Published Monthly

BHBIRochester.org

Published Monthly

Vol 43/No 6

Adar/Nissan 5769

March 2009

Editor: Stan Schaffer

Congregation Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel

B U L L E T I N

March President’s Message

Friends,

It has been a month of wanderings for our BHBI Shabbat minyan. And while we have greatly appreciated the warmth and welcome extended to us by our sister congregations, particularly Temple Beth Am that hosted us while repairs to our sanctuary progressed forward slowly, it is good to be back home again! As I write this note, our heating systems are all back up and running, and the damaged ceiling in our sanctuary has been removed and rebuilt. If all goes according to schedule, by the time you receive this bulletin we will already have celebrated our first Shabbat back in our own building on February 27 and 28. Repairs to the hard wood floor of the sanctuary will proceed the first week of March, and all should be back in order just in time for us to combine our official rededication of our sanctuary with our celebration of the joyous holiday of Purim. So please join us Monday evening, March 9 at 7:30 pm, as we enjoy the double celebration of the victory of the Jewish people over the evil Haman, and our own BHBI victory over the evil radiator. Rabbi David Isaacs will officiate.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who helped in the various stages of repair work to our building, particularly Leon Metlay, Harris Honickman, Alana Spezio, and Emily Fishman.

See you in shul,

Steve Teitel

PURIM

This year, Purim falls on Monday, March 9^th. Come to BHBI in or out of costume to enjoy the megillah reading on this happy holiday when we also joyfully rededicate our sanctuary.

BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – MARCH 2009

Sunday	Mar 1	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Friday	Mar 6	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Upstairs at BHBI Light candles at 5:47 PM
Saturday	Mar 7	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Services Torah: Tetzaveh
Sunday	Mar 8	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Monday	Mar 9	7:30 PM	Rededication of the BHBI Sanctuary & Purim Megillah Reading
Wednesday	Mar 11	7:30 PM	Joint Small Shul Collaborative Torah Study Session at BHBI
Friday	Mar 13	8:00 PM	Joint Shabbat Evening Services with Temple Beth Am at Beth Am Light candles at 6:56 PM
Saturday	Mar 14	9:30 AM	Joint Shabbat Morning Service with Temple Beth Am at BHBI Torah: Ki Tisa
Sunday	Mar 15	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Monday	Mar 16	7:30 PM	BHBI Board Meeting
Friday	Mar 20	7:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service at Heather Heights in Pittsford Light candles at 7:04 PM.
Saturday	Mar 21	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Blessing for the New Month Torah: Vayakhel-Pekudei
Sunday	Mar 22	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Friday	Mar 27	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 7:12 PM
Saturday	Mar 28	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Vayikrah
Sunday	Mar 29	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion

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!!

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

Do You Know Anyone Who is Unaffiliated and Interested in Joining a Congregation?

Let them know about BHBI’s special free 3 month trial membership (available to prospective first-time new members only). Have them contact BHBI at 244-2060 or BHBI@frontiernet.net and we will be happy to give them information about BHBI and this great offer!!

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.

Mar 6-7

Adar

Mar 13-14

Adar

Mar 20-21

Adar-Nissan

Mar 27-28

Nissan

Shanie Rachel Robinson*

Irving Gold

Charles Saul Gordon*

Rose Riwkin*

Marion Carton Gulack

Charles Ambush*

Gussie Gillenson Bernstein*

Irvin Boyer*

Stanley Muszynski*

Haskall Isaac Smith*

Abraham Alderman*

Celia Engel*

Max Levy

Edna Astrachan*

Sam Malina*

Anna Steinmetz*

Louis Rickler*

Harry Aronow*

Leila Markus*

Herman Sarachan*

Carl Astrachan*

Percy Cohen*

Ida Sallerson Levine*

Barnet Stern*

Harris Priceman*

Rebecca Cohen*

Eva Friedman*

Karoline Hess*

Sarah Shulsky*

Sadie Rose

Mollie Wolk*

Sam Wolk*

Mary Weinrib*

Emma Sarachan*

Anna Schiff*

* Denotes name memorialized on BHBI Memorial Plaque

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

THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS

FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY

February 28

Jill Clark in memory of Stanley Clark

TO OUR DONORS -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

GENERAL FUND

In honor of Janet Grable

Peg Toker

In memory of Lottie Fink

Jack Fink

EVENTS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

PURIM PALOOZA

The Jewish Community Federation invites children and their families to participate in games and arts and crafts activities at Purim Palooza to be held at the JCC on Sunday, March 1^st from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. BHBI will have a presence with a booth at the event thanks to the efforts of Emily Fishman, Judith Mercer and Aline Honickman. Additional volunteers would be appreciated as well. Please contact Emily, Judith or Steve Teitel ASAP if you would like to volunteer.

SHALOM ROCHESTER

The Jewish Community Federation is sponsoring Shalom Rochester, a dinner event to welcome newcomers to the Rochester Jewish Community, on Sunday, March 22^nd from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the JCC. For more information, contact Wendy Strauss at wstrauss@jewishrochester.org

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FEDERATION SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The Jewish Community Federation of Greater Rochester is pleased to announce the availability of need-based 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 summer 2009 or during the next year. The deadline for application is March 15, 2009. For a full description of the scholarship guidelines, contact Josh Boress, Coordinator of Teen Educational & Israel Trips by phone at 461-0490 or email jboress@jewishrochester.org.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Andrea and Chris Paprocki on the birth of their new granddaughter, Sara Olivyah Paprocki, as well as to the baby’s proud parents Steven and Estelle and to Uncle Jordon.

MARCH BHBI BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING

Because of Purim, which begins on the second Monday in March (March 9^th), the March BHBI Board of Trustees meeting will instead be held on Monday evening, March 16^th. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.

TORAH STUDY

Join congregants from BHBI, Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth David for Torah study at BHBI on Wednesday evening, March 11^th at 7:30 p.m. Our joint Torah study sessions are always most interesting and engaging!

UNDERSTANDING THE ISRAELI ELECTION RESULTS

It is often hard for Americans to understand the Israeli electoral system. The following is a short explanation that may be helpful.

Like most countries in the world, Israel is a parliamentary democracy, not a presidential democracy. Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has 120 members representing numerous political parties. In order to form a government following elections, a group of political parties representing a majority of at least 61 members of the Knesset must agree to work together as a coalition. The leader of the largest of those parties is generally chosen to be Prime Minister while representatives of all the various parties in the ruling coalition are given other ministerial positions. The process of building a coalition is often long and difficult and involves a great deal of bargaining.

Voters in Israel vote for a party instead of for individual candidates. There are no parliamentary districts and no candidates’ names appear on the ballot. In the recent Israeli elections, 34 parties ran campaigns and 12 parties exceeded the 1% vote threshold required to elect at least one member of the Knesset. The parties that were elected can be grouped into 6 blocks – Arab parties, a far-left Jewish party, center-left Jewish parties, center-right Jewish parties, Jewish religious and ultrareligious parties, and far right Jewish parties. The 2 parties that won the most seats were the center-left Kadima party with 28 seats and the center-right Likud party with 27 seats. After the election results were finalized, Israel’s President Shimon Peres consulted with the leaders of all of the parties winning Knesset seats and determined that Likud’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu had the best chance of being able to form a governing coalition. Netanyahu was then given 42 days in which to reach agreement with enough other parties in the Knesset to form a coalition. Netanyahu could form a coalition comprising 65 members of the Knesset from the Likud and other center-right, Jewish religious and far-right parties but he has indicated a preference instead to form a wider and potentially more stable coalition including the Likud, Kadima, the Labor Party and a party called Israel Beiteinu (Israel Our Home). Such a governing coalition would be almost equally made up of center-right and center-left parties. In order to achieve this goal, he will have to offer the parties that he wants to join him in the coalition enough to entice them to become part of the government. This involves a lot of bargaining and horse trading.

Under Israel’s election system with its numerous political parties, the Prime Minister must often accede to the will of the smaller parties in the coalition to prevent the government from falling in a vote of no confidence, which can be called by any member of the Knesset at any time. Leaders of all of Israel’s major political parties are proposing electoral reform to make it easier for the party leading the governing coalition to have a stable coalition. Among the proposals is one to change the 1% threshold for election to the Knesset to a 5% threshold which is also more common in other parliamentary democracies around the world. This would result in fewer small parties having representatives elected to the Knesset. For obvious reasons, the small parties are against this and any other proposal to reduce their influence and power. The only way electoral reform could become reality would be for a coalition of the large parties, which would not be beholden to the smaller parties, to come together to form the government and pass the required legislation to make electoral reform possible.

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. A standard sponsored kiddush at BHBI costs just $40 while a larger enhanced kiddush is just $50.

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