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FEBRUARY 2019 Shevat/Adar I 5779 FEBRUARY 2019 Shevat/Adar I 5779 VOLUME 76 NUMBER 6 STAY CONNECTED facebook.com/groups/BnaiIsraelCong/ www.bnaiisraelcong.org February is Jewish Disabilities Awareness and Inclusion UPCOMING UPCOMING Month. See page 3. A VERY SPECIAL VERSION OF MISHLOAH Shabbat at Hogwarts MANOT with Harry Potter Gifts of Food for Purim Orders are due Wednesday, Saturday, February 9 February 27. See page 7 for ordering See page 6 for more information. information. Inside B’nai Mitzvah .....................................................................2 Florida Reunion ............................................................... 2 Rabbi's Message .............................................................. 3 Highlights by Cantor Wolpert ................................... 4 Seretime Leadership Message .......................................................5 Nominating Committee ................................................ 5 Shabbat ............................................................................. 6 Scholar-in-Residence Weekend ................................ 7 Israeli Mishloah Manot Orders ................................................ 7 Lessans Adult Learning Institute ...............................8 Early Childhood .............................................................10 Movie Youth & Education ......................................................... 11 Shabbat Magic ................................................................ 11 Youth Events ................................................................... 12 Israel Corner .................................................................... 13 Night Family Engagement ..................................................... 16 Blumberg-Zalis Family Library ................................. 16 Sisterhood ........................................................................ 17 Inclement Weather Policy ......................................... 17 Saturday, February 23 Men's Club ........................................................................ 18 Sisterhood Judaica Shop ........................................... 19 7:00 PM Mazal Tov .......................................................................... 19 Members in Mourning .................................................20 Details on page 9. Donations ......................................................................... 21 B’NAI MITZVAHdevn ipa Adriana Rose Gross February 2 | 9:00 AM Adriana Gross, daughter of Anita and David Gross, granddaughter of Penny and Martin Gross, and Sheila (z”l) and Irving Pellman (z”l), is a 7th grade student at Holton-Arms School. For her mitzvah project, Adriana has established FLORIDA REUNION and continues to lead a bi-monthly Friday night Shabbat service for seniors at Foxhill Sunday, February 10 Senior Living. 11:00 AM–12:30 PM $18/person suggested donation Ilana Vainstein BallenIsles Country Club February 16 | 12:30 PM Palm Beach Gardens Ilana Vainstein, daughter of Diana Join Rabbi Michael Safra, Executive Director, Hal Ossman, and President, Marla and Jimmy Vainstein, Schulman, for a lovely morning of reconnecting with old friends, making new friends, granddaughter of Judith and enjoying a delicious brunch together with the B'nai Israel community. and Simon Vainstein, and Silvia and Martin To RSVP, please contact Latoria in the synagogue office (301-816-5562, latoria@ Mayer, is a 6th grade student at North bnaiisraelcong.org). Be sure that we have your current email address for any last Bethesda Middle School. For her mitzvah minute communications regarding this event. project, Ilana studied Torah and summarized it in a comic book. All proceeds from the Hosted by Vickie Abrutyn sale of the book will be donated to Friends of Yahad Venezuela to benefit the Jewish Do you know of any other B’nai Israel members in Florida who may not be aware of community in Venezuela. this special event? If so, please share their contact information with us so that we can be sure to include them in this special event. Shoshana Danielle Peck March 2 | 9:00 AM Shoshana Peck, daughter of Jennifer Cohen and Benjamin Before you head south for Peck, granddaughter of the winter . The synagogue offices Dr. Eileen Lee Cohen, will be closed on Paul M. Cohen (z”l), Ruth R. Peck (z”l) Please call Rosanne in the synagogue Monday, February 18. and Dr. Robert M. Peck (z”l), and Barbara office (301-816-5569) to let her know and Harvey Singer is a 7th grade student at the date you will be heading south and Julius West Middle School. For her mitzvah the date you plan to return, so that you Morning minyan will project, Shoshana has developed a Food will continue to receive our synagogue take place at 9:00 AM. Allergy Awareness presentation that she is mailings. delivering at local elementary schools. 2 FEBRUARY 2019 about best practices and exciting initiatives in the areas of advocacy and inclusion of Welcome to the Newest individuals. Members of Our B’nai I hope the entire congregation can join us for Israel Family Shabbat services on February 23 for Jewish (December 12–January 7) Disability Awareness and Inclusion Shabbat. Our speaker will be Liz Savage, Attorney New Members . Advisor in the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice. Ms. Savage, who Dana & Adam Goldberg is legally blind, has committed her life to advocating for individuals with disabilities. Emily & Dr. Keith Unger During the service, we will honor members RABBI'S MESSAGE of our congregation who have disabilities by RABBI MICHAEL SAFRA and reaffirm our commitment to the value Brukhim habaim! The entire congregation shares our joy in welcoming you into our of inclusion within the congregation and B’nai Israel family. February is Jewish Disability Awareness beyond. and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). It is a time to reflect on our community’s commitment Of course, our commitment to inclusion to inclusion at all levels. must extend beyond programming. We have to make allowances when necessary so that individuals with disabilities can participate In the Torah this month, we are reading FEBRUARY about the construction of the Mishkan, in services and in our schools. We have a the travelling sanctuary that accompanied responsibility to meet every person where IS JEWISH the Israeiltes in the wilderness. Moses is they are and to engage them on his or her DISABILITIES individual Jewish journey. Our clergy and instructed to fund the project with gifts AWARENESS from the community, “from every person school administrators are eager to meet, to whose heart so moves him” (Exodus 25:2). get to know members of our community & INCLUSION MONTH An ancient Midrash imagines that when as we seek to better understand individual Moses began to solicit the people, the tribal needs. During the month of February, B’nai elders approached him and offered to fund Israel conducts special programs in the construction entirely by themselves. Inclusion means more than just outreach conjunction with the Talmud Torah and But Moses refused. “This is not what to individuals with physical disabilities youth groups using interactive sessions the Holy One commanded,” he said. The or different learning styles. We know that to teach about disabilities and inclusion. commandment was to accept gifts “from there are people who suffer from addiction We also maintain an informational display regarding various disabilities, every person” (Midrash HaGadol). or mental illness, whose needs may not be immediately apparent and may go unnoticed. local agencies, and accessibility information for the home. That is the value of inclusion. Construction Members of our community practice different levels of observance. We come of the sanctuary, participation in community See page 6 for information on Jewish from different socio-economic backgrounds life is not reserved for the wealthy, learned, Disability Awareness and Inclusion and have different sexual preferences and or otherwise skilled. The sanctuary belongs Shabbat. to everyone; and not just to participate. A gender identities. There are members of our healthy community calls on individuals community who are not Jewish, but who are of different abilities to lend their talents to supportive of the Judaism that is practiced leadership, to help shape the community and in their homes. Each of us is a person of worth with something to contribute to the B'NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION its sacred values. 6301 Montrose Road community. Rockville, Maryland 20852 Several members of our congregation will be 301-881-6550 attending Jewish Disability Advocacy Day As we celebrate JDAIM, let us rededicate www.bnaiisraelcong.org on Capitol Hill on February 26. B’nai Israel ourselves to the value of welcoming every person who wishes to participate in and has joined on as a community sponsor for this Affiliated with The United Synagogue annual event, which is sponsored by Jewish contribute to B’nai Israel. of Conservative Judaism Federations of North America. In addition B’nai Israel Congregation to the important advocacy work before our is an accessible building. congressional leaders, participants will learn FEBRUARY 2019 3 First of all—and this bit of wisdom given to us by Roiphe will work for Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice as well—Wharton was not out primarily to vilify Jews, not at all. MICHAEL J. SAFRA Senior Rabbi She was rather eyeing critically American MITCHELL H. BERKOWITZ society, and especially the wealthy New Assistant Rabbi York society that she herself was a part of, JONATHAN A. SCHNITZER th Rabbi Emeritus at the end
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