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The Shofar
February 2015
Temple Beth Tikvah
Temple Beth Tikvah cordially invites you to a Shabbat with:
Dr. Charles Steinberg
Infectious Disease Specialist
Recently returned from 6 weeks as Emergency Medical Coordinator
of an Ebola Treatment Unit in Sierra Leone.
Friday, January 30, 7:30 p.m.
Please join us as we welcome Charles Steinberg, M.D., Infectious
Disease Specialist, who volunteered to serve in direct patient care
and the development of treatment protocols in Sierra Leone this
past October/November. He has a clear bill-of-health following
his 3-week quarantine upon return to the USA. Charles has done
international medical work in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa,
Nepal, Mexico, Peru, Romania and the Ukraine. When home in
Colorado he teaches as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado Anshutz
Medical School.
Dr. Steinberg’s sister, Nancy Steinberg Abramson,
and his sister-in-law, Rabbi Stacy Offner, are very
moved by his work and happy to have him home
and able to join us for an inspiring Shabbat.
Charles speaks internationally to physicians and
people infected by and affected by HIV on how
to live long and well. Charles is a professional
photographer and uses his inspiring images in his
presentations which will touch your mind and heart.
President’s Message
Rabbi’s Column
Dear Friends,
I implore you now: CAST YOUR VOTE for
a pluralistic Israel. Never before has your
vote made such a difference. With one
more vote for ARZA (the Association of
Reform Zionists of America), we can truly
change Israel for the better. Please vote in
this year’s World Zionist Congress election
that is now open for voting through April
15, 2015 – and be sure to vote for ARZA.
The only requirement for voting is that you must be Jewish and
at least 18 years of age. It is easy. All you have to do is click
now onto www.reformjews4israel.org, register and vote for the
ARZA Slate. Please do not delay. And let me know you voted!
Important note: There is a one-time only administrative charge
of $5 for young Jews between the ages of 18 and 30, and $10 for
Jews over 30, so have a credit card or PayPal account ready. This
small fee is required by the World Zionist Organization to administer this election. If you have trouble voting, call 844-413-2929
or email AZM@election-america.com but know that I managed
pretty easily myself. And I’m so glad I voted.
Here are some answers to questions that might be yours:
1. What is the World Zionist Congress?
The Parliament of the Jewish People representing all of world
Jewry.
2. What is the ARZA Platform?
Support for gender equality, religious equality, and peace through
a commitment to a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict.
3. Why does it matter that you vote for ARZA?
The government of the state of Israel does not give any money directly to the Reform movement except through special programs.
However, the government does fund Orthodox schools and synagogues. This is not only unfair; it is a violation of the spirit of
Israel’s own Declaration of Independence. As we work for equal
funding rights, we must raise money to support our Israeli Reform
movement, and our success in this WZC election is one sure way
to do that.
ARZA needs your vote and I am asking that you and every Jewish individual in your household register and VOTE ARZA today at
www.reformjewsforisrael.org.
Thank you in advance!
L’Shalom,
Rabbi Offner
Have you met Kim Romine? Kim has been our Administrator at
TBT since July 15, 2014. She has been working very hard to get to
know us and how TBT operates. Kim has made a great transition
into our TBT family. Working with the board and our staff, she has
smoothly taken on the role of keeping our building and programs
running smoothly. Kim has also done an enormous amount of
work to bring our accounting systems up to date transitioning
our financial management from Rakefet (a synagogue specific
“member management” program) to QuickBooks. She has
worked with the financial officers of our board, as well as with our
accountants to make this change. Our new accounting system has
modernized our financial management and will make caring for
our fiscal health easier.
I am writing about this today to let you know that you will be
seeing some changes in how we follow up with your membership.
Starting this month, our financial statements will look different.
And, if you choose to pay your membership commitments over
the course of nine months (as opposed to in a single payment
during the summer), you will receive a monthly bill from our
office to remind you of payments due.
If you have any concerns about your payments for membership or
tuitions (Nursery School or Religious School), please contact Kim.
As a gentle reminder, our fiscal policy states that all membership
dues payments are due by March 31 of each year, and all tuition
payments should have been made by Dec. 31, unless other
arrangements were made with Kim.
You can also contact our Financial Officers, Al Goldberg or Walter
Spigelman, or me with any questions about this transition.
I hope that winter continues to be gentle and that I see you soon
at TBT!
~ Suzy Frisch
Shabbat Services
February 6 (7:30)
Learners’ Shabbat Service
February 13 (7:00 pm)
Family Shabbat Service
February 20
Shalom, Shabbat! (5:30 pm)
SALTY Shabbat Service (7:30 pm)
February 27 (6:00 pm)
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
(followed by carry-in dairy dinner)
NOTICE
TO: All Members of Temple Beth Tikvah
FROM: Al Goldberg, Chair of the Nominating Committee
SUBJECT: Nominations for the Board of Directors
DATE: February 2015
According to our Temple Bylaws, the Nominating Committee
begins meeting no later than March 1 in order to develop a slate
of officers for presentation and consideration at our Annual
Congregational Meeting. The list of positions which will turn
over for the fiscal year 2015-2016 is as follows:
Executive Board (1 year term)
President
First Vice President
Second Vice President
Financial Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Director (or Co-Directors) (2 year term)
Communications
Education
Facilities
Religious Activities
Social Justice
Youth Activities
Member-at-Large
Auxiliary Roles (1 year term)
Women of TBT
Men’s Club
If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors,
please contact Al Goldberg, Chair, Nominating Committee, at
gooser60@aol.com.
Tu B’Shevat Seder
The Rosh Chodesh Group of TBT Women is holding a Tu B’Shevat
Seder on Wednesday, February 4 at 7:00 pm in the social hall.
We have planned a fun and yummy evening. We hope to see you
there!
Tu B’Shevat is the New Year for trees and has a focus on the
environment. The Seder ritual is relatively new and while based on
the Passover Seder, with four cups of wine or juice, it also includes
eating a series of fruit with levels of meaning and symbolism.
Come have a tasty learning session with us! All women are
welcome! To learn more or RSVP, contact Claire Morduch
(clairemorduch@gmail.com).
Shalom, Shabbat!
Friday, February 20
5:30 p.m.
A Special Erev Shabbat Service for Our Youngest Children!
Join in a 30-minute service of stories, songs, and prayer geared
toward children from birth, to toddlers, through age 8; older
siblings always welcome! After the service, join in a pot luck
dinner. We hope you’ll be able to join us for this very special
Shabbat.
Saturday, April 18th
Torah Tots will take place on Sunday, February 1 from 11-12.
This month’s theme will be tikkun olam and we will be working
together on a mitzvah project. Torah Tots is free and open to
the community. Children ages 2 - 5 are welcome with a parent
(younger siblings are also welcome) for songs, stories, and a
craft. RSVPs to Aliza Calvert are encouraged: aliza.calvert@gmail.
com. Hope to see you all there!
An Evening with
Jacques Pepin and
Art Auction to Benefit TBT
Details to Follow
Programming Long Range Planning Report
Happy (secular) New Year from the Programming Committee!
Our mission over the past year has been twofold:
1.) To provide social opportunities to TBT members so as to make
TBT more than just a place to pray, but a place to play as well. It
is our feeling that the more reasons people have to come to our
home on Durham Road, the more connected they will feel. We
hope that the events we have planned and are planning will bring
people together and help to cultivate individual friendships and a
stronger community.
(Programming continued)
We’d love to have more events but need help. If you’re interested
in getting involved at TBT, the Programming Committee is a
great place to start. It’s a great way to meet other members and
contribute to an important cause. You don’t have to sign on for
every event—au contraire (as Jacques might say)—start with one
(any and all suggestions are welcome) and dip your toe into TBT’s
social pool to see how it feels. We can almost guarantee you’ll
want to come back for more. Contact Amy Lee (amyjolee22@
gmail.com) or Liz Rubin (smashgirl2@comcast.net).
2.) To create fundraising sources. Annual dues and generous
donations only go so far. Enough said.
With the above goals in mind here’s what’s been going on for us:
TBT Cooks
The Annual TBT Tag Sale
This past November marked the 2nd Tag Sale after a several year
hiatus. We raised a few shekels, but know that the potential is
even greater. Once upon a time this event was a must-donateto/must-go-to event and was marked on every TBT member’s
calendar. It is our hope that with the help of everyone it can
return to this status. We’d love your input to help us get there.
In the past, it was held in the summer. The past two years, we’ve
held it in November, right before Chanukah. Please let us know
which you prefer. It’s a great opportunity to get rid of your old
and help TBT raise money to get some new at the same time.
So please if you have any thoughts or would like to help next
year, shoot either Amy Lee (amyjolee22@gmail.com) or Liz Rubin
(smashgirl2@comcast.net) an email.
Many thanks to Barbara Cotton, Sheila England, Jill Paglino,
Cher Richmond, Hannah and Michael Jurewicz, and Wendy
Bluemling, who cooked cheesy tuna noodle casseroles and cole
slaw to serve 100 at the Branford Community Dining Room
in January. Want to cook in the future? Contact Amy EpplerEpstein or Claire Morduch. You can also help by making a contribution to the LAURENCE
B. & ELAINE J. SOMMER MEMORIAL FUND FOR SOCIAL
JUSTICE which provides support to this and many other needy
organizations.
The Cantor’s Concert
On Saturday evening January 31, hear Cantor Margolius��
’��
s concert “Faces of the Night: Jewish Music of Danger, Dream, and
Celebration.” Cantor Margolius will be joined by Cantor Dorothy
Goldberg, Pianist David Sparr (music director and accompanist
at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline since the year 2000, and
owner/engineer of Little Dog Studios in Malden, MA) and Boston
soprano Anne Levy.
An Evening with Jacques Pepin and Art Auction: All in One!
Madison’s iconic chef and TBT neighbor (literally) will be as the
kids say, “in the house,” on Saturday night April 18th and will
share a mulligatawny of his life’s experiences in and out of the
kitchen. He’s an entertainer extraordinaire and charming to boot.
And to top the evening off, we’ll be auctioning off a collection
of 18 lithographs titled “Ten Painters on War and Peace”. The
suite includes hand signed and numbered works from ten Israeli
artists. Artists include Yaacov Agam, Lilian Klapisch, Ivan Scwebel,
Ami Shavit, Menashe Kadishman, Lea Nikel, Uri Lifshitz, Aviva
Uri, Marcel Janco and Yagael (Igael) Tumarkin. Come join us for
dinner, conversation, great company and a chance to take home
some gorgeous Israeli art. Cost: $50 per person.
The TBT Book Club will be reading the following books:
February
All The Light We Cannot See by A. Doerr
March Peony by Pearl Buck
April Special meeting with Rachul Baila Yaffe to discuss essays she will give us about
Women in Chabad
We meet the third Thursday of the month at the Federation
Shoreline Office in Lighthouse Square in Guilford at 7:30
p.m. For further Information contact Myra Josephson at
myrajosephson@gmail.com or 203-488-3350.
MARCH
1
SALTY
PURIM CARNIVAL
TBT Social Hall, 12 noon
SALTY invites you to join us for the annual TBT Purim Carnival! Lots of fun
for the whole family and a great way to support our synagogue youth group.
Wear your best costume!
Admission is $5.00, which includes pizza and a drink. Bring extra money for extra slices.
Questions? Contact Jason Gaines at jmgaines@gmail.com
Education Committee
Religious School
Students in grades K-3rd and 7th-8th enjoyed their respective class dinners in January. Families enjoyed a Shabbat dinner followed by
services and a tasty oneg. The Religious School and Nursery School have a joint School Spruce Up Day planned for Sunday, February 22
(please note the change of date from Feb. 8). Please join us to make the schools shine. Nursery School
The Nursery School will join in this year’s School Spruce Up Day on Feb. 22. Please join us as we add some color to the classroom doors
of the Nursery School. If you or someone you know would like information about upcoming TBT Nursery School slots or programs,
please contact Director Bernadette Stak at 203-245-8039 for information. Do you know someone with pre-schoolers? Let Bernadette
know, and she will send out information to them. Please help spread the word about our nurturing and creative programs. Word of
mouth has always been our most successful way of enrolling students. Children do not need to be Jewish to attend the Nursery School
or to participate in its enrichment programs. Adult Education
Rabbi Offner’s popular Lunch and Learn series was back in January focusing on life in Israel. You can continue learning with Rabbi Offner
in March and April when she teaches her popular Jewish Pathways course. This class explores the many paths of Jewish Life. Brush
up on your fundamentals and learn about Judaism through prayer, history, language and culture. This course is a prerequisite for
conversion and Adult B’nei Mitzvah. The course will be on Wednesday evenings, March 25, April 1, 8 15, 22 and 29. Back again this
year is Prof. Pettigrew from Southern Connecticut State University. On Sunday morning, March 29, he will give a talk on Varian Fry,
an American journalist who ran a rescue network for Jews trying to escape Vichy France. Marc Chagall and Jacque Lipchitz were
among those he was able to rescue. Interested in getting involved in planning Adult Education events? Please contact Karen Redlich
at karenredlich@comcast.net
Paving the Way -the Renovation of the TBT Parking Lot!
In December 2012, the Board of Directors identified the
parking lot and driveways at TBT as a major barrier to welcoming. And, in August 2014, after accepting a $45,000
matching grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater New
Haven, the Board gave approval for a major renovation of
these areas. Since August, we have been busy getting the
work started and getting a jump on fundraising to meet the
$45,000 match.
Rabbi Offner tells the story of how she drove by the TBT
driveway 3 times before she found TBT when she came for
an interview. To address this concern, prior to the High Holidays, we installed new signs with new lighting for visibility
coming from both directions on Route 79, removed some
trees, renovated some of the landscaping and leveled the
upper parking area. The beautiful new signs, lighting and
landscaping were paid for by a very generous gift of Ed &
Gloria Sack.
The completion of the project with leveling of the upper
parking area, refitting of drains and pipes, resurfacing, and
new lines and signage to make parking easier will be completed in late May and June this year. Our job as a community is to raise the matching funds to complete the project.
The total price of the project is $100,000.
We are now soliciting the entire congregation to raise the
remaining funds to refinish the parking area. You will be receiving a letter by mail with more information about this
project, about gifts currently pledged and with information
on how to make your gift!
Oneg Shabbat
We wish to thank the following members for sponsoring an
Oneg Shabbat during January:
Jan. 2
Jan. 9
Jan. 16
Jan. 30
Sandra Hyman and Sondra Bernblum
Parents of students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade in our religious school
Phyllis Kaufman
Parents of students in Grades 7-8 in our religious school
Simon Pinchbeck
Bar Mitzvah
Simon Pinchbeck will become a Bar Mitzvah on February 28,
2015. Simon’s big day is exactly six years to the date that his oldest
sister, Clara, also became a Jewish adult. Friends and family are
coming from Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. , Maine,
Boston and New York to help celebrate, including his grandmother
Estelle Garmisa and his grandfather Bill Pinchbeck & his wife,
Joannie. Simon is particularly excited to share his special day
with his many non-Jewish friends from Adams Middle School in
Guilford. Simon is especially grateful to his patient and kind tutor,
Dorothy Goldberg. The entire congregation is invited to attend!
For questions, please contact Paul Beckman, Facilities Director or Suzanne Frisch, President.
To make a donation, please contact Kim Romine in the TBT
Office at 203-245-7028.
Happy Birthday to our February children:
Juliet Friedman, Tess Friedman, Jared Goldman,
Elijah Houlton, Zachary Houlton, James Hyman,
Julia Hyman, Samuel Kaplan, Danica Lustberg,
Elana Morris, Simon Pinchbeck, Addison Reed,
Elana Rothberg, Samuel Sharon, Melanie Siegel,
Olivia Zimmerman
TBT
TRANSIT
Need a Ride to Shabbat Services?
Contact Rabbi Offner - skoffner@gmail.com or 203-350-2134
Happy to Offer a Ride to Services?
Contact Rabbi Offner - skoffner@gmail.com or 203-350-2134
Create a Jewish Legacy for Temple Beth Tikvah
Planned Giving
What is planned giving? Planned giving may be defined as a method of supporting synagogues that enables philanthropic individuals
or families to make larger gifts than they could make from their income. Some planned gifts provide a life-long income to the donor,
while others use estate and tax planning techniques to provide for charity in ways that maximize the gift or minimize its impact on
the donor’s estate.
A planned gift is any major gift made in a lifetime or at death as part of a donor’s overall financial and/or estate planning.
Whether a donor uses cash, appreciated securities, real estate, artwork, partnership interests, personal property, life insurance, a
retirement plan, or other methods, the benefits of funding a planned gift can make this type of charitable giving very attractive for
both donor and charity!
An intelligently planned gift can bring joy to you and/or your family. It leaves the donor with a sense of satisfaction beyond the
money and helps preserve Temple Beth Tikvah as a Jewish home, house of worship and Jewish presence on our shoreline.
We invite your inquiries for any phase of your gift. We work with the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven in developing and
maintaining our long-term investments at TBT. Lisa Stanger, Esq., Director of the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven and her
professional staff are ready to help you create a charitable giving strategy to benefit TBT that is tailored to meet your financial and
philanthropic objectives. Please consider Lisa and the Foundation to be your philanthropic resource and partner in helping you to
explore charitable opportunities that work for you.
You can join us in perpetuating the legacy of TBT’s founders by becoming the next era’s founders. This is the perfect time to be recognized as a guarantor of TBT’s future.
For more information about “Create a Jewish Legacy for Temple Beth Tikvah,” please contact Suzanne Frisch.
Thank you to those, not previously acknowledged, who donated so generously to our ANNUAL FUND:
Robert Levy & Sally Tucker-Levy
Robert & Mona Goodman
Neil & Ellen Silberman
Rick & Anne Calvert
Amy Agranov
Norma Diamond
Jason & Kate Glazer
Rob & Marcia Jacoby
Gary & Ami Israel
Judy Merriam
Jonathan & Bonnie Rothberg
Alan & Sherie Groves
Helen Winokur
Jan & Mary Ann Ehrenwerth
Dorothy Goldberg & David RossRussell
Jack & Kim Rakusin
Herb & Marni Lustberg
Marc & Laurey Sandler
Ben & Betsy Muskin
Tina Silidker
Philip & Karen Goldberg
David & Jo-Ann Fleischman
Frohman Davis
Mark & Wendy Bluemling
Ken Rosenberg
Paul & Sandra Beckman
Nancy Kahrimanis
Michael & Susan Lurie
Stu Weinzimer & Jodie Ambrosino
Sondra Bernblum
Mark & Julie Danetz
Cheryl Burack
Ben & Robin Baker
Myra Josephson
Steve & Amy Shelton
Bill & Kate Lee
Alan & Jennifer Friedman
Andrea Kaye
Norman & Karen Redlich
Susan Glantz
Mark & Wendy Greenberg
Mitchell & Linda Hirsch
Jeff Babbin & Marlene Schwartz
Dick and Sandy Whelan
Margo Merin
Kenneth & Harriet Rosen
Don & Candice Kohn
Randolph & Marianne Frankel
Franklin & Joan Green
Joe & Eleanor Weissberg
Philip & Karen Goldberg
Mike & Tobie Meisel
CONTRIBUTIONS
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
Arlene Goldstein in memory of Dr. Mel Goldstein
Marjorie Cohen in memory of Dan Rennick
Marjorie Hart in memory of Arline Glosband
Sandra and Paul Beckman in celebration of Alan Meyers’ and
Dick Whelan’s respective milestone birthdays
Joan and Joel Marcus in loving memory of Joan’s mother, Anita
Brill
Sondra Bernblum in memory of her husband, Milton A.
Bernblum
Barbara Bernstein in memory of Martha Uhlfelder Bernstein,
wonderful mother-in-law
Mark and Wendy Greenberg in memory of William Klipper
Jacky and Richard Cohen in appreciation of Rabbi Sommer and
Rabbi Offner and all their wonderful friends who called
and sent cards following the passing of their son-in-law,
Robert Mellion
Jacky and Richard Cohen in loving memory of Adele Feldman,
mother of Jacky
Martha and Ken Gamerman in loving memory of Martha’s
father, Oscar Sapir, and Ken’s mother and father, Lena
and Max Gamerman
Brian and Jane Holzman
Susan Kilman in memory of Milton Shaffe, father of Susan and
Bonnie
Alix and Joshua Copel with thanks for Rabbi Offner’s support
this year
Roxane Siskind in memory of Irving Sobel and Florence Siskind
Rosemary and David Baggish in memory of Rosemary’s mother,
Catherine Verdi
Ami and Gary Israel in memory of Ami’s beloved brother, David
Rubinowitz
GENERAL FUND
Judge and Mrs. Leonard I. Garth in memory of Sarah’s father,
Rabbi Reuben Kaufman
Joyce Hirschhorn for tzedakah
Irina Lekhmus and Peter Rabinovich
David and Jo-Ann Fleischman in memory of Gene Horwitch,
father of Ann Sherer
David and Jo-Ann Fleischman in memory of David’s cousin,
Gloria Resnick
Alvin Korn in memory of Pauline Korn
Harriet Spear in memory of her beloved husband, Leonard
Spear
Carol Miller in memory of her beloved mother, Elaine Pivar
LAURENCE B. & ELAINE J. SOMMER MEMORIAL FUND FOR
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Bill, Kate, Susannah, William and Alexa Lee in memory of
Marietta Fagan Lee – beloved mother and grandmother
Diane and Elliot Sachs in memory of Mildred Berke
Roberta Grossman in memory of Dr. Milton Godfried, a dear
friend
Roberta Grossman in memory of her beloved husband, Dick
Grossman, and her dear mother, Ida Davis
Barbara Bernstein in memory of her beloved husband, Ernest
Bernstein
CONTRIBUTIONS
ENDOWMENT FUND
Sue Richman and Walter Spigelman in memory of Lawrence
Richman
Amy, David and Hilary Cohen, in honor and in memory of their
mother, Sally C. Cohen
THE JUDITH K. BARR EDUCATION FUND
Charles Barr in memory of his beloved mother, Sarah Barr
Charles Barr in memory of his brother, Leonard Barr
THE HELEN KATZ GOODKIND BEAUTIFICATION FUND
Helen Winokur and family in memory of Marjorie Freund
THE SISTERHOOD CANTORIAL FUND
The Kohn family in memory of Adele Kohn Marcus
THE SILIDKER FAMILY MUSIC ENRICHMENT FUND
Tina Silidker in memory of her father, Joseph Wasserman
RABBI HOWARD F. SOMMER FUND FOR CONTINUING JEWISH
EDUCATION
Barbara Bernstein in honor of Rabbi Howard Sommer
LIBRARY FUND
The Kessler family in memory of Bob’s mopther, Hilda Kessler
THE ISRAEL & MARY TICOTSKY EDUCATION ENRICHMENT
FUND
Jack and Linda Srebnik
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CHANUKAH WISH LIST
Ed and Gloria Sack
Jeff Babbin and Marlene Schwartz
Marni and Herb Lustberg
Denise Paley and Eric Tibere
Andrea SanMarco
Sandy and Dick Whelan
Walter and Sue Spigelman
David and Cynthia Greenblatt
Alicia and Andre Levchenko
Eric and Lisa Rich
Have good news to share? Please let us know at office@
templebethtikvahct.org.
Mazel Tov:
To Walter Spigelman and Sue Richman on the March wedding of
their daughter Sarah Spigelman to Luis Lopez
To Lisa and David Harding on the engagement of their son Brian
to Amy Collision. A Fall wedding is planned.
TEMPLE BETH TIKVAH
SHOFAR
196 Durham Rd., Madison CT 06443
Rabbi
President
Editor
Proofreader
Stacy K. Offner
Suzanne Frisch
Sandy Walsh
Julie Fraenkel
FEBRUARY 2015
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