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Temple Anshe Sholom Bulletin
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May This Be Our Blessing, Amen.
It has always been a fundamental belief of mine that our Jewish education should keep pace with our secular education.
It is not enough to grow in mind and secular thought only, we must also grow in spirit and moral values as well,
learning the lessons of our millennia-old and time tested tradition.
Our High School Havurah embraces and embodies this principle.
There is a tremendous growth factor between bar/bat mitzvah and age 15 through the conclusion of the high school years.
Our students are more capable of understanding, in much greater depth, what Judaism has to offer, and how it applies to their daily living.
As I enjoy teaching them, I enjoy learning from them as well. In the Talmud, R. Chanina remarked,
"I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and the most from my students” (Ta'anit 7a).
Putting study into action, our High School Havurah led our Friday Evening Service on January 20th.
It was the first real blizzard of the year, but the feeling inside the
Sanctuary was one of warmth, togetherness (havurah) and spirituality.
The students chose, with the help and encouragement of their teacher Bonnie Dinell Dimond,
to speak about immigrant contributions to America.
In honor of the contribution of Levi Strauss they came in Jeans.
It was a moving tribute, and they concluded the Service with the presentation of a gift to the Congregation, which was
originally inspired by Julia Ziev.
It was a chair, handcrafted, by Ari Miller, our Principal’s son, which symbolizes our
remembrance, hope, and waiting for our POWs/MIA’s both here and in Israel, to return home and symbolically occupy it. It has three back pieces of wood representing the three pillars of Judaism: Torah (Jewish learning), Avodah (Divine Worship) and Gemilut Chasadim: Deeds of Loving Kindness.
On the chair the following inscription is etched in both
Hebrew and English (as is the official symbol for POW’s/MIA’s): “This Chair Is Reserved for POW’s/MIA’s in Israel and America Upon Their Return From Captivity…”
“May it be the will of our G-d in heaven that we hear good
tidings, salvation and comfort and that our scattered ones be
reunited from all four corners of the earth. May the Holy One be merciful to any of the House of Israel, who are entrapped or in captivity, wherever they may be, and bring them from the narrow places to wide spaces, from darkness to light, from enslavement to redemption, speedily and in our days, and let us say: Amen.”
(As a result of the inclement weather, the chair, which Ari put his heart, soul and time into, will be rededicated before the larger congregation at High School Havurah Graduation, Friday, May 4th.)
Temple Anshe Sholom is blessed with these
wonderful and committed students. May we also be blessed as we work together towards the fulfillment of the dream, which that chair and our immigrant
forbearers represent.
Rabbi Paul Caplan
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From The President
by Debby Pebworth
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Teri Gaby and I were privileged to attend the 71st
General Assembly of the Union for Reform Judaism. More than 5000 Reform Jews, North America’s largest Jewish gathering came together in
Washington, D.C. They represented over 541
congregations in North America. At this Biennial Convention we attended workshops and forums on subjects such as membership, prayer, and the
implications of socio-cultural changes in Jewish life.
We heard many eloquent speakers
including Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Jewish Agency in Israel, Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA), U.S. House Majority Leader, The Honorable Ehud Barak, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and President Barack Obama who spoke of his unshakeable support for Israel. The Inaugural Debbie Friedman Award for Contributions to
Jewish Music was given to Theodore Bikel who then treated us to three musical selections. The
Eisendrath “Bearer of Light” Award was presented to Ambassador Nancy Brinker, Founder of the Susan F. Komen for the Cure. In addition, Rabbi Eric
Yoffie, the outgoing President, and Rabbi Rick
Jacobs, the incoming President of the Union for
Reform Judaism delivered outstanding keynote
addresses.
Included in Rabbi Jacobs’ remarks is the following: “We are poised at one of the most
critical and dramatic crossroads in all of Jewish
history. If we stay put and leave things as they are we will have failed the test of Jewish leadership. But we’re not going to stay put. We are the Reform Movement and we’re going to …MOVE forward with strength and creativity.”
Debby Pebworth
dpebworth325@sbcglobal.net
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Kantor's Korner
by Cantor Deborah Bard
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"When you're weary and you can't sleep
just count your blessings instead of sheep -
and you'll fall asleep
counting your blessings.
When your bankroll is getting small
just think of those who have none at all
and you'll fall asleep
counting your blessings."
(from Count Your Blessings by Irving Berlin)
"We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing,
He hastens and chastens His will to make known.
The wicked, oppressing shall cease from distressing;
Sing praises to God's Name; He forgets not his own!
...let Thy congregation escape tribulation,
Thy Name be ever praised;
O Lord make us free!"
(Dutch hymn of praise 1597, pub. in American Hymnal 1903. As noted in the Protestant Hymnal, post -WWII the phrase "wicked oppressing" is understood as a reference to Hitler, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.)
Thanksgiving! A Pilgrim adaptation of our Succot
festival and interpretation from the Hebrew Bbiblical
narrative , Leviticus 23:41-42 and Numbers 28:12
"On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you shall observe a sacred occasion.
Feast of Tabernacles, harvest festival, (think "bounty").
And you shall dwell in booths(succot)..in order that future generations may know that
I brought you out of Slavery to Freedom."
The narrative then continues with a litany of the sacrifices - a primitive form of prayer- to be
offered "pleasingly for well-being" , in gratitude and observance of the sacred occasion.
Thanksgiving! A day that reminds us all to count our blessings and express gratitude.
We should of course move through each day of life with at least a little humility and gratitude,
knowing that we are among the privileged; knowing that it is our responsibility therefore to do
tzedaka and g'milut chasadim, acts of loving kindness. Easy to do individually and collectively
on Thanksgiving Day but not always so easy to do on our own every day.
Still, this is the mitzvah, the ethical and perhaps Divinely inspired directive as we read
in the Ho'da'ah thanks-giving benediction from our daily liturgy "Modim anachnu lach...For all
our blessings we gratefully acknowledge and offer gratitude to You O God...How good is Your name
and how good, pleasant it is to give thanks.".
With all of this (and the inimitable pumpkin pie!) in mind, please join me and the Anshe Sholom Choir
conducted by the wonderful Gary Plantinga on Shabbat November 18th for our congregational
prelude to Thanksgiving, "Songs of Gratitude and Praise!", a little sermon-in-song.
Let us raise our voices together and..
Modim anachnu ..Let us give thanks!
l'shalom,
Cantor Deborah Bard
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