TIDINGS OF ZION Adar/Nisan 5777 MT. ZION CONGREGATION, Sioux Falls, South Dakota March 2017 from Student Rabbi Joseph Rosen… PURIM HAPPENINGS When will I get the call? Mount Zion Temple will have its megillah reading/ These past months have seen a variety of anti-Semitic Purim service on Friday, March 10th as part of the actions. JCCs across the country have been the targets of bomb threats1, the Anti-Defamation League, received Shabbat services. Student Rabbi Joseph Rosen will similar threats2, and recently in the past weeks, two Jewish cemeteries, in lead services. St. Louis3 and Philadelphia4 have been vandalized by hate when dozens of headstones were toppled. American Jews are increasingly worried about the If anyone plans to bake hamantaschen this year, please tone of this hatred, and many were distressed by our President’s seemingly late condemnation of this hate. let me know if you are able to bring a couple dozen A couple weeks ago, the bomb threat against the Mayerson JCC in Cincinnati5 for the Friday evening Oneg. Everyone’s recipe is a triggered a question: When will I be evacuated? If someone is on the interned bit diff erent and it is always fun to have a variety…If looking up the numbers of Jewish institutions in the country and dialing someone out there wants to coordinate a hamantaschen them to make deadly, fear-inspiring threats, to Jews, how long until they baking session at the Temple in the next week, let me call Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati? How long until they go on to the Union of Reform Judaism website and know that and I will publicize the date/time. start harassing the congregations? Who will answer the phone at Mt. Zion if someone decides to threaten us? Will our cemetery also be the target of hate? Also, Mendel Alperowitz, the Chabad Rabbi soon-to- While thinking of these questions, I saw that mulling over the possibility be residing in Sioux Falls, will be leading a megillah of being a direct target of hate was not going to be productive unless I can do something about it. While these terrible actions of hate have terrifi ed reading/Purim celebration on Sunday, March 12th American Jews, and other concerned allies in the nation, they have also with Chabad’s Roving Rabbis. Details on page 2. proven to be opportunities for building relationships with people who share our interest in fi ghting anti-Semitism and other growing forms of hate in our country. After the desecration of the resting places of Jews in St. Louis, a group some Muslims got together set up a crowd fund to fundraise for Thank You... repairs to the cemeteries. In a day, the community raised more than the goal. At the cemetery clean up, many religious leaders and Vice President Mike Mount Zion Temple’s Congregation gratefully Pence celebrated people coming together to fi ght hate. acknowledges the generosity of several members In looking to our sacred words of Torah, the word that immediately comes to who have graciously (and anonymously) donated mind is Hineni, here I am. When God calls on Abraham to test his faith with the command to sacrifi ce his son Isaac, Abraham responds Hineni. When to us two dozen copies of the newest Reform God calls upon Moses from the Burning Bush to aid in the redemption of prayerbook Mishkan T’ϔilah (“Dwelling Place for Israel, Moses replies Hineni. When Isaiah experiences God’s presence in Prayer.”) the Temple and God asks who will deliver the divine message to the people, Isaiah responds Hineni. So when we are called upon to respond to hatred, violence, and injustice, we too, must respond with Hineni. I hope and pray Please note that we have accepted this gift as a that we do not have to be on the receiving end of hate in Sioux Falls. I do supplement to our Gates of Prayer prayerbooks, NOT not want to be the one to pick up the phone and hear someone threaten my life and the lives of our community. But if I do, I will be there to say as a replacement for them. We will continue to use Hineni. I will do my part to stand up to hate. But we do not have to wait for the Gates of Prayer for many of our services. that type of call to answer Hineni. We have the obligation to stand up for injustices against others. When others are attacked because of their race, religion, gender identity etc., we must stand behind them and against ideas Student Rabbi Joseph Rosen will begin introducing that promote discrimination, hate, and violence. And we must do the best us to the Mishkan T’ϔilah prayerbooks this Spring we can to educate ourselves to restrain prejudice and fear. in two ways. First of all, he will conduct several services from the books during the next few months. 1 http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/living/jcc-bomb-threats-anti-semitism/ 2 http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi ng-room/news/320646-adl-national-headquarters- Secondly, he will focus a few of his Saturday evening receives-bomb-threat-in-new-york Adult Education programs on introducing the new 3 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/dozens-of-headstones-toppled-at-mis- souri-jewish-cemetery/2017/02/21/7742d7ae-f80c-11e6-aa1e-5f735ee31334_story. books and sharing insights on leading Shabbat html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.dc0f26cc890c services that draw from them. Please be alert for 4 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/02/26/dozens-of-head- stones-vandalized-at-philadelphia-jewish-cemetery/?utm_term=.4308a3db9c51 announcements of these sessions…likely to begin in 5 http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/01/18/all-clear-after-bomb-threat-may- March. erson-jcc/96718948/ PAGE 1 Help support the extraordinary works of Hadassah with a card or certifi cate! Contact Cards & Certfi cates Chair Carol Rosenthal if you’d like to make a donation. Th ere’s a card or certifi cate in every price range and for every occasion!! Do a Mitzvah! Celebration TH Most Friday afternoons (3:30 pm - approx 5:30 pm), MARCH 12 volunteers are needed to assist with Faith Temple Church’s 3PM food distribution at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds. On the THIRD Friday of every month….anyone interested in at the SpringHill Suites Marriott helping with the Food Giveaway is invited to meet in the 4304 W EMPIRE PL, SIOUX FALLS, SD Mt. Zion Temple parking lot at 2:30 pm to carpool over to the Fairgrounds. Please note that you are welcome to help REFRESHMENTS with the Food Giveaway on any Friday that it is held and MEGILLA READING ENTERTAINMENT FOR you are free to drive over on your own even on these third CHILDREN & TODDLERS Fridays. But for those interested in driving over together, SUGGESTED DONATION this option is being off ered. $18 For more info or to rsvp please email Sympathy Wishes to the [email protected] family of Harriet Jacobs Stuart Jacobs’ mother, Harriet Jacobs, passed Egg Cartons needed! away on Monday, February 6th. The Food Give Away needs egg cartons. If you can bring them We are sending condolences to Stuart, Cindy, to the Temple, please leave them on the table in the library. Zach and Ben Jacobs as they face this loss. www.tcjfi lmfest.org PAGE 2 SISTERHOOD GIFT SHOP DONATIONS Remember to shop at the ( January 10 - February 9, 2017) Sisterhood Gift Shop! Please send all Temple contributions to: PO Box 756, Sioux Falls, SD 57101 Matilda Oppenheimer (332-8404) GENERAL FUND and Judy Lampert (339-3170) With Sympathy to the Jacobs Family on the passing of Stuart’s mother VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Do a mitzvah for the community - Be part of the solution Harriet Jacobs from Marilyn & Dave Aronson; Matilda & Mark Please note that we are in need of leaders for Friday night Shabbat Services Oppenheimer when there is no Student Rabbi in town. There are several community members who are happy to assist you with preparing and/or leading the services. Congratulations to Rueven and Avi Prayers/readings/songs may be led in English or Hebrew at the service leader’s Hannah on the birth of their son prerogative. There are still openings in May and this summer (see schedule Gabriel Chaim Hannah from Marilyn below). Please contact Jan Forstein, Ritual Committee to volunteer at bityah01@ & Dave Aronson aol.com or leave her a message at 332-3354. Wishing a smooth recovery to Fred Bryner from Marilyn & Dave Visiting Groups to the Temple Aronson Our congregation is served by a Student Rabbi who is available a limited number To the Congregation from Dave of weekends from September through May. We encourage your scheduling your & Marilyn Aronson; Stephanie & Friday evening worship services visit only when the Student Rabbi is in residence. DaNiel Wood; Micah ben Yehudi For Friday evening visits and/or in cases where other scheduling arrangements are needed, please call or email the President of the congregation who will assist you In memory of Lillian Hurwitz, with scheduling. mother of Bob, from Barbara & Bob Hurwitz (Ellicott City MD) Mt. Zion Cemetery Update Remember birthdays, If anyone would like updates on the Mt. Zion Temple Cemetery and its anniversaries, yahrzeits, Cemetery Association (which is currently being re-organized), please contact: memorials. Please send your Susan Hurwitz [email protected]. Susan, Nancy and Chuck Hurwitz donations to: are the children of the late Duke and Dorothy Hurwitz. They are in the process Mt. Zion Temple of setting up a perpetual fund for maintenance and ongoing administration of the cemetery.