Temple Talk. Directing our Light to the World By: Rabbi Tracy Nathan. Upcoming Events

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1 TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL Temple Talk V OLUME 26 I SSUE 3 D ECEMBER JANUARY 2011 TEVET - S HEVAT 5771 Directing our Light to the World By: Rabbi Tracy Nathan When I was growing up, we always put our Hanukkah menorah, our Hanukkiah, in the window. I liked to go outside the house so I could look at the candles from the outside, to see what others were seeing. It felt to me that we were giving this gift of light and beauty to the world. Later, I discovered that putting the lights in the window is part of Halakhah, Jewish law/ p r a c t i c e. I n t h e Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 21b, our rabbis taught: The mitzvah is to place the Hanukkah lamp by the door of one s house on the outside. If one dwells on an upper floor, one places it at the window closest to the public domain. However, in a time of danger, one places it on a table inside one s home. In other words, we are to place the Hanukkiah at the threshold spaces of our homes, at the places where it will be seen from the outside. The reason for directing the lights Upcoming Events Concert - December 4th - 8:00pm Family Chanukah Party - December 5th - 3:00pm to the street is to publicize the miracle of Hanukkah, pirsumei nisa. Even the timing of the lighting is related to what is going on in the public domain: The mitzvah [of lighting] is from sunset until travel in the marketplace finishes for the day (ad she-tikhleh regel min ha-shuk). T h e s t o r y o f Hanukkah is in part about having the courage to put our Jewish sense of self, our story of faith and survival, in the window facing the street. But it is not simply an action that proclaims our survival as a people back in the time of the Maccabees. When we put our Hanukkah lights in the window, we are saying to the street, to the marketplace that we have something that we have to share, something to teach. We make a statement that we are not simply those who take from the cultures (Continued on page 3) Chanukah Candle Lighting at City Hall - December 7th - 4:30pm Friday Night service and dinner - December 17th and January 21st Breakfast and Slideshow - January 16th - after minyan Israeli Dance Party - January 23rd (details to follow) Save the Date Rabbi Tracy Nathan & Ellen Band together again - Ki Tissa Shabbat Feb 19 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Marks Remarks 2 Yahrzeits 4 Chanukah Blessings 5 Shabbat Dinner - Details 6 Donations 7 Calendar 8-9 Hankus Netsky & Friends 10 Family Chanukah Party 10 Candle Lighting at City Hall 11 Winter Cancellation Policy 11 Rabbi: Tracy Nathan President: Merrill Griff Vice President: Jim Baron Secretary: Genevieve Fosa Treasurer: Ed Kaufman Membership Secretary: TBA Editor: Andrea Baron Address 25 Harvard Street P. O. Box Waltham, MA office@tbiwaltham.org web site (781) Office Hours Monday - Friday 9:30am - 12:30pm

P AGE 2 V OLUME 26 I SSUE 3 Marks Remarks: A Day in Bratislava by Mark Frydenberg In October, I visited Bratislava, Slovakia for a day before travelling to Timisoara, Romania, on a business trip.

2 P AGE 2 V OLUME 26 I SSUE 3 Marks Remarks: A Day in Bratislava by Mark Frydenberg In October, I visited Bratislava, Slovakia for a day before travelling to Timisoara, Romania, on a business trip. I also spent a few days in Vienna on the way there, and a few hours in Munich on the way back. In each of these cities, I sought out many sites of Jewish interest: an old cemetery, the local synagogue, a Jewish Museum, a Holocaust Memorial. Many cities have memorials honoring members of the local community who died during the Holocaust. These often take the form of sculptures, or m o n u m e n t s d e p i c t i n g symbols of Jewish life in the communities where they are located. The memorial in Bratislava is no different. The monument, placed in 1996, is a large bronze sculpture in the center of a cobblestone courtyard at the site where a local synagogue once stood. Behind it is a granite wall engraved with a carving of the former synagogue, and only the word Zachor Remember with no description of who or what the monument commemorates. Hundreds of people walk by on their way to the nearby subway station, but at the time of my visit, only the tourists stop, reflect, and take the obligatory photos. Established in 1993, a Jewish museum in the city a few blocks away chronicles Jewish life in Bratislava before the Holocaust, with salvaged artifacts that are arranged as reminders of the shtibls and Shabbat tables in this once-vibrant community. The museum also has one small room set up as a Holocaust Memorial. It s a quiet space with dim lights, and photographs and names of notable residents from here who perished. In the background, a CD plays continuously in the background as a chazzan so sings a melody of the Eil Malei Rachaim memorial prayer. I sit and listen. This is a familiar melody. I ve heard it before. It s the same melody that Mr. Hollender uses for the special Eil Malei Rachamim that he makes for the six million on Yom HaShoah and when we recite Yizkor. I remember him telling me a story about that melody, that he heard it from a cantor, Sholom Katz, who was kept alive by the Nazis to sing this song after his fellow Jews were killed in the camps. Who s singing this? I ask the attendant in the museum. It s a cantor named Sholom Katz, she said, and proceeded to tell me her version of a story that she didn t know I had already heard. In 1942 in a Nazi concentration camp, Sholom Katz was among 1600 Jews scheduled for execution. He received permission to sing the memorial prayer while the prisoners were digging their graves. The Nazi officer, impressed with his voice, spared him to sing for the other officers, and the next day he was the only one allowed to escape. Even a haunting melody and a sad story can be a reminder of home. Please join me on Sunday morning, January 16, 2011 at 10 am (come to morning minyan first, at 9:00) for breakfast followed by more stories and a slide presentation of sites of both Jewish and general interest that I visited in Vienna, Bratislava, Timisoara, and Munich.

3 TEMPLE TALK P AGE 3 Directing our Light to the World (Continued from page 1) around us, who indulge in the modern marketplace of spirituality: we have a message, a light to put forth to that marketplace. We at Temple Beth Israel have an inspiring, compelling, and beautiful light to shine to the outside, both to the Jewish community of Greater Boston and to our neighbors in the city of Waltham. The Living Room Conversations, in which we talked about the reasons we are part of this community, helped us to articulate this great beauty and to dream about how it can be deepened and expanded. We may have a small congregation but a benefit is that each person knows he or she is valued and needed, and each person is known. The number of members who spoke about the warmth and welcoming nature of our community is remarkable. We have a congregation that is heavily weighted towards an older population, which means we are surrounded by individuals with long and rich histories and biographies, who have much wisdom and experience to share with welcomed newcomers. Several members appreciated the authentic link with a traditional Eastern European sound, liturgy, and customs combined with a committed egalitarian ethos and practice. This is not something one finds everywhere it is fairly unique. And our deep roots in the Waltham community is also special we have been in Waltham for almost 100 years; this is not a community that moved from another neighborhood. Temple Beth Israel bears the imprint of this close connection with the city, and yet the congregation feels like home even for those who live outside of Waltham. And though most of the 55 individuals who attended the Conversations call the synagogue home and feel satisfied with much of congregational life, almost everyone expressed a desire for more people to be part of our community, particularly younger generations. So our task is to figure out ways to shine out the warm light of our community that we already feel within. This is the next step for our communal discussions of priorities and strategies for fulfilling the dreams that we share. I invite those of you who want to continue to dream and to build relationships within and without to step forward and become bearers and shiners of light baz man hazeh in our day. -Rabbi Tracy Nathan You may reach Rabbi Nathan at rabbinathan@tbiwaltham.org Friday Night Services We will be holding Friday Night Services the Third Friday of the month on Dec. 17th, and January 21st. ******************************************* We Need Minyanaires Services are held at 7:00am on weekdays (except Tuesday) and at 9:00am on weekends & holidays. ******************************************** Kaddish We are not able to guarantee a minyan at each morning service, so if you need a minyan on a particular day to recite Kaddish, please let the Temple know at least 2 days prior. ********************************************

4 P AGE 4 December and January Yahrzeits V OLUME 26 I SSUE 3 Plaque Loc. Name Yahrzeit Date Plaque Loc. Name Yahrzeit Date 3-2 Edward Rubin 28-Nov Kislev Ida Canter 29-Nov Kislev 22 Rebecca Sechter 30-Nov Kislev Bertha Lebowitz 30-Nov Kislev Harry Cotton 1-Dec Kislev Dr. Ludwig Kubin 1-Dec Kislev Ida Mendelson 2-Dec Kislev Charles Mendelsohn 2-Dec Kislev Charles Goldstein 2-Dec Kislev Dr. Joseph Jacobs 4-Dec Kislev Dora Posner 5-Dec Kislev Jennie Elkins 5-Dec Kislev Louis Sheer 5-Dec Kislev Carl Simon 6-Dec Kislev Chana Chosed 6-Dec Kislev Joseph Berman 6-Dec Kislev Benjamin Greene 7-Dec Kislev Blume Pill 7-Dec Kislev Leah Freedman 7-Dec Kislev Aaron Wolk 8-Dec Tevet Simon Canter 8-Dec Tevet Marcus Bern 9-Dec Tevet Alan Goldberg 9-Dec Tevet Ethel Potash 9-Dec Tevet Joseph Drapkin 9-Dec Tevet Isadore Ingber 9-Dec Tevet Hugh Greenblott 9-Dec Tevet Samuel Horenstein 9-Dec Tevet Shlome Freedman 10-Dec Tevet Sarah Feingold 11-Dec Tevet Sam Schectman 11-Dec Tevet Milton Blackman 11-Dec Tevet Ralla Blackstone 12-Dec Tevet 05 Marilyn Mallick 13-Dec Tevet Beverly Fine 13-Dec Tevet Philip Shriberg 13-Dec Tevet Howard Kaplan 13-Dec Tevet Sadie Cumenes 17-Dec Tevet Daniel Wolk 17-Dec Tevet Rudy Seigler 18-Dec Tevet Jennie Sulkin 18-Dec Tevet Harry Rosenthal 19-Dec Tevet Ida Hollicker 20-Dec Tevet Harriet Lietzky 21-Dec Tevet Jerry Resnikoff 21-Dec Tevet 14 Joseph Sherman 21-Dec Tevet Nafthali Shapiro 21-Dec Tevet 14 Dolores Simon 22-Dec Tevet Archie Sudhalter 23-Dec Tevet Harry Kniznik 24-Dec Tevet 17 Richard Cotton 25-Dec Tevet Bertha Creveshay 25-Dec Tevet Dora Geller 25-Dec Tevet 18 Abraham Alper 26-Dec Tevet Eva Wolf 26-Dec Tevet Harris Posner 26-Dec Tevet Irving Etkind 26-Dec Tevet Harold Levison 27-Dec Tevet Joseph Pill 29-Dec Tevet Aaron Tushin 29-Dec Tevet Newell Goldberg 29-Dec Tevet Frank Rosenburg 30-Dec Tevet Abraham Kennen 31-Dec Tevet Sarah Rachel Greene 31-Dec Tevet Harry Levison 31-Dec Tevet Nathan &Rae Sudhalter 31-Dec Tevet Samuel Cron 31-Dec Tevet 24 Nathan Goldstein 1-Jan Tevet Rose Tatelman 2-Jan Tevet Dr. H Myer Bloomenthal 5-Jan Tevet Sidney Tushin 7-Jan Shevat Esther Kniznik 8-Jan Shevat Pearl Portnov 9-Jan Shevat Sadie Shay 9-Jan Shevat Lillian Wigod Stroum 10-Jan Shevat Anita Kaitz 10-Jan Shevat Clara Loewy Lustig 10-Jan Shevat Esther Weiner 11-Jan Shevat Louis Perlmuter 11-Jan Shevat Richard Lustig 11-Jan Shevat 06

5 P AGE 5 December and January Yahrzeits Plaque Loc. Name Yahrzeit Date 4-1 Julius Handel 12-Jan Shevat Sylvia Kurtzman 13-Jan Shevat Benjamin Freeman 13-Jan Shevat Samuel Seskin 13-Jan Shevat Rubin Elkins 14-Jan Shevat Sarah Kennen 14-Jan Shevat Joshua Mikels Webb 15-Jan Shevat Beril Novick 17-Jan Shevat Louis Kniznik 18-Jan Shevat Molly Hauser 18-Jan Shevat Morris Katz 18-Jan Shevat Rose Leavy 19-Jan Shevat Ilona Viltschek 19-Jan Shevat Samuel Cutler 19-Jan Shevat Dinzie Cutler 20-Jan Shevat Sarah Fischer 21-Jan Shevat Ida Chansky 21-Jan Shevat 16 Harry Cohen 22-Jan Shevat 17 Morton Ginsburg 23-Jan Shevat Harry Kritzman 24-Jan Shevat Jacob Rosenfield 24-Jan Shevat Joseph Milesky 24-Jan Shevat Sadie Krinsky 24-Jan Shevat Monroe M. Frankel 26-Jan Shevat Saul Cohen 26-Jan Shevat Morris Freedman 27-Jan Shevat Dora Dame 27-Jan Shevat Gussie Kniznik 28-Jan Shevat 23 Jacob Koocher 28-Jan Shevat Samuel Wolk 29-Jan Shevat 24 Ida Kulin 30-Jan Shevat Solomon Harris 30-Jan Shevat Maurry Furman 31-Jan Shevat 26 William Becker 31-Jan Shevat 26 If you would like to make a donation in memory of a loved one listed above please send it along with a brief note of who you would like remembered to the Temple Office. V OLUME 26 I SSUE 3 Before kindling the Chanukah lights on the first night of Chanukah, Wednesday, December 1, 2010, recite all three blessings. On every subsequent night only the first two are recited. 1. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-hadlik ner shel Cha-nu-kah. 2. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-zman ha-zeh. Recited only on the first night (or the first time lighting this Chanukah): 3. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man hazeh. Translation: Blessings for Chanukah 1. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who made us holy through Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hannukah lights. 2. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season. (First Night Only) 3. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.

TEMPLE TALK P AGE 6 Welcome Shabbat with Services and Community Dinner at Temple Beth Israel Friday Evening: December 17th and January 21st* Services: 6:30 pm Dinner: 7:30 pm $10 per adult, $25 per

6 TEMPLE TALK P AGE 6 Welcome Shabbat with Services and Community Dinner at Temple Beth Israel Friday Evening: December 17th and January 21st* Services: 6:30 pm Dinner: 7:30 pm $10 per adult, $25 per family Welcome Shabbat with a spirited Kabbalat Shabbat Service at 6:30 pm, led by Rabbi Tracy Nathan, followed by a home-cooked dinner at 7:30 pm, singing, and good conversation. Reserve now! Payment must be received by Thursday morning, the day before the dinner you are attending. (Sorry, no refunds are given if you are unable to attend after your payment is received.) *The dinner on January 21st will be a Tu B'Shevat - themed dinner featuring foods, song, and texts for the New Year for Trees. Mahzor Dedications We will place a label in the front cover of a new mahzor acknowledging your donation to the Goldstein/Gordon Prayerbook fund in honor or in memory of your loved ones. Please send your requested inscriptions to the Temple office along with your donation of $36 per book. Save the Date Sunday, January 23rd - Israeli Dance Party Organized by Yaron Shragai\ Check the Website later in December for more details February 19th - Ki Tissa Shabbat Rabbi Tracy Nathan and Ellen Band will officiate together again for the first time since the High Holidays. From our President Merrill Griff I would like to acknowledge and compliment Rabbi Nathan and Chazan Band for a beautifully led High Holiday service. The experience and the participation of the congregation energized the entire community. I d like to welcome back Bobby Kaitz to Temple Beth Israel. It was great to have you participate in our duchening ceremony with your fellow cohanim who have been blessing us for generations. I'd also like to welcome those who came to services for the first time and look forward to seeing you again over the coming year. Several events have taken place since the High Holidays. I would like to thank those who came to help us construct the Succah this year: The Fishbone family, Jonathan Luire, Jim and Michaela Baron, Marilyn Racette, Barbara Norge, David Freeman, Ed Kaufman, Al Levine, and Michael Laufer who is the son of Cantor Laufer who served our congregation as our high holiday chazzan for over 35 years. Also thank you to those who helped make our Friday night dinner and service so successful. We have more plans for Temple events in the future. PLEASE BE SURE TO JOIN US!!

7 TEMPLE TALK P AGE 7 Mazel Tov To Ina Moses, Genevieve Fosa, Catherine Cantrell and Esther Keaney on their B Not Mitzvah. Condolences To Esther Davidson on the loss of her brother, Louis Potash. Donations In honor of the B Not Mitzvah of Ina Moses, Genevieve Fosa, Catherine Cantrell and Esther Keaney from: Mark Frydenberg Irving and Sheila Lesnick In honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Ina Moses from: Herb and Nessie Baron Audrey, Steven, Joshua and Jared Kennen Andrea, Jim and Michaela Baron Jack and Beverly Baron Rabbis Tracy Nathan and Scott Slarskey in honor of Merrill and Carol Griff. To the Rabbi s Discretionary Fund from: Wallace & Elaine Nathan Margery Gann & Chester Conrad Esther Keaney, in honor of Donald Keaney Linda Kopans and Arnold Pinsley Hella Hakerem Sylvia Hobbs Thank You Thank you to all those who have made donations for the High Holiday Appeal. It is never too late to make a donation. Use the form on the last page of the bulletin or go to our website Remember your donations are tax deductible. To Edward Kaufman on the loss of his brother, Arnold Kaufman. To Judith Isaac on the loss of her mother, Edith Cutter. In Memory Of In memory of Esther Davidson s brother, Louis Potash from: Harry and Ann Baker Herb and Nessie Baron Julius, Thelma and Anita Kennen Alan and Avis Cohen in memory of Ruth Cohen. Donald Kaplan in memory of Mildred Jefferson, MD. In memory of Edward Kaufman s brother, Arnold "Arnie" Kaufman from: Herb and Nessie Baron Harry and Ann Baker Marty and Joan Taubman, in memory of Herman and Betty Taubman. Saturday Kiddush Sponsors Nov 13 - Freedman-Kaitz Jewish War Veteran Fund - in honor of Veterans Day Dec 18 - Mark Frydenberg - in honor of the anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah

8 P AGE 8 V OLUME 26 I SSUE 3 December 2010 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Chanukah: 1 Candle 2 Chanukah: 2 Candles 3 Chanukah: 3 Candles 3:55pm 4 Chanukah: 4 Candles Miketz Rabbi Nathan Concert 8:00pm 5 Chanukah: 5 Candles Family Chanukah Party 3:00pm 6 Chanukah: 6 Candles 7 Chanukah: 7 Candles Candle Lighting at City Hall 4:30pm 8 Chanukah: 8 Candles :54pm 11 Vayigash Rabbi Nathan Board Meeting- 7pm Service/Dinner 6:30pm 3:55pm 18 Vayechi Rabbi Nathan :59pm 25 Shemot Member Led :03pm

9 P AGE 9 V OLUME 26 I SSUE 3 January 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Vaera Member Led :10pm 8 Bo Rabbi Nathan :18pm 15 Beshalach Member Led 16 Breakfast and Slideshow after minyan (9:00am) Tu B Shvat Service/ Dinner 6:30pm 3:55pm 22 Yitro Rabbi Nathan Israeli Dance Party (save the date) 4:35pm 29 Mishpatim Rabbi Nathan 30 31

10 TEMPLE TALK P AGE 10 HANKUS NETSKY AND FRIENDS A CHANUKAH CELEBRATION Saturday, December 4th, 8pm to 10pm The program will feature vocalist Lisa Jacobs and six of the areas finest musicians in lively Yiddish and Hebrew repertoire, including songs and nigunim gathered from our very own Morris Hollender. Hankus Netsky is founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band and Music Director for Itzhak Perlman's "In the Fiddler's House" and "Jewish Roots" projects. He is the director of the Discovery Project at the National Yiddish Book Center and chair of the Contemporary Improvisation Department at the New England Conservatory. Admission: $15 Temple Members/Students/Seniors $20 Non-members Call the Temple office at for more information Visit our website to order tickets FAMILY CHANUKAH PARTY Sunday, December 5-3:00 to 5:00 Free Admission Snacks, games, storytelling, singing and dancing to the music of the Garlic and Onion Klezmer Band. Raffle, crafts and candle lighting too. Bring your own menorah, and have a great time! Please RSVP by Wednesday, Dec. 1st to Temple Beth Israel office or office@tbiwaltham.org We hope to see you here!! TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL 25 Harvard Street, Waltham (across from Hannaford supermarket)

TEMPLE TALK P AGE 11 Chanukah Candle Lighting With the Mayor at City Hall Join Temple Beth Israel and Waltham s Mayor, Jeanette McCarthy on Tuesday, December 7th at 4:30pm at City Hall.

11 TEMPLE TALK P AGE 11 Chanukah Candle Lighting With the Mayor at City Hall Join Temple Beth Israel and Waltham s Mayor, Jeanette McCarthy on Tuesday, December 7th at 4:30pm at City Hall. We will be lighting the candles for the seventh day of Chanukah. We look forward to seeing you there!!! Please join us on Sunday morning, January 16, 2011 at 10 am (come to morning minyan first, at 9:00am) for breakfast followed by a slide presentation by Mark Frydenberg. Mark will share stories and a slide presentation of sites of both Jewish and general interest that he visited in Vienna, Bratislava, Timisoara, and Munich. Please RSVP to the Temple Office. There is no charge for this event. In case of inclement weather, weekday morning minyans are cancelled if the opening of Waltham Public Schools are delayed, or if Waltham Public Schools are closed. Please listen to the radio for storm cancellations on mornings of inclement weather. On Shabbat evening and mornings, any decision to cancel services due to inclement weather will be made by Friday at 3pm. We will notify the congregation by , and update the message on the temple answering machine. If in doubt, stay safe and stay home.

12 Temple Beth Israel stamp 25 Harvard Street P.O. Box Waltham, MA Phone: Website: Donate on the web at Beautification General Fund Guest Speakers Library Rabbi s Discretionary Fund Adult Programs Morris Hollender Music Appreciation Fund Carl Goldstein Siddur Fund Other, please specify: Temple Beth Israel Donation Form For your convenience, please use this form to make your donations and send to: Temple Beth Israel, P O Box , Waltham, MA I have chosen the fund indicated at the right: (Please use a separate form for each fund. Minimum donation: $10) Attached is my check in the amount of: $ The donation is being made In Honor Of In Memory Of Other This donation is made by: Name: Address: City/State/Zip Please send acknowledgement to: Name: Address: City/State/Zip

Temple Talk. Where Do We Give? Distributing our Tzedakah

Temple Talk. Where Do We Give? Distributing our Tzedakah TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL Temple Talk V OLUME 29 I SSUE 3 D EC. 2013 J AN. 2014 K IS LEV - TEVET - SHEVAT 5774 Where Do We Give? Distributing our Tzedakah By: Rabbi Tracy Nathan Some of you may not be aware that