BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE DANIEL STEIN, RABBI ROBERT WEINER, PhD, CANTOR MARK SHRAGER, RABBI EMERITUS, ZT”L MORRIS SIEGEL, CANTOR EMERITUS, ZT”L
Bulletin June, 2016 24 Iyar – 24 Sivan 5776 Vol. 6 Published Monthly
THE
UNITED SYNAGOGUE
OF
CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM
1545 BUSHKILL STREET • EASTON, PA 18042-3118 (610) 258-5343 • Fax: (610) 330-9100 www.bnaiabraham.org • email: office@bnaiabraham.org
DISTRIBUTION NOTICE If you would like family members or others to receive a copy of the bulletin, please send name, address and $15 payment to Bnai Abraham. If you have not sent your email address to Bnai Abraham office staff, please do so as soon as possible. We will be notifying congregants of emergencies and special events through email.
CONTACTS Gerald Weisberger
President & Programming Committee Chair
Howard Nathanson Shelly Blumenthal
Youth Chair Gift Shop Chair
Howard Nathanson Irwin Lewis, M.D.
Kadima Advisor Men’s Club President &
Elaine Morrow
Ritual Committee Chair Sisterhood President
Ellen Lifschutz Aliette and Marc Abo, MD
Choir Director Theatre Club
Gerald Weisberger
House Chair
Lothar Gumberich
Memorials & Torah Restoration Committee
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS The deadline for submitting items is June 17th. Please have all items to BAS office no later than June 17th. Any items received after that date will be published in the next month’s bulletin.
O F F I C E H O U R S: Closed on Mondays and Fridays. Hours open: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Services/Minyan Schedule Thursday: 7:25 AM Friday Night Services – 8:00 PM First Friday of Each Month – Simcha Shabbat: 6:30 PM Saturday: 9:30 AM Kiddush follows If you require a special minyan, please notify the office at 610-258-5343.
A MESSAGE FROM RABBI DANIEL STEIN… Doing the Heimlich with Heimlich “The thrust,” Dr. Heimlich said as he wrapped his arms around my upper abdomen, “is swifter than you think it should be. You can’t worry about hurting the person — whatever pain you cause them is surely better than their death.” Then, with surprising strength for a man then in his eighties, he jerked his arms with sufficient force to knock the wind out of me. If an errant piece of meat had been lodged in my trachea, Dr. Heimlich would have expelled it. I was an undergraduate student at the University of Cincinnati when I learned the Heimlich maneuver from its creator. Then Hillel director Rabbi Abie Ingber ran a remarkable program called Vintage Wines, where students were afforded the opportunity to interact with community leaders. The culmination of our two hours with Dr. Heimlich was a personal lesson in his life-saving techniques. This past week, Dr. Heimlich made headlines when, for the first time, he saved a life with his eponymous maneuver. During my evening with him, though, I was amazed to learn how many lives he had saved in one of medicine’s most diverse and intriguing careers. After graduating Cornell medical school, Heimlich served as a military physician towards the end of World War II. His role was unique: in an effort to build goodwill with the Chinese, Heimlich was sent to Inner Mongolia to establish field hospitals for Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalist army as part of intelligence gathering efforts for the Sino-American Cooperative Organization. Limited supplies inspired Dr. Heimlich to be improvisatory in seeking solutions to complex problems; his experiences in China deeply influenced his innovative approach to medicine. In fact, in addition to his technique for saving choking victims, Dr. Heimlich developed several unique lifesaving interventions. In his autobiography, Heimlich writes how — while still stationed in China — he developed a treatment for trachoma, a contagious bacterial eye infection, by creating a topical cream of Barbasol and sulfa. Heimlich describes how, exactly, this unorthodox human trial was arranged: “I squeezed out a few tubes of shaving cream, mixed the powder into it, and looked around for some initial test subjects. General Fu obligingly “volunteered” several of his trachoma-afflicted soldiers…The treatment was no picnic for the soldiers; they moaned and groaned, twisting on the ground as if they had been stabbed in the eyes….Using this primitive cure, we had triumphed in beating an epidemic disease, one that no one in China — or as far as I knew, the rest of the world — had previously solved.” Later, Heimlich became the first surgeon in the Americas to perform an organ replacement surgery, by using a piece of the gastric tube to replace the esophagus. He also developed a one-way valve to help patients with a collapsed lung, which he claims saved thousands of lives during the Vietnam War. His rise to fame came in 1974, when he published the paper “Pop Goes the Café Coronary” in the journal Emergency Medicine. The paper outlines his maneuver for saving choking victims; up to that point, he had only used it on dogs in his laboratory. Within a week of the article’s publication, though, the first human choking victim had been saved. Heimlich’s star rose when celebrities like Ronald Reagan and Ed Koch had food dislodged from their tracheas with his maneuver. Today, it is the standard first response for a choking victim. I knew none of this when Dr. Heimlich powerfully wrapped his arms around my upper abdomen and thrusted inward. But his passion for life-saving was palpable. I’m grateful that I learned this life-saving technique from its innovator. Whenever my congregation reviews First Aid and CPR, I’m able to share his insight: “If, God forbid, you ever have to administer the Heimlich Maneuver, the thrusts should be swifter than you think they should be,” I say. “That, at least, is how Dr. Heimlich taught me.” Rabbi Stein
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE ‌
Shalom, We are about to begin a new and exciting journey. Bnai Abraham Synagogue is about to hire a Rabbi and plan an entire year of programming and services. The school will continue in co-operation with our partners. We hope to have Bnai-Mitzvahs and hopefully increase our student body. Our new Rabbi will be a catalyst and help us to begin growing again. We hope to present a prospective Rabbi for your consideration on the weekend of June 24-25th. The Rabbi will conduct services on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The congregation must make plans to attend these services. On Sunday, June 26th we will have our annual congregational meeting and decide if this is the person that we want to hire as our Rabbi. The committee recommends that he be hired. We look forward to seeing all of you during the weekend. Sincerely, Jerry Weisberger, President
UPCOMING EVENTS BNAI ABRAHAM PRESENTS 4 ACCLAIMED CANTORS IN A GALA CONCERT DIVAS ON THE BIMA ON MONDAY, JUNE 6TH AT 6:30 P.M.
Please join Bnai Abraham when we present Divas on the Bima featuring Cantors Magda Fishman, Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, Elizabeth Shammash and Easton’s own Jen Cohen Divas on the Bima is an entertaining, uplifting program presenting a wide variety of Jewish music, founded by four cantors from diverse performing backgrounds who came together beginning in 2010. All four dynamic women are graduates of the H.L. Miller Cantorial School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and members of the Cantors Assembly, serving pulpits as full-time hazzanim in Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $54 and $36 per person. Call the office at 610-258-5343 to reserve your seats before we sell out.
UPCOMING EVENTS BNAI ABRAHAM/TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE KNITTING GROUP WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8th - 10:30 A.M. Please note the knitting group will be meeting at the home of Cindy Daniels 3630 Corriere Road Apt. 100, Easton, PA 18045 Please RSVP Cindy at 610-559-5536
UPCOMING EVENTS ANNUAL CONGREGATION MEETING SUNDAY, JUNE 26th AT 10:00 A.M. Join us on Sunday, June 26th for our annual congregational meeting. Light refreshments will be served.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. MARC ABO WHO RECEIVED THE HUMANITARIAN AWARD FROM THE PHILIPSBURG AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2016 9:30 A.M.
A FOND FAREWELL
Join us as Bnai Abraham Synagogue bids farewell to Rabbi Stein, Dena, Miri and Judah
and
Yahrzeit List In the Bond of Life June 2016 June 2 June 4 June 4 June 8 June 12 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 17 June 17 June 18 June 25
Contact Irwin Lewis, Ritual Chairman
June 25 June 25 June 25 June 26 June 26 June 26 June 28 June 28
Lorene Taylor, beloved mother of Pam Taylor David Lipton, beloved father of Wendy Gumberich Leah Falk, beloved mother of Norman Falk Edward Lewis, beloved father of Irwin Lewis Myer Shleifer, beloved father of Barbara Asteak Gilbert and Ida Lesser, beloved father and mother of Lou Lesser Jack Kaplan, beloved father of Larry Kaplan Molly Asch Ullman, beloved mother of Cindie Drill Ida Meirowitz, beloved mother-in-law of Arthur Altman Norman Reiter, husband of Ruth Reiter Bina Gordon, beloved mother of Rita Reiter Louis Bugen, beloved father of Roz Smolow Deborah Braffman Schroeder, beloved sister of Marsha Abraham Lorraine Forman, beloved mother of Ellen Hof Sidney Margolis, beloved father of Sherry Brooks Seymour Gast, beloved father of Judy Walker Jeanette Ziev, beloved sister of Miriam Cassel David Gordon, beloved father of Gary Gordon Herbert A. Synder, beloved husband of Anne Snyder-Lyons Benjamin Sandler, beloved father of Jeffrey Sandler Sylvia Lipton, beloved mother of Wendy umberich
BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE General operating expenses Please consider a donation to Bnai Abraham Synagogue to cover “General Operating Expenses”. Your donations support our Congregation and strengthen our Jewish community here in Easton. BEATRICE & LEON FRIEDMAN FUND 1. Support organizations that benefit minor children whose parents are unable to provide for their health, maintenance, support and education 2. Needy, elderly 3. Shelter for the homeless BUILDING FUND Extraordinary maintenance and repair of the buildings and property of the synagogue and parsonage SISTERHOOD CAMP RAMAH SCHOLARSHIP FUND GENERAL ENDOWMENT FUND Interest only used to subsidize Bnai Abraham’s operating expenses GOLDMAN/MERBAUM TORAH FUND HERB SNYDER GARDEN FUND JESSE & TAYLOR COOPER FUND DR. JOEL LEWIS SCHOLARSHIP FUND Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutoring stipends JULIUS COHEN MEMORIAL FUND 1. Religious School Scholarships 2. Assisting needy congregational youth in Jewish-oriented education, programming and activities (e.g. Yeshiva or Jewish Day School, trips, USY) RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND ROBERT KUTNER LIBRARY FUND SHEILA GOLDBERG FUND To pay High Holiday fees for anyone who cannot afford to attend SILVERMAN RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND Religious School Scholarships, Shofars SISTERHOOD BUILDING FUND SUE SEIGEL SHABBAT FUND 1. Shabbat programming, including kiddush lunches 2. Bagels and Books SY JACOWITZ TOT SHABBAT FUND Boker Tov Scholarships THEATER FUND Supports a wide variety of synagogue projects and functions
Bnai Abraham Synagogue Alan and Marsha Abraham in memory of Ellen Hof’s sister, Jill Forman Lessard. Robert and Linda Bloch in memory of Ellen Hof’s sister, Jill Forman Lessard. Sally Brau in memory of Bernice Merbaum. Sally Brau sending get well wishes to Wendy Gumberich. Sally Brau sending happy birthday wishes to Herman Ytkin. Peter and Karen Cooper – Mazel Tov to Ellen and Phil Hof on the engagement of their daughter, Jessica Hof.
Building Fund Sally and Dexter Neadle – Mazel Tov to Roger and Marna Simon on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson. Bob and Sandy Weiner sending get well wishes to Wendy Gumberich, Helene Kaplan and Irene Kurpen’s husband, John Kurpen. Bob and Sandy Weiner sending birthday wishes to Helaine Sigal and Herman Ytkin. Bob and Sandy Weiner in memory of Ellen Hof’s sister, Jill Forman Lessard, and Nan Ronis’s mother, Mary Ronis.
Goldman/Merbaum Torah Fund URW of Easton in memory of Bernice Merbaum.
Theater Fund Marc and Aliette Abo sending happy birthday wishes to Herman Ytkin on his special birthday.
Yahrzeit Aliette Abo in memory of her father, Maurice Schneigeiger. Marsha Abraham in memory of her father, Theodore Martin Braffman. Gary Asteak in memory of his mother, Ruth Asteak. Brett Bragin in memory of his father, Reubin Bragin, and his grandfather, Edward Linker. Sally Brau in memory of her brother, Burton Abramowitz. Sherry Brooks in memory of her mother, Marilyn Margolis, and her grandmother, Lena Feihman.
Yahrzeit Miriam Cassel in memory of her husband, Robert Kutner. Cindie Drill in memory of her father, Louis Asch. David Drill in memory of his mother, Shirley Drill. Leopold Kaplan in memory of his mother, Fannie Kaplan Doris Lifland in memory of her father-in-law, Leib Zalman Lifland. Dan, Fred and Robb Moskowitz in memory of their father, William Moskowitz. Jill Nathanson in memory of her father, Eugene Albert. Jan Panto in memory of her mother, Myriel Seidel. Gary Trinker in memory of his father, Allen Trinker. Frances Yonkelowitz in loving memory of her mother, Ada Anglenik. Wayne and Steven Yonkelowitz and Susan Schweitzer in loving memory of their Bubbie, Ada Anglenik.
Todah Rabah A special thank you to Irwin and Linda Lewis for all their work in setting up the Brunch Bunch on Sunday, May 15th and arranging to have such an amazing car brought to the Synagogue.
Kiddush is a perfect way to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary, and it allows you the opportunity to celebrate with our community. To sponsor a Kiddush for $36, please contact the synagogue office. Do you have a celebration we should know about? Email office@bnaiabraham.org
Refuah Sh’lma (A Full and Complete Healing) To all who were sick or hospitalized, we wish a return to good health. David Denenberg Ilya Gabriel Wendy Gumberich Tom Herschler Helene Kaplan Andrew Shaw Marty Zippel
In memoriam May God in His Kindness Grant Comfort and Solace to the Mourners
The Ritual Corner for June Submitted by Irwin Lewis
Violations of the Law A Jew comes to the Rabbi. “I committed a sin,” he says, “and I want to know what I should do to make teshuva [repent].” “What was the sin?” the Rabbi asks. “It happened once,” the man answers, “that I didn't wash my hands and recite the blessing before eating bread.”
One of the greatest Jewish players considered the greatest passer in pro basketball until Bob Cousey came along, was Nat Holman. Holman then was the coach of CCNY for 36 years. In 1951 there was a major college basketball scandal which involved CCNY and other NY schools and 21 players for point shaving. Nat Holman was investigated and cleared of any knowledge of the point shaving. Players were banned for life from the NBA. SPHAS stands for South Philadelphia Hebrew Association. The Sphas were one of the best known of teams and beloved in the basketball community was its promoter, Eddie Gottlieb. Gottlieb went on to found the Warriors. Let us not forget Abe Saperstein, who was the founder of the Harlem Globetrotters. And finally the FIRST NBA -game was played in 1946 in Toronto. On November 1, 1946, the very first basket in NBA history was scored by Issuer Schectman, Jewish star from LIU. Source. Rev. Connell McHugh Panorama April 2016
“Nu, if it really only happened once,” the Rabbi says, “that's not so terrible. Nonetheless, why did you neglect to wash your hands and recite the blessing?” “I felt awkward, Rabbi, doing it. You see, I was in an unkosher restaurant.” The Rabbi’s eyebrows arch. “And why were you eating in an unkosher restaurant?”
Sisterhood News
“I had no choice. All the kosher restaurants were closed.” “And why were all the kosher restaurants closed?” “It was Yom Kippur.”
Ritual Sports Corner Part II – Basketball Two sports especially popular among Jewish youth in the early 1900's were basketball, "the good sport," and boxing "the bad sport" Among the better Jewish boxers in the first half of the 20th century were Abe Atteii, Max Baer, Abe Goldstein, Benny Leonard and Barney Ross. Jewish youth in New York, where population density was at 1,000 persons per acre, flocked to playgrounds to play basketball.
Be Part of Sisterhood Join an extraordinary group of women to support the synagogue and have fun while doing it. If you have not yet sent in your annual dues -- just $20, please make check payable to Bnai Abraham Sisterhood and send to the office. Contact Elaine Morrow with any questions or to get involved. Call 484-515-3475 or email emorrow2542@gmail.com
General Announcements
Please notify Bnai Abraham Office in writing if you move, if there is a marriage, children, family member entering a nursing home, or change in membership status. We do need to keep your records up to date. Thank you.
MEN'S CLUB TOPICS FOR 2016 WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SPEAKERS! TOPIC NEED NOT BE JEWISH-RELATED AND CAN BE VERY INFORMAL. PROFESSIONALS ARE WELCOME WITH EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION. PLEASE NO SOLICITATIONS. CAMPAIGN FOR NEW MEMBERS - HELP WANTED! We are asking every member of our congregation to help us locate prospective new members. They may be your neighbors, friends, vet, or whomever. Please relay the name and any pertinent information to Elaine Morrow or the office staff at Bnai Abraham Synagogue.
AL’S CLEANERS - FUNDRAISER FOR BAS! Bnai Abraham has been signed up at Al’s Cleaners, 1132 Northampton Street, to enable the synagogue to collect 10% of all sales of dry cleaning and laundry services that our congregants spend there. It’s easy. Just mention that you are a member of Bnai Abraham Synagogue, and they will credit the synagogue and send the proceeds periodically. Al’s is only about seven blocks from the synagogue, has very convenient hours, and does excellent work.
General Announcements continued...... SHOPPING AT AMAZON…A FUNDRAISER FOR BNAI ABRAHAM! Click on the Amazon search link on the “Donations” page on the BAS website, and for any purchases made during your visit on Amazon.com, Amazon will contribute 4% to 15% of the purchase price to Bnai Abraham! How it works: Navigate to the BAS Donations webpage at http://www.bnaiabraham.org/donations.html and type any item keyword in the Amazon search box, and you will be transferred to Amazon.com. (You must use this link or purchases will not be traced to BAS). If you place items in your shopping cart and complete a purchase during your visit, Amazon will pay us a portion of the purchase price (not including shipping), that portion to range from 4% to 15% depending on the item category. Rates for categories are posted on our website. We encourage all of our members to shop on Amazon.com – but remember to only access Amazon.com through the BAS link at the below url or we will not get the purchase credit: http://www.bnaiabraham.org/donations.html Thank you for your continued support of BAS and HAPPY SHOPPING!
Tree of Life Permanently commemorate your simcha or celebrate a person! The “Tree of Life� sculpture is on display in the BAS Main lobby known as Founders Hall. It is used to honor and remember special events such as: Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Birthdays Anniversaries Memorials Engagements Namings Weddings and any other special milestone or celebration! Leaf: $140
Apple: $800
Or memorialize your loved one: Stone at base of tree: $1,100
Lothar Gumberich, Chairman: 610-253-5263 BAS office: 610-258-5343
Dedicate a memorial plaque to be located on the walls of the Sanctuary: $300 To honor your friends on the Walk of Life: $350
Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Family Service is committed to alleviating hunger in our community. Please join us in our efforts to accomplish this. Thank you to everyone who has so generously contributed to our food pantry with nonperishable items or financial support. We are supported in the Lehigh Valley by Second Harvest, as well as by the contributions of food drives and individuals. We are looking to expand into the entire Lehigh Valley to our Jewish community, and we ask for your support. If you have non-perishable items to donate, please either drop them at JFS or call and we will pick them up. Financial donations can be sent directly to JFS. In our outreach, we need everyone to spread the word. If you know someone, either affiliated or not, who could benefit from any JFS service, tell them about us and have them call. JFS maintains confidentiality and professionalism. We will deliver emergency food packages or supplemental food boxes anywhere in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to providing food, our Benefits Checkup Program (BCU) is designed to assist low-income persons of retirement age and younger adults with disabilities to find and apply for federal, state and local benefits. JFS seeks to help individuals and families live healthier, more stable lives by providing professional counseling, education and community programs. JFS would love to assist you in scheduling a food drive or creating a project that can help benefit persons in need. Please call JFS at (610) 821-8722 or go on our website for further information.
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Place an ad in the bulletin for twelve months and reach over 160 readers. Cost: $36/year Contact the Office 610 258-5343
June 2016 Sun
24 Iyar – 24 Sivan 5776
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
Thu
2 7:25 a.m. Minyan Meals on Wheels
5
6
7
8
Office Closed
9
13
8:11 pm Office Closed No Service
10
7:25 a.m. Minyan
Sat
4 Services – 10:00 a.m. Java and Jeans
11 Services – 9:30 a.m.
8:25 pm Services 8:00 p.m.
Divas on the Bima Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
12
Fri
3
14
15
Office Closed
16
17
7:25 a.m. Minyan
18 Services – 9:30 a.m.
8:18 pm Services 8:00 p.m.
19
20
21
22
Office Closed
26
27
Annual Congregational Meeting 10:00 a.m.
Office Closed
28
29
23
24
7:25 a.m. Minyan TCP and BAS bus trip to Atlantic City and the Woodbine Jewish Heritage Museam 8:30 a.m. $20 Adult $10 Child
8:19 pm Services 8:00 p.m. lead by Rabbi Zucker with informal Kiddush to follow
25 Services – 9:00 a.m. lead by Rabbi Zucker.
30 7:25 a.m. Minyan
NOTES: Monday, June 6th Divas on the Bima – Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Rabbi Zucker to lead services and meet the Congregation Friday, June 24th , Saturday, June 25th June 26th Congregational Meeting at 10:00 a.m.