A New Haven Tradition since 1892. Visit us at www.beki.orgMay 2002 Vol. 8 Issue 5 ktrah r,f-kt ,hc e"e Sivan 5762

BEKI Bulletin

Sefira – Counting the Omer

At the second seder (Thursday night 28 March),we began daily sefirat ha-omer (counting of theomer), a counting of days to Shavuot, the next ma-jor festival. The counting, preferably done eachnight for 49 nights, is an expression of eager antici-pation, commemorating the period of expectationand preparation we experienced in the Exodus fromEgypt until the revelation at Sinai.

The simple home ceremony is printed in mostsiddurim (prayer books), including Sim Shalom , im-mediately after the weekday evening service.While it is a mitzva prescribed for adults, sefiratha-omer can also be a fun, artistic and joyous ritualfor families with children.

In the days before printed calendars, calendarwatches and daily newspapers, the sefira servedto keep the liturgical calendar of the Jewish Peoplesynchronized, no simple accomplishment givendispersion and isolation of much of the commu-nity. The term omer refers to the measure (onehandful) of grain that was used to create a physicalrelic of the counting. With a physical reminder,even illiterate people could do a recount in casethey forgot the day’s number.

Teach us to number our days, that we may at-tain a heart of wisdom

– Psalm 90:12

The Festival of Shavuot (“Weeks”), one of thethree major pilgrimage festivals, celebrates the an-niversary of the Giving of the Torah at Sinai some

3,400 years ago. Shavuot comes at the culminationof the counting of seven weeks from Pesah, andwill be the major observance at BEKI this summer.Just as we look forward to important events in ourpersonal lives, so too our ancestors enthusiasticallyand devoutly anticipated the event at Sinai. By par-ticipating in BEKI’s Shavuot observance, we reen-act the extraordinary experience of our ancestorsand show our own enthusiasm for receiving To-rah.

Men’s Miqva Experience

On Thursday morning 16 May, the morning be-fore Shavuot, the Men’s Club Miqva visit will fol-low the 8:15a Thursday morning service, from 9:00ato 10:00a. Individual immersion for Jewish malesis one way of preparing for the enhanced state ofspiritual sensitivity experienced on the Festivalmarking our national encounter with the Almighty.Bring your own towel.

Shavuot Candle Lighting

Those who are able may light Festival candles at7:46p. It is also customary to light Yizkor Memo-rial candles immediately before lighting the festi-val candles. The blessing recited over the Festivalcandles is “Barukh...asher qideshanu bemitzvotavvetsivanu lehadliq ner shel yom tov” and the“Shehehianu,” both of which can be found in mostsiddurim (prayerbooks).

Shavuot Festival at BEKI

Continued on page 7

Administrative Announcements

BEKI Bulletin 2December 2001

1460 Whalley Avenue New Haven, CT 06515

BAKERY FAX DELI 387-2214 387-4129 397-0839

Specializing in:Bar/Bas Mitzvah, Weddings, Office and Home Parties

• Platters for all occasions • Prepared foods

BEKI-BulletinThe newsletter is published monthly by CongregationBeth El-Keser Israel for the benefit of its members.Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel is affiliated with

the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

To contribute articles or for inquiries regardingmembership, donations, or special activities, call the

Synagogue office (203) 389-2108, or write to 85Harrison Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1724

or email: jjtilsen@beki.org or see our web page: www.beki.org

For information about advertising, call the synagogueoffice. Deadline for submission of ads or articles is the

1st of the month preceding publication.Annual subscription is $36.00.

BEKI-Bulletin© 2002 Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel.A Message from Rabbi Tilsen & Dear Rabbi© 2002 Jon-Jay Tilsen. All rights reserved.

Editor Rabbi Jon-Jay TilsenAssociate Editor Donna LevineAssociate Editor Donna KemperCirculation Manager Saul BellProduction Editor David GoldenAdvertisement Editor Sheila GardnerAdvertisement Associate Editor Ronni RabinPhotographer Charles Ludwig

Email UpdatePlease note that Rabbi Tilsen’s email address is

jjtilsen@beki.org. If you would like to be added tothe list of members who receive occasional emailmessages of lifecycle and other events, please letRabbi Tilsen know.

Our office (beki@snet.net) will also be veryhappy to learn of your new or revised email ad-dress.

No ParkingMembers and visitors are advised that parking

is prohibited at all times on the East side ofHarrison Street as indicated by the “No Parking”signs. Parking is usually available across HarrisonStreet, and ample parking is available in the BEKIlot at the rear of the building. When driving in theBEKI parking lot, please observe the five miles-per-hour speed limit.

May Schedule NotesAfternoon Services on Thursday 16 May are at

7:45p (erev Shavuot).In addition to the 6:00p Early Service, an 8:00p

Late Evening Service will be held on Friday nights3 and 10 May, with Irving Weinstein, Kevin Mackand Rabbi Tilsen.

Morning services on Sunday 12 May will beginat 9:15a (Rosh Hodesh - Lauren Rose Bat Mitzva).Morning services on Monday 27 May begin at9:00a, and the Rashi Study Group meets from 9:45ato 10:30a (Memorial Day). The BEKI office is closedthat day.

BEKI Bulletin 3May 2002

A Message from Rabbi TilsenSome people have said that it is not possible to

distinguish between opponents of the policies ofIsrael’s government and anti-Semites. The devel-opments of the past few months actually make iteasier to distinguish between these two groups. Theformer are those who collect petitions, write let-ters to the editor, or participate in demonstrationsin Israel calling for certain changes in Israel’s poli-cies based on their ethical or political analysis orbeliefs. They are acting out of love for Israel, or atleast indifference to Israel’s fate. The latter can nowbe readily identified as those who carry bannerssaying “Death to the Jewish dogs” or “Zionism =Nazism.” Gone are the good old days of subtle anti-Semitism. Hatred of Jews is now blatant and in-your-face, whether on the streets of Paris, the meet-ing halls of the UN, or the editorial pages of ournewspapers.

This emergence of vulgar and violent anti-Semitism, which was so troubling at last year’s UNConference on Human Rights held in South Africa,has continued in Europe and around the globe, inpart in relation to the unfolding of our conflict withthe Palestinians.

What are we to do in response to this rise of ha-tred? My answers are not innovative or creative.My response is simple and direct.

We must continue to speak with our co-workersand neighbors, so that they can see our humanityas we see theirs. It is harder to hate real Jews thanthe abstract Jew. We can write letters to the editoror voice our opinion by making calls to talk radioprograms. We must continue to support the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and to provide mate-rial and political support for Israel.

I also believe that we must workhard to project an image of a strong,vibrant and proud Jewish commu-nity in Greater New Haven. Thatmeans we must make our Jewishidentity a proud priority in our ownlives and enable our institutions toreflect pride and strength. On thepersonal level it means staying home from workor school on the major Jewish Festivals, participat-ing in social action projects as representatives ofthe Jewish community, and increasing our ownlevel of knowledge and involvement in the syna-gogue community.

It also means insuring that our synagogue build-ing is attractive and well maintained. Our build-ing is probably the single most visible Jewish insti-tution in Greater New Haven, even though we arenot the largest synagogue or institution in our area.As one realtor put it, the three most important fac-tors to the success of an enterprise are location, lo-cation and location. More than 1000 cars per hourpass by BEKI on any weekday. Our façade is rec-ognized as a landmark and is visible for miles.While our Congregation has never placed appear-ance above substance, it is nonetheless importantthat when people drive by, they see a synagoguethat projects the message that its community caresabout it and is proud of it. When people enter for awedding, bar mitzva, funeral, Holocaust memorialor other event, they should come away with thatsame impression. The alternative, a dilapidatedbuilding, says to visitors, “the owners don’t care,they are not strong.” The local police suggest thata well kept, well-lighted home deters crime. Thephysical appearance of our building is linked toour physical as well as spiritual security.

Rabbi Tilsen

BEKI Bulletin 4May 2002

Youth News

USY News

Our BEKI-BJ Chapter of United SynagogueYouth (USY) was named a “Chapter of Excellence”at the Hanefesh Region Spring Kinnus. This dis-tinction marks our chapter as one of the best in theregion, covering Connecticut Valley, includingWestern Massachusetts. Our USY chapter of 38teens from BEKI and B’nai Jacob was chosen as oneof the top three in the region for excellent program-ming, contributions to tzedakah, and enthusiasticparticipation in USY. We are extremely proud ofthis award! An excellent scrapbook put together byYael Schochat and Sarah Oren contributed to BEKI-BJ winning the award, and Sarah’s expertly crafted10-minute video on our USY year clinched theaward for the chapter.

Mazal tov to Aliza Kuperstock on her election tothe Hanefesh Region presidency for 2002-2003. Asregion president, Aliza will have many opportuni-

USY Kinnus

ties to develop the USY program in our region andbeyond. Aliza is a daughter of David & DarrylKuperstock. Outgoing Regional President KarenNahary was given an award for her outstandingleadership. We are very proud of all of our strongUSY leaders.

USY continues with exciting activities this semes-ter. We had a wonderful Shabbaton at BEKI beforePesah, which included a Chocolate Seder, studyabout slavery, and an evening of disco roller-skat-ing. In May and June we will be assembling craftkits for Childrens’ Hospital, traveling to New YorkCity for the Israel Day Parade, having a barbecueat the Reis home, and joining other chapters at SixFlags.

Join us! BEKI-BJ USY is open to second-semes-ter eight graders thru twelfth graders. Call us at389-6077, or e-mail our Membership VP atclem1010@aol.com.

BEKI Bulletin 5May 2002

News

787-0496

Personalized BookkeepingServices Offered:

Check Writing • PayrollStatement Reconciliation • P/R Tax Forms

End of Year Reports

Accurate and Professional Service

Muriel Chorney 213 Maple St.

LifeCycle

With sorrow we note the pass-ing of Eric I.B. Beller, husband ofMarsha Beller, father of Elisa, Sa-rah and Jonathan

May the Almighty comfortthose who mourn

—

Mazal tov to

• Ivan & Rita Sachs on the birth of their grand-daughter Melanie Sachs and to uncles andaunts Mark & Ilene Sachs and Ken & LindaBuckman.

• Susan & Phil Voigt onSusan’s election to Chairpersonof the New Haven DemocraticTown Committee

Benei Mitzva in May

On Sunday Rosh Hodesh Sivan,12 May, Lauren Rose will lead andparticipate in services as a batmitzva. Lauren is a daughter ofDr. Tina Rose and of Dr. Aron &Stacey Rose. She is a graduate ofthe BEKI Benei Mitzva Programand a student at Ezra Academy.The service that morning begins at9:15a, a special time.

On Shabbat morning 25 May,Zachary Olmer will lead and par-ticipate in services as a bar mitzva.Please join Zack’s family, ElaineOlmer-Luther & David Luther,and Morris & Ruth Olmer, on thisspecial day. The service begins at9:15a. Zack is a graduate of theBEKI Benei Mitzva Program anda student at Ezra Academy.

On Friday night 31 May &Shabbat morning 1 June, RachelFoodim-Forbes will lead andparticipate in services as a batmitzva. Rachel is the daughterof Robert Forbes & JoanneFoodim and a student at EzraAcademy.

Eric Beller

Susan Voigt

Lauren Rose

Zachary Olmer

Rachel Foodim-Forbes

Calendar Meeting

There will be a calendar planning meeting onMonday 6 May from 09:30a to 11:15a in BEKI’sRosenkrantz Family Library. All officers, chairper-sons and project leaders at BEKI are urged to at-tend so that our upcoming year of events can becoordinated. Please call Mary Ellen at 389-2108 x14(beki@snet.net) or Jon-Jay at x10 (jjtilsen@beki.org)for more information.

BEKI Bulletin 6May 2002

Letters

20s-30s Havura Enjoys Dinner,Brunch

Jewish singles and couples in their 20s and 30sare invited to contact BEKI member Valerie Sandler(777-4784 or valerie.sandler@yale.edu) or MaryEllen Mack (389-2108 x14 or beki@snet.net) for in-formation on special events of interest. BEKI’s 20s-30s Havura is primarily for adults without children,and meets about once a month at BEKI for Shabbatservices, dinner and shmoozing and informal dis-cussion.

A Post Passover PurimPostscript

This year’s Purim Baskets project had more thanthe usual number of errors and has convinced me(I didn’t need much convincing) that it was timefor me to retire from this project. I want to take thisopportunity to thank all the congregants who havehelped over the years. I must also apologize for theerrors (all mine) this year. So if you have not re-ceived a basket from a friend or have not been ac-knowledged, do not be hurt or angry. It is prob-ably due to a careless key stroke on my part. Buttake heart. Next year the project will be under thechairmanship of that dynamic duo, Ina & Bryna(Silverman and Pauker, respectively).

Gloria Cohen

Editor’s note: Our congregation expresses apprecia-tion to Gloria Cohen for her fine efforts over the years,including this year, in making this important project awonderful success.

Library News

The following new books, by Sylvia Rouss, havebeen added to the Ari Nathan Levine Children’sLibrary.

• Sammy Spider’s First Purim• Sammy Spider’s First Rosh Hashanah• Sammy Spider’s Passover Fun Book• Sammy Spider’s Hanukkah Fun Book• Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah• Sammy Spider’s First Passover

BEKI Bulletin 7May 2002

Shavuot Festival at BEKI

Tiqun Leil Shavuot

Thursday evening 16 May at 7:00p, the TiqunLeil Shavuot Night of Study will begin with a“Family Program” at 7:00p, meeting in theGoodwin Youth Room, and, at the same time, aperiod of adult Torah Study with Rabbi JoshuaGutoff, in the George G. Posener Daily Chapel.

The brief Minha Afternoon Service, from 7:50pto 8:00p, will be followed by the special refresh-ments of Shavuot, which may include Popsicles,fruit, cheesecake, coffee, tea and soft drinks. Thebrief Festival Evening service, from 8:40p to 9:00p,will be followed at 9:00p by “Paths to Peace & Se-curity for Israel: Perspectives on the Situation,”with Steven Fraade and Isaiah Cooper, moderatedby Paul Bass. The program is intended to createan opportunity for concerned members of our com-munity to hear and express thoughtful and respect-ful perspectives on the situation in Israel.

After another break for refreshments, explora-tion of Torah continues with additional presenta-tions, including R’ Moshe Meiri on “Avot 1:1” from10:30p to 11:15p and another engaging lesson from11:30p to 12:15p.

Friday Shavuot Shaharit Services

The Friday Shavuot Festival Shaharit MorningService begins at 9:15a on Friday 17 May 2002. Theservice includes the full recitation of Hallel as onthe first day. Following the Haftara (propheticreading), selections from the Book of Ruth will beread to a uniquely beautiful and ancient melodybased on the same system of ta‘amei hamiqra(“trope”) found in most of the Hebrew Bible.

Shabbat Shavuot Morning RecognizesBMP Participants

Yizkor Memorial Service to be Held

The Shabbat Shavuot Morning service, whichbegins at 9:15a on 18 May 2002, will recognize theclass of BEKI’s Benei Mitzva Program participants.The benei mitzva celebrants will lead and partici-pate in services and present a qiddush followingservices. Appreciation will also be expressed toAmy Pincus and Liora Lew for developing a won-derfully meaningful and successful program forour students.

The Festival service includes a Shaharit morn-ing service, Hallel (Psalms of praise), a Torah read-ing and Haftara, and the Musaf additional service,and concludes by noon. The Yizkor memorial ser-vice is one of four such services during the yearthat help us recognize our feelings of loss, whichare often especially intense during the Festival sea-son, and to honor the memories of our loved ones.

Continued from page 1

BEKI Bulletin 8May 2002

Guaranteed Lowest Prices on all Brands of Tiresand Custom Wheels

Fast, Courteous ServiceHuge Inventory

Full-Service Auto RepairASE Certified mechanics Always on Duty

Free Estimates

40 Orange AvenueWest Haven, CT933-2886

HoursM, T, W, F 8:00-5.30Thurs. 8:00-7:00Sat. 8:00-3:00

News

Toda Rabba: Thank You! To:• Willa Needler, Sarah Serkin, Esther Serkin, Shoshana Cohen-Fraade, Sarah

Beller, Ruth Greenblatt and Michael Stern for reading Song of Songs onPesah

• Herbert Etkind for repairing the etz hayim of a Torah scroll• Charles & Violet Ludwig for opening and closing for selected services• Sisterhood for providing Ongei Shabbat at Late Friday Night Services

BEKI operates largely by force of extraordinary volunteer effort. The list abovedoes not include the many who read Torah, lead children’s services and Shabbatmorning services, help in the Religious School, support Kadima & USY, andother programs. There is still more to be done! If you would like to becomemore involved, contact Brian Karsif at 387-9268 (bkarsif@yahoo.com), LaurenKempton at 389-2108 x33 (lkempton@beki.org), Mary Ellen Mack at 389-2108x14 (beki@snet.net) or Rabbi Tilsen at 389-2108 x10 (jjtilsen@beki.org).

BEKI Bulletin 9May 2002

Torah for the Hungry Mind

Darshan (Torah Commentator) in May

Neil Berro, Executive Directorof the Jewish Federation ofGreater New Haven, will serveas darshan on Shabbat morning11 May, parashat BeMidbar.

Book Discussion GroupBEKI’s monthly Book Group meets next on Shab-

bat 1 June 2002 following qiddush (about 1:00p to2:30p) in BEKI’s Rosenkrantz Family Library. Thebook to be discussed is Postville: A Clash of Cul-tures in Heartland America by Stephen G. Bloom,about the Lubavitcher community in a tiny Iowatown. If you order the book from Amazon.com,BEKI receives a small commission. (BEKI gets thecommission only if you go to Amazon through thelink at www.beki.org/links.html or wherever yousee the Amazon icon on BEKI’s web site.) Infor-mation on purchasing these books, and an updatedlist, can be found at www.beki.org/books.html. Forfurther information, contact Helen Rosenberg at389-9594.

Reading Torah at BEKIDarryl Kuperstock is coordinating the readings

for BeMidbar (Numbers). If you would like to readTorah, or learn how to read Torah, call Rabbi Jon-Jay at (203) 389-2108 x10 (jjtilsen@beki.org) orDarryl Kuperstock at (203) 387-0304(kuperst@aol.com).

Rashi Study Group

Each Monday morning from 7:45a to 8:30a adultsmeet in the Rosenkrantz Family Library to readRashi’s commentary on the Torah. It is possible toparticipate for a single meeting or to begin at anytime. Knowledge of Hebrew is not necessary. Rashipurported to explain the peshat of the Biblical text,i.e., the meaning in its historical, literary and lin-guistic context. Visitors and new participants arewelcome. The Rashi Study Group has been meet-ing weekly since 1994.

AA Meeting

A Thursday night AA meeting is held at BEKIevery Thursday night at 8:00p. The weekly Meet-ing has been held at BEKI since May 1997. Open toany person who can benefit from a recovery pro-gram, the meeting is held according to standardAA procedure. This is not a specifically Jewish re-covery group, although a large proportion of par-ticipants are Jewish. For information on the weeklymeeting call Jay at (203) 387-6019 or email Jay atdrjays.nai@rcn.com.

Shabbat Shalom Learners’ Minyan

The “Shabbat Shalom Learners’ Minyan,” whichmeets every other Saturday morning at 10:45a inBEKI’s Rosenkrantz Family Library, is an ideal set-ting for veteran and novice shul-goers alike to be-come more comfortable and expert in the Shaharit(morning) and Torah services in a supportive set-ting. Lead by Steven Fraade and Rabbi AlanLovins, the Shabbat Shalom Learners’ Minyan hashelped many feel a deeper sense of awe born ofgreater understanding while increasing the levelof comfort through nurturing step-by-step practicein a non-threatening multi-generational setting.

Torah for the Hungry Mind: Adult Studies at BEKI

Neil Berro

BEKI EventsMay - Iyar - Sivan 5762

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

19 Iyar 1 20 Iyar 2 21 Iyar 3 22 Iyar 4Shaharit=Morning BEKI phone numbers: Office Hours: 7:00a Shaharit 8:15a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 9:15a Shaharit

Minha =Afternoon (203) 389-2108 Mon 9a-12 & 1p-3p 4:00p Religious School 5:45p Minha-Maariv 6:00p Minha-Maariv Kiddush Sponsor: Marge Wiener

Minha-Maariv=Evening Fax (203) 389-5899 Tue by appt. only 4:15p Benei Mitzva Pgm 8:00p A.A. 7:33p Candles 10:45a Children's Programs

SSLM=Shabbat Shalom Mary Ellen-Office x14 Wed 10a-12 & 1p-6p 5:45p Minha-Maariv 10:45a Cosmic Conversations

Learners' Minyan Religious School x13 Thu 9a-12 & 1p-3p 10:45p SSLM

BRS=BEKI Religious Rabbi x10 Fri 9a-2p 5:45p Minha

School Dr. Lauren Kempton x 33

KISS=Kids in Shul when

there's no School

23 Iyar 5 24 Iyar 6 25 Iyar 7 26 Iyar 8 27 Iyar 9 28 Iyar 10 29 Iyar 119:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 8:15a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 9:15a Shaharit

9:00a Religious School 7:45a Rashi Study Grp 5:45p Minha-Maariv 4:00p Religious School 5:45p Minha-Maariv 6:00p Minha-Maariv Darshan: Neil Berro

5:45p Minha-Maariv 8:00a-3:00p KISS 4:15p Benei Mitzva Pgm 8:00p A.A. 7:40p Candles Kiddush Sponsors:Joe & Ravit Avni-Singer

9:30a Calendar Meeting 5:45p Minha-Maariv 6:30p 20s/30s 9:15a Shaharit

5:45p Minha-Maariv Havura Dinner 10:45a Children's Programs

8:00p Late Service 5:45p Minha

1 Sivan 12 2 Sivan 13 3 Sivan 14 4 Sivan 15 5 Sivan 16 6 Sivan 17 7 Sivan 18Rosh Hodesh 7:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 8:00a-3:00p KISS Shavuot Shavuot - YizkorMother's Day 7:45a Rashi Study Grp 5:45p Minha-Maariv 4:00p Religious School 8:15a Shaharit Office Closed 9:15a Shaharit

9:15a Shaharit 5:45p Minha-Maariv 4:15p Benei Mitzva Pgm 7:00p-1:00a Tiqun 9:15a Festival Svc Kiddush Sponsor: Benei Mitzva Class 5762

Lauren Rose Bat Mitzva 7:45p General Bd. 5:45p Minha-Maariv Olam 6:00p Minha-Maariv 10:45a Children's Programs

No Religious School 7:45p Minha 7:47p Candles 10:45a Cosmic Conversations

5:45p Minha-Maariv 7:46p Candles 10:45a SSLM

8:40p MaarivErev Shavuot 5:45p Minha

8 Sivan 19 9 Sivan 20 10 Sivan 21 11 Sivan 22 12 Sivan 23 13 Sivan 24 14 Sivan 259:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 8:15a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 9:15a Shaharit

9:00a Religious School 7:45a Rashi Study Grp 5:45p Minha-Maariv 4:00p Religious School 5:45p Minha-Maariv 6:00p Minha-Maariv Zachary Olmer Bar Mitzva5:45p Minha-Maariv 5:45p Minha-Maariv 4:15p Benei Mitzva Pgm 8:00p A.A. 7:54p Candles 10:45a Children's Programs

7:45p Executive Board 5:45p Minha-Maariv 5:45p Minha

15 Sivan 26 16 Sivan 27 17 Sivan 28 18 Sivan 29 19 Sivan 30 20 Sivan 319:00a Shaharit Memorial Day 7:00a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit 8:15a Shaharit 7:00a Shaharit Office: beki@snet.net

9:00a Religious School Office Closed 5:45p Minha-Maariv 4:00p Religious School 5:45p Minha-Maariv 6:00p Minha-Maariv Rabbi: jjtilsen@beki.org

5:45p Minha-Maariv 8:00a-3:00p KISS 4:15p Benei Mitzva Pgm 8:00p A.A. Rachel Forbes Religious School/Education

9:00a Shaharit 5:45p Minha-Maariv Bat Mitzva Director: lkempton@beki.org

9:45a Rashi Study Grp 7:59p Candles website: www:beki.org

5:45p Minha-Maariv

BEKI Bulletin 13May 2002

Dates & Times to RememberPaul Goodwin Provides forBEKI’s Future

George G. Posener, Rabbi Murray Levine,Marvin Missan and Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen are amongthose who have informed BEKI that they have in-cluded the Congregation as a beneficiary in their

estate plans or wills. We arepleased to announce that Paul“Pat” Goodwin is also among theranks of these distinguished lead-ers.

Pat Goodwin, a “Founding Fa-ther” of the Congregation in itsmodern form, is a past presidentand has served the Congregationin numerous capacities over the

years. In recent years, Pat has been a leader inLong-Term Planning and Income Development forthe Congregation.

Pat and his late wife Claire raised their childrenin the Congregation and provided a model for com-mitment to community. Unless he is away, Pat at-tends every Shabbat evening and morning serviceas well as frequent daily morning services. Hischildren, Rick & Rachel, Susan & Rob and Debi,

Paul Goodwin

who are also BEKI members, have also been won-derful supporters of the Congregation.

Paul’s brothers, Louis, Sonny and Robert, all ofblessed memory, and their wives and children havealso served as leaders of the Congregation. TheRobert Goodwin Memorial Endowment for BEKIwas created in 1995 to serve as a lasting memorialto Robert and provides continuing funding for theCongregation’s activities.

Wills and estate plans are not just for the wealthy.Financial advisors suggest that anyone with chil-dren – regardless of age – and anyone who careswhat happens to their financial resources or prop-erty after their death, must have a formal will orestate plan. Even if a donor leaves just 10% or 5%or even 1% to BEKI, it can make a big impact onthe Congregation’s future. Designating BEKI as abeneficiary in one’s will demonstrates to one’s heirsand neighbors the importance of tzedaqa (charity),of BEKI, and of the continuity of the Jewish People.

If you would like information on including BEKIin your estate planning or current planned chari-table giving, please contact your financial advisoror estate planning attorney and BEKI officer DonnaLevine at 787-1633 (sdsij@aol.com). You may alsocontact Rabbi Tilsen at 389-2108 x10(jjtilsen@beki.org) or David Tein at The JewishFoundation at 387-2424 x304(dtein@jewishnewhaven.org) for a confidential dis-cussion.

BEKI Bulletin 15May 2002

Dear RabbiDear Rabbi

In some synagogues, couples are called up foraliyot [Torah blessing honors]. This is a lovely tradi-tion. Why isn’t this allowed at BEKI?

Signed, Questioning Couple

Dear Couple,

Numerous references in the law codes and in casehistory governing Torah reading practice indicatethat only one person at a time may read the Torah,and by extension, recite the Torah blessings, in pub-lic worship. The codes, based on the Talmud (and inthis case also the Jerusalem Talmud), apply the rulethe halakhic rule of "tre i qale i la mishtamei -- two voices are unintelligible “ to the issue of jointaliya. As a legal category, this rule means that weretwo or more voices to join in reciting the blessing orreading Torah, it “wouldn’t count” as a proper read-ing. Calling up more than one person simultaneouslymight also violate the rule against berakha le-vatela, ablessing said in vain, also considered a significantritual offense (cf. Biur Halakha on 141:2 “le-vatala.”)

The case law is instructive. A question arose con-cerning a Monday morning service when there weretwo bridegrooms present, neither of whom was aKohen or Levi. The question was, who was entitledto the third aliya? The Kohen and Levi were neededfor the Minyan (quorum), so they could not leave,and they were entitled to the first and second aliyotby virtue of their tribal status. That created compet-ing claims for the one remaining aliya, viz., the thirdaliya, by each of the two bridegrooms.

Had this been Shabbat, they could have simplyadded an extra aliya so each could have one. But onweekdays there is a rule that prohibits adding analiya lest services be lengthened, which might makepeople late for work. Numerous solutions were pro-posed, including those that “bent” the rules, and ul-timately a solution was found. But the idea of twopeople sharing an aliya was not even suggested, asit clearly violated firmly established procedure.

The problem experienced by the modern Bar orBat Mitzva family is not a new problem. What doyou do when you have a lot of people whom youwant to honor? Too many uncles and aunts, too fewhonors. Whenever there was a need to provide morehonors, more aliyot were added on a Shabbat morn-ing. This has always been the solution to the scar-city of aliyot. Never were two called at once.

The prospect of joint aliya would create numer-ous additional halakhic problems. None of these isoverwhelmingly important in and of itself, but theyare worth noting.

For example, it is the custom among manyAshkenazic communities (although not at BEKI) notto allow relatives of the first degree to have consecu-tive aliyot. That is, you cannot call up two siblingsor a parent and child one after the other. The rea-sons for not calling them in succession would applyeven more for calling them simultaneously.

Another problem, one that would apply at BEKI,is that we determine a woman’s tribal status for pur-

Continued on page 16

BEKI Bulletin 16May 2002

justification for joint aliya. While there have beenteshuvot written that justify the practice, they are not,in my judgment, persuasive.

If a synagogue is going to abandon the traditionalhalakhic framework in the realm of Shabbat Torahreading, then there are a lot of things that could bedone. We could have the Torah Readings on Fridaynight, which might be more convenient for somepeople. We could read only one verse per aliya, mak-ing the reading shorter and easier. We could readthe same verse repeatedly, so the Bar Mitzva has tolearn only one verse. We could read it in English, orout of a Humash, which is much easier. We couldeven give an aliya to a goldfish. These practices areno more (and no less) prohibited by halakha thanjoint aliya. If we are willing to go beyond the estab-lished rules, then there is a lot we can do, includingsome things that we might agree are desirable. Butif we want to run the services according to law, thenwe can only have one person called for an aliya at atime.

The historic origin of joint aliya, dating to the 1950sthrough 1970s in various communities, had to dowith the development of the role of women in syna-gogue ritual. As recently as the mid-20th century,women were not allowed to participate in synagogueritual in many communities. As the calls for women’spresence on the bima increased, it was decided, insome places, that a woman could ascend the bimafor one of the seven aliyot if, and only if, she wereaccompanied by a man (a spouse, fiancé or brother).This was done in order to expand the role of womenin the service.

A woman could be allowed to go to the bima for a“joint aliya” because she didn’t count. The theorythat permitted joint aliya for a woman with a manwas that since she didn’t count, there was no con-cern that the practice violated any of the rules de-scribed above. She was viewed, at least for the pur-pose of the law, as if she were not there at all. I havefound no evidence from any written teshuvot fromthat era for permission for two men to share an aliya.The only “Joint Aliya” ever authorized was for awoman with a man.

poses of aliya based on her father’s tribe, i.e., we calla daughter of a Kohen or Levi for the Kohen or Levialiya. There is also a convention that says a Kohenand Levi must get the first and second aliya, respec-tively, and the next aliyot are reserved for people whoare not a Kohen or Levi. Under this system, a coupleof different tribal status could not have an aliya to-gether. Joint aliya creates a series of new unsolvableproblems. We would be creating a situation in whichsome but not all couples could have a joint aliya, or,alternatively, we would violate the privilege ex-tended to the Kohen or bat-Kohen.

A person having an aliya is supposed to followalong with the Torah Reader in the scroll. That iswhy the Torah Reader shows the honoree the spotwhere he or she is reading, and that is why the TorahReader always uses a pointer in the scroll. If therewere a pair or a group of people standing aroundthe table, it could become impossible for all of themto see the Torah and perform their aliya properly.

If there were no limit on the number of people whomay go up for an aliya at once, then what if a Bar orBat Mitzva family were to want to send up a groupof five or ten at once? And what if two groups of tenare called up in succession? The result might vio-late even our minimal demands of decorum. If wewere to limit joint aliya to two people per aliya, thenon the one hand we would run into some family thatwill be just as disappointed with that limit as somefamilies might be with the limit of one person peraliya. We put ourselves in the untenable position ofsetting a limit based on a committee’s sense of “de-corum” while ignoring the halakha. That would bea dubious way to make Synagogue policy, and oneliable to create discontent and foster contempt forlaw and tradition as well as for the Synagogue lead-ership.

I agree with Rabbi Avram Israel Reisner’s teshuva(responsum) “Joint Aliya” approved by the Commit-tee on Jewish Law and Standards of the RabbinicalAssembly, the highest halakhic body in the land, on28 October of 1992, that prohibits the practice of jointaliya. Rabbi Reisner simply could not find a legal

Continued from page 15

Dear Rabbi

Dear Rabbi

BEKI Bulletin 17May 2002

I witnessed a “joint aliya” in a Connecticut Con-servative congregation. The elderly gabbai (usher)called the couple up to the Torah with this language:“Ya`amod Ploni ben Ploni `im ishto – Come up, Mr. So-and-so with his wife.” The woman was called not asan equal but as an appendage.

Joint aliya played a legitimate role in the progresstoward equality for women. It got women up onthe bima for the first time, overcoming what for somewas a major psychological barrier to women’s par-ticipation in synagogue ritual. Now that era haspassed. Now women count. A woman does not needto go up with her husband, fiancé or boyfriend foran aliya; she can have her own if she wishes.

Three reasons are given for wanting joint aliya.First, it allows a celebrant’s family to hand out morehonors. But when joint aliya is allowed, celebratingfamilies to whom the Synagogue extends the honorof selecting the honorees could be under even greaterpressure to include everyone. As it is, if such a fam-ily may pick only a limited number of people tohonor, everyone who does not receive an honor un-derstands that the family was limited. However, ifthe family is essentially unlimited, by being able tocall up more than one person at a time for an aliya,then anyone who is not called up has greater groundsto feel slighted.

A second reason for wanting joint aliya is that oneof the proposed honorees does not know the bless-ings. In such cases, I strongly urge the individualsto learn to recite the blessings for themselves. Weoffer a photocopy of the blessings, a cassette tape,and a tutor to review the blessings with them. Ifsomeone does not know the blessings well enough,they should learn. Only then can they have an aliya.We impose very minimal standards on those receiv-ing aliyot in our congregation – they just have to beJewish. But they must at least be willing to say theberakha on their own, or even with coaching. If a12- or 13-year old can find the courage to stand infront of their elders, and before the Throne of Glory,and lead prayers, then the aunts and uncles or grand-parents must find the courage to stand up and recitethree Hebrew sentences. To say that someone whowould not even read the blessings in transliterationhad an “aliya” detracts from the honor of all otherolim (honorees) and of the congregation. In addi-tion, it would be in violation of the law (Shulhan

Arukh OH 139:2). For people with special needs,there are ways for them to perform the aliya withinthe law.

The third reason for wanting joint aliya is thatsome people simply think it is nice for a couple to goup together. We allow a couple to open the ark andtake out the Torah together, or lift and bind the To-rah together, serve as Torah reader and honoree to-gether. There are many other ways couples can dothings together in the service. There are many wayspeople can be involved as couples and be fully inkeeping with law and tradition.

While there are people who are disappointed thatthey could not have a joint aliya, there are also people– especially women – who as a result of these rulesmustered the courage to have an aliya for the firsttime. For these people, that first aliya was daunting,but also exhilarating and inspiring. It was emotion-ally and spiritually satisfying. People have thankedus afterwards for “forcing” them to do it. Had therebeen joint aliya, these people might never have takenthis important step.

Furthermore, this position, whether one agreeswith it or not, is based on a clear analysis of the lawas well as an evaluation of the implications of thepolicy for this Congregation. I have always beenwilling to talk about it with anyone interested, and Iam always open to evaluate any special circum-stances or alternative viewpoints. At the same time,we respect the right of other congregations to followalternative practices, which may be fitting for theirown unique circumstances or values.

In short, calling more than one person up to theTorah is prohibited by several rules of Halakha andstandard procedure. The problems that joint aliyaseeks to solve can be addressed through other means.Joint aliya for women had its place in history, but itis inconsistent with a Congregation that upholdsequality of men and women.

When our children go to camp and college andparticipate in the larger Jewish world, I want themto be able to know that what they learned and prac-ticed at BEKI was the traditional, normative way todo things. And when our mothers and daughtersgo up to the bima for an aliya, I want everyone toknow that their voices count.

Dear Rabbi