chai from b et h el MAY 2020 I SSUE 25
T HE CENT ER OF JEW I SH L I FE I N FORT BEND COUNT Y
Staying Hom e Sep arately b ut Tog et her As our state and local government are working on a gradual plan to re- open the state as well as surrounding communities, the CBE leadership is also beginning the process of laying out a plan for re- opening our synagogue. We will share our plans in the coming weeks. Until then we will continue to hold Shabbat services and other events online via Zoom. As we are still experiencing life from home and continuing to practice social distancing. We want to know if there is anything we can do for you. Please do not hesitate to contact us. We encourage everyone to continue to follow the CDC guidelines of frequent hand washing and social distancing. Don't go out if you are sick and cover coughs and sneezes. We are all in this together - and thankfully we have each other. Our clergy will continue to read our weekly yahrzeit list before reciting kaddish during these virtual gatherings. I f you need to change the date when your loved one's name is read, please email admin@betheltx.org with your date preference. JOI N US MAY 1 AT 7PM FOR OUR VI RT UAL SHI R SHABBAT SERVI CE. Click here on Friday evenings for Zoom information our our virtual Shabbat service.
VIRTUAL SHIR SHABBAT SERVICE Join us for our musical Shir Shabbat service featuring the Shir Shabbat Players and Cantor Rene Waghalter Attention: May birthdays & anniversaries...Cantor Waghalter will be honoring you with a special blessing. Be sure and join us!
MAY 1 AT 7PM Click here on Friday evenings for Zoom information for our virtual Shabbat service.
CBE Preschool is in full ZOOM! We are continuing our academic and Judaic year through Zoom. We have Tot Shabbat every Friday and Havdalah every Monday. We celebrated Passover with a wonderful event ?Passover Pizzaz?. Our program included: Ms. Marilyn?s Matzah Bakery, What?s on our Seder plate? With Ms. Gabrielle, story time with Ms. Aliyah, and 10 plagues with a Twist with Ms. Marcia. It was fun and Interactive the kids had a good time and hopefully so did our teachers and our families. We had a wildlife expert, Ms. Jenna us on Zoom. She is a squirrel rehab specialist with the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition. she taught the children about the squirrels ecosystemvand how she casre for them until they are healthy and strong enough toback outside into the wild. We really enjoyed the class and learning about squirrels. For Yom Ha?atzmaut (Israel?s 72nd Birthday) we had another special evet. We made Israeli Parfait?s with yogurt and blueberries; we made Israeli flags, had Show and Tell about Israeli culture and even played Hebrew Bingo! It was so much fun. Coming up we have a Butterfly Garden event planned in memory of our loving director, Ms. Kacy, Lag B?Omer and a very special Virtual Pre-K Graduation. Everyone please be safe and healthy and hopefully we will see each other in person sooner rather than later.
Congregat ion Bet h El Preschool
Congregat ion Bet h El Religious School Our 2019-2020 Religious School year has flown by. It has been full of fun, friendships and firsts. There have been many highlights to be celebrated. This amazingly wonderful year is due to the students, their families and teachers! It has been an honor to lead the Religious School during this year with Cantor Waghalter by my side. The teachers welcomed their students weekly with smiles and activities! Students engaged in services, Judaica, Hebrew and Tribe time. Tribe time was when our community of students would come together and participate in a wide variety of activities. Older students would mentor the younger students and the younger students were able to laugh and learn alongside their older peer. It was a time for team building.
- Ask the Rabbi - Welcoming guests ? Parent breakfast - How are we like our matriarchs and patriarchs - Tu bishvat 7 Species muffins - Tree Planting celebration - Baking Hamentashen - ISJL Fellow Visit, Ava Gadon - Boys Town Jerusalem Visit - Purim Carnival - Hebrew Prayers
- Madrichim assisting in classrooms - Virtual Religious School Classes o Service o Question of the week centered around Torah Portion o Mentimeter Polls o Kahoot Games to reinforce concepts
Our year in review includes:
o Virtual Tour of Israel
- Back to year beginning of year celebration
o Family challenges
- Tribe Time (Based on the 4 Houses in Harry Potter)
o Modified version of Wheel of Fortune
- Family emoji puzzle - Weekly morning service - Baked Honey Cakes - Candy Land with Berashit Trivia - Decorating the Sukkah - Consecration - Sukkot/Simchat Torah Jeopardy
Next year promises to bring as much excitement and enthusiasm as this year. We will be adding additional programs and classes. Look for preschool age classes on Sunday and high school and confirmation classes to return! Look for Registration Information to be shared soon!
- Rock, Paper, Scissors hop Trivia - Pringles Tower of Babel Challenge
Thank you all for a wonderful year!
- Hamsa cookies to lend a helping hand to our families
Michele Croft, Director of Education
MAY BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
M ay 1 Danielle Krantz
M ay 20 Ellen Ellison
M ay 3 Barry Shapiro
M ay 21 Marc Helsinger
M ay 5
M ay 23
Amy Okie
Everett Kaplan
M ay 9
M ay 24
Steve Coates
Douglas Scheiner
M ay 8 Beau & Elizabeth Newlin M ay 9 Eyal Nevo & Patricia Yurcak-Nevo M ay 15 Michael & Erin Bersin Maury & Michelle Marlowe
Joanne Must M ay 25 M ay 11
Helena Silberman
Debra Pacht
Max Kamin
M ay 13 Shelly Kaplan
M ay 26 Cindy Sugar
M ay 15
M ay 25 Doron & Cherie Steinberg M ay 26 Robert & Mikele Simoneaux
Russell Schnitzer
Mark Liss M ay 27 M ay 17
Heidi Dreyfuss
Peggy Novy
Sophie Friedman
Janice Poscovsky
Douglas Baysinger
M ay 18
M ay 28
Jodi Kessler
Dayna Coates
Larry Rushefsky Avi Ettinger
May 31
M ay 19
Jim Paras
Robin Jerauld
M ay 20 Mark & Lorin Nussbaum
M ay 28 Geoff & Shelly Kaplan Jonathan & Amy Okie Alan & Ann Schneider M ay 30 Ronald & Sandra Sanders
M AY YAHRZEITS M ay 1 Bertha Notowich M ay 2 James Moody M ay 3 Alan Stein
M ay 13 Alan Chapman Eli Rothberg M ay 14 Joseph Nicholas Esther Gamache
M ay 5 Ann Studna M ay 6 Vera Helena Rosenheim M ay 7 Pati Mandell Hunter Turberville M ay 9 Bobbie Eisenberg Linda Levy M ay 10 Teddy Harris
M ay 12 Jane Shane Ruth Tawil
M ay 15 Edward Fink M ay 16 Daniel Soffar M ay 17 Brenda Blagman Morrie Selbst M ay 18 Mitchell Gordon
M ay 19 David Abels M ay 20 Pearl Altman Raymond Levin M ay 22 Sidney Gerendash Sylvia Kostner M ay 24 Helen Amhowitz Rosenfeldt M ay 25 M.M. Murrel"" Warren Koushel M ay 26 Esther Melasky M ay 28 Jack Dorshaw M ay 30 Dorothy Raderman
Th e con gr egat ion ext en ds it s h ear t f elt con dolen ces t o t h e f am ily an d f r ien ds of M ar sh all Ack er m an , Raf ael Eli, M axin e Lof f r edo, Sh ar on Fr eem an Near by an d Sh eldon Neider z"l.
5. Form a ball and place in a greased bowl and turn dough so all sides are greased. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in warm area to double in bulk ? about two hours. 6. Punch down and knead briefly. 7. Roll dough into a 24? long rope. Divide the dough into three parts, make three smaller ropes and braid them 8. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment. 9. Allow too rise again until dough doubles in size ? about 45 minutes.
GRANDMA'S CHALLAH
10. Brush loaf with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired. Bake until golden brown in a pre- heated 325 degree oven ? 30 to 40 minutes.
I ngredients: 1 package dry yeast 1/3 Cup Warm Water (110 degrees) 3 Egg Yolks ? L ightly Beaten 1 W hole Eggs ? L ightly Beaten 31/2 T ablespoons Corn Oil (I use vegetable) 1/4 Cup W hite Sugar 1 Teaspoon Salt 2 1/4 Cups Flour
BERSIN'S BAKERS
1/2 Cup Raisins (Optional) 1 Egg Yolk ? Beaten Poppy Seeds (optional) Preparation: 1. I n cup or small bowl dissolve Yeast in the warm water with approx 1 tablespoon of sugar. After just a few minutes the yeast should begin to "bloom". I t will become foamy and it will give off a sweet smell. I f your yeast is not fresh this will not happen ? do not go any further ? start over with fresh yeast. 2. I n a large bowl mix Egg Yolks, Eggs, Oil, Sugar, Salt and Yeast mixture. 3. Add enough flour to form stiff but sticky dough (you can do this in a stand mixer ? using the dough hook attachment). 4. T hen turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (adding more flour if needed) ? about 6 minutes ? work in raisins as kneading.
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Bet h El Bu dget in g A Deeper Dive (Wh at does it t ake t o r u n a Syn agogu e?)
Su n day, M ay 17 - 9:30 am Contuning the conversation from the Annual Meeting Richard and Erin will offer an opportunity for Beth El members to talk through the expenses of the congregation in slightly more detail. This 30 minute interactive session will go one step deeper into our synagogue expense structure, to understand what it takes to operate our spiritual home. There will be a Q&A at the end of the presentation. Click h er e t o RSVP an d r eceive Zoom in f or m at ion .
OPEN BOARD POSITION SECRETARY - Attend executive and board meetings and participate in discussions and decision making. - Produce the agenda for each meeting under the direction of the President - T ake minutes at meetings, type them up, and distribute them to the other officers in a timely fashion. - Request attendance plans in order to ensure quorum. - Disseminate committee/staff reports received for each board meeting. - Maintain a complete file of all approved minutes, agendas, and materials distributed at any meeting.
For m or e in f or m at ion con t act M ich ael Ber sin , Boar d Pr esiden t pr esiden t @bet h elt x.or g
OUR VERY OWN
BAGEL EXPRESS IS PARTICIPATING! HOW IT WORKS YOU patronize Jewish-owned restaurants, retailers, and businesses throughout May and beyond! Participating Jewish-owned restaurants, retailers and businesses gain exposure, receive sales AND many will be giving back to the community thanks to your patronage. Many local businesses have committed to donating 5-15% of their total sales on Mondays to the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston & Houston Jewish Community Foundation's COVID-19 Appeal. This will help Jews in need NOW, and we encourage you to do the same if you can! Follow links below for information
Par t icipat in g Rest au r an t s & Cat er er s Par t icipat in g Ret ailer s
M oses on M ou n t Sin ai ? Jean -Léon Gér ôm e -1895-1900. Sou r ce: Wik im edia Com m on s
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