Beth Israel Congregation s June 2017/5777 BULLETIN Rabbi s Message + General Service Schedule Friday 7:00pm; Saturday 10:00am Anatomy of Hate Ironically, the month of May which is dubbed as the merry month was marked by horrific terrorist attacks in England and Egypt. The bombing of the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester was particularly unsettling as it targeted the teenage fan base of Ms Grande, who achieved her stardom as a Disney protégé. The attack upon the Coptic Christians of Egypt, one of the earliest Christian sects in the world, reflects the desire of radical Islam to remove the remnant of the Christian minorities of the Arab world. The proud Copts are currently ten percent of the Egyptian population or about eight million individuals. They are the largest minority group in the Arab Middle East next to the Jews of Israel. Identifying with the persecuted Copts, the City of Tel Aviv projected the Egyptian flag on its City Hall. The merry month of May concluded with killings in our own nation in Oregon and Mississippi. It seems that a day does not go by without some senseless tragedy. Our Torah understands hate and evil as reflecting part of the human character that must be sublimated and controlled. The Book of Genesis focuses on the evil that human beings do to one another. The Genesis narrative begins with the origin of hate and murder in the killing of Abel. The rabbis ascribe envy and jealousy as Cain s motivation in the slaughter of his brother. Abel s sacrifice is accepted by G-d while Cain s is rejected. G-d warns Cain of the human potential to evil. However, the violent urge dominates within Cain as he lacks self-control. From the urge to evil, the rabbis developed the idea of yetzer hara, the evil inclination the powerful force that enables death and destruction. Our rabbis taught that we can sublimate this aggressive instinct by engaging in purposeful life-affirming activity. The Torah itself presents the alternative to Cain s violence by sharing the development of agriculture, the construction of cities, and the creation of music. Judaism asserts that aggressive instincts must be sublimated, channeled, and disciplined. Judaism felt these instincts could be sublimated in marriage, family, and labor. Otherwise, in G-d s words to Cain, Sin crouches at the door. June Events June 25 @10am Book discussion Shabbat Candle Lighting Times June 2-8:03 June 9-8:07 June 16-8:10 June 23-8:12 June 30-8:12 The Beth Israel Book Club will meet on Sunday, June 25 at 10:00am. We will continue discussing Comparative Religion. Everyone is welcome to attend. BIC Anniversaries Andy & Karen Karten- June 29 --Continued on page 2
Rabbi s Message, Continued The narratives of Genesis continue to dissect the anatomy of hate. Noah s son Ham violates the personal dignity of his father. Disrespecting the sanctity of the parent-child relationship marks Ham s downfall. The Torah notes that dysfunctional families unfortunately produce a legacy of destruction in their wake. The tensions among brothers throughout the Genesis narratives whether it is Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, or Jacob and Esau create mayhem. for themselves and their descendants. Reconciliation requires reaching out by all parties beyond their selfish, personal needs. Yet, all the Genesis narratives allow the possibility of the reformation of human character. However, the creation of harmonious relationships requires effort and initiative. Our rabbis spoke of the concept of heshbon hanefesh, the soul searching which results in personal transformation. It demands introspection and examination. In the Jewish calendar, this spiritual quest is associated with the Yamim Noraim, with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This concept of self-examination has its counterparts in the Lenten season of Christianity and Ramadan in Islam, which began on May 26. The rabbis developed the idea of sin at hinam, of baseless hatred, in analyzing the background of the destruction of the Second Temple. They noted the internecine strife among the Judeans, the malevolent disputes between one Jew and another, which made the Jews powerless when confronting the Roman Empire. Again, the rabbis were hypervigilant in their sensitivity to the power of hate. The insights of our tradition are critically significant to our time. Sadly, the power to hate can spin wildly out of control without inner discipline and restraint. Genuine religious teachings have called for the personal development of sublimating such instincts and re-directing them to life affirming activities. Let us note that unfortunately, most of these horrific actions have been the work of young males. Their energy could be channeled for creativity and achievement rather than violence and death. This discipline must be developed on both a personal level but also on a communal and national one. Ultimately, Islamism must be defeated by Islam itself. Hopefully, we pray that Islam will embark upon that soul-searching that reaffirms the dignity of all peoples and the rejection of violence. The rejection of violence towards our brother and sisters in Israel would be a most welcome step. We note that all religious traditions, must affirm the best they have to offer in respecting human life and dignity. Otherwise, as G-d warned Cain, the very first human terrorist, Sin crouches at the door. --Rabbi Bienstock Jacob Berman will be inducted as an Eagle Scout of the Boy Scouts of America on Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 10am at Beth Israel. The congregation is invited to attend the ceremony. Unveiling of Monument & Reception for Harriet Owrutsky United Hebrew Cemetery Inc. 3901 Washington Blvd. Halethorpe, MD 21227 Sunday, July 9, 2017 at 11:00 am. If you are planning to attend call Marcie at 410-227-5059
Member-to-member Thank you to Mel Snyder for taking care of BIC marquee. Congratulations to our graduates: High School: Jake Berman- James M Bennett- will be attending Virginia Tech Aaron Davis- Parkside High School- Will be attending Keiser University in Florida Jamie Gittelman- Will be attending the University of South Carolina College: Hannah (Artemis) Silbert- University of Maryland College Park with a BA in fine art and a BS in animal science Faith Tarpley- Emerson College- BS in journalism and environmental science Congratulations to Mark Rudnick for being honored Volunteer of the Year at Deers Head Hospital. Donations: General Fund James Hatley Yahrzeits Joe Beatus Beautification Fund Jeff & Jamie Albright Yahrzeit of Leah Beatus Yahrzeit of Mildred Albright In Memory of Michael Ehrlich Sharon & Nick Servadio Rabbi s Discretionary Fund BIC Cards Mazel Tov to Mark & Susan Tilghman from: Bob & Judy Sherr Mazel Tov to Steve & Laure Schwalb from: Bob & Judy Sherr Congratulations to Todd & Pam Berman from: Jamie & Jeff Albright
BIC Birthdays: Jason Tarpley- June 7 Rabbi Bienstock- June 17 Mack Caplan- June 8 Harvey Needleman- June 19 Ann Hansen- June 12 Hilliary Needleman- June 24 Alon Davis- June 14 Les Kushner- June 25 Tom Paciga- June 27 *Anne Frank- June 12, 1929 Yahrzeits: June URSULA STEIN Jun 2-3, 2017 JACOB SADICK Jun 2-3, 2017 HANNAH KRASNER Jun 2-3, 2017 GERTRUDE GERSHENFELD Jun 2-3, 2017 JACOB HOROWITZ Jun 2-3, 2017 MICHAEL BENJAMIN Jun 2-3, 2017 MAURICE BLACK Jun 2-3, 2017 CELIA KRASNER Jun 2-3, 2017 MINNIE MILLER Jun 2-3, 2017 FAYE GANGI Jun 2-3, 2017 ANNA GELBARD Jun 2-3, 2017 JUDY GLENN Jun 9-10, 2017 BENJAMIN GIVARZ Jun 9-10, 2017 BERNARD S. LIEBMAN Jun 9-10, 2017 WALTER Weinberg Jun 9-10, 2017 BESSIE BERMAN Jun 9-10, 2017 FANNIE KRIGER Jun 9-10, 2017 ALEXANDER BURTON Jun 9-10, 2017 FAY GUERRIERI Jun 9-10, 2017 HARRY RUBENFELD Jun 9-10, 2017 PEARL WOORMAN Jun 16-17, 2017 JOSEPH SHUSTER Jun 16-17, 2017 MORRIS ROSENBERG Jun 16-17, 2017 PRISCILLA COLBY Jun 16-17, 2017 ABNER M. GNATT Jun 16-17, 2017 ROBERT STARR Jun 16-17, 2017 EVA COHEN Jun 16-17, 2017 ISAAC RABINOWITZ Jun 23-24, 2017 Thomas Teates Jun 23-24, 2017 ANNA LANSMAN Jun 23-24, 2017 HERMAN LEWIS Jun 23-24, 2017 HERB KAPLAN Jun 23-24, 2017 LITMAN LITOW Jun 23-24, 2017 GOLDIE M SILBERT Jun 23-24, 2017 MAURICE STEIN Jun 23-24, 2017 DR. BERNARD GREENBERG Jun 23-24, 2017 ALAN LEE LANSMAN Jun 30 -July 1, 2017 FRANK HOFFMAN Jun 30 -July 1, 2017 ELIZABETH MACHSON Jun 30 -July 1, 2017 SARANE D MEYER Jun 30 -July 1, 2017 JOSEPH SCHWADRON Jun 30 -July 1, 2017 MARTIN ROSSMAN Jun 30 -July 1, 2017 PHILLIP HEILIG Jun 30 -July 1, 2017 MARTIN HYMAN Jun 30 -July 1, 2017
Steve and Laurie Schwalb have moved. Their new address is: Laurie and Steve Schwalb 37484 Venezia Court Ocean View, DE 19970 Beth Israel Cards Appropriate for every occasion and affordable, BIC Cards can be purchased in the Office. Would you like to honor a loved one? There are many ways to acknowledge your loved ones at Beth Israel. Consider a leaf on our Tree of Life, displayed in the lobby. This is a wonderful way to commemorate a special event or to honor or remember a special person. The cost of a leaf is $500. You may also wish to consider purchasing a Yahrzeit Memorial Plaque for your loved one. The cost is $360 and will be displayed in our Sanctuary. Beth Israel Staff Rabbi: Arnold Bienstock Office Manager: Julie Thompsen Board of Governors President: Todd Berman Vice President: Susan Tilghman Secretary: Arlene Miller Treasurer: Shari Miller Youth Education: Sara Stivelman USY: Ella Davis Religious: Teri Quigley Membership: Ella Davis Ways & Means: Jaimi Hall House: Joe Beatus Or maybe you'd like to purchase a chair for the social hall in the honor/memory of a loved one. The cost for a chair is $50. Please contact Julie at the Synagogue Office and she'll be happy to assist you with your tribute. Contact Us 600 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801 Phone 410-742-2564 Fax 410-742-2697 www.bethisraelsalisbury.org General Information: bicsecretary@verizon.net Shabbat Services: Friday, 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism The mission of this Congregation shall be to establish and maintain a Synagogue and such educational, religious, social and recreational activities as will help further the cause and objectives of the Synagogue and Conservative Judaism. Established 1926 Do you love ONEG? Who doesn t? So come celebrate a simcha, remember a yahrzeit or just make it a great end to a long week by hosting one! It s easy and quick. Call Julie in the BIC office for details. 410-742-2564.