Temple Emanu-El, San Jose CA Adar II– Nissan 5771 / April 2011 V
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Connections Temple Emanu-El, San Jose CA Adar II– Nissan 5771 / April 2011 V. 75 No. 7 Inside this Issue: Passover Information Yom Ha’atzmaut Shabbat Service Schedule & Candle Lighting: Fri., Apr. 1 (7:14 PM) 6:15 PM Congregational As part of the Sixth Grade Potluck 7:15 PM Erev Shabbat Religious School life-cycle curriculum, Family Service Sat., Apr. 2 the honor of your presence is requested on 9:00 AM Shabbat Sunday, the Third of April, two thousand and eleven Morning Minyan at 11:30 in the morning for the reaffirmation of wedding Fri., Apr. 8 (7:21PM) 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat vows of Barbara and Mort Berlant Service in the sanctuary at Temple Emanu-El. Sat., Apr. 9 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan Fri., Apr. 15 (7:27 PM) 6:00 PM Tot Shabbat 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat Service Sat., Apr. 16 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan Tues., Apr. 19 9:00 AM Pesach Morning Service Fri., Apr. 22 (7:33 PM) 6:30 PM Kabbalat Mort grew up in New York and Barbara grew up in California. However, their lives were destined to come together in Peoria, Illinois. Shabbat Service Mort was living there with his grandmother after his Army service and working while Barbara was living with her aunt and attending Sat., Apr. 23 Bradley University. 10:30 AM Shabbat in Nature Minyan at Uvas Their mothers were girlhood friends in Peoria. Mort and Barbara saw each other occasionally at family gatherings before it finally th Canyon County Park “clicked” for them at a Hillel Chanukah party in 1959. They had their first date on December 6 , and were married three months later on March 6, 1960, at Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas, NV. They established their first home in Southern California, but job Mon., Apr. 25 9:00 AM Pesach Yizkor transfers brought them to Mountain View and then eventually to San Jose. They have been members of Temple Emanu-El for 42 years. Service They have two daughters, Melinda Berlant Gurman and Suzanne Berlant, and two grandchildren, Russell and Rose Elysa Gurman. Fri., April 29 (7:40 PM) Mort continues to enjoy his sales career and Brotherhood activities. Barbara serves on the Sisterhood board and volunteers with Jewish 6:30 PM Kabblat Family Services of Silicon Valley and Knitzvah. Shabbat Service with Pups for Peace Speaker The Religious School classes will host a reception in honor of the 8:00 PM Young Adult Berlants in the Temple House immediately following the ceremony. Ruach Shabbat Service Sat., April 30 Everyone is invited! 9:00 AM Shabbat The 6th Grade Religious School class is in its 14th year Morning Minyan of celebrating this Jewish Life Cycle Event. 1010 University Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126 www.templesanjose.org Office: 408 ‐292‐0939 Religious School: 292‐3223 Preschool: 293‐8660 Fax: 292‐7625 Meekantor’s Kol Tuv President’s Message About Egypt, Passover & Freedom – for All Dear Temple Emanu-El Family, For a variety of reasons normally I try to stay away from political discussions, but as I shared at a recent Here we are getting ready for Pesach, a time of Shabbat service with the residents of Chai House: rituals, traditions, the retelling of the Exodus “It does not cease to amaze me how our people’s story, a time of reliving memories and creating new ones. My history and fate have been so intertwined with that of the childhood seder memories include long, boring stretches of Egyptians. The name ‘Egypt’ is mentioned so many times in our fidgeting while my dad, Uncle Jack and Grandpa Weis stood Bible, prayer books, and of course, the Passover Haggadah. For at one end of the table, droning and mumbling on and on in generations we’ve been telling the story of our redemption from Hebrew, while my sisters, cousins and I furtively exchanged ‘slavery, slaughter, and great oppression’ to ‘freedom, rebellion, shoes under the table, tried not to giggle, and silently prayed bravery and the establishment of an independently democratic for a break when we’d actually get to eat something. I Eretz Yisrael.’ We’ve suffered and redeemed ourselves from East to remember the excitement of reciting the Four Questions for West, under bloody knives of evil rulers such as Amalek, Haman, the first time and having to give it up once my younger sister European tyrants, pogroms, Hitler and the modern Egyptian started Hebrew. After I became a bat mitzvah, I graduated to Natzzer. But I have come to believe that now, with Israel strong the adults’ table (but not to drinking wine – my folks were and self-sufficient, we are given an opportunity to let go of our afraid that we would “develop a taste for it” for Mogen David? own ‘Egypt’ – in Hebrew ‘Mitzrayim,’ which translates into Really?] ‘narrowness’ – and support the Egyptian people as they strive for freedom and true democracy. We’ve been there and we know what I remember the dense, chewy matzo balls of Grandma Weis, they are going through.” the large fluffy ones of my Nana Rena, and my very first foray into making them, carefully dropping the ball into the soup, So this year, when we gather at our Passover Seders to sing songs only to see it stretch out and float into something more like a of freedom and redemption - I’d like to suggest that we think less glob. But somewhere along the line, family traditions and about ourselves, and more about the Egyptians, Libyans, stories of our ancestors, close and biblical, were passed along Tunisians, Pakistanis and all other People who are still fighting to me, along with the words to Dayenu. oppression in this intense world of ours. Humans-Animals Awareness Weekend: This is also a time for what I call The Kvelling Season, as I’m Pups For Peace & Paws Shabbat! in the midst of attending a lot of bar and bat mitzvah services. Mark Your Calendars! On April 29, my dear friend Mike Saliba, a Over the 12 years that I’ve taught the 7th Grade Judaic Sergeant at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, will Studies class at our Religious School, I’ve been honored to be joining us for a special Friday evening service. Mike will be represent the Board of Trustees at probably 5-10 of these accompanied by 2 of my 4-legged BFF’s: Smaya (Labrador) and every year, and for me, the kvelling (roughly “bursting with Jerry (German shepherd), to deliver a presentation and pride and joy”) as well as profoundly realizing that the future demonstration of what their unit does. of Reform Judaism is in good hands, begins in Rabbi Magat’s office with the tallit. It all started a while ago, when one of my To see the parents holding the tallit and passing it from their students proudly own hands into their child’s is a breathtaking moment that brought in an article never fails to bring a tear to my eye. We see the future in a 13- clipped from the San year-old wrapping him/herself in a beautiful symbol, Jose Mercury News. surrounded by immediate family, caring Rabbi, and one lucky The large title read in representative of the Board of Trustees. Hebrew letters 'Chapess! Kelev Second only to the tallit ceremony is the passing of the Torah tov!' (Search! Good through the generations of family members, including one dog!) Needless to say, service when even great-grandparents were on the bimah, the article and finishing with the parents handing the Torah to their child. photograph caught There wasn’t a dry eye on the bimah. my attention immediately. Smaya (left) and Jerry are showing all of us From that moment on, and for the next two hours, that child who ‘REALLY drives this car!’ is transformed into the future of our faith, proudly leading the I had the article service, carrying the Torah up and down the aisle, chanting laminated and hung it in my office for reference and teaching Torah, delivering a d’var that is often profound and touching, purposes. Last September our E.D. Drew Barkley told me that he surrounded by kvelling family and friends, invited to share in was going to the Heritage Theatre in Campbell to meet “…that this experience, the coming of age of a Jewish child, in the officer and his dogs from the article in your office.” Sergeant child’s home, our Temple Emanu-El. Saliba and the dogs were coming to inspect the facility for explosives, to ensure our security as we prepared for the High For me, witness to it all from my chair on the bimah, it’s a Holidays. Of course I made sure to be there too. Meeting Mike, profound reminder of why our synagogue is so critically Jerry and Smaya truly made my day; I also shared with Mike my important, as I look out at the faces of all who have gathered interest in having him and the dogs present at our temple, to together to celebrate this rite of passage. It’s not just about the make our congregants aware of this special K-9 unit, who were service itself. It’s about all of the elements of our community trained in… Israel! that play a part in providing this sacred space, starting with Paws Shabbat: On April 30th, back by popular demand: your annual membership commitment, generous donations, you are invited to join us for a special Shabbat Morning committed volunteers and auxiliaries, and dedicated staff.