October/November 2013 Tishrei–Kislev 5774 the End of the High Holidays When We Come to the End of the Holiday Season There Is Somewhat of a Letdown
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In this issue October/November 2013 Tishrei–Kislev 5774 The End of the High Holidays When we come to the end of the holiday season there is somewhat of a letdown. The holidays complete with Synagogue worship and rituals, as well as home festivities, bring a sense of heightened spirituality and community to all of us. We anticipate with great excitement and For more information, Calendar anxiety the High Holy Days and we look forward to the beautiful of Events, Rabbis' sermons, and festival of Sukkot and to its conclusion with Simchat Torah as we dance for Emergency School Closings be with the Sifrei Torah. sure to check our website at www. After these holidays are completed, there is a long gap until the next nssbethel.org or call 847-432-8900. major festival. The next one is actually the holiday of Pesach, which because 5774 is a leap year and we will add a second month of Adar, Learn will be another Hebrew month’s distance from the holiday of Sukkot. Fall Learning pg.10 With stops along the way including Hanukkah, Tu B’Shevat, and Purim, we at least have some opportunities for home rituals and sacred worship opportunities. Pray However, especially this year when the entire month of September Beth El Girls Rosh Hodesh pg.3 From the Desk has been filled with the holiday season, we must challenge ourselves to Shabbat from the Heart pg.12 create those moments of spirituality and community solidarity during of Rabbi Kurtz the rest of the year as well. It is not as easy as the month of Tishrei, but it most assuredly can be done. In fact, the rest of the year offers us Community many opportunities for Synagogue involvement, community volunteer Congregational Shabbat Dinner pg.12 opportunities, and intellectual growing. Thanksgiving Mitzvah pg.13 Dr. Ron Wolfson, a professor of education at the American Jewish Winter Coat Drive pg.13 University in Los Angeles, has written a book entitled Relational Judaism: Robbin Scholar pg.15 Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community. (It is Fall Fest pg.17 available in the Maxwell Abell Library.) Ron, a dedicated Conservative H.U.G.S. pg.19 Jew and a wonderful educator, suggests that the goal of synagogue life USCJ Scholar pg.26 is to allow its members to become a Relational Jew, a Jew who views Judaism as impacting virtually all of one’s relationships. He suggests that there are indicators of Jewish identification and internal Jewish identity which are shaped by the relationships of life: “Do I see myself as Jewish? Does my Jewishness influence the way I live my life: my work, my purpose, my hobbies, my indulgences, Mission Statement the food I eat, the music I listen to? We are a congregation of families and individuals Do I see myself as part of a Jewish family? How do I relate to being who come together to pray, to study, and to create a Jewish father, daughter, grandfather, sister, partner, spouse? a warm and welcoming community. We seek to Do I locate myself among a network of good friends, friends who preserve and enhance our People's traditions will be there for me in good times and bad? within the context of Conservative Judaism. We Do I engage in lifelong learning about Judaism? Do I try on Jewish aspire to strengthen our Jewish identity to meet practice? Do I commit to living a Jewish life? Does Jewish observance the challenges of a changing environment. We shape the way I live: the rhythm of my week, the calendar of my year? endeavor to provide resources to help us relate Do I support the community, a synagogue, JCC, Federation, to God, understand the ways of God and enrich Jewish defense organization? the Jewish content of our lives. We encourage Do I connect to the Jewish people, the “tribe”? our members to serve worthwhile causes within Do I care about the State of Israel? our Congregation and the wider Jewish and world Do I work to repair the world? communities. We are committed to support Israel. Do I wrestle with G-d?” We educate our children so they commit to the cultural, spiritual, and ethical values of our People. (continued on page 2) October-November 2013/ Tishrei-Kislev 5774 1 From the Desk of Rabbi Kurtz The End of the High Holidays (continued from page 1) These questions should challenge us after the High Holy Day to our Thanksgiving project, from our support of Communidad period to get involved in our synagogue and community programs Dor Jadash in Argentina to our sustenance of a religious school in and take advantage of the opportunities with which we are presented. Berdichev. Volunteer some time to sit on a committee and work with I encourage you to come to our daily Minyan and participate in our our staff and lay leaders to create a more caring community, a more regular order of worship services. I strongly suggest that you make vibrant congregation, and a place of significance for us all. And I time for our Shabbat services – Friday night, Shabbat morning and hope you will find some time to give of your financial support, your Shabbat afternoon – opportunities to join with the community in volunteer time, and your concern to our community at-large, to the celebrating the sanctity of Shabbat. And who would want to miss Jewish people wherever they may reside around the world, and to Kiddush in our refurbished Blumberg Auditorium when we have the the support the State of Israel. We are part of a larger family and we opportunity to congregate together as a community. should be there for all the members of our mishpacha. I strongly suggest that you put aside time for growth in your In short, there is no reason that after the holiday season there Jewish learning. There are many wonderful programs in our should be a lull in the time that we spend in the synagogue or are Gertrude Lederman Family Continuing Education Program, in our involved in Jewish rituals and practices. In fact, the holiday season Joseph and Mae Gray Cultural & Learning Center, and in other should merely be a spur for us to become more involved, more programs in our community at-large. All of us, at whatever level we learned, and better Relational Jews in the months to come. find ourselves in our Jewish knowledge, can always grow. I hope to see you often around the synagogue throughout the I hope you will take advantage of the many opportunities to course of 5774. be involved with our social action programs from Mitzvah Day Shabbat Schedule See calendar for times. Monday through Friday Shabbat, October 5 Shabbat, November 2 Mornings, 7:15am Rosh Hodesh Cheshvan Parashat Toldot Parashat Noah Torah: Genesis 25:19 – 28:9 Sunday through Thursday Torah: Genesis 6:9 – 11:32 Haftarah: Samuel 20:18 – 42 Evenings, 7:30pm Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1 – 24 Shabbat, November 9 Sunday and Legal Holiday Shabbat, October 12 Parashat Vayetze Mornings, 8:45am Parashat Lech-Lecha Torah: Genesis 28:10 – 32:3 Rosh Hodesh Torah: Genesis 12:1 – 17:27 Haftarah: Hosea 12:13 – 14:10 Mornings, 7:00am Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16 Shabbat, November 16 Services are conducted by: Shabbat, October 19 Parashat Vayishlach Rabbi Vernon H. Kurtz, Parashat Vayera Torah: Genesis 32:4 – 36:43 Rabbi Michael Schwab, Torah: Genesis 18:1 – 22:24 Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1 – 21 Hazzan Larry B. Goller Haftarah: Kings II 4:1 – 37 Shabbat, November 23 Shabbat, October 26 Parashat Vayeshev Parashat Haye Sarah Torah: Genesis 37:1 – 40:23 11:00am Every Shabbat Torah: Genesis 23:1 – 25:18 Haftarah: Amos 2:6 – 3:8 B'yachad Family Service Haftarah: Kings I 1:1 – 31 Shabbat, November 30 Services for families with Hanukkah 3rd Day children 2nd grade and younger Parashat Miketz Junior Congregation Torah: Genesis 41:1 – 44:17 Services for students in 3rd - 5th grade Maftir: Numbers 7:24 – 29 Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7 October-November 2013/ Tishrei-Kislev 5774 2 President's Corner by Lisa Rosenkranz You all know the jokes about how the Jewish holidays are always (4) My Family Story – In this year long program, 6th graders early or late, never on time! But this year, I think everyone would researched the stories of their families and created three agree that the High Holidays were truly early. The last time Erev dimensional projects that reflected this story. The Book fund Rosh Hashana fell on September 4th was 1899. And it won’t happen helped pay for shipping these projects to Israel to be judged again until 2089. This all means that this article, which usually is and to help with travel expenses. published in the middle of the High Holiday season, is looking at the (5) Summer Continuing Education classes – This is to expand high holidays in the rear view mirror. our summer course offerings to reach those who spend winters in This quirk in the calendar continues for Hanukkah, as we will warmer climates, parents with children at camp who have more be observing the 1st night of Hanukkah on the Wednesday evening time, and our general population. We will offer a range of types before Thanksgiving. Apparently, this has never happened before and timing of classes to appeal to the broadest group possible. and will never happen again. Here's what Snopes.com, a website (6) From The Heart Shabbat – We are bringing Danny Siegel, that discusses urban legends, internet rumors etc, says about this an Israeli experiential educator, to Beth El for a weekend of calendar anomaly: “Thanksgiving is set as the fourth Thursday in social action focused programming with adults and teenagers.