PUBLISHED MONTHLY NO. 4 APRIL A Freedom Seder

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1 ig LIGHTS PUBLISHED MONTHLY NO. 4 APRIL 2012 Erev Passover Shabbat Services Friday, April 6th 5:00 5:30 pm First Night Seder Matching Program First night Seder is on: April 6, 2012 If you are hosting your own seder and have extra room at your table, or if you are looking to share the fi rst seder at someone s home, please contact Michele schipper at schippermichele@yahoo.com. Please let Michele know how many people you can accommodate, OR how many people would like to attend a Seder. It s time for Sisterhood s Annual SEC O N D SE D E R Saturday, April 7, p.m. at the Temple adults: $20 Children: $10 Kindly RSVP to the temple offi ce. Let us know if you will need a veggie entree. Healing the Wounds: A Freedom Seder April 12 th at Tougaloo College Hosted by Tougaloo College, Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life Mississippi Humanities Council Food for Thought Program: 6:00 pm, Thompson Academic & Civil Rights Center Dr. Jessica harris will give a free lecture relating african american food traditions to the Jewish Passover seder. Dr. harris is the ray Charles Chair in african-american Material Culture at Dillard University and is the author of 11 cookbooks about foods of the african Diaspora. Seder and Dinner 6:30 at Holmes Hall rabbi Valerie Cohen of Beth Israel Congregation and the tougaloo College Choir will lead the fi rst Freedom seder performed at tougaloo College, with a family-style dinner combining african american and Jewish traditions. to reserve your place, please contact the tougaloo offi ce of Institutional advancement at no later than April 6th. Dinner is $20 for adults and $10 for students OLD CANTON ROAD JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI PHONE FAX Founded 1860 A member of the Union for Reform Judaism, Serving Reform Congregations in North America

2 Meet the New Office Administrator: Meg Wilkerson My name is Meg Wilkerson and I am your new Office Administrator. I am very eager to learn and meet each one of you! I worked in banking for 5 years and most recently for a local non-profit organization. I recently graduated from Mississippi College. I am married and have a daughter who will be attending Beth Israel Preschool in the fall. I was born in Baton Rouge, LA and therefore, I am a huge LSU fan! My family also has a love for good music! Thanks, Meg Temporary Housing Needed! The Institute of Southern Jewish Life is hiring interns college juniors and seniors as well as one rabbinic student for the summer and we are in need of housing for them. The dates are about May 31 August 12, Possibilites include house sitting, furnished rental property or a room for rent. If you have any of these options available, please contact Betsy Samuels at (601) or samuels@isjl.org. For men only! Upkeep Retreat - Men Only! Friday Sunday, May 4-6, 2012 URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp Utica, MS Male Adult members of the Jacobs Camp Family are invited to help us get ready for summer! Stay the whole weekend OR just come for the day on Saturday! The work: From general repairs to special building products, inside and out! We ll supply the tools, supplies and directions - you supply the energy and enthisiasm! Don t forget your work gloves! The fun: We ll have a delicious dinner on Saturday evening with plenty of adult beverages! After dinner, we ll hang out, watch sports, play cards and do other male bonding activities. The Upkeep Retreat is FREE!! For more information and an application, go to jacobs.urjcamps.org/yearround/, send an to jacobscamp@urj.org or contact J.C. Cohen (Director) or Gary Brandt (Assistant Director) at (601) Beth Israel Congregation

3 divrei harav: words from rabbi cohen In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for truth and have begun striving for ourselves. - abraham Joshua heschel relationships are complicated. not that I or anyone else needs to be reminded of this fact we live in circles of relationships. Just recently, I sat with a couple for a premarital counseling session. In my preparation for our time together, I had reviewed a text on confl ict resolution, and specifi cally on taking a time-out - acknowledging that we need a time-out and taking one is a very mindful practice, and it applies to all relationships, not just marriage. But there are rules for a time-out to work in the context of a relationship. here s what the text teaches about time-outs: some confl icts become heated as levels of anger and frustration rise. rather than speaking assertively, people begin to accuse, criticize, or yell. rather than listening actively, partners interrupt, belittle, and ignore. Physiologically, the fi ght or fl ight response is triggered as each person goes into a protection mode with little or no regard for their partner. In this state of escalation, it is not uncommon to say or do things we later regret. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to have a productive conversation leading to a resolution. this is when a time-out can be benefi cial. 1. recognize your need for a time-out. 2. request the time-out and suggest a time when you will be ready to resume the conversation. 3. relax and calm down. take some deep breaths. take a walk or do some other exercise. Meditate. PraY. Do whatever you need to recover. 4. remember what s important. try to identify what you were thinking and feeling that became so diffi cult to discuss. try to spend some quiet time considering the other person s point of view and what they might be feeling. 5. enter back into the conversation with a clear head and an open heart. It s Here! The Beth Israel 150 th Anniversary Book is now available for purchase in the temple office. 50 pages of memories and pictures of Beth Israel from 1861 to the present! Cost: $25.00 each 3

4 Jump for Joy We now have FROGS! Come and get yours before they hop away! New PASSOVER Items in the Judaica Shop! NEW Passover items have arrived! NEW selection of haggadahs, seder plates and matzah plates 1 st Seder is April 6 th! Sisterhood Mother s Day Fundraiser sisterhood invites you to make a special donation in honor or in memory of your mom. this very special donation will be used towards the purchase of new folding tables to replace the extremely heavy ones we currently have. I ll gladly honor this very special woman (mother, grandmother, caregiver, etc.) who has touched my life in a way that only a mother could. Enclosed is my donation to help Sisterhood continue its projects in support of Beth Israel Congregation. *In honor of: In memory of: My name: Phone: ci r c l e O N e: $18-ch A i $36-dO U B l e ch A i $54-tr i P l e ch A i *If you are honoring a loved one who lives out of town, please provide us with the address so a card can be sent in acknowledgment. Your Mother s Day Chai tribute will be acknowledged in the May Bulletin. Return deadline: April 6, 2012 (Please make check payable to Beth Israel sisterhood). Please return bottom portion of this fl yer to: Beth Israel Congregation 5315 old Canton road Jackson, Ms Attn: Mother s Day 4 Beth Israel CongregatIon

5 the sisterhood spotlight May Shabbat Dinner Taco Night! Friday, May 4, 2012 after services $10 per adult $5 per child send prepayment and reservation to temple offi ce by May 1, 2012 SI S T E R H O O D MO N T H L Y MEETING April Luncheon Wednesday, April 18, 2012 BIC Social Hall 11:30 am - 1:00 pm lunch at noon Cost: $10 Join us as we recognize and honor our longest standing members of 35+ years as well as our newest members of 3 years or less rsvp: sfijman@gmail.com or the april sisterhood Book Club meeting will be held at the temple on Sunday, April 15, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. Please join us, even if you have not attended previously. everyone is welcome. our april selection is Great House by nicole Krauss, who also wrote The History of Love. You can fi nd a review of the book here: goldstein-t.html?pagewanted=all great house is a story haunted by questions: What do we pass on to our children? how do they absorb our dreams and losses? how do we respond to disappearance, destruction, and change? Future selections: May - In the Garden of the Beast (Larson) June - Girl from Foreign (Shepherd) 5

6 A MessAge from OUr PresideNt You might remember that last month in my Chailights message to you, I talked about the value of the geese fl ying in V formation and honking from behind. I m pleased to tell you that I m already hearing the encouraging honking from behind and have noticed many of you fl ying with me in V-formation. I ve heard the honking in various ways: those of you who increased your dues I consider that a honk of encouragement that your board is on the right track. and those of you that have volunteered as committee chairs (sometimes even creating new committees) are clearly fl ying in V Formation with your board, sharing the load, allowing us to travel that much further in the achievement of our goals. on a lighter note, the that said simply honk and the one that said we re fl ying with you both brightened my day. thanks to everyone that is listening. While your congregational leadership needs you to fl y in V-Formation with us and honk from behind, I ve learned that there s a group that needs us all to honk from behind. I recently received a phone call from the President of Beth el synagogue in st. louis Park, Minnesota. he asked our congregation to partner with his on a project supporting a national guard Unit in afghanistan that is actually BE L O O K I N G A R O U N D your home for paperback books, magazines, game books,... brain teasers, craft kits, DVDs and Wii games that you can D O N AT E. made up of 24 Minnesota national guardsmen (and women) and 34 Mississippi national guardsmen. the Minnesota Unit is there to train the locals in farming and the Mississippi Unit is there for security. the unit has been deployed since october and is scheduled to return home in september. they, as all our armed forces, would benefi t from hearing the honking. they are apparently in the middle of nowhere and need things to do in their spare time. But equally as important I know they would appreciate care packages, letters, etc. Continued on page Beth Israel CongregatIon

7 a Mississippisissippi Homecoming Come see Jackson s own Brian Fuente in concert at Duling auditorium on April 7th! Cocktails at 6:30pm Show starts at 8pm* *Brian goes on around 9 pm - plenty of time to enjoy 2 nd Seder at temple and then go to the concert! Advance tickets: $12 At door: $15 tickets available at: (and click on shows ) continued from page 6... What a Mitzvah it would be for us to support them and their families in this trying time for them. We re hoping to make this happen with no fi nancial commitment from the temple. I m pleased to announce that Donald sawyer has volunteered to take on this project. Watch the BIC Blast and shabbat service bulletins on how you can participate. Until then, be looking around your home for paperback books, magazines, game books (like crossword puzzles, word and number games, etc.), brain teasers, craft kits, DVDs and WII games that you can donate. Bring them by the temple offi ce. also be thinking about what you might put in a personal care package for one of these brave men or women to let them know how much we appreciate their service to our country. a bit of news: We ve hired a new offi ce administrator, Meg Wilkerson! she has already started and I m sure you all will love her. stop by to meet her and offer her encouragement. the fi rst few months in this position can be trying and overwhelming, and we want her to be reassured that her efforts are very much appreciated. lastly, be sure to thank Jo ann for taking time from her retirement to come and take care of us. her fi lling in along with training Meg have been invaluable during this month of transition. have a great april. We are blessed with so many opportunities to participate in our congregational life. I hope to see you here. SINCERELY, RE B E C C A LA S K I N 7

8 Save the Date Bat Mitzvah Hannah Guimbellot May 26, :15 am 2012 Co n f i r m a t i o n Save the Date May 11, :15 pm Dana Dobel Jennie Loeb Alex Goldstein Sam Palmer Kovi Katz Mikaela Phillips Bet h Israel Preschool Summer Camp Camp K Tanim combines the creative & innovative programing of the Jacobs Camp s overnight program within a day camp setting. A Day Camp Program for Children Ages 4-6 Co-sponsored by Beth Israel Preschool and the URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp 2012 Dates: Monday, June 18 - Friday, June 22, 2012 Fee: Just $200 Visit our website to learn more and complete an application: jacobs.urjcamps.org/about/daycamp Beth Israel Preschool will host 5 camps in July. Please reserve your spots today! All camps are from 8:30 am-11:30 am Open to ages 3-6 years old (except Theatre) Theater Camp is for children ages 4-6 July 2-6 (no camp on the 4th): Ocean Explorers & Stay-n-Play Tennis July 9-13: Theater Kids - Bugs & Butterflies in my Back Yard July 16-19: ComputerTots - Summer Olympics July 23-26: Ballet Mississippi - Leaps and Bounds July 23-26: ComputerTots - Get a Clue Camp 4-Day Camps - $125 5-Day Camps - $150 Registration is a one time fee of $ Make checks to Beth Israel Preschool. Please call for more information or visit our website: 8 Beth Israel Congregation

9 BitY & religious sc h O O l Preschool Ballet Recital 2nd annual April 21, :00 pm Trinity Presbyterian Church Social Hall B.H.O.P. BITY House of Pancakes! BITY House of Pancakes! Relay for Life Luminaries & Torches for Sale the relay for life celebration includes a luminaria ceremony to remember those whose lives have been touched by cancer. the bags remain lit through the evening to remind us that hope lives among us. $10 donation for each white bag $25 donation for each gold bag $100 donation for each torch All You can eat pancake brunch! Sunday April 1 11:30 am 12:30 pm *Sunday School will end at 11:30 Proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society $10 adults $5 8th grade and younger RSVP to Traci by Friday, March 31 Traci@bethisraelms.org the torch includes the names of the donor and individual for whom it was purchased. To order, please contact Traci (traci@bethisraelms.org, ) by April 13th. Please join BItY at the Jackson-hinds County relay for life April 27 (6pm) to April 28 (6am) at Millsaps College. luminaria Ceremony begins at 10 pm. 100% of the proceeds go to the american Cancer society. 9

10 ANNOUNceMeNts N O U N c e M e N t s BirthdAYs r t h s & ANNiVersAries N i V e r s A r i e s FROM THE OFFICE Contributions processed after april 10th will be included in the June issue of Chailights. to protect your privacy and to ensure all checks are handled in a timely manner, please put all checks in the black lock box by the BIC Office door. the box is conveniently located on the wall to the left of the door. Please do not leave checks anywhere else. thank you! Reports and articles for the May issue of ChaiLights are due Tuesday, April 10 th. submissions can be ed** to support@bethisraelms.org. submissions DATES TO REMEMBER received after the 10 th will be included on a space-available basis. **Please april 2 Meals on Wheels note in the subject line (May 2012) ChaiLights submission. april 4 Billy Brumfi eld house Meal april 4 shirim Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO... april 6 Meals on Wheels april 6 offi ce Closes at 12:00 for the First night of Passover april 8 april 13 april 19 april 25 religious school not meeting offi ce Closed for the last Day of Passover Monthly Board Meeting, 6:00 pm shirim Choir rehearsal, 7:00 pm happy BirthdAY to... 4/07 sarah Buxbaum and Dave ross 4/11 amy and Mark Burleson 4/11 Betty and leo Mermelstein 4/15 Paula and lewis loeb 4/20 shelly and David ladden 4/25 helen and Bob Petersen 4/26 Charna and Bruce schlakman 4/27 Mary gail and harold Kolodney 4/30 tara and David Blumenthal 4/01 Max Palmer 4/03 helen Petersen 4/04 Janice leblanc 4/04 suzanne rotwein 4/04 tamar sharp 4/05 helen leighton 4/08 Bob Berman 4/08 sue Jacobs 4/08 Donna Kaminsky 4/08 sandra liverman 4/08 louis newman 4/10 David Kweller 4/11 Mark Burleson 4/12 richard snyder 4/14 Dana larkin 4/14 Don Mitchell 4/16 Zoey Mabry 4/18 Bob Petersen 4/20 Carol Cherkasky 4/21 steve Pollock 4/21 ara robbins 4/22 robyn Pollack 4/24 Mariel Kassoff 4/25 Donna orkin 4/27 Mindi Phillips 4/29 hannah harris 4/29 harold Kolodney 4/30 gilda hesdorffer 10 Beth Israel CongregatIon

11 In Memory of Guierl Lee Smith By Carol thompson to the rabbi s Discretionary Fund Thank You In Honor of the Birthday of Honorine Weiss By Debra and Joel Jacobs and family to the rabbi s Discretionary Fund By Marla harbor and erik hearon to the shirim Choir Fund In Appreciation of Beth Israel Congregation By Carol thompson to the general Fund By rose Mary Foncree to the general Fund In Appreciation of Rabbi Cohen By gilda hesdorffer to the rabbi s Discretionary Fund In Memory of Gerda Stessmann By emily Kamber to the Caring Committee In Memory of William Ostrov By shirley Kelley to the rabbi s Discretionary Fund Shabbat Service Schedule Fridays, 6:15 pm saturdays, 9:00 am torah study saturdays, 10:15 am Unless otherwise noted In Appreciation of Saturday Morning Services By gavin Brannan to the saturday Morning Fund In Honor of the Birthday of Dr. Ralph Daniel, III By syril Portnoy to the general Fund In Honor of Michele Schipper By Carol Kossman to the Capital Fund In Honor of Ben Russell By Carol Kossman to the Capital Fund In Memory of Nokhim Ivshin By ninna Ivshin to the general Fund By lisa and Michael Ivshin to the general Fund In Memory of Vladimir Ivshin By ninna Ivshin to the general Fund By lisa and Michael Ivshin to the general Fund In Memory of Sima Finkelstein By lisa and Michael Ivshin to the general Fund In Memory of Leib Finkelstein By lisa and Michael Ivshin to the general Fund For the Beautification of the Office Reception Area By the Meyer Crystal Family Foundation Mazel Tov! Richard and Judy Stamm are proud to announce the engagement of their daughter, Regina Stamm, to Alan Miao of Dallas, Texas. Wedding to be held June 30,

12 Non-Profit Org U. S. POSTAGE PAID 5315 Old Canton Road, Jackson, MS Phone: Fax: Permit #123 JACKSON, MS Yahrzeits for April 2012 April 6-7 Joe Rubin Toby Rubinsky * Joe Schneider Dorothy Sherman Morris Binder Joseph Dornbaum Selma Jacobson Joseph Kirsch Mollye Rones * Roselyn Schlesinger Jill Sonnabend Sally Asher Hattie L. Edelston Ruth Laskin Dinah Pack Libby Sollek* Elik H.Balkin Samuel Ruvinsky Biffiel Sartor Isaac Elfassy Sue Elson Max Evans Ben Kulman * Jennie Landau Rose Sasan * Penia Stotland Sam Millstein * Beatrice Snyder Jonathan Souweine April Abe Levy Lillian Sawyer Louis Weiss Claudette Goodwin David Harris Ann Kulman Eugenia Berger Walter Lipsich Jules Wiener Nokhim Ivshin * Gerda Stessmann Adar A. Allouche Maxwell D. Berman J Net Kulman * Leona Patterson Emanuel Burnstein Bernard Cohen Benjamin Freedman * Earl Friedman Carl Levy * Evelyn Nash Louis Oppenheim Peter H.Thames April Jane Taubman David S. Weiner Esther Eisenberg Fanny Gordon * Kolman Katz Bernice Lazarus Helen D. Miller Steven E. Balkin Clifford Davis Oscar Dumont Shia Dumont Ely Siegal * Clifford Abrams Phil Bloom H. Steve Browdy Alvin Loeb Rose Stein Maurice Burnstein Samuel Eisenberg Jack Ginsburg Elaine Metz Helene W. Metz Daniel W. Ready, Jr. April Mike Binder * George J. Segel Maurice Wolf Miriam Fratkin Marie Jolley Betty Rubinsky * Eileen Hanf Edith Hart Eva Susman Ruth O.Dorman Lena Mermelstein Ruth S.Rice * Anna Gordon Jacob Mitchell * Paul Goodman Janet Laskin Joseph Pollack Milton Stiebel *Denotes Memorial Plaque