1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

Kislev — Tevet — Shevat 5775
December 2014 — January 2015
This past week (as I am writing this), our family said goodbye to our beloved
Golden Retriever, Penny. Penny lived to be just shy of her 14th birthday – a very
long life for a golden – and with the exception of her first couple of years (she
was a rescue dog), Penny enjoyed a wonderful life. Her years with Elaine Harris
and her daughter Rachel were very special, and then for the last nine years
(almost), we were blessed to have Penny in our family.
D’VAR HA RAV:
RABBI’S
MESSAGE
_______________________
Rabbi Howard
Voss-Altman
I put Judah in charge (he was eight), and raced down the path to rescue Penny,
who, after falling nearly 40 feet onto shallow rocks, had to be mortally wounded.
When I arrived though, two other hikers were comforting her, and miraculously,
in just a few minutes, she was able to walk to the trail head under her own power.
Ted and I drove her to the animal hospital in Canmore, where her wounds were
stitched up (not a single bone was broken), and my tale of potential tragedy and
sadness had turned into a remarkable story. From that day forth, we knew she
had been born under a lucky sign.
INSIDE
THIS
ISSUE
Rabbi’s Message
Cover
President’s Message 4
Donations
5
Yahrzeits6-7
Lifecycle Events
Like most Golden Retrievers, Penny was an enthusiastic and loving companion.
She loved to swim in the Elbow River, frolic in the snow, and on family outings
or hikes, Penny’s herding instinct was often on display as she raced between
the front of the pack and the back of the pack to ensure that everyone was still
together. Her most infamous moment occurred on Labour Day, 2008, when
Ted Switzer, Betsy Ritter, Mika Ritter, Judah, Adi, and I went on a hike to Trolls
Falls in the Kananaskis. While Ted and Betsy set up our picnic, I went with the
children and Penny on a path to the top of the waterfall. As I was keeping track
of the children, Judah suddenly turned toward me and said, “Aba, Penny just
went over the falls.”
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Calendars11-12
But as all pet owners know, their relationship with their beloved dog or cat
is hardly unique. Today, there are so many “pet owner” memoirs, that it has
become a genre unto itself. The New York Times Best Sellers List includes
a “Pets and Animals” section, with titles like “Catification,” “Chaser,” (a book
about a retired psychologist who taught his Border Collie to recognize more than
a thousand words), and “Ask Anna,” an advice book for dogs inspired by the
author’s Golden Retriever, Anna. What started innocently enough with “Marley
and Me” is now a cottage industry.
I think we embrace our pets not only because they are a part of our family, but
also because of their stubborn refusal to change. In this fast-moving world,
when change comes at us in a whirlwind, when facts and figures and headlines
and bullet points enter our consciousness at a speed so rapid we can hardly
assimilate them all, our dogs and cats, our lizards and birds, remain blissfully
the same. Dogs, for the most part, experience few mood swings, and if they are
out of sorts, they fall back into their genial attentive selves in no time.
continued on page 2...
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...continued from cover
When our children were little, Penny was the equivalent of a large stuffed animal come to life. But as
the children grew up, Penny’s steadfast behavior - food schnurring, tail banging (the joy of vertical tail
wagging while lying on the floor), and her unabashed, uninhibited, anticipatory joy as we prepared to
go for a walk - were touchstones of a being that remained entirely timeless. Even as the children were
growing and maturing, Penny was in a perpetual mental state of early childhood. Her enthusiasm — for
the things that mattered to her – never dimmed or faded. She never became cynical or jaded. She
never tried to be cool, and she never went out of her way to bark back or annoy us just to test our limits.
The only thing Penny desired was to be with us (to be in the “pack”) and to be fed. And as these desires
were fulfilled, she offered in return her unconditional constancy (which we anthropomorphically interpret
as love) and her cheerful, optimistic approach to life. It was, in the immortal words of Humphrey Bogart
in Casablanca, “a beautiful friendship.”
Although every pet owner knows this day will come, still, it is never easy to say goodbye. We mourn our
loss, we comfort each other, and we continue on with our lives. And while the loss of a pet can never
be compared with the loss of a loved one, I would encourage all of us to offer words of compassion for
those who have experienced this kind of loss.
While we remember the good times, many of us will – at some future date - welcome a new pet into our
homes, seeking to restore the rhythm of our days. And while we will never forget the pets we loved, we
hope that a new one will offer similar (though never the same) feelings of friendship and solace. May
we always enjoy such relationships, and may they continue to provide us with a healthy perspective on
life, loss, and love.
On November 18th Yemen Blues, an
Israeli band, led by vocalist Ravid
Kahalani, had the crowd on their feet
during a concert held in the Temple’s
sanctuary. The show was part of an
ongoing partnership between Temple
B’nai Tikvah and the Calgary Folk Festival
that is designed to bring contemporary
Israeli musicians to the city.
Photo by Richard Bronstein
Chanukah, Chanukah, Sevivon Sov Sov....
Bring your Chanukiyot and create a beautiful glow in the Betty Switzer Social Hall as we celebrate
Chanukah with the lighting of the fourth candle, and commemorate the victory of the Maccabees.
Rabbi Voss Altman will begin the evening with a short service and we will continue the celebration with a
light latke supper, music, stories and gelt for the children. We look forward to welcoming you!
Friday December 19th Adults: $20.00 Betty Switzer Social Hall
Children ages 6-18 years: $12
6:00 pm Children 5 years and under: free
*We request that your RSVP is received no later than Friday December 12th, as we depend on confirmed
attendance for our supper service. Thank you!
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NOTES FROM THE TEMPLE OFFICE
Welcome to our new “Friday Person”!
Karry Taylor is the new face in the Temple office. Many of you will already know Karry as a “regular” at
Shabbat services, the editor of Kol Tikvah, an Inn From The Cold volunteer and the coordinator for the
Temple/Friends Church Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids program.
Karry is a life-long Albertan who grew up in the Crowsnest Pass. She moved to Prince George, BC for
university, then settled in Calgary 11 years ago. Karry loves to travel and has spent time studying in Russia
and Austria. She has two very spoiled cats, Nikolai and Dmitri, plus two aquariums of fish. She also loves
reading (especially mysteries), kayaking, hiking and photography. In addition to all her work and volunteer
responsibilities, Karry somehow manages to fit in university courses towards her degree in journalism. She
shares her writing talents as a volunteer with a program that helps adults with developmental disabilities
become involved with creative writing. Give Karry a warm welcome next time you contact the Temple!
L’hitraot, Drew and Ronnie!
Drew and Ronnie Staffenberg are retiring and moving back home to New Jersey at the end of the year. We
hope many of you will be able to come to our Shabbat Shiraz service on December 26th to share a glass of
wine with them and send them off with lots of good wishes.
WANTED: House Committee Volunteers
We are in the process of forming a house committee for the Temple. We envision this committee as a group
of people who take care of occasional tasks relating to the building: e.g. purchasing ritual wine and candles,
polishing the silver every three/four months, buying cheese/crackers/snacks and then prepping the food for
that evening, picking up soft drinks and juice for our Onegs, tidying the ritual room, etc. Ideally, we would
love to have a coordinator who would liaise with Temple staff and then put a request out to other members
of the committee. Failing that, though, the staff would be happy to have a short list of people to call when
specific jobs need to be done. If you are interested in helping out in this way, please contact the Temple office.
Tribute Cards
Remember a special occasion by sending a personalized mazel tov, to express your condolences to a friend,
or for any other reason, and help out your Temple at the same time. To send a card, please contact the
Temple office. We can help you decide to which of our many funds you might want to direct your donation.
The suggested minimum donation is $18.00.
Oneg Sponsorship
The Friday evening Oneg Shabbat gives our members an opportunity to gather socially after the Shabbat
service. We invite our members to sponsor or co-sponsor an Oneg. Some members choose to sponsor the
Oneg in memory of a loved one whose Yahrzeit is being observed. Others sponsor in celebration of a Bar/
Bat Mitzvah, a special birthday or anniversary, an upcoming wedding or for no special reason at all! The
Temple office staff takes care of all the details, and the cost of the Oneg ($180) is tax-receiptable. If you are
interested in sponsoring an Oneg, please contact the Temple office at (403) 252-1654 or office@bnaitikvah.ca.
Pizza Parties and Shabbat Shiraz
We are also looking for sponsors for the pizza meal which is served prior to our monthly Family Shabbat
service on the first Friday of the month, and for the Shabbat Shiraz fruit/cheese/crackers “spread” which is
held just before our musical Shabbat service on the fourth Friday of the month. The cost of the pizza party
is $250 and the Shabbat Shiraz gathering costs $54. Both are tax-receiptable. The Temple office takes care
of the details for you.
Inn From The Cold: We’re Almost There!
.
Inn from the Cold needs two more people to volunteer for clean up for one hour, one Monday morning a month at 6:30 am. We can always use more volunteers in other roles, but these two people are
desperately needed to run a full crew.
For more information, please contact Katie Baker at baker bakerk.horn@gmail.com or 403-370-2190.
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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
____________
Steve Eichler
In the middle of the November cold snap, Temple B’nai Tikvah had the honour
—and that’s really the word — of hosting Yael Karrie, senior rabbinical student
in the Israeli program at Hebrew Union College. A natural story-teller, Yael
serves as the spiritual leader of the Reform Community of Sha’ar Ha Negev.
As she explained, her “congregation” is made up of various kibbutzim and
moshavim between Sderot and Gaza. That merits writing again: between
Sderot and Gaza. Can you imagine a more exciting congregation, a more
needing congregation? (As I told Jane Patterson, she reminded me of Mary
Tyler Moore as the nun in the Elvis movie Change of Habit.) Now, add to the
immediacy of the area, the novelty — no, the revelation — that Judaism can
be more than Orthodox, more than segregation, more than leave your innermost, 21st century self outside. Yael’s mission, as person and a soon-to-be
Reform Rabbi, is to bring the gift, the revolution of Reform Judaism to Israel.
Since then, I’ve found myself thinking about Yael and her burgeoning rabbinate.
I came to realize that I’m a little jealous of her, of her sense of mission, her
passion. And I’m jealous of her knowledge that she is changing the world.
But I also know that here at Temple B’nai Tikvah, we are also aware of our
mission, one different than Yael’s. Whereas she is at the start of the creation of her community, we’ve
already done just that and have been continuing to build it for 36 years now. True, our passion may not
be as palpable as Yael’s but we know that is because ours has been tempered by past success: after all,
you’re always hungry before you’ve had a taste, aren’t you? We have the success of generations, of several
hundreds of members, of lifelong commitments. Yael spoke of holding Oneg Shabbat in a bar we told her
about Shabbat Shiraz. She also spoke of Torah study sessions
instead of a sermon — we told her we’ve been doing that for,
what, two years?
In the end, I wish Yael and the developing Western Negev
region a very happy and deep embrace of liberal Judaism. It’s
a benefit to Israel and the Jewish people that as a whole that
the obvious possibility of non-Orthodox Judaism is getting
better known and more accepted. Heck, if they’re lucky, the
Western Negev congregation may end up just like us at Temple
B’nai Tikvah.
*******************************
This issue of Kol Tikvah is a double edition, covering both
December and January. So let us wish you all a very happy
Chanukah — still weeks away. We also wish you a great start
to 2015. And remember, if you’re thinking about charitable
donations as 2014 winds up, I know of a cutting-edge Reform
synagogue right here in Calgary!
JEWISH BOOK CLUB
December 10th 7:00 pm
Temple Library
The Exile Book of Yiddish Women
Writers by Frieda Johles
January 14th
7:00 pm
Temple Library The Jew in the Lotus
by Rodger Kamenetz
THE KOL TIKVAH TEAM
NON-MEMBERS KOL TIKVAH
SUBSCRIPTION $30 PER YEAR
Rabbi: Howard Voss-Altman
rabbi@bnaitikvah.ca
President: Steve Eichler
president@bnaitikvah.ca
Executive Director: Danny Oppenheim
ed@bnaitikvah.ca
Administrator: Jane Paterson
office@bnaitikvah.ca
Bookkeeper: Debbie Bosomworth
bookkeeper@bnaitikvah.ca
Kol Tikvah Editor and Layout: Karry Taylor
editor@bnaitikvah.ca
Kol Tikvah Website: Darren Carter
and Katherine Jacob
web@bnaitikvah.ca
Volunteer Kol Tikvah Proofreaders:
Allan Bell, Marcia Bell, Elaine Hashman,
Katherine Jacob, Tess Morgenstern-McCormick,
Sharon Polsky, and Alex Zisman
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DONATIONS
TOFROM
Building Fund
Ruth Diamond
Leslie Handy & family
Temple
Deborah Lewis & family
Al Osten
Barry & Debby Smolkin
OCCASION
Thinking of you
In memory of Bee & Leo Lewis
Mazel Tov
Daniel Arato Fund
TempleAllen PonakIn memory of Sam Ponak
Lynn & Nick Millard
Judith & Peter Arato
Condolences
General Operations Fund
Lynn & Nick Millard & family
Steve Eicher & Tracey Rumig
Condolences
Lynn & Nick Millard & family
Len & Paula Lesser & family
Condolences
Tracey RumigSteve EichlerHappy Birthday
Rhonda & Linda Kennedee
Bonnie Kaplan & Richard Conte
Condolences
Rebecca Jacobson
Steve Eichler & Tracey Rumig
Mazel Tov
Ben Vile
Steve Eichler & Tracey Rumig
Mazel Tov
Cynthia Roll
Steve Eichler & Tracey Rumig
Condolences
Jane Paterson
Steve Eichler & Tracey Rumig
Feel better soon
Jewish Enrichment Fund
Lynn & Nick Millard & family
Jane Paterson & family
Condolences
Kiddush Fund
Lynn & Nick Millard & family
Temple
Shauna Switzer
Condolences
Robyn & Scott Winograd
In memory of Phyllis Lefcourt &
Jack Winograd
Mel Levitt
Debby & Barry Smolkin
Get well wishes
Coleman Staniloff
Debby & Barry Smolkin
Happy Birthday
Arnold GrobmanEthel CaplanHappy Birthday
Drew & Ronnie Staffenberg
Ron & Linda Jeffery
Best wishes
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Eric Rosenbaum & family
Tess & Blair McCormick
Condolences
TempleHelen WalkerIn memory of Passie Riskin
Rabbi Howard
Lou & Claire Kolman
In appreciation
TempleSusan LightIn memory of her parents
Lynn & Nick Millard
Nadine & David Drexler
Condolences
Sandy Mann & family
Lorraine Spector & Sonia Tarsitano Condolences
Kohn FamilyLorraine SpectorCondolences
Temple
Ed & Felice Rosenbaum
In memory of Pearl Rosenbaum
Arnold GrobmanAl OstenHappy Birthday
Ritual Fund
TempleShirley Dunn
Smolkin Memorial Wall Fund
Debby SmolkinSondra SpierHappy Birthday
Debby SmolkinBeulah MartinHappy Birthday
Debby SmolkinLeni HoffmanHappy Birthday
Marilyn Oshry
Debby & Barry Smolkin
Condolences
Jody Cohen
Debby & Barry Smolkin
Condolences
Ruth Shapiro
Debby & Barry Smolkin
Condolences
Social Action Fund
Paul & Deb Finkleman
Bruce & Patti Winston
Thank you
Temple
Becky Hapton
In memory of Abram & Annie Hapton
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YAHRZEITS
To be read December 5/6
Seymour ChappeNorman RubinLeonard Staffenberg
Therese WalkerLeo LewisSidney Pearlman
Greta ReynoldsIda SwitzerSusan Gordon Aviner
Ruth BelzbergDonald HendrenRelina Jameson
Ben Schachar
To be read December 12/13
Matilda LefcourtJamie PatersonTobey Switzer
Lillian Balakofsky
Margaret Bleviss
Abraham Jack Conn
Gertrude LernerArnold BenjaminHenriette Mandel
Robert Rainsbury
Libby Shenfield
Arne Carlson
Nelson GotliebSara WachnowHarry Carnat
Sara CarnatChaim GampelMisza Mowszowicz
Kathleen AllenHarvey DaiterYacov Hertz
Allan KerrLouis GreifGertrude Laing
Harvey Naruzny
David Wolk
To be read December 19/20
Babette GugenheimStephen KleinSally Birnbaum
Robert GiannuzziArpad KaldorMadeleine Waters
Jacob FinkelmanMorris SilverRenee George
Betty RibackMendel SwitzerDavid Viner
Batsheva GampelRose GoodmanSimon Shulman
Bessie Eisenstadt
David Herbert Jameson
Irene Sanden
Thomas J. Waters
To be read December 26/27
Mabel HutchinsonViola JacksonRose Shore
Michael Ross Paul
Sidney Doctoroff
Mala Streimer
Anastasia HalikowskiJoan TodtmanLois Bennett
Mordechai AvigdorTzvia AvigdorJohn Malais
Faye Medjuck
To be read January 2/3
Edward Jacob Brodsky
Frances Semel
Molly Walden
Erna BeckerCatherine FrancisZelman Hepner
Freda Schwartz Rosenfeld
Jean Panter
Allan Hilford
Bluma Richmond Dinah Spindel
Arnold (Nicky) Steinberg
To be read January 9/10
Evy UditskyMurray WaldenJeffrey Dolph
Isidor KahnKatie BirnbaumDon Dudder
Archie ShapiroWilliam GoodwinDavid Hallis
Jack SwitzerPhillip Kates
To be read January 16/17
Arthur FromsonJennie LockeDoreen Nathanson
Sarah Shuman
Harry G. Shuman
Samuel Lesser
Jack ShannonSylvia SugarmanBetty Yan
Fred AltmanJean BrownMarianne Weisskopf
Nathan BingDr. Jack BirnbaumJohn King
Yahrzeits continued on page 7
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Yahrzeits continued from page 7
To be read January 23/24
Dr. Alex Belkin
Leslie R. Walker
Rhoda Frankel
David FinkelmanEsther RossEverett Dudder
Esther Wechsler Jameson
Assya Osnat Zisman
Muriel Gotlieb
Edythe HashmanCarson HodginsSara Lazarowicz
Luther Ewart Walden
To be read January 30/31
Sally SpindelVivian SpurgeonDaniel Arato
Carole DrexlerAnna DavidmanSadie Riback
Alma WaldenEva ArjeRichard Becker
Lorraine GuyMarvin HarrisMansell McNeilly
Agnes BucknumRose Hallis
LIFECYCLE EVENTS
Mazel Tov
• Rebecca Jacobson on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
• Ben Vile on becoming a Bar Mitzvah
• Karry Taylor on her conversion to Judaism
• Arnold Grobman on the occasion of his 90th birthday
• Claire and Lou Kolman on the birth of their son, Reid. Proud grandparents are Ben and Vivian
Herman.
Condolences
• Amy O’Reilly on the loss of her great-aunt and godmother, Mildred Artley
• Cynthia Roll on the loss of her mother, Ernestine Roll
• Rhonda and Linda Kennedee on the loss of their mother, Belle Kennedee
• Olga Sulkin on the loss of her grandfather, Asher Korchak
• Sylva Nathanson on the loss of her aunt, Goldie Frankelson
Healing Prayers
David Adelman
Lisa Marr-Laing
Sarah Staum
Norma Karlinsky
Harvey Balakofsky
Barak Moshe ben Ruth
Martin Stoffman
Ephraim Meyer ben Devorah
Michele Butot
Michael Sautman
Clara Chames Szulc
Ruth Diamond
Todah Rabah
• Jewish War Veterans of Canada, Post #2 Calgary Endowment Fund for sponsoring an Oneg in
honour of Remembrance Day and in memory of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada
• Susan Light for sponsoring an Oneg in memory of her parents
• Amy O’Reilly for sponsoring an Oneg in memory of her great-aunt and godmother, Mildred Artley
• The Grobman family for sponsoring an Oneg in honour of the 90th birthday of their father, Arnold
Grobman
• Elan and Melanie Feldman for sponsoring a pizza party
• Natashia Halikowski and Ken Drabinsky for sponsoring a Shabbat Shiraz wine and cheese in honour
of Karry Taylor’s conversion
Welcome to Our New Members!
Kira Blumer and Steven Wagner, David and Tessa Martin and family, Andre and Gabriele Cohen and family,
and Karry Taylor
Jewish Family Service Calgary: Save the Date
Jewish Family Service Calgary invites members of the community to join them at a cabaret honouring
Debbie Krygier, a devoted community volunteer, on Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 6:30 pm. The event
will be held at Gasoline Alley in Heritage Park, and will include food and entertainment. Proceeds of
the evening will be directed to JFSC’s Basic Needs Program.
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Temple B’nai Tikvah Presents:
Kasim Hafeez, A Journey from
Radical Islam to Staunch Pro-Israel
Advocate
Date: Sunday January 18, 2015 Time: Doors open at 6:30 pm, event begins at 7:00 pm Location: Temple B’nai Tikvah
Kasim Hafeez, a dynamic and compelling speaker, will
describe his journey from indoctrination into radical
Islam to where he stands today, a staunch advocate for
Israel and the Jewish People and “ A Muslim Zionist and
proud of it.”
Everyone is welcome. There will be a questionand-answer session following the presentation. We
encourage donations of non-perishable food items for
the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank.
“I can guarantee one thing: the fight
for the truth, for freedom, and for
Israel will continue wherever I am.”
— Kasim Hafeez, October 2014
Adult Education at Temple B’nai Tikvah
Please join us for two upcoming adult education classes.
Talmud for Non-Talmudists
Perhaps the most mysterious and convoluted bodies of Jewish texts, the Talmud has served as the
basis for Judaism as we know it for more than a millennium. In these six sessions, we will learn about
the formation of the Talmud, the ways in which it is studied, and review selected issues from it. No
prior knowledge or Hebrew reading is necessary!
This class will run on Mondays from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm, January 12th - February 23rd
(6 sessions, no class February 16th). Cost: $25.
Heschel and the Search for the Mystical God
“The six days stand in need of space; the seventh day stands in need of man.” — Abraham Joshua
Heschel, “The Sabbath”
Abraham Joshua Heschel looked deeply and with great insight into our relationship with God and each
other, and focused on how we find holiness in the simple observance of time. Writing at the seminal
moments of 20th century Jewish life, Heschel caught the essence of spiritual existence with glorious
prose and mystical understanding. Rabbi Voss-Altman will lead us in exploring and understanding this
great philosopher’s work in an accessible and comprehensive way that invites inquiry and further study.
This class will run on Tuesdays from 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm, February 10th – March 31st (8 sessions).
Cost: $25.
Please call the Temple office to register.
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IN THE COMMUNITY
Hands on Chanukah with PJ Library and the J
Friday, December 12th at 10:30 am, Calgary JCC
Hands up who wants fun! Celebrate Chanukkah with PJ Library and the J - songs, stories and Hands On
Fun at the J’s Shabbat and Chanukkah program. There is no charge and no need to register.
For more information please E-mail Kathie: kwainer@jewishcalgary.org or phone 403-537-8592.
PJ Library’s Fifth Annual Chanukah Party at the J
Sunday, December 14th from 10:30am - Noon, Calgary JCC
Join us for a Chanukah Party with songs, crafts and lots of fun. Suitable for children under eight. Please let
us know if you plan to attend. E-mail Kathie: kwainer@jewishcalgary.org or phone 403-537-8592.
Shalom Baby Play Group for the Under Twos
Thursday December 11 10:30am - Noon Calgary JCC
Join our new Shalom Baby Play Group! We will be meeting twice a month on a Thursday morning. We’d
love everyone to join us, moms, dads, grandparents, caregivers. Spread the word! For more information,
contact Kathie Wainer at 403-537-8592 or E-mail: kwainer@jewishcalgary.org Get Ready for Shabbat with PJ Tot Shabbat Alternate Friday mornings 9:45am -10:30am Calgary JCC
Next classes: Friday December 5 and December 19
Our free half-hour class will focus on the festive feeling of Shabbat and holidays through songs, stories,
blessings and dance. At the end of the class, we will join the regular JCC Shabbat Program. This class is
suitable for tots three years and under, together with parents, grandparents and caregivers. There is no
charge, but please let Kathie Wainer know if you are planning to come at
403-537-8592 or E-mail: kwainer@jewishcalgary.org
Jewish Book
Festival
December 7-14, 2014
10 am – 8:30 pm
Calgary JCC
Free admission unless
noted
Browse a selection of
books from Jewish authors,
and on Jewish and Israeli
subjects. Come join local
and international authors
as they share their latest
work — Douglas Century,
Daniel Goodwin, Paula
Hurwitz, Sahbra Markus,
and Ella Zeltserman. For
event details, please
visit: www.calgaryjcc.com
New this year: during
the entire festival there
will be a Hebrew book
exchange. This event is for
beginners and seasoned
Hebrew readers. Bring in
your gently used Hebrew
books, exchange them for
something you haven’t
read, and discover some
hidden gems. Also, there
will be a tapas night – an
evening of food, good
music and wine.
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VOLUNTEER CORNER
TEMPLE LIFE
A thousand thank you(s) to this year’s volunteers
for 5775 High Holidays. Each year, countless hours
are donated to Temple so that we can all experience
a deep and meaningful High Holidays. Special
thanks to Jane Paterson, Jane Baker and Shirley
Dunn for their many years of service behind the
scenes. You are truly a blessing to our community.
Also a special thank-you to Lorriane Spector for
assisting with High Holiday coordination. Thanks
to this year’s ushers and volunteers:
Doron Avigdor, Zvika Anosh, Jane Baker, Loretta
Butot, Ken Brown, Ron Calman, Marja Calman,
Marsha Carnat, Carolyn Devins, Shirley Dunn,
Ken Drabinsky, Jennifer Eiserman, Steve
Eichler, Paul Gronnerud, Debbie Finkleman,
Alex Francoeur, Jodi Giesinger, Leslie Handy,
Lori Hartwick, Sid Horovitz, Katherine Jacob,
Susan Klassen, Susan Light, Jenny Laing, Betsy
Jameson, Bonnie Kaplan, Tibor Kaldor, Daniel
Lenfest-Jameson, Melanie Loomer, Ellen Men,
Jackie Mann, Sandy Mann, Roslyn Mendelson,
Lynn Millard, Jack Newton, Donna Newton, Sylva
Nathanson, Danny Oppenheim, Amy O’Reilly,
Jane Paterson, Tracey Rumig, Michelle StirlingAnosh, Lorraine Spector, Cynthia Simmons,
Drew Staffenberg, Gloria Ross, Judy Shapiro,
Elise Thomas, Susan Podlog, Mindy Selby,
Esther Silver, Larry Stanleigh, Ted Switzer, Karry
Taylor, Thorn Walden, Nadine Waldman, Hartley
Waldman, Norm Wolf, Bruce Winston, Robyn
Winograd, Anna Wei and Peter Walker.
Our dedicated volunteers make our Temple
community the best that it can be. The heart of
the community is that as we grow, we lift each
other up. There are many ways to be involved
at our Temple. Learn and grow, share and give
back, celebrate and participate — because
volunteering builds our caring community.
Current opportunities include:
• December 19: Chanukah celebration
• Shabbat Shiraz: be a host or a sponsor,
fourth Friday of every month
• Family Shabbat Services (pizza night): be
a host or a sponsor, First Friday evening
of Every Month.
• Shabbat services: get connected to our
Community, be a greeter at Shabbat
services.
If you would like to get involved, or if you
have an idea about a way you’d like to get
involved, we’d love to hear from you! Please
contact Natashia Halikowski at 403-830-5424
or info@intuitionworks.ca. 10
On November 12th, as part of ARZA Canada Week,
Temple had the honour of hosting a visit and talk by
Yael Karie — a Reform rabbinical student from the
Shaar Hanegev area in Israel.
As part of Temple’s Shabbat Project participation,
executive director Danny Oppenheim taught a class
on how to bake challah.
Thank you, Drew and Ronnie, for all your dedication
and commitment to Temple B’nai Tikvah and for
enriching our community in so many ways. We wish
you the very best. We will miss you!!
12/06 – Vayishlach
12/13 – Vayeishev
12/20 – Mikeitz
12/27 – Vayigash
Torah Portions
12/05 – 4:13 PM
12/12 – 4:11 PM
12/19 – 4:13 PM
12/26 – 4:17 PM
Candle Lighting
Chanukah
28
21
Inn from the Cold
(overnight)
14
Inn from the Cold
(overnight)
7
Sunday
Chanukah
29
22
15
9
8
Temple Book Club
7 pm
10
3
Wednesday
Chanukah
30
23
Erev Chanukah
First Candle
16
Chanukah
Chanukah
24
17
31
TEMPLE OFFICE
CLOSED
Yizkor 10 am
Executive Meeting
Inn From the Cold 7:15 pm
(overnight)
Introduction to
Judaism 7 pm
Adult Education:
Genesis 8 pm
2
Tuesday
Adult Education:
Liberal
Perspectives on
Shabbat 7 pm
1
Monday
December 2014
25
TEMPLE OFFICE
CLOSED
Chanukah
18
11
4
Thursday
5
26
TEMPLE OFFICE
CLOSED
Shabbat Shiraz —
Wine & Cheese
7:15 pm, Shabbat
Service 8 pm
Shabbat/
Chanukah
Service and
Dinner 6 pm
Chanukah
19
Shabbat Service
8 pm
12
Pizza Party and
Family Shabbat
Service 6 pm
Renewal Service
8 pm (chapel)
Shabbat Service
8 pm
Friday
20
27
10:15 am
Shabb
Shabbatatots
Service
10amam
10:15
NO SHABBAT
l SCHOOL
Shabbat Service
10:15 am
Chanukah
NO SHABBAT
SCHOOL
Shabbat School
9:30 am
Chapel Minyan
10 am am
Shabbatots 10 am
Shabbat Service
10:15 am
13
Shabbat Service
10:15 am
6
Shabbat School
9:30 am
Saturday
1/03 – Vayechi
1/10 – Shemot
1/17 – Va’eira
1/24 – Bo
1/31 – Beshalach
Torah Portions
1/02 – 4:23 PM
1/09 – 4:32 PM
1/16 – 4:42 PM
1/23 – 4:53 PM
1/30 – 5:06 PM
Candle Lighting
19
25
Adult Education:
Talmud for
Non-Talmudists
7 pm
26
13
Introduction to
Judaism 7 pm
27
20
Inn from the Cold
(overnight)
Introduction to
Judaism 7 pm
Introduction to
Judaism 7 pm
6
Tuesday
28
21
Board of Trustees
Meeting 6:30 pm
14
Temple Book Club
7 pm
Executive
Meeting 7:15 pm
7
Wednesday
29
22
15
8
TEMPLE OFFICE
CLOSED
1
Thursday
2
30
Shabbat Service
8 pm
10:15 am
23
3
Shabbat School
9:30 am
Shabbatots
10 am
Shabbat Service
10:15 am
31
24
17
Shabbat School
9:30am
Chant Service
9:30 am
Shabbat Service
10:15 am
Shabbat School
9:30 am
Chapel Minyan
10 am am
Shabbatots 10 am
Shabbat Service
10:15 am
10
Shabbat Service
10:15 am
NO SHABBAT
SCHOOL
Saturday
Shabbat Shiraz — NO SHABBAT
SCHOOL
Wine & Cheese
7:15 pm, Shabbat Shabbatots
Shabbat
Service 8 pm
ShabbatService
Service
Shabbat
10:15 amService
10:15 am
Shabbat Service
8 pm
16
Shabbat Service
8 pm
9
Pizza Party and
Family Shabbat
Service 6 pm
Renewal Service
8 pm (Chapel)
Shabbat Service
8 pm
Friday
*For more information on the Calgary Drop-In Centre, please contact Paul Finkleman at pfinkleman@shaw.ca or (403) 252-8967
Calgary Drop-In
Centre Lunch*
Kasim Hafeez
7 pm
Adult Education:
Talmud for
Non-Talmudists
7 pm
18
Inn from the Cold
(overnight)
12
Adult Education:
Talmud for
Non-Talmudists
7 pm
5
Monday
11
Inn from the Cold
(overnight)
4
Sunday
January 2015