The Beamer. Newsletter of Congregation Ner Tamid May Memories of Purim, Passover and special Shabbat. More on these events, page 4

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1 Congregation Ner Tamid P.O. Box Bradenton, FL Join Ner Tamid twice a month for Shabbat Services & Sunday School. Jewish living and learning is happening at Congregation Ner Tamid! The Beamer Newsletter of Congregation Ner Tamid May 2011 Memories of Purim, Passover and special Shabbat Above, Maurice Halpern and Al Greenberg enjoy the Seder. At right, Dottie Blair blesses her children Donna and Barry at Shabbat Across America. More on these events, page 4 At top left, Pharoah (Art Durshimer) and Moses (David Jacobson) rehearse for the Passover play. At top right, Rose and Peter Semonick enjoy Shabbat Across America. In the middle, the Purim Pirates ham it up. Join us for Israeli Dinner and Shavuot Israel's Independence Day is celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Iyar, the Hebrew date of the formal establishment of the State of Israel, when members of the provisional government read and signed a Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. The original date on the English calendar corresponds to May 14, Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel is preceded by Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day for the fallen soldiers. The message of linking these two days is clear: Israelis owe their independence -- the very existence of the state -- PLEASE SEE ISRAEL, PAGE 7 The Beamer is published bi-monthly to bring news and information to members and friends of Congregation Ner Tamid; edited by Rena Morano, designed by Meg Durshimer Congregation Ner Tamid Steering Committee: Meg Durshimer, Miriam Goolsby, David Jacobson, Elaine Mittler, Rena Morano, Sandra Williams Service Leader and Education Director: Rena Morano Sunday School Teachers: Esta Snider, Rena Morano Rabbinic Advisor: Rabbi Barbara Aiello

2 The Beamer Page 2 A message from Rena Education Director and Service Leader Counting the Omer: 49 Steps to Being a Better Person As I write this column, there are 34 days left before summer vacation from the school where I teach. There are 26 days until my son, Vajra s high school graduation, and only 12 days until my son Ananda s graduation from college. Tomorrow there we will be 33, 24, and 11 days, and so it will go, as I count down the days until these happy days arrive. Today, however, is day 5 of the Omer, tomorrow will be day six, then day seven and so on, until the 49th day when we will celebrate the joyous holiday of Shavuot, when we received the Torah from God at Mount Sinai. The Jewish world is in the midst of an annual, curious interruption in the usual manner of looking at the calendar. Starting with the second day of Passover, we are not counting down, but rather counting up to the next holiday. This mitzvah is known as Counting the Omer. The omer was the sheaf of grain which was offered daily in the Temple beginning on the second day of Passover and continuing until Shavuot. In Leviticus 23:15, we are commanded to count the Omer as a way of preparing, being introspective as we prepare to stand at Mt. Sinai. So why do we count up instead of down? It s a way of showing that although we have attained adulthood, we should continue growing. A ten year old doesn t act like a five year old, so why should a fifty year old act like a thirty year old? We grow and improve in small steps, day by day, one to two to three and so on, until we reach 49 not the age, but the highest spiritual level. According to Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, there are esoteric meanings imbedded in the Torah which describe the ways in which God relates to this world, what some call the DNA of the universe. Each of the seven weeks of the period of the Omer is equivalent to one of the sefirot, or attributes of God: 1. Chessed, Loving-Kindness; 2. Gevurah, Strength & Discipline (to overcome obstacles); 3. Tiferet, Compassion & Beauty; 4. Netzach, Infinity (resisting immediate gratification); 5. Hod, gratitude & Humility; 6. Yesod, foundation (spiritual bonding), and 7. Malchut, Kingship & Leadership (bringing God s kingdom into our hearts and the world). Each day of each of the seven weeks represents a combination of attributes, so that there are fortynine permutations. For example, the first day of the first week is chessed shebechessed (love within love), the second is gevurah shebechesed (strength within love), the third is tiferet shebechesed (compassion within love) and so on. Each day, we focus on a particular quality, seeking to improve ourselves by bringing that quality into our own lives. Another way of meditating on the Omer is to focus on an individual who exemplifies that quality. For example, Abraham represents chesed, while Rachel represents malchut and the presence of the feminine face of God known as the Shekhinah. On May 14th, Congregation Ner Tamid will celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, the day of the Omer called yesod shebetiferet, connectivity within compassion. This quality is exemplified by Batya, Pharaoh's daughter, whom we heard about at the Passover seder. The Pharaoh who enslaves the Hebrews is the epitome of all that is cruel. Yet his daughter, while bathing in the Nile, chooses to save a baby Hebrew. Pharaoh's daughter takes the child she finds in a reed basket and raises him as an Egyptian prince. She names him Moses, drawn out. Batya is able to reach across lines of class and nationality and show compassion for others. Without Pharaoh's daughter, whom the Rabbis name Batya, daughter of God, there would be no Exodus. Batya represents yesod shebetiferet, the connection of compassion. We can follow in Batya's footsteps by reaching out to those who are unlike us and connecting with them in a kind and caring way. We will remember Batya on Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day because she symbolizes all those who take tremendous risks to help the Jewish people, and also those who work across national and religious lines to create peace and justice for all those who dwell in the land of Israel. I look forward to seeing you at our Yom HaAtzmaut dinner!

3 The Beamer Page 3 From the Rabbi by Rabbi Barbara Aiello Rabbinic advisor, Congregation Ner Tamid Prophet Ezekiel s Dry Bones During the Passover seder it is Prophet Elijah who takes center stage. But after the festival it is Ezekiel s prophesy on dry bones that captures our attention. This prophet is best known for is his passion, his flair for the dramatic, and his extraordinary, imaginative visions. Ezekiel likes to focus on the big picture. His forte was deliverance, especially our deliverance from slavery and the chance for our people to have a better life. He s famous for these words: Then G-d said to me; Prophesy to these bones, and say to them. "You dry bones, hear the word of the Eternal!" Behold I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. What we have here is Ezekiel's prophecy of hope that begins with his most famous vision. What a picture. The resurrection of dry bones. Some of our scholars take it literally while others take it as a symbol of something else. Were you ever so sad, so down or depressed that you felt dead inside? Were you so drained of optimism and feeling that "dry bones," sums it up? It was August 1967, the summer before my last year in college. Since late May of that same year I had been working two jobs to earn enough money to pay for my tuition for the first semester. For the month of June I worked as camp counselor. Camp was over by three and at seven I went to job # 2. I was a security guard at a construction site. I worked there from seven until 11 at night. My bedtime was midnight and then at seven sharp it was up again to go back to camp. I was tired all the time, moody and out of sorts. And on top of all of that, I felt really sorry for myself. My friends were all having fun -- boating on the river, going on picnics and seeing movies. And my boyfriend was part of the group. Then to add insult to injury, by the middle of August he had broken up with me and started dating my best friend. During the last week of August, when I was counting up my earnings, breathing a sigh of relief that I had finally earned enough money to go back to school, I got a letter from my college. Tuition had gone up and now I owed more money that I had. I wanted to cry. I did. I wanted to die. I didn't, but I wanted to. The situation doesn't sound like a big thing today, but back then I was devastated. I walked around like I had been hit in the stomach. Rabbi Gunter Plaut who is famous for his Torah commentaries wrote about this. He said that the "dry bones" were all of the despondent, depressed Jews who had been exiled from their homeland. They were upset, distressed, and angry about it. I could relate. I was angry at my parents for not having more money. And I was especially mad at God. Up to then I had prayed every day, but not anymore. I was through with God. How could He do this to me? My friends tried to help me, but I wouldn't respond. I was so full of myself and so consumed by my problems that I wouldn't allow anyone in. I felt used up and dead inside. Like Ezekiel says, I was dry bones. I stopped being so attentive at the security job. Who cares! I found a pillow and just like the Air Traffic Controllers who just got caught, I decided to take a nap in the office instead of staying awake. And wouldn't you know it - that was the night that the foreman decided to drop by. He was paying me to watch a whole wall full of pressure gauges and he had to wake me up! Now I really did want to die, but for some reason, my boss didn't yell at me. He sat down and asked me what was wrong. At first I lied. "Nothing s wrong. I m just a little tired. But something in his eyes prompted me to tell the truth, so I told him the whole story. My boss told me he understood about college. He had always wanted to go himself. Just never had the money to do it. He stood up and said, "How much do you need?" I waved my hand in protest. I was still steeped in self-pity and still getting a lot of mileage out of being a victim. "No, I couldn't let you do that!" "Baloney," he said. "Don't be so stubborn that you won't let anyone help you out. You're your own worst enemy. Tomorrow bring me your bank book and bring me your bill. I'll make up the difference." PLEASE SEE RABBI, PAGE 8

4 The Beamer Page 4 Shabbat Across America, Purim, and Passover enjoyed by all Shabbat is an island in a turbulent sea. It is an opportunity to slow down, to disengage from the pursuits that have consumed us, perhaps wearied us, all week. It is the weekly space that makes it possible for us to renew our connection with family and with God. It is an opportunity to remember that our lives are not meant to be a relentless pursuit to get more of the good stuff, or to run away from the unpleasant stuff of life. With those words, CNT service leader Rena Morano introduced the Shabbat Across America program. On March 4 th, CNT hosted 40 congregants and friends for a family style Shabbat meal. In addition to songs and good conversation, participants created colorful paper Shabbat cubes, as a way of concretely representing the six directions of ceaseless activity, and the central space of complete rest, nature in its perfect state, or Shabbat. A memorable moment was the Birchat HaBanim, the Blessing of the Children, as Sandra Williams blessed Peter and Rose, Rena Morano blessed Vajra, and Dottie Blair reached up to bless Barry and Donna. Pirates and girl scouts no matter where you looked, that s what you saw! It was Purim at Ner Tamid on March 18 th, and it was Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean! Girl Scout Troop 736, friends of Jewish Living and Learning student Ashley Manevitch, came to learn about the Jewish holiday of Purim. Did you know that Jewish pirate Jean LaFitte and his buccaneers helped to free Louisiana from the British? Did you know that you can go to Barbados and visit the graves of Jewish pirate Yaakov Mashiach and his wife? And did you know that pirate Rabbi Samuel Pallache kept a kosher kitchen on his pirate ship? Those were some of the interesting historical tidbits we learned from Rabbi Barbara Aiello s original skit, performed by our students Rose and Peter Semonick, Ashley and Avery Manevitch, Cassidy Jones, Raine Stryczny, Maddie Hazuda, parents Janet Hazuda and Michele Jones, and teen Vajra Morano. After a mesmerizing performance by Rabbi Barbara s puppet, who shared the telling of the story of Queen Esther with Rena Morano, a festive Oneg of Purim Hamantaschen was enjoyed by all. Question: How do you tell the difference between gefilte fish and all the other fish in the ocean? Answer: Gefilte fish are the only ones with carrots on their backs. Seventy guests attended Congregation Ner Tamid s Passover first night seder, and enjoyed gefilte fish and a lot more, contributing $100 to Mazon, a Jewish Response to World Hunger. The evening began with a welcoming presentation to our two oldest guests, who previously have celebrated with Ner Tamid: 98- year-old Al Greenberg and 100- year- old Maurice Halpern, who both received Torah pins. To honor the prophetess Miriam, the sister of Moses, we filled her goblet with water from our cups, commemorating her healing well, which accompanied the Children of Israel throughout their wanderings in the wilderness. With songs and readings we continued through the fifteen steps of the seder, until the highlight of the evening, when the Ner Tamid Players returned with their traditional presentation of the Passover story. As Rena Morano narrated, Miriam (Meg Durshimer) encouraged her mother Yocheved (Marcia Shepard) to place her newborn son in a basket and set him upon the river (Ben Durshimer and Dylan Jones). The baby was found by Pharaoh s daughter Batya (Yvonne Eisenberg), who convinced her father Pharaoh (Art Durshimer) to let her keep the baby. Exiled for killing an Egyptian taskmaster, young Moses (David Jacobson) and his sheep (Cassidy Jones) encountered a burning bush. The Voice of God (Lee Manevitch) ordered Moses to demand that Pharaoh Let my people go! which he did, only after 10 plagues (Ashley Manevitch) descended upon his head. Changing his mind, Pharaoh chased after the Children of Israel, only to meet his demise in the suddenly turbulent waters of the river. With the story told, the cups of wine poured and drunk, the bitter herbs and charoset tasted, all enjoyed the meal of roast beef and chicken and Jerry Solomon s delicious, homemade tsimmes. Baby Aidan and his father opened the door for Elijah, Cassidy, Ashley, Avery, Jake and Teva Rose found the afikomen, and all enjoyed dessert before saying Next Year in Jerusalem.

5 The Beamer Page 5 Hebrew School students make Purim baskets for Anchin Pavilion residents Shalom Everyone, When we heard that Morah Esta and Morah Rena wanted to teach us about Jewish History, we weren t too happy at first. But then we found out that the history went together with doing a lot of fun stuff about the Jewish holidays, like acting out the stories, baking, and making some interesting things. I hope you had a chance to taste the delicious Hamantaschen we baked for Purim. We also mixed up a batch of Ginger Bath Salts. The two went together into Mishloach Manot baskets that we sent to residents of Anchin Pavilion for Purim gifts. We also made Afikomen bags for the Passover seder and re-learned the Mah Nishtanah. We studied a little bit about the sad history of the Holocaust, and we did a choral reading of the poem, The New Colossus at the observance of Yom Sunday School students and teachers make Mishloach Manot baskets for Purim. HaShoah. Our next project will be a presentation at the Yom HaAtzmaut Israeli dinner. Don t miss out on what we ll have to show you about people and places in Israel. See you there! L Hitraot! See you next time! Join our interactive Shabbat service discussion on the week s Torah portion On Shabbat, Congregation Ner Tamid invites you to join in a discussion of the week s Torah reading. This is a no pressure opportunity for you to share your thoughts and opinions about the people, actions, and ideas in the Torah. If you wish, you can read the portion ahead of time, but even if you don t, you can be comfortable expressing your ideas with friends at Shabbat services. Torah reading for May 27 th : The Book of Numbers (B Midbar), the first section called B Midbar, 1:1 4:20. In this reading the Children of Israel continue their journey through the wilderness. There is a detailed census, and every tribe was assigned a particular place to camp, with the Levites given the place of honor. The point is made that all of the Israelites accepted this plan. Here is the discussion question: In today s modern world, how willing are we, or should we be, to accept a more humble role than others, in order to achieve a common goal? Can you think of any examples that support your opinion? Torah reading for June 10 th (which is also Shavuot and Yizkor): The Book of Numbers (B Midbar), the third section called B HaAlot kha, 8:1 12:16. One of the events in this reading is the delineation of laws concerning the Passover sacrifice as a central national reaffirmation. Those who were, however, ritually unclean, were barred from the sacrifice. Moses took their complaints to God who granted them a second Pesach, an opportunity one month later to offer the sacrifice. Here is the discussion question: God gives the impure a second chance for spiritual fulfillment. Does life generally offer us second chances for fulfillment or happiness? Torah reading for June 24 th : The Book of Numbers (B Midbar), the fifth section called Korach, 16:1 18:32. Rebellious Korach leads an uprising against Moses. The rebels complain about the tithes and offerings demanded of the people, never mentioning that these taxes were designed to help the poor, to maintain the sanctuary, and to give the Israelites ways of expressing their gratitude to God and their dependence on God. Here is the discussion question: How do we, in today s political climate of mutual distrust, guard against being swayed by half-truths? Please bring some examples.

6 The Beamer Page 6 Announcements SOCIAL GROUP The CNT Social Group will meet for lunch at TooJay s deli in Sarasota on Saturday, May 21. Please contact Elaine at if you are interested in attending. BOOK CLUB The CNT book club is looking for new participants. If you are interested in joining, please contact Esta Snider at or ssnider1@tampabay.rr.com. CNT DIRECTORY We are in the process of compiling a directory of CNT members. If you do not want to be included in the directory, please let us know. This directory will not be used for advertising or solicitation purposes; it is merely an address and phone number book for our members to use. If you would like the directory ed to you, please let us know that as well. If you do not have a computer, we are happy to put a copy of the directory in the mail. Please call Elaine at for more information. ADVERTISE IN BEAMER The Beamer will now be able to accommodate paid advertising. We will accept camera ready ads only. Ads are priced very reasonably as follows: Business card size - $15 One quarter page - $25 One half page - $50 Three quarter page - $75 Full page - $100 Each price is per one issue of The Beamer. BEAMER BY CNT has gone greeen. We would like to the Beamer, rather than mail it, to help cut down on costs and to do our part to save the environment. Please let us know your address so we can discontinue mailing the Beamer to you once you begin receiving it by . SPONSOR ONEG SHABBAT An enjoyable way to commemorate an occasion, or to honor the memory of a loved one, is by sponsoring an Oneg. If you would like to do this, call Volunteers needed to lead services at Anchin Anchin Pavilion needs an individual or couple to lead Kabbalat Shabbat services on Fridays at 4:30-5:15. The service is brief and modern. Volunteers may mix Hebrew with English as they feel comfortable. In fact, some volunteers do not do any Hebrew, which is perfectly acceptable. What is most important is a desire to serve our fragile Bubbies and Zaydes. The commitment is for once per month. We are in desperate need. Please call Rabbi Barbara at to schedule a time to observe a service and see the siddur. ISRAEL, FROM PAGE 1 to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it. Join your friends at Congregation Ner Tamid for Havdalah and a potluck Israeli dinner on Saturday, May 14 th at 6:00 pm. Ner Tamid will provide the a. Call Elaine at to RSVP and to sign up for a salad, main course, or dessert. (It does not have to be Israeli!) SHAVUOT AND ICE CREAM The Torah was given by God to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai more than 3300 years ago. Every year on the holiday of Shavuot we renew our acceptance of God's gift and God "re-gives" the Torah. On Shavuot, it is customary to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments, to say Yizkor, to read the Book of Ruth, and to enjoy dairy foods. On Friday, June 10 th, Ner Tamid will celebrate the holiday of Shavuot with an Ice Cream Social. The evening will begin at 7pm with Yizkor, followed by readings from the Book of Ruth, and a Shabbat service.

7 The Beamer Page 7 CNT volunteers happy to serve Easter dinner at Our Daily Bread When our friends at Our Daily Bread need help, they know they can always turn to Congregation Ner Tamid. On Easter Sunday, April 24 th, a group of volunteers from Ner Tamid served dinner to two hundred men, women and children. There was a full menu of ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, fresh cut up fruit, homemade biscuits, pies and cupcakes, and baskets of bread. Volunteers Murray Rudnick, Vajra Morano, Marvin and Marcia Shepard, Terry Simpson and Giuli, her houseguest from Italy, and Elaine Mittler, made it possible for the regular staff at Our Daily Bread to celebrate the holiday with their families. The volunteers declined thanks for this wonderful mitzvah, saying that in fact, they were the grateful We cannot help wondering about the first day of any genocide. What if people of good conscience stood up to say, We cannot let this happen? What if the friends, the neighbors, the employers and the employees of those first victims could stand up to say, This is wrong, and it is my obligation to do something? With these words Ner Tamid s Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration on April 29 th introduced the concept of upstanders, a word that identifies someone who is willing to stand up against evil. With a reader s theater piece and slide show adapted by the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, we heard the stories of four Upstanders. There was Irena Sendler (read by Marcia Shepard), who saved Marcia Shepard, Elaine Mittler, and Vajra Morano prepare a tray for the homeless they served on Easter at Our Daily Bread. ones for being given the chance to give of themselves. If you are interested in serving at Our Daily Bread, please call Elaine at to put your name on a list. You will be called as needed for a two-hour shift. As the volunteers said, it is a rewarding and gratifying experience to help those in need. Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration focuses on the upstanders 2500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto. There was Paul Rusesabagina (read by Irv Press), who sheltered one thousand people from the genocide in Rwanda. There was Dr. Ho Feng Shan (read by Gene Allen), who defied China s official policies and saved thousands of Jews by issuing visas to Shanghai. And there was Hans Scholl (read by Max Hazuda), who as a student protested the actions of Hitler s government and was executed by the Nazis. Thank you to Vajra Morano for being the projectionist, to Rena Morano for providing the program, to Cassidy Jones and Maddie Hazuda for their dramatic reading of The New Colossus, and to all who attended and participated in the evening s commemoration. Rabbi Barbara Aiello is THE RADIO RABBI Sunday Mornings 9-10 a.m. WGUL AM 860. Or listen on your computer any time at

8 The Beamer Page 8 RABBI, FROM PAGE 3 "And by the way... you owe me one extra night for sleeping on the job." I think that one of the reasons we talk about Ezekiel at this time of the year is that it dramatizes the basic message of the holiday and our Exodus from Egypt. Even when life is difficult and there seems to be no hope, the spirit of God can bring about deliverance. In my case, the foreman of the construction site embodied the spirit of God. He helped me out and he taught me a lesson. My situation seemed particularly bleak and hope was gone. But through that man, God worked a miracle. As the sun rose that morning I found myself saying, "Thank you God, to the same God I was really mad at just days before. Today I believe that if it hadn't been that kind man, God would have put somebody or something else in my path that would have resurrected my dead spirit and given me the hope to go on. At first I thought that the gift was the money, but later I learned that it was much more. God's gift to me was deliverance from myself. The whole situation taught me a lesson - about wallowing in self- pity and about being so consumed with myself that I left no time to take an action. I learned that I needed to look at myself and how I could have done things differently. I could have tried to get a loan or a scholarship instead of living on the edge and waiting until the last minute when all was almost lost. The dry bones were my dead spirit. The spirit of God gave me a chance to be honest and to allow someone to help me. It was a miracle because it raised me up, and gave me hope. Donations We thank the following for their donation cards: Elaine Mittler, to the Fox family, in honor of their new great granchild Elaine Mittler, to Marvin Van Poznak, in memory of wife Marlene Yahrzeit memorials Sallie Eisenberg in memory of father, Stanton Sandra Williams in memory of Odette Padova Alazraki Miriam Goolsby in memory of brother George Miriam Goolsby in memory of Sister-in-law, Helen Miriam Goolsby in memory of husband, Stokes Karr family in memory of Ester Hartog Donations Gene and Barbara Allen for Purim celebration Rena Morano for purchase of CNT camera Simchas and other milestones Congratulations to Linda and Jay Sherman in honor of the birth of their first grandson, Samuel Peter Congratulations to Rabbi Barbara Aiello s daughter Rosanna Aiello Forrest, who just graduated from University of New Hampshire with a Masters in Fine Arts. Condolences to the Karr Family in memory of Carol Karr's dad and our long time member Doug Morley who recently passed away after a long illness. Continued good wishes to Miriam Goolsby on her recovery after her recent illness. Donation Tribute Cards Donor cards offer the opportunity to honor family, friends, and loved ones while providing financial support for the congregation s programs and services. People use donation cards to: Celebrate simchas and milestones Thank a host or hostess Send a message in honor of Offer a message in memory of Express your appreciation to Wish a speedy recovery to To send a card, contact Bobbi Berkan at

9 The Beamer Page 9 A Shabbas Goy: A Heartwarming Story for a Troubled World By Joe Velarde Snow came early in the winter of 1933 when our extended Cuban family moved into the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. I was ten years old. We were the first Spanish speakers to arrive, yet we fit more or less easily into that crowded multicultural neighborhood. Soon we began learning a little Italian, a few Greek and Polish words, lots of Yiddish and some heavily accented English. I first heard the expression 'Shabbes is falling' when Mr. Rosenthal refused to open the door of his dry goods store on Bedford Avenue. My mother had sent me with a dime to buy a pair of black socks for my father. In those days, men wore mostly black and navy blue. Brown and gray were somehow special and cost more. Mr. Rosenthal stood inside the locked door, arms folded, glaring at me through the thick glass while a heavy snow and darkness began to fall on a Friday evening. "We're closed, already", Mr. Rosenthal had said, shaking his head, "Can't you see that Shabbes is falling? Don't be a nudnik! Go home." I could feel the cold wetness covering my head and thought that Shabbes was a Jewish word for snow. My misperception of Shabbes didn't last long, however, as the area's dominant culture soon became apparent; Gentiles were the minority. From then on, as Shabbes fell with its immutable regularity and Jewish lore took over the life of the neighborhood, I came to realize that so many human activities, ordinarily mundane at any other time, ceased, and a palpable silence, a pleasant tranquillity, fell over all of us. It was then that a family with an urgent need would dispatch a youngster to "get the Spanish boy, and hurry." That was me. In time, I stopped being nameless and became Yussel, sometimes Yuss or Yusseleh. And so began my life as a Shabbes Goy, voluntarily doing chores for my neighbors on Friday nights and Saturdays: lighting stoves, running errands, getting a prescription for an old tante, stoking coal furnaces, putting lights on or out, clearing snow and ice from slippery sidewalks and stoops. Doing just about anything that was forbidden to the devout by their religious code. Friday afternoons were special. I'd walk home from school assailed by the rich aroma emanating from Jewish kitchens preparing that evening's special menu. By now, I had developed a list of steady "clients," Jewish families who depended on me. Furnaces, in particular, demanded frequent tending during Brooklyn's many freezing winters. I shudder remembering brutally cold winds blowing off the East River. Anticipation ran high as I thought of the warm home-baked treats I'd bring home that night after my Shabbes rounds were over. Thanks to me, my entire family had become Jewish pastry junkies. Moi? I'm still addicted to checkerboard cake, halvah and Egg Creams (made only with Fox's Ubet chocolate syrup). I remember as if it were yesterday how I discovered that Jews were the smartest people in the world. You see, in our Cuban household we all loved the ends of bread loaves and, to keep peace, my father always decided who would get them. One harsh winter night I was rewarded for my Shabbes ministrations with a loaf of warm challah (we pronounced it "holly") and I knew I was witnessing genius! Who else could have invented a bread that had wonderfully crusted ends all over it -- enough for everyone in a large family? There was an "International" aspect to my teen years in Williamsburg. The Sternberg family had two sons who had fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain. Whenever we kids could get their attention, they'd spellbind us with tales of hazardous adventures in the Spanish Civil War. These twentysomething war veterans also introduced us to a novel way of thinking, one that embraced such humane ideas as 'From each according to his means and to each according to his needs'! In retrospect, this innocent exposure to a different philosophy was the starting point of a journey that would also incorporate the concept of Tzedakah in my personal guide to the world. In what historians would later call the Great Depression, a nickel was a lot of mazuma and its economic power could buy a brand new Spaldeen, our local name for the pink-colored rubber ball then produced by the Spalding Company. The famous Spaldeen was central to our endless street games: stickball and punchball or the simpler stoop ball. On balmy summer PLEASE SEE SHABBOS, PAGE 10

10 The Beamer Page 10 Calendar of Events May 8 *Sunday School, last day with awards and party May 14 Israeli dinner and Yom HaAtzmaut, with Havadalah service, 6 p.m. May 27 **Shabbat Service June 10 Shavuot and Yizkor, Shabbat Service, Ice Cream Social, 7 p.m. June 24 **Shabbat Service ** Shabbat Services begin 7 PM * Sunday School begins 9 AM Community event invite friends, relatives and neighbors Check your mailbox and this summer for an updated calendar for the remainder of the 2011 year and the first six months of Remember, the High Holidays begin with Rosh Hashanah on September 29th. SHABBOS, FROM PAGE 9 evenings our youthful fantasies converted South Tenth Street into Ebbets Field with the Dodgers' Dolph Camilli swinging a broom handle at a viciously curving Spaldeen thrown by the Giants' great lefty, Carl Hubbell. We really thought it curved, I swear. Our neighbors, magically transformed into spectators kibitzing from their brownstone stoops and windows, were treated to a unique version of major league baseball. My tenure as the resident Shabbes Goy came to an abrupt end after Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, I withdrew from Brooklyn College the following day and joined the U.S. Army. In June of 1944, the Army Air Corps shipped me home after flying 60 combat missions over Italy and the Balkans. I was overwhelmed to find that several of my Jewish friends and neighbors had set a place for me at their supper tables every Shabbes throughout my absence, including me in their prayers. What a mitzvoth! My homecoming was highlighted by wonderful invitations to dinner. Can you imagine the effect after 22 months of Army field rations? As my post-world War II life developed, the nature of the association I'd had with Jewish families during my formative years became clearer. I had learned the meaning of friendship, of loyalty, and of honor and respect. I discovered obedience without subservience. And caring about all living things had become as natural as breathing. The worth of a strong work ethic and of purposeful dedication was manifest. Love of learning blossomed and I began to set higher standards for my developing skills, and loftier goals for future activities and dreams. Mind, none of this was the result of any sort of formal instruction; my yeshiva had been the neighborhood. I learned these things, absorbed them actually says it better, by association and role modeling, by pursuing curious inquiry, and by what educators called "incidental learning" in the crucible that was pre-world War II Williamsburg. It seems many of life's most elemental lessons are learned this way. While my parents' Cuban home sheltered me with warm, intimate affection and provided for my well-being and self esteem, the group of Jewish families I came to know and help in the Williamsburg of the 1930s was a surrogate tribe that abetted my teenage rite of passage to adulthood. One might even say we had experienced a special kind of Bar Mitzvah. I couldn't explain then the concept of "tikun olam", but I realized as I matured how well I had been oriented by the Jewish experience to live it and to apply it. What a truly upliving outlook on life it is to be genuinely motivated "to repair the world." In these twilight years when my good wife is occasionally told, "Your husband is a funny man," I'm aware that my humor has its roots in the shticks of Second Avenue Yiddish Theater, entertainers at Catskill summer resorts, and their many imitators. And, when I argue issues of human or civil rights and am cautioned about showing too much zeal, I recall how chutzpah first flourished on Williamsburg sidewalks, competing for filberts (hazelnuts) with tough kids wearing "peyis" and yarmulkes. Along the way I played chess and one-wall handball, learned to fence, listened to Rimsky-Korsakov, ate roasted chestnuts, read Maimonides and studied Saul Alinsky. I am ever grateful for having had the opportunity to be a Shabbes Goy. Alechem Sholom Joe Velarde was a fencing coach at Columbia University in the 1940s/50s and was an early advocate of civil rights in sports, eventually retiring to California.