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BHBIRochester.org Published Monthly Vol 44/No 7 Nissan-Iyar 5770 April 2010 Editor: Stan Schaffer |
Congregation Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel B U L L E T I N |
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April
President’s Message Friends, How’s it going? I’d
like to know. As you’re reading this, Passover will just have started. You
probably attended a seder and heard someone ask the Four Questions. The first
question: Ma nishtana haleila hazeh mikol haleylot? How is this night
different from all other nights? I’d like to ask you, ma nishtana hashanah
hazot mikol hashanim? How is this year different from all other years? We spent a bundle and
installed an elevator at our main door. We have several members who have
mobility problems, but, to date, I’m only aware of one member actually taking
advantage of the lift. Where are the rest of you? Oh, and by the way, we
could really use a couple of thousand more dollars in donations to finish
paying for it. Next month we will have
our annual membership meeting. At the meeting we’ll hear from the various committee
chairs, vote on the budget, and will elect officers and Board members. At the
last annual meeting, we voted to hire Rabbi Goldberg. Have you had an
opportunity to come and hear the Rabbi? We’ve been having an increased number
of joint services with Temple Beth Am, some at our shul and some at Beth Am.
This year we are once again having joint Passover services with Beth Am and
Beth David. Having lots of joint services has meant that our building has
stood empty at times when there would usually be a service here, but we have
also benefited by having more attendees for services and a greater likelihood
of a minyan. How do you feel about these changes? Have you been coming to
services more often? Less often? Should we continue having joint services as often
in the coming year? Please send me an email at just_a_gabbai@frontiernet.net
or give me a call at (585) 313-1272 to voice your opinion. If you have some free
time, please consider visiting those of our members who are at the Jewish
Home. Esther Solomon, Maxine Gold, Tamar Rogachefsky, and Ella Finkleman live
there. In addition, Ben and Muriel Hobel and Harry Rogachefsky are currently
getting rehabilitation services at the Jewish Home. Please stop in to see
them. B’shalom, Leon Metlay |
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Have a very happy Passover! |
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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
The BHBI Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Sunday, May 23rd.
More information about the meeting will appear in next month’s
bulletin.
BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – APRIL 2010
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Friday |
April 2 |
7:00 PM |
Shabbat Evening Service at Heather Heights in Pittsford Light
candles at 7:19 PM |
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Saturday |
April 3 |
9:30 AM |
Joint Shabbat /Passover Morning Services with Temple Beth Am at Beth Am with Rabbi Goldberg officiating |
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Sunday |
April 4 |
9:00 AM |
Service and
Discussion |
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Monday |
April 5 |
9:00 AM 8:00 PM |
Joint
Passover 7th Day Services with Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth
David at BHBI Joint
Passover Erev 8th Day Services with Yizkor together with Temple
Beth Am at Beth Am with Rabbi Goldberg officiating Light candles after 8:24 PM |
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Tuesday |
April 6 |
9:00 AM |
Joint
Passover 8th Day Service with Yizkor together with Temple Beth Am
at BHBI with Rabbi Goldberg officiating
Passover ends at 8:25 PM |
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Friday |
April 9 |
8:00 PM |
Joint Shabbat
Evening Service with Temple Beth Am at Beth Am Light candles at
7:27 PM |
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Saturday |
April 10 |
9:30 AM |
Joint Shabbat Morning Service with Temple Beth Am at BHBI Blessing for the new month. Torah: Shemini |
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Sunday |
April 11 |
9:00 AM |
Service,
Breakfast and Discussion |
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Monday |
April 12 |
7:30 PM |
Monthly Meeting of the BHBI Board of Trustees |
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Wednesday |
April 14 |
7:30 PM |
Small Shul
Collaborative Torah Study Session at BHBI |
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Friday |
April 16 |
8:00 PM |
Joint Shabbat Evening Service with Temple Beth Am at BHBI Light candles at 7:35 PM |
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Saturday |
April 17 |
9:30 AM |
Shabbat Morning Service
Torah: Tazriah-Metzorah |
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Sunday |
April 18 |
9:00 AM |
Service,
Breakfast and Discussion |
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Friday |
April 23 |
8:00 PM |
Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at
7:43 PM |
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Saturday |
April 24 |
9:30 AM |
Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Acharei-Kedoshim |
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Sunday |
April 25 |
9:00 AM |
Service,
Breakfast and Discussion |
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Friday |
April 30 |
8:00 PM |
Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 7:52 PM |
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IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE A
DONATION TO HELP US PAY FOR THE WHEELCHAIR LIFT! PLEASE MAKE YOUR DONATION TODAY Name(s):
______________________________ Donation Amount: $________ Send this form to BHBI, 1369 East Ave.,
Rochester, NY 14610 along with your special donation for the wheelchair lift
today! |
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FROM THE RABBI’S DESK By RABBI GEOFFREY GOLDBERG April 2010 |
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I returned this morning to Maimonides: the
Life and World of One of Civilization’s Greatest Minds (2008) by Joel L.
Kraemer, Professor Emeritus in the Divinity School at the University of
Chicago. I wanted to refresh my mind on the chapter entitled, “The
Physician.” It is well known that in Cairo, Egypt, Maimonides
(1138–1204) worked as a physician, serving not only the royal court and
eminent persons in the highest strata of society, but also the poor and needy
in the Jewish community as well. His extensive medical writings show the
breadth of his approach towards medicine, the need to heal the whole person,
to heal the soul as well as the body, the importance of mental and
psychological considerations as well as the overall environment affecting a
person’s life. Kramer writes, for example, “The physician must
concern himself with external matters affecting the patient. If the patient
is poor, the physician must supply him with food, medicine, and whatever is
needed to restore his health. Maimonides’ “medical humanism” conformed with
the ancient idea that medical care was an act of philanthropia (love
of mankind) and humanitas (humanity).” If Maimonides were alive today, I wonder what
his thoughts would be about the proposals for health reform which are
currently engaging America (and as I write, the House of Representatives is
about to vote today on its health bill). Twenty-first century America is
vastly different from twelfth-century Egypt, but how would Maimonides apply
the principles of philanthropia
and humanitas to the solving of our current health care crisis? If,
according to Maimonides famous “Ladder of Charity” the highest degree was to
help the impoverished get employment, how would he have formulated the
highest degree of caring for the sick in society in his time and how
would we translate that into the conditions in our time? Care for the sick has always been of great
importance in Judaism. When we pray for healing, for refuah, our
prayers also include the doctors, nurses, assistants, medical researchers and
all who, directly or indirectly, work to heal the sick, for they are God’s
instruments in the search for healing. A prayer for healing is not only
recited publicly during the Torah service, but is also one of the
intermediate blessings of the Daily Amidah. The opening words of this berakhah,
“Heal us, Eternal One, and we shall be healed” is derived from a verse in
Jeremiah 17:14, “Heal me, Eternal One, and I shall be healed.” In the
concluding phrase God is referred to as rofei, “Healer.” In Modern
Hebrew this word means a “doctor,” but in the berakhah here God is
seen as the Supreme Healer, for while permission to heal is granted to
physicians (and all who assist them), the power of healing is understood as
ultimately coming from God. While in most rites the ḥatimah (the formulaic conclusion) of
the berakhah is worded “Praised are You, Eternal One, Healer of the
people Israel,” this in no way precludes prayers for healing on behalf of
gentiles. Indeed, in some ancient formulations of the ḥatimah (Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot.
2:4; Sifrey, Deut. To Deut. 33:2) the wording is entirely generic,
concluding simply with “Praised are You, Eternal One, Healer of the sick (rofei
ha-ḥolim). Anyone who privately
concludes the berakhah thus should feel free to do so. In his Guide of the Perplexed Maimonides
wrote, “The Torah as a whole aims at two things, the welfare of the soul and
the welfare of the body, tikun ha nefesh ve-tikun ha-guf.” I am sure Maimonides understood this as applying to all. Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg |
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THE RABBI GOLDBERG FUND
Contributions
to the Rabbi Goldberg Fund enable us to engage Rabbi Goldberg to lead
additional services at BHBI during the year. Whenever the funds in the Rabbi Goldberg Fund reach a
predetermined level, we will schedule an additional service with Rabbi Goldberg. To contribute to this purpose, please
send a check in to BHBI with a notation that the contribution should be used
for the Rabbi Goldberg Fund.
TORAH STUDY
Join
congregants from Temple Beth Am, Temple Beth David and BHBI for our monthly
Small Conservative Shul Collaborative Torah Study session at BHBI on Wednesday
evening, April 14th at 7:30 p.m. The discussion is always lively and engaging!
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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April 2-3 |
Nissan |
April 9-10 |
Nissan-Iyar |
April 16-17 |
Iyar |
April 23-24 |
Iyar |
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David Morris* Jacob Weinrib* Beatrice Goldstein* Benjamin Ritter Yetta Levine* Evelyn Maimon Simon Finkelstein Blanche Levitz Louis Priceman* Dorothy Riwkin* Samuel B. Spiller* * Denotes name memorialized
on BHBI Memorial Plaque |
20 20 21 21 22 23 24 25 25 25 25 |
Arthur Weinberger Alexander Greenbaum* Esther Gurian* Ethel L. Goldstein* Rose Lewis” Hyman Rothschild* Louis Goldberg* |
26 27 27 28 28 29 1 |
Louis Goldman* Beverly Honickman Hyman Goldberg* Morton Lewis Albert Bernstein* Harry Gordon* Minnie Rothbard |
3 4 6 6 7 7 9 |
Samuel Sanow* Harry Cominsky* Dr. Murray Cowen Chasa Tillie Yablin* Johanna Schild* Haskell Isaac Smith* Samuel Lederman* Samuel J. Weisenberg* |
10 11 12 12 13 15 16 16 |
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April 30-May 1 |
Iyar |
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Libbie Goldberg* Samuel Gastel* Pauline Hobel |
18 21 22 |
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.
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
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations
to Matthew Honickman on being accepted to MIT. He will start there in the coming fall semester.
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!!
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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 |
TO OUR DONORS -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
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THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS
FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH
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March 13 |
Katharine
Metlay in memory of her sister, Julie Feuerberg |
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March 20 |
The
Congregation |
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March 27 |
Winston and
Cathy Block in memory of Winston’s father, Max Block |
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!!
EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY
Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration
Hear a first-hand account of the liberation of the
Buchenwald concentration camp from Dick Arnold who at age 19 was a Jewish
American soldier who was among those who liberated the inmates of the camp in
1945. He will speak at this year’s Yom Hashoah commemoration at the JCC on
Sunday, April 11th at 3:30 p.m., 65 years to the day after the
liberation of Buchenwald. An
advance program for teens will be held from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. featuring Mr.
Arnold and a panel of teens who have been on trips to Poland.
Earth Day
The
Rochester Jewish community is joining with other local faith communities and
the Monroe County Department of Environmental Services to help the environment
on Earth Day, Sunday April 25th. From 1 to 4 p.m. that day, the items listed below can be
brought to the Jewish Community Federation's parking lot (441 East Avenue) and
next door to the Third Presbyterian Church parking lot (4 Meigs Street) as
indicated. Volunteers will be waiting to
unload your car.
Items Collected at the Jewish Community Federation, 441
East Avenue:
Clean No. 5 Plastics
Pharmaceuticals — including outdated, unwanted and unusable
prescription and non-prescription medications
Electronics — From cell-phones and hair dryers to
computer monitors and TV's. These items contain hazardous materials such as
lead and cadmium and need to be recycled properly. Accepted equipment:
computers, monitors, typewriters, printers, circuit boards, fax machines,
audio/visual equipment, cell phones, video game systems, microwaves, computer
accessories. There will be a $10 charge to drop-off televisions.
Items Collected at Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs Street (Corner of
East Avenue):
Sneakers — These will be recycled and reused to make
running tracks for schools
in poor neighborhoods.
Shoes and Boots
— They will be reused locally by area migrant workers.
Clothing — Both children's and adult sizes will be
collected for the benefit of Flower City Habitat for Humanity.
OFFICE: The synagogue office is checked regularly for mail and messages. The synagogue 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, Rabbi Goldberg Fund 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