CONGREGATION P’NAI TIKVAH

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We Are P’nai Tikvah

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סיום

“תלמידי יהודים טעים”

Graduation

Jewlicious Learner’s

June 3rd

7:00 PM

Kraft-Sussman Chapel

702.436.4900

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Message from the Rabbi

Dear Chevreh:

The words from one of the late Naomi Shemer’s most popular Israeli songs of the 20th century

have been bubbling in my head lately, as the clock ticks down to my transition from your Rabbi

to your Rabbi Emerita/Senior Educator. Knowing that this is the right thing for me to do for

both this holy community and for my health doesn’t make it any easier though. All ha-d’vash

v’al ha oketz/on the honey and the bee-sting; on the bitter and the sweet…

Seeing the children in our Jewlicious Learning program grow over the years has been one of

the sweetest things in my life. Being there for you for the joys of marriage, birth, baby naming,

brit milah, b’nei mitzvah, graduations, and the weekly sharing of our Simcha-beneath-the-licht-

benching shawl …Al kol eileh/on all these things…

Al Koh Eileh Al had'vash v'al ha-oketz Al hamar v'hamatok Al biteinu hatinoket

Sh'mor eili hatov Al ha-eish ham'vo-eret Al hamayim hazakim Al ha-ish hashav habaita Min hamerchakim

Al kol eileh, al kol eileh Sh'mor na li eili hatov Al had'vash v'al ha-oketz Al hamar v'hamatok. Alna ta-akor natu-a

Al tishkach et hatikva Hashiveini v'ashuva El ha-aretz hatova. Sh'mor eili al zeh habayit Al hagan-al hachoma Miyagon, mipachad peta

Umimilcnama.

Sh'mor al ham'at she-yeish li Al ha-or v'al hataf Al haom sheio hivshil od V'she-nee-saf.

Al kol eileh...

On All These Things On the honey and on the bee-sting On the bitter and the sweet On our baby daughter

Watch over, my kind G-d. On the burning fire On the pure water On the man, returning home from afar Watch over, my kind G-d.

On all those, on all those Please watch over for me my good G-d On the honey and on the bee-sting On the bitter and the sweet. Don't uproot what was planted,

Don't forget the hope Bring me back, and I will return To the good land Please, watch over this, my home On the garden, on the wall From sorrow, from fear,

and from war.

Watch over the little that I have Over the light and the children On the fruit that has not yet ripened and that has been gathered.

On all these things....

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I am immensely grateful to each and every member of Congregation P’nai Tikvah for entrust-

ing me to be your spiritual leader over the past eleven years. I feel blessed every day to have

been able to be there for you and to help this community grow “Yiddle by Yiddle.” I want to

thank the Board and especially President Barbara Holland and Past-President Sam Lieberman

for being so supportive over the years. How blessed have I been to have had two amazing ad-

ministrative assistants: D’vorah Turrentine (z”l) and Nancey Eason over the years. My right

hand, each one. Both women deeply spiritual, fiercely protective, and amazingly organized. Al

ha-d’vash v’al ha oketz/on the honey and the bee-sting; on the bitter and the sweet…

What joy it has been to lead you in services and learn with you in our many educational oppor-

tunities. What a responsibility it has been to deliver messages of hope at each service. What

an honor it has been to be there for those who have experienced illness, or worse yet, for those

of us who have lost a loved one. Al kol eileh/on all these things…

So where are we in finding a successor? At this moment, we are still searching. We are look-

ing for the right fit and that’s a two-way street. It has to work for the congregation; and it has

to work for the candidate. The Board will keep you apprised as things unfold.

And you need to know that I am not disappearing. What my “retirement” means will depend

on how much or how little my successor will want me to be involved. I will do whatever I can

to be supportive of our new spiritual leader, but we need that to mean my stepping back to al-

low him or her the space to shine. For that I need your support as well. The congregation

needs to be there for the new Rabbi and for one-another. Let us all look at this as an opportuni-

ty for new growth. Al kol eileh/on all these things…

May you all be blessed with health and happiness and may we grow from strength to strength.

With deep gratitude,

Rabbi Yocheved Mintz

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A Note From the Cantor

When I was an undergrad at Western Washington University studying music, I took part in the opera pro-

gram there. In my Junior year, I was cast as the female comic lead in the opera “Robinson Crusoe” an Opera

Comique by Jacques Offenbach. It was one of his lesser known operas. He is most known for “The Tales of

Hoffman” and “Orpheus in the Underworld”.

“Robinson Crusoe” was based on various stories told of the character, more than what were written about

in the Defoe book, and introduces us to his family. My character in the opera was Suzanne, the maid. It was a

wonderful comic part, unusual as it was written for a lyric soprano instead of a mezzo. The lead female role was

for a coloratura.

I know, what does this have to do with Jewish music? Well, let’s leap forward many years to when I was

studying to become a cantor. One of the beautiful pieces of music my class was given to learn is M’chalkel Cha-

yim. The words are from the second prayer of the Amida, the G’vurot. The paragraph talks of how God cares for

us, and how great God is. The music is written by Hazzan Isaac Offenbach, the father of Jacques.

Isaac Eberst was born in the German town of Offenbach. Originally a bookbinder, Isaac was wonderful

musician, composer, and hazzan who spent many years traveling as a ‘wandering’ hazzan to many synagogues.

He took surname of Offenbach because he was known as the “Offenbacher”. He finally settled in Cologne as a

Cantor and music teacher where he raised his family. He had nine children; the seventh child was Jacob, who be-

came Jacques.

He wrote many compositions, some secular, but mostly cantorial, and published a haggadah with German

translations. He also played and taught the violin. Isaac Offenbach’s music has been used to show the great Ash-

kenazic hazzanut style that paved the way for many cantors of the “Great Age of Cantors”. Oh, yes, and during all

of this he trained his son, Jacob, in music.

It is has always been interesting to me to know how many famous composers came from a Jewish back-

ground, with a cantor for a father or grandfather. Singing the part of Suzanne in “Robinson Crusoe”, I didn’t then

know the connection Jacques had with Jewish music. In finding the music of his father, my connection to that

opera I sang in so many years ago makes it that much more meaningful to me.

Now, on a completely different note, the High Holyday choir is will be starting up rehearsals at the end of

July. If you like to sing, and want to help with making our Holy Days meaningful, please contact me or Ellen

Royer for more information. A love of singing and a willingness to learn glorious music is all that is required.

Finally, to Rabbi Mintz, working with you has been wonderful. I cannot ask for a better partner and

friend to lead our wonderful congregation. You have taught me so much and I hope I can continue to emulate

your love of Judaism, your caring and your strength as our congregation begins it’s new chapter with you as our

emerita.

L’Shalom,

Cantor Marla Goldberg

Cantor’s

Notes

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE I think that I have invented the 28 hour day, or at least it feels that way as I am burning

the candle from both ends. I am writing this prior to the Shabbat Friday services that

will be held at the Red Rock Hotel in their convention center at 7 p.m. on May 20,

2016. For me, this is no ordinary Shabbat Weekend, as a young lady whom you have

all seen grow up, will become a Bat Mitzvah---my granddaughter, Samantha Holland.

Services will continue the next morning at the Red Rock Hotel at 10 a.m. where Sa-

mantha will chant from the Torah and from her Haftarah.

Now, we all know what it is like to have family joining together for such a major event

and my family is no different, coming from New York, Indiana, Colorado, Michigan and

New Mexico. Scheduling the event from arrivals and departures from McCarren, hotel

arrangements, special Kosher meals for my Orthodox brother, wife and son, working

with the hotel and the caterers, the DJ for Sami’s Sunday party, buying the white

shoes for her dress, making sure Andy has a suit that he can wear since he lost

weight, making my hair appointment, meeting at Kraft-Sussman to retrieve the Shab-

bat Ark, prayer books, kippot, bringing Samantha to the Rabbis for that “last minute”

run, or what I call “polishing the apple” ….

To make life more interesting, the executive and search committee has been inter-

viewing candidates to succeed our retiring Rabbi. Behind the scenes, revising our in-

vites for Rabbinical resumes, multiple e-mails going back and forth, telephone confer-

ences, (my cell phone blew up the other day), breakfast, lunch and dinner meetings,

creating an employment contract, revising the contract, and then working out the many

“what-ifs” or what I am calling Plan A and Plan B.

After reviewing the survey, the membership gave Rabbi Sara Abrams a high rating

which allowed the Board to offer her a position to become our Rabbi. The deadline to

respond finally came- only for us to learn that she had accepted a position with a Cali-

fornia synagogue. Back to the drawing board. More interviews.

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We will be inviting Rabbi Ora Weiss to join us for the first Shabbat weekend on June 3,

2016 where she will provide us with, I am sure, an interesting, thought provoking, spir-

itual sermon. On Saturday, please join us for Torah study with Rabbi Mintz and Rabbi

Weiss and then to cap off Shabbat, Havdalah with Rabbi Weiss. Your attendance is

much appreciated, as we want feedback from our membership.

At the semi-annual meeting, we talked about finding the right Rabbi, the right fit. We

want the membership to understand that we are not looking for some “body”….and if it

takes us longer to find that Rabbi, then we will spend the time in making a wise deci-

sion, a decision that impacts our very future.

There is much more to report about as we prepare for June…annual meeting, chang-

es to the bylaws, board nominations, preparing our 2016-2017 operating budget and

so on….stay tuned! And if you feel that you want some excitement in your life, then

contact me or any of the board members as we have positions to fill for our commit-

tees.

On behalf of my family, I wish you all many wonderful Shabbatot and thank you for

sharing our special “moment in time” for Samantha.

Barbara Holland

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MOVIE & DATE CHANGE: NOW “IDA” ON JUNE 2

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Let’s Get This Party Started Women's Rosh Chodesh

Pool Party and Movie Home of Rabbi Yocheved Mintz

Facilitated by Nancey Eason

Date June 5

Start Time 7:00 PM

RSVP to Office 702.436.4900

continued on page 11 10

#NCG2016

By Nancey Eason

At the Nevada for the Common Good conference (#NCG2016) 40 member groups, repre-

senting more than the 1200 people in attendance met on May 9th at the Cashman Center

to create positive forward thinking change to Nevada. The three areas of focus discussed

were education, immigration and caring for Elders and Person with Disabilities.

First on the agenda was the teacher shortage crises. For this they had sections of the au-

dience stand up to represent how many teachers were needed, how many substitute

teachers were teaching in the place of full time teachers and how many teachers stopped

teaching each year because of the poor working conditions. Stories were told about

classrooms having 40 students in them and being taught by teachers that had no training

in the subject matter they were teaching. You have to really wonder what the priorities

are in our community when this is how we chose to educate the upcoming generations.

The NCG representatives for this dialogue then stood up after the stories were shared

and asked from the community legislatures if they were willing to work with NCG to obtain

a better standard for our public education. They said yes.

And this is how NCG works. They have members who hold house meeting and they

search for the most compelling story to tell to represent the problem within our community.

Then they track down the public officials and agencies involved in the solution of the prob-

lem. Once they have this information they start trying to meet with these officials and

agencies to point out the problem. Last year they were able to get the bus schedule

changed so veterans attempting to get to the VA would be able to have more time be-

tween bus transfers and would not miss their appointments. This is an effective way to

create change: tell a compelling story of real-time problems to the party that can be part

of the solution and find ways to make the next right move to work towards change.

Next was immigration where we heard stories about fears of deportation and children still

being affected by not being able to access the Dream Act. Once again the officials were

brought forward and asked if they would meet with NCG to help move the solution forward

and again they said yes.

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Lastly they discussed the reimbursement rates for programs like Meals on Wheels and the Privatization of Medicaid. This time, one of the public official did state that there was no way to stop the privatization of Medicaid in Nevada, but that it would be a transparent transition. Time will tell and Nevadans for the Common Good will be one of the grassroots organization that makes sure it stays transparent. Congregation P’nai Tikvah is a member organization of Nevadans for the Common Good. If this is something that interests you, as Rabbi Mintz would say “Run to do the Mitzvah” and call the office. We will put you in touch with the committee chairs. Once a year, usually in the fall, NCG encourages it’s members to attend a training for those interested in community organization. There is a fee for this training. If you are not interested in this type of training but are willing to hold house meetings in your home, let us know. If you are interested in go-ing to the next convention, let us know. The more people we have in the seats, the more the public officials and agencies come to realize that there are real people within their districts that care about what is happening and will hold the agencies and public officials accountable for their actions.

Pictured: CPT Mem-bers Dr. Meera and Dr. Minao Kamegai at the Nevadans for the Common Good (NCG) Convention 2016 NCG is a co-alition of community institutions made up of members from dif-ferent races, reli-gions, neighbor-hoods and political parties with goals to achieve change on issues effecting our community with fo-cus on leadership development.

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Shavuot: The Harvest Festival of Torah

A good case can be made for Shavuot being the most important of all the Jewish festivals. The revival of its observance is of particular concern to Reconstruc-tionist Jews because our understanding of the nature and task of the Jewish people in the world and of what God should mean to us cannot be separated from our reinterpretation of the meaning of Torah. Shavuot is the festival of the giving and the receiving of Torah — of Torah as revelation, as law and as study. The word "Torah" means teaching, guidance, instruction, orientation. It is actually synonymous with Judaism itself and it has been used as such through the centuries.

In the Pentateuchal Torah (the Five Books of Moses), the Jewish people is told to count off seven weeks from the second day of Passover: "Start to count the seven weeks when the sickle is first put to the stand-ing grain. Then you shall observe the Feast of Weeks

for the Eternal your God, offering your freewill contribution . . . You shall rejoice before the Eternal your God with your son and daughter . . . and the stranger, the fatherless and the widow in your midst" (Deuteronomy 16). Shavuot originated as an agricultural festival. It celebrates the beginning (the "first fruits") of the wheat harvest in Eretz Yisrael which continues throughout the summer and ends with Sukkot in the fall. "On the day of the first fruits, your Feast of Shavuot, when you bring an offering of new grain to the Eternal, you shall observe a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations" (Numbers 28). "Then you shall observe the Feast of Weeks for the Eternal your God, offering your freewill contribution according as the Eternal your God has blessed you. You shall rejoice before the Eternal your God" (Deuteronomy 16). Harvest festivals are universal, and Israelite farmers probably ob-served their harvest festival in ways not much different from those of their neighbors. What transformed Shavuot into something more than an agricultural celebration was the fact that our forbears gradually came to thank God not only for the harvest of their fields, orchards and vineyards, but also for the laws and traditions of the harvest which they had developed during the centuries. Israelite law, for ex-ample, insisted that even during the busy planting and harvesting sea-sons the Sabbath be observed as a day of rest for people and animals alike (Exodus 34). Indeed, the original reason for counting the days of the seven weeks may have been to keep track of the Sabbaths. Israel-ite law also ordained that the edges of the field and the gleanings of the harvest belonged exclusively to the poor and unfortunate. "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger" (Leviticus 19).

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Since the Israelite saw God’s gift in the laws of the harvest as much as in the harvest itself, the book in which those laws were eventually recorded (the Torah) also came to be regarded as divine and the feast of the harvest became the holiday of revelation (the Season of the Giving of the Torah). With time, the agricultural aspect of Shavuot became secondary and the festival was observed primarily as a celebration of the revelation of the written and oral Torahs (the Pentateuch together with the Talmud and the Mid-rash). Two thousand years ago, the Pharisees, the primary shapers of Judaism as we know it today, championed this view.

That the laws of nature and the ethical laws by which people should live are all derived from the same divine source is beautifully expressed in the 19th Psalm:

According to Mordecai Kaplan, the outstanding characteristic of the Jewish religion is actually "its conscious em-phasis upon the teaching that the moral law is the principal manifestation of God in the world" (The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion). As Samuel S. Cohon writes (in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia): "Historical analysis, while showing the human origin of the Torah and its development in response to ever-changing needs, thereby undermining its claim to absoluteness, also demonstrates its abiding character in Judaism. Indeed, Juda-ism is the religion of Torah, not alone of the Written Law, nor even of the Oral Law, but of the religious growth of the Jewish people in religious knowledge and culture."

The significance of Torah as law harkens back to the legend of God’s choice of Abraham to be the progenitor of a people that would be a blessing to all nations. According to the story (Genesis 18:19), God had foreknowledge that Abraham would instruct his household and his posterity to observe "God’s way," which is the practice of justice and law (actually, justice under law). Perhaps the time has come to stress this legend on Shavuot, rather than the one about God giving the Torah to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai. "The actual revelation of God," Kaplan wrote (in If Not Now, When?), "took place not amid the thunder and lightning on Mt. Sinai but in the ‘still small voice’ of Israel’s sense of human history."

The Reconstructionist approach to Judaism actually commences with Mordecai Kaplan’s realization that "as long as Jews adhered to the traditional concept of Torah as supernaturally revealed, they would not be amenable to any constructive adjustment of Judaism that was needed to render it viable in a non-Jewish environ-ment" (Mordecai M. Kaplan: An Evaluation). These words still ring true for many of the most religiously sophisti-cated among us. Jacob Agus, in his discussion (in The Evolution of Jewish Thought) of Maimonides’ attitude to the idea that God spoke in an audible voice at Sinai, or that the revelation there actually took place as described in the Torah, reminds us that "when the Jewish people stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and heard the Ten Com-mandments recited by Moses, they were so deeply moved that in their imagination they heard voices and beheld wondrous sights. But the account of the revelation must not be taken literally . . . according to Maimonides, the account of the Sinaitic revelation in the Book of Exodus should be read as a parable (mashal) . . . in general, ‘the inner meanings of the words of the Torah are the gems while the literal parables are no more than illustrations.’"

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The heavens declare the glory of God,

the sky proclaims God’s handiwork.

Day to day makes utterance,

night to night speaks out. . . .

The teaching of the Eternal is perfect,

renewing life;

the decrees of the Eternal are enduring,

making the simple wise.

Shavuot: The Harvest Festival of Torah (cont.)

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Nor has Torah as law (halakha) lost its ability to contribute to Jewish survival today. "If all of us," Kohn wrote (Reconstructionist Pamphlet Series, 1966), "seek to understand the value of the mitzvot and practice as many of them as have value for us, they will be able to function as a religious influence on our lives." The idea of Torah as law should also serve to remind us that moral responsibility, which is mediated through conscience, is the princi-pal manifestation of God in human experience. Moral responsibility, or the ability to choose among alternatives those which express ethical and spiritual qualities, is the modern version of ancient Israel’s idea of God’s law for human life. "Responsibility," wrote Kaplan, "is modern man’s equivalent for the traditional concept of Divine law for man" ("A Philosophy of Jewish Ethics" in The Jews: Their Role in Civilization, edited by Louis Finkelstein).

In Jewish tradition, the study of Torah has always been viewed as the most important of the commandments. From the Reconstructionist point of view, the scope and content of Torah study should be expanded. Torah study would then include the ideas and documents that went into the making of the Pentateuch and the other parts of the Hebrew Bible (the "proto-Torah"). The Pentateuch itself would be studied in historical context and from the points of view of comparative religion and literary criticism. In addition to the traditional law and lore of our peo-ple, Torah study should involve the study of Jewish history and culture through the ages. The study of Hebrew and Yiddish language and literature should be emphasized but the study of the literature of the Jewish people in non-Jewish languages should be included. Torah study must also embrace study of other civilizations and cultures that can help in our quest for the meaning of both humanity and divinity.

The study of Torah every day of our lives, like the reading of Torah in the synagogue, can also be viewed, in the words of Jacob J. Weinstein (CCAR Proceedings, 1952), "as a ritual of learning, as a symbol of our reverence for knowledge, our passion for truth seeking, our consuming conviction that knowledge, not ignorance, is the road to bliss and the pathway to God. We should attend it with such instruction as will make it clear that this is an unfin-ished book, its meaning changing with the changing hungers of people, its pages ever open to new insights."

For Reconstructionist Jews, the Torah is divine not in the sense that God dictated it to Moses or gave it to us, but in the sense that the Process by which our people discovered its laws, spun its narratives and authored its poetry is exactly what we mean by God. Even the ethical shortcomings of the Torah are a source of insight and instruction for us. The God of the Torah is, for us, the spirit of the Jewish people at its best. In periods of religious introspection and exaltation, this spirit gives voice to those eternal ethical and spiritual insights in which we be-hold manifestations of a Power that is the ultimate source of goodness and truth.

While we are grateful and proud that the Torah has become the heritage of many peoples, for us the secret of its greatness lies in the fact that it is of the Jewish people, by the Jewish people, and for the Jewish people — our sacred and living heritage. In this heritage, universalism has always been inextricably and benevolently interwo-ven with particularism. Although such particularism today must be free of every taint of exclusivism and intoler-ance, our hope for human survival is indissolubly linked with hope for the survival and flourishing of our own dis-tinctive peoplehood, culture and religion.

The Jewish people created the Torah and the Torah, in turn, has created and recreated the Jewish people throughout history. It has conferred purpose and meaning on both our collective and individual existence, and has filled our lives with the blessings that come from the striving toward perfection. The insight of Saadia Gaon that "our people is a people only by virtue of the Written and Oral Torahs" is both descriptive and prescriptive. The reading of the Book of Ruth on Shavuot, one of the beautiful traditions of this festival, has special meaning for us because we sense the profundity of its message (Ruth 1:16) that only when the Jewish people is truly our people because we identify with it emotionally, culturally and spiritually — only then do we experience its God as our God. http://www.jewishrecon.org/resource/shavuot-harvest-festival-torah

Shavuot: The Harvest Festival of Torah (cont.)

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Remembering the forgotten Jews of the Mexican border

By Abe Villarreal; Submitted by J.D. Jenkins

About 100 yards from the Mexican border, in the town of Douglas, Arizona is a forgotten Jew-

ish cemetery.

Weeds and litter line the dirt road leading up to a little-known spot on the Eastern corner of the

small southwestern community. A barbwire fence and the remains of two altars greet you at

was once a nicely kept burial spot for at least 30 Jews who lived in Cochise County.

A plaque welcomes visitors at the site of what is known as the Douglas-Bisbee Jewish Ceme-

tery. Mounted on a small pillar in 1993, the plaque describes a re-dedication in the memory of

the “Jewish Pioneers of Cochise County”.

It is believed that this is the oldest cemetery in Arizona and one of two abandoned Jewish cem-

eteries in the state. Reconsecrated in 1993, today it looks like it has been forgotten for decades.

Tombstones are toppled and shattered. Names are difficult to read. There isn’t a flower in sight.

Most of the buried were born in the late 19th century and died between 1930 and 1960. Family

names such as Berkowitz, Cohen, Greenburg and Shapiro are etched into headstones next to

Hebrew letters.

Unfortunately, for these former Cochise County residents, vandalism has visited their resting

area on several occasions. A quick search of historical documents online details several instanc-

es of damage, one as recent as 2012 in what was described as an anti-Semitic act.

The Jews of the late 19th century played prominent roles in Cochise County, Arizona. There is

record of Jewish residents serving as deputy sheriffs, bankers and mining executives.

In Hebrew, a cemetery is considered a “house of eternity” and the land is holy. For Jews, estab-

lishing a cemetery is a first priority when moving to a new community.

The small Jewish community of the early Douglas days deserves better than an abandoned cem-

etery lost to history. The burial area was established in 1904 and Douglas was incorporated in

1905. The Jews were there to help form the beginning of a new American community.

We should be there to remember them in a town that is still going strong more than a century

later.

If you are interested in being part of a group of people that will be visiting Douglas, Arizona for

restoration of the cemetery, please contact arizonanewmex@gmail.com or 575-590-2335.

Abe Villarreal is the Director of Communications at Western New Mexico University. When not

on campus, he enjoys writing about his observations on marketing, life, people and American

traditions.

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We Are P’nai Tikvah: Yom HaAtzmaut, CUFI:A Night to Honor Israel, Jewlicious Pool Party and Lag BaOmer at T&T Ranch

Rabbi Mintz representing CPT at Yom HaAtzmaut

Jewish, Alive and American students with Rabbi Mintz at

CUFI: A Night to Honor Israel (L to R): Kevin

Kampschror, Faith Silverman, and Nicky Watts

Danica sparkles at the Jewlicious Learners

End-of-Year Pool Party

Sofia smiles at the Jewlicious

Learners End-of-Year

Pool Party

continued on page 17

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Jewlicious Learners Jonathan Abrams, Sofia Abrams and Sydney Knepper enjoying the

hot tub during the End-of-Year party for Jewlicious Learners.

We Are P’nai Tikvah: Yom HaAtzmaut, CUFI:A Night to Honor Israel, Jewlicious Pool Party and Lag BaOmer at T&T Ranch (cont.)

Sydney trying out archery at the Lag BaOmer

celebration. Danica and her mom, Kristen are

next!

Ask Faith and Shayna about their adventure

getting to T&T Ranch in Amargosa Valley

continued from page 17

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We Are P’nai Tikvah: Yom HaAtzmaut, CUFI:A Night to Honor Israel, Jewlicious Pool Party and Lag BaOmer at T&T Ranch (cont.)

Lag BaOmer Bonfire at Tonopah and Tidewater Ranch

Congregation P’nai Tikvah at Tonopah and Tidewater Ranch

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KIDZ KORNER for June

Jewlicious Learning

Hands on, experiential learning makes Jewish education fun and meaningful for our youngsters from Kindergarten thru B’nai Mitzvah. Working with Rabbi Mintz and our caring teachers makes preparing to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah exciting and ful-filling. Participating in the Congregation P’nai Tikvah Teen Torah Tribe is an engaging way of learning and being with other post B’nai Mitzvah students for our young adults.

SIGN UP TODAY FOR OUR 2016-2017 SESSION

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Our first and third Friday evening services create space for people to socialize, to talk over the ideas , and to

meet one another. Sponsoring and/or catering the Oneg Shabbat is a lovely way to share joy of Shabbat

with the community.

Any reason is a good reason to sponsor and/or cater an Oneg! Perhaps you are marking a special event (a

birth, baby-naming, engagement, wedding, anniversary, graduation, bar/bat mitzvah) or you want to remem-

ber a loved one in a special way, or celebrate a return to health, a new job…or any reason.

SIGN UP TO SPONSOR AND/OR CATER AN ONEG

June 3

Sponsored and Catered by

Susana and David Abrams

in honor of Jonathan’s

Birthday

June 17

Sponsored by Marian

Baum in memory of fa-

ther, Isidor Baum and Ca-

tered by Stephanie Paykel

and Sam Lieberman

August 5 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? August 19

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

September 2 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? September 16

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

October 7 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? October 14

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

November 4 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? November 18

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

December 2 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? December 16

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

January 6 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? January 20

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

February 3

Sponsored and Catered by

Nancey Eason in memory of

my father, William Eason

February 17 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

March 3 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? March 17

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

April 7 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? April 21

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

May 5 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? May 19

Sponsored and Catered by

Nancey Eason in celebra-

tion of 3+1ח Birthday

June 2 Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ??? June 16

Sponsored by ???

And Catered by ???

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Marc Fox 1-Jun David Abrams 4-Jun Lynn Pisetzner 5-Jun Emma Deal 8-Jun Rabbi Yocheved Mintz 10-Jun Susan Bindhamer 17-Jun Michael Nussbaum 18-Jun Leah Sussman 19-Jun Hariet Miller 24-Jun Shayna Davis 27-Jun David Piekarsky 27-Jun

June Birthdays

VOLUNTEERISM ABOUNDS AT CPT

Homes are always needed for the various activities and meetings of our congregation.

Offer a Personal prayer – If you’d like to write your own, please do so. If you would like to

see it published in the newsletter.

For $40.00 a prayer book can either be pur-

chased for personal use or be dedicated to

the congregation “In Memory” or “In Hon-

or of” and a card from CPT will be sent to

the family. The prayer book plate will be

placed on the inside cover of our Kol

HaNeshamah siddur.

Gail & Douglas Hansen 1-Jun

Susan & Marc Dubin 5-Jun

Faith & David Silverman 10-Jun

Cindy & Marc Fox 12-Jun

Meera & Minao Kamegai 22-Jun

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For the Month of June Malkah Ancman -Remembered by Eileen & Cort Ancman Isidor Baum -Remembered by Marian Baum Estelle Benstock -Remembered by Edward Benstock John Billingsley -Remembered by Lynda French Florian Eidelman -Remembered bya Debbie Wilreker Harry Gamerman -Remembered by Iris Katz Elaine Yrdang Rafal Greenwald -Remembered by Marti Jenkins Joseph Hewel -Remember by Jackie Ackerman & Family Irmagene Lockett -Remembered by Tim Lockett Sam Margolis -Remembered by Zelda Goldwater Dr. Alan Mintz -Remembered by Rabbi Yocheved Mintz Maxamillion Maurice Mintz and Anna Berlund Rosin -Remembered by Maxine Blechman Joseph Sokole -Remembered by Dale Gardner Yetta Tessler -Remembered by Harriet Bernstein & Roz Tessler Ann Moore Web -Remembered by Barbara Holland Sarah White -Remembered by Ann Mandell

Memorial plaques are available; to honor the departed,

to inspire the living. to be remembered in the

hearts of those we leave behind is, in a sense, to live forever.

For further information, call the Synagogue office

at 702-436-4900

24

Jewish Free Loan Program-The Jewish Free Loan Program (JFL) was established by the Jew-

ish Federation and administered by the Jewish Family Service Agency to assist members of our

Jewish community with short-term, no-interest loans of up to $2,500. For more information

about the Jewish Free Loan Program please contact Renea Parr at the Jewish Family Service

Agency (rparr@jfsalv.org) or 702-732-0304.

United Way Fund for Families-Our Jewish Federation has a close working partnership with

United Way and the Marilyn & Tom Spiegel Fund for Families. The fund was established by

the Spiegel's to specifically address financial needs for families with children who are struggling

to make "ends meets" and who are committed to providing a wholesome family environment for

their children in spite of short-term financial insecurity. To learn more about this program

please contact Jewish Federation at 702-732-0556.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Find us on the second floor of Center for Social Justice in Houssels House, across from the Ar-chitecture Library. Matthew Kramer-Morning | Director, The Hillel Jewish Student Center at UNLV Sigesmund Center | 2317 Renaissance Drive | Las Vegas, NV 89119 Email: Matthew@jewishlasvegas.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Jewish Family Service Agency (JFSA) is

looking to fill several volunteer positions

within the food pantry.

The following Openings are available:

Client Intake, Food Packing and Distribu-

tion – M, W, F from 8:30-12:30 (weekly

shifts of 3 or 4 hours)

Pantry Maintenance – M, W, Th, F between

1:00-5:00 (weekly shifts from 1 hour and up)

Food Pantry Coordinator – 15 hour per

week commitment (schedule can be flexible)

Middle School and High School students are

welcome to join our team!

Please contact Katie

Brase at 702-732-0304

or at katieb@jfsalv.org

for further information.

25

OUR SMITH’S NPO NUMBER

IS 61229.

COMMUNITY REWARDS

$55.00

26

Nid’vei Lev- Donations from the Heart

Rabbi Discretionary Fund

David Aris

Harriet Bernstein in memory of Jerry Bernstein

JCCSN, in honor of Rabbi Mintz teaching at Jewish University

Torah Study

David Aris

Tzedakah

Bais Yaakov Fax Settlement

Rick and Susan Bindhamer

Box Tops for Education

Kroger Community Rewards Program

Dale Gardner

Roz Tessler

27

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Blessings for the Month of Sivan: Just as we have ascended the heights from Passover to Shavuot, from our liberation to revelation, so may we gain clarity and direction that we may share ourselves with others in beauty and in lovingkind-ness. Amen.

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE:

June 1 7:00 PM Biblical Hebrew I

June 2 6:15 PM CPT Book Club at the home of Jane Kusel

June 3 6:30 PM Tot Shabbat, Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv & Jewlicious Learner ‘s Siyum

at the Kraft Sussman Chapel

June 4 10:00 AM Torah Study-Par’shat Bechukotai at the Home of Rabbi Mintz

June 7 7:00 PM Jewish, Alive and American

June 8 7:00 PM Hebrew II

June 11 Shavuot starts at sundown

June 13 Shavuot—Office will be closed

June 16 7:00 PM CPT Board Meeting

June 17 7:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv at the Kraft Sussman Chapel

June 18 10:00 AM Torah Study-Par’shat Naso

June 18 7:30 PM 100 Blessings: Havdallah Celebration at UNLV Founda

tion Building, Blasco Event Wing

June 26 10:00 AM ANNUAL MEETING at the home of Barbara Holland

July 1 7:00 PM Shabbat Across the Valley-TBD

July 8 7:00 PM Shabbat Across the Valley-TBD

July 15 7:00 PM Shabbat Across the Valley-TBD

July 22 7:00 PM Shabbat Across the Valley-TBD

July 29 7:00 PM Shabbat Across the Valley-TBD