ShalomTHE BULLETIN OF REFORM CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL & THE MEYERS LIBRARY

R E F O R M C O N G R E G A T I O N

K E N E S E T H I S R A E L

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N U M B E R 9

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TRUSTEES (Term to expire in 2017; new trustees *)

Alan BarbellEllen BilderseeAndrea BrookmanAndrea DenishMarvin FinkelsteinRobin Fine Furman*Sue Fried*Steve GableElaine Orkin Glass*Sonnie KatzBernard Liebowitz

Election of Officers, Board of Directors and Trustees for 2014-2015

Annual Congregational Meeting Thursday, June 5, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

Installation Shabbat ServiceFriday, June 138:00 p.m.

Shabbat Service and Installation of Officers, Board of Directors and Trustees of the Congregation and its Constituent Groups

Iris ParkerDana PerlmanLynn RosenSusan Becker Rubin*Karen SchlossPaulette Sterman Soroko*Colette Tomeo*Susan Zaslow

PRoPoSEd SlaTE

oFFICERS (Term to expire at the 2015 Annual Meeting)

President Arnold MeshkovVice President Janice Schwartz Donahue Evonne Kruger Ellen SklaroffTreasurer James RosenthalAssociate Treasurer Robert RosemanAssociate Treasurer Denise Yarnoff SoloffSecretary Nathan ZinbergAssociate Secretary Karen Langsfeld

BoaRd oF dIRECToRS (Term to expire in 2015)

Mark PitkowDavid SchillerNeil Sklaroff

For a complete Board/Trustee list, please visit kenesethisrael.org/board

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KI Info

As the weeks and months roll on in our lives, there comes a time to pause and reassess where one is along the path. I cannot believe that I have been president of this congregation for almost a year now. I have been thinking a great deal about what it means to be a synagogue president, and a leader of our Jewish community. As always, I will turn to our tradition for some wisdom, and hopefully can live up to some of these expectations.

Jews have always distrusted leaders, understanding that historically, abuse of power is all too common, often with tragic consequences. Throughout our history, power has been shared. In one formidable Torah portion, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, confronts him over his despair about all of the responsibility he feels for his community. Jethro tells him: “What you are doing is not good.” And Moses, unlike many sons-in-law, listens to this advice, and appoints others to help him lead the Israelites.

In the Jewish world, power is to be shared; the Talmud says that “one who is appointed over a community becomes a servant of the community.” In Biblical Israel, power was shared between a king, the prophets, and the priests. These leaders’ job is to motivate and empower others and develop future leaders.

Humility is a crucial part of the Jewish leader, it is not a sign of weakness. In our tradition, only God has absolute authority. A true leader transcends his or her own agenda, and serves the long-term needs of the

community. Again from the Talmud: “It is easy to go up to the dais; it is difficult to come down.”

True leaders take responsibility. Confronted with a wrong, they act. Moses defended the Hebrews beaten by the Egyptian taskmaster, and did not shy away when God told him to go to Pharaoh, even though he was worried about his poor speaking ability. He recruited his brother Aaron, and the rest is history.

A good leader listens and learns, and believes in the people he or she is leading. Judaism places great emphasis on influence rather than power, because with influence one can lift people above their former selves.

We have a great synagogue and community, one with a tradition of leadership not only in our area, but also in the greater Jewish and American world. We provide a spiritual and intellectual home that motivates and satisfies the needs of our diverse membership. Great challenges are ahead, and we need many leaders to provide the strength and influence for our future. I hope that I have contributed to this process – I continue to need the great support of each and every one of you. For those who are committed to the process, thank you and let’s continue. To those who have not yet engaged on a regular basis, come join us in this important work.

I will finish this month with one of my favorite quotes, and I suspect one for many of you as well: “It is not for you to complete the job, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

Let’s Lead KI into the Future—TogetherPresident’s Message

Arnold MeshkovPresident

President’s Message

Israel

Join Rabbi Lance & Liz Sussman and Rabbis Peter and Stacy Rigler for an enriching, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as they lead a summer family trip to Israel. The deluxe tour, AuguSt 17 - 29, 2014, is open to all members of Keneseth Israel and Temple Sholom, and promises to be a most memorable experience. Highlights of the trip, among many, include Biblical Jerusalem’s Western Wall tunnels “Behind the Scenes” tour, ancient synagogues & artists market in mystical Safed, a hike through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, a visit to an active Israeli Military Base and an unforgettable performance at Nalag’at Theatre. For more details and information, please see the link on the KI Website homepage or contact the clergy office.

Have Clergy, Will Travel

gates to immigrants, a fateful development with respect to subsequent Jewish need for safe harbor. For America’s Jews, the closing of the gates also meant a cutting of ties with family left behind in the East and the intensification of efforts to become as Yankee as possible as quickly as possible. It is all overwhelming, too much to really take in one swoop. Suffice it to say that by 1919 the world had become a very different place for just about everybody including the Jewish people wherever they resided at that moment. A hundred years is a long time viewed from the perspective of one life, but from the perspective of a people with nearly 4,000 years of history, it is but the blink of an eye. However, in this last blink, everything changed and the world as we knew it became a different place. Reform Jews and Reform Judaism were no exceptions. The universalism of Classical Reform Judaism was now dashed on the rocks of nationalism. The belief in eternal human progress suddenly seemed empty and disproven by the poisonous gases of the world war. Secularism and atheism now had state-based sponsors and Victorian ethics were yielding to the excesses of the 20s and the scarcity of the 30s. A hundred years ago, the world changed. We are still trying to keep up with those changes. Although lasting answers seem as elusive as ever, we, the Reform Jewish community, need to remain as committed as ever to the spiritual strategy of adaptation and a philosophy of justice and hope which continues to transcend time.

From the Bimah

S H A L O M K I 3

One hundred years ago on June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Yugoslavian nationalist and World War I started. Today, it is hard to understand what they were fighting about, but in the end nearly 40 million people had either been killed, wounded or were missing. The ‘Great War’ changed the way war was fought and profoundly changed the political landscape of nearly the entire globe. Some historians even called it the beginning of the “Short 20th Century,” which ended with the collapse of the USSR in 1991; others, naively but understandably, dubbed it “the war to end all wars.” The centennial of World War I should give all people, including the Jewish community, pause to reflect how greatly this conflict, which was so quickly overshadowed by World War II, changed everything. During the course of World War I, the old Czarist Empire and the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist.The Bolsheviks set up their own ruthless communist state and sought ways to spread their socialist ideology across the planet. Germany was vanquished and punished, thereby sowing the evil seeds of Nazism. The League of Nations was formed and the United States sought to disentangle itself from the Old World but ultimately refused to follow the path of internationalism laid out by President Wilson. For the Jewish people, World War I was also a profound game changer. Terrible fighting had taken place in the Russian Pale of Settlement, which was then disbanded just before the Soviets cut off its Jewish community from the rest of the world. Poland was reconstituted and instantly was home to the largest and most at-risk Jewish community in the world. In Germany, national shame, political polarization and a series of massive economic catastrophes propelled Hitler into the forefront of German politics. The Ottoman hold on the land of Israel yielded to Great Britain which both issued the Balfour Declaration and created its own Mandate in Palestine. Zionism now became a practical movement with an end goal of a Jewish State. Moreover, the map of the Middle East was redrawn by Britain in France, creating a host of made up countries in North Africa and the Middle East, from the Atlantic Ocean to India, and the oil reserves of the region became the new black gold of the world economy. In the United States, the seemingly contradictory trends of a successful suffrage movement and a renewed KKK existed simultaneously, and a profound xenophobia led to the closing of America’s

The War to End all Wars: A Rabbi’s Centennial Reflection on World War I

Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.

Rabbi’s Message

Join Rabbi Lance Sussman in Center City for the series, “Jews, Judaism & Law in America.” No charge to attend - please bring your own lunch. To join the e-mail notification list for monthly reminders, and/or to RSVP (by the Monday before at noon) please contact pam@kenesethisrael.org. All are welcome. No prior knowledge of Hebrew necessary. Thank you to the Gershman Y for being our host this year!

SCHEDULE*June 19 – A Never Ending Story: Current Cases & Issues

Center City Lunch ‘n Learn with Rabbi Sussman

Rabbi Sussman Celebrates 60!Join us for a special Shabbat Service and Oneg on Friday, July 18 at 8:00 p.m. in honor of Rabbi Sussman’s 60th Birthday. If you are contemplating the perfect gift, please consider a donation to the Rabbi’s Philanthropic Fund for a special KI project to be announced.

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Worship

Torah Time - Shabbat Readings

June 2014/Sivan 5774Judaism is a religion of “the Book.” Every Shabbat and holiday is enhanced with a selection from the Torah and related portions from other sections of Tanach (the Hebrew Bible). The following includes citations for the reading of Scripture in the synagogue for the month ahead as well as a brief summary of the parashot and haftarot. For more extensive investigation of the weekly Torah portion, please consider attending KI’s lively Torah Study Havurah, which meets every Saturday morning in the Meyers library at 9:00 a.m. and is led by our Rabbinic staff.Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.

Torah for BehaalothechaJune 7 9 SivanNum. 8:1 Zechariah 2:14Plaut, p. 952 Plaut, p. 974Beginning with an account of the “setting up of the Menorah,” this portion resumes the narrative account of the journeys of Israel at the end of the Exodus. The Haftarah includes a vision of the Menorah reported by the prophet, Zechariah, during the Second Temple Period. This Haftarah is repeated on Shabbat Hanukkah.

Torah for Shelach LechaJune 14 16 SivanNumbers 13:1 Joshua 2:1Plaut, p. 979 Plaut, p. 998Shelach Lecha includes the famous story of the spies who went into the land of Canaan. Based on their reports, Moses decides to extend the Exodus and not attack the Canaanites from the South. The Haftarah reports on the spies sent by Joshua prior to the actual invasion of Canaan from the East by the Hebrew tribes.

KI On The Radio

WWDB 860 AMShabbat Morning Service at 10 a.m.includes a broadcast of Friday Night’s Sermon.Radio broadcasts are sponsored by the Tyson Radio Fund.

Torah for KorachJune 21 23 Sivan Numbers 16:1 I Samuel 11:14Plaut, p. 1003 Plaut, p. 1019Korach was the leader of the most serious rebellion against Moses during the Exodus. Korach and his followers were later “swallowed by the earth.” The Haftarah reports on the growing unhappiness of the Israelites during the time of the last judge, Samuel, and their desire to have a king to rule over them.

Torah for ChukatJune 28 30 SivanNumbers 19:1 Judges 11:1Plaut, p. 1024 Plaut, p. 1043Chukat begins with a discussion of the Red Heifer and goes on to tell the stories of the death of Miriam and Moses striking the rock. The Haftarah tells the story of one of the judges, Jephthah and his various struggles and conflicts.

Our Main Sanctuary is looped for those who have  T Coil-Enabled Hearing aids or cochlear implant processors. Additionally, the FM system is also available.

June 2014 Worship Schedule

Tuesday, June 38:00 p.m. Consecration Service - Shavuot Eve

Wednesday, June 410:30 a.m. Shavuot – Confirmation Service

Friday, June 6Shabbat Beha’alotecha – Numbers 8:18:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

Saturday, June 79:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning ServiceBar Mitzvah of Jason Samuel Gratz

Friday, June 13Shabbat Shelach Lecha – Numbers 13:18:00 p.m. Installation of Officers Shabbat

Saturday, June 149:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning ServiceBar Mitzvah of Andrew Mark Tolstoy

Friday, June 20Shabbat Korah – Numbers 16:17:00 p.m. Classic Rock Shabbat

Saturday, June 219:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning ServiceBat Mitzvah of Sophie Joan Berger2:00 p.m. Rydal Park Shabbat5:30 p.m. Havdalah ServiceBar Mitzvah of Griffin Michael Wittenberg

Friday, June 27Shabbat Chukat – Numbers 19:18:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

Saturday, June 289:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

S H A L O M K I 5

Worship

Wow, what an amazing celebration in honor of my 10th anniversary at KI! I am extraordinarily grateful to Jody Brookman and Karen Langsfeld, our gala chairs, along with our entire gala committee for all of their hard work and devotion to KI. To all of the participants who brought their musical and creative talents in order for us to fully celebrate and be joyful together --thank you. I knew that being honored would be fun and wonderful, but what I didn’t realize was the NEW view I would gain from this kind of celebration. It was a journey into the body of our congregation; an opportunity to see the inner workings and collaboration, and, more than anything, the beating heart of KI. Many remarked how the celebration felt like a family event – a family filled with positive spirit and energy and with pride for the KI of NOW. Thursday night was a beautiful evening, hosted by Karen and Rob Sirota and Norma and Arnold Meshkov, and filled with wonderful music. I was surrounded by many of KI’s great supporters and they presented me with a framed letter from Joan Rivers, who I love! On Friday night all of our musical groups participated, engaging nearly 100 congregants, ages

five through 90. Together we shared prayers and melodies from our sacred heritage that move us and mean something to us. Rabbi Sussman gave a beautiful and funny “charge” about our relationship. It was like understanding how spiritual nutrients get into our souls. Susan Zaslow presented me with a book comprised of wonderful pictures and words from our JQuest and former B’nai Mitzvah students. Saturday night was a smashing party, which began with a moving Havdalah Service led by Chana Rothman and Rabbi Kevin Kleinman. They welcomed everyone who wanted to be a part of Havdalah to join us and together we all stood holding hands, smelling fresh beautiful besamim “Havdalah spices” from the Rothman/Kleinman backyard. The service evolved into an energetic hora – it felt very much like a wedding celebration. The band was fabulous and everyone danced. Andrea Denish created a video with the help of some talented congregants. It was a tribute that made us laugh and made us proud. Then Ross sang his original song “I Kiss the Cantor.” This may be the longest article I’ve ever written but I’d like to end with . . . I love KI! Thank you for community, love and friendship. Can’t wait to celebrate my 20th!!

Thank You, KI, For a Joyful 10th Year Celebration

KI’s Blue Bell Campus continues to grow stronger. This year we added a Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade class to our weekly JQuest program. Ellen Price-Maloy, our amazing teacher for this class, is a ball of energy. She always greets the students with a big smile and creates amazing learning experiences for them. From music, to Hebrew sign language, from teaching Biblical stories in new ways, to schlepping her own art supplies – Ellen’s presence in our school and our community has led to an increase in the number of families with young children attending KI Blue Bell. She even brought a kiddie swimming pool to our Rosh Hashanah service for the children to do Tashlich!

In addition to this new class, we have shifted our Shabbat evening programs to meet the needs of younger kids. Every Blue Bell Shabbat has a Tot Shabbat – with music led by Chana Rothman and activities organized by Ellen. We have moved the dinners earlier to make Shabbat more accessible to this demographic. It is now typical to have

children ages 1 to 13, learning, playing, and praying together at KI Blue Bell gatherings.

My favorite line from one of my favorite movies, “Field of Dreams,” is, “If you build it, they will come!” This epitomizes our work to bring families with young children into our community. We intentionally make JQuest, Shabbat, and holiday celebrations super family friendly. Chana and Ellen create spaces for kids to sing, do Jewish art projects, and play with one another while their parents set-up and socialize. The older children love to look after the younger ones. We have worked hard to build a community where everybody feels comfortable, where the children love to come, and where truly, everybody knows your name – and even looks after each other’s children.

If you know a family with young children looking for a vibrant and growing Jewish community with an incredible Jewish education program in the Blue Bell, Ambler, Plymouth Meeting, or Lansdale areas, please send them our way! We are now enrolling for the 2014-2015 school year.

KI’s Blue Bell Campus Attracts Families with Young Children

Cantor Amy E. Levy

Cantor’sMessage

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Lifelong LearningFrom the Meyers Library

Author Events, Kindles, Good Coffee & Then Some

There is no typical Sunday morning in the library. On a recent Sunday, several volunteers are busy shelving books. Parents are reading or working on personal projects. A flow of teachers and students return books and ask for help selecting a new book. A parent asks for assistance selecting Passover stories to share with a secular preschool. A visitor is looking for a cup of coffee. A KI member gets help preparing a Power Point Presentation for an Adult Education Program. The Meyers Library is a busy multifunctional place.Author Events

Poet Rachel Mennies will be at KI on Sunday, June 1 at 10:00 a.m. to share poetry from her new book, The Glad Hand of God Points Backwards. Rachel grew up in Philadelphia and now teaches at Carnegie Mellon University. This poetry collection chronicles a young woman’s relationship with a complicated God. The author explores what being a Jewish woman in America means. Many of the poems have local color and references. (Yes, Rachel is the granddaughter of library volunteer, Eve Mennies.) A light brunch will be served following this program.Adult Book Discussion group

Our Adult Book Discussion Group is completing another great year. The only requirement to join is that you have read the book. Participants are expected to share their insights, reactions, and comments with others. This year’s final session is on tuesday, June 10 at 1:30 p.m. We will discuss The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure. Contact Ellen at 215-887-8700 x122 or library@kenesethisrael to RSVP.Save the Date

Join us on tuesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m. for an evening with Nomi Eve (Saunders), the author of the forthcoming book, Henna House. This book will be published in August. It is a love story set among the Jews of Yemen. I just finished reading an advanced reader’s copy and could not put the book down. I learned about Jews in Arab lands and the use of henna. I never knew that a “Confiscator” would come and take orphaned Jewish children and give them to a Muslim family. Nomi is a KI member and the daughter of our member Rita Rosen Poley. This is a not-to-be-missed event.Books for Summer Reading

During the summer many of us enjoy a book with a lighter theme. I recommend the following: Missing You by Harlen Coben; All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner; Love and Treasure by Ayelet Waldman or

Library Programs At a Glance

Sunday, June 1 Author Program with Rachel Mennies

Tuesday, June 10 Adult Book Discussion Group

Tuesday, Sept. 9 Author Program with Nomi Eve (Saunders)

Delicious by Ruth Reichl. Daniel Silva’s latest Gabriel Allon thriller, The Heist, is scheduled for publication this month. Others find that a recorded book is the perfect choice for a summer vacation or a weekly commute to the shore. We have audio books to meet everyone’s choice in literature. Our collection includes titles by Philip Roth; Elie Wiesel; Daniel Silva; and Faye Kellerman among others.Reading on a Kindle

The Meyers Library has two Kindles, preloaded with our most popular titles ready for borrowing. (If you ask nicely, we might even add a new title just for you!) You can adjust the type size on a Kindle to meet your vision needs. Kindles may only be borrowed and returned by KI members during regular library hours. We will provide individual instruction on how to use the Kindle. E-readers are the latest technology for reading books. Test-drive one in the Meyers Library.Library Email List

The Meyers library maintains a Library email list. If you would like to receive information on new acquisitions, library events and updates please send your email address to library@kenesethisrael.org.Missing and Lost Books

Thank you to everyone who returned lost books to the library. Please be on the lookout for books that may have taken up residence on your shelves. Frequently, we find that a book was accidentally placed on a shelf, in a pile, or in the backseat of the car and never returned to the library. We appreciate their return to our collection; a book not returned is a book not enjoyed by another library user.

Good Reads

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure takes place in Nazi-occupied Paris. Lucien Bernard is a talented young architect who is seeking a new commission. He is offered a large sum of money to design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man. He sorely needs the money, and outwitting the Nazis is a challenge he can’t resist. He knows that if caught, he will be tortured and killed. One commission leads to more and a major change in his life. At one point, both the resistance and the Nazis seek Bernard. The book is a fast moving, spine-chilling thriller. What makes someone a hero and someone else a traitor? How far would you go to help a stranger?The Paris Architect is definitely a Good Read.

Lifelong Learning

S H A L O M K I 7

From the Meyers Library (con’t)

Become a Book ReviewerHave you noticed the book recommendations

appearing in Shalom KI? Have you read a Jewish book that you recommend others read? Would you like to see your name in print? Contact Ellen about becoming a Book Reviewer for our “Good Reads” column.Library Volunteers

Thank you to our ever-increasing corps of library volunteers. The Meyers Library is a wonderful resource, with a huge selection of books for your reading and research, a comfortable environment, and good coffee! Join the friendly volunteers who keep our library up to date! We have jobs you can do in the library or from home. If you are interested, e-mail library@kenesethisrael.org or call: 215-887-8700, x 122.Summer Library Hours

The Meyers Library begins summer hours this month. During the month of June, the Library is open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Check e-KI for July library hours. Visit our book carts Friday evenings before and after services. The library is a wireless computer zone. Bring your laptop and explore the latest book arrivals. Make the KI Library your home away from home.

Ellen Tilman, Director of Library Services

Participants at the April author event featuring the book, Chapters of the Heart.

Cats in the Hat visited the Meyers Library. They learned that our library has Dr. Seuss books translated into Hebrew and Yiddish.

I probably sound like a broken record, but every June I look back and say ‘where did the year go?’ As our children finally enjoy the fresh spring air, I find myself reflecting on the last ten months and thought I’d share some highlights.

The fall began with our successful High Holiday Tot Service and the year ended with our most popular event, our annual Pizza Picnic. In between, we had a family hayride, pumpkin picking, our popular Havdalah Hop and of course, making Hanukkah latkes then eating them was super fun.

My favorite program was our Passover Celebration. So much thought went into how to make the holiday both experiential and age appropriate for toddlers through Pre K. We created a morning called Seder Through The Senses, where children and their families did a Mitzvah Project for Abramson House and learned through food and BINGO what a Seder is, then left with a “toolbox” filled with Passover items. The children

were so completely engaged that several teachers told me afterward that the children didn’t even notice the food on their Seder plate. Passover perfectly showcased our curriculum and what happens in our classrooms.

Working with our teachers, Rabbi Kevin and Chana proves that when you put together a great team and really consider how children learn, any program can be successful. It is all about teamwork; teams are working throughout our preschool to ensure that best practices are followed and that each child can grow and learn in an engaging, hands-on environment.

As I enter my 10th year as the Director of Early Childhood Education, I expect I won’t be waiting until June to reflect, but rather will spend the year ahead thinking back over ten wonderful years at KI. I am so energized to be part of another exciting year, so stay tuned because we have many wonderful things planned.

I wish you and your family a summer filled with fun times and happy memories.

Teamwork Creates Hands-On Learning in our Preschool

Beth Rabinowitz Director of Early Childhood Education

PreschoolNews

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From the Museum

Lifelong Learning

Seeking Vernacular Photography to Tell the Stories of Our Lives

For the last few years we have been trying to build the museum’s collection in certain specific directions. Certainly, the success of that strategy is very apparent on the walls of the museum gallery, where examples of our large collection of phonograph albums are on display. Five years ago - before we put out a call that we would welcome such gifts - the museum did not own even one album. Now we have almost a thousand examples of the rich heritage of Jewish music recordings and their fabulous cover album artwork.

So it was that I read with some amusement the latest auction catalog of the Swann Auction Galleries in New York announcing their first sale of what is termed “Vernacular Photography.” This somewhat confusing term comprises snapshots, family albums, press photos, commercial albums etc - in other words photography that is not art for arts sake.

The very first exhibition I curated here at TJM in 1999 included a wall of vernacular photography - joyous photographs of Jewish family life contributed by members and local families. Almost 10 years ago, Bud Fischer (may his memory be for a blessing) gave the museum a gift of a humble family album stuffed full of old Ecktachrome snap shots of a cousin’s trip to Israel in the early 1960s. This gift really gave me the impetus to start to build a collection of vernacular photography for this museum.

My thinking was that so many of the observances of Jewish life take place at home or in informal settings. Further, visits to Israel are certainly an important part of our culture and of our identity as Jews. Family dinners, celebrations in the Sukkah, the Seder, visits to Israel and much more are all the subjects recorded by the family camera. In order to have a fully rounded collection, those snapshots needed to be included. Some have been contributed and some I have purchased on eBay as families have dissolved and their heirlooms and detritus are sold off.

Included in our recent eBay acquisitions are two photographs from the 1920s. One, of two little girls, was just purchased and one, of apparently a synagogue Shamash with a Torah scroll, came into the collection about two years ago. What I find fascinating about them is that, in each one there is a hand-drawn early Zionist flag - the future flag of the State of Israel. So now I am trolling eBay to see if I can find more casual

photographic documentation of the desire of Jews to establish a Zionist homeland, almost 30 years before the fact. Vernacular photography can tell important stories if we look for them.

Additionally, so much that concerns us as Jews appears in the news, illustrated by press photographs. A few years back I started to purchase press photographs, also on eBay. While they sell for very few dollars I believe that one day they will be recognized as really priceless artifacts. Sometimes they tell very large stories, such as that of refugees from the Holocaust trying to make a new life in the Jewish homeland. Sometimes the story is small - almost insignificant - such as the happy faces of two young girls at the dedication of a Jewish orphanage in Chicago in the 1940s. Both are equally important and equally moving.

So, again, I need your help. Please think of the museum as permanent home for your vernacular photography, especially now that Swann Auction Galleries has recognized what we have known all along.

A couple takes a trip to Europe on the Israeli liner “Arza.”

Elderly women congregate at a local seniors’ center in a 1973 Chicago Sun-Times press photo.

A 1955 photo of a mother and daughter at a Catskills resort vacation.

S H A L O M K I 9

KI Committees

The current controversy (again) swirling around J Street is falsely tied to two basic questions “Who Speaks for Israel?” and “Who Speaks for American Jews.” The first question is actually simple and straight forward. The only answer is “Israel speaks for Israel.” But there is more to the story than that. Sometimes, there is an attempt to tie the two questions together and that is where the trouble begins.

The deepest principle of Zionism is self-reliance. Israel is Zionism’s national expression of that principle. Israel is not the 51st State of the United States. Israel and the United States both have national priorities, security needs and political concerns. Hopefully, they are as closely aligned as possible but it is simply impossible for the two countries to have identical policies and practices. Beginning in 1967, the United States and Israel, led by LBJ and others, created a special relationship. I believe that relationship remains intact but there are problems. In dealing with those problems, only Israel can speak for Israel.

How about us, American Jews? Who speaks for us? That is a complicated question. We, the American Jewish community,

are not a “state” or even an organized entity. We are certainly not a “shadow state” of the State of Israel. Loosely, we are an ethno-religious community but we have no government and no police powers. What we do have are constitutional rights and civic responsibilities and a number of different organizations, which do advocacy work on behalf of their membership. Some groups, like AIPAC, are actually better defined as pro-Israel than Jewish, as they seek broad support for Israel well beyond the Jewish community. At the end of the day, American Jews speak for American Jews by voting, by funding causes and candidates and by other advocacy work. My sense is that opinion polls of the American Jewish community and opinions expressed by even the largest Jewish organizations are not in perfect alignment. The reality is that American Jews speak in many voices. Hopefully, those voices are responsible and reflect both Jewish and American values.

So: Israel speaks for Israel and American Jews speak for themselves, sometimes with and sometimes without unity. It’s a messy affair but that’s the way things are in free societies.–LJS

Israel Committee: Who Speaks for Israel? Who Speaks for American Jews?

Social Action Committee Update: KI’s Partnership with Families Forward Philadelphia

Ahavat Israel CORE VALUE

The Torah commands us over and over again to take care of the needy. It is a mitzvah to provide food, clothing, and shelter to those members of our society who are without. Most of our Social Action work at KI centers around these deeds of loving-kindness. From our High Holy Day food collection to our Mitzvah Garden, from our annual Sharing is Caring Hanukkah dinner, to delivering meals to members of our own congregation – we take the obligation to assist those in our community, in whatever way we can, quite seriously. In doing so, we help make the world a better place one person, one family at a time.

In this vein, KI has established a unique partnership with Families Forward Philadelphia Homeless Shelter. Families Forward, formerly the Travelers Aide Family Shelter, is one of the only homeless shelters in Philadelphia who allow families to stay together in the same room while they are experiencing homelessness. This is significant because unlike most other shelters, it enables a family unit with teenage boys and fathers to stay together while the family looks for transitional housing to get them back on their feet.

For the last three years, KI students, families, and artists have been working with Families Forward Shelter in various

capacities. We have created artwork that adorns the halls of their after-school classrooms. We have donated food, clothing, and toiletries to the residents of the shelter. The shelter has the capacity to house 70 families at once, averaging nearly 300 people at all times. Several JQuest classes have gone to the shelter to learn more about what it is like for a homeless family, meet the director, and then decide as a class how they can help those in need.

Next year KI will make the Families Forward Philadelphia homeless shelter our community change partner. We will direct even more of our Social Action resources to helping the families in the shelter meet their basic needs, as well as connect our work with the shelter to our political advocacy around the issues of food insecurity and public education. Both the director at the shelter and the leadership at KI are excited about how big of an impact we can make at the shelter.

If you would like to get more involved in this project, please be in touch with Rabbi Kleinman in the Clergy Office.

1 0 J U N E 2 0 1 4

LifeCyclesMazel Tov to our Bar/Bat Mitzvah Students

My name is Julia Elizabeth Silberman. In June I will be celebrating my Bat Mitzvah in Israel. For my Mitzvah Project I volunteered at Friendship Circle where I spent time with kids with special needs. I attend Cedarbrook

Middle School. I enjoy hanging out with my friends. My favorite sports are soccer, track and gymnastics. My parents are Heather and Eric Silberman.

Hi, my name is Jason Samuel Gratz and my Bar Mitzvah is June 7, 2014. For my Mitzvah Project I went to the Jewish Relief Agency and helped pack and deliver packages to needy families in the area. I attend Abington Jr

High School. My hobbies include guitar, piano, and drums. My sports are ice hockey and baseball. My parents are Michelle and Alan Gratz.

My name is Andrew Mark Tolstoy. My Bar Mitzvah is June 14, 2014. My Mitzvah Project is Hopes and Dreams, which has touched my heart in many ways. I work and play with children and adults with Down Syndrome. We are working on a play

coming up this summer. I go to Murray Avenue School in Lower Moreland. My hobbies are playing basketball with my friends and playing lacrosse. I play lacrosse as goalie for several teams. I am the son of Traci Tolstoy.

My name is Sophie Joan Berger and I am in 7th grade at Cedarbrook Middle School. My Bat Mitzvah is June 21, 2014. For my Mitzvah Project I volunteer at Street Tails Animal Rescue (STAR) and collect items and raise money for

STAR and the SPCA. I love animals and hope to be a veterinarian. I am a cellist in the Cedarbrook Orchestra and I love sports. My favorite sport is soccer and I play for school and for Hunter and Cheltenham travel teams. I also play basketball and softball for both school and GYAC. My parents are Jennifer and Philip Berger and I have a younger brother, Max.

My name is Griffin Michael Wittenberg and my Bar Mitzvah is June 21, 2014. Some of my family and friends call me Griff. For my Mitzvah Project, I am working with Pitch in for Baseball, which provides new and gently-used baseball and

softball equipment for boys and girls who want to play ball but lack the equipment to do so. I attend Abington Junior High. I enjoy all sports and also like playing video games with my friends. My favorite pastime is hanging out with my dogs, Bella and Brody. During the summer I attend Camp Harlam and go to Margate. My favorite sport is baseball. I also play basketball and soccer. My parents are Kimberly and Jamie Wittenberg.

Births Oberyn Alexander Selya, son of Arielle and Brian Selya, great-grandson of our members, Paul and Eve SelyaEli Jacob Miller, son of Arielle & Steve Miller, grandson of our members Linda & Phil SteinBrooke Larissa Cantor, daughter of Cheri & Frank Cantor, granddaughter of our members Janet & Michael SimmonsJosephine May Holloman, daughter of Tammy & Ray Holloman, granddaughter of our member, Steve KatzZara Michaela Lipton, daughter of Elham & Eric Lipton, granddaughter of our members Sissie & Herb Lipton

Mazal Tov To The Following Congregants On Their Special Simchas . . .

We mark with sorrow the passing of ...

Barry Jerome Reimenschneider, our member and husband of our member Carolyn ReimenschneiderDavid Barth, father of our member Traci TolstoyDavid Kittner, our member and husband of our member Constance KittnerMaya Sverdlik, grandmother of our member Ely (Lauren) Goldin

KI at Your Fingertips

Remember to check e-KI for the latest KI weekly news and events.

S H A L O M K I 1 1

Youth & Education

It is hard to believe that we are concluding our first year of JQuest, our revolutionary approach to Jewish education. What have we accomplished:• We are “where kids bring Jewish learning to life.”

Wherever you go when JQuest is in session our kids are at the heart of what we do. Students have made new member welcome books, visited and held collec-tions for homeless families, made model synagogues and Jewish life cycle scrolls, held debates on Zionism, created holiness museums and Jewish heroes, visited the elderly at Abramson Center and so much more. They are learning Hebrew with their bodies and fo-cusing on prayers through art, music, cooking, stories, and digital projects. Judaism has entered into every facet of their being.

• We are addressing what’s really important in life. Be-yond just the Hebrew words of our ancient prayers, we have spent the year noticing God in our world, learning how to express gratitude and need. Our kids understand that Judaism isn’t just about what you do, it’s about what you feel at your core.

• We have continued to focus on Hebrew learning, in-creasing student engagement in the study of Hebrew prayer. Through our one on one instruction, our oral Hebrew through Movement, and our regular Sunday and Tuesday prayers, our kids are more comfortable in Tefillot and ready to learn more than ever before.

Personally, I could not be more proud of our

staff or more thankful for the families who stood by us as we explored new territory and were patient as we experimented and adjusted. Thank you for the feedback, the support, and the hard work by so many. Where we are headed: Of course, we still have room to improve. Next year we plan to:• Improve scheduling. We are looking at overall sched-

uling, so kids have enough time for Hebrew prayer learning and Judaic studies, and are shortening overlong lessons to maximize student involvement. K-2 family prayer will be separated from 3rd-5th student prayer so that age ranges are appropriate to the experiences, and Quest Noar will begin at 6:15 to improve traffic safety.

• Strengthen community connections. With year one behind us we plan to return to social programing such as grade activities, food before and after school, and other opportunities for parents and kids to con-nect with each other.

• Build on our success: Year two will be easier for our students who know what to expect and our teachers, who will be able to improve upon this year’s work.

How can you help? We will be looking for parents to help plan social events and work on our annual fundraisers, and congregants to serve as Jewish resources for our kids. If you are able to lend a hand let me know. And of course, spread the word about our revolutionary change!

A Look Back, A Leap AheadPresident’s Message

Rabbi Stacy Eskovitz RiglerDirector of Religious Education

JQuest

Many Faces of JQuest

1 2 J U N E 2 0 1 4

June 2014 Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service6:00 p.m. Music Arts Program

6:30 p.m. Officers Mtg.7:30 p.m. Executive Comm. Mtg. Israel Comm. Mtg.

1:30 p.m. Preschool Graduation8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service – Installation of Officers

1:30 p.m. Book Discussion

10:00 a.m. Museum Program

7:30 p.m. Annual Congregational Meeting

8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

Erev Shavuot8:00 p.m. Consecration Service6th & 9th Grade Promotion

10:00 a.m. Board RetreatPoetry Reading

Office and Preschool Closed10:30 a.m. Shavuot Confirmation Service

Father’s Day 9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service2:00 p.m. Rydal Park Shabbat5:30 p.m. Havdalah Service

7:00 p.m. Classic Rock Shabbat

12:00 p.m. CC Lunch ‘n’ Learn

9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

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S H A L O M K I 1 3

July 2014 Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

Independence Day Offices and School Closed8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service Honoring Rabbi Sussman’s 60th Birthday

9:00 a.m. Torah Study10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service

8:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

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13

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27

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Administrative Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215-887-8700 Rabbinic Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215-887-8702 Religious School Office . . . . . . . . . . . 215-887-8704 Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215-887-1070 Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215-885-2425 Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215-887-2027 Gift Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215-884-4364

Keneseth Israel Phone Directory

1 4 J U N E 2 0 1 4

Contributions

YAHRZEIT FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Alayne Plotnick Abrams, Harry PlotnickCarlyn R. Abrams, Carli Starr PezolaNeysa Cristol Adams, Drusilla GreenblattMarlene Adler, Richard JacobsShirley Album, Irving L. IsraelRobin K. Anforth, Shirley GoldsteinSylvia Angert, Eleanor KramerBeatrice B. Apfelbaum, Herbert ApfelbaumE. Harris Baum, Albert I. Baum; Myrna Field Baum; Rose BaumThelma Bayuk, Anna TrachtenbergEllen Bildersee, Belle BernsteinPatricia Bloom, Arthur LiebermanEugene & Harriet Brecher, Fay Brecher; Reba BrecherLynn Brody, Solomon Bennett; Sadye H. EnglanderAnne Brown, Joan LubinSharon Chipin, Arnold PlotnickFlossy Clyman, Rebecca RubinAnna Cohen, Benjamin BigelmanClaudia Cohen, Leah R. AbrahamRobert Cohen, Maurice CohenBenay Cohen Coffman, Cynthia A. CohenGeraldine & Harald Cramer, Charles Hassuk; Esther HassukElma G. Davis, Jay GwirtzRobert W. Drucker, Evelyn EliasLynore & Elliot Eisman, Rae BalabanRenate Elgart & family, Ralph ElgartRuth Erie, Barbara DrillEileen & Stephen Feldman, Louis RudnickRita & Sheldon Flame, Helen Freda KannerCaren & Jeffrey Fogel, Albert FogelKenneth & Barbara Forman, Dora FormanDarlene & Harvey Gilbert, Henry MillerHarry & Cheryl Goldberg, Edythe NewmanPhyllis & Barry Goldberg, Edythe NewmanClaire Goldstein, Gerd Franke; Max FrankeRicki Gordon, Clara B. Gordon; Isidor PerlinMarilyn Gray, Anna Lieberman

Phyllis Grode, Stanley E. GrodeBeryl Halpern, M. Richard Cohen; Rose R.

Cohen; Samuel Cohen; Betty Essner

Susan & Ivan Hamberg, Mildred HambergLindsey & Dan Heller, Bernard LobeFlorence & Carl Herman, Philip SokoloffDolores & Jerome Horowitz, Pearl WeissFrances Sussman Israel, Walter SussmanIsabel Kanefield, Lynn Azef; Jeffrey K.

Kanefield; Sarah SultanMarilyn Kaplan, Morris KaplanDiane Kendall, Frances B. SternJanet Kerry, Adele M. Haas; Jerome S. Haas;

Lillian D. MannMildred & Abraham Klein, Fannie JassH. Robert Kohn, Sadie KohnJean Korn, Blanche Bergman KornDavid & Ann Lane, Hazel LipshutzHelen Laver, Edwin MarcusDeborah Lefco, Herman LefcoElaine Leibowitz, Sarah SteinA.J. Lichtenstein, Ruth LichtensteinJanet Lima, Adele Feinstein; Marvin L. FeinsteinSissie & Herb Lipton, Michelle LiptonLila & Matthew London, Jacob London; Morton LondonLisa, Noah & Rhea Lowenthal, Leon LowenthalMarsha Elefant McGee, Frances Elefant WoolseyElsa C. Malmud, Charles H. KravitzEve Mennies, Jennie MenniesLois & Alan Meyers, Miriam S. Hahn; Aline H. MeyersLee Michaels, Joseph S. MichaelsAlex & Gary Moretsky, Rita MoretskyBernice B. Moss & Olga Moss, Reuben G. MossChet & Debra Naids, Arlene NaidsFrances Nodiff, Gerald KramerAnita Oller, Otto OllerThe Ostroff Family, Arlene NaidsEllen & Jeffrey Plaut, Simon Langberg; Werner Plaut

Rita Poley, Martin RosenSusan Lynn Pollack, Philip I. Margolis, Jr.; Philip I.

Margolis, Sr.Phyllis Raskin-Macey, Alexander N. Lichten;

Nathan LichtenWendy Richman, Sheila WeisserAndrea & Michael Rieder, Robert BassmanAlbert Rodstein, William K. RodsteinJay Rosen, Gusta PoodSandy & Dave Rosenthal, Albert LewisRobert & Carey Roseman, Anna GrossJeffrey Rubin, Perry RubinGreta Rubinstein & family, Bernard GoldstonRobert L. Sadoff, Max SadoffPamela & Robert Saltzburg, Sidney SaltzburgTheodore Schaer, Gerald SchaerLeonard & Ruth K. Schoenberg, Lillian SchoenbergDoris & Paul Schor, Kitty SchorRoss Schriftman, William GoldmanSteven J. Serling, Janice B. SerlingMarinetta Serotte, Allan N. SerotteGeorgia Shafia, George L. CohenNatalie Shamberg, Stanley SugarmanRonda & David Silbermann, Jacob KupzoffPhyllis Drucker Sichel & family, Evelyn EliasLisa, Ari & Adam Silverstein, Leon LowenthalShirley Sitron, Henry SitronLesley Solomon, Steven Schlesinger; Bernard SolomonMarc, Ann & Jonny Sonnenfeld, Burton David SonnenfeldPhilip & Ellen Steinberg, Samuel SteinbergKaren & Chris Stingel, Otto OllerAnn Stolinsky & Debra Webb, Henry StolinskyWendy, Brian, Danielle & Erica Strauss, R. Gary StraussMichael Suckle, Carol (Cookie) SuckleAlvin Victor, Gilbert VictorLes Waas, Robert Leonard KleinDavid Wolff, Carolyn WolffMartin Yarnoff, Bertha YarnoffEdith Yesner, Newton D. YesnerNorman Zarwin, Ida Hahn

ADULT EDUCATOR’S PHILANTHROPIC FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Caryl & Mike Levin, Irwin Bobrin

Donor, In Honor Of

Caryl & Mike Levin, 75th Birthday of Beth AbramsBobbi & Dick Weiss, Special Birthday of Joan M. Shrager

ARCHIVES FUNDDonor, In Honor Of

Robert Altman, Phyllis Drucker SichelKay Brylawski, Phyllis Drucker Sichel

JUDGE MYRNA FIELD BAUM FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

E. Harris Baum, Hugh Kenneth Manness

Poindexter

CANTOR’S PHILANTHROPIC FUNDDonor, In Honor Of

Ricki Gordon, Cantor Amy Levy’s 10th AnniversaryLois Hitchman, Cantor Amy Levy’s 10th Anniversary And

40th BirthdayLynn Neigut, Marriage of Myrna Rosenau’s grandsonMarcia & Walter Rosen, Cantor Amy Levy’s 10th

AnniversaryCaitlin & Peter Sklar, Bar Mitzvah of Jacob SklarWomen of KI, Cantor Amy Levy; Liz Sussman

CARING COMMUNITYDonor, In Memory Of

Phyllis Drucker Sichel, Martha Madnick

PAULIE & SID CROSS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDDonor, In Honor Of

Paulie & Sid Cross, Speedy Recovery of Esther Weinstein

EDUCATOR’S PHILANTHROPIC FUNDDonor, In Honor Of

Women of KI, Rabbi Stacy Eskovitz Rigler

GENERAL FUNDDonor, In Honor Of

Joanne & Jim Adler, Anniversary of Arlene & Al

Brest; Birthday of Jules KaySylvia Angert, Birthday of Michael ChauveauOri & Robin Cohen, Bat Mitzvah of Marley WardleLouise & Marvin Kleinman, Speedy Recovery of Helen

SchneebergPat Loudis, Birthday of Sheila DeAnnutis Olympia, Yonni Ruth ColemanAlice & Len Sayles, KI’s Wonderful Programs

GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

William Schur, Irwin A. Bobrin

KING DAVID HARP SOCIETYDonor, In Honor Of

Caryl & Mike Levin, Fran SchwartzJoan Myerson Shrager, Fran SchwartzMarsha N. Shuter, Cantor Amy E. Levy

MANUEL & BLANCHE KORN HEARING IMPAIRED FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Jean M. Korn, Blanche Bergman Korn

CLARENCE L. & ESTELLE S. MEYERS LIBRARY FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Margaret Lichtenstein, Ida M. Leopold

Donor, In Honor Of

Eve Mennies, Speedy Recovery to the Schneeberg Family

DAVID E. MITCHELL FUNDDonor, In Honor Of

Connie Gottlieb, Speedy Recovery of Helen Schneeberg

MUSIC ARTS FUNDDonor, In Honor Of

Lynore & Elliot Eisman, Special Birthday of Fran SchwartzHenry & Fredelle Menin, Special Birthday of Fran

SchwartzJoan & Jerry Spivack, Special Birthday of Fran

Schwartz

All listings indicate donor first, followed by the honor or memorial in italic print.

S H A L O M K I 1 5

Contributions

VALERIE POLLACK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Susan Lynn Pollack, Seymour Hernes; Philip I.

Margolis, Jr.; Philip I. Margolis, Sr.; Judith Schur

RABBI’S PHILANTHROPIC FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Roy & Sandy Buckley, Joan JaffeRuth Singer, Andrew GaberBobbi & Dick Weiss, Irwin Bobrin

Donor, In Honor Of

Elsa Behrend, Marriage of Ariel Hayes & Cassies SimsAudrey Brodsky Salon, Joel SchwartzCaitlin & Peter Sklar, Bar Mitzvah of Jacob SklarLinda & Phil Stein, Birth of Eli Jacob Miller

BEN & RENEE z”l RICHMAN FUND FOR ELDER CAREDonor, In Honor Of

Marjorie & Terry Caddy, 90th Birthday of Louis

Malissa; 90th Birthday of Bernard Orkin; 65th Wedding Anniversary of Bernard & Frances Orkin

Ben Richman, 90th Birthday of Louis Malissa; 90th Birthday

of Bernard OrkinBen Richman, Pop’s 96th BirthdayMyrna Rosenau, 96th Birthday of Ben Richman

SHARING IS CARING FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Robyn Miller & Les Cooperson Barry Barsky; Erwin Cohen;

Bensel Selis; Louis Silverstein

Donor, In Honor Of

Annette H. Blume, 50th Anniversary of

Rochelle & Steve Thurm

21st CENTURY FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Andy & Marc Brookman, Eleanor Saull

TYSON RADIO FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Myrna & Howard Asher, Andrew GaberMarlene Bookbinder, Andrew GaberLois Hitchman, Alvin Waxman; Marlene ZarwinFrances Nodiff, Alfred MeyersMort & Lee Weiss, Bobbi Krensel; Josh Segal

Donor, In Honor Of

Babe Hernes, Speedy Recovery of Helen SchneebergFrances Nodiff, Bat Mitzvah of BrookeBarbara Rudnick & Irv Matusow, Speedy Recovery of

Helen SchneebergBobbi & Dick Weiss, New home of Sonnie & Bob Katz

WOMEN OF KENESETH ISRAELDonor, In Honor Of

Susan & Gary Fried, Sisterhood Interfaith ProgramAlicia R. Granor, Special Birthday of Sue Fried

NEWTON YESNER RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUNDDonor, In Memory Of

Edith Yesner, Robert Shulman

ONEG FUNDDonor

Selma & Joseph BlattStefanie Clyman & Lawrence GoldEmily & Howard GreenbergEllen & Marc GrossmanHarriet GutmanBeryl HalpernRuth HartzCarl & Florence HermanSelma HirshbergShirley & Edward ItzensonRobert Kahn & familyIsabel Kanefield

Sharon KiesermanIrvin & Helen KleinAlan KochJean M. KornBrian & Jackie KovachAaron KraussJudy & Mickey LangsfeldEdith LeonCaryl & Mike LevinRuth LevinJanice LevyAnita LipsonPatricia LoudisMarsha & Daniel McGeeArthur & Elaine MagilnerJerome & Benita MandelRobert MandellArnold & Norma MeshkovCarolyn & Joe MeyerJeffrey Miller & Sandy GeverDiane & Murray MillerBonnie & Richard MosesJack & Laurie MyersMarilyn NeigutFrances NodiffIris ParkerEllen ParkinsonJeanne PerlmutterElaine & Mark PitkowMuriel PolikoffShanlee PollackEvelyn & Theodore RobertsLouise RoseJay RosenMyrna RosenauSandy & David RosenthalHelene RossHenry RubinRobert Sadoff

Charles & Phyllis SalingerNancy & Ted SchaerDoris & Paul SchorRoss SchriftmanJoyce & Seth SchulmanAlan & Carol SchwartzDanielle & Jon SchwartzFredda SegalMarsha ShuterCarol SilvermanDolph SimonsGertrude SingerRuth SingerStan & Lois SingerJay SivitzClaire SpilkerEllen & Philip SteinbergHenny & Jeffrey SteinfeldEarle & Edythe WeissLili WeiszBarbara WisemanAndrew & Lorraine WoldowEdith YesnerNorman ZarwinRonald & Leona Ziegler

Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel 8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027

...by remembering and honoring their friends and loved ones through their generous contributions to KI’s special funds.

We Appreciate The Thoughtfulness Of Those Who Support KI

We apologize ahead of time for any donations that may be missing from this issue. If you would like it to appear next month, please contact Anita by phone (215-887-8702) or e-mail (anita@kenes-ethisrael.org). Sorry for any inconve-nience.

Date: _______________

The enclosed contribution is to the _____________________________________________Fund

In Memory of ______________________________________________________________

In Honor of _______________________________________________________________

Please acknowledge to:

Name ___________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________

City ________________________________________State _____ Zip_________________

Donors Name ______________________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________________

City ________________________________________State _____Zip_________________

Please make checks payable to Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel.

1 6 J U N E 2 0 1 4

In Our CommunityDear Women of Keneseth Israel,Judaism teaches us to be thankful for all that we have and to offer

prayers of thanks in the form of blessings. Formal blessings are part of our services, as are blessings for a variety of daily occurrences. Did you

know we have blessings of wonder to recite upon seeing a rainbow or the ocean, lightning or even a shooting star?

With this June article I would like to THANK YOU, all of you, for your support of Women of KI. Whether you volunteered your time to plan one of our events or just came and enjoyed yourself, we want you to know how much we appreciate you and all of your support. You all deserve special blessings of thanks!

Our year would not be complete if I did not offer THANKS to a few very special members of Women of KI. As our Vice President this year, Sue Fried had a special way of helping me organize the many events we held. Sue organized the Annual Interfaith program and helped us feed more than 120 guests in our Multicultural community. Marlene Glass and Janice Schwartz-Donahue showed their commitment to the religious aspects of our lives by preparing “Clear Your Plate, Fill Your Cup” and our annual “Sisterhood Shabbat.”

Marlene Glass has been keeping us busy in the KI Gift Shop. We are glad to welcome Elaine Pitkow into our Gift Shop schedule. Marlene Glass, Janice Schwartz-Donahue, Elaine Pitkow, Mickie Levin, and Sue Fried have all added their own personal touches to make KI an interesting place to shop. Thanks to her expertise in retail, Elaine is helping us shop for new items.

Paulette Sterman-Soroko brought a new vision to Women of KI by creating our first Lilith Salon. While reviewing the articles from the Lilith Magazine published by the Women of Reform Judaism, Paulette’s leadership and her kind, caring demeanor made us feel comfortable sharing our ideas in a safe, nurturing environment.

My thanks would not be complete without mentioning our Secretary, Mindi Glachman. Mindi, we honor you for your complete minutes each month and for being our Kitchen Guru. Your kind influence helps us prepare food in a fun way. Our kitchen runs smoothly and easily. Kudos also to Diane Miller, who is always available to assist at our events. We especially enjoy your kamish bread! And finally, THANK YOU to our set-up crew: Mickie Levin, Claire Spilker, Carol Levy, Janice Schwartz-Donahue, Marlene Glass, Ilene Bomze, and Paulette Sterman-Soroko.

Our closing Event will be held on Sunday, June 8th.Lynore Eisman

Hello from Brotherhood

As we move into summertime, we are in the process of planning for next year. We are looking for a speaker for our opening event, a Sunday brunch, which will be open to all. Hopefully we’ll have that information for September’s Shalom KI.

Unfortunately, our guest speaker, Glenn Hurricane Schwartz, had to cancel two days before our Brotherhood Shabbat, due to a personal issue. He felt terrible and asked to come back, so we are trying to reschedule him for November or December, before all you snowbirds disappear. We are also looking forward to expanding our Shindig for next year. Come out for fun, food and drinks.

The Yom HaShoah Candles went out in a timely fashion even though we had shipping problems. The candles allowed us to remember as a community, which is important to us all, so that future generations won’t be further removed and less sensitive to what actually happened.

We are now sending information to all who donated to Brotherhood so each person can keep up with our agenda, even if you do not partake in meetings. Your donations are our lifeline, so thank you! We are on Facebook, so please Like us and become a Friend. We will update events there as well.

We are always looking for new ushers and usherettes. Saturday services are fun as you meet people you have not seen since high school and it is rewarding to help.

We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. or Sundays at 9:30. a.m. Watch for dates. The pizza alone makes it worthwhile but you will see that the time is well spent.

Have to go as I hear the Boys of Summer beginning their quest towards the World Series. Right!

Shalom,Nathan Zinberg, President

MEN OF REFORM JUDAISM

KI Gift ShopThe last day of scheduled hours for the gift shop was Sunday, May 18th. But that doesn’t mean we’re unavailable. During the summer - or anytime -if there is any way that we can help you with your gift needs please call me: Marlene Glass, 215-206-9204. Thanks For Thinking KI First.

S H A L O M K I 1 7

SENIOR STAFFSenior Rabbi, Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D., D.D. RabbiLJS@kenesethisrael.org / 215-887-8702Associate Rabbi, Kevin M. Kleinman RabbiKleinman@kenesethisrael.org / 215-887-8702Cantor, Amy E. Levy cantorael@kenesethisrael.org / 215-887-8702Executive Director, Brian Rissinger brissinger@kenesethisrael.org / 215-887-8700Director of Religious Education Rabbi Stacy Eskovitz Rigler educator@kenesethisrael.org / 215-887-8704Director of Early Childhood Education Beth Rabinowitz beth@kenesethisrael.org / 215-885-2425Rabbi Emeritus, Simeon J. Maslin, D. Min. Cantor Emeritus, Richard Allen Exec. Director Emeritus, William Ferstenfeld, F.T.A.

OFFICERSPresident, Arnold Meshkov abmatki@gmail.comFirst Vice President, Ellen Sklaroff ellensklaroff@gmail.comVice President, Evonne Kruger evainez@aol.comSecretary, Janice Schwartz-Donahue janicedonahue98@verizon.netTreasurer, James Rosenthal jimr@paradigm-digitalcolor.comAssociate Treasurer, Karen Langsfeld karenlangsfeld@gmail.comHonorary Presidents Hon. Arlin Adams, Hon. Paul L. Jaffe, Joyce Fishbein, Hon. Jan E. DuBois, Miriam Finkel, Connie Kay, E. Harris Baum, Norma Meshkov, Karen L. Sirota, Carey S. Roseman, Andrew J. Flame, Peter J. Soloff, Richard Weiss

215-887-8700 • FAX 215-887-1070 • www.kenesethisrael.org

Editor, Donna Bleznak Keller Assistant Editor, Anita Madnick Design Consultant, Lori Cohen

ShalomT H E B U L L E T I N O F K E N E S E T H I S R A E L & T H E M E Y E R S L I B R A R Y

Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel is an affiliate congregation of the Union for Reform Judaism

ELKINS PARK

8339 Old York RoadElkins Park, PA 19027215-887-8700

BLUE BELL

1802 Skippack PikeBlue Bell, PA 19422

Crimea RiverNow you say you’re lonelyYou cry the long night throughWell, you can cry me a riverCry me a riverI cried a river over you…….

-“Cry Me A River”I first heard the haunting voice of Julie

London singing this song as a teenager in the 1950’s and it has remained with me since. I started thinking about it again during the recent turmoil in the Crimean Peninsula and began wondering if there were Jewish connections there, and of course, there are.

Two communities of Jews have been living in this peninsula since ancient times: the Krymchaks, who followed rabbinical Judaism, and the Karaites, who rejected the Oral Torah. Based on inscriptions, Jews existed there as far back as the first century C.E. Early settlers were likely descended from families exiled by the Assyrians and Babylonians, and from deported warriors of the Bar Kokhba uprising. In the 10th, and 11th centuries, the Caspian Khazars held sway; there is an idea that Crimea was the cultural center which influenced the conversion of the Khazar royalty to Judaism, and that the Crimean Karaites were descended from ancient Israelite settlers and Khazar converts.

Catherine the Great opened the area to Jewish settlement after conquering the Ottomans in 1783, hoping that the Jews would be a bulwark against the Turks.

Tens of thousands of young Jews settled in this part of “New Russia” over the next century. Crimea became so identified with Russia’s Jewish history that Jewish activists in St. Petersburg pointed to the long legacy of Crimean Jews as an argument for Jewish emancipation in the empire, during the days of the Pale of Settlement.

During early Soviet times, the Politburo accepted a proposal by American agronomist Joseph A. Rosen suggesting financial support through the Joint Distribution Committee, to resettle Jewish pogrom victims in a “Jewish Autonomous Region” there. The Kremlin soon after reversed its position, yet by 1926 there were nearly 40,000 Jews in Crimea, a population ultimately decimated by the Nazi invasion of Russia.

Now, there may be as many as 15,000 Jewish people living in the land, which has rejoined Russia. Opinion as to the prospects for Jews is divided: apparently Reform and Progressive Judaism is strong in Crimea whereas in Ukraine, Chabad is ascendant. The saga continues.

Dick Weiss, Immediate Past President

Keneseth Israelite

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WorshipFor The Future

Friday, June 13Installation Shabbat Service8:00 p.m.

Friday, June 20Classic Rock Shabbat7:00 p.m.

Friday, July 18Special Shabbat Celebrating Rabbi Lance J. Sussman’s 60th Birthday8:00 p.m.

Friday, August 8“Guess Who’s Coming To Shabbas” Participant Shabbat8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 9 Evening with Author & KI Member Nomi Eve (Saunders) 7:00 p.m.

Yahadut Mitkademit Reform Judaism

T’fillot Prayer and Spirituality

Tikkun Olam Social Justice/Repair of the World

Hiddur Mitzvah Arts and Culture

Limmud Sacred Learning

Kehillah Community

Ahavat Israel Jewish Pride/Love of Israel

KI CORE VALUES

As a diverse community rep-resenting a broad constituency of nearly 1,000 families strong, we have identified seven core values that define the heart and soul of our congregation.

Look inside for the core value symbol – revealing our commitment in action!

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KIFTY wins NFTY-PAR Members Award

Congratulations to KIFTY – KI’s senior youth group for winning the NFTY-PAR membership award. This year KIFTY doubled the size of our membership, growing us from a “small” youth group to a “large” youth group. This award is one highlight among many outstanding KIFTY moments this year. Here are a few others. KIFTY started the year out strong with an outing in the Fall to Citizen’s Bank Park to see the Phillies. We participated in the Friendship Circle’s annual Fundraising Walk. We cooked a Spaghetti Dinner to raise money for KIFTY programs. We had a super fun time at Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline park. Our final event of the year will be Limo Night with KIFTY. We will hop into limos and explore Center City through a scavenger hunt. The two teams will meet up at the Art Museum for Havdalah.

I would like to thank all the members of the 2013-2014 KIFTY Board. Our teens work tirelessly to plan and run our events. A special thank you to Erica Strauss who, after having served as KIFTY President last year, went on to be a board member on our regional NFTY-PAR Board. Thank you Erica for all you have given to KIFTY and KI. Best of luck at college!

We are looking forward to another great KIFTY year in 2014-2015. KIFTY membership forms are available in the main office for all rising 9th-12th graders. I am looking forward to seeing the continued growth of KIFTY in the year ahead.