P ASSOVER & P u r i m e r v i c e S CHRONICLE S Congregation Neveh Shalom Saturday march 19 6:30 pm Purim eve March/April 2011 No. 4 dinner (reservations Adar I-Nissan 5771 Supported by the Sala Kryszek Memorial Publication Fund required) 7:30 pm Ma’ariv & Megillah Reading FROM THE PULPIT FROM THE PRESIDENT Sunday march 20 9 am Megillah Do you identify yourself as a member of Neveh Reading and Purim Is Not Just “Fur Die Kinder” Any Shalom because you are Jewish or do you identify Religious School More yourself as a member of Neveh Shalom because Celebration As children, we all have fond of the activities and causes we as a Congregation memories of dressing up for Sunday aPril 17 Purim. Our Esthers and Mordecais represent? Conservative Judaism among them. Search for Chametz over the years have morphed into Rabbi Steven Wernick, Executive Director of ninja turtles and super heroes. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, made monday aPril 18 Our parents came, but the focus 7am Morning was almost exclusively on the the case during his visit to our synagogue that Minyan (Fast of the children. We drowned out Haman’s people today no longer join synagogues based on First Born/Siyyum) name with groggers and gorged on identity of afiliation; rather they will join synagogues Hamentashen. We sang ridiculous songs about foolish based on an identity of purpose. What exactly does tueSday aPril 19 King Ahashuerus and our triumphant heroes who outwitted 9am Services 1st wicked Haman. Though in truth a terrifying and violent story, that mean? That’s a good question. Day Passover we softened Purim’s message to more or less the old joke: I think part of its meaning is that we cannot 5:30 pm 2nd night “They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!” assume that our membership will beneit from being Congregational But Purim is much more than that. Anthropologists Seder with Cantor tell us that Purim falls into a genre of late-winter, pre-spring the only Conservative Synagogue in the Portland Bletstein at Neveh frivolous holidays which include modern day celebrations area. On the other hand I don’t think it gives us Shalom such as Mardi Gras, Carnival and St. Patrick’s Day, among license to create services or pursue causes that others. Each of these merrymaking occasions, though fall outside the tenets of our traditions. What I am WedneSday aPril 20 based on completely different origins, have many aspects 9am Services 2nd in common such as dressing up in costumes and drinking sure it means is that CNS must be excellent at all Day Passover alcohol. (Jews were permitted to drink on Purim, we are that CNS does. Excellence: that’s a terribly high told, until they couldn’t tell the difference between ‘blessed standard to obtain, unless you understand that the be Mordecai’ and ‘cursed be Haman’!) Then some weeks thurSday aPril 21 later with the advent of spring each of these cultures would alternative may be to slowly wither and fade into 7am Chol HaMoed unimportance. And unfortunately the membership Services observe a major serious festival—for us, of course, that’s Passover. of USCJ has many examples of congregations who So then why have we so easily relegated silliness Friday aPril 22 exclusively to the children? I don’t see that happening to failed to adapt to the times; I assure you Neveh 7am Chol HaMoed Shalom is not and will not be another. Services the other pre-spring holidays. Just as those occasions are 6:15 pm Chol intended for and engaged in by adults, so ought Purim to As you know we have a highly regarded Long HaMoed Erev be. It’s the Jewish opportunity to drop certain standards Range Planning process in place that currently is of propriety and let loose. It’s our organized opening Shabbat Services taking an introspective look at who we are and how to use our imaginations to allow ourselves to be a bit we are meeting the needs of our Congregation. And Saturday aPril 23 outrageous and maybe not just a bit... Do things that do 9am Chol HaMoed not it our year-round public persona. Dress up. Create where we don’t see excellence being obtained we Services inventive noisemakers. If a bit of alcohol for those over are taking decisive action, making tough decisions. 2 helps to lower our respectability and dignity, why We are not there yet. Sunday aPril 24 not? If not on Purim, then when? 9am Chol HaMoed And as we shout and holler with catcalls There is much work to do to align CNS’s Services and other bellows of approval and disapproval during purpose with yours, but I have no doubts that we the Megillah reading, we should remember that the are headed in the right direction. monday aPril 25 message of Purim is not entirely frivolous. Jews in 9am Services 7th Day serious danger in various places and times looked Passover to the story of Purim with hope. Could they be saved from the clutches of tyrants by an Esther or tueSday aPril 26 Mordecai in high places? 9am Services 8th Day The Megillah gave Jews hope for the future. Passover & YIZKOR Though all too often they suffered, they Doug Lenhoff Continued on page 3 page Chronicle No. 4 March/April 577 NAI ITZVAH youth B’ M Jack Friedman led march 4 & 5 Mazal Tov to Jack Friedman son of Steve & Suzanne Friedman, brother of Marissa, and grandson of Sue & Irv Friedman and Pat & Al Lubarsky. Jack is a Shabbat 7th grader at Access Academy who enjoys playing basketball and tennis, following the Portland Trail Blazers, playing the upright bass, reading, and hanging out with ServiceS friends. April 16 noah henry Wenger march 11 & 12 Show your Mazal Tov to Noah Henry Wenger, son of Neil & Sharon Wenger, brother of support for Jordan, step-brother of Jason Williams, and grandson of Shirley Wenger and Shirley several of Tuthill. Noah is a 7th grader in the Odyssey Program at Hayhurst School. Noah our most enjoys computer games, hiking with his dog and playing with his cats. recent B’nai Mitzvah Jack rubin students as march 18 & 19 they take on Mazel Tov to Jack Rubin son of Betsy & Spencer Rubin, brother to Molly and Emma, leadership and grandson to Josephine Rubin and Donna & Richard Ross. Jack is a 7th grader roles by at Conestoga Middle School in Beaverton and enjoys playing lacrosse, football, and leading basketball. parts of the service david menaShe (shaharit aPril 1 & 2 and musaf) Mazal Tov to David Menashe son of Rick & Abby Menashe, brother to and reading Daniel,grandson of Hy & Myra Jackson and the late Sylvia Jackson, and Sol E. Torah. Their Menashe and the late Rebecca Menashe. He is a 7th grader at Robert Gray Middle School. He has enjoyed attending Camp Solomon Schechter for 3 years, loves to growing play soccer and basketball and enjoys hanging out with friends and family. conidence and strengthening alana cogen aPril 8 & 9 skills are inspiring to Mazal Tov to Alana Celia Cogen, daughter of Arlene & Mitch Cogen, sister of all of us and Abrielle and granddaughter of Ada Siegel and Stephen & Helene Cogen. Alana is a 7th grader at Skyline K-8. She has raised and donated over $2000 to children in a reminder Africa. Her hobbies are acting, modeling, taekwondo, tennis and skiing. that a Bar/Bat Mitzvah is just the beginning of Solomon nudelman many religious aPril 29 & 30 and educational opportunities. Mazal Tov to Solomon Joseph Nudelman, son of Jeff & Anne Nudelman, brother of Josh, grandson of Jerry & Shirley Nudelman and Jo Pollard, and friend to his dog Lucky. Sol is an Honor Roll student in 7th grade at Lake Oswego Junior High. Sol plays on a traveling LO basketball team and will be in JBO baseball this spring. He was one of only players chosen for the Lake Oswego Little League All Star baseball team last summer. Sol is a Duck fan extraordinaire and enjoys playing guitar, Xbox and hanging out with his friends. page 2 Chronicle No. 4 March/April 577 FROM THE CANTOR Dear Friends, in between reading chapters of Megillat Continued from page 1 It’s been Esther! a busy and fun After Purim, Passover is right nevertheless irmly held on to the belief that January illed with around the corner, so don’t miss our despots in the end will not be victorious, lots of Havdalah! Community 2nd Night Seder with me here at that the Jewish people will overcome On the 5th, Cantor CNS. We’ll do a lot of singing, story-telling, and survive. When Esther is reluctant to B showed up in there will toys for the kids, and the seder confront her husband, the king, and reveal Birnbach Hall in her will be very interactive with our brand new her identity and the threat to her people, pajamas with feet (see photo) to have a family participation haggadah, A Different Mordecai chides her that if she doesn’t act great Havdalah program with our Shoreshim Night. Our new haggadot have wonderful to save her people, help will come from families! illustrations, Hebrew and English texts, some other source, but that she will not be The CNS choir and I also had the stories and commentaries, and will give spared. Thus Purim becomes that clarion opportunity to lead a beautiful Havdalah everyone a chance to participate. call to tell truth to power, to risk position and program at Rose Schnitzer Manor on the Our B’nai Mitzvah continue to even life to rescue others in peril.