Temple Israel Doorpost - February 2017

February 2017

Shevat/Adar 5777

From the Rabbi’s Study…

As both a Grandchild and Great Grandchild of immigrants, the recent Executive Order regarding immigration hit very close to home. I crafted the following joint statement on behalf of Ministerium - Seacoast Interfaith Clergy Association.

May god bless our leaders the vision to resolve this matter expeditiously in a manner of compassion consistent with the ideals of this great country.

Musical Shabbat Drop In Chorus Friday, February 3, 2017 5:00pm Rehearsal, 6:15 pm service

Guys’ Night Out Thursday, February 9, 2017, 6:30-9:00pm Paddy’s American Grille

Parenting Discussion Group

With Torah blessings,

Sunday, February 5 9:15 am

Rabbi David

Ed Committee Meeting

Area Clergy React To Immigration Executive Order On January 27th, President Trump signed an Executive Order halting immigration from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Libya and Yemen. The order also precludes entry of all individuals from these countries for 90 days. The President called for are evaluation of the process vetting immigrants entering the United States.

Tuesday, February 7 6:00pm

Crafter's Club Friday, February 10 9:30am

Family Tu B'Shevat Celebration Friday, February 10 11:45am

Tu B'Shevat Vegetarian dinner (RSVP required) Friday, February 10 5:30pm

The Executive Order created a crisis in our major airports.

Legal US residents (US residents holding legitimate Green Cards and valid visas) who had been traveling abroad, were being denied entry as a result of the Executive Order. We pray that this was an unforeseen and unintended outcome of the Executive Order.

Special Oneg including Tu B'Shevat fruits and nuts

Federal judges in New York, Virginia, Washington and Massachusetts issued orders providing entry to those being detained in their respective states. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have called for the President to work together with Congress and appropriate agencies to craft a practical alternative to the Executive Order.

Board of Directors Meeting

As a candidate, the President touted himself as a Christian dedicated to Christian values. Furthermore, he touted himself as the father of an observant Jew and a proponent of Jewish values. We, therefore, call upon President Trump to embrace (Continued on page 2)

Friday, February 10 7:00pm

Kitah Vav Class Service Saturday, February 11 9:30am

Kitah Zayin Shabbat Saturday, February 18 9:30am

Tuesday February 21 7:00pm

Tuesday Afternoon 5:30pm Friday Night 6:15pm Saturday Morning 9:30am Followed by Kiddush Luncheon

a commandment that is a core value of both traditions.

“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:34) We are not, God forbid, suggesting that the President embrace this principle at the expense of the safety of the American people. We call upon the President to work together with Congress and appropriate agencies to craft a practical alternative to the Executive Order.

This alternative should be consistent with the values of this great country as reflected in the words of our first President “The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment”, President George Washington December 2, 1783) We urge all citizens, both Democrats and Republicans, to write our president, senators and members of congress. Urge them to resolve this urgent matter in a manner of compassion consistent with the ideals of this great country. To do anything less is simply un-American.

Ministerium Association

Seacoast

Interfaith

Clergy

Adult Ed Parent Discussion Group Review

By Laura Rubin, Ph.D. Our Adult Ed Parent Discussion Group continues to meet monthly through May 2017 discussing the book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. We welcome your attendance at our next meeting on 2/5/17.

Next Meeting: Sunday, 2/5/17 from 9:15-10:45 in the Social Hall. Even if you did not attend the earlier meetings feel free to join us! We will be discussing Chapter 6 from The Blessing of a Skinned Knee – “Finding the Holy Sparks in Ordinary Chores."

Refreshments will be served.

Tu B’Shevat Dinner and Service Friday, Feb. 10 Please join your Temple Israel community for a special Tu B’Shevat celebration 5:30-6:15pm Vegetarian dinner in honor of Tu B’Shevat, the Birthday of the Trees, in the TI Social Hall (RSVP required) 6:15-7:00pm Kabbalat Shabbat service in the Historic Sanctuary

Rabbi Senter’s Office Hours

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Wednesday Thursday Friday Sunday*

10am-5:30pm 10am-3pm 9am-12pm 9am-12pm

7-7:45pm Wine and cheese reception, with fruits and nuts of Israel, in the Shmoozatorium

Make a donation of $18 to Jewish National Fund to plant a tree in Israel. Our goal is to plant a grove of trees -- let’s see how many we can plant!

Shalom in Our House

By Fran Berman, President In Judaism, shalom is spoken about so often that it is easy to lose sight of what it is and can be. Shalom is peace, of course. But what does that mean in terms of daily behavior? How does shalom intersect with civility, politeness? How do we deal with our differences in the spirit of shalom? We are a kehilla, a holy community, and when we come together in prayer or at times of joy or sorrow, our strength comes from our unity. And yet our community is made up of people with diverse, strongly held viewpoints. How do we share those viewpoints in the spirit of shalom?

At some synagogues, congregants are asked to leave their political viewpoints at the door so they can stand as one inside the walls of the synagogue.

Jewish unity is prized above all else. I see some advantages to this approach. Members take off their campaign buttons when they arrive at the shul, both symbolically and physically. This approach prevents anyone from feeling marginalized or put on the spot for their views. However, it seems to me that without open discussion of our opinions we are depriving ourselves of a richness of thought. Open discussion and debate of different ideas seems to me to be a very basic part of Judaism.

express our opinions with civility. One example of this spirit of shalom is our Israel Affairs Committee, which was established to ensure that a range of opinions on Israel could be expressed within Temple Israel, reflecting the diversity of our opinions. This very committed group has labored hard to provide speakers, forums, and materials from a range of viewpoints, and they have done so in the spirit of shalom. I encourage you to attend and participate in one of their programs.

You won’t have to leave your opinions at the door, but you will be asked to express them with civility and respect for your fellow congregants. And if you don’t have strong opinions on the issue at hand, you will be able to listen, ask questions, and learn.

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Instead of leaving all of our viewpoints behind at the door to the synagogue, I would hope that our opinions could be voiced in the spirit of shalom -that we could listen to one another with respect and

Important Notice The parking lot at 170 State St. is reserved for that building, unauthorized cars will be towed even with a TIP sticker!

Parking for our members is on Court St.

February

3rd

4:41 PM

February

10th

4:50 PM

February

17th

4:59 PM

February

24th

5:08 PM

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Our New JFNH Connection Is Yielding Benefits It’s been about four months since Temple Israel joined the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, and we are beginning to see the benefits of this affiliation. 

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All TI members should have started receiving the NH Jewish Reporter, a monthly newspaper with information about the Federation and Jewish activities statewide. If you have not gotten your first issue of the Reporter, please let Cindy know and she will forward your home address to JFNH. Temple programs now qualify for JFNH mini-grants to help offset the costs of providing enriched Jewish content to all of us. If you are planning a temple program that benefits the whole community, you should apply for funds from JFNH! You can learn more by calling JFNH at (603) 637-7679.

Sending your child to Jewish camp for the first time? JFNH offers grants of up to $1,000 for first-time campers. You can apply through the Foundation for Jewish Camp (www.jewishcamp.org).

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Is your teen or young adult going on a structure trip to Israel? Israel Experience grants of up to $1,800 are available through JFNH. Contact Nancy Frankel, JFNH Camp/Israel Experience Grant chair, at corkyatcf@aol.com for more information.

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The TI Religious School will be eligible for

Memorial Lights

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Remembering our dear departed is an important Jewish tradition. A beautiful way to memorialize our loved ones in perpetuity is with a plaque in our sanctuary. Memorial plaques can be reserved or ordered for $250.

funding by JFNH next year based on our level of donations to JFNH this year. This funding will take the place of some of the temple dollars currently allocated to the school, freeing up those funds for other uses, such as supplemental programming. 

PJ Library is now being administered by JFNH rather than by our temple volunteers and staff, and JFNH has picked up the tab for this great resource, providing age-appropriate Jewish books to young children in our community.

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Social services and assistance are available through JFNH for anyone who needs help with food or housing.

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JFNH speaks out for us in cases of anti-Semitism throughout the state.

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Our connection with Israel will be more tangible now that JFNH has announced plans to reestablish the Shaliach program, bringing an Israeli emissary to live in New Hampshire and engage with our community, including visits to our religious school.

Spaces are available on the JFNH board for TI representatives. If you are interested in becoming active with JFNH through participation on its board or committees, contact Fran Berman at (603) 772-3995 or f.berman@comcast.net. This is a great way to serve and to get to know and collaborate with Jews from all across New Hampshire.

SPONSOR A KIDDUSH One of the best parts of Shabbat morning services is sharing a meal together at Kiddush lunch.

People gather, share stories, laugh, joke, and meet new people. Kiddush helps us build the connections that make us a strong, vibrant community.

By sponsoring a Kiddush, you participate in supporting and fostering that sense of community.

First gathering Friday, Feb. 10th @ 9:30 AM Bring your knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking or another project and join us in the Shmoozatorium. Please RSVP to Elissa Kaplan Senter @ ekapsent@aol.com. Come to gab and foster friendships.

You can honor someone, remember someone, celebrate a simcha, or put together a group who all have something in common (for example, “Harry Potter fans�) to sponsor the Kiddush.

There are lots of reasons to sponsor a Kiddush. What are yours?

For information regarding sponsoring a Kiddush please contact Cindy in the office.

TZEDAKAH (CHARITY) FUND If you know of a member of the community who could use financial assistance, please call the Rabbi at (516) 450-5117. We can provide short-term help for utility bill payments, etc. and will be kept in the strictest confidence.

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SING AND SCHMOOZE AT TEMPLE ISRAEL

COMMUNITY SINGING WORKSHOP FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD at 5:00 PM Free and Open to the General Public 5 PM Refreshments - 5:30 PM Workshop 6:15 PM Friday Night Services Preregistration Preferred Contact the Temple Office 603.436.5301

Come Have Fun and Bring a Friend

Tree of Life Have you noticed the beautiful Tree of Life in our sanctuary? Did you know it was created by one of our own congregants? Many leaves are still available. Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Wedding, New Baby… Honor the mitzvah of a loved one today. $180/each

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This past month we welcomed two new students to the Early Learning Center, stretching our classroom age range from two years-nine months to five years old. Research suggests that a multiage grouping in an early childhood setting allows for a rich educational environment, with opportunities for the older children to lead, instruct, nurture and model skills and Laura Sher behavior for the younger children, and for Director, ELC the younger children to be nurtured and encouraged by their older classmates and to participate in more complex activities. How fortunate we are to have a multiage classroom where we strive to create a strong sense of community and responsibility towards each other!

Our month was also full of creativity: from making origami snowflakes, to sculpting and painting with shaving cream, to making snowmen collages!

And lastly, we had fun enjoying the warmest January in quite some time and took full advantage of being outside in our beautiful playground!

Registration is now open for the 2017-2018 school year. The ELC is a unique preschool in the Seacoast area, the only place where Jewish values and concepts are integrated into everyday activities and Jewish holidays are woven into the curriculum. We incorporate language arts, science, math, art, music and movement into all of our learning experiences. If you know of anyone who may be interested in joining our community, please have them contact me at: preschool.director@templeisraelnh.org or 436-5301, ext. 23.

Wishing you all a good month ahead!

L’Shalom, Laura

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Shalom Everyone! Happy February and Happy almost Tu B’Shvat!

As I look at the bare trees in my yard, it is nice to dream of budding almond trees in Israel at this time of the year!

By the time you are reading this, Youth Group will have just had its January event!

I’ll have to report on how the trivia contest went, who won prizes, whether the ice cream sundae making went well, how fun the Yankee Gift Swap was and how we collected cans for Crossroads House Shelter, in my March Doorpost article!

Our February event will be Pizzah & Mitzvah: We will show a little love for our Temple Community by cleaning up as many of the chairs that are used in the Social Hall as we can, in 35 minutes, and then we will walk to Flatbread’s for some yummy pizza!

Did you know that those chairs were gifted to the Temple by a Bar/Bat Mitzvah class about 18 years ago?

Looking ahead, March will be all about Purim and, of course, the Purim Carnival on March 12th! The games are run by our 7th Graders and Madrichim but I will need a lot of help with setting up and most importantly Hamantaschen baking!! We cannot have a Proper Purim Carnival without Hamantaschen, so if you like to bake and/or you The following items have been left at the Temple: like to see happy children, please call or email me to volunteer in either the kitchen or with setting up. Flyers  Red velvet bag, with a black & with details will be going out soon! cream tallit, and yarmulke inscribed As always, please feel free to call or email me with any “Bat Mitzvah Rebecca Ann Seidman” questions, ideas for venues or events, offers to chaperone, help with food, etc., at 603-969-2984 or EGT9@aol.com

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L’Shalom,

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Fairly new black & white tallit in supermarket bag

Elian Tackeff, your friendly youth group person

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Navy velvet bag with “tallit” in silver over a silver embroidered book.containing a blue & white tallit

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Blue velvet bag with gold embroidery. Blue & gold embroidered white tallit

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Very old worn deep purple tallit bag with old tallit and crocheted yarmulke

To Claim please contact Lorrie Grossman at beachmaven131@gmail.com. Thanks!

INSTITUTIONAL OPERATING ENDOWMENT FUND Peter Sharfman and Bettina Silber; Bruce and Kipp Freeman; Deborah Hauser in honor of Doug Danforth; Abraham Burtman Charitable Trust; Gloria and Harold Moldoff in memory of Harold and Rose Fisher; Shel and Elaine Krasker in memory of their daughter, Kathy Ramras,; Shel and Elaine Krasker in memory of Shel’s mother Mollie Krasker; Shel and Elaine Krasker in memory of Elaine’s grandmother, Ida Shapiro; Robert Chaikin in memory of his mother, Rose Chaikin; Lessa Brill and John Wallace in memory of Phyllis W. Brill KIDDUSH FUND Frances Lampert in memory of her husband, Harold Lampert; Ruth Kletnick

TZEDAKAH FUND Nancy Alexander in memory of her mother, Ruth Sussman; Joanne Samuels in memory of Auntie Marilyn and Auntie Bea; Rabbi and Elissa Senter in honor of Portsmouth Regional Hospital workers; Diane Goulston in memory of Howard Siegel; Diane Goulston in memory of Maureen Sher; Helen Hanan in memory of her husband, Julia Meltzer and her mother, Ann Hanan; Laurie, Tom and William Mallas and Marissa and Greg Zolotas in honor of Allen and Adina Linden’s 60th wedding anniversary; Manny and Jeanne May in honor of Allen and Adina Linden’s 60 wedding anniversary RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND Peter Schultz in memory of his father, Dr. Irving Schultz; Ellen Fineberg in memory of her father, Benjamin Fineberg; Ann Glater in honor of Allen and Adina Linden’s 60th wedding anniversary

PRESCHOOL DONATION FUND Naomi Fishbein in memory of her brother Melvin Partoll and her father, Joseph Partoll; Naomi and Arnold Fishbein in memory of Virginia Connors; Naomi and Arnold Fishbein in memory of his mother, Lena Fishbein; Naomi & Arnold Fishbein in honor of Shirley Fishbein’s “special” birthday; The Sher Family in memory of father and grandfather Ronald S. Gross DINNERMAN/ROTTENBERG FUND Barbara Fox in memory of her grandmother, Dora Segal; Jonathan Linden in honor of Allen and Adina Linden’s 60th wedding anniversary LIBRARY FUND Adina Linden in memory of her mother, Betty Prietz; Estelle Israel wishing speedy recovery for Mickey Allen; Karl and Paula Singer in memory of his mother, Anne Singer; Adina Linden in memory of her sister; Barbara Fein in memory of her father, Leon Fein HEBREW SCHOOL DONATION FUND Anne Caplin and Robert Rueen; the Bachrach Family in memory of Kellisue Friedman’s mother, Beatrice Bensink Loftus; Michael Rubin in memory of his grandfather, Jerome Sorkin; Sharon Roberts in memory of her father, Irving Katz CULTURAL ENDOWMENT FUND Marc and Agnes Cabot; Jeanette Goodman in memory of her father Samuel Lederman; Barbara E. Levenson Charitable Fund in honor of Russell and Shura Levenson; Elliott and Shirley Fishbein in memory of Herbert Phillips; PRAYERBOOK FUND Selma Freedman in memory of her friend, Rosilyn

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February Yahrzeits:

Shevat 5 / Adar 28

1

Leon S. Fein, Samuel Vetstein

15

Gilda Koeppel, Nathan Klaiman

2

Golda Singer, Eli Coles, Ann Hanan

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3

Sarah Shapiro, Shirley Persin

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4

Ida Oshry

18

Harry Gelman, Isaac Goodman, Frances Levitt, Frances Davis, Nordia Kay Frances Schultz, Beatrice Downs, Ruth Shaines,, Jewell Schiffman, Sam Rottenberg, Israel Trubowitz,

5

19

Leonard Levy, Dorothy Katz,

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Harry Abelson, Lena Stone, Robert Taylor Benjamin Kisner

20

Mary Weiss

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Richard S. Levy, Ida Zeidman

21

Kate Shaines

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J. Z. Shafran, Shura Levenson

22

9

Fannie Greenberg

23

10

David Bauer, Nathan Roffman

25

11

Jacob Simon, Anne Singer, Ronald Gross Fannie London, Harry Riback, Louis White J.L. Cohen, Joseph Posternak

26

Sydney Parker, Natalie Resnick, Rosilyn Schwartz, Minner Senter, Paul Shoer Michael Goodman, Anna Dinnerman, Elizabeth Stone, Leonard Gordon, Albert Isselbacher, Ann Goodman, Frances Danforth Selma Schwartz, Lillian Roberts,

12 13 14

27 28

Harry Halprin, Jeanette Black, Werner Loeb, Jack Farber David Fishbein, Sophie Sandler, Robert Shaines, Louis Taube

Michelle Robbins, Joseph Steinberg, Daniel M. Berman, Mary Blum

When you are observing a family member’s yahrzeit, please be aware you are welcome to say Kaddish not only at the Friday night or Saturday morning service, but also at the Tuesday minyan at 5:30pm and or Sunday when school is in session.

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We will be having it at a congregant’s home where Rebbitzin Elissa Kaplan Senter will be presiding over a special Seder especially for women (all invited over the age of 13) to this unforgettable Seder!

Spaces are limited. Suggested donation is $18. To reserve your seat please email: Aimée Margolis at art1show@verizon.net RSVP before March 30th.

David Olken, VP Ritual Robert Bradbard, VP House Sam Berg, VP Education Mel Prostkoff, Recording Secretary Matthew Herman, Financial Secretary Howard Rubin, Treasurer David Bachrach, Director Sue Goldin, Director Amy Hyett, Director Alan Lincoln, Director Ira Schwartz, Director Jennifer Sebeny, Director

Temple Israel

Pot Luck please bring your favorite Passover dishes. (No Pasta or Bread please.)

Barney Share, Immediate Past President

200 State Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-436-5301

Passover Seder

Fran Berman, President

OFFICE HOURS

Women’s

Temple Israel Portsmouth Board of Directors

Monday 8:30am –1pm Tuesday 8:30am –1pm Wednesday 11am-5pm Friday 8:30am-12pm

April 2, 2017 Sunday at 3 PM