Temple Israel of Highlands County 1305 Temple Israel Drive Sebring, Florida 33870 863-382-7744 November 2017 / 5778 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 Rabbi Emerita Lorraine Rudenberg rabbilr@gmail.com Newsletter Staff: Julia Ruden jruden@embarqmail.com Bulletin Board: Howard Salles chocknuts@aol.com
November 2017 / 5778 Thanksgiving is perhaps the perfect intersection of two great religious traditions in Judaism and Christianity. Unlike Christmas vs. Chanukah or Easter vs. Passover, where there are clear theological conflicts and a myriad of real-life complications, Thanksgiving is conflict-free. Thanksgiving contains the best of what it means to be an American gratitude for abundance, inclusivity in our society and around our table, open hands, open arms, open hearts. Thanksgiving is, in many ways, the summation of the heart of both Judaism and Christianity faith, gratitude, peace and brotherly love. Sukkot our harvest festival might be the basis for Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims saw themselves as the New Israelites escaping religious persecution in England, their "Egypt," and creating a new home for themselves in America, their "Israel." Sukkot marks the time when the Israelites wandered in the desert on their way to Canaan after escaping slavery. The Pilgrims could have very well seen their story reflected in the holiday of Sukkot. When they achieved a successful harvest, they perhaps looked at their Bibles (Deuteronomy 16:13-15) and learned that Sukkot is a harvest festival. There should be no surprise in the way Jews gravitated toward Thanksgiving. Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue in New York and the first synagogue established in America in 1654 wanted to connect the experience of being Jewish and American. So when President George Washington called for an official day of thanksgiving in 1789, according to the synagogue's web site, the clergy decided to apply Jewish liturgy to Thanksgiving. They selected various sections from Hallel, prayers from Psalms 113-118 recited on certain Jewish holidays. There are so many prayers in our traditions that bring to light these themes of gratitude and abundance, welcome and compassion. The Psalms, attributed to King David, express a soul s longing for God, gratitude for living, uncertainty about the future and the quest for faith, compassion and goodness. Psalm 118 Its themes are thanksgiving to God and reliance on God rather than on human strength. Psalm 100 A psalm of thanksgiving: Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth! Serve Adonai with joyful songs. A Modern Thanksgiving Prayer By Rabbi Naomi Levy For the laughter of the children, For my own life breath, For the ones who prepared this sumptuous feast, For the roof over our heads, The clothes on our backs, For our health, And our wealth of blessings, For this opportunity to celebrate with family and friends, For the freedom to pray these words, Without fear, In any language, In any faith, In this great country, Whose landscape is as vast and beautiful as her inhabitants. Thank You, God, for giving us all these. Amen. Let us celebrate Thanksgiving with a mindfulness as to how this holiday can join us, and how perhaps, not surprisingly the common denominator, regardless of one s beliefs, is bountiful food and family around the table, to mark our gratitude and deep sense of blessing for freedom, prosperity and community. Happy Thanksgiving. B shalom Cantor Riselle Bain
Dear Friends and Family; NOVEMBER 2017 / 5778 Julia Ruden The thief that broke into our synagogue was caught A 17 year old run away confessed to police. I am so thankful he only took a couple of items from the gift shop and some petty cash. No major damage done except to the kitchen door. Rolph Rosenberg installed a locking mailbox and the mail slot in the kitchen door is sealed shut. Thank you Howard Salles, Rolph and Narola Rosenberg, and Cathy Blumenthal for always taking care of the never ending maintenance of our building - OY VEY! Thank you Bernice Snoll and Sara Rosenbaum for making our Temple Directory every year, it will be out soon. At the end of this month we will all celebrate Thanksgiving. Just having family and friends to sit down to dinner with is a blessing. Thanksgiving transcends religious and political differences, and that is a blessing too. So, this month take a moment to stop and look around you; maybe with paper and pencil in hand. Make a list of your blessings; you may be surprised to discover just how blessed you are and how much you have to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. Thank you everyone for your continued support of OUR Temple!!! Be thankful for everything, everyone, everyday I am! Wishing everyone a Safe Happy Thanksgiving! Thankxoxox you ALL for ALL you Dooooooo!! Love Julie
Announcements NOVEMBER 2017/ 5778 NEXT BOARD MEETING Thursday, November 16 th at 10 A.M. NOVEMBER Onegs are sponsored by 11/10 Mary Ann Romer 11/24 Jill Liebeck and Beverly Wills 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 Happy Anniversary Pearl & Ed Carter 11/24 Howard Salles s Classes are every Thursday Hebrew Class at 12:00 Noon and a Torah Study Class at 2:00 PM in the Social Hall. For more info contact Howard at chocknuts@aol.com LUNCH BUNCH The next Ladies Lunch Bunch Group Monday, November 27th at 12:00 PM at Thai House, US 27 N - Sebring Contact Renee Tepper 863-414-8811 or reneetepper@gmail.com and let her know you ll be there. - Thank You תודה רבה Alan Wildstein and Alan Jay Automotive Network for providing transportation for our Temple! And for ALL YOU Dooo! Please Contact Cantor Riselle Bain 813-600-8013 if you need assistance to get to services.
WE REMEMBER November Yahrzeits ** Memorial Plaque in our Schul Murray Brenner ** Dr. Harold Kirshner ** Jeno Greenstein ** Frank Roth Elsie Gross ** Eva Stoller Dora Hurwitz Ruth Witler Meyer Hurwitz Martin Wohl ** Sadie Kahn ** YAHRZEIT DONATIONS GIVEN BY: BRUCE KIRSHNER TOM & MARJORIE WOHL MARVIN & ELSA KAHN HOWARD SALLES HERMAN & BECKY PINTZOW IN MEMORY OF: DR. HAROLD KIRSHNER MARTIN WOHL SADIE KAHN AND MILDRED WOLF SAMUEL LEVY ISRAEL PINTZOW To plant a tree, email your information of who you re honoring/remembering to jruden@embarqmail.com. Mail check ($18.00/tree) to the temple. Write Tree in the memo line on check.
NOVEMBER 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: October, 2017 Donations Anniversary donations for October: By: Congregation, Cathy Blumenthal, Julie Ruden, Becky & Herman Pintzow, Howard Salles To: Narola & Rolph Rosenberg By: Congregation To: Dr. Neil & Dawn Shechtman By: Congregation Thank you note to Rob Roberts at the Wauchula State Bank for protecting the Torahs during Hurricane Irma.
Announcements NOVEMBER 2017/ 5778 Happy Thanksgiving Save the Date - December 16 th Saturday Chanukah PARTY, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM in the Temple Social Hall details to come. The Annual Sebring Thanksgiving Interfaith Service will be held on Sunday, November 19 th, 2016 at 4 pm. It will be held at the Sebring Church of the Brethren 700 S. Pine St. Temple Israel's Vice President Howard Salles, will represent the Jewish Community. Cans or boxes of food for the Highland County Food will be collected at the entrance that night.
Cantor Bain s Schedule: Future Erev Shabbat Services: (subject to change) 7:30 PM November 10 Torah Chayei Sarah November 24 Torah Vayeitzei December 8 Torah Vayeishev/Chanukah December 22 Torah Vayigash January 5 Torah Shemot January 19 Torah Bo February 2 Torah Yitro February 16 Torah T rumah March 2 - Purim March 16 Torah Vayikra March 30 Yom Rishon shel Pesach April 13 Torah M tzorah April 27 Torah K doshim May 11 Daniel Clarke Bar Mitzvah - Torah B chukotia / Yom Ha atzmaut May 25 Torah Naso Shavuot