Published Monthly

BHBIRochester.org

Published Monthly

Vol 43/No 7

Nissan/Iyar 5769

April 2009

Editor: Stan Schaffer

Congregation Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel

B U L L E T I N

April President’s Message

Friends,

Our Purim celebration was particularly joyous this year as we marked the official rededication of our sanctuary following extensive repairs for water damage due to a burst radiator. Our Gabbai, Dr. Leon Metlay, officiated at the rededication in which psalms were sung and all our Torahs were paraded around the sanctuary. See the "Pics" section of our website for pictures! I hope you all saw the nice article on the rededication that appeared in the March 12 issue of the Jewish Ledger. Following the rededication, we had our traditional Megillah reading by Rabbi David Issacs, with all the associated noise and merriment. Thanks to Judith Mercer for preparing the snacks, and a special thanks to Janet Grable for the lovely shalach manot baskets that everyone in attendance received.

I would like to thank all those who turned out to help move furniture around, as we prepared for the refinishing of the remainder of the sanctuary floor. Thanks to Cathy Block, Ira Cohen, Harris Honickman, Nina Klionsky, Hannah Metlay, Leon Metlay, Stan Schaffer, and Esther Vogelstein.

With April comes Passover! The first seder will start the holiday on Wednesday evening, April 8. Following a tradition from recent years, BHBI, Temple Beth Am, and Temple Beth David will celebrate the holiday jointly, rotating services among the three synagogues. Pesach 1st day services will be Thursday, April 9, at Beth David. Pesach 2nd day services will be Friday, April 10, at Beth Am. We will be at BHBI for Shabbat Chol Hamoed on April 11, and then all three congregations will join at BHBI for Pesach 7th day services on Wednesday, April 15. Pesach 8th day services, including Yizkor, will be at BHBI, jointly with our friends from Beth Am, on Thursday, April 16. Please see the calendar for the starting times.

I wish you all a joyous and kosher Pesach! You may use the form found later in this bulletin for selling your chametz.

See you in shul,

Steve Teitel

Have a very happy Passover!

BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – APRIL 2009

Friday	Apr 3	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service at BHBI Light candles at 7:20 PM
Saturday	Apr 4	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Services Torah: Tzav
Sunday	Apr 5	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Wednesday	Apr 8	6:30 AM	Birchat Ha’Chamah (Blessing for the Sun) at the Highland Park Overlook Light candles at 7:26 PM
Thursday	Apr 9	9:30 AM	Joint Passover First Day Services with Congregants from Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth David at Beth David Light candles after 8:29 PM
Friday	Apr 10	9:30 AM 8:00 PM	Joint Passover Second Day Services with Congregants from Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth David at Beth Am Joint Shabbat Evening Services with Temple Beth Am at Beth Am Light candles at 7:29 PM
Saturday	Apr 11	9:30 AM	Joint Shabbat Morning Service with Temple Beth Am at BHBI
Monday	Apr 13	7:30 PM	BHBI Board Meeting
Wednesday	Apr 15	9:00 AM	Joint Passover Seventh Day Service with Congregants from Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth David at BHBI Light candles after 8:37 PM
Thursday	Apr 16	9:00 AM	Joint Passover Eighth Day Service with Yizkor with Congregants from Temple Beth Am at BHBI Passover ends at 8:38 PM
Friday	Apr 17	7:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service at Heather Heights in Pittsford Light candles at 7:37 PM
Saturday	Apr 18	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Blessing for the New Month Torah: Shemini
Sunday	Apr 19	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Friday	Apr 24	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 7:45 PM
Saturday	Apr 25	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Tazriah-Metzorah
Sunday	Apr 26	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION

Sunday, May 17th at 7:00 p.m.

ALL MEMBERS PLEASE ATTEND!

Members MUST in be in good standing in order to vote. You may bring your dues up to date at any time before the meeting – or at the meeting itself.

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 3-4

Nissan

April 10-11

Nissan

April 17-18

Nissan

Apr 24-25

Iyar

Seymour Ouzer*

Sadie Leitman

Morris Lipman*

Harry Veeder

Stanley Solomon

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

Simon Finkelman

Blanche Levitz

Louis Priceman*

Dorothy Riwkin*

Samuel B. Spiller*

Arthur Weinberger

Alexander Greenbaum*

Esther Gurian*

Ethel L. Goldstein*

Rose Lewis*

Hyman Rothschild*

Louis Goldberg*

Louis Goldman*

Beverly Honickman

Hyman Goldberg*

Morton Lewis

Albert Bernstein*

Harry Gordon*

* 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 MARCH

March 7	The Congregation
March 14	The Congregation
March 21	Katie Metlay in memory of her sister, Julie Feuerberg

TO OUR DONORS -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

GENERAL FUND

In memory of Leila Markus

Mitchell Markus

EVENTS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

YOM HASHOAH COMMEMORATION

The Jewish Community’s commemoration of Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Rememberance Day) will be held at the JCC on Monday evening, April 20^th at 7 p.m. The theme will be “Remembrance, Hope and Responsibility: Honoring Survivors into the Future” and the keynote address will be given by Dr. Michael Dobkowski, Professor of Religious Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges who has written extensively about the Holocaust and is the child of Holocaust survivors. The event is free and open to the public.

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 YY Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

TORAH STUDY

Because of Passover, there will be no joint Small Conservative Shul Collaborative Torah Study session in April. Torah study resumes in May.

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.

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!!

KASHRUT RULES FOR PASSOVER

This year the first night of Passover falls on Wednesday evening, April 8^th. On Tuesday evening, April 7^th, the traditional search for the leaven is performed and on Wednesday morning the remaining leaven is removed and a blessing is recited. Leaven can be eaten until 10:56 a.m. on April 8^th. After that time, only foods that are Kosher for Passover should be eaten.

When purchasing foods for Passover, look for the words ‘Kosher for Passover’ or a small letter ‘P’ next to the hechsher, which indicates that it is Kosher for Passover. Note that not all wine that is kosher the rest of the year is also kosher for Passover, so check the label carefully. Matza used during the rest of the year cannot be used on 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.

JEWISH FEDERATION PASSOVER WEB SITE

The Jewish Community Federation’s web site (www.JewishRochester.org) has a very informative page dedicated just to Passover with lots of news, videos, songs, recipes and even downloadable haggadahs for Pesach. Check it out!

BIRCHAT HA’CHAMAH (BLESSING THE SUN)

Once every 28 years, the sun is believed to be in the same position that it was at the time of the creation of the world. A special blessing is said at sunrise that day, which this year falls on Wednesday, April 8^th. We will join members of other congregations that morning at 6:30 a.m. at the Highland Park Overlook to mark this special event.

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.

ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY

Israel Independence Day falls this year on Wednesday, April 29^th. The Rochester Jewish community will celebrate Israel Independence Day with a gala Israeli musical collaboration known as Shorashim (Roots), featuring vocalist Magda Fishman and pianist Yuval Cohen, at the JCC on Sunday, May 3^rd from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
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

Sale of Ḥametz 2009

It is forbidden for a Jew to have any ḥametz in his possession during the Passover Holiday. If one has any ḥametz 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 the Rabbi. You must authorize the Rabbi to prepare a bill of sale and to transfer ownership of your ḥametz to a non-Jew. If you cannot come personally to the Rabbi to do this, you can avail yourself of the form below and send it to the Rabbi, c/o Temple Beth David, to arrive no later than Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg

Date: ______________________

Temple Beth David

3200 St. Paul Blvd.

Rochester, NY 14617

I (We) ___________________________________ hereby authorize Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg to sell all ḥametz products that are now in my (our) possession and on my (our) premises on Wednesday morning, April 8^th, 2009 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): _______________________________________