Emanuel Synagogue

Bulletin

SERVICE TIMESFriday 6:00 PMSaturday 9:00 AMThursday 8:30 AM

900 NW 47TH ST.OKC, OK  73118Tel: 405-528-2113https://www.emanuelokc.org/emanuel_office@coxinet.net

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Contents Pg 2

Rabbi’s Rostrum Pgs 3-4

Presidents’ Perspective Pg 5

Principal’s Podium Pgs 6-7

Ma Koreh Pg 8-9

Upcoming Events & Holidays Pg 10

Sisterhood News Pg 11-12

Men’s Club Pg 13-14

Schusterman Center News Pg 15

Birthdays & Anniversaries Pg 16

In Memory Pgs 17-18

Todah Rabah Pg 19

JFED Pg 20

THISMONTH’SEVENTSApril

4 Birthday Shabbat (Digital Havdallah) Shabbat Hagadol8 Erev Pesach Ta’anit Bechorot Burning of hametz9 Pesach I (Synagogue Offices Closed)10 Synagogue Offices Closed 1st Day of the Omer Count15 Pesach 7 (Synagogue Offices Closed)16 Pesach 8 (Synagogue Offices Closed)17 Kitchens back to normal18 Remembrance Shabbat21 Yom HaShoah22 Board meeting (via Zoom)24 Celebrate Israel Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Iyar25 Celebrate Israel Shabbat26 Torah Cafe28 Yom HaZikaron29 Yom HaAtzma’ut Israeli Independence Day Picnic

April 2020 Nisan - Iyar 5780

Emanuel Synagogue Bulletin

Rabbi’s Rostrum

Dear Friends,

  Never has there been an event of this magnitude - an event that has affected every human being on the face of the earth at the same time and in very similar ways.

  And yet, our ancestors have certainly lived through times of uncertainty, times of restriction, times of illness, and times of danger. They have responded with intelligence and with grace, with prayer and with ritual, with anger, disappointment, and saddness, and also with optimism and hope.

  We will respond the same.

  We will call to check on one another, and we will share our frustrations, fears, and hopes. We will wash our hands and practice good hygiene. We will give generously to feed those whose livelihood is affected, and we will ask for help if we need it! 

  As a reminder, the Bubonic Plague now has a cure, and Small Pox has a vaccine. Both of these diseases once

seemed to be an insurmountable scourge upon humanity, and yet, they are both minor inconveniences in today's world. One day, Covid-19 will join their ranks as a minor inconvenience:  This will be the world of After.

  We must continue to look forward hopefully to After. This might be a vacation we will take once it is safe, or the ecstatic faces of our children when we return them to Hebrew school. More than any of those, though, it will be a grateful return to the peace we enjoyed - and took for granted - a month ago.

  We will get through this together. We will stay Together in Isolation. We will come out of this changed but whole.

  If you would like to volunteer to

make phone calls, donate money, or help people get groceries, please contact me.

  If you need help setting up online deliveries, learning to use video conferencing technology, or finding ways to occupy yourself, please contact me.

  If you do not have something that you vitally need, please contact me.

Abby JacobsonRabbi, Emanuel Synagogue900 NW 47th St.Oklahoma City, OK 73118(405) 528-2113, ext. 102

PRESIDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Well, it’s been an interesting week to say the least.  It’s fair to say, none of us could have predicted this.  We are creating a new normal and we hope all of you are handling it the best way you can.  We have had to cancel many things both in and out of the synagogue and it is unsettling.  But, we believe we will persevere and be better and stronger for it.  Against the most difficult obstacles we have faced so far, we have met the challenges and will continue.  We have followed the recommendations from the government and from our religious entities.  We have had to make decisions we never thought we would need to make in uncertain times and we are doing what we can to flatten the curve. We are disappointed in cancelling our festivities, especially Bryant Moore’s bar mitzvah, Passover seder on the 2nd night, and Passport to Israel but please keep in touch as we work on keeping you informed and connected through ongoing ideas from Rabbi Jacobson.  This is a strain on everyone and we ask that you seek out help through many of the resources the Rabbi has sent and connect via technology to make you feel less isolated.  It’s amazing what a difference it makes.  Davening together via ZOOM is quite satisfying.  In fact, it may be a “thing” after all of this has calmed down. Please try it. We think you will be very impressed.  Contact us if you need help signing up. It is with a renewed outlook of “social distancing” for an unknown amount of time that we will try to embrace this situation and take time to do things we have put off, to tackle the less desirable activities that need to

get done and to reflect on our lives and goals.  It will be a challenge but we are not alone.  We are grateful for our leaders at Emanuel and for all they are doing to make this as easy as possible, including services, continuing education for adults and children and handling our youth activities.  We are also thankful for our staff in trying to make the synagogue a safe and clean environment for all of us.  Let’s stay positive, reach out to each other and stay connected, even if it’s not physical.  And when this is all over, let’s give everyone a BIG HUG and be thankful for the people in our lives.  Yes, keep the faith and say a prayer.  However you end up celebrating, we wish you all a happy Passover - Julie and Tammy

Principal’s Podium

ICSS ְוָכל ַהְמַקּיֵם נֶֶפׁש ַאַחת...ְּכִאּלּו ִקּיֵם עֹוָלם ָמֵלאOne who saves a single life...it is as if they saved the entire world. (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5) With the message of the text above in our hearts and minds, and keeping the Jewish value of pikuach nefesh (the protection of health and life) as our highest priority, we have made the difficult decision to close ICSS, due to the ongoing situation of the spread of COVID-19. We are not yet certain when in-person classes will resume. These are challenging times; as we move through them, we continue to find new questions to answer. We know that you are having a similar experience in your personal and professional lives. Please know that we are here for you--to talk to and to share the challenge with--it may be over a video chat or the phone, but our lines are open. For you, as well as for your children, who are struggling with this situation as well. We are all in this together. And we hope that ICSS continues to be a resource for you during times of trouble. As we prepare for the holiday of Passover, we would like to share with you some

resources that you might find useful to use as a family. We hope that our offerings on Sundays are able to continue to build relationships, challenge thinking, grow minds, and tap into the spiritual while educating and engaging our Jewish community. Resources To Learn About Passover Jewish Learning Works has created @Home Guides for Parents ReformJudaism.org provides resources on Passover JTSA.edu provides Conservative Passover resources http://ileftwithmoses.weebly.com Jewish Learning Matters has free resources Religious Action Center provides racial justice Passover resources Thank you for your cooperation in protecting the lives of our faculty and students, for helping us to maintain social distances, and to working together to move through these days.

Rabbi Juan Mejia and Mrs. Rachel Opatowsky ICSS Co-Directors

Despite the difficulties of these months, and the darkness and despair that isolation may cause, let us reach out and transform this into a global Passover: an experience that will leave us with a palpable knowledge of our unity and shared purpose.  When we leave this Egypt (one of the many that our people have endured) for the lands of the possibility and freedom, we will be strengthened by the many ways in which we were available for each other during this time.  For our part, the staff and leadership of the Bloom Family Hebrew School plans to do all in our capability so we get through this together. 

As always, and particularly now, feel free to reach out to me for guidance, educational advice or if you just want to talk. 

Yours in Chinnukh, 

Rabbi Juan Mejia

Dear Bloom Family Hebrew School Families, 

I am writing these lines to you two weeks before they meet your eyes.  I hope that light is in the horizon and that the measures we have developed to serve our students and their families  (virtual classrooms, daily minyan, individual time with teachers) have been successful and a boon to you.  I hope that our community, our country and our people emerge of this crisis with a palpable sense of unity and responsibility for one another. 

Since I cannot offer you any timely advice, let me offer you timeless wisdom.  As Passover nears, let us remember that our nation was forged in a night of self isolation.  As the Hebrew slaves gathered in their homes while a deadly plague raged just outside their doors, they became one community.  Our Sages tell us that those that left Egypt did so on the merit of that night of seclusion and meaning.  This shared experience was so mysterious and profound that we have reenacted it every year since that day.  We close our doors and recall the difficulties of that night (and all the suffering that led to it), but in the end we valiantly open the door for Elijah the prophet, the harbinger of redemption.

Dear Emanuel Family,

6 AM Friday February 28th: It’s 459 miles to Houston; we have a half tank of gas, six passengers, and a van full of snacks. Rabbi blesses us, and we are off to Kadima Konvention at Or Ami.

!

Adam, Bryant, Gracia, and Lillie are on their way to the adventure of the year, their first United Synagogue Youth (USY) Convention. They are not sure what to expect, but they have heard amazing stories from Michelle, Kira, and all the USYers that preceded them.

Immediately, the questions begin. How many are going to convention? What do we do when we are there? What if I hate it? What if no one likes me? When do we get there? Baruch HaShem, Michelle was there to field these questions! Soon the mild concerns turn to laughter and a request for Hamilton. Oy! I am reliving the 1,032 times I heard High School Musical driving to and from convention with Debra, Alex, Sydney, Josh, Michael, Elana, Avi, Joel, Nathan, Delaney, Rachel, Naomi, and.

!

With music determined, we began our 8-hour journey, with stops. We arrived, and the USYers greeted SOONER Kadima like best and old friends. The anxious looks melted away quickly to reveal big smiles.

Convention was amusement park themed, and the services and study sessions used park activities or food to convey prayer and learning. SOONER led services, motzti, Birkat, and read Haftarah, and they rocked playing laser tag and had tons of fun.

!

As we pulled away from Kadima Konvention, Michelle kept a SOONER tradition alive as she asked, “What was your favorite part of convention?” They answered: friends, the Space Torah (it’s been in space), laser tag, and everything. My favorite part was watching 4 new SOONERites enjoy the beginning of USY.

See you around the shul, Jeff Goss ES Youth Director

P.S. – Thank you to Jennifer Johnson for helping me drive. We could not have gone without you. I hope you enjoyed your first convention too!

UPCOMINGEVENTS&HOLIDAYSHolidaysbeginatsundownontheeveningbeforethedatespecified

May2 Birthday Shabbat9 Nathan Hodge Bar Mitzvah10 Mother’s Day11 Men’s Club Meeting12 Lag B’Omer22-23 Jerusalem Shabbat23 Yom Yerushalyim24 Rosh Chodesh Sivan Torah Cafe25 Memorial Day (Synagogue Offices Closed)28 Erev Shavuot29 Shavuot I (Synagogue Offices Closed)30 Shavuot I

June5-6 Adam Johnson Bar Mitzvah6 Birthday Shabbat8 Men’s Club Meeting14 Synagogue Annual Meeting and Lunch21 Father’s Day22-23 Rosh Chodesh Tamuz24 Board Meeting28 Torah Cafe

July3 Independence Day Observed-Synagogue Offices Closed4 Birthday Shabbat13 Men’s Club Meeting22 Rosh Chodesh Av25 Shabbat Chazon26 Torah Cafe29 Erev Tisha B’Av30 Tisha B’Av

August1 Birthday Shabbat5 Tu B’Av10 Men’s Club Meeting20 Rosh Chodesh Elul21 Rosh Chodesh Elul23 Torah Cafe26 Board Meeting

September5 Birthday Shabbat6 Building the Sukkah13 Building the Sukkah14 Men’s Club Meeting18 Erev Rosh Hashanah Festive Oneg19 Rosh Hashanah I20 Rosh Hashanah II21 Tzom Gedalia23 Board Meeting27 Decorating the Sukkah Erev Yom Kippur28 Yom Kippur

October2 Youth sleepover Burgers bar Erev Sukkot3 Youth sleepover Sukkot I4 Sukkot II7 Sisterhood lunch in the sukkah9 Hoshanah Raba10 Shemini Atzeret11 Simchat Torah12 Men’s Club Meeting19 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan25 Torah Cafe28 Board Meeting

SISTERHOOD NEWS

Sisterhood News for April 2020 Bulletin First the good news! Visualize 1,848 hamantashen…in many flavors but all made with the loving hands of Sisterhood members and Amy Settles’ supervision. As a matter of fact, just thinking about them is making me so hungry that I’m going to my freezer to get one to snack on as I write this! Yum…raspberry. We hope that you all supported Sisterhood and celebrated Purim with your purchases of these traditional and delicious, homemade pastries. This is one of our perfect fundraisers…we support tradition and at the same time add to our bank balance so that we can continue to do all the things we do!

Sometimes we are unable to do what we’ve planned… This virus is mean, It’s a serious scene. We must postpone Honoring Jan Green!

Let’s all be prudent, careful, and helpful! I’m sure that if you need things for your Passover Seder, we can arrange for you to shop at the Gift Shop without anyone else there.

Chazak v’amatz…Be strong and courageous!

Sisterhood Gift Shop

Buy your Bar & Bat Mitzvah, Wedding, and Baby Gifts. Plus, Yahrzeit and Shabbos candles, Jewelry, pottery and so much more.

Shalom All!

Men's Club like many activities these days are skipping our April get-together. We are all trying to stay safe during this time of disease and uncertainty. So lets all not get together but still have the feeling of brotherhood in our hearts as we spend this time away.

Now for different if not altogether brighter new Purim was great! I am sorry for those who stayed away for to Corona Virus but to everyone else that showed up, we had fun. We more than doubled the games and prizes this year. Everyone who came enjoyed chilly cheese dog so follow meals that seem not to be kosher but really are. I need suggestions for next year's theme and more classic food that can be made Kosher but sounds like it shouldn't be.

Thank you all for coming and have a great extended SPRING BREAK WHOA!

All events canceled or postponed due to COVID 19 pandemic.

לחייםToLife!

APRILANNIVERSARIES

4 Jeff & Lori Blumenthal

12 Loren & Julie Plotkin

13 Robert & Michelle Seelig

16 Dr. Len & Lisa Slater

18 Marcel & Reggie Silberman

24 David & Lindy Goss

APRILBIRTHDAYS

3 Charles Esmon Myrna Markowitz 7 Linda Gardner Dr. Alfred Last Michael Mannes 8 Shmuel Shepkaru 9 Madison Schweigart 10 Loren Plotkin Yaniv Zimber 12 Daniel Seelig 13 Lou Barlow 14 Sandy Belson 15 Matthew Hallowell 16 Ben Shanker 18 Jennifer Damitsian Kelvin Meek 22 Julie Buthman 22 Ardis Marrs Steele 26 Brianna Johnson Marc Vegh 28 Yuliya Hallowell 29 Christopher Beasley 29 Neil Strassman 30 Richard Fritz

In MemoryOf Our Loved Ones

BERTHA ADICKMAN David & Lindy Goss Jeff & Hali Goss

JULIUS BENDORF Jerry & Jackie Bendorf

SADIE BLOCK Dr. Naomi Esmon

GERT COOPER Dr. Robert B. & Phyllis Epstein

MARGARITE EIDSNESS Heather & Amit Zarfati

JAMES EPSTEIN Dr. Robert B. & Phyllis Epstein

DONALD ESRIG Elaine Weise

RICHARD EVANS Elaine Weise

LISA ANNE FOGLE Karin Kruger

JAMES EPSTEIN Dr. Robert B. & Phyllis Epstein

VICTOR GIVENTER Al & Shirley Skalovsky

PAULINE GOLDSTEIN Don Goldstein

RUTH LEA GRIFFITH Verne & Margaret Cotten

NORA HOOD Brenda Hooper

REBA LEFEVER Robyn LeFever

MILTON KAMBER Mark & Janet Price

CELIA KLEIN Jeff & Hali Goss

C. DAVID ROSE Elaine Weise

FAYE ROSE Elaine Weise

DAVID SCHNEIDER Judge G. Marvin Bober Dr. Mark & Debra Wolraich

DR. STANLEY SILBERG Irene Silberg

IRVING SLUTZKY Marvin Slutzky

ANDREW SONTHEIMER Elaine Weise

MARGARET SPARKMAN Verne & Margaret Cotten

J.W. SPARKMAN Verne & Margaret Cotten

NEIL STRASSMAN Dr. Mark & Debra Wolraich

With  Affection We  Recall…

Wednesday, April 1, 7 Nisan Ruth Cartwright Cecelia Chuver Rev. Aaron Hardin Thursday, April 2, 8 Nisan Moshe Farber Sylvia Oberstein Friday, April 3, 9 Nisan Dor Spear Saturday, April 4, 10 Nisan David Elmaleh Sunday, April 5, 11 Nisan Meyer Kushner Martin Tyner

Monday, April 6, 12 Nisan Celia Besansky Wednesday, April 8, 14 Nisan Milton Emmer Friday, April 10, 16 Nisan Nathan Karchmer Cindy Orozco

Saturday, April 11, 17 Nisan Annabel Josephson Sarah Rich

Monday, April 13, 19 Nisan Everett H. Lamond Ian Joshua Spear Daniel Stackhouse Tuesday, April 14, 20 Nisan Leah Henson Manya Kornblit Wednesday, April 15, 21 Nisan Sam I Goldstein Eva Josephson Thursday, April 16, 22 Nisan Harris Goldberg Louise Lamond Robert Emmett Stackhouse Friday, April 17 23 Nisan Ruth Posner Saturday, April 18, 24 Nisan Ben Cohen Ethel Jacobson Charles Sandler Sunday, April 19, 25 Nisan Blanche Reabe Monday, April 20, 26 Nisan Ola Leibs Lilian Rochlin

Tuesday, April 21, 27 Nisan Ida Lebenson

Wednesday, April 22, 28 Nisan Barbara Karchmer Thursday, April 23, 29 Nisan Louis Rich Samuel Zaben Friday, April 24, 30 Nisan Lorie Hecker Marvin Kopp Saturday, April 25, 1 Iyar Sadie Finkelstein Sunday, April 26, 2 Iyar Claudine Burdett William Fleischaker Monday, April 27, 3 Iyar Robert Block Lena Carson Tuesday, April 28, 4 Iyar Anthony Acevedo Harry Schaefer

Wednesday, April 29, 5 Iyar Bernard Ginden

Thursday, April 30, 6 Iyar Blanche Kopp Marilyn Richardson

תודהרבה

TODA RABAH

Donation to Cemetery Fund Bernard Backer Dr. Robert B. & Phyllis Epstein

Donation to Chevra Kaddish Services to our community, and more recently, to my husband Neil Fatima Abrantes-Pais

Donation to Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Anita Barlow Fatima Abrantes-Pais Mark & Janet Price

In Honor of Albert Skalovsky 90th Birthday Staci Minchen

Get Well to Amy Settles Dr. Mark & Debra Wolraich

Get Well to Hali Goss Dr. Mark & Debra Wolraich

General Donation Bernard Backer Joan Darrow Erin Lofties Kathleen (Kasi) Shelton

Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City  

The Yom HaShoah commemoration and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum trip are both cancelled. Opportunities to do them at a later date will be investigated.

Due to the coronavirus and CDC guidelines, Jewish Theatre of Oklahoma will be presenting its inaugural staged reading of “OH G-D” by beloved Israeli playwright, Anat Gov, in the fall. We look forward to bringing you plays that explore Jewish themes and giving voice to Jewish and Israeli playwrights and ideas. Through performances and discussion, we hope to strengthen our Jewish community and its ties to the broader multicultural community. Thanks to all of our patrons and donors. Your support helps to make Jewish Theatre of Oklahoma, a reality. Wishing you health and safety during these challenging times.