Kurt Schmoke Comes to Beth
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APRIL 2015 NISAN / IYAR 5775 CONTENTS RABBI’S RABBI’S MESSAGE MESSAGE 1 Sages for the Ages: CANTOR’S Kurt Schmoke CORNER 3 Comes to Beth Am! PRESIDENT’S Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg PERSPECTIVE 4 Ben Zoma would say: “Who is CONGREGATION LEARNING 5 wise? One who learns from every person.” RESERVOIR ~ Pirkei Avot 3:1 HILL NEWS 6 Learning has always been UPCOMING a foundational Jewish value EVENTS 6* and a central one to us at Beth Am Synagogue. But IFO NEWS 7 where does wisdom lie, and PURIM PHOTOS 8 from whom can we attain valuable knowledge about Jewish ideas and values? Surely, PREPARING FOR understanding of scientific principles comes from the secular PASSOVER 12 realm, but how can we also learn particular (if not unique) Jewish concepts from non-Jewish sources? CALENDARS 19 This month, we are blessed to bring Kurt Schmoke, COMMUNITY former Mayor of Baltimore City, former Dean of Howard NEWS 22 University Law School and new President of the University of Baltimore, to Beth Am. In a conversation with our own CONTRIBUTIONS 24 Ron Shapiro, he will present his views on transformational FUND leadership and share the ways his remarkable journey has DESIGNATION 27 led him full-circle back to his hometown. Together, the two men will explore questions of education, urban revitalization, race and the future of Baltimore City. We’ll learn President *throughout bulletin Schmoke’s vision for UB and how anchor institutions can make a positive and lasting impact on their communities. Who is wise? One who learns from every person. The wise US choice: Join us April 26 at 4 pm. See you there! ON My sincere and heartfelt thanks to Ron for creating this facebook.com/ exciting opportunity. BethAmBaltimore BETH AM BOARD OF TRUSTEES Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg Standing Committees Adult Ed Chair Elaine Weiss Officers Adult Ed Co-Chair Carla Rosenthal President Scott Zeger Finance Chair Alan Kopolow 1st Vice President Julie Gottlieb Finance Co-Chair Joe Wolfson 2nd Vice President Lynn Sassin House Chair Sam Polakoff Treasurer Alan Kopolow Kiddush Chair Meg Hyman Secretary Elaine Weiss Membership Chair Sharon Nathanson Membership Co-Chair Robin Katcoff Trustees through 2015 Religious Services Chair Joe Wolfson Lisa Akchin Social Action Chair Arthur Shulman Eliza Feller Social Action Co-Chair Jackie Donowitz Cheri Levin Youth Education Chair David Lunken David Lunken Ad Hoc Committees Trustees through 2016 Annual Fund Honorary Chair Gil Sandler Neil Kahn Annual Fund Chair Ricky Fine Cindy Paradies Annual Fund Vice Chair Jim Jacobs Desiree Robinson Balt. Jewish Council Rep. Ben Rosenberg Jim Schwartz Beth Am Connection Joanne Katz Risa Jampel Trustees through 2017 BAYITT Chair Brian Ross David Demsky Congregant to Congregant Joyce Keating Risa Jampel Eutaw Place Ellen Kahan Zager Ashley Pressman Jack Zager Naomi Rosner In, For and Of Lisa Akchin Maggi Gaines Past Presidents and Life Members Marketing Chair Ellen Spokes Past President Cy Smith Operations Co-Chair Ashley Pressman Past President Jack Lapides Operations Co-Chair David Demsky Honorary Life Member Lainy LeBow-Sachs Res. Hill Improvement Council Carol Shulman Honorary Life Member Efrem Potts Office Hours Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg Tuesday-Thursday: 9:00-4:00 443.202.0912 (cell) (emergencies only, please) Friday: 9:00-3:00 [email protected] Office Contact Extentions: Cantor Ira Greenstein Tel: 410.523.2446 / Fax: 410.523.1729 443.759.7807 (home) Extensions: Rabbi Daniel Burg - 14 [email protected] Rabbi Gludt - 15 Henry Feller, Exec. Dir. - 20 Rabbi Kelley Gludt, Linda Small, Senior Staff and Director of Congregational Learning Development Coordinator - 12 520.248.9541 (cell) Ralph Shaver, Finance Manager -18 [email protected] Norm Weinstein, Bookkeeper - 17 Marsha Blank, Educ. Admin - 16 Henry Feller, Executive Director Idella Crenshaw, Admin. Specialist and [email protected] Assistant to the Rabbi - 21 443.742.9654 (cell) (emergencies only, please) Nakia Davis, Front Office Coordinator - 11 Valerie Tracy, Marketing Coordinator- 10 Scott L. Zeger, Board President Sandy Winters, Ritual Coordinator: 410.868.7761 410-598-6397 [email protected] Office E-mail: In case of an emergency, please contact: Email: [email protected] Henry Feller, Executive Director Web site: www.bethambaltimore.org 443.742.9654 (cell) 2 3 CANTOR’S CORNER Some Thoughts about Light (and Darkness) on Shabbat Morning Cantor Ira Greenstein The opening of the Shabbat morning creations, in our natural world, and how it service (Shacharit), after one gets through contrasts with darkness, each as a separate the “preliminary” prayers and psalms, phenomenon. celebrates light – that will shine on Zion Another line that I think about when and bring us together, leading up to the we sing it, is the line in the acrostic poem, central contract of our faith, the Shema. “God the Master of All Creation” (Eil There are a few lines in this section of Adon al Kol Hama’asim). The line for our service that I want to share with you, the Hebrew letter kuf reads “God called so you can consider them as you listen to to the sun and light came forth” (karah them. la-shemesh vayiz’rach ohr). When I sing this, My favorite is the first blessing of the two thoughts come to mind, and I see Shacharit, which blesses God for bringing both in my head: first, God calling out to forth light and creating darkness (yotzeir the sun, and second, whether or not it is ohr u’vorei choshekh). Each week as I recite a sunny morning. Yes, we get light either these lines, I appreciate how on Day one way, but on cloudy days that line causes of creation, God by His initial two-word me to appreciate the warmth and light all command brings forth light…and I also the more. I nearly always look toward the think about how God creates darkness. window of the room at the moment we This latter action was deliberate in the sing this phrase and think about whether minds of our ancestors. Darkness was we are benefitting from a bright sun on not simply the removal of light. In fact, that morning. it was the original state of the universe The last line I want to mention comes before God gave us the sun, the moon, near the end of the prayer, “To the blessed and the stars. One can only imagine the God to whom they will sing” just before miracle this represented to our ancestors, we launch into the prayer about how God before the appreciation of rotating and loves us. The line reads, “A new light will orbiting planets along with distant stars. shine on Zion” (ohr chadash al Tzion ta’ir) and In many ways, science complicates our ends with the blessing of “God, creator appreciation of these basics, diverting of the lights” (yotzeir ham’orot). Light is our attention from the concept that we a metaphor of time, and while we have benefit from light, that it is a necessary benefitted from that light in the past, there part of our health, our food sources, our is still room for improvement…and thus, warmth, our energy…much on which we we hope for a new light from God that fundamentally rely. On Shabbat morning, will bring with it new ways of seeing, new we literally start off by appreciating the realizations, and in the more traditional role of light, the first of God’s deliberate continued on page 8 3 PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Begin the Beguine; Bequeath the Bequest Scott Zeger Spring rains have arrived. Summer’s come from leadership investments by breeze cannot be far behind. My mind has a small group of members. They have turned to Begin the Beguine, Cole Porter’s made possible our superb rabbi, cantor, love song he wrote during a 1935 South educator and their programs. Pacific cruise. Beguine, originally the To ensure Beth Am’s vitality long- creole term for a white woman, became term, the Campaign for Beth Am seeks the Caribbean name of a slow, cheek-to- to raise up to $6 million to endow our cheek dance, a rumba. The song says: clergy. One simple, sensible way to build “When they begin the beguine endowment is through bequests. It brings back the sound of music so tender Remember Beth Am in your will. It brings back a night of tropical splendor Be generous. Yours will be the gift that It brings back a memory ever green… keeps on giving. You will contribute to Let them begin the beguine.” Jews worshiping together in our beautiful Which leads me to this Perspective’s Baltimore City Sperry Building for years version: Bequeath the Bequest. Jews have to come. wills, or 74% do according to a 2013 As March winds give way to National Study of American Jewish summer breezes, you too can recall the Giving. And among Jews who belong to unforgettable Porter melody for Begin the synagogues or other Jewish organizations, Beguine. But take the opportunity to try nearly half make charitable gifts in their these lyrics to Bequeath the Bequest: wills. So bequests are nothing new to Beth Am congregants. When they Bequeath Our goal is to make bequests to Beth the Bequest, Am common among us. The founding tradition was that Beth Am did not need It brings back the sound to be remembered in our wills; we could of Ira the Cantor, leave our gifts to other organizations, no It brings back Shabbat with matter how special was Beth Am’s place Rabbi Burg’s banter, in our hearts. The living would cover the It brings back the costs of running the shul. We paid dues, President’s Request… they can too.