1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

TEMPLE ISRAEL
CHRONICLE
“Dor L’Dor — Generation to Generation”
January 2015
Volume 14, Issue 1
Temple Israel, an
egalitarian Conservative
synagogue rooted in a rich
heritage of traditional
Jewish values, is committed
to enhancing the religious,
spiritual, educational and
cultural life of its members
and the larger Jewish
community through a
commitment to Torah, our
community, and continuity
and growth amid change.
Staff:
Larry G. Kaplan, Rabbi
Ahron Abraham, Cantor
Gerri Kaplan, Principal
Debra Schonfeld, Administrator
Ellie Benveniste, Chronicle Editor
Officers:
Ina Lubin, President
David E. Schwager, Esq.
Chairman of the Board
Deborah Troy
School Board Chair
Schedule of Services
Minyan:
Monday & Thursday Mornings,
7:15 AM
(Other days by arrangement with
Cantor Abraham)
Sunday Mornings, 8 AM
Sunday through Saturday
Afternoons, 5:15 PM
Shabbat Services:
Saturday Morning, 9:30 AM
See Detailed Shabbat Schedule
Inside
Phone: (570) 824-8927
Fax: (570) 824-0904
Layout Design courtesy of
Bedwick & Jones Printing.
Tevet/Shevat 5775
YOU
ARE INVITED Womens League Shabbat
January 31, 2015, 10:00 a.m.
Mishpacha: Lessons From Our Sisters
Family Matters/Families Matter
Women’s League continues to carry on the
tradition started many years ago by the women of
our congregation. Please join us as our Temple Israel
Women lead our Shabbat Service and present an
exciting program!
The men of our congregation will be asked to
become Women’s League Shabbat Kiddush patrons
on one of three levels in memory or in honor of a
special woman in their life.
You don’t have to be a Women’s League member
or a woman for that matter to join us for this special
Shabbat celebration!
Groh Minyan Breakfast
Please join us on Sunday, January 25 for a presentation on
Understanding Islam
Guest Speaker: Ibrahim M. Almeky, MD
Imam at the Islamic Association of NEPA
Minyan: 9:00 a.m., Breakfast 9:30, Presentation/Discussion 10:00
Reservations required.
Please call (570) 824-8927 no later than Thursday, January 22nd
visit our website at: http://www.templewb.org
e-mail us at: [email protected]
Rabbi Kaplan
.
.
.
s
e
t
Wri
This month I
will be complaining
about Activism.
Sorry- it’s not a
pleasant way to
begin a new
secular year, but
activism seems to
be the secular
equivalent to
following the
Mitzvot. Many Jews consider activism to
be a great Mitzvah, and that’s fine, but
I’m not sure where in the Torah, Bible,
Talmud or Siddur they are finding a
source for this.
I receive an emailed newsletter from
the JCPA, the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs. They ask for donations more
often than even we do at Temple Israel.
They are a national umbrella
organization that claims in its literature
and in its mission statement “To serve as
the representative voice of the organized
American Jewish community”. Member
agencies include Hadassah, the United
Synagogue, Women’s League, the
Reform Movement, the OU (Orthodox),
the American Jewish Congress, etc.
Much of their focus is on the safety and
security of Israel and American Jews.
But they spend a great deal of time and
effort, and apparently money, on
activism for everything from Ferguson to
the environment.
One example is what they call the
Food Stamp Challenge. You accept the
challenge to live for a week on $29.40 a
person, or $1.90 per meal. That way, I
imagine, you get to see what it’s like
living on food stamps, and you’ll end up
joining the ranks of the activists who
will write and call their members of
Congress insisting that they reinstate
programs that have been cut, raise the
amount of money being allocated, etc.
And of course, you’ll donate to JCPA so
they can help influence others to
become activists as well.
I won’t argue here the merits of
SNAP, the government’s Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program which is
funded by our tax dollars, but after 80
foster kids and interactions with their
families (their single moms in 99% of the
cases), along with a dose of common
sense, it’s pretty obvious that the
program is fraught with problems, waste,
and abuse and does little if anything to
help address the reasons these families
need to receive this aid to begin with.
Page 2
So not being enamored with the
SNAP program, I hardly think it’s the
best approach for the umbrella
organization that claims to speak for the
organized Jewish community. In this
and many other instances, the JCPA
does not speak for me. Why not?
Because I’m not interested in activism.
I’m interested in helping people.
Personally. And because the Torah and
the Prophets say nothing at all about
activism, but shout quite loudly about
our personal obligation to do good, not
just to feel good. And while the Food
Stamp Challenge doesn’t make anyone
who takes it feel good while they’re
going hungry for a week, it does make
them feel good after they’ve finished
and are back to eating meals at a
restaurant that may cost as much as the
entire weekly SNAP stipend alone. They
feel good because they believe they’ve
become involved in the issue, they’ll
write their government representatives,
they’ll certainly vote for the candidates
that will increase SNAP funding, and
they’ll donate to the JCPA.
Now how, exactly, will that help a
single mom and her three kids change
her life around so she no longer needs
to receive SNAP payments? Only
personal intervention could do that.
Not activism.
What if all these people taking this
Food Stamp Challenge took instead the
Foster Care Challenge? What do you
think would have more of a positive
impact on a kid’s future? What about
the Big Brother/Big Sister challenge?
What about the Mitzvot that Jewish
tradition actually does call upon us to
fulfill- like taking care of the widow
and orphan? What about helping to
stop the problem before it begins by
encouraging traditional family values?
How about supporting or creating low
cost private schools that inculcate the
values of personal responsibility and
not having children (or sex, heaven
forbid) until one is ready for the
challenge of parenthood? Seriouslyhow much of a problem would we have
paying for 10 times the $29.50 a week
if the next generation were raised with
these simple traditional values and out
of wedlock births plummeted? Then the
only widows and orphans would be the
ones resulting from the death of a
parent instead of what we currently do:
fully support the choice to have babies
with no means of support other than
the government.
Call me cruel and heartless if you
must, or perhaps just plain dumb
because I really don’t understand, but
you can’t call me a hypocrite. My kids
may not be perfect, but they are being
raised with good values which they
exhibit most of the time (with notable
exceptions) and certainly have plenty to
eat. And all ten of them know how
crucial it is to bring a child into this
world with two parents to support them
and each other. And it requires a
sacrifice that far exceeds one week of
taking a challenge. It means vacations
are limited to once a decade if we’re
lucky, and instead of driving luxury cars
we have a washer and dryer that almost
cost as much as a car.
If you want to feel good, you can
sit on the ground at a local college and
eat beans out of a ceramic bowl, or you
can take the Food Stamp Challenge to
heighten your awareness of the problem
of hunger in America, or you can lie
down in a “die-in” at Macys in
Manhattan to protest the cruelty of our
police officers who put their lives on
the line for us every day for
substantially less compensation than the
many businesspeople or professionals
they protect, or you can engage in
some other sort of activism along the
lines the JCPA suggests you do. Or you
could volunteer to drive or pack for
Dinners for Kids right in our own back
yard, or make a donation which will go
to give dinners to kids- many of whom
are in homes that receive SNAP and
other funding- but it’s a real meal,
packed by real people, delivered by
your neighbors including members of
Temple Israel. It’s not activism, it’s
actually feeding kids a nutritious meal
every day. You can donate by sending a
check made out to Dinners for Kids to
the Temple.
I know the folks at JCPA have good
hearts and mean well as does everyone
who takes the Food Stamp Challenge. I
just know that activism won’t get us
very far, and that personal intervention
is the only way to truly make a
difference. As always, I encourage
alternate opinions and will always
respond to your suggestions and
criticism.
Rabbi Larry Kaplan
Cantor’s Notes
An old Yiddish proverb states, “Nine rabbis do not constitute a minyan, but ten cobblers can.”
Minyan is not just the purview of a select few, but a privilege and obligation borne by every
member of the community.
There are several explanations given for why 10 adults constitute a prayer quorum. Abraham’s
argument with God that Sodom should be spared for the sake of 10 righteous individuals, the 10
sons of Jacob who went down to Egypt to buy food, and the 10 negative spies are several other
Biblical examples. The Rabbis of the Talmud used various interpretive techniques to infer from
these stories that sanctification should occur in the midst of a congregation of ten. This is why
prayers such as Barchu, Kaddish, and perhaps most importantly the reading of the Torah portion
Cantor Ahron Abraham
can only be recited in the presence of a minyan. There’s so much history and tradition behind the
institution of the minyan – we mustn’t minimize its importance.
The concept of the minyan reflects Judaism’s emphasis on the religious community. The health of our minyan reflects
the health of our Congregation and the community as a whole. I am happy to say that our minyan has grown stronger in the
last year, and continues to grow. As many of you know, people often begin to attend minyan at a very sad time in their lives,
when they come to fulfill the religious obligation of saying kaddish after the passing of a loved one. Many of our current
“regulars” started this way, but continued to come even after their mourning period was completed because they’ve found
spiritual fulfillment and comradery at daily minyan.
Our minyan is not just a prayer group, we’re a group of friends. Professionals, business people, retired individuals and
even an occasional student or two make our minyan diverse and welcoming. You don’t have to be in mourning to come to
minyan; you can come to give thanks, to be spiritually uplifted, to be a part of the community. Morning minyan meets on
Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, and our evening minyan meets every day at 5:15 PM
A name that was synonymous with Temple Israel’s minyan for decades was Jack Groh. The minyanaires of Jack’s time
were famous for their love of Judaism, the community, and yes, good food and even an occasional drink with friends. Jack
was committed to maintaining the spirit of his minyan and to promoting educational programs in our congregation, and to
that end a regular event known as the Groh Minyan Breakfast was established in his honor. The breakfasts were wellattended by not only minyanaires and their families, but by many other members of the congregation.
As you may know, we are bringing back the Groh Minyan Breakfasts, and our first of 2015 will be held on Sunday,
January 25. I urge you to attend and support these programs.
President
continued from page 7
topics. If you have not already returned your survey, PLEASE
plan to do so or respond on line by going to Temple’s
website home page and clicking on the survey link.
www.templewb.org
And to close
I want to thank Julius Coplan and Joe Mitchneck for
their leadership on the Bimah during two recent Shabbat
services. As Board officers, it gave them an important
perspective, and gave those worshiping a chance to see
them in a different role.
My Best Wishes to all as we begin the secular New Year!
Ina
Mazel Tov to:
• Steve & Sally Alinikoff on the marriage of their daughter
Emily to Tomas Bilbao.
• Bruce & Marie Fendler on the birth of a granddaughter,
Lily Madison Sorensen.
Condolences to:
• Alan Frank on the passing of his mother, Millie Frank.
• Tammie Harris on the passing of her mother, June Green.
• The family of Leonard Hopkins on his passing.
• Linda Greenwald on the passing of her father, Harris
(Hersch) Jacobs.
• Jule Plotkin on the passing of her husband, Allen Plotkin.
• Family of Myra Smulovitz on her passing.
Attention Snowbirds
If you are planning on heading south or elsewhere for the winter, please call the Temple office with your winter
address and the dates you will be there. We want to make sure you receive your Temple mailings, including your
Chronicles. It is important that you notify the Temple office if your address is incorrect, if there are changes, or if you are
going away for an extended period of time.
Due to regulations by the U.S. Postal Service, any mail that cannot be delivered because of an incorrect address will
be returned and a “return fee” will be charged to Temple Israel. We do not want to have to pay
these fees for undeliverable mail.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Page 3
S CH O O L N O T E S
Happy January Birthday
to Our Student
Jan. 17
Ilana Rosenthal
T
A
B
SHAB EDULE
SCH
VAYECHI
Friday, January 2
Candle lighting time...................................4:28 p.m.
Saturday, January 3 ...........................................9:30 a.m.
Haftarah will be chanted by David Bravman
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
SHEMOT
Book Club
The Book Club
will meet on Sunday,
Jan. 18, 2015 at 7:00 pm
at the home of Ina and
Sheldon Lubin 205 Joseph
Drive, Kingston, PA 18704.
The selection is Margaret Fuller:
A New American Life by Megan
Marshall.
Synopsis:
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography
From an early age, Margaret Fuller provoked and
dazzled New England’s intellectual elite. Her famous
Conversations changed women’s sense of how they could
think and live; her editorship of the Transcendentalist
literary journal the Dial shaped American Romanticism.
Now, Megan Marshall, whose acclaimed The Peabody
Sisters “discovered” three fascinating women, has done it
again: no biography of Fuller has made her ideas so alive or
her life so moving.
Marshall tells the story of how Fuller, tired of Boston,
accepted Horace Greeley’s offer to be the New-York
Tribune’s front-page columnist. The move unleashed a
crusading concern for the urban poor and the plight of
prostitutes, and a late-in-life hunger for passionate
experience. In Italy as a foreign correspondent, Fuller took a
secret lover, a young officer in the Roman Guard; she wrote
dispatches on the brutal 1849 Siege of Rome; and she gave
birth to a son.
Yet, when all three died in a shipwreck off Fire Island
shortly after Fuller’s fortieth birthday, the sense and passion
of her life’s work were eclipsed by tragedy and scandal.
Marshall’s inspired account brings an American heroine
back to indelible life.
Page 4
Friday, January 9
Candle lighting time...................................4:35 p.m.
Saturday, January 10 .........................................9:30 a.m.
B'not Mitzvah of Johanna, Lesa and Sarah Gelb
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
VA’ERA
Friday, January 16
Candle lighting time..................................4:43 p.m.
Saturday, January 17 .......................................9:30 a.m.
Haftarah will be chanted by Ted Israel
Minchah ...................................................5:15 p.m.
BO
Friday, January 23
Candle lighting time..................................4:51 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 ........................................9:30 a.m.
Haftarah will be chanted by Noah Hammerman
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
BESHALLACH
Friday, January 30
Candle lighting time...................................5:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 31 .......................................10:00 a.m.
Women’s League Shabbat
Haftarah will be chanted by Nancy Freedman
Minchah ....................................................5:15 p.m.
We Care
Want to attend services or Temple
events, but have no transportation? Just call
the Temple office a few days in advance
and we will try to arrange a ride for you.
B'not Mitzvah
On January 10, 2015 Lesa, Johanna and Sarah Gelb are
being called to the Torah as a B’not Mitzvah.
They are honoring their mother, Judy Gelb, and their
late father, Irwin Gelb, in doing so. They look forward to
sharing this day with their family and friends.
Heidi Mitchneck
Seeherman Annual
Toy Drive
A joint project between the Jewish Community Center,
Temple B’nai B’rith and Temple Israel, Toys from Heidi were
gifted to children ages infant to 12 years who were from
needy homes. Thank you to all who donated to this
wonderful project!
Pictured: Sarah B. Gelb, Johanna L. Gelb, and Lesa S. Gelb
Scholarship Aid
Available for USCJ
Summer Programs
Limited financial aid is available for USCJapproved summer programs, including Camp
Ramah, USY on Wheels, and student trips to Israel.
Assistance is based on both financial need and
merit. Letters of request must be submitted to the
Temple office by March 31, 2015.
Pictured: Anita Coplan, Bedonna Mitchneck, Nancy Shuman
and Ina Lubin
Funding Available
for Jewish Studies
The Max
& Tillie Ungar
Family
Memorial
Endowment
provides
tuition
reimbursement
for college
students who
have
successfully
completed
courses in Jewish studies. Requests for
reimbursement and a copy of the grades for courses
taken during the 2014-15 school year must be
received by the Temple office by May 27, 2015.
All awards will be made after May 31st. For more
information, please call Debbie Schonfeld at the
Temple office.
Page 5
JANUARY YAHRZEITS
Week of January 1 – January 3: Rae Abrams, Lorraine Deutschman, Julie Domowitz, Boris Gurevich, Sheldon Kanner,
Sarah Park, Henry Pollock, Mildred Popky, Isadore Hyman Rifkin, Sam Rosenberg, Jeffrey Stark, Dr. Clifford Wachtel
Week of January 4 – January 10: Eva Barker, Minnie Benovitz, Judith Berson, Bertha Bravman, Gladys Brown, Kathy
Cohen, Gussie Cutler, Jack Feldman, Bernard Flamenbaum, Robert Fortinsky, Martin Frank, Ethel Kaufman, Harry
Kestenbaum, Jacob Aaron Kuss, Dr. Jacques Mitrani, Sam Mittleman, Helena Prashker, Joseph Rosenzweig, Helen Sager,
Milton Schweiger, Samuel Soble, William Stein
Week of January 11 – January 17: Israel Bell, Emanuel Bransdorf, Joseph Cimmet, Charles Cohen, Louis Cohen, Max
Cohen, Maynard Cohen, Eli Cutler, Herman Deutsch, Richard Dorf, Mac Duncan, Edward Dunner, Bessie Fendler, Anna
Friedman, Lou Gallow, Sarah Gelb, Marvin Gibelman, Harry Goldberg, Bernard Grossman, Judith Harowitz, Lillian
Hochberger, Frances Hurwitz, Lillian Izenberg, Lena Joseph, Phyllis Kaplan, Jeanne Kaufman, Stuart Kaufman, Natalie
Kellner, Nat Landau, Lena Lebowitz, Harold Lefkowitz, Reuben H. Levy, Irene Lyons, Laura May, Elky Pezzner, Anne
Rifkin, Isabelle Savitz, Eva Shaiman, Helen Shepard, Gladys Smulyan, Sylvia Weiss, Hermine Wigman, David Zitofsky,
Sharon Zwirn
Week of January 18 – January 24: Isaac Brown, Martin Brown, Eva Cohen, Fanny Cohen, Abe Dattner, John Eckert,
Ivan Falk, Eric Feldman, Pauline Gelb, Bertha Ginsberg, Moishe Gitelson, Beverly Goldwein, William Gourvitz, Eugene
Gray, Florence Grossman, Wesley Harris, Nancy Hinerfeld, Aron Jacob, Raymond Kaufer, Gussie Kestenbaum,
Nathaniel Landau, Allen Miller, Mollie Mittelman, Raymond Morris, Anna Moskowitz, Sol Nudelman, Hilda H. Rifkin,
Melvin Robbins, Samuel Rosenfeld, Ann Rosenthal, Hilda Rothschild, Julia Lieberman Smith, Ethel Weiss, Beatrice
Wrona, David Yelen
Week of January 25 – January 31: Irving Bellsey, Hilda Bergsmann, Leo Bergsmann, Muriel Bravman, Bernard Burnat,
Hyman Chvotzkin, Susan Coleman, Frank Coplan, Sadie Feldman, Edward Fingeroth, R Alex Garber, Lena Grossman,
Hadassah Israel Harris, Fannie Hoder, Dorothy Imber, Leona Kafrissen, Ralph Klein, James Koff, Margaret Kuss, Peter
Lang, Ralph Levy, David Lubin, Karl Mardo, Arnold Messinger, Sarah Moskowitz, Lester Nathan, Harry Naveen, Stuart
Nelson, Herman Parris, Rieva Pearson, Rhoda Perlman, Max Rosenn, Joseph Sherin, Harry Slomowitz, Mildred Stoll,
Freda Trompetter, Max Weisberger, Theresa Koff Weiss, Leon Wolfe
Women's League
It might be cold and dreary in Northeast Pa. but the weather has not
kept Women’s League down. In December we had a past presidents
meeting. It was a great venue to exchange ideas and work on new
programs for the future. We talked about what worked in the past and how
we could update old programs and give them new life. We also came up
with new ideas for programming that we hope will be of interest. All that
attended felt we learned from each other.
As we try new programs please give us a try and when called to help
PLEASE SAY YES. By participating with other Temple women it will give
you a good feeling and a sense of belonging. You will renew old
friendships and cultivate new ones. We might be the best kept secret in
town.
December was also Chanukah and once again we sponsored our
annual raffle at our combined Chanukah dinner with the J.C.A. Thank you
to Bob Greenwald and The Greenwald Berk Agency for again donating our
raffle tickets. In our February Chronicle we will announce the winners
January 31 will be Women’s League Shabbat chaired by Marsha
Lebenson. The theme for this is once again the family but looking at “the
family” from a different perspective.
Anita, Bedonna, Cooky
Page 6
Because of
the HIPAA
Laws, we
do not
always
know if our
congregants
are in the hospital (especially
if they were taken by
ambulance to the emergency
room). If you know of
someone who is in the
hospital and has not been
seen by the Rabbi, please call
the office and let us know
they are in.
Thank you
From Our President. . .
From My Perspective:
Six months into my role as
synagogue President! At the Shabbat
immediately following Thanksgiving, I
told those attending services that my
‘thankful list’ included good health for
myself and my family and friends.
However this year, the second item was
Ina Lubin
my gratefulness for the honor to serve
as President of Temple Israel. I am humbled by the abundant
good will and support I have received. I am lucky to have
been given this opportunity, and I continue to look forward
to serving this very special congregation along with Rabbi,
Cantor, Debbie, John, Ellie and all the volunteers that join
me in providing leadership and service.
Renovation Campaign:
The Renewing Our Home Campaign is still receiving
contributions, and through the hard work of our Honorary
Chairs Sue and Allan Kluger, our Chair Rabbi Kaplan, and
many others, and with the abundant generosity of our
membership; we are now able to proceed with the much
needed renovations to our synagogue.
The Renovation Committee (Abbe Kruger, Amy
Schwartz, Ann Smith, Barbara Levy, Bedonna Mitchneck,
David Schwager, Gary Kornfeld, Ina Lubin, Juidge Coplan,
Missy Saidman, Rabbi Kaplan, Rosemary Chromey, Stan
Pearlman, and Debbie Schonfeld) under the leadership of
Joel Zitofsky is hard at work planning and previewing seat,
carpet and fabric options. Special attention is being given to
handicap accessibility issues to accommodate wheelchairs,
walkers and just generally making our building safer for all
of us to navigate. The work on the elevator is almost
complete including a newly installed window to lessen the
feeling of confinement in the small compartment. Some
minor cosmetic changes to the inside walls are all that
remain to finish this project.
Please be sure to take the opportunity to preview the
furnishing samples when they are available. And…it is not
too late to make your contribution to the renovation efforts
if you have not previously done so!
regional USCJ workshop at Temple Beth El in Allentown. We
had the opportunity to network with congregational leaders
from Harrisburg, Scranton, Easton and Allentown, and to
learn new approaches to enhance the engagement of our
members and keep ourselves financially healthy.
USCJ has also proven to be an invaluable resource for
myself and our Past Presidents through their Sulam program
to train in coming synagogue Presidents, a Presidential
listserv that electronically brings together conservative
congregation Presidents to discuss common issues, and
resources for improving financial sustainability, leadership,
programming, membership, and our religious school
education experience. Religious school Principal Gerri
Kaplan and I have communicated with their educational
specialist to consult on ways to improve the evaluation of
our students and teachers.
Community Events:
The past few weeks there was a Memorial Service at
the Jewish Community Center to honor those lost during
the Israeli massacre and an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.
The Memorial service was an important observance for our
community to memorialize those who lost their lives while
praying, in a most sacred space. It may not have helped us
understand why these evil things happen, but it did
reinforce our own humanity as we struggle to understand
the inhumanity of others.
I attended the service at the JCC, and left with a feeling
that we are so fortunate to have among the Jewish clergy in
our community three Rabbis; Kaplan, Kaplan and Lerner
who spoke so eloquently; and our Cantor, whose voice
stirred everyone’s emotions.
The Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, an annual event
held this year at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, was
equally moving. Rabbi Kaplan presented along with clergy
of many faiths. Rabbi Lerner, Danny and Debbie Goldberg,
and my husband and I were also in attendance. We were
all moved by the diversity of faiths coming together to give
thanks, and the magnificent organ recital that elevated the
beauty of the service. It is an event that should be on
everyone’s calendar during the Thanksgiving season.
A joint Shabbat Dinner and service with Temple B’nai
B’rith was also held recently. There was a wonderful multigenerational turn out from both congregations. Rabbi
Kaplan gave a sermon about the true meaning of Chanukah
that was engaging for all age groups. Since it was a Friday
Nite Live service, it was infused with music and song
throughout. BBYO members and children in both religious
schools actively participated. We all know the beauty of
our Cantor’s voice, but to hear the children sing with so
much enjoyment to welcome in the Sabbath was moving
for all of us.
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism:
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the
umbrella organization for the majority of Conservative
movement congregations. Temple Israel is a longstanding
member, and each of us supports this membership through
our annual dues.
In my opinion, our USCJ membership is invaluable. It
gives us an essential connection to Conservative Judaism
beyond just our own community, keeping us involved in the
conversations that will shape our movement in the 21st
century. For those of us that serve in lay leadership positions,
although we bring our own skills and strengths, it helps to fill Survey:
in the gaps as we take on the role of serving our individual
Last month’s Chronicle included a survey (printed on
Kehillas (congregations).
bright orange paper) to solicit your input on a number of
Most recently six members of our board and I attended a
Continued on page 3
Page 7
Temple Israel
236 S. River St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18702
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Permit No. 105
Change Service Requested
January 2015
Sunday
Monday
4
Tuesday
5
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
Shabbat Services,
9:30 a.m.
B'not Mitzvah of
Lesa, Johanna and
Sarah Gelb,
9:30 a.m.
6
7
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
8
9
Board Meeting,
7:30 p.m.
3
10
11
12
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
13
14
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
15
16
Shabbat Services,
9:30 a.m.
17
Book Club at the
home of Ina and
Sheldon Lubin,
7:00 p.m.
18
19
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
20
21
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
22
23
Shabbat Services
9:30 a.m.
24
Groh Minyan
Breakfast,
9:00 a.m.
25
30
Women’s League
Shabbat Services,
10:00 a.m.
31
Executive Board
Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
26
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
27
28
Hebrew School,
4:00 p.m.
29
Temple Israel Funds
The following is a listing of Temple Israel funds to which donors may contribute for memorials, simchas, recoveries, etc.
Minimum contribution is $5.00 unless otherwise noted.
DR. AND MRS. HAROLD BERSON FUND
THE MURIEL BRAVMAN MEMORIAL FUND
BUILDING FUND
BIBLE FUND ($10)
CHAI CONTRIBUTIONS ($18)
SALLY & RALPH CONNOR HIDDUR MITZVAH FUND
JOSEPH N. COPLAN PRAYER BOOK FUND
CHARLOTTE & JOE CUTLER FUND
FEED THE HOMELESS FUND
FRIEDMAN INTERFAITH ENDOWMENT
ROBERT FRIEDMAN LITURGICAL MUSIC FUND
IRWIN H. GELB EDUCATIONAL FUND
HAPPY DAY FUND
ENID HERSHEY KIDDUSH CUP FUND
HIGH HOLIDAY PRAYER BOOK FUND ($7.50)
LAWRENCE HOLLANDER B‘NAI MITZVAH
PRAYER BOOK FUND
MARION & JACOB ISAACS ENDOWMENT
DORIS & SIDNEY KEISER KERUV FUND
EMIL & NATALIE KELLNER HEBREW SCHOOL FUND
ESTHER & NATHAN KLEIN PASSOVER ENDOWMENT
RALPH & MURIEL KLEIN MEMORIAL FUND
HANNAH & WILLIAM S. KLINE LIBRARY FUND
LANDAU PAVILION FUND
JONAS & MILDRED LANG CHILDREN’S FUND
LEVY CHAPEL FUND
BEN LIBENSON MEMORIAL ART FUND
FRANK & HILDA LUBIN FEED THE HOMELESS FUND
LYONS EDUCATION FUND
MINNIE MORRELL MUSIC FUND
MINYAN FUND
BARBARA NEWSBAUM MILLER PRAYER BOOK FUND
SAM NELSON CARE PACKAGE FUND
DORIS & JEROME NEWMAN
EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT FUND
PASCALE/KAPLAN EDUCATIONAL FUND
ALICE, DR. WILLIAM, I. MALCOLM
AND STANLEY PEARLMAN ENDOWMENT
CHARLES & ROSE POPKY EDUCATIONAL FUND
PRAYER BOOK FUND
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
RABINOWITZ TALLIT FUND
JOAN F. & HERBERT L. RITTENBERG FAMILY
ENDOWMENT
SALLYANNE, HAROLD & FRANK SCOTT ROSENN
COMMUNITY SERVICE ENDOWMENT
SAIDMAN-GREENWALD TORAH FUND
($18 MINIMUM)
SANCTUARY FUND ($25)
SHAFFER SHABBAT KIDDUSH FUND
SHAFFER SUKKAH ENDOWMENT
EVA & NATHAN SHAIMAN RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND
SILBERMAN MEZUZZAH FUND
SIMS ENDOWMENT
MARK SLOMOWITZ MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT
HAROLD & VELMA SMITH HEBREW SCHOOL FUND
THE DAVID & LILLIAN THALENFELD JEWISH
ENRICHMENT ENDOWMENT FOR STUDENTS
MAX & TILLIE UNGAR FAMILY
MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT
USY/KADIMA FUND
MORRIS VILENSKY MEMORIAL FUND