Published Monthly

BHBIRochester.org

Published Monthly

Vol 41/No 5

Shevat 5767

February 2007

Editor:

Stan Schaffer

Congregation Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel

B U L L E T I N

February Presidentís Message

Friends,

Jewish faith and tradition offers many opportunities to ìtake stockî and mark new beginnings - including the four yearly cycles, each with their own ìNew Year Dayî. The 1^st of Nissan is the beginning of the calendar year for counting months and festivals - and of course the start of Israelís national history. Elul 1 marks the beginning of the year for tithing animals to support of the priesthood and charity for the poor. Tishri 1 marks the creation of the world, counting the seasons and the beginning of the ìDays of Aweî – Rosh Hashanah. The new moon of the month Shevat falling on the 15th – represented numerically by the sum of Hebrew letters Teth (9) and Vav (6) – marks the New Year for Trees. This year Tu BíShevat begins at sundown on February 2 and continues to nightfall on February 3.

Following the example of the Passover Seder, the Kabbalistsí developed the Tu BíShevat Seder which has again become popular in recent times. Engaging in this ritual helps to connect us with ancient and modern Israel. The rainy season is now coming to a close there; the aquifers are as full as they will be for the year. The produce and trees will soon have to rely on the water in the ground and the morning dew that forms through the summer.

The Seder should include eating the seven species from the Land of Israel mentioned in the Torah: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives, dates, and pomegranates. Some associate each species with a principle. Wheat is connected to survival because it is a staple of life; barley is the grain of the poor and was a basic measure of value. Grapes, because they grow in clusters, represent the bounty of the land. Figs symbolize the peace a man can have confidently sitting under his fig tree and pomegranates are like mitzvot because there are about 613 seeds in the fruit. Olives show the hope one must have to plant a tree that takes seven years to yield fruit. Honey, whether from dates or beehives, symbolizes the pleasantness of the Promised Land.

To illustrate the changing seasons four glasses of wine are consumed. The first is white wine; the second is faintly pink with mostly white and a little red wine mixed, the third with more red mixed in, and finally a glass of fully red wine.

We all know how fragile the earth is and the deleterious effect of manís activities on the environment. Let this Tu BíShevat inspire us to take up our role as the earthís caretakers and fulfill the Torahís mandate that man take dominion over the earth by responsibly caring for and repairing it.

See you at shul,

Harris Honickman

BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – February 2007

Friday	Feb. 2	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:05 PM.
Saturday	Feb. 3	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Services Torah: Beshalach Birthday and Anniversary Kiddush for December, January & February
Sunday	Feb. 4	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast, Discussion
Friday	Feb. 9	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:14 PM.
Saturday	Feb. 10	9:30 AM	Joint Shabbat Services with Congregants from Temple Beth Am at BHBI Torah: Yitro
Sunday	Feb. 11	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast, Discussion
Monday	Feb. 12	7:30 PM	Board Meeting
Wed.	Feb. 14	7:30 PM	Small Conservative Shul Collaborative Joint Torah Study Session at BHBI
Friday	Feb. 16	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:24 PM.
Saturday	Feb. 17	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Mishpatim Blessing for the new month
Sunday	Feb. 18	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast, Discussion
Friday	Feb. 23	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:33 PM.
Saturday	Feb. 24	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Services Torah: Terumah
Sunday	Feb. 25	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast, Discussion

Join us on Saturday morning, Feb. 3^rd as we celebrate, Tu bíShevat, the birthday of the trees, with a special Kiddush following services honoring our members with December, January and February birthdays and anniversaries!

THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS

FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY

January 6 Phil and Annette Garver in memory of Nathan Goldberg

January 13 Steve and Ruth Teitel in memory of Ruthís father, Jack Glazer

January 20 The Congregation

January 27 Dave Rogachefsky in memory of his sister, Dvora Brodie

TO OUR DONORS -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

SPECIAL DONATION FOR LEAF RAKING

Harry Rogachefsky

GENERAL FUND

In memory of Nathan Goldberg

Phil and Annette Garver

In memory of Sam Liberman and Samuel Rappaport

Erle Rappaport

GET WELL SOON

To Nelly Vishnagorsky

TORAH STUDY

Join friends from BHBI, Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth David for an interesting evening of Torah Study at BHBI at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14^th.

AMAZON.COM

The next time that you want to buy something from Amazon.com, go to the BHBI web page at www.BHBIRochester.org and click on the Amazon.com link. BHBI gets a percentage of the purchase price each time you link to Amazon.com from our web page. Buy at Amazon.com and support BHBI at the same time!!

MEMORIAL PLAQUES

Several memorial plaques have recently been added to our memorial boards. You can also memorialize a friend or loved one by purchasing a BHBI memorial plaque. For more information, contact Stan Schaffer at 473-8072 or stanschaffer@frontiernet.net

DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE UNAFFILIATED?

Tell them about BHBI and invite them to attend our services – they will be sure to get a wonderful welcome. We would also be happy to add them to our bulletin distribution list and send them information about BHBI. Give their contact information to Harris Honickman, Stan Schaffer or Leon Metlay who will put them on the mailing list.

So far our TOPS Gift Card fundraiser has been quite successful. Remember,

TOPS Gift Cards are now available through BHBI in $50 denominations.

To purchase TOPS Gift Cards, contact Stan Schaffer

at 473-8072 or by e-mail at stanschaffer@frontiernet.net

PLEASE JOIN US ON SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 3rd AS WE CELEBRATE TU BíSHEVAT AND HONOR OUR MEMBERS WHO HAVE DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES WITH A SPECIAL KIDDUSH FOLLOWING SERVICES

Happy Birthday to:

Stan Schaffer (12/4)
Steven Paprocki (12/22)
Hanni Metlay (12/23)

Ruth Teitel (12/28)

Janet Grable (1/7)

Annette Garver (1/11)

Elaine Schaffer (1/24)

Jeff Nidetz (1/27)

Leslie Toker (1/28)

Chris Paprocki (2/1)

Herb Spencer (2/10)

Laura Levinson (2/14)

Tamar Rogachefsky (2/16)

Simon Finkelman (2/24)

Happy Anniversary to:

Paul and Rose Israel (12/5)

Jeff and Lyn Springut (2/5)

Scholarships Available

The Jewish Community Federation is pleased to announce the availability of need-based and incentive scholarships for Jewish young people, between ages 13 and 21, participating in accredited Israel programs.

In addition to Israel trips, funds may be applied to other upcoming Jewish travel experiences, Jewish high school programs, and college courses with Jewish content. Spring distributions will be made for programs to take place this coming summer or next year.

The deadline for applications is March 21, 2007.

For a full description of the scholarship guidelines, contact Jan Katz, Jewish Education Services Director at 461-0490 or at jkatz@jewishrochester.org

Israel Quiz

Match the American cities in the first column with their Israeli sister cities in the second column:

Rochester Tel Aviv

San Francisco Rehovot

New York City Haifa

See page 6 for the answers
YAHRZEITS

At the following Shabbat Services, we will read the names of our late loved ones whose Yahrzeits will occur on that Shabbat or during the following week.

Feb. 2-3

Shevat

Feb. 9-10

Shevat

Feb. 16-17

Shevat-

Adar

Feb. 23-24

Adar

Gidda Strauss*

Morris Gurian*

Stanley Clark

Samuel Spencer

Gitla Perkal*

Besse Gold

Benjamin Lapides*

Alexander Phillips

Simon Pogal*

Jacob Rubenstein

Sarah Maltinsky*

Bernard Falk*

Marian Bernstein*

Ada Goldstein*

Samuel Keyfetz*

* Denotes name memorialized on BHBI Memorial Plaque

Lottie Fink*

Rose Ring*

Henrietta Schaffer

Boris Schvarts

Sam Finkelstein*

Mary Weinrib*

Paula Lewin

Werner Schaffer

Anna Ruderman*

Philip Schiff*

Anna Solomon

Betty Glaser*

Hyman Sablowsky*

Celia Lapides*

Anna Ainspan

Dora Newell*

William Schwartz*

Anna Schiff*

Edith Berkowitz*

Samuel Goldstein*

Fanny Tecler Levinson*

Max Metlay

Nechama Pincus

We pray that our mourners will be comforted among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and that the memory of the deceased continues to be a blessing to all who knew them.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

The Jewish Community Federation is sponsoring its 3rd annual Purim Palooza for families with kids ages 2-13, on Sunday February 11th, from 2:00-4:30 p.m. at the JCC. There will be a special Purim costume-making workshop, a new hands-on tzedakah project, and more. Musical entertainment, great crafts and games, and kosher Purim snacks will add to the fun. Kids will hear the Megillah, prepare shalach manot baskets for friends and family, and give gifts of charity as part of a tzedakah project. It is open and free to the community.

Do you know newcomers to the Rochester Jewish Community? If so, tell them about the special newcomerís luncheon that will be held at the JCC on Sunday, February 11^th from 12:30 to 2:30. They can call Wendy Strauss at the Jewish Community Federation at 461-0490 x236 for more information.

Please Support Our Advertisers

OFFICE HOURS: The shul office is checked regularly for mail and messages. The shul phone is 244-2060. For urgent issues, call Harris Honickman at 271-5145 or Stan Schaffer at 473-8072. You can also e-mail us at BHBI@frontiernet.net

WANT TO REMEMBER OR HONOR SOMEONE OR A SPECIAL OCCASION?

Consider sponsoring a kiddush or make a donation to any one of our funds (General Operating, Kiddush, Library, Torah, Rabbi Aaron Solomon Scholarship, Our Youth, Special Events, or the Sam Malina Memorial Fund) please indicate which fund you would like your donation to go to and we will send out an acknowledgement card as you indicate and print an announcement in this bulletin.

BULLETIN CONTENT

What do you enjoy reading in the BHBI Bulletin? Is there something that you would like added (or taken out)? If so, please let Stan Schaffer know. We always appreciate feedback.

DID YOU MISPLACE YOUR BULLETIN?

Donít worry. BHBI Bulletins going back several months can now be found on our web page: www.BHBIRochester.org

WANT TO GET YOUR BULLETIN HOT-OFF-THE-PRESS? Consider having us e-mail it to you! Contact Stan Schaffer at: stanschaffer@frontiernet.net

ANSWERS TO THE ISRAEL QUIZ: The following cities are sister-cities: Rochester & Rehovot; San Francisco & Haifa; New York City & Tel Aviv.

Congregation Beth Hamedresh-Beth Israel

1369 East Avenue

Rochester, NY 14610