1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
From the desk of…
Rabbi Rachel Safman
Inside this issue:
Seeing Both Trees & Forest
Whereas in other aspects of our lives we might rightly be accused of losing
sight of the forest for the trees, in our Jewish lives, we might equally appropriately be
chided for failing to see the trees for the forest.
In many areas Judaism excels in helping us make connections between broad
principles and their specific application: Kashrut reminds us that a deeply held appreciation for life’s sanctity must be expressed through a mindfulness in the taking of life,
animal as well as human. Tsedakah takes the ideal of caring for our fellows to the mat
– or rather, the bank – reminding us that until we ensure that our neighbor’s stomach is
full, any other expression of kindness is just lip-service. And in putting aside our work
-a-day concerns on Shabbat, we are truly elevating the ideal of friends and family.
But when it comes to caring for the environment or, more broadly, seeing ourselves as part-and-parcel of a larger natural world, Judaism often allows tachlis action
to be eclipsed by flowery language. Though we speak daily in our liturgy of the glories
of Creation, divinity manifest in the “bounty of the harvest” and the “splendor of the
cedars,” there are actually relatively few statutes or rituals that reinforce this mindset or
dictate terms on which we might embrace it.
Furthermore, many of the best known or most commonly cited tenets of our
relationship to the natural world – for example, the principle of ba’al tashchit, avoiding
the needless destruction of resources – tend to get expressed halachically through strictures that have little relevance or resonance in our daily lives (“When you go to battle
against a city, do not cut down its fruit trees …”).
Although one could read this gap as reflecting an insincerity or lack of concern
for the environment on the part of the Jewish tradition, I believe a more accurate reading goes back to my opening aphorism. As a people who lived throughout the formative years of our traditions (and for several centuries beyond) in a cheek-by-jowl relationship to nature in both its wild and domesticated forms, Jews eschewed making blatant pronouncements about this world, just as people today seldom comment about
electricity – or gravity!
Of course one needed to be a steward of the world around you because, absent
an investment in the soil and the orchards, absent a concern for the purity of the water
supply (which, by the way, we are forbidden to poison, even as an act of war) or the
survival of the populations of fish and birds and herd animals that, among other things,
provided the basis of our food supply, life itself would be impossible. So these concerns went largely unarticulated.
But times change, and with them our relationship to the natural world – not to
mention, our ability to alter it irreparably. For most of us, our relationship to the food
chain is mediated through the supermarket and industrial agro-processors, that lead us
Continued on page 3
Service Schedule
2
Rabbi’s message cont./
Lunchtime Torah Study
3
Family Shabbat &
Potluck Supper
4
Tu B’Shevat Seder
5
Beth El Book Club
6
92nd St. Y Returns
7
Purim Celebration
8
Community Women’s
Seder
9
Library News
10
Birthdays & Anniversaries
11
Beth El Gift Shop
12
Announcements
13
Donations
14/
15
Volunteer Opportunities
16
Yahrzeits
17/
18
February Calendar
19
Advertisements
20/
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February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
SERVICE SCHEDULE FOR
THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY
Service
Candle
Lighting
Ma’ariv/Havdalah
Daily Minyan
Monday—Friday
7:00 a.m.
Monday—Thursday
7:30 p.m.
9:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday
Friday 2/6
6:00 p.m.
Saturday 2/7
9:30 a.m.
Friday 2/13
6:00 p.m.
Saturday 2/14
9:30 a.m.
Friday 2/20
6:00 p.m.
Saturday 2/21
9:30 a.m.
Friday 2/27
6:00 p.m.
Saturday 2/28
9:30 a.m.
4:53 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
5:02 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
5:10 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
5:19 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
MINYAN REQUEST
Most of our snowbirds have migrated south leaving our daily minyans short of the necessary
number of participants. This is a request to every member of the congregation. We are the
only regular minyan in this area and are here for the needs of the entire Jewish community.
Please consider attending the daily minyan, even if only once per week. If everyone joins in,
then the commitment of the entire congregation will make it possible to provide a minyan for
all who are in need of it.
Minyans are held daily (Monday - Friday) at 7:00 a.m.,
daily (Sunday - Thursday) at 7:30 p.m., and on Sundays at 9:00 a.m.
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February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
Our Mission Statement: The mission of Congregation Beth El is to foster a welcoming, diverse, and egalitarian community within the
framework of Conservative Judaism, and to enrich the lives of its members through worship, learning, fellowship, celebration and
tikun olam—healing the world.
From the desk of…
Rabbi Rachel Safman
Continued from Page 1
to see the contents of our plate as the product of a cardboard box or wrapped Styrofoam tray. Our trash does not get
composted back into the ground from which new food is grown, but rather hauled off to a distant facility where it is
“disposed of”.
In a livelihood so detached from the ultimate consequences of our actions on our planet, globally, and our food
supply and living conditions more locally, we perhaps have need, in a way our ancestors did not, of not only annual
rituals, like the Tu b’Shevat seder, but also daily rites that reinforce a connection that might otherwise be just cerebral.
A good place to start, perhaps, is with one of the most basic of Jewish rites, a tradition well known but often performed (or ignored) unreflectively: the blessing of food before its consumption. By simply taking a moment before
we eat to contemplate the chain of interlocking life forces that have brought our foodstuffs into existence, we tie ourselves inextricably to a larger web of existence and rekindle our awareness of our pivotal role in its perpetuation and
stewardship.
The forest could not exist but for the trees, nor can we subsist without either.
Come & Learn … and Eat!
Lunchtime Torah Study with Rabbi Safman at JFEC
Come study Torah with Rabbi Safman at the Jewish Federation (28 Channing St., New London)
on Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. Bring your own kosher lunch or call the Beth El office in advance
to order a Subway grinder ($5.00 per tuna, cheese, or vegetarian) which will be delivered to the
Federation. Come join us for a chance to feed both your stomach and soul. All participants are
welcome, whatever their prior text study experience or skills.
BETH EL OFFICE HOURS
Jen Rolnick
Mon., Wed., Fri. 8:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m.
Tues. & Thurs. 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
Upcoming visits:
(860) 442-0418
February 6-7
February 20-21
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Please join us for a family Shabbat service followed by
a potluck supper on Friday, February 20th.
We will begin with a musical Kabbalat Shabbat service
at 6:00 p.m. led by our Cantorial Intern, Jen Rolnick.
At 7:00 p.m. we will enjoy a potluck supper in the Oolam.
All food brought to the synagogue that evening should be prepared
in conformity with the new kashrut policy. If you have any questions,
please call the Beth El office at (860) 442-0418.
***The Friday night pot luck dinners have been a popular addi on to our
Shabbat services. Karla Bendor has volunteered to coordinate them to
ensure we have the right balance of main dishes and desserts. Please
call Karla at (860) 442‐6940 to let her know what you'd like to bring and
the number of people in your party. Karla is also looking for volunteers
to help set up or clean up a er the dinner. Thank you!***
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Tu B’Shevat Seder
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Tu B’Shevat Seder 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This event is for children and adults alike
and will include Israeli foods & singing.
Tu B’Shevat Seder RSVP by Friday, January 30th, 2015
Please respond by the RSVP date. There is no charge for this program,
but we need to know how many will be attending in order to prepare the
proper amount of food.
Contact the office (860)442 0418 or office@bethel-nl.org.
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Beth El Book Club
Sunday, February 8th at 10:30 a.m.
in the Oolam
The first meeting of the book club was a thought provoking success. You don’t have to
read the entire book to join in. One member came after having read only several reviews
and made a point none of us thought of: In Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers who Reunited Jerusalem & Divided a Nation, Halevi said virtually nothing about
Sephardic Jews. We also have decided to open the club to the entire reading Jewish community. A notice will be placed in The Jewish Leader.
Our next meeting will be Sunday, February 8, at 10:30 AM in the Oolam. If the Oolam is
locked, we can enter through the main door. We have to be quiet so as not to disturb the
church group in the chapel.
Our next book is The Prime Ministers by Yehuda Avner. Avner served as Israeli ambassador to England and adviser, speech writer, or secretary to 5 prime ministers.
I suspect there will not be so many copies of that book in the state, but we’ll see. The ones
we get will be @ Waterford Library. You have to ask for “the Beth El Book Club book.” It’s
$9.99 on the Kindle. Because of the length of the book, we will plan to discuss only the first
half and do the rest @ our next meeting.
We are reading several books on modern Israel so we are all on a similar page historically.
We will later branch out into other forms of non-fiction and fiction. In the future, Beth El
book club may read: Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the
Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History by Joseph Telushkin. Among his books are The
Book of Jewish Values and Jewish Literacy. For some reason (Chanukah?), Rebbe is only
$1.99 on the Kindle. Not clear how long this will last but that's a great deal.
Please come and share your thoughts!
If you have any questions, please contact Dan Bendor at (860) 442-8033.
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
92nd St Y’s ‘Live’ Speakers Coming to Beth El
Congregation Beth El will once again be rebroadcasting talks from the highly acclaimed lecture series hosted by the 92nd St Y in New York City. The talks will be aired in the congregation’s
Social Hall (located at 660 Ocean Avenue, New London) on select Sunday afternoons from 3:005:00 p.m. and will include an introduction and question-and-answer period with a local authority
on the subject matter in question.
A suggested donation of $10/person ($5 for seniors and students) will be collected at the
door. Light refreshments will be served. Details of the talks are as follows:
Thomas L. Friedman in Conversation with Dov Seidman: The How of Repairing the World This first evening will examine the challenges in the global arena at this pivotal time and the fundamental shifts needed to solve our most pressing problems. - 2/8
William Ury: Getting to Yes with Yourself - Coauthor of the negotiator’s bible, Getting to Yes,
and cofounder of Harvard’s program on negotiation, Ury has taught tens of thousands of people
from all walks of life how to negotiate their way to success. The biggest obstacle he’s encountered is our own natural tendency to react in ways that don’t serve our true interests. Ury shares
his revolutionary method—revealed in his new book, Getting to Yes with Yourself—for turning this
obstacle into an opportunity, dramatically improving outcomes in all aspects of life. - 3/1
David Brooks: On Character – The New York Times columnist leads an in-depth discussion
about what constitutes character as explored in his new book. Some people seem to possess inner lives that are more substantive than the rest of ours. How do they do it? Depth, argues
Brooks, is the core of our being and something we cultivate over time; it’s engraved by thought
and action; it’s built through the commitments we make—to a nation, a faith, a calling or loved
ones—and the sacrifices we endure because of those commitments. – 5/17
92nd Street Y is a world-class nonprofit community and cultural center that connects people at every stage of life to
the worlds of education, the arts, health and wellness, and Jewish life. Through the breadth and depth of 92Y’s extraordinary programs, we enrich lives, create community and elevate humanity. More than 300,000 people visit 92Y’s
New York City venues annually, and millions more join us through the Internet, satellite broadcasts and other digital
media. A proudly Jewish organization since its founding in 1874, 92Y embraces its heritage and enthusiastically welcomes people of all backgrounds and perspectives. 92Y is an open door to extraordinary worlds. For more information, visit www.92Y.org
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Join in the fun!
Come in costume!
Wednesday,
March 4, 2015 at Congregation Beth El
Celebrate Purim!
6:30 p.m. ~ Ma’ariv Service
7:00 p.m. ~ Costume Parade - Children & Adults
Megillah Reading with Shpiel
Music by Klezmenschen
Dessert to follow
So that we can plan accordingly...
Please R.S.V.P. by February 23rd to:
Beth El office (860)442-0418 or email: office@bethel-nl.org
Beth Jacob (860) 886-2459 or email: bethjacob@snet.net
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Thursday, March 19th, 2015
6:30 p.m.
Rabbi Rachel Safman will be leading
this all-female gathering in a celebration
of freedom explored through the prism of midrash
and contemporary women’s experiences.
Women’s Seder** - Thursday, March 19th, 2015
~ Catered by The Crown Market ~
Please complete this form and mail it with your check payable to: Congregation Beth El,
660 Ocean Avenue, New London CT 06320. Please RSVP by Monday, March 9th.
Name________________________________________
____Women (ages 12 and up) $36.00 each = $___________
*Vegetarian options are available.
Total enclosed $_________
# of vegetarian meals___________
**Please note ~ Seder is contingent on the sign up of 30 women by the above deadline.
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Can an object have a soul! Can a battered and beaten instrument that was played in Hell attain a
spiritual dimension upon its physical restoration? This is a compelling question one can ask oneself upon
reading James Grymes’s VIOLINS of HOPE: Violins of the Holocaust – Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour.
Amnon Weinstein is a master luthier who maintains his violin repair shop in Tel Aviv. He inherited
his craft from his father, Moshe who arrived in Palestine in 1938 and started out servicing the newly established Palestine (Israel) Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1996, Amnon began the project of locating and restoring violins that had been played on by survivors of the Holocaust. VIOLINS of HOPE is the narration of the individual horrific experiences of each
of the violins’ owners. For many of these survivors, their ability to perform well on the violin was the determining factor that saved them from “selections” for the gas chamber. “If you have very good ears and
you are listening, it’s unbelievable what you can hear when these violins are played,” Amnon is quoted on
the website: peepleofthebook as saying, “You can hear the suffering.” He has restored at least 20 of these
violins and in September 2008, 16 of the instruments were played at a gala concert at the foot of the walls
of the Old City in Jerusalem.
In 2009, the movie “Amnon’s Journey” was produced chronicling Amnon Weinstein’s work.
Below is a photo of Amnon Weinstein at work in his shop.
NOTE:
Keys to the library are in the office; the checkout box is on the window counter of the library. Please
remember to use the sign out card in the back of any book you take.
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February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
Ella Agranovich
Linda Agranovitch
Gregg Benson
Jacob Betz
Marcia Bratin
Garon Camassar
Linda Cohen
Thomas Curran
Philip Estrin
Maier Fein
Sunny Fein
Joseph Feinberg
Jacob Friedman
Julie Fryburg
Eleanor Koss-Glater
Sol Glater
Adam Goldstein
Amy Goldstein
Raisa Kamenetskaya
Elliot Kimmel
Margot Levy
Barbara Lewis
Jared Linder
Bella Lisker
Ivan Lissauer
Lisa Marcus
Tracee Reiser
Joyce Resnikoff
Alan Rhodes
David Salsburg
Yelena Sapozhnikov
Gabriel Stern
Sam Wechsler
Mark Wolman
Belated birthday
wishes to:
Anne Levine
David Romei
HAPPY FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARY
Mickey & John Bemis
Bobbi & Arvin Pine
Rita & Myron Hendel
Liliya Bekman & Yefim J. Rabinovich
Nadine & Mark Lipman
Fran & David Salsburg
Liora & Neer Zeevi
Thank you to our...
January Simcha Shabbat Kiddush Sponsors
Ruth Randolph - in honor of her birthday
Sunny & Maier Fein - in honor of their anniversary
Amy & Adam Goldstein - in honor of Rachel & Josh reading from the Torah
Sue & Stuart Miller - in honor of Wendy’s birthday & her marriage
Phyllis Holtzman & Richie Simonson - in honor of Richie’s birthday
February 21st - Simcha Shabbat
The Simcha Shabbat has been a wonderful success and will continue on this year! Each month
we will have one specially designated Shabbat when we will be reserving honors in the Torah
service for people who are marking a special occasion during the month. We will also be serving
a more elaborate Kiddush lunch that Shabbat and are asking those who are marking special
occasions that month to make contributions toward the luncheon -- and, of course, to come, along
with your family members and friends! If you are interested in being a co-sponsor of the February
Simcha Shabbat, which will take place on February 21st, please contact Merrill in the Congregation
Beth El office, (860) 442-0418.
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The Beth El Bulletin
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February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Summer Time ... Although winter has only officially just arrived it is already me to be thinking ahead toward the summer, especially for our school‐aged teens and young adults. There are some fabulous programs now recrui ng par cipants for their 2015 programs, among them: USY (USY on Wheels, Israel Pilgrimage, Social Ac on programs and a mission to Cuba), the Conserva ve Yeshiva (Summer Learning Program) Brandeis (App Design, Arts, World Affairs, Mock Trial, Public Service), the Hartman Ins tute (gap year program), and Camp Ramah. Informa on on these programs is available through the synagogue office. Many programs offer financial assistance and limited assistance will also be available through the synagogue. Do you know a teen or young adult who is questioning their sexual identity?
The teenage years are a time of constant questioning of identity and can be particularly challenging for those
who know – or suspect – that they are not “straight”. HAZON & Keshet are teaming up to offer a Jewish
LGBTQ & Ally Teen Shabbaton, which will take place at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center,
Falls Village, CT during the weekend of Feb 27, 2015. The Shabbaton will provide Jewish teens of all sexual
orientations a chance to meet new friends, learn about LGBTQ organizing and identities, and celebrate
Shabbat in a warm, welcoming environment. Email jrosenberg@keshet.org for more information.
Mazel Tov to:
Donate usable eye glasses
"Recycle for Sight"
There is a Lion's Club International donation
box by the synagogue office window where
you can now donate usable eyeglasses. If
you have any questions, please contact Sam
Linder at sjlinder2@gmail.com.
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Rita & Myron Hendel
on the birth of their
new great-granddaughter
Zoe Leia Hendel
The Beth El Bulletin
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller to Andrew Lax
Gabriella Schlesinger
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
Gabriella Schlesinger
In memory of David Bersutzky
Joan & Izzy Schwartz
In memory of David Bersutzky
Jeannette Gershowitz & Seymour Leff
In memory of the mother of Bill Alston
Jeannette Gershowitz & Seymour Leff
In honor of Gaby Schlesinger’s birthday
Jeannette Gershowitz & Seymour Leff
In honor of Sunny & Maier Fein’s anniversary
Jeannette Gershowitz & Seymour Leff
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller & Andrew Lax
Jeannette Gershowitz & Seymour Leff
In honor of Mel Coleman’s birthday
Jeannette Gershowitz & Seymour Leff
In memory of Carl Stern at Yahrzeit
Charlotte Stern
In memory of baby Lea, granddaughter of Alan & Randi Greenstein
Sue & Stuart Miller
In honor of the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson,
Clint Paul Astor
Beth & Garon Camassar
In honor of the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson
The Steinman family
In honor of the marriage of Andrew & Rachel Daren
The Steinman family
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller to Andrew Lax
The Steinman family
In honor of the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson
Helen Elperina & Michael Rabinovich
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller to Andrew Lax
Helen Elperina & Michael Rabinovich
Mazel Tov to Barbara & Artie Dean on the birth of their new granddaughter, Tehillah
Helen Elperina & Michael Rabinovich
In honor of the birth of Diane & Gene Maran’s new grandson
Michael Sherb
In honor of the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson
Barbara Lewis
ENDOWMENT FUND
In memory of Paul Sandrew at Yahrzeit
Carole Sandrew
In memory of Jeffrey Goldblatt at Yahrzeit
Carole Sandrew
In loving memory of Dr. Kenneth Ritter
Sunny & Maier Fein
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
Sunny & Maier Fein
In memory of Seena Cohen
Sunny & Maier Fein
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller & Andrew Lax
Sunny & Maier Fein
For the good health of Mimi Seed
Sunny & Maier Fein
For the good health of Diane & Gene Maran’s grandson
Sunny & Maier Fein
For the good health of Gregg Benson
Sunny & Maier Fein
For the good health of Paul Agranovitch
Sunny & Maier Fein
For the good health of Mark Twiss
Sunny & Maier Fein
For the good health of Garon Camassar
Sunny & Maier Fein
In honor of the birth of Barbara & Artie Dean’s new granddaughter
Sunny & Maier Fein
In honor of the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson,
Clint Paul Astor
Amy & Adam Goldstein
In honor of the birth of Diane & Gene Maran’s grandson, Samuel
Amy & Adam Goldstein
In memory of Bobbe Glassenberg at Yahrzeit
Albert Glassenberg
In memory of Dr. Robert Moyel at Yahrzeit
Eunice Greenberg
For the good health & speedy recovery of Beth Camassar
Eunice Greenberg
For the good health of Romana Primus
Eunice Greenberg
For the good health of Ruth Doukas
Carole Sandrew
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller to Andrew Lax
Carole Sandrew
For the good health of Roz Mallove
Carole Sandrew
For the good health of Mimi Seed
Carole Sandrew
For the good health of Mimi Seed
Fran & David Salsburg
For the good health of Stanley Sadinsky
Fran & David Salsburg
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller to Andrew Lax
Jenny & Ed Cramer
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller to Andrew Lax
Barbara & George Burton
STROCHLITZ FUND
For the good health of Romana Primus
Beth & Garon Camassar
In memory of Barry Sherb, brother of Mike Sherb
Sema & Sam Stein
In memory of Belle Jayson at Yahrzeit
Sema & Sam Stein
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
Sema & Sam Stein
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February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
MUSEUM FUND
FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH EDUCTION
In memory of Barry Sherb, brother of Mike Sherb
Mr. & Mrs. D. Harold Goldberg
In memory of Boris Pais at Yahrzeit
Alek Kamenetsky & Bella Chernovitsky
In memory of Sofie & Boris Pais
Alek Kamenetsky & Bella Chernovitsky
For the speedy recovery of Stanley Sadinsky
Rena & Herb Linder
For the speedy recovery of Roz Mallove
Rena & Herb Linder
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
Rena & Herb Linder
In honor of the birth of Rita & Myron Hendel’s new great granddaughter, Zoe Hendel
BETH EL DISCRETIONARY FUND
Rena & Herb Linder
In honor of the birth of Diane & Gene Maran’s grandson, Samuel
In memory of Sydney Schiller
Mona & Robert Levin
Rena & Herb Linder
In honor of the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson
In honor of the birth of Diane & Gene Maran’s grandson, Samuel
Mona & Robert Levin
Rena & Herb Linder
In honor of the birth of Barbara & Artie Dean’s granddaughter, Tehillah For the good health of Ruth Doukas
Mona & Robert Levin
Rena & Herb Linder
For the good health of Gregg Benson
Mona & Robert Levin
HAROLD JULI MEMORIAL CONCERT FUND
For the good health of Paul Agranovitch
In
memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
Mona & Robert Levin
Harriet Juli
For the good health of Michael Rabinovich
In memory of Seymour Bauch
Mona & Robert Levin
Mr. & Mrs. D. Harold Goldberg
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
In
honor
of
the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson
Mona & Robert Levin
Mr.
& Mrs. D. Harold Goldberg
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother
In honor of the marriage of Wendy Miller to Andrew Lax
Barbara Lewis
Ray Gottesdiener
In honor of Janice Balkan’s special birthday
NURSERY SCHOOL FUND
Ray Gottesdiener
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
For the good health & speedy recovery of Beth Camassar
Ray Gottesdiener
Sally & Lewis Baker
In honor of the birth of Barbara & Artie Dean’s granddaughter, Tehillah
In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
Matthew Somberg
Sally & Lewis Baker
In honor of the birth of Sharon & Rabbi Carl Astor’s new grandson
Marcia & Karl Bratin
BUILDING FUND
In honor of the birth of Barbara & Artie Dean’s granddaughter, Tehillah In memory of Seena Cohen
Marcia & Karl Bratin
Trudy & Sol Klioze
LIBRARY FUND


In memory of David Bersutzky, brother of George Burton
Michael Sherb
Contact:
Bikur Cholim if you need assistance - meals, a ride, etc.
Volunteer:
Offer to cook or drive!
Coordinators:
Sema Stein 860-691-0654 sjstein@ct.metrocast.net
Gaby Schlesinger 860-442-3841 ecsch@conncoll.edu
Sunny Fein 860-739-6842 feinse@att.net
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
Join us on our next build date!
Sunday, February 8th from 12:30-4:30 p.m.
New volunteers are always welcome! No experience is needed and it’s very rewarding!
Please contact Victoria Dryden at victoria@drydendesign.net
Volunteers are Habitat SECT's most precious and reliable resource. The Covenant Shelter of New London
From Victoria Dryden: The Covenant Shelter is accepting donations of new under
clothes – boxer shorts and t-shirts for men, L – 3X, and diapers – especially the larger
sizes, including pull-ups. There is one young gentleman currently at the shelter who is
size 3 – 4 X who desperately needs clothes. Gift cards would be great in the name of
Joshua, sent to my attention at Covenant Shelter, 42 Jay Street, New London, 06320.
My e-mail at Covenant Shelter: admin@covenantshelter.org
FromtheN.L.CommunityMealCenter
Alwaysneededarelargeandsmallcansoftuna ish,cansofcreamof
mushroomsoupandlargecontainersofgratedparmesancheese.
PleasedropyourdonationsoffintheboxoutsidetheBethElchapel.
Volunteers Needed
Beth El serves at the New London Soup Kitchen, located on Montauk Avenue, the 4th
Wednesday of the month. The cooking for the meal is done the Tuesday prior at 1:15 at the
Soup Kitchen. Please contact the office if you are interested in either serving or cooking!
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The Beth El Bulletin
February 6, 2015
18 Shevat-February 7
Samuel Kurtz
Esther Randolph
Jennie Wool
Florence Zusman
24 Shevat-February 13
Lena Fishman
Martin Gilman
George Sarosi
Maurice Wein
February 13. 2015
19 Shevat-February 8
Beatrice Bersutzky
Samuel Chertoff
Robert Kaplan
Lillian Levine
Rose Perry
25 Shevat-February 14
Misha Bilman
Jeffrey Goldblatt
Rebecca Hendel
Florence Simonson
Esther Witkin
20 Shevat-February 9
Aaron Goldberg
Morris Greenberg
Sylvia Hecht
Irving Hendel
William Rosenburgh
Anna Silverstein
Isaac Tanenbaum
Ernest Tylo
26 Shevat-February 15
Bessie Baker
Selma Golden
Louis Gordon
Andrew Sheriff
Isidore Traystman
21 Shevat-February 10
Samuel Belt
Viliam Bratin
Joseph Dean
Samuel Friedman
Solomon Gershowitz
George Hillsberg
Morris Konoff
Louis Rosenbaum
Elliot Smith
22 Shevat-February 11
Aaron Agrin
Mamie Daren
Harold Juli
David Wool
23 Shevat-February 12
Rose Chesler
David Gelfond
David Goldberg
William Miller
Benjamin Shacter
February 20, 2015
02 Adar-February 21
John Elion
Rose Etscovitz
Mary Lee Leibowitz
Minnie Levinson
Florence Rome
Victor Rosen
Henrietta Schiller
03 Adar-February 22
Zahava Golberg
Gertrude Grossman
Max Hillsberg
Sara Polinsky
Doris Rubin Dejoy
04 Adar-February 23
Eva Pliner
Sadie Spitz
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
08 Adar-February 27
Bernard Cohen
Doris Rosenthal
William Swiman
Michael Dane
Israel Goldberg
Sol Winick
February 27, 2015
09 Adar-February 28
Sidney Ravitz
Rose Goldberg
Freda mandel
Robert Rutman
10 Adar-March 1
Nathaniel Meshekow
Ida Sulman
Marshall Rachleff
27 Shevat-February 16
Hanna Lea Gottlieb
Herman Hankin
Lawrence Hendel
Nathan Rubin
Frances Salsburg
05 Adar-February 24
Golda Dranova
Benjamin Hillsberg
Joseph Wool
Nelly Akkerman
Sadie Sharaf
11 Adar-March 2
Ida Detz
Joseph Dubowski
Nathan Peck
Yakov Shterman
Nathalie Tanenbaum
Lou Detz
28 Shevat-February 17
Dean Brache
Irving Topkin
Minikha Yablochnik
06 Adar-February 25
Yefim Chernovitsky
Anna Robrish
Rose Slosberg
Ada Swidler
Celia Swiman
Irene Weinbaum
Beatrice Goldblatt
Melvin Rakosky
12 Adar-March 3
Benjamin Bergrin
Manuel Finkle
Michael Goldberg
Samuel Smith
Arnold Lawall
Samuel Morris
Sam Snow
29 Shevat-February 18
Bertha Bogad
Benjamin Parker
Harold Rosenthal
Harry Salomon
30 Shevat-February 19
Marvin Chesler
Harry Grand
Sarah Hillsberg
07 Adar-February 26
Neil Getzoff
Freda Greengrass
Stanley Robrish
Louis Rodensky
Phyllis Thall
01 Adar 1-February 20
Sara Buder
Yisroel Dean
Ruben Katrosar
Genya Lorman
17
13 Adar-March 4
Selma Camassar
Mollie Sokol Ellis
Benjamin Gordon
Joseph Klotz
Theodore Levy
Tillie Mandrick
Lillian Pollack
Anna Taub
Morris Mallove
Sydney Weiss
The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
continued
14 Adar-March 5
Sheyna Bekman
Rivka Dubowski
Edward Levinson
Harold Slosberg
Louis G. Sokol
June Yaffe
Arnold Cohen
Ida Pumerantz
15 Adar-March 6
Donald Daren
Barbara Grand
William Mehlman
Eva Dorenbaum
Dorothy Markowitz
We offer our
condolences to
Len Cohen & his family
on the passing of his mother,
Seena Cohen
17
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
February 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
1
2
9:00 a.m. Service
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
9:30 a.m.
Religious School
12:30 p.m.
Senior Lunch
sponsored by JFEC
Wednesday
3 EREV
4
TU B’SHEVAT TU B’SHEVAT
Thursday
5
Friday
6
7
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
9:30 a.m. Service
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
2:00 –4:00 p.m.
JFEC Adult Ed at
Temple Emanu-El
6:00 J.C.H.S.
4:30 p.m.
Midweek Hebrew
8
9
10
11
9:00 a.m. Service
9:30 a.m.
Religious School
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
12:30 p.m.
Senior Lunch
sponsored by JFEC
12:15 Lunchtime
Torah Study @ JFEC
10:30 Book Club in
Oolam
12:00 p.m.
Tu B’Shevat Seder
12:15 Lunchtime
Torah Study @ JFEC
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Ping Pong
4:53 p.m. Candle
Lighting
6:00 p.m. Musical
Kabbalat Shabbat
with Jen Rolnick
12
4:30 p.m.
Midweek Hebrew
12:30 p.m. Habitat
6:00 J.C.H.S.
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Ping Pong
15
16
17
9:00 a.m. Service
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
9:30 a.m. Religious
School
No Sr. Lunch
12:15 Lunchtime
Torah Study @ JFEC
3:00-5:00 92nd St. Y
18
19
NO J.C.H.S.
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Ping Pong
22
23
24
9:00 a.m. Service
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
9:30 a.m. Religious
School
12:30 p.m.
Senior Lunch
sponsored by JFEC
12:15 Lunchtime
Torah Study @ JFEC
6:00 J.C.H.S.
TELEPHONE (860) 848‐2215 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Ping Pong
6:00 p.m. M-H
13
14
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
9:30 a.m. Service
5:02 p.m. Candle
Lighting
6:00 p.m. Service
6:00 p.m. M-H
20
21
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
9:30 a.m. Service
8:00 p.m. Board Mtg
25
8:00 p.m. Religious
Committee Mtg.
26
27
28
8:30 a.m. Aerobics
9:30 a.m. Service
5:19 p.m. Candle
Lighting
6:00 p.m. Service
6:00 p.m. M-H
4:30 p.m.
Midweek Hebrew
Looking ahead…
FAX (860) 848‐8844 1st Passover seder:
HENIE KURZMAN, D.D.S. PETER G. LACY, D.M.D. 907 NORWICH ‐ NEW LONDON TURNPIKE OFFICE HOURS P.O. BOX 465 BY APPOINTMENT UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT 06382 Friday, April 3rd.
19
19
February
Simcha Shabbat
5:10 p.m. Candle
Lighting
6:00 p.m. Musical
Kabbalat Shabbat
with Jen Rolnick
7:00 p.m.
Potluck Supper
4:30 p.m.
Midweek Hebrew
PRESIDENT”S DAY
Saturday
6:00 p.m. M-H
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
Byles-MacDougall
Funeral Service, Inc.
(860) 442-0343
(888)736-7036
Donald W. Byles
Reid B. Burdick
John D. MacDougall
Byles Memorial Home
99 Huntington Street
New London, Conn. 06320
20
Byles-Groton Memorial Home
310 Thames Street
Groton, Conn. 06340
The Beth El Bulletin
Dr. Arthur Dean ~ Periodontist
Treating gum disease
Dental Implants
TMJ, Facial Pain, and Headaches
489 Route 184, Groton, CT
860-449-1643
21
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
22
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
23
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
February 2015
Shevat-Adar 5775
The Beth El Bulletin
THE BULLETIN DEADLINE IS THE 7TH OF EACH MONTH
If you have any news, articles, or announcements that you wish to have published, please send to the Beth El office by
email: office@bethel-nl.org or fax: 860-442-7112.
Information must be received no later than the 7th of the month in order to appear in the next month’s bulletin.
All articles included herein are the opinion of their authors, and not necessarily the policy of Congregation Beth El, its
Officers, members, or the editors of the Bulletin.
Rabbi
Rabbi Emeritus
Kol Bo
Gabbi Emeritus
Ba’alat T’fillah
Rachel Safman
Carl Astor
Rabbi Isidore Greengrass z”l
Lou Detz z”l
Diane Maran
Officers
President
1st Vice President
2nd Vice President
Co-Treasurers
Assistant Treasurer
Recording Secretary
Financial Secretary
Elliot Kimmel
Adam Goldstein
Judi Goldberg
Michael Cohen
Karl Bratin
Karla Bendor
Rena Linder
Office Personnel
Office Manager
Business Manager
Merrill Mazzella
Donna Butler
Congregation Beth El
660 Ocean Avenue
New London, CT 06320
860-442-0418 office
860-442-7112 fax
Email: office@bethel-nl.org
VISIT US ON THE WEB:
WWW.BETHEL-NL.ORG
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Congregation Beth El
660 Ocean Avenue
New London, CT 06320
24
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. Postage PAID
Permit No. 225
New London, Conn.