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4300 North Chai (C) Street...McAllen, Texas 78504...956.686.9432...temple.mcallen@gmail.com...www.temple-emanuel.com

March, 2013

רצפךק ּקצשמוקך ּצקדדקמעקר

Happy Passover

“ Be Chol Dor Va Dor va dor, adam chaiav lirot et atzmo Kehilu U Yaatza mimitrazim” “In Every Generation, we are supposed to see ourselves as we just left Egypt”

Rabbi’s Message

This month we will celebrate Pesach, Passover, the holiday that we celebrate how our ancestors escaped Egypt and were free. Pesach is the time that we are supposed to teach our children and the world the value of Freedom. Last month, I had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala to participate in the conversion process to Judaism of twenty-five people. This group studied with a rabbi for a year and a half. A rabbi met with them in a regular basis through Skype and traveled there a couple of times. We had Kabalat Shabbat with them, Oneg Shabbat and Shabbat morning services. On Saturday afternoon we had class and they took a Judaic/ Hebrew test. In order to finalize this process each individual met with the Beith Din (a tribune of three rabbis)on Saturday night, and then the men had Hatafat Dam (taken a drop of blood). On Sunday morning we went to the Mikveh and finalized their process with a welcome ceremony to Judaism. As you can imagine this took courage, perseverance, and conviction for each person. When I asked what is the most meaningful Jewish holiday for them, one person told me Pesach, Passover. He said to me that freedom in Central America was not so easy. For various political reasons in the past, people were not able to express themselves and practice their religious values. It was very emotional for me and for my colleagues learning how all of them became Jews and how they value what we sometimes in America take for granted. They had a synagogue that was rented by generous Canadian donors, a sefer Torah and an Ark. One of the interesting aspects of this experience was to learn how the existing Jewish Congregation in Guatemala does not welcome them. For religious and socio-economical reasons, these new Jews are not accepted. Fortunately, Pesach is the time to remember that when our ancestors left Egypt other people escaped with them and were welcomed by the people of Israel to celebrate Freedom. I hope that they will be welcomed and celebrate Pesach as every Jewish person does. This was a very meaningful experience for me, because on a different level this Pesach I will have accomplished an important milestone in my life. On Sunday, March 24 at 12:00pm at our Temple, I will take my oath of allegiance as an American citizen. I would like to invite all of you to share with me this great moment in my life. After almost 14 years in America, I am anxious to be an American citizen and enjoy all the privileges and freedom that any citizen has. I dream to enjoy the value of the land of the free and the home of the brave.” I do have dreams; one of them is that American people will never forget that their families were immigrants to this land. That will help others as well as me to have the same dream, to be part of this great nation, the United States of America. B’vracha Rabbi Claudio J. Kogan, MD, MBE, MEd

Rabbi Kogan in Guatemala celebrating with

the twenty-five people who converted to

Judaism.

Sandy’s Sisterhood Vision...Faith, Friendship, Fun

Faith Friendship Fun ּכומ ּכרןקמגדיןפ ּכשןאי

Stronger Together!

The For Men Only Deli Lunch this year was a staggering success! We sold more tickets than ever, over 2,200! To prepare all of the plates we boiled and peeled 628 eggs, pealed and boiled 880 pounds of potatoes for the potato salad, baked 300 trays of brownies, served 280 pounds of turkey, 260 pounds of corned beef and 90 pounds of salami. Not to mention the number of green onions that were cut, washed and dried for the cole slaw. Making this annual event the success that it was took a lot of hard work. A big THANK YOU to all the ladies who came out and helped. We are also fortunate that this year, like he has for the past several years, Hal Hoffman generously donated all of the vegetables and potatoes used in the preparation for this fantastic event. Thank you, Hal! Thanks to Gerson Galloso for making the trip Houston to bring us the delicious meat. The committee chairs for the For Men Only Deli Lunch this year were Pat Blum and Mickie Rabinovich. As you can see, they did a great job with help from their sub chairs: Debbie Kroman and Micki Rabinovich (ticket sales), Elizabeth Schaiderman (brownies), Marianne Jelinek (kitchen service), Evelyn Tencer (hostesses), Nora London and Lillian Kapilivsky (cole slaw), Claudia Silberman and Andrea Temkin (potato salad), Pat Blum and Patty Fallek (take out), Stephanie Gurwitz ( meat rolling), Nina Raff and Pam Wurtzel ( set up), Jessica Galloso and Sandy Tawil ( meat and bread). To celebrate our accomplishment on the lunch, and a night out on town is always enjoyable, Sisterhood’s annual ladies night out will be held on March 21, 2013 at Lansky and Brats. Please keep your eyes out for an email with all the details. It is sure to be a deserved night of fun and relaxation. This past weekend we celebrated 100 years of Women of Reform Judaism with a beautiful Shabbat service. It was quite a night! Our sisterhood members lead the service, and the Hebrew School students brightened up the room as they sang and danced to I Have a Feeling and the song, Limdu Heitev, written in celebration of the centennial. At the oneg following the service a slide show was playing which included sisterhood pictures from the last 65 years. Thank you to the following ladies who made this wonderful event possible: Pat Blum, Debra Goetz, Stephanie Gurwitz, Audrey Goldman, Lori Goldman, Stephanie Hawk, Nora London, Riśe Morris, and Nina Raff. We also have a Community Passover Seder scheduled on the second night of Passover, March 26th. More information on the seder to follow. It’s never to early or to late to join and be a part of sisterhood!! Call me with thoughts and/or questions!

Sandy

photos courtesy of Stephanie Hawk

Super

Successful

FMO

Sisterhood Shabbat Celebrating

WRJ’s Centennial

photos courtesy of Stephanie Hawk

Stronger Together!

ּכומ ּכרןקמגדיןפ ּכשןאי

Women of Reform Judaism, an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism, is the collective voice and presence of women in congregational life. Stronger together, we enhance the quality and ideals of contemporary Jewish living to ensure the future of progressive Judaism in North America, Israel and around the world.

www.wrj.org wrjsouthwest.org Follow us on Facebook

Save the Date! Sisterhood Bridal Luncheon for Dalia Galpern

Saturday, March 16th at 1:00 p.m.

McAllen Country Club ——————————————————————————————————————-

Annual Ladies Night Out Thursday, March 21st

Lansky & Brats ———————————————————————————————————————-

Join us for our annual Passover Seder! Tuesday, March 26, 2013

6:00 PM Social Hall

Reservations and information 696.9432

Faith Friendship Fun

Dear Congregational Members, I just returned from the exhilarating NFTY Convention and Youth Engagement Conference where close to 900 teens and nearly 150 youth engagement professionals and lay leaders were living, experiencing and reimagining Jewish life. I urge you to attend local NFTY events and get involved in the Reform Movement’s Campaign for Youth Engagement so that generations to come will have the strong, vibrant Jewish lives we wish for them. Visit the NFTY Convention Live page for highlights from the week and watch or read the Dvar Torah given by Rabbi Jacobs and NFTY President Evan Traylor. At the end of this month, we will gather around the Passover table once again to commemorate our exodus from Egypt and celebrate our freedom. Below please find a number of resources to help you and your congregations observe the holiday, including how to create a community seder, a social action guide, activities for families, and more. Wishing you and your families a very happy Passover,

Steve Sacks URJ Chairman of the Board

SAVE THE DATE: December 11-15, 2013 - San Diego, CA

Biennial is where Reform Jews gather to learn, pray, share ideas, dance and sing, hear from inspiring guest speakers, reunite with old friends, make new connections, and make decisions about the policies of the Reform Movement. • The Biennial and the Women of Reform Judaism Assembly will take place at the San Diego Convention Center • Discounted Biennial Room Blocks will be Available at: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina and Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego • Early Bird Registration will open early Summer 2013 • This Biennial will also celebrate the Women of Reform Judaism’s Centennial Anniversary

Our Mishpacha Matters

Mazel Tov to… Tessa Galloso on becoming a Bat Mitzvah. Sandy Tawil and Sisterhood for the beautiful Shabbat service celebrating WRJ’s Centennial. Rise Morris and our children who sang so beautifully at our WRJ Centennial Shabbat. Cora & Elias Woloski on the birth of their grandson, Ethan David Kaufman, son of Erika (Woloski) and Dr. Yoav Kaufman.

Speedy Recovery to…

Morris Atlas Samuel Mandelbaum Rosa Mandelbaum Reba Sheinberg Stan Sheinberg

Happy Passover

Pesach, known as Passover in English, commemorates the Exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. As the flowers begin to bloom again, Jews will sit down at the festive Pesach seder table with friends and family to sing, pray and eat together. An important part of the observance of Passover is retelling the story of the Exodus from Egypt, of the Israelites gaining their freedom. It’s easy in our hectic daily lives to take for granted all of the freedoms we are so lucky to have. The seder has a number of scriptural bases. Exodus 12:3-11 describes the meal of lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs which the Israelites ate just prior to the Exodus. In addition, three separate passages in Exodus (12:26-7, 13:8, 13:14) and one in Deuteronomy (6:20-21) enunciate the duty of the parents to tell the story of the Exodus to their children. The seder plate contains various symbolic foods referred to in the seder itself. Enrich your family’s Pesach with URJ’s many resources, readings and activities that you will find at www.urj.org. Even if your child is still too young to recite the Four Questions, there are many ideas to get them involved. And be sure to join in the discussions about Pesach on the blog, RJ.org.

Hebrew School

Purim Celebration!

photos courtesy of Heather Fallek

photos courtesy of Heather Fallek

Weinstein: “Although it has taken far too long to reach this day, we commend both chambers in Congress for passing a reauthorization bill that includes better training for law enforcement, victim

service providers and personnel; improved protections for women in tribal communities; stronger LGBT-inclusive provisions; easier channels for immigrant victims of domestic abuse to escape their spouse or partner; and stricter requirements regarding the handling of sexual violence and intimate

partner violence on college campuses.”

Washington, DC February 28, 2013 - In response to today’s bipartisan House of Representatives passage of an inclusive Violence Against Women Act, Barbara Weinstein, Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement: There is no community immune to domestic violence; it occurs within the general community, within university communities, within the LGBT community, within the Native American community and within the Jewish community, among others. Overall, one in four American women is predicted to be the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner over the course of her lifetime. Efforts to prevent and address violence against women reflect the moral obligation established in Leviticus (19:16) that we “not stand idly by” but instead actively commit to ending injustices in our time. In the decades since the initial enactment of the Violence Against Women Act, it has effectively prevented, investigated and prosecuted violent crimes targeting women. Yet there is more to be done. Although it has taken far too long to reach this day, we commend both chambers in Congress for passing a reauthorization bill that includes better training for law enforcement, victim service providers and personnel; improved protections for women in tribal communities; stronger LGBT-inclusive provisions; easier channels for immigrant victims of domestic abuse to escape their spouse or partner; and stricter requirements regarding the handling of sexual violence and intimate partner violence on college campuses. We look forward to President Obama signing this bill into law and to enhancing the well-being of women in communities across the United States.

Reform Movement Welcomes House Passage of Inclusive VAWA Looks Forward to Swift Enactment

Worship Together

Thank you to our February Oneg Hostess

Paulette Bishop

Rose Dutremaine Bertha Rivas Tamar Saenz

Vicky Fiszman Silvia Tauber Beth Brown

Maria Ilse Garcia

Friday, March 1

7:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Torah portion: Ki-Tissa (Exodus 30:11 – 34:35) Friday, March 8

7:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Torah portion: Vaikahel-Pekudei (Exodus 35:1 – 40:38) Friday, March 15

7:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Torah portion: Va-Yikrah (Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26) Friday, March 22

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF BISHOP DANIEL FLORES 7:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Torah portion: Tzav (Exodus 6:1 – 8:36)

Friday, March 29

7:30 p.m. Erev Shabbat Service Torah portion: Shabbat Chol Hamohed Pesach

March Oneg Hostesses March 1 Galloso Bat Mitzvah WRJ 100th Celebration

March 8 Maurie Haas Irene Kaplan

March 15 Sylvia Chacra Sandra Galpern

March 22 Sonia Rivas Yvonne Vacca

March 29 Juana Lopez Jenny Trejo

Saturday, March 2

9:30 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 Bat Mitzvah of Tessa Galloso daughter of Jessica and Gerson Galloso Saturday, March 9

9:30 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Morning Shabbat services Saturday, March 16

9:30 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Morning Shabbat services Saturday, March 23

9:30 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Morning Shabbat services

Saturday, March 30

9:30 a.m. Torah Study 10:30 a.m. Morning Shabbat services

Thank you to Isabel Mercado

for the challah for Torah portion Tetzaveh Exodus 28/15:17 "You shall make a Breastplate of Judgment . . . You shall fill it with stone mounting, four rows of stone . . ."

TUESDAY, MARCH 26 CONGREGATION PASSOVER SEDER

We appreciate the thoughtfulness of those who remember and honor their friends and loved ones through their generous contributions.

Memorial Fund

In Memory of Donated by Genia Czastkowski Charlene Hertz Cecilia Shapiro George Shapiro Jack Schwartz Sloan Monument David Woloski Hena Woloski Frida Eibister Cecilia Shapiro Norma & Isaac Rabinovich

General Fund

In Memory of Donated by Genia Czastkowski Hena Woloski

Capital Campaign

In Memory of Donated by Maurice Kroman Debbie & Lawrence Kroman

Building Fund

In Memory of Donated by Jack Schwartz Anna Schwartz Alex Sidelnik Music Fund

In Memory of Donated by Mary Levine Westerman David Westerman Max Willner Rita & Morris Atlas Bluma Atlas Rita & Morris Atlas

Speedy Recovery to Donated by John Rose Charlene Hertz Patty Fallek Charlene Hertz

In Honor of Donated by Shirley & Ben Tepper’s 65th Anniversary Cecilia Shapiro George Shapiro Elaine & Kenny Fox’s 60th Anniversary Cecilia Shapiro Hena Woloski George Shaprio Cecilia Shapiro Prayer Book Fund

In Honor of Donated by Shirley & Ben Tepper’s 65th Anniversary Charlene Hertz

Thank you Rabbi Kogan and Temple friends for your prayers, words of support and contributions during my son’s hospitalization. A donation has been made to the General Fund.

Adalia Ascencio

L’Dor v’ Dor From Generation to Generation

The giving spirit of our Temple Family continues this tradition.

Please find enclosed a donation to the __________________________________________ Fund, given in honor/memory/appreciation/ speedy recovery of ________________________________________ Please send acknowledgement to: Name_________________________________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________________________ Donor Information: Name_________________________________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________________________

Funds:

Alex Sidelnik Music Memorial Library Kiddush Education Mitzvah Service Capital Campaign General Building Art Prayer Book

Make checks payable to Temple Emanuel and mail to:

4300 North Chai (C) Street McAllen Texas 78504

Attn: Donations

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

WHAT IS PLANNED GIVING?

The term “planned giving” refers to charitable gifts that can provide valuable tax benefits and/or income for life to the donor as well as benefit our Temple now or in the future.

Potential benefits of planned gifts: ►Increase current income for you or others ►Reduce income tax bracket ►Avoid capital gains tax ►Pass assets to family at a reduced tax cost ►Make significant donations to your temple.

With the assistance of your financial advisor, you can create a planned gift to meet your charitable and financial goals.

Planned gifts include bequests, trusts, and contracts between a donor and a temple and or not-for-profit institutions.

Whether you use cash or other assets, such as securities, real estate, artwork, or partnership interests, the benefits of funding a planned gift can make this type of charitable giving very attractive to both the donor and your temple.

Yahrzeit List

March 1 Irene Gindler

Adela Roitberg Regina Greenberg Joseph Hananel Szama Holand David Miller

March 8 Ben Klein

Pedro Padilla Thomas Tencer Irving Shapiro

March 15

Louis Meyerowitz Rose Lerman

Herbert Berger Gary M. Franklin

March 22 Jerry Fair

Anita Mandelbaum Clara Levine Nina Bitton Luisa Perez

March 29

Isaac Mochan Robert W. Schlesinger

Celina Tauber Jose Carlos Ascencio

Yahrzeit Prayer

As Jews have lit Yahrzeit candles through the generations, as a community, we light this candle in memory of those who are gone, and in empathy with those who suffer their loss. We light it, too, for those who died with no one to say Kaddish for them. Whether they perished in the Holocaust, or in a camp in a war-torn land, or alone and homeless on the streets. At this sacred moment, as we recall with affection those whom death has taken, we thank You for the example of their lives, for their sweet companionship, for our treasured memories and the inspira-tion they leave behind.

Covenant of The Soul

Temple Emanuel Messenger Published monthly by

Temple Emanuel McAllen, Texas

Editor: Pat Blum Deadlines are the 20th of each month. Please leave a CD with a hard copy of your article in the Temple office, or e-mail it to [email protected]. Temple Emanuel, 4300 North Chai (C) Street, McAllen, Texas 78504.

Temple Office Hours Monday - Friday

9:00 am - 1:00 pm; 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Eddie Garza’s Hours Monday and Thursday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Tuesday off Wednesday 9:00 am - 6:30 pm

Friday 1:00 pm - 10:30 pm Saturday 8:00 am - 2:30 pm

Office Phone: 956.686.9432; Fax: 956.686.4872

Email: [email protected] www.temple-emanuel.com

Have an upcoming event?

To schedule an event at the Temple,

contact Nora London.

Jewish life is lived both in the synagogue and in the home. Traditions Gift Shop is a volunteer project of our Sisterhood. It offers Judaica rich in tradition to help you in celebration and in practice. Proceeds from sales go to fund charitable and other projects of Sisterhood. "Please consider volunteering your time in the Gift Shop." Volunteers needed on Fridays, 7-7:30 p.m. and Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m.

Traditions Gift Shop

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