Congregation Ner Tamid c/o Elaine Mittler 3219 42 nd St Ct W Bradenton, FL 34205 941-755-1231 shalom@nertamidflorida.org www.nertamidflorida.org **From the Rabbi** The Beamer Winter 2008 The Kabala and Tu B Shevat What do our mystics say about the Festival? by Rabbi Barbara Aiello Rabbinic advisor, Congregation Ner Tamid As our Sunday school teachers tell us, the festival of Tu B Shevat celebrates the birthday or the New Year for the trees. One of the four Rosh HaShanah or New Year celebrations on the Jewish calendar (That s right, there are four Rosh Hashanah s - the first of Nisan, the first calendar month and the month of Passover, the First of Elul, the Rosh HaShanah for tithing or giving 10 percent of your resources to the synagogue or Jewish community, the First of Tishrei, the Rosh HaShanah of the Fall, the one that we are all familiar with as the Jewish New Year, and Rosh HaShanah La Ilanot, or Tu B Shevat, the New Year for the Trees). It was the Kabbalists in Safed in the 1600 s who first came up with the idea of the Tu B Shevat Seder (as well as the Rosh HaShanah seder that is celebrated in Italy and other Mediterranean countries). My colleague, Rabbi Michael Berg looks at the fourth Rosh HaShanah from the Kabalistic point of view and finds that Kabala teaches that the holidays are channels on which specific spiritual Light is revealed. Holidays enable every person on earth to connect to the unique Light that is available on that day, thereby drawing more Light into their lives. Indeed we know that Tu B Shevat occurs on the 15 th day in the Hebrew month of Shevat, a day selected because the light of the fifteenth emanates from the full moon, rather than the new moon that characterizes the beginning of the Hebrew months. Rabbi Berg goes on to say that Kabala teaches that every aspect of this world is filled with the Light of the Creator, and that every part of the universe works together for the betterment of the world. Trees and vegetation are an important aspect of both our spiritual and physical world. So, nu, how can we use this year s festival of Tu B Shevat to bring new light to the world? This is a question especially important to those of us who live outside of Israel or in colder climes where the traditional planting of a tree might mean digging through snow and ice! Here in Italy the days are mostly dark and gloomy. The sun sets early and although it is getting lighter bit by bit, complete darkness falls by five o clock. Not too promising for a festival that requires digging and planting. So, what charmed me most of all about this festival was the Kabalistic concept of light especially when we need to shine a light in the dark days of 1
MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of Congregation Ner Tamid is to create a Jewish community that encourages participation in meaningful Jewish worship, accepts diverse Jewish backgrounds and interfaith families, provides Jewish education for children and adults, celebrates all life cycle events, and initiates opportunities for committed social action (tikkun olam), all for a modest membership fee. winter. This year we Italians have chosen to combine the theme of Kabalistic light with the traditional green plant theme of Tu B Shevat by taking green plants to the older men and women in our local Casa di Riposa, the retirement homes in our area. We plan to bring a little burst of light into the room of each person living there. For our friends who work in the local town, green plants for them, too, as a way to thank Angela in the coffee bar, Tonino in the edicola (the news stand) and Alfredo in the grocery store for their service to the community. And for us Italian Jews just discovering our Jewish roots, we continue to create our family trees an activity that holds great promise for our developing community. They say there is no special greeting for Tu B Shevat so let s make up one. There is always, Hag Sameach, or Happy Holiday, but how about Yom Huledet Etz Sameach, Happy Birthday and Todah Rabah to our world of trees. Rabbi Barbara Aiello www.rabbibarbara.com TAX EXEMPT STATUS FOR CONGREGATION NER TAMID!! We are very proud to announce that the IRS has recognized Congregation Ner Tamid s official status as a tax exempt organization. Thanks to Elaine Mittler s tireless efforts, we now have our 501 (c) (3). This status enables us to participate fully with other area congregations and also allows all donations to us to be tax deductible. **UPCOMING EVENTS** Tu B Shevat Seder January 25 th is the date for one of our favorite annual events, the celebration of the New Year for the Trees. Taste the fruits of the Land of Israel as we enact a Kabbalistic seder signifying growth, renewal and the continuity of life. The seder begins at 7 pm on Friday evening, and it is free and open to the public. Following the seder there will be a brief Shabbat service. Italian Dinner & Havdalah Ceremony What could be more fun than last year s Italian dinner, complete with delicious food, a test-your-knowledge quiz of Jewish-Italian trivia, and a moving Havdalah (end of Shabbat) ceremony? Why, this year s Italian dinner, of course! Dinner starts at 6 pm on Saturday, February 9 th, at the Lakeside South Clubhouse. Our special hostess will be Rabbi Barbara Aiello. So join us for a mouth-watering dinner, music, and fun, and a chance to participate in the lovely, brief service that marks the demarcation between the Sabbath and the new week. (Please note that the date for this rd th dinner has been changed from February 23, to February 9.) $12 adults, $8.50 children. RSVP by Jan. 30 th. 2
YOFI! YOFI! YOFI! **RECENT HIGHLIGHTS** December Chanukah Party & Game Night Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah; Come light the menor ah; Let s have a party, we ll all dance the hora; S vivon to play with and latkes to eat And what a party we had! With festive Chanukah music playing, we began with our traditional family menorah lighting, followed by a sumptuous and bountiful potluck dinner, which included family favorites from Dottie s latkes, to Sandra s spinach lasagna, to Miriam s salmon quiche, as well as a lavish spread of jelly donuts and other desserts. The evening continued as we broke up into g roups and headed for the game tables. Heady stakes of M & M s and chocolate kisses were in play as we bet on Texas Holdem Dreidel, as well as traditional dreidel spinning. We moved on to Connect Four, Jenga, and a host of other games. There was cookie decorating and also edible dreidels for the children. Special thanks to Mia Stryczny for the edible dreidels, to Meg Durshimer, Sandra Williams, and Ravage Stryczny for planning and organization, and to Miriam Goolsby for the gorgeous decorations. The best indication of the evening s success was overhearing the children as they left th e festivities, This was the best Chanukah party ever! Anniversary Celebr ation Mazal T ov to Joy and Phil Yelin as they celebrated their 60th anniversary under t he ch uppah. With Rabbi Aiello officiating, the evening was moving and enjoyable. Our Daily Bread There are few better times to demonstrate a spirit of o utreach to our c ommunity than during the winter holidays. Thanks to Susan Skovronek, who spearhe aded the arrangements, Congregation Ner Tamid volunteers spent Christmas morning serving dinner at Our Daily Bread. Along with Susan, Murray Rudnick, Marvin and Marcia Shepard, Gin Harper, Elaine Mittler and Rhonda Mittler participated in this gratifying experience. Here are some comments from Elaine: Susan and Gin regularly voluntee r in Morristown, NJ. at a soup kitchen when the y are up North so they were pros at dishin g out the food. Marcia Sh epard has done this with us for several years and like everything else Marcia does, she puts her heart and soul into it. I must say that Marvin Shepard in a hair net is a sight to behold considering that his net had almost no hair to cover. Rhonda was smart. She has done this "gig" several times before with us so she came prepared to cover her hair with a baseball cap and it attracted attention. I poured the drinks and stayed out of everyone's way so everything went so smoothly. The meal consisted of mashed potatoes, mounds of turkey with stuffing and gravy, green beans, bread and dessert along with pink lemonade. The doo r opened at 10 am and Murray was in charge of the door allowing up to 38 people per sitting. As people left we filled up the spots quickly. There was a long line from the moment the door opened. We served about 300 people between 10am and 11:30 am. Each and 3
every one of the recipients made it a point to say "God Bless" or "thanks for giving of ourselves" to them. The head of Our Daily Bread, who remembered us from other years, could not thank us enough for not forgetting them at holiday time. Two of the fulltime employees actually came by Christmas morning to come in and shake our hands and thank us for relieving them for the day. They were so appreciative. Our Daily Bread is open every day and they are always prepared with a full hot meal for anyone who comes. This year we noticed that there were very few families with children. I would like to think that it is a good sign. Actually, we are going to look into doing this kind of social action other times during the year so if anyone has an idea of other places please contact Susan Skovronek. or Elaine. We would like to expand this project. What a great group to work with. We all went home feeling good that we had done something for others. Embracing Our Differences Every Spring, Sarasota s Bayfront Park is the scene of a very special outdoor exhibit, celebrating diversity. The Embracing Our Differences exhibit solicits original artwork that is enlarged to billboard size. Ner Tamid s Jewish Living and Learning Sunday School created and submitted this version of Noah s Ark, celebrating all of the people who make up our world: old and young, overweight and thin, rich and poor, those with disabilities, and all races and religions. Look very closely and you will see some familiar faces! Chanukah Gifts for Seniors & Migrant Holiday Bags The holiday season was a busy one for the Jewish Living and Learning Sunday School. Students made cards and gift bags with Chanukah goodies for Jewish senior citizens. Families brought in generous donations of blankets and food, and the students decorated bags, packed them, and brought them over to the Stillpoint House of Prayer to be distributed to migrant families in Manatee County. These fine children are learning first hand how to be engaged in tikkun olam. Congregation Ner Tamid is a vibrant, growing community. In every issue of the Beamer, we like to mention just a few of the events sponsored by our congregation, as well as significant events in the lives of our members. Please submit your contributions to this column to shalom@nertamidflorida.org 4
Hebrew School Events Here is the school report from our cub reporter, Jake Durshimer: Shalom Everyone, The past three Sunday School projects have been a blast! We made Chanukah cards and gift bags for home bound senior citizens, decorated and packed bags for migrant families, and even made a poster to submit to Embracing Our Differences, a billboard exhibit that focuses on acceptance of other people s cultures and appearances. Everyone in Sunday School made some pretty cool cards for the senior citizens. Each was very unique and I ll bet every receiver was delighted to get those beautiful cards just like the migrant families were happy to have gotten our bags of goods, packed and decorated with love by all of us Sunday School students. Although we had a lot of fun making the bags and cards I think everyone in Sunday School liked making the Embracing Our Differences poster the most. We can t wait to find out if our poster makes it into the exhibit because we worked very hard to create our beautiful poster. Even though our Ner Tamid students have enjoyed their winter break, I m sure everyone is just as excited to go back on the 13 th! See ya next time, Jake Durshimer Rosh Chodesh Study Group The Congregation Ner Tamid Rosh Chodesh Study Group meets monthly for discussions focusing on modern interpretations of Torah study and the application of these ideas to modern Jewish life. Its concentration is on issues from the Torah that affect the lives of modern Jewish women. All you need to bring is your desire to explore Jewish teachings, your good thoughts and great ideas. Call Lynne Belford at 739-3057 for information about our next meeting. **ADULT EDUCATION** Adult B nai Mitzvah Why do people choose to have an adult Bar or Bat Mitzvah? For some, it is the opportunity to celebrate a life cycle event that may have been missed in their teen years. For some, it is the fulfillment of the desire to affirm to the congregation their adult commitment to Judaism, family, and Jewish culture. For others, it is the wish to rededicate themselves by remembering as an adult the Torah study and prayers they did at their youthful Bar or Bat Mitzvah. For information on Adult B nai Mitzvah preparation and celebration, call Rena at 795-8687. MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of Congregation Ner Tamid is to create a Jewish community that encourages participation in meaningful Jewish worship, accepts diverse Jewish backgrounds and interfaith families, provides Jewish education for children and adults, celebrates all life cycle events, and initiates opportunities for committed social action (tikkun olam), all for a modest membership fee. 5
**SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES** Oneg Shabbat An enjoyable way to commemorate an occasion, or to honor the memory of a loved one, is by sponsoring an Oneg. If you would like to do this, call 755-1231. Richard Goldstein Memorial Scholarship Fund Started by Judy Goldstein in memory of her husband Richard, this fund is for the purpose of providing scholarships for children for Hebrew school, Bar or Bat Mitzvah preparation, or for summer camp. If you would like to contribute to this fund, send **TIKKUN OLAM** your donation to Congregation Ner Tamid, earmarked the Richard Goldstein Memorial Scholarship Fund. Your generous donations made Hebrew school possible for several young students this year. Advertising Your Congregation welcomes donations for advertising expenses. Help us get out the word about our programs, services and Hebrew school. Call Elaine at 755-1231 to ask about sponsoring an ad. As Jews, we believe that we draw closer to God through three pillars Torah, or Jewish history and law, Avodah, or worship, and G milut Chasadim, or acts of loving-kindness. We call our acts of kindness Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world. We repair the world by doing our part to right wrongs, correct injustices, and relieve suffering. Tikkun Olam has been a big part of Congregation Ner Tamid. We have participated in hurricane relief, food donations for migrant families, Jewish Family and Children Services, the Salvation Army, Our Daily Bread, and more. If you have a tzeddakah project you would like to suggest or organize, please call Rena at 795-8687, or email shalom@nertamidflorida.org. Notary Services In addition to witnessing signatures, here in Florida notaries can also officiate at weddings. If you have any need for a Notary Public, please call Rena Morano at 795-8667. RSVP PLEASE!! Please help us continue to make Congregation Ner Tamid s events the successes they have been. Your RSVP s are important in order for us to accurately order food and supplies. And **ANNOUNCEMENTS** please honor those reservations and your financial obligations when you are unable to attend due to a last minute illness or other situation. Room Rental We are fortunate to have the Lakeside South Clubhouse available to us for our services and programs. We do have to pay a nominal rental fee for our use of the facility, so please come prepared to contribute $2.00 6
per adult (age 13 and over) to cover this cost each time you attend services. As you know, our membership fees are negligible, and we do not have a budget to cover room rental. Our congregation depends on you to help us maintain our arrangement with Lakeside South. So, please leave your $2.00 in the basket by the door. Israel Celebrates 60 th Birthday The Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation is hosting a series of events to celebrate the 60 th anniversary of the State of Israel. For information call the Federation at 941-371- 4546, or look online at www.smjf.org:80/page.html?articleid=158 584 **COMMUNITY SERVICES** Para-Chaplains for Jewish Patients Lynne Belford and Barbara Allen proudly represent Congregation Ner Tamid in the Jewish Family and Children Services Para Chaplain program. Para Chaplains visit Jewish people in hospitals, and nursing homes and those who are home bound. When people are admitted to hospitals and nursing homes they are usually asked to fill in "religion" and whether or not they want a Chaplain to visit. Most people they think this refers only to Christians. Please know, and tell others, that there are now Jewish Para-Chaplains. If people fill out the religion part of the admission papers, someone from the Jewish Family Services may visit. So far, Lynne and Barbara are at Blake, Manatee Memorial, Sarasota Memorial and Doctor's Hospitals. They have also begun bringing Shabbat services to several nursing homes, where they are welcomed by both Jewish and non-jewish residents. Caring Committee Bikkur Cholim, visiting the sick, is a special mitzvah. If you would like to be a part of this committee, or if you know someone who would appreciate a visit or a phone call, please call Lynne Belford at 739-3057. Donation Cards Congregation Ner Tamid has tribute cards available for all occasions. Please call Bobbi B erkan at 756-2530 if you would like to send a card to commemorate a birthday, anniversary, yahrzeit, or any other special occasion. **Donations** We thank the following for their donations to Congregation Ner Tamid: The Benjamin Bean Trust Fund, in appreciation of community outreach Joy and Phil Yelin, in memory of Miriam Goolsby s brother 7
January 11 January 13 January 25 January 27 (February 8 February 9 ** Shabbat Service * Jewish Living & Learning Sunday School ** Tu B Shevat Seder & Shabbat Service * Jewish Living & Learning Sunday School Shabbat Service Cancelled) Havdalah Ceremony and Italian Dinner, 6 pm (New Date) February 10 * Jewish Living & Learning Sunday School February 22 February 24 March 2 March 7 March 16 March 21 ** Shabbat Service (New Date) * Jewish Living & Learning Sunday School * Jewish Living & Learning Sund ay School Shabbat Across America and Canada, 6 p m ** Shabbat Service * Jewish Living & Learning Sunday School ** Purim Party & Shabbat Service * Hebrew School start time: 9-12 AM grades 3 and up. 10-1 2 AM K-2. Supervised play 9-10 AM. ** Shabbat Services begin 7 PM. Community event invite friends, relatives and neig hbors We look forward to seeing you at Congregation Ner Tamid s services and activities. Hebrew School & B'nai Mitzvah Preparation o An inexpensive alternative to Temple Membership o Family friendly semimonthly schedule o Certified, experienced teachers o Family centered Shabbat experiences o Interfaith families warmly welcomed o No previous religious education required o Teen Service Program Enrollment is Open for the 2007-2008 School Year! Call 755-1231 shalom@nertamidflorida.org Congregation Ner Tamid Join us twice a month for Shabbat Services & Sunday School Rena Morano, Education Director Rabbi Barbara Aiello, Advisor JEWISH LEARNING IS HAPPENING AT CONGREGATION NER TAMID! 8