Volume 155, Number 11
Sivan/Tammuz 5774
June 2014
Congratulations to our Confirmation Class of 2014 Join us on Sunday, June 8 at 11:00 a.m. for the Confirmation Service Danielle Altchiler Taylor Berlin Scott Bindelglass Samuel Bluestein Caroline DelAngelo Lance Dengelegi Benjamin Hazen Michael Kenler Jennifer Levine
Jacob Mallon Rebecca Molinoff Sarah Marie Montagna Jacob Rodier Rachel Rosenstein Isabel Roth Jared Sales Tess Shinbaum Benjamin Skyer
Allyson Smith Emma Spartachino Carleigh Sussman Gabrielle Tropp Rachel Tropp Aaron Wall Amanda Wall Cassidy Wechsler Harper Wise
Congratulations to the Merkaz Graduating Class of 2014 Join us on Sunday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Beth El Jordan Beier Carley Berlin Jonathan Burger Maia Butterfield Samuel Carley Jeffrey Elbaum Hannah Greenhall
Matthew Katz Emily Kirsch Madelyn Lippman Ian Matz Jason Nerreau Arielle Panthauer Alexander Powning
Sarah Rosenberg Matthew Rosenstein Daniel Shinbaum Sydney Smilen Jaime Viens
Celebrate Shavuot at B’nai Israel! Erev Shavuot Tuesday, June 3 6:00 p.m. Potluck dairy supper 6:30 p.m. Family-friendly outdoor service, planting flowers and veggies 7:30 p.m. Dancing the Hora in Havana
Join us for a special conversation and slide presentation with those who recently travelled on the temple’s trip to Cuba. Learn about the Jewish community on the island and the challenges and complexities of this unique place.
Shavuot Morning Wednesday, June 4 10:00 a.m. Shavuot morning service with memorial/Yizkor prayers. A festive brunch follows services. RSVP to Lynn at 203-336-1858 or Lynn@cbibpt.org. We’ll see you there!
Sincere Sympathy
Sharing Our Joy
We extend our sympathy to the bereaved families of:
Congratulations to:
Russell Solorow, husband of Joan Solorow Aaron Spector, father of Mark Spector Sidney Postol, father of Barbara Rifkin
Erin Gleeson, daughter-in-law of Rabbi James Prosnit and Wendy Bloch, on the publication of her cookbook The Forest Feast. Check out Theforestfeast. com for more information.
Lieutenant J.G. Andrew Soberman, son of Steve Soberman and Suzanne Philip, for completing flight Temple book lovers are invited to join school and becoming a naval aviator, receiving his “wings of gold.” an ongoing group. We meet in the temple library the third Thursday of Elaine Clayton on the publication of her new book every month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The next meeting will be on June Making Marks, published by Simon & Schuster. 19. For more information, contact Sue Artie and Suzy Weisman on the birth of their Shane at 203-345-4539. We look forward to seeing granddaughter, Talia Isabelle Weisman, daughter of you there! Lindsey and Lee, sister of Maya.
B’nai Israel Book Group
AARP Driving Class With Instructor Ernest Malecki
Dr. Mark Schiff on the birth of his grandson, Jonah Robb, son of Vanessa and Michael Robb.
Jamie Baum, daughter of Edie and the late Jim Baum, for receiving a 2014 Guggenheim Award for Mondays, June 16, July 14, and August 25 (note date music composition. Jamie is a very highly regarded changed from August 11), 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. in jazz flautist and the leader of the Jamie Baum Septet the temple library (http://www.jamiebaum.com/). Please join our congregant Ernest “Ernie” Malecki for this 4-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 important, he’ll provide driving tips that may save your life and 2710 Park Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 (203) 336-1858 the safety of those around you. Please preregister to www.cbibpt.org The Bulletin of Congregation B’nai Israel Ernie directly by contacting him at 203-922-0048 is published every month except July. or enmalecki113@gmail.com. The cost is $15.00 for James Prosnit, D.D. .................................................................... Rabbi Evan Schultz ............................................................................... Rabbi AARP members and $20.00 for nonmembers (checks Arnold I. Sher, D.D. ..................................................... Rabbi Emeritus payable to AARP). Sheri E. Blum, D.M. ................................................................ Cantor
TLC/Temple Loving Care at B’nai Israel
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
It has been an honor for me to chair the synagogue’s caring committee, Temple Loving Care, these past three years. I am stepping down from this position and want to say thank you to all who have extended their caring hearts and hands.
Officers Mindy Siegel ......................................................................... President Samuel Rosenberg ....................................................1st Vice President Michael Blumenthal ...................................................... Vice President Shari Nerreau ................................................................ Vice President Richard Walden ............................................................ Vice President Lori Underberger .................................................................. Treasurer Lawrence Levine ................................................... Assistant Treasurer Julie Pressman ....................................................................... Secretary Donna Tauss .......................................................... Financial Secretary Mark A. Kirsch ............................................. Immediate Past President
Wishing you good health, many laughs, and peace, Liz Nigrosh
Affiliates Jim Greenberg ................................................. Brotherhood President Maddy Lippman & Elizabeth Maisel .............. BIFTY Co-Presidents
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What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@cbibpt.org.
From the Rabbi’s Desk
We Call Her Mindy What do you call a synagogue president who cares deeply about people and who understands the role of a congregation in the 21st century?
our president we balanced budgets, weathered storms (literally), integrated a new assistant rabbi, celebrated Rosh Hashanah at the beach, and honored our Rabbi Emeritus and Cantor. We also expanded our Early Childhood Education Center, ensuring not only good beginnings for more preschoolers but also a strong What do you call a synagogue Jewish connection for more and more young families. president who devotes time and energy to address the many challenges facing the Connecting people and building relationships was a broader Jewish community here and in Israel? central theme of her presidency. Mindy was a catalyst in getting many to tell us their stories in powerful and What do you call a synagogue president who pays engaging ways. Her words at Rosh Hashanah brought attention to every detail and can handle necessary but us poignant insights into who we are as a congregation. mundane issues like budgets, boilers, fundraising, and In word and deed she reminded us of the power and staffing? importance of being part of a community. What do you call a synagogue president who always seems to have the time to patiently answer a question or engage in conversation about a personal matter or an area of concern? What do you call a synagogue president who is proud of her community, builds goodwill wherever she goes, is genuine of heart, and shows love for what she does and the people with whom she works? Easy answer: Call her Mindy! For the past two years, Mindy Siegel has led Congregation B’nai Israel through an exciting period of activity and engagement. With a wonderful sense of humor, a commonsense savvy, and an intuitive understanding of people, Mindy has given our community the gift of her leadership. How blessed we have been and what a delight it has been to work closely with her. She has been the perfect congregational president!
At the annual meeting in June we’ll have a chance to express our appreciation in more formal ways. I know I speak for the rest of the temple staff and for the Board of Trustees when I say how appreciative we are of her warm and wonderful, vibrant and visionary leadership. We’ll also have a chance to thank her husband Jeff for all he has done to support the temple and his wife, and for patiently delaying sailing trips. We’ll wish them well on the water but insist that they both stay active in the years to come. And One More “Shout-Out” Also retiring from her current position, but not giving up leadership involvement, is Evelyn Rubak. Evelyn has been our Bulletin editor for the last four years and has done an amazing job. She’s “nudged” and encouraged us to get our articles in and patiently understood when we begged forgiveness for being delayed. She’s fixed our grammar, made last-minute edits, and asked insightful questions about how best to communicate the message. She has creatively laid out images that connect us all to the themes of the month and made each issue a labor of love. Thanks for all you’ve done and we know will continue to do.
While Mindy stands on the shoulders of many good leaders who came before her, she more than held her own in responding to the challenges and opportunities that awaited her. During her time as Rabbi James Prosnit
Learn about “One of Us” on p. 9.
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News From B’nai Israel
Brotherhood News
As I write these notes, for my last Bulletin as Brotherhood President, I am reminded of how fortunate we are at B’nai Israel. These last six years have allowed me to work closely with so many wonderful people, and I wish to thank them here publicly. Rabbi Prosnit, Rabbi Gurevitz, Rabbi Schultz, and Cantor Blum: Your support of Brotherhood over the years was unparalleled, and your assistance with programming and events allowed us to enjoy great success and serve so many. Todah Rabah.
• Barry Diamond for leading the famed Matzo Brie Pesach Breakfast. Todah Rabah. • Our members for their financial support and for the many hours spent volunteering. Todah Rabah. • Rich Rosen, Jim Grutzmacher, David Kayne, and Jerry Demner for serving as Brotherhood reps on the Board of Trustees. Michael Becker will become our latest Board rep in July. Todah Rabah. • My wife, Lisa, and my boys Michael and Sam for allowing me to devote time away from home to give back to the temple in this way. Love you!
Ira Wise, Elaine Chetrit, Gail Weinstein, Alexa Cohen, Gayle Szuchman, Cindy Becker, and Tracie Wizda: The chance to work with the Religious School and Nursery School was a pleasure for all of us at Brotherhood, and Last, I thank Dr. Paul Dengelegi, who will take over as your collective enthusiasm made all of the work seem Brotherhood President on July 1. Paul is a dedicated like play. Todah Rabah. member, a part of the weekly Bagel Gatherer group, a Shabbat morning worshipper, and an all-around good Lynn Lynch and Lindsay Alston: The support you guy who will offer fine leadership going forward. He provided us in the temple office was critical to inherits a strong group of volunteers to whom we are the success of so many things that Brotherhood all grateful. accomplished. Todah Rabah. I will continue to be an active member of Brotherhood Abby Rohinsky, Madeleine, Mary, Gretchen, and and support all of the good work that they do. Through Glenn: You made our weekly Shabbat morning a combination of volunteerism, strong finances, and Brotherhood Breakfast possible 52 weeks a year, as a deep commitment to helping others, we continue well as each and every Religious School BBQ, every to support programming and make charitable special breakfast, and all of the events we held. You contributions to the Religious School Scholarship did it all…and always with a smile. Todah Rabah. Fund, Operation Hope, MAZON, and Jewish Family Services. Amy Rich, Mark Kirsch, and Mindy Siegel: During each of your terms as President of B’nai Israel you I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this offered nothing but support and encouragement—we fine group and look forward to many more years of cannot thank you enough. Todah Rabah. active participation. Brotherhood is a collaboration of many people…so B’shalom, thanks to all of you: Jim Greenberg • Harold Levine and Rich Rosen for handling the books plus much more! Todah Rabah. • Steve Verbil and all of the Bagel Gatherers who ensure that we have breakfast each and every week. Todah Rabah.
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Items of the month: baby items (diapers, formula, baby food)
From Rabbi Schultz
What’s my Hebrew name again?
When I was a child, my mother periodically reminded me about the origins of my Hebrew name, Tuvia. My parents named me Tuvia, which is a form of the Hebrew root tov, meaning goodness, in memory of my mother’s great-aunt Tovah, who by all accounts was a remarkable woman. According to the stories, she was kind, giving, and loving. My mother would always tell me about her and encourage me to embody that name, living a life of goodness that would make great-aunt Tovah smile. Lately I have been thinking that most parents put so much thought into the Hebrew names of their children and then rarely have an opportunity to use those names. I do not think that I have used either my Hebrew name or my boys’ Hebrew names since their respective brit milah ceremonies at eight days old. Both boys are named after such important people in our lives—Koby’s Hebrew name is Kalman, named after Jenny’s father Ken, and Elie’s Hebrew name is Michel, after Jenny’s paternal grandfather Milton. Currently their Hebrew names are collecting dust rather than shining brightly in the world. This is something that I want to change.
It would be wonderful to find more opportunities to use our Hebrew names. I have thought of a few possibilities to try together, and I am sure that all of you can think of more. Idea #1: Friday night blessing of the children Traditionally on Friday nights, parents bless their children around the Shabbat table. Marcia Falk, a contemporary Jewish thinker and poet, composed a Shabbat Blessing of the Children that reads as follows: _____________________, (the child’s name) Be who you are And may you be blessed In all that you are. Try this blessing on a Friday night using your children’s Hebrew names, and use it as an opportunity to teach them about the person they were named after.
Idea #2: Create personalized items These days everyone gets personalized items for their children. Why not get something personalized with your child’s Hebrew name instead of or in addition to their English name? Whether it’s a door sign, blanket, or cell phone case, try using it as an opportunity to highlight their Hebrew name. Also, if you know someone who has a baby and want to get them a I have a feeling that I am not alone. Yet aside from personalized item, have it personalized with their when one is called to the Torah for an aliyah, there Hebrew name—it will be extra unique! are very few opportunities to use one’s Hebrew name. Hebrew names hold such an important place in our Idea #3: On Shabbat, use Hebrew names tradition. They offer an opportunity to memorialize Shabbat is a time to differentiate from the rest of the a loved one who has died, and they often represent a week. Perhaps try using Hebrew names instead of characteristic that parents hope to see manifested in English ones at home for a period of time on Shabbat. their children. They also serve as a marker of Jewish Could be a nice way to switch things up and use some identity and symbol of redemption. According to Hebrew on Shabbat! Midrash Leviticus Rabba, “Israel were redeemed from Egypt [sic] because they did not change their names. If you use any of these ideas or come up with your They went down there as Reuben and Simeon, and own ideas, I’d love to hear about it! came back up as Reuben and Simeon.” Rabbi Tuvia eschultz@cbibpt.org
Please join us on June 19 for the Annual Meeting—see p. 11 for information.
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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, June 6 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – B’haalot’cha, Num. 8:1-12:16 Haftarah – Zechariah 2:14-4:7 Saturday, June 7 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. Bat Mitzvah of Sophie Polatsek, daughter of David and Jaime Polatsek Friday, June 13 5:30 p.m. Mishpacha Shabbat 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Sh’lach L’cha, Num. 13:1-15:41 Haftarah – Joshua 2:1-24 Saturday, June 14 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. Bat Mitzvah of Maya Jackowitz, daughter of Howard and Elizabeth Jackowitz Friday, June 20 6:00 p.m. Service* Torah Portion – Korach, Num. 16:1-18:32 Haftarah – Samuel 11:14-12:22
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*Camp-Style Shabbat Service Nothing says summer like camp melodies and ice cream! Join us for our second camp-style Shabbat service. Wear your camp T-shirt or a white T-shirt and bring your summer ruach (spirit)! Families and children of all ages are invited to attend. Anyone who will be attending a Jewish camp this summer (whether sleepaway or day camp) will receive a special blessing from the rabbi. Enjoy an ice cream sundae after the service! Saturday, June 21 8:00 a.m. Service 9:00 a.m. Brotherhood Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Torah Study 9:30 a.m. Young Families Havurah riday, June 27 F 6:00 p.m. Service Torah Portion – Chukat, Num. 19:1-22:1 Haftarah – Judges 11:1-33 Saturday, June 28 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 Spencer and Samantha Katzmann, son and daughter of Martin Katzmann and Stacey White-Katzmann
Items of the month: baby items (diapers, formula, baby food)
From the Education Center
Mitzvot in Action Remember those rabbis from the Pesach Hagadah? The ones who were up all night discussing the Exodus? They had a lot to talk about at other times too! In the Babylonian Talmud (Kiddushin 40b), we read about two of them as they have a little debate: “Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were once reclining in the upper story of Nithza’s house, in Lod, when this question was posed to them: Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon answered, saying: ‘Action is greater.’ Rabbi Akiva answered, saying: ‘Study is greater.’ All the rest agreed with Rabbi Akiva that study is greater than action because it leads to action.” Of course, implicit in Rabbi Akiva’s answer is that the learner will follow up with action. In April, Ethan Rodier, Matthew Spiegel, and Jacob Weisblatt responded to their Kitah Zayin teacher Laura Pappas’s challenge to take $5.00 each and find a way to use it to make money for tzedakah. They chose to raise funds for cancer research with a bake sale on a Sunday morning at temple. Matthew reported:
After paying for his treats, a man with three kids said to them with a smile, “Life just got a whole lot better.” When we only had two packages of cookies left to sell, a woman bought both packages (for which we were charging $1.00 each). She insisted on donating $5.00 and would not accept her change because she is a breast cancer survivor and she “doesn’t want another person to go through this.” Another group of students worked with Judy Blumenthal, who serves as mitzvah advisor for students who are engaging in tikkun olam (world repair) as part of their preparation for becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah. They went to the Connecticut Food Bank and brought along some parents. Together they helped pack 861 boxes of nonperishable food for needy families. They proved that feeding the hungry is not something we only do on Yom Kippur! The students included Kyle Becker, Nathaniel Epstein, Madison Gassel, Hunter Kadish, Alexandra List, Hannah Mallon, Jack Sjoberg, and Griffin Wirth.
How did selling baked goods to raise money for cancer research make us feel? To find out, I interviewed the others and here is what they said: Ethan told me he had “a great gut feeling that we did something for the community and helped those in need.” Jacob said, “I feel excited that it was successful.” As for me, I felt happy doing something to help others. Mrs. Pappas stated, “I am extremely proud of the boys for creating their own fundraiser. They are becoming aware that one person can make a difference.” We all felt proud when she said that.
We’re so proud of our students for their scholarship-inaction! L’shalom, Ira Wise, Director of Education
Learn about “One of Us” on p. 9.
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From the Early Childhood Education Center
What Exactly Is High-Quality Preschool? In President Obama’s last two State of the Union addresses, he has called on Congress to help fund preschool for every child in the country. “Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child’s life is high-quality early education,” Obama told Congress in January. But just what is quality preschool? NPR’s new education team set out to define “highquality preschool” and found themselves at Porter Early Childhood Development Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After I watched the NPR video of Nikki Jones’s class in action and listened to Miss Jones speak about how she goes about teaching her 4-year-old class each day, several points resonated with me regarding how we teach our kids here at B’nai Israel: • The children should guide the curriculum. Although we do not use the “project approach” wholeheartedly, we do let our children’s individual interests and needs guide our curriculum. • Patience is an important skill for both children and adults. Children do learn that sometimes you do need to wait for some things—this will be a skill that will serve them well as they grow up. Adults must be patient and realize that all children do not develop at the same rate and that we often have to make changes accordingly. • Accountability: In both Miss Jones’s class and many of our 4-year-old classes, children choose where they want to play and what they want to play with, and the teachers hold the children accountable for their choices.
• Open-ended: The sign of a good early childhood classroom is the availability of open-ended materials as well as open-ended discussion. We try to stay away from too many task-oriented items. • Responsibility, trust, and safety: Children should be exposed to “real” materials and given guidelines on how to use them. For example, the use of small tacks, hammers, nails, and small pieces of wood can teach the children to be responsible for the materials and that we trust them to use them appropriately and safely. • Ample opportunities to “share” throughout the day. Children must know that they will be heard and listened to with respect when they “share” in school. • Outdoor play: Of course children love to run and slide on the playground, but we always need to have an alternate activity in our back pockets for those children who are not engaged during outdoor play. • Assessment: The best way to assess children is through direct observation during activities within the normal preschool day. For example, while doing a cloud experiment in the classroom, a teacher can find out what the children learned by listening to the vocabulary the children use to describe the experiment and how they gathered information through context cues. All of these ideas, in addition to many others, help build children’s self-confidence and social skills, which ultimately help children succeed. This is what high-quality preschool is all about! Alexa Cohen, Director
Summer temple office hours:
Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. through Labor Day. 8
Please join us on June 19 for the Annual Meeting—see p. 11 for information.
One of Us: Nancy Lefkowitz An Active Community Spurs a Community Activist You hear the name Congregation B’nai Israel and you rightfully think of a place of worship. We are, after all, a synagogue. Yet more than the place, we are a congregation—a gathering of people. True, we gather here in the common interest of being Jews, but in truth, our paths to B’nai Israel are distinct and individual. For some it’s spiritual, for others it can be educational or social, and for some it is a sense of belonging. We want to know what brought 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. By any standard, Nancy Lefkowitz has a full plate. Wife, mother to three kids (ages 5–10), entertainment industry executive, Metro-North commuter, gun control activist…the list goes on. Her hectic life compels her to be, as she described it, an “intermittent” participant in the Jewish community. However, making room to be a part of it is important. On more than one occasion, and in one distinct family crisis, she said that B’nai Israel, its collective caring and kindness, has been there for her and her husband Noah, a nurse practitioner. One of those moments came after the horror on December 14, 2012, at Newtown’s Sandy Hook Elementary School. Some 12 years earlier Nancy had worked with people involved with organizing the Million Mom March, a rally in Washington, DC, that attracted some 750,000 people supporting tighter gun control laws. One of the organizers was motivated by a murderous shooting tragedy at a California JCC in 1999. The organizers Nancy worked with, including now–New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, impressed her. She met mothers of victims of the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado. Sandy Hook became a moment of rededication and recommitment to the gun control issue. Her career with Tribeca Enterprises, organizers of the annual Tribeca Film Festival, had given her tremendous experience in event planning, marketing, social media, and news media relations—the same skills needed to help mobilize a grassroots political campaign. Nancy began as a volunteer collaborator with Ron Pinciaro, the executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence. Her focus: Build a database, deliver the crowd. Fast-forward to February 14, 2013. Some 5,500 people attended the massive March for Change rally on the steps of the state capitol in Hartford. It was exactly two months after the Sandy Hook shootings. And less than two months later, bipartisan legislation was signed into law by Governor Dannel Malloy banning sales of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines
in Connecticut. Nancy had indeed helped change things in our state. “There were people with us who were suffering and grieving. If we didn’t do something, who would? Every day in this country, 80 people are affected by gun violence,” said Nancy, adding that more legislative work needs to be achieved at the federal level. “B’nai Israel was there for us,” she added. A call to action went out to temple members. A chartered bus arrived in Hartford on the day of the rally packed with congregants, lay leaders, and clergy. Seeing that was “a deep spiritual moment” for Nancy. “These events have reaffirmed the importance of tikkun olam, the repairing of the world, and deepened my faith because a lot of life is out of our control.” There have been other moments, such as after her son Forrest, now five, was born. Doctors diagnosed a serious urinary tract infection. Sepsis developed. Forrest was dying. “Rabbi Prosnit came to the hospital. He just sat with me while I cried. He stayed with me and said you’re going to have some bad days and he set the tone. He was there for us at the worst possible time,” she said. “When you feel helpless and alone and scared and you ask where is God, I think the answer is that God is there in the kindness of people,” she said. Another time came recently when she chose to give a brief Shabbat remembrance on the yahrzeit of her grandmother. “It can be a vulnerable moment up there on the bema, but it is also so special to be able to share something like that with people who don’t really know you. So many people came up to me after and said how much they enjoyed hearing about my grandmother. How lucky we are to have this kind of construct,” she added. And when another of her sons was diagnosed with dyslexia, Education Director Ira Wise was supportive. “I feel like people at B’nai Israel have my back.” Nancy noted that with temple life and Judaism, “you get out of it what you put into it…. I don’t care if my kids are the smartest kids in class or not. I want them to be the kindest kids,” she said. “That to me is a core value of being Jewish.” —Don Hyman 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 our members to our congregation and what you have found here. Please share with us your B’nai Israel story. Email us at scottlsmith@optonline.net.
Items of the month: baby items (diapers, formula, baby food)
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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 Mark Abrams in loving memory of mother, Sally Abrams. Lori Berger in memory of mother, Cecelia Davis. Ellen Clayton in appreciation of Rabbi Prosnit. Susan Bauchner and Ellen Gittleman in memory of mother, Bobby Kaplan. Mara, Terrell, David, and Genna Fudin in appreciation. Alfred and Jeannette Goldreyer—a donation. Dan and Terri Green in honor of granddaughter Gwendolyn May’s baby naming. Paula and Bob Herzlinger in memory of Jeffrey Sacks, brother of Ken Sacks. Janice and Bernard Jacobs in memory of Mary Jacobs; in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Alice and George Kelly in memory of mother, Annette Kelly; in memory of father, Sol Zimroth. Carol Krim in appreciation to Rabbi Prosnit. Dee, Lori, Adam, Melissa, and Brian Landman in memory of mother and grandmother, Annabelle Dachs. The Reznikoff family in appreciation to Rabbi Prosnit for helping with arrangements for Zach’s Bar Mitzvah in Israel. Patti and Samuel Rosenberg in memory of Bernard Simmons. Ellen and Robert Sheiman in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Sanford C. Small in honor of Laurence Small. Jonathan and Cleo Sonneborn in memory of grandmother, Hannah Hofheimer. Judy and Steve Sturm in honor of our grandson Ethan’s Bar Mitzvah, and in appreciation to Rabbi Prosnit. The Weinberger and Horn families in loving memory of mother and grandmother, Shirley Horn. Gail and Peter Weinstein in memory of mother and grandmother, Molly Sher; in memory of father and grandfather, Stanley Weinstein. Shirley Winnick—thank you to Rabbi Prosnit. Rabbi Schultz Discretionary Fund Cindy, Michael, and Jessica Becker in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Paula and Bob Herzlinger in memory of Annabelle Dachs, mother of Dianne Landman. The Reznikoff family in appreciation to Rabbi Schultz for helping with arrangements for Zach’s Bar Mitzvah in Israel. Rona Weinstein in memory of Dick Silverman, and with appreciation to Rabbi Schultz. Music Fund Dale and Jerry Demner in honor of Cantor Blum. Sam and Judy Forusz in memory of our friend, Al Rankell. Susan Bauchner and Ellen Gittleman in memory of mother, Bobby Kaplan. Dan and Terri Green in honor of granddaughter Gwendolyn May’s baby naming. Lois and Martin Infeld in memory of Al Rankell, husband of Judy Rankell. Lisa Knicos in appreciation to Cantor Blum; healing prayers to Ellen Kadden. Suzy Lamson in appreciation of Jon and Cleo Sonneborn and their many contributions of time and energy to temple activities.
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Chris and George Markley in memory of Russell Solorow. Judy and Steve Sturm in honor of our grandson Ethan’s Bar Mitzvah, and in appreciation to Cantor Blum. Alan and Sylvia Neigher in memory of Jeffrey Sacks, brother of Ken Sacks. The Reznikoff family in appreciation of Cantor Blum for helping Zach to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah in Israel. Ellen and Robert Sheiman in memory of Marion Koski, mother of Gene Koski. Sandy and Bob Sherman in loving memory of Charlotte Sherman, mother of Bob Sherman. Bob and Marilyn Shook in memory of Irving and Betty Miller. Nancy and Irv Silverman in honor of Mark Shangold’s special birthday. Debbie and Michael Weisman in memory of Al Rankell, husband of Judy Rankell. Enhancement Fund Richard B. Arnold in memory of Mr. Michael Rosenberg. Jeffrey and Wendy Bender in memory of Charlotte Aaron. Lori and Ken Berger in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Audrey and Larry Bernstein in honor of Barbara and Mark Edinberg, on the engagement of son Daniel to Clara Schuhmacher; in honor of Cleo and Jon Sonneborn on the engagement of daughter Jessica to Chris Maltauro. Marty and Alayne Burger in memory of Bobby Kaplan; in memory of Michael Rosenberg. Jerry and Dale Demner in memory of Joseph Greenfield, father of Dale Demner. Harold and Sylvia Epstein in memory of Bobby Kaplan, mother of Susan Bauchner. Regina M. Gaffke in memory of Michael Rosenberg. David Hansen in memory of Russell Solorow, husband of Joan Solorow. Janet Jurow in memory of my mother, Betty Keller; in memory of Michael Rosenberg. Joan and Richard Kalmans in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Linda and Gene Koski in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Bob and Helen Natt in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg; in memory of Jeffrey Sacks, brother of Ken Sacks. Alan and Sylvia Neigher in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Lori Ostroff in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Linda and Brad Rothbaum in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Sonya Schopick in memory of Russell Solorow. Gail, Ed, Dustin, and Tamara Schriffert in memory of mother and grandmother, Minnie Vineberg. Karen Solorow in memory of father, Russell Solorow. Ellie Taylor in appreciation. Lori and Dan Underberger in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg.
Sylvia Prosnit Adult Education Fund Judi and David Beier—Mazel Tov to the Prosnit family on Ethan’s ordination. May his rabbinate be filled with the same wisdom and compassion as his father’s. Elaine and Juda Chetrit in memory of Jeffrey Sacks, brother of Ken Sacks. Lisa Knicos in memory of Al Kadden, father of Jack Kadden; in memory of James Capinera, father of Angela Capinera. Beth Lazar in appreciation of Elaine Chetrit and all of the members of her Adult Hebrew class. Alan and Sylvia Neigher in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Nursery School Scholarship Fund Alexa and David Cohen in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Bob Ford in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Gail and Peter Weinstein in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg; in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit, and in honor of Michael Chetrit’s engagement. Religious School Enrichment Fund Becky and Rich Rosen in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Religious School Scholarship Fund Carol Krim in appreciation to Ira Wise. Rabbi Arnold Sher Social Action Fund Susan Bauchner and Ellen Gittleman in memory of mother, Bobby Kaplan. Michael and Judy Blumenthal in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg; in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Shelley and Tom Hall in memory of Al Rankell, husband of Judy Rankell. Paula and Bob Herzlinger in memory of Al Rankell, husband of Judy Rankell. Ilse Levi in memory of Al Kadden, father of Jack Kadden. Gary and Gloria Mazo, Ari, Dan, and Sara PipeMazo, in honor of Jim Greenberg’s 50th birthday. Vision Loan Reduction Fund Elaine and Juda Chetrit in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Kathy Fishman in memory of Michael Rosenberg. Jim and Lisa Greenberg in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. JFACT Fund–Voices of Hope in memory of Michael Rosenberg. Julie and Steve Pressman in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Amy and Glenn Rich in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Andrew Rabinowitz in memory of Al Rankell, husband of Judy Rankell. Glen and Kelly Reznikoff in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. William and Lorraine Smith in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Debbie and Dan Viens in memory of Michael Rosenberg.
What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@cbibpt.org.
Message From the President It is hard for me to believe that it has been two years since I accepted the role of synagogue president. I have enjoyed these past two years and am going to miss the contact and communication with all of you. I have tried to open the lines of communication and invite you all to participate in synagogue life in whatever way is most comfortable for you. B’nai Israel has so much to offer. I hope you were able to take advantage of many of our wonderful services and programs over the last year. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your President. After the Annual Meeting on June 19 (which I hope you will attend), I know I leave you in good hands with Sam Rosenberg as your next President. He has been a huge help to me in the last two years, and I know he will hit the ground running and do a wonderful job during the next two years.
I also want to thank our rabbis, Cantor Blum, and the rest of the temple staff and volunteers for all of the help and guidance you have given me in the last two years. You are a wonderful group of people to work with, and I enjoyed all of the time I have spent with all of you. Many of you have asked what is next for me. Well, after a vacation on our boat this summer, I will be wearing my wedding planner hat as I help plan my daughter Jaclyn’s wedding in 2015. But not to worry—you will still see me at many temple events as well as Friday night services. May the next year bring us all together again in good strength. Sincerely, Mindy
B’nai Israel Annual Meeting Thursday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Please join President of the Board Mindy Siegel, members of the 2013–2014 Board of Trustees, the temple professional staff, and various committee chairs for a year-end review, a champagne toast to give a huge thank-you to our outgoing Board members, and a warm welcome to our new Board members. There will also be a discussion on the 2013–2014 budget results and the 2014–2015 budget. We hope that you can join us!
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 Barbara Abraham in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit; in memory of Michael Rosenberg, father of Sam Rosenberg. Samuel Miller in honor of Barbara Abraham’s special birthday. Serena and Arnie Sher in memory of father and grandfather, Michael Rosenberg. Rita and Dan Shichman in memory of Michael Rosenberg. Prayer Book Fund Chris and George Markley in memory of Michael Rosenberg; in memory of Aram Nahabedian. Matthew and Patricia Wunder—a donation. Gillette Judaic Enrichment Fund Chris and George Markley in memory of Ludwig Markley. Jane and Jerry Pressman in loving memory of Bobby Kaplan, mother of Susan Bauchner. Nancy and Irv Silverman—congratulations to Jon and Cleo Sonneborn on Jessica’s engagement.
Judith Brav Sher Family Education Fund Alexa and David Cohen in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Joan and Richard Kalmans in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Chris and George Markley in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Caren and Bill Schwartz in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Lori and Dan Underberger in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit. Debbie, Dan, Matthew, and Jaime Viens in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit.
Rabbi Martin Library Fund Bob Ford in memory of Albert Rankell, husband of Judy Rankell. Muggs Lefsetz in memory of mother, Fannie Kaster.
David and Lee Lester Kesher Fund Lee Lester in memory of Albert Rankell, husband of Judy Rankell; in memory of Bernard Simmons, brother of Rhoda Mazur.
Habitat for Humanity Janice and Bernard Jacobs in memory of Kent Barney, stepfather of Elaine Chetrit.
Slepian Floral Fund Sheila Madow and family in memory of Julia B. Slepian, mother of Sheila Madow; in memory of Abraham Madow, father-in-law of Sheila Madow.
Learn about “One of Us” on p. 9.
Charles Fried Keshet Fund Denise, Marc, Debi, Sasha, Jesse, Shari, Aaron, Cooper, and Rebecca Fried in loving memory of Charlie Fried. Etz Chaim Living Torah Fund Jack and Karin Newman in memory of Ruth Aaron, mother of Mollie Keller.
BIFTY Greenwald Scholarship Patti and Samuel Rosenberg in memory of Michael Rosenberg.
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Israel by BIKE! October 30-November 9, 2014 Highlights:
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Our 4’s and 5’s Are Moving On! The Moving On Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 5 at 11:00 am in the sanctuary. All are invited to attend. 4’s Addison Accardi Alex Adwin Alexander Brenner Maya Cassidy Rafael Cohan Samuel Cooper Sophia Dubrosky Dylan Graf Mitchell Ericsson Jacob Goldman Sophia Griffin Byrnleigh Holms Evan Hyde Jonah Kerner
Rebecca King Dylan Kohler Sarah Lacugna Jake Leopardi Claire Morgan Paige Morgan Reece Morgan Julia Nuland Samuel Resnick-Reimer Charlie Schneider Elijah Silva Kylie Yurdin Leah Zipp
Pre-K Teddy Kushel Carter Novia Sarah Maya Alex Perman Jacob Pressman Emma Speicher Catie Whelpley
In addition, the Early Childhood Education Center Summer Camp will begin on Monday, June 9 and end on Friday, August 8. What’s happening at temple? Get Happenings, our weekly email! Send your request to lynn@cbibpt.org!