December 2013 Kislev / Tevet 5774 · North Carolina, seeks to promote interfaith understanding...

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FROM OUR RABBI:

The newsletter of Beth El Synagogue

Durham’s first synagogue

December 2013 Kislev / Tevet 5774

Reflections on The God Who Hates Lies

by Rabbi David Hartman (z”l)

December 2013 / Tevet 5774

Earlier this year, the Jewish people lost a great sage, Rabbi

and Professor David Hartman ( ל"ז ). When he died, I decided to read

Hartman’s final book, The God Who Hates Lies: Confronting &

Rethinking Jewish Tradition, written with Charlie Buckholtz.

I read this book in part to honor Hartman’s legacy of Jewish

learning, but in part because his last book was different. By the

end of his life, Hartman had already made his contributions to

public discourse – though I finished his book yearning that some-

how time could reverse itself and he could be made Israel’s Chief

Rabbi 30 years ago. The questions that remained were not matters

for an analysis of Maimonides or a work of political philosophy

(he had already written those books); his last book was personal.

How do I justify maintaining a commit-

ment to the Jewish religious tradition in

the places where it demands I violate what I

intuitively feel and know? What place, if any,

does my personal, subjective intuition have in a

halakhic system – not just abstractly, but for

someone who wants to live, day to day, within

that system…This book is an attempt to flesh out

some aspects of what covenantal theology might

look like applied to questions of inner religious

conflict…What does it mean for the individual

who stands committed to that tradition [halakha /

Jewish law], yet at the same time knows what he

or she knows, and cannot manage to be other

than who he or she is? (pg 9)

Hartman grew up in Lakewood Yeshiva, the flagship institu-

tion of Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox learning in America. He left

because of its intellectual insularity. Early in the book he tells the

story of how he was once reading the Hertz Torah commentary (the

very same one we have here at Beth El), when “an older yeshiva

boy came by, took note of the author, grabbed the book out of my

hand, and threw it on the floor. ‘Treyfus!’ he declared, using the

Yiddish word for ‘nonkosher.’” From Lakewood, Hartman went

to study at Yeshiva University with the great Orthodox sage,

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, in whom Hartman realized the

promise of YU’s motto, Torah u-Mada (literally “Torah and

Secular Knowledge). “Renowned for his sophisticated, erudite

integration of halakhic thinking and Western philosophy,” Hartman

writes, “’the Rav’ became my teacher and mentor.”

Hartman’s affection for the yeshiva world in which he was

raised and for Soloveitchik, who nurtured his intellectual curiosity,

makes his departure from their approach later in life that much

more compelling. Hartman explains the crux of his disagreement

with Soloveitchik by reference to a debate that occurred between

Soloveitchik and Rabbi Emmanuel Rackman at the convention of

the (orthodox) Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) in 1975.

The debate was about how and whether orthodoxy should respond

to the problem of the aguna (literally “chained woman”), the

woman whose husband refuses to grant her a Jewish divorce, but

the argument was about something much deeper: whether Jewish

law can change. At the convention, Soloveitchik, Hartman’s

teacher, argued,

Not only the halakhos [laws], but also the

hazakos [assumptions] which the traditional sages

have introduced, are indestructible. For the

hazakos which the Rabbis spoke of rest not

on trenchant psychological patterns, but upon

permanent ontological principles rooted in the

very depth of the human personality – in the

metaphysical human personality – which is as

changeless as the heavens above.

In confronting a world over which we have no control –

whether that world is one in which the Jewish people are persecuted

by enemies who hate us or surrounded by “alien ideas” such as

(Continued on page 4)

Inside this issue:

Committee Contacts…………………………...….....2

Gabbaim Schedule…………………………………....2

Shabbat 25…………………………………….....…...3

Social Action……………………………………...…..5

House Committee News………………………...…..7

Sisterhood……………………………………….…….7

Sisterhood Kitchen Initiative………………………...9

Shabbat Meal Hosts/Sponsors…………….………..10

Meet our Bat Mitzvah …...…….………………..….11

Youth & Talmud Torah News…….………..…...11-13

October Contributions……...……...…....…….......14

Yahrzeit Reminders…………..……............…….…16

Letter from Valhalla………...………......…….........21

December & January Calendars……….…........23-24

Community Connections………………………..….25

December 2013 / Beth El Bulletin 2

The Beth El Bulletin is the newsletter of Beth El Congregation. We appreciate any feedback and input. Non-members may request to join our mailing list for a $25 yearly contribution to help cover printing & mailing costs. Bulletins are also archived online three months at a time. The online version has some contact information omitted for the privacy of our members.

Rabbi Rabbi Daniel Greyber President Barak Richman First Vice President Rachel Galanter Second Vice President Noah Pickus Interim Exec. Director Ivy Wingate Education & Youth Director Elisabeth Albert Cong. Services Coordinator Rachel Albert Publicity Assistant Krisha Miller Rabbi Emeritus Rabbi Steve Sager Bulletin Advertising Manager Gladys Siegel

YAHRZEITS: To arrange a yahrzeit minyan, please call

the synagogue office (919-682-1238) at least one month in advance. To receive notification of a yahrzeit or to list a yahrzeit in the bulletin, call the synagogue office (682-1238).

DO YOU HAVE AN ITEM FOR THE BETH EL BULLETIN? All items for the bulletin MUST be submitted by e-mail to Krisha Miller at [email protected]. The FINAL DEADLINE for items for the upcoming bulletin is the 1st workday of the preceding month. THANK YOU.

COMMITTEE CONTACTS:

Finance Maxine Stern

Lifelong Learning Sheva Zucker

Membership Andrea Ginsberg

Orthodox Kehillah Sheldon Hayer

Ritual Laura Lieber

Social Action Debbie Goldstein

Va’ad haChinuch Eric Lipp

Community of Caring Rhoda Silver

CHEVRA KADISHA (BURIAL SOCIETY) Contact David Klapper

Gabbai Rotation

Please contact if you'd like to

request an aliyah or help lead services.

Please do not call on Shabbat or other holidays.

12/07 Vayigash Jon Wahl

12/14 Vayehi James Tulsky

12/21 Shemot Roger Perilstein

12/28 Vaera Frank Fischer

1/04 Bo Sally Laliberte

The Gabbaim schedule through June 2014

will be available online by December 1.

www.betheldurham.org/rituallife/gabbirotation.html

Bulletin Deadline

January Bulletin:

Monday, December 2

Please submit items to

[email protected]

Do you have news to share with your

Beth El community?

Graduation? Award received?

Birth of a child or grandchild?

Send notices to [email protected]

and we’ll let everyone know by posting it in the bulletin.

“Like” Beth El Synagogue at www.facebook.com/BethEl.Durham

Join our discussion group at

www.facebook.com/groups/BethElDurham

and, check out Rabbi Greyber’s page: www.facebook.com/pages/

Rabbi-Daniel-Greyber/105866049455568

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FROM OUR PRESIDENT:

On the Pew Study, and On Our Path Ahead

The Jews of America had an eventful October! On

October 1, the Pew Research Center released A Portrait of

Jewish Americans, the most expansive demographic study of

the American Jewish Community in more than a generation.

See http://bit.ly/pew_study . Its main findings: 22% of American

Jews now describe themselves as having no religion, including

32% of young Americans; 62% say being Jewish is mainly a

matter of ancestry and culture, while just 15% say it is mainly

a matter of religion; and formal identification with traditional

Jewish institutions – schools, synagogues, anything – is down

everywhere.

And then, on October 11, the United Synagogue of

Conservative Judaism—the umbrella organization for the

Conservative Movement—celebrated its Centennial Convention.

The Centennial was described as a “reset button,” in which the

Movement’s leaders pledged to address dwindling numbers,

contracting budgets, and dampened dynamism worldwide. As

best as organizers could, the Centennial aimed to charge attendees

with a renewed sense of hope and mission.

I attended the Centennial, along with Rabbi Greyber and

several other congregants, and the Pew Study’s release just a

week earlier was ironic timing, to say the least. A colleague at

the convention likened the mood at the Centennial to a wedding

in which both the bride and groom just received diagnoses

of terminal illnesses. There was a sense of obligation to be

celebratory and forward looking despite the obvious signs of

death around us. Pride and mission competed with a sense of

urgency and crisis, and cognitive dissonance ultimately prevailed.

There has been much hand wringing in the Jewish

blogosphere, among Jewish thinkers, and especially within the

Conservative Movement as to what the Pew Study means. Is

secularism an inevitable consequence of religious pluralism? Has

the Conservative Movement failed us? Must we find new ways

to convey the appeal of Jewish religious practice?

All big questions. Without engaging fully with those issues,

I do think that, at the very least, we need to rethink our traditional

institutions—synagogues, schools, Federations—and look for

innovative mechanisms to facilitate Jewish engagement and

attract those who might find meaning in our tradition. Accord-

ingly, I’ve secured a grant from Duke’s Kenan Institute (headed

by our own Noah Pickus!) to organize a conference entitled,

“American Jewish Institutions and Organizational Innovation:

Using Theory to Inform Practice, Using Successes to Inform

Practitioners.” The conference will take place on January 23-24

and will feature Jewish leaders who are pioneering some of the

most innovative and successful initiatives in the American Jewish

community. You all are invited to attend, details soon to come.

In the meantime, please plan on attending our panel discussion

on Saturday, Dec. 7 as part of our Shabbat 25 celebration. See

right for details. →

This Conference is designed, chiefly, to address perhaps the

biggest question coming out of the Pew Study: What can we do to

reverse our fortunes? My hope is we can learn from some of our

community’s successes, build upon them, and conceive ways to

articulate our own reset button.

— Barak Richman

Shabbat 25 December 6-7

www.betheldurham.org/rituallife/index.html#s25

Dinner Guests - a chance for interfaith dialogue Friday, December 6*

We will host visitors from the Divan Center in Cary at our

Community Shabbat Dinner. The Divan Center, which was

founded in 2005 by the Turkish-American community of

North Carolina, seeks to promote interfaith understanding

between Muslims and other religious communities. This

event will provide our congregants with a unique opportunity

to engage in genuine interfaith dialogue.

Jewish Pew Study Panel Saturday, December 7 after kiddush lunch (approx. 1pm)

The recent survey of US Jews conducted by the Pew Research

Center shows a growing disconnect from Judaism and Jewish

institutions (see message from our President). Come learn more

about the results of this major new survey and ask questions of

our panel of experts. The panel will include our own Noah

Pickus, director of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke

University, Mark Chaves, professor of the sociology of religion

at Duke and Daniel Greyber, rabbi of Beth El Synagogue. Yonat

Shimron, Beth El member & managing editor for Religion News

Service, will moderate the panel.

Our Shabbat 25 programming gives the community a chance

to connect with Beth El throughout Shabbat. We begin with

Shabbat Shirah - a joyous Friday night service led by Rabbi

Greyber using the melodies of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

plus a separate service for our youngest members & their

families. Both services begin at 6:00pm and are followed by

a community Shabbat dinner. Our celebration continues on

Saturday with Shabbat morning services, including Jr.

Congregation (designed for grades 2-6), followed by a kiddush

lunch. Shabbat 25 represents two important values: Welcoming

and Tradition. By creating many moments throughout Shabbat to

be with the community, we hope to welcome everyone giving as

many people as possible a chance to participate.

We will conclude our December Shabbat 25 celebration

with the study panel on Saturday afternoon. We encourage all

members to attend the Federation’s Campaign Kick-off that

evening, December 7 at 6:30pm honoring two outstanding

Beth El members. More on page 17.

*Reservations for the Community Shabbat Dinner are due

by 3pm, Tuesday, Dec. 3. Cost is $18 per person 13 and older /

$9 per child 7-12 / no charge for children under 7. Family maxi-

mum charge for dinner is $45. Please mail payment to Beth El

Synagogue with the dinner date & CSD noted in the memo line.

Any cancellations made after 12/3 will still need to be paid for in

full. Thank you for your understanding. Beth El is committed to

ensuring that everyone in our community can participate in all

programming, regardless of financial circumstances. If you would

like to help those in financial need attend dinner, please consider

a donation of $18 or more.

2014 Shabbat 25 dates:

Jan. 24-25 with special evening event following

March 7-8 & April 4-5

http://bit.ly/pew_study

http://www.betheldurham.org/rituallife/index.html#jpsp127


See noted page numbers for details on these

December events:

Fri. 12/6-Sat. 12/7 Shabbat 25 - page 3

Sat. 12/7 Monthly Parasha Discussion - page 6

Sat. 12/7 Pew Study Panel Discussion - page 3

Sun. 12/8 Simchat Tot- page 13

Sun. 12/8 Social Action Sunday - page 5

Wed. 12/11 Sisterhood sponsored Speaker’s Night - page 7

Sat. 12/14 Healing Yoga - page 6

Sun. 12/15 Knitting Chevra - page 5

Sun. 12/15 Pancake Palooza - page 11

Fri. 12/20-Sun. 12/22 Beach Shabbaton - page 4 (above)

Sun. 12/22 Artist's Recpt. (Sheila Levine) 2pm - page 6

feminism and egalitarianism - Soloveitchik’s theology

rescues its believers by providing a safe and eternal refuge

from the troubles of history. It “lifts its practitioners beyond

contingency, to a timeless revelatory dimension in which

lived experience” doesn’t matter; the world of the rabbinic

sages gave Jews all that we ever need to survive, as long as it

does not become corrupted. But what Soloveitchik’s approach

offered in stability it lacked in coherence with the intellectual

courage and openness Hartman had encountered years before.

The effect of Soloveitchik’s statements not only closed

the door on the possibility of Orthodoxy solving the aguna

problem in traditional Jewish marriage law (as Rackman’s

proposal would have, and as the Conservative movement

legal body did), it left Hartman with “puzzlement and grave

disappointment. I live with the fond memory of a teacher

unintimidated by any ideas or by any authority…Whatever

its source or motivation, I am in total disagreement with this

perception of Torah” (p152-3).

In leaving his teacher’s ideas behind, Hartman lays out

his own theology, one which I find compelling and inspiring.

It is based upon (as the title of the book declares) a belief in

The God Who Hates Lies. Hartman writes, “Our experience

must not be denied because of the authority of the past…Your

reality has to confirm the validity of the language of the past.

The God who loves permanence wants us to deny what we

experience, while the God who hates lies wants us to give it

credence, to incorporate it into our spiritual and ritual

lives” (p156).

In the last part of the book, Hartman lays out the ways

in which his theology could/would change how rabbinic

authority understands issues surrounding Jewish identity and

conversion, and the religious meaning of the State of Israel.

As a Conservative rabbi reading Hartman’s book, much of

what he wrote felt familiar. The insight that Judaism has a

history, and that history could and should be incorporated into

Jewish legal decisions is a core principle of the Conservative

movement. In fact, much of the vision and halakhic creativity

that Hartman imagines in his last chapter has already been

articulated by the Conservative movement’s law committee in

Israel (to read more, go to http://www.responsafortoday.com).

But Hartman grew up Orthodox and it was within Orthodoxy

and the Jewish state that he would argue for a different

approach to Jewish life. He was a great sage, and left behind

a great legacy for the Jewish people if we have the wisdom to

learn and follow.

--- Rabbi Daniel Greyber

From our Rabbi, continued from cover: Mazel Tov to Lisa, Matt, Ellie, & Noah Zerden

on the birth of their daughter/sister Zoey Bea Zerden October 6, 2013!

Mazel Tov to Neil Berman & Rachel Werner on their wedding

Sunday, November 10, 2013!

The Annual Beach Shabbaton! December 20-22, 2013

(early arrival option available for Thursday night, 12/19/13)

The annual Beach Shabbaton near Emerald Isle, NC

provides a unique community building experience while

we immerse ourselves in Shabbat without the distractions of

our busy day-to-day lives. It is a wonderful way to visit

with new & old friends. There are many opportunities to

daven, learn and socialize. And of course, noshing — lots

of noshing!

Registration is available online - Space is limited, but at

time of press there was still room!

www.betheldurham.org/adulted/shabbaton.html

Reservations are not secure until the deposit is received.

Phone reservations will not be accepted.

http://www.betheldurham.org/adulted/shabbaton.html

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Save the Date!

8th annual Beth El Blood Drive

March 30, 2014

Pasta

Canned soups (low sodium)

Canned vegetables (low sodium)

100% fruit juice (pouches or boxes)

Raisins or other dried fruit

Granola Bars

Pudding Cups

Animal/Graham Crackers

Trail Mix

Peanut butter (plastic jars)

Canned tuna, chicken or salmon

Beans, peas & lentils (cans or dry)

Canned fruits ( in 100% juice)

Rice

Oatmeal or other hot & cold cereals

Macaroni and cheese

Popcorn

Food & Toiletry Drives

Remember: our food & toiletry drives

are year-round!

Almost everyday, people come to Beth El in need of food.

Your donations are much appreciated!

Food needs to be non-perishable and in non-glass containers.

"A double-mitzvah": Link your Harris Teeter VIC card

to our school (5883) and earn money for the Talmud

Torah while helping others. VIC cards need to be re-linked

each school year & can be linked to more than one school.

See online for instructions: http://bit.ly/BETTVIC

Knitting Chevra 10:00am-11:30am in the Freedman Center Lounge

Meets on the second Sunday of each month from October

through April.

We welcome new members of all knitting levels. Our

project for 2013-2014 is knitting hats and scarves for people

currently homeless. These will be distributed through the

Chapel Hill Police Department. Susan Leeb suggested this

project after discovering this need through her participation

in D-CH Jewish Federation’s Mitzvah Day last year.

We are also continuing our year-round clothing drive. We

collect gently used clothing for A Second Bloom, a second

hand clothing store owned and operated by the Family

Violence and Rape Crisis Center (which serves people

throughout the Triangle.) We accept clothing of all sizes for

men, women, babies and teens.

For further information, to get a hat pattern or to

donate clothing contact Hunter Levinsohn at

[email protected], 919.929.6728.

December 15

January 12

February 9

March 9

April 13

Social Action News

On October 6, about 30 or so Beth El members

gathered for a wonderful discussion about possible themes

for a congregational engagement in social action. Attendees

were most interested in the topics of child poverty and

hunger and nutrition, so we'll be focusing our efforts on

those areas in the coming months. Many thanks to Rabbi

Greyber for his introductory remarks, Leslie Winner for

facilitating, and to Ilana Saraf and Hunter Levinsohn for

preparing delicious food for the program.

Our next social action Sunday will be on December

8 from 10:30-12 and will feature a community panel.

Rev. Mel Williams, retired pastor from our neighbor Watts

Baptist Church, will speak about founding End Poverty

Durham and how we can help, and other community leaders

will share information about their work and ways we can

support specific child poverty and hunger/nutrition projects

already happening in Durham and Chapel Hill.

In December, we will be collecting kitchen supplies

for Genesis Home up until Mitzvah Day. We will also

send information soon about an "8th Day of Chanukah"

campaign and food collection at Beth El.

We have a new listserve for people interested in Beth

El's social action work! Join this open forum list to discuss

social action activities & initiatives: http://bit.ly/BE-SA-LS

~~Debbie Goldstein and Jacki Resnick

Social Action Sundays Dec. 8, 2013, Feb. 9, 2014 & April 13, 2014

10:30am-noon

Come together to discuss future projects & activities.

Bagels & coffee provided by Social Action committee.

Please contact Debbie Goldstein

([email protected])

or Jacki Resnick ([email protected])

with any questions.

http://www.betheldurham.org/socialaction/programs.html#sas


Healing Yoga Gentle Movement, Meditation, Relaxation

10:00–11:00am in the Freedman Center

Dec. 14 / Jan. 18

Feb. 8 * / April 12* / May 10 / June 7 *Synaplex, start time may differ.

Who Should Come? • Anyone who is looking for healthy ways to relieve the

physical and mental stresses of illness – yours or that of a

family member

• Those who are grieving

• Those with and without yoga experience (mats/props are

available for your use)

Benefits of Healing Yoga: • Helps the recovery process; addresses fatigue, soreness,

stiffness, anxiety, and depression; deals with balance, bone

loss, immunity, and flexibility; brings peace of mind.

Participants should wear comfortable clothing.

After the class, all are welcome to join the Beth El worship

service and /or Kiddush lunch.

With generous support, Beth El has raised the funds to

purchase yoga mats, straps, foam blocks, blankets, bolsters,

and eye bags. These props help participants feel comfortable

as they sit, move, and meditate. Please join us, or if you know

someone who might benefit from healing yoga, consider

coming as a buddy.

For additional information, contact Margie Satinsky, RYT,

919-383-5998 or [email protected]

Lifelong Learning www.betheldurham.org/adulted/courses.html

Wednesday Morning Minyan & Text Study

Services start at 8:00am on most Wednesdays & usually last

about 45 minutes. Afterward, those who can stay gather in

the social hall for coffee, treats, & a weekly study led by

Rabbi Greyber or other members. All are welcome.

Shabbat Mishnah Study

Saturday mornings at 8:45am in the Freedman Center

Feel free to attend at any time! Join Rabbis Sager and

Greyber for coffee and discussions on text from the

Mishnah. People new to Mishnah study are especially

welcome.

Monthly Torah Study

Do you sometimes wish there was more time to discuss

the Parasha/Torah Portion of the Week? Well, there is!

Approximately once a month we are offering Torah

discussions led by various congregants. These are usually

held held prior to the Main Sanctuary Torah reading

(location & timing will differ).

2013-2014 DATES

December 7 (Shabbat 25) with Rabbi Laura Lieber

January 25 (Shabbat 25) with Rabbi Daniel Greyber

February 8 (Synaplex)

March 29

April 12 (Synaplex)

May 3

Beth El Art Gallery

On display through December 4, 2013:

Early 20th Century Photographs of Palestine by Elia Kahvedjian,

Survivor of the Armenian Holocaust.

Collection and Comments of Rabbi Steven Sager.

Our next show begins the following week:

Reproductions of Nature

by Sheila Levine

December 11 — March 11

Sheila has been painting for the last 10 years in both

watercolor and acrylic. She focuses on the beauty of nature,

often using images taken by her photographer husband, Sol.

She enjoys traveling with him and painting the scenes,

flora and fauna that they encounter.

Artist’s Reception

2 PM, Sunday, Dec 22.

If you are interested in exhibiting your artwork at Beth El,

please contact Susan Rosefielde ([email protected]).

Professionals, students and hobby artists are welcome.

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SAVE THE DATE

January 25, 2014

Saturday evening from 7 to 10 pm

Celebrate Beth El's

Earl and Gladys Siegel

Endowment.

Savor the past and

help create a sweet future.

It will be an evening

of savory and sweet desserts

in the company of good friends.

Sisterhood Sponsored Events Check out page 9 for an update on our

Kitchen Initiative!

Wednesday, Dec 11th: Speaker’s Night featuring

Leslie Winner Location: Sanctuary / Time: 7-9:00PM

Leslie, one of our Sisterhood members, served in the NC

Senate! Join us for this rare glimpse into our state’s political

world. Leslie Winner will speak about her experiences

being a woman, being Jewish, and being a lawyer in the

State Senate.

Thursday, January 16th: Zumba Class with

Pilar Rocha-Goldberg Location: Social Hall / Time: 7-8:30PM

Pilar will teach us to move with her Zumba groove!

Everyone is welcome to join us for this fun program.

Bring a friend or your favorite cutie pie.

Sunday, March 2nd: Rosh Chodesh Adar

with Elyza Richmon Halev & Rachel Bearman Location: Social Hall / Time: 7:00-9:00PM

Join Elyza and Rachel for a mask making project while we

discuss and learn about Rosh Chodesh and what it means

to us. We’ll be able to use these beautiful creations during

Purim!

Sunday, March 16th: Hamentaschen Pick-up

at the Purim Carnival Location: Freedman Center / Time: 11-1:00PM

This spring fundraiser benefits the Talmud Torah

Religious School. Our delicious kosher parve

Hamentaschen cookies are made in the Beth El kitchen.

We sell out every year, so plan to preorder your

hamentaschen in January.

Thursday, April 3rd: Movie Night (Movie: TBD) Location: Beth El Lobby & Library / Time: 6-9:30PM

After the success of our first movie night we knew we

wanted to repeat this program.

Friday, May 9th: Shabbat Services & Oneg Location: Sanctuary, Social Hall / Time: 7:30PM

Join us for Shabbat. Everyone is welcome.

Sisterhood Gift Shop

Open during office hours,

select special events, & by appointment.

If you are interested in shopping outside of office hours,

helping staff the Gift Shop or with shop related projects,

please contact [email protected].

House Committee News

Last month, Ivy Wingate described the preparatory work

needed for the High Holidays that required many hours

behind the scenes. With the new year, an entire House

Committee has been formed to learn about our facility’s

systems which David Klapper managed single-handedly for

years. David has shared valuable historical and technical

information to help inform our decisions about repairs and

maintenance. Recently we had contractors readdress odor

and moisture problems in the main building, replaced a

broken freezer in the Freedman Center, and "dusted off"

the boiler to start heating both buildings for winter. There

are smaller jobs we manage ourselves too, from replacing

electrical bulbs and switches to cleaning out storage spaces.

Thanks for your support as we roll up our sleeves, at least

figuratively. Our House committee is co-chaired by Laura

Flicker & Hal Sandick with additional members Ron

Grunwald, Sydney Miller, Robert Rosenstein, & Leslie

Tobin.

If you are not receiving Beth El’s weekly e-mail

announcements and would like to,

please contact Rachel Albert at

[email protected]

and ask her to add you to our listserve.


Mishnah Study

A Variety of Engaging Shabbat Morning Services

Children's Programming

Tefillah Hike

Yoga

In-depth Torah discussion with a local scholar

AND MUCH MORE!

Please join us at Beth El to find Jewish experiences that speak to your heart.

By offering many different

prayer & study experiences, Synaplex Shabbat gives

people more ways to connect with Jewish life.

Our community will come together for a D’var Torah by Rabbi Greyber followed by a communal lunch

where all are welcome.

If you're interested in helping with this exciting program contact Rabbi Greyber at [email protected].

The Community of Caring

We are here for YOU!

For anyone in need of a meal due to

illness, surgery, grief or other special circumstances.

For anyone who needs a ride to/from a doctor's appointment,

to the hospital or nursing home

so you can visit a friend or loved one.

For anyone who would like a friendly visitor

to see you at home or in the facility where you live.

And for anyone who would like to be a part of this

wonderful organization by participating in any of the above.

Please call or email Rhoda Silver at:

919-688-0077 / [email protected]

Interested in reading the Haftarah or Torah

during an upcoming Shabbat service?

Congregants who do this regularly/semi-regularly/

every-once-in-awhile are greatly appreciated! Even if

you've never chanted a Haftarah, if it's been a long

time, or you have thought it would be a meaningful

way to commemorate an occasion, you like the sound

of the trope, or you would just like to learn this as a

new skill, please contact Randi Smith -

If you would like to read a Torah portion, please

contact Jeff Derby

Todah Rabbah!

Thank you very much to everyone who made this year’s

Chanukkah Bazaar such a success:

our many volunteers, vendors & shoppers.

Special thanks to Sisterhood, the Va'ad HaHinuch,

The MoB, Men of Oil, & The Watts Street Band!

Photos online at: http://bit.ly/BESHbazaar13

mailto:[email protected]

tel:919-688-0077


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Sisterhood’s Kitchen Initiative:

Looking back at 2013

The Kitchen Initiative fundraiser is gathering steam again after a bit of a slow summer. Thanks to the

generosity of congregants, we now have collected $3,667. That is almost 37% towards our $10,000 fundraising

goal. Mardi Zeiger was instrumental in garnering over $1,000 in recent months. She recommended that

donations for the High Holiday Community Card and in honor of her and Errol’s 50th wedding anniversary go

to Kitchen Initiative. What a difference those campaigns made. Thank you, Mardi and thank you to the many

congregants who contributed!

Kitchen purchases have continued apace. A major milestone: we are done for the moment buying new

knives. The last shipment included a couple serrated tomato knives for making delicate slices. There are new

sharpening steels, meat serving bowls, color-coded sponges and can openers (for dairy, meat, pareve), appliance timers, large

metal colanders, professional grade stock pots, measuring utensils, baking pans of various sizes, kitchen towels, cleaning

brushes for the coffee carafe, and a grabber tool for reaching high places. Metal utensils are being engraved to indicate dairy,

meat, pareve avoid mistakes in their usage. For non-metal items, look for colored dots: blue for dairy, green for pareve, red for

meat.

In the near future, we will be researching options for shelving, ceramic serving dishes and bowls for dairy meals , and a

sturdier, more attractive hand washing station. Your input about damaged or inadequate utensils and small appliances has been

very helpful. When you have an idea, please share it with any member of the Sisterhood board. Or, write a note on the white

board in the kitchen, near the dairy fridge! As always, your financial support is very much appreciated. You can write a check

to Beth El with “Sisterhood Kitchen Initiative” in the subject line and send it to the office.

Now to close with some especially exciting news. As of this writing (late October), Beth El is actively interviewing

candidates for a part-time Kitchen Manager. We hope to make an announcement regarding this position very soon! Stay

tuned...

Beth El Sisterhood Kitchen Initiative Pledge Form

Stocking and maintaining the kitchen is critical for weekly Kiddushim as well as other religious and social functions held at Beth El. Please help improve the kitchen by making a financial contribution to Sisterhood. The funds we collect will purchase professional quality knives, bowls, utensils, service ware, shelving, signage, minor servicing of equipment, and more.

Please make checks payable to Beth El with “Sisterhood Kitchen Initiative” in the memo section. Thank you.

Yes, I want to support kitchen improvements and can pledge… $54 _______

$72 _______

$90 _______

$180 _______

Other amount $________

___________________ ____________________ Your Name E-mail Telephone Address (if not in Beth El Directory)

I am interested in volunteering in the kitchen to implement improvements.


Shabbat Meal Hosts and Sponsors

December 7 Shabbat 25 Kiddush hosted by:

Stephen & Shula Bernard

Sidney & Alice Levinson

Michele Pas

Barry Poss

Philip & Ellen Singer

Jonathan & Deborah Wahl

December 14 Kiddush hosted by Barak & Laura Richman in

honor of their daughter, Ariella, becoming a Bat Mitzvah

December 21 Kiddush hosted by:

Harold Baranger & Meg Anderson

Michaela Davidai

Samuel & Marsha Horowitz

Lewis & Judith Siegel

Jeremy Thibodaux & Lisa Einhorn

December 28 Kiddush sponsored by:

Joel & Susan Leeb

Lee & Elaine Marcus

Eric & Carol Meyers

Peter & Marilyn Ornstein

January 4 Kiddush hosted by:

Lisa Berley

Susan Gidwitz & Gail Freeman

Larry & Ricki Goldstein

Howard Margolis in memory of his parents

Les & Cheryl Saper

Doug Schiff & Karen Sindelar


Ya'akov & Rachel Ariel

Robin Barth

Shalom Goldman & Laurie Patton

Gerald Postema & Leslie Winner

Michael Spiritos & Sarah

Bob Wechsler & Hope Hartman


Eric Cohen & Sandra Kronick

Allison Coovadia

Debra Evenson

Paul & Anita Farel

Jonathan & Deyanira Prastein

Marshall & Rebecca Rohde

Aaron Rosenstein

Membership Committee in honor of our new members

January 25 Shabbat 25 Kiddush hosted by:

Steve & Sally Brown

Adam & Beth Goldstein

Jeffrey Krolik & Michelle Shrott

Kevin & Ann Leibel

Steve Lerner & Sharon van Horn

James Tulsky & Ilana Saraf

Gary & Abby Zarkin

Beth El Kashrut Reminder

This is a friendly reminder from Ivy that a Beth El staff

person MUST check for appropriate hecshers (kosher

certification) on all food you bring into the building for

meals/events here at the synagogue. Even if you've

brought similar food before & even if you have a kosher

home, your food still must be checked, without exception.

We do this to ensure that our kitchen meets certain

standards of kashrut which allows us all to enjoy the

wonderful food you prepare for our congregation.

See here for a guide: http://bit.ly/BEkashrut

Please coordinate delivery timing with the office. Watch

your e-mail for an announcement soon regarding a new

part-time kitchen manager.

Please note that this reminder is in regards to food for

synagogue functions only. Any food brought for food-

drive donation purposes does not need to be kosher or

checked & should be delivered directly to the appropriate

lobby space.

11

Please join us as our daughter

Ariella Sofi Richman

is called to the Torah

as a Bat Mitzvah

Friday, December 13, 6:00pm

Saturday, December 14, 9:30am

Shabbat Vayechi

Kiddush Luncheon following

Saturday services

Laura & Barak Richman

Meet our Bat Mitzvah

Ariella Sofi Richman

I’m Ariella and I’m 12 ½ years old. If I

could use one word to describe myself it would

be driven. When I set my mind to do something,

it usually gets done. I love horses, dogs, and pretty

much all other mammals. My favorite colors are

turquoise and blue, and I ride horses, play piano,

occasionally baby-sit, sometimes cook, and am

an avid reader. I went to the Lerner School for

eight years, and I am currently at Duke School,

in middle school; 7th grade to be exact. My family

consists of: my mom, Laura, my dad Barak, my

little sister Eden, and little brother Izak. I also

have an adorable new puppy, George. I am

looking forward to seeing my many relatives at

my Bat Mitzvah!

Playworks Mitzvah Project

Eliana Davis (who will become a Bat Mitzvah in

February) is collecting donations for Playworks as part

of her Bat Mitzvah project. Playworks is an innovative

program that aims to create a safe and healthy playing

environment for children. It provides recreation equipment

and trained "coaches” to help children play and resolve

conflicts during recess. Playworks is a national organization

that serves 14 schools in Durham. See www.playworks.org

for more information!

Eliana is collecting lightly used and new playground

equipment. Playworks would appreciate donations of balls

for different sports (soccer, basketball, kickball) as well as

cones, hula hoops, jump ropes, tennis rackets, and more!

PANCAKE PALOOZA

Fre

nch t

oast

S

cram

ble

d e

ggs

Cas

sero

les

Fruit Pastrie

s Coffe

e T

ea J

uice &

More

Bring your friends, your families,

and your appetites.

http://tinyurl.com/pancakepalooza

Reservations can be made at:

Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Options

Sunday, December 15

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM @ Beth El

Adults: $10 with advance reservations ($15 @ door)

Kids 4 to 12: $5 / Kids under 3: FREE

100% of Proceeds go to Beth El’s

Talmud Torah Youth Education Program

Questions? – Call 919-824-0239

http://tinyurl.com/pancakepalooza%20


Now that December is upon us and we have a few months of the school year under our belt, this is a great time to think about how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go this school year. What are our goals for Jewish Education? What are our goals as parents? What are our goals as students? What are the teachers’ goals? Are they all the same? Where do they differ? And what can we do to work together to achieve our laundry list of goals? I think (hope) we can all agree that we have a shared goal to learn something—anything!—about Judaism. Personally, one of my major goals for the students is for them to have a positive experience in Talmud Torah. We want them to develop friendships with other students, to create bonds with the teachers, to feel safe and comfortable in the physical space around them, to be engaged in the material, and have a desire to continue learning in the future. This last item on the list is one of the most important, yet it is often overlooked. We regularly become consumed with learning as much as we possibly can in a short period of time (say, during the 8 or 9 years of Talmud Torah from Pre K to 7th grade). But as I stress to our pre-B’nai Mitzvah students, this is just the first part of the educational journey. You don’t need to learn everything now. You have a lifetime full of opportunities to continue learning. You could spend an entire lifetime studying one parasha of the Torah (and there are people who do!) The greatest thing one of my students can say to me is “I really liked learning Hebrew when I was younger. I didn't learn as much as I would have liked, so I’m going to take a Hebrew class in college this semester.” Or “I had fun as a student in Talmud Torah—now that I’m in high school, I want to come back as a Madrich(a)/Teacher’s Assistant. We have made some great strides in setting new goals this year and I’m pleased to say that we’ve accomplished many of them. Our enrollment is up, we have new learning and social opportunities for our post B’nai Mitzvah students (including Bogrim, Kadima and USY, Shabbat dinners at the Rabbi’s home and our Madrichim program), energetic, creative teachers coming up with engaging ways to implement our curriculum, thriving youth groups with a great new youth advisor—just to name a few. I’m eager to see what goals we can set for our school during second semester and excited to watch everyone set and accomplish their personal Jewish education goals.

Elisabeth Albert, Education and Youth Director

FROM OUR EDUCATION & YOUTH DIRECTOR

Talmud Torah

Kitah Aleph gets up close

and personal with the torah!

December IN TALMUD TORAH

1 NO TT 4 TT (2-6) 6 Kitah Zayin meets/Shabbat 25 Family service 7 JC/B’nai Mitzvah Peer Tutoring 8 TT (PreK-7)/Chadar Ochel 11 TT (2-6) 13 Kitah Zayin meets 14 B’nai Mitzvah Peer Tutoring 15 TT (PreK-7)/Fundraising Brunch (Pancake Palooza!) 18-31 NO TT—Winter Break

DECEMBER ‘13

S M T W Th F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

13

Email our awesome youth advisor, Julie Halpert with any questions about upcoming events, program ideas or if you are interested in volunteering: [email protected]

December IN YOUTH & FAMILY PROGRAMMING

6 Shabbat 25 Family service

7 JC

8 Simchat Tot

USY/Kadima

13 Teen Shabbat Dinner @ Rabbi Greyber’s

15 Pancake Palooza!

DECEMBER ‘13

S M T W Th F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

USY & Kadima (9th-12th grade) (6th-8th grade)

Digital photo scavenger hunt at southpoint mall

Sunday, December 8th

Teen

Shabbat Dinner @ Rabbi Greyber's home

Friday December 13th

(formally listed as "Older Teen Shabbat Dinner," - now open to all Beth El 9th-12th graders)

RSVPs are required. More info coming soon.


Capital Maintenance Fund Geoffrey and Caitlin Pitt

Cemetery Fund Ruth Greenberg in memory of her beloved husband,

Bernard G. Greenberg Lane Golden in memory of his mother, Bertha K.

Bergman

Chevra Kadisha Arthur and Judith Marks in appreciation of the

holiday services Arthur and Judy Marks in memory of beloved

parents, Beulah and Harold Goldstein

Earl and Gladys Siegel Endowment Fund Anonymous in honor of Artie Axelbank Gladys Siegel in honor of Lisa and Matt Zerden's

baby daughter Gladys Siegel in memory of Cecile Lipton Gladys Siegel in memory of Eda Bloch Yetta and Murray Brandt in memory of Cecile Lipton

Education and Youth Director's Discretionary Fund Fay Klein in honor of the High Holidays

Eric Pas Jewish Camp Scholarship Fund Arthur and Judy Marks in honor of Susan

Rosefielde's special birthday

General Fund *Bob and Merle Schwartz in memory of Ed

Halperin's sister *Bob and Merle Schwartz in memory of Sharon

Lunk's brother Nancy and Eric Bresler in honor of High Holiday

services Stephanie Sieburth in honor of the High Holidays Stephen Solomon in appreciation of Itzik Lebovich

and staff for their efforts on Russell Springer's Bar Mitzvah

Jeanette Kimmel in memory of her father, Benjamin Cone, on the anniversary of his yarzheit

Ruth and Fred Porter in honor of May Segal Carol and Jimmie Haynes for the recovery of Sam

Becker, grandson of Barrie and Jean Hurwitz

Carol and Jimmie Haynes in honor of the birth of Zak Meyers Davino, grandson of Eric and Carol Meyers

Sheva Zucker and Sandy Kessler in honor of Mardi and Errol Zeiger's 50th Anniversary

Sol and Sheila Levine in honor of Yuval Lebovich's Bar Mitzvah

Francine Lerner in honor of the Carson-DeWitt family on the occasion of Zosia's Bat Mitzvah

Bob and Laura Gutman in honor of David Klapper Howard and Marion Diamond in memory of Herbert

Lehman and Susan Diamond

Landscape Fund Arthur and Judith Marks in honor of JoAnn Rubin's

speedy and complete recovery

Mitzvah Fund Arthur and Judy Marks in honor of Errol and Mardi

Zeiger

Orthodox Kehillah Nancy and Eric Bresler in honor of High Holiday

services Leslie Rudd in honor of the High Holidays Shai Brosh donated to the Orthodox Kehillah in

memory of his grandfather, Jacob Janai Francine Lerner in honor of the Hacohen Family

Rabbi's Discretionary Fund Lynne Grossman in honor of Mardi and Errol

Zeiger's 50th Wedding Anniversary Viana Romero Stuart and Ann Kaplan in memory of Lisa Heather

Kaplan

October Contributions

Beth El Congregation gratefully acknowledges all contributions. Please send donations & dedications to Sandy Berman, our corresponding secretary, at the Beth El address. Donations may be made via check, cash, stock transfer, or Paypal. A full list of funds, donation forms & the direct Paypal link are available on our website’s development page & through the office. When making a donation to the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, please write a separate check payable directly to that fund.

*Sincere apologies for omitting these dedications

from the October Bulletin.

15

“Tzedaka is equal in importance to all other commandments combined” — Talmud

I am pleased to make a contribution to Beth El Synagogue

My name phone Address City/State/Zip In Memory of In Honor of

Please send acknowledgement to: Name Address City/State/Zip

Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Speedy Recovery Happy Birthday Bar/Bat Mitzvah

Best Wishes Happy Anniversary Other

Mail To: Sandy Berman, Corresponding Secretary 1004 Watts Street Durham NC 27701

Please apply my contribution to: _____ Capital Maintenance Fund _____ Cemetery Fund _____ Chevra Kadisha (burial society) _____ Education & Youth Director's Discretionary Fund _____ Sam & Jeannette Fink Programming Fund

_____ General Fund _____ Gilbert Katz Scholarship Fund _____ Landscape Fund _____ Sandra Lazarus Youth Activity Fund _____ Library Fund _____ LifeLong Learning Fund _____ Mitzvah Fund

_____ Orthodox Kehillah _____ Eric Pas Jewish Camp Scholarship Fund _____ Elaine Perilstein Memorial Fund _____ Prayer Book Fund _____ Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund (please write a

separate check for this fund) _____ Earl and Gladys Siegel Endowment Fund _____ Synagogue Art Fund

Capital Maintenance Fund

The Capital Maintenance Fund (formally the Building Fund)

is intended to pay for major repairs to our Beth El buildings:

the new carpeting and painting in the Freedman Center as

well as the new roof. This year we also paid for repairs in the

preschool classrooms and Rabbi Greyber’s office.

In the past, new members were assessed but that practice

was discontinued in 2011, in part because we never raised

sufficient funds. Last year we used the small dues increase

to raise money for our building needs, but we still have a

long way to go.

The Strategic Plan identified a number of items at Beth El

that need repair or refurbishing and these will be paid for

out of the Capital Maintenance Fund. We need your help

to build this fund to a point that it can afford to fix and

maintain our physical plant. Please consider making a

contribution to this fund.

You can celebrate a simcha, honor a loved one, or send “get well” wishes by contributing to Beth El.

You may donate via our secure PayPal link or by check using the printable form online or below.

www.betheldurham.org/development

Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Todah Rabah! Thank You!

Beth El Funds

During the coming year, we are running a series of articles highlighting various Beth El funds, many written by those

who helped start them or who remember the honorees. As you read these articles please consider directing donations

to these worthy causes to honor those who you’ve loved, but not forgotten. Let’s make sure that through the

programs supported by our special funds, Beth El remains a “heart of many rooms.”

Beth El Talmud Torah- 5883


Yahrzeit Reminders

Kislev December 29 Michael Kline 2

Tevet December 1 Carolyn Flicker 4 1 Irving Levine 4 1 Eva Markman 4 1 Nathan Rosenstein 4 1 Meyer Zucker 4 2 Alfred Feiler 5 2 Max Meyer 5 2 Eli Nachamson 5 3 Philip J Goldberg 6 3 Sabrina Morris 6 5 Ruth Halberstadt 8 5 Samuel Levy 8 5 Sarah Meyer 8 6 Arthur Gutman 9 7 Jeffrey W. Fried 10 8 Sarah Miriam Evans 11 8 Miriam Levinson Kwatcher 11 8 Jacob Levtow 11 8 N. Nachamson 11 8 Norman Schultz 11 8 Robert Spilo 11 8 Morris Weinstein 11 9 Monice Arnold 12 9 Elias Gadlli 12 9 Beulah Goldstein 12 9 Avigdor Victor Koren 12

10 Norman Bartelmay 13 10 Morris Nachamson 13 10 Bessie Satlof 13 10 Gilltle Sawilowsky Schwartz 13 11 Louis Meyer 14 12 Daniel Berley 15 12 Fannie Cramer 15 13 Edward Alpern 16 13 Rosalyn Koffler Brown 16 13 David Carson 16 13 Rabbi Josiah Derby 16 13 Louis Fridovich 16 13 Bernard Gingold 16 13 J. Everett Levinsohn 16 14 Irving Alexander 17 14 Aaron Rosenblatt 17 15 Patricia Silver 18 16 David Convissor 19 16 Marion Dronsky 19 17 Nathaniel Barnett 20 17 Benjamin Culp 20 17 Max Gerald Levy 20 17 Vivian Weinstein 20 21 Arnold Grier 24 21 Moshe Shweky 24 22 Herman Bernard 25 22 Maurice Dworski 25 22 Sam Markman 25 24 Jerry Becker 27 24 Mary Hart 27 24 Alfred Korkin 27 24 Rose Leibel 27 26 Arlene Ammerman 29 26 Esther Mandel 29

Tevet January 29 Edwin Price 1 29 Sara Abosch 1

Sh'vat January 2 Miriam Zucker 3 2 Sam Margolis 3 2 Yehuda Ohayon 3 3 Sandra Lazarus 4 4 Barbara Lipp 5 4 Barry Margolin 5 4 Evelyn Weber 5 4 Hanah Landau 5 4 Louis Sher 5 6 Arthur Holstein 7 7 Ellen Egger 8 7 Gershon Gitman 8 8 Esther Margolese 9 8 Frances Lynn 9 9 Bartow Culp 10

10 Alan Grossinger 11 10 Alexander Ostroff 11 10 Ernie Bronstein 11 10 Esser Yehuda Ben Esser Yehuda 11 10 Eva Baden Slifkin 11 10 Gertrude Brown 11 11 Allen Hess 12 11 Rae Korkin 12 12 Esther Lebovich 13 12 Gerard Rohde 13 12 Leon Kahn 13 12 Norman Friedman 13 13 Alice Tepper 14 13 Howard Kramer 14 13 Jim Wells, Sr. 14 14 Anita Weinblatt Halberstadt 15 14 Hannah Mulowitz 15 14 Rabbi Nathan Levinson 15 14 Teresa Koplowitz 15 14 Walter Schlesinger 15 15 Ada Lou Carson 16 15 Ben Ornoff 16 15 Carol Stollwerk 16 15 Elaine Perilstein 16 15 Jeanette Prastein 16 15 Louis Leibson 16 16 Arnold Korn 17 16 Mary Zeitune 17

Barukh Dayan Ha-emet “Blessed is the Judge of Truth”

Beth El congregation extends condolences to

Carla Fenson on the death of her father, Morley Fenson

Robin Cohen on the death of her mother, Lucille Livingston

May the Ever Present One comfort them among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem

Sh'vat January 17 Albert Heyman 18 17 Sue Speier 18 18 Bessie Serody 19 18 Carl Bernard Erdberg 19 18 Yetta Seidman 19 19 Ruth Goldberg 20 20 Celia Margolis 21 20 Julius Saffron 21 20 Nathan Schreiber 21 21 Anna Fisher 22 21 Bernie Kessler 22 21 Dora Levine 22 21 Rabbi Samuel Perlman 22 22 Bert Weaver 23 22 Max A. Peck 23 22 Paul Gidwitz 23 22 Sidney Markman 23 23 Hannah Libman 24 23 Louis Saper 24 23 Michael Margolis 24 23 Morris Sher 24 24 Bob Roberman 25 24 Claire Krohn 25 24 Muriel Modell 25 24 Samuel John Sontag 25 24 Shmuel Lebovich 25 25 Marie Whitehurst Wells 26 26 Alex Rubin 27 26 Neil August 27 26 Robert A. Robbins 27 26 Sophie Abrams 27 27 Barbara Mildred Kraft 28 27 Joanne Sachs Skibell 28 27 Milton Mills 28 27 Sondra Stang 28 28 Henry Levine 29 28 Marcia Goldstein 29 28 Ruth Watnick Sherr 29 29 Abraham Stadiem 30 29 Dave Margolis 30 29 Florence Telen 30 29 Michael Jay Gladstein 30 29 Sadie Rosalie Shimm 30 30 Armand A. Zaleon 31 30 Benjamin Eli Grossman 31 30 Edith Abelkop 31

Traditionally, we light a memorial candle on the evening before the

anniversary of a loved one's death.

17

Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation Events

Campaign Kick-off Saturday evening, December 7th

Honoring Beth El members

Eric Meyers & Perri Shalom-Liberty

The Keynote Speaker, Daniel Gilbert is a

Harvard psychologist, Guggenheim Fellow

and a best selling author. Register online at

www.shalomdch.org — $65 per person - free baby sitting.

Mitzvah Day

Wednesday, December 25th

Register by Dec. 1 for a free shirt:

http://levinjcc.org/about-mitzvah-day

Beth El is collecting kitchen supplies for Genesis Home.

Collection basket is in the Beth El lobby.

Visit www.shalomdch.org

for updates on these & more!

Sicha, Hebrew for "conversation," is an organization that

promotes the vital ongoing dialogue between classical Jewish texts

and modern life. Essays engaging modern and classical texts in

conversations can be found on our website:

www.sichaconversation.org.

B’almah. Our next B’almah gathering will take place on

December 5 at 7:30pm at the Levin JCC (December 12 at

7:30pm at Beth Meyer, Raleigh). The topic will be Mourning

Has Broken: Bringing mourning to a close. More information

can be found at: http://bit.ly/balmah12-13 .

Beyond Belief. Join Rabbi Sager and Sicha for the next in a

series of conversations this fall that explore Jewish identity.

On Sunday, December 15 at the Levin JCC at 3:30, the

theme of our conversation will be “Questionable Miracles and

Dependable Stories.” More information can be found here:

http://bit.ly/BB12-15-13 .

SAVE THE DATE for Sicha’s second annual Hevra Kaddisha

Afternoon of Learning on Sunday, February 16 at the Levin

JCC. The theme will be “The Death of Moses and the Godly

Act of Bearing Loss,” honoring the day Moses died. All Hevra

Kaddisha/Burial Society members are invited to celebrate their

work at the season of Moses' death. Watch for more information

on our website: http://www.sichaconversation.org.

The Duke Center for Jewish Studies &

Duke Human Rights Center presents:

The Jewish Tradition & Human Rights, a lecture series

These lectures occur on the dates listed at 5:30pm in Westbrook

Building Room 0016 (Duke West Campus)

Monday, December 2, 2013: Evyatar Marienberg of UNC Chapel

Hill, “The Rabbis and Human Rights: The Ancient Period”

Monday, February 3, 2014: Kalman Bland of Duke University,

“Medieval Jewish Perspectives on Human Rights”

Monday, April 7, 2014: Zachary J. Braiterman of Syracuse Univer-

sity, “What’s Human? Who’s Right: Moses Mendelssohn and the

Jewish Enlightenment”

Contact Duke Center for Jewish Studies

for more information: 919-660-3504

Triangle Seminar For Jewish Studies Fall Semester 2013: Provocative Jewish Interest Topics

Final fall session:

Monday, December 9, “Prospects for Peace in the Middle East”

Gerhard Weinberg, Ph.D., Prof. Emeritus, UNC.

Peace will take a long time to come to Iraq. This lecture explores

that issue.

National Humanities Center in RTP

7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Series Fee: $20.00 per person, full time students $5.00

Contact: Ronni Marblestone 848-3752

For updates see: www.shalomraleigh.org/calendar or

www.shalomdch.org/calendar

http://levinjcc.org/about-mitzvah-day/



http://www.sichaconversation.org/

http://bit.ly/balmah12-13

http://bit.ly/BB12-15-13

http://www.sichaconversation.org

http://www.shalomraleigh.org/calendar

http://www.shalomdch.org/calendar


Duke Center for Jewish Studies offers free lectures open to the public.

Event information & and updates can be found at:

http://jewishstudies.duke.edu

UNC-CH Carolina Center for Jewish Studies offers free lectures open to the public.

For additional information & event updates:

jewishstudies.unc.edu.

Lerner School Events

Open to all!

Schmooze ‘n Play ~ a Jewish Play Group for families of

preschoolers and kindergarteners! Schmooze with other parents

while your children play on Lerner School’s beautiful playground!

10:30am – 11:30am at the Lerner School in Durham. RSVP at

[email protected]. December 8

Shabbat Together ~ Celebrate Shabbat with songs, movement

and homemade challah at the Lerner School! For parents and their

children, ages 18 months – 4 years old. 9am in the library. Free!

RSVP at [email protected].

December 13, 20

Open House ~ See what happens when Jewish values and culture

meet educational excellence! Join us for a Lerner School Open

House for preschool and elementary school families. For more

information, visit www.lernerschool.org. To reserve your space,

email [email protected] or call (919) 286-5517.

Dec. 5-6, 8:30am – 9:30am

Jewish Story Time ~ Celebrate Jewish holidays with hands-on

fun! Join us for stories, crafts and a light snack on the dates listed

below at 10:30am (note various locations.) Sponsored by the

Lerner School. Free! RSVP at [email protected].

Jan. 15 – Tu B’Shevat, Durham Library, Shannon Road Branch

Triangle Jewish Chorale

Down Home: The Cantata

In April & May of 2013, the Triangle Jewish Chorale presented

three performances of a newly composed piece, “Down Home:

The Cantata”, exploring the Jewish immigrant experience in North

Carolina. There is a link to "Down Home - The Cantata" on the

main Jewish Sparks webpage - www.jewishsparks.net - at the top

center of the page.

Jewish Sparks is a public access television program which is

broadcast in Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham, NC. This program

presents videos of major Jewish educational and artistic events

together with interviews and recordings of Jewish scholars and

important Jewish leaders. Our goal is to promote a better under-

standing of key Jewish concepts and issues within both the Jewish

and non-Jewish communities.

The Jewish Sparks 30 minute weekly broadcast schedule

is listed in the table below:

Week of November 25 Jeanne Fischer “An Afternoon of Yiddish Art Songs - Part 2”

(CH, DR)

Jeanne Fischer “An Afternoon of Yiddish Art Song- Part 1” (RTN)

The latest program schedule is on the Jewish Sparks Website:

www.jewishsparks.net.

Jewish Sparks maintains a large archive of program material.

If you miss a live broadcast, or do not have Cable, you can watch

the programs on the internet site (www.jewishsparks.net.) The

website also provides an excellent source of educational material,

which includes early lectures from the Carolina Center for Jewish

Studies.

Additional information is available from the website,

or email the Jewish Sparks producer, Sheldon Becker, at either

Chapel

Hill (CH) Tues. 9:00PM

Peoples

Channel

Time Warner Cable

Channel 8

Durham

(DR) Tues. 7:30PM

Durham

Comm. Media

Time Warner Cable

Channel 18

Raleigh

(RTN)

Wed. 7:00PM

& Thurs.

8:00 PM

RTN Cable Channel 10

Included in the Jewish Sparks archives:

http://jewishstudies.duke.edu

http://jewishstudies.unc.edu

19

Michael Aaron Cohen, CPA, CFE

1981 Duke Graduate

Over 30 Years Experience

Taxation & Small Business

Accounting

New Business Startups

Entrepreneurs, Executives,

Professionals

Contact Michael for an Initial Consultation.

Very Reasonable Rates!

Toll Free 1.855.385.3272

(1-855-DUKE-CPA)

[email protected]

Raleigh Cary JCC Brown Bag Speaker Lunch

Wednesday, December 18

Barbara Freedman "Raleigh's Jewish History" Did you know that a Jewish presence has been in Raleigh for

150 years? That a Raleigh Jew was excused from fighting in the

Confederate army because he was too short? Using newspaper

archives, city directories, cemetery, and census information, life-

long historian Barbara Freedman, has fleshed out the story of Jews

in Raleigh from our early days here. On Wednesday, December 18

she will take us on a journey through our history in Raleigh and

our contributions to Raleigh. Come at noon with a non-meat lunch.

Dessert and drinks will be provided. This event is free for RC-JCC

members and $3 for the general community.

RSVP by Mon. Dec. 16 to [email protected]

or 919-676-6170 X 212.

Time: 12:00 PM to 02:00 PM

Location: Raleigh Cary JCC 12804 Norwood Rd. Raleigh 27613

Contact: [email protected] or (919) 676-6170 x 212.

N.C. Museum of Art

Judaic Art Gallery

Be sure to plan a visit to the Museum to tour

the Judaic art collection, which features

beautifully crafted ceremonial art such as this

Standing Hanukkah Lamp by Ze’ev Raban

of Jerusalem’s Bezalel Workshop. Visit

ncartmuseum.org for more details on the

Museum and Judaic collection. The Museum is

open Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is free

(aside from special ticketed exhibitions).

Hours are as follows: Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-5pm;

Friday, 10am-9pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-5pm.

THE MAGNOLIA KLEZMER BAND! Dance, shake, or listen. All shows are free.

The Magnolia-Watts St. Band plays Klezmer Plus

(from Bukovina to Broadway) at Carol Woods,

Weaver Dairy Rd., Chapel Hill,

on Monday, December 23, 7:30pm.

www.magnoliaklezmerband.com

The Triangle Jewish Chorale

The Triangle Jewish Chorale presents "The Adaptable

Psalm" , a concert on Sunday, December 15, at 3:00 pm at the

Levin Jewish Community Center (1937 West Cornwallis Road,

Durham, NC 27705).

The psalms from the Hebrew Bible, commonly attributed

to King David, have proven themselves to be infinitely adaptable

over the millennia since their composition. Various cultures and

eras have set their stamp on this poetic song form, revealing the

timeless significance of texts that express so eloquently the

basic human emotions of rejoicing, lamentation, and praise.

Our December concert, "The Adaptable Psalm," will include

settings of psalm texts ranging from Salamone Rossi Hebreo

in 17th century Italy and Louis Lewandowski in 19th century

Germany to a 1970 reggae setting by the Melodians in Jamaica.


http://ncartmuseum.org


Landscape Design & Installation • Landscape Lighting

Water Features • Sprinkler Systems • Sodding

Patios, Walkways & Stepping Stones • Retaining Walls

Drainage & Ditches • Snow Removal

COMMERCIAL and RESIDENTIAL Agricultural Engineering Since 1983

Providing services to Durham, Wake & Orange Counties

Wide variety of plants, bushes, trees, perennials and fruit trees

Retail and wholesale Landscape supplies and natural stone

For professional service you can trust, call Philip Nazo, owner.

Mobile: 919-524-8878 • Office: 919-309-2620

Mon.-Fri. 8am-6pm • Sat. 8am-4pm • Sun.10am-4pm

www.NazoLandscaping.com

Nazo Landscaping, Inc.

Join Ramah Darom

for fun and inspiring programs

and retreats year-round for all ages!

Visit www.ramahdarom.org/programs

for registration & more information on these

& other programs year-round.

Winter Break Family Camp

December 27-January 1

Enjoy relaxation, recreation and an array of classes while children

participate in fun and engaging camp activities. What could be

better than s'mores under the stars with your kids?

Passover Vacation April 13-23, 2014

During this all-inclusive Passover Vacation guests enjoy the

rare opportunity to spend time learning and exploring Jewish

life, culture, texts and history with a diverse mix of distinguished

scholars, leaders and thinkers. And you won’t believe it’s Passover

when you taste our food! Our Communal Seders are led by

engaging, scholarly rabbinical leaders. Throughout the week

your family can choose from hundreds of programs, trips,

activities and lectures.

Jewish Meditation at the Levin JCC

1st and 3rd Sunday of each month. 10:45am-12:00pm

No charge & no experience needed to attend. Always open to new

participants. Sometimes a participant leads a guided meditation;

other times it is a silent practice. Levin JCC, 1937 W. Cornwallis

Road, Durham. Phone: 919-354-4936, [email protected]

Foundations of Jewish Family Living

with Master teacher Rabbi Jennifer Solomon

What are the Jewish Values you want your child to know?

Foundations of Jewish Family Living is a new learning

opportunity for parents that provides a thought-provoking

encounter with the core values of Judaism. At a time in a

family’s life when a child experiences their own Jewish

education, this rich learning experience provides you with the

learning, the language and the confidence to be a teacher to your

own children and support Jewish learning at home.

Second 10-week session is being held on Wednesday

mornings at the Lerner School, 8:15-9:45am. Registration is still

being accepted for Session two entitled Day to Day Values

Teaching Values through Jewish Family Living begins on

January 8 and concludes on March 12, 2014.

Tuition for each session is $150 plus a $36 materials fee

which covers both sessions. www.ShalomRaleigh.org/Melton

919-676-6170 x223

http://www.ramahdarom.org/programs

21

philosophy, or art history, indeed almost any of the humanities or

most of the social sciences, makes no sense to these students. They

are interested in "job ready degrees" and overwhelmingly are taking

accounting, business, computer science, and degrees which lead to

the health professions along with, of course, Judaic studies.

I recently experienced a practical problem raised by the spend

-at-least-a-year-in-Israel-after-high-school phenomena. We have

set up a combined BS/MD program between the Touro College

undergraduate divisions and the School of Medicine at New York

Medical College. Quickly, two problems arose. The documents for

the new program required students to have completed a four-year

undergraduate degree. The phrase "four-year" rankled the Orthodox

Jewish undergraduate deans since many of their students return to

the US with college credits from their time in Israel and complete

their BS degrees in 2 1/2 to 3 years in residence at the US. The

second problem concerned the phrase "apply for admission when

completing high school". Would this phrase, the Orthodox Jewish

undergraduate deans wondered, inhibit students from applying

while their were studying in Israel? Both problems were quickly

solved by word smithing the documents.

A far more serious matter concerns the nature of the curricu-

lum for American students in Israel and their life experiences. If

students spend almost all of their time on Jewish students, to the

detriment of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, they are

not going to meet the prerequisites for admission to medical school

and be prepared to succeed on the Medical College Admissions

Test (MCAT) and in their basic science medical school courses.

If student spend almost all of their time in a relatively cloistered

Orthodox Jewish world in Israel and the U.S., they are not going

to have the diversity of life experience necessary to succeed in

patient care in the U.S.

I have developed a litany of stories and examples to demon-

strate the problem. "I have never met a patient with a gunshot

wound to the abdomen," I have told some audiences, "whose major

concern was how much time the treating doctor has spent studying

the Babylonian Talmud." (The power of the analytic framework

necessary to Talmud study, however, has distinct advantages for

developing critical thinking skills.) I also have had students at their

medical school interviews who have declined to shake the hands of

interviewers of the opposite gender, laughed at what they perceive

to be the absurdity of ethical problems they would encounter in

treating patients, and one young lady who, when asked how she

would handle a distraught patient who did not speak English, said

she would send the patient away because there was nothing she

could do for her - it never seemed to occur to her that she might

request a translator. The plural of anecdote, however, is not data

and I understand that these stories should not be interpreted as an

indictment of the spend-a-year-in-Israel process.

Sharon and I spent part of the day at Touro Jerusalem,

chatted with the dean, and toured the facilities. The dean took

exception to my concern about students have "real life experiences

that would make them better clinicians" and told me that the

yeshivas all required community service as part of their curricula.

(I had to wonder, however, if that community service was also

imbedded in the Orthodox world.)

Next month I will tell you about our unusual experience at

the theater in Tel Aviv.

Until then,

Regards from Valhalla,

Edward Halperin

Letter from Valhalla

On the Road Again, Israel and Africa - IV

In my columns, over the last few months, I have been

describing our recent trip to Israel. The day after I gave my

presentation about proton therapy to the Israeli Ministry of Health,

Sharon and I figured out how to take the express bus from Tel

Aviv to Jerusalem. We went to visit the Touro College campus in

Jerusalem. Since New York Medical College is part of the Touro

system, it seemed like the neighborly thing to do. The "campus" of

Touro in Jerusalem consists of part of an unimpressive building in

a difficult-to-find neighborhood. After wandering around the

office complex for a few minutes Sharon and I eventually found

the offices. Adding to the ambience was the fact that the College

offices are near what must be one of the few pieces of agricultural

land left in the city so you got the smell of manure wafting through

the windows.

Those of you living in central North Carolina may not be

aware of a powerful trend in Jewish education in metropolitan

areas. I have become acutely aware of it now that I am living and

working in the New York area and working at Touro. It has become

close to standard operating procedure for Orthodox Jewish high

school graduates, particularly those graduating from either Jewish

days schools or residential schools, not to go directly to college.

Rather, they are sent to Israel for a minimum of a year and,

often, more. They live and go to school at programs in which the

curriculum is almost entirely Jewish studies and in an Orthodox

environment. Indeed, I have discovered that some competitive

college recruiting goes on in Israel in which representatives of

Touro v. Yeshiva vie to persuade these young people that, upon

return to the U.S., they should continue their college studies at

Yeshiva or Stern Colleges v. the undergraduate divisions of Touro

v. secular universities.

While the main population of these students are recent Ameri-

can high school graduates who spend one to three years living in

Israel before they return for college in the U.S., there are a fair

number of recently married young American women with husbands

spending time as students at Israeli yeshivot. Eventually, either the

American living in Israel or their Mom and Dad back in the U.S.

decide that it's time to rack up some American college credits so

that when the student returns to the U.S. they will have something

to show for it in terms of U.S. college courses. (I have seen this

from the other end. When you mention a "four year college degree"

to a fair number of Orthodox Jewish college students in the U.S.,

they are nonplussed. Many of them return to the U.S. with sopho-

more level standing and graduate after 2 1/2 to 3 years of enroll-

ment in the U.S. school. A four year college experience, going to

college football or basketball games, experiencing fraternities and

sororities, and tossing a frisbee on the college green are not part of

their vocabulary.)

This "get some U.S. college credits while you're in Israel" is

Touro College Jerusalem's market. The "library" is a dozen shelves

in an oversize room, there are a couple of classrooms, the "faculty"

are entirely adjuncts being paid the equivalent of US $1900 per

course, and the students are taking largely business, computer,

biology, and psychology courses. (In the US, the going rate for

adjuncts is $3500-$7000 per course. Engineering and mathematics

courses command the higher salaries. Interestingly, in Israel there

are so many English-speaking academics looking for work that it is

very easy to fill adjunct teaching jobs at low salaries.) I have

learned, in my year in the Orthodox community of New York, that

the idea of majoring in topics like English literature, anthropology,


Please patronize our sponsors and let them know you saw their ads here.

If you are interested in placing an ad in the Beth El Bulletin,

please call Gladys Siegel at 919-942-5369.

▪ Resident of Chapel Hill/Durham since 1973

▪ Graduate Realtors Institute

▪ Member of Beth El Congregation

▪ Member of the Chapel Hill Kehillah

▪ Life Member of Hadassah

▪ NC Hillel Board of Directors

▪ Board of Directors Durham/Chapel Hill Federation

Ellen Singer “In Tune With Your Real Estate Needs”

Over 32 years

as a full-time

real estate broker

serving the Triangle Area,

including Chapel Hill,

Carrboro, Durham,

Orange and Chatham County

Duke Rudnick Lecture March 3, 2014 (note new date), location & time TBD

The Rudnick lecture series is proud to present Jeremy

Ben-Ami, founder and president of J Street. Ben-Ami brings deep

experience in American politics and government and a passionate

commitment to the state of Israel. Ben-Ami's family connection

to Israel goes back 130 years to the first aliyah when his great-

grandparents were among the first settlers in Petah Tikva. His

grandparents were one of the founding families of Tel Aviv,

and his father was an activist and leader in the Irgun, working for

Israel's independence and on the rescue of European Jews before

and during World War II.

Ben-Ami's political resume includes serving in the

mid-1990s as the Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor in the White

House to President Bill Clinton and working on seven Presidential

and numerous state and local campaigns. He was one of 50

"People of the Decade" selected by Ha'aretz, the influential Israeli

daily newspaper, and the Jerusalem Post included him in its list of

the 50 Most Influential Jews in the world. Ben-Ami holds a law

degree from New York University.

Crop Hunger Walk

Chapel Hill/Carrboro: March 23, 2014

Durham: April 6, 2014

Save these dates to join Team Beth El in the annual Crop

Hunger Walks. These events raise money to combat hunger

both locally and throughout the world.

23

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25

C o m m u n i t y C o n n e c t i o n s

Tzedakah in Bloom

Tzedakah in Bloom is a project started by the

Jewish Family Service to raise money for local

community members in need and food banks.

JFS offers 13 different silk flower arrangements

for use at your simcha.

(on the bimah, at a reception or as a centerpiece).

New arrangements are added periodically.

Each arrangement rents for $150.00.

Please call the Federation office at

919-489-5335 if you have questions about the project.

Photos of the arrangements

as well as a reservation form is online at:

www.shalomdch.org/blooms.htm.

To reserve an arrangement,

contact Sandy Fangmeier, Project Coordinator:

919-489-0433 or [email protected]

JFS Gift Card Program: JFS seeks gift cards to shops, movies, restaurants, shows, hair salons. Your gift will be apreciated by those in need. To make a donation or for more information, contact Jenny Schwartz at 919-354-4923 or [email protected]

JFS volunteers needed:

Shabbat Outreach volunteers are needed to lead a short Shabbat service on Fridays for Jewish residents of an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill.

Friendly Visitors are needed for isolated older adults living in the community. Not appropriate for volunteers who want to visit someone with their child. Friendly visitors will spend time with the person as friends do- talking, exploring common interests, or going for a walk. Minimum time commitment: 2-4 hours per month. For more information on these volunteer opportunities, please contact JFS Social Worker Jenny Schwartz at 919-354-4923 or [email protected]

Volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem: Help change the lives of Durham's abused and neglected children. For more information or to volunteer, contact Stephanie Kelly at 564-7289 or [email protected]. Sandy Kessler can also give you information on what it is like to be a Guardian ad Litem.

Help our Jewish Elderly: Jewish Family Services provides a program and lunch for seniors in our community (Chaverim). This is a wonderful opportunity for our elderly seniors to get together on a regular basis, spending time together chatting over a good lunch. We are looking for small groups of friends, such as a family or two, a Hebrew school class or a B’nei Mitzvah student to consider preparing or sponsoring ($100 donation) a lunch in honor or memory of someone or just for the fun of it, for between 15 - 20 seniors. This is an easy and wonderfully rewarding mitzvah opportunity. For more information please contact Michele Pas at [email protected] or 919-493-3175.

We need Beth El volunteers at the Chapel Hill Community Kitchen to cook lunch on the first Wednesday of each month from 9:30-12:30. Anyone able to help please contact Gladys Siegel ([email protected])

Servers & Tuna Casseroles Needed for Durham Community Café Dinner the fourth Sunday of each month! Several casseroles are needed for the Community Café dinner that is served on the fourth Sunday of each month. For your convenience, the recipe is printed below. Please deliver the casseroles to Judea Reform before the fourth Sunday of each month during their regular office hours. If you are unable to deliver the casserole, please contact Erica Gringle to make alternate arrangements. This mitzvah is an easy one in which to involve children. Besides making casseroles, Beth El's commitment is to provide servers for the community meal on the fourth Sunday of each month (5:30 PM - 7:00 PM). If you are interested in participating in this community service project, please contact Erica Rapport Gringle. Pre-teens through adult can serve so this too is great mitzvah to do with your older kids.

TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE (use a very large rectangular or oval disposable tin) Please note changes for pasta & vegetables —2 lbs. of rotini (other pastas get mushy after being frozen, thawed and baked) —about 42 ounces of water packed tuna, drained —7 cans of cream of mushroom soup (about 70 ounces and low sodium, if possible) —8 carrots and 8 stalks of celery, diced —Boil the noodles in a large pot of water until al dente or almost done. Drain and place in casserole. —Add all other ingredients and mix well. —No need to cook. Just cover tightly with lots of foil and transport it to the Judea Reform freezer.

Duke Hospice Volunteers Needed: If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a hospice volunteer for Duke Hospice, please contact Carolyn Colsher at 919-620-3859, ext. 235 or [email protected]. For more information on programs visit www.dhch.duhs.duke.edu.

Jewish Family Services at the Levin JCC 1937 Cornwallis Road, Durham

919-354-4936 [email protected] www.levinjcc.org

Contact Jenny Schwartz

at 919-354-4923 or [email protected]

for information on these & other JFS programs.

Visti the JCC website for dates & details

on these ongoing events & more:

JFS Mitzvah Corps Bubbes and Zaydes

Job & Networking Group Caregiver Support Group

Chronic Connections Memory Café

Chaverim JFS Clinical Connections

Women’s & Men’s Groups BRIDGES Sensational Sundays

BETH EL SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

Friday evening services:

Services are held on Friday evenings only in conjunction with other programming or special occasions. See monthly calendars for noted dates and times.

Saturday morning services: Services in the Orthodox Kehillah begin at 9:00 a.m.

Services in the Main Sanctuary begin at 9:30 a.m. Weekday minyanim in the Main Sanctuary: (watch your e-mail for information on winter suspension) Sunday mornings at 9:30am

Wednesday mornings at 8:00am

*Please let the office know in advance if you need to say Kaddish, even if a minyan has already been scheduled.

OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. / Fridays: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Office (voice) 919-682-1238 (fax) 919-682-7898 Rabbi Daniel Greyber, Rabbi 919-682-2491 [email protected] Ivy Wingate, Interim Executive Director 919-682-1238 ext. 110 [email protected] Elisabeth Albert, Education & Youth Director 919-682-1238 ext. 170 [email protected] Rachel Albert, Congregational Services Coordinator 919-682-1238 ext. 100 [email protected] Krisha Miller, Publicity Assistant 919-416-1397 [email protected] Rabbi Steve Sager, Rabbi Emeritus 919-682-1238 ext. 195 [email protected] Bulletin Advertising Sales Manager 919-942-5369 [email protected]

If the office phone is in use or no one is in the office, please leave a message on the voice mail. Your call will be returned in a timely manner.

BETH EL WEBSITE: www.betheldurham.org

Barak Richman President Rachel Galanter 1st Vice-President Noah Pickus 2nd Vice-President

Roy Schonberg Financial Secretary

The deadline to submit items for the Beth El Bulletin is the first workday of the preceding month.

The deadline for the January issue is December 2; for the February issue, January 2.

Send bulletin items and calendar dates via e-mail to [email protected].

Beth El Synagogue

1004 Watts Street

Durham, NC 27701

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