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Beth Israel Congregation s December 2014/5775 BULLETIN Rabbi s Message Save the Date!

Shelter. I have tremendous respect for Bonnie Luna who is a gifted and incredible fundraiser on a volunteer basis.

One of the nuns happens to be from Syracuse, where my late wife Ilene and her family have their roots, so we reminisce about New York State together.

1 Beth Israel Congregation s December 2014/5775 BULLETIN Rabbi s Message Save the Date! General Service Schedule Friday 7:30pm; Saturday 10:00am The Essence of Hanukkah On November 23 rd, I had the honor of attending the Magi Concert which benefits Joseph s House and the Christian Shelter. I have tremendous respect for Bonnie Luna who is a gifted and incredible fundraiser on a volunteer basis. I also hold the Sisters of the Joseph House in very high regard for their critical work in assisting the neediest individuals in the Greater Salisbury area. One of the nuns happens to be from Syracuse, where my late wife Ilene and her family have their roots, so we reminisce about New York State together. What struck me at the event which was a Christmas concert was that I was the only Jewish person at Wicomico High School surrounded by 1300 individuals. The two choirs alone were comprised of some 300 singers. The reality of being a Jew is being a part of a very, very tiny minority. The essence of Hanukkah is that as Jews, we are a small drop in the ocean of humanity. However, we have survived because of the values and teachings of our tradition. Our rabbis felt that a beautiful verse from the prophet Zechariah summarized the message of Hanukkah. Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit says the Lord of Hosts. The small nation of Judea was also a tiny entity in the vast ocean of the Hellenistic Empire created by Alexander the Great. Yet somehow, the Jewish people were able to maintain their unique religious and cultural identity. Hellenism had its magnificent theater and athletics, its gods and goddesses, and its sculpture and drama. On the other hand, Judaism had its devotion to Torah and its allegiance to its one G-d. Despite the challenges of Judaism to survive in the overwhelming might and power of the Hellenistic world, it maintained its unique belief and way of life. Our rabbis chose the image of the tiny flask of oil that maintained the flames of the menorah for eight days to symbolize this triumph. December Dec 16 th Lighting of Menorah, 5:30pm Dec 19 th Hanukkah Dinner, 6:30pm Dec 25 th Christmas Office Closed January Jan 01 st New Year s Day Office Closed Jan 03 rd Noah Honick Bar Mitzvah Religious School Schedule Dec 7, 14 BIRS; 10:00am-12:00pm 2, 9, 16 BIRS; 4:15-pm-5:30pm Shabbat Candle Lighting Times Dec 05 4:24pm Dec 12 4:24pm Dec 19 4:26pm Dec 26 4:30pm Please join us on Tuesday, December 16 th at 5:30pm for the lighting of the menorah on the downtown plaza in Salisbury to celebrate the first evening of Hanukkah. Join us for singing and celebrating the joy of Hanukkah. If you would like to volunteer to light the menorah, please contact Jackie or Rabbi Bienstock to schedule your evening. Currently, our beloved State of Israel is surrounded by the forces of Islamic extremism in the Middle East. We mourn the horrific murders of the four rabbis, the Druze policeman, the three month old baby, and the Ecuadoran convert to Judaism in Jerusalem. Continued on page 2

2 Rabbi s Message, Continued Terrorists feel that they will have the last word as they dominate innocent civilians through their cruelty. However, we know that in the long run, extremists will ultimately meet their defeat. Our rabbis also noted that as long as the voice of Jacob is heard in study and prayer, than the violence of Esau will never overtake them. Today, the State of Israel has two million children in its school system. Israel has brilliant young minds that have transformed the country into the high tech center of the world. Recently, Tel Aviv was voted smartest city in the world on the basis of its entrepreneurial spirit. The largest nations of the world, China and India, are forging strong economic ties with tiny Israel because of the ability of Israelis to think outside the box. The Chinese laugh because the entire population of Israel is much smaller than one major city in China. Yet, the small people of Israel survive because of their spirit. As we kindle the lights of the menorah, let us think of the miracle of Hanukkah the ability of the small nation of Judea to survive the imperial might of the Seleucid Greeks. Let us think of the miracle of our own survival as Jews on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Please join us for a Hanukkah dinner and service on Friday evening, December 19 th. Best wishes for a Happy Hanukkah to you and your loved ones. --Rabbi Bienstock Hanukkah Dinner What: Hanukkah Dinner When: December 19, 2014 from 6:30pm Menu: Roasted Chicken Latkes Applesauce Pasta Dessert From Our President I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all the members of Beth Israel Congregation that help with the events and activities at the synagogue. It is heartwarming to know that we have a wonderful group of volunteers who consistently get involved in all that we do. Whether purchasing tickets for events, providing or serving refreshments or even cleaning up afterwards, each area is an integral part of our activities. Being part of a well organized group is a great accomplishment and we thank you. Everyone is welcome to volunteer with us at any time. Your help is always needed. If you haven t had a chance to join us in a while we have the perfect opportunity for you to do so. Please make plans to join us on Friday, December 19 th at 6:30pm for our annual Hanukkah dinner. Details are listed in this bulletin. In conjunction with the Hanukkah dinner, the USY will be collecting canned goods or any other items that may be useful to the Joseph House residents. Please support our youth in this endeavor. We hope you take the time to visit us each week during Shabbat services so that we may have a minyan for those in attendance and remember to RSVP for the Hanukkah Dinner. --Todd Berman Please join David & Jamie Honick as they celebrate the bar mitzvah of their son, Ben Honick, on January 3, Cost: $8 Children under 5 $12 members, SU Students & children over 5 $15 nonmembers RSVP: By December 11 th to Jackie at bicsecretary@verizon.net or The USY will be delivering canned food to the Joseph House after the Hanukkah dinner. Please bring in canned food or any items you feel might be useful to the Joseph House on the night of the Hanukkah dinner. These items may also be dropped off at Beth Israel at anytime before the dinner on December 19 th. --Susan Tilghman

3 Member-to-Member Thank you to Arnold Kalmanson for putting the flags on the cemetery for Veteran s Day and to the Berman family for removing them. Thank you to Harvey Needleman for his donation covering the BIC web domain. Best wishes for a refuah shelemah, a full and speedy recovery to Albert Berger. Condolences to Mina Pincus and children Sam, Brenna and William upon the death of Mina s mother, Dorothy Alp. May G-d comfort you among your fellow mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. May G-d spare you from any further sorrow. Mazel tov to Dennis Rothouse on his graduation and we wish him the best of luck. We thank him for his contribution to BIRS. We will miss him. Mazel Tov to Jeff Sherr, President of Apple Discount Drugs, who was awarded the Business of the Year award by the Fruitland Chamber of Commerce. The Beth Israel Dues Hardship Review Committee has met and established a Hardship Policy for those members who may need reduced dues. The policy and application may be obtained by contacting Jackie at the office or Board President, Todd Berman. All information is kept confidential. (Please see page 5 for a copy of the application.) Thank you! Thank you! Our Comedy Night Fundraiser with Dave Goldstein could not have been a success without the hard work of Sara Stivelman, Mark Tilghman, Todd Berman, Chris Parypa and Susan Lewis Paciga. Thanks to all who helped with clean-up. Thanks to Adrianne Kadushin who arranged with the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council to borrow a microphone and even picked it up for us. Thanks to Jackie Middleton for selling and taking tickets and to Susan Land for assisting her. Thank you to Teresa Watson and crew for helping with the set up for the event. We appreciate the great decorations and tablecloths that the Caplans left for us to use. Many thanks go to those who made generous donations and helped sponsor the event whether they could come or not. Beth Israel was a comedy club for one night, and it was lots of fun! -Susan Tilghman SOS Please do not forget to make your financial pledge to Beth Israel. Our SOS (Support our Synagogue) appeal is an important way for you to help sustain Beth Israel Congregation. Be sure to make your pledge and follow up with your check. Your donation will make a BIG difference and is greatly appreciated. Thanks to each of those who have made a pledge. Beth Israel would like to thank the following members who, as of November 30, have paid their SOS pledge. We appreciate your generosity. Albright Berman Cooper Davis Folkoff Friedman Gold Hancock Hansen A Karten Kleger Land Marmer A Miller Birthdays: Jay Lepselter Dec. 12 Anniversaries: Roy & Ann Hansen Dec. 13 Paciga B Polin Quigley Raffish/Tarpley Rubin Rudnick Scherr Schwalb Sherr Snyder Stivelman Werksman White Needleman *Please send Jackie all birthday and anniversary information for future bulletins. Beth Israel Congregation has a new Facebook page. See all of the upcoming events at:

Beth Israel Congregation would like to thank the following members and businesses for sponsoring our Evening of Comedy Bronze Jeff & Jamie Albright Todd & Pam Berman Andy & Karen Karten Harvey &

4 Beth Israel Congregation would like to thank the following members and businesses for sponsoring our Evening of Comedy Bronze Jeff & Jamie Albright Todd & Pam Berman Andy & Karen Karten Harvey & Hilliary Needleman Arlene Miller & Shari Silbert Tom & Susan Paciga Tom & Teri Quigley Bob & Judy Scherr Mike & Sara Stivelman Mark & Susan Tilghman x 2 Silver Fran Lane Jeff & Joanne Sherr of Apple Discount Drugs

BALTER Dec 5-6, 2014 MURIEL FOLKOFF Dec 5-6, 2014 J WILLIAM BENJAMIN Dec 12-13, 2014 DAVID ROSENBERG Dec 12-13, 2014 WILLIAM KLEGER Dec 12-13, 2014 FLORENCE ROTH KLEGER Dec 12-13, 2014 J EDWARD

6 Yahrzeits: December YAHRZEIT NAME SARAH ROSE KAMANITZ Dec 5-6, 2014 HELEN BRENT Dec 5-6, 2014 NEDDA RUDOFF Dec 5-6, 2014 MARTHA G. ROSS Dec 5-6, 2014 Harold Leonard Lansman Dec 5-6, 2014 MAE LEVY Dec 5-6, 2014 JOSEPH MASARSKY Dec 5-6, 2014 LEONARD SCHER Dec 5-6, 2014 ROBERT B. BALTER Dec 5-6, 2014 MURIEL FOLKOFF Dec 5-6, 2014 J WILLIAM BENJAMIN Dec 12-13, 2014 DAVID ROSENBERG Dec 12-13, 2014 WILLIAM KLEGER Dec 12-13, 2014 FLORENCE ROTH KLEGER Dec 12-13, 2014 J EDWARD BOGAGE Dec 12-13, 2014 MARTIN DATTELBAUM Dec 12-13, 2014 M. CHARLES ROSS Dec 12-13, 2014 SHEVA LERNER Dec 12-13, 2014 LILLIAN STEINBERG Dec 12-13, 2014 SHIRLEY KAHN Dec 12-13, 2014 HERBERT D. BRENT Dec 12-13, 2014 CHANA STEIN Dec 19-20, 2014 HYMAN GORDON Dec 19-20, 2014 ANNA L COHEN Dec 19-20, 2014 BERNICE KLEGER Dec 19-20, 2014 IDA G. POLAND Dec 19-20, 2014 Esther Glushakow Dec 19-20, 2014 Shirley Ratner Dec 19-20, 2014 Charles B. Hirsch Dec 19-20, 2014 Ethel Stelzner Dec 19-20, 2014 Nicholas Sivan Dec 19-20, 2014 Anita Margulis Dec 19-20, 2014 Morris Lesnar Dec 19-20, 2014 Carrie Koppelman Dec 26-27, 2014 Sarah Cooper Dec 26-27, 2014 Ethel Miller Dec 26-27, 2014 Esther Goodman Dec 26-27, 2014 Joseph Slavin Dec 26-27, 2014 Ruth Feldman Sharp Dec 26-27, 2014 Israel Lerner Dec 26-27, 2014 June Balin Dec 26-27, 2014 Ruth Burnet Dec 26-27, 2014 Ruth Polin Dec 26-27, 2014 Lois Davis Dec 26-27, 2014 Clara Kerpelman Dec 26-27, 2014 Hugo Haberman Dec 26-27, 2014 Donations for November 2014 Yahrzeits Elliott & Dana Corn Selma Bilofsky Fred & Andrea Kahn Comedy Night Sara & Mike Stivelman Susan & Mark Tilghman Yahrzeit of Leonard Scher Yahrzeit of Howard Bilofsky Yahrzeit of Shirley Kahn Chanukah s coming First Night is December 16 th. The Gift Shop is putting everything, including menorahs, on sale at 20% off between now and December 24 th. We have candles, menorahs, dreidels and gelt. If there s anything you re not seeing, call Jackie and let her know. Chances are good that we can order it.

Beth Israel Staff Rabbi: Arnold Bienstock Office Manager: Jackie Middleton Board of Governors President: Todd Berman Vice President: Shari Silbert Secretary: Andy Karten Treasurer: Susan Land Youth:

Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801 Phone 410-742-2564 Fax 410-742-2697 www.bethisraelsalisbury.org General Information: bicsecretary@verizon.net Office Hours: Tues. - Friday 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Shabbat Services: Friday, 7:30 p.

7 Beth Israel Staff Rabbi: Arnold Bienstock Office Manager: Jackie Middleton Board of Governors President: Todd Berman Vice President: Shari Silbert Secretary: Andy Karten Treasurer: Susan Land Youth: Sara Stivelman USY: Susan Tilghman Religious: Jaimi Hall Membership: Susan Paciga Program Director: Arlene Miller House: Joe Beatus, Mike Folkoff Lifetime Member: Albert Berger Contact Us 600 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD Phone Fax General Information: Office Hours: Tues. - Friday 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Shabbat Services: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism The mission of this Congregation shall be to establish and maintain a Synagogue and such educational, religious, social and recreational activities as will help further the cause and objectives of the Synagogue and Conservative Judaism. Gift Shop Sale Just in time for Hanukkah 20% off everything Do you love ONEG? Who doesn t? So come celebrate a simcha, remember a yahrzeit or just make it a great end to a long week by hosting one! It s easy and quick. Call Jackie in the BIC office for details Beth Israel Cards Appropriate for every occasion and affordable, BIC Cards can be purchased in the Office. Established 1926 THE ONLY JEWISH DELI ON DELMARVA!! 63 rd Street & Coastal Hwy., Ocean City, MD OPEN XMAS EVE UNTIL 7:00 OPEN XMAS DAY 8:30 5:00 EAT IN, TAKE OUT, OR SCHLEP IT HOME!

BULLETIN. Beth Israel Congregation s. Rabbi s Message. Menorah Lighting. The Pope on Hanukkah

BULLETIN. Beth Israel Congregation s. Rabbi s Message. Menorah Lighting. The Pope on Hanukkah Beth Israel Congregation s. /5778 BULLETIN Rabbi s Message General Service Schedule Friday 7:00pm; Saturday 10:00am The Pope on Hanukkah Pope Francis gave the perfect Hanukkah sermon during the last week