The Shofar - Congregation House of Israel...

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November, 2017 12 Cheshvan - 12 Kislev, 5778 Congregation House of Israel The Shofar Happy Thanksviving 5778

Transcript of The Shofar - Congregation House of Israel...

November, 2017 12 Cheshvan - 12 Kislev, 5778Congregation House of Israel

The Shofar

Happy Thanksviving5778

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General FundLarry Levi

In beloved memory of his father, Bernard Levi

Barbara MorganIn honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Cooper Jack Bull

Sheldon and Carol KleinmanIn beloved memory of Sheldon’s mother, Nancy KleinmanIn beloved memory of Sheldon’s father, Seymour KleinmanIn honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Cooper Jack BullIn honor of the birth of Paxton Simmons Tanenbaum, great-grandson of Jerry Tanenbaum

Kathy KleinIn memory of Carol Crow-NanezIn memory of Saralee Stark

Betty FeirIn honor of Jeanne Chapin for her beautiful cantorial music over the High Holidays

Barbara BusheeIn beloved memory of her mother, Nellie Kaufman

Bill GinsburgIn gratitude and support for CHI

Debbie AttwoodIn gratitude and support for CHI

Sisterhood FundRoss and Ruth Sedler

In honor of Jeanne Chapin for her beautiful cantorial music over the High Holidays

The ShofarPublished monthly by:Congregation House of IsraelPO Box 20802300 QuapawHot Springs, AR 71903

(501) 623-5821Website: http://hschi.org Editor: Shelly KleinmanWebmaster: Shelly Kleinman Editorial Assistance: Anita WilliamsEmail to: [email protected] due the 15th of the prior month. Distributed free to members, prospective members, local clergy and other interested parties.

Thank You

We would like to thank the following donors for their contributions (as of October 20, 2017)

As the students of the religious school helped to change the Torah and Bema cov-ers back to “normal” (from white to bur-gundy), I smiled. How fast it all goes. One season comes and another goes. Such are the days and years of our lives.

From Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur to the festival of Sukkot. Joyous but fleeting moments in the Jewish calendar year. A Bar

Mitzvah, Cooper Bull, followed a week later. Can Hannukah be far behind?

I learned quite early in my career that it was one thing to look back and remember significant events in your congregation’s history. It was another thing to become overly nostalgic about them. During much of my career I moved from life cycle to life cycle event without pause. A funeral in a morning. A baby naming in an afternoon. A marital counseling session in early evening. A Bar Mitzvah (or three!) on the weekend, scattered among teaching Hebrew and Jewish literature courses during the week. I grew to like the schedule. It kept me, whether I preferred it or not, moving forward. Happy or sad, my career balanced my feelings out. I found a positive balance through it all, and for that I consider myself lucky.

Sukkot, I have always felt, was the holiday that provided our people with the proper balance in their lives. It is replete with symbolism (building the Sukkah), actions of faith (shaking the lulav), and an extensive literature ranging from Talmudic prescriptions to the reading of Ecclesiastes. Listen to the first words of that philosophic book: “One generation goes, another comes, but the earth remains the same forever. The sun rises, and the sun sets, And glides back to where it rises.”

As we conclude the Holy Day season with our great Harvest festival, we are reminded of the limitations of our lives. This should not be depressing, but rather illuminating. We are here for what the rabbis called a ZMAN, a brief time on earth. Remembering the temporary nature of our existence, we are humbled, and yet at the same time we thank God for our time on earth.

Yes, let’s be grateful, and let’s enjoy our times together in the Sanctuary and the Social hall.

With all good wishes for a happy and fulfilling 5778.

Richard Chapin

Davar - A matter for discussion

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Thank you to everyone who helped make our High Holy Days such a beautiful experience.

A HUGE congratulations

to Jeanne Chapin for doing such a tremendous job on the music for all the services. That was a true pleasure! And thank you to everyone who contributed to the special Oneg following Erev Rosh Hashanah and for providing such a lovely Break Fast following Yom Kippur! We are lucky to have so many who work so hard to keep our community strong!

And a special congratulations goes to Cooper Jack Bull on his outstanding Bar Mitzvah. Such a beautiful voice and command of all the prayers. You could certainly see the fruits of all his years of study and hard work The members of Sisterhood are certainly proud of him! Thank you to Rabbi Richard for doing such a good job in training Cooper, and to all the members of Sisterhood who participated in the special Oneg for Cooper and his family.

Please join us on November 6th for our regular monthly meeting at 11:00 in Burgauer Hall, followed by a luncheon with our hostesses Sue Koppel and Sharon Waxler. Hope to see you there!

Millie Baron

Sisterhood

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Building Jewish Community Three Hours From the Nearest torah.By Maya GlasserEditor’s note: Maya Glasser is a Rabbinic student at the HUC-JIR in New York. She is a rabbinic intern at ARZA and founder of the ARZA HUC-JIR Fellowship.

As rabbinical students at HUC-JIR headed into the holiday recess, preparing to move from 5777 to 5778, we had our first meeting of the inaugural cohort of ARZA HUC-JIR Fellowship. At the end of our formal agenda, the conversation moved to the communities we would be serving during the High Holidays. From Hillels to large urban congregations to smaller

communities, I was in awe of the different kinds of incredible work on which the fellows were about to embark. I had the opportunity to bring in the New Year with the Jewish community in Oxford, Mississippi. The newly-formed Jewish Federation of Oxford and the Hillel at the University of Mississippi collaborated to host services and hire me as their student rabbi for the holiday. It was an historic occasion: the first High Holiday service to ever be held on the campus. We did two services together, Erev Rosh Hashanah and Rosh Hashanah morning, which had attendances of 60 and 40, respectively.

The services were held in the Paris-Yates Chapel, a beautiful interfaith space that was built when its founders could not find a space for their Jewish-Christian wedding. The community was incredibly welcoming and happy to be celebrating together; I felt fortunate to have the chance to meet its members and facilitate their prayer experience. Leaving my Manhattan campus to travel down to Mississippi during this most sacred time of year reminded me that Judaism takes place in many contexts. In many ways I am lucky to live in a center of Jewish life, surrounded by Jewish institutions and Jewish people. The Jewish community in Oxford had to drive three hours to borrow a Torah for services and collect prayer-books from an established congregation. I was in awe of all of the work they did to make services happen. I also noticed that even so far away from my home, the words we prayed were familiar, and the melodies connected us all. This experience reminded me that we- Jews and people- have much more in common than we do different. In a time of increasing polarization and intolerance, it was incredible to celebrate the Jewish New Year in the South. I was honored and humbled to help build bridges and connections when it feels like so much of our country and our world is broken. I was grateful for the chance to connect with people face to face and share traditions, rituals, and holy words with them. To me, this is the path to wholeness. In the coming year, may we be inspired to continue to build bridges and forge strong connections with people who belong to the same groups that we do, and with people who are different from us. May we strive to find sweetness in the world, and create our own. May we remember all that binds us together, and see the holiness in one another.

ARZA - World Union

A sincere tip-of-the-hat to Barbara Morgan, Ruth Sedler and Stuart Fleischner for sending the photos used in this edition of The Shofar.

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As we approach Thanksgiving, a wonderful American tradition, CHI congregants, and all Jews in our country, have another opportunity to be thankful for the freedom to worship and to gather to share our rich traditions, both Jewish and secular. The Life and Legacy Plan was created, in part, to promote and encourage post-death gifting, to support CHI and other Arkansas Jewish institutions and entities.

L & L is a partnership among CHI, JFAR (Jewish Federation of Arkansas), and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to promote a legacy that “ensures Jewish tomorrows.” JFAR recently awarded the first of two $5,000 incentive grants to CHI (see photo) in recogni-tion of our L & L Team securing 18 “Letters of Intent” from individuals and couples who have pledged to name CHI as an after-life beneficiary in their will, trust, life insurance policy, IRA, Annuity, or other form of giv-ing. A second, final $5,000 grant is promised to CHI if L & L receives an additional 18 new “Letters” (pledges).

There are no minimums, and no contracts to sign. To join in the effort to reach our goal, and to leave a legacy that promotes the on-go-ing presence of the community’s most valued Jewish organizations, contact an L & L team member (Karen Baim Reagler, Sherrill Nico-losi, and Stuart Fleischner).

Life and Legacy Plan

Pictured (L to R), Sherrill Nicolosi, Karen Baim Reagler, and Marianne Tettlebaum, Dir., JFAR. CHI-L & L team members receiving an incentive grant check from Dir. Tettlebaum for obtaining “Letters of Intent” commitments (see article above).

Israel uncovers buried section of Western Wall

Israeli archaeolo-gists in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday unveiled a newly unearthed section of the Western Wall and the first Roman public structure ever discovered in the city, they said.

Archaeologist Joe Uziel said he and his colleagues knew the wall section was there and had expected to find a Roman street at its base.

"But as we excavated and excavated we realised we weren't getting to the street. Instead we have this circular building," he told reporters in English at the underground site.

"Basically we realised that we were excavating a theatre-like (Roman) structure."

He said that carbon-14 and other dating methods indicated it came from the second or third centuries AD and appeared to be unfinished.

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which con-ducted the two-year dig, said that historical sources mentioned such structures but in 150 years of mod-ern archaeological research in the city none had been found.

The section of the 2,000-year-old Western Wall uncovered by the diggers is about 15 metres (yards) in width and eight metres high, with the stones very well preserved.

It had been buried under eight metres of earth for 1,700 years, the IAA said.

The Western Wall is the last remnant of the retain-ing structures which surrounded the second Jewish temple until its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD.

It is the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray.

Previously, the last section to be exposed was in 2007,

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Cooper Jack with Rabbi Chapin conducting Erev Shabbat services

Cooper Jack lighting Shabbat candles with his proud family, (l-r) Susan Siegel, Diane Goltz and very proud mother Madeline Bull.

B’nai Mitzvah

Cooper Jack Bull

Sisterhood sponsored Oneg Shabbat in honor of Cooper Jack’s Bar Mitzvah

Cynthia Rephan, Betty Forshberg, Ed Berkun and Delyse Axinn at the Cooper Bull Oneg Shabbat

Diane Goltz, Jerry Tanenbaum and Sharon Ball at the Cooper Bull Oneg Shabbat

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Tashlich Services, 2017Richard Israel’s Crumb List

Taking a few crumbs to Tashlich from whatever old bread is in the house lacks subtlety, nuance and religious sensitivity. I would suggest that we can do better. Instead:

For ordinary sins, use - White BreadFor exotic sins - French BreadFor particularly dark sins - PumpernickelFor complex sins - Multi-grainFor twisted sins - PretzelsFor tasteless sins - Rice CakesFor sins of indecision - WafflesFor sins committed in haste - MatzahFor sins committed in less than eighteen minutes - Shmurah MatzahFor sins of chutzpah - Fresh BreadFor substance abuse/marijuana - Stoned WheatFor substance abuse/heavy drugs - Poppy SeedFor arson - ToastFor timidity - Milk ToastFor high-handedness - NapoleonsFor being sulky - SourdoughFor silliness - Nut Bread

For not giving full value - Short breadFor jingoism - Yankee DoodlesFor telling bad jokes - Corn BreadFor being money-hungry - Enriched Bread or Raw DoughFor telling small lies - FudgeFor war-mongering - Kaiser RollsFor promiscuity - Hot BunsFor racism - CrackersFor sophisticated racism - Ritz CrackersFor being holier-than-thou - BagelsFor unfairly up-braiding others - ChallahFor provocative dressing - Wonton WrappersFor snobbery - Upper CrustsFor indecent photography - Cheese CakeFor trashing the environment - DumplingsFor the sin of laziness - Any Very Long LoafFor being hyper-critical - Pan CakesFor political skullduggery - BismarcksFor over-eating - Stuffing Bread or Bulkie RollsFor gambling - Fortune CookiesFor pride - Puff PastryFor cheating - Bread made with Nutrasweet and OlestraFor being snappish - Ginger BreadFor dropping in without calling beforehand - Pop-oversFor trying to improve everyone within sight -An-gel Food CakeFor being up-tight and irritable - High Fiber or Bran MuffinsFor sycophancy - BrowniesFor rearing children incompetently - Raisin BreadFor immodest behavior - TartsFor causing injury or damage to others - TortesFor hardening our hearts - Jelly doughnutsFor abrasiveness - GritsFor recurring slip ups - Banana BreadFor davening off tune - Flat BreadFor impetuosity - Quick BreadFor risking one's life unnecessarily - Hero BreadFor auto theft - CarawayFor excessive use of irony - Rye BreadFor larceny (especially of copyright material) - Stollen

Photo: “Casting your sins away.” CHI Tashlich services on Rosh Hashanah at Entergy Park Pavillion

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As you may know, most of the buildings at URJ’s Camp Newman were destroyed on Mon-day in the Tubbs fires raging through North-ern California. Since Camp Newman has been instrumental in shaping the lives of thousands of campers, NFTY teens and the Jewish com-munity, this is truly devastating.

But Camp Newman is more than just buildings. It is a community built on the memories of 70 glorious summers, on the leadership of NFTY teens who have gone out into the world and changed it for the better - a community that lives in the hearts and minds of all the staff and lay leaders who have found inspiration and the promise of a better future.

Our community is strong - but your financial support is critical in supporting our next steps, both immediate and long term. We are commit-ted to thoughtfully planning how we will create an outstanding 2018 summer experience and beyond for the Newman community.

As we assess the physical damage and consider our future while supporting our campers, fami-lies, staff, and community, we ask you to make a generous gift today. Every dollar counts and is deeply appreciated.

Together, we will make Camp Newman strong.

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Remembering URJ Camp Newman: A Community MournsThe Reform Jewish Movement and the California Reform Jewish community in particular received devastating news last night upon learning that the physical location of URJ Camp Newman, our Re-form Jewish summer camp in Santa Rosa, CA, was all but destroyed in the wildfires currently ravaging the West Coast.

In the early morning, Camp Newman staff an-nounced on social media that the camp had been evacuated and that all staff were safe, as were the camp’s Torah scrolls. Rabbi Paul Kipnes, a congrega-tional rabbi who also serves as the camp’s faculty dean, shared his original prayer, “A Prayer for Those Af-fected by Fire” – and the waiting began.By nightfall, it became clear that Camp Newman's physical location had fallen victim to the fires still raging in Napa and Sonoma counties. Just before 8pm EDT on Monday evening, the camp shared on Facebook a post that read, in part, “It is with tremendous shock and sadness that we share that the majority of the buildings at our beloved Camp Newman home have been destroyed.”

Though the destruction made headlines in The For-ward, JTA, & The Jewish News of Northern Cali-fornia, it is the personal words from Reform Jews worldwide that bear the real emotion behind the news. From California and beyond, camp alumni responded with sadness and grief, sharing their memories of Camp Newman and how their time at camp has made a lasting impact on their lives.Former staffer Jay Bartell, who is now a synagogue youth advisor in San Diego, writes, “URJ Camp Newman shaped the core of what I consider to be the best parts of myself ”:

Former camp staffer Alex Rogers echoes Herman’s closing sentiments, writing, “While the physical property may be gone, it does not mean that Camp Newman is gone…Tonight, across the world, Camp Newman exists in thousands of homes.”

Camp alumna Sofi Herscher, who now works for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, agrees, saying, “Buildings can burn, but love and friendship and memory cannot.”

For all those mourning their beloved camp home, Cantor Lizzie Weiss shared “A Blessing for Those Who Love URJ Camp Newman,” in which she

writes, “Let us remem-ber that we still have our memories, that we still have our pictures, and that we still have one common goal, and that is to infuse a shel-ter of peace over our hearts and the future Newman generations.”

Out of San Rafael, CA, screenwriter Seth Front reassures the grieving: “Know that we are de-termined to rebuild and there will be nothing to

stop us... [We] will rebuild. Take strength in this. We are strong. We are unified. We are committed. We are #NewmanStrong.”

It’s a reassurance spoken by so many in the Camp Newman community. In his newest prayer, “Upon Waking from the Fires,” Rabbi Paul Kipnes closes with the following words:

"Camp Newman, we will miss you. Camp Newman, we will rebuild. Camp Newman, you taught us that tikkun olam (repairing the world) means we hold our personal pain alongside the pain of others, and try to help them all.”

"So we will.”

Ken yehi ratzon; may it be so.

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Thank you to the following for sponsoring an Oneg during the month of November:

Nov 3 Ross and Ruth Sedler

Nov 10 Larry and Carol Levi Barbara Morgan

Nov 17 Hal and Sue Koppel Betty Forshberg

Nov 24 Dennis and Anita Williams

Reminder: If you are scheduled for an upcom-ing Oneg and need to change dates, please find someone to switch with and then let Ruth Sedler know so the information printed in the bulletin will be correct.

The following people are in our thoughts and prayers:

• Stuart Klompus• Barbara Schlesinger• Susan Brown• Angie Tollefson• Louis Kleinman• JoAnne Reagler• Ken Baim• Rabbi Mark Miller• Imy Marcus• Robert Burns

Please offer prayers that they all have a full and speedy recovery.

If you are aware of anyone needing spiritual or any sort of assistance, please let Barbara Morgan know. Our Caring Committee is here to help all of our members in any way we possibly can.

Refuah Shelemah

Congregation House of Israel

Board of DirectorsRabbi Richard [email protected]

Dennis Williams, [email protected]

Hal Koppel, [email protected] Barbara Morgan501- [email protected] Millie Baron, [email protected]

Ira [email protected] Ruth [email protected]

David D. [email protected] Patti [email protected]

David [email protected] Jerry Tanenbaum, ARZA-World [email protected]

Stuart Fleischner, Immediate Past [email protected]

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Kaddish Recited November 3Leland H. Williams

Father of Dennis Williams

Ella FalkGrandmother of Louis Kleinman

Kaddish Recited November 10Dr. Martin Lax

Father of Gary Lax

Rachel Leah GoltzGrandmother of Susan Siegel Grandmother of Diane Goltz

Joseph WolkenGrandfather of Brad Wolken

Kaddish Recited November 17Al Ginsburg

Father of Millie Baron

Joyce B. BoswellMother of Anita Willisms

Kaddish Recited November 24Alan R. Klompus

Father of Stuart Klompus

Jacob KoppelFather of Hal Koppel

Mollie ForshbergMother-in-law of Betty Forshberg

Hyman KirschFather of David Kirsch

Leon PetersonFather of Cheryl Cohen

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November AnniversariesSheldon and Carol Kleinmanm Nov 4Louis and Betty Kleinman Nov 10Stephen and Clarissa Kirsch Nov 26Michael and Sharon Waxler Nov 27

November BirthdaysMark Levi Nov 3Wendy Kohn Nov 4David Kirsch Nov 7Anita Williams Nov 10Louis Kleinman Nov 14Donovan Ball Nov 15Dennis Williams Nov 21Jodi Sule Nov 24Jerry Tanenbaum Nov 26Lenny Mendel Nov 27Myrna Taxer Nov 28Harriett Marcus Nov 29

Birthdays & AnniversariesNovember Yahrzeits

IAA chief Jerusalem architect Yuval Baruch said.

"Exposing parts of the Western Wall is of course extremely, extremely, extremely exciting, but the structure we are looking at right now we had no idea would be here," Uziel said, pointing to the 200-seat auditorium.

"It's probably the most important archaeological site in the country, the first public structures from the Roman period of Jerusalem," Baruch said.

Uziel said it was unclear if the building had been a meeting chamber for Roman administrative of-ficials or a concert venue.

Western WallContinued from page 5

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Vayeira

ToldotWeekly Parshah