Happy Hanukah!! Beautifying Ner Tamid Through Art By: Janet Birman

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1 VOL. 67 NO. 2 Nov/Dec 2013 Cheshvan/Kislev/Tevet, 5773/5774 Happy Hanukah!! T H E Calendar November Hellman Krystallnacht talk at Shalosh Seudos Young Family Lunch Womens Shalosh Seudos at Gerber s Family Learning OCA 2nd Annual Dreidel Championship Hanukah Food Prep Hanukah 1st Candle Thanksgiving Carlebach and Sushi December Sisterhood Hanukah Dinner Family Learning OCA Brotherhood Trip to DC Fast Day, Asara B Teves Rabbi Upshering Carlebach and Sushi N E R T A M I D C O N G R E G A T I O N Beautifying Ner Tamid Through Art By: Janet Birman There is a special joy that I feel when I see young children create and express themselves through art. I discovered this when my children were just beginning school and I initiated crafts and decorating projects for their classes. Whether it was painting happy faces on pumpkins for Halloween or coloring feathers on turkey cut-outs for Thanksgiving, I enjoyed seeing how my children and their classmates would take pride and share a sense of accomplishment in the projects they completed. Being a new member of Ner Tamid, and new to the Jewish community, I am very pleased that I have had the opportunity to contribute my love of art and decorating for the shul. Being asked to develop art projects has made me feel that I am a valued member in the Ner Tamid family and a contributor to the shul s growth and revitalization... The garden stepping stones and the sukkah hands tapestry, our first two projects, were successful thanks to the enthusiastic participation of children of all ages and their parents. The positive reception these projects received has encouraged me to take on more projects and seek innovative and creative ways to involve both Ner Tamid s children and adults in decorating and beautifying the shul. I have always enjoyed painting, sewing, designing, and decorating. Creating new art by utilizing a variety of materials, both old and new, has always been my passion. The stepping stones project involved working with concrete and decorative glass stones. The sukkah tapestry incorporated paint and fabric. In my home, I recently embroidered wall hangings and challah covers with Judaic themes. Neighbors and friends now have been inspired to create their own designs and have joined me at my home for craft afternoons. Recently, I have embarked on a new project of Return To the Old Country By: Gene Schmelzer Budapest Dohany Temple interior This past summer I returned to my birthplace in Romania fifty two years after leaving there at the age of 14. The circumstances under which our family, my parents and my two brothers and I, were allowed to leave what was then a Communist country is a story unto itself. My parents exerted tremendous effort over many years trying to get out, and my father paid a heavy price in terms of physical and mental abuse and his health before we could leave. One of the conditions for obtaining the exit papers was to renounce all property that we had. So, although as an adult, I traveled to Europe quite often on business, I never had any desire to go back to the place we left behind. However, over the past couple of years I began to feel the need to return and see the places of my childhood, perhaps just to confirm that the places I so vividly remembered really existed. Vienna; First Leg of Trip The trip started in Vienna, where my wife I and spent five days visiting the many palaces of the Habsburgs and the great museums. There is a nice Orthodox synagogue in the center of the city and we were there for Shabbat. The services were typical Ashkenazi just like ours, except that there was a male choir, and it was well attended. It was very satisfying to see so many children participating in the service. The Kiddush gave us an opportunity to interact with members of the congregation who were very friendly. I particularly enjoyed the chocolate kuchen that was served because it tasted just like what my mother used to bake for us. On the other hand, the threat to Jews was sharply highlighted by the heavy chain that Continued on Page 6... Continued on Page 4...

2 Dear Friends, Happy Thanksgivukkah! Thanksgivukkah is upon us! I am sure by now you are all aware of the fact that Chanukah and Thanksgiving fall out on the same day. You also probably know that it hasn t happened since 1880 and it won t happen again for quite some time. What you may not know is that Chanukah and Thanksgiving always fall out on the same day! What I mean by that is that Chanukah really is a day of thanksgiving. A quick glance at the Al Hanissim prayer we say on Chanukah makes this clear: They established these days [of Chanukah] to thank and to praise. In other words, the reason the holiday of Chanukah was instituted was to dedicate a time to thank G-d for all the good He has blessed us with. What lay at the core of the philosophical battle between the Greeks and the Jews was the ability or inability to admit that I am not self-sufficient. Greek philosophy was fueled by this fallacy, namely, that with my own senses I can uncover the mysteries of the world. I can create a perfectly moral system of ethics with human reason alone. This is famously depicted in Raphael s painting, The School of Athens, where Aristotle (Alexander the Great s private tutor) is gesturing downwards, as if to say Everything we need can be found here on earth. The holiday of Chanukah emphasizes the opposite message. Chanukah reminds us that we need G-d to exist and that we need G-d to illuminate our understanding of morality and ethics. So to borrow a phrase from George Washington, it was Chanukah, established approximately 1800 years prior to the feast at Plymouth, that was established as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Alm-ghty G-d". Now that the historic record is set straight the only thing left to do is to make a Thanksgivukkah menu. Will it be latka-stuffed Turkey or maybe a pumpkin donut filled with cranberry jelly? Either way, have a beautiful and meaningful holiday! Hanukkah and Jerusalem: The Secret Connection Seudat Shlishi Shabbat afternoon, Nov. 23, 4:45 PM with Dr. Alexander Murinson The political scientist, with expertise on Israel, Russia, and Turkey, explores the historical connection between the holiday and the Holy City, with a special look at the geopolitical challenges that the State of Israel currently faces over its embattled capital. A Simple Solution to Ensuring a Minyan I am writing this anonymously because I admit, I too am guilty. Aside from Shabbat I do not attend daily services in the Synagogue. Between family and work I find it hard to make it to the daily minyan. But like many of you I show up to Synagogue a few times a year to say Kaddish for my mother and father. The last time I attended minyan to say Kaddish I had a little scare. I came on time expecting to see ten men waiting to pray. Instead I found a room with only eight men. The clock ticked away as I bit my nails hoping that I wouldn t miss saying Kaddish on my mother s Yahrtzeit. Five minutes went by, ten minutes went by, and still no minyan. All this time I was fuming. Why wasn t anyone here? Don t they know that I need a minyan so I could say Kaddish for my beloved mother?! Just as some people were getting ready to leave a tenth man was found, we had our minyan and I was able to say Kaddish. That night I reflected on what happened and I realized that my anger was misplaced. How can I be angry at others for not attending services when I myself don t attend regular services either! My gut reaction was to commit to attending services on a daily basis but I quickly realized that wasn t so practical. Instead, I came up with a different idea. In addition to the days that I come to weekday services for my Yahrtzeits I would come to weekday services for the equivalent amount of days. It s similar to those jars of spare change that some stores place near the register with a sign that says, Take a little. Give a little. I am no mathematician but I am pretty sure if all of us who only come for our Yahrtzeits were to show up for the equivalent amount of days when we do not have a Yahrtzeit then our daily minyan will be robust and healthy. I have two Yahrtzeits that I commemorate so I will be coming for two more days a year. Hopefully those days will be ones that my presence will ensure a minyan for our synagogue. I hope to see you there! The New Learner s Prayer Experience At shul we pray. Whether in Hebrew or English. That s a given. What may be less assured is whether we understand what we are saying if, in fact, we are following the siddur in Hebrew-- and if our prayers are as fulfilling and uplifting as we would like them to be. If either Hebrew reading or finding fulfillment in the prayer process are concerns for you, the Learner s Prayer Experience may be the answer. Dovid Paige, our esteemed and excellent instructor, designed this new class to give people the tools to feel comfortable with the Siddur and with shul davening. Paige s goal for the group is impressive indeed, namely: 1) to learn the meaning of the words of the Siddur, 2) to learn about the structure of prayer, and 3) to use the Siddur as a springboard to broader discussions about Jewish prayer and the fundamentals of Judaism in general. The class began at the end of Yomim Tovim, and has focused on the Shema, the central prayer in Judaism, parsing the words, their meaning and the interesting puzzles that exist in the structure of the prayer. (Do you know that we are asked to love God with all our hearts, plural? Or why we say the 2nd line of the prayer in a lower tone?) For anyone thinking that it might be worth a trial visit, we look forward to seeing you. This is a beginner s level class but all are welcome. We meet at about 10am following Shacharit (and the Rabbi s short commentary of the parsha) for about 40 minutes. We miss the Torah reading but are back in the sanctuary in time for the Rabbi s sermon. As we begin a new year with a new byline a place to pray --, this class will certainly promote that cause. All that is missing is you! Jill Moroson , jillm@comcast.net, Page 2

3 This issue we feature a brother-sister set of families that go back half a century at Ner Tamid. Ruth Greenfeld is the sister of member Stan Hellman. David and Ruth Greenfeld MEET NER TAMID Dave and I joined Ner Tamid (Greenspring Valley Synagogue back then) in 1957 since David s family was very involved there and it was the only show in town. David s father, Jacob Greenfeld was President of Greenspring for 13 years. A Large Presence at Ner Tamid As our family and that of our relatives grew, from time to time there could be as many as 20 family members attending our c o n g r e g a t i o n during the high holidays! Greenspring provided an excellent Jewish education for our three daughters as day school education otherwise was very limited. We made many good friends throughout the years who have remained close to us to this day. Shul Involvement Although David was not active in shul life for the first 25 to 30 years of our marriage, he made up for it quickly. David was the only person to have held both the Presidency and the Chairman of the Board offices. As chairman of the board, he was also chairman of Renovation 2000 which was a seminal project in the shul's life as well as David's. The synagogue sanctuary and infrastructure were refurbished and a half million dollars was raised. As he was the editor of his high school newsletter, he also was a long time editor of the Flame. I was very active in the sisterhood and held many offices including the presidency. Back then, active participation by women was not sought and we were actually not allowed a voice on the board. I sat in on the NT board as president of the sisterhood, but was not allowed to vote! This became a cause célèbre for me and it took two years for the board to change the rules allowing women to vote. Both David and I were honored at Sisterhood and Brotherhood dinners as Man or Women of the year. In 1993 when David was honored, the guest speaker was Rahm Emanuel (Obama s Chief-of-Staff, currently Mayor of Chicago!) who was not a household name at the time. I graduated from Towson and taught for a very short time before raising our family. David, a pharmacist owned several pharmacies and he and I worked together in those enterprises. After the sale of one store, I went to work at the Center for Jewish Education, retiring last year after 25 years joining David who had already retired. Current Life David swims almost daily, is a news junkie reading three papers daily and volunteers in the shul office twice a week. I play bridge and manage life at home. We have three married daughters (a pharmacist, a lawyer and an urban forester-ever see a Jewish lady climbing a tree carrying a gas chain saw?) and six grandchildren ranging in age from 11 to 21. Changes Noted Over the Years When we joined, Greenspring had a very social atmosphere with a thriving religious school which attracted many families in the area. Over the years, we ve seen the Baltimore Jewish scene become more vibrant through the growth of the orthodox community. Although NT has become smaller over the past 25 years, it seems to have invigorated itself through the new leadership and appears to have many good things ahead. Page 3 Stan & Lissy Hellman I moved to the Greenspring Valley Synagogue neighborhood in 1964 as a teenager. My parents joined the shul where my sister s father-inlaw, Jacob Greenfeld was then President. I basically have never left. A Large Presence at Ner Tamid My family was limited to my parents, me and my sister. However, the Greenfelds really consisted of five families. Jacob Greenfeld had five sisters and the families of the four of them, Meyers, Levin, Simon and Brodie, all attended Ner Tamid. The number of attendees Rachel, Lissy, Stan, Jacob Hellman varied, but probably topped out at about 25. I have held various positions in the shul including Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman, Vice President and Treasurer. Also, as a lawyer, I have represented the shul in a number of legal matters. When the children were in school Lissy helped out with youth programming. Ner Tamid has always been the center of our Jewish lives and we have made many friends over the years. Professional and Personal Life Lissy was a teacher for 42 years, the first 12 in public school in Howard County and the last 30 years teaching at Krieger Schechter Day School. She retired in June, I have been practicing law for 43 years, the first 5 years downtown and the past 38 years in Towson. We have two children. Rachel lives in Washington and teaches kindergarten in public school in Rockville and runs the children s services at Kesher Israel in Georgetown. Jacob recently moved to Madison, Wisconsin where he is in a Theatre Research PhD program. Changes Noted Over the Years During my lifetime the nature of Ner Tamid and Judaism in Baltimore generally have changed quite a bit. In the 1960 s Ner Tamid was the only Orthodox shul in the neighborhood. Also, the percentage of attendees who were personally observant was much lower than it is today. Ner Tamid was the 2nd or 3rd largest Orthodox congregation in the city. On the High Holidays we had as many as 1,300 people in the shul. Over the years, many who were personally not observant (especially their children) drifted to Conservative or Reform congregants. Other Orthodox synagogues opened in the neighborhood, each one carving out its unique niche in the spectrum of Orthodoxy and drawing some of those 1,300 people. Today, it is gratifying that a new core of energetic, engaged young families are revitalizing the Congregation with their enthusiasm which I think is a reflection of the enthusiasm and vibrant personality of Rabbi Motzen. The addition of these younger families gives me much optimism for the future of Ner Tamid. Interesting Tidbits Lissy enjoys swimming and in her younger days was quite an athlete including playing field hockey for the University of Maryland. Recently, her Beth Tfiloh elementary school 1961 graduating class held its first reunion. Back then, that was as high as Beth Tfiloh went grade-wise. All but 4 or 5 classmates were found. People made special trips from Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire just to attend. It was the highlight of her summer. In college, I appeared on NBC s GE College Bowl (remember that show -- 5:30 pm on Sunday) representing Loyola College. We lost to Mount Holyoke. Continued on Page 6... Continued on Page 5...

4 Old Country...Continued from Page 1 blocked vehicle access to the street and the armed police guarding the entrance. We also visited the kosher restaurant that was just up the street from the Shul. The food was not particularly good and the prices were quite high, but the owner and staff were very friendly. Visit to Szatmar, Our Last Residence From Vienna we took the train to Budapest, where we were joined by my two younger Szatmar Shul brothers from Israel and the US, and the wife of one of the brothers. Our plan was to travel to Satu Mare, Romania, by train from Budapest and stay there two days. Satu Mare, is in the northwest corner of Romania in the province of Transylvania. This province used to belong to Hungary so most people speak Hungarian, and I went to Hungarian schools while growing up there. Satu Mare is better known by its Hungarian name Szatmar and was the home of the Szatmar Chasidim. I was surprised that there were several trains a day between Budapest and Szatmar, a distance of about 200 miles. We left early in the morning, and by noon were in Szatmar, a city of some 100,000 inhabitants. Our hotel was very modern and pleasant, and the weather was beautiful. After checking in, we sat down at tables in on the patio and celebrated by lunching on some of the kosher cold cuts and other supplies we brought with us from Budapest. After lunch, we walked to the center of town to visit the Shul and the house we lived in for two years before we emigrated. I had no problem remembering the way to the Shul which was just off the main square. We went to the office of the Jewish community located within the Shul courtyard, and met the president, who spoke fairly good English as well as Hungarian. He told us that the community consisted of some 4050 members, but it was not clear how many of them were Jews and how many were what he referred to as sympathizers. He said that services were held periodically, but the synagogue was mostly rented out for cultural events, such as concerts and plays. The exterior is very well maintained, however, there is a problem with the foundation sinking, and the community lacks the funds to fix the problem. The interior could use some maintenance, but is in fairly good shape. In the courtyard there is a memorial to the 18,000 Jews from Szatmar and the surrounding communities who perished in the Holocaust. The names of some members of my family were already on the memorial, and I arranged to add the others who had not been included. Our house was located just a short distance from the Shul, and after some trying we were able to get inside. We met the people who have been living there ever since we had left. Except for the addition of running water and an indoor toilet, there have been no significant improvements to the house in 52 years. It is in very bad condition, but is for sale for nearly 100,000 euros. (I was asked if I wanted to buy it back). Visit to Birthplace; Turterebes The next day we traveled to my birth place with a driver and minivan arranged by the head of the Jewish community. The name of the village is Turterebes (Turulung in Romanian), and it is about 45 minutes drive from Szatmar. It has grown since I left there, and now has about 1000 people and paved streets. I was easily able to find our old property; however, there are two houses now where our home used to stand. People still grow their own vegetables, potatoes, and other basics, as there are no grocery stores (or money to buy them, for that matter). The first person I encountered working in his vegetable garden told me that had been my youngest brothers play mate, and the second person said she had been my old school mate. Everybody we spoke with remembered our family. I was shocked to hear how many of my old school mates and play mates Gene and brothers with Terebes neighbor had already passed away or were very sick. Life is still very hard there! We were able to get into our old garden which had had many fruit trees. The walnut trees that I used to climb were no longer there, but we were able to taste cherries from one of the other trees. The next door neighbor toasted us with palinka (Hungarian slivovitz) that he himself made, and which my maternal grandfather also used to make from the plums in his garden. We also visited the little vineyard that we used to own about four miles from our house. There, too, everything was very familiar and largely unchanged. My mother used to send me there on foot at an early age to bring home the various fruits in their seasons. Connection to Max Jacob Before I embarked on the trip, Max Jacob asked me to try to find his old house in the neighboring town of Halmi, located about 5 miles from Turterebes. (I have known Max and Irene, my mother s cousin, since I was a little boy). He told me that it was across the street from one of the churches, but the church was in the middle with a street on each side. So, I took pictures of houses on both sides, and Max has confirmed that one of them had been his house. Sadly, the shul no longer stands. Budapest The following day we returned to Budapest, and spent three more days there. Budapest has a fairly large Jewish community (we were told 100,000 of which 20,000 were active). We were invited for Friday night dinner to the home of the head of the Orthodox community. The meal and the conversations were excellent, but we came away with the impression that the community was very divided. There are a couple of very good kosher restaurants in the Jewish neighborhood serving Hungarian style Jewish food. We preordered and paid for Shabbat meals at one of the restaurants and went there for lunch after services. The Holocaust Memorial Museum has some very unusual exhibits and leaves a powerful impression. The garden of the famous Dohany Temple is itself a memorial to the more than 2000 people who died on the grounds in early 1945 and could not be buried for some time. The synagogue is very ornate and receives many visitors daily. It continues to function as a regular shul. Israel; Our Country We flew to Israel as the last leg of our trip. We go to Israel often, but this time it was very satisfying to be in our vibrant and very much alive country after the emotional, but ultimately depressing previous stops. We went for the wedding of one of our relative s sons, which made the visit even more special. Jewish life Europe, and not just the parts we visited this time, and Israel could not be any more different. Whereas, one has many memories and a powerful past, the other is both the present and the future. Page 4

5 Keeping Ner Tamid the Beautiful and Warm Place We Desire By: Ora Noorani Over the past two years, a lot of effort and dedication has gone into making improvements to the infrastructure and the aesthetics of our beloved shul. All the work that has been done and that still needs to be done cannot be done overnight (although I have tried..). I have learned that if you create that vision of success or picture of what you want to succeed, that picture becomes a goal ingrained in your mind. A goal that can be reached with applied dedication, energy, and determination. Nothing worth accomplishing comes easy. There is no glory in those things that are just handed over. If they are they would be just taken for granted. Some days you feel like things are moving two steps back and only one step forward. But then there are those glimmers of light and hope where things move three steps forward and those days are awesome. I find it so exciting and fulfilling when I engage myself in projects in the shul. I get so excited, and as Max Jacob knows, I sometimes go in too many directions. I have had an amazing partner in this, Anat Klotzman. She never says a project is too big and she has given much of her time and dedication. For that I am so grateful. Also, her knowledge of how to put colors and rooms together has been such a great help. When she and I started to clean up various spaces in the shul we began dreaming on the spaces we would love to beautify..and then one day we looked at each other and said, Well, why not? and that s when we began our decorating efforts at Ner Tamid. The two spaces that have been Refurbished Mothers Room redecorated thus far are the bridal suite, also known as the mothering room, and Rabbi Motzen s office. Some other changes that have been made are small and other improvements were very labor intensive. Several closets, rooms, and spaces were cleaned out and organized. Walls were scrubbed, and walls touched up with paint. We felt overwhelmed with joy that we made our mark on the shul and that we improved it in some way. The bridal suite, aka the mothering room, was another space that gave us such satisfaction to be in after we redecorated it. Mothers feel comfortable and welcomed in there to take care of their babies. Other beautification and infrastructure projects are in the works and in time will come to fruition. Beautification projects are easy to recognize and enjoy at a first glance, those changes in infrastructure, not so much. As is true with the new boiler.. We are the proud owners of a new boiler system. Bring on the cold I say!!! Well, not really. But if (more likely when) it does come, we are much more equipped here at Ner Tamid to face the sometimes frigid temperatures of winter. The process of purchasing a new boiler began a year ago and all the research and decision-making has culminated in the purchase and installation of our new boiler system. Michael Scherr and the other specialists at Emjay are the professionals that the shul decided to use in this big project. Their professionalism, proven track record, and high level of work made it easy for us to make this decision. It may be hard to tell, or even notice how much time and effort went into this project but it Continued on Page First Sisterhood Event of Year The Ner Tamid Sisterhood had its first event of the year on Sunday, October 6th at 7pm. We had The Jewish Museum of Maryland s Leo V. Berger Immigrant s Trunk Program present its newest living history character - Bessie Bluefeld. Our members were taken back in time during this one woman show to learn about the life of this Baltimore icon. When Terri Nicholetti, the actress that portrayed Bessie, started telling us the story of Bessie's life, we were transported to the places she spoke about. Whether these locations were Russia in the early 1900s or downtown Baltimore in the 1930s, we felt like we were there. Ms. Nicholetti had us under her storytelling spell for 45 minutes, and then took questions about the life of Bessie. Many of the Sisterhood members present at the event had stories of their own to tell about Bessie and Bluefeld Caterers. Ms. Nicholetti did not break character until after she had answered as many of the questions that she could. Her accent and demeanor were so spot-on that when she finally introduced her true self and no longer had the accent of an immigrant from Russia we were all shocked! In fact we learned that Ms. Nicholetti was once a teaching nun from New York that took a vow of nighttime silence for 5 years! The Hellmans Continued on Page Continued from Page 4 Also, for about 25 years now, I ve participated in a "Teddy Bear Trivia Contest" among a group of my college friends with whom we go out several times a year. The bear originally had a pin attached with a risqué logo although over the years, the pin disappeared. The winner of the contest gets to keep the bear until the next contest and makes up the questions for the next contest. The group consists of three lawyers, a surgeon, a college professor and the retired owner of an insurance agency. A 7th member of the group unfortunately passed away about two years ago who, at the time of his death, was the chief historian for the Defense Department at the Pentagon. Genealogy Both Lissy and I are interested in genealogy. Her roots are from Belarus. A meeting with a distant cousin in Israel a few years ago prompted that cousin to organize a family reunion about four years ago in Washington. Distant relatives from all over the US attended included the cousin from Washington, and from Seattle, Texas and Florida. She never knew she had so much family in Pittsburgh. And that was just on her father s side! My roots are German, specifically Bavarian. Germans are great recordkeepers and I have been able to trace my ancestors back to the late 17th century. I have visited by parents hometowns three times over the years. When I last went in the summer of 2012, I spent several hours with the town archivist of my father s hometown. He has developed records of all the Jews in the town going back to the mid-19th century. After reviewing his records, I was able to track down a second cousin who I never knew existed but who lives near Germantown, Maryland. We later had a lovely visit with him and heard the miraculous story of how his parents managed to send him (age 10) out of an internment camp in Southern France and how he wound up living with a family in Wilmington, Delaware. Krystallnacht My parents had hair-raising adventures on Kristallnacht (Nov 9 is the 75th anniversary). Without going into the incredible details, my father and uncle (with others in the family) fled in the middle on the night and wound up being the only two Jewish men of the town not shipped to Dachau. My parents and sister arrived in New Jersey on November 9, 1939, exactly one year to the day after Kristallnacht. I plan to give my family s Krystallnacht talk at Ner Tamid on Shabbat, Nov 9. You can watch a previous talk I gave at SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=1993 (around the 60 minute mark), which also has Ner Tamid Cantor Emeritus Isaac Koll giving his recollection as one of the Bielski brothers hideouts featured in the movie Defiance. Page 5

6 Youth Activities Can Menorah Project Donate Kosher cans of food to be distributed to the poor. Drop off in classroom 9. Cans will be donated to Ahavas Yisroel. Junior Congregation kids will build a CAN MENORAH on Shabbos morning November 30. Youth Chanukah Party Sunday November 24, :30 pm. $5/child over 2 years, $10 Family Max Art Projects Games Music Jr. Cong prizes Chanukah Snacks Music and Dance. Ravens game will be on big screen in Room 9 for adults. Cloudy with a Chance of Chulent Shabbaton Shabbos December 14, Supervised program for students, includes meals and activities. Program starts in Jr. Cong at 10:15 am. Grades 1-6 $30 includes Red Zone Fun Saturday night. Car pools will go to Red Zone, leaving Ner Tamid at 6:30 pm and returning approximately 8 pm. Please let us know if you can help drive to Red Zone! Register today with PayPal. Deadline is Tuesday December 10. Shabbaton ambassador program: Bring a friend who does not normally attend Ner Tamid and get a $5 Dunkin Donuts gift card! Kid Chef s Class Cooking classes for children in a safe learning environment that encourages discovery and creativity. Featuring Tu B Shvat Projects, Edible Art, Centerpiece Design and more. Students ages $25 per student for 4 classes. Register by December 9, 2013 by PayPal. Classes in Ner Tamid kitchens. For info: youth@nertamid.net or Sunday afternoons 4 5:30 pm. December 15, 2013 January 12, 2014 January 26, 2014 February 09, 2014 Gym Party December 8, At Coppermine Fieldhouse at 1400 Coppermine Terrace. Register by Dec 4 with PayPal. $10/Child. Pizza and snacks Included. Obstacle Course Rock Climbing for 7+ years. Pre-School 8 grade. Home of Gerstung gym Trapeze. Pre-school students Exploration (soft shape room) Mini-gym (indoor jungle gym type climbing room) Locomotion rooms. Waiver must be completed by a parent or guardian, for any child to participate in the party. Minor_Waiver.pdf For Information Contact nertamid.net youth@nertamid.net Samson Wach Family Learning Saturday Nights With Ohr Chadash Academy. Spend some quality time with your child/children studying Torah on Saturday night. For families with children of all ages, all levels. Pizza sponsored by Ohr Chadash PTA. Prize Raffle. No charge. Saturday Nights December 7, 2013 at Ner Tamid (6214 Pimlico Road) 6:40 pm January 4, 2014 at Ohr Chadash (2nd floor JCC 5700 Park Heights Ave) 7:00 pm February. 1, 2014 Ner Tamid (6214 Pimlico Road) 7:30 pm March 1, 2014 Ohr Chadash (2nd floor JCC 5700 Park Heights Ave) 7:45 pm Annual Chanukah House Candle Lighting Baltimore Chanukah House 6721 Greenspring Avenue Wednesday November 27, PM. Ner Tamid and Boy Scout Troop 1299 will be singing and lighting the giant Menorah. For information on any Youth activities, contact Samson Wach youth@nertamid.net or visit NOTICE: Due to the current office staff shortage, Briefs and Shorts (Contributions, etc) do not appear in this issue. Please go to to view past issues of the weekly Shabbat bulletin. Briefs and Shorts will resume in the next issue. Beautifying Ner Tamid Stepping Stones interested people that are creative, RELIABLE, and flexible (time wise) to help with this exciting project that will benefit the Montessori school and all of Ner Tamid. Anyone handy with a skill-saw? Decorative painting? Painting with a roller? I look forward to working with all members of the Ner Tamid family, and am deeply grateful for this opportunity to share my love of art with everyone. The Greenfelds...Continued from Page 1 truly Biblical proportions large painted murals for the shul s hallways. I have just begun to explore the possibilities of themes and designs for the murals. Since my husband could only suggest picturing the prophet Samuel chopping the Amalakite king s head off, I am grateful that Rabbi Motzen instead has been offering his guidance in suggesting more appropriate themes and motifs! We are looking for a few...continued from Page 3 Interesting Personal Tidbits Around 1959, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach was the entertainment for a NT event. The audience was very rude and his singing was not received well. David asked him to come to our house after the event and sing some more. We invited people over and they crowded into our small living room, sitting on the floor with lit candles. He sang until about 2 or 3 am, at which time he said to David: "please take me to the Greyhound bus". We will never forget this experience. One of our sons-in-law was very involved in the first Clinton campaign which provided a very heady experience beginning with his reports from Little Rock, culminating in Bill Clinton's 1 st election. We were able to obtain tickets to attend the inauguration (sitting in the VIP section with the likes of Jesse Jackson) and attend the Inaugural Ball. Our daughter and son-in-law were sitting on the main podium - another very memorable event in our lives! When our children were growing up, we were avid campers, probably visiting 25 states. We also traveled around the world vacationing in the Caribbean in the winter in Anguilla for 10 years and before that numerous other islands. Our other travels include Israel, Panama Canal, Alaska, Paris, London, Rome, Florence, Germany, Portugal, Costa del sol, Mexico as well as 38 states. Page 6

7 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES November 1-30 (28 Cheshvan - 27 Kislev) Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Shabbat 1 28 Cheshvan 2 29 Cheshvan Toldot Shacharis 6:45 a.m. Shacharis 9:00 a.m. Candle Lighting 5:47 p.m. Class 4:45 p.m. Mincha/ 5:55 p.m. Mincha 5:30 p.m. 6:47 p.m Cheshvan 4 1 Kislev 5 2 Kislev 6 3 Kislev 7 4 Kislev 8 5 Kislev 9 6 Kislev Vayeitzei Mincha/ 4:45 p.m. Mincha/ 4:45 p.m. Mincha/ 4:45 p.m. Mincha/ 4:45 p.m. Mincha/ 4:45 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:39 p.m. Class 3:40 p.m. Mincha/ 4:45 p.m. Mincha 4:25 p.m. 5:41 p.m Kislev 11 8 Kislev 12 9 Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Vayishlach Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Mincha 4:40 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:33 p.m. Class 3:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Mincha 4:20 p.m. 5:35 p.m Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Vayeishev Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:29 p.m. Class 3:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha 4:15 p.m. 5:31 p.m Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Kislev Chanukah Begins Mikeitz Shacharis 8:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:45 a.m. Shacharis 6:45 a.m. Shacharis 8:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:30 a.m. Shacharis 9:00 a.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:26 p.m. Class 3:30 p.m. 1st Candle 2nd Candle Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha 4:15 p.m. 3rd Candle 5:29 p.m. 4th Candle December 1-31 (27 Kislev 28 Tevet) Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Shabbat 1 28 Kislev 2 29 Kislev 3 30 Kislev 4 1 Tevet 5 2 Tevet 6 3 Tevet 7 4 Tevet Vayigash Shacharis 8:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:45 a.m. Shacharis 9:00 a.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:25 p.m. Class 3:30 p.m. 5th Candle 6th Candle 7th Candle 8th Candle Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha 4:15 p.m. 5:29 p.m. 8 5 Tevet 9 6 Tevet 10 7 Tevet 11 8 Tevet 12 9 Tevet Tevet Tevet Vayechi Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:25 p.m. Class 3:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha 4:15 p.m. Asara B'Teves 5:30 p.m Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Shemot Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:28 p.m. Class 3:30 p.m. Mincha/ 4:30 p.m. Mincha 4:15 p.m. 5:33 p.m Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Tevet Vaeira Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Candle Lighting 4:32 p.m. Class 3:35 p.m. Mincha/ 4:35 p.m. Mincha 4:20 p.m. 5:37 p.m Tevet Tevet Tevet Shacharis 8:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:45 a.m. Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Mincha/ 4:40 p.m. Page 7

8 Experienced teacher available to give Bar-Mitzvah Lessons Reasonable rates! Contact Peter Sterba at References available on request Brotherhood News & Activities: Sunday December 8: Trip to see restored Iraqi Jewish items at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Look for Flyers shortly on back tables. Other Planned Events: February: Comedy Night March: Guest speaker Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post coorespondent. Joint with Sisterhood. Spring or Summer: NYC bus trip Sisterhood Activities: December 2, 2013: Annual Hanukkah Dinner. Monday, 6:30pm. Catering by Yaffa Ner Tamid is offering an Israeli Dance Class for women on Tuesday nights from 7:50-9:30. All level dancers are welcome. $5/class Sisterhood Mitzvah Cards: To have a Sisterhood mitzvah card sent, contact Rona Raskin at (410) Prices: $3/ card or $8/pack of 5. New Offfice Hours: Mon to Thurs 9-3 Friday 10-1 Announcing Ner Tamid's new JobLink's liaison! Dina Ruttenberg (tdruttenberg@gmail.com) has recently become Ner Tamid's JobLink Liaison. Please touch base with Dina if you are hiring or looking for a job. Don't forget to register on the JobLink website as well: Joblink of Maryland, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which does not charge any fees to our corporate partners for making referrals or placements. Henry Reitberger Photography Memories in Pictures Henry Reitberger Photographer The Book Club meets on the last Shabbat of the month for lunch and informal discussion. Contact Cerril Meister at cmeister6651@aol.com for details. NER TAMID SPECIAL Automatic Transmission Tune-up 7166 Richie Highway Recommended every 25,000 Miles or 1 year - to prevent Transmission failures $28.95 plus parts & fluids (most cars) reg. $34.95 Ner Tamid maintains a cemetery in Rosedale for your needs. Please contact the Office at Green Meadow Way Baltimore, Maryland tel: Fax: henry@henryreitbergerphotography.com Rabbi Motzen s Open Office Hours: Tuesdays from 10:30 am until 1:00 pm Volunteers Needed Volunteers needed in the Shul Office: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons to help the office run more efficiently!! Tasks include answering phones, making photo copies, and assisting with mailings. To offer your time please contact Devorah Messing or Max Jacob, or office@nertamid.net Ladies Tehillim Group Needs YOU! Meets every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. For more info contact: Ruth Leibowitz, Page 8

9 Ner Tamid is also requesting a donation of baby changing tables in good condition for the Ladies and Mens restrooms on the upper level. Carlebach and Sushi season is here! Spread the word and join us once again as we kick off our Shabbat with a high energy Kabbalat Shabbat followed by a delicious sushi-kiddush. 11/29, 12/27, 1/31, 2/28, 3/28. Please consider sponsoring a sushi kiddush for $300. Contact the office for more details. Pre-Purim Carnival! Ner Tamid is excited to announce the upcoming Pre-Purim Carnival. It will take place on March 9 th and is open to the public so tell all your friends about it. This year will be the biggest carnival Ner Tamid has ever hosted. We are going to have an array of games, food, moon bounces, a gladiator ring and much, much more. In addition, since Purim is a time of giving, Matanot La evyonim (Gifts to the Poor) we are partnering with the Jewish Caring Network (JCN) in Baltimore and will donate a portion of the event proceeds to help this organization provide support services to families facing life-threatening, lifelong, or serious illnesses. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Reeut Singerman at r.evgey@gmail.com or Marina Klaff at barash615@yahoo.com for more details. Save the date, March 9 th on your calendar!!! Ner Tamid maintains a beautiful Simcha board on the Lincoln Avenue inside wall that is perfect for noting your Simchas. Order a plaque to mark: A birthday An anniversary Other Special Simchas The first eight plaques purchased by a member will be matched by four additional plaques to be purchased by an anonymous donor. See Ora Noorani for more details. All new! Rabbi Motzen's Blog: Beyond Lincoln Avenue I will be posting sermons as well as the Daily Halacha - a two minute law that I teach every day after morning services. This way, whether you slept in, or are already on your way to work, you can still find time to connect to G- d through Torah. So enjoy Ner Tamid from the comfort of your home, at a break from work, or while on the road. Subscribe for a daily or just check it out at Upcoming Shul-Wide Major Events Tu B'Shvat Luncheon and Seder January 18 Annual Donor Dinner February 23 (tentative date) Second Annual Shul Pesach Seder April 15 From Darkness to Light Holocaust Program TBD This year's Omer Lectures Theme: In Their Shoes Yom Yerushalayim Celebration May 25 Classes by Rabbi Motzen: Shabbat afternoon class: Navi class - Sefer Shmuel Sunday morning following Shacharis: Talmud Class with Rabbi Motzen Sunday evenings immediately after - Jewish Philosphy class - New! Staring Rabbi Yehuda HeLevi s Kuzari! With Rabbi Motzen. Every morning following Shacharis: Daily Halacha and 15 minutes on Chassidic thought Every evening following : Five Minutes of parsha preparation with the commentaries of Rav Sam-son Raphael Hirsch with Rabbi Motzen. Sunday November 9th, Women s Shalosh Seudos at the house of Barbara Gerber Laurelwood Ct. at 4:30pm. Sponsorship Available New! Saturday Night Family Learning - in conjunction with OCA Spend some quality time with your child/children studying Torah on Saturday night.pizza will be served. 11/16, 12/7, 1/4, 2/8, 3/8, 4/5 New! NT/ NCSY Teen Minyan Monthly NCSY-style minyan led by NCSY staff and followed by a teen kiddush. Boy Scouts Join Ner Tamid's very own troop, Troop To learn more about Boy Scout's and our troop visit our website at New! Holiday Prep Program Prepare for the holidays with classes on the laws and themes of the upcoming holidays. Chanukkah Prep November 24. Pesach Prep March 30. Young Adults and Families Young Family Lunches: November 9, January 4, February 15, March 22. 2nd Annual Dreidel Championship Bigger and Better! November 23 B'nei Mitvah Program 2 The second year of the B'nei Mitzvah Program for boys and girls aged Contact Rebbetzin Hindy Motzen at HMotzen@gmail.com for more details. Saturday November 9th, 75th Anniversary of Kristallnacht: A Personal Story by Stanley Hellman during Shalosh Seudos at 4:55pm Page 9

10 Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue 6214 Pimlico Road Baltimore, MD Office Hours: Mon-Thu 9-3, Fri 10-1 Check us out on the Web: O fficers: 2013 Barry List President president@nertamid.net Dr. Suzanne Keilson-Friedman Chair of the Board chairman@nertamid.net Dr. David Maine Vice-President Neil Frater Vice-Chairman of the Board Max Jacob Executive Director Ora Noorani Financial Secretary Sharie Blum Recording Secretary Sheila Silver Corresponding Secretary Stanley Hellman Treasurer Sam Wach Youth Director wach@comcast.net Gabby Burger Sisterhood President Bill Saks Yale Jacobson Brotherhood Co-Presidents Clergy Sruli Motzen Rabbi yisrael.motzen@gmail.com (410) office (410) cell Rabbi Chaim Landau Rabbi Emeritus...Keeping Ner Tamid Beautiful...Continued from Page 5 wasn t easy. From the outside looking in at any building, improvements in infrastructure are almost never known. But as the cold temperatures are starting to creep in upon us and you walk into shul and feel that warm air greet you inside, rest assured this was a big and necessary upgrade for the synagogue. Heating that is more efficient and cost saving is not exactly exciting (to anyone but myself and Suzanne Keilson who were very interested in the BTU s and other nuances of boiler systems which she and I actually found very fascinating!!!) but it is one of the foundations of a solid building. We are so proud of our new boiler system. So bring on the cold and the hot chocolate! Efforts are constantly being made to improve and strengthen Ner Tamid to reflect the amazing things that are happening within these walls. If you see a necessary improvement or want to help in some way, don t ever hesitate to get involved. Call us today and find out how you can get caught up in the awesome things that are happening here!...sisterhood...continued from Page 5 40 people attended this wonderful event, and we gained 3 new members as well. Our next event will be our annual Hanukkah Dinner which will be held on Monday, December 2, 2013 at 6:30pm. Catering will be by Yaffa. Keep an eye out for more information and an invitation for this event soon. If you would like to get more involved, or to learn more about upcoming events, please feel free to contact Sisterhood president Gabrielle Burger at or gabrielle.burger@gmail.com. Page 10 Chazzan Isaac Koll Cantor Emeritus F lam e Staff William Saks Editor (410) saksfamily@yahoo.com Devorah Messing nertamid613@comcast.net Contacts Ner Tamid Synagogue 6214 Pimlico Road Baltimore, MD (410) phone (410) fax office@nertamid.net Ner Tamid s Web Site