Kol Kiruv November 2018
Cheshvan - Kislev
Vol. 28—No. 3
Happenings
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Congregation P’nai Tikvah will worship on
A Note From Cantor Goldberg
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November 5th and 19th. Tot Shabbat, Kabba-
A Message From Reb Jamie
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lat Shabbat and Ma’ariv services will begin at
A Message From Rabbi Mintz, Rabbi Emerita 5-6
6:30 PM on November 5th. On November 19th, Shabbat-Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv
The President’s Message, Sam Lieberman
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Upcoming Events
7-10
What’s Been Going On? Free Money
11-14 6th and November 20th at Indigo. 15 If you are interested in sponsoring an Oneg to 16 celebrate an event or memorialize a loved
Yahrzeit, Nid’vei Lev and Celebrations
17-18 one, please call 702.436.4900 for sponsorship
Calendar at a Glance
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Jewlicious Learning
Services will begin at 7:30PM. Torah Study will be at 9:30am on November
and catering opportunities.
A Note From Cantor Marla Goldberg One of the many subjects I had to take in Cantorial School was Liturgy. In these classes we were taught the order and choreography of a service. Basically the what, where, and why of how our worship services are put together. Most of how our worship is done today was put together hundreds of years ago by the Rabbis of the period after the destruction of the Second Temple. They replace sacrifice with prayer and decided how these prayers would go. Some would be read by a leader, some would be responsive, some read or recited together, and some would be personal. Examples of responsive prayers are the Kaddish, and Bar’chu. Traditionally, when the Bar’chu is chanted, the Chazzan will chant the first line, “Bar’chu et Adonai hamevorach” (Praised be to God to whom all praise is due!) and the congregation responds with, “Baruch Adonai hameovach l’olam va-ed!” (Praise be to God to whom all praise is due now and forever!). In traditional services, the Chazzan repeats the second line. This pattern is also done when someone is called to bless the Torah. The Kaddish is a prayer of praise written in Aramaic, a sister language to Hebrew. It is done several times within the service, with a few variations. In our congregation, we usually just do two versions, the Chatzi Kaddish and Kaddish Yatom. The Chatzi Kaddish, also known as the Half Kaddish, (even though what we chant is not one half of a full Kaddish) is used to separated parts of the service. On Friday nights we chant the Chatzi Kaddish for separation of Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat) and the Shema and its Blessings. If you look in the siddur (prayer book) you will find another one that comes right before the Amida. Originally the Chazzan would begin the proclamation with the first paragraph and the congregation responded with the line, “Y’hey shemey rabah m’vorach….” and add the first word of the next paragraph, “Yitbarach”. The Chazzan then repeats “Yitbarach” and continues with the next paragraph through to the end. If you ever wanted to know why I don’t sing the first “Yitbarach” there, that is why. In many modern congregations it became customary for the congregation to join the Chazzan in the middle of the first paragraph at the words, “b’hayeichon” and in the second full paragraph at, “Tush b’chatah”. Also, according to my teachers, there is no break between the Kaddish and Bar’chu, no Amen is done there, just go right to the Bar’chu. The other Kaddish we do is the Kaddish Yatom, the Mourner’s Kaddish. As you know this prayer says nothing about death. This Kaddish adds two more verses at the end. It is only full of praise. I believe this shows that we praise God in everything. Life and death, happiness and sorrow, and all the in-betweens. There are other Kaddishes that can be done. The Kaddish D’rabbinan and the Kaddish T’kabel (also known as the Kaddish Shalem) are longer prayers. We have, or at least I have, chanted them at B’nai Mitzvahs. The Kaddish and the Bar’chu prayers have one simple thing in common. They are there for us to sing praise to God. Something I try to do every day. May your days be full of praise, and love. L’Shalom,
Cantor Marla Goldberg
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Message from Reb Jamie Years ago, I was accepted into a Jewish leadership program based on the premise that as an established leader charting the future of the community, one needed to know how to make a Jewish decision, a decision made through the lens of Jewish values and wisdom. Making a Jewish decision involves the application of Jewish values as a consideration to a give issue. A national Jewish news organization provided an excellent example of this with their recent article on the latest nominee to the supreme court. The JTA asked a diverse group of rabbis to present Jewish laws and values that would apply in the current situation. Politics and personal opinions aside, I present several of them here as an illustration of what our sages across the ages would likely take into consideration with this issue. Repentance Jewish tradition gives us several important lenses for understanding the accusations faced by the supreme court nominee. On the one hand, the Talmud tells us, “A priest who kills a person is disqualified from performing the priestly blessing” (Berachot 32b). Some acts - even if they are not prosecutable in court - forever stand in the way of high leadership. On the other hand, as of today, the accusations pertain to incidents in the far past. Is there no chance at all for a person to move on from mistakes? Commenting on the above statement in the Talmud, the Shulchan Aruch preserves a debate about whether repentance restores the killer’s priestly privilege (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 128:35). According to Rabbi Joseph Karo, “a prosecutor cannot turn defense attorney” - spiritual rehabilitation doesn’t privilege a murderous priest to bless the nation. Rabbi Moses Isserles disagrees: Jews forgive. Maimonides lays out clear steps for repentance including recognizing the sin, confessing it, making amends and changing future behavior. Has the accused confronted his offenses? Even if he has, will that be sufficient to allow a “prosecutor” - someone who has been responsible for grave violations of human dignity - to become a “defense attorney” entrusted with protecting all people, including women? Rabbi Meesh Hammer-Kossoy, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, a non-denominational yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Regarding the victim The #MeToo movement has compelled society to grapple with many key questions: Do people lie about assault for their own gain? Should we extend statute of limitations? How should we define the parameters of sexual harassment? Do perpetrators deserve redemption? But I believe the most fundamental question we should ask, and of primary concern in our Jewish tradition is: Has the victim suffered? Indeed, the Gemara’s posture is to protect the victim from physical harm. “One who wounds his neighbor is liable to pay for five damages: permanent impairment, pain and suffering, healing expenses, unemployment, and shame” (Mishna Bava Kama 8:1). The rabbis understood that there are multiple layers of harm that can be inflicted on another person. In addition to physical pain and suffering, a victim may also suffer from inability to be productive and successful at work. He or she may need “healing expenses” in recognition that there is real work and time to the healing process. The damage caused may be permanent, no matter how far back it occurred. Finally, a victim also experiences shame, emotional distress, beyond visible physical wounds. So, the question that I believe we must all instinctively grapple with first is about the welfare of the victims. Have they suffered? And have appropriate damages been paid? Rabba Sara Hurwitz, co-founder and president, Yeshivat Maharat, the first institution to ordain Orthodox women as clergy
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The rights of the accused The Torah says: “Lo yakum eid echad b’ish… Al pi shnei eidim o al pi shloshah eidim yakum davar” - “A single witness shall not stand up against any man… According to two witnesses or according to three witnesses shall a matter be confirmed” (Deuteronomy. 19:15). Those two witnesses, neither of whom was the accuser or any close relative of the accuser or the accused, were fully investigated and interrogated before they were accepted. The Torah is very concerned about the rights and reputation of the accused, and that is the Jewish view. Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Coalition for Jewish Values
Holding leaders accountable The Bible makes a distinction between sex crimes in a city and a field (Deuteronomy 22:23).The rabbis interpret the “city” not as a matter of population density but culture. A city is a place where people care about sexual assault and respond. In this context, the rabbis focus on the responsibility of the community and leadership to respond to and ideally prevent sexual violence. Under this rubric, one medieval Talmud scholar characterizes the entire Persian empire under King Ahashverosh (of the Purim story) as a field. Since the supreme leader of the land was a womanizer, acting like he was sexually entitled to any woman he wanted, no one in his kingdom took sexual violence seriously. When our national leaders dismiss accounts of sexual assault because “nothing happened,” or refuse to put in place and follow clear protocols to respond to these accounts, they are setting a tone that has ripple effects well beyond the bench of nine justices. This is a moment where we have to ask ourselves, do we live in a city or a field? We must hold our leadership accountable to take sexual assault seriously. Otherwise, the most robust system of courts and justice is really just an empty field. Rabbi Aviva Richman, faculty member, Machon Hadar. Her areas of study include Jewish law, gender and sexuality in Judaism
Public service is a privilege A story in the Talmud (Moed Katan 17a) anticipates current events: Terrible rumors about a local rabbi reach Rav Yehuda, a leading rabbinic authority in Babylonia. Rav Yehudah deliberates about what to do. On the one hand, the accused rabbi offers valuable services to a local community; on the other, the rabbi’s tarnished reputation degrades his office (in Talmudic language, “profanes the name of God”). In the end, Rav Yehudah decides to act on the allegations and ostracize the accused. On his deathbed, Rav Yehudah expresses satisfaction that he did not bow to pressure to flatter an important man but was rather governed by principle. These are the principles I draw from the story: 1. For the rabbis, there is a high standard of evidence. In the absence of corroborating testimony, a plethora of allegations - no matter how persuasive - do not suffice to convict the accused of a crime. 2. Public service is a privilege, not a right. Judges, like rabbis, are to be held to the highest ethical standards. Serious allegations - even in the absence of evidence - suffice to exclude the accused from a respected office of leadership. 3. True leadership means applying these principles to everyone, without regard for the status of the accused. Rabbi Mira Wasserman is director of the Center for Jewish Ethics and assistant professor of rabbinic literature at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
These ideas of repentance, victim’s rights, presumed innocence until guilt is proven, accountability, and the privilege of public service form a Jewish lens though which issues are adjudicated. There are other ideas that I didn’t include here but turning to the wisdom of our tradition helps us to examine issues from multiple perspectives and ultimately, hopefully, leads to a just decision. Tzedek, tzedek, tirdof. Justice, justice, you shall pursue. (Deut. 16:20)
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Message from Rabbi Emerita Yocheved Mintz Message from Rabbi Emerita
Dear Chevra: “Hineini”…Here I am.
Anyone who’s been in my office knows that I have a rock with the Hebrew letters Heh, Nun, Nun, Yud, spelling Hineini (meaning “Here I am”) on one of my walls. A gift from the Rabbi of Sedona, Rabbi Alicia Magal, it is a daily reminder that I take very seriously. The word “Hineini” is an important response found in the Torah eight times, each time reflecting a pivotal moment in our history. The first time is as a response to G-d’s call to Abraham at the beginning of the sequence of events we call the Akeidah, the binding of Isaac. The next two times are within that terrifying narrative itself, first when Isaac, calls “Avi?” (My father) and Abraham responds,” Hineini, b’ni” (here I am, my son) and later when an angel calls twice to Abraham: “Avraham, Avraham!”, and once more, Abraham responds that he is here. Later in Genesis, when we read the story of Jacob tricking his father, Isaac (now old and blind), into giving him Esau’s blessing, Isaac asks: “Avi?” and Isaac responds, “Hineini.” And in the story of Joseph, when Jacob, himself, is the father of twelve sons and at least one daughter, calls his young son, Joseph, and Joseph responds “Hineini,” it starts a series of events that ultimately will result in Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers. Twenty years later, Jacob will set out to meet his long-lost son, now the vizier of Egypt, and G-d will call to him in a dream “Yaakov, Yaakov,” to which he will respond: “Hineini.” And much later, we see the dramatic burning bush, with the voice calling out: “Mosheh, Mosheh” (Moses! Moses!) and here, too, the response, “Hineini.” The power of responding to G-d’s calling is probably inconceivable to many of us. In fact, the minute we start doing G-d Talk, we often short-circuit the conversation, but if we think of the response “Hineini” in mortal terms, perhaps it can have personal meaning…..and, at this particular moment in time, I would hope it has pertinent personal meaning. Let me pose the existential question to each of you: “Ayeka?” Where are you? Think about it for a moment, please. Where are you in your life? Your relation to your family? Your friends? Your work? Your studies? Your community? Your spiritual life? Is it where you want to be? We are just getting into our new year and we ask ourselves, where are we? Can we say with all honesty, “Hineini?” I’m here. I’m showing up. I’m answering the call. One of my beloved mentors, the late Reb Zalman, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, ztz”l, founder of the Renewal movement, offered a thought about why we need to answer the call with “Hineini.” He spoke of how, during the Shoah, much of the Chassidic world was destroyed and how devastating a blow this was to the Jewish world. One of the few rabbis who survived was the Beltzer rebbe. Here is what happened: Early in 5
the War, as ghettos were forming, the Gestapo burst into the home of the Beltzer rebbe and demanded to know where he was. The rebbe’s Gabbai (his aid), who actually was physically more imposing than the rebbe, himself, stepped forward and said: “Hineini!” (Here I am!) and thy shot him dead on the spot. His sacrifice made possible the continuation of and re-blossoming of a great Chassidic heritage. (Subsequently, the Beltzer rebbe and his brother were disguised in Nazi uniforms, and, as Reb Zalman retold it, were spirited to safety. Reb Zalman also noted some interesting Gematria about “Hineini.” Noting that each Hebrew letter has a numeric value, if we add up the letters in Hineini we get the value of 115, which also is the value of the words: “Anachnu” (We), “Aliyah” (Ascent), and “HaAm” (The People). He points out that if we are counted in “Hineini,” we become part of the larger “we”---we transcend our solitariness, ascend our own limitations and become part of the “Am,” the people. And this month, we face a monumental, though earthly, call “Ayeka?” Where are you? in the form of our civic duty of voting. At a time in our history where we are confronted with a Kafka-esque bombardment of fear-mongering, often brutal rhetoric; where it is difficult to ascertain what is true and what is twisted; when leadership often says one thing one day and the opposite the next…we are asked to come to the polls and make incredibly important choices. I know that some of you will throw up your hands and say, why vote?! Why show up?! Why?! Because your community, your family, your country needs you to step up and say: “Hineini!” Here I am. L’Shalom,
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz
From the President… This is a very exciting time for Congregation P’nai Tikvah. We are blessed with a wonderful congregational family which includes you, our fantastic clergy team and very busy board members. We have some spectacular events coming up!
In November, join us for “The Sun, the Moon, and All Our Stars”, a CPT talent show and Mitzvah auction. In December, Cantor Daniel Friedman, will be “Home for the Holidays” sharing “A Musical Journey from Bimah to Broadway” in a benefit concert. January offers our “Roast ‘n Toast” Brunch of Congresswoman Dina Titus at UNLV. I encourage you to attend these wonderful events as well as our Shabbat service on the first and third Fridays of the month, Torah Study, and so much more! If you have questions, want to volunteer, just want to talk… call me at 702-286-0739. Thanks for all you do!
Sam Lieberman 6
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GAME NIGHT
Join Indigo Valley Church and Congregation Pnai Tikvah for Game Night! November 17, 2018 5:00 - 9:00 PM AGR, 711 E Pilot Rd, Suite E
REAL arcade games! Skee Ball, Air Hockey, Pinball, Foosball and MORE! Bring a snack and beverage and PLAY!! TICKETS $10 (12 and under FREE). TICKETS: indigovalley.org or at the door!
This is an all community event!
See you at GAME NIGHT! 8
$180 Donation includes a program listing, VIP reception, concert and lite nosh $72 Donation includes concert and lite nosh
HOST COMMITTEE: The Honorable Shelley Berkley and Dr. Larry Lehrner, Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Lisa and Dr. Hugh Bassewitz, Sam Lieberman, Dale Gardner
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LIFE & LEGACY is a partnership program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to support Jewish communities in securing after-lifetime gifts.
An unprecedented transfer of generational wealth is taking place before our eyes. Yet Jewish organizations by and large have not fully recognized the possibilities or sought legacy gifts despite the knowledge that endowments will have an increasingly impactful role in sustaining the future of their organizations. Having this knowledge, the question HGF sought to answer is “Can Jewish communities be motivated to become proactive in encouraging widespread legacy giving?� With implementation of LIFE and LEGACY the answer is YES!
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Erev Rosh Hashanah
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Rosh Hashanah Our Choir Dr. Ellen Royer, Celeste Ainsley, Gayla Wennstrom, John Wennstrom, Dave Clark, John Bellum
Our youngest congregant, Shenandoah Wilreker with Daddy’s Tallit
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Yom Kippur
Preparing to Break the Fast
Celloist Jeremy Woolstenhume. 13
Sukkot with Rabbi Mintz Shaking the Etrog and Lulav
Jackie
Laurie
Kristen
Mickie
Debbie Avi
Judi
Will
Tonya
Annie 14
Jewlicious Learning During the month of Tishri, we met only a few times, due to the many holy days during the month, but we’re on schedule now and super-involved in fun and challenging studies. Our younger students are well into the basic Aleph-Bet, reading and printing; our older students are studying the prayers and blessings of the Kabbalat Shabbat and Aravit services. We’re also learning Hebrew script and the tropes of theTorah chanting. Each time we get together we have snacks and say the appropriate bracha (blessing). Cantor Goldberg teaches us a new song, and Rabbi Mintz frequently reads us a special story. Sometimes we check the gan (garden) or go on “Field Trips” with fun treasure hunts; sometimes we cook foods that are special to doing Jewish stuff. We always love being together and we help each other do the best learning we can do.
In the month of Kislev, we will investigate the relationship between Judaism and Thanksgiving and we will be getting ready for Chanukah which starts on the 24 th of Kislev, which is December 2nd.
Meyer
Danica
MayLee 15
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FREE MONEY
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Inspiring Donations® Giving More Back to the Community! Smith's Food and Drug is committed to helping our communities grow and prosper. Year after year, local schools, churches and other nonprofit organizations will earn millions of dollars through Smith’s Inspiring Donations®. Smith’s Inspiring Donations® makes fund-raising easy.. all you have to do is shop at Smith's Food and Drug and swipe your Rewards Card!
AMAZON SMILE 5% comes back whenever you shop through the smile.amazon.com portal. Sign Up and select Congregation P'nai Tikvah by typing it in Please note: do not use the apostrophe when searching use: Congregation Pnai Tikvah
It’s easy to find Box Tops. In fact, you may have some in your home right now. Clip Box Tops from your favorite products and turn them in to your child’s school today! Box Tops are each worth 10¢ and they add up fast! * Annie’s * Betty Crocker * Bugles * Cascadian Farms * * Fiber One * Finish * Gardetto’s * General Mills * Go-Gurt * * Green Giant * Hefty * Kleenex * Land O’Lakes * Larabar * Lysol * * Old El Paso * Pillsbury * Nature Valley * Reynold’s * Scott * * Totino’s * Yoplait * Ziploc * 16
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Dale Gardner
November 1
Ellen Royer
November 8
Zandra Bender
November 9
Ann Brandt
November 11
Barbara Holland
November 27
If you would like a copy of Kol Kiruv sent to your home, please send $ 72.00, along with your address to: Administrative Office, 1697 Black Fox Canyon Rd, Henderson, NV 89052 Clergy and Staff Cantor: Cantor Marla Goldberg Rabbinic Intern: Jamie Hyams Rabbi Emerita: Rabbi Yocheved Mintz Educators: Rabbi Mintz and Cantor Goldberg Bookkeeper/Treasurer: Lynn Pisetzner Administrative Assistant: Faith Silverman Marketing Director: Cindy Fox
P’nai Tikvah is a warm and welcoming,
progressive, egalitarian, and pluralistic congregation focusing on the spiritual,
educational, and social well-being of those who wish to live a fulfilling and
702.436.4900 www.pnaitikvahlv.org info@pnaitikvahlv.org
meaningful Jewish life.
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FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER Arthur Ackerman -Remembered by Jackie Ackerman
Sari Aizley -Remembered by Paul Aizley
Kate Bender -Remembered by Elliot Bender
Joseph DeLee
Our condolences to Marti Jenkins & family on the loss of her husband,
J D Jenkins
-Remembered by Michael DeLee
Nathan Etkind -Remembered by Ann Brandt
Bessie Freedman -Remembered by Barbara Holland
Bernice Mintz -Remembered by Maxine Blechman
James Nussbaum -Remembered by Michael Nussbaum
David Rauch -Remembered by Gloria Granat
Fran Silverman -Remembered by David & Faith Silverman
Harry Stromberg -Remembered by Rabbi Yocheved Mintz
Sarah Stromberg -Remembered by Rabbi Yocheved Mintz
Jean Tzorfas -Remembered by Evelyn Clark
Maurice Wagmeister -Remembered by Sam Wagmeister
Esther Weiman -Remembered by Barbara Holland Memorial plaques are available; to honor the departed, to inspire the living, to be remembered in the hearts of those we leave behind is, in a sense, to live forever.
For further information, call the Synagogue office at 702-436-4900 18
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE: November 1 6:30pm 2 6:30pm 7:30pm 3 9:30am 5 4:15pm 11 7:00pm 12 4:15pm 16 7:30pm 17 9:30am 5:00pm 19 4:15pm 20 7:00pm 26 4:15pm December 2 3 4:15pm 7 6:30pm 7:30pm 8 9:30am 7:45pm 10 4:15pm 17 4:15pm 21 7:30pm 24 4:15pm 31 4:15pm January 4 6:30pm 7:30pm 5 9:30am 27 11:00am
Community Interfaith Vigil Family Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv Service Torah Study Jewlicious Learning The Sun, The Moon, and All Our Stars Jewlicious Learning Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Service Torah Study Game Night Jewlicious Learning A Season of Mussar Jewlicious Learning
Temple Beth Sholom Indigo Indigo Indigo Rabbi Mintz CtS Lutheran Rabbi Mintz Indigo Indigo AGR Rabbi Mintz Rabbi Mintz Rabbi Mintz
Chanukah Candle 1 Jewlicious Learning Family Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Service Torah Study Hanukkah Concert with Cantor Daniel Jewlicious Learning Jewlicious Learning Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Service Jewlicious Learning Jewlicious Learning
Rabbi Mintz Indigo Indigo Indigo Shelley Berkley Rabbi Mintz Rabbi Mintz Indigo Rabbi Mintz Rabbi Mintz
Family Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Service Torah Study Roast ‘n Toast of Dina Titus
Indigo Indigo Indigo UNLV
Blessing for the Month of Kislev May we be blessed with faith to open us to new possibilities and new dimensions, that we be enabled to go forward in ways that we could not do solely on our own. Amen. 19