July 2017 Tamuz 5777 - Az 5777 Vol. 73 No. 54 Inside HaRuach Rabbi’s Desk ...........................2-4 President’s Article .......................5 Sisterhood ................................6 Men’s Club .................................7 Religious School .........................8 Preschool & Kindergarten .............9 Calendar ............................. 10/11 July Celebrations ...................... 14 Yahrzeits ................................. 15 Todah Rabah ....................... 17/18 Highlights .................... Back cover The SPIRIT of Beth Israel Congregation - Chester County, PA HaRuach
Transcript
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July 2017 Tamuz 5777 - Az 5777 Vol. 73 No. 54
Inside HaRuach
Rabbi’s Desk ........................... 2-4
President’s Article ....................... 5
Sisterhood ................................ 6
Men’s Club ................................. 7
Religious School ......................... 8
Preschool & Kindergarten ............. 9
Calendar ............................. 10/11
July Celebrations ...................... 14
Yahrzeits ................................. 15
Todah Rabah ....................... 17/18
Highlights .................... Back cover
The SPIRIT of Beth Israel Congregation - Chester County, PA
HaRuach
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From the Rabbi’s Desk
Rabbi Cutler
Shalom
The ritual team met recently to discuss High Holiday services. (It is hard to believe we are discussing this already.)
The conversation focused on the feedback that members of the committee received from congregants. By the
way, the ritual team (Robin, Cindy, Mark, Ilene, Ann, Roselyn, Paul, Drew) always welcomes feedback. We then
focused on how to address the concerns. The common theme was that services were “too long, especially on
Yom Kippur morning.” Of course, my knee jerk reaction was “where are people going on Yom Kippur except to
be in synagogue? So how could services be too long?”
What is really being said is that congregants are having trouble connecting with the liturgy. In other words, the
liturgy is not “speaking” to them and hence it is not meaningful. The result is the service is boring and tedious.
The purpose of the High Holiday liturgy is to move the individual to reflect on the past year, their behavior, their
interaction with others and God, and to change to become the “better person.” The liturgy is supposed to be a
change agent.
Therefore, for so many, the High Holiday liturgy is not effective because people cannot connect to it. There are
host of reasons that the liturgy is not working – not familiar with the purpose, the structure of the service, He-
brew, theology (forgiving and punishing God), etc. The team had an extended conversation on how to address
this issue. The outcome was to look at the structure of the service. We concluded that we will keep the traditional
pieces of the liturgy that people can connect to such as Avinu Malkenu, Al Het, Una Tanah Tokef, etc. but elimi-
nate the repetition of the prayers that are said multiple times and replace it with an explanation of the prayer
which I will do. We want to be sensitive to the tradition and at the same time make it more relevant so people can
connect and be moved by the liturgy. It feels sometimes like a Herculean task. We realize that some will not care
for some of the change but we felt it was necessary to engage as many people as possible. The reality is that a sig-
nificant number of congregants only attend High Holiday services.
Over the summer the team’s task and my task, specifically, will be to modernize the liturgy to speak to more indi-
viduals. We will be specifically looking at the parts of the Amidah with all the piyutim (medieval poems) and deter-
mining which ones are meaningful, etc. I ask for definitive feedback and any input that you may have.
For the holidays, Robin will lead the choir with music along with James, we will have Carol on violin, and Roberta
on flute, Arlana Gottlieb, the cantorial soloist, and a new addition, more individuals from the choir will be singing
individual pieces as well. For me, music is an essential element of the liturgy, it is the bridge that connects the
earthly world to the heavenly realm.
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One of my goals as a rabbi of Beth Israel is to have more and more lay participation. The more people are in-
volved at Beth Israel, the more they are empowered and invested in the institution and its future. My goal is to get
as many people as are interested to participate in the High Holiday service as Torah readers, shofar blowers, solo-
ists, etc.
As we move forward with this, I ask you to be open and to give feedback. The purpose again is for each congre-
gant to feel connected to the liturgy and to be moved to reflect on who you are and how you behaved in the past
year, to move you to change and be better.
The next several HaRuach articles will focus on the High Holiday liturgy. This is the first of three. I would like for
you to reflect on a poem exploring the concepts of prayer and liturgy written by Rabbi Jonathan Magonet. Many
among us yearn and dream for synagogues to be places of something else, something more transcendent.
Liturgy defines the Community that prays
Prayer is the offering of each individual
Liturgy affirms the values of that Community
Prayer sets those values on our lips and in our hearts
Liturgy unites those who share a tradition
Prayer connects us to all who pray
Liturgy describes the boundaries of a community
Prayer locates us within creation as a whole
Liturgy offers a language for our prayer
Prayer reaches out beyond language
Liturgy invites our emotions
Prayer refines our emotions
Liturgy begins with the world we know
Prayer suggests worlds to be explored
Liturgy seeks to bring God into the world
Prayer helps make room for God in our lives
Liturgy provides security, continuity and certainty
Prayer disturbs, challenges and confronts
Liturgy is an event. Prayer is a risk.
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Rabbi’s article continued
The objective is to use the liturgy to make room for prayer. We often respond to that beauty, and we find our-
selves connected to the forms and structures that are provided by the fixed liturgy. And yet we know that our
hearts and souls often seek something more, something more private and intimate, transcendent and personal.
Our sages of old, and the rabbis and cantors of modernity, are deeply aware of the limitations of structured liturgy.
We affirm that for some this meaning or experience can be found by probing deeply the meaning of prayer texts
(iyyun tefillah), but that for others the experience of prayer is born of silence, or inspiring music, or insightful teach-
ing and poetry. Rabbi Magonet invites us to embrace both horns of the dilemma: let us attend the fixed services as
an event, but let us know, as well, that there is an inevitable risk of being challenged or even disturbed.
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President’s Article
Mark B. Segal
Learn, Live, Teach Judaism………L’Dor va Dor.
What can I write about this month? It’s summertime. Everyone wants to get away, vacations from jobs,
send kids to camp, a break from meetings at the Shul.
Maybe, it’s a good idea to think of summertime as an extended Shabbat, a break from the mundane, a time
for renewal. Sit on the beach, or in the mountains. Visit that place you always wanted to see. Go for a hike, ride a
bike. Pick up that book that you have wanted to read. Visit family and friends; give them a hug, share a meal, tell
them that you love them. Attend services on Friday night, Saturday morning. Think about what is meaningful to
you. Think about how you can do things to make the world better. Use the eyes, ears, nose, and hands that God
gave you to appreciate God’s gifts of life.
Come back refreshed, ready, willing and able to continue our journey together at Beth Israel.
Have a good summer.
N’aseh v’Nishma…..we will do and we will hear.
L’Shalom,
Mark
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Beth Israel Sisterhood
SISTERHOOD SNIPPETS
Gossip is NOT a Jewish Thing By Ann Greenstein All of us have a tendency to huddle around someone and listen intently when we hear 'I saw our old friend recently and she said that "blah, blah, blah"'. One reason gossip attracts us is we don't always know from the initial encounter that we are about to hear gossip. And then, once our curiosity is aroused, how can we tear ourselves away? In Judaism, gossip is referred to as Lashan HaRah whether the words are favorable or unfavorable. Lashan HaRah literally means "bad or evil tongue" as the tongue is seen as an instrument of our speech. Lashan HaRah involves discrediting a per-son or saying negative things even when these things are true. We are aware, the words we use can have a positive, healing effect or they can destroy a person's reputation by diminishing someone's status or modifying the point of view of his/her peers who begin to treat him/her differently. Or , without realizing it, they might look for confirmation as to the truth of the gossip. It is forbidden to even imply or suggest negative things about a person. It is forbidden to say negative things about a person, even in jest. It is likewise considered a "shade of lashon ha-ra" to say positive things about a person in the presence of his enemies, because this will encourage his enemies to say negative things to contradict you! Yet we all slip and listen to or indulge in gossip. There has always been a lot of concern in Judaism about our misusing words. In fact, on the high holy days, the Al Het al-ludes to Lashan HaRah 11 times as something about which we should be remorseful. The proper use of speech is empha-sized in Judaism because Judaism forbids causing any deception or embarrassment through speech and is forbidden even if the statement is true, with a limited number of exceptions. The Torah specifically says "Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people (Lev. 19:16), and "ye shall not wrong one another" (Lev. 25:17), which according to tradition, refers to wronging a person with speech. This includes avoid-ing any statement that might embarrass, insult or deceive a person or cause a person emotional pain or distress. The Talmud (Rabbinic interpretations) have a lot more to say specifying what is Lashan HaRah and offers several convincing stories about its effects. Rabbinic literature indicates that the person who listens to gossip is even worse than the person who tells it, because no harm could be done by gossip if no one listened to it. It has been said that lashon ha-ra (disparaging speech) kills three: the person who speaks it, the person who hears it, and the person about whom it is told. (Talmud Arachin 15b). Are you curious about when it is okay to make unfavorable remarks?
Tale bearing is allowed in a Jewish court of law because it is a mitzvah to give testimony, even when the person re-quests that the information be kept confidential. A person is required to reveal information to protect a person from immediate, serious harm.' A person is permitted to reveal information if someone is entering into a relationship (I.e., marriage, business) into which the person would not enter if he were aware of the information.
Even with the exceptions, the information may not be revealed if the objectives can be fulfilled in some other way. So, with all this in mind, what can we do when juicy gossip is imminent? Perhaps, state you prefer not to be involved in the conversation or just step away. And, most certainly, we do not want to pass on what we heard. (This information was obtained and abstracted or modified from many sources, the primary source being Judaism 101.com)
There will be no Sisterhood board meeting in July. Please join us for our next meeting on August 1st at 7:30 pm. The entire congregation is invited to join us for our first Ice Cream Social to be held on July 13th at 7pm at Milky Way Farm, 521 East Uwchlan Ave., Chester Springs.
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Join us as part of the Beth Israel Men’s Club, a hands-on auxiliary for the congregation. Beth Israel Men’s Club sponsors social and religious pro-grams year round, as well as supports other congregational programs in many ways. Programs include: Serving as ushers for High Holiday Services Poker Nights Guest speakers Providing cooks and servers for community events Sports events and field trips Spring Clean up Sukkah construction
All men affiliated with Beth Israel are welcome. See the congregational calendar or visit the Beth Israel web site for infor-mation about our activities. Please review the online Beth Israel calendar for the Men’s Club meeting schedule which began in September. We will often be meeting on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. followed by a discussion group open to all. We will also have our usual Monday evening socials . Events beginning this Fall will include a sports night and a Men’s night out. Join us for a “Brews with Jews” social. Join in, pitch in and have a good time. For additional infor-mation, contact Neal Stone or Kirk Reinbold at [email protected].
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Religious School Chai-lights Joan Sharp
Hebrew Overview
Since we will be revising our curriculum this coming school year, I thought I’d use this month’s column to tell you a bit more about the Hebrew series we will be using. We will continue to use the very successful Alef Bet Quest program for our beginning Hebrew readers in third grade, and will introduce the new program, Hebrew in Harmony, series for 4th – 7th graders. We will also intro-duce some conversational Hebrew for our 6th & 7th graders on Wednesdays with the Ulpan Alef and Ulpan Bet series. Alef Bet Quest is the first multi-media Hebrew primer. It consists of a book and a matching web-based digital companion. Your child will learn to read Hebrew in the book in class and will prac-tice those new skills at home in animated online activities and computer games. This combination is a highly motivating way to learn to read Hebrew, and the children love the program! With the software, your child will also be able to hear the Hebrew read aloud in an American or an Israeli accent, reinforcing our work in class. And, because the software tells a story of a quest to find a missing Kiddush cup in Israel, your child will learn about Israel at the same time. The Hebrew in Harmony series for 4th – 7th graders, is our exciting new music-based prayer curricu-lum which blends print and digital materials to create a unique and fun learning experience fo-cused on helping students learn the words and meaning of Hebrew prayers. Featuring music from today’s top Jewish musicians, the curriculum also incorporates elements of art, mindfulness, movement, and journaling. In the digital companion for each prayer in Hebrew in Harmony, your child can watch videos about the prayer, play Hebrew games, download music, read and record themselves reading Hebrew, and get teacher feedback. The musical element sets this program apart, and will add joy and fun to your child’s Hebrew learning. The combination of digital and print learning materials is a highly motivating way to learn to read Hebrew, and we predict your child will love the program. The Hebrew in Harmony dig-ital companion can be used on any computer or mobile device. Ulpan Alef and Ulpan Bet will allow us to introduce basic Hebrew conversation around the topics of greetings, food, family, school, and time woven into simple sentences, poetry, and word games. We are thrilled and excited to offer these dynamic Hebrew programs to Beth Israel Cohen Family Religious School this coming school year!
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Preschool & Kindergarten News
Adrianne Liebman
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An Appeal from Former President, Dr. Morris Kauffman….. One of the many attractions of Beth Israel is the clean and beautiful appearance of our interior, especially the main sanctuary. At present, the carpeting in the Sanctuary is shabby, badly worn, rippled, and is a possible hazard for anyone walking down any of the three main isles to the Bima. This area of the carpet needs to be replaced now, before the High Holidays. The summer months are an ideal time to do this. This is our house of worship and our gathering place for many occasions. The Synagogue is our “drawing card” for potential new member. We need to maintain a pleasant appearance. We have obtained an estimated cost of up to $4,000 to remediate the carpet in the Sanctuary by either putting in runners or laminated flooring on the isles. My brother, Adam and I are willing to contribute towards this sum. Please join us and pledge what you can. We need your help. Morrie
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New Approach to Jewish Education
Offering a more meaningful and more relevant Jewish educa-tion with options to meet individual
family needs.
New multimedia Hebrew program incorporating music, arts, and movement. Judaic studies centered on seasonal holidays, emphasizing each holiday’s history, rituals, Hebrew, text, food, ethics, and crafts. Clubs focused on Judaism around the world, STEAM (Science, Technology, Entertainment, Arts and Mathematics) and Judaism, and Israel
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JulyCelebrations
Birthday Wishes
Best Wishes to All of Our July Celebrants!
Anniversary Wishes
2 Andrew & Jamie Parker 11th 5 Andrew & Heidi Block 25th 11 Gary & Susan Levin 41st
20 Richard & Ilene Lipow 31st 21 Robert & Kathy Greer 26th 21 Mark & Ann McPhillimey 20th
1 Lori Cherry 3 Steven Simon 6 Adam Dinerman 10 Harold Knable 10 Brian Schonherz 13 Heidi Block 13 Nadia Faden 6th 15 Aaron Blom 18 Jessica Harbold 18 Jonathan Scharf 18 Mark Segal 18 Randy Steen 20 Sydney Greenfield 9th 22 Kate Kauffman 26 Josh Schifter 27 Madison Brod 29 Shelly Kramer 29 Cassandra Lam 30 Jaimee Helbein 31 Roz Goldstein 31 Neal Stone
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Yahrzeits
The following will be remembered on July 7th & July 8th: 8 Tammuz 14 William Chertok 8 14 Morris Kramer 9 15 Gustav Levy 9 15 Sylvia Rubin 10 16 Aaron Levine 10 16 Norma Miller 10 16 Bebe Shanholtz 11 17 Larry Israelson 11 17 Nathan Sofer 11 17 Meyer Wexler 12 18 Max Cohen 12 18 Bernice Goldhirsh 12 18 George Knable 12 18 Albert Lassoff 13 19 Abraham Margolis 13 19 Morris Margolis 13 19 Ida Sugarman 14 20 Isaak Molinsky 14 20 Shirley Stone
The following will be remembered on July 14th & July 15th: 15 21 Rose Batt 15 21 Anna Buch 16 22 Lillian Goldstein 17 23 Herbert Baer 18 24 Lawrence Charney 18 24 Gladys Fanaroff 18 24 Irene Howald 18 24 Herbert Kauffman 18 24 Benjamin Rabinowitz 19 Mary Fryer 19 25 Mollie Katz 19 25 Solomon Kline 19 25 Aaron Novell 19 25 Louis Wallick 20 26 Donald Kabakow 20 26 Harriet Pomerantz 20 26 Harry Silver 21 27 Rose Berks 21 27 Alexander Endy 21 27 Sara Kauffman
The following will be remembered on July 21st & July 22nd: 22 28 Jean Berse 22 28 Mellissa Gosule 23 29 Bertha Suckonic 23 29 Harold Zislis 24 Av 1 Selig Cohen 24 1 Lillian Kenig 24 1 Herbert Kleeman 24 1 Marilyn Rubin 25 2 Sol Milberg 26 3 Sol Stone 27 4 Esther Kalstein 28 5 Meyer Moscow 28 5 Tamara Simon 28 5 Nettie Wallick
The following will be remembered on July 28th & July 29th: 29 6 Peter Gordon 29 6 Samuel Odell 29 6 Samuel Steinberg 30 7 Bernice Baker 30 7 Reba Epstein 30 7 Barbara Frankel 30 7 Abraham Hendel 30 7 Louis Jaffe 30 7 Max Narod 1 August 9 Carl Abrams 1 9 Joseph Freedman 2 10 Lawrence Feldman 2 10 Abraham Hillman 2 10 Bessie Hurwitz 2 10 Harry Kirschenbaum 2 10 Mildred Mesirov 3 11 David Bomzer 3 11 Richard Morgon 4 12 Dorothy Halpren 4 12 Milton Margolis 4 E. Mary Rigano
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Todah Rabah Tzedakah is a mitzvah, a unique privilege granted to every Jew. Remembering friends and family in this manner is an appropriate way to show our feelings towards both our loved ones and our community. We
want to thank the following for their contributions.
Building Fund To Jon Cutler, In honor of your achievements Amy Seidman To Adrianne Liebman, In memory of your father, Gerald Roz Goldstein and Tony Dyckman Susan and Gary Levin Cindy Blair-Miller and Stu Miller Linda and Harold Glazer Nancy and Steve Goldberg To Michael Charney, In memory of your mother, Lillian Alice, Ed and Allyson Margolis To the Bailey Family, In memory of Irma Bailey Alice, Ed and Allyson Margolis To the Halpern family, In memory of Cissie Halpern Cindy Blair-Miller and Stu Miller To Harry Anderson, Harris Richman, Shane Walker and Sean Young, Mazel Tov on your high school graduations! Nancy and Steve Goldberg To Corey Sharp, Jacqui Walker and Becca Weintraub, Mazel Tov on your college graduations! Nancy and Steve Goldberg To Linda and Harold Glazer, Mazel Tov on your granddaughter graduation from college! Nancy and Steve Goldberg Thank you all for the Leagram William and Joan Schmitt Choir Fund To Mrs. Wesley and Family, In memory of your husband, Kurt Eva and Martin Skolnik To Barb Hendel, Happy birthday wishes Linda and Harold Glazer To the Halpern family, In memory of Cissie Halpern Michele and Craig Steiner Eva and Martin Skolnik Bernice Berger Cohen Fund To the Halpern family, In memory of Cissie Halpern Cindy Blair-Miller and Stu Miller Joanie and Robbie Sharp To Adrianne Liebman, In memory of your father, Gerald Joanie and Robbie Sharp
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Todah Rabah Tzedakah is a mitzvah, a unique privilege granted to every Jew. Remembering friends and family in this manner is an appropriate way to show our feelings towards both our loved ones and our community. We
want to thank the following for their contributions.
Halpern Lecture Series To the Halpern family, In memory of Cissie Halpern Hannah Spatola Linda and Harold Glazer Roz Goldstein and Tony Dyckman Shelly Kramer and Family Susan and Gary Levin Nancy and Steve Goldberg Sandy and Barry Milberg Dr. and Mrs. Miklos Sugar Steven and Myrna Pressman Mike and Mary Starkman Sheila Kanter Brett Rhode and Yael Gross Nancy Pitcherella Barbara and Irv Hendel Cathy Wedeen and Richard Kostriken Don and Anne Suss William and Joan Schmitt Lucille Baron Shirley Rosenberg Elaine Hagopian Kathleen Wedeen To Adrianne Liebman, In memory of your father, Gerald Shelly Kramer and Family The Chertok Family Youth Scholarship Fund To Adrianne Liebman, In memory of your father, Ger-ald Michele and Craig Steiner Preschool Fund To Adrianne Liebman, In memory of your father, Ger-ald Deborah Kaplan and Erik Anderson Debbie Barbato Barbara and Irv Hendel Don and Anne Suss
Sisterhood’s Yahrzeit Floral Fund From Herb and Roselyn Cadoff, in memory of Herb's father, Morris Cadoff From Ione Apfelbaum Strauss, in memory of Ione's Uncle, Conrad Apfelbaum From Barry and Sandy Milberg, in memory of Barry's father, Sol Milberg Tree To Adrianne Liebman,
In honor of
Adrianne Liebman
who learned the importance of
family from her father,
Gerald Bogen
From the
Preschool & Kindergarten Staff
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Visiting the Sick is a Mitzvah: Some Guidelines A mitzvah that most of us have performed is visiting the sick – Bikkor Holim. This kind of visit requires behaviors that are unlike visiting a friend or family socially under other circumstances. Visiting the sick requires special consideration for the patient's situation and can be somewhat intimidating in that we don't know quite what to do or say. Thus, in Judaism there are clear guidelines, a few of which I will mention here. The sick can feel frightened and isolated. Healing is accelerated by the positive emotional impact of re-maining connected to others during an illness. Therefore, when you learn that someone you know is ill, it is appropriate to send a card or note regardless of the nature of the illness. Generally, it is important to the patient to have visitors as tangible evidence of caring friends, relatives or community. Someone who is close to the patient should visit as soon as possible, others can wait a cou-ple of days for a prolonged hospitalization. Because sick people may be scheduled for procedures and because they tire easily, it is better to visit only briefly but frequently. Before you visit, you might want to phone the patient (if the patient can readily communicate) to let him/her know you are planning on coming. When you visit, if the door is not open, a gentle knock shows re-spect for the patient's privacy. If the patient has other visitors, you might want to wait until the room is clear or simply say to the patient "I see you are busy with visitors so I will come back at another time.' During the visit it is appropriate to listen to the patient if s/he wants to talk, focusing primarily on the patient and avoiding talking about your own fears, feelings and experiences. You will want to avoid criti-cizing the patient's care or being judgmental about a treatment, diagnosis, or prognosis, although listen-ing to the patient's concerns can be helpful and you can react with statements of understanding, such as "what you are going through now must be very difficult for you". If the person expresses anger or ques-tions God, do not defend religion or God, just express acceptance of the anger. Of course, if the patient wants to pray, you can ask "what do you want to pray for" and pray with him/her or share a conventional prayer. A simple wish of refu’ah sh’leimah (“complete healing”) or “God be with you” can bring a level of comfort that ordinary conversation cannot. Jewish tradition offers a brief prayer linking the experience of the individual to the broader community: “May God show compassion to you, together with all the other sick of the people Israel.” Reading a psalm, if the patient is receptive, can also bring comfort. (I.e, Psalm 23, Psalm 121, or Psalm 130). You might offer to say a Mi Shebarach prayer at the synagogue for the patient. It is also appropriate to remain silent, perhaps just touching the person's hand or shoulder. Words are not necessary in order to offer support and comfort; you presence can be enough. When visiting help the patient with tasks, such as lend an arm for a walk down the hall, rearrange their tray, or anything else the patient needs and consents to. If you are visiting the patient during a meal, ask if they want you to stay, and if necessary, help him/her with the meal. Lastly, it is important not to forget to visit nursing home residents and elderly shut-ins. They also need caring and connection although they might not be acutely ill.
Ann Greenstein BIC5
20 HaRuach
Rabbi ................................................. Jon Cutler
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President ....................................... Mark B. Segal
Executive Vice President ............... Halle Schonherz
