Temple Beth Sholom
The Shofar
Sivan/Tammuz/Av 5784
A Simple message
Jo Ann Howard, President
July/August 2024
During these unsettling times, this simple message reminded me what being a good human being is all about.
Use your voice for kindness, Your ears for compassion, Your hands for charity, Your mind for truth, And your heart for love. (Author unknown)
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.”
Alternatively, you can simply say, “I light this candle to bring peace to the soul of (relationship and his/her name).”
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Let’s welcome Shabbat together in the chapel at First Presbyterian Church
JULY
Friday, 5th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 12th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 19th Shabbat Service not scheduled
Friday, 26th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
AUGUST
Friday, 2nd 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 9th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 16th 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service
Friday, 23rd 7:30 p.m. Shabbat service
Friday, 30th Shabbat Service not scheduled
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!
Remember: “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”
WITH OUR CONGREGATION
(If you would like information printed in this section, please let Jo Ann know.)
A big Mazel Tov goes to Joe Eisenberg and Melissa Laverack on the birth of their first grandchild, Veronica. Proud parents are Beth and Kerry Lomartire. Joe and Melissa are looking forward to visiting with them in New Hampshire.
Welcome home to Susan and Hank Dufour. We’re so glad they decided to move back to Danville. It’s been 12 years and they have a lot of catching up to do with what has been happening in Danville.
Our wishes for good health are extended to Bernard Baker, Mildred Barth, Mira Becher, Carol Caplan, Don Loper, and Lynne Steinberg de Loper. 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.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
July Birthdays: 6 – Jason Eisner; 10 – Susan Dufour; 14 – Michael Amick; 15 – Faye Kushner; 18 – Estelle Mills; 20 – Darcy Amick; 21 – Rita Green; 21 – Mark Stanley; 22 – Melanie Vaughan; 28 – Alex Eisner
July Anniversaries: Paul and Karen Mandel
August Birthdays: 3 – Sam Kushner; 15 – Diane Krome; 15 – Kathy Sahale; 18 – Noah Kramer; 23 – John Lantor; 29 – Matt Harris
August Anniversaries: Eddy and Joan Fraifeld
Temple Beth Sholom Officers and Board of Directors
The Officers and Board of Directors who will be serving our Temple Beth Sholom congregation:
Jo Ann Howard, President
Michael Caplan, Vice President
Bonnie Brumfield, Secretary
Peter Howard, Treasurer
Board of Directors: Joe Eisenberg, Sam Kushner, Ronnie Mand, Sam Rippe
Thank you to Mira Becher for serving on the Board since 2019. Congratulations to Joe Eisenberg for beginning his first term. He is ready to work!
Let
’s Tune In!
The Jewish Broadcasting Service (JBS) channel offers current Israeli news, topics of Jewish interest, and recordings of Shabbat services at reform and orthodox synagogues in New York, interviews with Jewish dignitaries, Talmud and Torah study, and even an Israeli soap opera (Srugim). In their words: "Jewish News, Jewish Studies, Jewish Children, Jewish Entertainment, and Jewish Culture." Comcast/Xfinity offers JBS on Channel 1684.
Bonnie Brumfield
Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av (August 12-13, 2024), is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, on which we fast, deprive ourselves and pray. It is the culmination of the Three Weeks, a period of time during which we mark the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Both Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on this date. The First Temple was burned by the Babylonians in 423 BCE and the Second Temple fell to the Romans in 69 CE
The Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans in 133 CE ended in defeat: The Jews of Betar were butchered on the 9th of Av and the Temple Mount was plowed one year later on the same date. Later on in our history, many more tragedies happened on this day, including the 1290 expulsion of England’s Jews and the 1492 banishment of all Jews from Spain
Temple Beth Sholom Donations
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!
Sam and Faye Kushner
In remembrance of the following family and friends: Beloved grandmother, Sara Rebeka Whitten Kushner, and Harry Stein.
Dear friends: Lorraine Lester, Raynell Lantor, Rabbi Arnold Shevlin, Eileen Stendig, Buddy Rippe, and Uncle Herman B. Kushner
Jimmy Adkins
A heartfelt offering for Shavuot
Peter and Jo Ann Howard
Given in loving memory of Louis Sager, Lee and Eleanor Howard, Lee Evan Howard, and Uncle Morris Sager
In memory of Julia Cornblatt Tostado’ s husband Sal.
In honor of the birth of Veronica Lomartire and welcome to the Grandparents Club to Joe Eisenberg and Melissa Laverack
In honor of Steve and Ronnie Mand’s 50th anniversary
Welcome back to Hank and Susan Dufour
Thank you to Carol Caplan for all her work to make it a reality that our Temple Beth Sholom building will once again be filled with our congregants
Bernard and Belinda Baker
In honor of Ronnie and Steve Mand’s 50th anniversary
In honor of the 6th anniversary of Bernard’s conversion
Steve and Ronnie Mand
In honor of new grandparents, Joe and Melissa, on the birth of granddaughter Veronica
A Little Humor is Good for the Soul!
GOLF
Moishe is 90 years old. He's played golf every day since his retirement 25 years ago. One day he arrives home looking downcast.
"That's it," he tells his wife Miriam. "I'm giving up golf. My eyesight has gotten so bad that once I've hit the ball, I can't see where it went."
Miriam sympathizes and makes him a cup of tea with a piece of cake.
As they sit down, she says, "Why don't you take my brother Herman with you and give it one more try."
"That's no good," sighs Moishe. "Your brother's a hundred and three. He can't help."
"He may be a hundred and three," says Miriam, "but his eyesight is perfect."
So the next day, Moishe heads off to the golf course with his brother-in-law Herman. He tees up, takes an almighty swing, and squints down the fairway.
He turns to Herman. "Did you see the ball?"
"Of course I did!" replies Herman. "I have perfect eyesight."
"Where did it go?" asks Moishe.
"I don't remember. "
CEMETERY
An old Jewish woman, on her 80th birthday, decides to prepare her last will and testament. She goes to the rabbi to show it to him and to ask him for advice on a few points, chief amongst them is her request that she not be buried in a Jewish cemetery.
"But why Mrs. Epstein?" the rabbi asks. "You don't want to be buried with the rest of our people?"
"No," Mrs. Epstein said resolutely. "I want to be buried at Bloomingdales."
"Bloomingdales?!" the rabbi said in disbelief.
"Yes. Then I'll be sure that my daughters will visit me at least twice a week!"
MRS. GOLDBERG
Mrs. Goldberg went to the doctors’ office where she was seen by one of the new doctors, Dr. Kleiner. After about 4 minutes in the examination room, she burst out, screaming as she ran down the hall
An older doctor, Dr. Alter, stopped her and asked what the problem was, and she told him her story. After listening, he had her sit down in another room and told her to relax.
Dr. Alter marched down hallway to the back where Dr. Kleiner was and demanded, "What's the matter with you?
Mrs. Goldberg is 63 years old, she has four grown children and seven grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?"
Dr. Kleiner calmly continued to write on his clipboard and without looking up said, "Does she still have the hiccups?"
July – August 2024
A Message from Martha
“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…” and I have slowed down considerably, although not because of the heat and humidity, but because I had a bad fall on June 2nd, broke a bone in my jaw, and currently have my mouth wired shut so that I am on a liquid diet. As the old saying goes, we plan, and God laughs.
And yet, I am still grateful for many things - the lessons this fall has taught me (the main one, slow your clumsy self down!), the support from family and friends, and the excellent medical care that I have received. When I contacted an oral surgeon in Winston-Salem (because there aren’t any of those in my rural neck of the woods), there was some question as to whether my insurance would cover the necessary procedure, and I was reminded of wise words from a friend of mine years ago: “If you have a problem that can be solved with money, and you’ve got money, it’s not a problem.”
In some ways this applies to Hadassah as well. I hope if you have email that you both receive and read the news from Hadassah about all the wonderful work the organization is doing! The Gandel Rehabilitation Center at HMO’s Mount Scopus Hospital now offers a wide range of therapies to help patients move from injury to recovery. The Gandel Center was part of the immediate response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th and now provides treatment for PTSD and a variety of neurological problems caused by nervous system injuries.
Also at HMO’s Multiple Sclerosis Center, clinical trials about using the power of stem cells to stop the progression of MS are moving into the next phase of research, studying the approach of injecting stem cells directly into spinal fluid.
Aside from medical research and treatment, Hadassah is also an active force in advocacy, including:
**Along with a number of other women’s organizations, Hadassah’s National President, Carol Ann Schwartz, delivered a letter to the UN’s Secretary General Antonio Guterres, requesting that he condemn Hamas’s use of sexual violence against women as the crime against humanity that it is;
**Hadassah volunteers, with assistance from the DC Government Affairs Office, advocate for women’s reproductive freedom and gender equity in medical research;
**Hadassah supports a strong US-Israel relationship, Israel’s security, and practical Zionism to ensure Israel’s continued existence and progress.
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And YOU are a part of all this good work! Remember the quote from my friend that I mentioned earlier in this article, about problems and money? Every time we donate to Hadassah we are a part of the organization’s good work to address problems in our troubled world - medical issues, women’s concerns, antisemitism, anti-Zionism, political questions, and other. Please continue to be a strong supporter of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America! You may not hear from your Danville chapter as often during my period of recovery, but know how much your continued support of our organization is appreciated.
Hopefully you will hear from us soon regarding our next Zoom meeting. If you have suggestions for meeting topics, please let us know. Until then, shalom!
Martha Woody, President Hadassah Danville
Rays of Hope and Celebration
Myron
and Lindy Levey
To Ronnie and Steven Mand in honor of their 50th anniversary
Jo Ann and Peter Howard
To Martha Woody for the healing of body and spirit – r ’fuah sh’leimah
Will we see your name next time? You can light a menorah for just $18!
New Gandel Rehab Center Welcomes First Patients
January 2024
The sounds of Hadassah representatives clapping and singing "Shalom Aleichem" welcomed the first patients into the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus on January 15, part of a phased opening of the new facility.
These initial 12 patients in the War-Wounded Department will have the opportunity to heal using state-of-the-art equipment, including 1st Sgt. Yotam, who was the first to come through the doors.
"The first patients, all of whom were wounded in the war heroes and heroines to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude begin their journey in the new center in a designated department with advanced equipment and systems that were built and installed especially for them," said Prof. Yoram Weiss, director general of the Hadassah Medical Organization.
The Gandel center will offer a host of special treatments along with physical and occupational therapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and respiratory and orthopedic rehabilitation. There will be a PTSD center and rehabilitation for neurological problems caused by brain, spinal cord and nervous system injuries. When construction is complete, the 323,000-square-foot eight-story center, named for John Gandel and Pauline Gandel of the Gandel Foundation in Melbourne, Australia, will care for 10,000 patients annually. The center will feature 140 in-patient beds — a 250 percent increase for the Hadassah Medical Organization and an out-patient clinic able to serve 250 patients a day.
"The need to establish a new and advanced rehabilitation center in Jerusalem has existed for a long time, and we have worked for years to create it. This need became paramount in light of the war, for many soldiers and citizens in Israel," Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz said.
"The Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Mount Scopus will provide a response at this critical time and its opening is possible thanks to large-scale fundraising by Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America," Schwartz continued. "This is part of the organization's 112-year commitment to the State of Israel in general and to Jerusalem in particular."
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Dalia Itzik, chair of the Hadassah Medical Organization's Board of Directors, led the hospital in its effort "to establish a rehabilitation center that would operate at the highest standards, in line with leading centers in the world."
"Today we made history," Itzik said. "The opening of the first ward at the rehabilitation center is nothing less than a national event that will change the rehabilitation map in Israel."
Plans for the rehabilitation center began years ago, but construction was greatly accelerated following the terrorist attacks of October 7. "Right now, we are facing a real crisis in the State of Israel that has only intensified given the many war wounded who need rehabilitation," Prof. Weiss said. "It is important to understand that each wounded person requires prolonged rehabilitation, a period of at least several weeks if not many months."
Among the state-of-the-art advances the Gandel center will offer are walking labs (also known as gait labs), which use computers to analyze motion and detect problems not always apparent in clinical exams, and a therapeutic swimming pool with a modular floor that adapts to each patient's needs.
A freestanding structure with a separate entrance, the new center will enable rehabilitation patients to come and go without having to pass through the hospital. The center has been designed to create a hotel-like feeling that ensures patients will be as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
#EndTheSilence: Hadassah Continues to Speak Out
JUNE 17, 2024
UN COI Report Fails to Hold Hamas Accountable
In June 2024, the problematic and biased UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) issued reports focused on Hamas’ October 7 attack and Israel’s response. As expected, these reports showed outrageous bias against Israel and dangerous statements that downplayed Hamas' terrorism and disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. The reports failed to hold Hamas responsible for its crimes against humanity, including the clear and systematic weaponization of sexual violence on October 7 and beyond. Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz issued a statement in response to this report, which received media attention.
Hadassah continues to call on UN leaders to disband the biased, antisemitic COI.
Hadassah Calls on UN Leaders to Speak Out
Ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 19, Hadassah led a letter, signed by 53 organizations, calling on UN Secretary-General António Guterres and other leaders to condemn Hamas by name for the systematic weaponization of sexual violence as a weapon of war and call this crime what it is: a crime against humanity. We are also asking Guterres to ensure the COI’s June 19 discussion before the Human Rights Council does not become a platform for denial, propaganda and harmful antisemitic narratives.
Hadassah advocates can join us in this call to action by writing UN Secretary-General Guterres here.
Hadassah will continue to speak out and demand justice for the victims of Hamas’ systematic weaponization of sexual violence as a weapon of war until a legitimate, unbiased investigation is completed and the Hamas terrorists are held fully accountable.
Hadassah’s
Fact Sheet Compiling Reports Showing Evidence of Hamas’ Weaponization of Sexual Violence
Hadassah created a fact sheet that collects and summarizes evidence from five organizations’ reports and four news outlets’ investigative articles highlighting the systematic and brutal weaponization of sexual violence and rape by Hamas on October 7 and beyond. This fact sheet is meant to be a resource to fight the misinformation and antisemitic biases being pushed by the COI and others.
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Hadassah’s Global End The Silence Campaign
Earlier this year, Hadassah launched the global End The Silence campaign to speak out and raise awareness of Hamas’ gender-based violence on October 7 and beyond and demand that the UN conduct an independent, unbiased investigation of Hamas’ use of rape and gender-based violence as weapons of war. As part of this campaign, 150,000 advocates from 118 countries and 119 organizations have written to UN Secretary-General Guterres, demanding justice for Israeli women and girls.
Hadassah Research on Male Infertility Cited in USA Today
JUNE 27, 2024
An article in USA Today about male infertility cites a study by Hadassah researcher Dr. Hagai Levine that found a sharp decrease in sperm counts over decades.
In the 2022 study, Dr. Levine, head of environmental health at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, found that sperm counts dropped by more than 1% annually from 1973 to 2000 and 2.6% between 2000 and 2018, which he characterized as “an amazing pace.”
Read the full article in USA Today.
Read More
[Hadassah On Call:] Fertility & Sperm: The Lowdown Get the Facts: Infertility FAQs
Read more Hadassah news: https://www.hadassah.org