Akse Academy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Vol. XLIII No. 5 THE NEWS OF DELAWARE’S JANUARY 2014 FIRST CONGREGATION AKSE ACADEMY On Saturday, January 18, 2014 6:15 Havdallah 6:30 Registration 7:00 First session – Choose one class Bill Weintraub: Great Synagogues Around the World Josh Schoenberg: The Jewish Way of Death Mark Wagman: Natural vs. Man-made - Perspectives of Science and Judaism Irene Plotzker: Kol Isha - A Woman’s Voice and Jewish Law 7:45 Refreshments 8:15 Second session – Choose one class Cantor Yehoshua Redfern: The Ups and Downs of Torah Trope and The Special Trope for the Ten Commandments Mollie & Ron Makar: The Jewish Communities of Prague and Cuba Linda Jaffe Sereduke & Sylvia Wagman: Our Legacy as Children of Holocaust Survivors Tuition: $10 in advance (by 1/16) -- $12 at the door Open to the community! Invite your friends! Please register by calling 762-2705 or sending check to Adas Kodesch at 4412 Washington Blvd, Wilmington, DE 19802. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR: VOICES FOR ISRAEL SHABBAT DINNER COMMUNITY GAME NIGHT January 7 January 31 January 11 See Page 3 See Page 5 See Page 6 JANUARY, 2014 SHOFAR 1 ADAS KODESCH FROM THE ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD OF RABBI SAKS SHEL EMETH 4412 Washington Blvd. Wilmington, DE 19802-1226 Synagogue Office (302) 762-2705 Shalom Chaverim, E-mail to [email protected] FAX (302) 762-3236 In the first paragraph of the Shema we are commanded Delaware Community Hebrew School to love G-d b'chol l'va-v'cha (with all your heart), u-v'chol naf- (302) 762-3618 sh'cha (and all your soul), u-v'chol m'o-de-cha (and all your AKSE Website www.akse.org might). What does it mean to love G-d with all your might? Steven Saks, Rabbi Rashi cites Brachot 61b, which explains that “might” means Yehoshua Redfern, Cantor that you should express your love of G-d in financial terms. Gail Weinberg, Educational Director But should religion cost us money, should not access to G-d OFFICERS be free of cost? Of course anyone can speak to G-d free of Open, President charge; all one has to do is to open one’s lips and pray. But one builds a relationship with G-d the way one does with any- Ron Makar, Executive VP one else: through effort and sacrifice. We build a relationship Neil Rosen, VP Finance with G-d by supporting G-d’s institutions and causes utilizing Harriet Ainbinder the resources with which G-d has blessed us. However, we VP Education should not limit our understanding of the phrase u-v'chol m'o- (and all your might) to mean monetary resources alone. Vivian Goldberg de-cha VP Religious Affairs One’s “might” can also include one’s energy. Part of building a relationship with G-d means using your energy to support G- Wendy Shlossman, VP Administration d’s institutions and causes. Dan Berry, VP Facilities I know that we give generously and are nevertheless Lena Elzufon endlessly inundated with requests for money, but we now VP Membership have a unique opportunity to use our energy to support God’s Mark Wagman, VP Community Affairs house without having to donate any additional money. How? Joshua Schoenberg By selling ads for our June 1 Gala Dinner Dance in which VP Ways & Means Sandye and Jerry Turnauer and Suzy and Rabbi Peter Jeff Seidel, Treasurer Grumbacher will be honored for their community service. Sharon Berry & Eleanor Weinglass Simply by asking businesses you frequent to place an ad in Secretary our gala ad journal, you can fulfill the mitzvah of “loving G-d with all your might” while giving the business the opportunity Dan Berry & Len Seltzer to support a house of G-d and market themselves. When you Men’s Club Presidents think about it, it’s a win, win! Please find a copy of the ad Sylvia Wagman form on page four and use it to help sell ads. Sisterhood President The term m'o-de-cha (your might) only appears in the STAFF singular, unlike the terms l'va-v'cha (your heart) and naf- Sharon Marshall, Office Manager sh'cha (your soul), which appear again later in the Shema in Arlene Mac Laren, Office Assistant their plural form. We learn from this that we cannot wait for Carol Burg, Bookkeeper Cliff Packer, others to take the initiative in supporting G-d’s institutions Charles Wiley and causes, rather each one of us must take the intuitive. Maintenance Your shul needs your effort, please take the initiative and sell The Shofar is published 11 months: ads! September through July/August. Jonathan Jaffe, Shofar Editor Todah Rabbah, E-mail to [email protected] Rabbi Steven Saks 2 SHOFAR JANUARY 2014 Prominent Pro-Israel Activist David Brog to Speak on Why Christians Support Israel By Mark Wagman David Brog, Executive Director of Christians United for Israel, will illuminate “Why Christians Support Israel and Why the Jewish Community Needs to Embrace this Support” on Tuesday, January 7 at 7:30 p.m. at AKSE. Brog is the second of three world-renowned speakers in the “Voices for Israel” series being presented by Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth and the Jewish Federation of Delaware. Christians United for Israel (CUFI, www.cufi.org), with more than one million members, is the largest pro-Israel organization in the U.S. CUFI educates and builds support among Christians for Israel, conducting over 40 pro- Israel events each month. As an American Jew, David Brog has been an active proponent of stronger Jewish- Christian relations, particularly with regard to support for Israel. In 2007, the Forward newspaper listed Brog in its "Forward 50" most influential Jews in America. Before CUFI, Brog worked in the United States Senate for seven years, rising to be chief of staff to Senator Arlen Specter and staff director of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has also served as an executive at America Online and practiced corporate law in Tel Aviv and Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Brog is the author of Standing with Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State (2006) and In Defense of Faith: the Judeo-Christian Idea and the Struggle for Humanity (2010). Brog’s talk is free and open to the public. A Meet-the-Speaker Reception will be held before the talk from 6 to 7 p.m.; the cost is $36 and requires a reservation. For additional information, reception reservations and sponsorship opportunities, please go to www.shalomdelaware.org/VOICES or call 302-762-2705. Please mark your calendar for the final event in the “Voices for Israel” series: Sergeant Benjamin Anthony, Founder, Our Soldiers Speak, on Thursday, March 20, 2014. JANUARY, 2014 SHOFAR 3 4 SHOFAR JANUARY 2014 Message from President Please join the entire Jewish community at the 3rd annual game night, held this year at Congregation Beth Emeth on Saturday evening January 11, 2014 (see flyer for complete details). RSVP in advance to save a few dollars and to help the organizers know how many to plan for. This event started at AKSE 2 years ago. We can also look forward to another lovely Shabbat dinner on January 31st. Reservations necessary!! In January, join us at AKSE for the warm company of friends and a wonderful selection of activities! A big thank you to Mariya Izralevich and Faith Silver for their contributions to AKSE Sisterhood! Sylvia Wagman ([email protected]) Sisterhood President AKSE SISTERHOOD CALENDAR 2014 (Mark your calendar and be sure to join us!) January 11, 2014 Community Game Night @ Beth Emeth January 15, 2014 Chug Ivri Wednesday @ 7:30 pm January 31, 2014 Friday Night Dinner February 23, 2014 Sisterhood/Hadassah Brunch 11 am -1 pm March 30, 2014 Pre-Passover shopping trip to Baltimore—Note Date Change May 2, 2014 Friday Night Dinner June 8, 2014 Sisterhood Closing AKSE GOES ITALIAN !!!! MANGIA !! MANGIA !! Join your AKSE famiglia for a three course Italian Shabbat Dinner Friday night January 31st immediately following Kabbalat Shabbat services. Adults $ 15, Children ages 6-12, $ 9, children 5 and under, Free. Paid reservations must be made by January 22, 2014. We regret that we cannot accommodate anyone without a reservation. Please make your reservation -- NOW. We Invite You to Sponsor a Shabbat Kiddush Dear Fellow AKSE Congregants: The members of the Kiddush Fund Committee invite every family to sponsor at least one regular Shab- bat Kiddush every year for $36. Your name will be posted in the Shabbat newsletter as the sponsor of the Kiddush that morning. Please think of a Simcha that is coming up that you would like to share with your congregational family such as a birthday, anniversary, retirement or any other happy occasion. Our goal is for each family to annually show support for the Kiddush fund which enables us to come to- gether to celebrate and share happy occasions on Shabbat. Please contact the office at 302-762-2705 to find out if your desired Shabbat date is available for spon- sorship. Please contact Judy Berlin at 302-762-3649 to discuss your special requests. Additional items like a special cake or kugels can be included for an additional charge. Thank you in advance. JANUARY, 2014 SHOFAR 5 6 SHOFAR JANUARY 2014 JANUARY, 2014 SHOFAR 7 Singing at the White House with Zemer Chai Thursday December 5, 2013, Eighth Day of Chanukah, 2nd of Tevet 5774 By Cantor Yehoshua Redfern It was a picture perfect warm sunny December day in the nation’s capital. Zemer Chai, Washington DC’s premier Jewish choir, founded and led by gifted artistic director, Eleanor Epstein, was singing at the White House Chanukah party.