Temple Beth Sholom
The Shofar ___________________________________________________________________ Adar 1/Adar 11/ Nisan 5776 March/April 2016 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reflections from Rabbi Estelle Exercise Your Right to Vote I am of the opinion that voting behavior is unpredictable and even at times bizarre, and this year’s primaries have definitely reinforced that thought. I first came to this conclusion during the 2000 presidential election in which Senator Joseph Lieberman was on the ticket with Al Gore as his vice presidential candidate. Some Jews reaction toward the nomination of Senator Lieberman shocked me. There were those Jews who were afraid to vote for him because they were fearful it would lead to a wave of anti-Semitism while other Jews were hesitant to vote for him because they felt he was too Jewish. Neither of these decisions was actually based upon his voting record, nor his position on the issues. And it was the complete other extreme from the election of 1868, of which I recently read, that most American Jews voted for the Republican candidate, Ulysses Grant. The Jews overwhelmingly supported Grant despite the fact he was known to have anti-Semitic tendencies. In that instance, it would seem the Jews voted based on Grant’s positions and voting record, and not due to issues of his character, no matter how distasteful. I guess this is what makes political discussions so fascinating and often so heated. There is no consistent rational for why individuals vote in the manner they do. However, whereas in 1868, most Jews cast their votes based entirely upon the issues, today the character, and personal life of the candidates as well as whether they received money from Wall Street or shared government emails on their personal computer seem to play a much larger role.
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Since we are in the midst of reading Exodus and learning about Moses’ leadership ability, I can’t help but think how would Moses have fared with today’s electorate? Even though Moses skillfully led the Israelites through the wilderness of Sinai for forty years, he still had to constantly endure criticism over his leadership and questions arose about his character. Did he not lose his temper and break the commandments? The Israelites threatened a number of times to appoint a new leader to take them back to Egypt. And then there were the accounts of Moses slaying an Egyptian taskmaster which would certainly have been dredged up against him. All of these possible threats to his campaign do not even address the difficulties he would have had in communicating through the media due to his speech impediment. I wonder how he would fare in a televised debate, and who would go after him for being repetitive. One could go on and on with examples like this, but my point is that even a person as revered as Moses was not perfect, and character, religion, morals etc, although playing a part in influencing our vote, should not be the deciding factor. We need to remember that what should be most important is the politician’s stand on the issues and his or her voting record. It is our responsibility to find the candidate who most closely represents our own individual opinions on the issues. That coupled of course with the candidate’s character and leadership ability should be the standard by which we elect and judge our officials. I do not know why the American Jews of 1868 voted for Grant, an alleged anti-Semite, because I am not familiar with the issues of that day. I would like to believe they agreed with his positions on the issues that mattered to them most. But what was important was that they voted, and in such large numbers that even today we know for whom they voted. Let us each participate in our state’s primary and vote for the candidate of our choice, not who is most entertaining. We each have an obligation as Jews and a responsibility as American citizens to exercise our right to vote. B’shalom, Rabbi Estelle Gottman-Mills
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YAHRZEITS
May Their Memories Be a Blessing March 4-5/24-25 Adar 1 28 – Julius Kaufman 28 – Annie Newman 29 – Jacob Goodfriend 1 – Beatrice Newman Stoner 4 – George W. Brumfield, Jr. 5 – Dorothy Greenspon
March 11-12/1-2 Adar 11 9 – Edward Novakoff 10 – Fannye Feibelman 12 – Samuel Kabat 12 – Harry Elias Macht
March 18-19/8-9 Adar 11 14 – Harry Berman 17 – Lenamay Simon Moskowitz 19 – Benjamin Vatz
March 25-26/15-16 Adar 11 20 – Louis Kaufman 20 – Dr. David S. Stoner 20 – Edna Wall 20 – Albert Steinberg 21 – Louis Berman 21 – Michael Plotkin 22 – Sylvia Baker Steinberg 24 – Zita Salamon 26 – Dr. Harry Jacobs 26 – Helen Elson
April 1-2/22-23 Adar 11 27 – Lillian Denny 29 – Rosa Berman 30 – Carree Hoffman 30 – Maurice Saperstein 2 – William Margolin
April 8-9/29 Adar 11-1 Nisan 3 – Stuart Harris 4 – Fred Bermann 5 – Abraham Lewis Platt 6 – Sol Goodman 6 – Ida Nakdimen 7 – August Kahn
April 15-16/ 7-8 Nisan 11 – Frank Philip Heiner 13 – David John Howard 13 – Alvin Silverman 16 – Annie A. Rippe
April 22-23/ 14-15 Nisan 18 – Norman Schriebfeder 22 – Edwin Louis Rippe
April 29-30/ 21-22 Nisan 26 – Clarice Sadie Simon 27 – Nat Becher
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Temple Beth Sholom Donations General Fund In Honor of Temple Beth Sholom Martha and Grady Carrigan, Patrice Kramer Thank You for the Gracious and Warm Hospitality Whenever I visit Danville Ann Gottman In Memory of Ruth Gordon Allison Gordon In Honor of Hank Brodt’s 90th Birthday & His Insight and Guidance during our March of the Living Trip Eddy and Ben Fraifeld
Sisterhood Building Fund Contributions Susanne Singer, 822-1114 Please remember the Building Fund for Sympathy, Mazel Tov, Thank You, Speedy Recovery - the list is endless. The contributions made to this fund are used by the Sisterhood to beautify our temple for our enjoyment. Thank you for your support! Speedy Recovery to George Brumfield from his Shoulder Surgery Patrice Kramer In Memory of Allison Gordon’s Loving Father, Jerry Steve and Ronnie Mand Speedy Recovery to Bonnie Brumfield from her knee surgery Steve and Ronnie Mand, Jo Ann and Peter Howard In Memory of Helene Koplen Navell Jo Ann and Peter Howard In Memory of Albert Koplen Jo Ann and Peter Howard
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS (Services will begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.)
MARCH Friday, 4th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service: Rabbi Estelle Mills Mira Becher and Joan Fraifeld, Oneg Hostesses
Saturday, 5th
10:00 a.m.
Nosh and Knowledge with Rabbi Estelle
Friday, 11th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service: Jo Ann Howard
Friday, 18th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service: Sam Kushner
Monday, 21st
5:00 p.m.
Sisterhood Meeting
Friday, 25th
No Service Scheduled
Saturday, 26th
6:15 p.m.
Havdalah Service: Jo Ann Howard Purim Celebration Carol Caplan and Ronnie Mand, Chairmen
APRIL Friday, 1st
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service: Peter Howard
Friday, 8th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service: Rabbi Estelle Mills Carol Caplan and Joan Newman, Oneg Hostesses
Saturday, 9th
10:00 a.m.
Nosh and Knowledge with Rabbi Estelle
Friday, 15th
Welcome Shabbat at Ohev Zion Synagogue in Martinsville
Friday, 22nd
6:00 p.m.
Congregational Seder: Peter Howard Jo Ann Howard and Melanie Vaughan, Chairmen
Friday, 29th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service: Jo Ann Howard
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WITH OUR CONGREGATION Congratulations to Barry Koplen on the production of his play “Apples and Oranges”, a comedy, which was performed at Ridgefield, Connecticut's Barn Theater. The play featured a late twenty something, Jewish man and a Christian woman of the same age. Responding to her request, he taught her what it meant to be chosen. That said, by the end of the play, he realized that he had been the one chosen by her. Congratulations to Sam Fraifeld on his recent induction into the Israeli Defense Force. Joan and Eddy were able to travel to Israel for this occasion. Our prayers for healing have been sent to Eileen Stendig. She is a patient at Hillcrest Convalescent Center in Durham where she is learning to walk again with physical therapy. Eileen’s daughters, Betsy, Sarah, and Lisa, all live in the Chapel Hill Area, and Lenny and Dan have visited regularly. In short, Eileen apparently is getting the best care possible, and has the benefit of a loving family close by. We wish a speedy recovery to Bonnie Brumfield from her recent knee surgery. We miss you and hope to see you at temple soon! Our wishes for good health are extended to Michael Becher, George Brumfield, Bonnie Brumfield, Ben Fraifeld, Patrice Kramer, Esther Rippe, and Eileen Stendig. 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 March Birthdays: 4 – Sadie Wills; 5 – Michelle Fryman; 9 – Kevin Vaughan; 15 – Eddy Fraifeld; 25 – Stephen Salamon March Anniversary: Mira and Michael Becher April Birthdays: 6 – Sandra Berman Fraim; 18 – Alary Loper
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Dear Temple Beth Sholom Family and Friends, I would like to take this time to thank you all for your continued prayers, thoughts, and blessings during my continued “health issues.” As cliché as it may sound, it really means a lot to me. Thank you again and again! Patrice
Congregational Activities – Looking Ahead and Back
Congregants from Ohev Zion Congregation will be joining us for Shabbat services on Friday, March 5th. (They had to reschedule from February.) What a wonderful evening we will have together as we welcome the Sabbath bride with song and prayer. We will also have an oneg so that we can nosh and socialize. Please make every effort to come to this service.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 26, 2016, 6:15 p.m. It’s a Purim party with merrymaking and noshin’ Havdalah, then dinner, and plenty of hamantachen! Wear a hat, a costume, or a mask We’ll read the Megillah and have a blast! There will be plenty of laughter during our Purim spiel This all for $10.00, what a deal! R.S.V.P. (yes or no) to Ronnie Mand by March 15th *
*We need your response, we’re not assuming…we’ll shop for the YES group and we’re not fooling. Your RSVP YES means we can count on you that day…if you’re a no-show you’ll still have to pay.
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We’re traveling to Martinsville on April 15th to welcome Shabbat with the congregants of Ohev Zion Synagogue. This has become an annual event and we hope you will join us for a wonderful evening of worship and socializing. More information will be forthcoming.
Our annual congregational Passover Seder will be held on Friday night, April 22 . The cost will be $15 per person. Reservations and checks must be received by April 1st. A flyer will be sent out soon. nd
Sisterhood just completed another mitzvah for the temple, by paying for the beautiful, hand-carved, new front doors, as well as the safety doors downstairs. Through our investments and hard work on fundraising projects, we were able to underwrite the $8,000 expense of this project. Plans are already underway for the Fall Rummage Sale which we hope will be as successful as the one in 2014. For this to happen, we need every congregant to start saving items. If you know of someone moving or downsizing, ask if they would like to donate to our sale; arrangements can be made for pick-ups. The annual Sisterhood Shabbat Service was held the end of January with six members participating; from a membership of only 13, this was a wonderful percentage. We thank all who came to show support for this 20+ year Sisterhood event. Following the March business meeting, we will have a book review which has also become an annual tradition. This year’s selection is Judy Blume’s In the Unlikely Event. We are a very small group, yet one which continues to perform some mighty acts. I am so proud of our past accomplishments and anticipate more wonderful happenings from Sisterhood this year. Ronnie Mand, President
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We hope you are saving for our Sisterhood Rummage Sale which will be held in the fall of 2016. Don’t have space in your home? You may start bringing your items to store at temple. Be sure whatever you bring is clean, in good condition, and has all of its parts. The only items that should NOT be stored at the temple at this time are clothes, towels, and linens because they will pick up a musty smell. We will accept those items nearer the time of the sale. Carol Caplan
Yes, we’ll be collecting for the Sisterhood Metal Recycling Project. However, we will not take the items until the price of metal goes up. In the meantime, don’t throw out any metal items…shelving, shovels, pots and pans, cans, gutters…the list is endless. Let’s keep as much as we can out of the landfill and as an extra bonus, we’ll make a little money. Give Carol Caplan a call if you have any questions.
Special Events from January and February
Our Nosh and Knowledge sessions with Rabbi Estelle on Saturday mornings continue to be quite interesting and truly learning experiences. In January, in conjunction with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we talked about social action and what is expected of us as Jews. Our February program concerned Women of the Wall, and we were all astonished to learn that women were not always treated as separate and unequal! The new laws regarding the wall are a big step in the right direction. As you can see, it’s worth coming on Saturday mornings when Rabbi Estelle is with us!
The weather worked against us once again and we were unable to hold our Tu B’Shevat Seder in January. With a smile, we’ll say “next year!!”
Check out our website: tbsdanville.org Thank you to Michael Caplan for keeping our website up-to-date!
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A Bit of Jewish Humor Collector’s Item Moishe Applebaum applied to a collections agency for a job, but he had no experience. “I’ve never hired somebody of your…well… Jewish before,” said his manager. “But why not?” he said. The manager decided to give him one of the toughest accounts, and figured, if Moishe collected, he'd get the job. Two hours later, Moishe came back with the entire amount. "Amazing!" the manager said. "How did you do it?" "Easy," Moishe replied. "I told him if he didn't pay up, I'd tell all his other creditors he paid us."
Window to the Soul Rabbi Cohen was tasked with teaching a class at the Beth Israel Hebrew School and he decided to discuss the sanctuary’s new magnificent stained glass windows, and tried to draw out a message for the children. “Like the pictures in the windows,” said Rabbi Cohen, “Each of you represent one window, but together as a community we make a whole picture.” The Rabbi continued, "You see each one of you is a little pane." And then pointing to each child, "You're a little pane. And you're a little pane. And you're a little pane. And..." It took Rabbi Cohen a few moments before he realized why everyone was laughing so hard!
We’ve All Got Baggage An El Al flight was leaving Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv on its way to New York. A few minutes passed, and then another few, and it became clear that there was going to be a delay. Suddenly, the Captain picked up the microphone and announced: "We're sorry for the delay. The machine that normally rips the handles off your luggage is broken, so we have to do it by hand. We should be finished and on our way shortly."
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March/April 2016 Danville
We all know how hard Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, works to support medical research and health care in Israel. But Hadassah also works to promote women’s health in the United States in a variety of ways. Did you know that the vast majority of medical research is done on only male subjects? This is one of the reasons that certain health conditions are under-diagnosed and under-treated in women, resulting in the following statistic: 42% of women who have a heart attack die within one year, versus 24% of men. Hadassah has been a leader in advocating for gender equity in medical research to address these kinds of issues. Did you know that half a million women die of heart disease in the United States each year, more than double the number of deaths from all types of cancer? Hadassah’s “Every Beat Counts” program works to promote awareness about the prevalence of cardiac issues in women and how to incorporate heart-healthy choices into our daily lives. Hadassah has always been in the forefront of women's issues and health care concerns, both in Israel and here at home. With 330,000 members in every Congressional district in the U.S., we are a force to be reckoned with! I hope that during this “Month of the Heart,” you’ll give your heart to Hadassah. Your financial support is of course always needed, but look beyond that to the important issues and concerns that Hadassah is working to address, and find how you can exemplify “The Power of Women Who Do.” Martha Woody, President
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News from Melanie You all should have received your beautiful invitation to Hadassah Danville’s exciting The Tower of Love No Show Ball. This is the premier non-event fundraiser of 2016. Pour your love into the tower! The event is virtual, the need is real. Send your tax deductible donation, with the completed card in the return envelope included for your convenience, prior to April 1. Hadassah Danville and the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower need your participation. It’s about healing. It’s about compassion. It’s about life. This is one Non-Event you do NOT want to miss!!
Our opening meeting for 2016 is Wednesday, March 23. We will be meeting for dinner at Moon River Thai Restaurant for our annual Break Esther’s Fast. The program will be on Human Trafficking and how Esther’s story relates to Hadassah today. Human Trafficking is a worldwide epidemic and Jo Ann’s presentation will be riveting and relevant.
This year, Donor will be on Thursday, May 12, celebrating Israel Independence Day. It will be an informal gathering at a member’s home. The program will be about Israel and the food will be traditional Israeli fare. Delicious! Sunday, September 18 will focus on Health and Wellness. Learn how to prepare yourself for the stressful upcoming Holiday season. You need to take care of YOU! Our December meeting date has not yet been determined. Please mark your calendar today so you won’t miss these exciting programs. Of course, flyers will be sent out with the specifics closer to each meeting date. Hadassah is so important and an integral component to keeping Israel thriving. Make Hadassah an important part of your life as well! Melanie Vaughan, Vice President
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Meet our New Southern Seaboard President Gail Moskowitz Dear Danville Hadassah Members, As the new president of Hadassah Southern Seaboard Region, I want to take this opportunity to greet you and sincerely thank you for your dedication to the life affirming work of Hadassah. I have been in the role of President since January of 2016 and have established several priorities as goals for my first year. My initial goal is to visit each chapter and meet with the leadership. I am happy to report that I have already visited the Greensboro Chapter and spoke at a New and Life Membership tea that was attended by over 40 women. I was warmly greeted and the discussion about the future of their chapter was rigorous and hopeful. In March I will be going to a board meeting in Greater Wake County and a Purim Shabbat in Charlottesville. I will make sure to let members in Danville know when I will be coming to your area so that I will have an opportunity to be a part of your activities. The second priority I have identified is to improve overall communication in the Region. We are currently working on updating the websites for the Region and for all of the chapters. As part of improving communication you will be receiving a Region Newsletter electronically and in the US mail. My request to all of you is that you update any information about your telephone numbers, mailing addresses or email addresses that might have changed in the last 12 months. You may do this by contacting Angie King, the Administrative Assistant at Hadassah Hub: Super South @ 678.443.2961/ aking@hadassah.org. The Danville Chapter continues be a shining example of Hadassah’s logo “the Power of Women Who Do.” Your group continues to have dedicated leadership, meaningful programs and a tried, true and continuously successful fundraiser through your Angels of Mercy Campaign. My favorite part of the AOM Campaign is that it keeps your larger non-Jewish community connected to and informed about the work of Hadassah. I urge each of you to take a few minutes to visit the Hadassah website. I think you will be delighted and amazed at what YOUR organization is accomplishing. http://www.hadassah.org/. I again want to thank you for the work you do for Hadassah. I look forward to meeting with you in the coming months. I want to be available to address any of your concerns or listen to your ideas for the future. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Gail Hadassah Southern Seaboard Region gdmoskowitz@hadassah.org
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Every Step Counts: Hadassah’s Walking Program Do you wish you had a better way to stay on track with an exercise plan, but you don't want to invest a lot of time/money? With Every Step Counts: Hadassah's Walking Program you can. Just wear a pedometer and enter your steps on our fun website. You'll be amazed how far you really walk every day! We get to watch our progress as we advance along a virtual route from Hadassah's hospitals in Jerusalem to Hadassah's National Convention in Atlanta, stopping at two dozen landmarks about the Power of Women Who Heal. It's the cheapest vacation we'll ever take together! Meet your goals and you'll (virtually) arrive in time for Convention. Get credit for dozens of other exercises too. Registration is only $18. Use any pedometer. You don't need to be a Hadassah member to participate. All funds raised go to support heart health programming in the US. Registration is open now at www.hadassah.org/everystepcounts.
Life Membership – What a wonderful way to share Hadassah! Make a family member or friend a member for life! The cost is still only $212. Contact Jo Ann Howard today via this email or call her at 434-799-3505.
Good News from Hadassah! Hadassah Genetic Discovery Article Singled Out for Recognition The January 2015 article which describes the Hadassah Medical Center’s discovery and cure of a rare genetic blood disease which appeared in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology, has been chosen by the journal as one of ten outstanding publications for 2015. Dr. Tamar Peretz Explains Groundbreaking Research with BRCA1 Gene Mutation Dr. Tamar Peretz was interviewed by Lifescript TV at the Women's Health Summit for Cancer Schmancer, on the groundbreaking research regarding the BRCA1 gene mutation in the Ashkenazi Jewish Community. Dr. Peretz is an internationally recognized expert on breast cancer. Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOXd-Oea1_o
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Hadassah and Hebrew U Collaborate on Socks and Smartphones to Help Diabetics A Hadassah Medical Center physician and Hebrew University graduate students have jointly developed SenseGO™, a pressure-sensing intelligent sock which is paired with a Smartphone application to warn patients of developing wounds and help prevent serious foot ulcers and diabetic amputations.
Hadassah-Developed Imaging Agent to Begin Clinical Trials with Multi-million Euro Grant The Hadassah Medical Organization has been awarded a €3.69 million ($4 million) grant from the European Union (EU) to begin clinical trials with its Hadassah-developed innovative radioactive imaging substance that may reduce the need for exploratory cardiac catheterizations.
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Hadassah’s Domestic Advocacy: Human Trafficking Human trafficking – the forceful recruitment for commercial sex acts (sex trafficking) or involuntary servitude and work (labor trafficking) – is a problem around the world and at home in the U.S. Here, 83% of domestic victims are U.S. citizens, and women and minors are among the most vulnerable. Human trafficking not only robs victims of their freedom, but impacts entire communities. It could happen in any city or neighborhood around the United States. Sex trafficking can occur through escort and marriage services, at brothels, and even at bars and clubs. Labor trafficking is found in domestic housekeeping arrangements, small business operations (from nail salons to restaurants), or sales rings (with victims forced to peddle such things as magazines or flowers). Women were referenced as victims in 85% of sex trafficking cases. Though the number of trafficking victims in the U.S. is not known, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of American minors are threatened by commercial sexual exploitation. According to the Department of Justice, 300,000 children are at risk for becoming victims of trafficking in the U.S. each year. (More information will be shared in our next newsletter)
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