May 2015 Iyar – Sivan 5775Temple Beth-El

24 Coveway DriveBrownsville, Texas 78521-3602

(956) 542-5263 • temple.bethel@yahoo.comwww.templebethelbrownsville.org

General Fund:In loving memory of:Ms. Fira KenigsteinBy: Ms. Matilde BlinderGeoff & Rossana Bogorad

Ms. Ms. Betty Levin &Ms. Janet WilderBy: Geoff & Rossana Bogorad

Ann HoltzmanBy: Larry & Susan Holtzman

Paul AbramsonBy: Denise Joseph

In memory of her parents Jack & Gertrude Zimel and her Aunt and Uncle, Helen & Sid Zimel:By: Alan & Marsha Hollander

Donations to the General fund were received in honor of Sara Kenigstein in appreciation of all of her hard work in all of the Temple Social events:

By: Ms. Matilde BlinderBy: Geoff & Rossana Bogorad

Education FundIn loving memory of:Edna Levin & Bernard Levin:By: Javier & Sharon HuertaYahrzeit FundIn loving memory of:Mr. Marcos Diamontstein:By: Ms. Matilde Blinder

Morton LazkyBy: Luz Lazky

Jakov FuhrerBy: Ms. Judith Neumann

Jack RosenbergerBy: Claude & LaVerne Harari

Flower Fund:In loving memory of:Ms. Betty Levin:By: Ms. Matilde Blinder

Cantor’s Discretionary Fund:“We mourn the loss of our dearest cousin Bill Jacobs April 19, 2015”By: Lynn & Larry Victor

In memory of our friendBetty Levin & Bennett Rosenberg:By: Lynn & Larry Victor

Education Fund:In loving memory of:Ms. Janet WilderBy: Ms. Matilde Blinder

“IN HONOR OF ALL ALL MARTYRS PERISHED IN THE HOLOCAUST”By: Leon & Muriel Horn

Torah Fund:In loving memory of:Morris Edelstein By: Morris & Patricia Edelstein

Building Fund:In loving memory of:Luis H. Mendez & Miguel A. MendezBy: Ms. Sylvia Holzman

Tzedakah: Charity The obligation to perform tzedakah can be fulfilled by giving money to the poor, to health care institutions, to syna-gogues or to educational institutions. It can also be fulfilled by supporting your children beyond the age when you are legally required to, or supporting your parents in their old age.

The obligation includes giving to both Jews and gentiles; contrary to popular belief, Jews do not just take care of our own.

Contributions:We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who remember and honor their friends and loved ones through their dona-tions.

...to all who donated items for our fundraiser, and to all who made this event as successful as

always. Kuddos toAlex Blnder for his hard

work and dedication....

Calendar of Events

01Estelle Jaross*Morris EdelsteinAda Milstein**Helen Zimel*Pauline WeisfeldTom Huddleston**Lee Monowitz*Sidney Sommer*Sayas Novigrod

08*Henry FruhlingJoseph Marion MetzMorris Rodbart*David Edelstein

15Anita BernsteinAlex GershowitzFlorence Huddleston**Avram GavronskyIra KnasterBarry WilderGert Zimel

22Harlow FreebergRose Ann BloomNat Witz

29*Ida Rubinsky**Pola Geifman*Fannie Bijman

May Birthdays:04 Abraham Moszkowicz05 Ruth Ann Hayter08 Eva Silberman13 Sarah Riezenman20 Karen Rubinsky26 Leon Horn26 Judith Neumann28 Dave Gelfer

May Anniversaries:16 Claude & LaVerne Harari30 Bill Berg & Laurel Steinberg

Monthly Oneg - May 22Oneg Shabbat will be hosted by *Michele & Barry Goldsmith, Robin & Mike Pierce, Jayme & David Gelfer, Lynn & Larry Victor and Allan Gavronsky. Come enjoy some mishpachah time and goodies.

Oneg ReminderPlease make sure to check the Oneg list when you are in charge. The list is a follows:Challa, decaf coffee, cream, sugar, fruit, nuts, cheese & crackers, cookies, cakes, cold drinks, cups, plastic ware, napkins, plates.

Also, please make sure to clean after the Oneg is finished and take the tablecloths to be washed. We are all responsible for leaving our kitchen organized and in the conditions it was found.

Board Meeting:The Board of Directors meets every second Wednesday of the month in the Temple library. This month is going to be on the 13th. Everybody is welcome to attend the meetings.

May Congregational Meeting May 24Our May congregational meeting is scheduled to be Sunday May 24th at 10:30 am at the Social Hall. It is a very important meeting, please plan to attend.

Our services begin every Friday at 6:30 PM.Board bimah assignment:01 Huerta Achare Mot – Kedoshim 08 Kenigstein Eor 15 Riezenman Behar - Bechukotal22 Blinder Bamidbar 29 Frapart Naso

Saturday services begin at 9:30 AM with Torah study immediately following in the Temple Library.

May Yahrzeits

OTHER NEWS:We mourn the passing of our dear friend Betty Levin in Brownsville. Texas onApril 21, 2015

A memorial for Mrs. Janet Wilder is scheduled to be on Saturday May 23rd at 2:00 pm at Beyond Art Gallery, lo-cated in 114 North A. St., Harlingen, TX. Rabbi Frank Joseph will be officiating the ceremony.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Holzman are pleased to announce the formal adoption of De-siree on April 26, 2015. Formerly Desiree Aardema, now officially Desiree Holz-man!!!

Hadassah

Hadassah Book Club Hi, Readers:

The last meeting of our Book Club will be Sunday, May 17th in the Temple Library at

10:00 am.

We are reading Anita Diamant’s novel “The Boston Girl.” This book is written with

the same attention to historical details that made Anita Diamant’s pervious novels

best sellers. This is one woman’s complicated life in the Twentieth Century. The

book begins when a twenty-two year old granddaughter asked her grandmother

“How did you get to be the woman you are today? Grandmother starts the story in

1915. Come help us discuss how a naïve girl in the slums of Boston became the

woman she is today.

See you there!

Harriet Light

Please be part of hadassah this year 2015 and Join UsThe Friendship of Women thanks us for all the supplies we bring to them. I’m still collecting personal supplies

for the women and their children. Leave your donations in the library box. I’ll pick them up.

Thanks

Harriet Light

Ongoing FundraisersTemple Beth-El sells HEB cards. Please pick up one or a few here at the office. A percentage of the sales go to Hadassah and the temple but this is only pos-sible if we all buy a card. HEB cards can be used for purchasing of groceries, gas and medicines.

Order Number: 15969092

Veronica & Thomas Huff, proudly invite you to their daughters B’not Mitzvah

Hebrew Cemetery: Fira Kenigstein

Fira Kenigstein died on March 29, 2015, at the age of 91 and was buried in the Hebrew Cemetery next to her husband, Samuel. Fira was born in Poland in the city of Dubienka Lublin Goberno Poland in 1924, the daughter of Motel and Dina. During the Holocaust, most of the family was killed. Escaping the Nazis in 1940 she went to Samarkan in Uzbekestan, where she met Samuel. He said that he fell in love with her because of her beautiful braids and her friendly smile. They were standing in a bread line and Samuel was at the head of the line. He saw her and told her to stand with him at the head of the line. They married in 1944 and were blessed in 1946 with the birth of Tania, followed in 1947 by Roberto in Breslov when they had returned to Poland. They tried to get entry visas to the United States but that proved difficult so they instead traveled to Paris where they received, with the aid of a distant cousin, entry visas to Bolivia, South America. When they got to La Paz, Bolivia, Samuel needed some money so he had to sell Fira’s beautiful nightgown. Their son, Juan, was born in Bolivia in 1950. Fira lived as a good wife and mother plying her trade as a seam-stress. She was very concerned that people had enough to eat and poor people would come to her back door with a plate and she would serve them food left over after the fam-ily meal. Samuel needed medical attention so they came to Dr. DeBakey in Houston and then moved to Brazil. In 1970 Fira and family came to San Antonio where Roberto was liv-ing.

They finally settled in Brownsville, Texas, where she and Samuel opened their fabric store, El Conquistador, in 1976. Fira and Samuel were part of the Temple Beth-el congregation. Visitors were welcome to her house and she made sure that they were well fed. It was only within the last four years that Fira went into semi-retirement and as late as the day before she died she wanted to know how business was doing. Fira loved life, her late husband Samuel her three children Tania, Roberto and Juan and their families. She is survived by her brother Shlomo, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren with one on the way. Fira was predeceased by her parents, her husband Samuel and her grandson Danny.

by Larry Holtzman

Cemetery News

Notice that the Cemetery gate will be removed for a short time to do maintenance, refinishing and improving the way it opens. There will be a temporary gate until the Cemetery gate is reinstalled. After the gate is reinstalled, it will not need that heavy chain in order to lock it.

Fira Kenigstein and Grandson Ethan.

Committees & Chairs

Budget Committee: Chair, Mike Furgatch/Irwin RiezenmanBuilding/Ground Committee: Javier HuertaDues Committee & Membership Committee: Mike FurgatchFundraising Committee: Alex Blinder/Morris EdelsteinHouse Committee/Welcome Committee: Sara Kenigstein/Barry GoldsmithLibrary Committee: Harriet LightReligious School Committee: Patricia Edelstein/Leon WeisbergRitual Committee: Sara KenigsteinScholarship Committee: Larry Holtzman

Donations may be made to Temple Beth-El in memory, in honor, in appreciation, etc. for the following funds:General, Yahrzeit, Yizkor, Education, Building & Grounds, Flower, Torah, Cantor’s Discretionary Funds.You may use this form:

other stuff...

Temple Beth-El24 Coveway DriveBrownsville, Texas 78521-3602(956) 542-5263 • temple.bethel@yahoo.comwww.templebethelbrownsville.org

Please find enclosed a donation to the ___________________Fund, given in

Honor Memory Appreciation Speedy recovery of ___________________

Please send acknowledgment to:Name: ____________________________________Address: ___________________________________

Donor information:Name: ____________________________________Address: ___________________________________

Please note that any contribution submitted without adesignated fund will be placed in the General Fund.

Make checks payable to Temple Beth-El and mail to:24 CovewayBrownsville, TX 78521-5263Thank you!

Donations form

If you have any events or pictures, please submit them for the Shofar and or website.

Vist us at:www.templebethelbrownsville.org

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