May 2014 Newsletter - Temple Emanu-El

THE SCRIBE
Temple Emanu -El
Rabbi’s Message
‫עמנמאמ מ מ מ‬
Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith
May 2014
Iyar-Sivan 5774
Inside this issue:
President’s Message
2
BFJCS
4
Sisterhood
5
Hadassah
6
Yom HaAztmaut
8
Religious School
10
Calendar
17
Last month I spent three
days in Chicago at the conference for the Central
Conference of American
Rabbis (CCAR) of which I
am a member. I attended
two sessions with other rabbis of small congregations
and found the sessions both
affirming and helpful. In
the grand scheme of things,
Temple Emanu-el is doing
very well! One question we
were asked is why we
choose to be rabbis in
small, and for some of us,
including me, remote congregations where there are
few Jews and no congregations nearby for support. It
is a valid question. We
small congregation rabbis
lead services every week,
teach adult education, and
religious school and perform every life cycle event
that happens without
much, if any paid staff. We
are incredibly busy and
need have a large variety of
skills, most of which are not
taught in rabbinical school.
Because we serve small communities, our salaries are
lower than colleagues who
serve larger congregations.
But none of us want to
move to a larger congregation because all of us value
the community that is fostered in a small congregation. I have a connection to
every family in the congregation, and you to me. When
I get the “God-forbid”
phone calls in the middle of
the night, I know who I am
talking to, and know who
their families are.
What I never expected was
to be on the receiving end
of that connection. While
Rob and I were in Chicago,
Rob’s brother, Richard suffered a massive heart attack.
Congregants immediately
went into action, staying
with Rich and reaching out
to Leah, Rob and Rich’s
mom who is living in Extendicare. While Rob and I
were on route home, even
while he was undergoing
surgery, Rich was never
alone. After his surgery, congregants have brought Rich
meals, visited with him, and
helped out in innumerable
ways as he slowly recovers.
And this was all done without a call to a Caring Committee which in larger congregations is responsible
for coordinating help for
those in their time of need.
We don’t need a Caring
Committee because we are
a Caring Community.
Rob, Rich, Leah and I
thank all of you from the
bottom of our hearts for
help your help and caring
during this difficult time
for our family. Your caring
and support are what
makes this congregation so
special.
May 2014
Page 2
Dr. Todd Anderson
Greetings congregation,
Passover has gone by and spring has sprung.. I like a hot temperature during part of the year, and I’m guessing although we have evaded the heat so far this year I will soon get my wish. Time passes us quickly; now is a great time
to stop and smell the roses ( because most of the heirloom varieties are blooming of course).
Anyway, by now almost everyone has heard of Brad Lichtenstein and 371 Productions. Brad is a documentary film
producer. A film entitled So goes Janesville is one among others he produced that may be familiar to you. He is
also Jewish, from Atlanta, married, lives in Milwaukee, and is on the board of a Synagogue. Currently he is
working on a documentary film about small congregations that are folding up around the country. He would like to
contrast these congregations that have a pattern of dwindling membership and closure with ours that appears to
have this particular problem at bay for now. Brad found out about us through the work of the Blumberg Jewish
Family Services.
Many of you were exposed to the production by surprise and filmed with no knowledge of the production. To some
this was not a big deal; to others this caused much angst. Either way this filming occurred at our Temple without
congregational knowledge or any official approval. To that end I take full responsibility, and I apologize for the
error.
The error has been rectified. Brad Lichtenstein gave a presentation about his work and how he sees Temple EmanuEl fitting into his production to all the board members at our last board meeting..
My initial understanding of the production, derived from a description of the story provided by Megan Johnson an
associate producer at 371 Productions, suggested that our part of the story centered around the trials facing a recruited family moving to our part of the world to live and worship, and the difficulties Jews face living and worshiping in the deep South. By nature of the story and its focus, Temple Emanu-El was included in the story as well.
Brad’s presentation described the film’s story being in flux due to the creative process and that exposure to our congregation perhaps provided a new focus for Temple Emanu-El’s inclusion in the film. Brad expressed an interest
in sharing the story of the survival of Temple Emanu-El through the decades with the recruitment process playing a
role in the survival and recent invigoration of our congregation. Sharing your personal stories about the Temple
may ultimately guide the creative process in a new and exciting direction.
An entire film could be created highlighting the plethora of interesting stories that are the history of Temple
Emanu-El. From the Temple’s inception through today, the stories that are the lives of the congregants inspire,
The Scribe
Page 3
amaze, confound, and surprise as well as bring laughter, and tears to those who hear them. I encourage each of
you, whether an old-timer, a newcomer, or something in between, to share your history of being a Jew in the
deep South and a member of Temple Emanu-El with 371 Productions. This history is priceless and a testimony
to the quality of the people who built and maintained a Jewish presence in our community; in my opinion sharing this history would be a mitzvah.
Ultimately it is your right to decline to participate in the 371 production. Although I hope everyone will be willing to share your stories feel free to decline to do so; please politely ask the crew to not film you or to respect
your privacy if you are uncomfortable in any way. I look forward to seeing our Temple as a shining example of
fortitude and perseverance to the others in all walks of life.
On a more somber note, as we see the specter of antisemitism raise its ugly head at home and abroad, remember
those intimately affected by the violence and hatred and be constantly aware of your surroundings.
May peace find us all humanity,
Todd E. Anderson, DVM
371 Productions Filming in Dothan
371 Productions is an independent, very accomplished, documentary film-making company that
visited us recently in connection to a film they are making about the experiences of small Jewish
communities across the U.S. They have produced award winning documentary films on a variety
of subjects including Janesville, WI after the GM plant left the town, and a documentary entitled
Almost Home which looked at assisted living in its various forms.
Brad Lichtenstein, one of the producers, came and spoke to our board because they would like
to do some filming at Temple Emanu-el. We learned more about the project and about Brad,
who grew up in a conservative Jewish community in nearby Atlanta. 371 has already been filming
with some of the people in our community, mostly following a family involved in the relocation
program. But they are keen to widen their focus and discover more about us, our culture and our
history. The board voted to let the company go ahead with the filming which will occur over the
next 15 months. They will be interviewing a number of people in community over the course of
the project and will also be filming several Temple Emanu-el community events. No one who is
filmed will be included in the movie without their permission. Brad encourages you to visit
371’s web-site is http://371productions.com/ and contact him or his associate producer, Morgan Johnson, if you wish to discuss the project. ([email protected], [email protected]).
Family number seven - Steven and Mel of Schenectady, NY will be moving to Dothan during the late
spring/early summer.
Family number eight – Melvyn and Lisa of Hollywood, FL have some personal circumstances that will
delay their moving to Dothan until late summer.
Family number nine – Terence, Karen, and Emily Arenson moved to Dothan April 1. They are now
Temple members, have enrolled Emily in Religious School, and quickly volunteered for several congregational roles.
Family number ten – Kevin, Dirce and Sylvia are visiting Dothan during late April for the last step in the
JCS vetting process.
We are currently working with three families in our pipeline:
Brent, Jessica and their four children live in Florida
Jacob and Stephanie live in Colorado
Aaron, Elena and their two children live in Iowa
Rob Goldsmith
We look forward to leading production of the congregation’s annual end of
the year picnc, scheduled for 12 noon on Sunday May 18th
May 2014
Page 5
Sisterhood News
by Barbara Minksy
Sisterhood Dutch Luncheon
Ladies, It’s time to make your reservations for our end of year
luncheon.
Who: All Sisterhood members and any lady wising to attend
What: Annual Dutch Luncheon
Where: Dothan Country Club
When: Thursday, May 8th at noon
Cost: $19.06
If not a Country Club member, please make check payable to
Kay Podem. Reservations must be made to Kay by Friday,
We are planning for our annual Temple ASF Theater outing this July.
This year we are planning on seeing Mary Poppins on Sunday afternoon
on July 20.
Tickets are $40 each, and we need your reservation by May 20th.
Please call Tammy at the Temple office to make your reservations.
Make your checks out to Barbara Minsky.
If you have any questions, please contact Barbara Minsky.
It should be a FUN day!
The Scribe
Page 6
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Convention 2014 co-chairs
May 2014
According to the Torah (Lev.
23:15), we are obligated to count
the days from Passover to
Shavu'ot. This period is known as
the Counting of the Omer. An
omer is a unit of measure of
grain. The counting is intended
to remind us of the link between
Passover, which commemorates
the Exodus, and Shavu'ot, which
commemorates the giving of the
Torah. It reminds us that the redemption from slavery was not
complete until we received the
Torah. This period is a time of
partial mourning, during which
weddings, parties, and dinners
with dancing are not conducted,
Page 7
in memory of a plague during
the lifetime of Rabbi Akiba.
Haircuts and shaving during this
time are also forbidden among
observant Jews. The 33rd day of
the Omer (the eighteenth of
Iyar, which is May 18th in 2014)
is a minor holiday commemorating a break in the plague during
Rabbi Akiva’s time. The holiday
is known as Lag B'Omer. The
mourning practices of the omer
period are lifted on that date,
and for that reason, some Jews
choose to get married that day.
The word "Lag" is not really a
word; it is the number 33 in
Hebrew, as if you were to call
the Fourth of July " IV July" (IV
being 4 in Roman numerals).
Like the 4th of July, Israelis
celebrate Lag B’Omer with bonfires and outdoor picnics.
Printer Cartridges
Just a reminder that we are always collecting empty
printer cartridges. We receive a credit from Office
Max for each cartridge turned in, which we in turn
use when we are purchasing office supplies. In the
past, we have saved several hundred dollars in office
supplies using the credits we obtained by turning in
these cartridges. This is really a double mitzvah.
Not only do you help the temple’s budget, but the
cartridges are recycled, so you are also helping the
environment.
The Scribe
Page 8
By Jean Cooper
A few months ago, I reviewed
one of the Harry Kemelman
"Rabbi" mysteries. At that time
I promised to add the books in
that series that are missing from
the temple library.
I finally made good on that
promise, and now we have the
whole Saturday thru Friday set.
Rabbi David Small is the central
character in the series, and he
helps the local police solve
crimes by bringing an "outside
the box" Talmudic approach to
analyzing the clues.
These stories are a few decades
old, but still hold up. The mysteries are complex, and there is
much Jewish tradition woven
into the stories.
For those of you who can't get
enough of these stories, I discovered that there are even
more that carry on after the
"days of the week" in the first
batch. There are several on the
Amazon used book section, if
you are interested in some good
vacation reading.
Do you receive the print edition of Southern Jewish Life Magazine?
If you're not on the mailing list, let us know. The print magazine is free to
all Jewish households in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and NW Florida. For all
others, there is a modest subscription charge. Email Larry Brook at sub-
[email protected] your info and he will begin to send your household the print
edition for free or go to there website to subscribe.
Yom HaAztmaut
Yom Ha’Atzmaut will be celebrated this year on Tuesday
May 6th. It corresponds to the
Hebrew date, the fifth of Iyar
which was the date in 1948
when the country of Israel
established its independence.
Israelis celebrate with parades,
speeches and they spend the
day outdoors enjoying the
scenery and weather in the
land. In the US, Jews empha-
size their solidarity with the state of
Israel in a variety of ceremonies.
Many communities have Israeli festivals complete with foods found in
Israel. The Jewish Federation in
Montgomery is celebrating Yom
Ha’Atzmaut on May 4th beginning at
3:00 with food, games and Israeli
dancing. If you wish to attend, or
need more information, please contact Rabbi Lynne
May 2014
Page 9
Question: Why in the 21st century does the
sofer (the rabbi who writes or repairs Torah
scrolls) use a feather quill to form the letters?
Answer: The sofer uses the feather of a kosher bird to form a quill for his writing. The
reason for this is that a steel pen or any other
metal object may not be used because iron
and any derivative of iron are considered symbols of war. That would be antithetical to the
message of the Torah or any religious document invoking the name of God.
The next meeting of the book
club will be May 17th beginning
at 7:00 at the home of Rob and
Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith. The
book we will be discussing is A
Town of Empty Rooms by Karen
Bender. A Town of Empty
Rooms presents the story of
Serena and Dan Shine, estranged from one another as
they separately grieve over the
recent loss of Serena’s father
and Dan’s older brother. Serena’s actions cause the couple
and their two small children to
be banished from New York
City, and they settle in the only
town that will offer Dan employment: Waring, North Carolina. There they make a new
life in the middle of the Bible
Belt where their son is the only
Jew in his school. Sound familiar? It is a fascinating book
with many themes for discussion.
May 2014
Page 10
Religious School News
Since I last wrote we have had
a wonderful Chocolate Seder.
Thanks go our to Karen Arenson for all your help setting up
the plates for they children
while we were in class. The
children so were well behaved
and enjoyed wearing the
plague masks and of course all
the chocolate foods.
Our last teaching class will be
May 4th and we will take
Mother’s Day off. Please come
out and join us for the yearend event on May 18th where
we will hold award ceremony
for the Religious School children and then enjoy a lovely
picnic lunch put on by the
Brotherhood.
As our Religious School year is
winding down to a close there
are a few people to thank for
helping make it another successful year. I would like to
thank our parents for sharing
by Angela Banker
their children with us this year.
They were a delight to spend
our Sunday mornings with. I
would like to thank the Rabbi
for her leadership and teaching.
It is an honor for me to work
side by side with her planning
and leading our Religious
School. I also want to thank
Lisa Priddle and Justin Palmer
for offering to join us as teachers this year. Lisa your class fed
us snack twice and you have
worked with Mr. Jake bringing
in more music to the program.
Thank you Ms. Lisa and Mr.
Jake too. Justin you did a great
job teaching Hebrew to the
Alef class. They all learned the
colors and your Gimmel class
has done well this year. The
substitute teachers this year
have willingly helped out sometimes on short notice. A big
thank you goes out to our substitute teachers Mathew Banker, Karen Nanning and Stepha-
Congregational End of Religious School
This year has flown! We will be celebrating the end of the year for our
Religious School students on Sunday,
May 18th. We will begin with a rewards ceremony in the sanctuary at
11:00 followed by a picnic. Brotherhood will be providing hotdogs, chips,
drinks and cookies. There is no
charge for the picnic, but there will be
a basket for donations for those
who wish to donate toward the
cost of the ISJL curriculum. See
flyer in the bulletin.
nie Butler. Thank you Temple
Emanu-el Congregation and all
of you mentioned above for
your support and the roles you
had in making this year successful.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar and come enjoy the yearend awards program and congregational picnic on May 18th.
It should be a fun time for all!
Until next time l’hitraot chaverim!
Temple Congregation
Picnic
Sunday, May 18th at Noon
Everyone is invited to have Hot Dogs
Please RSVP to
[email protected]
Or call 714-4879
Page 13
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The Scribe
Concerning Our Congregants
Mazel Tov (Congratulations!) To:
Kevin Butler General Manager of the Hampton Inn and Suites in Dothan. The Dothan
Hampton Inn and Suites was named LBA (Larry Blumberg and Associates) hotel of the
year.
Abbey Lewis who was awarded Freshman President’s Award for the College of Human Environmental Sciences because she has a 3.8 GPA.
Daniel Bauman who received the Beta Alpha Psi 2013 Outstanding Officer Award.
Samaria Holland for being pinned on April 24th for completing her studies in Respiratory
Therapy.
Todah Rabah (thank you) To:
Lisa Carroll and Les Kraut for covering in the office while Tammy was on vacation
Lynne Tures who covered for Lisa Carroll who was covering for Tammy on very short notice when Lisa had an emergency.
Refuah Sh’leimah to:
Charlie Gamarsky
Richard Goldsmith
Frieda Katz
Asa Anderson
May 2014
Page 15
Contributions
Donations from thoughtful people who make it possible for us to carry out our work for Jews & Judaism
General Fund
Building Fund
In memory of Priscilla Levine
Yahrzeit for Sylvia Gross Cutler
In memory of Don Koch
Yahrzeit for Bessie Sinofsky Gross
Kevin & Stephanie Butler
Congratulations to Susan & Richard Blumbeg on
their anniversary
Yahrzeit for Herbert Maddox
Yahrzeit for John Louis Sponza
Gary & JoAnn Maddox
Yahrzeit for M.Polis
Yahrzeit for B. Schaffer
Joel Schaffer
Wishing good health & recovery to Frieda Katz
Wishing good health & recovery to Richard Goldsmith
Condolences to the family of Mark Lewis
Congratulations to Racine & Leonard Cutler on the
birth of their Great Granddaughter, Dani Bryn
Shore
Congratulations to Drs. Charles & Beverely Cutler
on the birth of their Granddaughter, Dani Bryn
Shore
Harold & Helon Cutler
Continued good health to Asa Anderson
Leon & Barbara Minsky
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
In memory of Elaine Wynne
In honor of Rabbi Lynne & Temple Emanu-El
David & Margot Wynne
WM & Alice Todd
With sincere appreciation to Lisa Carroll and Barbara
and Les Kraut for helping out in the office
Tammy Denhart
Wishing a good recovery & health to Richard Goldsmith
Gary & JoAnn Maddox
In memory of Hy Wakstein
Jimmy & Lisa Nomberg Todd
(accidentally omitted from August 2013 bulletin)
Yahrzeits
May the beauty of their lives shine forever, and may we always bring honor to their memories
May 2
May 16
David Speilberger
Kay Becker
Elihu Davis
Daniel Blumenfeld
Theresa Gannon
Sara Goldstein Blumberg
Joseph Thefton Schreiber
Gustav Dobbie
Harry Shulman
Karen Nomberg
Helen Rubin
Marcia Katz Young
Max Berman
Pearl Chapman Wexler
Elaine Berman Wynne
Sylvia Gross Cutler
May 23
Ida Itzkow
Charlie Robinowich
May 9
Douglas Morris Blumberg
Jennie Bieber
Eileen Rosichan
Arnold Klazky
Philip Robinowich
Terese Blumberg Rosen
Abe Schreiber
Samuel Swartz
Fannie Goldstein
Max Bashuk
Abraham Marvin Cutler
May 30
Lena Rebinovich
Edna Williams
Joel Baring
Katie Curry Cherry
Chesser Reynolds
James Gannon
May 2014
Sun
4
Mon
5
Tue
6
10:00 Religious School
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
2
3
Deli
Day!!
7:00 Shabbat Services
10:00 Shabbat Services/
Torah Study
7
8
9
10
5:00 Hebrew
12:00 Dutch
Luncheon
6:30 Kabbalat Shabbat
No
classes
7:00 Shabbat
Services
11
12
13
No religious
school
18
14
15
5:00 Hebrew
7:00 Board
Meeting
19
20
10:30
21
22
5:00 Hebrew
16
17
7:00 Shabbat
Services
10:30 Torah
Study
23
24
Simchat
Shabbat
No
classes
7:00 Shabbat
Services
25
26
27
Sat
28
29
30
31
7:00 Shabbat
Services
10:30 Torah
Study
Bowling League News
Over 20 members of our congregation formed a bowling league
named the Mitzvah League which
meets monthly. Our first session
of league play is almost over. We
will be bowling beginning at 5:00
on May 3rd. On May 4th we will be
holding our end of season banquet
beginning at 3:00 at Leon and Bar-
bara Minsky’s home. Chicken
and beans will be provided;
please bring a beverage and a side
dish to share. The league has
been a whole lot of fun, and will
continue. If you wish to join in
the fun, please contact Kenny or
Lisa Priddle
Have you ever wanted to learn to
play Mah Jongg? Lisa Carter
who will be living in Dothan
over the next few months, and
has met many of us at services,
has offered to teach us to play.
Please call her at 406-370-1076 if
you are interested. Also, if you
have a card table, let her know
that as well. We hope to get a
Mah Jongg group started when a
critical number of people learn
how to play.
5/1 Anna Schmidtke
5/5 Sommers Schmidtke
5/14 Lenard Carroll
5/19 Richard Goldsmith
5/20 Abbey Lewis
5/22 Eliannah Anderson
5/22 Geoffrey Ingalls
5/24 Harold Cutler
5/4 Bob & Jane Barber
5/12 Todd & Lorna Anderson
5/16 Gifford & Lynne Tures
5/25 Alex & Lori Eisen
T EMPLE E MANU -E L
‫עמנמאממ מ מ‬
Temple Emanu-El
188 N. Park Ave.
Dothan, AL 36303
Phone/Fax: 334-792-5001
334-792-5001
[email protected]
www.dothansynagogue.org
Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith
President
Dr. Todd Anderson
Vice President
Deborah Beck
Treasurer
Dr. Barbara Minsky
Secretary
Jarrod Blumberg
Board of Trustees
Angela Banker
Bob Barber
Richard Blumberg
Rob Goldsmith
Susan S. Blumberg
Roberta Marblestone
Thelma Nomberg
Kenny Priddle
Brian Seidman
Laura Blumberg