Shofar. Newsletter of Kehilat Shalom. April 2015 Vol. 44 No. 8 Nissan - Iyar

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1 Shofar Newsletter of Kehilat Shalom April 2015 Vol. 44 No. 8 Nissan - Iyar Check the What and When on page 6 for what is going on this month. Table of Contents From the Rabbi s Study 2 Keleigh s Kurrents 2 President s Message 2 Cycle of Life Events 2 Abraham s Children 3 Youth 4 Membership Corner 5 What & When 6 Minyan Mitzvah Schedule 7 Yahrzeits 8 Auxiliaries 9/10 Library Corner 12 Learning & Growing 12 Havurah 11 Life & Learning 13/14 Shabbat Dinner Offer 20 April 2015 Calendar (click here) According to Jewish law, Jews are forbidden to use, own, or derive benefit from any chametz ( leavened products as explained elsewhere in The Shofar) during Passover. Because of the economic hardship involved in disposing of large quantities of chametz (such as liquor) and the utensils in which chametz is used or cooked, the sages instituted the practice of selling such items before Passover to a non-jew. Because of the legal intricacies involved, it is suggested to appoint the rabbi as your agent to sell your chametz and to repurchase it after the holiday. It is customary, though not mandatory, to make a donation to the Rabbi s Discretionary Fund for this service. The following document accomplishes this appointment. In order for the contract to be valid, it must be signed and received in the synagogue office by 9:20 a.m. onfriday, April 3, I (WE) residing at: hereby authorize Rabbi Charles L. Arian of Kehilat Shalom to dispose of all chametz that may be in my (our) possession wherever it may be, during the period of Passover 5775, and to repurchase it on my behalf after Passover. I understand that this is a valid sale according to Jewish law and the laws of the State of Maryland. Signed: Date: Authorization for Sale of Chametz Please return this form to: Chametz Kehilat Shalom 9915 Apple Ridge Rd. Gaithersburg, MD Or fax to Form must be received in the office by 9:20 a.m. Friday, April 3, nd Seder Saturday April 4, :00 pm (See Flyer page 15) Simcha Shabbat On Saturday morning, April 18, 2015 please join us for a special community celebration of birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduations and other Simchas during the Celebration Simcha Shabbat. To participate in this special service and Kiddush, please return the Sign up form by April 15, See page 10 for more information and sign up form. HELP WANTED.. OFFICE MANAGER We are looking for a part-time Office Manager to start immediately. Ideal candidate will have experience as an Office Manager,. Knowledge of Synagogue activities a big plus. If you or someone you know is interested, please have them call Mike Goldman at Siyyum for First Born Friday, April 3 at 6:30 a.m. Erev Shabbat Service Friday, April 3 at 6 pm.

2 Rabbi Charles L. Arian From the Rabbi s Study Douglas Baum President@kehilatshalom.org President s Message Dear Friends: Kosher for Passover Made Intelligible The following is intended as general guidance for observing Passover according to normative Conservative guidelines. Different families have different traditions and if you have a family tradition that may be more stringent on a particular question, it is always permissible to be strict. --CLA Observing the dietary restrictions of Passover is not always easy, but it is made even more complicated by misunderstandings and misinformation, both of which are rampant. To help you in your observance, I have prepared this Pesach Guide, trying to be as straightforward as possible. In doing so, I have consulted the Rabbinical Assembly Pesach Guide by Rabbi Mayer Rabinowitz, but I alone am responsible for the rulings and conclusions contained herein. It should be noted that some of these rulings are more lenient than those contained in the most recent issue of the Rabbinical Assembly guide and follow Rabbi Rabinowitz s earlier version. The current version is available at APRIL SHOWER OF JEWISH HOLIDAYS Hopefully by the time your read my monthly column, you will be enjoying sunny days of Spring that April normally brings. The month begins with Passover. Need I say anything more. Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Rememberance Day is on April 16, Yom Hazikaron, (Israel Memorial Day of rememberance for the fallen soldiers of Israel and victims of terrorism is April 22. Lastly, Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel Independence Day is on April 23. AGAIN, A PASSOVER STORY For the past 3,300 years, and God willing for another 3,300 years, we have and will be retelling the story of the Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt (The Haggadah). 21 years ago, the Angel of Death Passed over my house in Edison NJ on March That happened to be the day I was going to propose to my lovely wife Marcia, I was planning on proposing to her at the Rainbow Room, the restaurant that was at the top of the World Trade Center, or possibly placing the ring in the Afikoman, or an evening dinner at a romantic lighthouse. Continued on Page 17 Continued on Page 3 Cycle of Life Events If you or someone you know within the congregation family is in need of help, please contact the synagogue office. We can t assist you if we don t know you need us. Our community is for sharing joy as well as sorrows, so don t be afraid to reach out. We also want to know of your achievements, joys, and life events. The Shofar is your place to brag a bit. Often when we hear that others are doing well, it gives those who of us who may be in times of stress hope for the future. So, on that note, please share your happiness with us and contact me at KArian@kehilatshalom.org. Be well, Keleigh Keleigh s Kurrents Karian@kehilatshalom.org 2 HAPPY APRIL BIRTHDAY WISHES TO THE CHILDREN: Rayna Wertlieb, Sydney & Randy Green, Ariel Levin, Ariana Levinson, Rachel Nakayama, Adam Vogel, Daniel Forgosh ADULTS: Ellen Bedell, Priscilla Borchardt, Rosalie Bouer, Toby Friedberg, Elise Garfinkel, Stanley Ginsberg, Julie Himelfarb, Jack Gruber, Mike Goldman, Alana Jaffe, Arlene Katz, Marcie Lerner, Thomas Loggie, Marcia Litwack, Anita Levine, Joseph Lustig, Jedd Moskowitz, Gail Rubinstein, Joan Steinberg, Robert Schwartz, Janet Rutchik, Seth Sternberg, Charlotte Strauss HAPPY APRIL ANNIVERSARY WISHES TO: Lawrence & Carol Beck, Richard & Tamara Jaffe, Joseph & Libby Kamph, Steven & Claire Weiner, Joseph & Susanne Lustig, Curtis Levinson & Wendy Schneider-Levinson

3 I. What is Chametz? Chametz ( leaven ) is the product of five specific grains: wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye. Once these grains come into contact with water for eighteen minutes they are considered chametz. These are the same five grains which can be made either into bread which requires the hamotzi blessing or into matzah. We are forbidden not only to consume these products during Pesach, but even to own them or derive benefit from them in any way. Obvious examples of chametz include bread, cakes, cereals, pasta, and most alcoholic beverages other than wine. Only products made from these five grains can become actual chametz. However, once these grains have been made into matzah they are no longer subject to becoming chametz, and thus we can use matzah meal or crumbled matzah for all kinds of different Pesach products. Note that the issue of chametz, despite popular misconceptions, has nothing to do with the presence or absence of yeast. Crackers, pasta, pita and flour tortillas contain no yeast, yet they are still chametz and forbidden for Passover use. II. What are Kitniyot? Another category of products which most Jews do not use for Pesach is kitniyot ( legumes. ) This category in essence consists of vegetables which can be ground into flour. The most common forms of kitniyot are corn, rice, and beans. Ashkenazi authorities, fearing that people might accidentally use wheat flour while thinking it was corn or rice flour, banned the use of these products on Pesach as well. Sephardic communities never accepted this prohibition and thus Sephardic Jews are free to eat these products on Pesach to their heart s content. A couple of things are worth noting here: a.) There is no prohibition for Ashkenazic Jews of owning kitniyot on Pesach or having them in your home. While actual chametz needs to be disposed of or sold through the agency of the rabbi and locked away, this is not necessary with kitniyot. b.) Different communities in Europe followed different practices with regard to what was or was not considered kitniyot. Some products which have different status in different communities are garlic, mustard, and string beans. Everyone should follow their own family tradition in this regard. The Rabbinical Assembly permits peanuts and peanut oil on Pesach for all. III. What Products Require Kosher for Passover Certification? Another area of confusion is what products require certification, and why some products may be purchased without certification before but not during Pesach. From the Rabbi s Study (Continued from page 2) 3 During the year, an accidental admixture of forbidden foods which is less than 1/60th of the total is considered nullified. This would also apply to any accidental addition of chametz in an otherwise Kosher-for-Passover product. That is the reason why we formally nullify any overlooked chametz both the evening and the morning before Pesach. But during Pesach, even the tiniest amount of chametz cannot be nullified. An example of this type of product is orange juice. Orange juice is a product which in the normal course of things is chametz-free. But suppose it is produced in a factory which also produces chametz -containing products. There is a remote possibility that some small amount of chametz might accidentally wind up in our orange juice, but if we bought the juice before Pesach, this would be nullified. If we buy it during Pesach, the miniscule amount of chametz is not nullified, and thus juice bought during Pesach needs certification. Basically, there are four categories of foods requiring certification. The following foods do not require Kosher for Passover certification if purchased before or during Pesach, i.e. they are always acceptable without special Passover certification: Fresh fruits and vegetables (non-kitniyot), eggs, fresh kosher meat, fish. The following foods do not require Kosher for Passover certification if bought before Pesach: Unflavored caffeinated coffee (flavored, instant and decaffeinated coffees require certification), sugar, pure tea (not herbal or decaf), salt, pepper, natural spices, pure fruit juices, frozen uncooked vegetables (assuming they are not kitniyot), milk, Grade A butter, hard cheeses, frozen uncooked fruit (with fruit as the only ingredient), and baking soda. The following foods require Kosher for Passover certification if purchased during Pesach: Processed foods (canned, frozen or bottled), milk, butter, juices, vegetables, frozen or canned fruit, milk products, spices, caffeinated coffee, caffeinated unflavored tea, as well as any product listed as requiring certification before Pesach. The following foods require Kosher for Passover certification whether purchased before or during Pesach: All baked products (matzah, matzah meal, cakes, cookies, etc.), wine, vinegar, liquor, oils, dried fruits, candy, flavored milk, ice cream, yogurt, soda, decaffeinated coffee or tea, herbal or flavored tea, and canned tuna fish. Continued on Page 5

4 Youth Purim Good Deeds Day March 15 4

5 Membership corner From the Rabbi s Study Continued from Page 3 Membership Corner Shabbat Across America was a big success! Everything was perfect! Tom and the kitchen crew out did themselves and Linda s American flag cake was incredible and a real success. I hope someone took a picture of it. A big THANK YOU to everyone that attended and a really big THANK YOU to all who helped with advertising, planning, decorations, cooking, serving and of course cleanup. Thank you Rabbi Arian for your fun program and of course thank you Kim Komrad for making our evening SO special with your beautiful voice. Hope you all received your New Kehilat Shalom Directory. It s been a long time in coming but all in all we think it turned out pretty nice. We d like to thank the office staff and membership for all their hard work. We hope you will support the firms and individuals that placed ads in our directory and support them as they supported us. Good & Welfare is very busy. We ve had Mark Friedman in and out of the hospital a few times and he is now doing well. And we re gearing up to help Marcia Litwack with shopping and with rides to physical therapy. So, be watching for our asking for volunteers to help. For those of you that didn t know, Marcia had a valve replacement on March 10. She is doing fine and will be in rehab for about a week. Our next BIG shindig will be a dinner honoring Tom and Linda Loggie for their extraordinary services to Kehilat Shalom. This will be the first Kehilat Shalom Volunteer and Community Celebration Dinner. And, just to let you all know, if you haven t already heard, Tom Loggie has decided to retire from being our interim administrator at the end of April. The dinner party will be held on April 25. Membership will help the dinner party committee with this event. If you are also interested in volunteering, please contact Stu Rutchik at sturutchik@gmail.com or Be sure to watch for the announcement for this event! See you next month, Bob and Bobbie 5 IV. Pets and Pesach: The problem with pets and Pesach is not a question of animals eating chametz or non-kosher food. Animals are not subject to the mitzvot and there is no problem with them eating anything. The issue is that Jews are forbidden to own or benefit from chametz during Pesach. The problem can be dealt with in one of three ways: 1. Feed your pets Kosher for Passover table scraps during Pesach if that is possible. 2. Scrutinize pet food labels to make sure they contain no chametz (kitniyot and non-kosher meats such as pork or shrimp are not a problem). 3. Include your pet and its food in the sale of chametz authorization. V. Vegetarians and kitniyot: While the Israeli Conservative Rabbinate has ruled that the custom of refraining from kitniyot need no longer be followed, the North American Conservative Rabbinate has not done so. In part, this is because unlike in Israel where Sephardim are the majority, it is almost impossible in North America to find kitniyot-containing foods with reliable Passover certification. The O-U last year began certifying some products as Kosher-for-Passover for those who eat kitniyot, and there are some imported Israeli products which carry a similar certification. However, the Rabbinical Assembly has ruled that vegetarians who may otherwise not get sufficient protein during Pesach may indeed eat kitniyot. If this applies to you, it is wise to consult with your rabbi as to the best way to make sure you are in fact eating kitniyot and not chametz. VI. Kosher for Passover Certification: When looking for products which require Kosher for Passover certification, it is important to make sure that the certification is actually printed on the label or bottle cap and not just a sticker which is handled at the retail level. There is no guarantee that the sticker was applied to the proper product. Similarly, do not assume that just because a store stocks something in the Passover section that it is actually kosher for Passover. Neither the supermarket clerks nor their managers are experts in Jewish religious practices, and it is not uncommon for Jewish foods which are not kosher-for-passover to be placed in or near the Passover section. It is your responsibility to check for appropriate Passover certification. VII. Some Final Thoughts: We are fortunate to live in an age when many kosher products, both for Pesach and yearround, are available even to Jews who live in areas with relatively small Jewish communities. Gone are the days when kosher-observant Jews subsisted on matzah, potatoes, cheese and eggs during Pesach. I hope that this guide makes your Passover observance more meaningful and less stressful. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

6 SHABBAT - TA ANIT BECHOROT Friday, April 3 Shabbat Eve Service Saturday, April 4 Shabbat Morning Service SHABBAT - Friday, April 10 Shabbat Eve Service Saturday, April 11 Shabbat Morning Service SHABBAT - BIRKAT HACHODESH Friday, April 17 Shabbat Eve Service Saturday, April 18 Shabbat Morning Service SHABBAT - TAZRIYA - METZORA Friday, April 24 Shabbat Eve Service Saturday, April 25 Shabbat Morning Service What & When 6:00 pm 9:15 am 7:45 pm 9:15 am 7:45 pm 9:15 am 7:45 pm 9:15 am Mitzvah Corner Food to Homeless Shelters Monthly delivery (4th Sun) of an entrée to the Interfaith Works women s shelter in Rockville has been ongoing for a number of years. The Kehilat Shalom members have exchanged one Sunday evening a month to help out. It is now time for you to choose a Sunday in of your choice! You may also help out by sending in financial donations that can be deposited to the Rabbi s Discretionary Fund, marked Shelter Meals to help cover costs. Sign up with Billye Roberts at billye.roberts@gmail.com Kiddush Konversation April 18, 2015 After the Kiddush at approximately 12:30pm Rabbi Arian will lead us in a spirited discussion. APR. 3-7:15 APR. 17-7:29 APR. 10-7:22 APR. 24-7:36 At CSS we support people with developmental disabilities. HOW CAN YOU HELP?? We re seeking part-time JOB PLACEMENTS and VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. Clerical, Custodial, Yard, and Stock Room tasks, and more! A CSS Staff member is always on site to supervise. Let s discuss. CALL SEATON TODAY!! 6

7 MINYAN MITZVAH SCHEDULE Sun through Thu 7:45 pm, Fri 6:30 pm and Sun 9:15 am 3/29/15-4/3/15 Kahan Kamph Kanner Katz, Allen & Arlene Katz/McCance-Katz Kelly Kletz Laifsky Lerner Levin/Richter Levine Levinson, Bruce 4/5/15-4/10/15 Levinson/Schneider-Levinson Lieberman Litwack Loggie, Marjorie Loggie, Tom & Linda Lustig Mendoza Moskowitz/Beckerman Mostowski Muenz Nalaboff Pancik 4/12/15-4/17/15 Penner Pesce Pomerantz Press Richfield-Fratz Roberts Robin Roffe Ronis Roseman Rosenstein Ross 4/19/15-4/24/15 Rubinstein Rutchik Sabi Saltzman Sapcarui Scheiner, Barry & Marilyn Scheiner, Jay & Sharon Schmetz Schwartz Seldin Shapiro Sheib 4/26/15-5/1/15 Simon Sosin Steinberg Sternberg Strauss Studley Tepper Vitelli Vogel/Miller-Vogel Wasserman Weinberg Weiner We Appreciate Your Support Please consider coming in to support the daily Minyan whenever you can, even when it is not your week. We have been doing great at keeping the Minyan going, but our margin of safety is pretty thin. This is a mitzvah that each of us can perform so that Kaddish can be said by those in need. Todah Rabbah! GREETERS WANTED The Kehilat Shalom Kabbalah Shabbat and Shabbat morning greeter program is looking for additional greeters. Greeters help build our spiritual community by welcoming old and new friends with a hearty Shabbat Shalom and warm handshake to our community. The mitzvah of welcoming guests is one of Judaism s spiritual imperatives. (See Genesis 18: 1-8.) Please contact Larry Beck at thebecks467@comcast.net with questions or to volunteer. 7

8 Yahrzeits April Nisan 1 12 Martin Blomberg, Father of Steven Blomberg 1 12 Joseph Scheiner, Father of Barry Scheiner 1 12 Murray Schiff, Father of Deborah Finch 1 12 *Marvin Isaacs 3 14 Ruth Ershkowitz, Mother of Jane Tepper 3 14 Richard Holt, Father of Rhoda Press 3 14 *Janice Schreiber 4 15 Harry Drasner, Father of Carol Beck 4 15 Pauline Hauptman, Grandmother of Sandra Wester 5 16 Lila Belle Renbaum, Mother of Judi Kletz 6 17 Georgette Chreky, Loved one of Marshall Gross 7 18 *Julius Sholinsky, Father of Sandra Crausman 9 20 David Friedman, Father of Mark Friedman 9 20 Theodore Kahan, Father of Daniel Kahan 9 20 Stanley Perlin, Brother of Gail Rubinstein 9 20 *Sidney Cohen Lillian Bernstein, Mother of Anita Levine Seymour Halpern, Father of Linda August Fred Baum, Father of Sandra Rosenstein *Morris Moskowitz *Ben Raboy *Nat Goldman, Father of Mike Goldman *Esther Gutman, Mother of Shelli Froehlich *Michael C. Staren Emma Cassin, Grandmother of Stuart Rutchik *Bernard Peller Scott Fogel, Brother of Linda Pesce Herman Miller, Father of Marcie Lerner Iyar 20 1 Beatrice Perlin, Mother of Gail Rubinstein 20 1 *Nathan Flamenbaum 20 1 *Lillian Schectman 21 2 Jeffrey Cohen, Brother of Pamela Penner 21 2 Gertrude Rederer, Grandmother of Andrew Garfinkel 21 2 *Bessie Shuman 22 3 *Florence Schoen, Mother of Bobbie Goldman 22 3 Rose Simon, Mother of Walter Simon 25 6 *Harry H. Hyman 25 6 *Fred H. Krones 26 7 Philip Jolles, Father of Dee Jolles 26 7 Daniel Wallen, Great Uncle of Bruce & Curtis Levinson 27 8 Melvin Gottsagen, Father of Linda Gottsagen 27 8 Mendel Slamowitz, Grandfather of Bruce & Curtis Levinson 27 8 *Isadore Dorph 28 9 Betty Bloom, Mother of Sharon Hankin Sue Fisher, Sister of Edwin Chidakel Bella Ginsberg, Grandmother of Stanley Ginsberg *Dorothy Rutchik, Mother of Stuart Rutchik *Lillian Stern *Norman Lieberman, Father of Gail Lieberman Harlow Sheib, Father of Michael Sheib * A memorial light will be lit in the sanctuary for those names marked with an asterisk Kehilat Shalom Donation Funds Kehilat Shalom has a variety of funds that you can support with your minimum donation of $10.00 or more (unless otherwise noted): Kehilat Shalom General Fund Larry Froehlich Junior Congregation Fund Library Fund Rabbi Arian s Discretionary Fund Youth Fund Kehilat Shalom Catering Fund Yahrzeit Donations Good & Welfare Fund Prayer Book Fund (Siddur Sim Shalom, $36.00 & Etz Hayim Chumash, $54.00) Simcha Board Donations ($180.00) Memorial Plaque Board Donations ($500.00) Memorial or Simcha Seat Donations ($ ) Barbara Peller Camp Fund Gayle Peck Fine Arts Fund A personalized card will be sent to acknowledge your donation & your contribution will be listed in the Shofar Newsletter (unless otherwise requested) Kehilat Shalom is a 501C (3)charitable organization and your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Information regarding all of these funds is here in the Kehilat Shalom office. If you have any questions, please contact Todah Rabbah for supporting Kehilat Shalom. Yahrzeit REMINDERS As always immediate family are included in your reminders. If you have friends or other family member that you would like added to your list please contact the Office. Would you like to make a donation in honor or in memory of a loved one? You can purchase a Siddur Sim Shalom or an Etz Chayim Chumash with a special bookplate in the inside cover. The costs are $36.00 per Siddur and $54.00 per Chumash. If you would like to pay tribute to someone, send a check payable to Kehilat Shalom 8

9 1st Tuesday 2nd Tuesday 3rd Tuesday 4th Tuesday Co-Presidents Linda Loggie & Lauri Friedman Sisterhood News Lauri Friedman & Linda Loggie Co-Presidents Shalom Sisters! Drop in Mah Jongg at 7pm Board Meeting at 7pm Sip n Schmooze at 7:30pm Bake n Babble at 7:30 pm at KS Kitchen This month we are having an Israeli Brunch on April 19 at 11 am to celebrate Israeli Independence Day. Drop in Mah Jongg will be Tuesday, April 7 at 7 pm. Passover goodies will be served. Sip N Schmooze locations for the upcoming months - We will meet at 7:00 p.m.: April 21st - Smash Burger (Wegman's Parking lot) May 19th - Noodles and Company (Milestone) The Purim Ball was a success and everyone had a great time. See page 11 for pictures. Kehilat Shalom is hosting the WLCJ Seaboard Region Spring Conference on Sunday, May 3, Join our special interest groups as follows: Bake and Babble: Enjoy the company of fellow Sisterhood members and make some tasty treats for Saturday Kiddish. Bake n Babble meets on the 4th Tuesday of the Month in the Kehilat Shalom kitchen from 7:30 to 9:30. Contact: Linda Loggie for more information at lkloggie@gmail.com Dine Around Group: The next event will be Monday, April 27 at Coastal Flats or BC Steak House. RSVP and more information: contact Bobbie Goldman at bobbieandmike@erols.com. Book Club: Book Club meets on a Sunday, April 26 we will meet at 2:00 pm at the home of Sharon Hankin to discuss My Self and Then Some. Please RSVP to Alyce Ross at asross@mycaringcenter.com for more information. Crafters Club: Do you knit, crochet, embroider, tat, scrapbook, needlepoint, make lace, or quilt? Would you enjoy some time with fellow crafters who share your passion? Join us to practice your skills or be exposed to some new ones. The next meeting of the Crafters Club will be April 12 at Kehilat Shalom. We ll meet from 11 am - 3 pm so that folks can come when they are able. Feel free to drop in at any time, bring a project you re working on, or you can help with our quilt project! Contact: Any questions contact Lori Wasserman at rlwasserman@comcast.net or for more information. Food to Homeless Shelters: The 2015 Sign-Up Drive for the Interfaith Works Shelter is underway and we need your support to sign-up for a 4th Sunday of the month to help out. If you want to see what months are available and/or sign up to deliver a meal go online to Meal Train at id=m1rdcu84htxt. You have to sign-up for an account but it is really simple. Questions contact Billye Roberts at billye.roberts@gmail.com Manna: If anyone is interested in taking over this very important community outreach program to schedule our Manna obligation please contact either Lauri or Linda for further information. Contact: friedl04@gmail.com or lkloggie@gmail.com Auxiliaries 9 Come see the New Gary Rosenthal Collection at the Sisterhood Judaica Shop!! We now have a Gary Rosenthal Gift Gallery at our Judaica Shop. Come by and buy Gary s gorgeous pieces for your home or gifts at 10% off. Special prices, special orders and a current catalog, also available. Contact Bobbie Goldman at or bobbieandmike@erols.com. In addition the Judaica Shop is now featuring crafts from local artists. Stop by and see. Exciting gifts always arriving. Next Monthly Mah Jongg Nights at Kehilat Shalom 9915 Apple Ridge Road, Gaithersburg, MD Tuesday, April 7, :00 to 9:15 p.m. Games are open to beginner, intermediate or advanced players! Please bring your own Mah Jongg Card! If you own a Mah Jongg Set, please bring it! Please RSVP by Sunday, Mar. 1st to Charlotte Strauss (301) (h) or (202) (c) or StraussCha@aol.com Donations for refreshments will be accepted on the night of the game! Kehilat Shalom membership is not required! Torah Fund In choosing mishpachah as the theme for the 5775 Torah Fund pin, we are acknowledging both the sanctity that comes with being one big family and the complexity of our families and relationships. There is no one kind of Jewish family in the world today. Our families are diverse, and this pin is something to be worn proudly by women in all stages and kinds of family life: married, partnered, single, divorced, widowed, LGBT, straight, mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters. As we support the programs of The Jewish Theological Seminary, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, we proclaim that we as women in all walks of life are proudly shaping the future of the big, 3,000-year-old Jewish family.

10 Libby Chandros Lunch and learn We invite all interested parties to lunch and learn featuring our own Rabbi Arian. Bring a dairy lunch, coffee and cake will served. Various topics that will surely intrigue you. The presentations starts in the Sisterhood Hall at 11AM and finishes at noon, in time to have lunch with your friends and fellow congregants. Everyone is welcome. The next Lunch and Learn is To Be Determined. For further information contact Joe Kamph, (301) Simcha Shabbat To participate in this special service and Kiddush, please return the form below by April 15, I/we will will not attend on April 18. Name Auxiliaries # Attending Phone Simcha I/we would like to help sponsor Kiddush $ 36 $ 10 Joe Lustig jlustig29@gmail.com Men s Club News Involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life When the speaker is your spouse, your instinct is to gush. So allow me to gush here about my wife's presentation at the Men's Club March breakfast. Susanne Lustig, partner in the Rockville family law firm Lustig, Gudis & Lucero, spoke on the topic of Collaborative Divorce Law: Coming to An Agreement the Family Can Live With. She kept the audience's attention and got them engaged in the discussion. Thanks to those members who attended and as always to Rich Jaffe for providing breakfast. Attorney Susanne Lustig speaking about collaborative divorce law. At the end of March the Men's Club held its annual Shabbat, during which members took on various parts of the service, including davening, reading Torah and Haftorah, and delivering a sermon. For the Haftorah readings, we used the Sefer Haftorah on loan from the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. Thanks to Gerry Goldgraben for driving up to Harrisburg, Pa., with me to receive the scroll from Beth El Temple, and to all our members who made this Shabbat memorable. The Sefer Haftorah was on display in our Shul's front lobby for the week--and we hope you took the opportunity to look at it. At the end of the month, the Men's Club was also busy preparing the Holocaust Memorial Candles in rememberance of Holocaust Memorial Day, which this year falls onapril 16. As we did last year, we will have boxed candles for pickup outside the chapel, and we ask that you pick one up when you are in the building. The following weekend, please join us for our next breakfast with speaker on Sunday morning April 19, when Jim Feldman will speak to us on his volunteer experience in Israel. Watch for upcoming s on this and other Men's Club events. Finally, if you would like to play softball on the Men's Club team this summer, please contact Michael Halpert at mhalpert1@verizon.net. Games are played on Sunday mornings from April to June. Until then, B'Shalom Joe

11 Purim ball 11

12 Purim Queen Vashti Queen Esther King Ahasuerus Haman Zeresh 12 King s Advisor Guard News Anchor Reporter

13 Learning & Growing Youth Director, Becky Rutchik, YOUTH NEWS We had some great events in March!! Unfortunately, our Purim Party was cancelled due to snow, but we did the crafts the day of the Megillah reading. Masks, Groggers, and some bracelets! Then on March 15th, we participated in Good Deeds Day. We made thank you cards for IDF and American soldiers, and bracelets and get well cards for the Children s Hospital. On March 29th, we will be going to the Amazing Art Studio in the new Crown center. Please RSVP to me so they know how many of us to expect. The most you will need to spend is $20 depending on what item you choose to paint. Check out page 4 for pictures from our March events! Save the date! April 19th we will be going to see a movie at the Rio. Movie and exact time is TBD. Look out for information for the next few exciting events coming up! RELIGIOUS SCHOOL News Please be sure to visit the Religious School Facebook page. The registration packet for next year is available on the web site. The next Junior Congregation will be on May 2. School Board Members: Lauri Friedman, Rebecca Hoffman, Janet Ballonoff, David Joseph, Suzi Pomerantz Library corner We have added the following new books to our collection in 2015: Girl From Human Street by Roger Cohen (contemporary memoir of a Jewish family through several generations and several continents) Boston Girl by Anita Diamant (latest novel by the author of the Red Tent. Warm and touching memoir of a Boston Jewish girl from ) A Guide for the Perplexed: A Novel by Dara Horn B Shalom, Becky Rutchik Youth Director Jews and Words by Amos Oz and Fania Oz- Salzberger. The Keeping Quilt (25th Edition) by Patricia Polacco. Thank you to Billie Roberts for the donation of this beautifully illustrated children's book about a quilt that is cherished by multiple generations of a family. Please contact Melanie Berson at m-berson@hotmail.com for help with these or other books. Please browse the library and check out books any time. 13

14 Life & Learning Next class is Apr. 26th 14

15 KABBALAH CLASSES WITH GUEST RABBI, TZVI TUCHMAN "Mystical Mitzvah Medley " is the program taught by Rabbi Tzvi Tuchman once a month on Sunday morning. In each session Rabbi T will share with us a fascinating story of a mitzvah that we all may know and love with an exciting twist of something fabulous and interesting from the world of Kaballah. Please join us.and feel free to bring friends. Any prior Kaballah knowledge is not necessary. Sunday 10:15 am to 12 noon April 26 May 17 Life & Learning KIDDUSH KONVERSATIONS Approximately once every three weeks, Rabbi Arian will lead a Saturday Shabbat early afternoon study session on various topics of interest. Suggestions for topics will be gratefully received. The next Kiddush Konversations will be April 18, We will meet on Shabbat after the Kiddush at approximately 12:30 pm for an hour or so, and you are cordially invited to participate whether or not you were at Shabbat morning services. Ideas or comments, contact Rabbi Arian at rabbi@kehilatshalom.org or at the office

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17 President s Message (Continued from Page 2) Snow 2015 Instead, I drove to Marcia's home in Clark NJ, got down on my hands and knees at 1AM in front of the retired Captain of the Clark Police Department, and asked Marcia to marry me. She said YES!! You see, earlier that evening I was woken up by a gas pipeline explosion in my complex. On my balcony, I saw people running for their lives. Who knew the pipeline was only 50 feet from my bedroom window. I saw people running for their lives and a huge fireball that could be seen for miles. The police asked us to evacuate immediately. One the way out I remembered I left Marcia's engagement ring in the apartment. Without second thoughts, I ran back in to get it. Fifteen buildings burned to the ground that evening with only one person dying of an unrelated heart attack. Thankfully, the wind was blowing in a different direction or our building would have burned to the ground. Later that week, we read the Haggadah with a new appreciation of life. HELP WANTED..OFFICE MANAGER We are looking for a part-time Office Manager to start immediately. Ideal candidate will have experience as an Office Manager,. Knowledge of Synagogue activities a big plus. If you or someone you know is interested, please have them call Mike Goldman at Peace, Good Health, Good Times on Passover and Always. Doug Baum Join the Kiddish Club Make a Donation as Proof of your Membership Mark your Calendar Below are the rest of the youth events for this school year, mark your calendars!! March 29 (next Sunday) 12:30-2:30pm The Amazing Art Studio We will be meeting directly at the studio (Downtown Crown- 115 Crown Park Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20878). You will pay for whatever project you want, most expensive being $20. Adults are more than welcome to make their own projects. They have asked that only people who are making projects stay as space is limited, and there is no standing room. April 19 Rio Movie and Time are TBD as I don't know the movie schedule yet. Anyone who attends will need to pay for their own ticket, plus if they want any refreshments. May 17 Maccabiah KS 12:30-3pm We will have all sorts of games, prizes, events, races, etc.! We will need parent volunteers for this event. More details to come. This event is Free! June 7 Adventure Park USA 1-4pm Roller coasters, go carts, laser tag, rock wall, bumper boats, mini golf, and more!! $25 per person if you do not want to ride the roller coasters, $33 if you do want roller coasters. If you want to eat there, you will need money for that as well. I will need at least 2 parent chaperones for this event. If you do not want to participate in any of the games, you can still chaperone for free. We will meet at KS at 12:15pm to organize rides and to make sure everyone has a ride, then we will go from there. Adventure Park is in Urbana (11113 West Baldwin Road, New Market MD 21774) Please RSVP to me for any of these events, or contact me if you have any questions! All events are all ages! 17

18 Yasher koach to our torah and haftorah readers and sh lichei tzibbur Kehilat Shalom is blessed with many congregants who participate regularly in our Daily Minyan and our Shabbat services throughout the year and whose efforts and contributions are very much greatly appreciated. A hearty Yasher Koach to the following persons: Joe Lustig Lori Wasserman Michael Goldman Stuart Rutchik Jedd Moskowitz Errol Forgosh Gail Lieberman Lloyd Nalaboff Shelli Froehlich Tamara Jaffe Murray Penner Stan Ginsberg Wendy Schneider-Levinson We Gratefully Acknowledge THESE DONATIONS... To the Good & Welfare Fund, in memory of a loved one, by Bob Goldberg SIMCHA SHABBAT Jeff Seldin (Ethan Seldin) Rabbi Charles Arian Jordan & Sheila Harburger DONATIONS IN LOVING MEMORY OF: Harry Gruber; The Gruber Family Benjamin Levy; Bruce & Curtis Levinson Harriet Klafter; The Loggie Family David S. Beitler; The Beitler Family Herb & Elaine Cantor, Reese Bailey, David Hauptman, Anne Berlin; Sandy Wester Harold Pomerantz; The Pomerantz Family Frederick Richfield; Naomi Richfield-Fratz & Family David Ronis; Barbara Ronis Trudy S. Kahan; Dan Kahan Ruth Levine; Alan & Anita Levine Irving Schmetz & Bea Schmetz; Ed & Beth Schmetz & Family Hilda Ruth Fried; Chelle Nalaboff & Family Bertha Crausman; Joel Crausman & Family Leona Beck; Larry & Carol Beck Frederick Lustig; Joe & Susanne Lustig SPONSOR A KIDDUSH Sponsoring a Kiddush is a great way to make a donation to Kehilat Shalom, while honoring a milestone in someone s life, such as a birthday or anniversary. It s also a nice way to honor someone s memory. If you would like to sponsor a Kiddush, please contact Tom Loggie at or at administrator@kehilatshalom.org SIMCHA BOARD A wonderful way to honor an individual, a family, or a Simcha, such as a Wedding, Birth, Bar/ Bat Mitzvah, Graduation, Birthday... Your thoughtfulness will be on permanent display in the Sanctuary for all to see. Donation: $180 Contact the office to make a donation today! 18

19 They will be remembered One generation passes away, and another generation comes; And the earth abides forever, Ecclesiastes Garden of Remembrance Memorial Estates Kehilat Shalom has two sections of cemetery plots at the Gan Zikaron Memorial Park in Comus, MD. The Garden of Remembrance (Gan Zikaron) Memorial Park has been established by Washington Hebrew Congregation as a service to the entire Jewish community of the Greater Washington area. Developed and managed as a non-profit organization, it is the only cemetery in the region that is Jewish owned and operated, and open to members of all congregations and those who are unaffiliated with a congregation. In a tranquil, beautifully landscaped setting amid gently rolling hills in northern Montgomery County, the Garden of Remembrance is on 152 acres of meadows and woodlands at the foot of the majestic Sugarloaf Mountain. It is just off Interstate 270, convenient to reach from everywhere in the Greater Washington area. The Garden of Remembrance provides comprehensive services in accordance with all branches of Judaism, reflecting the full range of Jewish practices and honoring personal preferences. Reasonably priced plots for families and individuals are available. Professional counselors are available 24 hours a day. Think of the future. Think of your family. Then make the right decision. Make a memorial estate in the Garden of Remembrance part of your legacy. Individual plots are available for $ , payment schedule negotiable. For more information, please call the synagogue office at From Montgomery County, Maryland Take the Capital Beltway (I-495) to I-270N. Travel I-270N to Ext 18N (Rte 121N). Go North 1/2 mile to Rte 355. Turn left on Rte 355, drive one mile, then turn left on Comus Rd. The Memorial Park entrance is on the right just over the I-270 bridge. MEMORIAL PLAQUES Honor your loved ones by memorializing them on our Yahrzeit Boards that are located in the sanctuary. These plaques are lit during the Yahrzeit of your loved one s death and when Yizkor is said at various times throughout the year. Donation: $500 19

20 The Shofar is available in full color on our website, You can also view previous editions. Follow Us on Facebook You don t have to join Facebook to follow us on Facebook. Visit our Kehilat Shalom Home Page at kehilatshalom.org to learn about upcoming programs, events and important information about the synagogue, our Rabbi; Charles L. Arian, our Hazzan; Kimberly Komrad and all the great things we have going on! If you are on Facebook, Like our page! 20

21 21 THE SHOFAR Rabbi... Charles L. Arian Hazzan... Kim Komrad Cantor Emeritus... Saul Finn, z l Administrator... Thomas G. F. Loggie President... Douglas Baum Senior Vice President... Mike Goldman Vice President for House... Thomas G. F. Loggie Vice President for Development... Stuart Rutchik Vice President for Membership...Robert Goldberg Treasurer... Terry Strauss Financial Secretary... Richard Jaffe Board Secretary... Janet Rutchik Youth Director... Becky Rutchik Men s Club... Joe Lustig Sisterhood... Linda Loggie, Lauri Friedman Shofar Layout... Linda Loggie, Lauri Friedman Website Administrator... Billye Roberts