Our services begin every Friday at 6:30 PM.

Transcription

1 Our services begin every Friday at 6:30 PM. April 2014 Nisan 5774 Temple Beth-El 24 Coveway Drive Brownsville, Texas (956) Board bimah assignment: 04 Goldsmith Metzora 11 Huerta Achare Mot 18 Kenigstein Chol Hamoed 25 Riezenman Kedoshim Saturday services begin at 9:30 AM with Torah study immediately following in the Temple Library. featured artist Andi Arnovitz

2 Dear Congregants: This is again that time of the year where we gather to remember and celebrate our exodus from Egyptian bondage. Our Community Seder will be held here at our Temple on Friday, April 14th at 6:00 PM. The Seder will be available to all Members and Non-Members of our Temple. Adults (ages 13 and up) $30.00 Children under 13 $15.00 Children under 5 are free. (Your check is your reservation) PLEASE RESPOND TO THE OFFICE WITH YOUR PREPAID RESERVATIONS BY Wednesday April 9nd, 2014 RESERVATION FORM Family Name: Names of Adults: Names of Children: Amount due $: Date Paid: Check #: Please mail this form and your check to: Temple Beth-El, 24 Coveway Dr. Brownsville, TX

3 about the cover: featured artist - Andi Arnovitzl Andi Arnovitz lives and works in Jerusalem. A printmaker, book artist and manipulator of paper, many of Arnovitz s works deal with Jewish themes and subjects from a women s perspective. She has exhibited her work in ten countries and many museums. Her work can be found in both public and private collections in the United States, Israel and Europe. I have always loved this parsha because the fundamentals of the Jewish concept of tzedakah are carefully explained here. Although there are many blessings and curses given, as an artist searching for the most graphic statement in the parsha, I found the If there shall be a destitute person among you, any of your brethren in any of your cities, in the land that Hashem your G-d gives you, you shall not harden your heart or close your hand against your destitute brother. Rather, you shall open your hand to him; you shall lend him his requirement, whatever is lacking to him. Tzedakah: Charity The obligation to perform tzedakah can be fulfilled by giving money to the poor, to health care institutions, to synagogues or to educational institutions. It can also be fulfilled by supporting your children beyond the age when you are legally required to, or supporting your parents in their old age. The obligation includes giving to both Jews and gentiles; contrary to popular belief, Jews do not just take care of our own. Contributions: We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who remember and honor their friends and loved ones through their donations. Contributions to the General Fund A donation was given to our Temple by: In honor of Mr. Ruben Edelstein s 96th birthday by Sammy Ladabaum Flower Fund In memory of: Nat Ander: Susan Ander Library and Video Tape Fund In memory of: Bertha Berg by Bill Berg & Laurel Steinberg Cantor s Discretionary Fund In memory of Jules Knaster by Larry & Lynn Victor Gamilla Safra,Jack Safra, Rachel Rosenberger & Jack Rosenberger by Claude & LaVerne Harari Building Fund In memory of Samuel Himmelstein by Sammy Ladabaum In honor of Sara Kenigstein for all she does for the Book Club by Harriet Light In memory of Joan Stoler, Vicky Furgatch and Sophie Robins by Mike & Lynda Furgatch Donations to the Yahrzeit Fund In memory of Elsie Bogorad by Geoff & Rossana Bogorad Joe Franks by Larry & Susan Holtzman Rose Steinberg by Bill Berg & Laurel Steinberg Please sell any tickets you may have and turn in the money to the office as soon as possible.

4 Good Jewish Recipes... Sweet and Sour Salmon Sweet and Sour Salmon Sliced, assorted vegetables placed under the fish before cooking are an added bonus to this Sweet and Sour Salmon. Times Prep Time : 4 min Cook Time : 25 min Ready Time : 29 min Servings 8 Servings Ingredients Ingredients 8 salmon fillets, about 2 pounds 1 cup Cantonese-style duck sauce (sweet & sour) 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Place in prepared pan. In a small bowl, mix the duck sauce, ketchup and crushed red pepper and pour over salmon. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until desired doneness. Serve warm. Add some veggies to this dish by slicing zucchini, onions and red and green bell peppers, and placing them under the salmon before baking.

5 Calendar of Events April Yahrzeits 04 Benny Greenspan Patty Epstein Louis Franklin Luis Mendez Longoria Jack Rosenberg 11 Saul Taylor Mordechai Y. Holland Mollie Goldenberg 18 Bertha Russek Simone Leona Goldstein Betty S. Rubinsky Elaine Weiderman Isidor Hirshhorn Anne Holtzman 25 Samuel Frymerman Adele Paris Chaim Perleman Jake Meyers Monthly Oneg April 11 Our monthly Shabbat Oneg will be hosted by Robin & Mike Pierce, Jayme & Dave Gelfer, Lynn & Larry Victor and Allan Gavronsky on the 11th. Please come and enjoy some Mishpachah time and goodies. Oneg Reminder Please make sure to check the Oneg list when you are in charge of the Oneg. The list is as follows: Challah, decaf coffee, cream, sugar, cold drinks, cups for coffee and drinks, plastic ware, napkins, plates, cookies, cakes, nuts, fruit, cheese and crackers. Those in charge of the Oneg need to set up and clean after the Oneg is finished. Please launder and return tablecloths to the Temple as soon as possible. Board Meeting: The Board of Directors meets every second Wednesday of the month. This month s meeting will be on the 9th. Everybody is welcome to attend. April Birthdays: 02 Darrell Holland 04 Ziva Lourdes Jaross 05 Morris Edelstein 07 Joseph Bogorad 11 Darrell Stange 14 Rossana Bogorad 15 Jonathan Berg 16 Clement Markley 21 Harriet Light 29 Jayme Gelfer 29 Zeb Abraham Jaross April Anniversaries: no April Anniversaries Weekly Parsha Studies Cantor Greenspan is conducting a weekly Torah study group held in the Library immediately following morning Shabbat services. Come enjoy some sweets and coffee along with some inspiring thoughts. Our annual fundraiser The Raffle is set up to be on Saturday April 26th. Mark your calendars as we need the help from all of you. This is a fundraiser for the Temple and everybody should participate. Please sell any tickets you may have and turn in the money to the office as soon as possible.

6 Passover Passover 101 Passover basically is the retelling of the story of the Jews exile from Egypt, that is, their escape from slavery. Although on the surface it may seem like a holiday of remembering the suffering that the Jews went through in Egypt, it s actually a celebration of what the Jewish people overcame with God s help and Moses leadership. It s marked with a very long evening dinner retelling the story of Exodus with songs, prayers and such.. It s a very fun night for alot of Jews and happens once a year (usually falling around March-April, around Easter). The synagogue service the following day is also fairly long but is well attended. The celebration goes for about 8 days still by eating only unleavened bread or food without yeast, flour or wheat. This is so that the Jews dont forget what their ancestors went through whilst escaping from Egypt. The significance of the bread (or lack of) is that when the Jews were escaping from Egypt, they didnt have enough time for their bread to rise whilst cooking it, therefore they were left with uleavened bread for the next 8 days or so whilst journying to Israel (or so the story goes). This is why you will see Jews not eating bread, cake, or anything else with flour in it over Passover. And this day shall become a memorial for you, and you shall observe it as a festival for the L-RD, for your generations, as an eternal decree shall you observe it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove the leaven from your homes... you shall guard the unleavened bread, because on this very day I will take you out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day for your generations as an eternal decree. - Exodus 12:14-17 Pesach, known in English as Passover, is one of the most commonly observed Jewish holidays, even by otherwise non-observant Jews. According to the National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS), 67% of Jews routinely hold or attend a Pesach seder, while only 46% belong to a synagogue. Pesach begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavu ot and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel, but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday. The primary observances of Pesach are related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery. This story is told in Exodus, Ch Many of the Pesach observances are instituted in Chs The name Pesach (PAY-sahch, with a ch as in the Scottish loch ) comes from the Hebrew root Pei-Samekh-Cheit Pei-Samekh-Cheit (in Hebrew), meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that G-d passed over the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover. Pesach is also the name of the sacrificial offering (a lamb) that was made in the Temple on this holiday. The holiday is also referred to as Chag he-aviv Chag he-aviv (in Hebrew), (the Spring Festival), Chag ha-matzot Chag ha-matzot (in Hebrew), (the Festival of Matzahs), and Z man Cheiruteinu Z man Cheiruteinu (in Hebrew), (the Time of Our Freedom) (again, all with those Scottish ch s). Pesach Laws and Customs Probably the most significant observance related to Pesach involves avoiding chametz (leaven; sounds like hum it s with that Scottish ch ) throughout the holiday. This commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. It is also a symbolic way of removing the puffiness (arrogance, pride) from our souls.

7 Passover Chametz includes anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after first coming into contact with water. Orthodox Jews of Ashkenazic background also avoid rice, corn, peanuts, legumes (beans) and some other foods as if they were chametz. All of these items are commonly used to make bread, or are grown and processed near chametz, thus use of them was prohibited to avoid any confusion or cross-contamination. Such additional items are referred to as kitniyot. (usually pronounced as in Yiddish, KIT-nee-yohs). We may not eat chametz during Pesach; we may not even own it or derive benefit from it. We may not even feed it to our pets or cattle. All chametz, including utensils used to cook chametz, must either be disposed of or sold to a non-jew (they can be repurchased after the holiday). Pets diets must be changed for the holiday, or the pets must be sold to a non-jew (like the food and utensils, the pets can be repurchased after the holiday ends). You can sell your chametz online through Chabad-Lubavitch. I have noticed that many non-jews and non-observant Jews mock this practice of selling chametz as an artificial technicality. I assure you that this sale is very real and legally binding, and would not be valid under Jewish law if it were not. From the gentile s perspective, the purchase functions much like the buying and selling of futures on the stock market: even though he does not take physical possession of the goods, his temporary legal ownership of those goods is very real and potentially profitable. The process of cleaning the home of all chametz in preparation for Pesach is an enormous task. To do it right, you must prepare for several weeks and spend several days scrubbing everything down, going over the edges of your stove and fridge with a toothpick and a Q-Tip, covering all surfaces that come in contact with food with foil or shelf-liner, etc., etc., etc. After the cleaning is completed, the morning before the seder, a formal search of the house for chametz is undertaken, and any remaining chametz is burned. The grain product we eat during Pesach is called matzah. Matzah is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt. We have come up with many inventive ways to use matzah; it is available in a variety of textures for cooking: matzah flour (finely ground for cakes and cookies), matzah meal (coarsely ground, used as a bread crumb substitute), matzah farfel (little chunks, a noodle or crouton substitute), and full-sized matzah (sheets about 8 inch square, a bread substitute). Some people observe an additional strictness during Pesach known as gebrochts, from a Yiddish word meaning broken, although I m not sure what brokenness has to do with this restriction. Those who observe gebrochts (or more accurately, no gebrochts ) will avoid any matzah product that has come into contact with liquid after being baked. The rule arises from a concern that matzah may contain bits of flour that were not completely cooked and that would become leavened upon contact with liquid. People who observe this strictness cannot eat many common traditional Pesach dishes, such as matzah ball soup, and cannot even eat charoset on matzah at seder. They are careful not to spill seder wine on their matzah, and promptly remove the wine spilled as part of the seder. Observance of this additional restriction is not common, but many people become exposed to it because it is followed by the Chabad-Lubavitch, who are active in Jewish education. Some have criticized gebrochts for unnecessarily complicating Pesach and taking some of the joy out of this celebration of freedom for no good reason, noting that the premise of this rule contradicts codes of Jewish law that explicitly say it is impossible for matzah to become chametz once it is baked. Nevertheless, this effort to more fully observe G-d s law is worthy of respect, even if you are not inclined to add this restriction to your own Pesach experience. The day before Pesach is the Fast of the Firstborn, a minor fast for all firstborn males, commemorating the fact that the firstborn Jewish males in Egypt were not killed during the final plague. On the first night of Pesach (first two nights for traditional Jews outside Israel), we have a special family meal filled with ritual to remind us of the significance of the holiday. This meal is called a seder Seder (in Hebrew), from a Hebrew root word meaning order, because there is a specific set of information that must be discussed in a specific order. It is the same root from which we derive the word siddur Siddur (in Hebrew), (prayer book). An overview of a traditional seder is included below. Pesach lasts for eight days (seven days in Israel). The first two days and last two days of the holiday (first and last in Israel) are days on which no work is permitted. See Extra Day of Holidays for more information. Work is permitted on the intermediate days. These intermediate days on which work is permitted are referred to as Chol Ha-Mo ed, as are the intermediate days of Sukkot.

8 Sunday School News All School Program with Amanda Winer, ISJL ISJL fellow, Amanda Winer, visited Temple Beth el on March 21st through March 24th. Her weekend was filled with wonderful activities. On Friday evening, Amanda led songs and gave a very nice D var Torah. Then on Saturday, she attended services and participated along with Cantor and congregants in Bible study. At Sunday school, Amanda lead an all school program that was fun and exciting. We learned about Jewish heroes, profits, patriarchs, and matriarchs. She divided the children up into teams and played lots of games that involved learning about our Jewish history and Torah. The children had a great time. They made head bands with the name of a Jewish person they represented and had to learn what made that person a true Mench. Our Sunday School is blessed to have Amanda Winer as our fellow. She is able to communicate her ideas and lessons to the children while having them enjoy the experience of learning. Not easy to do... we Thank You Amanda! Thank You, Patricia Edelstein

9 Temple Beth El Sunday School Celebration The day began with the reading of the Megillah by Sidney Jaross. The children had a wonderful time yelling cheers for Esther and greggors for Haman. After the reading the children made Hamantaschen with Morris Edelstein and Andy Jaross! There was lots of celebrating which included games, costume contest, scavenger hunt, greggor art project, and making Queen Esther Crowns and King Ahasuerus Crowns. The children had a blast, ate candy, Hamantaschen, yummy pizza, and other goodies. It was a fun day and all the children had a blast! Three Cheers for the Purim Party Committee! This years Sunday School Party was sponsored by Elka and Richard Jaross, Andy and Erika Jaross, and Gali Peleg. Thank you for your hard work and great organization. The children had a blast, and all the activities planned by this committee were lots of fun! Thank you. 1st Place Purim Party Costume Contest Ms. Alyssa Jaross won the costume contest taking first place with her Queen Ester Costume. She played the part beautifully, and was a wonderful Queen! Congratulations!! 1st place Purim Costume Winner Alyssa Jaross.

10 Hadassah Hadassah Book Club Hi Book Readers: The Hadassah ladies have been meeting for twelve years to discuss meaningful books that we have read. Here we are getting ready to discuss The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich. This month we are reading Small Miracles of the Holocaust. The stories were collected and put together by Halberstam and Leventhal. They are a collection of more than fifty true stories of the Holocaust. These stories recount love, remarkable reunions, and narrow escapes each ending with an uplifting thought. We will meet April 13th in the Temple Library at 10:00 am Come to the Temple and help us with our discussion. Please come join us. Harriet Light Ongoing Fundraisers Temple Beth-El sells HEB cards. Please pick up one or a few here at the office. A percentage of the sales go to Temple and Hadassah The Brownsville Chapter of Hadassah enjoyed pizza and salad at their Program meeting featuring two speakers from the Area Agency on Aging. Veronica Alegria and Debra Lachico reviewed the services that their agency provides low income seniors and also explained what services are available to everyone. The ladies were very knowledgeable and are willing to answer any questions that any senior citizen has. They can be reached at Emily J. Alpert

11 Hebrew Cemetery News Jerome and Fay Jokl Jerry and Fay Jokl owned the Palm Village Pharmacy for many years. Their children, Larry Jokl and Gay Jokl Greenspan are members of Temple Beth-El. Jerry and Fay were living in Dallas where Jerry traveled designing jewelry store showcases and selling fancy boxes for displaying jewelry. His friend, Isadore Dorfman called him from Brownsville and told him that a drugstore was available in the shopping center owned by the Dorfman family. Jerry came down to take a look and decided that it was a good opportunity, so he purchased the business. Larry remembers that they moved after school was let out in Dallas. The family attended the dedication of the new Temple Emanuel, where Larry sang at the commemoration, and left for Brownsville after the reception. Larry says he sat in the rumble seat of the 1949 Ford, a memory he will never forget. Jerry was from Buffalo, New York, and was an accomplished pianist having studied at Julliard with Professor Schumann. Jerry played with some of the big bands in New York and he played in Brownsville with bands that came to entertain for Charro Days. He helped organize a small group called The Retired Businessmen who played at different restaurants and clubs in Brownsville. Fay was from Cincinnati. Fay developed the most complete cosmetic store in South Texas. She was recognized for her innovative design by both Miss Estee Lauder and the President of Revlon. Jerry was a dedicated Boy Scout leader, taking boys to the National Jamboree in He was also a charter member of the North Brownsville Rotary Club. The Rotary club gives annual college scholarship grants to worth students. The scholarships are named the Jerome Jokl Scholarship Program in honor of Jerry. In his later years Jerry became the one of the few certified gemologist in Brownsville and appraised stones from semi-precious gems to precious gems. Larry remembers an incident one Sunday morning soon after opening the store when he and his Dad were sitting in a booth drinking coffee. Jerry was reading the newspaper when the door opened and a booming voice shouted, you Canisius B***rd you. Canisius is a college in Buffalo. Jerry lowered the newspaper, looked over his glasses and after a short moment said, You St. Bonaventure SOB. They met in the middle of the store and bear hugged each other. The St. Bonaventure SOB was Bart Jordan who founded Gio s Italian restaurant. They grew up living a few doors from each other in Buffalo only to reconnect years later in Brownsville, where the families forged a strong friendship. Canisius and St. Bonaventure are competing colleges. Jerome and Fay Jokl are buried in the Hebrew Cemetery.

12 other stuff... Temple Beth-El website is now live. If you have any Events or pictures, please submit them for the Shofar and or website. LIVE Vist us at: Donations may be made to Temple Beth-El in memory, in honor, in appreciation, etc. for the following funds: General, Yahrzeit, Yizkor, Education, Building & Grounds, Flower, Torah, Cantor s Discretionary Funds. You may use this form: Donations form Please find enclosed a donation to the Fund, given in Honor Memory Appreciation Speedy recovery of Please send acknowledgment to: Name: Address: Donor information: Name: Address: Please note that any contribution submitted without a designated fund will be placed in the General Fund. Make checks payable to Temple Beth-El and mail to: 24 Coveway Brownsville, TX Thank you! Committees & Chairs Budget Committee: Chair, Mike Furgatch/Irwin Riezenman Building/Ground Committee: Javier Huerta Dues Committee & Membership Committee: Mike Furgatch Fundraising Committee: Alex Blinder/Morris Edelstein House Committee/Welcome Committee: Sara Kenigstein/Barry Goldsmith Library Committee: Harriet Light Religious School Committee: Patricia Edelstein/Leon Weisberg Ritual Committee: Sara Kenigstein Scholarship Committee: Larry Holtzman Temple Beth-El 24 Coveway Drive Brownsville, Texas (956) temple.bethel@yahoo.com