DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Inside this issue: From Rabbi Litwak’s Study
2
Upcoming Events!
8-9
Lifecycle
14 -15
A word from our Leadership
3
Camp Sinai News!
10
Donations
15 - 16
Jacobson Sinai Academy News
4-6
Annual Giving Campaign
11
Sinai Voices: I am a Jew
17
Chanukah at Home
12 - 13
Calendar
20
Sisterhood Circle & Empty Nesters 7
a g eBeach, 1 FL 33180 | Ph: 305-932-9010 | www.tsnd.org | www.jsamiami.org Temple Sinai & Jacobson Sinai Academy - 18801 NE 22 Ave., NorthPMiami
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Alan E. Litwak Rabbi Norman Cohen Falah Cantor Mark A. Weber Executive Director Susan Warech Director of Administration Judy Mendelsohn ECE Division Principal Toni Weissberg K-8 Principal Aliza Kadish K-8 Assistant Principal Ofra Mor Religious School Coordinator Ralph P. Kingsley, DD Rabbi Emeritus Irving Shulkes, DM, Cantor Emeritus Executive Committee
Trustees Stacey Caridi Matias Cohen Meredith Foster Lee Goldberg Leonardo Gruszka Sage Kantor
Norman Leopold Arnold Meyer* Florence Nelson* Aaron Podhurst
Trustees Emeriti George Berlin* Sam Bloom* Ralph Hollander* Stuart Israelson * Sue Shapiro Klau Norman S. Klein Robert Layton Murphy Leopold
Robert Mirel Carol Moss Evelyn Stahl Pablo Sprynger Vanesa Tabacinic Renee Yeslow Vladi Yurovsky
Al Sherman* Barbara Silverman Daniel Supon* Jon Sussman Brian Tarasuk *In Loving Memory
From Rabbi Litwak’s Study Chanukah – Rededicating the Sanctuary . . . Literally! Chanukah is our holiday of rededication. When Judah Maccabee and his followers defeated the Syrian armies of Antiochus and retook the Temple in Jerusalem, they found the sanctuary in shambles. They cleaned it and, as we have been told through the ages, they lit the menorah with just enough oil to last a day and miraculously, it lasted eight days. I can only imagine the joy that the Jews felt as they came into their bright and shining sanctuary. Jews are a people that sanctify time rather than space. We are a people that has wandered the earth and found holiness in our holidays and life cycle moments rather than in grand worship cathedrals. While that may be true, there is something to be said about gathering in a space that is clean and bright; a space that is a reflection of the love and care that we have for our community. The last renovation of our Feinbloom Sanctuary was in 1993 when new pews were installed and reconfigured to create a center aisle, the bima was lowered, a ramp was added, lecterns were changed, and the current carpet was laid. In 2015, our wonderful sanctuary is hardly in shambles, but it needed some renovation. Over the past couple of months and through the generosity of the Israelson family, Temple Sinai has been renovating our sanctuary space. Many of you
Jacobson Sinai Academy PTO Coordinators
Sisterhood Co-presidents Contact Information: Temple Sinai Feinbloom Administration Building, Clergy & Religious School
Tel: Jacobson Sinai Academy - Lower & Middle School
Jacobson Sinai Academy - Early Childhood Center
www.tsnd.org www.jsamiami.org
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commented about the quality of our new sound system over the High Holy Days. In the past weeks, we have removed the pews and recarpeted the sanctuary. Since our Wiener Social Hall is used extensively during the week by our Jacobson Sinai Academy students, we have put in much more durable flooring. Our next step will be in the spring when, schedule permitting, all new lighting will brighten the entire space. The sanctuary and social hall are not the only renovations and updating that is happening on our campus. Thanks to Mark and Sandi-Jo Gordon, our Holocaust memorial got a face-lift, with rearranged rock benches and new plantings. Our ECE students have already taken advantage of this space. Thanks to the generosity and green thumb of Michael Zindorf, our Bloom Lobby entrance has been spruced up with new plants and some wonderful pruning. We are truly blessed to have such dedicated individuals. As we enter Chanukah, would you rededicate YOURSELF to our beloved Temple Sinai? Come to a service, an adult education class, a concert, or one of the many programs that fill our calendar. If you have not done so already, would you give some end-of-the-year gelt towards our Annual Giving Campaign? Come and join me (Cantor Norman will be away) on December 11 for services and dinner on Shabbat Chanukah and see our wonderful new sanctuary and social hall!
Rabbi Litwak
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
A word from the Executive Director, Mark A. Weber Early last month, I had the privilege of joining more than a dozen Temple Sinai delegates in attending the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial Convention (November 4-8). In total, over 5,000 people gathered in Orlando, representing congregations and institutions from across North America and well beyond. At the convention, we spent a considerable amount of time and energy exploring the concept of what the URJ has labelled “audacious hospitality.” Traditionally, synagogues have measured their effectiveness in hospitality in very tangible ways, for example how many people were at Shabbat services last Friday night or Saturday morning, how many people attended a mid-week social or educational event, or yes, how many variations of cheesecake were served at last night’s dessert reception.
We are hopeful that we will realize our full capacity for spiritual and social empowerment as a result of bringing “audacious hospitality” to life in everything that we do. To the extent that audacious hospitality is a vision or an aspiration, we must recognize that it is a journey that we must all commit to taking together as a group, a journey without a true final destination. It is a continual work in progress, with much yet to discover and cultivate. In the spirit of inclusion and equality, let me also take this opportunity to once again ask for your support of Temple Sinai’s Annual Giving Campaign. Our campaign needs to raise $400,000, representing just 4% of our operating budget. Among many critical uses, this money goes directly to supplement the education and curriculum of our JSA and Religious School students, to help expand the social and cultural programming of our congregation, and quietly and with dignity, to ensure that every Jew who wants to be a part of our community is able to do so, regardless of their ability to pay. Prior to the close of this 2015 calendar year (and tax year), please consider a tax deductible gift toward ensuring our Jewish future. To those who have already donated or pledged over these past few weeks, our Temple Sinai community has been strengthened greatly by your generosity, and I thank you personally.
Yet the URJ has challenged us to look deeper at the true meaning of audacious hospitality within our community, defining it as a cultural initiative that encompasses some of our Jewish tradition’s most treasured values – loving kindness, respect, and tikkun olam (repair of our world). Auducious hospitality has been redefined as being about putting the ideas of diversity, outreach, and inclusion into action, in a framework that addresses both Wishing you and your family a very Happy Chanukah, and a today’s Jewish communal needs and our highest aspirations. Nowhere is this concept more pertinent than here at Temple Sinai, Happy, healthy, fulfilling, and “audacious” 2016! where inclusion and equality within our “big tent” are our leading core values. We pride ourselves on being a warm and welcoming Mark Weber community that strives to maximize relevance for each of our almost 600 Partner families.
A word from the President of the Board, Ellen Halem The Jewish holidays are steeped in tradition. So many of the holidays we celebrate are centered around foods our families have eaten for generations and customs that we grew up with that were also a part of our grandparents’ holiday celebrations. Whenever I think about Chanukah my first thoughts are of the kitchen in the house I grew up in, with the lights turned and only the glow of the Chanukah candles. The eighth night was always my favorite. The multi-colored candles leaning this way and that, some burning faster than others, but all of them together casting their light and reminding us of the miracle of the oil. To this day, I still use the first Chanukiah I ever owned. I have many beautiful Chanukiahs that we have received as gifts throughout the years, but I always return to the one that I used when my children were growing up. There is a comfort and a joy in bringing it out each year and lighting the first candles of the holiday. One year Merritt and I celebrated Chanukah in Jerusalem. It was amazing to see a huge Chanukiah in the middle of Ben Yehuda Street and a Rabbi on a cherry picker high in the air, lighting each flame. On the ground, people passed out sufganiyot, jelly doughnuts, to celebrate the holiday. It was the first time I had ever eaten jelly doughnuts to celebrate Chanukah. Potato latkes dipped in applesauce had always been the traditional food my family shared during the holiday. At the hotel where we were staying, the dining room was filled with Chanukiahs of all shapes
and sizes as families came together to celebrate. As beautiful as the celebration was, I missed having my family together to celebrate and share the traditions of my childhood. This year I will bring my Chanukiah into my kitchen once again, turn out the lights and allow the candles to brighten the space. I will think back to Chanukahs I have celebrated through the years and the memories that come to the forefront of my mind on each of the eight nights. With any luck we will Face Time with our families in Chicago and New York and light the candles together with our children and grandchildren. We will create memories, albeit, memories made possible in the 21st century. I hope that Merritt and I will have the opportunity to celebrate the sixth night with our Temple Sinai family and create new memories as we light the candles and sing the Chanukah prayers together. I wish each of you a Happy Chanukah and a new year filled with health, joy and wonderful memories to come.
Ellen Halem
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Jacobson Sinai Academy News! A Message from JSA’s K-8 Principal, Mrs. Toni Weissberg The focus for JSA for December/January is Language Arts. Language Arts is the study of literature, writing, and grammatical conventions. Following are examples of what different grade levels are doing in Language Arts: In Kindergarten children will continue learning how to read and write with the “Superkids” program. They will build on their sight words and begin using them in "sight word sentences" which will be sent home weekly for reading practice. In the next few months, the 1st Grade Language Arts curriculum covers several interesting and important skills. Spelling will focus on controlled vowels. Children will be working on organizational skills in writing, and will be using graphic organizers and lists to help get thoughts in order before they start to write. In grammar, they will continue to study nouns and plurals. In addition, they will be concentrating on story elements; character, plot and setting, as well as sequencing to improve comprehension skills in reading. Second Grade has many fun and exciting activities planned over the next few months in Language Arts! Children will continue working with nouns and be introduced to verbs and adjectives. Steps needed to write a proper paragraph will be introduced; Prewrite, Draft, Revise, Proofread and Publish. The children will continue to write five sentence paragraphs and will complete a book report on a nonfiction book. Teachers are so proud of how excited the Second Graders are to read and take Accelerated Reader quizzes! Our Superhero 3rd Graders are working hard in Language Arts. They are learning how to write an expository essay using the 3paragraph essay format. They are also working on realistic fiction book reports, including a creative project. In January the 3rd graders will be doing "Jews in the News" biography projects. They are continuing with their grammar and phonics lessons. Their main focus is on learning how to gather information from texts and referring back to those texts. Social Studies is also integrated in the Language Arts curriculum. The Fourth Grade will be focusing on Narrative Poetry. Students will read excerpts of Narrative Poetry, comparing styles, learning about Figurative language, and writing their own poem. In January, they will begin the Unit on American Folklore, exploring
regional Tall Tales and characters, and continuing the study of Figurative Language. For 5th Grade, read Mrs. Holman’s column to learn about their current Language Arts projects. Our 6th grade Language Arts classes worked diligently on writing a five paragraph expository essay. They have learned the fundamental structure of the essay, how to write a proper thesis statement, how to use transition words and have practiced peer editing in the classroom. In the month ahead, they wil read Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students will start by participating in an online “Scavenger Hunt” to discover all about Shakespeare’s life and times, as well as the time period in which he lived. January will be an exciting month for the sixth grade! 7th Grade students have just completed the classic novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Students worked collaboratively, while learning how to use textual evidence to analyze characters, determine themes, and understand how setting shapes character development and plot. For the culminating activity, students used elements from the novel to create original newspapers, comic books and board games that featured characters and events from the novel. This month, they are looking forward to starting a contemporary novel, Paper Things by Jennifer Jacobson. In the month of December, 8th grade Language Arts classes have focused on the genre of historical fiction. They have done extensive research on the post-revolutionary time period and the yellow fever epidemic in preparation of their novel, Fever 1793 by author Laurie Halse Anderson. They have also continued extensive grammar and writing practice, focusing on various sentence structure types including compound and complex sentences. Next month, 8th graders will be embarking upon an exciting unit on Shakespeare. Students will learn about the characteristics of tragic drama in order to prepare for their analysis of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. All forms of Language Arts are covered in our curriculum from the very youngest to our senior students! Warmly,
Mrs. Toni Weissberg
Middle School National Junior Honor Society students read to our PK4 students. Page 4
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
A Message from ECE Principal, Mrs. Judy Mendelsohn Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year to all our ECE school families! I hope you will enjoy a great holiday season with friends and family as I know the teachers and I surely will. After the break, we will all come back re-energized, relaxed and ready to begin the second session of the school year. We are looking forward to wonderful beginnings for the 2016 term! As you know, reenrollment for the 2016 - 2017 school year is open. We urge all our families to reenroll on line for next year as soon as possible, as spots are filling daily and class sizes are limited. Take advantage of our Early Bird reenrollment which gives you a tuition break. It ends January 25. Please see Ronit Felszer, Admissions Director, with any questions you may have. We continue to offer Spanish and English immersion classes in TGS (18-24 mo's) and PK2 for the coming school year. In moving forward with our motto, "One Voice, Many Languages," we are pleased to inform you that we made a professional decision to
further enhance our program by restructuring our PK3 classes so that we offer Spanish with a Specialist to all children in lieu of a bilingual class limited to a few. This new format will undoubtedly strengthen our program on many levels. I hope by now that you have contributed to our annual giving campaign as the dollars we receive will enhance JSA in numerous ways. We are counting on you, our parents, to support us with a donation as your children will reap the benefits of your generosity and bring our school to greater heights. Watch for information in the new year regarding "King of My Castle Day" (daddy morning on January 21), and our "One Voice Many Languages" program to which all parents will be invited. Details to follow...
Mrs. Judy Mendelsohn
Some pics of last year’s “King of My Castle” event… looking forward to celebrating all the daddies again!
Mrs. Holman’s 5th Grade Language Arts Classes For Language Arts, this month we continue reading a novel called No Talking by Andrew Clements. This book is realistic fiction and the students are really enjoying it. As part of the study of the book, the students learned about Gandhi and his principles. We also discovered that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. followed his philosophy of nonviolence when trying to achieve Civil Rights. We are also identifying what similes, anagrams, and cliffhangers are as we read.
The students are showing off the novel we are reading, No Talking.
For creative writing, we are learning how to write expository essays on our favorite foods following the steps of the writing process, and are writing research reports, news articles, and book reports. For grammar, we are exploring nouns, adjectives, and verbs, and searching for all the different parts of speech in our textbooks, novels, classroom, and outside. In addition, we are studying homophones and how to use them correctly in our writing.
Mrs. Faye Holman
Posing in front of their “Inspirational People” Bulletin Board.
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
ECE in focus: PK4 - PA, Mrs. Esther Penias & Mrs. Cindy Argow PK4 - PA's "special topic" for the month was learning about Creation/Shabbat. We learned that Jewish holidays come once a year. We are so lucky that we can celebrate Shabbat every week. We sang so many beautiful Shabbat songs with Miss Pat. We learned about each of the Shabbat symbols, their meaning and purpose in both English and Hebrew. We learned how to set a table for Shabbat and learned the blessings (brachot).
every week. We went from being a PK4 class to being a PK4-PA family. We look forward to celebrating many more holidays and Shabbats together as one.
Esther Penias & Cindy Argow - PK4 Co-Head Teachers
We discussed that Shabbat is a very special time to spend quiet time with your family after a long work week. We worked very hard and carefully on a very special surprise for our families. We made a creation book illustrating the six days of creation and the special day of rest, Shabbat. Our Shabbat bag contained a Mezuzah, candle holders and candles, a Kiddush cup, a challah cover, and even fresh baked challah made by the children following a recipe one ingredient at a time. All of the contents in the bag were decorated by our students. We had a great time expanding our knowledge of the special holiday‌ Shabbat. We performed on the Bima and sang songs in English and in Hebrew. We fully enjoyed learning about and celebrating this meaningful holiday which we celebrate each and
Jacobson Sinai Academy - Department of Admissions
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Sisterhood Circle News & Upcoming Events Happy Holidays to all! We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and as we kindle the Chanukah lights, we are again thankful for the blessings we enjoy as part of our Temple Sinai Community. In November, we danced and sang with the amazing Nava Tehilah Group who brought us songs from the heart of Israel. The touching Havdalah service brought the entire congregation in attendance together as one community. It was really lovely and we thank you all that attended. TAPAS AND TANGO!! We are excited to bring you OSCAR CABALLERO AND ROXANA GARBER from the TANGO TIMES, a professional couple, who will present a show and a workshop. Come learn and watch as we feature an evening of dance and music. Our own Cantor Norman will also perform. We will serve a variety of tapas and of course
some signature drinks to get us in the dancing mood!!!! Cost will be $18 per person. We will be communicating the date and time shortly. Reservations will be taken in the Temple Office. Please don’t forget to pay your Sisterhood Circle Dues as this allows us to bring you the wonderful programming during the year as well as support the various components of the Union of Reform Judaism. We are also part of the Women of Reform Judaism and enjoy the power of a worldwide voice. We are connected to more than 65,000 women in nearly 500 sisterhoods in North America and the world. PLEASE JOIN US!!! Looking forward to seeing all of you. Carol Moss & Sage Kantor, Co-Presidents
Empty Nesters News & Upcoming Events Save the Dates * Bring a Friend * Kindly RSVP Early It was great seeing all the Empty Nesters at the incredible Nava Tehila Concert. We danced, we sang, we enjoyed!!!
April 22nd – Second Night Passover Seder at TSND The annual Shabbaton date has been set for May 13, 14 and 15th. Details are being worked on. Please save the date for this event. The Shabbaton has been an incredible experience that you won’t want to miss.
December 11th is Chanukah Shabbat followed by a Congregational Dinner. Reserve now for the Empty Nesters tables. If you are a new partner at Temple Sinai, please contact us so we Dinner is $15.00 per person. can meet. December 13th: Sandi-Jo Gordon will take us on a tour of the Your Co-Presidents, Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. The outstanding exhibit, “Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of Television” Evelyn Stahl and Helayne Gordon comes to Florida directly from the Jewish Museum in New York. estahl814@comcast.net beachcountry@bellsouth.net The Empty Nesters will meet for lunch at the Top Hat Deli at 12:00 noon before our private tour of the Museum. The cost is $36.00 per person. The restaurant is located at 415 NE 3rd St, Fort Lauderdale, 33301 (ample parking lot). NSU Museum of Art is located at 1 E. Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 (parking lot entrance on SE 2nd St.). Kindly RSVP by December 8th. January 23rd – Game night and Dinner will be on a Saturday night with great food and fun. We’ll all bring our favorite games and a hearty appetite. The exact location is still being worked on and all who RSVP will be notified shortly. The cost will be $25.00 per person. Kindly RSVP by January 11th to templesinai@tsnd.org or by phone at 305.932.9010. Coming up in 2016 we have the following events planned: February 14th – West Side Story at Gables Stage Page 7
Lunch & Art Outing with Sandi-Jo Gordon
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Art Basel Guided Tour (in Spanish) - Friday, December 4 at 11:30 am Join Professor Batia Cohen for a guided tour of Art Basel. The visit will be proceeded by a lecture the following Friday, December 11 at 12:30 PM in our Kemelhor Chapel.
There is a $20 cost and each participant must pre-purchase their own Art Basel ticket. RSVP to Sharon Micha at shar2001@me.com. Please let her know if you will require transportation.
Shabbat morning service led by Cantor Israel Rosen- Saturday, December 5, 10:30 AM Cantor Israel Rosen is the Hazzan at Temple Solel and kindly accepted the invitation to lead services on December 5 when Cantor Norman will be away celebrating his sister's wedding in Argentina.
Born and raised in Israel, he comes from a long line of Cantors and was educated classically in his own father’s temple choir. Cantor Rosen has been serving Temple Solel for over 30 years with a unique style.
Chanukah Shabbat Alive! - Friday, December 11 at 6:15 PM in the Feinbloom Sanctuary Join us for a festive Chanukah Shabbat Service with live music, featuring Temple Sinai's choral ensemble. Following the service, join us for our Congregational Shabbat Dinner. Bring your chanukiyah and let’s light the sixth candle together!
We will have special treats and arts & crafts for the children! There is a $15 cost per adult, $6 per child (under 13) and $18 for nonpartners. Late RSVP is an additional $5. Kindly RSVP by Monday, December 7th to our Temple office at templesinai@tsnd.org or 305.932.9010.
Empty Nesters' Lunch & Art outing! - Sunday, December 13th at 12:00 PM You are invited to enjoy lunch together at Top Hat Deli followed by a visit to NSU Museum of Art to visit the current exhibitions: "Revolution of the Eye: Modern
Art and the Birth of American Television;" "The Indestructible Lee Miller" and "To Be Continued: Television as Art." Cost: $36 includes lunch and museum ticket. Kindly RSVP by December 8th to templesinai@tsnd.org or by phone at 305.932.9010.
Temple Sinai’s Book Club - Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7:00 PM in the Hollander-Rachleff Library Our next book will be The Innocents by Francesca Segal. This book is recommended by the Jewish Book Council. The facilitator will be Sue Klau. About the Book: It is a smart and slyly funny tale of love, temptation, confusion, and commitment; a triumphant and beautifully executed recasting of Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence.
Newly engaged and unthinkingly self-satisfied, twenty-eight-yearold Adam Newman is the prize catch of Temple Fortune, a small, tight-knit Jewish suburb of London. He has been dating Rachel Gilbert since they were both sixteen and now, to the relief and happiness of the entire Gilbert family, they are finally to marry. Coffee and refreshments will be served. Kindly RSVP to Audrey Aronchick at amagrower@yahoo.com or the Temple Office at 305.932.9010 or templesinai@tsnd.org.
Outdoor Shabbat - Friday, December 18 at 6:15 PM in the Israelson Pavilion
Outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat
Join us for a special Kabbalat Shabbat Service under the stars!
Weber and our Director of Security, Ron Givon on guitars, long-time partner and JSA parent Eduardo Caridi on percussion and long-time partner Heather Oppenheimer on violin.
With live music, and special guest musicians: our own Executive Director, Mark
This will be a night to remember! For more information you may call the Temple Office at 305.932.9010 or by email at templesinai@tsnd.org.
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Stolen Art Lectures (in Spanish) - Every Friday in January at 12:30 PM Professor Batia Cohen will be presenting four special lectures on Stolen Art: the art theft as a result of the organized looting of European countries during the Second World War.
The lectures will take place on Friday January 8, 15, 22 and 29, at 12:30 PM in the Kemelhor Chapel. The cost is $80 for the whole series. If there are participants interested in this theme and would like to have classes in English, this can be arranged too. Please contact Sharon Micha at shar2001@me.com.
Meet the Author Series at Temple Sinai - Wednesday, January 6 at 7:30 PM Meet the Author - Jewish Book Series Presents: Ronald Balson author of Saving Sophie. A powerful and gripping story by the author of Once we were brothers. Six year old Sophie has been kidnapped by her grandfather and taken to his compound in Hebron, while her father has disappeared with 80 million dollars of his client’s money.
Once we were brothers characters, Liam and Catherine, return to investigate the embezzlement and to recover Sophie. Never did they expect to be involved in trying to prevent a terrorist attack from occurring on Israel Independence Day, in Jerusalem. Complimentary admission • Light refreshments • Book signing Books available for purchase. This Series is a collaborative effort of the Michael-Ann Russell JCC with Temple Sinai and other organizations. For information, contact David Surowitz of the Michael-Ann Russll JCC at 305-932-4200, ext. 127.
Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Shabbat - Friday, January 15 in the Feinbloom Sanctuary Please join us at our historic and ongoing bonds between Jews and African-Americans annual Shabbat celebrating and will be an extraordinary evening of prayer and song. the life and legacy of Our Choral Ensemble will be participating in the service. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oneg will follow the service. Temple Sinai organizes this Shabbat to remind congregants and the community of the
What is your Israeli IQ? - Wednesday, January 27 at 7:00 PM There’s more to Israel than meets the eye, and certainly more than what you see in the headlines. You might think you’re an expert, but are you? We challenge you to participate in “What is your Israeli IQ” and test how much you know about Israeli Government, Geography, Religious Identity and History.
Everybody is invited to participate and put their knowledge to test! We specially encourage Middle School & SNFTY/High School students to participate. This event is organized by the Sisterhood Circle of Temple Sinai, and has the support of Stand With Us, an international, non-profit organization dedicated to informing the public about Israel and to combating the extremism and anti-Semitism.
Jewish Artists Series – Winter 2015 / Spring 2016 Our own Temple Sinai partner and visual artist, Sandi-Jo Gordon, will present this series of art talks reviewing Jewish and non-Jewish artists and their depiction and views of their times and topics that influenced their art. Jewish Artists vs. Jewish Art - Thursday, December 10, 7:30 pm An introduction to how both Jewish and non-Jewish artists approach Jewish and secular subject matter. Is there a “Jewish eye”? What do Jewish museums exhibit? Page 9
Tikkun Olam: Jewish Artists Respond Thursday, January 21, 7:30 pm How Jewish artists have addressed issues of social justice, expressing their consciences in relation to the civil rights, feminist, and other movements of their times, influencing public thinking through their art.
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Annual Giving Campaign
On behalf of a grateful Temple Sinai, we thank all of our partners and friends who gave generously throughout the year to support our mission to provide Jewish education and inclusion to all, regardless of their ability to pay. With the calendar year quickly coming to an end, we want to remind you how to best maximize your gift. DID YOU KNOW: ·
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If you pay your outstanding tax-deductible dues/annual commitment by December 31st, you can include that in your 2015 charitable contributions on your tax return. If you pay your dues/annual commitment by Dec. 31st with appreciated assets, such as stocks, it may give you additional tax savings. That many employers offer an employee matching gift
program to benefit 501(c) 3 organizations. If you are age 70 ½ or older, you may instruct the Trustee or Custodian of your IRA to directly transfer up to $100,000 of your IRA to a qualified public charity, such as Temple Sinai, tax -free. PLUS, this gift from your IRA will count toward your Required Annual Distribution. Remember: Your IRA Trustee or Custodian must transfer your IRA gift payable directly to Temple Sinai under this extended provision. Your gift will be used for the purpose you designate. Be sure to consult your professional advisor to determine how this provision may benefit both you and Temple Sinai. ·
If you have would like additional information, please contact Rabbi Litwak, Mark Weber or Susan Warech.
Thank you again for all of your support!
Mitzvah for the month of December: Food Drive - Benefiting the JCS Kosher Food Bank NO ONE SHOULD GO HUNGRY! Please donate food to the Kosher Food Bank, an agency of Jewish Community Service, which has been serving needy Jews in South Florida for decades. The items most needed are: * Kids Cereal * Canned Veggies * Coffee / Tea
* Rice
Target, Wal-Mart, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Gas and Kosher Grocery gift cards are very much appreciated !!! All packages must be listed with one of the kosher symbols. Questions?? Please Call Bonnie at 305-947-8093 or Email foodbank@jcsfl.org
Mitzvah for the month of January: Click4Cleats JSA graduates, Brandon ('14) and Jordan ('14) Weinstein, founded the organization Click4Cleats, to help provide less fortunate children with new and gently used athletic shoes.
The 2016 drive will run from January 29 - February 11th. To learn more about the organization and about how you can help, visit www.click4cleats.org.
The first annual shoe drive in the spring of 2015 provided over 400 local Miami-Dade and Broward children with cleats, ballet slippers, and athletic shoes. Page 11
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Chanukah At Home Chanukah, a holiday primarily celebrated at home, begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev and is observed for eight days. In the Talmud, the rabbis taught that the mitzvah of Chanukah, the commandment at the heart of the observance of the holiday, is a “candle for each man and his household.” Hence, the actual mitzvah, or commandment, of Chanukah is to kindle the Chanukah lights in one’s home. Blessings are recited over lighting the candles. One candle is lit for each night. The candle for the first night is put on the right side of the eight-branched menorah. On each subsequent night, an additional candle is placed to the immediate left of the previous night’s candle, and the candles are lit from left to right, so that the kindling begins with the newest light. Since these lights are holy, it is forbidden to make practical use of them; therefore, a special shamash (servant) candle is used to light the others.
The first is a blessing over the candles themselves. The second blessing expresses thanks for the miracle of deliverance. A third blessing—the Shehecheyanu prayer, marking all joyous occasions in Jewish life—is chanted or recited only on the first night.
Chanukah Blessings Candles are added to the Chanukiyah from right to left but are kindled from left to right. The newest candle is lit first. (On the Shabbat of Chanukah, kindle the Chanukah lights first and then the Shabbat candles.) Light the Shamash - the helper candle - first using it to kindle the rest of the Chanukah lights; say or sing:
In some families, each member of the household, including the children, lights his or her own Chanukah menorah. Many families Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher use the eight-day period of Chanukah to spend time together kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tsivanu l'hadlik ner shel Chanukah. each night. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows Another mitzvah of Chanukah is pirsum hanes, the public us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the Chanukah lights. proclamation of the miraculous events that transpired in the days of the Maccabees. A number of features of Chanukah observance are connected with this requirement. The Chanukah lights are lit at sundown, the time when passers-by are most Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim likely to see them. When possible, the menorah is placed in a laavoteinu v'imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz'man hazeh. window or elsewhere in the home so that it can be seen from the outside. This custom is especially prevalent in Israel, where Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who cities and towns hold public menorah-lighting ceremonies and performed wonderous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at the entire country is full of candles, bright with the celebration this season. of the Festival of Lights. For first night only:
Blessings and Candle lighting Any member or members of the family may chant or recite the blessings. One person lights and holds the shamash, the Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu blessings are pronounced, and then the candles are lit (from left v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh. to right, so that the kindling begins with the newest light). Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, for giving us Two blessings are chanted or recited every night of Chanukah. life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Chanukah Receipes Latkes
Directions:
Ingredients:
1.
Combine grated potato, onion, eggs, salt and pepper.
· 5 medium potatoes, grated and squeezed dry
2.
Shape mixture into patties, about 3 inches in diameter.
· 1 small onion, grated
3.
Fry patties in hot cooking oil until golden brown on both sides.
4.
Drain on paper towels.
5.
Serve hot with applesauce or sour cream.
· 5 eggs, slightly beaten · salt and pepper to taste · 1/2 cup cooking oil · applesauce or sour cream
Easy Sufganiyot
Directions:
Ingredients:
1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs and sour cream. Mix until well blended.
· 3 cups of unbleached flour (sifted)
2. Heat the oil, and when very hot add 1 tbsp of batter to the oil. Fry until doughnut puffs and becomes light brown, then turn and cook on the other side. Repeat until all doughnuts are cooked.
· 2 teaspoons baking powder · 2 tablespoons sugar · 2 eggs
3. Set cooked doughnuts on a paper towel to cool (the paper towel will also absorb the excess oil).
· 2 cups lowfat sour cream · Canola oil for frying
4. Poke a small hole into each doughnut, and fill with jelly of your choice.
· Jelly of your choice
5. Sprinkle the doughnuts with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
· Powdered sugar
Note: To fill the jelly into the doughnut, you can use a syringe, or you can
Chanukah Activities Edible Dreidels Young children will love to make these adorable and delicious dreidels. Ingredients: ·
Large Marshmallows
·
Pocky Sticks (or pretzel sticks)
·
Nutella (or Marshmallow Puff)
·
Chocolate Candy Kisses
·
Writing Icing
· Attach a chocolate kiss to the bottom of each marshmallow with a dab of Nutella. · Using writing icing, pipe on one of the Hebrew letters from the dreidel.
Directions: · ·
Unwrap four candy kisses. Get four Pocky Sticks or Pretzels and insert one end into four marshmallows. Page 13
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Temple Sinai Community - Lifecycle R’fuah Sh’leimah Lisa Layne Chuck Kantor Elyse Marcus Gloria Barnett Gloria Raffel Howard Roskin Irwin Katz
December Birthdays Paul Feldman Liza Freeman Rachel Dvorah bat Moishe v’Rut Lillian Maltz Elinore Rutman Freda Rozen-Brown
Leah Stock Maggie Vaknin Marion Gordon Noach ben Chaim Leib Rafael Ben Rivka Sarah bat Leah Sarah Bibliowicz
Mazal Tov! To parents Daniel and Daniela Sultan, on the safe arrival of baby Sultan. To grandparents Rosa and Robert Kofman, on the safe arrival of their grandson Jacob Joaquin Fraxedas. To Ingrid Nelson, on the safe arrival of her grandson Ilan Nelson. To Grandparents Mila and Alexander Yurovsky, and parents Vladimir and Heather Yurovsky, on the safe arrival of baby girl Cassidy Venice. To Norman and Alice Klein, on their granddaughter Olivia Gottdenker becoming a Bat Mitzvah. To Ira and Ann Landau, on their granddaughter Jessica Zweifler becoming a Bat Mitzvah. To Ariela Jason-Hes and Ernesto Hes, on their daughter Galya becoming a Bat Mitzvah. To Mauricio and Erika Assael, on their son Alejandro becoming a Bar Mitzvah. To Vicki Hatch, on her son Alan becoming a Bar Mitzvah. To Celia Mussman, on her daughter Marla Bergmann's engagement to Michael Malanud and on her granddaughter Lauren Kaufman Bergmann's engagement to Nelson France.
12/1 Meredith Fishman 12/1 Debbie Gross 12/1 Ellen Halem 12/1 Irwin Katz 12/1 Ruth Rubin 12/2 Sophy Rindler 12/2 Marcia Silverstein 12/3 Jane Basch 12/3 Ronald Book 12/3 Abraham Cherem Mizrahi 12/4 Martin Gallone 12/4 Andrew Sturner 12/5 Orly Leizorek 12/6 Lizbeth Schonfeld 12/7 Sylvain Argy 12/7 Mario Grosfeld 12/7 Toby Katzker 12/7 Leron Marinovsky 12/7 Ida Sims 12/8 Ronnie Fromberg 12/8 Mariano Karner 12/9 Joel Birnbaum 12/10 David Waich 12/11 Stephanie Feldman Gutt 12/11 Mariela Rosenblat Covos 12/12 Iris Blumenau 12/12 Merle Saferstein
12/13 12/13 12/13 12/14 12/15 12/16 12/17 12/19 12/20 12/20 12/21 12/22 12/23 12/23 12/24 12/24 12/24 12/25 12/26 12/26 12/28 12/28 12/28 12/28 12/30 12/30 12/31
Bonnie Bloom Jennifer Kamhazi Bloch Ronnie Zindorf Frances Foster Gabriela Liascovitz Szpiro Carrie Mintz Nirvana Sherman Holly Leinwand Judy Agron Shelly Friedland Alfred Miller Moises Portnoy Elizabeth Kittay Robin Silverman Charles Kantor Jacques Sandoval Jeff Steinberg Noe Rodriguez Solis Marihen Chocron Adrienne Roth Marcos Fintz Joel Laskey Shirley Lehman Fanny Perez Feldman Roslynn Averbook Carole Berman Helayne Gordon
December Anniversaries
B’nai Mitzvah!
12/1 12/4 12/4 12/8 12/10 12/12 12/12 12/15 12/17
Marcelo & Gabriela Barski Irving & Joanne Shulkes Mark & Gail Slatko Salomon & Ghila Toledano Sidney & Francine Delarosa Faith & Rob Faustin Enrique & Orly Leizorek Moises & Monique Goihman Roy & Sophie Faith
12/17 12/17 12/18 12/18 12/18 12/20 12/20 12/20 12/21
Don & Sandy Goodman Sanford & Ellen Nusbaum Martin & Veronica Gallone Jonathan & Holly Leinwand David & Evelyn Rosen Alex & Barbara Falcon Kevin & Sharon Garroway Jacques & Ana Malfi Eduardo & Vicky Arias
12/21 12/21 12/21 12/21 12/22 12/23 12/23
David & Mariela Covos Ron & Kyla Fajerstein John & Ksenia Gnip Wesley & Susan Jones Irwin & Dena Katz Dale & Martha Brown Barton & Lyanne L. Wassermann 12/24 Charles & Ferris Shenker
12/25 12/26 12/27 12/27 12/27 12/28 12/30 12/30
Mark & Sandi-Jo Gordon Douglas & Lisa Layne William & Shirley Lehman Howard & Ingrid Roskin Mark and Suzanne Weber Toby and Dianne Katzker Jay and Robin Chernoff Daniel and Nataly Kaswan
Jordan Rindler will become a Bar Mitzvah on January 9th at our Shabbat Minchah.
Mildred Waxman will become a Bat Mitzvah on January 23rd.
Joshua Unmuth will become a Bar Mitzvah on January 30th.
Jordan began his education at JSA and now attends University School at Nova Southeastern University.
Mildred is the daughter of Ana Waxman and Jeremy Waxman. She is a 7th grader at Miami Country Day School.
Joshua is the son of Debbie and Steven Unmuth.
His hobbies are debate, competitive math, drama, reading and watching classic movies.
Her hobbies are playing basketball, singing, acting, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. Her mitzvah work was working with kids at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. She also raised money from lemonade stands for the SPCA in Israel, as she loves animals. One of Mildred's favorite things to do is make others feel happy.
His mitzvah work has been to raise awareness of anti-semitism and increase understanding of Judaism by delivering speeches at his school.
Page 14
He is a 7th Grader at David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center. Joshua's hobbies are football, airsoft and gaming. His mitzvah work is with the Kosher Food Bank, as well as providing animal shelter support and military support.
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Temple Sinai Community - Lifecycle January Birthdays
Condolences To Larry (Shelley) Simon, on the death of his mother Bernice Simon. To Robin (Michael) Goldberg, on the death of her mother Libby Levy. To Gina (Elie) Espiedra, on the death of her father.
January Anniversaries 1/1 1/3 1/3 1/11 1/18 1/20 1/21 1/25 1/28 1/29 1/30 1/31
Seth and Danielle Krinsky Javier and Isabel Alvarez-Levey Robert and Louise Mirel Joel and Liliana Eidelstein Robert Sugarman and Marilyn Seskin Steven and Cila Eilat Stephen and Shelley Costin Norman and Karen Leopold Jonathan and Marjorie Sussman Murray and Judith Swift Ryan and Nirvana Sherman Lynn and Ronnie Fromberg
1/1 1/2 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/5 1/5 1/9 1/9 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/11 1/11 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/13 1/13 1/13 1/13 1/13
Sharon Garroway Lisette Gruener Abraham Jaffe Millard Cummins Lynn Mendelssohn Mark Mintz Sarah Steinmetz Carol Schectman Lillian Stein Daniel Cohen Denisse Finkelstein Sandi-Jo Gordon Howard Sanford Allison Temares Eduardo Arias Audina Berrocal Veronica Evelson Mark Gordon Joyce Mandelblum Norton Agron Ricardo Berl Faye Holman Jerry Leader Joel Wolf
1/13 1/14 1/15 1/18 1/18 1/20 1/21 1/21 1/21 1/22 1/23 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/26 1/27 1/27 1/27 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/29 1/30 1/31
Vladi Yurovsky Stephanie Freedman Walter Cohen Valentina Cohen Kara Friedman Wesley Jones James Schenkel Paul Siegel Salomon Toledano Marissa Mintz Forte Terry Drucker Hilary Brownstein Nadine Hausmann Perel Ivania Max Steven Brodsky John Cogan Diana Leader Steven Weinstein Alain Bibliowicz Rodney Max Rochelle Weinstein Alain Ohana Jack Delman Dena Katz
Donations October 28 to November 29, 2015 Sylvan and Carol Lewis
Cantor Norman Cohen Falah's Discretionary Fund Mary Lou Brotherson Dr. & Mrs. Fred Shuster Barton and Lyanne L. Wassermann Barton and Lyanne L. Wassermann Joel Mintz and Meri-Jane Rochelson Merritt and Ellen Halem Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis
In memory of Eli and Phyllis Katz In memory of Phyllis Katz In memory of Marguerite T. Lindo In memory of Gladys T. Findanque In appreciation of Cantor Norman's Torah Trope course In appreciation of Cantor Norman's Trope class In honor of Roz Silverman's grandchildren, Riley and Max Gleiberman's becoming Bar & Bat Mitzvah In honor of the birth of Irene Baros's fourth grandchild, Judah Matthy Baros In honor of the marriage of Louis and Nancy Berlin's son, Ben to Mike Honigberg In honor of Alan Hatch becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Rabbi Alan Litwak's Discretionary Fund Robert Schwartz and Margo Brilliant Mary Lou Brotherson Jeri Buxton & Bernard Rehhaut Leon and Doris Pienknagura Irwin and Sue Klau Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Gerard and Carol Ann Moss Betty Nault Betty Nault Lillian Stein Lillian Stein
In honor of the aliyah In appreciation of Rabbi Alan Litwak for the aliyah To support students going on March of the Living In honor of Alejandro Assael becoming a Bar Mitzvah In support of Rabbi Alan Litwak's work In honor of the birth of Robin and Michael Goldberg’s grandaughter, Emily Jill Alweiss In honor of Ira Zweifler and Ann Landau's dog, Niki Zweifdau In memory of Max Miller In honor of the birth of Irwin and Sue Klau's granddaughter, Sadie Faye Klau In memory of Grete Moos In memory of Abraham Goldman In memory of Susan L. Donohue In honor of Lillian Schwartz's birthday In honor of Freda Rozen-Brown's birthday
Renee Yeslow
In honor of Ira Zweifler & Ann Landau’s granddaughter Jessica Zweifler becoming a Bat Mitzvah In appreciation of Rabbi Alan Litwak's class
The Caring Community Fund Debbie Bloomfield Harry and Deborah Berkowitz
In honor of the birth of Noah and Jennifer Alweiss's daughter, Emily Jill Alweiss Wishing Lisa Layne a complete and speedy recovery
The George J. and Lila Berlin Bridge Fund Jimmy & Rabbi Jody Cohen-Gavarian Jimmy & Rabbi Jody Cohen-Gavarian
In memory of Al Seskin In honor of the marriage of Louis and Nancy Berlin's son Ben Tobin to Mike Honigberg
The General Donation Fund Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Mary Lou Brotherson Mary Lou Brotherson Judy Mendelsohn Roz Silverman Irwin and Sue Klau Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Irwin and Alma Hyman Merle & L. Michael Orlove Jerome Stern Ralph and Brenda Kingsley Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Irwin and Sue Klau Irwin and Sue Klau Temple Sinai Board of Trustees
Page 15
In memory of Susan Donohue Wishing Irene Miller a complete and speedy recovery In honor of Greg Thomas and Eva Lebovic's anniversary In honor of the marriage of Elyse Marcus's daughter, Sarah Marcus to Isaac Dzhurayen In honor of her twin grandchildren Riley and Max Gleiberman becoming a Bat & Bar Mitzvah In memory of Mary Warren In memory of Phyllis Katz In memory of Libby Levy In honor of their anniversary In honor of Norman and Alice Klein High Holy Days Donation In memory of Erna Kingsley In honor of Ann Landau's birthday In memory of Joanna Korn In honor of Norman and Alice Klein's granddaughter Olivia Gottdenker becoming a Bat Mitzvah Wishing Terry Drucker a refuah shlemah In honor of Ira Zweifler and Ann Landau's granddaughter Jessica Zweifler becoming a Bat Mitzvah
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Donations October 28 to November 29, 2015 Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Temple Sinai Board of Trustees
Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Temple Sinai Board of Trustees Irwin and Sue Klau Beth Albert
In honor of Norman and Alice Klein's granddaughter Olivia Gottdenker becoming a Bat Mitzvah In honor of the engagement of Celia Mussman’s daughter Marla Bergmann to Michael Malanud In honor of the engagement of Celia Mussman's granddaughter Lauren Kaufman-Bergmann to Nelson France In honor of Alan Hatch becoming a Bar Mitzvah In honor of Alejandro Assael becoming a Bar Mitzvah In honor of Pablo Tannenbaum becoming a Bar Mitzvah Wishing Don Lockshin a refuah shlemah In honor of Eden Rothbard becoming a Bat Mitzvah
The High Holy Days Fund Irving Green Mary & Allan Epstein
High Holy Days Donation High Holy Days donation
The Judy & Murray Swift Fund Murray and Judy Swift
In honor of Rabbi Ralph P. Kingsley's birthday
In memory of Benjamin Halem In memory of Sam Bloom In memory of Jaime Pienknagura In memory Julia Brenner In memory Ruth Baros In memory of Louis Jacob Leader In memory of Paul Breittholz In memory of Leon Silverman In memory of Evelyn B. Silverman In memory of Bruce Botwinick In memory of Ana Fiser In memory of Libby Levy In memory of Richard Terry In memory of Bernice Simon In memory of Michael Fader In memory of Ethel Arm
The Mishkan T'filah Prayer Book Fund
The Memorial Fund Irwin & Susan Hart Rabbi Ralph P. & Brenda Kingsley Ruby Schwalb Mark & Martha Schuldiner Jon and Margie Sussman Marcia Zucker Adam & Linda Dreyer David and Rose Ellen Glickman Irwin and Alma Hyman Irwin and Sue Klau Bill and Shirley Lehman Phyllis Pechter Suzanne Schild Richard Waldman Arthur and Sunny Weiner Lillian Stein Alan and Laura Drexler Alan and Laura Drexler Elena Goldberg
Merritt and Ellen Halem Patricia F. Doubek Leon and Doris Pienknagura Sam and Sara Brenner Irene J. Baros George and Dee Leader George and Dee Leader Sharron Botwinick Sharron Botwinick Sharron Botwinick Dora Fiser Renee Yeslow Steve and Darrow Arrow Celia Mussman Barry and Marsha Schugar Louise Weinthal Lior and Susan Shalev
In memory of Sally Lipman In memory of Elsie Schiffman In memory of Leonard Schwalb In memory of Aaron Schuldiner In memory of Joanna Korn In memory of Bejnamin Zucker In memory of Al Seskin In memory of Libby Levy In memory of Rosalie Strauss In memory of Libby Levy In memory of Irvin Rubin In memory of Ethel Miller In memory of Elsie Dreyfus In memory of Bryce Waldman In memory of Herbert Dannemann In memory of Mayer Acheel Ben Shmon Eliezer In memory of David Tobin In memory of Jacob Drexler In memory of Luisa Waksman
In honor of Pablo Tannenbaum becoming a Bar Mitzvah
The Programming Fund Barton and Lyanne L. Wassermann In sponsorship of FNL and in honor of Alan Hatch becoming a Bar Mitzvah
The Sisterhood Kitchen Fund Marion Gordon Howard and Ingrid Roskin Howard and Ingrid Roskin Howard and Ingrid Roskin Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Sylvan and Carol Lewis Dick and June Slavin Marion Gordon Marion Gordon
In honor of Ruth Littman's birthday In honor of Lillian Schwartz's birthday In honor of Adele Sandberg's birthday In honor of Pamela Shiman's birthday In honor of Adele Sandberg's birthday In honor of David Stahl's birthday In honor of the engagement of Debbie Bloomfield’s daughter Jill to Ben Margolis Mazel Tov on Norman and Alice Klein's granddaughter Olivia Gottdenker becoming a Bat Mitzvah In memory of Albert Gordon In memory of Fannie Iskowitz
To sponsor the Oneg and Kiddush Leonard and Julie Feldman
Page 16
In honor of their anniversary and in appreciation of the Torah to Go Project
DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Sinai Voices: “I am a Jew” - Merritt Halem I am a Jew because I have visited the concentration camps in Poland and Germany, and I have cried at Yad Vashem when the I am a Jew because my soul was at Mt. Sinai with names of the children that died in the Holocaust were called out. all the other unborn souls, and the people who left Egypt with Moses, to receive the Torah and I am a Jew because I was called a dirty Jew in the American Army. the Ten Commandments. I am a Jew because I want to learn to sing Torah, and I am now I am a Jew because I believe in the State of Israel, studying with Cantor Norman. and I support it with my heart and soul, and my resources. I am a Jew because I am learning to speak Hebrew, a language that was dead for almost two thousand years. I am a Jew because , if threatened , I would fight for the State of Israel, even at my age. I am a Jew because when I arrive each time at Ben-Gurion Airport I know that I am home. I am a Jew because even though I was born in New York City, my heart longs to be in Jerusalem. I am a Jew because I follow in my Zeda’s footsteps, and like my I am a Jew because both my mother and my father were Jews and Zeda, to be the best grandfather my grandchildren could ever want. I am their son. I am a Jew because……..
I am a Jew because I understand it is my mission to help make the world a better place. I am a Jew because I believe in the one true God, Hashem, and I was created in his image.
I am a Jew because I believe in a Jewish education for all Jewish children, no matter what their parents’ financial situation is. All Jewish boys and all Jewish girls should become a Bar and Bat Mitzvah.
I am a Jew because God has given me the task, the strength, the I am a Jew because when I see the birth of a child, or the flowering desire, the resources, the family and the Synagogue to pray in. of a plant, or the night sky filled with stars, I know that there must I am a Jew because I want to be one. be a divine creator. I am a Jew because, even though I have seen death as an American soldier, I believe in peace for all mankind.
#YoSoyJudio
I am a Jew because in my mind I stood with Moses, the Maccabees, the Haganah, the IDF, and I was present at the destruction of both Temples, and the victories in 1948, the Six-day war, and the Yom Kippur war. I am a Jew because Rabbi Kingsley in one of his sermons said that all Jews should have Jewish grandchildren. I have three, with one more on the way.
#IAmAJew
I am a Jew because I enjoy listening to Rabbi Litwak when he speaks, and Cantor Norman when he sings on Shabbat or any Jewish Holiday.
Sinai Voices: A new space for partners to share with their Temple Sinai community The Jewish people are a people of stories. Throughout our history, telling stories has been a crucial way of imparting wisdom, conveying behavioral norms, inspiring action, connecting with God and the community, and deepening our own spiritual life. Regardless of their content, the stories we tell are sacred. When we share our stories with others, we open ourselves up
to finding new meaning in them ourselves, and impart meaning on the reader/listener. We want our partners and congregants to share their stories. Sinai Voices highlights thoughts, writings, and expressions of congregant partners on themes of Jewish content. They are then folded into the Mosaic, Sinai Scene, and other Temple Sinai communications. We invite you to submit thoughts, experiences, and stories by sending them to Veronica Evelson at veronica.evelson@tsnd.org. Please understand that we will not be able to use all submissions and we will edit them to fit our space constraints. We hope that you will nurture your own soul and those of your fellow congregant partners by sharing your stories.
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 | KISLEV / TEVET / SH’VAT 5776
Sun
Mon
Tue 1 DECEMBER 6 PM Heads Up to Kindergarten
6 Erev Chanukah
7
Chanukah I
8
Chanukah II
14 Chanukah VIII 15
Religious School Chanukah Party!
Thu
Fri 4
5
8:30 AM Talmud Class
12 PM Art Basel Guided Tour (in Spanish) 5:45 PM Oneg 6:15 PM Kabbalat Shabbat With Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar
9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat With Rabbi Sam Rothberg
11
12 Chanukah VI
6 PM Legacy Class
6 PM K - 4th Grade Showcase
9 Chanukah III
10 Chanukah IV
Chanukah V
JSA Lower & Middle School Grandparents Shabbat
6 PM Legacy Class
5:45 PM Oneg 7:30 PM Jewish Artist 6:15 PM Shabbat Chanukah Series
16
17
18
21
No Religious School
JSA Winter Break Begins
22 JSA Winter Break
7:30 PM Temple Sinai Choral Ensemble Practice
7 PM Temple Sinai’s Book Club
5:45 PM Oneg 6:15 PM Outdoor Shabbat
23
24
25
26
JSA Winter Break
JSA Winter Break
JSA Winter Break
Temple Office will close at 1 PM
Temple Office closed
9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat With Rabbi Ralph P. Kingsley
5:45 PM Oneg 6:15 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service
27
28
29
30
31 New Years Eve
1 JANUARY
2
JSA Winter Break
JSA Winter Break
JSA Winter Break
JSA Winter Break
Temple Office closed
9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat
No Religious School Temple Office will close at 1 PM
3
4
5
6
7
JSA Classes Resume 7:30 PM Meet the Author Jewish Book Series 7:30 PM Temple Sinai Choral Ensemble Practice
11
12
13
Religious School
18
19
20
26
15
5:45 PM Oneg 6:15 PM MLK Kabbalat Shabbat Service
21
22
5:45 PM Oneg 7:30 PM Jewish Artist 6:15 PM Outdoor Series Shabbat Service
27
28
29
Religious School
31 Religious School
7:30 PM Temple Sinai Choral Ensemble Practice
Page 20
16 9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat
7:30 PM Temple Sinai Choral Ensemble Practice
7 PM What is your Israeli IQ?
9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat
Shabbat Dinner
14
8:30 AM Talmud Class
25 Tu B'Shevat
9
5 PM Shabbat Minchah Jordan Rindler will Followed by Congregational become a Bar Mitzvah
9:30 AM JSA Open House Tours
No Religious School
24
8 5:45 PM Oneg 6:15 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service
7:30 PM Temple Sinai Choral Ensemble Practice
17
5:45 PM Oneg 6:15 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service With Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar
8:30 AM Talmud Class
No Religious School
10
19 9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat
Melton Classes
20
9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat
Followed by Chanukah Shabbat Dinner
8:30 AM Talmud Class
11:30 AM Empty Nesters Lunch & Art Outing
Sat
3
Melton Classes
8:30 AM PTO Meeting (in the Kemelhor Chapel) Melton Classes
Religious School
13 Chanukah VII
Wed 2
5:45 PM Oneg 6:15 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service
23 9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat Mildred Waxman will become a Bat Mitzvah Empty Nesters Game Night
30 9 AM Torah Study 10:30 AM Shabbat Joshua Unmuth will become a Bar Mitzvah