ETERNAL LIGHT Raising a New Flag on Purim

Transcription

1 ETERNAL LIGHT Raising a New Flag on Purim The Scroll of Esther has been understood as a fantasy of Jewish power written in a time of Jewish powerlessness. But the Megillah actually tells two parallel stories. The primary story is about how Jews in the Diaspora became victims to the whims of power, and then, in the happy conclusion, the victors. The secondary story, a story about women and men, follows a similar course, beginning with a wife (Vashti) who is banished when she refuses to obey her husband and concluding with a wife (Esther) who is listened to and given a significant amount of power. In both stories, edicts are issued that threaten the rights of an entire group Jews and women. Both edicts are eventually subverted through the cunning and courage of Esther and Mordecai. Yet, only one of these subversions is celebrated in our communal observance of Purim. Perhaps as a result of this, a new ritual is finding its way into the modern observance of Purim. It is a ritual of waving Esther/Vashti Purim flags. Purim thus becomes both a celebration of and reflection on Jewish pride and perseverance and an opportunity to honor women s power in the face of those who fear it. Currently, the rituals and symbols associated with Purim do not evoke either Esther or Vashti. At least symbolically, the fact that the gragger and its noise are the prominent symbols and sounds of Purim serve to put Haman, hatred, and sometimes valorization of violent retribution at the center of communal celebrations of Purim. Even though the purpose of the gragger is to drown out Haman s name, in actuality it reifies his presence in the sanctuary. Synagogue is a place where both children and adults are usually called to listen. Suddenly, on Purim we are allowed, even encouraged, to make so much noise that a certain word will not be heard. The commandment on Purim is to listen to every word of the megillah, but the custom of the gragger often threatens that commandment, especially because the drowning out is more fun than the listening. Compared to the shofar which we are commanded to listen to on Rosh Hashanah and which serves as a symbol of awakening, gathering, and proclaiming freedom, the gragger is a negative sound. It is the opposite of listening. In contrast, the primary purpose of the Purim flag is to call attention to Esther and Vashti and make it fun to listen for their names. But the Purim flag offers us an opportunity to do more than balance our attention to men s names with attention to women s names. When we wave our flags at the mention of Vashti and Esther s names we begin to shift the focus of Purim. No longer do we need to accept that the opposition of blessed Mordecai and cursed Haman encompasses the story of Purim or the story of Jewish experience. By focusing on Vashti and Esther, as well as Haman and Mordecai, we open up the possibility of telling a more complete and complex Purim story, a story that includes the experiences of women. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2) March 2019 / Adar I Adar II 5779

2 FROM THE RABBI (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) By placing Esther and Vashti on the same flag, we are also challenging ourselves to move beyond the dichotomy of bad queen/good queen and embrace a wider spectrum of possibility for women s leadership. For much of Jewish interpretive tradition, Vashti was the bad queen and Esther the good one. Then, in the early days of Jewish feminism, Vashti was resurrected and celebrated for her open defiance of the king and her powerful defense of her body and sexuality. Not surprisingly, as Vashti s popularity grew, Esther fell out of favor. For some, Esther suddenly became a negative symbol for any women who use their sexuality, enjoy their beauty, fear confrontation, and remain married to power. These interpretations of Esther minimized her courage in directly confronting both Ahasuerus and Haman, and in coming out as a Jew after years of hiding her identity. They also ignore Esther s powerful role as an innovator of communal ritual action in her calling for a public fast. These Purim flags invite us to move away from the paradigms of good girl /bad girl and good feminist/bad feminist to explore through art and our experience of it the relationship between Esther and Vashti and all that they have come to symbolize. Celebrating Vashti along with Esther also gives us a ritual-means to balance the antagonism inspired by Haman with a celebration of how much we have to gain by listening and not simply blotting out. Vashti is not evil like Haman or a fool like Ahasuerus. She is a non-jewish woman who because of her own suffering at the hands of the more powerful has much in common with both Mordecai and Esther and can therefore serve, on a narrative and symbolic level as a teacher, model and ally. I began by saying that the Scroll of Esther has been seen as a fantasy of Jewish power that emerged in a time of Jewish powerlessness. We who read the Megillah in a time of unprecedented Jewish power both in the State of Israel and in the United States, are thus in need of ritual ways of wrestling with the Megillah in order to figure out its meaning for our time. Perhaps one reason for our pairing of Esther and Vashti, linking the stories of this Jewish and non-jewish queen, is to recognizing the linked fates of their peoples. When we unite Esther who ends up as a powerful queen with Vashti who by the end of the story is absent and therefore powerless, we can begin to grasp the necessity of balancing the need to exercise power with the need to share it. It is time to make room in our myths and in our communities for more than one model of leadership. It is time for us to learn from both Esther and Vashti, from both the Jewish women in our texts and the non-jewish women (and men). It is time to celebrate women s power and to question the ways it has been wielded over to others. And, with humor and deep conviction, it is time for us to take the holiday of Purim and, through new ritual, use it to tell our community a new story about who we are, what we value, and what we need to do to build a better world. 2

3 FROM THE PRESIDENT - Seth Kaplan Yom Hashoah Memorial Service April 28th - 4pm 3

4 CALENDAR March 1 Shabbat Service, 6pm March 2 Shabbat Tefilah & Torah Study, 10am March 3 NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Israeli Folk Dancing, 7pm March 5 TEMPLE OFFICE CLOSED March 8 Shabbat Service, 6pm Union Prayer Book March 9 Shabbat Tefilah & March 10 Religious School, 9:30am Confirmation, 12pm March 12 Board Meeting, 6pm March 15 Shabbat Service & ONEG, 6pm March 17 Religious School, 9:30am Religious School Purim Program Israeli Folk Dancing, 7pm March 20 Megillah Reading / Purim Dinner, 6pm March 22 Shabbat Service, 6pm March 23 Shabbat Tefilah & Torah Study, 10am Jewish Meditation, 5:30pm March 24 Religious School, 9:30am Confirmation, 12pm March 29 Shabbat Prayers 101 & Dinner, 6pm March 30 Nature Shabbat, 10am March 31 Religious School, 9:30am Israeli Folk Dancing, 7pm April 2 Passover Workshop & Dinner, 6pm - 8pm April 5 Shabbat Service, 6pm April 6 Shabbat Tefilah & Torah Study, 10am April 7 Religious School, 9:30am Confirmation, 12pm April 9 Board Meeting, 6pm April 12 Shabbat Service, 7pm Celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Joey Roth April 13 Bar Mitzvah of Joey Roth, 10am Jewish Meditation, 5:30pm April 14 NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL April 19 PASSOVER NO SHABBAT SERVICE April 20 PASSOVER COMMUNITY SEDER, 6pm April 21 NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL April 26 Shabbat Service, 6pm Union Prayer Book April 27 Shabbat Tefilah & Torah Study, 10am April 28 LAST DAY OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Religious School, 9:30am Confirmation, 12pm Yom HaShoah Commemoration, 4pm Shabbat Services on Facebook Live Our music Shabbat Services are live-streamed on Facebook. To be notified when we re live, search Congregation B nai Israel on Facebook and friend us. You will then get a notification from Facebook that we are live. You can also go back and watch it again or watch past Shabbat services. Youth Shabbat & CONFIRMATION w/oneg Friday, May 3rd, 6pm 4

5 PRAYER 5

6 Sunday March 17 10:45 am Purim Dinner / Megillah Reading Gary J. Weill Youth Room $10 / person Gary J Weill Youth Room We will read and discuss the deeper meaning of the Book of Esther over a sumptuous middle eastern meal. Dinner is $10 / person and reservations can be made at or mail your check for the total amount to 3354 Kleinert Ave., Baton Rouge, LA memo Purim dinner 6

7 Jewish Meditation 5:30 pm Mindfulness meditation, a popular and effective method of finding inner peace and easing anxiety, depression, and pain, has deep Jewish roots dating back many years. Jewish meditation traces its origins to Kabbalah and was later continued and expanded upon in Hasidism. Learn more about the nature of Jewish meditation and benefit from its joyful and healing powers. We have planned an initial series of six sessions, each of which will include a Havdalah service. Held in the Gary Weill Youth Room, these participatory sessions will last about an hour, beginning at 5:30 PM on Saturdays. Following is the schedule for the initial six sessions: March 23 April 13 May 11 June 8 July 13 August 3 7

8 Judaism 101: Shabbat Prayers & Holidays During the coming months, there will be several opportunities to learn about the Shabbat Prayer Service and about how to Prepare for Passover. Shabbat Prayers 101 The Shema and its Blessings Friday, March 29, 6 pm. At Shabbat Services, Rabbi Jordan will explain the meaning for the Shema and its Blessings. What does it mean that God is One? Why does the prayer tell us to love God and how do we do that? After services, stay for a nice Shabbat Dinner. Bring your friends and make new ones. Children are more than welcome. The Amidah Standing before God Friday, May 10, 6 pm. At Shabbat Services, Rabbi Jordan will explain the Tefilah prayer. Why do we say prescribed blessings? What is the structure of our prayer? Why is it the main prayer in the service? After services, stay for a nice Shabbat Dinner. Bring your friends and make new ones. Children are more than welcome. Holiday Prep Workshops Passover 101 Tuesday, April 2, 6-8 pm. Rabbi Jordan will show how you can make Passover special by preparing in advance. He will also explain the structure of the Passover Seder and give tips about how to make it fun and interesting. Recipes will be provided. Dinner will be served during the workshop. Dinner after the Shabbat Services (adults $10, children $5) Reservations are required for dinner Go to to fill out the form Or call the office ( ) NATURE SHABBAT SATURDAY, MARCH 30th - 10AM Bluebonnet Swamp N. Oak Hills Parkway Adults and children of all ages are welcome. Come and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the swamp and observe the beauty of nature, think about the wonder of creation an dlearn a little about the plants and wildlife living in the swamp. This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Shabbat with your family! 8

9 OUR COMMUNITY Community Passover 2nd Seder Saturday, April 20, 6pm We invite our Temple members and friends to join us for our Annual Second Night Seder There is limited space so please reserve early! RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED BY FRIDAY, April 12, 2019 Register on-line at Matzah Ball Soup Gefilte Fish Spring Mix Salad w/ Poppy Seed Dressing Rotisserie Chicken Roasted Potatoes Vegetarian Option Available CONTACT NAME: Register online or mail this form, along with your check to: Congregation B nai Israel, 3354 Kleinert Ave., Baton Rouge, LA Reservations accepted with FULL PAYMENT only! Reservation required by Friday, March 23rd! PHONE #: Adults (Member and guests $36, Non-member $45) # Total $ Children under 16 (Child of Member $18, Child of non-member $25) # Total $ TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: $ Vegetarian Dinners #: Name(s): 9

10 Congregation B nai Israel s 20th Annual Magical Mitzvah Day Thank you to everyone who donated and volunteered to make the 2019 Mitzvah Day a success! We met out goal and were able to make: 40 Purim Bags for the elderly in our community, 200 snack bags for the homeless, 50 toiletry bags for the battered women s shelter, 50 toiletry bags for homeless men of St. Vincent DePaul, made dog treats and chew toys for Cara s House Dog Shelter, made soup for our own SoCoCo, and made cards for soldiers that were sent to Operation Shoebox! Alton Family Andy Blumberg Family Aronson Family Ashley Brown-Smith Family JoAnn & Marvin Bender Scott Berg Family Bette Levine Bienvenu Family Lisa and Dorie Binder Black Family Allyson Bombet Buster Kantrow Famly Daniel Simon Family Donna and Jak Kunstler Elaine and Ed Simon Elise and Charles Kaufman Abraham Family Finkelman Family Sue Freedman Gutfreund Family Hazey Family Janet and Buck Moyse Levy/Bookman Family Yellen Family 10 Linda and Nathan Levy Joy Lewis Family Kaplan Family Laurie and Harold Brandt Lynn and Felix Weill Marc Sager Family Marla Kameny and Daniel Sage Maureen and Mal Corcoran Melissa Samuels Nachman, Ritchey & Thigpen Families Pam Roby Paul Dampf Family Pike Family Ratcliff Family Robbie and David Rubin Sachse Family Shaw Family Shawn Folks Family Strickler Family Suggs Family Susan and Jack Dampf Weinstein Family Willis Family Men s Club of CBI

11 11

12 12

13 4th Grade - Family Education Pre-K - Making Bagels 13

14 OUR COMMUNITY BECOMING B NAI MITZVAH Mazel Tov to Wendy Lipsey, who reigned as the Queen of Karnival Krewe De Louisiana on Friday, February 15 Mazel Tov to those celebrating MARCH BIRTHDAYS 1 Jacob Kantrow 3 Laurie Aronson 4 Ana Sager 5 Leonard Nachman 7 Janet Kirshner 9 Jay Jalenak 10 Susan Lipsey 10 David Spivak 10 William Pryor 12 Ronald Bombet 12 Albert Fraenkel 13 Michael Hershman 14 MaryAnn Sternberg 17 Louis Bienvenu 17 Steve Rotenberg 17 Beryl Mitchell 20 Harry Rayner 21 Kyle Juneau 22 Eric Weill 22 Metz Kahn 23 Michael Willis 25 Spencer Marks 26 Brian Nicholas 27 Donna Kunstler 27 Cathy Duplechin 28 Janice Day 30 Edie Bernard Mazel Tov to those celebrating February Anniversaries FOR YOUR INFORMATION The road is still closed at Claycut / Acadian Thruway due to bridge repair on Claycut Rd. between Marwede Ave. and Acadian Thruway. Best access to the temple from Acadian Thwy is via Broussard St. 3 Becky & Andrew Ratcliff 6 Lois & Sam Elisar 7 Tara & David Weinstein 16 Laurie & Mark Aronson 16 Janice & Robert Day 20 Robin & Brian Levy 22 Jill & Chris Pike 28 Claire & Allen Ross 28 Diane & Jim Mayer 30 Shelly & Matt Mullenix 31 Lauren & Chris Adams 31 Lauren & Sean Ritchey 14

15 2019 Annual B nai Israel Golf Classic 6300 Championship Court, Gonzales Sunday, May 5, 2019 SPONSORS NEEDED! (Corporate and Member Sponsors welcome!) office@bnaibr.org for more information or go online to register players or sponsor a hole at REGISTRATION - $200 per player PRIMARY TEAM MEMBER Enclosed $ PHONE # TEAM NAME: ADDITIONAL TEAM MEMBERS (If each member is paying separately put 0 for the amount) NAME Enclosed $ NAME Enclosed $ NAME Enclosed $ Hole Sponsorship - $ artwork to office@bnaibr.org Enclosed $ Mulligans ($10 each) # of mulligans Enclosed $ paying by credit card (information below) mailing a check TOTAL DUE $ Payment: Check Credit Card CC # Exp Code Signature: 15

16 Join us for Shabbat Morning Tefilah & Torah Study Saturdays, 10 am In the Gary J. Weill Youth Room BaRFTY BaRFTY has some really exciting events planned for March. On Sunday March 10, BaRFTY will be volunteering at the Sweet Dreams Shelter where we will be preparing and serving dinner to families in need. We are really excited for this event, it should be a fun and meaningful night! On March 30, BaRFTY will be having a social event where we will be able to hang out and have a really fun time with all the other BaRFTYites. In February, some members of BaRFTY attended the NFTY Winter Gras event in New Orleans which was such a blast. We can't wait for the next NFTY event. Thanks for continuing to support BaRFTY! Israeli Folk Dancing CBI Social Hall from - 7:00-8:30pm Dancers, experienced or novice, singles, couples or families, young or young-at-heart, are invited to attend free of charge. Or, if you prefer to, just come and listen to the lovely music of Israel on the following Sundays: Contact: David Kirshner at for more information 16

17 17

18 DONATIONS Progress of CBI Building Committee Last month, we have... 18

19 DESIGNATED FUNDS 19

20 YAHRZEIT ז כ רוֹנ ם ל ב ר כ ה Zichronam Livracha May their memories be a blessing MARCH 1 Lee Henry Berg Laulette Marcus Black Walter Brown Joseph Cassin Leonard Edelman Lillian Fishbein Eleanor Fraenkel Mary Louise Levy Sybil Bender Lubarr Jack Lynde Louise Sarah Meyer Isaac Posner MARCH 8 Samuel Abramson Maxine Cassin Tonet Dardenne Leah Singer Golomb Harriet Block Heyman Doris Michalove Kanter Tillie Lesser Dr. Mortimer Raphael Arthur Rosenthal Leo Rotenberg Minnie Bendersky Savell Risi Sternberg Ingemar Svensson Julius Weill Father of Lee Michael Berg Wife of Jerome Black Mother of Doug Black Grandfather of Harold Brandt Father of Dan Cassin Brother-in-law of Frances Edelman Uncle of Ann Edelman Grandmother of Alan Fishbein Great grandmother of Alex Fishbein Wife of Albert Fraenkel Mother of Robert Levy Grandmother of Robin Levy Sister of Marvin Bender Aunt of Ralph Bender Father of Jessica Yellen Mother of Marilyn Mills and Janet Meyer Grandfather of Lisa Binder Father of Steve Abramson Mother of Dan Cassin Mother of Jay Dardenne Aunt of Lee Caplan Great-grandmother of Sid Blitzer Mother of Ellen Folks Grandmother of Shawn Folks, Heather Givens, Lauren Adams Mother of Eleanor Fraenkel Cousin of Andy Roby Father of Susan Kantrow Father of Al Rotenberg Mother of Taris Savell Aunt of Insa Abraham and Hans Sternberg Grandmother of Deborah Sternberg and Eric Sternberg Father of per Svensson Grandfather of Julie Nachman, Susan Dampf, Felix Weill and Laurie Brandt Great-grandfather of David Weill, Paige Wormser, Paul Dampf and Lauren Ritchey 20

21 YARHZEIT MARCH 15 Jack Brooks Dr. Joseph Edelman Rabbi Abba M. Fineberg Sara Weill Kantrow Gus Levy Lulu Levy Michael Roth Lillian Shlopack Uncle of Rick Brooks Husband of Frances Edelman Father of Anne Edelman Father of Elisabeth Sachse Grandfather of Victor Sachse Mother of Bryon, Michael & Lee Kantrow Grandmother of Brock Kantrow, Emelie Alton, Jacob Kantrow, Miriam Del Rio and Buster Kantrow Grandfather of Sherry Mayer Grandmother of Ben Wormser Son of Gary & Beth Roth Mother of Lois Elisar MARCH 22 Joseph W. Alton, Jr. Joseph W. Alton, III Doris Blakely Celia Bogoff Sammie H. Brown Cecele R. Fraenkel Joe Kessler Helen Levy Richard D. Marcus Isaac Sackman Marx Marty Nathanson Mildred Rosenthal Grandfather of Joseph Alton Father of Joseph Alton Grandmother of Joy Lewis Grandmother of Alan Fishbein Father of Randall Brown Sister of Paula Hoffman Brother-in-law of Al Rotenberg Uncle of Edward & Steve Rotenberg Mother of Nathan Levy Grandfather of Doug Black Father of Jill Kantrow Grandfather of Brock Kantrow and Emelie Alton Father of Carol Anne Blitzer Aunt of Lynn Weill MARCH 29 Albert Henry Beatrice L. Nathanson Elaine Schudmak Miles Eben Shlopack Alan Sommer Rae Stein Jo Wormser Father of Diana Mann Mother of Carol Anne Blitzer Mother of Ann Keogh Brother of Lois Elisar Father of Staci Sommer Aunt of Dave Safer Grandmother of Ben Wormser 21

22 Our condolences to Ziggy Gruber on the recent passing of his father, Eugene Ira Gruber May his memory be a blessing. VISITING THOSE WHO ARE ILL Congregation B nai Israel wants to make sure we care for our members and their families. If you have a family member or know of someone in our congregation who is in the hospital, has been in an accident, or is ill and recuperating at home, please call the Temple office at so Rabbi Jordan can contact them and arrange for a visit. HEALING Mi Shebeirach, the prayer for physical and emotional healing, is recited at the Friday evening Shabbat service. If you are ill and would like a Mi Shebeirach recited on your behalf, please call the Temple office at before noon on Thursdays, so the congregation may offer its prayers for you. If you know another person who needs the same, please ask the individual for permission to read his/her name before calling the office. YARZHEITS Yarzheit names are traditionally read during the Friday night Shabbat service prior to the anniversary of a loved ones death unless other arrangements are made through the temple office. We will now send out Yahrzeit reminders by unless requested mailed. By , you will receive a reminder 30 days, 15 days & Monday prior to the Friday before the Yahrzeit. If you do not receive a reminder, please contact the office by (office@bnaibr.org) or call the temple office. You may add your yahrzeit dates online at Click on contact us then Yahrzeit Reminder Form or call the office at Andy Blumberg, Vice President Ralph Bender, Treasurer BOARD OF TRUSTEES Seth Kaplan, President Jay Jalenak, Past President Michael Roth, Secretary Scott Berg Linda Dubois Heather Folks Givens Jak Kunstler Robert Levy Jessica Marks Robbie Rubin Hamilton Shaw Julie Suggs Nathan Levy, Men s Club President Julia Sager, BaRFTY Co-President Barry Weinstein, Rabbi Emeritus Jessica Yellen, Religious School Co-Director (relschool@bnaibr.org) Paige Wormser, Women of CBI President Maggie Mullinex, BaRFTY Co-President STAFF Jordan E. Goldson, Rabbi (rabbijg@bnaibr.org) Cathy Duplechin, Office Administrator (office@bnaibr.org) James Hickman, Custodian TEMPLE OFFICE VOLUNTEERS (TOV) Edie Bender Edie Bernard Laurie Brandt Robbie Rubin Julie Tepper, Religious School Co-Director (asst.relschool@bnaibr.org) 22

23 23 The Berg Family

24 24