may 2014 iyyar / sivan 5774 - worship, education

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FROM OUR RABBI:

The newsletter of Beth El Synagogue

Durham’s first synagogue

May 2014 Iyyar / Sivan 5774

Routines Are a Double-Edged Sword

Routines are a double edged sword. They help and hinder. Scales

help us play others’ music but can dampen the melody within.

Morning prayers can inspire to cherish each new day or blind us

to all that is not written on the page. In one of the few narratives

in the book of Leviticus, Aaron’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu, die

for bringing “strange fire that God had not commanded.” There

are many theories about the exact nature of their sin. Rashbam

(Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, 1085-1158, from Troyes and Rashi’s

grandson) implies they erred through routine. He focuses on the

words “God had not commanded” and adds,

on that day. [Meaning], even though on all other

days [of the inauguration of the tabernacle] it is

written that, “the sons of Aaron the priest should

put fire on the altar” (Leviticus 1:7), today

Moses did not command [that they bring the

fire]. Moses did not want them to bring a

‘regular’ fire because they were expecting the

descent of divine fire…they should have waited

so that God’s name would be sanctified

when everyone would find out that a fire had

descended from heaven. Elijah said similarly,

“Apply no fire” (I Kings 18:25), because he

wanted to sanctify God’s name through the

descent of a fire from above.

Nadav and Avihu assumed the 8th day was like every other day,

that they should bring the fire as they had done 7 days before.

Their routine from yesterday blinded them to the uniqueness

of today. Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, “The greatest

hindrance to knowledge is our adjustment to conventional

notions, to mental cliches. Wonder, or radical amazement, the

state of maladjustment to words and notions, is therefore, a

prerequisite for an authentic awareness of that which is.” And

in his most recent book, Sacred Attunement, scholar Michael

Fishbane writes, “A task of theology is to attune the self to the

unfolding occurrence of things in all their particularities and

conjunctions, and help one remain steadfast at each new crossing

point where raw elementariness, radically given, becomes human

experience.”

Life without routine quickly disintegrates into chaos, but can

we remain steadfastly aware as each day unfolds? Can we create

routines that help us see and experience life more fully rather than

deafen our senses? Can we do our part in God’s service and, on

the very next day, have the patience to wait for a gift from above?

— Rabbi Daniel Greyber

Inside this issue:

Committee Contacts…………………………...….....2

Gabbaim Schedule…………….……………………...2

From our President…………………………………...3

From our Executive Director……………….………..3

Healing Yoga, Chavurah Service, Text Studies……..4

Sisterhood………………………………...…………...5

Naches………………………………………………....6

Nina Bryce - Update from Avodah……………..…..6

Social Action…………………………………………...7

Witness History, Art Display…………………………8

JFS Chaverim Seder…………………………………...8

Hosts/Sponsors……………..…….…...…….………..9

B’not Mitzvah...………………...……...…………10-11

Youth & Talmud Torah News…….………..…...12-13

Hasan Reporting from Israel…………………..…...14

Mitzvah Projects……………………………………..14

Contributions…...…….…...…....……....................15

Yahrzeit Reminders……………………………….….17

Letter from Valhalla………...………......…….........18

Community News………………………………..19-24

May & June Calendars…..……...…....…..........25-26

Community Connections……………………….…..27

May 18, 2014

10:15am

Annual Meeting

& honoring of our

Volunteers of the Year

Laura Flicker, Sheila Goldstein, Lois Price,

Rhoda Silver, and Randi Smith

followed by a

Lag B’Omer cook-out:

The Membership Committee invites everyone to

stay after the Annual Meeting and enjoy kosher

hamburgers and hotdogs in honor of our new

members who have joined over the past year.

There is no cost to attend,

but please RSVP to [email protected]

by Thursday, May 1, so we may plan accordingly.

May 2014 / Beth El Bulletin 2

The Beth El Bulletin is the newsletter of Beth El Congregation. We appreciate any feedback and input. Non-members may request to join our mailing list for a $25 yearly contribution to help cover printing & mailing costs. Bulletins are also archived online three months at a time. The online version has some contact information omitted for the privacy of our members.

Rabbi Rabbi Daniel Greyber President Barak Richman First Vice President Rachel Galanter Second Vice President Noah Pickus Executive Director Casey Baker Education & Youth Director Elisabeth Albert Cong. Services Coordinator Sheri Hoffman Publicity Assistant Krisha Miller Rabbi Emeritus Rabbi Steve Sager Bulletin Advertising Manager Gladys Siegel

YAHRZEITS: To arrange a yahrzeit minyan, please call

the synagogue office (919-682-1238) at least one month in advance. To receive notification of a yahrzeit or to list a yahrzeit in the bulletin, call the synagogue office (682-1238).

DO YOU HAVE AN ITEM FOR THE BETH EL BULLETIN? All items for the bulletin MUST be submitted by e-mail to Krisha Miller at [email protected]. The FINAL DEADLINE for items for the upcoming bulletin is the 1st workday of the preceding month. THANK YOU.

COMMITTEE CONTACTS:

Finance Maxine Stern

Lifelong Learning Sheva Zucker

Membership Andrea Ginsberg

Orthodox Kehillah Sheldon Hayer

Ritual Laura Lieber

Social Action Debbie Goldstein

Va’ad haChinuch Eric Lipp

Community of Caring Rhoda Silver

CHEVRA KADISHA (BURIAL SOCIETY) Contact David Klapper

Gabbai Rotation

Please contact if you'd like to

request an aliyah or help lead services.

Please do not call on Shabbat or other holidays.

5/3 Emor Diane Markoff

5/10 Behar Roger Perilstein

5/17 Behukkotai Shula Bernard

5/24 Bamidbar Anne Derby

5/31 Naso James Tulsky

6/4 1st day Shavuot David Rubin

6/5 2nd day Shavuot Diane Markoff

6/7 Behaalotkha Jon Wahl

6/14 Shelah Lekha Bernie Fischer

6/21 Korah Sally Laliberte

6/28 Hukkat-Rosh Chodesh Steve Schauder

The Gabbaim schedule is available online:

www.betheldurham.org/rituallife/gabbirotation.html

“Like” Beth El Synagogue at www.facebook.com/BethEl.Durham

Join our discussion group at

www.facebook.com/groups/BethElDurham

and check out Rabbi Greyber’s page: www.facebook.com/pages/

Rabbi-Daniel-Greyber/105866049455568

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FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

Coming from New York City where the idea of needing to

find a grocery store that still had matzah left in stock or needing

to worry about finding enough Kosher for Passover food seemed

like such a foreign concept, but such is the life of a new transplant

to the South. I grew up and then went to college in Los Angeles

and then spent the last seven years in New York City, the two

largest Jewish populations in the United States. I realize that

this will be an annual ritual that many of you have perfected

and I hope to learn the wisdom of your ways so we can be better

prepared for next year.

While it was a “struggle” to find the right foods to celebrate

our first Passover in Durham, I couldn’t help but think about

those who actually struggle for food on a daily basis. On a daily

basis we have members of the greater Durham community arrive

at our doors in need of food. Through the generosity of our Beth

El community we are able to help these folks with a shopping

bag of food that should feed them for at least a few days. The

beginning of the Hagaddah states, “All who are hungry, let

them come and eat.” It is a powerful call and one that we should

continue to heed throughout the entire year.

Beth El is leading many great initiatives to address the issue

of hunger in our community. Our combined efforts in the Durham

and Chapel Hill CROP Hunger Walks yielded over $7000 for

local and international hunger relief; our community responded

to the call for Kosher for Passover food that went to the JFS Food

Pantry for those who could not afford Passover foods and we

were able to provide them with a substantial amount of food for

the holiday; our ongoing collection efforts which Laura Quigley

spearheaded so many years ago continue to meet the needs of

those who come to our doors and others in the community and our

ongoing support of Urban Ministries & Chapel Hill's Inter-Faith

Council through volunteering and food donations.

Hunger is not the only community need that our Social

Action efforts are addressing. The Blood Drive was a success

with 33 units collected thanks to the efforts of Carla Fenson

and Laura Svetkey who organize this annual event.

Our Social Action Committee will also be sending infor-

mation soon about future efforts to help local children in need,

plus more targeted efforts for our food collection. If you would

like to get involved with any of these ongoing programs, please

contact Jacki Resnick, Debbie Goldstein or Hope Hartman.

I am so privileged to be a part of a community that feels

so committed to being a great neighbor and an obligation to

help better the greater Durham community through all of these

initiatives. I hope you and your families had a wonderful

Passover and I look forward to celebrating many more holidays

and simchot with you.

If we have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, please feel

free to stop by Beth El Monday-Friday during our normal office

hours or drop me an email or phone call and we will find some

time to chat.

B’Shalom,

Casey Baker

FROM OUR PRESIDENT:

Volunteers and Volunteerism

I don’t want to go all de Tocqueville on you, but our

Annual Meeting is what makes America great. OK, that’s an

overstatement, but bear with me.

I am constantly amazed at the degree of voluntarism we

see throughout Beth El. Yes, a healthy shul relies heavily on

volunteers, but Beth El exceeds any standard. Our very active

members play leading roles in our ritual life, social activities,

educational offerings, administrative mechanisms, and, of course,

governance. We cherish our lay leadership, take ownership of

our shul, and — I mean this in a good way — hold our leaders

accountable.

This voluntarism is quintessentially embodied in our

Annual Meeting, in two ways. First, we fulfill our governance

responsibilities: we approve a budget for the coming year and

elect our Board of Trustees. Yes, there is a certain pedantic and

mechanical feel to these duties, but (dare I draw the analogy?)

just like the past weeks’ parshiot describe in numbing detail

the ornamental and architectural features of the mishkan, the

parameters of our sacred mission sometimes take the form of

dull minutiae.

And second, we honor our Volunteers of the Year. This

year, we honor five remarkable women — Laura Flicker,

Sheila Goldstein, Lois Price, Rhoda Silver, and Randi Smith —

who stand out even among a congregation full of very active

volunteers.

Thus, I encourage you to attend our Annual Meeting.

Please come to gather as a community to discuss the state of our

congregation and to exercise our constitutional responsibility to

decide important matters that affect us all. And please come to

celebrate those among us who are being recognized for their

enormous contributions and represent the voluntaristic spirit that

is exhibited throughout the congregation.

If there are any larger lessons here—and there may not be,

but let’s give it a shot—they lie in the realities of running a

voluntary organization. It takes an enormous amount of work,

as you well know, and some moments are quite gratifying, like

capitalizing on the opportunity to honor those who deserve honor,

and some are, well, pedantic and mechanical. It is quite easy to

lose sight of the holiness and mission of our congregation when

the onerous details of governance consume our schedules. It

therefore is quite fitting that we combine procedural votes and

budget approval (call that the body) with honoring volunteers

and celebrating generosity (call that the spirit).

And perhaps another lesson is that our leaders and our

congregation alike, at the Annual Meeting, will be forced to

take notice of all the vibrant voluntarism around us. At this

year’s Meeting, we will hear from our Strategic Plan Task Forces,

our Finance Committee and their budget for the year ahead, our

incoming Board, and our remarkable Volunteers of the

Year. This collection represents an enormous amount of work

and charity that our congregation has generated just this past

year. It will be a very gratifying moment to share with Rachel

Galanter, to whom I will give the president’s gavel, as we both

marvel at how fortunate we are to be a part of Beth El. Yes, it’s

enough to make de Tocqueville proud.

— Barak Richman


Shabbat Mishnah Study

Saturday mornings at 8:45am in the Freedman Center

Feel free to attend at any time! Join Rabbis Sager and

Greyber for coffee and discussions on text from the

Mishnah. People new to Mishnah study are especially

welcome.

Monthly Torah Study

Do you sometimes wish there was more time to discuss

the Parasha/Torah Portion of the Week? Well, there is!

Approximately once a month we are offering Torah

discussions led by various congregants.

May 3 led by Susan Breitzer in the library

following Kiddush lunch (approx. 1:15pm)

Lifelong Learning www.betheldurham.org/adulted/courses.html

Wednesday Morning Minyan & Text Study

Services start at 8:00am on most Wednesdays & usually last

about 45 minutes. Afterward, those who can stay gather in

the social hall for coffee, treats, & a weekly study led by

Rabbi Greyber or other members. All are welcome.

Seeking Shabbat Greeters

Do you like getting a warm "Shabbat Shalom" as you enter

shul on Saturday morning? You're not alone. Our greeting

program has been extremely well received. To keep this

program going, we need volunteer greeters like you. Just

click on the link below to view available dates and pick one

(or two) in the coming months. Thanks for helping make

Beth El a warm and welcoming place to be! http://bit.ly/

BEGreet (please note this is a new link). If you've never

greeted before, its easy. We've put together some guidelines

to help: http://bit.ly/BEgreeter_guide

Interested in reading the Haftarah or Torah during an upcoming Shabbat service?

Congregants who do this regularly/semi-regularly/

every-once-in-awhile are greatly appreciated! Even if

you've never chanted a Haftarah, if it's been a long

time, or you have thought it would be a meaningful

way to commemorate an occasion, you like the

sound of the trope, or you would just like to learn

this as a new skill, please contact Randi Smith,

[email protected].

If you would like to read a Torah portion, please

contact Jeff Derby, [email protected] .

Healing Yoga Gentle Movement, Meditation, Relaxation

May 10 & June 7 10:00–11:00am in the Beth El Freedman Center

This class is designed to help with the recovery process

from physical and mental stresses of illness (your own or

a loved one); addresses fatigue, soreness, stiffness, anxiety,

grief, and depression; deals with balance, bone loss,

immunity, and flexibility; brings peace of mind. No prior

yoga experience is needed.

Participants should wear comfortable clothing. After the

class, all are welcome to join the Beth El worship service

and /or Kiddush lunch in the main building.

With generous support, Beth El has raised the funds to

purchase yoga mats, straps, foam blocks, blankets, bolsters,

and eye bags. These props help participants feel comfortable

as they sit, move, and meditate. Please join us, or if you know

someone who might benefit from healing yoga, consider

coming as a buddy.

For additional information, contact Margie Satinsky, RYT,

919-383-5998 or [email protected]

Egalitarian Chavurah Service May 3, 9:30am

Main Building, lower level, classroom #4

The service is traditional and egalitarian, using the

modern Orthodox Koren siddur, and all participants are able

to take active part in it. Families sit together and women

fully participate in leading the services. The Chavurah

welcomes all. Pre-bat/bar-mitzvah youth read the maftir

and chant. Post-bat/bar-mitzvah youth are especially invited

to take active roles.

Contact Susan Breitzer ([email protected]) with

questions and to request honors, to read, and/or to lead a

service.

The Community of Caring

We are here for YOU!

Need a meal due to

illness, surgery, grief or other special circumstances?

Need a ride to/from an appointment or to visit a friend?

Would you like a friendly visitor?

Anyone looking for help

or who would like to participate by

providing these community needs,

please call or email Rhoda Silver at:

919-688-0077 / [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

tel:919-688-0077


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Beth El Sisterhood Kitchen Initiative Pledge Form

Stocking and maintaining the kitchen is critical for weekly Kiddushim as well as other religious and social functions held at Beth El. Please help improve the kitchen by making a financial contribution to Sisterhood. The funds we collect will purchase professional quality knives, bowls, utensils, service ware, shelving, signage, minor servicing of equipment, and more. We will continue collecting through this fall, 2014.

Please make checks payable to Beth El with “Sisterhood Kitchen Initiative” in the memo section.

Yes, I want to support kitchen improvements and can pledge…

$54___ $72 ___ $90___ $180____ $_____

______________________________ ________________________ Your Name E-mail Telephone Address (if not in Beth El Directory) I am interested in volunteering in the kitchen to implement improvements.

Sisterhood Gift Shop

Open during office hours, select special events, & by appointment.

If you are interested in shopping outside of office hours, helping staff the Gift Shop

or with shop related projects, please contact [email protected].

A sampling of what we’re planning

for next year:

o Family Fun Day assistance/kids' activity booth

o Welcome Brunch

o Beth El & JCC Chanukkah Bazaars

o Potluck Dinner

o Hamentaschen baking

o Bingo & Bourbon night

o High Tea

o Hello-Farewell Luncheon

Please join us!

Thank You & Mazel Tov!

Last spring, Sisterhood decided that it was time to

improve our main kitchen, so began the Kitchen Initiative

which helped bring to light the importance of getting the

kitchen back on track with supplies, maintenance, and having

a dedicated staff person in charge. It gives me great pleasure

to say Kol HaKavod (great job) to Laura Flicker, Lois Price,

our new kitchen manager Sandy Fangmeier and the rest of

our dedicated kitchen volunteers who are responsible for

the great score and rave reviews our kitchen recently

received from the Health Department. Last summer our

kitchen received a score of 90.5, but thanks to this team’s

hard work, we now proudly display a grade of 97. We

envision a 99 or 100 for our next inspection! Beth El is

so lucky to have such a great facility. Thank you also to

everyone who has donated to this initiative. Sisterhood will

continue to collect funds through this fall.

I am so glad that we can provide a clean

and well-stocked kitchen for all of your

kosher cooking needs.

Casey Baker,

Executive Director

Sisterhood www.betheldurham.org/synagogue/sisterhood.html

Please note that the Erev Shabbat services

originally scheduled for May been

postponed. Future date to be determined.


to David Dreifus & Jennifer Sosensky

on the birth of their granddaughter, Sophie Jeanne Seizer, born on March 21! The proud parents are Sally Stark-Dreifus & Jeff Seizer.

to Michaela Davidai on the wedding of her daughter Na'ama to Jon Crisp on March 23!

to Steve & Shula Bernard on the birth of their granddaughter Livia on March 30! The proud parents are Seth Bernard & Alexa Greist.

to Lew and Judy Siegel on the wedding of their son Jonathan to Melissa Siegel on April 6!

Please welcome our newest members:

Libby Vaughn & Michelle Pesavento

Please remember all

2013-2014 Annual Fund Campaign

contributions are due by May 31st.

Please help us reach our goals of

100% member participation &

$110,000 to help finance operations.

Donations at any level are

welcome, & appreciated!

Nina Bryce

Reporting from DC

Nina Bryce grew up at Beth El and is a proud Durham native.

She attended Duke School, DSA, and NCSSM and then graduated

from UNC Chapel Hill in 2013. After college, Nina applied to

Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps in order to pursue a career in

the non-profit sector, learn more about social justice and Judaism,

and live in intentional community with other young Jewish

leaders. She is now an Avodah Corps Member and works at Brain-

food, a non-profit in Washington, DC that allows her to combine

her passion for increasing access to healthy, sustainable food with

her love of working with young people. Nina is able to participate

in Avodah partly due to generous donations from the Beth El

community and for this she is extremely grateful. What follows

are just a few brief excerpts of a much longer update she sent to

her sponsors as she pasted the halfway point of this experience:

Before working at Brainfood, I knew that I was interested in

connecting young people with the topic of food and cooking, but I

actually saw the work mostly in terms of my interest in the “food

movement”. I definitely still see Brainfood’s work as part of a

movement to transform the food system, but I have also come to

appreciate the youth development piece of it much more. Sometimes

when I tell people I teach cooking to high school students, they

think it’s a home economics class or a culinary arts certificate

program. I explain that food is the medium we use for working in

youth development, but the goal of the program is not to train

great chefs -- we’re more interested in positive youth development

outcomes. There are many great activities (sports, arts, etc.) that

build important skills (such as responsibility and accountability,

goal setting and sense of mastery, working well in groups, etc.)

which apply to life outside the given youth development activity.

I definitely see amazing youth development outcomes

happing at the individual level in each of my students. Brainfood

programming teaches students to trust their instincts and be

creative, communicate and delegate within their groups, try new

things and take healthy risks, manage time wisely, and so much

more. But perhaps even more meaningful to me is the way I

have witnessed community being built, which I see as a powerful

outcome unto itself . I very much believe in the power of food to

connect people deeply, and it’s pretty incredible to see the bonds

that are formed in my class. My students range from 14 to 19

years old, and they are from many different backgrounds. Some

of my students are from countries outside the U.S. (Sierra Leone,

Trinidad, El Salvador, and Vietnam, perhaps others) and some

have lived in D.C. their whole lives. Some are very academically

successful, some are struggling in school; some are very popular

at their schools, some are misfits; some are athletes, some are

artists. I think part of it is that we meet in a neutral space that’s

not an after-school program at any of their high schools, so they

are removed from their roles and social dynamics at school.

I’m finding the experience of living in an intentional

community to be really worthwhile and rewarding. It’s also an

experiment in Jewish pluralism ...We get together and grapple with

abstract ideas, which is an incredibly supportive “macro” view of

the “micro” of our daily work -- very often, including frustrating

details and logistics. We all want to connect our work to larger

themes of systemic oppression, injustice, and marginalization. We

all want to think critically about our own privilege and our place in

the world, and we all want to explore how being Jewish relates to

that. It’s a precious opportunity to do that with twenty-two other

young people, and I am extremely grateful for that.

7

Pasta

Canned soups (low sodium)

Canned vegetables (low sodium)

100% fruit juice (pouches or boxes)

Raisins or other dried fruit

Granola Bars

Pudding Cups

Animal/Graham Crackers

Trail Mix

Peanut butter (plastic jars)

Canned meats (tuna, chicken,

salmon, Spam)

Beans, peas & lentils (cans or dry)

Canned fruits ( in 100% juice)

Rice

Oatmeal or other hot & cold cereals

Macaroni and cheese

Popcorn

Dry & shelf milk

Examples of appreciated items:

Food needs to be non-perishable and in non-glass containers.

"A double-mitzvah": Link your Harris Teeter VIC card

to our school (5883) and earn money for the Talmud

Torah while helping others. VIC cards need to be re-linked

each school year & can be linked to more than one school.

See online for instructions: http://bit.ly/BETTVIC

We now have a Chapel Hill drop-off location!

In addition to our collection bins in the Beth El

lobby & Talmud Torah, you are welcome to deliver food

donations to the home of Peter & Marilyn Ornstein. Just call

ahead to make arrangements (919-493-0819).

Food Drive

Mazel Tov & Todah Rabbah to

CROP Walk participants!

In addition to the success of our ongoing food drive and

raising around $900 (for Durham Urban Ministries & the

food pantry at Jewish Family Services) during last month's

megillah readings, we are happy to report that together our

Chapel Hill/Carrboro & Durham CROP Walk teams raised

over $7,000 for hunger relief! Both teams ranked as top

fundraisers on their respective online leader boards. Special

thanks to our team captains: Gladys Siegel, Richard

Cramer, & Rachel Galanter.

Kol HaKavod!

A note of appreciation from Rachel Galanter: I am humbled by the commitment of Beth El to fulfill the

mitzvah of tzedakah. In Durham, a small group of walkers

represented the congregation's desire to feed the hungry locally

and around the world. Thank you to our Durham sponsors

who allowed us to raised over $4000: Adam & Mollie Flowe,

Pickus-Abel family, Alexis Poss, Greyber family, Lorri Gudeman,

Mike & Jacki Resnick, Evelina Moulder, Sheila & Sol Levine,

Alice Gold, Schonberg-Marcus family, Rohde family, Hart/Hicks

family, Kessler-Zucker family, Matt & Susan Springer, Michelle

Pas, Schrieber-Lebovich family, HaLev family, Lipp family, Amy

& David Gross, the Davidais, Elisabeth Albert, Kronmiller

family, Naomi & Ian Davis, Carol Place, Stacie White, Sheldon

Hayes, David & Sue Klapper, Elaine & Lee Marcus, David &

JoAnn Rubin, Margueritte Cox, Robert & Susan Hill, Mary

Joan & Alan Mandel, Diane Markoff, Sheila & Don Goldstein,

Saraf-Tulsky family, Meg Anderson, Kirsch family, Saper family,

Maxine & Alan Stern, Starr-Samuels family, Sydney & Krisha

Miller, Bob & Laura Gutman, Shapiro-Balleisen family, & the

Richmans.

Social Action www.betheldurham.org/socialaction/programs.html

Another successful Beth El Blood Drive !

On Sunday March

30th, we held our 8th

Annual Beth El Blood

Drive. Our total unit

donation this year was

33 units! While this

is a lower total than

in the past, it is

still significant and will make a big difference in

people’s lives. The success of this blood drive was

the result of the support, efforts and involvement of

many individuals. Thank you to everyone who

contributed to this mitzvah: to the volunteers - who

greeted and signed-in donors, served and hydrated

the donors, and made lunches for the fabulous

American Red Cross team, & a special thanks to

each individual who came out to donate blood. A big

thank you and our gratitude to Casey & Krisha for their help

ensuring this event went smoothly. See http://bit.ly/BEBD14 for

some photos & a note of thanks from the Red Cross. Next year we will carry on this wonderful & meaningful

tradition of giving as a community. We will ask for your help

in achieving our goal for next year of collecting 45 units!

Submitted by your devoted blood drive coordinators:

Carla Fenson & Laura Svetkey


Dear Rabbi Greyber, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy

schedule to provide a Passover Seder and talk for the

Chaverim yesterday. It was such a lovely event and the

way you led the Seder was beautiful, fun, and informative!

As you may know, for many of the participants this is the

only Passover event that they will be able to participate in,

so it means so much that you take the time and effort to do

this. I can't tell you how much we appreciate it and how

grateful we are! We have attached a picture of you speaking to the

group, in case you would like to see it. Thank you again for providing such a lovely program

and for all that you do for this community.

Sincerely, Jenny and the rest of the JFS staff

Historical Burial at Durham Hebrew Cemetery May 25, 11:00am

Read Samuel G. Freedman's full New York Times

article, Resolution at Last for a Father’s Unsettling Legacy,

at http://bit.ly/shoahburial

Witness history as this remarkable story beginning with

the Shoah concludes at the Durham Hebrew Cemetery on

May 25 at 11:00am. Special recognition goes to members

Sharon and Ed Halperin for their special roles in this unique

story.

Joseph Corsbie was haunted for

decades by ashes that his father

received from a survivor of the

Dachau concentration camp and

later passed on to him. Photo by

Travis Dove for The New York

Times .

Beth El Art Gallery

Enjoy the paintings of costumed figures, African figures

and Judaic paintings of Mizra by visiting artist

Maria Savitsky Former Soviet Theater costume designer

On display through June 30, 2014

If you are interested in exhibiting your artwork at Beth El,

please contact Susan Rosefielde ([email protected]).

Professionals, students and hobby artists are welcome.

On April 9th, Rabbi Greyber led a Community Seder

for the Jewish Family Services Chaverim program in the

Schechter Community Hall of the Levin JCC.

Participants enjoyed this seder full of song, stories and

memories of seders past along with a wonderful meal of

matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, charoset, egg salad, fruit

salad, and dessert served by the JFS staff and over a dozen

volunteers.

Included among the 80 guests were residents of Emerald

Pond, Atria Southpoint and other nearby senior housing

communities. For many, this was their only seder of the

season.

This program was made possible by many volunteers

and sponsors as well as the JFS staff & student interns.

JFS offers Chaverim programs monthly. Contact the

Durham-Chapel Hill Federation for information:

(919) 354-4923.

Jewish Family Services Chaverim Seder

http://bit.ly/shoahburial

9

Do you have good news to share

with your Beth El community?

Award received? Personal achievement?

Birth of a child or grandchild?

Send notices to [email protected]

and we’ll let everyone know

by posting naches in the bulletin.

Shabbat & Holiday Hosts and Sponsors

May 3 kiddush hosted by:

Kevin & Andrea Ginsberg

Daniel & Caitlin Hirschman

David & Susan Kirsch

Eric & Sharon Lipp

Steven Prince & Deborah Goldstein

Howard & Marni Wizwer

Gary & Abby Zarkin in honor of Abby's mother, Esther

Lederman's 90th birthday

May 10 kiddush hosted by:

Miles & Miriam Berger

Sarah Denes

Eric Guajardo & Rachel McCarthy

Marc Moskovitz & Barb Carter

Noam & Sarah VanderWalde

Matt & Lisa Zerden

May 17 kiddush hosted by Jeff Spinner & Elyza Richmon Halev

in honor of their daughter, Shoshanah, becoming a Bat Mitzvah

May 24 kiddush hosted by Michael & Susan Roth in honor of their

daughter, Stella, becoming a Bat Mitzvah

May 31 kiddush hosted by David & Amy Gross in honor of their

daughter, Elizabeth, becoming a Bat Mitzvah

June 3, 4, & 5 Erev Shavuot study oneg & morning kiddushim

sponsored by

Henry Greene & Marilyn Telen-Greene

Rob & Erica Rapport Gringle

Jimmie & Carol Haynes

John & Joy Kasson

Bruce Korn & Diane Meglin in memory of Frances & Arnold

Korn

Barry & Lois Ostrow

June 7 kiddush hosted by:

Andree Allen

Jonathan & Susan Breitzer

Lawrence Kodack

Alan & Mary Joan Mandel

William & Cheryl McCartney

Jennifer Parkhurst

The 2014-2015 Kiddush requests will go out soon.

It’s time to arrange your group

& start thinking about date preferences.

If you already know of a special date you’d like to

host in honor of a birthday, anniversary, aufruf, or

other simcha, please let the office know now so we

can try to accommodate requests as possible.

Please note that most summer kiddushim will be a

simple ritual Kiddush (as opposed to a full lunch).

Those with medical considerations

should plan accordingly.

The sponsors for these will be noted weekly

in the announcements. Thank you as always for this

special community mitzvah!

Shavuot 5774

Erev Shavuot,

Tuesday evening June 3

6:30pm Community pre-Shavuot Dinner Please RSVP to Sheri by Wednesday, May 28, for the dinner.

Cost for the dinner is $18 per person 13 and older, $9 per child

7-12, and no charge for children under 7. Family maximum is

$45. Please mail payment to Beth El with "Shavuot dinner" in the

memo line. Any cancellations made after this deadline

still need to be paid in full. Thank you for understanding.

Erev Shavuot program, services,

& late night study details forthcoming….

Shavuot I, Wednesday morning June 4 9:00am Services in both the Main Sanctuary and

the Orthodox Kehillah Sanctuary

Shavuot II, Thursday morning June 5 9:00am Services in the Main Sanctuary (Yizkor)

Services in the Orthodox Kehillah Sanctuary TBD

Kiddush or kitchen questions?

Contact our kitchen manager, Sandy Fangmeier

at: [email protected]


Please share our joy as we celebrate

Stella Blue Roth

שריצ הרופיצ

being called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah

Shabbat Bamidbar

May 23-24, 2014

24 Iyyar, 5774

Kiddush luncheon following Saturday services

Mike, Susan, Chloe & Stella Roth

Please join us as our daughter

Elizabeth Jasmine

בלפמע רקריע

is called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah

Friday, May 30, 2014 6:00 pm

Saturday, May 31, 2014 9:30am

Shabbat Nasso

Kiddush Luncheon following services

Amy and David Gross

11

Meet our B’not Mitzvah

Stella Blue Roth May 23-24, 2014

Hi! My name is Stella Roth. I

love to dance, sing, and act. I’m

in 7th grade at McDougle Middle

School and my favorite subject

is Language Arts because I love

to write. I also take a creative

writing class where I am working

on writing my first novel! I love

to travel, due to the fact that I’ve

done it all my life. I’ve lived in 4 states: California,

New Jersey, Arizona, and here! I love taking long

trips with my family, like a few summers ago, when

we took a cross-country trip from Arizona on our

way to move here. It was amazing to see all of the

different cultures as we progressed through 15 (yes,

15!) states. In my free time I love to hang out with

my family as well as take dance lessons at Barriskill

Dance Studio. I have been dancing since I was 8

and am hoping to dance on Broadway when I grow

up. My sister Chloe is 15. My Mom is Susan and

my Dad is Mike. I would like to thank the Synagogue

for making this possible and helping me so much along

the way.

Top 10 Facts about

Elizabeth Jasmine Gross May 30 – 31, 2014

10. I was named after my maternal aunt who had a

great sense of humor.

9. I love visiting my cousins in Maryland – my

grandparents are AWESOME!

8. I attend Orange Charter School in Hillsborough.

7. My family enjoys camping and boating together.

6. I have a dog named Misha. She rescued us when

we saw her at the shelter.

5. Chanukah is my favorite holiday…all 8 days.

4. I enjoy reading books from Rick

Riordan and Suzanne Collins.

3. My favorite (and only) brother,

Robert, is 3 years younger than me.

2. I was born in Frederick,

Maryland.

1. My birthday is May 31st which is

the same day as my Bat Mitzvah!

Shoshana Sivan Spinner Halev May 16-17, 2014

My name is Shoshana Sivan Spinner Halev, I’m 12 years old and turning 13 on June

2nd. My Bat Mitzva is on May 16th and 17th. I have a sister, Davida, she is 15 and my

brother, Avishai is 18 and will be graduating from East Chapel Hill High in June. I also

have a puppy, an aussie-doodle named Lola. I love to play sports especially basketball

and lacrosse. I’m on my school's lacrosse team and was on the basketball team during the

winter. I go to Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill and I’m a UNC fan.

I was born in Lincoln, NE and we spent a year in Jerusalem when I was two years old. I have eight

first cousins and their families and other cousins in Israel. I love to travel. This winter break we went to

Mexico. In addition to Israel, I have been to Paris, France; Detroit, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska; New

York City; Chicago, California and Arizona. My favorite kind of food is Mexican and I like music and

going to the movies with my friends. I’m looking forward to finishing preparations for my Bat Mitzva and

to sharing the day with you.


It is hard to believe that May has arrived and with that comes the end of our school year. Where has the time gone? It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that the youth faculty was coming together for the first time to meet each other and begin planning for the year ahead. Everyone is wide-eyed and full of wonder as to what the year will bring. Who are my students? What are their likes and dislikes? Will I know my teacher? Will we get along? What will they teach me? In the Talmud, R. Chanina remarked, "I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and the most from my students" (Ta'anit 7a).

Now that we have survived arrived at this point in the year, it is clear how much we have accomplished together. Our Kitah Aleph (1st grade) students know all the letters of the Aleph Bet and our Kitah Gimel (3rd grade) students were introduced to T’fillin and got to put them on! Our entire school learned from a real sofer (ritual scribe), and saw the inside of a Torah up close, learning how one fixes a Torah that needs some updating. Kitah Zayin students (7th grade) took their place as Jewish adults who contributed to making a minyan every Sunday morning. Kitah Gan (PreK/K) learned to beautifully sing the words of the Shema and Kitah Bet (2nd grade) perfected various brachot (blessings). Kitah Vav took on the challenge of digging deeper into Jewish texts and history by mapping out the actual size of Noah’s Ark on Duke’s East Campus and comparing and contrasting ancient and modern maps of Israel. Kitah Dalet/Hay (4th/5th grade) participated in their own Tu B’Shevat Seder and heard stories about some lesser known biblical characters.

This is just a sample of some of this year’s educational accomplishments. If I were to write out everything we learned and every activity we participated in, this bulletin would be around 400 pages! We’re looking forward to a wonderful end of year event on May 4th where the parents will be invited to join us as we celebrate the year’s accomplishments, before we start planning for next year! (Registration forms coming soon!)

Elisabeth Albert, Education and Youth Director

FROM OUR EDUCATION & YOUTH DIRECTOR

Talmud Torah

May IN TALMUD TORAH

MAY ‘14

S M T W Th F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

2 Kitah Aleph & Kitah Gimel Friday night service

3 JC/B’nai Mitzvah Peer Tutoring

4 TT (PreK-7)-LAST DAY, Family Celebration

7 TT (2-6)

10 B’nai Mitzvah Peer Tutoring

16 Kitah Zayin meets, Shoshana Halev’s Bat Mitzvah

17 TS/JrJr/JC/ B’nai Mitzvah Peer Tutoring

18 Annual Meeting & BBQ

23 Kitah Zayin meets, Stella Roth Bat Mitzvah

30 Kitah Zayin meets, Elizabeth Gross Bat Mitzvah

31 B’nai Mitzvah Peer Tutoring

13

3 AlephBet/Pre-Kadima

8 Shabbat 25 Family service

9 JC

USY

17 Simchat Tot

Kadima

23 TS/JrJr/JC

May IN YOUTH & FAMILY PROGRAMMING

Teen Shabbat Dinner @ Rabbi Greyber's home

Friday May 16th (date changed from 5/2)

(formally listed as "Older Teen Shabbat Dinner," this is now open to all 9th-12th graders in our community).

RSVPs will be required. More info coming soon.

AlephBet (K-2nd grade)

Magic Show!

Sunday, may 4th 12:30 PM-2:30 PM

@Beth El (lunch included)

Stay tuned...

More info on end of year programs coming soon!

Email our awesome youth advisor, Julie Halpert with any questions about upcoming events, program ideas or if you are interested in volunteering in the future. [email protected]

3 JC

Simchat Tot Shabbat Family Picnic

4 AlephBet

16 Teen (9th-12th grade) Shabbat Dinner @Rabbi Greyber’s

17 TS/JrJr/JC

MAY ‘14

S M T W Th F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Simchat Tot (Under 5 & families)

Shabbat Picnic!

Saturday, May 3rd 3:30-5:30 PM

Front lawn @Beth El


Hasan Bhatti

Reporting From Israel

You can follow Hasan along on his current adventures at

http://jthegroundup.blogspot.co.il

Creating an Inclusive Passover Table Read the full story online at:

www.betheldurham.org/docs/Hasan_inclusive_seder-May14.pdf

“What if we want to put bread on the seder plate?”

“Eh, no. There’s reinterpreting tradition, and then there’s

slapping it in the face.”

The exchange came in the middle of Hebrew class while

talking about the upcoming Seder our group was to put together

for the following week. Many laughed at our Hebrew teacher’s

response to my program mate’s question (his response was a

little bit more explicit and extreme than “slapping”), but an

uneasy silence followed as the lesson continued. For me, this

uneasy silence was filled with the following thoughts: Man, that

question and the way it was asked was kind of offensive. No real

context or explanation attached, had an air of disrespect and it

seemed to intentionally ignore what I had grown to understand

a Passover Seder to be: a retelling of some of my ancestors’

liberation from Egypt, where the symbols, story, and traditions

connect you closer than any storytelling would.

To put a symbol that goes directly against a pivotal symbol

in the story, matzah, without much explanation of why seemed

completely offensive to anyone seeking to use this symbol.

I might also add to this stream that I myself don’t observe

the Passover Seder strictly in the traditional sense. As a Jewish

social justice/peace activist and educator, I tend to make a

concerted effort to take this tradition’s symbols and lessons--

almost all of which center around slavery, oppression, and

liberation (in a phrase: social justice)--and connect them to

current social justice issues affecting everyone and everything in

the world around me: Jews, non-Jews, the environment, animals,

systems of oppression, racism etc. The traditions and symbols of

the Seder then are not just symbols. They are important for me to

remind myself of the struggles that still keep people oppressed in

our world, on the work that must be done, and on the spirit of this

ancient story of liberation and social justice, all in the name of

refocusing my own actions for the coming year.

Given my complex and somewhat deeply personal internal

process about traditions and symbols in this Jewish festival, I

could only imagine what this uneasy silence held for my program

mate, the six other people witnessing this conversation, and our

Hebrew teacher.

When the teacher left after the lesson, the rest of us sat

down to dinner and our uneasy silence turned into a conversation

about the exchange. Here are some snippets:

“Did anyone feel disturbed by his comment about the

bread? I felt like I was a little kid and he told us how to and how

not to run a Seder.”

“No; I felt he was saying that it’s a central tradition to this

Seder and that while it can be reinterpreted, there are a couple of

core traditions that, if violated or ignored, do take away from the

message of Seder itself.” Keep reading online…..

Hasan’s full article is posted at: http://bit.ly/hasan5-14

Feel free to drop Hasan a line at [email protected]

Green River Preserve

Craving a Treat? Need a dessert for Shabbat dinner or

some other special event? Zosia Carson DeWitt, 13 years

old, will make you delectable cookies, cupcakes, brownies,

or other treats. Buying these baked treats will help a child

in need go to summer camp at Green River

Preserve (Zosia’s mitzvah project).

Please contact her at

[email protected]

with a cc to her mother at

[email protected]. Thank you!

Need congregational support

for your mitzvah project?

Send project details to

Krisha at [email protected]

for inclusion in the monthly Bulletin.

Mitzvah Projects

Playworks

Eliana Davis (who celebrated becoming

a Bat Mitzvah in February) is collecting

donations for Playworks as part of her Bat

Mitzvah project. Playworks is an innovative

program that aims to create a safe and healthy

playing environment for children. It provides recreation

equipment and trained “coaches” to help children play and

resolve conflicts during recess. Playworks is a national

organization that serves 14 schools in Durham.

See www.playworks.org for more information!

Eliana is collecting lightly used and new playground

equipment. Playworks would appreciate donations of balls

for different sports (soccer, basketball, kickball) as well as

cones, hula hoops, jump ropes, tennis rackets, and more!



15

Capital Maintenance Fund

Sheila and Sol Levine, in memory of Lena Goldberg

Chevra Kadisha

Joel and Adele Abramowitz, in memory of Eleanor

Bienstock, mother of Rachelle Bienstock

Lynne Grossman, in memory of her beloved husband, Will

Rachelle Bienstock, Scott Snyder, Julia and Shira, in

memory of their beloved mother and grandmother, Eleanor Gurland Bienstock

Rachelle Bienstock, Scott Snyder, Julie and Shira, in

honor of Rabbi Greyber, David Rubin, Gladys Siegel and the Chevra Kadisha for all their support during this difficult time

Education and Youth Director's Discretionary Fund

Tobin Fried and Scott Schwartz

Shari and Bernie Fischer

Earl and Gladys Siegel Endowment Fund

Jaclyn Cohen and Nathan Nussbaum, in honor of

Dr. Arthur Axelbank performing the Brit Milah of their son, Benjamin

Leah Bergman, in honor of the Brit Milah of her son, Aryeh

Susan Cohen and Peter Goldberg, in memory of Beth

Berman’s mother, Ann Jackson

Irwin and Deborah Kahn, in memory of Eleanor Bienstock

Alan and Maxine Stern, in memory of Herb Shatzman

Gladys Siegel in memory of Eleanor Bienstock, beloved

mother of Rachelle Beinstock

Gladys Siegel in memory of Murray Brandt

Eric Pas Jewish Camp Scholarship Fund

Donald and Sheila Goldstein, in memory of Steve

Kirschner’s mother

Donald and Sheila Goldstein, in memory of Rachelle

Bienstock’s mother

The Lifelong Learning Committee in honor of Shula

Bernard’s service to Lifelong Learning at Beth El and for teaching a Haftorah trope class

The Lifelong Learning Committee in honor of Shalom

Goldman’s service to Lifelong Learning at Beth El and for teaching the Book of Job class

The Lifelong Learning Committee in honor of Sandy

Kessler’s service to Lifelong Learning at Beth El and for leading the book discussion on Ari Shavit’s My Promised Land

The Lifelong Learning Committee in honor of Bob

Gutman’s service to Lifelong Learning at Beth El and for leading the book discussion on Ari Shavit’s My Promised Land

Martin Poleski, in memory of his beloved parents, Marion

and Teresa Poleski

Barbara Poleski, in memory of her beloved mother,

Eleanor Winfield

General Fund

Roslyn Mannon, in memory of Yetta Brandt

Esther Lederman, in memory of her beloved husband,

Ezjel Lederman

John and Ruth Philpott, in memory of Murray and Yetta

Brandt

Rachel Galanter, in memory of Rachelle Bienstock’s

mother

Miriam K. Slifkin in memory of her beloved mother, Emma

Cohen Kresses

Stanley Ramati, in memory of his beloved mother, Tilly

Hyman

Landscape Fund

Susan Cohen and Peter Goldberg, in honor of Ani Lia

Bryce’s Bat Mitvah

Lifelong Learning Fund

Joan Johnson-Bradsher

Mitzvah Fund

Murray Stollwerk, in memory of his beloved father,

Abraham Stollwerk

Jeanne S. Levy, in loving memory of a woman who made

a difference, Yetta S. Brandt

Rabbi's Discretionary Fund

Mike and Jacki Resnick, in honor of Jennifer Greyber’s

birthday

Ruth Riddle, in appreciation of Rabbi Greyber

Howard and Marion Diamond, in memory of Eleanor

Bienstock

Neil Berman, in honor of his 25th Bar Mitzvah anniversary

Howard and Claire Rockman, in memory of Howard’s

beloved dad, Israel Rockman

Gail Freeman

March Contributions

Beth El Congregation gratefully acknowledges all contributions. Please send donations & dedications to Sandy Berman, our corresponding secretary, at the Beth El address. Donations may be made via check, cash, stock transfer, or Paypal. A full list of funds, donation forms & the direct Paypal link are available on our website’s development page & through the office. When making a donation to the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, please write a separate check payable directly to that fund.


“Tzedaka is equal in importance to all other commandments combined” — Talmud

I am pleased to make a contribution to Beth El Synagogue

My name phone Address City/State/Zip In Memory of In Honor of

Please send acknowledgement to: Name Address City/State/Zip

Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Speedy Recovery Happy Birthday Bar/Bat Mitzvah

Best Wishes Happy Anniversary Other

Mail To: Sandy Berman, Corresponding Secretary 1004 Watts Street Durham NC 27701

Please apply my contribution to: _____ Capital Maintenance Fund _____ Cemetery Fund _____ Chevra Kadisha (burial society) _____ Education & Youth Director's Discretionary Fund _____ Sam & Jeannette Fink Programming Fund

_____ General Fund _____ Gilbert Katz Scholarship Fund _____ Landscape Fund _____ Sandra Lazarus Youth Activity Fund _____ Library Fund _____ LifeLong Learning Fund _____ Mitzvah Fund

_____ Orthodox Kehillah _____ Eric Pas Jewish Camp Scholarship Fund _____ Elaine Perilstein Memorial Fund _____ Prayer Book Fund _____ Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund (please write a

separate check for this fund) _____ Earl and Gladys Siegel Endowment Fund _____ Synagogue Art Fund

You can celebrate a simcha, honor a loved one, or send “get well” wishes by contributing to Beth El.

You may donate via our secure PayPal link or by check using the printable form online or below.

www.betheldurham.org/development

Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Todah Rabah! Thank You!

Beth El Talmud Torah- 5883

Eric Pas Jewish Camp Scholarship

Please be reminded that applications are now available

for partial scholarship funding for any Beth El family who

needs financial assistance in sending a child to a Jewish

camp. Funding will be made available on a need basis

and information will be kept confidential. In the past 15

years the scholarship fund has distributed almost $31,400

and been able to sponsor 49 Beth El children. Our children

have participated in our local Federation camp as well as

Ramah Darom in Georgia, Young Judea, and two overseas

programs. If you would like further information or an

application please call Michele Pas at 919-493-3175, or

email to [email protected].

Also, please consider making a contribution into this

fund, Beth El members’ continued financial support of

this fund will allow more of our Beth El children to have

a Jewish camp experience. Thanks, Michele Pas

17

Yahrzeit Reminders

Traditionally, we light a memorial candle on the

evening before the anniversary of a loved one's death.

Iyyar May 1 Zelda Goldstein 1 1 Melvin Mack Margolese 1 4 Arthur Brody 4 4 Estelle Henner Rose 4 4 Sigmund Segal 4 4 Johannes Van Der Horst 4 5 Frank Schwartz 5 7 Ida Behar 7 7 Joseph Libman 7 7 Albert Markoff 7 7 Annie Saltz 7 7 Leon Arthur Zeiger 7 8 Sadie Goodman 8 8 John J. Johnson III 8 8 Abraham Leiss 8 8 Maude Mordant 8

10 Esther Cassell 10 10 Augusta Korkin 10 14 Marion Bobroff 14 14 Jack Winfield 14 15 Herbert Flicker 15 15 Michael Goodrich 15 16 Rachel bat Avraham v'Devorah 16 20 Miriam Gingold 20 20 Jim Guild 20 20 Sylvia Levy 20 20 Arnold Lind 20 20 Thelma Margolis 20 21 Alexander Koplowitz 21 22 Ricka Hart 22 22 Charles Kaplan 22 22 Alfred Veis 22 23 Marcia Lynn August 23 23 Morris Snyderman 23 25 Joseph Behar 25 25 Frank Greenberg 25 26 Abraham Rosenstein 26 26 Milton Siegel 26 27 Leo Slachter 27 28 Harry Bergman 28 28 Hanoch ben Levi 28 29 Toba Man 29 29 Mary Rosenstein 29 29 Rose Sawilosky Roemer 29

Sivan May 1 Nathan Henry Brandt 30 1 Howard Jaffe 30 2 Julia Schlanger 31

Sivan June 3 Ann Feldman 1 3 Daniel Parker 1 3 Morton Pizer 1 4 Benjamin Pudolsky 2 4 Sarah Sody 2 5 Eva Rosenstein Dave 3 5 Bertram Lubar 3 5 Bruno Strauss 3 6 Aron Pas 4 6 Earl Weaver 4 7 Norma Greenberg 5 8 Gerald Reed 6 9 Jeremy Bland 7

10 Bella Goldstein 8 10 Esther Silverman 8 12 Marilyn Lubar 10 12 Molly Zauder 10 14 Lotte Herzfeld 12 15 Lily Feiler 13 15 Willard Gidwitz 13 15 Pearl Morrison 13 16 Norman Evenson 14 16 Bertha Freifeld 14 16 Stuart Garr 14 16 Irene Markoff 14 16 Herbert Sharp 14 17 Carrie Hayer 15 17 Jonathan Shimm 15 18 Samuel Levine 16 18 Lionel Shapiro 16 19 Gregory Barry 17 20 Theodore Gradin 18 20 Annie Levy 18 20 Earl Siegel 18 21 Margot Sandick 19 21 Sidney Shapiro 19 22 Hyman Kresses 20 22 Fannie Promisel Freedman 20 23 Milton Goldstein 21 23 Tirtza Leiss 21 23 Eunice Loewinsohn 21 23 Daniel Miller 21 23 Amanda Stang 21 24 Leonard Becker 22 24 Mollie Fridovich 22 24 Phyllis Lehon 22 25 Theodore Brody 23 27 Dennis Hart 25 27 Herman Wagner 25 28 Lottie Frohman 26 29 Julius Concors 27 29 Isaac Evans 27 29 Reba Levine 27

Tammuz June 1 Zevel Berman 29 1 Eva Gadlli 29 1 Herman Scherr 29 1 Akiba Sitron 29 2 Samuel Cooper 30 2 Mollie Gabin 30 2 Rivka Rachel Ginton 30 2 Dalia Weinisman 30

Barukh Dayan Ha-emet “Blessed is the Judge of Truth”

Beth El congregation extends condolences to Matthew Rascoff on the death of his father, Joel Rascoff

May the Ever Present One comfort them among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Memorial Board Plaques

If you are interested in

purchasing/reserving a

Beth El Memorial Plaque,

please contact Gladys Siegel.

[email protected]

or 919-942-5369


I explained to my hosts that their student, my patient, was

mystified when my nurse introduced me as the Chancellor of

New York Medical College.

"Vuss ay Chancellor?" (What is a Chancellor?) he had

asked.

I explained to the five Rabbis, as I had explained to my

patient/their student, that a "Chancellor" meant that I was

the Rosh Yeshiva of the New York Medical College. At this

remark the assembled Rabbis burst into gales of laughter. I

feel confident that later that evening, around the dining room

tables of five Monsey Hasidim, the story was told of "the

joke the American made" today at the office.

When we finished I was invited for a tour of the Beit

Midrash - the house of study. This was a room the size of

a gymnasium with vast amounts of natural light and a

ceiling decorated with blue painted decorative stripes.

There were about 70 to 100 pupils ranging in age from grade

school to late high school. The students were arrayed around

rectangular tables flanked by benches. The little children

were four to a table and the older students two to a table.

The tables were covered with Bibles, Commentaries, and

Talmud volumes. There were no visible teachers in site.

My hosts insisted I take a few fresh rugelach "for the

road" and I happily obliged.

On the drive back to the College I spotted a massive

kosher supermarket on my left and "Shaindy's Bakery".

I couldn't resist and parked. I found that I was the only

non-Hasidic customer although the employees all seemed

to be native Spanish-speakers. The babkas were laid out on

the counter, each about two yards long. How, I asked the

men behind the counter, is it sold? By this I meant: By the

pound? By the slice? By the what?

My inquiry produced a debate in Spanish behind the

counter until we seemed to reach a consensus that it was

going to be by the pound. I asked for a pound and this

seemed to require three men arguing about how to slice

the babka including two abortive cuts and one definitive

one resulted in an about 10" piece that felt like a brick. I

don't know what they put in these things but it's very dense

and very tasty.

The babka, the rugelach, and I all arrived at the College

safe and sound.

Until next month,

Regards from Valhalla,

Edward Halperin

Letter from Valhalla Edward's Adventures in Frummieland - III

At the end of last month's column I left you, dear reader,

emerging with me from my car in Monsey, New York, and

heading into one of the Hasidic yeshivot to discuss one of my

patients with the yeshiva's leadership. I was admitted to the

building by a young man in his early twenties who told me I

was expected and indicated that I was to follow him. The

building was awash with Hasidic boys bustling about. There

was an industrial wash sink near the front door - a stainless

steel affair running for about three to four yards with the

Hebrew blessing for hand-washing posted above the sink.

This was, I assume, for the children to do the required hand-

washing and blessing before meals. I was taken downstairs

and the remains of breakfast were on long tables. There was

no evidence of anything being cleaned. Upon my arrival in

the designated room a dispute broke out between my guide

and another young Hasid in which my guide seemed to be at

the losing end and I was taken back up the stairs to the first

floor of the building. Eventually I was shown to an empty

room and told to await the arrival of the Rosh Yeshivah (the

head of the yeshivah aka the principal).

Within the next five minutes three ramrod straight men

filed in dressed in long black frock coats and streimmels

(massive circular fur hats). This constituted, I was advised,

the relevant members of the faculty. A few moments later we

all rose as the Rosh Yeshiva was rolled in in a wheelchair

accompanied by his assistant. My hosts emphatically insisted

that I was to be seated in a leather seat at the head of the table

and was to face the Rosh Yeshiva across the table. The Rosh

Yeshiva, to my clinical eye, was the victim of a major stroke

at some time in the past with a marked facial droop, tilted off

to one side, and contracted upper limb muscles.

I had come equipped with a hand out I had prepared

which detailed my suggestions for the classroom management

of a brain tumor patient. I distributed my handout and the

Rosh Yeshiva spoke to the assembled group.

"All right doctah. Ve are here to listen to vat you have to

tell us."

I spoke for about twenty minutes, working through

my handout, as these five men stared at me with a fierce

intensity the likes of which I have rarely seen. When I

finished I invited questions. The questions were of

exceptional detail in insight: When will the chemotherapy

begin? What will be the duration of the chemotherapy cycles?

How are we to understand the influence of surgery and radio-

therapy on our student's cognitive ability to understand the

concepts he must master in his Talmudic studies? How are

we to manage treatment-associated fatigue?

19

Sicha, Hebrew for "conversation," is an organization that

promotes the vital ongoing dialogue between classical Jewish

texts and modern life. Essays engaging modern and classical

texts in conversations can be found on our website:

www.sichaconversation.org.

Beyond Belief. Join Rabbi Sager and Sicha for the next in a series

that explores Jewish identity. The poet, Amichai, asks: Who

will remember the rememberers? Is a sense of belonging to a

people that remembers sufficient to preserve the institution of

memory? Or does memory require a commitment that can only

come from belief? The Ethics of Remembering will take

place on Sunday, May 4 at 3:30-5:00 @ Levin JCC. More

details are available on the Sicha website.

B’almah. The last in the series of B’almah programs will be May

20: Eulogy: Beautiful Truth at 7:30pm at Levin JCC. An

ancient Jewish eulogy begins, Weep for the mourners, not for

the soul that is gone...This is the beginning of a beautiful truth.

Eulogies speak about departing, but also about lasting and en-

during. Join Sicha in a conversation about beautiful truths that

deserve to be spoken.

Resources for each B’almah topic can be found here:

http://bit.ly/sicha-balmah-res

Sicha Shabbaton in the Mountains 2014 will take place August 7-

10. This year’s theme will be AMEN: The Final Word In

Faith. Amen comes from the Hebrew meaning faith. It is the

final word of declaration and celebration in Jewish religious

language. What does it mean to declare faith? Is faith the same

as belief? Do we say amen too freely--or not often enough?

High in the Blue Ridge Mountains, during a peaceful weekend

of Shabbat rest and mountain beauty, join the conversation with

ancient teachings and modern poetry that explore faith and its

final word, amen. Register now at http://tinyurl.com/

SichaShabbatonRegistration2014.

Community Midrasha Midrasha Open House

Twice as Nice!

Our open house last month was so successful -

we decided to do it again! Join Community Midrasha on

Sunday, May 4, for your choice of class and community dinner!

All participants will enjoy pizza dinner with our dynamic

community! Come explore the new Midrasha, and enjoy

dinner while doing it!

RSVP to 919-695-3868 or [email protected]

so we can get the proper count for dinner.

Sunday, May 4, 5:30-7:30pm Kehillah Synagogue (1200 Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill)

We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary!

Sunday, May 18 (note new date) Join us on the last night of the Midrasha school year - MAY 18 -

to celebrate Midrasha's 25 years of inspiring teens in the Durham

and Chapel Hill community! We will celebrate the end of the

2013-2014 school year with presentations from each of our spring

classes, enjoy dinner together, and have the opportunity for some

fun(d)-raising with a raffle and prizes! More details to follow, but

prizes will include 50% off Midrasha tuition for next year and

Shabbat dinner with me and my family! Stay tuned...more details

soon!!

Raleigh Cary JCC Events 12804 Norwood Road, Raleigh 27613

5/5: Book Club, And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

5/18: Jewish Film Series, Avalon

5/21: Brown Bag Speaker Lunch, Topic TBD

Details at

www.betheldurham.org/calendar/announcements.html#rcjcc

http://www.sichaconversation.org/


▪ Resident of Chapel Hill/Durham since 1973

▪ Graduate Realtors Institute

▪ Member of Beth El Congregation

▪ Member of the Chapel Hill Kehillah

▪ Life Member of Hadassah

▪ NC Hillel Board of Directors

▪ Board of Directors Durham/Chapel Hill Federation

Ellen Singer “In Tune With Your Real Estate Needs”

Over 32 years

as a full-time

real estate broker

serving the Triangle Area,

including Chapel Hill,

Carrboro, Durham,

Orange and Chatham County

Lerner School Events

Open to all!

Shabbat Together ~ Celebrate Shabbat with songs, movement

and homemade challah at the Lerner School! For parents and

their children, ages 18 months – 4 years old. 9am in the library.

Most Fridays when school is in session. Free! RSVP at

[email protected]. May 2, 9

Shmooze n'Play ~ A Jewish Play Group for families of

pre-schoolers and kindergarteners! Schmooze with other parents

while your children play on Lerner School’s beautiful playground!

10:30am – 11:30am at the Lerner School in Durham. RSVP at

[email protected]. May 11

Check the Lerner website for information on these & more!

www.lernerschool.org

32nd annual state of North Carolina's

Holocaust Commemoration Sunday May 4, 3:00-5:00pm

"Resistance and Heroism in the Holocaust" is the theme of

North Carolina's annual Holocaust Commemoration, Sunday,

May 4th, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, at Meredith College - Jones

Auditorium, 3800 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh. Featured speaker

Barbara Rodbell, formerly from Amsterdam and a courier in

Amsterdam's Jewish underground, was a friend of Anne Frank

and her family. Mrs. Rodbell has appeared on TV and on National

Public Radio to tell her extraordinary story. She will be available

after the program for an informal Q&A. "Resistance and Heroism

in the Holocaust" features dramatic vignettes, choral pieces and

videos depicting ways in which Nazi persecution was resisted.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome. More information is

available at www.ncpublicschools.org/holocaust_council

Please patronize our sponsors

and let them know

you saw their ads here.

Was your family's property taken during the Holocaust?

If you or your family owned movable, immovable or tangible

property that was confiscated, looted, or forcibly sold in countries

governed or occupied by the Nazi forces or Axis powers during

the Holocaust era and you or your relatives received no restitution

for that property, you may be eligible to participate in the

Holocaust Era Asset Restitution Taskforce project (Project Heart).

Call 800-584-1559 for more information

or visit www.heartwebsite.org.

http://www.betheldurham.org/calendar/announcements.html#lssp

http://www.lernerschool.org

21

Michael Aaron Cohen, CPA, CFE

1981 Duke Graduate

Over 30 Years Experience

Taxation & Small Business

Accounting

New Business Startups

Entrepreneurs, Executives,

Professionals

Contact Michael for an Initial Consultation.

Very Reasonable Rates!

Toll Free 1.855.385.3272

(1-855-DUKE-CPA)

[email protected]

THE MAGNOLIA KLEZMER BAND! Dance, shake, or listen. All shows are free.

May 11, Combined concert w/ Triangle Jewish Chorale and

Magnolia Klezmer, 3pm - Levin JCC, Durham

June 1, Southern Village on the Green, 7-9pm, Chapel Hill

June 8, Weaver St. Market Jazz Brunch, 11am-1pm, Carrboro

www.magnoliaklezmerband.com

Giving Voice to the Mother Tongues:

Yiddish and Ladino Songs and Music

from the Triangle Jewish Chorale

and the Magnolia Klezmer Band

The Perfect Musical Recipe:

Yiddish and Ladino with a Generous Touch of Klezmer

The Magnolia Klezmer Band and the Triangle Jewish Chorale

will join together for a performance of music from the wide

worlds of Yiddish and Ladino on Sunday, May 11 at 3:00pm

in the Community Hall of the Levin Jewish Community Center

in Durham. The Yiddish songs reflect a cultural connection

running from central and eastern Europe to the New York theater

scene. The sound of Ladino reflects roots in Spain even though

the language is widely dispersed around the Mediterranean. The

music chosen for May 11 captures moments of faith, love and

loss while adding the ebullience of klezmer.

The performance is open to all without charge, but donations will

be welcome. The Jewish Community Center is located at 1937 W.

Cornwallis Road in Durham NC.

For further information, please contact Bernie Most by email at

[email protected] or by phone at 919-493-1288.

Inter-Faith Council for Social Service

invites you to attend the

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the New Community House

Monday, May 5, 2014 8:00am

1315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Continental Breakfast immediately following the ceremony.

Please RSVP by April 28th at www.ifcweb.org/rsvp or

919.929.6380 x15

Parking available at United Church,

Orange United Methodist Church (rear lot only)

and the UNC parking lot adjacent to the site off Homestead Road


http://www.betheldurham.org/calendar/announcements.html#mkb


If you are not receiving Beth El’s weekly e-mail

announcements and would like to,

please contact [email protected]

and ask her to add you to our listserve.

Landscape Design & Installation • Landscape Lighting

Water Features • Sprinkler Systems • Sodding

Patios, Walkways & Stepping Stones • Retaining Walls

Drainage & Ditches • Snow Removal

COMMERCIAL and RESIDENTIAL Agricultural Engineering Since 1983

Providing services to Durham, Wake & Orange Counties

Wide variety of plants, bushes, trees, perennials and fruit trees

Retail and wholesale Landscape supplies and natural stone

For professional service you can trust, call Philip Nazo, owner.

Mobile: 919-524-8878 • Office: 919-309-2620

Mon.-Fri. 8am-6pm • Sat. 8am-4pm • Sun.10am-4pm

www.NazoLandscaping.com

Nazo Landscaping, Inc.

Jewish Meditation at the Levin JCC

1st and 3rd Sunday of each month. 10:45am-12:00pm

No charge & no experience needed to attend. Always open to new

participants. Sometimes a participant leads a guided meditation;

other times it is a silent practice. Levin JCC, 1937 W. Cornwallis

Road, Durham. Phone: 919-354-4936, [email protected]

The Rosenzweig Gallery Presents

“Celebrations of the Jewish Spirit” on display through May!

In conjunction with the celebration of AGJA’s “Jewish Arts

Month”, see www.jewishart.org Official Opening of the American

Guild of Judaic Art (AGJA) exhibit, “Celebrations of the Jewish

Spirit.” AGJA Artists in the Exhibit includes Beth El members

Galia Goodman & Sol Levine The Gallery is at Judea Reform

Congregation – 1933 W. Cornwallis Road – Durham, NC 27705

Women’s Voices Chorus Performs

“The Long Bright” in partnership

with UNC and Duke Cancer Centers

As part of their 20th anniversary celebration, Women’s

Voices Chorus proudly presents “The Long Bright.” The

concert will take place on Friday, May 16 at 8 p.m. at Hill Hall

Auditorium on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill and is produced

in partnership with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer

Center and the Duke Cancer Institute.

The program includes Andrea Clearfield’s “The Long

Bright,” a cantata tracing one couple’s journey through cancer

diagnosis and treatment. The piece showcases poetry by David

Wolman, whose wife, the soprano Anni Baker, succumbed to

breast cancer. Wolman commissioned this piece, which premiered

in Philadelphia in 2004. This performance will feature a chamber

orchestra and soprano soloist Susan Hellman.

Additionally, the chorus will perform Lana Walter’s “I

Am Not Here,” commissioned by the chorus in 2010, Abbie

Betinis’s canon “Be Like the Bird,” and other works exploring

themes of illness and mourning, joy and triumph.

WVC is committed to performing high quality women’s

choral music for Triangle audiences. To learn more or purchase

tickets, please visit http://womensvoiceschorus.org.

http://womensvoiceschorus.org

23

Serving the Hebrew Community

Since 1874

Howerton Bryan

Funeral Home

919-682-5464 1005 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27701

Chapel Hill-Durham Hadassah

Not a member? Why not?

Everyone is welcome (yes, men too).

For information, contact please contact

Karen Betman at [email protected]

or you may join online at

www.hadassah.org (Chapel Hill/Durham branch).

Seeking Pre-K and Plays Pals

Students for 2014-15!

Beth El Preschool is now accepting

applications for 2014-15 academic year.

Our child-centered Jewish preschool

encourages wonder, joyful individuality

and personal achievement. Our low teacher

-student ratios allow close friendships, sharing and caring, and

joyful group participation. We have a loving, peaceful learning

environment and a lot of fun! Financial aid is available. We offer

half-day programs for children 18 mo. through Pre-K. We still

have openings in our Play Pals (18-24 months) and Pre-K classes

for 2014-15. Contact Lorri at [email protected] , 919-688

-8704 or check us out at www.bethelpreschooldurham.org

Join Ramah Darom

for fun and inspiring programs

and retreats year-round for all ages!

Visit www.ramahdarom.org/programs

See link below for information on

helping families in need of financial

assistance with their water bills.

This program is through OWASA &

the IFC, but you do not need to be an Orange Co. resident to

participate. If you are not an OWASA customer, scroll to the

bottom of the linked page for instructions on sending direct

donations.

www.owasa.org/customerService/taste-of-hope.aspx

http://www.ramahdarom.org/programs


Beth El Events:

www.betheldurham.org/calendar/index.html

Community Events: www.betheldurham.org/calendar/announcements.html

Included in the Jewish Sparks archives:

Triangle Jewish Chorale, Down Home: The Cantata

In April & May of 2013, the Triangle Jewish Chorale presented

three performances of a newly composed piece, “Down Home:

The Cantata”, exploring the Jewish immigrant experience in North

Carolina. There is a link to "Down Home - The Cantata" on the

main Jewish Sparks webpage - www.jewishsparks.net - at the top

center of the page.

Visit Israel this summer with North Carolina Hillel

North Carolina Hillel has brought over 300 students from 19 NC

campuses on free, 10-day Birthright Israel trips in the last three

years. Would you like to be one of the 80 students joining us this

summer for this incredible experience? If you're age 18-26 and

Jewish, you may be eligible! (New eligibility rules now allow

those who've visited Israel on an organized trip before age 18 to

apply.) Our trip is open to both students at NC schools and native

North Carolinians studying out-of-state. Online registration is

now open. For more info, visit http://www.nchillel.org/birthright.

More questions? Please contact NC Hillel Israel Fellow Liat Srur

at [email protected] or (919) 942-4057.

Jewish Sparks is a public access television program which is

broadcast in Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham, NC. This program

presents videos of major Jewish educational and artistic events

together with interviews and recordings of Jewish scholars and

important Jewish leaders. Our goal is to promote a better under-

standing of key Jewish concepts and issues within both the Jewish

and non-Jewish communities.

The Jewish Sparks 30 minute weekly broadcast schedule:

Chapel Hill (CH) - Peoples Channel, Time Warner Cable Channel

8* (channel 4* in Carrboro): Tuesdays 9:00 PM

Durham (DR) - Durham Community Media, Time Warner Cable

Channel 18*: Tuesdays 7:30 PM

Raleigh (RTN) - RTN, Cable Channel 10: Wednesdays 7:00 PM

and Thursdays 8:00 PM

* Set Top Box is required which can be obtained FREE from Time

Warner;

no box necessary with digital TV set: CH is at 97.5, DR at 97.3

The latest program schedule is on the Jewish Sparks Website:

www.jewishsparks.net.

Jewish Sparks maintains a large archive of program material.

If you miss a live broadcast, or do not have Cable, you can watch

the programs on the internet site (www.jewishsparks.net.)

Additional information is available from the website, or email the

producer, Sheldon Becker, at [email protected].

Free lectures open to the public at local universities:

UNC-CH Carolina Center for Jewish Studies &

Duke Center for Jewish Studies

Event information & and updates can be found at:

http://jewishstudies.duke.edu & www.jewishstudies.unc.edu

Libi Eir Mikveh Art Gallery

One of Libi Eir's seven founding principles is Hiddur Mitzvah /

Beautifying the Mitzvah. Exhibiting the work of local artists is

one of the ways they take this mandate seriously - and joyfully.

Exhibits change every three to four months.

Artists: If you'd like to feature your work at Libi Eir, please

contact Rabbi Jenny Solomon at [email protected].

Beth El is a partnering synagogue of our community mikveh,

Libi Eir, which opened in September of 2011.

http://jewishstudies.duke.edu

http://jewishstudies.unc.edu

25

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27

C o m m u n i t y C o n n e c t i o n s

Tzedakah in Bloom

Tzedakah in Bloom is a project started by the

Jewish Family Service to raise money for local

community members in need and food banks.

JFS offers 13 different silk flower arrangements

for use at your simcha.

(on the bimah, at a reception or as a centerpiece).

New arrangements are added periodically.

Each arrangement rents for $150.00.

Please call the Federation office at

919-489-5335 if you have questions about the project.

Photos of the arrangements

as well as a reservation form is online at:

www.shalomdch.org/blooms.htm.

To reserve an arrangement,

contact Sandy Fangmeier, Project Coordinator:

919-489-0433 or [email protected]

JFS Gift Card Program: JFS seeks gift cards to shops, movies, restaurants, shows, hair salons. Your gift will be apreciated by those in need. To make a donation or for more information, contact Jenny Schwartz at 919-354-4923 or [email protected]

JFS volunteers needed:

Shabbat Outreach volunteers are needed to lead a short Shabbat service on Fridays for Jewish residents of an assisted living facility in Chapel Hill.

Friendly Visitors are needed for isolated older adults living in the community. Not appropriate for volunteers who want to visit someone with their child. Friendly visitors will spend time with the person as friends do- talking, exploring common interests, or going for a walk. Minimum time commitment: 2-4 hours per month. For more information on these volunteer opportunities, please contact JFS Social Worker Jenny Schwartz at 919-354-4923 or [email protected]

Volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem: Help change the lives of Durham's abused and neglected children. For more information or to volunteer, contact Stephanie Kelly at 564-7289 or [email protected]. Sandy Kessler can also give you information on what it is like to be a Guardian ad Litem.

Help our Jewish Elderly: Jewish Family Services provides a program and lunch for seniors in our community (Chaverim). This is a wonderful opportunity for our elderly seniors to get together on a regular basis, spending time together chatting over a good lunch. We are looking for small groups of friends, such as a family or two, a Hebrew school class or a B’nei Mitzvah student to consider preparing or sponsoring ($100 donation) a lunch in honor or memory of someone or just for the fun of it, for between 15 - 20 seniors. This is an easy and wonderfully rewarding mitzvah opportunity. For more information please contact Michele Pas at [email protected] or 919-493-3175.

We need Beth El volunteers at the Chapel Hill Community Kitchen to cook lunch on the first Wednesday of each month from 9:30-12:30. Anyone able to help please contact Gladys Siegel ([email protected])

Servers & Tuna Casseroles Needed for Durham Community Café Dinner the fourth Sunday of each month! Several casseroles are needed for the Community Café dinner that is served on the fourth Sunday of each month. For your convenience, the recipe is printed below. Please deliver the casseroles to Judea Reform before the fourth Sunday of each month during their regular office hours. If you are unable to deliver the casserole, please contact Erica Gringle to make alternate arrangements. This mitzvah is an easy one in which to involve children. Besides making casseroles, Beth El's commitment is to provide servers for the community meal on the fourth Sunday of each month (5:30 PM - 7:00 PM). If you are interested in participating in this community service project, please contact Erica Rapport Gringle. Pre-teens through adult can serve so this too is great mitzvah to do with your older kids.

TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE (use a very large rectangular or oval disposable tin) Please note changes for pasta & vegetables —2 lbs. of rotini (other pastas get mushy after being frozen, thawed and baked) —about 42 ounces of water packed tuna, drained —7 cans of cream of mushroom soup (about 70 ounces and low sodium, if possible) —8 carrots and 8 stalks of celery, diced —Boil the noodles in a large pot of water until al dente or almost done. Drain and place in casserole. —Add all other ingredients and mix well. —No need to cook. Just cover tightly with lots of foil and transport it to the Judea Reform freezer.

Duke Hospice Volunteers Needed: If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a hospice volunteer for Duke Hospice, please contact Carolyn Colsher at 919-620-3859, ext. 235 or [email protected]. For more information on programs visit www.dhch.duhs.duke.edu.

Jewish Family Services at the Levin JCC 1937 Cornwallis Road, Durham

919-354-4936 [email protected] www.levinjcc.org

Contact Jenny Schwartz

at 919-354-4923 or [email protected]

for information on these & other JFS programs.

Visti the JCC website for dates & details

on these ongoing events & more:

JFS Mitzvah Corps Bubbes and Zaydes

Job & Networking Group Caregiver Support Group

Chronic Connections Memory Café

Chaverim JFS Clinical Connections

Women’s & Men’s Groups BRIDGES Sensational Sundays

BETH EL SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

Friday evening services:

Services are held on Friday evenings only in conjunction with other programming or special occasions. See monthly calendars for noted dates and times.

Saturday morning services: Services in the Orthodox Kehillah begin at 9:00 a.m.

Services in the Main Sanctuary begin at 9:30 a.m. Weekday minyanim in the Main Sanctuary*: Sunday mornings at 9:30am (summer suspension TBD*)

Wednesday mornings at 8:00am (summer suspension TBD*)

*Please let the office know in advance if you need to say Kaddish, even if a minyan has already been scheduled.

OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. / Fridays: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Office (voice) 919-682-1238 (fax) 919-682-7898 Rabbi Daniel Greyber, Rabbi 919-682-1238 [email protected] Casey Baker, Executive Director 919-682-1238 ext. 110 [email protected] Elisabeth Albert, Education & Youth Director 919-682-1238 ext. 170 [email protected] Sheri Hoffman, Congregational Services Coordinator 919-682-1238 ext. 100 [email protected] Sandy Fangmeier, Kitchen Manager 919-489-0433 [email protected] Krisha Miller, Publicity Assistant 919-416-1397 [email protected] Rabbi Steve Sager, Rabbi Emeritus 919-682-1238 ext. 195 [email protected] Bulletin Advertising Sales Manager 919-942-5369 [email protected]

If the office phone is in use or no one is in the office, please leave a message on the voice mail.

BETH EL WEBSITE: www.betheldurham.org

Barak Richman President Rachel Galanter 1st Vice-President Noah Pickus 2nd Vice-President

Roy Schonberg Financial Secretary

The deadline to submit items for the Beth El Bulletin is the first workday of the preceding month.

Send bulletin items and calendar dates via e-mail to [email protected].

Beth El Synagogue

1004 Watts Street

Durham, NC 27701

Dated Material

may 2014 iyyar / sivan 5774 - worship, education

Documents