Volume 42 Number 8 March 2019 • Adar 1 / Adar II 5779 Message from the Rabbi By Rabbi Howard Siegel There is a Jewish expression that says: “With the arrival of the Jewish month of EREV PURIM PASTA DINNER Adar, our happiness is greatly increased!” BEFORE MEGILLAH READING The reference to Wednesday, March 20th “greatly increased happiness” is a refer- 6:00 pm Dinner ence to the holiday of Purim celebrated 7:00 pm Megillah Reading on the 14th of Adar. Pasta & Salad We are amidst a leap year on the Jewish calendar. Instead of twelve months in Garlic Bread the year, we add a 13th month to the cal- endar. The extra month is called Adar 1. Hamentaschen after Megillah reading In a leap year, Purim is celebrated on the As Mitch would say... 14th day of Adar 2 (corresponding this "BE THERE OR BE SQUARE" year to Wednesday evening/Thursday evening, March 20-21). Purim humor and the month of Adar go “hand-in-hand”. $5 per person 5 yrs. & under free Jewish humor is another form of Jewish maximum $20 per family learning. Instead of teaching with a Please specify if gluten free pasta is required “kvetch”, we learn with a laugh. Let’s do a little of both. Reservations required by March 15 Contact [email protected] or call 813-962-6338 The most exercised statement in Jewish religious life is, “Rabbi, this is our tradi- tion!” It doesn’t take thousands of years to create a tradition. It’s not uncommon in Jewish life for thousands of traditions to Contents be created in the space of one year! Each President’s Message ...................p.3 Brotherhood .............................p.12 tradition comes to replace another one, Scholar in Residence Weekend ...p.5 Kids’ Konnections .....................p.14 until the other one comes back to replace Facility Focus & Youth Groups ...........................p.16 the new one. And so on, and so on! Security Spotlight ..................p.7 March Events Calendar .............p.18 The story is told of a new rabbi officiating Tree of Life Long Learning...........p.9 Yahrzeits & Birthdays ................p.20 at his first religious service. When the Sisterhood ................................p.10 Anniversaries & Donations ....... p.21 time comes to recite the Shema, half the (continued on next page) Message from the Rabbi (continued from page 1) Congregation Kol Ami congregation stands up and half the congregation remains seated. Contact us: (813) 962-6338 As the prayer begins, the congregants standing start taking issue Avi Elias, President with those seated, while those seated send forth their own verbal [email protected] volley toward those standing. Bewildered by this behavior, the new rabbi decides to confer with his emeritus. Rabbi Howard Siegel [email protected] The rabbi asks his senior colleague, “What is the tradition in this Mitchell Weiss, Executive Director congregation for the recitation of the Shema? Should the congre- [email protected] gants be seated?” The elder rabbi replied, “No.” “Then the tradition Jennifer Halls, Education Director is to stand?” Again the elder rabbi replied, “No.” “I’m confused,” [email protected] said the new rabbi. “Some stand and some sit. Those who stand argue with those who sit, and those who sit argue with those who Rachel Degani, Youth Director [email protected] stand.” “Ah,” replied the senior colleague, “that’s the tradition!” Joanna Paley, Office Manager In the spirit of Purim, it’s only a joke! I hope. [email protected] Rabbi Howard Siegel Abby Salem-Goldman, Office Assistant [email protected] Request from Rabbi Siegel Rosie Grumbley, Accounts Receivable & Billing Please keep us informed of significant events in your family [email protected] life. It is our desire to be of help and service to you in times of Steve Lynn, Facilities special need. It is especially important that we know of those [email protected] in the hospital, and assisted living or nursing homes, so that we can visit and they may be included in a prayer for recovery Cindy Korenvaes, Sisterhood President [email protected] at Shabbat Services. Barry Dvorchik, Brotherhood President [email protected] ChaiLites Staff Graphic Design: Black Marker Creative www.blackmarker.net Staff: Jamie Krischer & Jody Sampson-Nair, Proofreaders Office Hours: Monday through Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. March 2019, Vol. 42 Issue 8 Congregation Kol Ami ChaiLites 3919 Moran Road, Tampa, FL 33618 Ph. 813-962-6338 Fax: 813-968-2219 [email protected] The Kol Ami ChaiLites is published on the first of every month by Congregation Kol Ami, Conservative Congregation affiliated with The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. All articles and announcements are due two weeks prior to the month being published. We reserve the right to edit for length and consistent editorial tone. The ChaiLites is published 11 times a year. Advertising Please contact the office at 813-962-6338. 2 Congregation Kol Ami • March 2019 • Adar I / Adar II 5779 can only rely on those individuals using I would also like to welcome our new this method of payment to voluntarily Executive Committee and Board of Trust- By Avi Elias, President incur these fees. Sadly, few congregants ees to their new roles! We have a tremen- What an exciting have stepped up to take on this addition- dous group of leaders who have agreed month February al cost. I believe the main incentive for to serve this term. I look forward to the was – a productive congregants to use credit cards to pay fruits of their work. To those Officers and envisioning session the synagogue is their ability to more Trustees who will not be returning, thank with Rabbi Hayim rapidly earn “points.” That said, respond- you and yasher koach for your years of ex- Herring, an incredible ing “Hineini!” to the voluntary option emplary service! It has been my privilege evening with Nefesh to cover the fees associated with your serving with you! Our congregation has Mountain, and a successful Annual Con- donation would only further increase the been enriched by your service. rate at which the cardholder earns these gregational Meeting, to name just a few Thank you, again, to our Nominating “points.” highlights! Committee for their hard work to identify Thank you to our Recharge Committee If you are among those who benefit these individuals and answer the litany for an incredible envisioning session! We from using your credit card in this way, of questions that come with such an ask hosted approximately 60 people to not PLEASE renew your commitment to Kol to foster the confidence in each person only weigh in on our existing mission, Ami and check the box to pick up the nominated to say “Hineini!” cost of those fees. vision and core value statements, but The Future is Here, We are It! also to begin to look at various trends facing Conservative Judaism, and how our responses to these trends can and will impact our organization in the coming years. Thank you to everyone who partici- on the pated in the event! Purim Roof At the Annual Congregational Meeting, we approved a budget with a deficit. While the deficit is small, relative to past deficit budgets our Congregation has approved, I would like to share one approach that can make a substan- tial impact to prevent a portion of our projected budget shortfall – the cost of accepting credit cards. Several years ago, the Board made a decision to experiment with accepting credit cards for members to pay their dues and make other dona- tions. The hope, at the time, was that we would see an increase in overall revenues, $20 making the costs associated therewith a All-Access non-issue. Unfortunately, we never took Wristband the time to do an analysis after initiating includes the experiment. Further, I am not sure, to unlimited games this day, we have good data to determine & attractions if the experiment has been a success. plus 1 meal That said, we can clearly say that accept- ticket ing credit cards comes with a cost – ap- proximately $6,000 per year! Unfortunately, our abilities to collect these fees are restricted by Florida Statute. We Congregation Kol Ami • March 2019 • Adar I / Adar II 5779 3 Congregation Kol Ami congratulates: Mark Jaffe for being honored by the Professional Life Cycle Events Societies of the Tampa Jewish Federation. If you wish to have a life cycle event included in the ChaiLites, Lili Kaufmann for receiving the Tampa JCC please contact Joanna Paley at least 2 weeks before the and Federation Tikkun Olam Award. 1st-of-the-month publication date at 813-962-6338 or email [email protected]. Nat and Debbie Doliner for receiving the Tampa JCC and Federation Tikkun Olam Award. Mazel Tov to: Carol and Sam Weinstein on the birth of their Grandson, Charles Dallas Weinstein. MAZEL TOV! Barbara and Curtis Freedland on the birth of their Grandson, Michael Jacob Carranza. Nace and Arlene Capeluto on the birth of their 4th Great Congregation Kol Ami Grandchild, Shlomo Estrin. Jacobson-Wolf Camp Hamakom Yinakhem, Condolences to: 2019 Yellow Candle Mical and Karla Solomon on the passing of their beloved Grandmother, Freda Miriam Brod. Scholarship The Rosenthal family on the passing of Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal. Yellow Candle & Jacobson-Wolf Camp Scholarships are made available to the young people of our congregation who are participating in Jewish summer camps & programs, such as Ramah, USY on Wheels, and USY Pilgrimage. Programs must have quality Jewish content and observe Kashrut. Need-based, as well as merit scholarships are available. Yom HaShoah To obtain an application, please contact: Mitchell Weiss, Executive Director Yellow Yahrzeit Candle (813) 962-6338 [email protected] Applications must be completed & returned to the office by Friday, March 15, 2019.