CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL “A Family of Families” May 2015 Bar Mitzvah of CALENDAR OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES >> Ian Jesse Mintz Friday, May 1 Shabbat Service @ 7:30 pm Confirmation Saturday, May 2 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am Friday, May 8 Shabbat Service @ 6 pm New Member Shabbat Family Dinner to Follow Saturday, May 9 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am Ian will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday May 16, 2015 at 10:00 am. Friday, May 15 Shabbat Service @ 7:30 pm Saturday, May 16 Shabbat Service @ 10:00 am * Bar Mitzvah of Ian Mintz Continued on page 3 Friday, May 22 Shabbat Service @ 6 pm *Lily Zager will Participate Bat Mitzvah of Saturday, May 23 Shabbat Service @ 10:00 am * Bat Mitzvah of Lily Zager Lily Eve Zager Sunday, May 24 Shavuot Services @ 9:00 am Study session 10:00am-12:00pm Friday, May 29 Shabbat Service @ 7:30pm Saturday, May 30 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am Lily will par cipate in the service Friday night, May 22nd at 6:00 p.m. and be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, May Torah Study Saturdays @ 11:00am Please come and join us 23rd at 10:00 a.m. Continued on page 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL 4402 Saratoga Blvd Telephone:361.857.8181 Fax: 361.857.8227 Email: [email protected] Website: bethisraelcc.com Rabbis Ilan Emanuel, Rabbi Rabbi Kenneth Roseman, Rabbi Emeritus Staff Debbie Bustillo, Office Administrator Jana Zager, Religious School Director Leslie Green, Shabbat Dinner Coordinator CBI Executive Board Suzy Hilliard President Chris Adler First Vice President Mike Hiatt Second Vice President Secretary Chris Kuehn Treasurer Robin Adams Jim Gold Past President Susan Martin Sisterhood Representative Committee Chairs Adult Education Chair Cemetery Chairs David Jacobs Robert Adler Carl Kuehn, Gary Blum Ritual Committee Chairs Andrew Sheinberg Jim Gold Membership Committee Chair Susan Martin Social Action Committee Chair Jim Gold Dues Committee Chairs Ann Engel I can’t begin to talk about May without recognizing several people and events that made April a success. For those of you that joined us for the Broadway Musical show and dinner, we have Carol Rehtmeyer, Ann Engel, Phyllis Roseman and Chris Adler to thank for such a great evening. And if you enjoyed visiting the museum, why not consider purchasing a membership at the Museum of Science and History? I think you will all agree it is a fabulous place and deserving of our support. Please look in this bulletin for information about becoming a member! Thanks also to the CBI Sisterhood for once again hosting the special dinner commemorating the second night of Passover. Thanks also to Rabbi Emanuel for leading a great Seder. We celebrated our second Bat Mitzvah of the year and look forward to several more in the next few months. In addition, there was several adult education opportunities offered to our members this month as well .It is never a dull moment around Congregation Beth Israel. May 31 is the end of CBI’s fiscal year. This means your board is very busy. The finance committee is busy preparing for the 2015-2016 budget, the nominating committee is working on the slate of incoming officers, and the Recognition committee is meeting to select a member to single out for their hard work on behalf of our congregation. However, we are not just looking forward: we are busy just doing a regular month’s worth of activities. This month, that means a Men’s Club Function, A Hooks/Havdalah event, recognition of the new members that have joined CBI, a Bar and Bat Mitzvah, confirmation and a Family Shabbat Dinner. Please find several activities that you enjoy and support them. We are always in need of help for these activities. If you have some ideas or could spare a little time to help make an event a success, please reach out to me or another board member. Hope to see you at CBI this month! Suzy Hilliard President, Congregation Beth Israel Leslie Kane Building Chair Bill Adams Grounds Chair Rikki Schmitchel Fine Arts Chair Laurie Mintz Page 2 Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Bar Mitzvah of Ian Jesse Mintz Saturday May 16, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Ian turned 13 on April 16. He is an honors student in the Athena Program at Baker Middle School where he also plays clarinet in the band and is a member of the Speech and Debate Team. Ian loves to read and watch the news. He also enjoys playing video games, watching crazy YouTube videos and then reci ng them back with a scary level of detail, playing tennis, watching television, and hanging out in his PJ’s on the weekends. Ian’s parents are Amanda and Howard Mintz. His older brother, Evan, is an 8th grader at Baker Middle School. Ian’s grandparents are Michael and Laurie Mintz, Saul Cohen and the late Marcia Cohen of Boston, MA, and Ben and Carol Orrick who live in Maryland. Ian has decided to help raise much needed funds for the Baker Middle School Speech and Debate Team for his mitzvah project. Debate is one of Ian’s favorite ac vi es. He has competed in Congress, Lincoln‐Douglas, Public Forum, and Extemporaneous Speaking. Baker is one of only a few middle schools in the region with a Debate Team, which means that they compete primarily against high school students. The team is extremely successful and hopes to win honors at the Debate Na onals this June. The team is not sponsored by CCISD, and relies completely on teacher volunteers, parent dona ons, and fundraisers. Funds are needed to help pay for judges at compe ons, to help cover entry fees for students who cannot afford to pay the fees, and to pay for transporta on to debate tournaments, among other things. A box has been placed in the lobby of Congrega on Beth Israel for dona ons. If you would like make a contribu on, checks can be made payable to Baker Middle School PTA with “Speech and Debate” in the memo line. Ian will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday May 16, 2015. The Congrega on is invited to join Ian and his family as they celebrate this very happy occasion with a Kiddush Luncheon following services on Saturday. Bat Mitzvah of Lily Eve Zager Saturday, May 23, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Lily Eve Zager is a 6th grade honors student at Incarnate Word Academy Middle School. In addi on to her studies, she played for the IWA volleyball team. Lily loves dancing ballet and jazz and just completed her performance in the Corpus Chris Ballet’s spring performance of the Wizard of Oz. She also enjoys snow‐skiing, boa ng, knee‐boarding and traveling. For her mitzvah project, Lily has chosen to collect books for all ages for JayNii Streetwise Founda on. StreetWise is a not‐for profit organiza on based in Accra, Ghana dedicated to keeping children off the streets and in school. When living in Ghana, Lily and her parents helped to build a library for the organiza on. It would be so meaningful to be able to con nue to replenish the books for the children of JanyNii Streetwise. A designated bin has been placed in the lobby of Congrega on Beth Israel and Lily would appreciate any dona ons (all types of books, new or used are welcome or you may send a check to help with shipping costs or the purchasing of books) to assist in this special and meaningful cause. For more information visit http://www.jaynii.com/ Lily’s proud parents are Jana and Josh Zager and older brother, Nathan. Her grandparents are Robin and Al Zager of Fair Haven, NJ and Lois and Alan Chepenik of Jacksonville, FL. Please join the Zager family as they celebrate this simcha with an Oneg Shabbat on Friday evening and a Kiddush Luncheon following services Saturday morning. Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Page 3 RABBI’S MESSAGE The book of Numbers begins with the statement: “And the Eternal spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. (Numbers 1:1)” The Rabbis understand this statement as referring to the giving of the Torah in the desert and ask why God would decide to reveal the greatest truths of history and the cosmos in the middle of nowhere. Would it not have made more sense to reveal the Torah in the midst of one of the ancient world’s great civilizations to show God’s power? Or why not wait till the Israelites had reached Israel and reveal the Torah there, cementing the connection between God’s revelation and Promised Land? One midrash suggests that this was done to ensure the Torah was understood to be the property of all people equally. Had it been given in Israel the nations of the world could have denied it had anything to with them. And there would have been dissension in Israel with tribes claiming the Torah had been given in their territory and thus their exclusive property. As the Torah is a universal truth, a gift to the whole world, neither of these possibilities would be desirable and so God gave it in the middle of nowhere, a place that belonged to no one so the Torah could belong to everyone. Another midrash argues that the Torah, a revelation of wisdom, was given in the wilderness to teach us an important lesson about wisdom. It says: Anyone who does not make themselves “ownerless” (or “throw himself open”) like the wilderness is not capable of acquiring Wisdom and Torah. Truth and wisdom come when we are open to them. Perhaps the most dangerous phrase in the English language is “Perception is reality.” It concretizes our natural tendency to close our eyes and our minds to realities that do not fall within the bounds of our narrow preconceptions. When we already believe we know how the world is, we stop looking for wisdom. This is only natural. As human beings we are limited by nature and our perceptions of reality are limited by the scope of our personal experience of the world we live in. But to truly be wise we must be willing to look beyond the limits of our perception and learn from the experiences of others whose lives are different from our own. We must remind ourselves of what it meant to be a people in the wilderness. In doing so, we open our minds to all that we see and not just what we want to see, and we open our hearts to the wonders of God, of the world and of each other. Rabbi Emanuel Omer Study Series: Faces of God - Saturday 11am May 2 and May 9 What is the nature of God? This is one of the biggest questions of religion and in its 4,000 years of history Judaism has a lot to say about what God is and what God wants from us. In the modern era Jewish thinkers have struggled with how to understand God in an era of reason and science, spirituality and religious seeking and the great thinkers of the modern Jewish world have added depth to the questions of the nature of God. Join us on Saturday morning 11am from April 4-May 9 as we explore different modern approaches the biggest question of them all! Find out what the great thinkers of modern Judaism have said about God and deepen your understanding of what it means to believe in God as modern Jews. Sunday, May 24, 2015 -Special Shavuot Learning Opportunity Shavuot services 9:00 am. Study 10.00am - 12.00pm Shavuot is a day we celebrate the giving of Torah and the joy of Jewish learning. Join us as Rabbi Emanual and Rabbi Roseman teach about different perspectives of the Book of Ruth, traditionally read on Shabuot.in a morning of study in celebration of Shavuot Page 4 Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Corpus Christi Community Religious School Jana Zager, Director Last month, the Religious School participated in an all-school Chocolate seder. Each class participated in reading the special Haggadah and all of the seder plate items were chocolate! I’m pretty sure this is one day the kids enjoyed! Also last month, the older students watched a short documentary on the life of Anne Frank in remembrance of Yom Hashoah. We had a special visit from our ISJL Fellow, Alachua Haskins. Alachua gave a D’var Torah at Friday night services and participated in Shabbat morning services with Rabbi Emanuel. During Hebrew and Religious School, Alachua visited each classroom to assess and work on a fun Yom Ha’Atzmaut project. Coming up on May 8th, our students will participate in Shabbat services again. With each opportunity to lead prayers, your child builds the confidence her/she needs to lead his/her Bar/Bat Mitzvah. And, this gives the chance to reinforce what they have learned in Hebrew school. It is important to make every effort to attend these short, hour long services. Also, please make a note in your calendars that Confirmation for our 9th and 10th graders will be May st 1 at 7:30. We would love to have you join us for this special Religious Education Classes occasion as these young students participate in Shabbat services. th Hebrew School We will wrap up Religious School this month on May 17 . PLEASE TH 9:15 am - 10:15 am NOTE THAT THERE IS NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ON MAY 10 . Sunday School HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! 10:30am - 12:30pm May 3, 17 No School May 10 Jana Zager Religious School Director Join the 2015 Confirmands for Shabbat Service on Friday, May 1st at 7:30 pm as they celebrate their Jewish Identity and their commitment to Jewish Life. There will be a festive oneg to follow. Alex Fedder David Fedder Joe Fedder Neil Levens Maddie Ryan Lucy Silverman Sam Susser Nathan Zager Congratulations to Meredith Ryan, who has accepted the position of Congregation Beth Israel’s Religious School Director, beginning June 1, 2015. We will miss Jana Zager and the entire Zager family as they move to New Jersey. Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Page 5 In appreciation for the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History’s sponsorship of our Broadway Musical fundraiser, we are providing membership information and or see the link below. https://www.ccmuseum.com/membership/ Please consider supporting this wonderful Corpus Christi attraction. Page 6 Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Family Shabbat Dinner Shalom Everyone!!! What a fun time we had at our Israeli-themed Family Shabbat Dinner last month celebrating Israel Independence Day! The food was yummy and the company even better! Please mark your calendar for Friday, May 8th as we honor our new members at our last Family Shabbat Dinner of the season. Students will participate in Family Shabbat service at 6:00 pm with dinner to follow. I have thoroughly enjoyed cooking for our congregation during this programming year as well as sharing Shabbat with old and new members alike. I hope you will all continue to attend our Family Shabbat Dinners when they resume again in September! Until we break bread together again, wishing all of you a safe, relaxing and fun-filled summer! Leslie Green Family Shabbat Dinner Coordinator Phone: 804.334.5662 Email: [email protected] SAVE THE DATE ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2015 $$$ FUND FACTS $$$ As Treasurer of CBI, here is the featured fund for this month, with information regarding the purpose of the fund. Please keep our funds in mind as you make contributions to our congregation and earmark your payment if you want your contribution made to a particular fund. Nelson Landscape Fund This fund was established for cultural, artistic, or environmental/nature projects benefitting Congregation Beth Israel. Oshman Family Temple Improvement Fund This fund shall be used for maintenance and improvement of CBI. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself or Suzy Hilliard. Robin Adams, Treasurer Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Page 7 CBI Sisterhood News The second night seder was a fabulous success! Thank you to all who attended as well as those who prepared the wonderful food! The ladies of Sisterhood are currently working on the inventory of the Gift Shop, and will be re-opening soon. Be sure to stop by when you get a chance! CBI Sisterhood Co-Presidents, Brittany Sandbach, Susan Martin, Chris Adler CBI SISTERHOOD WANTS YOUR OLD , GENTLY USED, TARNISHED SILVER PIECES WE WILL POLISH! Many of our serving trays and silver pieces are very worn and need replacing. If you have something to donate, please let us know and we will happily pick it up. Many thanks. Page 8 Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Please join us for our New Member Shabbat Friday, May 8th at 6pm Family Dinner to follow We will be honoring the following new members: Jill Barris Andrea & Art Bussey Tom Curry Viktoryia & Vladimir Dvorkin Joe Gazin Leslie & Carl Levy Michael Lieber Heather Long Greg Marks Carol Rehtmeyer Kimberly & Eric Yaker FINAL TALK SCHEDULED BY OUR RABBI EMERITUS Rabbi Roseman will discuss various issues he raises in his new book. The final session will begin with light refreshments at 10:00 AM in the Grossman Auditorium with the formal session to start at 10:30. The talks are open to all members of CBI and guests of any religious tradition without charge. It is expected that they will conclude before noon. May 3, the Rabbi will talk about “The Head and the Heart: Intellect and Emotion.” Copies of his book, Of Tribes and Tribulations, will be available for purchase each Sunday morning, and Rabbi Roseman has indicated he will be delighted to dedicate and sign the books for your possession or as gifts. A special thank you to Clarice Wallock for making a donation in Ray Falk’s memory, with the request that these funds be set aside to cover the cost of a replacement Adult Hebrew teacher. If you wish to wish to contribute towards this program, please make a notation on your check so that it may be credited to the proper account. Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Page 9 PERPETUAL YAHRZEITS Sabbath of May 1 Arch Allen *Dave Bergman *Robert Brodkey *Julius Brownstein Ida Elzweig *Frieda Falk *William Frank *Mose Franklin *Arthur Haas *Max Katz *Samuel Kins *Dwight Lebowitz *Irving Lepow *Philip Levy *Joseph Maizel *Julian Mandelstamm *Ida Racusin Celia Roosth Gershon Rosenwasser *Morris Rosenwasser *Harry Samuels *Jacob Samuels Melville Samuels *Juliette Scott *Eugene Steiner Morris Wasserman Sabbath of May 8th Curtis Alward *Dave Berman *Joseph Blum *Bertha Brand *Leo Braun Marsha Carchman *Edna Ducler *Max Engle Karen Fox *Ronald Hausman Asher Hooden Chinke Lieberman *Jesse Lieberman Page 10 *Leon Loeb *William Nance Polly Roosth Vera Rosenheim Irene Roth *Max Schmidt Clara Simpkins Mary Trevino *Tina Wisznia Sabbath of May 15th *Simon Alexander *Elaine Baum *Martell Benjamin *Sam Braslau *Tracy Braslau *Elaine Buam *Caecilia Dannenbaum Willard Davis, Jr. James Dixon Irving Frank *Martha Gold *Henry Grossman Fannie Heffler *Adolph Krams *David Mendlowitz *Isidor Posner Philip Sands *Henry Schaffer Joseph Sheinberg Ruth Simon Albert Lehrman Bertha Lieberman *Esther Mendlowitz *Ben Pashkoff *Himan Pelofsky *Jeanette Reiter *Hyman Roosth *Julius Rosenberg *Isadore Schaffer Harry Solomon *Sylvan Weil *Marcel Zebaida Sabbath of May 29th *Sadye Adler *Morris Bein *Zingel Birnberg Abraham Feldbrand Bayla Feldbrand *Alice Frohlinger *Elje Frohlinger *Morris Goltzman *William Greenberg *Harold Hausman Frances Heller Carolyn Henton *Shirley Korn Reva Lipovitch *Issie Offenberg *Sanders Posner *Sidney Zeidman Sabbath of May 22nd *Edna Brodkey *Michael Chasin *Gene Crain *Riwka Feld *Ben Greenberg *Isaac Greenberg *Sadie Grossman *Ethel Holtzman *Gertrude Hurwitz Sadie Korn Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter The Congregation thanks you for the following contributions Yahrzeit Donations Hebrew Rest Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Freda marks Elinor Roosth Jack Kaufman Bill & Susan Martin In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Ray Falk Elizabeth & Jerry Susser Doris Katz Adler Camp Scholarship Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Ray Falk Chris & Robert Adler Sonja Wisznia Irene & Saul Grossman Flower Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Ray Falk Annette & Melvyn Klein Julius Leshin Recovery of------------------------------------------------ From Jerry Kane Mitzvah Fund Chris & Robert Adler Gloria Wolfson In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Julius Leshin Adult Education Fund Ray Falk In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Ray Falk Inez Eskowitz Clarice Wallock Alice Napier Doris Katz Iris & Andy Lehrman In Honor of-------------------------------------------------- From Audrey Zane Sisterhood Memorial Fund Elysheva Barnett on her Bat Mitzvah Lily Zager on her Bat Mitzvah Alan Zane Ian Mintz on his Bar Mitzvah The Noble Family Iris & Andy Lehrman Endowment Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Mildred Chafetz The Noble Family Iris & Andy Lehrman In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Benjamin Zane The Noble Family LA & Rona Train Iris & Andy Lehrman Robin Adams Recipient of 2015 Miriam Award Ray Falk Rabbi's Discretionary Fund General Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Julius Leshin Roslyn & Maury Wolfson Gloria Wolfson Donation----------------------------------------------------- From Heather & David Loeb In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Mr. & Mrs. Jim Dennis Ray Falk Ray Falk Suzy & John Hilliard Melvin & Rima Katz Susan Thiem Charles DeCou Doris Katz Barb & Chip Schwamb Rabbinical Trust Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From Susan & Bill Mar n Jack Kaufman Ann & David P. Engel Don’t forget . You can remember a friend or relative with a minimum contribution of $5.00 to one of our many funds. These funds support camp scholarships, education, cemeteries, fine arts, library, & building improvements, to name a few. An acknowledgement card will be sent to the honored person or family. Please make checks payable to CBI and specify the fund. Call the CBI office with any questions. Congregation Beth Israel Newsletter Page 11 Omer Study Series: Faces of God Saturday 11am May 2 & May 9 Special Shavuot Learning Opportunity Shavuot services 9.00am. Study 10.00am - 12.00pm FINAL TALK SCHEDULED BY OUR RABBI EMERITUS Rabbi Roseman will discuss various issues he raises in his new book. The final session will begin with light refreshments at 10:00 AM in the Grossman Auditorium with the formal session to start at 10:30. The talks are open to all members of CBI and guests of any religious tradition without charge. May 3, the Rabbi will talk about “The Head and the Heart: Intellect and Emotion.” Copies of his book, Of Tribes and Tribulations, will be available for purchase. Please join us for our New Member Shabbat Friday, May 8th at 6pm Family Dinner to follow Join the 2015 Confirmands for Shabbat Service on Friday, May 1st at 7:30 pm We will be honoring the following new members: as they celebrate their Jewish Identity and their commitment to Jewish Life. There will be a festive oneg to follow. Jill Barris Andrea & Art Bussey Tom Curry Viktoryia & Vladimir Dvorkin Joe Gazin Leslie & Carl Levy Michael Lieber Heather Long Greg Marks Carol Rehtmeyer Kimberly & Eric Yaker Alex Fedder David Fedder Joe Fedder Neil Levens Maddie Ryan Lucy Silverman Sam Susser Nathan Zager May 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Confirma on Shabbat Service 9:00 am Shabbat Service @ 7:30 pm Omer Study Series: Faces of God @ 11am Light Candles at: 7:45 PM Havdalah @ The Hooks 5:30pm 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Lag B’Omer NEW MEMBER SHABBAT @6:00 pm Shabbat Service 9:00 am Hebrew School 9:15‐10:15 Sunday School 10:30‐12:30 Of Tribes and Tribula ons at 10am Men’s Club @BJs 7‐9pm 10 11 NO SUNDAY SCHOOL 12 13 14 Light Candles at: 7:50 PM 15 16 Shabbat Service Shabbat Service 10:00 am @ 7:30 pm Light Candles at: 7:54 PM 17 18 19 LAST DAY Hebrew School 9:15‐10:15 Sunday School 10:30‐12:30 Shavuot Services 9:00am Study Session 10:00‐12:00pm ____________ 31 21 6:30 pm ‐Board 24 20 25 26 27 *Bar Mitzvah of Ian Mintz 22 23 Shabbat Service @ 6:00 pm Shabbat Service 10:00 am *Bat Mitzvah of Light Candles at: 7:58 PM Mee ng *Religious School will Omer Study Series: par cipate. Faces of God @ 11am *Family Dinner to Follow Lily Zager 28 29 30 Shabbat Service Shabbat Service 9:00 am @ 7:30 pm Light Candles at: 8:01PM CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL 4402 SARATOGA CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78413 Please excuse our mess while we reorganize the gift shop.
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