In This Issue: RBG Reflection, page 3 Sunday Speaker Series, page 7 Virtual Sunset in the Sukkah, October 7 th VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2 OCTOBER 2020 TISHREI-CHESHVAN 5781 SUKKOT & SIMCHAT TORAH SERVICES Sukkot and Simchat Torah this year will be a blend of live streamed and Zoom services. We will usher in Sukkot on Friday, October 2 with a virtual edition of Guess Who’s Coming to Shabbas? We will begin with a short program of songs and prayers at 5:30 p.m. and will then break out into smaller groups to enjoy dinner together. If you have a sukkah at home, please broadcast from it! First and second day Sukkot services on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 & 4, will be live streamed on StreamSpot, both days beginning at 9:30 a.m. Shemini Atzeret, which includes the Yizkor service on Saturday, Oct. 10 will also begin at 9:30 a.m. on StreamSpot. We end our holiday celebrations with Simchat Torah on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. This will allow us to interact with one another as we rejoice in the Torah. There will be fun and games for all, including Torah trivia, a dance contest, edible Torahs and more. Watch your News & Notes for details and login information. SIGN UP TO ATTEND SHABBAT SERVICES Would you like to attend services at Beth Abraham in person? In keeping with our protocol for the High Holy Days, we will continue to have 10 congregants present for Shabbat and Sukkot services. All of our services will continue to be livestreamed through StreamSpot and the link is the same for all of them: https:// venue.streamspot.com/72a802ed You must sign up ahead of time to attend. The link can be found in our weekly News & Notes email or you can call the office and we will help you sign up. As you will be helping to make our minyan for each of these services, we ask that you please be at the synagogue on time for when the service begins and remain for the entire service (9:30-11:30 am). Enter through the (2nd floor) chapel doors, and Dennis will be there to let you in and take your temperature. Seating will be staggered to allow for safe physical distancing. Everyone needs to wear a mask for the entire service. We will send a reminder email each week to those who are signed up. We are happy to provide this opportunity to our membership to attend services in a safe and comfortable environment.
Transcript
In This Issue:RBG Reflection, page 3
Sunday Speaker Series, page 7
Virtual Sunset in the Sukkah, October 7th
VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2 OCTOBER 2020 TISHREI-CHESHVAN 5781
SUKKOT & SIMCHAT TORAH SERVICES
Sukkot and Simchat Torah this year will be a blend of live streamed and Zoom services. We willusher in Sukkot on Friday, October 2 with a virtual edition of Guess Who’s Coming to Shabbas? Wewill begin with a short program of songs and prayers at 5:30 p.m. and will then break out into smallergroups to enjoy dinner together. If you have a sukkah at home, please broadcast from it!
First and second day Sukkot services on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 & 4, will be live streamedon StreamSpot, both days beginning at 9:30 a.m.Shemini Atzeret, which includes the Yizkor serviceon Saturday, Oct. 10 will also begin at 9:30 a.m. onStreamSpot.
We end our holiday celebrations with SimchatTorah on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom.This will allow us to interact with one another aswe rejoice in the Torah. There will be fun andgames for all, including Torah trivia, a dancecontest, edible Torahs and more. Watch your News& Notes for details and login information.
SIGN UP TO ATTENDSHABBAT SERVICES
Would you like to attend services at Beth Abraham in person? In keeping with ourprotocol for the High Holy Days, we will continue to have 10 congregants present forShabbat and Sukkot services. All of our services will continue to be livestreamedthrough StreamSpot and the link is the same for all of them: https://venue.streamspot.com/72a802ed
You must sign up ahead of time to attend. The link can be found in our weeklyNews & Notes email or you can call the office and we will help you sign up.
As you will be helping to make our minyan for each of these services, we ask thatyou please be at the synagogue on time for when the service begins and remain for theentire service (9:30-11:30 am). Enter through the (2nd floor) chapel doors, and Denniswill be there to let you in and take your temperature. Seating will be staggered to allowfor safe physical distancing. Everyone needs to wear a mask for the entire service.We will send a reminder email each week to those who are signed up.
We are happy to provide this opportunity to our membership to attend services ina safe and comfortable environment.
2The Cantor’s CornerCantor Andrea Raizen
The holiday of Sukkot is quicklyapproaching. There is always muchanticipation and excitement surrounding
the building of,decorating andcelebrating in thesukkah. But, like somany other things thathave been disruptedthis year due toCOVID-19, we will notbe putting up thesukkah at BethAbraham. Perhaps this
is the perfect time to finally erect yourown sukkah at home. But, if that is notpossible for you, you may want toconsider the more far reaching ideas ofwhat a sukkah can be and incorporatethose into your celebration of thefestival.
The sukkah that we are most familiarwith is the temporary dwelling that ourancestors used in the wilderness as theywandered for 40 years. This was justbasic protection from the elements,easily erected and taken down. Itprovided some sense of safety, but theIsraelites also relied heavily on theirfaith that God would protect them. Inour evening service, we recite theHashkiveinu prayer in which werequest, U’fros aleinu sukkatsh’lomecha, “Spread over us Yourshelter (sukkah) of peace.” In ancienttimes, nighttime was fraught with dangerand uncertainty. This prayer, asking forGod’s protection during the dark ofnight, provided comfort, not unlike aparent tucking a child into bed for thenight.
But why did the author of thisbeautiful prayer use the image of asukkah when praying for peace? RabbiMarc Sapperstein writes, “Peace is oneof the highest of all Jewish values, whilethe sukkah is relatively basic and simple,common and ordinary. The prayer mighthave asked that God build a mansion,palace or grand castle of peace.Something strong, that once it is built itwill stand for hundreds of years. Incontrast, a sukkah is fragile andvulnerable, exposed to the elements. Astrong wind can easily blow it over. Youhave to watch it almost constantly, carefor it incessantly, lest it be suddenlydestroyed. Peace, too, requires this careand attention. We erect structures of
peace with care, but they are all tooeasily blown over by the strong windsof group hatred and extremism, orundermined by the seeping waters ofsuspicion, or consumed by the fires ofnationalistic self-righteousness. Inorder for the edifice of peace to remainstanding, we have to be constantly onguard; we cannot take it for grantedthat peace, once achieved, willautomatically endure…”
When we speak of peace in Hebrew,we use the word shalom. The root ofthis word means wholeness orcompleteness. From this understanding,peace is much more than endinghostility or violence, rather itencompasses both a personal andcommunal sense of unity andwholeness. In this time of greatuncertainty, finding a sense ofwholeness is at times difficult, butnecessary.
This Sukkot, whether you build anactual sukkah or not, take some time toexplore what sukkat shalom, a shelterof peace, can mean for you personally.It could simply be an object like thatcomfy blanket, warm sweater or favoritepair of fuzzy slippers that gives youthat sense of security and comfort. Forothers, it might be a special place inyour home to which you can escape.Others may find it on a walk outside orcurled up with a good book. Sukkatshalom can be a hug from a loved one,cooking a meal together with the family,taking time to pray alone or gather withothers to do so, in person or online.
However you celebrate Sukkot thisyear, whether in your own sukkah,virtually or in your own special sukkatshalom, I wish you all Chag SukkotSameach!
WEEKDAYEVENING MINYAN
MONDAY-THURSDAYNOW AT 5:30 PM
Login information can be found in ourNews & Notes weekly email and onthe website.
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In memory of the first Jewishwoman on the United States SupremeCourt, we share these reflections fromour member, Larry Burick.
I am sad. So, please allow me toreflect, both as a Jew and as a retiredattorney.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, ofblessed memory, died on RoshHashanah eve. But her death is notthe final chapter of the equality book.Now it is up to us, who aresympathetic to her equality agenda, tocarry out what I gleaned from RabbiGinsberg’s Rosh Hashanah message –the end of each Torah Book leavesmatters unresolved, incentivizingsucceeding generations to write thenext chapters. Likewise, JusticeGinsburg’s death is her ending, but herlegacy will live on with our picking upwhere she had to leave off. It is up tous to write the next chapters.
It is said that any Jew who dies onRosh Hashanah is considered a Tzadik– a righteous person – a word derivedfrom a Hebrew word for “justice.”Justice Ginsburg achieved this titlelong before her final days. Throughouther legal careers, she was a passionate,unwavering spokesperson for themandate set out in a famousDeuteronomy quote, “Justice, justiceyou shall pursue.” Indeed, this clarioncall to motivate all Jews to action
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Congregant’s Reflections
appears as a placard to the entry of herjudicial chambers at the Supreme Court.
This Tzadik was a legal trailblazer.She strategically used the courts, first asattorney and then as a Justice, tochannel her love of Jewish history andthe horror of the Holocaust into law thatadvances a more diverse, inclusive, justand equal America.
This Tzadik reflected her Brooklynupbringing by Jewish immigrant parents- she was reserved, but not a wiltingviolet - she never was hesitant to speakher piece. Her outspokenness wasreflected in her persistent efforts toadvance her equality agenda, often inpointed and powerful dissents that wereeventually reflected in majority courtopinions.
This Tzadik had a 24/7 work ethic.She was disciplined and meticulous. Shepored over multiple drafts of everydecision she authored, making sure thateach word, probably also each comma,was correct. Her minions of law clerks –male and female – vouch for that!
This Tzadik was a wonderful rolemodel. She was an inspiration to hercolleagues, other lawyers, her law clerksand to millions of women over thedecades who sought to mirror herachievements.
This Tzadik was very stubborn.Despite recurrent bouts of cancer, sheadamantly refused to resign during theObama years. As Republicans gainedcontrol of the Senate and a Republican
won the presidency, she insisted onkeepin’ on keepin’ on, hoping she couldcontinue her work until a Democrat becamePresident.
She ran out of time. But, reflectingRabbi Ginsberg’s sermon remarks, a NewYork Times editorial notes, “JusticeGinsburg’s death marks the end of her longbattle on behalf of equality for allAmericans. Others must now carry thatfight forward.”
May peace be upon her. May we pickup where she left off. May we follow herexample. May we seek to actualize heragenda – by being passionate changeagents who actively promote justice andequality through the ballot box, throughimplementation of peaceful strategies andthrough engagement with others,regardless of our differences. As JusticeGinsburg once said at a Rosh HashanahService, “The Jewish religion is an ethicalreligion. That is, we are taught to do right,to love mercy, do justice, not becausethere’s gonna be any reward in heaven orpunishment in hell. We live righteouslybecause that’s how people should live.”
May her righteous memory be ablessing, zecher tzadik livracha (zt”l).For those who share her passions, may hermemory also be a revolution.
Want to learn more? Join Larry virtuallyon Zoom on Sunday, October 25, 2020.He is the first speaker for the annualBrunch Speaker’s Series sponsored by theMen’s Club.
COMMUNITY
Cultural Arts andBook Festival
The JCC’s 2020/2021 Cultural Arts and Book Seriesis virtual this year. It begins in October and goesthrough May 2021, and all author events are free!Opening night is Thursday, October 22 at 7PM viaZoom. The author is Steven Levy who willdiscuss his book Facebook: The Inside Story. Formore information and to register, please go tojewishdayton.org.
Machzor ReturnFor those who borrowed books for the High Holy Days,we ask that you please return your books to thesynagogue at your earliest convenience. A table is setup in the vestibule of the lower circle drive entrancewhere you can place your books. We will match yourbook numbers to those you picked up. You can returnyour books Monday-Thursday 7:30-5:00 and Friday,7:30-3:30. For those books that were delivered, pleasecoordinate a pickup with the person that brought youyour book.
4Life & Legacy
Help Assure Beth Abraham’s Future
“Ten years ago, our family went through a very difficult time. Ten months apart, Michaeland our daughter, Laura, were both diagnosed with rare cancers. Obviously, it was adevastating time for us. As they went through their surgeries and treatment, the BethAbraham family provided so much support and care, with phone calls, cards, donationsand just “being there” for us. Every Shabbat, at Shul, people asked how we were doing,and listened carefully to whatever the mood was that day; sometimes they literally let mecry on their shoulders. We chose to give a Legacy gift to Beth Abraham because of thesupport we have always received there, and with the hope that our gift will help ensurethat future generations will benefit from the warm support the Beth Abraham family hasalways provided for us.”
~ Ellen and Michael Leffak
All of us, regardless of age or wealth, have the ability to leave an after-life legacy, whether as a bequest in a will, a gift of lifeinsurance, a gift of IRA or pension funds or simply cash. Please contact Elaine Arnovitz at the synagogue office (937-293-9520 [email protected]) to discuss what best fits you.
CROP WALK 2020
Like everything else, this year’s CROPWalk to raise funds to combat hunger,has gone virtual. This is the fifth yearthat Beth Abraham has been involvedin this effort that helps to raise fundsfor The Foodbank. Last year we had 19walkers and were one of the topfundraising teams. Since we have hadto suspend collecting food at thesynagogue for the last 6 months, this isa great opportunity to help support ourlocal foodbank. You can either simplydonate or sign up as a walker. This yearyou can walk wherever and wheneveryou wish. To support the BethAbraham team:
Go to; www.crophungerwalk.org/daytonoh, scroll down to the greysearch box and type in BethAbraham Synagogue. On our teampage, click “Donate” and followthe instructions. Donationsshould be made by Oct. 31st.
“Walk” with us by going to ourteam page as above, and click“Join Our Team.”
If you have any questions, pleasecontact Cantor Raizen.
New Playground at Beth Abraham
Hillel Academy has approached us about an exciting project underway tobuild a new playground on the grounds of Beth Abraham Synagogue.Led by Hillel, the plan is to complete the playground by mid-November. Itwould be located in the area outside the social hall. The Beth AbrahamBoard of Directors has reviewed the plans and has approved the project.
Hillel Academy has received major pledges from the Schubert, Feldmanand Vandersluis families along with others. They are still seeking fundsto make the playground a reality this year. If you would like to participate,please contact Andy Schwartz at [email protected]
As we reflect back on the past year and look forward to the New Year,what better way to celebrate than by joining together to build a newplayground that will be enjoyed by our Beth Abraham and Hillel childrenthis year, and for many years to come. Please consider making acontribution to this worthy project.
This is Mike’s address to thecongregation on Yom Kippur.
Good morning and Good Yontiv. Itis certainly abit strangeto stand onthis Bimahthis YomKippurmorning andsee just ahandful ofmy fellowcongregants
in the sanctuary - not the large numberof members, families and friends thattypically gather at Beth Abraham onthis the holiest day of the Jewish year.As I have noted in past Yom Kippurmessages, even though it seems like Ihave had the opportunity to introducemyself to each and every one in thecongregation personally over the pastfew years, I know that is not really true.And this year, with the possibility thatwe are being joined remotely by someof our out-of-town members and theirfamilies, it seems more likely that I mayindeed be a new face to some of you.So for anyone I have not yet metformally, I am Mike Freed and it is anhonor and a privilege to serve as yourPresident.
Last year at this time, I stood beforethe congregation and talked about our125th Anniversary Year celebration andthe anticipation of the upcoming GrandGala that would be the culmination ofthe year-long program commemoratingBeth Abraham’s 125th anniversary year.It was a commemoration of the past, thepresent and the future of Beth Abrahamthat far, far exceeded all of ourexpectations. It was a year thatshowed us all, not only the vital rolethat Beth Abraham plays in the lives ofthe members of the congregation nearand far, but also the role it plays in thewider Dayton Jewish community.When I finished my remarks at theconclusion of the fabulous Grand Galacelebration in December, neither I noranyone else in attendance would haveimagined that less than 90 days laterthe world as we know it would changeso dramatically. Yet despite all that has
changed, as we have reacted and adapted tothe reality of COVID-19 over these past sixmonths, one thing is still imminently clear tome: What a vital role Beth Abrahamcontinues to play in our lives as individualmembers and in the greater Dayton Jewishcommunity.
I am immensely proud of the efforts of somany people throughout the congregationwho have accepted and met the challenge ofcontinuing our long history of offering a fullrange of ritual, spiritual, educational andsocial programs via remote platforms. Mythanks to Rabbi Ginsberg, Cantor Raizen, ourdedicated staff and all of our members whohave continued to volunteer their time andtalents to this work. It’s been our virtualevening minyans, our Kabba-Locked-InShabbat services and our virtual GuessWho’s Coming to Shabbas monthly dinners.It’s been our Chesed Team reaching out onmore than one occasion to all of ourcongregants to check on one another and tostay connected during quarantining. It’sbeen the work of our Reopening Committeeto coordinate all of the details necessary tobring video streaming to Beth Abrahammaking these High Holy Day servicespossible. And that barely scratches thesurface of all that we have accomplishedthese past six months thanks to the work ofso many. It hasn’t been easy given thecircumstances, but I do believe we havecontinued to maintain our long history ofmeeting the needs of each and everyone inthe congregation, because of all of theseefforts.
Our ability to maintain these programs,which have made Beth Abraham such aspecial place, depends on our ability togenerate the necessary financial resourcesto fund the operation of the synagogue.Thankfully, our membership dues incomeheld steady this past year. Our GivingSociety program, which has been awonderful success since its inception,continues to help by providing extrafinancial support beyond member’s dues.But as has been noted in the past, the totalof our membership dues and our GivingSociety contributions do not cover the costsof running Beth Abraham. In fact, theycover only about two-thirds of the expensesof paying our clergy and staff, maintainingthe building, paying the utilities, and all ofthe many other expenses associated with theoperation of the synagogue. While we werefortunate again to receive bequest income
that helped us to close our budget gapfor the past fiscal year, counting onunplanned bequest income to balanceour budget is not a sustainableapproach for financial stability.
That is why the work we beganover the recent years is so vital toassure the long term financial stabilityof Beth Abraham. We continue work togarner commitments from congregantsto make after-life legacy gifts to BethAbraham through the JewishFederation’s Grinspoon Life & Legacyprogram. I’m proud to report that todate, 45 congregants have signedformal Letters of Intent to leave alegacy gift to the synagogue, helpingto assure that Beth Abraham will remainstrong and vital for future generationsto come. The response to theestablishment of The 125 Fund as partof our planning for the 125th
Anniversary was extraordinary. We notonly raised enough funds to defray thecosts of the numerous eventsorganized as part of our anniversarycelebration, but we also were able totransfer a significant balance ofunspent funds to build our reserves tosupport future activities. We haverecently started work on capitalimprovements to the building that weanticipate will reduce our occupancycosts in the future and we remainhopeful that the work to establish theJewish Cemeteries of Greater Daytonwill successfully come to fruition,alleviating a long term financialcommitment to the Beth Abrahamcemetery from our books.
While all of these important effortsshow the promise of providing apositive impact in the long term to BethAbraham’s financial health, it is criticalthat now we also address our currentfinancial needs so we can continue tooffer the wide array of programs andservices that make Beth Abraham soremarkable. As we enter this New Year,I ask each of you to participate in thisYom Kippur Appeal. Our goal is toachieve 100% participation no matterthe level. In keeping with our recenttradition, we have already mailed outpledge cards to each member. Forthose of you who have alreadyreturned your pledges, I thank you for
Continued on page 7
A Message From MikeMike Freed, Beth Abraham President
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Levi Eshkol may not be rememberedas well as the other more charismaticfounders of the State of Israel, such as
David Ben-Gurion,Moshe Dayan andGolda Meier. He isbrought to life,however, in a verywell written andinformativebiography titled,Eshkol: The Manand the Nation byTerence Prittie
available in the synagogue library bookcollection. Born as Levi YitzhakShkolnik into a prosperous family of 10children in the Ukraine in 1895, Eshkolwould leave for Palestine as part of theSecond Aliyah when only 19 years oldin 1914.
At the time, Palestine had a totalpopulation of about 700,000 includingabout 100,000 Jews. The land had beenneglected as a distant unimportantterritory of the Turkish Empire. TheSecond Aliyah brought about 35,000Jews to Palestine between 1904 and theoutbreak of World War I in 1914.Mostly young people from Russia,they worked very hard to build theinstitutions of what would become theState of Israel. They revived theHebrew language and launched thekibbutz movement.
Turkey fought on the German sidein World War I. When the Britishissued the Balfour Declaration in 1917and liberated Palestine from the Turksbefore the end of the war in 1918, theJews of Palestine could at last begin tohope for a Jewish homeland. Eshkolchose to live on a kibbutz in ratherprimitive conditions. He contractedmalaria, a disease of almost epidemicproportions in Palestine in the early1920s.
When Eshkol returned to goodhealth, he became very active inHistadrut, much more than a nationallabor organization and one of the mostimportant building blocks of the Stateof Israel. Eshkol also became a keyfigure in the development of theHaganah, the Jewish defense force.
The Haganah had serious problems in itsearly years, including a struggle with Irgun, amuch more militant group, and the difficultyinvolved in acquiring arms.
Eshkol would be sent to Germany in early1934 to try to determine the true situationfacing the Jewish community of Germany andto try to convince German Jews to leave forPalestine. Despite the best efforts of Eshkoland others, it is estimated that only a bitmore than 50,000 German Jews left forPalestine between 1933 and 1939, includingabout 5,000 children.
As a last resort, Eshkol convinced manyGerman Jews to leave for any country thatwould receive them. Between 1933 and 1935about 60,000 Jews left Germany. Another100,000 Jews left Germany up to 1937. Untilthe outbreak of World War II in 1939 it isestimated that another 115,000 Jews leftGermany. Half of Germany’s Jews left,although some would go to nearby countriesthat would be conquered in the war.
Eshkol returned to Palestine and workedtirelessly to keep Histadrut and the Haganahtogether during the war years and the periodof turmoil which followed, when it becameapparent that the British would withdrawfrom Palestine. The fate of the new State ofIsrael may have rested with Eshkol, who hadbeen appointed Director-General of theMinistry of Defense.
The author provides all the details aboutthe Arab forces that invaded Israel in 1948and why Israel survived. Every Arab nationhad only a very small army, only Egypt hadany aircraft, and combined the Arab nationshad only a small number of tanks. Thevarious armies suffered from a lack ofcoordination. In military terms, Israel had theadvantage of “interior lines.”
Eshkol’s life would be directly linked tothe growth of the State of Israel. In 1951 hebecame Minister of Agriculture andenergetically led the development of thenation’s infrastructure as a tidal wave ofrefugees and other immigrants poured intothe country. He created the facility toguarantee a water supply and pushed for thedevelopment of new settlements and forreforestation.
Eshkol produced such outstandingresults that he soon became Minister ofFinance. Eshkol served for 11 years asMinister of Finance and he transformed the
nation’s economy. He reduced importsand increased exports to sharplyreduce the national trade deficit. Twosources of outside contributionshelped Israel make it through somevery hard times and to begin toprosper: large sums of money raised bythe American Jewish community andsignificant reparations from WestGermany based on an agreementreached with Israel.
Eshkol, a socialist all his life, helpedfound Mapai, which became the LaborParty in Israel, for many years thelargest party in the Knesset. Israelipolitics had the same problems astoday - so many parties - that it isdifficult to put together a coalition withat least 60 seats for a majority. Eshkolhad a very close relationship withDavid Ben-Gurion, first prime ministerof the State of Israel, but it would notlast.
Ben-Gurion’s behavior in the 1950sand 1960s has been described aserratic. He suddenly announced hisretirement in 1953 only to return asprime minister. He resigned again in1963 and actually chose Eshkol tobecome prime minister. The two thenhad a bitter dispute over perhaps thebiggest scandal in the history of Israelknown as the “Lavon Affair.” Thescandal dragged on for years and thetwo had completely opposite opinions.
Eshkol had his hands full as primeminister. He had to deal with Ben-Gurion and a very close ally of Ben-Gurion, the charismatic Moshe Dayan.The disputes among the three led to asplit in Mapai. Israeli politics wouldnever be the same and neither wouldEshkol. He led Israel to a spectacularvictory in the Six -Day War in June,1967 and died suddenly of a heartattack while still serving as primeminister in February, 1969.
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Library News - Off the ShelfAllan Spetter
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your contributions. If you have not yetmade a pledge, I ask each of you tomake a meaningful Yom Kippur Appealpledge to help us maintain the greatlegacy of Beth Abraham. While onlyyou know what your individual level ofparticipation should be, I hope we allknow that everyone must participate tomake certain that Beth Abrahamcontinues into the future for years tocome.
As your President, I know that thiscongregation is incredibly generous.The commitment of our Giving Societymembers and our success with theGrinspoon Life and Legacy program aretestaments to this generosity. Theresponse to The 125 Fund campaign lastyear was another remarkableachievement as well. And this year,even with concerns about possibleshortfalls as individuals deal with thefinancial impacts brought on by theCOVID pandemic, our membership dueshave held steady in these first fewmonths of the current fiscal year. But itis an uncertain time and we expect the
year ahead will bring significant budgetarychallenges, making this Yom Kippur Appealso very critical to addressing our immediatefinancial needs. I sincerely hope that thisyear’s Appeal will continue this tradition ofgenerosity and I assure you that every gift,no matter its size, counts in helping tostrengthen the congregation.
Four years ago, Ellen Leffak, myimmediate predecessor as President of BethAbraham, stood before the congregation togive her Yom Kippur Appeal to thecongregation. But Ellen, as you mightremember, didn’t actually say a single word.She just stood here, in silence, at this exactspot of the Bimah for better than a minute,before beginning her remarks. The powerfulimage that Ellen created, that moment ofsilence, brought home to me, as I’m sure itdid to others in attendance that morning, thesilence that would exist if Beth Abraham wasno longer able to play such a vital role in ourcollective Jewish lives. These past monthshave brought Ellen’s vision of the silencingof Beth Abraham closer to reality than any ofus could have ever imagined. But I’m proudto say, that like we have done over and overagain as a congregation in our now 126 yearsof existence, we have not allowed it tohappen. We are more than a building with
four walls and a roof. It is our heartand connection to one another thatmakes us the true Beth Abraham. Itmay look different, it may feel different,but I am certain that Beth Abraham is,and will continue to be strong with thesupport and commitment we all candemonstrate through this year’s YomKippur Appeal.
I hope everyone remains safe andhealthy. Remember that our BethAbraham family is here to support oneanother during these trying times.Please do not hesitate to contact ourclergy or staff if we can be ofassistance. I hope that each of youand your families enjoy a year of goodhealth, happiness and peace. May G-dinscribe us all in the Book of Life andbless us with strength and convictionas we move together into the New Year5781.
Thank you.Gemar Chatimah Tovah
Yom Kippur AppealContinued from page 5
The Beth Abraham Sunday SpeakerSeries sponsored by the Men’s Clubwill begin this month. These willtake place virtually through Zoom at10:00 am with the link to be found onour website, Facebook page andweekly News & Notes. Bring yourown brunch! Upcoming speakersare:
Oct. 25 Larry Burick whose topicis: “The Supremes under Roberts’Direction: Judicial Hits or Flops?”Nov. 1 Jim Nathanson whosetopic is: “2020: Political War orCultural War”
SisterhoodIrene Fishbein
As we continue to navigate our waythrough our new normal during COVID-19restrictions, I hope you are all continuing todo well. Kudos to our staff, High HolidayReopening Committee, Rabbi Ginsberg andCantor Raizen for making our services someaningful this holiday season. I had thehonor of being part of our minyan for twoservices while streaming the rest at home. Iwas amazed at how well the technologyworked. I have to say my favorite part, waswatching my dog’s reaction to the shofarblowing and yes, I did get it on video.
Thank you to those who have submittedtheir membership dues and updatedinformation. If you have not done so yet,please do so at your earliest convenience.There are plenty of ways to volunteer withSisterhood. We would like to extend ourgreatest appreciation to Carole Marger(Membership VP) and Patty Wyke(Recording Secretary) for their years ofservice and dedication as they step off the
board. Their work with Sisterhood hasbeen invaluable and we look forward totheir continued participation in ourprogramming. With that said, anyoneinterested in joining our board in oneof those positions or as a member atlarge, please contact me. We alwayshave room for women with new inputand ideas to help our organizationflourish.
While being together in person stillpresents its challenges, we can stillenjoy each other’s company andcelebrate the season from a distance.Please join us for our Virtual Sunset inthe Sukkah on Wednesday, October 7th
at 6:30PM. Grab your lulav & etrog (ifyou have them), a fun beverage, sometreats and join us for somecomaraderie, celebration, and fun!Sign in to the Zoom link you’ll find inthe weekly News and Notes email. Wehope to see you there!
Sunday SpeakerSeries
Rabbi Joshua GinsbergCantor Andrea S. RaizenPresident Michael FreedVice President Matthew ArnovitzVice President Tara FeinerVice-President Beverly LouisVice-President Andrew SchwartzTreasurer Scott LibermanSecretary Marlene PinskyMen’s Club President Irwin DumtschinSisterhood President Irene FishbeinChevra Kadisha President Ted CooperRabbi Emeritus Samuel B. Press D.D.Cantor Emeritus Jerome B. Kopmar D.Mus.
The printing of this publication is funded by private donations.
Staff WritersLarry BurickIrwin DumtschinIrene FishbeinMike FreedCantor Andrea RaizenAllan Spetter
Bulletin Staff
Times for Shabbat Candle Lighting & ServicesOnline service links can be found at www.bethabrahamdayton.org,
Facebook, or in your weekly News & Notes email
Friday, October 2Erev SukkotNO Kabba-locked-In ShabbatGuess Who’s Coming to Shabbas? Sukkot Edition (Zoom) 5:30 pmCandle Lighting 6:57 pm
Saturday, October 3Sukkot IMorning Service (livestream) 9:30 am -11:30 amCandle Lighting 7:59 pm
Sunday, October 4Sukkot IIMorning Service (livestream) 9:30 am - 11:30 amHavdalah 7:57 pm
Friday, October 9Sukkot VII (Hoshanah Rabbah)Kabba-locked-In Shabbat (Zoom) 5:00 pmCandle Lighting 6:46 pm
Saturday, October 10Shemini AtzeretMorning Service (livestream) 9:30 am - 11:30 amCandle Lighting 7:48 pm
Sunday, October 11Simchat TorahMorning Service (Zoom) 9:30 am - 11:30amHavdalah 7:46 pm
Friday, October 16Kabba-Locked-In Shabbat (Zoom) 5:00 pmCandle Lighting 6:36 pm
Saturday, October 17Morning Service (livestream) 9:30 am – 11:30 amHavdalah 7:37 pmCommunal Havdalah (Zoom) 7:40 pm
Friday, October 23Kabba-locked-In Shabbat (Zoom) 5:00 pmCandle Lighting 6:26 pm
Saturday, October 24Morning Service (livestream) 9:30 am - 11:30 amHavdalah 7:28 pmCommunal Havdalah (Zoom) 7:30 pm
Friday, October 30Kabba-locked-In Shabbat (Zoom) 5:00 pmCandle Lighting 6:17 pm
Saturday, October 31Morning Service (livestream) 9:30 am - 11:30 amHavdalah 7:19 pmCommunal Havdalah (Zoom) 7:20 pm
DAILY MINYAN (Zoom)Monday through Thursday – 5:30 pm
LIVESTREAM LINK
The link for all livestreamed services through StreamSpot is:https://venue.streamspot.com/72a802ed
We Gratefully Acknowledge...these thoughtful contributionsBert Appel Fund
In memory ofDoris Schear, by Charlotte Golden
In honor ofBenji & Jenna Frydman’s wedding,by Stanley & Susan Katz
Burick/Kravitz Book FundIn memory of
Dolly Droz, by Myron StaymanAdeline Brown, by Myron StaymanMarvin Burick, by Myron StaymanJanet Kravitz, by Myron StaymanHillard Kravitz, by Myron Stayman
General FundIn memory of
Ruby Pilder, by Bert & Wanda PilderLorraine Kotler, by Felix Garfunkel,Ken & Lisa BlumSherman Vangrov, by Neal Ehrlich &family, Gayle & Irvin MoscowitzHyla Weiskind, by Emily Fogel, Bert& Wanda PilderErika Garfunkel, by Beverly SaeksRuss Remick, by Roza Zeyda, Margie& Chuck KesselMarvin Miller, by Alvin & EllenStein
In honor ofCantor Raizen’s 13 years at BethAbraham, by Beverly Saeks
Irvin & Gayle Moscowitz’s new home, bySarah Moore LeventhalMatt & Elaine Arnovitz’s new home, bySarah Moore LeventhalWalter & Bonnie Rice’s new home, bySarah Moore LeventhalMarc Katz & Julie Liss-Katz’s new home,by Sarah Moore Leventhal
Barbara Gerb’s grandmother, by Terry &Marlene PinskyHyla Weiskind, by Terry & Marlene PinskyIda Goodman, by Donald & Carole Marger
Joel Horenstein FundIn memory of
Barbara Guggenheimer, by HenryGuggenheimerSherman Vangrov, by Linda & SteveHorensteinHindy Gruber’s mother, by Linda & SteveHorensteinJoseph Y. Tuck, by Audrey Tuck
Kiddush FundIn memory of
Gussie Jacobson, by Adele Krug
Rabbi Ginsberg’s DiscretionaryFund
In memory ofToby Wilson, by Beverly LouisFlorence Shapiro, by Rosanne ParksFreida Williams, by Ralph & DianeWilliamsSherman Vangrov, by BeverlyLouis, Oscar & Claire Soifer
In honor ofRabbi Ginsberg’s help, by Stanley& Susan Katz
Ritual FundIn memory of
Ruby Pilder, by Marlene DoriKurt Fish, by Susan & David JoffeRichard Schear, by Paul SchearAlter Rafner, by Ruth RafnerJulian & Matilda Spurling, byDavid & Joan MarcusWolfe & Sylvia Marcus, by David& Joan MarcusWolf Wahrman, by ShirleyWahrman, Lorene WahrmanErika Garfunkel, by FelixGarfunkelGilbert Unger, by Lois Unger, Susie& Eddie Katz & familyAnnette Renneman, by Ann & ScottLibermanWilliam Haegel, by Ava & JulesShermanMary Louise Dreety, by Philip &Louisa DreetySarah Lewis, by Norm & Kay LewisEmil Barsky, by Rabbi BernardBarsky
In honor ofIrvin & Gayle Moscowitz’s newhome, by Lynn & David Goldenberg
Sanderow-Tannebaum FundIn honor of
Susie & Eddie Katz’s new home,by Barbara SanderowIrvin & Gayle Moscowitz’s newhome, by Barbara SanderowMatt & Elaine Arnovitz’s newhome, by Barbara SanderowWalter & Bonnie Rice’s new home,by Barbara SanderowMarc Katz & Julie Liss-Katz’snew home, by Barbara Sanderow
Fun Times at Kabba-Locked-In-Shabbat
In the Beth Abraham Family
Congratulations to those celebratingbirthdays and anniversaries in October
** If you have a birthday or anniversary and it is not listedabove, please call the office so we can put it in the database
Thanks to the followingService Sponsors
September 19 (Rosh Hashanah) – Marlene and Terry PinskySeptember 28 (Yom Kippur) – Russ Gottesman in memory ofhis grandmother Elaine Zelickman and great grandparentsRose and Joseph Ande
Lisa and Ken BlumMichael and Wincha Gelbart, Mila and KaiMartin Jacobs and Martha MoodyMarcie and Michael Sherman, Bernie and Darah
We Welcome TheseNew Members
October Birthdays1 Lynn Foster2 Steven Horenstein5 Dale Schiff10 Bruce Hulman10 Michael Leffak10 Bernard Rabinowitz11 Robert Bernstein12 Phyllis Morris12 Harriet Samler12 Alan Scherr13 Linda Horenstein16 Allen Levin20 Barbara Kessler22 Shelley Venick25 Gayle Moscowitz26 Stephanie Spetter26 Marci Vandersluis27 Rita Mendelson30 Jean Isenberg31 Bethany Einstein
October Anniversaries:10 Garry and Mindy Greene14 David and Susan Joffe15 Micah and Shante Naziri18 Marvin and Linda Roden
SISTERHOOD’S VIRTUALSUNSET IN THE SUKKAH
Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30 PM by Zoom
Join us for Camaraderie, Celebration & Fun! We can’t cometogether in the Sukkah at Beth Abraham this year, but we canstill celebrate Sukkot and each other. The Zoom link will be inthe weekly News & Notes email or contact the office.
Thanks to the followingSponsors of the Bimah Flowers
Rosh Hashanah: Susie & Eddie Katz and familyYom Kippur: Shelly Charles in memory ofbeloved parents, Philip & Thelma Sokol
** If you have a birthday or anniversary and it is not listed above,please call the office so we can put it in the database.
YAHRZEITSThis list represents yahrzeits for this month as listed in Beth Abraham’s database.
If we have missed a name, please call the synagogue office at 937-293-9520 and let us know so we can update our records.
Although this year’s services looked and felt much different, they were still meaningful and accessible toeveryone. There are many people who worked diligently to ensure everything ran smoothly. Thank you toRabbi Ginsberg and Cantor Raizen who worked tirelessly in planning each service, and to the ReopeningCommittee who thought through all the details. Many thanks for:
Streaming Services: Dale Schiff and Matt Arnovitz for researching and ensuring the installation wascomplete and everything ran smoothly. Also, to a generous donor who paid for the equipment andinstallation costs.
Book Distribution: Mike Goldstein and Beverly Louis for overseeing this project and the followingvolunteers who helped with distribution of the books: Maryann Bernstein, Alan Chesen, Emily Fogel,Penney Fraim, Gayle Moscowitz and Connie Roberts, as well as those congregants who delivered books totheir neighbors and to those who couldn’t drive. In addition, we appreciate the Pavlofsky families andPremier ProduceOne for the donation of apples, and Sisterhood and Men’s Club for purchasing the honey.Judy Chesen, Irene Fishbein and Beverly Louis assembled the apples and honey for all to enjoy. Someoneanonymously purchased the book bags which Lois Gross so beautifully decorated. Of course, many enjoyedhearing Cantor Raizen blow the shofar as they drove up to receive their books!
Plexiglass on Bimah: Steve Fraim constructed the plexiglass around the Torah table and Rabbi’s lectern.In addition, he helped to identify where people could sit in the sanctuary to ensure physical distancing.
In Person Ark Visits: Maryann and Jack Bernstein and Steve Fraim for coordinating the process and to thefollowing volunteers for assisting: Doug Deutsch, Penney Fraim, Garry and Mindy Greene. Jack andMaryann Bernstein also provided professional guidance on health guidelines, following CDCrecommendations and local health guidelines, as well as the purchasing of appropriate PPE for thesynagogue.
Sponsorships: For Rosh Hashanah, Marlene & Terry Pinsky for sponsoring the services and Susie & EddieKatz for sponsoring the bimah flowers. For Yom Kippur, Russ Gottesman for sponsoring the services andShelly Charles for sponsoring the bimah flowers. Thanks also to Marlene Pinsky for creating the vessel withour stained glass to put our personal notes in.
We are grateful for the many volunteers who stepped up to help with all the logistics for this High HolyDays season. What a wonderful community we have!
