Temple Beth Torah NEWS FOR YOU December 2017 KISLEV TEVET 5778 Rabbi Dan Gordon SPIRITUAL LEADER BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CHAIRPERSONS Jeff Kaufman PRESIDENT Ann Rubin Dominick VICE PRESIDENT Bruce Pollard TREASURER Pat Klemz SECRETARY Martin Lorin DELEGATE Bob Abrasley DELEGATE Mindy LaCour DELEGATE Debye Lurie DELEGATE Carrie Keith EDUCATION Alan Solovay BUILDING Joanie Spalter RITUAL Susan Pollard PAST PRESIDENT Joy Fields CARING COMMITTEE Merissa Stein SISTERHOOD PRESIDENT Bruce Pollard MEN S CLUB PRESIDENT Stacey Blumin ADMINISTRATOR AND NEWSLETTER EDITOR Hanukkah Shabbat With Rabbi Dan and Cantor Vadim Friday, December 15, 2017 6:30 PM Bring your Menorah and candles as we light up for the 4 th night of Hanukkah. Cantor Vadim will join Rabbi Dan for a fun and festive Hanukkah Celebration at an earlier time of 6:30 PM. Northeast Houston Interfaith Holiday Concert December 2, 6:00 PM Summer Creek High school Enjoy an evening of music and oral traditions from many cultures. Northeast Houston s Interfaith community comes together for this annual event. There will also be a giving tree benefiting children in the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Students from Temple Beth Torah will be participating with a Children s choir presentation singing Hanukkah songs, accompanied by Bruce Pollard. The concert will be at Summer Creek High School and admission is free. Shabbat Services in December Friday, December 1 7:15 PM Shabbat Service Friday, December 8 7:15 PM Shabbat Service Friday, December 15 6:15 PM Congregational Meeting and vote 6:30 PM Hanukkah / Shabbat Service Friday, December 22 7:15 PM Shabbat Service Friday, December 29 7:15 PM Shabbat Service
MISSION STATEMENT Temple Beth Torah is a congregation that embraces the philosophy and values of Judaism in the following ways: Spiritually, by celebrating the richness and traditions of Torah, prayer, holidays and life cycle events; Educationally, by encouraging learning, increasing Jewish knowledge and enriching understanding for children, teenagers and adults; Compassionately, by caring for our members and others in the Jewish community in times of need while also fostering positive relationships with our non-jewish neighbors. Temple Beth Torah embraces the spirit of inclusion for Jewish individuals and families who represent a variety of backgrounds and family compositions. PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Every year at this time we re-tell the story of Hanukkah. We tend to think of it as just another fable that we read from the Talmud. It s important to take a step back and consider the blessing of religious freedom that we have in the US that was denied to our forefathers by King Antiochus. Our Constitution guarantees that we are free to worship as we please without fear of reprisal, forced conversion, or even worse punishments. This is serious stuff we cannot treat it casually. In the time of the Maccabees, Jews struggled with how much they should allow Greek culture to influence their lives. Some even chose to assimilate and give up their Jewish heritage. Even now we are faced with secular influences that attempt to minimize the role of religion in our lives. There are others who, under the guise of religion, seek to eradicate us as Jews. We cannot allow ourselves to become victims of these influences. We have to stand up and exercise our right to practice as a Jewish community. JEFF KAUFMAN TBT Members TIME TO ELECT A NEW BOARD Congregational Meeting Friday, December 15, 6:15 PM (before service) Even if you plan to attend please send your proxy in. Things happen, and we would like to count your vote. Please email to admin@tbthumble.org or send your proxy via mail to the temple. Members received the 2018 slate of officers by email and mail if not, please contact Stacey at admin@tbthumble.org Lunch & Learn Wednesday December 6, 12:30 PM Guest Facilitator, Frank Levy This monthly event will have a guest host in December. Frank Levy is the Executive Director and co-founder of One River Foundation, a global network of spiritual seekers, creatives, activists, boundary-crossers and holy rascals. Previously, he was Director of Interfaith Relations for Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and was also the Bureau Chief of Public Health and Preparedness for the Houston Department of Health and Human Services. He was a longtime religious school teacher at Congregation Beth El in Missouri City. At Temple Beth Torah, Frank has been co-facilitating (with Greg LaCour) a weekly discussion group called Cup of Wisdom on Sunday mornings. At Wednesday s Lunch and Learn session, Frank will facilitate an interactive discussion relating Jewish text and teaching to concepts such as survival and the sanctity of human life when faced with catastrophic obstacles (like hurricanes). Bring your lunch and enjoy something new! 2
RABBI S MESSAGE What s in a Name? The holiday season has gotten me thinking. My first question is: When does the holiday season start? We hear about Christmas sales right after Halloween, but the Jewish season is very full before that, with Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah. But my thoughts about holidays have evolved to thinking about how the names of each special day no longer seem to reflect the original meaning. Thanksgiving is about turkey, Hanukkah is about gifts, Independence Day is about fireworks, Memorial Day is about barbeque and Columbus Day is about department store sales. Last year, we had an odd occurrence; Hanukkah and Christmas coincided. A few years ago, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah fell at the same time. Purposes and meanings seemed to get blurred. Perhaps if we imagined calling some holidays by a different name, or even a subtitle, it would help us get closer to the kavannah (sacred intention) that can give the celebration a different kind of meaning. Having just finished Thanksgiving, I noticed that many people use the nickname Turkey Day to reflect what has become, for some, the centerpiece of the day. What if, instead, we referred to it as Gratitude Day? Might that alter our focus a little? Hanukkah already has a subtitle: The Festival of Lights. The candles are certainly a focus, as is the beauty of brightening the world during the darkest time of the year. But for many, the small, colorful candlelight is outshined by the anticipation of gifts. The Hebrew of the word Hanukkah is about rededication. Historically, it was about rededicating the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after a war. What if we made our metaphorical focus about rededication? It doesn t have to be about an ancient time, but for the present. We can use Hanukkah to think about what we want to rededicate for ourselves. Restoring the Temple took a miracle, but we did it! What needs to be restored in our own lives? It might be about personal health, about devotion to our relationships, about a motivation to expand our minds in new ways or to find deeper meaning in our connections with people and our connections with God. On the Jewish calendar, the month before Rosh Hashana is Elul, a time to reflect about the coming year. In our blended Jewish/Secular lives, Hanukkah comes shortly before New Year s. Isn t that a perfect time to begin thinking about our next steps into the future? A New Year s resolution is often about a particular action. I d suggest that a Hanukkah rededication can be about thought, emotions and spiritual connections. Each day of Hanukkah, as we light one more candle, we just may be able to see the light shine a little brighter into the future. L shalom, Rabbi Dan Gordon 3
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CORNER We are very proud of our students for collecting stuffing mix to donate to HAAM for Thanksgiving. The results of our contest were the TBT boys brought in 33 boxes and the TBT girls brought in 21. Way to go! The students donated all 54 boxes along with all the boxes brought in by the congregation to make Thanksgiving baskets for families in need in our Humble, Atascocita and Kingwood area. Our TBT students will be singing Hanukkah songs under the leadership of Bruce Pollard at the Northeast Houston Interfaith Holiday Concert on Saturday, December 2 at 6:00 pm. The free concert is at Summer Creek High School off of Beltway 8. Please come out to sing and support our students. There are only two sessions of Religious School this month, December 3 and 10 th. The students will celebrate Hanukkah with their classmates on December 10 th with stories, arts and crafts, music and food. Please send in a $5.00 gift suitable for either a boy or a girl with your child on December 10 th. ** Looking for Latke Chefs! If you would like to cook and send in latkes for the Religious School class parties, please call the temple office or send an email to education@tbthumble.org We are also collecting toys for children who may not have any presents to open this year. So while you are out shopping, please pick up gifts or gift cards for children in need. Bring these unwrapped gifts to Temple Beth Torah on Shabbat, during Religious School, or adult education classes. We will get these to Family Time on December 10 th. We will be back in Session on January 8 th. Have a safe and happy New Years Carrie Keith TOT Shabbat Friday, December 15, 6:30 PM This month we encourage all families to come to the Hanukkah service on Friday, December 15 th at an earlier time of 6:30 PM. Bring your menorahs and candles as we light up the night with the most Menorahs in one location in Humble. Happy Hanukkah!!! ADULT EDUCATION - TORCH (TORAH OUTREACH RESOURCE CENTER OF HOUSTON) Start your Sundays with Adult Learning at TBT. Come at 9:00 AM for nosh and coffee and then join us for class at 9:30 AM led by Rabbi Wolbe from TORCH. The class has studied every portion in the Five Books of the Torah, and is now moving on to another sacred text. Each week will include new ethical issues from Pirke Avot, The Ethics of our Ancestors. Participants may come to as many as they can. There is no charge for the class and optional gifts of tzedakah are welcome. Sunday, 12/3 - Guest Lecture (Rabbi Cohen or Rabbi Ouzzan) Sunday, 12/10 The Two Components of Leadership Sunday, 12/17 Peace, Love and Torah: A Perfect Trifecta Sunday, 12/24 Timeless Motivation Sunday, 12/31 Winter Break SPIRITUAL TRAVELERS CONTINUE THE JOURNEY BOOK DISCUSSION Continuing with CUP OF WISDOM SUNDAY MORNINGS, 11:15 A.M. "The World Wisdom Bible is the current book being discussed. This is a program developed by Rabbi Rami Shapiro to help bring people together in conversation. Frank Levy, a partner of Rami who lives here in Houston, joins us weekly as we explore insights of Perennial Wisdom and how it can change the way we view our lives. No class on Dec 24th and 31 st this month. For more information please contact Greg LaCour at admin@tbthumble.org Temple Beth Torah Children Receive Free Jewish Books Celebrate Jewish values, culture, and tradition Every month, PJ Library sends free Jewish books to more than 500,000 families around the world with children 6 months through 8 years old. PJ Library shares stories that celebrate Jewish values, culture, and tradition, all at no cost to families. Go to www.pjlibrary.org to sign up. Free Jewish chapter books for 9-11-year-olds are available at PJ Our Way. 4
TBT Cares At this time of year, we tend to think more about helping others, especially after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. Temple members have been supporting our community in a variety of ways. Our Religious school students brought in about 54 boxes of stuffing as part of our commitment to help out Humble Area Assistance Ministries (HAAM). We appreciate their efforts which bolstered our regular food donations. Temple members visited a local shelter for victims of domestic violence and did crafts with the children there. The kids were happy to have something fun to do and we enjoyed the time together. We continue to help deliver Meals on Wheels on a monthly basis, and the number of volunteers has been growing. We want to continue to make a difference in our community. If you are interested in taking part in any of the activities or you have ideas for something else, please contact Susan at spollard@tbthumble.org Sisterhood Members of the TBT sisterhood have had dinner together for the past 2 months. In October we met at a local restaurant, Hin s Garden in Kingwood. Hin s was flooded and recently reopened. It was great to support a local, family owned business as we spent a very pleasant evening together. Last month we met at the home of Ann Dominick and had a very tasty potluck. We appreciate Ann s opening her home for the occasion. Sisterhood also provided the oneg for Haley Heyman as she became Bat Mitzvah. We are taking December off since it is a busy time of year but keep an eye out for information about our January dinner and come join the women of TBT! Toys for Our Community s Children Several organizations that TBT supports help provide toys to families in need of a little extra help. Both Humble Area Assistance Ministries (HAAM) and FamilyTime support parents and children at the holiday time. If you can drop off an unwrapped toy for a child or a gift card for a teen (places like Academy, Target, Charming Charlies and Walmart) it would be much appreciated. You can place the items in the donation basket near the front door. We will make sure the toys and cards get distributed. Thank you for your help! THE CARING COMMITTEE The Caring Committee can help in stressful times, such as family illness, death, birth, etc. We can provide a meal and offer sympathy, transportation, childcare, or congratulations for simchas. If you know of a congregant who could use a little caring, contact Joy Fields by e-mailing tbtcaringcommittee@gmail.com or by leaving a message at TBT, 281-446-5611. For HAAM TBT collects food for HAAM on an ongoing basis. Whenever you attend services, classes, or events at TBT, please remember to bring nonperishable items with you to help stock HAAM's pantry. Every item helps! Thank you for your support. Happy Hanukkah to all - Have a Happy and Safe New Year!! 5
Simchas in December Birthdays 2 Martin Lorin 2 Mark Boyll 5 Sarah Couch 5 Rebecca Shuman 9 Lillian Eoff 9 Stephen Stapleton 9 Castine Theriot 12 Jennifer Ofsowitz 13 Mylie Pous 23 Aaron Blumin 26 Loren Gordon 28 Gail Tobin Anniversaries 6 Stephen and Ellen Stapleton 14 Herb and Alice Marchand 16 Arnold and Manette Farber 21 Paul and Janet Sisler December Yahrzeits The following names will be read each week during December to acknowledge those who have passed away who were connected with our community. If there are mistakes or omissions, please e-mail the temple at admin@tbthumble.org or leave a message at 281-446-5611. Hans Auerbach, Edward Furst, Gary Herren, Hyman Sukenik, Aubrey Spalter, Nadine Theriot, Burt Levy, Ruth Levitan, Mildred Denbina, Faye Avery, Martin Salkin, Helen Furst Schuman, Kate Srulovitz, William Sidney Graham, Ida Scharff, Betty Rapoport, Marquis Graham, Shirley Mandell, Rose Katz, Harry Sachs, Isidor Blumin, Ellis Dworsky, Yvonne Farber Schwartz, Nadine Smith, Irving Kharasch, Nathan Kharasch, Alvin Bernstein, Carol Terreri, Gloria Wood, David Daniels, Robert Wolfsohn Torah Portions for December 2017 Summarized by Rabbi Dan Gordon December 1-2, 2014, Vayishlach, Genesis 32:4-36:43 Jacob has left Laban s land after 20 years of service. Along his journey home, he prepares to meet Esau for the first time since their bitter argument. The night before their meeting, Jacob wrestles with a man, who turns out to be a messenger from G- d. He is injured in the fight, and receives a new name, Israel, meaning, one who wrestles with G-d. Jacob and Esau reunite, with Jacob humbling himself before his brother. Jacob s only daughter, Dina, is raped by a neighboring prince. Simeon and Levi, in an attempt to avenge their sister s honor, kill all the males. Jacob informs them that their reaction was too severe, bringing dishonor to the family. December 8-9, 2017, Vayeishev, Genesis 37:1-40:23 Joseph, through Jacob s favoritism and his own boastfulness, has created a jealous situation between him and his brothers. When he comes to check on their work, they toss him into a pit and conspire to kill him. Instead, they sell him to traveling slave traders, and he ends up in Egypt. He rises to become the head servant of Potiphar s household, until Potiphar s wife falsely accuses him of trying to rape her. He is imprisoned, and develops a reputation in jail for being able to interpret dreams. December 15-16, 2017, Miketz Genesis 41:1-44:17 Joseph successfully interprets Pharoah s dreams and becomes a powerful man in Egypt. The famine in Canaan forces Joseph s brothers to come begging for food, and they don t suspect his identity. Joseph tricks his brothers into coming back again with their youngest brother, Benjamin. Benjamin is found with a stolen (planted) goblet, and the brothers fear that, if anything happens to Benjamin, it would be too much for Jacob to handle. December 22-23, 2017, Va-Yigash Genesis 44:18-47:27 After a stolen goblet is found in Benjamin s bag, Judah asks that he be held prisoner in his brother s place. Joseph cannot hide his identity anymore, and has a tearful reunion with his brothers. He invites the whole family to move to Egypt, where he has achieved power. On the journey to Egypt, God speaks to Jacob in a vision. He solidifies that Jacob will now be known as Israel, and promises to be with his people in Egypt and to eventually bring them home. The entire tribe migrates to Egypt, where they are permitted to live peacefully. December 29-30, 2017, Va-Y chi Genesis 47:28-50:26 Jacob, at 147 years old, blesses his grandchildren, Efraim and Menasseh, blessing the younger before the elder. He makes Joseph promise to have him buried with his forefathers in Canaan. Jacob calls all his sons to him, and tells each what he thinks of them. After his death, Jacob s sons take him to Canaan for burial and then returned to Egypt. Joseph dies at 110 years old, after reconciling with his brothers again. The Biblical family is at home in Egypt as Genesis ends. 6
DONATIONS GENERAL FUND Hy Penn and Lynn Gordon In honor of Haley Heyman Bat Mitzvah In honor of Bruce Pollard In honor of Susan Pollard being named a Woman of Achievement by FamilyTime In memory of Hindie Adler, mother of Ian Adler Greg and Mindy LaCour In memory of Hindie Adler, mother of Ian Adler Jeff and Joanie Spalter In memory of Hindie Adler, mother of Ian Adler RABBI DISCRETIONARY FUND Wesley Goble In memory of Barry Liss Ritchard and Michelle Shadian In honor of Rabbi Dan Gordon blessing our new home and mezuzah Give a Gift to TBT! A Fundraising Program at Temple Beth Torah is Underway! A fundraising initiative has begun at Temple Beth Torah: Give a Gift to TBT! Please look for items needed by TBT on the bulletin board in the synagogue s foyer. Take the paper with the item you would like to donate and bring the item to TBT. It s that simple!! Some of the needed items are kitchen/bathroom supplies, Oneg supplies, and office/school supplies. Items can be left in the kitchen to the right of the stovetop. Please place a note on your item so you can be acknowledged. We will even take checks to defray some of our ongoing expenses. These needed donations will also be listed on cards on the bulletin board. Checks for monetary donations can be made payable to Temple Beth Torah. Please contact admin Stacey Blumin at admin@tbthumble.org with questions or suggestions. We hope you will be interested in participating in this program of tzedakah and help our synagogue. DONATIONS Making a donation to TBT is a perfect way to honor a joyous occasion, like a birthday, anniversary, wedding/engagement, new home, job change, or retirement. It is also appropriate to honor someone who has passed away with a donation in his/her memory at the time of the passing or on the yahrtzeit (anniversary) of the passing. All donations to Temple Beth Torah are tax deductible. You can choose where you would like your donation to be applied. GENERAL FUND Any donation that is not specified to another specific fund goes to the General Fund, which helps maintain the operating budget of the temple. Building expenses, insurance, staff salaries and all program expenses that are not underwritten come out of the General Fund, as well as support for the Religious School. RABBI S DISCRETIONARY FUND This separate tzedakah fund enables the rabbi to make confidential contributions to help individuals and causes that may be in crisis. The rabbi may also use this fund to help support unbudgeted programs that will benefit the temple or community. BURT LEVY MEMORIAL LIBRARY FUND This fund maintains the library and helps purchase new books. Our library, located in the back of the sanctuary, is named after TBT s founding president, Burt Levy, who was a major inspiration in starting Temple Beth Torah. TRACY TOBIN JOHNSON MEMORIAL EDUCATION FUND This fund provides scholarships to Jewish summer camps for children and for educational conferences for teachers. It also helps support special educational programs that are not in the general budget. The fund honors Tracy Tobin Johnson, who was an active TBT member, volunteer and teacher before passing away at a young age. TOM THERIOT MEMORIAL PROGRAM FUND This fund supports special dynamic programs, often related to the arts. It is named after Tom Theriot, a lover of the arts, who was a constant presence at TBT and supported every cause. DONATIONS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE You can now make donations online for any fund donation except for dues payments and the Building Renovations Fund. Now there is an easy way to honor the memory of loved ones or acknowledge a joyous occasion by giving tzedakah. Tell your friends and family to visit our newly named website, www.tbthumble.org, to make use of this mitzvah. Or SEE THE DONATIONS FORM ON PG 9 7
Please consider making a donation to support Temple Beth Torah s many worthy endeavors. You can indicate which fund you would like your contribution to support on the form below, as well as the names of those you wish to honor or remember. You may contact the Temple by calling 281-446-5611 with any questions. THANK YOU Please mail your donation and form to the Treasurer at: Temple Beth Torah 320 Shallow Drive Humble, TX 77338 From: In honor of In memory of TEMPLE BETH TORAH Donation Form Thank You! Name Please apply donation to (check one): General Fund Rabbi s Discretionary Fund Burt Levy Memorial Library Fund Tracy Tobin Johnson Memorial Education Fund Tom Theriot Memorial Program Fund Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund Please send acknowledgement of the donation to: Name Address TEMPLE BETH TORAH 320 SHALLOW DRIVE HUMBLE, TX 77338 (281) 446-5611 WWW.TBTHUMBLE.ORG 8
December 2017 KISLEV - TEVET 5778 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 9:00 AM Religious School 9:30 AM Adult Ed TORCH class 11:15 AM Adult Ed Book Discussion 11:30 AM Hebrew School 9:00 AM Religious School 9:30 AM Adult Ed TORCH class 11:15 AM Adult Ed Book Discussion 11:30 AM Hebrew School NO Religious School 9:30 AM Adult Ed TORCH class 11:15 AM Adult Ed Book Discussion 7:15 PM Shabbat Service Oneg: Debbie Swaim 6:00 PM Interfaith Holiday Concert at Summercreek High School 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 12:30 PM Lunch and Learn with Frank Levy 7:15 PM Shabbat Service Oneg: Susan Pollard 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 6:15 PM Congregational Meeting 6:30 PM Hanukkah Shabbat Service 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 7:15 PM Shabbat Service 24 NO Religious School 24 / 31 25 26 27 29 29 30 7:15 PM Shabbat Service 9:30 AM Adult Ed TORCH class NO - Adult Ed Book Discussion Oneg: Debye Lurie 31 TEMPLE CLOSED 9
Temple Beth Torah Donate a Brick Campaign TBT member Will Pollard has built a brick path in front of our Sukkah as part of his Eagle Scout project. We are now giving everyone an opportunity to donate an engraved brick for the path with all donations going to support Temple Beth Torah! This is a wonderful way to remember a loved one or honor a friend/family member. You can also use it to commemorate an occasion, like a bar/bat mitzvah, a wedding, an anniversary or a memorable birthday. Each brick can be inscribed with 3 lines and 20 characters per line (letters, numbers, spaces, punctuation and other keyboard symbols are considered characters). Various approved clip art designs can be made available for an additional $20 donation per brick. If clip art is used, the text is limited to 15 characters per line. Brick donations are: 1 Brick= $100 4 Bricks= $280 @ $70/each 2 Bricks= $180 @ $90/each 5 Bricks= $300 @ $60/each 3 Bricks= $240 @ $80/each 6 or more Bricks= $50 a brick Please send your check with the engraving information to TBT: 320 Shallow Drive, Humble, Texas 77338. Questions? Please contact project coordinator Jeremy Blumin at admin@tbthumble.org. Name of donor: Phone number or email address: Engraving details (please print): Brick 1: Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Brick 2: Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 10
Temple Beth Torah 320 Shallow Drive Humble, TX 77338 (281) 446-5611 www.tbthumble.org 11