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In this issue:
• Hiddur Mitzvah - Beautifying the Mitzvah • 140th Fall Celebrations • Hanukkah Blessings
Club Night Chizuk Amuno CongregAtion
Great Food, Great Friends, and Great Entertainment!
Join us at Club 140 Saturday, December 4, 7 p.m. Featuring: Bourbon, beer, and wine tasting courtesy of DiWine Spirits Great Club Food – Dinner Fare Cost: $25 per person Chizuk Amuno Brotherhood presents Entertainment by: Three of a Kind Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Earthrise David Madoff Buy tickets at the synagogue and school offices. Reserve a ticket by e-mailing Nancy Hudes, communityevents@chizukamuno.org, or call 410/486-8641
Sponsored by the Congregational Life Committee, linking the Chizuk Amuno affiliate groups.
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
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Chizuk Amuno Congregation
President Richard Manekin, pres@chizukamuno.org First Vice President Michelle Malis, 1stvp@chizukamuno.org Vice President Louis E. Sapperstein Vice President Sandra Moffet Secretary Dr. Andrew Miller Treasurer Michelle Hettleman Assistant Treasurer Jason A. Blavatt
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 Ritual Director Emeritus
Rev. Yehuda Dickstein
Headmaster, Krieger Schechter Day School
Dr. Paul D. Schneider | x226 | pschneider@soink12.ksds.edu 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
Judy Meltzer | x287 | stulman@chizukamuno.org Director, Gemilut Hasadim Program
Miriam Foss | x281 | mfoss@chizukamuno.org Bar/Bat Mitzvah Coordinator
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
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Contents
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Hiddur Mitzvah ~ Doing Jewish Beautifully by Rabbi Ron Shulman
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Winter Musings by Richard Manekin
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Personalizing the Mitzvah by Rachael Abrams
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Beauty of the Mitzvah by Lynn Kotz
10 Making an Extra Effort by Marshall Haine
4 Torah 11 Hiddur Mitzvah ~ All Around Us • Sacred Texts: by Rabbi Deborah Wechsler Two Traditions, Three Conversations 12 What’s Nu? • One Shul, One Title, One Month • Garrison Forest Cemetery Dedication 5 Avodah • CAC and KSDS Receive • Tefillin, Rosh Hodesh, and Extraordinary Gift Firemen (!) at the Rosenbloom • Welcome New Members Religious School • KSDS Celebrates 30 Years with Style • PB & J • Chizuk Amuno’s Best Kept Secret • Thinking About Our College Kids 6 Gemilut Hasadim • Chizuk Amuno Sisterhood Beautification Day Enhances Turns 125 Chizuk Amuno • Celebrating Fifty Years in Our Sanctuary 17 Hanukkah Brakhot
Executive Director
Ronald N. Millen | x224 | rnmillen@chizukamuno.org 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
Cover: Hanukkiyah, silver. Germany: Master Rodger Herrfurth, c. 1780. ACC 45; Gift of Chizuk Amuno Congregation, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Chizuk Amuno Congregation Sisterhood. To see this and many other Hanukkiyot in our permanent display, visit the Goldsmith Museum.
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.”
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ast spring Dr. Susan Vick, our museum curator, and Rabbi Menachem Youlous brought me an old text they found buried in our rich archives of books, Judaica, and historical documents. As far as we know, no one had ever heard of this book before, nor knew that we held it. Published in 1872, as soon as I looked at it I was intrigued. After 140 years as a prominent Baltimore synagogue, I wondered: Was this book the answer to a simple but elusive question of our congregation’s history? Why is our name Chizuk Amuno Congregation? The working assumption is that our congregation’s founders chose this name, “Strengthening Faith” to be a barb directed at the emerging reforms of their prior congregation. The Hebrew/German book Susan Vick and Menachem Youlous brought me dates to the late 16th century. Its author was Rabbi Isaac ben Abraham of Troki. The book is a polemic against Christian faith. It argues against weakening Jewish beliefs and ideas in a world that either persecutes Jews or lures them to assimilate. Reprints of 2 | HaZ’man ~ This Season
this book for Jewish use appeared in Amsterdam in 1705. Jan Schein, our congregation’s archivist, guesses with me that Henry Hartogensis, raised and educated in a traditional Jewish family in Amsterdam and one of the founding members of our congregation, was familiar with this book, perhaps even studied it. Maybe he brought it with him to America from Amsterdam in 1848. Perhaps he or someone else with whom he shared the book purchased the revised edition from 1872 that we hold. The name of this book is Sefer Hizuk Emunah. In the early days of Baltimore’s Jewish communal life, if you were breaking away from a congregation because you felt it was weakening the fabric of religious tradition and belief you valued, and you were familiar with a book, had even studied a book, whose very title and premise opposes what you see happening right before your eyes and supports what you are trying to do, you might have the namesake for your new congregation: Chizuk Amuno Congregation. Our volume of Sefer Hizuk Emunah is beautifully bound and printed. It is an example of hiddur mitzvah, the act of beautifying Jewish celebration and observance. Tradition teaches us that beautiful scrolls and books, written or printed with fine inks and pens, made of lovely materials, enhance the meaning of their words. There is a reciprocity of beauty in the experience of “doing Jewish.” We become beautiful as we perform a mitzvah, as we celebrate our lives with Jewish ritual symbols, as we study Jewish
Winter Musings by Richard Manekin President, Chizuk Amuno Congregation
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ideas, and live by the ethics of our heritage. At the same time, we “beautify God” by performing these rites, by learning from Jewish texts, and conducting our relationships in the most “beautiful manner,” according to the midrash. We could kindle our Hanukkah lights in tin foil and fulfill the mitzvah of celebrating our holiday. But most of us enjoy the brightness of Hanukkah with lovely decorative and unique Hanukkiyot. This is Hiddur Mitzvah, bringing a sense of aesthetics and beauty to the demonstration of our values and the expression of our faith. In this issue of Ha’Zman ~ This Season, Rachael Abrams, Marshall Haine, and Lynn Kotz share what they find attractive in the celebration of their lives as Jews, how they “do Jewish beautifully.” I invite you to do the same. This Hanukkah season, celebrate the holiday with added awareness that Jewish values and traditions enhance our lives with a beauty of purpose and hope as they strengthen faith in what we hold sacred and significant. Hag Urim Sameah! Happy Hanukkah!
Rabbi Ron Shulman
he trees are almost bare, there is an early morning frost on the ground and daylight savings time has just ended. While winter doesn’t officially start until December 21, those subfreezing mornings and the rawness of November is a clear sign that it is the Thanksgiving season. What a splendid fall it has been. The weather has been near perfect, the High Holy Days and the haggim following were meaningful and festive, and we at Chizuk Amuno are thoroughly enjoying the celebration of our 140th Anniversary. We started off with our first of two Campus Beautification Days and followed the end of October with a Shabbat celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Sanctuary. All of our schools are in full swing and congregational life is flourishing. Many congregants have complemented us about our new website; for those of you who have not visited the site, I highly recommend you do so – you may want to follow the blogs, contribute to the prayer wall, regularly read “Thoughts and Teachings” or just stay on top of all synagogue activities. One of the many jewels of Chizuk Amuno is The Goldsmith Museum. The museum is the only museum in Baltimore devoted to Judaica. Chizuk Amuno is one of a handful of congregations in North America with a museum of its own, staffed by a full-time curator. The Goldsmith Museum is a place of discovery and inspiration. The museum strives to perpetuate Judaism through the medium of visual arts, to advance Jewish education, and to preserve the history of one of America’s oldest synagogues. Through museum exhibits and programming, the Goldsmith Museum aims to reinforce the timeless Jewish ideals of learning, worship, and acts of loving-kindness in both the Jewish community and the wider world. It is certainly fitting that during our 140th Anniversary we celebrate with pride the 10th Anniversary of the Goldsmith Museum. The goals of the celebration are to celebrate the growth and accomplishments of the museum in the past decade; further expand awareness of the Goldsmith Museum; extend the reach of the museum so that this treasure in our midst is accessible to all ages and levels of knowledge; and finally, to recognize and honor those who have donated to the museum in the past decade. The Goldsmith Museum gives us an opportunity to illuminate the concept of hiddur mitzvah- beautifying the mitzvah and to demonstrate that concept in a contemporary context. In other words, the ritual items displayed in our museum are not just relics, but continue to be part of our current observance. In honor of the Goldsmith Museum’s 10th Anniversary, artists were asked to participate in an invitational exhibit of contemporary Judaic art and create a piece of Judaica for the home in conjunction with the theme for our 140th Anniversary year, “Arise and Create” - Koom V’aseh. Some of the artists are members of our community or of our congregation. We are delighted our museum will highlight contemporary Judaica to complement our more traditional collection. Items may be offered for sale, with prices established by the artist and will be on display throughout the month of February. Our gala opening reception on Saturday, January 22 will include refreshments, music, and an opportunity to talk to a number of the artists. I look forward to celebrating with many of you that evening. Hanukkah 5771 | 3
T o r a h Sacred Texts: Two Traditions, Three Conversations
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very Thursday morning, twenty men and women join together to explore the texts that shape the Jewish and Christian traditions and the dynamic relationship that exists between them. Under the expert tutelage of Rabbi Ilyse Kramer and Dr. Rosann Catalano, ICJS Scholars, we are reading and discussing selections from the Tanakh and rabbinic literature and from the Gospels. In our final meetings, we will examine the variety of ways in which our two traditions might be more deeply enriched and blessed in conversation with each other. One Shul, One Title, One Month
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n November 3, Judith Shulevitz, the dynamic author of The Sabbath World, spoke to us about how she came to see Shabbat as an important part of her week, both from a personal and a collective point of view. Ms. Shulevitz and Rabbi Shulman engaged in a lively exchange about many aspects of Shabbat, and then entertained questions from the audience. Many in attendance had seen the writer on the Steven Colbert Show, or heard her on NPR, and were delighted to meet her in person. This marks the tenth year that we have marked Jewish Book Month with our One Shul, One Title, One Month program, which has brought many outstanding authors to Chizuk Amuno. Among them are Jeffrey Goldberg, Dara Horn, Lily Koppel, Maggie Anton, and Peter Manseau. If you have a book you would like to nominate for next year’s selection, please let us know – 410/824-2055/8.
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Tefillin, Rosh Hodesh, and Firemen (!) at the Rosenbloom Religious School
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he seventh grade students in the Rosenbloom Religious School have begun an exciting project— creating, along with their parents, their own sets of tefillin. Together with their teacher, Steve Gordon, the students have been studying
PB & J
the texts that are found in the tefillin and exploring their personal meaning and relevance. With the guidance of sofrim, Jewish scribes, the students are learning how to build tefillin. When complete, the students will have their own sets of tefillin that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives. It is our hope that through this process our students will develop a deep and meaningful connection to this ritual. Each month, our students gather to celebrate Rosh Hodesh, the new Jewish month. The students, the Chizuk Amuno Teen Team, and Isaac and Abby Woloff participate in a rockin’ service with guitars, drums, and spirit-filled music. The students are learning the prayers of the Hallel service while coming together as a school community to celebrate this special day. Most recently, religious school students have discovered that the Jewish month of Heshvan, often called “mar Heshvan,” bitter Heshvan, has been given the wrong name. While Shabbat is the only Jewish holiday in the month of Heshvan, our students found many reasons to celebrate. Each Wednesday during Heshvan, our students had a different surprise: a magician; a visit from the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company, which taught about fire safety and shmirat haguf, protecting ourselves; and a visit from the Maryland Zoo, which emphasized tzaar balee hayim, our responsibility to treat animals ethically. Our students have learned that the month of Heshvan isn’t bitter at all, and now we are ready for Kislev and the fun of Hanukkah!
providing an opportunity to experience the Shabbat
When most of you see these letters you think of Peanut Butter & Jelly. At Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center (GECEC), we think of Pizza, Blessings & Jammies. Michelle Gold (GECEC Director) and Alex Weinberg (Director of Congregational Education) are Torah for Tots service in an informal setting on Thursday evenings, allowing our families to become more familiar and comfortable with the Shabbat service. Our first PB & J, on Thursday, October 28, brought over twenty families together for pizza dinner and a fun and interactive family service in our jammies. Parents were able to explore the prayers their children are learning in the classroom. PB & J is an excellent introduction to participating in a meaningful service together with your family. Future PB & J dates are February 24 and April 17. There is no fee for this program, including dinner. We simply ask that you RSVP to Michelle Gold, mgold@chizukamuno.org or 410/486-8642. For your information, Shabbat Torah for Tots dates can be found on the website www.chizukamuno.org.
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Beautification Day Enhances Chizuk Amuno
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hanks to all members of the Chizuk Amuno Family who participated in our first Campus Beautification Day. Important improvements were made to our campus. Light poles were painted and faded signs replaced. Fall flowers were planted by the front sign and in planters and the butterfly garden was restored. Benches in the Jared Scott Levy Memorial Garden were refinished and stained. Dazzling reusable Sukkah decorations were created in the Matz/Goldstone Biblical Gardens along with children’s drawings for a Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Book about God.
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e were led in this new venture by energetic chairs: Jill and Aaron Max and Randi and Andrew Pupkin. The steering committee included: Ann Betten, Howard Brill, Ellen Friedman, Shari Kaplan, Dick Manekin, Andrew Miller, and Jennifer Arndt Robinson. Enthusiastic and hard working participants included: Edye, Steven, and Aerin Abrams; Rachael, Sam and Ben Abrams; Sarah Manekin and Ari Abramson; Stuart Aiken; Naomi and Larry Amsterdam; Yifat, Liam, Ayala, and Meital Asher; Jill and Jeremy Bers; Kelly and Jeffrey Blavatt; Michelle and Debbie Brill; Harriet and Miner Brown; Vivian and Phillip Chait; Heather, Alexa, and Ali Cohen; Cheri Crow; Sylvia Dolgoff; Danielle Drager; Wendy, Eric, Jakob, Benny and Ethan Espeland; Jay, Rena, and Ruben Finkel;
Laura Flaks; Forrest Foss; Donna and Gary Friedman; Jenny, Ziv, Natan, Aviad, Lior, and Gilad Gamliel; Stella Barness and Harold Getz; Payton, Evan, Jack, and Emma Goldman; Alan Guttman; Rahel Lerner and Adam Gregerman; Jessica, Albert, Linley Grosman; Robert and Charlie Hallock; Debby Hellman; Shelly and Jeffrey Hettleman; Neil, Jacob, and Rachel Kaplan; Tammy, Fred, and Ethan Heyman; Neil Katz; Tammara, Jonah, Emlyn, and Marin Langlieb; Linda and Mark Levy; Barbara and Bruce Lewbart; Michelle and Ira Malis; Marsha Manekin; Beverly and Jordon Max; Cindy and Robert Max; Randi Miller; Sandra Mitchell; Jeffrey and Gefen Nusinov; Andrea, Brian, Daniel, Evan, and David Polsky; Stephen and Aaron Pomerantz; Saundra and David Madoff; June Minch; Hazel and Michael Radowsky; Felicia Shulman; Ruth, Harry, Joshua,
Jeremy, and Matthew Silber; Howard Rosenbloom; Nancy, David, and Sophie Sall; Emma Silverman; Margie Simon; Michelle Shermak, Sam and Max Sobkov; Allison, Brad, Kyle, and Dylan Sopher; Deborah, Frank, and Amanda Spector; Charlee Sterling; Cheryl Snyderman; Miriam and Ezra Suldan; Karen Desser, Morris and Ethan Swartz; Robert and Avishai Wilcox; Marsha and Sherwin Yoffe; Anne and David Young; Zosia, Eislyn, and Ruby Zaks; Bonnie, Roy, Danielle and Matthew Zeigelstein. If we have inadvertently left out your name, please let us know so we can be include you in our next publication. Or next Beautification Day will be held on Sunday, May 1, 2011.
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Personalizing the Mitzvah by Rachael Abrams
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s the mother of a four year old and two year old, much of my current life revolves around assorted preschool themes—deciding what to bring in for show and share, ensuring a wide array of cereals are on hand to please everyone, and coordinating requested playdates. Like most parents, each day my boys amaze me with the wondrous, and often entertaining, things that they say and do. We are overjoyed when these moments are the result of our own parenting, as this is hopefully an indicator that we are doing something right! However, such moments are also the product of the phenomenal schooling that the boys receive at the Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center. While our boys receive a rich and diverse education at school, there is a unique kind of joy that my husband and I experience when we hear our boys chanting brakhot, using Hebrew words, and singing songs about Jewish holidays and their experiences in shul. I can’t quite explain this feeling, but I’m sure those of you who have known such moments, understand just what I’m referring to. My husband and I acknowledge and accept that it is our responsibility to demonstrate the Jewish life that we hope 8 | HaZ’man ~ This Season
our sons will live. After all, it is often our memories that shape our lives. Our own parents provided us with opportunities to create rich memories—Jewish education, festive Shabbat and holiday experiences, hands-on learning opportunities for the entire family, and Jewish summer camp are only a few that come to mind. As a result of upbringings where Judaism was a priority, it is easy to practice mitzvot regularly in our lives. By doing this, we hope that our children will have a wealth of Jewish memories to characterize their own lives. Hiddur mitzvah is defined as the adornment, embellishment, or beautification of a mitzvah. I see hiddur mitzvah as a way to personalize the mitzvah, allowing us to make unique, meaningful, and beautiful contributions that allow us to connect with God. The most basic way that we, as parents, carry out this mitzvah is by creating opportunities to foster Judaism in our children’s lives. My boys come home from school with beautiful, creative, and practical crafts—an apple and honey plate, a colored silk matzah cover, a soda cap menorah. While these ritual objects may not be as “beautiful” as other judaica displayed in our home, they are far more meaningful. We make sure to use these ritual objects because doing so demonstrates that our boys can participate
in mitzvot, even at a young age. Recently, we started baking challah together for Shabbat. Rest assured, it would be far more efficient and less messy for me to do this by myself! However, by involving the boys, we create family memories, opportunities for them to enhance the mitzvah of Shabbat, which we hope they will carry with them, passing the beauty to their own families one day. To me, hiddur mitzvah is about beautifying Judaism for my family, adding a different level of detail and holiness to our actions. This level is not necessarily what beautifies the mitzvah physically but more about what beautifies the mitzvah personally. The childhood craft, the antique menorah that originated in Romania, the one hundred year old family tune for lighting candles, whatever it is—I hope that the Hanukkah lights help you to find the beauty in your own practice of hiddur mitzvah. n Rachael, a licensed clinical social worker, is a graduate of Krieger Schechter Day school and a teacher in the Rosenbloom Religious School. She is an active volunteer throughout the synagogue community, serving as the Alumni Chair on the KSDS Board of Directors, the Chair of YFC and a representative on the GECEC PA. Rachael and her husband, Josh, have two boys, Sam and Ben, who attend GECEC. She is a second-generation member of Chizuk Amuno Congregation.
Beauty of the Mitzvah by Lynn Kotz
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ost people know me as “The Party Lady” because over the last 26 years I have been in the event industry. As an event planner, it has been my job to beautify the mitzvah, enhance the ritual. My career choice came from my passion of celebrating holidays with my family and the ritual of setting a beautiful table, my personal approach to hiddur mitzvah. My greatest love has been transforming my home into a joyous, warm, and memorable place for all those family and friends who join me each holiday. The ritual always begins with the table linen selection which signifies the occasion and time of year. Next I create a centerpiece for the table that shares in the experience of the specific occasion, i.e. Passover or Rosh HaShanah. Finally, I begin to set the table. It is my favorite part and my true expression of hiddur mitzvah. I start with the dishes, I always use my good china. Then I set the glassware. No matter what the color scheme or “look” may have turned out for the table, the one constant that truly signifies a holiday celebration for me are the cut crystal water goblets I received when I was married in 1973.
These goblets only show their regal presence during the most precious family gatherings and holidays. Hand washed only, the chore of making them glitter each time helps me to appreciate the importance of them on the table. They have seen many a political discussion, cultural review, silly banter, and a lifetime of memories that could have only happened because of the warmth and glow they bring to the table. When I place them on the holiday table, an overwhelming feeling of happiness fills me because soon my friends and family will gather in my home and we will once again celebrate in tradition. My goblets, my hiddur mitzvah, will forever enhance the ritual of holiday and will one day be passed along to one of my daughters to continue the importance and meaning of the holiday. n Lynn Kotz is 56 years old and has been a member of Chizuk Amuno since childhood. She is the owner and creative director of Celebrations Unlimited, Inc., an event planning company, specializing in weddings, b’nei mitzvah, corporate events, and other life cycle celebrations. Her daughters, Lorin and Megan, joined the company in 2006 and have established a second generation of event planners!
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Making an Extra Effort by Marshall Haine
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here is in Judaism a principle that expresses a notion of sacred aesthetics. One example of the principle is hiddur mitzvah. It means “to beautify the way we perform a mitzvah.” The Hebrew word mitzvah literally means commandment, but it has also come to mean a good deed. Hiddur means to make beautiful. Hiddur mitzvah, then, is a commandment to make things beautiful while doing good. This is a principle which we can observe in both our secular as well as religious lives. The concept is derived from the Talmud on the Biblical verse in the book of Exodus: “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). The verse that gives rise to this concept of hiddur mitzvah is from the Song of the Sea. The setting: The Israelites have just fled from Egypt. They have reached what appears to be an insurmountable barrier: the Sea of Reeds. From the distance they hear the pounding hooves of Pharaoh’s army. All seems lost, but Moses calls out, “Have 10 | HaZ’man ~ This Season
no fear!” And God says to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to move forward.” With that, the sea parts. The Israelites cross over, and then the waters close over their worst fears, submerging them in the depths of the sea. Immediately, the Israelites sing. The Song of the Sea is a celebration of that which carries us across the threshold from slavery to freedom. The Israelites cross over from the realm of enslavement and head toward the Promised Land, the realm of responsibility. From this song exulting in our liberation blossoms the principle of hiddur mitzvah, the beautification of how we perform mitzvot. Today there are so many opportunities to not just perform a mitzvah, but hiddur mitzvah. In our home we do this in a very simple, but meaningful, way on Shabbat. We try to make the Shabbat even more beautiful, by making it more of a true family event and bake our own challah. While simple, it is very meaningful and enhances the celebration. In the balance of our everyday lives, we also have the opportunity to perform hiddur
mitzvah. What comes to mind is the movie Pay It Forward. In the movie, Trevor, a young boy from a broken home is challenged by one of his teachers to come up with an idea which will truly “make a difference.” After much soul searching, Trevor comes up with an idea—if you perform an act of kindness, it will inspire others to also perform acts of kindness. Just imagine, you do a mitzvah that really helps someone and tell him or her, NOT to pay it back, but to pay it forward to three other people, who, in turn, each pay it forward to three more – now that is hiddur mitzvah! So as you go forward, think about how you can perform hiddur mitzvah in a way which inspires others. n Marshall and Maria moved to Baltimore in 1993, from Cincinnati, Ohio. Marshall currently serves on the Krieger Schechter Day School Board. Their daughter, Madison, is a very enthusiastic student in the 5th grade at KSDS.
Hiddur Mitzvah ~ All Around Us by Rabbi Deborah Wechsler
xcd H
iddur is most commonly found in Jewish life in the context in which we are using it – Hiddur Mitzvah, beautifying a physical object used for a religious ritual. But hiddur and its Hebrew root h.d.r. – xcd – are also found in many different ways in our tradition and in our own community. In our Gemilut Hasadim programs you might see volunteers running a Hanukkah program in an assisted living facility in fulfillment of the mitzvah ve hadarta pnei zaken, showing honor to the elderly. In Krieger Schechter’s Student Council you might see justice in action and the students applying the value of dal lo tehdar, not showing favor to one person over another. In our Goldsmith’s Hebrew Immersion program you might hear one of the teachers call out nehdar when a student does something which is splendid. In Rosenbloom Religious School you might smell the pri etz hadar, the etrog, as the students participate in the mitzvah of
shaking the lulav outside in the sukkah. In the bride’s room on Sunday afternoon you might see a young woman hudar, being adorned with her veil and her dress in anticipation of her wedding. In our kitchen you might see Chef Annie preparing a simhah meal that is mehadrin min ha mehadrin, the best of the best. In minyan you might see women and men, boys and girls wrapping themselves in their tallitot as it says in Psalms, hod ve hadar lavashta, clothed in splendor and majesty. We are blessed to be part of a community with many hiddurim, many ways in which we honor and adorn our traditions and our synagogue community. As we say in the words of the hadran, the prayer recited at the completion of a significant portion of study, and which speaks of the beauty of our sacred texts—hadran alakh ve hadrakh alan, we bring beauty and respect to our community and our community brings beauty and respect to us. n Hanukkah 5771 | 11
Garrison Forest Cemetery Dedication “A minyan, though preferred, is not required in order to say Kaddish at a cemetery,” according to Rabbi Shulman in his remarks at the dedication of Garrison Forest Cemetery on Sunday, October 10. On a beautiful fall morning we gathered to consecrate the ground which is already being used by our synagogue community. Rabbi Shulman explained that while we are in the midst of those who have passed away, their souls fulfill the requirement of ten people to say our prayers of mourning. Many times we are at a loss as to what to say or recite upon visiting a grave. Saying Kaddish along with personal prayers is the correct and respectful thing to do. Hazzan Perlman concluded the program with the chanting of El Maleh Rahamim. Shown in the adjoining picture are Irwin Berman and Joan and Leslie Berman, members of the family who donated funds toward the purchase of our new cemetery, dedicted to the memory of their mother, Jean Roll Berman. For information about purchasing plots at Garrison Forest Cemetery, please contact Marsha Yoffe, ext. 309.
CAC and KSDS Receive Extraordinary Gift Chizuk Amuno Congregation and Krieger Schechter Day School are the recipients of a $1 million bequest from the estates of Zelda and Frank Silverman. The couple, who were both teachers and lived their entire lives in Baltimore, were members of Chizuk Amuno for
over 40 years. They were married late in life by Rabbi Israel Goldman who told them not to worry because they had at least 25 years together. Zelda and Frank, who died at 96 and 91 respectively, enjoyed 44 years of love and companionship. “This gift is a testament to the meaningful role that
Chizuk Amuno plays in the life of its congregants. Clearly the experiences and interactions that they had here had a great impact on their lives and we are extremely grateful that the Silvermans chose Chizuk Amuno as part of their legacy,” said Chizuk Amuno President Richard Manekin.
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Barukhim Habaim! • Welcome to Our New Members Phyllis and William Bricker Myra “Honey” and Moshe Cohen Dara and Craig Friedson Ilana and Daniel Glazer
Mary and Jonathan Haar Jayne Gerson and Elliott Haut Julie and Lawrence Hettleman
Anna Grossberg and Jacob Hodes Victoria Young and Jonas Salganik Cindy and Allen Schiff Marcie and Stephen Swirnow
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. 12 | HaZ’man ~ This Season
KSDS Celebrates 30 Years with Style Krieger Schechter Day School is celebrating 30 years of academic excellence in general and Judaic education this school year with the theme: Live the Learning. To mark such a momentous occasion and explore this theme the school has contracted with local artist Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen. Jay is well known for using large-scale art projects to build community and create dynamic pieces that transform space as well as the spirit of the community. This past October, the faculty and the entire KSDS student body began participating in a series of workshops that have engaged them in a unique community building experience connecting them to one another, to the school, and to our traditions. Parents, alumni, and alumni parents will also have a chance to participate in specific workshop events being planned. Jay employs a multi-stepped approach that includes the exploration of themes and text and mural making, based on classroom study and discussion. In addition to lending their creative ideas, students will have the chance to actually paint the murals that will be placed on the walls of the school permanently. The installation of the murals will take place this spring and be revealed at the community-wide 30th Anniversary celebration being
held Sunday evening, March 27. The school is grateful to the parent volunteers who have made this project such a success. Please contact Sarah Fried or Alison Wielechowski in the KSDS Development Office with any questions or to learn how you can get involved, 410/824-2050 or alisonw@ksds.edu.
Chizuk Amuno’s Best Kept Secret It’s no secret that Chizuk Amuno has youth groups for students in kindergarten through grade 12. It’s no secret that Bonim (grades K-2) just had an amazing pottery painting program where they learned how Thanksgiving is a holiday based on a very important Jewish value, or that in the last month both Haverim (grades 3-5) and Kadima (grades 6-8 made numerous sandwiches and dozens of freshly baked cookies for the hungry. It’s no secret that Chizuk Amuno USY, CAUSY, (grades 9-12) is having amazing programs like our Friday-ton where they prepared and Shabbat dinner, davened, enjoyed the home cooked Shabbat meal they prepared, and then sang songs filled with ruah after dinner. No, the secret is our newest member of the CAC Youth Groups family: LEV. The Lift Every
Voice Project is a brand new type of Youth Group. This new project combines the fun of a youth group with the musically therapeutic power of a choir. This youth group takes the joy of music to those who truly need it the most. The LEV project began this past October. Still in its early stages, the students participating in LEV are getting to know one another and are learning the music that they will share with the community. LEV is unlike a conventional youth group— instead of gathering in the synagogue, they gather in nursing homes and hospitals. Instead of giving money, they give of their time. LEV is about having fun, enjoying music, and helping
others to feel better. The secret is out – stay tuned for a LEV performance coming your way.
Thinking About Our College Kids After all of the planning, shopping, packing, traveling, and unpacking involved in starting the new college year, we’re sure our students were happy to receive some early High Holy Day “sweetness” in the mail a la the College Outreach Committee. Our students received packages of apple candies and honey sticks along with a message from Rabbi Wechsler and a calendar of Jewish holidays for the year. We love having the opportunity to show the kids we are thinking of them during the holidays while they are away.
It is now even easier to register your undergraduate college student for our mailings! Sign up online at www.chizukamuno.org, under Synagogue Life. They will receive holiday packages, birthday greetings, and messages from the Rabbi. You can also e-mail Hillary Crystal at jackandhillary@comcast.net with the following information: Student’s name, address at school, e-mail address and phone number, birthday, and year in school. Don’t forget if you have a high school student planning college campus visits, we have Chizuk Amuno students at
over 15 campuses ready to meet with you and show you around. Our hosts are eager to show you their schools! Contact Hillary Crystal, jackandhillary@comcast.net, or 410/363-4060, to arrange a visit. CAC College Kid Get-Together We will have a dinner for Chizuk college kids who are home for winter break on Tuesday, December 21, at 5 p.m. in the Lerner Beit Midrash. RSVP to Rabbi Wechsler, ext. 231. Hanukkah 5771 | 13
Chizuk Amuno Sisterhood Turns 125! 1886
1886 Thirteen women of Chizuk Amoonah Congregation meet to form Ladies Auxiliary
and rich history of supporting our he Sisterhood of Chizuk Amuno has a long ncial and social programs. Through Congregation through its educational, fina t, Sisterhood was always there to aid, assis good and bad years, wars and prosperity, new levels of excellence. Listed below are and carry our synagogue community to ities through the years. some of the highlights of Sisterhood activ Amuno Sisterhood and see pictures To learn more about the history of Chizuk page amuno.org and click on the Sisterhood from our past, please visit www.chizuk under Synagogue Life.
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1906
1918 We are a founding member of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, created by Mathilde Schechter
1926
1921 Congregation moved to Eutaw Place, name changed to Chizuk Amuno Sisterhood
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April 1
1940 First Sisterhood Shabbat
1946
1940 Sisterhood President Flora Rosenbloom permitted to speak before the end of the service
1946 First Sisterhood representative to the Board and first Bat Mitzvah in shul 1956 Sisterhood pledged $50,000 towards building of Stevenson Road facility under the leadership of President Sayde Sklar
1966 1969 Two-week Sisterhood trip to Israel with Rabbi and Mrs. Goldman 1975 Rabbinical Assembly approval of women reading Torah and participating in a minyan
1986
1986 100th Anniversary of Sisterhood celebration
2006
2008 Sisterhood pledged $50,000 toward renovation of Krieger Auditorium
2011
2011 125th Anniversary of Sisterhood celebration, May 25
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1980
1977 Chizuk Amuno Board approves equality of women in ritual practices First Sisterhood Shabbat when women ascend the bimah and lead services
1992
1980
1960
Celebrating Fifty Years in Our Sanctuary
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undreds of Chizuk Amuno congregants gathered on Shabbat, October 29-30, 2010 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Sanctuary. Preceded by a festive Shabbat dinner, Hazzan Perlman and the Chizuk Amuno Choir presented “If These Walls Could Sing” …the musical legacy of Chizuk Amuno Congregation. Pieces presented included those from the repertoires of Hazzanim Weisgal, Salkhov, Dardashti, and Perlman. A beautiful narrative of the Sanctuary’s 50 years and Rabbi Goldman’s original vision was created and presented by Jan Schein, with Rabbi Shulman giving voice to Rabbi Goldman’s words. On Shabbat morning, we honored members who have enjoyed s’mahot in the Sanctuary including b’nei mitzvah, birthdays, weddings, namings, and more. Edna and Mace Crystal, Irene Siegel, Barbara Lichter, Dr. Richard Kolker, and President Dick Manekin offered personal reflections on what the Sanctuary has meant in their lives. Featured throughout the weekend was a photographic retrospective depicting the history and life of our Sanctuary. Chizuk Amuno Congregation is extremely grateful to the Blavatt family— Ronald, Amy, Jason, Kelly, and Jeff— for their generous sponsorship of the Sanctuary’s 50th Anniversary weekend, dedicated to the memory of Susan Blavatt z”l.
“Whether it’s a nervous 13 year-old sitting on the bimah next to the rabbi, or a nervous 30 year-old bridegroom under the huppah… the giggling preschooler watching the Purim wedding of Kermit and Miss Piggy, or the giggling teens dancing wildly around the bimah during Simhat Torah celebrations… memories have been created in this space. A room is concrete and steel…. marble, mahogany, and glass. A room does not have a life, it only reflects the lives of those who pass through it. From the first shovel placed in the ground 50 years ago, this room—this Sanctuary space—has reflected the lives of thousands. May thousands more be blessed to create their own shared memories within these walls.” Excerpted from remarks by Jan Schein, Chizuk Amuno Archivist
“The most imposing and the tallest building should be the Synagogue building. It should face in an easterly direction and should have a modern tower of pylon, at the top of which should be a large and magnificent menorah which would be illuminated for special occasions. In this way the Synagogue will serve as a landmark and focal point for the entire countryside. The Sanctuary should not look like an auditorium or a theatre. It must have majesty, mystery, reverence and simplicity. The front of the Sanctuary should not be a stage. It should be an elevated area consisting of steps leading from the floor of the Sanctuary and composed of several levels. Such an elevation at the front of the Sanctuary expresses the democracy of Judaism by means of which each worshipper can have access to the Holy of Holies.” Excerpted from the personal notebook of Rabbi Israel Goldman, entry dated February 17,1954
Hanukkah 5771 | 15
Give the gift of a professional look ...
INTERVIEW OUTFITS UNLIMITED
There will be Hanukkah candle lighting daily at the evening minyan. Please visit our website, www.chizukamuno.org, for a detailed minyan schedule.
(I.O.U.) CLOTHING DRIVE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12 • 9 A.M. - NOON
Please drop off cleaned, gently worn professional clothing on hangers and accessories for men and women.
Volunteers will be on hand in the Louis A. Cohen Family Chapel Lobby to accept donations and help unload cars. Receipts will be available. Volunteers are needed to transport items. Donations take place on weekdays and Sundays. If you drive a SUV, van, or truck and would like to do a mitzvah, please contact Miriam Foss.
Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service, will address our congregation at Shabbat Hanukkah services, Saturday, December 4. Her topic will be “Increasing the Light, Changing the World: A Grassroots Approach to Ending Global Poverty, Hunger and Disease.”
Questions? Call Miriam Foss, mfoss@chizukamuno.org or 410/486-6400, ext. 281. A service initiative made possible by the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Gemilut Hasadim Endowment Fund
Open House
Krieger Schechter Day School K - 8th Grade 410/824-2066 Sunday, January 9, 2 p.m. Ilene Wise, Director of Admission www.ksds.edu
Ruth Messinger Shabbat Hanukkah Speaker
Rosenbloom Religious School K - 7th Grade 410/486-8641 Sunday, January 30, 9:15 a.m. Alex Weinberg, Director www.chizukamuno.org/rrs
A question and answer session will follow the kiddush luncheon.
Sisterhood Judaica Shop Currently Featuring Our Huge Selection of Hanukkah Items Menorahs • Candles • Dreidels Books • Toys • Kitchenware Collections (aprons, cookbooks, serving pieces) Lots of Popular Gift Items for the Youngsters and Young-At-Heart on your List Shop Hours: Sunday: 9:15-11:30 a.m. Monday: 9:30-11:30 a.m., 2-6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 10 a.m.-noon, 2-6 p.m. Friday: 10 a.m.-noon
Great Beginnings Start at Our Schools 16 | HaZ’man ~ This Season
Celebrating the Meaning of Hanukkah’s Light B’rakhot for Hanukkah’s Lights
¨v T ², J ¤J Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh haOlam asher kid-sha’nu b’mitz-votav v’tzi-vanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who sanctified us as a people through God’s commandments, and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.
¨v T /v®Z©v i©n±z³C o¥v¨v oh¦n²H©C Ubh ¯,Ic£t³k oh¦X°b v¨G²g¤J Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh haOlam, sh’a-sah nisim la’avo-tei-nu ba-yamim ha-hem baz’man ha-zeh. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors during those days at this season. On the first night only:
¨v T /v®Z©v i©n±Z³k Ub ²gh°D¦v±u Ub ²n±H¦e±u Ub ²h¡j¤v¤J Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh haOlam, sh’he-he-ya-nu v’ki-y’ma-nu v’hi-gi-a-nu laZ’man haZeh. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe, for the gift of our lives, for all that sustains us, and for enabling us to reach this season.
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On Hanukkah we remember the miracles of faith, of our people’s perseverance, and of life’s daily wonders. We remember the Maccabees and the conflict of ancient days while we honor the victory of faith, and of Judaism’s ideals. Hanukkah’s light represents spiritual strength, not only physical prowess. Our Hanukkiyot represent God’s light, a path of peace and goodness that must endure for all time
oh¦X°b©v k©g oh¦eh°k§s©n Ub§j³b£t Uk²K©v ,Ir¯B©v ,In¨j§k¦N©v k©g±u ,IgUJ§T©v k gu ,It k±p°B©v k©g±u v®Z©v i©n±Z©C o¥v¨v oh¦n²H©C Ubh ¥,Ic£t³k ¨,h ¦G gJ v²F£j h¥n±h ,³bIn§J k²f±u /oh¦JIs§E©v Wh ¤b£v«F h¥s±h k©g ,UJ§r Ub ²k ih¥t±u o¥v J¤s «e Uk²K©v ,Ir¯B©v s²c§k°C o¨,It§r°k t²K¤t o¤v²C J¥N©T§J¦v§k kIs²D©v W§n¦J±k k¯K©v±kU ,IsIvk h¥s±F /W ®,²gUJ±h k©g±u Wh ®,It±k±p°b k©g±u Wh ®X°b k³g HaNerot Hallalu anahnu madlikim, al ha-nisim, v’al ha-nif-laot, v’al ha-t’shuot, v’al-ha milhamot, she-a’sita-la’avoteinu ba-ya-mim ha-hem, bazman ha-zeh al y’dei kohanekha hak’doshim. V’khol sh-mo-nat y’mei Hanukkah haNerot hallalu kodesh hem, v’ein la-nu r’shut l’hish-ta-mesh ba-hem, eleh li’rotom bilvad, k’day l’hodot u’l’halel l’shimkha ha-gadol al nisekha v’al niflotekha v’al y’shuatekha.
How the lights are kindled: One candle is lit in the Hanukkah menorah for each night. For the first night, one candle, the second night, two candles, and so on until eight candles are kindled on the eighth night. The candle for the first night is placed on the right side of your Hanukkiyah. On each subsequent night an additional candle is placed to the left of the preceding night’s candle. The lighting proceeds from left to right so that the new candle is kindled first
each night. No practical use may be made of the Hanukkah lights such as illuminating the room. Therefore, according to Jewish tradition, a special extra candle known as the Shamash is used to light the others and to provide light. On Friday night the Hanukkah lights are lit before the Shabbat candles, prior to sunset. On Saturday night, be sure the sun has set before lighting the Hanukkah candles.
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What is the Mitzvah of Torah? Be Part of It. February 13, 2011, 11 a.m.