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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
Come Spring we enjoy life with all of those occasions we choose to celebrate: graduations, celebrations, installations. In our congregation we anticipate the Service of Confirmation of our Tenth graders (Thurs., June 5, 7 PM).
During that week the congregation will observe Shavuot, which occurs 50 days after Pesach or Passover (a week of weeks plus one day after Passover, hence Shavuot, or “The Week of Weeks”). It is the celebration of God giving the Torah to the people of Israel. In Deuteronomy, the text teaches us that the Torah is given to all whom were present at Sinai, and all that were not present. Every Jew who will ever live was given the Torah spiritually at Sinai. The observance of Shavuot should have an enhanced meaning for us all as we stand together embracing the Torah united as one.
Shavuot teaches us that God’s gift of freedom to our people at the time of the Exodus is confirmed and continued by our adherence to the Torah. Therefore our ancestors made an oath at Mount Sinai to accept the Torah, which defined us as a people. We promised that we will do and we will learn Torah. Choice is important in our acceptance of the Torah and our faith as one people in service to God. Therefore it seems peculiarly fitting that we celebrate this June when Shavuot occurs this year, our young adult Confirmands presenting to the congregation in speeches about the Ten Commandments their understanding of their Judaism. They will speak from their hearts about something in the Ten Commandments that had grabbed them, personally. We talked about those commandments in class with the Confirmands and their parents, using as an example the fifth one regarding honoring your father and your mother. However, each Confirmand can choose whichever commandment they wish to speak about at the Confirmation service. I don’t want to preempt their presentation, which I hope you will be present to hear at our service. However, to give you a taste of what you may well encounter, I want to share excerpts of some of some of the statements I have heard over the years. “The Torah states that one should remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. For most people this means coming to Friday night services to worship God. Being in high school seems to make this a difficult task, but it’s important to find the balance between my social and religious life…Although I still may not make it to every Shabbat service, it is important to me, and everyone else, to follow God’s commandment and always remember the Sabbath. This commandment is often overlooked because people put other activities before the Sabbath, and they believe that they can maintain a strong relationship with God in the midst of their other obligations. I feel most spiritual when I am with my family and lighting the Shabbat candles. One of my favorite Shabbat rituals is Friday night my Mom calls my brother and sister and I into the kitchen. There we put our hand on the challah and say the blessing together. …I feel so privileged to have a family that helps me be the best Jew that I can be. Shabbat also gives me a chance to pray, and when I’m unsure about something it gives me direction.” Continued on page 25. !!
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Rabbi’s voice
Bimonthly Newsletter of Temple Beth Torah, Wellington, Florida
SHALOM
Rabbi Norman Klein
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
Hundreds of Reform rabbis went to the 125th Annual Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Seventy came home bald. It sounds like a joke, and while it did happen on April 1st, it most definitely was not a joke. It was the “36 Rabbis Shave for the Brave:” the rabbinic response to the recent death of the child of a fellow colleague from acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Samuel Asher Sommer z”l, son of Rabbis Phyllis and Michael Sommer, was diagnosed with AML in June 2012. Sam relapsed in October of 2013 and in the early hours of December 14, the eight-year-old succumbed to the disease and was tenderly laid to rest two days later. Sam’s mother, along with close friend Rabbi Rebecca Einstein Schorr, began the plans for the Shave for the Brave just before discovering Sam’s relapse. The idea came about through Phyllis Sommer’s interest in supporting the St. Baldrick’s Foundation which devotes its efforts to funding research grants for pediatric cancers. St. Baldrick’s is not a religious organization. There is no actual St. Baldrick. The name, rather, is a combination of “bald” and “St. Patrick” because the first event took place on March 17th, 2000. Since then,
St. Baldrick’s has raised over $100 million for pediatric cancer research which receives only 4% of federal funding for cancer research.
So, why 36? Our sages teach that at all times there are 36 righteous people in the world and if just one of them is missing, the world itself would come to an end. They are called the Lamed-Vavniks, based on the numeric equivalents of the two Hebrew letters that make up the number 36: lamed, which is 30, and vav, which is six. The identities of the Lamed-Vavniks are hidden from each other and even from themselves. In fact, it is written that should a person claim to be one of the 36, that would be proof that he or she is not actually a Lamed-Vavnik, because a true one would be too humble to think that he or she is that righteous.
Rabbi Sommer and Rabbi Schorr asked, “What if, for one moment, everyone behaved as if he or she truly was that righteous? Imagine such a world. What if we could offer our colleagues the opportunity to do something righteous? And so it was that ’36 Rabbis Shave for the Brave’ was born.”
They had hoped for 36 rabbis to volunteer but over 70 rabbis and rabbinical students registered and then raised money from their own families, friends and congregants in support of the cause. The original goal had been $180,000, but after Sam’s passing, the support from the rabbis and the greater community swelled until they had raised close to $600,000. Here at Temple Beth Torah, we have our own opportunity to make a difference. One of our temple family, Shana Sasko, is battling a rare and aggressive form of thyroid cancer and is undergoing multiple surgeries and treatments. She is twenty years old. She is also the bright-eyed twelve-year-old I met in 2006 who organized mitzvah projects for the community…and now she needs our help. Please come out on May 4th at 11:30am to support the Sasko Family through a Family Barbeque during which you will have many ways to help contribute to their crippling hospital bills. There is no wrong way to do a mitzvah. Each of us gives according to our means and our hearts and minds. However, I ask that if you can give just a bit of yourself, this month, please give to Shana. !B’shalom, Cantor Carrie Barry !!!
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Cantor’s Voice
Cantor Carrie Barry
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!!!!!!Over 200 guests were welcomed to our classrooms for everyone’s Where have the past nine months gone? It hardly seems possible that we are almost at the end of our preschool year and in a few short weeks; we will graduate 31 children from our PreK program. This exciting and heartwarming graduation ceremony (the twenty-third such ceremony in
the storied history of our preschool) will take place on Thursday, May 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. Family, friends and congregants are welcome to share in the festivities planned for that evening, and we hope that all will attend. It is hard to describe the feelings of nachas shared by all in attendance when our preschool children march down the aisle in their mortarboard caps, in the first of what we know will be many graduation ceremonies in their lives. The children will be performing some of their favorite songs and rituals, and the evening will culminate with surprise entertainment for the graduates and a dessert reception for everyone. Ticket information for this celebration will be forthcoming.
! The final weeks of school will also be filled with numerous events and celebrations designed to give recognition to the many individuals responsible for the success of this year’s preschool program. Teacher Appreciation Week and the Parent-Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast are among the events that we will commemorate this month. These are special events being planned to honor some very special people. !
The children have been busy putting their creative touches on flowers, cards, sculptures and delicious snacks to “surprise” their moms who will be guests in the classrooms the first week in May. Among the many celebrations this month, our Mother’s Day activities generate the most hugs and kisses. We will start off the celebratory week on May 5 with our own Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day) parade complete with handmade Israeli flags and singing. This celebration will culminate with a snack of delicious blue and white birthday cake made by the children themselves. We will be marching at 12:30pm. Take your lunch break at the preschool for a most enjoyable 20 minutes watching the preschool’s expression of Am Yisrael Chai ! Continued on Page 26. !!
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Preschool Press
Sandy Wilensky
Important Dates to Remember
May 5 Israel Independence Day Parade May 9 Tot Shabbat & Preschool Teacher Appreciation - 5:30 pm May 18 Character Breakfast and Silent Auction 10-12pm May 26 Memorial Day – NO SCHOOL May 29 Last Day of Preschool / PreK Graduation June 2 Mini-Camp Begins (Intersession) June 16 Enrichment Camp Begins
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
How appropriate, from an educator’s point of view, to have this month’s ar<cle combine May and June. May 9th is our 7th Grade Siyyum and Teach Apprecia<on Shabbat. June 5th is our 10th grade Confirma<on Service. !The Torah por<on for May 9th is Behar. In this parsha, we are advised “not to wrong one another.” You would think that this is something that would not have to be taught in such depth, but Temple Beth Torah has been deemed a “NO BULLY ZONE” by our religious school students. You can view all the posters in the hallways of the school. The old saying that goes, “s<cks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me,” is no longer true – names CAN hurt. Our Jewish teachings impress upon us to reflect on how our ac<ons – both verbal and physical – affect others. We are all created in the image of God, as our first ac<vity in 7th grade with the decora<ng of sugar cookies demonstrates. Our 7th graders will share with the congrega<on why they “bother” learning about Judaism. !Confirma<on occurs during the Fes<val of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah. Our 10th grade students “confirm” their commitment to Judaism and to Jewish life. What a wonderful connec<on there can be between our 7th and 10th graders. Bar and Bat Mitzvah occurs for the majority of 7th graders as they reach the age of 13. At this age they are considered to be “spiritual adults.” By 10th grade this spirituality has been further enhanced and can now include both a more emo<onal and intellectual commitment as well. Shavuot celebrates the receiving of the 10 Commandments, the laws of the Torah. Our 10th graders will share their personal interpreta<ons of the 10 Commandments. !Perhaps we might all take the <me to review these commandments as a reminder of how these are the basis of how we might educate our children – both in our secular and religious worlds. Perhaps you might discuss these with your children and see if you can come up with modern interpreta<ons. I will give you a slight “head start” as I list them below. !Please mark your calendars for these two dates; I promise you will be inspired by the students, and (in turn) the students will be inspired by your show of interest and support in what they have learned in your religious school. We are blessed with awesome students, teachers, clergy, lay leaders and congregants. These two Services offer you the opportunity to share in these blessings. !B’Shalom, !Meredith Hirschberg Interim Religious School Director Interim Director of Educa<on !Con$nued on page 32
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Meredith Hirschberg
Religious School
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
Every Shabbat is special; as a day of rest and as a day in which we are commanded to remember (zachor) and observe (shamor). There are some particular Shabbat services coming in the next few months that will have additional significance. !The Friday May 9th service will include our 7th Grade Siyyum. That same evening we will celebrate our teachers! !The Friday May 30th service will include blessings for our 'Chai' or 18-year members, the installation of the TiBToFTY officers, and blessings for our graduates from both high school and college. !Friday, June 6th, is the 70th anniversary of D-Day - the invasion at Normandy, France. Our congregation will be participating in the Normandy Kaddish Project. Included in our Shabbat worship that evening we will remember the Jewish soldiers, including the 149 whose graves are at Omaha Beach, who gave their lives, on the beaches in Normandy and elsewhere, that we might live in freedom. !We will read the names of the Jewish soldiers in the Omaha Beach Cemetery, have as a guest speaker a congregant who has visited the cemetery and we will be inviting all veterans in the congregation to participate in the service. We will welcome a representative from Honor Flight; a non-profit organization created to transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit their memorials. !
! !The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach contains 9,387 graves. This includes the graves of 149 Jewish soldiers with Stars of David marking their graves. !Please come to these Shabbat services and celebrate and remember as a Temple Beth Torah spiritual community. !L'Shalom, Sara Marcus, President !!!!
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Message From the President
Sara Marcus
A publication of
Temple Beth Torah
900 Big Blue Trace Wellington, Florida 33414 !
TEL: 561-793-2700 FAX: 561-793-1072
E-MAIL: info@templebethtorah.net WEB SITE: templebethtorah.net !
TEMPLE OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Thursday: 9AM – 5PM
Friday: 9AM – 4PM !RABBI
Norman Klein rabbi@templebethtorah.net
RABBI EMERITUS Stephen H. Pinsky
rabbiemeritus@templebethtorah.net CANTOR
Carrie F. Barry cantor@templebethtorah.net
PRESIDENT Sara Marcus
president@templebethtorah.net VICE PRESIDENT
Cheryl Cordes Jeff Starkey
TREASURER Steven Warner
EDUCATION DIRECTOR Meredith Hirschberg
educator@templebethtorah.net PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR
Sandy Wilensky psdirector@templebethtorah.net
YOUTH ADVISOR Jessica Stein
youthdirector@templebethtorah.net BROTHERHOOD PRESIDENT
Andrew Goldstein SISTERHOOD CO-PRESIDENTS
Andi Parker & Joy Pitterman sisterhood@templebethtorah.net
SHALOM CREATIVE DESIGN Diane Marks
EDITOR Phyllis Weinstein
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
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Temple Beth Torah Celebrates Our High School and College Graduates !
Dear Temple Family and Friends,
The High School and College Graduates of 2014 who are members of Temple Beth Torah will be honored during Shabbat Services on Friday May 30, 2014 at 7:30 pm. They will receive a blessing from Rabbi Klein that evening, along with special gigs from the congrega<on to commemorate this milestone. Please join us as we recognize these young adults as they prepare for college, the military or embark on their careers.
To assist the Youth Commihee in providing these gigs, holiday cards and other items throughout the year, we are seeking your support. You may sponsor your own graduate, those that you know, or all of our graduates by making a contribu<on to the Youth Commihee Fund. Below is a list of the high school and college graduates that we know of to date, simply check off those you wish to sponsor.
The suggested dona<on is $5.00 per graduate, and we welcome and appreciate any dona<on you make. This year we are offering a special dona<on category of $100.00 that will list you as a sponsor for all of the graduates. Each graduate receives a card lis<ng all of their individual sponsors along with their gig. Thanking you in advance for your sponsorship and con<nued support of our outreach to our recent graduates.
B’Shalom,
Marci Chaves, Chair Young Adult Connec<on
Class of 2014 !PLEASE RETURN THIS PORTION TO THE TEMPLE BEFORE MAY 19, 2014
I (we) would like to sponsor the following graduates and have enclosed a check payable to Temple Beth Torah for my (our) sponsorship. !HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES: [ ] Mahhew Albers [ ] David Ammirato [ ] Des<ny Andrews [ ] Bryce Blecher [ ] Max Blumstein [ ] Victoria Joy [ ] Alexander Chaves [ ] Alexa Eisenberg [ ] Brandon Deluca [ ] Ross Goldfarb [ ] Mitchell Goldhaber [ ] Brendon Green [ ] Lindsay Gurewitz [ ] Jus<n Kahn [ ] Melissa Kappel [ ] Jacob LeGates [ ] Jared Levine [ ] David Levih [ ] Madison McDole [ ] Max Meskin [ ] Zachary Meskin [ ] Scoh Meskin [ ] Jenna Meyers-‐Sineh [ ] Charlie Parker [ ] Deanna Shears !COLLEGE GRADUATES: [ ] Joshua Cordes [ ] Daniel Georginow [ ] Lance Gurewitz [ ] Trent Huber [ ] Steven Joy [ ] Lindsey Moskowitz [ ] Mahhew Remz Name as you want it to appear ____________________________________________________ !Total graduates sponsored ___ X $5 = $_____ , other donaTon________, $100.00 for all _____ !Every effort has been made to include all graduates. If your child is graduaEng from High School or College and is not on this list, please contact Marci Chaves by email at marcimouth@aol.com
or Beth at the Temple Office !Proceeds are used to support our Young Adult CommiNee !
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!
GNO !Girls Night Out!
With Temple Beth Torah Sisterhood!!
! ! ! ! Date: Thursday, May 15, 2014! ! ! ! ! Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM! ! ! ! ! Place: Home of Elizabeth Thal! ! ! ! ! ! 14390 Wellington Trace ! ! ! ! ! Donation: $10!
!Join us for a night of fun, eating and shopping with your
sisterhood friends and you can even bring a friend!!!
We’ll have: “Everything Beaded” by Connie Alexander!Totes & Bags from the “Thirty-One Company” by Cheryl
Shenker!Unique kitchen gadgets from “Pampered Chef” by Julie Brophy!
!Your $10 donation to TBT Sisterhood gets you !food, drinks and 5 raffle tickets. There will be a!
variety of raffle prizes from our vendors and !additional raffle tickets are available.!
!For more information and to RSVP contact !
Elizabeth Thal at lizletter@aol.com
!!
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
The TBT Social Justice Committee The Ochel L'chol (Food For All) Project !
Contribute $10 for a certificate like the one above. The money collected is used to buy Publix gift cards for members of our congregation and community who are in need to purchase food and prescription medicines. See our committee at most Oneg Shabbats on Fridays or at the temple office or on the TBT website. !When giving presents to people who have everything, give an Ochel L’chol certificate in their honor. !!
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !Did you know, there is a tree to honor the children in our preschool, our religious school and our congregation? The children walk by it every time they enter the school wing of the temple. To recognize your child(ren) a teacher or friend, please complete the form below and leave it with the temple office. You may use up to three lines of text (twenty characters per line). The cost for each leaf on the Children’s Tree is $50.
Examples: !!!!!& Children’s Tree Name_______________________________________________________________________________ Inscription: Line one: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Line two: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Line three: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Amount Enclosed $_____________________
Temple Beth Torah ● 900 Big Blue Trace ● Wellington, Florida 33414 ● (561) 793-2700
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HAVE YOU HONORED YOUR CHILD YET? OVER 50 LEAVES ARE ALREADY TAKEN...
ADD YOUR LEAF TODAY!
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
TEMPLE BETH TORAH LIFE LONG LEARNING !
LUNCH & LEARN: 2013-2014
Lunch and Learn sessions will take place in the Library on the first Monday of the Month from noon – 1:30p.m. Attendees will bring their own lunch. Life Long Learning will provide coffee, tea, and cold water, desserts along with plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery.
DATE TOPIC & PRESENTER
May 5 “The Jewish Character in Literature,” presented by Rabbi Norman Klein !SUNDAY MORNING ADULT CLASSES
Beginning September 29, 2013, two adult education courses will be taught in the Library on Sundays when the Religious School is in session: May 11, 18, 2014. !9:30 – 10:15 a.m. Everything You Wanted to Know about Judaism and Were Afraid to Ask: an introduction of Jewish Cultural Literacy. Open to Jews and non-Jews. Rabbi Norman Klein, Instructor Free 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Prayer Book Hebrew: For non-Hebrew readers and a refresher for those whose Hebrew is rusty. Book fee only. Marc Brawer, Instructor !!
We need to plan for our Summer Ins<tute which we hold on Mondays in June and July. Please contact Joy Piherman at 966-‐0222 or jpiherman@comcast.net with sugges<ons for classes. We need teachers or facilitators for each of the topics. Our commihee is small and we would like to have more members to help with the planning and to arrange for snacks for the sessions.
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!!NEW HIGH HOLY DAYS PRAYER BOOK
ORDERING FORM!Mishkan HaNefesh: A Machzor for the Days of Awe
Sponsorship Form !Date:________________________ Name of Sponsor:________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number:_______________________________________________________________ !Dedicated By (if different from Sponsor):___________________________________________________ !Dedica<on: (In Memory Of, In Honor Of, 50th Anniversary Of, Bat Mitzvah Of, etc.)
Set 1:__________________________________________________________________________
Send Card to:____________________________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________________
Set 2:__________________________________________________________________________
Send Card to:____________________________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________________
(Make copies of this page to sponsor more prayer book sets)!!Total Number of Prayer Book Sets Sponsored ___________ @ $36 per set = $________________
Payment may be made by check payable to “Temple Beth Torah” or
payment may be made by credit card via our website at www.templebethtorah.net. In top file click “Pay Online.” Please type “HHD Prayer Book” in “Descrip<on of Payment” box.
Whether paying by check or credit card, everyone must send in this Sponsorship Form containing
dedicaTons to: Temple Beth Torah, 900 Big Blue Trace, Wellington, FL 33414 Ques<ons? Please contact Diane Marks at 752-‐8311 or dimarks@gate.net
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away. Over the past four years of my time in TiBToFTY, the last two as President, I have given my all into this group and what I've learned is everything you put into TiBToFTY and into NFTY-STR you receive ten times over. I have never been so loved and so blessed by any group like my TiBToFTYites. They are not simply peers or friends, they are my family. Yes we have our differences and yes we argue, but we always pull through because that’s what family does. I have grown up with them from Hebrew School, Mitzvah Corp, to Confirmation, and of course in TiBToFTY and the pride I feel over how much has changed and everything we have accomplished is what I would imagine a proud parent feels. Every one of my members has achieved wondrous accomplishments not just in TiBToFTY, but in life as well and I am proud of everything they've achieved and will achieve. As the incoming Board gets settled in, I know I'm leaving TiBToFTY in good hands. I am excited to start my new journey as a college student however it is bittersweet because I know it means the end of my tenure at TiBToFTY and a goodbye to my family. To anyone reading this that wants to join TiBToFTY, or is hesitant, let me tell you, it will be the most rewarding experience of your life. The TiBToFTY community and the NFTY-STR region are full of loving, caring people that accept you exactly for who you are. As we have always said just attend one event, who knows it may even change your life, it did for me. As Christopher Robin said when he had to leave the hundred acre woods, I say this for TiBToFTY "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." !
- Alexander Chaves !!My Freshman year, I joined our temple's youth group under duress, my mother having me join to continue in my Jewish education. I attended a few temple-wide events, a day of service, and a few Israeli themed programs at the JCC. Most of the time, I only went to see a couple of my friends from Sunday School I no longer saw all too often. It wasn't until spring of my freshman year that I became involved in youth group life. Our temple was hosting Spring Kallah, a regional event, and Mike Lebowitz urged my mom to sign me up to help me become a more active member. He was right. That Friday, sitting in a service with 300 teens who were excited to be Jewish, who loved the prayers, and being part of our religion allowed me to connect with my Jewish identity on a whole new level. The next year I ran for a position on the board, and although I did not make it, I remained an active member in the youth group. At this point, I was attending as many youth group events as I could, as well as both Spring and Fall Kallah. My Junior year, I ran for board again. This time, I was elected Programming Vice President! I was elated to be such an integral part of TiBToFTY. I loved planning and running programs because I now understood the power of our youth group organization. I went to my first Leadership Kallah, and two others as well. Flash forward to this year, I am still the PVP and am an outgoing senior. I just recently attended my last Spring Kallah and left crying. As part of our last song circle we were told to look out to the rest of the NFTY-STR community and see what we have helped cultivate. I couldn't help but think about how all of my youth group and region have become part of my family. I couldn't help but think about how much I've grown as a person and as a Jew, just because of a youth group. Being part of TiBToFTY has helped me grow into myself and my Jewish Identity. I am proud to be a TiBToFTYite. ! - Destiny Andrews !!!
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Message From the Youth Group
Alexander Chaves & Destiny Andrews
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIVING T E M P L E B E T H T O R A H , 9 0 0 B I G B L U E T R A C E , W E L L I N G T O N , F L 3 3 4 1 4 !!
ALL donat ions wil l be acknowledged in the Shalom. A card wil l be sent to the recipient of your donat ion of $10 or more.
Forms for donat ions are located on the wal l of the Temple Off ice. !There are many reasons to make a dona<on to Temple Beth Torah: !
▪ To congratulate friends or family on a special simcha ▪ To remember the Yahrzeit of a rela<ve or friend ▪ To show your sympathy for someone’s passing ▪ To help your congrega<on for any reason ▪ To say thank you ▪ To say Mazel Tov ▪ To say I love you ▪ To show you care !
OU R FU N D S We have a wide variety of special funds, which provide you with the perfect purpose for your generosity. !Rabbi’s Discre,onary Fund Funds contributed to the Rabbi’s Discre<onary Fund are used to sponsor important programs not included in the Temple’s opera<ng budget such as speakers and special events, to support organiza<ons and ins<tu<ons in the community which further the mission of the congrega<on, the well being of the Reform movement and the survival of the Jewish people and to confiden<ally assist members and friends of the congrega<on who are in need of a helping and loving hand. !Cantor’s Discre,onary Fund Dona<ons to this fund may be used at the discre<on of our Cantor. Some of the uses may be to purchase music for our children or for the choir or for other charitable purposes. !Educator’s Discre,onary Fund This fund provides scholarships for students to con<nue their Jewish studies, ahend Jewish summer camps and par<cipate in organized trips to Israel. The fund also provides special programs, enrichment ac<vi<es, trips, guest speakers, equipment, materials and other items for the school, not included in its opera<ng budget. It also may be used to provide private assistance to members in need. !Rabbi Stephen Pinsky Educa,on Fund: “For Our Children -‐-‐ For Our Future” This fund was established to commemorate our Rabbi’s service to Temple Beth Torah. It will be used to create, enhance and enrich programs designed to deepen the Jewish knowledge and commitment of our members and their children. !Rabbi Stephen H. Pinsky Endowment Fund This fund was created to enable the congrega<on to con<nue to hire and retain the highest quality Rabbinic and professional leadership; expand and strengthen youth programs and to support Jewish camping and Israel experiences; provide a con<nuum of lifelong learning experiences from preschool through seniors, including visi<ng scholars and cultural programs; and develop Jewish social opportuni<es for our growing membership of young professionals and our aging popula<on. !Cantor Fenakel Religious School Fund Dona<ons will be used to fund various educa<onal programs for our Religious School. !Leonie ArgueHy Preschool Scholarship Fund Contribu<ons to this fund are distributed to those members with children in our preschool with financial needs. The funds are distributed at the discre<on of the Confiden<al Review Commihee. !L.M. Newman Family Founda,on Preschool Playground Fund Contribu<ons to this fund will go toward purchasing new playground equipment and help defray costs associated with ongoing maintenance and improvements to our playground. !Howard Phillips Fund for Social Jus,ce A fund established in memory of Howard Phillips. The contribu<ons to this fund will be used to support Social Jus<ce projects.
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
Youth Group Fund Contribu<ons to this fund are used to send Temple Beth Torah Youth Group (TiBToFTY) members to Na<onal Federa<on of Temple Youth (NFTY) sponsored events as well as help subsidize all our Youth Group and Youth Club children to be able to ahend leadership training programs and Temple events. Saul Blecher Memorial Educa,on Fund Dona<ons to this fund will help to provide Religious School tui<on for families of Temple Beth Torah in need of scholarship funds.!Tzedakah Box Fund Contribu<ons to our Tzedakah Box are used to assist our children whose families cannot afford to pay their Religious School tui<on or youth ac<vi<es. !Life Long Learning Fund This fund supports special educa<onal programs for adults and children. Speaker’s fees, guest scholars and educa<onal materials may be sponsored through this fund. !Bill Bender Caring Fund Dona<ons to this fund enable the Caring Commihee to carry out its support program, as well as to assist bereaved families and seriously ill congregants and their families. !Library Fund This fund is used for major purchases for our library as well as for the purchase of books and supplies. !Prayer Book Fund Dona<ons to this fund are used to purchase books for the sanctuary. For a minimum dona<on of $50 for regular print Shabbat prayer book or $72 for large print, a bookplate will be placed in a prayer book acknowledging the donor and the occasion. !Audio Fund Contribu<ons will go towards purchasing and upgrading synagogue equipment for use in the sanctuary for the hard of hearing. !Sanctuary Beau,fica,on Fund Contribu<ons to this fund are used to help defray the cost of projects that help beau<fy our sanctuary. !Floral Fund Dona<ons to this fund are used to purchase flowers for Shabbat Services when the Temple does not have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or for any other holiday service without a sponsor. !Tree of Life The Tree of Life is an array of commemora<ve leaves in the shape of a tree. Remembering a special event such as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, birth, anniversary or a special person is appropriate. A contribu<on of $180 purchases a leaf. !General Temple Fund Contribu<ons to this fund go directly to our opera<ng account. !Stone at Base of Tree of Life The Stone at the base of the Tree of Life is a way to commemorate a special event such as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, birth, anniversary or a special person. A contribu<on of $1,250 purchases a stone. !Food Box Fund (Located in the Preschool lobby) Contribu<ons to the food fund are distributed monthly to outside chari<es. Contribu<ons go to help fed the hungry in our community. !Ochel L’chol Ongoing Project Ochel L’chol (Food For All) is an ongoing project of the TBT Social Jus<ce Commihee. Contribu<ons to this project are used to buy Publix gig cer<ficates for members of our congrega<on and community who are in need to purchase food and prescrip<on medicine. Friends of the Shalom The Shalom is our temple bulle<n and the primary media for communica<on to our members. The Shalom had been published electronically for a number of years, but our temple community preferred that it be printed and mailed to each home. This began in January, 2014. Contribu<ons will go towards prin<ng and mailing costs for the bulle<n. !
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
Temple Beth Torah is going to the 11th Annual Marlins Jewish Heritage Day on June 1st. Game time is 1:10. Receive a limited edition Marlins yarmulke and a Marlins tote bag. Kids 12 and under can run the bases after the game. Tickets are $29 for Baseline seats. Marlins will donate part of the proceeds to the TBT Brotherhood. Seats are limited, contact Jeff Sharkey for more information @ 561-968-1488 or sharkjb@aol.com. Tickets can be paid for at TBTbrotherhood.com. !!Warmest Regards,
Andrew S. Goldstein
President
(c) 561-312-4692
(e) andrew@agoldsteinco.com
!
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Brotherhood
Andrew Goldstein
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
Jill Rooney, daughter of Nan and John Rooney, became a Bat Mitzvah on April 12th, 2014. She attends Bak Middle School of the Arts where she majors in Visual Art. Someday she hopes to share her drawings and paintings through illustration and animation. Jill has been a Girl Scout for 7 years where she has helped the homeless in Palm Beach County, cleaned up the environment along our shores and helped pass legislation to ban smoking in public parks in Wellington along with her troop. She received the Bronze Award, a great honor and achievement in Scouting. Jill shared her special day with her brother Paul, her Gramma Marcia and many family and friends. !Alexa Grace Dunn Portnoy, daughter of Eli and Heather Portnoy, will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 26th, 2014. Alexa is in 7th grade at Emerald Cove Middle School. She enjoys numerous hobbies, which include playing the flute, reading, running, and spending time with her friends. She also attends Camp Coleman each summer and calls it her second home. Alexa volunteers for A Second Chance Puppies and Kittens Rescue. She and her family foster rescued dogs in their home until they find their forever homes. She often spends her weekends at adoption events or helping new incoming transports of dogs and cats. Alexa would love for the Temple Beth Torah families that are looking for a new pet to consider adoption first or open their homes to fostering homeless animals. She will be joined on her special day by her parents, her brother Isaac, her grandparents, Ivan and Joyce Portnoy, Michael and Patty Sullivan and Debbie and Rick Adkins as well as many other beloved family and friends.
!Jacob Smith, son of Robyn and Roger Smith will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, May 3, 2014. He is a 7th grade student at Polo Park Middle School and a big brother to his sisters Jayden and Jordyn. Jacob is currently a 2nd degree red belt in Taekwondo. He also enjoys playing basketball, Ice Hockey and computer games with his friends. Jacob's favorite sports teams are the Gators and the Buccaneers. He has a special bond with his dog, Macy. He will be celebrating this special day with his family and friends. !!!!!!!!
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Bar & Bat Mitzvah
February, March & April
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!Did you know that Temple Beth Torah has a Jewish Summer Camp Scholarship Fund? There are thirteen URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) Camps across North America that offer an extensive menu of programs and activities for our children. !
Campers don’t know the meaning of the word boring! URJ camps are a source of around the clock fun for thousands of children each summer. Each day, our campers delve into the arts, thrill themselves on our sports Aields, dive into our waterfront activities, celebrate Jewish culture, and enjoy the best of traditional and innovative camp offerings. Each camp has its own unique Alavor of programming, and we recommend that you check out each camp's website for a detailed look at their program offerings. !
If you are looking to specialize in a speciAic sport, hone your artistic skills in various media, develop Jewish leadership skills or spend the summer climbing, hiking or learning; consider spending a summer at camp in one of the specialty programs offered. While each of our camps offers an extensive variety of activities for all campers and participants, there are intensive, specialty programs that allow for a greater degree of involvement in an area of interest. !
It gives me great pleasure to share with you that a generous donation was made to Temple Beth Torah for Jewish Summer Camp Scholarships. A scholarship Committee Program was started this year and we were able to provide scholarships to 19 children for a Jewish Camp experience for this coming summer. !
I am conAident that we are creating the Jewish future, by enabling these children; as well as others from our congregation fortunate to have this experience. We have children attending the following Jewish Camps this summer: Coleman, Harlam, Judea, Kutz, 6 Points Sports Academy and Jori. Although it may be late for this summer, please contact the camps directly for availability and more information at www.urjcamps.org. !
Scholarship money is still available; and should you want to make a donation, it would be greatly appreciated to keep our fund ongoing. !Marcia Weber !
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Marcia Weber
Jewish Summer Camp Scholarship
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
DATE TIME EVENT Thu, May 1, 2014 7:15pm -‐ 8:45pm Avodah Commihee -‐ Conference Room Fri, May 2, 2014 7:30pm Shabbat Services Sat, May 3, 2014 10am Bar Mitzvah of Jacob Smith/ Shabbat Morning Service Sun, May 4, 2014 9:00am -‐ 11:30am Brotherhood Mee<ng -‐ Library 9:00am -‐ 11:30am RS Last Day & Open House -‐ Kitchen, Social Hall, Santuary & Main Lobby
Mon, May 5, 2014 All Day PS -‐ Israel Independence Day Celebra<on 12:00pm -‐ 1:30pm Life Long Learning -‐ Library Tue, May 6, 2014 7:00pm -‐ 8:30pm Confirma<on -‐ Service run-‐through -‐ Library Fri, May 9, 2014 5:30pm -‐ 6:00pm Tot Shabbat/Teacher Apprecia<on Service 7:30pm 7th Grade Siyyum/Teacher Apprecia<on Service Sat, May 10, 2014 10:00am Shabbat Morning Service Sun, May 11, 2014 9:15am -‐ 10:15am Adult Educa<on -‐ Library 10:30am -‐ 11:30am Adult Educa<on -‐ Prayer Book Hebrew -‐ Library Wed, May 14, 2014 7:15pm -‐ 9:15pm RS Commihee Mee<ng -‐ Conference Room Thu, May 15, 2014 6:00pm -‐ 8:00pm Sisterhood Event -‐ Elizabeth Thal’s Home Fri, May 16, 2014 7:30pm Shabbat Service Sat, May 17, 2014 10am Bar Mitzvah of Ryan Shnider/Shabbat Morning Services Sun, May 18, 2014 All Day Confirma<on Class Trip to Miami -‐ Miami 9:30am -‐ 11:30am PS -‐ Character Breakfast 9:30am -‐ 11:00am Sisterhood Mee<ng -‐ Andi Parker’s House 10:30am -‐ 11:30am Adult Educa<on -‐ Prayer Book Hebrew -‐ Library Fri, May 23, 2014 7:30pm Shabbat Services Sat, May 24, 2014 10:00am Bat Mitzvah of Elana Groves/Shabbat Morning Services Sun, May 25, 2014 8:00am -‐ 2:00pm Bat Mitzvah of Elana Groves Mon, May 26, 2014 All Day PS -‐ No School Tue, May 27, 2014 7:30pm -‐ 9:00pm Board Mee<ng -‐ Library Thu, May 29, 2014 All Day PS -‐ Last Day Preschool 6:30pm -‐ 7:30pm PS -‐ PreK Gradua<on Fri, May 30, 2014 6:00pm -‐ 8:00pm Youth Group -‐ Social Hall & Youth Lounge 7:30pm Gradua<on Shabbat/TiBToFTY Installa<on/Chai Members Sat, May 31, 2014 10:00am B’nai Mitzvah of Tayla & McKinley Youngblood//Shabbat Morning Services 6:00pm -‐ 8:00am Youth Group -‐ Social Hall & Youth Lounge !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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May Calendar
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
DATE TIME EVENT Wed, Jun 4, 2014 10:00am -‐ 11:30am Shavuot/Yizkor Service Thu, Jun 5, 2014 7:00pm -‐ 9:00pm Confirma<on/Shavuot Service Fri, Jun 6, 2014 7:30pm Shabbat Service/Normandy Kaddish Shabbat Sat, Jun 7, 2014 10:00am Bar Mitzvah of Noah Zaidspiner/Shabbat Morning Service Fri, Jun 13, 2014 7:30pm Shabbat Service Sat, Jun 14, 2014 10:00am Bar Mitzvah of Julian Lichtenfeld/Shabbat Morning Service Fri, Jun 20, 2014 7:30pm Shabbat Service Sat, Jun 21, 2014 10:00am Shabbat Morning Service Fri, Jun 27, 2014 7:30pm Shabbat Service Sat, Jun 28, 2014 10:00am Shabbat Morning Service ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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June Calendar
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
GRACIOUS DONATIONS March/April
! ! !RABBI’S
DISCRETIONARY FUND
In Honor Of Rabbi Pinsky
Ruthann & Michael Palmer !
The speedy recovery of Irene and Marvin Haas
Jane & Dr. Fred Shuster !
In Memory Of Shirley Hahn Stanley Hahn !Elaine Shipp
Gilbert Steinhorn Joyce Budd !Chaya Bonk Rena Bonk !
Marcus Block, Jr. Ruthann & Michael
Palmer !Frances Block Mary Goldman Jane & Dr. Fred
Shuster !CANTOR’S
DISCRETIONARY FUND
In Honor Of Cantor’s new home
Shelley Sandler !In Appreciation For The Cantor and her
beautiful, special favor Dulcie Burns !
The Cantor singing at Elise’s funeral Leon Nagler !
In Memory Of Bessie Goldberg
Phyllis Doenges !Michael Fishler
Leon Fishler !Eric Woolf
Claire Parker Rochkind Betty Woolf
Ron & Andi Parker !Marcus Block, Jr.
Janna & Joel Zaidspiner !
Elise Nagler Leon Nagler !
Philip Goldberg Robert Irving Goldbetter
Miriam Goldbetter !Theresa Fishler
Minnie Krell Naomi & Leon Fishler !
Abbe Gatzke Art Abrams !
Abraham Rettig Esther Rettig Selma Brooks Susan Karp !
Max Bernstein Pearl Bernstein Jeanne Karon
Shirley Pell !Samuel Poli Gloria Zakon !
RABBI STEPHEN PINSKY EDUCATION
FUND In Memory Of
Annette Brezner Betty Breinin !
Beatrice Weinstein Julie Dimaiwat !
Anne C. Kramer Carol & Paul Leiman &
Family !Jay Leiman
Carol & Paul Leiman & Family !
My dear sister, Anna Goidell
Sylvia Skoller !Albert Ingerman Dora Ingerman Albert Schwait
Herman Ingerman Corinne Ingerman !
Bunny Mattes Jodi & Randy Fox !RABBI STEPHEN
PINSKY ENDOWMENT FUND
In Honor Of Rabbi Pinsky’s clean
bill of health The Skantar Family
The Thal Family
In Memory Of Anita Finkelstein Louis Finkelstein !EDUCATOR’S
DISCRETIONARY FUND
In Honor Of The speedy recovery of
Marvin Haas Corinne Ingerman !
CANTOR FENAKEL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
In Memory Of Joel Slavin
Selma & Saul Goldman !
LEONIE ARGUETTY PRESCHOOL
SCHOLARSHIP FUND In Honor Of
The birth of Noa Meredith Bausch
Arline & Noel Shevack Dulcie Burns !
In Memory Of Rick Samuels
Susan & Dr. Michael Sinclair !
L.M. NEWMAN Family
Foundation PRESCHOOL
PLAYGROUND FUND In Memory Of
Emalinda Daldine Susan & Dr. Michael
Sinclair !YOUTH GROUP
FUND In Honor Of
The speedy recovery of Joann Barr
The Kappel Family & Toby !
In Memory Of Steven Fleckman
Dulcie Burns The Skantar Family !
Elda and Louis Bernstein
Elinor & Howard Bernstein !
HOWARD PHILLIPS FUND FOR
SOCIAL JUSTICE In Honor Of
Ed Creiner on his birthday
Sheila Phillips
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!SAUL BLECHER
MEMORIAL EDUCATION FUND
In Honor Of The 65th wedding
anniversary of Shirley & David Brody Ruthe Blecher !
The marriage of Jennifer and John
Ruthe Blecher !The speedy recovery of
Joy Pitterman Sara & Mitch Marcus !Cantor’s new home
Ruthe Blecher !The speedy recovery of
Philip Singer Ruthe Blecher !
Sara Marcus and the Search Committee for coming to a beautiful
and successful resolution
Roz & Morris Ball !The Bar Mitzvah of Jonah Smith
Ruthe Blecher & Family !
Morris Ball on his 90th birthday
Ruthe Blecher !In Memory Of Irving Blecher
Anna & Adolph Heller Minna & Nachman
Blecher Ruthe Blecher !Elise Nagler
Sara & Mitch Marcus !Marcus Block, Jr.
Sara & Mitch Marcus Ruthe Blecher !
Dora Feldstein Canor Myra Goodman !
Solomon Blutman Ruthe Blecher !
Aaron Ruthe Blecher !
TZEDAKAH BOX FUND
In Memory Of Anna Goidell
Judy & Stanley Stein Roz Eismann !Harry Shore
Selma Schwartz !Ruth Pomeranz
Joan & Joe Pomeranz !Sylvia Schwartz Selma Schwartz !
LIFE LONG LEARNING FUND
In Honor Of The speedy recovery of
Joy Pitterman The Thal Family
Dulcue Burns The Skantar Family !
Morris Ball on his 90th birthday
Renee, Jeff, Hillarie, Chris, Asher, Gabrielle,
Andy, Christy, Nate, Gabe, and Allie !In Memory Of Sarah Segal
Harry Nussbaum Barbara & Sheldon
Nussbaum !Rabbi Saul Teplitz
Arline & Noel Shevack !BILL BENDER CARING FUND
In Honor Of The birth of Noa Meredith Bausch
Marcia & Scott Weber !The speedy recovery of
Sabina Dener Roz & Morris Ball
!The Bat Mitzvah of Madison Andrews
Judie Herzlin !In Appreciation For
Noel’s birthday blessing
Arline & Noel Shevack !In Memory Of
Sidney Friedman Roselyn Sisle !
Estelle and Bill Bender Sue Beyer !
Steven Fleckman Marcia & Scott Weber !
Rick Samuels Judie Herzlin !
Louis Astrachan Cheryl & Neil Feinstein !
LIBRARY FUND In Honor Of
The speedy recovery of Betty Breines Dulcie Burns !
In Memory Of Lenora Levine
Louise & Milton Koffs !AUDIO FUND In Memory Of Calvin Abrams Arthur Arbrams !
MORTGAGE FUND In Memory Of
Marcus Block, Jr. Jane & Dr. Fred
Shuster !Philip Marks Diane Marks !
GENERAL TEMPLE FUND
In Honor Of Morris Ball
on his 90th birthday Vinnie & George
Gilbert
Roz & Karen Eismann !In Appreciation For TBT being here when
needed Sally & Dr. Milton
Green !In Memory Of Elise Nagler
Dorothy Karlin (Hadassah Play for
Pink) Sheila Tenenblatt !
Sadie Sharer Diann & Stuart Hack !Dr. Daniel Hammond
Claire Marcus !Agatha Schneller Joan & Joseph
Pomeranz !Nola Jones
Janna & Joel Zaidspiner !
Steven Fleckman Janna & Joel
Zaidspiner !Yetta Smoke Irving Stein
Bertha and Charles Nauheim
Judy & Stanley Stein !YAHRZEIT FUND
In Memory Of Abraham Steinhoff Sylvia Windmueller !Dr. J. Joseph Baratz
Sheila Tenenblatt !Rita Rothbart
Eva Greenberg Harry Rothbart
Roz & Morris Ball !Rabbi Ed Cohn
Suzanne Gibson !Fanny Krimko Lois Shevack Bunny Mattes
Arline & Noel Shevack
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!Rebecca Dubin Barbara Harnick !Harold Barnett
Janice & Howard Kaplan !
Anna Green Leslie Green
Benny Moskowitz Lena Moskowitz
Mae Green !Estelle Lerner
Lucille & Marvin Rockley !
Isadore Glassman Sarah Franzblau !
Ellen Shapiro Andrew & Ilene
Shapiro !Harry E. Schwartz Cheryl & Stephen Stolow & family !
Rose and Marshall Yasuna
Michael Yasuna !Rachel Scrimenti Adolph Scrimenti
Janet Portnow !Joseph O. Reiner
Jody Warren !Rachel DeYoung
Mary Ellenson Polly Ellenson Homer Chigos
Dianne & Ray Ellenson !David Mitchell
Rose Kopelowitz Ann Price !
Sidney Green Arthur Green !
Morris Pliskow Janice Pliskow !
Samuel Eckhaus Mollie Eckhaus
Barry & Eileen Eckhaus !
Edna Barnett Janice & Howard
Kaplan !Rae Adler
Dr. David Adler !Estelle Hahn Stanley Hahn !
Jerome Goldstein Morris Goldstein !Randall Gurewitz Darin Gurewitz !Molly Garson Neil Garson !
Nathan Ferman Lynn Ferman !
Abraham Eismann Roslyn Eismann !
Dr. William Tenenblatt Sheila Tenenblatt !
Jay Burns Dulcie Burns !Dorothy Feld Robert Feld !
Joan Terr Ronis Ibby Lucas !
MarvinTessler Larry Russack
Randi & Michael Tessler !
Sadie Aronberg Sally Golden
Aronberg Family !Edith Katz
Irene Warten !Samuel Goldman Evelyn Goldman !
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Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
WELCOME to our NEW MEMBERS We welcome the following new members to our “Temple family”
and look forward to their participation in our services and activities. !
Cindi and David Taylor !!Mazel Tov to Our B’nai Mitzvah:
March Sam Fleming and his family Emily Shecter and her family
Matthew Shears and his family Zachary Jacobson and his family
Jonah Smith and his family !April
Adam Kratenstein and his family Jill Rooney and her family
Alexa Portnoy and her family !Special Simchas ~ Mazel Tov To:
!Jamie and Ashley Ackerman, Dr. Ronald and Bobbi Ackerman, and Harry Ackerman on the birth of
their son, grandson and great grandson, Jacob Asher Ackerman Larry and Margie Zauder and Sharon and Jeremy Zauder on the birth of their
grandson and son, Y’air Zauder, in Jerusalem, Israel Debbie and Mark Plaxen on the upcoming marriage of their daughter, Dayna Plaxen to Evan Lewin !
Get Well To: !
Carole Bergman, Betty Breinin, Amy Fisher, Marcia Friedman, Irene Haas, Sheldon Nussbaum, Dr. Joy Pitterman, Shana Sasko, Phyllis Weinstein !
Deepest Sympathy To: !Dr. Jonathan Huber on the loss of his brother, Dr. Michael Huber, and
his nieces, Tess and Abigail “Abby” Huber Anne Waggoner on the loss of her father, Donald Bateman
Debi Shapiro on the loss of her mother, Sara Martin Marcy, Daniel and Patricia Samuels on the loss of their husband and father, Rick Samuels
Ross, Mitchell and Gabriella Bernstein on the loss of their mother and grandmother, Vera Bernstein Rosemond Hammond and Sara Marcus on the loss of their brother and uncle, Charles Robins
Leon Nagler on the loss of his wife, Elise Nagler !�24
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
! !! “In earlier times the extended family was always the most important group and it was common to find many generations living in the same village or even in the same house. Once parents grew older they would become totally dependent upon their children…Today elderly parents often do not need their children to provide them with food or shelter, but they do need them for moral support, and this is the essence of the commandment…For me personally I can see how my parents worry and offer support to their parents, my grandparents. Even though I don’t always agree with my parents there is always an underlying mutual respect and this is the basis for strong family ties.” ! “The commandment I chose to write about is number eight, “You shall not steal.”…This commandment is important to me because stealing affects every single person’s life every day. One way that stealing can affect a person my age is through the internet. Facebook is a very good example of how someone can steal from another person without even leaving home. I remember one time when I was on Facebook I saw a photo album called “The Hate Album.” In that album were pictures of some of my friends in embarrassing situations, nothing really dreadful, but just not very complimentary, with nasty comments alongside the photos. By putting these photos and comments on Facebook for everyone to see, the author was in effect stealing a little bit of the self-esteem (which) those individuals had worked over the years to develop. This may seem like a small thing, but there have been instances where this kind of thing can be taken to the extreme. In one case that was in the news last year a mother posted some very mean comments about her daughter’s friend on Facebook so that her own daughter could get ahead in cheerleading. Because of these comments, the girl killed herself. As you can see, stealing affects people in many different ways, and does not always happen at the end of a gun. Nowadays, people can steal with just the click of a button, but It is just as damaging.” ! We can be proud of our young adults who go through the Confirmation process here at Temple Beth Torah. They understand who they are, what they believe, and approach their sense of identity with firmness and optimism. I am very proud of this year’s class, and look forward to their future accomplishments with anticipation. I am confident that this Confimation Class will live of this high standard of careful thought about our tradition and committed involvement with our people exemplified by their speeches at their special service this June. I hope you will all attend this special service. B’Shalom, Rabbi Norman Mark Klein !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rabbi’s voice
Rabbi Norman Klein, continued
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!Our last Tot Shabbat of the school year will be held on May 9, at 5:30pm.
At this Tot Shabbat service, led by Rabbi Klein and Cantor Barry, we will honor our preschool teachers, Kibbud Horim u’Morim. We encourage all our young families to join us for the short, child-friendly service followed by dinner for the children. Please bring your friends!!! !Preschool registration for the 2014-2015 school year is well under way. Many of our classes are already full with waiting lists. If you know someone who may be interested in any of our programs or would like a tour of our school, please call our direct line at 793-2649, stop by the preschool office or email psdirector@templebethtorah.net. Even if you do not have a prospective family to bring by, we always welcome congregants to visit our school and attend our events to see first-hand what our wonderful school has to offer.
Registration for our “Summer of Fun” Enrichment Camp is in progress. Parents can customize a camp program by choosing 2, 3 or 5 day a week programs, for the full or half day. We will be accepting children from ages 2 to 6 years old to participate in our fun filled activities. This year, camp will feature popular weekly themes such as Our Happy Habitat, Under the Sea, America the Beautiful, Space Station, Color My World, Fossil Friends, Creepy Crawlers and Amusement Park. Refer a friend, and both families will receive fifty percent off the camp registration fee. SAVE THE DATE – May 18 We will be celebrating the closing of the school year on Sunday, May 18 with an encore presentation of our entertaining and delicious Character B r e a k f a s t . L o t s o f excitement will fill the Social Hall as we dine with our favorite children’s characters. Word has it that we may see a princess, a superhero and/or a Disney friend or two. Expect photo ops, face painting, a silent auction and more . . . additional information will be forthcoming. !
May is going to be a busy month, to cap off a terrific school year. Have a safe and happy summer! Shalom, !
Sandy Wilensky, Preschool Director Last month, the story of
Passover came to life in the preschool
through the Matzah Factory visit and our own Model Seder.
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Sandy Wilensky, continued
Preschool Press
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!Hello, Sisterhood Members and Congregants!
!Special thanks to our very own Cantor Carrie Barry for leading a beautiful and meaningful Women’s Passover Seder on Tuesday, April 8. A good time was had by all, thanks to Barbara Barashick, who coordinated the Seder. The evening began with appetizers and designing your very own Miriam’s Cup and included dinner and dancing. Thank you to everyone for bringing such delicious Passover dishes! !Also, at our Women’s Seder the 2014-‐2016 Slate of OfNicers was presented:
Andi Parker Co-‐President Heather Andrews Co-‐President Nancy Freeman Vice President Membership Lu Powell Vice-‐President Programming Julie Dimaiwat Vice President Ways & Means Lori Bilkis Treasurer Joy Pitterman Recording Secretary/ Parliamentarian Barbara Nussbaum Co-‐Chaplain Melissa Sandel Co-‐Chaplain !We will be voting on this slate of ofAicers at a breakfast meeting, Sunday, June 8 at 9:00 am. This meeting is being held in the Library before our annual Temple Congregation Meeting that will be held at 10:00 am. !The Sisterhood year is coming to a close, yet we still have some very important events to tackle! On Sunday, May 4th, Sisterhood will be teaming up with the Shana Sasko BeneNit Fund, and hosting a Bake Sale in her honor. Shana is a 20-‐year old congregant with a rare, aggressive form of thyroid cancer. The proceeds from the BeneAit will go directly to the Sasko family to offset medical expenses. We are asking that when the bake sale request is sent, that you’ll put on your bakers’ hats and donate to this worthy cause. !GNO – Girls Night Out is our next Sisterhood event. Elizabeth Thal will be hosting a fund-‐raising event at her home on Thursday, May 15 from 6-‐8 pm, with vendors from Pampered Chef, Thirty-‐one and Beaded !Kitchen Accessories. Your $10 donation gets you food and drinks and 5 rafAle tickets for items from our vendors [more rafAle tickets available for purchase]. Please see the enclosed Alyer for Lizzie’s home and email addresses. We look forward to seeing you there and bring a friend! !
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Andi Parker & Joy Pitterman
SISTERHOOD
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
Next on the agenda, our monthly board meeting is Sunday, May 18 at 9:30 [location of meeting, TBD]. As we prepare for the coming year, we will be Ainalizing our 2014-‐2015 events calendar, Sisterhood members are always welcome at our monthly board meetings. We have already mentioned our Sunday, June 8th breakfast meeting at 9:00 am to vote on our 2014-‐2016 slate of ofAicers. Hope to see you there! !Finally, thank you for supporting the Sisterhood Judaica Boutique with your purchases of kippot, tallit, Bar/Bat Mitzvah gifts, baby gifts, house warming presents, wedding gifts and more! If you are interested in helping in our Boutique we’d love to hear from you. !Thanks for taking the time to check out Temple Beth Torah Sisterhood. We look forward to seeing you at one of our events or meetings in the future! !Shalom always, Andi Parker and Joy Pitterman Co-‐Presidents Temple Beth Torah Sisterhood !PS Look for your 2014-‐2015 Sisterhood Membership Invoice the end of June, beginning of July and we look forward to your commitment to Sisterhood again next year! !!!!!!
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Women of Reform Judaism
!Did you know……. !WRJ has consistently produced dynamic activists who have played a leading role in creating and maintaining an evolving and more meaningful Jewish life in the home and family.
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!! Caring Commi6ee—Caring about our Temple family
The Caring Commi6ee supports members of our Temple Beth Torah congrega?on by reaching out during ?mes of need or to acknowledge a celebra?on in their life. Please let the temple office know if you or someone you know has an illness, a loss of a loved one or is celebra?ng a special event such as a birth of a child, wedding etc. As a commi6ee, we reach out by sending customized cards or making phone calls. During the ?me of a loss of a loved one, we typically offer a meal to the immediate family in mourning if they are local. In addi?on, we provide ongoing support through the year around different holidays by purchasing Publix and/or Target giM cards for several temple family members who are in need. It some?mes is a difficult choice for individuals to make on purchasing food or their prescrip?ons. We maintain the privacy of the families at all ?mes and typically the names remain anonymous.
How can you help? If you are interested in learning more, we could use volunteers to help our commi6ee with driving, purchasing or cooking chicken dinners but we also are in great need of financial dona?ons. If you would like to donate money, please use the Temple form available either online or through the office to donate to the Bill Bender Caring Commi6ee. These dona?ons are being used for our Temple Beth Torah families. We are not funded through temple dues but through dona?ons. We thank everyone who has been dona?ng to Ochel L’chol at Friday and Saturday services since those funds are used to help us out with suppor?ng our temple families in need.
Shalom,
Temple Beth Torah’s Caring Commi6ee
!!!!!!!!
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Caring Committee
Cindy Albers
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June 2014 Issue
!!
!!
!!!!!
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!9859 Lake Worth Road, Suite 21!
Lake Worth, FL
!Shullman Orthodontics
CARING FOR THE WESTERN COMMUNITIES SINCE 1988
WE CATER TO COWARDS
“Laughing Gas” available
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(561) 798-802312788 FOREST HILL BLVD SUITE 2001 • WELLINGTON
WE ACCEPT MOST INSURANCE • Teachers! We now accept United Health Care!We are providers for: Premier Dental Plans, Cigna and United Health
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NO INSURANCE, NO PROBLEMASK US ABOUT OUR IN OFFICE DENTAL PLAN!
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN OUR FAMILY OF PATIENTSWe provide personlized quality family dental care and assure that our patients are always comfortable.Whether you are 2 years old or 90, we will treat you with individualized care because we are not a clinic.
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Dr. Steven M. MillerYour Home Town Dentist
WriteorInvite Custom Invitations & Stationery
Bar & Bat Mitzvah!Invitations!
Wedding Invitations!Baby Announcements!
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Custom Stationery!Gifts!
!Debbie Plaxen!
By Appointment Only Phone & Fax: (561) 792-8276 Email: writeorinvite@aol.com
Temple Beth Torah Shalom May/June2014 Issue
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ADVISORS
Vincent F. Gerardi, CFP®
Financial AdvisorVice President - Investments
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC9861 Okeechobee BoulevardWest Palm Beach, FL 33411Tel 561-204-6624800-736-7256vince.gerardi@wellsfargo.com
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC,Member FINRA/SIPC, is a registeredbroker-dealer and separate non-bankaffiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.Insurance products are offeredthrough our affiliated non-bank insurance agencies.
Investment and Insurance products:NOT FDIC-Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value
Glenn Steuerman 561-357-0044! Fax: 561-357-3074!!
A New York Delicatessen
strathmore bagels & deli Wellington, FL. !
Market Place at Wycliffe 4095 State Rd. 7 - Suite N - Wellington, FL 33449
www.strathmorebagels.com
Restaurant - Delicatessen - Caterer
Religious School
Meredith Hirschberg, continued
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS !I am the Lord your God
We are all created in the image of God. !You shall have no other gods before Me How do we define success for our children? Do we worship false Gods? !You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain How many acts of violence are carried out in the “name of God?” What about the use of “OMG?” ! Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Do we truly control our lives or has technology taken over? What can we do on Shabbat to rest our bodies and enlighten our souls? !Honor your father and your mother
Why is this commandment on the same side of the tablet as the other commandments having to do with the rela?onship between “man and God?” How do we treat our aging parents? Grandparents? !
You shall not murder Where in our history have our ancestors been murdered? Did their murderers believe in God? You shall not commit adultery
There are many contemporary books on sexual ethics and Torah – perhaps you can a6end a class together with teenagers and/or a significant other. !
You shall not steal Does this include taking extra ?me at lunch or unjus?fied sick ?me away from home or work obliga?ons? !
You shall not bear false witness Is this just about what you say “under oath” in a courtroom? Does this include gossip? Slander? !You shall not covet What is the difference between need and greed? Is this a physical or mental ac?on?
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Pictures from the Sisterhood Women’s Seder on 4/1/14 and the Purim Spiel on 3/15/14.
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SHALOM NOTES
Diane Marks
I hope you enjoy this issue of the Shalom. I hope to include more pictures if the colored pictures are OK in black and white. Please use it to plan your activities at Temple Beth Torah through June. The July issue will give you information about the High Holy Days and plans for the coming year. !Printing and mailing costs for the Shalom were not included in this year’s temple budget. If you like having the Shalom mailed to your home, please consider making a donation to the Friends of the Shalom (one of the Opportunities for Giving listed on pages 14 and 15). !A sincere Thank You to all our advertisers. Please mention that you saw their ad in the Shalom when you frequent/use our advertisers. We can always use more if you have a business or can give us the name of someone we should call. !B’shalom, Diane Marks !
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Shavuot !Shavuot is the Hebrew word for “weeks” and refers to the Jewish festival marking the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which occurs seven weeks after Passover. Shavuot, like many other Jewish holidays, began as an ancient agricultural festival that marked the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. In ancient times, Shavuot was a pilgrimage festival during which Israelites brought crop offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, it is a celebration of Torah, education, and actively choosing to participate in Jewish life.
Traditionally, the Book of Ruth, part of the section of the Bible known as Writings, is read during services on Shavuot. Ruth is a young Moabite woman who married an Israelite man. When her husband died, she followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Israel and adopted the Jewish faith and people as her own. To feed herself and Naomi, she gleaned in the field of Boaz, a rich man. Boaz is taken with her, and eventually they marry. Among their descendents is the famed King David who built the first Temple.
The theme of Ruth’s conversion to Judaism is central to this story. In Ruth 1:16–17, she states: “Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. Thus and more may God do to me if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth is often considered to be the archetype of all who “choose” or convert to Judaism—accepting the Torah, just as Jews accepted the Torah at Mt. Sinai—and this passage traditionally has been understood as her conversion statement.
The ceremony of Confirmation—for high school students who have continued their studies and Jewish involvement beyond b’nei mitzvah—often is held on or near Shavuot. Just as the Jewish people accepted the Torah on Shavuot, so do confirmands reaffirm their commitment to the covenant and adult Jewish life.
It also is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot because Jewish tradition compares the words of Torah to the sweetness of milk and honey. Blintzes and cheesecake are among the popular foods to make and enjoy for the holiday.
Excerpt taken from reformjudaism.org
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NON PROFIT ORG!US POSTAGE PAID!!WEST PALM BEACH,FL!PERMIT NO. 2168
Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Academy is proud to be an International Baccalaureate World School and a Department of Education “2013 Exemplary High Performing Blue Ribbon School.” Meyer Academy is a Partner Agency of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
New K-8 school to open this fall in Palm Beach GardensCultivating a love of learning, celebrating academic excellence, and integrating a rich
secular and Jewish studies curriculum, Meyer Academy students pursue their full potential as critical thinkers, joyful learners, and good citizens.
Opening for the 2014-15 school year, the 68,000-square-foot facility will feature cutting-edge technology, advanced art studios and science labs, and much more.
Contact us at 561-686-6520 or admissions@meyeracademy.org. meyeracademy.org
5225 Hood Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
Inspiring minds to make a difference.
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Temple Beth Torah!900 Big Blue Trace!
Wellington, Florida 33414!
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