Temple Israel Doorpost - November 2015

November 2015

Cheshvan/Kislev 5776

From the Rabbi’s Study…

The Evolution of the Status Quo on the Temple Mount Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the six day war was when IDF Chief of Staff Mordechai "Motta" Gur radioed the message 'har habayit beyadeinu' “The Temple Mount is in our hands.”

Shortly thereafter, General Moshe Dayan, Israel's Minister of Defense, visited the Temple Mount. As he approached the Dome of the Rock, he noticed an Israeli flag flying above the building. General Dayan immediately ordered the flag removed. He then said publicly, "We've reunited the city, the capital of Israel, never to part it again. To our Arab neighbors, Israel extends the hand of peace and to all peoples of all faiths, we guarantee full freedom of worship.

We've not come to conquer the holy places of others but to live with others in harmony."

Within months, the details of what was to become the Status Quo emerged. The Temple was to remain under the control of the Jerusalem-based Islamic Waqf. Jews were to be permitted access to the Temple Mount as tourists. Jewish prayer was specifically precluded on the Temple Mount.

General Dayan's initial decision to cede control of the Temple Mount had unlikely allies. The majority of the Orthodox Rabbinate felt that Jews should not enter the Temple Mount period. The ban is based on a premise that humanity is in a state of ritual uncleanliness. In the state of ritual uncleanliness, it is forbidden to enter the area where the Holy of Holies was located. Because the exact location of the Holy of Holies is not known, the Orthodox Rabbinate imposed a blanket ban on access for Jews to the entire Temple Mount.

The Chief Rabbinate even went as far as posting signs as follows; Announcement and Warning: According to Torah Law, entering the Temple Mount area is strictly forbidden due to its sacredness. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel Continued on page 2

Hebrew School Open House & 4th Annual Pancake Breakfast Sunday, November 1st, 8:15-9:30am, Breakfast 9am, Open House, Hebrew School

Farewell Kiddush for Al Spaien Saturday, November 7th, after services

Kristallnacht Remembrance Candle Lighting Tuesday, November 10th, 6pm

Veteran’s Day Cemetery Service Wednesday, November 11th, 11am, Cemetery

TOT-ally Shabbat Sunday, November 13th, 5:45pm

Israeli Affairs Brunch Sunday, November 15th, 9am

Board Meeting Tuesday, November 17th, 7pm, Board Room

Sisterhood Kickoff Sunday, November 22nd, 10am, Social Hall

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Sunday, November 22nd,7pm Holy Trinity Church, Newington

(continued from page 1) This being said, the Chief Rabbinate's ban has not been accepted by the entirety of the Jewish People. I am among those who disagree with the basic premise of the ban. There is sufficient evidence of the exact location of the Holy of Holies. I have dreamed of visiting the Temple Mount and would love to do so in a manner respectful of our Muslim cousins realizing that this is among their holiest sites as well.

Unfortunately, not all of our brothers and sisters share the vision of respecting the values of our Muslim cousins. Sadly there are those who do not share the vision of iconic leaders like Moshe Dayan. There are those who challenge the status quo of the Temple Mount regardless of the violence that such challenges bring about. Each time the status quo has been challenged, violence has erupted.

Does this justify the recent violence perpetrated in the name of defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound?

Absolutely not! There is no justification for terrorism. It must be denounced unconditionally. Similarly, the fundamentalism that breeds and incites terrorism must be denounced.

We must denounce the fundamentalists who spread rumors and modern day blood libel about Israeli designs on the Al-Aqsa Mosque. We must also denounce the fundamentalists who challenge the visionary status quo even if they voice their challenge in Hebrew.

I pray for the day when we will see religious leaders of all traditions join hands in a prayer for the peace of humanity. This would truly make our holy places truly Holy.

4th Annual Temple Israel Pancake Breakfast Come eat delicious pancakes with all of the fixings on Sunday, November 1st from 8:15 to 9:30am in the Social Hall. Tickets are $10 for an individual and $18 for a family. You can purchase tickets in the Temple Office or at the Door. All proceeds go to support the programs of the Hebrew School. Contact: David Bachrach at David.Bachrach@unh.edu

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.

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.

Rabbi Senter’s Office Hours

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

Wednesday 10:00am-5:30pm Thursday

10:00am-3:00pm

Friday

9:00am-1:00pm

Sunday

9:00am-12:00pm

Seeking the Warmth, Wherever it May Be...

By Fran Berman, President With the temperature dropping over the last few weeks, my thoughts have turned toward more indoor pursuits: curling up with a book, cooking some hearty soup, meeting someone for coffee. The late fall begins the season of cocooning, withdrawing into warm spaces. For some, it represents a time to head south to warmer climes. We wish our snowbirds safe travels and look forward to their return next spring. We will miss them!

For some of those who stay, the cold weather is a narrowing of their world as the sidewalks get slippery and the darkness comes so early. However, it doesn’t have to mean loneliness or isolation. It can lead to feelings of warmth, community, and participation, with lively social exchanges, just indoors.

One example was our New Member Brunch, organized by the Membership Committee in mid-October. The Social Hall was practically vibrating with about 70 temple members new and old, catching up with one another’s latest activities, finding commonalities of background and interests, and learning about the temple and its upcoming events and activities. The buzz in the room was wonderful. There were some young children running around or sitting on the floor playing, while their parents chatted. Some old friends were renewing their connections. We had delicious food (loved that blintz casserole) and good conversation.

At one point we split into the four corners of the room based on where we grew up: New Hampshire, elsewhere in the Northeast, the South, or the Midwest/West. It was a reminder that we are a diverse congregation. Over in the rather large group of Northeasterners, there were people from everywhere from Buffalo and Toronto to the New York City metropolis. Then we moved into new corners

based on how long we have been Temple Israel members. The small group of folks that have been members for 25 years and more stood there looking at each other, wondering what else we might have to say to one another, and some actually sneaked off to chat with the folks in the “less than one year” group. Those of us who stayed in the corner started talking about what prompted us to join the temple all those years ago, and for most of us, it was our children. Giving our young people a sense of their Jewish identity in the midst of a predominantly Christian society is a central role of the synagogue and our religious school.

For people who move here from someplace like New York City, it takes a little while to realize just how much of a minority they now are, but when they do, they often end up at Temple Israel. So even though many folks join the temple for their children, they often stay for themselves. Being a synagogue member creates a sense of affirmation for each of our Jewish souls. You have people around you who have an opinion about which is better: brisket, matzo ball soup, latkes, or kugel (by the way, I was in the matzo ball corner).

So as the weather cools and the leaves fall from the trees, don’t forget to step out of your warm home and head over to Temple Israel from time to time. Drop in for a Friday night service and stay to visit over the oneg. Come for minyan on Tuesday at 5:30 and learn a little from the rabbi while you are there for the brief service. Saturday morning is a wonderful opportunity to relax in the historic sanctuary and study some Torah, then enjoy a delicious lunch while meeting congregants and visitors.

Watch for announcements of movies, speakers, and other temple events in the weeks and months ahead.

And if you are not sure what is happening or when, visit the Temple Israel web page (templeisraelnh.org) to check the calendar in the top right corner of the welcome page. We also have a great Facebook page, where you can visit and “like” Temple Israel.

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Are You Eligible to be a Senior Emeritus Member of Temple Israel?

We are very excited to announce that last spring the Board of Directors approved a new category of membership, Senior Emeritus, which was voted into the Bylaws at the May 2015 Annual Meeting.

This new category allows those qualifying members that meet the following criteria to have their annual membership dues frozen at the current rates while still maintaining all rights and privileges our membership provides!!

In other words, annual dues will NEVER increase for Senior Emeritus members.

To be eligible, you or your spouse must: - have been a member of Temple Israel for at least 50 years, or - be 80 years of age or older and have been a member for at least 20 years If this applies to you, please contact the office and let us know. For the current year, we are all fortunate that dues were not increased, so you have not missed out on anything and have plenty of time before our next dues cycle to let us know.

Howard Rubin, Treasurer Fran Berman, President

November 6th November 13th November 20th November 27th 4

4:10pm 4:03pm 3:57pm 3:52pm

Adult Education Temple Israel would like to offer a forthcoming Adult Education program designed to expose students and adults of all Hebrew reading levels to a deeper understanding of chanting Torah and trope. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact the Temple Office: templeoffice@templeisraelnh.org or 603-436-5301.

When you are observing a family member’s yahrzeit, please be aware that 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, when school is in session, at the Wednesday school minyan at 5:15pm or Sunday children’s learning service at 10:30am.

Torah Yoga Fall Session “Kripalu Yoga Core” Sunday, Nov 15th, 10:45 10:45--11:50am

Thank you to all who attended the Membership Brunch Honoring

“Adaptive Yoga/50+” Wednesday, Nov 18th, 44--5pm

Temple Israel’s New Members

All Classes held in the Chapel

It was a wonderful event and a great success. Welcome again, all new members!

RSVPs Encouraged . Drop Drop--Ins Welcome Contact instructor Deb Levine: dlevine12@aol.com or 603.205.4073

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Education Greetings from the Temple Israel Education Committee! I hope you’ll agree that the 5776 school year is off to a great start. Already the classes have participated in some truly wonderful events.

One of the first activities of the school year was a walk to Prescott Park for Tashlich, where as Jewish custom dictates, bread was thrown into the water signifying the casting off of bad deeds and thoughts of the past year. Students also had the chance to observe the seasonal change with the construction and decoration of the Sukkah (thank you Temple Brotherhood for the assistance as usual). In addition, the school accompanied Rabbi Senter to the Jewish Cemetery to witness and participate in the custom of the burying of retired Jewish books and papers containing the Hebrew name of G-d.

For all of the hard work that goes into running our school we send out thanks to Noa, the Rabbi, and all the teachers and madrichim who continue to deliver Temple Israel’s outstanding curriculum.

See you at the Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, November 1st at 8:15am!

Warm Regards, Sam Berg, VP of Education

Israeli Affairs Created by the Board last spring, the committee’s mission is “to promote respectful dialogue about Israel and Israeli current events in ways that reflect and respect the diverse perspectives within our congregation while affirming support for the ideals upon which Israel was founded.”

Join us for our first event on Sunday, November 15th from 9-12 am for a Brunch and Discussion sponsored by the Israel Affairs Committee. What kind of programming about Israel would you like to

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have at Temple Israel? The morning will include short videos about Israel to open a facilitated discussion and provide an opportunity to offer your ideas about topics and formats for future programs.

Membership Thanks to all who attended our New Member Brunch and made it such a success! We had an excellent turnout, great food, and a good time getting to know some fun facts about the synagogue and each other. Thanks to the excellent membership committee for your hard work. Watch for our next Shabbat at Home date to be announced soon.

Sisterhood We hope you can join us at one of our upcoming events!

Sunday, November 1, promptly @ 9:05am for a walk around Portsmouth. We’ll break into groups for the time & distance based on participation.

Sunday, November 22 @ 10am – The Annual Sisterhood Kickoff in the Social Hall. Come schmooze, nosh and get involved!

For more information on Sisterhood, please email Amy Borne at TISisterhoodNH@yahoo.com.

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

A few short blocks away from the Early Learning Center stands The Music Hall, a landmark 1878 Victorian theater that was designated by the US Senate as an American Treasure for the Arts. Among the many cultural offerings at the Music Hall is live theater for young learners, their teachers, and families, known as the School Day Series. You can just imagine the magic and delight the children of the Early Learning Center experienced last week when we had the opportunity to see the whimsical performance of two Laura Sher bedtime classics by Margaret Wise Brown, Goodnight Moon Director, ELC and The Runaway Bunny, performed by the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia! And how wonderful it was to see the children’s imaginations soar as they returned to our classroom and began putting on puppet shows of their own!

This past month we also took advantage of the beautiful fall weather to spend lots of time outdoors observing the changes of autumn. We explored leaves and seeds, both scientifically (sorting and classifying) and artistically (collages, rubbings and print making). And we also discovered lots of insects (including the biggest slugs ever!) hiding under our now empty garden planters.

Now that it’s officially acharei hachagim (after the holidays), the children have settled into a beautiful routine of celebrating Shabbat on Friday mornings and Havdalah on Monday mornings. We end each week with blessings and song as we light Shabbat candles, drink grape juice, and eat challah. And we welcome in the new week with the late singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman’s transformative melody for the Havdalah ceremony as we light the braided candle and smell the besameem (spices). Additionally, we have a traveling “Shabbat Box,” complete with candles, kiddush cups, a fresh challah, a book of blessings and Shabbat songs and a journal, that goes home with a different child each week. How joyous it is to see the children so eager to experience Jewish rituals and explore symbols as they nurture their innate spirituality!

And what wonderful ways to fulfill the commandment to “remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.” Thank you to the Cultural Endowment Fund for financially supporting these activities!

Wishing you all a good month ahead!

L’Shalom, Laura

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Shalom Everyone and Happy November! What a glorious October we had! On Sunday, October 18th, Youth Group went bowling.

After the children quickly picked their favorite drivers, FIFTEEN of our 4th - 7th graders piled into four cars and off we went to BOWL-O-RAMA. The bowling was fun, the cheering of friends was heart warming, the pizza was deemed delicious, and everyone got to play arcade games in a quest for the “oh so valuable” prize tickets! Oh and now for the 2 BEST parts of the event: FIRST: As the pizza was being served, with absolutely NO prompting from me, some of my 4th graders suggested that they should say a blessing before eating and the rest of the group joined in, as we all said the HaMotzi in the middle of Bowl-ORama! It was so gratifying to see the habits started in preschool for some of them become part of who they are. Are you as proud of these children as I am yet?

SECOND: As they were devouring the pizza and having an obviously good time socializing, Michelle who made and served the pizzas approached me and just GUSHED over how nice, well behaved, polite our children were! As if that weren’t enough, as I was paying at the end, Debbie, who seemed in charge, also observed that our children were delightful, polite and just AWESOME! And I wholeheartedly AGREED! A huge thank you goes to Lori Leonard & David Bachrach for driving, Ruthie Spiero, Beth Sakelarios and Erica Greenspan for being on call to drive until the last minute, and Kellisue Friedman for driving AND chaperoning! Couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you! Thank you!

Our next youth group event will be on Nov 15th at Blitz Air Park.

If you are a parent of a 4th - 7th grader who likes trampoline fun, please note special RSVP deadlines/special instructions. Also, do save the date for the Youth Group Hanukkah Party on Saturday, December 12th. As usual, please feel free to call or email me with questions or ideas at 603-969-2984 or egt9@aol.com Please see the next page for exciting upcoming events for Junior and Senior Gesher with Morah Ruthie!

L’Shalom, Elian Tackeff, your friendly youth person

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Gesher The Sr. Gesher program has gotten off to an enthusiastic start. We met to study Modern Hebrew on October 4th just before the Simchat Torah service, and learned summer camp vocabulary. We will be meeting again on November 8th to talk about the current unrest in Israel and to continue to work on improving Hebrew language skills. This will be followed by a late lunch at a restaurant of our choice. Throughout the year we will be continuing in this vein: language and politics, culture and music. The Gesher program was lucky enough to be able to acquire a very exciting learning tool by the name of Monopolity which allows students to role play in the Israeli political system.

For Jr. Gesher we are planning a first ever field trip to Indoor Ascent in Dover, tentatively on December 8th. This will be open to 7th and 8th Graders only and promises to be a roaring good time and a wonderful opportunity to socialize with friends! For further information on either of these programs please contact Morah Ruthie at ruthie.spiero@gmail.com.

Cemetery Benches Due to an increased number of requests, the Cemetery Committee is seeking donations to purchase and install two (2) granite benches adjacent to the bench presently located in the front section of the cemetery. The cost is $750/bench. Engraving is extra. Please send your donation to: Cemetery Bench, Temple Israel, 200 State Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801.

INSTITUTIONAL OPERATING ENDOWMENT FUND Michael & Evelyn Miller in memory of Keven Miller, Stuart & Paula Boxer in memory of his mother Frieda Boxer RABBI’S FUND Mikhail Klarov, Sandy & Helaine Roberts, CULTURAL ENDOWMENT FUND Arnold & Naomi Fishbein, Shirley & Elliott Fishbein in memory of Claudia Leblanc’s mother, Shirley & Elliot Fishbein wishing a speedy and healthy recovery to Fran Lampert PRESCHOOL DONATION FUND Naomi & Arnold Fishbein get well to Mickey Allen, Roberta Baer get well to Frances Lampert, Naomi & Arnold Fishbein get well to Frances Lampert, Veta Stone in memory of her parents Alice & Harold Berit KIDDUSH FUND Rachel Kurshan in honor of Al Spaien, Alvin & Marilyn Mars in honor of Al Spaien, the Wishengrad Family in honor of Al Spaien, Lisa Stewart-Krutter in honor of Al Spaien, Jennie & Peter Dinnerman in honor of Al Spaien, Richard David Grossman in honor of Al Spaien DUES ABATEMENT FUND Haskell Bernat in memory of his father Solomon Bernat

Best of Luck to:

Al Spaien as he moves to Massachusetts— come back and visit us often!

Get Well to:

Fran Lampert, Mickey Allen

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November Yahrzeits: 1 Florence Seidner

17 Abraham Hooz, Benjamin Fineberg

2 Solomon Bernat

18 Lawrence Salden

3 Jacob Docter, Abraham Baisuck, Frieda Boxer

19 Alex Belostock, Milton Weiner

4 Ida Feldman, Sarah Emmer 5 Bessie Porter, Clement Wyle 6 Minnie Kline, Abraham Landsman 7 Julia Lesser, Martin Singer

20 Harry Liberson 21 Max Resnick, Mildred Golden 22 Robert Goodman, Annie Tober 24 Esther Sharansky

8 Gussie Wexler, Rebecca Freedman

25 Melvin Partoll, Samuel Levy, Jeanne Slass

9 Ida Black, Solomon Israel

26 Arnold Fleisher, Jennie Shoer

10 Harry Abrams, Morris Osher

27 Rachel Kushious, Cyril Ball, A. Harold Seidner

11 Nana Vero, Dorothy Pollack 13 Mollie Ebb, Alice Berit 14 Robert Freedman, Eugenia Klarov 15 Jaclyn Simchik 16 Donald Albert, Dorothy Feitelson, Benjamin Gold, Naomi Bluestone

Veteran’s Day Cemetery Service

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Cheshvan 19 / Kislev 18

Wednesday, Nov. 11th 11am Cemetery at Banfield Road Portsmouth

28 Faye Gerstein 29 Harry Cantor 30 Jacob Heller, Mary McCrensky

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Temple Israel Portsmouth Board of Directors Fran Berman, President Barney Share, Immediate Past President David Olken, VP Ritual Robert Bradbard, VP House Sam Berg, VP Education Mel Prostkoff, Recording Secretary Matthew Herman, Financial Secretary Howard Rubin, Treasurer Sue Goldin, Director Amy Hyett, Director Stephanie Ilberg-Lamm, Director Alan Lincoln, Director Ira Schwartz, Director Jennifer Sebeny, Director

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Friday

9:00 am 9:00 am 11:30 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 5:00 pm 1:00 pm