August `14 Tikvah Topics - Congregation Beth Tikvah
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August `14 Tikvah Topics - Congregation Beth Tikvah
Iss u st ul El 2 • Aug 57 7 4 • V 7 • ue e1 um l o Tikvah Topics 2 014 • A v/ Thank You Yard Sale Chairs and Fundraising Chair! Read the story on page 9 Congregation Beth Tikvah • 6121 Olentangy River Road • Worthington, OH 43085 Phone: 614-885-6286 • Fax: 614-885-4052 • www.bethtikvahcolumbus.org 2 Aug. 1 7:15 p.m. Thank You August Bima Flower and Oneg Sponsors Shabbat Evening Service Aug. 1 Aug. 22 Aug. 8 Bima flowers sponsors Bima flowers sponsors Services Schedule 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Jan & Andrea Smith in memory of Andrea’s brother, Bruce Brumberg Service Celebrating the Installation of the 2014-15 Board of Trustees Oneg sponsors Philip & Betsy Samuels Aug. 9 Joel, Connie & Drew Mayerson in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their son and brother, Ethan Oneg sponsors 9 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Aug. 8 Family & Friends of Ethan Mayerson in honor of Ethan’s Bar Mitzvah Bima flowers and Oneg sponsors Aug. 29 Aug. 15 Michael Schecter & Michael Spaulding in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Noah Service Celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Noah Spaulding-Schecter 7:15 p.m. Welcome Back Shabbat Alive Aug. 15 Aug. 16 9 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Bima flowers sponsors Service Celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Gabriella Stern Wendi, Randy & Nicholas Stern in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter and sister, Gabriella Aug. 22 Oneg sponsors 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service Aug. 23 9 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service Celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Ethan Mayerson Aug. 29 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service 9 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service Celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Lauren Lemmon Inside this issue Intergenerational Israel Trip Calendar B’nai Mitzvah announcements Sisterhood Contributions Yard Sale Linda Hatfield, Bill & Glenda Hewitt, Bev & Lew Stern, the Fogel Family and the O’Connell Family in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Gabriella Stern High Holy Days Calendar Sept. 20 Aug. 30 16 15 6 12 7-13 9 & 11 Bima flowers and Oneg sponsors Shawna Lemmon in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of her daughter, Lauren Oct. 3 7 p.m. S’lichot 7:15 p.m. Kol Nidrei 7:30 p.m. Erev Rosh HaShanah Service 10 a.m. Yom Kippur Morning Service 10 a.m. Yom Kippur Youth Service 12:30 p.m. Yizkor 2 p.m. Young Children’s Yom Kippur Service 3 p.m. Yom Kippur Discussion 4:30 p.m. Yom Kippur Afternoon Service 5:30 p.m. N’ilah 6:30 p.m. Sisterhood Break Fast Sept. 24 Sept. 25 10 a.m. Rosh HaShanah Morning Service 10 a.m. Rosh HaShanah Youth Service 3 p.m. Young Children’s Rosh HaShanah Service 3:30 p.m. Rabbi Kellner’s Open House 7605 Southview Court Columbus, 43235 Sept. 26 10 a.m. Rosh HaShanah Morning Service 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service 2 Oct. 4 Oct. 8 5:45 p.m. Sukkot Pizza in the Hut Event Oct. 15 6:30 p.m. Simchat Torah Services With Blessings A message from Rabbi Rick Kellner Thousands of Jewish kids from across the country have spent their summers at Jewish summer camp. While attending camp, they live together, learn together, sing together, pray together, play sports together and change the world together. One of the highlights of my summer was to spend three days at the Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) in Zionsville, IN. GUCI is owned by the Union for Reform Judaism. In my three days there, I helped welcome new campers, taught Torah, helped counselors prepare to teach their campers about Jewish virtues and led a conversation with Avodahniks (incoming 12th graders) about what they believe. It was a blessing for me to visit GUCI as a faculty member. This unique environment allows me to connect with other colleagues in an atmosphere that breeds creativity. The juices flow as we think about how to give students a more meaningful prayer experience, to teach kids how to be better individuals and to challenge our own beliefs. The creative environment empowers our entire community to lay the foundation as we create connected and responsible Jews. One easily sees the blessings of community, the joys of song, and the bonds of friendship being lived in a Jewish setting. This month, our children will have all returned home from camp and Israel. They will bring with them new ideas about Judaism and Jewish life. They bring with them excitement about Judaism that some do not feel at Beth Tikvah. A child’s home, temple and camp are their predominant centers of Jewish life. All these communities help children create their Jewish identity. Camp’s role in that is significant. It is the only place that lives on “Jewish Time.” The calendar revolves around Shabbat, the places have Hebrew names and the values lived by all are Jewish values. The challenge for synagogues is that as kids return home inspired by camp and looking to continue their exploration of Judaism, they don’t recognize the melodies that gave them great joy in camp. They don’t feel the “Jewish Time” because we live in a world where Sunday is not a weekday. They lose the connection they worked all summer to create. It is our responsibility to ensure that as many kids who want to go to Jewish summer camp can. We will continue to encourage our kids to attend Jewish summer camps and we need to continue to support the Beth Tikvah Brotherhood’s efforts to send our kids to Jewish summer camp. Last year at the Souper Bowl, the Brotherhood raised the most funds ever. As 3 camp costs continue to rise, we need to find ways to increase the amount of financial support provide so our own Beth Tikvah kids can attend Jewish summer camps. The experiences the kids have are incredible. They make great friends at camp, they learn amazing lessons about life and their Jewish identity is nourished in profound ways. Attending Jewish summer camp has the second biggest impact on a young person’s connection to Judaism. (A peer trip to Israel is the first.) There are many options for our kids to attend summer camps including focused Jewish experiences for those who might not attend a traditional Jewish summer camp (e.g. URJ GUCI, Wise, Emma Kaufman or Livingston). The Union for Reform Judaism has invested in specialty camps for athletes and those interested in science at the URJ Six-Points Sports (North Carolina) and Sci-Tech (Massachusetts) Academies. If you are interested in your child attending Jewish summer camp and wish to learn more, please contact either Morissa or me. It is not too early to start thinking about summer 2015! While attending camp, they live together, learn together, sing together, pray together, play sports together and change the world together. One of the highlights of my summer was to spend three days at the Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI). A letter from the President Earlier this summer Liz and I welcomed many members new to the congregation to our home to learn how their first year at Beth Tikvah has gone. With more than 50 new member families in our congregation last year, Rabbi Kellner, Debbie Vinocur, and I thought it would be wise to assess how our temple processes stood up to this large influx. Our hope was that what we discovered would lead to many more large influxes. Jen Withee and Ernie Mandell joined us for dessert and discussion with many new members. We had a simple agenda: step us through your new member experience. Describe what worked, what could have been better and what Beth Tikvah can do to be more welcoming as our congregation grows. We’ve already had a variety of activities ranging from new member events, gifts and invitations from various auxiliary organizations. After an hour or so of discussion, several concrete ideas came up that make sense for us as a congregation, board and staff to implement. Some of the simple ideas range from a standard “kit” that new members receive about Beth Tikvah (enhancing the excellent book we already have), to establishing a more formal chavurah structure to allow smaller groups of like-minded people to meet and mingle. All of us acknowledged that the process of welcoming people on a Friday night can be challenging for all involved. Now we want to look for ways to streamline the process, so no one feels awkward or left out. So many ideas came out of this meeting that we’ve decided to focus our annual board retreat on the topic so that we can formalize the new member process, understand the specific roles of staff versus committee chairs and lay-leaders, and create a plan so we make new members feel welcome in their important first year. One of the most interesting discussion points centered around whether these new member processes could or should also be applied to our diverse set of existing members. If congregants are unsure about who is new and who they just haven’t met yet, attempting an introduction is scary. While we all want to be welcoming, many of us fear insulting a fellow member of the Beth Tikvah family. I know there are many constituencies in the congregation to focus on, and I thought that by starting here we could positively influence the existing and next generation of Beth Tikvah members. As we prepare for the board retreat and another great year at Beth Tikvah, I invite you to share with me any suggestions on how we can make the new member experience at Beth Tikvah an enjoyable and successful scenario. Ideas from other congregations or organizations or reflections on your own experience would be terrific. Please send them all my way and I will make sure we include them in our board retreat discussion! Andy Shafran To share ideas about how to better welcome new members please email Andy Shafran at abshafran@ gmail.com Sincerely, Andy Shafran New and Prospective Member Ice Cream Social All new members are invited to an ice cream social to get to know Beth Tikvah and each other. Representatives from several Beth Tikvah organizations and committees such as Brotherhood, Sisterhood, the Green Team and our Caring Community will be there to give information on fun, meaningful ways to get involved. Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. in the Beth Tikvah Social Hall Hope to see you there! For more information contact the Beth Tikvah office at 614-885-6286 or visit our website: www.bethtikvahcolumbus.org. 4 Look for your invitation in the mail. RSVP to the office by Friday, Aug. 15. A note about education I hope that everyone has had a wonderful summer so far! I am anxiously waiting for our 2014-15 school year to begin! It is too quiet in the building without our kids. I wanted to take this time to provide some updates on curriculum and programming for our upcoming year. Religious School Updates: We will incorporate new Israel lessons in Gan - 6th grade from the iCenter. The majority of these lessons incorporate technology, games, and hands on learning while giving students a taste of contemporary, as well as ancient life in Israel. I am currently attending a workshop at Case Western Reserve University on the Jewish Lens curriculum, which will also be implemented in our Religious School this year in the 6th grade class. The Jewish Lens is a photography-based curriculum, which, “is designed to engage students actively in learning about the values that are important in their Jewish communities.” It uses the creative arts and project based learning to: “help young people connect intellectually and emotionally with their traditions. Along the way, students develop skills in visual literacy, text study and photography.” Our 9th graders are in for a transformative school year, through a new curriculum developed by Rabbi Kellner and me, called “Accessing Your Prophetic Power.” The program will consist of team building activities such as a visit to a high/low ropes course. Students will spend two to four weeks in these team initiatives to develop trust and study Jewish texts related to community. They will spend eight to ten weeks visiting with four nonprofit organizations and studying Jewish values related to those organizations. Next, students will then be divided into teams of four or five. In those teams they will choose a problem they hope to solve for one of the sites they visited, and work in teams to develop a creative solution to those problems. This curriculum initiative is made possible through a grant from the Columbus Jewish Foundation. Hebrew School Updates: Our Aleph (3rd grade) students will use a new curriculum called Ot La-Ba’Ot. Some of the key features are: • Home Workbook: Each class lesson is paired with a page to be completed at home and returned to the classroom. Each exercise, which should take no more than 15 minutes, can be completed by parent and child together and enable parents (even those parents who have not learned to read Hebrew before) to be successful. • Home Review App: It works for both Apple and Android. Students use interactive gamebased learning to review what was covered in class. Once completed, the app sends the results of each game/assignment to the teacher. 5 • Family Website: The website has the answers to exercises, as well as a user-friendly audio program that sounds out words and phrases. • Parent Introduction: This sixteen-page booklet for parents includes a full vocabulary list, a Hebrew letter chart and a short introduction to help parents understand how best to help their children. Our Hebrew School students in 4th - 6th grade (Bet - Gimel) will have the option to use a new Hebrew app called PrayerTech to supplement classroom instruction. The app is available for iOS and Android tablets, as well as Mac and PC computers. PrayerTech encourages student to do work on their own, invites parent involvement, offers teacher a way to diagnose student challenges and fix the problems and allows the administrator to monitor the progress of each class and each student. As students successfully complete Hebrew and prayer activities, they earn game-time towards major (non-teaching) games. I am looking forward to sharing more information about new programming for the 2014-15 school year in my next Tikvah Topics article. The Religious and Hebrew School calendar, parent/student handbook, and curriculum information brochures will be hitting your mailboxes soon after (if not before) this issue. L’Shalom, Morissa Freiberg Morissa Freiberg Use the links below to learn more about our updated curriculum The iCenter http://www. theicenter.org Jewish Lens http://www. jewishlens.org PrayerTech http://www. prayertech.net Mazel Tov to our August Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Noah Spaulding-Schecter Gabriella Lynn Stern Noah is an 8th grader at Phoenix Middle School in Worthington. Noah loves music and both sings and plays the clarinet. You may have also heard him on the drums at some Beth Tikvah services. Noah takes horseback riding lessons and has competed at events around Central Ohio. Noah attends Goldman Union Camp Institute in Indiana and looks forward to seeing his GUCI friends at camp each summer. Noah is a member of PETA and for his Mitzvah project put together a web site discussing the ethical treatment of animals (http://thinkaboutanimals.org/) Gabriella Lynn Stern is being called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on August 16, 2014. For her mitzvah project, she has chosen to support Amethyst, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides housing and counseling for homeless women as they work through drug and/or alcohol addiction. Amethyst is the only rehabilitative facility in central Ohio that allows women to keep their children with them. The children also receive counseling. Gabriella is collecting bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, twin sheet sets and twin blankets as her project. If you would like to support Gabriella’s efforts, you may drop off items in the laundry basket located in the breezeway at the temple. Gabriella attends Heritage Middle School and in her spare time she enjoys playing guitar, listening to music and spending time with her friends. Aug. 16 Aug. 9 Lauren Lemmon Aug. 30 Lauren attends McCord Middle School in Worthington. She enjoys music, shopping, swimming and playing volleyball. She also loves spending time with her friends. For her Bat Mitzvah project, she is volunteering for an organization called Project Linus. Their mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need, through the gifts of new, handmade blankets. For information about joining Beth Tikvah, call our office at 614-885-6286 or email Temple Administrator Debbie Vinocur at [email protected] to schedule a tour. We pride ourselves on offering a warm, welcoming and inclusive community serving the Jews in Northwest Columbus. 6 The Jazz of Prayer “Prayer is not entertainment, it is a discipline like music, running, or meditation.” Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman • Do you feel lost sometimes in services? • Do you want to learn why our prayerbook is written the way it is? • Do you want connect with God or do you want God to connect with you? The Jazz of Prayer is FOR YOU One Monday evening each month the class will meet with Rabbi Kellner to dive into the depths of Jewish prayer. It will explore various layers of themes, history and spirituality to make the siddur come to life. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Nov. 3, Dec. 1, Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 2, April 13 and May 11 RSVP to the office 614-885-6286 Rabbi Huber’s Fall Class: Still More Midrash Rabbi Huber will teach his ongoing class STILL MORE MIDRASH Oct. 7 - Nov. 18, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Midrash refers to the nonlegal writings of the great sages and scholars of the Talmudic period. While there is no charge for the class, please let us know of your interest in attending by phoning the office, 614-885-6286. Israel o v Breakfa er Returns st ! Do you love Israel? Do you want to learn more about what Israelis faces every day? Do you want to discuss the challenges of peoplehood, the conflict, Israel’s internal struggle for existence and anything else that might come up each month? Join us one Wednesday morning each month for a delicious breakfast at Panera. Thought provoking conversation with lovers of Israel and connecting with friends. Join us at our first meeting this fall. Look for details in “News from Beth Tikvah” And you shall teach them to your children? Judaism teaches us it is a Mitzvah to pass tradition on to your children. How do you know what to pass on? What are the challenges you face when you are trying to teach your children to be a mensch? Parents (and grandparents too!) are invited to join with Rabbi Kellner as we dive into the world of teaching Jewish values to our children. Join Rabbi Kellner from 9:45- 10:45 a.m. Sept. 21, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Dec. 14, Jan 11, Feb. 8 and March 22 7 Beth Tikvah Board Motions: June 10, 2014 Board Meeting: Wendi Stern moved to allow the Building Committee to spend up to $10,000 to implement a solution for High Holy Day extended seating sight-line problems. Tara Rozen seconded the motion which passed unanimously. May 8, 2014 Board Meeting: Patti Price moved that the Board allocate up to $12,000 from the Capital Campaign to fund the creation and installation of the Dedication Wall. Wendi Stern seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Thank you to our contributors: MUSIC FUND • Judi & Al Bindman in memory of their granddaughter, Ellen Bindman-Hicks • Jennifer E. Mendelson CARING COMMUNITY FUND • Marcey & Rick Forman in honor of the Adult B’nai Mitzvah of Wendy Klein and Rhonda Moskowitz • Dossy & Marty Gelender in honor of Arlene Levy’s Bat Mitzvah • Paul E. Nord in memory of Sandra M. Lazaroff, mother of Alan Lazaroff Contributions Con’t. JEWISH CAMP FUND • Chari, Micky & Leah Fogel in memory of Ruth Bechky, grandmother of Cheryl Bendis; and Gloria Albert, grandmother of Jennifer Sanderow • Marcey & Rick Forman in honor of the Adult B’nai Mitzvah of Susan Pomerantz and Diane Saks • Marsha & Stephen Harris in memory of Stephen’s father, Morton Harris PRAYER BOOK FUND • Lois Winnick-Chapman & Bruce Chapman in honor of the 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah class RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND (Richard M.C. Kellner) • Bunny & Steven Cohen in honor of the engagement of their daughter, Beth Cohen to Zack Tuck • Chari & Micky Fogel in appreciation for Rabbi Kellner officiating at the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Leah • Dossy & Marty Gelender in appreciation of Rabbi Kellner’s support and caring • Linda & Les Kellner in memory of Linda’s father, Richard P. Zuckerman; in memory of Les’ father, Sidney Kellner • Risa & Alan Lazaroff in honor of Rabbi Kellner and Family • Florence Lewis in appreciation of Rabbi’s care and comfort • Ruth & Ron Siegle in honor of Dora Sterling, Joyce Sabgir and Susan Pomerantz for their generosity at the yard sale Endowment- Contact Sonia Aron at [email protected] The B Myer Simon Endowment By ShelDon Simon In the summer of 1966, Rhoda and I arrived in Columbus with our 3 year-old daughter. We joined the 65 members of Beth Tikvah, which was then at the corner of High Street and East North Broadway, in an old rented house. After a few years we moved to Indianola Ave by raising money from the congregation to purchase an old dance studio. We walked with the congregation and, by then, our three kids from High Street to Indianola carrying the Torah. Most of the members of the congregation were from other parts of the country with no ties to the local Jewish Community. This led to strong friendship bonds within Beth Tikvah with everyone chipping in to do every day chores. I filled many slots - from membership chair to treasurer and president. By the late 70s we had over 230 families and were seriously cramped for space. We held Sunday School at the East Broadway United Methodist Church. I spent many afternoons riding around Northwest Columbus with Jack Resler looking for a new site for the congregation. When we found our present site he stipulated that the congregation had to raise enough money to show we were committed before he would agree to purchase the land. We built our present building and again we all walked with our Torah from Indianola to the new facility. In 1979, my father, Myer Simon, a retired electrician, moved to Heritage Tower in Columbus. He joined Beth Tikvah to help support us in our move to Olentangy River Road even though he rarely went to services. During his membership, the congregation rallied again in the late 80s to build the addition to our present building. Photo by Sheldon Chizever In the course of our 48 years of membership, we have had five baby namings, two B’nai Mitzvah, three Confirmations, our daughter’s wedding, a funeral for Rhoda’s mother and a memorial service for my father. Our son, Eric, and his son, Bennett (named for my father), were both named at Beth Tikvah. All three of our children attended Camp GUCI and spent semesters in Israel. We feel that our continued support and involvement in Beth Tikvah has further nurtured their interest in supporting Jewish institutions and in reinforcing their Jewish heritage. They now belong to congregations in other cities and so far we have enjoyed five B’nai Mitzvah of our seven grandchildren. Beth Tikvah is the core of the Northwest Columbus Jewish Community. It depends on membership contributions for most of its support. Although we have several successful fundraising activities each year, we need additional income streams to provide operating reserves and contingency funds. By participating in the newly inaugurated endowment program members are now able to commit funds in perpetuity. In that light, we are establishing the B. Myer Simon Endowment for Building Maintenance. We see this endowment as a way to enhance our continuing commitment to Beth Tikvah and as a small stone in the wall of future needs. For more information about the endowment process or how to set up an endowment, contact the Endowment Committee Chair Sonia Sniderman Aron at [email protected] or 740-548-8235. 8 Contributions Con’t. SOCIAL ACTION FUND Photo by David Binkovitz Fundraising- Contact Dora Sterling at [email protected] • The Bendis Family in honor of Wendi Stern’s Bat Mitzvah • Katherine & Alan Burkman in honor of Evie Freeman and Arlene Levy’s Bat Mitzvah • Rose & Manny Luttinger in honor of Patti Price, Arlene Levy and all the Adult B’nai Mitzvah class members • Friends in The Village of Willowbrook in honor of Arlene Levy’s Bat Mitzvah The 2014 Yard Sale of Biblical Proportions TORAH TABLE FUND The Craigslist notices spoke of a religious community of over 400 households donating their treasures to this sale. Photos taken by David Binkovitz and David Goss reveal a social hall filled with every temple table heaping with items. Congregants donated goods in record numbers. It took 77 volunteers four days to empty and sort seven stuffed classrooms worth of donations and another three days to price and display items. This dusty, tiring, thankless work was made pleasant by priceless camaraderie, endless laughter and shared body aches and aspirin. The volunteers, ranging in age from teens to octogenarians, made the sale go smoothly and successfully. Yard Sale Co-Chairs Susan Pomerantz and Joyce Sabgir, who were ably assisted by their muscled spouses, Louis Pomerantz and Dick Sabgir, as well as Fundraising Chair Dora Sterling and her better half, Ed led the planning for this year’s sale. They worked beside a corps of dedicated volunteers. The Beth Tikvah 2014 A-Team included: Lynne and Vince Allen, Ben Azriel, Matthew Barrille, Valia Bergelson, Trudy Blumenstein and Debbie Kramer, Ray Brakefield, Jackie Chizever, Ed and Adele Dauerman, Sarah Deahl, Susan Dworkin, Patty Fertel, Jan Fish, Rhoda and Bill Gilbert, Myriam Gluck, Abby Goldbaum, Janet Golder, Marilyn and Yuliya Hallowell, Marsha Harris, Roberta Havel, Ruth Kaiser, Joan Kalb, Lisa Kalson and Adam Beck, Carol Krempley, Jackie Kon, Rachel Levin, Sue Levin, Stacy Levine, Arlene Levy, Rose Luttinger, Jeff Merschbach, Leslie Meyer-Miller, Jane Mitchell and Hannah Cather, Margot Morrisey, Joanne Notowidigdo, Suzanne Parr, Del Parrot, Nancy and Dick Pawliger, Eleanor Pearlman, Marsha Pond, Ronni and Paul Richards, Tyler Robinson, Debbie Romanoff, Maria and Steve Rosenthal, Tara and Brad Rozen, Marlene Ruzicka, Max and Noah Scholl, Ruth Siegle, Elaine Selekman, ShelDon Simon, Rachel Shaw, Barb Taxier, Nancy Tiemeier, Debbie Vinocur, Judy Weisberg, Shelley Grieve-Zerkel, Rochelle Zweben, Cathy Appel, Ed Hara, and Danielle Pietrowicz. With so many bargains available, these volunteers made over $1,600 in purchases prior to the official sale start. Special thanks to Barbara Taxier, Bill Gilbert and Stacie O’Connell. They assured that volunteers were fed as they worked through several lunches and dinners. Additional thanks to Elliot and Retta Slotnick for a raffle prize donation to cover sale overhead costs. Several million Israelites followed See more on page 11 9 • Darla Abraham • Andrea Adkins • Cindy Barker • Matthew Barrile • Sharon Chelnick • Debbie Ecker • Shelley Engler • Evie Freeman • Shelly Igdaloff • Wendy Klein • Jacqueline S. Kon • Arlene Brilliant Levy • Rhonda Moskowitz • Stacie O’Connell • Susan Pomerantz • Patti Price • Josh Reinicke • Tara Rozen • Joyce Sabgir • Diane Saks • Nancy Schwartz • Liz Shafran • Carol Sliger • Wendi Stern • Patricia Upchurch GENERAL FUND • Jo & Norman Stern in honor of 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah members: Darla Abraham, Debbie Ecker, Shelley Engler, Patti Price and Diane Saks Contributions Con’t. ADULT EDUCATION FUND • Andrea Adkins in honor of the Sanderow family • Alan, Beverly & Phillip Baker and Eleanor Baker in honor of Wendy Klein’s Bat Mitzvah • Rebecca Ann Cornacchia in honor of the 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah class • Chari & Micky Fogel in appreciation of Barb Mindel tutoring their daughter, Leah, for her Bat Mitzvah • Barb & Marc Goldenberg in honor of Cindy Barker’s Bat Mitzvah • Rebecca Kon in honor of Jacqueline Kon’s Bat Mitzvah • Stacy & Howard Levin in honor of the 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah class • Judith Levy in honor of Shelly Igdaloff ’s Bat Mitzvah • Barb Mindel in honor of the 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah class • Libby & Charles Pierce in honor of Patti Price’s Bat Mitzvah • Nathan Render & Tal Bendor, Ben & Adina Kozberg in honor of Shelly Igdaloff ’s Bat Mitzvah • The Romanoff Family in honor of the 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class • Melissa & David Sitter in honor of 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah members: Liz Shafran, Andrea Adkins and Tara Rozen • Marcia Katz Slotnick in honor of Evie Freeman’s Bat Mitzvah RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND • Jodi, Tom, Asher & Andrew Collins in honor of Gisela Weinstein and Lisa Pulsifer for their commitment and dedication as Jewish Educators for children of all abilities Treasurer - Contact Stu Zweben at [email protected] Treasurer’s Report to the Congregation for FY 2013-14 Fiscal year 2013-14, which ended on May 31, 2014, was a very good year financially. We were blessed with membership growth and growth in our religious school enrollment of a nature not seen in many years. Fundraising was also extremely effective during the past year. Our spending was only marginally above budget, in part due to some staff vacancies during part of the year. The result was a $57K surplus relative to budget and a $59K surplus overall. This surplus goes into our Operating Reserve fund. As I noted at the Annual Meeting, for the 2014-15 year our expenses are forecast to increase by over 7 percent. This is due mainly to increased staffing costs, including new contracts for the Rabbi and Director of Education, increased costs of our membership in the URJ, the cost of an external financial review and the increased costs of our use of the new space. Our budget for 2014-15 anticipates only a modest surplus of $2,596. This past year we collected “year 2 pledge monies” from the building campaign. While setting aside sufficient funds to pay for the dedication wall, as of the end of the fiscal year we’ve been able to pay back over 70 percent of the funds that we borrowed for the project from Development and Operating Reserve funds. The rest will be repaid as additional pledge receipts are realized. Finally, this past year we received the proceeds from our merger with Ohev Israel of Newark, OH, as they completed the sale of their building and closed their accounts. These funds now are part of Beth Tikvah’s reserves. The financial figures as of the fiscal year close are shown below. Our financial records are currently undergoing a planned review by an external firm; these numbers do not reflect the result of that review. Thank you for your continued generosity, which has made it possible for Beth Tikvah to be on sound financial footing. FY 2013-14 Operations Budget Actual Revenue$765,994.42* $826,846.37* Expenses $763,723.95 $767,414.02 ---------------------------- Net $ 2,270.47 $ 59,432.35 Fiscal Year Change $60,851.95 ($ 3,690.07) ------------$57,161.88 *Includes ~$6K from operating reserves Fund Balances Fund Category Operating Reserve Fund Capital Campaign Fund Development Fund Other Dedicated Funds Total Cash Assets Beginning Balance June 1, 2013 $129,597.71 $ 0.00 $179,955.79 $124,220.75 -------------- $433,774.25 Ending Balance Fiscal Year May 31, 2014 Change $324,679.32 $195,081.61** $ 8,463.22 $ 8,463.22 $165,318.92 ($14,636.87) $136,912.33 $ 12,691.58 ---------------------------$635,373.79 $201,599.54 **includes additions of $97K from Ohev Israel and $45K repayment of funds borrowed for building project, plus $59K from operating surplus less expense of $6K for 2013-14 operations as noted in previous table. 10 Membership - Contact Debbie King at [email protected] ‘Zip Tag’ success, BT more relational June was a wonderful time for the Membership Committee. We had 4 very successful ‘Zip Tag’ events for ZIP codes 43235, 43017, 43035/43021 combined and 43026/43064 combined. Each “Zip Tag” was very different ranging from a concert to a potluck. All four were great successes because everyone who attended had a great time. To get the ball rolling one family agreed to spearhead the celebration. Then the family found someone to assist and got email addresses from the office. After that they planned a great gathering. All the ZIP code groups are planning other functions hosted by other volunteer families. ZIP codes 43081, 43016, 43220/43221 and 43085 may plan something around Sukkot. If you are in one of the ZIP codes that is getting started in the fall and want to help, contact me. I will get you in touch with the family that is organizing. The four original groups will have something around Sukkot as well, if not before. If you are in any of the “Zip Tag” ZIP codes, watch for information about the next meet-up. Don’t Yard Sale Continued from page 9 Moses out of Egypt. The first night of the sale, seemingly half that number waited in line, some for more than an hour to enter Beth Tikvah convinced that milk and honey awaited them. That promise was fulfilled. By the end of the evening, sales totaled $6,500. When the sale ended at 2 p.m. on Friday, dozens of unsold baskets were put aside for a St. Jude’s fundraiser, the JCC North Preschool had additional toys and furniture, three boxes of beanie babies were stored for the Purim carnival, Jewish-themed youth books were saved for mini-libraries in temple classrooms, office staff had new equipment and furniture, and movers Photo by Suzanne Parr miss out on the fun. If no one has organized a happening for your ZIP code, and you would like to host a get-together, please contact me. I will help you plan the first event and help you get the contact information for the group. The more each of us engages within the Beth Tikvah community the more we will feel part of the community. Throughout the year the Membership Committee will be engaging in other ways to encourage our Beth Tikvah community to become more relational. The Membership Committee is the committee that supports Shishim and the Caring Community. Please contact the office for more information about any of these groups. filled two trucks to capacity with reusable items to support the Goodwill of Columbus mission. The goal of the sale was to raise $10,000, a 20 percent increase from the previous sale. About $11,500 was collected. Miriam Gluck and Marilyn Hallowell are using eBay and consignment store sales to move the final total closer to $12,000. Yard sales are not easy, elegant or effortless. Nevertheless, the Beth Tikvah Yard Sale of Biblical Proportions is a natural for promoting connectivity to one another, the congregation and common ethical values. Thank you for a massive community effort. The 2014 Sale of Biblical Proportions in review demonstrates once again that the members of Beth Tikvah R O C K! 11 Contributions Con’t. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND • Sonia Sniderman Aron & Stewart Aron in honor of Arlene Levy’s Bat Mitzvah • Eve Davis in honor of Evie Freeman’s Bat Mitzvah • Shelley & Philip Engler in memory of Abe Price, father of Sid Price • Phyllis Farbish in honor of Joyce Sabgir’s Bat Mitzvah • Chari, Micky & Leah Fogel in honor of Wendi Stern’s Bat Mitzvah • Alice & Gideon Fraenkel in memory of Gideon’s mother, Rachel Fraenkel • Clemy & Bob Keidan in honor of Shelly Igdaloff ’s Bat Mitzvah • Betty & Michael Klapper in honor of Evie Freeman’s Bat Mitzvah • Joan & Jay Loewenstein in memory of Jay’s mother, Elsie Loewenstein • Nada & Bob Mazurek in memory of Nada’s mother, Eleanor Suna • Shelley & Scott Meyers in memory of Shelley’s parents, Charlotte & Sam Rachlin • Laurie & Anthony Pearson in honor of Wendi Stern’s Bat Mitzvah • Arlene & Jerry Russell in honor of Bonnie & Sylvan Frank’s “special anniversary” • Betsy & Marvin Schwartz in honor of Nancy Schwartz’s Bat Mitzvah • Kentucky Writing Projects Network in appreciation of Rabbi Kellner and the Holocaust Educators meeting held at Beth Tikvah Contributions Con’t. SPECIAL EVENTS & BIMA FLOWERS FUND • Paul Feder in memory of his father, Adolph Feder • Marcey & Rick Forman in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Darla Abraham and Shelley Engler • Suzanne & Dave Parr in honor of the 25 members of the 2014 Adult B’nai Mitzvah class SENIOR PROGRAMMING INITIATIVE FUND • Sue & Matt Ringel in memory of Matt’s mother, Phyllis Ringel • Sandy & Dick Rose in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Joyce Sabgir YOUTH ACTIVITIES FUND • Andrea & Chase Adkins in memory of Gloria Albert, grandmother of Jennifer Sanderow • Dossy & Marty Gelender in honor of Andrea Adkins’ Bat Mitzvah • Marsha & Steve Harris in memory of Steve’s mother, Eve Bolon Harris For more information about Beth Tikvah’s funds please visit our website: www.bethtikvahcolumbus.org The Run with the Rabbi has been postponed until spring. Stay tuned to “News from Beth Tikvah” and the our website for updates. Ritual - Contact Cindy Barker at [email protected] Ritual Committee serves up radical hospitality for all Wow, what a busy summer it has been for the Ritual Committee! We are thankful for many things, primarily because our congregation and committee members come together so well in times of need. Many thanks to our Ritual Committee volunteers for the “radical hospitality” that they provided as greeters for both Adult B’nai Mitzvah events on June 6 and 13. We’d also like to thank Dawn Heyman, Rabbi Gary Huber, and the Beth Tikvah Brotherhood and Sisterhood for the beautiful services that they led while Rabbi Kellner was on vacation. We are also very grateful to the participants and leaders as well as our vocalists and musicians. We were fortunate to host the TriState Holocaust Educators on June 27. Thank you to Rabbi Kellner for leading a beautiful and meaningful service which emphasized the need for Holocaust education, to David Binkovitz for his thoughtful introduction of Jewish ritual tradition, and to Debbie Vinocur for arranging the pre-service dinner. The Committee has also been work- ing to insure that our upcoming High Holy Days experience is one that we can all enjoy. To that end, we have worked closely with the temple staff to resolve seating and parking issues and with the Building Committee to evaluate and implement aesthetically pleasing visual options for the services. We are also reviewing congregant seating and parking guidelines. Our objective is a service experience that is truly wonderful for everyone. The committee will continue its emphasis on the Beth Tikvah “Vision of Prayer” during the coming year, and we will bring back (by popular demand) Saturday morning Shabbat services led by the Ritual Committee. We are also exploring the idea of “Social Sermons” to further involve our community in our services. Stay tuned for more news on all of these worthwhile initiatives. We are also preparing for the Fall 2015 release of Mishkan HaNafesh, our new High Holy Days prayerbook. Our book dedication effort will commence after High Holy Days 2014. FORGIVENESS: An Ethical Imperative At S’lichot Professor Don Hubin of the Philosophy Department at OSU gives us an inside look of our ethical imperative to forgive. S’lichot begins the High Holy Days season with thoughtful learning, introspective prayers for forgiveness and repentance This year we will dedicate our new High Holiday Torah Cover. The evening begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 20 at Beth Tikvah with a delicious dessert reception. 12 Looking for meaning in your life? Discover Judaism’s ancient words of wisdom at Torah study with Rabbi Kellner Saturday mornings 9 - 10 a.m. Check the temple calendar to confirm dates. Give to Beth Tikvah in a way you may not have thought of... Rewards We received $388 last quarter Please remember Beth Tikvah when updating your Kroger Rewards. Our number is 80474. Log on to https://www.kroger.com/ communityrewards to update. Facility Improvement Use the same Amazon you normally do, but Beth Tikvah gets a share of the profit. It’s a fun easy way to give to Beth Tikvah. Visit https://smile.amazon.com and log in to your Amazon account Social Action - Contact Alex Joseph at [email protected] Meet the new Social Action Chair Shalom! My name is Alex Joseph and I am your new Social Action Chair. I grew up in a blended family. My dad was Christian and my mother was Jewish. However, my Jewish identity is from both of my parents because for me Judaism is Social Action. Judaism is the life long struggle to Tikkun Olam: to bring our world closer to that of what God envisioned through our daily choices and practices. This idea became even more poignant when I was blessed with children, and I began to see the world as their inheritance. As a child I grew up all over the world. I did not live in the U.S. until I was 13 years-old. But, I was blessed by being American and all that connotes from birth. My father made sure that we understood how privileged we were as Americans. My mother was a Zionist and drove into us the responsibility of being Jewish. I want my children to understand that they are part of a bigger community. That their choices have consequences and that their community’s choices also have consequences for them. I have seen the poorest of poor. I have seen the wealthiest of wealthy. I have seen ignorance, experienced prejudice and, I hope, I have experienced wisdom. The one thing that has stayed with me is that we are not alone in this world. I believe that to be more true today than before. Our local actions have global impact. Fund of the month: I am no longer a child of the world. I am a Californian, but my children only know Ohio. I am still trying to find out what part of me is Jewish, while raising a Jewish household. I belong to the Beth Tikvah family. I believe that only together we can be strong and make a difference. I am hopeful that as a community under the guidance of our Rabbi and under the power of our effort and time we can make changes to our Jewish and local community for the better. We need to discover what is important to us as a community and as a whole, and focus our energies on making a difference in those issues. I think it is a beginning. I think beginnings are awesome, they are filled with potential and hope. I hope that my beginning as your Social Action Chair leads us to working together to making small differences that have ripples to bigger changes. Our Temple is blessed with so many people involved in so many committees striving to give and make changes for the good. I want to focus our energies, I want to make us efficient, and I want us to collaborate. I want to discover what is important to us as a community, who we are as Jews, and who we are as a community. I need your help, your want, your energy. Please join me. Let me know your interests, reach out to me at [email protected]. Thank you. 13 Thank you to our phone volunteers: • Roberta Havel • Madeline Karn • Stacy Levin • Debbie Walter • Rose Luttinger • Susan Pomerantz • Lois Winnick-Chapman • Joyce Sabgir • Stacy Levin • Jackie Kon In Loving Memory: • Elliot Boxerbaum member and husband of member Debbie Boxerbaum • Gloria Albert grandmother of member Jennifer Sanderow • Sylvia Cotzin grandmother of member Debra Kellner. Women’s Torah study with Morissa Freiberg First Monday of every month from noon - 1 p.m. The class focuses on the role of women in the Torah. New learners are always welcome, no prior knowledge is necessary! Join the Religious School Committee The Religious School Committee will begin meeting again as the new school year kicks off. We are open to anyone interested in having a voice regarding the education of our youth here at Beth Tikvah. If you are interested in joining, or learning more, please contact Wendi Stern, [email protected]. Sisterhood - Contact Ilissa Eiferman at [email protected] Brotherhood 2nd Annual Father/Child event at Camp Hoover Saturday, Oct. 11 (There’s no OSU game!) Zip Line, Archery, Fishing, Canoeing, Dinner, Havdalah, S’mores and more. More information coming soon, keep an eye out for it! Save the date and join Sisterhood Women of Beth Tikvah if you have not already joined Sisterhood, now is the time to join! Membership papers were included with your Beth Tikvah membership packet or you may contact Ilissa Eiferman at [email protected] with any questions. We would love to have you! August’s SWEET dinner is Aug. 27 at El Vaquero on Sancus Blvd. Please be on the lookout for the evite. SAVE THE DATE!!! The Sisterhood Schmooze (formerly know as the Paid Up Brunch!) is Sunday, Sept. 21. This Mitzvah Craft - Contact Judy Weisberg at judy.weisberg.7@gmail. Mitzvah Craft Group makes a difference Mitzvah Craft is a group that meets once a month (fourth Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at BT) to share social time while doing mitzvot. We are more about mitzvot than craft. This year we are going to collect $5 a person at each meeting to purchase supplies. We’ve create our own fund line at BT, so anyone who wants to financially assist us Welcome Back Shabbat Alive! Oct. 22 is a great chance to meet other women of Beth Tikvah and learn about Sisterhood. Our membership chair, Cara Cloyd, has graciously offered to host this in her home and we are looking forward to it. This is always a lovely event. Look forward to seeing you there! Finally, Sisterhood would like to thank Michelle Waltman for her leadership as president and getting this year off to a great start. The new Sisterhood President is Ilissa Eiferman. We look forward to continuing a great year!! Join us to welcome back Shabbat Alive on Aug. 15 at 7:15 p.m. The Oneg will be make-your-own cupcakes and S’mores. 14 can send a check to the office. This year we plan to make: 1. Education: Preschool packets for Como and Hamilton elementary schools (40 bags) – Make alphabet books, gather supplies, make cardboard shapes for building letters, make cardboard dominoes 2. Education: Repair books that have been collected for distribution to Como and Hamilton and make book marks to hand out with the free books 3.Education: Make weighted lap pads for children with ADHD. 4.Education: Make story bags for grades K-1 at Como and Hamilton. 5.Troops: Bake cookies for USO at the airport and make valentines for vets, survival bracelets, sand masks and cooling neckties 6. Health: Write encouraging notes for breast cancer patients, and make lap blankets for dialysis patients 7. Health: Knit/crochet hats for preemies, assemble and decorate door kits for Children’s Hospital, possibly make blankets, pillows and picture frames for Children’s Hospital 8.Homeless: Knit/crochet plastic bag mats for homeless/refugees 9.Support for Temple: Make Tu BiSh’vat seder plates (six) for temple seder 10. Elderly: make pictures for nursing homes August / Av / Elul Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Read with Beth Tikvah Sunday Morning Book Group: The Installation will be incorporated into the Shabbat Evening Services. Sunday Evening Study Group: Sept. 21- Beginning of “My Promised Land” by Ari Shavit Sisterhood Book Club: Aug. 12 - Book Selection Meeting Contact the office for more information 4 5 6 Noon Women’s Torah Study 7 6 p.m. Sisterhood Board Meeting 7:30 p.m. Executive Board Meeting 10 11 9 a.m. Brotherhood Meeting @Panera 17 18 9 a.m. Sunday Morning Book Group Meeting @Panera in Clintonville 8:30 a.m. Comm. Teachers’ Orientation at Temple Israel 2 p.m. New and Prospective Member Ice Cream Social 12 13 10 a.m. Shishim Planning Meeting noon Green Team Planning Meeting Noon Sisterhood Book Club 7 p.m. Green Team Planning Meeting 19 20 14 7:30 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting 8 9 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Services Celebrating Board Installation Shabbat 9 a.m. Torah Study Group 15 7:15 p.m. Welcome Back Shabbat Alive 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service Celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Noah SpauldingSchecter 16 9 a.m. Torah Study Group 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service Celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Gabriella Stern 21 22 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Services 7:30 p.m. Jewish Spirituality Group 23 9 a.m. Torah Study Group 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service Celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Ethan Mayerson 25 24 2 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Services Aug. 8, at 7:15 p.m. Aug. 17 - “The Story Teller” by Jodi Picoult 3 Saturday 1 Join us to honor our leaders at the Board Installation Beth Tikvah has three fabulous book groups: Join them at their next meeting! 9:30 a.m. Board Retreat Friday 26 27 12:30 p.m. Mitzvah Craft Group 6:30 p.m. Sisterhood SWEET dinner 31 15 28 29 7:15 p.m. Shabbat Evening Services 30 9 a.m. Torah Study Group 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service Celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Lauren Lemmon Rabbi Rick Kellner [email protected] After-hours call: (614) 407-4354 Rabbi Emeritus Gary Huber [email protected] Temple Administrator Debbie Vinocur [email protected] Director of Education Morissa Freiberg [email protected] Congregation Beth Tikvah 2014-15 Board of Trustees Andy Shafran, President [email protected]; (614) 430-3164 Ernie Mandell, 1st Vice President [email protected]; (614) 451 6768 Tara Rozen, 2nd Vice President [email protected]; (614) 792-1151 Darla Abraham, Secretary [email protected]; (614) 888-1790 Stu Zweben, Treasurer [email protected]; (614) 764-9845 Patti Price, Past President [email protected]; (614) 738-9304 ADULT EDUCATION – Sharon Chelnick [email protected]; (614) 2469190 BROTHERHOOD – Adam Winter [email protected]; (614) 2730153 BUILDING – Joshua Reinicke [email protected]; (614) 263-7724 FINANCE/ENDOWMENT – Lewis Sanderow [email protected]; (740) 548-0749 FUNDRAISING – Dora Sterling [email protected]; (614) 771-0824 MEMBERSHIP – Debbie King [email protected]; (740) 548-7715 NEW MEMBER CONNECTIONS — Jen Withee [email protected]; (614) 846-9327 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL – Wendi Stern [email protected]; (614) 777-4205 RITUAL – Cindy Barker [email protected]; (614) 793-0864 SISTERHOOD – Ilissa Eiferman [email protected]; (614) 553-7193 SOCIAL ACTION — Alex Nielson-Joseph [email protected]; (614) 553-7658 YOUTH ACTIVITIES – Andrea Adkins [email protected]; (614) 789-0684 TRUSTEE AT-LARGE – Michael Schecter [email protected]; (614) 841-9493 TRUSTEE AT-LARGE – Judy Weisberg [email protected]; (614) 431-9545 SUPPORT STAFF Ben Azriel - Finance Assistant [email protected] Rachel Levin– Communications Coordinator [email protected] Joanne Notowidigdo—Receptionist [email protected] Rachel Shaw— Education Assistant [email protected] Tikvah Topics is published eleven times a year as the monthly bulletin of: Congregation Beth Tikvah Congregation Beth Tikvah 6121 Olentangy River Road Worthington, OH 43085 Non-Profit Org. 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