january 2014 tevet/shevat 5774 · resume wednesday, january 8. pancake breakfast sunday, january...

January 2014 Tevet/Shevat 5774

The Family Record | January 2014 2

Israel Awareness, Advocacy and Action Each issue of the Family Record is an opportunity to share with you something new and exciting we are achieving at Congregation Beth Torah. This month, I want to focus on the subject of Israel. There are many

in our community for whom the subject of Israel or current affairs in the Middle East is more than an arm’s length away. We do not know as much as we could, or arguably should, about the constantly changing landscape of Israel and Middle Eastern affairs. Thanks to some thoughtful planning and partnership with our lay leadership, Beth Torah is making great strides in programming and efforts to better inform and involve you, our members.

I am personally excited that we have filled an open spot among the synagogue Board of Trustees with Magdi Olah serving as the new chair of the Israel Action Committee. Out of this we had, last month, the first of I hope many fascinating and compelling programs to occur at Beth Torah and off-site. About twenty-five people attended a fascinating and comprehensive analysis of current affairs throughout the Middle East presented by Gil Elan, President & CEO of the Southwest Jewish Congress. Elan is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF and a widely regarded expert on Israel and the Middle East. He shared facts and thought provoking stories (some that had changed as recently as that Sunday) some of which included information previously unpublished and unknown within Israeli relations. Learning is a step toward doing and being better advocates, being able to address issues that are of greatest interest and concern to us. You can and will I hope join me at future events planned by the Israel Action Committee in concert with myself and our education program at CBT.

Another opportunity you will have is to learn more about AIPAC, America’s pro-Israel lobby. The mission of AIPAC is “to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of Israel and the United States.” Last

month we were treated to a warm and engaging evening at the home of congregant Bob Austein where we heard from Jerry Greenspan, Deputy Southwest Regional Political Director at AIPAC. We exchanged stories from past Policy Conferences and learned from Jerry and the Assistant Area Director, Leora Goldblatt. The impact of lobbying and the figures of the annual Policy Conference are astonishing. The opportunities for learning, action and engagement are endless and we were individually and collectively inspired.

These are just two of a number of Israel-related initiatives taking place at CBT. It’s an exciting time to engage on the subject and I look forward to you joining the discussion.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 3 President

4 Member News

5 Upcoming Events

6 Learning Center

7 Preschool

8 Youth & Men’s Club

9 Tu B’Shevat Dinner

12 Youth & Men’s Club

10 Sisterhood

13 Ritual

14 Jerseys & Jokers

15 Pizmon

17 SIR

Do you have announcements you want shared in The Family Record? Send us your news and photos online. Find links at www.congregationbethtorah.org

16 Fundraising

From Rabbi Cohen

Toddah Rabbah to our November Minyan Attendees

Arny Felner Ivan Kaufman Neil Burnstein Rabbi Cohen Phil Stayman Marc Kesner Michael Coren Joe Liken Laura Halper Chuck Smith Bob Glosser Herb Schachter Lou Kaiser Rusty Dworkin David Dropkin David Duchin Earl Bills Garry Kahalnik Myron Weiss Kathleen Glosser Nat Cohen Sandy Dorf Tony Tello

January 2014 | The Family Record 3

Chevre,

As we all enjoy our winter break and turn the calendar to 2014, I thought it an appropriate time to pause and reflect. I spoke at the Congregation Information Meeting about the need for balance between what Congregation Beth Torah has to offer our congregational family and the specific needs and wants that each of you have at this time.

Last week, I met with a congregant where we discussed Congregation Beth Torah and each of us “finding our Spot.” A “Spot” can be many things, or just one thing. It’s the feeling of connection which brings each of us closer to our Beth Torah community. Your Spot can take on any number of variations; whether Ritual, Social, Education, or Social Justice. What is your “Spot” at CBT?

Are you looking for a closer, more meaningful connection to our services? Perhaps you are looking to increase your study of Torah and challenge our teachings to today’s Conservative movement? Maybe it’s learning the Shabbat prayers or Torah Trope. What about a spiritual jumpstart?

Are you looking for that social, community connection that comes from finding common interests with your peer group? (i.e. USY, Young Families, Keruv, Men’s Club, The Middle, Sisterhood or Chai Lights). Here you can combine both the social and communal experiences with congregants who have similar interests.

Are you and your family looking for greater involvement in Education from Youth to Adult? We have seen great success in programming for all ages and interests. Our revitalized Adult Education and Israel Action committees are delivering outstanding speakers on current issues. Do you have some ideas that you feel would make for a great program? Let us hear about it.

For those of you who have found your Spot: make a call, bring a friend. Bring others in on your experiences. For those of you in the middle of your journey I ask you this question: What can we do to help you find your Spot in the coming year? Sometimes it’s as simple as showing up and experiencing the ruach of the moment.

From the President Alan Hoffman

Rabbinic Search Update: As promised, we wanted to provide an update to our Rabbi Search efforts to this point. The posting went active in mid-November. Since then, we have received 13 resumes and begun the phone and Skype interviewing process. These

resumes have been received over the last 30 days and we are working on different stages of the process with each potential candidate. We are pleased with the variety of backgrounds and gifts these candidates bring and will continue to get to know them to determine those that will be the best fit for Congregation Beth Torah. We will continue to keep you updated and appreciate your support and confidence in the full committee.


In the Family CONDOLENCES

Gilbert Davis—Father of Laurie Sutkin Sandford Katz—Uncle of Frannie Simpson

ANNIVERSARIES

Julie & Craig Paul 1/2 32 yrs

Barbara & David Rosen 1/2 18 yrs

Judy & Howard Bazarsky 1/3 43 yrs

Arlene & Barry Berlin 1/4 28 yrs

Erin & Geoffrey Margow 1/4 5 yrs

Michelle & Stephen Falk 1/6 7 yrs

Jody & Jeffrey Mann 1/7 36 yrs

Esther & Jeffrey Mosoff 1/9 37 yrs

Susan & Lawrence Schwartz 1/14 35 yrs

Myrna & Kenneth Robins 1/15 53 yrs

Liz & Adam Gluckman 1/16 21 yrs

Dianna & Michael Levy 1/18 10 yrs

Sheila & Jeff Orkin 1/22 9 yrs

Stephanie & Jared Elad 1/24 4 yrs

Mary & Nick Liuzza 1/25 50 yrs

Phyllis & Charles Lyons 1/26 29 yrs

Helene & Harry Morris 1/28 47 yrs

Cynthia & Lawrence Korenman 1/31 20 yrs

Aleksandra & Barry Rosen 1/31 15 yrs

Talia Kramer became a Bat Mitzvah, Friday & Saturday, December 20 & 21.

Mazal Tov to...

Have you noticed the bright blue bin in our parking lot? It magically transforms

shoes, clothing, belts, hats, caps, purses, toys, backpacks, pots and

pans, and stuffed animals into funds to support Beth Torah’s Learning

Center! (Please do not leave furniture of any kind, knives, kitchen appliances,

appliances with cords, or items of glass.

All this green fundraiser needs to make the magic happen is your donations.

Questions? Contact Ruth Schor at 972.234.1542 x232.


ISRAELI DANCING

Wednesdays (MP Room) 7:30 Beginners

8:30 More Advanced $5 for non-members

Contact: Linda Kahalnik Email: [email protected]

Goings—On... Junior Congregation 10:30 AM (MPR) on Saturdays, January 4, 11, 18, and 25.

Tot Shabbat 11:00 AM (MPR) on Saturdays, January 11 and 25.

Learning Center Classes Learning Center is on break. Classes resume Wednesday, January 8.

Pancake Breakfast Sunday, January 12, join Men’s Club and Learning Center for their annual breakfast. For questions, contact Ruth Schor at 972.234.1542 x232.

Annual Bowl-a-Thon Sunday, January 12, Beth Torah’s Rashi USY, Kadima, and Gareen youth programs invite you and your families to bowl! See page 8 for details!

Chai Lights Speaker Program Sunday, January 12, Sherry Zandar will speak on the history of small synagogues across the country. $5 per person. For questions or to attend, contact Joy & Herb Weinstein at [email protected].

Adult Education Sunday, January 19 at 7:30 PM, join us for Maimonides'—and Our Own—Confrontation With Modernity

Ladies Who Lunch Tuesday, January 21. For details, RSVP to Carol Taper at [email protected] or 972.931.0202.

NEW! Sisterhood Mahj Wednesday, January 22, from 4:45 PM to 6:45 PM, play Mahj in the CBT lobby. Future dates are February 19, March 26, and April 23.

Sisterhood Shabbat January 24 & 25, join CBT for our annual Sisterhood Shabbat (see page 10 for details).

Board Meeting January 27 at 7:30 PM, Congregation Beth Torah’s Board will meet in the Oneg Room.

Texas Hold’em Poker Come for a night of friendship and fun on Tuesday, January 28, 7PM. $20 members and $25 non-members. Questions? Email Neil Burnstein at [email protected].

Sisterhood Book Club Wednesday, January 15, join the book club when they discuss The Innocents by Francesca Segal. See page 11 for more information.

Congregational Tu B’Shevat Dinner Friday, January 17 at 6PM, join CBT as Learning Center hosts Shabbat dinner followed by services at 7PM. For more information or to volunteer to help prepare the meal, contact Ruth Schor at 972.234.1542 x232. Look for your reservation flyer in upcoming announcements.

Friday Night Shabbat Change Services on Friday, January 17, will begin at 7PM so that all may enjoy Shabbat dinner hosted by Learning Center.

Lox-n-Bagel Breakfast Sunday, January 19, join Men’s Club for minyan at 8:30 AM followed by breakfast and speaker, Pete Delkus. $7/members and $10/non-members. Questions? Contact David Mandell at [email protected].

Sisterhood Mahj Sunday, January 19, join Sisterhood from 9:30 AM to noon for Mahj. See pages 10 & 11 for details.

Are You In the Middle? Your kids are older...and maybe even out on their own. You’ve finally got the time and resources to think of yourselves for a while. GREAT! Join a fun group of adults in pursuit of schmoozing, making Havdalah,

schmoozing, singing karaoke, schmoozing, snacking...did we say schmoozing? For questions and/or upcoming event dates, contact

Gloria Stayman [email protected].


I am sharing my words with you while I am stranded at home due to icy weather conditions. Facebook is filled with reports of how many hours my Facebook friends have been without electricity and creative writing expressing what it feels like was included in those reports. This was a perfect reminder for me and, hopefully for my friends as well, that the Thanksgivukkah holiday we celebrated a few days ago should last more than one day or a weekend. Its message and values should remain with us as we approach the new civil year of 2014. We should be grateful for electricity and all other miracles that we

experience daily by pushing buttons and turning on and off all kinds of technological miracles. The next rare combination of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will occur in 70,000 years but we can celebrate miracles and gratefulness seven days a week as we approach two new years. Two weeks after celebrating the new civil year, Jews will celebrate another new year which is Tu B’Shevat—the Birthday for the Trees.

The new civil year grants us the opportunity to reflect on the new resolutions and promises we made a few months ago with a religious

purpose. Even the most secular popular New Year’s resolution of losing weight and getting more exercise is embodied with the most important mitzvah of

protecting the body, the unique sanctuary G-d gave each of us in which to dwell. The new year of the tree grants us the opportunity to bloom spiritually along with the beauty

of the magnificent bloom of the almond trees (the famous Shkedinya tree) in Israel.

I am thrilled to share with you that several members of our congregation decided to help our spirit blossom stronger by integrating more awareness, education and programming relating to our Jewish homeland as a vital part of our synagogue life. The new Israel Action committee is headed by Magdi Olah and the Learning Center committee will be joining forces to create joint programs. Together we can enrich our congregants with knowledge and more importantly develop a greater pride in our Jewish identity because we and Israel are Am Echad and Lev Echad, one nation, one heart.

With this in mind, we invite you to a Yom Shishi B’yachad dinner. This will be a Friday night dinner on January 17 for the Learning Center families and congregants. We will welcome the Shabbat around the dinner table where we will also honor the holiday of Tu B’Shevat. Trees played an important role in the rebirth of the State of Israel and 65 years later we are not only celebrating their birthday every year but we also celebrate all the miracles that Israel is performing with nature and the environment.

In his book of Jewish values, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin says, “If you do not already do so. start each day with the Modeh Ani, thanking G-d for the most precious gift of all-life. If you already say this prayer upon rising, then for the next week make a special effort to focus on the words as you recite them, make sure your recitation is not mechanical. Before you say the Modeh Ani, think of at least one reason you are truly happy to be alive, and the sense of awe and gratitude will follow automatically.”

I pray that the new year will be filled with many reasons to be truly happy alive and I wish each of you that sense of awe and gratitude will follow automatically and stay with you forever.

Ruth Schor Learning

Center Director


After the excitement of having Chanukah and Thanksgiving converge, this Jewish year has another interesting twist it is a leap year. We all know about February 29 when we add a day to our calendar every four years. But on the Jewish calendar this happens 7 times each 19 years.

The Jewish calendar being a lunar calendar has 354 days compared to the solar calendar that has 365.

As a result, every 3 years we lose an entire month so the rabbis came up with the plan to add an extra month of ADAR to the calendar every few years. Otherwise, eventually, we would end up celebrating Passover in September and Rosh Hashanah in April.

This Year Tu B’Shevat, the 15th of the month of Shevat, comes really early on January 16.

It is really hard to think of spring and budding almond trees in the heart of our winter. Even in Israel I don’t think you will have many green trees. However Tu B’Shevat, Jewish Arbor Day, is also about hope and faith in God that even though the ground is cold and barren we trust that the seasons will change and God will make the world green again.

Then we will wait two months, instead of one month, of Adar and celebrate Purim.

Chag Sameach

PJ and CBT Young Families Care for the Sick DATE: Sunday

February 9

TIME: 10:30-11:30

LOCATION: Medical City of Dallas Children’s Hospital (7777 Forest Lane, Ste B300)

DETAILS: Join PJ Library and Esther Wolf, our Early Childhood Director, for story time, card-making, snacks, and Teddy Bear Clinic.

WHAT TO BRING: Your Teddy or Doll who is ready for a check-up

in order to participate in the Teddy Bear Clinic.

A new toddler or teen toy to donate to the hospital (optional).

Register to attend today! Contact Beth Seltzer by sending an email to [email protected] or Esther Wolf at [email protected].

Esther Wolf Preschool

Director


Sunday, January 12

2PM—5PM Plano Super Bowl

Support CBT Youth and join us for the best FUNdraiser

Beth Torah’s RASHI’s USY, Kadima, and Gareen youth programs invite you and your families to bowl with us for the afternoon! There will be prizes and raffles and so much more! Sign up with a team or as individual bowlers.

Whether it’s to bowl, sponsor, or donate raffle prizes, do it all online at www.rashibowlathon.com. Questions? Contact Debbie Wills or Rhonda Duchin at [email protected].

Problems with the website? Contact call Debbie Wills at 972.991.7872.

From Men’s Club Men’s Club is staying busy. We’re looking forward to 2014 and all of our great programs and events to come. In January, we’ll have our third annual Learning Center Pancake breakfast on Sunday morning, January 12. Also on January 12, Men’s Club will be participating in the Rashi Bowl-A-Thon. Sign up now and put down Men’s Club as your team!

Our monthly lox and bagels breakfast will be the following week on January 19 when we are to be joined by our previously scheduled December speaker, Pete Delkus, who was ironically iced-out due to the weather that he was covering and our resulting canceled December breakfast!

And don’t forget about the upcoming World-Wide Wrap on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2. This year the city-wide event will be held at Anshai Torah and we are looking to have a great turn out from our CBT Men’s Club community.

For questions about Men’s Club or any of their activities, President David Mandell can be reached at [email protected].


Watch Learning Center students in action through singing and acting.

Friday Night services begin at 7PM

Delicious Shabbat Dinner & Tu B’Shevat Goodies at 6:00 PM

Dinner is $8/person

$5/ages 3-5

Free age 2 and under Name(s)

Phone #

Number of people attending at $8/person

Number of children ages 3-5 attending at $5

Total Amount Due & Paid $

Your check, made payable to CBT Learning Center is your reservation

Reservations due by January 12

Questions? Contact Ruth Schor at 972.234.1542 x232


L’Dor Vador—January end-of-year clearance with selected merchandise on sale.

If you are ordering special event invitations, check out these links. You will receive a 25% discount which is reflected in the prices listed. Contact Eileen Kessner at [email protected] if you have any questions: http://www.holidaycardwebsite.com/CBTSisterhood and http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/CBTSisterhood.

If you have any questions, contact Arlene Berlin at [email protected].

Sisterhood Mahj Come join us on Sunday, January 19, 9:30 AM to noon. We’ll have tables for newbies as well as long-time players. Even if you've never even seen a mahj tile, please join us. Mahj cards for sale in the L’Dor Vador gift shop. Bring your friends and make new ones! Nosh at the Men’s Club Breakfast and then head to the Multi-Purpose Room to play. Sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B44A8A92BA13-sisterhood. Future dates are March 30, and May 4. Questions? Contact Debra Pak at [email protected].

Ladies Who Lunch Our next lunch date is Tuesday, January 21. For

time and location, RSVP to Carol Taper at 972.931.0202 or [email protected] by Monday,

January 13. Future dates are February 18, March 18, April 8, and May 13.

Sisterhood Torah Fund Join Sisterhood at noon on Sunday, February 9,

at the Addison Crowne Plaza for the annual Sisterhood Torah Fund. This year, we are

honoring Shirley Strauss. For questions, contact Elaine Scharf at [email protected].

Questions about being part of Sisterhood or any of their events? Contact Esther Cohen and Vikki Silvis at [email protected]

Throughout the year, the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Torah is actively involved in providing opportunities for connecting, serving, celebrating, and growing. On Friday evening (6:30 PM) and Saturday morning (9:30 AM), January 24 and January 25, the community is welcome to come together at the annual Sisterhood Shabbat. This year, members will focus on Mishpocha (Family) with prayers and inspiration to highlight the strength of women as pillars of our families—past, present and future.

Prior to services on Friday evening, there will be a pre-service Oneg Shabbat with a dessert reception following services. Following services on Saturday morning, Sisterhood will also host a Kiddush luncheon. Please join all of your Sisterhood Family for what will be a wonderful opportunity to experience joy in our Shabbat observance.

All Sisterhood members are welcome to participate in services with opportunities for leading both English and Hebrew prayers and readings. Please reach out to Lisa Miller ([email protected] or 972.612.3741) if you have an interest in joining in.

Sisterhood Shabbat


Discussion Group Meet with Sisterhood at 6:00 PM monthly on Thursdays in the Oneg Room (January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8) for a light dinner and inspiring dialogue with our ancestors.

Become inspired by the women of the Bible and connect to their stories in a new way—one which give us insights into our own lives. Our conversations will be based on the book Sarah Laughed by Vanessa L. Ochs, the Directory of Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia. We will be studying the chapters in order, i.e. after Hagar, read Eve, etc.

If you plan on attending, please inform Nancy Siegel at [email protected] so Sisterhood knows how many to expect. Books can be found at Barnes & Noble and www.Amazon.com and online through other several retailers.

Rosh Chodesh Mothers’ Night Out A Joint Program of Sisterhood, Young Families, and Adult Education Leave the kids at home and join other moms for Torah-inspired schmoozing about topics that matter to mothers of young kids. Share your wisdom and learn from other moms. Ladies Only—Expecting Moms and newborns welcome! Locations and activities vary from month to month (suggestions welcome!). Our next event is scheduled for Sunday, February 2, 7:30 to 9:30 PM, but come and go as bed-times allow. There is no fee to participate but you cover your own food, drinks, tickets, etc. depending on the activity. For more details or to RSVP, contact Rachel Leventon at [email protected] or 972.900.0338. Future dates are March 2, March 31 or April 1, April 30, May 29, June 28, July 27, August 26. Locations TBD.

Sisterhood Continued...

For all book club questions, contact Carol Rothschild 972.805.3612 or [email protected]

March 19 The House of Tyneford by Natasha Solomon May 21 Once We Were Brothers by Ronald Bolson July 16 TBD

Wednesday, January 15—The Innocents by Francesca Segal Part ambiguous morality tale, part guidebook on north London Jewish community culture, this is a hugely enjoyable first novel. With a nod to Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, it has already won the 2012 Costa First Novel

award and the 2012 National Jewish Book award for fiction. It's another sort of coming of age too: the author is the daughter of Erich Segal, who wrote Love Story.

Meeting will be held at the home of Trudy Wiseman. Please RSVP to Trudy if you plan to attend the book review at [email protected].

Social Action Please join us as Sisterhood Social Action makes sandwiches for less fortunate children at Hunger Busters at their facility at 9:30 AM on February 4. We will then have lunch together in the area. The 9th Annual Karen Leynor Mitzvah Day is set for March 23. Be a part of this special opportunity! Help build a Habitat house with the entire Jewish Community this Spring. Look for more details coming soon. Contact Mindi Sue Rubenstein or Marilyn Guzick for more information. We hope that all Sisterhood members will participate in at least one or two projects this year.

We are starting a Social Action distribution list. We will notify you by e-mail for all upcoming events. Please send your e-mail address to [email protected].


Shirley Strauss’ dedication to Synagogue and Sisterhood, which began almost 40 years ago, will be recognized on February 9 as she becomes our Torah Fund Honoree for 2014.

Shirley and Larry were anticipating the birth of their first child when they moved to the Dallas area, and she saw a newspaper article about a startup

congregation. The Strausses were the 13th family to join Beth Torah.

A native of Duncan, Oklahoma (population 20,000 with only a handful of Jews—most of them her relatives!), Shirley is the daughter of a touching romance. Her father, originally from Oklahoma City, was at the airport in February of 1948 to welcome a cousin from Poland who had lost all her immediate family in the Holocaust. The couple married the following month.

And the romance continued! Larry was working in Oklahoma City when one of Shirley’s uncles spotted this “nice Jewish boy” and asked him to dinner with his family. Larry said the 90-mile drive to Duncan was a bit much for a meal: Did he have a relative any closer? That, of course, was Shirley, then a senior at OU. So the couple had dinner, soon became engaged, and married in May 1971 after her graduation.

A founding member of Sisterhood, Shirley has been a tireless behind-the-scenes supporter for all these years. Her more “public” synagogue efforts have been with membership (five years on the Board as chair), Adult Education, and her favorite, fund-raising.

“I love making phone calls,” she says. “Fundraising is my passion, especially for Jewish causes.” Her work has strengthened the greater Jewish community; she was Dallas Federation’s Campaigner of the Year for 2012 and its Helen Gross Leadership Award winner three years earlier. She and Larry have made four trips to Israel, two on Federation missions and two with Bnai Zion, another recipient of her talent and hard work. Shirley also is a dedicated vice- president of Dallas Hebrew Free Loan.

The Strausses can be seen in front row seats for every erev Shabbat service at Beth Torah except when they’re vacationing at their second home in Henderson, Nevada, where they’ve joined a second synagogue and are also Friday night regulars.

Next time you step into our shul, be sure to note the foyer plaque marking its dedication in memory of Shirley’s mother, Henia Schiff, who was a Survivor Speaker at the Dallas Holocaust Center until she passed away at age 66. Shirley frequently visits her father, 90, who is in independent living in Oklahoma.

That first child, Brian, who was born when his parents were new members of the new Beth Torah, is now 41 and is rabbi of Conservative Congregation Beth Yeshuran in Houston. His brothers are Brad, 38, with AT&T in Dallas, and Brandon, 31, an attorney also living in Houston. All are married, and between them have given Shirley and Larry eight grandchildren to “kvell” over!

Sisterhood “kvells,” too, as it plans to welcome Shirley Schiff Strauss to the ranks of its Torah Fund Honorees.

The annual brunch will begin at noon Sunday,

February 9, in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Everyone is welcome to celebrate with Shirley!

Contact Elaine Scharf at [email protected] to

register.

—By Harriet Gross


On behalf of the congregation, the Ritual Committee wishes a hearty Yasher Koach and Thank You to the following congregants, friends and family who led a service, read from the Torah, or chanted a Haftarah on Shabbat, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah during the month of October & November 2013:

Friday Night Leaders: (October) Rabbi Rafi Cohen, Emma Berlin, Earl Bills, Arny Felner; (November) Rabbi Rafi Cohen, Earl Bills, Hayley Parham, Garry Kahalnik, Leslie Morgan, Jeremy Taitel

Psukei D’Zimra: (October) Phil Stayman, Earl Bills, Lou Kaiser; (November) Phil Stayman, Arny Felner

Shacharit: (October) Arny Felner, Paul Utay, Garry Kahalnik; (November) Joe Liken, Ron Blumka, Phil Stayman, Leslie Morgan, Lilly Kopita

Hallel: (October) Arny Felner; (November) Joe Liken

Torah Service: (October) Emma Berlin, Scott Herstein, Garry Kahalnik, Arny Felner; (November) Earl Bills, Hayley Parham, Jeremy Taitel, Jessica Liken

Gabbai: (October) Phil Stayman, Chuck Smith; (November) Phil Stayman, Garry Kahalnik, Chuck Smith

Torah Readers: (October) Megan Berlin, Arlene Berlin, Barry Berlin, Eleanor Eidels, Don Swarts, Elizabeth Stein, Emma Berlin, Phil Stayman, Rusty Dworkin, Paul Utay, Myrna Silver, Karen Prager, Jacob Herstein, Bennett Robinson, Marilyn Guzick; (November) Ed Pervin, Eleanor Eidels, Gerri Chizeck, Bill Pervin, Hayley Parham, Gilda Daniel, Ruth Schor, Myrna Silver, Phil Stayman, Elizabeth Stein, Hayley Parham, Alan Hoffman, David Dropkin, Joe Liken, John Wills, Chip Rosenson, Eileen Kessner, Lee Taitel, Leslie Morgan, Abery Lampert, Emily Roscuck, Casey Lampert, Rabbi Rafi Cohen, Jeremy Taitel, David Engelberg, Celia Bills, Paul Utay

Haftarah: (October) Emma Berlin, Stan Sutkin, Scott Herstein; (November) Bill Pervin, Hayley Parham, Michael Coren, Jeremy Taitel, Jessica Winter

Sermons and Sermonettes: (October) Rabbi Rafi Cohen, Earl Bills; (November) Rabbi Rafi Cohen, Leslie Morgan, Earl Bills, Phil Stayman

Musaf: (October) Emma Berlin, Garry Kahalnik, Alisone Kopita, Earl Bills; (November) Arny Felner, Hayley Parham, Alisone Kopita, Jeremy Taitel, Phillip Kopita

All Things Ritual...

1/4/2014 6:05 PM

1/11/2014 6:11 PM

1/18/2014 6:17 PM

1/25/2014 6:24 PM

2/1/2014 6:31 PM

2/8/2014 6:37 PM

2/15/2014 6:44 PM

2/22/2014 6:50 PM

Havdalah

While we generally do not schedule service leaders

and Torah readers in advance for the daily

minyanim, we would also like to thank everyone that

steps forward and helps our daily services be just

as enjoyable and participatory as during

Shabbat and the Chagim (Holidays).

Torah and Haftorah Readers and Service Leaders Wanted Are you interested in learning to chant Torah or Haftorah or lead part of the Shabbat evening or morning service? If you are, please contact Rusty Dworkin at [email protected] or 972.713.0159.


Co-Sponsored by Congregation Beth Torah Preschool & Young Families

Name(s)

Address

City/ST/Zip

Email

Phone

If paying by credit card, I would like to include the 3% fee charged by card issuer $

I/we are unable to attend but would like to make a donation in the amount of $

Payment Method Use credit card on file Use credit card below Check enclosed

Credit Card Number

Exp: CCID Billing Zip Code

I agree to the charges I’ve shown above

Date Printed Name

Signature

TICKETS FEE QTY TOTAL

Casino Admission Only $25 Casino Admission + Poker Tournament $60 Safety (includes 2 tickets + listing in event program) $125 Field Goal (includes 4 tickets + listing in event program) $250 Touch Down Sponsorship (includes 6 tickets, sponsored

table with promotional sign, listing in event program) $500

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament Sponsorship (includes 8 tickets, name(s) featured in event program and media, large sign at event)

$1,000

Wear the jersey of your favorite football team and join this casino-night fundraiser benefitting CBT’s Preschool and Young Families.

7:30 PM, Saturday, February 1 (the day before the Super Bowl!)

Questions? Contact Linda Gould at 972.234.1542 ext. 223


Pizmon (the Hebrew word meaning the chorus of a song) is the coed Jewish a cappella group of

Columbia University, Barnard College, and The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Since its

inception in 1987 as the first collegiate Jewish a cappella group, Pizmon has traveled to hundreds

of communities in the New York metropolitan area, across the country, and around the world, to

offer Jewish music as a source of inspiration and community outreach.

We are proud to say that our very own Benjamin Goldwater is part of this fantastic group who

performed at the White House on December 5, 2013 and is coming to Congregation Beth Torah!

Whether you enjoy liturgical pieces, Israeli rock and pop, English parodies, Yiddish classics, or

children's songs, Pizmon has something for everyone and EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

6PM Young Families Mini Concert

6:30 Family Shabbat Dinner (Adults, $18 and children 12 and under, $8)

7:30 Friday Services with Pizmon

Saturday Morning Worship with “Sermon in a Song” by Pizmon All attendees are welcome to enjoy a Cholent Kiddush luncheon following

services, sponsored by Orna Goldwater

7:30 PM Concert $25 Adults and $18 for

all students with school I.D.

Purchase tickets online at http://congregationbethtorah.org


Join Ruth Schor for Ulpan Alef which takes a light approach to teaching a range of daily use vocabulary that will give the participants an appreciation of Hebrew as a living language. We will party in Tel Aviv,

shop in a shuk, swim in the Dead Sea, and more. All in Hebrew.

Classes will begin in January and take place on two Wednesday nights each month from 7:30—9:00. Though the class is offered free of charge, a donation of $18.00 is greatly appreciated.

Questions? Contact Ruth at 972.234.1542 x232 or [email protected].

January 8, 29 February 5, 19

March 5, 19 April 9, 30 May 17, 14

Link Your Tom Thumb Card! Tom Thumb’s Good Neighbor program donates 1% of sales to charity. All you do is take your Reward Card to the Customer Service desk of any store and fill out the form designating Beth Torah as your charity. The CBT code number is 1213.

Go to http://smile.amazon.com/ and add CBT as your charity to support...then shop for items marked as “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation.” The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Congregation Beth Torah!

Bring Us Your Newspapers! (and scrap paper and flattened cardboard). The faster we fill the bin in the parking lot, the sooner the synagogue gets another check. And it’s good for the environment.


Dr. Alan Morinis is an anthropologist, filmmaker, writer, and student of spiritual traditions. He is an active interpreter of the teachings and practices of the Mussar tradition and regularly gives lectures and workshops. Born and raised in a culturally Jewish but non-observant home, he studied anthropology at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. His doctoral thesis was published by Oxford University Press as “Pilgrimage in the Hindu Tradition.”

Alan has written books, produced feature films, television dramas and documentaries and has taught at several universities. Although he took a deep journey into Hindu and Buddhist thought and practice, for the past seven years the nearly-lost Jewish spiritual discipline of Mussar has been his passion, a journey recorded in the book Climbing Jacob’s Ladder (Broadway 2002). His guide to Mussar practice entitled Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar was published in May 2007.

Early registration and sponsor forms can be found online at www.congregationbethtorah.org.

23rd Annual Mark A. Siegel Scholar-in-Residence In conjunction with Men’s Club Weekend

A weekend with Dr. Alan Morinis Dean, Mussar Institute

Friday Evening, March 28 7:30 PM Services

Presentation Topic: “What I Learned in India that Made Me Fall in Love with Judaism,” which is the story of his own journey to discover and become first a student and then a teacher of Mussar and Jewish spirituality. Extended Oneg after services.

Shabbat Services, March 29 9:30 AM Services

Dr. Morinis will present the dvar Torah. After lunch he will continue his discussion in the sanctuary for those participating in the weekend.

Presentation Topic: “Torah Through a Mussar Lens,” will provide you with a doorway to a traditional Jewish life. It will give you the experience of approaching the Torah through the gateway of Mussar perspective, which seeks lessons in the parshah that can be applied to everyday life.

Sunday Morning, March 30 9AM Minyan & 9:30 Men’s Club Breakfast Presentation Topic: “Installing Jewish virtues in your child and grandchildren: Passing Down the Beauty of our Tradition.” We play a critical role in the transmission of our tradition to the next generation, find out how we can enhance what we do.

Saturday Evening, March 29

Presentation Topic: 13 Qualities of Compassion, also known as The Palm Tree of Deborah. This is from the 16th Century Mussar text, Orchot Tzaddikim that is accessible to a beginner and yet offers profound insight into our lives, challenges and potential from a Mussar perspective.

6:30 PM Exclusive sponsor meet and greet 7:30 PM Light dinner for participants

8:00 PM Presentation


Operating In memory of Phillip Holzweig—Sanford

Holzweig

In memory of Rose Potolosky—Rita Holzweig

In honor of our children Carol & Mark Kreditor—Marlene & Larry Kreditor

In memory of Larry Darrow's mother—Esther Rae & Jay Weinstein

In memory of Scott Herstein's mother—Esther Rae & Jay Weinstein

Mazel Tov to Jeremy Taitel on becoming a Bar Mitzvah—The Free Israel & Taitel Families

Mazel Tov to Jeremy Taitel on becoming a Bar Mitzvah—Love Zaddie & Bubbie

Rabbi's Discretionary Fund In memory of Mollie Weiner—Hal Shaub

Ritual Fund In memory of Sylvia Shapiro—Carol & Gene

Taper

Our deepest sympathies on the loss of Laurie Sutkin's father—Eileen & Howard Kessner

Ritual (Kiddush) In celebration of Harlay Parham's Bat

Mitzvah—Evelyn & Paul Utay

In memory of Maria Davidsohn—Evelyn & Paul Utay

In memory of Ruth Herstein—Evelyn & Paul Utay

Donations

Your donations are a wonderful way to help sustain Congregation Beth Torah while marking a special occasion, remembering someone dear, celebrating a birthday or anniversary, rejoicing in the arrival of a child, mourning the passing of a loved one, or

recognizing an Aliyah honor. There are two ways to make donations: have Beth Torah send your acknowledgement card ($18 each) or purchase do-it-yourself (DIY) Tribute

Cards ($13 each). Contact Carren in the synagogue office to make a donation or to purchase your cards (972.234.1542 x221 or [email protected]).

Building Fund In memory of Ann Cohen—Debbie Wills

Burn the Mortgage In memory of Sam Ruttenberg—Chick Sham

In memory of Albert Bryan (yahrzeit)—Elaine Scharf

In memory of Scott Herstein's mother—Marc Machbitz

Dee Dee Fields-McKittrick Torah Fund In memory of James Edward Bartfield—Sarah &

Steven Bartfield

Esther Cohen Preschool Scholarship In celebration of the marriage of Marilyn & Larry

Guzick's daughter—Esther & Nat Cohen

In memory of Herb Weinstein's brother—Esther & Nat Cohen

Mazel Tov on the birth of the Gendason Family's new baby boy—Esther & Nat Cohen

Mark A. Siegel Adult Education In celebration of Kathleen & Robert Glosser's

50th Anniversary—Stuart Glosser

In celebration of Kathleen & Robert Glosser's 50th Anniversary—Trudy & Israel Wiseman

Our heartiest congregatulations on Bill Pervin becoming a Bar Mitzvah Boy—Trudy & Israel Wiseman

“Charity is as potent a force for reconciliation as the ancient Temple altar.”

~Rabbi Jochanan Ben Zakkai, founder of

Rabbinic Judaism


Ritual (Liquor) In memory of William Shaman—Ron Blumka

Social Action In celebration of Kathleen & Robert Glosser's

50th Anniversary—Bill & Susan Pervin

Mazel Tov on Shana's engagement—Jackie & Michael Wald

Donations Continued Don’t see a donation you made? Contact Carren in the synagogue office (972.234.1542 x221) so that we may correct and include it in

the next issue.

Purim is Coming The festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar. This year, we will celebrate on Saturday evening, March 15, and Sunday morning, March 16. Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.” Take part in this wonderful holiday and be one of our Megillah readers. If you can read an entire chapter, or just a verse or two, contact Lou Kaiser at [email protected] or 972.234.1542 x270.

Congregation

Beth Torah

720 W. Lookout Drive Richardson, TX 75080

972.234.1542 www.congregationbethtorah.org

Service Times Friday Evenings 6:30 PM Saturday Mornings 9:30 AM Junior Congregation (K—5, Sept-May) Saturday Mornings 10:30—Noon Tot Shabbat 11:00 AM 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month Minyans Mondays 6:45 AM Sundays 8:30 PM

2nd and 4th Saturdays, 11:00 AM (MP Room) Tot Shabbat is an hour of Shabbat songs and prayers, a little

dancing, a Torah parade, snack time and stories for "tots" ages 6 and younger.

Contact: Jessica Winter or Rachel Leventon Email: [email protected]

january 2014 tevet/shevat 5774 · resume wednesday, january 8. pancake breakfast sunday, january...

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