CoM bulletin. Bringing Light Into the World VISIT US! Michelle. CONGREGATION OF MOSES Kalamazoo, Michigan

Transcription

1 CoM bulletin CONGREGATION OF MOSES Kalamazoo, Michigan Volume 10, Issue 12 December Kislev - 13 Tevet 5778 Bringing Light Into the World Michelle Angel, President I hope that all of you enjoyed a wonderful, love-filled Thanksgiving. I know that we did! Our house was filled with children, friends, extended family, the delicious smells of the season, and for the first time in almost a year, dogs. We enjoyed all of those cozy, heartwarming feels that turn a house into a home. So now that all the bedding has been changed, the tablecloths laundered and the ovens cleaned, I realize that Chanukah (or Chanukka or Hanukah or Hanukka) is right around the corner. Soon, the smell of latkes, brisket, sufganiyot, melted candle wax and spent matches will fill the air. The story of Chanukah tells us of a war fought by traditionalist Maccabees against assimilationist Helenists and the army of Antiochus IV. It tells us of the desecration of the Holy Temple as the Greeks converted it to a temple for Zeus and offered up a fatted pig. These were dark times indeed. Alas, none of our children will be home during this eight-day extravaganza. Without them, it will feel like dark times for us, rather than the celebration of the Festival of Lights. We will likely reminisce over many of the conversations that we shared over Thanksgiving. We talked about professors, classes and finances. We talked about the world of politics, and how it left a bad taste in all our mouths. We talked about the future and the children s concerns regarding the state of the world and the safety of people under the governance of warring factions, religious zealots and cultures which promote hatred. The Chanukah story brightens a bit, when the ragtag brood of Maccabees miraculously winds up defeating the largest military force on the planet. And, of course, we can t forget the miracle of one day s worth of oil burning for eight: precisely the amount of time it took to procure more oil all of this leading to the rededication of God s Holy Temple in Jerusalem; hence the holiday s name. This year, we will light our first Chanukah candle on Tuesday, December 12 and our last candle on Wednesday, December 20. Perhaps the story of Chanukah also reminds us that, in the darkest of times, we can bring light into the world, even if it s just one candle at a time. Michelle VISIT US!

2 CONGREGATION OF MOSES THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS always welcomes comments from CoM congregants and invites you to attend its regular board meetings, typically held the first Tuesday of each month. Minutes of board meetings are available upon request from the synagogue office. Executive Committee President Michelle Angel st Vice-President Brad Hershbein (617) nd Vice-President Maxine Berke (978) Treasurer Stephen Grode Secretary Pat Kirschner Immediate Past President Beth Grode Past President Tema Lando Synagogue Staff Rabbi Jeremy Szczepanski Rabbi Emeritus Harvey Spivak Religious School Director Tova Schreiber Office Manager Shirley Mengel Building Manager Rod Anderson Operation Sparkle Sunday Dec 3, 10:00 am -1:00 pm Mon Dec 4, Wed Dec 6, and Thu Dec 7 from 6:00-9:00 pm We will be focusing on the entire dairy side, steam table area, and the hallway closets/counter. Lots of hands will be needed for these areas. Join us for a community mitzvah! Committees, organizations, individuals, parents, tweens and teens, come on down and bring your favorite music! Please let Joanne Simon (jhsimon@charter.net) or Gail Brot (gbbr0t@hotmail.com) know when you are able to help. Thanks! The CoM bulletin is published monthly by the Congregation of Moses for the benefit of its members. The deadline for submitting articles, photos and ads is the 18th of each month, for publication the following month. Please send submissions to both the editor, at bulletin@ congregationofmoses.org and assistant editor, at congofmosesbulletin@hotmail.com. PAGE 2

3 Shabbat schedule FRIDAY December 1 SATURDAY December 2 FRIDAY December 8 SATURDAY December 9 FRIDAY December 15 SATURDAY December 16 FRIDAY December 22 SATURDAY December 23 FRIDAY December 29 SATURDAY December 30 6:30 p.m. Announcements: RaeLee Howard 9:30 a.m. Torah: Genesis 34:1-35:15 Earl Norman Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1-21 Earl Norman Announcements: Earl Norman 6:30 p.m. Announcements: Joyce Camhi 9:30 a.m. Kiddush in honor of Wilma Kahn Torah: Genesis 38:1-30 Al Rosenthal Haftarah: Amos 2:6-3:8 READERS NEEDED! Announcements: Joe Hirschfield 6:30 p.m. Announcements: Brad Kennedy 9:30 a.m. Torah: Genesis 41:58-57; 41:1-38; 43:1-15; Numbers 7:30-41 Rabbi Spivak Haftarah: I Kings 3:15-4:1 READERS NEEDED! Announcements: Neal Berke 6:30 p.m. Announcements: Adam Strauss 9:30 a.m. Torah: Genesis 45:28-46:27 Michelle Angel Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28 Michelle Angel Announcements: Mike Tenenbaum 6:30 p.m. Announcements: Beth Grode 9:30 a.m. Torah: Genesis 49:1-26 READERS NEEDED! Haftarah: I Kings 2:1-12 READERS NEEDED! Announcements: Brad Hershbein VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO CHANT TORAH AND HAFTARAH. Please contact Rabbi Jeremy at rabbij@congregationofmoses.org Shabbat candle lighting times December 1 4:54 p.m. December 8 4:52 p.m. December 15 4:53 p.m. December 22 4:55 p.m. December 29 5:00 p.m. Bracha for candle lighting Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melech haolam asher kideshanu bemitsvotav vetzivanu l hadlik ner shel Shabbat. PAGE 3

4 December 2017 Su M T W Th F Sa CoM; RAC meeting; 9:30 am Toddler Play Group, 10:30; Kitchen Operation Sparkle, 10-1 pm 4 Kitchen Operation Sparkle, 6:00-9:00 pm 5 Board meeting, 7:30 pm 6 RS@TBI; Kitchen Operation Sparkle, 6:00-9:00 pm 7 Kitchen Operation Sparkle, 6:00-9:00 pm 8 Sisterhood Luncheon, noon, Outback Steakhouse; MROKCJS School Services, CoM, 6:30 pm 9 Special Kiddush in honor of Wilma Kahn 10 CoM; Men s Club Mtg. 10 am; Hadassah Tema Lando s 2:00-5:00 pm Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park 13 RS@TBI; Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park 14 Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park 15 Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park 16 Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park 17 RS@CoM; Toddler Play Group, 10:30; Sisterhood Bazaar; Latke Lunch; Book Sale; Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park 18 Hadassah Book Club, 1:00 pm; Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park; Bulletin deadline 8 pm 19 Light Hanukkiyah in Bronson Park; Executive Committee Mtg, 7:00 pm 20 RS@TBI RS Winter Break 25 Synagogue office closed RS Winter Break RS Winter Break PAGE 4

5 January 2018 Su M T W Th F Sa 1 Synagogue Office Closed Happy New Year! 2 3 RS Winter Break 4 5 Minaleah Koffron Bat Mitzvah 7:30 pm 6 M. Koffron Bat Mitzvah 9:30 am 7 RS Winter Break 8 Calendar Update Mtg, 7:30 pm 9 Board Mtg. 7:30 pm 10 TBI Sisterhood Luncheon, noon, Full City Cafe, Portage CoM; RAC meeting, 9:30 am; Men s Club Mtg. 10 am 15 Hadassah Book Club, 1:00 pm 16 Executive Committee Mtg. 7 pm 17 TBI 18 Bulletin deadline 8 pm CoM; Toddler Play Group, 10:30-12:30 pm; Town Hall Mtg, 4:00 pm TBI CoM TBI; Tu B Shevat PAGE 5

6 YAHRZEITS December 1, 2 (14 Kislev - 20 Kislev) Fanny Axilrod David Davidoff* Florence Escourt Harold Goldsmith* David Graff* Sheldon Hoenig Herbert Kaiser* Max Koingsberg Naomi Kuperberg* Shirley Scheinker Rae Sklansky* Victor Paul Tuchman* Ely Zuravel* December 8, 9 (21 Kislev - 27 Kislev) Jeanette Adelman Sam Becker* Carl Brot* Zipora Feder Margaret Gerstle Raquel Israelson* Rose Kleiman* Yehezhel Kluger Irving Lieberman* Herman Pollack* Joy Rappaport* Zalmon Roodin* Jack Rubin Seth Nelson Schupan* Jackie Strauss Joseph Strauss* December 15, 16 (28 Kislev - 4 Tevet) Fred Arkush* Gertrude Boris* Doris Field* Edward Finman* Blanche G. Friedman* Lillian Hyman Helen Levy* Jean Tregerman Molly Zimmerman* Rosalie Zimmerman* December 22, 23 (5 Tevet - 11 Tevet) Reuven Aglanov Dr. Herbert Barak* Edward Brody* Jacob Cohen* Uzetta Cohen* Elizabeth Ellison Max Ernst Arnold Finn* Joseph Grekin Molly King* Muriel Krefman Irving Kuklin* Samuel Rosenbaum* Louis Schechter Sheine Schensul* Lena Spivak* Alfred Stenesh George Tenenbaum December 29, 30 (12 Tevet - 18 Tevet) Ben Brot* Bernard Deutsch Haim Noah Feder Jacob Gerber* Samuel Kirsch Joseph Klingman Rose Krischer Arlene Lando* Harvey Lipsitt Nathan Marcus* Sadye Levy Rubin Leo Salomon* Charlette Schupan* Rebecca Schwartz PAGE 6 * Denotes a memorial plaque in the synagogue

7 Mishpacha MAZEL TOV TO Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein on receiving the 2017 Women of Achievement Award Natan Schneider on his 90th birthday CONDOLENCES TO John Barry and family on the passing of his grandfather, William Barry Donations have been made to the following tzedaka funds GENERAL FUND Mazel Tov to Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein on receiving the 2017 Women of Achievement Award. Mazel Tov to Natan Schneider on his 90th birthday. Condolences to John Barry and family on the passing of his grandfather, William Barry. Shirley Wise, Joanne & Mike Simon, Tamara & Earl Norman, Pnina & Judah Ari-Gur Beth & Stephen Grode, Men s Club, Emily Freed & Brad Hershbein Cindy & Larry Beer, Diane & Harvey Fogel, Judy Davis & Al Rosenthal BUILDING FUND Mazel Tov to Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein on receiving the 2017 Women of Achievement Award. Mazel Tov to Natan Schneider on his 90th birthday. Condolences to John Barry and family on the passing of his grandfather, William Barry. Valerie & Ken Eisenberg, Sallie & Ken Goodman, Maxine & Neal Berke In loving memory of my father, Andrew Levene and my sister, Susan Levene. Joan Levene In loving memory of my daughter, Eva Stein. Bruce Stein MARVIN AND ROSALIE OKUN RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND Mazel Tov to Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein on receiving the 2017 Women of Achievement Award. Mazel Tov to Natan Schneider on his 90th birthday. Condolences to John Barry and family on the passing of his grandfather, William Barry. Judy & Lowell Seyburn, The Fischell Family In memory of my father, Rabbi Abraham Tuchman. In loving memory of my son, Victor Paul Tuchman. Hy Tuchman PAGE 7

8 Mishpacha (continued) HERMAN AND ROSE FISHER LIBRARY FUND Mazel Tov to Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein on receiving the 2017 Women of Achievement Award. Mazel Tov to Natan Schneider on his 90th birthday. Condolences to John Barry and family on the passing of his grandfather, William Barry. Marilyn & Art Feinberg In memory of my dear mother, Eta Kercman Tema Lando JOYCE AND MORTON FISHER KITCHEN/KIDDUSH/ONEG FUND Mazel Tov to Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein on receiving the 2017 Women of Achievement Award. Mazel Tov to Natan Schneider on his 90th birthday. Condolences to John Barry and family on the passing of his grandfather, William Barry. Michelle & Alan Angel In loving memory of Beatrice Rocklin, mother of Sharon Schwartz. Sharon Schwartz LEVENE CANTOR FUND Mazel Tov to Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein on receiving the 2017 Women of Achievement Award. Mazel Tov to Natan Schneider on his 90th birthday. Condolences to John Barry and family on the passing of his grandfather, William Barry. Rae Lee & Mac Howard RABBI S DISCRETIONARY FUND In honor of Rabbi Jeremy Szezepanski. Wilma Kahn HONOR AND MEMORIAL FUND In loving memory of my wife, Beatrice Sichel. Werner Sichel I would like to thank all of those who attended the Torah Fund Woman of Achievement Brunch at which I was an honoree. I would also like to thank everyone for their warm Mazel Tovs and donations in my honor. I am very thankful and appreciative for all of you. Diane Fogel PAGE 8

9 Community Family Shabbat Dinner and All-School Services Friday, December 8, 5:45 pm at Congregation of Moses We welcome the families of all Jewish school students for Shabbat dinner and services. Students in all grades will be leading services, beginning at 7:00 pm. Shabbat dinner will begin promptly at 5:45 pm. Make your reservation by sending a check, payable to CoM by December 4, using the form below. Family - $25 Adults - $10 each Please send your reservation check now! Don't miss this special Shabbat event. Menu: Pasta, Salad Bar, Garlic Bread Oneg Shabbat following services Community Family Shabbat Dinner, December 8 Name: Number of dinner attendees: Amount enclosed: Family - $25 Adults - $10 each PAGE 9 Please return with your check by December 4 to Shirley Mengel, CoM, 2501 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo MI Your check is your reservation. Thank you.

10 December celebrations The Congregation of Moses wishes mazel tov and yom huledet sameach to our members who are celebrating anniversaries and birthdays this month. If you would like to be included in our monthly recognition of birthdays and anniversaries, please contact Joanne Simon at or BIRTHDAYS 12/1 Lowell Seyburn 12/2 Mauritz Angel 12/3 Rachel Snyder 12/8 Saraphoena Koffron 12/10 Adam Rocklin 12/12 Noah Morrison 12/13 Ken Eisenberg 12/16 Rebecca Strauss 12/17 Sylvia Blum 12/17 Laurel Ofstein 12/18 Maya Enriquez 12/20 Aviva Norman 12/21 Michael Koffron 12/21 Lucas Ofstein 12/27 Minaleah Koffron 12/28 Brett Snyder ANNIVERSARIES 12/7 Elizabeth and Don Thall celebrate their 60th Anniversary! Mazel Tov! 12/21 Naomi and Norman Marshall celebrate their 65th Amniversary! Mazel Tov! PAGE 10

11 Marvin & Rosalie Okun KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY Jewish School I m hoping everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Winter is almost here! To continue my staff interview series, I spoke with new teacher Stephanie Haft. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, she is a graduate student in psychology at WMU and teaches 5th Grade on Sundays and Wednesdays. According to Stephanie, Jewish education is important because it allows a space for people to share family stories and traditions. My grandfather is an Auschwitz survivor, and by teaching I can continue my family lineage. One thing that differentiates her classroom from others is its team dynamic. By using an approach of cooperative work and friendly competition, students are able to hold each other accountable and help other children meet their goals. Ms. Haft also does group assessments to help level the playing field for students. My favorite part of teaching Hebrew is seeing the progress of my students, Stephanie shares. I have built conversational Hebrew into the program as the students practice their decoding and prayer skills. Stephanie enjoys seeing the students enthusiasm to learn and their bravery in being honest about a range of topics. I feel that everyone has something to learn from each other, she says. Just as I m in a position to teach, I m also in a position to learn. Students will be leading Friday night services at CoM on December 8th. MROKCJS will be hosting its Menorah Museum on Sunday, December 10th, and Hanukkah begins on Tuesday night, December 12th. The final day of classes before Winter Break is Wednesday, December 20th. School will resume on Wednesday, January 10th. Morah Tova Director

12 Light Up Kalamazoo Hanukkah Celebration at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 315 South Park Street December 17, from 4:00-6:00 pm Latkes and Donuts, Musical Entertainment, Crafts, Caricature Artist, and Raffle Followed by Menorah Lighting and Sing-along in Bronson Park Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Kalamazoo and SW Michigan along with generous support from our donors. PAGE 12

13 K tchen Kvellers Thank you to all who are making the transition to a safe and healthy kitchen possible. This is an ongoing mitzvah effort. In response to inquiries, we are answering the hows and why of some of the new processes. If you missed the any of the previous chats from September through November, please contact kitchen@congregationofmoses.org for a hard copy. HEALTH & FOOD SAFETY Why are hair coverings/gloves required at ALL stages of food handling? Stray hair(s) may drop into your dish with any kind of movement. Gloves are worn to protect food from germs, cuts, broken nails, pieces of artificial nails, cuticles, nail polish or the bacteria/gunk, etc. that resides under one s nails. Let s minimize the risk of illness. KASHRUT As Rabbi Jeremy pointed out in his Judaism 101 class, the kitchen is a sacred space and is to be respected as such. Everyone who brings in food items must have them verified for hechshers according to the rules of Kashrut. Without exception, this applies to those who keep a kosher home as well. Please let us know in advance when you are bringing in your ingredients, and we ll meet you in the kitchen. RESERVATIONS Whenever an event is planned that will utilize the CoM facilities, (the kitchen or any other area) a FACILITIES RESER- VATION FORM must be completed and returned to the CoM office. This ensures that your event will run smoothly and successfully. STORAGE & CLEANLINESS Everyone enjoys coming in to a clean, uncluttered kitchen with items in their proper place. Those who follow expect the same courtesy. EVENT HOST RESPONSIBILITY Please plan to stay (or have a team) to clean up whatever areas were used, returning items to their proper home. This saves everyone time and energy. Contrary to what you may have heard, CoM does not employ anyone to do this task. Further, it is not the responsibility of the dishwasher, Kitchen Committee or the group following you to clean, wash and put away equipment you used. This has always been part of the kitchen protocol. The Mashgiach (person who supervises the kashrut status of a kitchen) is there to assist the host, not perform the host s tasks. What the Mashgiach will or won t do is detailed in the kitchen manual. There is a checklist available to review before leaving the kitchen. Our kitchen can be an extremely busy place. Please treat others who use the space as you would like to be treated. If there is an event that comes before yours, please wait until that event is over before bringing in your items. Leftover food should be removed within 24 hours or labeled who may use them next, to keep the flow moving. Anything stored in the refrigerators or freezers must be labeled before and after your event. Directions on how to prepare the two different types of labels are available in a folder on the rack by the door. If you have questions or concerns, please ask. Let s work together on finding solutions. Joanne Simon and Gail Brot, Your Kitchen Committee Co-Chairs, kitchen@congregationofmoses.org PAGE 13

14 Annual Library Book Sale! Sunday, December 17 from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm, at the Fisher Library New and used books and DVDs for children and adults for as little as 50! Torah Bible Prayer Holidays Lifecycle Cookbooks Fiction History Holocaust Israel Reference Fantastic Hanukkah gifts! Pre-sale on selected items beginning December 10 PAGE 14

15 Gift Shopping. Done. Meijer, Walgreens, Target, Menards, Lowe s, Celebration Cinema, Macy s, Amazon, Biggby Coffee, Bed Bath and Beyond are just a few of the cards available. Stop in the office from 7:30 am to 11:30 am to purchase gift cards, or call us and we can mail them to you. The Congregation of Moses can earn from 2-15% of your total purchase price. Thank you. PAGE 15

16 Morning People I am not a natural morning person. When the alarm goes off, I get out of bed at a snail s pace. It seems like forever until the grogginess clears and my eyes are no longer seeing double, filled with residual sleep. One would think that since I ve spent most of my life getting up early that I would be used to it. Alas, my body still protests. Don t get me wrong I like when I m able to get up before the sun. There s a sense of accomplishment to starting my day davening Shacharit with tallit and tefillin at the earliest opportunity, while the gray light of dawn begins to illumine the world. There s something about those moments that takes me back to the primordial moments of creation, something aweinspiring that I can never quite put my finger on. Rabbi Jeremy Szczepanski Rabbi Mordechai Yoffe (b in Prague, d in Poznan) opens his wonderful but sometimes forgotten work of halakhah, Levush Malchut ( Royal Garments ) with an exhortation to us on how to start our day: A person should be careful to get up before the light of dawn so that they wake the morning as taught David, peace be upon him: Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will wake the dawn! (Psalm 57:9) This means I will wake the dawn and the dawn will not wake me. Then one should offer their supplications before their Creator, may God be blessed. In times before electricity and artificial light, it was normal to arise with the dawn as the rising sun initiated a biological reaction that roused us from our slumber. Every animal is programmed with its sleep cycle and abides by this cycle for the most part. As human beings, we do not need to wait to be told to wake up and get going with our day. Rather than waiting for the dawn to wake us, we can take the initiative to sacrifice that extra hour or so of sleep to start our day at the earliest opportunity. But why do this? Rabbi Yoffe goes on to explain that doing so with proper intention is supposed to infuse us with awe and reverence for God. In those still dark and quiet hours before the sun is up we have the opportunity to commune with God on a level not possible once the commotion of our daily lives begins. The next time you find yourself tempted to hit the snooze button, don t. Get up, do something to remind yourself that this world belongs to God and take a little time to bask in awe of this before heading into your daily routine. Rather than getting up and immediately heading for the shower or that first cup of coffee, take time for these moments of intimate communion with and reverence for the Divine. Start your day connecting with God. Your life won t have any less commotion for doing so, but it will have a lot more meaning. PAGE 16

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18 Sisterhood Events Friday, December 8, at 12 pm Sisterhood Luncheon at Outback Steakhouse at 4320 S. Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo, north of Kilgore. For reservations, please Maxine Berke at or Emily Hoffman at edu. Friday, January 12, at 12 p.m. Sisterhood Luncheon at Full City Café at 7878 Oakland Dr., Portage near Centre St. For reservations, please Maxine Berke at or Emily Hoffman at Gift Shop: The Sisterhood Gift Shop is open during Religious School on Sundays and by appointment. Please contact Kim Rubin for more information at HANUKKAH BAZAAR Sunday, December 17, from 9:30 am - 1:00 pm Menorahs, gelt, dreidels, Hanukkah candles, gift wrap, toys, jewelry and much more! All profits go right back to supporting the Congregation of Moses. If you can help with the bazaar, please contact Kim Rubin at kimrubin@msn.com. PAGE 18

19 Torah Fund Brunch We were pleased to honor Diane Fogel and Laurel Ofstein as our Women of Achievement at the Torah Fund Brunch on October 29, with special guests Harvey, Linda and Jamie Fogel and Charlie Ofstein joining the celebration. Sisterhood thanks Tema Lando for continuing to organize this annual event. Tamara Norman introduced Diane and spoke of her legendary energy and wide-ranging contributions over the years to our synagogue, Sisterhood and Hadassah as well as to community organizations such as Garden Club and Symphony League. Rebecca Strauss related Laurel s roles in the synagogue community, providing her expertise and giving spirit to the MROKCJS and Sisterhood Gift Shop. She is an assistant professor of Management at the Haworth College of Business at WMU as well as the devoted mother to two preteen sons who are students in our religious school, Micah and Lucas. We learned about her upbringing in Bay City and the road that led her to CoM. Rabbi Jeremy Szczepanski talked about his experiences as a rabbinical student at the different branches of the Jewish Theological Seminary and the critical importance of Torah Fund donations in supporting students. Gerry Tregerman prepared the delicious meal. We are grateful to everyone who donated to Torah Fund, helped prepare tables, do clean-up, send out invitations, etc. We also give our thanks to Rod Anderson for setting up the tables in the Social Hall and his support at every Sisterhood function. PAGE 19

20 Hadassah New Board to be Installed Sunday, December 10 at Tema Lando s home at 2:00 pm. Special Installation Tea to celebrate new president Diane Fogel and her board. Central States Region President Lynn Furness will be here for the festive ceremony. In addition we ll be remembering the 70th anniversary of our Hadassah chapter which occurs this year. We promise some heartwarming and funny stories. Come join the party! Hadassah Hospital News Breast Reconstruction: Borrow from Your Belly After a mastectomy, Hadassah Hospital offers a less well-known option: an autologous tissue reconstruction. Tissue from the abdomen replaces the breasts and is attached through microsurgery, giving the reconstructed breast a blood supply. The transferred tissue integrates into the body. The effect is getting a tummy tuck and breasts that become part of the body, said Dr. Neta Adler. If a patient gains weight or loses weight, the new breasts get larger or smaller. The new breasts are only lacking some of the sensation of the original breasts. Central States Region President Lynn Furness Geopolitical Israel - A Tour with More Questions Than Answers February 19 - March 2, 2018 Led by Natalie Silverman Register today for a special Hadassah in-depth geopolitical tour exploring some of Israel s thorniest challenges, delving deep into the history, land, culture and spiritual issues of that region. How do demographics, security and history factor in the current state of affairs? How is the peace process shaped by the ongoing conflicts over land ownership and rights? How does Israel s past help shape and secure its future? Reserve today at hadassah.org/missions or call for additional information. PAGE 20

21 Box Tops for Education By clipping those 10 coupons from selected groceries, we are helping support the Marvin and Rosalie Okun Kalamazoo Community Jewish School. Look for them on products from Reynolds, Green Giant, Annie s, General Mills cereals, Nature Valley, Mott s, Land O Lakes, Go-Gurt, Yoplait, Ziploc, Hefty, Betty Crocker, Cascadian Farms, Kleenex, Scott s, Old El Paso, Progresso, Lysol, Fiber One, and Larabar. PAUL F. DAVIDOFF ATTORNEY AT LAW PAUL F. DAVIDOFF, P.C. The Cornerstone Building 405 W. MICHIGAN AVE., SUITE 130 P.O. BOX KALAMAZOO, MI Telephone: (269) Fax: (269) pdavidoff@ameritech.net We offer professional counseling services for adults, teens, children, couples and families in a caring, comfortable setting. individual, family, couples and group counseling psychological testing substance abuse evaluations more than 40 licensed psychologists and social workers in Kalamazoo and Portage offices most insurances accepted For more information, please call our office at (269) or visit childandfamilypsych.com. Director: Larry Beer, Ed.D. PAGE 21

22 Tell Us What You Think! We want your input about anything at CoM. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding the Marvin and Rosalie Okun Kalamazoo Community Jewish School, please Joyce Camhi at If you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding anything at all related to CoM, please Michelle Angel at If you don t use or would like to remain anonymous, there will be a suggestion box on the ledge outside Shirley s office. Put your comments in an envelope and address it to Joyce or Michelle. If you shop at amazon.com, the Congregation can receive 0.5% of all eligible Amazon purchases. It may not sound like much, but many of us spend more on Amazon than we realize, and almost every purchase is eligible to benefit CoM. Go to smile.amazon.com to set up your special account and choose the Congregation of Moses to receive the benefit of your purchases. Then, remember to use it whenever you shop at Amazon. Another simple way to support your congregation! Thanks for your help! PAGE 22

23 Mark a Milestone or Honor Someone Special For weddings, births, anniversaries, B nei Mitzvah, graduations, friendship, gratitude, milestones, and more, please consider marking the occasion with the purchase of an engraved leaf ($200) or rock ($750) for the Tree of Life. What a beautiful way to count your blessings or make a meaningful group gift while supporting the Congregation of Moses. Please contact Office Manager Shirley Mengel, at for more details. Thank you! PAGE 23