Post on 22-Dec-2021
CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL
Adar-Nissan 5777 | March 2017 BULLETIN
RELIGIOUS SERVICES March 2017
Friday, March 3 5:30 PM Nosh Tot Shabbat Hosted by 1’s 6:15 PM Shabbat Evening Service
Saturday, March 4 8:45 AM Torah Morning Study 10:00 AM Shabbat Morning Service B’nei Mitzvah | Austin Raben & Blake Raben
Friday, March 10 5:30 PM Nosh 6:15 PM Shabbat Evening Service
Saturday, March 11 8:45 AM Torah Morning Study 10:00 AM Shabbat Morning Service 12:00 PM Simchat Shabbat 5:00 PM Megillah Reading, Purim Party
Friday, March 17 5:30 PM Nosh 6:15 PM Shabbat Evening Service
Saturday, March 18 8:45 AM Torah Morning Study 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Service Bar Mitzvah | Benjamin Freeman 11:00 AM Shabbat Morning Service Bar Mitzvah | Harrison LaBell
Friday, March 24 5:30 PM Nosh 6:15 PM Shabbat Evening Service Saturday, March 25 8:45 AM Torah Morning Study 10:00 AM Shabbat Morning Service Bat Mitzvah | Madeline Garber
Annual Purim Spiel
Food & Festivities
Megillah Reading
Dancing & Green Screen
Dress as your favorite historical or Purim character and
help us ‘rap’ up Purim - Hamilton-style!
Join us for the (mostly) faithful, family-friendly
re-telling of the Biblical story of Esther.
5:00 pm
2016-2017 Board of Directors
Due to HIPAA Laws, our clergy and staff are never notified by hospitals, hospices or rehabilitation centers of births, illness or deaths. Please help us stay informed by calling the office with
this important information.
First-graders at Congregation Beth Israel’s Haberkorn Religious School plant a new etrog tree in their Evanne Copland Kofman Biblical Garden in advance of Tu B’Shevat.
Biblical garden aims for authenticity JANET PEREZ | Special to Jewish News |
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 6:00 pm
You won’t find wildflowers, prize-winning roses or neat hedges at the Evanne Copland Kofman Biblical Garden at Congregation Beth Israel. What the garden grows is much more profound – a glimpse into the natural world of the Bible. “People think of gardens and they think of beauty,” said Donna Harris, who along with Beth Waldinger tends the garden. “But in Bible days, the garden was mainly for yielding herbs and fruits and shelter. The trees themselves are very beautiful, but the garden is not like a thing of beauty with flowers blossoming at all times. It definitely replicates what our ancestors went through.” The idea for the garden began not long after Congregation Beth Israel moved to its current location in 1997. The synagogue’s rabbi at the time, Rabbi Kenneth Segal, put congregation member Richard Zonis, an ear, nose and throat doctor, in charge of creating the garden. A generous donation from the family of Evanne Copland Kofman in her memory helped to fund it. Zonis created the garden layout, selecting stones obtained locally, but that are reminiscent of the stones in Israel. Paths made of the same stones are laid out to traverse the garden, intersecting at where there used to be a small pond. The stones were also used to build a bench and a low wall surrounding the garden. There are no gates. “Dr. Zonis led us through the garden in February 2012,” said Waldinger. “He had tended this garden for 12 years. It had been almost dormant for three years, but it was our interest in gardening that drew us to it. Unfortunately, Dr. Zonis died six months after we took over the garden. We didn’t know he was ill, but we like to think he was thrilled that they had found somebody to take over this project that he had devoted his heart and soul to for years.” Harris and Waldinger starting by cutting and trimming the vegetation, as well as draining the pond, which had become overrun by papyrus and bulrushes, posing a possible danger to visitors. The pair planted another papyrus plant, this time in a container to keep it from running wild.
Among the 25 plants and trees that can be found in the garden are an acacia tree, Aleppopine tree, aloe plants, apricot tree, carob tree, ebony tree, senna bush, pomegranate tree, and a Phoenician rose bush that was originally imported from England by Zonis. Harris and Waldinger hope to plant a new fig tree and replace the weathered informational plaques by the notable plants. “Dr. Zonis was really interested in getting the authentic plant species that scholars thought were mentioned in the Bible,” Waldinger said. The duo love to show off the garden and are quick to warn visitors that what they see may not look beautiful, but many of the biblical stories behind them are. For example, wood from the acacia tree was used to build the Ark of the Covenant and the senna bush has been identified as the most likely candidate to be the Burning Bush. “It’s ugly, it’s scraggly, but it has beautiful yellow blooms in spring,” Waldinger said. Harris and Waldinger especially enjoy teaching children about the garden. Harris created a complete Bible Garden curriculum that can be used year-round. The curriculum includes a scavenger hunt that helps youngsters familiarize themselves with the garden’s plants. “It’s brilliant to show the kids how their ancestors lived and what they needed to sustain themselves, like making paper from the papyrus leaves, or making baskets and even shoes,” Waldinger said. “Everything had to be useful as medicine, food, shelter, clothing. It’s more purposeful than beautiful.”
Gail Baer President
Jacki Cohen Vice President
Robin Roeder Treasurer
James Levy Secretary
Jay Stein Immediate Past President
Wendy Carriere Board Member at Large
Steve Bressler Laura Drachler Julie Hymovitch
Jennifer Garber Dr. Benjamin Harris Jessica Langbaum
Carol Seidberg Sheri Sender Alan Roga
Honorary Life Board Members
Fran Frazin Steven J. Haberkorn Sol Moretsky
Carol Reynolds Sheldon Roth
Madeline Garber Maddie will become a Bat Mitzvah on March 25
th. Maddie is the daughter of Jennifer and Stuart
Garber and the granddaughter of Susan and Dr. Alan Garber and Nancy and Paul Gitelson. Maddie
has a younger sister, Melanie. Maddie is in the 7th
grade at Rancho Solano Preparatory School. Her
best subject is English Literature and her favorite subjects are science English Literature. Maddie’s
hobbies include rock climbing, reading, playing sports and spending time with friends and family. For
her mitzvah project, Maddie partnered with Yashar Lachayal to raise money for Mishloach Manot baskets for soldiers in the
IDF. She also volunteered at Mom’s Pantry, a local food bank.
March Anniversaries (Years Married)
Jason & Joy Bidnick 24
Andrew & Julianne Birdt 20
Barry & Robin Brody 32
Amanda & Micah Brooks 3
James & Diane Condo 12
Richard & Stacy Cooper 16
Mark & Abby Curtis 32
John & Candice Erlick 31
Ramon & Marilyn Fierro 42
Nathan & Diana Fihn 45
Craig & Michelle Ganz 14
Jay & Trudy Goldman 27
Michael & Debra Kasen 17
Bradley & Lise Klein 26
Kevin & Jessica Langbaum 12
Marc & Lynn Lerner 23
Roy & Dawn Meshel 15
John & Lisbeth Nye 15
David & Karen Polen 22
Terry & Deb Rochford 28
Sheldon & Madeline Roth 14
Eugene & Marlene Shapiro 64
Paul & Dana Trenter 20
OUR TEMPLE FAMILY
Mazel Tov
Austin Raben Austin Raben will become a Bar
Mitzvah on March 4th
. Austin is the
son of Lisa Raben and Jeff Raben and
the grandson of Judi and Bruce Raben
and Gayle and Jeffrey Borovay and
great grandmother Lila Borovay. He
has a twin brother, Blake. Austin is in 7th
grade at Pardes
Jewish Day School. Austin’s best subject is math. His
hobbies include camping, archery, and Minecraft. For his
mitzvah project, Austin volunteered with Better Together,
Moriah, and completed Boy Scout Service projects.
Benjamin Freeman Benjamin Freeman will become
a Bar Mitzvah on March 18th
.
Benjamin is the son of Michele
and Richard Freeman and the
grandson of Faith Garrison,
Sanford Freeman, Donna & Paul
Lance, Tish and Warren Goodwin. Benjamin is in 7th
grade at
Basis and enjoys history. His favorite subject is Spanish. His
hobbies include creating and building things and flying his
drone. For his mitzvah project, Benjamin volunteered at
Natural Restoration which restores and removes garbage
from public lands in Arizona.
Blake Raben Blake Raben will become a Bar
Mitzvah on March 4th
. Blake is the
son of Lisa Raben and Jeff Raben
and the grandson of Judi and
Bruce Raben and Gayle and Jeffrey
Borovay and great grandmother
Lila Borovay. He has a twin brother, Austin. Blake is in 7th
grade at Pardes Jewish Day School. His best subject is
history. His hobbies include baseball and Boy Scouts. For
his mitzvah project, Blake volunteered with Better Together,
Moriah, and completed Boy Scout Service projects.
Harrison LaBell Harrison LaBell will become
a Bar Mitzvah on March 18th
.
Harrison is the son of Ariella
and Steven LaBell and the
grandson of Annette
Kanshepolsky, Dr. Jose
Kanshepolsky, Shelley and Fred LaBell. Harrison is in 7th
grade at Cocopah Middle School and enjoys math & STEM
lab. His hobbies include guitar, legos, digital design, and
playing Pokemon. For his mitzvah project, Harrison has been
working with Power Paws by raising awareness, collecting
donations and puppy petting.
Welcome New Members
Irwin & Pamela Pasternack
Jennifer and Kimberly
ADULT EDUCATION FUND
AMDUR VOLUNTEER FUND
BABY BASKETS FUND
CARING COMMITTEE FUND
BANDLER ART ROOM FUND
BUILD-A-JEWISH LIBRARY FUND
CAROL & KENNETH SEIDBERG
SUMMER-IN-ISRAEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In honor of birth of Petra Reynolds By: Carol & Ken Seidberg In memory of Irene Lowy By: Carol & Ken Seidberg
CAMP DAISY AND HARRY STEIN
CAPITAL FUND
CAMP DAISY AND HARRY STEIN FUNDRAISING
CAMP DAISY AND HARRY STEIN
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In memory of David Kaminsky By: Hillary & Harry Kaminsky In memory of Robert Berger By: Hillary & Harry Kaminsky
LINDA & STEVE BANDLER CAMP STEIN
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
CAROL & DAN REYNOLDS CAMP STEIN
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In honor of birth of Petra Reynolds By: Hillary & Harry Kaminsky
AL & FRAN SACHS CAMP STEIN
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
CAMP SIMCHA FUND
CBI STAFF DEVELOPMENT FUND
CEMETERY FUND
CHANEN PRESCHOOL FUND
In memory of Etta Boshes By: Jeanne & Steve Chanen
CHANEN SCHOLARSHIP FUND
DAVIDSON CHILDREN’S LIBRARY FUND
DIANA & RON LEEDS & FAMILY
CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND
EVANNE COPLAND KOFMAN
BIBLICAL GARDEN FUND
FEFFER LIBRARY FUND
FRAZIN FAMILY FUND
In memory of Beatrice Frazin By: Fran & Larry Frazin In memory of Burton Kruglick By: Fran & Larry Frazin
HAPPY OCCASION FUND
THE STEIN FAMILY MIKVEH FUND
KOL ISHA FUND
MAGDA & ERNEST WILLINGER YEAR
IN ISRAEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
MAYA SCHULDER YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP FUND
MEMORIAL FUND
In memory of Lucille Axelrod By: Joanne & Jerry Gordon In memory of Shirley Lebovitz By: Magda Willinger In memory of David Snider By: Burton Snider In memory of Elaine Simon By: Linda & Franklin Simon In memory of Esther & Adolph Milder By: Roma & Raymond Wittcoff In memory of Jeremy Werl By: Roma & Raymond Wittcoff In memory of Doreen Cohen By: Natalie Katz In memory of Bernard Kaminitz By: Renee Kaminitz In memory of Estelle H. Green By: Betty Rotenberg In memory of Sherri Sperber Moore By: Janice Sperber In memory of Esther Berman By Hope & Randall Levin In memory of Edna Stein By: Stacy & Bruce Horowitz In memory of Annette Karp By: Renee Kaminitz In memory of Yetta Abramowitz By: Rosalyn Abramowitz
MENSCH NIGHT OUT FUND
MERCAZ ISRAEL CENTER
MITZVAH PROJECT
MUSIC FUND
PRAYER BOOK FUND
PLOTKIN JUDAICA MUSEUM FUND
In memory of Lillian Goff By: Dr. & Mrs. Benjamin Harris In memory of Lillian Goff By: Dr. & Mrs. Murray Hollenberg
RABBI KAHN’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
RABBI KELLER’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
RACHAMIN
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL TEACHER FUND
TORAH COMMENTARY FUND
WELCOME HOME PROJECT FUNDS
TRIBUTES Donations received after February 10th
will appear in the April issue of the bulletin.
Our Condolences to… It is with deepest sympathy that we
note the passing of:
Burton Kruglick
Father of Jaque, Janis and Arthur
Irene Lowy
Mother of Paul Stark (Charlee Geisler)
David Shapiro
Our thoughts and prayers are with
the families.
SINAI MORTUARY
Congregation Beth Israel Member 39 years
The Valley’s Only
Jewish Funeral Home
602-248-0030
Jonathan Perlman Ray Perlman
cypresshomecare.com
10 Years | Simchat Shabbat Did you know that February was Jewish Disability
Awareness and Inclusion Month?
You may also be interested to know that
Congregation Beth Israel is celebrating our 10th
year
of partnering with the Council for Jews with Special
Needs to provide a monthly community-wide,
inclusive and uplifting Shabbat service.
Simchat Shabbat is led by our Rabbis and Stacy
Rosenthal and open to all – typical or disabled.
Please join us.
It is truly one of our most joyous programs!
Future dates of Shimchat Shabbat Services
March 11 | April 8 | May 6
Creative Aging Classes
JFCS Storytelling Class at CBI JFCS is offering fun, stimulating and exciting classes in
the Arts for those 60+
Storytelling Classes at CBI
Mar 2, 9,16, 23, 30 & Apr 6, 10am-Noon
CBI is partnering with Jewish Family & Children’s
Service in Creative Aging classes –
starting Thursday, March 2 and will focus on Story
Telling, which incorporates both creative writing and
performance. Register : www.jfcsaz.org/creativeaging