Temple Israel Doorpost April 2019

April 2019

Adar II / Nisan 5779

From the Rabbi’s Study…

Dear Chaverim, The month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar begins on April 6. In the Torah, Nisan is referred to as Chodesh Ha-Aviv, or “the month of spring.”

Concerning this month it is written in Exodus 12:2, “This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

One might think that the month of Tishrei which, after all, begins with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, would be the first of the months. Could this possibly be a mistake in our sacred text? The Rabbis of old stated that every word, let alone every chapter and verse, has a purpose. What, then, could be the reason for calling Nisan the first month of the year?

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Nadav Tamir Speaks about Israeli Elections 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, Social Hall Presented by the Israeli Affairs Committee Spring Event Committee Meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, Shmoozatorium Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7 Candidate Rabbi Eve Eichenholtz Visits This Weekend (see page 12 for schedule of events) Early Learning Center Open House 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, Classroom Spread the word to families with preschoolers!

Basic Judaism Class with Rabbi Ira 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, Board Room Executive Committee Meeting 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, Virtual Meeting Havdalah at Home 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 13, members’ homes

Spring Event Committee Meeting 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 24, Shmoozatorium Basic Judaism Class with Rabbi Ira 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, Board Room The Temple Office will be Closed Friday, April 26 Passover Services 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 26, Sanctuary Please note: Passover Yizkor will be recited at Shabbat morning services on Saturday, 4/27.

Nominating Committee Meeting 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, Shmoozatorium

Board of Directors Meeting 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, Board Room Community Passover Seder 6:15 p.m. Saturday, April 20, Social Hall Please note: there will be no Shabbat services on Friday evening, 4/19 or Saturday morning, 4/20.

House Committee Meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, Joanne’s House

The month’s Biblical name, Aviv, gives us a clue. It is in spring that we see nature being reborn. The grass is turning green (oy, it will need to be cut soon!), the flowers are beginning to poke through the thawed earth, and the trees are starting to blossom.

Judaism is a religion that has its roots in the cycle of nature.

came— our ancestors experience a new beginning.

It is a beginning characterized by freedom. Pesach, Passover, has as one of its names, Z’man Cheyruteinu, “the Time of our Freedom.” Indeed, it celebrates the liberation of our people from Egyptian bondage. It also celebrates a new psychological beginning; one that will be solidified several weeks after leaving Egypt and will be strengthened throughout the existence of the Jewish people.

But nature is not the only reason that Nisan is designated the first month. The verse from Exodus quoted above is said by God to Moses and Aaron just before the Exodus from Egypt. Its context conveys a more sublime message. The month of Nisan marks the rebirth of a people. After having spent over four hundred years as slaves in Egypt— certainly plenty of time for the descendants of Jacob to forget who they were and from where they

Thus, Nisan is an ideal time to commit yourself to a spiritual rebirth. As our ancestors experienced what it meant to be a disciple of Abraham and Sarah, we, too, not only can, but must open our lives to such an experience; if not for ourselves, then for our children, for our grandchildren and for all future generations.

Shabbat Service Leaders Friday, April 5 Saturday, April 6

Rabbi Eve Eichenholtz Rabbi Eve Eichenholtz

Friday, April 12 Rabbi Ira Korinow Saturday, April 13 Rabbi Ira Korinow Bat Mitzvah of Hannah Leonard Friday, April 19 NO evening Shabbat service Saturday, April 20 NO morning Shabbat service 6:15 p.m. Community Passover Seder led by Amy Borne & David Olken Friday, April 26 Rabbi Ira Korinow Saturday, April 27 Rabbi Ira Korinow Passover Yizkor will be recited. Followed by “Lunch & Learn” Torah study

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A happy and kosher Passover!

L'shalom, Rabbi Ira Korinow

Please see page 12 for a Mechirat Chametz form

Dear Fellow Congregants, It has been a busy month since my last Doorpost letter to the congregation, and I want to tell you about one of the significant board initiatives that is now underway.

Temple Israel is enjoying its first major technology upgrade in a very long time. One of our fellow congregants, Randy Spratt, undertook an exhaustive inventory of our current technological systems and conducted interviews with the people in our temple community with responsibilities for maintaining and using various elements of our technology. These range from the software that keeps our heating and cooling systems running to the maintenance of our yahrzeit lists. On the basis of his findings, Randy, who has spent his career in the technology operations field, presented a comprehensive plan to the board of directors for unifying and bringing our systems up to date (a.k.a. the modern world).

exclusive member portal through which it will be possible to make changes to contact information, pay dues, sign up for events, volunteer, and do many other things as well.

As these crucial technology upgrades are taking place, we will be asking the chairs of all temple committees to work with the board to ensure that the content of our website and all of its pages are up-todate and accurate. We hope to provide our community with an inviting online image that will make us all proud.

David Bachrach

A team consisting of Randy, Joanne Samuels (Vice President for House), Sam Berg, and Heather Tomlinson (our office administrator), is now implementing the first stage of these technology upgrades. These will enhance the operations of the office, the library, and the Hebrew School, as well as facilitate all manner of congregant affairs. Just as importantly, these upgrades will save Temple Israel money as we move from labor-intensive data entry processes to a state-of-the-art Synagogue Management System.

The second phase of the implementation plan will involve our website. We will have a new, userfriendly design that will present a public face to the world that is just as warm and welcoming as we are as a congregation. In addition, the new management system and website will have much greater functionality. Each congregant will have an

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Shalom Everyone and Happy Spring!

The month of March started with what I hope was the last snow day of the year on Sunday, March 10, extending winter break for the kindergarten, first, and second graders by a week!

We still managed to pack the month with many exciting activities. Here are the highlights:

1. Grades K, 1, 2 visited the library 2. Grades 2 and 3 baked yummy hamantaschen to get into the Purim mood!

3. Grade 6 enjoyed Breakfast with the Rabbi 4. On Wednesday, March 20, Hebrew School children and families attended the community Purim celebration, listened to the Megillah, and loudly booed Haman!

5. Grades K - 5 sang during music with Elissa Kaplan Senter 6. The Purim Carnival: On Sunday, March 24 we threw open the doors for our annual Purim Carnival. After a short Hebrew School session everyone came to the Social Hall for games, raffles, prizes and hamantaschen! The room was filled with princesses, dinosaurs, sharks, astronauts, warriors, bumblebees, rainbows, an etz hayim, a Haman and even a human hamantasch!!

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7. A BIG, GIANT THANK YOU to Emily Schoonmaker and her volunteers: Marge Gruzen, Meaghan Herman, Gail LePage, Linsay Kaplan, Marjorie Raven, Beth Lieberman, Sara Anderson, and Glicka Kaplan who baked over 450 hamantaschen! Also, Mark Satenstein, Anna and Izzy Lieberman, Olivia Hibel, Tammy Labonté, Elissa Kaplan Senter, Ian Kaner and daughters Scarlet and Aspen Kaner, Deborah Hirsch Mayer and daughter Sarah Mayer, Sam Berg, Jenny Rosenson, Heather Tomlinson, Jeannie and Dan Hastie, the wonderful seventh graders and madrichim who ran the games, all the teachers who offered to and did help in whatever capacity, and last but not least, John Tackeff, who has been helping me prepare our Purim carnivals since he was four years old.

Thank you also to Ira Schwartz and the Cultural Endowment Fund committee for underwriting all our great prizes!! The carnival was a wild success and I couldn’t have done it without you all!

Our Whole School Kabbalat Shabbat Dinner and Service and our Israeli shlicha, Noam’s visit are happening too late for publication so more about those next month!

L’shalom, Elian Tackeff, Head of School

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April

5

6:56 p.m.

April

12

7:04 p.m.

April

19

7:12 p.m.

April

26

7:20 p.m.

Condolences to Cathi Cherry-Liston, on the passing of her father, Jerry Cherry, on February 23, 2019.

Much appreciation to the many volunteers (including the eagle-eyed Doorpost proofreading team!) who work so hard behind the scenes to organize events, services, and programs for the community. I’m grateful every month and can’t express it often enough. — Heather

Tuesday afternoon 5:30 p.m.

Friday night 6:15 p.m.

Saturday morning 9:30 a.m. followed by kiddush and lunch

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TEMPLE ISRAEL COMMUNITY PASSOVER SEDER SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2019 (15 NISAN, 5779) AT 6:15 P.M.

Join with the Temple Israel Community in this relaxed evening of food, wine, friends, and remembrance of our release from bondage.

The temple will provide wine for all. But you are free to bring a bottle of your favorite Kosher-for-Passover wine to enjoy with the meal!

Please reserve your seats by Wednesday, April 10, 2019. Tickets for adults and children may be reserved via mail, phone, email, or the Temple website at http://www.templeisraelnh.org/donate/ (to pay via credit card).

Vegetarian meals are available and must be ordered in advance.

We expect very high attendance this year. Payment must accompany your reservation to hold seats. However, cost should not be a barrier to joining with your community for Pesach. If you need funding assistance for this event, please contact Heather Tomlinson in the Temple Office at 603-436-5301 x10.

Thank you to the Temple Board of Directors and Cultural Endowment Fund for underwriting this event!

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March highlights from the Early Learning Center: Hello and shalom from the ELC. I hope everyone had a happy Purim!

(Shlicha) also came to visit us in March. She read a book in Hebrew that she heard as a child in Israel. It was about an apartment for rent (all the tenants were animals), and the search for a perfect new neighbor.

The children then colored pictures of their own apartments and drew their own tenants.

The ELC students spent time Tammy Labonté preparing for Purim by learning Director, ELC the story of Esther and how she saved the Jewish people from wicked Haman. The children were having so much fun dressing in costume that we enacted a play for their families at our classroom celebration.

Early Learning Center will be holding an open house for anyone interested in learning more about our program on Tuesday, April 9 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. If you or anyone you know has children up to 6 years in age, please come and join us. It’s never too early to look for quality programming!

In order to fulfill the mitzvah of matanot la’evyonim (giving to the poor) I asked parents to have the children help a little extra around the house and earn some coins/money to bring in. The ELC will make a donation to Portsmouth Public Schools to support children who owe money for lunches. For mishloah manot (sending gifts to friends), ELC children decorated bags to give to family and friends. Each bag held hamatanschen and other goodies. Ellen McQueeney came in to bake with the ELC students.

She mixed and rolled the dough and then the children cut the dough into circles, filled them, and folded and pinched their hamantaschen for baking.

Registration is open for the 2019-2020 school year.

Contact me at 603-436-5301 Ext. 23, or by email at preschool.director@templeisraelnh.org .

Noam Wolf, a talented young Israeli professional serving as the NH Israeli Emissary

ELC Summer Camp for children 2.9 months to 6 years old will be held July 15 – 19, 2019. The cost is $200.00 for the week. Sign-up forms can be found on the Temple Israel website.

Wishing you all a healthy and happy spring ahead!

L’shalom, Tammy & Elian

Above: Drawing with Shlicha Noam Wolf Left: Celebrating Purim in style!

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Two Cantors Take Concert-goers From Bimah to Broadway

Purim Festivities

On Saturday, March 9, Temple Israel’s historic sanctuary welcomed Cantor Shira Nafshi of Concord, NH, and Cantor Micah Morgovsky of Stamford, Connecticut, accompanied by pianist Heather Maconaghy. Their benefit concert featured solos and duets of both religious and secular music.

By turns poignant and emotional, sly and rollicking, the songs showcased both cantors’ lovely and powerful voices, taking more than one hundred attendees on a memorable musical journey.

Cantors Micah Morgovsky & Shira Nafshi sing “Cat Duet” by Rossini. Photo by Fred Feldman

The event included a raffle with prizes of gift certificates and passes offered by local performing arts venues. It concluded with a buffet of tempting desserts.

The temple gratefully acknowledges contributions made by the entertainment venues, member sponsors, and the Cultural Endowment Fund, as well as the tireless efforts of organizer Sharen Eidelberg Spratt, to bring this very special event to the community. Over four thousand dollars were raised by ticket sales and donations which will benefit Temple Israel’s Musical Enrichment Fund, 8 promising more beautiful music in the future!

Scenes from the Megillah reading in the Sanctuary and Purim Carnival in the Social Hall. Photos courtesy of Mel Prostkoff and Elian Tackeff.

Sacred Papercutting – a Traditional Jewish Craft Artist Tamar Shadur traveled from her home in Western Massachusetts to share a treasure trove of papercuts created by her late mother, Yehudit Shadur, as well as her own vibrant handwoven tapestries. As Tamar explained in the introduction to her March 17 workshop, Jewish papercuts have existed as a unique art form for centuries, perhaps peaking in popularity during the 19th century in Eastern Europe, when this folk craft benefited from the ease and widespread availability of paper.

Historically, Jewish papercuts were divided into two schools which both featured religious iconography: Torah scrolls and crowns, lions and deer, and banners containing holiday or religious messages.

Tamar commented on examples of her mother’s intricate work and discussed some collaborative

efforts, as she translated Yehudit’s designs into a “cartoon” to guide her tapestry weaving. Deborah Levine, Workshop / Exhibit Coordinator, noted, “Tamar’s dedication to tapestry making is closely related to her mother’s zeal for reviving the ‘lost’ art of papercutting. Both use art work to preserve culture and history.”

The workshop’s twenty participants were instructed to choose contrasting colors of square origami paper for their own projects. They began by considering a personal interpretation of the traditional “Tree of Life” motif. Brainstormed ideas raged from “family” and “community” to “nature” and “continuity.” Attendee Evelyn Dickson was reminded “of the way categories and subcategories are stored in a tree data structure for computer programming,” offering a glimpse of how this traditional image resonates in the modern world.

Another participant commented, “Beautiful art can be made with simple tools!”

Community members are invited to come and enjoy the display of Tamar’s tapestries and Yehudit’s papercuts on temporary exhibit in the Shmoozatorium. Non-members, please contact the Temple Israel office to arrange a viewing.

Above: Tamar Shadur discusses work on display.

Right: Papercuts created by workshop attendees inspired by the “Tree of Life” motif.

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Hannah Leonard, Saturday, April 13, 2019

Evan Slater, Sunday, April 28, 2019

My name is Hannah Leonard. I attend the Rye Middle School. I enjoy dancing, singing, and acting.

Judaism is important to me because both of my great-grandparents survived the Holocaust.

My name is Evan Slater. I attend Portsmouth Middle School. I enjoy competitive go-kart racing both locally and nationally, downhill mountain biking, and shooting sports. Judaism is important to me because of tradition and because it brings our family closer together.

This bar mitzvah will take place at a Sunday minyan in Israel!

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CULTURAL ENDOWMENT FUND Bridget Jameson. Bernard & Jeannette Goodman in memory of Sheldon Blum. Sheri, Randy, & Isabella Siller, wishing Sheri’s father, Elliot Fishbein, a speedy recovery. Elliott & Shirley Fishbein, wishing Ira Schwartz a speedy recovery.

Anonymous donor.

DINNERMAN/ROTTENBERG EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT FUND Joyce & Ron Meenes, in memory of Joyce’s beloved father, Sam Rottenberg.

HEBREW SCHOOL FUND Steven Goldberg in memory of his father, Richard H. Goldberg. Gloria Turner in memory of her mother, Pauline Applebaum.

INSTITUTIONAL OPERATING ENDOWMENT FUND Gloria & Harold Moldoff in memory of Arnold Fishbein. Ken & Bertha Litvack in memory of Cathi Cherry-Liston’s father, Jerry Cherry. Paula & Stuart Boxer in memory of Paula’s father, David Rosengard. Cindy & Robert Chaikin in memory of Robert’s mother, Rose Chaikin. Gloria & Harold Moldoff in memory of Gloria’s father, Albert Woolfson, and Harold’s mother, Sarah Moldoff.

KIDDUSH FUND Fran Berman in memory of her mother, Harriet Berman.

LIBRARY FUND William & Ellen McQueeney in memory of William’s father, John McQueeney. Marsha Shaines and the family of Stuart Shaines in memory of Arnold Fishbein.

PRESCHOOL FUND Contributions in memory of Arnold Fishbein: Harise & Jerry Dorfman. Scott & Paula Wensley.

Dena Stern. Marty Brown and his family. Dr. Arthur & Cathy Appel. Jim & Myra Fishbein, “in beloved memory of Arnold Fishbein, father and father-in-law.” Mrs. Jacqueline Dick and family.

Irma & Herbert Bloom.

RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND David Effron in memory of his father, Alvin Effron. Cathi Cherry-Liston with thanks to Rabbi Ira for officiating at the funeral of her father, Jerry Cherry.

TZEDAKAH FUND Dick & Lorrie Grossman in honor of Di Karpman’s Bat Mitzvah. Also in memory of Arnold Fishbein and wishing Ira Schwartz a speedy recovery. Stan & Rita Robbins in memory of Rita’s parents, Bessie & Morris Marcus. Sharon Roberts in memory of her mother, Rosalie Katz.

Renee and Gary Levy in memory of Arnold Fishbein and also wishing a speedy recovery to Elliott Fishbein. Diane Goulston in memory of Arnold Fishbein.

A Special Thank You to March 30 Kiddush Sponsors Helen Hanan & Mel Prostkoff In Honor of Mel’s 70th Birthday

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Schedule of Events with Service Leader Rabbi Eve Eichenholtz April 5 - 7, 2019 Services will be held in the Sanctuary unless otherwise noted.

• Friday, April 5, 7:00 p.m. (please note start time) Rabbi Eichenholtz Leads Kabbalat Shabbat, Oneg •

Saturday, April 6, 9:30 a.m.

Rabbi Eichenholtz Leads Shabbat Services, Kiddush Luncheon

•

Saturday, April 6, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m., Rabbi Eichenholtz Leads “Snack and Learn” in the Shmoozatorium

•

Sunday, April 7, 10:30 a.m., Rabbi Eichenholtz Leads Learner’s Service for all

•

Sunday, April 7, 11:30 a.m., Hebrew School Parents Meet & Greet, Social Hall

Mechirat Chametz It is customary before Passover to free ourselves of leaven in our homes via “Mechirat Chametz,” the selling of the leaven. Rabbi Korinow will be pleased to assist in the process. Please call him at the Temple office or fill in the written agreement below, clip it, and return it to Rabbi Korinow with a contribution to buy it back after Passover. Chametz should be sold by the morning of Friday, April 19th. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authorization for the Selling of Chametz I authorize Rabbi Ira Korinow to sell my chametz to someone who is not Jewish in the community. I also agree to buy back my chametz at the end of Passover.

Enclosed is my contribution to tzedakah (charity) for $ ______________. _______________________________ signature Please complete, clip and return with a check made out to “Temple Israel” for any amount to: Rabbi Ira Korinow, Temple Israel 200 State Street Portsmouth, NH 03801

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Israel Affairs Committee Presents Nadav Tamir on Upcoming Israeli Elections Tuesday, April 2, at 7:00 p.m., Social Hall Nadav Tamir, Former Israeli Consul General for New England, will speak about Israeli politics and the upcoming elections.

The program will include a question and answer period followed by dessert.

NADAV TAMIR is currently Director of International Policy and Government Affairs at Peres & Associates Global Advisory Ltd. He served as the Senior Policy Adviser to the President of Israel during the last three years of the presidency of Shimon Peres. Tamir returned to Israel in 2010 after serving as the Consul General of Israel to New England at the Consulate General of Israel in Boston for four years. He then served at the Policy Planning Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until July 2011 when he joined the President’s Office.

Tamir joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993. In 2001, he was granted the position of Advisor to the Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. He was later chosen as a Wexner Israel Fellow and earned his master’s in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2004.

A simple meal will be available for those attending minyan who wish to stay for the program.

11th Annual NH Jewish Film Festival Includes Two Portsmouth Screenings at the Music Hall Loft on Sunday, April 7, 2019 • 1:00 p.m.

The Last Suit

• 3:30 p.m.

Satan and Adam Includes post-film discussion with Adam Gussow In these days of Netflix and ondemand movies, film festivals play a refreshing role in bringing our community together. The NH Jewish Film Festival is delighted to present award-winning films along with compelling programs.

This year’s films include award winners, premieres, documentaries, dramas, thrillers, and comedies from around the world. Film venues are located in Concord, Manchester, Merrimack, Peterborough and Portsmouth. Many events include special guest speakers leading post-film discussions.

To help plan your attendance and learn more about individual screenings, visit the Film Festival webpage, www. nhjewishfilmfestival.org. The box office is open! Purchase Festival tickets early for all April 4 - April 14 screenings.

Ira Schwartz would like to thank everyone for the cards, best wishes and donations made in hopes of his speedy recovery. He’s feeling much better, but has learned, “Stay away from doctors if you can.”

This program is sponsored by J Street in cooperation with TIP's Israel Affairs Committee.

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April Yahrzeits 1. Libbye Halperin 2. William B. Hirshberg 3. Bernard Levy 4. Charles Johnston

5. Alan Cohen

25 Adar II / 25 Nisan Aaron Warach, Frederick Gersh, Jean Willens, Christine L. Kennon 19. Miriam Ackerman, Otto Salzman, Robert Lasky, Ruth Rome, Alexander Gottesman 20. Lee Harrison, Sylvia Portman

6. Mary Mackles, Irene Trott, Ruth Pindrus

21. Sarah Black, Esther Shulman, Rosalie Katz, Ruth Dennis, Rose B. Kates

7. Jennie Goodman, Jeffrey Gutin, Helen Hirsch, Eve Jendrock, Ruth H. Toby

22. (no congregational observance)

8. Abraham Taube, Morris Saitz, Sara Cohen 9. Leah Fleischman, June Singer, Sidney Trubowitz 10. Ida Grossman, Lee Rosen, Frieda Schramm, Anna Bezar, Dora Dorf 11. Gussie Landsman, Anne Baisuck, Herman Slass, Maurice Friedman, Mary Mars 12. Annie Cantor, Joseph Schwartz 13. Belle Windt, Allen Scheff, Herbert Fox 14. Barnet Freedman, Rose Richman, Irving Sternberg, Esther Issokson 15. Goldie Selden, Max (Manny) Weisner, Ronald Brass, Evelyn Berman, Harry Pastor, Harold McCrensky, Gil Victor Ornelas 16. Rose Cohen

17. Rose Handler, Morris Silverman, Haskel Kram, Millicent Goodstein, Irving Diamond

23. Lawrence Friedman, Davida Roberts, Jerome Fishbein 24. John Rosenbloom, Katie Lampert, Bertha Zall, Reuben Weinstein, Irving Oshman 25. Rudolph Goodman, Sarah Levine, Robert Brann, Pauline Bailey, Sidney Goren, Sam Ollar, Morris A. Fox 26. Samuel Kolikof, Leonard Levy, Israel Mirsky, Barbara Cherry, Richard F. Morse 27. Max Rosenfield, Sarah Borwick, Sarah Mendelovtiz, Marcia J. Feinberg 28. Maurice Lightung, Rae Pearl, Sarah Friedman 29. Beatrice Friedman, Tillie Fein, Bess Issokson, Ruth L. Issokson, Lillian Lane 30. Samuel Kline, Judith Kramer, Ursula Cherry, Sylvia Allen, Samuel Abeles

18. Aaron Stanhope, Barney Freedman,

When you are observing a family member’s yahrzeit, you are welcome to say kaddish at Shabbat services Friday night or Saturday morning, at Tuesday minyan (5:30 p.m.), and when Hebrew School is in session, on Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. or Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.

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Presenting: Rabbi Bob Alper

Yom Hashoah

Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

Holocaust Remembrance Day will be observed on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. with guest speaker and Holocaust survivor Alex Konstantyn.

Mark your calendar for Temple Israel’s annual spring fundraiser, an evening of good food, friends in community, music, and laughter.

About our special guest: There’s a reason why Sirius/XM satellite radio plays Rabbi Bob Alper’s comedy bits several times daily, often sandwiched between Bob Newhart and Jerry Seinfeld: Bob’s unique background. He’s an ordained rabbi who served congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary. Those experiences prepared him well for a thirty-year career in comedy with wonderfully unique material presented in a way that’s intelligent, sophisticated, and 100% clean.

It will be 90 minutes of non-stop laughter when “the world’s only practicing clergyman doing stand-up comedy…intentionally,” visits Portsmouth. As the New York Times put it: Bob “…had the audience convulsing.” The Chicago Tribune described Bob’s act as “Hilarious. Relaxed, clean, unhurtful. A warm type of humor.”

Bob’s fresh, contemporary, and totally "unorthodox" style has been delighting audiences from Hollywood's IMPROV to The Montreal Comedy Festival and Muslimfest 2009 (this is not a joke). His unique brand of humor has delighted audiences in theatres throughout North America, Europe, the Caribbean and Israel.

Watch your mailbox for a personal invitation, or call the Temple office to reserve tickets.

Born in Varenz, Poland, in 1938, Alex spent years as a refugee. His family roamed the countryside while evading Nazi persecution, wandering the forests and small towns of Poland, living on the streets, and begging for food. After they had survived for two years on the run, an old business acquaintance hid them in an underground cellar where they awaited the end of the war.

Following the remembrance service in the Sanctuary, coffee and refreshments will follow in the Levenson Social Hall, where a Holocaust-related exhibit will be available for viewing. This event is free and open to the public.

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Nominating Committee Seeks Candidates for 2019 Election The election for board members will take place at the annual meeting on May 13, 2019. The open positions will be:

Temple Israel Portsmouth Board of Directors

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President-Elect

David Bachrach, President

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Vice-President for Ritual

Fran Berman, Immediate Past President

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Financial Secretary

Amy Hyett, President-elect

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At-large Director (1-year term to finish a partial term)

David Olken, VP Ritual

Officers serve terms of two years (2019-2021). The duties of each position are set forth in the TIP bylaws. (To obtain a copy, please contact the temple office.) The bylaws do require that candidates must have been a member in good standing of TIP for at least one year prior to assuming office.

Joanne Samuels, VP House

Names can be submitted either by interested candidates themselves, or by members wanting to nominate someone. The names of eligible candidates will be submitted to the membership at the annual meeting.

Amy Borne, Treasurer

The Nominating Committee will meet on April 16, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Shmooze. Any eligible member interested in running for an open board seat, as well as any member with questions are invited. Attendance at this meeting is NOT required in order to be a candidate for a board seat. Names of all nominees, as well as any questions, should be sent to either Steve Sacks (stevenrsacks@gmail.com) or Marc Hiller (marc.hiller@unh.edu) of the Nominating Committee.

Marc Hiller, Director

Seth Wizwer, VP Education Beth Salzman, Recording Secretary Jennifer Sebeny, Financial Secretary

Robert Bradbard, Director Tobey Harman, Director

Mel Prostkoff, Director Steve Sacks, Director Ira Schwartz, Director Margie Wachtel, Director

Proud member of USCJ Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

OFFICE HOURS 200 State Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-436-5301

Temple Israel