Temple Israel of Highlands County 1305 Temple Israel Drive Sebring, Florida 33870 863-382-7744 FEBRUARY 2017 / 5777 Temple Israel s Web Page www.templeisraelofhcfl.org Temple Israel is a Reform Temple that promotes the enduring and fundamental principles of Judaism. Through prayer, study and friendship we strive to enrich our lives and insure Jewish continuity in Highlands County. Congregational Board Officers: President: Julia Ruden jruden@embarqmail.com Vice President: Howard Salles chocknuts@aol.com Secretary: Bernice Snoll bsnoll@gmail.com Treasurer: Cathy Blumenthal cbdolly@htn.net Past President: Herman Pintzow pintzow@aol.com Trustees: Phyllis Behrens behrensphyllis@gmail.com Pamela Jay Paralikis paralipa1@yahoo.com Narola Rosenberg narola@aol.com Sara Rosenbaum Sara.e.rosenbaum@gmail.com Dora Tarabori datstara@yahoo.com Alan Wildstein alan.wildstein@alanjay.com Officiating Cantor: Cantor Riselle Bain voiceofgladness@aol.com Newsletter Staff: Julia Ruden jruden@embarqmail.com Bulletin Board: Howard Salles chocknuts@aol.com
FEBRUARY 2017 / 5777 Our next Shabbat together on February 10 th features a monumental happening in our Torah Finally, Pharaoh allows the Israelites to leave Egypt and the miraculous Crossing of the Sea of Reeds takes place. That Shabbat is called the Sabbath of Song Shirat Hayam. In our sacred Holocaust Torah scroll, we find the first song recorded in history as our people experience redemption through the hand of God and begin their transition from slavery to freedom. The Torah portion is called Beshalach, which in Hebrew means when Pharaoh let the people go. This climactic event is related in two versions: a prose account in chapter 14:1-31, followed by a poetic account, which in rabbinic literature is called Shirat Hayam the Song of the Sea. The poetic version has a very special chant which dramatizes the soaring emotion of escape and the realization of God s role in the amazing deliverance. Just as women and water began the story of liberation from Egypt, so too, do women bring the liberation to its fulfillment. Pharaoh s daughter took the baby Moses from the basket floating in the Nile and raised him as her own son. Miriam watched and managed to arrange for Moses own mother to nurse the baby. Miriam, as a prophet, leads the women in interpreting what crossing the water of the Sea of Reeds means. I hope many of you will join me on February 10 th for this very special Torah reading. As if the Torah portion with Shirat Hayam was not enough, February 10 th is also the beginning of the festival of Tu B Shevat, which is also known as the New Year of the Trees. Tu B Shevat is literally the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. Starting in the Middle Ages, Tu B Shevat was celebrated with a feast. The feast was not the usual Jewish feast of meat and fish and wine, but rather a feast of nuts such as almonds and fruits such as dates, figs, pomegranates, and grapes. All of these fruits have special significance in Israel. Not only will our February 10 th Shabbat service have a special Torah reading, but we will also have some delicious additions to our Oneg! I hope to share Shirat Hayam and Tu B Shevat with many of you! I also hope that many of you will join in the fun as we prepare for our Purim celebration scheduled for March 17 th. This year our Purim Spiel is The Megillah According to Rock n Roll!!! Please let me know if you want to participate. I will bring the scripts on February 10 th!!! So much to enjoy and to share with each other. Cantor Riselle Bain
Announcements FEBRUARY2017/ 5777 NEXT BOARD MEETING Thursday, February 16 th 7:00p.m. January Onegs are sponsored by: 2/10 Narola & Rolph Rosenberg 2/24 Dora Tarabori Challah, wine, decaf coffee & fruit are the basics for our onegs. If you would like to sponsor an Oneg contact Elsa Kahn 863-385-7322 LUNCH BUNCH The next Ladies Lunch Bunch Group Monday, February 20 th at 12:30 PM Bo David s Restaurant 131 S Sun n Lakes Blvd. Lake Placid. Contact Renee Tepper 863-414-8811 or reneetepper@gmail.com and let her know you ll be there. Happy Anniversary Herman & Becky Pintzow Ronald & Renee Tepper Howard Salles classes are every Thursday: Hebrew Class at 12:00 PM noon and a Torah Study Class at 2:00 PM in the Social Hall. For more info contact Howard. AND. the Cantor and Howard are offering a course in understanding Judaism. The class will be held at Howard's home. Please call Howard if you are interested. Howard can be reached at chocknuts@aol.com or 863-385-6075. "Do righteous deeds, act kindly, and walk humbly with God. - Thank You Alan Wildstein for your continued and תודה רבה generous support for Alan Jay Automotive for our transportation to and from Services! Please Contact Cantor Riselle Bain 813-600-8013 if you need assistance to get to services.
February Yahrzeits ** Memorial Plaque in our Shul Max Blumenthal** Martha C. Ross** Donald Chinsky Hyman Rotman Selma Yarrow Elliot Salles Horace G. Davis** Rabbi Moses Sapir Dorothy Donde Hilda K. Schamis** Dr. Vincent R. Faulds** Jacob N. Schamis** Fanny Glazer Beatrice Schwartz Sylvia Goldstein** Abraham Sherman** Shelly Greenstein Ileana Lilly Sherman** Kenneth S. Gross** Solomon Snoll** Celia Leveene John Stimple Judith Frances Liebeck Ida Tepper Thelma Napp** Dr. Hershel Ullman Sarah Rosenbaum** Richard Wilson Sylvia Rosenthal** YAHRZEIT DONATIONS GIVEN BY: MARVIN FRANK MAURICE & CATHY BLUMENTHAL MARVIN & ELSA KAHN BARBARA SHERR SARA ROSENBAUM MARY ANN ROMER LOU & BEVERLY WILLS BRUCE KIRSHNER ROLPH & NAROLA ROSENBERG IN MEMORY OF: FANNY GOLDMAN MAX BLUMENTHAL MARK KAHN & DAVID LEVY JENIFER AIMEE SHERR SARAH ROSENBAUM & MAX ROSENBAUM SELMA YARROW, HORACE DAVIS, AND HAROLD ABRAMS LOUIS BIENER, DR. HAROLD KIRSHNER FRITZ ROSENBERG
February 2017 DONATION CARDS (All donations go to our Temple.) To send a birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy or mazel tov card contact Mary Ann Romer at matromer@aol.com. Write Temple card in the email subject box. Send your minimum $5.00 donation to temple. Newsletter: January 2017 Donations Birthday donations for January: By: Congregation, Catherine Blumenthal, Julie Ruden, Herman & Becky Pintzow To: Michael Duncan, Alan Jay Wildstein, Aaron Spero, Jeremiah Clarke, Karen Del Valle, Arlyne Gant Anniversary donations for January: By: Congregation, Catherine Blumenthal, Julie Ruden, Herman & Becky Pintzow To: Charles & Nancy Beyer, Jay & Rebecca Clarke, Judy Albin & Clint Wallbank Condolence: By: Elsa & Marvin Kahn To: Cathy Blumenthal in memory of Maurice Blumenthal Congratulations: By: Narola & Rolph Rosenberg To: Daveed Snoll & Randy Szczepaniak Get Well By: Congregation To: Ed & Pearl Carter
Cantor Bain s Schedule: Future Erev Shabbat Services: (subject to change) 7:30 PM February 10 th B Shalach / Shabbat Shirah / Tu B shevat February 24 th Mishpatim March 17 th Purim / Tetzaveh / Shabbat Zachor March 24 th Vayakhel - Pekudei / Shabbat HaChodesh April 7 th Tzav / Shabbat HaGadol April 10 th Passover Seder April 21 st Shmini May 5 th Acharei Mot / K doshim / Yom HaZikaron May 26 th Torah portion Bamidbar / Yom Yerushalayim / Shavuot