Olivia Rose Noble Bat Mitzvah Friday, April 23 rd at 7:30PM Saturday, April 24 th at 9:00AM

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1 CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL A Family of Families April 2010 CALENDAR OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES April Friday, April 2 7:30 pm Saturday, April 3 9:00am Monday, April 5 Passover Yizkor Service 6:00 pm Friday, April 9 7:30 pm Saturday, April 10 9:00am Friday, April 16th Family s 6:00 pm Family Dinner to follow Saturday, April 17th 9:00am Friday, April 23 Olivia Noble will take part in the Service 7:30 pm Saturday, April 24 Bat Mitzvah of Olivia Noble 9:00am Friday, April 30 Reform Traditional (Racusin Chapel) 7:30 pm Saturday, May 1 9:00am Torah Study 11:00 am Please come and join us. Olivia Rose Noble Bat Mitzvah Friday, April 23 rd at 7:30PM Saturday, April 24 th at 9:00AM Olivia will participate in the service Friday night, April 23 rd, and be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 24 th. Olivia is the daughter of Tim and Julia Noble, and the sister of Sarah Noble. She is the grand-daughter of John and Audrey Noble of Sarasota, Florida, Arnold and Bonnie Lieberman of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Sabina Zolte of Buffalo, New York. Olivia is a 7 th grade Honor student at St. James Episcopal School. Liv enjoys reading, writing stories, drawing, gardening and baking. Liv plays volleyball, piano and loves to ski. Please join the Nobles as they celebrate as a family with an Oneg Shabbat on Friday evening, and a Kiddush luncheon following services Saturday morning.

2 Dear Friends: In our community, there are a few corrosive problems. The future of the Memorial Coliseum is one such issue. For six years, we have debated the use and viability of that structure. Some of us are convinced that the building has become an eyesore of no more utility and that it should be razed. Others of equal conviction and conscience are persuaded that the Coliseum must be preserved and that a new function can be found. Of a similar level of concern is the decision about the Las Brisas plant. Some argue that there is a serious risk of dangerous air pollution, while others emphasize the promise of economic development. There is value and legitimacy to the arguments of the advocates of both points of view, as there is in the matter of the Coliseum. At some point, probably in the relatively near future, a final decision will be made in each of these concerns. Law suits will be filed and decided. Win or lose, we shall move forward. Some of us will be pleased, others disappointed, but (except for those who are convinced that every issue is governed by an insidious, back-room conspiracy) we should ultimately be impressed that all the people had a full opportunity to be heard and that a democratic process prevailed. Winston Churchill once said that democracy is the least efficient system, but still the most effective. The questions that trouble us are being dealt with through an open and democratic process. One controversy, however, is of a longer-term nature and threatens to subvert and even destroy the very process that has made America great and has made America special haven for Jews and other minorities. I refer specifically to the rejection on March 11 of the inclusion of the subject of church-state separation in the proposed high school social studies curricular standards by the State Board of Education. Religious conservatives on the SBOE (a majority of its members) reject the idea of separation as unconstitutional and contrary to the wishes of the Founding Fathers. This rejection represents, according to most scholars, minorities, and nearly all Jews and certainly my own reading of the American past an irresponsible rewriting and misrepresentation of American history and a stunning triumph of political ideology over education and accuracy. Let me explain. Their first contention is that the words churchstate separation are not found in the U.S. Constitution and, therefore, do not and should not exist. What the opponents say is true; these exact words are not in the document. But the Constitution is not the only source of American legal precedent. It is likely that Thomas Jefferson first uttered the words in 1803, based largely on warnings in James Madison s Memorial and Remonstrance to the Virginia legislature in 1785 two years before the Constitution was written. There have been over two hundred years of American legal precedents affirming this idea. It is as real and as legitimate as other actions that have been taken but are not explicitly written in the Constitution, such as the right to expand the frontiers of the nation. (Would they propose giving the Louisiana Territory back to France? Jefferson s purchase was illegal according to their standards.) In addition, the Constitution s First Amendment contains the establishment clause, which is clear in its desire to avoid an entanglement of religion and government. The Founders of this nation understood from European experience the negative consequences of a statesponsored religion and determined to avoid those dangers by forbidding a repetition of such a relationship. (Again, read Madison.) The will of the Founding Fathers is clear, and it is exactly the opposite of what the SBOE majority wants to enact. The doctrine of separation is hardly the half-truth that one of its SBOE opponents called it. But then he not only questions the doctrine of separation but really does not want it at all. It impedes a longer-term ambition and needs to be eliminated if the views of the religious and conservative clique are to triumph. We need to appreciate that what happened last month at the SBOE was a minor skirmish in a patient effort by fundamentalist Christians to change the basic policies, practices and identity of this country. Make no mistake. A calculated, deliberate culture war is taking place in our society, and the ultimate goal is to reverse the doctrine of church-state separation, undo court decisions that have derived from it and replace our present system with one that is based on fundamentalist Protestantism. The SBOE vote is today echoed in nearly half the states of the Union with the objective or re-establishing official prayer in the public schools, then passing government legislation favorable to and funding of certain religious groups and, eventually, declaring the U.S. to be a Christian nation in which everyone else is a second-class citizen. Advocates of this position have already insinuated an elective course on the Bible, taught by one of their supporters and espousing their ideas, in the CCISD. It remains to be seen whether Jews and others who would find themselves disadvantaged under such an altered American identity will defend their citizenship rights or acquiesce to second-class status. You and I have a basic choice: to be pro-active and protect our prerogatives or to disappear. This is neither hyperbole nor alarmism, but reality. Please consider joining the Texas Freedom Network or the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. And write letters to your state representatives and senators lots of letters. You can make a difference. Kenneth D. Roseman, Rabbi

3 Dear Members of CBI, PRESIDENT S MESSAGE By the time you receive this message, we will in the midst of Pesach. We have celebrated in our homes and the community Seder at our congregation. It was wonderful and attended with well over one hundred twenty. Special thanks to Phyllis Roseman, Dottie Heffler and all others for making this yearly event enjoyable and successful. Their effort is greatly appreciated. You might be interested in knowing that we continue receiving inquiries from the country concerning our merger. It is wonderful to respond and relate our story of success. It is with great pride that we share our story. As our fiscal year winds down it is my duty to follow procedural rules of our by-laws. I have appointed our past President Andy Lehrman, to chair the nominating committee and select a proposed list of officers and board for the coming year. Please make plans to be present at our annual meeting. A date in June will be announced shortly. We need your input and help to continue our Congregation s growth. Shalom, Maury Wolfson A Message from the Family Corner This month we will have a Shabbat Dinner on April 16 th. Please join us for dinner following services. If you would like to help prepare the dinner, please contact Meredith Ryan at We look forward to seeing you. Shalom, Meredith Ryan Corpus Christi Community Religious School Many of you gathered on Monday or Tuesday with family and friends to celebrate the Passover Seder. Our students gathered on Sunday with their religious school family to celebrate a Chocolate Seder. Brian Honigbaum and Henry Hausman did a fantastic job leading our Seder. Every student took part and did a great job as well. A big thank-you goes to Julia Noble and her mom for their help on Sunday. There are some activities your children might enjoy during this week of Pesach. Go to and you ll find a minimovie and some games to play. Have fun! We will not meet for Hebrew School on April 1 st and Sunday School will not be held on April 4 th in observance of Passover. Our Education Fellow from ISJL, Lena Wise, will be here April Be sure to attend the Family and Dinner on Friday. Lena will have some fun activities celebrating Yom Atzma ut for our students on Sunday. Reminder: There will be no Hebrew School on Thursday, April 29 th, due to TAKS Testing in our schools. Happy Passover! Susan RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES Sunday School 9:30 am - 12:00 pm April 11, 18 & 25 Hebrew School 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm on Thursday April 8,15 & 22

4 From the Jewish Community Council

5 SISTERHOOD NEWS Wednesday, April 7th Sisterhood Executive Board Meeting 12:00 The Yellow Lily is the floral symbol of gratitude, our theme for Sisterhood for this year. Sunday, April 11th Sisterhood Day Trip to Houston meet at 7am Saturday, April 17th 2nd Annual Havdalah Honorarium 2pm Sisterhood Day Trip to Houston Sip Mimosas and join sisterhood members on a chartered trip to Houston Sunday, April 11th, 2010 Leaving at 7:00am Returning at 10:00pm To RSVP or for more information, please contact Iris Karas ibkaras@gmail.com (413) Meredith Ryan monkeyx3@stx.rr.com (361) COST $50 Stops in Houston Galleria Mall, Museums, and a Jewish Deli. Limited to the first 30 sisterhood members. RSVP by April 4th to secure your spot.

6 Religious School enjoyed a chocolate Seder 2nd Annual Sisterhood Havdalah Honorarium Join your friends for a day of Rest and Renewal honoring the hard work of sisterhood this past year. Congregation Beth Israel Saturday, April 17th 2:00pm-5:30pm (Family and children welcome at 4:45 to join in Havdalah at 5) Nosh: Sushi will provided by Yoshi Zushi as well as a light nosh throughout the day. Sneak Peak of the Events: - Sushi demonstration by Yoshi (early in the program) - Flower demonstration by Ray Briones - Mini Manis/Pedis, Reflexology, Massages - Israeli Dancing - Havdalah with Rabbi Roseman RSVP on the Evite or contact: Natalie Honigbaum: , Natalie@nrhdesigns.com Jill Jacobs: , jilljacobs@rocketmail.com

7 Author-Jacqueline Baird will introduce her new book at the JCC on April 18th at 2pm.

8 Save the Date Elinor Roosth & her sons, Mark and Kenneth would like to invite you to join them on May 14th as they host that evening s Oneg in honor of Dr. Hyman Roosth s 85 th birthday. We hope you can join us! Mazel Tov to Chris and Robert Adler who will be recipients of Hadassah's Myrtle Wreath Award. The award dinner will be during the Hadassah Regional Conference, here in Corpus Christi at the Ortiz Center on Saturday night, May 1st at 6:30. Information for reservations is included in this bulletin. Miriam Award Leah Goltzman has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Miriam Award. She will be awarded the Miriam Cup at the Installation Luncheon, May 12, 11:30 am, at the Corpus Christi Country Club.

9 Mazel Tov Ryan Jacobson &Judith Goldfarb married on March 13 th in El Paso. Parents are Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Jacobson & Mr & Mrs. Allan Goldfarb Shannon Wolfson & Aaron Bentle Married March 21st in Houston Shannon is the daughter of Sherry & Bruce Wolfson and granddaughter of Gloria Wolfson. Mazel Tov Isabelle Elise Balkin Daughter of Rick & Melissa Born Tuesday, March 2, lbs. 4 ounces Congratulations to Leigh Leshin,& Jonathon Levy who will celebrate their marriage on April 3rd Leigh is the daughter of Pam & Richard Leshin and granddaughter of Yetta & Marvin Leshin Kari Oshman & Scott Rhodes who will celebrate their marriage on April 10th Kari is the daughter of Deborah &Scot Oshman & granddaughter of Dolly Oshman, Scott Rhodes is the son of Mary Lynn &Tom Rhodes

10 TRADITIONAL KABBALAT SHABBAT SERVICES SCHEDULED Once-a-month, lay members of Congregation Beth Israel conduct traditional Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming the Sabbath) services in the Racusin Chapel. These services last about 45 minutes; attendees often then join the rest of the congregation in the Sanctuary for the Rabbi s sermon, the concluding parts of the service and the Oneg Shabbat. The mood of these services is relaxed and celebratory, and all are welcome. The schedule for the entire year is: April 30, 2010 May 21, 2010 June 18, 2010 We encourage you to enter these dates on your calendar now so that you will be able to attend these services when they occur. YIZKOR SERVICE FOR PESACH Three times a year we gather to recite memorial prayers on Jewish holydays. The most well-attended of these memorial services is, of course, on Yom Kippur day. But we also gather on the last day of Sukkot and on the last day of Pesach. This year, Pesach ends on Monday, April 5 for liberal Jews and on Tuesday, April 6 for traditional Jews. To honor both traditions and to accommodate everyone, our Yizkor service will occur at 6:00 PM on Monday evening, April 5 the end of the last day of Pesach for liberal Jews and the beginning of the last day of Pesach for more traditional Jews. Please join us for this serene and lovely opportunity to remember those who are no longer with us, but whose influences in our lives are ongoing and very important. CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL 4402 Saratoga Telephone /Fax congregation@bethisraelcc.com Website: bethisraelcc.com Rabbi Kenneth Roseman Debbie Bustillo, Office Administrator Susan Martin, Corpus Christi Community Religious School Administrator President Maury Wolfson First Vice President Suzy Hilliard Second Vice President... Rikki Schmitchel Secretary Rona Train Treasurer Ed Mange Past President....Andy Lehrman Sisterhood Co-Presidents...Meredith Ryan Iris Karas Cofty President Meredith Hilliard Adult Education David Jacobs Cemetery Co-Chairs...Robert Adler, Carl Kuehn, Gary Blum and Clara Braslau Ritual Committee Co-Chairs....Andrew Sheinberg and Joe Loon Program Coordinator.... Meredith Ryan Membership Committee Chair...Susan Martin Social Action Committee Co-Chairs.... Michelle Arevalo-Davila, Diana Stillman Dues Committee Co-Chairs Ann Engel and Leslie Kane Building Chair......David Jacobs Grounds Chair....Rikki Schmitchel Fine Arts...Laurie Mintz and Ross Burney Webmaster.....Jack Widder

11 April 2010 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat No Hebrew School 7:30 pm 9:00 am Torah Study 11:00 am No Sunday School Passover Yizkor Service 6:00 pm Hebrew School 4:30pm 6pm 7:30 pm 9:00 am Torah Study 11:00 am Sunday School 9:30am 12pm CBI Board 7pm Hebrew School 4:30pm 6pm 6:00 pm Followed by Family Dinner 9:00 am Torah Study 11:00 am 18 Sunday School 9:30am 12pm Hebrew School 4:30pm 6pm 23 7:30 pm (Olivia Noble will take part in the Service) 24 9:00 am Olivia Noble s Torah Study 11:00 am Sunday School 9:30am 12pm No Hebrew School 7:30 pm (Traditional Shabbat Service Racusin Chapel) 9:00 am Torah Study 11:00 am

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14 P E R P E T U A L YAHRZEITS Sabbath of April 2nd *Harry Bornstein *Hyman Bornstein Gil Cavazos *William Cohan *Abraham D. Danziger *Bertha Selig Franklin *Ida Deborah Glanz *Bernard Grossman *David N. Grossman *James Harris *Sherry Katz Hilton Ethel Horner *Myer Joseph *Jack Kaufman George Benjamin Kopf *Abraham Lampert Bebe Lashinsky Dorothy Miller Peter Oshman *Elizabeth Posner *Bill Trodlier *Ida Zeidman *Sheindlya Zitser Sabbath of April 9th *Betty Wiener Blum *Pearl S. Blum *J.W. Castroll *Blanche Gordon *Sadie Herz Hirsch *Rachel Katz *Sweetie Kins *Anna Liedeker *Esther Mack *Ben D. Marks *Jacob "Yakov" Marks *Harry Postrong *Esther Ruth Schlader *Simon Sklar *Ida Solka *Minnie Trodlier *Mae Weil Walter Wisznia Sabbath of April 16th Frank Androski *Isabelle Davis *Melvin Davis *Harold Zeitlin Dobrer *Sadie Finkelstein *Eva S. Goltzman *Sam Goltzman *Howard J. Goodman Howard Greenberg *Rose Lieberman Freda Marks *Yetta Nelson *Maurice Rednick *May Grossman Spitz *Albert Veenik *Frances Wasserman *Michal Wisznia Sabbath of April 23rd *Rosa Alexander *Louis Blair *Hannah Levinson Braslau *Nettie Eisenberg *Frieda Falk *Max Katz *Samuel Kins *Irving Lepow *Harry Maltz Edith Mange Henny Mosbach Sara Reingold *David Roberts Charles Schwartz Stephen Elliott Weisberg *Benjamin Zane Sabbath of April 30th *Arch H. Allen *Dave Bergman *Bertha Brand *Robert R. Brodkey *Julius Brownstein *Edna Ducler *William Frank *Mose Franklin *Arthur Haas *Otto Heffler *Dwight Marshall Lebowitz *Philip Levy *Joseph A. Maizel *Julian Mandelstamm *Martin Nelson Rose Primack *Ida Racusin Celia Roosth Gershon Rosenwasser *Morris Rosenwasser *Jacob Samuels Melville Samuels Jay Schlaikjev *Max Schmidt *Juliette Susan Scott Jennie Spear *Eugene J. Steiner Morris Wasserman

15 The Congregation thanks you for the following contributions Yahrzeit Donations In Memory of From Mort Finkelstein Serena Lowrey Schmidt Maurice & Rebecca Schmidt Phillip Lieberman Hattie C. Abrams Ann & David Engel Otto Kuehn Carl & Chris Kuehn Alvin Roseman Rabbi Ken & Phyllis Roseman Phillip Lieberman Jack Kaufman Bill & Susan Martin Morris Braslau Marilyn & Irving Braslau Sara Reingold Alvin Reingold Dee & Harriet Diaz Benjamin Roosth Hyman & Elinor Roosth Seymour Applebaum Gertrude Applebaum Esther Jessel Dorothy Jessel Shirley Liedeker Morris Liedeker, Jr. Audrey Zane Sisterhood Memorial Fund In Honor of From Richard Zane's Bar Mitzvah Cheryl Zane Nelson Landscape Fund In Honor of From Ann & David Engel's Birthday Rabbi's Discretionary Fund Susan & Bill Martin In Memory of From Shelly Katz Nathan Stillman Jeri Kolpack In Honor of From Bar Mitzvah of Ryan Butler Meredith Ryan for the great job on the Family Dinners Dr. Gregg Silverman-Recognized by LULAC as an Outstanding Community Leader Marriage of Shannon Wolfson & Aaron Bentle Jeri Kolpack Elise & Al Geller Recovery of From Roslyn Massman Ben Groner Jerry Susser Yetta & Marvin Leshin Al & Elise Geller Cemetery Endowment Fund In Memory of From Ada L. Leshin Ida M. Levinson Yetta & Marvin Leshin Malvina Newman Ted & Edith Mason Ada Leshin Julius & Pearlie Leshin Frances Hausman Lorraine Hausman Leslie Simon Scholarship Fund Recovery of From Jerry Susser Heleen & Ed Mange Mitzvah Fund In Honor of From Birthday of Robert Harris Marcia Marks Recovery of From Jerry Susser Evelyn Maltz Rabbinical Endowment Fund In Memory of From Michael Weil Ann & David Engel In Honor of From Pat Susser's Birthday Ann & David Engel Rona Train Leadership Fund In Honor of From LA Train's 70th Birthday Margo & Kenneth Train Argyle Foundation In Memory of From Mildred Chafetz LA & Rona Train Train Library In Honor of From 70th Birthday of LA Train Marcia Marks Don t forget..you can remember a friend or relative with a minimum contribution of $5.00 to one of our many funds. These funds support camp scholarships, education, cemeteries, fine arts, library, and building improvements, to name a few. An acknowledgement card will be sent to the honored person or family. Please make checks payable to CBI and specify the fund. Call the CBI office with any questions.

16 CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL 4402 SARATOGA CORPUS CHRISTI, TX L Dor VaDor Judaica Shop Jewelry, Menorahs, Candlesticks, Tallit, Mezuzahs, & more Please call Clara