332 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 ● www.templeisaiahps.com ● 760-325-2281
DECEMBER 2015 ● KISLEV/TEVET 5776 RABBI DAVID LAZAR
Vienna c. 1872
Special things to look for inside:Chanukah Shabbat Potluck Dinner ● Holiday Mitzvah Project ● Twice Blessed Chanukah & a MovieTemple Annual Meeting ● Lecture with Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi ● Feast of Jewish Learning
❖From Our President’s DeskBob Fey
Dear Friends,
Our “good ship” Temple Isaiahhas made the turn! Under theleadership of Rabbi Lazar,attendance at Shabbat services hasmore than doubled, we have 45new members and more and moreof us have enjoyed the lectures andcultural programs. Financially, we are growing closeto our membership and donationtargets. My personal thanks to those of you who havestepped up in premium dues, Kol Nidre pledges andother donations. You have shown how much you careabout our Temple. We still have some work to do. Our success thisyear will depend on our continued membership growthand the success of the Craig Taubman concert inFebruary and our Film Festival in March. We will needall of your help with underwriting and ticket sales. I am confident that all of us will continue to bring ourfriends to our services and to our lectures and culturalevents. Once there, the quality, warmth and opennesswill encourage them to join as members. This is my final letter as your president. We willselect new Board of Trustees who will elect a newpresident and other officers at our December annualmeeting. I want to take this opportunity to personallythank all of you for your support during this transitionalperiod. Your attendance and the attendance of yourfriends has enhanced our programs and yourcontributions through volunteering and increasedmonetary gifts has helped “turn the ship.” My best wishes for a happy Chanukah and a healthyand prosperous New Year. Shalom,
2015-16 Philip & Eleanor Short Lecture Series
Second Lecture December 20th - 3 pm
Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, PhD “FUTURE COVENANT OF JEWS”
Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi serves the Hebrew UnionCollege-Jewish Institute of Religion asthe National Director of Recruitmentand Admissions and heads the Officeof Community Engagement. Prior tothis recent appointment, Rabbi Sabathserved as Vice President of theShalom Hartman Institute and for overa decade as a member of theInstitute's faculty, and directed theHartman Lay leadership, Rabbinic leadership, and Christianleadership programs. She was ordained at the HUC-JIR nearly 20years ago, She also earned a PhD in philosophy from the JewishTheological Seminary. Rabbi Sabath writes a monthly column inthe Jerusalem Post and has co-authored two books and publishednumerous articles. Rabbi Sabath also teaches and mentorsstudents of HUC-JIR and speaks throughout North America onleadership, Israel, gender, and theology. She is currently writing abook on the future of covenant for Jewish Peoplehood. Rabbi Sabath is an alumna of the Wexner FoundationGraduate Fellowship and is a member of the Phi Beta KappaSociety. She has served on the faculties of the WexnerFoundation, CLAL - the National Jewish Center for Learning andLeadership, and the Skirball Center. For more than a decade shealso served as the rabbi of Congregation Shirat HaYam onNantucket Island. Raised in Minneapolis, Rabbi Sabath also livedin Israel for nearly 15 years and currently lives in Cincinnati withher husband, Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit-Halachmi, and their threechildren.
Tickets: $20; $12 for Temple Isaiah Members. May be purchased online at www.templeisaiahps.com, by calling the
Temple office: 760-325-2281 or at the door. Lecture will be held at
Temple Isaiah, 332 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs.
FUTURE LECTURESRabbi Elie Spitz “Does the Soul Survive?”Sunday, January 17, 2016 - 3:00 pm at Temple Isaiah. Tickets: $20/$12 Temple members
Dr. Michael Alexander, Moses Maimonides Chair of JewishStudies, University of California Riverside. Topic: “JewishStudies in the 21st Century” Sunday, January 31 - 3 pm
Dr. David Jassby, Assist. Prof. Of Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering, Univ. of California Riverside: “Is WaterDesalination the Answer? What California CanLearn from Israel” Sunday, February 28 - 3 pm
No charge for the Alexander & Jassby lectures, which will be heldat the Palm Desert campus of University of California Riverside(Cook & Frank Sinatra).
Book of Jewish Customs, Amsterdam 1775, Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv
❖From the Rabbi’s StudyRabbi David Lazar
These are difficult times. We areshocked almost daily by a wide variety ofviolent actions all across the globe.Naturally, those tragedies closer to us,whether geographically or socially, angerand scare us more, but in truth, weshould be just as affected by the shearscope of killing and acts of hatred allover the planet. Very often - though notalways - these acts stem from warped orsimply evil interpretation of religion accompanied by a claimthat this is what actually God wants. Needless to say, this is a far cryfrom what we in our congregation, aswell as others throughout our localcommunity, consider good religion.Religion and any kind of interpretationof what God wants from us in ourlives are meant to improve the humancondition not bring about anguish anddestruction. This sentiment was feltrecently when clergy and parishionersfrom 5 neighboring churches andrepresentatives of the localTransgender community, joined usfor an inter-faith Kabbalat Shabbatthat opened Gay Pride weekend herein Palm Springs. Praying together incelebration of not just tolerance andacceptance, but of lovingly embracingthe “other,” were Jews and Christiansof different denominations. This wasa statement, loud and clear, thatTemple Isaiah is a faith communitydetermined to bring light to the darkercorners of our society. Lighting up the darkness is the predominate theme ofthis season. Chanukah will soon be upon us and we willonce again tell the story of how the tiny vile of oil, enoughfor only one day of light, lasted for eight. In our homes andat Temple events, we will slowly bring more light into theworld each of the eight nights of the festival as we addanother candle. While this story (first found in theBabylonian Talmud, Shabbat 21b) might still be the mostwidespread explanation of why we keep eight days ofChanukah, there are a number of other, and quite frankly,far more plausible historical interpretations. One sourcemuch closer to the actual events in the 2nd century BCE (1Maccabees 4:54-56) implies that eight days of rededicatingthe Temple was learned from what King Hezekiah did in hisday. And yet another ancient document (2 Maccabees10:5-9) suggests that this was a “make up session” for theeight days of Sukkot that the Jews were unable tocelebrate properly while the Temple was contaminated.Only later that year, in the month of Kislev, when the battlefor Jerusalem was won, were they able to observe thispilgrimage festival. Still another source (Babylonian
Talmud, Avodah Zarah 8b) speaks of 2 pagan eight-dayfestivals that were celebrated before and after the wintersolstice (Dec. 21) that very well might have been thepredecessor of not only Chanukah but Christmas as well! Whatever the explanation that speaks to you the most,we will have at least two opportunities to come togetherand light communally this year at Temple Isaiah at theTwice Blessed movie event on the third night (December8th) and at our Shabbat Chanukah potluck dinner on the 6thnight (December 11th). This is a good time to reach out to our Christianneighbors during these days of Advent in which they toolight candles. Perhaps use this common practice as anopportunity to discuss ways in which we together mightspread light in our little part of the world. Now is also a good time to be in touch with familymembers and friends in Israel who are still struggling with
this latest wave of violentattacks. Sending themmessages of love andsupport is an important wayfor us to create the light ofhope for better times in thefuture. Spread light here in ouro w n c o m m u n i t y b ycontributing generously to ourtoiletr ies and laundrydetergent drive that willbenefit clients of the Roy’sResource Center and joinChristopher Greene and mein serving Christmas dinnerat the Well in the Desertwhere over 1,500 needylocals will come to celebrate. But most importantly, letus not be drawn into thedarkness by our own fears.For the ultimate goal ofterrorism is exactly this.
Whether there really was or wasn’t a small vile of oil thatlasted eight days, we continue to tell the story ofChanukah miracle, if for no other reason than to reinforceour faith that in the end, light really will prevail.
Hag Chanukah sameach!
Temple Isaiah Annual Meeting Tuesday, December 225:00 pmWarsaw Ballroom
❖From the Executive Director Doug Morton Dear Friends, Clearly the season has arrived ... weare incredibly busy here at TempleIsaiah. There are great events comingup and I’m confident that many willappeal to you. Thank you to the Women’s Auxiliaryfor coordinating our Chanukah-ShabbatPotluck Supper before services onFriday, December 11th. This eventpromises to be fun and delicious! Andthank you to Gary Stone for coordinating the Men’s LatkesBrigade. There will be lots of latkes for everyone (thoughI’m personally planning to bring a kugel). I hope everyonewill come ... but remember it is a potluck, which means youhave to bring a dish! See page 3 for whom to call to signup. Deadline to call is December 10th. No walk-ins thisnight, please! Also, we’re asking that you do not offer tobring a dessert. We’re having our normal Oneg followingservices. Three days before the potluck will be our DecemberLGBTQ Twice Blessed event, on Tuesday, December 8th
at 7:00 pm: “Chanukah and a Movie.” The movie is aunique and moving film about Israel, then and now, andabout family. See the full page ad for details. Everyone iswelcome to come. Tickets are $5 for Temple members;$10 non-members. We hope that you can join us. We have moved our Annual Meeting from March toDecember, so that the Temple Board will have more timeto effectively plan our years’ activities. Our AnnualMeeting will be on Tuesday, December 22nd at 5:00 pm inthe Warsaw Ballroom. It is important that you make theeffort to attend. It runs approximately one hour. The boardhas been working very hard to achieve financial viability.Come hear how we are doing ... as well as thank thosewho have served and will be leaving the Board. There are several ways our membership can help usas we move forward. There are two incredible eventscoming up. The first event, on Thursday, February 18 will
feature Craig Taubman Live in Concert! Craig’s magicaland enchanting music brings to life the joy and spirit of ourJewish heritage. This will be an amazing evening. Ticketsare reasonably priced so everyone can come. A few of uswere lucky enough to hear him when we visited the PicoUnion Project as part of our trip to see the Dead SeaScrolls in September. He is fabulous! The second special event will be our Third AnnualJewish Film Festival on Tuesday/Wednesday March22/23 at the Camelot Theatres. Eileen Stern and hercommittee have selected exceptional films, almost all ofwhich have won numerous awards at Jewish Film Festivalsaround the world. In addition to the six feature films therewill be a seventh film shown at a reception, film and meet& greet held at the Temple the Sunday before the festivalopens (March 20th ). Please realize that these programs are presented to ourcommunity by our entire congregation. For this reason, Iam asking each of you to help. First, by purchasing ticketsand attending. Second, by sponsoring to help make theevents successful. Third, by helping the Temple findprivate and corporate sponsors and, lastly, by lettingeveryone you know how important these events are to usand the community and asking them to participate. Detailsfor both events can be found on our web site atwww.templeisaiahps.com. Lastly, I want to let you know that we have beensuccessful in renting our facilities to numerousorganizations, which brings in needed revenue. DesertWinds Freedom Band and the Palm Springs Gay Men’sChorus are both offering concerts here. Shalom Group willbe holding their annual Chanukah brunch here. Bridgegames, improv classes, support groups ... our building is abusy place! Please join us for Shabbat services, come to thePotluck, attend our Annual Meeting, start helping us locatesponsors and purchase tickets to upcoming events ... inother words, be a contributing member to help us grow! Happy Chanukah,
Doug
STUDY WITH RABBI LAZAR
ExploraTorah Wednesdays 3:00-4:15 pm
Study of the week’s parsha.
“Judaism’s Ten Best Ideas”Based on the book of the same name by Rabbi
Arthur Green
Wednesdays 6:30-7:30 pm. Fee.
October 21, 28; November 4, 18; December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; January 6.
“On One Foot”Introduction to Judaism
Thursdays 6:30-8:30 pm. Fee. December 3, 10, 17, 2015
January 7, 14, 21, 2016 February 11, 25 ● March 3, 10, 17, 31
April 7, 14, 21 ● May 5, 12, 19 June 16
ExploraTorah: All are welcome to attend anytime.For the other classes, pre-registration is required. Callthe Temple 24/7 phone line 760-844-7305, leave yourname, a callback number and that you are callingregarding classes. You will be called back promptly.
Happy Chanukah
“UNIQUE AND MOVING. A GREAT FILM” Haaretz
IT’S ABOUT ISRAEL, THEN AND NOW
IT’S ABOUT FAMILY
... AND A SURPRISE GAY STORY
INVITES YOU TO
CHANUKAHAND A MOVIEWhen:
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8,2015 at 7 PM
Where:Temple Isaiah/JCCof Palm Springs332 West Alejo Road ●760-325-2281 ● www.templeisaiahps.com
Hosted by TWICE BLESSED, LGBTQ at TempleIsaiah/JCC, providing educational, religious andsocial events for the LGBTQ community & theirfriends in the Palm Springs area.
Tickets: $5 members / $10 non-membersAvailable on the web/by phone/at the door.
With thanks to the World ZionistOrganization for their financialassistance for this event.
As of December 1, 2015
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
December 2015
1
23-4:15 pmExploraTorah
6:30-7:30 pmJudaism’s TenBest Ideas class
36:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”class begins
46:30 pm Shabbat services (note time)
510 amShabbatservices
6Temple closed
FIRST NIGHTCHANUKAH
7Temple closed
SECOND NIGHTCHANUKAH
87 pm TwiceBlessed event:“Chanukah & A
Movie”
3rd nightChanukah
9
3-4:15 pmExploraTorah6:30-7:30 pmJudaism’s Ten
Best Ideasclass
4th night
10
6:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”class FIFTH NIGHT CHANUKAH
11 6 pm POTLUCK SUPPER7:30 pm Shabbat services 6TH NIGHT CHANUKAH
12
10 amShabbatservices
7TH
NIGHT CHANUKAH
13 TempleclosedEIGHTH NIGHTCHANUKAH
14
Temple closed15 16
3-4:15 pmExploraTorah
6:30-7:30 pmJudaism’s TenBest Ideas class
17
6:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”class
18 7:30 pm Shabbatservices - Guestsermon: Father AndrewGreen, St. Paul’sEpiscopal Church:“A Christian Visits theHoly Land”
19
10 amShabbatservice
20
3:00 pmLecture Series Speaker:Rabbi Rachel
Sabath Beit-Halachmi
21 Temple closed
22
5:00 PMTempleAnnualMeeting
23 24 25 Office closedNoon-3 pmHelp serve atWell of theDesert’s XmasDinner
7:30 pm Shabbat services
2610 amShabbatservices
27 Templeclosed
28Temple closed.
29 30 31
HAPPYNEW
YEAR!
CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES
Friday, December 4 Shabbat Vayeshev 3:56 pmFriday, December 11 Shabbat Miketz 3:56 pm *Friday, December 18 Shabbat Vayigash 3:58 pmFriday, December 25 Shabbat Vayechi 4:02 pm
* Light the Chanukah candles before Shabbat candles.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
January 2016
1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Temple office closed
6:30 pmShabbat services (note time)
2 10 amShabbatservice
3 Temple office closed
4 Templeoffice closed
5 6 3-4:15 pmExploraTorah
6:30-7:30 pmJudaism’s TenBest Ideas class
7 6:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”Intro to Judaismclass
8 7:30 pmShabbat services
9 10 amShabbatservice
10 11:30 amAll Valley Women’sLuncheon “Women’sHealth” @ PalmValley Country Club,Palm Desert Temple office closed
11 Templeoffice closed
Temple office closed
12 13 3-4:15 pmExploraTorah
14 6:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”Intro to Judaismclass
15 7:30 pm Shabbat services
16 10 amShabbatservice
17 3 pm RabbiElie Spitz Lecture at Temple Isaiah
Temple office closed
18 Templeoffice closed
19 20 3-4:15 pmExploraTorah
216:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”Intro to Judaismclass
22 7:30 pmShabbat services
23 10 amShabbatservice
24 9:30 am-1 pmFeast of JewishLearning @ PalmValley School,Rancho Mirage
Temple office closed
25 Templeoffice closed
26 27 3-4:15 pmExploraTorah
28 29 7:30 pmShabbat services
30 10 amShabbatservice
31 Temple’sLecture Series:3 pm Dr. MichaelAlexander. At UCRiverside PalmDesert CampusAuditorium Temple office closed
CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES
Friday, January 1 Shabbat Shemot 4:06 pm Friday, January 8 Shabbat Vaerah 4:12 pm Friday, January 15 Shabbat Bo 4:18 pm Friday, January 22 Shabbat Beshalach 4:24 pm Friday, January 29 Shabbat Yitro 4:31 pm
Rock of Ages - MaotzurMost probably most of us grew up with the translation
of Maotzur by M. Jastrow and G. Gottheil
Rock of Ages, let our song praise Thy saving powerThou amid the raging foes were our sheltering tower.Furious they assailed us, but Thine arm availed us.And Thy word broke their sword when our own strength failed us.
Rabbi is sharing another translation of the Hebrew text, for your readingenjoyment as you prepare for Chanukah:
In Memory of: Yahrzeit Fund
Rhoda Lewis in loving memory ofher father, Jacob Greenberg
Barbara Mortensen in lovingmemory of her father, NathanWolowitz
Mae Cohen in loving memory of herhusband, Dan Cohen
Barbara Mortensen in lovingmemory of her friend, Gloria Greer
Astrid Ryterband in loving memoryof her father, Roman Ryterband
Shirley Waterman in loving memoryof her mother, Lily Stein
David Lyons in loving memory of hisbrother, Maurice Lyons
Dorothy Katz in loving memory ofher mother, Fannie Solomay
Dorothy Berns in loving memory ofher husband, Earl Cohn
Julie Bornstein in loving memory ofher father, Leon M. Bornstein
David Lyons in loving memory of hisbrother, Wolfe Lyons
Stuart Barton in loving memory ofhis mother, Irene Fink
Susan Nashel in loving memory ofher father, Harry Blindman
Helene Holland in loving memory ofher brother-in-law, Martin Tatz
Robert and Wendy Solomon inloving memory of her parents,Miriam and Bernard Miliband
Shirley Randolph in loving memoryof her father, Louis C. Haas
Pearl Davis in loving memory of hermother, Lottie Berkson
Lottie Kaplan in loving memory ofMarty Lovitz
Howard Missner in loving memory ofhis father, Maurice J. Missner
Bob and Cheryl Fey in memory ofMarty Lovitz
Sean Anderson in memory of MartyLovitz
Kenneth and Marilyn Glassman in lovingmemory of Marilyn’s brother, JamesWolfson
Ben and Rose Levy in loving memory oftheir son, David Ariel Levy
Mae Cohen in loving memory of herfather-in-law, Nathan Cohen
Ben and Rose Levy in loving memory oftheir dear friend, David Lester
Ed and Rita Kroll in memory of Dr.Arnold Klein
Jackie Smason in loving memory of herfather, Louis Niedelson
Joy Goldstein in loving memory of herhusband, Leonard Goldstein
Myna Simkin in loving memory of herfather, Benjamin Rashcovsky
Vicki and Gary Miller in memory of MartyLovitz
Pearl White in memory of Marty Lovitz
Ed and Rita Kroll in memory of MartyLovitz
Jackie Smason in loving memory of herbrother, Donald Niedelson
Myna Simkin in loving memory of hermother, Anna Rashcovsky
Douglas Morton in loving memory of hisgrandfather, Joseph Morton
Sean Anderson in loving memory of Dr. Arnold W. Klein
General Contributions
David Lyons
Sandie Ovesen and Michael Cohen
Ella Ohana in honor of her Aliyah onOctober 24th
Ella and LeonOhana in honor ofBen Levy’s 90th
Birthday
Ed and Rita Kroll inhonor of LeonOhana and wishinghim a speedyrecovery
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Gloria and Stephen Goldstein
December 2015 Yahrzeits * Names Inscribed on Memorial Board
Shabbat Services: Friday nights at 7:30 pm and Saturday mornings at 10:00 am. We willattempt to provide a morning minyan for a yahrzeit if given several days notice.
December 1-5 Listed in announcementsDecember 4-5
*Edward BeldnerIrving Berkson*Abe BochnerVivienne FreedBernice HelfOlga Kauffman*Al KosslynLillian MilibandDonald Niedelson*Ruth Rosenbluth*Gertrude SchulmanEthel ShaywitzFlorence SolomonJacob Stahl
December 6-12 Listed inannouncementsDecember 11& 12
*Steven Bader*Frede Bank*Sarah Beck*Seymour Bernstein
*Edythe Bossel*Jacob Buxbaum*Irving DworettNathan Fragen*Marty GraymanRosa Gutenstein*Barney Hayden*Amalie HertzJudith Hurwitz*Ethel Kotz*Doris Mayerson*Lucille PascalRobert PlotkinAlbert Rosenstein*Steven SemelPearl ShatzCharles SkoffAbe SteinbergMartha Wahnish*Elizabeth Welt*Leah WeissDona Wolf
December 13-19 Listed in announcementsDecember 18 & 19
*David Alpert*Jacques BenchananHarry BorsonKay DonenfeldSadie Dreyfuss*Ginger Evans*Jacob Field*Rebecca Frank*Muriel Frankel-Kostes*Edward Freedman*Abraham Galant*Charles Goldfus*Debra HaydenYetta Herman*Leonard Jacobs*Noah “Ned” Jamin*Irving King*Lewis Kerner*Louis LavinEssie Lev-Bass*Sylvia LevyLouis Lott*Heather LyonsWilliam MagdoffFlora MarksPhillip Miliband
Joseph Morton*Anna Pleet*Harry PleetJoseph Polar*Rose Rosen*Abraham Rosenberg*Joseph RosenthalGregory ScarlettJack SchwartzFrieda Silberman*Paul Sonderling*G. E. SpearsMin Spetalnick*Leslie Tomlinson*Joseph Robert SteinSally SternHarry Witas
December 20-26 Listed in announcementsDecember 25 & 26
*Sara B. Bazelon*Herman Bernstein*Seymour Buxbom*Simcha Chernus*Sol Cooper*Betty CraneBob Feldman*Ida FeinsteinRuth Fragen*Ester Liebling FrankFrances FrankelAaron T. Goldman*Doris GreenblattRichard HaasIsidore Herman*Albert Holtzman*Ida B. Itkin*Charlotte Jaloff*Isaac Noah JaminRobert Jones*Grace Kaufman*Joseph O. Kotz*Hinda LevinRuth LevineAlbert Levinson*Bert LevittMorris Linsky*Sari LyonsLillian J. Press*Leo RabinNorman Ross
Jacob Rutenberg*William SchmulowitzRifka SchonIsabel ShafferJeanette Simon*Pearl Sokolow*Lillian E. Weiss*Taube Weiss*Maurice Witzman*Esther R. Yaffee*Dorothy Zagel
December 27-31 Listed in announcementsJanuary 2 & 3
Michele BelzbergSema Belzberg*Sarah J Cohen*Mack David*Marjorie L. DavisPauline GreenbergSimon Grossman*Chaim Herman*Henry Katz*Alexander KordaMinnie Lyons*Michael PhillipsRuth RichardsPhyllis SenescuSamuel SeppenRose Schmidt*Norman B. SmithBenjamin Speiser*Norma Spizer*Shirley Turetzky*Ida Verson*Sarah Weiss*Rosalin Wilson
May their memories
endure for a blessing.
