The Scroll NOVEMBER 2015 CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5776
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TBTST HANUKKAH PICNIC SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13TH The Scroll NOVEMBER 2015 CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5776 Vol. XXVI • No. 3 Temple Beth Torah Sha'aray Tzedek 5700 N.W. 94 Ave. Tamarac, FL 33321 954.721.7660 • www.TBTST.org Service Schedule Minyan Services Monday - Thursday 7:45 am & 6:00 pm Friday - 7:45 am Sunday 8:30 am & 5:00 pm Check Calendar for Saturday evening times Shabbat Services Friday Evening - 6:30 pm Saturday Morning - 9:00 am Orthodox Services Shabbat and Yom Tov Minyan 9:00 am There are no Orthodox evening Min- yans. Those wishing to attend evening Minyans are welcome at the egalitarian combined service in the Chapel, daily at 6:00 pm. Friday evening Mincha/Maariv services begin at 6:30 pm. SAVE THE DATE JANUARY 30, 2016 KARAOKE NIGHT NOVEMBER 2015 TEMPLE BETH TORAH SHA'ARAY TZEDEK CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5776 Shabbat Services RABBI'S MESSAGE Saturday Morning - 9:00 am By Rabbi Michael Gold November 7 Birkat Hachodesh Dear Friends, November 14 On Yom Kippur at Kol Nidre services I spoke about creating Toledot a relational synagogue. How do we create a place where people November 21 can relate to each other, to the greater Jewish community, to Is- Vayetze rael, to Torah, and to God? Here is a selection from that sermon: November 28 A synagogue is a Beit Tefilah – literally a “House of Prayer.” Vayishlach Jews want to talk to God, to relate to God. I am well aware that many Jews who come to synagogue do not come to talk to God. It was the wonderful Jewish Torah Discussion/ humorist Sam Golden who probably said it best. Someone asked him, “Why do Bible & Bagels you go to synagogue? You don’t believe.” He answered, “You’re right. I don’t Immediately following believe. Now Garfinkel, he believes. He goes to synagogue to talk to God. Me? Services I go to synagogue to talk to Garfinkel.” I think that is the reason many of us go to synagogue services. We don’t necessarily believe in God. But we want to be Daily Minyan and with friends, with others, with our fellow Jews. Fresh Brewed Coffee Still, prayer services are central to synagogue life. And I am very proud of some- Become a Minyanaire thing we do here that is not done in the majority of Conservative synagogues around Do the Mitzvah of assisting the country. We have a minyan, a service here 365 days a year, every morning and your friends and family as they every night. Occasionally we struggle but usually we get a minyan, the ten adult say Kaddish. Wake up and Jews we need to say the most important prayers, including the mourner’s kaddish. smell the coffee at TBTST Sometimes we get a crowd. And mourners know that they can come here every Monday - Friday at 7:45 am morning and every evening if they choose, in order to say kaddish for their loved followed by coffee and ones. And many of those mourners, when their eleven months of kaddish are a shmear finished, keep coming. They know that there will always be new mourners, and Brief Mincha at 6:00 pm those new mourners will need a minyan. As others were there for them, so they Sunday - 8:30am and 5:00pm Saturday evening – check want to be there for others. calendar What about Shabbat? I love our Shabbat services. Friday night we gather to sing through the prayers. The mood is informal. When the hour long service is over, we gather around a table to make Kiddush, drink wine, and say a hamotzi. Join our Greeters Sometimes we stay for Shabbat dinner, but other weeks we go home to enjoy Shabbat with our families. I love our Erev Shabbat services. But I have noticed a Corps problem. There was a time when a lot of young children came. Of late I see fewer Consider volunteering to be a Greeter. We and fewer children. I have asked young families why. The answer I have received need warm and friendly is that some people make them feel uncomfortable when they bring their children. members of our Children do not always sit still. But a successful synagogue is one filled with congregation to greet children. It is a guarantee that there will be a younger generation to come to syna- our members, guests gogue. I have met with the cantor, Ava, and Sydney and we plan to implement and potential members. something new. Call it Shabbat Beyachad – Shabbat Together. Once a month, Being a Greeter is fun and when the pre-school has its tot-Shabbat, we will have a more children and fam- rewarding! Greeters are needed for ily oriented service. Hors d’oeuvres will be chicken nuggets or little hot dogs Shabbat Services on Friday or something else children can eat. Services will be somewhat abbreviated and nights, Saturday mornings conducted off the bimah. I will gather all the children with me on the steps and and for Holidays. tell a story. And there will be an understanding that this is a service where young Please call Stew Klawsky families with children are welcome. 954-547-1928 or email What about Shabbat morning? Again I love our Shabbat morning service. It [email protected] includes prayers, singing, Torah learning, lay people reading the Torah, simchas from bar/bat mitzvahs to baby namings and aufrufs to birthdays and anniversaries. 2 NOVEMBER 2015 TEMPLE BETH TORAH SHA'ARAY TZEDEK CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5776 It includes a wonderful sit down Kiddush each week, and then for those who want Yahrzeit to expand their mind, bagels and Bible, usually led by lay people. I love this. But I know that not everyone likes what I like. Yahrzeit is a Yiddish word, Some people would prefer a full traditional Torah reading in the chapel, with a which literally means “time small crowd so that there is a better chance to get an Aliya. We offer that every of year” or memorial. Jews week. Some people would prefer an Orthodox service, with a mehitza between of Ashkenazi descent use men and women and the use of an Orthodox siddur. We offer that every week. this term. Sephardim call Some people prefer a more spiritual experience, meditation instead of the traditional this commemoration nahala, prayers. We offer that once a month. Some people feel lost in services and would in Ladino. This custom is prefer a learner’s service. Based on a program of the Federation of Jewish Men’s widely observed and based Clubs, we are introducing that this year. I have had other requests. Some would on the Jewish tradition of like a yoga service. Some would like to spend the afternoon in the synagogue, commemorating the death playing sports or board games. All of these are in the planning stage. of a relative. I am proud that United Synagogue has seen fit to give our synagogue two Solo- All the Yahrzeit rituals mon Schechter awards this year, the only synagogue in the nation to get that honor. are deeply ingrained in the They will be presented this fall at their convention near Chicago. One award will Jewish life. The common go to a brilliant program called Six Million Steps, a program first conceived by our rituals that are performed religious school children and created by Ronit Goldstein, Elyse Kostzer, and Jack in the honorable memory Alboukrek. I was glad to participate in that program. The other award will go to of the departed soul include our synagogue for a Variety of Shabbat Experiences. I hope we can continue to reciting the Kaddish prayer add programs, programs that will bring more people into our synagogue. and lighting a Yahrzeit I look forward to greeting you at our synagogue services. candle. Rabbi Michael Gold Yahrzeit also includes the action of donating charity in memory of a deceased A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A loved one. Through the performance of the mitzvah of tzedakah in the name of RAP WITH THE RABBI the departed, the merit of the deed is shared with the soul A NARRATIVE ABOUT CREATION: of the late relative, as their KABBALAH, PROCESS PHILOSOPHY AND MY PHD DISSERTATION memory is enhanced. (Sundays once a month: 9 am bagels, 9:30 lecture) Nov. 22 – Two World Views - Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism Dec. 20 – What is Process Philosophy? Jan. 17 – Mind is Primordial Feb. 14 – Mind is Immanent in the Universe April 17 – Mind is in Process May 15 – A Narrative about Creation The Bible and Everything Else Under the Sun – Wednesdays 12:15 – 1:15 at the office of Ken Rubin in Coral Springs, 9900 Sample Road Suite 404, Coral Springs, FL 33065 beginning September 30. 3 NOVEMBER 2015 TEMPLE BETH TORAH SHA'ARAY TZEDEK CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5776 CANTOR'S MESSAGE Why Not Join a By Cantor Jonathan Angress Committee? As November rolls around, the colors, smells, and sounds As it happens, much of the “work” of TBTST and most As November rolls around the ofcolors, autumn smells, fill the and air…unless sounds ofyou autumn live in Southfill the Florida air… unlesswhere you live it still feels like summer. November is a very special time of the planning takes place in committees. So, committee mem- in South Florida where it still feelsin my like life summer. as both Novembermy mother, isfather, a very and special sister time celebrate in my life as both my mother, father, and sister celebrate their birthdays.