The Bulletin
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The Bulletin Adat Chaim’s News Source December 2012 Reisterstown, Maryland Kislev/Tevet 5773 From the President’s Desk… My fellow congregants: For those who were not in attendance at our annual meeting, I want to share with you a small piece of good news. The former Board Members of the Beth Shalom group in Carroll County did, in fact, make a restrictive donation to Adat Chaim. The restriction on this donation was that expenditures were designated for the advancement of educational and religious purposes. I am pleased to report that the Board did approve the expenditure, which constituted 30% of said funding. This allowed the Hebrew School, Adult Education and Ways and Means access to the internet with a laptop computer and big wide flat screen TV. This has now been acquired, and can be easily seen by 40 or so attendees. We are no longer bound to a small concentric area. This acquisition will allow us to Skype (video conference in real time). In other words, we can talk live and be seen by the lecturer. Conversely, we can be seen and speak to a lecturer over the internet. In addition there are previously taped lectures with an amazing variety of topics, which surely will appeal to a diverse Jewish community. This is truly a new beginning and new opportunity for us to come together frequently, both in terms of education and social networking. I welcome each new chance for us to get together and have a calendar filled with events that make us think, let us laugh and let us share our special uniqueness. It is my conviction that with the many educated and warm individuals that comprise our community, there will be those who will be able to play moderator on a subject of interest. The diversity of our congregation and the broader Jewish community coupled with this acquisition can be a gateway. I am hoping that in the days, not weeks, ahead to start passing around lists of subjects and topics and receive your feedback. The Ritual Chair has announced some new developments to reinstitute some features into the services which some of our seasoned members are quite familiar with, but with a bit of a twist. Our Board believes our membership will find these recommendations and nuances pleasing to the worship experience and stimulate a further cohesiveness to our house of worship and to the community at large. As one of our Trustees in a focus group stated so astutely...we are here to carry our values of Judaism from generation to generation and we must find the avenues necessary to accomplish our goals. 1 Adat Chaim Pleasant Hill Center Need Information? 10989 Red Run Boulevard, Suite 109 Owings Mills, MD 21117 Adult Education 410.833.SHUL (7485) Myra Wittik 410.922.3241 [email protected] Please contact the synagogue B’nei Mitzvah Program office for all Life Cycle Events. Vacant Rabbi David Greenspoon [email protected] When a birth, illness or death Billing Questions Lynn Ruddie 410.833.7987 occurs in your family be sure Officers to call the synagogue office at Building & Maintenance Vacant Art Wolf, President 410.833.7485. Bulletin [email protected] Susan Ross 410.496.5915 443.841.4950 We will be able to help you get Catering and Kiddush Sponsorship Marc Aronin, First Vice President the support you need, Tina Asher 410.526.6484 [email protected] 410.861.8694 including phone squad Congregational School Administrator Barbara Arbesman 410.627.9573 announcements to the Jerry Newman, 2nd Vice President congregation, coverage for Giant Certificates [email protected] Helen Gold 410.484.7193 410.581.7884 services, meals, visits, rides to Gift Shop Danny Satisky, Treasurer the doctor or any other Tina Asher 410.526.6484 [email protected] assistance that you might 410.952.9371 Life Cycle Events need. Synagogue Office 410.833.7485 Nancy Heasley, Recording Secretary [email protected] Membership 410.552.9399 Steve Fort 410.526.6448 Lynn Ruddie, Financial Secretary Men’s Club Vacant [email protected] 410.833.7987 Mitzvah Cards Harriet Meier 410.833.8822 Editor Publicity Committee Susan Ross Al Mendelsohn 410.517.3000 [email protected] 410.496.5915 Ritual Committee Phil Deitchman 410.549.2573 Sisterhood The Bulletin accepts all material Cathy Litofsky 410.356.7288 relevant to the Jewish community in the northwest corridor. To maintain Webmaster accuracy all information will be Lynn Ruddie 410.833.7987 accepted by e-mail only. No phone calls or e-mails on Shabbat please. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 10th of each month for the next month’s publication. Send to: [email protected] www.adatchaim.com 2 Rabbi David Greenspoon Dear Adat Chaim, Hanukah is right around the corner, and we are in full swing at Adat Chaim. On Sunday, December 2nd we are conducting a special Enrichment Sunday for Families from 10-noon. Please contact Barb Arbesman at [email protected] for more information. The following Thursday, December 6th the Carroll County Times will be visiting the Hebrew Learning Center in Eldersburg. That Sunday the 9th we are especially busy. Look in this Bulletin about the planning meeting for the Magical Megilah Tour at 11:30 while at 5:30 our Dugma teens will be here for their Hanukah celebration. If that isn’t enough stuff to do just in December to underscore our vitality, we have even more upcoming. On December 25th we have a special Do A Mitzvah for Adat Chaim Working Party planned in honor of Jimmy Buffett’s birthday and you are invited! Our goal is to finalize the details we need to do to make Adat Chaim home. We are so close to being settled, and the place is really starting to feel like home. Even so, we need to make a really big final push. Artwork needs to go up. A few Really Big Things need to be moved. Lots of small stuff needs to be moved. Many of our ritual items to be cleaned up and there is furniture and furnishings that need a good cleaning and dusting. We start our morning with a brief Shaharit service at 9:00. A significant number of our Adat Chaim family reciting Kaddish and this morning minyan opportunity at home is deeply appreciated. A light breakfast will follow around 9:45 and we’ll start our working party at 10:00. Please bring tools, paper towels, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, or whatever else you can add to the cause, some elbow grease, and your enthusiasm. We’ll do our best to have a great time while doing a huge Mitzvah for Adat Chaim. We’ll do our best to ensure this is the most fun working party you’ll ever attend! There are a couple major events coming up for the entire congregation over the next couple months. Details are still being finalized, but here is some basic information. In late January or early February we will enjoy a special wine and cheese havdalah concert. Our friends Rabbi Shuviel Ma’aravi and Josh Pollack were a hit when they were here earlier this year. Happily acknowledging popular request, they have agreed to return with a similar but different show. Industry insiders openly wonder if this engagement might not feature music from the CD they have been recording the past few months. It promises to be a special evening, so please stay tuned for more information! Adat Chaim’s reputation as a congregation serious about adult education continues to grow. We have been invited to be part of the Limmud Baltimore Conference planners. The Limmud program is a dynamic approach to community adult education, and has successfully been adapted locally from England to communities from New York to LA. Limmud Baltimore will be held on April 21, 2013 at Stevenson University. We are currently in planning to host A Taste of Limmud at Adat Chaim. Again, details will be forthcoming so please stay tuned for more information. 3 Finally, I’d like to share that the Ritual Committee has begun a review of longstanding ritual policies. In part this is motivated by our change of address. In part, it is a process that helps us refine the details of our engagement, outreach, and membership efforts. The first conversation has been focused on the use of music during our Shabbat services. The committee undertook the conversation already understanding that there were a wide range of halachik positions within the Conservative movement, and accordingly a wide range of practice. At this point the discussion has been limited exclusively to the use of instruments as part of religious services. The ritual committee shared their results in a recommendation to the board in favor of this usage. Here are some of the key points of the discussion: The use of music is supposed to support and enhance the experience of tefilah (prayer), not overwhelm or detract from it. The musicianship of the players and musicality of the experience reflect our commitment to outstanding prayer services. We prefer acoustic instruments that do not need amplification, especially if they have a biblical ancestor in the string, woodwind, horn or percussion families. If amplification is necessary it is preferable to extend our use of microphones to include instrument microphones as well as our vocal mics. All in all, the level of diverse programming, services, and activities is matched with exciting conversations around identity and congregational mission. Aren’t we supposed to be the shul that shut down? So much for THAT myth! We are absolutely Adat Chaim, a Living Congregation. Help us get the word out that there is great shul happening at Adat Chaim, and invite your friends to join you at Adat Chaim soon.