NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 CHESHVAN-KISLEV-TEVET 5775 Volume 8 Number 2 Tikvat Israel BULLETIN Congregants to Pick New Officers for 2015-16 Members of Tikvat Israel will elect a new set of officers, including the presidency, and new members of the synagogue s board of directors at a congregational meeting in December. The date of elections, which take place as the second of two congregational meetings in December, has not been set, but it will be promoted on the synagogue website, through listserve messages, and in B kesher, the shul s online newsletter. Congregants also will receive a mailing with full details. At the first congregational meeting, earlier in December, TI members will be able to nominate officers and board members. They will also hear from Shelly Goldin, chair of TI's rabbi search group. Questions about the nomination and election process should be directed to Larry Gorban, chair of the nominations process, at larrygorban@gmail.com or 301-838-4336. The two-year term of co-presidents Rodney Matheson and Jonathan Solomon will conclude at the end of 2014 upon the installation of their successor. Congregants also will vote on three vice president positions. The current office holders are Carol Chelemer, VP overseeing administration; Martie Adelman, VP overseeing youth and family issues; and Jim Perlmutter, VP overseeing programming. Other officer positions to be filled are treasurer, recording secretary and financial secretary. In addition, six board of director positions will be up for grabs. The incumbents are Irv Cohen, Sally Kram, Barry Lipsy, Helen Raucher, Fortuna Scheige and Elissa Schwartz. Some current office holders and board members may choose to run for another two years, through the end of 2016. Coming Attractions Thanksgiving song fest. Our joint holiday get-together with Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, Nov. 23. See page 5. Shopping bazaar. Hanukkah gift vendors to fill TI s social hall, Dec. 7. See page 14. Tale-telling affair. Ten top storytellers deliver at TI, Dec. 14. See page 5. WEEKLY RELIGIOUS SERVICES Monday 6:45 a.m. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Thursday 6:45 a.m. 7:30 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. Kabbalat Shabbat 6:30 p.m. Shabbat 9:30 a.m. Sunday 9:00 a.m. 7:30 p.m. Services also held at Shiva houses as needed. Morning service times may change for Rosh Hodesh, minor fasts and national holidays. Watch e-mail for notifications. Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21 Nov. 28 Dec. 5 Dec. 12 Dec. 19 Dec. 26 Nov. 22 Dec. 13 CANDLELIGHTING TIMES 4:42 p.m. 4:36 p.m. 4:31 p.m. 4:28 p.m. 4:27 p.m. 4:28 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 4:34 p.m. SHABBAT MINCHA 4:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Twin film fest. A pair of Israeli films, Jan. 24 and 31, with refreshments and guided discussion. See page 3.
TIKVAT ISRAEL DIRECTORY Synagogue Office Phone 301-762-7338 Fax 301-424-4399 Rabbi David L. Abramson dlabramson@comcast.net ext. 115 Cantor Rochelle Helzner rhelzner@gmail.com ext. 116 Rabbi Emeritus Howard D. Gorin Cantor Emeritus Mark Levi Co-Presidents Rodney Matheson rodmatheson@hotmail.com Jonathan Solomon jsnsssrs@verizon.net Executive Director Sam Freedenberg sam@tikvatisrael.org ext. 111 Office Staff Anita Greenwald anita@tikvatisrael.org ext. 110 Debbie Segal segaljdebbie@gmail.com ext. 126 Shul Shorts Three Community Shabbat Dinners Mark your calendars for the remaining three dates for TI s Kehillat Shabbat Service and Dinner: Dec. 19, March 13 and June 12. The song-filled evenings give each participant a role either during the service or at dinner. You can help set up, clean up or serve food or volunteer to take on a part of the service. A Callout for TI s Athletes Tikvat Israel fields teams in men s basketball and softball in the Montgomery County synagogue league. New players (you must be at least 18) are always welcome. Anyone with a link to TI, including a parenting connection to a child enrolled in the early childhood center, is eligible. Contact Warren Berger (warren.berger@gmail.com), the basketball team captain, or Stu Lempert (stuartlempert@yahoo.com), who manages the softball team in the spring. Food Addicts Group Tikvat Israel is the host site of a chapter of Food Addicts in Recovery. The group meets every Monday at 7 p.m. This is a 12-step program for all who want to stop eating addictively. No fees or dues are required. For more details, contact Bea at 301-438-3093 or K9HORA@aol.com. Jewish Studies Offerings The Foundation for Jewish Studies, which maintains its offices at Tikvat Israel, has two upcoming programs of possible interest to congregants: Kristallnacht program, Nov. 9. Jewish Biomedical Ethics program, four sessions in November and December. Details for events: www.foundjs.org/calendar.php?evntid=695 Early Childhood Michelle Sobel, Director michelle@tikvatisrael.org ext. 120 301-251-0455 Bulletin Editor Jay P. Goldman jgoldman@aasa.org Contributing Editors Felicia R. Black Ellen Eisner Betty Fishman Nancy Matheson Design and Layout lgt & associates, inc. Newsletter Printer Universal Printing 2200 Baltimore Road Rockville, MD 20851 www.tikvatisrael.org 2 HELPING THE HUNGRY ON KOL NIDRE The Social Action Committee s annual grocery collection on Kol Nidre brought almost 60 bags of assorted food products to Tikvat Israel from Wendy Bauman, right, and fellow congregants. The groceries were turned over to Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg for distribution to local families in need. Staffing the table before services were, front from left, Debby Berlyne and Robbi Cohen. They brought in support specialists from New York City, rear from left, Hannah Bachman and Melissa Cohen. (Photo by Larry Cohen) TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
Adult Education Lineup: Election Analysis, Kristallnacht, Films BY SALLY KRAM, ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR As the High Holiday season winds down, Tikvat Israel s Adult Education Committee programming is just getting started. Join fellow congregants in a broad variety of programs designed for everyone s tastes. Do you like politics? History? Jewish law? It s all here this fall and winter at TI. National Election Post-Mortem (Sunday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m., social hall). Who won and who s out and what does it mean? A post-election panel features Carl Cameron, chief political correspondent for Fox News Channel, and Matthew Green, associate professor of politics at Catholic University of America (invited). The speakers will discuss how election results will impact the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate. Join us for a fascinating conversation as power shifts in the nation s capital. Kristallnacht 76 Years Later (Sunday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m., sanctuary). As we observe one of the saddest anniversaries in our history, hear context about the events leading to that horrible night. Michael Meyer of Hebrew Union College will address Popular Anger or Planned Pogrom: What Really Happened During Kristallnacht Exactly Seventy-Six Years Ago? The talk is being co-hosted by the Adult Education Committee in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Studies and is part of the FJS Distinguished Scholar Series. Maryland Legislative Session Preview (Sunday, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m.). Like your politics closer to home? Hear Maryland State Delegate Anne Kaiser (D-District 14), a Tikvat Israel congregant, preview the likely issues she ll be asked to vote on when the state legislature reconvenes in January. Get to know more about politics that have a direct impact on our lives. Christmas at TI (date and time to be determined). Don t be left out of the famous Jewish tradition of dinner and a movie on Christmas. In partnership with the Israeli Embassy, the Adult Education Committee is screening the family film Igor and the Crane s Journey about an estranged father and son who are brought together by a young crane named Karl as they trace a family of the birds on their migratory journey from Russia to Africa. A dinner of Israeli fare will be included in the ticket price. Stretch out Hanukkah for just a bit longer by joining TI for its Dinner and a Movie package. Israel Presents: Two Nights of Film at TI (Saturdays, Jan. 24 and 31). The Adult Education Committee is celebrating 10 years of Israeli film at TI and the second year of its partnership with the Israeli Embassy and Federation of Greater Washington. Join us Jan. 24 for a screening of The Wonders, a mystery featuring Jerusalem as a backdrop to this film noir, Israeli style. Pnina Agenyahu, the senior shlicha for Israeli engagement with the federation, will facilitate the post-film discussion. Examine a mystery of another kind when Tikvat Israel screens Operation Sunflower on Jan. 31, which asks what may or may not have happened during Israel s own Cuban Missile Crisis in the '60s. The Israeli Embassy will be providing an expert facilitator to lead us through a talkback after the film. In addition to these events, our Continuing Jewish Education includes this opportunity: Study with Rabbi Brandriss. Don t limit Jewish studies to the High Holiday season alone. Consider joining Rabbi Ira Brandriss year-long class Sefer Chafetz Chaim on Laws of Loshon Hora. Classes are scheduled for every other Wednesday night during the fall and winter, including Nov. 5, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17. Contact the office for more about this class. Resolve to become a lifelong learner at Tikvat Israel or at least a sometime volunteer. Support adult education activities through attendance or volunteering. Contact Sally Kram at kram@consortium.org to find out more. Still Time to Support TI s Chai Campaign BY JAYME SOKOLOW, TI CHAI CAMPAIGN CHAIR Although the High Holidays have passed, Tikvat Israel s 5775 (2014) Chai campaign is still underway. Have you made your contribution yet to help make our synagogue even stronger and more vibrant? If you have made a contribution already, thank you for your support. If you have not, please make as generous a contribution as you can. Thanks to your support, the Chai campaign has helped the congregation balance its budget and continue providing outstanding programs and services to all congregants. Our membership dues cover only part of what is needed to maintain our staff, facility and programs. It is up to us to put into action what we commit ourselves to in prayer at this special time of year. We ask each of you to look inside yourself and consider what you can contribute to Tikvat Israel. Our donation levels take into consideration all income levels of our members, allowing every family the mitzvah of giving. In past years, we have had strong participation from our congregation. This year, we have the following categories of giving: Diamond ($5,400), Platinum ($3,600), Gold ($1,800), Silver ($1,000) and Chai ($360). As you think about making a contribution, consider how much Tikvat Israel has meant over the years to you and your family. Consider how the synagogue has supported you and your family in its joys and in its sorrows. In 5775, be among our congregants who, in the words of our Siddur, unite to establish synagogues for prayer and who give funds for heat and light, and wine for Kiddush and Havdalah. Jayme Sokolow, standing left, and Rodney Matheson, a TI co-president, addressed a thank you brunch in mid- September for those who contributed to the Chai campaign in 2013-14. (Photo by Sam Freedenberg) TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 3
From the Rabbi BY RABBI DAVID L. ABRAMSON 4 Rabbi s In-Shul Schedule Rabbi David Abramson will be at Tikvat Israel for Shabbatot on the following dates during the next two months: Nov. 7-8, Nov. 21-22, Dec. 12-13 and Dec. 26-27. As I sit down to write my Bulletin column for the November-December issue, Thanksgiving is a logical choice of topic. But I m writing this column a few days before Sukkot. It seems a little incongruous to be writing about Thanksgiving before Sukkot or is it? Maybe it s bashert that these two holidays are on my mind at the same time. In fact, it seems to me that Thanksgiving is very much a Jewish holiday and its Jewishness comes from its connection to Sukkot. What is the connection between Sukkot and Thanksgiving? On the surface, there s probably a clear historical connection. When, in the 1620s, English Pilgrims in the New World wanted to express their thankfulness to God for the abundant fall harvest, they probably turned to their Bibles and found an ancient model for a fall harvest thanksgiving festival namely Sukkot. My guess is these 17th-century Christians thought they were reading about an ancient Israelite holiday, that had long ago been neglected and forgotten. They probably had no idea, in their time, that Jews continued to observe Sukkot, and they surely had no idea Jews would continue to observe Sukkot in the New World they were then just discovering. But the thematic connection between Sukkot and Thanksgiving is clear: the fall harvest decorations, the festive meals, the traditions of ritually offering thanks to God. Thanksgiving is not only about turkey, and pumpkin pie, and watching football games on TV just as Sukkot is not only about decorating temporary huts and playing with agricultural products (the lulav and etrog, that is). Of course the colorful and engaging observances of our fall holidays are important, but beyond these trappings, Sukkot and Thanksgiving are about the profound lesson of giving thanks to God. The rabbi is planning Shabbat study sessions, which usually begin around 12:30 p.m., on Nov. 8 and Dec. 27. He also will be part of the mincha, se udah sh lishit and study session, along with Ma ariv and Havdalah, at 4 p.m. on both Nov. 22 and Dec. 13. Rabbi Abramson also remains available for individual office appointments. Please contact the shul office to arrange these. But why? Why be thankful? Why do we need holidays to remind us to express thanks to God? Do we thank God for God's blessings so that God will continue to favor us with those blessings? Many people believe this to be the case but many others find this idea to be somewhat naïve. After all, many of us look around and see all sorts of people who do praise God but who are lacking materially and many other people who never are thankful but are materially prosperous. Do we thank God in order to flatter God? I m not so sure. For one thing, we can never really know what direct effect our prayers have on God. It seems quite an act of hubris to assert that the primary reason to be thankful to God is because God is in need of our puny thankfulness. No, we don t thank God because God needs it: We thank God because we need it. We need to create, to nurture, and to reinforce our thankfulness, because the opposite of thankfulness is indifference, and indifference is one of the greatest sins we can commit. If we re indifferent to the holiness the divine source of our food, for example, it doesn t matter what we do with it. We can waste it. We can become obsessed with it. We can hoard it -- refusing to share it with others. But if we cultivate thankfulness true thankfulness then we can t do these things. If we recognize the holiness of our food, we recognize that the God who gives it to us wants us to share it with others. If we cultivate true thankfulness, we recognize the challenge that is implicit in each of God s gifts. Long before English Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, long before the American holiday of Thanksgiving was ever invented, we Jews observed our autumn thanksgiving festival, Sukkot. Sukkot was and is a challenge to really be thankful. I m sure that, sometimes, our ancestors were not up to the challenge. It was very easy for our ancestors to become focused on the tangible in religious life and to miss the forest for the trees as it is equally easy for us to do, as well. I m sure it was possible to come to the Temple in Jerusalem, to offer a korban todah, a thanksgiving sacrifice, and to be completely unchanged by the experience: to fail to achieve genuine intimacy with God, to fail to cultivate real thankfulness. And I m sure it s possible to gather with friends and family on Thanksgiving, to enjoy one another, to enjoy the culinary delights that are placed before us, and to be completely unchanged by the experience. My teacher, Rabbi Yaakov Rosenberg, z l, often asked the rhetorical question: If you do a mitzvah and it doesn t affect your neshomeh, so why d you do the mitzvah? Sukkot presents a challenge to us as Thanksgiving will present the same challenge: to strive for intimacy with God, to be truly thankful, to understand why we need to cultivate true thankfulness. May we all rise to the challenge. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
A Thanksgiving Sing Tikvat Israel and the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church will share in an annual program of songs of praise and thanksgiving. It will be held on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church. This event includes congregational singing, a Cameroon women s choir, Eine Kleine Tikva band, a bell choir, a combined choir of members of Tikvat Israel and the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church and more. This event is one of the most uplifting of the year. There will be a minyan for maariv at the church at 7 p.m. The church is located at 580 East University Blvd. Kabbalat Shabbat with Instruments The next KS with I will be held on Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Flax Library. There will be a pre-service reception at 5:45 p.m., sponsored by Marc and Gail Pressman. This popular, uplifting Shabbat evening service includes spirited melodies, both traditional and new, accompanied by guitar, piano, bass and percussion. The service is open to all ages. Subsequent services will be held Dec. 12, Jan. 9, March 27, May 8 and June 19. Reception sponsors are needed. Kehillat Shabbat Community Shabbat Service This Friday evening experience includes a traditional Kabbalat Shabbat service followed by dinner. The entire evening is lay led, and everyone who attends assumes some role, either in leading a portion of the service or organizing the service or dinner. Congregants are welcome to attend the service even if they are unable to stay for dinner. The schedule is as follows: Dec. 19, March 13 and June 12. Boker Ohr Service This musical and spirited early morning service led by Cantor Helzner is accompanied by percussion. Boker Ohr will be held in the Flax Library, from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 6, Feb. 7 and May 2. Nishmat Kol Chai Facilitated by Rabbah Arlene Berger with help from congregants, this Shabbat morning service includes traditional and non-traditional prayers, chanting, percussion, dance and a Torah discussion. This service is held from 10 a.m. to noon in the Flax Library on specially scheduled dates and runs concurrently with the regular service in the sanctuary. Nishmat Kol Chai will be held on Nov. 1, Jan. 3, March 7 and June 6. Drama on Shabbat by Kids On Shabbat mornings, Nov. 15 and Dec. 20, Tikvat Israel kids are invited to prepare a presentation to be performed at the kiddush. The presentation, directed by Jeff Smith and Robin Lempert, will be rehearsed during services on those Shabbatot and CANTOR S CORNER An Array of Spirited Services BY CANTOR ROCHELLE HELZNER will include props and costumes. Children of all ages who want to participate should meet in the social hall promptly at 10 a.m. Junior Congregation With Camp Spirit A Shabbat morning service for students in 3rd through 6th grades is feeling a lot like summer camp thanks to the help of Micah Cowan, Hannah Smith and adult adviser Jason Schwartz. The service will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Flax Library on the first Shabbat of the month, the next two being Nov. 1 and Dec. 6. Shabbat Is Special The ECC invites all families with young children to welcome Shabbat with story, songs and blessings on Friday, Nov. 21, 5:30-6:15 p.m. Cantor Helzner and Rabbi Abramson will help us celebrate. Challah, grape juice and light refreshments will be served. "Mini Minyan" Families with children 5 and under can join Maxine Perlmutter for songs, prayers and stories at 10:30 a.m. on Shabbat mornings Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, March 14 and May 9. Gather in main sanctuary at 10 a.m. when children will be invited to march with little Torahs during the procession. Additional programs for young children on Saturday mornings TBA. Top Talkers to Deliver True Stories Dec. 14 It s story time again. The second annual True Stories show will take place on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4.30 p.m. in the Tikvat Israel social hall. The show will be hosted by the synagogue s Toastmasters Club known as Hopeful Talkers. True Stories will feature 10 outstanding storytellers from the D.C. area and beyond. The lineup includes Emmy Award-winning actress Melissa Leebaert; two-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Kean; standup comedian and author Adam Ruben; and several storytelling competition winners and speaking champions. The stories being presented are better suited to a more mature audience, so the organizers recommend the show for teenagers and adults. Advance tickets will be available from the synagogue office in November. Last year s True Stories raised $2,000 for the shul and attracted more than 150 audience members who, at the end of the show, enthusiastically endorsed it as an annual event. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 5
PRESIDENTS' REPORT State of Our Shul and What We Cherish Most BY RODNEY MATHESON AND JONATHAN SOLOMON, TI CO-PRESIDENTS Editor s Note: Co-Presidents Rodney Matheson and Jonathan Solomon asked the Bulletin to publish the speech they delivered from the bimah on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. They believe the message should appear in print to reinforce what they said to those present and to enable those who were not there to read what they shared. This version has been edited slightly for length. (ROD) Hello, I m Rod Matheson. (JONATHAN) And I m Jonathan Solomon. (ROD) We re the co-presidents of Tikvat Israel. (JONATHAN) And this is exactly how we started our President s speech as we began our co-presidency. (ROD) It is hard to believe that we are now nearing the end of our term. (JONATHAN) We re going to start by looking back over our term in office through our annual State of the Synagogue message. (ROD) Let s start with a financial update. There s lots of good news in this area. Tikvat Israel continues to run a balanced budget. We haven t touched our line of credit. And, at the same time, we eliminated the additional charge of a building fund. We still don t charge members for High Holiday tickets. And this year, we started an endowment fund called the Fund for the Future to further enhance the financial security of our synagogue. Within the first few months of operation, we have received $35,000. This fund is designed to grow and protect the principal for generations to come, and for the congregation to benefit from the interest earned. Finally, if you look at the Chai Campaign plaque in the lobby, you will see last year s board has the most names on it since we started putting up the Chai Board. We thank you all and would love our new president next year to be able to say the 2015 board contained even more names. (JONATHAN) We also saved money while doing something good for the environment. The solar electricity system on our roof has saved us $1,300 this year alone and reduced our carbon footprint. (ROD) Then there are the two security grants we were awarded by the Department of Homeland Security. The $150,000 we received upgraded our alarm system, improved outdoor lighting, provided security cameras, put in new front doors and installed barriers to protect our building. These changes will greatly enhance the safety and security of our building. The changes also send a message that our building is not a soft target. 6 (JONATHAN) Tikvat Israel has taken a thoughtful and creative new approach to raising our children with a solid Jewish background. We created a program that blends education with recreational programming. The outcome is children who value learning and enjoy themselves in the process. Some people grow up with less than fond memories of their Jewish schooling. We think the experience of Tikvat Israel s children will be quite different. And the individual mentoring of our children enrolled in local Day School programs also goes a long way in the development of exceptionally well-versed students. (ROD) We are pleased to have updated Mission, Vision and Critical Values statements that come from you all and that will guide and focus our actions into the future. (JONATHAN) We are thrilled to announce that since last Rosh Hashanah we have welcomed 12 new family units -- 32 new members including 20 adults and 12 children. We are so happy you chose Tikvat Israel as an extension of your Jewish home. (ROD) Finally, we are happy to announce that Shelly Goldin will again chair our Rabbi Search Committee. The previous search team did an outstanding job of sourcing Rabbi Abramson, and we are also happy to report we have gotten official word from the Rabbinical Assembly that he can be considered for the role of our long-term rabbi. (JONATHAN) We d like to end our talk with the top 10 things we have come to cherish about our Tikvat Israel community. (ROD) No. 10 Community is a great place to start. Just one example of our community coming together is the building and decorating of our Sukkah. It involves our youngest members as well as our most mature members. Members serving members is the rule at Tikvat Israel. (JONATHAN) No. 9 -- We love how caring our community is. Our tzedakah committee donates to all kinds of great causes. We run successful blood drives. We remove trash and litter from the community. We feed the homeless. We support Israel. And, most recently, we delivered High Holiday baskets to local Jews who were thrilled to receive these gifts along with warm attention. (ROD) No. 8 We can hold a meaningful Shabbat morning service on the rare occasion when both our Rabbi and Cantor are away. This is due to the tremendous depth of talent and devotion of our members. (JONATHAN) No. 7 -- Tikvat Israel holds an annual Israeli Film Festival that has won the endorsement and co-sponsorship of the Israeli Embassy. Continued on next page TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
PRESIDENTS continued (ROD) No. 6 Our Kabbalat Shabbat with Instruments is a rousing welcome to Shabbat and even draws members from other shuls to hear the uplifting music and songs. (JONATHAN) No. 5 -- Tikvat Israel has an amazing staff. Everywhere we turn the front office, the Early Childhood Center, our newly reconfigured Youth and Education program -- there are outstanding people who care, who are warm and friendly, who do their job well. As co-presidents, we can sleep at night, confident our synagogue is in excellent hands. (ROD) No. 4 Our ECC has doubled in size over the past year thanks to its excellent director Michelle Sobel and skilled teachers. We project we ll need to open new classrooms next year to meet demand. (JONATHAN) No. 3 We often hear compliments about our programs and events that lead people to call us the best kept secret in Rockville. Just as our pre-school s recent marketing efforts made that program one everyone is talking about, we now plan to market the whole synagogue so the community can learn what Tikvat Israel has to offer. We have established a new Marketing Committee under the leadership of Bob Silverstein, a past president. (ROD) No. 2 -- Our talented Cantor remains energized, creative and dedicated to our community. Such dedication and energy is expected in someone starting out with a congregation, but it is such a privilege to experience it in full force after more than 30 years of service to us all. (JONATHAN) And the No. 1 reason we cherish Tikvat Israel is you - our members! You make Tikvat Israel truly special. You make people feel welcome when they enter our building. You raise scholarly and stimulating points in discussions. You serve as valued members of our Board or one of our committees. You support our morning and evening minyanim. And you donate your time and efforts to a wide range of causes within Tikvat Israel and throughout the community. Our community is a place where learning is valued across the lifespan, where creativity abounds and where social action is an essential principle. Our community is a place we can all be proud of. TI Completes a Series of Building Security Projects BY STEVE RAUCHER, TIKVAT ISRAEL SECURITY COMMITTEE MEMBER Thanks to $150,000 in grants provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the past three years, TI has completed a series of significant projects designed to make our building a safer place. We have installed a closed-circuit television system with cameras throughout the building that monitor and record activities inside and around the building s exterior. We have replaced the front-entrance doors with a more secure electronic entry system. We have added a pass card entry access system and improved the lighting in our parking lot and around the building s perimeter. In addition, our alarm system has been upgraded and integrated with the other systems. All windows and glass doors are now coated with a shatter proof (and energy efficient) mylar coating. The most recent and final improvement related to the installation of the concrete planters and bollards that now secure our building s front entrance from intrusion by a vehicle, intentional or accidental. While some of these improvements are less obvious than others, all are designed to harden our building from those who would do us harm. We know that we can never be 100 percent secure, but equipping our building with these systems significantly increases our safety. Potential evil doers quickly will realize that TI is not an easy or "soft target" and, hopefully, will be discouraged from taking any harmful or destructive actions. Ultimately, however, the best security system at our synagogue is you. The slogan See Something, Say Something continues to be the most effective measure to maintain TI as a safe place for all of us. (ROD) We thank you for the privilege of serving as Tikvat Israel s leaders. It was truly an honor. Come January, we will serve on the board in the role of Past President. We pledge our continued support and dedication to this holy community. May we all continue to go from strength to strength. Facebook Following? Are you among the 113 individuals who were connected to Tikvat Israel s Facebook page as of late October? If not, consider following TI on Facebook as we are adding news and information of interest to synagogue members on a more consistent basis. Prior to the High Holidays, concrete planters and two bollards were installed outside the shul s front entrance to prevent intentional or accidental intrusion by a vehicle. (Photo by Felicia R. Black) TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 7
Simchat Torah Honors Given to Husband-Wife Tandem The husband-wife team of Jay P. Goldman and Rebecca S. Salon were honored by Tikvat Israel on Simchat Torah as the 2014 Chattan Torah and Kallah Bereshit for their volunteer leadership to the congregation. Goldman has served as editor of the synagogue s bi-monthly Bulletin for the past half dozen years and chaired a committee that led to the creation of the synagogue s first website about a decade ago. As chair of the Strategic Communications Committee, he serves as the editor of content on the home page and developed a protocol with other committee members for publicizing events outside of the synagogue membership. Goldman has been on TI s board for more than a decade. Mazel Tov... to Fortuna and Steve Scheige, on the birth of their grandson, Ilan, on Aug. 20. Proud parents are their daughter, Susan- Lisa, and her husband, Philip Gvinter. to Janice and Bob Balin, on the Sept. 28 marriage of their son Danny Balin to Lindsay Wenger. The couple reside in Greenwich, Conn.... to Rabbi David Abramson, whose son Ben graduated from the University of Wisconsin College of Nursing and passed his licensure exam as a registered nurse. Welcome New TI Members Rebecca Salon and Jay Goldman (Photo by Felicia R. Black) Salon serves as president of the Tikvat Israel Women s Network/ Sisterhood. She also has supported planning for Inclusion Shabbat, which is held each year, and has served on the TI board of directors representing the Women s Network for the past four years. Along with two grown children, they have been members of the shul since 1987. Together, the pair has run monthly services on Shabbat and major holidays since 1988 for the Jewish residents at Potomac Valley Nursing Home, overseeing the synagogue s relationship with the Rockville health care facility that preceded them by a year or more. At a volunteer fair held in the social hall during the first year we were members, Rebecca and I signed up to help out at the nursing home. Then a few months after we started, the young couple that was leading the monthly services left for new jobs in New York, leaving us in charge, Goldman recalls. We bumbled our way through at the beginning, but the monthly visit has become a significant and meaningful part of our lives ever since. Professionally, Goldman, a native of Auburn, N.Y., is the editor of a monthly magazine that covers K-12 education issues for a national readership of school leaders and serves as an adjunct professor at University of Maryland s Merrill College of Journalism. Salon, former executive director of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute in Washington, is project director for the National Disability Institute s LEAD Center, a national training and technical assistance center to promote employment and economic advancement for people with disabilities, and does program development for the District of Columbia s Department of Disability Services. She is a native of Hurleyville, N.Y. Literally the groom of the Torah and the bride of the beginning, the Chattan Torah and Kallah Bereshit honors are accorded each year to two Tikvat Israel congregants or staff members who have made significant contributions to the synagogue s spiritual, educational and/or cultural life. The selections are made each year by the Religious Practices Committee.... Elizabeth Ellison. She lives in Silver Spring and has two adult children.... Daniella and Owen Schwartz. They live in Rockville and have two daughters, Talia and Adele (and are expecting a third child in November).... Steve and Elisha Lubar. They have a daughter, Daniella. The Lubars are also part of the Early Childhood Center at TI. GIVING THE GIFT OF LIFE The American Red Cross blood drive hosted by Tikvat Israel and organized by Sam Freedenberg over Labor Day Weekend yielded 11 pints of whole blood and three doubles, a total of 17 units. More than half of the contributors were TI members, including Edna Breit, shown with a Red Cross staffer. The TI Social Action Committee also conducts a blood donor drive each spring in the social hall. (Photo by Sam Freedenberg) 8 TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
Religious Studies for Youth Already in High Gear BY STEVE KERBEL, TIKVAT ISRAEL INTERIM DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION L shana Tova! While it may be nearly Heshvan as you read this, a new year of study has begun for the students at Tikvat Israel. I m the interim director, and I come to Tikvat Israel with more than 30 years of experience in religious school, day school, youth group and Jewish camp experience. It is a pleasure to be working with Cantor Helzner, Rabbi Abramson, Sam Freedenberg and the Youth and Education Committee to begin some new programming at Tikvat Israel. In grades K-2, we have begun a fun and activity-filled Sunday program, taught by veteran ECC teacher Limor Dahan. This program is building Hebrew vocabulary, is using discovery activities to investigate the Jewish holidays and will be exploring other topics throughout the year. In grades 3-7, we have taken a concierge approach. To supplement the excellent youth Shabbat programming and Torah Club that already thrive at Tikvat Israel, we have created an individualized tutoring program, where each student is studying tefilah Hebrew and nusach and a core Judaics subject (ethics, holidays, Israel, and American Jewish history, depending on the grade level). In addition, students will be engaging during the winter in a project in Judaics of the student s choosing and overseen by his or her tutor. This approach helps us maximize the students time, giving them individual attention to support or accelerate their learning as needed and keeping the content exciting by giving the students some choices to work on projects of Jewish content that excite them. Our program does not exist in a vacuum. It is supplemented by our excellent youth program, overseen by Dan Ring, and we hope, by students selecting a Jewish summer camp experience as well. The current research on Jewish identity and experiential learning all seem to point to a partnered approach of classroom, youth group and immersive summer camp experiences offering the best outcomes for young Jewish learners. We look forward to a great year, and you can look forward to receiving updates on our program throughout the year. Speaker Training Set for Upcoming B nai Mitzvah Tikvat Israel s Toastmasters Club will be giving a leg up to boys and girls who will be celebrating their b nai mitzvah during the next two years. Beginning on Sunday, Jan. 11, the club will run its biennial training course for those scheduled to have a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah at Tikvat Israel in 2015 or 2016. The course will run at TI for six consecutive Sundays, concluding on Feb. 15, though the organizers will use the next two Sundays as snow days in the event of any class cancellations. Classes will begin at 11 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. The only fee is $5 to cover the cost of a speaking manual. Most children of this age have no experience preparing their d var torahs for their b nai mitzvah, says John Melmed, who is coordinating the speaker training course. They also do not know how to speak comfortably in a public forum using communication essentials, such as speech structure, word choices, voice projection, eye contact and gestures. The six-session course will address all of these issues and teach the children the ins and outs of speech preparation and extemporaneous speaking. Universally, the 150 or so children at Tikvat Israel who have completed this course over the last 14 years have come away with a tremendous boost to their self-confidence when speaking in front of an audience, he says. This enabled the youngsters to be much less nervous during their time on the bimah. The difference in how these children performed has been clearly evident to the rabbi, cantor and synagogue presidents during these children s b nai mitzvah over the years compared with those children who did not take the course, Melmed says. The benefits extend beyond their b nai mitzvah. Those at TI who completed the training report years later being selected class president and feeling confident enough to join their high school debating society, to perform in school plays, to be less reluctant to ask questions in class and to engage better with schoolmates. The class will be taught by a team of 6-7 experienced adult public speakers, including Melmed, David Kaminow, Robert Katz and Jeff Smith. Participants may bring a friend who isn t connected to Tikvat Israel if there is space in the class. The cost is $20 for non-ti members (which will be donated to the synagogue). Register through the synagogue office at 301-762-7338 or anita@tikvatisrael.org. Additional details about the training are available from Melmed at 301-871-7708 or jrmelmed@comcast.net. In my tutoring experience over 14 years, I can honestly say that no child wants to take this course, Melmed adds. For this reason, this has to be a parental decision. Register your child by calling the shul office today. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 9
Thriving Minyan: Hallmark of a Successful Synagogue BY ELLEN EISNER, MINYAN SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBER At Tikvat Israel, many opportunities exist to contribute one s time and energy. But one of the simplest, quickest and most gratifying ways is by attending minyan -- morning, evening or both. The minyan subcommittee (part of the TI Religious Practices Committee) would like to thank all those congregants who turned in their minyan pledge cards following Rabbi Abramson s inspiring sermon on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Those who didn t have the opportunity to pick up their cards should receive them soon in the mail. We hope you will return your pledge cards to the office at your earliest convenience. Members of the minyan subcommittee now are in the process of contacting members of the congregation to discuss what type of minyan commitment each family is willing and able to make. We recognize various factors (such as transportation issues) may preclude minyan participation for some families, but we hope as many congregants as possible will be able to commit to this important aspect of TI s communal life. Beginning in January, we will move to a slightly different minyan schedule for the evening minyan. This was necessitated by the fact the current system leaves the last few days of each month uncovered (the so-called orphan weekdays) without a call list. After much discussion, we will return to the four-week rotation schedule that was used some years ago. To illustrate how this schedule works: If you select Tuesday, for example, as your preferred night for minyan, you will be scheduled to come every fourth Tuesday from your start date. Before the new system is inaugurated, you will receive a list of your minyan dates for the next 12 months. In addition, you will receive a reminder call or email a few days prior to each assigned date. Feel free to contact any member of the subcommittee (Warren Berger, Ellen Eisner, Genie Glucksman, Ted Kram or Mimi Meltzer) if you have questions or ideas to share. We also would welcome volunteers to help us follow up with congregants by phone regarding their minyan preferences. The subcommittee thanks you in advance for your commitment to help strengthen our minyan. M I N Y A N M A T T E R S BY ELLEN EISNER My grandfather died when I was 12 years old, and shortly after that my father began putting on tefillin every morning and saying his morning prayers in our living room. Because my sister and I had to walk through the living room to get anywhere in the house, my mother was forever shushing us not to disturb him. Years later, after he retired, my father became a regular daily minyan goer at our shul, often picking up another elderly man who was disabled. My father s constancy, sincerity and devotion to daily prayer and minyan remain one of my most vivid memories of him. Whenever I attend the evening minyan at TI, I feel I am honoring and remembering my father in a meaningful way. 10 Minyan matters. Two synagogue volunteers who delivered shopping bags of High Holiday food/beverage items to area shut-ins were Larry Gorban and Fortuna Scheige. (Photo by Leon Green) TI Volunteers Deliver Holiday Goods to Shut-Ins If you were to listen to the comments of those who volunteered, you would be hard-pressed to know who benefited the most from the recent delivery of High Holiday baskets to shut-ins around Montgomery County. About a dozen Tikvat Israel members took to the roadways on Sept. 21, as part of an annual project organized by the Jewish Social Services Agency, to delivery Rosh Hashanah groceries to those in the community facing personal hardships. The delivery persons were Lynn Berk, Harvey Berk, Ellen Eisner, Larry Gorban, Jay Goldman, Leon Green, Harvey Kaplan, Naomi Kaplan, Rianne Melmed, Fortuna Scheige and Steve Scheige. The TI coordinator was Moira Green. The baskets (actually shopping bags) were filled with round challahs, honey cakes, Manischewitz Concord wine, apples, honey, gefilte fish, candy and a candle. Listen to what some of these participating volunteers had to say after completing their rounds. Larry Gorban: I found it very gratifying how pleased the recipients were and one in an assisted living facility was particularly thrilled and said she didn t know what she had done to deserve this. I really believe this, as well as the Pesach distribution, is a mitzvah. Moira Green: One recipient s family member insisted that one of our volunteers accept a chocolate bar to show their appreciation. Leon and I both were thanked so warmly by the recipients. It was truly a mitzvah. A special day. Harvey Kaplan: Two of the people to whom Naomi and I delivered were Holocaust survivors and they clearly very much enjoyed our visits and most substantive discussions with them. In fact, we enjoyed visiting with all the people on our list. Everyone expressed his or her thanks for the holiday package from JSSA-- and most definitely for our group s participation. Fortuna Scheige: Everyone thanked us numerous times. One lady was actually waiting outside of her apartment for the delivery. She said she was watching from the window and saw Steve and me entering the building. I don t know who benefited more from the experience the recipients or us. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
TI WOMEN'S NETWORK Off to a Great Start BY REBECCA SALON, TI WOMEN S NETWORK PRESIDENT The Women s Network is off to a great start! We held our annual Women s Network Tea in late October and now commence a year of learning, getting to know each other and engaging in a project to support children and families in Montgomery County. We ll learn together through our book club series, which is highlighted on this page, and through Rosh Chodesh services, knitting and crocheting circles and more. We ll again coordinate a Women s Network Shabbat and a family outing to the Washington Nationals next spring. Don t forget to renew your membership in TI s Women s Network or, if you haven t been a member, join for the first time! With your membership, in addition to events at Tikvat Israel, you ll have access to the Women s League for Conservative Judaism website, which offers resources and links to educational programs. You ll also receive WLCJ s informative magazine, CJ: Voices of Conservative/Masorti Judaism, which provides up-to-date information about community and global issues and initiatives. I hope you all picked up this year s Women s Network bookmark at Tikvat Israel, which lists many of the events for the year as well as book club dates and book selections. If you missed it, additional bookmarks will be available on the information table near the sanctuary. Your membership in our Women s Network links you to wonderful women of all ages at Tikvat Israel, and your dues support our activities as well as the activities of WLCJ. If you no longer have your Women s Network Membership and Torah Fund form, please let me know. It s not too late to join and membership is still only $36 for the year. This year, we also are offering a Supporting Membership Level of $54, which supports costs associated with our many activities. We hope you will join and participate in as many activities as you can. We also hope you ll support the Torah Fund. We look forward to another wonderful year together. For more information about the Women s Network, please e-mail me at rsalon@verizon.net. Four Titles on Book Series The Women s Network/Sisterhood at TI has announced its selections of books for four discussion sessions in 2014-15. All book group discussions are held after minyan, starting at about 7:45 p.m.. The titles and dates appear on a laminated bookmark, which was distributed at High Holidays services. Nov. 12: My Promised Land by Ari Shavit Jan. 14, 2015: Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman March 18, 2015: Visible City by Tova Mervis May 6, 2015: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand All women, teen-age and older, are welcome to attend. Contact Rebecca S. Salon (rsalon@verizon.net or 240-205-0289) with your questions. Discounted Burial Plots Available to TI Members CELEBRATING ART WITH CAKE Following the Sept. 20 dedication during a Shabbat morning service of four new High Holiday Torah Scroll covers, congregants had a chance to celebrate with a cake decorated with a Sam Freedenberg photo of the covers. Shirley Waxman led a team of synagogue volunteers in creating the Torah covers. (Photo by Sam Freedenberg) Synagogue members are entitled to significant discounts when purchasing burial plots at two Jewish cemeteries in Montgomery County Judean Gardens in Olney and Garden of Remembrance in Clarksburg. Cost is $1,850 per site, about $500 less than the cost of buying directly from the cemetery. TI expects to raise the cost to $2,000 per plot in the near future, so anyone interested in a purchase should soon contact Sam Freedenberg, TI executive director. The synagogue has about 30 plots in inventory at the two sites. Any family member of a current TI member is eligible for the discount when purchased by the shul member. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 11
A Reflection on Past Progress and Future Growth BY MARTIE ADELMAN, TI VICE PRESIDENT FOR YOUTH AND FAMILY I feel a special connection to Tikvat Israel. Because the synagogue has played such an important role in the life of me and my husband as we raised our daughter Molly. Molly s Jewish education began in the nurturing environment of the Early Childhood Center among warm and caring teachers. As Molly grew, Tikvat Israel and its leaders provided her with opportunities to explore Judaism. She made long-lasting friendships in our synagogue, and my husband and I found friends who have brought us great joy and companionship. As vice president, I worked to perpetuate the sense of community and opportunity that Tikvat Israel provided our family. Much has changed since I assumed this position over two years ago. The ECC is on fantastic financial footing thanks to the wise advice of Maxine Perlmutter, Louis Leibowitz and former board member Lynne Benzion, who helped formulate and balance the ECC budget and institute new policies. Under the enthusiastic and gifted direction of Michelle Sobel, the ECC has grown, prospered and gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the best Jewish pre-schools in Montgomery County. In addition, Michelle has enhanced the Judaics component of the ECC curriculum and designated Limor Dahan as coordinator of Jewish instruction at the ECC. The previously named ECC Committee, composed of incredibly enthusiastic volunteers, has been reconstituted as the Early Childhood Committee, dedicated to programming for families with young children. Rabbi David Abramson and Cantor Rochelle Helzner have provided invaluable assistance in helping to start new programs for our children. Last year, our youth calendar included Books on the Bimah, Shabbat lunches with the rabbi and Drama Shabbat at which congregants were entertained during kiddush by our young thespians. The children now are invited to participate in a Torah parade at the conclusion of the Torah service each Shabbat, which I know has brought great joy to congregants. The cantor has devoted hours developing and leading children s programming for children of all ages. For the first two years of my tenure as vice president, former staff member Lynn Berk planned activities for our children, assisted by the wonderful volunteers who served on the Youth Commission. We also have adopted an innovative youth and education department, providing small group instruction for children in grades K-2, individualized instruction to children in grades 3-7, Shabbat programming and youth group activities. Jeff Smith and Lis Schwartz have spent many hours guiding the new vision to fruition. Tikvat Israel hired Steve Kerbel, Dan Ring and Limor Dahan to implement this vision. We believe that these educators will offer exciting educational opportunities and programming for our youth. Educating our children is a task for highly skilled, experienced and knowledgeable staff members. It also requires parental participation and input, so I hope that parents of children of all ages will 12 join the clergy and synagogue leadership in this most important mission. As my term on the Tikvat Israel board of directors draws to a close, this is my final column as vice president of youth and family. When Jonathan Solomon and Rod Matheson asked me to run for this position, I agreed because of the special place the synagogue holds in my life. I have been happy to serve and am ready to pass on the reins of leadership. Looking back on my term as vice president, I am especially grateful to Jonathan and Rod for their leadership during my tenure. Their advice and input have been invaluable and their patience unending. I have enjoyed working with my fellow board members. Despite differing opinions, every board member is dedicated to the future of Tikvat Israel. Many members devote hours each week to synagogue operations. I have been inspired by the generosity, commitment and passion these leaders offer to our synagogue. My appreciation to our executive director, Sam Freedenberg, knows no bounds; he has assisted me in many ways and provided wise advice. As my tenure ends, I am optimistic about TI s future. I fully expect the ECC will continue to prosper and provide a nurturing environment and enriching Jewish education for our children, and I hope our innovative youth/education program will satisfy the needs of each child. As a result of our efforts, I believe more families with children will be attracted to our synagogue and come to love this community just as my family does. Every plot has a story. For future generations, that is very telling. They say cemeteries are for the living. We know this well at the Garden of Remembrance. That s why we encourage you to consider purchasing a family plot. You may not think being together for eternity matters, but consider your grandchildren and the generations ahead. When they start wondering about their heritage, it will be easier for them to discover your stories and their history. To learn more, call Sam Freedenberg at 301.762.7338, or visit www.gardenofremembrance.org for more information. 11 Years of Caring Service, Eternal Peace and Beauty TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
TI Welcomes New Youth Group Leadership Daniel Ring and Katie Hamelburg joined the youth group leadership team this fall at Tikvat Israel. Tikvat Israel youth had a fine Sunday afternoon outing looking for the best apples at a farm in Poolesville, Md., to pick for the High Holidays. (Photo by Dan Ring) A Sweet Start to Our Youth Programming BY DAN RING, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF YOUTH AND EDUCATION As we start off the new Jewish year, we also have started up the new school year with youth programming. Daniel Ring is excited to be serving as Tikvat Israel s new assistant director of youth and education. Originally from Reisterstown, Md., Ring is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park. He spent the last two years working with Jewish communities in the South as an education fellow at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life based in Jackson, Miss. Currently, in addition to his position at Tikvat Israel, he teaches social studies at High Point High School in Prince George s County. As assistant director of youth and education, Ring will be organizing TI s youth group activities. He ll be running social and educational events on Saturday nights and Sundays and helping to organize Shabbat for our youth. Our Bonim families (students in grades K-2), and some of our Macharniks (grades 3-5) kicked off this year s youth activities schedule at Homestead Farms in Poolesville, Md. We spent a Sunday afternoon traipsing around the apple orchard, picking (and sampling) some delicious apples to get us in the mood for Rosh Hashanah. We had a great time searching high and low for the best of the best. What followed on the youth program schedule, Oct. 5, was a chance to decorate the TI sukkah, followed by a Kadima kickoff event and our first USY meeting for the new year. During the week of Oct. 12, we spent some quality time in the Tikvat Israel sukkah. We truly enjoyed Sushi in the Sukkah for our Macharniks and held a Pizza in the Hut for our Bonim families. On Nov. 2, we will hold a social action event for Kadima, a nature hike for Machar on Nov. 9 and a bouncing good time at Bounce U for Bonim on Nov. 16. Watch for more details to come. USY Leader Receives Technion Scholarship Benjamin Kaminow, a co-president of the USY chapter at Tikvat Israel, was a recipient of a competitive Dr. Istvan Madaras SciTech Scholarship to conduct scientific research last summer at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology s SciTech Summer Science Camp. Ben, son of TI members Ellen and David Kaminow of Potomac, is a senior at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville. Further details appear in the Oct. 1 issue of the Gazette. Here is the story link: http://tinyurl.com/ok7zpbh Contact him through the synagogue office at 301-762-7338 ext. 6 or at dan@tikvatisrael.org. Katie Hamelburg, a sophomore at the University of Maryland, is really excited to join Tikvat Israel as the new USY adviser. She was active in Kadima and USY, served on the Regional and International USY Boards and has been a staff member for Seaboard Regional Kadima Kallot for several years. Hamelburg grew up attending Shaare Torah Congregation and the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. At UM, she is co-chair of Hillel s Committee of Religious Life, helped found Ometz (Maryland Hillel s Conservative Traditional Egalitarian Jewish Group) and serves as the artistic director of Avirah (Maryland s Israeli Dance Group). She is also a Tzedek Fellow, leading a tutoring program at High Point High School. USY Officers for 2014-15 This year s USY chapter officers at Tikvat Israel are Ben Kaminow and Josh Lempert, co-presidents; Elon Kline, communications VP; Matthew Kaminow, religion/education VP; and Daniel Mintz, Social Action/Tikun Olam VP. A calendar of USY chapter events will be released soon. Potential members should contact one of the officers, or the synagogue office at 301-762-7338 ext. 6 for information. Two USYers from TI are serving 2014-15 as elected officers for the USY Seaboard Region. Hannah Smith is regional USY vice president for social action and Tikun Olam. Micah Cowan is vice president for communications. He previously was religious/education vice president for the region. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 13
Yesh Yachas? (Got Relationships?) BY MICHELLE SOBEL, DIRECTOR, TIKVAT ISRAEL EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Fostering positive relationships is paramount in both early childhood education and Jewish communal life. In Ron Wolfson s well-known book, Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community, the author counsels professional and lay leaders in Jewish communal circles that What really matters is that we care about the people we seek to engage. When we genuinely care about people, we will not only welcome them; we will listen to their stories, we will share ours, and we will join together to build a Jewish community that enriches our lives. Relationships also have a large impact on the developing child. A report published by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child at Harvard University stated: Young children experience their world as an environment of relationships, and these relationships affect virtually all aspects of their development. Early childhood educators understand the importance of getting down to the child s level when speaking with them. Similarly, Wolfson applies this idea of face-to-face communication to all relationships as he explains, There is nothing more special than when we talk to each other panim-el-panim, face-to-face. Given the importance of relationships in Judaism and in the development of young children, it is no wonder that in Israel and in many preschools in this country, the early childhood programs are called Gan (garden). Like a garden, relationships need to be tended to, nourished, loved and maintained. As director of Tikvat Israel s ECC, it is my pleasure and priority to help form and maintain connections between and among our ECC children, educators, families and members of the greater Tikvat Israel community. I also am fortunate to be an active member of an amazing learning community of fellow Jewish early childhood directors from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Our Directors Council is facilitated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington s Department of Jewish Life and Learning. I appreciate the support and camaraderie that come with being part of this inspirational group of leaders in Jewish early childhood education. In fact, our Directors Council s recognition of the importance of relationships in cultivating successful Jewish early childhood programs led to the focus on Weaving Mindful Relationships as the theme of our full-day conference on Dec. 4 in Rockville. I am pleased to serve on the conference committee that has been planning this day of learning for hundreds of early childhood educators across our region, including our own Tikvat Israel ECC educators. We are honored to welcome Wolfson as our keynote speaker for the conference, which features course offerings connected to the various relationship threads discussed in Wolfson s book Relational Judaism. 14 Kavanah: Weaving Mindful Relationships In a nutshell, as Wolfson says, It s all about relationships! And in answer to the question in Yiddish that appears as the title of this column... Yesh Yachas? (Got Relationships?), Yes we do! And at Tikvat Israel ECC, we look forward to continuing to learn and grow as we strengthen relationships between and among our children, educators, families and the Tikvat Israel community. Holiday Bazaar Set for Dec. 7 in Social Hall A Holiday Shopping Bazaar, managed by the Early Childhood Center Parent Committee, will take place from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7 in the shul s social hall. The bazaar will feature an array of vendors just in time for Hanukkah, selling jewelry, handbags, clothing and more. For shoppers with young children, the organizers will run play activities so parents can shop undistracted. The coordinator of this event is ECC parent Dawn Iannaco-Hahn. This is a great opportunity to welcome outsiders to Tikvat Israel and for people to do some one-stop holiday shopping. ECC GAINS FROM LOW-EFFORT SUPPORT TI members can support the shul s Early Childhood Center through these painless means: Recycling of ink and toner cartridges, cell phones, cameras, ipods, laptops and other small electronics. Find the small dropoff box in TI s main office or the large dropoff box in the ECC office. Box Tops for Education. Clip, save and turn in Box Tops for Education from many popular food (including breakfast cereal boxes) and home use products. Drop off in an envelope or ziploc at the ECC office. Challah and baked goods ordered through the ECC are delivered directly to TI every Thursday. A portion of your purchase directly supports the ECC. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
TI Crew Cleans Up Roadside The Social Action Committee s twice-a-year cleanup of Baltimore Road collected eight bags of trash and a used tire along the roadside in late September. Directed by Molly and Stu Turkewitz, this fall s cleanup had a crew that included Bruce Goldin, Warren Berger, Sonia Castillo and Eliana Mannes. Orange vests and protective gloves were supplied to the volunteers by Montgomery County, along with orange bags. We re eager for new volunteers, Stu Turkewitz told the Tikvat Israel Bulletin. Volunteering once does not imply a commitment to do it forever, so volunteers do not have to feel they re making a long-term commitment. Contact him at sjturkewitz@yahoo.com, if interested in helping with a future roadside cleanup. Left: Bruce Goldin (left) and Stu Turkewitz remove a bag full of litter collected from the shoulders of Baltimore Road near the Rock Creek Park crossing. Below: Eight orange bags of trash await pickup by the county at the intersection of the Rock Creek Park trail and Baltimore Road. Members Works at TI Art Gallery Tikvat Israel is proud to display beautiful and unique artwork created by TI members in the lobby s art gallery. Many of the works are available for purchase. Artists include Tamah Graber, Bobbi Gorban, Shirley Waxman, Susan Fullenbaum, Kate Jennes-Kahn, Shelly Goldin, Debbie Yanoff, Gail Pressman, Michele Eisenberg, Melanie Grishman and Rachel Loving. Please stop by the synagogue office if you would like to make a purchase from the gallery. In loving memory of Marsha Goldfine, who passed away earlier this year, the shul has a display of eight of her watercolors and collages in the lobby. Take a few moments to appreciate her uplifting and inspirational work, which often appeared with ArtSites, a local Jewish artists organization that includes many TI members. TI hopes to have another show in November and December that would include artwork from TI members. If interested in participating, contact Gorban (bprem@aol.com) or Graber (tagraber@yahoo.com). TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 15
TI Mailbox Appreciation for Tzedakah Gifts Thank you to David Gantz, chair of your Tzedakah Fund, and Tikvat Israel for the recent contribution of $198. Through your kindness and generosity, Manna Food Center is better able to continue its mission to eliminate hunger in Montgomery County through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Manna marks 30 years of feeding hungry families in Montgomery County. Each year, Manna has seen a rise in need from the community. On average, 3,600 households receive food from Manna each month, compared to just over 2,000 households in 2008. The impact from the economic decline is still being felt by many in our community. To stay in touch, visit www.mannafood.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Jacqueline DeCarlo Executive Director, Manna Food Center On behalf of the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington, I am pleased to thank the Tikvat Israel Tzedakah Fund for its most generous contribution of $198. The distributions you send enable us to maintain the continuity of more than 105 years of interest-free loans to our Jewish community especially during these difficult economic times. We provide assistance such as personal loans for medical bills, vocational schools, relocating of families, business loans for consolidation of bills, student loans for college all interest-free. Marilyn Hammerman Secretary, Hebrew Free Loan Association The Israel Free Loan Association would like to acknowledge and thank your congregation for the generous donation from the Tikvat Israel Tzedakah Fund of $396 for the Tikvat Israel Free Loan Fund (Fund No. 144). At this time we are continuing to respond to the businesses and families who need help in recovering from the financial damages incurred during the rocket attacks of the past months. In this season we also turn our attention to providing assistance to families to meet the increased financial needs of the new school year, and the expenses of the approaching holidays. Joe Rosen Director, Israel Free Loan Association 16 On behalf of everyone at Stepping Stones Shelter, I want to thank the Tikvat Israel Tzedakah Fund for a generous contribution to our programs. We are honored by your personal interest and enthusiasm. Every day, we provide safe shelter and critically needed services to families who do not have a stable place to call home. The individualized support we offer means more to them than we can say. This past month, The Horton s Kids organization provided our former resident Melanie and her three children tickets to an event at Nationals Park. They were picked up in a chauffeured car and taken to the event where they received food, drinks and the opportunity to bat on the field. Melanie and her family had a wonderful time and were so thankful that Stepping Stones and out community supporters continue to think about them. Devan Wilber Community Engagement Coordinator, Stepping Stones Shelter Thank you to Tikvat Israel for another generous gift and for your continued support. It means the world to us and to the children and families who are desperate for the help we provide. This year marks our 15 th anniversary and we have much to celebrate! Smile Train has grown to become the world s largest cleft charity. In a few months, we will send you a photo of a child helped by your kindness. I know that seeing a face smiling for the first time will put a smile on your face too! Susannah Schaefer CEO, Smile Train Blood Donors Thanked I wanted to thank Sam Freedenberg and everyone who participated in the blood drive over Labor Day Weekend at Tikvat Israel. I know it was a tough weekend to collect donations. However, 17 pints were collected. These donations have the opportunity to help up to 50 patients. We appreciate your partnering with the Red Cross and look forward to future drives. David Hull Account Representative, Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region, American Red Cross TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
FAMILY FAVORITE RECIPE White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Editor s note: The Tikvat Israel Bulletin features a favorite family recipe shared by a different congregant for each issue. This month s selection was submitted by Jay P. Goldman. Recipe: White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Background: Truth be told, this recipe belonged to my late mother, Ruth Goldman, who was a masterful dessert creator, and she regularly made a dozen of these signature cheesecakes during the last two months of each year to give away as Hanukkah and Christmas gifts to her closest friends. This recipe for a delicious cheesecake made without eggs was one of 114 of her favorites that appear in a spiral-bound booklet that I published last year as a memorial tribute to her. She had published all of the recipes over a 20-year period as contributions to the daily newspapers in Syracuse and Auburn, N.Y., and Sarasota, Fla. Ingredients for Cheesecake: 12 oz. white chocolate 1½ lbs. cream cheese, softened (three 8 oz. packages) 1 cup sugar 2½ tsp. vanilla 1 tbsp. apricot brandy (optional) 2 cups sour cream SCHUCHMAN BACK ON BIKE TO SUPPORT ISRAELI HOSPITAL Congregant Ziva Schuchman will cycle for five days in Israel during November, covering 300 miles through the Negev, to support the children treated at ALYN Hospital, a pediatric rehabilitation center in Jerusalem. By participating in the Wheels of Love long-distance bike ride this year, Ziva will be showing her support for Israel and for ALYN. Schuchman cycled across the United States with fellow congregant Susan Fullenbaum in 2010, and she has completed several long-distance bicycle rides for charities in the past. ALYN s care is only partially subsidized by health insurance, so the hospital relies on donations to meet the average shortfall of $75 a day per child, made even more challenging by the strain of the Gaza conflict. To support Schuchman s effort, visit www.wolusa.org/zivaschuchman or contact Schuchman at bikerziva@gmail.com. Ingredients for Crust: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs ¼ cup butter, melted Steps: 1. Melt chocolate carefully; cool completely. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 3. Prepare the crust by combining melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. 4. Mix well and press evenly into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Set pan aside. 5. In blender or food processor, blend cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, apricot brandy (optional), melted white chocolate and sour cream. 6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 7. Remove from oven and chill in pan in the refrigerator overnight. 8. Carefully release sides of pan and remove cake. 9. Shave part of a white chocolate bar and toss the curls over the cold cake before serving For Help: Contact Abby Goldman (Jay s daughter) at abbalina@gmail.com. But if you want an electronic (PDF) copy of the recipe booklet, contact Jay P. Goldman at jgoldman@aasa.org. Ziva Schuchman is using long-distance cycling to raise money for a pediatric care facility in Jerusalem. TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 17
Tikvat Israel Remembers With Respect Those Whose Yahrzeits Occur From 8 Cheshvan to 8 Kislev - November 8 Cheshvan November 1 Alexander Ben Ami Lena Gantz Dorothy Glaser Jacques Kahn Mary Seslan 9 Cheshvan November 2 Daniel E. Berlyne Lester Earl Cohen Sylvia Gorban Judy Lerman Leon Morrison Julia Rosenlicht Dora A. Thaler 10 Cheshvan November 3 Max Hirschman Abraham Krugman Bernard Levitt 11 Cheshvan November 4 Arthur Aronson Margit S. Elkins Eva Epstein Harry Gordon Ruth Levinstein Menachem Lidert Belle Meyers Benjamin Raucher Irving Shantz 12 Cheshvan November 5 Irving Allen Bertha Gudelsky David Kline Nancy Kanow Simpson 13 Cheshvan November 6 Dora Fraeman Morris Hanig Clara Kandalis Rose Kaplan Anne K. Robinson Solomon Zeidman 14 Cheshvan November 7 Lester Finkelstein Mollie Ginberg Bessie Helzner Anna Marmor Jacob Marmor Morton Aaron Rosen Benjamin Saperstein 15 Cheshvan November 8 Nathan Askow Rose Krepchin Rose Rosenbloom Sadie Steckler 16 Cheshvan November 9 Harry Kensky Morry Nisenson Danny Pressman 17 Cheshvan November 10 Lena Glick Mary Goldstein Ada Punitzer 18 Cheshvan November 11 Donald Futrovsky Judy Katz-Berger David Jacob Lerner Mark Sandler Benno Stein 19 Cheshvan November 12 Louis Bogage Daniel Bronstein Estelle Freedman Selma Horwitz Shirley Rodes 20 Cheshvan November 13 Jennie Jaffe Flax Martin Rosenlicht Russell Keith Rosner Saul Stutz Max Wottitzky 21 Cheshvan November 14 David Joseph First Bertha Greenfield Max Klein Martha Lohwasser Sidney Teitelbaum Paula Weiser 22 Cheshvan November 15 Rachel Armoza Kurt Hering Joey Pearl Ann Rubin Stefan Zweig 23 Cheshvan November 16 Bessie Bachman Sadje Grand Ronald Hamburg Rabbi Oscar Lifshutz Clara Osofsky Amy Strong Kurt Tuchler 24 Cheshvan November 17 Abraham Bernstein Joseph Bernstein Joshua Borushok Hyman Gardsbane Ellen Halpern Rose Schmetterling Samuel Steinberg 25 Cheshvan November 18 David Barrish 26 Cheshvan November 19 Howard Blafkin Helen Jaffe Sam Krick Eleanor Miller Samuel J. Mollen Jack Rosen 27 Cheshvan November 20 Sol Baron Samuel Braunstein Nathan Cohen Louise Deutchman Harriet Fox Meyer David Green Philip Grossmann Anna Lichterman Rachel Maran Resel Zeidman 29 Cheshvan November 22 Herb Curchack Harold Davis Pearl Fink Rosalie Taylor 1 Kislev November 23 Marvin Apter Zenita Berman Edward Hallen Rose Kopp 2 Kislev November 24 Alick Abramson Manuel Cohen Helene Kopp Myra Pasternak Sam Schuchman Jean Zalevsky 3 Kislev November 25 Rosalind Bloom Florence Cohen Jesse Curchack Leonard Hardis Miriam Stein 4 Kislev November 26 Ida Hamburg Arnold Springer Tom Zusman 5 Kislev November 27 Jacob Bernstein Jerome Feingold Morris Pachenker Louis Pelish Henrietta Roth 6 Kislev November 28 Rosemary Birrell Rose Fischer Paul Flacks Gordon Miller Herbert Miller Jack Sheskin Harry Weil 7 Kislev November 29 Bernard Cohen Melford Cohen David Fleitman Nathan Halpern Robert Kandalis Ernest Nash Harry Ohr 8 Kislev November 30 Ellen Berman Shirley Blau Joseph Cohen Sophye Cohen Samuel Rosenberg Dr. Theodore L. Tetenbaum Lewis Weinbrom 18 TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
Tikvat Israel Remembers With Respect Those Whose Yahrzeits Occur From 9 Kislev to 9 Tevet - December 9 Kislev December 1 Doris Amster Sidney Brittner Fred Curchack Shirley Fishman Reuben Lapin Rose Oppenheim Levin Ezra Menachem Marcus Moe A. Robinson David Sidney Solomon 10 Kislev December 2 Arthur Amster Jack Bodner Isaac Eiserike Minnie Jorban Muriel Sandler Ada Taylor 11 Kislev December 3 Max Blum Herbert Brotman Richard Copaken Harry Selinger Aaron Weinstein 12 Kislev December 4 Fannie Fleitman Alfons Reich 13 Kislev December 5 Henry Aronson Toby Baum Louis Kensky Beryl Newman William W. Radin Melvyn Spector George Waltzer 14 Kislev December 6 Samuel Altschuler Daniel Kaiser 15 Kislev December 7 Isidor Schechter 16 Kislev December 8 Dorothy Goldstein Joseph Goldstein Elizabeth Jennes Irvin Lerner Florence Nachamkin Nicky Papageorge Samuel Salit Doris Schlessinger 17 Kislev December 9 Harry Brodofsky Sonya Dunie Max Feinsilber Rebecca Gershowitz Max Glick Samuel Kier Abe Lavine Charlotte Lowenfeld Lilian Lowenfeld Saul Reiter Sharon Silberberg Solomon Zimmerman 18 Kislev December 10 Khana Klig Bobbie Leman Anna Levin Suzanne Lifschitz 19 Kislev December 11 Paula Beck Leon Cohen Heinz Eric Gerstle Bernard Prosnit Jeanette Sohn Joseph Spiegelberg 20 Kislev December 12 Celia Blum Riva Fishman Regina Grossmann Sam Hendler Herschel Herscovitz Sarah Kensky 21 Kislev December 13 Jacob Bloom Norman Franklin Jacob Carl Solomon 22 Kislev December 14 Phil Abramowitz Maurice Binder Robert Eisner Morris Katz Joseph Levy Bertha Phillips Bessie Schreiber 23 Kislev December 15 Esther Adelson Louis Blum Ann Brotman Marilyn Burdett Alana E. Fishman Judge Jair Kaplan Abraham Kensky Nettie Koeppel Joseph Milenky Abraham Schuchman Herman Sheskin Lazar Volin 24 Kislev December 16 Lena Burdett Donna Faye Frank Margaret Gerstle Morton Lerner Alice Regensteiner Fannie Stein 25 Kislev December 17 Fay Avery Bonnie Brafman Edna Cohen Goldstein Gilda Greene Julia Gruenfeld Herman Linsenberg Charles Prince 26 Kislev December 18 Fannie Burdoo Leon Louis Cohen Samuel E. Herman Ruth Katzen Cheryl Lang Alexander Lewis Kate Selinger 27 Kislev December 19 Otto Lohwasser Freda Willander 28 Kislev December 20 Irma Pazo Steven Prince Selma Shapiro Jacob Sperling 29 Kislev December 21 Mildred Baron Morris Kagan Milton Rodes Fannie Selwyn Arlene Simon Henrietta Zoltrow 30 Kislev December 22 Rose Feinman Max Keusch Dorothy Wolfe 1 Tevet December 23 Bernard Fattman Frank Feinsilber Jacob Golding David Greenberg Doris Kalman Joshua Krepchin Sidney Sandler Dr. Mark Stern Irwin Jan Stolovy 2 Tevet December 24 Louis Burdoo 3 Tevet December 25 Louis Broadman Jacob Dall Sol Danoff Max Douma Pauline Greene Miriam Hoffman Miriam Matathias Theresa Romm Robin Sacher 4 Tevet December 26 David Cohen Samuel Grossman Ida Levitan Ethel Pear Ruth Seide Gary Shuken Max Teitel Freda Weiss 5 Tevet December 27 Hilda Cohen Ida Fattman Louis Luck Goldberg Max Klein Lewis Levy Sarah Margolies Alvin Reiner 6 Tevet December 28 Virginia Jeanne Andrews Salomon Battino Anita Cowan Irving Fischer Philip Helman Jackie Hoffman Ben Perlmutter Frances Saperstein Fred Stryker 7 Tevet December 29 Jack Bendett Helen Berger Eve Hoffman Daniel Jeremias Sol Leise Anne Segal 8 Tevet December 30 June Balin Esther Berk Eugene Cahn Morris Gaspin David Glass Belle Schechter 9 Tevet December 31 Max Bassin Irving Reiner Doris Klion Taylor Philip Weinstein Dora Zlotnick TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 19
Donations The congregation gratefully acknowledges the following donations to the various funds of Tikvat Israel. The donor lists that follow reflect gifts received at the synagogue in August and September. If your donation during this time does not appear in the list, please contact the synagogue office at 301-762-7338. YAHRZEIT DONATIONS In memory of Gertrude Appel by Shirley and Stanley Nasoff Melvin Banks by Florence Banks Sidney Bannor by Theodora Perry Marion Bauman by Wendy Bauman Carl Berger by Henrietta Asen Maurice Berk by Anne Berk Harry Berlin by Sandy Levine Jeanne Bowen by Jules and Shirley Bowen Eugene Brooks by Keith and Brenda Brooks Louis Chernoff by Howard and Rosie Chernoff Rose Cohen by Francine and Richard Cohen Rubin Cohen by Lewis and Roslyn Levy Godfrey Lew Cyrulnik by Leon and Betty Altschuler Alan Eisenberg by Steve and Michele Eisenberg Morris Fine by Ruth Fine Arthur Finstein by Barbara and Joel Kristal Rudy Fischer by Joyce Fischer Eva Mae Futrovsky by Hilda Springer Barbara Goldberg by Ann and Stanley Sterling Evelyn Goldberg by Natalie Berman Minnie H. Goldberg by Ann and Stanley Sterling Charles Goldman by Jay Goldman and Rebecca Salon Sara Goldman by Bob Goldman Michael Goldstein by Bernice Grossman Moshe Gordon by Susan and Jay Plafker Tzipa Gordon by Susan and Jay Plafker Robert Grossman by Bernice Grossman Dr. Samuel Hale by Stephanie and Howard Weiss Marvin Hammerman by Bev and Mark Schwartz Dorothy Harris by Sara and David Harris Rose Hein by Robin and Stan Hein Noach Hoffman by Sharon Spanier William Horwitz by Nancy and John Cooney Herman Iskow by Sheldon Iskow Morris Jacobs by Robin and Stan Hein Janet Kabik by Irving Kabik Abraham Kaplan by Irene Kaplan Benson Kessler by Susan and Alan Apter Lena Leise by Phyllis Leise Alice Levin by Lawrence Levin David Lieberman by Phylis and Dan Ermann George Ludwig by Debra Cordaro Phyllis Menduke by Judith and Paul Schwartz Rae Caplan Mensh by Helene and Elliot Lerner Fred Meyers by Tamah Graber Arthur Milder by Francine and Richard Cohen Florence Novack by Linda Susan Lapkoff Robert Oakley by Esther Oakley Rachel Pachenker by Sylvia Pachenker Isadore Parzow by Theodore Cohen Ruth Plafker by Jay and Susan Plafker Gertrude Hirsch Reiner by Barbara Reiner 20 Adolf Rosenberg by Janice Rosenberg and David Gorman Anne Rosenberg by Janice Rosenberg and David Gorman Leon Rosenberg by Janice Rosenberg and David Gorman Regina Rosenberg by Janice Rosenberg and David Gorman David Sakoff by Sara and David Harris Louis Sandler by Janice Rosenberg and David Gorman Marvin Schneider by the Adelman/Schneider family Julius Seligman by Ellen S. Zweig Manny Senzer by Ethel Waltzer Sylvia Senzer by Ethel Waltzer George Sharlot by Phyllis L. and Fred Zusman Sam Sharlot by Phyllis L. and Fred Zusman Bertha Smith by Eileen McGuckian Bea Solomon by Jonathan and Nancy Solomon Bea Solomon by Alvin Solomon Arthur Spanier by Sharon Spanier Sanford Starobin by Sharon Starobin Dick Stein by Janaki Kuruppu and Ronald Rabin Alfred Steiner by Roberta Steiner Abraham Sterman by Julia and Martin Meyers Mildred Sterman by Julia and Martin Meyers Alexander Stolovy by Estelle Stolovy Jacob Teller by Patricia, Ben and Tanya Teller Irwin M. Towers by Alan Gordon Rose Volin by Rudolph and Ann Ruth Volin Belle Wagman by Myrna and Leonard Wagman Doris Warren by Sondra and Ronald Levin and Family Harry West by Michael and Deborah Amster Helen Wexler by Robin and Stan Hein Chaim Tevya Williamowsky by Ben and Minna Williamowsky Norman Winson by Selma Winson Charlotte Zimmerman by Leni Zimmerman CANTOR S PROGRAM FUND by Michele and Steve Eisenberg In honor of Mark Levi s 100th Birthday by Lillian Feingold In memory of David Chefer by Aaron and Leslie Fineman In memory of David Fineman by Aaron and Leslie Fineman In memory of Morris Fineman by Aaron and Leslie Fineman In memory of Margaret Schreiber by Leonard Schreiber In memory of Charles Teller by Alan and Susan Apter In memory of Charles Teller by Patricia Teller and Family GENERAL FUND by Harriet and Al Schwartz by Daniel and Carol Haft by Joel Shulman by Jack and Kelcey Klass In honor of Michael and Debbie Amster s 35th wedding anniversary by Betty and Cliff Fishman In honor of Molly Schneider s graduation by Sue and Jerry Boden In honor of the birth of Fortuna and Steven Scheige s grandson by Betty and Cliff Fishman In honor of the birth of Fortuna and Steven Scheige s grandson by Janice Rosenberg and David Gorman In honor of the birth of Fortuna and Steven Scheige s grandson by Nancy and Jonathan Solomon In memory of Sidney Caplan by Harriet and Al Schwartz In memory of Abe Hamburg by Alan and Susan Apter In memory of Sam Kline by Rob Kline In memory of Donald Margolies by Toby Brown In memory of Donald Margolies by Adele Cohen In memory of Donald Margolies by Betty and Cliff Fishman In memory of Donald Margolies by Sara and David Harris In memory of Donald Margolies by Roz and Ted Kram In memory of Donald Margolies by Phyllis Leise In memory of Donald Margolies by Barbara Reiner In memory of Donald Margolies by Letty and Ken Rosen In memory of Donald Margolies by Janice Rosenberg and David Gorman In memory of Donald Margolies by George and Carole Sippel In memory of Donald Margolies by Fred and Phyllis Zusman In memory of Charles Teller by Betty and Cliff Fishman Wishing a refuah shlema to Charles Teller by Nancy and Jonathan Solomon Wishing a refuah shlema to Helene Kram by Roz and Ted Kram Wishing a refuah shlema to Helene Kram by Debbie and Harry Segal Wishing a refuah shlema to Helene Kram by Nancy and Jonathan Solomon Continued on next page TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
HIGH HOLIDAY ALIYAH by Sandra and Stuart Brafman by Jay P. Goldman and Rebecca S. Salon by Roma Sohn HIGH HOLIDAY TORAH SCROLL COVERS FUND Bob and Alice Goodman Sara and David Harris Lauri Joseph Joan Kaiser Phil and Barbara Katz Sharon Kiel Harvey and Sheila Privor KIDDUSH FUND In honor of Rabbah Arlene Berger by Elisabeth Battino In honor of 35th wedding anniversary by Cantor Rochelle Helzner In honor of our anniversary by Debby Berlyne and Danny Bachman In honor of our anniversary by Louise and Chuck Chatlynne In honor of our anniversary by Norbert and Rhoda Eckstein In honor of our anniversary by Janaki Kuruppu and Ronald Rabin In honor of our anniversary by Sandy and Larry Levine In honor of Norbert Eckstein s birthday by Rhoda Eckstein In honor of Larry Levine s birthday by Sandy Levine In honor of Beth Smith s birthday by Richard Smith In honor of Jonathan Solomon s birthday by Nancy Solomon In honor of Shayna Solomon s birthday by Nancy and Jonathan Solomon In honor of Ariella Weiss birthday by Jeff and Rachel Weiss In honor of Jeff Weiss birthday by Rachel Weiss In memory of Victor Battino by Elisabeth Battino PRAYER BOOK FUND In memory of Jacob Berman by Howard Berman RABBI S FUND In memory of Charles Teller by Patricia Teller and Family YOUTH COMMISSION In honor of the birth of Fortuna and Steven Scheige s grandson by the Adelman/Schneider family NURSING HOME SERVICE Jim Perlmutter (left) and Sam Gilston helped to conduct an abbreviated High Holidays service for about 30 Jewish residents, their children and grandchildren at the Potomac Valley Nursing Home on Sept. 28. TI volunteers conduct monthly services and run holiday programs at the Rockville facility and have done so for more than 25 years, using large-type prayer booklets from the Jewish Chaplaincy Service. (Photo by Maxine Perlmutter) Providing Comfort to Families Like Mine Pledging excellent service and delivering it can be two different things. When it s time to choose a funeral home, don t just assume you ll get excellent service, expect it. That is our commitment. Dignity Memorial Jewish funeral homes are committed to giving you the guidance and support you need during a very difficult time with a variety of service options for you and your family. Being a part of the largest network of funeral homes, we are able to offer unmatched benefits when it matters most with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Edward Sagel Funeral Direction, Inc. 1091 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (301) 217-9400 www.sagelfuneraldirection.com Edward Sagel Funeral Direction, Inc. is a licensed funeral establishment in The State of Maryland. 24-Hour Compassion Helpline Personal Planning Services National Transferability Bereavement Travel Serving All Jewish Cemeteries Special Packages for Tikvat Israel Congregation. Call Today for More Information TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 21
NOVEMBER 2014 8 Cheshvan - 8 Kislev 5775 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 8 Cheshvan 9:30a Shabbat Services Lech Lecha 10:00a Nishmat Kol Chai 10:30a Junior Congregation 12:30pStudy w/ Rabbi Suskin and Rabbi Faierstein 2 9 Cheshvan 3 10 Cheshvan 4 11 Cheshvan 5 12 Cheshvan 6 13 Cheshvan 7 14 Cheshvan 8 15 Cheshvan 2:00aStandard Time Begins (Clocks back 1 hour) 9:00a Minyan 7:00pMinyan (1/2 hour earlier) 7:30p Jewish Biomedical Ethics (4-Week FJS Course) 8:00p Study With Rabbi Brandriss 8:00p Karate 8:00p Religious Practices Committee Meeting 8:00a Minyan 4:42p Candle-lighting 5:45p Pre-Service Reception 6:30p Kabbalat Shabbat with Instruments 9:30a Shabbat Services Vayera 10:00a Shabbat Experience 10:30a Mini Minyan 11:15a Torah Club 12:15pSimcha Kiddush 12:30pStudy w/ Rabbi Abramson 9 16 Cheshvan 10 17 Cheshvan 11 18 Cheshvan 12 19 Cheshvan 13 20 Cheshvan 14 21 Cheshvan 15 22 Cheshvan 9:00a Minyan 9:30a Midterm Elections 2014 Roundup 7:00pMinyan (1/2 hour earlier) 7:30p What Really Happened During Kristallnacht? 7:00pMinyan (1/2 hour earlier) 7:30p Jewish Biomedical Ethics (4-Week FJS Course) 7:45p Women's Network Book Group ("My Promised Land") 8:00p Karate 4:30p Yoga 8:00p Toastmasters 8:00a Minyan 4:36p Candle-lighting 6:30pKabbalat Shabbat 9:30a Shabbat Services Chaye Sarah 10:00a Shabbat Experience 12:30p Kids' Drama on Shabbat 12:30pStudy w/ Rabbi Suskin and Rabbi Faierstein 16 23 Cheshvan 17 24 Cheshvan 18 25 Cheshvan 19 26 Cheshvan 20 27 Cheshvan 21 28 Cheshvan 22 29 Cheshvan 9:00a Minyan 23 1 Kislev Rosh Chodesh 9:00a Minyan 7:30p Thanksgiving Sing (at Silver Spring Presbyterian Church) 30 8 Kislev 7:00pMinyan (1/2 hour earlier) 7:30p Jewish Biomedical Ethics (4-Week FJS Course) 8:00pStudy With Rabbi Brandriss 8:00p Karate 8:00p Bridge USY Fall Convention (through 11/23) 8:00a Minyan 4:31p Candle-lighting 6:30pKabbalat Shabbat 9:30a Shabbat Services Toldot 10:00a Shabbat Experience 4:30p Mincha, Seudah, Study w/rabbi Abramson, Maariv, Havdalah 24 2 Kislev 25 3 Kislev 26 4 Kislev 27 5 Kislev 28 6 Kislev 29 7 Kislev Thanksgiving 9:00a Minyan 8:00a Minyan 4:28p Candle-lighting 6:30pKabbalat Shabbat 9:30a Shabbat Services Vayetze 10:00aShabbat Exp. 11:15a Torah Club 12:30pStudy w/ Rabbi Suskin and Rabbi Faierstein 22 9:00a Minyan TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014
DECMEBER 2014 9 Kislev - 9 Tevet 5775 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 9 Kislev 2 10 Kislev 3 11 Kislev 4 12 Kislev 5 13 Kislev 6 14 Kislev 7:00pMinyan (1/2 hour earlier) 7:30p Jewish Biomedical Ethics (4-Week FJS Course) 8:00p Karate 4:30p Yoga 8:00p Toastmasters 8:00a Minyan 4:27p Candle-lighting 6:30pKabbalat Shabbat 9:30a Shabbat Services Vayishlach 9:30a Boker Ohr Service 10:00a Shabbat Experience for Families w/ Young Children 10:30a Junior Congregation 12:30pStudy w/ Rabbi Suskin and Rabbi Faierstein 7 15 Kislev 8 16 Kislev 9 17 Kislev 10 18 Kislev 11 19 Kislev 12 20 Kislev 13 21 Kislev 9:00a Minyan 11:00a Holiday Shopping Bazaar (ECC Sponsored Event) 14 22 Kislev 15 23 Kislev 9:00a Minyan 10:00a Maryland Legislative Session Preview 4:30p "True Stories 2.0" 21 29 Kislev Chanukah (5) USY International Convention (through Sunday, Dec. 28) 9:00a Minyan 22 30 Kislev Chanukah (6) Rosh Chodesh 6:30aMinyan (15 min. earlier) 16 24 Kislev Erev Chanukah 23 1 Tevet Chanukah (8) Rosh Chodesh 8:00p Karate 17 25 Kislev Chanukah (1) 7:00p Bridge 8:00pStudy With Rabbi Brandriss 8:00p Karate 24 2 Tevet Chanukah 28 6 Tevet 29 7 Tevet 30 8 Tevet 31 9 Tevet 4:30p Yoga 18 26 Kislev Chanukah (2) 4:30p Yoga 8:00p Toastmasters 8:00a Minyan 4:28p Candle-lighting 5:45p Pre-Service Reception 19 27 Kislev Chanukah (3) 8:00a Minyan 4:30p Candle-lighting 6:30p Kehillat Shabbat Service & Dinner 9:30a Shabbat Services Vayeshev 10:00a Shabbat Experience 10:30a Mini Minyan 11:15a Torah Club 4:30p Mincha, Seudah, Study w/rabbi Abramson, Maariv, Havdalah 20 28 Kislev Chanukah (4) 9:30a Shabbat Services Miketz 10:00a Shabbat Experience 12:30p Kids' Drama on Shabbat (During Kiddush) 12:30pStudy w/ Rabbi Suskin and Rabbi Faierstein 25 3 Tevet 26 4 Tevet 27 5 Tevet 8:00a Minyan 4:34p Candle-lighting 6:30pKabbalat Shabbat 9:30a Shabbat Services Vayigash 10:00a Shabbat Experience 11:15a Torah Club 12:30pAdult Study With Rabbi Abramson 9:00a Minyan TIKVAT ISRAEL NOV-DEC 2014 23
Tikvat Israel Congregation 2200 Baltimore Road Rockville, MD 20851 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 147 ROCKVILLE, MD DATED MATERIALS.... PLEASE DELIVER PROMPTLY Scenes from Our Sukkah It stood for just two weeks in mid-october, but TI's sukkah had plenty of use, including youth group events, a congregational dinner and a kumzitz (singalong), which moved indoors owing to rain. These scenes were captured over its short duration. Alan Apter (center in photo at left) was the coordinating engineer. (Photos by Felicia R. Black and Sam Freedenberg)