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VOLUME 60 EDITION 8 1 April 2018

16 Nisan 5778

Congregation Sha’arai Shomayim Founded 1844

Springhill Avenue Temple

The Temple Bulletin

springhillavenuetemple.com

We are coming together as a caring, inclusive community united in a common commitment to Judaism and to

furthering our spiritual growth. We desire to do this recognizing that worship of God, study of Torah, caring for the

Jewish people and our community, are central to our being as a Reform Jewish congregation. With these principles

as our foundation and guided by a historic past, we anticipate our future, one of continual lifelong self-renewal.

RELIGIOUS SERVICES

Friday, April 6 6:00 p.m. Evening Shabbat Service

Saturday, April 7 9:30 a.m. Shabbat Breakfast - Matzo brei & eggs

10:30 a.m. Passover/Yizkor Service

Friday, April 13 6:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

with the Congregational Choir

Guest Speaker: Allan Hall

Dinner following service

Friday, April 20 6:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

Friday, April 27 6:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service

Torah Selection:

Deuteronomy 14:22–16:17

Numbers 28:19-25

Haftarah – Isaiah 10:32–12:6

ALL SHABBAT SERVICES ARE CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES.

PLEASE JOIN US IN WORSHIP

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FROM THE RABBI

Congregational Assessment & Benchmarking Project

We have been in touch

with Gila Hadani Ward,

the Director of Lay

Resources for the

Strengthening

Congregations

Department of the Union

of Reform Judaism. She

has suggested that we

consider the URJ

Congregational

Assessment Project. This

is a newer initiative of the URJ, which can enable

congregations to engage in self-reflection and self-

assessment. As part of the process, each

congregation is assigned a mentor who can help to

bring the leadership to actionable next steps. They

have a cohort of about 25 congregations beginning

in May, so we have time to consider becoming

involved in this program. If you have done any business or organizational

management courses, you may have come across

the Drucker Foundation self-assessment tool, which

was designed by Peter F. Drucker. Drucker was an

organizational genius who emphasized a holistic

approach to organizational development. He

explained that self-assessment is a discussion about

the future and how your organization will shape it.

He argues that it is an intellectual and emotional

adventure because hearts, as well as minds, are

involved. As a non-profit religious organization,

we want to forge relationships to build community

in a particular religious context that we call Reform

Judaism. We want to achieve high performance.

To do that, we have to be able to assess what we are

doing well and what we are doing not so well. The URJ has their own specific self-assessment

tools that have been designed specifically for

Reform temples. We are a proud member of the

URJ and this is one of the ways that the URJ can

help us. The goal of the URJ’s Congregational

Assessment and Benchmarking Project is to 1. Help us to learn more about ourselves.

2. Use the information that we acquire to assess our

strengths, as well as areas that need work.

3. Help to set the Temple’s agenda for the next five

or ten years. Part of any assessment is inevitably dealing with the

reality that different people want different things

from the same organization. Any Reform temple is

a pluralistic religious environment where people

believe different things and practice Judaism in

different ways. Because we live in a time of

changing demographics with rapidly evolving

cultural and social trends, what used to be a simple

task, three or four generations ago, is now more

complicated. We know that as a Reform temple we

want to have a positive impact on the lives of our

members and the broader community. The question

is how to make that happen. That is why the various strategic planning exercises

that we have and will engage in are only the

framework for the heartfelt discussions that need to

take place. We have all heard about the various

organizations that did an intensive workshop on

creating Mission and Vision Statements and came

up with wonderfully crafted statements, which were

then deposited in the archives never to be looked at

again. The point is, that it is sometimes the process

that is more important than the exact procedures or

even the final written result. Our Congregational President, Michael Pereira, and

I have been going around visiting congregants on

Wednesdays. We would like you to contact us and

we will be happy and eager to come visit you at

your home, place of work, or wherever is

convenient. We need for you to be proactive and to

show not only an interest in the Temple but a

commitment to study and practice the Jewish

religion. As Reform Jews, we embrace Judaism

with a scholarly perspective and a contemporary

spiritual approach. Together, we can build a vibrant congregation

devoted to the meaningful observance of

progressive Judaism now and for many years to

come.

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan

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FROM OUR PRESIDENT As many of you know, the Temple’s organ

quit working during the Yom Kippur Service.

This organ, an Allen Organ, was donated by

Milton A. Eichold, and, being a fine musical

instrument, it had worked flawlessly for many

years. Per both Charmein and Clinton, they

cannot remember any maintenance being done

on the organ. The Allen Organ is now repaired due to a

generous grant from the Eichold Family

Foundation. This grant was advised and

approved by Ms. Beth Eichold Walmsley and

Dr. Bernard H.

Eichold, III. (Mrs.

Phyllis Feibelman

was of great

assistance in helping

to secure this

wonderful gift.) Both Stephen Prager

and Christopher

Powell have played

the organ and it

sounded great! In

fact, Christopher

played a little J.S. Bach for my friend Ralph

Holberg, and Ralph granted his immediate

approval. Rabbi Kaplan tells us there is a famous psalm

that mentions the sounds of the timbrel, harp,

and so forth, which implies that the Temple

had a lot of musical instrumentation. Now, the

Springhill Avenue Temple will once again

have much music in our beautiful sanctuary. As Past President Alan Goldberg once said in

a Board Meeting, our building has much

deferred maintenance. He may have also been

thinking of some needed repair work. Your

Board has worked on many issues: repairing

the refrigerator, the organ, the outside lighting,

and have had all the door hinges and locks

inspected and lubricated. (Some entrance

doors were not closing properly.)

Additionally, thanks to our cleaning firm

(Watkins Express), all HVAC filters are

changed on a timely schedule.

Jerry Silverstein’s workers repaired the

outdoor lighting for our stained glass windows

on the south side of the sanctuary and, Jerry

being Jerry, all this work was done at no

charge. Susie Broos’ phone call to the power

company got all our parking lot lights

working. Larry Miller’s close work with our lawn care

company has the overgrowth (jungle as I

called it) that was on the bank side of our

building cut back. Now

we can see the original

plantings from the

1950s. Much of the work

concerning our building

has been done under the

supervision of Harvey

Gandler. I just don’t

know what I would do

without Harvey; he’s

looking at a wiring issue

for me at this time. He

has the original drawings of our wonderful

facility. Another item (that has been an embarrassment

for me) has been the condition of the three-

person bench and the two chairs on the bema.

Thanks to a grant from Bobette and Lowell

Friedman, these much needed repairs are being

done. (Harvey has selected the leather, and we

are waiting our turn at the upholstery shop.) One more item; check out the new washer and

dryer the Sisterhood purchased and paid to

have installed. The ladies have been talking

about this need for ten years or so, and the day

arrived last year. The Temple will be buying

less paper goods and using real table cloths. There is still more work to be done and we are

working on it. Mike Pereira, President

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Gulf Coast Shoah Commemoration

A service of remembrance to honor the victims of the Holocaust

April 11, 2018 – 7:00 p.m.

Springhill Avenue Temple 1769 Spring Hill Avenue

Special Guests: Allan Hall and Lori Gold Allan will offer the Call to Remembrance. Allan J. Hall was born in Cracow, Poland, in 1935. His story of Holocaust survival begins there. He survived the Lvov ghetto and the Warsaw ghetto. He and his family hid for a while in the Warsaw building that housed the headquarters of the German Luftwaffe. His wife of 34 years, Lori Gold, is a psychologist who interviewed Allan’s family to learn how they were impacted by Allan’s wartime experience. Her interests are the inter-generational effect of the Holocaust and the resilience of survivors and families.

Awards presented to the winners of the Annual Writing and Art Competition. Middle School and High School compositions will be on display. This gathering is sponsored by the Mobile Christian-Jewish Dialogue and the Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education. The Gulf Coast Holocaust Center is supported by the Mobile Area Jewish Federation.

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FROM OUR ARCHIVES

By Susan Thomas, Archivist

The Archives has received a copy of the

recently published book, America’s Pioneer

Jewish Congregations:

Architecture, Community,

and History, by Julian H.

Preisler. Springhill

Avenue Temple is

included in the book’s

documenting of the oldest

Jewish congregations in

each of the fifty states.

The entry on the Temple

includes photographs of

the Jackson Street

Synagogue and the

Government Street

Temple, as well as of the

current facility, along with

a brief history of the

congregation. The author says that the book “is part history,

travel guide, and photograph collection” and

that the vintage photographs “help tell the

story of the beginnings of organized Jewish

religious life all over the country.”

In the book’s Foreword, Rabbi Elliot Gertel

states that Preisler uses “heartfelt words and

inviting pictures, to stir and inspire us to

familiarize ourselves with the beauty of

modernistic and classic synagogue facades and

interiors, and, above all, with

the dedication and faith of those

who built these synagogues and

remained devoted to them.” Julian Preisler is researcher,

archivist, and professional

genealogist who has written four

other books on Jewish

congregations. He is offering an

autographed copy of his current

book to the members of the

congregations featured in it at a

discounted cost of $19.99 plus

$3.50 postage and a bulk sale

price of a minimum of 5 or

more for $17. Anyone

interested in purchasing the

book may mail a check to him at 132 Harvard

Court, Falling Waters, West Virginia, 25419

or you can contact him at

jhp1963@yahoo.com. Unsigned copies can be

bought online. The book can also be reviewed

in the Temple Archives.

The Springhill Avenue Gift Shop has seder plates,

matzah plates, and Kiddush cups for Passover. Shop us for all your Judaica items. We have wedding, baby, and Bar and Bat Mitzvah gifts! Our prices are competitive and we are happy to special order items for you. Your purchases help support Sisterhood projects. During the week, Susie can open the gift shop and after services, Amy or Judy will open.

Amy and Judy

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MAZEL TOV! to Bettina & Steve Prager on the birth of their beautiful

new grandson, Daniel Elliot White, born Tuesday, March 6, 2018. The proud

parents are Bettina and Steve’s daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Jeremy

White. Baby Daniel is welcomed by his big brother, Charlie, and big sister, Sadie.

Western Shore Torah Study Group

“Jewish History of Mississippi”

by genealogist, Tom Wixon

On Thursday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m., the Western Shore Torah Study Group

with Rabbi Kaplan is scheduled to meet again at the Comfort Inn, 12009 Indian River Road, D’Iberville, MS 39540; 228-396-0036 (Exit 46c, Interstate 10). If attending, please bring an entrée. For members and those interested

in the Jewish faith. For questions and/or more information, please contact Dr. Cal Ennis at 228-623-0479. Rabbi Kaplan will also commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.

ESILL – Eastern Shore Institute of Lifelong Learning

Primary Sources of Kabbalah

taught by Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan

Thursday, April 12, 2018 – 10:00 – Noon Fairhope Public Library, 2nd Floor Board Room

(intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Bancroft Avenue)

To register go the ESILL website (ESILL.org) for Registration Form

No computer access? Call the Temple and Susie can mail or email a form

Payment must accompany the Registration Form

(Friends of ESILL - $4; non-members - $9)

Mail to:

Susie Broos Springhill Avenue Temple

1769 Springhill Avenue, Mobile, AL 36607

251-478-0415

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FROM OUR RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

by Patricia Silverman, Th.M., Religious School Director Students, parents, teachers and community members, With Purim behind us, our Religious School celebrated Passover on Sunday, March 18, with a

Model Seder lunch. Rabbi Kaplan led the students in this special service and Seth Cherniak led

the music. The first night of Passover was on Friday, March 30. However, the purpose for our

early celebration was educational. The students learned why we celebrate Passover and why we

eat special foods served in a special order. Many thanks to Howard Silverman, Nate Ginsberg,

and Iris Ginsberg for preparing the special meal.

Looking forward to the month of April - a month that will be full of activities, education, and

celebrations at our Religious School. On Sunday, April 15, we will have a special guest during Religious School - Allan Hall, who is

a Holocaust survivor and his wife Lori. Allan was a young child when WWII started, he will be

sharing his life story with us, and we will be able to ask questions about the Holocaust. On Sunday, April 22, we will be celebrating Israel's Independence Day, “Yom Ha'atzmaut. On Sunday, April 29, we will bury old prayer books at our Jewish cemetery. This is an event

that only happens once every 150 years or more.

Religious School's Passover Seder - 2018

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April Birthdays and Anniversaries

Happy Birthday to ... Happy Anniversary to …

1 Jennifer Aronson 16 Jan Yellin 17 Ellie & Cole Appelman

1 David Schjott 19 Gary Rich 20 Ellen & Buzzy Zivitz

4 Jordan Holberg 20 Bettina Prager 22 Claris & Sam Feibelman

4 Cece Spain 20 Daniel Tolpin 24 Sheridan & Josh Briskman

5 Tom Kessler 20 Elizabeth Zimmerman 29 Pauline & Michael Brown

5 Sherry Mutchnick 22 Jonathan Hochhauser

6 Robert Holberg 24 Shari Green

7 Rose Brunson 25 Jack Friedlander

7 Warren Koffler 25 David Hochhauser

9 Paul Frenkel 25 Robin Mishkin

9 David Gardberg 25 Odette Sternberg

10 Cyndee Mayer 26 Debra Krulewicz

11 Mel Sternberg 27 JoAnne Fusco

11 Barry Silverman 27 Marc Miller

13 Meryl Harris 28 Alexis Goldberg

13 Steve Zimmerman 28 Shirley Silverman

15 Susan Friedman 29 Michael Friedlander

15 Michael Rosenbaum 29 Steve Johnson

16 Robert Kahn 29 Brian Mishkin

16 Lisa Van Beuren

May Birthdays and Anniversaries Happy Birthday to … 1 Donald Friedlander 13 Sarah Hochhauser 29 Aaron Denson

1 Ralph Holberg 14 Stephen Conrad 29 Richard Zimmerman

1 Robert Zimmerman 14 Joseph Fetterman 30 Shirley Boyd

2 Callie Bernstein 15 Heidi Kinsella 30 Gladys Cherniak

2 Jerry Schjott 16 Todd Lewis 30 Allen Levy Ross

2 Carrie Waldrop 17 Ira Frederick Cherniak 31 Corey Passman

2 Kimberly Zelnicker 19 Christine Norris 31 Elizabeth White

3 Alain Gamble 19 Mike Pereira

4 Becky Hoffman 21 John Webster Happy Anniversary to … 6 Ron Berman 22 Mark Brown 9 Christine Norris &

10 Nicole Appelman 22 Debbie Clolinger Daryn Glassbrook

10 Dana Handmacher 25 Alan Lewis 15 Ada & Sam Small

10 Elsa Simon 27 Diane Franco 17 Cindy & Benjamin Bloom

12 David Rose 27 Maure Sternberg 24 Yaffa & Mark Brown

12 Richard Rose 28 Lisa Emanuelli

12 Ryan Sophie Small 28 Irving Koffler

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CONTRIBUTIONS

Birthday Blessing to Stanley Bergman – 90 years young – Paul Bergman A speedy recovery for Robin Gotlieb – Harriet & Billy Kahn In memory of Sylvia Moore – Priscilla Gold-Darby In memory of Randy Kogon – Julie Kogon, Jessica & Brendon Weishaar, Joseph Kogon,

Matthew Kogon and Larry Kogon In memory of Isadore Barkin – Terry Barkin In memory of my beloved father, Max Zell – Bobby & Mitch Lawley In memory of Johana Larson – Paul Bergman In memory of Ludwig Bergman – Paul Bergman In memory of Sam Edelbaum – Frances Mutchnick In memory of Fannie Salmon Whitehead – Mark Gilberstadt

YAHRZEIT

It is a true Mitzvah to honor those whose memory we hold dear by

attending services on the Shabbat Yahrzeit (year’s time),

joining your congregation in reciting Kaddish,

and the giving of charity in their memory.

April 6 Melvin Bauer, Nan Altmayer, Susan Tema Gardberg, Louis Raymon,

Jacob Fuller, Ralph Holberg, Jr.

April 13 Pearline Ginsberg, Stephen Furst, Joseph Fetterman, Mark Mayer,

Saul Zimmerman, Bertram Vogel, A.B. Fleisher,

Reita Franco, Ethel Gold

April 20 Frances Holberg Lurie, A.E. Fingerhut, Cecile Mendelson,

Ruth Vogel, Toshia Wagman, Sidney Rosenbaum, J.W. Dittman,

Betty Levin, Mary Elizabeth Schear, Raymond Schear,

Sarah Schear, Herman Schear, Morris Hoffman,

Aaron Robinton, Carrie Rubel Scharff

April 27 Miriam Fratkin, Ryan Scott Small, John B. Emanuelli, Sr.,

Sam Millstein, Jr., Ralph G. Holberg, Sr., Rosalie Rosner, Alma Frank,

Camille Baer, Elia C. Rotella

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On Saturday, April 14, Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Center will

host a premier concert featuring violins played in the Holocaust. These instruments

were lovingly restored by Israeli violin-makers, Amnon and Avshi Weinstein, who will

also be present. Other unique events will be going on that week, as well. For more information

explore the website, www.violinsofhopebhm.org or call Sallie Downs at

205-612-6196.

From March 2 - July 1, the Mobile

Museum of Art will display an

exhibition from the American Society

for Yad Vashem – “No Child’s Play”. This exhibition opens a window into the world

of children during the Shoah. Unlike other

Holocaust exhibitions, it does not focus on

history, statistics or descriptions of physical

violence. Instead, the toys, games, artwork,

diaries, and poems displayed here highlight

some of the personal stories of the children,

providing a glimpse into their lives during the

Holocaust. Also, at the museum on April 22 from 3-5:00

pm, Dr. Marlene W. Yahalom will be on hand

for a discussion and Yom HaShoah. Marlene W. Yahalom, Ph.D., is the Director

of Education for the American Society for

Yad Vashem and a child and grandchild of

Holocaust survivors. Free for museum members, regular admission

for non-members. For more info contact the

Mobile Museum of Art, 251-208-5200.

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Sunday Lunch & Lecture Series

at Springhill Avenue Temple Sunday, April 29 – 12:30 p.m.

Guest Speaker: Harvey Joanning, Ph.D.

“The Brain in Love, The Neurology of Intimate

Behavior”

Dr. Harvey Joanning of Fairhope, Emeritus Professor of Human Development and the Family, Iowa State University, will join us on Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 12:30 p.m., for the second in our series, Sunday Lunch and Lecture at Springhill Temple. After our lunch of sandwiches, he will present his scientific study, “The Brain in Love, The Neurology of Intimate Behavior.’

Dr. Joseph Miller

to be honored posthumously

Murphy High School Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 3:00 p.m.

Dr. Joseph B. Miller will be posthumously inducted into the Murphy Alumni Association's

Hall of Fame during their annual induction ceremony on Sunday, April 29, 2018. The

event will be held on the campus of Murphy High School, in the Lois Jean Delaney

Auditorium at 3:00 p.m. Dr. Miller will be one of eight inductees.

All are cordially invited.

Religious School's Passover Seder - 2018

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CALENDAR

Wednesday Torah Study 5:30 p.m. April 4, 11, 18, and 25 Hebrew School Sundays 9:00 a.m. April 8, 15, 22, and 29

Sunday, April 22 Celebrating Yom Ha’atzma’ut/Israel Independence Day Religious School Sundays 10:00 a.m. April 8, 15, 22, and 29

Sunday, April 22 Celebrating Yom Ha’atzma’ut/Israel Independence Day ❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

Saturday, April 7 9:30 a.m. Shabbat Breakfast – Matzo brei & eggs

10:30 a.m. Passover/Yizkor Service Wednesday, April 11 7:00 p.m. Shoah Commemoration – Guest Speaker - Allan Hall

(details page 4) Thursday, April 12 10:00 a.m. ESILL – Eastern Shore Institute of Lifelong Learning

Primary Sources of Kabbalah taught by

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan (details page 10) Friday, April 13 6:00 p.m. Shabbat Evening Service - Guest Speaker: Allan Hall

Dinner following service – Eggplant Parmesan –

For planning purposes, please RSVP if attending Sunday, April 15 2:30 p.m. Israel Independence Day Celebration

at Ahavas Chesed Synagogue Sunday, April 22 3:00 p.m. Dr. Marlene W. Yahalom – Discussion

Mobile Museum of Art (details page 10) Sunday, April 29 12:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Dr. Harvey Joanning (details page 11)

THE TEMPLE BULLETIN

(USPS-966-900) is published

monthly by Springhill Avenue Temple,

1769 Springhill Avenue

Mobile, AL 36607. “Periodicals Postage Paid at Mobile,

Alabama.” POSTMASTER: Send address change to:

1769 Springhill Ave.

Mobile, AL 36607