CONGREGATION P’NAI TIKVAH
Kol “Purim” Kiruv
March 2014 Adar Bet Vol. 20—No. 10
BREAKING NEWS: B’Nei Simchat Chochmah Cohort II skips
Rabbinic School and heads straight to ordination.
The students we last seen conducting a Shabbat Service at the
Three Square facility located at 2220 North Pecos Street in
Las Vegas, Nevada. They are accepting positions at places
such as Congregation Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bai-
ley, Temple Beth String of Stones, and Shul of the Square
Dance. One of them has accepted a position as the Spiritual
Leader of the Frozen Chosen for the upcoming mission to
Mars.
Pictured above (as below)
Sheina Ora, Yonina,
Naftalah, David, Eliana,
Golda, Shmuel; seated:
Maxima
Reconstructionists Assemble Third Temple on Mars
First Lady, Michelle Obama, shows her
elations upon receiving the news!
Reconstructionist Rabbini-
cal College gives Two
Thumbs up to this year's
Oscar-Nominated film
“Gravity”. Chooses to show
it to the “Frozen Chosen” as
training film. for Mars mis-
sion.
This month’s
Kol Kiruv is
sponsored by
Purim, where
Joy is what it’s
all about!
Clergy and Staff
Rabbi: Yocheved Mintz
Cantor: Marla Goldberg
Accompanist: Timothy Cooper
Newsletter: Nancey Eason
Educator: Rabbi Mintz
Bookkeeper: Lynn Pisetzner
Office Administrator: Nancey Eason
www.pnaitikvahlv.org
www.facebook.com/pnaitikvahlv
www.twitter.com/pnaitikvahlv
Congregation P’nai Tikvah will worship on Shabbat,
March 7th & 21st at Kraft-Sussman Chapel, in the
Bank of Nevada Business Park at 3975 S. Durango,
Suite 104, in Las Vegas. Tot Shabbat will be held on
August 7th at 6:30 PM. Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv
services will begin at 7:30 PM.
Torah Study will take place at 10:00 AM on March
8th & 22nd at Rabbi Mintz’s home. A bagels and lox
brunch is served. Please RSVP by calling the admin-
istrative office at (702) 436-4900 or by emailing
Spoof Cover 1
Inside Cover Page 2
Rabbi's Message 3
Cantor’s Notes 4
CPT Bookworms 5774 5
Women’s Rosh Chodesh 6
WOULDJEW BELIEVE: THE PURIM EDITION by Marnie Winston-Macauley
7
Purim Invitation 8
Jewlicious Learners & Jewish, Alive and American
10
Hotel goes Kosher 11
Community Seder 12
Does Jewish Renewal Have a Future by Rabbi Sid Schwarz
13
Munch and Mingle Invite 14
Community Events 14
Birthdays Kidz Korner
15
On’gai Shabbat, Anniversaries and Nid’vei Leiv—From the Heart
17
MiShebeirach 18
Yahrzeits 19
Israel Religious Action Center-A Letter from Anat Hoffman
21
Contribution Form 22
Calendar at a Glance 23
Administrative Office
2045 Grouse Street
Las Vegas, Nevada 89134
702.436.4900
2
3
Message from the Rabbi
Dear Chevreh,
“Mi she-nichnass Adar marbin b’simcha!” Those who enter Adar, may their joy
be increased! And how lucky are we, two months of Adar this leap year!! (Hope
you got a kick out of our Front Page Spoof!)
The major joy in Adar Aleph was the wonderfully meaningful and moving service on the week-
end of Par’shat VaYakhel wherein David Aris, Maxine Mintz Blechman, Jennifer Cohen,
Nancey Eason, Gloria Granat, Linda Kauffman, Scott Linker, and Annie Goodrich Wolff be-
came B’nei Simchat Chochmah. More than adult B’nei Mitzvah, these special individuals took
it upon themselves to undergo 18 months of study, using their accumulated life’s experiences,
often overcoming great challenges to learn or deepen Hebrew knowledge, tropes for both Torah
and Haftarah, and research to help create, lead, and participate in the very special services we
shared at Three Square. Cantor Goldberg, Tim Cooper, and I were both proud of their accom-
plishments and honored to facilitate the service at which they officially became B’nei Simchat
Chochmah. The descendants of the joy of wisdom.
The major joy in Adar Bet will unquestionably be our celebration of Purim, the “Come As You
Aren’t” party, Saturday evening, at 7:00 at my home. I love sharing Havdallah with friends
and imagine what a fun one this will be with us all in costumes. The Jewlicious Learners have
prepared a fun children’s PurimSpiel, Cantor Goldberg has some great songs for us to sing,
we’ll do a Megillah reading and have a blast with an adult PurimSpiel: “Purim 4G” by Shira
Danan. Be sure to RSVP to the office (4326-4900) so we can have enough wine and desserts
for all.
But there’s additional joy welling up in Purim. The joy of participation in congregational
events and services. How wonderful it has been to see the increased personal investment mem-
bers have had in helping make our little holy community hum. From hostesses for Women’s
Rosh Chodesh to sponsors and caterers for our homemade Onegai Shabbat, people are coming
forward. (Only a few spots still needed this year.) Baby Naming, Channukat Bayit, and other
life cycle events are dotting our calendars. And seeing the table filled each Torah Study gives
me great hope for the future.
There are two areas, however, which continue to challenge. One is that of “I didn’t know such
and such was happening.” When we write events up in our calendar, newsletter, and programs
as “Save the Date,” it dismays me to hear people say, “Oh, I wish I had known about the
event.” So I am asking you, what more can we do to get information out to the congregational
community so people can plan. The second area of concern is that of fiscal viability for the
congregation. We are a congregation that works on a shoe-string budget, and, even with the
recent “Grandma Sadie’s Getting Married…Again?” fundraising (and fun-raising) event, we are
running in a deficit position. This is a serious, ongoing threat to the viability of the congrega-
tion. Barbara Holland is convening a special committee to try to brainstorm solutions, but I
would like to ask the entire congregation to offer suggestions as to how we can meet our finan-
cial requirements and go forward on a more solid footing. We remain Congregation P’nai Tik-
vah, and we offer something unique, warm, welcoming, and very special to our members.
Please give some thought and offer some suggestions as to how we can become financially
sound. (Send your ideas to [email protected] )
May your month of Adar be totally adar-able, and may your joy only increase.
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz
4
Cantor’s Notes
A Note From the Cantor
As I write this, the month of February comes to a close. There were several things that affected me personally
and musically during this shortest month of the year. Two major events happened in the music world this month.
They were in the secular world, but much of our Jewish music is affected by the contemporary music of its day.
First was the 50th anniversary of the first television appearance of the “Beatles”. For nearly a decade the music of
these four lads from Liverpool influenced our music and our lives. Actually, their music still influences us to-
day, even in the world of Jewish music. The rhythms and beats of Beatles songs have influenced many modern
song writers. You cannot have grown up in the era of the Beatles without having their songs in your soul. Com-
posers like Craig Taubman, Danny Maseng, and Rick Recht lived with this music all their lives, and have given
us some wonderful modern melodies to add to our prayers.
Another significant thing that happened in music during the month of February was the passing of the great Pete
Seeger. His music also had a major influence on modern Jewish composers. Jeff Klepper, Debbie Friedman and
others who grew up in the ‘folk music’ era had the music of Pete Seeger to build on, as well as the Beatles. A
lot of their music has a feel of the folk music that Pete brought to our world. I had the experience of hearing him
once, about fifteen years ago, at a folk music festival in Seattle. His music got into my soul, just as the music I
sing each Shabbat gets into my soul.
A final meaningful occurrence that happened to me during the month of February took place on the last Monday
morning service during the final week of my Davennin Leadership Training Institute week. As it was a Monday,
we had a Torah service. As the service leaders were taking the Torah out of the Aron Kodesh, Chazzan Jack
Kessler told us the story of that Torah. It turns out, it was very special.
The Torah was commissioned in 1905, by a family in Berlin. In 1938, the family recognized the danger as the
Nazi party was getting stronger in Germany. They carefully wrapped their family Torah in plastic and buried it in
their backyard. They then left Germany. The Torah remained in that yard until 1952 when the children of the
family went back to retrieve it. The care the family took to wrap it kept it in good condition. This was the Torah
we about to read from. Instead of just walking around our synagogue and having each of us touch the Torah with
our tallit or book, we actually passed it to each other. One by one we held that Torah in our arms, hugging it as if
hugging a child. As I was waiting for my turn, all I could think and feel was that I had to hold that Torah. I had
to have something that escaped such an evil in my arms for just a moment. All in the room were moved, the feel-
ing still affects me even today.
So now, after an eventful month of February (and Adar I) I am ready to move into March and the month of Adar
II, to celebrate Purim, and to get ready for the next month and Pesach.
May the next month bring much joy and shalom for all,
Cantor Marla Goldberg
P’nai Tikvah Book Group 5774
THE PARTICULARS WHO: All members of our Congregation P’nai Tikvah community
WHEN: April 17, 2014 @ 6:45 PM
July 17, 2014 @ 6:45 PM WHERE: Home of Jane Kusel 2645 Evening Sky Drive Henderson, NV 89052 702-407-5077 (H) [email protected]
WHAT/WHY: 4 evenings translated into 4 journeys of the senses through shared dissections of the readings below. *Limited to 12 voices-please RSVP in a timely fashion
Remaining Selections for This Year
April Book: TOO JEWISH Patty Friedmann
Autobiographical at its roots, this novel absorbs the reader into the heavily assimilat-
ed New Orleans Jewish community. Bernie Cooper escapes Nazi Germany and ends up
in LA only to find himself the victim of a new prejudice against Jews-the kind that comes
from other Jews.
July Book: COMING OF AGE...AGAIN Carol B. Mizrahi
Lighter fare for hot days, the humor, moxie and wisdom of four friends finds its voice
around the table of a weekly mahjongg game. Barbara, Irene, Rochelle, and Syl-
via understand that their carefully orchestrated lives are falling apart and prove that "coming
of age" can happen more than once. It’s not too soon to suggest books for next year. To do so, please send your suggestions directly to Jane Kusel at [email protected] It’s not too late to join in the fun; all you need to do is read the book and let Jane know that you’ll be there!
5
6
Women’s Rosh Chodesh Group
Our get-together to greet Adar Aleph
was focused on “The Masks We
Wear” which developed into an en-
riching meaningful discussion, when
we met early in February.
We will meet to welcome the month
of Adar Bet, March 2nd at the home
of Jennifer Cohen. Our theme will
be “Queen Esther, Bella Abzug and
Bess Myerson: Costumes, Leadership
and Identity.” RSVP to Jennifer at
702-896-4973 or [email protected]
In April, the month of Sivan, we will
not have a formal meeting. We will
meet together before “A Night to
Honor Israel” at the Bagel Café on
Buffalo near Summerlin Parkway.
In May, we will continue our Rosh
Chodesh series at the home of Ann
Mandell., where we will welcome in
the month of Iyar.
Box Tops For Education are an Easy Way to Support
P’nai Tikvah’s Jewlicious Learning Program!
Box Tops for Education is a very simple way for you to contribute to CPT’s Jewlicious Learning program every time you shop! Clip box tops from hundreds of products. Each box top is worth 10 cents for the program, and some products are offering double and triple box tops! Bring them to services with you and place them in the “Box Tops for Education” box. For a complete list of products bearing the Box Tops for Education symbol, go to: http://www.boxtops4education.com .
All Box Tops should be brought to Shabbat Services or sent to Dale Gardner @ [email protected]
Mitzvah Envelopes:
Mitzvah envelopes are given out at services
with the hope that they will be filled out and
returned with a donation for the congrega-
tion. Honoring or remembering loved ones,
giving tzedakah for a MiShebeirach, simply
being thankful for meaningful services, and
any other reason you can think of helps the
congregation’s sustainability and funds future
programming.
continued on page 9
WOULDJEW BELIEVE: THE PURIM EDITION Marnie Winston-Macauley
Many of our holidays are a mixture of joys and oys! Purim of course, commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish
people in ancient Persia from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman. In the story, recorded in the Biblical
Book of Esther (Megillat Esther), Haman, royal vizier to King Ahasuerus planned to kill the Jews, but his plans
were foiled by Mordechai and Queen Esther. The day of deliverance for We Jews, is one of pure Joy for We Jews,
who feast, rejoice (and have been known to drink a little – or a lot). Here are some things you may or may not
know … but are ever fascinating about Purim.
A BIT MEGILLAH OVER … “MAKING A MEGILLAH?” The Megillah, the Book of Esther, as we know, is a loong detailed account, that’s read in the synagogue during
Purim. It’s the longest verse in the Bible. (The original text contains 43 words while the English translation has
90.) From this, came the expression "the whole megillah," as in “… then he talked about his hernia operation and
we had to hear the whole megillah,” meaning “oyyyy – every detail he tells us, for hours.” Over the years, the
word has been expanded and embraced by Jews and Gentiles alike to describe a major drama or a big deal. Lis-
ten:
Judy Woodruff used it during the 2000 Presidential race, saying: "We're waiting for the vote from Florida. That's
the big megillah."
A White House spokesman said of Clinton’s second inauguration, "The President and First Lady wanted it to be
less of a megillah."
In 1965, a The New York Times reviewer said: "This is a big megillah of a novel."
A 1995, a Wheaties ad announced: "Wheaties. ... It's the whole megillah."
Not one of the above was dressed as Queen Esther at the time. Pity.
ENTER RIGHT: THE YIDDISH THEATER We Jews can credit Purim plays for giving birth to the modern Yiddish Theater, which began in Romania in 1876,
notably through the work of producer, playwright, and manager, Abraham Goldfaden. It soon spread through Eu-
rope and the U.S., thriving for years in New York City. Great names and family dynasties dominated. Some of the
most prominent were Sigmund Mogulesko who was the first great comedian of the genre in the late 1800s. Others
included Aaron Lebedoff, Ludwig Satz, Max Bozyk, Michel Rosenberg, the Burstein family, Jacob Jacobs, Leo
Fuchs, Henrietta Jacobson — and of course, Molly Picon, Menasha Skolnik and Muni Weisenfreund a.k.a. Paul
Muni. Currently there are attempts to revive this art form, so … the next time you Der Yeshiva Bokher (a Yiddish
version of Hamlet), take with you a bag of
Hamentashen and maybe a bottle of Schnapps – or two!
NICANOR IS NOT TO BE IGNORED! “What” you may ask is Nicanor which I admit sounds like a salute to Santa in Rio de Janeiro.
Actually, it’s Jewish. This long forgotten holiday, occurring the day Before Purim, was originally observed as a
festival. By the seventh century, it all but disappeared, replaced by the Fast of Esther. Nicanor Day marked the
anniversary of Judah the Maccabee's defeat of Syrian general Nicanor in 161 BCE – by beheading. OY! if we
Jews eat hamantashen (Haman's ears) on Purim, I shudder to think what we’d be nibbling on Nicanor.
THE FIRST PIONEER PURIM BALL Jennie Migel-Drachman, born in 1859 in Russia, daughter of a Jewish merchant, married Samuel Drachman at age
17. They went to Tucson, where they resided for 37 years, raised four children and pioneered Jewish life in the
region. Sam acted as lay rabbi and was the first president of Temple Emanu-El, while Jennie was active in the He-
brew Ladies Benevolent Society. In 1886, The “Tucson Citizen” described the first Purim Ball Jennie helped plan,
as: “The most brilliant social event in the history of Tucson.”
7
8
WOULDJEW BELIEVE: THE PURIM EDITION (continued from page7)
QUICKIE PURIM FACTS
*Purim is one of the few Jewish holidays not commanded in the Torah.
* The day on which Purim is celebrated (14th of Adar) can never occur on the Sabbath. The Jews of Jerusalem,
who celebrate the 15th of Adar, then must celebrate a "three day Purim"
* God's name isn't mentioned in the entire Scroll of Esther.
* Chickpeas are eaten at Purim reminding us of Queen Esther’s fare to avoid treif in the king’s palace.
* Purim challah is long and braided signifying the ropes that tied Haman.
* The earliest Purim celebration, during the Talmudic period, was in the second century CE.
*The Hadassah organization was in 1912 –on Purim! Hadassah is another name for Esther (Persian derivative).
And while we’re on the subject, Queen Esther Street is found in the heart of Tel Aviv. But it gets better, there are
towns named Esther in Missouri and Louisiana!
*Achashverosh searched four years for a queen, looking over more than 1400 contestants, before choosing Esther!
(And we worry about that poor group of “Batchelorettes!”)
The latest in fashion for Pesach. Tired of getting on
your hands and knees cleaning out the chometz?
Try on this fashion statement and dance your way
through this year’s cleaning. One size fits all, avail-
able in a variety of brush sizes.
9
These two couples get together at one of their
houses, and afterward the husbands are talking
in the living room; the women are in the kitchen.
One of the men says, “I was at this restaurant
yesterday. For twelve dollars, you can eat five
meals-it’s unbelievable! Fantastic! The food was
delicious.”
The other guy says, "What's the name of the
restaurant?”
He says, “Uh...hmm...the name of the restau-
rant. I forgot the name of the restaurant. Oh,
wait. What’s the name of the flower, that red
flower? It smells good, it’s got thorns on it…”
The other guy says. “You mean ‘rose’?”
He says, “Yeah! That’s it! Hey, Rose, what’s
the name of that restaurant?
From Old Jews Telling Jokes by Sam Hoffman
Every pleasure comes directly from Heaven-even jokes and quips-but only if they are told out of honest joy.
-Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz
JEWLICIOUS LEARNERS: The last Monday in February was spent preparing to make some noise
for Purim. We will be
spending time in the month
of Adar Bet (aka March)
preparing our Jewlicious Pu-
rimSpiel . We will also be
increasing our knowledge of
Hebrew and tefillah
(prayer).
Even as we quickly approach
the end of the year of
Jewlicious Learning, there
are still open seats for your child or grandchild to participate in the
learning and friendship that Jewlicious learning has to offer.
10
New Class Offering: Jewish, Alive & Ameri-
can – 30 sessions, beginning in September.
Beginning in September and continuing for 30 sessions,
Rabbi Mintz will teach a series on Jewish, Alive & Ameri-
can.
JAA is an intensive survey course covering all things Jew-
ish that is designed to meet the needs of adult learners who
have never been exposed to this material, were exposed
but would like a refresher, or who are not Jewish and want
to learn what Judaism is all about. This very interactive,
experiential class will explore the hows and whys of the
complete Jewish holiday cycle, take a look at the Reconstructionist view of God and pray-
er, compare the four main branches of Judaism today, take a quick tour of Jewish Great
Books, and pay close attention to what we do and why in all life cycle rituals. We will also
look at “What Judaism Says” about current topics of the day.
If you are interested in conversion and you are interested in taking this course, call the
office at 702.436.4900 and schedule an appointment to meet with Rabbi Mintz.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — For just one day, the kitchen of the Vatican hotel where Pope Francis lives went kosher. Rabbi Jaakov Spizzichino oversaw the scrupulous cleaning of countertops, the boiling of utensils and the heating of the oven to render it fit for cooking under Jewish dietary laws. The occasion? A four-course lunch Francis hosted for a dozen Argentine rabbis last week. It was another sign of his close friendship with Jews, despite some complaints in Israel that he's giving the Jewish state short-shrift on his upcoming trip to the Holy Land. The Vatican has hosted kosher meals for visiting Jewish delegations on several occasions, and Francis famously provided kosher takeout for one of his best friends, Rabbi Abraham Skorka, when Skorka stayed with him at the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel last year. But the Jan. 16 luncheon in Santa Marta's dining room was a special occasion that warranted more — including the extensive, rabbinically supervised sterilizing of the hotel kitchen that on-site kosher cooking entails. The Vatican pulled out all the stops as Francis hosted Skorka and about 15 other rabbis from Bue-nos Aires who came to Rome to visit their old friend. It turned to Ba'Ghetto, one of the best kosher restaurants on the other side of the Tiber River, to cater the affair. "I decided to do it simple, because the pope is simple," said Amit Dabush, Ba'Ghetto's Israeli-born co-owner. "But the menu was full: He had to make a 'bella figura'" — a good impression — on his guests. To do so, however, required on-site cooking, and that required Dabush and Spizzichino, a kosher inspector with Rome's chief rabbinate, to sterilize the small kitchen off the main dining room kitch-en. A key issue was the oven: according to Jewish dietary laws, an oven in a non-kosher kitchen must sit idle for 24 hours and be cleaned and turned on full blast for an hour to sterilize it, Spizzichino said. So on the morning of the luncheon, Dabush, some restaurant workers and Spizzichino set to work early: scorching the oven and burners, scouring the kitchen countertops and covering them with aluminum foil to prevent the kosher food from being contaminated. They boiled and sterilized the big pots used for making pasta and set the tables with Ba'Ghetto's own plates and utensils. "It was a kitchen that they rarely used, so it was very clean," Spizzichino said. The menu was heavily fish-based: antipasti of deep-fried artichokes; baked sardines with endive and tangy, grilled zucchini. The pasta course featured two selections: gnocchi with rocket, tomato and pine nuts, and hand-made trofie, or little twists of pasta with sea bass and tomatoes. The main course had two choices of fish: baked turbot wrapped with vegetables or the house specialty, salt cod with tomatoes, pine nuts, grapes and potatoes. Given the palates of his Argentine guests, Francis also offered beef filet with a Barolo wine reduc-tion, which most chose, though he himself stuck to fish. Salad and roasted potatoes came next fol-lowed by desert: two torts of chestnut and sour cherry, and the pope's favorite, pistachio mousse, made with a soy-based creamer imported from Israel to substitute the dairy that isn't allowed in a kosher meal featuring meat. In an interview with Vatican Radio, Skorka — with whom the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio wrote a book about faith — said the rabbinical delegation came to Rome to "show our affection, our support, and seal our friendship, not just personal but as a group." He said he couldn't wait to pray at Jerusalem's Western Wall with Francis during his May 24-26 trip to Jordan, Israel and the West Bank. The trip, however, has caused some consternation in Israel given that Francis' predecessors — Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI — spent significantly more time in Israel during their landmark visits and celebrated Mass in Israel proper. Francis' current plans for religious services only include a Mass in the Palestinian town of Bethle-hem in the West Bank and an ecumenical service with the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Chris-tians at Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre church. "It's wonderful that he's coming but it's regrettable that he'll be here for such a short time — a third of the time that his predecessors were here, and neglecting the main body of Christianity in the Ho-ly Land, which is in the Galilee," said Rabbi David Rosen, head of interfaith relations at the Ameri-can Jewish Committee. Nevertheless, he said he expected Catholic-Jewish relations would continue to flourish under Fran-cis, following the same path begun by his predecessors.
For Lunch with Argentine rabbis,
Vatican hotel kitchen goes kosher. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/popes-vatican-hotel-kitchen-goes-kosher-day, 2/25/2014 T 1628 PST
Article written by Nicole Winfield; Submitted by Phyllis Zuckerman
11
12
13
Does Jewish Renewal Have a Future? Posted on FEBRUARY 2, 2014 Written by EJP 3 COMMENTS
by Rabbi Sid Schwarz (author of Jewish Megatrends)
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time at the annual gathering of Ohala, the rab-binical association of the Jewish Renewal movement, and at a shabbaton led by students stud-ying at Aleph, the rabbinical training program of the movement.
Although I knew quite a few people at the conference, I came as an outsider. I was invited to deliver the keynote to the Ohala national convention based on the work that I do with rabbis and congregations around re-imagining these institutions. A fairly comprehensive summary of my keynote appeared in a blogpost by the Velveteen Rabbi. Here I want to share a few im-pressions that I took away from my visit.
Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi continues to be a powerful presence in the Jewish Renewal movement. The conference takes place near his home in Boulder, CO so as to make it easier for him to be present. People approach Reb Zalman with great respect and reverence. When he speaks, he fully commands the attention of the room. He has earned this status. Reb Zal-man is one of the most important voices of Judaism in our time. Though he has had conven-tional jobs as a Hillel rabbi, University professor, author and lecturer, he is anything but con-ventional. In fact he is the ultimate boundary crosser. After escaping Nazi Europe in 1941, he was a Lubavitcher working on college campuses. But he soon made his reputation as a spiritu-al teacher who made company with the likes of Shlomo Carlebach, Ram Dass and the Dali La-ma. I know of no other teacher who can move so seamlessly between Chasidic texts, Eastern religious traditions, Native American heritage and secular American culture. His groundbreak-ing work in what he terms, “davvenology” permeates all the work done in the movement.
For anyone who finds worship in American synagogues boring, a small dose of Jewish Renewal prayer is worth a try. It isn’t for everyone but the use of chanting, meditation, movement, un-conventional readings and personal sharing does provide much of what so many Jews are chasing in non-Jewish spiritual settings. Not surprisingly the rabbis who have been ordained by Reb Zalman and now the more formal rabbinical training program they have called Aleph, are classic spiritual seekers themselves. As the program for ordination and other spiritual leader-ship programs have become more rigorous it is clear that those training with Aleph are se-lecting this path with great intentionality.
It is ironic that much of what Reb Zalman and Jewish Renewal were developing 30 years ago
and more is now making its way into mainstream American synagogues. Congregations of all
denominations can now be found experimenting with meditation, yoga, drumming, chanting
and movement, if not in their main services than in alternate venues that are sanctioned by
the rabbi. This “borrowing” has led to some degree of
Continued on page 16
Are you thinking about becoming a member?
Then please join some fellow members of our congregation and
our Rabbi for lunch and getting to know one-another
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2014
Time: 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Where: 1742 Lansbrook Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada
RSVP: Dale at 702.456.7002
14
15
KIDZ KORNER for March
Rich Neil March 3
Jerald Cohen March 6
Marge Lieberman March 10
Harriet Bernstein March 14
Lesley Korach March 15
De’Anne Ernst March 16
Jane Kusel March 18
Lesley Wagemesiter March 19
Torrey Barrett March 20
John Wennstrom March 21
Laura Kraft-Sussman March 26
Phyllis Zuckerman March 30
16
Does Jewish Renewal Have a Future? (continued from page 13)
resentment among the longtime leaders of the movement although I did not hear any such complaint from Reb Zalman himself.
The sentiment expressed is that mainstream Jewish denominations take advantage of the R and D work of Jewish Renewal without any attribution while, at the same time, Jewish Renew-al struggles to gain acceptance and financial support. Frankly, Mordecai Kaplan and the Recon-structionist Movement can tell exactly the same story as fifty years ago non-Orthodox move-ments cherry picked Kaplan’s most attractive ideas and made them their own even as the movement that Kaplan helped to launch struggled for recognition and support.
One hears within the confines of the Jewish Renewal movement some anxiety about their fu-ture. While there were some young faces at the national gathering, most of the audience was made up of people in their 50’s, 60, and 70’s. While second career rabbis are becoming more common across the denominational spectrum, the Renewal rabbinate clearly skews older than most. The number of congregations in the Renewal network is growing but very few seem to be able to support full time rabbis no less a full complement of other professionals. Renewal rabbis are also competing in a shrinking synagogue market place. Yet if there is growth in that sector it is likely going to come from independent, non-denominational groups of Jews who are drawn to the leadership and style of a given rabbi. This is a trend that Renewal rabbis may be able to capitalize on.
In Renewal circles there is a lot of excitement about the explosive growth of Romemu, a new congregation founded by Rabbi David Ingber on the Upper West Side of Manhattan which has grown to 500 households in less than two years. The charismatic Ingber was ordained by Reb Zalman and he is candid about the debt he owes to Jewish Renewal in shaping his approach to Jewish life. Yet he himself is unsure whether the Jewish Renewal label will be an asset or a lia-bility in growing his congregation.
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Jewish Renewal in the coming years is the extent to which they try to build the infrastructure of a denomination. For decades they reveled in their outsider status, suggesting that their post-denominational approach to Jewish life was more consistent with the ethos of a post-modern Jewish community. Yet today there are several post-denominational seminaries including Hebrew College in Boston and the Academy of Jew-ish Religion in New York and Los Angeles (independent of each other though bearing the same name). In addition, both United Synagogue (Conservative) and the URJ (Reform) broke all the old rules of denominational Judaism at their recent, respective national conventions as they invited in a broad array of rabbis and teachers who were not card carrying members of their movements. When even the biggest denominations of American Judaism go post-denominational, it makes it harder for Jewish Renewal to make a case to foundations and po-tential funders.
All this is not to say that Jewish Renewal has no future. At a recent retreat that I led for rabbin-
ical students from eleven seminaries across the denominational spectrum (I do this regularly
under the auspices of the Rabbis Without Borders program of Clal), a student
continued on page 20
On’gai Shabbat and nid’vei Leiv
17
On’gai Shabbat— Time to Sign up!
We still have a few openings left for those of you who want to celebrate a simcha or com-memorate the memory of a loved one by spon-soring an Oneg Shabbat. And for you foodies who want to get your Bobby Flay or Gordon Ramsey on, there’s still time! Check the schedule below; an opening is your oppor-tunity:
March 7 Sponsor/Caterer -Nancey Eason
March 21 Sponsor/Caterer-The Phyllis
tan’s
April 4 SIGN UP TODAY!!!
April 18 SPONSOR: could be you
Caterer-Scott Linker-in Honor of Sabrina’s Birthday
May 2 Sponsor-Roz Tessler and
Harriet Bernstein CATERER-could be you
May 16th Sponsor/Caterer-The Phyllis
tan’s
June 6th Sponsor/Caterer -
Nancey Eason
June 20th Sponsor-Hariet Miller in
Honor of 84th Birthday CATERER-could be you Call the office at (702) 436-4900 or email [email protected] to book your date now!
Nid’vei Leiv—Contributions from the heart
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Rozlyne Tessler
Jennifer Cohen
Phyllis and Stan Zuckerman, in memory of Dee Cachirea, in
honor of Phyllis Zuckerman’s 64th Birthday
In memory of
From Zandra Bender in memory of Bertha Platt
From Harriet Bender in memory of Louis Tessler
From Ann Brandt in memory of my father-in-law, Frank
Brandt
From Dotti Elgart in memory of Ken Elgart
From Ellen Halperin-Royer in memory of my father, Fred
Halperin
From Rozlyne Tessler in memory of Louis Tessler
In Honor of B’Nei Simchat Chochmah Cohort II
Ann Brandt
Cantor Marla Goldberg
Nancy Goldberg
From Lois Haraughty in honor of Maxine Blechman
becoming a Bat Simchat Chochmah
From Frances Bolkins in honor of Maxine Blechman
becoming a Bat Simchat Chochmah
General Fund
Barbara Holland
Arlene Waters
MiSheBerach
David Aris
Harriet Bernstein for Richard Feder and Scott Dykstra
Rosh Chodesh
Debbie Eidelman
Torah Study
David Aris
A big Todah Rabah to all of you who vol-unteer at our events by cooking, cleaning and sharing a helping hand.
Happy Anniversary to
Anjuli and Justin Adler-Swanberg March 1
Zandra and Elliot Bender March 9
Wendy and Laura Kraft-Sussman March 11
Susan and Rick Bindhamer March 24
A happy marriage is a long conversation
which always seems too short. -Andre Maurois
Updated address
for the Epstein’s:
1425 Montezuma
#210
Columbus, TX
78934
18
Mi Shebeirach/”Get Well” Wishes to…
Marie Ackerman
Marjorie Lieberman
D’vorah Turrentine
Edith Rome
Elliot Bender
Karen Boyett
Wendy Linker
Maya Granat
Richard & Eric Wulff
Phyllis Zuckerman
Ron Gries
Rosemarie Chapman
Connie Rivchun
Scott Dykstra
Anne Altman
Barry Goodwin
Susan Weiman
Carl Cowan
Fran Silverman
Rowen James
David Epstein
Libby Miller
Matt Cohen
Shayna Fried
Randi Fried
Max Van de Camp
Henry Glowa
Norman Fried
Robert Miller
Arlene Cohen
Paul Goldstein
Seth Horowitz
Arleen Gibson
Richard Steinberg
Brazyl Monique Ward
Pinky Garcia
Susan Margolin
Joyce Schneider
Helene Bernstein
Jay Berger
Bernie Gehring
Scott Simon
Esther Schwartz
Seth Axelrod
Sonny Mayron
Barbara Grossman
Deborah Williams
Kathleen Broener
Marylou Lowther
Barbara Brookes
Brenda Gomez
Marjory Burnstein
Lucy Muller
Paul Bodner
Howard Fox
Sylvia Fox
Ronnie Buchman
YAHRZEITS
FOR MARCH
19
Rudolph Berdy -Remembered by Barbara Finkelberg, Debbie Mindlin & Lynn Pisetzner Frank Brandt -Remembered by Ann Brandt Abraham Feldman -Remembered by Barbara & Andrew Holland Michael Kosso -Remembered by Kristen Jaeger & Tim Lockett Esther & Ben Marber -Remembered by Sam Marber Basha Piekarsky -Remembered by Jay & Ronald Piekarsky Louis Tessler -Remembered by Harriet Bernstein & Roz Tessler Henrietta Bloch Zuckerman -Remembered by Stan Zuckerman
Remembering Friends and Family: If you know of someone who can use a little cheer in their life be-cause of illness or a death in their family-or a sim-cha -mazel tov celebra-tion; the "Sunshine Lady” Phyllis Zuckerman would like to send a card. Please contact her at: 702.617.0585 or [email protected]
Memorial plaques are available;
to honor the departed,
to inspire the living.
to be remembered in the hearts of those
we leave behind is,
in a sense, to live forever
.
For further information, call the Synagogue office at
702-436-4900
Mitzvah donations also appreciated
When someone you love
becomes a memory,
the memory becomes
a treasure
Submitted by Phyllis Zuckerman
20
Does Jewish Renewal Have a Future? (continued from page 16)
from the Orthodox seminary, Chovevei Torah, commented that the tefillah he experienced at the retreat opened him up to levels of kavannah (deep, intentional spirituality) that he rarely experiences in Orthodox settings. Clearly this was the influence of the Aleph students who pushed the boundaries of what can happen in prayer space. I will also say that the four days I spent in the Jewish Renewal community were filled with a level of heartfulness, compassion and spiritual depth that is hard to come by in most Jewish settings today.
I’ve spent the past two years traveling the country first writing and then discussing Jewish Megatrends and the future direction of the American Jewish community. From what I can see, the Jewish community can use a healthy dose of what Jewish Renewal has to offer. I never bet against heart.
Rabbi Sid Schwarz is the director of the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI), a program sponsored by Clal: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, training visionary spiritual leaders for the American Jewish community. He is also the author of “Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Community” (Jewish Lights).
- See more at: http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/does-jewish-renewal-have-a-future/
#sthash.x2RT8yKg.dpuf
21
22
23
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE:
March 2 Women’s Rosh Chodesh at 7:00 pm at the home of Jennifer Cohen
March 3 Jewlicious Learning 4:15 pm
March 3 Introduction to Talmud 7:00 pm
March 7 Tot Shabbat 6:30pm at Kraft-Sussman Chapel
March 7 Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Services 7:30pm at Kraft-Sussman Chapel
March 8 Torah Study at the home of Rabbi Mintz 10:00am
March 9 JFSA 7th Annual Tzedakah Event featuring Frankie Moreno 4:00pm
March 10 Jewlicious Learning 4:15 pm
March 10 Introduction to Talmud 7:00 pm
March 13 Ta'anit Esther—Fast of Esther
March 13 Board Meeting at Acacia Springs Resort 7:00 pm
March 15 “Come As You Aren’t” Purim Celebration at the home of Rabbi Mintz
7:00 pm-RSVP’s REQUIRED
March 16 Purim
March 17 Jewlicious Learning 4:15 pm
March 17 Introduction to Talmud 7:00 pm
March 21 Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Services 7:30pm at Kraft-Sussman Chapel
March 22 Torah Study at the home of Rabbi Mintz 10:00am
March 24 Jewlicious Learning 4:15 pm
March 24 Introduction to Talmud 7:00 pm
March 31 Jewlicious Learning 4:15 pm
March 31 Introduction to Talmud 7:00 pm
April 2 “Love of Israel” Jewish National Fund Breakfast
Call office to RSVP-702.436.4900
April 6 First educational Holocaust Passover Seder at Rio All Suites Hotel
and Casino-see flyer in newsletter
April 6 “A Night to Honor Israel”
April 14 First Night of Passover
April 15 Community Seder at Blasco Wing at UNLV Foundation Bldg-
Call office for tickets-702.436.4900
April 17 CPT Book Club discusses “Too Jewish” at the home of Jane Kusel
Blessing for the Month of Adar Bet:
May we be blessed with receiving increased joy this month and, likewise,
with increasing joy for one another. Amein 24
Kol Kiruv, the newsletter of Congregation P’nai Tikvah, is available on-line at www.pnaitikvahlv.org at no cost. If mailed, hard copy delivery is $36 annually. Please notify us and remit payment .
Shabbat Purim