1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

Shofar Soundings
Confirmation Shabbat Service
MAY 2015
Followed by Festive Oneg
Friday, May 30, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.
Confirmation
Shabbat Service
Confirmation Class of 2014/5774
Friday, May 22, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Followed by Festive Oneg
Emily Braverman  Abigail Clark
Joseph Mattis  Yaffa Muhlbaum  Arielle Seid
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
5:15 p.m.
School Program Opens
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Ro c k Shabbat
Service
Honoring Teachers and Madrichim,
High School Senior Tribute,
and 8th Grade Awards
...Plus Birthday Blessings!
7:15 p.m.
Cookout Dinner & School
Program Continues
Shavuot Services
Erev
Erev Shavuot
Shavuot
rd
Shavuot
Saturday, May 23 & Sunday, May 24th
Tuesday,
June 3, 2014
Wednesday,
(See page 5 for more details) June 4, 2014
10:30 a.m. Shavuot Service
7:30 p.m. Service
Women
of Rockdale
WOMEN
OF
8:15 p.m. Refreshments
Membership
Appreciation
8:45 p.m. Erev
Shavuot
Study
ROCKDALE Event
With Yizkor
Tikkun
LeylMemorial
Shavuot
Followed by Luncheon
TEMPLE OFFICE CLOSED
Saturday, May 23rd at 8:30 p.m.
“Don’t Stand Idly by the
Blood of Your Neighbor:
How Racial Inequality Touches Us”
8501 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236  513-891-9900 Fax 513-891-0515  www.rockdaletemple.org
All are welcome to be our guest for dinner!
Membership
appreciation
Thursday,
May
14ththat 7event
p.m.
(See page 11 for more details)
INFORMATION TO FOLLOW
(See page
10 for more details)
IN THE COMING WEEKS
Thursday May 14 7pm
(See page 7 for more details)
Table of Contents
The Rabbi’s Reflections......................... 2
Counting Days
Opera Goes to Temple.......................... 2
From our Assistant Rabbi...................... 3
Expressing Gratitude
From our Board President..................... 4
Confirmation Shabbat Service.............. 5
Executive Director................................. 6
Oh, What a Night!
Library Update...................................... 7
Rak Limud............................................ 7
Tot Shabbat Service............................. 10
Women of Rockdale............................ 10
Rock Shabbat Service.......................... 11
Volunteers Needed.............................. 11
Greeters and Candle & Kiddush
Tribute Funds.................................12-13
Condolences & Mazal Tov.................. 13
Mitzvah Opportunities........................ 14
Birthdays & Anniversaries................... 15
Welcome New Members..................... 15
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Temple
Join Us On
Where you are valued...
...and values matter!
www.rockdaletemple.org
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Tem
Where you are valued...
...and values m
The Rabbi’s Reflections
Counting Days
our Confirmation students to do each year. We are each
called to affirm and confirm who we are as Jews.
As I write this, I find myself
counting the days-- counting
the days to the end of the school
year. Counting the days until my
daughter comes home for a few
weeks after her first year of college. Counting the days until my
son, Jacob’s graduation into the
next phase of his life. My other
son, Micah, is counting the days
until camp. And Matthew, Eden
and I are counting and planning
for our summer adventure. An
adventure that will include time
for me to study as part of some Sabbatical time (but more
on that in next month’s Shofar Soundings).
I am grateful to our Confirmation students for the commitment they have made and to their families who have made
spiritual counting a value by which they have raised their
teenagers, in a world in which so much else seems to count
more. Join me in wishing a Mazal Tov to Max Auerbach,
Andrew Feagins, Max Frankel, Emily Hageman, Lauren
Kurtzer, Noah Stern and Oliver Varland. I have had a great
year teaching and learning from these amazing (and funny)
young people. I look forward to celebrating the commitment
they make to our people on Friday night, May 22.
I also look forward to our celebration of Shavuot—our own
opportunity to confirm our lives and count ourselves among
the Jewish people on Saturday night, May 23rd and Sunday
morning, May 24th. We will join together in making our
conviction and our values count in prayer, remembrance and
study.
Sometimes we might be eager to just cross off these dates
on our calendar, passing through the days. But as we
count, we try to remember we are moving towards a day,
towards a goal, towards spiritual significance. There is a
lot to count in our family and even more to count in our
community.
We have begun to count the days to Confirmation and
Shavuot.
Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran
Senior Rabbi
With Passover begins the Counting of the Omer in which
we count seven weeks to the holiday of Shavuot. Shavuot
commemorates Matan Torah, the giving of the Law on
Mount Sinai. Whereas most Jews know and understand
the traditions surrounding the celebration of the Exodus
from Egypt, we are a bit shaky in our knowledge of the
equally important celebration of Shavuot.
CINCINNatI opera & roCkdale temple
present
opera goes to
temple
As we count the Omer, we move closer to the day in which
we consider the Ten Commandments, the gift of Torah
and the Revelation. We attempt to understand our role in
receiving Torah. It is this role that our 10th grade students
take on each year as they study and plan for Confirmation.
Each of them will confirm and affirm their own Jewish
identities as they lead us in Shabbat services.
The tradition of counting the omer hearkens back to
harvest times and an omer was a measure of wheat. The
measures of barley were counted until the first wheat was
brought to the Temple on Shavuot. Today these 49 days
are a spiritual counting. Each day brings us closer to Shavuot and to recalling the gift of Torah. The counting asks
us to take spiritual stock of ourselves, us to count which
mitzvot we are committed to, to enumerate the ways in
which we are involved in Jewish community, just as I ask
2
Shofar Soundings
ICkKeE
tTic
ts
AvVA
A
Ail
ILAAbBlTeS
LE
ApN
rO
ilW
1!0
A summer Afternoon of
contemporAry And
clAssicAl music
rockdale temple
Rockdale
Temple
sunday,
July
13
Sunday,
June
14
4 p.m.
4 p.m.
8501
ridge road
Cincinnati,
oH Road
45236
8501 Ridge
Cincinnati, OH 45236
tickets: FREE, but
reservations are required.
Tickets: FREE, but
Available beginning
reservations
Thursday,
April are
10 atrequired.
10 a.m.
Limit
2 per
household.
Limit
2 per
household.
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.
t
r
A
T
L
call (513) 241-2742
c
or visit cincinnatiopera.org
o
WHeN plaCINg YoUr order
U
W
Create
lastingCode
legacy
Useapromo
“praIse”
and enrich your community now and for years to come.
An initiative of the
Jewish Federation
of Cincinnati
I have been thinking a lot about gratitude in the last few
months - and hopefully expressing my gratitude, too!
My greatest moment of gratitude came on January 14th
with the birth of our first child, Seth David Flowers gratitude to God who brought us through that moment
in health and safety, to the wonderful doctors and nurses
who provided us with exemplary care, to my husband
for being my partner in this journey. The gratitude kept
flowing to the family members who cooked, cleaned,
and took care of all of us in those early days. And then
the gratitude starting flowing to friends and community
- for bringing food, giving beautiful gifts, and simply
just sharing in our immense joy. I am particularly grateful for our generous congregational community who has
celebrated this milestone with us. Our Rockdale family
gave us the gift of those early weeks together at home,
and of course, continues to shower us with so much love,
support, and excitement. Of course, three months later,
I’m still very grateful for all of the love, support, help,
and gifts we’ve received - gratitude is still definitely on
my mind as I work on thank you notes!!
Expressing thanks for all that is good in our lives, for
all we have received, for all our blessings - this is an
important Jewish value. The middah (value or virtue) of
Hoda’ah (gratitude) is at the forefront of much of rabbinic literature, modern Jewish thought, and even our
liturgy. Our tradition teaches that gratitude is not only
a virtue, something to which we aspire, but is in fact
a necessity in our lives, something we should not live
without. To that end, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz teaches that,
“Gratitude is a virtue that you don’t learn from books,
and which, if lacking, may be considered a sickness of
the soul.” We know that it’s easy to express thanks at a momentous
occasion in our lives, like the birth of a child, as well
as when we have survived a difficult moment, such as
recovering from a significant illness. Judaism certainly
asks us to be grateful for those events. But the middah of
Hoda’ah is also to be felt and expressed with regularity,
as we experience everyday things. Our Sage Rashi wrote,
in response to the Talmud, that the thing God requires
of us is our gratitude, so much so that we are asked
to say one hundred blessings a day, simply to express
our thankfulness (Rashi on B.T. Menachot 43b). One
hundred blessings seems like a lot, but let’s take up the
challenge of looking for moments of thanksgiving and
opportunities for gratitude in our lives. The Institute for
Jewish Spirituality offers these ideas to get started:
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
From our Assistant Rabbi & Educator
Expressing Gratitude
1. When you wake up in the morning, identify five things for which
you are grateful and either recognize
them in your heart or say them out
loud as an expression of thanks. 2. Send a thank you e-mail or note
card each day to someone to whom
you are grateful. 3. Say a blessing of thanks before
and after at least one meal each day. We express our gratitude not just
because it’s the “right” thing to do or
because it is what our tradition asks
of us. We also should feel grateful, teaches Rabbi Karyn Kedar,
because this virtue is tied to the middah of tikvah - hope. Rabbi Kedar explains that “we affirm the goodness in life when we
offer a daily prayer of gratitude. When life is difficult and still
we find the spiritual fortitude to offer a prayer of gratitude,
then we declare possibility, optimism, hope. Gratitude and
hope are the spiritual foundations of a life of meaning and
purpose.”
May we all find moments of thanksgiving and opportunities
for gratitude in our lives. May we recognize our blessings in
moments of great joy as well as in moments of survival and
persistence. And may God and our tradition lead us to say
those extra “thank yous” day by day. “Praised are You, Adonai,
Your name is goodness and You are worthy of Thanksgiving.”
Rabbi Meredith Kahan
Assistant Rabbi & Educator
YGOR at NFTY-OV Spring Kallah. March 26th - 29th.
May 2015
3
From Our Board President
We have a lot going on at Rockdale Temple!
The hard but loving work of our
congregation really takes place
within our committees and the
volunteer activities in which
our members engage. This year,
we have been inviting committee chairs to make reports at our
monthly board meetings, and
I expect we will continue this
practice. In this way, your board
of directors is learning from our
committees—from you--about all
the good work you are doing to
make Rockdale a real and successful Jewish community. In
October, for example, we heard from Tracy McMullen, chair
of the Marketing Committee. Have you seen the publicity,
almost every week, in the American Israelite? Preparing the
articles for the Israelite, collecting photographs, and working
with the rules of the newspaper take serious commitment. That is the fruit of Tracy’s committee and our Executive
Director, Gene Meyers. In November, we heard from Joanne Gerson, chair of the
very active Environment Committee. I hope you have read
about all the tireless work they do to make Cincinnati and
our planet a better place. They are even digging deep into
the challenges posed by our old, energy-inefficient building
to learn how we might save energy—and money. We have
already replaced all of our incandescent lights, and there
are other energy-savings and environmentally-responsible
ideas on their agenda. It is difficult work, especially given
Rockdale’s old physical plant and tight (but sound) budget. Did you see the photographs of the committee’s Mitzvah
Day project, planting trees along the Mill Creek? Tens of
thousands of trees have been destroyed in connection with
the widening of Interstate 75, and Rockdale’s Environmental
Committee is doing its part to contribute to replacing those
losses with new trees. Have you noticed that we no longer
use disposable plastic tableware at Rockdale dinners? That,
too, was the result of the committee’s work, and its success
in repairing one of the dishwashers in our basement kitchen. Even small changes like this take a lot of coordination
among volunteers and staff but are worth the effort in order
to make our world a little more habitable.
In January, we heard from Andrea Herzig on issues relating
to planned giving as we launched our participation in the
Jewish community’s Create Your Jewish Legacy project. The
board approved a formal Endowment Policy to assure the
permanence of existing and future contributed endowment
funds. The board also adopted a Gift Acceptance Policy to
define precisely how we will accept, use, and preserve donations to the temple. Over two-thirds of our board has already submitted a Letter of Intent naming Rockdale Temple
4
Shofar Soundings
as a beneficiary of their estate planning to assure Rockdale
is here forever. ( Join us!) Then, in February we heard from Linda Chatterjee, who has
pulled together a variety of our social action programs into
one oversight committee, the Social Action Committee. Now we can all be in better communication about all of the
social action work that our members do and help volunteers
choose which projects they might like to try. We do a number of social action projects on an ongoing basis, including
the Interfaith Hospitality Network that houses and provides
for the homeless, our soup kitchen in Over-the-Rhine under Dolores Goldfinger, our Caring Community under Fay
May, our meal service at Ronald McDonald House, and the
Brotherhood’s crib program to reduce Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome in Camp Washington. The board has also received a good report from the Investment Committee chaired by Stan Ruby, and the board has
redesignated that committee as the Endowment Committee to better define its responsibilities. Very importantly,
the board has adopted a new Charter for the Endowment
Committee that prescribes its composition, governance, and
duties, as well as the sound delegation and supervision of
investment management to competent professional managers. The board is comforted that our substantial endowment
is well-managed and that the supervisory process is as it
should be. Elaine Fishman, chair of the Baby Boomer Committee (did
you know we have one?!) reported in March on some of
the activities of that age group. This relatively new area of
temple life has been very active with very creative and fun
events. Whether an afternoon at Findlay Market (no pigs’
feet!), supper together at a nice restaurant, or other outings,
Elaine and her group are offering lots of fun to anyone who
wishes to join them. But you will have to read Rockdale’s
website and open our email messages or you will miss them.
More committees will report in the months and years ahead
on a rotating basis. If any of the work of any committee
appeals to you, please let the committee chair, Rabbi Coran,
Rabbi Kahan, Executive Director Gene Meyers, or me
know. Would it not be a complete Jewish community if every single member of Rockdale Temple were to volunteer on
a committee? Perhaps there is a project in which you would
be interested for which no one yet has stepped forward. It
is never too early--or too late.
Dan Hoffheimer
Board President
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Confirmation Shabbat Service
Followed by Festive Oneg
Friday, May 22, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Confirmation Class of 2015/5775
Maxwell Auerbach  Andrew Feagins  Max Frankel
Emily Hageman  Lauren Kurtzer  Noah Stern  Oliver Varland
Erev
Erev Shavuot
Shavuot
Shavuot
7:30 p.m. Service
8:00 p.m. Refreshments
8:30 p.m. Erev Shavuot Study
10:30 a.m. Service
With Yizkor Memorial
Followed by Luncheon
Saturday,
May 23, 2015
Sunday,
May 24, 2015
(see page 7 for more information)
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Temple
Where you are valued...
...and values matter!
8501 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236  513-891-9900 Fax 513-891-0515  www.rockdaletemple.org
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
May 2015
5
Executive Director
Oh, What a Night!
Saturday evening April 4, Passover’s Second Night, was a rousing success. It was a fun-filled
evening with the seder, led by
Rabbi Coran, telling the story of
our Exodus from Egypt. There
was singing, great food, and the
opportunity to build new and
renew old friendships! We had
the largest attendance in recent
memory. Please plan on attending future events at Rockdale.
You’ll quickly understand why
people keep coming back for more.
It’s time to renew your Kroger Card Community Rewards
designation. During April of
every year, Kroger requires you
designate or re-designate your
account’s community rewards
recipient. Please log on and
specify Rockdale Temple as your
designee. It’s a pain free way to
contribute to Rockdale, every
time you shop. Just follow these
easy steps:
1. Log on to www.kroger.com/communityrewards.
2. Click on “Sign In” or “Create an Account,” depending on whether you are renewing your designation or
establishing an account for the first time.
3. Once signed in, click on the “Enroll Now” button.
4. Designate Rockdale Temple as the beneficiary by
entering “rockd” or 81236. Click on the “Search”
button. Fill in the open circle (ο) in front of Rockdale Temple. Now click on “Enroll.”
5. You can now check and edit (if necessary) your account summary.
Completing the form should take you less than 10
minutes.
For those contributing securities to Rockdale, please
remember we have a new Transfer Agent. Contact Sean
O’Brien ([email protected] or 513-8919900) for more information.
Do you know an individual, couple or family looking
for a new congregational home in the Cincinnati area?
Suggest they contact Rabbi Coran, Rabbi Kahan or me
(Gene Meyers). If you prefer, please let us know and
we’ll make the contact. We care and want prospective
members to try us out.
Join your fellow congregants in learning more about
how you too can Create Your Jewish Legacy (CYJL) in
the Cincinnati region. There’s absolutely no obligation
Simply contact Dan Hoffheimer, Dick Friedman, Andrea Herzig, Ed Herzig, Rabbi Coran or Gene Meyers.
If you prefer, leave a message at the Temple and we’ll
contact you.
Soup Kitchen: Six times a year, members of Rockdale
give their time, working at the Soup Kitchen. It’s a few
hours of loving work as they help those less fortunate
than themselves. Not only do they give their time, they
purchase and prepare the food served. The Women of
Rockdale contribute funds to cover some of the costs,
but it’s not enough. The program 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.
I hope you enjoy “a Lovely Month of May.”
Eugene Meyers
Executive Director
6. You’re done. Exit the program. START SHOPPING!
We may still be awaiting the arrival of your Rockdale Temple
Member Census Form. Please call us to check and see if
yours has been received. If you’re not sure, or don’t want
to call, go to our website, www.RockdaleTemple.org. Then
click on the ROCKDALE TEMPLE MEMBER CENSUS
FORM heading, at the lower right corner of the home page.
6
Shofar Soundings
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Library Update
Rak Limud
Adult Education 5775
May Update
As Religious School wraps
up another year, it’s a good
time to look around for
Rockdale library books
checked out by your
children on Sunday mornings. Our library’s books
are stamped “Rockdale
Temple Library,” if you
wonder which library a
book is from. Books do get
to remote places in cars,
backpacks, under beds, and
sometimes, even onto bookshelves. Many books have circulated successfully BACK
to Rockdale Library this year, but a few are still out
there… somewhere… Please try to return Rockdale’s
books to the book box by the front door before Religious
School ends.
This book round-up doesn’t mean that Rockdale’s children’s books are off limits all summer--it simply puts a
neat ending on our school year’s library activities. The
library is OPEN all summer, whenever Rockdale is open,
for parents to help their children check out as many books
as they care to read! Granted, with our “manual” checkout
system, clear handwriting and contact info are key, so we
really appreciate if parents help kids follow the instructions on the administrative desk. Your phone number
written legibly will really help.
Summer for many of us grown-ups is a time when we
“allow” ourselves more time for reading, like we did when
we were kids. And while everyone knows you never read
all the books you check out, if you don’t check it out, how
ya gonna READ it?! Come up to the library before or
after Shabbat services, a meeting, or a JCC workout. Take
advantage of our “Extended Checkout” and keep books
for up to three months. Pack them into a suitcase, beach
bag, or daypack this summer.
So many books, so little time!
Karen Zanger
Volunteer librarian
Talmud Study for Beginners
Lunch and Learn
May 12th at 12 Noon
At Temple or via Google Hangout
Rabbi Sigma Coran
We will learn together how to maneuver through the twists and
turns of Talmudic literature and look at the Tractate of Avodah
Zara. What did it mean for the ancient rabbis to live among idol
worshippers? What meaning does that have for us, living in a
diverse modern world? How might we navigate living in many
worlds at the same time?
If you have a computer with a camera, or a smartphone, please join
our lunch and learn via Google Hangout. You will need to set up a
Google plus account and then download Hangout or install the app
on your phone. Let Rabbi Coran know you will be joining in, and
she will send you the email invite!
Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
Saturday, May 23rd at 8:30 p.m.
“Don’t Stand Idly by the Blood of Your Neighbor:
How Racial Inequality Touches Us”
With Rabbi Sam Joseph, Steve Sunderland and Rabbi Meredith Kahan
An exploration of Jewish values and the Jewish experience in the
context of racial inequality. We will hear from Steve Sunderland
and Rabbi Sam Joseph about the Cincinnati experience of April
2001. In addition, we will examine what has changed in Cincinnati since then. We participate in Tikkun Leyl Shavuot as “Tikkun” means a repair. We pray that our study on this Shavuot brings
repair to us and our community.
Dr. Steve Sunderland
Steve is director of the Peace Village Cancer Project, having just
retired after 35 years at UC as a professor of peace. After the 2001
riots, Steve was part of the team working to develop a peace treaty
with the police and community.
Rabbi Sam Joseph
Sam is the Eleanor Sinsheimer Distinguished Service Professor of
Jewish Education and Leadership Development at Hebrew Union
College in Cincinnati. Rabbi Joseph has taught and consults with
rabbis, educators, administrators, communal leaders and lay leaders
all over the world, supporting them as they lead their institutions
and organizations.
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
May 2015
7
Rock
Where y
May 2015
Sunday
Monday
If you want one of these
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Temple
Where you are valued...
...and values matter!
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
you’re going to need a few of these.
Apply for the Hilb Scholarship Today.
The Hilb Scholarship Fund serves middle-class residents of Greater Cincinnati
by offering the opportunity to apply for a need-based academic scholarship.
Applications can be made for:
• College/university enrollment
• Professional training programs
• Short-term vocational training
programs in non-academic fields
39:30 a.m.
Religious School
10:30 a.m.
Environmental
Committee Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Kulanu (CRJHS)
Wise Center
10
17
2015-2016 School Year
May 1, 2015
4
54:30 p.m.
Hebrew School
with Ice Cream
Social
For an application or information, go to:
Friday
Saturday
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
15:45 p.m.
Shabbat Service
www.cincinnaticareer.net
or contact: Scholarship Administrator
at JVS Career Services.
513) 936-9675; e-mail: [email protected]
6L
ag B’Omer
7
85:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Rock Shabbat
Service
With Birthday Blessings
and Religious School Year
End Celebration: Services,
Honoring Teachers &
Madrichim, High School
Senior Tribute and 8th
Grade Awards
Followed by Cookout
11
12
12:00 p.m.
Rak Limud:
Talmud Study
18
13
14
TBA
Sisterhood
Membership
Appreciation Event
15
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Service
with Anniversary Blessings
and Choir Singing
19
20
21
22
7:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Board Meeting
Confirmation
Confirmation Shabbat Service
Shabbat Service
Followed by Festive Oneg
Followed by Oneg
Friday, May 22, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Confirmation Class of 2015/5775
24
S
havuot
10:30 a.m.
Shavuot Service
with Yizkor
Memorial Service
Followed by Luncheon
31
Soup Kitchen
Cooking
25
M
emorial Day
Maxwell Auerbach  Andrew Feagins  Max Frankel
Emily Hageman  Lauren Kurtzer  Noah Stern  Oliver Varland
26
29:30 a.m.
27
28
Temple Office Closed
99:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:00 a.m.
Tot Shabbat Service
Followed by
Snack & Activity
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
16
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
23
E
S
rev
29
30
Pre-Ordination
Shabbat Service
No Services at Rockdale
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
HUC Ordination
9:00 a.m. - Noon
HUC Ordination at
Plum Street Temple
Erev
Erev Shavuot
Shavuot
Shavuot
7:30 p.m. Service
8:00 p.m. Refreshments
8:30 p.m. Erev Shavuot Study
10:30 a.m. Service
With Yizkor Memorial
Followed by Luncheon
Saturday,
May 23, 2015
Sunday,
May 24, 2015
(see page 7 for more information)
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Temple
Where you are valued...
havuot
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
7:30 p.m.
Erev Shavuot Service
8:00 p.m.
Break & Refreshments
8:30 p.m.
Shavuot Study
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
21
CINCINNatI opera & roCkdale temple
present
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
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.
Use promo Code “praIse”
WHeN plaCINg YoUr order
23
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 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
19
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Discussion with
Maia Morag
24
55:45 p.m.
with the naming of
Seth David Flowers
call (513)
Choir241-2742
Rehearsal
RUACH: Israel
or visit cincinnatiopera.org
22
17
6:30 p.m.
ticke
t
AvAil s
Ab
April le
10
Shabbat Service
10
rockdale temple
15
4
7:30 p.m.
Annual Meeting
Friday
June 2015
Shabbat Service
with Anniversary Blessings
and Choir Singing
with visitors from
Emmanuel UMC
25
26
5:45 p.m.
Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m.
Rock Shabbat
Service
With Birthday Blessings
Followed by Dinner
28
6:00 p.m.
RUACH:
Noa Concert with
Israelity Series
(Washington Park)
29
30
Saturday
69:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
13
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
20
9:30 a.m.
Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m.
Service-in-the-Round
27
9:30 a.m.
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
Tot Shabbat Service
Women of Rockdale
Saturday, May 9, 2015
May Update
Welcome to our new
WOR Executive Board:
Continuing two-year terms, ending 2016:
Come and Celebrate Shabbat!
Join with other Tots and Caregivers for a
Shabbat Experience filled
with Laughter, Stories and Songs!
Jennifer Clark, co-President
Pam Chundrlek
Julie Torem
Saturday, May 9, 2015
at 10:00 a.m.
Followed by Snack & Activity
Elected to two-year terms,
ending 2017:
Enrichment.
Jen Smilg, co-President
Carol Frankenstein, Treasurer
Linda Chatterjee
Kat Lanphear
Serving ex officio:
Teresa Ames, Immed. Past President
District Board Members: Alison Auerbach,
Beth Goldstein, & Jan Muhlbaum
WOMEN OF
ROCKDALE
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
.......................................................................
Membership appreciation event
Thursday May 14th 7pm
INFORMATION TO FOLLOW
IN THE COMING WEEKS
10
Shofar Soundings
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
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Rock Shabbat Service
High School Senior Tribute, 8th Grade Awards & Honoring Teachers
t,
Rock Shabba
Join us for
e
the Ultimat
d
an
er
nn
Di
ol.
Religios Scho
Last Day of
Be our Guest for Dinner! RSVP to rockdaletemple.org/reservations
Services, Honoring Teachers & Madrichim, High School Senior Tribute
and 8th Grade Awards followed by Dinner and Closing Day Program!
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
5:15 p.m. School Program Opens
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Rock Shabbat Service
7:15 p.m. Cookout Dinner & School Program Continues
*Students can participate in the school program before services, after services, or both!
8th Grade Students
12th Grade Students
Son of
Michael & Lisa Berry
Daughter of
Brian Braverman & Erin Braverman
Son of
Steven & Barry Kraus
Son of
Allan & Sara Frankel
Daughter of
Jamey & Vanessa Kurtzer
Son of
Scott & Alexia Kadish
Jason Berry
Benjamin Kraus
Ariela Kurtzer
Henry Schmulewitz
Son of
Nathan & Kimberly Schmulewitz
Sydney Braverman
Adam Frankel
Zakary Kadish
Julia Mattis
Daughter of
Kevin & Debra Mattis
Ethan Smilg
Son of
Larry & Jen Smilg
Greeters and
Candle & Kiddush
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
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
513-390-2369
May 2015 11
Tribute Funds
Donations from March 2, 2015 - April 6, 2015
Rabbi Coran’s
Discretionary Fund
In Honor of Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran Bobbie Leitner
In Honor of the Birthday of
Alexandra Dias
Ramesh & Christine Malhotra
In Honor of the Birth of
Seth David Flowers
Alane & Jan Katzew
In Honor of Grace Hageman becoming a
Bat Mitzvah
Barry & Madeline Berman
In Honor of the Naming of
Ari Leonid Zmood
Zina, Michael, & Anna Zmood
In Memory of Stacy, Dorthy & Arty
Allan & Sara Frankel
In Memory of
Helen Regina Ackermann
Larry & Mary Jo Bratbud
Fred D’Ambrosi &
Elizabeth Jackson-D’Ambrosi
Robert Ingberg
Scott & Alexia Kadish
Blair Tillett & Judy Lawrence
Ramesh & Christine Malhotra
Scott & Sheryl Mattis
Bob Prescott & Fay May
Darrell & Tammy Phillips
Lois Spahn
Gerald & Nancy Schwartz
Kenneth & Susan Sherman
Brad & Suzi Streit
In Memory of Roselyn G. Dave
Bernard Dave & Family
Florette Hoffheimer
Lois Spahn
In Memory of Louis Kaplan
Rusty & Renee Frankel
In Memory of Saul Marmer
John & Denise Marmer
Bert & Barbara Rosenberg
In Memory of Louis Peller
Kenneth Peller
12
Shofar Soundings
In Memory of Sue Richard
Robert & Emily Rosenberg
In Memory of Joan Schaengold
Anne Mishne
Gloria Wells
In Memory of Oscar Schwartz
Philip & Helene Cohen
In Memory of Betty Wacksman
Barry & Madeline Berman
Rabbi Kahan’s
Discretionary Fund
General Donation:
Ursuline Academy
In Honor of Seth David Flowers
Beatrice Ballas
Barry & Madeline Berman Scott & Sheryl Mattis
In Memory of Joan Schaengold
Daniel & Pamela Wojnilower
Bimah Flowers Fund
In Honor of Grace Hageman becoming a
Bat Mitzvah
Mark & Sherri Hageman
In Honor of Our New Members
Rockdale Temple
Board of Directors
Barrows Music Fund
In Honor of the Rock Shabbat Band
Daniel J. Hoffheimer
In Honor of the Shir Shalom
Adult Choir
Daniel J. Hoffheimer
Soup Kitchen Fund
In Honor of Susan Auerbach becoming a
Bat Mitzvah
Robert Ingberg
In Honor of Gabriel Kaufman becoming a
Bar Mitzvah
Robert Ingberg
In Honor of a Speedy Recovery for
Kenneth Cohen
Philip & Helene Cohen
In Memory of
Helen Regina Ackermann
Mark Michaelson
& Barbara Turner-Michaelson
In Memory of Joan Schaengold
Adam & Jennifer Geller
In Memory of Betty Wacksman
Philip & Helene Cohen
Temple Fund
In Memory of Roselyn G. Dave
Anonymous Donation
Frank & Rosemary Bloom
Jack & Tulane Chartock
Adell & Malcolm Coleman
George & Mary Croog
Donald Docter
Stewart & Ellen Dunsker
Janet Elam
James Hagerty
John & Betty Heldman
Joseph & Marilyn Hirschhorn
Daniel Hoffheimer
Florette Hoffheimer
Gerald & Sally Korkin
Millard & Helene Mack
Scott & Sheryl Mattis
Bob Prescott & Fay May
Rudolph & Carol Polak
Bert & Barbara Rosenberg
J. David Rosenberg
Ann Rubenstein
Melvin Schaengold
David & Harriet Schiebel
Sherri & Hal Tieger
Robert & Loris Ungar
James Vance
Edward Wertheimer
Tom & Louise Wides
Amy Diamond & Eddie Wolf
In Honor of the Birthday of Ed Herzig
Gerald & Sally Korkin
Create a lasting legacy and enrich your community now and for years to come.
Tribute Funds
Continued...
In Honor of the Birth of the Grandson of
Rabbi and Cantor Katzew
Bob Prescott & Fay May
In Memory of Katherine Trager Kahn &
Willard Kahn
Marjorie Bender
In Honor of Maggie Sonnenshine
becoming a Bat Mitzvah
David & Abby Schwartz
Estelle Levine Fund for
Special Children
In Memory of Helen Regina Ackermann
Edward & Andrea Herzig
Daniel Hoffheimer
Larry Silbermann
In Memory of Saul Marmer
Brian & Rebecca Byrge
David W. Ellis III
David Leo Harris
Glen & Lynn Mayfield
In Memoy of Sue Richard
Rodney & Vallie Geier
In Memory of Joan Schaengold
Steven & Marjorie Adler
Maryann Betagole
Frank & Rosemary Bloom
Cori Green
Gary Hollander
Jay & Betsy Karpen
Stuart & Carolyn Lowitz
Scott & Sheryl Mattis
Hedy & Ron Pearlman
Drs. Steven and Susan Perlman
Kenneth & Susan Sherman
Ellie Shott
Joel & Jody Tsevat
Alex & Lynn Warm
In Memory of Betty Wacksman
Adell & Malcolm Coleman
David & Harriet Schiebel
James Vance
In Honor of Congregation Eitz Chayim
Anonymous Donor
Library Fund
In Honor of Susan Auerbach becoming a
Bat Mitzvah
Joyce Alpiner
In Memory of
Helen Regina Ackermann
Edward & Anita Marks
In Honor of Grace Hageman becoming a
Bat Mitzvah
Blair Tillett & Judy Lawrence
In Memory of Betty Wacksman
Larry & Mary Jo Bratburd
Heldman Family Fund
In Memory of Roselyn G. Dave
Anne Heldman
In Memory of Faith Golder
Ruth Heldman
In Memory of Joan Schaengold
Ruth Heldman
Heritage of Learning
Fund
In Honor of Rabbi Dr. Ofer Sabath BeitHalachmi, for his teaching at Rockdale
Daniel J. Hoffheimer
In Honor of Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath
Beit-Halachmi, for her teaching at
Rockdale
Daniel J. Hoffheimer
Jules & Elizabeth K.
Oppenheimer Fund
In Honor of Gabriel Kaufman becoming
a Bar Mitzvah
Blair Tillett & Judy Lawrence
Louise Reichert Flower
Fund
In Memory of Roselyn G. Dave
Bercie Frohman
Women of Rockdale
In Memory of Roselyn G. Dave
Sonia Strauss
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
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.
Condolences
To the Family and Friends of:
Saul Marmer
loving father of
John Marmer
Frances O’Koon
beloved mother of
Neal and Michelle O’Koon
beloved grandmother of
Evan, Joel and Adam O’Koon
Mazal Tov
On the birth of
Tobias Alan Burke
son of
Felicia Wennersten and Chris Burke
Born March 14th
On the birth of
Rebecca Sydney Friedman
daughter of
Mark and Susan Friedman
sister of
Ellie, Jackson and Abigail
Born March 17th
May 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 May
A
1����Matvey Chudnovsky
����Maayan Yarchi
����Jenny Vaske-Punkari
����Leonid Sigalov
5����Lynne Meyers Gordon
����Arieh Venick
7����Marjorie Schaal
8����Robert Ungar
10����Perry Leitner
11����Linda Abrahamson
16����Lori Krafte
18����Lesha Greengus
19����Shelley Leitman
20����Nancy Messer
21����Donald Newman
����Joan Roberts
26����Vivian Schwab
28����Anita Marks
29����Doug Pullins
30����Bea Ballas
����Harriet Lazarus
31����Madeline Berman
Children of May
2����Jojo Blackmore ~6 years old
����Maria Steinberg ~ 16 years old
7����Emily Braverman ~ 17 years old
����Jackson Friedman ~ 8 years old
����Marina Kottler ~ 8 years old
14����Ethan Chundrlek ~ 13 years old
15����Griffin Lynn ~ 9 years old
20����Cameron Csendes ~ 16 years old
21����Noa Jaffee ~ 6 years old
25����Noah Csendes ~ 15 years old
28����Yaffa Muhlbaum ~ 17 years old
30����Maya Berry ~ 12 years old
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����Soloman 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
Beginning in May, adult Birthdays are listed every five years starting with the 20th
birthday and every year for members who have reached the age of 75.
Anniversaries
May
14����Patrick & Jennifer Clark ~ 20th
20����Burton & Alice Perlman ~ 59th
27����Kevin & Nancy Dick ~ 20th
����Darryl & Bonnie Dick ~ 25th
28����Larry & Jen Smilg ~ 20th
29����Bradley & Karla Blackmore
~ 10th
31����David & Marilyn Reichert ~ 56th
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
23����Ira & Linda Abrahamson ~ 55th
25����Matvey & Elizabeth Chudnovsky
~ 50th
25����Michael & Margaret Meyer
~ 54th
26����Phil & Helene Cohen ~ 67th
Beginning in May, anniversaries will be
listed every five years starting with the 5th
anniversary. All anniversaries of 50 years
and over are recognized.
Welcome New Members
Allison Schottenstein
Emily & Jim Silver
David Weiman
& Priya Parikh
“Children of the Temple” are those who are 18 years old & younger.
Please consider naming Rockdale Temple in your will or estate plan.
May 2015
15
K.K. Bene Israel
Rockdale Temple
Where you are valued...
...and values matter!
8501 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
Address Service Requested
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Cincinnati, Ohio
Permit No. 7074
Liturgical Calendar
Friday, May 1, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
Saturday, May 2, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, May 8, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Rock Shabbat Service
With Birthday Blessings
and Religious School Year End Celebration: Services, Honoring Teachers & Madrichim,
High School Senior Tribute
and 8th Grade Awards
Followed by Cookout
Saturday, May 9, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:00 a.m. Tot Shabbat Service
Followed by Snack & Activity
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, May 15, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service
With Anniversary Blessings
and Choir Singing
Saturday, May 16, 2015
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
Friday, May 22, 2015
7:30 p.m. Confirmation
Shabbat Service
Followed by Oneg
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Erev Shavuot
9:30 a.m. Sichat Torah
(Torah Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Service-in-the-Round
7:30 p.m. Erev Shavuot Services
8:00 p.m. Break & Refreshments
8:30 p.m. Shavuot Study
8:30 p.m. RUACH Shavuot Study
Sunday, May 24, 2015
10:30 a.m. Shavuot Service
with Yizkor Memorial Service
followed by Luncheon
Friday, May 29, 2015
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Nosh
6:15 p.m. Pre-Ordination
Shabbat Service
Saturday, May 2, 2015
No Services at Rockdale Temple
9:00 a.m. HUC Ordination
Plum Street Temple
3101 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, 45220
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