1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

Congregation Beth Yeshurun
Rhona and Bruce Caress Family Campus
4525 Beechnut St.
The Message
Houston, TX 77096-1801
May 2015
Iyar-Sivan 5775
Vol. L, No. 10
Inside
 Family Fun Day May 3 p 3
 Shabbat Jam May 8 p 18
 Sisterhood Spring Installation
May 19 p 15
 Shavuot Night of Study
May 23 p 4
 Shavuot May 23-25 (Yizkor)
Services Schedule p 10
 Adult B’nai Mitzvah May 30
p7
 Religious School News p 11
 The Gathering Place p 12
 Family Album p 13
 B’nai Mitzvah p 14
 Elijah’s Chair now available
for your simcha p 15
Looking Ahead
 A Celebration of Love with
the Finkelsteins June 4 p 5
 Cancer Survivors’ Shabbat
June 5 p 3
(713) 666-1881
www.bethyeshurun.org
Shalom mely
with
I
Rabbi David Rosen
nside this month’s issue of The Message, you will find an
important article by the Director of our Beth Yeshurun
Religious Schools, Sheryl Eskowitz, in which she talks about
Kehillah High, our brand new community high school for youngsters at Beth
Yeshurun, Beth Israel, Brith Shalom and other congregations, which will open
this fall. (It is our hope that Emanu El will join with us in 2016.)
For decades, our individual congregations have sought to run high schools
of our own, with varying degrees of success. The challenge has always been how
to sustain programs that can keep up with the ever-changing social, academic
and technological needs that our high school-age youngsters and their families
expect and demand. Hard as we have tried, and notwithstanding all the resources
we have poured into our programs, our students who attend public and private
high schools by day have looked at our synagogue schools and, for a variety of
reasons, found them wanting.
For several years, the rabbis of Houston’s Conservative and Reform
congregations have been watching as enrollments in our respective synagogue
high schools have declined. There came a point last year when we decided to
stop watching and to do something. Rabbi David Lyon, Rabbi Ranon Teller and
I sat down with the leadership of the Jewish Federation, its team of experienced
educators who formerly led the Bureau of Jewish Education, and with the educators
from our respective synagogue schools, with the goal of creating a new model
for Houston Jewry — a school that would excel in the quality of its offerings,
would create a larger body of students, and would be compelling and attractive
not only to the youngsters already enrolled in our congregational schools but to
the hundreds of students who are presently not enrolled in any course of Jewish
study at a pivotal moment in their Jewish lives.
Those who have been entrusted with creating our Kehillah High have done
so with exceptional enthusiasm and dedication. They have analyzed community
high schools around America, have defined clear goals for our new school, and
have sought input from throughout our community. We are committed to creating
a school that students will want to attend.
Part of what we hope will make the school a compelling experience is our
determination to find the best teachers. For Kehillah High, we will have access to
the very best teachers from all of our congregations. Additionally, and importantly,
all of the rabbis of the participating synagogues have agreed to be on the faculty
and to engage students in every grade of the five-year curriculum.
Kehillah High represents our community’s shot across the bow. We are
determined to bring as many of our precious high school students together as we
possibly can to teach them, inspire them and give them the tools they will need
to mature into responsible and caring Jewish adults.
I am very proud that Beth Yeshurun is one of the founding congregations and
I am gratified as well by the overwhelming support that has come from all parts
of our synagogue in support of this most exciting and welcome development.
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Shabbat Services for Families with Children
SATURDAY, MAY 2
9:30-10:30am Tot Shabbat (Ages 0-4)
10:15am Young Children’s Shabbat Shalom (parents welcome)
Every Shabbat morning at 10:15am
Shabbat Services
FRIDAY, MAY 8
6:00pm Shabbat Jam (Young Families)
SATURDAY, MAY 9
9:00-10:00am Jr. Congregation (Ages 8-11)
10:15am Young Children’s Shabbat Shalom (parents welcome)
Every Shabbat morning at 10:15am
FRIDAY, MAY 1 - Candlelighting Time 7:40pm
6:00pm Friday Night Alive! - with the Goodman Family
6:30pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
SATURDAY, MAY 2 - Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim
8:30am J.B. Greenfield Chapel
9:15am Museum Minyan
9:30am Sanctuary Service - Bat Mitzvah: Ava Goodman
7:30pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
FRIDAY, MAY 15
6:00pm Kinder Shabbat (Ages 0-5)
SATURDAY, MAY 16
10:15am Young Children’s Shabbat Shalom (parents welcome)
Every Shabbat morning at 10:15am
FRIDAY, MAY 8 - Candlelighting Time 7:45pm
6:00pm Shabbat Renewal - with the Sondock Families
6:30pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
SATURDAY, MAY 23
10:15am Young Children’s Shabbat Shalom (parents welcome)
Every Shabbat morning at 10:15am
SATURDAY, MAY 9 - Parashat Emor
8:30am J.B. Greenfield Chapel
9:00am Super Soul Shabbat (yoga)
9:15am Museum Minyan
9:30am Sanctuary Service
- B’nai Mitzvah: Elizabeth Sondock & Gabriel Sondock
7:45pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
SATURDAY, MAY 30
10:15am Young Children’s Shabbat Shalom (parents welcome)
Every Shabbat morning at 10:15am
FRIDAY, MAY 15 - Candlelighting Time 7:49pm
6:00pm Shabbat Renewal
- with the Feldman & Kaminsky Families
6:30pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
SATURDAY, MAY 16 - Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
8:30am J.B. Greenfield Chapel
9:15am Museum Minyan
9:30am Sanctuary Service
- B’nai Mitzvah: Aidan Feldman & Joshua Kaminsky
7:45pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
FRIDAY, MAY 22 - Candlelighting Time 7:54pm
6:00pm Shabbat Renewal
6:30pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
SATURDAY, MAY 23 - Parashat Bemidbar
8:30am J.B. Greenfield Chapel
9:15am Museum Minyan
9:30am Sanctuary Service
7:45pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
Together we’ll explore tools for
mindfulness, find a different way to talk
to God and deepen our prayer with
meditation and chanting. RSVP to
karenhurwitz@karenhurwitz.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 24 - MONDAY, MAY 25
Shavuot I - Shavuot II (Yizkor)
See page 10 for complete Shavuot Schedule
FRIDAY, MAY 29 - Candlelighting Time 7:58pm
6:00pm Shabbat Renewal
6:30pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
7:00-8:00pm
Wednesdays
May 6, 13, 20, 27
SATURDAY, MAY 30 - Parashat Nasso
8:30am J.B. Greenfield Chapel
9:15am Museum Minyan
9:30am Sanctuary Service - Adult B’nai Mitzvah
7:45pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
2
Fun Day Sunday in the Park May 3rd
The Shalom Y’all Committee invites all members of
the congregation, kids, grandparents, singles, grandkids,
Moms and Dads and friends to come to a fun-filled Sunday
morning on May 3 at the Museum of Natural Science in
Hermann Park starting at 10:00 a.m.
Spearheaded by Melissa Brams, Rachel Teichman and
a group of dedicated volunteers, this is the third year of
Sunday Funday - which promises to be the best yet including
face painting, clowns, pizza, drinks, desserts, cartoons,
photographs, rides on the Hermann Park train and more all free! Discounted tickets to the Butterfly Collection and
other special Museum features will be available.
This program is part of the overall mission of the
Shalom Y’all Committee to bring our members closer
together, to strengthen the connection to our synagogue,
and to have a lot of fun; especially because we will also be
celebrating Lag B’Omer - a day of joy and happiness in our
tradition. So, go online, register and make your reservation
for food and a lot of fun!
CBY Celebrates Cancer Survivorship
Friday, June 5
Celebrate the lives of cancer survivors with us at a special
Friday Night Alive! service at 6:00 p.m. on June 5. Rabbi Rosen
will offer a special blessing for anyone touched by cancer, and
for all our cancer survivors. We are pleased to offer this service
in collaboration with CanCare, Inc. of which BY has been a
member since 2001.
CanCare is a nonprofit interfaith organization celebrating
it’s 25th anniversary this year. It provides an opportunity for a
person who is fighting cancer to walk with a volunteer who has
survived that same cancer and treatment. CanCare’s member
congregations spread awareness of CanCare’s free services
within their congregations, and encourage cancer survivors to
serve as volunteers in the community. CanCare’s volunteers
provide one-on-one emotional support to cancer patients
and their family members, offering encouragement, hope and
understanding that comes from a shared experience.
Do you know someone fighting cancer? Introduce them to
CanCare or offer to call CanCare on their behalf. Have them
go to www.cancare.org and learn more about this wonderful
organization. Do you know someone who is a cancer
survivor? Ask them to
contact CanCare at
(713) 461-0028 to learn
more about the training
program to become one
of their volunteers. They
will discover it gives
value and meaning to
their cancer experience.
CBY CanCare Co-ordinators (clockwise from top left):
Rabbi Steven Morgen, Michael Wiesenthal,
Barbara Selzer and Leah Katz.
For questions or more information, please contact Rabbi
Morgen (our CanCare rabbinic liaison) at (713) 666-1881,
Barbara Selzer at (713) 771-2030, Leah Katz at (713) 9776400, or Michael Wiesenthal at (713) 703-6791. You may
contact CanCare directly at the phone number or web site
provided above.
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BY Future Leaders Caucus
Members of the Beth Yeshurun Future Leaders Caucus meet at the new Genesis Steakhouse and Wine Bar March 24.
The goal of the program is to identify and comprehensively train young leaders who can bond over time and potentially
represent congregational leadership for decades into the future. The group meets monthly for dinner and discussion.
Pictured (left to right) are: Top Row: Dr. Benjamin Musher, Roni Most, Hannah Hofrichter, Shelley Sorkin, Lisa Turboff,
Kari Saratovsky, Nir Grossman, Rabbi Brian Strauss, Jerrad Bloome, Kevin Steinberg, Brad Staller, Stephanie Kohll and Alan
Levin. Bottom Row: Lydia Musher, Dr. Ryan Kagan, Jennifer Rosenzweig, Bill Schwartz, Esther Freedman and Dana Katz.
Not pictured: Dan Braun and Jaffray Getz
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Sisterhood Passover boxes for collegians
Welcome New Members!
Please welcome the following new members to Beth Yeshurun:
Robert & Roberta Bernstein
Demitriy Idashkin & Larisa Bogachevskaya
David & Glenda Regenbaum
Renee Shull
Our wonderful BY Sisterhood once again prepared and
mailed special Passover packages for our college students. This is
a great way to enable our students who are away from home to
live their Jewish heritage. Sisterhood members (and a husband!)
involved in the project this year were Bobbi Asarch, Greta S.
Drennan, Gayle Hoffer, Sara Ellen Kaiser, Joan Katz, Louis Katz,
Harriet Katzeff, Malka Levy, Isabelle Mayer, Beth Nock, Vicky
Richker and the Co-Chairs of the project: Toby Brown, Linda
Lang and Elyse Schultz.
2015 Adult B’nai Mitzvah May 30
Our tzedakah funds
If you have ever put money into the “pushke” in the J.B.
Greenfield Chapel, you may have wondered what happens
to that money. A sub-committee of the Chapel Committee
handles the distribution of these funds to a variety of worthy
causes. These fall into one of four categories: (a) Projects
in Israel; (b) Conservative Torah study/program institutions;
(c) Youth scholarships; (d) Caring for the needy.
Among the programs to which we have directed help
for the needy this year are:
• MAZON, an organization which supports institutions
throughout the United States which address local
problems of hunger;
• INTERFAITH MINISTRIES MEALS ON WHEELS,
providing hot food daily to thousands of Houstonians,
largely homebound;
• THE PROMISE OF HOPE appeal, to assist Houston’s
impoverished Jews through our Jewish Federation;
• NUEVO HOGAR LEDOR VADOR (New Home for the
Elderly), the Buenos Aires Jewish community equivalent
to our own Seven Acres.
Thanks to all of you who have helped us provide
thousands of dollars to meet these and other needs in the
past year!
Rabbi Daniel Horwitz
Pictured above is the 2015 Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class
front row (l-r): Revanda Posey, Cantor Diane Dorf, Maria Duarte
and Rabbi Brian Strauss; back row: Rabbi David Rosen,
Rabbi Steven Morgen and Theresa Foss
Saturday morning, May 30, at Congregation Beth Yeshurun,
three dedicated adults will celebrate becoming Adult B’nai
Mitzvah. They will conduct the entire Shabbat morning service,
lead the prayers, chant the Torah and Haftorah, deliver the
Dvar Torah, and offer their own personal reflections. We hope
you will join us for this wonderful simchah!
To prepare for this day, they have participated in Beth
Yeshurun’s Akiba program for the past eighteen months, taking
a basic Judaism course with Rabbi Brian Strauss; learning
Hebrew, Shabbat prayers, and Torah trope with Cantor Diane
Dorf; and studying with Rabbi David Rosen, Rabbi Steven
Morgen and Cantor Meir Finkelstein.
Normally, Jews celebrate their B’nai Mitzvah at age thirteen,
but when circumstances do not allow for this celebration at a
young age, a Jew may do it as an adult.
The three students are: Maria Duarte, Theresa Foss, and
Revanda Posey.
If you are interested in participating in future classes,
please contact Rabbi Strauss at (713) 666-1881 or bstrauss@
bethyeshurun.org.
Are you in special
need of a Rabbi?
If you have a death in the family, a loved one in the hospital
or need a get well prayer for someone special, please contact
Rabbi Rosen and let him know. Our Senior Rabbi wants to
be with you and to help you deal with life’s many challenges.
Please call him at (713) 255-8011, or write drosen@
bethyeshurun.org.
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4
Mon
15 Iyar
7:00a Chapel
5
12
Tue
16 Iyar
7:00a Chapel
Omer 31
23 Iyar
7:00a Chapel
Omer 38
BYDS 5th Grade Retreat
6:30p Chapel SH Board Meeting
6:30p Chapel
22 Iyar
7:00a Chapel
Omer 37
1 Sivan
Rosh Chodesh
Omer 45
6:45a Chapel
8 Sivan
7:00a Chapel
Inclusion Committee
Future Leaders Caucus
6:30p Chapel
26
SH Spring Installation
Endowment Committee
Executive Committee
Board Meeting
6:30p Chapel
19
6
Wed
17 Iyar
24 Iyar
7:00a Chapel
Omer 39
Omer 32 7:00a Chapel
RS
HHS Confirmation
100 Jewish Men
Meditation Group
6:30p Chapel
13
27
2 Sivan
Omer 46
7:00a Chapel
9 Sivan
6:30p Chapel
7:00a Chapel
Technology Cmte
Meditation Group
Special Events
Committee
YES Luncheon
Meditation Group
6:30p Chapel
20
7
Thu
18 Iyar
Lag B'Omer
7:00a Chapel
Omer 33
25 Iyar
6:30p Chapel
BYDS No School
5th Grade Only
14
7:00a Chapel
Omer 40
3 Sivan
7:00a Chapel
Omer 47
6:30p Chapel
10 Sivan
7:00a Chapel
ASA Final Day
EDC in Session
6:30p Chapel
28
21
BYDS BOOK FAIR • BYDS BOOK FAIR • BYDS BOOK FAIR • BYDS BOOK FAIR
Education Committee
RS
6:30p Chapel
Security Committee
Meditation Group
6:30p Chapel
6:30p Chapel
29 Iyar
Omer 44
7:00a Chapel
6:30p Chapel
7 Sivan
Shavuot II-Yizkor
Memorial Day
8:30a Chapel
9:30a Combo Sanc/Museum
Synagogue Office Closed
BY Cemeteries Closed
No BYDS/EDC/ASA
8p Chapel
25
18
5th Annual Yiddishe Kup
Budget Committee
6:30p Chapel
11
Omer 30
FOR AN UP-TO-THE-MINUTE CALENDAR OF EVENTS,
PLEASE GO ONLINE TO:
WWW.BETHYESHURUN.ORG
May – Iyar/Sivan
Sun
3
14 Iyar
Pesach Sheni
Omer 29
8:00a Chapel
21 Iyar
28 Iyar
6:30p Chapel
8:00a Chapel
Omer 36
6:30p Chapel
Family Fun Day
RS
10
RS
17
6 Sivan
Shavuot I
Yom Yerushalayim
Omer 43
8:00a Chapel
RS - Last Day
Akiba: Israel-A Walk
Through Time & Space
FL Mother-Son Event
6:30p Chapel
24
8:30a Chapel
9:30a Combined
Sanctuary/Museum Minyan
13 Sivan
BY Cemeteries Closed
8p Chapel
31
8:00a Chapel
7:30p Chapel
1
Fri
12 Iyar
7:00a Chapel
Omer 27
Friday Night Alive!
BM Ava Goodman
Evening Chapel
7:40p CL
19 Iyar
Omer 34 - 7:00a Chapel
8
Shabbat Renewal
BM Elizabeth Sondock
& Gabriel Sondock
Shabbat Jam
GWCTS
26 Iyar
4 Sivan
Shabbat Renewal
Kinder Shabbat
BM Aidan Feldman
& Joshua Kaminsky
Evening Chapel
7:49p CL
7:00a Chapel
Omer 41
Evening Chapel
7:45p CL
15
22
7:00a Chapel
Omer 48
11 Sivan
Shabbat Renewal
Evening Chapel
7:54p CL
29
7:00a Chapel
BYDS Maccabi Day
EC/ES Early Dismissal
Shabbat Renewal
Evening Chapel
7:58p CL
2015/5775
Sat
2 AchreiMot-Kedoshim
13 Iyar
20 Iyar
Omer 28
Morning Chapel
Museum Minyan
Yoga/Meditation Service
Sanctuary Service
BM Ava Goodman
Tot Shabbat
Shabbat Shalom
Weekly Torah Study
7:30p Chapel
9 Emor
27 Iyar
Omer 35
Morning Chapel
Jr. Congregation
Museum Minyan
Sanctuary Service
BM Elizabeth Sondock
& Gabriel Sondock
Shabbat Shalom
Weekly Torah Study
7:45p Chapel
16 Behar-Bechukotai
Omer 42
Morning Chapel
Museum Minyan
Sanctuary Service
BM Aidan Feldman
& Joshua Kaminsky
Shabbat Shalom
Weekly Torah Study
7:45p Chapel
23 Bamidbar
5 Sivan
Omer 49
Morning Chapel
Museum Minyan
Sanctuary Service
Shabbat Shalom
Weekly Torah Study
7:45p Chapel
Tikun Leil Shavuot
Erev Shavuot
8p Combo Sanc/Museum
30 Nasso 12 Sivan
Morning Chapel
Museum Minyan
Sanctuary Service
Adult B'nai Mitzvah
Shabbat Shalom
Weekly Torah Study
7:45p Chapel
8
2015 Reuben Utay Concert of Love
This year, through our annual Reuben Utay
Concerts of Love, we celebrated Earth Day!
This annual event is underwritten by Helen
Utay and her children in memory of her late
husband, Reuben Utay, who loved music.
Each year Ms. Monica Woolf, Librarian,
organizes a wonderful musical event - and this
year was no different! Tom’s Fun Band used
music and comedy to teach our students how to
reduce, reuse and recycle. The students enjoyed
participating in this event - and it was amazing to
see how much out of a pile of garbage could be
recycled!
Beth Yeshurun is very grateful to the Utay
family for continuing to underwrite this marvelous
event.
May Reuben’s memory forever be a blessing.
This page sponsored by Houston Jewish Funerals. Interested in sponsoring a page? Contact ngonzales@bethyeshurun.org
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It’s a Mitzvah!
Shavuot Services
Sponsored Meals
SATURDAY, MAY 23 - Erev Shavuot
7:45pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
8:00pm Combined Sanctuary/Museum Minyan Service
Interested in sponsoring a Chapel Minyan weekday
breakfast, or a Chapel or Museum Minyan Shabbat Kiddush
in memory of your loved one or in honor of a simcha?
Please contact Eileen Pettigrew, Food Service Manager,
at epettigrew@bethyeshurun.org or (713) 666-1881, ext.
368. Sponsorships will be acknowledged in The Message.
Standard breakfasts begin at $100 and kiddushes begin
at $145. Special meals may be arranged with the Food
Service Department and monthly sponsorships are available.
All sponsorships must be paid in advance. Dates will be
reserved in the order they are received. Recent sponsored
breakfasts and kiddushes have been generously given by
those listed below.
 Rosalyn Borg & Family in honor of Irving Rothman’s 80th
Birthday
 Cindy, Cher, Moe & Elias Camhi in memory of Betty
Camhi
 Arnold & Harriet Eisenstein, Jacob Eisenstein and Haidee
Clairfield in memory of Rose Eisenstein
 Linda Goldstein in honor of the Museum Minyan
 Debra & Adam Greenberg and Andrea & David Stein in
memory of Gary Gotlieb
 Jay Hoffman in memory of Kathy Stafford
 The Kuperman Family in honor of Alex Kuperman
 The Riklin Family in honor of the upcoming wedding of
Matt Riklin & Shelly Guberek
 Mansel & Brenda Rubenstein in memory of Abe
Rubenstein
 Bryan Siegel in memory of Norman Siegel
 Lisa & John Torry, Janet & JD Golden, Frances & Bob
Grossman, Pam & Morris Senior and Alan Maleh in memory
of Irvin L. Maleh
SUNDAY, MAY 24 - Shavuot I
8:30am J.B. Greenfield Chapel
9:30am Combined Sanctuary/Museum Minyan Service
8:00pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
MONDAY, MAY 25 - Shavuot II - Yizkor
8:30am J.B. Greenfield Chapel
9:30am Combined Sanctuary/Museum Minyan Service
8:00pm J.B. Greenfield Chapel
Cemetery Hours
The Beth Yeshurun cemeteries are open Sunday - Friday from
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They are closed on Saturdays and the
following upcoming holidays:
Sunday, May 24 - Shavuot I
Monday, May 25 - Shavuot II/Yizkor
& Memorial Day
Improvements to parking at Post Oak cemetery during funerals
The following changes will help ensure less parking congestion:
•Post Oak Cemetery, please enter from Awty School Lane
(our north gate), park facing the same direction, and exit
the east gate on North Post Oak Road.
•Allen Parkway Cemetery, a Buffalo Bayou parking lot,
adjoining our cemetery, is nearing completion, and a
traffic light is planned for installation at the Allen Parkway/
Dunlavy Street intersection within the next year.
Thank you. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring the
ease and safety of funeral goers.
Gift Shop Hours 
Sunday: 10:00am-1:00pm
Mondays: Closed
Tuesdays: 10:00am-4:30pm
Wednesdays: 10:00am-6:00pm
Thursdays: 10:00am-4:30pm
Fridays: 10:00am-2:30pm
(713) 255-8021
giftshop@bethyeshurun.org
Braille Shabbat siddurim available
The Inclusion committee is
excited to announce it has acquired
two Braille Shabbat siddurim for use
by our congregants. These siddurim
must be reserved in advance by calling
Marsha Weiss at (713) 666-1881.
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Activities Galore at the Gathering Place
Each month at Beth Yeshurun finds Stein
Hall brimming with activities as the Gathering
Place continues its programming for people with
memory loss. Lillie Hurwitz and Hedy Spiegel
chair a team of thirty to thirty five volunteers who
make this Program possible. Dr. Sharon Katz,
Sheila Franklin and Esther Chess begin the morning
program with Tai Chi - easy to do, slow motion,
and healthy exercises that enliven our Care
Partners, Care Givers, and volunteers. Following
Tai Chi, everyone participates in a monthly arts
and crafts project developed by Ora Farchy, that
reflects the theme of the month. In March, the
theme was Passover when our Care Partners made
Seder plates.
Ever hear of the Word Game?
Volunteers, Care Givers, and our
Care Partners play this fun and
interesting game nearly every month
using a word related to the theme
of the month. In March, the “word”
was “Matzah” leading to words such
as Moses, Aron, etc.
No Gathering Place
would be complete without
music provided by Michael Richker and, until her recent passing,
our beloved Gertie Denn. Gertie played the piano while Michael
led everyone in songs related to the monthly theme ending our
songfest with volunteers swaying to Osah Shalom. All of these
activities lead to a delicious lunch with a beautiful cake linked
to our monthly theme donated by Three Bros.
Bakery and Janice and Bobby Jucker. We end
the day with bingo led by Sylvia Wilkenfeld and
Terry Buchalter where everyone is a winner. The
Gathering Place has proven it is a winner thanks
to so many volunteers with guidance from Tom
Breaux from InterFaith Care Partners.
To learn if a family member or Beth Yeshurun
friend could benefit from this program as a care partner
or to sponsor a program, please contact one of our
coordinators, Lillie Hurwitz at lilliehur@gmail.com or
(713) 666-2657, or Hedy Spiegel at hedy1234@aol.com
or (832) 816-9405. Donations in support of the program
may be made online at www.bethyeshurun.org by clicking
“Inclusion” or in person at the synagogue office.
12
Family Album
Anniversaries
5/2
5/3
5/4
5/5
5/6
5/7
5/8
5/9
5/11
5/12
5/13
5/14
5/15
5/16
5/17
5/18
5/20
5/21
5/22
5/23
5/24
5
16
50
62
23
62
31
2
36
8
9
24
15
21
15
21
15
11
10
17
46
13
69
14
24
14
25
25
43
4
27
16
44
32
40
40
28
16
48
12
20
43
44
43
26
23
32
21
6
51
17
11
17
Michael & Diane Bernstein
Daniel & Robin Stein
Sol & Flora Wachsberg
Arthur & Marian Daum
Edward & Shelly Gardner
Tom & Kay Goldman
Bill Davis & Esta Kronberg
Adam & Tatiana Wolfe
Harry & Teri Greenblatt
Robert & Beverly Pickelner
Brent & Sallye Wasserstein
Fred & Julie Wolgel
Todd & Michelle Gottesman
David & Joan Rosenthal
Fred & Nancy Stow
Nelson Gruber & Manizeh Mirza-Gruber
Byron & Betty Harris
Steven & Jill Newman
Josh & Jodi Skorupski
Randy & Heather Reichstein
Floyd & Charlotte Goldberg
Mark & Beth Sanders
Paul & Revekka Belkin
Reid & Anissa Friedman
Jeffrey & Cynthia Gollomp
Michael & Barbara Gamson
Jeffrey & Lisa Myers
Jay & Valerie Resh
Jay & Betty Epstein
Jeffrey & Allison Feinstein
Rory & Laura Alter
Gary & Bonnie Blumberg
Jerry & Elaine Feiner
Geoffrey & Barbara Koslov
Burton & Mary Kunik
Joshua & Zahava Levy
Frank & Salli Goldberg
Steve & Pepi Nichols
Rick & Jan Kaminsky
Mike & Lisa Hoover
Alan & Jennifer Rosen
Ronald & Harriet Bormaster
Barry & Phyllis Kalmin
Jack & Karen Lee
Julian & Vivian Levin
Russ & Leslie Robinson
Steven & Mindy Finger
David & Andrea Stein
Charles & Ilene Fedrid
Sanford & Linda Herskovitz
Steven & Paula Soffer
Hershel Swartz & Sarah Marlin
Jerrad Bloome & Sara Castle-Bloome
5/25
5/26
5/27
5/28
5/29
5/30
5/31
34
6
28
34
28
63
12
18
40
7
1
19
19
2
24
58
13
24
24
13
25
8
25
9
36
9
20
15
32
48
20
21
32
21
21
32
32
4
21
27
27
46
5
11
16
45
32
22
22
41
22
28
39
16
17
5
28
Arthur & Nancy Brand
Adam & Lindsay Cohen
W. Kyle & Greta Drennan
Steven & Pamela Rosen
Michael & Sharon Segal
Leon & Shirley Bloom
Andrew & Melissa Brams
Harry & Kris Edelheit
Josef & Eileen Marom
Adam & Jennifer Rosenfeld
Michael & Nancy Rosenthal
Andrew & Alberta Totz
Jeffrey & Cynthia Anapolsky
Adam & Heather Davidoff
Clayton & Beth Dreyer
Marvin & Renee Gerber
Stuart & Laina Miller
Lowell & Wendy Rosenthal
Charles Wiese & Janice Rubin
Joshua & Deborah Weinstein
Brent & Michelle Fredricks
Roni & Hilary Most
Brian & Dixon Schultz
Stuart & Jennifer Sperling
Benjamin & Joy Warren
Steven & Marty Garfinkel
Jeffrey & Jeryl Golub
Adam & Debra Greenberg
Paul & Stephanie Gustafson
Barry & Helena Horwitz
Phillip & Lisa Turboff
Alan & Shirley Cohn
Jon & Lorri Feiwell
Marc & Hayley Feldman
Michael & Melissa Friedman
Jeffrey & Fara Gaitz
Jerry Gottesman & Linda Goldstein
Samuel & Samantha Lee
Tim & Rochelle Lootens
Stephen & Michelle Maislin
Arthur & Arlene Nathan
Joel & Diane Statham
Brian & Adriana Arias
Adam & Robyn Burck
Gregg & Jennifer Costa
Dean & Cindy Gachman
Gary & Nancy Glesby
Jay & Wendy Gold
Mike & Silvia Goldstein
Frederic & Anita Hochman
Jeffrey & Barbie Horowitz
Edward & Eileen Kisluk
Yem & Nancy Levy
Jason & Peta Rubenstein
Warren & Tammy Simi
Brandon & Jessica Strauss
Alan & Juli Scheinthal
Condolences
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The congregation extends its sincerest condolences to the families of
Seymour Aronowitz, Lois Smolensky Brook, Elissa Dubinsky,
Dr. Richard Evans, David Ernstein, Fay Friedman, Milton Greenberg,
Lila Hartman, Rosalind (Lynn) Evelyn Ivanhoe, Willie Reingold,
Dorothy Schlosberg Rieter, Esther (Theresa) Saka, Florence Schwartz,
Janice Selzer, Larry Steinfeld, Edith Stolbun, Beedie Teitelbaum
May their memories be for a blessing.
Aidan Elan Feldman (May 15/16) is
the son of Hayley and Marc Feldman;
brother of Jake; and grandson of
Wendy and Richard Feldman, and
Lynn and Willy Goldberg. Aidan
attends The Emery/Weiner School. For
his Mitzvah Project, Aidan volunteered
at the ERJCC Top Soccer program for
young athletes with disabilities and he
assembled Hanukkah treat bags for
patients in hospitals for the JFS Adopt-A-Holiday program. Aidan
will participate in the Rabbi’s Ten Percent Plan for charitable
giving.
B’nai Mitzvah
Ava Cheyenne Goodman (May
1/2) is the daughter of Helen SwiffGoodman and Jason Goodman; sister
of Grant and Sloan; granddaughter
of David Swiff and the late Darlene
Swiff, and Adrienne Goodman and the
late Michael Goodman. Ava attends
Lanier Middle School. For her Mitzvah
Project, Ava made Shabbat boxes
for patients at MD Anderson Cancer
Center. Ava will be donating a portion of her monetary gifts to
MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Shabbat Box program at
JFS in loving memory of her blessed grandmother Darlene Swiff.
Joshua Aaron Kaminsky (May 15/16)
is the son of Jill and Neal Kaminsky;
brother of Sam and Kate Kaminsky;
and grandson of Patricia and Milton
Faigen, Rebecca and Stephen Hemley,
Marjorie Kaminsky, and the late
Harold Kaminsky. Joshua attends The
Emery/Weiner School. For his Mitzvah
Projects, Joshua assembled Hanukkah
gift bags for JFS for hospital patients;
volunteered with TOPS Soccer Program to help teach those with
disabilities, and participated in the MS Walk in honor of friends
with MS. He will donate a portion of his monetary gifts to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Houston SPCA.
Elizabeth Anne Sondock (May 8/9)
is the daughter of Jennifer and Mark
Sondock, sister of Samuel Sondock;
and granddaughter of Linden and Roger
Sofer, Annette and Larry Sondock,
and Gary and Linda Emrick. Elizabeth
attends The Emery/Weiner School.
For her Mitzvah Project, Elizabeth did
volunteer work for Kids Meals, the
nations only meals-on-wheels service
for children. Elizabeth will also be donating a portion of her gifts
to Kid’s Meals.
Gabriel Benjamin Sondock (May 8/9)
is the son of Tara and Steven Sondock;
brother of Joe Sondock; and grandson
of Dr. June and Julius Sadowsky, and
Annette and Larry Sondock. Gabe
attends The Emery/Weiner School. For
his Mitzvah Project, he collected and
organized new and gently used sports
equipment for children in Houston’s
lower income neighborhoods. Gabe
also worked as a Challenger Buddy in the West University Little
League Challenger Division. Gabe will participate in the Rabbi’s
10 percent plan by donating a portion of his monetary gifts to
Hadassah Medical Organization.
Send a child to Jewish Summer Camp!
For several years BYB has collected donations to
assist our families to send their children to overnight
Jewish summer camps. Attending an overnight Jewish
summer camp offers our youngsters a 24/7 opportunity
to strengthen their involvement in Judaism, improve their
leadership skills, create lasting friendships, foster their
devotion to Israel plus lots more! It’s our obligation
to build a strong Jewish foundation for the next
generation!
The tuition cost of $1,200 a week is beyond the
means of many of our CBY families. Please consider
making a tax-deductible donation for this worthy cause.
Mail your check to Beth Yeshurun, Summer Camp
Fund, 4525 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77096.
We are happy to list Bar/Bat Mitzvah students, their
parents, siblings, grandparents, school and Mitzvah
Projects. Please contact Cheryl Rose Nitishin at cnitishin@
bethyeshurun.org or (713) 255-8005, for your submission
deadline.
14
Elijah’s Chair available for your simcha!
Beth Yeshurun is proud to
be the recipient of a beautiful
ceremonial Elijah’s Chair
donated by Charlotte & Sam
Axelrad and Carolyn & David
Axelrad in honor of Rabbi
Jack Segal.
By tradition, Elijah
the Prophet attends every
ritual circumcision, and
the ceremony includes the
statement, “Zeh ha’kisei
shel Eliiyahu (this is the seat
of Elijah).” This custom is
based on a Midrash. In I
Kings 19:10, 14, Elijah says to
God: “Thy children of Israel
have forsaken Thy covenant
(brit’cha),” because they are
no longer performing the ritual
of brit milah (circumcision).
According to the Zohar, God reprimanded Elijah, saying “Every
time a circumcision will be performed, you, Elijah, will be invited,
and a chair will be set aside for you.” At a brit milah, the ritual
circumcision of newborn baby boys, the sandok, the godfather,
sits in the chair and holds the baby.
This chair, created in 2012 of beautifully hand-carved oak, is
currently on display in the Bender/Levy Lobby of the synagogue.
It is available for use in the synagogue for both brisses and baby
namings, or for weddings as a “throne” for the bride during the
bedekken portion of the wedding. Arrangements for use can be
made by contacting Eileen Pettigrew or Cecilia Font in the Food
Services Department.
Please come and enjoy the display!
Sisterhood Spring Luncheon & Installation
Join us for a walking tour of our incredible Mollie & Louis Kaplan Museum with
Dr. Daniel Musher. Learn more about the unique artifacts housed in our
synagogue’s collection. Lunch following the tour.
Tuesday, May 19th at 10:00 am
Stein Hall
Couvert $25
RSVP at: cbyspringluncheon.eventbrite.com
Send checks to: Congregation Beth Yeshurun, 4525 Beechnut, 77096; attn: Sisterhood Luncheon
Moms and Boys!
Team up and get ready to search our
Beth Yeshurun campus to decode the clues
Office Hours/Closures
Mother-Son Scavenger Hunt
Sunday, May 17th
5:00 to 7:00
The Beth Yeshurun office is open Monday - Thursday 8:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will
be closed for the following upcoming holiday:
Join us for a fun scavenger hunt followed by a
casual dinner and time on the playground
Monday, May 25 - Shavuot II/Yizkor
& Memorial Day
RSVP: CBYmotherson.eventbrite.com
$25 per duo/$5 for each additional
THE MESSAGE of Congregation Beth Yeshurun (USPS 968-500) is published monthly August-July by Congregation Beth Yeshurun,
4525 Beechnut, Houston, Harris County, TX 77096-1801. Periodical Postage Paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER send address
changes to Congregation Beth Yeshurun, 4525 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77096-1801.
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Advertise in The Message
The Message is a monthly publication and has
an approximate circulation of 2,200 issues. To place
an ad, send a “camera ready” .jpg to themessage@
bethyeshurun.org. Ads must comply with postal
service regulations. The deadline to place an ad is
the 1st of the preceding month (i.e., January 1st is
the deadline for the February issue) and payment
must be included with ad submission.
Rate Schedule per issue (10% discount for four
or more consecutive issues - prepaid): Business
Card: $40; Quarter Page: $80; Half Page: $150;
Full Page: $250.
Celebrating a Simcha?
Please contact Lisa Unsell, The Message editor, at
lunsell@bethyeshurun.org or (713) 255-8066.
Let us share your news!
Questions? Email us: themessage@bethyeshurun.org
Donations
How To Contact Us
Beth Yeshurun is a community institution with a
vital mission: to educate children and adults, to offer
spiritual experiences that inspire and uplift all ages, and
to provide a setting in which Judaism can be joyously
lived and experienced. We welcome your support.
Online donations can be made at www.bethyeshurun.
org. Donations may also be made in the synagogue
office or by mail to Congregation Beth Yeshurun, 4525
Beechnut St., Houston, TX 77096-1801.
A minimum donation of $10 per listing is
required to have your donation published in the
weekly bulletin and a notification letter sent to the
honoree or a deceased person’s family member. One
such notification letter will be sent per donation.
The deadline for donations to be published in the
weekly bulletin is the previous Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Donations are published upon submission and
will not be “held” for future publication. When
you make a donation to Beth Yeshurun, please be
sure to provide all of the necessary information:
who the donation is in memory of, who or what the
donation is in honor of, who needs to be notified of
the donation (name and complete address) and by
whom the donation is given. When this information
is incomplete, we are unable to process your
donation efficiently. Donations with no specific
fund indicated will be credited to the Synagogue
General Fund. Beth Yeshurun appreciates your
generosity and support.
Synagogue Office
4525 Beechnut St * Houston, TX 77096-1801
www.bethyeshurun.org Ph (713) 666-1881, Fax (713) 666-7767
Clergy
Rabbi David Rosen: drosen@bethyeshurun.org
Asst: Abby Rotenberg: arotenberg@bethyeshurun.org (713) 255-8011
Rabbi Steven Morgen: smorgen@bethyeshurun.org
Rabbi Brian Strauss: bstrauss@bethyeshurun.org
Asst: Gayle Schnurr: gschnurr@bethyeshurun.org (713) 255-8017
Rabbi Jack Segal: rabsegal@aol.com
Rabbi Danny Horwitz: rabbidanny@aol.com
Cantor Meir Finkelstein: mfinkelstein@bethyeshurun.org
Asst. & B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator: Cheryl Rose Nitishin:
cnitishin@bethyeshurun.org (713) 255-8005
Synagogue
Alan Levin, President: alevin@levin-legal.com
Luis Dorfman, Executive Dir: ldorfman@bethyeshurun.org
Ellen Petras, Membership: epetras@bethyeshurun.org (713) 255-8060
Arthur Miller, Cemetery: amiller@bethyeshurun.org (713) 255-8076
William S. Malev Religious Schools
Sheryl Eskowitz, Ed. Dir: seskowitz@bethyeshurun.org (713) 255-8040
Beth Yeshurun Day School
School Office (713) 666-1884, (713) 255-8045
Dan Ahlstrom, Head of School: dahlstrom@byds.org
For a complete contact list, please go to www.bethyeshurun.org
Read The Message online at www.bethyeshurun.org
*July issue deadline: May 11 at themessage@bethyeshurun.org
17
Time sensitive material - please deliver promptly!
Join us for the very last Shabbat Jam!
The band is officially retiring, but will be back one last
time (with some special guests from past Jams) to
celebrate Shabbat with us.
Friday, May 8th in Stein Hall
Shabbat at 6:00, Dinner following
RSVP for dinner: shabbatjam.evenbrite.com
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Lunch at 11:30 AM followed by Program
$8 per person in advance
$12 after May 13 or at the door
Please write “YES” on your check and mail to:
Abby Rotenberg 4525 Beechnut Houston, TX 77096
Questions? (713) 666-1881 ext. 311
18