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January 2015 Tevet / Shevat 5775 Volume XXXIV / Number 4 www.ti-stl.org from strength to 128th annual congregational meeting sunday, january 25, 2014 1:00 pm Gall Family Sanctuary light refreshments will be served. election of new officers and trustees recognition of outgoing trustees watch for your invitation! Congregation Temple Israel is a caring, inclusive community committed to living Reform Judaism and participating in the sacred destiny of the Jewish people and Israel through education, worship, and repair of the world. SHABBAT WORSHIP SCHEDULE Friday, January 2, 2015 6:00 p.m. Shabbat Worship (Note earlier time) Torah Portion: Va-y’chi Saturday, January 3, 2015 9:45 a.m. Bible Study YOU’RE INVITED! Friday, January 9, 2015 6:00 p.m. Tot Shabbat JOIN US IN HONORING 6:00 p.m. Pre-Oneg SISTER CARLA MAE STREETER 6:30 p.m. Shabbat B’Shir Torah Portion: Sh’mot We invite you to join us in honoring Saturday, January 10, 2015 Sister Carla Mae Streeter, OP, 2015 recipient of 9:45 a.m. Bible Study Temple Israel’s Malachi Award for Interfaith Relations and understanding, during a special Shabbat service Friday, January 16, 2015 centered on the themes of religious freedom 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Worship and social justice. Malachi Award presented to Carla Mae Streeter Oneg Shabbat to follow FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 Torah Portion: Va-eira 7:30 P.M. Saturday, January 17, 2015 9:45 a.m. Bible Study GALL FAMILY SANCTUARY 11:00 a.m. Shabbat Worship OF TEMPLE ISRAEL Bat Mitzvah of Jill Goldwasser daughter of James and Cary Goldwasser Oneg Shabbat reception to follow. Friday, January 23, 2015 Sister Carla Mae Streeter, a Dominican of the 6:00 p.m. Pre-Oneg Congregation of Catherine of Siena in Racine, 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Worship Wisconsin, is professor emerita of systematic theology Torah Portion: Bo and spirituality at Aquinas Institute of Theology. Saturday, January 24, 2015 She is active in numerous ecumenical and interfaith 9:45 a.m. Bible Study efforts, including the Interfaith Partnership of 11:00 a.m. Shabbat Worship Metropolitan St. Louis. B’nai Mitzvah of Hope and Ross Pohlman The Malachi Award was established and endowed Children of Troy and Dana Pohlman in 1986 by our members Jack and Ellen Deutsch to Friday, January 30, 2015 honor the 100th anniversary of Temple Israel’s founding. 6:00 p.m. Pre-Oneg The award was established “to encourage the religious 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Worship sector in taking a firmer role in leading and guiding Torah Portion: B’shalach toward mutual respect, understanding, and love.” Saturday, January 31, 2015 9:45 a.m. Bible Study 2 page / January 2015 / Congregation Temple Israel DATELINE GLANCE RABBI FEDER TO ata PARTICIPATE IN WOMEN CLERGY EVENT The Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Women’s Philanthropy is bringing together seven extraordinary women clergy, including our own Rabbi Amy Feder, for an insightful program to take place Tuesday, January 13, at the Jewish Community Center Arts and Education Building, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, COMING SOON! MO 63146. The 7:00 p.m. program will be preceded Rabbi Feder will also be honored by the by drinks and appetizers starting at 6:00 p.m. Dietary Metro Theater Company when she is inducted into laws will be observed. The event is free and open to the the “Secret Society of Inspiring Women” public thanks to the generosity of the Sherri Schechter at a performance of Memorial Fund. Home Care Assistance of St. Louis and Vitas Healthcare are sponsoring the program. Affl icted: Daughters of Salem. The seven panelists will provide insight into their SUNDAY, MARCH 8 journies to becoming members of the clergy and will highlight themes of feminization of Judaism, women in 2:00 PM leadership and traditions that each follow. A question AT THE MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM and answer period will follow. TICKETS: Panelists joining Rabbi Feder are: Rabbi Andrea $18 GENERAL ADMISSION Goldstein, Congregation Shaare Emeth; Rabbi Elizabeth $14 SENIORS/MILITARY/STUDENTS Hersh, Temple Emanuel; Cantor Sharon Nathanson, Visit: www.metrotheatercompany.org/performances Congregation B’nai Amoona; Maharat Rori Picker Niess, Bais Abraham Congregation; Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg, Rabbi Feder will be acknowledged United Hebrew Congregation; and Rabbi Susan Talve, from the stage and in the program book. Central Reform Congregation. To commemorate this Sponsorship and tribute opportunities are available landmark program, the following Rabbis are invited to lead the Shehecheyanu blessing: Pamela Barmash, • $200 per name (includes 2 tickets) Ari Shachar Hendin, Tracy Nathan, Roxanne Shapiro, • $1,500 per logo sponsor (includes 4 tickets) Dale Schreiber and Deana Sussman. For more information about sponsorship and tribute Individuals are invited to make a tribute donation opportunities, contact David Warren, in honor of one or more of the participating clergy. [email protected] or 314-932-7414, ext. 120. Donor names will be displayed on a “Mid-Western Wall” located at the event and the honorees will be notified of the tribute. For details, visit www.WP.JFedSTL.org/WomenClergy. For more information on the event or to RSVP, contact Becki at [email protected] or 314-442-3751. www.ti-stl.org / January 2015 / 3 page IF NOT NOW, WHEN? Rabbi Amy Feder In the past weeks, as the events in Ferguson have reflected through actions. It was a challenging lesson, continued to impact our community, one of the names and one heard loud and clear by each of us who was most frequently mentioned in the news is that of present. Reverend Starsky Wilson. Rev. Wilson, a young In these past weeks it is not religion, so much as race, African-American preacher who is the CEO of that has been brought to the forefront as a matter Deaconess Foundation, was chosen as one of two of concern in our community. Yet the quote from co-chairs of the Independent Ferguson Commission. Malachi holds true for both. All of us, intellectually and Members of Temple Israel, however, may best remember emotionally, can believe that each of us is created in the Rev. Wilson for the sermon he gave at our congregation image of God. We know that we are all equal. Yet when three years ago at the presentation of the Malachi we become fearful or angry, ignorance and hatred can Award to the Rev. Earl E. Nance, Jr. take hold so quickly that the message is lost. We have The Malachi Award for Interfaith Relations and all seen it on both sides of the arguments and unrest Understanding was established by TI in recognition of over Ferguson. Where is Malachi now? the importance of interfaith cooperation, and seeks I do not have any big answers for how to heal our city, to encourage religious and cultural leaders to engage nor have I read any in the countless articles, posts, in outstanding work in this realm. It is an important and protests about Ferguson that continue daily. I am honor; one not given every year, but rather only when proud to say, however, that we are again presenting the the selection committee feels that they can choose a Malachi Award this year. The very deserving recipient is recipient who is truly deserving. Sister Carla Mae Streeter, who has worked tirelessly to Rev. Wilson’s sermon during the presentation of the bring together people of different faiths and races from Malachi Award was one of the very best I’ve ever heard. around St. Louis for many years. When we present her The line that he repeated throughout the sermon, with the award on the Shabbat of the Martin Luther King and that many of you remember and have said back Day weekend, it will be in front of our congregation and to me in the years since, was, “Where is Malachi?” He many members of the interfaith community. If there are spoke at length about the quote from the biblical book prophets in our midst — men and women like Malachi of “Malachi” from which the name for the Malachi who may have words of wisdom to share with us about Award was inspired: “Do we not all have one Father? how to bring about harmony to our fair city once again — Did not one God create us?” In Rev. Wilson’s astute it is not a stretch to imagine that they may be there. commentary, he acknowledged that the wisdom and I hope you will be there, too. Who knows, perhaps it may philosophy of the prophet Malachi seemed to be missing even turn out to be you who is our next Malachi. in our community. There were just not enough people [email protected] sharing this idea of oneness in a meaningful, open way 4 page / January 2015 / Congregation Temple Israel DATELINE templeNEWS CHUTZPAH Rabbi Michael Alper In 1989, in the now classic movie Field of Dreams, My favorite part about the quote from Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character is told, “If you build it, they however, is not just how well it lends itself to Jewish will come.” This line has been repeated and rewritten study. I keep thinking about what the original quote many times since then, but my favorite is its usage in implies. You may remember the gist of the story: creating Jewish programming. When we want to plan a An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them stellar, well attended event the motto is simple, “If you as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields. feed them, they will come.” Just looking at the most He does so, and the Chicago Black Sox come.