1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

Temple Hesed
“ T h e Te m p l e of L o v in g K in d n e s s ”
S c r a n t on , P e n n s y l v a n i a
Messenger
Tu B’Shvat
Purim
5775
5775
Edition
Edition
10.Adar. 5775 — 11.Nissan.5775 / March 2015
10.Adar. 5775 — 11.Nissan.5775 / March 2015
Volume 156, Issue 7
February
-March
7 at
3 at7 6p.m.
p.m.
B’Shvat Seder will
PurimPalooza
Spectacular!
Be Magic!
Also In the
Messenger:
 School Vouchers
 Vote
 Wolf’s moratorium
Let’s start with
food. Here is
what is planned:
Who says Purim
is just for kids?
Not us or Temple Israel.
That’s why the
two shuls have
a special celebration set.

Denny Corby
PurimPalooza is
an adult Purim party
planned by the two temples for Saturday,
March 7 at 8 p.m. at
Temple Israel, East Gibson Street and Monroe
Avenue.
It will feature entertainment, food and dancing,
all for $15!
A mashed
potato bar. Three
varieties of
mashed potatoes
— smashed red
skin, sweet potato, and garlic — served
in plastic cups, which
can be topped with
your favorite Kosher
condiment.

Triangle Sushi — also
Kosher.

Savory and Sweet
Hamentashen.

Roasted veggie skewers.

Chocolate fondue

More
And drinks:

Six cocktails served by
a bartender.

Soft drinks.
Entertainment:

Magician Denny Corby.
(Continued on page 10)
Inside this issue:
Donations
2
Rabbinical Reflections
3
President’s Page
4
Calendar & Torah
Portions
7
Yahrzeits
& Personal Notes
8
URJ & RAC News
9
Temple Information
Back
Page
A Taste of Judaism Class to Begin in April
Curious about Jewish
beliefs & practices?
Want to know more
about Jewish culture?
What’s with the skull
caps & pork ban? Get
a taste of Talmudic discussions, Kabbalah (Jewish
mysticism) and even Jewish humor and cuisine.
Rabbi Swartz will be
teaching a “Taste of Judaism” class in April, through
the Abington Area Community Classroom. This class
will be held on three
The cost is $25, payable
to the Abington Area
Community Classroom,
but anyone who needs
help with tuition should
talk with Rabbi Swartz.
Thursdays, April 9, 16,
and 23 at 7 p.m. Class will
meet for two hours each
night. It is open to the
public and is designed for
both non-Jews and Jews,
and it is especially helpful
for about to be married
and newly married interfaith couples.
To register for or ask questions about the class, call
570-563-2402, go to
https://abingtonareacommu
nityclassroom.wordpress.co
m/class-registration/ or
speak with Rabbi Swartz.
PAGE 2
ME ME
S S ESNG
S E NG
ER ER
V O LU M E 1 5 6 , I S S U E 7
Donations and Contributions
Donations and Contributions
ROSEANN SMITH
ALPERIN
ROSEANN
SMITH
ENDOWMENT FUND
ALPERIN ENDOWMENT FUND
In Memory of Nancy Jackman
Jim and Patty Alperin
LINDA LEE LEVENTHAL TOY
FUND
In Memory of Mar-
lene’s Mother, Adeline
Michalek
In
Honor
of the Yahrzeit of
In
of MarToniMemory
Alperin Goldberg
lene’s Mother, Adeline Michalek
Oscar D. Leventhal
James and Patricia
Alperin
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND
BUILDING FUND
In Memory of Nancy Jackman
Marion and Lynn Pearl
In Memory of Barbara
Get Jacobson
Well Wishes to Marilyn
Deutsch
James and Patricia
Sharon and Saul Levy
Alperin
Jeff and Carol LeLindsay Leventhal
venthal
LOUIS FINE MEMORIAL
FUND FOR
In Honor of the Yahrzeit of
HOLOCAUST
STUDDavid Cornfield
IES
Martha Fea
Carol and Paul Leiman and
Family
TORAH RESTORATION
FUND
In Memory of Nancy Jackman
Esther Adelman
In Memory of Stuart Moskovitz
Esther Adelman
In
of the Yahrzeit
of
InHonor
Memory
of BarbaJennie Lehman, Grandmother
ra Jacobson
Paula Wasser
In Honor of the Yahrzeit of
Mindy Gromer FUND
BUILDING
Frimi Gromer and Lee Gromer
In
Memory of Henri
Mazel Tov to First Time
Deutsch
Grandparents, Ken and Dale
Miller
Elaine Allegrucci
Audrey Harrell
Richard and Carole Fine
In Honor of the Yahrzeit of
Rose Tevelin
MILTON AND MIRIPhyllis T. Evanina
AM FRIEDMAN
SCHOLARSHIP
In Memory of Maynard WeinFUND
berg
Berne and Susan Sklar
In
Memory
of BarbaCookie
and Joel Goldman
In Honor
of the Yahrzeit
In
Memory
of Mar-of Be- ra Jacobson
loved Mother, Lillian Goldfarb
lene’s
Mother, AdeIn
Honor
of the
Yahrzeit
Sandy Michalek
Cooperman
Paula
and
Jim
Kaneof
line
Like us on Facebook; Follow us on
Twitter.
Arthur Besen
Lenny and Roberta
The Blomain Family
In Honor of the Yahrzeit of BeFeinman
LINDA LEE LEloved Husband
In Honor of the TOY
Yahrzeit of
Sandy Cooperman, Jeffrey Cooper- VENTHAL
Anne
C. Kramer, Beloved
man and Baker Family
FUND
RABBI’S DISCREMother and Grandmother
TIONARY FUND
Temple Hesed accepts
these credit/debit
cards for most payments or donations
V O L UME 1 56, IS S UE 7
ME S S E NG E R
PAGE 3
Rabbinical Reflections — Rabbi Daniel J. Swartz
25 Years, Looking Back and Ahead
O
n March 25th, I will be returning to Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion to receive
an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.
HUC-JIR bestows these honorary doctorates on all ordainees reaching their
25th year who are still actively contributing to the rabbinate and the Jewish
people. For me, it’s been a chance not
only to reconnect with my classmates
but more importantly to reflect on my
work over the past 25 years and how
the Jewish community has changed
during that time.
What have I learned personally? I entered the rabbinate convinced that the
most important work was on the grand
scale – working in large coalitions or on
social justice public policies. I still believe in working together with others,
and I am certainly at least as committed as I was back then to the value of
Tikkun Olam, the repair of our world…
And yet, I’m far less sure that grand
coalitional efforts or the public policy
arena are truly effective avenues of
change. Too often, coalitions get
bogged down in swamps of politeness
and political correctness, issuing bland
decrees designed to offend no one and
therefore changing no one’s mind or
heart or soul. And public policy has
devolved too frequently into barroom
brawls, focused on who can land the
most punches and call out the worst
insults instead of how we can promote
the common good and unite people.
So what’s the answer? I’d have to say
that over the past 25 years, I believe
less and less in answers and place more
and more hope in good questions and
ongoing search and reflection. I am
also more convinced about the power of
relationships. Just spending time sitting down with someone and listening
Rabbi Daniel J. Swartz
to them didn’t seem like a world
changing course of action 25
years ago; now I know that there
is almost nothing I can do that
can have as profound an effect as
simply being present with someone and truly hearing what’s in
their heart.
es. And women play much more
prominent leadership roles
(though I’m a bit concerned that
our own movement, the Union for
Reform Judaism, no longer seems
to be at the forefront here.) Many
innovative programs, such as PJ
Library, seek to connect the everincreasing number of families that
have drifted from the Jewish community for one reason or another.
And how has the Jewish community changed? As with so many
things, there’s good news and
bad news. The good news? Even Which points to the biggest problem we face – that very lack of conwith reports of anti-Semitism
rising in many parts of the globe, nection. Fewer and fewer Jews
I have found that in most commu- join ANY Jewish organizations –
synagogues or JCCs or B’nai B’rith
nities in America, Jews are no
or Federations. And more and
longer the “outsiders” we were
more of those who do join never
even 25 years ago. At the same
become involved, or are involved
time, almost everyone, including
only in dropping their kids off to a
Jews, seems to have more and
building they themselves never
more ways to insulate
spend time
themselves from anyin. It’s not
one who is different in
that these
any way – listening
Jews live
“I have found that in
only to news we agree
utopian lives
most
communities
in
with, communicating
with no
America,
Jews
are
no
only with “friends,”
problems or
longer the “outsiders” we
never stretching to
issues or
were even 25 years ago.”
learn about how othstresses or
ers think or live or
conflicts –
believe. I’m worried
but Judaism
that over time, almost
and
the
Jewish
community
no
everybody will become a stranger
longer
seem
to
be
relevant
to
dealto almost everyone else – and
ing with those problems. If that
that doesn’t bode well.
doesn’t change and change soon,
synagogues will become irrelevant,
and irrelevant institutions usually
Within our community itself,
vanish pretty quickly.
there are also both positive and
negative . I’m glad that many
barrtrendsiers that were still
What changes have you seen in
pretty high 25 years ago have
your lifetime? Equally important,
come down, at least to a great
what changes would you LIKE to
extent. Many interfaith families
see? I’d love to hear from you as I
that would have felt “shunned”
continue to reflect on this mile25 years ago now play a central
stone in my life.
role in synagogue life. Gay and
lesbian individuals and families
are welcome in many more plac-
ME S S E NG E R
PAGE 4
V O LU M E 1 5 6 , I S S U E 7
President’s Message — Ken Miller
Planning Underway for Night of Comedy 2
As I write this we are
Another upcoming Temple
in another of our deep
Hesed event is Passover Sefreezes this winter seader which is still in the planson, but as you know,
ning stages as I write this.
its always warm at
One event on March 27 has
Temple Hesed. Somebeen finalized: the baby
thing that warmed up
naming of Ruth Louise Milour winter so far at
ler,
daughter
of my son Aaron and
Temple Hesed was the Tu B'Shvat
daughter
in
law
Rachel, granddinner with Temple Israel. It was
daughter
of
David
and Amy
well attended by both congregaLiebov
and
Dale
and
myself. The
tions. The fantastic food was preservice
that
evening,
will be held
pared by their congregation, with
at
7
PM,
with our
help from our
family
hosting
the
congregation, led
“The
Scranton
Times
has
Oneg,
to
which
the
by Esther. Inhad
an
article
and
an
whole
congregation
formative comeditorial about this
is invited.
mentary was
venture
and
are
just
as
provided by the
Our new tenants
positive about it as we
three Rabbis in
will be renovating
are.”
attendance and
the classroom areas
the selection of
of Temple Hesed to
food was topical to the event and
meet
their
needs
sometime
plentiful and superb. We all look
around
the
beginning
of March.
forward to sharing move events
The
Nativity
Miguel
School
and
with Temple Israel.
we at Temple Hesed are excited
about this new community proSpeaking of Temple Hesed events,
ject, which will benefit the stuwe had the Purim celebration on
dents who will be attending. The
February 28; at which there was a
Scranton Times has had an article
carnival, pasta dinner, Puand an editorial about this venrimshpiel, and a Hamentashem
ture and are just as positive about
bake off.
it as we are. To quote the last line
in the movie Casablanca, " I think
this is the beginning of a beautiful
friendship".
er. The date is to be determined,
but we are in the planning stages
for a Comedy night. As always, we
are looking for congregants to
help with the planning of this
event, so you can contact the Temple office to volunteer. Keep looking at our online updates and bulletin for information regarding
this event, which we hope is as
funny and successful as last year.
To those of you that missed the
interfaith dialogue on the shootings at Hebdod Charley, it provided insightful dialogue regarding
the event and the way different
individuals saw this horrific
event. All the Clergy present were
of course uniformly against the
murder of these twelve individuals, but also were concerned about
how we express ourselves so that
our thoughts and feelings are
communicated with respect for
others. To me their thoughts on
this subject were reflected in the
name of our Temple, Hesed-loving
kindness.
Wishing all of you Hesed.
— Ken Miller
Another upcoming event at Temple Hesed is our annual fund rais-
DAVID L. ACKERMAN
Clarks Summit, PA
May 26, 1923 ~ February 20,
2015
Date of Service: February 24, 2015
David L. Ackerman, 91, Clarks Summit, died
Feb. 20 morning in the Regional Hospital of
Scranton. He was preceded in death by his
beloved wife of 29 years, Evelyn “Evie” Kohn
Ackerman in 2003.
world traveler, David was able to make a
career out of his interest, and was a writer for
travel magazines and historical publications.
He was a kind and gentle man who respected
Born in Portland, ME, son of the late Jacob
everyone and did much charity work throughand Emma Ginsburgh Ackerman, he earned
out his life. Surviving is his dear friend, Pahis bachelor’s degree from the University of
tricia Grant; son Gary and wife Stephanie;
Miami and was a veteran of the United States grandchildren; niece and nephew; as well as
Navy, having served during World War II. A several stepchildren.
V O LU M E 1 5 6 , I S S U E 7
ME S S E NG E R
PAGE 5
Passover Workshops Set for March 28
On Saturday, March 28,
from 9 to 10:30, we will
hold our annual Passover
Workshops. While aimed
especially at our Shabbat
School families, these are
open to all adults and
children. Children get to
make pillows for reclining, Ccccccccccccharoset
recipes from around the
world and more, while
adults can choose to join
in the crafts or do separate adult-only learning
sessions. This is a
chance for you to get any
and all Passover questions answered, from
what’s with all rules
about yeast to how to say
the four questions in
Klingon (yes, really!). If
you have particular questions you want answered,
email Rabbi Swartz in
advance and he will
make sure they are answered. Otherwise, just
come join us on the 28th!
Frozen in Time: That
70s Purim Show
If you missed Temple Hesed’s Purim celebration on February 28th,
you missed quite a show, attended
by people from Honesdale to Hazleton to even Harrisburg! Due to
the deadline for this issue of the
Messenger, we are unable to include pictures of the Shpiel, but
you can see some on our Facebook
page and our web site.
Vote Now – for ARZA and for our Passover Seder Date
During the High Holy Days, Rabbi Swartz spoke
about the upcoming election for the World Zionist
Congress and how important it is for the future of
Israel for us to vote. The WZC plays a critical role in
developing a number of important policies for Israel
and in allocating funds raised throughout the Jewish
world. It is in large part because the Reform movement did
well in the last election, in 2010, that plans are moving
ahead for women and men to be able to pray together at the
Western Wall, that Reform, Reconstruction and Conservative congregations in Israel are finally getting building permits that had been stalled for decades by the Orthodox monopoly, that discrimination against women in arenas ranging from public transportation to the army is ending, and
that non-Orthodox converts are being recognized. Voting is
now open and will continue till April 30th. The process of
voting is simple. Go to
https://www.reformjews4israel.org/vote/ and click on
“register and vote.” It is a VERY quick and simple process.
To cover the cost of the election and the WZC
meeting, there is a $5 or $10 dollar fee
(depending on your age) – none of the slates
competing in the election receive any of that
money. You will have the choice of a number of
different slates once you register – please feel
free to take the time to read through the information about
the slates – but whomever you choose, please make sure to
vote – it is our last chance for the next five years to have a
direct influence on the direction of Israel and its relations
with Jews around the world.
On a much less grand note, voting is also still open – and
free! – for choosing when our Temple and Community Seder
should be held, on Friday April 3 or Saturday April 4. Vote
by sending Temple Hesed an email or voting on our Facebook page. At this point, votes are pretty evenly split. Of
course, to actually hold the Seder, we still need a few more
volunteers who are willing to help with set up and logistics.
V O LU M E 1 5 6 , I S S U E 7
ME S S E NG E R
PAGE 6
RAC Opposes School Vouchers
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 10,
2015 -- In advance of the House Education and Workforce Committee
addressing the Student Success Act
(Elementary and
Secondary Education
Act reauthorization),
Deputy Director Rachel Laser sent a
letter to all committee members, urging
Rachel Laser
them to oppose any
amendments or provisions for private school vouchers.
Read the full text of the letter to the
Honorable John Kline, Chairman,
and the Honorable Bobby Scott,
Ranking Member, below:
Dear Chairman Kline and Ranking
Member Scott:
On behalf of the Union for Reform
Judaism, which encompasses 1.5
million Reform Jews in 900 congregations across North America, and
the Central Conference of American
Rabbis, which represents 2,000 Reform rabbis, I write to express my
opposition to the inclusion of any
provisions in or amendments to the
Student Success Act (H.R. 5) that
would create a private school voucher.
Any program that permits private,
often religious schools to receive
public funds is poor public policy
and certainly invites legal challenges. A central principle of the First
Amendment's Establishment
Clause is that members of particular faiths, and not the government,
should fund religious institutions.
Government funding for religious
education undermines the First
Amendment and harms religious
liberty. When vouchers are used
towards expenses related to religious school education, they become
an indirect government funding of
sectarian institutions. We are also
concerned that religious schools
that receive voucher funds could
lose their autonomy because with government
money comes government
rules and regulations. Such
control would not be beneficial for either religious organizations or the government.
Reform Jewish values inspire our
support for ensuring a robust public
school system. The revered Jewish
sage, Maimonides, taught that "any
city that does not have a school in it
shall be cut off [all contact] until
they find a teacher for the children" (Hilchot Talmud Torah 2:1).
We have a special obligation to support our public schools and to make
known to our communities the important role that they play in our
society.
A school voucher program that redirects funding from Title I to private,
often parochial schools, is deeply
concerning. Congress adopted Title
I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) in 1965 to
provide federal funding to local
school districts and schools that
serve large concentrations of students in poverty to address the compounded impact of poverty on student learning. Today, states receive
Title I funding based on a formula
which ensures that poorer, smaller
and under-resourced districts receive a greater share of Title I funds
than more affluent districts. Changing this system by allowing funds to
“follow the child” to private schools
would add even more stress and
challenge to struggling schools.
While a small number of students
might be able to attend a different
school due to a Title I voucher
amendment, significantly more students would still be in an underresourced school that would be even
more disadvantaged. The government should instead be investing its
funds in programs that reinvigorate
the public school system, rather
than redirecting
critical funds
away from public
schools and into
private, frequently parochial
schools.
Vouchers do not guarantee a student any type of school choice. Rather, they contribute to the monetary means of a family to send their
child to a private school if that
school accepts the child. Every child
counts, yet vouchers could only
raise the educational opportunities
for a select few. Additionally, private schools do not need to meet the
same public accountability standards that all public schools must
meet, including those in Title IX,
the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) and the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (ESEA)— the very law the Committee seeks to reauthorize.
We urge you to oppose all language
in the Student Success Act that
would use taxpayer dollars to create
a private school voucher program.
Our Reform Jewish values teach us
the importance not only of a highquality, robust public education
system that promotes opportunity
and advancement for each child, but
also of strong church-state separation and religious freedom rights,
all of which could be compromised
by vouchers.
Sincerely,
Rachel Laser
Deputy Director, Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism
ME S S E NG E R
PAGE 7
V O L UME 1 56, IS S UE 7
MARCH 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5 Purim
6 SERVICES
6 p.m.
7PurimPalooza
8 Daylight 9
Savings Time
10
11
12
15
17
18 Board Meeting
19
16
13 SERVICES
SERVICES 14
86p.m.
p.m.
Sukkot
@5:30 p.m.
22
23
24
29
30
31
Holidays 5775
Rosh Hashanah— Yom HaShoah—
Sept.24-26, 2014 Apr. 15-16
SERVICES
20SERVICES
21
8 p.m.
8 p.m.
25
Y
at Temple Israel @ 8p.m.
SERVICES
8 p.m.
SERVICES
8SERVICES
p.m.
7
26
27
p.m.
Naming of
Ruth Louise
Miller
28
iddish Saying Of the Month
Yom Kippur —
Oct. 3-4, 2014
Yom HaZikaron
& Yom
HaAtzmaut —
Sukkot— Oct.8-15 Apr. 21-23
Simchat Torah — Lag BaOmer —
Oct. 16-17, 2014 May 6-7
“He who cannot stand
the smell of gunpowder, should not engage
in war.”
Yiddish Proverb from
a book by Fred Kogos
Torah Portions
Hanukkah —
Dec. 16-24, 2014
Shavuot— May
23-24
Name
Civil Date
Hebrew Date
Tu B’Shvat —
Feb. 3-4 2015
Ki Tisa
March 7, 2015
16.Adar.5775
Tisha B’Av—July
25-26
Vayakhel-Pekudei
parah
March 14, 2015
23.Adar.5775
Purim—Mar. 4-5
Selichot —Sept.5
Vayikra Hacodesh
March 21, 2015
1. Nissan.5775
Tsav Shabbat Hagadol March 28, 2015
8 .Nissan.2015
Passover—
Apr.3-10
More Torah resources at www.urj.org
V O L UME 1 56, IS S UE 7
ME S S E NG E R
PAGE 8
Yahrzeits and Personal Notes
Week Ending March 7 (Service March 6)
*Isadore Gordon, *Samuel B. Silverstein, *Harrie Phillips Mittelman, *Monroe
Brandwene, *Hilda Ziegler, *Toni Brodrick, *Rita L. Pincus, *William Katz,
Jerome Goldfarb, *Fannie Gelfand, *Robert D. Goodrich, *Frances Lonstein,
*Esther Krotosky, *Jennie Pell, *Gordon Folk, *David Fragin.
Get Well Wishes

Natalie Gelb

Marilyn Deutsch

Emily Trunzo
Week Ending March 14 (Service March 13)
*Emanuel J. Goodman, *Pearl Hoffman, *Emanuel Oppenheim, *Samuel L.
Cohen, *Lottie Schoenhof, *Carolyn Weiss, *Oscar Rosenblum, *Sylvia Hodes,
*Ann F Nogi, *Anna B. Breschel, *Adele Hollander, *Ophelia K. Hershfield,
Edna Lauscher, *Isadore Harry Kramer, *Jack J. Levine, *Regina Oppenheim.
Week Ending March 21 (Service March 20)
Jake Slawitsky, *Jacob R. Cohen, *Robert P. Silverstein, Anna Lachman,
*Florence R. Spelman, Arthur Feinberg, *Isabelle G. Cohen, *Leo Mitteldorf,
*Dorothy Loebl Pell, Sadye M. Smith, *Helen Fragin, *Ben Silverman, Madeline Needle, *Minnie G. Rice, *Dr. Moses Fragin.
Week Ending March 28 (Service March 27)
*Marion L. Graham, *Sol Driesen, Florence Brown, *Seymour Sieber,
*Theodore A. Stein, *Jacob L. Druck, *Seymour Cader, *Jay Leiman, Max Ballot, *Joshua Marks, *Albert Rose.
Week Ending April 4 (Service April 3)
*Arthur Adelman, *William Stein, *Jack Benkaim, *Ruth Folk, Sheldon A. Davis, *Lois Besen, *Ida Richman, *Samuel N. Kramer, *Hattie Levi, *Elsie
Schneider, *Abraham Cornfield, Fred A. Ellenbogen, *Hannah Joseph, *Meyer
Slavitz.
ME S S E NG E R
V O LU M E 1 5 6 , I S S U E 7
PAGE 9
Attacks in Copenhagen Condemned
February 15, 2015, New York,
NY --On Saturday, February 14,
and Sunday, February 15, two terrorist attacks in Copenhagen left
three people dead and five police
officers wounded. The first shooting was at a café that was hosting
a discussion on free speech. Hours
later, a synagogue and Jewish cultural center were attacked.
cold-blooded acts of cowardice.
Such savagery proves a sad but
undeniable truth: the enemies of
the Jews and Judaism in Europe
are the enemies of freedom everywhere.
The victim of the synagogue
shooting was a young Jewish man
who was controlling the entrance
to the synagogue while a Bat Mitzvah celebration was underway inside, according to the head of
Denmark's Jewish community.
President of the WUPJ Rabbi Daniel
H. Freelander stated that "The attacks in Copenhagen are an assault on our values and on all free
and democratic societies that embrace human dignity. While today
is a grim reminder that no one and
nowhere is immune from such acts
of barbarism, we will together remain vigilant against those who
wish to strike at our most cherished freedoms."
The World Union for Progressive
Judaism (WUPJ) condemns these
The WUPJ mourns with the families and loved ones of the victims
of these latest terrorist attacks on
European soil.
According to the European Union
for Progressive Judaism (EUPJ)
President Leslie Bergman: "Jihadist
inspired acts against Jews will become a European problem when
the violence extends beyond Jewish targets (such as in Toulouse
and the Brussels Museum). Eventually, if uncontrolled, the Jews will
become a sideshow in this challenge to European civilization."
As an organization rooted in the
teachings of the Hebrew Prophets,
the WUPJ promotes justice and
equality, democracy and peace,
personal fulfillment and collective
obligations.
These Jewish values are humanity's greatest hope to combat and
ultimately defeat such personifications of evil as the one that reared
its ugly head on a Saturday evening in Copenhagen.
Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the LORD
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings
like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Rabbi Daniel H. Freelander, WUPJ
President
Michael Grabiner, WUPJ Chairman
RAC Praises Wolf’s Execution Moratorium
Washington, D.C., February 13, 2015 – In response to
the Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s newly declared
moratorium on executions, Rachel Laser, Deputy Director
of the Religious Action Center issued the following statement:
The Reform Movement has formally opposed the
death penalty since 1959, noting the sanctity of
human life. Our resolution states: “there is no
crime for which the taking of human life by society is justified and that it is the obligation of
society to evolve other methods in dealing with
Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced a moratorium on the
crime.” Though the Torah does mandate death
death penalty in Pennsylvania, acknowledging that the
for some crimes, the rabbis of the Talmud intenflawed system is “error prone, expensive and anything but
tionally made the mandate’s application so cominfallible.” The decision will be in effect at least until the
plex and difficult, that it became virtually imposPA
Gov.
Tom
Wolf
Governor receives and reviews the forthcoming report from
sible to use. We learn in Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5
the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on
that causing a single life to perish is the same as “caus[ing] a
Capital Punishment that has been underway for about four
whole world to perish.”
years. There are currently 183 men and three women on death
row in Pennsylvania who could be affected. The Governor clariIn this spirit, we are encouraged by the actions of Governor Tom
fied that his actions should not be taken as an expression of sym- Wolf. There are 31 other states that still have laws allowing the
pathy for the guilty on death row, but are based on the fact that
death penalty and we will continue to fight against it until the
the system has proven to be an “endless cycle of court proceedings practice has been abolished throughout our country.
as well as ineffective, unjust and expensive.”
TEMPLE HESED
“SCRANTON’S FIRST SYNAGOGUE”
1 Knox Road
Scranton, PA 18505
Email for Temple:
TempleHesed@comcast .net
Phone: 570-344-7201
Fax: 570-344-4514
Published 11 times a year
Like us on Facebook; Follow us on Twitter
Web Pages: www,TempleHesed.org
Submit articles, letters, etc. to: [email protected]
SPIRITUAL LEADER
Rabbi Daniel J. Swartz
570-877-3454 (cell)
570-344-7201 (office)
([email protected])
———————OFFICERS
President - Ken Miller
1st Vice Pres. - Barbara
Parker-Bell
2nd Vice. Pres.—Larry
Milliken
Treasurer—Jeff
Leventhal
Asst. Treasurer - Harry
Adelman
Secretary - Judith Golden
Asst. Secretary— Jennifer
Rosen Novak
__________________
BOARD
Daniel Cardonick, Joan
Davis, Lynne Fragin,
Jerald Gilbert, Paula
Kane, Michael Karnoff,
Richard Levy, Joel Vener
and Richard Goldenziel
Life Directors
Myer A l p e r i n and Jane
Oppenheim
ABOUT TEMPLE HESED:
Temple Hesed, a Reform Synagogue founded Aug. 20, 1860, is Scranton’s first and oldest Jewish
congregation. It is one of the earliest congregations to join the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, now the Union for Reform Judaism. It has been a member since Dec. 12, 1874.
The synagogue serves the needs of individuals and families in Lackawanna County and surrounding
areas. Situated on Knox Road, off Lake Scranton Road in the East Mountain section of Scranton, the
current building opened in 1973. Temple Hesed operates a cemetery on West Warren Street in
Dunmore.
The office is open Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m.. to 4 p.m.; and Friday 9 a.m.. to 2 p.m.
Rabbi Swartz is happy to set appointments at any convenient time. Contact him to set a time. The
rabbi also has "drop-in" hours every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. to 3
p.m. The Rabbi holds these times open for visits or calls for which an appointment was not or could
not be made.
The Temple Hesed Cemetery is open for visitation six days a week. Visitation hours are: MondayFriday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. till dusk and it is closed for Shabbat on Saturday. For more
information, call the office.
STAFF
Marlene Gianzanti—Office
Manager
([email protected])
Edward Snitko-Director of
Music
Rich Mates-Messenger
Editor
([email protected])
Jennifer Rosen Novak
Social Media Maven
Jeffrey Heilbrunn
Webmaster
( [email protected])
Purim continued
(Continued from page 1)

Dance instructor Vince Burst.

Various games.
According to Corby’s Web page, “Denny’s
presentation of magic, mind reading, and
comedy never fails to astonish and charm
his audience.” Reservations are required.
Call the Temple Israel at 570-342-0350
by March 4.
Dancer Vince Burst
Eco-Tip:
Food: Worldwide meat production releases more greenhouse gas emissions than
the entire transportation sector combined (Source: UN Environment Programme).
Start small by eliminating meat one day per week, or challenge yourself by taking a week-long vegetarian pledge. See www.meatlessmonday.org or
www.vegetariantimes.com for good recipes and more information.
Eco-tip provided by GreenFaith: www.greenfaith.org