Adas Israel Congregation • February/Shevat-Adar 5780 C TheHRONICLE Chronicle Is Supported in Part by the Ethel and Nat Popick Endowment Fund ט״ו בשבט TU B'SHEVAT OUR VOICES Clergy Corner RABBI SARAH KRINSKY Maimonides, the rabbinic philosopher and legal decisor from the 12th century, is not particularly known for his leniencies. THE He is known for his new and sometimes radical ideas about God. one time per day; others several times per day. Yet everyone, He is known for his clear and concise works of halacha that have during prayer, turns toward the Holy Sanctuary, from wherever withstood the test of time. But he is not particularly known for they may be.” his leniencies—which makes the opening chapter of the section about prayer in the Mishneh Torah (his preeminent code of This is a beautiful and expansive vision for what prayer can be, Jewish law) especially surprising. and what community is supposed to entail. Here, an individual’s invitation to participate is intimately connected to her ability, After establishing that there is, indeed, a positive obligation to strengths, and capacity. There is a wide array of options, all pray, he spends much of the remainder of this chapter exploring available and all equally accepted and valued. Diversity in the leniencies surrounding this obligation. In the very first experience is expected. And yet—for all of this widening of halacha, he reminds his reader: “The number of prayers is not the tent, for all of this welcoming of difference—there is still a prescribed in the Torah. No form of prayer is prescribed in the common thread uniting all those participating. Everyone—no STORM Torah. Nor does the Torah prescribe a fixed time for prayer.” matter where they are, no matter how they pray—shares the same orientation, intends their hearts and spirits toward the To be sure, the lack of firm Torah grounding for these elements same ultimate goal. does not undermine or remove the obligation entirely. But PuRIM @ ADAS by making explicit the realization that so many of the details This is the vision for inclusion that we strive for at Adas, and that of prayer life as we know it now are rabbinic laws, rather we take the month of February to raise up, to celebrate, and than deriving immediately and directly from the Torah itself, to recommit to. Over the course of this month—recognized Maimonides opens the door to some flexibility. nationally as Jewish Disability Awareness Month—we will continue to lift up the value of inclusion, and to work to remove He continues to articulate this flexibility in the third halacha, in barriers to full participation in our congregational life. See the @ which he writes: “One for whom Hebrew comes fluently offers article later in the Chronicle, or on the website (adasisrael.org/ Sunday, MARCH 8 9:30AM up many prayers and supplications. One for whom speech inclusion), for more details about the programs and events we comes more slowly prays as possible, when possible. So too have scheduled, and please participate, when you’re able, as THE YOUNGINS: PURIM CARNIVAL EXTRAVAGANZA does the number of services depend on one’s ability. Some pray you’re able, valued and accepted exactly as you are. MONDAY, MARCH 9 @ 6:00PM THE STORM: PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE FULL PURIM EXPERIENCE TUESDAY, MARCH 10 @ 7:15AM THE COMMITMENT: MORNING MINYAN & MEGILLAH READING 2 The Chronicle adasisrAEL.ORG/PURIM OUR VOICES THE ADAS FUND Thank You to All Who Supported Us The Adas Fund High Holy Day Appeal 2019/5779 From the President Inspired by the Work of Our Social Action The Adas Fund Committee LAURIE ALADJEM, ADAS PRESIDENT From the bottom of our hearts, we thank all of you who supported our wonderful community during this year’s Adas JUSTICE Fund drive. Adas Israel is our home, our community, and our Tu B’Shevat is this month. neighborhood. For those of you who have not yet made your contribution, it is not too late. Your contribution of any size will make a big difference to this community.To make your You, and the rabbis, will forgive me if I can’t provide a d’var earth, rather than filling landfills with single-use items that important contribution, please contact the synagogue office, on the subject. Like most of you (I suspect), when I was will never decompose. What could be more Jewish than 202-362-4433, or visit www.adasisrael.org/adasfund a child, we were taught it was the “new year of the trees” that? Will this take thought, planning, and education? Of and we’d “plant” trees in Israel to celebrate. course it will. Keeping kosher takes thought, planning, and education as well, yet we use the laws of kashrut While we are all familiar with the Jewish value of tikkun to remind us of who we are and what sets us apart. HONORARY CHAIRS Mimi & David Strouse Inna Dexter & Benjamin Nussdorf Anonymous George Vradenburg Rosalyn Doggett olam, I don’t remember talking about it on Tu B’Shevat. Composting should be viewed as an extension of that, Arlene & Robert Kogod Tobie Whitman & Daniel Yates Margery Elfin But what better time to think about how we can literally another reminder of what it means to be Jewish and to Molly Levinson & Joshua Wachs Nicole Elkon & Neal Wolin try to repair the earth than now? And though planting be charged with the sacred obligation to repair our world. Melanie & Lawrence Nussdorf BENEFACTOR Kira Epstein Begal & William Begal trees, here or in Israel, is certainly a worthwhile endeavor, Clarice Smith Jamie & Joseph A. Baldinger Sandra & Andrew Eskin there is so much more we can and should do. When we roll out single-stream trash/composting at David Bruce Smith Dava Berkman Carrie Ettinger Morris Chalick Beth & Robert Feldgarden kiddush, please try not to kvetch. The beauty of single HONORARY CO-CHAIR Leah Chanin Marina Feldman & Jorge Kotelanski While many congregants are engaged in this work on a stream composting is that everything from kiddush goes Diane & Norman Bernstein Debra Goldberg & Seth Waxman Lois & Michael Fingerhut daily basis, as a kehillah we have work to do. Under the in one container—no sorting! So as long as you are mindful Jean Milbauer & William Knapp Rena & Michael Gordon Rachel & Ted Gayer stewardship of the Climate Action Team of the Social not to deposit outside trash in the receptacles in the Kay, Ellen Roche & Mark Yecies Rae Grad & Manuel Schiffres Barbara & Mel Gelman Action Committee, I am proud to say that soon Adas this should be easy. If you are planning a simcha, think Jean & Jeffery Yablon Nienke Grossman & Ezequiel Steiner Ricki Gerger Jane Harman Laura & Jonathan Ginns Israel will have solar panels on our roof. Our building is about the products you will use, and ask the caterer to use HONORARY VICE-CHAIR Amy & Andrew Herman Seth Goldman & Julie Farkas large, and it is open every single day, and our energy use compostable plates, cups, etc., because on Tu B’Shevat Bernard Aronson Elyse Kaye Jill & Robert Granader reflects that. These solar panels won’t take us off the grid, (and all year long) nothing is more beautiful than a green Rhoda Baruch (z"l) Ottilia Keresztes-Nagy & David Buck Kevin Gray & Justin Weitz but having a portion of our building directly powered by and healthy planet we can deed to future generations. Sandy Bobb Christina Larsen & Arnold Podgorsky Stephen Grayson & Michelle Leavy Susan & Michael Gelman Gail Levine & Ian Gershengorn Grayson renewable energy is an important step forward. It sends a Alma & Joseph Gildenhorn James McRae & Norah Schwarz Susan & Sanford Greenberg signal to the world, and a reminder to ourselves, that we Sonia Herson Grace & Daniel Melrod Ava & Neal Gross must do more to diminish our carbon footprint. Phyllis Mindell Karen Guberman & R. Craig Kennedy HONORARY COMMITTEE Gayle & Steven Neufeld Diana Hart Another vital part of this ongoing conversation is kiddush. Lisa & Joshua Bernstein Judith Rabinowitz & Joel Fischman Lisa & Kevin Heller Toni & David Bickart Michael & Anna Ravvin Lisa & Steven Himmelfarb No, I’m not going to talk about whether fish balls are made Melissa Blume & Scott Levine Michael Rodgers & Alan Roth Jackie & Mark Hoffenberg from sustainable fish (but at the risk of setting off a firestorm, Nancy & Alan Bubes Joel & Cynthia Rosenberg Rabbi Lauren & Ari Holtzblatt I will tell you I never eat fish balls). This conversation is Sharon Burka Susan Sachs Goldman Nadine & Alan Jacobs about waste, both of food and trash produced when we Norman G. and Roberta B. Cohen Janet Scribner Deborah & Mark Joseph eat. How many plates and cups do you use at kiddush? Foundation Dale & Alan Sorcher Patricia Karp Janie & Mark Davis Janet & Henry Waxman Irina Kats & Robert Sussman Do you reuse yours or throw it out and get a new one Scott Dreyer Linda Weinstein Marlene & Martin Kirsch when you return for a refill? What are the plates, cutlery, Rachel Farbiarz & Alexander Laskey Kinney Zalesne & Scott Siff Jan & Carole Klein cups, and paper goods made of? What happens to them Caroline & Peter Friedman Lisa Kleine & James Meltsner once you dump them in the trash containers in Kay Hall? Carolyn Goldman & Sydney Polakoff PATRON Ruth & Steven Kleinrock How much landfill does one kiddush create? Robin Halsband & Jeremy Spector Laurie & Daniel Aladjem Laurie Kramer Ari & Lauren Holtzblatt Rabbis Penina & Aaron Alexander Connie & Jay Krupin Alexandra & Michael Horowitz Aurora & Irwin Ansher Ken & Amy Krupsky Thanks again to the Climate Action Team here at Adas, Nancy Laben & Jonathan Feiger Allyson Baker & David Kligerman Sandra & Stephen Lachter we can and will start to do better. With some thought Randall Levitt & Johanna Chanin Janet Baldinger John Larson & Janice Mostow and education, all the products we use at kiddush can Linda & Sidney Moskowitz Judith Bartnoff & Eugene Sofer Sharon Leiser be compostable.