A Monthly Publication for Temple Beth-El, Las Cruces, New Mexico DECEMBER 2015 (KISLEV-TEVET 5776) Shabbat Services On Friday, (Full Schedule on Page 2) Friday, December 4 December 11, FAMILY SHABBAT SERVICE at 6:00 pm. join us for a Dairy/vegetarian potluck dinner at 6:45 pm. NO SERVICE AT 7:30 PM. SHABBAT CHANUKAH Friday, December 11—SHABBAT CELEBRATION FOR ALL AGES! CHANUKAH Friday, December 18–Welcoming Shabbat at Dairy/Vegetarian Potluck and 7:20 pm; Shabbat Service at 7:30 pm LATKE dinner at 5:30 pm. Friday, December 25-Welcoming Shabbat at “Potluck” Latkes are welcome and 7:20 pm; Shabbat Service for Renewal of Spirit at 7:30 pm. encouraged! Friday, January 1—Pre-neg for all ages at 5:30 Bring your menorah to light! pm, FAMILY SHABBAT SERVICE at 6:00 pm. Multigenerational Service at 6:15 **************** pm, with presentations by Saturdays Talmud Study at 9:00 am; Shabbat Service our Religious School stu- at 10:15 am, followed by a potluck Kiddush dents and with our Inter- generational Choir! In memoriam Dessert and Dreidels at David Steinborn—1936-2015 7:00 pm, including dreidel games,, Tribute on Page 7 Chanukah activities, and a delectable Oneg Shabbat including Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)! ADD YOUR LIGHT AS WE CELE- BRATE OUR FESTIVAL OF Please join us as Ron Bernstein, representative of the Israel Movement LIGHTS! for Reform and Progressive Judaism (All are welcome to our candlelighting on (IMPJ) will offer a presentation on the Wednesday, December 9 at 5:30 pm work and programming of our counter- during Hebrew School) parts in Israel on Wednesday, December Temple Beth-El is on Facebook! 16, at 7:30 pm. He will also inform us http://www.facebook.com/pages/Temple- Beth-El/115816285166004 about ways in which we can offer ongo- If you are on Facebook already, find our ing support to the IMPJ. page, click “Like” and join us on our Facebook community! TBE Website—www.tbelc.org DECEMBER 2015 (KISLEV-TEVET 5776) Page 2 Worship Schedule Friday, December 25 7:20 pm Welcoming Shabbat Please note: All 7:30 pm services will include either a Torah read- 7:30 pm Shabbat Service for Renewal of Spirit featuring ing and a sermon/d’var torah, a brief discussion based on the Torah special music and prayers for healing within our Shabbat portion, a compilation of prayers and/or songs on the theme of the liturgy. Oneg Shabbat sponsored by Jeff Brown, Torah portion, or a brief d’var Torah that offers an insight based on Cherri Hudson-Brown and Susan Fitzgerald. David the parashah for the week. Fishman will represent the Board of Trustees. “WELCOMING SHABBAT” at 7:20 pm on December 18 and Saturday, December 26 25 will include songs to begin our worship. Candles will be lit 9:00 am Talmud Study at 7:30 pm, followed by our usual Shabbat prayers. 10:15 am Shabbat Morning Service and Potluck Kiddush Parashat Vayechi Genesis 47:28-50:26 Friday, December 4 Haftarah I Kings 2:1-2:12 6:00 pm Family Shabbat Service FOR ALL AGES! Religious School students will share their reflections on gratitude. Friday, January 1 6:45 pm Dairy/Vegetarian Potluck Shabbat Dinner Special Family Shabbat NO SERVICE AT 7:30 PM ON FAMILY SHABBAT 5:30 pm Pre-neg reception FOR ALL AGES Saturday, December 5 6:00 pm Family Shabbat Service. Monika Kimball will 9:00 am Talmud Study represent the Board of Trustees. 10:15 am Shabbat Morning Service (No potluck dinner following) Parashat Vayeishev Genesis 37:1-40:23 NO 7:30 PM SERVICE Haftarah Amos 2:6-3:8 Saturday, January 2 Friday, December 11 9:00 am Talmud Study Shabbat Chanukah 10:15 am Shabbat Morning Service 5:30 pm Dairy/Vegetarian Potluck Dinner with Parashat Shemot Exodus 1:1-6:1 LATKES!!! (“Potluck” Latkes are welcome!) Haftarah Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23 Bring your Chanukiah/Menorah to light! 6:15 pm Shabbat Chanukah Family Service, including Chan- ukiah lighting (bring your Chanukiah/Menorah to Temple Beth-El members will again be light) and participation by our Intergenerational choir. providing and serving breakfast for the Our Temple children will offer their interpretations on residents of Camp Hope on the morning the meaning of light. Allen Blum will represent the of December 25. Be watching in Board of Trustees. 7:00 pm Dreidels and Dessert! - An Oneg Shabbat including upcoming emails for details on how Sufganiyot/Jelly Donuts and other delicacies and Cha- you can participate and nukah activities, including playing dreidel!!! offer your support. NO SERVICE AT 7:30 PM Saturday, December 12 9:00 am Talmud Study BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015-2016 10:15 am Service led by Leora Zeitlin and Stuart Kelter, followed President-Monika Kimball by a Potluck Kiddush Vice-President-Allen Blum Parashat Mikeitz Genesis 41:1-44:17 Secretary-Ellen Torres Haftarah for Chanukah Zechariah 2:14-4:7 Treasurer-Paul Feil David Fishman Mark Saltman Friday, December 18 Diane Fleishman Renee Frank 7:20 pm Welcoming Shabbat Ned Rubin Erich Zameret 7:30 pm Shabbat Evening Service. Rabbi Karol will speak on Ann Berkson “We Can Work It Out.” Oneg Shabbat sponsored by Frima David Zeemont (Mensch Club) Marquez and Rita Polsky. Ned Rubin will represent the Leslie Glater (Sisterhood) Board of Trustees. Rabbi Lawrence P. Karol Saturday, December 19 *********************************** 9:00 am Talmud Study The next Board of Trustees Meeting will be held on 10:15 am Shabbat Morning Service and Potluck Kiddush Thursday, December 17 at 7pm. Parashat Vayigash Genesis 44:18-47:27 Haftarah Ezekiel 37:15-28 DECEMBER 2015 (KISLEV-TEVET 5776) Page 3 Message from Rabbi Karol Assisted Living to provide Abe Images of November 2015 Pomerantz with a brief Shabbat In this day and age, a picture is still celebration complete with can- dles, wine, challah and Shabbat worth a thousand words. To show you songs. This was a “pilot project” some of the significant events in which I that could be done again for other have participated in the last few weeks, here members and in other locations are some selected images: around Las Cruces. We thank The Union for Monika Kimball for conceptualizing and organizing this event. Reform Judaism Sarah Mindlin’s Biennial conven- Second-Third tion brought to- grade class has gether over 4000 been decorating people to learn, Shabbat candle- pray, sing and sticks and wine reflect together. cups that they will From the back row at the Orlando World Center Marriott ball- take home with them when they are finished. The results have room, I was able to see the entire congregation of 5000 in front of been artistic and colorful!!!! me at our Shabbat evening service. I attended sessions on Jewish- Rhonda Karol’s clas- Muslim Dialogue, spirituality, leadership, writing mission state- ses (4th-6th Grade) ments, interfaith activities and social were guided in mak- action in small congregations and ing rainbow cookies communities, resettlement of refugees on Sunday, Novem- (from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid ber 22 by Aggie Salt- Society), and engaging post-middle- man in relation to a age congregants. On Saturday night, chapter in the text Vice President Joe Biden came to they are currently address the convention, speaking highly of the good work of the reading. Nechama URJ in the United States, and reiterating American support for Liss-Levinson’s chil- Israel. dren’s novel, When the Hurricane Came, focuses on the experi- ences of a Jewish family from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The rainbow cookies figured prominently in one chapter (think of children getting a taste-test preview of an Oneg Shabbat). On November 14 and 15, the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society met in Las Cruces at the Farm and Ranch Museum for its annual conference. 40 of the participants joined us for Shabbat worship (at which The Adult Education program “Ever Grateful: An Interfaith our Temple choir added to the Conversation” on Sunday, November 22 brought together nine music of our worship). Susan local spiritual leaders to share their perspectives on gratitude and Michelson offered essential thankfulness (see page 5 for a report on the program). It was grat- support in organizing the event ifying to welcome to the bimah these partners in interfaith rela- and arranging for a Sunday morning panel which focused on Jew- tions in Las Cruces. A warm thank you to all who attended this ish communities in southern New Mexico, in which I participated, unique event. along with Dr. Jeff Brown (as moderator), Frances Williams, Sis As we prepare for the coming Druxman, Deborah Wechter Friedman, and Sandy and Sherman celebration of Chanukah, let us con- Levenson from the Las Cruces area; and Jeff sider how we can fill our homes and Diamond from Carlsbad. The Jewish history our community with the lights of joy of our area is rich and multifaceted, and I and hope, lights that can inspire us hope to have texts for all of these talks availa- and add meaning to our lives! ble on our Temple website. L’shalom, On Friday, November 20, members of the Rabbi Larry K. Temple choir, Harry and Diane Bass, and See Rabbi Karol’s blog several other congregants met at Heritage at rabbilarrykarol.blogspot.com. DECEMBER 2015 (KISLEV-TEVET 5776) Page 4 President’s Message Blum, Diane Fleishman, Renee Frank, Leslie Glater, December 2015 Ann Berkson, and yours truly. It is a board sponsored November included a fun filled affair, which means that all food and drink is paid for fundraiser, our fourth annual golf by members of the TBE board, and the work associat- tournament, and the newly named ed with it is done by them as well (along with others Matzo Ball Open which took place who are participating on and helping the committee).