Congregation Brith Sholom President: Steven L. Glickman rabbi: Michael singer

Rabbi emeritus: rabbi Allen Juda

Volume XXIX No. 4 ~ April 2018 Nisan 5778 ~ Iyar 5778

PUBLISHED MONTHLY CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM

BETHLEHEM, PA 18017 Tel: 610-866-8009 Fax: 610-866-8000

Email – info@brithsholom.net rabbisinger@brithsholom.net

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: All information must be received in writing or copy ready by the 15th of each month. Any article received after the deadline will be published in the next Bulletin. Visit our website at www.brithsholom.net

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FROM THE RABBI

And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of eleva on offering—the day a er the sabbath—you shall count off seven weeks. They must be

complete: you must count un l the day a er the seventh week—fi y days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the LORD. (Levi cus 23:15-16) Yevamot 62b Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of disciples, from Gevas to An paras (Judea); and they all died during one period because they did not treat each other with respect and the world was le desolate:- un l Rabbi Akiva came to our Masters in the South and taught the Torah to them. These were Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Judah, Rabbi Yossi, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Eleazar ben Shammua; and it was they who founded the Torah at that me. A Tanna taught: All of them died between Passover and Shavuot. Rabbi Hama bar Abba or, it might be said, Rabbi Chiyyah bar Avin said: All of them died a cruel death. As I have wri en and spoken about numerous mes (and will con nue to do so - with God’s help), Judaism places a very high value on the power of words. Words in Jewish thought hold God’s crea ve power within them. As the story of Crea on itself u lizes words to create the universe. From the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai to the words of the Prophets calling us to jus ce, our most sacred Scrip-tures are a treasure trove of meless words that con-

nue to inspire, command, and challenge us to strive for the highest ideals of moral and ethical behavior. Yet, our sacred texts also show us how words can demean, hurt, and destroy one another, our world, and God’s very name. From the unknown words that Cain speaks to his brother Abel before killing him, to the hur ul words of Aaron and Miriam against Moses; words have the power to destroy rela on-ships, divide a people (ie Korach), and even exile God’s presence from among us (the Rabbis a ribute the destruc on of the 2nd Temple to evil speech). Words are never taken lightly in the Jewish tradi on. Enter the period of the Jewish calendar called the Sefirat HaOmer (Coun ng of the Omer) which had its origins in the agricultural tradi on of the wheat harvest. Each year as Passover approached the old grain was used up, while the new grain awaited

harves ng in the fields. Jews would then offer a “sheaf(omer) of eleva on(t’nufah)” of the new crop of grain as an sacrifice to God for a prosperous har-vest and as a thanksgiving offering to God. It was by all accounts a me of great happiness and celebra on. This all changed during the me of Rabbi Akiva (some date this par cularly to the Bar Kochba rebellion against Rome in 166 C.E.) where the Talmud (Yevamot 62b) in a tragic yet strange reference re-marks that 12,000 pairs of his disciples died because “they did not treat each other with respect…” Fur-ther, “the world was le desolate”… and “All of them died a cruel death.” Whether it was a disease/plague (as some suggest) or the Romans (during the Bar Kochba war) but the texts a ributes their deaths to the rampant immorality of disrespect they showed each other - and alludes that their deaths were a pun-ishment from God. What is crystal clear is that disa-greements and hur ul words lead to demeaning each other, disrespec ng each other, and in the end de-stroying each other. A pa ern that history has shown

me and me again to be true. (From blood libels to the Shoah) The change in the nature of the Sefirat HaOmer (Coun ng of the Omer) from joy to sadness is o en a ributed to this story. It is tradi onal not to perform weddings or shave un l Lag B’Omer (when the “plague” against the students subsided). While these tradi ons might seem a li le bit dras c, I believe our

mes once again demonstrate that we should not, cannot, must not forget this lesson. How we talk, tweet, and treat each other is extremely important. We can argue and disagree but we must not lose sight of the respect we need to have for one another and the impact of our words to hurt or destroy. We need to fight the current rise in hateful speech, in all of its forms whether it is cyber-bullying, an -Semi sm, xenophobia, racism, etc. while also watch-ing how we debate and talk about the topics the divide us. As we count the Omer, let us resolve to elevate the level of our discourse and in so doing crea ng more Torah and more life. Rabbi Michael Singer

Eleva ng the Conversa on: Words Ma er!

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Friday, April 6 ~ Candle Lighting: 7:13 pm ~ SATURDAY, April 7 Torah Reading: Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17; Numbers 28:19-25 ~ Haftarah: Isaiah 10:32-12:6 ~ Havdalah: 8:39

SHABBAT SHEMINI

SHABBAT PESACH—8th Day

SHABBAT HAHODESH ~ TAZRIA-METZORA

Friday, April 20 ~ Candle Lighting: 7:28 pm ~ SATURDAY, April 21 Torah Portion: Tazria-Metzora ~ Leviticus 12:1-15:33 ~ Haftarah: II Kings 7:3-20 ~ Havdalah: 8:54 pm

Friday, April 27 ~ Candle Lighting: 7:35 pm ~ SATURDAY, April 28 Torah Portion: Ahare Mot-Kedoshim ~ Leviticus 16:1-20:27 ~ Haftarah: Amos 9:7-15Havdalah: 9:01 pm

Friday, April 13~ Candle Lighting: 7:21 pm ~ SATURDAY, April 14 Torah Portion: Shemini ~ Leviticus 9:1-11:47~ Haftarah: 1 Samuel 20:18-42 ~ Havdalah: 8:47 pm

Schedule of Services SHABBAT

Everyone is invited to attend and participate in the beauty of the Shabbat Services and the Kiddush that follows.

Services begin Shabbat morning at 9:00 AM.

MINYAN—is held in the Chapel Monday and Thursday mornings……….7:45 AM

Holiday mornings……………...9:00 AM

SHABBAT AHARE MOT-KEDOSHIM

Brith Sholom’s Annual Meeting

Please plan to attend the Brith Sholom Annual meeting which will be held on Sunday,

April 22nd at 10:00 a.m.. It is the easiest way to get a sense of the current state of

affairs of the synagogue. You will have the opportunity to vote for the incoming

Board of Trustees, the slate for which is listed below:

Ruthie Shleifer

Irving Kaplan

Exis ng Board Members for a Second 3 Year Term

Jennifer Lader

Ron Ticho

Judith Rodwin

Refreshments will be served. Come to the Annual Meeting and learn more.

Respec ully submi ed,

The Nomina ng Commi ee

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SUNDAY, APRIL 1

SHAHARIT: 9:00 A.M.

***************************

MONDAY, APRIL 2

Chol HaMoed

SHAHARIT: 7:45 A.M.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 6

SHAHARIT: 9:00 A.M.

Candle Lighting: 7:13 P.M.

***************************

SATURDAY, APRIL 7

SHAHARIT: 9:00 A.M.

YIZKOR IS RECITED

PASSOVER ENDS AT 8:14 P.M.

CONCLUDING DAYS OF PESACH 5778

Huge shout out to the awesome teens that came out to support the JCC’s Purim Carnival and our USY Booth. We saw so many smiling faces and had so much fun challenging our local youth to a game of toss across. For more information about how you can get involved with USY, contact Heather Levitt at lehighvalleyusy@gmail.com or call her cell phone at 732-895-2150. We still have several more events planned for this year!

USY Spring Convention 2018 Join Mizrach and Hagalil USY for a weekend full of fun and memories as both regions come together for what will

be an amazing Shabbat! What can you expect? Elections, amazing Israel programming, Saturday night dance and much more.

Spring Convention is April 20-22, Transportation will be provided from central locations. Seniors are encouraged to begin the convention one day early, Thursday, April 19th, as we reflect on your

amazing 5 years in USY! Register at: Regpacks.com/Mizrach1718

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Socializing at CBS is at its best when we come together to welcome in the Shabbat bride and then enjoy a delicious Shabbat dinner. Preparing the Mexican-themed Shabbat dinner, as our corps of volunteers will tell you, is a me when we laugh and kvetch, learn new skills, and tell stories, too. This happened once again, when shopping, chopping, and cooking our Mexican dinner. Even as we seeded and chopped (mild) chiles, there were no tears

We are grateful to Ruthie and Harry Shleifer for inspiring us to prepare authen c Mexican fare, especially introducing us to ceviche. Thanks to Fran Fisher for finding the unique pepita cake recipe and being adept at on-line shopping for specialty ingredients. Our decora ons, so beau fully arranged by Maria and Richard Ain were enhanced by the addi on of Milagros’ sombreros and the “shawls” [used as table cloths], from the collec on of Ruthie.

We thank our fantas c kitchen helpers: Milagros Morales-San ago, Sandy Wruble, Judy Aronson, Helen Appel, John Wolfe, Judith Rodwin, Gale Maleskey, and Amy Cook.

We are grateful for the service performed by our experienced waitstaff: Emily Franko, Miriam and Mordy Singer, and Jacob, Daniel, and Toby Lader.

Thank you, Tammy, for keeping track of the reserva ons and coordina ng all those tasks that make these dinners come together so smoothly. Thank you, Ron, for your suppor ve helping hands when problems arose. Thank you, Tim, you are the essen al ingredient to making our dinners a success. Dinner Co-chairs: Ruthie and Harry Shleifer, Fran Fisher, Maria Ain, and Jannie Kay

GRACIAS MUCHAS

Ticket Information $22 Tickets Include: • Jewish Heritage Night cap • Field level ticket • Food voucher good for kosher food stand (LVKC supervised, includes kosher hot dog or knish, chips, can of soda or bottled water) $16 Tickets Include: • Jewish Heritage Night cap • Field level ticket Tickets purchased through the Jewish Federation must be picked up prior to the game.

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HOST

♦ Amon, Merav and the

Wirthiem Family in honor of

Ishay’s bar mitzvah

DOUBLE CHAI ♦ Stanley & Lora Geftic in

memory of George Geftic ♦ Alan & Roz Cohen in

memory of Julius Cohen ♦ Rabbi Michael, Alexis, Miri-

am and Mordy Singer in memory of Susan Singer

♦ Herb Saunders In honor of Julia’s Special Birthday

Bethlehem/Easton Hadassah

Book and Film Club Date: Thursday,

April 19 ~ 1:30 p.m. Film: A Tale of Love and Darkness

Place: Amy Cohen 1804 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem

610-867-5501

BLOOD DONORS NEEDED Keep Brith Sholom in good standing.

Call Miller-Keystone Blood Center at

(610) 691-5850 and make an appointment.

“Give the Gift of Life.”

Call today to schedule your appointment to donate blood on behalf of Brith Sholom

Thank You

Support

Congregation Brith Sholom!

Purchase Giant Foods Gift Cards and Congregation Brith Sholom gets 5% of the proceeds.

So when you purchase groceries you will be donating to the shul.

Giant Card contact:

Dore Kottler, rxdek@ptd.net or 610-395-3259

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It is with gratitude that we acknowledge the following gifts given to the synagogue in memory of or to honor and commemorate the people or events mentioned. It is a sacred obligation and a unique privilege for each of us to be able to show such traditional support and respect for our heritage and loved ones. (Minimum contributions to each of the donation levels are: Temple/$10; Chai/

$18; Silver/$25; Double Chai/$36); Golden/$50; Platinum/$100

PLATINUM DONATION Inlovingmemoryofbrother,

ErvinGrossShirleyGross

GOLDEN DONATION InmemoryofMikeSpitzer

Susan&DavidShafferSusan&TedWachtel

BetsyGlazierInlovingmemoryofgrandfather,

FrankMoskowitzShirleyGross

InmemoryofLewSchorLisa&JoelBender

InhonorofmyAliyahon3/3/18MiltonNovak

InmemoryofLeonardKornitStevenMays&ElinorSegal

InmemoryofJeffreyFisherFran&JayFisher

DOUBLE CHAI DONATION InmemoryofLewSchor

Perri&AaronFinkUrsla&EdLevy

Lisa&ThomasFriedlanderInmemoryofMikeSpitzer

DebbieMillerAllanB.Goodman

Marjorie&RobertRuderInmemoryofgrandfather,

HarryM.GoodmanAllanB.Goodman

Inlovingmemoryofmother,JeanL.GoodmanAllanB.Goodman

InmemoryofGaryMillerJudy&JayAronson

SILVER DONATION InmemoryofLewSchor

Roz&AlanCohenWendy&AndrewBernstein

Julie&JohnGilbertFran&JayFisherJoyce&GaryNimetz

Inlovingmemoryofmother,FlorenceAberbach

Marilyn&TomDoluisioInmemoryofFreda&Theodore

WrubleSandy&NormWruble

Inlovingmemoryofhusband,Dr.EgalFeldmanJoanBischoff

Inlovingmemoryofmother,andgrandmother,MarjoriePassan

Melodye&RickPassan&DebbieKnarrInhonorofDoe&MaurLevan

Fran&JayFisherInmemoryofJennieKlibansky

TheRiskinFamily CHAI DONATION

InmemoryofmyLovedOnesReneeGittler

Bestwishesforaspeedyandcom-pleterecoverytoEdLevy

BarrySiegelInmemoryofMikeSpitzer

Judy&GilbertLappenAlan&LynneMannAnita&SymanHirsch

Florence&JerryHausmanArdie&BruceSmackey

InmemoryofLewSchorPearl&ShirleySteinRuthie&HarryShleiferFlorence&JerryHausmanArdie&BruceSmackey

InhonorofDoe&MaurLevanAnita&SymanHirsch

InhonorofJoe’sAliyahHelen&JoeAppel

InmemoryofSamuelKesslerEstherM.Brill

InmemoryofMaxBudnitzDebbieMiller

InhonorofNormWruble’sSpecialBirthday

DebbieMillerWithgratitudeforSandyWruble’s

speedyrecoveryDebbieMiller

InmemoryofShirleyShleifer

Ruthie&HarryShleiferInmemoryofGoldaSchachmer

Ruthie&HarryShleifer TEMPLE FUND

InmemoryofLewSchorReneeGittler

Sandy&NormWrubleCaseyGoldblat

Maria&RichardAinMarcee&CharlesBortnickPaula&HarryGrinesRuthKugelman

InmemoryofFlorenceSterman,motherofCheriSterman

CaseyGoldblatInmemoryofMikeSpitzerMarilyn&ThomasDoluisio

InhonorofDoe&Maur’s70thAnniversary

Sandy&NormWrubleRuthKugelman

InhonorofWilliamPestcoe’sengage-ment

CaseyGoldblatBestwishesforaspeedyrecoveryto

MikeBermanCaseyGoldblat

InmemoryofIdaGrotskySandy&NormWruble

InmemoryofEstellaKaufmannMichael,Frances,Wendy&NormanKauf-

mannWishingRebaMarblestonemuchhappinessinhernewhome

RuthKugelmanInmemoryofHarrietGhersin-MillerMichael,Frances,Wendy&NormanKauf-

mannInmemoryofHannahGoldman-Tress

SteveBergstein&NanciGoldmanInmemoryofNathanielGoldmanSteveBergstein&NanciGoldman

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WEEK OF APRIL 7, 2018 Dora Goodman 22 Nisan Apr. 7 Nesha Schor 26 Nisan Apr. 11 Louis Hoffman 23 Nisan Apr. 8 Jack Heyman 27 Nisan Apr. 12 Benjamin Black 24 Nisan Apr. 9 * Cecil Salmon 27 Nisan Apr. 12 Hanna Friedman 25 Nisan Apr. 10 Stan Ackerman 28 Nisan Apr. 13 * Benjamin Weinstock 25 Nisan Apr. 10 Nathaniel Goldman 28 Nisan Apr. 13 * Sarah Abrams 26 Nisan Apr. 11 Nancy Sigal 28 Nisan Apr. 13 Murray Cooper 26 Nisan Apr. 11 WEEK OF APRIL 14, 2018 Joseph Denitz 29 Nisan Apr. 14 Minnie Cooper 3 Iyar Apr. 18 * Gertrude Spillberg 29 Nisan Apr. 14 * Julia F. Sell 3 Iyar Apr. 18 Eva Yaker 29 Nisan Apr. 14 * Herman Shaffer 3 Iyar Apr. 18 * Anna Alshutz 30 Nisan Apr. 15 Lindsay Simmons 3 Iyar Apr. 18 * Abe Glaser 30 Nisan Apr. 15 * Lena Berenson 4 Iyar Apr. 19 Helen Roth 30 Nisan Apr. 15 Samuel Fink 4 Iyar Apr. 19 * Sam Epstein 1 Iyar Apr. 16 * Zelda Gilbert 4 Iyar Apr. 19 * Sadie Berman 1 Iyar Apr. 16 Irving Gladstein 4 Iyar Apr. 19 * Charles Lutz 1 Iyar Apr. 16 Hannah G. Tress 4 Iyar Apr. 19 * Leah C. Schiff 1 Iyar Apr. 16 * Harry S. Thomas 5 Iyar Apr. 20 Anna Williams 1 Iyar Apr. 16 Claire Oppenheimer 5 Iyar Apr. 20 WEEK OF APRIL 21, 2018 * Hannah Coleman 6 Iyar Apr. 21 Alfred Unger 9 Iyar Apr. 24 Norman A. Merkin 6 Iyar Apr. 21 Sharon Hill 9 Iyar Apr. 24 Joseph Sarachek 6 Iyar Apr. 21 Donald Goodman 10 Iyar Apr. 25 Henry Glickman 7 Iyar Apr. 22 Shirley Weissman 10 Iyar Apr. 25 * Ellina Brown 8 Iyar Apr. 23 * Jackson Sigmon 10 Iyar Apr. 25 Doris Auerbach 9 Iyar Apr. 24 * Bernard Glazier 10 Iyar Apr. 25 * Rebecca Black 9 Iyar Apr. 24 * Martin Blinderman 11 Iyar Apr. 26 * Sadie Fink 9 Iyar Apr. 24 * Isaac Deutch 11 Iyar Apr. 26 * Solomon Goodman 9 Iyar Apr. 24 * Clara Edelson 12 Iyar Apr. 27 WEEK OF APRIL 28, 2018 Joseph Goldfeder 13 Iyar Apr. 28 Linda S. Rosenberg 17 Iyar May 2 * George G. Korson 13 Iyar Apr. 28 * Sol Fink 18 Iyar May 3 Leona Steinberger 13 Iyar Apr. 28 * Samuel B. Goodman 18 Iyar May 3 Gus Schwartz 13 Iyar Apr. 28 Martin R. Miller 18 Iyar May 3 * Rose E. Beilin 14 Iyar Apr. 29 * John I. Roberts 18 Iyar May 3 * Esther Goldberg 15 Iyar Apr. 30 * Evelyn Brown 19 Iyar May 4 * Jennie Klibansky 15 Iyar Apr. 30 * Dr. Joseph Good 19 Iyar May 4 * Maurice J. Phillips 15 Iyar Apr. 30 * Sally Himmel 19 Iyar May 4 Jennie Glickman 17 Iyar May 2 Bess Hoffman 19 Iyar May 4

YAHRZEIT PLAQUES These bronze plaques are permanent tributes to your loved ones. Unlike many of the other synagogues both here in the Valley and in other places, our Yahrzeit Memorial Wall has individual lights that are turned on during the week of the Yahrzeit. It does not ma er how long ago a grandparent, parent or, G-d forbid, a child has died, the memory is s ll

there. Tradi onally, we show respect and love for our departed family members by this annual demonstra on of remembrance. We say Kaddish in shul. We hold them in the forefront of our hearts and minds, and, for many of us, by the public illumina on of their names on the Memorial Wall.

The price for a plaque is $300. The price to reserve a space is s ll $25. To reserve a space or order plaques, please contact :

Sandy Wruble (610-865-2474)

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16 Nisan, 5778

15 Iyar, 5778 April 2018

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

16th of Nisan,

5778

Pesach II

8:33p

2

17th of Nisan,

5778

Pesach III (CH''M)

3

18th of Nisan,

5778

Pesach IV (CH''M)

4

19th of Nisan,

5778

Pesach V (CH''M)

5

20th of Nisan,

5778

Pesach VI (CH''M)

7:12p

6

21st of Nisan,

5778

Pesach VII

7:13p

7

22nd of Nisan,

5778

Pesach VIII

8:39p

8

23rd of Nisan,

5778

9

24th of Nisan,

5778

10

25th of Nisan,

5778

11

26th of Nisan,

5778

12

27th of Nisan,

5778

Yom HaShoah

13

28th of Nisan,

5778

7:21p

14

29th of Nisan,

5778

Parashat Shmini

8:47p

15

30th of Nisan,

5778

Rosh Chodesh Iyyar

16

1st of Iyyar,

5778

Rosh Chodesh Iyyar

17

2nd of Iyyar,

5778

18

3rd of Iyyar,

5778

Yom HaZikaron

19

4th of Iyyar,

5778

Yom HaAtzma'ut

20

Italian Shabbat Dinner

6 p.m.

7:28p

21

6th of Iyyar,

5778

Parashat Tazria-Metzora

8:54p

22

Annual Meeting 10:00 a.m.

23

8th of Iyyar,

5778

24

9th of Iyyar,

5778

25

10th of Iyyar,

5778

26

11th of Iyyar,

5778

27

12th of Iyyar,

5778

7:35p

28

13th of Iyyar,

5778

Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim

9:01p

29

Life & Legacy

Brunch—10 a.m. Pesach Sheni

30

15th of Iyyar,

5778

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CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM President: Steven L. Glickman Rabbi: Michael singer

Rabbi Emeritus: Rabbi Allen Juda

PUBLISHED MONTHLY

Congregation Brith Sholom

1190 West Macada Road

Bethlehem, PA 18017

Non-Profit Organization PERMIT no. 461

U.S. Postage Paid Lehigh Valley, PA

Volume XXIX No. 4 April 2018 Nisan 5778 ~ Iyar 5778

Tel: 610-866-8009 Fax: 610-866-8000

email: info@brithsholom.net

rabbisinger@brithsholom.net

Visit our website at www.brithsholom.net