Chai Lites Phone: 863-292-0722 • Website: hp://www.templebethshalompolk.org Member of U.R.J. August 20188 TEMPLE BETH SHALOM POLK Friday, August 3 at 7pm Shabbat Service followed by a showing of the film Friday, August 17th, 7pm Shabbat Service followed by special guest speaker, Professor Howard Kerner As a part of their study of the Holocaust, the children of the Whitwell, TN Middle School try to collect 6 million paper clips representing the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis, and grows to include millions of others killed. Retired Polk State College English Professor, Howard Kerner, who created and taught the very successful course Holocaust Literature, will introduce inspiring examples of human altruism and goodness during a time that most think consisted only of evil: the Holocaust. We know what people did TO our brethren and others during this horrific era. Why don’t we know about what people did FOR our brethren and others? Even though the punishment for helping someone during the Holocaust was instant death to the helper and his/ her whole family, virtually no one knows of the astonishing Christian – and Muslim - individuals, groups, villages, and one entire country that saved millions of persecuted people anyway. “Why Don’t we Know the Names of the Good? Lessons from the Past for the Present and Future” is an uplifting presentation on goodness and contains important lessons on how to encourage altruism in the young today!
Transcript
Chai LitesPhone: 863-292-0722 • Website: http://www.templebethshalompolk.org Member of U.R.J.
August 20188TEMPLE BETH SHALOM P OLK
Friday, August 3 at 7pm Shabbat Service followed by a showing of the film
Friday, August 17th, 7pm Shabbat Service followed by special guest speaker, Professor Howard Kerner
As a part of their study of the Holocaust, the children of the Whitwell, TN Middle School try to collect 6 million paper clips representing the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis, and grows to include millions of others killed.
Retired Polk State College English Professor, Howard Kerner, who created and taught the very successful course Holocaust Literature, will introduce inspiring examples of human altruism and goodness during a time that most think consisted only of evil: the Holocaust. We know what people did TO our brethren and others during this horrific era. Why don’t we know about what people did FOR our brethren and others? Even though the punishment for helping someone during the Holocaust
was instant death to the helper and his/her whole family, virtually no one knows of the astonishing Christian – and Muslim - individuals, groups, villages, and one entire country that saved millions of persecuted people anyway. “Why Don’t we Know the Names of the Good? Lessons from the Past for the Present and Future” is an uplifting presentation on goodness and contains important lessons on how to encourage altruism in the young today!
Summer for me is a time of rejuvenation. It pro-vides a hiatus from my regular schedule with op-
portunities for travel, recreation, study and to catch up with friends. As one gets older, relationships with friends become more and more important, especially for one who is single. Family members, for many of us, are scattered all over the country or even abroad. Children, grandchildren, siblings and cousins… often are busy with their own lives. I am fortunate to have made many dear friends here in the Tampa area and in Winter Haven, where my synagogue is located.
Dinah Craik in “A Life for a Life” (1859) wrote:Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfortof feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,but pouring them all right outjust as they are, chaff and grain togethercertain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping,and then with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away.
Here too I have been blessed with a handful of close friends, especially one who is almost like family that lives about 10 minutes from me. Moreover, during July and August, I usually reconnect with others that live in distant locations. These are the people that I
can share my innermost thoughts. They have been with me at joyful occasions and sad ones as well. Each summer, as I take off for Israel to study at the Shalom Hartman Institute and anticipate seeing rabbinic colleagues, among them friends that go back 40-plus years, I cannot help but think of the follow-ing verses from “Pirke Avot/Wisdom of the Fathers” attributed to Joshua ben Perachya (1:6): Get yourself a teacher; acquire a friend to study with you. When you judge people, give them the benefit of the doubt.
There is no shortage of teachers - scholars that share their wisdom during the two-week rabbinic seminar in Jerusalem. The chevruta (small group) of which I am a part has been reunited each July for more than 18 years. When all of us study together (as well as on a personal level one to one), we try to suspend judg-ment and to respect each other’s opinions.
Yes, summer is a special time for me and hopefully for each of you and your families as well. May you renew treasured friendships and may the com-ing months be a period of rejuvenation - physically, mentally and spiritually - as we approach a new Jew-ish year this autumn.
Rabbinically SpeakingRabbi Garson Herzfeld
Originally published in The Jewish Press
Dear Members of Temple Beth Shalom, As your new treasurer, my goal has been to stream-line our communication, and accounting practices. We take advantage of electronic media though we still want to accommodate our members who use surface mail. We regularly monitor both our Tem-ple phone and our post office box. As of July 1st, all member statements were sent out. Thanks to those who have promptly respond-ed. Let me know if I missed anyone! Our financial system is simple: Your dues cover the cost of our regularly scheduled Shabbat services, special holiday observances including Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, and other professional services provided by Rabbi Herzfeld.
We are grateful to those members who made a building fund contribution. In 2017 we suffered severe damage to the Temple roof. Your contribu-tions helped cover the cost of these repairs as well as other building improvements: repair of gutters, fresh paint, new lighting in our parking lot, a new entry mat, and plumbing maintenance. We have also reduced our expenses and balanced our bud-get.
Let us know if other issues require our attention. We are proud to call Beth Shalom our Temple. Your comments and questions are always wel-come. We need your support.
Open Letter to the Congregation fromTreasurer, Dr. Robert Lerner
The temple is now accepting credit cards for donations, dues and dinners.NOTICE
Erev Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 at 8:00 pmRosh Hashanah Service Monday, September 10 at 10:00 am Tashlich Service Monday, September 10 at 12:00 pm Kol Nidre Tuesday, September 18 at 8:00 pm Yom Kippur Morning Service Wednesday, September 19 at 10:00 am Yom Kippur Afternoon Service followed by Yiskor and Nilah at 3:00 pm Break the Fast at 6:00 pm
High Holidays Schedule
TBS Book ClubAugust 7, 11 a.m.
The Rabbi and the Hit Manby Arthur J. Magida
Get Well Soon
Get Well Soon
Donations■ In honor of Renee Cohen's Bat Mitzvah: Art and Lois Levine, Sue Zwerling, Richard Ross, Korina Mas-
ters, Meryl Crews, Margo Fleisher, Bruce and Susan Peckman.
■ For the building fund: Joseph and Shelley Epstein.
■ Yahrtzeit donation from Renee Cohen in honor of Lawrence and Leslie Peckman.
■ Yahrtzeit donation from Jeffrey Goldblatt in memory of Carolyn Goldblatt.
■ Yahrtzeit donation from Jerry and Jeanne Heyman in memory of Bobby Poller.
■ To Michael and Rebecca Koike on the birth of their third daughter, Zoe Eleanor, July 11, 2018. Michael
(at age 4) was a “charter student” of Beth Shalom Religious School.
■ To Steven Chayt for being selected to participate in “The Other Art Fair” this fall in Chicago sponsored
by Saatchi Art.
■ To Robert Lerner for cleaning the spider and wasp nests on the outside of our building.
■ To Brian Lerner for sponsoring the painting of our parking lot.
■ To Meryl and Jimmy Crews for hosting Rabbi Herzfeld’s June 8th dinner.
■ To Sandi and Phil Grinker for hosting the oneg on June 8 and providing the BBQ on July 20th.
■ To Arlene Greenberg for hosting the onegs on June 22 and July 6.
■ To Margo Fleisher, Meryl Crews, Janis Koike, and Phil Grinker for leading summer services.
We need volunteers to make honey and/or apple cakes for the Erev Rosh Hashanah oneg.
Requested by ______________________________________________________________________
Telephone Number __________________________E-mail ____________________________________
Actual size sample shown.
$150.00 contribution. Arrangement for payment to be made with the Temple Treasurer, Meryl Chayt, 294-6976
Line 0ne English date of death ______________________________________________________________ _______________
Line Two Memorial Name in English _________________________________________________________________________
______Memorial Name in Hebrew.
______or Memorial Name in Hebrew transliteration.
_______________________________son / daughter of __________________________and _________________________________Hebrew name Father’s Hebrew name Mother’s Hebrew name
)
)
optional, please check.
2018-19 Commercial Ad Order FormPlease return by August 17, 2018
Please complete a separate form for each ad. We can provide limited design work for ads using your art.
Print message clearly and/or attach “camera-ready” art.Please don’t staple or fold business cards or other provided art.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It is time again to start collecting ads for our upcoming High Holidays directory.Members are invited to express holiday greetings to the congregation. Please complete the form and return with your donation by August 31st to:
Please send this completed form to:Steven Chayt3317 Old Thornhill RoadWinter Haven, Florida [email protected]
It is time again to start collecting ads for the upcoming High Holidays directory. Members are invited to express holiday greetings to the congregation.
