congregation agudath achim synagogue the shul shpielbirthday of the world part 2 - airs sunday,...

CONGREGATION AGUDATH ACHIM OCTOBER, 2019

Rabbi Sydni Rubinstein [email protected]

David E. Ginsburg President (318) 469-8503 [email protected] Website: agudathshreveport.com

The Shul Shpiel

Shabbat Services: Friday Evening at 8:00 p.m., Saturday Morning at 10:00 a.m.

Tishrei - Cheshvan 5780

Congregation Agudath Achim Synagogue

9401 Village Green Drive, Shreveport, LA 71115

Phone: 318-797-6401

Kol Nidrei - Tuesday, October 8, 7:00 p.m.

Yom Kippur Morning - Wednesday, October 9, 9:00 a.m.

Additional Holiday information on pages 11 & 12


Executive Message

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

This is the season of new beginnings. Rosh Hashanah starts the New Year and we

are starting a new era in the life of Agudath Achim. The beginnings are many. Rabbi

Sydni has started her rabbinate with Agudath Achim. Even though she has been

with us for a short time, Rabbi Sydni has taught several classes on Conservative

Judaism after services. She has already initiated weekly ongoing classes in chanting

Torah (Learning to Leyn, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM) and beginning Hebrew

(Introduction to Hebrew, Thursdays at 11 AM). Classes are open to all, so please

come and see for yourself.

Last month, we inaugurated new kids programming for Shabbat and some holidays.

Conceived and coordinated by Rosa Tirado-Padin, Rebecca Austin, Barbara Joseph,

Faye Serkin, Rabbi Sydni and me, The Kids’ Shabbat Shindig is our newest

program. It takes place on the first and third Shabbatot of each month. The next

two are October 5 and October 19 and commence at about 11:00 AM. Kids start by

joining the Torah procession and then head out with their parent-teacher to the

chapel and classroom. The program is an hour of singing prayers, talking about the

parsha, reading stories and a snack. The children have a brand new prayerbook

called Siddur Ma-Tov just for them. Transliterated versions of each prayer appear

under the Hebrew and above the English translation to help kids pronounce the

prayers and to learn what they mean. This is an adult-led program. We are looking

for volunteers among parents and other adults. You do not need to know Hebrew or

lead services. Anyone can help with snack, reading a story, or just keeping the kids

interested in general. Please contact the shul office if you wish to volunteer; one of

the coordinators will get back to you. We all hope that this new program will keep

the kids interested in attending services and free the parents for some community

and me time. We do, however, ask that a responsible adult accompany children of

six years or younger.

We are not forgetting about the holidays. The same folks who brought you the Kids

Shabbat Shindig will also provide kids’ programming on the first day of Rosh

Hashanah (October 1) and on Yom Kippur (October 9). Rabbi Sydni is creating a

High Holiday machzor just for the children. Again, volunteers are welcome to assist

in any way possible. Please contact the office.

Shanah Tovah!

Bruce Herniter

1st Vice President


Rabbi Sydni’s Message

Starting the day after Yom Kippur each year, a song pops into my head and doesn’t leave for two weeks: V’samachta b’chagecha v’haita ach sameach. “You shall rejoice in your holiday, [...] and you shall only be joyful” (Deuteronomy 16:14-15). The Torah commands that Sukkot be a holiday of pure happiness, shared with everyone in the family, as well as all of the underserved members of the community - the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. For those seven days, the Torah says, “...God will bless you in all of your produce and in all of your undertakings, and you shall be only joyful.” For eight days of dwelling in a hut, sharing food with neighbors, and shaking a group of plants together, God will make sure that life will be complete bliss. As I write this article a couple of weeks before the High Holy Days, I find it difficult to arrive at that headspace. I find it difficult to visualize that transition from revisiting all of my wrongdoings from the past year over Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur to the complete glee of Sukkot. I never quite feel like my wrongdoings have been wiped clean after Yom Kippur, as I know I haven’t apologized to every person I needed to. How do I know if I’ve done enough of the “repentance, prayer, and charity that reverses the Holy Decree” that we repeat over and over during High Holy Day services? Even more daunting, one voice in the Talmud holds that the Gates of Repentance stay open until Hoshanah Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot. Perhaps, we are not only encouraged but commanded to experience joy on the holiday of Sukkot as a response to the residual anxiety from the High Holy Days. On Yom Kippur, even if we have not wiped our slate completely clean of worry, on Sukkot, we live in a state of mind as if we are completely blameless. What better way to inspire us to pursue more good in the year to come than to visualize the perfect state the world would be in if each of us were that good? The sukkah, in a sense, is a mini form of the Messianic world we pray for, as it brings us into a Temple-like space, where we practice the odd, ancient-seeming ritual of waving the lulav and etrog. In an egalitarian holiday, we invite everyone, regardless of background or status, into a fragile structure that models a perfect society. This year, as you enter the sukkah at your home, at Agudath Achim, or elsewhere, I encourage you to bring the intention of pure joy. That could mean bringing your favorite books, music, food, games, or people into the sukkah with you. Perhaps, along the line of the Torah’s command, you could share that joy by inviting someone you wouldn’t normally think of bringing into your home. The possibilities are endless for how to create that joy, but ultimately, on this Sukkot, let us try to achieve a world of such delight that we exit the holiday inspired to chase that perfect world with new fervor.

Rabbi Sydni A. Rubinstein

Rejoice in Your Holiday


Family

Service

Friday,

October 25th, 8pm

Board

Meeting

Sisterhood

AA Board Meeting

Monday, October 28th, 7pm

An-

Adult

Education

High Holy Days with Red River Radio 89.9FM

Oneg Request letters went out in September. Check your calendars for

yahrzeits, birthdays and other simhas so you can reserve your special occasions.

Call Sandra Ginsburg or the office if yours got lost in the mail!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so your toiletry donations

for Project Celebration, Inc. will be especially meaningful. Thank you to all

y’all who contribute to this worthy cause. Don’t forget your Community

Coffee proof of purchase and Box Tops Labels for Education for Creswell

Elementary School and soft drink can tabs for St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

Containers for all are on the table in the foyer.

Remember to renew your Sisterhood Dues, $36.00

Lagniappe always appreciated!

Pirkei Avot - Oct. 4th & 26th

Tishrei Teaching - Oct. 12th & 19th

Musical Memories of the High Holidays with Itzhak Perlman - Airs Thursday, October 3, 2019, at 2 p.m. \

The Jewish New Year Music and Inspirational Teachings From the Kabbalah - Airs Thursday, October 3, 2019, at 8 p.m.

Birthday of the World Part 2 - Airs Sunday, October 6, 2019, at 6 p.m.

Sephardic Journey - Wanderings of the Spanish Jews - Airs Sunday, October 6, 2019, at 7 p.m.

Recovering a Musical Heritage - Tentatively scheduled for Monday, October 7th,

at 1 p.m. Subject to change….


A Visit to the Cemetery…...

Community Religious School Director The fall season is upon us – with holidays both in importance and frequency. Rosh Hashana and Yom

Kippur are quickly followed by Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, all within a matter of twenty-

three days. With so many holidays coming one right after the other, it’s a busy time. It can be difficult to

fully embrace all aspects of each one.

For families with children at home, Sukkot is an ideal focal point, with the experience of decorating a

Sukkah and eating together with family, friends and other community members. It’s often said that when

your kids are young, the days are long and the years are short. Despite how busy those long days were

for me and my family, there were a few years that we assembled a sukkah in our yard. The memories of

figuring out which way the pieces went, finding a reason to finally cut back the bamboo (to use for the

roof), threading acorns onto string and, of course, eating together with friends and family, stay with me.

There will be a sukkah assembled at each synagogue this month – children and children at heart are

invited to build and decorate, then eat in the Sukkah, which fulfills the obligation to

dwell in it.

Important Dates –

Religious School and Hebrew School (regular schedule) on the 6th, 20th and 27th

Wednesday Hebrew School on the 23rd and 30th

Sunday, October 13: Sukkah Decorating at Agudath Achim at 11:00 a.m., and at B’nai Zion at 4:30

p.m.

Friday, October 18: Consecration at 6:00 p.m. at B’nai Zion. This is a special welcome to the youngest

students. All Kindergarten students will recite the Shema and receive their own miniature Torah. PreK

students will also be acknowledged.

Todah Rabah:

to the board and members at the July 22 Board meeting for your questions and input

on the Religious School and Hebrew programs. Let’s please continue the conversation!

On Sunday, September 15, nineteen students in grades 4-7 visited the Agudath Achim cemetery to learn about Jewish rituals associated with death, and to help document historical data. There is no complete digital record of the people buried there, so students traveled in groups throughout sections, recording names, dates of birth and death, and other words or pictures of interest. Several students found graves of family members, mostly great-grandparents, and shared with the entire group what they knew about them.

also

Along with Rabbi Sydni, 6th and 7th grade teacher Rebecca Austin, and several parents who volunteered to drive, Rabbi Feivel was also in attendance, meeting some of the students for the first time. We look forward to his continued involvement with the Religious School.

(If you missed what I wrote about the cemetery visit last month, you can go to the BZ web page and find it in the September bulletin.) Barbara Joseph


Rabbi Sydni’s Installation

Rabbi Sydni Adler Rubinstein shares

her experience so far with Agudath Achim,

Torah, and good deeds.

Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue

in San Diego, CA, offers words of encouragement

to Rabbi Sydni and Agudath Achim.

Rabbis Sydni and Feivel Rubinstein and

Rabbi Dr. Jana De Benedetti sing together.

Bob Gordon speaks on behalf of our Men’s Club. Bernard Lobel, the Padin family and Rabbi Sydni

stand before the ark.


Birthdays in October

If you are interested in being a Host or would like more information concerning Oneg or Kiddush

refreshments, please contact the synagogue office at 797-6401, or Sandra Ginsburg at 865-2218.

4th / 5th Debbie Dlin in memory of Neal Dlin

11th / 12th Elliott & Sharon Goldman in honor of Elliott’s birthday

18th / 19th Oneg Committee

25th / 26th Dr. Aubrey & Joan Lurie in honor of Aubry’s birthday

October - Oneg Shabbat / Kiddush

Happy Anniversary!

Mikhail Tchinkindas Oct. 2 Sarah Diebner Oct. 22

Joshua Silberman Oct. 2 Clarice Bayer Oct. 23

Steven Bayer Oct. 5 Ada Sheehan Oct. 23

Elliott Goldman Oct. 9 Martin Ginsburg Oct. 29

Douglas Dlin Oct. 10 Dr. Aubrey Lurie Oct. 31

Dr. Karen Gordon Oct. 12 Rosa Tirado Padin Oct. 31

Lorraine Soffer Oct. 13 Arnold Vedlitz Oct. 31

Andrea Sour Oct. 13

Marcia A. Spielberger Oct. 14

Jody Levine Oct. 17

Mikhail Aronov Oct. 21

Dr. David & Susan Gross October 12 39th

Steve & Michelle Bayer October 17 39th

Simchat Torah Covered Dish Dinner

6:00 p.m. Monday, October 21

Bring a Dairy, Vegetarian or Parve Dish

Sisterhood will provide beverages,

bread and desserts.

Services immediately Following


Men’s Club

High Holy Days Donations

GREETINGS for a Sweet New Year

Sarah & Michael Diebner

David & Sandra Ginsburg

Lawrence, Jonathan & Lauren Goodman

Dr. David & Susan Gross

Curtis, Barbara, Caleb & Ivy Joseph

Bridgie Ann LaCour

Dr. Aubrey & Joan Lurie & family

Ellen Soffer & Allen Organick

Marcia Abramson Spielberger

Tammy & Paul Willson

Please watch for Men’s Club dues notices coming out soon. The Men’s Club supports Agudath Achim in many ways.

This includes:

(1) Sunday morning minyan breakfasts; (2) fresh fruit for each Oneg and Kiddush; (3) putting on movie/dinner nights (such as the one in August); and other events.

We ask each member to continue supporting us with a check for $36 payable to the AA Men’s Club

FLOWERS

David & Sandra Ginsburg

In Honor of

Rabbis Sydni & Feivel Rubinstein

Bridgie A. LaCour

In Memory of

Melvin LaCour

Ellen Soffer & Allen Organick

In Memory of

Harry Soffer

Steven Soffer

Elliott Irving Organick

Rosa & Rafael Padin

In Memory of

Carol Ginsburg

Tammy & Paul Willson

In Memory of

Casey Colley

Isaac Ain

Dr. Richard & Sara Zweig

In Memory of

Rachel & Rubin Cristol


YAHRZEITS

If there are any omissions

or errors in the list above,

please notify the office with

any corrections.

Week of Week of Week of

Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 Oct. 5 to Oct. 11 Oct. 12 to Oct. 18

Week of Week of

Oct. 19 to Oct. 25 Oct. 26 to Nov. 1

Condolences

David Goldberg

Harry Diebner

Harry Diebner

Frieda Reisman

Ella H. Feldman

Arthur Provisor

Bessie Lachman

Esther K. Lobel

Jerry Rosen

Evelyn Hellring

Mollie Shapiro

Pearl Becker

Samuel Rubin

Lynette Gregory

Libby Lipson

Abe Ritman

Louise Gomolsky

Harry Wanger

Joshua Belen

Louis Suckle

Jacob Wolchansky

Elizabeth Siegel

Bruno Strauss

Lazarus Willer

Sam Segal

Cipa Taylor

Ha Makom Y’nahem oto b’toh sha’ar aveilei

Tzion vi ‘Y’ rushalayim, to the family of Liza Judd

HaMakom Y’nahem etkhem b’tokh aveilei ha-olam.

May the Omnipresent bring comfort to Liza’s family and friends

among all the mourners of the world.

The Carol Ginsburg Family wishes to thank everyone

for their support, donations, comfort and kind words.

It is the custom at Agudath Achim to commemorate the Yahrzeit by

reading the name the Sabbath before


DONATIONS

If there are any errors or omissions, please contact the office with corrections.

In Beloved Memory of By

In Honor of

Chris & Mary Knoop

Linda A. Adler

Brian & Jennie Allee Walsh

Dr. & Mrs. Ike Muslow

Marcia Abramson Spielberger

Howard & Charli Silberman

Jodi Guthikonda

Maxine & Jody Levine

Maureen Lustberg

Rebecca Austin, Dr. Karen Gordon, Ellen Soffer and Sara Zweig

for Chevrah Kadisha

by David & Sandra Ginsburg

Marion Poe

Cole, Evans & Peterson, CPA

Bernard & Dorothy Lobel

Barbara F. Bassano

Betty Williams

Joe & Sherri Baca

Perry & Maria Hyman

Berte & Dr. Ike Muslow

Alfred Barrow

Norman Dlin Debbie Dlin

Manuel Lincove & Rose G Lincove Vogel Janice L. & Warren Epstein

Daniel Lincove, Janice L. & Warren Epstein

Arnold Lincove Janice L. & Warren Epstein

Louise Gomolsky David & Elaine Hartley

Abe Ritman Janet Ritman

In Memory of Carol Ginsburg

In Beloved Memory of By


Rabbi’s October Calendar Notes

Did Jew know?

High Holy Days

Rosh HaShanah - Day 2 Service - Tuesday, October 1, 9:30 a.m.

Tzom Gedalya (minor fast day, no services) - Wednesday, October 2

Kol Nidre - Tuesday. October 8, 7:00 p.m.

Yom Kippur Daytime Services - Wednesday, October 9

Morning Services - 9:00 a.m.

High Holy Kids - Yom Kippur - 10:00 a.m.

Yizkor - 1:00 p.m.

Yoga with Ruach* - 4:00 p.m.

Mincha - 5:30 p.m.

Neilah - 6:30 p.m.

Break Fast - 8:00 p.m.

Sukkot

Sukkah Set-Up - Sunday, October 6, 9:30 a.m.

Sukkah Beautification Brunch - Sunday, October 13, 11:00 a.m.

Evening Service Day 1** - Sunday, October 13, 7:00 p.m.

Daytime Service Day 1 (with lunch) - Monday, October 14, 9:30 a.m.

Daytime Service Day 2 - Tuesday, October 15, 9:30 a.m.

Shemini Atzeret

Evening Service** - Sunday October 20, 7:00 p.m.

Daytime Service - Monday, October 21, 9:30 a.m.

Simchat Torah

Covered Dish Celebration and Services - Monday, October 21, 6:00 p.m.

Daytime Service - Tuesday, October 22, 9:30 a.m.

*Yoga with Ruach will be an experience in movement, breathing, and meditation, all either

sitting in chairs or standing. Quite simply, it’s a time to consciously comfort your physical

self during a day of lots of hungry sitting or standing in place. All bodies are welcome.

** As these services are expected to be smaller than others and under an hour, there will

be no police security; all weekday security will still be in place.

There’s over 40 food & drink holidays in October… International Coffee Day,

National Homemade Cookies Day, National Gumbo Day, National Noodle Day,

National Greasy Food Day, Wine Day - just to name a few. World Food Day is

October 16th, which was the founding of the UN Food & Agriculture Organization

- a day to take action against hunger, to reflect that food is a basic human right.

Project Isaiah gives us the opportunity to do our part regarding reducing hun-

ger in our community.


October 2019 Tishrei- Cheshvan 5780

Note: Saturday Shabbat service times will change starting the first week of November!

Bagel breakfast will be at 9:15 a.m. and services will begin at 9:45 a.m.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

2 Tishrei 1

9:30 a.m.

Rosh

HaShanah

Office Closed

3 Tishrei 2

Tzom Gedalya

7:00 p.m.

Learning to Leyn

4 Tishrei 3

11:00 a.m.

Intro to Hebrew

5 Tishrei 4

8:00 p.m.

Services

6:24 p.m.

6 Tishrei 5

10:00 a.m.

Services

Pirkei Avot

Shoftim

7 Tishrei 6

8:30 a.m.

Sukkah set-up

9:30 a.m.

Religious

School

8 Tishrei 7

9 Tishrei 8

7:00 p.m.

Kol Nidrei

10 Tishrei 9

9:00 a.m.

Yom Kippur

See page 11 for

details

11 Tishrei 10

11:00 a.m.

Intro to Hebrew

12 Tishrei 11

8:00 p.m.

Services

6:13 p.m.

13 Tishrei 12

10:00 a.m.

Services

Tishrei

Teaching

14 Tishrei 13

11:00 a.m.

Sukkah

Beautification

Brunch

7:00 p.m.

Services

15 Tishrei 14

9:30 a.m.

Sukkot Day 1

Office Closed

16 Tishrei 15

9:30 a.m.

Sukkot Day 2

17 Tishrei 16

11:00 a.m.

Hodesh Hadash

7:00 p.m.

Learning to Leyn

18 Tishrei 17

11:00 a.m.

Intro to Hebrew

19 Tishrei 18

6:00 p.m.

Religious

School

Consecration

at BZ

8:00 p.m.

Services

20 Tishrei 19

10:00 a.m.

Services

Tishrei Teaching

Ki Tavo

Selichot

21 Tishrei 20

9:30 a.m.

Religious

School

7:00 a.m.

Services

22 Tishrei 21

9:30 a.m.

Shmini

Atzeret

6:00 pm

Simchat Torah

Family

Celebration

23 Tishrei 22

9:30 a.m.

Simchat Torah

Office Closed

24 Tishrei 23

Hebrew School

4:30 p.m.

to 5:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Learning to Leyn

25 Tishrei 24

11:00 a.m.

Intro to Hebrew

26 Tishrei 25

Family Service

8:00 p.m.

5:53 p.m.

27 Tishrei 26

10:00 a.m.

Services

Pirkei Avot

11:00 a.m.

Kids’ Shindig

Nitzavim

28 Tishrei 27

9:30 a.m.

Religious

School

29 Tishrei 28

7:00 p.m.

Board Meeting

30 Tishrei 29

1 Cheshvan 30

Hebrew School

4:30 p.m.

to 5:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Learning to Leyn

1 Cheshvan 31

11:00 a.m.

Intro to Hebrew

2 Cheshvan 1

November

8:00 p.m.

Services

3 Cheshvan 2

10:00 a.m.

Services

Noach

congregation agudath achim synagogue the shul shpielbirthday of the world part 2 - airs sunday,...

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