Published Monthly

BHBIRochester.org

Published Monthly

Vol 42/No 6

Adar II/Nissan 5768

April 2008

Editor: Stan Schaffer

Congregation Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel

B U L L E T I N

April President’s Message

Friends,

Spring is officially here, but someone seems to have neglected to tell the appropriate authorities!

Our Purim celebration was well attended. BHBI's official coroner pronounced Haman really, most sincerely, dead – see the photo in the "pics" section of our BHBI website. Our thanks go to Rabbi Isaacs for his reading of the megilah, and special thanks to Janet Grable for the very lovely mishloach manot baskets presented to the congregation.

Herb Spencer has now taken over the job of sending out our yahrzeit notices. He has done a great job computerizing our database of names and dates. If you have any comments, questions, or corrections, please contact Herb.

The month of April will find us celebrating the festival of Passover. The first seder ushers in the holiday at sundown, Saturday, April 19. We will join our friends from Temple Beth Am at Beth Am for first day Pesach services on Sunday morning, April 20, starting at 9:30 am. Services for Shabbat and the seventh day of Pesach will be held at BHBI on Saturday, April 26, at 9:00 am. Services for the eighth and final day of Pesach, including Yizkor, will be held at BHBI on Sunday, April 27 at 9:00 am jointly with our friends from Beth Am. Please use the form found in the insert of this bulletin to sell your chumetz for the holiday.

Wishing you a joyous Pesach,

Steve Teitel

Have a very happy Passover!

BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – APRIL 2008

Friday	Apr 4	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 7:22 PM
Saturday	Apr 5	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Services Blessing of the new month Torah: Tazriah
Sunday	Apr 6	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Wednesday	Apr 9	7:30 PM	Small Shul Collaborative Joint Torah Study Session at BHBI
Friday	Apr 11	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 7:30 PM.
Saturday	Apr 12	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Services Torah: Metzorah
Sunday	Apr 13	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Monday	Apr 14	7:30 PM	BHBI Board Meeting
Friday	Apr 18	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 7:38 PM
Saturday	Apr 19	10:00 AM	Joint Shabbat Morning Services with Congregants from Temple Beth Am at Beth Am Shabbat Hagadol Torah: Acharei
Sunday	Apr 20	9:30 AM	Pesach 1^st Day Service with Congregants from Temple Beth Am at Beth Am Light candles after 8:44 PM
Friday	Apr 25	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Services Light candles at 7:46 PM
Saturday	Apr 26	9:00 AM	Pesach and Shabbat Morning Services Light candles after 8:52 PM
Sunday	Apr 27	9:00 AM	Pesach 8^th Day Service and Yizkor with Congregants from Temple Beth Am at BHBI Passover ends at 8:53 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, April 9th. Come and enjoy interesting conversation and make new friends while gaining new insights into Torah! All are welcome.

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Counting the Omer

We count the Omer to mark the days from Passover to Shavuot. The counting of the Omer begins on the first night of Passover and continues each night thereafter as we count a week of weeks between the Festival of Freedom and the Festival of the Giving of the Torah. Traditionally, we do not attend parties or other happy events during this period.

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Save the Date

BHBI will be participating in the Israel@60 parade on May 11^th. Let’s plan on having a great turnout!
THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS

FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH

March 1	Katharine Metlay in memory of her sister, Julie Feuerberg
March 8	The Congregation
March 15	The Congregation
March 22	The Congregation
March 29	The Congregation

TO OUR DONORS -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

GENERAL FUND

Malcolm and Annette Weinberg

TORAH FUND

In memory of Rose Israel’s sister

Charles and Laura Levinson

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 or your family 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.

CHANGES TO THE MISHEBERACH LIST

We are currently updating the list of those whose names are called out when we say a misheberach for people who are ill during our Torah service each Shabbat. We will be starting from scratch with a new list at the end of March, so if you know someone who is ill and who would appreciate getting a misheberach, please contact Leon Metlay at metlionsky@frontiernet.net, send the names in to BHBI, or leave a message on the shul answering machine at 244-2060 as soon as possible.

CONGRATULATIONS

To Hillel Community Day School on being named a winner of the Jewish Community Federation’s Elmer Lewis Award together with the Boys and Girls Club for the 2 organizations’ exceptional joint after-school programs.

EVENTS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

Weeknight Cookery – Israeli Style

Join an Israeli cooking demonstration and enjoy the results while you watch! On Wednesday, April 2nd, Israeli chef Rubie Cordova, visiting Rochester as part of the Jewish Community Federation’s Chef Exchange with Modi'in, Israel, will work side-by-side with Rochester chef Andrew Lederman to produce "Weeknight Cookery, Israeli Style." Andrew and Rubie will concentrate on dishes an Israeli family might make during a typical week. This special opportunity will take place at Temple B'rith Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Avenue at 7 PM. Cost for the demo and tastings is $10 per person. Contact Abbey Rasnick at the Jewish Community Federation (461-0490 x244 or arasnick@jewishrochester.org) to RSVP or for more information.

Passport to Israel – A One-Day Family Excursion

Gather the kids and head for the airport for a one-day family excursion to Israel.
Sunday, April 6, 2008, Rochester International Airport International Welcome Hall, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, free of charge.

Visit Israel for a day…
• Pack your bags…What would you need for a trip to Israel?
• Pick up your passport at the airport!
• Exchange American currency for Israeli currency
• Shop at Israeli vendors from our local synagogue gift shops
• Visit the Israeli cities…follow a map on your journey!
• Go on an archeological dig to find ancient artifacts!
• Taste Israeli food
• Israeli Book Bash sponsored by the JCC
• Walk through Ben Yehudah Street
• Visit our Partnership community Modi'in!
• Make a hamsa, mosaic art, jewelry & salt scrub!

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KASHRUT RULES FOR PASSOVER

This year the first night of Passover falls on Saturday night, April 19th. As a result, in order not to violate Shabbat, food preparation for the Seder should be completed before nightfall on Friday, April 18^th. On Thursday evening, April 17^th, the traditional search for the leaven is performed and on Friday morning the remaining leaven is removed and a blessing is recited. As a result, one should not have a challah on Friday evening, April 18^th, but instead should used a matzah ashirah (enriched matzah or egg matzah), which may not be used at the seder but is not considered chametz, and hence may be eaten on Pesach.

When purchasing foods for Passover, look for the words ‘Kosher for Passover’ or a small letter ‘P’ next to the hecksher, which indicates that it is Kosher for Passover. Unopened packages of sugar, pure (not herbal) tea, salt (not iodized), pepper, natural spices, frozen fruit juices with no additives, frozen (uncooked) vegetables, milk, butter, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ripened cheeses such as cheddar, muenster and Camembert, and baking soda do not require Kosher for Pesach designation if purchased before Passover. Of course, fresh fruits and vegetables (except legumes for most Ashkenazi Jews), eggs, fresh fish and fresh meat do not require a Kosher for Passover designation. The Conservative Movement’s Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has also ruled unanimously that peanuts and peanut oil are permissible.

How does one kasher a dishwasher for Passover? After not using the dishwasher for 24 hours, a full cycle with detergent should be run to kasher it.

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.

April 4 - 5

Adar II - Nissan

April 11 - 12

Nissan

April 18 - 19

Nissan

April 25 - 26

Nissan

Mollie Wolk*

Sam Wolk*

Lena Levi*

Lester Miller*

Benjamin Braz*

Dr. Charles Cohen*

Eli Gerber*

Bessie Friedman Reicher

Esther Rosenthal

Morris Sherman*

Jacob Shiffman

David Gross*

Flora Priceman*

Esther Bertman*

Seymour Ouzer*

Sadie Leitman

Morris Lipman*

Harry Veeder

Stanley Solomon

* Denotes name memorialized on BHBI Memorial Plaque

Helen Neiman Goldman*

Harry Toker

Leo Beechbinder*

Sol Levin*

Rose Jossem*

Judith Potter*

Minnette Taylor

Eliahu Louis Cohen*

Harry H. Levinson

David Morris*

Jacob Weinrib*

Beatrice Goldstein*

Benjamin Ritter

Yetta Levine*

Evelyn Maimon

Blanche Levitz

Louis Priceman*

Dorothy Riwkin*

Samuel B. Spiller*

Arthur Weinberger

Alexander Greenbaum*

Esther Gurian*

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.

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 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 making 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

SALE OF CHAMETZ 2008

It is forbidden for a Jew to have any chametz in his possession during the Passover Holiday. If one has any chametz that cannot be consumed or destroyed before Passover, then it should be set aside in a relatively inaccessible place and sold to a non-Jew. This sale must be done in accordance with Halakhah and is therefore usually done by a rabbi.

Rabbi Goldberg of Temple Beth David will sell chametz on your behalf before Passover. Please give him authorization to do so by completing the following bill of sale to transfer ownership of the chametz. Send the bill of sale to Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg, Temple Beth David, 3200 St. Paul Blvd., Rochester, NY 14617. It must be received no later than Thursday, April 17, 2008. Please consider sending a donation to Temple Beth David along with the bill of sale.

Date: _________________

Temple Beth David

3200 St. Paul Blvd.

Rochester, NY 14617

I (We) ___________________________________________ hereby authorize Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg to sell all chametz products that are now in my (our) possession and on my (our) premises on Friday morning, April 18^th, 2008 wherever these may be: at my home, place of business or elsewhere. Rabbi Goldberg is to act as agent in my (our) behalf for the complete transaction of the sale in accordance with the requirements of Jewish law.

Signature(s): __________________________________________________________________

Address (Home): ______________________________________________

Address (Business): _____________________________________________