Rabbi s Reflections. June 2010 Sivan 19 Tammuz Gratitude, Condolences and Congratulations. Refuah Shelema.

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1 Post Office Box 2671 West Lafayette, IN N. Seventh Street Lafayette, IN Phone (765) June 2010 Sivan 19 Tammuz President: Mark Lillanfeld Send bulletin items to: Sisterhood co-presidents: Jo Gartenhaus and Sonya Garfinkel Gratitude, Condolences and Congratulations Mazel tov to Garon Wolinsky, grandson of Sheila and Jo, who has been admitted to the I.U. Kelley School of Business. Mazel tov to Akiva Sanders, who has been named a National Merit Scholar. Akiva also was awarded a National Merit Scholarship. He will attend the University of Pennsylvania, studying archaeology. Mazel tov to Honi Sanders upon his graduation from the University of Chicago with a degree in Mathematics. He will do graduate work in Computational Neurobiology at Brandeis University. Mazel to Robert Lillianfeld. He has earned a Master s Degree at Virginia Tech. Mazel tov to Susan and Earl Prohofsky who are celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary. Mazel tov to former Shul members Milt and Florence Harr. They are celebrating their 65th anniversary with a family party followed by a trip around the world. Another Mazel tov to Sonya and Alan Garfinkel on the arrival of a grandson, born May 22nd. And a mazel tov to his parents, Noah and Dina Garfinkel. Refuah Shelema We offer prayers for health, complete recovery and long life to Harriet Diamond, Joe Haberer, Fritz Friedlaender, Madelyn Lillianfeld, Sarah Raskin, Barney Axelrod, and Irwin and Iris Treager. Rabbi s Reflections Stupid Questions Continuing my comments on Pirqei Avot this time of year: A favorite teaching of [Hilliel s]: the diffident (i.e. shy) one cannot learn... (Pirqei Avot 2:5/6). This may be the quotation I use most. I begin every lecture to a class or religious institution with it. I then say that there are no stupid questions if the goal is to learn, for then there can t be stupid questions, or questions suggesting that one is ignorant. I often tell them, if they already knew the material, they d be up here teaching and not me. I sometimes add that if they do not wish to learn they can then ask meanspirited or self-serving ones. I once used to invest money, and I would ask my broker many questions, even about investments on which he would never make a cent. I once thanked him profusely. He responded that he wished he had a hundred others like me. I pointed out that I take up a great deal of time. He replied, Yes, but you ask so many questions that by the end I know you ve understood what I ve said, including the risks, and have made an informed decision. Most of my clients ask a question, and I answer it, and then explain it, and when I ask if they ve understood everything, they say yes, even though I m sure that they don t. But I can t tell them that I don t think they did. And then, if an investment goes wrong, they say I never explained it. You can t say that. My story rephrases a comment by Joseph ben Judah ibn Aknin (circa ), who adds after saying that the student says s/he understands but really doesn t, The net result is that the student has gained nothing, and shall take nothing for his/her

2 labor which s/he may carry in his/her hand (Ecclesiastes 5:14, but the word labor probably is better translated wealth in the verse s context). Rabbi Jonah ben Abraham (died 1263) points out that timidity is a virtue most of the time, but not when it comes to learning, and quotes Psalm 119:46: When I speak of Your testimonies in the presence of kings, I am not ashamed (here too I would translate differently in the verse s context). He goes further, No student should say, how shall a fool like me ask questions of a very great scholar...? I have neither knowledge or understanding. For if this is how he feels all the time, how will wisdom ever come to him? This is the meaning of the maxim, Ask like a fool and save like the generous. That is to say, just as the generous do not scatter their wealth, but also do not keep it to themselves instead they give it gladly and graciously where it will do most good. Asking questions is the only way to learn. Often we re like this in life. We don t like to ask questions. In the workplace, we re afraid of looking stupid and not being promoted, or worse, losing the job. A good boss, though, would rather we get it right the first time, for in the long run it saves both time and money. In my interview in Spokane, I was asked if I would insist on teaching adult education by myself? I said I would rather have options, and that means having congregants teaching classes beside me. The biggest danger is that we get ourselves in a rut and can t get out. We get stuck in the, but we ve always done it that way mode, which for a business of a congregation is dangerous. To believe this in our life means never growing, and developing. We d still be children if our parents didn t let go eventually. The best way to develop skills and discover new talent is to question, and, yes, risk looking stupid or failing. A good scientist knows that failed experiments are good, which is why they still write them up. It means one less option to try the next time, and eventually one new attempt will succeed. A story: a new assistant to Thomas Edison was amazed that he had tried 50,000 times to find a the correct combination of items to make a storage battery. Edison said, Why, young man, I have gotten a lot of results. I now know 50,000 combinations that won t work. In the story, the next day he found the right combination of things to make a storage battery. In any organization, and in life, we get set in our ways, don t try new things. We worry who will show up at our next event, who will make the minyan, or lead services when the leader is sick or away. We ask the usual suspects. But do we ever ask the unusual person? We don t know what someone can do unless we ask. Someone else might know something, or be willing to learn. Dr Isidor Isaac Rabi was chairman of the Department of Physics at Columbia University. A story: someone once asked him why he went into science. He answered, I couldn t help it. I was brought to the United States from Austria as an infant. I shall never forget my mother s daily query when I came home from public school on Manhattan s Lower East Side. Every afternoon she greeted my return home school with this: Did you ask any good questions today? As I wrote about Peach Passover, Jews ask questions. We even joke, Jews answer a question with a question. So I ask you, Did you ask any good questions today? Rabbi s Calendar Rabbi Rascoe will be in town June 4-6, June Candle Lighting Times Source: Rabbi Rascoe June 4 June 11 8:59 PM 9:03 PM June 18 9:06 PM June 25 July 2 9:07 PM 9:07 PM

3 Board to Meet The Shul board will meet Thursday, June 17th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Board meetings are open to all members. Yahrzeits NAME HEBREW 2010 DATE Barash, Moshe Sivan 21 June 3 Brodsky, Jacob Sivan 21 June 3 Brown, Ree Sivan 24 June 6 Leventhal, Luba Sivan 27 June 9 Spector, Hannah E. Sivan 27 June 9 Meyers, William M. Sivan 28 June 10 Paul, Peter Sivan 28 June 10 Berger, Goldie Sivan 29 June 11 Schreiber, Phyllis Sivan 30 June 12 Elkin, Goldie Tammuz 1 June 13 Prohofsky, Arthur S. Tammuz 1 June 13 Myers, Anne L. Tammuz 1 June 13 Shapiro, Aaron Tammuz 2 June 14 Hartman, Solomon Tammuz 6 June 18 Roger, Minnie Tammuz 6 June 18 Elkin, Sarah Tammuz 7 June 19 Spector, Solomon Tammuz 8 June 20 Kaplan, Harry Tammuz 8 June 20 Prohofsky, Esther Tammuz 8 June 20 Lillianfeld, Bernard Nathan Tammuz 9 June 21 Mazor, Jeanette Tammuz 10 June 22 Winski, Nathan Tammuz 12 June 24 Elkin, Jacob Tammuz 12 June 24 NAME HEBREW 2010 DATE Singer, Aaron Tammuz 15 June 27 Rubin, Anna Tammuz 15 June 27 Adler, Richard Tammuz 18 June 30 Stein, Calvin F. Tammuz 19 July 1 Altman, Bernard Tammuz 20 July 2 Cohen, Stella Tammuz 21 July 3 Blecher, Eva Tammuz 21 July 3 Kosher is just around the corner! In addition to the plethora of kosher Israeli products available at Spacibo, there are many kosher turkeys at Pay Less in West Lafayette and several types (flavors, varieties) of kosher cheese (OU) at Meijer on SR 26. (The cheese is in the specialty-cheese area near produce, not in the dairy section where the usual cheeses are located.) The vendors will continue to bring good things to our community... only if we buy them! NEW DIRECTORY Please check your listing in the current Shul directory. If there is something that needs to be changed, or if you are not listed, please contact Harriet Diamond at or hardiam819@verizon.net. Sisterhood Notes Thanks to the Sisterhood Board members, all of whom have agreed to serve for another year. Do you have a few ideas for a Sisterhood program? Please speak to Sonia Barash. Thanks to all who brought Israeli jewelry to display at the Sisterhood Closing Luncheon, with special thanks to Anna Berkovitz and Felice Bray for showing part of their beautiful collections. Thanks to Rose Haberer for sharing her extensive knowledge of the subject. Thanks to Esther Chosnek for creating the floral centerpieces, and for once again donating them as raffle prizes.

4 Questions raised about Advanced Placement Test wording Note: The following is the text of a letter regarding the College Board and the wording of a question on its Advanced Placement Test. The name of the author has been withheld. Free Response Question #3 ( apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ ap10_frq_eng_lit.pdf) on last week s Advanced Placement English Literature & Composition exam featured a quote by the highly controversial Anti- Israeli professor Edward Said, stating that Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and its native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted. This quote is from the same man who claims that Israel is an illegal occupying power and has been for 34 years and that Israel is responsible for that horrendous amount of damage it has done, the uncountable war crimes, the sheer sadistic systematic humiliation of every single Palestinian, man, woman, child. The AP Lit exam asks the test taker to apply such a quote in a literary context. Though it greatly disturbs me that such a quote was used, had the quote stood on its own, the College Board s usage would have been more excusable. However, the creators of this AP test identified Said specifically as a Palestinian American, introducing a clear political platform and encouraging an Anti-Israel, Anti-Semitic, and Anti- Zionist position. Furthermore, the College Board has never previously identified quoted individuals in its free response questions as anything more than critics. Nationality of the speaker was never identified, nor should it have been. I am disgusted and terrified by the use and delivery of Said s quote on this AP test. Any discussion involving political implications should never be incorporated into this sort of standardized testing to begin with, but this issue especially disturbs me. The College Board s actions here are inappropriate, inexcusable, and must be addressed. I am contacting the College Board in protest. If you chose to do so as well, College Board can be reached in a number of ways: Mail: AP Services P.O. Box 6671 Princeton, NJ apexams@info.collegeboard.org or ContactUs/ContactUsController.jpf Phone: (609) or (888) Thank you for your attention and for letting me vent. Shul Board Solicits donations to Special Purpose Funds The Chosnek Fund, named for Sam and Edith Chosnek, is for ritual. For example, the fund could be used to repair such things a Torah covers and the like. The Elkin Fund, named for Barry Elkin, is for educational purposes. It might be used to pay part of the cost of bringing in a speaker. The 100th Anniversary Fund, established by Ed Simon, is for capital expenses related to building maintenance. The Ha Gomel Fund is to celebrate recent recoveries from illness.

5 PICNIC Put June 6th on your calendar. That s the date for the annual Shul picnic. See the last page of the newsletter for more information. June Calendar June 4 6: Rabbi Rascoe will be in town (Friday Sunday) June 4: Friday, 8 p.m. Shabbat Services June 5: Saturday, 10: a.m., Shabbat Services June 11: Friday, 8 p.m., Erev Shabbat Services June 12: Saturday, 10: a.m., Shabbat Services (Rosh Chodesh) June 17: Shul Board Meets at 8 p.m. June 18-20: Rabbi Rascoe will be in town (Friday Sunday) June 18: Friday, 8 p.m., Erev Shabbat Services June 19: Saturday, 10: a.m., Shabbat Services June 21: Monday, 6:30 a.m. Tefillin Minyon (Watch your for details) June 25: Friday, 8 p.m., Erev Shabbat Services June 26: Saturday, 10: a.m., Shabbat Services News from Jerusalem, courtesy of Cyrelle Simon Dear Family and Friends, First of all, I m sorry for all errors in my epistles and I hope you ll forgive me. I m trying to improve. What follows is the first part of the I sent earlier today, May 3. Jerusalem s Old City: When I think of the Old City, I realize the tremendous historical and spiritual hold it has upon us. We are reminded that King David walked here, and that we are a link in a chain that goes back thousands of years. The colors, smells, narrow streets and architecture give the area tremendous charm. So, I was quite surprised to read an article in the Jerusalem Post entitled Jerusalem s Old City - a Haven for Rare Animal and Plant life. The author claims that the Old City is considered to be an ecological link between two climate zones the edge of the desert and the Mediterranean region, and this can be seen in its rare flora and fauna. Gardens and orchards thrive amid crowded quarters on rooftops, while abandoned areas, old walls and ancient pools, as well as winter rain pools are home to plants, reptiles and birds. One of the rare plants is the seculum snapdragon. The marten, and two unexpected avian residents are the booted eagle and the common quail. The Kotel is home to about forty nesting pairs of swifts. Hopefully, some of my friends will come to visit and we can stroll through the Old City. News of Israelis who worked at Purdue: Since Ed and I, with our year old daughter Shira, arrived in Lafayette, in August, 1960, I ve maintained contact with some Israeli families from those early years. Unfortunately, some of the news is very sad. Daveed Blank was a post doc in Civil Engineering, who after returning to Israel worked for the large water company, Mekorot, and subsequently spent large blocks of time in African countries teaching the people the Israeli methods of transporting water. Sadly, Daveed died recently, leaving his wire, Ayala, 2 adult children, Dr. Anat, born in Lafayette, and head of the radiology department in a large Tel Aviv hospital, a Yishai, a law professor at Tel Aviv University, and two grand children. May his memory be for a blessing. Deadline for July edition: Thursday, June 24. Please send materials you would like included in the next edition of the Sons or Abraham newsletter to: penmike@embarqmail.com

Yahrzeits May their memories be for a blessing. February, Shevat 9 Adar, Service Schedule: Candle Lighting Times:

Yahrzeits May their memories be for a blessing. 661 North 7 th St. Lafayette, IN 47901 765-742-2113 www.soalafayette.org February, 2015 12 Shevat 9 Adar, 5775 ------ Service Schedule: Egalitarian Friday