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Temple Beth Hillel‐Beth El | ₁₀₀₁ Remington Road | Wynnewood, Pennslyvania | www.tbhbe.org The The PhariseePharisee is underwritten by a generous grant from the TBH‐BE Sisterhood. VOLUME 62 • NUMBER 3 DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 KISLEV • TEVET • SHEVAT 5780 THE MALTZMAN MEMORIAL CRAFT & GIFT SHOW returns to its popular Shabbat Dinner December 8 date HONORING One Stop Holiday Shopping! Over 60 new and returning vendors with up-to-date merchandise! Friday, December 13 Raffles on sale now at tbhbe.org. You don’t need to attend to win. Raffle prizes include items from the RSVP required | $85/person | Due by December 4 vendors. Copy of the invitation on Page 8 Grand Prize: diamond tennis bracelet Show time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm 9:00 am - 12:30 pm “Sip and Shop” and hjmc lwq Religious School “Drop and Shop” 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Lunch available during the show Voice of Joy Invite your friends! 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Shopping and Raffle finale Celebrang Hazzan Eugene and Amy Rosner on their 30th Anniversary at Temple Beth Hillel‐Beth El PLAY TO WIN! Saturday, December 14, 2019 Find the five committee members’ photos inside. Collect the bold letter in their name. Your aendance is your reply The first seven to unscramble and email the correct word to [email protected] will win $5 Celebraon Book submissions are due by December 6 to use at the show. Article from the co-chairs on Page 10 Word: _ _ _ _ _ FROM THE PRESIDENT By Joel Freedman Community kindergarten graduation ceremony prayer was the reading of “Oh, the Places together. Yesterday, I attended the funeral You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. Lenni and We are of Lenni Fair. As was obvious by the all of our wonderful teachers over fortunate to have Hazzan Rosner packed attendance in our sanctuary, the years have prepared our children serving our community for such a Lenni touched many lives in our to go to many exciting places and to long time as he leads in davening community. When Rabbi Cooper build a strong community. throughout the year and has guided asked how many former students or so many of our children through the parents of students were in Our diverse community also Bar/Bat Mitzvah process. attendance, almost all hands were includes our Sisterhood and Men’s raised. As a parent of two of the Club – two organizations engaged in Along with our other groups, hundreds of kindergartners she support of our synagogue and our such as L’Chaim, Boomers, and the taught over her 41‐year career at community. I recently attended the Havurah, our community is strong Temple Beth Hillel–Beth El, I can say Men’s Club’s “Scotch and Steak in when we gather together at TBH‐BE she made a difference in the lives of the Sukkah” evening and was for religious, educational, social, and all her students. Our ECC, which thrilled to see men of all ages enjoy life cycle events. I thank you all for continues to grow, has formed their evening drinks, delicious food your support of our synagogue so one of the key foundations of what and conversations with old and that we may continue to be a hub for our synagogue provides to our new friends. On December 8, the community activity and Jewish life. community. By enriching young Sisterhood’s annual “Craft and Gift Please remember to send in your children with love of Judaism, Show” will be held at our Matanah commitments. Our understanding of their backgrounds, synagogue. This is a perfect annual campaign is necessary to and the general knowledge for them opportunity to shop for Hanukkah supplement our budget so that we to succeed as they advance into gifts from talented local artists may provide all the wonderful elementary school, we ensure that (including some of our congregants), year‐round programming at our our children are well equipped to support the fundraising efforts of the synagogue. Together we can face their future. A highlight of the Sisterhood, and patronize our Gift continue to build our synagogue Shop. I encourage all of you to for the next 60 years and for future attend and to invite your friends to generations. this fun day. The weekend of December 13 and 14, as a community we will celebrate our wonderful Hazzan, Eugene Rosner, his wife Amy, and family, in honor of their 30 years of dedicated service to our synagogue. I invite you to join us for the Maltzman Sarah Weins ein t Memorial Shabbat Dinner when we will pay tribute to our Hazzan and to “Voice of Joy” Shabbat Services, where we will join in song and 2 | DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 OFF THE PULPIT By Rabbi Neil S. Cooper I arrived in Wynnewood close paper): Which tune do you like We have laughed to the end of July in 1991. As the to use for such‐and‐such prayer a lot and even new rabbi of our congregation, during the Musaf service on Rosh shed tears with the holidays arriving in early Hashanah? I breathed a sigh of together. Over September, I had less than six relief! I knew immediately that this extended weeks to get settled in our new this Cantor cares about nusach. period of time, we have become home and prepare for High His question demonstrated that he wonderful supporters of each Holiday services. To add stress had the requisite expertise and other, colleagues on whom we to the mix, I would be joined at knowledge. And, in addition, I can rely and, perhaps most services by nearly two thousand knew by the way he asked his importantly, cherished and strangers. That is a lot of work question, that he wanted to ask in beloved friends. to finish and a lot of people to a way which would not embarrass You will find announcements entertain, stimulate, inspire, and me in case I did not have the right about the festivities we have please. And I would lead services answer. Within a few minutes, it arranged to fete the Hazzan and with a cantor I did not know. was clear to me that we would Amy on their 30th Anniversary at work well together. When we first sat down with our synagogue. I hope to see you each other, Eugene looked at me For the past 29 years, Hazzan there. and, after sizing me up, asked a Rosner and I have worked with leading question which would seamless execution and warm reveal his interests and priorities collegiality. You know him as as well as his appreciation for flawless when leading our nusach. services. Our choir members appreciate his patience and The words of our prayers are expertise. But, for me, it would often repetitious, depending on not have been possible (and, which service one is reciting. It certainly, not enjoyable) to work is the nusach, however, which with someone so closely and creates the unique mood and not to develop a sense of deep special musical modes for our affection and appreciation. prayers. It identifies the musical theme from which the chanting I am thrilled that we are flows. Previously, I had worked honoring our Hazzan and Amy. It with cantors who were neither has been a pleasure to work with knowledgeable about such matters Eugene for nearly three decades, nor competent to lead. I was both to benefit from his knowledge and worried and curious whether this wisdom, to be inspired by his would be my experience once insights, to know his kind and again. unflappable personality, and to Fran Perlman enjoy his good humor. Finally, Eugene asked his question (which was scribbled Together, we have led, on a torn half of a half piece of cooperated, learned and taught. | 3 FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT By Hallie Chandler Some were store bought, some we may apply to the upcoming on break in Israel took weeks to make and others holiday of Hanukkah. over Sukkot, were over two planks of wood and they all Each person deserves the with shower curtains as the walls. acknowledge that opportunity to fulfill Mitzvot ‐ Not Never had I seen so many Sukkot. it’s a time to separate from only were adults carrying lulav When arriving in Israel during normalcy. Many of us have that and etrog combinations ‐ children the holiday, it was a fresh sight opportunity during Hanukkah. as small as four went to the to see the sheer number of When planning your vacation, markets to pick out their own. individuals trying to push their how will you celebrate the They got to choose, taking way through the narrow alleys holiday? Maybe by visiting the ownership and responsibility of Jerusalem stone, and newly seashell menorah in Miami beach, for the Mitzvah. Over Hanukkah created quilts covering the walls taking a day trip to see the largest think about whether everyone of the old city. menorah in the Grand Army Plaza in your family/class has the in Brooklyn, NY, or by visiting the In Deuteronomy 16:16 we read: opportunity to fulfill the Festival of Lights in San Francisco. “Three times a year, every man mitzvot and in what way are Make Hanukkah a priority where shall appear before the Lord your they participating in the you go even if it’s just with a little God in the place God will choose preparation for that mitzvah. electric travel hanukkiah in your [referring to the Temple in Watch someone have a “first” – hotel window. Jerusalem], on the festivals of After watching six family Matzot (Pesach), on the Festival Make your holiday a members shake lulav and etrog for of Weeks (Shavuot), and on the festival.