Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 1
Or Chadash FOCUS
By Rabbi Alison Kobey
During the festival of Sukkot, Jews around the
world read from the Book of Kohelet,
Ecclesiastes. It is, in many ways, a troubling
text. We have just come from the prayers of
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, asking God to
metaphorically write us in the Book of Life.
Then, in Kohelet, the writer starts in an almost
Eeyore-esque manner, questioning its purpose, a
“woe is me” fatalistic attitude with an
acknowledgement that nothing is new. It has
happened previously and will happen again in
the future, such as the sun rising and setting
every day.
But, the author remains unsatisfied with the idea
that life is futile. He takes us into another
direction, that we must enjoy life while we have
the opportunity. The text states: “I know that
there is nothing better than to rejoice and do
Wednesday, October 4 - 7:00pm Erev Sukkot
Services
October 6 - No Shabbat Services. Please help
welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for
a relaxing Shabbat dinner.
October 7 - 10:00am Shabbat Services with the
Bat Mitzvah of Corinne Murphy
Wednesday, October 11 - 6:30pm Erev Simchat
Torah Services with Consecration and Israeli
Dancing
October 13 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services with
anniversary blessings
October 20 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services with
birthday blessings
October 27 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services with 1st
Grade Participation and Jr. Choir
SHABBAT and HOLIDAY
SERVICE SCHEDULE
November 3 - No Shabbat services. Please help
welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for a
relaxing Shabbat dinner.
November 4 - 9:00am Shabbat services with 7th
Grade participation
November 10 - 7:30pm Shabbat services with
anniversary blessings
November 17 - 7:30pm Human Rights Shabbat
with birthday blessings
November 18 - 10:00am Shabbat services with Bat
Mitzvah of Melanie Siskind
November 21 - 7:00pm Interfaith Thanksgiving
Service. Location TBA.
November 24 - 7:30pm Shabbat Services
December 1 - No Shabbat Services. Please help
welcome other Or Chadash-ites to your home for
a relaxing Shabbat dinner.
December 2 - 9:00am Shabbat services with 5th
Grade Participation and anniversary blessings
good in one’s life. Also, it is a gift of God for
anyone to eat, drink, and enjoy good with one’s
labors…”
We should enjoy life while being decent people.
This idea is an important reminder for the festival
of Sukkot; a time in which we build the sukkah, a
dwelling representing the frailty of life. We are
meant to eat our meals there and even, if possible,
sleep there. We are also meant to engage in the
mitzvah of inviting others into our sukkah, of
welcoming guests. Let us use the lessons from
Kohelet to enjoy and cherish life while reaching
out to others.
L’Shalom,
Rabbi Alison B. Kobey
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 2
Contacting Us Rabbi Rabbi Alison Kobey 301-482-1025 [email protected] Cantorial Soloist Deborah Sternberg [email protected]
Location 24800 Kings Valley Road Damascus, MD 20872 Office Hours Tuesday - Friday 9:00am to 2:00pm
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Mailing Address 24800 Kings Valley Rd Damascus, MD 20872 Web Address www.cong-orchadashmd.org Telephone and FAX (T) 301-482-1025 (F) 301-482-1027 To Receive E-mail Updates Send your e-mail address to [email protected]
Contact Us
Religious School Director .................Rabbi Alison Kobey ............ 301-482-1025 [email protected] Temple Administrator .......................Bita Silverman ...................... 301-482-1025 [email protected] Religious School Administrator ......Anisha Goyal ....................... 301-482-1025 [email protected] President ...............................................Phil Dicken ........................... 301-926-7825 [email protected] Vice-President .....................................Andrew Felrice .................... 301-515-8570 [email protected] Treasurer ..............................................Karl Gussow ......................... 301-963-3069 [email protected] Secretary ...............................................Karen Dean ........................... 301-607-6241 [email protected]
Immediate Past President..................Karen Conner ....................... 301-540-1567 [email protected] At Large ................................................Scott Chidakel ...................... 301-253-5485 [email protected] Matt Dwoskin ...................... 301-874-2343 [email protected] Rob Eisenberg ...................... 301-253-1922 [email protected] Melissa Hyman .................... 301-428-2888 [email protected] Alex Lebedinsky .................. 301-947-4881 [email protected] Laura Sardilli ....................... 301-540-4610 [email protected] CORY President ..................................Jessica Pavelle ...................... 301-869-1741 [email protected] CORY Advisors ...................................Jaime Hendi, Laura Jackel, Eileen Kerwin, Alana Kiviat, and Dara Santa CORY NFTY Advisor .........................Jamie Hendi .......................... 301-471-3611 [email protected] Jr. CORY Advisor................................Ilene Krom ............................ 240-477-9902 [email protected] Kiddish Kids ......................................Karl Nadler ........................... 301-509-5081 [email protected] WCOC/Sisterhood President ............Ellyn Baum ........................... 301-972-0075 [email protected] Brotherhood President .......................OPEN
Ritual Committee Chair ....................OPEN Adult Education Committee Chair Donna & Coleman Clarke .. 240-344-8412 [email protected] Adult Social Group ............................Jeff Bass ................................. 301-802-7907 [email protected] Library Committee ............................Michael Abrahams ............. 301-428-1025 [email protected] Membership Committee ...................Howard Benowitz ............... 301-947-4056 [email protected] Fundraising Coordinator ...................OPEN Oneg Coordinator ...............................Julie Swain ............................ 301-916-9214 [email protected] Social Action Coordinator .................Rita Shewbridge ................. 240-812-9233 [email protected] Religious School Committee ............Howard Benowitz ............... 301-947-4056 [email protected] Building Administrator .....................Ray Lessans .......................... 301-355-4990 [email protected] FOCUS Editor ......................................Debbie Eisenberg ................. 301-253-1922 [email protected] Webmaster ...........................................Marti Kerner ......................... 202-957-9540 [email protected] Dues or Tuition Relief .......................Andrew Colby ..................... See Temple directory
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 3
Torah Parashiyot (and Writings) _______________
Upcoming Parashiyot and some of the many topics to consider:
October 7 – 8:30am Chol HaMoed Sukkot – Generally
we choose to read V’Zot HaBrachah, Deuteronomy
33:1-34:12. What would you want your final words to
be? How is God portrayed here?
October 14 – 9:00am Ecclesiastes (Tentative, please
discuss attendance with Rabbi) – Ecclesiastes
10:00am Bereisheet (Genesis 1:1-6:8) –
How does science and religion work together? How do
the creation stories relate? What is your favorite day
and why? How do you view God in this portion?
October 21 – 9:00am Writings (Nechemiah)
10:00am Noah (Genesis 6:9-11:32) – Is
Noah more righteous than we previously thought?
Does silence lead to righteousness? Why do we talk
more about the 2x2 animals then 2x7? How do you tell
people they are wrong?
October 28 – 10:00am Lech L’chah (Genesis 12:1-
17:27) – When and how do you get out from under your
parents’ influence? Can our religious identity be tied
with our parents? Who are we called to be? Is it easier
or harder to know your destination?
November 4 – 10:30am Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24) –
How do we know when God taps us on the shoulder?
Can we laugh and cry at the same time? How does
hospitality impact our burdens? Can sibling rivalry
ever be okay? How do we test God and how does God
test us? Who wins?
November 11 – 10:00am Chayei Sarah (Genesis
23:1-25:18) – How does Abraham show respect to
Sarah after she dies? What does that teach us?
What does a matchmaker look for in finding mates
for others? Does a woman get a voice in arranged
marriage, both biblically and today?
November 18 – 8:30am Toldot (Genesis 25:19-
28:9) – Is birthright spiritual or something else?
How is parenting twins (or triplets?!) different than
singletons? What is Isaac’s covenantal promise?
How important are parental blessings? Is stealing
ever okay? How does God show favoritism? Did
Isaac have memory loss?
November 25 – 10:00am Vayetzei (Genesis
28:10-32:3) – Does Jacob have human friends or is
he lonely? What is the first vow in Torah? Do Jews
believe in angels? Is there such a thing as love at
first sight? Can you hold a grudge and still work
for that person?
December 2 – 10:30am Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-
36:43) – What is a prayer and what is a blessing?
How do we reflect our inner struggles? How do we
reconcile with our foes? Does reconciliation mean
closeness? Is revenge ever acceptable?
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 4
President’s Column For those of you who were not able to hear my
presentation at the Rosh Hashanah morning
service, I’d like to recap the essence of it for you
here. A few key points are that we have a great
group of people that create a warm and
welcoming community. I’ve enjoyed my time at
Congregation Or Chadash and look forward to a
fantastic year getting to know each of you.
Thank you to everyone who provided their input
with our survey. It will greatly help us as we
continue to seek opportunities to improve and
grow our congregation. Our congregation could
not be successful without the help of our
volunteers. I’d especially like to thank each of
you who has contributed your time over this past
year to make Or Chadash a welcoming home.
For those of you who have not yet taken
advantage of the many opportunities to
volunteer, please consider doing so now. My
challenge to each of you is to make yourself
available at least 6 hours out of the 8,760 hours
in the coming year. We have 130 member
families. If each family donates at least 6 hours,
we will have 780 volunteer hours. This would
make an enormous impact on our ability to
address the issues that you raised in the survey.
Volunteering has significant rewards for both the
giver and receiver. As Karen Dean told me,
“Not only am I helping Or Chadash grow, Or
Chadash is helping me do the same.”
Not sure how you can help or how to get started?
I’ve taken the time to make this very easy. I
created a form included in the back of this
month’s Focus that lists some very specific areas
where we need volunteers. The form provides a
brief description of what we need and how much
time it will take. All you need to do is check the
box and fill in your name. Email the
form to [email protected]. Let’s
go for 100% family participation and
make Congregation Or Chadash even
better!
Phil Dicken
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 5
Religious School Committee Update __________
Religious School is off to a great start! We are
excited to see all of our returning students and
families, and so many new ones, too! If you missed
our New Parent Orientation on September 10, or if
you have any questions about Religious School,
please contact Rabbi Kobey, our Education Director;
Anisha Goyal, our School Administrator; or any
member of the Religious School Committee.
Don’t know who is on the Religious School
Committee? Then come to one of our meetings, meet
our members, and better yet, become one of our
members! We are trying something new this year:
instead of holding our meetings in the synagogue on
the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm, we
will alternate each month between the first
Wednesday at 7:00pm and the first Tuesday at
6:45pm. So, our next meetings will be Tuesday,
October 3 at 6:45, then Wednesday, November 1 at
7:00pm. If you are dropping off a child for Religious
School on Tuesday night, stay for our meeting. We
will finish the meeting before school ends at 8:00.
One of our favorite traditions is to welcome new
Religious School families to the Congregation Or
Chadash family through our Consecration service
held on Simchat Torah. Whether you are a new
member or current member, please plan to attend this
special service on Wednesday, October 11, at
6:30pm.
We will once again offer several awards to students at
the end of the year:
Perfect Religious School Attendance (for Sundays,
Tuesdays, or both)
Excellent Religious School Attendance (for
Sundays, Tuesdays, or both)
Shabbat Service Attendance (for attending at least
10 Shabbat services during the year)
Hebrew Achievement (for pre-K-3rd grade students
who master at least 5 prayers, and for 4th and higher
grade students who master at least 10 of the prayers
they are expected to know)
Jewish Reading (for students who show the
Rabbi that they read at least 10 Jewish books
during the year)
Pirke Avot of the Week (for students who,
during the year, complete at least 10 of the
Rabbi's sheets about the Pirke Avot, a
compilation of the ethical teachings passed
down by the rabbis).
In addition, each class in which 75% of the
class over a semester thoughtfully (i.e., the
answers must show some effort from the
students) completes weekly Pirke Avot sheets
will earn a party. So, if a class has ten
students, then, over a ten week semester, at
least 75 of the 100 sheets in that semester
must be thoughtfully completed.
SAVE THE DATE: If you can’t fit a
Religious School Committee meeting into
your schedule but want to learn more or offer
feedback about Religious School, come enjoy
bagels and coffee with other parents, Religious
School Committee members, and Rabbi
Kobey, at a Coffee with the Education
Director on Sunday, December 3, 2017,
during Religious School.
L’Shalom,
The Religious School Committee
Religious School Calendar Religious School Days
October 3
October 8
October 10
October 15
October 17
October 22
October 24
October 29
October 31
November 5
November 7
November 12
November 14
November 19
November 28
No Religious School October 1, November 21, 26
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 6
Religious School Highlights October 8 - 4th grade intergenerational program
October 10 - Open House
October 15 - 6th Grade Field Trip to Great Falls
(weather permitting)
October 17 - 6th Grade Parent Meeting
October 22 - 3rd grade Reading with Ruach
October 29 - 7th Grade Reading with Ruach
November 5 - 4th Grade Field Trip to Adas
Israel Mikvah
November 12 – 10:30am 8th-9th Grade Teen
class
November 14 - 6:30pm Special program about
Six Points Sports Camp (open to 3rd grade
families and above)
November 19 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to Ratner
Museum
4th Grade Intergenerational Program
Pre-K-3rd Grade Family Please join us for Family Education on Saturday,
October 14. We have an adult and student track
and then we will come together for
dairy/vegetarian pot-luck dinner and havdallah..
4:00-6:00pm Pre-K/K-1st Grade
5:00pm-7:00pm 2nd-3rd Grade
4th
-7th
Grade Parents Visit the
Classroom Tuesday, October 10, 6:30-6:45pm and/or 7:30-
7:45pm then you can meet with Rabbi Kobey
6th
Grade Parent Meeting for
B’nai Mitzvah Tuesday, October 17 at 6:30pm. Get all the
materials, the handbook of what your family
needs to do, ask questions, etc. This is an
important meeting and we ask that at least one
adult per family attends, if at all possible.
Where are our Teens? Our older teens have rotating trips. This
year, our 10th-12th grade students will be
taking a trip to Philadelphia, PA. They will
learn more about American Judaism, engage
in social action, and more. Our trip is
November 10 - 12.
Additionally, we will also be taking a trip to
Washington, D.C. Even though the physical
location is basically our backyard, this trip is
dramatically different. We are participating
in the URJ’s L’Taken program. This is a
Jewish social justice / social action program
for teens around the country. The Religious
Action Center runs approximately 5
weekends a year. There is always a long
wait-list for congregations wishing to
participate and we are so glad to have this
opportunity for our teens. Our students will
learn about different social/political issues
from a Jewish perspective, choose one topic
on which to write a speech, and then lobby
our Senators and Representatives. Our trip is
January 26 - 29.
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 7
Keeping Up With Or Chadash ________________
Faculty Meetings /
Teacher Trainings Wednesday, October 18 7:00pm
Sunday, October 22 8:00am
Tuesday, October 24 8:00pm
Adult B’not Mitzvah
Class October 17 9:30am-11:00am
October 24 9:30am-11:00am
November 7 9:30am-11:00am
November 14 9:30am-11:00am
November 28 9:30am-11:00am
Committee Meetings Religious School Committee (RSC):
Tuesday October 3 6:45pm-8:00pm
Wednesday November 1 at 7:00pm
Ritual Committee:
Sunday October 15 at 12:00pm
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 8
Tot Time Our younger members are always welcome
at our dinners, programs, and worship
services. But, in addition, we want to
recognize that our younger members also
like having experiences more specific to
their needs. To that end, we now have a
monthly Tot program. These events target
children ages 5 and younger and their
families. They are open both to members
and non-members, so if you know of
someone Jewish and unaffiliated, please tell
them about our Tot programs and also
please give Rabbi their contact information,
so that she may directly invite them to these
different events. Some events are Saturday
mornings, some are late Saturday
afternoons, and some are even midweek.
Programs will include snacks and some
variation of music, stories, crafts, and play.
We hope that you will join us for as many
events as your schedule allows.
In order to ensure that we have sufficient
supplies, we ask that you PLEASE RSVP
as soon as possible, but at least one week
before any event (events may be cancelled
if insufficient RSVPs). The upcoming dates
of Tot Time programs are:
October 6 10:00am
November 12 10:00am
Jr. CORY Save the Date! October 29 at 12:00pm
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 9
Social Action Committee News The Social Action Committee is getting back in
the swing of things and needs your help! Join us
in making a difference in our community and
beyond. We are currently seeking committee
members to help us plan our Fall projects, the
first one being in October! Don’t think you have
a lot of time, no worries, we can Skype you in or
do a Google hangout to make sure you are
included. Help us brainstorm ideas and move
forward in action. I look forward to chatting with
you soon, please feel free to email me
at [email protected] to get involved
or give me a call at 240-812-9233!! Don’t forget
to also sign up for the Social Action Trip to
Greensboro.
Greensboro Social Action Trip Trip dates December 28-31, 2017 (back in
Maryland in time for your New Years Eve
plans!) See flyer on page 16 for additional
details and to officially sign-up.
Refugee Support Or Chadash’s Refugee Support group, in concert
with the Montgomery County Interfaith Refugee
Resettlement Neighbors, is actively providing
support to 17 refugee families.
If you would like to make a financial donation to
help the families, please make your donation to
the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund, and add a
note that the donation is intended for Refugee
Support.
If you would like to join our group or ask
questions, contact Debbie Eisenberg
Community Coffee with the Cops Wednesday Oct. 18 at 9:00am. See flyer on page
17 for more information.
Sukkah Hop Do you build a sukkah at your house? It would be
fun if we shared meals at different sukkot (plural
of sukkah), rotating to different houses. If you
build a sukkah and are interested in sharing some
meals at your sukkah and at other people’s, or if
you would just like to eat in a sukkah, please give
your name to Rabbi Kobey and hopefully we can
set up some matches
Sukkot Festival Please join us immediately following Religious
School on Sunday, October 8 from 12:00 p.m. to
1:30 p.m. for Or Chadash’s Sukkot Festival!
There will be games, snacks, face painting, and a
moon bounce! The festival is sponsored by
CORY, and we can’t wait to see you there!
Update on the Talmud Project We've had a very good response to our request
for pledges to enable Or Chadash to buy a
Talmud for the Library.
(A pledge is a commitment to donate $36, which
will pay for one volume of the 78-volume
Talmud)
We are in the home stretch - and a few more
pledges will enable us to reach our goal.
If you haven't pledged yet - and you want to -
please contact the office, or contact Susan White
([email protected]) who is in charge of this
project.
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 10
Special Services _________________________
Celebrating Simchas (Happy
Occasions) Celebrate your birthday with your Or Chadash
family. Be called to the bimah and receive a
special blessing and a birthday treat to mark the
occasion. We have birthday blessings every
month. For the month of October come on
October 20 and for the month of November join
us on November 17. Services are at 7:30pm.
We also celebrate anniversaries within our Or
Chadash family. Again, be invited onto the bimah
for a special blessing and an anniversary treat.
This is also monthly with anniversary blessings on
October 13 and November 10.
Do you have other simchas to share? Let Rabbi
Kobey know, so we can rejoice together.
Reflective Prayer Service (also
known as Healing Service,
Meditation Service, or
Contemplative Service) We might not be able to agree on a good title for
these services, so call it whatever you want!
Regardless of name, this is an opportunity for you
to engage in a monthly prayer service not on
Shabbat. Many of the prayers are the same as
Shabbat, but there is also an element of
challenging God, finding hope, looking to do
better, directly or indirectly being in need of
physical, emotional, or spiritual healing, praying
for other people who might have one of those
wants, or whatever might best connect with you at
that time. All are welcome. Upcoming dates are:
Wednesday October 25 at 7:30pm
Sunday November 12 at 7:30pm
Consecration /Erev Simchat
Torah Services Whether or not you have a Consecration
student (all of our newest students in Or
Chadash’s Religious School), join in the fun
of seeing the entire Torah unrolled (which
means we need ALL of you to help hold it
or we cannot do it), the joy of drawing near
to Torah, and seeing our newest students’
faces light up as they receive Torah scrolls
of their own. We will have Israeli dancing
that evening as well! Erev Simchat Torah
services are on Wednesday, October 11.
Interfaith Thanksgiving
Service Hard to believe this is now our 8th annual
Thanksgiving service! We now have four
congregations participating: St. Paul
Catholic Church, United Methodist Church,
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, and
ourselves. Rabbi Kobey, Father Lee,
Reverend Pierce, Reverend McMurtrey, and
Reverend Cooney have been working
together on creating this special worship
service.
We really hope that our Or Chadash
community will have a strong presence
there. The hope is that we see many
members from our faith communities, as
well as people from the greater Damascus
community coming together to celebrate
Thanksgiving. Our choirs will participate
as well. Join us on Tuesday, November 21,
2017 at 7:00pm.
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 11
Israel Trip I love Israel. Some of you have heard me say
this phrase before, or maybe you have heard
me many times on this front, but I do. I love
the country. As many of you know, we had a
successful Temple trip to Israel in 2016…
So…
I am so excited to say that I will be offering
another Temple trip to Israel!! The
enthusiasm already exists and the planning is
well underway. Initial deposits are due this
November.
Here are some basic details… the trip itself
will be in August 2019. This will give you
plenty of time to plan, both financially and
emotionally. The trip will be open to our
whole congregation (all ages). If space
permits, it will also be open to our members’
extended friends / families. We hope you
will join us.
Are you interested? Even as you wait for the
information sessions, please send me your
name if you are interested to allow me to start
gathering a list of potential travelers. The
next information session is Tuesday, October
17 at 7:30pm.
Let’s love Israel together and let’s visit
together!
Rabbi Alison B. Kobey
Prospective Members We need your help! We know that word of mouth
is the best way for people to find us and get to
know us. If you know a possible member, please
send us the name and any contact information you
might have. Then, we will reach out and include
the person(s) in a small group opportunity. We
hope to hear from you! As a reminder, there is
now a financial incentive for our members to find
new members!
Congregation Or Chadash Book
Club Schedule 2017-2018 November 10: The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem
by Sarit Yishai-Jevi
January 12: Landsman: A Novel by Peter
Charles Melman
March 9: The Bridal Chair by Gloria Goldreich
May 11: The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who
Saved Israel by Uri Bar Joseph
June 8: Planning for 2017-2018
All meetings start at 11:30 AM. Meetings are the
second Friday of the month unless there is a
holiday or special event.
Meeting location can vary but is usually Panera,
19965 Century Boulevard, Germantown. This
Panera is located in the parking lot with Taco
Bell, Green Turtle, Chick-fil-a and Carrabbas.
All books on this year’s schedule are available at
the Montgomery County Public Libraries except
Landsman: A Novel . Contact Jane Harris at [email protected]
to RSVP for the meeting or to be added to the
email list for meeting reminders.
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 12
ThankYou to Our Donors __________________
Thank you to our generous donors. Note that this list includes donations that were deposited during
July and August. Please contact the office for more information.
General Donations
Howard & Melissa Benowitz
Susan & Scott Chidakel
Andrew & Suzanne Colby in memory of Helene, mother of Fred Marx
William Dean & Karen Rosenfeld-Dean
Rob & Debbie Eisenberg
Karen & Richard Kwasny
Ray & Debbie Lessans
Bari & Joseph Levin in honor of the birthday of Elizabeth Gatti
Diane & Sydney Levitus
Gerald Ray Mollie Lipshy Charitable Trust
Jonathan & Andrea Pfeffer
Jeffrey & Annette Smith
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Jon Clark & Maureen Ruskin
Yarzeit Board
Michael Critzer & Lorraine Schack in memory of Florence Schack
Howard & Melissa Benowitz in memory of Paul Benowitz
Condolences _____________________________
Congregation Or Chadash extends our sympathies to Alana Hyman on the death of her
mother, Ina Glosman Weinstein, who passed away on August 22.
Congregation Or Chadash extends our sympathies to Annette Smith on the death of her
father, David Earl Zarin, who passed away on August 28.
Congregation Or Chadash extends our sympathies to Melissa Lebedinsky on the death
of her father, Saul Keisler, who passed away on September 9.
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 13
Mazel Tov! ______________________________
Congregation Or Chadash extends our congratulations to Rob and Debbie Eisenberg on the
marriage of their daughter, Julie, to Jeff Arenson on September 3.
Congregation Or Chadash extends our congratulations for the upcoming Bat Mitzvah of Corinne
Murphy on October 7.
Congregation Or Chadash extends our congratulations for the upcoming Bat Mitzvah of Melanie
Siskind on November 18.
Welcome _______________________________
Welcome to our new members:
Stephanie & Michael Ames Milton & Rona Kandel
Joseph & Alanna Blake Risa & Patrick Robinson
Alan & Karen Accardi Epstein Lisa & Viacheslav Slavin
Mickey & Michelle Fortune Susan & James Witter
Jacqueline Horner
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev 5778 October/November 2017
OR CHADASH FOCUS 14
Wednesday, October 4 7:00 PM Sukkot Service Marci & Karl Nadler Bette Kennard & Ed Korenge
Saturday, October 7 10:00 AM Shabbat service with Bat Mitzvah of Corinne Murphy
Julie & Patrick Murphy
Wednesday, October 11 6:30PM Consecration Simchat Torah services with Israeli dancing
Cindy & Jason Partlow Sara & Eric Moline
Friday, October 13 7:30 PM Shabbat service with Anniversary Blessings
Melissa & Andrew Hyman Heather Gould
Friday, October 20 7:30 PM Shabbat services with Birthday Blessings
Melissa & Alex Lebedinsky Melissa & Howard Benowitz
Friday, October 27 7:30 PM Shabbat service w/ 1st grade participation and w/ Junior Choir
Alyssa & Sam Mvros Keri & Chris Hennelly
Saturday, November 4 9:00 AM Shabbat services with 7th grade Class participation
7th Grade Families
Friday, November 10 7:30 PM Shabbat services with Anniversary Blessings
Susan White & Michael Abrahams Audrey & Brian Barbazette
Friday, November 17 7:30 PM Human Rights Shabbat with Birthday Blessings
Sindi & Aaron Siskind
Saturday, November 18 10:00 AM Bat Mitzvah of Melanie Siskind Sindi & Aaron Siskind
Tuesday, November 21 7:00 PM Interfaith Thanksgiving with OCS Board Of Directors
Friday, November 24 7:30 PM Shabbat Services Susan & Howard Lichtman
Saturday, December 2 9:00 AM Shabbat Services with 5th grade class participation and Anniversary Blessings
5th Grade Families
Friday, December 8 7:30 PM Meditation Shabbat with Birthday Blessings
Jean & Dave Bender Marsha Weber & Fred Petok
Friday, December 15 7:30 PM Hanukkah Shabbat service with Pre-K/K participation and OCS (BYOM- Bring Your Own Menorah)
Laura & Jonathan Jackel Jen & Marc Strelser Beth & Tom Smolko
Friday, December 22 7:30 PM Shabbat Services Maureen Ruskin& Jon Clark Sue & Richard Carr
Friday, December 29 7:30 PM Shabbat Services Heather & Craig Held Huyen Nguyen & Adam Cohen
Oneg Calendar __________________________ Thank you to our oneg sponsors! After every Shabbat service, there are delicious treats for everyone
to enjoy as we all chat and catch up. Oneg sponsors bring food before the service or donate to our
oneg organizer, so that this service is provided every week. Birthdays and anniversaries are great
times to sponsor an oneg. Family yartzeits are another meaningful time to sponsor an oneg.
All families are expected to host approximately twice a year. Each sponsor will receive an email
indicating what food and drinks to bring on their designated Shabbat date. If you have any questions,
please email Julie Swain at [email protected] or call 301-916-9214.
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Yahrzeits ________________________________ If you have an upcoming yahrtzeit that is not listed, please call the office at 301-482-1025,
and we will add any names you wish to remember. Names will be read at Shabbat services
during the week of a loved one’s death. When two dates are shown, the names will be read
during the Friday evening and Saturday morning Shabbat services. Note that the second
column lists the observing member.
**Yahrtzeit plaque
Saturday, October 7 Flora Fridberg Mother of Michelle Fridberg Charles Fruman Grandfather of Eileen Kerwin Yetta Bell Mother of Heather Bergman Bernice Perselay Aunt of Jane Harris Lovice Price Mother of Esther Streusand Gertrude Held Mother of Craig Held Norman Dissin Father of Alan Dissin
Friday, October 13 Nellie Menick Aunt of Annette Smith
Friday, October 20 **Yta Gellert Mother of Charles Gellert Howard Seal White Father of Susan White Arline Baum Mother of Joseph Baum Meyer Epstein Father of Alan Epstein Lorraine Aronson Mother of Marci Nadler George Goldenberg Grandfather of Diane Levitus Maurice Clarke Father of Coleman Clarke Bettye Yaw Mother of Greg Yaw Friday, October 27 Franklin Rosenfeld Father of Karen Rosenfeld-Dean Nicholas Stroud Father of Nicholas Stroud Alvin Charens Uncle of Michelle Bailen Stanley Goldberg Father of Julie Swain Carolyn Dean Mother of William Dean
Saturday, November 4 Arthur Aronson Father of Marci Nadler Florence Lazar Grandmother of Eileen Kerwin Edith Slonk Grandmother of Barbara Marx Ida Thorner Mother of Bruce Thorner Joseph Binder Father of Irwin Binder Gertrude Lessans Mother of Raymond Lessans Morris Glosman Grandfather of Alana Hyman
Friday, November 10 Louis Zeik Risa & Patrick Robinson
Saturday, November 17 William Ostrov Grandfather of Fred Marx Marshall Rosenthal Uncle of David Bender
Saturday, November 24
**Cheryl Schwartz Wife of Saul Schwartz Sadye Goldenberg Grandmother of Diane Levitus Armand Grenadier Great Uncle of Ellyn Baum Harold Jacobs Father of Jen Strelser Rheta Sosland Grandmother of Andrew Hyman Liba Binder Mother of Irwin Binder Anne Rosenthal Mother of Cindy Bender
Saturday, December 2
Melvin Moskowitz Father of Sindi Siskind Larry Bernstein Uncle of Ellyn Baum Benjamin Bender Father of Larry Bender **Morley Harris Father in Law of Saul Schwartz Eugene Levitus Brother of Syndey Levitus Caren Goldfine Uncle's wife of Ellyn Baum Ruth Solowey Mother of Rona Kandel
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Congregation Or Chadash Volunteer Opportunities Your Name:
__________________________________________________________________________________
Your Preferred Contact Information (Email Address / Phone Number): __________________________________________________________________________________________ Interested to receive more information
Group Name Description of Tasks Estimate of time required
Name of person to contact for more information
Contact Information
Treasurer Record funds received in our tracking system. Make payments for the temple’s obligations. Provide a financial report to the board.
5 - 10 hours a week
Karl Gussow 301-963-3069
Finance Committee
Participate in the committee meetings. Update financial records. Assist with dues relief where needed
Contact Karl Gussow for more information
Karl Gussow 301-963-3069
Board of Directors Member at Large
Attend monthly board meetings to listen and vote on behalf of the congregation. Complete action items from meeting as needed including writing letters to members, contacting vendors
2 – 4 hours per month
Phil Dicken 301-926-7825
Membership Committee
Direct Or Chadash's external marketing and attend community events to promote Or Chadash.
5-10 hours a year.
Howard Benowitz
240-731-3400
Brotherhood President – Coordinate activities and write an article for the newsletter
1 – 2 hours per month
Phil Dicken 301-926-7825
Social Action Organize or participate in social action committee events such as food drives. Contribute ideas for the group
As little or as much time as you can devote
Rita Shewbridge
rita.shewbridge @gmail.com
Fund Raising Committee
Develop ideas for fun activities to raise money for the congregation. Organize events
As little or as much time as you can devote
Phil Dicken 301-926-7825
Or Chadash Singers
Participate in scheduled events by singing in our choir and attending rehearsals
Contact Rachel for more info.
Rachael Goodrich
rachel.stroudgoodrich @gmail.com
Teacher’s Assistant
Inspire our youth by being a substitute teacher or a teacher’s assistant in our classrooms. Help our students learn more about Judaism
Contact Anisha Goyal for more information
Anisha Goyal principal.or.chadash @gmail.com
Rabbi’s assistant Assist with small ad hoc tasks such as researching information on the Internet, administrative tasks such as stuffing envelopes or buying items needed for the congregation
As little or as much time as you can devote
Rabbi Kobey rabbikobey@ gmail.com
CORY Advisor Organize fun events for our teens. Send inputs to our newsletter. Assist with social action events
A few hours a month depending on the events you organize
Jamie Hendi [email protected]
Junior CORY Advisor
Organize fun events for our temple youth. Send inputs to our newsletter. Assist youth with social action events
A few hours a month depending on the events
Phil Dicken 301-926-7825
Oneg Coordinator
Send reminders to families about their sponsorship responsibilities. Assist with setup and cleanup of oneg. Buy supplies for oneg when families are not available
3 hours per oneg. This is split among the coordinators
Julie Swain [email protected]
Sisterhood President
Involve other members to participate. Coordinate activities and write newsletter article.
1 – 2 hours per month
Phil Dicken 301-926-7825
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Interested to receive more information
Group Name Description of Tasks Estimate of time required
Name of person to contact for more information
Contact Information
Building Administrator
Lead the building administration committee. Coordinate vendors to get estimates. Escort vendors while they are working Collaborate with the board on expenses
Varies depending on needs of the building at the time
Ray Lessons raylessans@ gmail.com
Building administration committee
Assist with coordinating vendors to get estimates. Escort vendors while they are working
Varies depending on needs of the building at the time
Phil Dicken 301-926-7825
Religious School Committee
Members attend monthly committee meetings, which involve addressing any school-related issues and discussing ways to improve the school. We also sponsor two coffee sessions with the Rabbi and school community during the year.
1-2 hours per month for committee meetings. Coffees are one hour each, twice a year.
Howard Benowitz
240-731-3400
Ritual Committee Chair
Lead and organize the ritual committee Contact Karl Gussow for more information
Karl Gussow [email protected]
Adult Social Group
Help organize events. Contribute ideas for the group to do. Invite others to participate
Contact Jeff Bass for info
Jeff Bass [email protected]
Adult Education Committee
Help organize events. Contribute ideas for topics to cover
Contact the Clarkes for more information
Donna & Coleman Clarke
clarke86@ comcast.net
Library Committee
Selecting books to add to the Library, adding them to the online catalogue and to the shelves, tracking books
2 hours per meeting 4 or 5 times per year
Michael Abrahams
mlabrahams@ gmail.com
Focus Editor or Assistant
Collect input from the authors of the articles for our newsletter. Edit the articles and create the final document
20– 25 hours every two months
Debbie Eisenberg
301-253-1922
Webmaster Assist with posting updates to COC’s Website. Contact Marti Kerner for more information
Marti Kerner martha.kerner@ gmail.com
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