WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE BULLETIN Volume 102, Number 1 • January 2015 Letter From Temple President Barry Edwards t seems like only days ago we they have done for our Iwere together at High Holy Day Temple family during services, yet somehow it is already their 91 collective January. Before the year ends, I want years of service. The to share some important news and Temple clergy and invite your feedback. staff celebrated Nan We are continually working and Nancy Levine at to make your experiences with the their annual Chanukah Temple enjoyable and enriching. celebration. On President Barry Edwards Currently, we are reviewing—with February 20th, we will the intention of improving—the entire honor Nancy Daum High Holy Day experience, from seating options to the times at Shabbat services of the services, parking, and more. We welcome any suggestions followed by a special you may have to help us rethink the way you experience the oneg at the Irmas High Holy Days at the Temple. Feel free to send an email with Campus. All four of Nefesh Shabbat service led by Rabbi Susan Goldberg your suggestions to Donna Nadel, Executive Chief of Staff, at these amazing women [email protected]. will forever be a part of In addition to Rabbi Karen Fox, whose retirement we Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and we hope to see them often at celebrated so lovingly on December 7th, three longtime staff the Temple in the future. members will be retiring soon: Nan Brostoff, Rabbi Leder’s I invite you to join me at the many and varied executive assistant, on December 31st, Nancy Levine, our opportunities we offer for learning, growing, and enjoyment, controller, on December 31st, and Nancy Daum, the cantors’ such as monthly Torah study sessions with Rabbi Leder and assistant, at the end of February. We are so very grateful for all Rabbi Susan Nanus; the high-energy Shabba Dabba family continued on page 2 Save these dates Martin Luther King, Jr. Shabbat Deborah Lipstadt speaks on Jewish Women’s Theatre presents: The New He Said… Anti-SemiTiSm SHe Said Friday, January 16 Sunday, January 18 Sunday, January 25 Irmas Campus Glazer Campus Irmas Campus 6:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. Torah Portion Torah Online: wbtla.org/torahonline To Be a Hero Shemot, Exodus 1:1-6:1 s we begin the Book of Exodus we meet Moses, perhaps It would have been much safer for Shiphrah and Puah Athe single greatest hero in the Torah. But there are to simply obey the Pharaoh’s orders. How easily they could two other heroes in Parashat Shemot without whom Moses have convinced themselves that they could not make a never would have existed—two midwives named Shiphrah difference. But Shiphrah and Puah decided to do the hard and Puah. The Torah explains that Pharoah ordered the thing. They disobeyed an order and put their own lives midwives to kill the male Jewish children they delivered at risk to do what they believed was right and just. And in order to reduce the Israelite population. Shiphrah and because of them Moses survived, and our people survived. Puah refused. Moses should have been killed at birth, but Most of us will never have to decide whether to follow Shiphrah and Puah saved his life. As Rabbi Jill Hammer orders and murder or disobey orders and preserve life, explains in The Jewish Book of Days, “Shiphrah and Puah but sooner or later each of us faces tough moral questions encounter life at its most fragile and act to save life and each of us must decide whether or not to stand up to whenever it is in their power.” injustice. May we draw inspiration from the Torah’s heroines The rabbis of the midrash underscore the heroic Shiphrah and Puah and have the courage to follow our nature of the midwives’ refusal to obey Pharoah’s command conscience and convictions. when they remark that Shiphrah and Puah are considered Rabbi M. Beaumont Shapiro to be identical to Yocheved, Moses’ mother. All three women are equally responsible for giving Moses life. Cover Story (Continued) Our Temple Family service the first Friday of the month at the Glazer Campus, and Welcome to new Temple members… the joyful, musical Nefesh Shabbat service the third Friday of Kerry and Robert Benderson and their children, Samuel and Zeja…Eden and the month, also at the Glazer Campus. Don’t forget about our Shawn Ghatan and their son, London…Wendy and Joseph Klein and their upcoming, moving Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat on January children, Rachel and Josh…Jill Gilman and Seth Klein and their children, Drew and Peyton…Viviana Levi and her children, Andy and Alexis…Susan Ekins and 16th at the Irmas Campus, to name just some of the highlights. Jerry Weintraub… As the new year begins, please accept my heartfelt thanks for all that you and your family do for and give to Wilshire Congratulations to… Boulevard Temple. I, my fellow trustees, and our professional Shana Gerson and Steven Dunner on their recent marriage, and to grandmother, Jeanne Gerson…Talia Inlander and Daniela Gerson on their recent marriage… staff are committed to making certain that the Temple remains Ashley Englander and Jason Kaplan on their recent marriage… a place of great connection for you and your family. Let us Madison Montgomery and Randall Kaplan on their recent marriage, and to know what you like, what you want more of, and how we can his children, Arianna, Bianca, and Charlie… make your Jewish journey a powerful and meaningful one. Condolences to… Wishing you all the best in the coming year and always, Friends and family of Irving Cohen…Michael and Allyce Balsom on the death of his father, Alfred Goldman, and to grandchildren, Brooke and Michelle… Barry Edwards Cydney and Ken Kirschbaum and their children, Hayden and Avery, on the President, Board of Trustees death of her aunt, Betsy E. Marcus…Deana Rosenthal on the death of her beloved husband, Alvin Rosenthal, and to Robert and Catherine Rosenthal and grandson, Matthew; Kenneth Rosenthal, Leslie and grandson, Michael…Beth and Rodney Freeman and their children, Jenna, Gabriel, Maya, and Ava on the death of her aunt, Bonnie Sue Schwartz…Alisa and Craig Farkas on the death of her mother, Patricia Weiner, and to grandchildren, Courtney and Aaron… Susan Williams on the death of her mother, Michelle Zuckerman, and to granddaughter, Arden Williams… And to all immediate and extended family. 2 Israel Vote for Religious Freedom in Israel here’s nothing wrong with being Amish, but if it were of seats that ARZA, the Reform Movement’s Zionist Tthe only religion in the world, most people would rather organization, gets, will determine the amount of money be secular. Unfortunately, without the help of non-Orthodox directed and spent in Israel supporting non-Orthodox American Jews, many Israelis will continue to live in a nation Judaism: more seats, greater funds—and less support going to where only Orthodox Judaism is recognized as completely extremist groups who do not believe that Jews like you and me valid and therefore feel they must choose secularism. Believe should have religious freedom in Israel. it or not, the most important help you can provide to create a These elections are the most powerful way for American better Israel right now is your vote, and it’s just a click away. Jews to promote and encourage the ideals of justice, equality, and democracy in Israel, as well as to help build the kind of Without our votes, we will leave to the Jewish state and the kind of Judaism we all know are possible. next generation an Israel that offers A state that recognizes, respects, and funds all types of either Orthodoxy or nothing. Jewish institutions and guarantees the right of every Israeli to practice Judaism as he or she believes. Without our votes, In 2015 the American Zionist Movement (AZM) will we will leave to the next generation an Israel that offers either hold elections to determine American Jewish representation to Orthodoxy or nothing. the World Zionist Congress. The Congress provides a forum For details regarding how and when to vote, go to for all the world’s Jews to come together and deliberate issues www.reformjews4israel.org/about-us. affecting both diaspora Jews and the state of affairs in Israel. Please… One hundred and forty-five seats in the Congress are Rabbi Steven Z. Leder dedicated to American Zionist organizations. The number Senior Rabbi Adult Opportunities Rabbi Heschel and Dr. King t the first conference on religion and race, the main Though Rabbi Heschel did not live to see a national “Aparticipants were Pharaoh and Moses. The outcome of that holiday established in honor of his dear friend, he would have summit meeting has not come to an end.” been deeply gratified to see Americans of all backgrounds With these words, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel joining together to renew their great dream of a nation united opened his address at the 1963 National Conference on Race in justice, peace, and reconciliation. and Religion in Chicago. There, Rabbi Heschel first met It is in this spirit that we invite you to join us on Friday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The two became friends working January 16, at 6:00 p.m. at our Irmas Campus for a special together until King was assassinated five years later. Shabbat commemoration of Dr. King, featuring Shabbat Though from very different backgrounds, both Rabbi prayers, readings, poetry, and a musical celebration by the Heschel and Dr.