AaronionThe TEMPLE OF AARON’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER 616 S. Mississippi River Blvd. • St. Paul, MN 55116-1099 (651) 698-8874 • www.templeofaaron.org Vol. 87 • No. 12 August 1, 2012 13 Av, 5772 Hugh Gitlin – The 2012 Ner Tamid Award Honoree Gulner Strengthens Synagogue Staff On July 5, by unanimous Mark Gulner is our first Director of Informal Education and acclamation, the Temple of Marketing. He began July 1, 2012 and is focusing on Aaron Board of Directors voted engaging our youth in meaningful and compelling to present Hugh Gitlin the 2012 programming. Mark is experienced in motivating children Ner Tamid Award as its ninth and teens to form solid Jewish friendships and honoree. The award is made connections to meet present and future challenges. In annually to a long-standing addition, he will use his marketing knowledge acquired member of Temple of Aaron over the past eight years to raise the visibility of our who, as a volunteer, has had a synagogue in every area. continuing and visible impact on Mark is the son of Ernie and Martha Gulner and grew up the welfare and vitality at the Temple of Aaron with his twin brother Scott. Mark on Temple of Aaron’s was recently married to Amy, daughter of Dr. Alan and membership for a protracted Nancy Goldenhar, and they will be celebrating their period of time. This year, and second anniversary this henceforth, the award will also year. He attended Henry be presented in the memory of Sibley High School in Richard “Dick” Shaller. Dick’s Mendota Heights and vision and high moral standard as a member of the Keruv spent several years at the committee (the committee responsible for ultimately making the Temple of Aaron as the nomination to the Board) is now reflected on a part of the youth director while nomination process. The Ner Tamid Award will be presented to attending the University Hugh at the Selichot service on Saturday evening, Sept. 8, 2012. of Minnesota Like many who belong to Temple of Aaron, Hugh has been a life- to complete his BS in long member. But unlike most, Hugh’s experiences as a English Literature. After volunteer began very early on. In fact, Hugh’s first effort as a gaining experience volunteer might be considered the USY play he appeared in at working here as the the age of six. But there is no question though that it started in Youth Director at Temple earnest when he began ushering for the High Holydays at the of Aaron, EMTZA/SWUSY age of 16. Region USY hired Mark to be part of their team. Now, nearly 35 years later, Hugh has become as much a fixture at Temple of Aaron as anyone aside from the clergy and staff. He For the past five years Mark has excelled as the Regional gave up ushering after eight years to move to the “back” as a Youth Director for EMTZA Region (United Synagogue for member of the choir, which he has now been a part of for more Conservative Judaism) which included synagogues within than 25 years. But he hasn’t left USY beyond. While not a Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, parent, Hugh’s volunteer experiences with USY plays include five North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as play appearances, twice being the assistant director, and working with USY’s Southwest Regional synagogues participating the last four years as a set builder. including Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Within this position Mark successfully coordinated multiple Hugh has been president of Men’s Club twice. He was an active conventions and teen programs with focuses on Israel, supporter and participant in the new Sukkah project during his social action, education, fun and Tikun Olam second term – during which he also pushed Men’s club to fundraising. He spearheaded the region’s success in donate the cost of one Torah repair and started the “Dinner with fostering Jewish teen leadership and identity. The — continued on page 8 — — continued on page 6 — From the Rabbi’s Desk . Renew Yourself! In Israel, if somebody purchases a new For Jews, calendar creates this time of renewal with the High Holydays. Each תתחדש – item, it is customary to say Titchadesh, which means: “Enjoy the year we are offered a chance to renew newness.” But the actual word means, our lives, to re-focus our relationships “Renew yourself.” This curious idiom and ourselves, and to become better links the mundane purchase of new people. This renewal gives us all a things to the personal imperative to chance to be our best selves. renew our lives. The Temple of Aaron is in a period of I believe there is a desire to constantly renewal as well. We have a new Assistant improve and renew ourselves, be it in our Rabbi, Jeremy Fine. We are welcoming personal lives, our relationships, our Mark Gulner back in a new role as community, The impulse and ability to Director of Informal Education and renew ourselves is built into the very Marketing. Josh Fineblum’s role has Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein nature of the world around us. expanded to become Director of [email protected] Education and Community Life; and we 651-698-8874 ext. 111 Spring is nature’s automatic time of welcome Susan Tervola as our new renewal. The trees blossom, baby Clergy Assistant. Cantor Kowitz and I are animals are born and the days lengthen our lives. We will share some of the thrilled with this new team. Together we and become warmer. After the heat of specific plans for our continued will build on the strong foundation of the the summer, cooling temperatures arrive congregational renewal, the many synagogue’s past renewals, and look and nature prepares for rest. opportunities available to the diverse towards an exciting future. In future circles of community at the synagogue, Humans, however, gear up and after the columns we will reinforce the value of lay and the many ways you can be frenetic fun of children, grandchildren, leadership impacting our synagogue and involved. Please share contact data with nieces and nephews home from school broader community and our dedicated us for the names unaffiliated friends, and activities, we deliberately introduce support staff. neighbors and adult children so they can structure back into our lives. We are able One important step in this process will be join our community for the High to renew, to begin with a new direction the second day of Rosh Hashanah Holydays. and energy, to build on the foundation of (September 18) which will focus on the the past to a new future. It does not It’s time to begin again. It is time for theme of renewal. Using readings, songs happen as automatically as in nature, renewal. We look forward to having you and prayer we will explore a variety of and it takes awareness and effort. join us. As we say in Hebrew, Titchadesh! ways that we can renew all aspects of (For Toddler-1st Grade Families) August 10th Time: Questions? Joshua Fineblum, Director of Education Friday Night [email protected] Lindsay Berg, Coordinator 6:00 PM-7:00 PM [email protected] 2 Cantor’s Column The Power of the High Holydays Every single year I look forward to the High Holydays. One of the reasons is that It is difficult to forgive yourself. How the power of this time gives us the many times have you still carried the opportunity to have a clean slate. Every burden of not forgiving yourself for single year we spend our time making certain decisions that you know were not decisions. Some of them are small, and the right ones? The High Holydays give some of them are quite large. Decisions us this opportunity of forgiveness. It that we make in the year help define us teaches us that every year we should and our character. When we make bad start fresh. We can learn from our ones, we often regret it. But what can we mistakes, and try our best to correct do about it? How can we fix what has them. We need to learn each and every already been done? year about ourselves and about how our Hazzan Mitchell D. Kowitz actions affect others. [email protected] The first thing we can do if we hurt our 651-698-8874 ext. 113 friend is go directly to that person, and So this year, when we all come together apologize for what we did. This is not to pray in September, let us not just ask always easy, but it is something that we forgiveness from our friends and from need to do. We also need to ask God. Let us also try to find the strength AUGUST WEDDING forgiveness from God. This is a little to be able to forgive ourselves. That will easier, but still somewhat difficult. I think go a long way in freeing ourselves so that ANNIVERSARIES the most challenging thing is to forgive we can truly have a new start for a new We display every 5 years and all ourselves. year. anniversaries of more than 50 years מזל טוב Sign up now for our first Got Shabbat 25 Judy & Jim Berg 30 Sandra Rosenberg & Jim Liston Synagogue dinner! 35 Mary & Bill Lerman September 14, 2012 35 Susan & Ramon Gonzalez 35 Nancy & Steve Lane More information and to 45 Victoria & Ben Pieser sign up refer to page 7 50 Jean & Yale Kanter 51 Ellen & Paul Roitenberg 52 Ida & David Valdman 54 Ruta Fradkina & Mikhail Fradkin 56 Shirley & Ron Goldman Help Those 57 Georgia & Jerry Fishman Who Need Food Shelf 57 Sis & Ron Goren Help us make progress in the state- wide fight against hunger.