BHBIRochester

BHBIRochester.org

Published Monthly

Vol 45/No 5

Shevat-Adar I 5771

February 2011

Editor: Stan Schaffer

Congregation Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel

B U L L E T I N

February President’s Message

Dear Friends,

I have an important announcement. When you get your February dues bill, there will be an additional line item on the bill. This is a Voluntary Building Fund donation. I am stressing the word “voluntary.” If you choose not to pay it, it will not affect your membership. Now, let me tell you why I think you should pay it if you can.

Over the last two years, we have made some improvements in our building, most notably the outdoor elevator. We have also undertaken a number of repairs that had been deferred, most notably repairing part of the roof, which was leaking, fixing the kitchen ceiling, painting the front columns, and replacing the gutters (a project which is underway). We also had to repair our vandalized air conditioner. These repairs have been expensive.

When we had the roof repaired, the roofer told us our main roof would probably only last about ten more years before we have to rip it off and replace it. This replacement will cost in excess of $25,000. Paying for it out of our modest savings would not be prudent since it would limit our ability to meet other future large unanticipated expenses. Therefore, the Board voted to institute a voluntary Building Fund primarily to start accumulating funds for the replacement of the roof. We will be asking each member unit (family or individual) for modest quarterly donations to the Building Fund. A suggested quarterly Building Fund donation amount will begin appearing on your billing statements starting in February. Please help us prepare for our future by contributing to the Building Fund. Of course, if you’d like to contribute more than we’re asking for, we would be grateful.

Now, I would like to ask for your help with a mystery. On a recent Friday evening, people who came to services found a box and a plastic bag by the main door. These packages contained a number of Jewish books and pieces of art which we presume to be a donation, but there was no note left with the packages. We would like to contact the donor to acknowledge the donation. A couple of the books contain the names of Joe and Michael Becker. Many of you will remember Joe as a member of our congregation back in the 80’s. He served on the Board and was Treasurer and a Vice President, if I’m recalling correctly. Michael, Joe’s son, had his Bar Mitzvah in 1986. We’re guessing the donation came from the Beckers, but they moved out of Rochester in the late 80’s or early 90’s and we don’t have a current address for them. If you have stayed in contact with the Beckers, please give me a call or leave a message at the shul office. Thanks.

B’shalom,

Leon Metlay

Hear More About Israel at the Jewish Federation’s Israel Series

The Jewish Federation is sponsoring a new series of speakers on Israel, titled Israel 2011. The second speaker in the series is Dr. Yarden Fanta-Vagenshtein, who will appear on Thursday, February 17th, at 7 pm at Temple Beth El. She is a post-doctorate fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education who did not know how to read or write when she immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia in 1985 and who subsequently became the first Ethiopian Jewish woman to earn a doctoral degree in Israel. Her area of expertise is immigrants’ transitions, literacy and technical knowledge. The final speaker in the series will be Bret Stephens, the foreign affairs columnist of the Wall Street Journal and former editor of the Jerusalem Post, who will speak on Wednesday, March 16^th at 7 pm at Temple B’rith Kodesh.

BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – FEBRUARY 2011

Friday	Feb 4	7:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service at Heather Heights in Pittsford Light candles at 5:08 PM
Saturday	Feb 5	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Terumah
Sunday	Feb 6	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Wednesday	Feb 9	7:30 PM	Joint Torah Study with members of Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth David at BHBI
Friday	Feb 11	8:00 PM	Joint Shabbat Evening Service with Temple Beth Am at Beth Am Light candles at 5:17 PM
Saturday	Feb 12	9:30 AM	Joint Shabbat Morning Service with Temple Beth Am at BHBI with Rabbi Goldberg officiating Torah: Tetzaveh
Sunday	Feb 13	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Monday	Feb 14	7:30 PM	Monthly Meeting of the BHBI Board of Trustees
Friday	Feb 18	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 5:26 PM
Saturday	Feb 19	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Ki Tisa
Sunday	Feb 20	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Friday	Feb 25	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 5:35 PM
Saturday	Feb 26	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Vayakhel
Sunday	Feb 27	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion

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!!

TORAH STUDY

Join us for an interactive session of Torah study with our friends from Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth David at BHBI on Wednesday evening, February 9th at 7:30 p.m. The discussion is always lively!

THE RABBI FUND

Contributions to the Rabbi Fund enable us to engage Rabbi Goldberg to lead additional services at BHBI during the year. Whenever the funds in the Rabbi 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 Fund.

FROM THE RABBI’S DESK

RABBI GEOFFREY GOLDBERG

February 2011

The Israeli Masoriti Movement has its own siddur entitled Va’ani Tefillati: Siddur Yisraeli, a much improved second edition of which was recently published. The sub-title of this siddur, “An Israeli Siddur,” stresses that this prayer book is one for use in Israel, for it contains texts and prayers of a uniquely Israeli character. Even so, the siddur can be used, with great profit, by anyone in the Diaspora. Although a product of the Masorti Movement, the siddur is directed towards the Israeli public at large. The book is on sale at Steimatzky’s, the Israeli chain of booksellers, at a moderate price, and has been most favorably reviewed in the Israeli press. It is a compact volume, easy to handle, and user-friendly. By user-friendly, I mean, of course, by the Hebrew-speaking user, for it contains no translation. It includes innumerable directions and explanations which can be read by anyone wishing to engage in and discover Judaism’s greatest spiritual treasury, encounter with the Divine and the praying community, through the siddur. For those already familiar with Jewish liturgy this siddur provides spiritual nourishment aplenty, opportunities for study, and deepening of ones knowledge of the development of Jewish prayer and ritual practice.

Some while back I was invited by the editor of the Journal of Synagogue Music to write a review of Va’ani Tefillati. Unfortunately, as with most things in life, time catches up very quickly and in the meantime I have another, much larger, writing assignment to complete. However, I don’t want to let the editor down and I want to make sure that the article gets written. It occurred to me (after I received a polite reminder from the Journal’s editor about the deadline) that I needed something to help me focus on the review article. I suddenly thought of the following idea: in the coming months, at Kiddush luncheon after services, I would take a few minutes to share some features of the Va’ani Tefillati. This way I will examine in further depth this siddur’s approach to tradition and change in a specifically Israeli context, share my findings with you, and hopefully we will have a good discussion together.

Each section of the siddur has its own sub-title, such as Temidim ke-sidram (the Tamid was the regular, daily offering), the section dealing with daily prayers, or Hemdat Yamim (“The most desirous of days”), prayers for the Sabbath. In order to give a taste of the Israeli character of Va’ani Tefillati I will begin with the section of the siddur headed Eretz, Eretz, Eretz, prayers and readings relating to the life of a Jew in Israel.

I will share Eretz, Eretz, Eretz with you on Shabbat morning, February 12^th.

Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg

EVENTS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

Join Temple Beth Am for Game and Movie Day

BHBI members are invited to join Temple Beth Am for Beth Am’s movie and game day on Sunday, February 20^th beginning at 11:00 a.m. The cost is $5 and lunch is included. Attendees are urged to bring a game to play. RSVP to Temple Beth Am at 334-4855 by February 18^th.

Upcoming Live From the 92^nd Street Y Speakers Broadcasts at the JCC

· The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry with Nobel Laureate and author Elie Wiesel, former Prisoner of Zion Natan Sharansky, actress Margarita Levieva, author Gal Beckerman and political advisor Richard Perle all interviewed by Thane Rosenbau. Wed., February 2^nd at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are for sale at the JCC main desk.

· The Lost Jews of Kaifeng, China with Shi Lei, a descendent of the Kaifeng Jewish community who will describe how the Jewish community of Kaifeng developed and survived for 900 years. Tue., February 15^th at 7:45 p.m. This event is free of charge.

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.

February 4-5

Adar I

February 11-12

Adar I

February 18-19

Adar I

February 25-26

Adar I

Sam Finkelstein*

Paula Lewin

Werner Schaffer

Phillip Schiff*

Anna Solomon

Betty Glaser

Anna Ruderman*

Hyman Sablowsky*

Celia Lapides*

Anna Ainspan

Dora Newell*

William Schwartz*

Edith Berkowitz*

Samuel Goldstein*

Fanny Techler Levinson*

Max Metlay

Nechama Pincus

Rose Riwkin*

Marion Carton Gulack

* Denotes name memorialized on BHBI Memorial Plaque

Gussie Gillenson Bernstein*

Irvin Boyer*

Stanley Muszynski*

Haskall Isaac Smith*

Abraham Alderman*

Edna Astrachan*

Sam Malina*

Anna Steinmetz*

Louis Rickler*

Harry Aronow*

Leila Markus*

Herman Sarachan*

Percy Cohen*

Ida Sallerson Levine*

Barnet Stern*

Harris Priceman*

Rebecca Cohen*

Eva Friedman*

Karoline Hess*

Sarah Shulsky*

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.

GOODSEARCH.COM

Goodsearch.com is an on-line internet search program that pays non-profit organizations like BHBI a fee every time someone uses their search service. Go to www.goodsearch.com, enter the search term that you want and put in BHBI on the line where it says Who Do You Goodsearch For? BHBI will collect a fee for each search you make!

AMAZON.COM

Why not contribute to BHBI while making on-line purchases? 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 price. 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

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!

GENERAL FUND

In memory of Louis Gastel

David and Ruth Polur

In honor of Peg Toker’s newest great-grandson

Leslie Toker, Jeff Nidetz and Mark

To commemorate the birth of her great-grandson, Calder Bell

Peg Toker

THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS

FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY

January 1	Steve and Ruth Teitel in memory of Ruth’s father, Jack Glazer
January 8	The Congregation
January 15	Jill Clark in memory of her father, Stanley Clark
January 22	The Congregation

Join Us as BHBI and Temple Beth Am Commemorate Shabbat Across America at Temple Beth Am

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 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 5 years 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