Shir Notes The Official Newsletter of Congregation Shir Ami Volume 12, Number 5, May 2014 Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi’s Column Events of the Month . This will be surprising, but with all the holidays I could write about which occur in May, I am going to concen- Shabbat services trate on Passover. No, not the one we just had, but the at Temple Ramat Zion one scheduled for the middle of May, known as Pesach Saturday, May 3, 10:30 am Sheni. The Torah established a second opportunity to Birthday Shabbat celebrate Passover for those who could not do so at its appointed time. Saturday, May 10, 10:30 am And while most of us observed the holiday at its proper time, the lessons Saturday, May 17, 10:30 am continue well beyond. Shaina-Aaron Ufruf at Heschel See flyer. And so let me share one nugget of wisdom I learned from the Passover Saturday, May 24, 10:30 am Anniversary Shabbat seders which I have truly been thinking about throughout this past month: Saturday, May 31, 10:30 am At one point, you may remember, we are introduced to four varied children, -------------------------------------------- one wise, one contrary, one simple, and one who is not asking questions. Jewish World Watch What does the contrary child say that makes him deserving of such a Walk to End Genocide label? “What does this mean to you?” Sunday, May 4 11:30 am The reason given in the Haggadah is that, by saying “you,” he excludes Join Team Shir Ami at the Walk in himself. But the wise son is just as exclusionary! He asks, “What is the the Conejo Valley, Temple Etz meaning of the laws, statues and ordinances which the Lord our God has Chaim, 1080 E. Janss Rd.in commanded you?” Thousand Oaks, See article on page 4 or call Rae Wazana at In fact, the contrary child (also referred to as the wicked, mean, or evil child (818) 881-5549. – rasha in Hebrew), asks a terrific question! I can picture him, sitting -------------------------------------------- through a long seder yet again, looking around the table at these three- Mother’s/Father’s Day Social times-a-year Jews, wondering what it truly means to them. And simply Action Committee Celebration asking them, “What are you getting out of all this?” Friday, May 9 1:00 pm Thursday, May 15 7:30 pm But perhaps it’s not the question that Join the Committee at the West makes him deserving of the title, but Valley Healthcare Center, 7057 Special Presentation by Linda Lingle, the way he asks it. Perhaps he isn’t Shoup Ave. in West Hills to asking at all, but merely stating his celebrate Shabbat and Mother’s/ former Governor of Hawaii, at opinion with a demeaning, challenging, Father’s Day with the residents. Call Northridge Mobile Home Park Fran Kobulnick at (818) 345-2405. dismissive, nasty tone of voice. -------------------------------------------- Linda Lingle was the Governor of Around the Rabbi’s Tisch Hawaii from 2002 to 2010. She has This is the problem with the written word. It doesn’t convey the way we Thursdays, May 1, 8, 22, & 29 a strong Jewish identity, connected would say it. It just sits there, flat, 7:30 pm at the Vorspans’ to all the Jewish congregations in Honolulu. She also has a special stark, empty of emotion. Open to any Our 5774 season of Rabbi’s popular connection to Israel and visited interpretation. weekly discussion around his dining with a personal invitation from room table continues. Join us for an Israel President Shimo n Peres . We send such words in text messages opportunity to learn Jewish wisdom and e-mails, intending one meaning, and discuss current topics of Jewish Linda graduated from Birmingham being read with perhaps another. interest. Call Rabbi at (818) 888- High School in Lake Balboa and CSUN in Northridge where she is Where we wrote with a light touch, it 9817 for more details. gets read with a heavy one. Where we currently teaching a senior course intended friendship, it is received Visit our website: in public policy. devoid of such emotion. www.shirami.com See flyer and article on page 2. (continued on page 2) page 2 May 2014 President’s Report Special “Tisch” with Linda Lingle by Stan Schroeder Shalom, We are privileged to have Linda We’re now into May and, believe or Lingle speak to us at a special not, we have only two months remain- version of our usual Thursday ing before we take our summer break and meet evening Around the Rabbi’s Tisch again in September at our new home at New May 15 at 7:30 pm. The event will Community Jewish High School. be in the rec room of Northridge Mobile Home Park, 19120 Nordhoff St., east of May is also the beginning of our “walking season,” Tampa Ave. and is free. as we join Jewish World Watch in their Walk to End Genocide, on Sunday, May 4 in the Conejo Valley. Linda moved to Hawaii following graduation from On June 1 we will have our own Walk Around Lake CSUN with a BA in journalism. While editing a weekly Balboa on Sunday, June 1 with all proceeds going newspaper on Molokai, she became interested in to the Association of Jewish Educators Scholar- local politics. She served ten years on the Maui ship Fund. County Council. She was also Mayor of Maui for two terms and became Governor of Hawaii in 2002, after Looking at our attendance at Saturday morning an unsuccessful bid in 1998 when she was defeated Shabbat services, it is hard to believe that there was in the closest election in Hawaii history. She was a time when the congregation and Rabbi Vorspan Governor for the two term limit. would look nervously at the door, hoping for that tenth person to show up. Now, more often than not, Linda has been active in the Republican Party since we are welcoming the thirtieth or fortieth person to deciding to run against a corrupt Democratic estab- join us for Shabbat services. As much we put into lishment in a heavily Democratic state. She received our Social Action activities, when it comes to national attention when she delivered a primetime davening, we are no slouches there, either. address on the third night of the 2008 Republican National Convention. We will be having a special “Tisch” this month (May 15) with a special guest, former Governor of I met Linda Lingle in March when she gave a talk at a Hawaii Linda Lingle. meeting of the Current Events Club at Fountainview. I was invited by our member Phyllis Robinson. Since we will be taking a break in July and August, Along with the rest of the audience, I was impressed we need to make a real push over the next two by her manner of talking about her personal journey. months for SOVA and our Social Action Committee’s She is a dynamic speaker with a message for all of collection of Target $10 gift cards for Mother’s Day us about the duties of citizenship. for those in the domestic violence shelters that we support. Linda was raised in a Reform Jewish [Democratic] home. She has a close association with the Reform, If you have any questions or want to provide your Conservative, and Orthodox Jewish congregations input, please feel free to email me at and communities in Honolulu. During her time as [email protected].. governor, she studied weekly with the Chabad rabbi. Thank you. Linda has personal and professional ties to Israel. Jordan Pistol, President She was part of the U.S. delegation formed by --------------------------------------------------------------- President George W. Bush to go to Israel to Rabbi’s Column (continued) celebrate Israel’s 60th Independence Day in 2008. She was also personally invited by Israel President Perhaps the contrary child meant well. But, judging Shimon Peres to attend his annual Presidential from the words on the page, it’s hard to tell. Conference. The lesson for this Pesach Sheni: we should all get You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity, much better at writing what we truly mean, in a way thanks to Linda’s generous offer to speak to us. that leaves no doubt as to our intention! Please register with the included flyer, as we need to know how many will attend to set up the room. Rabbi David Vorspan page 3 May 2014 Birthdays & Anniversaries DONATIONS Congregation Shir Ami wishes to Birthdays acknowledge the following donations: $ Frank Locasio................................ 4/5 Omitted last month In Memory of Ted Lipschultz Laurie Orens.................................. 5/5 Myrna Gold.................................... 5/7 Bonnie Goldman’s co-workers at LADWP Harvey Cohen................................ 5/12 Debra Geffen................................. 5/12 Yahrzeits Linda Tapper.................................. 5/19 Jerry Kovar.................................... 5/21 Jacqueline Gordon for Lee C. Gordon Ellen Fremed................................. 5/23 Carol and Irwin Koransky for B. Koransky Gladys Sturman............................. 5/30 Ethel Granik for Calman Goldberg Irv Strassner for Mary Stanger Anniversaries Shirley Shapiro Fay and Ed Schneier Pat and Jerry Michaelson.............. 5/15 26th Nancy and Lonny Scharf for David Haas and Rose Scharf Carol and Art Altshiller for S. Martin Altshiller Judy Eisikowitz for Elsie Eisikowitz and Herman Solomon Eisikowitz Mailbox Elaine Selznick for Ben Selznick and Sadie Gessler To all of the lovely members of Birthdays Congregation Shir Ami, Ed Orens Harvey Cohen To be grateful is an understatement - Aaron and I Sylvia Hockmeyer Linda Tapper are beyond touched at the generosity and warmth Gabriel Lichtman you all have shown us.