Congregation Kneseth Israel OUR VOICE Volume No. 29 Issue No. 11 Cheshvan - Kislev 5775 November 2014 Pictures from events in October. This is the Pre-School celebrating Spirit Day on 9-30-14. JEC families go Sukkah hopping The Weisblum family welcomes JEC students into their Sukkah Ellyn Kaufman welcomes visitors to the Kneseth Israel Sukkah & Teaches the children about the Holiday. From your Rabbi / Cantor Dear Congregants, Shalom , Now that we have Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah behind us, I can repeat what I have heard from many people that the services were exceptionally well received. The outstanding children’s and adult choir led by Shouvik Mondle; the visiting Cantor Carmen of New York who davened (prayed) eastern European melodies, and the opportunities to have junior services helped to set the spiritual tone for the coming year. In addition, the children were treated by a magician and also were able to watch themselves on our new TV screen. Rebbetzin Miriam and my family were delighted to sponsor several kiddishim to honor the forthcoming simcha for our daughter Ayala's upcoming wedding in Israel. It was our pleasure as well to host the Hebrew School children in our home sukkah. May we all be blessed to share many more life cycle celebrations together. We would like to extend our warm welcome to all of Kneseth Israel’s new members. Each new member’s expertise will help the growth of our synagogue. The hospitality extended by our congregants to our visitors and newest members is heartwarming. During Sukkot festival, even the weather cooperated as we dined and danced with the Torahs both in the sanctuary and in the sukkah. Our website and social media communication will help keep us connected and we are determined to keep growing on this communal journey. Miriam joins me in wishing you and your family a year of good health, prosperity, happiness, and peace. Shalom, Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum and family Upcoming Events November 7, Shabbat Dinner and Family Services 6:00 pm Adults $10.00 Children $7.50 and ages under 3 free. Please RSVP [email protected] November 9, 9:45 am Light Breakfast with Rabbi Weisblum. Rabbi Weisblum will be sharing an update on what’s going on in Israel and Ayala’s wedding. November 15, 5:45 pm Havdalla (end of Shabbat), concert and pj party/night at the movies. G rating movie. Popcorn and drinks, donation of $5. per family to cover costs of snacks & movie. November 16, Field Trip to the Maryland Jewish Museum in Baltimore, with lunch November 23, Speaker- Shoshana Walshe Correspondent for ABC News-10:00 a.m. $10.00 adults, $5.00 students. December 21, Chanukah Dinner. Flyers Will Be Forthcoming. Jewish Education Center of Anne Arundel County. “ “ Mah Koreh”? What’s happening? From the desk of Ellyn Kaufman… What makes the Jewish Education Center of Anne Arundel County so unique? 1. Our congregational school puts a high value on our children's education. We are the only congregational school in Anne Arundel County to secure the services of a full time educator - thanks to the vision and foresight of the wise Rabbi Moshe Weisblum, PhD. Rabbi Weisblum is not only the rabbi, but also the cantor, chief soccer player and friend to the children and families. Coming from Israel with an expert command of the Hebrew language, he is the “real deal”! We are so fortunate that our rabbi is eager to accompany the family services and our classes by playing guitar, piano or clarinet. 2. Our classes are small enough to be personalized and individualized to meet the needs of each student, yet large enough for our children to benefit from the Jewish social interactions. 3. Our teachers are outstanding professionals with years of experience and from a variety of backgrounds. From Masters Degrees to Social Workers to Psychology degrees - and all with knowledge of Hebrew! Our teachers are prepared to handle just about any pedagogic situation. 4. Many of our families are long time generational members of Congregation Kneseth Israel. We are fortunate that so many young families are here to ensure the continuity of our ancestors. We are dedicated to keeping Judaism not only alive but thriving and relevant at CKI and in Anne Arundel County. 5. Ilanit Evers is our high energy Israeli dance teacher who not only keeps us active and on our feet but will be teaching us how to prepare delicious Jewish delicacies for the Jewish holidays. YUM! Thanks so much to Ethan Halpern for his commitment to teaching our children Israeli dance with great enthusiasm. 6.“Mimeni tir'u v'chen ta'asu” Not only do we learn, but it is crucial that we take action. We believe in experiential learning, not just sitting in a classroom and reading about different traditions and doing mitzvot, we must be actively involved in performing them. In the spirit of Tikkun Olam, we strive to make the world a better place. This year, under the guidance of our teachers, we will be preparing meals for the homeless; making blankets for children and doing a variety of other mitzvot in our community. 7. Our kitchen is known in the community for it’s strictly kosher catering service under the supervision of Rabbi Moshe Weisblum, PhD. Steve and Dore Lebowitz, our own in-house caterers prepare delicious erev Shabbat congregational dinners; healthy snacks for the children on Sunday mornings and so much more. We are extremely fortunate to have Chef Steve's delicious cooking on our property. We welcome people of all ages, from Bubbe and Zayde to toddlers, to attend our congregational Shabbat dinners. 8. We are blessed to have the talented voice from Broadway of Shouvik Mondle lead our children's choir, Kol Rena (the Sounds of Music); as well as directing our Music Program. You will be able to witness on upcoming occasions the beautiful melodic sounds from the children, thanks to Shouvik. 9. We are a traditional synagogue embracing and welcoming Jewish people of different and various backgrounds. Our families are involved, caring individuals who work together, collectively to create a positive energized community of learners. 10. We are home the of the "Mitzvah Dish" - a tradition started by Ellyn Kaufman, our Director of Education. We believe each child is not only capable of doing mitzvot but we are commanded to do mitzvot. We want our children to be proud of their accomplishments and ready to share them. Upon sharing their mitzvot, the students are rewarded with a positive reinforcement of a treat or toy of their choice. (Next month I will talk about Amy and our programs) Ellyn Becker Kaufman Director of Education Jewish Education Center of Anne Arundel County 1125 Spa Road Annapolis, MD 21403 410-263-3924 Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter President's Message Dear Congregants, The Days of Awe are behind us, we have completed dismantling the Sukkah and getting back into the groove of normal day to day life once again. Of course for me, there is a week of “normalcy” and then I am off to Israel to celebrate the marriage of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Weisblum’s daughter, Ayala. I am very excited that I will be able to spend a full two weeks in Israel, since I plan to see as much as possible. It gives me great pleasure to see that each Sunday of Hebrew School is a major event, with multiple activities for both students and adults. Through our adult activities, we along with our children are all gaining such a rich education in being Jewish through our Jewish Education Center. During Sukkot all the children in the Hebrew School had the opportunity to travel to several sukkot built by KI members. At each home the children were treated to some snacks, and an opportunity to learn about the various traditions of the holiday and about each sukkah built by our members. Some got to touch and learn about lulav and etrog, and others learned how a sukkah is built. It was fun and enriching. Last Sunday, we had the opportunity to learn to bake challah with our “challah expert” Ilianit Evers, while Ethan Halpern taught us some Israeli dances; all part of our new program to learn more about Shabbat. It seems there is no “just regular” day with our Jewish Education Center, every day is special. Thank you to all the teachers, madrichim, madrichot, other volunteers, and of course our JEC Director Ellyn Kaufman. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all congregants and friends who dedicated themselves to help our very successful High Holy Day services, ensuring the correct prayer books are out at the appropriate time, to the building, dismantling, and storing the sukkah. Thank you very much to each of you, the Gabbayim, Gabbayot, and the ushers for all your hard work. Thank you to our guest Chazan, Nesanel Carmen, and of course, our very own Rabbi/Chazan Weisblum. Also a big thank you to Paul Vitale, who took on the management of the Holy Days seating for this year after 19 years being done by Steve Earle, and of course thank you Steve for all those years of taking care of the seating. It is my honor and pleasure to share with you the good news of the beginning of a project to refresh our pre-school/Hebrew school wing. When you read this article, we will already have started the work on two of the classrooms. Our goal is to ultimately refresh each classroom to provide an attractive and stimulating environment for our pre-school, daycare, and JEC Hebrew School students. I am sure that all of you are thrilled to welcome so many new members to KI over the past couple of months, our membership chair, Ann Katcef, has informed me that we have 36 families who have joined KI since Rosh Hashanah; all I can say is wow, and WELCOME!!! It is so exciting to see this growth, it truly exhibits just how bright our future really is. We will strive to add additional programs to meet all the needs of both our long time congregants and our newest congregants. Our new program director, Amy Raab has many plans to expand and add, and no plans whatsoever to take away any service or program that is currently being done at KI. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to let me know. My sincere goal is that every single congregant feels their needs are being met. I wish each and every one of you a healthy, successful and very sweet 5775. David Sliom President, Congregation Kneseth Israel Dear congregants and friends, I hope that all your spirits are still soaring after a fine set of holidays! It was indeed an honor to conduct the two choirs of KI for our services. The commitment of the two groups never ceases to amaze me. I am excited to prepare them for Hanukkah and beyond. Recently I met with Amy Raab, our new program coordinator, and spoke of upcoming programming ideas and opportunities; I am so very excited to work with her on future events! Suffice it to say, with the support and guidance of Rabbi Weisblum and our president, David Sliom, KI looks to be shining bright. I look forward to seeing you all during Hanukkah and at future recitals and events. All the best, Shouvik Mondle Kneseth Israel Sisterhood Gift Shop Shopping for many items on your Hanukah gift list are conveniently available at the Sisterhood Gift Shop. We have lovely selections of menorahs, large and small, many themed to delight your children and grandchildren as the candles are lit and songs are sung! Dreidels for spinning, toys to enjoy, and beautiful gift wrap to package it all. There are gifts for other occasions, as well, many hand crafted in Israel. Please visit during our special Hanukah shopping days: Sunday December 15 from 11:30am-1:30pm Monday December 16 and Tuesday December 17 from 12n-3:30pm Children’s shopping hours from 12n-1pm on all dates! Or by appointment: Libby Monias 410 268-8500 or Laura Sutton 410 721-0679 JUDAICA GIFTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS & HOLIDAYS TEFILLIN & TALLITOT PERSONALIZED KIPPOT & BENCHERS BAR & BAT MITZVAH GIFTS BY APPOINTMENT LIBBY MONIAS: 410 268-8500 LAURA SUTTON: [email protected] or 410 721-0679 SUPPORT YOUR SISTERHOOD We will gladly send out donation cards for all occasions, condolence, birthdays, anniversary, etc. We also sell packages of cards for your own use. Please contact Marilyn Halpern at 410-263-5537 If you would like to make a contribution to the Synagogue, there are many opportunities to do so. Leaf on the Tree of Life Rock under the Tree of Life Min of $225.00 Min of $1000.00 Simcha Plaque in Auditorium Min of $200.00 (Single) Min of $400.00 (Double) Memorial Plaque for members or their families $300.00 For non-members with no connection to KI $400.00 Congregation Kneseth Israel 1125 Spa Road Annapolis, MD 21403 410-263-3924 410-260-0740 410-263-5740 (fax) Rabbi/Cantor: Moshe P. Weisblum, PhD. President: David L. Sliom Vice President: Lore Singerman Director, Pre School: Jerri Shafran Director, Jewish Education Center: Ellyn Kaufman Director, Day Care: Patricia Calomiris Special Yahrtzeit Program (e, g., Reciting Kaddish for Loved ones and friends) - Contact Steve Sutton at 410-721-0679. Office Manager: Jeanne Smit Bookkeeper: Dave Stout Prayer books and Chumashim for purchase and dedication ($35 per prayer book; $50 per Chumash) (contact the Shul Office and the Rabbi will select the book most needed). Donation Cards Minimum of (in honor of … or memory) $10.00 per name The Synagogue offers a number of items for purchase and dedication—Contact Steve Sutton Would you like to become a volunteer Big Brother (for a couple of hours twice a month)? The Jewish Big Brother and Big Sister League is in need of Jewish men of all ages to match with boys and teens who are waiting for a Big Brother. Please call or email Lia Weisbord at 410-843-7462 or [email protected] “To the world, you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world” GIANT Gift Cards in denominations of $50 or $100 where 5% of the money goes toward our Synagogue. If you shop at this store, using these cards it can be a great way to send money to KI. Contact Shirley C. Aronson or Marcia Diamond if interested. Pre School & Pre-K classes Shalom Everyone, From the Desk of Jerri Shafran, Director….. What a busy month the Pre-School has had! The 3’s class made their own sukkahs from popsicle sticks and stickers. The Pre-K children listened to stories about Sukkot, played the etrog/lulav game and had a special breakfast in the congregational sukkah. All the classes made decorations for the sukkah. How proud they were of their art work! Simchat Torah was celebrated by having the children make their very own torahs from fruit roll-ups and pencils and flags which they carried as they marched around the hallways. Rabbi Weisblum showed the 3’s and Pre-K children the Torahs in the sanctuary and let them use the yad, (pointer) to “read” the words. Even though we did not have our usual friendly fire department visit this year, the children learned about fire safety through books and activities. We have had fire drills to reinforce the importance of being able to leave the building in a safe and orderly manner, if necessary. The children took this exercise very seriously and did a great job of getting to the edge of the playground in a little over two minutes! Our annual visit to the Pumpkin Patch across the street at St. Martin’s was a great success. The kids loved picking their very own pumpkins and having their faces painted with butterflies, ghosts and pumpkins. A great time was had by all. “Thanks” to all the parent volunteers who helped get everyone across Spa Rd. safely, read stories and carted the pumpkins back to KIPS. Professional picture days brought big smiles (no tears!) so that families can have wonderful memories of their children at K.I.’s Pre-School. Mark Goldberg also spent many hours here snapping pictures of the children at work and play to be displayed on the big screen TV in the lobby of the synagogue. Look for them when you are here! Ms. Bunny, the oral hygienist, paid us a visit to instruct and entertain the children on how to take good care of their teeth. Pajama Days were held at the end of the month when kids (and teachers) really enjoyed coming to school in pj’s (instead of Halloween costumes). Spirit Day was also celebrated by everyone wearing their K.I. Pre-School T-Shirts. Shalom, Jerri The Alpert Family Aleph Bet Jewish Day School From the Desk of Nan Jarashow , Director….. October was a busy month, punctuated by holiday celebrations. Classes enjoyed eating lunch in the sukkah and visiting sukkot built by classmates’ families. Shaking the lulav, hearing stories, and sharing a snack helped build toward a joyful end to the fall holiday season. When rain kept the fourth and fifth graders from traveling, Rabbi Yerushalmi brought the sukkah experience to school! Students crafted lanterns to use in the huts when the weather cleared. For our final celebration, the children clustered around the reading table as Rabbi Weisblum opened the Torah scroll and let students read a bit. Then we paraded and danced with personal scrolls and festive flags to prepare for Simchat Torah. The mild fall weather was perfect for a field trip to Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary on the Patuxent River. Second graders enriched their study of invertebrates by catching, examining, and classifying insects and other tiny crawlers. A hike along the edge of the marsh helped build understanding of the important role of wetlands in Chesapeake Bay area ecology. Participating in Jug Bay’s No Trash Lunch Contest was a no-brainer for our students who are accustomed to Trashless Tuesdays and Waste-free Wednesdays! Senator John Astle, dignitaries from the County Library system, and Sneaks the Cat (A.A. Co. Public Library mascot) were special guests for a presentation of the Chesapeake Cup to the Aleph Bet student body. The Cup is given annually to one public school and one private school in recognition of their students’ high percentage of participation in the Library’s summer reading program. Our kids are ravenous readers even without prizes, but they appreciate the recognition for their achievements. The Cup now resides in the hallway display case where we can admire it throughout the day. Don’t forget our Jewish Book Fair, Nov. 2-7, and our Fall Open House on November 11. Call or email for details. We hope to see you at one or both! Nan Jarashow, Head of School 410-263-9044; [email protected] Sisterhood News Kneseth Israel Sisterhood News The Sisterhood Board met on Oct. 5, 2014, to plan for programs this fall, and to discuss the issue of the $20,000.00 donated to Congregation Kneseth Israel for a new entrance. After two years of estimates by both the House Chair of Congregation Kneseth Israel and myself, we discovered that $20,000.00 will not be enough to pay for a new entrance, (estimates were in the $40,000-$60,000 range), or even a handicap ramp with new awning that the Board would approve. I was told by the Board that “it can’t be done for that price”. Our Sisterhood board decided that the money should not sit idle in an account – we could certainly use it for something else that our synagogue needs. Rabbi Weisblum told us that there were two classrooms in our school wing that desperately needed renovations because of past water damage and age. One room was being used as storage because it was unusable as a classroom for children. He asked if Sisterhood could re-designate that money for the classrooms instead of an entrance that is financially out of reach for several years. According to our By-Laws, the first 4 purposes for forming Sisterhood is to: 1. Support the goals of Congregation Kneseth Israel 2. Further religious and cultural interests of its members 3. Participate in the enhancement of the physical needs of the facility Assist and encourage youth activities What better way to help fulfill our purpose than to re-designate these funds to be used for the renovations of the two classrooms? Our Hebrew School is currently meeting in the Aleph Bet building, but not in the classrooms. They are using the cafeteria, gymnasium, and auditorium for classes. The room is so large that the students find it hard to hear the teachers because of the acoustics. Our nursery school will be able to accept more students if we have more classrooms. With the new classrooms, Congregation Kneseth Israel can benefit financially with enlarged enrollment in Nursery School. Our Hebrew school students will have classes in our building and will have room for new students, and our building will be enhanced with bright new classrooms. This will become important when Kol Shalom completes its nursery school in 2015 and parents will be looking at their new classrooms and comparing to ours. I want to thank the Board of Kneseth Israel Sisterhood who came to this very important meeting and voted unanimously to allow Sisterhood’s funds to complete this worthwhile project. The full Board who were present are: President Nancy Gordon, Vice Presidents Libby Monias, Shirley Lieberman, and Julia Feldman, Recording Secretary Catherine Davidson, Corresponding Secretary Adele Greil, Financial Secretary Rochelle Hollander, Treasurer Irene Weinfeld, and Parliamentarian Leslie Gradet. Sisterhood provided the holiday treats of ice cream cups for the children at the Simchas Torah celebration. This is a long-standing tradition for Sisterhood, which we are happy to fulfill. Thank you, Steve Lebowitz, for reminding us when it’s our turn to provide! Libby Monias and Laura Sutton are busy coordinating events with Ellyn B. Kaufman, our new director of the Jewish Education Center of A.A. Co., so that the gift shop can be opened for many events the JEC has been holding. We are very lucky to have Ellyn and the JEC! In addition to new members, many new children, a bustling synagogue every day of the week, we also have been able to team our gift shop with these events. The JEC is a wonderful addition to Congregation Kneseth Israel. On behalf of the Kneseth Israel Sisterhood , we welcome and thank you, Ellyn! We are putting the finishing touches on a Program and General meeting to welcome new members of Congregation Kneseth Israel and invite them to join Sisterhood. We hope to reach out to all our members and prospective members to come and enjoy the program, friendship and refreshments that our next meeting will offer. You will hear from us soon with the details. Until next month, that’s all for now, folks! We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Nancy Gordon Sisterhood President In Memory Of…. Sam Meyer By Shirley C. Aronson Donations to Kneseth Israel In Honor Of…. Bill Snyder, father of Murray & Ann By Carole Jackson & Jeff Ostrusky Harold Michelson By Corinne Earle The birth of Debbi & Zach Wright’s son Jackson Dallas Grandparents Judi & Allen Cohen Great-grandmother Esther Cohen, By Sara & Jack Schmerling In Honor Of…. Bess & Marvin Cohen By David M. Cohen Ayala Weisblum’s upcoming marriage By Esther Cohen Adele Rubin By Roberta Goldstein Yahrtzeit Donations Ethel Olim Singerman by Mark Singerman Mathew Gradet by Leslie Gradet Khatoun Sheena by Joyce Ani Freda Snyder by Ann P. Snyder Sidney Katz by Joel Katz Capt. Edwin Greenberg by Anna E. Greenberg Julia Greenfield by The Gritz Family Anna D. Berman by Leonard Berman Benjamin Bouch by Jerri Shafran Barney Berman by Stanley Cohn Gloria Schwartz by Dore Lebowitz David Kaufman by Al Kaufman Mildred Snyder by Deborah S. Lipsky Rose Glick by Beverly Albert Morris Lieberman by Shirley Lieberman Beverly Kohler by Jerri Shafran Harry Singerman by Mark Singerman MAZEL TOV TO... Rabbi & Rebbetzin Weisblum on the marriage of their daughter Ayala to Dolev Nizri Thea & Howard Pinskey on their anniversary Letter from Cantor Nasanel Carmen Dear Rabbi Weisblum and the Entire Congregation at Kneseth Israel, I want to thank the Rabbi and the entire congregation at KI for the most amazing and wonderful experience ever. The rabbi mentioned to me when he first picked me up from the train station that there is no congregation in the world like KI. I looked at him skeptically, as I have dealt with many congregations, including working with Chazzan Benzion Miller at Temple Beth El in Borough Park, in the Great Synagogue in Yershalayim. But there was nothing like this Shul. The diversity and the warmth to everyone, no matter what background they come from is like no other Shul I have seen. Also the professionalism of Rabbi Weisblum both as a rabbi and scholar and as a cantor amazed me. Yom Kippur night I felt like I was in the Jerusalem Great Synagogue. And Rabbi Weisblum is able to take the most difficult subject and make it simple for the layman. I would like to wish everyone a Chag Sameach, and a very sweet year. Yours Truly, Nasanel November Yahrtzeits Saturday, November 1st Max Greenfield Fred Richard Wertheim Sunday, November 2nd Jerome Fine Isaac Louis Snyder Herta Wertheim Monday, November 3rd Mervin Krimins Tuesday, November 4th Anita Michaels Earle Ethel Olim Singerman Wednesday, November 5th Fmr. P. M. Yitzchak Rabin Benjamin Rachap Louis Salisbury David Mark Wolman Thursday, November 6th Friday, November 7th Jeanette Legum Louis Leventhal Monday, November 10th Chaim Jakubowicz Frank Kopen Harry Singerman Hyman Nemo Snyder Thursday, November 20th William Glick Tuesday, November 11th Rose Corosh Samuel A. Greenfield Saturday, November 22nd Leonard H. Lieberman Wednesday, November 12th Joseph I. Kirson Leon Schwartzman Thursday, November 13th Abraham Kurnow Bernard Sheff Friday, November 14th Albert A. Block Samuel Frishman Joseph Golombek Melvin M. Katz Hyman L. Setzer Cecilia Siskind Jeanette Spiklosek Saturday, November 8th Regina Rose Cohen Elmer Fox Morris Metterman Charles F. Meyer Nathan Reding Benjamin Snyder Saturday, November 15th Sunday, November 9th Fanye A. Pinskey Leah Shore Witasha Snyder Barnett Sodensky Tuesday, November 18th Maurice Ani Emanuel Halpern Rose Lerner Sara Snyder Sunday, November 16th Cecilia Dorothy Gurwin Benjamin H. Katcef Monday, November 17th Myra Bernstein Wednesday, November 19th Jack Exler Samuel Riegel Anna Friedmen Roth Isaac Abraham Sheena Mordechai Turgeman Friday, November 21st Robert Leon Reich Sunday, November 23rd Joseph Cohen Monday, November 24th Karen Strauss Bulman Esther Z. Goldberg Malka Hershkovicz Irving Kahn John Mild Sarah Spritzer Tuesday, November 25th Wednesday, November 26th Joseph Lerner Thursday, November 27th Anna Dietz Meyer W. Gilden Friday, November 28th Frieda Schwartz Saturday, November 29th Hyman Barr Anna Cheplowitz Morris C. Legum Sunday, November 30th Simon Greenfield Joseph Hyatt Lazer Leonard Abraham Post Fanny S. Redfern Congregation Kneseth Israel extends its deepest sympathy to Esther Cohen on the loss of her sister-in-law Judy Abrams & Jerri Shafran on the loss of her brother-in-law Saul B. Kohler Congregation Kneseth Israel 1125 Spa Road Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Time Sensitive Material NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID ANNAPOLIS MD PERMIT NO. 205 : We are on the Web l. org www. Knesethisrae Over One Hundred Years of Service to G-d and Community Photograph by Mark Goldberg
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