Jonathan H. Hausman, Rabbi Barry H. Greene, President March Schedule Thursday March 1 Ta'anit Esther Muqdam/Fast of Esther Fast begins at 6:20 AM and ends at 6:16 PM Shabbat Zachor/Tetzaveh Friday March 2 Candle lighting ............................5:17 PM Kabbalat Shabbat ........................7:30 PM Saturday March 3 Tefillah .......................................9:30 AM Mincha-Seudah Shlisheet ............5:00 PM Havdalah .....................................6:45 PM Megillah Reading ........................7:00 PM Junior Congregation Credit for all or part of the afternoon and evening Shabbat Parah/Ki Tissa Friday March 9 Candle lighting ............................5:25 PM Kabbalat Shabbat ........................7:30 PM Junior Congregation credit will be given Saturday March 10 Tefillah .......................................9:30 AM Sunday March 11 Gerry Hartstone Memorial Mini-Golf Tournament ...... 12 Noon - 8 PM Shabbat HaHodesh/ VaYakehl-Pekudei Friday March 16 Candle lighting ............................6:33 PM Kabbalat Shabbat ........................7:30 PM Dalet Class Service Saturday March 17 Tefillah .......................................9:30 AM Tot Shabbat ..............................10:30 AM Shabbat VaYikra Bar Mitzvah Aaron Kushnirsky Friday March 23 Candle lighting ............................6:41 PM Kabbalat Shabbat.........................7:30 PM Saturday March 24 Tefillah .......................................9:30 AM Mincha-Maariv-Havdalah ...........6:00 PM Sunday March 25 Mah Jongg Tournament ................6:00 PM Shabbat HaGadol/Tzav Bat Mitzvah Ally Cohen Friday March 30 Candle lighting ............................6:49 PM Kabbalat Shabbat ........................7:30 PM Saturday March 31 Tefillah .......................................9:30 AM Mincha-Maariv-Havdalah............6:15 PM Sunday April 1 Chametz Contracts due by 10 AM Monday April 2 Ta'anit Bechorim/Fast of the First Born Fast Begins ......................................6:26 AM Latest Time to Eat Chametz...........10:16 AM Destroy Chametz............................11:32 AM Candle lighting .................................6:52 PM First Seder begins traditionally no earlier than 6:52 PM Tuesday April 3 Tefillah ............................................9:30 AM Second Seder begins traditionally no earlier than 7:42 PM Wednesday April 4 Tefillah ............................................9:30 AM Mincha-Maariv-Havdalah.................7:30 PM President’s Message...........................................2 March Calendar..................................................3 From the Rabbi’s Desk......................................4 Rabbi Henry Gerson Religious School News..10 Passover Preparation Guide.............................16 Contract for Sale of Chametz...........................20 Tikun Olam/Social Action Corner...................24 Sisterhood........................................................28 March Yahrzeit Calendar.................................34 Dates to Save...................................................36 In this issue ...
Transcript
Jonathan H. Hausman, Rabbi Barry H. Greene, President
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March ScheduleThursday March 1
Ta'anit Esther Muqdam/Fast of Esther Fast begins at 6:20 AM and ends at 6:16 PM
Saturday March 31 Tefillah .......................................9:30 AM Mincha-Maariv-Havdalah............6:15 PM
Sunday April 1 Chametz Contracts due by 10 AM
Monday April 2Ta'anit Bechorim/Fast of the First Born
Fast Begins ......................................6:26 AM Latest Time to Eat Chametz...........10:16 AM Destroy Chametz............................11:32 AM Candle lighting .................................6:52 PM First Seder begins traditionally no earlier than 6:52 PM
Tuesday April 3 Tefillah ............................................9:30 AM Second Seder begins traditionally no earlier than 7:42 PM
Wednesday April 4 Tefillah ............................................9:30 AM Mincha-Maariv-Havdalah.................7:30 PM
President’s Message...........................................2March Calendar..................................................3From the Rabbi’s Desk......................................4Rabbi Henry Gerson Religious School News..10Passover Preparation Guide.............................16
Contract for Sale of Chametz...........................20Tikun Olam/Social Action Corner...................24Sisterhood........................................................28March Yahrzeit Calendar.................................34Dates to Save...................................................36
In this issue ...
Shalom and welcome to themonth of March. I don't havemuch to say for myself this
month, so rather than leave this spaceblank, I will speak for others instead.February finally reminded us that it ispart of winter with some snow, iceand really cold weather. A reallywarm spot in February was the nowfamous Rabbi J's Roast on the 10th. It
was a great time, and for any of you who missed it, or thosewho were there but want to enjoy it again, there will be DVD ofthe entire program for sale. Contact [email protected] more information or to order a copy for yourself.
March marks the return of spring and many of the thingsassociated with it, Purim, Pesach (not really March, but hey)and golf (well mini-golf at least). The Megillah reading,including a pizza dinner, is scheduled for Saturday March 3rd,and many fun activities are planned during school for the kidson Sunday. The following weekend brings us something new.The First Annual Gerry Hartstone Memorial Mini-GolfTournament, which will take place on Sunday March 11th at 12noon until 8 pm. This is a very exciting event and it should be alot of fun. If you have not already formed a team and gottenpledges, get on the ball and do so. Find some team-mates, andthen challenge some other folks to compete both before, bygetting pledges, and during the event, in a hole by holecompetition. There are still openings for teams of up to fourplayers; contact the mini-golf committee [email protected] for more information. For those of youwho would rather sit while competing, join other area MahJongg players for ATC's second Mah Jongg tournament onSunday, the 25th. This year's event promises to be bigger andbetter than the last one; contact Ellen Greene([email protected]) or Inez Springer([email protected]) for more info or to reserve your spot.
From another part of the Shul we have the Dalet class serviceon Friday March 16, followed on Saturday by another fun andinteresting Family Education Program focusing on the Torahportion for the week, Vayakhel and Pekudei. To round out themonth, we resume the Bar/Bat Mitzoth schedule with AaronKushnirsky (March 24) and Ally Cohen (March 31).
One last note, there are always things going on in and aroundthe Shul, to keep yourself in the loop, please send me an emailto be added to the Temple E-mail list to receive the Rabbi'sweekly Shabbat-O-Gram, as well as any other breaking news.
Bulletin ContributionsThe deadline for contributions to the April Bulletin isWednesday, March 14. Please submit your articles via email(preferably in Word format) to [email protected].
Please! No Calls or E-mails toTemple Officers on Shabbat or Holidays
Ahavath Torah CongregationAffiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism1179 Central St • Stoughton MA 02072 • www.atorah.org
Stacy Andler Paul Barbell Benita Block Jonathan BloomMaxine Frutkoff Steve & Lillian Goldberg Jay GoldsteinEllen Greene Paul Greenfield Susan Korch Steve KramerFaye Kushinsky Simma Kuznitz Anne Leppo Amy LitwackCindy Pazyra Beth Ross Rich Sandler Rick SmithMark Snyder Inez Springer David Steinberg Stu WeinerNessa Wilensky Robin Zoll
From the Rabbi’s Desk...Natan Sharansky was the force behind the largest SovietJewry demonstration ever, on the mall in 1987, with250,000 people. He is calling for doing it again, this timein support of Israel and stopping Iran. This is ourgeneration's chance to act in time, unlike the 1930s. Itwon't be easy. Not everyone agrees, not at least withinthe Jewish community itself. But, something can be doneand done now.
Please keep the following in mind. Stopping Iran is notadvocating war or invasion but the opposite. StoppingIran in time, which can still be done without war, is theonly way to avoid war, just as stopping Hitler would haveavoided WWII and the Holocaust.
This is Sharansky's article from the 11 February 2007 inThe Jerusalem Post. He serves chairman of the Institutefor Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center.
Rabbi J
Mobilize Now, Save the World
Just over three years ago, at the first-ever global forum onanti-Semitism organized by the State of Israel, theessential task was to define the beast - the new anti-Semitism. Since then, as the fourth such global gatheringmeets this week, efforts to incorporate the "three-D"distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel and thenew anti-Semitism - demonization, double standards anddelegitimization - have become part of internationaldocuments and discourse.
These and other accomplishments, as important as theyare, have been dwarfed by the quantum leap anti-Semitism itself has taken. It has leapfrogged from isolatedattacks against Jews to incitement to genocide - the actualelimination of the Jewish state.
This shift has come in the form of a pincer movement. Onone side, we have the Iranian regime, which is denyingthe Holocaust and calling for Israel to be "wiped off themap" while racing to develop the physical means of doingso. On the other side, we have what is, in effect,international silence in response, coupled with growingwillingness to discuss Israel's existence as a mistake, ananachronism, or a provocation.
We must recognize the fact that though sympathy forIran's expressed goal of Israel's destruction is hardlymainstream, the idea of a world without Israel is moreacceptable in polite company, the media and academiatoday than Hitler's expressed goal of a Europe withoutJews was in 1939.
Given this situation, it should be clear that we are beyondthe stage of definitions. The Jewish world now mustmobilize at a level no less than during the struggles toestablish the State of Israel and to free Soviet Jewry. It is
this latter struggle that presents the most potent model foraction today.
Though both sides of the genocidal pincer are in quiteadvanced stages of development, the Jewish worldremains mired in pre-mobilization debates reminiscent ofthe early stages of the Soviet Jewry struggle in the 1960s.This may be hard to recall in light of the subsequentsuccess, but back then a debate raged among Jews overwhether a campaign to free Soviet Jewry was "tooparochial," and whether being out front risked making ittoo much of a "Jewish issue."
Before these internal debates were resolved the SovietJewry effort could not be regarded as a movement,capable of attracting allies and moving governments. Norwere such debates easily, or ever fully, put to rest.
As late as 1987, when the by then mature and powerfulmovement organized the largest-ever Soviet Jewry rallyon Washington's mall to coincide with MikhailGorbachev's visit, some Jewish leaders wondered if thecommunity could be mobilized, and if such a rally wouldbe counterproductive. They warned that only a fewthousand souls would brave the winter weather, and thatthe Jewish community would be considered"warmongers" who were spoiling the recent warming ofUS-Soviet relations.
In actuality, over 250,000 people came to a rally thatwas pivotal in opening the floodgates, not just to 10,000or 20,000 Jews, which seemed like a dream at the time,but to a million Jews who came to Israel over thefollowing decade.
Continued on next page
Ahavath Torah Congregation 55
Since it has been a while, a reminder is in order of whatfull mobilization looks like.
First, as Shlomo Avineri has recently proposed, Iranianofficials should get the Soviet treatment. Just as no Sovietofficial, including sport and cultural delegations, couldtravel without being accosted by protests and hostilequestions, so it should be with anyone representing theIranian regime. As in the Soviet case, such protests willnot themselves change Iranian behavior, but they arecritical to creating a climate that will influence thepolicies of Western governments.
Second, an inventory of the governments and companiesthat provide Iran with refined oil, huge trade deals, andeven military and nuclear assistance should be taken andpublic pressure be put on them to end their complicitywith a regime that is racing to genocide.
Third, the pension funds of US states should be divestedfrom all companies that trade with or invest in Iran. Thisdivestment campaign must be pursued without apologiesor hesitation.
Fourth, every country that is party to the GenocideConvention should be called upon to fulfill its obligationunder that treaty and seek an indictment of PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad on the charge of incitement togenocide, which is a "punishable offense" under ArticleIII of that treaty.
Fifth, human rights groups, such as AmnestyInternational and Human Rights Watch, which areheavily nourished by Jewish values, passion and funding,must stop squeezing both sides of the genocidal pincer.These groups must be challenged, on the one hand, topress for enforcement of the Genocide Treaty, to stand upfor human rights in Iran, and to oppose and exposeIranian support for terrorism. On the other, they must stopperverting the sacred cause of human rights into a cudgelin Iran's hands against Israel. This happened just monthsago when, during the Lebanon war, such groups all butignored Hizbullah's terrorism from behind human shieldsand called Israel's self-defense a "war crime."
Just as the two sides of the pincer themselves areconnected, so too must be the efforts to combat them. Allthe above steps concern the Iranian side of the pincer. Butcombating the other side, the denial of Israel's right toexist, is no less critical - and more difficult, since at times
they necessitate confronting, not a rogue regime, but ourown cherished institutions. On this front:
First, universities that provide chairs for professors whocampaign against Israel's right to exist should beboycotted. In a number of countries, denying theHolocaust is a criminal act. In the current context,denying Israel's right to exist lays the groundwork for asecond holocaust even more directly than does denyinghistory. Therefore, the promulgation of such an ideologyshould be fought even by societies that justifiably reverefreedom of speech.
This may seem a hopelessly difficult task, but it is not.After 9/11, one woman, a student, took on HarvardUniversity, which was ready to accept a $10 million"gift" from a Saudi sheikh. Harvard backed down,showing that moral clarity, unapologetically andpassionately expressed, can change seeminglyunassailable ideas.
We must stand for a basic principle: If denying theHolocaust can land a professor in jail, denying Israelshould not land him tenure.
Second, support for Israel must be demonstrated. Twodecades after the massive Soviet Jewry rally of 1987, weneed to return to the Mall on Israel's Independence Day inMay with two messages: Support Israel and Stop Iran. Itis late, but not too late, to overcome those fears of being"too parochial" that the Soviet Jewry movementsucceeded in dispelling more than 30 years ago.
The fight to support Israel and stop Iran now is, ifanything, less "parochial" than the Soviet Jewry movementwas then. Then, the Jewish world took on a globalsuperpower, the Soviet Union, and confronted the reigningAmerican foreign policy paradigm - detente - with a verydifferent one: linkage of trade to human rights.
Then, we successfully argued that the freedom toemigrate was not just a Jewish concern, but a universalone, and we were more right than we knew. The Jackson-Vanik amendment and the Helsinki Accords were criticalfactors in triggering the internal collapse of the Sovietempire. This collapse not only freed millions of Jews, butall the peoples behind the Iron Curtain, and ended a half-century-old superpower stalemate that threatened theentire planet.
Mobilize Now, Save the World (continued)
Continued on next page
Ahavath Torah Congregation66
Now the world stands at a no less fateful watershed. Theworld's most dangerous rogue regime is on the verge ofobtaining the ultimate weapons of terror. Already, Iran'sconfidence that it will not be stopped has led to one war,last summer's war in Lebanon started by Hizbullah.Already, Iran is fueling conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan,Lebanon and Gaza - and all this before the regime enjoysits own full, declared nuclear umbrella.
The moment before mobilization is always a lonely one,in which it seems that the obstacles to making a causeuniversal are insurmountable. Yet, as in the case of theSoviet Jewry movement, we are not alone. We aresurrounded by potential allies who may not themselvesknow they are ready to join us until we create amovement for them to join.
Our leadership will give others the opportunity to act. Ifthe Jewish world does not lead the way, who will? It is astrue now as it was then; if we build it, they will come.
A decade after the wave of democracy that came with thefall of the Soviet Union, an Iranian-led wave of terror isrising that will not stop until it is stopped. Ultimately, weovercame our fear of parochialism to stand up for SovietJewry, and left the world a much better place for it. Nowwe must do the same to prevent a second holocaust, andin the process save the world.
Mobilize Now, Save the World (continued)
Rabbi’s Discretionary FundSandy and Fred Sussman, in memory of Harold Komisar,
father of Susan Hausman
Sheryl and Peter Asnes, in memory of Harold Komisar,father of Susan Hausman
Sandy and Marv Fredberg, in memory of HaroldKomisar, father of Susan Hausman
Sheryl and Peter Asnes, in memory of Ruben Talisman,father of Benita Barbell
Anne and Mark Leppo, in memory of beloved father,Irving Nisson
Arlene and Stuart Rosenberg, in honor of Rabbi J beingsuch a good sport at the Roast
In Memory of Thelma Wilensky
Dottie and Joe SpivackPaula and Bill ManburgCelia LyonsJane and Burt DickeyBeatrice RavrebyArlene and Stuart RosenbergMarion LappinMildred and Charles RaffelLorraine SchoenfeldMarilyn and Marvin EichnerAnne and Mark LeppoRuth Elliot
Donations received after February 14th will be acknowledged in the April issue.
Intro to Hebrew ReadingLost during services? Forgot the difference between an'aleph' and an 'ayin'? Just a little rusty in Hebrew readingskills? Uncomfortable with Torah aliyah berachot?
Rabbi J is organizing a Crash Course in Hebrew Readingto begin Sunday morning, 10 - 11 AM.
Please do not forget the continuing need of ourMinyan. The camaraderie and spiritual fulfillmentwhich develops when building a Kahal Kodesh, a HolyCommunity, is just as important as the comfort weprovide to mourners in daily worship.Minyanim are held Sunday at 9 AM, Monday throughThursday at 7:30 PM Shabbat Services begin at 7:30PM on Friday (unless otherwise indicated) andSaturday mornings at 9:30 AM.
You Can Support Israel Easily…Merely by changing spendinghabits, Jewish families livingabroad can inject some 7 billionshekels a year into the Israelieconomy - for a net gain of 20,000new jobs. How? By making sureto spend as little as $50 eachmonth on Israeli products.
The Jewish Agency, the World Zionist Organization, and theWhite and Blue Mission of the Israeli ManufacturersAssociation have begun a joint campaign to promote thepurchase of Israeli goods abroad. Arutz-7's HagitRotenberg reports that the $50-a-month shift could lead to a3% increase in Israel's industrial sales. Purposeful spendingof this nature, it is thought, could also lead to greatersolidarity and identification with the Jewish state.
Israeli-made products can be found on these web sites:http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/sh-il.htmhttp://www.jewishuniverse.org/http://store.yahoo.com/israelnationalnews/http://www.shopinisrael.com/http://www.israelshop1.com/
Finishing the basement?
Use ATC scrip ...
It’s a Mitzvah!
Ahavath Torah CongregationCharitable FundsThere are several funds at our shul to which you maydirect a donation to mark any number of events,milestones, remembrances or express thanks. Pleaseconsider participating as your contributions help tomaintain the high quality of programming at ATC.
Beverly Manburg Memorial Library FundJacob and Bessie Lipsky FundKiddush FundLinda Sheff Memorial Fund (please contact the Religious School)Prayer Book FundPulpit FundRabbi’s Discretionary Fund (please contact Rabbi J)Religious School Enrichment Fund (please contact the Religious School)Torah Repair FundTree of Life (please contact Ann-Carol Lipshires)Yahrzeit FundYahrzeit Memorial PlaquesYouth Fund
Unless otherwise noted, please contact Ina at the shuloffice to make a donation to the above funds.
Please...Help your synagogueby paying your dueson a timely basis.Thanks!
Please Help a Fellow CongregantThrough Rabbi J’s Job Bank!One kind of mitzvah is giving a personsomething to eat. Helping a person tofind a job so that he can provide his ownfood is even a greater mitzvah.
Many ATC members are looking forjobs. We want to help. Through RabbiJ’s Job Bank, ‘jobs wanted’ and ‘positions available’ arefreely posted to a large number of people and allows us topost through the ATC office and our other publications.
If you are interested in participating, please submit nomore than a five-sentence description (longer descriptionswill be edited) of your skills or the job for which you arelooking, or of a position which you may have available,by way of e-mail to [email protected].
If you know of any job possibilities that fit one or more ofthe resumes at any time, please call Rabbi J. He willrelay your phone number to the appropriate party so theycan follow up directly.
Oneg/Kiddush/Seudah ShlisheetSponsorsPlease consider full or partial sponsorship of an OnegShabbat (Friday night after services), a Kiddush(Saturday morning after services) or a Seudah Slisheet(Saturday afternoon meal between/after Mincha/Maarivservices), or even a Friday Night Dinner in honor of asimcha in your life, in memory of a loved one, or justbecause you want to. Call the shul office at 781-344-8733 or e-mail to [email protected] for details.
Sponsorships received after February 14th will berecognized in the April issue.
Recycle Your Old InkjetAnd Toner CartridgesATC receives money for eligible cartridges. Acollection box is available in the Religious School.One more way for you to help ATC without spendinga dime. It’s a mitzvah!
Box Tops For EducationWe are now collecting BoxTops For Education. This agreat way to give to ourReligious School withoutspending a dime. Just collectthe box tops from any eligible
products that you already buy, and drop them off atthe Religious School. There is a container outside ofthe Religious School office.
With your help we hope to raise a sizable sum for ourReligious School. Join in.
Rabbi Henry Gerson Religious School NewsLike most Jewish schools, our religious school givesstudents the opportunity to contribute money for tzedakahat every session. In some congregations this is known bythe traditional name keren ami: fund of my people.
Literally, keren can mean a horn, such as an animal horn,shofar, or musical instrument; a ray, such as a keren ix, anx-ray; or a fund. The Jewish National Fund is KerenKayemet L’Yisrael. Although we understand tzedakah tomean “charity,” its root meaning is “justice.” We givetzedakah not only because we feel like it, but because it isthe right thing to do.
In November, students in the Religious School voted ontzedakah distributions for their fall contributions. Wemade contributions to the Alyn Hospital, supportingRabbi J’s bicycle ride in Israel; Magen David Adom; andthe Stoughton Animal Shelter, to provide veterinary carefor homeless animals.
Each class also chose organizations to receive their wintercontributions. The teachers and I gave some guidance, butwe also accepted suggestions from the students. Theorganizations receiving our winter contributions willinclude the Jewish National Fund, the Boston JewishCoalition for Literacy, the Jewish Braille Institute, andthe World Wildlife Fund.
When children are young, parents will usually give themmoney for tzedakah, but as they grow older, they may beable to contribute from money they have earned. Iencourage you to give children who are not ready tocontribute their own money a small amount of moneyeach week for tzedakah (and if you also give childrenmoney for snacks, specify how much is for each), and tomake tzedakah a regular part of your Jewish home life.
For example, it is traditional to make tzedakahcontributions at home on Friday evening, just beforelighting the Shabbat candles. Some of us grew up with atin pushke from the Jewish National Fund and weretaught to drop a few cents into it on erev Shabbat, buttoday many beautiful and imaginative tzedakah boxes areavailable. If your child does not already have his or herown—occasionally our school classes make them as craftprojects—a carefully chosen tzedakah container would bea lovely gift.
USY NewsThe snow in February didn’t stop Stoughton USY fromhaving a great month filled with a number of events forall ages! On February 2-3, Alyssa Olans and EricaGreene represented our chapter at the annual NERUSYOfficer’s Kinus where they learned important leadershipskills and are ready to help bring our chapter to a newlevel. February 10th was the annual NERUSY TikunOlam Semi-Formal where a record-breaking 20 Sr.USYers attended. On February 11th, Jr. USY spent theafternoon playing Laser Tag and Kadima brought outtheir artistic side at Plaster Fun Time on Feb 18th. Inaddition, four Kadimaniks spent a night at the Museum ofScience with NERUSY on February 22nd. And don’tforget a Stoughton favorite, Snow Tubing at NashobaValley, on February 25th- a fun-filled event for all ages.
So now it’s time to get pumped for some great eventshappening in March! Kadima and Sr. USY will beholding a Big Brother/Big Sister event on March 19-
Make Your Own Pizza Lounge. Jr. USY will spend theafternoon in Boston at Quincy Market (scavenger hunt,trip to the Holocaust Memorial, and shopping) on March18th and a NERUSY Convention in Peabody, MA will beheld March 23-25. Sr. USY will be participating inCasino Night at Temple Reyim on March 24th to raisemoney for Tikun Olam and 12th graders are invited toattend NERUSY Senior Weekend, March 16-18, in CapeCod, MA. In addition, all three groups will beparticipating in the First Annual Gerry HartstoneMemorial Mini Golf Tournament on March 11th.
Don’t miss out on these great events! Look for details inthe mailings and send in your RSVPs! Never been to aUSY event? Get your friends and come try one out! Wecan’t wait to see you!
Erica, Hilary, and Gail
Ahavath Torah Congregation 1111
Kitah BetFebruary was short but sweet. The Bet class is makingprogress on its journey forward through the Alef-Bet,continuing to read and write the letters and vowels. Ourreading continues to get stronger as we practice at homeand in class often. Learning a new letter or vowel isalways fun and we have learned over 20 already.
At the very beginning of the month we planted in honorof Tu B'Shevat. We decorated clay pots and filled themlovingly with soil, water and parsley seeds. We arehoping to have some parsley in time to use on our Sederplates. We read about the holiday and realized howhelpful we can be to the environment by trying to recycle,which will keep our earth clean and beautiful.
We got an early start to Passover also, as we are makingbeautiful placemats to use during the Passover week. Wehave started leaning the Four Questions, in Hebrew ofcourse, and coming along nicely there too.
As stated earlier, it is a short, cold, and sweet month, butlots of learning continues to go on with our Fabulous Fivein the Bet classroom.
B'Shalom,
Helayne Magier Adelstein
Gan ClassGan Yeladim continues its way through creative learning!The children exhibit a love for learning and creating. Aswe expanded our knowledge of mitzvot, we learned aboutthe mitzvah of LaShon Harah, or “watch your tongue”.The children thought about the nice things they can say totheir friends and families. We spoke about how wordscan hurt others inside even though we don’t see the hurton the outside. They found out that you can’t take backsomething once said! The children shared their favoritephrases that felt good and put them in a special heartshaped bowl, and the others we threw in the trash!
March brings us to the celebration of Purim. Throughstories, songs, crafts and baking, the children learned thewhole “megillah” of this holiday. They stomped their feetand shook their greggors as they heard the story, andfollowed Sammy the Spider on his adventures and foundout why Sammy couldn’t celebrate Purim, and continuesto spin webs. The children made shaloach manot baskets,and learned yet another mitzvah of giving to others onPurim. These were filled with our home madehamentaschen, oh how much fun we had baking!
As March continues we will begin our celebration ofPassover and continue learning our aleph bet.
Inez Springer
Family EducationMore than 40 people, including Religious Schoolstudents who had attended Junior Congregation, came tothe seder for Tu B’Shevat on February 3. It is alwayspleasant when the 15th day of Shevat falls on Shabbatand we can combine the Tu B’Shevat seder with akiddush or seudah shlishit.
The ritual for Tu B’Shevat centers on three kinds offruit, but some haggadot, including the one we used, callfor a fourth fruit. In our haggadah, that was to be a fruitthat most people have never eaten before, whichprovides an opportunity to say the shehecheyanublessing. It is become more and more difficult to findsuch a fruit. Special thanks to Dr. Steve Glicken, notonly for leading the seder, but for bringing tamarinds, afruit new to almost everyone.
Our next event is a congregational education programon Shabbat, March 17, after Shabbat morning servicesand a light Kiddush lunch, when we’ll study the Torahportions Vayakhel and Pekudei with Rabbi J.
The Family Education committee wishes Paul Solyn thebest of luck in his future endeavors.
Personal chef service for daily meals Home parties for all occasions Custom menus at reasonable prices Gift certificates available
Kitah AlefFebruary has been a very busy and fun-filled month. It wastime to prepare for Purim! We started our Purim studies byenjoying a joint story time with the Gan Yeladim class.Mrs. Springer read us the story of “Sammy Spider’s FirstPurim.” Imagine poor Sammy trapped in a Raashan, anoisemaker or grogger! We had a lot of fun singing “Ohonce there was a wicked, wicked man…..” There are manyfunny songs for Purim. Have you heard “Peanut butter,poppy, prune or chocolate hamantaschen?” We learned aPat-a-cake hand rhyme about hamantaschen that we couldteach our younger brothers and sisters. Drawing ourfavorite Purim story scene was fun! Then, we acted it outusing finger puppets that we colored. There were manystories and plenty of songs.
In the Negev, the southern desert region of Israel, weclimbed up the Snake Path to Mount Masada. I brought inmy pictures from the ATC trip to Masada so we had abird’s eye view from the top down. We visited the caves atQumran. It was easy putting together some pieces of apretend scroll to see how they fit. The real pieces of thescrolls found there can be seen at the Shrine of the Book inJerusalem. Beer Sheva was a very modern city. We visitedthe Arab shuk, an outdoor market, and made a jigsawpuzzle out of the pieces of a picture of a camel. Our lastNegev stop was the beautiful city of Eilat on the shores ofthe Red Sea. We had to take a ride on a glass-bottomedboat to see all the brightly colored fishes. Coloring apicture of them was fun. Our next stop will be in Haifa.
We’ve learned over 39 Hebrew words now. We know thebeginning letters and their sounds and what they mean.Pretty impressive, I think, for first graders. The studentsenjoys playing Stump the Class as they hold up a wordand have a classmate try to explain what it means. We’velearned five words of things in the Sanctuary to do withthe Ark and the Torah so far. After vacation, we’ll have totake a trip there to see them in person.
The stories of Moses were great. We were amazed thatthey put a baby in a basket into the Nile River and hedidn’t even wear a life jacket. We made many arts andcraft projects about those stories.
As you can see, we used our time wisely, learned a lot ofnew things and had fun doing it.
B’Shalom,
Paula Gaffin
Gimmel ClassFebruary was a short but very busy month for the GimmelClass. We continued our Hebrew reading studies andfocused on Hebrew vocabulary and B'rachot. We alsoprepared for our Friday evening Shabbat service, whichwill be held May 4. The students are very excited abouttheir service and learning the several prayers that theywill be leading. They are working very diligently on theirparts and invite everyone in the congregation to join themthat evening.
We also had a lot of fun with the holiday of Tu B'Shevat.The students planted parsley seeds with hope that theirparsley will have grown by Passover so they can use it ontheir Seder plates. The students created their own treesfrom paper towel tubes and tissue paper. They thendedicated their tree in honor of or in memory of someonespecial in their life. The dedications were quite touching.You can see them hanging on the walls inside and outsideof our classroom.
In March we will learn about the holiday of Purim andhave lots of fun with crafts and songs related to theholiday. Also, our study of Torah continues with Josephand his life in Egypt.
We will see how and why the Children of Israel came tosettle in Egypt, which will be just in time to learn abouttheir exodus from Egypt and their new lives of freedom,and our holiday of Pesach.
The next few months of Religious School will be filledwith lots of learning, excitement and fun. It will be a verybusy time for the Gimmel Class!
B'Shalom,
Susan BernsteinGimmel Class Teacher
Ahavath Torah Congregation 1313
Hay ClassShalom Kitah Hay parents!The Hebrew month of Adar usually falls in March. Thistime is filled with joy and great things. Kitah Haystudents are making good progress in their religiousstudies. They can use the Hebrew calendar withconfidence now.
We all had fun in the Tu B'Shevat Seder that we did inour class. We ate foods, said brachot, sang a few songsand talked about the importance of trees in our lives.
Now we can practice conversation in Hebrew. We havestarted a new book "Shalom Ivrit", a great book that all ofmy students enjoy and work hard to master. Ourvocabulary is growing and we have quizzes and games ona regular basis. We work on improving our writing skillsin Hebrew as well.
We started our next book "Count me in" - Jewish wisdomin action. We learned a lot about mitzvot. We talk andshare our feelings in class. Everyone is doing a great job!
In our History studies we learned about Sephardic Jewsand their customs. Each student shared with class a storyabout his or her grandparents and whether they belong toAshkenazim or Sephardim. Please ask your children ifthey can explain to you about Jews and their customsfrom different countries.
In March we are going to talk about Purim and Pesach.We will work on fun projects and will play games.
I am pleased what a great job our students are doing.Keep up the good work!
I would like to wish you and your families Hag PurimSameach! Happy Purim!
Kol Tuv,
Marina KorenblyumKitah Hay Teacher
Please...Help your synagogueby paying your dueson a timely basis.Thanks!
Zayin ClassKitah Zayin is continuing with our exploration of Jewishperspectives on everyday issues. One topic we haverecently explored was Kibbud Av Va'em - Honoringone's father and mother - one of G-d's Top Ten List (Seethe Ten Commandments for details).
Another topic was the mitzvah of Sh'mirat Halashon.Literally, this means "guarding your tongue." The term isderived from the verses "Which man desires life, wholoves days of seeing good? Guard your tongue from evil,and your lips from speaking deceit." (Psalm 34: 13-14)Sh'mirat Haloshon is a pivotal precept that stronglyaffects our day-to-day lives.
We continued with our review of the weekly Torah portion,and spoke about the holidays of Purim and Passover.
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Ahavath Torah Congregation1414
February 8, 2007
Dear Friends,I introduce to you A Different Israel Experience: three new programs to Israel for adults who have visited thecountry before. Each of these trips will engage the body, mind and imagination of even veteran travelers to Israel.
For Birthright Alumni and Other "under 30s" (June 10-22, 2007 & August 12-24, 2007)The Extreme Israel Experience - What makes this trip different from the standard tour? In addition to visitingimportant historical, cultural and religious sites in the country, we have included a variety of challenging activitiessuch as bike trips, water hikes and climbs, scuba diving, rappelling, camel and jeep trips. The program takes youall over the country engaging the body, mind and imagination. This is Israel….in the extreme! "Land only" cost: $1,150 “Air and Land” cost: $2,499 (from New York, taxes included)
For people interested in combining a visit to Europe with a shortened "Extreme Israel Experience", we offerthe Prague-Extreme Israel Experience (June 18–29, 2007 & August 20–31, 2007) "Land only" cost: $1,350 “Air and Land” cost: $2,699 (from New York, taxes included)
For 30-50 Year Olds (July 12-20, 2007)Active Israel – Do you enjoy playing tennis or golf? How about horseback riding? If the answer is "yes"then this is the program for you! Spend a week improving your tennis game or your golf swing under theguidance of Israeli professionals and meet with Israeli Olympians. If horses or mountain bikes are your"game," then ride on different trails in Israel on horseback or bicycle. This is a fantastic way to actively enjoyyour hobby and experience Israel at the same time. "Land only" cost: $1,799 “Air and Land” cost: $3,288 (from New York, taxes included)
For "over 50s" (October 15-26, 2007)Multicultural Israel – Have you been to Israel before but haven't tasted a Moroccan mufleta? Do you knowhow to do a Yemenite dance step? Have you participated in a handicraft workshop led by an Ethiopianartist? If not, then join us on an unforgettable visit during which you will encounter several of the Jewishcommunities and cultures that make up Israeli society. Learn about the issues faced by these communitiesas they integrated into and impacted on Israeli society. Meet new and veteran immigrants: hear theirstories, taste their culinary delights and experience multicultural Israel in a way that you never have before. "Land only" cost: $1,899 “Air and Land” cost: $3,331 (from New York, taxes included)
The Israel Experience always looks for ways to attract visitors to Israel and we believe that these programsare one way to accomplish this objective. I want to stress that these programs are meant for individuals whomight be interested in coming to Israel but have not found the right program for their needs or interests.
People who are interested in learning more about the programs should write directly to Nimrod Shafran [email protected].
An Educational Program for the Entire CongregationShabbat, March 17, 2007
Immediately following the morning service and Kiddush
Learn about the first Jewish fund drive! Why was it so successful? Why do we choose beautiful objects for our rituals, and how much beauty is enough?When G-d's kavod filled the tabernacle, what did it mean?
This program is for all agesSponsored by the Family Education Committee
Connie Spear Birnbaum Memorial Lecture to Feature Rabbi David EllensonThe Connie Spear BirnbaumMemorial Lecture is an annualevent sponsored by theSynagogue Council ofMassachusetts and areacongregations & agencies as away of addressing issues relatedto K'lal Yisrael with a speaker ofnational or international
prominence. The lecture is named in memory of ConnieSpear Birnbaum who worked for the Synagogue Council forseven years as Coordinator of Unity Programming. Thisannual program is a lasting legacy to Connie's devotion toJewish education and K'lal Yisrael.
This year's Birnbaum Lecture will take place on Sundayevening, March 25 at Temple Shalom of Newton,featuring Rabbi David Ellenson, President of HebrewUnion College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Associatedwith HUC-JIR for over 30 years, Rabbi Ellenson is abeloved teacher and mentor to generations of Reformrabbinic students. His topic will be, "A SharedLandscape, Different Roads: What Modern JewishHistory Has to Teach us About Jewish Unity Today"This lecture will reflect on the rise of modern Jewishmovements and the divisions present in the Jewishcommunity, and will address how mutual Jewish respectand dialogue can emerge in a contemporary setting. Thelecture is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7:00p.m. and the program begins promptly at 7:30.
For all your grocery shopping
use ATC scrip ...
It’s a Mitzvah!
Please...Help your synagogueby paying your dueson a timely basis.Thanks!
Passover Preparation Guide
I. What is Chametz? The basic rule which underlies the dietary laws of Passover is that during this holiday aJew must not eat, own or derive benefit from Chametz. Chametz refers to the five speciesof grain - wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats - which have been subjected to a leaveningprocess. In their unleavened states, these same five grains can be used to make Matzoh.The word "Chametz" itself refers to fermenting or souring. Dough (flour and moisture) canrise by just sifting (sour dough) or by a leavening agent being added.
Chametz includes not only bread, crackers and macaroni, but Items formed offermented grain used in other ways - such as beer, whiskey and grain vinegar.
The elaborate cleaning ("Kashering") process, involving putting away "regular" foods anddishes, renouncing ownership of leaven, and buying special foods, are all steps to ensurethat no Chametz is found in places where it might be used. Any presence of Chametz,however minute, is forbidden on Passover. The rabbis made an exception to this verystrict rule: If an accidental mixture took place before Pesach began, it can be considerednegated if Chametz is less than 1/60 of the whole mixture. This is why it is safer topurchase various foods (for example, milk) before the holiday begins. If you buy milkbefore Passover, no special "Hechsher" (certification of Kashrut) is necessary, but if suchitems are bought during the holiday, they do require a "Hechsher." (Shopping for mostthings before Pesach will also increase the number of items you can economize on).
II. What about legumes?
In our definition of Chametz, rice, millet, corn, peas and beans weren't mentioned("Kitniyot," in Hebrew). All agree that these are not Chametz. Sephardic Jews generallyfollow the practices of the Talmud and Shulchan Arukh (16th century law code) permittingthese Items on Passover. Ashkenazim (European Jews) followed the custom ofprohibiting these Items, either because of fear of "contamination" (e.g., rice might havegrain mixed in) or confusion (e.g., because beans can be ground into a flour-likesubstance, it might be confused with grain flour). Custom plays an important role InJewish life, but one should be aware that there is a significant difference between eatingsoda crackers (100% Chametz) and soy beans. Many Ashkenazic Jews eat string beansbecause the kernel has not been formed, and there are differences of opinion regardingpeanuts and a variety of seeds (sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, etc.). Chocolate usedto be a problem for Ashkenazim, because lecithin, used as an emulsifier, comes fromsoybeans. Today, most Israeli chocolate factories use a substitute emulsifier, fromrapeseed, for Passover, and can label their chocolate l’lo hashash kitniyot (withoutsuspicion of Kitniyot)
III. How do you get Rid of Chametz?
A. Eat it up before Passover.B. Give it away to a non-Jew.C. Renounce ownership by selling it - this is usually done by making a rabbi your agent,signing a document, allowing him to sell it to a non-Jew for a token down payment.After the holiday, when the purchaser discovers that he really doesn't want all theleftover graham crackers in your closet, he normally sells it back and the downpayment is returned. This is legal fiction, but it solves the problem of what to do whenyou have too much Chametz to merely give away.
The latest time to eat chametz is 10:16 AM on Monday, April 2, 2007.All chametz should be taken care of by 11:32 AM on April 2, 2007 at which time
chametz is burned and the contracts will be sold.
Cooling hands in cold water beforehandling dough, Venice, 1609.
Ultimately, as with all rituals, the meaning you derive from it is a very personal matter andoften it cannot be explained rationally. Here are some possibilities:
• The cleaning out of Chametz symbolize the cleaning out of the old ways of slavery as our ancestors had to do to leave Egypt. It can symbolize our desire to cleanse ourselves of our "evil inclinations," the "Chametz of the heart."
• It is a "spring cleaning," a chance to air out our houses, and ourselves, after the long winter's hibernation. In the spring, we are spiritually and physically reborn. In this sense, the themes of Passover and Easter are very similar.
• The more effort we put into preparing for a holiday, the more intense are our feelings and memories associated with it. This is why Passover has maintained such a powerful hold on even the most assimilated of Jews, while other celebrations have fallen from favor.
We all have vivid memories of childhood Passovers, and they are so vivid because of allthe work that went into the preparation. On Passover, we simultaneously recall theinfancy of our people and of ourselves. We are transformed both to Egypt and towherever we grew up. But such a moving experience does not come for free: we mustearn it the old fashioned way — by removing leaven.
V. When do we start eating Matzah?
Matzah can be eaten all year round. But we should avoid it for 24 hours before the firstSeder so that its taste is fresh. It probably is a good idea not to eat much of anythingduring the afternoon before the first Seder. Some don't eat Matzah for two weeks prior tothe holiday.
VI. How do I clean my house for Passover?
Areas where eating takes place should be cleaned thoroughly. Also, check places likebriefcases, purses, desks and coat pockets, if you occasionally put food there. Offices,lockers in school, and automobiles should also be cleaned. There is no need to gooverboard with this, however. The house can still be Kosher for Passover, even, if everywindow isn't washed and the bathtub isn't scrubbed.
VII. What about (oy, gevalt) the kitchen?
Shelves, counters, tables and drawers should be well cleaned. They can be Kasheredby pouring boiling water over them. An easier solution (and less messy) is to cover themwith shelf paper or just tape them shut if you don't need them. The refrigerator should bedefrosted and cleaned (no shelf paper is necessary here). To "Kasher" a stove - clean itwell with a commercial cleanser, do not use it for 24 hours, then heat it to maximumtemperature for one hour. If you plan to use the broiling pan, cover it with heavy foil. Fora self-cleaning oven, run it through one self-clean cycle.
Electric burners should be treated in a similar manner: clean, don't use for 24 hours andthen heat until they are red hot for at least five minutes.
For gas burners, either heat them to the hottest possible temperature for 15 minutes orimmerse the burners in a pot of boiling water.
For a microwave oven, place a utensil with boiling water inside until thick steam fills it.
KITCHEN UTENSILS:Launder dishtowels and cloth tablecloths.
In general, items are "Kashered" according to how they are used: Ovens and oven racksrequire high heat, pots and silverware require immersion in boiling water. Items used onlyfor cold may be "Kashered" by rinsing. Dishwashers should be run through one cycle withsoap after laying idle for 24 hours.
PASSOVER PREPARATIONSA GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED
ITEMS WHICH CANNOT BE MADE KOSHER (IN ANY PRACTICAL WAY):• Meat spits• Metal baking pans• Earthen ware• Toaster ovens• Porcelain• Items that will be damaged by hot water• Items which cannot cleaned (for example, graters, pots and pans with burned on food)• Silverware and cooking utensils of more than one piece (for example, knives with wooden handles; Chametz can be stuck in the crack)
ITEMS WHICH CAN BE KASHERED:• Metal pots, frying pans, (including those glazed or enameled, Teflon is questionable).• One piece wooden utensils (in theory)• One piece silverware• Glass (no boiling necessary, for dishes and glasses, just a thorough scouring)• Pyrex, Duralex and Corelle ware• China: if it hasn't been used in a year, it is Kosher if scoured and cleansed with hot water• Hard plastic• Nylon• Bakelite• Rubber that can be immersed in boiling water briefly
POINTERS:1. Don't forget to also immerse the lids of jars and containers.2. Use a big pot for boiling, dip items with tongs or tied to a string, while the water is actually boiling.3. For the largest pot (too big to be dipped) boil water in it, then fill it to the brim with more water. Later, pour boiling water on the outsides and handles.4. Remove handles of pots and pans before boiling (if possible) and boil separately.Of course, it is, in many ways, easier to use a separate set of kitchenware and dishesfor Passover. But this is not necessary.
For questions on specific items, feel free to call.
VIII. What foods can I buy?
Please beware. Many foods are marked up for profit to take advantage of the consumerwho is unaware that not all items need rabbinic supervision. If you buy the followingbefore Passover and leave it unopened, no rabbinic supervision is needed:
• Coffee• Tea• Sugar• Pepper (Pure herbs & spices, not garlic salt)• Dried fruit (with no preservatives)• Honey• Hard cheese (preferably sealed in the factory)• Butter• Fruit Juice (no additives, sweeteners or preservatives)• Kosher meat, chicken, fresh or frozen (not breaded or in sauce)• Detergents (may also be bought on Passover)• Fresh milk• Eggs• Vegetables, fresh or frozen• Nuts in their shells
• Pure olive oil (no additives): also safflower & peanut oils• Tuna and other types of fish, frozen or fresh, (kosher types of fish and unbreaded, of course)• Paper and plastic goods• Aluminum products• All prescribed medicines in cases of medical necessity
ITEMS WHICH MUST HAVE PASSOVER SUPERVISION:
IX. Above all, whatdoes all this comedown to?
Common sense. When you heat an oven or boil a pot, strict safety measures should beemployed. Remove all soft plastics from the area.
X. Miscellaneous issues
The situation regarding cheese requires a fuller explanation. The ConservativeMovement allows for the consumption of hard cheese that is not supervised, whileOrthodox practice is to require supervision, whether on Passover or not. This has to dowith the dispute over the nature of rennet, an animal by-product used in the formation ofcheese.
Vodka may or may not be kosher for Passover; you must check the label. Usually, vodkais made from potatoes. Most Israeli wines and brandies are produced kosher forPassover the year around, for simplicity's sake. But some liqueurs may not be Pesachfriendly, so, again, label reading is a must.
A perennial question is whether one can use ordinary alcohol based perfumes,aftershaves and other scents, which might contain grain alcohol. There are two distinctschools of thought on this subject. The stricter school says that only approved forPassover cosmetics of any type may be used. The more lenient school holds that sincethese products are inedible, the source of the alcohol does not matter. Anything "not fitfor a dog to eat" is classed as an inedible. Both views are valid ones.
XI. Conclusion In the end, Passover is purely a personal experience. For some it is a game, asexemplified by the Search for Leaven, a favorite of children, which takes place theevening before the Seder. For others, it is a dreaded chore. And others have long sincegiven up preparing for it so elaborately. What I've presented here are, for the most part,the strictest requirements of Jewish law. Many people go way beyond theserequirements, others are more selective. On this festival of freedom, we are free toquestion tradition, but just as powerful, is our freedom to enrich our lives by turning justanother spring evening into a night different from all other nights.
Halacha requests no Jew own any Chametz after 11:32 AM on Monday, April 2, 2007.Rabbi Hausman is authorized to prepare a bill of sale, and arrange for the transfer ofownership of your Chametz to a non-Jew. Members of ATC may arrange to appointRabbi Hausman as their agent to sell their Chametz after daily Minyan or at any othermutually arranged time. You may mail the following contract making sure that itreaches the synagogue office no later than 10:00 AM on Sunday, April 1, 2007.
Please detach and return to Rabbi Jonathan HausmanAhavath Torah Congregation, 1179 Central Street, Stoughton, MA 02072
Contract for Authorization to Sell Chametz
I/we understand that Rabbi Hausman is willing to act as my agent for the sale of anyChametz which I shall still have in my possession by 11:32 AM on Monday, April 2,2007. Rabbi Hausman is authorized to sell such Chametz to a non-Jew of his choosing,and the buyer has free access to the "Chametz" acquired by him.
I/we hereby authorize Rabbi Hausman to sell my/our Chametz which is in my/ourpossession, knowingly or unknowingly, or at my address (please print clearly):
Name _______________________________________________________
Rabbi Hausman is fully authorized to sell, lease, dispose of and conduct all transactionsthat he deems fit and proper in accordance with Torah and Rabbinic regulations and inconformity with the laws of the State of Massachusetts. I/we undertake to store theseitems under lock and key and NOT to make use of them, or the places in which they arestored, during the Pesach period. I/we understand it is customary to make a donation tothe Rabbi's Discretionary Fund at this time. I/we understand that this donation is notobligatory. Donations are used for the local Maot Chittim Fund.
If possible, please itemize your chametz possessions. Please include the contents ofyour liquor cabinet. You may list the closets in which your chametz has been placed.You may make this listing on the back of this contract.
Ahavath Torah Congregation 2121
Follow Me to Israel...Interested in visiting Israel? Want to work toward greaterIsrael visibility in ATC and amongst our teens and families?Follow Me to Israel Institute is just such an opportunity!!
Follow Me to Israel Institute, now in its eighth year, willprovide training and experience for a team of lay andprofessional leaders from our congregation to present Israelwith greater knowledge and commitment and thereby recruitmany more families to join the Passport Program. Increaseenthusiasm for Israel in our congregation, and foster greaterattendance in educational programs in Israel by your youth,recruit more effectively for Israel Programs.
The Follow Me to Israel Institute includes a highly-subsidized mission to Israel during this coming summer. Onthis trip, an ATC team of leaders will encounter first-handthe excitement of the Israel experience as it is presented toJewish teens. Together with leaders from othercongregations, you will come to know the Israel experiencefrom within and gain expertise at promoting the Israelexperience to both parents and youth in your congregation.They will also learn, in pre- and post-trip training sessions,how to recruit more effectively for Passport and awakenmore enthusiasm for Israel in the congregation.
CJP will once again provide a grant to subsidize the seminarto Israel for synagogue teams in support of the Myra andRobert Kraft Passport to Israel Program.
CJP will offer through significant subsidy support theFollow Me to Israel seminar in Israel July 24th throughAugust 2nd as well as a limited number of training sessionsfor only $850 per person (based on double occupancy). Theonly obligation to your synagogue will be: (1) to enable theprofessional member of the team to attend; and (2) toprovide the whole team with the support it will need to moreeffectively advocate for Israel programs in the coming years.
Spaces are limited on a first come, first serve basis. In orderto participate, ATC will need to:
1. Create a team of three to participate. The team shouldinclude: (1) the lay volunteer who will be part of thePassport to Israel Committee in your congregation assistingthe current Chairperson; (2) a second lay leader with activeand future involvement in the educational program(s) of thecongregation; and (3) a professional educator or clergyperson who has, and will continue to have, directresponsibilities for working with families and youth eligiblefor Passport. It is important for your congregation tocarefully select the appropriate team for your congregation.
2. By March 30th, make the congregational commitment toparticipate, and list the three who will make up our team.Also included with participant names should be adescription of the role of each team member includingcurrent involvement and future leadership plans. Designateone person as the team liaison to the institute. Manycongregations have already expressed their interest inparticipating and have begun to form congregational teams.Please note that we will accept sites on a first come, firstserve basis. (In the past, the program was full prior to thedeadline).
3. By April 15th, a $500 deposit for each participant,payable to Combined Jewish Philanthropies, should bemailed to CJP, Attention: Cheryl Aronson, 126 High Street,Boston, MA 02110. Places are limited, but first preferencewill be given to congregational teams of three. Finalpayment will be due by May 1st.
4. Commit the team members to attend a limited number ofpre & post Israel training workshops that will take placebefore and after the Israel Experience.
5. Create occasions for the team to communicate what hasbeen learned about the Israel Experience to the board,parents, youth and larger congregation.
6. Build a congregational plan for the team to put into placeto recruit many more families and youth to join Passport toIsrael which will be shared with other congregations.
If you are interested, speak to Rabbi J
Please...Help your synagogueby paying your dueson a timely basis.Thanks!
For all your grocery shopping
use ATC scrip ...
It’s a Mitzvah!
Ahavath Torah Congregation2222
The Jewish Discovery InstituteWhat is the Jewish Discovery Institute (JDI)? The JDI isa joint project of the New England region USCJ and RA,and is underwritten by a generous grant from the CJP.
The JDI provides classes and workshop for individualsand interfaith couples to explore Conservative Judaismand for congregations looking for assistance inwelcoming interfaith families within the boundaries ofJewish law. The JDI also runs a regional conversionprogram, formerly known as the Gerim Institute. Here is alittle summary of what we are doing….
Intro to Judaism Course: We currently have twointensive 22 session classes running, with a wonderfuland diverse group of 22 couples and 3 singles who are inthe process of conversion to Judaism.
Judaism 101: This year we are running an introductionto Judaism course called "Judaism 101." These free, threesession courses serve as a gateway for many to come to acongregation, interact with a rabbi and learn a little aboutour tradition. This course is appropriate for interfaithcouples or anyone else who is looking for a basicintroduction to Judaism.
Rabbi Marci Jacobs will be teaching the next section ofJudaism 101 at Temple Emunah in Lexington on March8, 15, and 22 from 8:00 pm-9:30 pm.
Keruv Circle: This group of congregational leaders fromarea Conservative congregations met for the first time inDecember to share ideas, plan and create a community ofpeople who want to make our congregations morewelcoming to interfaith families, while remainingrespectful of halachic boundaries.
Why is this important? I refer you to the CombinedJewish Philanthropies (CJP) and the Steinhardt SocialResearch Institute (SSRI) at Brandeis Universitypreliminary findings of the 2005 Greater Boston JewishCommunity Study.
Nationally, only 30-35% of interfaith couples raise theirchildren exclusively in the Jewish tradition. Here is theBoston area, 60% of interfaith couples raise their childrenexclusively as Jews. This remarkable finding suggeststhat the resources and effort the CJP has put intointerfaith outreach has born fruit. You can download thepreliminary findings of this study athttp://www.cjp.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=147892.
The Jewish Discovery Institute is a proud part ofthis initiative.
Do you know someone who is interested in conversion toJudaism, or maybe just wants to learn a little more?
Do you know an interfaith couple looking for aconnection to the Jewish community?
Are you interested in learning more about keruv, andabout how we can do more to reach out to this growingsegment of our community?
If you have these or any other questions, please feel freeto call me, Rabbi Braham David, for more information at617-964-8210 ext. 14 or [email protected].
Shul Choreography 101
Always confused about when to stand or sit during services?Do you want to learn the proper way to perform a Torahaliyah, the appropriate manner for hagbah/Torah lifting?Who must wear a kippah, who should wear a tallit andwhen, why and with what berachot? What are tefillin,when do we don them, by whom and why?
Join Rabbi J on Sunday March 18 at 10 AM in theSanctuary for a general review of the simple aspects of shulcomportment and customs for Shul Choreography 101. Thisis a good review for anyone, including those with upcomingBnai Mitzvah in the family.
Call the shul office at 781-344-8733 to let Rabbi J know thatyou are coming.
Our congregation has made a commitment toJewish Family Table to provide 25 boxes of
raisins and 25 cans of fruit each month.
Please help out!
Thanks Mah Jongg MavensYes!!! Thanks to all of you who ordered your cardsthrough the sisterhood. This year once again we wereable to out-do ourselves and placed an order of 180 cardsand thinking ahead, let's aim for 200 cards in 2008.
Cards will be mailed to your home by Pesach time. Let'shope all goes smoothly and you receive them earlier, soyou will be able to use them at the ATC Mah JonggTournament. Many thanks to those of you who wentabove and beyond, by having your entire group andfriends order through our sisterhood.
Helayne Magier Adelstein
Thank you so very much to everyone for your tremendoussupport and compassion after my dad passed away.
It truly helped us through our time of sorrow.
Susan Hausman and family
Youth FundTo the Leppo Family, in memory of Barbara Leppo,
from Jacquie and Alan Olans
To the Hausman Family, in memory of Harold Komisar,from the Glickman Family
To the Hausman Family, in memory of Harold Komisar,from Lois and Barry Levy
To the Hausman Family, in memory of Harold Komisar,from The Kushinsky Family
To the Wilensky Family, in memory of ThelmaWilensky, from Lois and Barry Levy
To the Wilensky Family, in memory of ThelmaWilensky, from Jacquie and Alan Olans
To the Barbell Family, in memory of Reuben Talisman,from the Olans Family
In honor of Boy Scout Troop #516 from theBornstein Family
Mazel Tov to Steve and Gerry Kramer on the birth oftheir granddaughter, Shayla, from Jacquie, Alan,Alyssa and Jessie Olans
Donations received after February 14th will beacknowledged in the April issue.
Adult Singers WantedPrevious experience required.
Must commit to one weekly rehearsal.For further info call
Mazel TovSandy & Marvin Fredberg, on the birth of their
granddaughter, Madalyn Eve.
Beverly & Hap Leven, on the birth of theirgrandson, Jacob.
Jon Bloom, Amy Snetsky, and IrvSnetsky, on the arrival of Maya PearlBloom.
Tikun Olam/Social Action CornerDaffodil Days.Kathi Lazarus has taken over chairing this event becauseof Barbara Rotman's illness. Once again, we sold bunchesof daffodils, the vases, and "Gift of Hope", ananonymous donation of a bunch in a vase to cancersurvivors as well as a stuffed bear with daffodils. Thanksto everyone who ordered the daffodils. All proceeds wentto the "American Cancer Society".
Jewish Family TableThanks to Simma who made the delivery in February.On March 4, 2007, ATC is providing 8-10 drivers who"shop and deliver the food" to the families. We arecurrently collecting Passover food, matzo, cake mixes,gefilte fish, soup mixes, etc., in addition to raisins andcanned fruit for April 1, 2007.
Please note that the dates have changed.
Walk for HungerThis will take place on Sunday, May 6, 2007.Information will be distributed. As in past years, we willhire a bus, have a light breakfast and use our new SocialAction t-shirts while we can walk together for 5 miles.Registration forms will be available in the lobby and inthe religious school.
Cradles to Crayons DriveOn March 18, 2007, from 8:30AM -12 PM, the ATC SocialAction Committee issponsoring a drive for theQuincy based Cradles toCrayons organization. We will
be having a collection of gently used children's clothing,books and toys. We are looking for volunteers to helpwith the collection and we are looking for volunteers todrive the items to the warehouse and to volunteersorting the items. We will be serving pizza and soda toall participants/volunteers immediately followingreligious school.
Collection for SoldiersDuring the month of February, ATC collected variousitems that were shipped to the soldiers such as shampoo,soap samples, snacks, magazines etc. Thanks to everyonewho participated in this drive. We were pretty successful.
Beth H. RossSocial Action Chairperson
2007 Distribution ScheduleMarch 4, 2007April 1, 2007 (includes Passover distribution)May 6, 2007June 10, 2007July 29, 2007No August 2007 Distribution
Artist in Residence WeekendOur Fifth Annual Artist-in-Residence Weekend was a bigsuccess. Those who attended enjoyed a kosher Chinesedinner Friday evening and the songs of Shir Appeal duringthe entire weekend. I would like to thank all of our sponsorsfor helping to make the weekend possible, as well aseveryone who helped out throughout the weekend. I wouldlike to give a special thanks to Stacy Andler for organizingall the food, Benita Block and her crew for their workpreparing and serving it all, Ellen Greene for recruiting thesponsors, Amy Litwack and Karen Feinberg for servingbrunch to Shir Appeal on Sunday morning; and Stop andShop for their food donation for Saturday's Kiddush.
Gift Cards/ScripAs we all try hard to keep our 2007 resolutions, believe itor not we still have not heard from too many of you. Weknow that one of your promises for this new year was topurchase scrip more often and on a more regular basis.So, tell us, where is everyone? We have plenty ofscrip/gift cards on hand and are always willing to orderyour special requests. Let's work towards helping ourshul and promote this wonderful fundraiser which willhelp keep our dues, etc., without an increase. You mightsay, my few hundred of grocery scrip will not help thatmuch. Guess what, you would be surprised to know howmuch it really does help and the more participation themore we can help our shul.
February is a short month but none the less the Scripprogram is ongoing. Bar and Bat mitzvah season iscoming, so think about giving a generous gift card tothose having this or other wonderful simchas in themonths to come. We look forward to hearing from moreof you ASAP.
Did you know we can get Cheesecake Factory, RadioShack, Bath & Body Works, Marriott Hotels, AmericanAirlines, TJ Maxx/Marshalls, Lowe's, PapaGino's/d'Angelo's, Toys R Us, and many others. Just giveyourself an extra 5 minutes to check out the web site,www.glscrip.com, and go to retailer list. It is fun to shopon line, so buy your gift cards through the shul forbirthdays, anniversaries or just because.
Remember we keep most gift cards in stock and alwaysoffer Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, Butcherie, Roche Bros., forall your supermarket needs. Be generous to yourself andour synagogue and contact one of our scrip sellers today.
Nessa Wilensky 781-344-8823Anne Leppo 781-341-3946Rick Smith (Tanglewood) 781-341-0882Barry Levy (Knollsbrook) 781-344-8364Ellen Greene 781-344-4261Rabbi J & Ina at the synagogue 781-344-8733Helayne (Bet class teacher/Greenbrook) 781-344-7566
Mah Jongg Mavens!Get together for a
Mah Jongg TournamentSunday, March 25th, at 6:00 PM
at Ahavath Torah Congregation,1179 Central Street, Stoughton
Old, young & in between! All are welcome!Bring friends. Meet new players. Food, fun, & cash prizes.
Reservations required ($20 payable to ATC by March 20, 2007)mail to: Mah Jongg Tournament(at the address above)
CJP Scholarship FundCombined Jewish Philanthropies awards grants and interestfree loans to students who reside in the Greater Boston CJPservice area.
Awards...Committee awards generally range between $1000 and$5000. Individuals are considered on the basis of economicneed and are expected to have exhausted all availableresources including college financial aid awards as well asfederal, state and other private funds. Prospective applicantsare screened by Jewish Vocational Service staff.
Who. . .Undergraduate students attending two- or four-yearaccredited institutions are eligible to apply. Under certaincircumstances, some one-year Israel programs areconsidered. Applicant's parent(s) must reside in the GreaterBoston area. Primary consideration is given to Jewishstudents. Independent students must have spent at least twofull years as a resident of the area. International studentsqualify to apply if they have an I-551C, I-551 or I-94 status.(Student visas are not acceptable.)
When. . .The application deadline is April 30th for undergraduatestudents entering their sophomore, middler, junior or senioryear and May 15th for fall freshmen. For more informationand an application, please contact the Jewish VocationalService Financial Aid Administrator at 617-451-8147.
Jewish Vocational Service provides staff support to theScholarship Committee. JVS counselors also provideindividual financial aid and educational counseling services,which are offered by appointment. Fees are on a slidingscale. JVS is a constituent agency of CJP and a United Waybeneficiary.
Administrative Offices:Jewish Vocational Service29 Winter Street, 5th floorBoston, MA 02108
Linda Sheff Memorial FundTo Steve Wilensky, in memory of his beloved mother,
Thelma Wilensky from:
Helayne, Brandy & Jared AdelsteinJay, Laura, Stephen & Beth GoldsteinGary & Michelle Nankin and familyLouise SneiderShelley & Lew LitwackToby & Paul BarbellArlene & Stuart RosenbergDick & Dee LevineRobin & Stan ZollLinda & Bill SelbyDonna, Rich, Adam & Lauren SandlerAnn-Carol & Arnie LipshiresArlene Hartstone, Stacey, Glenn, David & AllisonEleanor F. VictorWilma F. BrownEdith SurmanDavid & Lynne JacobsBeverly & Hap LevenPaul GreenfieldMarcia & Karl FlanzerSandy & Fred Sussman
To Murray Baker in memory of beloved sister, ThelmaBaker Wilensky, from Don & Ellie Borr.
To Beverly & Hap Leven in honor of the birth of theirgrandson, Jacob Noah Goldfine, from ArleneHartstone.
To Beverly & Hap Leven in honor of the birth oftheir grandson, Jacob Noah Goldfine, fromLinda & Bill Selby.
To Dr. Mark Stone, in memory of Cece Stone, fromSandy & Fred Sussman.
Donations received after February 14th will beacknowledged in the April issue.
Last March, after running two majorevents in one month, Sisterhooddecided that we might have too much
time on our hands. We were also awarethat Rabbi J had been at ATC for ten years.So we decided to throw a party worthy ofRabbi J. The party had to be a roast. Weneeded an opportunity to make endlessbicycle jokes, along with jokes about theRabbi's vocabulary, clothing, etc. We alsoneeded an opportunity to bombard you withendless emails.
The roast provided the perfect opportunity.About 260 of you subjected yourselves to this event.When we planned the roast we hoped for a large crowd,about 150, if we were lucky. Apparently, either Rabbi Jis too popular, or too much of a target for bad jokes.
The roast committee was headed by Sue Korch. Sue wasan expert as she had previously roasted her husband, Ira.With her ever present laptop, she thought of everythingfrom invitations, decorations, lighting, staging, soundsystems, roasters to food. Her to-do list only had 200lines. Phone calls would start at 7:15 AM and continueuntil 11:30 PM. The roast was her life. Also thanks toIra for the Welcome Trio.
Other people made major contributions:
Anne Leppo offered to help with the ad book and withprocuring donations. Anne would harass everyone untilthey said yes. It became her mission.
David Steinberg volunteered to lay out a 16 page adbook and ended up with 28 pages plus a supplement,He also designed our logo. David, have you heard of theword "no"?
Rick Smith arranged the printing of our ad book at anextremely affordable price. The cost reminds us of a bagel.
Sisterhood
The ATC Bulletin is now available online in PDFformat. If you would prefer to not receive the printed
copy in the mail please let us know [email protected] or 781-344-8733.
Please...Help your synagogueby paying your dueson a timely basis.
Rich Sandler and Steve Glicken made majorcontributions of beer and wine.
Vicki Lemkin and Suzan Crosby did theshopping for our hors d'oeuvres and desserts.Could you tell that they are Jewish mothers?
Bob and Lesley Bornstein and the kitchencrew worked very hard. Bob ran the kitchenwith his usual mastery.
An army of people worked on invitations,decorations, preparing food, serving, checkingin attendees, selling balloons, and cleanup. Wecould not have done it without you.
And finally, our emcee, Sam Hausman and our roasters,David Bernstein, Roy Cohen, Bob Cohn & Bill Selby,John Finstein, Ron Gorin, Barry & Ellen Greene, MattHausman, Steve Kramer, Dick Levine, Debbie Levitz,Bob Powell and Ina Winer, were wonderful. Several ofthem are trying out for Last Comic Standing.
Several weeks earlier, we had a very successful breakfastwith author Susie Davidson. About 90 people came tohear Susie, along with a holocaust survivor and aliberator. Thanks to Dale Appel for arranging the speakerand to Vicki Lemkin and Cindy Smith for providing thebreakfast. They shopped for 50 and fed 90!
Sisterhood will be busy the rest of the year. We will bethe primary sponsor of the Darkness to Light training onMarch 27th. We also will be working on the GerryHartstone Memorial Mini-Golf Tournament on March11th. We are finalizing plans for some other events forthe spring.
Support Your ATC Judaica Shop!New merchandise arriving
for your ritual & holiday needs!Gifts for all occasions
Use our new Gift RegistryOpen Sundays during Religious School or by appointment
Call Sandy (781-341-2916), Jan (508-238-6842), or Lynne (617-694-7917)
Pulpit FundTo Susan Hausman in memory of her beloved father
Harold Komisar from Howard & Stacy Andler
To Steve Wilensky in memory of beloved mother fromHoward & Stacy Andler
To Benita Barbell in memory of beloved father fromArlene & Mark Grubert
To Benita Barbell in memory of beloved father fromMiriam Grubert
Donations received after February 14th will beacknowledged in the April issue.
Ahavath Torah CongregationMini Golf Tournament
In Memory of Gerry Hartstone
Looking forward to playing a little golf this winter,right here on the South Shore? The First AnnualGerry Hartstone Memorial Miniature GolfTournament will be taking place on March 11, 2007at Ahavath Torah Congregation in Stoughton from12 Noon - 8 PM. An indoor miniature golftourament will be set up right inside the building, sothat there is no risk of snow or any bad weather,only some good old-fashioned fun. Participants willbe competing against one another to raise money forAhavath Torah Congregation and its myriad ofactivities and events. The tournament is named forGerry Hartstone, who passed away this pastSeptember. Gerry's two passions were golf andAhavath Torah Congregation, so this event honorshim and the things he held dear.
Others who wish to play mini-golf withoutcompeting may do so. The price for a round (or 18holes) of golf is just $5. Refreshments will beavailable. Enjoy a day of family activity in afriendly setting.
For questions and information, call the ATC officeat 781-344-8733 or contact Stu Weiner at781-344-9359.
CondolencesSteven Wilensky, on the loss of his beloved mother,
Thelma Wilensky
A Call to Minyan – We Need You!
Please do not forget the continuing need of ourMinyan. The camaraderie and spiritual fulfillmentwhich develops when building a Kahal Kodesh, a HolyCommunity, is just as important as the comfort weprovide to mourners in daily worship.Minyanim are held Sunday at 9 AM, Monday throughThursday at 7:30 PM Shabbat Services begin at 7:30PM on Friday (unless otherwise indicated) andSaturday mornings at 9:30 AM.
Torah Fund CardsWant to honor someone in avery special way, or sendhim/her good wishes orcondolences? A Torah Fundcard is just the right thing, as it states that a donation hasbeen made to the Jewish Theological Seminary (thesource of our Conservative rabbis, cantors, andeducators) in their name. It’s a wonderful mitzvah for thesender, and an honor for the recipient!
A donation of $4.00 per card goes directly to theSeminary to help build and maintain the beautifulsanctuaries, chapels, dormitories, affiliated camps,scholarships etc.
You can have a card sent by calling the Sisterhood TorahFund Chair, Ellen Greenberg, at 781-297-7870 or the cardsmay be purchased at all Sisterhood events.
ATC Sisterhood Judaica Shopkindly asks everyone to
Please keep the glass display case clear.We don’t want anyone to get hurt by breaking glass, and we don’t want our merchandise hurt by falling shelves.
How can you find that perfect gift if the case is covered with things?Please be respectful and keep items off the case. Thank you!
Linens - Many Colors Silver Serving Pieces Concession Equip
Chairs - Many Styles Punch Bowls Barbecue Grills
Chafing Dishes Wedding Arches ... and much more
formerly Taylor Rental
LowPrices
NewInventory
Weight WatchersMeets on Tuesday evenings in the downstairs All-Purpose Social Hall on a weekly basis. Meetings beginat 6:00 PM. Doors open at 5:30 PM.
In addition, Weight Watchers has added a Wednesdaymorning meeting at ATC in the All-Purpose Social Hallapproximately 9:15 - 11:30 AM.
Bikkur Cholim/Visiting the SickPlease call the office or have someone on your behalf ifyou are ill, or know of a congregant who is ill, and wouldlike a visit by Rabbi J. The only way Rabbi J will knowif you are hospitalized or ill is if he is notified.
Please rest assured that Rabbi J does his best to protect aperson’s privacy.
Help Your Shul While Shopping Online!The following companies have agreed to donate a percentage of your purchase to ATC.You get the same low prices and help the Shul at the same time. Just click on the linksat every time you shop online. Remember, it's a mitzvahand it's free!
If you have any suggestions for merchants to be included here,please let me know at [email protected].
Moment MagazineThe Shul receives approximately 20 copies of the currentissue of Moment Magazine, America’s PremierIndependent Jewish Magazine. Moment’s focus is aconversation on Jewish culture, politics and religion.
Just look for Moment Magazine in the stand above theTallitot rack.
Sisterhood Judaica ShopJewelry ExtravaganzaLadies and Gentlemen, our Spring Jewelry Extravaganzawill be starting soon!! New shipments will be arrivingfrom fabulous Israeli designers, just in time for anniversarygifts, birthdays, "I love you gifts", or self-pampering! TheJudaica Shop buyers had a great time ordering morejewelry and you will be dazzled when you see it!!
Please give the Judaica Shop at ATC the chance toaccommodate your needs. Tallitot, yarmulkes and tallitclips that you see elsewhere can be ordered for you, if notin our current stock. Come spend Sunday morning withus and browse through our catalogs.
Soooo, instead of making the shlep to Brookline, see usfirst as we have handsome tallitot for men and BarMitzvah age young men, and exquisite tallitot for womenand Bat Mitzvah age young women. Many that we havein stock can not even be seen elsewhere.
The Sisterhood Judaica shop is one of Sisterhood's mainfund-raisers, and both Sisterhood and the Synagoguebenefit from the profits. Think of us first when you startto shop. Remember that Bar/Bat Mitzvah familiesspending over $100.00, (excluding bulk kippa orders)will receive a 10% discount on purchases. Please beaware that 3 or more weeks notice is needed to order atallit, depending on the distance of the vendor. Give us 5weeks prior to your simcha to order bulk kippot.
The Judaica Shop is open on Sundays from 9:15 AM to12 Noon on regular Religious School days for yourshopping pleasure and by appointment. Checks and cashare the acceptable means of payment and special ordersrequire a 50% deposit.
Please call Sandy (781-341-2916), Jan (508-238-6842) orLynne (617-694-7917) for more information or anappointment time.
Check out the Judaica Shop at ATC first! We justmight have the perfect gift you're looking for!!!
News About IsraelNews about Israel may be obtained at the following sites:
Get Well Wishes Irving Snetsky Gary Woolf Cindy Weiner Suzan Crosby Scott Winer
Help Keep Kids Safefrom Sexual AbuseOn Tuesday, March 27th, ATC Sisterhood will host the firstNew England Darkness To Light Stewards Of Childrenfacilitator training. People from all over the region willspend the day learning how to effectively lead the StewardsOf Children 2 1/2 hour workshop in youth-servingorganizations, making New England a safer place to live.ATC is the first Jewish organization in the country to takeon sponsorship of a SOC facilitator.
If you, or your company, would like to help sponsor thatday, you would be doing a true mitzvah. We need toprovide breakfast, lunch and two snacks as well astransportation and hotel for D2L's Julie Schneider, who willbe coming here from Charleston, SC to be the instructor.For more information on sponsoring, or attending andbecoming a facilitator, please contact Susan KomisarHausman at [email protected] or 781-264-0181.
Family Havurah NewsHavdalah is becoming a favorite Family Havurah event.Thank you to Dan and Amy Litwack for sponsoring ourJanuary event at their home. Five families attended andboth kids and adults enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing time.Please join us at our next event on Sunday, March 4 at3 PM at the Copley Nursing Home in Stoughton for ourannual Purim visit to deliver Mishloah Manot to theelderly Jewish residents.
ATC SchoolEnrichment FundTo Rabbi J, Susan and Jackie Hausman,
in memory of Harold Komisar from the students andstaff of the Rabbi Henry Gerson Religious School
Mazel Tov to Mark and Faye Kushinsky in honor of theirdaughter Dahlia becoming a Bat Mitzvah.
The Enrichment Fund is used to help sponsor schoolactivities such as Onegs after class services andpurchasing the siddurs for the Bet class. This can be agreat way for people to recognize events or tomemorialize the loss of someone special while at thesame time assisting the religious school. People canleave checks (payable to the ATC Enrichment Fund) withinformation regarding the donation in either the schooloffice or in the main office with Ina. I will check theoffice and complete acknowledgement cards and send outconfirmation letters. I can also be reached at home at 781-341-0239 or at my email address of [email protected].
Donations received after February 14th will beacknowledged in the April issue.
Social Action T-Shirtsare Here!
$10 each for sizes up to x-largeSpecial order for larger sizes.
Scrip is a term that means “substitute money”. When youpurchase scrip, you’re purchasing negotiable gift certificatesand prepaid cards that are used just like cash. You can usescrip to purchase everyday expenses like food, clothing, andother essentials, and with every purchase, you earn revenuefor ATC.
Our supplier acts on behalf of churches, schools and othernon profit organizations to purchase large amounts of scripfrom grocery stores, department stores, and other retailers.Because the scrip is purchased with cash up front, theparticipating retailers offer a substantial discount. ATC buysthe scrip at a discount, and re-sells the certificates to familieslike yours for full face value. The discount from two to fifteenpercent or more – is our revenue.
Scrip is a popular fundraiser because families don’t have to sellanything. Our congregants produce revenue by making regularhousehold purchases they would make anyway. Groceries,clothing, toys, gifts, even gasoline can be purchased with scrip.Scrip is available at most major ATC functions.
We stock scrip in various denominations for Shaw's, Stop &Shop, Roche Brothers, Butcherie, Barnes & Noble, HomeDepot, Best Buy, Outback, and more. Go to www.atorah.orgfor a complete list of available vendors.
Nessa Wilensky 781-344-8823Anne Leppo 781-341-3946Rick Smith (Tanglewood) 781-341-0882Barry Levy (Knollsbrook) 781-344-8364Ellen Greene 781-344-4261Rabbi J & Ina at the synagogue 781-344-8733Helayne (Bet class teacher/Greenbrook) 781-344-7566
Ahavath Torah Congregation1179 Central StreetStoughton, MA 02072
NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT #2STOUGHTON, MA
02072
TIME VALUEBoard of Directors Meeting: March 14, 2007, 7:30 PMApril Bulletin Deadline: Wednesday, March 14th
Dates to Save
3/3 Megillah Reading3/11 Mini-Golf Tournament3/16 Dalet Class Service3/17 Tot Shabbat3/17 Family Ed Program3/18 Cradles to Crayons3/25 Mah Jongg Tournament5/6 Walk for Hunger
