BHBIRochester

BHBIRochester.org

Published Monthly

Vol 45/No 10

Sivan-Tammuz 5771

July 2011

Editor: Stan Schaffer

Congregation Beth Hamedresh – Beth Israel

B U L L E T I N

July President’s Message

Dear Friends,

It is with a combination of joy and sadness that I bring you the news that Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg will be leaving Rochester this August to assume a new, full time, position at a Conservative congregation in Queens, NYC. We have indeed been very fortunate to have shared Rabbi Goldberg with Temple Beth Am, as our spiritual leader for the past two years. Those who have interacted with Rabbi Goldberg, whether at a service or through his monthly column in this Bulletin, are sure to have appreciated both his scholarship and chazzanut, as well as his deep sense of humanity that represents the best of our tradition. It is thus with sadness that we must view his departure from us. At the same time we are exceedingly happy that he has found the full time position that he so justly deserves. We therefore wish Rabbi Goldberg the best of luck and success with his new congregation, and a warm welcome will always await him if he has occasion to visit back in Rochester. Please join us Sunday evening, July 10th, as we host a joint BHBI-TBA farewell dinner in honor of Rabbi Goldberg. See page 3 of this bulletin for reservation information and other details.

Our joint BHBI – Beth Am Shavuot dinner on June 7 was a big success, with one of the biggest crowds in recent years attending. I wish to thank Judith Mercer and Paula and Rachel Bobb for their help preparing the dinner, Janet Grable and Esther Vogelstein for making the wonderful desserts, and Aaron Marsh, Judith Mercer, Esther Vogelstein and Paula Bobb for helping to set up and/or clean up. Thanks to all others who helped serve, clean up, or participated in any other way – I am sorry if I have forgotten to include your name. Thanks also to Leon Metlay for the entertaining and educational trivia quiz, as well as for the more serious study session that followed.

Our annual summer picnic, to be held jointly with Temple Beth Am, will take place this year on August 12^th prior to Friday evening services at Temple Beth Am. Mark your calendar now. Please come join in the fun and the good food! The reservation form and additional information will be found in the August bulletin.

See you in shul,

Steve Teitel

Please Join BHBI and Beth Am

For a Special Dinner at BHBI

On Sunday, July 10^th at 6:00 p.m.

As We Honor and Say Farewell to

Rabbi Goldberg

Come to the dinner, enjoy a great meal, and wish Rabbi Goldberg the very best before he embarks for his new position in New York City.

See the reservation form on page 3
BHBI CALENDAR OF EVENTS – JULY 2011

Friday	July 1	7:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service at Heather Heights in Pittsford Light candles at 8:35 PM
Saturday	July 2	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Chukat
Sunday	July 3	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Friday	July 8	8:00 PM	Joint Shabbat Evening Service with congregants from Temple Beth Am at Beth Am Light candles at 8:33 PM
Saturday	July 9	9:30 AM	Joint Shabbat Morning Service with congregants from Temple Beth Am at BHBI Torah: Balak
Sunday	July 10	9:00 AM 6:00 PM	Service and Discussion BHBI-Beth Am Joint Dinner at BHBI to Honor and Say Farewell to Rabbi Goldberg
Monday	July 11	7:30 PM	Monthly Meeting of the BHBI Board of Trustees
Wednesday	July 13	7:30 PM	Small Conservative Shul Collaborative Torah Study Session at BHBI
Friday	July 15	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 8:29 PM
Saturday	July 16	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service Torah: Pinchas
Sunday	July 17	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Friday	July 22	8:00 PM	Shabbat Evening Service Light candles at 8:24 PM
Saturday	July 23	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service. Torah: Matot .
Sunday	July 24	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion
Friday	July 29	8:00 PM	Joint Shabbat Evening Service with congregants from Temple Beth Am at BHBI Light candles at 8:27 PM
Saturday	July 30	9:30 AM	Shabbat Morning Service with congregants from Temple Beth Am at Beth Am. Blessing for the New Month. Torah: Masei
Sunday	July 31	9:00 AM	Service, Breakfast and Discussion

Have a Happy Independence Day!

Can you correctly answer this 3-part Independence Day trivia question?

Which president famously visited a synagogue and followed up that visit by writing a thank you letter to the congregation that included the famous phrase “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance…”
Where was the synagogue that he visited located?
Which future president accompanied him on his visit to the synagogue?

See page 5 for the answer to these trivia questions.

FROM THE RABBI’S DESK

RABBI GEOFFREY GOLDBERG

July 2011

As many of you already know, I am sure, I will soon be leaving Rochester, to take up the position of Rabbi of a congregation in Queens, New York City. As much as I am excited about this new position, it is tinged with sadness for having to say farewell to BHBI and Beth Am. It has been an honor to have served both congregations on Shabbatot, Regalim and High Holy Days. I shall miss the fine members I have got to know these past two years as well as your talented and committed leadership. While BHBI and Beth Am are proud of, and committed to, their own traditions and practices I have been deeply impressed by the ability to make the necessary compromises for the joint services, and I have confidence that this will continue.

I came to Rochester in August 2007, as (initially) a one-year Interim Rabbi with Temple Beth David. There must be something about Rochester and the Rochester Jewish community that makes it difficult to leave! I shall always consider these four years as among the most satisfying of my years in the Rabbinate. In addition to serving THREE congregations, it was in Rochester that I also became an American citizen, taught at its top-class University and completed several academic articles.

I will survive the nightmare of packing my books and papers. If one can survive a Rochester winter, one can survive almost anything! But in this age of e-mail and cell phones I am not going to say good bye, only au revoir and le’hitra’ot. The great Spanish-Jewish poet, Yehudah Halevi wrote a famous poem which begins, Libi ba-mizrah, va-ani be-sof ma’arav, “I am in the furthest west, but my heart is in the East.” True, I shall soon be in New York City, but part of my heart will always be in Rochester.

Rabbi Geoffrey Goldberg

Join Us for a Joint BHBI-Beth Am Dinner Honoring Rabbi Goldberg at BHBI on Sunday, July 10^th at 6:00 p.m.

Cost of the Dinner: $12 for adults, $8 for children ages 12 and under, $36 family maximum.

RSVP by Wednesday, July 6^th by calling BHBI at 244-2060 and leaving a message, by sending in this reservation form so it is received by July 6^th or by e-mailing Steve Teitel at stte@pas.rochester.edu

Payment may be mailed to BHBI, 1369 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14610 or dropped off just before the dinner.

Names of those attending: __________________________________________________

# of adults attending: _______ # or children ages 12 and under attending: _______

Amount enclosed: $_________

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.

July 1-2

Sivan-

Tammuz

July 15-16

Tammuz

July 22-23

Tammuz

July 29-30

Tammuz- Av

Gerald Braz

Hyb Jossem*

Samuel Hoffman*

Sara Sarachan*

Rose Joffe*

Jennie Epstein*

David Glasser*

Sarah Singer*

Rachel Strauss*

Rachel Morris*

Yetta Goldman*

Sarah Marken*

Sam Hector*

Harry Sarachan*

Rose Schiff*

* Denotes name memorialized on BHBI Memorial Plaque

Louis Edelson*

Bernard Sallerson*

Max Goodman*

David Gordon*

Nelli Ahuva Metlay*

Ira Edward Potter*

Thelma Ring Smith*

Louise Schulman

Irwin Bertman*

Oscar Hart

Mark Rose

Abraham Schriba*

Hyman Tanenbaum*

Celia Silverstein*

Sydney Gold

Louis Schiff*

Ray Bloch

Joseph Greenbaum*

Moses Berkowitz*

Dave Kovel

Kathy Shur*

July 8-9

Tammuz

Morris Krinsky*

SarahShnitman*

Rabbi Aaron Solomon*

Eva Krinsky*

Phillip Morrow*

Rochli Rothschild*

Eli Hobel

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

You can memorialize a friend or loved one by purchasing a BHBI memorial plaque. Our memorial plaques are very reasonably priced. For more information, contact Stan Schaffer at 473-8072 or stanschaffer@frontiernet.net

BHBI WEB SITE

Have you checked out the BHBI web site lately? If you haven’t there is a lot that you’re missing. The web site at www.BHBIRochester.org provides information about many aspects of our congregation, lists the BHBI calendar, has electronic versions of this and previous bulletins going back several years, has an extensive history of our congregation along with historic photos, includes photos from several BHBI dinners, picnics and other special events, and has the unique Adon Olam Songbook with information on over 100 melodies for Adon Olam.

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

Phil and Annette Garver

Malcolm and Annette Weinberg

In honor of Rabbi Goldberg

Stan and Elaine Schaffer

THANK YOU TO OUR KIDDUSH SPONSORS

FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE

June 4	The Congregation
June 8	Janet Grable in honor of Shavuot
June 9	Janet Grable in honor of Shavuot
June 11	Cathy and Winston Block in memory of Winston’s mother, Teresa Mayer Block
June 18	The Congregation
June 25	The Congregation

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Steve and Helen Gulack whose son, Ben Gulack, recently received his M.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and whose daughter, Miriam Koesterich, received her master’s degree from Colorado State University.

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 benefit from 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!!

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

The 11^th annual Rochester Jewish Film Festival will be held from July 10^th-18^th. Get your tickets now at the JCC or on-line at rjff.org

Answers to the Independence Day Trivia Questions

1. George Washington

2. Newport, Rhode Island

3. Thomas Jefferson (then Secretary of State)

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, 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 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