1836 Rohrerstown Road Lancaster, PA 17601 office@tbelancaster.org 717-581-7891 www.tbelancaster.org Volume 69, No. 9 SHAVUOT MAY 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 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&3 President s Message 3 Principal s Message 4 Spiritual Workshop flyer 5 Congregant of the Year 6 Our Temple Family 7 Food Festival work form last pg Candle Lighting Times May 5 7:46 PM May 12 7:53 PM May 19 8:00 PM May 26 8:06 PM MAY EVENTS May 4, 11, & 18 Rabbi Daniela s Spiritual Workshop 7:30-9:00 PM May 7 FOOD FESTIVAL May 13 Junior Congregation May 16 Executive Committee Meeting @7:30 PM May 22 Temple Board Meeting @7:30 PM May 27 Tot Shabbat @11:00 AM May 29 Memorial Day May 30 Erev of Shavuot May 31 & June 1 Shavuot Services @9:30 AM Schedule of Shabbat Services May 5 Shabbat Services 7:30 PM Weekend sponsors needed May 6 9:30 AM Torah Reading:Ahare-Mot-Kedoshim May 12 Shabbat Services 7:30 PM Weekend sponsors needed May 13 9:30 AM Torah Reading:Emor May 19 Shabbat Services 7:30 PM Bat Mitzvah of Reagan & Danielle Buffa Weekend sponsors: Caryl & Scott Buffa in honor of Reagan & Danielle s Bat Mitzvah May 20 9:30 AM Torah Reading:Behar-Behukotai May 26 Shabbat Services 7:30 PM Weekend sponsors needed May 27 Torah Reading:Bamidbar 9:30 AM TOT SHABBAT@11:00 AM
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 2 MESSAGE FROM RABBI RAMI A Sofer (Scribe) Visits Temple Beth El By Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky At the end of March we welcomed at Temple Beth El the Sofer (scribe) Rabbi Yochanan Salazar Loewe. He is one of the scribes from Sofer On Site (www.soferonsite.com). He came to our Temple to check and restore our five Torah scrolls. He worked on site for three consecutive days. Before giving you an idea of what he actually did with our scrolls, let me explain to you why his visit was so important for our congregation. Why should we take care of our Torah scrolls? Here you have some possible answers. There is no Judaism without Torah and no synagogue without a Sefer Torah, a Torah scroll. The ritual of the public reading of the Torah in the synagogue is the core of religious services. The weekly order of the Torah reading triggers weekly sermons, classes and written commentaries around the Jewish world. There is no other religious object more cherished and revered in the Jewish tradition than the scroll of the Torah. Thus, maintaining our scrolls in good shape and condition is a sacred obligation we hold as a congregation. This includes the task of keeping them kosher. A Torah can have many different issues that could make it nonkosher, and hence not suitable for public reading in the synagogue. A cut or a torn parchment where the letters are, a hole in the writing section, missing letters, words incorrectly written, broken letters and other similar problems turn a scroll into a non-kosher one. There are other problems a Torah scroll may have, like dirt on the parchment, issues with the stiches, lightly fading letters, letters turning red or brown (instead of the natural black), letters with white spots on them, etc. These kinds of problems may or may not result in a nonkosher scroll, but they certainly affect the general condition of a scroll. Humidity, lack of proper storage, lack of proper care, the quality of the ink, the quality of the parchment, and often just the passage of time all can cause the Sifrei Torah to suffer many different issues. If these problems are not taken care of properly, the scrolls easily become nonkosher. As you cannot use a nonkosher scroll for public reading, it is extremely important to check the Torah scrolls regularly. This is what the scribe Rabbi Yocahanan Salazar Loewe did last month at Temple Beth El. This was a particularly important achievement for our congregation, and we should be very proud of it. We have five Torah scrolls at Temple Beth El. Three are located in the Aron Hakodesh (Ark) of the Sanctuary. We usually read from the three Torahs that are placed in the Sanctuary. Another one is in the Ark of the Chapel, and the last one is a Holocaust Torah, in a display case at the entrance hall to the sanctuary (for more information on the Holcaust Torahs please visit http:// www.memorialscrollstrust.org/). What did we know about our five Torah scrolls before the Sofer came to our Temple? Regarding the three that are located in the Sanctuary, we already knew that one of them was in pretty good condition and needed no major restoration, another one probably needed some repairs, and the third one certainly needed more work done on it, including the need to reattach the scroll to one of the poles (the Atzei Chaiim). We also knew that the Torah that rests in the Chapel was not Kosher, because it has many issues that need attention. The Holocaust Torah was never used for ritual purposes in our Temple, and we knew it needed much work to be done on it. We found that until about 5 years ago, most Holocaust Torahs were on display, but now almost half are used in regular services. I want to share with you some details about the evaluation and work that the Sofer performed on our Torah scrolls. After conducting an educational program on Sunday morning, the Sofer checked the five scrolls. He examined every one, taking into consideration the overall condition, the letters, the parchment, the stitching, the poles, and the cleaning. For every scroll he prepared a thorough evaluation that includes the size, the script quality, the origin, the age, and the physical condition of all the parts of every Torah. He first confirmed what we had assumed, that the three Sifrei Torah in the Ark could be repaired and turned 100% kosher during the three days the Sofer would stay working at the Temple. The Torah from the Chapel and the Holocaust Torah would need many more hours of work at a higher cost, especially the Holocaust Torah. Therefore, for the rest of his stay at Temple Beth El, the Sofer restored our main three Torahs. We are more than happy to know that now we have three Sifrei Torah in use that are certified kosher, which is a great relief and a source of pride for us as a congregation. (Continued on page 3)
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 3 (Continued from page 2) What do we know about our Torahs? A few facts about them: Our oldest Torah is estimated to be 180 years old, while the youngest one is around 60 years old. Four of our Torahs were written in Eastern Europe, using three different Ashkenazi script styles, while one of them, the youngest one, was written in Israel using the Sephardic script style. Four of our scrolls are glazed (or limed) on the back or on both sides. This method of glazing the parchment was often used in earlier times, as people believed it helped to preserve the scroll and also gave it a nice aspect. However, today we know that, apart from making the Torahs significantly heavier, this coating of a lime solution also tends to disintegrate with time, leaving a white dust over the letters and eventually causing the letters to deteriorate. We also know that the general physical condition of the parchments and the poles of the five scrolls were found average to good. However, we were recommended to actively take care of the scrolls in the future. With a periodic maintenance plan, our scrolls could last for many more years in excellent conditions. This would ideally include scheduled visits from a Sofer in future years. However, the most important thing we should do is to periodically (once a year, for example) unroll our scrolls completely for a little while and let the parchments breath fresh air. This is the best way to keep the Sifrei Torah in good condition and extend their useful life. Sofer On Site recommends that congregations form small groups of Holy Rollers, and they even offer training for this kind of group. We believe we should consider forming such a group at temple Beth El, hopefully engaging young members, like post-bar/bat mitzvah students. To summarize, what were the positive points of the Sofer s visit? We now have a high-quality evaluation of our five Torah scrolls. We know their general condition and many details about their history. We are thrilled to know that three of our scrolls, the ones we normally use during services, are reliably kosher. We know that two of our scrolls, including the Holocaust Torah, are not kosher and need much more work. We should decide soon how to proceed about this. We know better how to take care of our Sifrei Torah. We should take on this responsibility and consider seriously forming a small group that takes care of this. Finally, and of great importance, is saying thank you to Sisterhood for their support in helping to fund this program. Kol Hakavod to our Sisterhood! Your generosity will be remembered for many years, every time we read from the Torah! I also want to thank the Religious Practices Committee, led by Gary Kogon, for their leadership regarding this program. And a especial thank-you goes to Steve Gordon, who took care of all the details regarding the Sofer visit. Thank you, Steve, for your hard and dedicated work! PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Dave Ehrlich Gary Kogon Our fourteenth annual food festival will be held on Sunday, May 7 and this event deserves your support and participation. Dedicated volunteers have been working for months to prepare food, publicize the event, line up vendors, and handle the myriad details involved in making the food festival a success. This is the congregation s only fundraiser for the year and the money that is raised helps pay our operating costs, which in turn reduces the financial commitment we ask you to make. You should have received food festival tickets in the mail. Please send in the money for your tickets if you haven t done this yet, buy or sell additional tickets, and volunteer to help at the event. We look forward to seeing you there. The Bat Mitzvahs of Reagan and Danielle Buffa take place this month and we extend a hearty Mazel Tov to them and their family. Finally, the holiday of Shavuot, commemorating the giving of the Torah, begins sundown May 30. Please plan to attend our Shavuot services. BULLETIN DEADLINE The deadline for June s bulletin is Monday, May 15th
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 4 PRINCIPAL S MESSAGE Way back in September, I posted the below message to start off the Religious School Bulletin Article: It is with much enthusiasm and great aspiration that I welcome you to the 2016-17 Religious School year! Teachers are preparing, classrooms are being put back together after the Summer cleaning, and the Education Committee has been meeting regularly throughout the Summer to discuss and plan for this coming year. Now, eight months later, I have to say that the anticipation, energy and enthusiasm that my staff and I had felt then has provided our students a great year of fun and Jewish education. At times we struggled to handle changing conditions due to student or teacher absences, weather, or multiple concurrent events, but in the end we did our best to provide an environment and teaching that I hope our students will remember favorably for there lifetime. In the end, that is the best that any of us can wish for. As we wind down this school year, we are already thinking and planning for next year. If you have any thoughts or suggestions that we should consider, please let me know. If you know of any potential students, please let me know that too. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful teachers and aides that have worked together to make our school a place that our students enjoy attending (at least most of them most of the time). Rabbi Daniela - Hebrew High Rabbi Rami - Grades 6-7 Becky Rhoads - Grades 6-7 Lynne Harlacher - Grades 3-5 Leah Zebovitz - Grades K-2 Ally Rhoads and Tyler Besnoff - School Aides I would also like to thank our guest for leading various programs we held during the year: Robin Adler, Sheila Cohen, Toveah Mirot, Bev Sideman Shalom, Larry Besnoff Religious School Principal principal@tbelancaster.org From Jewish Family Service of Lancaster JFS thanks you for your kind and generous donations for our 2017 Annual Passover Project. Lancaster s three local congregations kids, adults and families- of Congregations Shaarai Shomayim and Degel Israel and Temple Beth El, assembled Passover baskets and gift bags of food for 50 of our homebound residents and those in need throughout our Jewish Community. A very special thanks to Robin Adler and the Chesed committee for promoting and supporting this special Project. Temple Office Hours Monday - 9:00 am - 2:30 pm Tuesday - office closed Wednesday - 9:00 am - 2:30 pm Thursday - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Friday - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Jewish Family Service of Lancaster Annual Meeting and Dinner Join us to honor the Jean Feldstein Volunteer of the Year Jack Fischel and founder of the JFS Medical Equipment Loan Closet Steve Schlissel Sunday, June 11, 2017 6:00pm Temple Beth El 1836 Roherstown Road Lancaster, PA For details and reservations Contact Jill Weisberg at bellallure1@aol.com ONEG & KIDDUSH SPONSORS MAY Monthly Sponsors Shellie & Steve Gordon In Honor Of Their children & grandchildren Week-End Sponsors May 19 & 20 Caryl & Scott Buffa In Honor Of Reagan & Danielle s Bat Mitzvah We need weekend sponsors for May 5 & 6, May 12 & 13, and May 26 & 27. The cost is $60.00 per weekend. Call the office if you are interested in a weekend sponsorship.
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 5 Treasurer s Note: We are at that time of year again when we are building the budget for the Fiscal year 2017-18. As part of that process, we are reviewing where our sustained level for Financial Commitment to Temple Beth El will be. In its simplest form, sustaining for our Temple would mean that we would break even. If every adult congregant gave at our Sustaining Financial Commitment level, we would not have a deficit and we would not make a profit. As you may remember, the sustained level to run our Synagogue can vary from year to year depending on our costs for running the Temple and how many adult congregants we have. The board will be approving the budget in May and by then we will have our sustained number, which we anticipate will increase. We will share the sustained level with you this summer and the reasons for its change. Thank you, Samantha Besnoff, TBE Treasurer Spiritual Autobiography Workshop Led by Rabbi Daniela This workshop will guide you, through different exercises, to explore your personal spiritual journey through life. The final goal is to produce a meaningful piece of writing about the spiritual story of your life. This can be a truly meaningful experience. You don t need to be a professional writer or even have any kind of skill or aptitude as a writer. All you need is your story and the desire to tell it in words on paper. In a respectful and sacred space, you will able to connect to the spiritual power that is inside yourself and to meaningful experiences you have lived. The workshop has five sessions. The first three sessions will be followed by a break to work on your own spiritual autobiography, followed by two additional sessions for the group to share their work. Sessions: Thursdays 7:30 pm -9 pm May 4th, May 11th, May 18th, June 8th, June 15th R.S.V.P. by May 1st to Temple Office
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 6 JOIN US ON FRIDAY, JUNE 2nd AT 7:30 PM AS WE HONOR TEMPLE BETH EL S CONGREGANT OF THE YEAR 2017 CAROLYN KLEINMAN COME HELP US CELEBRATE CAROLYN S HONOR AT A SPECIAL ONEG FOLLOWING SERVICES ON JUNE 2ND *If you would like to make a donation in Carolyn s honor, please wait until you receive the invitation in the mail. Thank you! ********
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 7 OUR TEMPLE FAMILY CONGREGATIONAL THANKS Herb and I were so thrilled to receive an anniversary leagram from so many friends who are our Temple family. Your wishes make our hearts even warmer than Florida already does. It s so nice to be thought of by so many of you. Thank you so much. Wishes for a zeisen Pesach to all. Andi & Herb Shiroff Our heartfelt thanks to Temple Beth El Sisterhood and all our friends for the lovely and tasty Purim Mishloach Manot. Edna & Zvi Naveh Our sincere thanks to the Sisterhood, the Rabbis and our dear friends at Temple Beth El for the sweet holidays wishes for Purim. Sincerely Helene & Len Kallman Many thanks to our friends at Temple Beth El for the Shalach Manot gift box we received for Purim. Eve & Walter Kamlot Thank you to everyone for the Purim box I received. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated. Miriam Triman They say, better late than never so Marilyn and I would like to thank all those who participated in sending us a lovely and unexpected Purim package. With warm regards and hoping all of our Beth El friends are doing well. Jay Reichenthal Dear Temple Beth El friends It is heart-warming to have gotten the priority package of Shalach Manot. What a wonderful tradition and effort putting it together. And receiving it was delightful! Thank you, dear fellow congregants. though far away in distance I feel close in my heart! Evy Epstein Steve and I would like to thank everyone for the lovely Leagram which helped us celebrate our 35th anniversary on April 4. Your good wishes were so appreciated and made our special celebratory year even more special. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and friendship! Carolyn & Steve Kleinman BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES MAY Birthdays 1st Meital Pavolotzky-Szuster 3rd Helene Kallman 6th Chava Kogon 7th Lynne Harlacher 8th Tana Dardik 8th Ethan Levine 9th Michael Gleiberman 9th Lloyd Goldfarb 11th Alan Glazer 12th Megan Harlacher 12th Elliott Rubin 13th Danielle Buffa 13th Sandy Weekes 14th Arnold Harris 16th Thomas Armstrong 17th Leon Baronfeld 17th Rory McCormick 19th Elise Allwein 20th Steve Gottlieb 23rd Aidan Thorpe 29th Judy Anthony Anniversaries 23rd Nina Shapiro & Barry David 27th Abbey & Arnie Harris 28th Catherine & Adam Levine 28th Cindy & Michael Pavlica 30th Pam & Ken Lessans Landmark 17th Fran & Bill Rayner (25 yrs) 28th Sherry & Arne Ostroff (45 yrs) 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, May 6 Jill Sherman Tuesday, May 9 Deb Armstrong Wednesday, May 10 Francine Koplin Paul Gottlieb Friday, May 12 Marcie Natan Deena Hertz Saturday, May 13 Chris Brooks Anne Kepner Sunday, May 14 Caryl Buffa Zvi Naveh Tuesday, May 16 Robin Adler Grandmother Uncle Uncle Grandfather Wednesday, May 17 Deb & Thomas Armstrong Son Steve Rubin Elliott Rubin Saturday, May 20 Melanie Fleischmann Melanie Fleischmann Eve Kamlot Sunday, May 21 Ira Grushow Wednesday, May 24 Becky Rhoads (Continued on page 8)
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 8 (Continued from page 7) Saturday, May 27 Shellie Gordon Sunday, May 28 Diane Penchansky Monday, May 29 Joan Weiner Joan Samitt Wednesday, May 31 Stewart Abowitz Thursday, June 1 Sheila Cohen Ira Grushow Stepfather SISTERHOOD FUND *Sisterhood Fund cards are now $3.50 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 Donation To Sisterhood, Thank you for all your hard work in everything you do. Terry & Jerry Stevens IN HONOR OF Dolly Shuster & Jeff Edelson - birth of twin granddaughters, Isla & Iris Joan & Gary Goldman Robin Adler The Lessans Family Marcie & Eli Natan Miriam Triman Joan & Beryl Sherman Sheila Cohen - Special Birthday Beverly Rubin GET WELL Gary Kogon Joan & Beryl Sherman IN MEMORY OF Dr. Kenneth Kassin Tobi & Bob Sherman Carolyn Machles Tobi & Bob Sherman RABBI S DISC. FUND office@tbelancaster.org IN HONOR OF Bob Brosbe - 50th anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah Lewis Hoch & Sarah Poncz GENERAL FUND office@tbelancaster.org IN HONOR OF Dolly Shuster & Jeff Edelson - birth of twin granddaughters, Isla & Iris Edna & Zvi Naveh IN MEMORY OF Our beloved parents Edna & Zvi Naveh Carolyn Machles Hilde Month YAHRZEIT FUND IN MEMORY OF Albert Edelson - father of Jeffrey M. Edelson Jeffrey Edelson & Dolly Shuster Bessie Margolis Marvin Margolis & Renee Hartman Leonard Solodky Stanley Joel Solodky Marilyn Goldman Frances Schulman Shellie & Steve Gordon Naaman Nathan Eli & Marcie Natan Scott Alpert Samuel Tokarsky Evy Epstein 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. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 9
Volume 69, No. 9 MAY 2017 SHAVUOT Temple Beth El Page 10 ATTENTION: MEMBERS OF TEMPLE BETH EL SO MUCH TO DO AT.. TEMPLE BETH EL FOOD FESTIVAL MAY 7, 2017 Set up & Greeters Ticket sellers & Host- hostess Food servers-dinners & ala carte Bus tables & Clean up Food preparation Please consider working more than one shift, we have added 2 food prep shifts and need more people the day of the event. We are growing & your help is important! Saturday after Shabbat 9 PM to 11 PM *Bakery Schedule: Set up: 7 AM 10:30 AM Sunday *7:30 AM - 10:30 AM 1 st Shift: 9:30 AM- 1:00 PM Sunday *8:30 AM 10:30 AM 2 nd Shift: 12:45 PM 4:15 PM Sunday *9:00 AM 10:30 AM 3 rd Shift: 4:00 PM- 7:30 PM Sunday PLAN TO ARRIVE EARLY OR STAY LATE FOR YOUR SHIFT SO THAT YOU CAN EAT THE WONDERFUL FOOD AND ENJOY. CUT OFF & RETURN----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME(s) PHONE # E-MAIL I / WE will work at the following times: (please put in 1 st & 2 nd choices) I / WE can do more than one shift SATURDAY after Shabbat 9 PM 11 PM 7 AM 10:30 AM Sunday 9:30 AM 1:00 PM Sunday 12:45 PM 4:15 PM Sunday 4:00 PM 7:30 PM Sunday *Special schedule for bakery set up *7:30 AM 10:30 AM Sunday *8:30 AM 10:30 AM Sunday *9:00 AM 10:30 AM Sunday PLEASE RETURN BY May 1 st to: Michele Matlin 1171 Country Club Drive Lancaster PA 17601 Or Email mlm1171@comcast.net