HaZman Summer 2010

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In this issue: • Dorsheini! Interpret Me! • Shavuot Service Schedule • Tikkun Leil Shavuot

Tikkun Leil Shavuot

T E X T I N G @ C H I Z U K A M U NO Tuesday, May 18, 2010 | 5 Sivan 5770

“One who learns from his colleague one chapter, Or one halakhah, Or one verse, Or one expression, Or even one letter, Is obliged to honor the teacher.”

—Pirkei Avot 6:3

Join us in a night of learning and companionship (and cheesecake, of course!) as we explore the texts of our tradition. Our teachers will present a favorite teaching, and we will bring our own favorites to Rabbi Shulman’s late night session.

7 p.m.

Erev Shavuot Services

7:45 p.m.

Kol Rinah, Chizuk Amuno’s a cappella group

8 - 9 p.m. `

Learning Sessions ~ Choose from one of the sessions listed on page 7

9:15 - 9:45 p.m.

Dairy Desserts, Coffee, Tea

10 p.m.

Late Night Session with Rabbi Ron Shulman Texting Together – Life’s Mystery is God’s Reality

Rabbi Shulman will teach from Torah texts and interpretations that speak to the mystery of life and our search for God. In addition to his own teaching, Rabbi Shulman invites everyone attending our late night study session to share a text or Torah image of particular personal meaning to them. As we learn from one another, we’ll grow to appreciate how the texts of Jewish tradition engage us in a variety of compelling, significant, and even mysterious ways.

8100 Stevenson Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21208 www.chizukamuno.org

Synagogue Office 410/486-6400 Synagogue Fax 410/486-4050 Synagogue E-mail info@chizukamuno.org Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center 410/486-8642 Krieger Schechter Day School 410/486-8640 Rosenbloom Religious School 410/486-8641 Stulman Center for Adult Learning 410/824-2055

Officers

HaZ’man

Chizuk Amuno Congregation

President Dr. Anne L. Young, pres@chizukamuno.org First Vice President Richard Manekin, 1stvp@chizukamuno.org Vice President Michelle Malis Vice President Louis E. Sapperstein Secretary Dr. Andrew Miller Treasurer Alan Mogol Assistant Treasurer Sandra Moffet

synagogue staff

Rabbi Ronald J. Shulman | x230

rshulman@chizukamuno.org Rabbi Deborah Wechsler | x231 dwechsler@chizukamuno.org Rabbi Emeritus Joel H. Zaiman | x296 Hazzan Emanuel C. Perlman | x233 eperlman@chizukamuno.org Ritual Director Dr. Moshe D. Shualy | x243 mshualy@chizukamuno.org

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2 LaZ’man HaZeh ~ At This Season

“Dorsheini! Interpret Me!”

by Rabbi Ron Shulman

Ritual Director Emeritus Headmaster, Krieger Schechter Day School

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Rev. Yehuda Dickstein

Director, Congregational Education

Alex Weinberg | x234 | aweinberg@chizukamuno.org Director, Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center

Michelle Gold | x238 | gecec@chizukamuno.org

Director, Stulman Center for Adult Learning

Torah Meaningful Texts in Our Lives Finding God on the Chesapeake Bay

by Michael Andorsky

Director, Gemilut Hasadim Program

Happy Hour with My Five Guys

by Alisa Cohen

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Coordinator

The Power of Memory

by Lauren Small

Judy Meltzer | x287 | stulman@chizukamuno.org Miriam Foss | x281 | mfoss@chizukamuno.org

Debby Hellman | x290 | dhellman@chizukamuno.org

Youth Educator

Isaac Woloff | x305 | iwoloff@chizukamuno.org Curator, Goldsmith Museum

Dr. Susan Vick | x291 | svick@chizukamuno.org Choir Director

T. Herbert Dimmock

administrative staff

Executive Director

Ronald N. Millen | x224 | rnmillen@chizukamuno.org

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Contents

3 Finding Meaning, Strengthening Faith, Creating Community

by Dr. Anne L. Young

Dr. Paul D. Schneider | x226 | pschneider@soink12.ksds.edu

S e a s o n

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Avodah • Schedule of Shavuot Services

• Tikkun Leil Shavuot Learning Sessions

• Memorial Plaques to be Dedicated

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Gemilut Hasadim Volunteering at Chizuk Amuno

by Andy Miller

A Volunteer’s Prayer

by Jennifer Arndt Robinson 12 What’s Nu?

• Something is Fishy at GECEC

• Communication – The KSDS Middle School Learning Festival

• New Beginnings at RRS

• Netivon’s Ambitious High School Programming

• We Had A Party!

• College Outreach Wrap-Up

• Stulman Center – A 5770 Retrospective

• Welcome to New Members

• Chizuk Amuno’s Community Second Seder – A Huge Success

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2010 Graduates

Director of Congregational Advancement

Laurel Freedman | x275 | lfreedman@chizukamuno.org Synagogue Administrator

Jenny Baker | x227 | jbaker@chizukamuno.org Controller

Rick Bernard | x256 | rbernard@chizukamuno.org Information Systems Manager

Bruce P. Yaillen | x284 | byaillen@chizukamuno.org Cemetery Director

Barbara Lichter | x248 | blichter@chizukamuno.org Assistant Cemetery Director

Marsha Yoffe | x309 | myoffe@chizukamuno.org Communications and Membership Coordinator

Cheryl Snyderman | x300 | csnyderman@chizukamuno.org Graphic Designer

Rachel Levitan | x282 | rlevitan@chizukamuno.org

Chizuk Amuno has a long history of proud service to Baltimore’s Jewish community. Dedicated to strengthening faith in our people’s covenant with God, the purpose of Chizuk Amuno Congregation is to create a sacred Jewish community.

Here individuals and families can find meaning for their lives from serious engagement with the texts, wisdom, and celebrations of Judaism. In pursuit of this mission, Chizuk Amuno ascribes to the rabbinic teaching: “The world is sustained through Torah – learning, Avodah – prayer and service, and Gemilut Hasadim – acts of loving kindness.”

LaZ’man HaZeh ~ At Thi “Dorsheini! Interpret Me!”

by Rabbi Ron Shulman

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ur matriarch Rebekah is pregnant with twins who “struggled in her womb,” according to the Book of Genesis. “If so, why do I exist?” she asks of God in her discomfort. The medieval French commentator Rashi notes of this Torah scene, “Dorsheini! Interpret me!” This text, he explains, demands interpretation.

Judaism is an interpretive tradition. This is one of the things I most admire about our religious heritage. Interpreting the sacred texts and memories of our people allows us to discover the meaning and purpose of religious belief and living for our time and place.

This process of midrash, of inquiry, study, and exploration produces from generation to generation the continuous tradition of Jewish life and law—our beliefs and rituals, our practices and ethical values. Even more provocative is that as Jews, we do not claim to know God’s will. Rather humbly, we claim to discern our best understanding of God’s will.

While we often turn to religious tradition for clarity and guidance, sometimes we

can also receive from our heritage the ethical wisdom of context. Valid, differing, even opposing truths about the complex experiences of our lives often emerge from our personal backgrounds and circumstances.

Rebekah’s struggling twins represent two instincts, Rashi explains.

One son, whom we come to know as Jacob, is anxious to discover how Torah can be relevant in his life.

The other son, to be named Esau, seeks to understand life from a different set of values.

In Rashi’s interpretation, our matriarch Rebekah’s struggling twins represent our struggles with ourselves, with others, and with God as we seek to define meaning and purpose for our lives.

We all share this instinct. As Jews, we can and do find common answers. But in the end, Jewish tradition urges us each to be responsible for our own interpretations explaining who we are, what we do, and what happens to us in life.

Interpreting the sacred texts and memories of our people allows us to discover the meaning and purpose of religious belief and living for our time and place.

2 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

This is what we asked our synagogue friends, Michael Andorsky, Alisa Cohen, and Lauren Small to do in this issue of HaZ’man­—This Season. At this season of Shavuot, when we celebrate Torah as a precious gift for our lives, their personal interpretations of Torah texts inspire all of us to keep at it, to continually renew, and share with others, our self-understanding of Jewish values, customs, and commitments.

We have enjoyed a remarkable synagogue year of learning, celebration, and service. I hope something of our programs, classes, thoughts, and community events helped you in some way to do for yourself what Rashi claims Torah demands. “Dorsheini!

Interpret me!” n Mazal Tov to Rabbi Ron Shulman upon whom The Jewish Theological Seminary confers an honorary Doctorate of Divinity this month at a special Convocation honoring rabbis who have served the Conservative Movement and the Jewish people with distinction for more than 25 years.

is Season ~ dfd onfl Reflections on the Last Two Years

by Dr. Anne L. Young President, Chizuk Amuno Congregation

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s a teacher, after grading an assignment or test, I always arranged the papers alphabetically according to my students’ last names. I did this for years.

Then one day as I was returning papers, going back and forth across the classroom, I had an aha moment.

It suddenly occurred to me that while there were no assigned seats, my students always sat in the same place.

I realized that if I arranged the graded papers accordingly to where the students sat in the classroom, returning papers would be faster and easier.

Like my students, I, too, have my usual, or at least preferred seat for places that I frequent on a regular basis. At Loyola I always gravitate to the same chair for meetings. And when a standing meeting must use a room different from its usual location, I and others are disoriented for a moment or two, not knowing exactly where to sit. I even have my favorite table at Starbucks at the Quarry.

For the past two years as president of Chizuk Amuno it has been my privilege and responsibility to occupy several “presidential” chairs. The first is obvious, because it is so public. On Shabbat and the haggim it has been my honor to join Rabbi Shulman, Rabbi Wechsler, and Hazzan Perlman on the bimah, representing the congregation.

One of the associated responsibilities is serving as gabbai when the Torah is read. Being at the reading table when congregants and families celebrate s’mahot is one of the

perks of being president. I see close up parents’ pride when their children become B’nei Mitzvah. I am one of the first to wish Mazal Tov to new parents on the naming of their daughter, a couple on their aufruf, or congregants observing a special birthday or anniversary.

A second presidential chair is at the head of the table, chairing meetings of the Board of Trustees and of the Executive Committee. Frequently when I walk into the Kleinman Board Room I look at the pictures of the past presidents, which line the walls. They are a reminder of the history of our congregation, providing background and context for the current work of sustaining and enhancing our sacred community. Of course, chairing meetings means simply that–organizing and facilitating the discussion. The work is very much a collective effort.

Over the past two years the Executive Committee has met every two to three weeks. Agenda items have ranged from routine matters to time sensitive topics to challenging conversations about financial issues. Our discussions have been thoughtful, lively, respectful, and rooted in mission. I want to thank all the members of the Executive Committee for giving so freely of their time, talents, and expertise.

Ironically, because the Board has so many members, Board meetings have not been in the Board Room. We have met instead in the Esterson Auditorium so that everyone is able to be “at the table.” In addition to being on the Board, most Board members have other

congregational responsibilities, such as chairing or serving on committees. While the president of the congregation may be the public face of lay leadership, a synagogue community such as ours requires the efforts and skills of a large group of dedicated volunteers. Chizuk Amuno is indeed fortunate to have such a group of engaged, knowledgeable, and Jewishly committed lay leaders.

There is yet another presidential chair that is more metaphorical than physical. From this vantage point I have had an up-close view of the innerworkings of Chizuk Amuno. Our clergy, educators, professional staff, and support staff are an amazing group of people. We, as congregants, are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented staff. Their work, behind the scenes on our behalf, is truly outstanding.

On Sunday, May 23, the Congregation will hold its 139th Annual Meeting. At that time, we will install new officers. Richard Manekin will begin occupying these presidential chairs. When people ask me what I am going to do with my free time, I reply that I plan to replace meetings with classes in the Stulman Center for Adult Learning. I anticipate that I will need to find a new seat in the Lerner Beit Midrash. And, I look forward to reclaiming my regular seat in the Sanctuary next to David.

The past two years have been a wonderful experience for me personally. I feel privileged to have been able to serve and represent the congregation as its president.

Shavuot 5770 | 3

Finding God on the Chesapeake Bay

by Michael Andorsky

mi²¦ l`¡ d¯F¨d§i lFwÎz ¸ `¤ Erº n§ W¦ § I«e© mc¹¨`« ¨ d¨ `A¥¸ g© z§ ¦Ie© mF®Id© g© Ex´ l§ o¨BA© K¬¥N©dz§ n¦ § `e§ :o«B¨ d© ur¬¥ KFz§A mi ¦½ l`¡ d´F¨d§i Æi¥pR§n¦ FYÀ W¦ “They heard the sound of YHWH, the Eternal God, moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from YHWH, the Eternal God, among the trees of the garden.”

I

¤ M mi ¦½ —Genesis l`¡ L´ n§ U§ ¦«3:8i d®¤ X©pn¦ § ke§ m¦ix©t§`§ :Lx«¤n§ W¦ § ie§ d¨Fd§i L¬ k§ x«¤a¨ §i never realized :¨J«the P¤gi« ª e¦power Lil¤ `¥inei²this ¨pR¨ | verse d¯F¨d§i x`¨ ¥¸ i until toie§sail.

Ll§ m¬¥ U¨ Lil¤½To `¥ explain, Æei¨pR¨ | d³¨FId§must i `V¦ ¨¸ i :mFl« IW¨learned

teach you a little about the art of sailing. To propel a sailboat forward, one must orient the boat so that the sails fill with wind. The sailor can sail in any direction he chooses

as long as he does not face the boat directly into the wind. The boat will move when the wind blows from behind, from the side, or even when the wind strikes the boat at an angle from near the front. However, the boat will not move while facing directly into the wind. While sailing on the Chesapeake in a mild breeze, every new sailor finds that the wind suddenly seems to disappear, causing the boat to stop. This certainly has been my experience. I blame the wind for shifting direction. I blame the wind for dying down. In fact, the wind has neither changed direction nor strength. Rather, I have inadvertently changed the boat’s direction. I no longer feel the wind because I have lost the proper orientation to it.

When I make a correction, the sails fill, I feel the wind in my face, and off we go.

The wind and its apparent behavior is a powerful metaphor for God. Every

time I again find the wind while sailing, I am reminded that God, like the wind, is supposed to be unseen, omnipresent, yet there for us when we seek God. Like the wind, God should always be there when we have turned in the proper direction. I am struck by this analogy every time my sails suddenly fill with wind on a calm day.

God is closely identified with wind in Hebrew text. In verse 3:8 from Genesis, the sound of YHWH in the garden at the breezy-time of day is the wind. Pronouncing YHWH, the four letter “ineffable” name of God, as Yahweh even sounds like the wind. Ruah, means both wind and the spirit of God. Throughout Tanakh there exists a close association between God and wind: God’s wind parted the Red Sea. God’s wind threatened Jonah’s boat. God was present at Mount Sinai in the wind. Job heard God’s “small voice” from the whirlwind.

Continued on page 15

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items: kippot, Kiddush cups, prayer books, tzedakah box, and the decorative hand washing cup. In addition to setting the table, the boys love to compete with making the largest or smallest matzah ball. Of course, everything with them is a competition…down to who can eat the most! As the smells of Shabbat fill the air, we eagerly await the arrival of the fifth guy from work so we may begin our “happy hour.”

As we gather around the table, it’s difficult to contain the boys’ excitement. We begin with the Kiddush; a nice glass of red for the parents and purple for the boys. We then proceed to the blessing of the children.

UirÎx ¨lFwÎz ¾ If«e© mi²¦ lL`¡l§ d¯d¬¨ F¨d§ ¸W¤ `£`¤zE`²¥rº nxF § W¦ §k¨ C© A w®¥ l n ¨ £¦ :m¦ i x§ « ¨ v O ¦ n ¦ m¬¤ k z § `« v ¥ A § K ¤¤ mc¹¨`« ¨ d¨ `A¥¸ g© z§ ¦Ie© mF®Id© g© Ex´ l§ o¨BA© K¬¥N©dz§ rn § `e§ :o«B¨ d© ur¬¥ KFz§A mi ¦½ l`¡ d´F¨d§i Æi¥pR§n¦ FYÀ W¦

Happy Hour with My Five Guys

by Alisa Cohen

¤ M mi ¦½ l`¡ L´ n§ U§ ¦« i d®¤ X©pn¦ § ke§ m¦ix©t§`§ :Lx«¤n§ W¦ § ie§ d¨Fd§i L¬ k§ x«¤a¨ §i :¨J«P¤gi« ª e¦ Lil¤ `¥ ei²¨pR¨ | d¯F¨d§i x`¨ ¥¸ i U¨ie§ Lil¤½ `¥ Æei¨pR¨ | d³¨Fd§i `V¦ ¨¸ i :mFl« W¨ Ll§ m¬¥ “God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh...The Lord bless you and protect you! The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!

Ll§ The d¬¨ UrÎx ¨LordW¤ bestow `£ z`²¥ xFk¨ ¾f favor upon you grant C©A w®¥ln¨ r£ :m¦ix§ «¨vO¦ and n¦ m¬¤k z§ `«v¥you A§ Kpeace!” ¤¤ —Genesis 48:20; Numbers 6:24-26 4 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

t the end of the week, my favorite place to go for happy hour is my dining room.

My four children (all boys), my husband, and I celebrate Shabbat each week with a traditional and spirited Sabbath dinner.

In my family, the most anticipated event is the welcoming of Shabbat. From the moment our children awaken Friday morning they are excited for Shabbat. On most days it can be a chore to motivate them to do their share of household responsibilities. However, on Friday afternoons they are anxious to help out.

My young assistants eagerly set the table, ensuring the inclusion of the necessary

Whilemi² families ¦ l`¡ d¯celebrate F¨d§i lFwÎz ¸ this`¤ Erº n§ W¦ § I«e© tradition z§ n¦ mc¹¨`« ¨ d¨ in `A¥¸different g© z§ ¦Ie© mF®ways, Id© g© Exmy ´ l§ husband o¨BA© K¬¥N©dand I :o«bless fourAchildren mi ¦½ l`¡ simultaneously. d´F¨d§i Æi¥pR§n¦ FYÀ W¦ § `e§ B¨ d© uour r¬¥ KFz§ To us, this displays an equal importance amongst the boys; it confirms that one is no more important to us than another; we love each child differently and no more than his brothers. Just as the Torah tells us that

¤ M mi ¦½ l`¡ L´ n§ U§ ¦« i d®¤ X©pn¦ § ke§ m¦ix©t§`§ :Lx«¤n§ W¦ § ie§ d¨Fd§i L¬ k§ x«¤a¨ §i :¨J«P¤gi« ª e¦ Lil¤ `¥ ei²¨pR¨ | d¯F¨d§i x`¨ ¥¸ i U¨ie§ Lil¤½ `¥ Æei¨pR¨ | d³¨Fd§i `V¦ ¨¸ i :mFl« W¨ Ll§ m¬¥

The Power of Memory

by Lauren Small

Ll§ d¬¨ UrÎx ¨ W¤ `£ z`²¥ xFk¨ ¾f C©A w®¥ln¨ r£ :m¦ix§ «¨vO¦ n¦ m¬¤kz§ `«v¥ A§ K ¤¤ “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey after you left Egypt...”

—Deuteronomy 25:17

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s Jews we are admonished: Never forget.

These key memories lead to survival and to the creation of national and communal identities. But how can we remember a past that is hidden among us, that has been, at times deliberately, forgotten?

I grew up in Denver, but didn’t hear a word about the Sand Creek Massacre until I became a writer, curious about the place I came from. I began reading history books about the West–good ones—not the ones they gave me in school, which always seemed to jump conveniently from the Civil War to World War I, bypassing the

Jacob blessed his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to become role models and brothers united to do good deeds, Elliot and I bless our own sons and pray for them to always be united and become role models of doing good deeds. We strive for our children to appreciate what they have and not covet others. We encourage them to protect each other and stand up for one another if necessary. We instill the understanding that if one shows strength in one area, another may have strength in a different area. We encourage our children to show empathy to others and rejoice in our diversity.

As our Papa Yakalah would say, “Everything together is by nobody.” In other

words, nobody knows or has everything; we all contribute something. It was this deep connection that inspired me to include the “blessing of the boys” in the design for my children’s siddurim covers for their Aleph class Siyyum HaSefer.

Finally, after the ceremonial handwashing, the quietest moment of the week, the boys sing the motzi and we partake in our Sabbath dinner. As parents, we could not be prouder seeing our boys recite the Shabbat brakhot—their enthusiasm for Shabbat is heartwarming. This experience is what makes Friday evening with my five guys the happiest hour of the week. n

Indian Wars in between. I was horrified to read about Sand Creek, the murder in late November 1864 of over 150 peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, mostly women and children, victims of a radicalized Indian campaign that took root in Colorado Territory that year. When I learned that the atrocity had been deliberately covered-up in the West, my horror turned to outrage.

Last year at Thanksgiving I traveled to Sand Creek to witness the ceremonies the Cheyenne held to honor their fallen ancestors. Afterward, we gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the Denver Art Museum on the grounds of a sculpture that serves, for lack of a better term, as an American Indian Holocaust Memorial. A

stories his grandmother told him of the day that her village was attacked by Custer. She was 12 years old at the time.

Why bother listening to these stories?

What are we to do? What can we do? The record of injustice is too great, and we are all touched by it. Are we to pack our bags and return to Europe, leaving the land to the survivors? The problem is too overwhelming, the solution unimaginable.

Where even to begin?

A great curtain of oblivion rests over the past. Who were the Indian peoples who populated the land you sit on as you read this, and what became of them?

As we stood outside in the cold prairie night, our faces illuminated by wavering

forest of sculpted arms, like trees, rise from the ground, capturing the viewer in their embrace, each one bearing the name of a significant moment or event in Native American history: Washita, Wounded Knee, Sand Creek… One of the tribal elders confided to me that he still remembers the

candlelight, survivors—the remnant— passed a microphone from hand to hand.

The speakers gave their names, tribe and clan, the places from which they came, and concluded with a brief prayer or blessing. I heard many languages spoken that night:

Alisa moved to the Baltimore area in 1992 from Cherry Hill, NJ. She is a certified teacher, currently teaching first grade at Rosemont Elementary/Middle School. Additionally, she is enrolled in a masters’ degree program hoping to graduate this December. Alisa and Elliot live in Owings Mills with their four boys, Jacob and Joshua (9), Jared (7), and Jonah (5).

Continued on page 15 Shavuot 5770 | 5

Avodah v s u c g Schedule of Shavuot Services 5770 – 2010

Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah, the content and meaning of Judaism for each of us and our world. It also marks the brighter and pleasant days of spring turning into summer, of a world turning fresh and green with life and beauty.

At Chizuk Amuno Shavuot is a joyous festival of Torah study, creative expression, and happy celebration.

May 18 | Sivan 5 | Erev Shavuot Erev Shavuot Service Kol Rinah will perfom Tikkun Leil Shavuot – Shavuot Evening of Study Learning sessions are listed to the right Candle Lighting

7:00 p.m.

7:58 p.m.

May 19 | Sivan 6 | Shavuot First Day Festival Morning Service TORAH PORTION: First Day of Shavuot, Exodus 19:1-20:23 Family Service Torah Study with Rabbis Shulman and Wechsler Congregational Kiddush following services Minhah / Ma’ariv Candle Lighting

9:15 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

6:00 p.m.

8:45 p.m.

May 20 | Sivan 7 | Shavuot Second Day Festival Morning Service TORAH PORTION: Second Day of Shavuot, Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 We read the Book of Ruth Chizuk Amuno Choir joins Hazzan Perlman Family Service Yizkor Memorial Prayers and Dedication of Memorial Plaques preceded by Rabbi Shulman’s Sermon Congregational Kiddush following services Minhah / Ma’ariv Havdalah

6 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

9:15 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

8:15 p.m.

8:46 p.m.

Tikkun Leil Shavuot For a complete schedule please refer to the inside front cover

Learning Sessions l If I Forget Thee, Oh Jerusalem ~ Psalm 137 Hazzan Emanuel C. Perlman with the Psalmist Choir under the direction of T. Herbert Dimmock This well known ancient text has been used musically to introduce the world to a long surviving melody within a modern song. One of the most famous quotes from the Psalm is “If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, let my right hand wither.” l We Will Return To You ~ Masekhet of the Talmud, and You Will Return to Us ~ Recited following completion of the study of each Masekhet of the Talmud Rabbi Deborah Wechsler The Hadran is a love letter to a book of Jewish study. For all who know what it’s like to finish reading a book and want to immediately begin reading it again. l God: Who Chose Us From All The Nations, Gave Us The Torah Of Truth, And Planted Within Us Eternal Life ~ Torah Blessings Dr. Moshe D. Shualy If you have received an aliyah, these are the words you solemnly stated as an oath when you held on to the Torah scroll. Do you believe these words?

Let’s explore your beliefs. Revelation is at hand.

Dedication of Memorial Plaques On Shavuot, May 20, during the Yizkor service, the following memorial plaques will be dedicated: Sylvia Tannenbaum Apatoff Abby Blumenthal Stanley Damareck Sophia Folus Marjorie Tucker Friedlander Miriam S. Friedman Florence Geber Marilyn Q. Glaser Phyllis Ruth Goodman Monty H. Goodman Alfred A. Greenhood Albert Hirsch Zelda Hannah Hirsch Fred Hittman Howard R. Jachman

Samuel S. Kahan Doris Schwartz Kleiman Sidney Levenson Rosalie Levin Dr. Alan Marc Levine Dr. Solomon Love Bernard Manekin Irene Mazer Roslyn Greenberg Michelson Baird Israel Michelson Ruth Fink Miller Emanuel M. Parker Julia Perle Judge Joseph I. Pines Marcia Pines

Gary Platt Vivian G. Raskin Herbert A. Robinson Eileen D. Sacks Irving Harris Sanow Rosalyn Margareten Shecter Louis E. Shecter Dr. David Silber Samuel (Shimon) Verstandig Zelda Stella Verstandig Ann R. Wasserman Israel M. Weiner Louis Weitzmer Paulina A. Weitzmer Nannette Wyman

l For You Are a People Consecrated to the Lord Your God: Of All the Peoples on Earth the Lord Your God Chose You to Be His Treasured People ~ Deuteronomy 7:6-8 Dr. Adam Gregerman As we commemorate God’s revelation to Israel at Sinai, we will consider the reasons Jews, from the Biblical period onward, gave for having been chosen to receive the Torah and a unique covenant with God. We will look at diverse explanations given to explain Israel’s election, including claims about Israel’s humility, Israel’s superiority, and the other nations’ refusal to accept the commandments. l Dorsheini ~ Genesis 42 and 43 Dr. Arthur Lesley Why did they change their mind, and why are we told about it? In the story of reconciling Joseph and Jacob with the other sons, in Genesis 42 and 43, both Joseph and Jacob first treat the brothers harshly and then change their minds. Why does the biblical narrator, always astutely economical, spend time telling about the change of mind? The text calls for interpretation, and the commentators don’t help much. l The Artists’ Way – Choosing the Difficult Adam Roffman What can the poet Ranier Maria Rilke and some good old fashioned musical theatre tell us through verse and song about how Jews make choices? A lot! But their message, as is usually the case with all good art, is not a snappy one liner, but a beautifully complex, challenging and surprisingly Jewish call to action. These texts will help us see Judaism through the eyes of an artist—you may be surprised what you learn about both.

Shavuot 5770 | 7

Mazal Tov to Our 2010 Graduates!

Each year, we are privileged to have over a thousand students enter our doors, ranging in age from only 2 years old to over 80 years.

We offer educational programming for every age in between.

We join them in taking pride in their accomplishments at their commencement ceremonies listed below.

Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center Wednesday, June 2, 10 a.m.

Four Year Olds Ayala Asher Noa Avraham Liora Bazensky Colin Bernstein Samara Braunstein Rachel Brody Sydney Brooks Ava Burgunder Ryan Cohen Jenna Crain Jack Davison Noam Elbaum

Jack Epsetin Ethan Espeland Rena Finkel Marlee Fox Eli Friedman Max Fruman Jessie Pearl Gaither Ezra Glazer Taylor Goldstein Mallory Gordon Ellie Hanover Alex Hartman Jack Hershfield Paul Hudes

Jake Hutzler Ava Kazin Chloe Levine James London Will Marder Ezra Medina Sara Mendelson Maya Moshkatal Michael Neschis Hannah Netzer Brandon Oestreicher Yonatan Paz-Priel Will Ponczak

Lindsay RobinsonWasserman Landon Schapiro Kate Schnee Rose Seidman Matthew Silber Sara Silverman Joshua Sober Grant Swirnow Hannah Turner Ethan Van Dinter Eli Wahlberg Zoe Weinman Alana Zunikoff

Five Year Olds Evie Chmar Jacob Cohen Samantha Cooper Gabrielle Grabush Naomi Joseph Sophia Koman Jordan Lapin Noah Lichter Brandon Lunenfeld Sabrina Tepper Ian Tucker

Krieger Schechter Day School Thursday, June 3, 7 p.m.

Arielle Aboulafia Victoria Brown Max Buchdahl Seth Buckner Sarah Cohen Cory Dalcin Alexandra Ellin Rayna Feldsher Hannah Fingerhood Jonathan Frier

Esther Fuzayl Brett Gold Andrew Himmelrich Alexander Jerome Matthew Kirshner Nadav Korman Ilana Kornblatt Sheri Kornblatt Jordana Lachow

Mackenzie Lewis Kayla Litofsky David Mandelberg Samantha Max Alyssa Mendelsohn Hallie Miller Jessica Miller Mara Mordecai Daniel Nemirovsky Jacob Potash

Rosenbloom Religious School

Netivon

Monday, May 17, 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 16, 6 p.m.

Sophie Bailowitz J.M. Becker Jarred Belman David Gevarter Joseph Hirsch Blake Jachman Sydney Klawans Sara Lerner 8 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

Alexis Levitt Caroline Lewis William Linker Frank Pakula Joshua Schnitzer Adam Snyder Solomon Swerling

Elizabeth Mollie Heintzelman Jason Kornblatt Rachel Shapiro

Matthew Rosen Hallye Rosenbloom Kevin Rosofsky Jennifer Rubin Joshua Schwartz Elise Shanholtz Rebecca Shapiro Samuel Shapiro Daniel Shasho

Talia Swartz Aaron Ari Swerling Alex Van Hoven Kate Ziegelstein

Jennie Shumard Amy Singer Brandon Sloane Jared Slutkin Meredith Smith Jesse Solomon Hannah Sopher Abigail Suldan Jacob Wohl

Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Thursday, May 13, 7 p.m.

Linda Barron Miriam S. Bernstein Allen Brown Pauline Settleman Brown Dr. Steven Caplan

Carole Diamond Dr. Rosalyn Ghitter Sally T. Grant Ruth B. Hurwitz Dr. Sheldon Keyser Susanne Strutt

On Shabbat, April 10, the Chizuk Amuno community gathered to honor the dedicated volunteers who contribute to the vitality of our congregation. Dr. Andy Miller, chair of Chizuk Amuno’s Gemilut Hasadim Committee, addressed the congregation and recounted the ways our volunteers participate. Below are some excerpts from his remarks.

t is my great honor to share this bimah and the Sanctuary today with so many of our volunteers, who give of their time and resources to serve the community.

They do so in our name, and we are proud of the honor they bring to the Chizuk Amuno family.

Our volunteers do their work in service to our own community and in outreach to the broader community.

In the synagogue, we have people who create a feeling of warmth, a welcoming and safe environment both for visitors and for those who are already members of our community. These include the greeters and

those who participate in college outreach, keeping in contact with our students who are away from home and reminding them that Chizuk Amuno is still their home.

There are also those who engage in hiddur mitzvah, the beautification of Jewish ritual.

These include volunteer members of our choir, gabbaim and others who participate in leading different parts of our worship service; those who provide flowers for the bimah; those who help us in working with Kol Foods to order kosher meat that meets the highest ethical standards; those who manage the Goldsmith Museum and Hendler Learning Center in collaboration with our curator, Susan Vick, and those who manage the Sisterhood Judaica shop, which provides ritual objects for our congregants to use in performing mitzvot. The Jared Scott Levy Memorial Garden provides a quiet place for prayer and reflection and

A critical role is played by those who support our people in time of need. These include the members of the mitzvah corps, who lead the prayer service at shivah houses, and our “minyanaires” who are regular participants and leaders in the daily minyan and who serve as a special and close-knit community for those who need to say Kaddish.

We have an amazing number of outreach activities in service to the broader community. These include activities such as the Brotherhood blood drive and their annual Adopt-A-Road cleanup activity, performing the mitzvah of shmirat adamah, protecting the earth. Many of the other outreach activities are coordinated by Miriam Foss, our director of Gemilut Hasadim, working in collaboration with Rabbi Wechsler, and it has been a privilege for me to be able to work with both of them.

hosts, those who welcome both congregants and guests; the medical professionals who are on call in case of emergency; those who made phone calls to our older members during the recent blizzards to see if anyone needed help; those who help with congregational administrative work; and

is cared for by our master gardener, in coordination with community volunteers.

Our member organizations—Sisterhood, Brotherhood, and Club Hatikvah—support special events and breakfasts, including, for example, the community second seder, which was sponsored by Brotherhood.

As chair of the Gemilut Hasadim Committee, I see and hear about the tremendous range of activities, the energy, determination, and generosity of the more than 700 people who give so much of themselves. Over the last several years, Continued on next page

“Lo aleha hamleha ligmor, v’lo ata ben horin l’hivatel mimena.”

“It is not your obligation to finish the task, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

—Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers 2:20

I

Shavuot 5770 | 9

Continued from previous page we have had our first meeting of the year in Rabbi Wechsler’s sukkah. We sit in a circle and as we go around the circle, we hear from each representative about the wonderful work they are doing. I must say to you all that I am truly inspired by the work our people do and I am so happy that we have the opportunity today to share with you a little bit about the range of activities in which they are engaged. We are able to support these activities, even in difficult economic times, because the funding for the work Miriam does and any expenses in support for outreach activities comes from an endowment provided in 2001 to the synagogue by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

The range of activities includes those that can be completed by dropping off or delivering donated goods, such as our prePassover and Yom Kippur food drives and our clothing and book drives, providing sustenance and nurturance to the poorer members of our Baltimore community.

Chizuk Amuno volunteers have been a big part of the annual Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure, sponsored by donors who contribute funds in support of each mile they run or walk to be used in the fight against breast cancer. Our Synagogue Social Action committee acts as a liaison with other Jewish organizations in Baltimore to develop the broad agenda of social action initiatives.

The members of our Knit One, Learn Too group meet monthly to knit blankets for the neonatal intensive care unit at Sharei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem. Members of the congregation traveling to Israel deliver the homemade blankets to the hospital. Thick fleece blankets have also been a project of the group and are donated to homeless services at Mercy Hospital here in Baltimore.

Activities also include many others that can be performed panim el panim—face to face, through service and communication with other members of the broader 10 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

community. We participate each year with other congregations, including both Christian and Muslim communities, in the Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build, providing shelter to those who are in need while communicating with our friends from other faiths about our practices and values as well as theirs. We have sponsored international service-learning trips working in collaboration with the American Jewish World Service. Members of the group that went to Mexico two years ago have also participated in the Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build here in Baltimore.

Within our own community we also support the maintenance of shelter for those who need our assistance through the annual CHAI Senior Home Repair Day. We provide sustenance to those who are hungry through our monthly participation in serving those who do not have enough food for themselves or their families at Our Daily Bread. We also have cooked in the Chizuk Amuno kitchens, preparing food that will be served at Our Daily Bread by our volunteers.

At My Sister’s Place, a day center program for homeless women, our volunteers began a new project this past fall, using communication circles for the goal of empowering people to share their experiences, listen to one another, and build community in an atmosphere of support and mutual respect. At the St. Vincent’s Center our volunteers participate in life-enhancing reading, teaching, and craft or food preparation activities in a residential treatment facility for children who have suffered every conceivable form of abuse and neglect from adults, and for whom the opportunity to build a bridge of trust with adults is an essential part of the healing process.

Our volunteers also engage in Bikkur Holim, visiting the sick and tending to the needs of their families, through their activities at the Ronald McDonald House and Hackerman-Patz House. These are

places where volunteers prepare and serve food for families whose loved ones are in Baltimore for special medical care and who need a place to stay where they can be close by. We have also had a variety of activities involving visits with residents of nursing homes in the area; for example, the Chizuk Amuno Musicians have performed in nursing homes in past years. A new project involves visits to residents of the Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Any volunteer you ask will say that whatever service activity they engage in actually enriches their own life and is of immense value to them personally; it really is true that what we receive from the experience is every bit as important as what we give. As any parent of young children or any child of aging parents can attest, there really is nothing that is ultimately more important in our lives than serving the needs of others. We know there are many other members in our community involved in activities that are not formally sponsored

by Chizuk Amuno, and we honor those volunteers as well. We invite anyone else in the community who is looking for service opportunities to contact us.

We do these things not out of the goodness of our hearts, but because that is who we are: we are commanded. We are volunteers in the sense that we choose whether or not to do what is expected of us. n Dr. Andy Miller is completing his term as chair of the Gemilut Hasadim Committee. He first became involved with Gemilut Hasadim at Chizuk Amuno through the Northwestern-Chizuk Amuno Alliance mentorship project.

He is also a member of the Executive Committee of Chizuk Amuno. Andy and his wife, Sandra, have two sons, Ben and Ezra, both graduates of Rosenbloom Religious School, and Andy is a member of the faculty in the Department of Geography & Environmental Systems at UMBC where he teaches and does research on rivers, floods, and urban water resources.

A Volunteer’s Prayer

by Jennifer Arndt Robinson

Personal prayer incorporated into our Shabbat Morning Services adds individual feelings and reflection to the beauty and tradition of the formal prayers. Here is a recent example, composed by Jennifer Arndt Robinson and read at our Volunteer Shabbat, in celebration of those who volunteer and perform acts of loving kindness in the name of Chizuk Amuno Congregation.

Dear God, s we gather today, I take time to thank you for bringing me to a sacred community that is blessed with so much loving kindness. Thank you for providing us with an opportunity on this Shabbat to recognize powerful examples of the way that Gemilut Hasadim transforms individuals and communities, as we recognize our fellow congregants who have participated in these activities over the past year.

Thank you for providing me with a family that modeled personal service and responsibility as a way of life. I also thank you for the love and support of my husband, who is a true partner to me. I ask that while you continue to strengthen my personal commitments, help me create balance in my life, so that my service to others remains a blessing, and enhances my relationships with family and friends.

I thank you for sustaining me when life is challenging, and loving kindness seems out of reach. Thank you for giving me

A

the ability to reflect and grow from my experiences, and I ask that you keep me open to receiving love and support when I need it.

I thank you for the opportunities in my life that have taken me around the world in service. I ask that you continue to open doors to the larger world for all of us. Give us opportunities to open our hearts and gain an appreciation for people’s circumstances here in our home community, and around the world. Please help guide our service so that it makes a contribution to improving lives and the earth where we live.

Finally, I thank you for the many people that I’ve been honored to meet through my service, and for the many more I haven’t yet met. Help me remember the sacredness of each individual and see your face in each encounter. I ask that, as your love inspires our loving kindness, may our community’s commitments inspire other communities and contribute to creating a more peaceful world.

Amen n

Jennifer Arndt Robinson, originally from Illinois, came to Baltimore in 1998 after serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova. As the Deputy Director for the Shriver Peaceworker Fellows Program at UMBC, she connects returned Peace Corps volunteers to servicelearning opportunities in the Baltimore region. She lives near Patterson Park with her husband, Scott, and their dog, Lucy. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees and the Gemilut Hasadim Committee at Chizuk Amuno, she serves on the steering committee for the Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake Interfaith Building Corps, and on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Patterson Park.

Shavuot 5770 | 11

Something is Fishy at GECEC

by Susan Witte This school year, we have been passionately working on our ever-growing aquarium. Each week we add something new which coincides with our sound of the week. We also take away a fun fact about our new creation. Each item gives us an opportunity to work with new and exciting materials. It also gives the children a chance to express their creativity while working on their fine motor skills. The amount of teamwork shown by the children is heartwarming and impressive. Some of our favorite projects include our amazing glow in the dark electric eel, a cuddly octopus, our recycled jellyfish, us wearing our homemade scuba cutout, and an amazing replica of the National Aquarium at Baltimore’s inner harbor. The list is as long as the alphabet!

The children are knowledgeable and so proud of their work. They love giving tours and sharing everything they have learned.

Communication— KSDS Middle School Learning Festival

by Stephen Gordon

12 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

This year’s two-day Middle School Learning Festival was a resounding success. The focus this year was Communication. Topics ranged from Puppetry and Story-Telling to Communicating with Animals to Sign Language to Communication in the Military, Codes and Ciphers, Graphic Arts, Media Literacy, Hebrew Slang, and more. Guest experts from around the Baltimore and Annapolis communities lent their expertise and time to make the all-day workshops exciting, informative, hands-on, and fun. The day culminated with a wonderful performance

by Indian story-teller/dancers Lakshmi Swaminathan and Chitra Kalyandurg, who demonstrated how postures and positions are used in classical Indian dance to tell stories. The artists immediately engaged the students, and even invited many up to the stage to perform at the end of the program.

On the second day of the Festival, 5-7th Graders visited the Newseum in Washington, D.C. In addition to spending time at the exhibits, the museum education department held special learning sessions for us on “Choosing the News” and on media ethics and responsibility in reporting.

Lunch-time provided an extra special opportunity, as we were hosted by the historic synagogue, Sixth and I. After lunch, one group of our students had the honor of conducting the minhah service in the historic sanctuary.

New Beginnings at RRS

by Alex Weinberg Though it is the end of the year, we are celebrating many new beginnings. We celebrate our Mehina Aleph (kindergarten) classes who have begun their studies here in our school. They have learned about how a synagogue works, Shabbat, and even created their own mezzuzot.

Together with our Mehina Bet class (first grade) we celebrate the beginning of their Torah studies. The stories of the Torah came alive as the students acted them out in many engaging ways throughout the year. Our Aleph (second grade) class celebrates the beginning of a journey. This year they learned how to read and write in Hebrew which has opened up many new paths for them to explore. The Bet (third grade) classes celebrated the first complete service that they learned and can now lead for our entire community. Our Bet students

Netivon’s Ambitious High School Programming

by Alex Weinberg It has been an awesome year in the Netivon high school program. Our students have studied Hebrew, politics, history, theology, literature, and many other subjects with our fantastic faculty. This year we introduced Judaics classes taught entirely in Hebrew. Our students studied courses on Israeli literature, foods and movies. The Netivon community recently came together to view the movie, Life

can sing the Havdalah service that is chanted to end Shabbat. In our Gimmel class (fourth grade) we celebrate the beginning of our humash studies. Our Gimmel students have learned the important skills of studying Torah and making the text meaningful to themselves. We celebrate together with our Dalet (fifth grade) students as they began to chant Torah after learning the trope—cantillation notes. We are so proud of how well our Dalet students can read Torah!

The Hay (sixth grade) year is the beginning of a new type of journey. Our Hay students celebrated the beginning of their Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparations which included Torah study, learning about tallit and tefillin, and other important skills. Finally our Vav (seventh grade) students will soon celebrate the beginning of the next step in their Jewish education. We come together at their siyyum and graduation to celebrate their

accomplishments in their eight years in the religious school as well as to congratulate them on continuing their religious education in Netivon, our high school program.

There has been much to celebrate in the religious school and we cherish the many new beginnings our students experienced.

is Beautiful, in commemoration of Yom HaShoah. The students reflected on the experience and it served as a backdrop for our celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut — Israel Independence Day. We are looking forward to next year when we will again offer over 40 Judaics and 20 Hebrew language courses in our Netivon program.

We Had A Party!

by Nancy Hudes Members of the congregation joined together on Saturday evening, March 13 for the Congregational Life Committee’s first annual Pub Night. “Three of a Kind” entertained us with their acoustic harmony, we sampled ales, beer, and wines from DiWine Spirits, and enjoyed a delicious buffet of kosher pub fare prepared by our Chef Annie. It was a great evening of socializing and celebrating. We look forward to having more parties like this in the upcoming year!

College Outreach Wrap-Up

by Hillary Crystal It’s hard to believe that another year of college has gone by. Having just mailed out the 60 or so Passover packages to our Chizuk Amuno college students, I can’t help but think back to when I was a student at University of Maryland College Park and a camper at Camp Ramah Glen Spey. How exciting to receive a letter or even better, a

package in the mail from home. It lifted my spirits for days!

It is with that experience in mind that I happily packed up and sent out packages to our college students who are away from home this year. Goodies and snacks were sent for Rosh HaShanah, Hanukkah, and Passover as well as e-mail birthday greetings to each student. I’m sure that the students look forward to these care packages from home and know we are thinking of them often.

If you are interested in having your child (in any

undergraduate year) involved in the college outreach program next year send the following information to jackandhillary@comcast.net: Student name, address at school, student phone number, e-mail address, and year in school.

Sincere thanks to Beverly Wiseman, Judy Simkin, Miriam Foss, and Rabbi Wechsler for their help with the College Outreach Committee.

Shavuot 5770 | 13

Stulman Center – A 5770 Retrospective

by Judy Meltzer As we make plans for another exciting year of adult learning at Chizuk, it’s nice to reflect upon the year we are just completing. So many classes, lectures, book club and study sessions, films, guest speakers, and scholars-inresidence. For those of you who were part of the fun, this is an opportunity to recall some special moments, and if you missed any of these opportunities, make sure you join us next year when we promise another wonderful year of learning.

Summer Camp for Adults Once again, we proved that summer camp is not just for kids. An outstanding program on Jewish music and art, plus gourmet breakfasts, drew a record crowd to a week of learning at the end of June.

Courses • Melton Core and Graduate Courses ~ offered days and evenings • Sacred Texts ~ a monthly exploration of Jewish and Christian texts, led by Rabbi Ilyse Kramer and Dr. Roseann Catalano, ICJS • Comparative Religions ~ a study/discussion of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, taught by Rabbi Amy Scheinerman • Jewish Literacy ~ a study group for mothers of young children, on the basics of Judaism, taught by staff • Hebrew Literature and Hebrew Song Groups ~ an opportunity to improve one’s Hebrew through song and literature, led by Helen Lewis.

• AM and PM Book Groups ~ reading Jewish literature, led by Judy Meltzer • Friday Morning Women’s Study Group ~ with Rabbi Ron Shulman

• Parshat haShavua ~ with Rabbi Debi Wechsler • Rosh Hodesh Mitzvah of the Month ~ with Rabbi Ron Shulman • History in Context: From Canon to Tradition ~ with Dr. Moshe Shualy

Chizuk Amuno’s Community Second Seder —A Huge Success

Programs • Selihot: Defending Your Life ~ film showing followed by discussion led by Rabbi Ron Shulman.

• Sukkot Lunch and Learn ~ a musical presentation of Seth Kibel’s favorite guests to invite to his sukkah • One Shul, One Title, One Month ~ Peter Manseau, author of Songs For The Butcher’s Daughter, visited Chizuk and discussed his award winning book • “Muscle Jews, Wimps, and the Soldiers in Between” ~ An illustrated lecture by Dr. Mark Epstein

It was an occasion filled with warmth, joy, learning, prayer, and song. On Tuesday evening, March 30, 157 men, women and children gathered in the Krieger Auditorium to celebrate the second Passover seder. Individual leaders were selected for every table. The service was led by Rabbi Shulman and Hazzan Perlman with assistance and participation from everyone present.

From the youngest to the oldest there was something for everyone to discuss, enjoy, experience, and eat. The dinner, prepared by Chef Annie Hood, received unanimous accolades. We say thank you to Donna and Bob Wolf and Diane and Steve Dansicker who coordinated the seder on behalf of the Brotherhood. We also thank our Synagogue Administrator, Jenny Baker, who facilitated such a lovely and comfortable holiday setting. Obviously, this second seder evening filled a significant need in our Chizuk Amuno community and we look forward to hosting future congregational sedarim.

Scholars-in-Residence Not one but two!

• Dr. David Kraemer spent four days teaching at Chizuk Amuno, reaching everyone from KSDS students and faculty to Rosenbloom Religious School students, Melton students, and congregants. His subject was “Life, Death, and the Hereafter: Mysteries of Judaism.”

Great News! Dr. Kraemer will return in 2011 once again, thanks to the generosity of Phyllis and Louis Friedman.

• Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz, artist and Director of Israel Programs for JTS, came to us from Israel to present “The Art of Torah: How the Arts Bring God’s Presence into Our Midst.” In his five days in residence, Rabbi Berkowitz taught hundreds of children and adults, thanks to the support of the Zaiman Education Alliance.

Additionally, Rabbi Berkowitz delivered the Glassgold Kallah Lecture and the Harold and Sybil Effron Memorial Lecture.

Films • During Hol HaMoed Pesah, we viewed A Serious Man, a Coen brothers film. The Krieger Auditorium was filled to capacity, and many returned the next morning for fascinating analysis and discussion on the film, led by Rabbi Ron Shulman.

• Fugitive Pieces was our film selection for Yom HaShoah.

• A “Coming of Age” film series was presented in February.

We are planning an exciting program for 5771 and are always delighted to have your requests and suggestions. Please call Judy Meltzer at 410/824-2058.

14 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

by Jerry Buxbaum

ohfurc ohtcv Barukhim Habaim!

Welcome to Our New Members Marina and Andrey Bogin

Mindy and Jeffrey Rosen

Amy Fink

Enid and Joshua Rosen

Sheri and Eric Gordon

Joan Schuster

Daniel Khodorkovsky

Cari Seidler

Lindy and Ken Nelson

Donna and Leroy Shapiro

Marjorie and Eliot Neumann

Michelle and Kenneth Tepper

Harvey Perle

Tammy Tilson

Sofya and Ilya Pokov

Judith Waranch

We are happy to welcome those who have most recently chosen to join our Chizuk Amuno family.

If you have friends or family who may be interested in joining Chizuk Amuno, please call our Membership Coordinator, Cheryl Snyderman, 410/486-6400, ext. 300.

Summer Camp

for

Adults

at

Chizuk Amuno Congregation

“I Love Paris ”

Music and Art in the Best of Times

June 28 - July 2, 2010 | 16 - 20 Tammuz 5770 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Memory Continued from page 5 English, Navaho, Cheyenne. I debated what to say, but when the microphone reached me, the words came naturally. As Jews

Mazal tov to Sandi Moffet. She was recently recognized as a 2010 Young Leader

by Seaboard Region United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Featuring Dr. Susan Vick, curator of the Goldsmith Museum and Hendler Learning Center of Chizuk Amuno Congregation, Ken Meltzer, Community Spokesperson for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Seth Kibel, leader, clarinetist and composer for the Alexandria Kleztet Five days of gourmet breakfasts, two classes daily, and special Tuesday evening lecture by Ken Meltzer.

Tuition for this program is $110 ~ CAC Members; $120 ~ Non-Members

To register, contact the Stulman Center for Adult Learning at 410/824-2055/58

by Monday, June 14.

Register early – enrollment is limited.

Judy Meltzer, Director Doris Tanhoff, Assistant

This program is funded in part by the Stanley H. and Lillian S. Wilen Endowment Fund for Adult Education.

we understand, if nothing else, the power of memory. “I am Lauren Small,” I said, “Leah bat Hayim ha-Cohen v’Esther.” Leah, daughter of life, descended from the ancient Israelite priestly clan. And then I recited in Hebrew the Shehehiyanu, the prayer we always utter in thanksgiving, a blessing for being permitted to survive. n

Finding God

Lauren Small and her husband, Don, have been members of Chizuk Amuno since 1984. Their three children, Adam, Sara, and Ben, are graduates of Krieger Schechter Day School. Lauren earned a PhD in Comparative Literature from the Johns Hopkins University and has published widely in literary and academic journals. She travels the country giving readings and speaking to schools and groups about her first novel, Choke Creek (Bridle Path Press 2009), which is set in the Vietnam War era, and tells the story of two families that trace their history to the Indian Wars—to a thinly disguised Sand Creek.

Continued from page 4 I do not consider myself a spiritual person. I still have great doubts about the nature of God and the importance of God in the daily life of humankind. So I am surprised by the rush that comes over me every time an unseen Chesapeake breeze suddenly fills my sails and moves my boat forward toward its destination. Gazing upward above the sails into a sky filled with something large and wonderful, I have come to realize how Adam and Eve must have felt when first they made contact with God. n Michael Andorsky has practiced pediatrics in the Baltimore area for over 30 years. His hobbies include sailing, gardening, and performing Klezmer music. He and his wife, Ann, are the proud parents of two adult sons and three grandchildren (so far).

Shavuot 5770 | 15

Learning

Tzedekah

We are grateful to the over 800 members who participated in this year’s Chizuk Amuno Congregation and Krieger Schechter Day School Annual Campaigns.

Community Caring

Connection Prayer

Social Action Spirituality

Tradition

Gemilut Hasadim Comfort Justice Celebration

Over $670,000 was raised in support of our synagogue and schools.

Thank you for helping to make our synagogue a community.

To make a donation at anytime please e-mail development@chizukamuno.org or call 410/824-2057.

Chizuk Amuno Congregation Cemeteries Serving our synagogue community with sensitivity and caring in the selection of individual and family cemetery plots.

Perpetual Care, always our standard.

Pre-need purchases help to relieve stress on families during times of crisis.

For information please contact:

Arlington Cemetery North Rogers Avenue Barbara Lichter 410/486-6400, ext. 248 blichter@chizukamuno.org

Garrison Forest Cemetery

Limited Openings Still Available 16 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

Garrison Forest Road at Crondall Lane Marsha Yoffe 410/486-6400, ext. 309 myoffe@chizukamuno.org

C h i z u k A m u n o C o n g r e g a t i o n ’s 1 4 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y

Join us for a year of Celebration and Renewal.

We need you to help plan for Chizuk Amuno’s 140th Anniversary Year.

Volunteers are needed for: The Goldsmith Museum ~ 10th Anniversary Celebration Krieger Schechter Day School ~ 30th Anniversary Celebration The Sanctuary ~ 50th Anniversary Campus Beautification Days Israel Engagement For more information or to volunteer, contact Laurel Freedman, Director of Congregational Advancement, lfreedman@chizukamuno.org or 410/824-2054.

Come and be a part of our year long community celebration.

4 1

Chizuk Amuno C O N G R E G AT I O N

1871~2011 ARISE &

C

R E AT E

C HIZUK A MUNO’ S 1 4 0 TH A NNIVERSARY 140th CAC Anniversary Steering Committee Shelly Malis, Chair Jason Blavatt • Wendy Davis • Janine Frier • Rob Frier • Steve Gevarter • Shelly Hettleman • Neil Katz • Dick Manekin • Margery Moranz Aaron Max • Jill Max • Andrew Miller • Sandi Moffet • Andrew Pupkin • Randi Pupkin • Shuli Raffel • Ari Zaiman • Heller Zaiman

C hi z u k A m u n o C o n g re g a tio n 8 1 0 0 St e ve n so n R d , Ba l tim ore , Md 2 1 2 0 8

Non Profit Org. us postage Paid Baltimore, MD Permit No. 544

time sensitive m aterial please deliver promptly

9th Annual KSDS Golf & Tennis Classic Monday, June 7, 2010

Chestnut Ridge Country Club To participate, call 410/824-2050

Sponsored

by

Please join us for a Community Celebration

Chizuk Amuno Congregation announces its

139th Annual Meeting and Commencement Exercises Sunday, the twenty third of May two thousand and ten seven o’clock in the evening

and the 139th Annual Meeting of Chizuk Amuno Congregation Election and Installation of 2010-2011 Officers and Board of Trustees

Honoring Dr. Anne L. Young, Outgoing President and Outgoing 2009-2010 Officers and Trustees Light fare and dessert reception RSVP to Marci Scher, mscher@chizukamuno.org or 410/824-2057