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“Our Voice” The Newsletter of Congregation Anshei Israel May-June 2011 — Nisan/Iyar/Sivan 5771 Volume 64 Number 5 Shavuot celebrates many things: The cycle of nature; the anniversary of the day the Israelites received the Ten Commandments from God; and God’s gift of Torah. Join us for Tikkun Leil Shavuot: A Guide to the Evening of Shavuot Tuesday, June 7 See insert for details and reservation form. Inserts: • May/June Calendars • Synagogue Life Council Contents: Jan./Feb. 2011 Meeting Minutes Affiliate/Social Groups pg 8 Committee News pg 4 • Board of Trustees Anniversaries, Mazal Tov & Condolences pg 11 Jan./Feb. 2011 Meeting Minutes Honorable “Menschens” pgs 10-11 Donations pgs 12-15 • 80th Annual Meeting Catching Up ... pgs 5-6 Education pg 9 Coming Up ... pg 7 Services pg 2 • Yom Yerushalayim • Tikkun Leil Shavuot www.caiaz.org Kolenu May-June 2011 — Nisan/Iyar/Sivan 5771 Page 1 KOLENU • ubkue ~ Shalom ~ “Our Voice” The Newsletter for Congregation Anshei Israel Weekday Torah Study Group Led by Rabbi Robert Eisen, the study group meets every Wednesday in the Congregation Epstein Chapel, 11:00 am to 12 noon. Everyone is welcome. Anshei Israel A Conservative Synagogue affiliated with Tot Shabbat Service and Dinner The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism For families with young children, Rabbi Eisen holds a special Tot Shabbat Service the first Friday of the month. (Children need not be enrolled in 5550 East Fifth Street • Tucson AZ 85711 (520) 745-5550 fax (520) 745-9058 our school to participate.) On May 6 and June 3 at 5:45 pm, we’ll begin www.caiaz.org on the Bimah in the Sanctuary with stories and songs. The service is open to all. A kid-friendly Shabbat dinner follows at 6:15 pm. Dinner only $20 per MISSION STATEMENT family (two adults and up to four children). Reservations are required for dinner Congregation Anshei Israel shall serve as a source of spiritual, educational, and social enrichment in order to only. Call Kim at 745-5550, ext. 224. encourage and ensure Judaic values in accordance with the Principles of Conservative Judaism. Summer Shul is back! For several weeks we move our 9:00 a.m. Saturday service CONTACT INFORMATION into Rabbi Breger Hall from the sanctuary. The purpose is to 520-745-5550 enable us to set a different mood and a slightly different form Rabbi • Robert J. Eisen to our service. We set up Rabbi Breger Hall as a Sanctuary: the Ext. 230 • [email protected] chairs are placed in the pattern of a horse-shoe (concentric Education Director / Assistant Rabbi • Kelley Gludt semi-circles) around a Reader’s Stand and the Aron Kodesh is Ext. 228 • [email protected] placed against the Eastern Wall. This will enable us to see and hear each other during the course of the service … and to find our worship strengthened by Rabbi Emeritus • Arthur Oleisky our sense of togetherness. This year, we have planned our Summer Shul to [email protected] take place June 11, 18 & 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, August 6, 13 & 20. Cantor • Ivor Lichterman Please plan to join us … beat the heat and stay cool in shul! Ext. 235 • [email protected] Finance Director • Bob Dietz Ext. 223 • [email protected] Ma’alot Minyan Preschool / Kindergarten Director Lynne Falkow-Strauss This is a member-led, egalitarian Shabbat service held in the Epstein Chapel Ext. 229 • [email protected] most first Saturdays of every month at 9:30 am. After the services on May 7, we join the rest of the congregation for kiddush. For more Youth Director • Linda Roy information, contact Ellis Friedman at [email protected]. Ext. 222 • [email protected] Clergy Secretary • Sandy Brombolich Ext. 225 • [email protected] Shabbat Afternoon Torah Study Administrative Assistant • Brandy Bock Torah discussions are held every Saturday, one hour prior to the Ext. 240 • [email protected] Mincha Service. This is a great opportunity to become more involved in “Living Judaism” and your congregation. Times of study are listed on the Finance Assistant • Mary McNabb calendar in each issue of Kolenu. If you would like to lead a Torah discussion Ext. 244 • [email protected] or for more information, call Sandy at 745-5550, ext. 225. Congregational Services Coordinator • Barb Neuman Ext. 242 • [email protected] Communications Coordinator • Yvonne Ethier K’Ton Time Ext. 231 • [email protected] A fun and lively 20-minute service that includes songs, prayers, stories and Education Assistant • Kim Miller games geared to families with kids ages 1 to 6, but every family is welcome. After the service everyone is invited to a kid-friendly kiddush where each Ext. 224 • [email protected] child’s attendance is acknowledged in song. This is followed by playground Ritual Coordinator • Max Ellentuck time for kids, and schmoozing time for parents, after which we join the Ext. 221 • [email protected] sanctuary service for kiddush. Join us on May 21 and June 18 at 10:30 Facilities Supervisor • Miro Uchytil am in the Epstein Chapel. Ext. 227 • [email protected] Receptionist • Lynn Walsh Minyan Shelanu: Our Minyan Ext. 200 • [email protected] This service is led by your fellow congregants and is for children and adults Kolenu is published bi-monthly September - August. We of ALL ages. We daven with ruach and the inspiration of a camp service! welcome your submissions & advertisements. The deadline Throughout the year, we explore the meaning behind the prayers and music for all submissions is the first day of the month prior to the of the Shabbat morning service. Services will be held on Saturday, May publication month. Ad placement & editing of submissions at CAI’s discretion. For more information, contact Yvonne 28 at 10:30 am in the Epstein Chapel. Following the service, we join the Ethier at 745-5550, ext. 231 or [email protected]. sanctuary service for kiddush. Page 2 Kolenu May-June 2011 — Nisan/Iyar/Sivan 5771 www.caiaz.org The Counting of the OMER You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Every night, from the second night of Passover to the night SHABBAT, from the day when you bring the OMER of the before SHAVU’OT, we recite a blessing and state the count of waving — seven Sabbaths, they shall be complete. Until the the OMER in both weeks and days. So on the 16th day, you day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days ... would say “Today is sixteen days, which is two weeks and two —Leviticus 23:15-16 days of the OMER.” The counting is intended to remind us of the link between You shall count for yourselves seven weeks, from when the Passover, which commemorates the Exodus, and SHAVU’OT, sickle is first put to the standing crop shall you begin counting which commemorates the giving of the Torah. It reminds us seven weeks. Then you will observe the Festival of SHAVU’OT that the redemption from slavery was not complete until we for the Lord, your God —Deuteronomy 16:9-10 received the Torah. This period is a time of partial mourning, during which weddings, parties, and dinners with dancing are not conducted, According to the Torah (Lev. 23:15), we are in memory of a plague during the lifetime of Rabbi Akiba. obligated to count the days from Passover Haircuts during this time are also forbidden. The 33rd day of the to SHAVU’OT. This period is known as the OMER (the 18th of IYAR) is a minor holiday commemorating Counting of the OMER. An OMER is a unit a break in the plague. The holiday is known as LAG B’OMER of measure. On the second day of Passover, (the word “LAG” is not really a word; it is the number 33 in in the days of the Temple, an OMER of Hebrew). The mourning practices of the OMER period are lifted barley was cut down and brought to the on that date. Temple as an offering. This grain offering This year, 2010, LAG B’OMER falls on May 2 (begins at sundown was referred to as the OMER. on May 1). Our Cemetery - A Reminder Shavuot In response to several questions we have recently The Shavuot Festival, otherwise known as Pentecost received: Several years ago we opened a new (50th day) or Feast of Weeks, was celebrated primarily area of the Congregation Anshei Israel Section as a thanksgiving for the wheat harvest; it falls seven of Evergreen Cemetery to accommodate those weeks after the barley harvest, when an Omer of of our members who are intermarried. This is an the new produce was offered. The Torah refers to area that will accommodate the burial of persons Shavuot as Hag Ha-Katsir (The Feast of the Harvest) of the Jewish faith either by birth or Halakhic and Yom Ha-Bikkurim (The Day of First Fruits), observed by offerings of the best conversion who are members of Congregation ripe produce of the fields (Exodus 23:16; Numbers 28:26). Anshei Israel and who freely declare their desire to be interred together with their non-Jewish In the course of time, and as a result of the transformation of the agricultural spouse, and the burial of the non-Jewish minor festivals into historical commemorations, the additional significance of Shavuot children of such intermarried couples. as the festival of the Giving of the Torah (Z’man Matan Torateynu) at Mount Sinai completely overshadowed its original significance. Though the Bible does not This area is adjacent to the northwest corner of identify Shavuot with the anniversary of the giving of the Ten Commandments, section 27a (it continues west along the fence the tradition, undisputed in the Talmud, has been that the Torah was given on from where the flush marker section ends).