Beth El Temple Center Bulletin
March
1997
This html document contains the entire content of the printed bulletin,
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Table of Contents
MONTH
Worship Schedule
SPECIAL SERVICES
Saturday, March 22nd
Erev Purim Childrens Service 6:30 pm
Erev Purim Adult Service 8:00 pm
WEEKDAY SERVICES
Every Monday and Thursday in March, 7 a.m.
Every Sunday in March at 9 a.m.
SHABBAT SERVICES
Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st
Brotherhood Shabbat 8:00 pm
Jr. Congregation (downstairs) 8:00 pm
Torah Study, 9 a.m.
Shabbat Morning Service 10:00 am
Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35)
Friday, March 7th and Saturday, March 8th
Family Service/Pot Luck 6:15 pm
(please call the office to RSVP for Pot Luck)
Regular Evening Service 8:15 pm
Gerut (conversion) Ceremony for Annie Fantasia
Torah Study, 9 a.m.
Shabbat Shekalim Morning Service 10:00 am
Va'yakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20)
Tot Shabbat (downstairs) 10:15 am
Friday, March 14th and Saturday, March 15th
Outreach Shabbat Service 8:00 pm
Torah Study, 9 a.m.
Shabbat Morning Service 10:00 am
Pekudei (Exodus 38:21-40:38)
Friday, March 21st and Saturday, March 22nd
Sisterhood Shabbat Service 8:00 pm
March Simchas
Jr. Congregation (downstairs) 8:00 pm
Torah Study, 9 a.m.
Shabbat Zachor Service 10:00 am
Va'yikra (Leviticus 1:1-5:26)
Friday, March 28th and Saturday, March 29th
Kita Bet Class Service 8:00 pm
Torah Study, 9 a.m.
Shabbat Parah Morning Service 10:00 am
Tzav (Leviticus 6:1-8:36)
Bat Mitzvah of Anne Herzog,
daughter of Howard & Deborah Herzog
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From the Rabbi
Great teachers are among our people's most precious
treasures. They are the beautiful, human instruments
whose minds and hearts interpret God’s Torah music
for us. Their soul-songs inspire us to wrestle and
wonder and learn as we share our journey with them.
For me, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner has been such a
teacher. He is so many wonderful things: a
storyteller of great warmth and insight, a brilliant
student of Hasidism and mysticism, a creative and
generous teacher, a funny, profound observer of
Jews and Judaism and, perhaps best of all, a
wonderful traveling companion for this mysterious
life journey we share.
I am delighted by the opportunity to share a favorite
teacher with you, my learning community. We will
welcome Rabbi Kushner to our congregation on
four, separate Sunday evenings, beginning with April
13th. Elsewhere in this Bulletin, you can find all the
pertinent details as well as a brief biography of our
Visiting Scholar. For additional information, please
call Arlene Feinberg, Chairperson of our Adult
Learning program.
I hope many of you will join us to learn with this
treasure of a teacher. I can't wait!
Rabbi Jonathan Kraus
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From the Director of Education
Winter can give you the blahs. Even with an easy
winter such as we have had this year, you reach a time
when you are yearning for the warm breezes of spring
and the excitement of those first flowers in the yard.
So, in the meantime, while we wait, what can we do?
We can appreciate the little things. They are easy to
overlook - we are all in such a hurry, but, when we take
the time to notice, they are that much sweeter. Stop
and take a look at the sunset. Give someone a
compliment or do something nice for someone else. It's
easy to do and can mean so much.
Taking a few moments to appreciate the world around
us or do something to help others is an important
lesson for us. It is also important to teach it to children
or, better yet, to learn it from them. The other night, I
stood in the parking lot with a student after Hebrew
school as she waited to be picked up. The moon was
out and she casually remarked, "Look, the moon is a
smile." The remainder of the week I took notice of the
moon in a new way as her comment stayed with me.
Does this change life drastically? No, but it adds a
gentle appreciation. Judaism teaches us that the small
pleasures of life are to be appreciated. There are
blessings to be said when we see a rainbow, when we
taste fruit for the first time of the season, and when we
wear new clothes (my father used to say "wear it in
good health").
Having and sharing a sense of appreciation is a special
gift and opportunity to notice the world around us and
the blessings it holds. Perhaps the winter isn't so blah
after all.
Toby Koritsky
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From the Preschool Director
The children are happily settled in for the second half of
the school year. They have all grown so nicely and have
established their niche in the class.
Some of the highlights and happenings of the winter
are: We visited the Belmont Fire Station where the group
climbed on engines, tried on fireman clothing, toured an
ambulance, and learned about fire safety.
One of our Dr. Dads came in and taught us how to give
each other medical check-ups using real equipment, and helped
us learn how to keep healthy.
Our chefs baked a rainbow cake by mixing lots of food
coloring into the cake batter.
For pajama day, the youngsters wore their night clothes
and brought blankets and stuffed animals. We read bedtime
stories, had a bedtime snack, and made "nighttime" crayon resist
pictures.
The preschoolers celebrated Tu B'shevat by creating
palm trees and tasting unfamiliar fruits, and parent conferences
were held on January 30th.
We are accepting applications for the 1997/98 school
year. We have limited openings for 2, 3, and 5 days. Youngsters
must be 3 years of age by Dec. 31st, 1997, to be eligible. Our
curriculum is full and rich with Judaic/Secular learning. Please
call me at the Temple, if you would like to observe our program.
Rolene Karp
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In the Beth El Family . . .
Mazel Tov to Our Bat Mitzvah...
Annie Herzog is the daughter of Deborah and Howard
Herzog, and older sister of Emily and Kate. She is a
seventh grader at the Chenery Middle School. Annie
enjoys a range of sports activities, including soccer,
basketball, skiing, and hiking. She plays viola in the
school orchestra, and participates in school drama
productions.
Annie loves to socialize with friends, as well as relax
at home with a good book. She loves pets, especially
her two cats, and is currently in demand by her
neighbors for her dependable pet-sitting services!
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Rabbi Kraus to Lead Shabbaton
Saturday, March 8-Sunday, March 9, 1997
"Answering the Whirlwind:
Judaism's Responses to the Problem
Of Suffering and Evil"
If God is good and just, how do we explain the suffering of the
innocent, the existence of evil? How do we make sense of the
tragedies of Jewish history? During these three sessions, Rabbi
Kraus will offer a historical survey of Judaism's responses to this
issue and will help us explore our personal struggles with this
question. The series will be based on the book, "The Spirit of
Renewal: Finding Faith After the Holocaust," by Edward Feld
(pub. Jewish Lights).
Sessions will be: lunch after services on 3-8-97,12:15 PM -2:30
PM; Havdalah/dessert Saturday evening (time/place TBA); and
bagels/coffee during Sunday school 3-9-97,(9:30-11:00AM)}
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Rabbi Kushner Comes To Beth El
The Adult Ed Committee is proud to bring Rabbi Lawrence
Kushner to Beth El Temple Center for four special evening
seminars. Rabbi Kushner will talk about "Invisible Lines of
Connection : Dimensions of a New Spirituality". We are lucky
because Rabbi Kushner is a special teacher who brings his
insights as the Rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Sudbury and
will share his personal journey, to show a way for us to reconnect
to Judaism's rich spiritual traditions.
Many years ago I was lucky enough to be part of a Shabbaton
that Rabbi Kushner ran at Washington University in St. Louis.
Throughout the weekend he shared his experiences growing-up
as a Reform Jew and then as a Rabbi; working with his
congregation to find new paths to meaning. I can clearly
remember that Shabbat afternoon when people gathered for a
talk. At one point, Rabbi Kushner started lightly tapping on the
table and humming a song without words. Soon others joined
him in the song, people stopped talking and found their seats. In
the soft, yellow afternoon light, thirty-five people were humming
a tune dating back a thousand years. Before starting to study
together, Rabbi Kushner helped us enter a sacred space. He
started with Torah, worked his way through some Midrash, spun
some Chasidic tales and ended-up with reflections on our current
times.
I encourage everyone to join us for these special evenings. The
four evening talks will be April 13, May 11, May 25 and June 8.
The cost will be $125 for Temple members, $75 for second
family member, and $160 for Non-Members. Rabbi Kushner’s
books will also be available for sale.
You must sign-up before March 30! Call the
Temple Office or Arlene Feinberg.
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Beth El's Web Site is HOT
Well, OK, we don't get a million visits a month. But Beth
El's web site has had over 2000 visits within a year of today.
Beth El’s site can be found at
http://shamash.org/reform/uahc/ma/betc. A shorter version
of the address is http://rj.org/~ma002, but unfortunately this
address doesn't work with some older browsers. If you
forget the address, it can be found printed on the back of
every Bulletin, or on-line it can be found by doing a search
for Beth El Temple Center on Yahoo.
Beth El's web site is full of useful information. Need to give
someone directions to Beth El? Look at
http://shamash.org/reform/uahc/ma/betc/map.html. From
that page you can get detailed driving directions to Beth El
from anywhere within 100 miles. Forgotten when the Purim
carnival is? Look it up in the on-line version of this very
Bulletin, accessible from the home page. Have an
unaffiliated neighbor perhaps a bit interested in synagogue
life? Let them visit us from the security of their home via the
web.
In fact, an idea is being floated to save on utility costs by
having all services in cyberspace via the web site. Various
problems that need to be worked out include how to do
cyber-chagbah [the honor of lifting the Torah on Shabbat
morning], and being able to chat business with the person
seated next to you during the Torah reading. In order to test
out this idea, we will experiment with having a Purim service
in cyberspace. Since the rabbi won’t be available as he is
already doing two Purim services, we’ve purchased the
Rabbi-O-Tron automated rabbi product from Chuzzy-ware.
The drawback is that the product has only the thinnest
veneer of Jewish knowledge, but this is more than made up
for by the fact that it flawlessly announces page numbers.
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LEO BRENNER MEMORIAL
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
If you are interested in applying for the Leo Brenner
Memorial Scholarship Fund, for the School Year 1997-1998, please pick up application forms at the Temple
Office...
or call Rose at 484-6668, for further information !
Thank You.
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PASSPORT TO ISRAEL PROGRAM UPDATE
I am ecstatically pleased to announce that 13 Beth El
families, 8 Aleph Class, and 9 Dalet Class, signed up for
this program in our third year of participation!
Congratulations to the Barber/Neilan(for Nick and Ben),
Brenner/Goldstein, Calvanio/Levine, Feinberg(for Lauren
and Rachel), Goldstein, Haffner(for both David and
Jessica), Jacoby, Keller, Lerman, Nager(for Rachel and
Sarah), Pike,Reisman, and Weiner families!
I would also like to acknowledge the Lesser, Millman,
Reisman, Dvorak, Nissenbaum, Bruskin, Oppenheim,
Weinstein, Winter, Diamond/Briere, Dukas, Franklin,
Herzog, Lawner/Sand, McShane, Thornton/Scwartz,
Lerman, Pike and Torgerson families who re-enrolled this
year.
All together, we now have 36 children, representing 29
families, participating in this program.
I look forward to the day all of these children travel to Israel.
I would like to encourage everyone, as part of celebrating
family simchas, to make a contribution to the Donald Ponn
Memorial Youth Fund. Through this fund, a number of our
Temple youth have received scholarship money to help
defray part of the cost of a trip to Israel.
For more information about the Passport to Israel
program, please do not hesitate to call me, Karen Pike.
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Thursday the Rabbi Eats Lunch!
Yes, it's true...and you can join him! On Thursday,
March 13th, we gather in Zonis Auditorium at
12:00PM, for our monthly fest of food, friends and
learning. This month, the Rabbi will discuss,
"Feminism & Judaism: Mismatch or Marriage Remade
in Heaven?" The food is terrific, (and free), the
friendships are a treat, and the discussion promises
to be provocative. Join us! For further information, call the Temple Office.
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Shalom Bayit
Sharon Rich, BETC Social Action Committee, Co-Chair, is on of the cosponsors of "Shalom Bayit? The
Inside Story of Abuse in The Jewish Home." It is an all
day conference sponsored by CONNECT Committee
of Jewish Women International, on Monday, April 7th,
1997 at Brandeis University, Waltham. $75 admission
includes lunch and materials. For information call 1-800-232-2624.
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Precious Purim Possibilities!
In Esther 9:22, we read that Mordecai and Esther
decreed:
The Jews were to observe them as days of feasting
and gladness, and as a time for sending gifts to one another
and presents to the poor.
Of course, we'll take care of the
"feasting and gladness" at our annual Purim celebration.
However, you may want to consider two additional customs
that grow out of this verse.
On Purim, we observe the customs of mishloach
manot (sending portions of food to friends) and mattanot
l'evyonim (giving to the poor, especially the Jewish poor
who might not otherwise be able to enjoy the holiday). The
tradition of mishloach manot is to send at least two, ready-
to-eat foods (e.g. hamantaschen, cake, fruit, nuts, little
bottles of wine, etc.) to friends and relatives. A nice, extra
touch is to put the food on a specially decorated plate!
And remember, according to tradition, we are
supposed to usher in the month of Purim (the Hebrew month
of Adar, which begins on March 10th) with special joy.
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PURIM CARNIVAL
COMING SOON TO YOUR TEMPLE!
PURIM CARNIVAL
SUNDAY, MARCH 23RD
11:00 AM- 1:00 PM
Sponsored by BETH EL Sisterhood and BEFTY
CRAFTS! GAMES! PIZZA! COSTUMES!
PRIZES! HAMANTASCHEN!
FUN! FUN! FUN!
TICKETS SOLD AT DOOR
CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT
PRESCHOOL TO PRETEEN
PRIZES FOR COSTUMES
DON'T MISS IT!
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Jewish Philosophy Study Group
The Jewish Philosophy Study Group will next meet on
Wednesday, March 12,1997 at 7:30 PM, at the Temple.
We will continue discussing religious and ethical issues
involving the Holocaust. We will be focusing in on the
controversies involving the Swiss banks and Madeline
Albright.
There will be copies of the readings in the Adult
Education box at the Temple office. Anyone can come
and join the group, and new members are always
welcome. You do not need to have any prior
knowledge. If you have any questions or concerns,
please call Julian Harlowe.
Julian Harlowe
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Sisterhood Rosh Chodesh Group
The Rosh Hodesh group will meet on Monday,
March 10th, at 7:30 PM, at a home.
We will be welcoming the month of
Adar Bet.
We will be learning about Esther and Vashti, the
two famous wives of King Ahasuerus. Bring small oriental
rugs, or large floor pillows. Dress in pajamas or loose
fitting clothing, suggesting women of Queen Esther’s court.
We will apply face masks- mud, mint, avocado, etc.
(Please bring if you have some!) We will reveal our faces
we never exhibit or are eager to reveal. We will discuss
beauty and artifice as these concepts relate to the actions of
Vashti and Esther, and to our own perceptions of ourselves
as women.
RSVP, Amy or Sheila.
Sheila Doctoroff
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SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE
Music for spring can delight your ears in a family
concert on Sunday, April 4th at 3 PM, at Beth El. The concert
will feature light modern music by our own Cantor Fine, as well
as some instrumental music in the mood of the season. Proceeds
from the concert will benefit the Medenica Institute for Special
Education and Child Development, located in
Bosnia/Hergovinia. This institute celebrates its 50th anniversary
this year, helping in education and rehabilitation of retarded
children and teens. There are 156 children involved, even
though the Institute has been bombed during the war and still
lacks basic necessities. We ask your generous support, whether
you wish to attend the concert as a Patron, or simply wish to offer
tzedakah to these brave souls. If you would like to read a
poignant book about living with mental retardation, the award
winning fiction, Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keyes is sure
to inspire and educate.
The prophet Isaiah taught us of worthy ideals. He spoke
of the emptiness of thoughtless offerings, and urged us bring both
kavanah, and mindfulness, to ritual, and to break the yoke of
oppression wherever we found it. We know Federal budget
cutting is burdening the politically voiceless members of our
society, such as children. We wish to broaden our awareness of
our communities in their struggles with these issues. Please join
us on the heels of our spring concert for the Social Action
Shabbat on Friday, April 4th. This will be followed by Mitzvah
day on Sunday, April 6th. We will expand on last years theme
by serving our community during this years Mitzvah Day
activities. This is a fun and important way for all of us to learn
the values of giving to our community. Please call Sharon Rich,
or Ariel Kohn for more information.
We hope you will consider joining us for these events.
The betterment of the world, tikkum olam, comes one mitzvah at
a time, through every one of us.
Sharon Rich and Ariel Kohn, Co-Chairs
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Brotherhood
Sunday March 2nd at 9:30 AM
A Brotherhood Breakfast Featuring Hillel Stavis
"Does Israel Get A Fair Shake In The U.S. Media?"
$5.00
Brotherhood Members-1/2 Price
(Limited baby-sitting available only by reservation)
Call 484-6668
Saturday March 29th at 6:30 PM
Post Purim Deli Dinner (For Men & Women)
at the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse
Call The Temple For Reservations
HAVE YOU JOINED BROTHERHOOD YET?
Joseph Tovares, Brotherhood President
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Sisterhood
Over 80 women were honored to hear Shulamit
Reinharz, Ph.D. from Brandeis University speak to us about
the importance of the Jewish woman, and four unknown
women whom she specifically chose to honor that are
important in her life. Together with the Sisterhood of
Temple Isaiah, the Belmont-Watertown Chapter of
Hadassah, and members of the Belmont community, we all
enjoyed this wonderful morning. My thanks to Eva
Feldman, Liz Hahn, Jean Millstein, Rachel Millstein, Shelley
Rubin, Jill Tapper, Myrna Weiner, Bettina Winter, and also
to Ruth Fleischman and Temple Isaiah members for helping
to make this a wonderful event. Special thanks to Toby
Koritsky and Hilde Dvorak for sharing the idea to call Dr.
Reinharz. It was a great way to celebrate Jewish women.
Reservations are coming in fast and furiously for the
Sisterhood Night at the Pops. If you wish to join us on May
29, please send your check for $20 per person to Marsha
Mattison. Seating is in the second balcony, and a bus has
been reserved to take us back and forth to Symphony Hall.
This is open to everyone, young and old, Temple member or
not.
The January Sisterhood meeting was wonderful.
Aside from discussing normal business, we were joined by
10 new Sisterhood members. Everyone was able to hear new
ideas and desires for happenings within Sisterhood, and then
got to schmooz afterwards over coffee and desserts. Thank
you Adele Oppenheim for opening up your home to all of us,
and to all the new members, thank you for joining us. Please
come back for more! Next meeting is at Marsha Mattison’s
house on Monday, February 24 at 7:30.
I hope you will find other happenings from Sisterhood in
"advertisements boxes" within this bulletin. There is also an
Upcoming Events listing on the bulletin board next to the
coatroom. Check it for more details.
Sharon Feinberg, Sisterhood President
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