jewish community of amherst · jewish community of amherst devarim: ... through this sacred art...

Kolot — JCA Voices | Jan. 2018 |Tevet – Shevat 5778

Jewish Community of Amherst

Devarim: Words from our Rabbi

Programs and Events Calendar

Our Community

Message from JCA President

Ritual Life Calendar and Notes

Youth and Family Education

Spotlight on Committees

In The Valley

Donations

JCA Administration

Highlights this Month

Community Conversations Global Perspectives Beyond Genocide, January 21

Singing for Sanctuary: Benefit Concert of Leverett Commmunity Chorus, January 28

Tu B'Shevat, January 31

Kolot — JCA Voices | January 2018 | page 2

Rabbi Weiner wants to make sure the community knows he is available and eager to visit at home, or in the hospital, with people who are unwell or otherwise in need of some spiritual support. The important step is to make sure he knows you are in need!

Please don’t hesitate to contact him directly at [email protected], or through the JCA office, if you would like a visit.

Dear JCA,

I’m generally called upon to initiate the proceedings at JCA convocations with a word of Torah. At the last annual meeting, I talked about the parasha of that week: the story of Joseph being released from prison to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams--those visions of fat and skinny cows and sheaves which, while they impressed themselves on the king’s emotions, surpassed the interpretive powers of his mind. Joseph put the meaning of these dreams into words, and, perhaps even more impressive, he was able to conceive and implement a course of action making the best of the

tumultuous turn of events they pointed towards.

I spoke of this Joseph as exemplifying some of the key qualities of leadership, and used my insight as a springboard toward heaping lavish, and deserved, praise upon Bill Zimmer, who has just stepped down from a four year term as the president of the JCA, and is probably already embarked with Marsha and a truckload of stuff on their bittersweet journey west. We wish them well!

Of the many aspects of Bill’s leadership I came to appreciate, the one I want to highlight here is the way that, slowly but surely, he rebuilt JCA governance into a task that was focused and compelling, and so managed to attract a dynamic cadre of community members to board service. It’s my good fortune that I get to continue to work with them, and it’s my goal in this brief space, and in the months to come, to encourage you--yes, I’m talking to you--to take your place among them, if you haven’t already, whether on the board itself, or, more to the point, on the subsidiary committees and working groups that address themselves to the business of the JCA.

A lot of work remains to be done, from maintaining our sound and conservative fiscal policy while making sure we don’t stint or undervalue ourselves, to developing our currently underachieving fundraising and membership outreach capacities, to seeing through special projects to completion--such as the steeple repair and the potential solarization of our energy source.

In a world that often feels like it is slipping from our grasp, that can leave us panting and confused like the Pharaoh in the Torah’s story, service to intimate sacred community can provide us, like Joseph released from the dungeon, with an invaluable sense of purpose and accomplishment. In the words of one of my teachers, any act of service to sacred community, from signing a check to changing a bulb, is sacred work; to the point that it is almost redundant to offer a word of Torah at the start of an annual meeting--because the meeting itself is Torah.

b’shalom, Rabbi Benjamin Weiner

Devarim: Words from Our Rabbi

mailto:[email protected]


Programs and Events Calendar

January 3, WednesdayLunCh & Learn With raBBi Weiner12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

January 4, thursdayYiddiSh LeYner'S GrouP12:00 pm – 2:00 pmWe welcome anyone who enjoys reading Yiddish to join us at the JCA the first Thursday of every month.

January 4, thursdayJCa kLezmer WorkShoP7:15 pm – 8:45 pmAn ongoing workshop for instrumentalists interested in learning how to play Klezmer music. Instructor Brian Bender (Wholesale Klezmer Band, Yiddishkeit Klezmer Ensemble, Little Shop of Horas) teaches Klezmer repertoire and style in a fun, relaxed setting. All instruments welcome. The workshop periodically performs as an ensemble for JCA events. Fee is $15/class.



January 18, thursdayJCa kLezmer WorkShoP7:15 pm – 8:45 pm

Mark your calendars for community activities, programs, study opportunities, and more. Please see the Ritual Life Calendar for information on Shabbat and other services.


Programs and Events Calendar (continued)

January 21, SundayCommunitY ConverSationS GLoBaL PerSPeCtiveS BeYond GenoCide10:15 am – 11:45 amThis workshop, led by area artist, Amy Fagin, employs "thinking through art" to learn about and discuss case studies of several important genocides and mass atrocity crimes. Amy will introduce her artistic process and will engage a group discussion on art, genocide, prevention and the 21st century. Beyond Genocide is a visual art series of illuminated manuscripts that Amy has been developing since 2005. The series narrates, through this sacred art form, a comprehensive exploration of atrocity crimes perpetrated throughout history and around the globe. To view the paintings and learn more: http://beyondgenocide.net/


January 28, Sunday SinGinG for SanCtuarY: Benefit ConCert of Leverett CommunitY ChoruS4:00 pm – 6:00 pm (snow date Sunday, february 4)*This concert is a benefit to support the family of Lucio Perez who is in Sanctuary at First Church Amherst. The concert will help raise much needed funds for Lucio’s family, trying to survive without Lucio’s income, and celebrate with song the strong, loving, generous, community that continues to grow in support of Lucio, immigrant justice, and resistance to this cruel deportation policy. Suggested $10.00 donation (or more if inclined) at the door. Money raised will go to the First Church Amherst’s Immigrant Sanctuary Fund for Lucio’s family. All donations are tax deductible. Additional contributions can be made at https://tinyurl.com/ImSanctuaryFund.

*snow reschedule will be posted at: https://www.leverettchorus.com

January 30, tuesdaymaimonideS: our ContemPorarY? raBBi Weiner7:00 pm – 8:30 pmAdult Education class. Registration required.


Armenia: Beyond Genocide #2

by Amy Fagin

http://beyondgenocide.net/

https://tinyurl.com/ImSanctuaryFund

https://www.leverettchorus.com


Upcoming Events

february 24, Saturday7:00 pmBorSCht BeLt iS BaCk! Get Your JokeS readY.More information to come.

march 22, thursdayJCa aduLt readinG GrouP7:30 pmAt this 3rd meeting of the year, we will be discussing the book, Murder on a Kibbutz by Batya Gur. The book is Gur's third Israeli mystery thriller involving detective Michael Ohayon of the Serious Crimes Unit, and is at least as much about the world of the kibbutz as it is about the murder of beautiful, headstrong kibbutz secretary, Osnat Harel. Much of the narrative is rather slow by American mystery standards, although it yields a fascinating account of the ways in which this quintessential Israeli institution has changed, and in some ways failed to change, with the years. It is in paperback and, of course, available through a library or Kindle. Come join us. Our discussions are lively, and you almost always come away with a deeper appreciation of the book you have read. New participants are always welcome! Any questions, please call Ken Talan at 413-253-2248

Programs and Events Calendar (continued)


Our Community

We warmly welcome our new members who have joined the JCA in 2017.

Stan Shore AmherstCatherine & Jay Alpert ShutesburyMyra & David Ross AmherstNina Mankin AmherstElizabeth Wilkens-Plumley AmherstYafa Chase & Harley Parry GranbyBrianna & Marc Maier AmherstLiliana Kulapai & Hal Schneider BelchertownNina & Karsten Theis AmherstDiane & Douglas Gnepp South HadleyMarla Goldberg-Jamate AmherstBrian Schaffner NorthamptonLeslie & Bryan Lorber AmherstLeah Goldstein & Pearl Mosimann PelhamEmily Hodos & Eric Phelps HadleyLeah Gordon & Adam Contois AmherstAbby Coren Amherst

New Members

CondolencesWe offer our sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who have recently died.

Leah r. Brochstein, beloved mother of Robert Feldman and mother-in-law of Katherine Vorwerk Feldman; grandmother of Sarah Feldman, Joshua Feldman, and Jonathan Feldman; and great-grandmother of Lilia Rothenberg, Naomi Feldman, Miles Feldman, and Alexander Feldman

Gertrude Wolkenbreit, mother of Steve Wolkenbreit, mother-in-law of Janis, and grandmother of Liana and Matt

Copy of first JCa Cookbook needed for JCa archivesDo you have a copy of the first JCA cookbook, The Melting Pot, published in 1977 that you would be willing to donate? Remarkably, we don't have a copy in the archives. Alternatively, if you see one at a book sale, please buy it to donate. It depicts much about the community at the time. You can leave it at the JCA office, or with Ann Wetherbee, or contact Linda Seidman, 413-259-1458.

Seeking Your newsWe would like to hear from you! Please send us your good news or anything significant you would like to share. We welcome your announcement up to 120 words and an accompanying jpeg photo up to 1MB in size. Please send by the 12th of the month before the publication of the next newsletter to: [email protected].

Joining the Jewish Community of amherstIf you would like to know more about becoming a member of the JCA, we encourage you to get in touch with the Membership Committee at [email protected]. If you are ready to receive membership application materials, please contact the JCA Office at 413-256-0160 or [email protected], and welcome!




Message from JCA President

hello from the new President

As the new president of the JCA, I thought it would be best if I use this issue of Kolot to introduce myself to all of you and give you some of my thoughts and vision for the JCA. First, I want to fully acknowledge my predecessor, Bill Zimmer. He is a unique soul whose skills came to the JCA when they were most needed, and I do not presume in any way to be Bill. It is an honor to follow him, and I hope I can live up to all of your expectations.

My family and I have been members of the JCA for over 7 years. My youngest son, Jonah, became Bar Mitzvah here two years ago, and we had a chance to fully engage with the entire JCA community as part of that process. I want to recognize the profound effect Rabbi Weiner and Ruth Love Barer had on us and on our son. We are happy that Jonah became a Bar Mitzvah here and that we opened up our celebration to the entire community. It was a lot of fun and helped us appreciate, and now cherish, how important this Jewish community is to all who are part of it.

We live in Belchertown where my wife, Maria, is a high school science teacher, and in fact is in the process of converting to Judaism under Rabbi Weiner’s guidance. Our two oldest sons both became Bar Mitzvah at Beit Ahavah in Florence. The oldest, Noah, is a graduate of Union College and now lives in New Jersey, where he is employed as a chemist for a hazardous waste collection company. Our middle son, Sam, will be graduating from Brandeis this coming May. We all enjoy attending services at the JCA and appreciate the depth of this community.

I see the JCA as a place of joy, peace and solace, which needs to be protected and nurtured. I believe that we all can help the JCA by doing “our part” - whatever that is for you. It is the combination of all our efforts that makes the JCA into such a strong and vibrant community.

There will be plenty of other opportunities throughout the year for me to talk about the important issues facing the JCA, such as our budget, fundraising, volunteerism and membership amongst others. We all know that these are complicated and challenging times we live in, and the JCA is a place where we can all come together and feel included and safe.

I am honored to be your new president, thank you!

b'shalom, Eric Weiss

January 3, WednesdayRitual Life Committee 7:00 pm

January 4, thursdayBoard Meeting 7:00 pm

January 8, mondayChesed Committee 7:00 pm

January 12, fridayAdult Education Committee 11:45 pm

January 18, thursdayExecutive Committee 7:00 pm

Tikkun Olam Committee 7:15 pm

Committee meetinGS


Shabbat Shemot, Exodus 1:1-6:1January 5, friday

no famiLY ShaBBat thiS month

January 6, SaturdayShaBBat YoGa9:00 am in the social hallreneWaL ServiCe10:00 am in the small sanctuaryShaBBat morninG ServiCeS10:00 amService Leader: Rabbi WeinerD'var Torah: Rabbi Weiner

Shabbat Va'era, Exodus 6:2-9:35January 12, friday

kaBBaLat ShaBBat ServiCeS6:15 pmService Leaders: Rabbi Weiner with Danielle Kadinoff, guitar

January 13, SaturdayShaBBat morninG ServiCeS10:00 amService Leader: Rabbi WeinerD’var Torah: Dane Kuttler will speak about her experiences as a Jewish foster parent. (see page 17 for more information)

Shabbat Bo, Exodus 10:1-13:16

January 19, fridayShaBBat ne'imah6:15 pmService Leaders: Rabbi Weiner and our musical daveners

January 20, SaturdayShaBBat YoGa9:00 am in the social hallShaBBat morninG ServiCeS10:00 amService Leader: Rabbi WeinerD'var Torah: Rabbi Weiner

Ritual Life Calendar and Notes

Candle LightingJanuary 5 ~ 4:12 pm

January 12 ~ 4:19 pm



Times shown are 18 minutes before sunset for Amherst, MA

rosh Ḥodesh ShevatJanuary 17, Wednesday

tu B'Shevat (15th of Shevat)New Year of the TreesJanuary 31, Wednesday community program at 5:30 pm.

Tu B'shevat seder following services on February 1.

Shacharit minyanTuesdays at 7:30 am in the small sanctuary

meditation minyanThe meditation minyan is on hiatus until the spring

ma'ariv minyanThursdays at 5:30 pm in the small sanctuary


Ritual Life Calendar and Notes (continued)

Shabbat Shirah, Parashat Beshallaḥ Exodus 13:17-17:16

January 26, fridaykaBBaLat ShaBBat ServiCeS6:15 pmService Leader: Rabbi Weiner

January 27, SaturdayShaBBat morninG ServiCeS10:00 amService Leader: Rabbi WeinerD’var Torah: Rabbi Weiner

torah reading CoordinationIf you are interested in reading Torah and would like to schedule a time to read, please contact: Randi Stein, [email protected], 413-549-0528 for reading in February, Marty Pepper Aisenberg, [email protected], 978-249-8470, for reading in March. For other times, please contact Aaron Bousel, [email protected], 413-253-3544.

If you would like to learn to read Torah or would like help choosing or preparing a reading, please contact Batya Perman, 549-4853, or Jane Myers, 401-451-6020.

thank YouThe Ritual Life Committee would like to thank those who have given their time and expertise in service to the ritual life of the community:

• Recent Torah/Haftorah readers: Joe Boucher, Aaron Bousel, Sam Gladstone, Hadar Grabel, Danielle Kadinoff, Yosef Rumshiskiy, Hal Schneider

• Divrei Torah: Rev. Vicki Kemper of First Church Amherst

• Service leaders: Gordon Freed, Catherine Madsen, Felicia Mednick and Sara Schley

• Musicians: Our Musical Daveners, Danielle Kadinoff

Check the JCA website at: https://jcamherst.org/calendar/month/ for updated information on services.

kiddush & oneg SponsorsJanuary 13- Connie & Chuck Songer, in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary.Connie and Chuck ask that, in celebration of their anniversary, we bring a donation to the food bank on that Shabbat.

If you would like to help with or sponsor a kiddush, please contact Ann Wetherbee, our Administrative Director, at [email protected]




https://jcamherst.org/calendar/month/




Youth and Family Education

JCA electives on Wednesday afternoons are a chance for our students to explore their connection to Judaism through a variety of media that are distinct from traditional "Hebrew School". This past semester, our students explored art, photography, movie making, and cooking. Here are some examples of their work.

Mitzvah: A mitzvah could be saying a prayer of thanks. That's what I thought when I took this photo for the prayer lehadlik ner shel shabbat. The picture above shows two candles and a box of matches which is used for the prayer.

This is a picture of the sanctuary that I took from the balcony. I call it Synagogue From Above. The value that it shows is sanctuary.

Community: I wanted to show an image of this because even those who have passed on are a part of our community.

Learning: People could be learning how to cook. That is what I was thinking when I took this photo in the kitchen were people were learning how to make certain Jewish foods. The photo above shows a burner being used for cooking on a stove.

Torn paper art of the overarching philosophy of kesher, Kehilla (community), Betzelem Elohim (inclusivity), Zehoot (Identity).

Hamotzi blessing artwork interpreted through the use of flours and seeds from a variety of plants. Blessing over children: The art is

tied together the way families are.


Youth and Family Education Calendar

January 3, WednesdayJCa SChooL vaCation: no CLaSSSeS

January 5, fridayno famiLY fridaY thiS month

January 7, Sunday (First day back from break!)famiLY, JCa SChooL, & ShaLom totS: havdaLah & Learner'S minYan10:00 amParent/Guardian attendance requested

JCa SChooL: midot, B'nai mitzvah & ShaLom totS10:45 amJCa heBreW: firSt daY of SeSSion 311:45 am

January 10, WednesdayJCa SChooL: firSt daY of SPrinG eLeCtiveS JCa SChooL: B'nai mitzvah WritinG WorkShoP & mitzvah ProJeCt4:00 pm

January 14, SundayShaLom totS: muSiCaL ServiCe foLLoWed BY inStruCtor Led aCtivitieS JCa SChooL: midot and B'nai mitzvah10:00 am – 11:45 amJCa SChooL: ShaLom totS, midot - famiLY fun daY!10:45 am – 11:45 amJCa SChooL: heBreW SeSSion 311:45 am – 12:45 pm

January 17, WednesdayJCa SChooL: SPrinG eLeCtiveS JCa SChooL: B'nai mitzvah WritinG WorkShoP & mitzvah ProJeCt4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Buy Your Dean's Beans Coffee through the JCA and support the JCA School!

Dean's Beans Order Form: https://goo.gl/forms/nIJBTBuDxWbjfjDI2

Youth and Family Education (continued)

https://goo.gl/forms/nIJBTBuDxWbjfjDI2


Youth and Family Education (continued)

For updates and complete school calendar listings go to: https://jcamherst.org/calendar/category/youthcalendar/

January 19, fridayteenS: Jv CorPS CookS for ShaBBat ne'imah5:00 pm – 9:00 pmfamiLY: ShaBBat ne'imah foLLoWed BY dinner made BY our Jv CorPS teenS6:15 pmParent/guardian required

January 21, SundayJCat and B'nai mitzvah CLaSS: YaChad/Better toGether9:45 am – 1:00 pmShaLom totS: muSiCaL ServiCe foLLoWed BY inStruCtor Led aCtivitieS JCa SChooL: midot10:00 am – 11:45 amJCa heBreW: SeSSion 311:45 am – 12:45 pm

January 24, WednesdayJCa SChooL: eLeCtiveS JCa SChooL: B'nai mitzvah WritinG WorkShoP & mitzvah ProJeCt4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

January 28, SundayShaLom totS: muSiCaL ServiCe foLLoWed BY inStruCtor Led aCtivitieS JCa SChooL: midot and B'nai mitzvah10:00 am – 11:45 amJCa heBreW: SeSSion 311:45 am – 12:45 pm

January 31, WednesdayfamiLY: JCa tu B'Shevat CeLeBration5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

https://jcamherst.org/calendar/category/youthcalendar/


We are pleased to give the members of the new board the opportunity to introduce themselves to you, and tell you why they have chosen to serve JCA in this way. On behalf of the community, we thank them and send good wishes as they begin their new year together.

ERIC WEISS (President)

I am the father of three sons who have each become bar mitzvah, one in August 2015 at the JCA. Currently, I work as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts's Higher Education Consortium in Amherst. Formerly, I was the Sustainability Director for the Hampshire Council of Governments. I am also a former Chairman of the Belchertown School Committee. I enjoy running, being outside, swimming and skiing. I would like to help guide the JCA into the future.

JANIS LEVY (First Vice President)Born and raised in Sheffield, England, I began a career in professional theatre in London but came to the USA for a summer in 197I. I am still here! Moving from CA to MA in 1977 with my family, I became an active member of a local synagogue teaching in the school and adult education, serving on the board and as president, and later as executive director. My professional work has included senior writer for development; administration and production in theatre and public television; program director in social services; and strategic planning and management consultant for non-profit organizations. My son and daughter and families live in Seattle. I joined the JCA in 2011 and am grateful for this community. I enjoy contributing my experiences in Jewish communal life to the

work of the board and to the wellbeing of the JCA. My focus recently has been on communications and participating in developing our online newsletter and new website.

BOB SOLOSKO (Second Vice President)Prior to moving to the Pioneer Valley in 2009, I was a member of the board and High Holiday coordinator at Temple Shir Tikvah in Winchester, MA. Very shortly after moving to the valley and becoming a member of the JCA, I was appointed co-chair of the High Holiday Committee. For the past five years I’ve served on the JCA board, first as a member-at-large and currently as one of the vice-presidents and as chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. Volunteering at the JCA gives me a strong connection with the JCA community, and with my background in both engineering and business, I have skills and experience that help me give back to the community.

ELI KWARTLER (Third Vice President)Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY before it became gentrified, I have lived in Pelham since the ‘70s and been a member of the JCA since the early ‘80s. I have been active as a volunteer for more than 15 years serving on many committees and as a co-president. I feel that my long involvement and experience add to my value as Third Vice President. My interests include extensive travel, serving as a SHINE Counselor dealing with MEDICARE and MEDICAID for seniors, and being on the board of The Learning Project. All of this is in addition to a fervent commitment to the synagogue and its long-term success as both the home of the Jewish Community of Amherst and a House of Worship.

Spotlight on Committees

Our New Board of Directors


Spotlight on Committees (continued)

JEFF ROTH-HOWE (Treasurer)My wife Debbie and I have been members of the JCA since 1982. I have been living in the Valley since 1974, 25 years in Amherst and now 11 years in Leverett. We found the JCA’s openness to having families with one Jewish partner and one non-Jewish partner as part of the congregation to be very supportive as we started a family of our own. I am retired from my career in human services where I worked extensively with both state and private agencies, including serving as Executive Director of Children's Aid and Family Service of Hampshire County for 15 years. I volunteer now at the Amherst Survival Center, serve on the Leverett Personnel Committee, and serve as president of the Hampshire Council of Social Agencies (COSA). The best part of my week is being Grandpa to my 4 year-old and 1

year-old granddaughters who also live in Leverett. I hope my experience working with and serving on other boards in the area and my management experience will be useful in assisting the work of the JCA board moving forward.

ELIZA GOUVERNEUR (Clerk)My husband, Richard Cohen, and I joined the JCA in December 2008. Prior to moving to Amherst, I worked as a librarian at a Jewish day school in Delaware and at the Center for Jewish Life/Hillel at Princeton University. At the JCA, I have been a member of the Ritual Life Committee, the Nominating Committee, and helped make our library more user-friendly. Richard and I have occasionally led Friday night services. Outside of the JCA, I volunteer twice a week as Librarian at the Lander Grinspoon Academy. As clerk of the board, I hope that I can help with the many efforts to keep us thriving. The financial, spiritual, communal life of the community, the whole living institution that is the JCA, means a great deal to me.

BARBARA SCHAFFER BACON (Member at Large)Hailing from Springfield, I have been in the Valley since coming to UMASS as a student in 1973. I was raised in a reform congregation (Sinai Temple) and was very active in the temple youth group and regional [NFTY] association. This didn’t stop me from marrying Roger Bacon, a nice Catholic boy from Amherst 38 years ago. We raised two children in Belchertown where I served on the School Committee for 14 years. I work with Americans for the Arts, a national organization that works to cultivate, promote, and sustain support for artists and the arts in communities throughout the county, and currently serve on the board of our state arts agency, the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Having appreciated much support from the congregation as an adult Bat Mitzvah, I know it is time to give

back. This is my second round of board service having served last in the late ‘80s. I hope to support a JCA community that is welcoming and offers many options and entry points for participating in spiritual, educational, social action and social programming.

MARA HAHN (Member at Large)My family and I have been JCA members for 11 years. We joined when our son was 18 months, looking for a Jewish community that was warm and comfortable. I joined the Youth & Family Education Committee several years ago and have served as chairperson for the past 4 years. I have just completed my second year on the board and look forward to the coming year.



HANS HERDA (Member at Large)Phyllis and I moved from Lexington to Leverett in 2010 to be close to our two daughters and their families. We joined the JCA shortly after we arrived. I had recently retired from almost thirty years as professor of mathematics at UMass Boston. Most of my time now is happily taken up with helping with our grandchildren (seven boys!). I also collect coins, minerals, crystals and especially ancient stone tools that I have even found in Israel. I feel that the JCA gives us so much in so many ways, and I would like to give back. Serving on the board is one way that I can do that.

JONATHAN LEWIS (Member at Large)My wife Melanie and I are Brooklyn born and bred, and our graduate school and professional lives have taken us to Maryland, Iowa, Kansas and Delaware before we located to the Pioneer Valley to be closer to our kids. We have a son and daughter-in-law in North Amherst and a daughter in Arlington, and we are glad to be able to see them more often. We are both retired psychologists who worked together in our private practice, and in addition I served as a senior psychologist at the Center for Counseling at the University of Delaware for 33 years. I served as president of the Delaware Psychological Association twice, and I was active with the American Psychological Association as well as the American Board of Professional Psychology. We are both very grateful that we found the JCA

and we have felt it to be a congruent and welcome place for us. I serve on the Adult Education Committee and I am looking forward to contributing even more to the JCA.

CONNIE SONGER (Member at Large) My husband Chuck and I moved here from south central Pennsylvania after we retired. We wanted to

be close to our daughters and their families and hoped to find a Jewish community in which we could both participate. Although Chuck is not Jewish, we had both been very active at Temple Beth Shalom in Mechanicsburg, PA. We were pleased to find a vibrant Reconstructionist community close to our new home in Western Mass. I retired after 30 years as a women's health nurse practitioner, work that I loved and felt passionate about, but just as passionate is my love of Judaism. So to make up for a complete absence of Jewish education, I returned to school in Jewish studies. I have loved becoming a part of the Jewish Community of Amherst and contributing to its life and future. Continuing to be part

of the board is one way that I can continue to give back to a community that has become a significant part of our life.

RANDI STEIN (Member at Large)I moved to Amherst from southern New Hampshire in 2005, and joined the JCA shortly thereafter. This community feels like home. I love its diversity, its educated members, the ease with which one can become part of the fabric. I am delighted with our rabbi and the ways in which our community has been enlivened by his intelligent and creative presence. I grew up in a Jewishly-active home, and have always loved Jewish music and Hebrew. Had the rabbinate been a possibility for women when I was growing up, I think I would have leaned in that direction. I have lived in Israel (1974-1978) on kibbutz Menara, a small village on the northern border, and that experience cemented my love of the Hebrew language and the principles of egalitarian living. When I am not at the JCA, I am writing, or painting,

or photographing, or tutoring children. I am a dance/movement therapist and Waldorf-trained remedial educator. I am a member of the JCA Ritual Life Committee. I have three grown children-- Adam (who lives in Easthampton with his fiancee, Lina; Maya, who lives with her partner Amy in New Jersey, and Mikhal, who lives with her husband Ron and two children Eli and Teia, in San Francisco.


Tikkun Olam Committee

thank You to the JCa Community for Supporting Lucio’s Sanctuary On October 19, 2017, Lucio Perez of Springfield, MA, and an immigrant from Guatemala, made the difficult decision to accept the offer by First Church Amherst to go into Sanctuary there, rather than face deportation to Guatemala and separation from his wife and 4 children. Many in our Pioneer Valley community at large have responded generously with their time and money to support Lucio and First Church. It has been an enormous effort and adjustment for all involved. It is a courageous commitment that we will sustain together for as long as Lucio remains in Sanctuary at First Church, pending a reopening of his legal case.

The JCA, as a member of the Interfaith Sanctuary Network, has responded robustly, with many in our JCA community offering to prepare meals for Lucio, rides for his family to visit him, sending funds for the family and signing up for "sanctuary shifts" as part of a 24/7 commitment to accompany Lucio in the church. As Jews, we have a very personal connection to Lucio's predicament, and that of countless immigrants in our midst, who face separation from their families in the face of increased, racially motivated immigration detentions and deportations.

We would like to thank the following JCA members for their offers of support to Lucio and First Church so far. We hope that we find the strength to sustain our support for the long haul, as this is sure to be. If you are new to this issue and would like to receive updates about ways to contribute to Lucio's sanctuary, please send an email to Karen Levine at [email protected].

Thank you to JCA members: Marty Pepper Aisenberg, Susan Pepper Aisenberg, Kitty Axelson-Berry, Robin Diamond, Joan Epstein, Josette Henschel, Devorah Jacobson, Jackie Katz, Marilyn Kushick, Karen Levine, Margaret Mastrangelo, Linda Mondschein, Jane Myers, Gail Perlman, Deborah Roth-Howe, John Sears, Judith Souweine, Jena Schwartz, Randi Stein, Jane Trigère, Elaine Walsh, and Susan Zarchin.

FLO STERN (Member at Large)I am from NYC and lived there until I moved to Amherst in 1993 to be with Nancy (now my wife). We moved into the cohousing community in Amherst in 1994. We had one son at the time, and adopted two girls (sisters aged 4 and 5 years old) in January 1995. I am an R.N. and went to graduate school at Columbia University (Teachers College) for Clinical Psychology. My passion was in politics and labor relations. I switched fields and became President of the Social Service Union in NYC. I taught labor relations at Cornell and at Hofstra University as an adjunct in both places. When I moved to Amherst I worked for labor unions and focused on labor history. I joined the JCA in 1996, when my daughters started Sunday School. Currently, we are raising our grandson who is attending Shalom Sunday. I

became active on the JCA Tikkun Olam Committee and joined the board a few years later. This is my 2nd term on the board. I think it is important to participate and give to the organization, not only financially but also as an activist.

BORIS WOLFSON (Member at Large)My wife, Amanda Walling, our son Ben and I joined the JCA shortly after moving to Amherst in 2008, and this year, Ben started the process of preparing to become a bar mitzvah at JCA Kesher. I’ve served on the Adult Education Committee since the fall of 2011, and, for the past three years, on the Nominating Committee. In my other life, I study cultural history and performance, and teach Russian culture and language at Amherst College. I currently serve on the New England Public Radio Foundation’s board of directors.




Chesed Committee

thank You, volunteers!The Chesed Committee thanks all who have recently provided compassionate support to others in the community.

In particular, thanks to David Piech for visits; to Ken Bernstein for preparing and delivering meals; and to all the Blood Drive volunteers.

And thanks, again, to everyone who has made a meal, provided a ride, lent a sympathetic ear, visited a person in need of companionship, or performed other acts of chesed (loving kindness).

a Compassionate CommunityThe Chesed Committee assists JCA members in times of joy, sorrow, and need, coordinating volunteers to help with meals, rides, errands, visits, shiva minyans, etc. We also welcome babies to the community.Please let us know if you, someone in your family, or someone in the community is ill, hospitalized, or in need of assistance. We can’t help if we don’t know. Contact the Chesed Committee by email at [email protected] or by calling the office at (413) 256-0160.We encourage you to be part of the JCA’s growth as a compassionate community. New committee members are welcome at any time to participate in this mitzvah.


thanksgiving Blood driveThe 14th annual pre-Thanksgiving Blood Drive yielded 42 pints of blood. Many thanks to Robin Diamond for her leadership and organization and to JCA members who volunteered to staff the drive: Jeff Cohen, Kitty Talan, Marly Blaustein, Kip, Judi and Nikki Fonsh (here for the holiday), Judy Davis, Fay Zipkowitz, Aaron Bousel, Danielle Kadinoff and Judith Souweine.

dane kuttler to Speak on foster Care at Shabbat Services, January 13Many of you have met Dane Kuttler in her capacity as Head Cook with the teen Shabbat cooking program - but she's also been a foster parent for the past two years, having fostered a dozen children with her partner. If you're intrigued, impressed, or inspired by the idea of making a difference in the life of a foster child, come hear her d'var torah during Shabbat services on Jan. 13. You'll learn about the special Jewish history of foster care, the need for Jewish ritual and liturgy around foster care, and how we're shaping the conversation and the Jewish response to working with kids who need loving families and strong communities to support them.

Dane has been working in various capacities at the JCA since 2014, with teen and middle school programs. She also writes for a newspaper, writes books of reimagined and reconstructed Jewish liturgy, and tries to preserve more and more food each summer.

Her talk is the launch of a new Tikkun Olam Committee initiative to connect the JCA with the experience of foster care. Dane will be outlining elements of this project, with more information to follow.

Tikkun Olam Committee (continued)



Adult Education Committee


Here is a preview of the JCA’s adult education program for the spring semester. Our brochure is coming soon with more background about courses and instructors, and information on how you can sign up. For questions, email Barbara Burkart at [email protected].

Lunch and LearnRabbi Benjamin WeinerWeekly on Wednesdays 12:15 – 1:15 pm

Jewish mindfulness meditation: awareness Plus GratitudeRabbi Nancy FlamMondays: March 5, 12, and 197:30 – 9:00 pmCourse fee: $54

islam for JewsRabbi Devorah JacobsonTuesdays: April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, and 15 6:30 – 8:00 pmCourse fee: $130 plus materials

the merchant of veniceMurray Schwartz Thursdays: March 29, April 5, 12, and 197:00 – 9:00 pmCourse fee: $54

Creating a Jewish home: facilitated topical discussions for ParentsMelanie Lewis and a JCA school parentDates TBD - will be held during school hoursFree to all

israeli folk dancingRandi SteinRescheduled from Fall 2017 - dates and times TBDClass fee: $36

maimonides: our Contemporary?Rabbi Benjamin WeinerTuesdays: Jan. 30, Feb. 6, 13, and 207:00 – 8:30 pmCourse fee: $54

Please know that no one will be denied participation because of inability to pay. All are welcome.

Maimonides



The JCA Cemetery Committee recently conducted a survey of the community regarding burial preferences and priorities. Below are the results of the survey.

• Responses: 64• Already purchased plots: 22• Not purchased plots: 42 • Want a green burial: 38 • Want a green burial but with caveats: 3• Want conventional burial: 1 • Feel very strongly about wanting green: 23• Feel moderately strongly about wanting green: 13• Not feeling strongly at all: 2

We hear in the survey results a very strong preference for green burial and going forward we will plan accordingly. We also received several questions regarding our cemetery guidelines and want to use this space to respond to those questions:

• In the green burial area, cement is not allowed, after much research a decision was made to use natural stone markers set flush in the ground, no larger than 1 x2 feet (288 square inches).

• Cremated remains cannot be buried in the JCA cemetery. Cremation goes against traditional Jewish burial practice and in addition, we have learned, utilizes much energy and is not a green process.

• Non-Jews may be buried at the JCA cemetery.• Members in good standing who have paid their dues for the 3 consecutive years immediately prior to the year of

purchase may purchase a single burial gravesite. The current fee is $630. • Members may also purchase single burial plots for extended family members. The cost of these plots is $2,500.

Extended family includes parents, children over the age of 25, spouses of said children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Extended family for this provision does not include cousins, aunts, uncles, or their spouses, or any other family relationship or close friend.

• Nonmembers may purchase a single burial plot for a cost of $5,000.

People are encouraged to buy plots ahead of time. There are 15 conventional plots left. If someone has purchased a conventional plot, they may switch to a green burial plot at any time. The Cemetery Committee is exploring next steps in developing unused land in the JCA cemetery.

Please let us know if you did not receive a survey and would like to give input. We are grateful to all those who responded. Your assistance helps us plan better for our community’s needs and take the next steps in the development of the cemetery. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact co-chairs: Linda Sinapi at [email protected], 413-218-3107 or Devorah Jacobson at [email protected] 413-519-3169.

b'shalom, Samuel Gladstone and Devorah Jacobson for the JCA Cemetery Committee

Cemetery Committee


In The Valley

room for rentLarge room with two closets, shared bath, kitchen, and laundry, Wifi, heat, electricity, water, trash and snow removal included, small back porch, pool access during summer, on pvta busline, one parking spot available at the Brook in Amherst to share with a mom, 6 year old and cat. Quiet, non smoking living environment. $400 per month or $300 if available to be with 6 year old 7:30- 8:20 am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday mornings and from 3:15-4:00 pm Monday, Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Address: 170 East Hadley Rd. Unit 77, Amherst. Ashley Nkosi, [email protected]





Donations to the JCA

adult edGuy Wood

annual fundIn honor of Bill Zimmer & Michael

Burkart for their service to the JCA (Patience & Aaron Bousel)

In honor of Ken Talan and the JCA Book Group (Amy & Nolan Anaya)

In honor of and with appreciation for Bill Zimmer and all he has given and done for our community (Susan Zarchin)

In memory of Jeanne Yates, Elise Barber’s grandmother (Henny Lewin & Len Kamins)

In memory of our parents, Lou & Bella Rubinstein and Sidney & Dorothy Sway (Elissa & Bernie Rubinstein)

In honor of our wonderful community and the good deeds they do (Robin & Ted Diamond)

In honor of Judith Souweine and her leadership of Tikkun Olam (Tom & Peggy Wolff)

Caden & Lewis MainzerMara & Harry HahnRonnie Janoff-Bulman & Michael Shea

BulmanIn honor of Gaius & Althea Turner

(Harold Neidich)Linda & Irv Seidman Evelyn GoldenbergIn memory of Morton Harmatz &

Hector Mercer (Ziva Harmatz)In honor of the JCA Community

(Eliza Gouverneur & Richard Cohen)In honor of our loved ones

(Marilyn & Jeff Blaustein)Joan & Monroe RabinIn memory of Normand Berlin

(Barbara Berlin)In memory of our parents, Julius & Joy

Aisenberg and Rollin & Lucille Pepper (Susan & Marty Pepper Aisenberg)

Carol KaminskyBarbara & Ted SlovinIn honor Bill Zimmer & Michael Burkart

for their wise leadership and generous service over many years (Devorah Jacobson & Margaret Mastrangelo)

Helen & Morton SternheimIn honor of Rabbi Weiner’s leadership

(Pearl-Anne & Nathan Margalit)In memory of my family members

(Tamar Shadur)Lee Jennings & Eric SommersIn honor of Bill Zimmer

(Connie & Chuck Songer)Karen SheingoldIn memory of Doris & Harry Rothenberg

(Amy Rothenberg & Paul Herscu)Hannah BlauPhyllis & Hans HerdaDanielle Barshak & Oran KaufmanRose & Yechiael LanderJeanne PotashDeborah & Jeff Roth-HoweMarsha & Bill ZimmerNancy CohenFreida HowardsYaffa & Haim Gunner

General fundIn memory of Elise Barber’s grandmother

(Judy & Allen Davis)In appreciation of and gratitude to the

JCA (Anna Markus)In appreciation for the use of the JCA

space on November 5th (Rising Together Affinity Group)

In memory of Leah Bochstein (Jaymie & Michael Chernoff)

In memory of Tara Michelle Katzner (Ruth & Donald Katzner)

In honor of Rabbi Weiner (Carol Mardeusz)

Peggy & Murray SchwartzIn memory of Louis Greenbaum

(Janet & Albert Chevan)

open door high holiday donationLynda FayeRoberta IsslerGoldie & Stanley Miller

Project rehovotIn honor of Saskia Swenson Moss

(Sarah Belchetz-Swenson)Ruth & Howard Smith

In honor of Merle Feld’s 70th Birthday (Barbara & Ted Slovin)

Eli Kwartler & Barbara JenkinsIn honor of Yaffa & Haim Gunner

(Rose & Yechiael Lander)Thank you for this great work!

(Leah Goldstein & Pearl Mosimann)In memory of my husband

Herman Janoff (Irene Janoff)In memory of Irv Howards

(Frieda Howards)

rabbi’s discretionary fundIn honor of Ted Slovin’s birthday

(Susan Zarchin)In appreciation of Rabbi Weiner’s

comforting words at the unveiling of my husband’s gravestone (Jeanne Potash)

In honor of Danny Valitt’s Bar Mitzvah (Henny Lewin & Len Kamins)

In appreciation of Sarah Thomson’s and Ken Schoen’s contribution to The Jewish Community of Amherst: 1969-1979, The Formative Years (Irv Seidman)

In honor of the Tikun Olam Committee’s work (Jaymie & Michael Chernoff)

In honor of Bill Zimmer & Michael Burkart’s service to the JCA (Jaymie & Michael Chernoff)

In honor of Rabbi Weiner (Jeanne Friedman & Carol-Ann Smalley)

tzedakahIn honor of Joan Saperstan & Jackie Katz

for their therapeutic support following my car accident (Randi Stein)


rabbi Benjamin Weiner ([email protected]) Rabbi David Dunn Bauer (2003 – 2010) Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg (1989 – 2002) Rabbi Emeritus Yechiael Lander

director of Youth and family education: Keren Rhodes ([email protected])

Board of directors President: Eric Weiss ([email protected]) first vice President: Janis Levy ([email protected]) Second vice President: Bob Solosko ([email protected]) third vice President: Eli Kwartler ([email protected]) treasurer: Jeff Roth-Howe ([email protected]) Clerk: Eliza Gouverneur ([email protected]) members at Large: Barbara Schaffer Bacon, Mara Hahn, Hans Herda, Jonathan Lewis, Connie Songer, Randi Stein, Flo Stern, Boris Wolfson

Just click on any email address to send a message. For further information and a full description of committees with contacts, please refer to your JCA Guidebook.

administrative director: Ann Wetherbee ([email protected])financial assistant: Susan Thomas ([email protected])education Coordinator: Shirah Neumann ([email protected])facility & maintenance: Santo Alers, Rob Kaufman

office hours: Monday and Thursday: Office Closed Tuesday and Wednesday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Friday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm When the JCA School is in session on Wednesday, the office remains open until 6:00 pm.

Kolot — JCA Voices

January 2018

editor/Graphic designer Aaron Bousel 413-253-3544 fax: 413-253-3846 [email protected]

Co-editorJanis Levy

art directorMoira Clingman

ProofreaderSarah Thomson

An archive of previous editions may be found at: https://jcamherst.org/our-community/newsletter-kolot-jca-voices

Deadline for the February issue is January 12th.

Have you checked out the JCA Judaica Store lately?

The Judaica Store features books by JCA members

and others, siddurim, chumashim, tallitot, mezzuzot

and many lovely gift items.

You can shop whenever the office is open.

742 Main Street, Amherst, MA 01002 413-256-0160 | fax 413-256-1588 [email protected] | https://jcamherst.org

Affiliated with the Jewish Reconstructionist Communities













https://jcamherst.org/our-community/newsletter-kolot-jca-voices/


https://jcamherst.org

jewish community of amherst · jewish community of amherst devarim: ... through this sacred art...

Documents