March 2011 Chronicle

Temple israel chronicle

march 2011 Where communiTy Becomes Family

Between You and Me…By Rabbi Alysa Mendelson Graf

We are in the middle of a Jewish leap year, which occurs seven times during the nineteen year cycle of the Jewish calendar. During the Jewish leap year,

a second month of Adar (called Adar II or Adar Bet) is added to the year. Of all months to add, Adar is the one we should want to double, because as the Rabbis taught: “When Adar comes, joy is increased.” (Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 29a.)

In Adar our “joy is increased” because it is the month of Purim. As we all know from the story of Purim, Haman had planned for Adar to be a month of grief and mourning, but for our people it has instead been a time of Jewish rejoicing and celebration. During Purim, we celebrate our salvation from the genocidal plot by the wicked Haman, who had hoped to destroy the Jewish people. In the story, just when we thought there was no hope for us, our fortunes were reversed when Esther claimed her Jewish identity and stepped forward to stand up to Haman.

Esther did, on the day that we now celebrate as Purim, what we often promise we are going to do every Yom Kippur. Each year,

many of us promise ourselves that this is going to be the year that we step forward and claim our Jewish identity differently. Inspired by the ten Days of Awe (and all that time in synagogue), we promise ourselves we’ll do better this year about coming to Shabbat services or doing acts of tzedakah (charity) or finally planning that trip to Israel we’ve been wanting to take. We start the year with the best of intentions but then, too quickly, we often fall back into our routines of long days and exhausting weeks.

And then, a half-year after Tishri, the month of Yom Kippur, comes Adar, the month of Purim. The Gaon of Vilna taught that there were two exceptions to this principle that every holiday is supposed to be “chatzi laShem v’chatzi lachem”—dedicated half to God and half to our own enjoyment. The first is Yom Kippur, during which we devote ourselves exclusively to deepening our relationship with God. The second is Purim, during which we are

“Just when it seems like this year will be like all the others, Purim comes along to remind us that things can change.”

Temple Israel is Creating a Bright FutureRead about our focus groups in Diana Muller’s column on page 3.

If you haven’t already participated please join this important effort.New groups are being scheduled through the end of March.

RSVP to [email protected].

devoted to merriment and are obligated to read the book of Esther— the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God. The Gaon explains that these two holidays are really two halves of a whole.

Perhaps this means that our observance of Yom Kippur is not really complete until we also celebrate Purim. Removed from all worldly pleasures on Yom Kippur, we

can make promises to ourselves as we feel God’s presence so acutely while we are fasting and focusing on who we are and who we want to be.

On Purim, we are supposed to feast, be merry and drink until we cannot tell the difference between “Cursed be Haman” and “Blessed be Mordecai.” While our senses are dulled—not just from drinking but from our own soul-numbing routines to which we so quickly returned after Yom

Kippur—we need to actively find God again, this time in the lessons of the Purim story.

Just when it seems like this year will be like all the others, Purim comes along to remind us that things can change. Esther stepped forward and was able to reverse the

fate of the Jewish people, even though at first she had doubts. We too can change directions and return to fulfill that which we promised ourselves on Yom Kippur we would do. That may just be the true joy of Adar – it brings us back to the God we felt so connected to on Yom Kippur and at the same time propels us forward on our journey to redemption, which we will celebrate in a few weeks on Passover!

By the time you read this, the first month of Adar will be over. But if you were hoping to take advantage of the opportunity Adar gives us to change directions, do not despair. Remember, this is a leap year! We are beginning the second month of Adar. That means if we have not yet found our way back, we have a second chance. I pray that, like Esther, we will all have the courage step forward and claim what it ours.

March Schedule of ServicesFriday, March 4 5:15 PM TGIS Family Shabbat Service: ECC Teacher Appreciation 7:15 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Saturday, March 5 9:00 AM Minyan/Torah Study 9:00 AM Early Shabbat Morning Service B’nai Mitzvah of Elliot Eisenberg and Oliver Eisenberg 11:15 AM Late Shabbat Morning Service Bat Mitzvah of Rebecca Oestreicher

Friday, March 11 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Saturday, March 12 9:00 AM Minyan/Torah Study 9:00 AM TGIS Pop Shabbat 11:15 AM Shabbat Morning Service B’not Mitzvah of Juliet Dale and Sarah Radisch

Friday, March 18 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Saturday, March 19 9:00 AM Minyan/Torah Study 11:15 AM Shabbat Morning Service Bat Mitzvah of Gracyn Levenson

Sunday, March 20 10:30 AM Purim Schpiel and Megillah Reading

Friday, March 25 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service: RS Teacher Appreciation

Saturday, March 26 9:00 AM Minyan/Torah Study

Weekly Torah Portions March 5 Pekudei Exod. 38:21-40:38March 12 Vayikra Lev. 1:1-5:26March 19 Tzav Lev. 6:1-8:36March 26 Sh’mini Lev. 9:1-11:47

Temple Israel invites you to a

PURIM BALLBenefitting the Tzedakah Fund of Temple Israel.

Saturday, March 197:30 PM

Music • Dancing • Dinnercocktail attire, Masks optional

Co-chairs: Stacey Henske and Stacey WalkerPlanning Committee: Allison Adler, Lorin Blitzer, Nancy

Bromberg, Andi Dinitz, Sara Greenberger, Nancy Plotkin, PJ Ross

Host Committee: Check the TI website

Help us make Purim a holiday of “feasting and gladness, sending portions to one another, and gifts to the poor.”

(Esther 9:22)

Couvert: $90 per person (minimum donation)

Dinner by Emily’s Catering Group

Décor by Arlene Rosenthal Party Ideas in Westport, CTRSVP by Friday, March 11

Any questions, please call the Temple office 203-227-1293.

Messages

Cantor’s ColumnBy Cantor Scott Harris

Everyone loves Purim. It is a time for joy and celebration.

We read the Megi l lah in an atmosphere of unbridled happiness. We share Mishloach Manot (gifts of food) and we offer Matanot L’Evyonim (special tzedakah for the needy). We rejoice at a Seudat Purim (the festive meal) filled with

good food, good drink, family and friends. So what’s not to love about Purim? We should enjoy every minute of that glorious day. However, let us not forget the tremendous story and its lessons.

We must remember the courage of Mordecai and Esther as they found the inner strength to stand up against a most powerful tyrant. We must remember the powerful words of Mordecai who spoke not only to Esther but to every Jew in every generation who enjoys a bit of power and influence. “And who knows if it was only for this reason, to save our people, which God gave you this power and place in the society.” Purim is not a story from our past, but a call to action in our present. It is truly not so much about our history as it is about our destiny.

We must remember. In fact, the Shabbat before Purim is always called Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of Remembering. We read a special Torah portion about the mitzvah to remember what the Amalekites did to us when they attacked us in the wilderness of Sinai. That section concludes with the command, “Remember, and do not forget.” These words have resonated in the hearts and minds of Jews throughout the ages. In Judaism, remembering is never merely a mental exercise of recall. One does not fulfill the mitzvah of “Remembering the Sabbath”, or “remembering that we were slaves in Egypt” simply by thinking about it. Indeed, remembering, in Judaism, is always a call to action.

Memories fade if they are not translated into meaningful action. Thus, when we are introduced to Purim with a Shabbat of Remembering, we are reminded that Purim is not simply a story to recall, nor is it simply an occasion for festivities. Rather, Purim must be a call to action. It must be a call to act with greater faith and courage as Jews. It is a call to respond to the threats of those who would see us dead. It is a call to act to ensure that there is always going to be a Jewish tomorrow, no matter how troubled today may be.

How important is Purim? The Talmud teaches and Maimonides codifies this in his work on Jewish law: “In the Messianic era, all the Biblical books of the Prophets and the Writings will become obsolete, except for the Megillah of Esther. In those days, all the struggles of Judaism will be forgotten, except for those of Purim, the memory of which will never pass.” On Purim we celebrate, but more importantly we remember, we act with strength. When we act with strength, we ensure the future for our children and our grandchildren.

And we must remember, as we move swiftly from one “let’s eat” holiday to another, that the key to the balance is right at hand. Each week, we celebrate a holiday in which it is not about the fight.

Shabbat is a concrete reminder that being Jewish is not just about fighting for survival as it is about being in rhythm with the world, being Adonai’s partner in the care of the world and in the ultimate quest for shalom. “More than the Jewish people has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jewish people.”

Purim Sameiach!

President’s MessageBy Diana Muller

HAS YOUR VOICE BEEN HEARD?

As I write this article on yet another snowy day in early February, over 200 of you in our Temple Israel community have responded to my call to action and volunteered to take part in Focus Groups that will inform our Strategic Planning Process. Yes, we are thrilled with the re-sponse so far but…

WE WANT MORE!I wish you all could have been at Temple Israel on Sunday,

January 23 when our first focus groups kicked off. After first meet-ing for coffee and bagels, over 40 Temple members participated in three focus groups led by our volunteer facilitators. They were held in classrooms just down the hall from the Social Hall where a fun and lively Tu B’shvat Seder for our Religious School young-sters and their parents was taking place! The building was hum-ming with activity, excitement and noise among members young, older and oldest. Since then, we have held almost weekly focus groups but we are not done: we have plans to talk specifically with our newest members, our longest-time members, our Board, our staff, people who have left the Temple, our youngest adults, our seniors and everyone in between! However, we can’t do it alone; If you care about the future of our Temple, you need to partner with us on this project and let your voice be heard.

Focus Groups are entirely lay-led, confidential and held at various times of day to be convenient for everyone. We are ask-ing for a 1½ hour commitment. To those of you who have al-ready participated, a huge and heartfelt thank you for your time, your input and your positive feedback on the process we have undertaken. For those of you who have yet to jump in, all you have to do is write to:

[email protected] email? Call our Focus Group Co-chairs Janet Mittleman

at 454-7680 or Deb Greenberg at 226-2296. They will contact you and arrange a time for you to participate.

The first stage of the Strategic Planning process (the Focus Groups) runs through March. Please don’t let the month go by without finding a way to contribute to the future of our Temple. Our congregation of 850+ strong families has a rich and vibrant history, and an active and engaging presence that hopefully resonates on some level with you, be it religiously, spiritually, educationally, culturally and/or socially. The work we do to-gether now will help forge a path to a meaningful and relevant future for Temple Israel.

Will Your Voice Be Heard?

What’s Happening

Divine Reward and Punishment in This Life and the NextDr. Ellen UmanskySunday, March 6 at 10:00 am

How can we make sense of the bless-ings and curses at the end of the biblical book of Deuteronomy? Do the righteous

prosper and the wicked suffer in this life? Do we, as Jews, believe in life after death? If so, is it only the righteous that inhabit such a world (as the rabbinic sages seem to imply) or does every-one somehow “get what they deserve” if not in this life, then in another? Dr. Ellen Umansky returns to Temple Israel to discuss these essential and challenging questions of faith and belief.

Ellen M. Umansky is the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Professor of Judaic Studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. She chairs the University’s undergraduate program in Judaic Studies and serves as Director of the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, positions that she has held since September, 1994. She is the co-editor of the recently published Four Centuries of Jewish Women’s Spirituality: A Sourcebook (Brandeis University Press/UPNE, 2009), a revised and expanded version of the book published by her and Dianne Ashton in 1992. She is also author of, From Christian Science to Jewish Science: Spiritual Healing and American Jews, published by Oxford University Press in 2005, and two earlier books on Lily Montagu, founder and leader of the liberal Jewish movement in England.

TI Contemporary Jewish Writers Book Group Selects The Invisible Bridge for March

This month, the Temple Israel’s Contemporary Jewish Writers Book Group will be reading Julie Orringer’s cap-tivating novel, The Invisible Bridge, which we will discuss on Tuesday, March 15. Please join us.

Julie Orringer’s astonishing first novel is a grand love story set against the backdrop of Budapest and Paris, an epic tale of three brothers whose lives are ravaged by war, and the chronicle of one family’s struggle against the forces that threaten to annihilate it.

Paris, 1937. Andras Lévi, a Hungarian-Jewish architec-ture student, arrives from Budapest with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a mysterious letter he has promised to deliver to C. Morgenstern on the rue de Sévigné. As he falls into a complicated relationship with the letter’s recipi-ent, he becomes privy to a secret history that will alter the course of his own life. Meanwhile, as his elder brother takes up medical studies in Modena and their younger

brother leaves school for the stage, Europe’s unfolding trag-edy sends each of their lives into terrifying uncertainty.

The Invisible Bridge tells the story of a love tested by disaster, of brothers whose bonds cannot be broken, of a family shattered and remade in history’s darkest hour, and of the dangerous power of art in a time of war (from the Random House synopsis).

CJW Book Group discussion leaders are Karin Beitel, Freda Easton and Harriet Selverstone. For more informa-tion, please contact Karin Beitel at [email protected].

Graphically Speaking By Rose MyersTemple Israel Librarian

Graphic novels are the offspring of comic books and descendants of com-ic strips and the funny papers. But not all comic books are humorous and not all stories told with pictures are meant

for children. This undervalued medium frequently explores serious issues in ways that provide fresh insights.

We have in our library two books by Will Eisner: The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue, contain-ing the first graphic novel, and The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The first deals with the Great Depression, tenement life, and God; the second with the history of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, from its creation by the Russian secret police to modern times.

Clearly, graphic novels are not silly stories for children; We Are on Our Own, by Miriam Katin, a graphic memoir in the Holocaust section of our library, is described as “stunning” and “harrowing” in the reviews shown in the library’s catalog.

A pair of books in a lighter vein, The Rabbi’s Cat and The Rabbi’s Cat 2 by Joann Sfar, also deal with adult issues—love, life in 1930’s Algeria, in-laws, professional jealousy, levels of observance, whether a talking cat should have a Bar Mitzvah ceremony before he can study Kabbalah,…

You may argue that Superman and his cousins were also concerned with universal problems. I agree. Try Arie Kaplan’s From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books, a look at Jews from the creative side of the comic book in-dustry, and then see how Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay: A Novel builds a story out of the history of the golden age of comic books.

Check them out!Also, you are invited to go to the library’s new blog,

Book of the Week, at http://librarytiwestport.wordpress.com/ —a place to discuss recommended books, as well as lists of recommended books and websites for holidays, life cycle events, and various other topics of Jewish interest.

Where Community Becomes Family

Career Counseling Available Through TI TING

Temple Israel’s Westporters in Transition Group (TING), which supports individuals in employment transi-tion, meets at the Temple weekly on Tuesdays at 2:00 PM in room 28. The group is led by Stanley Witkow, a Temple member, career counselor and expert in all aspects of job search.

Unique among networking groups, WIT is focused on helping jobseekers build and enhance their job-hunting skills. Participants are offered the opportunity to practice their elevator speeches at each meeting. The group also helps develop peer-reviews resumes and other marketing materials. Additionally, Stan often makes presentations on a wide variety of topics of interest to job-hunters, includ-ing how to use LinkedIn effectively in a job search, how to leave effective telephone messages, and how to be an effective networker.

Participants in the group are generally from Lower Fair-field County. Temple membership is not required and there is no charge to attend.

Spring Food Drive – Homes with Hope Food Pantry

Our second annual Spring Food Drive will run from Monday March 14 through Sunday April 17. Dur-ing this time, we will be collecting nonperishable foods to help meet the needs of the Homes with Hope Food Pantry. The Food Pantry provides those in need in Westport and surrounding Fairfield County with the basics for daily meals for their families, and with breakfast each day, served at the Gillespie Center. Temple Israel continues to be the largest single source of food for the Food Pantry. As an extra bonus of collecting donations in March and April, Homes with Hope can receive additional funding from the Feinstein Foundation Million Dollar challenge grant.

We are looking for a volunteer to help organize drivers, as well as for volunteers to help transport collected food from the Temple to Gillespie. If interested, please email [email protected] or call the Temple.

Please bring nonperishable food items to Temple and place them in the collection boxes which are located in the Religious School vestibule. If the paper bag you have is very heavy or in danger of breaking, please double bag the grocer-ies with either a plastic bag or shopping bag. That will greatly help our volunteers in moving the food items from the Temple to the Food Pantry. When you go to the market, consider buy-ing an extra can, box, jar, etc. Any nonperishable foods would be greatly appreciated, so if you prefer to donate low fat, low sodium, low sugar or other healthier options, please do so!

The Food Pantry’s wish list includes:Boxed complete Meals – all types (Hamburger, Chicken, »Tuna Helper; Betty Crocker Complete Meals)Peanut butter »Canned tuna and other canned meat products (turkey, »ham, Spam – canned tuna with Tuna Helper is very helpful) Instant oatmeal – any variety »Salad dressing – Any variety »Powdered milk »Powdered drink mix »Jarred pasta sauce—any variety »Jelly/jam »Soups that contain meat »Canned foods that contain meat: beef stew, chili, etc. »Chef Boyardee-type full meals – ravioli, spaghetti-O’s; »large/family size cansCold breakfast cereal: any variety »Canned fruit: fruit cocktail, peaches, pears, etc. »Crackers »Ketchup »Mustard »Mayonnaise »Salt/pepper »Coffee/tea (regular and decaf) »Grated cheese »Powdered non-dairy creamer »Sugar »

More information about Homes with Hope programs, including the Food Pantry and the Gillespie Center, can be found at www.homeswithhopect.org. THANK YOU!

Caring Committee Welcomes YouThe next Caring Committee meeting is Friday,

March 11 at 9:30 – 11:00 AM. Come, join us, and help us help our fellow congregants.

If you or someone you know is having a difficult time, maybe we can lend a hand.

Contact us at [email protected]

SAVE THE DATE!Friday, May 20, 6:30 PM

You are cordially invited to attend a special Shabbat service and dinner

when Temple Israel will honor and thank you — OUR VOLUNTEERS!

It’s your turn to be celebrated!Plan to join your Temple Family as we treat you to dinner

as a way to say thank you for all that you do.Watch for more information on this event.

Education Matters

What’s So Special about Shabbat?By Geri SmilesInterim Director, Early Childhood Center

Friday is a special day for celebration at Temple Israel’s Early Childhood Center – it is Shabbat! All the classes gather together in the sanctuary with Rabbi Orkand or Rabbi Mendelson and Cantor Harris. After the children’s favorite songs, the Rabbi tells either a story with a Jewish moral or explains the parsha that will be read during Shabbat services. The Shabbat child and his/her family then come up to the bima to lead the group in saying the brachot over the candles, wine and challah.

Each child looks forward to his/her special Friday as the “Shabbat child” with much excitement and anticipation. The responsibilities and tasks vary among the classes. These may include: being the line leader, holding open the doors, counting the classmates, and setting the tables. The best part is the visit by members of the child’s family. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are as excited as the children to be part of the Shabbat celebration. The families provide grape juice and flowers for the class, and they also have the opportunity to lead the class in an activity – perhaps an art lesson, teaching a finger play or song, or reading the Shabbat child’s favorite book. The special activity and the involvement of the Shabbat families make this a wonderful morning filled with Kodak moments!

The reactions to this day by the families are usually ones of amazement and true understanding of the inner workings of the classrooms. They get a close up view of the interactions between the children and teachers and among the children themselves. The parents are always invited to stay after dropping off their children at 9:00 AM so they can be ready for 9:30 AM Shabbat.

If ever you have some free time on a Friday morning, please join the preschool in celebrating Shabbat in the sanctuary, whether or not it is your “turn” as Shabbat family.

Shalom

Religious School at TEMPLE ISRAEL – it’s what you make it!By Alisa TrugermanChair, Religious School Committee

When we moved to Weston over four years ago, one of the first things I did was research which Temple we would join. This was a big decision for us, as previously we just defaulted to my family’s synagogue (a socially reform temple on the upper West-side of Manhattan). For my husband (Jack) his initial concerns were for a Temple that was proximal to our home (for all the shut-tling of our sons to religious school) and that it is fun, as his reli-gious education had been dull and flat. For me, the Temple would need to have an open attitude towards diversity and women, with services that would be user friendly to a non-reader of Hebrew. I had some wonderful conversations with Sandy Silverstein and Karin Beitel and we attended new member events and felt at ease. I remained concerned about “being one of many “ in such a large congregation, but Jack pointed out the size of Temple Israel al-lowed for many offerings and it was up to us to take advantage.

So I began to attend Nosh and Drosh, celebrate holidays with other TI families, and volunteered to set up grade level Shabbat din-

ners and other Religious School celebrations. Our favorite first mem-ory was the Torah in celebration of Simchah Torah. The friendships I made led to involvement in Synaplex and the Religious School Committee, and this year I have served as the Religious School Com-mittee Chair and on the Board of Directors.

In a recent survey of volunteers we learned that over half of the families in Religious School volunteer at one time or another and find it a positive experience that they would do again. We have many fun events that round out our children’s Jewish education that could not happen without your support. THANK YOU and please continue to assist as you can. Should you like to be involved in a more continual role, I will try to match your interests and time constraints to best support our parent association and/or religious school. TEMPLE ISRAEL Religious School: it is what you make it!

Alisa Trugerman aka Eli and Josh Davidoff’s mom

Upcoming Youth Events!Check out what’s happening for our Youth in March!Friday, March 4 at 5:45 PM-Saturday, March 5 at 11:00 AMPARTY: All of the 7th and 8th Graders from TI are invited to join the 7th and 8th graders from 5 congregations in Westchester for a shul-in (sleepover) at Westchester Reform Temple. This is a great way for you to see camp friends or to make new friends from our area. We hope you will join us for this great event which we are very excited about!Sunday, March 6 at NoonTISY: Help your fellow TISYites pack up Mishloach Manot to deliver to the community!Wednesday, March 9 at 5:00 PMTISY: We will be serving food at the Gillespie Center. If you are interested in helping cook or serve let us know. We hope you’ll help us give back to our community.Sunday, March 13 at 10:00 AMNFTY: It’s time for our NFTY Elections, so come into NYC and help us elect the next NFTY Board.Sunday, March 20 at 10:30 AMTISY: Come help us sell food at the Purim Carnival, and of course you’ll have a chance to participate in the other activities!Saturday, March 26 at 7:15 PMTISY: We are hosting a semi-formal dance with other Jewish congregations in the area. Join us for the first ever Fairfield County Jewish Semi-Formal Dance!Sunday, March 27 at NoonMITY: Come hang out with all of your MITY friends at our next event!Wednesday, March 30 at 6:00 PMKatanty45: It’s time for our next ancient event, so come see where we’re going this time and have dinner with all of your 4th and 5th grade friends!Coming in April:NFTY (and 8th Grade): NAR’s Spring Kallah is a weekend away with other Jewish teens from around our area. Come for a weekend of fun and learning! Concurrent with this is a weekend for 8th graders to be introduced to NFTY, so come see what it’s all about!MITY/TISY: Friday, April 8 is the Synaplex Shabbat experience with Todd Herzog and our Chocolate Seder!

Sharing Our Lives: Donations

Adult Jewish Learning Martin and Jane Sachs in memory of Benjamin and Lillian Sachs

Rabbi BT and Suzanne Rubenstein Lecture FundHerb and Lou Barrett in memory of Gadol BarrettHerb and Lou Barrett in memory of Leon BarrettRoslyn Kaiser in memory of Jerome Kaiser

Rabbi Alex Schindler Lecture FundConnie Beskind in memory of Robert M. (Bob) Stein

Cantor Silverman’s Discretionary Fund Leslie Eisen-Abrams in honor of Jacqueline Abrams Bat MitzvahThe Fishoff Family in memory of Hyman Fishoff, husband of Lorraine, father of Michael and Scott, father-in-law of Leslie, grandfather of Ryan, Montgomery, Alexandra and ZachariahFrancoise and Richard Jaffe Lawrence Zlatkin and Maureen Whiteman in honor of Sandy SilversteinEliot and Bobbi Essagof in memory of Mollie Minsky, mother of Jerry Minsky

Caring Committee Robin and Peter Berger in memory of Iris Altman, mother of Michael FosterPhilip Weiner in memory of Shirley WeinerHerbert and Arlene Bloom in memory of Sarah PerlisHerbert and Arlene Bloom in memory of Rose BloomAnnette Kaye in memory of Saba Pinkwasser Schwarz, mother of Annette Kaye, grandmother of Joshua and Adam KayeSuzanne Fields in memory of Alvin MeyerCarole Wainer in memory of Iris Altman, mother of Michael FosterSam, Brian, Grace, Hope and Jared Ullman in memory of Bernard Wolf Jr., stepfather of Sam Ullman

Carol Schoke Rothke Nursery School Fund Elayne and Jim Schoke in memory of Carol Schoke RothkeRita Chingas in memory of CK Chingas

Fine Arts Fund Elliott and Marlene Siff in memory of Esther Siff

Fund for Jewish ContinuityThe Magidson Family in memory of Victoria MagidsonThe Magidson Family in memory of Fredrick Zissu

General Fund Rita Appel in memory of Harriet Koretsky’s beloved father

Rita and Samantha Appel in memory of Estelle Rosenberg, beloved mother of Carol LevySally and Michael Kliegman in memory of Hyman Fishoff, father of Michael FishoffRita and Samantha Appel in memory of Alfred Schechter, beloved grandfather of Leah Schechter

Grandparents Fund Hank and Carol Herman in memory of Philip Herman

Library Book Fund Carolyn Bloom in memory of Isaac Bloom, beloved father-in-law

Linda P. Dinitz Art Fund Arthur and Ellie Dinitz in memory of Irving Dinitz

Rabbi Mendelson’s Discretionary Fund Leslie Eisen-Abrams in honor of Jacqueline Abram’s Bat MitzvahFrancoise and Richard Jaffe Craig, Ellen, Lindsey, Michael and Geoffrey Wolson in memory of Elaine B. Wolson, beloved mother and grandmotherSteven and Susan Scher in memory of Norma Stessel

Rabbi Orkand’s Discretionary Fund Torah Study Group in honor of Rabbi Orkand’s birthdayKen Mufson and Cheryl Hammer Gladys and Martin Floch in memory of Bessie Wisser EigenFrancoise and Richard Jaffe Jenny, Max, Benjy and Bobbie Pastor in memory of Betsy WoolfBrian Woolf and Matthew Woolf in memory of Betsy WoolfConnie and Stewart Greenfield in memory of Minerva GreenfieldConnie Greenfield in memory of Susan Comora RosenfeldAlan and Kay Nudelman wishing Joyce Orkand a speedy recoveryCraig, Ellen, Lindsey, Michael and Geoffrey Wolson in memory of Max A. Wolson, beloved father and grandfatherLillian and Gerry Luterman in memory of Frank BerryDaniel and Tali Faber

Prayer Book FundCarol and Barry Haber in memory of Sidney HaberJoyce and Bernie Zimmerman in memory of Ronny LadnerJoyce and Bernie Zimmerman in memory of Pearl Zimmerman

Religious School Fund Ed and Mary Sue Teplitz in memory of Robert RothenbergEd and Mary Sue Teplitz in memory of Rosalind Dym TeplitzIlana and Leonid Karpenos in gratitude to Phyllis Braunstein for helping Daniela and Samantha Karpenos to prepare for their B’not Mitzvah

See Donations on page 9

We now accept credit card payments for donations to the Temple via our website.

Please go to: donate.tiwestport.org

Sharing Our Lives: B’nai Mitzvah

B’nai Mitzvah March 2011March 5

Elliot EisenbergWendy and Richard EisenbergElliot brings his good cheer and talent for juggling as he volunteers at the Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield. As he entertains the residents with his juggling skills, he engages them in conversation about friends, family and daily life at the Jewish Home. Elliot has

also developed relationships with a number of residents along the way.

Oliver EisenbergWendy and Richard EisenbergOliver is volunteering at the Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield. He plays chess and card games with the residents and provides assistance with the computers. In addition, Oliver helps to transport the residents to lunch and engage them in discussions about

topics of mutual interest.

Rebecca OestreicherDeborah and Paul OestreicherR e b e c c a h a s a n d c o n t i n u e s t o be involved in several volunteer activities. Among these are working with two year olds at A Child’s Place, an early childhood education center. In addition to basic child care duties,

she found new and creative ways to engage the children through story telling and even performed brief concerts on her cello. Rebecca also helped at the Westport Public Library and taught chess to first, second and third graders.

March 12Juliet DalePamela and Eric DaleFor her mitzvah project, Juliet wanted to share her love of music with children who have special needs. She volunteers at The Pilot House, a center for children with autism, in Fairfield. She works with the three and four year olds in their music

program. In lieu of a Chanukah gift for one night, Juliet donated to Plan USA, and chose to purchase two mango trees for families in Africa and a bicycle to enable an underprivileged African girl to be able to get to school. Juliet also participated in Tomlinson Middle School’s “Rake and Bake” community outreach program, raking leaves and baking sweet treats for senior citizens in her community. Juliet continues to serve meals with her family at the Gillespie Center, an activity that she has enjoyed for the past several years.

Sarah RadischWendy Schwartz and Neil RadischSarah has worked her community service into her everyday life and will continue to do so after her Bat Mitzvah. She routinely takes toys and clothes that she no longer uses and donates them to various charities. She helps out with a food drive in Vermont,

where she spends a good part of the winter. Each of her Bat Mitzvah invitations includes a tree donation to Israel, which she will help fund with some of her gifts.

March 19Gracyn Parker LevensonBlaine and Allen LevensonGracyn is a seventh grader at Bedford Middle School. For her community service, she is part of a community wide launch of a program called Books2Connect, which is sponsored by UJA/Federation in partnership

with Norwalk Community College. Books2Connect collects new and gently used books to distribute to children from infancy through young adulthood in an effort to build a foundation for life long learning. These books offer children access to a new world of information and opportunity. Gracyn is thrilled to be one of two Temple Israel B’nai Mitzvah students piloting this program.

Sharing Our Lives: Donations and Life Cycle

Donations cont’d from page 7

Life CycleWe Mourn the Passing of:

Hyman Fishoff, father of Michael Fishoff and Scott •FishoffJack Krieger, father of Peter Krieger•Mollie Minsky, mother of Jerry Minsky•Stanley Rappaport, father of Daniel Rappaport•Alfred Schechter, grandfather of Leah Schechter•Carol Weir, mother of Scott Casher•Bernard Wolf, Jr., stepfather of Sam Ullman•

We welcome the Following New Members: Beverly and Bernard Lubetkin•Amy Swanson and Howard Rosenberg, and their •children Joshua and Zachary

The Religious School Committee in memory of Alfred Schechter

Ruth P. Zimmers Concert Fund Stanley and Esther Nayer in memory of Melvin ZimmersJohn and Kathryn Hewitt in memory of Melvin ZimmersRachel Bashevkin in memory of Melvin ZimmersDeborah and Wallace Zuckerman in memory of Melvin ZimmersRichard Spitz in memory of Melvin ZimmersJohn Y. Jr., Patty, John, Heather and Jack Hewitt and Emily Hewitt and Greg Lawler in memory of Melvin ZimmersNaomi and Warren Lichtenberg in memory of Melvin ZimmersSusan Schoen in memory of Melvin ZimmersRoe and Chuck Halper in memory of Melvin ZimmersTerry Lassar in memory of Melvin ZimmersGladys Handelman in memory of Melvin ZimmersMaxine and Arnold Nickelsberg in memory of Melvin ZimmersAlan and Kay Nudelman in memory of Melvin ZimmersSandy and Barry Kronick in memory of Melvin ZimmersElaine and Ernest Arnow in memory of Melvin ZimmersAlan and Elisa Leavitt in memory of Melvin ZimmersPam and Ken Olson in memory of Ben GardnerHerb Podel in memory of Melvin ZimmersLawrence Zlatkin and Maureen Whiteman in memory of Melvin ZimmersLawrence Zlatkin and Maureen Whiteman wishing Herb Podel a speedy recoveryLawrence Zlatkin and Maureen Whiteman wishing Barbara Reis a happy and healthy new year

Schiff/Nad Special Children Fund Kevin and Sally Korsh Zachary Brody

Steinberg Library Fund Sybil and Harold Steinberg in memory of Ann Schless, mother of Sybil Steinberg

Teaching Tolerance and Respect Fund Leslie Eisen-Abrams in memory of my beloved father, Mitchel EisenAnnabel Schwartz in memory of Douglas SchwartzSusie Blumenfeld and Family in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Michelle Eisenberg

Torah StudyJeffrey Elster

Tzedakah Fund Leah and Manuel Fine in memory of Adele FineFran and Larry Danter in memory of Esther BodensteinRobin Berman and Joanne Paltrowitz in honor of Sophie Dalinka becoming a Bat MitzvahEric and Kim Wiener

Youth Program Enhancement Fund Dan and Nancy Magida in memory of Jean SeltzerDan and Nancy Magida in memory of Mark SeltzerElaine Esposito in memory of Alfred Schechter, grandfather of Leah Schechter

Youth Scholarship Fund The Fiarman Family in memory of Alfred Schechter, grandfather of Leah SchechterJoyce and Bernie Zimmerman in honor of Joshua Siegel’s Bar Mitzvah

Sharing Our Lives: Donations To our readers:If you use a service from one of our advertisers, please inform them that you are

doing so because you saw their ad in the Chronicle.

If you would like to place an ad in the Chronicle, contact Sandy Silverstein

at 203-227-1293

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chEcK FOr UPDaTES aND SchEDULE chaNGES ON OUr WEBSITE: TIWESTPOrT.OrG

sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday shabbatTGIS Family Kabbalat Shabbat Service: Ecc Teacher appreciation—Friday, March 4, 5:15 pm Ecc Teacher appreciation Dinner, 5:45 pmadult Jewish Learning—”Divine reward and Punishment in This Life and Next”, Ellen Umansky , Ph.D., Sunday, March 6, 10:00 amT.G.I.S. Pop Shabbat—Saturday, March 12, 9:00 am

adult Masquerade Purim Party—Saturday, March 19, 7:00 pmPurim Schpiel and Megillah reading—Sunday, March 20, 10:30 amPurim carnival—Sunday, March 20, 11:30 amKabbalat Shabbat Service—rS Teacher appreciation, Friday, March 25, 6:30 pm

TING 2:00 pm

TING 2:00 pm

TING 2:00 pm

TING 2:00 pm

Temple Tots 9:15 am

Temple Tots 9:15 am

Temple Tots 9:15 am

Temple Tots 9:15 am

TGIS Family Kabbalat Shabbat Service: Ecc Teacher appreciation 5:15 pm; Ecc Teacher appreciation Dinner 5:45 pm; Kabbalat Shabbat Service 7:15 pm; Oneg 8:00 pm

Candlelighting 5:29 pm

Shabbat ShekalimMinyan/Torah Study 9:00 amEarly Shabbat Morning Service 9:00 amLate Shabbat Morning Service 11:15 am

Torah: Exod. 38:21-40:38

chesed club 9:30 am3rd Grade Family connection 9:30 amadult Jewish Learning:Ellen Umansky, Ph.D.10:00 am

chesed club 9:30 am6th Grade B’nai Mitzvah Family Program 9:30 amMITY Event Noon

PurimPurim Schpiel and Megillah reading 10:30 amPurim carnival 11:30 am

4th Grade Family connection 9:30 amNFTY Elections 10:00 am

rosh chodesh adar II Nosh n’ Drash 10:00 am

Nosh ‘n Drash 10:00 am



contemporary Jewish Literature 1:00 pmTING 2:00 pm

TISY cooking 3:00 pmTISY Gillespie center 5:00 pm

Oneg 6:00 pmKabbalat Shabbat Service 6:30 pm


Minyan/Torah Study 9:00 amTGIS Pop Shabbat 9:00 amShabbat Morning Service 11:15 am

Torah: Lev. 1:1-5:26

Temple Tots 9:15 amaJL: Talmud Series with rabbi hoffman 7:30 pm

Oneg 6:00 pmKabbalat Shabbat Service 6:30 pm


Shabbat ZachorMinyan/Torah Study 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Service 11:15 amadult Masquerade Purim Party 7:00 pm

Torah: Lev. 6:1-8:36

Katanty 45 Event 6:00 pm

rS Teacher appreciation & 3rd Gr. Dinner 5:30 pm; Oneg 6:00 pm; Kabbalat Shabbat Service: rS Teacher appreciation 6:30 pm; Teacher appreciation Oneg Shabbat 7:30 pm


Shabbat ParahMinyan/Torah Study 9:00 amTISY hangout 6:30 pm

Torah: Lev. 9:1-11:47

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temple israel14 Coleytown Road Westport, CT 06880(203) 227-1293, Fax (203) 454-2292Religious School (203) 227-1656Robert J. Orkand, D.D. Alysa Mendelson Graf RabbisRichard B. Silverman, D.M.Scott M. Harris CantorsSandy Silverstein Executive DirectorKarin A. Beitel Director of EducationLeah Schechter Assistant Director of EducationGeri Smiles Interim Director of Early Childhood EducationSarah Magida Director of Youth Programming

Diana Muller PresidentThe Chronicle is published 10 times annually on a monthly basis from September through June:

MARCH 2011Sharon Schroeder, Chronicle Editor

March 2011 Chronicle

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Transcript of March 2011 Chronicle