November 2013 - Congregation Har Shalom

Transcription

50
th Anniversary
November 2013
Tablet
The
Volume 50, Issue 4
Heshvan/Kislev 5774
Welcome Dr. Alan Cooper Schedule of Events:
for a Weekend of Learning! Friday, December 6
December 6-8, 2013
The annual Morris and Lillian
Cahan Memorial Scholarin-Residence Weekend will
feature noted scholar Dr. Alan
Cooper. His topics will include
Biblical Purity and Jewish
Views of Children. He will also
provide special professional
development training for our
Har Shalom Teachers.
Dr. Cooper is the Elaine Ravich
Professor of Jewish Studies
and Provost of The Jewish
Theological Seminary (JTS). He joined the JTS faculty in 1997
as Professor of Bible and has served as Chair of the Bible
Department and as Director of Publications at JTS. In 1998,
he was appointed Professor of Bible at the Union Theological
Seminary, a nondenominational Christian seminary, becoming
the first person to hold professorships at both JTS and Union.
He previously was a Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union
College - Jewish Institute of Religion. He also taught Religious
Studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Kabbalat Shabbat at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner at 7:15 pm
Dr. Cooper will be speaking after dinner.
Topic - “What Is Biblical “Purity”? How Do Rituals of Purification
Work?”
Registration is required for dinner: Cost: $21/Adult and
$12/child with a $65 family maximum.
Registration
coming soon to the Har Shalom website. Questions? Call
301-299-7087, ext. 228 or e-mail adulteducation@
harshalom.org.
Shabbat, December 7
D’var Torah during Shabbat morning services
Q & A Session after the Kiddush lunch
Lecture following Havdalah, exact time TBD
Topic - “Blank Slates and Little Demons: Two Jewish Views
of Children.” Most early Jewish authorities regard small
children as blank slates, trainable by habituation. Partly as
a result of contact with Christian views about human nature,
an alternative view develops, according to which children are
more like little demons, bundles of evil impulses that must be
controlled through strict discipline. This later notion persists
to the present day in some Jewish communities.
Sunday, December 8
Dr. Cooper will be leading a professional development session
Dr. Cooper obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies
for the Har Shalom faculty.
at Columbia University, and earned a Master of Philosophy
and a Doctorate in Religious Studies from Yale University.
Dr. Cooper lives in South Orange, New Jersey, with his wife,
Dr. Tamar Frank. They have two children.
Featured Stories:
November Congregation Shabbat Dinner,
Friday, November 8. Page 12
Hakarat Ha’Tov - “Recognizing the Good”. Page 10
Har Shalom Players Announce Wizard of Oz cast
Page 14
L’dor V’dor Family Celebration. Page 12
Har Shalom Family Shabbaton. Page 31
USCJ Celebrates Centennial. Page 15
Ga-ga for Gaga! Page 21
www.harshalom.org • 301-299-7087
Beineinu: Between Us
Rabbi Adam J. Raskin
• 301-299-7087, ext. 1 | [email protected]
From the Rabbi
Every so often, a wide-eyed bar or
bat mitzvah student comes into my
office and asks, “Do all those books
belong to you?” They do indeed...
I love books, especially Jewish books. The first important Jewish book I ever
owned was my great-grandfather’s
Hertz Humash. It is covered in a lightblue, crocheted cover (made by my
great-grandmother), with his initials
“NR” embroidered in gold. After he
died at 101 years old, I was given the
Rabbi
gift of his Humash, which he used
Adam J. Raskin
each week for study at his Baltimore
synagogue. I treasure this book, and when I read from it, a
mystical connection is established between him and me. In biblical Hebrew, the word “d’vir” meant the Holy of Holiesthe inner sanctum of the Temple in Jerusalem, where only
the High Priest was permitted to enter but once a year. In
rabbinic Judaism, that same word took on a new meaning: “Book.” It was as if a conscious transfer of sacredness from
shrine to text took place following the Temple’s destruction. And what a wise, strategic move that was... The book is
portable, and while Jews could never transport sanctuaries
from one land to another, they could surely bring along (and
reproduce) their sacred text. Perhaps that is the secret of our
survival. As long as a parent could teach a child the aleph
bet, or study the stories of the Torah, or pass on the wisdom
of the rabbis, Judaism was guaranteed to survive.
Recently, while greeting Religious School kids in the carpool
line, a parent asked me a great question: What do I think are
the essential books that a Jew should have in a home library? What makes this question especially interesting -- and difficult
to answer -- is that in the age of the internet, when so much
is accessible on line, what physical books does one need
to own? Reflecting on my great-grandfather’s Humash, and
how much of a repository of memory and nostalgia that book
is for me, I continue to believe that some of our tradition’s
wisdom should still be located in the good old fashioned
book. That’s not to downplay the incredible resource of
the internet or to make light of the collections available on
CD-ROM (like the entire Encyclopedia Judaica or other
classic Jewish texts)... but not every book is available on-line,
and the keyboard doesn’t really approximate the experience
of holding a book and turning a page (not to mention that if
you wish to study on Shabbat but avoid electronic gadgetry,
you need a real book!).
So here is the beginning of an answer to my thoughtful
questioner...
1. Every Jewish home should have a Siddur. And if
you are in the market, I advise you to purchase one
with commentary and explanatory notes, like the Or
Hadash commentary to the Siddur we use at Har
Shalom. The prayer experience is infinitely enriched
when you appreciate the authorship, context,
history, and intent of the prayers. I also love Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks’ Koren-Sacks Siddur for its notes
and comments.
2. A Jewish Bible is critical to any home library. I
happen to love the Jewish Study Bible, by Oxford. It is an extensive, English language commentary on
all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible. Its only flaw is
that it is completely in English. Therefore you might
want to have a JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh as well
(it even comes in pocket-size editions!). The Etz
Hayim Humash is also a text that is full of fascinating
commentary, terrific essays, colorful maps, and
From The Rabbi | Continued on Page 9
Emergency Contact Information
In case of illness, death, or any other
family emergency, please contact
Rabbi Raskin at 240-687-7218.
The Tablet | Newsletter for Congregation Har Shalom
Rabbi
Adam J. Raskin
Early Childhood Director
Brenda Footer
Founding Rabbi
Morris Gordon, z”l
Treasurer
Michael Baron
Hazzan
Henrique Ozur Bass
Youth Director
Julie Ashin
President
Cindy Fishman
Financial Secretary
David Silver
Executive Director
Gary D. Simms
Rabbi Emeritus
Leonard S. Cahan
Secretary
Mikki Ashin
Director of Congregational Learning
Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen
Cantor Emeritus
Calvin K. Chizever
Vice Presidents
Wes Kaplow
Bernie Lubran
Miriam Mishkin
Jeff Rubin
Robert Shapiro
Ombudsman
Sorell Schwartz
Notes from the Hazzan
Hazzan Henrique Ozur Bass • 301-299-7087, ext. 227 | [email protected]
From The Hazzan
Last month I wrote to you about
God hearing our prayers. I want
to continue this conversation by
analyzing what is “prayer.”
The etymology of the English word
“prayer” comes from the Latin
“precarious,’’ meaning to obtain by
request. The concept of petitioning
a more powerful being has deep
roots, not only in language, but also
in history and in spirit. It develops,
spontaneously, in the bleachers of a
Hazzan
baseball diamond, when the lottery
Henrique Ozur Bass
jackpot accumulates, when atheists
are in a fox hole, as well as from the mouths of Adam and
Eve.
In Judaism, prayer is usually associated with the offerings
humans brought to God: the ritual commonly translated
as “sacrifice.” Sacrifices, however, undergo a deep
transformation when they become Jewish. Whereas the
goal of early sacrifice was to give something dear in order
to entreat the Divine’s protection or favor, Jewish offerings
are not bribes. The word the Torah mostly uses for sacrifices
is korban, which has the same root as the word karov, near.
The offerings are a way for us to approach the Holy One,
for us to form a relationship with the Divine. Another word
which we find in the Torah associated with the sacrificial rites
is minha. Minha means offering, or a gift. If our services are
a direct descendant of the sacrifices, our prayers must be
a way of giving of ourselves to God’s service, a way to get
close to Our Maker.
There are two types of prayer in Judaism: there is the fixed,
scripted prayer of the services, and there is the prayer which
is a reflection of the moment, spontaneous. Both of them
are welcome. Scripted prayers were created to ensure that,
every day, we praise Our Maker, and that we acknowledge
the “miracles which are daily with us” (from the amidah).
Each time we do something as trivial as drinking, we are
reminded of the eternal mysteries of creation and respond
with a blessing. Prayer services are a way or ritualizing that
to a much greater extent.
The Hebrew word for services is tefilah, or avodah. Tefilah
should be literally translated as “self-judgment” (if we end
services with the same concept of our role in the world as we
entered, we did not fulfill our prayer obligation). Services,
through the emotional value of the words or chants, must
be transformative. Avodah means work. To complement
the heady introspection which services invite, we must act,
in this physical world. Tefilah is for our head, avodah is for
our hands. Tefilah is for our soul, avodah is for our bodies.
Tefilah is for our spirit, avodah is for our world.
-Hazzan Ozur Bass
Table of Contents
Adult Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Art Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27
B’nai Mitzvah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Beineinu: Between Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,9
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17
Congregational Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Daytimers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-31
Early Childhood Education Center . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Family News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Copyright ©2013 by Congregation Har Shalom
11510 Falls Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854-2297
301-299-7087 fax 301-299-2247
www.harshalom.org
From the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Hakarat Ha’Tov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Har Shalom Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Membership Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Men’s Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-20
Notes from the Hazzan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Sisterhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-25
USCJ Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
World Jewry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Submissions to the TABLET are welcome. Please email to [email protected]. Deadline for each issue
is FOUR WEEKS prior to publication date. The TABLET is published monthly, except bi-monthly July/August,
for $20.00 per year, or free with your membership dues, by Congregation Har Shalom, 11510 Falls Road,
Potomac, Maryland 20854.
Congregation Har Shalom • 3
From the Executive Director
Gary Simms, Executive Director
From the Executive Director
Executive Director
Gary Simms
As we all know, this year we have
an unprecedented overlap between
Hanukah and Thanksgiving, with
the first candle being lit on the
Wednesday night prior to the
national American holiday. For many,
Hanukah resonates with American
traditions of rebellion against the
oppressors, of success of the weak
against the strong, and the creation
of a new nation, based on tolerance
and liberty. But there’s another side
to this story.
New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote (12/10/09)
about the historical facts of Hanukah which are mostly
overlooked in our annual telling of the tale. He suggested
that while we usually think of this holiday as primarily one for
children, it is in fact a most adult observance. As he suggests,
it is an occasion when we celebrate terrible actions by the
“good guys,” (violence against fellow Jews) and positive acts
by the “bad guys” (the beneficial impact of Hellenist culture
on the development of rabbinic Judaism).
Hanukah was not simply a revolt against the Greek/Syrian
rulers. It was a story of a Jewish civil war between, on the
one hand, “reformers” who wanted to incorporate the Greek
concepts of reason and logic into the Jewish faith and, on
the other hand, what we might call “fundamentalists” who
saw any deviation from then-existing traditions as a threat
to the very existence of the Jewish enterprise. It was a fight
between pluralism and intolerance.
From this perspective, isn’t it an uncanny how the Hanukah
story reflects the tensions existing in today’s Jewish
community? Different sides of today’s Jewish debate have
distinct views about the “meaning” of Hanukah. The West
Bank settlers see the Maccabees as a heroic minority
fighting against a corrupt and collaborationist establishment.
As David Brooks suggests, others see the Maccabees as
the first of “a bunch of angry, bearded religious guys [out]
to win an insurgency campaign against a great power in the
Middle East.” The success of the Maccabees (highlighted by
the killing of their fellow Jews in some cases, and forced
circumcisions in others) led to a corrupt regime which
ultimately and horrifically invited the Romans into Jerusalem
to restore the order they were unable to maintain in the
divided society.
4 • The Tablet
From a religious perspective, deep divides remain between
traditionalist/fundamentalist Jews on the one hand and those
who recognize the need to reconcile tradition with the world
in which we live. Har Shalom clearly stands with the second
camp: we attempt as best we can to “conserve” our Jewish
tradition (the origin of the phrase “Conservative Judaism”)
while taking into account the realities of the world in which
we live. We see tolerance, pluralism and diversity within the
Jewish world as a great blessing.
As we bring light into our homes with the hanukiah kindling,
it is my hope that we can bring the light of tolerance and
understanding to ourselves and all of K’lal Yisrael, the People
of Israel.
Happy Hanukah and Happy Thanksgiving,
Gary D. Simms, Executive Director
Israel Family Adventure
with Hazzan and Rabbi Ozur Bass
Sunday, August 3 - Friday, August 15, 2014
In addition to the Ozur Bass family, the trip will be staffed
by a professional tour guide & a youth counselor. Visit
http://harshalom.org/whats-happening/israel/ for more
information including pricing, the itinerary and the
registration form.
Informational Meeting
Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00 pm
Home of Hazzan & Rabbi Ozur Bass
A falafel dinner will be served, and you’ll hear from guest
speaker Danny Ehrlich, from Keshet: The Center for
Educational Tourism in Israel.
Please RSVP to [email protected].
eyers
eighan Wealth Management
Specializing in 401K Rollovers & Retirement Planning
Charlie Meyers
President
6600 Rockledge Drive
Suite 410
Bethesda, MD 20817
240-290-6000
888-540-0761
Fax: 240-290-6001
Cell: 240-393-2353
[email protected]
Congregational Learning
Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen
From the Director of Congregational Learning
Each year, on Thanksgiving
and Passover, I try to come
to my family’s dinner table
with something interesting to
discuss. This year’s confluence
of Thanksgiving and Hanukah
certainly gives me quite a bit of
material. But, instead of focusing
on the statistical oddity of the
two holidays intersecting, I think
the more interesting topic is the
similarities between them. This
Rabbi
year, I’ll be bringing the four
Deborah B. Cohen
quotes below to my family’s
Thanksgiving table. The first three
describe Thanksgiving, but contain echoes of Hanukah and
the fourth describes Hanukah but also reflects themes from
Thanksgiving. I invite you to bring them to your Thanksgiving
table as well. Happy Thanksgiving and Hanukah Sameah!
1.
William Bradford, Governor of the Plymouth Colony,
declaring the first Thanksgiving Day in 1621: “Inasmuch as
the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest
of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden
vegetables. . . and has granted us freedom to worship God
according to the dictates of our own conscience.”
2.
George Washington in 1789:
“Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the
26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of
these States to the service of that great and glorious Being
who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that
is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering
unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care
and protection of the people of this country previous to their
becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and
the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course
and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of
tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed.”
3.
John F. Kennedy in 1961:
“I ask the head of each family to recount to his children the
story of the first New England Thanksgiving, thus to impress
upon future generations the heritage of this nation born in
toil, in danger, in purpose, and in the conviction that right and
justice and freedom can through man’s efforts persevere and
come to fruition with the blessing of God.”
4.
Description of the first Hanukah from I Maccabees:
“And so Judah and his fellow citizens celebrated the festival
of the restoration of the sacrifices of the Temple for eight
days, and omitted no sort of pleasure, but everyone feasted
upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and they honored
God, and delighted themselves with psalms of praise and
the playing of harps. Indeed, they were so very glad at the
revival of their customs and, after so long a time, having
unexpectedly regained their right to worship, that they made
it a law for their posterity that they should keep a festival
celebrating the restoration of their Temple worship for eight
days.”
Hanukah Hero’s
Whether you call them subs, grinders,
hoagies, or by another name, plan on
joining us for “Hanukah Hero’s” a special
dinner immediately after Religious School
on Tuesday, December 3 at 6:15 pm.
We’ll have a hero sandwich dinner with all
the appropriate sides, a wonderful outdoor
lighting of our giant hanukiah, crafts, dreidel games and
more!
The charge for dinner is $6/child and $8/adult
Please RSVP to Erika Balser, [email protected],
301-299-7087, ext. 228, and let us know if you would
like a meat or veggie sandwich.
Do you have bins of Legos or boxes
of wooden train tracks and Thomas the Tank engines
just sitting in your basement?
Are they just collecting dust?
Did your children “age out” of them years ago?
Bring them to Har Shalom! We will put them to good use on
Shabbat morning for children’s programming.
Contact Erika Balser, Education Administrative Coordinator,
for more information,
at [email protected], 301-299-7087, ext. 228.
Or, just drop them off at the congregation.
Adult Education
Discover One of Ancient Israel’s
Greatest Cities: Tel Hazor
with Archeologist Shlomit Bechar
Sunday, November 17 at 9:30 am
Har Shalom is excited to
welcome Shlomit Bechar, a
supervisor at the fascinating
archeological site, Tel Hazor,
and a doctoral student in
archaeology at Hebrew
University.
Shlomit will
be speaking about the
fascinating archeological site
Tel Hazor and opportunities to volunteer on archeology digs
in Israel.
For several millennia during the Bronze and Iron Ages,
Hazor was the greatest city in Canaan and perhaps one of
the greatest cities in all of the Levant. Hazor and its kings
are mentioned in the militaristic boasts and diplomatic
correspondences of ancient Near Eastern rulers, while the
Book of Joshua famously refers to Hazor as “the head” of
all the Canaanite kingdoms. Even after the Israelites had
conquered and resettled the city, Hazor still dwarfed the
rest of the major cities of the Israelite kingdom of David and
Solomon, including Jerusalem. Hazor remained a principle
settlement in the northern kingdom of Israel until the Assyrian
ruler Tiglath-Pileser III destroyed the city in 732 B.C.
BCE. Amidst those layers, archaeologists have uncovered the
impressive remains of a grand Canaanite (and then Israelite)
city that was once only known from history and the Bible.
Among the major discoveries at Hazor have been colossal
Canaanite temples and buildings, curious cultic statues and
installations, an expansive city water system and a famous
monumental six-chamber gate widely attributed to Solomon.
Recently an Egyptian sphinx dated to the 3rd millennium BCE.
Coffee and bagels will be served. Cost: Free to Har Shalom
members.
For further information, please contact Rabbi Deborah
Cohen, [email protected], 301-299-7087, ext.
229 or Jackie Haynes, 301-385-8561.
Adult Education Classes
For more information about or to register for any of
these classes, contact Erika Balser at adulteducation@
harshalom.org or 301-299-7087, ext. 228.
New and Upcoming
Essential Questions with Rabbi Adam Raskin
Tuesdays, December 3, 10, 17 at 8 pm
Who is God? Where is God? How do we experience
God? How is God present in our daily lives? Why do we
pray? Does God hear our prayers?
Last year, an essential questions curriculum was
incorporated into the Religious School Curriculum,
including regular visits with Rabbi Raskin. These questions,
though, are asked as frequently by adults as children. In
this adult education class, spend time with Rabbi Raskin
delving into the most critical, central questions of our
faith. Expect text learning, lively discussion and a chance
to explore some of the most central theological topics.
Recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site, Hazor is
one of the largest archaeological sites in all of Israel, with
its great, bottle-shaped mound covering over 200 acres.
The site has an upper mound as well as a lower city, and
excavations over the decades have revealed 22 strata of
occupational debris, the earliest dating to the 18th century
6 • The Tablet
Interfaith Bible Study 2014: “Holiness - What, Why, Where,
When? Taught by Rabbi Leonard Cahan and Pastor Jan
Lookingbill
Sunday, November 10 from 7 to 9 pm in the Quiet Room
An exploration of the meaning of Holiness in the Tanakh,
the New Testament, Rabbinic literature, and Jewish and
Christian traditions.
Adult Education | Continued on Next Page
Adult Education | Continued
When Children Intermarry. . . A Discussion Group for
Parents & Grandparents
Sundays, November 24, February 9 & April 27 at 10:30 am
Facilitated by Lori Schutz, LCSW-C, and the clergy and
professional staff at Har Shalom
When a child chooses to intermarry, parents and
grandparents often have a variety of emotions, questions
and concerns. And, as an intermarried couple matures
and has children of their own, new questions and,
sometimes, conflicts arise. Three facilitated sessions are
being planned for the year. These sessions are intended
for members of Har Shalom whose children have married
or are planning to marry non-Jews. It will be an open,
honest and non-judgmental place for sharing and learning.
For more information, contact Rabbi Debbie Cohen at
[email protected], 301-299-7087, ext. 229.
Ongoing Text Study –
Newcomers always welcome!
Mishna Study: Tractate ‘Eruvin with Rabbi Raskin &
Hazzan Ozur Bass
Thursdays at 10:30 am
Talmud Study with Rabbi Cahan
Mondays from 8 to 9 pm
Shabbat Torah Study with Fred Steinberg
Each Shabbat at approximately 12:40 pm
Minha, Torah Study, Ma’ariv Study Group
Saturdays, time is 15 minutes before candle-lighting time
the day before.
Conversational Hebrew
Text in the City: Downtown Lunch-and-Learn with
Rabbi Raskin
Wednesdays, December 4 & January 8 from 12 to 1 pm
The class will meet at the Law Offices of Hogan Lovells,
Columbia Square, 555 13th Street NW (2 blocks from Metro
Center). Participants should bring their own lunches.
Beverages & dessert will be provided.
Register with Leslie Henning in the Clergy office at
301-299-7087 ext. 223 or [email protected].
Thank you to Stuart Stein for hosting & sponsoring this
program.
Israeli Dance – Newcomers always welcome!
Tuesdays, November 5, 12, 19 at 8 pm
Move to the Jewish beat and have a blast with rikudai-am
(Israeli dance). In this class for beginners and intermediate
students, learn classical and new Israeli dance moves. It
is great exercise and great fun. Taught by Jennie Berger,
an accomplished Israeli dancer, choreographer and
teacher. Fee: $30/six sessions (will be pro-rated for
late registrants)
Library Book Sale – Postponed until Spring
Thank you for all your bags and boxes of materials for
the sale! Please keep bringing them; we’ll have an even
bigger sale this Spring.
Newcomers invited: the fee will be pro-rated.
New sessions begin in January.
Learn to Speak Ivrit – Intro to Conversational Hebrew
with Batia Cross
Wednesdays, 8 to 9 pm
Remaining Session 1 Classes: Nov. 6, 13, 20, Dec. 4, 11
Cost: $135/9 week session.
Speak More Ivrit – Intermediate Modern Hebrew with
Naomi Beroukhim
Wednesdays, 8 to 9:30 pm
Remaining Session 1 Classes: Nov. 6, 13, 20, Dec. 4, 11
Cost: $135/9 week session.
THE ANNUAL BOOK FESTIVAL
AT THE JCC OF
GREATER WASHINGTON
NOVEMBER 8 – 17
Peruse thousands of carefully curated, recentlypublished fiction and non-fiction books and music of
Jewish content or attend some of the author programs
and children’s programs. Some of the A-list authors
include Alan Dershowitz, Elinor Lipman, Marvin Kalb,
and Elliott Abrams.
For the complete schedule and to purchase tickets
visit jccgw.org/bookfestival or call the Box Office,
301-348-3805.
Early Childhood Education Center
Brenda Footer, Director
From the Director of ECEC
ECEC Director
Brenda Footer
Many people ask me why I
choose to be an educator in
a Jewish setting. My answer
is that a Jewish school feels
like “home.” In fact, my years
teaching in Jewish schools
have led me to deepen my
own religious practice. The Har
Shalom ECEC is an incubator for
developing Jewish values and
culture. The traditions we instill
in early childhood can touch
families and children for their
whole lives.
From Ta’am Shel Shabbat (Taste of Shabbat) to the Exodus
Re-enactment, children in the ECEC are actively engaged
in Jewish learning. Recently
the Elephant class called me
out into the hallway to see
their “Torah” unrolled down
the hall. This is a special
illustrated cloth “Torah”
that their teacher, Rachelle
Solkowitz, created.
The
children weren’t just looking
at the pictures; they were
laying down in the Torah!
As they counted to see how
many Elephant friends it
took to measure the Torah,
there they lay, completely
immersed in the story of our
people.
We look at our environment through a Jewish lens. As in
most preschools, each classroom is divided into specialized
areas of development, such as literacy, pretend play, or
construction. In the ECEC we also have a Jewish area in
each room, where Shabbat items, teaching Torahs, and other
ritual objects are available. This year we’ve also added a
“Shabbat box” that goes home with one student every week.
The box is filled with everything a family needs to celebrate
Shabbat, and we hope it will encourage families to begin a
weekly Shabbat practice if they haven’t done so in the past.
Besides our Jewish area, teachers bring Judaism into many
activities throughout the year. In the days leading up to
Hanukah, a class might experiment with oil and water,
8 • The Tablet
learning not only skills of inquiry and ideas about density, but
also why the oil is a symbol of the holiday. When learning
about Pesah, children develop math skills though reading
recipes for our practice Seder.
It is my goal that the ECEC and the wider Har Shalom
community feel like “home” to the families we serve. I
believe that developing a strong sense of Jewish identity and
appreciation for Jewish culture is one of the most important
purposes of the ECEC. If children become Jewishly engaged
at a young age, it serves to engage families, and to nurture
the community as a whole.
Save-the-Date for the ECEC
Pasta Bingo Fundraiser!
The ECEC is excited to announce that its 11th Annual Pasta
Bingo fundraiser will take place on March 30, 2014, and will
be open to the entire congregation!
We are looking for your support in the following ways:
• Donate an item or service for the silent auction from
your organization
• Donate memorabilia that would be of very special
interest to those attending the auction. Potential
items are things that would not easily be obtainable
by the general public such as sporting event tickets,
autographed sports items, etc.
• Purchase an advertisement in the event’s program that
is marketed throughout Montgomery County
If you are interested in donating an item(s) / service
to the fundraiser or are interested in purchasing an
advertisement in the event program, please contact
[email protected].
From the Rabbi | Continued from Page 2
halakhic notes. It is very helpful in preparing a bar
or bar mitzvah child and for composing D’var Torah
commentaries for those occasions!
3. Jewish philosophy is such a broad and variegated
subject, spanning the rational to the mystical. I
consider anything written by Abraham Joshua
Heschel to be a treasure. Heschel was perhaps
the most important Jewish theologian of the 20th
Century. Look for his book The Sabbath to inspire
your appreciation for Shabbat, or God in Search
of Man, for his comprehensive, prosaic Jewish
philosophical treatise. A Maimonides Reader is a
great introduction to the thought of the Rambam,
another of Judaism’s most significant, towering
figures. Contemporary Jewish Religious Thought is
another great reader on a broad spectrum of topics. If
you are interested in Hassidut, I recommend Norman
Lamm’s The Religious Thought of Hassidism, and
for Jewish mysticism/Kabbalah, Gershon Scholem’s
Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. 4. Still the most important book on practical Jewish law
is Isaac Klein’s Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, a
Conservative movement publication that covers all
areas of practical Jewish law and observance. Hot
off the presses is The Observant Life, another book
ECEC OPEN HOUSE
Do you know of a family looking for a fantastic learning
environment for their preschool-age child? Let them know
about our upcoming ECEC Open House!
Monday, November 11th, 10:00 am
Learn about the exceptional program at Har Shalom’s
Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC). We offer both
half- and full-day programs. Meet the staff, tour the school,
and experience our warm and nurturing environment. See
our children engaged in many stimulating and enriching
opportunities, both secular and Judaic, as they learn,
grow, and explore their world.
For further information or to RSVP, email Brenda Footer,
Director at [email protected] or call 301-299-7087
x235.
Another Open House will be held on January 22nd.
from a Conservative perspective covers even more
contemporary issues in Jewish observance. I also
happen to like Blu Greenberg’s book, The Traditional
Jewish Home, while written from a modern Orthodox
perspective, it is very accessible and not all that
different from Conservative practice. For those
who are dealing with issues surrounding end of life
decisions, The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning
is a standard text, as is Elliot Dorff’s Matters of Life
and Death.
5. If you are interested in Jewish history, Ben Sasson’s
A History of the Jewish People is an excellent,
comprehensive text. Jonathan Sarna’s American
Judaism, A History is a very readable treatment of
American Jewish life. Howard Sachar’s A History
of Israel from the Rise of Zionism to Our Time, is a
great text for those interested in modern Israel. As
a Driven Leaf is a phenomenal book of historical
fiction by Milton Steinberg that makes the rabbinic
period come alive.
6. Miscellaneous... A Hebrew/English dictionary is
a great resource for a home library. A Mahzor
(preferably the new Lev Shalem, which will
eventually become Har Shalom’s new Mahzor, rich
with commentary, translation, and transliteration) is
a must have, as is a haggadah. The great American
Jewish writers form a wonderful, rich library of their
own: Bellow, Malamud, Ozick, Potok, Roth, Singer,
Stein, Wiesel, etc. and their works should be read
and re-read by future generations. For delving into
Talmud, Steinsaltz, ArtScroll, and Koren all have
detailed English translations of many Talmudic
tractates.
This is truly just the tip of the iceberg. In 3,500 years the
Jewish people have produced a lot of literature. Consider
this a beginning. Among the markers of a Jewish home
(mezzuzah, kiddush cup, menorah, ketubah, Jewish art,
etc.) is a library of Jewish books. It is exciting to consider
that there are so many more books in circulation, covering
every aspect of Jewish life and thought, so many of which
are widely available in English. President Harry Truman
once said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are
readers.” If we are to be the leaders of this generation of the
Jewish people, then we must be readers of the fascinating,
extensive library of Jewish civilization! L’Shalom,
Rabbi Raskin
Hakarat Ha’Tov
Hakarat Ha’Tov
Hakarat Ha’Tov means “Recognizing the Good” and every month we will recognize the good work
that our congregants are doing around town.
Our first Hakarat Ha’Tov honoree,
Janette Gilman, President of
Montgomery County Council of PTAs,
was honored on Shabbat morning,
October 19. Janette served as PTA
president at Beverly Farms and
Hoover Middle School; as Churchill
cluster coordinator, membership
chair, and nominating committee
chair; and on the Board of Directors
of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA).
Janette became President of MCCPTA, the largest advocacy
organization in the county, in May 2012, and is now serving her
second (and final) term as MCCPTA President. As President,
Janette works with her roughly 90-member Board to support
the 190 local PTAs and PTSAs in Montgomery County and to
advocate before the Board of Education, County Council,
and state government in the name of the nearly 50,000 PTA
members in our county on behalf of students, families, and
school communities.
Janette is married to her highly supportive husband Peter, and
she is a federal employee with almost 30 years of government
service. A Washington native, Janette grew up in Bowie at
Temple Solel, graduated from Bowie High School, received her
BS from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service,
and earned her master’s degree in International Relations at
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her children Sam and
Adele both have grown up at Har Shalom, celebrating their
Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Janette’s brother was Jesse Lasken,
z”l, who served as Har Shalom Men’s Club president; he and
his family were the reason the Gilmans initially joined Har
Shalom and it has remained a family affair ever since.
10 • The Tablet
Our next honoree will be Ron
Glancz on Shabbat morning,
November 23.
In addition to
his meritorious and noteworthy
professional life, Ron has made
the Jewish community a priority.
In particular, he has long been an
advocate and supporter of the
Foundation for Jewish Group Homes
and has served as president of the
Washington area group. Ron has been active in the Jewish
Community Relations Council, serving as its President and
effectively working with Montgomery County elected officials
to provide more state funding for Jewish institutions and
causes in the county. Currently, Ron also serves on the Board
of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
His background in banking and finance coupled with his
advocacy role for Jewish causes has resulted in Ron being
asked to accompany state and local elected officials on
several trips to Israel where Ron has been asked to advise
Israeli bankers on improving the credit union system in the
state of Israel.
In Ron’s professional life, he is a partner in the prestigious
Washington law firm of Venable, where he is Chair of its
Financial Services Group. He represents financial institutions
of virtually every type – banks, savings associations,
bank and thrift holding companies, insurance companies,
securities firms, and credit unions. He has been recognized
for leadership in banking law by both The Best Lawyers in
America and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for
Business. In addition, Ron has served as Assistant General
Counsel and Acting Deputy General Counsel of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation, where he also served on the
U.S. Attorney General’s Bank Fraud Enforcement Working
Group. He has also served as Director of the Litigation
Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and at
various legal posts in the Justice Department.
Youth Shabbat Activities
Youth Department
Julie Ashin, Youth Director
Youth Shabbat Activities in
November & December
Be part of the Har Shalom new Shabbat morning activities.
Each Shabbat will be filled with meaningful learning,
celebration and fun. All activities at 10:45 am, unless noted.
November 2
K to 2nd - PJ Lazy Breakfast & Shabbat (9:30 to 11 am)
3rd to 7th - Sports Jersey Shabbat And Sports
Skills Session with Koa Sports (9:30 to 11 am)
November 8
ECEC, K to 2nd – Participate in Kabbalat Shabbat services,
followed by Dinner (See front cover for details.)
November 9
K to 2nd - Club Gesher Shabbat
3rd to 7th - Yoga Shabbat with Julie Ashin
November 16
Pre-K to 2nd - Gan Shabbat with Judi Lapidus
3rd to 7th - Candy Shabbat with USY
November 23
Pre-K to 2nd - Storybook Shabbat with the PJ Library
and Rabbi Cohen
3rd to 7th - Sign Language Shabbat
November 30
Family Service
& Judi Lapidus
for All Ages with Rabbi Cohen
December 7
Pre-K to 2nd - Gan Shabbat with Judi Lapidus
3rd to 7th - Parasha Drama with Laurie Freed
December 14
Pre-K to 2nd - Brixalot Shabbat
3rd to 7th - Participate in the Main Shabbat Service
Religious School Families: Our Religious School has a
guideline that students should attend at least 10 Shabbat
services over the course of the year. We are going to begin
putting out a black box with index cards in it during services
at the back of the sanctuary. In the Burke, it will be kept
• 301-299-7087, ext. 236
[email protected]
From the Youth Director
It’s hard to believe that this year is my fourth year as Youth
Director. One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity
to spend time and get to know our amazing kids and teens
at Har Shalom and watch them grow up! Membership in
our youth groups continues to increase. We currently have
38 Gesher (K-2nd) members, 36 Klub Kef (3rd-5th grade)
members, 59 Kadima (6th-8th grade) members, and 41 USY
(9th-12th grade) members. It’s not too late to sign your child
up for one of our youth groups! We have exciting programs
planned for the rest of the year and I look forward to our
youth department continuing to grow.
With Hanukah just around the corner, college packages will
be sent out the second week of November. If you have a
child who is in college or graduate school please make sure
to complete the College Directory survey so that I can send
a package for Hanukah and finals. (The survey can be found
on www.harshalom.org/youth/college/.)
Our programs continue to grow. I am thrilled to announce
that our annual Limo Latke Hop will be taking place on
Sunday, November 24 from noon-3pm! All K-8th graders
are invited to join us for an afternoon of riding around in style
while learning about Hanukah! Each youth group will have
their own limo and visit three homes where we will learn
about Hanukah, enjoy sufganiot and latkes, and complete a
community service project. This program is $18. RSVP to
[email protected] to reserve your spot!
We look forward to another great month of programming for
our youth!
B’Shalom,
Julie Ashin
Youth Shabbat Activities | Continued
on the table with the large print prayer books near the tallit
racks and kippot. The box will have a card for each student
in the school. When a student attends services, he or she
should take their card from the box and give it to either Rabbi
Raskin, Hazzan Ozur Bass or Rabbi Cohen. After Shabbat,
one of our madrihim will write the service date on the card
and record it on a master sheet. At the end of the year, we
will have a party for students with great service attendance.
Membership Programming
Susan Grant, Chair
Save the Date! L’dor V’dor
Intergenerational Family
Celebration
Saturday, January 4, 2014
At Har Shalom we value and want to encourage
intergenerational families to foster Judaic values and
connection to the synagogue. We have created a Shabbat
morning program for Saturday, January 4, 2014, which will
honor the intergenerational families of Har Shalom and
enable us all to celebrate their bonds to the greater Har
Shalom Family, of which we are all a part.
We encourage ALL Har Shalom members, friends of the multigenerational families, and the community at large to attend
and help us recognize the roots of our congregation.
Are you part of an intergenerational Har Shalom family? We
would love to honor you and your family. Please fill out the
L’dor V’dor form on the website so we are sure to include
everyone. Alternatively, you can send an email entitled “L’dor
V’dor Information” to Miriam Mishkin at VPMembership@
harshalom.org noting the names of your family members
and ages of children. This program is being partially funded
by the Ashin Zitomer Dor L’dor Fund. No financial participation
will be required of you.
Not an intergenerational family member but would like to
participate? Great! If you would be interested in participating
in the planning for the event or attending services on January
4th please let me know. Send an email entitled “L’dor
V’dor Volunteer” to Miriam Mishkin at VPMembership@
harshalom.org.
Please help us celebrate our intergenerational community.
Join a Havurah
and Enrich your
Experience at Har Shalom!
The word Havurah coms from the Hebrew word haver which
means friend. Havurot (plural) are small groups of people
who have common interests. Havurot meet on a regular
12 • The Tablet
basis to engage in learning of all kinds, participate in social
activities, or simply to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
What you do is up to you!
There has been much interest in Havurot at Har Shalom. We
have been successful in putting together two Havurot for
empty-nesters, but new participants are always welcome!
There is also interest in creating a group for Har Shalom
members in their 30’s and 40’s and for those who would like
an educational/religious learning experience.
If you are interested in learning more, would like to
join a Havurah, or if you are already in a Havurah and
would like it to grow, please contact Susan Grant,
Program Committee Chair, at 301-299-7087 ext. 321 or
[email protected]. We want to connect you with
other Har Shalom families with the same interests and
demographics.
Let’s make a shiddukh!
November Congregation
Shabbat Dinner
Friday, November 8
Services at 6:30 pm followed by dinner
You are invited to Har Shalom’s November Congregation
Shabbat Dinner on Friday, November 8! The Kabbalat
Shabbat Service will start at 6:30 pm in the Burke
Sanctuary and will include participation from children
in ECEC and Grades K-2. Services will be followed
immediately by dinner in the Stempler Social Hall.
The cost for dinner is:
• $18 for the Adult Meals
(Meat or Vegetarian)
• $12 for the Kid-Friendly Meat Meal
• Free for infants & toddlers who will
not be eating
• Family Maximum of $60
Please RSVP for dinner by Monday, November 4 via
www.harshalom.org or by calling the Synagogue Office
at 301-299-7087 ext. 0.
Daytimers
Jerry and Selma Miller, Co-Chairs
AJC Official to Address Global
Issues Impacting the Jews
“Beyond the Echo Chamber: The Global Conversation and
the Jews” will be the title of a presentation by Alan Ronkin
at the Daytimers Forum on Wednesday, November 13, from
12-2 pm. Ronkin is Executive Director of the Washington DC
chapter of the American Jewish Committee.
Prior to joining the AJC, our speaker served for ten years as
Deputy Director of the Jewish Community Council of Greater
Boston and later as its Interim Director. In that capacity he
was involved in a variety of Israel-related activities. Earlier
Ronkin worked in Jewish Federations in Los Angeles, Seattle,
and Cleveland.
The dairy brown-bag forums are held monthly in the Social
Hall, from September to June, and are free and open to all.
Refreshments are always served.
simplifying IT
Daytimers Film Festival to Screen
Film Epicting Israeli -Palestinian
Family Dilemma
What happens when two babies are switched at birth?
This is the dilemma facing two families -- one Israeli and
the other Palestinian -- in “The Other Son,” a French movie
being screened at the Daytimers Jewish Film Festival on
Wednesday, November 20. Lives are turned upside down as
the families reassess their values and beliefs. The film will
begin promptly at 12:30 pm, following an introduction by
Marie Kramer.
The Festival, featuring outstanding motion pictures from
Europe, Israel, and the U.S. will be held monthly through next
April and is free and open to all. Bring a brown-bag dairy
lunch at noon; refreshments are served.
DARFUR
VIGIL
Because finding
I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings
endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
- Elie Wiesel
the right practice
means you
can rest easy…
We have extended office hours and
Saturday morning hours. See our
website for more details.
At Children First Pediatrics we
are committed to the care of
Our lactation consultant is available
for night and weekend services! Find
out more about her services at:
www.bethesdabreastfeeding.com
your child. Our highest priority
Online accessibility to your child’s
medical records, including
immunizations!
a lactation consultant/NP on
Licensed nurses available for
questions and advice during office
hours!
is making sure the needs of
the entire family are met. That
Call Today to
schedule a prenatal
visit or email us to
set up an
appointment to see
the office.
is why we have
staff to help better serve your
breastfeeding needs.
Rockville (301)990-1664
Silver Spring (301)681-6000
www.childrenfirstpediatrics.com
email:
[email protected]
Cynthia Fishman, MD/Stuart Weich, MD/Liza Burns, MD/Paul Porras, MD/
Erica Rupar, MD/Cathleen McGrath, MD/Kathleen McCue, FNP, IBCLC
13 • The Tablet
Third Sunday of every month
– rain or shine –
1:30 to 2:30 PM
The Embassy of Sudan
2210 Massachusetts Avenue, NW | 3 blocks from DuPont Circle Metro
This ongoing effort is organized by the Darfur Interfaith Network, which
represents a growing number of synagogues, churches, student groups
and other people of conscience who have joined the I ACT campaign to
stop the killing, rape, torture, and displacement of civilians in the Darfur
and other regions of Sudan. Help us show the depth of our commitment.
STUDENTS:
VOLUNTEERS:
• Earn community service
• email Laura Cutler [email protected]
hours.
• Pick up and return posters stored near
the Embassy
PARENTS:
• Organize carpools
• Come with your children;
•Take photographs
come when they can’t.
•Help with local publicity
To learn more, visit www.EndGenocide.org/Conflict-areas/Sudan/
Har Shalom Players
Har Shalom Players | [email protected]
Har Shalom Players
Getting Ready for the
th
75 Anniversary Celebration of
With the cast selected, your Har Shalom Players (HSP) are
in full rehearsal mode for the upcoming performances of
The Wizard of Oz on Saturday night, January 25 and
Sunday afternoon, January 26, 2014. We are excited to be
performing this musical during the 75th anniversary year of
the 1939 The Wizard of Oz film starring Judy Garland. From
the Technicolor beauty of the Emerald City, to the witches
good and wicked, to the fearsome Wizard, to Munchkins and
monkeys and poppies, and Toto, we are looking forward to
sharing with our audiences the whole incredible dreamscape
spun from a lonely girl’s wish to be somewhere over the
rainbow.
Get your tickets early…. we expect this show to be a sell out!!
Tickets can be purchased from the Har Shalom website at
http://www.harshalom.org/whats-happening/play/.
For HSP’s 9th annual production, our cast will be:
Dorothy Gale................................................ Amanda Spott
Aunt Em....................................................... Toby Holtzman
Uncle Henry....................................................... Ed Hutman
Zeke/Cowardly Lion.............................................Jeff Ashin
Hickory/Tinman..................................................Larry Spott
Hunk/Scarecrow......................................... Scott Kaplowitz
Miss Gultch/Wicked Witch of the West..........Sue Alterman
Glinda, the Good Witch of the North........Janet Ozur Bass
Professor Marvel/Wizard of Oz................. Andrew Strauch
Emerald City Guard............................................ Paul Blank
14 • The Tablet
Adult Ensemble (Citizens of Munchkinland/Ozians/+):
Bill Alterman
Shelly Basen
Hazzan Ozur Bass
Mickey Burstein
Meryl Cohen
Vic Cohen
Joni Donlan
Olga Fenning
Adina Goldberg
Kandy Hutman
Barbara Kaplowitz
Brett Kaplowitz
Molly Kaplowitz
Yvonne Paretzky
Rabbi Adam Raskin
Sari Raskin
Stew Remer
Ed Schapiro
Marsha Schwartz
Michelle Spott
Lisa Straus
Marilyn Tippett
Marjorie Turgel
Teen Ensemble (Monkeys):
Beyla Ozur Bass
Jacob Cooper
Julie Cooper
Maya Goldberg
Cheryl Goodman
Mia Raskin
Matthew Rosenthal
Hannah Spector
Joelle Spector
Leah Stein
Kids Ensemble (Munchkins/Poppies):
Gabriella Fine
Simon Goldberg
Rachel Krakower
Sam Krakower
Nessa Raskin
Carly Schutz
Hailey Spott
Joshua Spott
Blake Strauch
Eliana Strauch
USCJ Convention
USCJ Centennial
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ)
celebrated its centennial anniversary at a very energetic
October convention in Baltimore.
An array of sessions, workshops and presentations addressed
all facets of synagogue renewal, visioning, and creative
reorganization for the future. There were concerts, engaging
speakers including Rabbi Harold Kushner, Dr. Erica Brown,
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Prof. Ron Wolfson, and many others.
Har Shalom attendees included Rabbi Raskin, Hazzan
Ozur Bass, as well as Cindy Fishman, Miriam Mishkin, Bob
Sunshine, Bill & Ellen Bresnick, Rita Wertlieb, Emily Dahl,
Julie Kromash, and Louis Popkin. Rabbi Raskin’s lunchtime
outreach program at Churchill High School was also awarded
with a Centennial Commendation at the Convention.
The umbrella organization of Conservative synagogues was
founded by Solomon Schechter, a famed scholar who was
brought from Cambridge University to American to lead the
Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Today, 675
congregations are affiliated with United Synagogue, and it is
the sponsor for United Synagogue Youth (USY), the Solomon
Schechter Day School Association, the Conservative Yeshiva
in Jerusalem, Nativ (gap year program in Israel), summer Israel
programs, and an array of educational and congregational
support activities. USCJ works in coordination with the
Conservative movement’s seminaries, Ramah summer
camps, and other affiliated organizations (like Women’s
League and the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs) for a
vibrant Conservative Judaism for all ages.
Miriam Mishkin, Cindy Fishman, Rabbi Raskin & Hazzan
Ozur Bass during one of the plenary sessions.
Hazzan Ozur Bass, Emily Dahl, Louis Popkin, Rabbi Raskin,
Jessica Railey, Miriam Mishkin & Julie Kromash during USY
Day at the convention.
Thank You!
Thank you Congregation Har Shalom for making our
October 13th Community Shred Day such a huge success!
We shredded almost 3000 lbs. of paper! And in the
process I was lucky enough to meet almost 50 members
of the community. So many people asked when we were
going to do this again, that we may have to make it a
quarterly event!
Beth Borenstein
The Prigal Brothers at RE/MAX
Hazzan Ozur Bass & Rabbi Raskin have lunch with the
Har Shalom teens at Churchill High School on October 22.
November 2013 Calendar
Sunday
Daylight Savings Time Ends
Rosh Hodesh Kislev
FJMC Israel Trip
Monday
3
9:00 am Shaharit
9:15 am Men’s Club Speaker Series & Brunch
9:30 am Gift Shop Pre-Hanukah Event
11:00 am Art Gallery Reception
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
FJMC Israel Trip
10
9:00 am Shaharit
11:00 am 7th Grade Sifreinu
12:00 pm USY Board Meeting
6:30 pm Kesher-Dessert Program
7:00 pm Kesher Classes
7:00 pm Adult Ed: Interfaith Bible Study
9:00 am
9:30 am
1:30 pm
2:00 pm
7:45 pm
24
9:00 am Shaharit
10:30 am Adult Ed: When Children Intermarry
11:00 am 6th Grade Sifreinu
12:00 pm K-8th Grade Latke Hop
6:30 pm Kesher-Dessert Program
7:00 pm Kesher Classes
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
16 • The Tablet
4
Rosh Hodesh Kislev
FJMC Israel Trip
6:45 am
7:45 pm
8:00 pm
8:00 pm
Shaharit
Ma’ariv
Adult Ed: Talmud Study
Ways & Means Committee Meeting
Veteran’s Day
FJMC Israel Trip
11
6:45 am Shaharit
10:00 am ECEC Open House
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
8:00 pm Adult Ed: Talmud Study
17
Shaharit
Adult Ed: Archaeology Presentation
Darfur Vigil at Embassy of Sudan
Seaboard WLCJ Torah Fund
Tea & Program
Ma’ariv
USY Fall Convention
Tuesday
6:45 am
7:45 pm
8:00 pm
8:00 pm
6:45 am 7:45 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm Shaharit
Ma’ariv
Shabbaton Planning Meeting
Shaharit
Ma’ariv
Congregation Board Meeting
18
25
FJMC Israel Trip
5
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
8:00 pm Adult Ed: Israeli Dance
8:00 pm Adult Ed: On the Small Screen
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
8:00 pm Adult Ed: On the Small Screen
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
12
19
26
November 2013 Calendar
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
FJMC Israel Trip
Art Gallery: Inspired by Nature
1
13
10:00 am Sisterhood Bowling
12:00 pm Daytimers Forum
7:30 pm Israel Trip Informational
Meeting
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
8:00 pm A/E: Learn to Speak Ivrit
8:00 pm A/E: Speak More Ivrit
20
12:00 pm Daytimers Film Festival
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
8:00 pm RAC Meeting
8:00 pm Sisterhood: Unmasking
Domestic Abuse
Erev Hanukah, 1st Candle
12:30 pm ECEC Early Dismissal
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
27
FJMC Israel Trip
7
6:45 am Shaharit
10:30 am Adult Ed: Mishna Study Tractate ‘Eruvin
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
6:45 am 10:30 am 6:45 pm
7:45 pm 14
Shaharit
Adult Ed: Mishna Study Tractate ‘Eruvin
Adult Kids Club: Dinner
and a Movie
Ma’ariv
6:45 am 10:30 am 7:45 pm 21
Shaharit
Adult Ed: Mishna Study Tractate ‘Eruvin
Ma’ariv
28
Hanukah, 2nd Candle
Thanksgiving
Building Closed Except for Minyan
ECEC Closed
9:00 am Shaharit
7:45 pm Ma’ariv followed by
Minyan & Martinis
8
FJMC Israel Trip
2
9:30 am Shaharit
Parasha: Tol’dot
9:30 am K-2 PJ Lazy Breakfast &
Shabbat
9:30 am3rd-7th Sports Jersey
Shabbat & Sports Skills
Session
12:40 pm Shabbat Torah Discussion
5:25 pm Minha/Torah Study/Ma’ariv
5:51 pm Candle Lighting
6:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat
6
FJMC Israel Trip
12:15 pm Sisterhood Book Club
5:30 pm USY Banner Making
7:45 pm Ma’ariv
8:00 pm Men’s Club Board Meeting
8:00 pm Sisterhood Board Meeting
FJMC Israel Trip
4:44 pm
6:30 pm 7:15 pm Candle Lighting
Kabbalat Shabbat with
ECEC & K-2 Participation
Congregation Shabbat
Dinner
12:00 pm
4:37 pm 6:30 pm
7:30 pm
15
Daytimers Theater Trip:
“The Argument”
Candle Lighting
Kabbalat Shabbat
Rak Ehad Shabbat Dinner
9
FJMC Israel Trip
9:30 am Shaharit
Parasha: Vayetzei
Bat Mitzvah:
Sarah Eisenberg
10:45 am K-2 Club Gesher Shabbat
10:45 am 3rd-7th Yoga Shabbat
4:15 pm Minha/Ma’ariv/Havdalah
Bar Mitzvah: Avi Grant
16
9:30 am Shaharit
Bar Mitzvah:
Joseph Gardemal
Parasha: Vayishlah
10:45 am 3rd-7th Candy Shabbat
with USY
10:45 am Pre K-2nd: Gan Shabbat
22
USY Fall Convention
23
9:30 am Shaharit
Parasha: Vayeishev
Bar Mitzvah:
Matthew Koppel
Hakarat Ha’Tov Shabbat
10:45 am PreK-2: Storybook Shabbat
10:45 am 3rd-7th: Sign Language
Shabbat
4:15 pm Minha/Ma’ariv/Havdalah
Bat Mitzvah: Olivia Horowitz
29
Hanukah, 3rd Candle
Building Closed Except for Minyan
ECEC Closed
30
Hanukah, 4th Candle
No Religious School Shabbat Class
9:30 am Shaharit
Parasha: Miketz
Shabbat Hanukah
10:45 am Family Service with
Rabbi Cohen & Judi
Lapidus
USY Fall Convention
Men's Club
Judd Kessler, Men’s Club President
Sunday Speaker Series &
Brunch
Sunday, November 3, 9:15 a.m.
Men’s Club Sunday Brunch: former
Domestic Policy Advisor Stuart
Eizenstat.
Ambassador
Stuart
Eizenstat will be the featured speaker
at the Har Shalom Men’s Club Brunch
November 3. Copies of his book, The
Future of the Jews, may be found in
the Har Shalom Library. Perhaps some
who plan to attend may want to read or
at least look over Eizenstat’s book; we will bring some copies
for signing.
Ambassador Eizenstat received his law degree from Harvard,
having previously earned a B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa) from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From 1977 to
1981, he was President Jimmy Carter’s Chief Domestic Policy
Adviser. He was President Bill Clinton’s Deputy Secretary
of the Treasury (1999–2001), Under Secretary of State for
Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs (1997–1999),
and also served as the Under Secretary of Commerce for
International Trade at the International Trade Administration
(ITA) from 1996 to 1997.
He has also served as the United States Ambassador to
the European Union from 1993 to 1996. He has been very
active in efforts to recover assets stolen by the Nazis during
the Holocaust, and to seek accountability of European
governments who cooperated with the Nazi regime.
Sunday, December 8, 2013, 9:15 a.m. Men’s Club
Brunch co-sponsored by World Jewry: David Pollack, of
Washington Institute for Near East Policy. See page 21 for
details.
18 • The Tablet
Screening of “The
Gatekeepers” Draws Plenty
of Interest, Comments
On Sunday evening, September 29, a lively audience of about
40 Har Shalom members, friends and family noshed and
watched with rapt attention “The Gatekeepers,” an Academy
Award-nominated film for Best Documentary. This extremely
well done Israeli film directed by Dror Moreh consists of
interviews with all six former Directors of the Shin Bet, Israel’s
military intelligence branch renowned for its competence and
successful operations to protect Israeli citizens and residents
from terror and other enemies of Israel.
Each of these men carried the enormous responsibility of
protecting the lives and property of Israel while responding
to two intifadas and countless terror plots hatched in the West
Bank, Gaza or elsewhere. The film informs us through their
words that they are deeply patriotic as well as deeply moral;
they explained in detail some of the strains and tensions in
their work, and the burden of literally having the power to
order people to be killed, even when the decisions are based
on the best of intelligence.
Their main frustration, it seems, was with Israeli politicians
who oversee operations, on the one hand refusing to carry
on a dialogue with Hamas or other groups (a policy the Shin
Bet Directors thought had no benefit for Israel) or, in other
cases, were hesitant to approve offensive actions sufficient
to achieve security goals that the Shin Bet leaders thought
appropriate.
Those in attendance shared the discomfort of these brave
leaders as well as tremendous pride in their competence
and their deep moral concern. Some remarked afterward
that if the day ever comes that Arab military intelligence
leaders make such a film, peace will not only be likely but
very probable.
Men's Club | Continued
Starrs, Cars and Bars
On Sunday October 6, the Men’s Club ran three separate
programs, each drawing different enthusiastic audiences.
Our monthly Brunch
speaker series featured
Dr. Joshua Starr,
Superintendent
of
Schools
for
Montgomery County.
Dr. Starr is in much
demand as a speaker
but we got him thanks to
the warm relationship
developed by Rabbi Raskin while serving together with him
on Leadership Montgomery. He covered the wide array of
problems faced by our public schools in his talk, and then
stuck it out for a full 1 ½ hours of Q&A in which he showed
himself to be a passionate educator with a keen sense for
protecting important relationships. Our audience included a
number of present and former Montgomery County teachers
as well as a number of current students. The questions,
especially from the students, created a lively atmosphere in
which we all learned a great deal. We presented Dr. Starr
with a copy of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Collected Short Stories
(since we know he doesn’t have enough to read!) as a token
of gratitude for a great program.
At noon, on the shul’s back driveway, Nelson Robin (owner,
with his wife, of a software firm in Virginia) conducted a class
entitled “Car Maintenance 101.” This first-time program
conveyed a ton of information about the nitty-gritty of car
repairs, and how someone with a bit of initiative can help
avoid unnecessary repairs, or even do the work by her or
himself. For example, did you know that when that pesky
“check engine” light comes on, you aren’t forced to run
immediately to the repair shop fearing that your engine is
about to expire? Instead, for a modest cost you can buy
a “code reader” which can be plugged into a standard
receptacle (required on all cars since the mid 1990’s) and
see the likely cause. Nelson gave important money-saving
information on how to do oil changes yourself, avoiding
“deals” that might lead to costly repairs in the future. Ever
wonder what happens when you ask for your brake fluid to
be flushed (and what may not happen)? Nelson had some
great insights on that subject as well. We hope to have
this program repeated periodically. Nelson may also do a
presentation on home electrical maintenance and repairs.
Sound interesting? Stay tuned.
And finally, at 8 PM, about 25 Har Shalom men and women
spent two enjoyable hours of Bourbon Tasting – guided
by Theo Rutherford, expert taster and Brand Ambassador
representing the Jim Beam organization, makers of
prominent fine products such as Maker’s Mark, Elijah Craig,
and many more. The program was expertly organized by
Dan Swerdlow, with assistance from Richard Sternberg and
a number of other Men’s Club volunteers. Participants, who
paid $25 for admission, tasted five different specially crafted
“small batch” bourbons, ranging widely in smoothness,
sweetness, and proof. Bourbon sales have been exploding,
which will create some supply problems in the future (but
these are problems the industry loves to have). Theo
Rutherford, an engaging and enthusiastic young man, had
a great knack for conveying history, technique and plain old
enjoyment to the varieties that were served. Participants
also had a chance to buy different bourbon varieties in a
silent “Dutch Auction” after the presentation. Prices ended
up providing some savings for the buyers and some revenue
for the Men’s Club as well. We all drove home happily – and
safely!
Theo Rutherford, Brand Ambassador representing the
Jim Beam organization, gets into his subject.
Joe Kromash gets into the spirit.
Men’s Club | Continued on Next Page
Men's Club | Continued
Adult Kids Club
Fall Golf Outing
The Adult Kids Club is part of the Men’s Club. We generally
meet once a month for activities such as golf, dinner, a movie
or cards. We are there for a social gathering of men who
are old enough to have adult kids (your definitions of “old
enough” and kids apply). Most members of this group have
passed their 50th birthday. The only real restriction? No
grouches are allowed! These social gathering gives guys an
opportunity to talk, build and maintain friendships and have
a good time.
The Men’s Club held its Fall Golf Outing on October 18. This
fall, we had three foursomes participating. Unfortunately,
several people who previously participated were unable to
make it. The good news is that it was a spectacular day,
Needwood Golf Course was in excellent condition and we all
had a great time. As before, we played scramble. Everyone
showed up early enough for some kibitzing before the game,
and most of us stayed to eat and kibitz on the “19th hole.”
All events are on the Har Shalom calendar. In October we had
a golf outing; details on this event are provided elsewhere in
the TABLET. Our next event is dinner, 6:45 PM on Thursday,
November 14 at a location to be specified. Any restaurant
selected will be either kosher or have vegetarian and fish
dishes available. Please RSVP by Nov. 11 to Ken Shere or
email [email protected]. We need to make
reservations, so please RSVP early. Also, feel free to make
suggestions on either restaurants or future events.
As a heads-up, the December get-together will be on the
12th. We have been thinking about dinner followed by a
movie; however, no decisions have been made so you can
tell us your preference.
20 • The Tablet
Because of their past success, we tried to handicap the team
of David Marcus, Don Fox, Randy Levinson and Billy Oshinsky
by making David and Randy tee off from the black tees
while everyone else teed off from the white tees. It didn’t
work. They still had the best team score by shooting an even
par – 70.
The team of Ken Shere, Don Moldover, Mel Brodsky and Joel
Goldberg (President of the B’nai Israel Men’s Club) came in
second with a score of 76. The 3rd place trophy went to the
team of Mickey Burstein, Marty Grolnic, Jon Mantz and Steve
Erd.
Set aside your Fridays in April 2014 so that you can join us for
the Spring Golf Outing. We are anticipating a larger crowd
next April and expect some participation from other Men’s
Clubs in our region.
Around Har Shalom
World Jewry
•
Hal Freed, Chair 301-299-7087, ext. 275
[email protected]
Upcoming Activities
Promote Israel Advocacy
David Pollock, of the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy, will
speak at the Sunday, December 8
Men’s Club Sunday Brunch. His visit
is being co-sponsored by the Men’s
Club and the World Jewry Committee.
Mr. Pollock, a Kaufman fellow at The
Washington Institute, focuses on the
political dynamics of Middle East
countries. He served previously as Senior Advisor for the
Broader Middle East at the State Department and his efforts
focused on women’s rights. He also helped launch the
department’s $15 million Iraqi Women’s Democracy Initiative
and the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, working directly with
advocates across the Middle East.
On Thursday, January 23 at 8 PM, the World Jewry Committee
will present a speaker from the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC). This event will follow a meet & greet
session, at 7 PM, for those interested in learning about AIPAC,
and the upcoming 2014 AIPAC Policy Conference, which will
be held at the Washington Convention Center on March 2-4.
Rabbi Adam Raskin will lead a Har Shalom Delegation to
the Conference for the third time. Last year, 25 Har Shalom
members joined over 13,000 people to hear noted Middle
East experts, politicians and international leaders talk about
Israel, the Middle East and Israel’s relations with the United
States. Those interested can learn more about it and register
at http://www.aipac.org/pc.
The World Jewry Committee, in concert with the Har Shalom
Adult Education Committee, will present an Israel Advocacy
Film Series from the Step Up for Israel organization on
Tuesday evenings in May 2014. The screenings are funded
by a grant to the Step Up for Israel organization from the
Jewish Federation of the Greater Washington Area. A similar
film series designed for teens will be shown to Har Shalom
teenagers. The five screenings will include a post film
discussion and Q&A session. The films will include Crossing
the Line: The Intifada Comes to Campus, Israel Inside,
Creation of a State, Israel and the West, and Speak Up for
Israel. All are evocative and will tell us things we didn’t know
about Israel.
Hal Freed, Chairman of the Har Shalom World Jewry
Committee and Bob Shub, a Past President of the Men’s
Ga-Ga for Gaga!
CJ Snow, a member of Har Shalom since the age of two,
recently completed a Gaga Pit for his Eagle Scout Project at
Har Shalom. Such a project demonstrates leadership, which
is required for a Scout to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the
highest award in Scouting. About 25 people were involved
in building this Gaga Pit, including Har Shalom members Ken
Paretzky, Jacob Cooper, Lauren Snow, Dan Snow and Linda
Silverman, as well as many fellow Scouts. CJ is currently an
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 773, a 10th grader
at Churchill High School, and in the Kesher program at Har
Shalom.
What is Gaga you ask? According to Wikipedia, Gaga is a
variant of dodgeball which combines dodging, striking,
running and jumping with the object of hitting opponents
with a ball below the knee while avoiding being hit.
Note: The Gaga Pit is still under construction and will be
ready for use sometime mid-November.
World Jewry | Continued
Club, are currently in Israel with their wives on a tour with
the Seaboard Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. We look for
great stories when they return. Hazzan Ozur Bass will lead a
Har Shalom trip to Israel in the summer of 2014. See page 4
for information about this trip.
Sisterhood
Yvonne Paretzky, President
Can the can and share the love with (real) cranberry
sauce…
Can the Can
We all know canned food products are a pantry staple. For
long-term, emergency reserves, nothing beats them. Often,
though, canned foods have high levels of sodium, lack flavor,
and are potentially dangerous. The dangerous issue is that
canned foods could be lined with bisphenol A (BPA), which is
found in the plastics lining can to prevent (particularly acidic)
foods from leaching the aluminum from the can into the food.
BPA, though, has been linked to hormonal imbalances and
certain cancers. Many companies are now using BPA-free
cans, so always check the labels to be sure.
As we approach Thanksgiving, one canned item in particular
makes an appearance at most tables: cranberry sauce. That
familiar look - you take it out of the can and it’s perfectly
jelled with the ridge-marked design of the can to look pretty.
Well, in the spirit of sharing, I offer you a recipe that has been
on my table now for 10 years (and the tables of many others
who have shared the love). It’s easy, fun for the kids to watch,
and most certainly better than anything from a can (though it
won’t have that same jelled property).
Enjoy!
-Ellen Robin
CRANBERRY AND DRIED-CHERRY SAUCE
1 12-ounce container frozen cranberry juice cocktail, thawed
1 cup water
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 6-ounce package dried tart cherries
1 12-ounce bag/container fresh cranberries
storage container (glass if still warm). Cover; chill overnight
(essential for firming up, though it won’t be as jelled as the
canned variety). Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
Raisins or dried cranberries could easily stand in for the dried
tart cherries.
Makes about 4 cups.
Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 2002
Unmasking Domestic
Abuse:
From reading the bathroom sign
to being able to support a friend
Most people recognize the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic
Abuse (JCADA) as the organization whose signs you see
in your congregation’s bathroom. However, the bathroom
signs are just one piece of the puzzle toward creating a
safe community for people experiencing domestic or dating
abuse. Another piece of the puzzle is ensuring we can all act
as part of the safety net.
Join JCADA staff for an interactive workshop focused on
learning to recognize red flags of an unhealthy relationship,
and tools to help a friend, or relative, Wednesday, November
20, 2013, 8:00 pm, at Congregation Har Shalom, sponsored
by Sisterhood of Har Shalom.
For more information about JCADA, visit www.jcada.org.
For more information about this program, contact Laurie
Freed, VP Education, SisterhoodEducation@HarShalom.
org. Open to everyone!
Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in heavy medium saucepan
over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add
cherries; cook 2 minutes. Add cranberries; cook until berries
pop, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Transfer to
For more information, see:
• http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20100518/canned-food-may-expose-people-to-bpa
• http://www.marksdailyapple.com/are-your-canned-foods-safe-to-eat-a-bpa-free-buying-guide/#axzz2hJSOO867
• http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/bpa-canned-foods-best-and-worst-brands-out-there.htm
22 • The Tablet
Sisterhood | Continued
Paid-Up Membership
Dinner Recap
Coming up in October
Wednesday, November 6, 12:15 pm | Book Club
[email protected]
Sisterhood’s 2013/5774 Paid-Up Membership Dinner, October
9, was filled with members enjoying
good spirits, good food, and good
information. In keeping with this year’s
Women’s League theme of Mishpacha,
our keynote speaker, Marlene Bishow,
president of the Jewish Geneaology
Society of Greater Washington. We
learned how – and why – to get started
climbing our family trees. Oh the stories you may discover!
Wednesday, November 20, 8:00 pm | Unmasking
Domestic Abuse
[email protected]
Fourth Thursdays at 7:45 pm | Minyan & Martinis
November 28 (yes, Thanksgiving evening!)
Every Wednesday, 10:00 am | Bowling
10 am warm up; 10:15
am games begin,
Bowl America, Gaithersburg
[email protected]
Look for more opportunities to get to know your sisters as
the year goes by. And, if you’re not a member, it’s never too
late!
Membership & Dues
- Wendy Epstein, VP Membership
Sisterhood membership is open all women who support the
objectives of Sisterhood. You do not have to be a member of
Har Shalom; you do not have to be Jewish.
Dues are $40 a year. If you are 67 or older or if you are
unable to pay full dues, you may elect to pay less than the
full amount. If you are a new member of Har Shalom, we are
happy to waive your first year’s dues.
As an affiliate of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism,
for every Sisterhood member, whether or not she pays
full dues, we pay $10 to Women’s League and those dues
have been raised. So, every full dues payment and donation
to Sisterhood helps us do all the things we do for our Har
Shalom family, our members and our community.
Please email Wendy Epstein, VP Membership, at
[email protected], if you have any
membership questions.
Coporal Ken Matney, Rockville Police Department, and
Marsha Schwartz, Sisterhood Paid-Up Membership Dinner
decorations chair, with some of the dozen stuffed animals
used as centerpieces and then donated to the RPD.
Police officers carry stuffed toys in their cruisers to help
calm young children involved in stressful situations.
Please insert “Sisterhood dues” on the Memo line of your
check. If you include your Sisterhood dues in your Har
Shalom account payment, please check the box that part of
your payment should be applied to your Sisterhood dues.
Sisterhood | Continued on Next Page...
Sisterhood Book Club
2013 – 2014
The next Book Club meeting of the year is
Wednesday, November 6. The book is My
Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor and the
facilitator is Yetta Plotnick. Bring a dairy
lunch to start off at 12:15; book discussion
begins at 1:00.
In Search of:
Kiddush Volunteers
Whether you’re a member of Sisterhood, a congregant (male
or female!), a frequent visitor, or the parent or guardian of a
Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you are invited to volunteer to help in the
kitchen for a Shabbat Kiddush. Everyone is encouraged to
help out once each season, or four times a year. This helps
us keep Sisterhood Catering a viable source of community
building and a lovely contribution to Har Shalom.
Dec. 4 | Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes • facilitator, Ruth
Levin
Jan. 8 | I Am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits • facilitator,
Carol Leibowitz
Feb. 5 | Murder in the Marais by Clara Black • facilitator,
Lynette Spira
Mar. 5 | One More River by Mary Glickman • facilitator,
Ellen Kaner Bresnick
Apr. 2 | Moloka’i by Alan Brennert • facilitator, Lois
Forster
May 7 | Book TBD
It’s easy, just go to SignupGenius.com and enter
[email protected] as the Sign Up Creator. If you
have a problem using this sign up sheet, please
email Linda Isen, Kiddush Volunteer coordinator at
[email protected].
June 11 | Luncheon
Photographers for Sisterhood Events
If you have any questions, please email Marie Kramer, Chair,
[email protected]
Advocate for the Victims in Sudan
Every third Sunday, rain or shine, snow or hail from 1:30 to
2:30 in front of the Embassy of Sudan). See ad on page 13.
Bowling
Wednesdays 10:00 am warm up; 10:15 am games begin; Bowl
America, Gaithersburg, no skill required! Contact Ruthie
Hartzman, Chair, at [email protected].
Who’s Who
For a list of Sisterhood officers, directors and committee chairs,
go to www.harshalom.org/auxilaries/sisterhood. For
general questions or if you don’t know who to contact, email
[email protected] and your message will be
directed to the proper person.
24 • The Tablet
Cooks for Stepping Stones & Crocheters
and Knitters for Project Linus
Contact Marjorie Klein, Chair, at SisterhoodTO@
HarShalom.org.
No fancy equipment needed. Your phone camera will do just
fine. We just need photos of our members at programs so we
can show everyone who we are! Contact Yvonne Paretzky
at [email protected].
Sisterhood Donations
Money that Sisterhood receives from its fundraising
projects and donations goes to support Har Shalom, our
Early Childhood Education Center, our Religious School,
Conservative/Masorti seminaries in the United States and
abroad, Women’s League and Seaboard Region operations,
local and international tikkun olam projects, and Sisterhood
programs and activities for its members.
If you would like to make a donation to Sisterhood, please
send a note indicating whether you would like your
contribution to go into Sisterhood’s Kitchen Kash Fund or to
Sisterhood’s general operating fund. Make checks payable
to Sisterhood of Har Shalom and mail or deliver to Har
Shalom, 11510 Falls Rd., Potomac, MD 20854.
Join Har Shalom Sisterhood
for a concert with
Sisterhood Ye*SHE*va
A co-educational, multi-generational,
academic (and social!) institution
Nov. 20 | Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse
See page 22 for details.
Dec. 14 | Har Shalom’s Treasures Concert
See box on the right for details.
Jan. 12 | “Single Parenting, Jewish Style”
A presentation by Tamar Abrams, writer and communications
strategist, details her experiences as a single mother
(highlighted in Washingtonian magazine) and speaks about
creating strategies that work for you and your children.
Feb. 11 | Rockville Open House (ROH)
A safe gathering space for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender or inter-sex Jewish teens (13-18) to speak to
parents, grandparents, and other interested adults, on issues
surrounding the life of an LGBT teen. This program will occur
off-site in a comfortable, non-threatening environment.
Mar. 1 | Sisterhood Shabbat
The D’var Torah will be given by noted author, Miriam
Feinberg, on Women’s League’s theme Mishpacha.
Sisterhood members are invited to participate in this
wonderfully uplifting service.
Har Shalom’s
Treasures
Featuring members of the
Har Shalom Family
Saturday, December 14, 2013
7:30 PM
Light refreshments will be served
during intermission
Tickets $8 in advance/$10 at the door
Make checks payable to:
Har Shalom Sisterhood
RSVP to [email protected]
by December 9.
JOIN US FOR THE THIRD
ELDERCARE BRUNCH
Mar. 31 | Women of the Wall
Washington friends of Women of the Wall will talk about the
controversial issues surrounding the right of womens to pray
at the Kotel in Jerusalem. Discussion with a Q&A to follow.
If you would like to volunteer to help for any of
these events of have any questions, please contact
Laurie T. Freed, Sisterhood Vice President of Education at
[email protected] or 301-987-2478.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 19
Open to all! Invite your family members and friends.
Upcoming:
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
Contact Bikkur Holim Eldercare Chair Erica Webber
with any questions or suggestions
[email protected]
Art Gallery
Fran Abrams, Art Gallery
Inspired by Nature
On Display November 1 - December 21
Meet the Artists Reception - Sunday, November 3, 11 am-1 pm
The gallery walls will exhibit the work of three artists
working in three different media - collage, photography and
watercolor. The display cases will feature work in ceramics
and wood. Although each artist has a personal artistic vision,
each is inspired by nature.
On the gallery walls, you will see remarkable collages by
Patricia Zannie, Silver Spring, MD, (www.patzannie.com)
who uses hand-made paper, classic prints and contemporary
images from haute couture magazines. Her images of nature
appear representational but, within the detail, the viewer can
see two-dimensional flat patterns and geometric cut shapes
that may be totally and mysteriously unrelated to the optical
reality they are supposed to represent.
The original watercolors by Madeline Wikler, Silver Spring,
MD, (www.madelinewikler.com) are inspired by 23 summers
spent on the lakes and coast of Maine. They combine
traditional watercolor techniques and experiments with
glazing and pouring to achieve luminosity and glow. The
work on display includes pieces completed in the studio and
outdoors on site.
The photographs by Har Shalom member Jack Rosenberg,
Potomac, MD, (www.my-2nd-life.com) are landscapes and
yet are abstract. In his travels, he is especially drawn to
doors, windows and walls but his images tend to be quite
eclectic. He is visually attracted to the smaller parts of the
whole and says that a love of puzzles has taken him in the
direction of abstraction in his photographic work.
In one showcase, you will find ceramics by Rebecca
Ravenal, Bethesda, MD, (www.torpedofactory.org/artists/
ravenal_r.htm) that feature designs from nature such as
fruits, flowers and birds. Rebecca uses a traditional Italian
maiolica technique that begins with wheel-thrown or handformed pieces made from red earthenware clay, then fired
26 • The Tablet
and covered in a white tin-based glaze. The designs are
painted with colored stains on top of the white base, and
melt into the glaze when fired a second time.
In the other showcase are bowls by wood turner Phil Brown,
Bethesda, MD (www.fineturnedwood.com), whose openform vessels are included in five museums as well as many
private collections. He uses local wood from downed trees
that he selects for its beauty based on its natural color
variations, its growth and grain patterns, and from spalting.
Gallery Har Shalom is located on the walls and in the glass
showcases between the Burke Sanctuary and the Stempler
Social Hall. As you move through the hallway, slow down
and look at the beautiful work on display. Keep in mind that
all work is for sale. Sales forms are available in the rack on
the gallery wall and purchases can be made at the office. A
percentage of all sales benefits Har Shalom.
Art Gallery
Continued from page 26
NOW ON DISPLAY
Thanksgivukkah:
The Best Holiday Of All Time
Although the eve of Hanukah this year is actually
Wednesday, November 27, this is still an interesting
combination of holidays.
Spalted Maple Bowl
Phil Brown
Tomato Pitcher
Rebecca Ravenel
Angry Sea
Jack Rosenberg
Thanksgiving is set as the fourth Thursday in November,
meaning the latest it can be is November 28. This is the
same date which is also the earliest that Hanukah can
occur.
The Jewish calendar repeats on a 19 year cycle, and
Thanksgiving repeats on a 7 year cycle. You would
therefore expect them to coincide roughly every 19 x 7 =
133 years. Looking back, this is approximately correct; the
last time it happened was 1861. However, Thanksgiving
was only formally established by President Lincoln in
1863. So, it has never happened before!
Why won’t it ever happen again? The reason is that the
Jewish lunar calendar is very slowly getting out of sync
with the solar calendar, at a rate of about 4 days per 1000
years. This means that while presently Hanukah can be
as early as November 28, over the years the calendar
will drift forward. The next (and final) time Hanukah falls
on November 28 is 2146, which is a Monday (obviously
no overlap with Thanksgiving). Therefore, 2013 is the
only time Hanukah will ever overlap with Thanksgiving.
Pier Group
Madeline Wikler
And if the Jewish calendar is never modified in any
way, it will slowly move forward through the Gregorian
calendar, until it loops all the way back to where it is now.
So, Hanukah would again fall on Thursday, 11/28... in the
year 79,811.
Cluster of Saguro
Patricia Zannie
B’nai Mitzvah
Family News
Mazal Tov
to:
11/9/2013
Sarah Eisenberg
Daughter of Jason & Jennifer Eisenberg
Gail & Eric Hyman on their
20th anniversary.
David & Hedda Kenton on
their 51st anniversary.
Emily & Reuven Goldblatt on
their 1st anniversary.
Kenneth & Rachel Towbin
on the auf ruf and marriage
of their son, Josh Towbin, and
Rachel Toran, daughter of
Richard & Shelly Toran.
11/9/2013
Avi Benjamin Grant
Son of Darryl & Susan Grant
Donald & Melissa Hurwitz
on the engagement of their
son, Nathan Hurwitz, to Emily
Perper. Both are attending
University
of
Maryland
Graduate School.
11/16/2013
Joseph Gardemal
Son of
Terry-Ann Gardemal & Joe Gardemal
Bena & Stan Siegel on the Bar
Mitzvah of their grandson, Tal
Shalom, in Eugene, Oregon,
on August 24th.
David & Bilha Marcus on the
auf ruf and marriage of their
son, Jonathan Marcus, and
Adrienne Brown, daughter of
Greg & Nancy Brown.
Rick & Diane Lurye on their
30th anniversary.
Marjorie & Ray Turgel on
the birth of their first greatgrandchild, Wesley Smith,
on August 19th. The proud
grandparents are Jonathan &
Tina Turgel.
Stephanie & Henry Fein
on the birth of their first
grandson, Leo Isaac Epstein,
on September 17th. The proud
parents are Sondra and Greg
Epstein.
Condolences
to:
Nona Teichman and Shelley
Remer on the passing of their
husband and father, Solomon
Teichman.
Myra Freilich Cohen on the
passing of her grandmother,
Bernice Tapper.
Judy Stein on the passing of
her brother, Charles Klieman.
Permanently Inscribed
Giving Opporunities
11/23/2013
Matthew Koppel
There are many ways to honor family, friends, and occasions at
Har Shalom... a brick or plaque can be displayed as a permanent
reminder.
Son of Bob & Lisa Koppel
Forms are available in the Synagogue Office. If you have any
questions, whether about ordering or appropriate wording, please
contact Leslie in the Clergy Office: 301-299-7087, ext. 223.
11/23/2013
Olivia Horowitz
Daughter of Robert & Cathy Horowitz
28 • The Tablet
• Megillat Simha leaf: ($180) Celebrate your simha with a
brass leaf, displayed in the hallway outside of the Gordon
Sanctuary.
• Bricks ($180): For any occasion. Located in the walkway at
the Burke Sanctuary entrance.
• Tree of Life leaf: ($360) Commemorate your family’s
milestones; displayed in the hallway between the Burke
Sanctuary and the Stempler Social Hall.
• Yahrzeit Plaque: ($500) Memorial plaque in the Burke
Sanctuary.
• Burke Seat Plaque: ($1,800) For any occassion or
remembrance; located on the back of seats in the Burke
Sanctuary; payable in three installments.
Donations
We Gratefully Acknowledge the Following Contributions . . .
Abram Blum Library
Fund
Building
Improvement Fund
In Memory of:
In Memory of:
Bert Chansky, husband of
Charlotte Chansky
Saul & Marlyn Schepartz
Pauline Jakobsberg
Abraham “Abe” Bressler,
father of Neil Bressler
Jack & Diana Binder
Freda Ladin Margolin,
mother of Shelly
Barry & Shelly Basen
Martin Pinsky, father of
David Pinsky
Jamie & Lynn Mintzer
Alan B. Levenson
Fund
Seymour Weber, father of
Anne
Marty & Anne Meth
Vivian Rothwax
Al Binder
Cantor Cal Chizever
ECEC Scholarship
Fund
In Memory of:
In Honor of:
Birthday of Manny Karbeling
Ruthjoy Leventhal
Special Birthday of Joan
Forest
Joan Levenson
In Memory of:
Solomon “Sam” Teichman,
husband of Nona Teichman,
father of Shelley Remer
Joan Levenson
Speedy Recovery to:
Max Silverman, father of
Mike Silverman
David & Jodi Chen
Lee & Brenda Footer
Renee Durner, sister of
Brenda Bergstein
Lee & Brenda Footer
Jay & Sherri Eichberg
Lee, Brenda & Naomi Footer
Community of
Caring Fund
Lois Forster
Joan Levenson
In Honor of:
Ashin-Zitomer
Dor L’Dor Fund
Bob & June Plotkin
Barry & Sue Sklar
In Memory of:
In Memory of:
Arnie & Maureen Binderman
Charlotte Chansky
Barbara Peschin
Barry & Sue Sklar
Barry & Barbara Korb
Debbie Karch
Children’s Library
Fund
In Memory of:
Gemilut Hasadim
Fund
In Memory of:
Gustav Berle, stepfather of
Jeff
Jeffrey & Irene Rosenbloom
General Operating
Fund
David & Cathy Certner
Benjamin & Pearl Kipnis,
parents of Irene
Marty & Anne Meth
Sara Stein, mother of Ruth
William & Ruth Oshinsky
1st Wedding Anniversary of
Reuven & Emily Goldblatt
Har Shalom Board of Directors
Debra Schwartz
ECEC & Religious
School Special Needs
Fund
In Honor of:
20th Wedding Anniversary
of Eric & Gail Hyman
30th Wedding Anniversary
of Rick & Diane Lurye
47th Wedding Anniversary of
Barry & Sue Sklar
Judy Abrams
In Memory of:
Etz Hayim Humash
Fund
In Memory of:
The Shiva Week Friends
51st Wedding Anniversary of
David & Hedda Kenton
Judy Abrams
Auf Ruf & Marriage of Josh
Towbin, son of Kenneth &
Rachel Towbin, to Rachel
Toran
Engagement of Nathan
Hurwitz, son of Donald &
Melissa Hurwitz, to Emily
Perper
Donations | Continued
Auf Ruf & Marriage of
Jonathan Marcus, son of
David & Bilha Marcus, to
Adrienne Brown
Auf Ruf & Wedding of our
son, Reece, and Jennifer
Siegel
Larry & Dawn Fischer
Birth of Mary Idalie
Weitzberg, our
granddaughter
Abe & Barb Weitzberg
Brett’s High Holy Day Honor
Larry & Dawn Fischer
Engagement of Evan Susser,
son of Peter & Jodi Susser
Stephen & Jill Montag
Engagement of Kori
Mausner & Andy Mirsberger
Karen Mausner
Marriage of Shawn Eskow,
son of Roy & Julie Eskow,
and Rebecca Kaplan
Mel & Linda Slan
My colleagues and friends
who helped me so much
during my illness and
recovery
Alice Strasser
Albert Giller, father of
Barbara
Harold & Barbara Weiss
Benjamin Jaffa, my father
Joseph Jaffa
Bernice Tapper,
grandmother of Myra
Freilich Cohen
Max Silverman, father of
Mike Silverman
Steven & Stacey Erd
Charlotte Chansky
Harry & Phyllis Pollack
Caroline Morenoff, my
mother-in-law
Judy Morenoff
Caroll Silver, my father
June Rogul
Daniel Green, my father
Ronni Green Cristol
Dr. Charles Klieman, brother
of Judy Stein
Edward Margolin, father of
Shelly
Barry & Shelly Basen
Ethel Anthone, my mother
Susan Bodansky
Evelyn Auerbach, my wife
Martin Auerbach
In Memory of:
Jesse & Miriam Freed,
parents of Hal
Hal & Laurie Freed
Adrian Webber, our mother
Erica, Jeff & Neil Webber
30 • The Tablet
Karol Albert, mother of
Morton
Morton & Kitty Albert
Leonard Cohn, my brother
Roberta Lasken
Harvey Forest Fund
In Honor of:
Mark Versel on the occasion
of the unveiling of his
headstone
Barbara Blum
Vic & Marla Cohen
Barry & Sue Sklar
Abraham “Abe” Bressler,
father of Neil Bressler
Harry & Phyllis Pollack
Mark Mausner, my husband
Karen Mausner
Mildred Tor, my sister
Lewis Gold
Rose Zelda Bosin, mother of
Sylvia
Ted & Sylvia Yaffe
Rubin Slan, father of Mel
Mel & Linda Slan
Samuel Kessler, father of
Judd
Judd Kessler & Carol Farris
Marilyn Grodnitzky
Marty & Anne Meth
Judy Abrams
Herb & Ellen Herscowitz
Carol & Marcia Witt
Ron & Joy Paul
David & Barbara Cypes
Stanley Lapkoff, brother of
Harolyn
Harolyn Schwartz & Family
Sylvia Schwartz, mother of
Ellen
Arden & Ellen Baker
Speedy Recovery to:
Stuart Gordon
Marty & Harriette Adler
Birthday of Joan Forest
Mort & Sandy Margulies
Ruthjoy Leventhal
Hazzan’s
Discretionary Fund
Lawrence Zitomer
Owen & Margie Ritter
In Honor of:
Bat Mitzvah of Jenna
Berinstein
Daniel & Diane Berinstein
Hazzan Ozur Bass
The Teichman & Remer
Families
Naming of Dahlia Eden Feld
Alan, Michelle & Dahlia Feld
Hevra Kadisha Fund
In Honor of:
Alan Fisher
Jodi Susser
David Kenton
Jodi Susser
Ira Weiss
Jodi Susser
Rabbi Emeritus
Discretionary Fund
In Honor of:
53rd Wedding Anniversary
of Rabbi Leonard & Elizabeth
Cahan
Judy Abrams
Donations | Continued
Rabbi’s
Discretionary Fund
Lawrence Zitomer
In Honor of:
16th Wedding Anniversary of
Rabbi Adam & Sari Raskin
Judy Abrams
Auf Ruf of our son, Shawn,
and Rebecca Kaplan
Roy & Julie Eskow
Bat Mitzvah of Jenna
Berinstein
Daniel & Diane Berinstein
Har Shalom for being so
welcoming on the High Holy
Days
Carl & Isobel Marcus
Rabbi Raskin
The Teichman & Remer
Families
In Memory of:
Siddur Sim Shalom
Fund
In Memory of:
Abraham & Minnie Millstein,
parents of Dick
Dick & Nancy Millstein
The Shiva Week Friends
Peter & Jodi Susser
Har Shalom Family Shabbaton
April 4-6, 2014
At the Pearlstone Retreat and
Conference Center
A relaxing &
reflective Shabbat
with your Har
Shalom family.
World Jewry Fund
In Memory of:
Anita Reiner, sister of Bill
Oshinsky
Hal & Laurie Freed
Charles Oshinsky, father of
William
William & Ruth Oshinsky
Update:
Harry Gold, my father
Lewis Gold
Enrique & Suzanne Fefer
Save the Date!!
The following donations
were made to the Debbie
Karch Children’s Library
Fund in memory of:
Betsy Davis, my mother
Margie Ritter
Sam Schron
Spencer & Eleanor Schron
Led by Rabbi Adam Raskin, Hazzan Henrique
Ozur Bass and Rabbi Debbie Cohen.
Highlights include:
Spiritual & Spirited Celebration
Arts & Music
Jewish Learning for all Ages
Recreational activities include a ropes
course, sports & activities at the Kayam
Farm.
Questions? Want to get involved in helping to plan the
retreat? Contact Rabbi Debbie Cohen, rabbicohen@
harshalom.org, 301-299-7087, ext. 229 or come to the
planning meeting.
Har Shalom Family Shabbaton
Planning Meeting
November 18 at 8pm
Come to the first meeting to help plan this
year’s Shabbaton! Your input, ideas and
planning efforts are needed to make this
year’s Shabbaton fabulous.
Want to be involved but can’t make the meeting?
Let Rabbi Cohen know, [email protected],
301-299-7087, ext. 229
Support the Grocery Gift Card Program!
Please help support Har Shalom through the purchase of grocery gift cards. There is nothing "extra" for you
to pay; you simply pay for the face value of the Giant or KosherMart (Moti’s Market) gift card and the stores
make a contribution to Har Shalom.
Cards are available whenever the main office is open. Gift cards for Giant come in $50 and $100
denominations; cards for KosherMart (Moti’s Market) are available in $50 increments.
When you buy Har Shalom Grocery Gift Cards, you are not only making purchases you have already planned
to make, but you are supporting our congregation at the same time. A portion of the proceeds will be shared
with Sisterhood to help support their important contributions to our community.
Questions? Please call the office at (301) 299-7087 or email [email protected].

November 2013 - Congregation Har Shalom

Transcription

Similar documents

Popadom and Pickles Mixed Starter: Choose your own

Congregation Beth Shalom

Happenings 5.23.14

April 2013—5773 - Beth Shir Shalom

view our May 2014 Newsletter

it`s the world`s most difficult job.

Read this article

kosher porn - Above the Treeline

Shabbat Nus - 2015-02-21