March 2015 Hashomer - Congregation Beth Shalom

MARCH 2015
Congregation Beth Shalom
Schedule of Services
March 2015
Adar/Nisan 5775
Wednesday, March 4, 6:30 pm
Megillah Reading
Thursday, March 5, 5:30 pm
Purim Feast and Play
Friday, March 6, 7:30 pm
Led by Barry Goldfarb
Saturday, March 7
Torah Study 8:30 am
Shabbat Service 10:00 am
Led by Stuart Snow
Torah: Ki Tissa
Friday, March 13, 7:30 pm
Led by Martine Thomas
Saturday, March 14
Torah Study 8:30 am
Shabbat Service 10:00 am
Led by Cantor Sheri Allen
Torah: Vayakhel-Pekudei
Friday, March 20
Family Shabbat Dinner 6:30 pm
Family Service 7:30 pm
Led by Cantor Sheri Allen
Saturday, March 21
Torah Study 8:30 am
Shabbat Service 10:00 am
Led by Cantor Sheri Allen
Torah: Vayikra
Friday, March 27, 7:30 pm
Led by Klila and Brian Caplan
Saturday, March 28
Torah Study 8:30 am
Shabbat Service 10:00 am
Led by Stuart Snow
Torah: Tzav
ADAR/NISAN 5775
My Two Shekels
In just a few short days, Purim will be upon us. The holiday begins on Wednesday evening, March 4, and we will be doing things a bit differently this year. At 6:30
p.m., we will all gather in the sanctuary to read the WHOLE MEGILLAH! I’m am
very excited about this since, as long as I’ve been here (if not longer), we’ve never
taken up the challenge of this mitzvah. Reading the Megillah in its entirety is only
one of seven mizvot of Purim. The other are:
1. The giving of Mishloach Manot (gifts of food to family and friends)
2. Machazit HaShekel (gifts to the poor)
3. The chanting of a special Torah portion during
services
4. The addition of theAl HaNissim prayer (for miracles)
in the Amidah.
5. The prohibition against fasting or eulogies, as it is
a day of great rejoicing
6. Taking part in a Purim Seudah: a happy, festive
meal.
Lest anyone be concerned that you will not be able to
understand a word of it in Hebrew, don’t worry! I will chant
the first three verses of every chapter in Hebrew, and then
leave the rest of the chapter up to you! We will alternate reading verses in English,
unless, of course, you would like to try your hand at Hebrew chanting! I will be
happy to teach you the trope (cantillation!)
The next day, Thursday, March 5, Purim day, we will return to CBS at 5:30
p.m. for our own special Purim Seudah/meal, followed by this year’s original Purim
Play, The Real Queens of Persia, written and directed by two-time Emmy Award
winning writer Richard J. Allen, and performed by the CBS Purim Players.
This is an event not to be missed!!! It is always one of the highlights of our
year, and this year will be no exception. Please bring your family and friends, and
let’s have another standing-room-only extravaganza!
Wishing you all a Chag Purim Sameach,
– Cantor Sheri Allen
Purim Dinner and Play
The Real Queens of Persia
Thursday, March 5, 5:30 p.m.
New Member
Applications
If you, or anyone you know, is
interested in joining the Beth
Shalom family, please call
the Beth Shalom office,
817-860-5448
Join us for our annual Beth Shalom Original Purim Spiel on Thursday,
March 5, following a 5:30 p.m. Purim dinner! This year's edition is The Real
Queens of Persia in which Reality Show Producer Joe MacGilla risks life
and limb to bring his cameras behind the scene of the Persian palace in
Sushan.
Accompanied by tunes that sound an awful lot like Fiddler on the
Roof, Esther, Ahasuerus, Mordecai, Haman and a spirited supporting cast
will take you on hopefully hilarious journey through the first (and probably
final) "season" of The Real Queens of Persia. Let's just say Snookie and
Honey Boo-Boo are nothing compared to this bunch!
2
The Ritual Life
The Original Pre-Nuptial Agreement
(Much of this article comes from the daily insights of
the Daf Yomi, as articulated by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.)
Just as there is a daily and weekly cycle to reading the
Torah, so too is there for the studying of the Talmud. Last
month began the study of the Tractate Massekhet Ketubot.
Massekhet Ketubot provides clarification of most of the
matters that constitute the relationship between husband and
wife: conjugal relations, mutual obligations, and monetary arrangements between them. Due to the broad spectrum of topics covered in it, which branch out into many different areas
of halacha, the early commentaries called Massekhet Ketubot
the miniature Talmud (Shas katan) or the key to the Talmud
(mafte'ah ha-Shas).
Marriage is a relationship of kedusha - of holiness - that
can only be broken by the death of either the husband or the
wife, or a contract of divorce - a get. Still, according to the
halacha, the relationship between spouses is governed by mutual responsibilities which are agreed upon by the two sides.
These agreements are binding based on a contract - the
ketuba - that is a written understanding between husband and
wife. The very term - ketuba - indicates the centrality of the
written, contractual agreement, and it is called by this name
because it is effectively the single written contract that every
Jewish person will need in the course of their lives. Since the
ketuba contains the agreed upon mutual responsibilities between husband and wife, it logically follows that Massekhet
Ketubot is a study and analysis of the rights and obligations of
married life.
The importance of the ketuba is not limited to the agreements contained in it. The Sages ruled that a marriage that
does not have a ketuba, cannot be considered a marriage at
all, since the main difference between a casual sexual relationship outside of marriage (zenut) and marriage is the existence
of a documented agreement between the couple that spells
out their mutual responsibilities - including obligations should
the marital relationship come to an end. Thus, from the perspective of the Sages, marriage without a ketuba is to be considered zenut.
Since every marriage is based on a series of expectations and agreements, just as with any other agreement there
is the possibility of arguments between the two sides. There is
always potential for disagreements between husbands and wives
- which are not really the concern of the courts unless the
couple decides to end their marriage.
There are, however, times that the courts are called in to
play a role, for example where there is an accusation that one
of the parties did not live up to their part of the agreement.
Such accusations can relate to a basic issue in the agreed upon
marriage, where one side claims that they were fooled and
would never have agreed to the marriage had they been in
possession of the information in the first place, or to second-
HaShomer
is published monthly by Congregation Beth Shalom
1212 Thannisch Drive, Arlington, TX 76011-4848
Vol. XXXII, Issue 6, March, 2015
Editor: Hy Siegel
Editorial Assistance: Thressa Lobel
ary agreements, where the claim is that one side is not living
up to their responsibilities as delineated in the ketuba.
So you see, in these days of quicky marriages and divorces with the now requisite pre-nuptial agreement, our Sages
had this figured out over 2000 years ago! The main difference
between the agreements is the infusion of holiness represented
by the ketuba that permeates the essence of our faith. Imagine how much society would advance if this element of holiness was allowed to enter our homes and work places at all
times and instances?
– Stuart Snow, Ritual Chair
Keeping the Faith
It’s mid-February and I have plans for both Passover
Seders. I will be in Dallas for the first Seder at my cousin’s
house and then in Colorado at my daughter’s house for the
second. That is a good start in my need to live a Jewish life.
A delegation of Rabbis were invited to talk to the Dali
Lama to explain how Jews kept their faith when the Jerusalem temple was destroyed. They told the Lama that Passover
was designed to guarantee the survival of the Jewish people.
It brings them together for a ritual that combines food
and music in helping them remember their history. This
HaShomer article is about the same thing. What are the
contemporary tools to encourage American Jews to lead better Jewish lives?
I have just gotten most of the way through a new
book entitled, Relational Judaism, by Dr. Ron Wolfson. He
says we need the power of relationships to transform the Jewish community. Everyone seems to agree that Judaism in
America needs transforming.
The one branch of our religion that is growing is the
Orthodox who grow because they have more children than
the other branches. American Jews are enjoying prosperity
and the ability of Jews to blend with their non-Jewish neighbors.
Jews are now able to attend the college of their choice
and to get jobs that have previously been denied to Jews. This
is good news for the JINO (Jews in Name only) but has
been bad for Jewish organizations who are struggling with
fund raising and keeping up their membership.
Dr. Wolfson says it is so easy. Jews have forgotten
how to form relationships. They talk, but they do not listen.
People simply want to be heard, but not to establish those
Continued on page 4 . . .
ADVANTAGE EYECARE
MARK SCHWARTZ, O.D.
ARLENE SCHWARTZ, O.D
MAYFAIR VILLAGE
724 GRAPEVINE HWY.
HURST, TEXAS 76054
817-788-2020
If you can't read this, you need to see us.
3
Sisterhood
Brotherhood
February’s book club was a lively discussion of This Is
Where I Leave You. We even gained a new member. Think
about joining us for the March discussion of someone else’s
love story by Joshlyn Jackson.
Even if you have not completed the book (or started it
for that matter) you are always welcome. Just remember to
RSVP to Dorit Mikulencak when she sends out the reminder
so that we know how many to expect.
We meet at the La Madeleine’s on North Collins. That
way anyone who wants can have whatever treat they desire.
Hope to see you at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.
There is still time for you to join Sisterhood. Contact
Sheryl Robertson at 817-360-9771 or Martine Thomas at
[email protected] for a form. Sheryl is working on a
surprise for the April Membership Celebration – but you must
be a member to attend.
A huge thank you to Cindi Mendez, Bob Burns, Iris
Jeffreys, Dorit Mikulencak and Pam Sudbury for organizing We R Judaica. The shop is open during Religious School
on Sundays, or by appointment. If you need something, please
contact Thressa in the office and she will arrange to have
someone open the store for you. We are currently having a
sale on Pesach items. Make sure to come and see what excellent discounts you can get.
Remember, everyone is welcome to join us for dinner
and/or the meeting. Our next meeting is on March 9th. We
will be dining at Canes on N. Collins at 5:30 p.m. The meeting follows at 7:00 p.m. at CBS.
– Martine Thomas
Sisterhood President
Three Brotherhood events will be happening in the
month of March.
First is our Brotherhood planning meeting and social
gathering to be held at Einstein Bagels, 5811 Bryant Irvin Rd.,
Fort Worth, 76132, Sunday, March 1, at 10:00 a.m.
In addition to the purely social content of this get-together, you are also asked to bring all of your planning ideas
and objectives with you for a pre-planning session before the
actual Planning Workshop takes place.
Second, for those who are able to help after breakfast,
Brother Rothschild has asked for volunteers to help serve
lunch and work in the Bounce House at the TCJC Purim
Festival at Beth-El congregation. Just a few men are needed
to show Brotherhood's involvement with the community.
Last, Brotherhood's "Plan for Our Future" Workshop will be held in the CBS Social Hall the following
Sunday, March 8th, at 10:00 a.m. Please plan on attending this extremely important meeting.
This workshop will be conducted by vice president Kapin
who has extensive experience in leading this type of meeting. Its
purpose is to identify what you want out of our most important auxiliary organization. We need EVERYONE’S attendance
and input in order to successfully plan our future course.
Bring your ideas, hopes and plans so that they can be
discussed, disseminated and incorporated into our
organization. Please allow two hours for this meeting and leave
your apathy at the door!
Brotherhood will provide lox and bagels; please reply to
the email you received that you are going to attend and what
item(s) you are willing to bring.
Finally, it's time for 2015 Brotherhood dues. Please bring
cash or your $36.00 check made out to CBS Brotherhood to
either meeting. Let us know that you want Brotherhood to be
a part of your life.
Thank you, and your officers look forward to seeing
you there and starting a new chapter in the vitality of our
organization!
– Mark Lewis, Brotherhood President
Treasurer's Report
As promised, I want to provide you with an update on
the 2015 Financial Committee goals.
Here is our first update on these goals and other Treasurer activities:
* Completed our efforts to set up auto pay for all our
routine monthly bills.
* Developed a restricted fund policy; presented it to the
board, and received approval for the new policy. We
will include the policy in one of the future editions of
Hashomer.
* Completed efforts to set up paperless billing for our
Continued on page 4 . . .
Congregation Beth Shalom
Sisterhood Gift Shop
We 'R' Judaica
Open: Sundays, 11:00 a.m. to Noon
or by appointment - Contact the
CBS office: 817-860-5448
The Congregation records with sorrow
the passing of:
Sharon Wenokur
beloved mother of Jennifer DeAngelis and
past president of Congregation Beth Shalom
May her memory be a blessing
4
Keeping the Faith
. . . continued from page 2
meaningful relationships that they need to live happy Jewish
lives. That is why Jewish organizations are failing in America.
He suggests that we need to take over large houses like
Chabad has done and staff them with a different kind of community organizer. He recommends setting up groups like college fraternities that are funded by existing Jewish Federations. He says we need to recruit young Jewish adults for
Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO).
These organizations, like Jewish fraternities and sororities, will ask people what they want, not just thrust programs
on them. They will meet the needs of young Jewish adults. The
new organizations will charge no dues, but build leadership
for continuing Jewish life with the people who now are not
keeping the faith. These groups will send their participants on
to existing congregations to continue their happy Jewish lives.
My daughter suggests an approach by a rabbi in California who must have read this book. The website for his congregation can befound at thislink: http://www.bethchaim.com/
contact-us-mainmenu-3/news-mainmenu-2/9-latest/2-tuesday0612. You can see that he stresses the desire to work face-toface with his congregation and build relationships.
Dr. Wolfson has invented a new language with new
leaders with different training than Rabbis and Cantors. These
people have an aptitude for group dynamics and are chosen
for these jobs because of their attitudes and abilities. It sounds
so simple. I remember when Fort Worth tried their young
leadership programs. It was a good idea. Maybe it did work.
Fort Worth is still there. I have a young leadership award
plaque in my office dated 1972. Ain chadash mi tachat
ha’shemesh. (There is nothing new under the sun.)
– Sherwin Rubin

Treasurer's Report
. . . continued from page 3
routine monthly bills.
* Coordinated with the IRS and ADP to set up automatic filing of employer tax returns; first automatic
filing will occur inApril.
* Set up auto pay/monthly installments for our liability
insurance payments.
* Paid off our annual dues to the Union of Reform
Judaism.
* Generated and disseminated W2s for staff and clergy.
* Reviewed and renewed our property/liability insurance.
Future Activities
* Increase the frequency of deposits at Chase Bank, as
required
* Evaluate and compare property/liability premiums from
other URJ-sponsored insurance companies in preparation for 2016 insurance renewal.
* Evaluate and compare fees and other benefits from
Compass Bank
* Evaluate and compare costs from other electricity providers (our two-year contract expires in August)
* Integrate income/expense accounts in Quickbooks.
Sanctuary Completion Fund Donors
Diamond Donation - $5,000 and up
Platinum Donation - $2,500-4,999
Larry and Martine Thomas
CBS Sisterhood
Gold Donation - $1,500-2,499
Melanie Garver
Sherwin Rubin
Silver Donation - $500-1,499
Stuart and Andrea Snow
Harold Mandel/SharonSelf
Gene and Christine Posnock
Brian and Klila Caplan
Pam and Johnny Sudbury
Nana and Joyce Atkens
Jeff and Michele Rothschild
Stephen and Sarita Cabrero
CBS Brotherhood
Mike and Suzi Kapin
Supporter - Under $500
Richard and Sheri Allen
Lynda Friedensohn
Ken and Linda Licker
Ben and Fran Weiger
Martin and Cindi Kaplan
Stephen and Tamara Lenhoff
Janet and Jerry Aaronson
Ruth Friedman
Jared Snow
Norm and Toni Epstein
Joe and Rochelle Bekerman
Ellen Pincus
Amir and Shirley Sassoon
Bob and Karen Burns
Tuesday Mah Jongg Group
Barry and Seena Stevens
Florence Grossman
Marty and Debbie Goldsmith
Phil and Aimee Israel-Pelletier
Barry and Dolores Schneider
Phil and Cookie Kabakoff
Cathy and Jim Frisinger
David and Angela Markson
Hy Siegel
Richard and Stephanie Posner
George Fleischmann
Mark Lewis
Lee and Leslie Schulman
Paul Solomon
Brent and Yael Sasley
Michael and Lisa Rein
As a reminder, please use the memo field on your personal checks to help us assign your donations/payments with
one of our defined income accounts. This will make it much
easier for Thressa and the finance committee members to
accurately track our congregation’s income/expenses and your
household donations for income tax purposes.
If you have any questions, please let me know
([email protected]).
– Ben Weiger
5
Donations (Received prior to February 15)
GENERAL FUND
In memory of Ben Rubin and David Henry Rubin
from Sherwin Rubin
In memory of Isadore J. Sternstein and
Benjamin Feld
from Marian Feld
In memory of Eli Cobbel
from Marty and Sharon Wichter
In memory of Lea Fuchs
from Rochelle and Joe Bekerman

SANCTUARY FUND
In memory of Abraham Mandelstein;
in appreciation of our service leaders;
in honor of the marriage of Jay and Lynda
Friedensohn-Feinberg
from Janet and Jerry Aaronson
BUILDING FUND
In honor of Aubrey Markson's engagement
from Janet and Jerry Aaronson
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In memory of Skippy Reynolds
from Marty and Debbie Goldsmith
Daytimers Presents:
Welcome to the World of Modern Art
- Unusual Sculpture Around the World
Wednesday, March 11, 12:00 noon
at Congregation Beth-El
Having just appointed myself as a sculpture expert,
I will present 25 of the world's most unusual sculptures. I
will present all 25 of these remarkable creations with both
photos and a bit of history about each one. When I discovered them, I found them to be simply fascinating and
hope that you will too. Larry Steckler
Lunch catered by Sprouts, $9 per person
Program only, $5 per person
For information/reservations contact:
Larry Steckler, 817-927-2736.
The Sylvia Wolens Jewish Daytimers is a program of Beth-El
Congregation with support from the Jewish Federation.
Birthdays
March 6
Joshua Jessup
March 7
Jeremy Allen
Larry Levy
Stephanie Levy
Agnes Mishkin
March 11
Larry Fleischer
Chloe Pelletier
March 12
Lindsay Kapin
March 15
Kim Goldberg
March 16
Liron Caplan
March 17
Suzi Kapin
Seena Stevens
March 18
Emma Weiss
March 22
Samara Sasley
March 23
Candace Eisenfeld
David Udes
March 26
Marc Thomas
March 27
Shamir Caplan
March 28
Sam Weiger
March 30
David Bekerman
March 31
Harold Mandel
Johnny Sudbury
Anniversaries
March 2
George& ChristyFleishmann(40)
March 10
Joe & Rochelle Bekerman
March 15
Bob & Karen Burns
Jeff & Michele Rothschild
March 17
Stephen & Sheryl Robertson(25)
Randy & Trish San Antonio
March 24
Marty & Sharon Wichter
March 27
Eugene & Christine Posnock
RABBI/CANTOR
DISCRETIONARY FUND
In memory of Lenora Freedman
from Lori Cole
EDUCATION FUND
Donation from the Atkens Family
In honor of the birth of Eli Henry Friedensohn
from Janet and Jerry Aaronson
CHEVRA KADDISHA FUND
In memory of Norma Reynolds
from Marty and Debbie Goldsmith
Yahrzeits
March 1
Marian Goodman
Jerry Kaden
Samuel Weiss
March 2
Caroline Finkelstein*
Douglas Groh
Toni Herman*
March 3
Betty Berger
Harold Dorfman
Rose Golden
March 4
Arnold Berger
Louis Eisenfeld*
Sophie Robins
Sadie Rosen
March 5
Bessie Kahn Mandel*
Timothy Plaistow
Al Weiss*
March 6
Sylvia Asman
Ethel Newell Flack*
Max Schmerler
March 7
Shirley Printz*
Phyllis Stuart
Rebecca Voet
March 8
Jay Silverberg
Bernard Stein*
March 9
Benjamin Epstein*
Abraham Mandelstein*
Jean Mazur
Roy Propp
March 10
Abraham Feldman
Abraham Glickman
Irvis Thomas
Isabel Thomas
March 11
Suzanne Pfaetzer Cook
Irving Rein*
March 12
George Coplin*
March 13
Anna Shulman
March 15
Sylvia Halbert
Herbert Posner
Aaron Sternstein
March 17
Gertrude Malkowsky
Joseph Robertson
March 18
Fanny Nancy Finkelstein*
Florence F. Katz*
Chaya Leder
Lowell Mitchell
Etta Schmerler*
Israel Solomon*
March 19
Howard Neil Maurer*
Irwin Paderewski*
Jake Sharg
March 20
Harold Grossman*
Lewis Lackman*
Phil Landsberg*
Bella Needleman
March 21
Rowland Berthoff
Wallace Printz*
March 22
Albert Hirschman*
Fannie Milner*
David Wildman
March 23
Ruth Goldsmith*
Lorraine San Antonio*
Rose Weinberger
March 24
Anne Lefer*
March 25
Arlene Levy Godfrey*
Joseph Lazovick*
March 26
Meyer Cohen
March 27
Saul Israel*
Howard Koven
March 28
Joan Dunn
March 30
Bella Buckbinder Sppindler
Josef Spindler
Jack Zimmerman
March 31
Richard Simon Cook
S. William Flack*
Robert Milner*
David Meyer Rubin*
Bruce Weingarten
* Memorial Plaque in Sanctuary