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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 CHESHVAN/KISLEV/TEVET 5774 FROM RABBI ZEMEL SEEKING ANSWER TO BASIC JEWISH QUESTION: HOW CAN I BE A PERSON? DEAR FRIENDS, After playing their last game of the season, athletes often say that they “left it all out on the field.” They held nothing back. They did everything that they could to help the team, win the game or simply demonstrate their respect for the integrity of competition and for their opponent. Leaving it all on the field is a statement of dedication, honor, and commitment. It is a feeling not unlike the one we strive for in the period that starts with Elul and culminates with the holy days. We are urged to be intense in our self scrutiny and then to enter the year having really struggled to come to grips with who we are and the quality of the relationship we have with the world around us. We try to leave it all on the field. We then enter our sukkot for a nap and quiet contemplation as we consider the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, where we learn (every year) that “there is nothing new under the sun.” The world is a repetitive place. This fall, as I reviewed the holy days (a rabbinic pre-occupation), I came to the conclusion that my erev Rosh Hashanah sermon, which I particularly loved, was the one least appreciated by those who were forced to listen to it. This is the sermon in which I attempted to explore what I believe to be the most fundamental of all Jewish questions: How can I be a person? I really do CO N TI N U E D O N PAG E 9 ; Micah Celebrates Hanukkah with Magic and Art By Shelley Grossm a n Temple Micah Hanukkah celebra- token, we have no idea how they do tions are always special, but this that.” The artists’ demos are designed year the Hanukkah Extravaganza on to rectify that situation. Sunday, Nov. 17, should be outstanding As in previous years, Micah artwith something for everyone to do or ists (and some of their creative friends learn. Not only will the Great Loudini, and family) will offer for sale their Micah’s favorite magician, perform handcrafted jewelry, pottery, glass his entertaining and baffling tricks at art, knitwear, and other items that two great shows make excellent in the sanctuary Hanukkah presthat morning, but ents (as well as he will offer his gifts for oneself). Hanukkah magic The Judaica Shop kits for sale and will market a wide show purchasvariety of hanukers how to do the kiot (Hanukkah tricks! menorahs) and And the Hanukkah canFifth Annual dles—including Hanukkah Craft beautiful handand Gift Fair crafted tapers— (from 9:30 am to and other Judaica 2 pm in the Social for year-round Carole Hirschmann at the 2011 Hanukkah Fair Hall and Atrium) rituals and celthis year showebrations, most cases a record 20 craft artists in addiof the items made in Israel. Also, lots of tion to three other vendors. For the Hanukkah items for children. And Scott first time, nine of those artists plan to Hertzberg again will bring to Micah his explain or demonstrate their craft durIsraeli Harvest featuring Israeli farm ing the show. products such as olive oil, dates, honey, “One of the beauties of our spices and other treats. Hanukkah Fair is that it gives us an This year the Hanukkah opportunity to learn something very Extravaganza will not only be fun and interesting about some of our fellow useful, it will be informative. The Great congregants—that they are talented Loudini and some of the artists will talk artists producing beautiful work,” said about their crafts and show attendees Ellen Sommer, craft fair chair and manhow they do it. ager of the Judaica Shop. “By the same CO N TI N U E D O N PAG E 3 ; SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 2 C H E S H VA N / K I S L E V/ T E V E T 5 7 74 “Every person shall sit under his grapevine or fig tree with no one to make him afraid.” M I CA H , C H A P T E R 4 , V E R S E 4 Vine Vol. 49 No.2 TEMPLE MICAH— A REFORM JEWISH CONGREGATION 2829 Wisconsin Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20007 Voice: 202-342-9175 Fax: 202-342-9179 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] www.templemicah.org Daniel G. Zemel RABBI Esther Lederman ASSOCIATE RABBI Rachel Gross E XECUTIVE DIRECTOR Meryl Weiner CANTOR Teddy Klaus MUSIC DIRECTOR Linda Siegel INTERIM EDUCATION DIRECTOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jodi Enda PRESIDENT Ira Hillman VICE PRESIDENT Marc Levy SECRETARY David Adler TRE ASURER Larry Bachorik Sheri Blotner Lynn Bonde David Diskin Helene Granof Victoria Greenfield Alison Harwood Kate Kiggins Joel Korn Ed Lazere Mary Beth Schiffman VINE STAFF Dorian Friedman CO-EDITOR Shelley Grossman CO-EDITOR Louise Zemel COPY EDITOR AURAS Design PRODUCTION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 Hands-on learning engages 8th graders PRESIDENT ’S COLUMN MACHON MICAH IS HERE TO STAY By Dor i a n Fr iedm a n A dramatic drop-off in religious By Jodi En da In 2009, when traditional religious school gave way to a newfangled idea called “Machon Micah,” Rabbi Zemel offered this bit of explanation: “We are deliberately being a bit audacious….We really want to strive for something bold.” We’re now in our fifth year of bold. We have transformed the way we teach at Temple Micah, moving from a classroom-centered program to a wideranging series of experiences designed to help children and adults live an American Jewish life. We meet on Sundays, but also on Saturdays. And sometimes on Wednesdays, or whenever a Jewish holiday occurs. We teach our children by grade, among grades and alongside adults. We have all-community events with hands-on learning opportunities, stimulating discussions and insightful speakers aimed at people of every age. We teach Hebrew at temple and, via Skype, at home. We use art and music and movement and poetry to teach and experience prayer. We do mitzvot. We try new things. We have fun. This year, we are engaged in a search for a new education director. And, just as the creation of the machon itself made some people nervous, this change has caused trepidation as well. During two meetings this fall, congregants asked Rabbi Zemel and members of the temple board and the search committee if a new education director presaged a new education mission. Were we, they asked, embarking on another major shift? The answer is, emphatically, no. We are not changing direction. On the contrary, we will look to a new education director to make what we do even better by completing implementation of the mission envisioned years ago by Rabbi Zemel and honed by a large and diverse group of congregants. Some history: the machon grew out of a lengthy study triggered by Rabbi Zemel’s conviction that the 20th-century religious school model was no longer working in 21st-century America. In the last half of the last century, Jews became a part of the fabric of America, with lives that were indistinguishable from those of everyone else. In and of itself, this was not a bad development – it reflected increased acceptance and assimilation and decreased discrimination. But it opened the door to questions about a larger Jewish identity. Often, Rabbi Zemel said, people came to temple “with great uncertainty about what it means to be Jewish.” The machon would be a place to build and examine Jewish identity. From the outset, it was guided by three principles: moving Jewish education into Jewish time, learning through experience and generating meaningful community involvement. It was for everyone: children, teens and young adults, parents, non-parents, grandparents and empty nesters, couples and singles, and people with any level or type of Jewish education, experience or involvement—or none. We were in this together. Rabbi Zemel outlined some themes the machon would explore: Jewish peoplehood, Jewish survival, holiness, universal ethics, poetry and beauty, a sense of deep mystery about God, culture and historic experiences, Torah, Hebrew, modern Israel, and associations with other Jews. This was not to be a place to memorize history, prayers, Hebrew or anything else. It would be a place to learn, through Judaism, how to be a person. As the saying goes, it’s not your grandfather’s Sunday school. (Sorry, Grandma, you were still in the balcony.) Learning at Temple Micah is a lively, exciting, thought-provoking and, yes, messy affair. And likely to remain so. To be sure, the messiness leads to challenges. Since the machon’s inception, some members (primarily those with school-age children) have complained CO N TI N U E D O N PAG E 5 3 ; school attendance after bar or bat mitzvah is a major national problem. At Machon Micah, an innovative 8th grade teacher has created a program that just might help to solve it. Laura Tomes debuted her new approach in September. Micah’s 8th graders and their parents are joining up. Of the 27 Micah students who became b’nai mitzvah last year, 23 are enrolled in the new class. Tomes’s new curriculum, “Judaism as Ritual and Culture,” takes learning out of the classroom and into Jewish homes, museums, and places of historical and cultural importance. Learning revolves around once-a-month field trips. To prepare, students study a binder of reading materials and discussion questions to draw them more deeply into each topic. Over the school year, they’ll cover eight themes that offer different Hanukkah FROM PAGE 1 ; The “magic” of magic is the mystery of how the trick is done. But Loudini is a magician who shares some of his secrets—for a price. Among other collections of his tricks, he markets Hanukkah-dabra, a box containing eight of his Hanukkah-related tricks, one for each night of the holiday, with written instructions on how to perform them. Hanukkah-dabra will be on sale at the Nov. 17 extravaganza and all proceeds will go to the temple. Even better, Loudini himself plans to hold a seminar on how to perform the tricks. Why is he doing this? The Great Loudini, whose real name is Louis Melamed, is Louise Zemel’s first cousin (both were named for her opportunities to create and affirm a Jewish identity. The first session, for example, focused on Israel. Students met in the temple’s sukkah, read about life in modern Israel over a delicious Israeli dinner, and watched a movie. October’s program focused on the theme of kashrut, and students visited the kosher kitchen of a temple member to learn more about the halacha, the rituals, and the ethical underpinnings of Jewish dietary laws. Later months will explore the Torah, lifecycle rituals, American Judaism, the multicultural nature of the Jewish world and more. Tomes, a doctoral candidate in American Jewish history at Georgetown University, conceived and designed the program with Rabbi Zemel. She says the curriculum is “intended to be very different from kindergarten through 7th grade. It feels different. We want grandfather). “Louise is my favorite cousin and I have a soft spot in my heart for (Rabbi Zemel) and I like Micah,” he said. He plans to phase out the Hanukkahdabra kits, he continued, “and I thought it would be a nice thing to donate them to Micah so the temple could use them for fundraising.” Melamed fell in love with magic at a young age, “like most young boys,” he said, but unlike most youth, he has made a career of it. “I performed my first magic show at age 14 for 70 children in the JCC preschool day care program and the students to take on a new level of responsibility… as they begin their lifelong journey of learning as a Jewish adult.” In return for their effort, she notes, is the lure of a reward: Those who attend five of the eight class meetings and keep up with their independent course work are invited to a fun-filled weekend field trip to New York City in May. Importantly, “Judaism as Ritual and Culture” is part of a broader education program that was rolled out this year for high-school students called Micah Mitzvah Corps. Together, the programs aim to keep teenagers engaged long after their b’nai mitzvah with a series of meaningful, relevant and fun learning activities that reflect the essence of Machon Micah and the heart of Temple Micah’s commitment to education. (For more on Machon Micah, see President’s Column on page 2.) I’ve been doing magic for the last 39 years,” he said. He combined it with his advertising and marketing business, using magic to promote products and services. He also employs magic in Jewish education, giving seminars to conferences of Reform and Conservative Jewish educators. “It’s a great way to engage the kids,” he said. He has also developed a box of Passover tricks “and a collection of 13 tricks to go with the Torah portions in Genesis—a magic trick to augment the stories.” As an added attraction to the craft fair this year, nine • of the artists will talk about their craft and show how they do it. Four glass artists will show and tell about different techniques for turning pieces of glass into useful items and glass powder into pictures. Two jewelers will show how various materials are turned into beautiful beads. Two fabric artists will discuss special yarns used in knitting and printing and dying textiles. And a mosaicist will show how she turns old plates into new mosaics. In addition to showing how beautiful objects are made, the demonstrations should illustrate why the artists make them. “I enjoy working with glass because it is so creative,” said Trish Kent, one of the four glass artists. “I never make the same thing twice.” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 • 4 C H E S H VA N / K I S L E V/ T E V E T 5 7 74 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 5 MEMBER PROFILE IT TAKES A WHOLE COMMUNITY… …to organize, prepare and produce High Holy Day Services. Thanks to the resourceful and unflag- ging volunteer chairs who, with our indefatigable and unflappable staff, produced Micah’s 2013/5774 holy day experience. Here is a list of volunteers. Not included because of space—not lack of appreciation—are the scores of volunteer ushers, oneg contributors, committee members and others without whose help it wouldn’t have been Temple Micah’s kind of services. The whole congregation thanks you! Committee Chairs: HH Co-chairs: Becky Claster, Amy McLaughlin, Fatema Salam HH Ushers: Doug Grob HH Security: Doug Meyer, Lee Futrovksy Hineni/Rides: Tina Coplan, Evelyn Sahr Doctor: Gail Povar Rosh Hashanah Oneg: Larry Rothman, Harriet Kinberg Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast: Marina Fanning Childcare & Children’s Services chairs: Jocelyn Gehrke and Eliza McGraw Signs: Susan Lahne, Shelley Grossman Prayer Books: Carrie Langsam Shofar Blowers (Ba’alei Tekiyah): Hero Magnus, Robert Weinstein, Teddy Klaus, Micah Reinharz, Bill Page, Daniel Stern, Aaron Klaus Kol Nidre Soloists: David Adler, Jennifer Gruber Music: Pianist: Thew Elliot Flautists: Ruth Simon, Liz Poliner Cello: Eli Blum Clarinet: Lora Ferguson Solo: Jan Greenberg, Lila Klaus, Bill Page Joanna Blotner Honored with Social Justice Award By Dor i a n Fr iedm a n Lifelong Micah member Joanna Blotner was honored in October with a 2013 Heschel Vision Award, given annually by Jews United for Justice. The award, named for Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, recognizes “local leaders who follow in Rabbi Heschel’s footsteps, fusing activism and deep moral commitments” to “empower people from all walks of life.” Blotner received the award at a gala celebration at Temple Sinai on October 27. Well known to many members, Blotner has devoted her brief but inspiring career to faith-based social justice. She got her start in organizing through the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (thanks largely, she says, to Rabbi Zemel’s advice and guidance) and went on to work in the Religion and Faith Program of the Human Rights Campaign, where she served as lead faith organizer for the 2012 Marylanders for Marriage Equality campaign. Today, she continues important work at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, advancing reproductive justice and access to care for all women and families. Congratulating Blotner, Rabbi Zemel commented, “Joanna is a model of what we are trying to teach in the Temple Micah experience. She represents the best of that to which we aspire.” The award—given this year as well to a local philanthropic leader and a local family whose five members are deeply engaged in social activism—recognizes Blotner’s leadership and impact on two initiatives in particular: Her organizing efforts in support of last year’s marriage equality referendum in Maryland and her role in creating “Prop 8 Passover,” an interfaith Passover seder hosted this past March in conjunction with the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in California’s Proposition 8 case governing same-sex marriages. In these and other efforts, Blotner’s work has taught her that “the only way to really win [on issues concerning human sexuality and equality] is to bring faith into the Choir: David Adler, David Asher, Geoffrey Barron, Sue Baum, Laurel Bergold, President’s Column FROM PAGE 2 ; Silver Polishing: Louise Zemel Stuart Brown, Gary Dickelman, Webmaster: David Diskin Barbara Diskin, David Diskin, Lora Ticket Assistance: Geri Nielson Ferguson, Jan Greenberg, Genie Apples & Honey: Dorian Friedman Grohman, Ed Grossman, Jennifer that the schedule is not predictable enough, that the all-community events conflict with other commitments and that the time they spend at temple is either too long or too short. But it became clear at the meetings this fall that the thing people worry about most is that the machon as we know it will disappear, that Temple Micah will return to the old model that never worked all that well in the first place. That will not happen. For this year, under the able leadership of Linda Siegel, our interim education director, the machon will chug along with some fine tuning but no major changes. By the end of 2013, we will identify a permanent education director, who will begin work July 1. The new director must not only accept and embrace Temple Micah’s mission for education, but embody it. He or she must have the vision to take that mission to new heights, to strengthen the curriculum further and increase and intensify the engagement of our congregants. No. We’re not recreating the religious school of our grandfathers. We’re laying the groundwork for the American Jewish lives of our granddaughters and grandsons. (For one example of Machon Micah’s continuing innovation, see story, “Hands-on learning engages 8th graders,” on page 3.) Worship: Torah Readers (Ba’alei Kriya): Lila Klaus, Hazel Rosenblum-Sellers, Jordy Parry, Hero Magnus, Anna Ustun, Jana Korn, Emma Youcha, Izzy Stein Haftarah Readers: Micah Reinharz, Hallie Watts-Rich, Jacob Korn, Lizzy Zetlin, Lila Klaus Gruber, Janet Hahn, Laura Hubbard, Howard Jaffe, Barbara Klestzick, Zachary Lynch, Marjorie Marcus, William Page, Bob Rackleff, David Schneider, Sonia White, Suzanne Saunders, Alex Shilo, Ellen Sommer, Daniel Yett • forefront—and to make sure that people know they can bring their religious beliefs to the voting booth in a positive way,” she reflects. Blotner says she’s especially honored that this year’s Heschel award is given in memory of Elissa Froman, a good friend, mentor and fellow Jewish activist who lost her battle with cancer earlier this spring. Froman was just 29 years old. • LET YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOW WHILE HELPING AN AT-RISK TEEN Micah volunteers are helping at-risk teenage girls at the Sasha Bruce residential program on Capitol Hill try their hand at creative writing. Do you teach? Write poetry, plays or stories? Just looking for an opportunity to support a vulnerable young person in a meaningful way? No experience necessary to join the Micah team on the second and/or fourth Wednesday of the month from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Sasha Bruce Youthwork is a residential program for runaway, homeless and at-risk youth near Capitol Hill. Micah’s partnership with the organization is a project of the Beyond the Walls Team. For more information about volunteering for the writing project, contact Marilyn Park or Lisa Saks at [email protected]. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 6 C H E S H VA N / K I S L E V/ T E V E T 5 7 74 COMING ATTRACTIONS Here’s a sampling of Micah activities in November and December. For a detailed schedule of all upcoming events, check out www.templemicah.org. FRIDAY, NOV. 8 – 7:30 PM Community Shabbat Dinner After services, join other members in a delicious catered dinner. Meet new friends. Catch up with people you know. SUNDAY, NOV. 17 – 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM Hanukkah Extravaganza (See story on page 1 for details) SUNDAY, NOV. 24 – 10 AM – 2PM Book Fair at Politics and Prose Hear the Youth Choir sing at 11 am. At 11:30 am, listen to Al From talk about his new book, The New Democrats and the Return to Power, and get him to sign it. Buy gift and personal books and help the temple—a portion of the proceeds of most sales goes to Micah. Politics and Prose Bookstore is at 5015 Connecticut Ave., NW. FRIDAY, NOV. 29 – 6 PM ONEG, 6:30 PM SERVICE Spectacular Hanukkah Kabbalat Service Bring your menorah and candles and light up the sanctuary at this amazing family-friendly service. SUNDAY, DEC. 8 Share Your Hanukkah Coat Donations Deadline to drop off coats purchased for low-income families. FRIDAY, DEC. 27 – 6 PM ONEG, 6:30 PM SERVICE Kabbalat Shabbat at Temple Sinai Annual joint service of Northwest Washington’s Reform and Conservative synagogues. Join members of Adas Israel, Temple Sinai and Washington Hebrew Congregation at Temple Sinai, 3100 Military Rd, NW. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 SUCH INTERESTING SPEAKERS ON SO MANY DIFFERENT TOPICS! Temple Micah now features two monthly lecture series—on Sunday morning and Wednesday noon. Here are the speakers scheduled for November and December. For more details, visit www.templemicah.org. SUNDAY SPEAKER SERIES 10:15 am to 11:15 am Nov. 3 — Mark Mazzetti, Pulitzer Prizewinning New York Times correspondent, on his new book, The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth Dec. 8 — Diana Butler Bass, a leading voice for progressive Christianity who writes broadly on American religion and culture, on “Faith and Practice in a Post-Religious World” Feb. 2 — Patty Stonesifer, President and CEO of Martha’s Table, on “Doing the Good in Washington.” LUNCH & LEARN Wednesdays from noon to 2 pm Please contact Barbara Green, lunchandlearn@templemicah. org, or call the temple office, 202-342-9175, for reservations and details. Nov. 13 — Judith Viorst, author, poet and columnist on “Life Lessons” Dec. 11 — Rabbi Esther Lederman, our very own, just back from maternity leave 7 LOCAL RABBI, FRIEND OF TEMPLE MICAH TAKES NEW NATIONAL ROLE By Shelley Grossm a n Rabbi Jack Moline, a good friend of Rabbi Zemel and of Temple Micah, is leaving his pulpit at Agudas Achim Congregation in January to become executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council. He spent more than 26 years at Agudas Achim, a Conservative synagogue in Alexandria. He has been a familiar face at Micah, speaking and participating in a variety of programs. Newsweek named him one of the top 25 pulpit rabbis in the country in 2008 and, in 2010 and 2011, one of the 50 most influential. Organizational and advocacy work will not be new to Moline, however. He was the Director of Public Policy for the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly from 2009 until this past May and is a past chairman of the board of the Interfaith Alliance. Even so, in his new post he anticipates some dramatic changes in his life’s work. “I will focus much less on the pastoral and ritual duties that make up so much of my congregational responsibilities and much more on advocacy and development,” he said. “One thing that will not change—I will still use every opportunity to teach.” Despite his excitement at the new challenges awaiting him, he said he leaves the pulpit with some regrets. “The privilege I have enjoyed to be invited into people’s lives at moments of significance is the most precious aspect of the rabbinate. Most people have to earn the kind of trust that is almost automatic with a rabbi. I hope I have learned well enough how to earn that trust with the people near to me. I hope my training and title do honor to the position,” he continued. “But I am more concerned that I fulfill my new responsibilities in a way that does honor to my training and title.” Moline voiced one other regret: “I never was able to talk Danny Zemel out of rooting for the White Sox.” • SIDDUR STUDY GROUP SUKKOT IN SPRING WHAT: Study the prayers in Mishkan T’fillah, the Reform Siddur (prayer book); learn about the structure and content of Jewish worship and how the Reform approach compares with other strands of Judaism; discuss your relationship to prayer, worship and the prayer book. A relatively new Micah group, Siddur Study will celebrate its first anniversary in December. Members of the group volunteer to lead different sessions. No prerequisites. You don’t need to read Hebrew. Each session is a separate discussion, so drop in at any time. Siddur Study also has an online discussion group, open to all: SiddurStudyAtMicah@ GoogleGroups.com. WHAT: Do an important mitzvah and have fun with fellow temple members by spending a day or two helping to rehabilitate the house of a low-income homeowner. Whether you are an experienced DYIer or don’t know which is the working end of a paint brush, your participation is warmly welcomed. Tasks may include decluttering, painting, gardening, carpentry, simple plumbing and electrical repairs. Free coffee/pastries in the morning and lunch in the afternoon. An excellent opportunity to learn some handy skills and try out tools. All tools supplied, but you can bring your own. Teens 14 years of age and older are welcome, and eligible for community service credits, but must be accompanied by parent or other responsible adult. WHEN AND WHERE: The last Saturday of the month after the Kiddush following services—usually about 12:30 or 12:45 pm. It meets in the Downstairs Library. WHO: Coordinator is Virginia Spatz, 202-342-9175 or [email protected] WHY: “I have a strong interest in prayer so I was delighted to help get this group rolling and really enjoyed preparing the first few sessions,” Spatz said. “I believe that studies like this one give us a chance to grow in terms of knowledge and skills and to explore new ideas within Judaism. I’m learning new things about poetic structures of the prayer book, for example. At least as important is the opportunity to develop connections with others in ways that count. The sessions so far have drawn a variety of participants. Through these studies, we get to know others in a way that includes personal experience but isn’t stuck on cocktail-party or professional-networking topics.” WHEN AND WHERE: Once a year, in the spring (April or May) generally on three Sundays at the job site. WHO: Roberta Goren, house captain; Ed Grossman and Doug Meyer, co-house captains. Email them at [email protected]. WHY: “It really is a terrific program,” Goren said. “You feel so good doing something helpful for people. It is fun because you are doing it as a team, not by yourself. You get to meet Micah members you don’t know in a very informal setting and—while painting a room, for example—see a whole different side of people you’ve known for years. The best thing, at the end of the day, you can see the results of what you’ve done and the difference you’ve made is often stunning.” Ed Grossman added, “It is a mitzvah, learning, and social experience combined.” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 8 C H E S H VA N / K I S L E V/ T E V E T 5 7 74 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 Temple Micah: A True Work of Art By Dor i a n Fr iedm a n As Temple Micah’s new building was taking shape in 1994 and 1995, Eva Jacob, a talented artist and member of the congregation, documented the process in a series of charcoal sketches. “It was a wonderful project,” recalls Jacob, whose artistic interests had turned to charcoal landscapes around the time construction got underway. “I thought, let me document the building process and the vision for the temple” at every stage. She did so almost weekly for more than a year, from inside and outside the building, and from the perspective of a neighbor’s apartment across Wisconsin Avenue. Once, a friendly roofing contractor even offered to help her climb 40 feet up a ladder to the ridge of the unfinished roof—where she perched for an aerial view of the busy construction site CO N TI N U E D N E X T PAG E Temple FROM PREVIOUS PAGE ; below. Jacob’s drawings were displayed in the sanctuary when the building was dedicated. Many of the pictures were sold, while she gave others as gifts. Jacob donated all proceeds to the temple’s landscape fund, which paid for many of the trees and shrubs that line the property. Several of Jacob’s sketches still grace the walls of the temple’s public and office space. However, Jacob said, the most meaningful part of her artistic venture was seeing the temple’s new sanctuary rise literally from the ground up. Eva and Fred Jacob have retired to be near family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she now paints landscapes of Wisconsin scenes and does commissioned portraits. She asks clients to donate any fees to a charity of their choice. 9 (left) Temple Micah as seen from across Wisconsin Avenue and (below) looking down into the first floor. • Rabbi’s Message FROM PAGE 1 ; View of the sanctuary with scaffolding ; JEWISH SYMBOLS ARE EVERYWHERE IN TEMPLE MICAH’S DESIGN Temple Micah’s architects, members Judith Capen and Robert Weinstein, used Jewish symbols throughout the building’s design in a deliberate effort to make the building distinctive and to embody the essence of Judaism. “The challenge for us as architects, and one the Temple Micah congregation supported totally, was to understand what makes a spiritual space spiritual” and how to achieve that vision through design, Capen has written. Her book about the couple’s experience, Against the Odds: A Small Reform Congregation Builds a Building, was excerpted in the Vine last summer (July/August 2013 issue). Here, the couple reflects on the Jewish design elements that make our building special. Have a closer look next time you come to temple! • Throughout the building, our unified color scheme references the ‘priestly colors’—blue, crimson, and purple— of the Bible. • The blue coping wrapping the exterior of the building represents a single blue thread in a traditional tallit or prayer shawl. • The exterior brickwork reveals subtle Stars of David in a pattern that was inspired by an intricate weaving. • The two columns flanking the temple’s front entrance evoke the paired columns (“Joachim” and “Boaz”) of Solomon’s Temple in ancient Jerusalem. The architects repeated this motif in the sanctuary with windows that create two abstract “columns” of light. • Etched glass panels on the classroom doors were inspired by key Jewish themes. Symbols of Shabbat—wine, challah, a spice box—grace the temporary classroom panels, while windows in the building’s new addition depict memorable Bible stories. • And the simple but elegant frieze that rings the sanctuary’s upper walls is inscribed with Biblical quotations chosen for their significance. Ted Cron (z”l), a founding member, designed the Hebrew type. The metallic gold words, books of the Bible, divide each passage. “Depending on how the light is coming into the building, sometimes the text pops out while other times it almost disappears,” observed Robert Weinstein. “I think that’s reminiscent of the Torah—sometimes bright and clear, and sometimes opaque.” (Some of this information was borrowed from a summary on the temple’s website where you can find other interesting details on Temple Micah’s distinctive architecture and symbolism. Visit www.templemicah.org/aboutus/ ourbuilding.) think that all of Judaism flows from the asking of this question. It is why Judaism is a universal religion. It is why the values embedded in our literature have found resonance throughout history. It is why we fit so comfortably here in America and have thrived in our own land. It is because Judaism asks the most basic question: How can we as moral beings contend with the world around us? In retrospect and upon hearing from many of you, I have come to realize that this sermon simply had too much packed into it. It is, perhaps, three separate sermons: 1. Judaism recognizes that humans are part of creation but also separate from it. We have amazing abilities but are burdened with self awareness. 2. As self-conscious beings, we are required to contend with our moral failings. This is a human struggle—the search for a moral path. 3. Judaism is a vehicle that allows us to simultaneously channel and celebrate our humanity and our struggle, a phenomenon that is symbolized by the Shabbat table. To elaborate on the first “sermon”: It is no accident that the Jewish year begins with the ethical imperative to seek to wipe the slate clean. It is our annual heroic effort to return to the starting line—biblical creation—where, for a split second, the world experienced the paradise that was Eden. Our Rosh Hashanah mandate is to work at coming to grips with what we are and who we are. We are of creation—biological creatures—but we have this nagging knowledge that we are different. We are alien from our environment. We have a moral impulse that beats constantly. Judaism recognizes and celebrates this as a unique gift. On Rosh Hashanah, as we delve into ourselves, we ask ourselves the most basic question. How can I be a human being when human beings like me are so filled with faults and defects? We even do evil! How can I be a human being and maintain dignity and hope? This was the thrust of the first part of my sermon—this coming to grips with what separates us from the rest of creation. The link to all of my holy day sermons can be found on the Temple Micah homepage, www.templemicah.org (should you be generous enough to consider another attempt). If you are among the many who I suspect will not turn back to read the sermon, fear not: You will hear more from me on this subject. With November, we march on to celebrate Thanksgiving and Hanukkah on the same day. The first Hanukkah candle will be lit Wednesday evening, Nov. 27, making Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, the first day of Hanukkah. How can that be? For a complete explanation of how this occurs and how it will not happen again for more than 77,000 years (not a typo), check out http://jonathanmizrahi.blogspot.com/. We, at Micah, will hold a Hanukkah Extravaganza on Sunday, Nov. 17, featuring The Great Loudini, our favorite magician, and the Fifth Annual Hanukkah Craft and Gift Fair. And, of course, our spectacular annual Shabbat Hanukkah service, this year on Friday, Nov. 29. Bring your menorah and candles! The larger question is what we will do in our homes to celebrate both of these holidays. What beyond the jokes of turkey and latkes? One idea might be to read the letter from George Washington to the Jewish community of Newport, R.I., with its famous words proclaiming the United States a nation that “gives to bigotry no sanction…” Light the first Hanukkah candle at home on Nov. 27. Celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family on Nov. 28 and come to Micah to celebrate American Jewish life and both holidays on Nov. 29. Double chag sameach! Finally, I am beginning Part 2 of my sabbatical on Dec. 10 and will be away until March 17. Once again, Louise and I will be spending most of that time in Israel. We are enormously grateful for this time away. I leave the congregation in the very capable hands of Rabbi Lederman and the rest of our dedicated and talented staff. Shalom, Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 10 C H E S H VA N / K I S L E V/ T E V E T 5 7 74 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 TZEDAKAH AUCTION FUND IN MEMORY OF Carolyn Margolis, by Michelle Sender, Judy Mannes and David Dantzler, Susie and Harvey Blumenthal BUILDING FUND IN HONOR OF Dorothy Kirby’s 93rd birthday, by Thomas and Rochelle Brunner Birth of Zoe Rebecca to Esther Lederman and Scott Gant, by Bobbie and Ed Wendel IN MEMORY OF Herbert Brown, by Judith Capen and Robert Weinstein Carolyn Margolis, by Beverly and Harlan Sherwat Herbert Blumenthal, by Lora Ferguson ENDOWMENT FUND IN MEMORY OF Pearl Levenson Simmons; Louis Levenson, by Brenda Levenson Herbert Blumenthal, by Michelle and Leonard Tow, Michelle Sender FOX-MEHLMAN FUND (scholarships and grants for educational and camp programs) IN MEMORY OF Vivian Liebenau, by Norman and Susie Blumenfeld GENERAL FUND IN HONOR OF Rabbi Lederman and Scott Gant, and new baby Zoe, by Stuart and Francie Schwartz Zoe Rebecca Gant, by Nancy Lang Robert and Carolee Walker making my birthday spectacular, by Norma Tucker IN MEMORY OF Carolyn Margolis, by Kathy Sklar, Mary Beth Schiffman and David Tochen Edward DeGrazia, by Norman and Susie Blumenfeld Herbert Blumenthal, by Barbara and Skip Halpern Favl Waisburd, by Sonia Weisburd Rita Welles, by Barbara and Skip Halpern Joseph Seiger, by Judy Hurvitz HINENI FUND THE RABBI DANIEL GOLDMAN ZEMEL FUND FOR ISRAEL RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND IN MEMORY OF Rabbi Lederman’s speedy recovery, by Gerald Liebenau Rabbi Zemel’s 30 years at Temple Micah, by Jerome and Fleurette Hershman the birth of Zoe Rebecca Gant, by Valerie Barton and Sean Schofield, David and Livia Bardin, Susie and Harvey Blumenthal, Sheila Platoff and Bob Effros, Lora Ferguson, Jonathan and Carrie Ustun, Susan and Richard Lahne, Learita Scott and Robert Friedman, Marlyn and Milton Socolar, Stan and Kathy Soloway, Patricia Kent, Jane and Chaz Kerschner, Stan and Ronna Foster, Gwen and Marc Pearl, Jonah and Sallie Gitlitz, Lucy and David Asher, Mary Beth Schiffman and David Tochen, Beverly and Harlan Sherwat, Robyn Garnett, Richard Fitz and Kathy Spiegel Judith Rosen’s speedy recovery, by Learita Scott and Robert Friedman Shira Zemel’s marriage, by Lucy and David Asher Rabbi Zemel’s naming of Harper and Theo, by Greg and Sasha Adler Mayer, Pauline and John Mandel; Howard, Jacob, and Judith Grob; Marjorie Engel and Shirley Shenkman, by Helen Mandel Grob Joseph Grossman, by Ellen Sommer LIBRARY FUND IN HONOR OF Ken Goldstein preparing Sam for becoming Bar Mitzvah, by Norman and Susie Blumenfeld MICAH HOUSE Amy and Joshua Berman, Kate and Paul Judson, Rita and Gary Carleton, Todd Goren, Debbie Billet-Roumell and Jim Roumell, Ardell Simmons, James Bodner and Victoria Greenfield, Sid and Elka Booth, Mark Levine, Ken and Nancy Schwartz, Kathy and Larry Ausubel IN HONOR OF Zoe Rebecca Gant, by Deborah and Marc Strass, Jessica and Harry Silver, Marsha Semmel IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF Robert Sugarman, by Carole Sugarman and Mark Pelesh Carl Hirschmann; Hans and Freida Hirschmann, by Carole and John Hirschmann Malcolm Sherwat, by Harlan and Beverly Sherwat Walter Page, by Bill Page and Mary Hollis Suzanne Oppenheimer, by Howard and Jill Berman Benjamin Lazar, by Learita Scott and Robert Friedman Abel Jacob Winston; Lucille Levin Winston, by Carole and David Wilson Vivian Liebenau; Richard Futrovsky, by Rhoda, Jerome and Howard Mortman Donald Rothberg, by Lynn Rothberg and Jennifer Rothberg Tanzi Rita Welles; Carolyn Margolis; Roberto Benda; Don Rothberg, by Sid and Elka Booth Herbert Blumenthal, by Judy Hurvitz, Ellen Sommer, Arlene Brown and Eugene Bialek, David and Barbara Diskin, Sid and Elka Booth, Myra and Mark Kovey NEXT DOR FUND RELIGIOUS OBJECTS FUND IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF Rabbi Lederman’s speedy recovery, by Harlan and Beverly Sherwat Rabbinic Intern Josh Beraha, by Rabbi Marc and Dr. Linda Raphael Rebecca Blatt and Bret Hovell, by Philip Blatt and Paula Breen Carolyn Margolis, by Paul Greenberg and Rick Billingsley Ellen Passel, by Norman and Susie Blumenfeld Rita Welles and Herbert Blumenthal, by Paul Greenberg and Rick Billingsley IN MEMORY OF Herbert Blumenthal, by Jessica and Harry Silver MUSIC FUND IN HONOR OF Teddy and Meryl, by Jessica and Harry Silver IN MEMORY OF IN MEMORY OF Dr. Harold and Mrs. Paula Selbert, by Lincoln Mayer (to assist congregants in need) PRAYERBOOK FUND IN HONOR OF IN HONOR OF Bobbie Wendel and Shelley Grossman, by Jessica and Harry Silver Lynn Rothberg’s good health, by Beverly and Harlan Sherwat Alan Carpien, by Deborah Kraut SOCIAL ACTION FUND IN MEMORY OF Mazal Tov B’NAI MITZVAH The congregation wishes a hearty mazal tov to: THOMAS MANDE Meryl & George Weiner on the marriage of their daughter, Rebecca, to Craig Wood Learita Scott on the birth of her first great grandchild, Odelia Savanna Garfield Adrienne & David Umansky on the birth of their grandchild, Miles Aaron Faust Brian Altman & Jerry Boegler on the birth of their child, Stella Beatrix Boegler Altman Elizabeth Drye and Jerry Mande TORAH PORTION: Vayeitze MITVAH PROJECT: To be announced PARENTS: JORDYN HARRIS PARENTS: Monika Sariel Ende-Alonzo, Anthony and Ammira Alonzo, on the birth of their daughter and sister, Shoshana Raya on Oct. 2 Beverly and Stan Frye on the marriage of their son, Mitchell, to Nikki Knowles Ruth Schimel, author, and Kathleen Sindell, technical and production editor, on publishing Choose Courage: Step Into the Life You Want Al From, on his new book The New Democrats and the Return to Power and Ken Harris Vayishlach MITZVAH PROJECT: Jordyn is planning a shoebox event to fill gift boxes for children in emergency rooms at Children’s Hospital in Washington D.C. or Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She is also volunteering to repair bikes at the Bike Shop, a nonprofit Arlington bike store. TORAH PORTION: DANIEL HALPERT NOVEMBER 23 – 20 KISLEV Jim Halpert and Karen Kornbluh TORAH PORTION: Vayeishev MITZVAH PROJECT: Daniel assisted toddlers and their families attending the child care center at Martha’s Table. PARENTS: CO N D O L E N C ES The Temple Micah community extends its deepest condolences to: Neil Welles on the passing of his mother, Rita Welles SALLY BINSWANGER DECEMBER 7 – 4 TEVET Susan and Elias Benda on the passing of their cousin, PARENTS: Karen Roberto Benda Harvey Blumenthal on the passing of his father, Herbert Blumenthal Matt Adler on the passing of his grandmother, Marilyn Marcus and Ben Binswanger TORAH PORTION: Vayigash MITZVAH PROJECT: Sally’s best friend is her dog, Red. She will be collecting supplies for and volunteering at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. Jodi Kolker Ferrier on the passing of her mother, Marcyne Kolker 50TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN Jim Halpert on the passing of his father, Edward Robert Halpert REBECCA SHAPIRO DECEMBER 14 – 11 TEVET IN HONOR OF Jan D. Greenberg on the passing of her aunt, Elaine May IN MEMORY OF Joseph Seiger, by Harlan and Beverly Sherwat Carolyn Margolis, by Jeffrey and Sharon Davis Marcyne Kolker, by Shellie, Adam, Andy, and Casey Bressler NOVEMBER 9 – 6 KISLEV NOVEMBER 16 – 13 KISLEV Rita Welles, by Arlene Brown and Eugene Bialek Betty Ustun, by Jonathan and Carrie Ustun 11 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 Susan Lutzker on the passing of her mother, Beatrice Schulman May their memories be for a blessing. Monica Miller and William Klein, Robert Shapiro and Lisa Davis TORAH PORTION: Vayechi MITZVAH PROJECT: Working with a senior citizen. PARENTS: 12 C H E S H VA N / K I S L E V/ T E V E T 5 7 74 This year’s sixth graders collected 8,159 items of underwear, making the 2013 clothing drive the most successful ever. Donated garments provide dignity to our neighbors in need at the Community Council for the Homeless / Friendship Place. Sincere thanks for the overwhelmingly generous response! Vıne 2829 WISCONSIN AVENUE , NW WASHINGTON, DC 20007- 4702 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED DATED MATERIAL TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL Non-Profit Organization US POSTAGE PAID Washington, DC Permit No. 9803