. Many of us may walk through the door of the synagogue with the burdens and concerns of our daily lives; the anger and frustration at friends, family and work colleagues that we all feel at times; the anxieties, pains and difficulties that life throws at us and that fill our hearts and minds from day to day. The synagogue is the place where we can turn our curses to blessings, our anger to calm, our anxieties to contentment, through the presence of the divine and the support of our community. (continued on page 2)

8181 Fax: 361.857.8227 Email: congregation@bethisraelcc.com Website: bethisraelcc.

2 (continued from page 1) How do we do this? Ron Wolfson, in his book Relational Judaism, describes how congregations succeed in touching and transforming our lives for the better: CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL 4402 Saratoga Blvd Telephone: Fax: Website: bethisraelcc.com President First Vice President Second Vice President Secretary Rabbi Ilan Emanuel Debbie Bustillo Office Administrator Jana Zager Corpus Christi Community Treasurer Past President Sisterhood Representative Adult Education Cemetery Co-Chairs Ritual Committee Co-Chairs Suzy Hilliard Chris Adler Mike Hiatt Chris Kuehn Robin Adams Jim Gold Susan Martin David Jacobs Robert Adler Carl Kuehn, Gary Blum Andrew Sheinberg It s not about programming. It s not about marketing. It s not about branding, labels, logos, clever titles, websites, or smartphone apps. It s not even about institutions. It s all about relationships Judaism has always understood the synagogue as a Beit K nesset, a place of meeting. It is a place in which we meet one another and God, and in which we learn how Judaism teaches us to meet the world. In the consumerist society in which we live, the synagogue community reminds us that the primary business of religion is people. It is a place where we find community and the kind of deep personal connections that only a congregation can provide. As part of a congregational family we can be transformed for the better through our relationships with each other, with our tradition and with God. Those relationships are created and deepened as we share our stories and the stories of our people, as we create connections with each other, and as we engage with the many activities of congregational life that help us to create shared experiences and shared stories. This, perhaps, was what Balaam saw so many years ago as he looked over the tents of a People who truly cared for each other and built our Jewish tradition that values relationships so highly. As your new rabbi I have already experienced the great warmth of the CBI welcome and begun to create relationships with the wonderful people who make up this community. I know that the depth of communal and spiritual relationships is a significant part of what makes CBI great. And I hope to build on that great strength in the coming years as I get to know everyone and build relationships with all of you. Rabbi Emanuel Program Coordinator Membership Committee Chair Dues Committee Co-Chairs Building Chair Grounds Chair Fine Arts Jim Gold Leslie Green Susan Martin Ann Engel and Leslie Kane Bill Adams Rikki Schmitchel Laurie Mintz Rabbi Emanuel s address is: rabbiemanuel@bethisraelcc.com Page 2

3 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE No resting on our Laurels around here. I am writing this article, following our celebration and recognition of Rabbi Roseman s retirement. As with most things in life, everything has a beginning and an end. We have just ended The Roseman era, one that we will look back on with gratitude and appreciation for all Ken Roseman did for Temple Beth El and Congregation Beth Israel. Now we move on to Beginnings. On July 1, we welcome Rabbi Ilan Emanuel, his wife Randi and daughter Mira to both Corpus Christi and Congregation Beth Israel. I am looking forward to the challenge of acclimating our new Rabbi to our Family of Families. A small congregation is not new to Rabbi Emanual, however he has spent the last three years in Toronto as one of three Rabbis in a very large community. Rabbi Emanuel will bring a different perspective to CBI, having been educated during a different time period in the cycle of Reform Judaism. In preparation for assuming the role of Rabbi for our Congregation, he has had many conversations with both Rabbi Roseman and me about our community and what to expect. He also attended a Union of Reform Judaism conference on the first 100 days on a new pulpit. He has been provided with the past two years of minutes of board meetings and has been receiving a copy of our bulletin, since he signed his contract last December. Even with all of this time and effort spent learning about us, please allow him time and understanding while he becomes familiar with our congregation. (And as he and his family tries to get used to our lovely heat and humidity) The Rabbinical committee will be meeting with Rabbi Emanuel on a regular basis to help guide him through his first year here at CBI. If you have any questions going forward, please feel free to let me know. Just a note, he will be spending some time at Greene Family Camp during the month of July. This was his request and your board thought this would be a wonderful benefit to him, our congregation and of course Greene Family Camp. As you may remember from our High Holiday Appeal drive, camp attendance by our Jewish children is important in maintaining and developing a strong Jewish Identity. Next month, we will learn a little more about Rabbi Ilan, wife Randi, and daughter Mira and officially install him as the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel. Until then, please join us at services this month and introduce yourself to our new leader. Shalom, Suzy Hilliard President Page 3

4 and oneg in honor of Rabbi Roseman on his retirement. Page 4

Thank you for honoring Rabbi Roseman s retirement with a contribution to the Roseman Eternal Light Dorothy Jessel Annette & James Cottingham Ryan & Jackie Mendeloff Norma & Alan Levens Diana &

Mary Novie & Gary Hersh Annette & Mel Klein Jerry & Elizabeth Susser David Hillson & Eileen Grevey Pam & Richard Leshin David & Ann Engel Joshua Marcus Toby Stone Arthur & Dianne Berman Barb &

Hilliard Nedra Lockhart Jack Solovey Iris & Andy Lehrman Edy Laser Shelly & Bruce Jacobson Catherine Scholl Marcia & Ross Burney Pat & Sam J Susser Marcie & Leslie Kane Maureene & Kenneth

Glenda & Jerry Kane Richard Schaffer Steve Oshman Pam & Mike Frost Carla DePena Joel Laser Phyllis Harp Rebecca & Maurice Schmidt Bobbie & Troy Adler Willy Kuehn Dolly Oshman Marcia Marks

5 Thank you for honoring Rabbi Roseman s retirement with a contribution to the Roseman Eternal Light Dorothy Jessel Annette & James Cottingham Ryan & Jackie Mendeloff Norma & Alan Levens Diana & Michael Stillman Ginger & Richard Harris Susan & Bill Martin Terry & Randy Berry Clarice Wallock Clara Braslau Carol & Sammy Kins Lillian & Don Katz Laurie & Michael Mintz Amy & David Krams Mary Novie & Gary Hersh Annette & Mel Klein Jerry & Elizabeth Susser David Hillson & Eileen Grevey Pam & Richard Leshin David & Ann Engel Joshua Marcus Toby Stone Arthur & Dianne Berman Barb & Chip Schwamb Bill Glutow Chris& Robert Adler Amy & Steven Marcus Annette & Jack Corman Ray & Elizabeth Falk Jerri Osberg Elinor Roosth Carol & Don Feferman Roslyn & Maury Wolfson Suzy & John Hilliard Nedra Lockhart Jack Solovey Iris & Andy Lehrman Edy Laser Shelly & Bruce Jacobson Catherine Scholl Marcia & Ross Burney Pat & Sam J Susser Marcie & Leslie Kane Maureene & Kenneth Timken Sarah Noble Hank & Ruth Josephs Beatrice & Richard Hinojosa Olivia Noble Jerry Silverman Barbara & David May John Karasek Rikki & Robert Scmitchel Amanda & Howard Mintz Leigh Marcus Glenda & Jerry Kane Richard Schaffer Steve Oshman Pam & Mike Frost Carla DePena Joel Laser Phyllis Harp Rebecca & Maurice Schmidt Bobbie & Troy Adler Willy Kuehn Dolly Oshman Marcia Marks Susan & Arnold Levy Lois & Gary Blum Sharon & Al Gonzalez Heleen & Ed Mange Nina Shannon Carol Solovey James & Dianne Lee Mille Zalim Gloria Wolfson Doris Katz Roz & Ron Ferrell Robert & Debbie Bustillo Page 5

6 The Congregation thanks you for the following contributions Yahrzeit Dona ons Frieda Falk RL Zinn Ann Horner Sam Horner Bernard Axelrad Dorothy Jessel Sol Greene Madeline & Michael Appel Monroe Horn Phylis & Jerry Rozen Lena Bein Marilyn & Marvin Bein Harold Hausman AJ Hausman Fine Arts Fund Quenten Cook Jack Solovey Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Jack Solovey General Fund Phyllis & Jerry Rozen Quenten Cook Mille Zalim Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Phylis & Jerry Rozen Rabbi Roseman on his birthday Meredith Hilliard on her Graduation Rikki & Robert Schmitchel Hebrew Rest Fund Elizabeth & Jerry Susser Mitzvah Fund Joe Sheinberg Janet & Barry Scheer Susan & Bill Martin Offenberg Library Fund Sepeedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Lois & Gary Blum Frances Heller Lois & Gary Blum Oshman Family Founda on Fund Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Penny Baum Perpetual Torah Fund Oshman Family Rabbi's Discre onary Fund Karma & Michael Lakin Irene Roth Alan Roth Recovery of Rabbi Roseman Alice Salee Seaside Beau fica on Fund Donation From: Rikki & Robert Schmitchel Iris & Andy Lehrman Charles Clark Jr. Susan Barham & Beth Jerry Silverman Ramuel Wasserman Herschel & Joyce Sheiness Gertrude Applebaum Barbara Samuels Elinor Roosth James & Dianne Lee Jack Solovey Francoise Kieschnick Leah Goltzman Joanne Cohen Carl & Chris Kuehn Madeline & Michael Appel Robin & Bill Adams Edith & RL Zinn Carol Solovey Rochelle Adelstein Natalie & Albert Sikora Libby & Bill Baum Marc Sheiness Joel Laser Paula Wood Ruth & Joe Sheinberg Nelda Garcia Joe Jessel Dorothy Jessel Philip & Pearl Lieberman Joyce Clark Susan Barham Beth Barham Gladys & Henry Schaffer Richard Schaffer Marcia & Russell Deutsch Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Rona & La Train Retirement of Rabbi Roseman Don t forget. You can remember a friend or relative with a minimum contribution of $5.00 to one of our many funds. These funds support camp scholarships, education, cemeteries, fine arts, library, & building improvements, to name a few. An acknowledgement card will be sent to the honored person or family. Please make checks payable to CBI and specify the fund. Call the CBI office with any questions. Page 6

July 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 6:00 pm 5 9:00 am Rabbi Emanuel s First 11:00 am Office Closed 6 7 8 9 10 11 6:00 pm 12 9:00 am 11:00 am 13 14 9:30am 1pm 15 9:30am 1pm 16 Office will

7 July 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00 pm 5 9:00 am Rabbi Emanuel s First 11:00 am Office Closed :00 pm 12 9:00 am 11:00 am :30am 1pm 15 9:30am 1pm 16 Office will be closed 17 9:30am 1pm 18 7:30 pm * Brian Honigbaum will lead services 9:00am 4pm 19 9:00 am 11:00 am :00 pm * 26 9:00 am 11:00 am Aug 1 6:00 pm 2 9:00 am 11:00 am

8 PERPETUAL YAHRZEITS Sabbath of July 4th *David Berlin Douglas Block *Abraham Braslau *Bella Chase *Sam Cohn *Benjamin Coin George Figueroa *Hy Goodman *Joseph Hirsch *Maurice Jessel Bessie Karchmer *Mordechai Kraut *James Lehrman *Aaron Lieberman *Robert Marks Bertha Massman Stacy Mullin Inez Ross Sylvia Sheiness Rebecca Shimansky Barbara Silverman *Max Suchowiecky *Anne Train *Sol White Sabbath of July 11th *Max Adler Anne Alward *Jacob Benjamin *Abe Block *Charles Clark *Martin Frohlinger Dina Hosen *Joseph Josephs *Jolan Kornguth *Zicel Melamed *George Normand *Harry Passman *Karen Poser Selma Robbins Olivia Sanchez *Leone Weil *Sara Weil Elaine Widawer Sabbath of July 18th *John Alberts Robin Bertone *Lillian Caplan *Donald Crocker George Eisenberg *Dora Ettelman *Michel Frohlinger Edwin (Ben) Groner *David Holliday *Arthur Kornguth *Rachel Krasner *Isador Levinson Bess Moskowitz *Lee Pracker Jesse Rosenwasser *Harry Schlader *Neill Simon *Doris Simon *Leon Solinger *Joseph Weil, Sr. Sabbath of July 25th *Lester Adler Mary Androski *Beatrice Birnberg Sylvia Brauer *Sam Cohen *Mose Danziger Louis Feferman *Clara Geschwir *Henry Goodman *Abe Katz *Jack Kins *Louis Lebowitz *Cantor Levine *Eli Lipner *Meyer Lipton *Sidney Lynn *Gertrude Marks *Clara Offenberg *Marie Sobol *Isadore Solovey *Morris Tenovsky Zona Weiss Page 8

CBI Sisterhood L Dor VaDor Judaica Shop People come to shop in our gift shop locally and from out of town. We need people to help them with purchases.

9 CBI Sisterhood L Dor VaDor Judaica Shop People come to shop in our gift shop locally and from out of town. We need people to help them with purchases. Please let us know if you re available to help, call : Susan Chris Brittany REMINDER CBI Office will be closed Friday, July 4th July 4th will be at 6 pm Please join us! Note: Limited CBI office hours July Monday 15 Tuesday 16 Wednesday 17 Thursday 18 Friday 9:30 am 1 pm 9:30 am 1 pm Office closed 9:30 am 1 pm 9:00 am 4 pm

10 CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL 4402 SARATOGA CORPUS CHRISTI, TX Please excuse our mess while we reorganize the gift shop.

Shabbat 6:30 pm. Saturday, July 8. Shabbat 9:00 am. Friday, July 14. Shabbat 6:30 pm.

Shabbat 6:30 pm. Saturday, July 8. Shabbat 9:00 am. Friday, July 14. Shabbat 6:30 pm. CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL A Family of Families June & July 2017 CALENDAR OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES Friday, June 2 @ 7:30 pm *Mira Emanuel will participate Saturday, June 3 @ 10:00 am Bat Mitzvah of Mira Emanuel