Temple Israel Doorpost - January 2015

January 2015

Tevet/Shevat 5775

From the Rabbi’s Study…

By Rabbi David Ross Senter Over the last few months, the world has focused upon the protests in Ferguson, Missouri and more recently in the City of New York. These protests were in response to the deaths of 18 year old Michael Brown, shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, and the death of Eric Garner during an arrest in New York City.

While both of these deaths are tragedies, it is inappropriate to lump them together. We may never know what actually happened in Ferguson, Missouri. The eye witness accounts are contradictory at best. What we know for sure is that an 18 year old, Michael Brown, is dead and the career and life of Officer Darren Wilson will never be the same.

In the case of Eric Garner there is no conflict regarding the eyewitness testimony. There is a video recording of officer Daniel Pantaleo applying a choke hold in clear violation of NYPD policy. On December 3, 2014, a grand jury decided not to indict officer Pantaleo. The Justice department reacted to the grand Jury ruling by announcing that it will conduct a civil-rights investigation of the incident.

It is also inappropriate to lump together the community reaction to these two tragic events. In Ferguson, the protests were hijacked by looters and vandals. Local businesses were destroyed and the people of Ferguson paid dearly because of opportunists who chose to discredit the memory of Michael Brown by taking to the street to destroy the community in which he grew up.

The protests in New York were conducted in a manner that is a credit to the people of New York City.

Businesses were not looted and the people of New York City were not harmed.

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Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Hoskin Saturday, January 10th, 9:30am, Sanctuary

Ritual Meeting Thursday, January 15th, 6:00pm

6th Grade Shabbat Service Saturday, January 17th, 9:30am

Board Meeting Tuesday, January 20th, 7:00pm, Board Room

Library Movie Night: Dancing in Jaffa Saturday, January 22nd, 7:00pm

Lunch & Learn Saturday, January 24th, following services

Brotherhood Speaker: Dennis Robinson Sunday, January 25th, 10:30am Mystery on the Isles of Shoals 1873

Membership Meeting Tuesday, January 27th, 7:00pm

Rabbi Senter’s Office Hours Wednesday 10:00am-5:30pm Thursday

10:00am-3:00pm

Friday

9:00am-1:00pm

Sunday 9:00am-12:00pm (when school is in session)

(Continued from Page 1) Unfortunately, our story does not end here. On December 20th, Ismaaiyl Brinsley murdered NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn.

Ismaaiyl Brinsley is a career criminal from Baltimore who ambushed and assassinated the officers hours after he shot his girlfriend in Baltimore.

The actions of Ismaaiyl Brinsley should not be confused with New York City's peaceful protestors who have acted lawfully and with restraint. It is my hope and prayer that their voices will be heard. May God bless our government officials with the wisdom to formulate policies and laws that equally protect those in police custody as well as the men and women who choose to protect and serve our communities.

I offer the following prayer from our Siddur Sim Shalom (1998): Our God and God of our ancestors: We ask Your blessings for our country—for its government, for its leaders and advisors, and for all who exercise just and rightful authority. Teach them insights from Your Torah, that they may administer all affairs of state fairly, that peace and security, happiness and prosperity, justice and freedom may forever abide in our midst.

This article is dedicated to the memory of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Officer Rafael Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu. May the memory of their lives inspire acts of love, charity and kindness. May we be blessed to see God's image in every person we encounter.

Mitzvah Opportunity: Sponsor a Kiddush Thank you to all who have donated in the past months!

Each week, Temple Israel puts on a lovely Saturday Kiddush Luncheon and Friday Night Oneg Shabbat.

Please consider sponsoring a kiddush in honor of a loved one, special occasion, or just because. The suggested donation is $150, but any donations to the kiddush fund are always welcome and appreciated!

Seacoast Family Promise Our team of Temple Israel volunteers has been doing a great job providing meals and company for the Seacoast Family Promise guests. Our last host week was in early December, and the first of our five host weeks of 2015 begins January 11th. Right now there are four families in the program, including 4 moms, 1 dad, and 7 kids ages 9 months to 10 years. For more info about Seacoast Family Promise, contact Margie Wachtel at 603-498-0473 or may12@comcast.net or go to templeisraelnh.org.

If you know of a member of the community who could use financial assistance, please call the Rabbi at (516) 450-5117 and leave a message with contact information.

We can provide short-term help for utility bill payments, etc. and all will be kept in the strictest confidence.

Tree of Life

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Tuesday Afternoon 5:30pm Friday Night 7:30pm Saturday Morning 9:30am Followed by Kiddush Luncheon

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

Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Hoskin Saturday, January 10th Temple Israel Sanctuary

January 2nd

4:02pm

Hi, my name is Sarah Hoskin. I attend the Rye Junior High School.

My hobbies are sewing, reading, writing, acting, singing and playing the flute. Judaism is an important part of who I am.

January 9th

4:09pm

January 16th 4:17pm January 23th 4:26pm January 30th 4:35pm

Winter Can Bring People Together

by Fran Berman, Ritual VP & Acting President Now that winter has returned to New Hampshire, people tend to gather in those warm indoor spots: cafes and neighborhood bistros, ski lodges, and our own living rooms. It’s also a time when our snowbirds have flown south -- including Temple Israel president Barney Share -- leaving some gaps in our own small Jewish community. So this is a great time to come into the warmth of Temple Israel to help make a minyan on a Friday night, Saturday morning, or Tuesday afternoon. You will be welcomed, and you’ll also get to share in a delicious Oneg or Kiddush lunch if you come on Friday night or Saturday morning.

Winter is also a great time to come hear a speaker over breakfast, benefit from Rabbi Senter’s lunch and learn sessions, attend a Sisterhood book or discussion group, or join a temple committee. The temple library is another place that beckons in the colder weather, offering a broad array of books, movies, and music available for you to curl up with. We are very fortunate to have dedicated volunteer Sara Arnold and the Library Committee keeping the library up to date, with a collection that is the envy of many larger synagogues.

Over the past few months, in addition to its usual tasks of ensuring that our building, programs, and staff are operating smoothly, the Board of Directors has been working on reviewing the Temple Israel Bylaws to bring more consistency and clarity to this important document. Member at-large Alan Lincoln heads a small committee that recommends revisions to the bylaws, guiding the board through reviews of a few sections at each of the board’s monthly meetings.

This is no easy task, but the board has persevered and hopes to present updated bylaws for the congregation’s approval at the spring annual meeting.

Among the challenging issues that we are tackling is the use of electronic media for board and committee participation, clarifying the roles of non-Jewish family members in our congregation, and eliminating contradictory language within the bylaws.

Stay tuned for details about the Klezmatics concert (cosponsored by Temple Israel Endowment Fund and Greater Seacoast Jewish Federation with the Boston Jewish Music Festival) on March 12 at the Music Hall and a spring social/fundraiser at the Temple on May 9th. And stay warm!

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Temple Israel Chanukah Party a Great Success!

This year’s community-wide and school Chanukah party was one of the best ever. Our first Chanukah spent with Rabbi Senter was filled with joyous congregants enjoying latkes and laughter. Noa Bourke brought an excellent program filled with songs for the students and grownups alike. Brotherhood delivered with their delicious latkes, the Chanukiot burned brightly, and fun was had by all. Many thanks to those who helped make the event so memorable.

Members of Brotherhood prepare the latkes for Temple Israel’s Community-wide Chanukah Party on December 21st. Thank you to our volunteers!

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Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a joyous holiday to celebrate, especially with young children. It’s an exciting story to retell, from the bravery of Judah Maccabee and his brothers defeating the Syrian army, to the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, to the miracle of the small amount of oil that burned for eight days. And since Hanukkah is traditionally celebrated by lighting Hanukkiot (menorahs) each night, playing dreidel, and eating foods cooked in oil, that’s exactly what we did in the Early Learning Center! We sculpted Hanukkiah out of clay, cut and glued Hanukkiah collages, Laura Sher played with, counted and sorted dreidels, and even made Israeli Director, ELC sufganiyot (donuts)! We hosted a wonderful Hanukkah party for our families and friends, where we spun like dreidels, sang songs, and ate delicious latkes (hot off the griddle) with homemade applesauce. But most importantly, we paused for a moment to express Hoda’ah (appreciation) to God for the blessing of our families and friends, and for the goodness in our world.

The children of the Early Learning Center also had two opportunities this past month to be part of our greater Temple community. They had the honor of lighting the Shabbat candles and saying the blessings over the wine and challah at our communitywide Kabbalat Shabbat service, as well as the honor of lighting the Temple menorah on the fourth night of Hanukkah. What a wonderful way to fulfill the mitzvot of V’Samachta B’chagecha, celebrating and rejoicing in our holidays with our Temple family!

Wishing you a healthy and happy month ahead!

L’Shalom, Laura

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Youth Group Shalom everyone! Youth Group ended 2014 with bright lights, gifts and gambling! On Saturday, December 20th, 19 young people, including a few Gesher members, took over the Schmooz for our annual Youth Group Hanukkah Party!

Rabbi David joined us for the first part, and graciously offered to lead us in a rousing Havdalah service. After we lit the candles on our individual Hanukkiahs, it was time for the Yankee Gift Swap. Gifts were picked, examined and swapped, and then swapped some more until everyone was happy with their choices! A quick appearance by Benny Senter made the evening even more special!

Some food and ice cream sundaes, then it was on to The Giant Dreidel Tournament! Dreidels were spun, poker chips were won and lost, and in the end Ben Ehrlich was the big winner! Of course there were prizes for all!

The price of admission included Cans for Crossroads, and I’m happy to report that the next day I delivered a trunkful of nonperishable foods to the very grateful Family Shelter. Kudos generous Youth Group families!

A big giant thank you goes to Jeanne Wishengrad and Ruthie Spiero for taking over the food prep, serving, clean up and even bringing all the heavy bags to my car! Another big thank you goes to Ben Ehrlich who came early and was a great help setting up! Couldn’t have done it without you all!

Our next Youth Group event is on Sunday, January 25th. Look out for the TRIVIA SUNDAE e-mail flier and make sure you RSVP promptly! As always, please call or email me with any questions or suggestions at 603-969-2984 or egt9@aol.com. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2014!

L’Shalom, Elian Tackeff, your friendly youth person

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INSTITUTIONAL OPERATING ENDOWMENT Michael Singer in memory of his father Martin D. Singer, Renee & Gary Levy in memory of Bob Shaines, Allen Linden in memory of his mother Bella Linden, Deb & Bert Freedman in memory of his father Robert Freedman, Evan & Mark Brown in memory of their father and mother George and Edith Brown, Thomas Slater, David Cline in memory of Daniel Cline, Nancy Alexander in memory of her sister, Arline Koiles in memory of her husband Allen J. Koiles, Peter Sharfman & Bettina Silber, Steve & Sue Tober in memory of his mother Lee Fruman, Veta & Ira Stone in memory of Sheldon Baron, Michael Chubrich in memory of Robert A. Shaines, Myrna Siegel in memory of her father Arthur Poster, Barbara Levenson in memory of Russell and Shura Levenson, Kerry & Jacob Labovitz, Tobey & Don Harman, Bruce & Kipp Freeman KIDDUSH FUND Ellen Fineberg in memory of her father Benjamin Fineberg, Roberta & Lenny Baer in memory of Bob Shaines, David Cline in memory of Deborah Cline’s father Vernon H. Byus, Jr., Maureen Sher in memory of her husband Gerald Sher, Myrna & Howard Promer in memory of her grandfather Morris Zack, Myrna & Howard Promer in memory of Sheldon Baron, father of Andrew Baron, Adina Linden in memory of her mother Betty Prietz HEBREW SCHOOL DONATION FUND Gail Bradbard in memory of Bob Shaines, Michael Rubin in memory of his grandfather Jerome Sorkin

LIBRARY FUND Naomi & Arnold Fishbein in memory of Bob Shaines, The Ruben family in honor of their father Maurice R. Ruben, Helen Arnold, Barbara Shamesman in memory of her husband Bernard Shamesman and father Hyman Sherman, Barbara Fein in memory of her father Leon Fein DINNERMAN/ROTTENBERG ENDOWMENT FUND Barbara Fox in memory of her father Eli Borwick, Amy & Steven Borne in memory of Lawrence Goldstein, Susan Amchan & Ernest G. Smith in honor of Rabbi Senter and in memory of Bruce Smith, Bruce & Kipp Freeman PRESCHOOL FUND Cynthia Freedman and Marcia Blacker in memory of their mother Rebecca Freedman, Veta Stone in memory of her father Harold Berit, Selma Freedman in memory of her husband Robby Freedman DUES ABATEMENT FUND Ethel Trubowitz in memory of her father Rabbi Jacob S. Mason CULTURAL ENDOWMENT FUND Jeannette & Bernard Goodman in memory of her father Samuel Lederman, Dana & Shaula Levenson in memory of his mother Shura Levenson, Ira Schwartz, Amy & Steven Borne in memory of Lawrence Goldstein, Bruce & Kipp Freeman

TZEDAKAH FUND Nancy Alexander in memory of her mother Ruth Sussman, Frances Lampert in memory of her husband Harold Lampert RABBI’S FUND Amy Feitelson in memory of her mother Dorothy Feitelson, Nathan Levine in honor of his sister Nedra Loeb, Bernyce Goodman in memory of her husband Robert Goodman and niece Judy Yudkin

Condolences: to Denise Shaines and family on the passing of her husband Bob Shaines, to Meryl Wein and family on the passing of her husband Jay Wein

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Ritual Setting Some Guidelines for Shabbat Observance At the request of the Board of Directors, the Ritual Committee has begun working with Rabbi Senter to establish a clear set of guidelines for Shabbat and holiday observance at Temple Israel. First up were our policies on the use of photography and audio/ video recording on Shabbat. The same policies apply to all of the major holidays within the temple: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first day of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, the first and seventh days of Passover, and the first day of Shavuot. Many of these policies are not new at Temple Israel, but are simply being restated so that the entire community is aware of them and can feel comfortable with them.

Photography and Audio/Video Recording The Law Committee of the Conservative movement has ruled that "photography is prohibited on Shabbat as a violation of both the law and the spirit of Shabbat. This prohibition holds even when the photographer is a non-Jew and does not distinguish between the sanctuary itself and other parts of the synagogue" (see Proceedings of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards). To date there is no responsa offering a dissenting viewpoint allowing photography on Shabbat.

not be addressed directly. Such violations shall be brought to the attention of the Rabbi or Ritual VP and shall be addressed privately. It is important to note that the rabbis of the Talmud compared embarrassing someone to the crime of murder. As such, it is prohibited to risk embarrassing anyone by addressing this issue directly.

Live Streaming of Services The Law Committee of the Conservative movement has ruled that remote broadcasting of services is permitted provided that a permanent recording is not created. The committee examined this issue in 1989, in regard to the use of fixed video cameras to broadcast Shabbat and holiday services to another location in the same building. Such use was authorized subject to the following conditions: (1) No permanent tape is made in the process.

(2) The equipment is set up before Shabbat or Yom Tov, and either turned on or placed on a timer prior to candle-lighting time (3) The equipment is either inaccessible to adjustment or repair, or is placed in the skilled hands of a non-Jew in the employ of the synagogue.

Pulpit announcements will be made during Shabbat, life cycle events, and holiday celebrations (e.g., Simchat Torah) when cameras are likely to be used. Appropriate signage will be installed throughout the building asking guests to refrain from the use of cell phones, photography, and audio and video recording.

The use of live streaming technology is well within the parameters established by the Law Committee. The possible benefits of such technology to those who can not attend services (i.e., people who are homebound) are without measure. Live streaming of services is a mitzvah with tremendous positive ramifications. It is possible that an individual may use readily available technology to record live stream of a service from a remote location, but this is beyond the scope of the Temple's responsibility. The Ritual Committee endorses the future use of live streaming at Temple Israel to bring our religious services to more of our congregants, wherever they may be.

In order to avoid the possibility of embarrassing our members or guests, violations of this policy shall

For information on these or other policies related to Shabbat observance, contact Fran Berman, Ritual VP.

In accord with this ruling and in keeping with our affiliation with the Conservative movement, photography and audio/video recording are prohibited anywhere on the Temple Israel premises on Shabbat and holidays.

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Membership We hope that you had a wonderful Hanukkah and took advantage of all the wonderful events that have been happening at the Temple. Membership is looking forward to some new initiatives this next calendar year. If you have any ideas for events you’d like to see, please let us know! We are working on planning a special service to honor our new members this winter. Shabbat at Home will be happening this May, and we are hoping that much of the Temple membership will participate. Please make your calendars for May 29th for this fun event.

Sisterhood The Book Club will be meeting January 18th to discuss The Jew Store by Stella Suberman. Contact Pat Moreinis Dodge (Moreinis@comcast.net) for info.

Women Talking has not picked a January date, but if interested email Rachel (rachelkurshan@gmail.com).

Yoga will be meeting January 4th, 11th and 18th.

Contact Deborah Levine (dlevine12@yahoo.com) for more information.

New Sisterhood special interest groups are starting in 2015, including Jewelry Making, Holiday Cooking, Walking/Hiking, Girls Night Out and more. Stay tuned, or email the Sisterhood for more information at TISisterhoodNH@yahoo.com.

Brotherhood Join Brotherhood on Sunday morning, January 25th 10:30-11:30am as J. Dennis Robinson, author, presents “Mystery on the Isles of Shoals 1873 and the Making of an Historical Narrative”.

Mr. Robinson is an award-winning writer and lecturer based in historic Portsmouth, NH. He is the author of a dozen books and edits the popular website SeacoastNH.com, focusing on regional history and culture. Come hear how a popular local historian fleshed out the facts surrounding a tragic robbery gone wrong in his latest book “Mystery on the Isles of Shoals”.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation. Refreshments will be served.

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January Yahrzeits:

Tevet 10 / Shevat 11

1 Alan Schenk, Ethel Fleisher, Mildred Thrope 2 Abraham Zeidman, Eve Cetlin, Yury Klarov, Mary Saklad 3 Annie Freaman, Lena Fishbein, Saul Sussman 4 Rebecca LePoff, Ethel Halprin 5 D.H. Silverman, Sarah Alpers, Jerome Sorkin 6 Sarah Rottenberg 7 Edith Brown, Joseph Kitrosser, Arthur Poster, Beverly Schneider, Arthur Leblanc 8 Jennie Levine, Melvin Heflich, Kathy Ramras 9 Samuel Lepoff, Gerald Bernheimer 10 Jacob Landsman, Morris Rubin, Hyman Schwartz, Florence Levingston

16 Ida Shapiro, Ruth Sussman 17 George Hooz, Betty Prietz, Bettyrose Leader, Jack Lasky 18 Burton Kreisworth, Rachel Promer, Frieda Beubis, John McGowan 19 Jacob Cohen, Samuel Greenfield, Dora Segal, Rose Chaikin 20 Lena Fluster 21 Albert Levy, Arthur Black, Harold Fisher 22 Alex Paul, Mollie Krasker 23 Samuel Hooz 24 Rose Fisher 25 Leon S. Fein, Samuel Vetstein 26 Benjamin Goldberg, Eli Coles, Elliot Parker, Ann Hanan 27 Sarah Shapiro, Shirley Persin

11 Lillian Cohen, Arnold Katz

28 Ida Oshry

12 Louis Zeidman, Allen Levenson, Arthur Reinhart, George Sherman, Harold Lampert

29 Harry Abelson, Lena Stone, Robert Taylor

13 Anna Levitt, Harry Levin, Melvin Pedell 15 Fannie Woolfson

30 Morris Oshry, Benjamin Kisner 31 Richard S. Levy, Ida Zeidman

Memorial Lights 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.

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JANUARY 2015

LOTSA HELPING HANDS (LHH) LHH: What is it?

A new web based support program in which Temple members, once registered, can sign up to help fellow congregants with meals, rides, or any other critical need or short-term assistance.

Visit: templeisraelnh.org/volunteer to register.

Klezmatics in Portsmouth March 12!

On Thursday, March 12, the Klezmatics will make their Portsmouth debut at the Music Hall as part of the Boston Jewish Music Festival, a multi-city, month-long music series that brings a wide range of Jewish music to the greater Boston area.

Temple Israel and Greater Seacoast Jewish Federation are the local co-sponsors of the concert, and a committee from Temple Israel is engaged in local outreach to ensure great attendance that night. Tickets: $20/$25/$36. http://bostonjewishmusicfestival.org/ The Klezmatics are a Grammy Award-winning klezmer music group based in New York City who have achieved fame singing in several languages, most notably mixing older Yiddish tunes with other types of more contemporary music of differing origins.

According to their website, “In the course of over 20 years and nine albums, they have stubbornly continued making music that is wild, mystical, provocative, reflective and ecstatically danceable.” So mark your calendars now! It should be the biggest gathering of Jewish music lovers in Portsmouth in many years — or ever.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Friday

9:00 am 9:00 am 11:00 am 9:00 am

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

Temple Israel

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1:00 pm 1:00 pm 5:30 pm 1:00 pm