1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

THE SHMOOZE
A Weekly Newsletter
for Members and Friends of
Bais Abraham Congregation
Hyim Shafner, Rabbi
Rori Picker Neiss, Maharat
Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah/Shabbat
15 October – 18 October 2014
Candle Lighting for Shemini Atzeret 6:08 p.m.
Shabbat Ends 6:59 p.m.
(according to www.myzmanim.com)
This Shabbat and Bais Abe Events
Contacts
Shul Office
(314) 721-3030
[email protected]
Rabbi Hyim Shafner
[email protected]
Rori Picker Neiss, Director of
Programming, Education and
Community Engagement
[email protected]
Greg Storch, President
[email protected]
Kiddush Sponsorship
[email protected]
Shmooze Submissions
[email protected]
Davening Schedule
Shabbat
6:02 p.m. – Fri. Mincha/Maariv
9:00 a.m. – Sat. Shacharit
5:40 p.m. – Sat. Mincha, Maariv
Sunday
8:30 a.m. – Shacharit
Monday – Friday
6:30 a.m. – Shacharit
Chag Sameach! For a complete listing of service times, see the flyer in this
week’s Shmooze.
Simchat Torah – Thursday evening and Friday October 16-17
Services 6:45p.m., Dinner 7:00 p.m.
Chabad on Campus is sponsoring a delicious dinner for the Bais
Abraham community. No RSVP necessary.
Children’s Torah Parade and Dancing Kickoff – Thursday 7:30 p.m. Kids
can kiss the Torah and dance in the center of the circle.
Hakafot – 7:45 p.m.
Joyous dancing with the Torahs for children and adults of all ages.
Friday morning – Services begin at 9:00 a.m. and at 10:30 a.m. the
dancing starts all over again, followed by aliyot for all. We will read the
end of the Torah and start again at the very beginning of Bereshit.
Simchat Torah Lunch
Following Simchat Torah morning services, everyone is invited to stay for
a festive lunch sponsored by the Nemes family and the Bais Abraham
Sisterhood. No RSVP necessary
Women’s Tefillah – approx. 11:00 a.m.
Service and Torah reading with aliyot for women in the Gardner Beit
Midrash
Office Hours
Mondays: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Fridays: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Stone Unveiling for Nancy Benson – October 19th
The stone unveiling for Nancy Benson (z’’l) will be held on Sunday,
October 19th at 1:30 pm. The ceremony will take place at Chesed Shel
Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Road.
Shalom and Welcome!
We at Bais Abe pride ourselves on hospitality and openness to Jews of all backgrounds. We strive to build a community
rooted in mutual respect and commitment to Torah values and Halacha (Jewish law). Please feel free to contact Rabbi
Shafner at [email protected] for any information that may be helpful to you. If you would like a place for a Shabbat
meal, our eager hosts would love to welcome you. Please email [email protected].
Bais Abraham
Board of Directors
Greg Storch
President
Gabe Douek
Exec. Vice President
Lilly Canel-Katz
Vice President
Daniel Picker
Treasurer
Dan Weisz
Secretary
Phyllis Shapiro
Immediate Past President
Hear About Bais Abraham’s Impact and Support the Community
Please support Bais Abraham's Yom Kippur Appeal as generously as you can so
the Shul can continue to provide a welcoming place for prayer and Jewish
growth to adults, families, and students. Watch the video via the following link:
http://baisabe.com/yomkippurappeal.php . My thanks and blessings for a
Shanah Tovah, Rabbi Hyim
Sukkot Celebrations at Epstein Hebrew Academy
The students at Epstein Hebrew Academy celebrated Sukkot this past week.
Check out the videos via the school blog, http://eha.org/2014/10/08/all-aboutsukkot/, to see Bais Abe children Menachem Novack and Deborah Haspel share
what they learned!
Directors:
Barbra Danin
Larry Friedman
Morey Gardner
Tessa Gardner
Barry Ginsburg
Judy Hoffman
Daniel Iken
Alan Nemes
Roz Neuman
Michael Novack
Michael Richter
Oscar Schlafman
Dan Scharff
Dan Vianello
Rob Wasserman
Richard Wise
Musical Pre-Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Dinner- October 24th
There will be a musical pre-Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat service and dinner with
children's programing on Friday October 24th at 5:30pm. Call or email the Shul to
make reservations by October 20. It is also possible to make reservations and
pay at baisabe.com. Adults are $10 and children are $5, $30 max per family.
Lunch and Learn on “The Origin of the Mikveh” - October 25th 12 Noon,
Following Services
Carol Wise will teach on “The Origin of the Mikveh”. It is sponsored by Vivian
Kranzberg in memory of her husband, Maury Kranzberg.
Community Service Opportunity – October 26th, Time TBD
SHED, Safe Homes for the Elderly and Disabled, collects requests from
individuals who are not capable of caring for their own homes on their own and
invites members of the community to help them with projects. Volunteers from
SHED perform minor building repairs, painting, yard work and other jobs that do
not require special tools or skills. They work with various churches to match up
people and projects. The vision is to have one Sunday a month in which Bais Abe community
members get together, ideally with members of other communities around U City, to take on these
different projects. Projects will be chosen based on number of people participating, skill level, and
capabilities. For more information, and to RSVP, please contact Barbra Danin at
[email protected].
Artwork Available for Purchase
Artist Berta Goldgaber will have her work available on Sunday mornings at the Shul for viewing and
purchase. Find out more about her work at www.judaicafabricart.com. 15% of Sunday morning
purchases will go to the program of the buyer’s choice.
Bais Abe Junior Book Club-Save the Date
The next meeting of the Junior Book Club will be on November 8th, 2014 at 11:15 am (following the
children's tefillah). The group will discuss “When Life Gives You OJ” by Erica Perl. For more
information or to get a copy of the book, please contact: Renee Shpall Wasserman:
[email protected] or Maharat Rori Picker Neiss: [email protected]. Donations ($5 to cover
one book, $10 to help cover the cost of the program) can be made via the Bais Abe website.
Hebrew Tutors Available
Looking for a Hebrew tutor? Rabbi Shafner has information on tutors. Please contact him for more
information.
Shalhevet Women’s Kollel
The Shalhevet Women’s Kollel will meet on the following dates: September 16, October 7, October
21, November 4, November 18, December 2, and December 16. The learning will begin at 7:30 pm
at Bais Abe. Women of all backgrounds are invited to participate.
Support the Shul While Shopping
Every time you shop at Schnucks, you can earn money for Bais Abraham. Our shul participates in
Schnucks’ "Scrip" program. It's easy. Just show your Bais Abe scrip card
when you check out and your purchases create automatic contributions to
the shul of up to 3% of your purchase price. Our mathematical consultant
ran the numbers and estimates that if we have full participation, the shul
can make approximately $6,000 a year. Email or call the office for a scrip
wallet or key-chain card and begin earning money for the shul on your next
trip to Schnucks.
Our Weekly Shabbat "Tefilat Yeladim" (Children's Service)
Our weekly Tefilat Yeladim is a wonderful opportunity to introduce
your children (or grandchildren!) to the beauty of praying with a
community on Shabbat morning. We use a special colorful
children's siddur with illustrations (by Koren publishers) that
familiarizes the children with the prayers they will hear in shul as
they grow up. Spearheaded by Caley Chill and supported by the
Benot Sheirut, services will be at 10:30 every Shabbat in the Bais
Abe auditorium. Tefilat Yeladim is sponsored by the Feen family
and an anonymous donor.
Hinenu – Shabbat Study Group
Hinenu will meet one hour before the printed mincha time on Shabbat afternoon at the shul (this
week at 4:40 p.m.). Hinenu is an informal gathering where the weekly Torah portion or other topics
of Jewish interest are discussed and studied.
Message About Jewish Meditation and Kabbalah Group
In order to accommodate diverse schedules and the most people possible, Yehudah Reichler’s
Jewish Meditation and Kabbalah group will now be open for individual lessons (in person and
online). The group will no longer meet at the shul. Visit the new website
TransformationKabbalahNetwork.com to sign up through the free consultation form online.
Shul Announcements
Chesed Committee Opportunity
STL Food Rescue’s mission is to alleviate hunger in our community by collecting perishables that
would have been discarded from local food retailers and immediately delivering them to the
organizations most in need. Volunteers pick up food on Mondays and/or Wednesdays from the
Whole Foods in Town & Country, when they close at 10:00 p.m., and deliver the food to either
Tomchei Shabbat or the Kollel. To sign up, please use
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah2z9GUSGE0mdFVUUjJseUF1OGhSZmRVOFdG
ZVlMOHc&usp=sharing_eil#gid=16 or contact the shul for more information.
New Chesed Committee at Bais Abe
If you like to help with Bais Abraham's new chesed committee please contact Fawn Chapel or
Roberta Gutwein. The chesed committee will help to coordinate meals and assistance for people in
the Shul who are ill or need help. Fawn can be reached at [email protected] and Roberta can
be reached at [email protected] .
A Way to Help Our Shul
Looking for a way to help our shul as a volunteer? A job that would take about one hour a week and
make an enormous difference in the appearance of the shul is to be in charge of the bookshelves in
the auditorium. Help organizing the rest of the library is also needed. If you can take on one or both
of these jobs, please contact Rabbi Shafner who will give you some basic guidelines on where
various books go.
Bais Abe Mailing List and Directory
We are in the process of updating our mailing lists and our directory. Please send all updates and
corrections to [email protected]. We list addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses in the
directory. Please let us know if you would prefer not to have us include your email address.
Shabbat Retreat – Save the Date
Bais Abe will be going on a community retreat in beautiful rural Missouri on March 6-7, 2015. Details
to follow.
Volunteers Sought
We are looking for a few volunteers to help with kiddush setup on Shabbat. If you are willing to be
part of the rotation please contact Rabbi Shafner.
Do you “Like” Bais Abe on Facebook?
Find Bais Abe on Facebook at www.tinyurl.com/BaisAbeFacebook.
Sponsoring a Kiddush at Bais Abe
Sponsoring a Kiddush or "Lunchish" is a wonderful way to mark a simcha or yahrzeit. Or you can
honor a loved one by sponsoring one of our monthly Lunch & Learns. Now, you can also sponsor
seudah shlishit for just $54! If you would like to sponsor (or co-sponsor) any of the above, please
contact Alayne in the office or Kiddush Chair, Judy Hoffman ([email protected]). They will go
over costs and help you plan the Kiddush or lunch you want. Please help shul members plan ahead
by letting us know about your wish to sponsor at least 10 days in advance. Thank you!
Reminder: No perfume/cologne in the synagogue
Please refrain from wearing perfume/cologne in the synagogue because some of our members are
highly allergic. If you inadvertently arrive at the shul wearing any scents, please wash them off.
Attention: people with nut allergies
If you have a nut allergy, for your safety please assume that any foods or beverages served at Bais
Abe may contain nuts or have been prepared on equipment that processes nuts. Please feel
comfortable asking those in charge of food or beverages about their nut content and they will try to
provide it if possible.
Upcoming Kiddush and Shabbat Calendar
October 18
Cholent Kiddush
Sponsor Invited
Lunch and Learn: Carol Wise,
“The Origin of the Mikveh”
October 25
November 1
Cholent Kiddush
Sponsored by Vivian Kranzberg
in memory of her husband Maury
Kranzberg
Sponsor Invited
To RSVP for an event email [email protected] or call 721-3030.
Bais Abraham Learning-at-a-Glance
Class
Instructor
Time & Place
Basics of Judaism
Rori Picker Neiss
“Torah on Tap”
Rabbi Shafner
Women’s Class:
Book of Shoftim (Judges)
Rabbi Shafner
Parshat Hashavua
Rori Picker Neiss
Beit Midrash Chevruta
(Partner) Study
You and your chevruta (partner)
Beginner’s Gemara Class
Jack Shapiro
Deepen Your
Davening/Explanatory
Prayer Class
Alternating between Rabbi
Shafner and Rori Picker Neiss
Each Shabbat, approx. 10:30 a.m.
in the Gardner Beit Midrash
Shalhevet Women’s Kollel
Partnered learning + shiur with
Rori Picker Neiss
Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 pm (every other Tuesday) at
Bais Abe
Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
at Bais Abe
Periodic Monday nights
see Shmooze for exact dates and times
Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Gardner Beit Midrash
Wednesday, 1:00 p.m.
Location: rotating. Contact Rori for location.
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
in the Bais Abe Auditorium
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
in the Bais Abe Auditorium
St. Louis Jewish Community News
Jewish Social Action Network Outerwear Drive
The Jewish Social Action Network, a project of the Jewish Community Relations Council, will hold an
outerwear drive October 26-December 5 to benefit immigrants and refugees served by the
International Institute. For more information, please see the flyer in the Shmooze.
Community ListServe
The St. Louis Jewish Community has an active ListServe where members can offer items for sale,
ask for items or services, read about community events, and more.
The ListServ is a perfect place to offer items that you no longer need that someone else may enjoy.
Many people benefit from such posts.
To become a member of the community ListServe just email [email protected]
Posting is easy! Just email your post to [email protected].
4th Annual Joey Eidelman Memorial Blood Drive – October 19th
The 4th Annual Joey Eidelman Memorial Blood Drive will be held on October 19, 2014 from 10:00am4:00pm at Clayton High School. To schedule your appointment,
visit http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation-sponsor and enter sponsor code: JOEY. Walk-ins
are welcome, but be aware that there may be a short wait. Please consider signing up to donate,
and help to spread the word. Every little bit will help us to do more and give more in Joey's name.
NAMI St. Louis Program, “Opening the Doors to Spirituality” – October 19th
Sponsored by the Alliance on Mental Illness-NAMI St. Louis, Peer Advisory Committee, “Opening the
Doors to Spirituality” takes place Sunday, October 19 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Central Reform
Congregation at 5020 Waterman Registration is free of charge and can be done by calling NAMI St.
Louis at 314-962-4670 or emailing [email protected]. People affected by mental illness have the
same spiritual needs as anyone. This program is an opportunity to include spiritual support and
understanding as a component of recovery for individuals and families experiencing mental illness.
Several religious communities will be represented and will express their diversity through music,
prayer, readings from sacred texts and personal testimonies.
Torah Trailblazers Adventure Torah Studies Hike Program – October 26th, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Registered Yoga Teacher Maxine Mirowitz will guide participants on a hike to a scenic viewpoint
where students will gather to discuss Jewish values followed by standing yoga and breathing
sessions. The program on October 26th, 10:00-12:00 includes a family hike of 1.5 miles for
elementary school age children or older with adult supervision at Laumeier Sculpture Park. To enroll
please visit the website: www.Torahtrailblazers.com .
JPAT Launches Speaker Series on October 28
Renee Wasserman, founder of SleepyHead Solutions, will kick-off a four-part speaker series for
parents of young children presented by the Jewish Parents as Teachers program (JPAT),
on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 11:15-12:30p.m., at Congregation Temple Israel, #1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin
Dr. in Creve Coeur. Wasserman will present “Sleeping 101: Foundation for Healthy Sleeping Habits.”
The program is free and open to the community. Complimentary babysitting is available.
Reservations are required by Thursday Oct. 23, to Leslie Wolf, [email protected] or 314-567-4299.
Wasserman is a Family Sleep Institute certified infant and child sleep consultant. She empowers
parents to teach their children to become healthy sleepers. For more information on the Speaker
Series or on enrolling in JPAT, contact Mindy Woolf at [email protected] or 314-567-4299.
Stone Unveiling for Norman Sussman – November 12th
The stone unveiling for Norman Sussman will be held on Wednesday November 12 at 10:30 am.
The ceremony will take place at his grave site at Chevra Kadisha Cemetery (Page and North and
South) in Sec. North, Row YY, Grave 40.
“On the Fringe” – Do a mitzvah and express yourself too!
Comfortable, stylish, affordable tzitzit. Colorful, 100% cotton cloth, plaid, polka dot, many solid colors.
Reinforced seams, hand-tied for the mitzvah. Small, medium, large, and custom sizes available. Handspun or machine-spun tzitzit available. To order, contact Ben Shafner, 314-308-8324,
[email protected]. $25.
The Shabbos Project Comes to St. Louis
On October 24 and 25 there will be a global Shabbos project for the entire Jewish people. The Jewish
world has just experienced so much darkness. We have united over loss and grief and injustice. Let us
now unite pro-actively over what makes us so blessed and so special. Let us unite over family and
heritage; over our common destiny. Let us unite over what keeps us together. Let us unite over
Shabbos.The Shabbos Project is a program created and organized by the Chief Rabbi of South Africa,
Rabbi Warren Goldstein. For more information visit: http://us8.campaignarchive2.com/?u=088e38b9f842a7cb975c98a98&id=96750bd448&e=75f99413b0
JF&CS Volunteer Opportunities
Jewish Family & Children’s Service has the following volunteer opportunities:
-Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry has volunteer opportunities for assisting clients in the pantry,
sorting donations and preparing Bima Baskets to raise funds for pantry operations.
-Community Chaplaincy: Volunteers are needed for making Friendly Visits with Jewish residents of
care communities, providing companionship and a listening ear.
To learn more about our volunteer opportunities and how you can make a difference, contact Anna
Lehrke, Coordinator of Volunteers, at 314-812-9386 or [email protected].
ElderLink St. Louis
ElderLink St. Louis is a free telephone information & referral service for Jewish older adults, their
children & caregivers. The program, coordinated by Jewish Family & Children’s Service, is staffed by
Lori Zimmerman & Ken Schwartz, who have Masters Degrees in Social Work. For a personal &
confidential consultation, or for more information, call 812-9300 8:30am-5:00pm, Mon. thru Fri.
The Jewish Food Pantry Needs Our Help
The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry is looking for these specific items in order to provide wellbalanced nourishment for the community in need: canned fruit, any type of canned vegetables,
kosher foods, canned tuna fish, peanut butter, canned pasta with meat, healthy cereals, toothpaste,
toothbrushes, hand soap, and detergent. Items should be brought to your synagogue collection site.
For further information, please contact Louise Levine, 636-227-1259.
We are seeking sponsors for this exciting scholar in residence weekend. Sponsor in honor or in
memory of someone. Contact Rabbi Shafner or the shul office.
‫שלום שבת‬
Submit articles and announcements for publication by Thursday morning to [email protected].
Advertise in the Shmooze Classified section and on Bais Abraham’s website for two weeks for $18. For
further news and general information about our shul please check out our website at www.baisabe.com.
The Shmooze© is a community publication of Bais Abraham Congregation, 6910 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis,
Missouri, 63130.
Hyim Shafner, Rabbi.