temple b’nai israel’s temple tablet€¦ · learning for learn-ing’s sake. in turn, limmud...

Temple B’nai Israel’s

Temple TabletVolume 9 Issue 1 Elul 5779 - Cheshvan 5780 | September - October 2019

2 September-October 2019 TBICLEARWATER.ORG

Everyone was ready for the High Holy Days and Rabbi Yisrael Salanter was on his way to the synagogue when he heard hammer blows. The sound came from a still-lit attic workshop where the town cobbler still toiled. Reb Yisrael climbed up to that attic and watched the shoemaker bent over his un-finished work. These were the townspeople’s shoes which they would need for the upcoming winter. “What are you doing here still working at this late hour before the holiday?” The shoemaker raised his head and replied, “As long as the candle is still burning, there is still time to fix things.” So Reb Yisrael Salanter went out into the streets and cried out, “My friends! As long as the candle of our souls still burns, there is still time to repair the world!

This story illustrates one of the most important lessons of the High Holy Day season; namely, that there are always opportunities to change the world and there is no better time than “hayom”, today. As we celebrate the creation of our world, we recognize there is so much in our world which is in need of tikkun, repair. Whether we are looking locally, nationally, or globally, we are confronting serious issues which not only demand our attention, but our action. As the resounding blare of the shofar calls us to examine our deeds, it also reminds us of our obligation to set free the enslaved, shatter the bonds of oppression, and root out injustice and discrimination in all its forms.

The task seems impossible. Too much to bear. But in the face of encroach-ing shadows, we cannot throw our hands up in despair. We must not sur-render to the darkness. That is not the Jewish way. We are commanded to be an “Or L’goyim” a light to the nations. We are obligated to struggle against the iniquities and inequities of the world. We must nourish the candles of our souls and spread its light to illumine the lives of those dwelling in darkness. Not tomorrow, but “hayom.”

L’shanah Tovah,Rabbi Joshua Lobel

Rabbinic RuminationsSeptember-October 2019

There are always opportunities to change

the world and there is no better time than

“hayom”, today

TBICLEARWATER.ORG September-October 2019 3

Our community is excited to welcome Rabbi Joshua Lobel, Dr. Elizabeth Lobel, Ari, Chai, and Be-nyamin into the Temple B’nai Israel family. Rabbi Lobel has jumped in with both feet. He has had quite a few house meetings and one to one sessions. If you’d like to attend a so-cial gathering or make an appoint-ment with Rabbi, please call the Temple office, and we will do our best to get a date scheduled. Here is a new opportunity for all of us to build stronger ties to our synagogue by opening up ourselves to build a strong relationship with our new Rabbi. Your new relationship will allow your views to be part of our evolution as a Jewish community with a new leader. I HOPE you take us up on this invitation. How lucky we are to be part of the future and to keep our traditions going strong! There are lots of distractions in this world. We, Reform Jews, must con-tinue practicing our Judaism to keep our community, culture, values, and faith at the forefront of our lives. Ju-daism gives our lives meaning and shows us how important family, community, Torah study, and shar-ing lifecycle events are to the fabric of our culture. I invite you all to Friday night services, which start at 7 PM. I have enjoyed Rabbi Lobel’s sermons and his Torah text studies. Please join us before the High Holy Days and share in the beauty of Ju-daism on Shabbat and let’s celebrate it as a community. It can be like a vacation day every week!

Now that Rabbi Lobel has joined our congregational staff, I feel a real

sense of relief. I am so grateful to all the people who helped ensure that the congregation would make it through all the transitions of this last year. Again I want to thank the staff for doing more than any of us could have thought possible. I owe many thanks to the Board of Trustees, the Past Presidents, Rabbi Novak, and the volunteers who did everything from finding a new settled rabbi, to supporting the Treiser Family, and anything else that needed to be done to keep us together as a congregation. I want to thank all our congregants who paid their dues and all those who were able to give above and beyond their dues to ensure our financial stabil-ity. You all had choices of where to put your time, energy and dollars, and I want to thank you for choos-ing to ensure that Temple B’nai Israel remained intact through it all. My heart is full. I am so happy and proud when I think about my extended family at Temple B’nai Israel. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your president. May the year ahead be one of hope and re-newed investment of our resources to ensure more Jewish tomorrows in Mid-Pinellas County!

Please join me at the URJ Biennial, December 11-15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Having this opportunity to engage with other congregations will unite and invigorate our energy, congregation and leadership well into the future. It’s like sleep away camp for adults!

Polly Kraus

A Letter from the Temple President

Judaism gives our lives meaning and shows us how important family,

community, Torah study, and sharing lifecycle events are to

the fabric of our culture.


As we welcome our new Rabbi for his first High Holy Day into our sanctuary, so should we too, welcome all our congregants, any new members and any guests that have come to share this time together.

I have always taken pride that Temple B’nai Israel has been a warm and welcom-ing place. Hopefully a stranger walking in to Shabbat Services gets an outstretched hand and a genuine

smile. I have been told by many new members that their de-cision to join was based on that very friendly feeling they received upon entering the first time.

We are ready! We know what to do. If only we knew how to get

unaffiliated Jewish folk to walk thru the front doors….. because we got it from there!

If each member of our Temple out-

stretched a hand and invited one new person, one new family mem-ber or one new neighbor into our tents. Membership is what sustains us. Fifty new members this year is something we should all help in achieving. Let us work together to fill the seats of our sanctuary and our Religious School class rooms. May our Sukkah be a joyous place to celebrate and may there be too many hands to hold an outstretched Torah when we celebrate the start of a new year.

It is time for joy, for prosperity and for new beginnings. Hineih mah tov umah na-im!

Shana Tova! May this be a good year, a sweet year for our Temple and for all of us.

Barbara

A Letter from the Director ofMembership Engagement

Hineih mah tov umah na-im shevet achim gam

yachad. How good and how pleasant it is that brothers/

sisters dwell together.


“A person’s every act begins with a dream and ends with one.”THEODOR HERZL

PLEASE PRINT


Thirty seven years ago, in 1982, I participated in a CAJE conference for the very first time. At the time, I was part of a Jewish theatrical troupe in the Boston area and we performed at the conference, which was held that year on the campus of Brandeis University. That year I was also poised to jump on the train of the Jew-ish professional world as I entered graduate school at Brandeis that fall.

For those readers not familiar with CAJE, the organization was founded in 1976 by two Harvard School of Education students, Cherie Koller-Fox and Jerry Benja-min z”l, who shared a vision and a philosophy, aided in no small part by a tremendous amount of youth-ful energy and chutzpah, to urge synagogues, Jewish Federations, and funding sources to share in their mission: that Jewish education [for all ages] should be the number one priority concern of the Jewish people. At its inception, the CAJE acronym stood for the “Conference for Alternatives in Jewish Educa-tion.” Later, the word “Coalition” replaced “Conference” as both the name of the organization and its annual gathering. CAJE drew be-tween 1,000 and 2,000 attendees from across the spectrum of Jewish identity and practice, who attended hundreds of workshop sessions ad-dressing a vast range of pedagogi-cal issues and areas of content. The organization sparked the formation of numerous mini-conferences, re-

gional gatherings, and like organi-zations in other countries as far as Australia. After three people from the UK attended CAJE in the late 70s, they went home to create the annual multi-denominational con-ference known as Limmud, which draws people from across Europe

and beyond, and fo-cuses not solely on Jewish education and educators but more broadly on anyone interested in Jewish learning for learn-ing’s sake. In turn, Limmud conferences eventually sprang up across the US and the world. Eventu-

ally, with an online “curriculum bank,” a journal called Jewish Edu-cation News, and affinity networks springing up within the organiza-tion, CAJE evolved from its initial counterculture identity into a main-stream organization that was a vital part of the fabric of US and global Jewish communal life. In 1987 the organization changed the name to the “Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education.”

Fifteen years after my brief appearance as a conference per-former, I returned to the CAJE conference, then as a Jewish professional. During eight con-secutive summers, from 1997-2004, I spent most of a week immersed in an environment created and popu-lated by teachers, rabbis, cantors and other Jewish professionals who were passionate about Jewish edu-cation. Workshop sessions were of-fered by educators of all stripes and

streams of Judaism who volunteered to share their knowledge and expe-rience with colleagues who were at all stages of their careers. The arts had a great presence at CAJE as well, with workshops and evening performances given by artists from the US, Canada, Israel, and around the globe. Through my own partici-pation, I became an avid proponent of CAJE, also attending Limmud in 2001 in the UK as a CAJE represen-tative.

Sadly, in 2009, the economic downturn and other fiscal con-cerns took their toll, and CAJE closed its doors. Not to be deterred, CAJE founder Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox reached out to those who had shared the CAJE vision from the very beginning, and NewCAJE was born in 2010. And fifteen years after attending my last CAJE, I returned this year.

I have attended numerous confer-ences throughout my 35+ year ca-reer. Each has its own mission, its own character. I have gleaned much from all of them, and I regularly ap-ply what I’ve learned from them in my work today. The element that

Laura’s Notes


sets CAJE apart from so many of the other conferences that I’ve attend-ed is the palpable sense of love and passion among all those who make CAJE what it is. If you can envision what it might be like to roll summer camp for grown-ups together with tremendous collegiality, commit-ment and support, you might have a little sense of what CAJE is all about. At “old” CAJE, I remember the people we called the “vatikim” —- the old-timers, the long-time professionals and founders. This summer, I found out that I’m now one of them, as we were called to the Torah for a group Aliyah. And yet the second Aliyah was for those new to NewCAJE, and up I went again. The sessions I attended, the Shab-

bat service, for which I was asked to be one of the music leaders, the amazing art and music shared, and the ruach shared among the 400 at-tendees of NewCAJE 2019, is truly reJEWvenating (yep, it’s a thing.) The exchange of energy between the “long-timers” and the younger educators and performers is noth-ing short of inspiring.

Our congregation will benefit from my experiences at sessions pertaining to new approaches to Hebrew learning and to the B’nai Mitzvah process; fabulous new mu-sic learned in sessions and through my participation in the NewCAJE chorale, whose director included one of my own compositions in our performance; and the value of Jew-

ish learning in the best “outdoor classroom,” the experience of na-ture (one of my passions,) as I took part in a pre-conference “intensive,” on a three hour hike in the hills of Portland’s Forest Park. Friends, the communities who invest in their educators’ participation in CAJE are investing wisely, and for that I personally thank you. The return on your investment is incalculable. If we can continue to help our edu-cators and NewCAJE thrive, the fu-ture of the Jewish people will be in good hands for generations to come.

Wishing you a year of inspiration, fulfillment, health and peace.

L’shanah Tovah,


It might be surprising to you that I am not an educator through for-mal years of education degrees. Yes, I have an education certificate and yes, I’ve spent 22+ years writing and reviewing curriculum, and yes, I’ve spent 22+ years “teaching” but my formal education background is in Psychology, Communication & Conflict Analysis Resolution. I hap-pened upon Jewish Education as a career as a result of my own person-al journey as a young Jewish adult. What I have found as my career de-veloped is not just an occupation, but an experience that fills my soul.

This is a different time and era for Judaism, than the one I grew up in. So many of our families grew up in similar ways—we went to Hebrew School because we had to do, we came to temple because it was the heart of many of our communities, our social circle, and the family that so many of us craved in our lives. But sadly, that is not the world we are living in right now. The world is very different—our social cir-cles are expanded into the secular world. Our communities are cre-ated by our kids’ baseball teams, gymnastics teams, speech and de-bate clubs and our temple commu-nity sometimes falls to the bottom of our priority list! So where does that leave us? Where does that put

not only our Religious School and Synagogue, but where does that put Judaism as a whole?

Benjamin Franklin’s quote above speaks to this concept. I went to Sunday School as a kid and I learned all the prayers and choreography for my Bat Mitzvah. However, it wasn’t until I started attending youth group programming and immersive Jew-ish experiences that I found my love of Judaism. I love immersive Juda-ism, whether it be a retreat, poker night, Havdalah on the beach, or any other activity that brings our community together. Benjamin Franklin’s quote expresses a deep truth that education best happens when we make it a part of who we are. Actions can be the best educa-tion. My hope this year is that we all find time to participate in the Temple B’nai Israel Community. Whether you try a new family edu-cation experience, attend an adult learning class, come to shabbat ser-vices or any other variety of pro-grams, my hope is that we embrace new experiences and use this new year to strengthen our community and our connection to Judaism.

L’Shana Tova from my family to yours.

Dani Gamson

Religious School

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember,

involve me and I learn. - Benjamin Franklin


Religious School & Youth Engagement


Thank YouTEMPLE MEMORIAL FUND In Memory Of: Stella Jesseman ......................................................................................................Eric & Gloria AdlerIrving Baker, Laura Baker ...................................................................................Bonnie BakerPaul Baughman, Michael Jacobs, Esther Meyerberg .......................................Barbara BaughmanFloyd Benci, Maria Covacich, Roland Fox, Judye Lerner ................................Vivian Benci & Saul LernerDr. Bernard Lapidus, Hazel C. Lapidus .............................................................Mark & Barbara BirenbaumCecila Schecter ......................................................................................................Barbara Bloom & Robert LevineIrene Louis Burtnick ............................................................................................Sid BurtnickHelen Popkin ........................................................................................................Frank & Kay CainLeonard Collman .................................................................................................Jerald & Joy CollmanLarry Katz ..............................................................................................................Risa & Bill DemersEdwin Shuman .....................................................................................................Dickstein FamilyLarry Mickenberg .................................................................................................Sharon FinkelsteinMilton Geiger ........................................................................................................Marcia HanoEthyl & Solomon Reiz ..........................................................................................Veta FelmusEdwin Shuman .....................................................................................................The Frogel FamilyJean Ginsburg .......................................................................................................Stan GinsburgRebecca Azouz, Alex Morales ............................................................................Robert & Carolyn GoldCharles Burdash, Mae Burdash, Burt Goldman ..............................................Linda GoldmanBenjamin Greengold, Aranka Jacubovics, Berta Jacubovics, Jeno Jacubovics, Hana Judakovics, Ignats Judakovics, Melvin Palkes ........................................................................................................Julian & Liz GreengoldJack Gross, Paulette Gross, Mattie Williams ....................................................Judge Raymond GrossRoland Fox ............................................................................................................Susan Heyman & Michael WhiteJean Morein ...........................................................................................................Gwen & Jan HirschfieldPauline Hollander ................................................................................................Marvin HollanderSadie Goldman, Jacob Sperber ...........................................................................Marvin Hollander & Linda Goldman Frnak Kaplan, Mildred Shlossman ....................................................................Harriet KaplanBoris Tenenboym ..................................................................................................Margaret KatzLawrence Katz .......................................................................................................Myrna KatzLeslie Kay, Ida Kossman ......................................................................................Jack KayCharles Kerstein ...................................................................................................Dr. Harvey & Dana KersteinRoland Fox ............................................................................................................Sheila KrasnoffSamuel L. Adler ....................................................................................................Terry AdlerLillian Shapiro ......................................................................................................Sylvia AhrensAnita B. Benowitz .................................................................................................Barbara BaughmanLouis Baum, Louise Cohn ...................................................................................Mildred CohnClarence Coleman ................................................................................................Gerald ColemanAlvin L. Edelstein .................................................................................................Miki EdelsteinFred Feldman ........................................................................................................Selma FeldmanJacob Dubrowsky, Samuel Dubrowsky, Samuel Harfenist, Sylvan Harfenist, Nathaniel Isacs ......................................................................Gaye HarfenistBarbara “Bobbie” Myers ......................................................................................Audrey & Shawn Hollander


Dr. Matus Katz ......................................................................................................Emil M. KatzNat Barris, Sylvia Barris, Bill Livesay ................................................................Carol LivesayDorothy Natchez , Celia Schecter, Hilda Sachs, Audrey & Shawn Hollander, Leo Fuchs ............................................................Herman MansfeldCarola Mayer .........................................................................................................Enid & Stan NewmarkRoland Fox ............................................................................................................Stacy & Bruce OrloffJoel Novick ............................................................................................................ Roberta & Jesse PalmerSarah Gastel, David Polur ...................................................................................Ruth PolurBertha Marks ........................................................................................................Anita RosenfeldLucille Ginsburg, Edwin Ross ............................................................................Michael & Rhoda RossEdwin Shuman .....................................................................................................Irene & David RubinRobert Topper .......................................................................................................Deborah SegalDr. Harold Friedman, Irving Sachs ...................................................................Michael & Vicki StewartJean Shalit ..............................................................................................................Iris ShalitOlga Szakevetz ......................................................................................................Kira SmithRachel Friedman ..................................................................................................Dr. & Mrs. Michael StewartJosh Adler, Frank Weiss, Jason Weiss ...............................................................Nancy WeissTEMPLE GENERAL FUNDIn Honor Of: Wedding of Marc Bragin & Scott Baker ............................................................Renee & Manny RaimiWedding of Marc Bragin & Scott Baker ............................................................Sheila Rolf & Stan GinsburgWedding of Marc Bragin & Scott Baker ............................................................Stan & Maureen RosewaterWedding of Marc Bragin & Scott Baker ............................................................Bonnie Rubin-HerzbergWOMEN OF DISTINCTION AWARD Barbara Baughman,Helene Debowsky, Polly Kraus ,Sandi Sunter,Linda White .............................................................Vivian Benci & Saul LernerBarbara Baughman,Helene Debowsky, Polly Kraus ,Sandi Sunter,Linda White .............................................................Marsha & Jason LesserBruce Bokor ..........................................................................................................Ron & Sheila MillerBarbara Baughman,Helene Debowsky, Polly Kraus ,Sandi Sunter,Linda White .............................................................Roberta & Dan Mockensturm Marcia Miller ........................................................................................................Yair & Lynne SafrielRELIGIOUS SCHOOL YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPIn Memory Of: Roland Fox, Hilda Sachs ......................................................................................Scott & Marcy DanielsRabbi Daniel Treiser.............................................................................................Debra LevineRELIGIOUS SCHOOL YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP In Honor Of: Aiden Connor Engelhard Baby Naming ...........................................................Roberta & Dan MockensturmJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Roberta & Dan MockensturmMarc Bragin & Scott Baker Wedding ................................................................Bonnie Rubin-HerzbergMarc Bragin & Scott Baker Wedding ................................................................Manny & Renee RaimiMICHAEL S. HAIMES MEMORIAL FUND In Honor Of: Martha Baker,Helen Haimes ..............................................................................Allen & Judith Haimes


MICHAEL S. HAIMES MEMORIAL FUND In Honor Of: Dr. Barry Levine birthday ...................................................................................Debra NaderIGEL TORAH FUND In Honor Of: John & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Sandi & Joel BroidaJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Mel & Jan CohenJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Mark & Judy KleinJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Bonnie Rubin-HerzbergJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Renee & Manny RaimiJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Sheila Rolfe & Stan GinsburgJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Stan & Maureen RosewaterJohn & Toni Rinde 60th Wedding Anniversary ..............................................Marilyn & Ed WarnerIGEL TORAH FUND In Honor Of: Karly Lovcks,Hilda Sashs ....................................................................................Sylvia AhrensRenee Klein ...........................................................................................................Sheila Rolfe & Stan GinsburgHOWIE BRICKMAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND In Honor Of: Howie Brickman ................................................................................................Fran & Joe BrickmanDennis Herbert Weiss ..........................................................................................Tyler & Melissa BrahmLea Weiss ...............................................................................................................HAROLD SIEGEL CANTORIAL FUND In Honor Of: Gwen Hirschfields 80th Birthday .......................................................................Michael & Vicki StewartAiden Conner Engelhard Baby Naming ...........................................................Sandi SunterHAROLD SIEGEL CANTORIAL FUND In Memory Of: Hilda Sacks ............................................................................................................Sally SiegelRABBI DISCRETIONARY FUND In Honor Of: In appreciation of Rabbi Novak ..........................................................................Vivian Benci & Saul Lerner


Tzedek (Righteousness)$10,000 AND ABOVEDenise KirschbaumBarry & Polly Kraus

Chesed (Kindness)$5,000 - $7499Ron & Sheila MillerBenjamin Schaffer & Stephanie Van Zandt

Brachah (Blessing)$1800 - $2499Andrew & Meredith CooperRobert & Carolee PezzutiHoward & Natalie RubinSteven & Gail Simon

Chai (Life)$1000 - $1799Ronald & Stephanie RosenbaumBrian & Eva SalisburyHerbert & Jane Wollowick

Simcha (Celebration)$500 - $999Dr. Jan & Mrs. Gwen HirschfieldFran KiplingScott & Julie KlavansJulie Rose

Emunah$18 - $359Emma Barth & Alice BarthNicholas & Jessica EngelhardSteve & Nina IsbittsEvan & Kathy MadowMiriam MerensIsrael & Elaine MillerStanley & Enid NewmarkDr. & Mrs. Robert SannJeffrey & Bella Worman

Thank You

2019/2020

Torah Circle Donors(DONATIONS MADE ABOVE AND BEYOND ANNUAL DUES)


September6 7:00 PM Shabbat Services13 7:00 PM Simcha Shabbat Services with WTBI Pie Oneg20 7:00 PM Shabbat Services21 8:00 PM Selichot Services27 7:00 PM Shabbat Services29 8:00 AM Erev Rosh Hashanah Tot Family Service 10:15 AM Rosh Hashanah Morning Service30 9:00 AM Rosh Hashanah Tot Family Service 10:15 AM Rosh Hashanah Morning Congregational Service

October 4 7:00 PM Shabbat Shuva Services5 5:30 PM Tashlich & Havdalah on the Beach8 8:00 PM Kol Nidre9 9:00 AM Yom Kippur Tot Family Services 10:15 AM Yom Kippur Morning Service 3:00 PM Healing Service 4:15 PM Afternoon Service, Yizkor, Neilah 11 7:00 PM Simcha Shabbat Services13 6:00 PM Erev Sukkot Picnic & Service in Sukkah14 10:30 AM Sukkot Morning Torah Study18 7:00 PM Sukkot Shabbat Service20 6:00 PM Simchat Torah, Kabbalat HaSiddur & Consecration Service21 10:30 AM Yizkor Memorial Service25 7:00 PM Shabbat Services

WORSHIP SERVICES


2 Sandra Futchko2 Zachary Ofenloch2 James Post3 Alice Backhaut4 Rocco Gentilesco4 Anthony Herkowitz4 Eliana Smith5 Josephine Behar5 Helene Debowsky5 Bruce Levine5 Kenneth Lynn6 Jacob Armstrong6 Samantha Green6 Micah Levine6 Barry Rutenberg7 Kara Maxwell7 Andrew Siegel8 Rhoda Ross9 Mindy Siegel9 Sue Wall10 Linda Bialow10 Selma Feldman10 Edward Gantz

10 Francine Wiggins12 Gerald Ford12 Natalya Hipsley12 Nancy Tapper13 Jennifer Allen13 Felice Zeldin14 Harvey Kerstein15 Steven Hechtman15 Sarah Oberlander15 Amy Richman15 Nancy Schwartz16 Barbara Shagrin17 Ann Blumencranz17 Michael Rib18 Bruce Bokor18 Noah Denker18 Leah Ariella Safer19 Kelly Siegel20 Barbara Bloom20 Sheila Rolfe20 Madison Vereb21 Shawn Hollander23 Haley Bellack

23 Sophie Goldsmith

23 Josephine Pollack

23 Rochelle Simon

23 Noah Singer

23 Linda White

24 Robert Seiler

25 Hanna Cooper

25 Frank Fine

25 Gabe Wachtler

26 Michael Latham

26 Coleman Mantell

26 Nolan Pollack

26 Jesse Richman

27 Lawrence Polur

28 Shelley Johnson

28 Madelyn Liss

29 Lorraine Golomb

29 Andrew Hano

29 Lisa Harris

30 Jeff Cotter

30 James Gilgore

September

BIR

TH

DA

YS


1 Sylvia Ahrens1 Mitchell Golden1 Stanley Newmark1 Howard Rubin2 Barbara Bellack3 Jordan Rodnizki3 Adam Schwartz3 Stephanie Van Zandt4 Eric Egozi4 Benjamin Lopatin4 Fran Rackoff4 Yair Safriel4 Stacie Vereb6 Elena Firschein6 Dylan Mockensturm6 Michael Roth7 Rylie Frayman7 Sherry Schwartz8 Evan Frayman8 Mark Klein8 Leonard Mankin8 Georgia Ofenloch8 Jeanne Ross9 Steven Cohn9 Carrie Beth Lesser Pfeil9 Hannah Miller

10 Carolee Pezzuti11 Meredith Cooper13 Mary Bellack13 Sandy Epstein13 Leslie Mankin13 Emily Mason13 Joy Pollack13 Brayden Rosen13 Peyton Rosen14 Jordan Behar14 Dana Harris15 Gregory Fox15 Jenna Polur15 Stefani Von Harten16 Mark Birenbaum16 Larren Doniger16 Fran Kipling16 Rebecca Tieder17 Victoria Alpert17 Nathan Graff17 Benjamin Mason18 Robin Fremer18 Nick Rackoff19 Sheldon Ginsberg19 Jason Lesser19 Joey Lowenstein

20 Delilah Brahm20 Pamela Cody20 Lindsay Richman22 Steven Hollander22 Roberta Mockensturm23 Albert Gart23 Mark Wall24 Mikki Edelstein24 Calvin Simon25 Nathanael Bernstein25 Joe Brickman25 Natasha Englander25 Samuel Kraus25 Abigail Safriel25 Rachel Sperber26 Marlee Rose Pfeil27 Marley Bellack27 Janice Berman27 Michael Vereb29 Avery Frayman29 Sylas Futchko29 Mila Melamud30 Laura Berkson31 Scott Lueken

October

BIR

TH

DA

YS


September

1 Mickey & Lisa Singer3 Ronald & Susan Diner4 Scott & Barbara Bellack5 Eric & Gloria Adler6 Jordan & Kara Behar6 Richard & Sarah Siegel9 Robert & Carolyn Mintz10 Kevin & Dani Brahm14 Jordan & Stephanie Messler15 Howard & Natalie Rubin15 Lloyd & Felice Zeldin16 Warren & Genia Pandorf18 Yoni & Joy Karp21 Michael & Jennifer Friedman24 Herbert & Rhonda Weinberg26 John & Tiffany Ofenloch30 Steven & Amy Klein

October 5 Edward & Iris Gantz5 Micah & Samantha Levine6 Evan & Kathy Madow7 Roger & Amy Rolfe9 Kenneth & Sue Lynn10 Kerry & Lisa Kalman10 Michael & Wendy Rib14 Seth & Ashleigh Futchko19 Calvin & Carolyn Roe22 Nate & Sarah Bernstein23 Jonathan & Margaret Morgan25 Scott & Marcy Daniels

ANNIVERSARIES


At Home For The Holidays

A Pull-Out Family Guide to Rosh Hashanah & Yom

Kippur

Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah, literally translated as “Head of the Year”, is the Jewish New Year. Even

though the term “Rosh Hashanah” is not found in the Torah, the holiday is described in the book of Leviticus, Chapter 23:23-25. “Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring an offering to Adonai.”

That’s right, Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish New Year, is celebrated in the seventh month, Tishri! The ancient rabbis associated this special day proclaimed in the Torah with the beginning of Creation. So, this day marks the birthday of the world, and we celebrate its new year. This year, we welcome in the Jewish year 5778.

Rosh Hashanah is also the first of the Ten Days of Repentance, which conclude with Yom Kippur. According to Jewish tradition, God keeps a symbolic Book of Life, and records the actions of every human being. During these ten days, we have an opportunity to evaluate how we lived our lives last year, to say we’re sorry for the wrongs we committed, and to promise not to make the same errors again. This is an essential part of the process of atonement, a central theme of the High Holy Days. On Rosh Hashanah Jews wish each other “L shanah Tovah Tikateivu - May you be inscribed for a Good Year.”

The shofar is one of the world’s oldest continually used musical instruments. It is made from a ram’s horn, and was used in Biblical times to call people together, to mark certain special occasions, and to warn people of danger. On Rosh Hashanah, a special series of notes are sounded. The “ ” is one long blast; the “ ” is three equal blasts; and “ ” is nine short blasts. The final blast is called “ ”, and is the longest note sounded. Altogether, over the course of Rosh Hashanah, one is supposed to hear

exactly 100 blasts!

Jewish people all around the world for centuries perform the ceremony of

. People go to rivers, oceans, or other natural bodies of water to symbolically cast off their sins by tossing bread crumbs into the water. Prayers are recited as the feeling of discarding the burden of past wrong-doings is expressed. The ritual is a part of the process of “ ”, or repentance. Join us for Temple B’nai Israel’s service October 5th , at 5:30 PM at Sand Key Beach.


Table Talk: Family Discussions For The Holiday MealAs your family gathers together for the festive meal, why not try enhancing your celebrationwith a discussion related to the theme of the holiday? Let every person answer these questions,or try answering them together as a family:

1. What great things happened for me this year?2. What can we change to make next year even better?3. What are our hopes for the coming year?

Prayers for the Holiday MealThe Holiday Candles: We light the candles first, to mark the beginning of the holiday, and then recite the blessing.

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who has blessed us with mitzvot, and hascommanded us to kindle the festival lights.

The Holiday Wine:We sanctify this special holy day with wine, which gladdens our hearts:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen.Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

For Reaching this Day:We thank God for allowing us to come together and celebrate this holiday:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, shehechianu, v’ki’manu, v’higi’anu lazman hazeh.Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings us life, sustains us, and brings

us to this day.

Apples & Honey:We dip apples into honey to express our hopes for a sweet New Year:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, borei p’ri ha’etz.Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the tree.

The Challah:Many Jews eat a round challah on Rosh Hashanah to remind them of the cycle of the year:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.


At Home For The HolidaysA Pull-Out Family Guide to Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, literally translated as the “Day of Atonement,” is the conclusion of the Ten Days ofRepentance. It is considered by many to be the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Unlike RoshHashanah, Yom Kippur is specifically mention by name in the Torah, in Leviticus Chapter 23: 26-28:

“Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: Mark the tenth day of this seventh month [Tishri] as the Day ofAtonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you; and you shall afflict your souls and offer an offering toAdonai. And you shaall do no work on that very same day: for it is a Day of Atonement, on whichatonement is made on your behalf before Adonai your God.”

On Yom Kippur we concluide the process of teshuvah, or repentance. Since Rosh Hashanah, wehave evaluated our lives in the past year, recognized the mistakes we made, and have asked forgivenessfrom others. On Yom Kippur, we ask God’s forgiveness through prayer. Adults, age 13 and over, showthe seriousness of their intent through fasting.

Many different prayers are recited on Yom Kippur as a part of the atonement process. On YomKippur evening, Kol Nidre (literally “All the Vows”), with its beautiful, haunting melody, is chanted.Technically not a prayer, Kol Nidre asks that we may be released from vows we may make and are notable to fulfill. Ashamnu (“We have sinned”) and Al Chet She’chatanu (“For the sin we have committed”)are lists of sins declared together as a community. Shema Koleinu (“Hear our Voices”) is a prayer to Godto accept our apologies and grant us forgiveness. The concluding Ne’ilah (“closing”) service at the end ofYom Kippur envisions the symbolic closing of the “Gates of Heaven”. On Rosh Hashanah, we asked tobe written in the Book of Life for a good year. On Yom Kippur, we ask that we be sealed in the Book ofLife for good. For this reason, Jews wish each oher “ Gemar Chatimah Tovah - - Mayyou be sealed for a Good Year.”

DID YOU KNOW....Some interesting facts and customs related to Yom Kippur

Fact: We fast on Yom Kippur in order to fulfillthe words of the Torah, “... and you shall afflictyour souls...: (Lev. 23:27). It is a sign that weare paying more attention to our prayers than ourbodily needs on this holy day.

Fact: In Reform Judaism, it is now customaryfor everyone to stay for the Yizkor memorialservice, not just people who have lost familymembers. We do this to remember the martyrsof Israel, as well as those who have no one to sayKaddish for them.

Fact: Yom Kippur can never fall on a Tuesday,Friday, or Sunday. Similarly, the first day ofRosh Hashaah will never be on a Sunday,Wednesday, or Friday.

Fact: The term “scapegoat” is actually connectedto Yom Kippur. According to Leviticus 16, onYom Kippur the High Priest would take twogoats. One would be sacrificed to God. Thepriest would then symbolically place the sins ofIsrael upon the other goat and let it escape intothe wilderness, hence the term “scapegoat”.

track.com Clicwww.do


Table Talk: Family Discussions For The Holiday MealOne of the central prayers of Yom Kippur is “Al Chet She’chatanu- For the Sin we haveCommitted.” The Hebrew word for sin, “chet” literally means “to miss”. Like an archer, wesometimes miss the target in our lives by doing something wrong. Yom Kippur is a time to askforgiveness for those misses. Try to complete the following sentences:1. I was wrong when I ...2. I am sorry that I ...3. I promise that in the future I will try my best to ...

Prayers for the HolidayWe say kiddush and motzi before the holiday meal.

The Holiday Wine:We sanctify this special holy day with wine, which gladdens our hearts:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen.Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

The Challah:Many Jews eat a round challah on Yom Kippur to remind them of the cycle of the year:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

After the Meal The Yarzheit Candle: It is customary to light a memorial candle for loved ones who havepassed away. Before lighting the candle, you may want to read aloud: “At this moment, our thoughts turnto our loved ones. Though they are gone, they continue to live within our hearts. With love we rememberthem, and in our memories they live on.”

(As you light the candle, say the names of the people for whom you are lighting it.)Read aloud: “Y’hi Zichronam Liv’racha - May the memory of our loved ones be for a blessing.”

We light the holiday candles after the meal, because lighting them signifies the start of theholiday. If we lit the candles first, the fast would begin and we couldn’t eat!

The Holiday Candles:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who has blessed us with mitzvot, and hascommanded us to kindle the lights of Yom Tov.

L’shanah Tovah Tikateivu V’teichateimuMay You be Inscribed and Sealed in the Book of Life for a Good Year!

Created and compiled by Rabbi Daniel Treiser


Vegetarian Pot Luck DinnerBring a dish associated with the Garden of Eden

6:00 Dinner 7:00 Trial 8:00 Selichot ServiceSaturday, September 21, 2019

Contact the Temple with any questions or to RSVP 531-5829

Subpoena to Appear at a Trial

Subpoena to Appear at a Trial

Humanity vs. EveHumanity vs. EvePlease come to witness the truth

at the trial of the century

Were her actions directly responsible for getting them thrown out of the Garden of Eden?

Honorable Raymond Gross PresidingTemple Beth El – Wise and discerning jurors to decide!

Let us tempt you with our new collaborative Selichot Program with Temple Beth El


GRIEF Support Group

Tuesdays 4 - 6 pmAug. 20, 27 & Sept. 3, 10

Temple B’nai Israel, 1685 S Belcher Rd, Clearwater, FL 33764

This support group provides an opportunity for people affected by grief to share their

experiences in a safe, confidential, healing environment and receive inspiration, guidance and support. Since this is a short series, please

plan to attend all four sessions.

To register or for more information please contact Kelly Siegel at (727) 735-8743 or

[email protected] or Sandi Sunter at (727) 301-7884 or

[email protected].

EmpathHealth.orgBrought to you in partnership by: COR-18-0417. 2019

CAREGIVER Support Group1st Thursday of the month

10-11:30 amTemple B’nai Israel, 1685 S Belcher Rd,

Clearwater, FL 33764

This support group provides an opportunity for caregivers to share their experiences and receive inspiration, guidance and support.

To register or for more information please contact Kelly Siegel at (727) 735-8743

or [email protected] or Sandi Sunter at (727) 301-7884

or [email protected].

EmpathHealth.org


I cannot believe that summer is behind us and we are moving for-ward with plans for our Temple B’nai Israel Family. WTBI Sister-hood welcomes Rabbi Joshua Lobel, his wife Elizabeth and their three amazing sons and we look forward with excitement as to what is ahead.

To be transparent…the past year, my first year as President of WTBI Sisterhood, was my “rehearsal”. Now it is time for me, with the amazing WTBI Sisterhood Leader-ship, to get “on stage” with what we hope will be an interesting, fun and stimulating 2019-2020 Season.

Our season premiere will be on Sunday, September 15, 2019 10:30 am. This will be our paid-up membership brunch with much op-portunity to “re-get-to-know” one another. You ALL will be the main attraction however, we just might have a surprise guest….guess you will need to be there to be “sur-prised”.

What else do we have lined up for this season? Well, in October, we will be celebrating Sukkot with “Sisters in the Sukkah”. This will be an evening of music with our own cantorial soloist, Laura Berkson, and, of course, there will be refresh-ments to share. November will offer a WTBI Sisterhood Schmooze and it will, again, be an opportunity to share a potluck dairy meal and schmooze with one another.

In December, WTBI Sisterhood will have their annual Chanukah

Dinner and Chinese Auction and there will be more information com-ing. December 15, WTBI in part-nership with our Religious School will have our Chanukah Bazaar for the Religious School children and, we will be adding opportunities for parents, family and friends to come and shop as well with some of vendors from our own commu-nity. Watch all of the Temple com-munications to see what is coming in January 2020.

In February WTBI Sisterhood will bring back for a 2nd season, even bigger and better, the oppor-tunity to purchase Shalach Manot bags for family, friends or those in need. Another opportunity to do a mitzvah as well as serve as a fund raiser for WTBI Sisterhood so that WTBI can continue to help meet the needs of temple members and TBI. January is also when we an-

nounce that applications are avail-able for our yearly WTBI Sisterhood Scholarship.

In April be ready to be a part of the “cast” in an event we are call-ing “It’s Not Easy Being Green”. This will be an event focusing on the en-vironmental issues we as a society are currently facing.

Please know this is just our early announcement of our 2019-2020. Please be sure to renew your mem-bership to WTBI Sisterhood and, if you are new, please come join and be a part of this amazing group.

A Hasidic saying reminds us “Let us be like the lines that lead to the center of a circle--- Uniting there, and not like parallel lines, which never join”.

In Sisterhood, Sandi Sunter, President

WTBI Sisterhood


If you haven’t attended Laura’s Play Reading Workshops in the Ma-kom, you are missing out on great fun as we enjoy interactive explora-tions of Jewish contributions to the-ater. Some of the participants have also contributed as a Focus Group helping develop a new SAGES play with a theme of Senior Scams. FYI: our presentation of theater as edu-cation at the NCOA conference in Washington DC in June was a big hit.

You are invited to a public screening of the documentary “Saving Claire,” based on the making of SAGES’ play Denying Gravity. Free and open to all. Sunday, September 15th 2:00 PM at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center Wednesday, September 25th 7:00 PM at Eckerd College

“Saving Claire” will be released and distributed through National Public Television and distributed to libraries and universities around the nation.

As always, we appreciate Temple B’nai Israel for fostering the for-mation of SAGES, a theater group producing plays to present a posi-tive image of aging, feature seniors in lead roles, stimulate discussion on issues faced by older Americans and enhance access to Community Theater for all.

Linda GoldmanPresident, SAGES

727-536-7076

SAGES


-


s

PLEASE NO ELECTRONICS!!

Thursday November 21 8AM — 3 PM Friday November 22 8AM— 3PM Sunday November 24 8AM—3 PM

Temple B’nai Israel

1685 South Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 33764

727-531-5829

Check out our


CALENDARSSeptember 24 6:00 PM Play Reading Group 7:30 PM Kol Rina Choir5 10:00 AM Caregiver Support Group 1:00 PM Friendship Club9 6:30 PM Brotherhood Game Night10 7:00 PM Security Committee Meeting11 6:00 PM Play Reading Group 6:00 PM Membership Committee 7:30 PM Kol Rina Choir 12 1:00 PM Friendship Club 6:00 PM High Holiday Usher Training15 9:00 AM CAbi Show 12:00 PM WTBI Paid Membership Brunch 1:00 PM Sunday Cinema Café17 7:00 PM FAST Meeting18 6:00 PM Play Reading Group 7:30 PM Kol Rina Choir19 1:00 PM Friendship Club 6:30 PM Board Meeting

24 7:00 PM FAST Meeting25 6:00 PM Play Reading Group 7:30 PM Kol Rina Choir26 1:00 PM Friendship Club

October 2 6:00 PM Play Reading Group

7:30 PM Kol Rina Choir

3 10:00 AM Caregiver Support Group

1:00 PM Friendship Club

10

14

16 5:00 PM WTBI Sisters in the Sukkah

6:00 PM Play Reading Group


17

1:00 PM Friendship Club

7:00 PM Board Meeting

21

23 6:00 PM Play Reading Group


24 1:00 PM Friendship Club

27 1:00 PM Sunday Cinema Cafe

28 7:00 PM FAST Annual Assembly with Teams at Holy Family Catholic Church

30 6:00 PM Play Reading Group


31 1:00 PM Friendship Club

temple b’nai israel’s temple tablet€¦ · learning for learn-ing’s sake. in turn, limmud...

Documents