AlonAlonF E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1 / S H E V A T - 5 7 7 1

Volume 35 • Issue 6

N E W S L E T T E R

P. O . B o x 5 3 0 5 • 8 7 9 S o u t h B e v e r w y c k R o a d • P a r s i p p a n y, N e w J e r s e y 0 7 0 5 4

D A T E S T O R E M E M B E R

2/37 :00PM SI S T E R H O O D M E E T I N G

2 /47 :30PM FA M I LY SH A B B AT - L E D B Y

C O N F I R M AT I O N C L A S S - GR A N D PA R E N T

C E L E B R AT I O N , Y O U T H C H O I R

2 /511 :00AM T O R A H ST U D Y

12 :00PM BA R M I T Z VA H

2 /77 :00PM M I D -Y E A R C O N G R E G AT I O N A L M E E T I N G

2 /87 :30PM SI S T E R H O O D M A H J O N G

2/1012 :00 PM LU N C H & L E A R N

2 /118 :00PM SH A B B AT SE RV I C E S - RA B B I SA B B AT I C A L

R E P O RT

2 /127 :30PM CA N T O R I A L C O N C E RT

2 /187 :30PM WO M E N ' S H E A LT H SH A B B AT

2 /20 NO SC H O O L

2 /227 :30PM SI S T E R H O O D M A H J O N G

2/257 :30PM YO U N G I N S T R U M E N TA L I S T S SH A B B AT

2 /2610 :30AM BA R M I T Z VA H

2 /287 :30PM B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S M E E T I N G

3 / 37 : 0 0 P M SI S T E R H O O D M E E T I N G

7 : 0 0 P M C A N T O R M U S I C P R O G R A M # 2

3 / 46 : 0 0 P M T O T S H A B B A T

7 : 3 0 P MF A M I L Y S E R V I C E S S H A B B A T A C R O S S

A M E R I C A

“TO BE IN THE HOLY LAND"

Continued on page 10

I extend my warmest greetings and fondest regards fromJerusalem, the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish Peoplein the Land of Israel. Please accept my prayers in the secular

New Year, 2011, for peace and good health for each of you at TempleBeth Am and your families.

As the 48 participants of our congregational pilgrimage havenow returned to the USA from their recent 10-day experience inIsrael, I remain here. I am eager to take advantage of the privilegeof a month-long rabbinic sabbatical awarded me for my 10 years ofservice to the Temple. This leave of absence enables me to studyand volunteer at various opportunities within this exciting, vibrantcountry of our people. Such vivid history, dynamic heritage androbust life exist in all the cities, towns, kibbutzim (communal farms)and moshavim (collective settlements)! The passion of Israelis in thecountryside as well as the urban areas continues to inspire every vis-itor and resident alike. The growth and development are visible in allparts of the north, central and southern regions as emerging build-ings rise from the once desert sands to the clear, blue skies.Amusingly, it is said that the native bird of Israel is the crane, asenormous construction scaffolding and heavy machinery blanket thehorizon high above Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Tiberias, Beershevaand Eilat. Wherever one gazes, the sight and sound of workers liftingand hauling materials inspires the eye. Drilling, sawing, pounding,banging, beeping---this cacophony of noise deafens the ear. Addvehicle traffic with private cars, buses, taxis, emergency sirens andpedestrians incessantly talking on cellphones --the din of human lifein the busy streets and narrow alleyways invigorates adults and chil-dren of this energetic population of seven million people!

Engage any one of the travelers with us who visited for the firsttime or returned after many or several years for their personal com-mentary! I am confident each will comment about the extraordinary

TEMPLE OFFICE973-887-0046

TEMPLE FAX973-887-9386

TEMPLE E-MAIL bethamparsippany@aol.com

Rabbi Ronald Kaplan973-650-5256

(confidential e-mail messages rabbirkaplan@aol.com)

Cantor Inna Serebro-Litvak 973-993-8070

EDUCATORBarrie Halpern973-887-0046

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORMarc Colton

973-722-2358

TEMPLE WEBSITEwww.tbaparsippany.org

HONORARY TRUSTEESPast Presidents:

Marc Colton . . . . . . . . . 973-722-2358Sheldon Eichenbaum . . 973-299-9341Bruce Samitt. . . . . . . . . 973-299-9811Michael Scher. . . . . . . . 973-335-2274Joyce Marlin . . . . . . . . . 973-887-0818Ellen Reiber . . . . . . . . . 973-386-1267

President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Sobel* . . . . . . . . . . .973-983-9616

1st Vice President . . . . . . . . Sally Glick* . . . . . . . . . . .908-647-6544

2nd Vice President . . . . . . . . Julie Friedberg* . . . . . . . .973-394-0906

Financial Secretary . . . . . . . . Stephen Beloff* . . . . . . . .973-515-9666

Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Kay* . . . . . . . . . . . .973-263-0581

Recording Secretary . . . . . . Ruth Hochman* . . . . . . . .973-402-4663

Parliamentarian . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Morrison* . . . . . . . . . .973-540-0351

Sisterhood President . . . . . . Laurie Lindner* . . . . . . . .973-503-1441

Men’s Club President . . . . . . Bruce Goldman* . . . . . . .973-222-3664

C O M M I T T E E C H A I R P E R S O N S

Accountant . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Jacoby . . . . . . . . . .973-503-0757Adult Education . . . . . . . . . . Abram Kirschenbaum* . . .973-299-2152Adult Mitzvah Program . . . . Alan Tarr* . . . . . . . . . . . . .973-227-4778ALON Design . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandy NussbaumGiercyk* .973-586-1883ALON Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Todd Finchler . . . . . . . . . .973-515-1206B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator . . Dana Sobel* . . . . . . . . . .973-983-9616Book Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Tiedrich . . . . . . . . . .973-627-0154Caring Committee . . . . . . . . JoEllen Grossman . . . . . .973-386-9154 Community Relations . . . . . . Robert Marlin . . . . . . . . . .973-887-0818Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhonda Jacoby* . . . . . . . .973-503-0757Gift Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhonda Jacoby* . . . . . . . .973-503-0757Historian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvey Hockstein . . . . . . .973-887-8461Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harold Vex* . . . . . . . . . . .973-887-7593Legal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ira Decker . . . . . . . . . . . .973-386-1376Membership (Awareness) . . . Deb Hauss . . . . . . . . . . .973-588-3030Membership (Recruitment) . . Laura Gurth* . . . . . . . . . .973-285-3448Membership (Temple Life) . . Jackie Burge* . . . . . . . . . .973-335-0723Mitzvah Brigade . . . . . . . . . . Paul Miller . . . . . . . . . . . .973-515-9022Nominating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OpenOnegs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OpenPublicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Goldstein . . . . . . . . .973-287-7559Ritual Co-Chair . . . . . . . . . . . Renee Grasso . . . . . . . . .973-928-2906Ritual Co-Chair . . . . . . . . . . . Joyce Marlin* . . . . . . . . . .973-887-0818Scrip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cindy Lipton . . . . . . . . . . .973-539-6524Shiva Minyans . . . . . . . . . . . Stan Akst . . . . . . . . . . . . .973-586-0121Soup Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . Bayla Kolton . . . . . . . . . .973-335-6944 Strategic Planning . . . . . . . . Eric Friedberg . . . . . . . . .973-394-0906Tree of Life & Yahrzeit Plaques Temple Office . . . . . . . . . .973-887-0046Tributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marvin Harris . . . . . . . . . .973-263-0820Ways/Means (Fundraising) . . Rich Cantor . . . . . . . . . . .973-887-1983Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marc Colton* . . . . . . . . . .973-722-2358Youth Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandy NussbaumGiercyk* .973-586-1883

T E M P L E B E T H A M D I R E C T O R Y* Board of Trustees

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C A N T O R ’ S C O R N E R

When I was planning to write an article, Ihad a completely different topic in mind,but something happened on January

9th that I wanted to write about. On January 9 at 5:49am, a great Jewish song

leader and song writer named Deborah Lynn “Debbie”Friedman passed away. She was only 59 years-old.

Debbie Friedman’s music has transformed theway in which we pray in the synagogue. She startedas a song leader in the early seventies in variousJewish camps, including camp Olin-Sang-Ruby UnionInstitute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. And she was afrequent guest there ever since. Her fame quicklyspread amongst young Jewish people, many of whomhad become rabbis and cantors, inspired by her music.

Her approach to Jewish song and prayer was tomake it understandable to all. She knew the Hebrewtext of scripture very well and would incorporateHebrew phrases with the English translation in thesame song, such as “Lechi Lach,” “Misheberach,” “ImTirtzu” and many others. The music she composed tothe text that she created was always reflective of tra-ditional chant as well as modern music.

Debbie belonged to a generation of babyboomers. She grew up with a free spirit. Her goal wasto attract a young generation of Jews to the Tefilah,prayer, and the way to do it was through song.Whether sitting by the camp fire, or leading the servic-es on Shabbat under the sky, the setting and the gui-tar accompaniment gave a different meaning to allfamiliar prayers. The children that heard her sing laterbrought her songs to their synagogues. Little by little,some became an inseparable part of “traditional” litur-gy used in Reform and even some Conservative syn-agogues. The melodies she chose for each song orprayer reflected the mood and context of the text. Forexample, “Mi Chamocha” and “Sh’mah” that I sing atthe family services are very upbeat, so one cannotremain seated while hearing it. The English version“Veahavtah” is very solemn.

Debbie Friedman’s reper-toire included a great amountof educational songs aboutJewish holidays and Hebrew language for little chil-dren as well, such as “Alef Bet,“ “The Dreidel song”and “B’ruchot habaot.”

Throughout her life, Debbie had struggled withhealth issues. I remember at one of the URJ biennialsthe whole audience sang “Misheberach” by DebbieFriedman to invoke healing upon her. Since she wasso sick, we were told she would not sing at the sched-uled concert during the biennial. She had foundstrength though to sing just day after.

Debbie Friedman was a very strong person. Shetouched the lives of thousands. Being on the teachingstaff at Hebrew Union College, she came in close con-tact with many cantorial students.

My first acquaintance with Debbie Friedmanoccurred during the summer of 2002 at the program“Havah Nashirah” in Minnesota, her native state. Icame to learn her style of song leading. Among thepresenters were Craig Taubman, Jeff Klepper andDebbie Friedman. I went to one of her workshops andwas very impressed by her thoughtful and calm way ofdelivering the topic. She also came across as a per-son of great humility in spite of her fame.

At the Cantorial Concert “Celebrating 200 Years ofMusic in Reform Judaism” on February 12, my col-leagues, Cantor Galit Dadoun (Temple B’Nai Or,Morristown, NJ); Cantor Mo Glazman (CongregationKol Ami, White Plains, NY); and Cantor Daniel A.Singer (Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, NYC) will joinme in tribute to Debbie Friedman’s legacy through ourmusic.

May Deborah Lynn Friedman rest in peace, andmay her memory be a blessing. Amen

Cantor Inna Serebro-Litvak cantor@tbaparsippany.org

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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

The pilot came onto the public address system:“Ladies and gentlemen, we will be enteringIsraeli airspace shortly. Under Israeli air

defense regulations, all passengers must remain intheir seats until we arrive at the gate…” I looked outthe window, peering off into the horizon, seeing theshores of Israel in the distance. I could begin to feelthe excitement of the days that lay ahead. But, at thattime, I just did not know how meaningful those dayswould be.

Shortly, we crossed the shoreline and I could seethe metropolitan city of Tel Aviv below. I had only oncebefore flown to a foreign country, and I had no idea ofwhat to expect. While I was excited to be traveling toIsrael, I was especially excited to be spending the ninedays ahead with my family, including Emily, who hadbeen living in Israel since August. And as I wrote lastmonth, it was much too long for us not to be able togive her a hug. But seeing Emily would have to waitbecause she was going to a wedding for a friend anddecided she would meet us in Jerusalem at our hotellater in the day.

What I didn’t know (and what led to the first surpriseof the trip) was that Rabbi Kaplan and Emily made upthis scheme about the wedding. When Dana, Sarah,Becky and I cleared customs and made our way tomeet the bus, there was Emily, with a big smile, a warmShalom greeting and the hug that a dad so desperatelyneeded from his baby (albeit a 21 year-old baby).

And so with my family, my extended Temple BethAm family and what would become new friends fromour sister Temple, Har Shalom in Warren, a nine-dayjourney began with the first of many highlights and specialmoments only a few minutes after we landed in Israel.

At the airport, we met our tour guide for the entiretrip, Shlomo. Shlomo was hand-picked by RabbisRandi and Ron, and from the moment we all got on thebus, it was clear that he was in control. I had never meta person so knowledgeable about the rich history of theLand of Israel and the Jewish struggle for the State ofIsrael. Many times, he brought the Torah to life, point-ing out holy sites and places where battles werefought, and he helped us capture the spirit of our fore-fathers and mothers who cleared the way for ourpeaceful homecoming. No small detail would bespared and while at times Shlomo could provide "TMI"(too much information), I know we could not have had

a better guide for our trip.The trip began with the

planting of trees in theJerusalem Forest. While thisgesture was partly symbolic, when you see the green-ing of Israel and learn that desert was turned for forestby these small seedlings, you appreciate the vision andefforts of the JNF. (Special thanks to the Krupnick fam-ily who purchased trees for us all to plant in honor ofthe B’nai Mitzvahs of their triplets, Emily, Julie andNoah).

On day two, we paid our respects to past leadersand heroes of Israel at Mount Herzl, the NationalCemetery. Here, we also learned about the vision ofone man, Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, and asthe days went on, we saw first-hand, how his vision ofa Jewish state became a reality almost 50 years fromthe date he published "A Jewish State, An Attempt at aModern Solution of the Jewish Question." From there,we visited Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to theHolocaust. We all know the horrors of the Holocaust,but only few places, Yad Vashem being one, do you feelthe horrors of the Nazis. Herzl knew what would be;unfortunately, the world listened only after it was too late.

It was a Friday that we went to Mt. Herzl and YadVashem and Shabbat was approaching quickly.Shlomo was not going to allow us to miss a thing andwe raced to the Shook to witness, first-hand, the frenzyof people buying last-minute items for the Shabbat atthe outdoor market. We had only a half hour before weraced off to the Old City so we could make it to theKotel in time for Shabbat. Phew! We were exhaustedas we raced through the Arab markets to make it to theWestern Wall in time. The Kotel was incredibly crowded,but as we separated, men to one section, women tothe other, and as we came close to the wall, RabbiKaplan was full of excitement. He grabbed me by thearm and asked me to recite the Shehekianu with him.I was overwhelmed by the organized chaos around us,but Rabbi had a calming influence at that moment.

Day three was Shabbat, and was not nearly as fre-netic as day two. But our family had a special day,spending Shabbat lunch in the Old City with anOrthodox family that was wonderful to Emily while shelived in Israel. They opened their home to us that after-noon, and it was special to participate in their celebra-tion of Shabbat. It put life's joys in perspective for all of

Continued on page 11

I t’s hard to believe that school has been in sessionfor six months now. Our school family continuesto grow as new families are still joining. It is official

that Temple Beth Am is the “it” temple thanks to thededication and hard work of our leadership. RabbiKaplan is back with us after his January sabbatical andhe was definitely missed. We are very fortunate tohave a “hands on” Rabbi who loves to be with the stu-dents. He teaches the Dalet (6th grade) cantillationclass, the confirmation class and often visits all theclassrooms. Rabbi Kaplan knows most of the chil-dren’s names and is a great partner in educating thechildren. Cantor Inna is also very involved with theReligious School and a terrific partner. She has“Cantor Time” every Sunday with the Kindergarten,first and second grades and alternates weekly Tefillah(prayer) and music with all of the students. Cantor Innaalso loves being with the children and they enjoy beingwith her. The three of us work very nicely together andhave many common goals for the students of TempleBeth Am. Both Rabbi Kaplan and Cantor Inna partici-pate in all grade level services, which adds to the stu-dents getting to know the clergy and the services well- years before they become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

I am also fortunate to meet once a month with theEducation Committee, which is compromised of veryinvolved and interested congregants who want to seethe school continue to grow and enrich its curriculumand programs. Rhonda Jacoby is the Chairperson ofthe committee and we have many conversations each

week to keep the communica-tion going forward as weshare many of the samegoals for the school. In addi-tion, Marc Colton is an important person in the smoothand efficient running of the school. He has spent count-less hours working with me on the Religious Schoolcomputer system. He is an extremely helpful soundingboard in addition to Rhonda when situations arise. Ofcourse, the teachers play an integral role in the educa-tion of the students. We have a very dedicated and tal-ented staff that goes above and beyond what isrequired of them.

It is not too late for you to get more involved withthe Religious School. We are looking for volunteers tohelp with many aspects of the Religious School, includ-ing the fundraising project that is vital to continue theimprovements that have been made to the school thisyear. The money that was raised last year bought threeteachers’ desks that were falling apart, a large whiteboard in the Dalet and Hey classroom and a LCD pro-jector to watch movies and computer programs. Inaddition, the temple has renovated both the boys’ andgirls’ school bathrooms, which were in desperate needof updating. The students have brand new facilities thatsparkle. The committees, which need volunteers, are:

Fundraising, Beautification, Classroom Parent(As of now, there is only one class parent in the K, 1 &2 classes), Book Fair (Spring), Purim Carnival, &Bagel and Challah Sales

If you can even give one hour to any of thesecommittees, it would be greatly appreciated. Pleasecontact me and I will let the appropriate people knowthat you will be a wonderful addition to the alreadyhard-working families of the temple.

Every time I am with your children, I smile fromear-to-ear. I love when I come to my office and the chil-dren have written me hello messages or happy holi-days on my white board outside my office. I love whenthey stop by my office to say hello, tell me somethingthat is important to them or even ask for a sweet frommy candy bowl on my desk. I look forward to anothersuccessful and enriching three months and to keepevolving and improving the school year-to-year.

Morah Barrie Halpern Education Director

educator@tbaparsippany.org

R E L I G I O U S S C H O O L

3 Thursday - 4th(Bet) & 5th(Gimel)

class Family Mezuzah Workshop

4 Friday 7:300 p.m. - Confirmation

Class leads Shabbat evening

Services/Oneg

20-25 Sunday-Thursday

Presidents’ Week Recess (No School)

25 Friday 7:30 p.m. Instrumental

Shabbat with Cantor Inna

February’s Rel ig ious

School Events

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S I S T E R H O O D

Ihope everyone is enjoying this cold and snowywinter. Sisterhood is starting a new program enti-tled Lilith Salon. Each meeting, we will be reading

an article on a subject and discussing it in an informalsetting with something to eat. The first one will be heldat Marcia Mauro’s house. Please join us on Sunday,March 6, 2011 at 4:00 pm for conversation and a nosh.The snow date will be the March 13th. Please RSVPto Marcia at mmauro007@aol.com. Marcia will sendyou the article to read to help you prepare for the con-versation at the meeting.

Sisterhood is partnering with the Religious Schoolfor their annual Purim fundraiser, Mishlach Manot bas-kets. The fundraiser benefits the children of theReligious School as well as all children of the congre-gation. This helps fund scholarships, donations, etc.given to children for camp, Mitzvah Corps and otherneeds. A form will mailed out to you asking for yourparticipation in this program.

The temple has emailed information on campscholarships that will be available to congregant’s chil-dren to attend Jewish camp. Please fill out an appli-cation if you are interested in scholarship money tohelp your children attend Jewish camp. I can tell youfrom experience that Camp Harlam, a URJ sleep awaycamp, is the most amazing place to send your chil-dren. My two children each returned home differentchildren from camp with a new-found love for Judaism.If anyone has any questions about Camp Harlam,please call me. I would be happy to tell all of you thegreat things the camp has to offer your children. Lastyear, I went to Camp Harlam with Women of ReformJudaism for our Sisterhood for the weekend starting onShabbat. It was so spiritual to participate in the

Shabbat services in their outside sanctuary under thestars with 500 children all dressed in white. After serv-ices, we participated in Shabbat dinner and a songsession. I will never forget the children dancing andsinging together with excitement. You could see howclose all the children were with each other.

Our Mahjong event has been a great success.Starting in February, we will be continuing our learningclinics. Anyone who already knows how to play is wel-come to play with the others. It will be held on the firstand third Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 pm. I will needan RSVP from anyone who is interested in either play-ing or learning. We are looking for people who cancommit to the game on a regular basis. If you areinterested in playing occasionally, please put that inyour RSVP. We can either set you up in group once amonth or can put you on a call list to help cover otherswho may be unable to attend. Please RSVP to sister-hood@tbaparsippany.org.

Sisterhood still has many Entertainment Books leftfor sale. Please contact me to purchase one.

Finally, Sisterhood is sponsoring “Fork it Over,” anon-perishable food drive for the Interfaith FoodPantry of Morristown. With so many people unem-ployed and struggling to feed their families, we encour-age you to donate food when you come to Shabbatservices. The basket is located in the lobby, so you candrop food off anytime.

Laurie LindnerSisterhood President

sisterhood@tbaparsippany.org

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2 0 11 CA M P SC H O L A R S H I P A P P L I C AT I O N S AVA I L A B L E

The Men's Club, Sisterhood and Religious School have limited scholarships funds avail-able for camp this summer. Scholarships are available for any Jewish summer camp expe-rience. Please call the office or e-mail office@tbaparsippany.org to receive an application.

The deadline to apply is March 31, 2011.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1

YAHRZE I TSFebruary 4thLillian CantorLouis FriedmanMyron B. HarkavyRaia HerscherMorris KleinermanRaymond C. MarksHyman ReiberSarah Salitsky

February 11thGeorge CantorEileen GoldbergJacob GrossmanDoris Shafman

JacobsonDorothea S. MarksMorris Rosengart

Sidney SandlerSigmund SchwartzShirley SilverbergEllen TroppShirley Yormach

February 18thIsabel AscherAdeline FurieJordan LiebermanSamuel LiptonFrieda MandlerDoris W. MagesHannah MillerHarvey ProbberEva SchonfeldHerman SpeierAnne Stemmer

February 25thGail AkstDavid BronsteinJack ChertowReuben L. DaspinAl EliasBenjamin Alan GanekHarry GuzinskyFreida LaiksMax LeenAbraham LevinePearl SenzonWilliam WagnerLouis WeissArthur WexlerEva Woolf

7

Temp l e Be t h Am

Boa rd Mee t i n g s a r e

op e n t o a l l Memb e r s .

Pl e a s e j o i n u s a t

7 :30 PM

o n

February 28th

&

March 28th

M E N ’ S C L U B

The Men’s Club returned with a bang inJanuary with a News & Schmooze breakfastthat drew more than 20 TBA participants.

Members of all ages gabbed, read the headlines andfeasted on bagels and lox, whitefish, herring and tuna.We also enjoyed an interactive presentation by life andbusiness coach Neil Cooper, who spoke about leader-ship and overcoming challenges in the workplace andin other areas.

Thanks go to Doug Crandall for purchasing the

food and to Marc Colton for his usual priceless assis-tance. Our next get-together will be another News &Schmooze breakfast on Sunday, February 6 at 10am,in the social hall, when we will have an organizationalmeeting and plan upcoming events. Come on out, getto know your fellow temple members better and findout how you can help the Men’s Club play a vital rolein TBA life.

If there’s sufficient interest, we will plan a SuperBowl party for the evening of the 6th. Please email me,call the number below or speak with me at the templeif you think you would attend.

B’shalom,Bruce Goldman

Men’s Club Presidentbgoldman8@yahoo.com

973-222-3664

G I F T S & M E M O R I A L S

8

Donations were made by:

Joan and Warren Tiedrich, to Jeff Reiber, wishinghim a complete and speedy recovery.Joyce and Bob Marlin, to Janyce and NatAnapolle, wishing them Mazel Tov on their 50thAnniversary.

To Carol Ganek and Family, expressing sympathyon the loss of their Husband and Father, MarvinGanek, by:Joan and Warren TiedrichFlorence and Bruce SamittJoyce and Bob Marlin

M I T Z VA H F U N D

Donations were made by:

Maxine and Gene Lee, to Anita and ShellyWilensky, in memory of Shelly’s Sister.

M U S I C F U N D

RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUNDDonations were made by:

Arleen and Manny Nussbaum, to Carol Ganekand Family, expressing sympathy on the loss oftheir Husband and Father, Marvin Ganek.Arleen and Manny Nussbaum, to Tessa andGlenn Fuchs, expressing sympathy on the loss ofGlenn’s Mother, Eleanor Fuchs.

CANTOR’S DISCRETIONARY FUNDDonations were made by:

Joyce and Bob Marlin, to Jeff Reiber, wishing hima complete and speedy recovery.

G E N E R A L F U N DDonations were made by:

To Carol Ganek and Family, expressing sympathyon the loss of their Husband and Father, MarvinGanek, by:Arleen and Manny NussbaumSally Glick

YAHRZEIT MEMORIAL FUNDDonations have been made to commemorate the…

Yahrzeit of: By:Max Hochman Ruth and Ted HochmanMilton Sandfield Kay and David GoodsteinIda Raskin Bresemann Lisa BresemannJoseph Mages Maxine and Gene LeeWilliam Cole Gayle and Arnold KamlerTheodore Hollander Helen and Mark LondonWalter B Madonick Phyllis NicholsonMilton Morrison Irene and Jeff MorrisonMary Pelzman Janyce and Nat AnapolleMiriam Hoffman Carol and Henry ResnickGloria Zeman Allyson SpeierMinnie Hirschhorn Ruth and Ted HochmanJack Diamond Joan and Warren TiedrichRita Rodriguez Joan and Warren TiedrichFlora Grossman JoEllen and Stephen GrossmanBernard Lew Michelle L Donnenberg

TBA Member Get a MemberProgram Very Successful

Eight new families join through this program!

Our "Member Get a Member" program pro-vides one month free dues for each newmember you bring in (after the new member'sfirst year of membership). In addition, wehave new reduced-dues membership optionsfor young families with and without pre-schoolchildren. Contact Laura Gurth for more infor-mation: membership@tbaparsippany.org

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7th grade class service

B A R M I T Z V A HI S A A C S E T H W Y N Z E L

Isaac Seth Wynzel will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah onFebruary 5, 2011. He is the son of Erika Wynzel and Alan Wynzel.Isaac is a seventh grader at Central Middle School in Parsippany.

He is an avid drawer of comic strips and creates adventure games incomic form, which he plays with his friends in school. He enjoys build-ing complex Lego sets, model aircraft and helicopters. He is an animallover, especially of sea creatures, and he has an encyclopedic knowl-edge of sharks. For his Mitzvah Project, Isaac is collecting Passovergoods for Project M.O.T. (Members of the Tribe), which is an organiza-tion that provides holiday care packages to Jews serving in the AmericanArmed Forces.

B A R M I T Z V A HDY LAN JOS E PH GOT T E SMAN

Dylan Gottesman will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvahon his birthday, Saturday, February 26, 2011.

Dylan is in the seventh grade at Rockaway Valley School inBoonton Township. In the fall, Dylan enjoys playing football for theGrayhawks, and in the winter and spring, he plays lacrosse for theLakers.

Dylan has been playing the guitar since he was six years-old andis using his talents for one of his Mitzvah Projects. He plays his guitar atthe local assisted-living facilities and nursing homes. The people trulyenjoy listening to him.

Another Mitzvah Project involves his other passion, lacrosse. For a second year in a row, Dylan iscollecting used lacrosse equipment and donating it to less privileged towns to help populate their lacrosseteams.

Dylan has been working very hard studying for his Bar Mitzvah. His family and friends are veryproud of him and looking forward to celebrating this special day.

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highlights they enjoyed as individuals and as part ofour group. Speak particularly to the four Bnai Mitzvahstudents (Julie, Emily and Noah Krupnick and MichaelKuchinsky) who chanted Torah and led the morningprayers from atop Masada, the last stronghold of Jewsfleeing Roman persecution in 70 CE, about this tradi-tional rite of passage which spiritually transformedthem, their parents and grandparents forever. Talk toBecky and Sarah Sobel about reuniting with their oldersister, Emily, who is studying at a girls’ yeshiva inJerusalem these past several months. TemplePresident Alan and Dana Sobel shared as parents somany memorable moments together with all three oftheir daughters. The Kays, Burges, Mandlers,Princes, Sharon Rothe, and members of Rabbi RandiMusnitsky's Temple Har Shalom all fostered emotionalbonds with the land and people in the State of Israel.Listen to the multiple stories of each person, feel theirpride and learn from them.

Among so many dimensions of our tours, per-haps the sight and touch of the Western Wall or Kotel,is a priority of every Jew. Even with the Templedestroyed, the holiness of the place is such that itremains sacred for Jews and central with every gen-

eration facing it in prayer. Today, people from all overthe world, Jew and non-Jew, converge here, to see,and to wedge notes, requests and pleas between itstimeless stones. If only those massive, Herodianstones could reply back in the languages they absorb!The tears of weeping and joy are all shed throughoutthe day and night hours by civilians and soldiers,Europeans and Americans, seniors and juniors, blacksand whites, men and women. Placing one's foreheadupon the cold, hard limestone links us with the Jewishnation and our long, turbulent history and promisingfuture. Standing at the Wall connects us with millionsof Jews who never had the blessing of access, butwith our freedom and safety empowered by the mod-ern State of Israel, we now fulfill a millennial dreamand aspiration on the lips of countless Jews, L'shanaHaBaah B'yirushalayim.

May our precedent become yours through exam-ple and encouragement. Shalom v'kol tuv! Peace andwell-being!

B'Shalom, Rabbi Ronald W. Kaplan, D. Min

rabbi@tbaparsippany.org

MESSAGE FROM RABBI KAPLAN Continued from page 1

Above: Rabbi Kaplan inIDF uniform on militarybase outside Tel Aviv.

Right: Not taught atRabbinic Seminary!

Above: Preparing emergency medical fieldpacks for soldiers in IDF.

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us and that happiness does not come from materialthings, rather the love of family (and in their case,Torah).

Each day brought special moments. Touring afacility where senior citizens create crafts for sale as away of keeping active and earning a little money for amodest lifestyle. Learning the history of Jerusalemand climbing the same southern steps of the TempleMount that our ancestors walked to ascend the SecondTemple over 2,000 years ago. Traveling through thetunnels of the Western Wall and touching the Wall atthe point closest to where the Temple was located.

The moments continued as we participated in theBar and Bat Mitzvahs of four Beth Am children onMasada (Mazel Tov to Michael Kuchinski and Noah,Julie and Emily Krupnick). We had tea and coffee withbedoins, rode camels (my thighs say we can pass thatone next time) and we were exhilarated with applyingmud from the Dead Sea and floating in its healing waters.

We headed up north, where we saw the ancientRoman ruins at Bet She'han, watched our kids (andsome "older kids") spontaneously swim in a naturalspring, slept on a Kibbutz and learned the historicalsignificance of the Golan Heights. At the GolanHeights, we learned from an elder local resident thestrategic significance of this part of Israel. It was fas-cinating to hear him recount the stories of Kibbutz chil-dren living in bunkers to avoid the shells of the Syriansand how Israel captured the territory in 1967. I willnever forget his words about how only one country,Costa Rica, not the United States, supported Israel in1967, and he quoted his mother as saying that "when

land is won in war, history does not have the winnergiving it back." She wisely said that "Israel will not bethe first and when the US gives California back toMexico, then Israel will consider the Golan Heights."

We made our way to Tel Aviv where we visitedIndependence Hall, heard the voice of Ben Guriondeclaring Israel's independence and we all stoodproudly as a recording of the Hatikvah from that dayplayed in the same room from which Ben Gurionspoke. We learned of the elite Palmach, the under-ground, and we saw an underground bullet factory, hid-den right next to a British camp that armed Israel'sArmy during the War of Independence. Finally, we par-ticipated in an archeological dig where many of usclimbed in caves and found artifacts over 2,000 yearsold. It was humbling when our guide on the excavationpointed out that we were the first humans to touchthese artifacts in over 2,000 years.

I could continue on with every nuance and spe-cial moment, but space does not permit. As a personwho never had an interest in visiting Israel, I am soglad that I did. My family and I are grateful to RabbiKaplan and Rabbi Musntisky for organizing such awonderful experience and giving us the opportunity ofa lifetime. We are also grateful that we could createand share those lifetime memories with close to 40 ofour Temple family.

B’ShalomAlan Sobel

President973-994-9494

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Continued from page 4

Our Adult Education series celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Reform Judaism in America

continues onThursday, March 3 at 7:30 PM

when Cantor Inna presentsHistory of Reform Jewish Music in America

Part 2

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F E B R U A R YS U N D A Y M O N D A Y T U E S D A Y WEDN E SDAY T H U R S D AY F R I D A Y S A T U R D A Y

7 8 9 10 11 126

7:00 PMMid-YearCongregationalMeeting

7:30 PM SisterhoodMahjong

12:00 PM Lunch &Learn @TBA

7:30 PM ShabbatServices - RabbiSabbatical Report

8:00 PM CantorialConcert

1 2 3 4 57:00 PMSisterhood Meeting

7:30 PM ShabbatServices FamilyShabbat - led byConfirmation Class -Grandparent celebra-tion, Youth Choir

11:00 AMTorah Study

12:00 PMBar Mitzvah -Isaac Wynzel

30Shevat

1Adar I

3Adar I

4Adar I

5Adar I

6Adar I

7Adar I

8Adar I

2Adar I

CANDLE LIGHTINGS

4th 4:59 PM 11th 5:07 PM18st 5:16 PM25th 5:24 PM

14 15 16 17 18 19137:30 PM ShabbatServices

10Adar I

11Adar I

12Adar I

13Adar I

14Adar I

15Adar I

9Adar I

21 22 23 24 25 2620No School

7:30 PM SisterhoodMahjong

7:30 PM ExecutiveBoard

7:30 PM YoungInstrumentalistsShabbat

10:30 AM BarMitzvah - DylanGottesman

17Adar I

18Adar I

19Adar I

20Adar I

21Adar I

22Adar I

16Adar I

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SCHOOLRESUMES

7:30 PM Board ofTrustees Meeting

24Adar I

23Adar I

28Shevat

29 Shevat

27Shevat

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B O O K C L U B N E W SFebruary 22

Skeletons at the Feast by Christopher A. Bohjalian

March 29The Fixer by Bernard Malamud

April 26The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson

May 31The Last Ember by Daniel Levin

New members always welcome!Book Club meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM in the Temple Library (except December).

Joan Tiedrich 973-627-0154 warrent123@aol.com

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R I T U A L C O M M I T T E E

Although the month of February is the short-est of the year, it doesn’t fall short when itcomes to special Shabbat services and sig-

nificant events. The month will mark the return of RabbiKaplan from his sabbatical.

Our Family Shabbat, the first of the month, whichwill be led by the Confirmation Academy Students, willacknowledge grandparents. All grandparents are invit-ed to join us as we honor and pay tribute to them.

On February 11th, Rabbi Kaplan will share thememorable experiences of his Sabbatical as headdresses the congregation about his time with theIsraeli Army and the other exciting events of his time inIsrael. We know that his report will be extremely inter-esting.

Once again, as we mark Women’s Health Month,we acknowledge all women and the importance ofincorporating health screenings and regular medical

care into their lives. We will take this opportunity tooffer prayer and spiritual support to those who are cur-rently health-challenged as well as to those who maybe considered survivors. This moving service will takeplace on February 18th.

And finally, on the fourth Shabbat of the month,February 25th, Cantor Inna will, once again, introduceus to the special young people in our congregation whodevote their time to the study of music. The YoungInstrumentalists Shabbat will feature these talentedstudents as they participate in the service. You will beentertained by and proud of their achievements.

Join us weekly at services as, together, we sharein the beauty of welcoming Shabbat.

Joyce Marlin and Renee GrassoRitual Co-chairpersons

ritual@tbaparsippany.org

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Andy & Inez Bennettof Madison

Jerry & Mindy Goldbergof Montville

Bruce & Allyson Speierof Parsippany

WELCOME

TO OUR NEWEST

TEMPLE BETH AM

MEMBERS

PURIM is almost here!Saturday, March 19th - Set-up from 4:30-6:30pm

Sunday, March 20th - Purim Carnival 11:30am-1:00pm

Annual Costume Contest for Ages 3-12

Tickets $.25

Please consider volunteering some of your time to help

with this fabulous, fun-filled event!

Contact Jackie Burge at 973-335-0723

17

The use of food baskets, given to the food pantry after the service, in lieuof flowers is a wonderful act of tzedakah. Please consider this option atyour upcoming bnai mitzvah.

MEET OUR NEW CUSTODIAN ANDTEMPLE SECRETARY !

As many of you know, Ron Serafin, ourBuilding Manager, accepted a new positionvery close to his home in Pennsylvania. Wethank Ron for 16 years of service to TempleBeth Am.

Nigel Williams was recently hired as ourpart-time custodian. Many of you will recog-nize Nigel from the JCC in Whippany, wherehe works full-time. Nigel will work on Tuesday,Thursday and Friday afternoons and eveningsand on Saturdays when we have b'nai mitz-vahs.

Shalene Tannu, our Temple secretary forfour years, left in October. Shalene was thesoothing voice of TBA for many years. SybilPriesler was hired as our new Temple secre-tary. She has worked at other synagogues inthe area and stepped right into her new job.

Be sure to welcome the newest membersof the Temple family.

TEMPLE BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS

CONTINUE

Thanks to the generosity of our members withthe 2008 and 2009 silent appeals, we have beenable to undertake several beautification efforts.

Renovations of our Religious School bathroomshave been completed. New wall and floor tiling andnew Formica countertops have been installed. Theboys’ room partitions were repainted by DavidSchlacter at his Maaco Body Shop.

The upstairs bathrooms are next and will becompleted in mid-February. New wall and floor tilingand new Corian countertops will been installed.David will re-finish all of the upstairsbathroom parti-tions as well.

The sanctuary and social hall ceilings are sched-uled to be completed inearly February as well.

This work is in addition to the new furniture andcarpeting in both the upstairs and downstairs lobbies.

Thanks to Harold Vex, Dana Sobel and RuthHochman.

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