My article last month discussed how our Jewish tradition and our history as a people call us to act on behalf of social justice.

Transcription

1 Congregation Sons of Zion 378 Maple Street Holyoke, MA Phone: (413) Upcoming Dates to Remember: Jan. 6: Special Kiddush & Chorus Jan 11: Hebrew Reading Group Jan 13: Special Kiddush Jan 17: SOZ Board Mtg. Jan 27: Shabbat Shira w/ Special Kiddush Jan. 30: Tu b Shvat Seder Inside this issue: Thank You! 6 Calendar 8 Yahrzeits and Minyan Chairs 9 Save the Date 14 Ads from our Sponsors 15 From the Office 16 Sons of Zion News Volume 3, Issue 5 From Our Rabbi My article last month discussed how our Jewish tradition and our history as a people call us to act on behalf of social justice. Now let s consider what this might mean for Sons of Zion today an example. January 2018 Tevet/Sh vat 5778 Recently I attended a climate rally in Northampton urging our leaders to have Photo credit: Steve Levine the United States rejoin the UN climate accords. We stand alone as the only country in the world to withdraw from the accords. The rally also called for Massachusetts to move away from fossil fuels that foster global warming; instead we should make clean, renewable energy an urgent local and national priority. The world-wide scientific consensus is clear about the consequences of global warming. We can already witness the devastation caused by climate change in the recent storms that have left most of Puerto Rico without electricity and created a new category of refugees climate refugees. As individuals, many of us are already making significant efforts to minimize our carbon footprint. We use cleanly generated solar and/or wind generated electricity. We drive high mileage hybrid cars or even all electric vehicles. We insulate our homes. All of these are steps in the right direction. But it is important to acknowledge that these changes have been made affordable and possible for many of us because of public policy such as tax credits, free home energy audits, and so on.

2 Page 2 Sons of Zion News Individual action is necessary but not sufficient. Action on a national scale is also essential. We must redouble efforts to have our power companies generate electricity from clean solar and wind sources. Many diverse constituencies already support environmentally friendly public policy. That was clear from the number and diversity of groups that endorsed the climate rally. The list of sponsoring organizations, many of them religious, was so long that their names were read in several smaller groupings rather than all at once. Sons of Zion was not among them. That raises many questions. Were we asked to be listed as a sponsor? Would we have wanted to be asked? If we had been asked, would we have agreed to be listed? In general how would we decide which causes/issues to endorse and which not to endorse? Is there benefit to our synagogue to have the wider community know where we stand? Given that one of the wonderful strengths of Sons of Zion is the diversity of our members, do we risk dividing our community by taking a public stance on important social issues? On the other hand, given that our Jewish tradition and history call upon us to pursue justice, what do we risk by remaining silent as a synagogue community? For a long time I have tried to keep politics out of our Torah discussions. I am well aware that our members may have strong and opposing feelings about a policy, political leader, or issue. We are a small shul and political discussions might polarize our wonderfully warm and welcoming community. When someone expresses an opinion that is diametrically opposed to a truth that we hold to be obvious and correct, it might lead us to reconsider and refine our thinking (a positive outcome in my opinion). Or it might lead us to distance ourselves from someone who takes a position that we strongly oppose (a negative outcome in my opinion). That is a serious risk, but I think it is one that we should consider taking. Here s why: 1. Discussing difficult issues can be challenging, but can also actually deepen our connection to one another when carried out with clear guidelines that foster respect for different opinions and ideas. Such discussions, when properly planned and facilitated, can be very productive and actually bring a community together. We already know that differences exist. Discussing our differences, rather than avoiding them, might actually help build understanding and appreciation of our diversity. 2. Our Judaism is a time-tested way of life, full of wisdom that can help us live fuller, richer lives. By considering the issues of the day in the synagogue, we can benefit from the insights, values, and perspective that our tradition can provide on current issues. 3. As mentioned above, Judaism calls us to act in the world, to pursue justice by building a society and government that supports those who are most vulnerable, disenfranchised, and at

3 Volume 3, Issue 5 Page 3 risk. Our newly-formed Tikkun Olam Committee is already putting the Jewish values of gemilut chasadim deeds of lovingkindness into practice. I tried to volunteer to help with our community service at Kate s Kitchen recently only to find that we already had a full complement of volunteers. While personally disappointing, I am delighted that we as a shul are already enthusiastically making a real difference for people in need. While acknowledging the great mitzvah of individual volunteering to help those less fortunate, we might consider the experience of Mazon (sustenance), a national Jewish organization that combats hunger. In its early stages, Mazon supported soup kitchens and other volunteer efforts to feed the hungry, and it still does. But Mazon also realized that those efforts of chesed, while very important and helpful, must be accompanied by tzedek, public policy that deals with food justice, legislation such as nutrition safety programs, and so on. Just as Mazon s experience led it to encourage policies and laws that fight hunger and poverty, our synagogue might well devote some of our efforts in the direction of public policy and social justice legislation. That is what our Judaism calls us to do. 4. By going public in support of social justice and the environment to try to make a positive difference in the world, we may also be doing something that benefits and strengthens our synagogue. Rabbi Sidney Schwarz has studied American synagogues in depth. In a recent article, Rabbi Schwarz writes that synagogues that make social justice central to their programming, like B nai Jeshurun in New York and IKAR in Los Angeles, are thriving while dozens of synagogues are losing membership. According to Innovation Labs a significant number of the projects being created by younger Jews in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Israel have a social justice or environmental focus. Mainstream Jewish organizations that understand this trend and are prepared to modify their modus operandi will flourish. Those that don t will see themselves hard-pressed to maintain their current membership levels and support. In summary, working for social justice is good for those we benefit and it is good for our own feeling of making a positive difference in the world. It can also help our synagogue continue to thrive. This may be the time to consider adding our name and our energy to the organizations that are willing to take a principled stand on the issues facing our community, our country and the world. Rabbi Saul Perlmutter

4 Page 4 From The President Sons of Zion News With the glow of the Hanukah lights and events still in our heads, many of us turn our attention to the secular new year and the chill of January. However, in our beloved tradition this time of year brings thoughts of music and trees. This year the last Shabbat in January, January 27th, is Shabbat Shira, the Sabbath of Song. The Torah celebrates Miriam s iconic song on the far shore of the Red Sea. Certainly an event worthy of receiving a special name and a special celebration. Felicia Sloin, a gifted teacher and singer accepted our invitation to join Shabbat services and teach us some melodies. Don t miss Shabbat Shira!! Undaunted by cold, Tuesday, January 30, 6:00pm should find you at SOZ with visions of almond blossoms in your head. Please mark your calendar and be part of the mystical, kabbalist experience, the Tu B Shevat Seder, led by Rabbi Perlmutter. Tu B Shevat is derived from the Hebrew date of the holiday. Tu stands for the Hebrew letters tet (9) and vav (6) adding up to 15; thus the Fifteenth of Shevat. Tu B Shevat appears in the Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah as one of the four new years in the Jewish calendar. The Rabbis discussion went something like this: The first of Nisan (new year for kings and festivals), first of Elul (new year for animal tithes), first of Tishrei (new year for calendar calculations) so the first of Shevat (new year for agricultural tithes) seems logical to the school of Shamai. The school of Hillel argues for the fifteenth of Shevat, possibly because of the full moon beginning a three month series of full moons ending with Pesach. The rabbis of the Sanhedrin voted in favor of Hillel. Tu B Shevat is the new year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing, for about the past 2,000 years In the late 16th century, renown kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed introduced the Tu B Shevat Seder giving the fruits and trees symbolic meaning. Eating 10 specific fruits and drinking 4 cups of wine in a specific order while reciting appropriate blessings would bring human beings and the world closer to perfection. At SOZ we sprinkle in songs, dance, a story and winter disappears. Gazing at the variety of the Tu B Shevat Seder table and realizing what each fruit and nut contributes to make the whole, reminds me that our SOZ community consists of many different kinds of people each with something very special to give, making us a whole. Join us for this very special seder. Join us on Shabbat, January 6, after Kiddush to sing some Tu B Shevat songs in preparation for the seder. Joan

5 Volume 3, Issue 5 Page 5 A Special Thank You to Our Sustaining Members Andrew Barowsky Steve and Linnea Constant Richard and Ellen Freyman Herb (z"l) and Barbara Goldberg Steve and Lois Levin Steve and Joan Levine Sidney Paul Buddy and Margie Resnic Michael and Joan Rosner Bill and Joanne Saltman Please consider joining our generous Sustaining Members at any time!

6 Page 6 Sons of Zion News Thank You! Doron Goldman, in honor of the High Holidays Joan & Michael Rosner, in memory of Rose Paul Ken & Pinky Stein, in memory of Bernice Kalicka Sidney Paul, in memory of his beloved sister, Rose Paul Susan Craig, in memory of her husband Philip and parents Bea and Milton Palmer Bill & Joanne Saltman, Thank You for the donation of a toaster to the SOZ Kitchen. Steve & Joan Levine Rhoda Wernick, in memory of Ruth Ziman Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Vapnek David & Maya Edelman, in honor of the High Holidays Margo Stein, in memory of Herbie Goldberg Joan & Michael Rosner, Year-End Donation Laura Weiss, Year-End Donation Welcome New Sustainers A Warm Welcome and Heartfelt Thanks to our newest Sustaining Members: Stephen and Joan Levine Richard and Ellen Freyman

7 Volume 3, Issue 5 Page 7 Photo credit: Shoshana Zonderman

8 Page 8 Sons of Zion News JANUARY 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Tevet 3 16 Tevet 4 17 Tevet 5 18 Tevet 6 14 Tevet 19 Tevet Sh mot 8am Minyan Kiddush in Honor of Aster Marks s 15th Birthday followed by Chorus Happy 2018! Tevet 9 22 Tevet 10 23Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet 26 Tevet 8am Minyan 8am Minyan Va era Kiddush in Honor of Brielle s 9th Birthday SOZ Theater Rehearsal 10am Tevet Tevet 17 1 Sh vat 18 2 Sh vat 19 3 Sh vat 20 MLK Jr Day Activities/ Fundraising Mtg., 7pm at Vieu home Rosh Chodesh 1 Rosh Chodesh 2 Hebrew Reading 9:30am Sh vat 24 8 Sh vat 25 9 Sh vat Sh vat 27 Shabbat Mevarchim 27 Tevet 4 Sh vat 8am Minyan SOZ Board 8am Minyan Bo Meeting 7:30pm 5 Sh vat 6 Sh vat 11 Sh vat 8am Minyan 8am Minyan Beshalach Shabbat Shira with Felicia Sloin Sh vat Sh vat Sh vat 31 8am Minyan Tu b Shvat Seder 6pm 15 Sh vat Tu b Sh vat Please keep in mind: The office is closed on weekends and Jewish holidays. If you need to make funeral arrangements during these times, please contact Joanne at

9 Volume 3, Issue 5 Yahrzeits and Minyan Chairs Dec. 31 Jan. 6: Richard Freyman Dec. 31. Sarah Reiner Jan. 1 Bessie Jolles *Batya Segalovitch Jan. 2 *Pauline Jaffe *Sarah Stein *Elizabeth Zellan Jan. 3 *Theresa "Babe" Resnic *Menachem Segalovitch *Arkady Shulman Jan. 4 Aaron Kingsberg Jan. 5 Benjamin Messias Jan. 6 Ruth Laskin Jan. 7 13: Ira Laby Jan. 7 Ida Gold Leah Persoff Jan. 10 *George Eisenstock Jan. 11 *Martin Bassell *Bertha Wernick Jan. 12 Benjamin Tenenbaum Jan. 13 Lena Rubinwitch Jan : Joanne Saltman Jan. 17 *Jerome Jaffe Samuel Samel Jan. 19 *Leopold Mausel Jan : Cindy Vieu Jan. 21 *Clarence Irving Garber *Rebecca R. Katz Jan. 22 *Lenore Kingsberg *Elizabeth Orlen Jan. 24 Isidor Becker Richard Wernick Jan 28 Feb. 3:Deb Levine Jan. 28 *Samuel Karukin Jan. 31 *Samuel Garber Feb. 1 Rebecca Wolfe Feb. 2 Doris Goldberg Selbie Feb. 3 *Frances Brams Evarts Page 9 Winter Weather Note Remember that when Holyoke Public School are closed or delayed due to weather, there will be no morning minyan. Thank you. If you're wondering whether Shabbat Services will be held when the weather is bad, please call SOZ at and listen to the message after 8:00am on Shabbat morning. The usual welcome message means services will be held. or There will be a message announcing cancelled services.

10 Page 10 Tikkun Olam News Sons of Zion News The Sons of Zion Tikkun Olam Committee has had a very successful beginning in Our High Holiday food drive for Margaret's Pantry had widespread participation from SOZ members, and our monthly volunteering at Kate's Kitchen has been rewarding and inspirational. We have also been able to share information about important social justice programs and speakers with the Sons of Zion Community. I am looking forward to continued, meaningful actions in the New Year. Information will be coming soon about a meeting in January. In the meantime, I would like to ask everyone in our community to think about areas you would like to see developed for Tikkun Olam participation. And also areas that you are already involved with and could share with others. We welcome and invite your participation as we do what we can to make our world a better place for all. Rosh Hodesh Women s Group at Cong. B Nai Israel, Northampton The Rosh Hodesh group that meets at CBI would like to extend an invitation to women of Sons of Zion to join us in our monthly ritual to celebrate the new month. We meet at 7:15pm on a Wednesday in the sanctuary at Cong. B'nai Israel (253 Prospect Street, Northampton). The next meetings are January 17, 2018 (Shevat), February 21 (Adar), March 21 (Nisan), April 18 (Iyar), May 16 (Sivan), June 13 (Tammuz), July 18 (Av), and August 15 (Elul). Each ritual is led by two women in the group and includes singing, learning, poetry, personal sharing, viewing and reciting blessing for the new moon, an optional healing circle, and socializing over a snack. For information, call Shoshana Zonderman , the coordinator of the group. Shabbat Shira: The Sabbath of Song On January 27th, Sons of Zion will be joined by singer/songwriter and all-around amazing person, Felicia Sloin, who will help us celebrate the Shabbat of Song in a very song-filled way. More details are forthcoming, but here are some thoughts on Shabbat Shira: The Shabbat on which the Parsha of Beshalach is read is called Shabbat Shira, because it contains the song sung by Israel after the splitting of the Red Sea. No creature ever uttered a more beautiful song to God than this one. The song is, therefore, beloved to Israel. [We] recite it daily, and [we] read it from the Torah publicly on one Shabbat each year, and on the Seventh Day of Pesach when we commemorate the Miracle of the Splitting of the Red Sea with a special melody, and with great rejoicing. Some follow the custom of standing when it is read. Special honor is accorded this Shabbat and it is crowned by a special name: Shabbat Shirah ( The Sabbath of Song ). ~OU.org

11 Volume 3, Issue 5 Page 11 SOZ Book Club We enjoyed a lively discussion of the book House of Stone at our last meeting. The new book chosen by the group is Don't Let My Baby Do Rodeo by Boris Fishman. Our next meeting is scheduled for February 11 at 9:30am at SOZ. Book synopsis: Maya Shulman and Alex Rubin met in 1992, when she was a Ukrainian exchange student with a devil in her head about becoming a chef instead of a medical worker, and he was the coddled son of Russian immigrants wanting a less predictable life. Twenty years later, Maya Rubin is a medical worker in suburban New Jersey, and Alex is his father s second in the family business. The great dislocation of their lives is their eight-yearold son, Max adopted from two teenagers in Montana despite Alex s view that, adopted children are second-class. At once a salvation and a mystery to his parents with whom Max s biological mother left him with the cryptic exhortation, Don t let my baby do rodeo Max suddenly turns feral, consorting with wild animals, eating grass, and running away to sit facedown in a river. Searching for answers, Maya convinces Alex to embark on a cross-country trip to Montana to track down Max s birth parents. But it s Maya who s illuminated by the journey, her own erstwhile wildness summoned for a reckoning by the unsparing landscape, with seismic consequences for herself and her family. ~Amazon.com Chorus Whether you're in the chorus or just want to do some singing on a Shabbat afternoon, join us after lunch on January 6. We'll be learning/reviewing some nature and tree songs to prepare for our Tu B'Shvat Seder (on Tuesday, January 30) as well as Shabbat songs. Hebrew Reading Group Brush up on your Hebrew reading on Thursday, January 11, at 9:30 am, following morning minyan and breakfast. The Hebrew reading group is especially geared for folks who are working on slowly sounding out words, but all levels are welcome.

12 Page 12 The Shabbat Lunch Table at Sons of Zion ~Bonnie Gruszecki Sons of Zion News I keep thinking about the lunch table. And whenever I think about it, I cannot help but smile. And I love telling other people about it. Each week we have uplifting, inspiring services. We pray together. And then we have lunch together around our big table where there is room for all. It s not a big deal. It s a huge deal. And all I need to do is take a quick trip to my heart to know why. As is often the case with young people growing up with a long history of being bullied, lunch tables were often a source of great anxiety. As I look back at this painful time so many years ago, I hope and pray I have used these (and all) painful experiences in my life to make myself a better, kinder person, both inside myself and to those around me. I know I fall short of this my share of times but I try to do my best. And I am deeply grateful for each and every time I am with a person or in an environment where I feel warmly welcomed. I do not take this for granted in any way, shape, or form. When I first attended SOZ I was deeply moved by the lunch table. One big table where all are welcome and there is room for all. Not a bunch of little tables. No in groups or out groups. Everyone sits together and is welcomed in a warm, inclusive manner. When people ask each other about how they are it is not out of obligation but from a place of genuine caring and concern. My wife Maggie met a new member once and since her surgery he has asked me about her every week (a warm shout out to Simon!). The entire congregation could not have welcomed us more warmly. Everyone has been wonderful. I have the privilege and pleasure of sitting at our lunch table each week. I feel so blessed and so deeply grateful to be a part of this congregation. There is room for me. There is room for all. I think back to over twenty-five years ago when I worked with an elderly gentleman who initially wanted nothing to do with a young psychologist type like me. I will never forget the day he put his hand on my shoulder and said, You re all right. And you really are just a regular Joe. To this day, I view this as one of the best compliments I have ever been given. We joined one another in a deeply human, heartfelt connection. It doesn t get better than that. It is this type of heartfelt connection that I just love about our lunch table. I am reminded of one of my favorite sayings, We all put our pants on the same way. Thank you for including me in this wonderful congregation. And thank you for including me at the warm, welcoming lunch table where I feel completely comfortable and delighted to sit with anyone and everyone. I am grateful there is room for me. And I am both grateful and proud to sit at a lunch table where there is room for all.

13 Volume 3, Issue 5 Page 13

14 Page 14 Sons of Zion News Upcoming Events and Activities Special Kiddushim: Aster Marks s 15th Birthday will be celebrated (in her absence) Jan. 6. We will celebrate Brielle Burkett s 9th Birthday with her and her family on Jan. 13. Jan. 6: Chorus after Kiddush Jan. 7: SOZ Theater Rehearsal 10am Jan. 9: Activities/Fundraising Committee Mtg., 7pm at Cindy & Ken Vieu s home Jan 11: Hebrew Reading 9:30am Jan 17: SOZ Board Mtg. at 7:30pm Jan 27: Shabbat Shira Festivities Jan. 30: Tu b Shvat Seder at 6pm Feb. 11: SOZ Book Club at 9:30am You May Be Interested in... Jewish Life - NEWS JLTV - Comcast Channel 196 Israeli channel in ENGLISH - 24 hours a day News, Guests, Music, Exercise every morning, Old TV shows, and much more! TRY IT, YOU LL LIKE IT! Nitza Seaver JLTV - Channel 196 on Comcast For Listings, visit

15 Volume 3, Issue 5 Ads from Our Sponsors Page 15 Please Patronize our Sponsors. They Make our Newsletter Possible! BUSINESS CARD ADS: $180 / YEAR PLEASE CONTACT THE SYNAGOGUE OFFICE (413) OR office@sonsofzionholyoke.org

16 Tu b Shv at Higiyah, Chag ha-ilanot! Congregation Sons of Zion 378 Maple Street Holyoke, MA Phone: (413) office@sonsofzionholyoke.org Submission deadline for next issue: January 25! Discover the wide range of Jewish arts and culture around western Massachusetts. Enjoy the rich fabric of Jewish community in the Pioneer Valley, Berkshires, Southern VT, and beyond at Jewish Culture Connect! From the Office Planting is an amazing thing. Take a dried up, pebble-looking seed, place it in dirt, and keep it damp. Miraculously, if conditions are right, a tiny living thing will emerge, grow, and, if given proper amounts of sunlight and water, it will create more seeds so that the cycle can begin again. There s aspects both deeply spiritual and utterly physical about this whole process, too. No garden can be grown without work, sweat, lots of dirt, and the occasional aches and pain. But once the weeds are cleared, the rocks removed, the soil tilled and moistened and the seeds placed in the ground, all one can do is wait for Gd and Nature to perform Their miracles and bring forth fruit from the Earth. It feels wholly appropriate to celebrate the birthday of trees, and to do so by planting some seeds. The utterly mundane seeds and dirt and the utterly Holy Breath of Life can be celebrated together in no better way. ~Laura