Volume 156, Number 1
Av/Elul 5774
August 2014
Engagement, Endowment and an Extended View When Dr. Sam Rosenberg became President of Congregation B’nai Israel in June, the outgoing President, Mindy Siegel, gave him a hat – a replica of that worn by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. It was rather symbolic; B’nai Israel presidents must wear a lot of hats – congregation lay leader, agenda setter, executive director, sounding board, complaints department, etc. And while no one would ever confuse him with a Communist despot, Dr. Rosenberg brings a lengthy resume that includes psychologist, business owner and author to what he calls his “third career,” a two-year stint as congregation president. Dr. Rosenberg, who lives in Easton with his wife, Patti, raised their three daughters at B’nai Israel. So what does he want to accomplish as president? He answered some questions over coffee recently, although he was careful not to preview his High Holy Days address.
Sam Rosenberg
How did you come to be a part of B’nai Israel? My family had been members of B’nai Israel for almost 30 years, and when my wife, Patti, and I and our kids moved here from Colorado, there was no doubt where we would make our Jewish home. So we joined B’nai Israel, and all three of our daughters are proud graduates of the Early Childhood Center.
What are your main goals for your term as president? I’ve got three goals right now. The first one is that we’re all quite concerned about youth engagement. And I think B’nai Israel does an excellent job with the number of our teenagers enrolling in Jewish summer camps, Merkaz and NFTY Israel programs, but I do think that we can do better, and the board agreed, and we have improved funding for a youth advisor position with the hope of increasing youth engagement going forward. I think something that I’d like to see is for that process to meld with our teenagers’ real interest in social action. I think there are so many opportunities in Bridgeport for our teenagers to engage in endeavors that help the Greater Bridgeport community. We’ll provide them with an outlet for their need for social Continued on page 6
Inside This Issue
A Fond Farewell Omer and Ya’ara recently completed a popular, one-year stint as the Israeli Young Emissaries. They lived among our congregants and taught in our religious school. Now they head home for a new stint – in the Israeli army. This is their farewell address:
It is so hard to believe the year is over. We can definitely say this was one of the best years of our lives. We learned so much this year, we met so many great people, and we had amazing and unforgettable experiences that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Hello everyone and as we always say, I’m Omer and I’m Ya’ara, and we are THE ISRAELI YOUNG EMISSARIES OF EASTERN FAIFIELD COUNTY. Thank you all for coming.
But what made this year so special and unbelievable was not necessarily what we came here to do this year (even though this part was also incredible), it’s the people we met along the way. Continued on Page 8
Sharing Our Joy …..................... P.2 Welcome, Welcome ..................… P.2 Sincere Sympathy ...................… P.2 From the Rabbi’s Desk ...........… P.3 5775 Holy Days Schedule .....… P.4 From Rabbi Schultz …............. P.5 From the Education Center …... P.7 One of Us …................................ P.9 Donations …............................. P.10 Early Childhood Center …........ P.11 Shabbat Services Schedule …... P.16
Sharing our Joy… Congratulations to: Brad and Tara Kerner, on their newest addition, daughter, Sienna. Ken and Nina Rabine, on the wedding of daughter Alexis, to Steve Reiter. Cantor Blum, on the wedding of daughter Rachel Ginsburg, to Noam Schaap on July 3.
Welcome! Welcome! A warm welcome to our newest members. We look forward to their participation in our many programs and hope their affiliation will not only enrich their lives, but that of our congregation. Frager, Susan and Kyle, Ariel and Tyler Wyoming Street, Stratford
AARP Driving Class with Instructor, Ernest Malecki Monday, August 25, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. In the Temple Library Please join our congregant, Ernie Malecki, who is well versed in training this four-hour, one-day class designed by AARP for senior drivers. Not only will Ernie give you tips to save on your insurance costs, but more importantly driving tips that may save your life and
the safety of those around you. Please pre-register to Ernie directly by calling 203-922-0048 or emailing him at enmalecki113@gmail.com. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members (checks payable to AARP).
SAVE THE DATE: NEW INFERTILITY MEETING GROUP 1st meeting September 15 evening Speaker: Dr. Andrew Levi More details to follow Questions: Contact Gina Arnold 203-221-8188 gnagna33@aol.com
Sincere Sympathy We extend our sympathy to the bereaved families of: Harvey Siegel, father of Shira Linden Lawrence Drasin, father of Lynn Drasin Herman Bailer Barbara Levine, wife of Harold Levine Claire Breiner Sherman Greenwald Isadore (Yisrael) Nachimson, father of Barbara Gersen Mildred Rubinovitz, mother of Francine Morris Shirley Winnick Henry Mayer, father of Eve Rothbard Burton Klein, father of Leonard Klein
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2710 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 (203) 336-1858 • www.cbibpt.org The Bulletin of Congregation B’nai Israel is published every month except July. James Prosnit, D.D. ............................ Rabbi Evan Schultz ................................... Rabbi Arnold I. Sher, D.D. ............... Rabbi Emeritus Sheri E. Blum, D.M. ........................... Cantor Ramon Gilbert, D.M. .......... Cantor Emeritus Ira J. Wise, R.J.E. .......... Director of Education Robert H. Gillette, R.J.E. ... Educator Emeritus Alexa Cohen .......... Early Childhood Director Abby Rohinsky ............... Director of Facility
Officers Samuel J. Rosenberg ........................ President Michael Blumenthal .......... 1st Vice President Larry Levine ............................. Vice President Shari Nerreau ........................... Vice President Julie Pressman .......................... Vice President Lori Underberger ............................ Treasurer Jim Greenberg ................. Assistant Treasurer Evelyn Rubak ................................... Secretary Joe Varon .......................... Financial Secretary Mindy Siegel ........... Immediate Past President
Affiliates Jim Greenberg .................................................. Brotherhood President Caroline DelAngelo & Harper Wise .................. BIFTY Co-Presidents
What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email. Send your request to lynn@cbibpt.org.
From the Rabbi’s Desk
Reaching Beyond 20 Percent The following are excerpted from Rabbi James Prosnit’s remarks at the June Annual Meeting. Leap years in the Jewish calendar, of which 5774 was one, always make the year a bit longer. In the Jewish way, we add an extra month to the calendar rather than just a day, so if we think back, Rosh Hashanah arrived this year just a few days after Labor Day. As we remember, the New Year began for many with a wonderful celebration at Jennings Beach in Fairfield. By all accounts of the the evening, the tone of the service struck the right chord for hundreds of willing worshippers of all ages. There were other highlights. A wonderful celebration to acknowledge Cantor Blum’s 20th year in the congregation, an Art Show that celebrated the talents of many of our very own congregants, an interfaith Passover Seder with St. John’s church in Bridgeport, the congregational trip to Cuba and just last month the very special evening of tribute to Glenn and Amy Rich and Jon and Cleo Sonneborn. Interspersed were many learning and celebratory moments that resonated with a lot of congregants. The teaching and style of our Spector Lecturer Dr. Norman Cohen are still being remembered thoughtfully months later, as is the music of the incredibly talented Michelle Citrin, who led our youth group and adults in creative and memorable worship. We focused on Holocaust studies with Andree Lotey, who brought her family story of being saved by Aristedes Sousa Mendes, and we hosted a powerful Yom Hashoah service for the joint Federations of Westport, Norwalk and Bridgeport. Israel was a topic of provocative conversation as a lot of congregants weighed in on “My Promised Land,” a
support staff as well as a group of lay leaders who give in inordinate amount of their time and talents -- much of the glass was more than half full this year. But if we probe deeply there are certainly areas for growth.
One Temple One Book read, and then a presentation by AIPAC’s and B’nai Israel’s homegrown David Gillette. And of course there were the holiday celebrations, most notably Thanksgivikah and a fun Purim celebration with comedian Joel Chasnoff. As always we marked life passages – the B’nai Mitzvah, the recent Confirmation of 26 10th graders, the weddings and this year far too many funerals. We touched a good number of people – made them aware of the power of synagogue affiliation and reaffirmed that, since the days of Rabbi Gustave Gumpel, this congregation has done a lot to inspire spirituality, even if in that case the rabbis’ daughter went on to be the mother of Cardinal O’Connor. We pride ourselves in interfaith outreach. Little did we know our fame would come that way! So many people who walk into our building speak of the warmth – the activity, the positive vibes that emerge from the Early Childhood Center and Religious School, the worship experience and the general ambience that we do our best to convey. But an annual meeting isn’t just a time for back-patting. Thanks to a dedicated staff, my colleagues and our terrific
Rabbi Schultz and I have started to read a book called “The Other 80%.” It’s written by ministers and is directed to churches, but as you can imagine, it translates well for synagogue communities. From the title you can guess its message. Called the Pareto Principle for the Italian economist who noted that 80 percent of the land was owned by 20 percent of the people, there’s a play-out and truth in to the 80/20 rule in many, many areas: We wear 20 percent of the clothes in our closet 80 percent of the time; we spend 80 percent of our time with 20 percent of our friends; we contribute 80 percent of our funds to 20 percent of the causes we care about; and as many not-forprofits or fund-raising campaigns know, they receive 80 percent of the donations from 20 percent of the people. For our purposes, like many churches and synagogues, 20 percent of the members are actively involved and 80 percent of our congregants join us only on occasion. The theme of the book is how to turn spectators into active participants. Their solutions have a lot to do with listening and talking to people, raising the bar on expectations of what membership is all about – one-on-one conversations, encouraging leaders to be inviters and greeters (all things we talk about a lot, but don’t always act upon.) They discuss the drawback of committees – “The numbers of committees a church has is not
When are the High Holy Days? See the holiday calendar on Page 4.
Continued on page 4
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Rabbi Prosnit ........................ Continued from Page 3 directly related to increased volunteer recruitment, vitality or growth in attendance … if your members have only so many hours each week to contribute to the mission of the church, do you want them at committee meetings or doing ministry?” The word ministry may be hard for us to relate to, but in Jewish terms I may
suggest it translates to doing primary Jewish acts – study, worship or acts of hesed, social justice and compassion. If we invite people to engage in these things, we may just find that they will. As we move forward to 5775, we hope we can count on you to help change the percentages!
An Interfaith Heritage The late John Cardinal O’Connor was an imposing figure as the cardinal of the Archdiocese of New York. Was he genetically predisposed to being a religious leader? After all, it was a family business – except his
grandfather’s congregation was ours. Find out the incredible between a rabbi at B’nai Israel andone of America’s leading Catholic figures. Here are links to an incredible piece of our Temple’s history:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/nyregion/cardinal-john-joseph-oconnorjewish-mother-genealogy.html?_r=0 http://www.ctpost.com/printpromotion/article/Unraveling-the-religious-mysteryof-cardinal-s-5591508.php http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new-york/oconnors-grandfather-rabbibridgeport-0
Attention all college students and/or parents of college students! It’s time to head back to school for our college students and their families. Yet, while you may be spreading out to all parts of the country, we want to keep you connected to B’nai Israel. We would like to keep in touch with you while you are away from home. Let us know how you are doing, what you are up to and any big news.
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To send you little holiday surprises and for you to keep connected with your temple friends, we need your school address and email address. Please send your information to Lynn in the main office at lynn@cbibpt.org. Good luck at school, and remember that you will always be part of the B’nai Israel family!
Happy Summer!
5775 Holy Days •
Rosh Hashanah September 25-26, 2014
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Yom Kippur October 4, 2014
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Sukkot October 9-15, 2014
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Simchat Torah October 17, 2014
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Chanukah December 17-24, 2014
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Tu Bishvat February 4, 2015
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Purim March 5, 2015
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Passover April 4-10, 2015
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Yom Hashoah April 16, 2015
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Yom Hazikaron & Yom Ha’atzmaut April 22-23, 2015
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Shavuot May 24-25, 2015
(Note: All holidays begin at sundown on the evening before)
From Rabbi Schultz
Jewish American Pickers
I don’t generally watch too much television, but I do enjoy catching the occasional episode of American Pickers on the History Channel. The show chronicles two “pickers,” Mike and Frank, who travel across the United States in search of what they call “rusty gold.” With flashlights in hand, they walk through people’s homes, negotiating with the owners to purchase certain items they believe they can resell in their antique shops. The elements of the show that really draw me in are the interesting stories behind the items they discover. Each piece gives insight into someone’s family history or recounts the olden days of a particular town or neighborhood. The show is an important reminder that the relics that sit in our display cases and hang on our walls have a higher purpose.
If we take the time, the stuff in our lives can be an opportunity to share in stories and connect with the past. I find those opportunities, for example, all the time here at the synagogue. Oftentimes on Friday nights or Saturday mornings, I will notice someone looking at the Confirmation class photos on the wall near Cantor Blum’s study. If I have a moment, I will ask them about the photograph. People almost always love to share their story, about their childhood here at B’nai Israel or about their confirmation experience. Some look back on that period with fondness and others with critique. It is always an opportunity for me to learn something new about the synagogue, and to give the person across from me an opportunity to reflect years later on where they were and how it impacted who they are now. We too create new stories all the time, and many of those stories become embedded within a particular item or object. Just this past year, we had a Bat Mitzvah girl here at the synagogue who wanted to purchase the tallit for her Bat Mitzvah in New York City. She and her family went into the city, met with a Judaica shop owner in Midtown Manhattan, and purchased a beautiful
tallit. Now every time she puts on that tallit, she has that story and memory associated with it. So here’s an idea for a Shabbat or family activity: Jewish American Pickers. Perhaps on a Friday night or Saturday morning, have your children pick one item in the house and ask you the story behind it. This could be a great opportunity to share in some family history, and since they get to pick the item, it makes it more interactive for the kids. The other opportunity is if you are here at the synagogue and you see someone looking at a Confirmation class photo, take a moment to ask them about it. This could be a nice opportunity to build community and share in a moment with a fellow B’nai Israel member or alum. There are unlimited stories out there, find the opportunity to use the items in your homes and at the synagogue to bring them alive. Happy picking!
Host a Young Emissary For several years now, our community has been host to two Young Emissaries. Young Emissaries are Israeli teenagers, just graduated from high school, who are defering their military service for a Shanat Sherut — a year of service to the state. Some Shinshinim (from the Hebrew letter shin in both Shanat and Sherut) do their service within Eretz Yisrael. We have been fortunate to have several wonderful teenagers spend their year in our community, bringing Israel to life as they work
within our congregations, communal institutions and with our youth. This year we welcome Yuval Hochman, Yarden Bengio, and Lidor Osmo. We’ll introduce you to them next issue, and we hope you’ll get a chance to meet them. Perhaps you would like to go a step further and be a host. If anyone is interested in hosting one of the Young Emissaries in their home for three months or would like more information
about this wonderful program, please contact Cheryl Podob (cpodob@ optonline.net) or Stacy Kamisar (stacykamisar@optonline.net). No experience is necessary! Just provide an extra room for them to call their own and a family who wants to share their Jewish American life with them. The experience will last a lifetime for all those that participate. Make a difference in a Young Emissary’s life and your own; volunteer today!
Food for the Soul: To help with the Oneg Shabbat, contact Naomi Schaffer at naomilev@optonline.net
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New President .................................................................. Continued from Page 1 justice and help them understand that the synagogue is one place where they can channel those efforts. I know other congregations as well facilitate trips to Central America for additional social action efforts, and that’s something we may consider if it keeps our youth engaged in the synagogue. And your second goal? The second goal is to grow the endowment. Lori Underberger, Doug Brown and the Investment Committee have done remarkable work over the past couple of years repositioning the endowment and all our investments. And now is the time for us to go to our congregants and say, “Look, this synagogue has been there for you for a long time. We want to ensure the long-term stability of the synagogue. Would you consider contributions, if not now at least in the future, toward the endowment so we can continue our mission in the Greater Bridgeport area?” And I think that the clergy and I are going to partner to begin those efforts over the next few years. What is your third goal? The final goal is to not get swamped with the day-to-day stuff that our president needs to deal with and try to spend time on longer-term goals. We don’t have an executive director, and, as a result, the president spends a lot of time on everything from personnel issues to basic contracts to just the administrative responsibilities that need to be done at the synagogue. And I just hope to carve out sufficient time to look at the synagogue strategically rather than just putting out the day-today fires that inevitably come your way. But with all the demands on a president here, how can you make that happen? One of the advantages that I have is that I have a business background, I have a psychologist’s background, I
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listen well to others but then I’m not fearful of making the decision, getting the job done and still having sufficient time to do other things. What are you most looking forward to in your term as president? I’m looking forward to having an impact on the congregation. We, as Jews, have been bequeathed a 6,000year birthright. We have a heritage of religious practice, philosophy, ethics, history, and literature that has been given to us, and yet we know so little about it. And I think we need to encourage people to explore what they’ve been given. So for me, I’m looking forward to working with the professional staff to try to engage better our congregants in a Jewish exploration that might have a significant impact on them. The synagogue is our Jewish home and we need to provide a place for study, worship, and community for a broader range of our congregants. In your acceptance speech at the annual meeting, you said a president’s goal of meeting every congregant is admirable but unrealistic. How will you go about interacting with the congregation? I am going to make myself more visible. I attend the Saturday morning minyan. I’m attending again Friday Shabbat services, as well as becoming a presence at the Early Childhood Center and our religious school. I already attend a fair number of our educational programs. But I can’t be everywhere and meet everyone. So, I think the best way to succeed is to help our Board members realize that they too are representatives of our synagogue leadership – not just one evening a month during our board meetings, but each and every opportunity they have to interact with congregants. That’s why we have such a large board, to reflect the diversity of the synagogue. And so I really would
like to empower them, give them the tools to realize that, “Heck, I’m also a synagogue leader and I should be presenting an enthusiastic view of the synagogue, I should be responsive to our congregants, I should be listening to what’s going on. And if I can’t be helpful to critiques or difficulties then I can go to Sam, I can go to somebody else on the Executive Committee to get what I need to go back to congregants.” I am a firm believer in both transparency and responsiveness. The synagogue’s been around for 150 years; it’s going to survive my twoyear term. But at the same time, I have no secrets, it’s everybody’s synagogue. I want to be transparent. I want our Board members to have the tools to be responsive to the congregation. So that’s how I hope to reach the larger group of the congregation, by using the Board effectively. Do you have a call to action for the B’nai Israel community? My call for action is for our congregants not to simply dismiss their birthright, but to try to learn more about what it means to be Jewish, to learn more about our accumulated wealth of knowledge, to understand, in fact, what does it mean to be Jewish and how to apply it in 21st century life here in the United States? I think Rabbi Prosnit mentioned it during the annual meeting that we work wonderfully with 20 percent of our congregants who attend so many of the activities at the synagogue. How do we get to the remaining 80 percent? The synagogue is the primary source of that Jewish knowledge. How do we disseminate it effectively? How do we affect people’s lives Jewishly? That’s a challenge for the synagogue leadership, not only for the clergy and the lay leadership, but also the congregation. How do we cultivate curiosity in things Jewish and how best to satisfy it?
Tell us your B’nai Israel story. See One of Us on Page 9 for details.
By Scott L. Smith
From the Education Center
Instilling Radical Amazement {This is excerpted from Ira’s report to the Congregation’s Annual Meeting in June.}
“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. ....get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”
Not long ago, I spent a week in Los Angeles in an immersion program for Jewish educators, rabbis and cantors. Beit T’shuvah is the country’s only Jewish residential facility for people in recovery from all kinds of addiction. Five of my colleagues and I were there to beta-test the immersion program and learn how to be first responders to people in our community who are wrestling with addiction. I was also there to learn what kinds of programming we might bring back to our congregation and our community. Spirituality is one of the things I learned about at Beit T’shuvah. Okay, so the concept is not new. At Beit T’shuvah, they breathe spirituality. The rabbi there, Mark Borovitz – who will be here for Slichot to teach us about T’shuvah – is crazy for the work of Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the great Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. And we spent considerable time studying Heschel’s work. He said:
At Beit T’shuvah they live with radical amazement and so did my colleagues and I. They don’t just study Torah. Each person seeks to insert him or herself into the text and figure out how it impacts their life and experiences. Shabbat services are a full-contact sport. And the music is amazing. I spent time each day studying Talmud with a 29-year--old heroin addict, who helped me look at myself with new eyes. So I asked myself in my hotel room, “How do we bring spirituality and radical amazement to the fore at B’nai Israel?” Those of you who are regulars on Shabbat experience this each week. But what about everybody else and the rest of the week? In our school we are working on radical amazement. We just finished the third year of our new Tefillah (worship) curriculum. And we completed the first year of our new Hebrew curriculum. Both were developed to respond to the educational and spiritual needs of our students and set them on the road to radical amazement. We looked at our students as they prayed and realized they were very
good readers of prayers, but most did not know how to pray. So tefillah for our Kitot Daled-Vav students (4th6th grades) has changed. Each grade spends part of the service learning about a prayer – Why do we say it? What is the point? What does it mean to me? – then we pray together. The teachers feel we are being successful – AND they think we can do better. So they have asked that we increase the frequency of worship – reallocating class time to the tefillah experience, deepening its impact and making the amazement more radical. Another innovation is that our students no longer learn to read Hebrew by reading prayers. Doing so made every worship experience feel more like a Hebrew reading test rather than an opportunity to connect with something greater than themselves. So now our students learn to read using Shalom Ivrit – a curriculum that uses Modern Hebrew instead of the prayer book – to teach the same levels we used before. The vocabulary and the content are different, but the linguistic skills develop at the same rate. And the content integrates with the rest of our curriculum, covering holy days, values and Israel. The teachers report that the students like the new curriculum and some teachers find that more students are doing homework more often. And I find THAT to be radically amazing! L’shalom, Ira J. Wise, R.J.E. Director of Education
What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email. Send your request to lynn@cbibpt.org.
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Farewell ................................................................. Continued from Page 1 We came here, two young and scared girls, our first time away from home for that long, a new country, new language, new culture, new lives and so many new people. We had so much to share, so much to teach, and so much yet to learn. And we did; we learned so much along the way. Each one of you, every person we met, has changed something in us. We can both say that we are not the same two girls that came here in the beginning of the year. This year we grew so much, we learned how to be independent and creative, to believe in ourselves. We learned all of that thanks to the people we met here. Each one of you believed in us along the way and helped us be the best emissaries and the best people we could have been. You opened your hearts to us, and we are grateful for that. This community has brought out the best of us and helped us spread our wings. We want to thank our amazing host families: Omer – the Cook-Littmans, the Blumenthals and the Freeds; and Ya’ara – the Cobrins, the Maisles, the Sharbins and, for a little while, the Ulmans. Being away from home wasn’t that hard thanks to you, because you made your house our second home, and we are so grateful for that. Every moment with you was amazing; we love you guys and you are our family for life. ♥ This year, we also had the chance to participate in some really great programs and be a part of really great Hebrew schools. We want to thank our site mentors, who were our guides, our mentors and also our inspiration: Beth Tepper, Ira Wise, Arnie Rottenberg, Neima Hirsch, Ellen Ashkins, Margery Verlezza, Marjorie Krubiner, Shila May, Joan Watnick, Alexa Cohen, Elaine Bowman, Suri Kreiger, and Ellen
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Omer, left, and Ya’ara
Umansky. Thank you for your help and guidance and for always being there for us when we needed you; you were a really big part of our year. Last but not least, we want to thank Cheryl Podob, who is absolutely incredible. Our dear Cheryl, you were our mom, our boss, our friend, our driver, our chef, even our psychologist! You were always there for us throughout this year and we would never make it through this year without you. We fell in love with you from the first “okey dokey smoky,” and we will continue loving you forever. Thank you so much for all that you have done for us this year and for all that you are. This year we learned that the journey of our lives is not just about the destinations we have reached. Our wisdom, education and personal growth come from the lessons we have learned, the paths we choose to follow and the people we meet along the way. Believe that we are objective when we say that this is THE BEST Jewish community of all. The people here are what make the difference, and are what made the whole difference for us. It is hard to leave our lives here in Fairfield, our second home, but we will always stay Fairfield girls. Host a Young Emissary. See Page 5 for details.
Goodbyes are bittersweet, especially this one. We can only comfort ourselves with the fact that now we have a good reason to come visit the USA, and that hopefully we will see you guys in Israel. Goodbyes are always hard because they symbolize endings, but they are also new beginnings. For us, it is the new chapter of our lives in the Israeli army. For some of you it’s college or another year in Hebrew school. A new place, new friends, but the memories we all created here will forever remain in our hearts. Somebody told us in the beginning of the year that our goal is to make Israel important to the kids and people in the community, make them feel like Israel is home. We really hope that we accomplished that goal and that you all know that you have a home in Israel – in Moshav Avital and in Rishon Le-zion. We want to end with the words of Winnie the Pooh: “How lucky are we to have something that saying goodbye to is so hard?” We hope we will see you all again sooner then we expect. You never know where life will brings you to. We certainly didn’t. Ya’ara and Omer
ONE OF US: Colette Carasso “A Place to Collect Myself” We want to know what brings you and your fellow congregants to B’nai Israel, and what you have truly discovered here. These profiles spotlight some of those journeys to our congregation. Find out what makes each of you One of Us. Colette Carasso’s life has taken her across the world, from the Middle East to South America to the United States. But there has always been one constant – the Jewish community – and that especially includes Congregation B’nai Israel. “It’s a refuge; a place to collect myself” she says in her lilting French/ Arabic accent. Childhood in cosmopolitan Cairo was carefree and fun for young and sometimes wild Colette Harrouche. But family time was sacred, and her parents strongly identified with the Orthodox Jewish community: they attended services, observed the holidays and her beloved older brother, Roger, had a “gorgeous” bar mitzvah. Colette enjoyed going to Hebrew School, but a bat mitzvah was not an option for an Orthodox girl. Yet even while sitting separately from the men in synagogue, she remembers being so moved by the songs and prayers. “I always loved it; for some reason, it reached me,” she says. During the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis, the Egyptian government ousted all British and French nationals and, even though they were citizens of Egypt, the Jews, too. The military arrived at their front door and ordered them to immediately leave the country. Fortunately, Colette’s brother worked for the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and was offered a similar job in Rio de Janiero. Her father decided they should all move with him to keep the family together. Brazil was one of the few countries which opened its doors to the many expelled Egyptian Jews.
learn the American way. “They were fantastic to me!” she says. “We’re all still friends to this day.”
The Egyptian government took possession of everything the family owned, and Colette recalls how frightening it was to arrive in Rio with “barely $100 in our pockets.” And yet, even now at 80, she shows no trace of bitterness. “War is war,” she says with a resigned shrug. The Egyptian Jewish immigrants all stayed close together in the same neighborhoods, basically recreating the community they had left behind. Colette’s favorite girlfriend, Lucette Carasso, and her brothers lived in the same neighborhood. One of Lucette’s eight brothers, David, had moved to the United States in 1948, but in 1958 he traveled to Brazil to reunite with his siblings. Thanks to some behind-thescenes scheming, Colette was assigned to show David the Rio sights, and before his weeklong visit was over, she and David were married. Colette accompanied her new husband back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was only 22, homesick, lonely, spoke no English and had no experience with American culture. David’s friends reached out and introduced them to the Reform synagogue. Right away Colette felt comfortable in the more egalitarian movement. The women in the congregation embraced her, directing her to English classes, including her in their social activities and helping her Happy Summer!
In 1975, David, Colette and their three daughters moved to Connecticut, and Colette immediately found that same sense of belonging at Congregation B’nai Israel. “They welcomed me with open arms,” she says. She became actively involved with the Sisterhood, was a devoted member of the Rosh Hodesh group and the family regularly attended services. The two older girls were confirmed and the youngest became a bat mitzvah. After Colette retired as a government loan specialist, she began to yearn for her own bat mitzvah. Colette joined Elaine Chetrit’s Adult Hebrew class, and gradually the Hebrew she had learned as a girl started to come back. “I practiced like crazy and finally things started to fall into place,” she says. During this time she found deep friendship and encouragement from fellow students Esther Spiegel and Molly Keller, and in 2010, the three women became bat mitzvah. Colette’s face still lights up as she reflects on standing on the bimah before the congregation, reading from the Torah while surrounded by her husband and children.
By Barbara Solomon
We want to know what makes each of you One of Us. We are the B’nai Israel Storytellers, a group of your fellow congregants gathering the stories of what brought you to our congregation and what you have found here. Please share with us your Congregation B’nai Israel story. Email us at scottlsmith@ optonline.net.
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Donations
Please note that only contributions of $10.00 or more will be acknowledged with a card and Bulletin listing. Rabbi Prosnit Discretionary Fund Barbara Abraham, with deep appreciation of Rabbi Prosnit and Mazel Tov to Rabbi Prosnit and Wendy on Ethan’s Ordination. Mark Abrams, in memory of father, Albert Abrams. Jon August, in memory of father, Milton August. Tal and Yoni Avraham, in honor of Ya’ara Avraham’s Bat Mitzvah. Michael and Cindy Becker, in honor of Jessica Becker’s Bat Mitzvah. Stacey and Duane Berlin, in honor of Carley’s Merkaz graduation, and Taylor’s confirmation. Marilyn and George Bissell, in memory of son, David Ziller; in memory of Sherman Greenwald. Steve Breiner, in memory of Claire Breiner, and in appreciation of Rabbi Prosnit. Dale and Jerry Demner, a thank-you to Dr. Glenn Rich for caring about Jerry Demner. Ellen and Lawrence Dinkes, in honor of the 40th wedding anniversary of Rabbi Jim Prosnit and Wendy Bloch. Sylvia Edelson, in loving memory of husband, A. Herbert Edelson, and mother, Daisy Gordon. Ellen and Art Gang, in honor of the Ordination of Rabbi Ethan Prosnit; in honor of Jake Prosnit’s graduation from Graduate School. Jan and Bernie Jacobs, in memory of Mildred Rubinovitz, mother of Francine Morris. Jack and Ellen Kadden, in appreciation. Alice and George Kelly, in memory of father, Thomas Kelly. Melanie and Geoffrey Kooris, in memory of Sidney Postol. Dee, Lou, Adam, Melissa and Brian Landman, in memory of mother and grandmother, Annabelle Dachs. Raisa and Aleksey Ledvich, in memory of grandfather, Rahmiel Ledvich; in memory of grandfather, Max Dovolsky. Harold Levine, in memory of wife, Barbara Levine. Louise Levine, in appreciation. Lisa and Erik Mallon, in memory of Marvin Taylor, father of Jeff Taylor. Nora S. Mayerson, welcome to Elaine Clayton upon her recent conversion to our faith, Judaism. Samuel Miller, in memory of father, Harry Miller. Barbara Norton, in memory of Robert Norton. Jaime and Dave Polatsek, in honor of Sophie’s Bat Mitzvah, and in appreciation of Rabbi Prosnit and Rabbi Schultz. Barbara Rifkin and Larry Postol, with appreciation to Rabbi Prosnit. Irma Postyn, in appreciation of your helping us through a difficult and sad time. David and Judy Pressler, in memory of Barbara Levine. Karen and Phil Rabin, in honor of Ethan’s Ordination. Laurie and Daniel Schopick, in honor of the Ordination of Rabbi Ethan Prosnit. Ellen and Robert Sheiman, in memory of Michael Shapiro. Joan Solorow, in appreciation. Jon and Cleo Sonneborn, in memory of Shirley Winnick. Dr. Norman and Marilyn S. Weinstein, in memory of Sherman Greenwald, brother of Irma Postyn. Nancy Wertheim, in memory of George Schare, and with appreciation to Rabbi Prosnit. The Yaffie Family, in loving memory of our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Ida G. Yaffie. Fredric M. Zinn, in memory of Ruth Zinn. Rabbi Schultz Discretionary Fund Michael and Cindy Becker, in honor of Jessica Becker’s Bat Mitzvah.
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Stacey and Duane Berlin, in honor of Carley’s Merkaz graduation, and Taylor’s confirmation. Caren and Bill Schwartz, with thanks to Rabbi Schultz. Jonathan Sonneborn, in memory of grandmother, Rose Sonneborn. Music Fund Carol and Nate Barsky, in memory of Al Rankell, husbandof Judy Rankell. Michael and Cindy Becker, in honor of Jessica Becker’s Bat Mitzvah. Stacey and Duane Berlin, in honor of Carley’s Merkaz graduation, and Taylor’s confirmation. Audrey and Larry Bernstein, with best wishes to Ellen Kadden for a good recovery. Karen and Jeffrey Blum, in memory of Albert Rankell. Rosalind Gordon, in memory of husband, Harold Gordon. Ilse Levi, in memory of beloved father, Hermann Strauss. Nora S. Mayerson, in loving memory of brother, Stanley B. Silverman. Renee L. R. Noren, in honor of Cantor Sheri Blum. Jaime and Dave Polatsek, in honor of Sophie’s Bat Mitzvah, and in appreciation of Cantor Blum. Amy and Glenn Rich, in memory of Al Kadden, father of Jack Kadden. Barbara Rifkin and Larry Postol, with appreciation to Cantor Blum. Abby Schine, in memory of Sidney Postol. Joan Solorow, in memory of Russ Solorow; in appreciation to Cantor Blum. Debbie and Michael Weisman, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine; in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Darish. Enhancement Fund Evie and Jon Angel, in memory of Michael Rosenberg. Carson and Robert Berkowitz, in honor of the B’not Mitzvah of Omer Mashiach and Ya’ara Avraham, our young Israeli emissaries. Audrey and Larry Bernstein, in memory of Barbara Levine. Steve Breiner, in memory of Claire Breiner. Eloise Epstein, in memory of Sherman Greenwald. Jim and Lisa Greenberg, in appreciation of Mindy Siegel’s service as President. Joni Greenspan, in loving memory of mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Anna Levowich. Michael Greenspan, in memory of mother, Sylvia Greenspan. Barbara Herson, in honor of Cleo and Jon Sonneborn. Sue Hyde, in honor of Cleo and Jon Sonneborn, they are an outstanding couple and this honor is well deserved. Alida and Al Kleban, in memory of Beatrice Kleban, mother of Al Kleban. Linda and Gene Koski. In memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Ronald and Shira Linden, in memory of Harvey Siegel. Alice Madwed, in memory of father, Joseph Ente. George and Chris Markley, many thanks to Mindy Siegel for her dedicated service as president of B’nai Israel. Richard Messick and Mumtaz Kammerer, in memory of Russell Solorow. Nora S. Mayerson, continued recovery prayers for Ellen Kadden. Julie and Steve Pressman, in memory of Burton Klein, father of Lenny Klein. Richard Rosen, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Harold Levine. Sandra Rosenberg, in memory of Lillian and Herbert Nicholsberg; in memory of Michael Rosenberg Naomi Schaffer and Roger Jackson,
Abby Schine, in memory of Barbara Levine. Twody and Bob Schless, in memory of our dad, Bernie Schless. Alice Siegel, in memory of husband, Dan. Norman Solomon, in memory of mother, Lillian Solomon. Jonathan and Cleo Sonneborn, a thank you to Mindy Siegel for her service as temple president. Larry Zuckerman, in memory of brother, Paul Zuckerman. Sylvia Prosnit Adult Education Fund Barbara Abraham, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Carson and Robert Berkowitz, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Bari Dworken, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Judi and David Beier, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Elaine and Juda Chetrit, in honor of Ethan Prosnit, Mazal Tov on your Ordination. Georgette Chetrit, in memory of father, Aaron Melloul. George and Chris Markley, wishing Sam Rosenberg much success and satisfaction in his new role as president of B’nai Israel. Cleo and Jonathan Sonneborn, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Nursery School Enrichment Fund Laura and Bruce Braverman, in honor of Gail Weinstein’s special birthday. Religious School Enrichment Fund Barbara Abraham, in honor of Ira Wise on the 40th anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah. Carol Krim, in honor of Judy Blumenthal. Beth and Randy Reich, in honor of the third-gradeclass celebration; in honor of Julie and Brandon Stein’s marriage. Religious School Scholarship Fund Elaine and Juda Chetrit, in honor of Jessica Becker becoming Bat Mitzvah. Jaime and Dave Polatsek, in honor of Sophie’s Bat Mitzvah, and in appreciation of Bonnie Appel. Rabbi Arnold Sher Social Action Fund Carol and Nate Barsky, in memory of brother, William Barsky; in memory of sister, Mildred Greenburg. Bonnie and Leonard Blum, in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Zachary Lieberman, grandson of Ellen and Sam Rost; in honor of the high school graduation of Joshua Bloch, grandson of Serena and Arnie Sher. Ruth and Eric Gross, in memory of Melvin Gross. Ilse S. Levi, in memory of Barbara Levine. Janet and Dennis Magid, in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Sam and Ellen Rost’s grandson, Zachary Lieberman; in honor of Sophie’s Bat Mitzvah. Laurie and Daniel Schopick, in memory of Sidney Postol. Serena and Arnie Sher, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Rita and Kenneth Weinstein, in memory of Sidney Postol. Vision Loan Reduction Fund Susan Bauchner, in memory of Claire Breiner. Bob Ford, in memory of Sadie Goldbaum. Anne and Mark Kirsch, in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Patti and Samuel Rosenberg, in memory of Robert Wilson, father of Patti Rosenberg; in appreciation of Joseph Varon.
When are the High Holy Days? See the holiday calendar on Page 4.
From the Early Childhood Center
Summer Camp Fun 2014
The toddlers “take over” the camp office.
Sometimes you need a smock to fingerpaint, other times just a diaper.
Alice tries an octopus “hat” on during water play.
Brothers relaxing on their towels.
The three-year-olds watch as their raisins “dance” in seltzer during “Pop, Plop, Fizz Week”
Donations
Please note that only contributions of $10.00 or more will be acknowledged with a card and Bulletin listing. Jim Abraham Education Fund for Jewish Leadership B’nai Israel Brotherhood, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. The Greenberg Family, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Jim Kauders, in memory of James Abraham. Serena and Arnie Sher, in loving memory of James Abraham. Jonathan and Cleo Sonneborn, in memory of grandfather, Henry Hofheimer. Peggy Welter, in memory of Jim Abraham. Mazon Carol and Nate Barsky, in memory of aunt, Muriel Quint; in memory of Barbara Levine. Myrna Kaufman, in memory of husband, father and grandfather, Leonard Kaufman. Nora S. Mayerson, in memory of father-in-law, Stanley Simon Mayerson. Prayer Book Fund Carol and Nate Barsky, in memory of father, Rubin Barsky. George and Chris Markley, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine. Ellen and Robert Sheiman, in loving memory of aunt,
Claire Breiner, in loving memory of good friend, Barbara Levine. Judith Brav Sher Family Education Fund Jean and Hy Elias, in loving memory of parents, Max and Gussie Pearlman and Jack and Sophie Elias; in memory of brother, Donald Pearlman; in memory of sister, Lillian P. Joffe. Charles and Nancy Needle, in memory of Barbara Levine, wife of Hal Levine.
Susan Bauchner, in memory of Barbara Levine; in memory of aunt, Ann Rapoport. Raisa Ledvich, in memory of aunt, Noemi Dovolskaya. Muggs Lefsetz, in memory of mother, Fannie Kaster. Barbara Rifkin and Larry Postol, with thanks to Ellen Sheiman and George Markley. Jeff Schwartz, a generous donation. Charles Fried Keshet Fund Probus Club of Greater Bridgeport, a donation.
Arnold and Doris Tower Fund Steve and Ellen Tower, in memory of Bobby Tower.
Etz Chaim Living Torah Fund Elaine and Juda Chetrit, in memory of Barbara Levine.
David and Lee Lester Kesher Fund Jonathan and Cleo Sonneborn, in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit.
BIFTY Greenwald Scholarship Bob and Evelyn Baum, in memory of Sherman Greenwald. Geraldyn Eckber, in memory of Sherman Greenwald, brother of Irma Postyn. The Jacob Family: Sam, Lara, Robert, Seamus, Michael, Joel, Kathy, and his beloved, Shirley Jacob Lantz, in loving memory of Sherman Greenwald. Nora S. Mayerson, Mazel Tov to Jordan Beier upon his graduation from the Merkaz program. Ann W. Small, in memory of Sherman Greenwald, brother of Irma Postyn.
Slepian Floral Fund The Panisch Family, in memory of beloved husband and father, Arthur Panisch. Barbara Panisch, in memory of David Engelson; in memory of Michael Rosenberg; in memory of Barbara Levine; in memory of Sherman Greenwald. Rabbi Martin Library Fund
Food for the Soul: To help with the Oneg Shabbat, contact Naomi Schaffer at naomilev@optonline.net
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SHABBAT SERVICE SCHEDULE (Fridays at 6:00 p.m. where indicated, preceded by an Oneg Shabbat at 5:30 p.m.)
Friday, August 1 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – D’varim, Deut. 1:1-3:22 Haftarah – Isaiah 1:1-27 Saturday, August 2 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study Friday, August 8 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Va-et’chanan, Deut. 3:23-7:11 Haftarah – Isaiah 40:1-26 Saturday, August 9 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study 9:30 a.m. Young Families Havurah
Friday, August 15 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Eikev, Deut. 7:12-11:25 Haftarah – Isaiah 49:1451:3 Saturday, August 16 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study Friday, August 22 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – R’eih, Deut. 11:26-16:17 Haftarah – Isaiah 54:1155:5 Saturday, August 23 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study 9:30 a.m. Young Families Havurah 11:00 a.m. B’nai Mitzvah of William
Kayne, son of David and Kathleen Kayne, and Miles Rosenstein, son of James and Helen Rosenstein Friday, August 29 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Shof’tim, Deut. 16:18-21:9 Haftarah – Isaiah 51:12-52:12 Saturday, August 30 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study 11:00 a.m. Bat Mitzvah of Alexandra List, daughter of Thomas and Ellen List