C:\Documents and Settings\Stan Schroeder\My Documents\Shir
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Shir Notes The Official Newsletter of Congregation Shir Ami Volume 15, Number 6, June/July 2017. Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi’s Column Events . The moment that moved me the most was when I looked of the Month down and saw my tie. Shabbat services at Gavi and Yael were leading us on the Torah service. They de Toledo High School were composed, flawless in their mastery of the liturgy, Saturday, June `10 - 10:30 am looking confident and demonstrating their total command of Birthday Shabbat the moment. They were becoming B’nai Mitzvah and bringing the large Saturday, June 24 - 10:30 am congregation assembled along with them on this journey to Jewish Anniversary Shabbat responsibility. --------------------------------------------- Walk Around Lake Balboa That’s when I looked down and remembered that I had chosen the tie for a Sunday, June 4, 9:00 am reason. It had belonged to my father (z”l). I picked it out specifically because it was soon to be his birthday and I wanted him, in some way, to be a part of Our Walk this year raises money for this simcha. needy Holocaust survivors through the Blus Card Fund. Call Sheilah And that’s when I began to think about how proud my father would have Hart at (818) 884-2342. See article been of his great grandchildren. on page 4 and flyer. --------------------------------------------- It’s not many that can say that their great grandfather was a rabbi, their The Story of the Jews grandfather was a rabbi, and their father was a rabbi, as can my twin Sunday, June 11 grandchildren. But it was working as planned: the transmission of Judaism 2:00 pm at the Vorspans’ from generation to generation! This is the first afternoon of a five And in this case there was not only no dilution of Jewish tradition through the part series originally shown on PBS ages, there was an increase! When I married Bonnie I added to the ritual I created by Professor Simon received in my youth, and this was expanded upon by Alisha and Ahud and Schama. This segment covers the their family. biblical period starting 3000 years ago. Rabbi Vorspan will lead a And as I watched Yael and discussion following the video. See Gavi lead the congregation the article on page 7 and see the flyer to register. so knowledgeably, I thought about my parents and the role they played in this morning’s festivities. And my mind wandered to a few decades from now when their children would become B’nai Mitzvah. Would there also be a tie that binds? Rabbi David Vorspan Sunday, June 18 Editor’s note: See article about this special B’nai Mitzvah on page 2. Visit our website: www.shirami.com Yael and Gavi Sela (foreground), Rabbi David and Bonnie Vorspan, Alisha, Eitan, and Rabbi Ahud Sela, Rita and Nadav Sela (background) page 2 June/July 2017 President’s Report B’nai Mitzvah of All Time: Gavi and Yael Sela Shalom, May 20, 2017 (24 Iyar 5777) at Temple Ramat Zion by Stan Schroeder Summer is on the way and that means we take our annual two-month hiatus in July and I was one of over 400 people who attended the B’nai August, so we can all return “tanned, rested and Mitzvah of Gavi and Yael Sela, son and daughter of ready” in September. Rabbi Ahud and Alisha Sela, grandson and grand- daughter of Rabbi David and Bonnie Vorspan and But before we can all take that well-earned vacation. Nadav and Rita Sela. The highlight of the service was June has a lot in store for us. (One might even say the Torah service, itself. Rabbi Vorspan, in his column “June is bustin’ out all over,” or one might not!) We on page 1 described how “They were composed, have two more Saturday morning Shabbat services flawless in their mastery of the liturgy, looking confident and Rabbi Vorspan will begin hosting a series of and demonstrating their total command of the moment.” video presentations this month. The Torah readings were a Sela/Vorspan family affair: But that doesn’t mean we’ll be staying indoors all month. We will be having our annual “Walk Around First Aliyah reader: Bonnie Vorspan Lake Balboa.” This year, we walk to benefit the Blue Second Aliyah reader: Elana Vorspan (wife of Ben) Card Fund which provides financial assistance to Third Aliyah reader: Nadav Sela holocaust survivors. There will be a speaker who is a Fourth Aliyah reader: Shaina Brenner (daughter of holocaust survivor. Then we will have our annual Rabbi David and Bonnie Vorspan) “Class Photo” and then we put ourselves into orbit Fifth Aliyah reader: Rabbi David Vorspan around Lake Balboa. Sixth Aliyah reader: Eitan Sela (8 years old!) Seventh Aliyah readers: Yael and Gavi Sela We’ve had a good year and we deserve a vacation. So, in the words of The Tempos, “See you in Yael and Gavi’s Tikkun Project was a bake sale to raise September.” money for a friend of the family named Koby Gruenwald who is battling brain cancer. They raised As always, if you have any questions or want to over $1,000 for Koby and the Morgan Adams Found- provide your input, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. ation which funds pediatric cancer research. Thank you. The B’nai Mitzvah had another special meaning to the Jordan Pistol, President family. Sime Kamieniecki, Bonnie’s mother was the oldest of five siblings in Sheroshevo, a shtetl in Poland. The youngest two, Yudel, her brother, and Roseh, her Congregational News sister were unable to celebrate their Bar and Bat Get well wishes rafuah schleimah to: Mitzvahs because of the Nazi occupation.The family was sent to Auschwitz in January, 1943. Only Sime Fran Kobuknick survived. The Sela and Vorspan families remember Al Simon Yudel and Roseh at the B’nai Mitzvah of Gavi and Yael. Paullette Pistol Shir Ami Shabbat service attendees remember Yael, Sam Hochberg Gavi, and Eitan from when we held our services in a Gerry Hochberg classroom at TRZ and they were in and out, sitting with Bubbie Bonnie. When we left TRZ three years ago it May they be blessed with a complete recovery in was hard to imagine them as they are today. The body and spirit. biggest surprise was eight-year-old Eitan reading Torah to the delight and applause of the congregation. Change to our roster Many of our members were there, and some remem- Ellen Fremed bered the Bar and Bat Mitzvahs of Alisha, Ben, and New email: Shaina Vorspan at Temple Beth Ami. May the [email protected] Vorspan/Sela family be blessed to celebrate such beautiful B’nai Mitzvahs for generations to come. page 3 June/July 2017 Birthdays & Anniversaries DONATIONS Congregation Shir Ami wishes to Birthdays acknowledge the following donations: $ Al Simon....................................... 6/2 Yahrzeits Wayne Geffen................................ 6/3 Sondra Licht................................... 6/6 Ellen Fremed for Yetta Shlakman and Milton Soffern Gary Finlay..................................... 6/10 Jacquie Gordon for Marshall Gordon Stan Rosenbluth............................. 6/14 Sylvia Hockmeyer for Joe Hockmeyer Nancy Bereny................................. 6/15 Stephanie and Dov Landau for Nathan Silk Irwin Koransky................................ 6/15 Elizabeth and David Raider for Philip Raider Jay Cohen...................................... 6/26 Clara and Stan Rosenbluth for grandson Brandon Gribin Helga Unkeless.............................. 6/26 Lonny and Nancy Scharf for Blima Frollech, David Haas, David Lipman................................. 6/29 Claire Halprin, and Rose Scharf Gale Cohen.................................... 7/1 Rae and Armand Wazana for Isaac Wazana Heather Hyman.............................. 7/1 Phyllis and Stan Schroeder for Albert Kaufman 7/7 Ethel Granik................................... Birthdays Fran Feinman................................ 7/12 Ed Schackman............................... 7/15 Yael and Gavi Sela (13) Barbara Hattem.............................. 7/22 Phyllis Schroeder Al Siebler........................................ 7/22 Phyllis Feldman-Schroeder............ 7/27 Anniversaries Stan Goodman............................... 7/27 Charlene Kazel.............................. 7/29 Rae and Armand Wazana (50th) Judy Eisikowitz.............................. 7/30 (inadvertently omitted last month) Shaina and Aaron Brenner (3rd) Anniversaries Other Bette and Owen Delman................ 6/7 53rd Marcie and Steve Spetner.............. 6/10 38th Elaine and Harold Adelman in memory of Betty Cohen Becky and Gary Finlay................... 6/13 18th Valerie Edwards and Walter Brauer in memory of Paula and Paul Frankel.................. 6/16 27th Bernice Lipschultz Karen and Fenton Harvey.............. 6/24 33rd Sherry and Lee Dollins................... 6/25 50th No Shabbat/Torah Study This Month Cheryl and William Niesen............ 6/28 48th 6/28 48th Maralyn and Paul Soifer................. I have cancelled the June Shabbat/Torah study due to Clara and Stan Rosenbluth............ 7/6 65th 7/10 52nd my upcoming trip (see page 9) and limited time available. Lorraine and Dan Simansky........... Susan and David Lipman............... 7/12 47th I may schedule a “makeup” session during the summer if Sima and Steve Schuster............... 7/15 50th there is enough interest. Stan Schroeder Laura and Al Simon........................ 7/30 56th Mailbox We’re particularly overwhelmed by your continuous ongoing support of our program. Over the many years, Dear Friends, you’ve succeeded in providing our program with linens and other items along with your gift cards for the On behalf of the women and child holidays and special occasions. You cannot imagine victims of domestic violence served at the Jewish how grateful the shelter residents are by the “kindness Family Service of Los Angeles/Family Violence of strangers”. Project, I wish to thank you all for your incredibly generous donation of Target gift cards in honor of Many thanks to you all and my heartfelt warm wishes Mother’s Day. These will provide such joy to our for a safe, happy and most joyous summer! special Moms residing in our domestic violence shelters, and will enable them to select a very special Warmly, gift for themselves.