HaKol February 2015 Shevat-Adar 5775

Rabbi Beth Jacowitz Chottiner

Karen Kangisser, President

Shabbat Services

Friday, February 6, 6:00 pm Tu B’Shevat Seder

Friday, February 13, 6:00 pm

Parashat Mishpatim Ex. 21:1-24:18

Friday, February 20, 8:00 pm Parashat Terumah

Ex. 25:1-27:19

Friday, February 27, 8:00 pm Parashat Tetzaveh

Ex. 27:20-30:10

Tu B’Shevat Seder

We will be joined by members

from

Tree of Life Synagogue

in Morgantown

February 6, 2015 6:00 pm

Menu

Fruit, Juice, Nuts and Wine

Spaghetti Marinara, Salad,

Bread and Dessert

Coffee and Tea

Age 16-Adults $8:00 Children 10-15 $4.00

Under 10 Free

Please make checks to Temple Shalom.

No cash transactions.

RSVP by Monday, February 2 to: Sherry Rosenberg

at (304-280-6104) or email:

Sherrynal58@aol.com

SAVE-THE-DATES Jeffrey Cohan, Executive Director of

Jewish Vegetarians of North America will be our guest speaker, on February 20,

during Shabbat Services. (details on page 7)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Start planning your Purim costume now. Information about our Celebration will be

in the March HaKol.

2

From the Rabbi’s Study . . . . .

In November, my HaKol article spoke of the Association of

Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), the upcoming 37th World Zionist

Congress (WZC), and the need for all of us to vote in this year’s election

for the WZC.

Well, now the time has come for each of us to mobilize and take action (if we haven’t done so, already).

Online voting will take place through April 30th; paper ballots are also available if needed, but that requires a

two-step process. If anyone would like to vote and needs assistance navigating the website, just let me know,

and I’ll be more than happy to assist.

So what is the World Zionist Congress? Founded by Theodore Herzl in 1897, it is a legislative body that

meets once every five years. The Congress determines policy, courses of action, and chooses the leadership of

the World Zionist Organization. Their decisions influence how hundreds of millions of dollars are spent that affect

Jews in Israel and around the world.

The World Zionist Congress is made up of 757 delegates representing world Jewry. Two hundred and

thirty two delegates are from Zionist organizations such as Hadassah, B’nai Brith, WIZO (the Women's Interna-

tional Zionist Organization) and the World Union for Progressive Judaism (which represents Reform Jews outside

North America). The remaining 525 delegates represent Israelis and Jews from around the world, like us. Of

these 525 seats that are up for grabs, 145 of them are reserved for American Jews. That’s where you and I and

ARZA, come in.

We know that Reform Jews are treated as second class citizens in Israel; we know that life cycle events

performed by Reform rabbis are not recognized by the government; we know that at the beginning of Hebrew

months, when women gather for rosh chodesh and pray at the Western Wall, they are detained and arrested. In

some neighborhoods, women are even expected to sit only in the back of buses. This is not acceptable to us. It

infringes on our values and our sense of justice. Israel should, and can be, a society where men and women can

pray, work and live together as equals. Israel should, and can be, a society where all Jews are not only regarded

as Jews - regardless of their level of observance - but are also treated fairly and with respect.

There’s a great Israeli bumper sticker that reads, “Yeish yotair m’derech echad lihiot Y’hudi,” (“There’s

more than one way of being a Jew.”) This is the truth, and as Reform Jews, we want to insure that we are treated

as equals in our own Jewish homeland.

These matters are near and dear to our hearts, and these are two of the issues that comprise ARZA’s

platform.

But ARZA’s platform also addresses regional security and gives it the high priority it requires. We all know

that Israel has known war for far too long; and she has endured more than a lifetime’s worth of terrorist attacks.

What other country in the world, out of necessity – not choice – has built a 21,000 sq. ft. underground playground

and a hospital with underground operating rooms? The reality of these conditions says loudly and clearly that

enhanced efforts must be made to achieve a lasting peace for Israel. Israeli’s deserve to live in peace and we,

who visit Israel, deserve safe travels as well. ARZA believes a two-state solution is the way to achieve lasting

peace for Israel and her neighbors.

If you’re saying to yourself about now: this sounds interesting, but it doesn’t really affect me because

(continued on page 5)

February Birthdays

3

10: Carol and Stanley Stein (48th)

18: Becca and Rabbi Joshua Lief (9th)

February Anniversaries

MiShebeirach Refuah She’lay-mah

to

Barry Allen, Jocelyn Cooper and

Ashley Suder

1: Peyton Postlewait (14th) 2: Manish Monga 4: Arthur Recht 6: Jennifer Monga 7: Robert Levenson 9: Richard Zinn 10: Harouna Boncana Elana Rosenthal (19th)

FYI. . . .

Temple Shalom will sponsor the 2015

August Super Sale! More info to come.

Mazel Tov /Kudos/ Congratulations to . . .

Brooke Legum Levenson of White Plains, New York and Michael Evan Blum of Wheeling, West Virginia were married Saturday, January 3, 2015 at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, New York. Rabbi Sara Abrams officiated with musical accompaniment by renowned organist Anthony Newman.

Michael is the son of Betty Jane Blum of Wheeling, West Virginia and Sidney Blum of Dubuque, Iowa. Michael is the grandson of the late Robert and Helen Levenson. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Rabbi Beth Jacowitz Chottiner who was selected to be on the "ARZA: Representing Reform Judaism" slate as a candidate in the elections for the World Zionist Congress (to vote for the Rabbi, see the ARZA flyer in this HaKol).

11: Aiden McPhail (12th) 18: David Horne 19: Frank Talenfeld 20: Rita Gallin Phyllis Sigal 21: Richard Feder Marilyn Rabinowitz 22: Susan Pokorney 23: Glenda Pavilack 25: Bruce Wheeler

4

February Donations Fund Donation Key: Sebulsky Aesthetics (A), Archives (AR), Cemetery (C), Foundation (F),

General (G), Levenson Sanctuary (LS), Posin/Wishnew Library (L), Kaufman Music (M), Rabbi's Discretionary Fund (RDF), The Rabbi Daniel Lowy Religious School Fund (RLRSF),

Ben Rudner Torah (T), Shelby Lynn Posin Fund for Adult Education (SLP), Sisterhood Campership (SC), Sisterhood Floral (SF), Sisterhood Friendship and Remembrance (SFR),

Capital Campaign (CC), Caring Committee (CARE)

In memory of Phyllis M. Druck Linda and Stanley Burech (L)

In memory of Cora Levy Posin Mary Lou, Howard and Seth Posin (SLP)

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund Sheldon Pinsky

Please remember

Temple Shalom in your

Estate Planning

Get Well Wishes to Barry Allen Bobbi and Norman Pollock (CARE)

Sherry Rosenberg (CARE)

Get Well Wishes to Jocelyn Cooper Bobbi and Norman Pollock (CARE)

Sherry Rosenberg (CARE)

Get Well Wishes to Ashley Suder Bobbi and Norman Pollock (CARE)

NEW BOOKS IN THE TEMPLE LIBRARY The New Reform Judaism by Dana Evan Kaplan (former Temple Shalom Shabbaton speaker), Library purchase.

The Schmutzy Family, children's book by Madelyn Rosenberg.

How to Avoid the Evil Eye by Brenda Z. Rosenbaum, gift of Sherry Rosenberg.

The Book of New Israeli Food by Janna Gur, gift of Charla Wallace in memory of Phyllis M. Druck.

Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, gift of Charla Wallace in memory of Phyllis M. Druck.

Consumer Courage: The Big Book of Ohio Consumer Rights by (our own) Mark Wiseman, gift of Dona and Bob Wiseman, to whom we say, "Thank You and Mazel Tov!

The deadline for the March HaKol

will be on Friday, February 20, 2015.

Remember:

Sacred books and Jewish ritual objects that are in a

state of disrepair will be buried at Jewish Memorial

Park. If you have such objects, please bring them to

the Temple. The congregation will be notified

when a date has been set for burial.

5

From Our President ....

It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Second Annual Membership Luncheon held in the Temple Social Hall

on Sunday, December 14, 2014. I would like to publicly thank our always energetic Bobbi Pollock and her amazing member-

ship committee for making all of us feel so good about socializing with our Temple family. As with last year this was a beauti-

fully decorated well-attended social event. This year, the food was home cooked, Hanukkah gift bags were given out, the

Judaica Shop was open and Max Mendelson and Eli Porbin played Hanukkah songs on their brass instruments (see Temple

Shalom Facebook page).

Available at the luncheon was the new Temple Shalom directory, which contains contact information for all members,

associate members, dependent members and professional staff. It also contains a new Temple fee schedule, which was ap-

proved by the Temple Shalom Board of Trustees at its November Board meeting on 11/19/2014. If you didn’t pick up your di-

rectory at the luncheon, please pick it up from the Temple office. The fee schedule (also included in February Hakol) is divided

into three sections: Fees for Temple Shalom Members, Fees For Jewish Non-Members and Fees for Non-Jewish Community

Members. Please review the new fee schedule so that you are not surprised by the fees, should you be sent an invoice.

If you have any questions relating to the fee schedule or any Temple related matter please feel free to call me at 304-

551-5445 or email me at karenkangisser@yahoo.com.

Finally, signing-up for free PJ Library books can be done on line by typing www.urj.org/pjlibrary into your internet

address bar. Scroll down through the states to West Virginia; find Temple Shalom and click on sign up now. The books are

sent to children under eight years old as a gift from the URJ, the Grinspoon Foundation and Temple Shalom. Each family is

responsible for signing up their children. There is no cost to the families. If you have questions, please contact me at the ad-

dress above.

Thanks, Karen

(continued from page 2 of the Rabbi’s Study)

I live in the United States, let me try and persuade you otherwise.

“The composition of the American delegation is critically important to Reform Jews in The United States and Israel because the American delegation of 145 delegates is the largest delegation from a single country outside of Israel and comprises nearly one third of the Congress. The decisions of the Congress influence hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, over $4 million of which is currently allocated to the Reform movement each year. In addition, the Congress will help determine the leadership of the major global Jewish organizations, budgetary decisions and policy in Israel and worldwide.

Currently, ARZA has 56 of the United States’ 145 seats representing 39% of the delegates. The Campaign’s goal is to increase the number of seats to 50% of the United States’ delegation, the maximum number that we are permitted under the rules of the election.”

We can’t reach that goal without you and your support. ARZA needs us and we need ARZA, for it’s the Zionist body that represents us and the values we hold dear as Reform Jews.

There are eleven groups vying for the 145 American seats, and it’s critical that ARZA win 50% of the votes to help fight for an Israel that is pluralistic, progressive and democratic.

When the delegates to the World Zionist Congress meet in October to debate the issues of Jewish identity, peace and security, anti-Semitism, civil society in Israel and the future of the Jewish state, let the delegates who cast the votes on these crucial matters represent your voice.

I hope I have made my case for why it’s important to vote for ARZA, but if I haven’t let me try one more angle: Hi, I’m Rabbi Beth Jacowitz Chottiner of Temple Shalom and I’m a candidate running on the ARZA slate. A vote for ARZA is a vote for me and I need your vote. Please vote today at www.reformjews4israel.org/vote. L’shalom, Rabbi Beth Jacowitz Chottiner _________________________________________ *https://www.reformjews4israel.org/tools-resources/

6

Judaica Shop

The Judaica Shop will be open on

Sundays during Religious School.

If you would like to make a purchase

stop by, or please call Charla Wallace at

her Wheeling number: 304-277-3613

or cell: 304-280-4182.

Sisterhood

The February meeting for Temple Shalom will be held on February 11 at 12 noon. (Note that it’s the second and not

the first Wednesday of the month.) Soup, beverages and dessert will be provided. You bring a sandwich, salad, or

whatever you desire.

The speaker for the program will be Becky Johnen, Ed D. She has an educational background, but she is coming to

us to discuss how to successfully deal with change. Her newest book offers strategies to stay sane and positive amid

change. For more than three decades she has conducted workshops/ presentations helping people lead more happy

productive lives. Becky has ties to Wheeling in that she served as the Dean of the Wheeling Campus for West

Virginia Northern and Head of Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy. It promises to be a most interesting after-

noon.

A short business meeting will follow.

Sherry Rosenberg

THANK YOU, SPONSORS!

Thank you to everyone who sponsored a needy child for

Christmas.

Between shoppers and contributions, we were able to spon-

sor a total of 26 children this year.

The folks at the Catholic Neighborhood Center were most

appreciative of our efforts.

Maybe next year, we can do even better!

Thanks again for your participation in this

mitzvah,

Barbara Lief

Please let us hear from you

with any news you would like to

send---life cycle events, simchas as

well as sorrows.

7

Harbay Todot ~ Many Thanks To . . .

Janice Meister and Howard Pascoll for leading Shabbat services while Rabbi was on vacation.

Barb Lewine, Howard Pascoll, Trina Postlewait and Vera Schwartz for shopping for needed

supplies for the Temple.

Roslyn Lando, Marilyn Mendelson and Bobbi Pollock for volunteering at the Catholic Neighbor Center for the month

of December.

Abby Jones, Betsy Jones, , Jacob McPail, Shari McPhail and Dave Rose for volunteering at Catholic Neighborhood

Center in January.

Mary Beth Hoard, for sponsoring an oneg Shabbat for the month of January.

Judaism and Animals:

What Does the Torah Actually Say?

Jeffrey Cohan, Executive Director of Jewish Vegetarians of North America,

will be a guest speaker at Temple Shalom on Erev Shabbat, February 20, 2015.

His topic will be “What Does the Torah Actually Say About Judaism and Animals?”

Mr. Cohan will share insights from our sages, past and present, and share stories from the Torah that are often

overlooked. In addition to addressing the question in the presentation’s title, he will address such other questions

as: What is the true meaning and purpose of the kosher laws?

How can we bring more peace and compassion into a violent world?

How can we draw closer to God, live a more spiritual life, and align our actions with our own values

and with Judaism’s highest ideals?

Jewish Vegetarians of North America is a 501c3 nonprofit organization co-located in New York City and Pittsburgh.

For more information, visit JewishVeg.org

Faith Dialogue Group

The second meeting

of our group will take place on

Wednesday, February 25th at 7 P.M.

February Yahrzeits

8

February 1-February 7 observed February 6 Philip Mayer Good 2/1 Louis Goodstein 2/1 Shevat 12 Ethel Weintraub Recht 2/1 Morris Osler Bobes 2/2 Leah Pearl Landau Freedman 2/2 Shevat 13 Lillian B. Harris 2/2 Jacob Levine 2/2 Shevat 13 Anna Mendelson 2/2 Oscar Samuel Ruttenberg 2/2 Sophie Kerstein Stevens 2/2 Shevat 13 Marie Frank Blum 2/3 Rose Koor Bookwalter 2/3 Michael Ertzan 2/3 Rosalie (Penny) Greene 2/3 Dorothy Sebolsky Miller 2/3 Minnie Miller Pokorney 2/3 Shevat 14 Mollie Perilman Rubin 2/3 Shevat 14 Eshke Schmuckler 2/4 Shevat 15 Mary Agnes Goldberg 2/5 Mary Agnes Goldman Lipscher 2/5 Julius Mendelson 2/5 Harold Jeremiah Bernhardt 2/6 David N. Goldberg 2/6 Rose Lifschultz 2/6 Shevat 17 Sonia Jean Sebolsky Goldstein 2/7 Jack Michaels 2/7 Shevat 18 February 8-February 14 observed February 13 Henrietta Bernstein Klein 2/8 Shevat 19 Rose Mendal Pinkus 2/8 Anna Weissman 2/8 Shevat 19 Robert Cohen 2/9 S.J. Kapner 2/9 Shevat 20 Goldie Rudner 2/9 Shevat 20 Morton Dresher 2/10 Shina Esther Ephraim Lando 2/10 Shevat 21 Zundel Tobias 2/10 Shevat 21 Reuben Dobkin 2/11 Anna Ida Mervis Sax 2/11 Shevat 22 Ann Newberg Cohen 2/12 Mark Horowitz 2/12 Harry Shaw 2/12 Shevat 23 Ethyl Levenson 2/13 Julius David Gordon 2/14 Louis J. Stein 2/14 February 15-February 21 observed February 20 Ida Koor 2/15 Lawrence Pollock, MD 2/15 Jacob Simon 2/15 Shevat 26 Samuel Leighton 2/16 Shevat 27 Allan B. Rosenberg 2/17 H. Joseph Berlin 2/18 Shevat 29 Ike Icenhower 2/18 Moses Laifer 2/18 Michael Naughton, Sr. 2/18 Pearl Franklin Bass 2/19 Shevat 30 Ann Leah Berger 2/19 Shevat 30

Bessie Levin 2/19 Shevat 30 Sophia Phillips 2/19 Shevat 30 Harry Banov 2/20 Rose Levy Cooper 2/20 David Kramer 2/20 Adar 1 Sam Weizer 2/20 Adar 1 William Weizer 2/20 Adar 1 L.S.Good 2/21 Rae Soforenko 2/21 Adar 2 February 22-February 28 observed February 27 Charles Banov 2/22 Adelyn Kline Gundling 2/22 Adar 3 Louis A. Levy 2/22 Adar 3 Isaac A. Oppenheimer 2/22 Lillian K. Rosenberg 2/22 Helen Louise Klinghoffer 2/23 Adar 4 Louis Robert Lazarus 2/23 William J. Mayer 2/23 Grace Pokorney 2/23 Adar 4 Gabriel Schuchman, MD 2/23 Anna Mallinger 2/24 Adar 5 Morris Moskowitz 2/24 Cecillia E. Bott Sebulsky 2/24 Adar 5 Hyman Soforenko 2/24 Adar 5 Gertrude Weissman 2/24 Adar 5 Arnold Lazarus 2/25 Beatrice Maltz 2/25 Lena Rachel Silverman 2/26 Mary Lou Hoffman Perelman 2/27 Adar 8 Minnie Bahm 2/28 Adar 9 Libby Berlow 2/28 Adar 9 Jacob Edelman 2/28 Adar 9 Jeanette Berg Good 2/28 Samuel Michaels 2/28 Adar 9 Bennie F. Stein 2/28 Adar 9

May their memory be for a blessing.