Confirmation Servicesfiles.ctctcdn.com/404034d5001/2b48153c-da9c-4431-9423...Messages from the...

Number 659 May-June, 2015/Iyyar-Sivan-Tamuz, 5775

Annual Meeting Round-Up, pages 10-16

In celebration of Jewish Life The 2015 Confirmation Class of Temple Mount Sinai

and their families invite you to

Confirmation Services

Friday, May 8, 2015/19 Iyyar 5775 Oneg Shabbat 5:45 pm

Confirmation Services 6:15 pm Kiddush immediately following services

Please join us in celebrating our Confirmands:

Shir Bach Brent Mobbs

Abrielle Meyer Julia Pratt

Special Guest Rabbi Deborah Prinz

“Jews on the Chocolate Trail” May 15-16, 2015

Several great events and chocolate tastings

are planned.

Please see page 19 for details.

May-June, 2015/Iyyar-Sivan-Tamuz, 5775 Messages from the Mountain

Worship Schedule May, 2015

May 1-2, 2015— Achrei Mot-Kedoshim

Friday, May 1

Candlelighting, 7:28 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm

Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm

Saturday, May 2 Torah Study, 9:30 am

Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Havdalah, 8:37 pm

Farewell Dinner in honor of Rabbi Bellush, see page 18

May 8-9, 2015— Emor

Friday, May 8


Kabbalat Shabbat Service, Confirmation & Senior Blessing, 6:15 pm

Saturday, May 9

Torah Study, 9:30 am Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am

Havdalah, 8:42 pm

May 15-16, 2015— Behar-Bechukotai

Friday, May 15 Candlelighting, 7:28 pm

B’nai Shabbat Service, 5:30 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm

Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm followed by Shabbat Dinner with Rabbi Deborah Prinz

(see page 19)


Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 am Followed by Kiddush Lunch with Rabbi Prinz

Havdalah and Dessert Reception, 6:30 pm Havdalah, 8:46 pm

May 22-23, 2015— Bamidbar

Friday, May 22 Candlelighting, 7:42 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm

Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm


Shabbat Morning Service & Bat Mitzvah of Dora Goldstein, 10:30 am

Havdalah, 8:51 pm

May 23-24 - Shavuot

Saturday, May 23 Tikkun Leil Shavuot (Service and Study)

at Congregation B’nai Zion, beginning at 7:30 pm

Sunday, May 24 Festival Morning Service & Yizkor, 10:30 am

May 29-30, 2015— Nasso

Friday, May 29 Candlelighting, 7:47 pm



Saturday, May 30 Soul Shabbat, 9:30 am

Havdalah, 8:55 pm


Worship Schedule June, 2015

June 5-6— Beha’alotcha

Friday, June 5



Saturday, June 6 Torah Study, 9:30 am


June 12-13, 2015— Sh’lach

Friday, June 12 Candlelighting, 7:54 pm


Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:15 pm Farewell Dinner in honor of Rabbi Bach, see page 18

Saturday, June 13

Soul Shabbat, 9:30 am Havdalah, 9:02 pm

June 19-20, 2015— Korach

Friday, June 19 Candlelighting, 7:56 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm




June 26-27, 2015— Chukat

Friday, June 26 Candlelighting, 7:57 pm B’nai Shabbat, 5:30 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm




July 3-4, 2015— Balak

Friday, July 3 Candlelighting, 7:57 pm Oneg Shabbat, 5:45 pm


Saturday, July 4 Torah Study, 9:30 am



May Birthdays

May 1 Kyle Goldfarb*

May 3 Don Fertel

May 4 Andrew Feinberg Sabrina Katz Naomi Katz

May 6 Susan Forbes Lauren Holderman* Bob Prensky

May 8 Bill Dahlberg

May 9 Maelana Briseno Evelyn Goodman Asher Litt* John Mobbs Carol Parker Molly Tennen

May 10 Linda Ettinger Alan Kahn

May 11 Alanna Bach Benjamin Ettinger

May 12 Reyna Assael Bob Jacobs DeeDee Spier

May 13 Marie Robbins

May 14 Art Corral* David Yates* May 15 Samuel Farley Toni Harris

May 16 Elan Goldstein* Robin Kobren Lyndon Mansfield

May 17 Lietzie Belford Riley Miner

May 18 Madeline Halperin* Debbi Trejo May 20 Roger Belbel Joan Johnson

May 21 Marv Abrams Drew Frank Meyer Marcus

May 22 Jackie Heins Isaac Ibarra

May 23 Erik Leonhardt* Mitchell Marcus Shari Schwartz

May 25 Mandy Blumenfeld

May 26 Rick Amstater* Mimmy Halperin Jennifer Pratt

May 27 Dorothy Borschow Levi Meyer May 28 Laura Alpern Julie Mullen

May 29 Jeff Siegel

May 31 Maddie Goldfarb Ann Marks

*special birthday

May Anniversaries May 14 Arthur & Rhoberta

Leeser* Mark & Kyta Levitt* May 15 Christian & Jennifer

Giese* May 16 Stuart & Nancy Shiloff

May 18 Soheil & Ellen Nazarian May 22 Alan & Cheryl Karp May 23 Greg & Susanne

Kligman

May 24 Britt & Heather

Chapman Alan & Lori Gaman Sheldon & Sylvia

Poretsky May 28 Ricky Rosales & Laura

Brannon-Rosales Marc & Tara Siegel

May 29 Mark & Dori Fenenbock* May 30 John & Rita Silverman Bill & Anne Spier May 31 Bruce & Shelly Gopin *special anniversary


June Birthdays June 1 Loree Furman Steve Spivack* June 2 Ron Blumenfeld Zoe Ducorsky Bruce Gulbas Lolli Scott June 3 Michele Taylor Susan Kamoroff Rita Silverman

June 4 Leni Berry Paul Krupp June 5 Sara Mansfield June 6 Hal Marcus June 7 Asher Keim Emily Zenner

June 8 Rebecca Shiloff* June 9 Karl Friedman Irene Oppenheimer* Lanny Tennen June 10 Ashlei Nadler June 11 Aaron Kobren Steve Rosenberg June 12 Hy Silverstein June 13 Rhoberta Leeser June 14 Jacob Harris Jorge Ibarra June 15 Joel Rosen

June 16 Martha Eisenberg Merton Goldman June 17 John Ivey* June 18 Emily Heydemann Nathan Stevens June 19 Molly Blumenfeld Rose Falcon Gloria Lavis Mel Levenson June 20 Jacob Schmidt* Ron Weingarden June 22 Carol Molloy Stanlee Rubin June 23 Carolyn Gopin Benjamin Mansfield

June 24 Andreu Leonhardt* Larry Lesser Myles Litt Aaron Nazarian June 25 Patrick Farley Ruth Ellen Jacobson June 26 Brad Ducorsky Janette Heller June 27 Sue Bendalin* Nancy Shiloff Annette Stone* June 28 Lisa Raney Waldock June 29 Grace Bir* June 30 Abby Blumenfeld Jessica Carvajal *special birthday

June Anniversaries June 1 Skip & Beverly Litt Lanny & Michelle Tennen June 4 Chuck & Peggy Kovan Steve & Kacy Spivack June 5 Richard & Lisa Hartman* June 6 Russell Murray & Elena Grasheim June 7 Mike & Susan Jaffee*

June 8 Norman & Cheryl Gordon Dick & Toni Harris* Randy & Janet Wechter June 9 Hal & Linda Ettinger Robin & Barry Kobren* June 10 Lou & Marian Gelfand* June 14 Alan & Lynn Ames June 15 Ira & Becky Horowitz

June 17 Vladik Kreinovich & Olga Kosheleva Mel & Arlene Levenson June 18 David & Rose Schecter June 19 Jorge Ibarra & Lee Rosenthal June 20 Larry & Alanna Bach June 21 Stewart & Susan Forbes* June 22 Bob & Elaine Krasne Johnny & Lory Rogers

June 23 Edward & Helene Solomon June 25 Bill & Holli Berry June 26 Nat & Nanci Maddux* Jaime & Laurie Papa* June 28 Jim & Anne Spier June 30 Steve & Marlene Golden *special anniversary


Mazel Tov...

...to Karen Herman and Randy Goldstein on the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Dora, on

Saturday, May 23, 2015.

...to Russell Murray and Elena Grasheim on their marriage, June 6, 2015 in Austin, Texas.

Hamakom Y’nachem - May God bring comfort...

...to Hilda Reedman on the death of her sister, Tina Rosset.

...to Barbara Ettinger and Hal Ettinger on the death of their brother and uncle, Haskell Goodman.

Welcome New Members...

...Russell Murray and Elena Grasheim.

...Brian and Lisa Anne Waldock.

After a unanimous vote at the Annual Meeting on April 21, 2015, the Board of Trustees is

pleased to announce that Rabbi Ben Zeidman will be serving as Temple’s next Senior Rabbi! In

Temple’s 117-year history, Rabbi Zeidman will be the tenth

Rabbi to serve the congregation and we all look forward to a

long and prosperous spiritual journey with him at the helm.

Rabbi Zeidman will be moving to El Paso from New York,

where he has served as an Assistant and Associate Rabbi at

Congregation Emanu-El for the last five years. He and his

wife, Katie, and son, Oliver will join us in early July, with an

eagerly anticipated first day on the job of July 13.

Lori Gaman states: “Rabbi Zeidman possesses all of the quali-

ties we were looking for in a rabbinic candidate. Obviously, we

witnessed the depth of his knowledge and devotion for Juda-

ism, but what impressed me most was his character and the

way he relates to people. He’s thoughtful; he’s approachable;

he’s empathetic. He’s going to blend in with our community

beautifully and I am very excited for the opportunities that await us under his leadership --

spiritually, educationally, and emotionally.”

Welcome Rabbi Ben Zeidman!


Welcome, Carlos!

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that beginning April 1, Carlos Gámez [sic, not

Gómez] has been named as Interim Music Director. In this new role, Carlos will be assisting Rabbis

Bach and Bellush in coordinating the musical needs for our worship services and will be prepared

to direct and lead Temple’s music program upon Rabbi Zeidman’s arrival in July.

Carlos became involved in the life of the Temple in October, 2013.

During his weekly/biweekly conversion classes with Rabbi Bach, his

love of music became apparent and he was invited to participate in

Temple’s very own Shir Chadash where he has remained and will con-

tinue to be an integral part of the choir. His conversion to Judaism

was finalized on October 29, 2014 with Rabbi Bach, Rabbi Bellush and

Tina Wolfe presiding over his Beit-Din.

Carlos currently serves as a general instructor for the Arts and Hu-

manities department at Doña Ana Community College Sunland Park

and Gadsden Center, New Mexico. He received his Bachelors of Mu-

sic in General Music-Instrumental Studies and a Masters of Music in Musicology with an Early Mu-

sic Emphasis, both from the University of North Texas. He studied flute, voice, and piano in his un-

dergraduate studies. In graduate school, he studied traverso (baroque flute), renaissance recorder,

baroque recorder, and harpsichord. Carlos also served as an orchestra assistant to Lyle Nordstrom,

founder of the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, where he worked closely with Cynthia Roberts, violin

Baroque Music faculty member of the Julliard School and the Oberlin Baroque Performance Insti-

tute. He served as director of choir at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Denton, TX from

2006 to 2010, singing with the Denton Bach Society from 2007 to 2010. Carlos was the intern assis-

tant director of choir for the Oratorienchor Musikverein Pirmasens, Germany under Helfried

Steckel in 2012. His involvement in the production of Elijah by the German-Jewish composer Felix

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy in Germany was part of the determining factor Carlos came into full con-

version to Judaism.

We welcome Carlos to our Temple family in this new capacity and know that our music program

will not “skip a beat” under his direction!

MSTY/Mini-MSTY

The NFTY Spring Kallah was held in Mesa, Arizona this year from April 23-26. This was the last

regional event for the school year and we said goodbye to all of our wonderful Seniors. Spring

Kallah is always a special event.

We will once again be having our end-of-the-year event for all kids in 6th through 12th grades.

On May 31st we will be going to Western Playland from 2 pm to 7 pm. The cost of this event will

be covered by a grant from the Jewish Federation of El Paso. We hope to have a great turnout!


In Appreciation of Our Rabbis An Appreciation Dinner in honor of Rabbi Bellush

Saturday, May 2, 6 pm

Temple Mount Sinai

A Special Shabbat Dinner in honor of Rabbi Bach

Friday, June 12, after our Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Temple Mount Sinai (watch your mail for more details)

Farewell from Rabbi Bach

From My Students, Most of All

Over the past year, I have resisted whatever impulse there might have been to think about each holiday, program, or class as my last. I only wanted for this year what I have wanted every year: that I offer my best.

As we enter our final weeks together as Rabbi and Congregation, that intention is getting harder to hold. I am still doing my best, of course...but I am also keenly aware of the speedy passage of time. At a recent Shabbat service, Keith Myers took the opportunity during his announcements to remark that as the number of services we all have together dwindles, we treasure them more. I was moved so much by his observation, and feel exactly the same.

I feel it particularly now, as I write my last Messages column. Over the years I’ve used this space to teach about holidays, to comment on current events, and to reflect on matters of the spirit. This month, I want to use it to say “thank you.”

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Rabbi. As I prepare to begin the next chapter in my professional journey, I do so grateful for the fact that I answered the call to come to El Paso in 1998 to serve as your Assistant Rabbi. It still stuns me to think that what might well have been a three-year stint out of school turned into a seventeen-year tenure at this tremendous congregation. You shaped my rabbinate; indeed, you shaped my life.

I have worked alongside two extraordinary colleagues in Rabbis Weiss (z”l) and Bellush. I couldn’t have asked for better mentors and friends. Yet when all is said and done, they are but two of the hundreds of “rabbis” from whom I’ve learned. Our Tradition (BT Ta’anit 7a) quotes Rabbi Chanina: “I have learned much from my teachers...more from my colleagues...and from my students, most of all.” His experience is mine as well.

Because the truth is this: I came here with some pretty solid skills in the pulpit, and a good head for Jewish scholarship (and Temple Mount Sinai has given me every opportunity to develop those attributes). But as the years have passed, I have come to realize that the most important parts of this calling have little to do with leading a service or offering a class. This holy congregation was the sacred space in which I learned what it means to be not only a service-leader and teacher, but a rabbi.

Here, I learned to stand for justice. Here, I learned to extend my heart in compassion. Here, I learned how to listen. Here, I learned how to lead, and how to serve. Thank you for that. Thank you for being my teachers.

Alanna and I, and our family, will hold you in our hearts, always.

B’shalom,

Rabbi Bach


So Much Blessing in Sharing Our Journeys Liberal Judaism allows each of us to express our commitment to our tradition and spiritual beliefs in our own way. For some it is through worship. For others it is through study or engaging in acts of tzedakah or tikkun olam. Many of us find that mark-ing life’s milestones with Jewish ritual is what strengthens our connection to Klal Israel. While there are a multitude of avenues through which we express our Judaism, at the core of these different journeys is a desire to explore and strengthen Jew-ish identity. One of the joys of being a congrega-tional rabbi is in accompanying others on these sa-cred journeys. Traveling together is how we get to know our congregants. These relationships grow as we share worship and life cycle events, as well as when we sit together in study and conversation. A rabbi is invited into her congregants’ lives at some of the most sacred and intimate moments. These relationships allow us the privilege of God’s pres-ence; these relationships do not lend themselves to easy goodbyes. In welcoming me directly into the Temple Mount Sinai community after my ordination, all of you helped shape me into the rabbi I have become. I am so very grateful: to Rabbi Bach for these years of mentoring and encouragement; to Temple’s leader-ship first for their courage in bringing on a second rabbi and then for their continued support; and to everyone in the Temple Mount Sinai community who welcomed Arnie and me with open arms, of-fering friendship and help in making El Paso our home. Indeed, El Paso has been more than just a place to live these past four years; it has been a warm and nurturing home because of all of you. There have been so many incredible moments since my arrival at Temple that highlighting just a hand-ful would be a terrible injustice. Instead, I’ll focus on what we’ve achieved and shared. Together we fought hunger in El Paso through the Kelly Memo-rial Food Pantry. We increased awareness of the devastating effects that Alzheimer’s and other

forms of dementia have on those who suffer from these debilitating diseases as well as on their care-givers. We’ve shared sorrows, but we’ve also shared much joy. I have never laughed with a class as much as I have on Thursday mornings with the participants in Torat Nashim. Yet, the laughter only served to enhance and never detract from our learning. Sharing the journey of becoming b’nai mitvah with both young as well as more seasoned travelers allowed me to see the beauty and wisdom of our tradition from so many new and wonderful perspectives. Through your generosity in sharing these sacred journeys with me, they have become part of my journey. In every sermon I give, every class I teach, each time my counsel is sought and at every life cycle event I am blessed to be a part of, you will be there with me. I will carry my time at Temple Mount Sinai forever in my heart and in my soul. For all you have given me, I will always be grateful. I will have the honor of sharing Temple Mount Si-nai’s bima with Rabbi Bach one last time on the Shabbat of May 16th. On that Shabbat we will read from the double Torah portion B’har-B’chukotai. Often read together, these Torah portions bring to an end our reading of the book of Leviticus. Upon concluding the reading of a book of Torah we offer the words chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek, which means ‘be strong, be strong and let us be strengthened.” As the story of our journey together comes to a close, I offer those words now to all of you. In our time together I have been strengthened, spiritually enriched and have grown personally and profes-sionally. I pray that you too have been likewise strengthened by our time together. May we go from strength to strength, and may our paths be blessed with peace, health and joy. With abiding affection and appreciation, and, as always B’shalom, Rabbi Bellush

Farewell from Rabbi Bellush


From the Rabbi’s Study Annual Meeting, 2015

Opening Prayer, Rabbi Bellush

As evening descends we enter into Yom

Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. Let’s begin by

honoring those who gave their lives for the Jewish

people and the State of Israel with a few moments

of silence.

***************

In establishing the calendar of modern-day

holidays, the Jewish State positioned Yom

Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, on the

day immediately after Yom Hazikaron. The

holiday of Yom Ha’atzmaut, on which we

celebrate the birth of the Jewish State, begins

tomorrow night. Birthday celebrations are about

hopes and dreams and a future filled with good

deeds and accomplishment.

The juxtaposition of looking backward to honor

service and sacrifice and then looking forward

with anticipation of what is to come is a model

that serves us especially well this evening at our

annual meeting.

Congregational meetings are about looking back

and reviewing the past year -- honoring those

whom we’ve lost and thanking those who have

served. Temple Mount Sinai exists because of the

lay leaders, volunteers and donors who give so

much of their time, energy and financial resources

in support of Temple. Usually at our annual

meetings, we vote in new board members who,

together with others already serving, will lead us

going forward. While that is the case tonight, we

will also have another, very important vote about

welcoming a new rabbi to serve as Temple Mount

Sinai’s spiritual leader. It is with great pleasure

that in addition to welcoming the members of

Temple to this evening’s meeting, I can also

welcome my friend and colleague Rabbi Ben

Zeidman.

Many of you know that I am especially fond of

saying “Temple is not a business.” Yet, we are

here tonight to conduct the business of Temple.

As we go about the apparently mundane activities

of conducting Temple business, we must always

be mindful that our spiritual home is a holy

vehicle through which we build sacred

community and serve God.

This evening let us come together in God’s name

and may God’s presence dwell among us,

drawing us to serve the Eternal One and all of

God’s creation with compassion and love. May

our eyes be open to God’s greatness in all that we

do, no matter how small the task.

Eternal God, we ask Your blessing on all

assembled here. Let us listen to each other with

generosity and wisdom, so that our actions help

us preserve and transmit the values of God, Torah

and Israel.

Eternal God, we are “Grateful for the strength, the

wisdom, and the courage which have sustained us

in this past year. We are thankful for the successes

that have crowned our efforts as we labored in

Your name.

As we look forward may we continue to be

blessed as we proceed from task to task upheld by

the vision of Your goodness, confident of purpose

and resolute in our commitment to Jewish living.

Vihi no’am Adonai Eloheynu aleynu uma’asseh

yadeynu kon’nah aleynu.

May the favor of the Eternal One our God be upon

us, to support us in the work we do.

And together we say “Amen.”


Annual Meeting 2015 Outgoing President, Tommy Goldfarb

In order for growth to occur, change must ensue.

There is a fine line, though…..we don’t want to

become stagnant yet we want to stay in our comfort

zone. How can we accomplish transformation

and growth without feeling uncomfortable? The

answer is that it’s not really possible. We can take

small steps so that the security and contentment we

feel is not completely extinguished, however, growth

creates change, which feels uncomfortable.

I spoke these words at Kol Nidre services, 2 years

ago. Little did I know at that time what lay on the

horizon for us as a Temple! Tonight I stand before

you more confident than ever in our congregation

as a cohesive unit, in the individuals that

collectively make up our temple, and in our ability

to come together as a unified force.

We have had our share of changes over the last two

years. We will be saying goodbye to Rabbi Bach

and Rabbi Bellush in the months ahead as they each

begin a new chapter in their lives. We will miss

them tremendously but we understand that change

is necessary for their own personal growth. We are

grateful for their service and thankful for the

indelible marks they have left on our community.

Temple Mt. Sinai’s future is bright. The prospect of

a new rabbi on the horizon is exciting. The El Paso

rains not leaking through the roof during High

Holiday services is personally exciting……I don’t

have to check the weather report anymore! Lori

Gaman will be our new president, with Jack

Heydemann her second in command. Temple is in

very good hands.

I cannot thank Lori enough for her support over the

last two years as President Elect. I will miss her

daily 7 am phone calls. The Executive Board and

Search Committee were stellar; a group of very

intelligent professionals, all of whom care very

deeply and call this place home.

And of course, all of the staff who make our jobs so

much easier with their professionalism and

attention to detail: Sally, Frank, Elisa, Grace,

Ramona, Linda, and Stacy Berry. You all know this

place could not run without your dedication.

To Shir Chadash, who fill Temple with the music

we have so grown accustomed to….thank you….

Carlos Gamez…thank you for agreeing to help

organize and run Temple’s music program in the

months ahead. Thank you to our Shlichim, who are

so committed to Temple.

To Temple’s new Board Members….thank you for

agreeing to serve and Welcome! To our departing

Board members ……..Greta Duran, Jo Witkoff,

Laura Brannon-Rosales, and Ruth Katz….Thank

you for your service; I hope you seek new ways to

continue to build your relationship with Temple.

The 25-year relationship that I have had with

Temple has taken work and dedication on my part.

I can now say, as a Past President, that I have a

deeper relationship with this institution and my

appreciation for its role in my life has grown. I

smile now……not because I am a Past President

(well, maybe a little), but because two years ago I

thought we were an amazing community. Now, I

know we are.

My prayer was and continues to be for this

community to forge deeper relationships with each

other and for each of us to realize our own personal

relationship with Temple.

It has been an honor to be able to serve you as

President of Temple Mt. Sinai.

At High Holiday services last October, I talked about

my dad and his ability to accept change. I mentioned

his intuitive ability to welcome that change. He was

always one of the first to share a meal with a new

rabbi. My intention is to invite Rabbi Ben, Katie and

Oliver Zeidman to our home, to share a second meal,

the minute their feet hit the Sun City. Please consider

this your invitation to do the same and show off our

Sun City hospitality. TG.


Incoming President, Lori Gaman

As I think back, when Tommy, Shari and David

Kern asked me to meet them for a drink around this

time 2 years ago, I should have known they were up

to something! I was very flattered when they asked

me to consider being President Elect, but obviously

had some questions over what would be expected

and what I’d be facing. “Oh Lori,” they said, “

sometimes there are little bumps in the road, but

you’ve got a great staff, and Larry and Sandra to

oversee things…it’s a good ride, nothing to worry

about, you‘ll be fine!” Needless to say, they were

right about one thing: there was a bump…but not a

little bump, more like a road block…that led to a

pretty major detour! Thanks to some excellent

navigation, though, we’ve now made it back to the

main thoroughfare. Just like when you’re on any

road trip, there are always fascinating new sites to

see, and even though we were off course for a while,

the journey was enriching because we discovered

some pretty interesting facts along the way: we

considered our alternate routes; we took the time to

learn and see things we hadn’t done before; and

now we’re fueled and ready to speed ahead. I’m

honored to be in the driver’s seat and excited to see

where this new and improved road takes us. Thank

you for entrusting me, along with a really capable

pit crew, to navigate this next stretch of road.

I want to particularly thank Tommy for mastering a

really windy course at times. Without his

command, we could have crashed and burned!

Temple has moved in a positive direction and I

speak for us all when I say how grateful we are for

your dedication and guidance. Don’t think you’re

getting out of the car completely…we know we can

still count on your navigation skills. But since you

don’t have to worry about drinking and driving

anymore, we have a little something special for you

to enjoy on the rest of the trip. On behalf of the

entire Temple, we thank you for your service and

leadership. Cheers to a fantastic tenure and of fond

memories of the journey!

So, moving ahead, what can we expect to see? Even

though, I could probably make a top 1000 list, I’ll

spare you and mention the top 3 highlights:

Number 1 and most exciting is welcoming our new

Rabbi! A specially appointed transition team has

already met. And plans to work with Rabbi

Zeidman to teach him about Temple, our history,

and our operations are already underway. Our

number one priority (and his as well) will be for

each and every one of you to meet him in the

immediate months ahead. Be on the lookout for his

personal calls, notes, emails, and greetings as he

reaches out to make contact with you. Let him

know what you like, what you hope for our future,

what your spiritual needs are, and what we can all

do to make Temple even more relevant in your

lives. During this stretch, there are going to be a lot

of stops, but they’re critical to understanding the

feature attractions down the road.

Number 2: Membership satisfaction is going to be

key and we intend to change our staffing and board

models to ensure that we are servicing our

congregational needs. Things like a new

membership directory with pictures is being

developed (that will be available online as well) so

that we can all put a face to a name; new

membership groups, similar to the baby boomers,

are being formed to create bonding and bring us

together in different ways; plans are underway for

more congregational events; and our caring

community efforts will be increased. We even plan

to form a volunteer committee to coordinate the

efforts in areas where you can help out. The old

saying of “it takes a village” really does ring true

and we want and need your input and participation.

This, too, is critical to the success of our journey.

Number 3: Planning for a bright future. This is a

perfect opportunity for us to think outside of the

box and put new plans in place IF we want. And I

emphasize the word IF! We do so many good

(Continued on page 13)

Annual Meeting 2015


Annual Meeting 2015

things here and we don’t want to change for the

sake of changing. But we also know that the world

around us changes, our demographics change, our

finances change, our building needs change and we

need to be prepared to handle them when they do.

For those of you who really know me and my

strengths, this is right up my ally. I’m a planner, a

big-picture thinker, a problem-solver, a

collaborator, and if we don’t have a completed

Strategic Plan by the end of my tenure, just shoot

me to put me out of my misery! We’ve definitely

laid some of the groundwork in this area over the

past 2 years, but now it’s time to put our findings

into action. Our Strategic Planning team will

continue to reach out to you so that we can fill in

some of the remaining blanks and, when we’re

done, we can all feel good and secure about where

our Temple is headed.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been using this

“journey” theme throughout my speech. And, I

want to sum things up by leaving you with this one

last thought: It’s lonely to travel alone and I can’t

take off without a full load. The Executive

Committee, the Board, and the Staff are already

seated on my tour bus, but there’s still a lot more

room in our vehicle. I hope you’ll come along for

the ride. We NEED you to come along for the ride

or we will get lost. My doors are always open and I

welcome you to call me, text me, email me, stop me

at the grocery store -- wherever, whatever,

whenever (except for maybe after 9:00 at night) -- I

want to you talk to me about the places you want to

see on our journey. It’s so promising…I think it’ll

be one of the best trips of our lives!

(Continued from page 12)

Rabbis’ Report, Rabbi Bach

First, a word about what this report is not. Rabbi

Bellush and I will not be offering our personal fare-

wells this evening. We’re grateful to the congrega-

tion for planning events for us in May and June,

and we’ll each have a chance then to speak from the

heart about what it has meant to us to serve this

congregation. Know that those sentiments are on

our minds tonight, as they’ve been on our minds for

the last year...but also know that this Rabbis’ Re-

port, like the ones before it, will be brief and to the

point. You’ve got important business to attend to.

Having said that, it is important that we acknowl-

edge Tommy Goldfarb as he completes his term as

President of Temple Mount Sinai. And we extend

our gratitude as well to the Trustees who are com-

pleting their terms of service on our Board. To all of

you...yasher koach!

Like all other reports, this one is primarily a review

of the year. And so, it becomes an unusual report,

because this has been an unusual year. Our last An-

nual Meeting took place on April 10, just a few days

before Pesach. Who would have thought then that

we’d be gathering just a few weeks later, grief-

stricken and stunned, to honor the memory of our

Rabbi, Ken Weiss, stricken by illness and taken from

us far too soon. Zichrono Livracha. His memory con-

tinues to bless us each day.

News of more change came to the congregation

over the summer, as both of Temple Mount Sinai’s

incumbent Rabbis announced that we’d be leaving

Temple during the coming year. For both of us, the

decision was hard and the year has been bitter-

sweet.

It is against the backdrop of those transitions that

this year has played out. And with the fact of those

transitions in mind, I must say that it’s been a pretty

great year at Temple Mount Sinai. Among our ac-

complishments:

This year saw us once again live within our

means and then some, running a balanced operat-



Annual Meeting 2015

ing budget for our regular expenses (and even

coming in with a healthy surplus), while using

current rental income to fund some long-range

planning and long-deferred maintenance.

This year saw us innovating in our Reli-

gious School, trying out some school and con-

gregational programming at non-traditional

times. If you weren’t here on Saturday night to

experience our cultural celebration, taco din-

ner, and Havdalah ceremony, you missed a

pretty great evening.

This year saw a full complement of adult

learning, with both weekly classes and one-off

sessions offered by your Rabbis, and out-of-

town guest teachers as well. We’re excited for a

visit from composer/musician Beth Hamon

this weekend, and Rabbi Debbie Prinz next

month, to round out a year of learning.

This year saw us continue to offer a diver-

sity of prayer experiences each month, includ-

ing a Family Service, a Classical Reform Ser-

vice, “Soul Shabbat,” “B’nai Shabbat” for the

little ones, as well as our “Regular” services in

a mainstream, contemporary Reform style.

More and more, people found their way to

what works for them.

This year saw us celebrate the holidays in

special and meaningful ways. Our Chanukah

celebration was joyful, our Purimshpiel rocked,

our Pesach Seder was liberating. We hosted a

moving and powerful Yom Hashoah com-

memoration earlier this week, and we’ll cele-

brate Israel in style this coming Sunday.

This year saw sadness and celebration in

our personal lives, too. Together, we celebrated

births and marriages, together we faced diag-

noses, together we stood at the grave, staring

into the silence, together we welcomed people

into Jewish life. For all of the programming and

learning that goes on, let us never forget that

much of the most important work we do as a

synagogue is bound up in the lives of our

members, who turn to us one, by one, by one.

Now as all of this was happening, something else

was happening, too. Temple was responding to the

transitions on its plate by conducting a thoughtful

and transparent search for its next Rabbi. So much

time and energy went into that task. Chairs Keith

Myers and Debbie Hamlyn, their Search Commit-

tee, Tommy and Lori, and everyone who took part

in the discernment process last summer and fall,

and the interviews during the winter months, is to

be congratulated on a job well-done.

Actually, a job almost done. There is one more step

in the placement process, and it’s the very next

item on tonight’s agenda. So I’ll finish up quickly,

with an observation about a happy coincidence on

our Jewish calendar.

You see, when the sun sets on this day, and the

stars come out, it will be the eighteenth day of the

omer, that period of counting our way from Pesach

to Shavuot. The omer marks the stretch of time dur-

ing which our people were free from Egypt but not

yet covenanted to God at Sinai. It is thus a time of

transition, much like this year has been for Temple.

But just as this Annual Meeting leads into the eight-

eenth day of the omer -- chai -- so too does Temple’s

year of transition - not always easy transition - lead

this congregation toward life. With the eighteenth

day of the omer about to arrive, and with a new

chapter about to be written, we say l’chaim!



Annual Meeting 2015

Words of Torah, Rabbi Ben Zeidman

I feel like I have had the silliest looking grin on my

face since my visit in February. And today, your

vote of confidence in electing me to this historic

pulpit somehow manages to make me feel thrilled,

honored and humbled all at once. It is a great privi-

lege to be granted the opportunity to serve as your

rabbi.

As I went through the search process, on the rab-

binic side of things, something occurred to me

which first seemed mundane. I realize now its pro-

found meaning. When Mount Sinai's founding

families formed a cemetery and benevolent society,

and then a temple, in the late 1800s, they chose not

to name their newfound organization like so many

others around the country. They didn't name it af-

ter our people, like a “Temple Israel,” nor did they

name it a House of God, “Temple Beth-El.” They

didn't even go with that very common name for

synagogues invoking the hope that 'God is with

us,' or “Emanu-El.” Our founding families decided

"Mount Sinai" sent the proper message instead.

Mount Sinai represents the crowning moment for

the Jewish people. Neither in ancient Egypt nor

across the Jordan in the Land of Israel, we were

only just becoming who we were meant to be. And

yet at this place, more than Creation, more than

redemption from slavery, more than our entrance

into the Land of Israel, the defining moment of our

people's story took place. At Sinai we each said, “I

do,” and bound ourselves in Holy Covenant with

God. At Sinai we accepted upon ourselves the re-

sponsibility of grappling with the meaning of liv-

ing lives of Torah.

Sinai was, however, anything but a culmination. It

was the beginning. Sinai was when a generation

who had only known slavery stood before the

Holy One to ensure their children's children would

know the blessings that come with a heritage and a

tradition linked to the obligation of leading holy

lives. What a message. What a powerful task we

have been blessed with.

Since Sinai, each new generation builds and grows

and adapts to the world… Not as the phoenix

which rises from destruction, but by standing on

the shoulders of giants. These shoulders we stand

upon today are particularly broad, and they stand

dizzyingly tall. Rabbi Bach and Rabbi Bellush’s

support, guidance, and wisdom is beyond com-

pare. I have heard their praises echoed again and

again in the conversations I have had. They set the

example for every rabbi, and the bar they set is

high. It is with hesitation, and with the knowledge

that they are both only a phone call away, that I

ascend this pulpit.

I also want to thank the lay leadership. Deb Ham-

lyn and Keith Myers, chairs of the search commit-

tee, without them I quite literally could not be here

today. Throughout this process, which can be de-

scribed with many words, 'easy' not being among

them, I have felt welcomed, supported, and like I

have been given every opportunity to see how

uniquely special this community is. Thank you to

them both for their support, and thank you to the

entire search committee: Cynthia Bass, Deb Bene-

dict, Michelle Blumenfeld, Lori Gaman, Tommy

Goldfarb, Rachelle Gomolsky, Jack Heydemann,

Alan Krasne, Susan Jaffee, Lyndon Mansfield, Bob

Rosen, Jean Scherotter.

Immediate Past President Tommy Goldfarb’s lead-

ership has clearly made a profound impact upon

the congregation and its future. I look forward to

our continued work together, and I excitedly an-

ticipate looking to him for continued guidance.

And Lori Gaman, President of Temple Mount Si-

nai. I am thankful for all she has already done to

make this possible. I want to express my gratitude

in advance for her partnership, assistance, and

friendship. Our task is a great one, both large and



exciting. I realize she knows that even better than I

do, and it has already been so wonderful learning

from her and with her. I'm thrilled to look forward

to more ahead which will have me working so

closely with an amazing staff team: Sally, Elisa,

Grace, Carlos, Stacy, Frank, Ramona, and Linda.

I also want to thank the Board of Trustees, the Past

Presidents, and all of the groups and committees

that make this place so special. Because I cannot

possibly list everyone by name, and because I truly

mean it, thank you to the entire Mount Sinai congre-

gation for entrusting me with this sacred task of

partnering with you in looking to the future. To-

gether we stand as Moses did on Sinai. Acknowl-

edging and honoring the past we look ahead to the

future… but while we are always hoping to emulate

Moses, in one important way at least we will sur-

pass him. Moses lived ahd me’ah v’esreem, until 120

years old. In three years, 2018, our congregation will

celebrate 120 years as a temple. I am joyful to have

the opportunity to serve as your rabbi as we look

ahead together to plot the course for 120 more.

Thank you for your trust. Thank you for the honor

and the privilege of allowing me to not just be any

rabbi, but a rabbi of Temple Mount Sinai, and more

importantly, your rabbi. July can’t come soon

enough for Katie, Oliver and I.


Annual Meeting 2015

A Passover Mitzvah by the Jewish War Veterans

Scott and Bonny Stevens, representing the JWV, and Rabbi Bach were able to perform a mitzvah in order for some Jewish Soldiers to observe Passover. On March 31st, Scott was called by the 1st Ar-mored Division (DIVARTY) Chaplain (Major) Glenn Palmer regarding Jewish Soldier Passover Seder support. He stated that there were three Jewish Soldiers, and three Christians in the Controlled Moni-toring Area (CMA) that wanted to participate in a Seder. These Soldiers were part of a thirty Soldier detachment that provided humanitarian support in Liberia, Africa. The Army has a requirement of thirty days mandatory quarantine for them upon return to the USA. Bonny Stevens cooked an entire Passover Seder meal and other Jewish pastries for the Soldiers; Rabbi Bach provided a Seder plate, haggadahs etc… for the religious observance. As Rabbi Bach stated: “It is a distinct honor to be able to give back to those who sacrifice so much for us.” There was more than enough food provided so that the Seder participants were able to share with all the Soldiers in quarantine. SFC Krause, the NCOIC of the CMA, told me that the Seder was enjoyed, appreciated, and talked about by all of the Soldiers in quarantine. The note below is from the senior officer of the detachment: Ft. Bliss Area Jewish Community,

Thank you very much for providing us with the tools necessary to host our own Seder and observe Passover while in the Controlled Monitoring Area. It really meant a lot to me that we were able to do this. Hosting a Seder here made me feel like I was right at home. So once again, Thank you very much!

CPT Martin Nosenchuk HHB, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Ft. Campbell, Kentucky


WRJ/Sisterhood

The El Paso community had a fantastic celebration of Israeli Independence Day on

Sunday, April 26th at Congregation B’nai Zion! Special thanks go to Debbie Marcus

and Wendy Axelrod who created all the beautiful decorations for this event on

behalf of Sisterhood.

Our joint book review, The Storyteller by Jody Picoult, was

held at Temple Mt. Sinai on April 30. It was a

successful event, and many thanks go to Sue

Feldblum and her committee for organizing this

event.

The next Sisterhood meeting will be held on

Wednesday, May 20, in Zielonka Hall at 6:30

p.m. It will be a potluck dinner, meeting, and

“chat” time. We will also be choosing a slate of

new officers and committee volunteers for the

coming year. Please RSVP to Wendy to let her know

what you will bring to our dinner and how you might

volunteer to help Sisterhood with our projects next year.

For more information for any of our events, contact Wendy Axelrod, president, at

915-833-5779, or [email protected].

MSBB Bowling - May 9

The Mount Sinai Baby Boomers (MSBB) will be having their next outing at Fiesta Lanes (5850

Onyx Drive) on Saturday, May 9 at 7 pm. The event will cost $15/person, which will include bowling, snacks, pizza, soda,

and prizes. Please RSVP by Monday, May 4 to either Cheryl ([email protected]; 915

-494-8071) or Susie ([email protected]; 915-549-6111)

mailto:[email protected]


Rabbi Deborah Prinz draws from her world travels on the trail of chocolate to unwrap the role of Jews in the trade, retail and manufacture of chocolate since it was first introduced

to Europeans. Activate your inner “choco-dar,” your radar for chocolate experiences, on this delectable journey through the Jewish history of chocolate.

The presentation will be followed by a no-cost Dessert Reception and Chocolate Tasting (Kosher chocolate will be provided.)

Please consider attending additional events during this scholar-in-residence weekend: Friday Evening, 5/15 Chanukah & Christmas Chocolate Melt into Gelt - learn how Christmas and Chanukah intersect through chocolate coin customs, putting perspective on the “December Dilemma.” Shabbat Dinner and program following our Kabbalat Shabbat Service— $15 for adults; $10 for children under 12 Please call the Temple office at 532-5959 to RSVP for the dinner. Saturday, 5/16 Questions Rabbis Ask About Chocolate - Finding relevance in our modern lives through the study of our ancient texts, we will look at sheilot u’teshuvot (questions and answers) and halacha about chocolate. Torah Study, 9:30 am What is the Best Chocolate: Jewish Ethics Mix into our Chocolate Eating - Faced with a variety of options when selecting chocolate, chocolate lovers might make more informed choices through their Jewish values. We will explore the complexities that surface when measuring our food values against our chocolate addictions/consumption. Kiddush luncheon following Shabbat Morning Service - 11:30 am (no cost)

Rabbi Prinz lectures about chocolate and religion around the world. On the

Chocolate Trail is being used in adult study, classroom settings, book clubs

and chocolate tastings. Prinz blogs at The Huffington Post, The Forward’s

Jew and the Carrot, Jewish Journal, onthechocolatetrail.org and elsewhere.

She was awarded several fellowships to research this project which stirs age

-old passions for chocolate and religion using information gathered from

travel in several countries, including Belgium, England, France, Israel, Italy,

Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.

THIS SHABBATON WEEKEND IS BEING GRACIOUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY THE JEWISH

FEDERATION OF EL PASO, TEMPLE MOUNT SINAI RABBIS’ DISCRETIONARY FUND, & AN

ANONYMOUS DONOR

Jews on the Chocolate Trail Temple Mount Sinai, Saturday, May 16, 2015 7:30 pm

Chocolate Reception Immediately Following

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-deborah-r-prinz/http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/http://www.jewishjournal.com/jewsonthechocolatetrail


Religious School Cultural Event, Tzedakah Project & Taco Fundraiser

This year the Annual Cultural Event (in it’s 9th

year!) was on Saturday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. in

Schwartz Hall.

The event started with everyone enjoying a

taco dinner and socializing in Schwartz Hall.

Grace welcomed everyone and expressed her

appreciation to all who volunteered and helped

with this event.

A representative from each grade (a teacher or

students) went up to the microphone to give a

brief overview of their project.

The Pre-Kinder through first grade students and Ali Gluck (Music Teacher) lead the students in

a couple of songs and Israeli dances. The second and third grade students, with the help of

their parents, prepared Jewish foods (family recipes) and everyone in attendance enjoyed

tasting them. The fourth through seventh grade students presented their displays about

famous Jewish personalities that they had selected. Then these students invited everyone to

join in Israeli dancing.

Prior to the close of this event, Rabbis

Bach and Bellush led everyone in a

beautiful Havdalah Service.

The response and feedback during and

after the event was GREAT. We

sincerely appreciate everyone for

attending and supporting this event.

A very special “Thank You” goes out to all who worked so

hard and gave of their time for this event: Sally Parke,

MaryAnn Plaut, Sylvia Krapin, Simon Bir, JoAnne and

Matthew Farley, David and Tina Wolfe and Frank for setting

up and making everything ready for our events.

The $350 raised at the Taco Fundraiser, along with a very

generous donation made to our Tzedakah Fund on Mitzvah

Day from The Charles & Charlotte Ramenofsky Fund, will go

towards our Religious School Tzedakah Project “Packages

From Home” adopting 40 soldiers of the Duvdavan (Infantry

Unit). For more information about “Packages From Home”, please visit their website

apackagefromhome.org.


B’nai Shabbat - May 15 & 29, 5:30 pm

On select Friday evenings, we hold “B’nai Shabbat” (“Kids’ Shabbat”), a Shabbat

experience for young children and their families. Toys, songs, prayers, a story, and a

snack are all part of our time together. At the conclusion, all are welcome to join the

rest of the congregation in Zielonka Hall for a snack! B’nai Shabbat is geared toward

children through kindergarten age, but all are welcome. Our May services will be on

Fridays, May 15 and 29 at 5:30 pm.

Soul Shabbat - May 30 and June 13, 9:30 am

“Soul Shabbat,” a Shabbat morning service which combines study and conversation,

chant, and silence, will be held on May 30 and June 13, beginning at 9:30 am. At our

May service we will explore the beauty of the Priestly Blessing; the theme of our June

service will be “Congregation.”

Based on ten years of research and investigation by the French organization Yahad-In

Unum and its founder, Father Patrick Desbois, the exhibit chronicles the lesser-known side

of the Holocaust through eyewitness testimonies, photographs and maps. The exhibit is in

both English and in Spanish to reach a wide spectrum of the population.

Known as the “Holocaust by Bullets,” the systematic killing of all Jews and Roma started

before the creation of concentration camps throughout the ex-Soviet Union from 1942 to

1944 and continued until WWII‘s end. The form of genocide detailed by Yahad-In Unum’s

exhibit is unlike any other study of genocidal activity ever conducted and presented.

“Because some of the images are disturbing, they have been presented in a thoughtful and

discreet fashion, enabling the visitor to view them at his or her own discretion,” says Father

Desbois. “The visitor in effect becomes a ‘witness’ to the crime, choosing to delve deeper

into the findings.”

“The exhibit is the perfect complement to our programming this year,” says Lori Shepherd,

Executive Director of El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center. “Our current en-

deavor is to understand the ‘others’ of the Holocaust by exploring the social and psycho-

logical complexities of those who committed the atrocities, those who stood-by in silence,

and those who protected the persecuted.” For more information, please visit http://

www.yahadinunum.org/

Holocaust By Bullets - March 26-May 31, EPHMSC

http://www.prweb.net/Redirect.aspx?id=aHR0cDovL3d3dy55YWhhZGludW51bS5vcmcvhttp://www.prweb.net/Redirect.aspx?id=aHR0cDovL3d3dy55YWhhZGludW51bS5vcmcv


A variety of adult learning programs happen each week at Temple:

Text study is held on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm. During May and June, are exploring the

wisdom of the ancient Rabbis as preserved in their book of maxims known as Pirkei Avot.

We will meet weekly through June 9.

Torah study on most Shabbat mornings at 9:30

am: Rabbi Bach typically brings a Chasidic

reflection on the weekly Torah portion.

These texts, coming out of 18th and 19th

century Eastern Europe, are striking in

their relevance to contemporary seekers

of meaning. We will not meet on May 30

and June 13, when we will celebrate “Soul

Shabbat.”

Torat Nashim Thursday mornings at

10:30 am in the Library. This year Rabbi

Bellush is teaching the Book of Judges.

Our last class will be Thursday, May 14.

Mindfulness Meditation on Thursdays

at 9:00 am: Rabbi Bach leads our

meditation each week. A brief “mindful” take on

the weekly portion precedes a 20-minute period of silence. We

typically conclude at about 9:40 am. We will meet weekly through

June 11.

(Please note that these schedules are subject to change, and should be verified by checking our

website calendar at www.templemountsinai.com or by calling the Temple office at 532-5959.)

Ongoing Adult Education

Focus on Sacred Aging—Wednesday, May 6 at 4:15 pm

Caring for loved ones (whether aging parents, partners and spouses afflicted with dementia,

or others in need of care) can create stress in our lives. In these monthly sessions we share

stories, suggestions on how to cope, sometimes laughter and sometimes tears. Together in

community we care, support, and help each other.

Each session stands on its own. Contact Rabbi Bellush with any questions. The meetings are

held in the Zork Library at Temple.

http://www.templemountsinai.com


Yahrtzeits - May May 1-2, 2015 Anne Barnett Arthur Blaugrund Rabbi Oscar J. Cohen Hildigard Dalkhe Gershon Ettinger Dora Feinberg Pyrle Meyers Fridner Carolyn Friedberg Alfred M. Friedman Leah Ackerman Glass Sam Glazer William Halkin Harold Harris Viola Heil Jules Jaffe Richard Jaffee Charlotte Given Kenyon James Kratzer Selma Kreitman George Lakehomer Norman Lakehomer Nathan F. Lipstet Paul May Haisie Nieto Rose Stolaroff Potash Charlie Press Robert E. Rosenberg Robert Rubenstein Charles Sandler Ernestine Schoor Hedwig Mathias Schwartz Clara Simon Dorothy Stern Rabbi Kenneth Jay Weiss May 8-9, 2015 Ernestine Alfman Rhoda Aronson Louis Axelrod Sol I. Berg Helen Borschow Marvin Citterman Edward Coffman Leona Mae Coplin Rae Dichter Ann Bergman Eisen Rabbi David Forman Willard Freidman Joseph Freudenstein Abram Geller

Ruth Jacobs Goldberg Ruth Heydemann Elias G. Krupp Sylvan Landau Marcus Lantin Lillian Lasky Gerald Leeser Irene Lerner Harold Levy Lilla Moye William Oppenheim J.B. Robbins William Rosing Susan Levin Rothschild Judith Rubin Dorothy Simon Ida Spivack Louis Steinzig Lillian Stolaroff Adelaide Weinstein Mary M. Yelderman May 15-16, 2015 Esther Sacks Benson Adeline Blumenthal Alfred A. Blumenthal Cecil E. Brannon Howard Byrd Nellie Daross Brandon Pierce Eiland David Charles Erlich Esther N. Fox Daniel Freundlich Fan H. Geller Alex Gershowitz Rae Lipsky Gottlieb Beatrice Horowitz Grossman Aida Halkin JoAnn Knutson Simcha Kozakish Abe Krantz David Krupp Abner Kurtin Sol Litt, IV Ian Majin Walter Mann Sara Mansfield Dorothy Goodman Marshall

Trube May Berdella Peyton Melvin L. Potash Howard B. Roisman Marvel Scherotter Alan David Schwartz May 22-23, 2015 Norma Brody Aaronson Shirlee Z. Amstater Phillip E. Bargman Howard J. Barnett Rose Beren Dorothy Bonner Gabriela Cellini Abraham C. Cohen Dora Strauss Cohen Minnie Cohen Doris Eisenberg Abraham Ettinger Abraham Freifeld Sydney Benjamin Gasser Ann Goodman Gollob Sali Goodman Mary Hawkinson Freda Shiloff Hill Herbert Katz Errold B. Lapowski Stella R. Lent Sarah Levin Al Marcus Ruth Ellen Marcus Elizabeth V. Mayer Linda Mount Harold Nitzburg Saul Poretsky Samuel Reedman Hyman Rivin Sam J. Rosenberg Irvin Rothstein Linda Sue Rybak Joseph Robert Saul Mike Snider Harry C. Talpis Donna Levy Thwaits Flora Weiss Rosalie H. Zimmerman

May 29-30, 2015 Arnold Aronson Neal Axelrod Sarah Goldin Brickman Ruth Gray Brounoff Laurence S. Calisher Roz Chicofsky Manley B. Cohen Michael D. Colton Elmo Curry Tina DeJong Raymond Ducorsky Meyer (Mac) Fagelman Cora Ullman Fatman Samuel Feld Norman Friedberg Irma Glass Shirley Goldfarb George Gornstein Eleanor Given Guttman Isaac Halkin Johnny Hammans Vera Hirsch Phillip Horwitz Irving Israel Kallman Julius Kantor Julius M. Krakauer Leopold Leon Jerome Levy Ruth Jane Strelitz Majesky Reta McCoy Clyde P Molloy Arthur Oppenheimer Leah Miriam Puschett Pauline E. Raney Rachel Raskob Arnold Rothchild Shirley Schechter Manuel Schwartz Alan Paul Stein Myra Phillips Strang


June 5-6, 2015 Edward V. Barnett Irving Bellush Bessie Blanchette Adele W. Blaugrund Irwin Breeman Jesus Garcia Escobar Isidore Fisher Eugene Fleischer Federico Gonzales Gallo Janice Heller Maurice Heller Mannie Jacobs Frances Levy Kahn Frances Kaulkin Abbie Potash Kornfeld John Lubbert Tita Lyle Louis Mandell Eric Lee Markowitz Edward Moye Herbert D. Oppenheimer Irving Press Lillian Press Harrell Rice Etta Packer Rose Grace Rosman Molly Rothstein Belle Samuels Fred Sauermilch Billie Sparks Eva Weiser June 12-13, 2015 Joseph M. Amstater Lillian Hoffer Balk Kaminsky Richard Bischoff Lothar Blumenthal Josephine Bromberg Zelman Brounoff Bonnie Eisen Feinberg Israel Feldberg Rafael Garcia Larry A. Gladstone Benjamin Goldman Henrietta Heller Carolyn Rosenberg Hirsch Barnet Horowitz Robert Karch Marilynn Joyce Lane

Jean Korf Lawrence Louis Leeds Sadie Lefkovitz Hannah L. Lerner Max Levine Geraldine Lusby Samuel Manasse Ida Novick M. Travis Peyton Bessie Poretsky Sam Rosenwasser Dean Rothbardt Isaac Rothstein Iris Axelrod Sauermilch Minna Schaefer Florence Schoichet Lee Schweitzer Helen Stone Sam Zimmerman June 19-20, 2015 Lillian Aaronson Max Blecker Harry Brand Howard Burnham Rebecca Clayton Walter Feinberg Samuel Robert Fleischer Milton Max Friedman Aaron Goodman Amelia Goodman Ira Grossel Joseph Hamberger Rosalind Lesem Heymann Albert B. Horwitz Louis Horwitz Jess A. Joseph Ernst Kohlberg Henry Lavis Abe Levy Moishe Leib Marcus Sylvia Rodsky Evelyn Rosen Henrietta Scherotter Bernard Spitz Charles Stein Sara Waxman

June 26-27, 2015 Rose Alfman Harry Barnett Herman Beck Ida Levy Bendalin Pauline Ullmann Blumenthal Miriam A. Borschow David Cohen Raymond Cohen Vivienne Corn Norman Feldman Edmund Given Frank Gladman Jerome Glass Sarah B. Goodman Martha Goodman Katz Bernard Kaufman Erna W. Klein Florine Klein Simon Leventhal Irma Ullman Levy Wolf Lewkowitz Ronald Marks Max Meyer Mildred F. Mirrop Barbara Jean Myers Clarence J. Oppenheim Ida A. Oppenheim Sara S. Perl Bertha Polstein Sarah D. Reedman Rosalie Rivin Emanuel Rosen Gladys Rosenfeld Alexander Schaechner Gertrude Berger Schweitzer Marcella Shapiro Gerald Seth Tate Pauline G. Turk Sam Weiss Paul Wolfe Fernando Aristoteles Yates Joseph Sidney Yonack

July 3-4, 2015 Yetta B. Amstater Max Applebaum Leah Behrman Paul Bonner Mordechai Boski Sadie Z. Calisher Penny Corn Estelle Epstein Simon Feit Nicolas Freireich Pearl S. Given Neffie Goldfeder Frank Gordon Daniel Hale Gray Minnie Greenberg William Jacobs Henry Kellen Bettye Gordon Kohlhagen Irma Krakauer Jack Lait Herbert Lakehomer Gerome B. Lapowski Bessie Eppstein Levy Jacob W. Levy Morris L. Marcus Phillip Marcus Alvin Jerome Marks Leroy Miner JoAnn Rothbardt Petersen Sarah Prensky Harry Rosenberg Evelyn Rozanoff Harry K. Rubinstein William J. Schecter Belle Fisher Scheiner Jeane Berg Schwartz Steve Stein

Yahrtzeits - June


Tributes: March 15 - April 18, 2015

Thank You

Thank you for your ongoing contributions to the various endowment and income funds; Tem-

ple would be a very different place without these gifts.

To make tribute gifts, please be in touch with Elisa or Sally in the Temple office or visit us

online at www.templemountsinai.com/donate.

Cemetery Fund in memory of Howard J. Barnett by

Valerie Barnett

in memory of Sarah Gerofsky by Fran

Fleischer

in memory of Irving Herman by Valerie

Barnett

Ethel Oppenheimer Flower Fund in memory of Albert Heydemann by Jack

Heydemann

in memory of Robert Hughes by Arnold

& Lila Bowman

in memory of Leonard Kratzer by Carl

Ryan & Suzi Davidoff

in memory of Elaine and Bernard

Rosenbloom by Lanny & Michelle

Tennen

in memory of Sanford Feldblum by Sue

Feldblum

in memory of Charles Given by Mildred

Marcus

in memory of Abe Scherotter by Norma

Levenson

in memory of Millard Krasne by Bob &

Elaine Krasne

in memory of Consuelo Hughes by

Arnold & Lila Bowman

in memory of Mamie Marcus by Stanley

& Dina Marcus

in memory of David Oscar Leeser by

Arthur & Rhoberta Leeser

in memory of Laura Rosenberg by Gerald

& Stanlee Rubin

in memory of Amelia Delgado by

Sheldon & Sylvia Poretsky

in memory of Alicia Nadler by Gary &

Lisa Nadler & Family

Friedman/Bloom/Rothstein Outdoor

Chapel speedy recovery to Bud Ramenofsky by

Phil & Ann Rothstein

General Donations Fund in appreciation of Temple Mount Sinai

by John Louie, Jay & Mimi Gladstein

in memory of Lawrence Reedman by

Hilda Reedman

speedy recovery to Beth Lipson by Bob

& Jane Rosen

Gus & Rosalie Zimmerman Rose

Garden in memory of Mike O'Hara by Josephine

Witkoff & Carol Molloy

in memory of Evelyn Zimmerman Leff

by Dorothy Borschow

Isadore Kahn Memorial Fund in honor of Stuart Kahn's Birthday by

Barry & Ellen Dorfman & Family

Jon Heller High Holiday Fund

Donation in memory of Marian Gelfand's great

nephew by Boris Kaim & Fifi Heller-

Kaim

Krasne Discretionary Fund in honor of Marty Colton's Special

Birthday by Bob & Sara Shiloff

in honor of Elaine Krasne’s Birthday by

Tibor & Ann Schaechner

Rabbi Bach's Discretionary Fund in appreciation of Rabbi Bach by Elisa,

Emily, Stuart & Frances Kahn

in honor of Marty Klein's Special

Birthday by Sue Feldblum

in memory of Glen Chicofsky by Alan &

Lynn Ames

in memory of Haskell Goodman by Judy

Leonard

Rabbi Bellush's Discretionary Fund in memory of Pearl Hoffman by Fran

Fleischer

Rabbi Ken & Sue Weiss URJ Youth

Travel Fund in appreciation of Temple Mount Sinai

by Ronald & Jennifer Pratt

Ruth Kahn/Andrew Kahn Rose

Garden Donation in memory of Vivian Blaugrund by

Barry & Ellen Dorfman & Family

Special Oneg or Kiddush in memory of Galina Kreinovich by

Vladik Kreinovich & Olga Kosheleva

in memory of Josefina Kaim by Boris

Kaim & Fifi Heller-Kaim

in memory of Robert Hughes by Arnold

& Lila Bowman

in memory of Rose Goodman Leeser by

Arthur & Rhoberta Leeser

in memory of Edwin Frederick Berliner

by Barbara Berliner

in memory of David Terk by Bob & Sara

Shiloff

in memory of Consuelo Hughes by

Arnold & Lila Bowman

in memory of Milton Goldman by

Debbie Hamlyn

in memory of Linda Falcon by Rose

Falcon

Would you like to place an ad in an upcoming issue? In an effort to create some income to help offset our printing costs, we are accepting advertisements in “Messages.” Contact the Temple office or one of our Board members for more information.

Please help the JCC Preschool and the

El Paso Jewish Academy and buy your

tickets today for a performance

(theater, not dinner) of Mary Poppins.

Tickets are $118/$72/$54. If you can-

not attend, but wish to see students or

teachers of the schools attend, your

ticket purchase may be donated back

to the schools for this very special

cause. Thank you for your support.

Temple Mount Sinai 4408 North Stanton Street El Paso, TX 79902 Phone: 915-532-5959 Fax: 915-533-0092 www.templemountsinai.com

NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATION

U.S. Postage

PAID

EL Paso TX

Permit No. 1386

Temple Mount Sinai is the

Reform Jewish congregation

serving El Paso, Texas.

We are a congregation of

supportive, caring and

diverse people with a rich

history.

Temple is a place for prayer,

ritual, spirituality,

education, wholeness and

healing, social action and

celebration.

Join us as we explore,

through these elements of

sacred living, the richness of

Jewish faith and tradition.

Staff

Rabbi .............................................................................. Larry Bach

Rabbi ....................................................................... Sandra Bellush

Administrator ............................................................... Sally Parke

Religious School Director ............................................... Grace Bir

Youth Advisor ............................................................. Stacy Berry

Rabbi’s Assistant ......................................................... Elisa Given

Music Director ......................................................... Carlos Gámez

Building Manager ............................................. Frank Hernandez

Housekeeping...................................................... Ramona Pinales

Accompanist .......................................................... Linda McClain

Officers

Lori Gaman ...................................................................... President

Jack Heydemann ................................................... President-Elect

Bill Carvajal ............................................................ Vice President

Deborah Hamlyn ................................................... Vice President

David Novick ......................................................... Vice President

Mitch Puschett ........................................................ Vice President

Scott Stevens .................................................................... Secretary

Tommy Goldfarb ................................ Immediate Past President

Trustees

Cynthia Bass, Stephanie Calvo, Eric Colvard,

Karen Herman, Leba Hirsch, Vladik Kreinovich,

David Leffman, David Marcus, Debbie Marcus,

Becky Myers, Jacquelyn Spier,

Wendy Axelrod (WRJ), Lyndon Mansfield (MRJ),

Ellen Goodman (Sh’lichei Kehillah)

Date post:	14-Feb-2021
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	3 times
Download:	0 times

Confirmation Servicesfiles.ctctcdn.com/404034d5001/2b48153c-da9c-4431-9423...Messages from the...

Documents