Temple Beth Sholom
The Shofar Tevet/Shevat/Adar I 5779
January/February 2019
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Reflections from Rabbi Klirs
During the months of January and February we will be making our way through most of the Book of Sh’mot, or Exodus. In the first two Shabbatot in January we read of the oppression and suffering of the Hebrew slaves, Moses’ commission to be God’s representative before Pharaoh, the ten plagues, the celebration of the first Pesach, the laws of Pesach and the Exodus from Egypt. Much of the Passover Haggadah is based on these parshiyot. On the third Shabbat we read of the arrival at the Sea of Reeds, of Pharaoh’s change of heart and his army’s pursuit of the Hebrews, the miracle of the splitting of the sea, the drowning of Pharaoh’s army and the celebration of the final redemption through the Song of the Sea. On the fourth Shabbat the parashah includes the arrival at Mount Sinai and the first iteration of the Ten Commandments. On the first Shabbat in March the parashah contains much of the civil, moral and religious code that the Israelites are to follow, and on the 2nd and 3rd Shabbatot we read the instructions for the building of the Mishkan, or Tabernacle. On the last Shabbat in March the Torah reaches its nadir as it describes the sin of the golden calf.
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We read these stories, which are really about the transformation of a demoralized and powerless group of slaves into the beginnings of a nation with a divinely appointed mission and new-found purpose, in the dead of winter when nature lies dormant. We also celebrate holidays which seem out of step with the season, most notably Tu B’Shevat. Tu B’Shevat, which means the 15 th of the month of Shevat, is also known as the New Year of the Trees. It was originally nothing more than an agricultural marker. Biblical law forbade the harvesting of fruit from new trees until they were 3 years old. To simplify matters, a single date was set for purposes of calculating a tree’s age, so that trees of the same type could be harvested together in their season. In time it became a minor festival, celebrating the produce of trees from the land of Israel. But why set the birthday for the trees in the middle of winter? For the answer, you will need to come to Shabbat services and the Tu B’Shevat Seder which I will lead on the weekend of January 18-19. I will mention one more oddity of this season. The Hebrew month of Shevat generally coincides with January and/or February, and is followed by the month of Adar, in which we celebrate Purim. Hence, we would expect Purim to occur in February this year. But 5779 happens to be a leap year, and in the Hebrew calendar, rather than add a single day to leap years, we add an entire month. That month happens to be Adar. In a leap year we have Adar I followed by Adar II. When that occurs, Purim is always celebrated in Adar II. Hence we will have to wait until March to celebrate Purim. My February visit will be on the 15th and 16th. B’shalom, Rabbi Tracy G. Klirs
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YAHRZEITS May Their Memories Be a Blessing January 4-5/27-28 Tevet 30 – Julius Novakoff 1 – Shirley Levy 1 – Ella Friedman 1 – Jacob Cohen 3 – Michael Becher 3 – Jacquie Koplen 5 – Aaron L. Bane 5 – Selig Heiner Kingoff 5 – Trudy Silverman
January 11-12/5-6 Shevat 6 – Daniel Barrs 6 – Russell Denny 6 – Betsy Fresco 6 – Henry Nakdimen 8 – Jennie Rossnier Costin 9 – Jacob Hoffman 9 – Herman Mueller 9 – Herbert “Hup” Sater 10 – Hyman Jacobs 15 – Irving Maxwell Heiner
January 18-19/12-13 Shevat 16 – Sol J. Levy 19 – Dr. Henry Moskowitz
January 25-26/19-20 Shevat 20 – Sol Kingoff 20 – Celia Barg Jacobs 21 – Jane Carol Harris 21 – Edna Brodkin Goldstein 21 – Kate Lazarus 22 – Isaac Berman 23 – Dora Lubin 24 – Barnett Katzman 24 – Alvin H. Rosenstock 25 – Sylvia Heyman 25 – Minnie Miller 26 – Helene Koplen Navell
February 1-2/26-27 Shevat 27 – Harry Abrams 28 – Lillian W. Kramer 28 – Dora R. Rosenstock 28 – Elias Salamon 29 – Hyman Kravitz 1 – William H. Kay 1 – Edna LeBof 2 – Esther Newman
February 8-9/3-4 Adar 4 – Yetta S. Schreibfeder 9 – Bessie Berman
February 15-16/10-11 Adar 1 1-2/24-25 Adar 1 10 – Mary Abrams 13 – Sonia Lubin Rippe 15 – Dr. Louis Herman Calisch 16 – Aaron Lazarus 16 – Hyman Nakdimen
17 – Henry Lowenstein 18 – Fannye Sater 21 – Rosa Bane 21 – Anna K. Kelson 22 – Albert Koplen
February 22-23/17-18 Adar 1
March
24 – Mayme Newman 28 – Julius Kaufman 28 – Annie Newman 29 – Jacob Goodfriend 1 – Beatrice Newman Stoner
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Temple Beth Sholom Donations Misheberach for Harris Silverman - Charles Silverman Misheberach – Charles Silverman In Memory of Dr. Gary Sowder – Kevin and Melanie Vaughan, Peter and Jo Ann Howard In Memory of dear friends Mary Halperin, Irving Melnick and Alvin Newman; beloved Aunt Jean Kushner; Rabbi Benjamin Kelson – Sam and Faye Kushner In Honor of the birth of great nephew Jason Paxon Gordon on 11/21 – Allison Gordon Offering for Building Fund – Anita White Thank you for our congregation’s hospitality during the Shabbat/Healing Service following the Pittsburg massacre – Eric and Nancy Linkov (Fort Myers, FL) To help with any repairs incurred during the recent storms – Mary Royster Speedy Recovery to Charles Silverman – Peter and Jo Ann Howard In Honor of Charles Silverman on his birthday – Peter and Jo Ann Howard Speedy Recovery to Carol Caplan – Peter and Jo Ann Howard In Memory of Eunice Dickens, mother of Judy Lyles – Peter and Jo Ann Howard
Sisterhood Building Fund Contributions Susanne Singer, 822-1114 Please remember the Building Fund for Sympathy, Mazel Tov, Thank You, and Speedy Recovery. The list is endless. Your contributions are used to beautify our temple. Speedy Recovery to Charles Silverman – Steve and Ronnie Mand, Kevin and Melanie Vaughan In Memory of Leo Santerre – Steve and Ronnie Mand, Kevin and Melanie Vaughan 4
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JANUARY Friday, 4th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Jo Ann Howard
Friday, 11th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Ronnie Mand & Susanne Singer
Friday, 18th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Melanie Vaughan & Debbie Rippe, Oneg Hostesses
Saturday, 19th
10:30 a.m.
Tu B’Shevat Seder and Brunch – Rabbi Tracy Klirs
12:15 p.m.
Adult Hebrew Class – Rabbi Tracy Klirs
Monday, 21st
5:00 p.m.
Sisterhood Meeting
Friday, 25th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Bonnie Brumfield
FEBRUARY Friday, 1st
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service - TBA
Friday, 8th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Sisterhood Oneg hosted by Sisterhood members
Friday, 15th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Bonnie Brumfield & Jo Ann Howard, Oneg Hostesses
Saturday, 16th
10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m.
Nosh and Knowledge – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Adult Hebrew Class – Rabbi Tracy Klirs
Friday, 22nd
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – TBA
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WITH OUR CONGREGATION Our heartfelt sympathy goes to the Kramer family on the recent death of Leo Santerre, father of Patrice and grandfather of Bryna and Noah. May his memory be for a blessing. Wishes of r’fuah shlemah go to Carol Caplan who has just had her second carpal tunnel surgery. Wishes of r’fuah shlemah go to Charles Silverman who has just returned home from Piney Forest Health Care Center. We hope he will once again be able to join us for temple activities. Wishes of “Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov” go to Mildred Barth on the recent marriage of her granddaughter Abby Paulson to David Lesorgen on November 10th in Atlanta. Mary Brett
Koplen officiated her cousin’s wedding! Our wishes for good health are extended to Mildred Barth, Carol Caplan, Patrice Kramer, Charles Silverman and Gordon Lyles. We know that some of our congregants become ill, have surgery, or suffer an injury between The Shofar publications, so please know that we extend a prayer of comfort and continued recovery to those who are not specifically named.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES January Birthdays: 10 – Don Loper; 13 – Robert Fryman; 17 – Susanne Singer; 21 - Bernard Baker; 21 – Rabbi Morton Green; 22 – George Brumfield; 23 – Belinda Baker January Anniversaries: none February Birthdays: 6 – Mira Becher; 9 – Carol Caplan; 17 – John Wills; 27 – Michael Caplan; 29 – Rebekka Stanley February Anniversary: 12 – Patrice and Stuart Kramer
Message from Ronnie Mand, Sisterhood President
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We are looking forward to holding our annual Sisterhood Shabbat Service, a tradition of approximately 25 years. Please join and support us on February 8, 2019 as our members lead the congregation in song and prayer, followed by an Oneg. At the November meeting, we decided to read Stolen Beauty by Laurie Lico Albanese for our March Book Review. The author describes this novel as “fiction based on fact“, and its popularity prompted the TV movie Woman in Gold starring Helen Mirren. “Impeccably researched and lushly rendered, Stolen Beauty intertwines the tales of two remarkable women across more than a hundred year. It juxtaposes passion and discovery against hatred and despair, and shines a light on our ability to love, to destroy, and, above all, to endure.” There should certainly be lively discussion about this acclaimed book. Please continue to fill your Silver for Sisterhood boxes. Every coin will benefit our Building Fund, ultimately helping the temple in some manner. I’d like to wish each of you and your family a very happy and healthy year ahead.
Empty your Silver for Sisterhood boxes today and bring your change to Jo Ann Howard. Then start collecting again for the new secular year 2019. Remember to empty your boxes a few times a year!
WHAT’S HAPPENING in JANUARY and FEBRUARY (Be sure to check the Calendar of Events on page 5)
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Tu B’Shevat Seder 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 19, 2019 Celebrate the New Year of the Trees Drink four glasses (or sips) of wine or grape juice…one for each season Taste the four species of fruits Enjoy a delicious brunch afterwards All of this for just $10.00! R.S.V.P. to Jo Ann by January 9th The Torah reminds us to give some of what we have to others who are hungry. Please bring canned goods or monetary donations for God’s Storehouse
Adult Hebrew Classes We have partnered with the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) in their Read Hebrew America program. They provide the materials free of charge! We have 15 people who have signed up and each person is working at their own rate. We meet twice a month as a group, once with Rabbi Klirs who introduces the material and then with Jo Ann as a follow-up. Individual sessions are also scheduled with Jo Ann throughout the month. This is an ideal way to start learning Hebrew for the first time or the sharpen your skills and add a bonus of learning vocabulary.
HIGHLIGHTS OF NOVEMBER and DECEMBER
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Rabbi Klirs led a beautiful Shabbat/Healing service on November 2 nd which was attended by about 60 people. The support from several local churches and out-of-town guests was certainly heartfelt and gave us a temporary feeling of peace following the Pittsburg massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue. The oneg gave us an opportunity to hear our guests positive reactions to Rabbi Klirs’ service and their shared feelings of horror of the massacre. On Saturday we met for Nosh and Knowledge with 12 people in attendace‌good food and discussion. We also began learning or relearning the Birkat Hamazon. It was nice to end the day with Havdalah and then off to dinner!
On November 30th we welcomed Shabbat with a delicious covered dish dinner followed by a beautiful service conducted by Rabbi Klirs. On Saturday we met for another intriging Nosh and Knowledge session followed by our first adult Hebrew class. That evening a few of us met for Havdalah and then enjoyed trying a new restaurant.
We had a wonderful time at Ohev Zion Synagogue for our annual Hanukkah Dinner/Celebration and Shabbat Service on Friday, December 7th .
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Bonnie’s Book Beat Naomi Ragen offers historical insight into the Spanish Inquisition and the horrible times for Jews living in 15th century Spain and Portugal in ‘The Ghost of Hannah Mendes’ as she weaves present day with the past. A dying Jewish matron, Catherine de Costa, asks her two granddaughters, who show no interest in learning about their family’s past, to journey to Europe in search of their ancestor’s memoirs. After Catherine is visited by the ghost of Hannah Mendes, she is determined to convince her granddaughters to do her bidding. Out of loyalty, the two sisters agree to make the trek, believing it is futile. How wrong they will be as their travels acquaint them with their ancestor’s legacy: she who is in the midst of the heinous inquisitors: murderers and torturers of ‘heretics’. Living by her wits, Hannah Mendes, escapes from Spain to Portugal, and after marrying a wealthy ‘converso’ moves to Amsterdam. Her husband and his brother control the pepper trade from India. Wealth is not from gold and jewels, but from spices. After the death of her husband when she is 27 years old, Hannah Mendes inherits his business, and becomes one of the wealthiest women in Renaissance Europe. Using her wits to avoid confiscation of her wealth by various monarchs, she employs her wealth to establish an escape network that saved hundreds of Conversos from the Inquisition. Hannah(Gracia) Mendes, also known by her ‘converso’ name of Beatrice de Luna (15101569) was a real person. Critics describe the book as, “..history, a love story, and travel journal all in one..” The reader will be transported from present day to the 15 th century. This book will be in your Temple Library for your reading enjoyment.
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Puns for Everyone! More Signs from the Indian Hills Community Center in Colorado My mood ring is missing And I don’t know how I feel about it I scream, you scream The police came and it was awkward What I if told you You read the top line wrong Electricians have to strip To make ends meet Quit stealing R letters Irony, The opposite of wrinkly If you suck at playing the trumpet That’s probably why When you’re down by the sea and an eel bites your knee, That’s a moray Now Some Pun Fun from the Reader’s Digest The machine at the coin factory just suddenly stopped working, with no explanation It doesn’t make any cents Yesterday a clown held the door open for me, It was such a nice jester Ireland’s capital has the fastest growing population Every day it’s Dublin
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 DANVILLE It is traditional as we move from one calendar/civil year to the next, to take stock of our accomplishments (and defeats!) over the preceding months and to make resolutions for the future. The Danville chapter of Hadassah can be justly proud of our work over the past year, and the support that we have provided to Hadassah Medical Organization. Our recently completed, and once again highly successful, Angels of Mercy campaign raised over $14,500 to donate to HMO’s efforts in medical care and research. We have also supported Youth Aliyah and Young Judaea through our New Year and birthday/anniversary card projects. Generous donors have given unrestricted (and in some cases, unsolicited) contributions that support any and all Hadassah projects. However, we are not about to rest on our laurels, and another big challenge awaits us in 2019. Shortly after Israel’s war of independence, Hadassah’s hospital on Mount Scopus was in Jordanian hands and inaccessible. Hadassah subsequently built the hospital at Ein Kerem, whose cornerstone was laid in 1953. At that time, the hospital was on the cutting-edge of both architecture and medical care. Its “round building,” designed by famed architect Joseph Neufeld, circled the corridors around a central core, eliminating the long and impersonal hallways of “shoebox” hospitals. But in 65 years, much has changed! Open-heart surgery, dialysis, bone marrow and other organ transplants could only be dreamed of in 1953. Now in 2019, a major campaign is underway to refurbish this building into a new state-of-the-art medical facility where hematology-oncology, internal medicine, geriatrics, and ophthalmology departments will provide the latest in medical care in a patient-focused environment. Hadassah’s “Full Circle Campaign: 360 Degrees of Healing” is helping to raise the funds to bring the “round building” into the 21st century. With additional support from the Israeli government, Hadassah aims to have the new building completed by 2020. Of course, the Danville chapter will be a part of this effort! Our “No Show Ball” fundraiser, which raised money for the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower at HMO in Jerusalem, will continue as part of the “360 Degrees of Healing” campaign. Look for those cute “noninvitations” in January, and please be generous! Thank you for your support of Hadassah in the past year, and best wishes to all of you for health and happiness in 2019. Martha Woody, President
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Keeping Up with our Members Wishes of Mazel Tov go to Life Member Abby Paulson her recent marriage to David Lesorgen
on November 10th in Atlanta. Other Life Members in attendance were grandmother Mildred Barth, mother Jill Paulson, sister Dana Eisenman, cousin Ronnie Mand, and student rabbi Mary Brett Koplen who officiated her cousin’s wedding! Did we miss your news? Be sure to contact Martha Woody, 276-638-4316, and we’ll include you in our next newsletter!
What’s Happening with our Danville Projects A big thank you goes out to our Hadassah members and other supporters who helped our chapter send over $23,700 to National Hadassah in 2018 to help fund the areas listed below.
Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO)
No Show Ball supported the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower.
Angels of Mercy Thanksgiving Ad supported medical care and research at both hospital sites
Funds
Donor/Candle Lighting/ Silver Chai/Keepers of the Gate/Unsolicited
Young Judaea New Year Card 5779 supported scholarships for Young Judaea campers in the United States
Youth Aliyah Birthday/Anniversary Cards supported the needs of the Youth Aliyah villages in Israel
Jewish National Fund (JNF) Although we do not do actively solicit for funds, members may still purchase certificates through our chapter ($18)
How We Celebrated Together in 2018
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As you will read below, it’s fun to come to a meeting! If you have to travel a bit, take the time and you’ll certainly get a better understanding of why this small Danville Chapter is able to accomplish so much!
Break Esther’s Fast – This annual event was held in February at Cotton at Riverside Mill. Melanie Vaughan presented a very interesting program on Heart Health which included facts and myths, important signs to watch for, and how we should take an active role in our own health care. We need to remember not to be Haman and destroy our bodies, but rather to be like Esther and step outside our comfort zone to save what is precious to us.
100th Birthday Celebration – Ronnie Mand hosted this festive event in May and we were honored to have Southern Seaboard President Gail Moskowitz as our guest speaker. Our program also highlighted Danville Hadassah’s history through the decades. It was a wonderful celebration!
Hanukkah - Thank you to Mira Becher for hosting a wine and cheese party for our annual Hanukkah celebration in early December. During our program we learned about the important role of women during the time of the Macabees and also how we can relate the letters on the dreidel to our lives.
Your Danville Hadassah Board is getting ready to set the project goals and programs for our 2019 year. We hope you will continue to support these projects so that life saving medical care and research can continue, the 360 project will be successful, campers will receive financial assistance, and youth aliyah villages will meet the children’s needs. Thank you for caring!
From Hadassah’s National News
Hanukkah is over, but it is well worth reading about one of the many Hanukkah miracles shared below. This is one reason why our chapter supports Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah programs!
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Nurse and Patient Embrace After 71 Years: Hanukkah Miracle #8 A modern miracle took place just before Hanukkah this year at a study day about the British detention camps on Cyprus, where 52,000 Jews, mostly Holocaust survivors captured on Israelbound ships like the Exodus, were put behind barbed wire after World War II, before the State of Israel came into being. The last speaker on the program was Margalit Fried, 92. Born in Germany, Fried and her four siblings were among the children rescued from Germany by Henrietta Szold and Youth Aliyah in 1938 and brought to a village near Haifa. “I remember the day Ms. Szold came to visit, and I got to present her with a box of chocolate,” she said. Fried grew up to be a Hadassah nurse and in 1947 got permission to volunteer with the many babies being born in Cyprus. “It was a shock,” she recalled. “At Hadassah Hospital, everything was sterile. Here in Cyprus, 60 babies and 120 parents were crowded into a space so small that there wasn’t even light.” On that first day she overheard a conversation about a very sick baby. The doctor and nurse in charge wanted to call an ambulance so that the baby wouldn’t die in the Baby House. Fried impulsively volunteered to care for the baby. Although she didn’t speak a common language with the young parents from Hungary, she convinced them to give their baby into her care. “There’s no time to waste,” she said. For the next three days, she sat in a storeroom and fed him water with a teaspoon because there were no bottles. She washed him and built a bed for him from a carton. “Finally, he stopped throwing up,” Fried continued. “The Baby House was noisy, but when people came near that room, they whispered. Everyone knew something holy was going on.” Two weeks later, she returned the baby to his parents, and someone slipped another infant into her arms. What was the baby’s name? She had no idea. “There were so many babies,” she said. The emcee of the program couldn’t prevent a grin. There was a stirring in the audience. A stocky man, announced as Meir Weiss, came onto the stage. A father of three, Weiss, now 71, is the proprietor of the Weiss Bakery in Herziliya, famous for cheesecake, Hungarian frosted rum cake, and, yes, Hanukkah donuts. He was the baby Fried saved. When he wrapped the petite nonagenarian nurse in his baker’s arms and sobbed, so did the 300 people in the audience. Youth Aliyah graduates, like nurse Margalit Fried, have played and continue to play a special role in giving back to Israeli society. Today, at Hadassah youth villages Meir Shfeya and Hadassah Neurim, nearly all the graduates serve in the IDF and volunteer for an additional year to do community work. While lighting the 8th candle tonight, feel proud for rescuing all those young people, as the blessing says, “in times past and today.” And remember, miracles don’t happen in a vacuum. We have to make them happen right here on earth.
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