Temple Beth Sholom
The Shofar Nisan/Iyar/Sivan 5779
May/June 2019
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Reflections from Rabbi Klirs
Two Months of Significant Jewish Dates The spring months are filled with many significant Jewish events, especially in May and June. Just days after Pesach ends, Jews recall the greatest catastrophe to ever befall our people on Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day, which this year falls on May 2 nd. Six days later, on the 3 rd of Iyar (May 8th), is Israel’s Yom Hazikaron, or Memorial Day, commemorating their fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Both Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron are observed in Israel with the sounding of air raid sirens at the same moment throughout the entire country. The whole country comes to a complete halt, everyone stops what they are doing and stands silently at attention. Even traffic stops and everyone gets out of their cars, busses, etc. and stands until the siren ends. Somehow, miraculously, when the siren is over everyone get back in their cars and calmly wait for the vehicles in front of them to move before continuing driving. The very next day after the sadness and solemnity of Yom Hazikaron, Israel breaks into wild jubilation for Yom Ha-atz’ma-ut – Israel’s Independence Day. This year it falls on May 9. In Israel it’s a day of partying, fireworks displays, parades and celebration. Even when times 1
are tough and Israel has experienced setbacks and enormous challenges, and even as it sometimes struggles to live up to the ideals of its founders, the fact of Israel’s existence deserves to be celebrated by all Jews. Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha-atz’ma-ut are all modern additions to the Jewish calendar. Adding celebrations or commemorations has been a continuous process throughout our history. In the Roman period the followers of Rabbi Akiva designated the 18th Day of the month of Iyar as a minor holiday to commemorate the sudden end of a terrible plague which had devastated many of his students. The day, known as Lag Ba’Omer, or the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, eventually became an occasion for picnics and bonfires, and for a relaxation of some of the restrictions which observant Jews uphold during the Omer period (which is from the 2nd day of Pesach until Shavuot). This year Lag Ba’Omer coincides with May 23rd. The most recent addition to the Jewish calendar is Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day, marking the day on which Jerusalem was re-captured by the Israeli army in the Six Day War of 1967. This year Yom Yerushalayim falls on June 2nd (the 28th of Iyar). The only Biblical holiday which occurs during this period is Shavuot, or “weeks,” originally a harvest festival held 7 weeks after the beginning of the barley harvest during Pesach. It has also become strongly associated with the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Shavuot is one of the three biblical “Pilgrimage Festivals” when our ancestors used to go to Jerusalem to celebrate. Hence it is the same status and level of sanctity as Sukkot and Pesach. Shavuot is on the 6th of Sivan, which falls on Saturday night May 8 and Sunday May 9. I encourage you to learn more about our rich and fascinating history by exploring each of these significant dates online, and finding suitable ways to commemorate them.
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YAHRZEITS May Their Memories Be a Blessing May 3-4/28-29 Nisan 2 – Edith M. Cornblatt 2 – Nathan Newman 2 – Wildred Santerre 3 – Margaret Heiner Kingoff 3 – Jeanne Gabriel Kaufman
May 10-11/5-6 Iyar 5 – Herman J. Cornblatt 6 – Gloria Calisch Gallagher 8 – Sarah Rebeka Whitten Kushner 8 – Louis Sager 9 – Samuel Jacobs 10 – Isaac Rosenstock
May 17-18/12-13 Iyar 12 – Edwin Rosenstock 15 – Lorraine Lester 17 – Lee Evan Howard 18 – Phillip Greenberg
May 24-25/19-20 Iyar 19 – Samuel Cassoy 19 – Daniel Sechtin 20 – Mattie Kaufman 23 – Jay Newman Macht 25 – Sidney Johnson, Sr. 25 – Joseph Vatz
May 31-June 1/26-27 Iyar 26 – Esther Cohen 26 – Leo Kaufman 26 – Eileen Stendig 28 – Charles Miller 29 – Rebecca W. Berman 30 – Rabbi Arnold Shevlin 31 – Shirley Kellam 1 – Jacob Berman 1 – Joe Bermann 22 Iyar – Dr. Luis Fraifeld
June 7-8/4-5 Sivan 3 – Arthur Goldstein 5 – Tillie K. Rubin 6 – Annie Rebeccah Vatz 7 – Raynell Lantor
June 14-15/11-12 Sivan 10 – Hyman Sater 11 – Harry Binder Stein 12 – Samuel Gold 13 – Elizabeth Rose Hausman 15 – Riva Lea Kingoff
June 21-22/18-19 Sivan 16 – Zev Becher 16 – Sam Heiner 17 – Ernest Freudenthal 18 – Robert Lehr 19 – Lee David Howard 19 – Alan Berman 20 – Esther Berman Fishman 20 – Theodore Harris 21 – Herman B. Kushner 21 – Ben Klaff 21 – Eleanor Howard
June 28-29/25-26 Sivan 23 – Murray “Buddy” Rippe 25 – Alice Heiner Kingoff
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Temple Beth Sholom Donations Misheberach Prayers – Charles Silverman Donation – Alan C. Adkins In Memory of Jerome Caplan – Jo Ann and Peter Howard, Sam and Faye Kushner, Kitty Faison In Memory of Paula Jason Flack – Sam and Faye Kushner Mazel Tov wishes to Michael and Carol Caplan in honor of Aaron and Kim’s marriage and welcoming Michael and Carol to the world of being in-laws In Memory of David Howard, Aunt Miriam, and Aunt Marilee – Jo Ann and Peter Howard In Memory of Heather Silverman – Charles Silverman Mazel Tov wishes to Morgan Epstein and Thomas Clark on their engagement – Jo Ann and Peter Howard In Honor of Temple Beth Sholom Congregation – Marcy and Jim Heffinger
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. In Memory of Danny Jason’s daughter Paula – Mira Becher, Peter and Jo Ann Howard, Steve and Ronnie Mand, Dovie Melnick, Ben and Debbie Rippe In Memory of Jerome Caplan – Mira Becher, Steve and Ronnie Mand, Peter and Jo Ann Howard In Honor of the birth of Judy & Stephen Salomon’s grandson Eliel– Melanie and Kevin Vaughan In Honor of the marriage of Aaron Caplan to Kim Scalla – Melanie and Kevin Vaughan In Honor of Jo Ann Howard’s continuing recovery from surgery – Melanie and Kevin Vaughan In Honor of Susanne Singer and Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood – Marcy and Jim Heffinger 4
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY Friday, 3rd
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Jo Ann Howard
Friday, 10th
7:00 p.m.
Interfaith Shabbat Service – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Ronnie Mand, Oneg Chairman
Saturday, 11th
10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. TBA
Nosh and Knowledge – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Adult Hebrew Class – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Havdalah
Friday, 17th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat/Shavuot Service – Jo Ann Howard
Monday, 20th
5:00 p.m.
Sisterhood Meeting
Friday, 24th
No Service Scheduled (Memorial Day Weekend)
Wednesday, 29th
7:00 p.m.
Congregational Meeting
Friday, 31st
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Jo Ann Howard
JUNE Friday, 14th
7:30 p.m.
Shabbat Service – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Bonnie Brumfield & Melanie Vaughan, Oneg Hosts
10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. TBA
Nosh and Knowledge – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Adult Hebrew Class – Rabbi Tracy Klirs Havdalah
Saturday, 15th
Saturday, 29thTBA
Havdalah and Dessert at the Howards
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WITH OUR CONGREGATION Mazel Tov wishes go to Mike and Carol Caplan on the marriage of Aaron and Kim Caplan. We can’t wait to see the photographs! Mazel Tov wishes go to Morgan Epstein and Thomas Clark on their recent engagement. We are so excited for you! Mazel Tov wishes go to Bonnie Brumfield on her retirement from CIT. Enjoy your stressfree days…it’s well deserved! Mazel Tov wishes go to Sydney Fryman on being accepted to Averett University in the Equestrian Program. We look forward to you being with us whenever you can! Our wishes for good health are extended to Carol Caplan, Faye Kushner, Patrice Kramer, Joan Newman, and Charles Silverman. 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 May Birthdays: 4 – Stuart Kramer; 12 – Terrie Lantor; 21 – Elisabeth Stanley; 25 – Elisha Klirs; 25 – Erwin Will; 27 – Mildred Barth; 28 – Harriett Will May Anniversaries: 10 – Darcy & Michael Amick; 15 – Carol & Michael Caplan June Birthdays: 8 – Allison Gordon; 25 – Ben Rippe; 27 – Julian Koplen; 30 – Sam Rippe June Anniversaries: 12 – Rabbi Tracy & Elisha Klirs; 13 – Belinda & Bernard Baker; 15 – Judy & Stephen Salamon; 16 – Ronnie & Steve Mand; 17 – Jo Ann & Peter Howard
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Message from Ronnie Mand, Sisterhood President The Sisterhood of Temple Beth Sholom will hold its concluding meeting for 2018/19 in a few weeks, and I continue to be so proud of our “small but mighty” group. With only 10 members, our accomplishments are remarkable while our support of the temple remains constant. We had beautiful flowers for High Holy Days and continued to have onegs each time Rabbi Klirs conducted services. Dinners were provided for volunteers at The Free Clinic in December, we stimulated our minds with our annual Book Review, and we continued to support the Y.E.S. Fund (Youth, Education, & Services) of Women of Reform Judaism, making a monetary donation based on our membership. A new fundraising project was inaugurated this year with our “Silver for Sisterhood” boxes. Many members and other congregants have diligently collected coins; several supporters are on round 2 or 3 with this simple, yet appreciated fundraiser. If you haven’t begun, I encourage you to take a box from the temple foyer and begin putting in change; when full, simply give it to Jo Ann who will tally your total. Your efforts will not only support Sisterhood, but ultimately some future temple project. We also ask for your support of the Sisterhood Building Fund. With the mantra “I’m only a phone call away”, Susanne will promptly send an acknowledgement for any life cycle event, or whatever you choose to celebrate, honor, or memorialize. While Sisterhood does not physically meet as a group over the summer, many of our projects are year round and your support is vital to their success. I wish each of you a wonderful summer.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MAY and JUNE
We will host a Shabbat Interfaith Service on Friday , May 10th, beginning at 7:00 p.m. (Please note the time change.) Many churches have already been notified and information will also be put in the newspaper. Reservations are required because we have a seating capacity. We need everyone at this service to raise your voices in song and prayer, Also, the oneg will be hosted by you, the congregants. Please give Ronnie Mand a call and she’ll let you know how you can help.
Join us for Nosh and Knowledge on Saturday mornings with Rabbi Klirs. In March we continued our study of the rubrics of the Shabbat worship service and in April we learned about different rituals associated with the Passover Seder. Join us at 10:00 a.m., on May 11th and June 15th. This is a wonderful opportunity to widen our horizons!
Our annual CONGREGATIONAL MEETING will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29th, in the sanctuary. This is your time to be heard by casting your votes during the election of officers and board members, discussing new business and voicing your concerns. This is a time to be informed by listening to the chairmen’s reports for the 2018-2019 year. Please plan to attend this important meeting. Mark your calendar today for Wednesday, May 29th. Your presence and input are important!
May is a busy month for visitors. The Confirmation class from Fairview United Methodist Church will join us on May 17th. This will also be our Shavuot service so come and be part of this meaningful service. Congregants from Ohev Zion Congregation will be joining us for Shabbat services on Friday, May 31st. 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. 8
Our Adult Hebrew Classes continue. As I have shared before, we have partnered with the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) in their Read Hebrew America program. We meet at least twice a month as a group, once with Rabbi Klirs who introduces the material and then follow-up with Jo Ann in group or individual sessions. Those who are participating have varying degrees of skills…from learning to read for the first time to honing up on what was learned years ago! The end goal is to be able to read the Hebrew in the prayer book without the transliteration and with a better understanding of what is being read. It’s never too late to join the group!
Mark your calendars and join us for a Special Recognition Afternoon for Jean Vernon on Sunday, June 2nd from 2:00-4:00 p.m. There will be a delightful presentation by our choir, speeches, special presentations, and of course, delicious refreshments. Jean has sung in our choir since she was 19 years old and yes, that’s over 60 years! Come and be part of this wonderful event.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MARCH and APRIL
Thank you to Ronnie and Carol for chairing another successful Purim celebration on Saturday, March 23rd. First we noshed and schmoozed and then said good bye to Shabbat with a Havdalah service led by Jo Ann. Dinner was delicious and there was plenty of hamantachen. The rest of the evening was filled with the sounds of the graggers and there was laughter galore with our humorous Purim spiel reading and jokes. A good time was had by all!
Who would have ever thought that we’d have to reschedule our annual Passover Seder from Friday to Saturday, but that’s what happened! Mother Nature was certainly not in a good mood with tornado watches and very high winds. Thank you to our chairmen Ronnie, Melanie, and Jo Ann and to all of you who brought the sides and desserts for our festive meal. Thank you to Peter for once again conducting such a meaningful Seder and to all the participants who read, shared, and sang. 9
Let’s continue our support to help feed the needy in our community!
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Fun for Everyone! MORE ANAGRAMS! LISTEN When you rearrange the letters:
SILENT ELVIS
When you rearrange the letters:
LIVES
THE COUNTRY SIDE When you rearrange the letters:
NO CITY DUST HERE HEAVY RAIN
When you rearrange the letters:
HIRE A NAVY
CLINT EASTWOOD When you rearrange the letters:
OLD WEST ACTION
GEORGE WASHINGTON When you rearrange the letters:
WAR ON: HE GETS GOING ALBERT EINSTEIN When you rearrange the letters:
TEN ELITE BRAINS
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May/June 2019 DANVILLE Last year, this year, and next year, Passover falls in very close proximity to the Holy Week and Easter observances of our Christian neighbors. While the libel that Jews use the blood of Christians in the making of matzo at Passover has not been heard in awhile, just recently an Iranian news site in Latin America accused Israel of performing medical experiments on Palestinian prisoners, without citing any actual evidence for the accusation. We are all aware of the increase in anti-Semitic words and actions, and of hate speech and acts of violence in general, in every corner of the world. As I write this, further details of the horrific bombings in Sri Lanka, targeting Christians on Easter Sunday morning, continue to be broadcast. Of course we can pray for the victims and their families, but isn’t there more that we can do? Of course there is, and Hadassah can help guide you in taking action. The Never Again Education Act (H.R. 943) is being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives; currently it has been referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. This is a bipartisan bill that would provide Holocaust and anti-hate education grants to support educational institutions in offering classes, resources, teacher training, and student field trips. At last count, there are 89 co-sponsors of the bill, including three from Virginia, but none from west of Richmond. Hadassah is a strong supporter of this bill as part of our continuing efforts to combat anti-Semitism. Please contact your representative in Congress (you can find him or her at ziplook.house.gov ) and urge them to become a co-sponsor of the bill. Even a small number of emails or calls can make a difference in the actions that a member of Congress takes. Make your voice heard! Our neighbor to the south, North Carolina, is considering a bill that would require their State Board of Education to include curriculum of the Holocaust and genocide in middle and high school English and Social Studies classes. Some statistics indicate that about a fifth of young adults have no knowledge of the Holocaust. Perhaps if North Carolina is successful in this endeavor, we can work to move Virginia in the same direction. Finally, Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, is celebrated on the 27th day of Nisan, which this year begins at sunset on Wednesday, May 1st. One way to observe this day is to light a yahrzeit candle and place it in a window for the world to see. Each of us can make a difference by the actions we choose to take, and it is our responsibility to do what we can to combat the rising tide of anti-Semitism and nationalism in general that is occurring around us. Shalom, Martha Woody
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You’re invited to Danville Hadassah’s Donor Luncheon on Sunday, May 19 th. We will meet at 12:00 p.m.at the home of Ronnie Mand and enjoy a wonderful time together. Our special guest will be Leah Cohen, Southern Seaboard Area Vice President. She will present “Hadassah, Israel, and You…How We Fit Together” Please RSVP to Ronnie Mand by May 12th (rkmand@comcast.net). An invitation is forthcoming.
Just as the wild flower seeds have been sown in Israel to beautify the land We can sow seeds for healthy and productive lives with our Donor contributions!
No Show Ball: Love Makes the World Go Round! Thank you…thank you…thank you for your “participation” in the No Show Ball to support Hadassah’s 360 Degrees of Healing Project to modernize the iconic Round Building at Ein Kerem. We surpassed our goal of $1,400 and this contribution (the first of many for us) will allow the new healing center to advance the services in its outpatient surgery, maaternity, oncology, and dermatology departments.
Our Purim celebration was a little different this year…everyone was a Queen for the Day! With our jeweled crowns and pinwheel septers, we learned about our successes of 2018 and how we were “The Wind Beneath Hadassah’s Wings.” Thank you to Melanie for hosting…it was the perfect setting.
…to estatically happy parents Tamara and Carlos Telez and proud
grandparents Judy and Stephen Salamon on the birth of Eliel Matias on March 12 th.
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‌to Carol and Michael Caplan on the marriage of Aaron and Kim Caplan on April 6th. It was a beautiful wedding!
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