June 2021 Bulletin

Ohavay Zion Synagogue Bulletin 2048 Edgewater Court Lexington, Kentucky 40502 859-266-8050 Sivan/Tamuz 5781 June 2021 http://www.ozs.org President’s Message OZS Mischpacha, And now the end is near So I face the final curtain My friends, you are all so dear Of this I am surely certain I’ve served 2 years, quite full I’ve traveled to the rooftop, and the sump well And more, much more than this I did it Ohavay Zion Way Regrets, I’ve had a few Not real bad, like keeping better attention Had to hear about Roberts Rules And saw it through with MUCH exception I planned each charted course Not by myself, But with help from many Oh, and more, much more than this I did it Ohavay Zion Way Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew Not hiring a Rabbi and a pandemic blooming But through it all when there was doubt We gathered our strength and and played it out We faced it all and stood quite tall And did it Ohavay Zion Way I’ve loved and laughed and cried And cried and cried, my mind I was losing And now as tears subside I find it all so amusing To think We did all that, with Covid and Home Shuling We found Rabbi Sabath whose way is not a shy way How grateful for She I did it Ohavay Zion Way We started our 3rd (or 4th or 5th) Rabbi Search While held back by some leaked Lab research Yet as a team, we spun our web We sent it far and combined our wits And found the best (again) In Rabbi Shani Abramowitz And yes together we did it Ohavay Zion Way To those who took advantage of the opportunity to step up and perform the Mitzva of keeping our OZS vibrant during my tenure, in the immortal words of my dear departed father, You’re Welcome:) Thanks for having me. Outgoing OZS president, Ira Cooper Rabbi’s Message “The Source of Life is With You and in Your Light We See Light” ִּכי ִּע ְּמָך ְּמקֹור ַח ִּיים בְּאֹורְּ ָך נִּרְּ האֶ אֹור (Psalm 36:10) Dearest OZS Community, What a year it’s been! At the beginning of the year I shared how relevant to our situation the following famous lines from Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities seemed to me: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Little could we know how true each of the phrases would be this year. As we moved through the year together we learned to hold each other in the darkness of despair, loss and isolation. And we helped each other maintain hope and focus on a sense of God’s light and presence among us, even while forced to be separated from each other. Given the profound uncertainties, in addition to all the regular rabbinic duties, I focused on these primary goals: 1) To keep us physically and spiritually safe; 2) To help heal past wounds and repair relationships; 3) to hold us together as a community strengthened by prayer, study, community support and celebration whenever and however possible; and 4) to focus our attention always on the light and the hope that are the core of Jewish life. Each service, meeting and event brought more light and the comfort of the human spirit. Through the blessings of technology, and through the light of the pixels of our screens, we were able to shine great light into each other’s homes and hearts. Unprecedented though it was, this year we recreated what community can be, and reimagined the possibilities of the future. Admittedly, serving OZS as a visiting rabbi during a pandemic has been one of the most difficult and fulfilling professional experiences I have known. As difficult as it is to say farewell, it is made much easier because of the confidence I have in your wonderful new rabbi, Shani Abramowitz, whom you will soon welcome into your hearts and homes and who I know will lead OZS into a glorious new era. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to President Ira Cooper for his good faith, his heart of gold, his gentle leadership and steadfast support. The partnership and the daily work and commitment of the Board of Trustees and many volunteer leaders made everything possible. One joyous example of the strength and ongoing commitment of community can be seen in the photo included below of the minyan of Adult Bnai Mitzvah we celebrated last Shabbat. Thank you for opening your minds, hearts and lives often in the most absurd circumstances. Please know that I have learned something important from each one of you who I was privileged to meet. And I hope that —in some way— you felt supported and lifted up as an individual and/or as a community. With deep gratitude for an unforgettable year, I pray you will all continue to focus on the light and strength of OZS, and be lifted up by the powerful depth and optimism of our always-evolving tradition. Endless blessings to each of you, Rabbi Sabath PS: Please note my personal email: [email protected] Rabbi Uriel Smith was a devoted and generous presence in the OZS sanctuary, social hall and library. He modeled kavanah (spiritual focus), tzedakah, gemilut hasadim (acts of kindness), and lifelong learning. Rabbi Smith davened in conversation with the Eternal, read Torah with full heart, and sang karaoke with a twinkle in his eye. On May 16, 2021, in conjunction with Shavuot, a mezuzah, lovingly crafted by Penina Goldstein, was dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Smith, and affixed to the wall outside our social hall entry. Additional Listing of Donations made to General Fund from B’Nai Mitzvah Group participants In Honor Of And With Thanks To Alice Goldstein Harriet and Mike Ades To show their Michael and Kathy Grossman appreciation for their Benjamin and Margie Karp teachers, Gan Shalom parents and Aylene Kovensky-Gard students washed the Sarah Lowe teachers’ cars at the Jeremy Popkin end of the school Lisa and Jon Satin year. Hanna Smith Tina Trent and Ira Cooper In Honor of Alice Goldstein and Rabbi Sabath We Welcome Joshua Shapiro Ezra Alan Simons, newborn son of Heidi and Matt In Honor of Alice Goldstein, Rabbi Sabath and Participants Simons, and brother to Adina (Addie) in the B’Nai Mitzvah Class Simons, as the newest member of the Jen Algire OZS community effective May 19, 2021! DONATIONS- Ohavay Zion Synagogue extends special thanks to those who have made contributions during the past month. GENERAL FUND GENERAL FUND (continued) Anonymous Elizabeth (Eliza) Wilson A Thoughtful Donation In Honor of Sarah Lowe becoming a Bat Mizvah. Anonymous Mazel Tov to my cousin and all the B’Nai Mitzvah In Memory of Barbara Grossman Michelle Beard Please see also listing on page 3 A Thoughtful Donation Gayle and Peter Bourne BACKPACKING In Memory of John Spiwak Brian Derer In Memory of Marilyn Crawford In Memory of my Dad, Sheldon Derer Shirley and Jared Bryan In Honor of the birth of my great niece Emmie In recognition of the yahrzeits of Betty & Morris Bryan Nancy and Phil Hoffman COOPER MEMORIAL SECURITY FUND Mazel Tov to the B’Nai Mitzvah Class Andy, Madonna, Jessica and Brandon Cooper Sylvia Lenhoff (Mom of Gloria Lenhoff) In Honor of Tina Trent - Mazel Tov on your Bat Mitzvah Our Thanks as parents of the Stewart Home school students for your warm acceptance of them at EDUCATION - ADULT services and remembrance of them at holiday Lynn and Jim Furness time. Special thanks to Dawn Vermey for her In Honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Josh Shapiro goodies. And to Ricki Rosenberg. Connie and John Loventhal GAN SHALOM In Honor of Harriet Ades, Kathy Grossman, and the Evalynne and David Elias B’Nai Mitzvah class of 2021 In Celebration of the birth of Ezra Alan Simons Linda and Leon Ravvin In Memory of Sheldon Stanley Pavel In Memory of Barbara Shapiro GREEN CAMPERSHIP Judy and Stan Saxe Tina Trent and Ira Cooper In Honor of the Adult B’Nai Mitzvah Group In Honor of Rabbi Sabath Art Shechet and Marilyn Robie In Memory of Rabbi Uriel Smith RABBI DISCRETIONARY In Honor of the Adult B’Nai Mitzvah 2021 Heidi and Matt Simons Lana and Clarence Weddle Thank you to Rabbi Abramowitz for officiating a A Thoughtful Donation beautiful naming ceremony for our son, Ezra Alan Sue Westerman Simons. Thank you for helping us welcome him into A Thoughtful Donation the Jewish People! Lana and Clarence Weddle A Thoughtful Donation Ohavay Zion Synagogue Donation Form 2048 Edgewater Court Lexington, Kentucky 40502 [email protected] 859-266-8050 Contributor: Check enclosed ____Charge my credit card _____ Name: __________________________________________ Credit card information $ amount to charge: _______ Address: ________________________________________ Name: __________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ____________________________________ Card #: __________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________________ Expiration Date:_______________ Sec Code:___________ Signature: _______________________________________ In Honor____Memory____ of: Name: __________________________________________ Donations may be made to the following: Occasion: _______________________________________ ___ General ___ Green Campership Please Notify: ___ Backpacking ___ High Holidays Name: __________________________________________ ___ Building ___ Holocaust Memorial Torah ___ Caring Committee ___ Kitchen/Kiddush Address: ________________________________________ ___ Chevra Kadisha ___ Library City/State/Zip: ____________________________________ ___ Cooper Security Fund ___ Rabbi’s Discretionary ___ Education - Adult ___ Social Action Committee Paypal donation - please go to our website ozs.org for the link.

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