Tevet/Shevat 5785

Tevet/Shevat 5785
January/February 2025
Jo Ann Howard, President
Just a few months ago, during the month of Elul, Jewish tradition urged us to reflect on the past year and think about whom we have helped and whom we have hurt. Often times the hurt is caused because we are not good listeners. We are more focused on what we are feeling or what we want to share. Take time to reflect on the prayer “Listen” by Rabbis Jack Riemer and Harold Kushner to help understand how we may unknowingly hurt others and how we can make the secular year 2025 a positive one for ourselves and those around us.
Judaism begins with the commandment: Hear, O Israel!
But what does it really mean to hear?
The person who attends a concert with a mind on business, hears, but does not really hear.
The person who walks amid the songs of the birds and thinks only of what will be served for dinner, hears-but does not really hear.
The one who listens to the words of a friend, or spouse, or child, and does not catch the note of urgency: “Notice me, help me, care about me,” hears-but does not really hear.
The person who stifles the sound of conscience and thinks “I have done enough already”, hears but does not really hear.
The person who listens to the rabbi’s sermon and thinks someone else is being addressed, hears, but does not really hear.
O Lord, Sharpen our ability to hear.
May we hear the music of the world, and the infant’s cry, and the lover’s sigh.
May we hear the call for help of the lonely soul, and the sound of the breaking heart.
May we hear the words of our friends, and also their unspoken pleas and dreams.
May we hear within ourselves the yearnings that are struggling for expression.
May we hear You, O God.
For only if we hear You, do we have the right to hope that You will hear us.
Hear the prayers we offer to You, O God, and may we hear them too.
When lighting the Yahrzeit candle, you can recite the following prayer: The human soul is a light from God. May it be your will that the soul of (insert name) enjoy eternal life, along with the souls of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, and the rest of the righteous that are in Gan Eden. Amen
Let’s Welcome Shabbat Together (in the chapel at First Presbyterian Church)
Friday, 3rd 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 10th Shabbat Service not scheduled
Friday, 17th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 24th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 31st 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 7th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 14th Shabbat Service not scheduled
Sunday, 16th 2:00 p.m. Tu B’Shevat Seder at the Howard’s home Flyer will be sent out
Friday, 21st 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 28th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
(If you would like information printed in this section, please let Jo Ann know.)
Mazel tov to Faye and Sam Kushner on their 30th anniversary! We wish them many more happy years together.
Mazel Tov to Matt Harris on his retirement! Chatham Knitting Mills will now be closed after 72 years of business. Matt has decided that only the building will be sold. He is looking forward to days filled with golf and pickleball!
Our wishes for good health are extended to Bernard Baker, Mildred Barth, Mira Becher, Carol Caplan, Eddy Fraifeld, Larry Golsen, Don & Lynne Loper, Paul Mandel, and Kathy Sahale. We know that some of our congregants become ill, have surgery, or suffer an injury between The Shofar publications, so please know that we extend a prayer of comfort and continued recovery to those who are not specifically named.
Yom Huledet Sameach – Happy Birthday to you:
January Birthdays: 2 – Jasmine Eisner; 10 – Don Loper; 13 – Robert Fryman; 21 – Bernard Baker; 22 – George Brumfield; 23 – Belinda Baker
February Birthdays: 6 – Mira Becher; 7 –Karen Mandel; 9 – Carol Caplan; 27 – Michael Caplan; 29 –Rebekka Stanley
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Uplift another congregant’s spirits by giving them a call or sending them a card, email or text! It only takes a few minutes and it will make a big difference in their day and yours!
Please remember the Building Fund for such things as Sympathy, Mazel Tov, Thank You, and Speedy Recovery. The list is endless. Your contribution will brighten someone’s day and help support YOUR temple at the same time!
Gary Grant – For the building restoration project
The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History’s winter exhibition, “Art as an Act of Devotion,” centers on religious and spiritual art and artifacts. The majority of the exhibit comes from the local community, showcasing objects representative of diverse religions and spiritual practices. The exhibition aims to illustrate how artistic objects are used to enhance personal connectedness and spiritual practice.
This is a very interesting exhibit, and includes items contributed by the Kushners and the Howards. Be sure to make time to visit this wonderful exhibit.
BY REBECCA KERZNER
Tu B’Shevat is the Jewish New Year for trees. Some celebrate the day with a Tu B’Shevat Seder or by planting trees. But there’s a lot more to it than that! Here are nine things you maybe didn’t know about Tu Bishvat.
1. Some Jews eat the dried carob fruit on this day.
All tree fruits are especially appropriate on Tu B’Shevat. But the carob fruit, in particular, is associated with the holiday because of the story of the sage Honi who wandered the land planting carob seeds. Carob trees take decades to produce fruit so God put Honi to sleep to allow him to see his own saplings create edible fruits. There is also a famous Talmudic story about a sage named Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who was forced to hide from Roman persecution with his son in a cave. They survived off a carob tree and stream of water for 13 years (Talmud Shabbat 33b).
2. Tu B’shevat was not originally a festival.
The rabbis designated Tu Bishvat, the 15th of the month of Shevat, as an important date for Jewish farmers in ancient times to calculate their taxes for the year. In Leviticus 19:23, the Torah states, “When you enter the land [of Israel] and plant any tree for food, you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden for you, not to be eaten.” Fruits were forbidden for the first three years of growth to eat, and the fruit of the fourth year was to be offered to the priests in the Temple as a gift of gratitude for the bounty of the land. The fifth-year fruit and all subsequent fruit was finally for the farmer to eat and enjoy. Tu Bishvat therefore, became known as the general “birthday” for all the trees, when one took accounting of each tree as a year older, and marked the time when farmers would be able to designate taxes or finally eat their fruit’s harvest.
3. Tu B’Shevat is one of FOUR Jewish new years.
The rabbis of the Talmud established four “new years.” The most famous, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year for the calendar date. There was also a new year for establishing the reign of kings and a new year for tithing animals Jewish farmers gave to the Temple.
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4. Tu B’Shevat falls at the close of the rainy season in Israel. Once the ground has become saturated with the rains, the fruits can begin to bloom. This was a date that made sense to mark the start of a new season. Even though it falls smack in the winter, the message of Tu B’Shevat is one of renewal and hope spring is coming.
5. The kabbalists in the Middle Ages created a seder for Tu B’Shevat.
The mystical Tu B’Shevat Seder mirrors the Passover Seder. It involves eating four different fruits native to the Land of Israel and drinking four cups of wine (in varying shades of red) to correspond to the four seasons and the four aspects of creation according to the Kabbalat. The most common fruits to eat during Tu B’Shevat are olives, dates, grapes, figs and pomegranates.
6. Fruit trees have a special place in Judaism.
Beginning with the Garden of Eden, in Jewish thought, fruit trees symbolize life, growth and nourishment. There is also a traditional image of a person as a tree whose arms and legs are branches bearing good deeds, the “produce” of one’s labors. (Midrash Shmuel on Pirkei Avot 3:24)
7. It became a custom to plant trees on Tu B’Shevat with the establishment of the state of Israel.
On the Tu Bishvat of 1949, less than one year after the creation of the state, Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion made a stopover at Sha’ar HaGai, a lookout at the edge of Tel Aviv, en route to Jerusalem for the first Knesset assembly. There, he planted trees to celebrate Tu Bishvat the first trees planted in honor of the festival in Israel. Today, people commonly donate to the Jewish National Fund, a Jewish non-profit organization that has an initiative to plant trees in Israel. Each tree can be planted in the name of a loved one, and one receives a certificate showing that a tree had been planted on their behalf.
8. It was the custom of the famed Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria (“Arizal”) to eat 15 varieties of fruits on the 15th of Shevat. Four cups of wine is good, but adding fifteen kinds of fruit is even better!
9. There is a custom to plant parsley seeds on Tu Bishvat. Parsley planted on Tu B’Shevat will sprout and mature in time to be used on the Passover Seder plate.
By Alex Graaff, Digital Communications Producer Union for Reform Judaism
As the weather turns and the leaves hit the ground, my one and only aim is to collect books that will make me feel like I'm curled up in front of a fire on a chilly night even if I'm really on my couch with a heated blanket. A truly cozy read, in my opinion, is defined by its ability to keep me present. As the definition of cozy reading is subjective, I've compiled a list of Jewish cozy reads spanning a few genres. Wrap yourself up in your favorite blanket, turn the kettle on, and let's get started.
"Kantika" by Elizabeth Graver "Kantika" appropriately borrowed its title from the Ladino word for "song." This book weaves together the notes of a multigenerational saga into a beautiful story about survival and identity. Rebecca Cohen, a member of the Sephardi elite in 20th-century Istanbul, is forced to move from Spain to Cuba to New York. This book follows her life as she fends for herself while dealing with the trauma and joy that comes with creating her own place in the world.
This book is perfect for those interested in Sephardi history and culture.
"When the Angels Left the Old Country" by Sacha Lamb
Although "When the Angels Left the Old Country" could be seen primarily as a historical fantasy, the wild tale of Uriel the Angel and Little Ash (Ashmedai the demon) aptly portrays the immigration story of many Americans-specifically Ashkenazi Jews.
When the dreams of America draw away the young residents of the Shtetl (called only "the Shtetl" in the book), Uriel and Little Ash are forced to follow them when one immigrant goes missing in the New World.
This mystery keeps you engaged while opening the door to a historic America that can feel all too familiar.
"The Golem and the Jinni" by Helene Wecker
A fun historical fantasy, "The Golem and the Jinni" blend together Ashkenazi and Sephardi folklore to create a tale of two soul mates, Chava the golem and Ahmad the jinni.
This magical fable takes place in New York City in the early twentieth century. Chava and Ahmad's friendship, while mostly focused on discovering what it means to be human, encounters a malignant force in the form of an evil kabbalist-adding tension to their journey.
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"The Pomegranate Gate" by Ariel Kaplan
Set amongst the Spanish Inquisition, this fantasy novel blends two worlds wrecked by the Queen of Sefarad's (based on the historical Queen Isabella of Spain) order that Jews must convert or leave the country. Our world and the magical realm are divided by a strange pomegranate grove containing a gate. Toba Peres and Naftaly Cresques find themselves bound by fate as they both flee this mythical version of Spain. Toba is lost through the magical gate and Naftaly vows to find her. This book is the first in a series. T he second novel, "The Republic of Salt" was published in October 2024.
"The Ex Talk" by Rachel Lynn Solomon
"The Ex Talk" is a quirky romance read that is set against the background of a Seattle public radio station. Shay Goldstein, a Jewish producer, pitches a new talk show called "The Ex Talk" to draw in listeners. In a twist of fate, Goldstein hosts the show with her coworker (and nemesis) Dominic Yun. Read how these two hosts navigate the tricky waters of public radio.
JANUARY 2, 2025
Did you know that even though the Reform Movement is the largest Jewish movement in the US, Reform Jews are a minority in Israel? And that certain political and social forces in Israel intentionally seek to not only diminish Reform Jews' ability to expand and worship, but to roll back or curtail rights for other religious and cultural minorities, LGBTQ+, women and more? In 2025, you have a unique opportunity to help ensure Israel remains a free, democratic and pluralistic society for all Jews by voting in the World Zionist Congress elections. Controlling an annual budget of over $1 billion, the World Zionist Congress, which represents Jewish communities from around the world, meets every five years to:
Set policies that affect the status of Reform Jews in Israel and millions of Israelis
Make decisions that influence hundreds of millions of dollars in spending Influence construction projects and therefore the choice between settlement expansion, or a path to peace, and ensuring investment in communities destroyed on October 7th
Additional information can be found at vote4reform.org, where you can sign up to be a part of the campaign. (Just click on “Join Our Campaign.)
A
Little Humor is Good for the Soul! You never know what you’ll read on a sign!
My fear of moving stairs Is escalating
I have a chicken-proof lawn It’s impeccable!
Poison ivy crossed with a four leaf clover Will get you a rash of good luck
I named my dog Rolex He’s my watchdog
Haunted French pancakes Give me the crepes
Tried to catch the fog I mist
Be careful when you eat at Sam & Ella’s diner
A bike in town keeps running me over It’s a vicious cycle
Despite the high cost of living It remains popular
I’ve grilled the chicken for two hours And it still won’t say why it crossed the road!
As 2024 comes to a close, I have a question: Where did the time go?!? In some ways it seems like the blink of an eye since the last New Year, but in others it seems like a hundred years. So many disappointments, so much work left to be done, but at the same time we can be proud of the accomplishments of Hadassah and especially the achievements of our small but mighty chapter.
The Hadassah Danville Board, including Jo Ann Howard (our amazing treasurer), Ronnie Mand (our faithful secretary), and Melanie Vaughan (our creative vice-president), have continued to provide the leadership and services that enable our little chapter to survive and thrive.
Hadassah Danville members have generously responded to our fund-raising activities, including our Galentine’s Day No-Show event, our birthday/anniversary card project to support Youth Aliyah, and our Rosh Hashanah card celebration to benefit Young Judaea. These contributions help to provide the necessary funding for the good work of Hadassah, especially the amazing accomplishments of the Hadassah Medical Organization.
Of course, the crowning glory of our projects is the Angels of Mercy campaign; we just completed our 74th excursion into the surrounding and much larger non-Jewish community and it was again a resounding success! This is not just our largest fund-raiser; it also serves as a reminder of our Jewish presence here in the South and as a bulwark against antisemitism.
Recently, I had several heart-warming experiences that give me hope for the future. Young ladies at the grocery store and in the bank, noticing my scarf with dreidels and stars of David, wished me a happy Chanukah. Even the older gentleman serving as a Salvation Army “Santa” noticed my Jewish holiday apparel and spoke admiringly about Judaism.
By the time you read this, 2025 will have arrived and perhaps you will have made some New Year resolutions. A resolution that will be easy to keep is continued support for the Hadassah Danville chapter and the important efforts of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, not just in medical research and treatment but also in advocacy for women’s reproductive freedom, in combatting antisemitism, and support for Israel especially in these troubling times. You always come through for HWZOA and I am forever grateful! I am praying that the New Year will bring peace and comfort to all.
Martha
Standing Ovation for OUR Danville Chapter!
Thank you to everyone who supported our 2024 projects. We surpassed all of our project goals!!
Galentine’s Day “No Show” Event –-Our no show event was held during the month of February and was a great success! We raised $2,605 to help support the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO).
5785 New Year Card – Thank you to Susan Dufour for chairing this project. We had 44 families participate and raised $1,036. The money made from this project will be used for Young Judaea Scholarships, which offers opportunities for our children and grandchildren to attend educational programs and Young Judaea camps which help them develop their Jewish identity.
Angels of Mercy – Ronnie Mand and Jo Ann Howard have continued to cochair this project. We thank Carol Caplan, Susan Dufour, Jo Ann Howard, Ronnie Mand, Melanie Vaughan, and Martha Woody for securing 73 business ads. We also thank the 149 Hadassah and non-Hadassah donors who supported this project. We raised almost $19,000 for HMO!
Birthday/Anniversary Cards – Thank you to Dawne Lucas for continuing to chair this project. She works on it year-round in order to send out the birthday and anniversary cards each month. Thank you to those of you who support this project. We raised $1,961, which not only supports Hadassah’s two Youth Aliyah, villages, but will also bring a smile to the faces of those who will receive birthday and anniversary cards in 2025.
of Hope & Celebration – This year-round project has given members a way to virtually light a menorah at a meeting and/or send a mazel tov, get well, or an expression of sympathy to a friend or family member. We raised $648 for Greatest Need.
The new state-of-the-art Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus has had a profound impact on Israeli soldiers and civilians throughout the year since opening its doors in January. “The diversity of Israeli society is perhaps most clearly on display in the hallways, waiting rooms and patient facilities,” reporter Ryan Torok of the Jewish Journal in Los Angeles noted on a tour of the facility in July. As this video showcases, the Gandel Rehabilitation Center has helped patients including those severely wounded on October 7, 2023, and in the subsequent wars find hope.
With a focus on cancer research, the Hadassah Medical Organization achieved a major breakthrough in personalized cancer care utilizing artificial intelligence, introduced a new blood test that offers early detection of potentially fatal lung damage in cancer patients taking antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and administered for the first time an innovative alpha-radiation cancer therapy to a patient with recurrent lung cancer, beginning a new clinical trial.
Using 3D technology as a guide, orthopedic surgeons at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in February successfully reconstructed the shattered knee of a 21-year-old soldier who had been shot multiple times in a gunfight with terrorists in Gaza’s Jabalya neighborhood.
In a study presented in March at the 2024 Forum of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, Dr. Petrou Panayiota, a neurologist at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, presented evidence of significant beneficial effects of repeated stem cell injections in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis.
With support from donors all over the world and many years of planning, construction and anticipation, Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem welcomed the first patients into its reimagined Round Building in Jerusalem, including the Alberto and Vicky Saba Internal Medicine Complex, on May 2.
A new study by Hadassah researchers, including Dr. Dana Wolf and Dr. Moran Yassour, showed that newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) a leading cause of childhood neurologic deficits with lifelong implications can be carried out reliably with pooled saliva tests for universal screening.
Two Hadassah studies focused on suicide and the younger population: one showed a direct link between lack of sleep and suicidal thoughts in youth, and the other showed that obesity drugs can help reduce the risk of suicide in teens.
A study by Hadassah researchers found that women’s pain is not taken as seriously as men’s, highlighting how gender bias in Israeli and American ERs impacts treatment.
A first-in-the-world clinical trial at the Hadassah Medical Organization will directly test the extent to which the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine developed over 100 years ago to prevent tuberculosis reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s by strengthening the immune system.
Hadassah’s hospitals were named by Newsweek as global leaders in cardiology and oncology in its list of the “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2025.”
About 400 Hadassah leaders, members, donors, Associates and staff went all in to show their support for Hadassah, descending upon Las Vegas for Hadassah’s July 2024 National Conference.
The Hadassah Medical Organization’s Cardio-Oncology Center was declared Israel’s first Center of Excellence by the International Cardio-Oncology Society, a notable accomplishment as the field of cardio-oncology is still developing in Israel.
Hadassah received a four-star rating on Charity Navigator and a gold seal of transparency from Candid.
Hadassah Magazine won eight Simon Rockower Awards, the annual prize for excellence in Jewish journalism awarded by the American Jewish Press Association.
Israeli-American journalist Gil Hoffman joined the Hadassah Associates for a virtual Father’s Day event in June. “Look, you don’t wake up at 2 am except if it’s for love,” said Hoffman, executive director of Honest Reporting, which ensures truth and combats prejudice in media coverage of Israel. “That’s why I’m here with you tonight. I love Hadassah.”
Read more by going to https://www.hadassah.org/story/this-is-hadassah-2024. You will be inspired! .
1 candle, the Shamash, in memory of my brother, Arthur Kurtz, who was a leader and the first Principal of the Alexander Muss American High School in Israel.
4 candles for Hank and Andy – celebrating Hanukkah with love. 4 candles for friends in Danville, and a special thanks to Jo Ann for all her hard work on Angels of Mercy.
Menorah #1: In loving memory of my mother, Eleanor Quartin Sager. Menorah #2: In memory of my Aunt Rita Jo Tensly and my nephew Riley Scott Harness.
Menorah #1: In celebration of Steve’s 80th birthday. Menorah #2: Candles 1-6 for the six women who persevered with Angels of Mercy for another successful year as our chapter’s biggest fundraiser: Carol Caplan, Susan Dufour, Jo Ann Howard, Ronnie Mand, Melanie Vaughan, and Martha Woody; Candles 7-8 are for Jo Ann and Susan for carrying the weight of the project while I was away; Candle 9 is for Ronni Nichamin for sharing her tech skills, which always enhance our program meetings.
Thinking about the secular year to come, my thoughts go to my family, friends, our country, and Israel. I wish all of them a 2025 filled with good health, happiness, peace, and prosperity.
Beverly Maurice
1st candle in memory of my parents, Sandi and Mike Appel, and my grandparents, Meyer and Rose Koton. 2nd candle in honor of my children: Ron, Nikki, and Gina, and my grandchildren. The rest of the candles are for my synagogue family, my Hadassah family, and my community family.
For Hadassah Danville Chapter with heartfelt gratitude. Since my first year as your AVP you have welcomed me into your chapter. Thank you all for your friendship and hospitality, and a continual reminder of all that it means to be a member of Hadassah. You are my Rock.
Martha Woody
Menorah #1: (1) My partners in crime: Jo Ann, Ronnie and Melanie (couldn’t do this without you!); (2) The readers tonight: Beverly, Ronni, Susan, Amanda, Jo Ann, and Melanie (you made tonight special); (3) All the generous members of the small but mighty Danville chapter; (4) Southern Seaboard Region and its wonderful leaders (Sharon Goretsky, Rebecca Young, Diane Bisgaier, Gail Moskowitz, Aliza Bricklin, and of course Beverly Maurice and Ronni Nichamin); (5) The entire Hadassah organization and its amazing accomplishments; (6) Hadassah International, our worldwide partner; (7) The righteous gentiles who so generously support the work of Hadassah, especially our Angels of Mercy campaign; (8)The Danville chapter members who volunteer their time and energy to our various projects; (9) In hope of another successful year in 2025.
Menorah #2: In honor of the members of my family: (1) wonderful husband, Bob; (2) miracle daughter Amie and her husband Charles; (3) justice-seeking son Nathan; (4) son Bernie who gave us grandchildren; (5) amazing mother to those children, Adrian; (6-8) Eleanor, Alice, and Will - the 3 lights of my life; (9) my extended and loving family who are always with me, at least in spirit