Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 – Tishrei-Cheshvan 5778 SULAM Beth El - Seek. Understand. Learn. Act. Marvel. We are so excited for the inaugural year of On the subject of words and meaning, here is some new SULAM Beth El, our “re-imagined” educational vocabulary in reference to our educational program: program! Our leadership team and educators Instead of Religious School, we use SULAM Beth El have worked diligently throughout the summer Instead of Teacher, we use Educator to create a new structure and innovative curriculum, and we will continue to evaluate Instead of Student, we use Learner and assess throughout the year. Our goal is to Instead of Classroom, we use Learning Space provide an engaging, experiential program that Follow our progress as we bring our brings meaning and relevance to all learners. vision to life! Find us on Facebook at SULAM. It’s not just a pretty name! Sulam is SULAM at Beth El Temple where the Hebrew word for “ladder,” and we think it you can learn more about the offers great symbolism for our program. It program and access the link to our represents the ladder of learning on which we calendar. hope all will ascend throughout their Looking forward to a wonderful experience in our new educational program. year! We also gave meaning to the individual letters Caryl Goldberg of SULAM to further reflect our philosophy Education Director and program goals. With guidance from our SULAM Beth El dynamic team of educators, we believe learners [email protected] will be inspired to Seek, Understand, Learn, 860-233-9891 Act, Marvel...both individually and as a community. Parent Yoga Sunday, Sept 24 Education Task Force Registration 9:30 - 10:30 AM Many thanks to: Carrie Berman, ...is underway, and it's all A drop-in yoga tefilah(prayer) class, Lisa Harris, Judy Rosenthal, Lois online! If you have not just for SULAM Beth El parents. Koteen, Leslie Silvers, Jonathan received login and register LEADER: Adriana Matozzo, West Alter, Jordan Grossman, Dan information, please call Hartford Yoga Zittoun, Jay Wolman the office at 860-233-9691. SPONSOR: Parent Action Group SULAM Beth El PAG: Meet the Chairs September We are so excited to support SULAM Beth El as Wed 6 4:00 PM Open House co-presidents of the Parent Action Group (PAG). Sun 10 9:00 AM First Day Between us, we currently have 3 kids in SULAM 9:00 AM Annual Parent Tailgate Party Beth El (4 soon enough!) and cherish the (with Men’s Club and Women’s Network) education and experiences our children have Sun 17 9:00 AM RH Family Program (see p. 10) gained through Beth El. PAG supports the Sun 24 9:00 AM PAG Opening Meeting children, parents, and teachers through various 9:30 AM Parent Yoga programs including coordination of room Tue 26 7:00 PM Curriculum Night (parents only) parents, mitzvot opportunities, and social events. October We would like to thank last year’s PAG chairs, Sun 1 12:00 PM Sukkah Decorating Lisa Harris and Tammy Krulewitz, for their Sun 15 9:00 AM Ushpizin Sukkot Family program efforts and leadership. Sun 29 9:00 AM Parent Coffee with Caryl 9:15 AM Camp Ramah program (see p. 9) Feel free to email us if we can help you or your family at all with the SULAM Beth El experience! November rd Sun 5 9:00 AM 3 Grade Siddur Decorating, Sharon Neiberg & Janel MacDermott with parents [email protected] 2 Beth El Temple West Hartford, CT www.bethelwesthartford.org 860.233.9696 Making Connections Chai Society Luncheon and Speaker Men’s Club Distinguished Service Award Banquet Connecticut Lt. Honoring Jacob Kovel Governor Nancy Thursday, September 14 Wyman 6:00 PM Wednesday We honor Jacob for his many years of September 13 devoted service to Beth El Temple and 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM the Community. Guest Speaker: Jeffrey Chai Society is Teitler, award-winning documentary pleased to welcome filmmaker, Director of Envision Films Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman to discuss her and Assoc. Professor of Communications at CCSU. Jewish roots and how they impact her Master of Ceremonies: Beth El President Jonathan Alter. public service. Join us for a delightful COST: $40 ($60 Patrons; $100 Sponsors) lunch and meaningful conversation. TRIBUTE BOOK: other sponsorship levels available RSVP: by 9/5, Bruce Shein, 860-677-8300, COST: $12 [email protected] RSVP: required by 9/8, Allan Geetter, NOTE: invitations have been mailed to all members 860-651-8022, Jay Cudrin, 860-236-6706 Support our Syrian Refugee Family Hebrew Reading Crash Course for It’s been quite a summer for our friends Adults Sundays, from Syria as they discovered all that West Sept 17 - Nov 19* Hartford has to offer and they made friends 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM among the Arab community. Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, the family Learn to read Hebrew in only nine 1-hour benefits from the generosity of several local sessions. Designed for those with little or food banks. The older girls went to camp this summer no background in Hebrew, it concentrates and their grasp of English is amazing. on teaching the Hebrew alphabet and reading skills. Each participant will receive Mom has been riding the bus and a free copy of NJOP’s Reishith Binah learning how to navigate on her own. She Hebrew primer. is also getting skilled at grocery shopping INSTRUCTOR: Sidra Sperling without guidance. COST: no charge; books provided CONTACT: Wendy, 860-233-9891 Dad has his learner’s permit and took SPONSOR: National Jewish Outreach Prog. driver’s education in Arabic. It’s not too early to start *NOTE: no class 10/8 thinking about how to get them a car. If anyone knows of someone who has a minivan they are thinking of getting Institute for Basic Judaism rid of, ask them to consider giving it to our friends. Thursdays The beginning of school is an exciting new adventure for begins November 2 the older children. Mom and her two youngest children 7:35 - 9:15 PM will be ready for weekday outings without the older girls. A 21-session program for beginners Think of them when you are setting up playdates, exploring a Jewish life for themselves, heading for the library, or otherwise planning an outing. including interfaith couples, people The family’s biggest need is having people to spend time considering conversion, and Jews looking with and have fun. Consider taking a few of the children for adult-level basics. It is also appropriate and one parent for a fun activity. We need people to for Christians and Muslims who want to drive for occasional appointments and for food bank better understand Judaism. visits. Whether you can give a few hours or regular INSTRUCTORS: local Conservative Rabbis, assistance, there are many ways to help the family! including Rabbis Garber and Rosen COST: $295, scholarships available CONTACT: Robin Landau, [email protected], CONTACT: Rabbi Richard Plavin, Carrie Berman, [email protected] [email protected], 860-573-4503 Temple Topics Vol. LIII, No. 1 September-October 2017 Elul 5777 – Tishrei-Cheshvan 5778 3 The Rabbis’ Desks The Beat of the Drum, instrument is not Thoreau’s drum, but the unique the Sound of the Horn Jewish horn which is the Shofar. I hope that this has been a summer of In tradition, the Shofar is meant to be a spiritual, relaxation and renewal for you. A time ethical, alarm clock and the declaration of hopeful of a slower pace, a chance to breathe, redemption. We listen to it communally, but play, and reflect. hopefully, hear it personally. Having the opportunity to spend more I hear it saying “where have you been asleep to time in nature than is my norm, I found myself drawn realities and unfilled possibilities, this past year? to the words of Henry David Thoreau. The bicentennial How and when have you fallen short? Do you see of this famous New Englander, naturalist, and promoter the good and hopeful dangling in front of you of both civil disobedience and the uniqueness of each awaiting your grasp?” individual, is observed this year. What do you hear when the Shofar is sounded? Thoreau is most famous for his two years of withdrawal In services, where we join with so many others, to Walden Pond where he wanted to live a simple life of what do you hear addressed to you, your life, and awareness, to be “awakened by an infinite expectation of where it might be headed in the months to come? the dawn.” A place where living deliberately in a life Our New Year is a time to be uplifted as individuals stripped bare of anything non-essential he could learn in a setting of sharing. Let that combination give us what it truly had to teach. the melody of meaning in the year ahead. His most famous statement reads “If a man doesn’t keep Nancy and our children join in wishing you a sweet pace with his companion perhaps it is because he hears a and healthy New Year. different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however, measured or far away.” What a lovely ~ Rabbi Jim Rosen affirmation of non-conformity or a driving personal vision. And, I imagine the author was describing his maverick self. Spring 2018 Trip to Israel Yet, we also know Thoreau regularly left Walden Pond Rabbi Rosen is planning to lead a group to return to Concord. He shopped, he socialized, he was trip to Israel, May 6-18, 2018.