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BHBIRochester.org Published Monthly Vol 42/No 4 Shevat/Adar I 5768 February 2008 Editor: Stan Schaffer |
Congregation
Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel B U L L E T I N |
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February
President’s Message Friends,
The month of January ended with Parshat Yitro, which contains the
giving of the Ten Commandments.
The month of February begins with Parshat Mishpatim, which contains
many of the more detailed laws of civil interaction, including the famous
"eye for an eye." The
parshah starts off with the laws concerning the treatment of slaves. One can ask how the Torah permits the
holding of slaves, given the almost universal abhorrence of this practice
today. The answer that is
usually given is that slavery was the norm in the ancient world – a
code of law that outright prohibited slavery would have been too alien and
never would have been accepted by the people at that time. One can ask if similar reasoning can
be applied to other laws in the Torah that seem strange to us, or out of
place with modern times. No less
an authority than the Rambam suggested that the laws of animal sacrifice in
the Temple were a concession G-d made to the ritual expectations of the day
– it would have been too hard to ask the ancient Israelites to jump
directly from pagan practices to the prayer and meditation that became the
substitute for sacrifices in the Rabbinic period. Of course even the Rambam got into plenty of hot water
with his peers for this point of view. Later
in Mishpatim we have the sentence that forms a key part of the Rabbinic view
of abortion: "And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child,
so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined,
according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him." That the loss of the woman's fetus is
not regarded as a capital offense, but rather one requiring monetary
compensation, leads to the Rabbinic view that a fetus does not have the same
status as a human being. Some
of the laws that I find most interesting are: "If you meet your enemy's
ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him
again. If you see the donkey of
him that hates you lying under its burden, you shall not pass him by; you
shall surely release it with him." – hence it is commanded to come
to the aid even of one's enemy.
One can wonder if these laws are for the sake of one's enemy –
that even an enemy has rights which we are bound to personally respect and
uphold; or is it for the sake of the donkey – it is not the poor
donkey's fault who he belongs to!
Discuss amongst yourselves . . . If
we should come to the aid of our enemies, then so much more for our
friends! Let me therefore take a
few sentences to thank some of the many who help us all out behind the scenes
at BHBI. For the last year and a
half Laura Levinson has been sending out our yahrzeit reminders. Laura will
soon be handing this important job over to Herb Spencer, who has graciously
volunteered to continue. As many
of you know, Laura has been recovering from heart valve replacement surgery
earlier this Fall. Both she and
Charles are doing well and are now moving into an apartment at their
daughter's house. Our many
thanks go to both Laura and Herb.
The kiddush committee is now up to a contingent of four, with the
addition of Andrea Paprocki.
Andrea has already prepared her first kiddush for us last month, and
all agreed it a very nice spread.
Kol ha-kavod Andrea! Of
course there is always room for additional volunteers, so don't be shy! See
you in shul, Steve Teitel |
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BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – February 2008
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Friday |
Feb 1 |
8:00 PM |
Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:03 PM. |
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Saturday |
Feb 2 |
9:30 AM |
Shabbat Morning Services
Blessing of the new month
Torah: Mishpatim |
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Sunday |
Feb 3 |
9:00 AM |
Service and Discussion |
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Friday |
Feb 8 |
8:00 PM |
Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 5:13 PM. |
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Saturday |
Feb 9 |
9:30 AM |
Joint Shabbat Morning Services with Congregants from
Temple Beth Am at BHBI
Torah:
Terumah
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Sunday |
Feb 10 |
9:00 AM |
Service and Discussion |
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Monday |
Feb 11 |
7:30 PM |
BHBI Board Meeting |
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Wednesday |
Feb 13 |
7:30 PM |
Small Shul Collaborative Joint Torah Study Session at BHBI |
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Friday |
Feb 15 |
8:00 PM |
Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:22 PM. |
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Saturday |
Feb 16 |
9:30 AM |
Shabbat Morning Services Torah: Tetzaveh |
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Sunday |
Feb 17 |
9:00 AM |
Service and Discussion |
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Friday |
Feb 22 |
8:00 PM |
Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:31 PM. |
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Saturday |
Feb 23 |
9:30 AM |
Shabbat Morning Services Torah: Ki Tisa |
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Sunday |
Feb 24 |
9:00 AM |
Service and Discussion |
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Friday |
Feb 29 |
8:00 AM |
Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 5:40 PM. |
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 13th.
Come and enjoy interesting conversation and make new friends while gain
new insights into Torah! All are
welcome.
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Some of you may have noticed
some new faces at services lately.
They belong to our newest members:
Steve and Helen Gulack
Sherwood Snyder
The next time that you see
them, welcome them to the BHBI family!
THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS
FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY
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January 5 |
Steve and Ruth Teitel in memory of Ruth’s father,
Jack Glazer |
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January 12 |
The Congregation |
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January 19 |
Jill Clark in memory of her father, Stanley
Clark |
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January 26 |
The Congregation |
TO OUR DONORS -- THANK YOU FOR
YOUR GENEROSITY!
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GENERAL FUND
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DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE
UNAFFILIATED?
Tell
them about BHBI and let them know that BHBI is Rochester’s friendliest
shul! Then 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.
MEMORIAL PLAQUES
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
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.
Each time you make a purchase after linking to Amazon.com from our web
page, BHBI gets a percentage of the purchase. Buy gifts or something for yourself and support BHBI at the
same time!!
PLEASE VISIT OR CALL OUR
ELDERLY MEMBERS!
Many of our elderly
members are no longer able to come to shul and would love to hear from their
BHBI friends. Please call or visit
them. They’d love to hear from
you!
WHAT’S WITH ADAR?
You may have noticed that
this year there are 2 months of Adar.
That’s because this is a leap year for the Jewish calendar (and
incidentally, it’s also a leap year in the secular calendar). In Jewish leap years, we add an
additional month of Adar so that there is a month called Adar I followed by a
month called Adar II. In Ashkenazi
custom, yahrzeits of individuals who pass away during a regular month of Adar
are commemorated in Adar I.
However, Purim is celebrated in Adar II and bar and bat mitzvahs of
children born in a regular month of Adar are traditionally celebrated in Adar
II as well.
Adar
(or in leap years, Adar II) is considered a month of joy. Indeed, as the month progresses, we
expect to encounter more and more joy and happiness. The joy of Adar culminates in the celebration of the miracle
of Purim, which this year falls on Thursday evening and Friday, March 20th
and 21st.
FEDERATION-SPONSORED PROGRAMS
FOR YOUTH
Zikaron Trip of Remembrance
Teens are invited to apply for this terrific opportunity to travel
with other teens to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,
D.C. on Sunday, March 30th. On this one-day, Zikaron Trip of
Remembrance, teens will travel to the Museum where survivors of the Holocaust
will accompany them on a tour of the site. Teens will also be included in our
community's Yom HaShoah commemoration in late spring. This program receives
generous support from the Mona Friedman Kolko Family Fund. Applications are available on-line at http://www.jewishrochester.org/getfile.asp?id=22528
and must be received by February 19th. For more information, contact Josh Boress at 461-0490 ext.
249 or by e-mail at jboress@jewishrochester.org
Gift of Israel Program
The Jewish Community
Federation of Greater Rochester continues to sponsor the Gift of Israel Program
which offers matching funds which can be applied for Israel trips by Jewish
youth. Children can be enrolled in
the program while they are between 3rd grade and 6th
grade. Parents make an annual
contribution to the program which is matched dollar for dollar by the
Federation up to $150 annually. By
joining the Gift of Israel Program, your child has the potential to receive
matching funds of up to $1200 for a future Israel experience. For more information, contact Josh
Boress at 461-0490 ext. 249 or by e-mail at jboress@jewishrochester.org
Scholarships for Youth
Programs
The Jewish Community
Federation of Greater Rochester is pleased to announce the availability of
need-based and incentive awards for Jewish young people between the ages of 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 during the
summer of 2008 or during the next academic year. The deadline for applications is March 23, 2008. For a full description of the
scholarship guidelines, contact Jan Katz, JCF Jewish Education Services
Director by phone at 461-0490 or by e-mail at jkatz@jewishrochester.org
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
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.
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February 1 - 2 |
Shevat- Adar I |
February 8 - 9 |
Adar I |
February 15 - 16 |
Adar I |
February 22 -23 |
Adar I |
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Marian Bernstein* Ada Goldstein* Samuel Keyfetz* Lottie Fink* Rose Ring* Henrietta Schaffer Boris Schvarts Sam Finkelstein* Paula Lewin Werner Schaffer * Denotes name memorialized
on BHBI Memorial Plaque |
27 27 27 29 29 30 30 1 2 2 |
Philip Schiff* Anna Solomon Betty Glaser Anna Ruderman* Hyman Sablowsky* Celia Lapides* Anna Ainspan Dora Newell* William Schwartz* |
3 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 6 |
Edith Berkowitz* Samuel Goldstein* Fanny Techler Levinson* Max Metlay Nachema Pincus Rose Riwkin* Gussie Gillenson Bernstein* Irvin Boyer* Stanley Muszynski* Haskall Isaac Smith* Abraham Alderman* |
10 10 10 10 10 13 15 15 15 15 16 |
Edna Astrachan* Sam Malina* Anna Steinmetz* Louis Rickler* Harry Aronow* Leila Markus* Herman Sarachan* Percy Cohen* |
19 19 19 20 21 21 21 22 |
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Feb 29 – March 1 |
Adar I |
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Ida Sallerson Levine* Barnet Stern* Harris Priceman* Rebecca Cohen* Eva Friedman* Karoline Hess* Sarah Shulsky* Sadie Rose |
25 26 27 28 28 28 28 29 |
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.
Please Support Our
Advertisers
OFFICE: The shul office is checked regularly
for mail and messages. The shul
phone is 244-2060. For urgent
issues, call Steve Teitel at 473-5741 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?
Don’t 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
Congregation Beth Hamedresh-Beth Israel
1369 East Avenue
Rochester, NY
14610