November 2006 Heshvan/Kislev

November 2006 Heshvan/Kislev 5767 December 2007 Kislev/Tevet 5768 2200 Baltimore Road Rockville, Maryland 20851 www.tikvatisrael.org Volume 1 Number 10 Adult Education Committee Offers Something for Everyone The Adult Education Committee has been hard at work planning diverse and interesting programs, as described below, for our members. Advance registration for all events is strongly requested so that they can plan accordingly. Please help make these events as successful as possible by letting the coordinators know in advance that you plan to attend. Discussion Group on the Chumash Essays The Adult Education Committee is starting a group to read and discuss the essays in our Chumash, Etz Hayim. The first meeting will take place on Sunday, December 23 at 10 a.m. in room 11. The essay we will read and discuss is titled Biblical Archaeology, and can be found in pages 1339 to 1344 of Etz Hayim. The office has offered to supply photocopies of the essay to synagogue members. The next essay is titled Ancient Near Eastern Mythology, and can be found on pages 1344 to 1348. This discussion is scheduled for Sunday, January 27 at 10 a.m. Tentative dates for the next three meetings are February 17, March 23 and May 4. The list of essays is found on Page XIII of the Chumash. The only requirement for participation is reading the essay before coming to the discussion. There is no leader in this informal group.. While everyone who has read the essay is welcome, please let organizer Richard Stoll know if you plan to attend the first meeting. Please contact him at rdstoll@aol.com or 301-946- 8435. We hope you ll join us. Israel @ 60 Lecture Series: History of Israel Join us on Wednesday, December 5 at 8 p.m. as Israeli tour guide Arie Mizrachi-Shoham speaks on The Battle of Jerusalem, 1948. This talk will explore the Battle of Jerusalem and its aftermath, in which Jerusalem was a divided city for 19 years, similar to the division created by the Berlin Wall. ADULT EDUCATION, cont. on page 7 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... 6:45 a.m.... Kabbalat Shabbat... 6:30 p.m. Shabbat... 9:30 a.m.... Sunday... 9 a.m.... 7:30 p.m. Services are also held at Shiva houses as needed. Mincha December 1... 4:20 p.m. December 8... 4:20 p.m. December 15... 4:20 p.m. December 22... 4:20 p.m. December 29... 4:25 p.m. Family and Youth Services Nov. 2.. Shabbat is Special... 7:15 p.m. Nov. 3... Jr. Congregation. 10:30 a.m. Nov. 17... Yachad. 10:15 a.m. Nov. 17... Tot Shabbat. 11:00 a.m. Nov. 17... Kehilat Kids. 11:00 a.m. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Shabbat Dinner to Honor New Members... Page 3 A Helzner Happening... Page 6 Candle Lighting Times December 7... 4:28 p.m. December 14... 4:28 p.m. December 21... 4:31 p.m. December 28... 4:35 p.m. Hiddur Mitzvah Project... Page 10

Ways to Get Involved Bikur Holim Volunteers Louise Chatlynne cchatlynn@comcast.net 330-9349 Women s Jewish Network (formerly Sisterhood) Bobbi Gorban bprem@aol.com 838-4336 Membership Committee Debby Berlyne 340-0075 College Outreach Susan Apter skapter@comcast.net 460-9657 Elyse Bernstein jeffelyse@comcast.net 460-0508 Library Phyllis Leise 588-2089 Attend Minyans Len Lipton llipton9@comcast.net 929-9106 Social Action Committee Robbi and Larry Cohen lcohendds@yahoo.com Kiddush Volunteers Marsha Lyons mars545@comcast.net Shepherd s Table Richard Stoll rdstoll@aol.com 946-8435 Stepping Stones Shelter Jay Plafker jayplafker@verizon.net Potomac Valley Nursing & Wellness Center Roma Sohn romarvin@comcast.net Reading Mentors Ellen Eisner eeisner@comcast.net 598-0635 Adult Education Committee Susan Apter skapter@comcast.net 460-9657 Betsy Miller bnahmiller@hotmail.com 279-0453 Minyan Information Please call the minyan captain if you plan to attend morning minyan. Sunday Rob Kline 838-0123 Monday Sam Gilston 924-5424 Thursday David Gantz 460-4674 Friday Joelle Black 770-4773 Barry Buchbinder 424-3813 Decisions about whether to hold evening minyan are made by the rabbi and executive director. If minyan is canceled, a message will be put on the synagogue answering machine. If minyan is not canceled, there will be no message on the machine. You can reach the machine by calling 762-7338, and press 8-10. Cemetery Sites Judean Memorial Gardens has established a section for Tikvat Israel. Purchase a site through the synagogue office; it benefits you and the congregation. For details, call Michael Grossman at 762-7338 or David Gantz at 460-4674. Toiletries Collection Box When traveling, please remember to collect the small samples you receive and bring them to the synagogue. The toiletries will be distributed to a coalition of homeless shelters. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Food Addicts inrecovery Anonymous, a 12- step program for individuals recovering from addictive eating, meets every Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Tikvat Israel in the library annex. Newcomers are welcome. For more information, please call Susan at 340-6110. Get Connected with TI Listserv Tikvat Israel supports two e-mail lists so members can connect to our community. To receive TI news only, visit http://groups.google.com/group/tikvatisraelnewsonly. For news and discussion among members, visit http://groups.google.com/group/tikvat-israel. For more information about the listservs, please visit our Web site, www.tikvatisrael.org. Tikvat Israel Directory Rabbi Howard Gorin hdgorin49@yahoo.com Rabbi Emeritus Lewis A. Weintraub Cantor Rochelle Helzner rhelzner@gmail.com Cantor Emeritus Mark Levi President Ronald L. Rabin, M.D. rlrabin@gmail.com Executive Director Michael Grossman execdir@tikvatisrael.org Office Staff Carol Barsky Peggy Mitchel Amy Schneider Debbie Segal Religious School Sandy Levine, Director slevine@tikvatisrael.org 424-4396 Early Childhood Rori Pollak, Director ecc.director@tikvatisrael.org 251-0455 Youth & Family Programming Lynn Berk, Director lberk@comcast.net Synagogue Office Phone 762-7338 Fax 424-4399 Bulletin Editor Andi Kronzek TIeditor@aol.com 294-2682 Visit Tikvat Israel on the Web at www.tikvatisrael.org. All phone numbers are in the 301 area code unless otherwise noted. 2

From the Rabbi s Desk Rabbi Howard Gorin Dr. Moshe Greenberg is a highly regarded professor of Bible at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem as well as a well-respected, insightful observer of contemporary Jewry. He is the author of an article called An Agenda for an Ideal Jewish Education. In his view, a quality Jewish education fosters four essential attributes of Jewish life. They are: Love of learning Torah and love of the fulfillment of the mitzvot (commandments) that comprise our relationship between God and humanity (i.e., Jewish religious ritual). Acceptance of the Torah as a moral guide, along with the recognition that its moral precepts have undergone and continue to undergo revision and refinement. A way of life that creates community. A relationship with the Jewish people in all the lands of their dispersion. I think that Tikvat Israel strives and to a large measure succeeds in instilling in both adults and youth the importance of these values. I am very proud of our accomplishments in these spheres of Jewish educational endeavors. It is, though, the fourth area that I would like to discuss. My work over the last few years has placed an emphasis on a relationship with Jewish communities around the world that is qualitatively and quantitatively different from that found in most congregations. We cannot exaggerate what our contributions have meant to Jews living in other parts of the world; their emails are testimony to the difference that we have made. And I am proud whenever our synagogue receives its well-earned recognition for our accomplishments in this area. It is one thing, though, to embrace Jews of color in Africa and elsewhere. It is quite another thing to embrace them when they live in our own country. My colleague and friend, Rabbi Lynn Goldstein of St. Louis, has been working with a group of African-Americans who live in Cairo, Illinois; fifty of them will be converting to Judaism within the next several weeks. She shared with me that whenever she speaks about them to members of the Jewish establishment, she is met with skepticism they must be some kind of cult if not outright hostility. Why is it so difficult to believe that people of color can be just as Jewish as you or I? My reason for taking a group of Tikvat Israel members to Temple Congregation Bethel in Philadelphia an historic African American Jewish congregation is to underscore our kinship with Jews of all backgrounds, irrespective of the differences in background and style. By the time that you read this, we will have returned from our visit, and we will have gained new understandings as to what it means to be Jewish. As I write, I am looking forward to this trip, with the awareness that I really do not know what to expect. There is a secondary reason for the visit. The members of the Philadelphia congregation spend the entire day of Shabbat in synagogue. What do they do that would make such a weekly experience something to be anticipated with joy? I believe that they have a lot to teach us. From the President s Perspective Ronald L, Rabin, M.D. Imagine Shabbat My family was never religious, so it was the natural progression rather than a momentous decision to discontinue what little observing I did. When it didn t quite feel right that I considered myself a Jew despite my complete non-observance, it was simple curiosity that led me to take an Introduction to Judaism course, not any kind of calling from above. Rabbi Shelly Lewis of Congregation Kol Emeth taught the course. Rabbi Lewis was warm and approachable; I had never met anyone like him. I had never experienced a congregation that was clearly happy to be at synagogue until I went to services at Kol Emeth. Meeting Rabbi Lewis and attending Kol Emeth changed my life. But not immediately. Periodic attendance of services suited my comfort level, and that progressed over time to something kind of close to regular. That increased as Janaki and I spent more time together, and progressed to my current level of observance after we got married. So I came to my present level of observance through a series of small steps that felt kind of natural, and marked by a few memorable events. I share this story not because I imagine it is exceptional, but because I suspect it is rather common. Many of us become who we are through a series of incremental choices that bring us to a moment of surprise, or to a fork in the road. We often make our best decisions by simply living our lives and following our instincts. When advising someone whether to pursue a career in science or medicine, the first question I ask is, What do you daydream about? What we think about when we aren t really thinking tells us a lot about ourselves. Twenty years ago, I never would have imagined that every week I would have an Erev Shabbat dinner and attend Shabbat services. Even more surprising is the sense of loss when it doesn t happen. So for me, this weekly routine is wonderful all I could have imagined. But many members of our community imagine more, and then make it happen. Cliff Fishman imagined a Torah Continued on page 14 3

CANTOR S CORNER Cantor Rochelle Helzner New! Shul Singers Cantor Helzner will hold an open session for those who would like to learn new melodies for Shabbat morning services. Sessions will be held after minyan on Tuesdays, December 18 and January 22. On Shabbat, participants will seat themselves among the congregation and will join the Cantor in singing these melodies, thus increasing and spreading spirited davening. It is not necessary to be able to read music or Hebrew (transliterations will be provided). The only requirement is a love of singing, a willingness to participate and a desire to enhance the ruach of our services. Strathmore Concert On Sunday, March 2, adult and youth choirs, cantors and music professionals from congregations throughout the Washington area will present a concert at Strathmore Hall in celebration of Israel s 60 th birthday. Adults will sing at both a 3:30 matinee and a 7 p.m. performance. Tikvat Israel youth will perform at the 7 p.m. performance only. Radio personality Martin Goldsmith will narrate. Information about tickets will be announced soon. Strathmore Concert Rehearsals for Youth Tikvat Israel s third through seventh grade students who have signed up to participate in the Strathmore concert will have rehearsals with Cantor Helzner on Sundays, December 16, January 6, January 13, January 27, February 3 and February 10 PROMPTLY at 9:30 a.m. at Tikvat Israel. A mandatory regional rehearsal will be held on Sunday, February 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Washington Hebrew Congregation. A mandatory final tech rehearsal will be held at Strathmore Hall on Tuesday, February 26 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Note: There are three voluntary regional rehearsals (see below). As a group, we may decide to attend some of those instead of a regular rehearsal session. Strathmore Concert Rehearsals for Adults Rehearsals will be held every Thursday beginning December 13 (except for December 27). There will also be three voluntary regional rehearsals (see below). We may decide to attend some of those instead of our regular rehearsals. There will be a final mandatory regional rehearsal at Washington Hebrew Congregation on Sunday, February 24 from 3:30 to 5 p.m., and a mandatory final tech rehearsal on Tuesday, February 26 at Strathmore Hall from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Regional Music Rehearsals Regional music rehearsals are voluntary but important everyone must know all music; we will not take singers who have never sung the music before. If your choir is behind, or your singers want more time, they should attend one, two or all of these rehearsals. Sunday, January 13 B nai Tzedek Sunday, January 27 Beth Ami Sunday, February 10 Temple Emanuel 1:30-2:15 p.m. Youths rehearsal 2:15-2:30 p.m. Break with snack 2:30-3 p.m. Youths and adults rehearsal 3-4:30 p.m. Adults rehearsal HOLD THESE DATES Sunday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. Family Concert: A Helzner Happening Sunday, March 2 at 3:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. Strathmore Concert for Israel s 60 th Sunday, April 6 at 4 p.m. Vocal Arts Society Recital at TI NEW Thursday, May 8 at 5:45 p.m. TI Yom Haastmaut Celebration & BBQ Sunday, June 1 Washington Area Celebration of Israel s 60 th Rabbi Gorin was met with many fascinating questions during his recent visit to some of our religious school classrooms: Why did you choose to become a rabbi? Was it to get closer to God? Why do we have so many holy books? How do you pick the topics for your sermons? Has God ever spoken to you? Rabbi Gorin s responses were filled with wisdom and insight. He told the children that he chose to be a rabbi because he loved being Jewish and wanted to share Judaism with others. He told the class that any person in any profession can get close to God. He reminded the children that we are a people of the book. And he told them that there are a combination of factors that he considers when writing a sermon, such as what is happening in his life and in the world; what the Torah teaches us about this issue, and much more. Rabbi s visit to Mrs. Leavey s third grade class resulted in a wonderful discussion. One of the students said she had learned about the Big Bang Theory in public school and had studied creation in religious school. She wanted to know which Rabbi believed was true. The third graders also discussed what it meant to be created in God s image. I was particularly touched by comments from two of our third graders as they spoke about God. Matthew commented, I think of God as one of my family members. Rabbi asked if he meant like his mom or dad, grandparents, sister or brothers. Matthew responded, All of them. Ruben said that he thinks of God in the same way as Matthew described and like a lifeguard watching over a swimming pool. Many thanks to Rabbi Gorin for visiting our classrooms! Please be sure to ask your child about their special time with our rabbi. My sincere thanks to Jamie Freedman for our successful Sally Foster gift wrap sale! We are grateful to her husband, 4

Religious School Sandy Levine, Director Rabbi Gorin was met with many fascinating questions during his recent visit to some of our religious school classrooms: Why did you choose to become a rabbi? Was it to get closer to God? Why do we have so many holy books? How do you pick the topics for your sermons? Has God ever spoken to you? Rabbi Gorin s responses were filled with wisdom and insight. He told the children that he chose to be a rabbi because he loved being Jewish and wanted to share Judaism with others. He told the class that any person in any profession can get close to God. He reminded the children that we are a people of the book. And he told them that there are a combination of factors that he considers when writing a sermon, such as what is happening in his life and in the world; what the Torah teaches us about this issue, and much more. Rabbi s visit to Mrs. Leavey s third grade class resulted in a wonderful discussion. One of the students said she had learned about the Big Bang Theory in public school and had studied creation in religious school. She wanted to know which Rabbi believed was true. The third graders also discussed what it meant to be created in God s image. I was particularly touched by comments from two of our third graders as they spoke about God. Matthew commented, I think of God as one of my family members. Rabbi asked if he meant like his mom or dad, grandparents, sister or brothers. Matthew responded, All of them. Ruben said that he thinks of God in the same way as Matthew described and like a lifeguard watching over a swimming pool. Many thanks to Rabbi Gorin for visiting our classrooms! Please be sure to ask your child about their special time with our rabbi. My sincere thanks to Jamie Freedman for our successful Sally Foster gift wrap sale! We are grateful to her husband, Tony, and children, Allyson and Daniel, for their help as well. Jamie has been chairing this fundraiser for many years. She has indicated that her BROADMAN-KAPLAN EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Rori Pollak, Director The leaves are finally turning red, yellow and orange, and the air is cooler yeah! The children are enjoying playing in the leaves and spending as much time outdoors as possible until the really cold weather sets in. The creativity of our staff is limitless. As you walk down the halls, you can see collages with items the children found on their nature walks. Paintings in the bright beautiful colors of fall have been created by the children using nature s resources as paint brushes. Finally, as November came to a close, the ECC celebrated Thanksgiving. The children enjoyed making different foods and sharing with friends in other classes at our feast. But wait mashed potatoes and other Thanksgiving leftovers move aside. Ready or not, here come the latkes! Even though the calendar on the wall will have been turned to December for only four days, we will need to get out the dreidels and put the chanukiah in the window. We will read stories of Judah Maccabee and, through encouraging children s imaginative play, Chanukah will become more than just a story to the children. The children will learn about cooperating and working together with friends when they practice rebuilding the Temple with blocks. They will learn about the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil when they light candles and retell the story. While Chanukah is not a major holiday in the Jewish annual cycle, it has become a festive and exciting time for American Jewish families. We are all looking forward to lighting the chanukiah, playing driedel and making latkes. Re-enrollment begins this month. Priority enrollment is extended to current ECC families until December 15, after which registration will open to the public. Get your application in as soon as possible so you don t lose your spot! If you are not a current ECC family and are interested in sending your child to our program, please download an application form from the website, www.broadman-kaplan.org. Once you complete and send in the application, we will place you on the waiting list. You will be sent an enrollment form, if space permits, once open enrollment begins. MARK YOUR CALENDAR New mini-science enrichment, which runs for three sessions, begins December 7. December 12 Lion Tales Puppet productions will perform their Chanukah story. The ECC will be closed Tuesday, December 25 and Tuesday, January 1. ECC Winter Camp runs from Monday, December 24 through Monday, December 31. ECC does not close for a winter break. 5

TO ORDER TICKETS, CALL THE SYNAGOGUE OFFICE AT 301-762-7338. A Rare Treat: Helzner Sisters Join in Song at Cantor s Concert Sisters Rochelle and Robyn Helzner first performed together in public as elementary school kids, but their joint singing engagements during the many years since have been uncommon affairs. That makes the 2007 Cantor s Concert at Tikvat Israel a rare treat a chance to hear two lovely voices in harmony on the songs of the season, as well as a few surprises. This year s event, dubbed A Helzner Happening: A Concert for Families, takes shape at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 2 in the synagogue s social hall. The sisters will be joined on stage at times by the other two musicians in the Robyn Helzner Trio, a professional outfit that travels the globe to perform concerts, and school-age children from Tikvat Israel who are part of a choir for the event. Complete details on ordering tickets can be found at http://tikvatisrael.org/ community/helznerhappening.html. The event serves as one of the year s most important fund-raising activities at TI. The Helzner sisters first public performance as a tandem came well before Rochelle envisioned a lengthy career as a cantor in the Conservative Jewish movement. She was 10 years old and her sister was 8 at the time they sang for an appreciative 6 audience at the Hebrew Home. The moment was recorded in local Jewish history by a newspaper photo appearing a few days later in the Washington Jewish Week. Robyn Helzner recently provided some personal insights on the rare opportunity to perform side by side with her big sister in a recent exclusive interview. Q. You don t get to perform much publicly with your sister these days. Does that make a joint appearance special in some ways? Robyn: When Rochelle and I were growing up, we sang together all the time. We were Continued on next page

HELZNER SISTERS continued from previous page known as The Helzner Sisters. These days, our joint performances are few and far between, so it is always a very special event when we have the opportunity to do a concert together. Q. Can you estimate how many times as adult professionals that you ve performed together in concert? Has that ever happened outside of appearances at our synagogue? Robyn: The majority of our joint concerts have been at Tikvat Israel. We also performed together at Temple Israel, before the merger with Beth Tikva, and at a community-wide festival in Northern Virginia. Most recently, Rochelle and I performed a concert for the Jewish community in Honolulu, Hawaii! Q. Does your dad Manny, being the lifelong musician who influenced your formative years in music, offer any guidance, suggestions or critiques these days? Robyn: These days, our dad, also known as Mr. Kvell, just listens and beams! Q. The last time the cantor s concert at TI included the Robyn Helzner Trio was five years ago. Did Rochelle suggest it might be time for a return engagement? Robyn: The Trio participated in the concert to celebrate Rochelle s 18 th anniversary at Tikvat Israel in 2002. The Trio has an extensive repertoire of songs that appeal to both children and adults. Rochelle decided that a concert for families, combining our voices and energies, would be a marvelous way to celebrate the Chanukah holiday. Q. Well-placed sources indicate the Tikvat Israel show is considered a family concert with an array of musical offerings that will appeal to young and old? Robyn: Absolutely right! Q. Are you introducing anything new or especially fun to the song list in this show? Robyn: In addition to creating a chanukiah composed of kids, how does a song in English, Hebrew, Luganda and Arabic sound? Q. Anything else you d like to share? Robyn: We are very excited to have a children s choir, featuring students from the Tikvat Israel Religious School, join us in the concert. ADULT EDUCATION, cont. from page 1 Arie Mizrachi-Shoham was born in 1948 in the newly-independent state of Israel. His family made aliyah from Kurdistan to Israel in the 1920s, settling in Jerusalem. In 1969 he enrolled at Hebrew University in Jerusalem to work toward a bachelor of arts degree. He majored in both Middle Eastern studies and Jewish studies. While attending the university, Arie also earned his license as an official guide for Israel. His certification is in Yediot Ha aretz (knowledge of Israel) including the geography, history and archaeology of Israel, as well as biblical history. Now in his 30 th year as tour guide, he has completed thousands of hours of advanced training in areas such as the new archaeological digs in Israel, ancient water systems, the evolution of the synagogue in Judaism and the conflicts over water in the Middle East. The Jewish Perspective on Dissent Are Jews radicals? Take a look at what our tradition says about the role of Jews in challenging the wrongs we see. What is our responsibility to speak up and when is it appropriate? On Sunday, December 16 from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. in the library, Rabbi Alana Suskin will lead a session during which we will look at classical texts. No Hebrew or Aramaic is necessary. Breakfast will be available for purchase at 9:45 a.m. Rabbi Suskin is a writer and educator who publishes on a variety of topics, including cutting-edge Judaism (such as blogging, independent minyanim, and Jewish social on- and off-line networking), feminism, social justice and economic justice in Jewish tradition. She has published what is considered to be one of the essential articles on feminism and halacha, which is used as part of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Study s curriculum on the Conservative movement s halachic approaches. Jewish Literacy 101: Rabbinic Literature Midrash This third class of the fall session of Jewish Literacy 101, led by Rabbi Gorin, will take place on Thursday, December 13 after minyan in Room 11. Midrash. Mishnah. Gemara. Talmud. We often hear these words, but what do they mean? They all refer to a genre of Jewish writings collectively called Rabbinic Literature, comprising a period of approximately 600 years of Jewish intellectual endeavor. Come learn about these writings and what they say about God and our relationship with God. In this session, we will focus on Midrash Attendance at the previous session is not a requirement. The final meeting of the fall session will be held on Thursday, January 10, 2008, when Rabbi Gorin will address, Codes of Law or Bible Commentary. The spring session of Jewish Literacy 101, led by Rabbi Alana Suskin and Rabbi Moshe Faierstein, focuses on Mystical and Hasidic Literature (February 4, 2008), Philosophical Literature (March 3, 2008), Musar Ethical Literature (April 7, 2008), and Responsa (May 5, 2008). Feminism and Liturgy Discussion Group Led by Rabbi Alana Suskin, this class meets every other Monday evening. The dates for December were not final at press time. For information, contact Rabbi Suskin at rabbi.al@gmail.com. Scholars Weekend Mark your calendars for March 28-29, 2008, when guest scholar Rabbi Burton Visotzky will focus on the topic, Engaging the Other: Christianity and Islam in the 21 st Century. Specifically, Rabbi Visotzky will address: Cairo to Qatar: Recent Developments in Jewish-Muslim Interfaith Dialogue And then I told the Pope. New Insights into Catholic-Jewish Relations (from his tenure as professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome) Isaac Unbound Three Religions Read the Akedah Look for more details as the date approaches. If you would like to volunteer to coordinate the weekend or to set up for dinner, please contact Betsy Miller at 301-279-0453 or bnahmiller@hotmail.com. 7

YOUTH & FAMILY PROGRAMMING Lynn Berk, Director Happy Chanukah I hope everyone enjoyed the great gifts the kids made at the Chanukah crafts workshop. This is one of my favorite programs, the parents pay a small fee and the kids, from kindergarten thru 12 th grade, make gifts for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. Bonim will hold a Give & Get Chanukah party on Sunday, December 9. The group will get to make latkes and fill sufganiot (jelly donuts). They will get reduced admission to the program if they bring a gift for Toys for Tots, and we will make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a shelter. We are also asking the kids to bring a wrapped unisex grab bag gift for no more than $5.They will be given a chance to participate in a Chanukah Grab Bag and given dreidels and chocolate gelt. Watch for the Bonim flyer with all of the details. Machar The November Machar multi-chapter overnight was a huge success, with kids from Shaare Tefila, B nai Israel and Beth El joining us. In addition to being creative with 10,000 Legos, we ate, played, prayed, watched movies and had fun! This month s Machar program is Swimming in Eilat on Sunday, December 9. Check the Machar flyer for details. Kadima Kadima will hold a mystery sleepover on Saturday, December 9. It will begin at 7 p.m. with Havdallah and Menorah lighting. The evening will be jam-packed with activities some in our building and some out of our building. Watch for the e-vite with all of the information. Our Kadimaniks will also be participating in the area-wide Chanukah Blow Out at the JCC on Saturday, December 15. More than 30 Jewish youth organizations are joining together to sponsor this event which includes a dance, a social action projects, a Chanukah celebration and more. USY At print time, USY was still working on their December calendar. They were considering having a Chanukah dinner at Mama Lucias in Olney on Saturday December 1, or to go to All Fired Up for a pottery painting on Sunday, December 2. Watch your mail for the flyers to see which program wins out. USY is also planning to sponsor a holiday party at the Greentree Shelter on Sunday, December 15. They will help the children at the shelter decorate holiday cookies and make a present for their parents. Youth Shabbat Morning Service The Youth and Family Programming Department is sponsoring a Youth Shabbat Morning Service on Saturday, December 15. All of the youth in the synagogue community are invited to participate. Children who attend our religious school are learning their group parts in class. All families with children in a Jewish Day School should have received a mailing with an invitation for your kids to participate, and with copies of the prayers and parts. For more information, call Lynn at 301-762-7338. The Youth and Family Programming Department is sponsoring the Kiddush that day in honor of our Tikvat Israel children. If you would like to contribute, we suggest $10 per family. Checks should be made out to Tikvat Israel Youth Committee and mailed to the synagogue, c/o Lynn Berk, or they may be dropped off in the TI office. Family Fun Day December 25 Join us on December 25 for Family Fun Day featuring Gary Rosenthal s Hiddur Mitzvah Project, food, face painting, Israeli dancing and a family movie. DON T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR GARY ROSENTHAL JUDAICA PIECES IN ADVANCE AND SAVE. Every TI family should have received a flyer with pictures & prices of available items. A flyers with pictures and prices of available items went out in the November mid-month mailing and was included in the November Bulletin. For more information, please e-mail Bonnie at bawcowan@hotmail.com. Family Game Day Save the Date Mark your calendar for Family Game Day on Saturday, January 5 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Join us after Shabbat services and the kiddush for a relaxing afternoon. We will play Scrabble, Boggle, Four Across, checkers, chess, ping pong, pool, cards and more. Stay warm on a winter afternoon by visiting with friends, playing with your kids and having some good old-fashioned fun. 8

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Sandy Levine, Director Rabbi Gorin was met with many fascinating questions during his recent visit to some of our religious school classrooms: Why did you choose to become a rabbi? Was it to get closer to God? Why do we have so many holy books? How do you pick the topics for your sermons? Has God ever spoken to you? Rabbi Gorin s responses were filled with wisdom and insight. He told the children that he chose to be a rabbi because he loved being Jewish and wanted to share Judaism with others. He told the class that any person in any profession can get close to God. He reminded the children that we are a people of the book. And he told them that there are a combination of factors that he considers when writing a sermon, such as what is happening in his life and in the world; what the Torah teaches us about this issue, and much more. Rabbi s visit to Mrs. Leavey s third grade class resulted in a wonderful discussion. One of the students said she had learned about the Big Bang Theory in public school and had studied creation in religious school. She wanted to know which Rabbi believed was true. The third graders also discussed what it meant to be created in God s image. I was particularly touched by comments from two of our third graders as they spoke about God. Matthew commented, I think of God as one of my family members. Rabbi asked if he meant like his mom or dad, grandparents, sister or brothers. Matthew responded, All of them. Ruben said that he thinks of God in the same way as Matthew described and like a lifeguard watching over a swimming pool. Many thanks to Rabbi Gorin for visiting our classrooms! Please be sure to ask your child about their special time with our rabbi. My sincere thanks to Jamie Freedman for our successful Sally Foster gift wrap sale! We are grateful to her husband, Tony, and children, Allyson and Daniel, for their help as well. Jamie has been chairing this fundraiser for many years. She has indicated that her work responsibilities have increased significantly and she will not be able to continue chairing this sale. Please contact me at 301-424-4396 if you would be willing to chair this fundraiser. Two volunteers may enjoy co-chairing our Sally Foster gift wrap sale. Jamie has graciously offered to show her successor exactly what needs to be done. We are all looking forward to A Helzner Happening featuring Cantor Helzner and the Robyn Helzner Trio on Sunday, December 2 at 4 p.m. Our fourth through sixth graders will be featured during this concert! Please support our next Bagel Sale on Sunday, December 16. Pre-orders must be submitted by Wednesday, December 12 (see form on this page). You will receive your child s report card in the mail at the end of the month. MARK YOUR CALENDARS Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 9, 10 Dec. 9, 16 6th Grade Tallit Workshop with Shirley Waxman 4th and 5 th Grade to Ring House Festive Chanukah Programs 3rd Grade Consecration Workshops BAGELS TO GO! RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUNDRAISER What? Fresh Bagels from Goldberg s. Hot coffee. Relax at TI or take home a dozen bagels (or two!) When? Sunday December 16 (and monthly thereafter!) 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Where? Room 14, Religious School Wing How to order: Return the order form and your check made out to Tikvat Israel Religious School to Sandy Levine or the synagogue office by Wednesday, December 12 for pickup on Sunday December 16. Questions? Call Stuart Berlin at 301-315-6141. BAGEL ORDER FORM For Pick-Up on Sunday, December 16 (9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) Name Email Telephone number Number of bagels: Please order by the 1/2 dozen ($6 each) or dozen ($10 each). Minimum advance order is 1/2 dozen of each kind. Plain Sesame Everything Black Russian Raisin Egg (pumpernickel w/vidalia onions) Flavor of the Month! Onion TOTAL = $ 9

Israel @ 60 Harvey T. Kaplan TI Representative on the Israel Educators Institute of the Washington, DC Jewish Community Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel In last month s column, I discussed the content of the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. Our fifth graders already know the significance of the four dates (i.e., years) that appear in the text of the Declaration. If you do not, it might be interesting to refer to the copy on display in the synagogue lobby. Hint: one of the four years is in the 19 th Century, and the other three are in the 20 th. (If you haven t had an opportunity to read the text, try to guess what four dates the framers of the Declaration would make so prominent!) To learn more about this amazing document, join us for the Adult Education Committee s program scheduled for March 12, 2008 at 8 p.m., when Micha Balf, the Education Shaliach from the Jewish Agency for Israel to Washington, DC, will talk about the Declaration. By the time you read this, the Hebrew version of the Declaration should be on display in the synagogue. It s a beautiful and colorful framed edition, worthy of prominent display during this special year of Israel @ 60. Yom Ha Atzmaut The National Park Service has given its approval for a single celebration of Yom Ha Atzmaut ([Israel] Independence Day) on the National Mall on Sunday, June 1, 2008. This means that we ll celebrate Chag Ha Atzmaut, the newly-designated Holiday of Independence, along with our friends in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. I m confident that the TI planning committee will be looking for volunteers of all ages to make the TI booth on the Mall attractive and successful. Don t forget about our Israeli-style barbecue and celebration on Thursday, May 8, just before Yom Ha Atzmaut. Also, mark your calendar for a special concert at Strathmore with many TI family members participating with Cantor Helzner on Sunday, March 2. The Adult Education Committee in concert with the Israel Affairs Committee, HAZAK, and the Strategic Communications Committee has scheduled (as of this writing) 14 programs related to Israel this year! The overview is available on a flyer (both in print and downloadable from our website). I guarantee that you ll find something of interest among the diverse offerings. Golda In last month s column, I mentioned the name of an Israeli closely linked to the United States, Golda Myerson (born Mabovitch, in Kiev, Russia, 1898). Most of us remember her as Golda Meir. Here are some interesting and not-so-wellknown facts about the woman who came to be known as Golda. Golda and her family emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1906 due to poverty in the area where she was born. The Mabovitch family settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There she studied in the Normal School for Teachers. She decided to become a Zionist, largely because of her horrible memories of the pogroms in Czarist Russia. She lived in the USA for about 15 years, from age 8 to age 23. In 1921 she and her husband, Morris Myerson, settled in the British Mandate of Palestine. The Myersons joined kibbutz Merchavyah [Merhavyah] and managed reasonably well under the harsh conditions of kibbutz life. Her involvement in politics and social activities eventually took her away from the kibbutz, and she was sent back to the United States as an emissary to the Pioneer Women s Organization here (1932-1934). When she returned to Palestine she joined the executive committee of the Israel labor union, Histadrut. She advanced within that organization, became head of Histadrut s Political Department, and received a great deal of training for more significant roles in Israeli politics. In 1946 she became the head of the Political Department of the Jerusalembased Jewish Agency, now known as the Jewish Agency for Israel (or JAFI). [Several extremely knowledgeable and excellent speakers and visitors from JAFI are scheduled to visit our congregation in support of our Adult Education Program this year. See the schedule for details.] In 1948, Golda Meir (now the Israeli surname she used) was appointed Minister to Russia. She had left Kiev in Russia many years earlier, where her father was a hardworking but poor carpenter. According to Encyclopaedia Judaica, she returned to Russia...[after 50 years from her departure to the USA] as Israel s first minister to Moscow, and was received by thousands of Jews who came to the Moscow Great Synagogue to meet her. She was elected to the Knesset (Israel s Parliament) in 1949 as a member of the Mapai party, and was selected to serve as Israel s Minister of Labor. In that role, again according to Judaica, she began large scale housing and road building programs, and supported a policy of unrestricted immigration. After she became Foreign Minister in 1956 and held that post for nine years, she had become a famous international figure one of few women in her time to hold such a high office. She was instrumental in that position in extending aid from the State of Israel to a number of African nations. On February 26, 1969, Golda Meir became Israel s fourth Prime Minister. During her term of office, she encouraged the emigration of thousands of Soviet Jews to Israel, and strengthened relations with the United States. Many of us remember her role during the Yom Kippur War (1973). Egypt and Syria conducted a surprise attack on Israel during that religious holiday. After leading her country through a difficult and intense period and after winning the war she resigned her office. However, she remained as head of a caretaker government, working diligently on military disengagement of forces, until the assumption of the Prime Minister s role by her successor, Yitzchak (Yizhak) Rabin in June of 1974. Golda Meir then retired from government into private life, after a long and noteworthy career in support of the State of Israel. 10

SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE SOLAR COOKERS FOR SALE! What? Solar Cookers: check out the displays in the main lobby and library lobby Who? For the women and children of Darfur who are currently living in refugee camps Why? To decrease the violence endured by the women and children by providing an alternative to firewood cooking; To provide an environmentallyresponsible method of cooking; To provide an opportunity for the refugees to create a solar cookers manufacturing business How? Complete an order/donation form located on each of the solar cooker displays and send by mail; or Go online to jewishworldwatch.org to complete an order/donation form; or Call Jewish World Watch 818-501- 1836 to place an order/donation. Each $30 order/donation pays for: two solar cookers, two pots, two potholders, a year s supply of plastic bags, and skills training for refugee women and girls For more information, visit jewishworldwatch.org and read about this amazing program! If you have additional questions, contact Robbi Cohen at Peezer200@yahoo.com. Blood Drive Save the Date The Social Action Committee will hold its annual blood drive on Sunday, May 4, 2008. If you are regular blood donor, please schedule your donations so that they will coincide with this date. If you are considering a first time donation and have concerns and/ or questions, please contact Robbi Cohen at Peezer200@yahoo.com. New Committee for Leadership and Public Speaking Hopeful Talkers Toastmasters Club was founded at Tikvat Israel by Dr. John Melmed with the assistance of several other TI members (Jeff Smith, Louise and Chuck Chatlynne, and Robert Katz). Several more TI members followed suit and are still active in the club. Many outside experts, Jewish and Gentile alike, have assisted in building and strengthening the club. This last year was especially fruitful. Hopeful Talkers grew and, under the leadership of last year s Distinguished Toastmaster President, Ms. Barbara Walters, achieved Distinguished status. As a club, we contributed to HAZAK (TI s senior program) for two years, and we taught the Bar and Bat Mitzvah youth how to speak. We are now in the middle of the third such instructional program. The congregation is aware of us and our activities, but we are not supported to the extent of functioning as a viable chartered club with TI member support only. We would have extinguished if we had not opened the club to the community at large. Therefore, in order to attend to TI s perceived needs which could include religion-related issues, a few of us, members of both Hopeful Talkers and TI, decided to form a committee to concentrate on areas of leadership and improved public speaking. With Rabbi Howard Gorin and President Dr. Ron Rabin s support, we have formed the Committee for Leadership and Public Speaking. The founding members are Judy and Robert Katz, John Melmed, Sam Freedenberg, Louise and Chuck Chatlynne, Neil Newman and Jeff Smith. Robert Katz will serve as coordinator and Judy Katz will be administrative assistant. Such a committee (completely independently of Hopeful Talkers Toastmasters Club which will continue to be Tikvat Israel s Club in Residence and meet on the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the Herman Flax Library) could be helpful to the congregation in several ways. For example: It could improve the communications skills and workshop-conducting skills of congregation members interested in becoming discussion leaders in the Torah study session on Shabbat, helping to increase the number of future religious leaders at Tikvat Israel and strengthen the congregation as a Makom Torah (Home for the Torah). In a program that has been held for three years, committee members listen to and evaluate speeches prepared by TI Bar/Bat Mitzvah candidates in order to improve their public speaking skills and build their self-confidence. Beginning in January or February, we plan to open the program to Bar and Bat Mitzvah candidates in the community at large. Please think of useful projects and join us to implement them. Let us know what you would like to achieve for personal enrichment, or what are your ideas to enrich our lives as a group. We are ready to assist you or work with you. Challenge us! Free Self-Defense Class Learn basic self-defense techniques in order to protect yourself and your family. The Chung Shin Do School of Karate offers this free self-defense course as a public service to the community. The adult co-ed class meets in the TI social hall on Wednesdays from 8 to 9:15 p.m. for eight weeks beginning January 11. Registration deadline is January 3. Participants will learn how to avoid confrontation, and how to increase the chances of avoiding injury or death if assaulted. Students are also encouraged to provide their own whatif scenarios. If you ve taken this class before, this is an opportunity for refresher training. Class size is limited to about 12 students. If there is not enough interest (about eight students) we ll cancel the class. An October issue of the Gazette described a rash of attacks in the Bel Pre/ Georgia Avenue area during the summer. Would knowing self-defense have helped? Perhaps, just by showing an air of confidence, the attackers might pass you by for a different target. We do request a $25-$35 donation to the shul for allowing us to meet in the social hall. To register, or for more information on the self-defense class or our regular Wednesday night karate class, please contact Joel Kristal (evenings) at 301-460-6668 or by e-mail at J_KRISTAL@Hotmail.com. 11

An Essential Source: Your Synagogue Website The TI website (www.tikvatisrael.org) is the go-to source of information for all congregants. In addition to news and features on various aspects of synagogue life, congregants now can access with a password a members-only area, where a membership directory and current and past issues of the monthly bulletin can be found. In addition, a photo gallery that includes images of various TI events in 2006 and 2007 has been added to the site. The website also houses a blog, where congregants can post views on relevant topics and others can add their comments about the original posting. Janaki Kuruppu serves as webmaster, and Jay P. Goldman serves as the chief editor of the site. Help Nurture the Beautification Committee s Efforts Fundraising for Tikvat Israel s landscaping project is now underway. If you would like to contribute, please refer to the description of areas and donation levels located on the charts in the lobby. What a wonderful way to memorialize a loved one, recognize a milestone in someone s life, commemorate an anniversary or birth, or simply make a donation to this worthwhile undertaking to make the outside of our synagogue look beautiful and more inviting to those who enter. Donate whatever you can no gift is too small. If you choose not to donate money, consider purchasing a tree. A big thank goes to you to donors Tikvat Israel s Women s Network, Robbi Cohen and the Lerner family for their generous contributions to our landscaping project! Please call Debbie Diamond at 301-929-1107 or the office at 301-762-7338 to make a contribution. The ArtSites % Tikvat Israel Connection Rosalind Feldman, PhD The vitality of Judaism depends on people living Jewish lives with their families, participating in Jewish institutions, and enlivening Jewish cultural traditions. ArtSites, the Guild for Judaic Art, founded by Shirley Waxman and Leslie Montroll, has provided Jewish culture to the Washington area for more than 22 years. Tikvat Israel is the synagogue of choice for many of the artists in ArtSites. Included among them are Shirley Waxman, Cynthia Spritzer, Gale Pressman, Kate Jennes-Kahn, Melanie Grishman, Tamah Graber, Bobbi Gorban, Rosalind Feldman, Albert Feldman and Avrum Ashery. ArtSites is the foremost group in the Greater Washington D.C. area, enriching Jewish life through fine and graphic art, fiber art, ceramics, stained and dichromatic glass, and more. In addition to members designing and crafting one-of-a-kind items of Judaica, ArtSites welcomes the public to educational programs about Judaic art. The guild aspect of ArtSites is taken seriously. The dictionary defines guild as an organization of persons with related interests, goals formed for mutual aid. [Random House, Webster s Dictionary, 1999, 582]. The rigorous jurying process insures that every item displayed has passed review by a committee of experts. ArtSites meetings can be rip-roaring, featuring more opinions than people attending but members are there for each other in times of celebration and crises. Members appreciate the connection with other Judaic artists. Camaraderie is strong, based on working together on projects, sharing experiences and ideas, and working at shows trying to please the public. ArtSites provides the artists with a structure for group shows, a professional website, publicity, socializing among members, and mentoring. Prayer shawls, skull caps, Torah mantles, wedding canopies, spice boxes, challah covers, matzo covers, quilted place mats with holiday themes, seder plates, menorahs, mezuzzot, embellished towels and many other items designed and made by ArtSites artists are in prominent use during prayer, religious ceremonies, and holiday celebrations throughout the Jewish community. Objects of art created by ArtSites members enliven Jewish culture locally and throughout the world. A sampling of objects that fortify Jewish identity are watercolor paintings, pen and ink drawings, art quilts depicting Jewish themes to enhance the décor of homes; jewelry with Jewish motifs; Ayshet Chayil tribute items; blessings depicted on wall hangings and pictures to welcome guests; and embellished clothing. The Goldman Art Gallery at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington is the location of the ArtSites Chanukah Show and Sale for the third year in a row. Gallery hours are listed below. We create because we must. We look forward to sharing our art with you and meeting you at the show. ARTSITES CHANUKAH GALLERY SHOW AND SALE Goldman Art Gallery Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington 6125 Montrose Road Rockville, MD November 18-December 3 Sundays: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day December 4-December 27 Sundays: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays: 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays: 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Fridays: Closed HOLD THE DATE Sunday, January 20 6 p.m. Landscaping Fundraising Dinner 12

Mourning Note from the Bereavement Committee A shiva call is not a social outing or a mere formality. It is a sacred act of sharing the sorrow of one s relatives and friends to console the mourners, and to support them with one s presence. It is appropriate for visitors to bring nourishing food for the mourners. Condolence callers should not expect refreshments to be provided, and it is inappropriate to use a shiva call as an opportunity to socialize. The custom of leaving a small stone on the monument when visiting the grave of a loved one fulfills the need to communicate with the deceased in a tangible way. The small stone becomes a calling card which says, I was here, I thought about you, I love you and I miss you. Women s Network Rosh Chodesh Group The Women s Network Rosh Chodesh group will meet this month on Wednesday, December 12 at 7:45 p.m. (after minyan). Each month will have its own theme and program, and a different person will lead each one. Last month, we had a wonderful turnout with a great group of women and had a good time. We hope you will join us this month. Paid-Up Membership Chanukah Party The TI Women s Network invites all members who have paid their dues by December 1 to join us for a Chanukah party to be held at Shelly Goldin s home on Sunday, December 9 at 5 p.m. We will have a light meal with salad, latkes and dessert to celebrate the holiday and what the Women s Network has been and will be doing this year! Please bring a small gift ($5-$10 in value) to exchange. Please RSVP to Bobbi Gorban at bprem@aol.com or 301-838- 4336 by December 1, and send your dues ($36) to Janice Balin. If you are a new member of the synagogue, Women s Network dues are free for the first year. Please join us! Save the World One Light Bulb at a Time! Tikvat Israel s Environmental Task Force is holding a sale of Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) during Chanukah. They will be for sale outside of the library on Sunday, December 9 from 10 a.m. to noon. (Other bulbs, including dimmable and 3-way CFLs, will be available to order.) Or, you may pre-order using the form below. Save energy and help slow global warming by purchasing CFLs at this special time of year! Why Buy CFL? They use 75 percent less energy to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. A 27-watt CFL can replace a 100-watt incandescent, and a 14-watt CFL can replace a 60-watt incandescent. They last 10 times longer. The life of a CFL is up to 10,000 hours per bulb, compared to less than 1,000 hours for an incandescent. HOW TO ORDER Purchase a 4-pack of 100-watt equivalent bulbs for $14.50, a 4-pack of 60-watt equivalent for $10.75, or a 4-pack of 75-watt equivalent for $12.95. CFL ORDER FORM Name Phone Number of 60-watt 4-packs Number of 75-watt 4-packs Number of 100-watt 4-packs Please enclose a check payable to Tikvat Israel Congregation and return the form to the office by December 16. 13

HAZAK Focuses on Art and Israel ArtSites, the Guild for Judaic Art, is holding their Chanukah Gallery Show and Sale at the JCC in Rockville through December 27. (For information about the ArtSites/Tikvat Israel connection, please see page XX.) On Sunday, December 9, HAZAK will be treated to a guided tour of the show, conducted by our own Shirley Waxman. We will also have the opportunity to meet and talk to several of the artists. We ll gather in the JCC lobby at 10:30 a.m. The tour should take about one hour, after which we ll have the chance to do additional browsing and purchasing, if desired. Please contact the synagogue office if you plan to attend. To learn more about ArtSites, visit their website at artsitesjudaicguild.org. HAZAK Shabbat will be celebrated at TI on Friday, December 21. We will repeat last year s successful Kabbalat Shabbat program, with dinner open to the entire congregation, followed by our guest speaker. Our speaker will be Gilad Golani, Partnership 2000 shaliach from the Jewish Agency for Israel {JAFI} to Washington D.C. The topic of his presentation will be Peoplehood and Homeland. Please make your reservations early by completing the form on this page and returning it to the office. Don t miss this outstanding event! The entire congregation is invited to help celebrate HAZAK SHABBAT Our guest speaker will be Gilad Golani, Partnership 2000 Shaliach from the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) to Washington, DC His topic will be Peoplehood & Homeland Please join us to welcome Shabbat Friday, December 21 Kabbalat Shabbat 6:30 p.m. Dinner followed by Mr. Golani s Presentation 7:15 p.m. Yes, I will attend the December 21 Shabbat Dinner Name Number of Adults Number of Children Total number of Vegetarian Adults: $15 Children (ages 5-13): $6 Total Enclosed PRESIDENT, cont. from page 3 discussion each week after Kiddush, and now we have it. Lior Golan imagines leading a Sephardic service once a month, and soon he will. Elissa Schwartz imagines Shabbat at Tikvat Israel that doesn t start or end with the service and extends beyond a Kiddush lunch. We come to shul because it is our routine to spend Shabbat with our community. Unfamiliar with the traditional Shabbat service? Come to Learner s Services lead by one of our many knowledgeable congregants. Don t much care for the traditional service? Try an alternative service that we can offer periodically. Services just aren t your cup of tea? Hang in the library or with your kids in the playground and join us for Kiddush lunch. And then stay to discuss the weekly Parshah or for a book club, or just to schmooze while the kids make use of a new playground or play board games indoors. Elissa s vision of a community enjoying Shabbat together is wonderful because it so perfectly reflects the traditions of Shabbat that we love (or can easily learn to love), but because it has room for anyone whose vision is consistent with Conservative Judaism s interpretation of Halachah. As we plan to implement this vision, we may occasionally include programs available through Synaplex, a Shabbat enrichment program sponsored by STAR (Synagogues: Transformation And Renewal). One of our greatest qualities is that we are always evolving, thanks in no small part to the flexibility of Rabbi Gorin and Cantor Helzner. With their guidance, we can think big, and implement in small steps so that we may learn from experience and build momentum. So how do you imagine Shabbat? If you are not a Shabbat regular, what event or activity at would bring you to Tikvat Israel, and if you are, what might keep you there? Imagine Shabbat, share what you have imagined with Elissa, and yes, offer to help make what we imagine our reality so that we may celebrate this most wonderful day of the week together as a community. Please enclose check payable to Tikvat Israel Congregation and return to the office by December 13. 14