The Shofar Congregation Beth Sholom May 2017  Iyar/Sivan 5777

THE SHOFAR CONGREGATION BETH SHOLOM MAY 2017  IYAR/SIVAN 5777

SAVE THE DATES

Shabbat Dinner Israel Independence Friday May 12 6:00 PM

Lag B-Omer Picnic Sunday May 14 11:00 AM

Shavuot Study Session & Cheesecake Festival Tuesday May 30 7:00 PM

Shabbat Dinner Food from Greece Friday June 9 6:00 PM

Hazzan Mordecai Kamlot prepares to lead the rituals at recent Shabbat dinner.

Happy Mother’s Day to EVERYONE from: Bernice & Jerry Acard Ro Kerchner & Ed Altchek Dr. Stanley Antonoff Bunny Benstock Sherry & Manny Bloch Lou & Alan Katz Leslie R. Leavitt Betty McGivern Lucille Poch Irene & Harvey Roberts Nancy & Paul Weber From the President

halom to the Congregation Beth Sholom Family. As of now, most of Candle Lighting Times you are aware that there have been some changes in the structure of Shabbat Friday, May 5 S your Board of Directors. It is with much regret and sadness that I must Light Candles 7:50 PM inform everyone that Harvey Hamerling has resigned as your President. We Saturday May 6 will all miss his leadership very much. According to Roberts Rules of Order Shabbat Ends 8:46 PM and the CBS By-Laws, the line of succession is as follows: President, Vice Shabbat Friday, May 12 President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Max Abraham, as the elected Vice Light Candles 7:54 PM Saturday, May 13 President then became Acting President. We held our regularly scheduled Shabbat Ends 8:51 PM Board Meeting Sunday, April 9, 2017. At the end of that meeting, Max Abra- ham announced his resignation as Acting President for personal reasons. I Shabbat Friday, May 19 Light Candles 7:58 PM then found myself in a very difficult position. I was next in the line of succes- Saturday, May 20 sion to become Acting President of your Board of Directors. I had to weigh Shabbat Ends 8:56 PM the challenge knowing how much confidence I had in myself, the very dear Shabbat Friday, May 26 friends I have made since I became a member, and my Love for my Temple. Light Candles 8:02 PM I decided to accept the position. I just could not let myself and everyone else Saturday, May 27 Shabbat Ends 9:01 PM down. I made a commitment when I joined and I intend to fulfill it to the full- est. Eve of First Day Shavuot Tues, May 30 Now I am going to ask each and every one of you for your patience, your Light Candles 9:03 PM support, and, what is most important, your help. This is not going to be, by any stretch, an easy transition for me either, however I am confident that with your help, guidance, and, most importantly, your PATIENCE, confidence, and trust, we can then move forward.

I want all of us to look forward and not back and WE WILL get the job done, but only with G-d’s help and most certainly all of yours. We have a lot of work that still needs to be done, but we WILL get it done.

Thank you for your support and understanding,

Sharon Weber, Acting President of Congregation Beth Shalom Day of Remembrance

A large crowd gathered in Kellner Auditorium to mark the Yom HaShoah. Sharon We- ber organized a wonderful program featuring the life of Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place), a righteous Christian who with her family saved over 800 Jews. Actress Dee Collier portrayed her story. An exhibit called "GIs Remember" was also on display. From the Hazzan’s Study “To be a free people in our land, in the land of Zion and Jerusalem” What does the State of Israel mean to the contemporary Jew? Do Jews believe that the birth of the State of Israel is a miracle? There are those Jews who view the birth and continued existence of the State of Israel as an “amazing” occurrence, one that came about because of the courage, train- ing, and initiative of the Israeli army. And this is, of course correct. But what this perspective fails to take into account are the words of Moses in Deuteronomy, reminding the victorious Israelis never to forget who gave them that courage, that power, that ability to win the battle. Yes, the birth of Israel and its continued survival in the face of many attempts to destroy it is a miracle. In fact, the very continued existence of the Jewish people after having endured centuries of persecution, bears witness to a God who is involved in human history, who is concerned about its direction and who cares deeply about the welfare of His children. It is impossible to look at the unfolding events in Jewish history, particularly those in recent years, to see Jews coming from all four corners of the earth to Israel—from Russia, Ethiopia, France, America—and not see God’s hand in these events. God is gathering His children back home as He promised to do. He is settling them on their land as the prophets foretold. The exciting part of all this is that the drama is still unfolding. It is happening right in front of our eyes. Yes, Israel is a miracle. “From Adonai this has come about, it is wondrous in our eyes” Yom Ha-atzmaut – Israel Independence Day is celebrated this year on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Yom Y’rushalayim – Jerusalem Day is celebrated on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. This year we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the re-unification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War in June,1967, the first time that Jews were sovereign in all of Jerusalem in over 2000 years. Hag Samei-ah! Happy Holidays!

Hazzan Mordecai Kamlot Cantor/Spiritual Leader [email protected] SHAVUOT STUDY SESSION & CHEESECAKE FESTIVAL

Tuesday, May 30, 7:00 PM

Celebrate Shavuot with a study session on some contemporary issues in Jewish law. Enjoy several varieties of cheesecake.

Cheesecake & Torah—perfect together!

SHAVUOT SERVICES

Wednesday, May 31 – Shaharit-Morning Service -- 9:30 – 11:45 am – Come celebrate the revolution at Sinai!

Thursday, June 1 – Shaharit-Morning Service -- 9:30 – 11:45 am

Yizkor (Memorial) prayers will be recited and the Book of Ruth will be read.

CHEESE BLINTZES

Makes at least 2 dozen Blintzes Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes

Filling: To make the blintzes, beat together all the blintz ingredients and Blintzes: let the batter rest for at least a half hour. Heat a small skillet 1 pound farmers cheese (about 7 inches) and add a pat of butter. Pour about 1/4 cup 4 large beaten eggs batter into the pan and swirl it around, pouring off excess. Don't 1 tablespoon melted but- 1/2 cup water let it brown. Flip and cook the other side for a few seconds. ter Then turn blintz out onto a towel. Repeat with remaining batter 1/2 cup milk and pats of butter. 1 large egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon salt To make the filling, mix together all the filling ingredients in a 2 teaspoons vanilla large bowl. 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar or more to taste To assemble, place 1 blintz on a work surface and place 1 tablespoon on top. Fold envelope style and roll up. Continue with remaining blintzes and filling.

Fry filled blintzes in butter until golden brown. Serve with sour cream and / or fruit toppings. YOM Y’RUSHALAYIM – JERUSALEM DAY IS OBSERVED ON MAY 24, 2017 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JERUSALEM FOR JEWS

"The Jewish connection to Jerusalem is an ancient and powerful one. Judaism made Jerusalem a holy city over three thousand years ago and through all that time Jews remained steadfast to it. Jews pray in its direction, mention its name constantly in prayers, close the Passover service with the wistful statement 'Next year in Jerusalem,' and recall the city in the blessing at the end of each meal. The destruction of the Temple looms very large in Jewish consciousness; remembrance takes such forms as a special day of mourning, houses left partially unfinished, a woman's makeup or jewelry left incomplete, and a glass smashed during the wedding ceremony. In addition, Jerusalem has had a prominent historical role, is the only capital of a Jewish state, and is the only city with a Jewish majority during the whole of the past century. In the words of its mayor, Jerusalem represents 'the purist expression of all that Jews prayed for, dreamed of, cried for, and died for in the two thousand years since the destruction of the Second Temple.'" -----Daniel Pipes – Director of the Middle East Forum "Jerusalem holds a unique status in the Jewish tradition. Since King David, it has been at the center of the Jewish consciousness. Jerusalem is the 'mountain of Adonai,' the very core of the Jew- ish people through three millennia. The Mishnah (part of Jewish oral law) asserts that the divine presence (Sh’khinah) has never left the Western Wall. In his daily prayers, the pious Jew thrice daily entreats Adonai to 'return in mercy to your city, Jerusalem.' Jerusalem is for Judaism not only a city encompassing holy places (as it is for Islam and Christianity); nor is it only, as for Chris- tians, the spiritual city that is holy. Rather, it is the earthly city itself that is holy, both the land and (as the noted scholar and former chief rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook held) even the air. As with the concepts of the people of Israel and the Torah of Israel, the land of Israel is at the very essence of the Jewish belief system.

The city symbolizes both spiritual and national revival, so Israel's national anthem, 'Hatikvah' ('the hope'), naturally refers to a two-thousand-year yearning from the diaspora for Zion and Jerusalem. Nor is this yearning purely spiritual. Through the centuries, Jews settled in Jerusalem to live an existence of exceptional piety. Already in medieval times, elderly Jews traveled to Jerusalem to die and be buried in its hallowed ground. By 1844, Jews constituted the largest religious group in the city; by the 1870s, they were an absolute majority, which they have remained ever since." -----Marshall Breger – Professor of Law at Catholic University of America

"For the Jewish people, Jerusalem is not a city containing holy places or commemorating holy events. The city as such is holy and has, for at least two and a half millennia, served as the symbol of the his- toric existence of a people hunted, humiliated, massacred, but never despairing of the promise of its ultimate restoration. Jerusalem and Zion have, become 'the local habitation and the name' for the hope and meaning of Jewish existence, and of its continuity from the days when, according to the authors of the biblical books, God spoke of a certain place that he would choose, to the days of the return which - - however improbable it might seem -- was never in doubt for the Jew. Understanding the symbolic function of Jerusalem in Jewish tradition, we come to see that even the avowed secularist's use of this symbol has a measure of legitimacy about it, unparalleled in other traditions." -----Zvi Werblowsky – Martin Buber Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion at Hebrew Uni- versity of Jerusalem Yahrzeits

May 19/20 ~ 24 Iyar-1 Sivan

May 5/6 ~ 10-16 Iyar 24 - Harry Katz Jun 2-3 ~ 9– 15 Sivan 10 - Louis Greenstein 25 - Florence Kreindler 10 - Jack Habib 28 - Betty Robbins 09 - Murray Fiegenbaum 10 - Joseph Pomerance 28 - Carl Schayes 09 - Bruce Antonoff 10 - Joseph Weissman 28 - Martin Schneider 09 - Sidney Kalnitzky 11 - Corrine Frey 29 - Rebecca Kessler 09 - J. Herbert Kalkstein 11 - Irving Newman 11 - Rachel Michaelis 11 - Sabri Turkell 12 - Eddie Ray Sivan 12 - Isador Tilton 12 - Lena Zimon 13 - Jay Alan Feldman 13 - Iris Antonoff 01 - Mark Thaler 13 - Edith Hart 13 - Martin Schwartz 01 - Roland Galehoff 14 - Robert T. Egenberg 14 - Bernice Blaugrund 01 - Morris Simnowitz 15 - Netta Schachner Aorta 14 - Betty Siegel 15 - Rosemarie Antonoff May 26-27 ~2- 8 Sivan June 9/10 ~ 16 - 22 Sivan 15 - Betty Boyle 15 - Jack Kwartner 02 - Joe Hirsch 04 - Eleanor Abbott 16 - Max Neuhaus 16 - Daniel Rogers 18 - Irwin George Lipsky 04 - Sharlene Rubin 04 - Harold Valet 18 - Rudolph Bender May 12/13 ~ 17-23 Iyar 04 - Hyman Cohen 18 - Anne Oberband 19 - Sadie Valet 17 - Irving Fishman 05 - Sophie Hamberg 19 - Sadie Elkin 17 - Sylvia Goldman 06 - Minnie Zaenchik 20 - Louis Seidman 17 - Sara Gordon 08 - Fay Obstbaum 21 - Bertha Deutsch 17 - Joseph Weiss 08 - Ida Hannah Feder 08 - Harold Rosen 21 - Sigmund Deutsch 18 - Michael Morse 22 - Sally Goldman 18 - Anita Stern 08 - Lynne Bachrow 08 - Minnie Madoff 22 - Rose Kelner 18 - Albert Toblin 19 - Camilla Weiss 20 - Molly Goldberg 20 - Charlotte Korotty 22 - Harold Rogers NOTICE: If you see an error or 22 - Bertha Roth omission in this list, please con- 22 - Leopold Roth 22 - Bertha Schwartz tact either the President Sharon 22 - Leopold Schwartz Weber or Shofar Editor Carol 22 - Stanley Zaenchik 23 - Rose White Cohen ([email protected]) . Thank You For Your Heartfelt Donations

General Fund

In honor of Betty Passman’s 90th In honor of Passover In memory of my beloved mother Birthday Joan Siegel & Dan Longo Betty Boyle From Dr. Stanley Antonoff & Carol & Bill Cohen From Marilyn Winograd Barbara Gorup In memory of Irving Topol In honor of my beloved mother From Alan & Nicki Stern From Murray Topol Anne Morse From Leslie R. Leavitt From Sumner Morse From Lucille Poch In memory of Albert Tobli From Elyse Topol In honor of my beloved father In honor of the engagement of Michael Morse Ariel Cohen & Ben Braggins In memory of Ida & Harry Katz From Sumner Morse From Elyse & Murray Topol From Alan Katz Cantor’s Discretionary Fund In honor of the birth of In memory of Moses Jacob From Leonard Galehoff Landon to Liz Zatz & Luke Wilber Miller From Leslie R. Leavitt From Linda Tilton From Bunny Benstock From Carol & Bill Cohen In memory of Morris Harten- PLEASE NOTE: All deceased whose names are mounted on stein From Jesse Kohler plaques on the Memorial Boards From Freida and Gilbert From Ed Simnowitz in our sanctuary will have the Hartenstein memorial lights lit during the He- Consider a Mitzvah of the brew month of their yahrzeit and In memory of Dr. David Miller Month! on all holidays when Yizkor is recited. Please contact Les From Caron Miller Sponsor a Leavitt at: Kiddish In memory of our beloved [email protected] or Help with a 352-527-0698 – to make ar- nephew Danny Levine Shabbat Dinner rangements for a plaque to be From Carol & Bill Cohen Volunteer at Show Me the mounted on one of our Memorial Money Boards containing your be- In memory of Jerry Chackes Donate the cost of a dinner loved’s name and yahrzeit date. From Leonard Galehoff out to the Food Bank This will ensure that the lights will be lit and kaddish recited for In memory of Philip Cohen Your small effort each month their yahrzeit. helps sustain our shul! From Bernice and Jerry Acard

Shabbat Dinner Schedule 2016 – 2017

Spend Friday evenings at Beth Sholom as we come together to celebrate Shabbat in prayer, song and food.

All dinners will be held in Kellner Auditorium 92 Civic Circle, Beverly Hills, on the second Friday of each month. We will begin with candle lighting and the evening service followed by the traditional table rituals and a delicious dinner. Dates marked with an asterisk * are catered from an outside company & the fee will be $20/adult; $10/child. All other dinners will be $10/adult; $5/child. Mark your calendars now to reserve these dates:

May 12, 2017, 6:00 PM – ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE – cuisine from our homeland * June 9, 2017, 6:00 PM – GREECE – tasty & savory dishes July 14, 2017, 6:00 PM – USA – what’s more American than hot dogs & hamburgers * August 11, 2016, 6:00 PM – ROAST CHICKEN – gotta have one of these per year Information: 646-830-1705 or [email protected] O P E R A T I O N S H A B B A T From Hadassah

Dear Members and Friends of Hadassah Beverly Hills he year is coming to an end for our Hadassah activities. The snowbirds flew the coop. We will see them again when the T weather turns cold up north. Ellen Reuter babysat her precious granddaughter Cassie. I am not as biased as Ellen, but we can all agree she is the sweetest red head you ever saw. Back to Hadassah, we had a full year though our fund raising lagged behind. With new members from Oca- la, I hope we will be able to return to our very successful “Card and Game" party in February next year. We will even have a speaker from that group. The group that did most of the work this year was comprised of Dalia Halpern who single-handedly worked on the by- monthly Hadassah Bulletin. She did a great job! Ellen was membership chairman and, in spite of our small group, we met our quota for membership this year. Ellen also organizes our yearly luncheon. Thank you, Ellen! Carole Delizia is the treasurer and keeps our finances in order. She also has been willing to help wherever it is needed. Carole makes sure to advertise our meetings. We owe gratitude to Carole. Jasen Melson keeps our meetings well-fortified with food including low-sugar goodies. Thank you, Jasen. We had the most beautiful cake for Betty Passman’s 90th birthday. Betty continues to manage the 50/50 game that gives some donation to Hadassah. Thank you to her and a special thank you to Margo for donating her winnings back to Hadassah. Nick- ie Stern is on phone calls with Betty. Lou Katz, in addition to telling us about her travels every summer, helps whenever she is in town. What a wonderful group! We need more help, especially for someone to take over the bulletin. The last meeting of the year is our luncheon at Joe’s family restaurant in Inverness, on Monday, May 8 2017 at 12 noon. You can contact Miriam Fagan 352-746-0005. We have a nice choice of dishes and a special dessert menu. One of our new members was our featured guest speaker in March. Denise Oehmig talked about “Step into bygone era, learn about afternoon tea.” She displayed a beautiful tea set. She would like to eventually open a tea room. Have a wonderful summer, see you in September! Shalom, Miriam Fagan

We are transitioning from a few people doing everything (serving on the board, chairing commit- tees, leading programs, setting up, cleaning up) to a culture where everyone shares in the effort. Think about something YOU could do and let Sharon Weber know! She and all of Congregation Beth Sholom will be most grateful.

ETZ HAYIM INSTITUTE

The Adult Education Program of Congregation Beth Sholom SPRING 2017 SEMESTER ~ WEEKLY CLASSES - Monday Evenings THE GENESIS PROJECT CONTINUES 6:30 – 7:30 PM An intensive, in-depth analysis and discussion of the entire text of the Book of Genesis conducted in English. We will employ the classical ancient, medieval and modern commentators of the biblical text; we will utilize archaeology, an- thropology, history, linguistics, comparative literature; we will consult traditional texts of Jewish mysticism and the sto- ries and legends of other near-eastern civilizations; and we will use drama and literary analysis to study both the prose and poetry of the biblical narrative. It is expected that this course will continue over several semesters. (15 Sessions) Fee: $5 per session plus textbook* *To order the textbook at a special discount price, please contact Hazzan Mordecai directly.

COFFEE BREAK 7:30 – 7:45 PM

THE DENOMINATIONS OF AMERICAN JUDAISM 7:45 – 8:45 PM Is the division of Judaism into distinct denominations considered a sign of vitality or weakness within American Jewry? Is this division a uniquely American phenomenon? This class will attempt to answer these questions by exploring the history, beliefs, practices and sociology of the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform movements as well as some of the lessor-known groups such as Reconstructionist and Renewal and the various sects of Hasidism.

(15 sessions) Fee: $5 per session

Registration/enrollment is on a rolling basis. You may attend any session. To plan for the appropriate space, we re- quest advance registration by e-mail ([email protected]) or by calling 352-643-0995. Payments may be made each week or in advance. For further information about these classes or information about private lessons, Adult Bar/ Bat Mitzvah or the Conversion to Judaism Program, please contact Hazzan Mordecai at 352-643-0995.

Birthdays

5/29 Michael Gudis Reva Rosenbach

Anniversaries

5/4 Cindy & David Meier 5/16 Carol & Bill Cohen SAVE THE DATE! FOR UPCOMING SIMHOT

Saturday, September 16th 80th Birthday Celebration ~ Sherry Bloch

Saturday December 9th Bar Mitzvah ~ Fabian Lehrich

Saturday, March 3, 2018 Bat Mitzvah ~ Caileen Lehrich MAZAL TOV!

Happy 90th Birthday to Betty Passman!

Betty Passman cordially invites you to celebrate with her at the Shabbat Morning Service on Saturday, April 29, at 9:30 AM, where she will commemorate this mile- stone birthday.

The congregation is also invited to the kid- dush/lunch in Kellner Auditorium immedi- ately following the service.

In lieu of gifts, contributions may be made in Betty’s honor to Congregation Beth Sholom.

Please park in the Kellner parking lot & walk over to the sanctuary building.

Honoring a birthday or a special event Remembering a loved one

Make a donation to Congregation Beth Sholom

To facilitate the proper acknowledgement and recording of your donations, please provide the following information with your check.

A donation made by: ______

In Honor of/ Memory of: ______

Other notes: ______

Send to: Congregation Beth Sholom, PO Box 640024. Beverly Hills, FL 34464-0024

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

MAY 9 (2nd Tuesday)

Doors Open: 5PM Games : 6-8 PM

Kellner Auditorium

Please come and volunteer to help!

SUNSHINE & TRIBUTE CARDS

When you buy a birthday, anniversary or get well card you can also support our synagogue by pur- chasing a Tribute Card. Call Tribute Card Maven Les Levitt (352-527-0698) or email [email protected] and he will send your Tribute Card for just $5. Put “Tribute Card” in the subject line of your email.

R’FUAH SH’LEIMAH

Please let Hazzan Mordecai know if you or a loved one is ill and would like a personal visit or simply a phone call. You can also add the name to the Mi Shebeirakh list for Shabbat services. It is best to call or send the message in the form of an email. Contact Us

Phone: 352-746-5303

Board of Directors Congregation Beth Sholom 102 Civic Circle Mailing Address President— Sharon Weber (acting) PO Box 640024 Vice President— vacant Beverly Hills, FL Treasurer— Rochelle Kerchner 34464-0024

Secretary— Barbara Hamerling (acting) www.bethsholomcitrus.org

At-Large Board Members Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ Expires Feb 2018 Expires Feb 2019 bethsholomcitrus/ Susan Johnson Ed Altchek Jesse Kohler Barbara Hamerling Hazzan Mordecai Kamlot Cantor/Spiritual Leader Vacant Les Leavitt Send comments and submis- sions for the Shofar to Carol Cohen at [email protected]

The Shofar is an Official Publication of The Beverly Hills Jewish Center/Congregation Beth Sholom, Inc.

Congregation Beth Sholom PLACE STAMP PO Box 640024 HERE Beverly Hills, Florida 34464-0024