1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

Shofar Soundings
JUNE/JULY 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Rock
Shabbat
Service
Shabbat Service
Honoring Long-Standing Members of 20-30 Years
Friday, July 17, 2015
5:45 p.m. Enhanced Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
with Birthday Blessings!
Followed by Dinner
Friday, June 5, 2015
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Service
With Baby Naming of
Seth David Flowers
(See page 5 for more details)
(See page 7 for more details)
A nnual M eeting
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
at 7:30 p.m.
Op era Goes to Temp le
Sunday, June 14, 2015
4:00 p.m.
2015 Gary
HeldmanAward
Menorah
2012 Menorah
Honoring Leah Citrin on her Ordination
(See page 7 for more details)
Table of Contents
The Rabbi’s Reflections......................... 2
An Offering of Thanksgiving
Tot Shabbat Service............................... 2
From our Assistant Rabbi...................... 3
Celebrating the Superheroes
of our School!
From our Board President..................... 4
Baby Naming of Seth David Flowers.... 5
Executive Director................................. 6
Building a Stronger Tomorrow!
Abayudaya............................................. 7
Benefits of Delicious Peace Coffee
Opera Goes to Temple.......................... 7
Honoring Long-Standing Members..... 7
Tot Shabbat Havdallah.......................... 9
Environmental Committee Update..... 10
Kehal Kodesh Religoius School........... 11
End of Year Photos
Brotherhood Update............................ 11
Tribute Funds...................................... 12
Women of Rockdale............................ 13
Mitzvah Opportunities........................ 14
Condolences & Mazal Tov.................. 14
Birthdays & Anniversaries................... 15
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Temple
Join Us On
Where you are valued...
...and values matter!
www.rockdaletemple.org
The Rabbi’s Reflections
An Offering of Thanksgiving
Leviticus is no one’s favorite book Secondly, I am thankful that I will be spending some time
on Sabbatical this summer. My current contract bestowed
of the Bible. It is filled with the
blood and guts of sacrifice and the 3 months of Sabbatical upon me. I will enjoy 5 weeks this
summer ( June6-July 12) and will complete this shabbaton
hierarchy of the priesthood that
makes us squirm. We find within next summer. While I am always energized by my service
in our community, this time will offer me the opportunity to
the lines of the Torah a vision of
renew. A chance to take a real Shabbat and to refresh. I will
perfection that none of us attains. And yet, amid the different be spending part of this time learning as part of the Rabbinic
Torah Study Seminar at the Shalom Hartman Institute in
offerings, we learn something of
Jerusalem. I offer my deepest thanks for this opportunity to
our humanity. We learn to move
past our own flaws by making sin the congregation, the Temple Board and to the Rockdale staff,
offerings. We learn to mark time including Gene Meyers, who will support you and me during
5102 ,9 yamy
M ,absence.
yadrutaS I am grateful
51particularly
02 ,6 y raurbeto
F ,yRabbi
adirF Kahan who
with the regular offerings, now
civ reS tabbahwill
S tobe
T .m
.a 00:01 to ourecommunity
civ reS tabbahwhile
S toT .Imam
.p 0on
3:5 Sabbatical. I
available
changed into our regulareprayer,
ytivitcA dna kam
canSthankful
yb dewollthat
of she will berethere
nniD for
yb dyou!
ewolloIf know I will return
“the offering of our lips.” And we learn to make thanksgiving offerings of well-being. Zevach sh’lamim—An offer- rejuvenated and reJEWvenated.
5102 ,21 enuJ ,yadirF
5102 ,12 hcraM ,yadrutaS
ing to be thankful for wholeness.
eciv reS tabbaIhpray
S toTI.m
.p 03:5safely toecbe
iv rewith
S tabyou
bahSintocommunity
T .m.a 00:01 in renewed
return
tivitcA
dnawe
kcaall
nS feel
yb dethe
wollwholeness
of
purpose and mission. Iypray
that
for
Our Torah study group learned that the Midrash teaches
which I am grateful as I make this Offering of Thanksgiving.
that when the Messianic Era arrives, there will not be a
5102 ,42 lirpA ,yadirF
need for the regular offerings, but we will still need to
eciv reS tabbahS toT .m.p 03:5
bring offerings of Thanksgiving. Not because God needs
noitapicitraP edarG ts1 & K ,K er P htiW
it, but because our souls need it. We need to be grateful
Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran renniD yb dewollof
and to understand the blessings in our lives. This month, I Senior Rabbi
would like to express gratitude for two blessings in my life.
setaD tabbahS toT
learsI eneB .K.K
Save-the-Date
First, I am thankful for Leah Citrin. Leah has been Rock- elpmeT eladkcoR
dale’s Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Fellow for the past !rettam...sdeeuulalavvdenraa...uoy erehW
two years. As our intern, she has taught our congregation
Friday, June 12, 2015
and led us in worship. She has been a teacher in our He5:30 p.m.
brew School. Leah was particularly involved in teaching
Tot Shabbat Service
adults, on Saturday mornings, through our Adult Education offerings and in being my partner in shepherding last
Designed for families with infants through Kindergarten-aged
year’s Adult B’not Mitzvah class. Moreover, soon-to-be
children and includes singing, simple prayers and stories.
Rabbi Citrin has been a sounding board for both Rabbi
A wonderful way for children to experience Shabbat with
Kahan and me, helping us to create community and meantheir parents, Clergy and each other.
5102 ,9 yaM ,yadrutaS
ing for K.K. Bene Israel/Rockdale Temple.
5102 ,6 y raurbeF ,yadirF
setaD tabbahS toT
eciv reS tabbahS toT .m.a 00:01
eciv reS tabbahS toT .m.p 03:5
Leah will be ordained on May 29th and our congregation
ytivitcA dna kcanS yb dewollof
renniD yb dewollof
will have the opportunity to honor her for her gifts to us
5102 ,21 enuJ ,yadirF
5102 ,12 hcraM ,yadrutaS
at our Annual Meeting on June 2nd at 7:30 pm. I hope
e
c
i
v
r
tabbahS toT .m.p 03:5
eciv reS tabbahS toT .m.a 00:01
you will join me in gratitude. Afterward, Rabbi CitrineSwill
ytivitcA dna kcanS yb dewollof
serve Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, North Carolina. I know
that her new congregation will learn what we have learned:
5102 ,42 lirpA ,yadirF
that Rabbi Citrin is a thoughtful and brilliant leader. She
eciv reS tabbahS toT .m.p 03:5
will bestow upon them her sense of purpose and will bring
noitapicitraP edarG ts1 & K ,K er P htiW
them closer to their Judaism through music and prayer, inrenniD yb dewollof
tention and learning. We pray that Rabbi Citrin will take
our stories with her and that she will be fulfilled in her
learsI eneB .K.K
new role. Hazak, Hazak v’nithazeik. May she continue to
e
l
p
m
eT eladkcoR
grow from strength to strength.
...deulav era uoy erehW
2
shabbat with the Rosensweet family.
!rettam seShabbi
ulav dnaenjoys
...
Shofar Soundings
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
An initiative of the
Jewish Federation
of Cincinnati
Kehal Kodesh School of Rockdale Temple instills knowledge and love of Reform Judaism. We provide pathways to
spirituality and God through instruction in Torah, ritual,
traditions, Tikkun Olam (social responsibility) and connections with our sacred community.
Our 2014-2015 / 5775 school year complete, Rabbi
Coran and I would like to say how proud we are of all
that our students, families, teachers, and madrichim have
accomplished during this past year.
This Year We…
• Learned all about middot, Jewish values and virtues,
and how they help us to live as superheroes, acting
as our best selves.
• Welcomed back eight teachers and welcomed for the
first time six new teachers.
• Continuing praying and learning about prayer with
our Visual T’filah program.
• Explored Israel and Modern Hebrew with Tal and
Natan, our Chaverim M’Yisrael.
• Engaged in learning with Rabbi Coran during
Family Education programs.
• “Retreated” to Downtown Cincinnati with Rak
Noar (7th and 8th grades).
• Celebrated the High Holy Days, Sukkot, Chanukah,
Purim, and Passover together.
• Spent a second awesome year learning with our URJ
Camp Service Corps Fellow Michael Levy – 18 of
our kids are attending URJ Camps this summer!
• Welcomed back Interim Education Director Alexia
Kadish – thanks, Alexia!
• Hosted parent schmoozes to build community
among our school families (special thanks to the
Religious School Committee!)
• Celebrated the end of the school year with a “Super
School Shabbat”!
We are grateful for the wisdom, energy, and investment of our wonderful staff at Kehal Kodesh. It takes a
community of talented people to create an enthusiastic,
positive learning environment, and we are blessed to
have those people here in our school. This year we offer
thanks to:
From our Assistant Rabbi & Educator
Celebrating the Superheroes of our School!
Religious School Teachers:
Felicia Wennersten – PreK and
Kindergarten
Gabi Schneider – 1st Grade
Nurit Friedberg – 2nd Grade
Alana Levy – 3rd Grade
Yonatan Greenberg – 4th Grade
Justin Levy – 5th Grade
Kat Lanphear – 6th Grade
Rabbi Matthew Kraus and Sam
Kaye – Rak Noar
Marti Bedard –
School Administrator
Hebrew School Teachers:
Sam Pollak – Kitah Aleph
Sam Kaye – Kitah Bet
Scott Gellman – Kitah Gimmel
Leah Citrin – Kitah Dalet
Leslee Estrada – Rak Ivrit
Max Miller – Madrichim Program Coordinator
Madrichim:
Emily Braverman
Sydney Braverman
Abigail Clark
Hannah Clark
Sarah Green
Molly Grossman
Emily Hageman
Zakary Kadish
Quint Kaufman
Micah Kraus
Lauren Kurtzer
Rebecca Peters
Max Routh
Ari Seid
Ethan Smilg
Noah Smilg
Julie Epstein and Lauren Herzig – Education Committee
Co-Chairs
Education Committee:
Alison Auerbach
Rebecca Barilleaux
Glenn Chundrlek
Lynda Grossman
Barrie Kraus
Dori Mack
Craig Rozen
Larry Smilg
And as always, we are thankful for our Rockdale Temple staff
members who go above and beyond to support our school
program.
We are grateful to all those who have made this year a success.
Thank you for wonderful year of learning, engagement, and
community building. We look forward to seeing you all on
Opening Day – August 30, 2015!
Rabbi Meredith Kahan
Assistant Rabbi & Educator
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
June/July 2015
3
From Our Board President
We have a lot going on at Rockdale Temple!
Something amazing is going on
at Rockdale Temple. By the time
you receive this, about to hold our
191st annual meeting, approved
a balanced budget for the year to
end June 30, 2016, elected several
new directors, and heard reports
on what I hope you will agree has
been a good year for Kehal Kodesh
Bene Israel/Rockdale Temple. But
when have challenges ever defeated the Jewish People? We have
lots of hard work to do to continue
to build our little corner of the Jewish World, but that work
is a joy. Your board will keep you posted, and we continue to
invite you to come inside our work through our committees
and projects.
This month I have the privilege of sharing something amazing that is going on at Rockdale. You have heard about
the generous grant that we have received from the Jewish
Foundation of Cincinnati to explore ways to better engage
all of you in the congregation that you have chosen. Under
the leadership of Barbara Turner-Michaelson, we have now
completed our first all-day session with our consultants,
and it was an extraordinary day. I want to share substantial
quotations from Barbara’s remarks to our Rockdale Connects team with which she opened our brainstorming session
for a full day on a recent Sunday. In these excerpts, Barbara
welcomes the Rockdale Connects task force, and she says
some beautiful things about where your temple is headed.
Fasten your seatbelts:
“ Why is Rockdale Embarking on this Work? Ten years ago,
our congregation experienced a significant shift. At that
time, we re-organized our governance, hired a new spiritual leader and re¬defined ourselves. Just as important, we
stabilized our financial health at that time. For the past ten
years, Rockdale has presented an essentially balanced budget
to our membership. Since then, we have maintained steady
membership numbers as well as enhanced our programming.
We are a strong and vibrant congregation that has much to
offer our community. Having moved forward successfully
from a fragile time, we are proud that we are respected not
only for having been the first Jewish congregation in Cincinnati but for what we have become and what we might offer
in the future.
“Rockdale Temple seeks to build connections and enhance
the feeling of community by implementing a set of three
connected projects. These initiatives are intended to engage current members, attract new members, and secure the
congregation’s future. We will build on our strengths and advance our mission. We are trying to meet the congregation’s
needs identified through a survey of Rockdale’s membership
which was conducted in March of 2014. This period of dis-
4
Shofar Soundings
covery reiterated our goals to build upon positive relationships and increase engagement while creating a sustainable
future. I mentioned that three initiatives are part of our
Jewish Foundation grant, and you have been invited to be
part of the first one which is that we want to employ a topnotch consultant to help us move beyond where we are and
increase all members’ sense of connectedness and engagement. We want to change how we are going about getting
our members to fully understand how important they are
to us and to one another and how much we value them by
creating programs and events they want that are appealing
to them. Our consultant, including Larry Dressler, Amy
Rosenblum, and their team from Bluewing Consulting
in Boulder, have been hired to help us create new ways of
bringing more of our congregants from the periphery to
the center.
“Why were the people in this room invited to lead this
effort? We wanted the faces of Rockdale to be completely
represented. We wanted different viewpoints, different
ages, different generational ties. You were also chosen
because we believe you will see yourself as working for
the whole rather than having a special interest. In other
words, you were chosen because we believe you are flexible,
forward-thinking, willing to listen to others, willing to suspend your beliefs and judgments and, most of all, creative
and willing to compromise.
“I am so excited today has finally come, and I cannot
express to you how grateful I am that you are willing to be
here today. I know most of you are wondering what this
whole project is about, what is going to be asked of you,
and must feel some trepidation about agreeing to be here
today. I see us as a collective stone that is thrown into a
pond. Each ripple is a connection to the previous one. So
we create a ripple, and then that circle creates another one,
and so on and so on until we have this massive circle in
which all the congregants are connected.”
Thank you, Barbara, for leading this effort and for your
inspiration. And thanks to all our fine Rockdale Connects
team members, including Rabbi Coran, Executive
Director Gene Meyers, John Cobey, Risa Feagins, Barry
Gibberman, Justin Levy, Susan Ostreicher, Josh Shapiro,
Joan Schimmel, Larry Smilg, and Karen Zanger. We soon
will be calling on many others of you, our members, to join
in the work of Rockdale Connects. Please answer the call,
or call Barbara or me with your questions or to volunteer.
Something amazing is going on at Rockdale Temple; be
part of it.
Dan Hoffheimer
Board President
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Baby Naming
Greeters and
Candle & Kiddush
of Seth David Flowers
Friday, June 5, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Rockdale Temple
We invite our Congregational family
to Celebrate with us as
Seth David Flowers
son of Rabbi Meredith Kahan
and Sean Flowers is welcomed
into our Jewish Community
Religious School Passover Program photos
We need volunteers who are interested in
lighting candles and participating in Kiddush
after services on Friday nights. It’s a special
way to honor a significant date such as a Bar/
Bat Mitzvah, Birthday or Anniversary. It’s
also a very meaningful way to celebrate the
beginning of Shabbat. Your whole family is
more than welcome to join you on the Bimah
for the blessings and the candle lighting.
Also needed are people who would act as
greeters to our members and guests when they
arrive for services.
For more information contact:
Chris Malhotra by phone (513) 777-2039
or email [email protected].
Janie Meyers by phone (704) 771-0721
or email [email protected].
Ward’s
Window Cleaning Service
“I can see clearly now...”
Dan Ward
Fully Insured
Free Estimates
513-390-2369
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
June/July 2015
5
Executive Director
Building a Strong Tomorrow!
Six times a year, volunteers from
Rockdale Temple give their time
and money, to work at the Soup
Kitchen. It’s a few hours of loving devotion as they help those
less fortunate than themselves.
Our Women of Rockdale contribute funds to help cover some
of the costs, but it’s not enough.
This worthy project needs your
support. Please help by making a
contribution to the Soup Kitchen
Fund. Every dollar helps give so
much to so many in need.
***********************************
Rockdale is a member of the first group of organizations
participating in Cincinnati’s CREATE YOUR JEWISH
LEGACY – CYJL Program. We’re off to a great start with
the enthusiastic support of your Board of Directors, past
Presidents and others. CYJL gives us all the opportunity to
make a significant difference in Cincinnati’s Jewish community, affecting generations to come. Best of all, your support will
not have any effect on your current or future lifestyle.
Many members of our Congregation have asked me about
CYJL and legacy giving. So, what is a legacy gift and does it
make sense to make one? Let’s take a moment and debunk the
“Top 10 Legacy Giving Myths.”
10. I already give money annually. Thank you so much!
Regular giving to an annual appeal or fundraiser is an important part of how area nonprofits keep their doors open. But
what happens to the organization you have supported when
you are no longer here to make that gift? A legacy gift can
help ensure that your support continues, even when you can’t
attend that fundraiser.
9. I don’t want the publicity associated with Legacy Giving. Part of our philanthropic practice involves thanking those
who have made a legacy commitment. Publishing a list of
legacy society members and offering special opportunities to
legacy givers can inspire others to participate in this important
program. But if you’re not the kind of person who wants the
world to know about your generosity, you can choose to remain
anonymous.
usually be made with a single phone call and a signature,
no attorney necessary. 6. I won’t get to decide what happens to my gift. Even
though you won’t be here to see the impact your legacy
gift will be making, you can pre-determine where your
dollars will go and stipulate how they should be spent. If
you’d like to fund a technology upgrade, purchase books
for the library, or make sure extra scholarships are available, just stipulate that as part of your gift. Don’t imagine
that you have to restrict your gift though… sometimes
general funding is just the thing that an organization
most needs.
5. If the organization dissolves, so will my money. It’s
hard to predict where any of us will be in 10, 20, even 50
years. If you are worried that your organization might
not be around when your gift is ready, you can indicate
that you’d like it to go to a particular cause ( Jewish education) as a second choice to your favorite organization
(Rockdale Temple).
4. My kids are getting all my money. Every parent wants to make sure their kids are well taken care
of. Consider leaving just a portion of your estate to
charitable causes. A gift like this will leave your children
with both financial support and an ethical lesson in the
importance of building a better world.
3. I might need my money. It’s true, you might. And
it’ll be there for you if and when you do. This type of gift
represents what you want to give once you are no longer
here to need your assets. 2. I want my money to go where it’s most needed.
Sometimes it’s not an organization that moves us, but
the idea we can make a difference in the world. If you
have a mission you’d like to accomplish, Rockdale’s CYJL
Committee can help you plan your legacy gift around accomplishing that mission. Contact me, Gene Meyers at
[email protected], to get started.
1. I have to be a millionaire to leave a legacy. The
beauty of legacy giving is that you can make a gift of
any amount of your estate. If your estate is worth a few
dollars or a few billion, your gift is your legacy. And your
legacy should live on!
8. Only seniors can leave a legacy gift. Seniors are an
important and influential group, but any person-- no matter
their age-- can plan to support the causes and organizations
they cherish after they are gone. If you have assets, you’ll want
to be the one to decide how they should be divided... at any
age.
To learn more, please take a few minutes to contact and
speak with a member of our CYJL Committee, consisting of Dan Hoffheimer (Chair), Dick Friedman, Mike
Heldman, Andi Herzig, Ed Herzig, Rabbi Coran and
yours truly, Gene Meyers. All conversations will be kept
confidential.
7. I will need to hire a lawyer. There are many Legacy gift
vehicles that don’t require hiring an attorney. Consider
making your favorite nonprofit a beneficiary of a portion of
your life insurance policy or retirement fund. This change can
Eugene Meyers
Executive Director
6
Shofar Soundings
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Abayudaya
CINCINNatI opera & roCkdale temple
present
Benefits of Delicious Peace Coffee
opera goes to
Meet one of the members of the Abayudaya
( Jewish ) people of Uganda.
TtIic
CK
kE
ets
AV
AA
vAilA TS
I
ble
L
AprilABL
NOW10 E
!
temple
An introduction to some people who benefit by
our support of the Delicious Peace coffee
cooperative.
A couple of the things that Dolores and I noticed
about the people we met in Uganda were their
ready smiles and kind attitudes.
Tarfon was one of the first people we met. He is
a young man, age 28. He is studying to become a
tourist guide and was one of the assistant guides
during our trip.
rockdale temple
Tarfon was chosen to study in Israel for a year.
When he returned to his village, he married and
now has a little daughter.
8501 ridge road
Cincinnati, oH 45236
A summer Afternoon of
contemporAry And
clAssicAl music
Rockdale Temple
sunday, July 13
4
p.m. June 14
Sunday,
Tarfon is now a rising leader in his community.
We enjoyed getting to know Tarfon and he called
us his adopted American Mamas.
Submitted by Joyce Alpiner and
Dolores Goldfinger
4 p.m.
8501 Ridge Road
tickets: FREE, but
Cincinnati,
OH 45236
reservations
are required.
Available beginning
Thursday, April 10 at 10 a.m.
Limit
2 per household.
ickets
T
: FREE, but
call
(513) 241-2742
reservations
are required.
or visit cincinnatiopera.org
Limit
4Code
per “praIse”
household.
Use
promo
About Opera Goes to Temple
Opera Goes to Church and
Opera Goes to Temple concerts
have been presented annually
throughout the region since
2006. Cincinnati Opera works
closely with the music staff
and artists at each partner
congregation to create powerful,
unique programs featuring
internationally acclaimed
artists from Cincinnati Opera’s
mainstage season, dynamic
congregational choirs, talented
youth performers, and more.
WHeN plaCINg YoUr order
Shabbat Service
Honoring Long-Standing Members of 20-30 Years
Friday, July 17, 2015
5:45 p.m. Enhanced Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Please RSVP by Wednesday, July 15, 2015
To Christie Woodside: [email protected] or 891-9900
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
June/July 2015
7
K.K. Bene Israel
June 2015
oCkdale temple
Sunday
ticke
t
AvAil s
Ab
April le
10
7
A summer Afternoon of
contemporAry And
clAssicAl music
About Opera Goes to Temple
Opera Goes to Church and
Opera Goes to Temple concerts
have been presented annually
throughout the region since
2006. Cincinnati Opera works
closely with the music staff
and artists at each partner
congregation to create powerful,
unique programs featuring
internationally acclaimed
artists from Cincinnati Opera’s
mainstage season, dynamic
congregational choirs, talented
youth performers, and more.
14
4:00 p.m.
Opera Goes to
Temple
Rockdale Temple
1
8
opera
2 goes 3to
temple
97:00 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal
sunday, July 13
4 p.m.
8501 ridge road
Cincinnati, oH 45236
tickets: FREE, but
reservations are required.
Available beginning
Thursday, April 10 at 10 a.m.
Limit 2 per household.
16
7:00 p.m.
23
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
55:45 p.m.
11
12p.m.
A summer Afternoon of
contemporAry And
clAssicAl music5:30
About Opera Goes to Temple
Opera Goes to Church and
Opera Goes to Temple concerts
have been presented annually
throughout the region since
2006. Cincinnati Opera works
closely with the music staff
and artists at each partner
congregation to create powerful,
unique programs featuring
internationally acclaimed
artists from Cincinnati Opera’s
mainstage season, dynamic
congregational choirs, talented
youth performers, and more.
18
Tot Shabbat
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Service
25
with Anniversary Blessings
and Choir Singing
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
26
5:45 p.m.
27
9:30 a.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
RUACH:
Noa Concert with
Israelity Series
(Washington Park)
30
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
Shabbat Service
With Birthday Blessings
Followed by Dinner
29
13
9:30 a.m.
20
Rock Shabbat
Service
28
6:00 p.m.
69:30 a.m.
19
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Discussion with
Maia Morag
(Offsite)
24
Saturday
with the naming of
Seth David Flowers
call (513)
Choir241-2742
Rehearsal
RUACH: Israel
7:30 p.m.
or visit cincinnatiopera.org
WRJ
Dinner
Use promo
Code
“praIse”
22
17
6:30 p.m.
ticke
t
AvAil s
Ab
April le
10
Friday
Shabbat Service
10
rockdale temple
15
4
7:30 p.m.
Annual Meeting
WHeN plaCINg YoUr order
21
Where you are valued...
...and values matter!
CINCINNatI opera & roCkdale temple
present
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Baby Boomer
Group Outing
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
A nnual M eeting
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
at 7:30 p.m.
Honoring Leah Citrin
on her Ordination
Menorah
AwardAwards
2015 Gary2012
Heldman
Menorah
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Join Us For Tot Shabbat Havdallah
Saturday, July 25, 2015 at 5 p.m.
Wednesday
1
Thursday
2
at the home of Rabbi Kahan
Cooking
7
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
13
14
8
9
10
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
15
16
17
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Service
Honoring Long-Standing
Members of 20-30 years
with Anniversary Blessings
19
20
21
22
23
24
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Service
With Birthday Blessings
26
27
28
49:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
Temple Office Closed
Shabbat Service
12
Saturday
Independence Day
RSVP by July 20, 2015 to
Christie at 513-891-9900
6
35:45 p.m.
Shabbat Service
Let us know how many in your family
will be staying for dinner.
5Soup Kitchen
Friday
July 2015
29
30
31
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Service
11
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
18
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
25
T
B’A
isha
v
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
5:00 p.m.
Tot Shabbat
Havdallah
(at the home of
Rabbi Kahan)
Environmental Committee
Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Rockdale and Your Home
In his book, Torah of the Earth,
Exploring 4,000 years of Ecology in Jewish Thought, Arthur
Waskow tells the reader “The
environmental crisis offers both
a challenge and an opportunity
to modern Judaism.” He writes
that all cultures will be judged in
future generations by the depth
of their response. A recent article
in Scientific American points out
that if we do not cut greenhouse
gas emissions, it will be too late
to halt global warming. According to the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, the current average annual
rate increase of CO2 emissions is 1.92 part per million, which
means we could reach the point of no return by 2042. (www.
scientificamerican.com/article/have-we-passed-the-point-ofno-return-on-climate-change/)
generations. You can start today by contacting GCEA at
www.greatercea.org or by phone at (513) 621-4232. If
your home or building is in Cincinnati can save as much
as $1,500 through their incentive program supported by
the City of Cincinnati. The Energy Alliance also offers a
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® assessment
to help you understand how improvements throughout
your home can work together to save energy and increase
comfort. The challenge is for you to do your part to limit
CO2 emissions so we do not reach a global warming
point of no return.
The Energy Analysis and Recommendations report can
be found in Gene’s office. This section and chart explain
why our energy costs are high at Rockdale.
We can respond to the challenge by making our homes
and our Temple home more energy efficient.
The first step is to change light bulbs to CFLs or LEDs to
save energy and lower electric bills. At our Temple, we have
changed 99% of the light bulbs! This is the easiest and least
costly action you can take! Please consider making this easy
and important change at home. Duke Energy customers can
receive discounted or free CFL and LED bulbs. Visit Duke
Energy at www.duke-energy.com/sbes or call (855) 322-0998.
The next step is to call the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
to set up a meeting to evaluate your home. Rockdale’s Executive Director, Gene Meyers, and members of the Rockdale
Environmental Committee met with Chris Meyer from the
GCEA in order to evaluate our energy usage at Temple. After
thoroughly studying the Temple building and utilities, Chris
sent an Energy Analysis and Recommendations report. Determining the costs of energy used at Rockdale is difficult due
to the complicated arrangements with the JCC. Rockdale has
meters on some but not all equipment. The JCC quantifies the
cost and bills Rockdale accordingly. Gene is working to put
more clarity into this accounting. He has already taken action
to reduce cost through energy efficient measures suggested by
the GCEA report. This includes replacing the old hot water
heater for the restrooms, insulating pipes and replacing all the
light bulbs. More steps are planned as we work to make our
Temple more energy efficient.
The EPA indicates that the average worship facility has an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 37, or 16%
of Rockdale Temples current EUI. This high EUI
indicates that the facility is using substantially more
energy than average and that there are opportunities to reduce the energy use and cost. The causes
for this high EUI are most likely due to the architectural nature of the facility. It was designed in the late
1960s and constructed in 1971—an era that is one
of the worst (ever) for energy efficient design. There
is little or no insulation, extensive fenestration, and
a high envelope-to-interior ratio, all of which contribute to high heating costs. While it is possible to
improve the energy use of the building, the architectural design implies that it will never be a high
performing energy-use building.
We all have the opportunity to leave a good legacy for future
10
Shofar Soundings
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Kehal Kodesh Religious School
End of Year Photos
Brotherhood
Wright Patterson AFB Museum
On Thursday, April 30th, 22 members of Brotherhood
drove to Wright Patterson AFB Museum to watch
the movie “Above and Beyond.” The movie was part
of the Dayton Jewish Film Festival and was produced
by Nancy Spielberg. “Above and Beyond” is the story
of Jewish - American pilots who volunteered and flew in
Israel’s first Air Force in the 1948 War of Independence. They had to smuggle planes out of the US, risk loss of
their US citizenship, and train in Czechoslovakia before
putting their lives on the line in Israel.
Nancy Spielberg, (yes... Steven’s sister), spoke to the
audience and answered questions after the movie. If
you get a chance to see it on DVD, you really owe it to
yourself to see this tremendous documentary about the
little known story of how Jewish Americans created the
Israeli Air Force.
Thanks to Ryan Levin and the Levin Family Foundation
as they graciously paid for the admission of all Rockdale
Brotherhood members, and special thanks to Rockdale’s
Mike Reed for putting the event together!
Darryl Dick
Brotherhood President
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
June/July 2015
11
Tribute Funds
Donations from April 6, 2015 - May 5, 2015
Rabbi Coran’s
Discretionary Fund
In Honor of Adam Frankel’s Kulanu
Graduation
G. Allen and Sara Frankel
In Honor of Max Frankel’s
Upcoming Confirmation
G. Allen and Sara Frankel
In Honor of Andi and Ed Herzig’s
Significant Birthdays
Arlene Koon
In Honor of Blair Tillett’s Birthday
Chris Malhotra
In Honor of Wedding of Tracy Yarchi
and Chris Robbins
Tracy Yarchi & Chris Robbins
In Memory of Helen Ackermann
Justin & Susan Mamis
Mary Lucchesi
In Memory of Yahrzeits of Anne and
Charles (Bud) Marcus
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sugarman
In Memory of Saul Marmer
Donald & Margaret Helmbold
Temple Fund
In Honor of Philip T. Cohen’s
95th Birthday
Frank & Rosemary Bloom
In Honor of Steve and Susan Goldman
The Goldman Family
Foundation
In Honor of Andi and Ed Herzig’s
Significant Birthdays
Mauri Willis
Steven & Rachel Schild
Jerry & Judy Kirzner
Rabbi Gerry &
Caren Jean Walter
In Honor of the Rockdale Temple
Board of Directors & Committees
Daniel J. Hoffheimer
In Memory of Roselyn Dave
Mary-Bob and Jack Rubenstein
In Memory of Saul Marmer
Stephen Harris
In Memory of Roy Sommer
Barbara Sommer
Bimah Flowers Fund
In Memory of
Elizabeth Freiberg Trager
Thomas Trager
In Honor of Ariela Kurtzer Leading
Shabbat Services
Jamey & Vanessa Kurtzer
Estelle Levine Fund for
Special Children
Library Fund
In Honor of Andrea Herzig’s Book
Publishing “Courage in a Little
Suitcase”
Daniel J. Hoffheimer
In Honor of Andrea Herzig’s Book
Publishing “Courage in a Little
Suitcase”
Jerry & Nancy Schwartz
Ullman Cultural Fund
In Memory of Saul Marmer
Blair Tillett & Judy Lawrence
Jules & Elizabeth K.
Oppenheimer Fund
In Honor of the Zahn Family
Jonathan Cohen
Louise Reichert Flower
Fund
In Memory of Sue Richard
Jack and Nancy Richard
Steven E. Altman Fund
In Honor of the Confirmation class
of 2015/5775
Daniel J. Hoffheimer
In Memory of Roselyn Dave
Alfred Cohen
Ann Pappenheimer
In Memory of Sue Richard
Alfred Cohen
Ann Pappenheimer
In Memory of Joan Schaengold
Alfred Cohen
Ann Pappenheimer
Honor & Remember
Your Loved Ones
Tribute Fund
with a contribution to
your favorite
Call Christie Woodside
Rockdale Temple Office
513-891-9900
Or make an online donation at
www.rockdaletemple.org
Click on “Donate” at the bottom of the screen.
12
Shofar Soundings
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Ritual Committee
Women of Rockdale
Fay May, Committee Chair
June/July Update
The Ritual Committee serves as a
liaison between the congregation and
the clergy. Its goals are to promote
and encourage participation in services
for Shabbat and festivals and Shabbat
Morning Torah discussions and
services, to evaluate liturgy and music,
to discuss issues raised by congregants,
to understand rabbinic plans in order
to explain them to congregants, and to
participate in Temple activities.
Fay May, 779-2774
or [email protected]
Enrichment.
8501 Ridge Road
At Cedar Village, care of our residents is our first priority.
We offer services for the whole person, meeting their
physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs to ensure
that they achieve an optimal quality of life. We take our
commitment to the community very seriously and we live
our mission, to provide the highest quality healthcare,
senior residential and community services, in keeping
with Jewish values, yet open to all faiths. Cedar Village
… It’s about caring.
.......................................................................
cedar village services
.......................................................................
• Driving Assessment Program
• Cedar Village Home Care
• Independent and Assisted Living
• Rehabilitation After Hospitalization
• Nursing Care and Specialized Dementia Care
• Hospice—Comfort and Care
• Shalom Center for Elder Abuse Prevention
.......................................................................
Cedar Village is a nonprofit retirement community,
located in Mason, Ohio.
.......................................................................
Cedar Village Retirement Community
5467 Cedar Village Drive, Mason, Ohio 45040
Tel: 513.754.3100, www.cedarvillage.org
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
June/July 2015
13
Mitzvah Opportunities
Comfort Trays
for the Grieving
Jewish Hospital Needs
Volunteers
The Jewish Hospital is a community
faithful to its Jewish heritage and
grounded in the Jewish and Catholic
traditions of Service to the community.
We are looking for volunteers
who would like to share their time.
A minimum of 4 hours a week is
the commitment. We have many
opportunities in various departments to
make a difference!
Join our team!
Contact Information:
Volunteer Services, 686-5330
Sisterhood recognizes the need to help
make things easier for congregants sitting
shiva or hosting family after a funeral by
providing a tray of sweets. If you are able
to provide baked goods that we can store
in the freezer, or if you are able to help
assemble and deliver the trays when needed,
please contact:
Alison Auerbach at
[email protected]
Volunteers Needed
Rockdale Temple IHN
Volunteers Needed
Go to www.Kroger.com and
click on the COMMUNITY tab
on the top of the page, then select
Kroger Community Rewards along
the left hand side of the page. Or,
call the Rockdale Temple office and
someone will be happy to help!
The Kroger rewards program
requires an annual enrollment.
Please volunteer and do not miss
a fun Sunday with a nice group of
people. Looking forward to working
with you.
To volunteer please call:
Dolores Goldfinger
891-0725
Next Cooking Date:
May 31, 2015
It only takes a few minutes to set aside a
half dozen cookies or brownies in a freezer
bag and to drop them off at temple. Please
mark the bag with the list of ingredients
for those who might be allergic to specific
items and you have performed a mitzvah.
Interfaith Hospitality
Network
Kroger Reward Cards are an easy
way to support Rockdale Temple.
Soup Kitchen
Interfaith Hospitality
Network hosts a group of
homeless families at Adath
Israel Synagogue for 3
weeks per year – a week in
July, a week in August and
the week of Christmas.
(For more info about the IHN program
see http://www.ihncincinnati.org/) For
each of those weeks, Rockdale supplies
the food and the volunteers to host on
Friday nights.
The Literacy Network
of Greater Cincinnati is
Seeking Volunteers
Join the Literacy Network of Greater
Cincinnati in the mission to change
lives through reading,
tutoring and character
development.
Volunteers are needed
for various programs,
including Cincinnati
Reads, Winners Walk
Tall, and office help.
Contact Kathy Ciarla
or Sarah Cranley, at (513) 621-
READ, on how you can positively
impact the lives of children in the
community.
For further information and a
tour of the facilities, please contact
Rockdale Temple’s chairperson,
Linda Chatterjee at
[email protected].
Anything is everything.
14
Shofar Soundings
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays
dults of June
A
6����Edward Rosenthal
����Sheldon Kahan
8����Randy Green
9����Trip Wolf
10����Lynn Zirkes
11����Steven Messer
16����Jean Chimsky
����Kathe Kellar
����Melvin Schaengold
����Marvin Siegel
20����Phyllis Gold
����Margaret Meyer
����Barbara Nelson
����Alice Perlman
����Mary Silva
21����Jerome Itkoff
22����Jeff Goldman
23����Jonathon Spaulding
25����Lori Reidel
����Barbara Reed
30����Fay May
Children of June
1����Max Routh ~ 15 years old
4����Tobias Eiser ~ 7 years old
4����Matias Knudsen ~ 7 years old
7����Solomon Ostreicher ~ 1 year old
10����Danielle Peters ~ 18 years old
11����Phillip Richman ~ 10 years old
15����Rachel Herzig ~ 8 years old
15����Lauren Kurtzer ~ 16 years old
16����Joel O’Koon ~ 10 years old
16����Lydia Rosensweet ~ 3 years old
16����Isaac Rosensweet ~ 3 years old
18����Ben Seid~ 14 years old
18����Sivan Yarchi ~ 15 years old
19����Sebastian De Falco ~ 1 year old
19����Maggie Rubenstein ~ 7 years old
22����Sydney Braverman ~ 18 years old
27����Jonah Lillenstein ~ 6 years old
dults of July
A
1����Cheryl Belfort
2����Betty Heldman
4����Dolores Goldfinger
5����Joe Mendelsohn
7����Jean Abrahamson
8����Maxine Potter
11����Andi Herzig
13����David Kerman
15����Marilyn Hirschhorn
16����Barbara Rosenberg
19����Ira Abrahamson
19����David Weiman
21����Jerry Schwartz
21����Gene Wacksman
23����Wilma Travis
25����Ilene Poliner
27����Elise Waxler
28����Michael Ames
29����Helene Cohen
30����Roy White
Children of July
2����Avi Marcus-Ream ~ 16 years old
6����Lilly Rubenstein ~ 12 years old
8����Hannah Clark ~ 15 years old
10����Isabel Epstein ~ 8 years old
13����Ben Kraus ~ 14 years old
15����Joei Forrest ~ 12 years old
16����Nina Brown ~ 2 years old
17����Joshua True ~ 3 years old
19����Brie De Falco ~ 5 years old
����Ethan Kadish ~ 15 years old
22����Eli Bedard ~ 12 years old
26����Jack Dunkelman ~ 4 years old
28����Jacob Zeidenstein ~ 15 years old
31����Tucker Ames ~ 11 years old
����Griffin Ames ~ 11 years old
����Quinn Davidson ~ 13 years old
Adult Birthdays are listed every five years starting with the 20th birthday and every
year for members who have reached the age of 75.
“Children of the Temple” are those who are 18 years old & younger.
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
Anniversaries
June
3����Jeff & Mindy Seibert ~ 25th
11����Zvi & Adele Zuckerman ~ 15th
17����Barry & Madeline Berman ~ 53rd
17����Maurice & Erva Dick ~ 64th
17����Russell & Renee Frankel ~ 53rd
17����David & Hildegard Kerman ~
65th
18����Arthur & Susan Stern ~ 61st
21����Morton & Barbara Harshman
~ 58th
21����Ronald & Anne Roth ~ 45th
25����Matvey & Elizabeth Chudnovsky
~ 50th
25����Michael & Margaret Meyer
~ 54th
26����Phil & Helene Cohen ~ 67th
July
7����Robert & Loris Ungar ~ 58th
9����Luc & Marti Bedard ~ 15th
10����Perry & Bobbie Leitner ~ 35th
15����Steve & Maureen Simon ~ 15th
16����Josh & Heather Shapiro ~ 15th
26����Greg & Kim Gruen ~ 30th
����Gene & Beverly Hirschberg
~ 69th
28����Randy & Ila Frankel ~ 10th
Anniversaries will be listed every five years
starting with the 5th anniversary. All anniversaries
of 50 years and over are recognized.
Condolences
To the Family and Friends of:
Linda Abrahamson
loving wife of
Ira Abrahamson
beloved mother of
Susan and Jeff Routh
beloved grandmother of
Max and Caroline Routh
Mazal Tov
On the marriage of
Leah Hoffheimer to
Daniel Broder
daughter of
Dan Hoffheimer
June/July 2015
15
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Temple
Where you are valued...
...and values matter!
8501 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
Address Service Requested
Liturgical Calendar
Friday, June 5, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
With naming of
Seth David Flowers
Saturday, June 6, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, June 12, 2015
5:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat Service
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Saturday, June 13, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, July 3, 2015
T emple Office Closed
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Saturday, July 4, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, July 10, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Saturday, July 11, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, June 19, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
With Anniversary Blessings
and Choir Singing
Friday, July 17, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Honoring Long Standing
Members 20-30 years,
Anniversary Blessings
and Choir Singing
Saturday, June 20, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Saturday, July 18, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, June 26, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Rock Shabbat Service
With Birthday Blessings
Followed by Dinner
Saturday, June 27, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, July 24, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
With Birthday Blessings
Saturday, July 25, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah (Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
5:00 p.m. Tot Shabbat Havdallah
Friday, July 31, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Send us your e-mail address
for weekly Rock-mail!
Affliliated with the URJ
(Union for Reform Judaism)
Serving Reform Congregations
in North America
Sigma Faye Coran
Senior Rabbi
Meredith Kahan
Assistant Rabbi & Educator
Eugene Meyers
Executive Director
Daniel Hoffheimer
President
Mark N. Goldman, D.D.
Rabbi Emeritus
Rockdale Temple
8501 Ridge Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
Phone: 513-891-9900
Fax: 513-891-0515
e-mail: [email protected]
www.rockdaletemple.org