The Bulletin Union Temple of Brooklyn Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism JUNE 2009 Sivan - Tamuz 5769 Vol. 160, No 10 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES FOR JUNE SHABBAT NASO II 5 Friday Evening 6:30 PM 6:30 PM - Kabbalat Shabbat 7:30 PM - Potluck Dinner 6 Saturday Morning 10:30 AM SYNAPLEX SHABBAT 9:30 AM: Brunch Trouble Makers 10:30 AM: Shabbat Morning Service: The Crown of a Good Name Naming Service for Congregants Coming to Torah: Numbers 6:1-7:89 Haftarah: Judges 12:13-25 the Temple! SHABBAT BEHA’ALOTECHA 12 Friday Evening 8:00 PM Shabbat Evening Service: See them on Installation of Officers & Trustees 13 Saturday Morning 10:30 AM Movie Night - David Vogel will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah Torah: Numbers 8:1-12:15 Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7 June 24th at SHABBAT SHELACH-LECHA 6:30 pm. 19 Friday Evening 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Baby Naming: Anna Ruth Kuflik, daughter of Allison Day & Arthur Kuflik Details on page 8 20 Saturday Morning 10:30 AM 11:15 AM - Tot Shabbat Please remember that services are Torah: Numbers 13:1-15:41 Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24 conducted throughout the summer SHABBAT KORACH months without interruption. Kabbalat Shabbat begins 26 Friday Evening 8:00 PM Late Shabbat Service Friday at 6:30 PM 27 Saturday Morning 10:30 AM except July 24 and August 28, when services will begin at 8:00 PM. Torah: Numbers 16:1-18:32 Haftarah: I Samuel 11:14-12:22 All Saturday morning services begin at 10:30 AM. Rabbi’s Message Mi Shebeirach for an Aliyah The Mi Shebeirach blessing has become a regular feature of our services. Mi She- beirach means “The One who blessed.” It begins: Mi Shebeirach avoteinu, Avra- ham, Yitzhak, v’Ya’akov, v’imoteinu, Sarah, Rivka, Rahel, v’Leah... Hu y’vareich et… “May the One who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and our mothers, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, bestow Your blessing upon ... and so on.” Though most often we have recited Mi Shebeirach for those who are ill, our liturgy actually provides different Mi Shebeirach texts for various occasions. There are blessings at an aufruf for a bride and groom; blessings for new parents and blessings for their babies; and indeed, blessings for each per- son who is given the honor of being called the Torah to recite the Torah blessing - the honor that we call an Aliyah (going up to the Torah). The Torah blessings are completed, and then the Mi Shebeirach is recited by the Rabbi or Cantor. While earlier generations of Reform Jews preferred to excise all these “Mi Shebeirachs” from the service, of- ten out of a general anxiety about needlessly elongating the liturgy, our own generation has shown a marked preference for putting them back in. There is a general sense that it is important to acknowledge and bless people in their lives: whether as a prayer for a restoration to health, or in the joy of a new baby, an impending marriage, or for the honor of being called to the Torah. Our new siddur, MISHKAN T’FILAH, has inserted a Mi Shebeirach for an Aliyah, which essentially is the tradi- tional text. Some of the members of our Religious Practices Committee found the traditional wording objec- tionable from a theological standpoint, so I took the liberty of rewriting the blessing. The translation of the text now reads: May the One Who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and our mothers, Sarah, Re- becca, Rachel and Leah, bless ________ (son)(daughter) of _________ who has ascended to the Torah, with good health, happiness, prosperity and peace; with wisdom and understanding, with the love of Torah and reverence for the Divine. And let us say Amen. We have used this already at Shabbat Morning services, and it seems to be well received by those in atten- dance, and appreciated by those who have been called for an aliyah. Thus, the next time you happen to be at a morning service, you’ll hear this Mi Shebeirach in addition to the one for healing. We hope you will enjoy the addition of this blessing. Though it adds little more than a few seconds to the service, it holds considerable significance for those being blessed, and their families. Blessings to all – -Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman 2 Officer’s Column Thank You All It’s June, and a good time to thank everyone who does principals and teachers. Our officers and Board members, anything to help make Union Temple work. Sisterhood and Brotherhood, and members who have vol- unteered their expertise and talent for special programs. Thanks to our administrator and temple staff, who The members who put together our bulletin and advertis- keep the business and building running... and our ing and who beautify our space. Have I left anyone out? I Rabbi, who sees to our spiritual maintenance. Our stu- hope not, because all the officers have deep appreciation dent cantor and music director, who bring truly special music to our Shabbats. All the committee chairs and for everything and anything anybody does. their committee members, who contribute their time Of course, thanks go to every congregational member. and energy to bring us educational programs, Shabbat You are the Union Temple community, and commu- programs, movies, book discussions, and all kinds of nity is ultimately what a temple is about. other activities. Our Religious School and Preschool -Ellen Kolikoff, Secretary Gala a Huge Success! After months of planning and anticipation, the Union Temple 160th Anniversary Gala Dinner –themed Renais- sance 160 - was a huge success. On Saturday night, April 18, 167 Temple members and friends gathered in the ballroom for an evening of celebration. Amid elegant décor and piano accompaniment, we paid tribute to three dedicated temple leaders: President Doris Klueger; Vice President Henry Singer; and trustee and past Vice President Dr. Marvin Lieberman. Early in the evening, the kids from our religious school presented a memory box they have been working on, collecting memorabilia from this moment in time, to be set aside and reopened fifteen years hence, at the tem- ple’s 175th Anniversary. Among the treasures will be an invitation to the gala, the dinner journal and a DVD commemorating the history of Union temple, up to and including the 160th Anniversary festivities. Thanks are due our Religious School Director, Dr. Ann Landowne, for supervising this project. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz presented a proclamation naming April 18, 2009 as Union Temple’s 160th Anniversary Celebration Day and a citation honoring TODAH RABBAH our President, Doris Klueger. The Temple received another procla- mation in its honor from Representative Anthony Weiner. City Special thanks to the following sponsors of our 160th Anniversary Gala Dinner, who Council Member David Yassky addressed the group, with laudatory made generous contributions after the Din- words about the proud tradition of this Temple, as did a representa- ner Journal had gone to press. tive from the office of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. Union Temple is most grateful for your support. Over dessert, the glittering crowd was treated to “So You Think You’re Gertrude Adams A Union Temple Maven?” , a game show testing members’ knowledge John and Nancy Beranbaum of the history of Union temple. The members did pretty well. Jack and Gerry Berenholz Cheryl's Global Soul Each of the honorees was presented with a gift, a beautiful Michael and Helen Forman Havdalah service fashioned of colored art glass. Zeva Rischko intro- Sonny and Rita Fuchs duced her friend, honoree Dr. Marvin Lieberman; Mike Wolfson Loretta Glazer spoke for Henry Singer, and Marvin Polonsky for Doris Klueger. Daniel Levitan and Ann Schwartz This all could not have come together without help. Our Temple Kenneth Meister and Laurie Shahon Steven Rifkind and Devora Fong-Rifkind beautification experts - Zeva Roschko, Karen Guccione and Ralph Lynne Schwartz Julius - really came through, providing gorgeous table decorations Rosemarie Shaffer on a tight budget. Denise Waxman spun together the video loop of Henry and Sue Singer current and archival photos illustrating the history of Union Temple. Jeffrey Stein and Denise Waxman Joan Wooters-Reisin (Continued on page 8) 3 Religious School A Profile in Courage By the time you read this article, Religious School interview (and also played basketball with the stu- will be over for the year. May was a terrific month for dents!) and to Zeva Greendale-Roschko who has the children. The sixth- and seventh-grade students in helped with all aspects of this project and of course, Rachel Dayan’s class practiced their interviewing Mrs. Marianne Dreyfus. The children gave Mrs. skills by interviewing Mrs. Marianne Dreyfus. Dreyfus a Mother’s Day poster as a token of apprecia- Mrs. Dreyfus was twelve years old when she traveled tion for sharing her story. from Germany to London with the Kindertransport We also want to thank Nikki Lebenson who gave the program. The children asked tough questions about children an exciting tour of the Union Temple her experiences in Germany: Was she scared? Was “archives” lead a lively discussion and shared original she ever in danger? What was her saddest memory? photographs and documents from the early history of They also tried to get a picture of everyday life by ask- Union Temple. We are looking forward to continuing ing about friends, food and fun. Mrs. Dreyfus shared and developing our Living History project next year. her love of ice skating as a young girl in Germany. All current Religious School families should have re- Mrs.