The Shofar March, 2019 Congregation House of Israel 24 Adar I - 24 Adar II, 5779

Purim Party Sunday, March 24 5:00 p.m.

See Page 2 for details The Shofar Thank You Published monthly by: Congregation House of Israel We would like to thank the following donors (as PO Box 20802 of February 20, 2019) 300 Quapaw Hot Springs, AR 71903 General Fund Hal and Sue Koppel (501) 623-5821 In beloved memory of Sue’s mother, Julia Wigderson Website: http://hschi.org

Lenny Mendel Editor: Shelly Kleinman In beloved memory of his Step-father, Milan Webmaster: Shelly Kleinman Mendel

Oded Grenman Editorial Assistance: Anita Williams In beloved memory of his parents, Ani Hannah Email to: [email protected] Grenman and Pinhas Grenman Submissions due the 15th of the prior month. Distributed free to members, prospective members, Mishkan T’Filah Fund local clergy and other interested parties. Thank you to the following who have made donations and dedications for the new Mishkan T’filah siddurim: Ross and Ruth Sedler Mary Klompus Condolences Shelly and Carol Kleinman We mourn the passing of Sandy Carrington, Elaine Gartenberg daughter of Betty Forshberg, who passed Sharon and Michael Waxler Sherrill Nicolosi away on the evening of Wednesday, February Mark and Patti Fleischner 20, after a long illness. Stuart and Kay Fleischner Hal and Sue Koppel Purim Party C.R.A.S.E This year our Purim Party will be on Sunday, Civilian Response to March 24 at 5:00 p.m., in Burgauer Hall. We will Active Shooter Event be having Pizza and Beer arranged for you by the CHI Sisterhood. The cost will be a very nominal Congregation House $5.00 per adult member of Congregation House of of Israel hosted Israel. All High School and younger children of C.R.A.S.E training on congregation members are free. Non-members 5 Saturday, February years and above are $10.00 per person. 9. About 25 members and guests attended the Please make your check out to CHI Sisterhood and infoormative event. The mail to: presenter was Officer Ruth Sedler Joey Williams with the 152 Blue Heron Drive Hot Springs Police Department. His Power Hot Springs, AR 71913 Point presentation showed examples of this type event, and how best to be aware and If you are a Congregation member and bringing prepared. Officer Williams gave advice for the children, please give us a number. We will be Congreation to consider in the days ahead. Our providing Pizza based on the number of reservations thanks to him and all the First Responders who we receive by Monday, March 18. face these situations for our safety.

Page 2 Reb Shelly’s Desk From the President

Purim normally comes at Tu BiShvat has come and the last full moon of winter, gone. an appropriate time for the carnival-like atmosphere However, the trees here in which characterizes the Hot Springs are just starting holiday. to wake up. For my birthday, I was given a green light to go Beyond the pure fun of purchase a bunch of seeds for Purim, however, lie some this year’s garden. important lessons we can all take to heart. Haman denounces the Jews This all makes me yearn for Spring, and all the to King Ahashverosh by pointing out that the new growth and Spring cleaning and blossoms that Jews are different from the other people under accompany the season. his rule. Having been the victims of this type of discrimination, we need to be especially vigilant not For our congregation, we start to think about to make generalizations about groups of people who sweeping the parking lot and repainting the are different from us. stripes. The tombstones at Jewish Rest Cemetery need some soap and water and elbow grease. The The Megillah teaches us the impact that one dishwasher in the kitchen needs a little TLC, as person can make. Esther and Mordecai are two well. individuals. Through their courage they save an entire community from destruction. We should What do you think needs to be done this Spring? never doubt our ability to effect change. We have How can you participate and help? What can you the responsibility to assert ourselves as leaders when do to be a part of this beautiful season? Please let the occasion is warranted, as Rabbi Hillel expressed us know. All we have is time, and we don’t want it, “In a place where there are no men, strive to be a to waste one moment. Keep in mind, more than man.” That goes for women too, as we see Esther’s advice, we need participation. We want to see your willingness to risk her life on behalf of the Jewish smiling face, and we need folks to show up and join people. in the fun!

From the Megillah we learn that life is essentiaily We will be organizing some congregation-wide unpredictable. As we read chapter one, we could events soon, and replacing burnt out light bulbs. never imagine where the story will lead and how it will end. When opportunities for celebration The horses are running at Oaklawn, and the present themselves, we must seize the moment. Too Cardinals start Spring Training games in 5 days. often we associate religious observance only with Spring will come and go in a flash, so don’t dilly sober introspection. The Jewish calendar gives us dally. a chance for the full range of emotional expression throughout the year. We owe a big “Thanks You” to Stuart Fleischner, who organized a safety program, that gave us all Purim, with Mordecai and Esther defeating Haman, kinds of food for thought. can reconnect us with a Jewish basic value. It reminds us that ’s cup is half full, which, Paraphrasing from Brian De Palma’s movie, The on Purim means, “fill `er up! It reminds us not to Untouchables, “All right, let’s do some good!” wallow in disbelief and distrust, which on Purim means, “You go girl, Esther!” David Being a Jew is demonstration to the world that hope and optimism do prevail, just as we have over the millennia.

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Page PB The Whole Megillah Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon created his new party called “Telem” (which means a ARZA - World Union furrow, and also the Hebrew acronym for the Israeli Reform Movement). The big unknown of this election cycle is recent IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz who created “Hosen Yisrael” the “Israel Resilience Party”. Seeing as he has taken It’s Party Time! no positions and not really aligned himself in any Shalom, political camp, he is riding on his accolades as a general, and is thus very popular – predicted to In describing today’s Israeli political climate, The get a healthy number of Knesset mandates. Kinks said it best as “It’s a mixed-up, muddled- up, shook-up world.” The constant here is the Likud and PM Benjamin Netanyahu who the polls predict will remain For those of us who may be used to the two-party where he is (30 seats) and could possibly increase. system and for voting directly for a candidate, This, at a time when he is under continued police nothing will be different than what’s been investigations, which led him to declare that even happening on the Israeli political scene over the if he is indicted ahead of the elections he will still past few days. run.

The Zionist Union just went through a bad break Yair Lapid has been playing his cards carefully up on live TV, and now Avi Gabbay as the head of and hopes to catapult himself back into the Labor and Tzipi Livni and her Tnua party will run coalition after a hiatus, and Moshe Kahlon’s separately. It was clear they didn’t get along from Kulanu party is somewhat of a revolving door of the get-go, but usually, such things are reserved for MKs, which will have a hard time distinguishing those backroom smoke-filled negotiations and not itself from the Likud. the prime time. There will be countless other parties running Other Labor MKs and members are looking to (the most was in the 1999 Knesset elections when unseat Gabbay from within, and both parties 33 registered parties ran), and we will hear all could potentially face a situation in which they do about the rest during the scheduled campaign not gain the 3.25% of votes needed to cross the propaganda time 6 weeks prior to the elections threshold into the Knesset. (we’ll refer to that as ‘March Madness’).

Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked left their own As the elections get closer here are three things to creation of the “Jewish Home” party and created watch for: “HaYamin HaHadash” (the New Right) party 1. Whether the Prime Minister will actually recruiting right-wing American-born pundit still run post-indictment? Caroline Glick. In doing so they are attempting 2. Who emerges as the leader on the Left (if to distance themselves from the hard-core Settler anyone)? faction of Betzalel Smotrich and Co (who could be 3. And, if there will be a possibility of creating seen yesterday in support of protesters clashing a coalition without the ultra-Orthodox with police, army and border patrol attempting to parties? physically remove them from the Amona outpost). Shaked, the sitting Justice Minister, was overheard Of course, there will be much more to come over saying that she would like to return ‘home’ to the next few months. Stay Tuned… Likud but will be unable to do so long as the current Prime Minister is still at the helm. Josh

Even the two distinct ultra-Orthodox factions Rabbi Josh Weinberg is the President of ARZA, the (Sephardic “Shas” and Ashkenazic “United Association of Reform Zionists of America. He Judaism) are thinking of joining as one, and two was ordained from the HUC-JIR Israeli Rabbinic new parties were created by two ex-generals, just Program in Jerusalem, and currently lives in New in the nick of time ahead of this week’s deadline York. for creating new parties.

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Page PB Jewish Trivia for Birthdays & Anniversaries March March Anniversaries Elan and Jennifer Grenman Mar 22 March 15, 1896 63 Jewish Civil War veterans met in and David and Glenda Kirsch Mar 27 established the Hebrew Union Veterans, an organization that March Birthdays continues today as Jewish War Veterans. Michael Waxler Mar 11 Melissa Casteel Mar 15 March 25, 1911 In the Triangle Shirtwaist Oded Grenman Mar 18 Fire, in New York City, 146 Phyllis Hearn Mar 21 workers, mostly Jewish women, perished. John Blumbeks Mar 22

March 18, 1922: Judith Kaplan Eisenstein, first woman to become Bat Mitzvah CHI Passover Seder March 30, 1945 Major General Maurice Rose, the highest ranking Jewish Save the Date officer in World War II is killed Friday, April 19, 2019 in Germany while on patrol. We will begin with a short service with Yahrzeits in March 17, 1969: Golda Meir is named Israeli the Sanctuary at 5:00 p.m. The Seder will begin at Prime Minister. 5:30 in Burgauer Hall. Deceased Congregation members and their guests (included March 23, 1964: Peter Lorre, actor in the same check) will be $30.00 per person. High March 5, 1974 Sol Hurok, impresario School and younger children OF MEMBERS are March 28, 1985 Marc Chagall, artist free. March 3, 1987 Danny Kaye, actor Non-members of the Congregation will be $40.00 March 9, 1992 Menachim Begin, Israeli Prime per person for adults. Children of non-members Minister aged 5 through high school are $20.00 per person. March 9, 1996: George Burns, actor March 23, 2011 Elizabeth Taylor, actress Your check is your reservation. Please include the number of children you are bringing, even if they March 12, 2012 Yehudi Menuhin, violinist are free. Seating is assigned, so we need to know March 1, 2013 Bonnie Franklin, actress the number of people in your party. March 15, 2014 David Brenner, comedian Reservations required prior to Friday, April 12. Mail your checks payable to CHI Sisterhood to: Ruth Sedler 152 Blue Heron Drive Hot Springs AR 71913

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Friday, March 1 has been designated as Shabbat Across America and Canada.

We will be celebrating our Jewish heritage, ideals and beliefs with a joyful service. Feel free to bring friends (Jews and Non-Jews) for this special Shabbat.

meant to warn that and fascism can happen Fox News Rejects Ad for in American. The ad, which Fox News’ leadership Oscar-Nominated Short deemed “not appropriate,” was meant to be aired About American Nazism for the Sean Hannity’s show. February 14, 2019 “It’s amazing to me that the CEO of Fox News By Ari Feldman would personally inject herself into a small ad buy just to make sure that Hannity viewers weren’t Fox News will not air an ad for an Oscar-nominated exposed to this chapter of American history,” said documentary about American Nazism, the Holly- , the director of the short. wood Reporter reported. Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. Contact him The 30-second ad, called “It Can Happen Here,” at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aefeld- is for “A Night At The Garden,” a documentary man short about a 1939 meeting of [the German Ameri- can Bund, a pro-Nazi organization. That infamous meeting, which gathered 20,000 people in New York’s Madison Square Garden, was a dramatic show of American support for Hitler — and of American anti-Semitism. Banners hung up in the Garden read “Stop Jewish Domination of Christian Americans,” and “Wake Up America. Smash Jewish Communism.” The crowd yelled “Seig Heil!”

“A Night At The Garden” is pieced together from archival footage of the event, recalls the shocking level of determination and organization achieved by American Nazis and their supporters. Image of a meeting of the , a pro-Nazi organization in the U.S., in 1939, which 20,000 But Fox News rejected the ad for the short, which is people attended. One of the banners reads, “Stop Jewish Domination of Christian Americans.”

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Page PB Congregation House of Israel Board of Directors Oneg Thanks

Rabbi Sheldon “Shelly” Kleinman 501-282-0055 Thank you to the [email protected] following for sponsoring an Oneg during the month David D. Reagler, President of March: 870-208-4495 [email protected] Glenda Kirsch, Secretary 281-458-2655 Mar 1 Barbara Morgan [email protected] Cyntha Rephan Mar 8 Sue Koppel Hal Koppel, Treasurer Betty kleinman 501-525-3238 Mar 15 Millie Baron [email protected] Jodi Chalmers Millie Baron, Sisterhood Mar 22 Goltz/Siegel/Bull families 501-538-6619 [email protected] Mar 29 Karen Reagler Patti Fleischner Ira Kleinman 501-520-1323 [email protected] Reminder: If you are scheduled for an upcoming Oneg and need to change dates, please find someone to switch with and then let Carol Yossi Baron Kleinman know so the information printed in the 501-655-1280 [email protected] bulletin will be correct.

Sherrill Nicolosi 501-984-1517 [email protected] Jerry Rephan Refuah Shelemah 501-321-1551 [email protected] The following people are in our thoughts and prayers: Jerry Tanenbaum, ARZA-World Union • Robert Burns 501-262-9770 • Jerry Tanenbaum [email protected] • Ken Baim • Annette Baim Dennis Williams, Immediate Past President • Ira Brand 870-230-3529 • Irwin Kleinman [email protected] • Kathy Klein • Kate Tobakos • Anita Williams

Please offer prayers that they all have a full and speedy recovery.

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Page PB A 16 Couple Cuban March Yahrzeits Jewish Wedding By Jenny Singer Kaddish Recited March 1 February 15, 2019 Sally Friedlander Boley It’s been an immensely painful week in the Mother of Sherrill Nicolosi world. The one-year anniversary of the mass Dorothy Taub murder of teens in Parkland, Florida arrived. Mother of Betty Feir The Jewish world was roiled by the controversy surrounding Representative Ilhan Omar’s tweets. Wolfe Gerber The president declared a national emergency. But Father of Elaine Gartenberg there was also mammoth generosity and giving this week. There was triumphant love. There was hope. Kaddish Recited March 8 Hope for Freedom: 16 couples got married in a William J. Brown massive Jewish wedding at the historic Patranato Uncle of Betty Forshberg in Havana, Cuba. Herman Fleischner Since the 1959 Marxist revolution, Cubans have Grandfather of Stuart Fleischner Grandfather of Mark Fleischner suffered a lack of religious freedom. But Jewish life in Cuba has experienced a rebirth ever since Castro loosened religious strictures in the 90’s, and this December, 32 Jewish Cubans celebrated Kaddish Recited on March 15 Jewish weddings in one mega-ceremony, Jules B. Newman through the American Jewish Joint Distribution Grandfather of Brad Wolken Committee.

Murray H. Forshberg The couples — all of whom were legally married Father-in-law of Betty Forshberg under Cuban law — finally had the opportunity to kiss under one enormous Chuppah. The JDC Wanda Burns released the photos of the joyous event in honor Mother of Glenda Kirsch of Valentines Day. Mazal tov!

Kaddish Recited March 22 Imy Marcus, Sr. Father of Imy Marcus Julia C. Wigderson Mother of Sue Koppel Mother of Ellen Eubanks

Kaddish Recited March 29 Larry Wolken Father of Brad Wolken

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

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Page PB Weekly Parshah The Mishkan is completed and all its components are brought to Moses, who erects it and anoints it with the holy Anointing Oil, and initiates Aaron March and his four sons into the priesthood. A cloud appears over the Mishkan, signifying the Divine Vayak’heil Presence that has come to dwell within it. March 2, 2019 Moses assembles the people of Israel and reiterates Tzav March 23, 2019 to them the commandment to observe the Shabbat. The fire on the Altar must be kept burning at He then conveys G-d’s instructions regarding the all times. In it are burned the wholly consumed making of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). ascending offering; veins of fat from the peace, sin The people donate the required and guilt offerings; and materials in abundance, the “handful” separated bringing gold, silver, copper, from the meal offering. The blue, purple and red-dyed wool, kohanim eat the meat of the goat hair, spun linen, animal sin and guilt offerings, and skins, wood, olive oil, herbs and the remainder of the meal precious stones. Moses has to tell offering. them to stop giving. Pekudei The peace offering is eaten March 9, 2019 by the one who brought it, A team of wise-hearted artisans except for specified portions make the Mishkan and its given to the kohen. The holy furnishings (as detailed in meat of the offerings must be the previous Torah readings eaten by ritually pure persons, of Terumah, Tetzaveh and in their designated holy place Ki Tisa): three layers of roof and within their specified coverings; 48 gold-plated time. wall panels, and 100 silver foundation sockets; the Parochet Aaron and his sons remain (Veil) that separates between the within the Sanctuary Sanctuary’s two chambers and the Masach (Screen) compound for seven days, during which Moses that fronts it; the Ark and its cover with the initiates them into the priesthood. Cherubim; the Table and its Showbread; the seven- Shemini branched Menorah with its specially-prepared oil; March 30, 2019 and the Golden Altar and the incense burned on Aaron and his sons begin to officiate as Kohanim it; the Anointing Oil; the outdoor Altar for Burnt (priests); a fire issues forth from G-d to consume Offerings and all its implements; the hangings, the offerings on the Altar and the Divine Presence posts and foundation sockets for the Courtyard; comes to dwell in the Sanctuary. and the Basin and its pedestal, made out of copper mirrors . Aaron’s two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu, offer Vayikra a “strange fire before G-d, which He commanded March 16, 2019 them not” and die before G-d. Aaron is silent in Moses makes an accounting of the gold, silver and face of his tragedy. copper donated by the people for the making of the Mishkan. Betzalel, Ahaliav and their assistants G-d commands the kosher laws, identifying the make the Eight Priestly Garments -- the Apron, animal species permissible and forbidden for Breastplate, Cloak, Crown, Hat, Tunic, Sash consumption. and Breeches -- according to the specifications communicated to Moses in the Parshah of Tetzaveh.

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