The "Ideal" Conservative Jew
February 2016, Shevat - Adar I, 5776
Religious Calendar:
Eight Behavioral Expectations
The ideal Conservative Jew:
*Supports a Conservative synagogue by participating in its activities.
*Studies as a Conservative Jew a minimum of one hour per week.
*Employs learned Jewish values to guide behavior even when it conflicts with
personal feelings or inclinations.
*Increases personal Jewish living out of commitment and as a result of thought,
by adding a minimum of three new mitzvot a year.
*Employs the values of tikun olam to help in the world's continual repair.
*Makes decisions about Jewish behavior only after considering the effect these
decisions will have on Klal Yisrael.
*Increases ties and connections to Israel.
*Studies to increase his or her knowledge of Hebrew.
Many people mistakenly believe that Conservative Judaism is "pick and choose"
Judaism -- that there are no rules or expectations. In truth, however, Conservative
Judaism is committed to Jewish tradition and to the observance of mitzvot.
The teachings of our Movement should affect the way we live our lives -- for
if Judaism does not shape our daily decisions and lifestyle, then it is meaningless.
An ideal Conservative Jew is a striving Jew, one who is always trying to grow in
commitment and knowledge. Each of us should continually climb the ladder of
observance. Conservative Judaism asks us to learn and to grow.
Judaism is a communal religion and our Jewish lives are infinitely enriched when
we play an active part in a synagogue community.
Let’s look at the first two attributes; activities and studies:
Judaism is a communal religion and our Jewish lives are infinitely enriched
when we play an active part in a synagogue community; such as attending services
on Shabbat and festivals and social events; participating regularly in a daily minyan;
continued on page 3
Important Dates This Month:
FEBRUARY
5 & 6 - 505 Shabbat (pg 5)
11 - Grandparents’ Circle Salon - (pg 10)
19 - Sisterhood Shabbat (pg 9)
26 - Shabbat Sparks (pg 3, pg 11)
Friday
505 Shabbat Family Service
6pm
Saturday
505 Shabbat
Torah Study with nosh
9am
Shabbat Service
9:15am
Torah: Exodus21:1 – 24:18
Haftarah Jeremiah 34:8 – 22; 33:25 – 26
Friday
Shabbat Service
Saturday
Shabbat Service
Torah: 25:1 – 27:19
Haftarah: I Kings 5:26 – 6:13
Friday
Sisterhood Shabbat Service
Saturday
Shabbat Service
Torah: 27:20 – 30:10
Haftarah: Ezekiel 43:10 – 27
Friday
Shabbat Sparks Service
Saturday
Shabbat Service
Torah: Exodus 30:11 – 34:35
Haftarah: I Kings 18:1 – 39
6pm
5
6
12
9am
13
7pm
19
9am
20
7:30pm
26
9am
27
The Shofar
Published monthly by
Congregation B’nai Israel
4401 Indian School Road NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 266-0155
(505) 268-6136 fax
info@bnaiisrael-nm.org
www.bnaiisrael-nm.org
Shofar Staff
Bryan Bobrick, Editor
Layout: Caitlin Hecsh, Artistic Design & Print
Professional Staff
Arthur Flicker, Rabbi
Micka Ribak Shevchenko, Religious School Director
Jill Tatz, Preschool Director
Anna Alexander - Office Manager
Board of Trustees
Richard Hammer, President
Louis Mejia-Huazo, President-Elect
Tobias Flatow, Treasurer
Sheila Chapman, Recording Secretary
H. William Hochheiser, Past President
Robert Lewis, Past President
Committee Chairmen
H. William Hochheiser, Dues & Assessments
Wayne Bobrick, Budget & Finance
Ronni Sparks, Personnel
Rifka Wine, Membership
Aaron Kaplan, Education
Larry Golden, House
Nori Yonack, Ways & Means
Ben Kesner, Ritual
Lynn Freedman, Library
Martin Sherman, Burial Society
Judy Pushkar, Preschool Education
Elynn Finston, Program
Ellen Satz, Sisterhood President
Uri Mandlebaum, Men’s Club President
THE SHOFAR ADVERTISING RATES:
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DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:
Wednesday, February 10 is the deadline
for submission of articles for the March
issue of The Shofar.
The deadline for submission of articles is generally the tenth of the month for the following
month’s publication. When the deadline falls on
Shabbat the deadline is advanced to Sunday.
Articles and labeled photos must be e-mailed
to both the Shofar editor at shofar@bnaiisraelnm.org AND to the designer at 2catjoe@
swcp.com.
When sending photos, please be sure to include
first and last names of the people in each photo.
Photos should be of 300 dpi resolution in
color or black and white. Optimal photo size
is generally three inches by five inches or a
close approximation.
President’s Message:
Appreciating Volunteerism
As I write this, the Big Event has come to a successful
conclusion. I'm thinking back on the all the happenings of
the weekend and find myself thinking about the tremendous spirit of volunteerism that Congregation B’nai Israel
generates at all its functions. I know we're not unique; my
old synagogue in Illinois was known affectionately as the
"Do-it-Yourself Shul" and I've seen this spirit at various
Men's Club events at other synagogues over the years. Nevertheless, being part of
it and watching the many other volunteers rushing about, setting up and getting the
tables ready is a joyful and fulfilling experience.
I know volumes have been written on volunteerism; about how to inspire and
cultivate it. I think we at Congregation B’nai Israel have found the formula on our
own. It takes leadership, someone to exhort others into giving their time and labor.
In our case, Harvey Buchalter and Larry Golden filled this role. Once a nucleus forms,
others nearby will join in. Volunteerism is limited by not enough time, scheduling
conflicts, and for some, physical inability; but I think that as long as someone is able,
they are inclined to pitch in.
I want to thank every one of you who volunteers at Congregation B’nai Israel.
You can't be recognized enough as far as I'm concerned. I know, though, that the
work has its own fulfillment. My wife Karen, involved as she is with starting a new
business and renovating a building, made the time to play her role as the "table
decoration lady," with the usual satisfying and classy results. Experience helps and
having what you need (the back of our garage resembles an aisle at "The Party Store"
or "Michaels") and the donations from Peoples Flowers (Thanks to Wayne Pollock!).
I'm looking forward to next year's Big Event- for the food, entertainment, camaraderie, and, yes, an opportunity to volunteer.
B'shalom
Rick
P.S. Don't forget that "Ask Rick" is still going. I need your questions though!
Service Participation
Thank you to Ben Kesner, Dawn Stewart, Iliana Levenson, and
Laurence Kanter for leading services.
Thank you to Marc Yellin, David Katz, Belina Avner,
Rabbi Paul Citrin and Cate Dixon for chanting Torah.
Thank you to Marc Yellin, Rabbi Paul Citrin and David Katz for chanting
Haftarah.
Torah Group
The B’nai Israel Torah group meets in the Library to study. You are welcome
to join in!
An informal, peer led, Torah study group meets every Tuesday, from 5:30 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m., in the B'nai Israel library. No registration or cost. Just come and learn.
2
Rabbi’s Notes: Keeping Shabbat
the 505 Way!
“Ideal” Conservative Jew
It is said that more than Jews have kept Shabbat,
Shabbat has kept the Jews.
Shabbat is one of Judaism’s gifts to the world. We
were the first to determine that humankind needed a
day of the week to rest, step back, and reflect. Even
though it is our gift to the world, many of us do not
take advantage of the wonders and the blessings of
Shabbat.
In order to encourage Jews throughout New Mexico to celebrate and enjoy
Shabbat, the non-Orthodox synagogues, the Jewish Community Center and the
Jewish Federation of New Mexico are sponsoring 505 Shabbat. The idea is that
all of the synagogues will offer a variety of Shabbat activities in order to entice
people to take a taste of Shabbat.
Here at B’nai Israel, we will host a free, family friendly Shabbat dinner after
our 6:00 Shabbat service. Invite your friends, bring your family and enjoy a
Shabbat service and dinner with us. This dinner is being sponsored by Matthew
and Amanda Bandy.
On Saturday morning, we will start our service with Torah study, coffee
and pastries. After services, we will host a special deluxe Kiddush. In addition,
members of Chavurah HaMidbar will join us to share in 505 Shabbat. Our
community 505 Shabbat will end with a free community wide Havdalah and
concert at the JCC.
Please plan to join us over Shabbat, February 5 and 6 for 505 Shabbat!
supporting synagogue social justice programs.
Our approach to study is distinct. We study
texts critically and we bring knowledge from other
disciplines to help us better understand our own
heritage. At the same time, we approach the text
with a commitment to preserve our sacred traditions.
Jewish study is essential because it allows us to
appreciate our past, understand our present, and
chart where we wish to go in the future. Ways to
do this include attending synagogue adult education
classes; reading Jewish books; discussing Jewish issues with your family/friends; studying the Torah
portion each week; utilizing the Internet and other
modern resources.
continued from page 1
To be continued. . .
Source: http://www.uscj.org/
JewishLivingandLearning/JewishObservance/
TheIdealConservativeJew.aspx
Shalom,
Rabbi Arthur Flicker
February Shabbat Sparks:
Sparks of Resilience
Please join us on Friday, February 26, 2016, for Sparks of Resilience as we
welcome Rabbi Paul Citrin, who will speak on the topic Coping With Change,
Renewing Resilience.
When asked about his theme, Rabbi Citrin told us, “We live in a time of
rapid and constant change which can seem overwhelming. How we respond to
change in our lives and in the world can determine whether we grow and thrive
or wither and feel alienated. Jewish tradition has much to say about coping with
change, and finding resilience and renewal. We will explore some ideas and texts
around our theme as a guide for living.”
Our program will begin with a lay-led service in the sanctuary beginning
at 7:30 pm. As always there will be an Oneg at the conclusion of the program
where you will have an opportunity to meet Rabbi Citrin and share your own
insights and thoughts.
We look forward to an evening of thought-provoking discussion. Come
find the spark of resilience within yourself. Discover new ways to face change
in your own life.
3
Condolences to:
Charles Kahn and family on the loss of his
wife, Janet Kahn.
Tree of Life
We continue to add
leaves and rocks to our Tree
of Life. Let’s fill it up with
many mitzvot and memories.
Leaves are $60.00 and
allow for 55 to 60 letters.
Rocks at the bottom of the tree are available and
offer more space for well-wishes and memorials.
Rocks are $500.00.
To purchase a leaf or rock please call Fernie
Caplan at 294-7239. Your leaf or rock will be on
the tree in about a week. Make your check out to
B’nai Israel Sisterhood and mail to Fernie Caplan,
7009 Eagle Mesa NE, 87113.
News from the Bloch
Memorial Library
In the Winter 2016 issue of the Jewish Review
of Books, editor Abraham Socher writes of “A
Party in Boisk.” He describes an 1843 celebration held in the little town of Boisk, just outside
Riga, by the members of the Hevrat Aggadeta, a
group which met to study the legends of the Bavli
Talmud. The party included, in addition to the
members of the Hevrat, 123 guests, 15 waiters,
and musicians accompanied by a great deal of food
and wine. It was such a success that the next day
they decided to celebrate the start of a new cycle
of study in the same manner. En Yaakov (Jacob’s
Well) was their text. This is a compilation of the
stories (aggadah) in the Talmud – not the laws
(halakhot) – put together in the early 1500’s by
Yaakov ibn Habib. Sometime around 1916, it
was translated into English by Rabbi S.H. Glick.
It is only by happenstance, that a beautiful set
of five volumes of this work recently was donated
by John and Reina Menken to the Bloch Library.
The books themselves are a joy to behold – thick
paper, beautifully bound, red covers with gold lettering – and the text is in both the original Hebrew
and Rabbi Glick’s translation. They have been entered into the new catalog and placed on the (new)
reference shelf alongside the Yerushalmi Talmud. I
urge anyone who is interested in “narrations, ethics,
sociology, astronomy and medicine,” folktales and
stories of ancient rabbis who would otherwise be
forgotten to come in and browse through them.
Many thanks to the Menkens for their most
generous donation of this beautiful addition to the
Library’s collection of classic Jewish works.
The Schmooze:
Mazel tov to Chef Chris
Buchalter and Master of Ceremonies Harvey Buchalter for
their efforts in putting together another successful and elegant annual fundraising
dinner and concert. Thanks to all the volunteers who assisted! It was a wonderful
evening.
Send your news and schmooze to: shofar@bnaiisrael-nm.org AND also to
2catjoe@swcp.com and kvell a little about YOUR loved ones, or even someone else’s
loved ones! We’ll gladly help you share the news with the rest of the world! Photos are
always welcome!
Blue Book & Membership News
Yes the Blue Book is actually getting ready to arrive at your home! It may have
already done so! And now we will have our first set of corrections (of course).
The following members have moved:
Gary Herling, 34 Intervale Farm Lane, Northborough, MA 01532
Om Shrees Prabhupada, 20316 Roscommon Street, Harper Woods, MI 48225
Pearl Bernstein, 150 Islander Court, Apt. 274LK, Longwood, Fl. 32750
Lynn the Library Lady
4
February 5 & 6, 2016
All non Orthodox synagogues will host special Shabbat events.
Shabbat will end with an community event at the JCC
Congregation B’nai Israel invites you to celebrate!
Friday, February 5
Shabbat Family Service at 6pm
followed by a free family dinner hosted by Amanda & Matthew Bandy
(Bring a friend! Please call the office at 266-0155 and let us know you are coming)
Saturday, February 6
Shabbat Torah study with coffee and pastry at 9am
Services at 9:20am
Special Kiddush lunch at conclusion of services
Community Havdalah
Havdalah, Israeli dancing
& Klezmer concert at the JCC at 7pm
5
Keeping Traditions Alive
at
B’nai Israel!
Religious School News
The Confirmation Students spent
some time on a recent Sunday to work
on their mural project, painting an alef
bet rainbow for the Religious School,
before sitting down to begin their unit on
modern Israel.
From left: Natasha, Zach, Meira,
Beck, Mark, Iliana, and Rourke.
Preschool News
Here are a few snapshots of our activities and learning:
The winter winds are blowing, but Congregation B'nai Israel
Preschool is keeping warm and busy. Children are bundled up for
lots of indoor and outdoor play. Winter activities include making
snowflakes and looking at barren trees getting ready for Spring
blooms. We are also so happy to welcome our newest families
and youngest students as we are now licensed for 18 month olds.
As always, we welcome everyone to come and visit and see all
the wonderful things going on at Preschool.
B’shalom,
Jill Tatz, Director
6
Our Daughter’s Birthright Trip
by Bryan Bobrick
After many years of encouragement from me (aka noodging), our 24-year-old daughter,
Jordan, signed up with Birthright Israel Outdoors for her first visit to Israel. She went with her
best friend, Hannie and a group mostly made up of residents from Silicon Valley and the greater
San Francisco Bay Area. As expected, she had a life-changing experience. While she was there,
she did her best to keep a journal of her adventure. The following are the first excerpts from her
journal reprinted with her permission. We will continue her story over the next few issues. If
you have something you would like to share, please send it to me at shofar@bnaiisrael-nm.org.
Monday, January 4: Depart From San Francisco International Airport
Tuesday, January 5: Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - Welcome to Israel! Meet the
Israeli Staff, Depart for Netanya
Journal Entry: We met up at the airport with all of the other Birthright participants
today. There were forty total in our group. Everyone seems really genuine and caring.
My favorites so far are two sisters, Julia and Nina. I also really enjoyed being around this
guy named Jeremy and another guy named Jesse. I will write more tomorrow. I am so
exhausted from traveling. San Francisco to Paris: 10 hours, Paris to Tel Aviv: 4 hours
with a 7 hour layover between flights. Goodnight from Israel.
Wednesday, January 6: Program Introductions & Icebreakers, Nahal Zavitan Canyon Hike in the Golan, Mount Bental - View of the Golan, Hamei Tveria - Relax
in Natural Hot Springs
Journal Entry: Today was…something else. It was a mix of so many emotions swimming together in my mind. Being in Israel is amazing so far. I am overwhelmed with
feelings, both positive and negative. We started our day today with a lovely breakfast.
I ate some cheese on a half of a roll with green olives, cucumber and some whitefish. I
also had apricot halves and apricot jam on the other half of my roll. There was coffee and
tea served but I just drank water. While at breakfast, it was open seating and I happened
to sit at a table with a handful of other Jewish Birthrate participants from around the
world. One was from England, another from, maybe, another country. We talked while
we ate breakfast together and it was a wonderful experience. They seemed invested and
interested in my life and I hope I seemed equally as interested in theirs. After breakfast,
we got on the bus and headed to the Golan. Now, I didn’t know anything about the
Golan before this trip. I had heard of it in school but knew nothing about where we
were going. I had a preconceived opinion that the Golan was going to be some light
hiking place where something really cool and peaceful may have happened. But that
wasn’t the case at all. The first sight we were taken to was a plateau overlooking a city
/ town in a valley below. We had chanted the Shehecheyanu together, said L'chayim
and drank a glass of grape juice. Dima, our tour guide for the trip, told us that he would
tell us the significance of the place when we returned to the bus. I really love and appreciated that he waited to tell us the significance since we may have been distracted
if he had told us before. He explained to us that where we had just stood was where
Syrian tanks once stood in 1948, shooting and killing Jews who lived in the town down
below. These Jews were forced to live in bomb shelters for 19 years and it was not until
continued on page 14
7
Sisterhood’s
Bits & Pieces
If you are interested in Southwestern and Native American art, you must drop by and the see
the beautifully framed posters now on display in
Bits & Pieces. They are truly outstanding.
Need storage in your dining area? The shop
has a beautiful, multi-drawered buffet with a
warm, wood finish - possibly cherry wood. Need
beds for the children or a guest room? Two twin
mattresses with box springs, in excellent condition
are now in stock.
There is a need for more inventory, especially
of furniture and household items such as dishes,
glasses, mixing bowls, cooking utensils and bake
ware; artwork and lamps (floor, table and ceiling) are needed. The only exceptions are books
and clothing. If you can’t bring them down, call
Rosalie Gollins, 883-9954, for a pick-up. Keep in
mind that heavier items can be brought directly
to one of the two annexes. They are accessible for
car and truck loading and unloading If you bring
something into the shul please give the merchandise to one of the Bits & Pieces staff or leave the
donation outside the door of the shop. Do not
leave anything in the lobby.
Shop hours are Monday and Thursday, 10:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; Friday, Noon to 3:00 p.m.. Bits
& Pieces is open to the public, so tell your family
and friends about it.
Torah Fund
by Wille Peters,
Torah Fund Chair
You are invited to participate in Conservative Judaism through giving to the Torah Fund
campaign of Women's League for Conservative
Judaism. Think of us the next time you wish to
make a donation for a special occasion or memorial.
You can mail your donations and instructions to
Wille Peters, 9604 Prospect NE, Albq. NM 87112.
or go to www.cbisisterhood.org and do it online!
Are you tired
of writing checks and licking stamps
to register for Sisterhood events
like our wonderful luncheons,
or our annual Sisterhood Shabbat Dinner?
Wouldn’t you like to not worry,
wondering if the reservation you mailed
at the last minute will arrive in time
for the Break-the-Fast?
Sisterhood has now come to the rescue
by creating a handy and helpful website
where you can use your computer
or smart-phone to make your reservations
and pay by credit card or PayPal.
You’ll also be able to make donations
to special funds such as the Curb Appeal
and the Torah Fund; honor loved ones
on the Tree of Life, and renew
Sisterhood Memberships.
Visit us at
www.cbisisterhood.org
You’ll be glad you did!
Cards recently sent:
Get well to Bonnie Ivener
60th Anniversary of Bobbie &Lionel Spector
from Nancy Levick
8
Please join us for our
Annual Sisterhood Shabbat
Dinner and Service
Friday, February 19, 2016
Dinner - 6:00 p.m.
Service - 7:00 p.m.
Bring your family and friends and enjoy a delicious traditional Shabbat
dinner prepared by Chris Buchalter and her Sisterhood cooks. The
service which follows will be led by Sisterhood members. Students from
our Religious School will also take part. If you would like to participate,
call Tania Bobrick, 822-0416.
The cost is only $18 for adults,
$7 for children 6 through 13.
There is no charge for children under 6.
An Oneg Shabbat will be held after the service.
No money can be accepted at the door.
You can use the reservation slip below or make
your reservations and pay online at cbisisterhood.org
Sisterhood Shabbat Dinner Reservation Form
Please complete this form and send it with your check, made payable to B’nai Israel Sisterhood,
to Beth Stewart, 5301 Calle Nuestra, NW, 87120, no later than February 15, 2016.
You may also make reservations and pay online at cbisisterhood.org.
Yes! We look forward to joining in the Sisterhood Shabbat. Please reserve seats for:
_____Adults x $18; _____Children 6 – 13 x $7 ______ Children under 6____
Name(s) ________________________________________________________________
Total amount of check enclosed: $_______________
9
Living with Gaucher Disease
Save the Date!
Grandparents Circle Salon
Gathers on February 11
Are you a grandparent looking to nurture the
Jewish identities of your interfaith grandchildren?
Please join us on Thursday, February 11th at 7 pm
for the Grandparents Circle Salon!
The Grandparents Circle Salon is a FREE onetime book club-style gathering for grandparents
from interfaith families to explore ways to nurture
the Jewish identities of their grandchildren while
respecting the decisions of their adult children.
This important program, offered by Big Tent
Judaism (bigtentjudaism.org) is co-sponsored by
Congregation Albert, Congregation B’nai Israel
and Congregation Nahalat Shalom.
Susan Seligman, former Regional Director of
the New Mexico Anti-Defamation League will
facilitate the program at her home near Tramway
and Paseo del Norte.
Participants will be required to read three chapters of the book “Twenty Things for Grandparents
of Interfaith Grandchildren to Do (and not do) to
Nurture Jewish Identity in their Grandchildren” by
Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky and Paul Golin prior to
the event. The reading material and directions to
the Seligman home will be sent upon your RSVP.
The complete book is also available on Amazon.
com.
Kindly RSVP to Susan Seligman at seligman.susan@gmail.com by February 5th. Space
is limited.
My name is Tamara Isaacs Ciocci and I have type 1 Gaucher Disease, a rare
lysosome storage disorder that occurs when someone is born without the
enzyme glucocerebrosidase that breaks down lipids in the cells. The result is a
disease cell that accumulates in the blood, bone marrow, liver and spleen.
Gaucher affects only 1 in 45,000 people overall, but among Ashkenazi Jews
the rate is much higher at 1 in 850. It is one of several genetic diseases that
disproportionately affects our community.
Despite the fact that my father was a doctor, it still took 21 years for me
to get an official diagnosis. And like me, up to one-third of Gaucher patients
are initially misdiagnosed with a number of other conditions, including cancer,
lupus, or leukemia.
My childhood was riddled with illnesses, but no answers. My earliest symptoms were probably apparent from infancy, but my first significant symptom
was when I broke my left hip at 18 months by simply falling off of a bed. The
hip break was eventually written off as a freak accident, but I was still continually sick. Whatever my siblings brought home, I would wind up with bronchitis,
pneumonia and croup. There was always an initial pattern: sore throat, fever and
bone pain. By the time I was eight years old, these illnesses were accompanied
by an enlarged spleen, liver and low platelets. I was misdiagnosed with a number
of conditions, including juvenile arthritis and leukemia.
At age 11, at the beginning of 6th grade, I fell ill with what appeared to be
mono. This episode took on a completely different trajectory. My dad was taking lab work at my bedside. Different colleagues with different specialties were
examining me in my room before and after work. I had a home tutor from the
school that tried to teach me as I laid my head across the kitchen table. Once
an avid social and enthusiastic student, I was so sick that year I missed more
than 3/4 of the 6th grade.
At 14, a rheumatologist misdiagnosed me with lupus, and prescribed steroids
and an anti-malarial drug. I stayed on steroids for seven years, adding 45lbs of
fluid weight to my frame. Over the next few years, my waist grew to 42” from
the enlarged spleen and liver. My platelets were so low, I was restricted from
all activities to avoid the risk of internal bleeding or rupturing my spleen.
By the time I went to college, my life was no longer congruent with who I
wanted to be. During my junior year, I fell off my bicycle and landed in the ER.
A bone marrow biopsy came back positive. Finally, at age 21, I was diagnosed
with type 1 Gaucher disease.
Having a chronic illness means you are always second guessing yourself. I am
constantly debating about which ailments are serious enough to report. What
makes it even more difficult to live with a rare disease is knowing very few
physicians in the world are even aware of the condition, let alone how to treat
it. A simple trip to the doctor’s office can be very frustrating.
Now married with a beautiful family, I have started working again. I continued to battle the bone pain, fatigue and poor immune system, but just having a
diagnosis now gives my doctors the tools to manage my condition.
Why, you might ask, should you care about Gaucher disease? When we learn
about one rare orphan disease, everybody wins. Gaucher disease research has
led to new insights on multiple myeloma and Parkinson's disease, both complications of Gaucher.
Tamara Ciocci lives in Duxbury, MA and was diagnosed with Gaucher disease
in 1985 at the age of 21. Tamara is a member of the Genzyme Gaucher Partners
program and speaks on behalf of Genzyme Corporation.
10
You are cordially invited!
join us for
Sparks of Resilience
featuring
Rabbi Paul Citrin
“Coping with Change, Renewing Resilience”
February 26, 2016
Rabbi Paul Citrin was ordained by the Hebrew Union College in 1973. He graduated from U.C.L.A.
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1968. The focus of his rabbinate has always been congregational life. His passions are education, Israel and social justice. He is the author of a children’s
novel, Joseph’s Wardrobe, and a co-author of Gates of Repentance for Young People, Ten Sheaves, A
Collection of Sermons, Addresses and Articles, and of Lights in the Forest: Rabbis Respond to Twelve
Essential Jewish Questions. He is married to Susan Morrison Citrin. They have four children and
eight grandchildren. Rabbi Citrin is currently serving as the religious leader of the Taos Jewish Center.
Our program will begin with a lay-led service in the sanctuary beginning at 7:30 pm.
As always there will be an Oneg at the conclusion of the program where you will have an
opportunity to meet Rabbi Citrin and share your own insights and thoughts.
We look forward to an evening of thought-provoking discussion.
Come find the spark of resilience within yourself.
Discover new ways to face change in your own life.
11
Announcements & Reminders
Board Meeting Minutes
Caring for Our Members
Minutes of monthly Board of Directors meetings will be available in the synagogue office after
they have been approved by the Board.
We do not receive any notification from the hospitals when a Jewish patient is
admitted. If you know of someone who is in the hospital, please call the Synagogue
office or drop a note in the mail slot so that the Rabbi can make every effort to
provide pastoral assistance.
If you are in the hospital, you may ask for a chaplain and then ask the staff
chaplain to call the Synagogue.
This Week @ B’nai Israel
The weekly email, This Week @ B’nai Israel,
is sent out every Thursday at 2:00 pm for the upcoming week.
Get your news or event on the Congregation
B’nai Israel website and in This Week @ B’nai
Israel by sending your ready-to-go email to webmaster@bnaiisrael-nm.org by 4:00 pm Tuesday
afternoons.
General rules of thumb are: if you send it to the
Shofar, send it to the Webmaster! If you send it to
the Link, send it to the Webmaster!
Phone Etiquette Reminder
Thank you for remembering to turn off your cell
phones and beepers when
you are in the synagogue or
sanctuary during Shabbat
and other holiday services.
Join the B’nai Israel Choir!
Do you like to sing in the shower? Or while
driving in your car? The Congregation B’nai Israel
choir is always looking for additional singers.
Don’t read Hebrew? No problem - our music is
in phonetic transliteration. Don’t read music? Also
no problem! We will teach you!
Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays at 7:30
p.m. at Congregation B’nai Israel. If you would
like to sing with the choir, call Diane Chodorow
or Judy Sherman.
More Ways to Help
If you know of an illness, a birth, a death, or other life-challenging event in
the life of a fellow congregation member, we want to be there for them. Contact
the office by calling 266-0155 and tell us how we can help.
Contribute to The Shofar
The Shofar Editor invites YOU to send in
a story or article. People who read the Shofar
(think current and potential members) are
interested in knowing what is happening at
our Synagogue.
Here are a few ideas for articles that YOU
could submit to the Shofar:
• Write a review of a recent Congregation
B’nai Israel event. Include photos. We want
to see our members having fun! (please include names of people in the picture)
• Write a review of a Jewish movie you’ve seen or a book you’ve read. Check
something out in our library to get started.
• Share activities that you do with your family to bring Judaism into your home.
• Fun Judaic activities, crafts and recipes for kids.
...Or just about anything you’re interested in; other people are bound to be
interested too!
We want to inform everyone who reads the Shofar. Remember, not all
members use e-mail to get their news and potential members want to see what’s
happening when they visit. We are looking forward to hearing from YOU!
If you would like to contribute, please send your proofed, typed article to
shofar@bnaiisrael-nm.org and also to 2catjoe@swcp.com. It’s a great way to get
involved and make new friends!
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DONATIONS TO THE CONGREGATION
GENERAL FUND
RELIGIOUS & EDUCATION
SCHOOL FUND
Donation for Inter-Faith Event:
by William Sype & Melissa Axelrod
Donation:
by Denise & Steven Suttle
by Anonymous
In appreciation to:
Rabbi Arthur Flicker
by Alice & Jerry Weinstein
MARTIN MORRISON
MEMORIAL FUND
Mazel Tov to:
Bobbie & Lionel Specter on their 60th wedding anniversary
by Shirley Morrison & Kase Klein
Yahrzeiten:
Father, Louis Levitt
by Bernice Isaacs
Mother, Edith Kubie
by Susan Kubie
Mother, Reva Salzberg
by Judith Pitkofsky
Brother-in-law, Jack Pitkofsky
by Judith Pitkofsky
In memory of:
Lillian Berger Goldberg, mother of Howard Berger
by Shirley Morrison & Kase Klein
DANNY SPECTER
MEMORIAL CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In honor of:
Bobbie & Lionel Specter on their 60th wedding anniversary
by Myra and Sidney Gasser
ISIDORE & ROSE BLOCH
MEMORIAL LIBRARY FUND
Yahrzeit:
Mother, Ida Aldon
by Earl Aldon
If you are making a donation for a yahrzeit,
PLEASE BE SURE
to include your loved one’s name AND their relationship to you WITH your donation.
PLEASE SEND YOUR DONATIONS TO THE SYNAGOGUE OFFICE
Remember a Loved One: Getting on the Yahrzeit List
If you would like to add the name of a loved one who has passed on, fill out the form below and send it in.
If the death occurred after sundown, please include that information as well.
You can email your information to us (please follow the format below) at: office@bnaiisrael-nm.org, or
fill in the form below and mail it to: Congregation B’nai Israel, 4401 Indian School Road NE, 87110.
YAHRZEIT INFORMATION FORM
1. Your name: ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Name of Deceased: ______________________________________________________________________________
3. Your relation to the deceased: ______________________________________________________________________
4. The date of death - either the American Calendar date or the Jewish Calendar date but whichever you use, you must include the
YEAR in which the death occurred (if after sundown, please let us know): __________________________________________
5. The time of death (not essential, but helpful as it may change the Jewish date of death):________________________________
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Birthright Trip
Kiddush Fund
continued from page 7
Money contributed to this fund is
used to pay for the cost of the food and
its preparation. If you choose to sponsor
the Kiddush exclusively, the cost is $300
and your name will appear in the Friday/
Saturday flyer.
If you want to remember a loved one’s
yahrzeit, or honor someone, a minimum
contribution of $50 is all that it takes.
1967 that the Syrians had been conquered and the Jews had been able
to take back that part of the Golan. After this, we headed up the neck
of a huge volcano. We were headed to the Golan Heights. Now that I
had had some history and facts about what we had previously seen I was
more mentally prepared for what we were about to see next. What I saw
was… surreal…unreal…unbelievable, and a bit twisted. We climbed the
neck of the Golan volcano and we hiked up to what looked and seemed
to be a tourist lookout point at the top. I heard distant claps of sound
piercing the silence. I was unsure of what I was hearing. I kept hearing
these noises though. It was not my imagination. Dima proceeded to
point his finger and say “Do you see the road? This road is the separation
between Israel and Syria.”
We were standing less than a couple miles from the Israeli / Syrian border. I got chills immediately. Dima proceeded to tell us about
what was happening between Syria and… Syria. He explained it as a
conflict between one people. Syrians fighting Syrians. He described it
as a guerrilla war... He told us that what we were hearing was open fire.
Tanks, machine guns, bombs, going off within a few miles of us and
we were perched at this lookout, with a coffee shop behind us, watching
(essentially) these people killing one another. It was truly mind-blowing.
It was terrifying. It was surreal in every sense of the word. My emotions
were extremely raw today. Bombs within miles of me and I’m standing
on Israeli land on a free birthright trip to Israel, listening to bombs going
off, guns being fired, people being killed. I felt unsafe. I felt scared. I
felt selfish. I felt thankful. Thankful that my life doesn’t consist of these
horrors. It put things into perspective.
Michel Messeca for his brother-in-law, Anthony Turynham
Michel Messeca for his parents, Clement & Clara Messeca
Mitchell & Sandra Taylor for her father, Arnold Freshman
Jennie Negin & Harold Folley for her father, Mottie Negin
Neil Boring for his grandfather, Mottie Negin
Martin & Elynn Finston for her mother, Leah Schneiderman
Stuart Flicker for his mother, Carolyn Flicker
Stuart Flicker for his brother, Mark Wolfsberg
Shirley Morrison for her mother, Gertrude Hilsenrath
Shirley Morrison for her husband, Martin Morrison
Marilyn & Sheldon Bromberg for his niece, Joselyn Shalit Swartz
Marilyn & Sheldon Bromberg for his sister, Vivian Glinky
Allen Berlin for family yahrzeiten
To make a donation to the Kiddush fund, send in your information including the name and relationship and your check to 4401 Indian School NE, 87110, or you can go online to make your donation.
Thursday, January 7: Tzfat - Birthplace of Jewish Myticism, Depart
for Jerusalem, Group Night Out in Tel Aviv
Today we traveled to Tzfat (Safed) which is the birthplace of Jewish
mysticism. It was an amazing journey. We got on the bus at around 8
AM and drove for about two hours to reach Tzfat. First observations
when we arrived: The streets are a cream colored cobblestone with little
imprints on them. The cobblestone looks like matzah. The streets are
narrow and winding. We were walking and Dima stopped us at a small
separation between two buildings with a steep, narrow staircase down
into a thin alley. Before you go down into the stairway, you can look
through the narrow opening between the walls and see “the Messiah’s”
mountain. I had chosen a spot under a beautiful pomegranate tree where
one, single, pink, rose petal lay. Dima told a story about an old woman
who sat right where I was standing with a cup of coffee and a cup of water
waiting day by day for the messiah to come down from the Messiah’s
mountain, through the streets of Safed, up the narrow staircase to be
nourished by what she had to offer. He said that one day, the coffee and
water were gone from the cups. She said the messiah had left Safed. Left
the Messiah’s mountain. And that was the day the war (1948) began.
This was a moment for me that I will never forget. Standing under the
pomegranate tree signifying life and hearing his words. I hope I got that
story right. I’ll look it up and correct errors later.
After shopping around and looking at all of the stunning and timeless
art in Tzfat, we took a three hour bus ride to Jerusalem. This is where
I’ll end this journal session. Today was a beautiful day.
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On Our Calendar . . .
Morning Minyan Services: Mondays & Thursdays at 7:30 am
Torah Study Group: Tuesdays, 5:30 - 6:30pm
Choir Practice: Wednesdays, 7:30 - 9pm
Library Hours: Thursdays: 9:30am - 12pm; additional hours TBA
February 2016
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
Friday
3
Saturday
4
5
6
505 Shabbat
Torah Study
& Nosh - 9am
Service - 9::20am
505 Shabbat - 6pm
Candle Lighting - 4:18pm
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8
9
10
SHOFAR
SUBMISSION
DEADLINE
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15
16
17
11
22
23
24
18
25
19
29
15
20
Shabbat Service - 9am
Sisterhood Shabbat
Service - 6pm
Dinner - 7pm
Candle Lighting - 4:41pm
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Shabbat Sparks
Service - 7:30pm
Candle Lighting - 4:57pm
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13
Shabbat Service - 9am
Grandparents Circle Salon
at the home of Susan
Shabbat Service - 6pm
Seligman - 7pm
Candle Lighting - 5:56
Board meeting - 7 pm
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Shabbat Service - 9am
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