1503 March 15 Scroll

Scroll
Congregation Beth El
March 2015 •Adar-Nisan 5775
Vol. 64 No. 7
Jewish Comedy
From the Clergy
Theme
Jewish Humor• 1, 8-9
From the Clergy • 1
Hamantaschen • 1
Legacy Society • 3
Scolnic Institute • 3
From the Education
Director • 5
Family Sports Night • 6
Purim Schedule • 10
Library Corner • 11
By Rabbi Bill Rudolph
Everybody likes a good joke, and we
Jews are no different. Given our
history, our having
a collective sense
of humor is more
necessary than for
most other people. And I think
we have succeeded, even though
I wish we Jews didn’t have so
much need to find levity in the
lives we have led.
Look at this list: Sandy
Baron, Belle Barth, Jack
Benny, Gertrude Berg, Milton Berle,
Shelley Berman, Joey Bishop,Victor
Borge, David Brenner, Fanny Brice, Mel
Brooks, Lenny Bruce, Art Buchwald,
George Burns, Red Buttons. That is just
the Bs of American Jewish comedians, so
I guess we are pretty good at this. If you
don’t recognize these names, then you
are young and you missed something
special. Ask the folks.
The Jewish Joke
What is a Jewish joke? There are all
kinds of scholarly answers to that question and many books about Jewish
continued on page 2
Matters of the
Heart • 12
Project Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen Recipe • 13
About 15 years ago I found a battered
old box covered in the yellow crisscrossed lattice-design wallpaper that had
been in my grandmother’s
small Greenwich Village
kitchen. The box was a repository of treasures related to
the involvement of my grandmother, Henriette Sternberg,
in Jewish life and social action (though I am sure that’s
not what it was called then)
in her corner of New York City.
It contained mostly recipes but also
ideas for activities that she undertook
as a member and ultimately president
of her Washington Square chapter of
Hadassah. There were notes on projects
she undertook by herself. I found a very
tattered copy of a newspaper article with
her kugel recipe and a faded copy of a
Laughs 4U • 14
Departments
Men’s Club • 6
Sisterhood • 7
Contributions • 16
Bulletin Board • 20
The Scroll is a recipient
of three Solomon Schechter Gold Awards from
the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism.
By Janice Liebowitz
photo of her in a Victory garden where
she had won first prize for her cabbage.
She had helped hundreds of New
Yorkers, mostly in Brooklyn, grow their
own vegetables when produce
was in short supply during
World War II. She made dolls
out of cloth remnants and sold
them for whatever price buyers indicated on their checks
written out to Hadassah. There
were invitations to luncheons
and teas with guest lists that
included women with names
like Rae, Gussie, and Selma. (Nanny, as
the nine grandchildren called her, was
known to everyone else as Yetta.) The
sample menus included starters like
watercress soup as well as her signature
“Tom Thumb” and date-nut square concontinued on page 13
Scroll
8215 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-1451
Phone 301-652-2606 Fax 301-907-8559
Webwww.bethelmc.org
Affiliated with United Synagogue
of Conservative Judaism
Senior Rabbi
William D. Rudolph [email protected]
Rabbi
Gregory Harris [email protected]
Hazzan
Matthew Klein [email protected]
Executive Director
Sheila H. Bellack [email protected]
Education Director
Rabbi Mark Levine [email protected]
Associate Education Director
Elisha Frumkin [email protected]
Director of Community Engagement
Geryl Baer [email protected]
Preschool Director
Kim Lausin [email protected]
Youth Director
Adam Zeren [email protected]
Rabbi Emeritus
Samuel Scolnic, z”l
Hazzan Emeritus
Abraham Lubin [email protected]
President
David Mills [email protected]
Executive Vice President
Jerry Sorkin [email protected]
Administrative Vice President
Larisa Avner Trainor [email protected]
Communications and Tikkun Olam
Vice President
Larry Sidman [email protected]
Community Building Vice President
Ivy Fields [email protected]
Development and Finance Vice President
Mark C. Bronfman [email protected]
Education and Lifelong Learning
Vice President
Amy Kaufman Goott [email protected]
Worship and Spirituality Vice President
Rebecca Musher Gross [email protected]
Treasurer
Joseph B. Hoffman [email protected]
Secretary
Sharon D. Zissman [email protected]
Scroll Committee [email protected]
Janet Meyers, Chair, Sharon Apfel, Judy Futterman,
Mara Greengrass, Susan Jerison, Davida Kales,
Marci Kanstoroom, Helen Popper, Marsha Rehns,
Walter Schimmerling, Larry Sidman, and
Jerry Sorkin. Graphic designer: Tiarra Joslyn
4U editor: Jennifer Katz
Scroll, USPS Number 009813, is published monthly by Congregation
Beth El of Montgomery County, 8215 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda,
MD 20814. Periodical postage rate paid at Bethesda, Maryland and
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Scroll, 8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
2
FROM THE CLERGY continued from page 1
humor, but the definition I like best is the simplest: A Jewish
joke is one that every Jew has already heard or could have told
better.
What is a “classic” Jewish joke of the 19th-20th centuries?
Here is an example. During WWII, after three months of waiting in Casablanca, Lowenthal has almost given up hope of
getting a visa for America and survival in the face of the Nazi
onslaught. The American consulate was constantly filled with
refugees, and it was virtually impossible even to get an interview with an American official. Finally, Lowenthal was able to
make an appointment. “What are my chances of entering your
country?” he asked. “Not very good, I’m afraid,” said the official. “Your country’s quota is completed filled. I suggest you
come back in 10 years.” “Fine,” replied Lowenthal impassively.
“Morning or afternoon?” This is the genre we call “laughter
through tears,” generally about anti-Semitism, and sometimes
we even get the last word on the anti-Semites. “We’ll Be There Friday”
More up-to-date are jokes about assimilation. Try this one. A
Jewish man in Florida, in his 80s, calls his son in New York.
The father says to the son, “I hate to tell you, but we’ve got
some troubles here in the house.Your mother and I can’t stand
each other anymore, and we’re getting a divorce. I’ve had it! I
want to live out the rest of my years in peace. I’m telling you
now, so you and your sister shouldn’t go into shock later when
I move out.” He hangs up, and the son immediately calls his
sister in the Hamptons and tells her the news. The sister says,
“I’ll handle this.” She calls Florida and says to her father, “Don’t
do ANYTHING until we get there! We’ll be there Friday
night.” The father agrees, “All right, all right already.” He hangs
up the phone and hollers to his wife, “Okay, they’re coming for
Passover. Now, what are we going to tell them for Rosh Hashanah?”
Enjoy this issue of the Scroll with the theme of Jewish humor. We learn a lot about ourselves from our humor, and hopefully we have a few laughs in the process. n
Jewish Women Physicians Group
Sunday, March 8, 10:00 am
Join women physicians at Beth El for a
networking and study session. We will
discuss how being a physician fits with
Jewish values and how women physicians face unique challenges. For more
information and to RSVP, contact Rona
Schwartz at [email protected]
or Geryl Baer at [email protected] or
301-652-2606, ext. 352.
Thoughts of “Footprints” Inspire Legacy Gift
By Andrea Glazer
Pat and Jerry Danoff have decided to include Beth El in
their estate plans, a marked departure from their previous
thinking. I recently spoke with Pat to understand what influenced this change of mind. Pat and Jerry have been active
members of Beth El for more than 30
years. In addition to participating in
worship services, they helped start Nitzanim and led the sukkah kit project.
Pat has served as president of Beth El
and of Sisterhood. Jerry served on the
executive committee and plays in the
Beth El Band.
Over the years, Pat told me, they
have responded to Beth El’s needs,
including Pillars, the Gala, the Hanukkah Wish List, and the previous capital
campaign, but “giving for the distant future didn’t resonate,”
she said. They didn’t believe that their estate would be large
enough to accommodate a gift of any significance to Beth
El after securing their children’s and grandchildren’s futures.
Provision for Beth El
So, what changed their minds? As each milestone birthday
passed, they began to think more about the meaning of their
lives and what “footprints” they would leave behind, Pat explained. As they were preparing to rewrite their legacy documents, it seemed as though it was beshert to make a provi-
Rabbi Samuel Scolnic Adult
Institute – Spring 2015
The Rabbi Samuel Scolnic Adult Institute, founded in 1977 as the Saul Bendit
Adult Institute, is one of the leading synagogue-based adult education programs
in the Washington, D.C., area. Now in its
37th year, the Institute has received national and international recognition.
The spring program, running for six
weeks, comprises 10 courses offered Wednesday evenings
beginning March 18, and four classes offered Tuesday mornings, beginning March 17. The program includes a wide
array of courses. Check out the offerings and make plans to
register for one or more classes. Brochures have been mailed
and are also available at www.bethelmc.org. Early bird registration deadline is March 3. n
sion for Beth El. They thought about the integral role Beth
El has played in their lives as individuals, as a couple, and as a
family. “We have been touched and shaped by Beth El,” Pat
said. They considered the importance of perpetuating their
values and their experiences for Beth El
members in years to come. “Leaving a
bequest to help ensure a vibrant Beth El
in the future will demonstrate for our
kids, better than any words we could
speak, how important being Jewish is
to us and why finding and supporting
their own Jewish community is so important,” Pat said.
They realized that there are ways
to make a planned gift other than a
bequest of a specific dollar amount,
and they chose to designate a percentage of their estate to
benefit Beth El. It made sense to them because it allows for
the fluctuating value of their estate. Their children have supported their decision and have welcomed Beth El’s inclusion
in the family’s future plans.
As charter members of Beth El’s new Legacy Society,
Pat and Jerry invite you to join them in providing for Beth
El’s secure future. For further information about Creating
a Jewish Legacy at Beth El, please contact Andrea Glazer at
[email protected]. n
Wednesday Night Schedule
with Minyan/refreshment break from 8:20-8:40 pm
7:30 - 8:20 pm
8:40 - 9:30 pm
Rabbi Rudolph’s Favorite Bible Stories
Rabbi William Rudolph
Innovative Jewish Thinkers: Rashi
Rabbi Gregory Harris
Learn to Read Torah: Cantillation Workshop
Hazzan Matthew Klein
Jewish Passages in 21st Century America:
Contemporary Trends in Life Cycle Events
Rabbi Avis Miller
Beyond Stereotypes: The Biblical Books of
Esther and Ruth
Rabbi Mindy Portnoy
Post-1960s Judaism in America
Rabbi Steven Glazer
Issues Confronting Israel Today
Martin Sieff
Poetry and Philosophy in the Siddur
Dr. Elliot Wilner
Does the Text Really Say That?
Gideon Amir
Jewish Political Tradition
Dr. Jerome Copulsky
Tuesday Morning Schedule
with refreshment break from 10:50-11:10 am
10:00 - 10:50 am
11:10 am - Noon
Jewish Passages in 21st Century America:
Contemporary Trends in Life Cycle Events
Rabbi Avis Miller
Beyond Stereotypes: The Biblical Books of
Esther and Ruth
Rabbi Mindy Portnoy
Does the Text Really Say That?
Gideon Amir
Post-1960s Judaism in America
Rabbi Steven Glazer
3
Torah Repair
Religious School students learned techniques for restoring a Sefer Torah at a recent program. Sofer Jeffrey Shulevitz, an L2G teacher, is restoring a scroll
for Beth El. Students had the opportunity to assist
him in sanding the parchment and filling in letters.
Photo by Mitchell Solkowitz
Literary Luminary
Mazal tov to Beth El’s Charles E. Smith Jewish Day
School seniors, who graduated on February 8. From
top left: Eitan Dunn, Robert Belson, Joel Halpern,
Gabriel Roark, Aaron Handelman, and Jacob Stillman. From bottom left: Matthew Litman, Adina
Pollak, Miranda Escobar, Isabella Zissman, Evan
Kravitz, and Jeremy Kaplan.
Join Beth El for
Good Deeds Day
Sunday, March 15
Rabbi Mindy Portnoy, rabbi emerita of Temple Sinai
and adjunct rabbi at Beth El, spoke at the Daniel
Mann Literary Luminary Event on Sunday, January
25. In her talk, “Behind the Bima: The Inner Literary
Life of a Rabbi,” she offered insights into the reading,
study, and writing habits of successful rabbis. Photo
by Mitchell Solkowitz
Beth El on Twitter and Instagram
Don’t use Facebook? Don’t fret. We’ve expanded our social
media presence to include Instagram and Twitter. You can
find us as @bethelmoco on both sites.
Like with Facebook, you don’t need to be a member of
either site in order to see our updates - but if you are, feel
free to follow us. Visit our Instagram and Twitter pages at
instagram.com/bethelmoco and twitter.com/bethelmco
respectively.
4
Activities include:
• Paper document collection for shredding. Sponsored
by the Green Tikkun Committee. Drop off your paper
documents in bags or boxes at Beth El from 8:45 am
to 1:00 pm. The documents will be collected, stored
securely overnight, and shredded the next day at
OPSUS Paper Systems. Contributions to the Green
Tikkun Fund are welcome but not mandatory.
• Blood drive. Sponsored by Men’s Club. An INOVA
mobile donation center will be available in the Beth El
parking lot from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.
• New towel/washcloth collection. Sponsored by
Sisterhood’s Social Action Committee to support the
Greentree Shelter at the National Center for Children
and Women in Bethesda. The shelter is the largest
homeless facility in Montgomery County for women
and children, with 48 beds and on-site childcare.
Greentree serves as a transitional home, providing
basic support for families to begin rebuilding their lives.
Please participate by bringing new washcloth/bath
towel sets to Beth El between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.
For more information, contact Geryl Baer at
[email protected] or 301-652-2606, ext. 352.
From the Education Director
Cheating and the Jewish View
By Rabbi Mark Levine
Do you remember these cheaters?
•Milli Vanilli, the pop group that lip-synched their way to
a Grammy Award in 1990.
•Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and Lance Armstrong, who all reached the pinnacle
of their sport by doping.
•Jayson Blair, a journalist for The New York Times, who
fabricated stories from the comfort of his apartment,
describing cities he never visited and quoting people he
never met.
•The 125 students at Harvard University who cheated on
a take-home exam in 2012.
•Faculty at University of North Carolina who created fake
classes on paper for athletes.
Column inches limit the number of high profile cheaters
who can be mentioned here, but a comprehensive list might
stretch from Earth to the moon. David Callahan, who wrote
The Cheating Culture:Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to
Get Ahead, ventures that cheating has never been worse.
“Societies [that place] the greatest emphasis on getting
rich…tend to be societies with the greatest amount of
cheating,” writes Callahan. He notes that pressure to excel
starts when children are young, with many parents wrangling to get their toddlers into the “best” preschools. As their
children grow up, these parents preach diligence and industriousness (‫ זְ ִרזוּת‬- z’rizut - an important Jewish value), but
they diminish its sacred value by communicating a successat-all-costs mentality. They demand hard work in expectation of perfect grades in honors or Advance Placement
courses; they urge involvement in multiple extracurricular
activities in hopes of impressing college admissions officers.
“For young people, the pressure is greater than ever,
and the competition is greater than ever,” says Callahan. “It
makes cheating in school an attractive option.” Not surprisingly, therefore, the Educational Testing Service reports between 75 and 98 percent of college students surveyed each
year report having cheated in high school. One interesting
finding demands our attention. In the past, students with
below average grades cheated more often, but today, it’s the
above-average, college-bound students who are cheating.
Mastering the value of z’rizut puts us in charge of our
lives. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks recounts the first time he met
the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Schneerson z”l. In introducing himself, Rabbi Sacks qualified a comment by
referring to “the situation in which I find myself.” Rabbi
Schneerson replied pointedly, “A Jew doesn’t find himself in
a situation. He puts himself in a situation.” This, says Rabbi
Sacks, is z’rizut.
Yet, the tradition cautions us to balance our enthusiasm
and zeal. The outcome of our actions isn’t the sole reward.
Rabbi Tarfon teaches, “You are not expected to complete
the task, but neither are you free to avoid it” (Pirkei Avot
2:21). We should be alert for opportunities and avoid idleness but remember that even a small contribution is meaningful.
Judaism extols ‫ זְ ִרזוּת‬as the foundation of all other character
traits (middot). Without energy and enthusiasm, diligence and
industriousness, we won’t make the effort to give tzedakah or
engage in gemilut hasadim (deeds of loving kindness); we’ll sit
back lazily and assume someone else will do it.
$18 per person / $20 at the door
$10 per student
$50 family max
What’s the Jewish View?
Family Discussion
1. Share examples of when zeal turns into zealotry.
2. Share personal experiences when your enthusiasm might
have led to negative behavior. How might you have refrained from the bad behavior?
3. Discuss times when you’ve seen others cheating in
school. What did you do?
4. Have you been tempted to cheat? What can you do to
still the inner voice that urges you to cheat?
5. Do you feel pressure to excel in work or school?
Discuss the causes of the pressure and how it might be
relieved. n
Spring Concert
featuring EZUZ
Jewish World Music with a Universal Spirit
Sunday, April 19, 4:00 pm
Bender Sanctuary
Register online: bethelmc.org/ezuz
5
Men’s Club
World Wide Wrap
UPCOMING MEN’S CLUB EVENTS
Sunday, March 1, 10:00 am Purim Carnival setup.
There will be no breakfast.
Thursday, March 5, 8:30 pm Hearing Men’s Voices.
Ben Bronheim will lead a discussion on “Our Experiences of Jewish Life in Other Countries.” All men are
welcome.
Sunday March 8, 10:00 am Jay Miller, a Beth El member, will speak about the complexities of the Hebrew
calendar in his talk, “The Sun, the Moon, and the
Mishnah.”
Sunday, March 15, 10:00 am Martin Sieff, congregant,
chief global analyst at The Globalist Research Center,
and author, will discuss the Islamic State, including
such questions as who they are, how dangerous they
are, and how they might be prevented from becoming
a greater threat.
Sunday, March 22, 10:00 am Howard Feibus, a congregant who for the past 30 years has been studying ways
to control global climate change, will discuss a recent
National Academy of Sciences report on the use of
geoengineering to control the increase in global temperature.
Sunday, March 29, 10:00 am Michael Pack, president
of Manifold Productions, will discuss his film Rickover:
The Birth of Nuclear Power, which recently premiered
on Maryland Public Television.
Rabbi Harris helps Hersh Alexander (right) lay tefillin as part of the World Wide Wrap at morning minyan on Sunday, February 1. Photo by Mitchell Solkowitz
Michael Pack on Rickover
Sunday, March 29, 10:00 am
Michael Pack will speak about the film he
produced, Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear
Power, which recently aired on Maryland
Public Television. The film traces the career of Admiral Hyman Rickover, a controversial, often flamboyant leader who created the nuclear U.S. Navy. Michael Pack
will show clips from the movie, discuss
its making, and answer questions at the
Men’s Club lecture.
Beth El Men’s Club
Fishing on the Chesapeake Bay
Friday, April 24, 9:30 am-4:30 pm
Kent Island across Bay Bridge (one-hour drive from
Bethesda)
The Independence with Captain Joey Sadler.
Ship limit is 18 people. Men’s Club will supply drinks and
nosh food. To sign up or for more information, contact
Cary Feldman at [email protected].
Israel Framed
Attendees peruse silent auction items at Family
Sports Night on January 25. Guests included a variety of local celebrities such as Washington Capitals
announcer Joe Beninati and Olympic hopefuls Luca
and Gigi Becker. Photo by Lee Shekter
6
When you need affordable gifts for birthdays, weddings,
engagements, b’nai mitzvot, and other occasions, go to
www.Israelframed.com and make your selections from
magnificent Israeli art prints and canvases. Beth El Sisterhood will profit from your purchases and pass the profit
on to the synagogue. Please be sure to use checkout code
BethEl5775.
Contact Ina Young at [email protected] for more info.
Sisterhood
Sisterhood Wear and
Share a Memory Event
UPCOMING SISTERHOOD/ZHAVA EVENTS
Sunday, April 19, 10:30 am to noon
Tuesdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 6:30 pm Mah jongg
Saturday, March 7, 2:00-4:00 pm Home of Rachel
Pomerance Berl. Shabbat afternoon coffee and conversation with Rebekah Harris. RSVP to rpomerance@
gmail.com.
Sunday, March 15, 9:00 am-1:00 pm Good Deeds Day.
Towel drive for Greentree Shelter. (See page 4.)
Sunday, March 22, 5:30 pm Sisterhood/Zhava Women’s
Seder
Sunday, March 29, 9:30 am Sisterhood Board meeting
Shabbat Afternoon Coffee and Conversation
with Rebekah Harris
Prepping for Passover: Make it
Meaningful, Not Maddening
Saturday, March 7, 2:00-4:00 pm
at the home of Rachel Pomerance Berl
RSVP to [email protected].
For Rosh Hodesh Iyar
Do you have a treasured piece of jewelry, a
special china dish from your grandmother,
or a cherished article of clothing that holds
a memory of a loved one? Join Sisterhood
as together we find ways to incorporate
these prized possessions into our lives.
Bring a memorable item and share its story.
RSVP to Wynne Sitrin and Margi Kramer at
[email protected].
Seeking Sisterhood Board Members
Help Sisterhood grow and expand by becoming a board
member for 2015-2016. Board members meet new
women, make new friends, support Beth El, and develop
new skills.
Interested? Contact Holly Stein for more information at
[email protected] or 301-593-7297.
Beth El Sisterhood/Zhava Annual Women’s Seder
Join us and sing and dance with timbrels • Featuring music performed by the women of Calliope
Sunday, March 22, 5:30 pm
$36 per Sisterhood/Zhava Member; $40 per non-member*
• The Seder fills up quickly - sign up early!
• Responses received after seating has filled (or after March 12) will be placed on a wait list
• In the spirit of community, the Women’s Seder is open seating
• No phone reservations or payment at the door
• Please bring toiletries (any size) and money for tzedakah
Questions? Contact Phyllis Solomon at [email protected], Sheryl Isaacs at bobsherylisaacs@aol.
com, or Heather Janssen at [email protected].
*Please join Sisterhood/Zhava with all their benefits for $36, and pay the member price for the Women’s
Seder.
Beth El Women’s Seder Reservation
Please mail reservation form and check to Beth El, Attn: Sisterhood Seder, 8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Reservations can also be made online at www.bethelmc.org/sisterhoodseder.
Name and guest names (limit: 2 guests) ______________________________________________________________________
Email ___________________________________________________ Phone _________________________________________
# of Sisterhood/Zhava members @ $36 ______ # of Non-members @ $40 ______
Total amount of check $ ________ (made out to Beth El Sisterhood)
Number of vegetarian meals requested: _______ (Please note that the Seder meal is pescatarian)
For questions about reservations, please contact Sue Kanter at [email protected] or 301-365-2125.
7
Submitted by Jerry Danoff
The Accident
Two cars bumped into each other at the intersection. When the drivers got out, one was a priest, one a rabbi.
The priest said, “It is a shame about the accident, but fortunately, we both seem to be unharmed.” The rabbi
replied, “Yes, you are right. Look! In the back of my car – a bottle of Mogen David survived the crash. Let’s
have a drink to our good health.” He found two cups. After filling one with wine, he handed it to the priest.
“To our health and good fortune,” the priest said, as he drained his cup. “Wait, Rabbi. Aren’t you also going to
drink to our health?” “Of course,” the rabbi answered, as a siren sounded in the distance. “But I’ll wait until after
the accident report.”
Overcrowded House
The farmer in the small shtetl was having a tough time in his little
home. He went to the rebbe and said, “Dear Rebbe, please help
me. My house is so small. I have four children, my wife, and her
parents. What can I do?” The rebbe thought a moment and said,
“Do you have any ducks and chickens?” “Yes, I do.” “Then bring
them into the house. Come see me again in a week.” A week
passed; the man returned to the rebbe and said, “This is not helping. Please advise me.” The rebbe said, “Do you have goats?” “Yes,
I do.” “Bring the goats into the house.” A week later, the man,
more miserable than ever, approached the rebbe, “This is unbearable. How can I live like this?” The rebbe said, “You have a cow.
Move the cow into the house. Then see me in a week.” The man
returned, crying, a week later, “Rebbe, I cannot continue. My life is
a disaster. What should I do now?” The rebbe answered, “Remove
the cow from the house, take the goats outside, return the ducks
and chickens to the yard. Then bother me no further.” A week
later, the man ran into the rebbe. He smiled and said, “Rebbe, you
are brilliant. I did all that you said to do. My house has never been
larger!”
Sisterhood Talk
Two women were talking
before the Sisterhood meeting.
“My son at college is so brilliant.
Every time I get a letter from him,
I have to go to the dictionary,” said one.
“You’re lucky. Every time I get a letter
from my son, I have to go to the
bank,” the other replied.
Western Wall
A newspaper reporter approached a man as he
prayed at the Western Wall. “Dear sir, what do
you pray for?” “I pray that my children will find
jobs, that they will respect their parents, and that
all will find peace and contentment.” “Does God
answer your prayers?” “Oy, it’s like talking to a
wall.”
Creating Life
Science had advanced so much that humankind decided they no longer needed God.
“We can do anything ourselves now; even
create life.” When God heard this, He descended from the heavens and said, “We will
see about this. Send Me your greatest scientist.” When the scientist approached God,
God said, “All right, we will have a contest.
Show me how you can create life.” “Of
course,” the scientist answered, and he
began to scrape together a pile of
dirt. “Oh no,” God said. “You
have to use your own dirt.”
8
Fateful Poker Game
The four men at Deerfield Park in Florida were playing in their
weekly poker game. Bennie, who wasn’t doing too well in the
game that day, suddenly grabbed at his chest and collapsed on the floor, dead. “Oy, what should we do?” said
Sammy. “Someone needs to tell Sylvia, his wife.” They
drew cards, and Arnie with the low card got the sad job
of going to tell Sylvia. A half hour later he returned and
said he had completed his task. “How did you tell her?”
asked Sol. “Well, when she came to the door, I said, ‘Sylvia, I
have some bad news. At our card game today, Bennie lost $500.
He’s afraid to come home. What should I tell him?’ ‘Tell him, he
should drop dead!’ she answered.’ ‘OK,’ I said, and left.”
Jewish
Submitted by Judy and Stanley Baldinger
HUMOR
Jewish “Afterlife”
There's a Jewish joke that says there's no Heaven
or Hell. We all go to the same place when we
die, where Moses and Rabbi Akiva give constant and everlasting classes on the Bible and
the Talmud. For the righteous, this is eternal
bliss; for the wicked, this is eternal suffering.
(from an article by Elon Gilad in HaAretz)
From Bad to Worse
As the rabbi sat deep in thought, a youth came before
him and said, “Rabbi, I want to confess – I’m guilty of a
great sin. I failed to say grace one day last month.”
“Tsk-tsk,” murmured the rabbi. “How can a Jew eat
without saying grace?”
“How could I say grace, Rabbi, when I hadn’t washed
my hands?”
“Oy vey!” wailed the rabbi. “How can a Jew swallow a
mouthful without first washing his hands?”
“But you see, Rabbi, the food was not kosher.”
“Not kosher! How can a Jew eat food that
is not kosher?”
“But Rabbi, how in the world could it be
kosher? It was in the home of a Gentile.”
“What! You miserable apostate! How could
you eat in the house of a Gentile?”
“But Rabbi, no Jew was willing to feed me!”
“That is a wicked lie!” cried the rabbi. “Who has ever
heard of a Jew refusing food to anybody who is hungry?”
“But Rabbi,” argued the youth. “It was Yom Kippur!”
(from A Treasury of Jewish Folklore by Nathan Ausubel)
Oy
vey!
Submitted by Kathy Matty
Tropical Island
Three men – an Irishman, an Italian, and a Jew
– are stranded on a hot, tropical island.
With no supplies, food or drink, and
the future looking very grim, the Irishman says, “I’m so thirsty, I must have a
beer!” The Italian says, “I’m so thirsty, I must
have a glass of wine!” The Jew replies, “I’m so
thirsty, I must have diabetes!”
My Son the President
A Jewish mother gets a phone call from her son. “Mom, I just won the election! I am going to be
the first Jewish president. The swearing-in ceremony is next month.”
“But I have nothing to wear!”
“Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll send you to a
dressmaker.”
“But I only eat kosher food!” “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll make sure
you have something to eat.”
“But how will I get there?”
“Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll send a car for you.”
On the day of the swearing-in, the proud
mother of the president-elect is seated among the
most important people in the government. Looking over at her son about to take the oath of office, she nudges the person next to her and says,
“You see that man over there with his hand on the
Bible? His brother’s a doctor!”
Mah Jongg
Presidential Material
The time is at hand when the wearing of
prayer shawl and skullcap will not bar a
man from the White House – unless, of
course, the man is Jewish.
(from Jules Farber in The Big Book of Jewish Humor)
Four Jewish friends are playing mah jongg. The first
one takes a tile, sighs, and says, “Oy.”
The second one follows and says, “Oy
vey.” The third does the same, and says, “Oy,
vey is meir!”
To which the fourth replies, “I thought we
weren’t going to talk about our children!”
9
Purim at Beth El!
Megillah Madness 2015
Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 pm
PURIM SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 1, 10:45-11:45 am Bit O’Megillah for
families with children in K-2nd grade
Sunday, March 1, 11:45 am – 2:45 pm Annual Purim
Carnival hosted by Beth El Men’s Club
Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 pm Megillah Madness: Sing-
a-long Sound of Purim
Wednesday, March 4, 8:00 pm The Whole Megillah Thursday, March 5, 7:00 am Morning Minyan including
Did you ever wish you could be in Megillah Madness, but
didn’t have the time? Maybe felt you weren’t ready for that
solo performance? Or perhaps you suffer from a touch of
stage fright? Well hold onto your new sanctuary seat —
we’ve got some great news for you:
Megillah reading.
The Whole Megillah
Wednesday, March 4, 8:00 pm
Megillah Madness 2015 will give you a chance to follow the lyrics on the screen as you sing-a­‐long to the
best songs from all the previous Megillah Madnesses!
Join us in the Swoff Chapel for Ma’ariv
followed by the full Megillah reading.
It’s a fun, interactive Megillah Madness like you’ve
never experienced before!
Costumes encouraged.
Bit O’Megillah
(for families with children in K-2nd grade)
Sunday, March 1, 10:45-11:45 am
The Not-Quite-Ready-for-theSanctuary Players
are proud to present
“The Purim Story According to Sesame
Street”
Sunday, March 1, 11:45 am–2:45 pm
Hosted by Men’s Club
Come for games, prizes, food, magician, face painting, caricatures, and more.
Carnival Tickets
5/$2, 25/$10 in advance
2/$1, 20/$10 at the door
10
Library Corner
Humor and Pathos, Soviet Style
By Robin Jacobson
In the literary world, Soviet Jews are everywhere. The last
year alone saw such a bumper crop of novels and memoirs
by Soviet Jewish émigrés that the Forward named 2014 “the
Year of the Soviet Jew.” Two of my favorites from this émigré genre are The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis and A Replacement Life by Boris Fishman. Betrayers won the National
Jewish Book Award in Fiction for 2014, and Replacement Life
was a finalist. Both novels are suspenseful, engrossing, and
provocative in portraying characters facing difficult dilemmas.
The Betrayers
Born in Riga, Latvia, in 1973, David Bezmozgis moved to Canada
in 1980. He is the author of the
critically praised Natasha and Other Stories, a collection about Soviet
Jews in Toronto, and The Free
World, a novel about Soviet Jews
stuck in Rome en route to Canada. In The Betrayers, Bezmozgis
tells the tale of a Soviet Israeli Jew,
Baruch Kotler, modeled loosely
on the Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky.
Kotler is a high-ranking Israeli Cabinet minister in his
early 60s with a heroic past. He endured 13 years in a Soviet
prison on trumped-up charges until an international human
rights campaign led by his wife, Miriam, won his release. As
the novel opens, Kotler faces a crisis. He has publicly opposed an Israeli government decision to dismantle Jewish
settlements in the West Bank. To silence him, the prime minister threatens to expose Kotler’s extramarital affair with his
young assistant, Leora. Kotler refuses to yield to blackmail,
even to protect his family. As the damaging photos appear in
the press, Kotler escapes with Leora to the Crimean resort of
Yalta, which he remembers fondly from childhood.
Fatefully, the couple winds up renting a room in the
home of Vladimir Tankilevich, the very man who betrayed
Kotler to the KGB. When confronted, Tankilevich defends
his false denouncement of Kotler and angrily claims that he,
too, was a victim of the Soviet regime. To add to the complexity, Kotler’s soldier son telephones, seeking his father’s
blessing to disobey Israeli army orders to evict the settlers.
A Replacement Life by Boris Fishman
Boris Fishman emigrated from Minsk, Belarus, to Brooklyn
in 1988. Only nine years old, he learned English faster than
his parents; several years later, they relied on him to apply for
Holocaust reparation funds for his grandmother, a survivor
of the Minsk ghetto. The experience inspired A Replacement
Life, Fishman’s darkly comic debut novel.
Slava Gelman, the novel’s narrator, is a 25-year-old aspiring writer, frustrated with his junior staff duties at a Manhattan magazine. Wanting to become truly American, Slava has
broken contact with his Soviet émigré family. Then Slava’s
grandmother, Sofia, dies. Slava’s grieving grandfather,Yevgeny, draws Slava back to the Soviet enclave in South Brooklyn
with a challenging writing assignment.
Yevgeny plans to file, in his own
name, the application for Holocaust
reparation funds sent to Sofia just
before she died. He wants Slava to
write the application essay. Slava
protests, pointing out that, unlike
Sofia,Yevgeny does not qualify
for reparations; although Yevgeny
suffered grievously, he was not in
a ghetto, forced labor brigade, or
concentration camp, as required.
Yevgeny responds fiercely, “Maybe I didn’t suffer in the exact
way I need to have suffered . . . but they made sure to kill all
the people who did.” Reluctantly, Slava drafts the application
and before long has become the “Forger of South Brooklyn,” fabricating Holocaust narratives for his grandfather’s
many Soviet émigré friends, all based on elements of Sofia’s
experience, partly factual and partly imagined.n
Beth El Book Chat
The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O’Connor Sunday, April 12, 11:30 am Join us to discuss this extraordinary
true story of Gustav Klimt’s masterpiece, stolen during World War II and
later recovered by its Jewish owners.
A film based on the book and starring
Helen Mirren is to be released in April.
E-copies and conventional copies are
available through libraries and booksellers. For more information, contact Margery London at
[email protected] or Robin Jacobson at [email protected].
11
Matters of the Heart
The Potato: Tuber That
Changed the World
By Mark Milner
We Are Going to Pick Potatoes by Irene Berman is the story of
Norwegian Jews who escaped to Sweden during World War
II. These were comforting words told to children to allay
their fears of leaving home. The potato is also very special
to me. My mother loved to tell stories of her childhood in
Poland in the cold winters of the 1930s, when her family
would sit around the kitchen stove, singing songs and making latkes. A Holocaust survivor, my mother also told me
how, in the 1940s, she would briefly escape the labor camp
to go into the fields and steal potatoes to bring back to her
friends (her “escape” and return possible because only one
German soldier guarded 100 women). Growing up in the
Bronx, I used to love grating potatoes down to a pulp till my
knuckles bled; my mother would say, “dina bludt git tam (your
blood adds flavor).”
The potato was brought to Europe from South America
in the early 16th century. Many feel the potato’s arrival in
northern Europe spelled an end to famine and set the template for modern agriculture and the agro-industrial complex. By feeding rapidly growing populations, the potato
fueled the rise of the West and the Industrial Age.
Let Them Eat Potato Kugel
Some historians feel the French Revolution was ignited by
famine caused by an unusually cold winter that destroyed
the wheat crop. History might have been different if the
French church had not labelled the potato the produce of
the devil (because the Bible, which often refers to wheat,
Kugel Cook-Off
Sunday, April 26, 12:15 pm
Do you think you make the best
kugel? Enter the Kugel Cook-Off!
Contestants will prepare their kugels
the week of April 20 in the Beth El
kitchen. Cooks will then present their
finished product to the judges and
the congregation during the April 26 luncheon.
Everyone is invited to the Kugel Cook-Off on Sunday, April
26. We will serve a dairy lunch to accompany all the kugels
available for tasting. Cost for luncheon: Free for kugel contestants, $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 4-12. Children 3
and under are free.
For more information, including rules for the Cook-Off
and registration for the Cook-Off and the luncheon, visit
bethelmc.org/events/kugelcookoff/.
12
never mentions the potato). Who knows what the world
would be like now if the French expression had been “Let
them eat potato kugel” instead of “Let them eat cake.”
The potato, a tuber that grows underground, is inherently
more calorically productive than wheat, can grow to an immense size (as much as 25 pounds), and, most importantly,
can survive frost. No grain comes close to the productive
value of the potato per acreage of soil. Today, the potato
has unjustly earned a bad rap due to its starchy makeup
(high glycemic index). Many people do not realize that this
nutrient-dense tuber is packed with a variety of vitamins,
minerals, and phytochemicals. One potato meets 2 percent
of daily calcium, 51 percent of vitamin C, 9 percent of iron,
30 percent of vitamin B6, 12 percent of magnesium, and 25
percent of potassium needs.
Potatoes’ Health Benefits
The potato also provides phosphorous, niacin, folate, choline, zinc, and alpha-lipoic acid, a potent agent that combats
diabetes. It contains kukoamines that have blood pressurelowering effects. The skin is rich in flavonoids that have antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. The potato is also
essentially fat free. Unfortunately, most potatoes are eaten in
the form of fries or chips, but a baked potato is an exceptionally healthful, low-calorie, high-fiber food that offers
significant cardiovascular protection.
Finally, I recommend you play the cheery melody
Kartofel zup mit shvomen (potato soup with mushroom).
It can be found on YouTube at www.youtube.com/
watch?v=s7IpxILX6yw. Close your eyes, pretend you are
in a 1930s shtetl, and imagine yourself singing joyfully with
your family, keeping warm around the kitchen stove, and
enjoying the smell of latkes. n
Passover Cooking Demonstration
with Paula Shoyer
Thursday, March 12, 7:00 pm
Join us for a Passover cooking demonstration with Paula Shoyer, author
of The New Passover Menu. Tickets
are $36 and include a copy of Paula’s
newest book.
For more information, or to
volunteer to
help with this
event, contact Geryl Baer at gbaer@
bethelmc.org or visit
bethelmc.org/events/paulashoyer/.
The New
PASSOVER
MENU
PAU LA SHO YER
AUTHOR OF
THE HOLID
AY
KOSHER BA
KER
HAMANTASCHEN continued from page 1
fections that as a child I spent many hours baking with her.
She had notes indicating which linens she would use and
what issues needed to be discussed.
for a Purim activity, and then we could distribute them
at One East. The first couple of years I baked the hamantaschen at home. Then it dawned on me that there was an
Shlach Manis
army of Sisterhood women who could help with the baking,
Somewhere in this eclectic pile of papers was the hamanand a wonderful intergenerational project was born. For the
taschen recipe. What I recalled clearly was preparing
past 12 or so years, Sisterhood has provided all the ingredimishloach manot baskets (what she called shlach manis in Yidents as well as the bakers who make about 200-250 hamandish) and accompanying her to a Jewtaschen. Fourth graders place them in
ish community settlement house on
the mishloach manot. I accompany
Delancey Street where we distributed
about seven or eight students (with
them to elderly men and women.
the help of a few parents) to Smith
Years later, in the early 1980s when
Kogod and Revitz House.
she was in her late 80s, my husband,
This is not an activity for the
Andy, and I brought her to the same
child who is faint of heart. Illness
rundown building so she could teach a
has made some of the residents a
craft activity to senior citizens. When I
bit scary. Some initially reject the
helped her bring the materials inside, I
goodies, thinking they must pay for
saw that most of the people there were Students delivering mishloach manot them. Most, however, are appreciato Hebrew Home last year
much younger than she.
tive. Cheeks get pinched and photos
In the 1990s, Beth El had “adopted”
taken. A trifecta of mitzvot are simulOne East (a unit of the Smith Kogod building of the Hetaneously fulfilled: bikur cholim (visiting the sick), kibud zibrew Home). Congregant families volunteered to visit a
kaynim (honoring the elderly), and mishloach manot. Several
resident who did not have family in the area. My family was of my students have returned to fulfill this mitzvah year after
assigned a woman named Florence. We brought her hard
year. Sisterhood uses my grandmother’s recipe for the dough,
candies and the bow-tie flaky pastry that she loved from
although I shudder to think of her reaction to our using
Katz Supermarket. My kids played checkers with her. Mostly, store-bought fillings.
she wanted to talk. At Purim, we brought her hamantaschen
I like to think that it was she who planted the seeds of
(also from Katz). my involvement in social action and my success in recruiting
Sisterhood Bakers
Jewish people of all ages in fulfilling mitzvot. Like Nanny,
Years later, I became involved with social action and SisterI have a green thumb, and I love beautiful tablecloths. Alhood. Once I started teaching at the Religious School, I had though I don’t make watercress soup, I do make hamanthe idea that my students could assemble mishloach manot
taschen, and I use her recipe (mostly). n
Nanny Henriette Sternberg’s Hamantaschen
Dough:
2/3 cup margarine or
butter
½ cup plus 2 Tbl sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cup unbleached
flour (more if dough
is sticky)
dash salt
½ tsp baking powder
Filling:
¾ cup pitted prunes
1/3 cup seedless raisins
¼ cup water
¼ cup shelled walnuts
¼ cup sliced apple
with peel
juice and rind of 1
lemon
2 Tbl sugar
Dough: Cream margarine or butter with sugar. Add egg and vanilla
and continue creaming until mixture is light and fluffy. Add flour,
salt, and baking powder. Mix until a ball of dough forms. Roll thin
on a floured board (add more flour if dough is too sticky to roll).
Cut the rolled dough into circles using a round cookie cutter or
a glass. Fill with about 1 teaspoon filling and pinch sides together
to form a triangle. Filling: Simmer prunes, raisins, and water for 5
minutes or until prunes are softened. Add nuts, apples, lemon juice,
rind, and sugar. Put the mixture through a grinder or food processor. Mix well. Place hamantaschen on a cookie sheet lined with
parchment paper for best results. Bake in a preheated oven at 350
degrees for about 10 minutes.
13
Beth El fifth graders in Marilyn Fine’s and Judy Haven’s classes created this fun puzzle. For more Purim
fun, visit the Beth El website: bethelmc.org/scroll.
Jewish People Are Funny!
LAUGHS
4U!
Directions: Below are riddles about 18 funny Jewish people. Using the answer box below, fill
in the answer to each riddle. When you’ve filled in all of the right answers, you’ll find a hidden message about what
all of the people have in common.
1. Creator and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
2. Voice of the Kung Fu panda
__ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __
3. Did a duet with Justin Timberlake and
played in Hotel Transylvania
__ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
4. Hosted The Daily
Show
__ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
5. Female writer and performer on Saturday Night Live
and wrote autobiography
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
6. Larry, Moe, and Curly
__ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__
7. Recent project was 22 Jump Street. Academy Award
nominee twice. First name is Biblical. __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __
8. Cast member on Saturday Night Live,
starred in many movies, and wrote a
funny Hanukkah song __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
9. Hosted the Academy Awards and
appeared on Jay Leno’s first and last
Tonight Shows
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
10. Wrote TV jokes and scripts in 1950s. First movie
was What’s New Pussycat?
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __
11. Made a parody of Star Wars and appeared in each
movie he directed
__ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __
12. Co-produced the 2000 animated film, Bee Movie
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
13. Female who won an Emmy for appearances on
Saturday Night Live
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __
14. Played the night guard in Night at the
Museum and White Goodman in Dodgeball
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
15.Real first and middle names, Jay Scott,
were blended to create the first part of
his stage name. Appeared on Seinfeld.
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
16. Won a Grammy Award for album of The 10,000 Year
Old Man
__ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __
17. Voiced characters for Horton Hears a Who and The
Simpsons
__ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __
18. A family comedy act of the 20th
century
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Hidden message:
__ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
ANSWER CHOICES: Jason Alexander, Woody Allen, Jack Black, Mel Brooks , Billy Crystal, Larry David, Jonah
Hill, The Marx Brothers, Gilda Radner, Carl Reiner, Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld,
Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, The Three Stooges
Answers to Jewish People Are Funny Riddles
1. Larry David • 2. Jack Black • 3. Andy Samberg • 4. Jon Stewart • 5. Sarah Silverman •6. The Three Stooges •
7. Jonah Hill • 8. Adam Sandler •9. Billy Crystal • 10. Woody Allen •11. Mel Brooks •12. Jerry Seinfeld • 13. Gilda
Radner •14. Ben Stiller • 15. Jason Alexander •16. Carl Reiner • 17. Seth Rogen • 18. The Marx Brothers
Hidden Message: Jewish Comedians
14
Congregational Seder
The Congregational Seder, conducted by Rabbi Rudolph, will be held on Saturday, April 4, at
7:00 pm, in the Bender Social Hall.
I/We would like to make the following reservations:
_____Adults and Teens @ $46 $________
_____Nonmember Adults and Teens @ $56 $________
_____Children 7-12 @ $27
$________
_____Children 2-6 @ $18
$________
_____Children under 2
no charge
Total Due $________
Adult Name(s)_______________________________________________________________
Child Name(s) and age(s) ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Phone _________________________
Email _____________________________________
Please provide _______ vegan meals.
Food Allergies? _____________________________
Do You Have Extra
Room at Your Seder
Table?
If you would like to perform
the mitzvah of hachnassat
orchim (welcoming of guests)
and open your home to one
or more individuals for a
Seder, or if you would like to
be invited to the home of another congregant for a Seder,
please contact Hattie Goodman in the Beth El office at
[email protected] or
301-652-2606, ext. 301.
Please try to seat us/me with: __________________________________________________
Reservations must be accompanied by a check and sent to Beth El, Attn: Seder. Reservations
are limited and due by Friday, March 20, or the first 150 people, whichever comes first.
No Refunds or Phone Reservations!
Café Pesach
Tired of eating in every night of the holiday?
Come enjoy a delicious meal at Beth El following the
Erev Yom Tov Service at 6:30 pm
Thursday, April 9, 7:00 pm
Paid reservations for Café Pesach are due by
Thursday, March 26
RETURN TO SYNAGOGUE OFFICE
8215 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814
Please make checks payable to Congregation Beth El
Family name(s)___________________________________
_______________________________________________
Phone__________________________________________
# Member Adults and Teens @$25 Total $________
# Nonmember Adults @ $28
Total $________
# Children (ages 6-12) @ $12 Total $________
# Children (ages 2-5) @ $8 Total $________
Total due $__________
Maximum charge per member household is $74.
Number of vegan entrees? _____
Food allergies? __________________________________
_______________________________________________
Please try to seat me/us with ______________________
_______________________________________________
Pesach Yizkor Book Listing
Our Pesach Yizkor Book will be available at the morning Festival
services on Saturday, April 11.
Please complete and mail the form below without delay. Please
PRINT or TYPE the form to avoid errors.
_____I/We are enclosing a contribution to Congregation Beth
El of $__________
Please check one:
_____I/We would like to use the same listing(s) from the 2014
Yom Kippur Yizkor Book.
_____I/We did not have a listing in the 2014 Yom Kippur Yizkor
Book. Please include the names listed below in the
Pesach Yizkor Book.
_____I/We had a listing in the 2014 Yom Kippur Yizkor Book
and would like to have that listing plus the following
names:
In Memory Of
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Remembered By
Name _______________________________________________
Phone ______________________________________________
Please return this form by Thursday, March 26.
15
Pesach Guidelines
The Pesach Guidelines column that used
to be published in the Scroll has been
updated by the Rabbinical Assembly
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards. It is lengthier than past versions.
Rather than abbreviate it for the Scroll,
we encourage you to go directly to the
Rabbinical Assembly website,
rabbinicalassembly.org, and click on Jewish Law/Kashrut/Pesach Guide 5775. If
you have any questions, please consult
with Rabbi Rudolph or Rabbi Harris. Have
a wonderful holiday with your family and
friends and the congregation.
Selling of the Chametz
During the week of Passover, it is forbidden, according to Jewish tradition, to
eat chametz or even to own the chametz that has been put away in your home.
Therefore, we annually observe the custom of Mechirat Chametz, selling the chametz to someone who is not bound by Jewish law. If you would like to have Rabbi Rudolph sell your chametz, please mail the following form so that it is received
by 9:00 am on Friday, April 3, or drop it off in the Rabbi’s office prior to that time.
I, ____________________________________________, hereby authorize Rabbi
Bill Rudolph to sell my chametz before Passover, Friday, April 3, according to Jewish law.
Signature _________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________
__I enclose a donation for Maot Chittim, feeding the hungry. Please make checks
payable to Congregation Beth El.
Siyyum for the Firstborn
The annual Siyyum for the Firstborn will be held on Friday, April 3, at 7:15 am. Morning Minyan will include a brief study session
so that the firstborn can eat that day, and a special breakfast honoring our firstborn will follow.
Our sincere thanks to Debby and Menachem Shoham, who are sponsoring the Siyyum in memory of Sy and Barbara Wolf,
Abraham and Sarah Krupsaw, Abraham and Dora Wolf, and Israel Shoham.
Contributions
Donations made from December 27 to January 26
Annual Campaign
By: Erik and Ann Lichter, Brian and Judy Liss, David Berl
and Rachel Pomerance Berl, Steve Ebbin, Thomas Helf and
Michelle Brafman, Naava Ellis, Gail and Stan Jutkowitz, and
Eleanor Frishman
In Honor Of:
Rabbi Rudolph by Judith Zassenhaus
Beth El Forest
In Memory Of:
Sam Saady by Esther Isralow and Rita and Irv Weiss
Simone Schofer by Julia Copperman
Warren Greenberg by Debby and Menachem Shoham
Aaron Zuckermann by Naomi Greenwood and Thomas Dahl
Libbie Gussow by Rita and Irv Weiss
My beloved husband, Samuel Saady, by Rose Saady
Herbert Wiser by Lucy Ozarin
Beth El Israel Fund
In Memory Of:
Jonathan Avnisan, brother of Varda Nowitz, by Barbara and Alan
Gold
Warren Greenberg, beloved husband of Judith Greenberg, by
Judith and Jonathan Levin, Iris and Julian Tishkoff, Hope and
Phil Borish, and Ilene and David Jacobowitz
Cantor’s Fund
In Honor Of:
Hazzan Klein’s support following the death of our beloved
mother, Phyllis Seresky, by Rhonda and Richard Brandes
Hazzan Klein, for conducting the funeral service for beloved
Sam Saady, by Rose Saady and family
Hazzan Matthew Klein by Craig Yokum
Sylvia and David Silver by Michael Cernea
In Memory Of:
Vicki DeGutz by Bert and Judy Spector
16
Please remember that contributions can be made
easily, quickly, and securely via our webpage –
www.bethelmc.org
Ben Kirsch by Laurence S. and Celia Goldman Kirsch
Harold (Bernard) Fink, father of Michael Fink, by Ellen and
David Epstein
Gordon Weil, brother-in-law of Sandy Lubin, by Rita and
Irwin Kopin
My father, Maurice Horowitz, by Rita Liebowitz
Chevra Kadisha Fund
In Memory Of:
Paul H. Press, father of Ann Barcome, by Ann and Bruce
Barcome
Herb Wiser by Judith and Jonathan Levin
Samuel and Esther Bonus by Iris and Julian Tishkoff
Fine Arts Fund
In Memory Of:
Reba Hirsh by Jonathan and Sandra Simon
General Fund
By: Howard and Susan D. Feibus, Leslie and Joseph Kessler,
Robert Adelstein, David and Louise Kahaner, William
and Paula Wyman, Suzanne Stone, Gary, Julie, Siddy and
Maddy Greenstein, Eugene and Amy Goott, and Robert and
Heather Janssen
In Honor Of:
Rabbi Rudolph, Rabbi Harris, and Hazzan Klein for their
kindness following the death of my husband, Warren
Greenberg, by Judith Greenberg
Rabbi Rudolph, Hazzan Klein, and Rabbi Harris, for their
support following the death of my mother, Barbara Balsam,
by Steven and Jennifer Hirsch
Edoardo Kulp, Leesa Fields, Susan Kitt, Ken and Lisa
Handelman, Arielle Grill, David Topol, Susan Stillman, Brent
Berger, and Kay Klass, for community service at Capital
Camps by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman
Michael Pollack, for participation in High Holiday service by
Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman
Contributions Continued
Jenny Fink on her engagement by Debbie Vodenos and Sam
Boxerman
Jenna Farber’s bat mitzvah by Brenda Gruss and Daniel Hirsch
Maren Beatrix Rosenstein’s naming by Shelley Caplan and
Brad Statter
Wedding of Jamie Hanley and Evan Susser by Margie and Joe
Hoffman
Birth of Maya Lilly, daughter of Aaron and Keren Niedermayer,
and first grandchild of Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, by
Beth El Opera Havurah
Sig Shapiro, beloved husband of Carolyn and father of Sarah
Shapiro, by Ellen Tillman
David and Eve Farber for the new Capital Camps siddur, by
Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman
Tali Kuperberg becoming a bat mitzvah by the Bachrachs
Noah Kuperberg becoming a bar mitzvah by the Bachrachs
Evan Krame’s ordination by Sid and Janet Getz, Margie and Joe
Hoffman, and Rob Fersh and Sharon Markus
Beth El community by Lee and Alicia Shekter
My grandchildren by Ruthellen Harris
Jamie and Jan Maxwell, Brian Barke, and Joel Zuckerman,
for their extraordinary service by Judy, Craig, and Michael
Futterman
Kathy Hooley on her years of service to Beth El and on her
retirement by Glenda Koby and Bruce Spiegel and Margie
and Joe Hoffman
B’nai mitzvah of Sam and Ben Topol by Margie and Joe
Hoffman
Carson Wine’s bar mitzvah by Margie and Joe Hoffman
Paula, Bill, David, and Eric Whyman by Susan and Max
Bronstein
Peter Novick’s leadership by Tutti and Jose Sokol
Gail Fribush on her Golda Meir Award from Sisterhood by
Leesa Fields and Jonathan Band
In Memory Of:
Fannye Rose Gold by Harvey and Dale Gold
Leo Eule, brother of Norman Eule, by Jack and Stephanie
Ventura, Rita and Irwin Kopin, Jose and Tutti Sokol, Gail
Ross and Roy Niedermayer, and Ann and Bruce Barcome
Jordan Walerstein by Faith Walerstein
Ira W. Pearlman by Sandra Pearlman
My beloved husband, Herbert Harvey, by Lila Harvey
Sam Saady by Nancy Garnitz, Miriam Lieblein, Audrey
Merwin and Barry Grossman, Jack and Stephanie Ventura,
and Edoardo and Susan Kulp
Mother of Phyllis Sabot by Margie and Joe Hoffman
Herbert Shapiro, father of Margie Hoffman, by Margie and Joe
Hoffman
Ruth Bloom, mother of Leonard Bloom, by Ephraim and
Ruth Levin
Beatrice Gilbert by Robert Gilbert
Edward Fohrman by Elizabeth Fohrman Simon
Anne L. Margulies by David H. Margulies
Flora Askin by Sara Lieberman
Barney, Dorothy, Andrew, and Mary Press, and Thelma Van
Velzen and James Weiss by Ted Press
Leonard Saxe by Barbara and Marvin Kotz
Mervyn Jeffries, husband of Marcia Jeffries, by Margie and Joe
Hoffman
Henry Berger, my father-in-law, by Bea Berger
Stanley W. Doroff by Mark Doroff
Phyllis Posnick, mother of Lauren Robin, by Ellen and David
Epstein
Warren Greenberg by Laurie Alban Havens, Jose and Tutti
Sokol, Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, Herbert and Nancy
Rosenthal, Robert Fersh and Sharon Markus, and Norman
Schiff
Beloved father, Irving Schultz, by David J. Schultz
Harry Wallerstein, father of Gloria Derkay, by Gloria and Lee
Derkay
Marilyn Nagel Gillman by Todd Gillman
Nathan Avnisan by Marc Silver and Marsha Dale
Chaim Yeshayahu by Mike Getz
Liebe Bloch by Mike Getz
Hodel Leia by Mike Getz
Irene Jerison by Jonathan Jerison
Libbie Gussow, wife of Milton Gussow, by Jack and Johanna
Minker, and Barbara and Charles Vengrove
Miriam Carter by Dora Weinstein
Sidney Hoffman, father of Howard Hoffman and grandfather
of Adam Hoffman, by Robert Fersh and Sharon Markus and
Ellen and David Epstein
Leontyne Fuchs, grandmother of Howard Stein, by Howard
and Holly Stein
Alex and Annie Levine by David and Jacquelyn Levine
Max and Rae Toback by Marilyn Wallerstein
Elaine Silverman Gessow College Activities Fund
In Memory Of:
Jeanette Rosing by Barbara and Douglas Rosing
Toni Bloom by Hellaine and Irwin Nepo
Green Tikkun Fund
In Honor Of:
Michael Katz by Bill Kapner
Hanukkah Wish List
By: Dov and Sharon Margolis Apfel
Israel Experience Teen Fund
In Honor Of:
The Berger family and the b’nai mitzvah of Noah and Daniel
by Alan Levine
Kesher Nashim Fund
In Memory Of:
Ellie G. Hazan and Phyllis Sultan by Danielle and Evan Sultan
Leonard Hendel by Linda Posilkin
Kimball Nursery School Fund
By: Jo and Arnie Sohinki
In Memory Of:
Bill and Bernice Gold by Walter L. Gold
Leadership/Education Fund
In Honor Of:
Ordination of Evan Krame by Yael Greenberg, Brenda and Jim
Schmand, and Leslie and Joe Kessler
Gail Fribush, recipient of the 2015 Golda Meir Award, by
Helene Weisz and Richard Lieberman
Library Fund
In Honor Of:
Samuel and Benjamin Topol’s b’nai mitzvah by Debbie Vodenos
and Sam Boxerman
Our four daughters, for their devotion to their beloved father,
by Rose Saady
In Memory Of:
Eleanor Feinstein by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman
Merry Klass by Kay Klass
17
Contributions Continued
Samuel Orenstein by Alan Orenstein
Beatrice Stern Feldman by Elliot J. Feldman
Semeon Nusinovich by Gregory and Yelena Nusinovich
Litman Holocaust Education Fund
By: Ben and Ruth Cohen
In Memory Of:
Eleanor Feinstein, mother of Michael Feinstein, by Bob and
Margie Litman
My beloved mother and aunt, Edith Orban and Lillian
Stranszky, by Annamarie Sokoly
Masorti
In Memory Of:
Pauline Resnick by Bernard Resnick
Mazon
In Honor Of:
Dear friends, Carol and Sid Hurlburt, for their help by Parker
O’Shea
In Memory Of:
Meyer Zuravin by Hugh V. Sickel
Warren Greenberg, good friend, by Barbara and David Fishback
Men’s Club Perspectives in Dialogue Fund
In Memory Of:
Samuel Frishman by Eleanor Frishman
Norton Nepo by Hellaine and Irwin Nepo
Mintz Landscaping Fund
In Memory Of:
Sig Shapiro by Helena Koenig
Sam Saady by Helena Koenig
Morning Minyan Fund
In Honor Of:
Worship and Study Minyan by Karen Eppsteiner
Shabbat Early Morning Minyan by Joseph and Evalyn Basloe
Peter Novick, for the Shabbat Early Morning Minyan, by
David and Carole Metzger
Peter Novick, for leading the shiva minyan for Sam Saady, by
Rose Saady
In Memory Of:
Isaac Kossman, my father, by Mary Dubrow
Leo Eule by Mark and Blanche Wine
My father, Allen Lesser, by Howard Lesser
Doris and Joseph Miller and Sigmund and Rosalind Clayman
by Robert Clayman and Carol Miller
My beloved mother, Martha Geller, by Suzanne Strauss
Henry Gichner by Sue and John Rosenthal
Frank Ochman by Mark and Joanne Weinberg
David Weinberg by Mark and Joanne Weinberg
Herb Wiser by Mark and Joanne Weinberg
Harry Mannheimer by Laura Mannheimer
Martin Mermelstein by Estee Portnoy
My mother, Anita “Peggy” Levinson, by Karen Levinson
Loving father and grandfather, Max Cohen, by Barbara S.
Spitzer
Esther Band and Meyer Marcus by Marlene and Lawrence
Marcus
Melvin and Mildred Wine by Mark and Blanche Wine
Prayerbook Fund
In Memory Of:
Beloved brothers, Zeev and Reuven Gendelman, by Boris
Gendelman
Beatrice F. R. Katz by Linda M. Katz and Donald S. Stein
Rabbi’s Fund
By: Debbie and Michael Fink, David Goldberg and Alison
18
Rodner, and Robert and Heather Janssen
In Honor Of:
Rabbi Rudolph and Rabbi Greg Harris by Craig Yokum
Rabbi Rudolph’s kindness following the death of our mother,
Phyllis Seresky, by Rhonda and Richard Brandes
Rabbi Bill Rudolph by Michael Cernea
Rabbi Rudolph, for his support following the death of my
beloved husband, by Rose Saady and family
Rabbi Greg Harris, for his support during this year by June and
Rob Falb
Rabbi Harris, for officiating at the funeral service for Sam
Saady, by Rose Saady and family
Gail Fribush for receiving the Golda Meir Award by Margie
and Bob Litman, Liz Schrayer and Jeff Schwaber, Jack and
Stephanie Ventura, and Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman
Linda Shapiro, sister of Jeff Moak, by Jeff Moak and Karyl
Barron
Sabina Shalom by Rita and Irwin Kopin
Hannah Chaikin’s bat mitzvah by Adam Chaikin
Evan Krame’s ordination by Rita Corwin, Bob and Margie
Litman, and Fran and Bobby Watson
Bat mitzvah of Rachel Niebler by Dina and Steve Rochkind
My parents, Lee and Gloria Derkay, by Lori Derkay
Michael Rozosky by Michael Cernea
Max Klein’s bar mitzvah by Dina and Steve Rochkind
Engagement of Benjamin Bolasny by David and Louise
Kahaner
In Memory Of:
Irene Golden, beloved aunt of Jerome Wernick, by Jerome and
Ina Wernick
Daniel Kweller and Alex Kweller by Howard Kweller
Harold Fink, father of Michael Fink, by Bob and Margie
Litman
Bertha Gomberg Kirsch by Laurence S. and Celia Goldman
Kirsch
Freda Lechten by Marjorie Richman
Jack Katz by Fran Katz Watson
Rachel Asen by Henrietta Asen
David Sachs and Robert Sachs by Howard Sachs
Judith Kaplan by Donald A. Kaplan
Ruth Bloom by Joel and Betsy Popkin
Annie R. Sherman by Libby Gordon
My loving mother, Florence Becker, by Scott Becker
Beloved parents, Helen and Charles Merlin, by Paul and Marcia
Merlin
Irving Ehrenthal by Thera Swersky
Julius Gillman, my beloved father, by Samuel R. Gillman
Hyman Jacob Rifkin by Morton and Lillian Davis
My husband, Samuel Asen, by Henrietta Asen
Samuel Leon Saady by Rosine Nussenblatt and Rita and Irwin
Kopin
Theresa, Israel, and Daniel Greenberg, by Lois and Jack Roth
Tamira, Aleza and Rebecca Dora Datnowitz by Libby Gordon
Leo Eule, brother of Norman Eule, by Cary and Nancy
Feldman and Tricia and Howard Sachs
Irvin Goldstein by Sherlyn Goldstein-Askwith
Warren Greenberg, husband of Judith Greenberg, by Jack and
Johanna Minker
Ida Bronstein, Benjamin Bronstein, and Irene Parker by Paula
Whyman
Daniel M. Simon by Joel and Joan Simon
Papa Morrie by Parker O’Shea
Contributions Continued
Resnik Memorial Lecture Fund
In Honor Of:
Gail Fribush for receiving the Golda Meir Award by Rhoda
Barish and Michael Polis, and Rita and Irwin Kopin
Scolnic Adult Institute Fund
In Memory Of:
Warren Greenberg, husband of Judith Greenberg, by Jack and
Stephanie Ventura and Albert Fox
My beloved brother, Lawrence Cherkas, by Rhoda Nichaman
Senior Caucus
In Memory Of:
Samuel Saady by Doris L. Povich
Irving Nurik by Jody and Alyssa Nurik
Ann Drucker by Hellaine and Irwin Nepo
My sister, Lucille Rosenblum, by Annette Goldberg
Simos Music Fund
By: Kenneth Feigenbaum
In Memory Of:
Max Berzofsky by Jay and Sharon Berzofsky
My beloved husband, Albert S. Povich, by Doris L. Povich
Sisterhood Kiddush Fund
In Honor Of:
Gail Fribush receiving the Golda Meir Award by Leonard and
Gabriela Bebchick and Barbara and Barry Friedman
Jenny Fink’s engagement to Noah Smith by Barbara and Barry
Friedman
Jill Rider receiving the Torah Fund Award by Barbara and
Barry Friedman
Gladys Ross becoming a great-grandmother by Barbara and
Barry Friedman
Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, on the birth of their
granddaughter, Maya Lily Niedermayer, by Barbara and
Barry Friedman and Ilene and David Jacobowitz
In Memory Of:
Libbie Gussow, my friend, by Naomi Levy
Benn Friedman by Barry and Barbara Friedman
Matilde Colon, mother of Jose Araujo, by Barbara and Barry
Friedman
Dorothy Waltzer, beloved aunt of Ina Wernick, by Ina and
Jerome Wernick
My wonderful husband, Irv Nurik, by Margy Nurik
Sisterhood Shiva Meal Fund
In Memory Of:
Irving Nurik by Tracey and Patrick Gallagher
Our good friend, John Baer, by Margy Nurik
BULLETIN BOARD continued from page 20
Israel Weinstein, my beloved father, by Margy Nurik
Libbie Gussow, beloved wife of Milton Gusssow and our longtime friend, by Rita and Irwin Kopin
Jean Olwyn Gardner by Lily Gardner Feldman
Harold Merber by Marilyn Ripin
Sisterhood Torah Fund
In Honor Of:
Gail Fribush for receiving the Golda Meir Award by Ilene
and David Jacobowitz, Ina and Jerome Wernick, and Julia P.
Copperman
In Memory Of:
Jay Golub, my father, by Deborah G. Leibowitz
Social Action Fund
In Memory Of:
George Minker, brother of Jack Minker, by Rita and Irwin
Kopin
David Barish by Rhoda Barish and Michael Polis
Elaine Tanenbaum Religious School Enrichment Fund
In Memory Of:
Diane Kay by Michael Kay
Meyer Raban by Robert Deckelbaum
Ruth Bloom, beloved mother and grandmother and our dear
friend by Rita and Irwin Kopin
Morris Tanenbaum, my brother, by Herb Tanenbaum
Sig Shapiro by Rita and Irwin Kopin
Samuel Saady by Herb Tanenbaum
Torah Scroll Fund
In Memory Of:
Tom Kalette, my cousin, by Parker O’Shea
Mervyn Jeffries by Rabbi Rudolph’s Parasha Class
Transportation Fund
In Memory Of:
Hilda Teitel by Richard Lieberman and Helene Weisz
Sam Saady by Carolyn Shapiro and Sarah Shapiro
Freda Rosenthal by John and Sue Rosenthal
Anna Kramer, mother, by Carolyn Shapiro
Weker Family Program Fund
In Memory Of:
Eva Kopin, beloved mother of Irwin Kopin and grandmother,
by Rita and Irwin Kopin
World Jewry Fund
In Memory Of:
Bronya Sheykman by Jolie and Vladimir Lechtman
Warren Greenberg by Ann and Bruce Barcome
Senior Caucus, Thursday, March 26, noon. Brown Bag
lunch. Come and socialize with your friends and enjoy refreshments and dessert. lunch, call Ricardo Munster at 301-652-2606, ext.316, or
[email protected], by Tuesday, March 17. The program is free and begins at 1:00 pm.
Senior Caucus–Vatikkim Luncheon Program, Thursday, March 19. Starts with lunch at noon. Following lunch,
thanks to the sponsorship of the Washington Performing
Arts Women’s Committee, we will enjoy the music of Bruce
Hutton, an American folk singer and multi-instrumentalist
(plays autoharp, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, lap dulcimer, jaw
harp, mouth bow, guitar). Lunch costs $10. To RSVP for
Bridge – the greatest game ever! Join us every Monday and Thursday (except the 3rd Thursday) from
12:30 to 4:00 pm. Drop in and join a game; no partner
necessary. For information or transportation, contact Ricardo Munster at 301-652-2606, ext. 316, or rmunster@
bethelmc.org.
19
Congregation Beth El
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Bulletin Board
Mazal Tov to
Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer and Gladys Ross on
the birth of their granddaughter and great-granddaughter,
Maya Lily Niedermayer. Proud parents are Aaron Niedermayer and Keren Mizrahi.
Adam and Jaclyn Williamowsky on the birth of their
daughter, Arielle Zahava Williamowsky. Proud siblings
are Gabriella, Jordan, and Eli.
Condolences to
José Araujo, Beth El’s building supervisor, on the death of
his mother, Matilde Colon
The family of Ruth Bloom on her death
Sidney Carter on the death of his wife, Miriam Carter
Norman and Ellen Eule on the death of Norman’s brother, Leo Eule
Michael and Debbie Fink on the death of Michael’s father, Harold (Bernard) Fink
Helen B. Friedkin and the Dembo family on the death of
her aunt, Dorothy P. Dembo
Josh, Aaron, Benjamin, and Abbie Bobeck on the death
of their wife and mother, Suzin Glickman, and of their
father-in-law and grandfather, Emanuel Glickman
The family of Frances Glovinsky on her death
Judith Greenberg on the death of her husband, Warren
Greenberg
Milton (Mickey) Gussow on the death of his wife, Libbie
Gussow
Rebekah and Rabbi Greg Harris on the death of Re-
Send submissions to the Scroll to [email protected]
bekah’s grandmother, Mildred Stool
Howard Hoffman and Adam Hoffman on the death of
their father and grandfather, Sidney Hoffman
Marcia Jeffries on the death of her husband, Mervyn
Jeffries
Larry and Linda Mann on the death of Larry’s mother,
Gloria Mann
Marleen and Eliezer May on the death of Marleen’s
brother, Michael Zuckman
Varda Avnisan Nowitz and Richard Nowitz on the
death of Varda’s brother, Jonathan Avnisan
Lauren and Paul Robin on the death of Lauren’s mother,
Phyllis Posnick
Rose Saady and Donna Saady on the death of their husband and father, Sam Saady
Noteworthy
Roundtable with the Rabbi, Wednesday, March 11,
2:00 pm. Please note that because March 4 is a fast day,
Roundtable has been moved forward one week. Join us to
celebrate March birthdays (yours and those of others) with
desserts, coffee, and a lively discussion led by Rabbi Rudolph. Birthday celebrants receive a special invitation, but all
are welcome. Dor L’Dor, Thursday, March 5, noon. The Beth El Preschool (BEPS) 4s Class and a group of Beth El seniors blend
together to form Dor L’Dor. To participate and share pizza
with the preschoolers, RSVP to Susan Bruckheim at 301320-4404 or [email protected], or to Ricardo
Munster at 301-652-2606, ext. 316, or rmunster@bethelmc.
continued on page 19
org.