1836 Rohrerstown Road Lancaster, PA 17601 office@tbelancaster.org 717-581-7891 www.tbelancaster.org Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY 2017 Mission Statement The mission of Temple Beth El is to provide a house of Conservative Jewish worship which fosters spiritual fulfillment, Jewish theology, life-long Jewish education, and community support throughout the cycles of the seasons. Board of Directors Pres. - David Ehrlich 1st VP - Gary Kogon 2nd VP - Vacant 3rd VP - Steve Gordon Secy - Harold Koplin Treasurer - Samantha Besnoff Financial Secy - Linda Hutt Lynn Brooks, Bob Brosbe, Abshalom Cooper, Randi Jacobs, Debbie Rubin, Sheila Cohen, Stacy McCormick & Marc Weiner, Sue Friedman, Bob Matlin, Arne Ostroff, Earl Stein Sisterhood Rep. - Joan Goldman FEBRUARY EVENTS February 3,4,5 Community Storytelling Weekend February 7 Executive Committee meeting @7:30 PM February 11 Jr. Congregation February 12 Men s Club February 13 Temple Board meeting @7:30 PM February 26 Rosh Chodesh program @10:00 AM Schedule of Shabbat Services February 3 Shabbat Services - Religious school students to 7:30 PM lead services Weekend sponsor: Faye Friedman in honor of Rich Friedman s milestone birthday February 4 Torah Reading:Bo 9:45 AM Scholar-In-Residence-Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff February 10 Shabbat Services 7:30 PM Weekend sponsor:mrk in loving memory of Shirley & Mortimer Kadushin Rabbi Daniela Szuster & Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky Principal - Larry Besnoff Men s Club - Steve Kleinman USY/Kadima - Megan Hart & Alyssa Gottlieb Sisterhood - Sisterhood Board Membership - Sue Friedman Inside this issue: Rabbi Rami s Message 2 President s Message 3 Principal s Message 4 Rosh Chodesh program 6 Purim Party flyer 8 Insert-Shalach Manot ordering forms Candle Lighting Times February 3 5:09 PM February 10 5:18 PM February 17 5:26 PM February 24 5:34 PM February 11 9:45 AM Torah Reading:Beshalah February 17 Shabbat Services 7:30 PM Weekend sponsor: Martha Welzant in honor of her Special birthday February 18 9:45 AM Torah Reading:Yitro February 24 Shabbat Services 7:30 PM Weekend sponsors: Numa & Dick Lavy in loving memory of Belle Lavy Feldman, mother of Dick Lavy February 25 9:45 AM Torah Reading:Mishpatim Watch your email for your SHALACH MANOT online ordering instructions! It s fast and easy to use, and offers secure payment by credit card. A paper copy is included in this bulletin if you can t use the online method.
Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY 2017 Temple Beth El Page 2 MESSAGE FROM RABBI RAMI A Choir for Temple Beth El By Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky Rabbi Daniela and I believe that Judaism is much more than a religion or a belief. Judaism has been defined by modern scholars and thinkers as a way of life, a civilization, a culture, a people, or a nation. These definitions incorporate the national or cultural aspects of being Jewish, aspects that perhaps seem obvious, yet are not always taken into consideration when defining Judaism. We all know that Judaism has to do with a belief and religious practice, but we also recognize that Judaism has to do with a national history, a land, a state, a people, humor, singing, dancing, literature, theatre and of course, also, food! All of these elements are part of our Jewish identity, and we should try to learn from them and develop them in order to strengthen and enrich our Judaism. As rabbis, we believe that Jewish congregations should give opportunities to its members to practice the different aspects of this multifaceted Jewish way of living. An ideal congregation should be able to offer programs and activities that cover the entire spectrum of being Jewish. That s why we want to have an adult choir at Temple Beth El, among many other dreams. We believe it s a great beginning! The choir we want to have at Temple Beth El is not a religious choir, nor a choir for services. It is a group of members who meet periodically to learn and enjoy Jewish music-- traditional and new songs, Israeli songs, religious and secular Jewish songs, songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, English, and maybe other languages from the Diaspora. Although not the main goal, it would be nice if this group would like to share their art with the congregation. In the future, we would love to have the choir of Temple Beth El performing at a congregation s program, or even represent Temple Beth El in programs for the Jewish community and/ or the general community. We think a good choir needs a good conductor. That s why we contacted Marina Cherepinsky, who is a professional musician with ample experience in choirs and teaching music. She is currently the director of the choir of the JCC in Harrisburg, as well as the director of the Capital Youth Chorale, also in Harrisburg. We believe she could be a great conductor for our choir. With all these ideas in mind, we held a first informational meeting last month, with people interested in participating in a choir. Twelve people showed up after a Shabbat lunch to discuss dates and times. The best proposal seemed to be to have meetings on Sunday mornings, from 11 am to 12 pm, every other Sunday. Our conductor, Ms. Cherepinsky, agreed with this proposal, although she still needs to determine the final schedule. Therefore, we are ready to start meetings in February. The plan is to see how this schedule works from February to June, five months of bimonthly meetings. We hope people will come and enjoy singing wonderful Jewish songs, conducted by a professional choir director. Every member is invited to participate, so come and join! For these first five months, the program will be funded by the Rabbis Programming Fund, a fund designed for the rabbis of Temple Beth El to invest in programming for the benefit of the Temple and its members. This fund is entirely and generously funded by the Sisterhood of Temple Beth El. Therefore, there will be no cost for members willing to be part of the new choir, although voluntary contributions are welcomed and appreciated. The first meeting will be on Sunday, February 12 th and will be a special and longer one, as the director needs to hear interested people so she can determine your vocal placement and other characteristics of your voice. It s not a test, don t worry about it! Therefore, the program for February 12th is as follows: 10 am - 11 am: Singers' musical assessment (5-7 minutes for each singer) 11 am 12 pm: Rehearsal This program is only for the first meeting, the rest of them will last for one hour, from 11 am to 12 pm. During the first meeting, the schedule of dates for February to June will be discussed. The most important thing: If you love to sing (even if you don t think you do it very well), if you love Jewish music, if you enjoy having a good time together with your friends from Temple Beth El, don t miss this opportunity! Come and join the new choir at Temple Beth El!
Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY 2017 Temple Beth El Page 3 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Dave Ehrlich Gary Kogon December and January were busy months at Temple Beth El. We had a very successful Chanukah party in December with about 65 people in attendance. Everyone enjoyed the food and program put on by our religious school students. We had an interesting program in the Beth Pomerantz Education Series in January when Andrea Lieber, a professor at Dickinson College, presented a thought-provoking look at how modern technology has and will continue to impact Judaism. Edna Naveh told us about recent actions taken by the United Nations that affect Israel at a Kiddush luncheon in January. Rabbi Rami s course on Mishnah wrapped up in January. In December, a group of congregants led by Sue Wolf provided a meal for the community s hungry at First Reformed Church in Lancaster. (In this month of February, our synagogue will continue to support the community when Rabbi Daniela and our Hebrew High students provide a meal at Zion Lutheran Church in East Petersburg). One of the objectives of the Board is to make Temple Beth El more welcoming to interfaith families. With that in mind, we have held two focus group sessions and our interfaith families shared their experiences and impressions of Temple Beth El. The second session was held at the end of January, so as we write this, we are still absorbing what we ve learned. Our next steps may be affected by United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the umbrella organization of conservative synagogues in North America, which is likewise trying to find ways to make their member synagogues more welcoming of interfaith families and, to that end, they have proposed changing the definition of who can be a member of a synagogue. Our Board is studying this proposal and we will tell you more about it next month. On the subject of interfaith, we continue to examine how to create an interfaith section of our cemetery and hope to finalize alternatives by the spring. (Incidentally, if you go to our cemetery, you will have noticed the construction fencing surrounding the walls and pillars at the entrance. We hired a contractor to make repairs to this area because the stone had been deteriorating. This work will be completed in the spring). Our 2017 food festival, to be held on May 7, may be months away, but the committee that oversees the event has already held a couple planning meetings and cooking is well underway. Dave Ehrlich and Shellie Gordon are co-chairing this year s event assisted by a group of dedicated volunteers who have been the bedrock support for years. There will be publicity about the event and a call for volunteers to help the day of the event in the upcoming months, but in the meantime we could use help with our ad book. Randi Jacobs works tirelessly to put out this book, a combination guide to the event and paid ads, but she could use help. Please contact her directly if you can provide assistance. We have appointed Robin Adler to represent our synagogue at the Lancaster Jewish Community Alliance (JCAL). Please contact Robin if you have any thoughts about JCAL. Thank you to Steve Gordon who had been serving as our JCAL rep. February can be a snowy and dreary month, but there are a couple activities on the horizon that will surely lift your spirits. Jewish Community Alliance of Lancaster is sponsoring a Storytelling Scholar-In-Residence Shabbat weekend on February 3 5 with activities for all ages. The Rabbis are organizing a choir that may begin this month. On a more serious note, the Rosh Chodesh group will present a program at the end of this month focusing on domestic violence. Finally, Tu B Shevat, the day that marks the beginning of the New Year for Trees falls in February this year. While it will be at least a couple months before the trees in Lancaster start to show their buds, this holiday, with its custom of NOTICE OF TEMPLE OFFICE HOURS The Temple office is open Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office is closed on Tuesdays. There may be days when the secretary has commitments outside the office which will shorten or change the office hours. If you need access to the building, please call/email ahead at least one day to make sure she or someone will be there to let you in. If you are making arrangements for deliveries or work in the building, please make sure the secretary is notified of those plans. Please note that if you need access to the building on a Wednesday, the request should be made on Monday since the office is closed on Tuesdays.
Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY PRINCIPAL S MESSAGE I wanted to start off by thanking all of you that signed up and donated food for the Hebrew High class to use to cook dinner that they are serving to people at the Zion Lutheran Church in East Petersburg on February 6th. This is one of those win-win situation for everyone involved, you donors, the students, the Church, and the recipients. On Sunday, February 5th, as part of the Storytelling Scholar-InResidence, our students, along with the students from both Shaarai and Degel, are participating in a program to explore telling their own stories with our guest, Jennifer Zunikoff. That afternoon, as part of this event, the Teachers from all three schools will have a workshop with Ms. Zunikoff to learn how to include storytelling into the classrooms to make learning more interesting for the students. The weekends events is sponsored by JCAL and we are very appreciative for their support. The 15 of Shevat, also known as Tu BiShevat and the New Year for Trees, falls on February 11-12 this year. We will be having a program about the holiday and how we recognize and interact with our environment. In an effort to teach the students more about the importance of nature and the environment, we have planned a field trip on March 5th for our younger grades along with students from Degel and Shaarai. They will be attending a program we are organizing for them at the Pearlstone Center in Reisterstown, MD. The expert educators there will 2017 Temple Beth El show the students how to live a Jewish sustainable lifestyle. They will interact with the farm animals, discuss growing food and making the best use of our precious resources. If you are not familiar with the center, it is a retreat center for people all of ages and you can learn more about it on their website. I would like to suggest that the temple consider organizing a trip for the congregation. I am looking forward to all of these events as these are wonderful opportunities for our students. Larry Besnoff Religious School Principal principal@tbelancaster.org ONEG & KIDDUSH SPONSORS FEBRUARY Monthly Sponsor Sue & Rich Friedman in honor of Rich s 65th birthday Weekend Sponsors February 3 & 4 Faye Friedman in honor of Rich Friedman s milestone birthday February 10 & 11 MRK in loving memory of Shirley & Mortimer Kadushin Page 4 CANCELLATION OF SERVICES OR RELIGIOUS SCHOOL DUE TO BAD WEATHER Call the Temple number 5817891 and listen to the message left on the answering service Check out the website at www.tbelancaster.org Check your email Watch WGAL-TV The TV station will only list our cancellation on the air if there is a major snowstorm. Otherwise it will be on their website WGAL.COM *If there is a major snowstorm overnight and the office staff cannot make it into the office to make the necessary announcements, the services will probably be cancelled. FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS WITH THE RABBIS As a way of getting to know all our members, the rabbis are hosting Shabbat dinners and hope to eventually invite all congregants. The rabbis will also be inviting prospective members to join them. February 17 & 18 Martha Welzant in honor of her special birthday February 24 & 25 Numa and Dick Lavy In loving memory of Belle Lavy Feldman, mother of Dick Lavy BULLETIN DEADLINE The deadline for March s bulletin is Wednesday, February 15th
Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY 2017 Temple Beth El Page 5 Sisterhood Behind the Scenes: The Bereavement Committee is there when needed For decades, the Sisterhood of Temple Beth El has been proud to be able to support our congregants and their families through the efforts of our Bereavement Committee. For members who may not be familiar with the role we fill, we would like to share the service we provide. When our Rabbis are notified of a Temple member passing away or losing someone in their immediate family, they reach out to our committee so we can help lighten the burden for the mourners. A member of our committee makes a sympathetic and understanding call to the family and determines how best to meet their needs. If a funeral takes place in Lancaster, Sisterhood steps in and provides a meal of consolation for the mourners returning from the cemetery. If a funeral takes place out of town, Sisterhood provides a meal of consolation if the family is returning home to Lancaster directly from the cemetery and observing the shiva period. If the burial takes place out of town and the family returns a day or several days later (continuing to observe shiva), Sisterhood provides a meal for the immediate family on the day of their return, if desired. Our goal is to allow the family to concentrate on the healing presence of their family and friends, and not have the added pressure of preparing a meal for the mourners. The Bereavement Committee is hoping that you would like to share in performing this mitzvah, and we would welcome new members to the committee. As the nature of our role is one of mobilizing on short notice, it is crucial to have more people to draw on when the need arises. Please consider adding your name to our ranks we know you will find it very rewarding. On a final note, we are frequently asked to provide a guideline for a donation to help defray the cost of providing the meal of consolation. Sisterhood does not ask for payment and performs this service lovingly. However, donations enable us to have the funds to fill this valuable role. It can typically cost $125- $200 to prepare our kosher meal for 25-50 people. Feel free to contact Linda Hutt, Bereavement Chair to find out how you can get involved as part of our caring community.
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Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY 2017 Temple Beth El Page 8 Purim Party flyer
Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY 2017 Temple Beth El Page 9 ADULT EDUCATION AT TEMPLE BETH EL Dr. Bob Matlin presents two lectures: The Era of Modern Jewish Thought Sunday, April 16, 2017 9:45 to 11:00 am The ideas and events that led to the transformation from the medieval to the modern era: A Jewish Perspective Sunday, April 23, 2017 9:45 to 11:00 am A brief survey of the writings of some of the greatest Jewish thinkers of the last 300 years, from Spinoza to Schneersohn. Coffee and pastries! Please RSVP to the Temple office (office@tbelancaster.org or 717-581-7891) by APRIL 1ST, in order to provide adequate materials for those attending. OUR TEMPLE FAMILY Condolences Temple Beth El notes with sorrow the death of Alfred Month, husband of Hilde Month. We send our consolation and strength to the bereaved family members. CONGREGATIONAL THANKS Thank you to our temple family for the Leagram we received in December to mark our 32nd anniversary. Steve and I really appreciated everyone s good wishes on this special occasion. And thank you to our Sisterhood for coordinating the Leagram anniversary cards. Randi & Steve Jacobs Thank you to my Temple Beth El friends for the Happy Birthday cards and wishes. Louise Pomerantz THANK YOU TO VOLUNTEERS AT THE COMMUNITY MEAL DECEMBER 20, 2016 A big thank you to the volunteers who provided and prepared food, served, cleaned up and sent funds that fed 135 meals to people in need. There were many expressions of thanks from the guests some who showed it by setting up and taking down tables and chairs. We also had some volunteers from outside the Temple. A special thanks to the sexton at First Reformed Church on Orange Street in Lancaster and the other congregants who greeted and monitored our progress. Samantha Besnoff assisted by helping set up the site Sign Up Genius. It streamlines organization of food and volunteers. BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FEBRUARY Anniversaries 4th Nina & Earl Stein 14th Alyson & Rodney Gleiberman Birthdays 3rd Bob Bernieri 4th Scott Buffa 4th Rich Friedman 7th Greg Weekes 8th Eileen Wong 11th Steve Jacobs 11th Martha Welzant 12th Alyssa Gottlieb 12th Jay Reichenthal 15th Gordon Hutt 16th Arne Ostroff 17th Abbey Harris 19th Lori Taber 21st Abshalom Cooper MONTHLY YAHRZEIT LISTING Yahrzeit begins the evening before the day listed. The names of departed loved ones are memorialized at Shabbat services the week prior to the yahrzeit observance. Saturday, Feb. 4 Allan Geller Sunday, Feb. 5 Steve Kadushin Miriam Triman Monday, Feb. 6 Joan Sherman Tuesday, Feb. 7 Ira Grushow Wednesday, Feb. 8 Joanne Goldfarb Eileen Lewis Friday, Feb. 10 Joan Goldman Michele Matlin Saturday, Feb. 11 Ken Firestone Martha Welzant Sunday, Feb. 12 Nadine Abowitz Monday, Feb. 13 Scott Fix Wednesday, Feb. 15 Steve Kleinman Thursday, Feb. 16 Lauren Firestone Friday, Feb. 17 Ned Robbins Grandmother Husband Sister Grandmother Grandmother Brother Husband (Continued on page 10)
Volume 69, No. 6 FEBRUARY 2017 Temple Beth El Page 10 (Continued from page 9) Monday, Feb. 20 Elizabeth Hausner Tuesday, Feb. 21 Irv Liss Thursday, Feb. 23 Beryl Sherman Adam Kidan Chuck Paul Friday, Feb. 24 Bev Rubin Saturday, Feb. 25 Ken Firestone Dick Lavy Debbie Rubin Monday, Feb. 27 Dave Ehrlich Alan Hertz Tuesday, Feb. 28 Gwen Weisman Sister Brother Aunt Niece Wednesday, March 1 Gary Kogon Grandfather Harriet Solodky Husband Thursday, March 2 Steve Gordon Fran Rayner Sue Wolf Joan Sherman Friday, March 3 Faye Friedman Rich Friedman Andi Shiroff Jerrold Harris Husband SISTERHOOD FUND *Sisterhood Fund cards are now $3.50 (Until April 1st, please call Janet in the office instead of Deena Hertz) If your last name begins with A-M, please contact DEENA HERTZ at SisterhoodFundA-M@tbelancaster.org If your last name begins with N-Z, please contact BEV RUBIN at SisterhoodFundN-Z@tbelancaster.org IN HONOR OF Louise Pomerantz - 95th Birthday Terry & Jerry Stevens Carolyn & Steve Kleinman - marriage of David to Erin Terry & Jerry Stevens GET WELL Deena Hertz Marcie & Eli Natan Lori & Ralph Taber Carol & Michael Gleiberman Michele & Bob Matlin Joan & Gary Goldman IN MEMORY OF Al Month - husband of Hilde Month Michele & Bob Matlin Deena & Alan Hertz Marcie & Eli Natan Sue & John Wolf GENERAL FUND office@tbelancaster.org IN MEMORY OF Alfred Month - husband of Hilde Month The Ross Family Beryl & Joan Sherman Devera & Lee Kramer Irving & Carolyn Machles Ernestina Carrillo & Larry Polon In Memory of cont. Enid & Irwin Hirsch Ronni & Mark Lederman Anita Eisner Steven Eisner, MD BETH POMERANTZ EDUCATION SERIES office@tbelancaster.org Donation Joan & Beryl Sherman YAHRZEIT FUND office@tbelancaster.org IN MEMORY OF Elizeh Natan Dorothy Lilien Marcie & Eli Natan Barney Epstein Shirley Bloom Evy Epstein Maxwell Sherman Joan & Beryl Sherman Ben Blumenthal Joan & Gary Goldman *******