may 2019 counting up, counting down - temple beth shalom · telling as much of the passover story...
TRANSCRIPT
MAY 2019
Nisan–Iyyar 5779
Our 78th year serving the
North Boston area
Please visit our website:
www.tbsma.org
email: [email protected]
Like us on Facebook
IN THIS ISSUE
From the President 2
Shalom School News 3
Temple Calendar 4
Kabbalat Shabbat 5
Havdalah and
Potluck 5
Sisterhood News 6
Yom Hashoah Service 6
80s Dance Party 8
Shtetl News 8
Second Night Seder 9
Remembrances 10
The Scoop from the
SAC 11
Upcoming Programs 11
L’Dor V’Dor
Campaign Update 12
Torah Study 12
Parting Shot 16
THE BULLETIN RABBI’S MESSAGE
Counting Up, Counting Down
As I write my penultimate rabbi’s column, I find myself counting in two differ-
ent directions simultaneously.
First, our holiday of Passover has just concluded, so we are in the midst of the
traditional period of counting the omer, which ties our Festival of Freedom to
Shavuot, our Festival of Revelation. This counting is found in the Torah where
we are instructed: “You shall count from the eve of the second day of Pesach,
when an omer of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks.
The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days.…” (Lev.
23:15–16).
Having observed Passover and experienced freedom, we look forward to
Shavuot seven weeks later, when we mark the revelation at Mt. Sinai. The very
purpose of our freedom was to be revealed as we became a covenantal com-
munity, bound to God through our observance of mitzvot, commandments
both moral and ritual in nature. Just as Shavuot marks the end of counting the
(Continued on page 5)
May
Wednesday, May 1, 7:00 PM: Yom Hashoah Service
Hosting: *Ecker, Herz/Demiany, Seidman/Gati, Krechmer
Saturday, May 11, 10:00 AM: Zachary Nedell Bar Mitzvah
Hosting: *The Newman/Nedell Family
Friday, May 17, 7:30 PM: Kabbalat Shabbat and Retirement Celebration for
Rabbi Arnie
Hosting: Rabbi’s Retirement Celebration Committee
Saturday, May 25, 10:00 AM: Tobin Clouser Bar Mitzvah
Hosting: *The Clouser Family
June
Saturday, June 8, 7:30 PM: Erev Shavuot Service
Hosting: *Greenholz, Diesenhof, Wadland, Yourgrau
*Lead family is in bold.
Questions about onegs? Contact Jeanne Penn at [email protected] or (978) 761-4322.
2 Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin
From the President
The Bulletin of Temple Beth Shalom, Melrose
Anne Starr, Editor; Nancy Sweet and Ellen Collins Krechmer, Proofreaders
The Bulletin is published ten times per year by Temple Beth Shalom, and is provided free of charge to members of the Temple. For information on subscriptions and adver-
tisements, call Ellen Shore at (781) 665-5418. Please submit articles and information by
email to [email protected]. The deadline for each month’s Bulletin is noted in its pre-
ceding issue. Normally, the Bulletin does not publish in July or August.
Advertising rates: 1/6 page: $15/issue, $100/yr.; 1/3 page: $25/issue, $175/yr.; 1/2 page:
$35/issue, $250/yr.
Temple Beth Shalom
21 East Foster Street
Melrose, MA 02176
781-665-4520 • www.tbsma.org
Arnold Fertig, Rabbi
781-665-1944 • [email protected]
Beth Purcell, Cantorial Soloist
Officers
President
Sara Serisky: [email protected]
or (781) 665-9667
First Vice President: OPEN
Vice President, Community Affairs Sue Herz: [email protected]
Co-Vice Presidents, Education Julie Unger: [email protected] Liza Weinstein:
Vice President, Religious Affairs Ron Serisky: [email protected]
Vice President, Finance: OPEN
Recording Secretary
Hilary Finkel-Buxton:
Financial Secretary
Jeffrey Lipman:
Co-Treasurers
Ellen Shore: [email protected] Gordon Simons:
Past Presidents
Linda Apple:
Alison Mehlman:
Directors
Yael Mazor-Garfinkle:
Ruth Greenholz:
Emily Levine:
Andrea Lipman: [email protected]
Eliza Roberts:
Jim Taber:
Sara Serisky
Hello TBS family! So much to update you on this month! April was im-
pressive. We kicked it off with a musical Shabbat led by our own Jill
Goldman’s Kadima Band. Folks had so much fun they requested we do
this once a month! We also got to meet the family seeking asylum that
the Social Action Committee is supporting. They joyously joined us in
song and dance. It was an honor to have them. Please help out in any
way you can with the auction on May 25 to support this family.
The next day we continued the dancing trend at our 80s night fund-
raiser. This event was truly amazing. It was flawlessly executed, full
of energy, and just downright fun. The committee who ran this event
should all be applauded for their planning, marketing, and achievement.
Cannot wait for next year!
I do have to shamelessly thank my husband, Ron, for all of his work
on Temple events and other Temple agenda. He led the 80s fundraiser,
coordinated the musical Shabbat, and is continuing to work on events
daily for the end of the year. He is frequently updating the website,
setting up chairs, or doing some other thing for TBS. Ron is truly a giver,
and we are all so lucky to have him as our Ritual Chair. I couldn’t have
gotten through this year without him.
We, of course, ended the month with our 2nd Night Seder. As always, it
was a lovely event that was well attended. Thank you to Ruth Greenholz
and Ken Diesenhof who always lead this event, and Liza Weinstein, who
stepped in to help them out. Both TBS and the community thank you!
Behind the scenes, the Governing Council was busy finalizing two im-
portant pieces of business. First, we finalized our decision to rejoin the
URJ. After months of talks and reflection, the Council voted to accept the
URJ’s offer for us to rejoin with the first year free of charge. We feel
strongly that with a new rabbi joining our community, the URJ’s support
will be put to good use. The URJ offers curricula for the school, a com-
munity for rabbis to support one another, advice and classes on financial
planning, and help with leadership development, among other supports.
We are currently planning a Board workshop led by the URJ. We look
forward to building a new and rich relationship with them.
(Continued on page 11)
Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin 3
Thanks to everyone who helped
make our model seder a success! It
was amazing that the sanctuary was
cleaned up afterwards by noon. I hope
parents enjoyed seeing their children’s contributions and that they learned
some new things about the holiday.
We had a fun Passover class this past Thursday. Our 3rd–5th graders were
tasked with building the tallest structure out of Magna-Tiles they could and
telling as much of the Passover story as possible within a ten-minute window.
They also made and ate matzah pizza and finished the day with an introduc-
tion to “Shalom Sesame,” a Passover special that we found on YouTube. We
hope it was a meaningful Passover for everyone.
May is going to be unusually busy. We start the month with the Yom
Hashoah commemorative service where our 6th and 7th graders will be read-
ing their reflections on poems written by kids from the collection I Never Saw
Another Butterfly. Then on May 5, we have our end-of-year celebration. We
will present books and completion certificates to the students, thank our
teachers, and celebrate with some cake. We will say goodbye to the teachers
and madrichim who will be continuing their own educational and profes-
sional journeys: Abby Champoux and Samuel Millstone will be going to col-
lege, Sara Blumenthal will spend a year in Israel as part of rabbinical school,
and Micah Royer will be expanding his business in Lawrence. Please wish
them well.
On May 9, our 3rd–9th grade students will join us at Chelsea Jewish Lifecare
in Peabody for our Better Together celebration. We had 37 residents partici-
pate in the program this year; our 6th and 7th graders made cards for them in
class on Thursday. We will show a video that provides an overview of the
program, eat dinner, and hear Alexander Shikhanovich’s winning essay. Sam-
uel Buxton and Shari Lipman came in second and third; all three will receive
gifts at TBS’s annual meeting on June 2.
The month will continue with Zachary Nedell and Tobin Clouser’s B’nai Mitz-
vah celebrations on May 11 and May 25. Please join us as we celebrate this
special event with their families.
Our final Tot Shabbat of the year will be on Saturday, May 4. We will make
special gifts to show appreciation for parents, sing Shabbat songs, and eat
challah and bagels.
Finally, thank you to Liza Weinstein and Julie Unger for arranging a celebra-
tory lunch in my honor. It was wonderful to see many people I have met over
the past five-and-a-half years, be reminded of the different education chairs
over the years, and receive a gorgeous wooden box with a Jewish star mosaic
created by Catalina Moreno.
As usual, the spring semester flew by!
All the best, Rabbi Allison
Religious School and Family Education
Director
Rabbi Allison Peiser
Education VPs and Committee Chairs
Julie Unger
Liza Weinstein
Teaching Staff and
Madrichim
PreK: Abigail Champoux
and Bennett Serisky
Kindergarten: Maya Cohen
and Sam Millstone
Grades 1–2: Micah Friedman
and Sunny Marcus
Grade 3: Micah Royer
Grades 4–5: David Penn
Grade 6: Sarah Blumenthal
(Sundays)
Grades 6–7 (Thursdays) and
Better Together: Harriet
Wallen and Abigail Cham-
poux
Bnai Mitzvah Tutor: Dennis
Fischman
Music: Josh Cohen, Sarah
Noyovitz, Taylor Rubbins
Grade Times
Kindergarten, First, Second:
Sundays, 10 AM–noon
Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth:
Sundays, 10 AM–noon and
Thursdays, 4:00–6:00 PM
Seventh: Thursdays, 4:00–
6:00 PM
1
2
Annual Meeting, 5 PM
3
4
5
New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
6
7
8
Erev Shavuot Service, 7:30 PM Rabbi Arnie’s last service!
9
Torah Study Group, 10 AM–12 noon
10
Sisterhood Book Group, 7:30 PM
11
12
New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
13
14
15
16
Torah Study Group, 10 AM–12 noon
17
18
19
New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
20
21
22
23
24
25
26 New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
Governing Council Meeting, 7 PM
27
28 29
Annual Jazz Concert, 8 PM
30
June 2019
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
1 New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
Yom Hashoah Service, 7 PM
2
3
4 Tot Shabbat, 9–10:30 AM
Havdalah/Potluck to Meet Rabbi Jessica, 5 PM
5 6
7
8
New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
9
Better Together Celebration, 4:30 PM
10
11
Zachary Nedell Bar Mitzvah, 10 AM
12
13
Sisterhood Book Group, 7:30 PM
14
15
New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
16
17 Kabbalat Shabbat and Retirement Celebration for Rabbi Arnie, 7:30 PM
18
19
Farewell to Rabbi Arnie Celebration, 1 PM
20
21 22 New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
Governing Council Meeting, 7 PM
23
24
25 Tobin Clouser Bar Mitzvah, 10 AM
SAC Raffle and Auction, 7:30–10 PM
26
27
28 29
New Parents Group, 10–11:30 AM
30 31
May 2019
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
May 5
• Shalom School End-of-
Year Celebration, 10 AM–12 noon (PreK–6)
• Social Action Committee
Meeting, 4:30 PM
Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin 5
Committee Chairs
Adult Education/Torah Study
Tug Yourgrau:
Building Use Coordinator
Nancy Kukura:
Bulletin
Anne Starr: [email protected]
Donations
Karen Newman:
Fundraising
Dorothy Travis:
House
Evans Travis:
Mark Rubbins:
Membership
Linda Apple:
Jeff Lipman:
Memory Wall
Ellen Krechmer:
Oneg Hosting
Jeanne Penn:
Publicity
Laurie Mistretta:
Rabbi Search Committee
Aaron Beitman:
Elizabeth Vainer:
Sisterhood
Susi Ecker:
Gail Trulli: [email protected]
Social Action
Sue Herz:
Supplies
Elena Clouser: [email protected]
omer, it will also mark the last of the services I’ll lead before becoming
your Rabbi Emeritus. So, I’ll be counting down my days in the active
rabbinate at the same time.
Consequently, I’m looking forward to Shavout this year with a different
sense of anticipation than ever before. As we build toward the crescendo
of our Temple year, we’ll be observing Yom Hashoah and memorializing
all the lives, culture, and learning that were destroyed in the Holocaust.
We’ll be honoring Zach Nedell and Tobin Clouser as they become b’nai
mitzvah, and our Social Action Committee will be conducting an auction
fundraiser. All that, and in addition a Havdalah program to welcome
Rabbi Jessica and a weekend devoted to celebrating our 21 years together.
That’s a lot of activity for our small community for a single month!
I’m looking forward to seeing you during this event-filled month of May!
Arnie, Rabbi Arnie Fertig, MPA, DD
(RABBI’S MESSAGE, Continued from page 1)
Welcome Rabbi Jessica and bid farewell to the Sabbath
Saturday, May 4 at 5 PM
All are invited to a special havdalah service on Saturday, May 4 at 5 PM,
where we will welcome Rabbi Jessica Lowenthal Weber as we bid fare-
well to the Sabbath. Afterwards, we’ll share a potluck meal. Members
with last names beginning with A–G should bring an appetizer, salad, or
side dish; last names H–R should bring main dishes; and last names S–Z
should bring dessert. All food should be dairy/vegetarian, so no meat or
shellfish. We will provide beverages, and wine will be served.
If you have questions or want to volunteer, please call or text Nancy
Kukura at 339-222-0170 or email her at [email protected].
KABBALAT SHABBAT Friday, May 17 at 7:30 PM
Join us for a lay-led Kabbalat Shabbat service in which TBS’s vast musical
talent will come out in vocal and instrumental form for a special evening
of community song to honor Rabbi Arnie. This Kabbalat Shabbat, which
literally means “receiving the Sabbath,” will be a lighter version of an
Erev Shabbat service with more music. The evening will be filled with
many surprises, so come check them out!
We hope you will join us for the more formal luncheon honoring Rabbi
Arnie on Sunday, May 19 at 1 PM as well.
6 Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin
Knitting Group
For years, the TBS Knitters created beautiful patch-
work blankets for Temple members who needed ex-
tra healing. Slowly our group numbers dwindled
and the work was falling on too few hands, so we
took a break. As the most recent leader, I am making
a plea for more women to come on board so we can
resume our mitzvot with this project, which has
brought love and comfort to so many. If you are a
knitter or would like to learn, please contact me,
Roberta Gertz, at [email protected]. We had
been meeting once a month on Wednesday nights.
Sisterhood Event
June Museum Visit
Susi and Gail are planning a museum visit in June.
Details to come sometime in May. Watch your inbox
for details soon!
Mah Jongg This group meets on Tuesday afternoons. Don’t
know how to play? We can teach you! For more
information, contact Nancy Kukura at 781-665-1374
Book Group Time: Monday, May 13, 7:30 PM
Book: Orphan Number 8 by Kim van Alkemade
Inspired by true events, this historical novel tells
the story of a woman who must choose between
revenge and mercy when she en-
counters the doctor who subjected
her to dangerous medical experi-
ments in a New York City Jewish
orphanage years earlier. Orphan
Number 8 is a powerful, affecting
novel of the unexpected choices
we are compelled to make that can
shape our destinies.
If you are interested in joining the book group,
please contact Fran Demiany at (781) 246-8940 or
Dues News You Can Use Do you still owe dues for this year? Jeff Lipman
has mailed bills to people who have amounts still
due. If you have not received a bill, please contact
Jeff at [email protected] or 781-608-2992.
And please remember to update your membership
information if you have moved recently, changed
your email address, or canceled that landline and
changed to a cell phone. Jeff is updating the master
membership list and would like your current
contact information. Please send it to him at the
email address above. You should include your
children’s names and birthdays if they are in the
Shalom School, as well as the year you joined the
Temple if you know it.
Yom Hashoah Service Wednesday, May 1, at 7 PM
Our Yom Hashoah committee―Susi Ecker, Rob
Gati, Sue Herz, Ellen Krechmer, Gerald Levinson,
and Tug Yourgrau―will reflect on how memory
and remembrance has been transmitted within
each of their families affected by the Holocaust.
Rabbi Fertig will lead the congregation in prayers
and a communal remembrance of those who were
murdered in the Shoah, and several students from
the Shalom School will share their thoughts and
learning. Music will be provided by Cantorial
Soloist Beth Purcell and cellist Dorothy Rocklin.
Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin 7
Join us this month as the TBS community cele-
brates with two families on their children’s B’nei
Mitzvot.
The Newman/Nedell Family
welcomes the Temple family
to join them
Saturday, May 11, at 10:00 AM
for the Bar Mitzvah of their son
Zachary Hastings
The Clouser Family
welcomes the Temple family
to join them
Saturday, May 25, at 10:00 AM
for the Bar Mitzvah of their son
Tobin Martine
Zach Nedell, Giving Warmth
For his mitzvah project, Zach Nedell volunteered
for the month of February at the Malden Warming
Center, which provides warmth and safe shelter
on the coldest nights of the year for those experi-
encing homelessness. Zach is also volunteering at
the Bread of Life in Malden, helping prepare and
serve an evening meal. If you would like, please
bring a canned good for the donation bin in the
TBS lobby in honor of Zach's bar mitzvah.
Thanks and Best Wishes
for Rabbi Allison
It is with heavy hearts that we will bid farewell to
Rabbi Allison Peiser, director of our Shalom
School, at the end of July. Rabbi Allison has been
part of our TBS family for five-and-a-half years,
taking over leadership
of the school when we
needed her most. She
has made all aspects of
the school stronger:
bringing in committed
teachers, sharpening
and strengthening the
curriculum, and build-
ing a social justice ori-
entation into every school activity. Amid all of our
transitions at TBS, Allison will be taking over as
the Temple Educator (essentially the Director of
Education) at Temple Emanu-El of Marblehead.
We are thrilled both for Rabbi Allison and for the
Temple Emanu-El community who will benefit
from her spiritual leadership, depth of knowledge,
and commitment to social justice. Rabbi Allison
will begin her position at Temple Emanu-el in late
summer, and will be moving up to Marblehead in
June. Be sure to thank her and wish her well when
you see her.
Join Us for Our
Annual Meeting Sunday, June 2 at 5 PM
Please join us for our annual meeting! We will
begin with a video presentation of the work the
Shalom School students did in the Better Together
program and then get down to the business of vot-
ing on the budget and the slate of Governing
Council members for 2019/20. Please help us thank
the folks who are coming off the board, as well as
all the volunteers who have done so much this
year to make TBS the special place that it is. Appe-
tizers and wine will be served.
8 Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin
Zeke Vanier, Melrose High School class of 2013,
was named to MHS’s Athletic Hall of Fame’s 17th
annual class of inductees. The Hall of Fame was
established in 1994 to promote students’ sense of
community identity and pride by celebrating the
school’s rich traditions of athletic achievements.
Hall of Fame president Nick Scofield said that this
year’s class “exemplifies sportsmanship, team-
work, time management, dedication, and academ-
ic excellence on top of athletic achievements.” The
induction ceremony will be held on September 21.
Way to go Zeke! Congrats to Zeke and the whole
Vainer family.
The Rubbins family would like wish all the 2019
TBS high school graduates the best of luck in their
post–high school journeys.
Don’t Stop Believing! 80s Dance Party
May Orders Bring May Flowers!
Help the Social Action Committee support local
asylum seekers as they seek to create new lives
in Melrose—and treat yourself to some garden
flowers while you're at it!
You can order flats of impatiens, zinnias, blue lo-
belia, and marigolds; potted geraniums and New
Guinea impatiens; hanging baskets; patio planters;
or tomatoes in terra cotta pots. Order by May 5
and you’ll have them on May 11. Email Sue Herz
at [email protected] for an order form.
On behalf of local refugee families, thanks for tak-
ing a perennial stand. As one organization says:
Yesterday we helped refugees because they were
Jewish. Today we help refugees because we are
Jewish.
Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin 9
Second Night Seder
On Saturday, April 20, more than 35 Temple mem-
bers and friends from the broader community gath-
ered for our annual community Second Night Passo-
ver Seder. This year’s event was hosted by Ruth
Greenholtz, Ken Diesenhof, and Liza Weinstein, with
lots of help from Dorothy Rocklin, Lori Factor-
Marcus, and many others who helped cook, set up,
and clean up for the event. A warm and jovial air
filled the room as Ken led the seder, and everyone
helped tell the story of our exodus from Egypt. Most
agreed that the highlight of the meal was the smoked
brisket from the Smoke Shop BBQ in Somerville, as
well as Ruth and Lori’s matzo balls, Ruth’s potato
kugel, and Liza’s caramel-and-chocolate-covered
matzo. Ilya Grzegorzewski found the afikomen, but
we’ll see if she shares the prize with her sister.
As a prelude to the event, Taylor led the group in an interactive
description of what we do at the seder.
Mazel Tov to Tobin Clouser!
Perseverance is the word that describes Tobin Mar-
tine Clouser. He has worked over a year with Dennis
Fischman to achieve his goals of reading Torah, and
he has worked with Lauren Cherkas privately for
several years to overcome his learning disabilities in
order to read Hebrew. He has enjoyed working with
Rabbi Arnie to create a carefully crafted Dvar Torah
and lead the service. In Melrose Veterans Memorial
Middle School, he works equally as diligent to attain
A’s in all subjects despite his difficulties. He also en-
joys playing tennis and soccer.
Tobin, who has been attending the Shalom School at
TBS since he was in preschool, loves his Jewish iden-
tity. His family is coming from all over the country
to attend and support him as he is called to the
Torah. He also attends a URJ summer camp with a
science-technology focus, where he learns video
game design. However, his favorite thing about
camp is Shabbat. Several of his camp friends from
different states―as far away as Pennsylvania―will
be attending services for the Bar Mitzvah.
The founder and director of the URJ 6 Points Sci-
Tech camp, Greg Kellner, was recently diagnosed
with a malignant brain tumor. Greg’s illness has hit
close to home for Tobin since his
Uncle Daniel passed away from
glioblastoma just four years ago
at the age of 42. Tobin will be do-
nating to help Greg as he pursues
treatment. Click here for Greg’s
GoFundMe page if you would
like to learn more or contribute in
honor of Tobin's Bar Mitzvah.
The Clouser family is grateful for
all the help and support that the
TBS community has provided.
Rabbi Arnie, Rabbi Allison, Den-
nis Fischman, all his teachers, and the community at
large have provided him the guidance and
knowledge for a strong foundation to become a
young Jewish adult.
Like us on
Facebook to receive insights, articles,
videos, and upcoming events.
10 Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin
Contributions Do you have a special event coming up? Someone
you want to thank? Someone you want to honor?
The entire congregation and many others in the
community receive and read the Temple Bulletin.
Can you think of a better way to show you care?
A donation of any amount remembering a loved
one or congratulating family, friends, or neighbors
results in a timely mention in the Bulletin. Just send a
note and your donation to:
NEW ADDRESS
Karen Newman
29 Rudolf St.
Malden, MA 02148
Prayer book donations are $40 and include a book
plate bearing your name and the name of your
honoree in one of our prayer books.
If you have any questions, please email Karen at
Memorial In memory of Doreen Rosenzweig, from Mr. and
Mrs. David Jordan
In memory of Doreen Rosenzweig, a wonderful
woman! from Karen Smolens
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund In appreciation of Rabbi Fertig’s kindness and com-
passion, by Doreen Rosenzweig’s children
Remember Your Loved One on Our Memory Wall Honor the memory of your loved ones by inscribing
their names on the Memory Wall in our sanctuary.
For more information about this meaningful and
lasting tribute, please contact Ellen Krechmer at
Yahrzeit Observance (Light the candle the night before)
May 4 Sylvia Weiss Glynn
4 Gertrude P. Young
5 Joseph Schindler
6 Sylvia Pann
8 Louis Gati
11 Miah H. Rovner
15 Simon Kline
18 Jacob Berston
24 Errol D. Goldblith
26 William Govenar
26 Anita Shore
30 Max Rosenzweig
31 William Cohen
The Memory Wall
This month, the names of Corinne J. Eskin, Irene
Glazer, and George L. Rumelt have been added to
the Memory Wall in our sanctuary. All of these indi-
viduals were beloved relatives of Temple members:
Corinne was Bob Eskin’s mother, Irene was Ellen
Shore’s aunt, and George was Karen Rumelt’s father.
May their memories bless our congregation as we
remember them.
Our hearts go out to those affected by the Chabad shooting
in Poway, California.
Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin 11
Community Havdalah and hamantaschen
The Scoop from the SAC
Join us on Saturday, May 25 from 7:30 pm–10:00
PM at TBS for “Supporting the Journey: Raffle and
Auction for Local Asylum Seekers.” Together we’ll
sip, nibble, enjoy Blue of a Kind, and participate in
a lively, well-organized raffle, silent auction, and
paddle auction. We hope that TBSniks will join the
fun. Please see page 15 of this Bulletin for more infor-
mation.
Please Contribute Items for Auction!
Whether or not you participate that evening, we
hope you’ll contribute a product or service to make
this fundraiser a success. We already have week-
long and weekend stays at vacation homes, quilts,
oil and watercolor paintings, lithographs, a laughter
yoga session for you and your friends, baskets of
wines, spa treatments, a years’ zoo membership for
the family, an electric piano, and so much more.
Please contribute! It could be a social media tutorial,
a music or knitting lesson, a dinner for two (or four),
a ride to the airport, a sailing lesson on Spot Pond,
painting a room, cleaning a closet, handyman help—
and we can never have too many vacation home
stays! Wouldja, couldja? You can contribute even if
can’t join us at the auction and raffle.
Please jump in. Contact [email protected] or
call 781-307-6007 for more information or to donate.
This event is co-sponsored by the Social Action Com-
mittee and six area churches.
Next Meeting
The next SAC meeting is on Sunday, May 5 at 4:30
PM at TBS. For more information, contact Sue Herz
at [email protected] or 781-307-6007.
Tot Shabbat
Our final Tot Shabbat of the year will be on Satur-
day, May 4, at 9 AM. We will make special gifts to
show appreciation for parents, sing Shabbat songs,
and eat challah and bagels. Please join us for this
fun and educational program for families with
children up to age 6. No RSVP required. Please
contact [email protected] for more infor-
mation.
New Parents Group
Our new parents group meets every Wednesday
from 10–11:30 AM at the Temple. This program,
sponsored by Jewish Family and Children Ser-
vices, is an opportunity for new parents to meet,
socialize with other parents, discuss topics rele-
vant to their lives, and create a support network.
Please tell any new parents you know about this
group. Free and open to the public. Questions?
Please contact Julie Unger at [email protected].
Upcoming Programs Lastly, the Rabbi Search Committee finalized the
contract for our incoming rabbi, and Rabbi Jessica
signed the contract at our April Council meeting.
It was with great joy that we celebrated this sign-
ing and welcomed her officially to our TBS family.
Please make sure to join us on May 4 at 5 PM
when Rabbi Jessica and our Cantorial Soloist Beth
Purcell will lead us in a Havdalah service. Every-
one is asked to bring a dish for a potluck meal so
we can eat and schmooze. Rabbi Jessica’s family
will be joining us for this event as well, so this is
an opportunity for you to meet her whole crew!
I cannot help but encourage everyone to really join
in this month. May will truly be TBS busy and TBS
special. We have the Havdalah service, two bar
mitzvahs, Rabbi Arnie’s retirement weekend, and
the auction. I know it is hard to fit everything in
with graduations, sporting events, dance recitals,
etc., but this is a month we will all want to be a
part of. We are saying both hello and goodbye,
celebrating a rite of passage, and doing a huge
mitzvah. You don’t want to miss it! See you all
soon.
Sara Serisky, President
(PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE, Continued from page 2)
12 Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin
Torah Study Group The Temple Beth Shalom Torah Study Group, the
Torah Bagel Scholars (TBS), meets year-round to
discuss and debate the Bible. The group will be on
hiatus during May. We will resume meeting on
June 9 and 23, from 10 AM–12 noon at TBS. At our
session on April 28, we read in the second book of
Kings, Chs. 18–21:18, the story of the beginning of
the end of the southern kingdom of Judah. Once
again, the authors attribute all events of history to
the relationship between the Jews and their God: It
would be the wickedness of the kings of Judah that
would lead to the destruction of the Temple and
exile at the hands of Babylon.
We read from the The Jewish Study Bible, the Jewish
Publication Society’s Tanakh Translation—a clear,
straightforward version with excellent footnotes
and maps. You need not own a copy.
We read the text in the spirit of “higher” or “sci-
entific” criticism. That means we try to understand
better who, when, and why the text was written.
We have a great, open discussion.
We welcome visitors who would like to dip their
toes into this material. No preparation or know-
ledge of Hebrew is necessary. Curiosity is the only
requirement for entry! If you’d like to attend,
please call Tug Yourgrau at 617-797-9674 or email
at him at [email protected].
L’Dor V’Dor
Campaign Update
Last month we announced the
launch of the L’Dor V’Dor Cam-
paign to raise $250,000 so TBS can
burn its mortgage and pass forward a legacy that
is debt-free and financially secure.
To date, we have received $47,000 in pledges.
We would like to express our great appreciation to the
TBS Governing Council and the L’Dor V'Dor Cam-
paign Committee, who have pledged 100% commit-
ment, and the following members, family, and friends:
Anonymous, Edith & Tim Ackerman; Hilary, Max
& Sam Buxton; Linda Apple & Tom Champoux;
Julia & Jason Chin; Susan Herz & Fran Demiany;
Paula & Glen Emelock; the Beitman Family;
Shirley Fine; Yael Mazor & Jeff Garfinkle; Karl &
Sandra Geller; Mark & Margie Greenberg; Eli-
sheva & Joshua Grzegorzewski; Dorothy Hoyland;
Jody & David Jordan; Wendy Korneich; Philip &
Nancy Kukura; Emily & Jason Levine; Jeff & An-
drea Lipman; Ellen Shore & Marvin Mendelssohn;
Karen Rumelt; Denise Sardina; Rob Gati & Trudy
Seidman; Sara & Ron Serisky; Gordon & Shellie
Simons; James Taber; Evans & Dorothy Travis;
Julie Unger & Matt Wallace; and Liza Weinstein.
Please pledge whatever amount you can afford to sup-
port this campaign.
To learn more about the campaign, visit our web-
site at tbsma.org or speak with anyone on the
committee. You can access the online form here.
For questions or to pledge your support, please
contact [email protected].
Campaign Committee
Julia Chen • Paula Emelock •Rob Gati •
Mark Greenberg • Elisheva Grzegorzewski •
Dorothy Hoyland • Karen Rumelt •
Sara Serisky • Ellen Shore • Dorothy Travis •
Evans Travis
Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin 13
Keeping Jazz Alive Irving Smolens Memorial Concert
Featuring
Bruce Gertz, Steve Hunt, and Jack Diefendorf
with special guests
Cassandra McKinley, Vocal, and Jason Anik, Violin
Saturday, June 29 from 8–11 PM Temple Beth Shalom, 21 East Foster St., Melrose
Tickets $25.00; available online at Eventbrite.com or for purchase at these Melrose locations: Miter Biter, Hourglass, Bohemian Café. Tickets available at the door.
14 Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin
Dear Friends,
If you or any of your friends need real estate assistance—whether buying or selling a property, seeking a market value for your home, or just exploring your options in today’s mar-ket—please call me.
I have been helping people with real estate needs in Melrose and surrounding communities for twenty-five years, and my services are professional, knowledgeable, and fully confiden-tial.
Call me for real estate service. If you do, or if you refer a customer who buys or sells a property through me, I will donate 10% of my commission in your honor to Temple Beth Shalom.
Phil Kukura
http://www.melrosema.com • 781-665-2222 (office) 781-665-1374 (home) • 339-222-0171 (cell)
Thanks to Our Fundraising Crews!
We want to give a huge shout-out to the Don't
Stop Believing 80s dance fundraising crew. With
their masterful and creative advertising and net-
working (showing up at the VFW and Grimsby's
Karaoke nights in full 80s regalia) they increased
attendance and revenue from last year by over 60
percent! Their secret weapon was some killer auc-
tion items donated by some very generous mem-
bers. We can't thank them enough for their passion
and dedication to TBS! If you want to be part of the
planning and execution for next year’s event, reach
out to Ron at [email protected].
We also want to send out a huge thank you to the
folks who organized the mischloach manot fund-
raiser. What a joy it was to get this special treat
hand-delivered with a note from Temple mem-
bers! This fundraiser also netted about $2,000 for
our Temple.
The State of Hate in Massachusetts
Tuesday, May 21, 7:00–8:30 PM
Savings Bank Theater, Wakefield High School
60 Farm Street, Wakefield
Featuring Robert Trestan, Regional Director, ADL
New England. Sponsored by Temple Emmanuel,
Wakefield. Click here for more information.
Temple Beth Shalom Bulletin 15
Temple Beth Shalom
21 East Foster Street
Melrose, MA 02176
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
It’s May, and as a special treat for our faithful Bulle-
tin readers, it’s time to play the newest TBS sensa-
tion, That’s Just Bupkis! For those of you playing at
home, which of the following are just bupkis?
1. Following in the footsteps of the Red Sox and the
Patriots, the Bruins will win the Stanley Cup and
the Celtics the NBA Finals this May.
2. Just like at Logan, the Temple will no longer ac-
cept Uber and Lyft curbside drop-offs and pick-
ups. Instead, once it’s completed, TBS drop-off
and pick-up area will be conveniently located at
the new Melrose Central Parking Garage and
Marijuana Retail Shop, located between Papa
Gino’s and Eastern Bank, just a short walk to
TBS.
3. Melrose-Wakefield Hospital is pleased to be
opening up the first clinic for windmill-induced
cancer on the North Shore.
4. The Shalom School Dreidel Spinning Team is no
longer accepting applications in exchange for big
macher donations.
PARTING SHOT: That’s Just Bupkis
In the photo: The future
site of the Melrose Cen-
tral Parking Garage and
Marijuana Retail Shop,
where the Uber/Lyft
drop-off and pick-up
point will be located.