•estrnelLStt Eii2O3 Z21j17 September 1999 N7z8 Schedule of September Shabbat and Holidays Services Shabbat NitzavimNayelech September 3/4 Deut. 29.9-31:1-30 Family Service - 7:30 pn Morning Service - 10:30 am Bnai Mitzvah of Paul Caine & Deborah Zwi Wishing You a Sweet Year Rosh Hashanah 5760 September 10/11 from the Rabbis and Cantor Refer to your schedule of services Dear Friends: Shabbat Shuvah-Haazinu September 17/18 How wonderful it is that we will be coming together during the month Deut. 32:1-52 of Tishrei to celebrate our holidays. It is our sincere hope that throughout these Yamim Noraim you will find the liturgy inspiring and Tot Shabbat - 6:30 pm uplifting, our activities and programs meaningful. Most of all, it is our Shabbat Evening Service -8:15 pm hope and prayer that this will be a period of renewal for all of us -- a Morning Service - 10:30 am time to renew our commitment to Jewish tradition and the spirtual Bnot Mitzvah of aspects of our lives, a time to reconnect with old friends, a time to Catherine Mullen & strengthen and renew beloved relationships. Abby Goldman Shabbat - Sukkot Renewal is one of the main themes of this season. Our prayer book September 24/25 speaks of the cycle of the year and asks at this time of new beginnings that God "renew in us love and compassion, goodness, life and Erev Sukkot Service - 8:15 pm peace." As much as this is our prayer and hope, we realize that it is Sukkot Morning Service our great challenge and responsibility as well. We must take time to 10:30 am look carefully at ourselves, our actions, our words and deeds. We must Bnai Mitzvah of dedicate ourselves to the love, compassion and goodness that our Paul Dubas & Alan Cherney tradition expects of us. In doing so, we will find meaningful life and tranquil peace. While we are busy considering our own spiritual rebuilding and that of the Jewish people, our congregation is being re-invigorated as we Torah Study watch the growth of our new sacred space. With our new building Saturdays, library - 9:00 am underway, there is a great sense of excitement about the future. We will enhance the dynamism of this community with the new services, Cont. on page 15 FUNDRAISING UFDA TE... The fundraising effort to raise the additional $1 million needed for the new building is in full swing. The Temples campaign consultant, Patrice Teckler, is wrapping up the survey in which she spoke to a sampling of the newer families at Temple Rodef Shalom. She received a very enthusiastic response in which most families indicated that they enjoy and appreciate the clergical leadership, worship ser- vices, religious school, nursery school, and the Temple community in general. The only contusion that there appeared to be was in under- standing the purpose of the "building fund" payment that all Temple members pay on their quarterly statements. This fund is actually used to pay down the Temples mortgage. It does not provide the capital funds needed for improve- ments or additions to the building. Those families who have not yet contributed j will be asked to join the rest of the congregation in this important effort to raise the funds needed to complete the new building. We are excited to report that several newer families have already volunteered to pledge a total of approximately $100,000. In addition, several families who have already contributed to the campaign have volun- teered to pledge again, including one significant gift of $100,000 to honor the co-chair of the Building Committee, Gerry Kadonoff and his family. We hope the leadership and example set by these families will inspire the entire congregation to work together to meet this important challenge. Lynn Fletcher Linda Rohrbach Co-chair Co-chair Come Celebrate and Have Some Fun! TRS construction has now begun. Bring the kids and have a treat, Ice cream, Music, and Friends to meet. Lets come together to mark the day Our New Home is Underway! Sunday, September 26 3-5 PM Sponsored by the TRS Membership Committee ADULT TRIP TO ISRAEL TABLE OF CONTENTS OFF TO AN OUTSTANDING START Over 40 adults have expressed interest in Bernal Flower ................... 24 Bnai Mitzvah................... our first congregational adult trip to Israel. 29 Calendar ......................... 35 The 12 day adventure will take place in the Cantors Message ............ 13 beginning of April. Caring Committee ........... 14 Donations ........................ 26 Final reservations for the trip will not be Fundraising Update.......... 2 required until early winter. Library............................. 15 Living & Learning ............. For information about the trip or to be put Membership .................... 16 on the mailing list, please call Anne in the Outreach ......................... 12 Temple office at 532-2217. Rabbis Message .............. Religious School ............... 6 Scrapbook ....................... 23 Sisterhood ....................... 9 Social Action ................... 11 New Time For Youth.............................. 27 Shabbat Morning Services A reminder that Shabbat morning services now begin at 10:30 AM. Torah study begins at 9:00 Temple Rodef Shalom Bulletin http://www.uahc.org/congs/va/vaoos/ AM. E-mail: [email protected] AMY M. SCHWARTZMAN, Senior Rabbi MARCUS L. BURSTEIN, Assistant Rabbi The Jewish Federation Thanks Temple LASZLO BERKOWITS, Rabbi Emeritus Rodef Shalom Member Dottie Bennett MICHAEL A. SHOCHET, Cantor The Jewish Federation of Officers Greater Washington extends ELLEN BLALOCK President a major thank you to a JONATHAN KOSARIN Vice President Temple Rodef Shalom mem- GREGG SKALL Vice President ber who is a major gift RICKI KANTER Vice President solicitor. PETER ELINSKY Vice President CAL KLAUSNER Treasurer Dottie Bennett consistently NANCY KANE Assistant Treasurer demonstrated the impor- MARSHALL BERMAN Financial Secretary ANN GUTKIN tance of the Jewish tradition Recording Secretary CARL KALISH Corresponding Secretary of tzedakah through her tireless efforts and unsurpassed commitment. Trustees N. RICHARD FRIEDMAN The hard work and dedication of all our volun- ED BECKWITH teers and donors have brought smiles and relief BETTY NAN OBERMAYER to thousands of Jews in Israel, around the world and right here in Greater Washington. JUDY SEIFF, Administrator (532-2240) DINA BURT, RJE, Religious School Principal (532-2207) These are the unsung heroes of our commu- KAREN SIMPSON, Nursery School Principal (532-2227) nity-working hard today to ensure a Jewish FRANK CONLON, Choir Director tomorrow. We are proud and grateful. The TRS Bulletin is published 11 times a year on the 1st of each month except July/August when 1 issue is published. 3 TEMPLE RODEF SHALOM and ARLINGTON-FAIRFAX JEWISH CONGREGATION join together for a RECEPTION & SELICHOT SERVICE Saturday, September 4 9:00 PM Reception 11:00 PM Service Arlington- Fairfax Jewish Congregation 2920 Arlington Blvd. Arlington, VA A festive reception featuring delicious kosher wines, cheeses and desserts will be followed by a unique worship experience blending Reform and Conservative minhag and music. This late- night service will offer a foretaste of the High Holy Days liturgy as we begin to prepare our- selves for the Days of Awe. Please RSVP to 979-4466 or e-mail: [email protected] Reception is co-sponsored by TRS and AFJC Sisterhoods High Holy Days Update! Westfields will be Serving Dinner on Sunday Evening, September 19 Tith the exception of the Wellington Pub, dining facilities at Alestfields are generally closed on Sunday evenings. This has posed a challenge for those of our members wishing to dine at Westfields Erev Yom Kippur. We are pleased to inform you that Westfields h ..-made special arrangements to provide a Buffet Dinner in the Fairfax Dining Room that will be available 6:30-9:30 PM on Sun- day, September 19. The cost is $25.00 (plus tax and tip) per per- son, $8.00 for children ages 10 and under. It is necessary to make reservations by September 13. To reserve, please call 818-3520. Join Us as We Celebrate... V AV, t4i Wednesday, September 22 Activities & Decorating 5:30 - 6:30 PM Dinner & Sing-a-long 6:30 PM EREV SIMCHAT TORAH/ CONSECRETATION CELEBRATION FAMILY SHABBAT Friday, October 1 7:30 PM 5 Rdij/ous 5do01 From The Educator..... youngest friends, and the monthly Family Shabbat service will continue to offer families I was recently reading the Jewish resource book with elementary age students a chance to pray "ITS A MITZVAH" by Rabbi Bradley Artson together. and was taken by the chapter on prayer. Of late, the TRS staff and many of the committees Our lives can only be richer by developing a have been involved in many discussions about deeper relationship with God. As we approach prayer and the role prayer plays in our lives as this High Holy Days season and start this new Jewish people. A broad study of Judaism and fantastic school year, I wish for each of you indicates that prayer is an important part of our a year of strength, happiness and fulfillment— Jewish living. It is the understanding of prayer and the courage to look into yourselves for that as an individual that begins to define our stronger relationship with God. religious selves. Rabbi Artson answers the question of why we pray by stating that Shana Tova ... A Happy New Year to each of "(prayer) is what we do when we stand in the you! presence of the unknowable. It is our response to an awareness that God is with us and will Dina L. Burt RJE not abandon us. Prayer is a bridge, linking our Principal outstretched hand to God." Many of us would confirm that we believe that God is everywhere, MARK YOUR CALENDAR yet often we do not know how to define our relationship or our encounters with God.