Temple Beth Am 2250 Central Blvd. Jupiter, FL 33458 (561) 747-1109 November 2015 Cheshvan/Kislev 5776 Published Monthly Vol. 1, Issue No. 186 Four reasons why you should join me at the AIPAC Conference Policy this upcoming March: October 2015 is just another reminder of how vulnerable our beloved Israel is, being in the midst of the most volatile region that is a home for the worst terrorist groups. What saved Israel in the past and will ensure its future is its strategic alliance with the United States. By keeping this relationship strong and solid despite all the challenges, AIPAC protects the State of Israel. Every year AIPAC organizes a Policy Conference in Washington DC. All of them are important, but I believe that the one this year is crucial. 1. This is an election year, and even though the speaker list has not been published yet, I promise you that anyone who thinks he or she has a shot at being the next President of the United States will be there. You may think that you know where they stand vis-à-vis Israel, and that’s what I had thought before I went to the conference four years ago. But having the opportunity to listen to the candidates for an adequate amount of time (not a 30 second sound bite during a debate), taught me about the level of their understanding of the Middle East, the depth of their commitment to Israel and their plans for the future. 2. Some of you supported the Iran Deal and some of you were against it. The reality is that the deal passed, and considering the speed with which events unfold in the Middle East we have neither the time nor the resources to dwell on it. Now we need the pro-Israel community more than ever to ensure that the agreement is implemented as it was intended in a way that benefits both America and Israel. AIPAC needs our help so it can alert the public and prompt politicians to react appropriately should the Iranians violate their part of the agreement. 3. In the past decade we have seen organized campaigns around the world to harm Israel’s economy by promoting a policy of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. We must support AIPAC in its battle against international organizations and governments that attempt to isolate and delegitimize Israel. We must prevent BDS from sanctioning not only Israel but any company that plans to invest in Israel. 4. Unfortunately, our focus shifts to Israel mostly at times of struggle and conflicts. But when we attend the Policy Conference we are reminded of all that is so good and beautiful in our homeland. We learn what makes Israel a world leader in technology, as well as Israel’s unprecedented level of innovation and creativity By attending the AIPAC Policy Conference we make our concerns for Israel's future evident to our leaders in Washington. I hope you will be able to join us on March 20-22, 2016 for the conference. For more details visit http://www.policyconference.org/. B’Shalom, Rabbi Alon Levkovitz CHIDUSH KICK-OFF EVENT Temple Beth Am 2 November 2015 CHIDUSH WORDS OF REFLECTION Hal Baseman, Capital Campaign Chairperson A particularly relevant excerpt from the book of “I really should have paid attention in Hebrew School”. And Construction Moses went up to the township planning board for many, many weeks and when he returned he brought wisdom, permits, and these Ten Commandments of Chidush to the members of Temple Beth Am: I. Thou shall improve thy Temple by making thy Sanctuary more intimate and inspirational, so that it can be a pleasant place of worship – where thou can see thy Rabbi without a telescope, even if it means thou cannot sit way in the back and pretend to be awake. II. And thou shall divide the Social Hall into two, nay make that three Great rooms, so that thou can have many informative programs, fun events, meetings, Mah Jongg tournaments, dancing, parties, and whatever else thou want’th. III. And thou shall make thy Lobby area look like a truly warm place of welcome rather than what-ever it looks like now. IV. And thou shall expand thy Chapel to allow for crying babies and joyous children, so that their exhausted parents shall feel comfortable and the elders among us can stop complaining to thy Board. V. And thou shall improve thy Sound and Visual System, so that thou can clearly better hear the beautiful music and singing and every word of thy Rabbi’s sermons and not have to guess as to what to complain about. VI. And thou shall go forth and make thy Offices larger and more functional, so that thou hard working staff and volunteers can serve thou as a beacon of efficiency among the dark chaos of accounting, record keeping, phone answering and such. VII. And thou shall expand the Youth Lounge, so thy youth can better lounge, thus maketh’ing Judaism important and memorable to thy lounging youth. VIII. And thou shall do many other great things that thy President and his design committee hast specified, but to be honest – this humble scribe recording these commandments hast forgotten or not much paid attention to. IX. Finally, thou shall Contribute greatly to the Capital Campaign in both Donation and cheerful spirit, for thou looks best when thou is generous and happy, understanding that without thy support none of this will get done. And if it is not done, then it is likely the earth shall open up and swallow thou, allowing thine enemies to build a Chipotle’s parking lot over the very spot where thou sunk into the ground. And thus the ducks and geese shall do their smelly, foul things right over where thou sunk into the ground for all of eternity – heh, heh, heh. X. And one more thing, thou shall honor thy Voluntary Financial Commitment and give regular donations, so thy Temple can pay the electric bill in order for thou to see all of the greatness of what thou hast constructed. If thou do’est what is commanded for this Chidush Capital Campaign, then thou shall be happy, good looking, and wise (if not a tiny bit gullible) for all of the days of thy life. And thou shall dwell in a great place of worship, community, and joy in the land of Jupiter forever more, unless thy spouse’s relatives decide to move here, in which case, relocating might not be a bad option for thou to consider… And the members listened and the Chidush Capital Campaign was a Blessing. And there was much rejoicing. Yay. Temple Beth Am 3 November 2015 FROM THE PRESIDENT Mark Slifkin Adult Education Program Catalog: Big thanks to Carol Sleeper, Melanie Goldsobel and congregant Jamie Frankel for their efforts to produce a great adult education catalog. There are many educational things to do – I am sure you will find something that appeals to you. See you there! This is definitely a case of ‘if you build it they will come’ only in our case ‘if you provide it they will come’. Sukkah Construction & TOS Garden Clean Up: Once again under the leadership of congregant Paul Steidle and his construction crew of 14 volunteers, the Sukkah was built so our entire congregation could participate in the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah, from our preschool & religious school children to our congregants who participated in the ritual of shaking the lulav prior to our Friday night Service. Kerrie Rhoades & Paula Deakter and their crew of 9 cleaned up the garden. Men’s Club representatives Mel Wolfe and Jack Tannenbaum provided food and drinks for all. Anne Frank Exhibit: WOW! Over 1,000 congregants, adults, school children visited TBA to see the Anne Frank Exhibit on loan from The Anne Frank Center USA. Thank you to Congregants Leah & Ed Frankel for arranging it and a special thank you to Carol Sleeper and congregants Stacey Runfola and Jonah Cohn for all their hard work in setting up the event. Also thanks to the Men’s Club and Sisterhood for being greeters and a special thank you to all the congregant docents who guided the visitors through the exhibit. Your Chance to help the TBA Board: The TBA Board needs your help! It is that time of the year when we form our Board Nominating Committee under the leadership of ex-officio Hal Baseman. Our Bylaws require 3 congregants in addition to 2 existing Board members. If you are interested in serving on this very important committee and the task of interviewing and nominating TBA members for the Board please let the office know by December 15th, 2015. Interfaith Service: The 19th Annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service this year is at St. Peter Catholic Church on November 25, 2015. This is a fantastic interfaith event so please join us. On November 23, 2016 the Thanksgiving Interfaith Service will be held in TBA’s newly renovated Sanctuary, Social Hall, Chapel and Lobby. :(Renewal)חִ ידוּשׁ CHIDUSH By now you have read Hal Baseman’s “Words of Reflection” article on his interpretation of the Ten Commandments of Chidush. Now if you want to hear Rabbi Alon and Brian Cohn discuss the vision, see the renderings and ask questions, don’t miss the Chidush Open House on November 10, 2015 at 6:00pm – 7:30pm. During November we plan to have a Project Chidush tab on our TBA website where you can follow our progress. http:// www.templebetham.com.