HaZ'man Spring 2012

T H I S S E A S O N

A T C H I Z U K A M U N O C O N G R E G A T I O N

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 | 5 7 7 2

In this issue: Individual Jewish Responsibility • Purim Festivities • Pesah Preparations

HaZ’man

We invite everyone – adults and children – to come dressed as the characters

of the holiday.

Join us for our Purim celebration.

Sunday, March 1111 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Carnival Games • Moonbounce • Obstacle CourseArts and Crafts • Prizes

Hot Dogs, Wraps, Salads and more . . .Tickets include games, popcorn, and cotton candy

Presale: $10/child or $18/per family • At the door: $12/child or $20/family

Volunteers needed, please contact Rena Lapidus, 410/979-2945

Sponsored by the Parent Association of the Chizuk Amuno Schools

5:45 p.m. Minhah • Esterson Auditorium

6:00 p.m. Ma’ariv / Traditional Megillah Reading • Esterson Auditorium

6:15 p.m. Young Families Purim Dinner* (RSVP required) • GECEC Lobby

7:00 p.m. Family Megillah Reading • Sanctuary

8:00 p.m. CAUSY / Teen Dance • Krieger Gymnasium

Family Party with DJ • Krieger Auditorium

Adult Karaoke Café • Stulman Auditorium (21 and over)

* Young Families: Enjoy a dairy dinner and an activity before the Megillah reading.

$10/adult; $5/child ages 6-12; Children 5 and under are free; Maximum of $30 per family

Non-dairy dinner available upon request • RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday, March 1

…and the celebration continues at our Annual Purim Carnival

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 | 5 7 7 2

Chizuk Amuno Congregation8100 Stevenson Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21208www.chizukamuno.org

Synagogue Offi ce 410/486-6400

Synagogue Fax 410/486-4050

Synagogue E-mail [email protected]

Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center 410/486-8642

Krieger Schechter Day School 410/486-8640

Rosenbloom Religious School 410/486-8641

Stulman Center for Adult Learning 410/824-2055

O F F I C E R SPresident Richard Manekin, [email protected] Vice President Michelle Malis, [email protected] President Louis E. SappersteinVice President Sandra Moff etSecretary Dr. Andrew Miller Treasurer Michelle Hettleman Assistant Treasurer Jason A. Blavatt

S Y N A G O G U E S T A F F Rabbi Ronald J. Shulman | x230 [email protected]

Rabbi Deborah Wechsler | x231 [email protected]

Rabbi Emeritus Joel H. Zaiman | x296

Hazzan Emanuel C. Perlman | x233 [email protected]

Ritual Director Dr. Moshe D. Shualy | x243 [email protected]

Ritual Director Emeritus Rev. Yehuda Dickstein

Headmaster, Krieger Schechter Day SchoolDr. Paul D. Schneider | x226 | [email protected]

Principal, Rosenbloom Religious School

Abby Woloff | x234 | awoloff @chizukamuno.org

Coordinator, Netivon

Rachel Weitzner | x271 | [email protected]

Director, Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center

Michelle Gold | x238 | [email protected]

Director, Stulman Center for Adult Learning

Judy Meltzer | x287 | [email protected]

Director, Gemilut Hasadim Program

Miriam Foss | x281 | [email protected]

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Coordinator

Debby Hellman | x290 | [email protected]

Youth Educator

Isaac Woloff | x305 | iwoloff @chizukamuno.org

Curator, Goldsmith Museum

Dr. Susan Vick | x291 | [email protected]

Choir Director

T. Herbert Dimmock

A D M I N I S T R A T I V E S T A F F Executive Director

Ronald N. Millen | x224 | [email protected]

Director of Congregational Advancement

Laurel Freedman | x275 | [email protected]

Synagogue Administrator

Jenny Baker | x227 | [email protected]

Controller

Rick Bernard | x256 | [email protected]

Information Systems Manager

Bruce P. Yaillen | x284 | [email protected]

Cemetery Director

Barbara Lichter | x248 | [email protected]

Assistant Cemetery Director

Marsha Yoff e | x309 | myoff [email protected]

Communications and Membership Coordinator

Cheryl Snyderman | x300 | [email protected]

Graphic Designer

Rachel Levitan | x282 | [email protected]

Chizuk Amuno has a long history of proud service to Baltimore’s Jewish community. Dedicated to strengthening faith in our people’s covenant with God, the purpose of Chizuk Amuno Congregation is to create a sacred Jewish community. Here individuals and families can fi nd meaning for their lives from serious engagement with the texts, wisdom, and celebrations of Judaism. In pursuit of this mission, Chizuk Amuno ascribes to the rabbinic teaching: “The world is sustained through Torah – learning, Avodah – prayer and service, and Gemilut Hasadim – acts of loving kindness.”

HaZ’man

T H I S S E A S O N

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 | 5 7 7 2S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 | 5 7 7 2

A T C H I Z U K A M U N O C O N G R E G A T I O N

Contents

On the Cover: The pictured tzedakah box can be purchased at our Sisterhood Judaica Shop.

2 LaZ’man HaZeh ~ At This Season Individual Jewish Responsibility • by Rabbi Ron Shulman • by Dick Manekin • by Dr. Paul D. Schneider • by Rabbi Deborah Wechsler

5 Torah Inscribing Our Future Closing Ceremony

6 Avodah Building a Jewish Home • by Mary Haar Pesah 5772 Dunkin’ Pots and Pans A Place at the Table Siyyum B’khorim – First Born Minyan Sale of Hametz Schedule of Services

9 Gemilut Hasadim Chizuk Amuno’s Rain Harvesting System in Israel • by Ellen P. Rosenberg

10 What’s Nu? • The Harold and Sybil Eff ron Memorial Lecture • Building Mosaic Connections • Loring Cornish Exhibit at CAC • KSDS Journeys into HeLA • CAC Schools Parent Association Council • We’ve Gotta Crow! … The KSDS Eighth Grade Play • ZEA Supports Professional Development • RRS Teaches Responsibility • Green and Just Stories • New Members • Bringing Gilad Shalit Home

2 | HaZ’man ~ This Season

At fi rst I wanted to answer, “you, our synagogue family.” When asked what I

feel responsible for as a Jew, my fi rst thought was other Jews. In particular, as your rabbi I feel a unique responsibility for you, the individuals and families of Chizuk Amuno. I believe that responsibility for each other is a core value of participating in a synagogue community.

Th en I remembered my recent conversation with a student preparing to become a Bar Mitzvah. He was upset that some of his classmates were teasing another student at school. Th e boy being taunted was relatively new to school and a bit socially awkward. He didn’t have many friends yet, and this Bar Mitzvah student felt badly for him. For me, this was a teachable moment.

We opened the Torah and read in the Book of Exodus, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” I asked my student what he thought about this verse.

He commented, “I should remember how I felt when someone else teased me.” Bright student! “And then what?” I asked. “Tell my friends to be nice,” he answered. “Th at’s a good goal,” I agreed as I pointed out another Torah verse, this one from the Book of Deuteronomy. “You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Refl ecting on this memory, I decided on a diff erent answer to the question about my individual Jewish responsibility. My responsibility as a Jew is to treat others, all others whom I meet, with dignity, kindness, and respect. Th is is one way I strive to honor the imperatives and ethics of our Jewish tradition.

We often feel an emotional bond with people experiencing things we’ve already known. Having been there, we can off er them empathy, support, and understanding. Imagine how much gentler and better our world would be if we brought this Jewish value into our lives.

Th is duty can apply to circumstances we’re not familiar with, too. Sensitivity to others is a moral lesson we relearn every Passover telling the story of our ancestors’ Exodus from Egypt. In Torah, “strangers” means individuals diff erent than we are, people who may need our help, our acceptance and compassion, or a place in our society.

Among all the mitzvot we are responsible for as Jews, remembering who we once were in order to respect who others are now is the one I emphasize this season as we celebrate Passover.

In this issue of Ha’Zman ~ � is Season, Rabbi Debi Wechsler, Dr. Paul Schneider, Dick Manekin, Mary Haar, and Ellen Rosenberg also tell us about their Jewish responsibilities. I hope you’ll do the same, discussing your personal Jewish responsibilities with family and friends around your seder table. Hag Sameah v’Kasher– Enjoy a joyous and Happy Pesah!

Responsible To Others

by Rabbi Ron Shulman

dfd onfl~ At This Season

continued on next page

Pesah 5772 | 3

by Dick ManekinPresident, Chizuk Amuno Congregation

In this issue of HaZ’man, we address our individual responsibilities as Jews. For me, there are two Jewish phrases that resonate: “Kol Yisrael arevim zel la-zeh” – “All Jews

are responsible for one another” and “Im ein ani li, mi li?” – “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” (Rabbi Hillel)

The phrase “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la-zeh” teaches us that the whole of the Jewish people is responsible for each other’s behavior; this phrase fi rst appears in the early midrash and in the Babylonian Talmud. What is our responsibility to the Jewish people and to the larger world, and what is the relationship of these sometimes confl icting sets of responsibilities? People with a conscience must wrestle with this question on a daily basis, constantly weighing our place in the world and our responsibility for our own people.

This is not a new question. We fi nd the following discussion in the Talmud: “Who so ever has the capacity to protest to prevent the members of his household from committing a crime and does not do so is accountable for the sins of his household; if he could do so for his fellow citizens, he is accountable for the crimes of his fellow citizens; if the whole world, he is accountable for the whole world.” (Shabbat 45b) This statement suggests that, from the perspective of the sages, responsibility is not either/or, but and/also. If we have the ability to make a diff erence in our own family or community, then we must do so. And if we can better the world in some way, we cannot turn our backs.

Are there priorities in making choices about whom we choose to help and when to help others? I believe that the expression “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la-zeh” applies specifi cally to the Jewish people, but that does not mean we do not have a sacred responsibility to the larger world as well. One can think of our social responsibilities as a series of concentric circles, beginning with oneself (Hillel: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me”), continuing with family, one’s community, the Jewish people

and, then, the larger world. We are taught in the Shulkhan Arukh, the authoritative code of Jewish law from the sixteenth century: “The poor of one’s city take precedence over the poor of another city.” The needy of Israel receive priority over the poor of the Diaspora. Obligations to the local poor precede those owed to transient poor who have just come into one’s city. One’s impoverished family members come before another poor person. Parents have priority over children who can support themselves. “One’s self comes before anyone else.” (Yoreh Deah 251:3)

Helping a fellow Jew is extremely important because we have a moral and social responsibility as members of an extended family and a historic community. If Jews do not support the land of Israel, who will? While there are many food pantries, we have a responsibility to make sure that there is a place that provides kosher food for those who want it. But we should not forget that we are part of a larger community, the family of humankind. We live in a global village and cannot ignore the suff ering of others and the needs of the world. In ways that were inconceivable to our ancestors, we are aware of what is happening throughout the world. As a result, our responsibilities to our fellow human beings continue to grow. The actions of others have global implications and our lives touch people around the world. Our sages understood that knowledge implies responsibility: when we see someone in need, no matter who it is, we cannot remain indiff erent. We have a glorious responsibility to repair the world, and to make the world into a place of both justice and compassion.

Parents have priority over children who can support

Responsible for One Another

by Dr. Paul D. Schneider

Dr. Rabbi Bernard Mandelbaum was the

Provost of the Seminary at the time that I was a student at the JTS Rabbinical School. He was my instructor for Homiletics, the art of preaching. He taught us that every rabbi has but one message, and during his career, he will preach that message in a thousand diff erent ways.

“And what is your message?” I asked him.“It is as diffi cult to raise a child to be a

sturdy and moral human being as it is to

land a man on the moon.”

Forty two years have passed, and I have not forgotten that teaching. In fact, I see working

with parents to raise sturdy and moral human beings as my most compelling responsibility as a Jewish educator.

It is my privilege to teach Talmud to eighth grade Schechter students. Last week, as part of the incredible interdisciplinary unit on � e Immortal Life of Henrietta

Lacks, together with the other Talmud instructors, I was teaching a topic relating to biomedical ethics. Specifi cally, I was discussing the decision of the Rabbinical Assembly Law Committee that a parent was responsible to see that his/her child is immunized prior to beginning school. I asked my students, “What are the other responsibilities of a

parent to his/her child?”I received the replies that one would

expect – a parent should provide food and shelter, a parent should provide an

Dor L’dor“It is as difficult to

raise a child to be

a sturdy and moral

human being as it

is to land a man on

the moon.”


by Rabbi Deborah Wechsler

At this stage of my life I fi nd the most compelling responsibility to the Jewish

community as “striving to be a person.” It fi nds its source in a teaching by Hillel from Pirkei Avot 2:6: B’makom she ein ish, hishtadel l’hiyot ish. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a “man.”

Clearly the “man” part is not going to work for me. But I believe that Hillel is saying something about humanity, men and women alike, and that something is the essence of Jewish responsibility for me. In a place where there is a need to do something – do something! It is a compelling teaching because it speaks to the need for humility and tzimtzum (the kabbalistic concept of reducing one’s self to make space for others and for God), but also for action and responsibility.

Th e commentators have several beautiful reads on this mishnah which inform the way I understand this Jewish task.

Rashi sees it as referring to the delicate balance of communal work and Torah. If there is no one else in my community who can work on its behalf then I must answer the call, but if there is someone else then I should

devote myself to Torah.Rabbi Samson Raphael

Hirsch expands on Rashi’s view and speaks to the virtue of modesty. He understands the mishnah as referring to leadership and reminding me to let people do what they do

well. But in situations where my abilities and actions would be fi lling a real need, it is my obligation to step up and act.

Th e Rambam reads it more narrowly as applying to Torah study, meaning that in a place where there are no teachers from whom I can learn Torah then I should study and teach myself. I am drawn to the

Ramban’s command to take my learning (of Torah, and really of everything) into my own hands. As a Jew I need to seek out those

from whom I can learn and then continue to internalize those teachings to make them my own and be a teacher for others.

As a mother to young children, this Jewish responsibility helps inform my parenting style as well. It prompts me to ask for help and advice from those who can be teachers in this area of my life. It reminds me to let my children do on their own what they are capable of doing. It urges me to carefully choose a makom, a place for them where they will be with those who share our values. It inspires me to take positive action rather than waiting for someone else to do it. And it helps me remain confi dent in the expectations I have for my children, even when those expectations diff er from others.

I also learn as much from what Hillel doesn’t say as from what he does say. Hillel doesn’t say that in a place where there is a need to do something - convene a committee, commission a study, schedule a conversation, appoint a chairperson, or put it on the to-do list. He says what Nike says – Just Do It! Or in the language of our tradition, B’makom she ein ish, hishtadel l’hiyot ish.

Strive to Be a Person

education, a parent should see that their child is healthy. And then Rachel added, “It’s the responsibility of a parent to see that their child knows that life has its ups and itsdowns.” You should have seen me smile!

Teaching a child to be a moral human being involves Torah, Avodah, and Gemilut Hasadim, as well as parents and teachers who are unambiguously committed to role modeling, day in and day out, what moral

behavior looks like. Teaching a child to be a sturdy human

being involves explaining to him/her that life has its ups and its downs, and that Judaism provides us with the tools to thoroughly enjoy the good times and to get through the diffi cult times. Here, too, parents and teachers have to role model this behavior. In this way, children will know that life is not over when things don’t go well. When we are down, and we come into God’s presence, we are reminded that all

people have infi nite value in God’s eyes. No matter how bad things appear, our tradition provides comfort.

Th ere are easier things than being a parent. You must always be on. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you are always your child’s teacher. Every decision that you make, every action that you take has the potential to build your child into a more moral and sturdier human being. May God give us all the strength to do the right thing.

continued from previous page

I believe that Hillel

is saying something

about humanity, men

and women alike, and

that something is the

essence of Jewish

responsibility for me.

Pesah 5772 | 5

We look forward to dedicating our new donor wall and Book of Blessings in mid June.

Over 800 people joined in celebration on February 12 as we wrote the seven

fi nal letters in Chizuk Amuno’s 140th Anniversary Torah. After Hazzan Perlman and Rabbi Shulman off ered dedication prayers, our Community Choir, comprised of approximately 200 adults and students, sang a moving rendition of L’chi Lach by Debbie Friedman z”l. During the course of the year-long initiative, more than 700 families met with Rabbis Shulman and Wechsler as they wrote their own letter in our sacred scroll. Many families made dedications in honor of completing this mitzvah, raising $1,024,000 in support of facility and programmatic enhancements at Chizuk Amuno. Special thanks go to project benefactors Shelly and Ira Malis, as well as the Inscribing Our Future committee, chaired by Sandi Moff et and Neil Katz, for envisioning and implementing this meaningful program.


As a young married woman, my most compelling responsibility as a Jew is

to foster a Jewish home with my husband of 15 months, Jonathan. In the process of establishing a new household together, we have continually asked ourselves how we could grow and nurture our Jewish household.

We are not unlike other newly married couples – we have been so fortunate to receive special ritual objects from our family and friends to help build our Jewish life together. Each holiday and each Shabbat reminds us of the love and fortune that surround and fl ow through us.

Each time we light the candlesticks from my mother-in-law, we feel that she is sharing her Judaism and her traditions with us. She has given us the opportunity to share and introduce our Jewish life with others. We use a beautiful challah cover, handcrafted by an Ethiopian woman in our sister city of Ashkelon, Israel. Th is challah cover represents tzedakah in its truest form… purchased to help this woman make a living. A Kiddush cup, which was a gift fi rst used during our wedding ceremony, is now used each Friday night as we say the

by Mary Haar

blessing over the wine. Having these beautiful pieces in

our home and using them to celebrate our holidays makes everything that much more meaningful. Others pass on their traditions to us through these gifts. Th ese items refl ect the importance that others have placed on

keeping the Sabbath and how they have created their own Jewish homes.

We have slowly begun to integrate Shabbat into our routine and to bring these traditions into our own home. Our Shabbat dinners are special – we see

this as a time to celebrate and share with family and friends. We honor the tradition of our people and refl ect this importance onto others. We pass these traditions up to parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends who are eager to integrate new meaning into their own Judaism. Someday we look forward to having the opportunity to instill

this sense of Judaism into children and grandchildren of our own.

Building a Jewish home together at this stage in our lives is both a challenging and exciting opportunity. Yet, it also allows us to build a foundation for the next stage of our lives. By integrating these important and time-honored rituals into our lives now, we ensure that future generations will benefi t from and perpetuate our beliefs, our culture, our religion, our sustenance. L’dor V’dor.

Mary and her husband, Jonathan, joined Chizuk Amuno together after they married in October, 2010. Jonathan, along with his family, has been a member of Chizuk Amuno for over 20 years and attended Krieger Schechter Day School. Mary is currently the Director of Israel and Overseas at The ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.

Each holiday and each

Shabbat reminds us of

the love and fortune

that surround and flow

through us.

blessing over the wine. Having these beautiful pieces in

our home and using them to celebrate our

Building a Jewish Home Together

Pesah 5772 | 7

Pesah 5772

A Place at the TableBe a host for Passover seder! We are often contacted by college students, local

hospitals, and also congregants who would like to share a Passover seder. If you have room at your table for new friends, please be in touch with Rabbi Wechsler.

Be a guest for a Passover seder! We have wonderful seder experiences with new Chizuk Amuno friends waiting for you. If you are in need of a seder to attend for either fi rst or second night, please be in touch with Rabbi Wechsler.

Dunkin’ Pots and PansOn Sunday, April 1, from 2 - 3 p.m. in the Esterson Auditorium kitchen,

we will help you kasher your silverware or metal pots and utensils. Items used during the year may be used for Passover, if they undergo a process of kashering called hag’alah. Hag’alah involves immersing the item in a container fi lled with boiling water.

Please note: Baking utensils cannot be kashered. Silverware or pots must be made entirely of metal. Items must be thoroughly cleaned prior to kashering. Items may not be used 24 hours prior to kashering.

Please line up by the Esterson kitchen at the door off the driveway. Bring a laundry hamper and clean towel to take your items home, as we do not have room for storage and drying. You will also be able to pick up bedikat hametz kits, sell your hametz, and donate Ma’ot Hittim. RSVP to Judy Simkin at ext. 232.

Siyyum B’khorim-First Born Minyan Followed by Breakfast, In Memory of Warren Komins

Siyyum B’khorim is a morning minyan and brief study session followed by a light breakfast, the last hametz meal before Passover. Attendance at this minyan is a special mitzvah for all fi rst-born males. First born daughters and everyone else are also welcome!

The tradition of attending a Siyyum B’khorim marks the role of the fi rst born of both Israel and Egypt in the Exodus story. It is also a moment to mark with gratitude the gift of freedom we will celebrate on Passover. Join in this fi nal preparation for Passover on Thursday, April 5 at 7 a.m. in the Hoff berger Chapel.

Passover is a season of hope, renewal, and life. Nature’s spring is the backdrop for our people’s story of

beginnings and freedom. Passover’s message and mood lift us up and encourage us to look ahead to better days and brighter times.

Anticipating Pesah, we are optimistic. In the course of time we may feel diff erently, but before our festival we look forward. As spring begins, we need Passover’s reminder. We are keepers of the vision, advocates for redemption.

Celebrating Pesah by gathering with family and friends around our seder tables and joining in community, we attach our personal lives and concerns to the grand and potent moral principles for which God brought our ancestors out of Egypt.

On Passover the foods we eat and our springtime dreams are about freedom, goodness, and human dignity. Matzah symbolizes goodness and truth. It is made of any grain that can ferment, become hametz: wheat, rye, oats, barley or spelt. On Passover, hametz, fermented grains and foods, suggests human arrogance and injustice. Of course, grain is not honest or unjust, good or bad. We are. Th at’s why limiting ourselves to the pure, unleavened grains of matzah we eat on Passover reminds us to live for and to do the good.

Matzah was there from the beginning to the end. Not only the dough which our ancestors did not have the time to let rise as they left Egypt, but the bread of affl iction which they ate as slaves. Matzah, the bread of slaves, became the sustenance of a free people. Fortunate to be Jewish today, rooted in our people’s story, memories, and visions, we celebrate this Passover as a time of renewed goodness and hope.

Information about preparing for Passover and how to change your kitchen over from hametz to matzah is available at http://www.chizukamuno.org/worship/preparing-for-passover/

Pesah 5772Pesah 5772Passover Prep DaySunday, April 1, 1-3 p.m.

Join us to get your whole family ready for Pesah – purchase a new ritual object from the giftshop, taste new kosher wine for your seder and get your car cleaned. From 1-2 p.m. there will be a variety of learning sessions for adults on leading a seder, and a variety of age appropriate Pesah activities for kids. From 2-3 p.m. there will be supervised play for the kids while the adults can kasher their pots, sell their hametz, and pick up some new Pesah recipes.


Holiday services are warm and special times. We invite you to join the meaning, spirit, and beauty of celebrating Passover

with your synagogue community.Our Festival Services will begin at 9:15 a.m. on each of Passover’s

four holiday mornings. We’ll share in prayer, celebration and refl ection, and study Torah and Passover’s themes together. Our festival gathering will conclude with a holiday Kiddush.

Friday, April 6 | Erev PesahMinhah/Erev Pesah 5:30 p.m.Kabbalat Shabbat / Ma’ariv 5:45 p.m.

Candle Lighting 7:18 p.m.First Seder Night

Shabbat, April 7 | 1st Day PesahShabbat and Pesah Festival Morning Service 9:15 a.m. No Family Service

Candle Lighting 8:03 p.m.Study Session 4:30 p.m.Minhah 5:30 p.m.Ma’ariv / Erev 2nd Day of Pesah 6:00 p.m.Second Seder Night

Sunday, April 8 | 2nd Day PesahPassover Festival Morning Service 9:15 a.m.We recognize our Madrikhim – B’nei Mitzvah Tutors

No Family ServiceKiddush honoring our Madrikhim following ServicesMinhah/Ma’ariv 7:30 p.m.Havdalah 8:03 p.m.

Monday, April 9 | 1st Hol HaMoedShaharit 7:00 a.m.Minhah/Ma’ariv 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday, April 10 | 2nd Hol HaMoedShaharit 7:00 a.m.Lunch and Learn NoonMinhah / Ma’ariv 6:15 p.m.

Wednesday, April 11 | 3rd Hol HaMoedShaharit 7:00 a.m.Minhah/Ma’ariv 6:15 p.m.

Thursday, April 12 | 4th Hol HaMoedShaharit 7:00 a.m.Minhah/Erev 7th Day of Pesah 6:00 p.m.Candle Lighting 7:24 p.m.

Friday, April 13 | 7th Day PesahSeventh Day of Pesah Festival Morning Service 9:15 a.m.

No Family ServiceRecitation of Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)Minhah 6:00 p.m.Kabbalat Shabbat / Erev 8th Day of Pesah 6:15 p.m.

Candle Lighting 7:25 p.m.

Shabbat, April 14 | 8th Day Pesah, YizkorShabbat and Eighth Day of Pesah Festival Morning Service 9:15 a.m.Yizkor Memorial Prayers No Family Service

Study Session 6:00 p.m.Minhah/Ma’ariv 7:00 p.m.Havdalah 8:09 p.m.

Hametz may be eaten after 8:30 p.m.

Sale of Hametz

Hametz may be sold by completing this form until 10 a.m. Friday morning,

April 6, 2012. Hametz that is sold reverts to your ownership when Pesah is

concluded on Saturday evening, April 14, 2012.

I/We hereby authorize Dr. Moshe Shualy as the agent of Chizuk Amuno

Congregation to use the enclosed contribution in part to symbolically sell all leaven

(hametz) in my/our possession. The remainder of my/our contribution will be set

aside as tzedakah for Ma’ot Hittim.

Signature and date

Address and city

Pesah 5772 | 9

“Don’t leave me open” - a sign seen above a sink in a bathroom at a

Jerusalem school reads. Over another sink, the admonishment, “It’s not automatic, you know! You have to close it yourself.” Th e solution to the water crisis in Israel will come from both the careful use of water, as well as education. Th e Rainwater Harvesting Program, funded by Jewish National Fund as part of the Parsons Water Fund, has the dual purpose of conservation and education. Tanks are installed on school rooftops to collect and re-use rainwater that would otherwise be wasted. Th is reduces a school’s reliance on other sources of water by 77%. Equally as important, the program provides schools with a multi-year water education curriculum that gives young students the tools to deal with water issues in the future. Most exciting is that the education component is run by guides from the Green Horizons or Hugey Sayarut, which is the Zionist and Environmental Youth Development Program in Israel. Th ese teenagers themselves are learning independence, initiative, leadership, responsibility, companionship, caring, and involvement in the community through outdoor activities. It is these teenagers who work with teachers and students to construct the rooftop tank system which is repeatedly fi lled and

emptied throughout the course of the winter, supplying up to 95% of the water consumed by a school during the rainy season. During the summer, the system harnesses water from drinking fountains and taps that can be used for irrigating the school grounds.

Th e Kiryat Yovel School, located in Jerusalem, is part of the TALI network of schools. Th e network provides a pluralist

Jewish studies program to tens of thousands of school children in 184 public schools and preschools throughout Israel. Th e school is also part of the Schechter Institutes in Israel. Chizuk Amuno Congregation is partnering with the Kiryat Yovel School

to build its Rainwater Harvesting System. Students at the school will be involved in the planning and management of the system and participate in a dynamic educational curriculum. Th e cost of implementing a fi ve-year program at the Kiryat Yovel School is $50,000. Th e money saved on water-related expenses is earmarked for continued funding, making the program self-sustaining. Sixty-nine schools already participate and Chizuk Amuno has elected to make the Kiryat Yovel School number 70. We will receive periodic updates about the program and, more importantly, we and

the students from all of our Congregation’s schools and educational programs will have the unique opportunity to communicate with participating students. Th e Jewish National Fund hopes to arrange visits to the Kiryat Yovel School for members of Chizuk Amuno who travel to Israel. Students visiting Israel in the future may also visit the school and meet their new friends, building relationships with Israelis while raising critical awareness of water conservation. We are excited about this project and encourage your involvement in this meaningful partnership. For more information about Th e Rainwater Harvesting Program, please contact Ellen Rosenberg, 410/321-9610 or [email protected].

Ellen P. Rosenberg has been a practicing matrimonial attorney for over three decades. Ms. Rosenberg actively pursues her love and commitment to the

State of Israel through service on the Jewish National Fund National Board, Women’s Alliance Chair, and on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Executive Board, Major Gifts Chair. Ellen is a part of the Big Brother/Big Sister League of Baltimore, having a “Little Sister” for 5 years. She serves on the Volunteer Services Board of The ASSOCIATED. She has been a member of Chizuk Amuno Congregation for over 25 years. Her two children, Hal Blatt and Shira Blatt, are graduates of the Krieger Schechter Day School.

by Ellen P. Rosenberg

The money saved on

water-related expenses

is earmarked for

continued funding,

making the program

self-sustaining.

by Ellen P. Rosenberg

Chizuk Amuno’s Rain Harvesting System in Israel


Meet Joey WeisenbergSunday, March 25, 2 p.m. The Harold and Sybil Effron Memorial Lecture

This year, the Effron Memorial Lecture will be presented by Joey Weisenberg, Music Director, Kane Street Synagogue, Brooklyn, N.Y.; singer; author; mandolin player; guitarist; and percussionist. And he’s only 29 years old! It promises to be far more than a lecture.

Joey is the consummate musician. He grew up in a

Conservative Jewish home in Milwaukee. Joey credits his cantor with teaching him everything he knows about leading services and much more. His family is also musical. Joey’s father is a flamenco guitarist, and his mother played Bach. Joey grew up playing blues. His music contains elements of blues, flamenco, Macedonian brass band, bluegrass, African choirs, gospel, and Bach. “But,” says Joey, “all of these things are disguised within the spirit and musical structures of old niggunim.

Joey Weisenberg is the author of Building Singing

Communities: A Practical Guide to Unlocking the Power of Music in Jewish Prayer, which was published in 2012. In 2009, Joey was named one of “36 under 36: Next Wave of Jewish Innovators,” the list of Jewish young leaders who are reshaping the landscape of Jewish life, compiled by The Jewish Week.

This past month, we experienced the magic of music as we all gathered to sing “L’chi Lach” under the direction of Bob Hallock. Joey Weisenberg will help us to think about musical opportunities for our congregation in the future.

Building Mosaic ConnectionsThanks to a generous grant from the Baltimore-

Ashkelon Partnership, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new art project: a mosaic depicting the seven days of creation for our Matz-Goldstone Biblical Garden and a mural at the Volunteer Center in Ashkelon. This unique, large-scale venture is designed to foster connections between our community and that in Ashkelon, as well as beautify our congregational home and strengthen our Jewish identities.

While the project contains several exchanges between our two communities, the bulk of the project will take place here at Chizuk Amuno this fall. Project chairs Jill Max and Randi Pupkin are leading this effort, and have chosen to partner with Israeli mosaic artist and teacher, Tova Shafran. Tova and a group of her eighth grade students will be at Chizuk Amuno to visit for a week-long residency. We encourage members of our community to join us for various workshops designed to learn about and create the mosaics, which will take place that week.

We are very excited to add to the color and beauty of our garden. Project chairs Jill and Randi have already gotten the ball rolling on this project, and have visited Ashkelon to finalize the mural designs with Tova. In May, while in Israel, Krieger Schechter eighth grade students will collaborate with Tova and her students to create the mural that will be housed at the Volunteer Center.

If you would like to participate in the planning and construction of these mosaics, please contact Laurel Freedman, 410/824-2054 or [email protected].

Loring Cornish Exhibit at Chizuk AmunoOfficial Opening: Sunday, April 22, 5 p.m.

We are proud to announce that the work of Baltimore mosaic artist, Loring Cornish, will be exhibited at Chizuk Amuno this spring. Cornish uses color and pattern in his art to create dynamic compositions. Many of his pieces reflect themes relating to his recent awareness of the similarities between African-American and Jewish history and experience.

Phot

o by W

ill Kir

k

Pesah 5772 | 11 Pesah 5772 | 11

KSDS Eighth Graders Journey Into HeLAThe eighth graders at Krieger Schechter have been on

an exciting multi-disciplinary, cross-curricular exploration of the world of Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta Lacks was a courageous woman who died in 1951 of complications from her cancer treatment. Her family members had to come to terms with the medical and scientifi c research world upon discovering that Henrietta’s cells had been used for decades without the family’s knowledge or permission. Her story changed how the medical world treated patients and it questioned the community’s ethics regarding treatment and experimentation.

Over the past few months, the Science, Language Arts, and Rabbinics departments have been working collaboratively, off ering to the entire eighth grade class and parents, a grade-wide read of the bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Cross-curriculum discussions and invited guest speakers have helped us uncover issues related to: bio-ethics, literary analysis, Jewish law and modern medical ethics, the science of genetics, and much more. Activities have also included an exploration of themes and symbols through art and poetry. While much of the learning has taken

place in the classroom, a number of special programs have also been open to parents, facilitating multi-generational educational experiences.

In conjunction with Hadassah of Greater Baltimore, a program titled The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks was presented at Chizuk Amuno on December 8, 2012. Students and parents listened to members of the panel, including David Lacks and Jeri Lacks (Henrietta Lacks’ son and grandchild) along with Joann Boughman, PhD, Executive Vice President, American Society of Human Genetics.

Guest speakers at school have included Rabbi Deborah Wechsler, medical professionals in the area of tissue culturing and genetics, Rena Lapidus, PhD, Mimi Blitzer, PhD, and an expert on medical ethics through a Jewish lens. Parents had a learning opportunity with Rabbi Avram Reisner, Jewish medical ethics expert and

Baltimore resident, to discuss the process of Jewish response to current ethical questions.

In late February, eighth grade students and their parents will participate in an evening parent/child book discussion and dinner. Round-table topics will explore the literary, scientifi c, and ethical elements of the book.

We are so privileged to have the opportunity to bring the entire eighth grade to a local presentation by author Rebecca Skloot on April 23. Following this talk, our students will tour some of the Johns Hopkins Hospital facilities referenced in the book, which played such a large role in Henrietta Lacks’ story.

It has been a truly remarkable journey into the world of HeLA and Henrietta Lacks, and we look forward to future multi-disciplinary projects to help our students grow in their own sense of the interconnectedness of issues facing our world.

Chizuk Amuno Schools Parent Association Council

WOW!! This has already been a super school year and we have so much more to come!!

Our signature event is the annual Purim Carnival – this year on Sunday, March 11 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The theme is Rockin’ Purim and it is not to be missed! For more details, please refer to the inside front cover.

In addition to the Purim Carnival here are some of our recent accomplishments:

• Joined forces with KSDS 2nd grade to collect gently used toys for needy families in the Baltimore community, fi lling a large cargo van to the top with donations

• Supported the Jewish Family Services Community Mitzvah Day; together we collected 153 pair of gloves,

64 winter hats, and 10 scarves in addition to tzedakah donated by KSDS and RRS families totaling $350

• Donated funds toward the purchase of the hallway display monitors used to publicize events throughout the Chizuk Amuno community

• Purchased holiday gift cards for our schools and synagogue support staff , including the maintenance and kitchen personnel

• Invited all students having a birthday to be recognized and receive a special blessing during Shabbat Yahad

We are very proud of our many accomplishments and want to thank all of you for your support and participation. It’s a testament to the power and unity our Chizuk Amuno schools and synagogue.

Chizuk Amuno Schools Parent Association CouncilShari Kaplan, PresidentJeanne Glazer, Treasurer

Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center Rachael Abrams, RepresentativePayton Goldman, Purim Carnival Co-chairMichelle Gold, Director

Krieger Schechter Day SchoolTeri Philosophe, RepresentativeDr. Paul D. Schneider, Headmaster

Rosenbloom Religious SchoolAmy Hart, Purim Carnival Co-chairAbby Woloff , Principal

Chizuk Amuno CongregationMiriam Foss, Director of Gemilut Hasadim

Our goal is to promote programs, activities, and community service that involve all three of our schools along with the entire Chizuk Amuno community.

Baltimore resident, to discuss the process of Jewish response to current ethical questions.

In late February, eighth grade students and their parents will participate in an evening parent/child book discussion and dinner. Round-table topics will explore the literary, scientifi c, and ethical elements of the book.

We are so privileged to have the opportunity to bring the entire eighth grade to a local presentation by author Rebecca Skloot on April 23. Following this talk, our students will tour some of the Johns Hopkins Hospital facilities referenced in the book, which played such a large role in Henrietta Lacks’ story.

It has been a truly remarkable journey into the world of HeLA and Henrietta Lacks, and we look forward to future multi-disciplinary projects to help our students grow in their own sense of the interconnectedness of issues facing our world.

The 8th grade HeLA JOURNEY 2011-2012 | 5772

We must not see any abstraction. Instead, we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, with its own treasures, with its own sources of anguish, and with some measure of triumph.

—Elie Wiesel



—Elie Wiesel



—Elie Wiesel

Chizuk Amuno Schools Parent Association Council

WOW!! This has already been 64 winter hats, and 10 scarves in addition to tzedakahdonated by KSDS and RRS families totaling $350


B’rukhim Habaim • Welcome to Our New MembersB’rukhim HabaimB’rukhim Habaim Welcome to Our New MembersWelcome to Our New Members

We are happy to welcome those who have most recently chosen to join our Chizuk Amuno family.

If you have friends or family who may be interested in joining Chizuk Amuno, please call our Membership Coordinator, Cheryl Snyderman, 410/486-6400, ext. 300.

Rachelle Smith-Maine and David Maine Linda and Aaron Rabinovich Terri and Michael Rabinowitz Nina and Brett ungar

We’ve Gotta Crow! ...The KSDS Eighth Grade PlayRemember that wonderful land of make-believe where

you spent exciting hours in your childhood? Remember how easy it was, way back before you grew up, to close your eyes tight and see yourself in the underground Home, or running along forest paths, or prowling the deck of the Jolly Roger? Come fl y away with us, to “the place where dreams are born, and time is never planned,” and visit

Neverland once more. Peter and the Lost Boys, Tinkerbell, Tiger Lily and her tribe of Indians all wait to enchant you again in their struggles against the deadly Captain Hook and his pirate band.

The KSMS Class of 2012 proudly presents Peter Pan, entirely in Hebrew, for three performances on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, March 26, 27, and 28,

at 7 p.m. in The Park School’s Meyerhoff Theater. Sprinkle on some fairy dust, think lovely thoughts, and share this beloved classic musical with your young loved ones, or even simply your young-at-heart loved ones! Forgot the directions? …Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning. See you in Neverland, and...watch out for crocs!

Zaiman Educational Alliance Supports Professional Development

Whether it’s our fi rst graders working to pick up popcorn, the Bet and Gimmel students exploring our relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr., or the Vav class’ Sustainable Simhah workshop, the Rosenbloom Religious School students spend a signifi cant amount of time learning about the notions of personal and communal responsibility.

In January, our seventh graders (Vav) had the opportunity to participate in a Sustainable Simhah workshop, put on jointly through the RRS and Pearlstone Environmental Center. This new program was designed specifi cally for our students. The interactive workshop provided our students with the tools and resources to think critically as a group about their values as they relate to celebrations, specifi cally their own Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The students were given

checklists and budgets and asked to determine what elements were most important to them. They then weighed those choices based on economic and environmental cost: What kind of food will I serve? Will I buy local and organic or opt for a cheaper alternative? Will I decorate the space with reusable and/or recycled resources? ultimately all of these questions led the students to grapple with the questions, “What is a B’nei Mitzvah? What role does it serve? How should we celebrate it?”

This incredible afternoon gave our students the context with which to take a critical look at communal celebrations and helped them articulate how they believe their s’mahot aff ect others.

We Want Your Green and Just StoriesChizuk Amuno is a sponsor of the Baltimore Green

& Just Celebrations Guide, to be published later this year. We would like to hear your personal stories refl ecting green and/or just choices you’ve made when planning your simhah. Please visit www.BmoreGreenandJust.org to submit your story. For more information, please contact Chizuk Amuno project leaders: Ruthanne Kaufman, [email protected], or Margie Simon, [email protected].

RRS Teaches Responsibility Through a Jewish Lens

With support from the Zaiman Educational Alliance, Chizuk Amuno educators are participating in an exciting professional development initiative. Over the course of the next year, our teachers will be working with nationally known storyteller and educator Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff . With Jennifer’s guidance, they will develop story-telling skills to be used in teaching and coaching skills in order to support other teachers as they tell stories to enhance Jewish, math, language arts, and social studies lessons. More stories to accompany learning at the Hendler Learning Center timeline are being developed, as well as stories for Goldsmith Museum docents when giving tours.

Established on the occasion of his retirement, the ZEA celebrates Rabbi Joel H. Zaiman’s distinguished career as an educational leader at Chizuk Amuno and his enduring commitment and devotion to lifelong Jewish learning.

The ZEA encourages and rewards innovative, collaborative educational initiatives among the schools at Chizuk Amuno and seeks to strengthen the bonds of the Chizuk Amuno community through new expressions of Torah, Avodah, and Gemilut Hasadim.

Through individual coaching, workshops, and classroom visits, Jennifer gives teachers the tools and conviction to rely on their own intuition and creativity and to use storytelling as a mechanism to bring curriculum alive. The initiative has already received wonderful feedback. According to Krieger Schechter Middle School teacher Ellen Friedman, as a result of her work with Jennifer, students are “much more attentive in class generally, and asking more questions than students asked in past years. They have been very appreciative of the stories I have told and they said that they feel like it’s a ‘painless’ way to learn

a lot of information. They seem more engaged in every aspect of the class because they have internalized the story of Israel’s history.” At the end of the project, ten teachers representing all of our schools will have had the chance to work with Jennifer.

Since 1999, Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff has performed in synagogues throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. and has performed and facilitated staff workshops at schools

and camps. Her performances include stories of biblical women, her own versions of ancient folktales, and stories about modern Jewish history and Jewish leaders.

Hanukkah 5772 | 13

An evening to honor and celebrate Dr. Paul D. Schneider

Sunday, April 29, 2012

For his 29th and fi nal year as headmaster of Krieger Schechter Day School

Honorary Dinner for Legacy Donors, 5 p.m. Community Gathering & Celebration, 7:30 p.m.

Followed by Dancing & Dessert Reception at Chizuk Amuno Congregation

Dressy Casual

Bringing Gilad Shalit Home

Dr. Gershon Baskin, a behind-the-scenes negotiator for the release of Gilad Shalit, addressed a crowd of over 200 people at Chizuk Amuno on February 15, delivering a riveting talk about his mission. Baskin initiated Herculean diplomatic eff orts, taking him from Egypt and Gaza where he met with the top echelons of Hamas, to Israeli Prime Ministers, Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu, and to Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet, all with the goal of bringing Gilad back home to Israel. Determined to pursue the commandment of pidyon sh’vuim, the redemption of captives, Baskin was the liaison who singlehandedly approached top level Hamas leaders, securing their confi dence in order to make the necessary contacts with Israeli political, security, and military staff .

Baskin felt as though Gilad Shalit was his own son; his devotion and unwavering commitment to achieve Gilad’s freedom became a compulsion that would not allow him to rest until his mission was accomplished. Following Shalit’s release, Baskin met with Gilad and learned about the poor conditions of his existence in Gaza, his lack of desire to eat, and his state of clinical depression during his captivity. Now, several months after his release, Gilad is making progress.

Dr. Gershon Baskin’s presentation at Chizuk Amuno was sponsored by our Israel Engagement Committee. Dr. Baskin is the founder and chairman of IPCRI, the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information. He also sits on the board of ALLMEP, the Alliance for Middle East Peace, the organization founded by Avi Meyerstein, son of Chizuk Amuno members Israela and Rabbi Michael Meyerstein.

time sensitive m aterial please deliver promptly

Non Profit Org.uS PostagePaidBaltimore, MDPermit No. 544

8100 Stevenson Rd. • Baltimore, Md 21208www.chizukamuno.org

A service initiative made possible by the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Gemilut Hasadim Endowment Fund

FOOD WISH LIST:Beef stew, canned fruits, canned meats/tuna, canned vegetables, dish soap, disposable salt and pepper shakers,

ketchup and mayonnaise, laundry detergent, macaroni and cheese, metal forks, napkins, paper lunch bags, pasta and sauce, peanut butter and jelly, plastic baggies, plastic ware, rice, stove top stuffing, sugar, tea bags, toilet paper

For more information, call Miriam Foss, 410/486-6400, ext. 281

Please drop off your sealed, not-for-Passover food in binslocated in the Louis A. Cohen Family Chapel Lobby and the Administrative Lobby.

Please check expiration dates.

C H I Z U K A M U N O C O N G R E G A T I O N

P R E - P A S S O V E R

Monetary option: In lieu of food, monetary donations will be accepted and donated to kosher funds.Make checks payable to Chizuk Amuno, Attn. Food Drive.

T O B E N E F I T C O M M U N I T Y A G E N C I E S

You open Your hand, and Your favor sustains all the living.—Psalm 145

Thursday, March 22 - Monday, April 2

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The Sisterhood Judaica ShopFor all your Passover Seder Needs

Check out our:Seder Plates • Matzah Plates • Miriam’s Cups • Elijah’s Cups • Handwashing Cups and

Towels • Hostess Gifts • Children’s Toys and Activities • and So Much More

Hours: Sunday ~ 9:15-11:30 a.m. • Monday ~ 9:30-11:30 a.m., 2-6 p.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ~ 10 a.m.-Noon, 2-6 p.m. Friday ~ 10 a.m.-Noon

For information or to volunteer, please call Anne King at 410/303-7716 or 410/484-5813.

Documents

HaZ'man Spring 2012