Our services begin every Friday at 6:30 PM.

Transcription

1 Our services begin every Friday at 6:30 PM. February 2014 Adar 5774 Temple Beth-El 24 Coveway Drive Brownsville, Texas (956) Board bimah assignment: 07 Furgatch Tetzvach 14 Goldsmith Ki Tissa 21 Huerta Va yakhel 28 Kenigstein Pekudei Saturday services begin at 9:30 AM with Torah study immediately following in the Temple Library. featured artist Sarah Bing

2 about the cover: featured artist - Sarah Bing Sarah Bing s talent for the arts became apparent at a young age. Her affinity for painting was further developed and enhanced when she entered Fine Arts studies at the University of Calgary. This culminated in 2002 when she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with distinction. Using her technical skills of shape, form, colour and space, Sarah s fluid application of paint to canvas gives life to virtually any subject matter. With her unique style, she s discovered a way for realism and abstraction to exist, passionately intertwined on one canvas. Her work displays a depth and sense of excitement so unique, that it is impossible to turn away without experiencing considerable visual impact. Past inspirations have come from her travels and time spent in large metropolitan centres, such as Toronto and New York. However, most of her present inspiration comes from the unexpected vibrancy of every day life. In November 2010, Sarah was awarded a prestigious commission from the Calgary Bar Association. This piece now adorns the 52 foot back wall of the Ceremonial Courtroom in Calgary s Court Centre. Tzedakah: Charity The obligation to perform tzedakah can be fulfilled by giving money to the poor, to health care institutions, to synagogues or to educational institutions. It can also be fulfilled by supporting your children beyond the age when you are legally required to, or supporting your parents in their old age. The obligation includes giving to both Jews and gentiles; contrary to popular belief, Jews do not just take care of our own. Contributions: We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who remember and honor their friends and loved ones through their donations. Contributions to the General Fund A generous donation was given to our Temple by: David & Mary Tannenbaum Edward & Michelle Presley David & Dianna Hinojosa Alicia Pasol by Carlos & Jovita Pasol Sam Lizka by Israel & Antonia Lizka Eliot Safra by Claude & LaVerne Harari Donations to the Yizkor Fund In memory of Joseph Weisberg by Leon & Sylvia Weisberg Donations to the Chanukah Village Eva Silberman, Guta Klug, Jody Kolmen and Harriet Light Cantor s Discretionary fund Maye Hofer by Dave & Jayme Gelfer Grigori Chosid by Lynn & Larry Victor Isaac Pasol, Alejandro Kirel by Carlos & Jovita Pasol Education Fund Albert Abramson by Dr. Denise Joseph Religious School Madeleine Mimi Wolf, our mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother and of Raymond Popi Wolf, our father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. by Cynthia and Michael Wolf; Natalie and Brett Barth, Brian and Benjamin; Sallye Wasserstein, Truman and Ryan; Mark Wolf Pauline & Albert Wolf and Hennie & Erich Liebman, our grandparents, our great-grandparents, our great-great-grandparents by Cynthia and Michael Wolf Mary Harosh by Bill Berg & Laurel Steinberg Flower Fund Val Brown by Sandy & Tyre Brown Donations to the Yahrzeit Fund Jacob Engelsberg by Eva Silberman Miriam Edelstein by Ruben & Bernice Edelstein Max Steinberg by Bill Berg & Laurel Steinberg

3 Good Jewish Recipes... Cajun Chicken with Watermelon Mint Salsa Cajun Chicken with Watermelon Mint Salsa Times Ready Time : 25 min Servings 6 Ingredients Watermelon Mint Salsa 2 cans chopped seedless watermelon 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 cup diced seeded tomato 1 piece minced seeded jalapeno to taste 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint 1/2 cup chopped fresh scallion Cajun Chicken Cutlets 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons granulated garlic 2 tablespoons mild chili powder 2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons sweet paprika 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts Directions For Salsa: Toss ingredients together, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. For Cutlets: Mix together the spices. Coat the chicken cutlets with the spice mixture. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and place chicken breasts in pan. Blacken on both sides and sauté just until cooked through. Top with Watermelon Mint Salsa and serve immediately.

4 Hadassah Hadassah Book Club Hi Book Readers: The Hadassah Book Club will meet Sunday, February 9th. in the Temple library at 10:00 am. We will discuss The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich. Nivia Fisch just retired as a midwife in Harlingen. Nivia will lead the discussion. Come join us as we learn about sixteenth century Venice. See you the 9th of February Harriet Light Annual Deli Lunch THE BROWNSVILLE CHAPTER OF HADASSAH WILL HOST ITS ANNUAL DELI LUNCH on Friday, February 7 here at the temple. Take out orders will be served from 11 AM to Noon and eat in will be from Noon to 1:30 PM. Tickets are still only $10.00 each and include a sandwich, coleslaw, potato salad and dessert. Please contact Emily J. Alpert at for more information. Ongoing Fundraisers Temple Beth-El sells HEB cards. Please pick up one or a few here at the office. A percentage of the sales go to Temple and Hadassah 22 Facts You Didn t Know About Israel from THE JEWISH CHRONICLE ONLINE t-know-about-israel 1. Israeli cows produce more milk per cow than almost any country in the world, vying only with South Korea. 2. With peanuts introduced to their diets earlier (mostly in the form of the snack, Bamba), babies in Israel are 10 times less likely to suffer from a peanut allergy than Jewish children in the UK. 3. Israel is alone in having revived an unspoken language as its national tongue. 4. Israel is one of only two countries that began the 21st century with a net gain in the number of its trees. 5. Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv is the most expensive site on the official Israeli Monopoly board. 6. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series was produced by Israeli Haim Saban. 7. In 1966, Shai Agnon became Israel s first recipient of a Nobel Prize for literature. 8. Palwin wine, Israel s oldest brand, was first produced by the Palestine Wine and Trading Company, established in One explanation for why the different variations are identified by numbers is that they refer to different Israeli bus routes. 9. Tel Aviv is a Unesco heritage site in recognition of the 4,000 Bauhaus buildings that were built in the city in the 1930s and 40s. 10. There are more than 40 kosher McDonald s in Israel. The only one outside the Jewish state is in Buenos Aires. 11. In 1992, Israel experienced such severe snow that several centimetres fell in the Negev desert. 12. Benjamin Netanyahu s office spent 10,000 shekels on ice cream last year, according to his 2012 budget report. 13. The World Centre of the Bahai faith is located in the Israeli cities of Acre and Haifa. 14. Haifa s Carmelit transport system is one of the smallest subway systems in the world, with four carriages and a track of just 1.8 km. 15. Some buses and stations around Israel bear the inscription You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old a quote from Leviticus intended to encourage courtesy to passengers. 16. An estimated million notes are left in the Kotel each year and cleaned out before Pesach and Rosh Hashanah. 17. There are just 40 independent bookstores in Israel. 18. The largest known dog cemetery in the ancient world was unearthed in Ashkelon. 19. Beersheva has the largest number of chess grandmasters per capita of any city in the world 20. Israeli bank notes have Braille on them. 21. The glue on Israeli stamps is kosher. 22. In 2009, basketball player Omri Caspi became the first Israeli to be selected in the first round of the prestigious annual NBA draft.

5 Calendar of Events Febuary Yahrzeits 07 David Hersh *Herbert Paris *Eva Kauffman Rosenberg 14 Bertha Berg Sidney Furgatch Sofie Robins Benjamin Schuwolf Sam Korner David Paris Bronia Cann Waldman 21 Aron Honigsblum Alexander Samek Nat Ander Elsie Bogorad Cylia Kolmen Benito Eichner Cristina Kirel Stoler Arthur Chaya Rifka Pogrund Rose Steinberg Herbert Fink Miriam Joseph Marlene Pasol 28 Reina de Mayo Helen Stegman Michael Sherman Monthly Oneg Febuary 21 Oneg Shabbat will be hosted by Bobbi & Darrel Holland, Denise Joseph, Connie Hayes and Larry Jokl. Please come and enjoy some Mishpachah time and goodies. Oneg Reminder Please make sure to check the Oneg list when you are in charge of the Oneg. The list is as follows: Challah, decaf coffee, cream, sugar, cold drinks, cups for coffee and drinks, plastic ware, napkins, plates, cookies, cakes, nuts, fruit, cheese and crackers. Those in charge of the Oneg need to set up and clean after the Oneg is finished. Please launder and return tablecloths to the Temple as soon as possible. Board Meeting: The Board of Directors meets every second Wednesday of the month. This month it will be on the 12th. Everybody is welcome to attend the meetings. Weekly Parsha Studies Cantor Greenspan is conducting a weekly Torah study group held in the Library immediately following morning Shabbat services. Come enjoy some sweets and coffee along with some inspiring thoughts. Febuary Birthdays: 02 Ralph Frapart 04 Yakir Harosh 07 Adrienne Frapart 08 Hanna Weisberg 08 Peggy Paris 08 Jeremy Edelstein 10 Sylvia Holzman 11 Bill Rubinsky 11 Larry Jokl 13 Jovita Pasol 14 Silvia Weisberg 15 Mary Katz 16 Albert Rubinsky 20 Richard Jaross 20 Bill Berg 20 Mike Furgatch 23 Ruben Edelstein 28 Leon Weisberg Febuary Anniversaries: 10 Leon & Silvia Weisberg 12 Bob & Peggy Paris

6 Sunday School News Death and Mourning - An Eternal Flame Temple Beth-El Sunday School was blessed to have Cantor Henry Greenspan visit during Sunday School to discuss an important life cycle event. Cantor discussed the importance of our Jewish rituals during mourning for loved ones. Cantor Greenspan was asked very inquisitive questions by our students. He was very informative using sensitivity when answering our children, taking into account the age and maturity level of the students. The Sunday School is very appreciative of Cantor in spending time with our children. A big thank you to Cantor Henry Greenspan for taking time to teach our Sunday School children about these important life cycle events. Tu B Shevat On 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar celebrated this year on Thursday, January 16, 2014 is the day that marks the beginning of a new year for trees. This is the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. Though the Sunday School Class did not plant a tree, we discussed it s meaning and planted some flowers which have already started to grow. Amanda Winer Our Sunday School is pleased to announce that ISJL fellow, Amanda Winer, will be visiting Temple Beth-El in March. She will be in Brownsville March 21st through the 23rd. Amanda has been inspirational for our teachers and students alike. We are looking forward to her final visit for this year. Amanda has visited Temple Beth-El on two prior occassions during the school year. It is our hope that you will take time to thank her for all her hard work and dedication she has given our community. The 4 Hannahs Not so little anymore. Our four Hannahs got together for a fun picture.

7 Hebrew Cemetery News Joseph Alexander In the early morning hours of August 11, 1872, 3 men prepared for an arduous business journey from Brownsville to the most prosperous town in lower south Texas, Rio Grande City. Rio Grande City was established as a military base in 1846 for the invasion of Mexico by Zachary Taylor s army during the Mexican-American War. By 1872, the town had grown because of the military presence as well as the fact that it was on the most direct road from Texas to Monterrey, Mexico. The three businessmen were Henry Simeon, Crespin Pena and Joseph Alexander left Brownsville before morning taking Military Road, which the cavalry established as a route from Fort Brown in Brownsville to Fort Ringgold in Rio Grande City. Their plan was to prepare the first night s camp near Rancho Relampago, a large ranch which was 10 miles southeast of present day Weslaco. Joseph Alexander was a prominent Jewish businessman in Brownsville who owned the wellrespected firm of Alexander & Company, a large wholesale dry goods company. As a leader in the Brownsville Jewish community he had joined with other Jewish citizens to ask Charles Stillman, the founder of Brownsville, about getting a piece of land for a Hebrew Cemetery. They were successful and were presented with a deed to the cemetery land, in consideration of a token $1.00, on May 21, The land was immediately prepared as a cemetery surrounded by a wall. In the early evening of August 11, 1872, Joseph Alexander and his two business companions reached the outskirts of Rancho Relampago and began preparing their camp for the night. As light was fading, horsemen galloped up to them with their pistols drawn. The leader was Francisco (Chicon) Perez, a bandit from Mexico and part of the infamous Juan Cortina outlaw gang. Juan Cortina and his gang had ridden into Brownsville in 1859 and terrorized the town. During that raid, young Peter Neale was shot and killed in his parent s home by a Cortina bullet. His parents, Rose Hornstein Neale and William Alfred Neale are buried in the Hebrew Cemetery. The outlaw Perez demanded money from the 3 businessmen. Joseph Alexander went for his gun and Perez shot and killed. The outlaws rode off and escaped back to Mexico. The body of Joseph Alexander was taken back to Brownsville where he was buried in the Hebrew Cemetery which he had helped establish 4 years previously. Francisco Perez was found guilty of murder by a Brownsville jury and extradition papers were presented to the Mexican authorities. A judge in Mexico refused to extradite Perez because the treaty between Mexico and the United States allowed each country to refuse extradition.

8 other stuff... Temple Beth-El website is under development and will be deployed shortly ( a few more weeks of tweaking ). This website will not only be up to date and informative, but will be something that we can all be proud of. Donations may be made to Temple Beth-El in memory, in honor, in appreciation, etc. for the following funds: General, Yahrzeit, Yizkor, Education, Building & Grounds, Flower, Torah, Cantor s Discretionary Funds. You may use this form: Donations form Please find enclosed a donation to the Fund, given in Honor Memory Appreciation Speedy recovery of Please send acknowledgment to: Name: Address: Donor information: Name: Address: Please note that any contribution submitted without a designated fund will be placed in the General Fund. Make checks payable to Temple Beth-El and mail to: 24 Coveway Brownsville, TX Thank you! Committees & Chairs Budget Committee: Chair, Mike Furgatch/Irwin Riezenman Building/Ground Committee: Javier Huerta Dues Committee & Membership Committee: Mike Furgatch Fundraising Committee: Alex Blinder/Morris Edelstein House Committee/Welcome Committee: Sara Kenigstein/Barry Goldsmith Library Committee: Harriet Light Religious School Committee: Patricia Edelstein/Leon Weisberg Ritual Committee: Sara Kenigstein Scholarship Committee: Larry Holtzman Temple Beth-El 24 Coveway Drive Brownsville, Texas (956) temple.bethel@yahoo.com