CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL “A Family of Families” July 2014 Friday, July 4 Shabbat Service @ 6:00 pm *Rabbi Emanuel will begin leading services Saturday, July 5 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am Friday, July 11 Shabbat Service @ 6:00pm Saturday, July 12 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am Friday, July 18 Shabbat Service @ 7:30 pm *Services led by Brian Honigbaum Saturday, July 19 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am *services led by Gary Blum Friday, July 25 Shabbat Service @ 6:00 pm Saturday, July 26 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am CALENDAR OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES >>> Torah Study Saturdays @ 11:00am Please come and join us “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel” These beautiful words of praise are traditionally recited as we enter the sanctuary and appear in the opening section of the morning service. They are all the more beautiful because they were uttered by a man, Balaam, who was intending to curse the Israelites rather than bless them. The story of Balaam, that we will read the first Shabbat of July, is one of those stories that, if it were not in the Bible, it would be more likely classed as ancient farce than spiritual lore. The story tells of Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam, a unique example of a non-Jewish prophet in the Hebrew bible. Concerned by the Israelites’ victory over the Amorites, Balak sends for Balaam and instructs him to curse the Israelites. Not only is Balaam initially obstructed in his path to curse the Israelites by a talking donkey, but every time he opens his mouth to speak the curse he blurts out a blessing instead, despite the rising and somewhat comical anger of Balak. Included among these blessings is the first line of the Mah Tovu prayer. The Rabbis understand this blessing to be a prophetic reference to the study houses and synagogues that were to be such a central aspect of Jewish communal life. In looking over the ancient tents of the Israelites Balaam saw not the physical beauty of the tents but the spiritual and ethical beauty of synagogue communities. And the fact that Balaam’s words are turned from curses to blessings, sheds light on an important aspect of synagogue community - our words of prayer, our spiritual experience in the synagogue, and our acts of loving kindness in the context of congregational life, can and should have a transformative effect. Having come to curse Israel, Balaam observes their places of worship and his words of condemnation were turned to words of praise. Many of us may walk through the door of the synagogue with the burdens and concerns of our daily lives; the anger and frustration at friends, family and work colleagues that we all feel at times; the anxieties, pains and difficulties that life throws at us and that fill our hearts and minds from day to day. The synagogue is the place where we can turn our curses to blessings, our anger to calm, our anxieties to contentment, through the presence of the divine and the support of our community. (continued on page 2) RABBI’S MESSAGE
Transcript
CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL
“A Family of Families”
July 2014
Friday, July 4 Shabbat Service @ 6:00 pm *Rabbi Emanuel will begin leading services
Saturday, July 5 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am Friday, July 11 Shabbat Service @ 6:00pm
Saturday, July 12 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am Friday, July 18 Shabbat Service @ 7:30 pm *Services led by Brian Honigbaum
Saturday, July 19 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am *services led by Gary Blum Friday, July 25 Shabbat Service @ 6:00 pm
Saturday, July 26 Shabbat Service @ 9:00 am
CALENDAR OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES >>>
Torah Study Saturdays @ 11:00am
Please come and join us
“How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel” These beautiful words of praise are traditionally recited as we enter the sanctuary and appear in the opening section of the morning service. They are all the more beautiful because they were uttered by a man, Balaam, who was intending to curse the Israelites rather than bless them. The story of Balaam, that we will read the first Shabbat of July, is one of those stories that, if it were not in the Bible, it would be more likely classed as ancient farce than spiritual lore. The story tells of Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam, a unique example of a non-Jewish prophet in the Hebrew bible. Concerned by the Israelites’ victory over the Amorites, Balak sends for Balaam and instructs him to curse the Israelites. Not only is Balaam initially obstructed in his path to curse the Israelites by a talking donkey, but every time he opens his mouth to speak the curse he blurts out a blessing instead, despite the rising and somewhat comical anger of Balak. Included among these blessings is the first line of the Mah Tovu prayer. The Rabbis understand this blessing to be a prophetic reference to the study houses and synagogues
that were to be such a central aspect of Jewish communal life. In looking over the ancient tents of the Israelites Balaam saw not the physical beauty of the tents but the spiritual and ethical beauty of synagogue communities. And the fact that Balaam’s words are turned from curses to blessings, sheds light on an important aspect of synagogue community - our words of prayer, our spiritual
experience in the synagogue, and our acts of loving kindness in the context of congregational life, can and should have a transformative effect. Having come to curse Israel, Balaam observes their places of
worship and his words of condemnation were turned to words of praise. Many of us may walk through the door of the synagogue with the burdens and concerns of our daily lives; the anger and frustration at friends, family and work colleagues that we all feel at times; the anxieties, pains and difficulties that life throws at us and that fill our hearts and minds from day to day. The synagogue is the place where we can turn our curses to blessings, our anger to calm, our anxieties to contentment, through the presence of the divine and the support of our community. (continued on page 2)
RABBI’S MESSAGE
Page 2 C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h I s r a e l N e w s l e t t e r
Rabbi Ilan Emanuel Debbie Bustillo Office Administrator
Jana Zager Corpus Christi Community
(continued from page 1) How do we do this? Ron Wolfson, in his book “Relational Judaism”, describes how congregations succeed in touching and transforming our lives for the better: “It’s not about programming. It’s not about marketing. It’s not about branding, labels, logos, clever titles, websites, or smartphone apps. It’s not even about institutions. It’s all about relationships” Judaism has always understood the synagogue as a Beit K’nesset, a place of meeting. It is a place in which we meet one another and God, and in which we learn how Judaism teaches us to meet the world. In the consumerist society in which we live, the synagogue community reminds us that the primary business of religion is people. It is a place where we find community and the kind of deep personal connections that only a congregation can provide. As part of a congregational family we can be transformed for the better through our relationships with each other, with our tradition and with God. Those relationships are created and deepened as we share our stories and the stories of our people, as we create connections with each other, and as we engage with the many activities of congregational life that help us to create shared experiences and shared stories. This, perhaps, was what Balaam saw so many years ago as he looked over the tents of a People who truly cared for each other and built our Jewish tradition that values relationships so highly. As your new rabbi I have already experienced the great warmth of the CBI welcome and begun to create relationships with the wonderful people who make up this community. I know that the depth of communal and spiritual relationships is a significant part of what makes CBI great. And I hope to build on that great strength in the coming years as I get to know everyone and build relationships with all of you. Rabbi Emanuel
Page 3 C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h I s r a e l N e w s l e t t e r
No resting on our Laurels around here. I am writing this article, following our celebration and recognition of Rabbi Roseman’s retirement. As with most things in life, everything has a beginning and an end. We have just ended The Roseman era, one that we will look back on with gratitude and appreciation for all Ken Roseman did for Temple Beth El and Congregation Beth Israel. Now we move on to Beginnings. On July 1, we welcome Rabbi Ilan Emanuel, his wife Randi and daughter Mira to both Corpus Christi and Congregation Beth Israel. I am looking forward to the challenge of acclimating our new Rabbi to our Family of Families. A small congregation is not new to Rabbi Emanual, however he has spent the last three years in Toronto as one of three Rabbis in a very large community. Rabbi Emanuel will bring a different perspective to CBI, having been educated during a different time period in the cycle of Reform Judaism. In preparation for assuming the role of Rabbi for our Congregation, he has had many conversations with both Rabbi Roseman and me about our community and what to expect. He also attended a Union of Reform Judaism conference on the first 100 days on a new pulpit. He has been provided with the past two years of minutes of board meetings and has been receiving a copy of our bulletin, since he signed his contract last December. Even with all of this time and effort spent learning about us, please allow him time and understanding while he becomes familiar with our congregation. (And as he and his family tries to get used to our lovely heat and humidity) The Rabbinical committee will be meeting with Rabbi Emanuel on a regular basis to help guide him through his first year here at CBI. If you have any questions going forward, please feel free to let me know. Just a note, he will be spending some time at Greene Family Camp during the month of July. This was his request and your board thought this would be a wonderful benefit to him, our congregation and of course Greene Family Camp. As you may remember from our High Holiday Appeal drive, camp attendance by our Jewish children is important in maintaining and developing a strong Jewish Identity. Next month, we will learn a little more about Rabbi Ilan, wife Randi, and daughter Mira and officially install him as the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel. Until then, please join us at services this month and introduce yourself to our new leader. Shalom,
Suzy Hilliard President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Page 4 C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h I s r a e l N e w s l e t t e r
Shabbat Service and oneg in honor of Rabbi Roseman on his retirement.
Page 5 C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h I s r a e l N e w s l e t t e r
Thank you for honoring Rabbi Roseman’s retirement with a contribution to the
Roseman Eternal Light
Dorothy Jessel Annette & James Cottingham Ryan & Jackie Mendeloff
Norma & Alan Levens Diana & Michael Stillman Ginger & Richard Harris Susan & Bill Martin Terry & Randy Berry Clarice Wallock
Clara Braslau Carol & Sammy Kins Lillian & Don Katz Laurie & Michael Mintz Amy & David Krams Mary Novie & Gary Hersh
Annette & Mel Klein Jerry & Elizabeth Susser David Hillson & Eileen Grevey
Pam & Richard Leshin David & Ann Engel Joshua Marcus
Toby Stone Arthur & Dianne Berman Barb & Chip Schwamb
Bill Glutow Chris& Robert Adler Amy & Steven Marcus
Annette & Jack Corman Ray & Elizabeth Falk Jerri Osberg
Elinor Roosth Carol & Don Feferman Roslyn & Maury Wolfson
Suzy & John Hilliard Nedra Lockhart Jack Solovey
Iris & Andy Lehrman Edy Laser Shelly & Bruce Jacobson
Catherine Scholl Marcia & Ross Burney Pat & Sam J Susser
Marcie & Leslie Kane Maureene & Kenneth Timken Sarah Noble
Hank & Ruth Josephs Beatrice & Richard Hinojosa Olivia Noble
Jerry Silverman Barbara & David May John Karasek
Rikki & Robert Scmitchel Amanda & Howard Mintz Leigh Marcus
Glenda & Jerry Kane Richard Schaffer Steve Oshman Pam & Mike Frost Carla DePena Joel Laser
Phyllis Harp Rebecca & Maurice Schmidt Bobbie & Troy Adler
Willy Kuehn Dolly Oshman Marcia Marks
Susan & Arnold Levy Lois & Gary Blum Sharon & Al Gonzalez Heleen & Ed Mange Nina Shannon Carol Solovey
James & Dianne Lee Mille Zalim Gloria Wolfson
Doris Katz Roz & Ron Ferrell Robert & Debbie Bustillo
Page 6 C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h I s r a e l N e w s l e t t e r
The Congregation thanks you for the following contributions
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.
Yahrzeit Dona ons
In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Frieda Falk RL Zinn
Ann Horner Sam Horner
Bernard Axelrad Dorothy Jessel
Sol Greene Madeline & Michael Appel
Monroe Horn Phylis & Jerry Rozen
Lena Bein Marilyn & Marvin Bein
Harold Hausman AJ Hausman
Fine Arts Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Quenten Cook Jack Solovey
In Honor of-------------------------------------------------- From
Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Jack Solovey
General Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Ruth Sheinberg Phyllis & Jerry Rozen
Quenten Cook Mille Zalim
Ruth Sheinberg
In Honor of-------------------------------------------------- From
Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Phylis & Jerry Rozen
Rabbi Roseman on his birthday
Meredith Hilliard on her Graduation Rikki & Robert Schmitchel
Hebrew Rest Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Ruth Sheinberg Elizabeth & Jerry Susser
Mitzvah Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Joe Sheinberg Janet & Barry Scheer
Ruth Sheinberg
Ruth Sheinberg Susan & Bill Martin
Offenberg Library Fund In Honor of-------------------------------------------------- From
Sepeedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Lois & Gary Blum
In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Frances Heller Lois & Gary Blum
Oshman Family Founda on Fund In Honor of-------------------------------------------------- From
Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Oshman Family
Penny Baum Perpetual Torah Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Ruth Sheinberg Karma & Michael Lakin
Rabbi's Discre onary Fund In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Irene Roth Alan Roth
In Honor of-------------------------------------------------- From
Recovery of Rabbi Roseman Alice Salee
Seaside Beau fica on Fund Donation From:
Rikki & Robert Schmitchel Iris & Andy Lehrman
Charles Clark Jr. Susan Barham & Beth
Jerry Silverman Ramuel Wasserman
Herschel & Joyce Sheiness Gertrude Applebaum
Barbara Samuels Elinor Roosth
James & Dianne Lee Jack Solovey
Francoise Kieschnick Leah Goltzman
Joanne Cohen Carl & Chris Kuehn
Madeline & Michael Appel Robin & Bill Adams
Edith & RL Zinn Carol Solovey
Rochelle Adelstein Natalie & Albert Sikora
Libby & Bill Baum Marc Sheiness
Joel Laser Paula Wood
In Memory of------------------------------------------------ From
Ruth & Joe Sheinberg Nelda Garcia
Joe Jessel Dorothy Jessel
Philip & Pearl Lieberman
Joyce Clark Susan Barham
Beth Barham
Gladys & Henry Schaffer Richard Schaffer
Marcia & Russell Deutsch
In Honor of-------------------------------------------------- From
Speedy recovery of Rabbi Roseman Rona & La Train
Retirement of Rabbi Roseman
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 Shabbat Service
6:00 pm Rabbi Emanuel’s First Shabbat Service Office Closed
5 Shabbat Service 9:00 am Torah Study 11:00 am
6
7
8
9 10 11
Shabbat Service
6:00 pm
12
Shabbat Service 9:00 am
Torah Study 11:00 am
13
14 Office open 9:30am ‐ 1pm
15
Office open 9:30am ‐ 1pm
16 Office will be closed
17 Office open 9:30am ‐ 1pm
18 Shabbat Service 7:30 pm * Brian Honigbaum will lead services
Office open 9:00am ‐ 4pm
19 Shabbat Service 9:00 am
Torah Study 11:00 am
20
21
22
23 24
25
Shabbat Service
6:00 pm
*
26
Shabbat Service 9:00 am Torah Study 11:00 am
27
28
29
30
31
Aug 1 Shabbat Service
6:00 pm
2 Shabbat Service 9:00 am Torah Study 11:00 am
July 2014
Page 8 C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h I s r a e l N e w s l e t t e r
PERPETUAL YAHRZEITS Sabbath of July 4th *David Berlin Douglas Block *Abraham Braslau *Bella Chase *Sam Cohn *Benjamin Coin George Figueroa *Hy Goodman *Joseph Hirsch *Maurice Jessel Bessie Karchmer *Mordechai Kraut *James Lehrman *Aaron Lieberman *Robert Marks Bertha Massman Stacy Mullin Inez Ross Sylvia Sheiness Rebecca Shimansky Barbara Silverman *Max Suchowiecky *Anne Train *Sol White
Sabbath of July 11th *Max Adler Anne Alward *Jacob Benjamin *Abe Block *Charles Clark *Martin Frohlinger Dina Hosen
