TEMPLE TOPICS TEMPLE BETH-EL 755 South Main Street - Geneva, NY 14456 BethElGeneva.org - [email protected] - (315) 789-2945 NOVEMBER 2014 CHESVAN — KISLEV 5775 VOLUME 50 NO. 2 THE FAMILY OF PERRY GALENS CORDIALLY INVITES THE ENTIRE CONGREGATION TO CELEBRATE WITH THEM AS PERRY BECOMES A BAR MITZVAH ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH AT 10:00 AM “The little shul by the lake” Janna Greitzer, Topics Coordinator [email protected] KABBALAT SHABBAT FRIDAY EVENING NOVEMBER 7TH AT 7:00 PM COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING GATHERING AND INTERFAITH SERVICE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH AT 6:00 PM AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH PARK PLACE, GENEVA, NY SAVE THE DATE! SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20TH FAMILY HANUKKAH CELEBRATION AND ANNUAL TBE BRISKET DINNER Temple Beth-El is an intimate, diverse, Jewish congregation which seeks to be a center for spiritual fulfillment, life-long learning, social and cultural enrichment, and community leadership. We are committed to teaching our heritage as an evolving tradition. Julianne Miller, President Rabbi Ann Landowne BethElGeneva.org - [email protected] - (315) 789-2945 PRESIDENT’S PIECE We are currently in the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, a month sometimes referred to as “Mar Cheshvan” or “Bitter Cheshva,” so named because, after the holiday-filled month of Tishrei, it lacks any holidays. Of course, a Rabbi friend of mine (who, in the interest of full disclosure, has a shirt that reads, “Rabbis Love Cheshvan”) points out that “mar” is also the Hebrew word for “Mr.”, and maybe “mar Cheshvan” is actually a respectful way of addressing this most important month. In any case, Cheshvan is a time when things tend to be quiet around a synagogue. At TBE right now, however, things are hardly quiet. The Board is hard at work discussing and planning for TBE’s future, and there are many opportunities for you to get involved in this important work. We are in the process of re-forming some critical Temple committees and starting some new ones. We have just put together a new Membership committee, consisting of Alan Braun, Ellen Ferrara, Shari Reynolds, Davina Millerd, and Rabbi Ann Landowne. They will be reaching out to new and potential members, as well as connecting with current members to “partner” them with our new members. They will also be updating our membership materials. If you would like to get involved in welcoming new members or you know of a potential TBE member, please contact the Membership Committee! We are also hoping to rebuild our Education Committee, which will provide guidance for both our Beit Sefer (our new name for Religious School) program and for adult education opportunities, including (but not limited to) Torah Study. If you have a child attending Beit Sefer, you have experience, expertise, or an interest in education, or if you have a passion for adult learning, please consider getting involved! We are also working on creating two new committees: a Caring Committee and a House committee. The Caring Committee is a committee Rabbi Landowne has envisioned that would do the work of our prior Shiva Committee along with other activities that would help make TBE a more caring community: supporting members who are ill or going through a difficult time, helping new parents, etc. If you are a nurturing person who loves to take care of others, this is the committee for you! The role of the House Committee would be to take care of TBE’s building. There is much to be done in terms of weekly and monthly maintenance, as well as planning for future improvements. If you are a do-it-yourselfer who loves the Home Depot, fit-it projects, construction, or interior design, we would love to see you join the House Committee. Please contact Rabbi Landowne or myself if you are interested in getting involved in any of these committees. In addition to this work, the Board is starting a long term conversation, which will expand to include all TBE members, about the future of our building. There is much work to be done, and many issues – financial, philosophical, historical, and more – to consider. We will be soliciting everyone’s input about your vision for TBE, and we will also be asking for your help as we consider how best to move forward. But don’t wait for us to ask. If you have thoughts about the future of TBE, our building, and our future, please let us know. TBE belongs to all of us. Let’s make it the community that we all want it to be. Julianne Miller, President RABBI’S MESSAGE Rabbi Peter Stein, the Senior Rabbi at TBK, invited the local Reform rabbis to a meeting with Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the Senior Executive Vice President of the URJ .I also had the opportunity to hear Rabbi Pesner speak at Temple Emmanuel in Rochester. Rabbi Pesner was sharing information about the URJ's efforts to help small congregations. He encouraged us to access information through ReformJudaism.org, thetent.urj.net, and yammer.com . The URJ is developing these on line resources in order to provide information, expertise, advice, and support to individuals, and congregations. I hope that everyone who reads this message will spend a little time checking out these sites . I'd love to hear about what you discover. As we move ahead with planning for our future we can join forces with other small congregations who are dealing with similar challenges to share ideas and best practices with each other. Rabbi Pesner also informed us of negotiations between Rabbi Rick Jacobs the president of the URJ and the Israeli government, about access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. There will be a beautiful and inviting plaza constructed near Robinson's Arch giving Reform, Conservative, and Progressive Jews a place for egalitarian prayer. Now a young woman will have the opportunity to celebrate her bat mitzvah at the kotel, read Torah and participate fully. This victory for Reform Judaism is due to the increasing importance of liberal Judaism in Israel. The voice of one and a half million Reform Jews is being heard and our values and concerns are now taken seriously at the highest levels of the Israeli government. It was inspiring to hear about all the important initiatives our movement is involved in and also gratifying that we small congregations, at the local level are valued as well. We are the doors that people enter when they are looking for help, support and a way to connect with and practice Judaism. Our Reform movement is trying to help us by providing the tools with which we can better clarify and achieve our vision and fulfill our mission. RABBI’S MESSAGE CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 As our relationship with the Reform movement and the Jewish world deepens we also need and want to be involved in our local interfaith community. The Geneva Area Interfaith Council (GAIC) is organizing a Thanksgiving celebration on November 18 th at the Presbyterian Church in Geneva at 6PM. Many faith traditions will be represented and the theme will be neighbors welcoming neighbors. Each tradition will share a prayer, blessing, or story related to the theme. I have been asked to speak about the holiday of Sukkot which is harvest holiday like Thanksgiving and also embodies the value of hospitality and openness. I hope to see a few familiar faces on the 18th and if anyone is interested in participating in the interfaith council please contact me and we can attend the meetings together. Kol Tuv ( All the Best), Rabbi Ann Landowne We hold these members of our community in our thoughts and prayers that they may find healing, courage, and strength: Dolores Almeida Sue Epstein Robert (Chick) Kane Gloria Loftus Rochelle Most Max Rhinehardt Sam Siditsky Please call Julianne Miller at (917)439-4265, Rabbi Ann Landowne at (315)789-2945, 914-645-1276 or e-mail either one at [email protected] if you or a member of our community is not well, in the hospital, is in need of help or in the case of a Life Cycle Emergency. RABBI’S MESSAGE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 BOOK CLUB NEWS What do dysfunctional families, Maimonides, kosher butchers, and advice columns all have in common? Come find out this year at the TBE Book Club! We'll be reading fiction, nonfiction, drama and memoir. Join us! All Sundays at 10:00 am in the TBE library—see our new shelf in the library! Nov. 30 The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch by Sue Fishkoff Jan. 11 Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life by Daniel Klein Feb. 22 The Trial of God by Elie Wiesel 300 Liberty Commons 789 Pre-Emption Road Geneva, NY 14456 315-781-0007 Tel. 315-781-0101 Fax www.theupsstorelocal.com/1625 Mar. 22 A Bintel Brief: Sixty Years of Letters from the Lower East Side to the Jewish Daily Forward by Isaac Metzker May 3 Finding Rebecca by Eoin Dempsy A message from June 14 Odd Jobs by Ben Leberman and Postville: A Clash of Cultures In Heartland America by Stephen Bloom Carol and Sam Shama July 19 (Book Swap/Planning meeting) WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY! November Yahrzeits This month we fondly recall... Recited on October 31, 2014 David Rosenbloom (8 Heshvan), Congregation member Abraham Smolowitz (8 Heshvan), father of Lawrence Smolowitz Walter Putziger (9 Heshvan), founding Congregation member Norma Aronson (10 Heshvan), Congregation member Elias Ovsiovitch (13 Heshvan), father of Fran Siditsky Recited on November 7, 2014 Albert Kaufman (16 Heshvan), Congregation member Recited on November 14, 2014 Joseph Cashar (22 Heshvan), father of Bertha Arno Leah Bolton (23 Heshvan), mother of Estelle Golos Lillian Fox (23 Heshvan), mother of Adele Rockoff Rebecca Freedman (24 Heshvan), mother of Nathan Freedman Iyman Reuben Schwartz (26 Heshvan), Congregation member Recited on November 21, 2014 (one week early) Ruben Lambert (4 Kislev), father of Louise Budgar Eve Rubins (7 Kislev), mother of Jonathan Rubins Morris Kollins (8 Kislev), father of Richard Kollins Morton Orlov (9 Kislev), husband of Mary Jeanne Orlov Bany Cohen (11 Kislev), father of Max Cohen Marjorie (Kahn) Emerman 13 Kislev, Founding Member Samuel Mahr (13 Kislev) Ida Silver (13 Kislev), mother-in-law of Dena Silver BIRTHDAYS IN NOVEMBER Leah Givelber………………………………. 2 Faith Most……………………………………. 2 Jan Osserman....................................2 Marjorie Liberman............................4 Robert Wasserlauf............................4 Anita Berkowitz................................6 Laura Smolowitz...............................7 Perry Galens.....................................7 Jennifer Rubins Lilly..........................8 Michelle Baron-Martin....................11 Wayne Strouse…………………............11 Daniel Weinstock ……………………..…12 Louise Budgar………………………………16 Harriett Rubins………………………….…19 Miriam London…………………………….19 Karen Wasserlauf .............................20 Tammy Baran...................................25 Robin Nass Schachter.......................25 Michael Glasser................................26 Walter Millerd..................................26 Susan Givelber…………………………….. 30 Samuel Shama……………………………… 30 Wedding Anniversaries in NOVEMBER ‫יׂשּואין‬ ִ ִ‫יְ מֵ י נ‬ May their memories be for a blessing……. Joseph Newfrock and Luise Levine 6 William Page and Jo Beth Mertens 9 Christopher and Jennifer Lilly 12 Jonathan and Carole Kost 13 George and Jenny Lewis 13 Samuel and Sandy Braverman 24 HELP SUPPORT TEMPLE BETH-EL We are grateful to the following benefactors who have made generous donations to Temple Beth-El: General Fund Sheryl and Les Rosenbloom Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Ken Williams REMEMBRANCE FUND In memory of Dr. Daniel Epstein, Father of Dr. Philip Epstein from Janna Greitzer In memory of Charlotte Levine from Nancy Groben HAPPY DAY FUND In honor of the wedding of Jason Braverman, Grandson of Sandy and Sam Braverman, and Lindsay Steinkamp from Cynde and Roy Vestal and Faye Smolowitz Contributions to the Remembrance & Happy Day Fund may be made to celebrate memories and happy occasions. The Fund is used in support of the congregation’s material needs. Contributions may be sent to Faye Smolowitz, 17 Hillcrest Ave., Geneva, NY 14456. Memorial plaques and leaves for our Tree of Life are available for purchase to commemorate the lives of loved ones and special occasions. Contact Karen Wasserlauf for more information at: [email protected] Advertise with us! GREAT rates! Support Temple Beth-El! Call or E-mail: [email protected]; Phil Epstein 315-789-2945 or [email protected] Best Wishes to Temple Beth-El From The Sherman Family Temple Beth-El Board Members President: Julianne Miller…[email protected] Treasurer: Donna Cator……………[email protected] Acting Secretary: Sherri Martin-Baron……[email protected] Immediate Past President: Wayne Strouse…..………[email protected] Board Members At Large: Alan Braun [email protected] CiCi Coen de Peck [email protected] Ellen Ferrara [email protected] Janna Greitzer [email protected] Leah Himmelhoch [email protected] Sherri Martin -Baron [email protected] Harrison Schutzer [email protected] Lorinda Weinstock [email protected] Temple Beth-El Committees Advertising: Phil Epstein [email protected] Avodah: Lorinda Weinstock [email protected] Board of Education: Susan Pliner [email protected] Building Restoration: Bob Wasserlauf [email protected] Cemetery: Donna Cator [email protected] Lorinda Weinstock [email protected] Caring: open Membership: Alan Braun [email protected] Ellen Ferrara [email protected] Nominations: open Interested in becoming more involved? For more information about joining our Board or joining a committee, contact: Julianne Miller [email protected] URGENT NEED *We Need Your Help* The Geneva Food Pantry! We are very much in need of the following food items in our pantry: Any type of canned fruit Canned meat (tuna, ham, chicken) Cereal/cereal bars Peanut Butter/Jelly “Kid-Friendly” Foods Canned Pasta Sauce (Hunts/DelMonte) as well as shampoo & conditioner and toothbrushes & toothpaste Thank you for helping us feed your neighbors. Questions? Please call 789-1117 (ask for Cheryl or Barb) or stop in at the Geneva Center of Concern any weekday from 10AM-3PM or Saturday mornings 10AM-30PM. Temple Beth-El 755 South Main Street ~ Geneva, NY 14456 ~ 315-789-2945 ~ November 2014 – Cheshvan - Kislev 5775 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 JTeensRoc Havdallah Hangout #1 7:30 pm Lech-L’cha 2 9:45 - 12:45 Religious School 3 4 10 11 NO Religious School 16 Global Day of Jewish Learning 9:45 - 12:45 Religious School 23 9:45 - 12:45 Religious School Rosh Chodesh Kislev 10:00 am Book Club 17 24 6 4:30-6:00 Midweek Hebrew School 5:30 pm Torah Study 9 5 18 6:00 pm Interfaith Thanksgiving Gathering Presbyterian Church 25 7:00 pm Shabbat Service 12 13 4:30-6:00 Midweek Hebrew School 7:30 PM Board Meeting 19 20 4:30-6:00 Midweek Hebrew School 26 4:30-6:00 Midweek Hebrew School 7 7:45 pm Lay Led Shabbat Service Led by Lorinda Weinstock 8 Vayera 14 15 Chayei Sarah 21 22 10:00 AM Torah Study 7:30 pm Shabbat Service JTeens Roc Breakfast Bagging 10:00 am Bar Mitzvah of Perry Galens Toldot 27 Thanksgiving 28 Shabbat At Home 29 Vayetzei 30 NO Religious School Please Note: If you would like to ensure a minyan to say kaddish, or you would like to say kaddish on a Shabbat when there is not a service scheduled, please contact: Lorinda Weinstock at [email protected].